Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Fukui

Publications and source records attributed to T Fukui.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Molecular biology of L-histidine decarboxylase].

L-Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) catalyzes the formation of histamine from L-histidine. This biogenic amine is known to exert various effects in physiological and pathological reactions. In contrast to the well-known mechanism of histamine action through its interaction with specific receptors, the mechanisms regulating HDC gene expression are not elucidated. We have purified HDC from mouse mastocytoma cells, and isolated mouse HDC cDNA, and found that the primary translated product is posttranslationally processed to yield a mature active enzyme. In mastocytoma cells, we demonstrated that the induction of HDC activity and HDC mRNA synergistically occurred on treatment with dexamethasone+TPA, and also cAMP+Ca2+. To clarify the mechanism of up-regulation by these stimuli of the transcription of the HDC gene, we have isolated a genomic DNA clone encoding 5'-flanking region sequence and the first two exons. The transcription start site and the nucleotide sequences of the promoter regions including TATA- and GC-boxes were determined. With mastocytoma cells transiently transfected with 5' deletion constructs of HDC-CAT fusion gene, it was found that the sequences from -132 to -53 and -267 to -53 are essential for the regulatory elements involved in the increased transcription of the HDC gene with dexamethasone+TPA and cAMP+Ca2+, respectively. Furthermore, we have isolated a genomic DNA from human basophilic cells, and analysed its structure to elucidate the mechanisms regulating the tissue specificity of HDC gene expression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Abnormal fatty acid composition of lymphocytes of biotin-deficient rats.

The relative proportions (% of total fatty acids) of odd-chain (15:0-29:0) and long-chain (22:0-30:0) saturated fatty acids in phospholipids of biotin-deficient rat lymphocytes were significantly increased as compared with biotin-supplemented rats, and the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids in the former was significantly decreased mainly due to the reduced composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 pathway. The ratio of cis-vaccenic acid to palmitoleic acid in biotin-deficient rats was significantly lower than that in control rats, and was thought to be another important, but previously unreported indicator of biotin deficiency. These changes imply that the elongation and desaturation of unsaturated fatty acids are depressed in lymphocytes of biotin-deficient rats, and may contribute to the associated immunological dysfunction in biotin deficiency through abnormal prostaglandin metabolism and/or cell membrane functions.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Agar plate method using Lactobacillus plantarum for biotin determination in serum and urine.

An improved agar plate method of biotin bioassay using Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 and bromocresol purple was established to determine biotin levels in human serum and urine. Samples were treated with 4.5 N H2SO4 to liberate free biotin, autoclaved for 1 h and neutralized by 4.5 N NaOH, then 10 microliters was added to wells in each plate. The biotin levels were measured in 190 serum and 59 urine samples, and the means were 2.7 +/- 0.53 ng/ml and 12.4 +/- 5.56 ng/mg of creatinine, respectively. The intra-assay coefficient varience (CV) were 3.2 (n = 20) and 1.3% (n = 23), respectively. The recovery of biotin added (10 ng/ml) to serum was 110.7%, and to urine was 99.6%. These findings suggest that this assay is sufficiently accurate and reproducible for routine use in the clinical laboratory. The excretion of orally administered biotin was also demonstrated by the method.

Agar↗
PubMed1994

Informative usefulness of age, sex and vital signs in the differential diagnosis of disturbed consciousness among 175 emergency outpatients.

Final diagnoses were determined among 175 emergency patients with disturbed consciousness with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of less than 15 and diagnostic usefulness of basic information was assessed using clinico-epidemiological indices. Subject patients included 98 males and 77 females with average age 53.4 years. Final diagnoses were as follows: intracranial lesions in 69 patients (39.4%), metabolic and systemic diseases in 97 (55.4%), mental diseases in 4 (2.3%), and diseases of unknown origin in 5 (2.9%). Cerebrovascular disorders and epilepsy were most frequent among the intracranial lesions, and poisoning, hypoglycemia, acute alcoholism and hypoxic encephalopathy among the metabolic and systemic diseases. Informative usefulness of age, sex and vital sings in diagnosing cerebrovascular disorders was analyzed with the use of ROC curves, showing that cut-off points of age over 60 years and of systolic blood pressure greater than 160 mmHg were most useful.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

[A case of bilateral cerebellar peduncle infarction with bilateral hearing impairment of a sudden onset].

We reported a patient with bilateral cerebellar peduncle infarcts who had an abrupt onset of bilateral hearing loss. A hypertensive 56-year-old man suddenly experienced bilateral hearing loss without other accompanying neurological deficits. He was hospitalized and treated for "idiopathic deafness". In addition, dysarthria and ataxic gait appeared two days later and he was transferred to our hospital. On neurological examination, the patient presented with diplopia, neurosensory hearing loss (approximately 70 dB) ataxic dysarthria, bilateral cerebellar ataxia and bilateral Babinski's signs. Auditory brain stem evoked response demonstrated prolonged delay of interpeak latency between waves III-IV. CT and MRI revealed fresh ischemic lesions symmetrically located at the middle cerebellar peduncles and cerebellar medullary body. Cerebral angiography showed total occlusion of the left vertebral artery and a stenotic right vertebral artery at the ostium of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. We postulated that hearing impairment in this patient resulted from transient ischemia of the bilateral auditory tract in the brain stem or the peripheral cochlear system, but the definitive cause of the transient hearing loss remains undetermined. Concomitant appearance of a symmetrical infarction at the cerebellar peduncles is rare. We suggest that a circulation defect involving a multivascular system, which resulted in "border zone infarction" occurred at these regions.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
PubMed1994

Relationship between the regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and the changes in circadian blood pressure after long-term treatment with enalapril in hypertensive patients.

The ambulatory blood pressure (BP) was recorded for 24 hours in 28 untreated hypertensive patients, and mean values of systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were measured over 24 hours, during the day-time (6:00 to 19:30), and during the night-time (20:00 to 5:30). M-mode echocardiography was performed and several parameters of left ventricular size were calculated. In addition, 13 men of 18 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) received long-term treatment with enalapril, and ambulatory BP monitoring and echocardiographic measurement were performed in 10 of these patients 6 months after active treatment ended. In all 28 patients, left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was significantly related to 24-hour, day-time and night-time SBP. Other parameters of hypertrophy were correlated with 24-hour and/or night-time BP, but not with day-time BP. In patients with LVH, night-time DBP was significantly higher and the night-time decline in DBP was significantly less than in those without LVH. The 6-month treatment with enalapril clearly decreased casual and ambulatory BP and reduced LVMI. The reduction of LVMI was strongly correlated with the decrease in night-time SBP and DBP compared with the decrease in day-time BP. These observations indicate that LVH is related to 24-hour BP (especially night-time BP) and that the regression of this condition may be related to a decline in night-time BP.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Evidence for lysine 80 as general base catalyst of leucine dehydrogenase.

To elucidate the functional role of the lysyl residue highly conserved in NAD(P)(+)-dependent amino acid dehydrogenases, Lys-80 of leucine dehydrogenase from Bacillus stearothermophilus has been mutated into Ala, Arg, or Gln. All of the mutant enzymes had markedly reduced activities in the oxidative deamination, whereas the Michaelis constants for substrate and coenzyme did not change significantly upon the mutation, except for a 10-30-fold increase in Km values for alpha-keto-iso-caproate in the Ala and Gln mutants. The pH profiles of kinetic parameters of the mutants considerably differed from those of the wild type, in which two ionizable groups with pKa values of 8.9 and 10.7 must be unprotonated for catalysis and protonated for substrate binding, respectively. Combined with the analyses of solvent isotope effect and inhibition by substrate analogs, these results unequivocally show that the epsilon-amino group of Lys-80 participates in catalysis as a general base, assisting the nucleophilic attack of a water molecule to the substrate alpha-carbon atom. Furthermore, the Ala mutant was markedly stimulated by primary amines depending on the pKa and molecular volume, suggesting that in the Ala mutant the added amines can partially replace the general base function of Lys-80 in the wild type enzyme.

Amines↗
PubMed1993

Expression and characterization of recombinant mouse mastocytoma histidine decarboxylase.

The possibility of post-translational processing of mouse mastocytoma histidine decarboxylase (HDC; EC 4.1.1.22) was investigated. The molecular mass of the recombinant HDC expressed in Sf9 cells using HDC cDNA from mouse mastocytoma cells was determined to be 74 kDa by SDS-PAGE. In contrast to the native HDC from mastocytoma cells, the recombinant 74 kDa HDC was essentially inactive and precipitable in Sf9 cells. On the other hand, deletion mutants of the recombinant HDC lacking a C-terminal region equivalent to 10 (64 kDa) or 20 kDa (54 kDa) in size were present as active forms in the soluble fraction of Sf9 cells. To examine the C-terminal deletion of the 74 kDa species yielding the 53 kDa species by means of the immunoblotting analysis, two peptides (corresponding to residues 323-337 and 572-586 of the recombinant 74 kDa HDC peptide) were synthesized, and rabbit antiserum specific for each peptide was prepared. On immunoblotting analysis, anti-peptide 323-337 antiserum recognized both the recombinant 74 kDa and native enzyme subunit peptides, but anti-peptide 572-586 antiserum recognized only the recombinant 74 kDa peptide, i.e., not the native enzyme subunit peptide. Furthermore, HDC activity in the crude extract from Sf9 cells was not precipitable with antipeptide 572-585 antiserum. These results strongly suggest that the 53 kDa subunit peptide of native mastocytoma HDC is derived from the unidentified inactive 74 kDa HDC peptide, probably by post-translational processing of HDC in its C-terminal region.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Enhanced expression of the mouse L-histidine decarboxylase gene with a combination of dexamethasone and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

We previously reported that the induction of L-histidine decarboxylase (HDC) in mouse mastocytoma cells was synergistically potentiated with a combination of dexamethasone and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) [Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1133, 172-178 (1992)]. To clarify the molecular mechanism of this synergistic action on HDC expression, we have isolated genomic DNA clone (MGH5), including 5'-flanking region of the mouse HDC gene. The transcription start site and the nucleotide sequences of the promoter regions were determined. We found that this clone contains a TATA-like box and a GC-box in the promoter region, and several putative binding sites for regulatory proteins in the 5'-flanking region. With mastocytoma cells transiently transfected with 5' deletion constructs of HDC-CAT fusion gene, it was found that the sequence from -267 to -43 is essential for the regulatory elements(s) involved in the increased transcription of the HDC gene with dexamethasone and TPA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Role of the conserved Lys-X-Gly-Gly sequence at the ADP-glucose-binding site in Escherichia coli glycogen synthase.

Although bacterial and mammalian glycogen synthases differ in the primary structure and specificity for glucosyl donor, lysyl residues identified at their substrate-binding sites by affinity labeling are present in a conserved tetrapeptide sequence, Lys-X-Gly-Gly, where X is a residue not conserved (Tagaya, M., Nakano, K., and Fukui, T. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 6670-6676; Furukawa, K., Tagaya, M., Inouye, M., Preiss, J., and Fukui, T. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 2086-2090). To elucidate the functional role of this conserved sequence, Lys-15, Gly-17, and Gly-18 in Escherichia coli glycogen synthase have been replaced by other amino acid residues via site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic analyses of the Lys-15 mutant enzymes showed that the epsilon-amino group of Lys-15 is mainly involved in binding of the phosphate moiety adjacent to the glycosidic linkage in the substrate ADP-glucose, presumably through an ionic interaction. The mutant enzyme in which Ala was substituted for Gly-17 had a catalytic rate constant 3 orders of magnitude smaller than that of the wild-type enzyme with a slightly increased Michaelis constant for ADP-glucose, whereas the Gly-18-->Ala mutant showed a rate constant only 3.2-fold smaller. In addition, mutations of Gly-17 and Gly-18 resulted in marked changes in the reactivity of Lys-15 with affinity labeling reagents. These results suggest that the 2 glycyl residues in the conserved Lys-X-Gly-Gly sequence, in particular the one closer to the ADP-glucose-binding lysyl residue, participate in catalysis by assisting conformational change(s) of the active site or stabilizing the transition state.

Adenosine Diphosphate Glucose↗
PubMed1993

Site-directed mutagenesis of AMP-binding residues in adenylate kinase. Alteration of substrate specificity.

Adenylate kinase is highly specific for AMP as phosphoryl acceptor. We have found that the replacement of Thr39 by Ala in the chicken muscle enzyme, alone or together with the replacement of Leu66 by Ile, caused remarkable increases in CMP and UMP activities with a concomitant decrease in AMP activity; therefore, the resulting mutant enzymes show CMP and UMP activities/AMP activity ratios much higher than the wild-type enzyme. The mutant enzyme in which Ala is substituted for Thr39 has a Vmax value for CMP comparable to that of CMP-UMP kinase.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1993

Inner architecture of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses.

The cores of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV) were observed by negative staining after isolation of the core with Nonidet P40 and glutaraldehyde. Four kinds of cores were found: asymmetric and symmetric sectoral shapes, a bar shape, and a triangular shape. These results were confirmed by the examination of ultrathin sections of whole virions. In some virions, the connection between the core and the envelope was observed after freeze fracturing. Its structure was considered to be characteristic of an intermediate stage of viral maturation. The HIV-1 core was reacted with anti-HIV-1 p24 mouse monoclonal antibody.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Correlation between phospholipase A2 activity and intra-Golgi protein transport reconstituted in a cell-free system.

A wide variety of phospholipase A2 inhibitors blocks intra-Golgi protein transport reconstituted in a cell-free system. Phospholipase A2 activity detectable under the protein transport assay conditions is actually inhibited by the inhibitors. There is a good correlation between the inhibition of protein transport and that of phospholipase A2 activity. Prolactin secretion from GH3 cells is also blocked by a membrane-permeable phospholipase A2 inhibitor, suggesting the physiological relevance to inhibition of protein transport in vitro by phospholipase A2 inhibitors.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1993

Effects of EXP3174, a non-peptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on renal hemodynamics and renal function in dogs.

We examined the effects of intrarenal infusion of EXP3174, a non-peptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist, in order to evaluate the physiological role of endogenous angiotensin II in regulating renal hemodynamics and urine formation and to assess the possibility of a tubular site(s) of action of endogenous angiotensin II in anesthetized dogs. Intrarenal infusion of EXP3174 at 15 micrograms/kg per min caused increases in renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine, flow and urinary electrolyte excretion. The lower dose of EXP3174 (0.5 micrograms/kg per min) did not change mean arterial pressure, RBF and GFR, but did increase urine flow. The fractional excretion of sodium, the fractional proximal excretion of sodium and the fractional distal excretion of sodium increased with lower doses of EXP3174 infusion. EXP3174 did not affect the linear relationship between the free water reabsorption rate and osmolar clearance. These data suggest that endogenous angiotensin II plays a significant role in regulating renal hemodynamics and urine formation and endogenous angiotensin II stimulates sodium reabsorption in the proximal and the distal portions of the tubules, with the exception of the medullary portion of the ascending limb of Henle.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1993

Fibroblast growth factor-dependent metabolism of hypoxanthine via the salvage pathway for purine synthesis in porcine aortic endothelial cells.

In this study we examined the metabolism of hypoxanthine in fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-stimulated porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC). Our previous report indicated that hypoxanthine in fetal bovine serum (FBS) was an essential component for both basal and FGF-dependent growth of PAEC (Hayashi et al., Exp Cell Res 185: 217-228, 1989). Besides hypoxanthine, the addition of various purine bases and purine nucleosides, but not xanthine, xanthosine or any pyrimidine metabolites, restored the limited growth of PAEC cultured in medium containing 10% dialyzed FBS in the presence or absence of FGF. The metabolism of [14C]hypoxanthine was compared in PAEC treated with and without FGF. Treatment of PAEC with FGF for 24 hr enhanced the radioactivity incorporation from [14C]hypoxanthine into both the acid-soluble and -insoluble fractions approximately 2-fold. Upon chromatographic analyses of hypoxanthine metabolites in the acid-soluble nucleotide fraction, it was found that in control PAEC hypoxanthine was largely metabolized to IMP, adenine nucleotides and uric acid, whereas in FGF-treated cells it was converted to ATP, ADP, GTP, xanthine and uric acid. The radioactivity of IMP was lowered in FGF-stimulated cells. The addition of FGF to PAEC increased phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase activity by approximately 8-fold and the PRPP content by approximately 2-fold, but it did not increase hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) activity or hypoxanthine transport. On the other hand, methotrexate, an inhibitor of de novo synthesis of purine, did not affect the growth of PAEC. Analyses of the rate of [14C]formate incorporation into total purine compounds showed that PAEC had a low capacity to synthesize purines de novo, which was not stimulated by FGF. These data indicate that FGF stimulates the synthesis of PRPP necessary for the salvage synthesis of purine nucleotides in conjunction with purine bases, e.g. hypoxanthine.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

A chimeric alpha-glucan phosphorylase of plant type L and H isozymes. Functional role of 78-residue insertion in type L isozyme.

Higher plant tissues such as potato tuber and leaf contain two alpha-glucan phosphorylase isozymes designated types L and H. Although the sequences of the two isozymes are highly conserved except for a 78-residue insertion found uniquely in the type L isozyme, they differ strikingly in affinities for substrates. To examine whether the insertion in the type L isozyme plays a role in enzymic functions, particularly in substrate specificities, we have constructed a chimeric enzyme, in which a 189-residue sequence of the type L isozyme including the insertion and its flanking regions is replaced by the corresponding sequence (112 residues) of the type H isozyme lacking the insertion. The gene for the chimeric enzyme as well as the cDNA for the type L isozyme were expressed at a low temperature in Escherichia coli cells under the control of the strong T7 RNA polymerase promoter. The purified chimeric phosphorylase was five times less active than the parent type L isozyme, but its affinity for glycogen was much higher than that of the type L isozyme and only slightly lower than that of the type H isozyme. The Michaelis constants of the chimeric enzyme for small oligosaccharides were comparable with those of the type L isozyme. These results provide evidence for the role of the 78-residue insertion in the type L isozyme, lowering the affinity of the enzyme for large, branched substrates probably through steric hindrance. It is also assumed that the corresponding region in the type H isozyme contains a high affinity site like the glycogen storage site occurring in the animal enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗