Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W J Payne

Publications and source records attributed to W J Payne.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

NMR and EPR studies on a monoheme cytochrome c550 isolated from Bacillus halodenitrificans.

A c-type monoheme ferricytochrome c550 (9.6 kDa) was isolated from cells of Bacillus halodenitrificans sp.nov., grown anaerobically as a denitrifier. The visible absorption spectrum indicates the presence of a band at 695 nm characteristic of heme-methionine coordination. The midpoint redox potential was determined at several pH values by visible spectroscopy. The redox potential at pH 7.6 is 138 mV. When studied by 1H-NMR spectroscopy as a function of pH, the spectrum shows a pH dependence with pKa values of 6.0 and 11.0. According to these pKa values, three forms designated as I, II and III can be attributed to cytochrome c550. The first pKa is probably associated with protonation of the propionate groups. The second pKa value introduces a larger effect in the 1H-NMR spectrum and is probably due to the ionisation of the axial histidine. Studies of temperature variation of the 1H-NMR spectra for both the ferrous and ferri forms of the cytochrome were performed. Heme meso protons, the heme methyl groups, the thioether protons, two protons from a propionate and the methylene protons from the axial methionine were identified in the reduced form. The heme methyl resonances of the ferri form were also assigned. EPR spectroscopy was also used to probe the ferric heme environment. A signal at gmax approximately 3.5 at pH 7.5 was observed indicating an almost axial heme environment. At higher pH values the signal at gmax approximately 3.5 converts mainly to a signal at g approximately 2.96. The pKa associated with this change is around 11.3. The N-terminal sequence of this cytochrome was determined and compared with known amino acid sequences of other cytochromes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Oxygen-dependent desulphation of monomethyl sulphate by Agrobacterium sp. M3C.

Agrobacterium sp. M3C, previously isolated from canal-water for its ability to grow on monomethyl sulphate, degraded this ester with stoichiometric liberation of inorganic sulphate. In contrast with the biodegradation of monomethyl sulphate in Hyphomicrobium sp., and of other longer-chain alkyl sulphates in Pseudomonas spp., the pathway in Agrobacterium appeared not to involve a sulphatase enzyme capable of catalysing ester-bond hydrolysis. No such sulphatase was detectable under a range of conditions of bacterial culture, or using various methods for preparing cell-extracts, or different assay conditions. There was no incorporation of 18O-label from H2(18O) into the liberated inorganic sulphate. No methanol was detectable during biodegradation, and the organism was incapable of growth on methanol, and did not produce methanol dehydrogenase activity when grown on monomethyl sulphate. Tracer studies using mono[14C]-methyl sulphate indicated that formate serine and glycine were produced during the biodegradation. The presence of these amino acids, together with high activity of hydroxypyruvate reductase, indicated the operation of the serine pathway common in methylotrophs. Use of an oxygen electrode in conjunction with monomethyl[35S]sulphate showed that release of 35SO2(-4) was dependent on availability of O2, and that there was equimolar stoichiometry among monomethyl sulphate degraded, O2 consumed and 35SO2(-4) released. A proposed pathway for the degradation involved an initial mono-oxygenation to methanediol monosulphate with subsequent elimination of SO2(-4) and concomitant formation of formaldehyde. The pathway was compared with degradation mechanisms for other C1 compounds and for other sulphate esters.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed1978

Herpes simplex virus vaccine: protection from stomatitis, ganglionitis, encephalitis and latency.

A mouse model system was developed for studying the pathogenesis of oral infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 and the protection offered by prior immunization with a nucleic acid-free vaccine. Of non-immunized mice, 95-100% developed ulcerative lesions 3-5 days following application of virus to abraded oral epithelial surfaces. Infection of the ipsilateral sensory (trigeminal) ganglion and the cerebellum occurred by day 2 and sequentially progressed to the contralateral ganglion by day 4 and to the cerebrum by day 5. Prior immunization of mice with an inactivated virus vaccine, and most importantly, with a vaccine free of nucleic acid, protected mice from subsequent oral virus infection. Protection was demonstrated by: (i) reduction in the incidence and severity of primary oral lesions; (ii) a decrease in the number of mice with acute ganglionic infection or dying of encephalitis; and (iii) a reduction in the incidence of latent trigeminal ganglionic infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Decrease in nitrate reductase activity in extracts of Trichoderma viride Incubated with chlorides.

Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent nitrate reductase activity in crude extracts of Trichoderma virde was significantly inhibited by physiological concentrations of ammonium chloride, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride, but not by ammonium or sodium sulfate. The chloride inhibition of nitrate reductase activity increased in a linear manner with chloride concentration.

Ammonium Chloride↗
PubMed1976

Blockage by acetylene of nitrous oxide reduction in Pseudomonas perfectomarinus.

Suspensions of denitrifying cells of Pseudomonas perfectomarinus reduced nitrate and nitrate as expected to dinitrogen; but, in the presence of acetylene, nitrous oxide accumulated when nitrate or nitrate was reduced. When supplied at the outset in place of nitrate and nitrate, nitrous oxide was rapidly reduced to dinitrogen by cells incubated in anaerobic vessels in the absence of acetylene. In the presence of 0.01 atmospheres of acetylene, however, nitrous oxide was not reduced. Ethylene was not produced, nor did it influence the rate of nitrous oxide reduction when provided instead of acetylene. Cells exposed to 0.01 atmospheres of acetylene for as long as 400 min were able to reduce nitrous oxide after removal of acetylene at a rate comparable to that of cells not exposed to acetylene. Acetylene did not affect the production or functioning of assimilatory nitrate or nitrite reductase in axenic cultures of Enterobacter aerogenes or Trichoderma uride. While exposed to acetylene, bacteria in marine sediment slurries produced measurable quantities of nitrous oxide from glucose- or acetate-dependent reduction of added nitrate. Possible use of acetylene blockage for measurement of denitrification in unamended marine sediments is discussed.

Acetylene↗
PubMed1976

Inhibition of methanogenesis in salt marsh sediments and whole-cell suspensions of methanogenic bacteria by nitrogen oxides.

Hydrogen-dependent evolution of methane from salt marsh sediments and whole-cell suspensions of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and Methanobacterium fornicicum ceased or decreased after the introduction of nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide, or nitrous oxide. Sulfite had a similar effect on methanogenesis in the whole-cell suspensions. In salt marsh sediments, nitrous oxide was the strongest inhibitor, followed by nitric oxide, nitrite, and nitrate in decreasing order of inhibition. In whole-cell suspensions, nitric oxide was the strongest inhibitor, followed by nitrous oxide, nitrite, and nitrate. Consideration of the results from experiments using an indicator of oxidation potential, along with the reversed order of effectiveness of the nitrogen oxides in relation to their degree of reduction ,suggests that the inhibitory effect observed was not due to a redox change. Evidence is also presented that suggests that the decrease in the rate of methane production in the presence of oxides of nitrogen was not attributable to competition for methane-producing substrates.

Bacteria↗