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Biomedical subjects

S Kuramitsu

Publications and source records attributed to S Kuramitsu.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Purification and characterization of a membrane-associated phospholipase A2 from rat spleen. Its comparison with a cytosolic phospholipase A2 S-1.

A membrane-associated phospholipase A2 was purified from rat spleen. The phospholipase A2 was solubilized from the 108,000 x g pellet fraction with 0.3% lithium dodecyl sulfate and then purified to homogeneity by successive DEAE-Cellulofine AM, octyl-Sepharose, Cellulofine GCL 300-m, S-Sepharose, and Bio-Gel P-30 chromatographies in the presence of 0.5% 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane-sulfonate. The apparent Mr of the enzyme, estimated on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was about 13,600. The purified enzyme had a pH optimum in the range of pH 8.0-9.5 and required the presence of Ca2+ (4 mM) for its maximal activity. The enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed the 2-acyl ester bonds of phosphatidylglycerol in the presence and absence of sodium cholate or sodium deoxycholate. Unlike the phospholipase A2 of rat spleen supernatant, no immunocross-reactivity was observed between the purified enzyme and anti-rat pancreatic phospholipase A2 antibody. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the enzyme was determined and found to be homologous to that of viperid and crotalid venom phospholipases A2. The results in this and the preceding report (Tojo, H., Ono, T., Kuramitsu, S., Kagamiyama, H., and Okamoto, M. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 5724-5731) demonstrate that rat spleen contains two genetically distinct phospholipase A2 isoenzymes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Structural similarity of bovine lung prostaglandin F synthase to lens epsilon-crystallin of the European common frog.

Cloned cDNA sequences specific for prostaglandin F (PGF) synthase have been isolated from a cDNA library of bovine lung mRNA sequences. Nucleotide-sequence analyses of cloned cDNA inserts have revealed that PGF synthase consists of a 969-base pair open reading frame coding for a 323-amino acid polypeptide with a Mr of 36,666. The sequence analysis indicates that bovine lung PGF synthase shows 62% identical plus conservative substitutions compared with human liver aldehyde reductase [Wermuth, B., Omar, A., Forster, A., Francesco, C., Wolf, M., Wartburg, J.P., Bullock, B. & Gabbay, K.H. (1987) in Enzymology and Molecular Biology of Carbonyl Metabolism: Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Aldo-Keto Reductase, and Alcohol Dehydrogenase, eds. Weiner, H. & Flynn, T.G. (Liss, New York), pp. 297-307], which is similar to PGF synthase in molecular weight and substrate specificity. However, comparison of the amino acid sequence of PGF synthase with the National Biomedical Research Foundation protein data base reveals that the sequences of 225 amino acids from C termini of epsilon-crystallin of the European common frog (Rana temporaria) [Tomarev, S.I., Zinovieva, R.D., Dolgilevich, S.M., Luchin, S.V., Krayev, A.S., Skryabin, K.G. & Gause, G.G. (1984) FEBS Lett. 171, 297-302] and of PGF synthase show 77% identical and conservative substitutions without deletions/additions. The result suggests that European common frog lens epsilon-crystallin is identical to bovine lung PGF synthase.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1988

Branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase of Escherichia coli: overproduction and properties.

ilvE gene of Escherichia coli was inserted into the region downstream of the tac promotor. As a result, the branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase was overproduced by about a hundred-fold in E. coli W3110. The overproduced aminotransferase was purified from cell extracts about 40-fold to homogeneity. Chemical and physicochemical analyses confirmed that it was a product of the ilvE gene. The enzyme existed in a hexamer with a subunit molecular weight of 34,000; the double trimer model of the enzyme presumed by the previous chemical cross-linking experiments (Lee-Peng, F.-C. et al. (1979) J. bacteriol. 139, 339-345) was supported by electron micrographs. The circular dichroic (CD) spectrum of branch-chain amino acid aminotransferase had double negative maxima at 210 and 220 nm. The alpha-helical content was estimated to be about 40% from the CD spectrum in the region of 200 to 250 nm. The absorption spectrum of the enzyme showed two peaks at 330 and 410 nm. There was no pH-dependent spectral shift. The CD spectrum of the coenzyme, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, had negative peaks at 330 and 410 nm. These spectral properties of branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase were quite different from those of E. coli aspartate aminotransferase. Each subunit bound approximately 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. A lysyl residue, which forms a Schiff base with the aldehyde group of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, was identified in the primary structure of the enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding mammalian cytosolic malate dehydrogenase. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of mammalian and bacterial malate dehydrogenase.

A cDNA clone, named ppcMDH-1 and covering a part of the coding region for the porcine cytosolic malate dehydrogenase (cMDH) mRNA, was isolated from a porcine liver cDNA library. Subsequently, mouse cMDH cDNA clones were isolated from mouse liver and heart cDNA libraries, using the ppcMDH-1 cDNA as a probe. The longest clone, named pmcMDH-5, was sequenced and the primary structure of the mouse cMDH deduced from its cDNA sequence showed that the mouse cMDH consists of the 334-amino acid residues. When the amino acid sequence of the mouse cMDH was compared with that of the porcine cMDH, they shared a 93% homology. On the other hand, the amino acid sequences of mouse cMDH and mitochondrial MDH (mMDH) showed about 23% overall homology. Surprisingly, comparison of the amino acid sequences among the mammalian and bacterial MDHs revealed that the homology between the mouse cMDH and thermophilic bacterial MDH, as well as the homology between the mouse mMDH and Escherichia coli MDH, markedly exceeds the intraspecies sequence homology between mMDH and cMDH from mice.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Substitution of an arginyl residue for the active site lysyl residue (Lys258) of aspartate aminotransferase.

The active site lysyl residue (Lys258) of E. coli aspartate amino transferase was substituted for an arginyl residue by oligonucleotide-directed, site-specific mutagenesis. The mutant enzyme was obviously unable to form an aldimine bond with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate but firmly bound the coenzyme. The finding that the mutation did not lead to entire loss in the enzymic activity suggests that Lys258 may not be essential but auxiliary for enzymic catalysis. It is also conceived that the positive charge provided by Arg258 may contribute to the enzymic catalysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of full-length cDNA for mRNA of adrenodoxin oxidoreductase from bovine adrenal cortex.

A full-length cDNA clone (pADR) for adrenodoxin reductase was isolated by means of immunological screening from a bovine adrenal poly(A)+ mRNA library. A cDNA insert of 1,973 base pairs in length encoded the entire amino acid sequence of the adrenodoxin reductase precursor protein, which consists of 492 amino acids including an extrapeptide of 32 amino acids at the NH2-terminus. The cloned cDNA contained the complete 3'-noncoding region of 443 nucleotides including 59 nucleotides of poly(A) and 51 nucleotides in the 5'-noncoding region. The amino acid sequences from the 33rd to 70th, the 117th to 123rd, the 207th to 225th, the 247th to 323rd, the 385th to 426th, the 444th to 461st, and the 487th to 492nd in the predicted structure were identical with those of the purified adrenodoxin reductase and its digested peptides, with only four exceptions.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1987

Overproduction and preliminary X-ray characterization of aspartate aminotransferase from Escherichia coli.

The aspartate aminotransferase of Escherichia coli was overproduced in cells after genetic manipulation, and was crystallized from a polyethylene glycol solution, pH 7.0. The crystals obtained were of good quality and had diffractions extending beyond 2.4 A. The space group and unit cell dimensions were determined with a precession camera and a four-circle diffractometer to be C222(1), and a = 157.1 A, b = 85.5 A, and c = 79.7 A, respectively. Only one protein subunit is contained in an asymmetric unit.

Aspartate Aminotransferases↗
PubMed1985

Aromatic amino acid aminotransferase of Escherichia coli: nucleotide sequence of the tyrB gene.

The tyrB gene of E. coli K-12, which encodes aromatic amino acid aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.57) was cloned. The nucleotide sequence of about 2 kilobase pairs containing the gene was determined. The coding region of the tyrB gene and the deduced amino acid sequence revealed that the aromatic amino acid aminotransferase of E. coli is homologous with the aspartate aminotransferase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Complete amino acid sequence of the ubiquinone binding protein (QP-C), a protein similar to the 14,000-dalton subunit of the yeast ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase complex.

The amino acid sequence of the ubiquinone binding protein (QP-C) in the cytochrome bc1 region of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain was determined by analysis of peptides obtained by cyanogen bromide cleavage and staphylococcal protease digestion of succinylated derivatives. It was found to consist of 110 amino acid residues and its amino terminus to be blocked by an acetyl group, as determined by mass spectrometry of the amino-terminal peptide and a comparison with peptides chemically synthesized on high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of this ubiquinone binding protein including the acetyl group was calculated to be 13,389. The predicted secondary structure of QP-C has alpha-helical content of about 50% and QP-C was classified as an "all-alpha" or "alpha + beta" protein. This is the first report describing the amino acid sequence of the ubiquinone binding protein. A comparison of this sequence with that of the 14-kDa subunit of the yeast ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase complex from the nucleotide sequence showed these two sequences to be quite similar.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Aspartate aminotransferase of Escherichia coli: nucleotide sequence of the aspC gene.

The nucleotide sequence of the aspartate aminotransferase [EC 2.6.1.1] structural gene, aspC, of Escherichia coli K-12 was determined. The coding region of the aspC gene contained 1,188 nucleotide residues and encoded 396 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence agreed perfectly with that of the protein recently determined for the aspartate aminotransferase of E. coli B (Kondo, K., Wakabayashi, S., Yagi, T., & Kagamiyama, H. (1984) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 122, 62-67).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase of Escherichia coli: nucleotide sequence of the ilvE gene and the deduced amino acid sequence.

The ilvE gene of the Escherichia coli K-12 ilvGEDA operon, which encodes branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase [EC 2.6.1.42], was cloned. The nucleotide sequence of 1.5 kilobase pairs containing the gene was determined. The coding region of the ilvE gene contained 927 nucleotide residues and could encode 309 amino acid residues. The predicted molecular weight, amino acid composition and the sequence of the N-terminal 15 residues agreed with the enzyme data reported previously (Lee-Peng, F.-C., et al. (1979) J. Bacteriol. 139, 339-345). From the deduced amino acid sequence, the secondary structure was predicted.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Aspartate aminotransferase isozymes from rabbit liver. Purification and properties.

Cytosolic and mitochondrial isozymes of aspartate aminotransferase (L-aspartate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase [EC 2.6.1.1] ) were purified to homogeneity from rabbit liver. The rabbit liver isozymes were closely similar to the corresponding isozymes from other sources, including human heart, pig heart, chicken heart, and rat liver, in their molecular weights, absorption spectra, amino acid compositions, isoelectric points, and Michaelis constants for the substrates. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequences of rabbit liver isozymes were identified up to 30 residues, and showed some differences from those of the corresponding isozymes obtained from other animals so far studied.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Dissociation of bovine cytochrome c1 subcomplex and the status of cysteine residues in the subunits.

Purified bovine heart two-band cytochrome c1 subcomplex was dissociated by treatment with p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (pCMB) into its heme subunit and a colorless subunit called hinge protein, which is essential for the formation of cytochrome c1-c complex. The subcomplex was found by titration to react with 4 mol of pCMB per mol of cytochrome c1. The contents of mercury of the dissociated heme subunit and the hinge protein were 3 and 1 mol per mol of polypeptide, respectively. These results, together with the sequence analysis, indicated that the three cysteine residues in cytochrome c1 heme subunit not involved in heme-binding existed in free thiol form. One of the five cysteine residues in the hinge protein was in free form and four in two disulfide bonds. The dissociated hinge protein was digested with staphylococcal protease and the cysteine-containing peptides were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The content of mercury and the result of performic acid oxidation of cystine peptides revealed that Cys-30 existed in free thiol form and two disulfide bridges were formed between Cys-24 and Cys-68 and between Cys-40 and Cys-54. The conformation of the hinge protein was predicted to be composed largely of either two-alpha-helical or four-alpha-helical conformation with the amino (N)-terminal 20 residues being in a random structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Cysteinyl residues of Escherichia coli recA protein.

The Escherichia coli recA protein has three cysteinyl residues at positions 90, 116, and 129. All of them are reactive with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB). In the presence of ATP or ADP, only one cysteinyl residue reacts with DTNB. The residue was also reactive with N-[7-(dimethylamino)-4-methylcoumarinyl]maleimide (DACM) in the presence of ATP. The results on an analysis of the DACM-modified protein cleaved at the nonmodified cysteinyl residues after cyanation with 2-nitro-5-(thiocyano)benzoic acid show that two cysteinyl residues protected in the presence of ATP or ADP are identified as Cys-90 and Cys-129. When the ionic strength is higher than 1, one cysteinyl residue does not react with DTNB. This residue is Cys-90 or Cys-129, because one of the two cysteinyl residues, which are not modified with DACM in the presence of ATP, does not react with DTNB at high ionic strength. The binding of single-stranded DNA to the recA protein does not change the reactivity of the cysteinyl residues with DTNB.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1981

Hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferyl N-acetyl-chitooligosaccharides catalyzed by human lysozyme.

Binding of N-acetyl-chitotetraose, 4-methylumbelliferyl chitotrioside ((GlcNAc)3-MeU), and 4-methylumbelliferyl chitotetraoside ((GlcNAc)4-MeU) to human lysozyme [EC 3.2.1.17] was studied by fluorescence measurement. Hydrolysis of (GlcNAc)3-MeU and (GlcNAc)4-MeU catalyzed by human lysozyme was studied by measuring the release of 4-methylumbelliferone fluorimetrically and the kinetic constants were determined in the pH range of 2 to 8 at 0.1 ionic strength and 42 degrees C. On the basis of binding and kinetic data, it was shown that (GlcNAc)3-MeU binds mainly to subsites A to D with the terminal MeU group bound to subsite D (nonproductive binding) and that (GlcNAc)4-MeU binds to subsites A to E (productive binding) and subsites A to D with the nonreducing sugar residue extending beyond subsite A (nonproductive binding). The pH dependences of the kinetic constants for hydrolysis of (GlcNAc)3-MeU and (GlcNAc)4-MeU were analyzed assuming that nonproductive binding occurs competitively, that an ionizable group in addition to the catalytic groups (Asp 52 and Glu 35) participates in the catalysis, and that the molecular species with ionized Asp 52 and protonated Glu 35 is active. Analyses of the kinetic constants for (GlcNAc)3-MeU and (GlcNAc)4-MeU both gave the same pK values of the catalytic groups (pK52 = 3.6(3) and pK35 = 6.6(8) at 0.1 ionic strength and 42 degrees C). These pK values were very close to the values determined previously by spectroscopic methods in our laboratory (Kuramitsu et al. (1974) J. Biochem. 76, 671-683; (1978) ibid. 83, 159-170; (1980) ibid. 87, 771-778).

Chitin↗
PubMed1981

A large-scale preparation and some physicochemical properties of recA protein.

Pure recA protein was easily obtained from Escherichia coli harboring plasmid pTM-2 which carried the recA gene by two chromatographic steps on phosphocellulose and DEAE-cellulose. RecA protein was stable in the pH range of 6 to 9 at 25 degrees C. RecA protein was found to aggregate highly under these conditions. Lowering of the protein concentration, the presence of glycerol, and lowering of the pH in the pH stability region diminished the extent of aggregation. The spectroscopic properties of recA protein were measured in the presence of 10% (v/v) glycerol. RecA protein had an absorption maximum at 278 nm. The value of a1% 1cm at 278 nm was determined to be 5.7. The tryptophyl fluorescence spectrum excited at 295 nm had an emission maximum at 340 nm and the quantum efficiency of recA protein relative to N-acetyl-L-tryptophanamide was determined to be 0.65. The CD spectrum of recA protein had negative double maxima at 210 and 220 nm. The alpha-helical content was estimated to be about 40% from the CD spectrum in the region of 200 to 250 nm. All three cysteinyl residues of recA protein were reacted with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), and recA protein was found to have neither intramolecular nor intermolecular disulfide bond. The reactivities of the SH groups were changed by the presence of ATP or ADP. The denaturation of recA protein by guanidine hydrochloride was studied by measuring CD at 220 nm and tryptophyl fluorescence. The denaturation curve obtained by CD measurement consisted of two stages, one of which lies between 0 and 1.8 M and the other above 1.8 M guanidine hydrochloride. On the other hand, the denaturation curve obtained by fluorescence measurement consisted of a single transition in the concentration range of about 1 to 2.3 M guanidine hydrochloride.

Bacterial Proteins↗