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Depolarization-evoked release of gamma-hydroxybutyrate from rat brain slices.

The release of gamma-hydroxybutyrate from preloaded rat brain striatal slices was investigated. K+-induced depolarization caused an efflux of gamma-hydroxybutyrate of about 50 fmol min-1 mg-1 (wet weight), but in a Ca2+-free medium containing Mg2+, the evoked release was reduced by 50-60%. The release was higher when 100 microM veratridine was used as a depolarizing agent. The efflux of gamma-hydroxybutyrate is related to veratridine and K+ concentration, and is strongly inhibited by 10 microM tetrodotoxin. The Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil induces a large decrease in the efflux of gamma-hydroxybutyrate after both K+- and veratridine-induced depolarization. These results are in favour of a possible transmitter function for gamma-hydroxybutyrate in rat striatum.

Animals↗

The "intracellular" poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) depolymerase of Rhodospirillum rubrum is a periplasm-located protein with specificity for native PHB and with structural similarity to extracellular PHB depolymerases.

Rhodospirillum rubrum possesses a putative intracellular poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) depolymerase system consisting of a soluble PHB depolymerase, a heat-stable activator, and a 3-hydroxybutyrate dimer hydrolase (J. M. Merrick and M. Doudoroff, J. Bacteriol. 88:60-71, 1964). In this study we reinvestigated the soluble R. rubrum PHB depolymerase (PhaZ1). It turned out that PhaZ1 is a novel type of PHB depolymerase with unique properties. Purified PhaZ1 was specific for amorphous short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) such as native PHB, artificial PHB, and oligomer esters of (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate with 3 or more 3-hydroxybutyrate units. Atactic PHB, (S)-3-hydroxybutyrate oligomers, medium-chain-length PHA, and lipase substrates (triolein, tributyrin) were not hydrolyzed. The PHB depolymerase structural gene (phaZ1) was cloned. Its deduced amino acid sequence (37,704 Da) had no significant similarity to those of intracellular PHB depolymerases of Wautersia eutropha or of other PHB-accumulating bacteria. PhaZ1 was found to have strong amino acid homology with type-II catalytic domains of extracellular PHB depolymerases, and Ser(42), Asp(138), and His(178) were identified as catalytic-triad amino acids, with Ser(42) as the putative active site. Surprisingly, the first 23 amino acids of the PHB depolymerase previously assumed to be intracellular revealed features of classical signal peptides, and Edman sequencing of purified PhaZ1 confirmed the functionality of the predicted cleavage site. Extracellular PHB depolymerase activity was absent, and analysis of cell fractions unequivocally showed that PhaZ1 is a periplasm-located enzyme. The previously assumed intracellular activator/depolymerase system is unlikely to have a physiological function in PHB mobilization in vivo. A second gene, encoding the putative true intracellular PHB depolymerase (PhaZ2), was identified in the genome sequence of R. rubrum.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The dimer and trimer of 3-hydroxybutyrate oligomer as a precursor of ketone bodies for nutritional care.

BACKGROUND: Ketone bodies have been considered as a means of providing energy because of their good penetration and rapid diffusion in peripheral tissues. However, because the currently available form of 3-hydroxybu-tyrate is the sodium salt, the sodium load is problematic. To avoid it, a mixture of dimer and trimer has been prepared as a precursor of D-3-hydroxybutyrate. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether and how the solution would be converted to monomers. METHODS: The plasma concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate monomer was measured in 10 rats during infusion of dimer and trimer. Stepwise dilutions of the solution were incubated with serum and liver homogenates from five rats, serum samples from five volunteers, and a liver sample from one patient with liver injury. The solution also was incubated with carboxylesterase and triacylglycerol lipase. The concentration of monomer in the medium was measured after incubation. RESULTS: The plasma concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate monomer reached 572 +/- 11 micromol/L 15 minutes after beginning infusion of the mixture at a rate of 25 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1) and 270 +/- 40 micromol/L at a rate of 12.5 micromol x kg(-1) min(-1). The solution was converted completely to monomers when incubated with rat serum or liver homogenate for 10 minutes. The mixture also was hydrolyzed by human liver homogenate but not by serum. CONCLUSIONS: The dimer and trimer of 3-hydroxybutyrate can be converted rapidly to monomer in rat and human tissues. 3-Hydroxybutyrate oligomers could be an energy substrate for injured patients.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Analysis of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, DL-lactic acid, glycolic acid, ethylene glycol and other glycols in body fluids by a direct injection gas chromatography-mass spectrometry assay for wide use.

Analysis of blood of severely intoxicated patients always requires prompt investigation. Diagnosis of intoxication with ethylene glycol, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid or D-lactic acid takes hours, since several different procedures are required. Rapid derivatization of the common hydroxyl function may resolve this analytical problem. Here we describe a fast method for the simultaneous measurement of ethylene glycol, glycolic acid, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and racemic lactic acid. Only 20 microl of serum, plasma or urine are required for immediate derivatization at 70 degrees C with 750 microl of bis-N,O-trimethylsilyl trifluoroacetamide after adding 20 microl of internal standard solution (1,3-propylene glycol) and 20 microl of the catalyst dimethylformamide. After centrifugation an aliquot is transferred to a gas chromatographic system and analyzed with electron-impact mass spectrometry in selective ion monitoring mode. The derivatized acids and ethylene glycol are well separated and detected with a limit of detection ranging from 0.12 mg/l for ethylene glycol to 0.95 mg/l for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, while the limit of quantification ranged from 0.4 mg/l for ethylene glycol to 3.15 mg/l for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid. The method is linear from 0.5 to 1800 mg/l blood for ethylene glycol, from 0.7 to 1200 mg/l for lactic acid, from 1.2 to 1800 mg/l for glycolic acid, and from 3.2 to 200 mg/l for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, with analytical recoveries, accuracy, day-to-day and within-day precision well within the required limits. Total analysis time with one calibrator was 30 min, derivatization time included. This method is very suitable for emergency toxicology, since several toxic substances can be quantified simultaneously in a fast and sensitive manner.

Chromatography↗

Effects of 2-mercaptoacetate in isolated liver mitochondria in vitro. Competitive inhibition of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and depression of the beta-oxidation pathway.

The effects of 2-mercaptoacetate on the respiration rates induced by different substrates were studied in vitro in isolated liver mitochondria. With palmitoyl-L-carnitine or 2-oxoglutarate as the substrate, the ADP-stimulated respiration (State 3) was dose-dependently inhibited by 2-mercaptoacetate. with glutamate or succinate as the substrate. State-3 respiration was only slightly inhibited by 2-mercaptoacetate. In contrast, the oxidation rate of 3-hydroxybutyrate was competitively inhibited by 2-mercaptoacetate in both isolated mitochondria and submitochondrial particles. In uncoupled mitochondria and in mitochondria in which ATP- and GTP-dependent acyl-CoA biosynthesis was inhibited, the inhibitory effect of 2-mercaptoacetate on palmitoyl-L-carnitine oxidation was abolished; under the same conditions, however, inhibition of 3-hydroxybutyrate oxidation by 2-mercaptoacetate still persisted. These results led to the following conclusions: 2-mercaptoacetate itself enters the mitochondrial matrix, inhibits fatty acid oxidation through a mechanism requiring an energy-dependent activation of 2-mercaptoacetate and itself inhibits 3-hydroxybutyrate oxidation through a competitive inhibition of the membrane-bound 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase. This study also strongly suggests that the compound responsible for the inhibition of fatty acid oxidation is 2-mercaptoacetyl-CoA.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

The oxidation of 3-hydroxybutyrate in developing rat jejunum.

Ketone bodies and glutamine are the primary oxidative substrates in the intestine of fasting adult rats. Because suckling rats consume the majority of their calories in the form of lipid and as a result have elevated blood ketone concentrations similar to fasting adult rats, we examined the role of ketone oxidation as a source of energy in the intestine of suckling rats. In suckling rats the rate of [3-14C]DL-3-hydroxybutyrate oxidation in intestinal tissue slices, enterocytes, and intestinal mitochondria was 0.15 +/- 0.01 nmol/h/mg wet wt, 8.6 +/- 1.1 nmol/h/mg protein and 8.3 +/- 1.3 nmol/h/mg protein, respectively. In suckling rats the rate of intestinal oxidation of [3-14C]DL-3-hydroxybutyrate was 75% lower than the rate in weaned rats in intestinal tissue slices, 55% lower in enterocytes, and 50% lower in intestinal mitochondria. The activity of two enzymes involved in ketone oxidation, 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, and acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase was 38% and 55% higher in intestinal homogenates of suckling rats compared with adult rats. In contrast, 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase activity, an enzyme also involved in 3-hydroxybutyrate oxidation, was one third that of adults. These studies indicate that intestinal oxidation of 3-HB occurs in suckling rat pups, but is lower than the rate of oxidation in the intestine of weaned rats.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Synthesis, physicochemical properties, anticonvulsant activities, and GABA-ergic and voltage-sensitive calcium channel receptor affinities of alpha-substituted N-benzylamides of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid. Part 4: Search for new anticonvulsant compounds.

In a search for new anticonvulsant compounds, two series of N-benzylamides of alpha-(benzylamino)-gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (series A) and alpha-(2-phenylethylamino)-gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (series B), were investigated in maximal electroshock (MES), subcutaneous metrazole, and rotorod toxicity assays. The most potent anticonvulsant compounds were alpha-(benzylamino)-gamma-hydroxybutyric acid N-benzylamide (3) and N-(2-chlorobenzylamide (4) with median effective (ED50) doses 63.0 mg/kg and 54.0 mg/kg, respectively. alpha-(4-Phenylpiperazinyl)-gamma-hydroxybutyric acid N-(4-methylbenzyl)amide (17) and alpha-(benzylpiperazinyl-gamma-hydroxy-butyric acid N-(4-methylbenzyl)amide (18) were also tested for their ability to potentiate [3H]-muscimol binding and to inhibit [35S]-TBPS binding (as indices of GABA-A receptor potentiation). Amide 17 exhibited activity at the GABA-A complex which may be the mechanism by which the anticonvulsant effect of this compound is mediated. The N-benzylamides of alpha-(benzylamino)-gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (3-9) were also evaluated for their ability to displace [3H]-nitrendipine from voltage-sensitive calcium channel (VSCC) receptors isolated from rat cortex.

Animals↗

Anti-sedative and anti-cataleptic properties of NCS-382, a gamma-hydroxybutyrate receptor antagonist.

NCS-382 possesses antagonistic properties at gamma-hydroxybutyrate receptor sites. Its effect on the sedative/cataleptic behaviour observed in rats after gamma-hydroxybutyrate administration was investigated. NCS-382 diminished, in a dose-dependent manner, the sedative and/or cataleptic effects of gamma-hydroxybutyrate, as revealed by a variety of sensorimotor tests. These results indicate that the well-known sedative/anaesthetic effects induced by gamma-hydroxybutyrate administration are provoked via stimulation of a specific class(es) of gamma-hydroxybutyrate receptors which exist in the rat brain and which could mediate a local stimulation of opiate synthesis and release.

Animals↗

gamma-Hydroxybutyrate receptor binding in rat brain is inhibited by guanyl nucleotides and pertussis toxin.

gamma-Hydroxybutyrate is an endogenous substance of mammalian brain which is primarily derived from GABA. This compound exhibits neuromodulatory influences on dopamine and serotonin synthesis and release in rat brain. These effects are mediated by specific brain receptors which are mainly distributed in the hippocampus, cortex and striatum. In order to characterize this type of receptor, we have studied the possibility that guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and/or pertussis toxin mediated modification of the affinity for gamma-hydroxybutyrate binding to the receptor. Results presented in this paper favor the presence of guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G0 or Gi family), which are coupled to the gamma-hydroxybutyrate receptor, modifying the high-affinity gamma-hydroxybutyrate binding. We conclude that the gamma-hydroxybutyrate receptor in brain belongs to the G-protein family of receptors.

Animals↗

Total intravenous anaesthesia using propofol, gamma-hydroxybutyrate or midazolam in combination with sufentanil for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.

Total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) using propofol, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) or midazolam in combination with sufentanil was investigated in 45 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Anaesthesia was induced with sufentanil, etomidate and pancuronium. After endotracheal intubation, anaesthesia was continued with sufentanil (2 micrograms kg-1 h-1) for all patients. Patients were randomized to receive supplementary propofol (2 mg kg-1 h-1, n = 15), gamma-hydroxybutyrate (20 mg kg-1 h-1, n = 15) or midazolam (0.06 mg kg-1 h-1, n = 15). Haemodynamic measurements were performed after induction and at various times in the pre-bypass period. In the propofol group, a significant decrease in heart rate (HR 12% +/- 3%), cardiac index (CI 23% +/- 4%), mean arterial pressure (MAP 16% +/- 3%) and left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI 17% +/- 4%) occurred until sternotomy was performed. With the exception of cardiac index, both midazolam and gamma-hydroxybutyrate produced similar haemodynamic effects: cardiac index was temporarily decreased (19% +/- 4%) by midazolam and remained unchanged after gamma-hydroxybutyrate. In both groups, sternotomy was followed by temporary hypertension, associated with a significant rise in systemic vascular resistance. No electrocardiographical signs of ischaemia were observed in any patient. In the case of propofol and midazolam, gamma-hydroxybutyrate showed adequate haemodynamic stability especially after induction of anaesthesia and may also be a suitable agent for total intravenous anaesthesia in patients with coronary artery disease. However, during sternotomy, supplementary administration of opioids was required.

Aged↗

Spinal anaesthesia with gamma hydroxybutyrate. A study in a rat model.

Gamma hydroxybutyric acid, a central inhibitory neurotransmitter and a cerebral metabolite of gamma-aminobutyric acid, is present in high concentrations in the mammalian hypothalamus and basal ganglia. Its sodium salt gamma hydroxybutyrate has been effectively used as an intravenous anaesthetic agent, and as an oral sedative, and in the management of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. In an animal model, using 72 Wistar strain rats allocated to one of six groups of 12 animals each, with implanted lumbar intrathecal catheters, we examined whether gamma hydroxybutyrate, 20% 40 microL (32 mg kg-1) administered alone or combined with fentanyl, gamma hydroxybutyrate 20% 20 microL (16 mg kg-1), fentanyl 0.005% 20 microL (4 mg kg-1) as an intrathecal bolus, provides intraoperative anaesthesia, comparable with that produced by intrathecal lignocaine. We demonstrated that gamma hydroxybutyrate, given by an intrathecal bolus in the rat model, produced reversible segmental antinociception, together with muscular relaxation of the abdominal wall and rear limbs. This is accompanied by moderate sedation without haemodynamic or respiratory depression. This agent may thus be promising for use as a spinal anaesthetic drug.

Anesthesia, Spinal↗

Hyperproduction of Poly-beta-Hydroxybutyrate during Exponential Growth of Azotobacter vinelandii UWD.

The transformation of Azotobacter vinelandii UW with A. vinelandii 113 DNA resulted in the formation of rifampin-resistant colonies, 13% of which also inherited a previously unrecognized mutation in the respiratory NADH oxidase. These transformants produced colonies with a white-sectored phenotype after prolonged incubation. Cells from these sectors were separated and purified by streaking and were named UWD. The dense white phenotype was due to the production of a large amount of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate during the exponential growth of strain UWD. The polymer accounted for 65 or 75% of the cell dry weight after 24 h of incubation of cultures containing glucose and either ammonium acetate or N(2), respectively, as the nitrogen source. Under the same conditions, strain UW cells contained 22 to 25% poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate, but O(2)-limited growth was required for these optimal production values. Polymer production was not dependent on O(2) limitation in strain UWD, but the efficiency of conversion of glucose to poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate was enhanced in O(2)-limited cultures. Conversion efficiencies were >0.25 and 0.33 mg of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate per mg of glucose consumed under vigorous- and low-aeration conditions, respectively, compared with an efficiency of 0.05 achieved by strain UW. Strain UWD, therefore, appeared to from poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate under novel conditions, which may be useful in designing new methods for the industrial production of biodegradable plastics.

Journal Article↗

The effect of 2-oxoglutarate or 3-hydroxybutyrate on pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in isolated cerebrocortical mitochondria.

The oxidation of pyruvate is mediated by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC; EC 1.2.4.1, EC 2.3.1.12 and EC 1.6.4.3) whose catalytic activity is influenced by phosphorylation and by product inhibition. 2-Oxoglutarate and 3-hydroxybutyrate are readily utilized by brain mitochondria and inhibit pyruvate oxidation. To further elucidate the regulatory behavior of brain PDHC, the effects of 2-oxoglutarate and 3-hydroxybutyrate on the flux of PDHC (as determined by [1-14C]pyruvate decarboxylation) and the activation (phosphorylation) state of PDHC were determined in isolated, non-synaptic cerebro-cortical mitochondria in the presence or absence of added adenine nucleotides (ADP or ATP). [1-14C]Pyruvate decarboxylation by these mitochondria is consistently depressed by either 3-hydroxybutyrate or 2-oxoglutarate in the presence of ADP when mitochondrial respiration is stimulated. In the presence of exogenous ADP, 3-hydroxybutyrate inhibits pyruvate oxidation mainly through the phosphorylation of PDHC, since the reduction of the PDHC flux parallels the depression of PDHC activation state under these conditions. On the other hand, in addition to the phosphorylation of PDHC, 2-oxoglutarate may also regulate pyruvate oxidation by product inhibition of PDHC in the presence of 0.5 mM pyruvate plus ADP or 5 mM pyruvate alone. This conclusion is based upon the observation that 2-oxoglutarate inhibits [1-14C]pyruvate decarboxylation to a much greater extent than that predicted from the PDHC activation state (i.e. catalytic capacity) alone. In conjunction with the results from our previous study (Lai, J. C. K. and Sheu, K.-F. R. (1985) J. Neurochem. 45, 1861-1868), the data of the present study are consistent with the notion that the relative importance of the various mechanisms that regulate brain and peripheral tissue PDHCs shows interesting differences.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Transport of 3-hydroxybutyrate by cultured rat brain astrocytes.

It is well established that 3-hydroxybutyrate can serve as an energy source for the brain. Since substrate utilization may be regulated in part by transport across the cellular membrane, we investigated the uptake of 3-hydroxybutyrate by primary cultures of rat brain astrocytes. Measurement of the net uptake indicated a saturable system and a Lineweaver-Burke type plot was consistent with a single carrier-mediated mechanism with a Km of 6.03 mM and a Vmax of 32.7 nmol/30 seconds/mg protein. The rate of uptake at pH 6.2 was more than ten times the rate at pH 8.2, with the rate at pH 7.4 being intermediate between these values, suggesting the possibility of cotransport with H+ or exchange with OH- (antiport). Mersalyl had only a slight effect on the transport of 3-hydroxybutyrate, suggesting that sulfhydryl groups are not involved in the transport of this monocarboxylic acid. Phenylpyruvate and alpha-ketoisocaproate also attenuated the transport, but lactate had only a marginal effect. These results suggest that the utilization of 3-hydroxybutyrate as an energy source by astrocytes is regulated in part by carrier-mediated transport and that the uptake system is different from the lactate transport system.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Versatile sugar and valerate metabolic pathways in Paraburkholderia xenovorans LB400 enable tailored poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) production.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) polymers are accumulated by diverse prokaryotes. Their distinct monomer compositions enable their use as tailored bioplastics. The aims were to characterize the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) synthesis by Paraburkholderia xenovorans LB400 using different sugars and valerate, and to gain genome-oriented insights into polyhydroxyalkanoate production. d-Glucose, d-mannitol, d-gluconate, and d-xylose were evaluated as sole carbon sources or supplemented with valerate. Polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized by strain LB400 were characterized through GC-MS, GC-FID, FTIR, and 1H and 13C-NMR. P. xenovorans LB400 reached 1.00-1.39 g L-1 of dry cell weight (DCW) with a P(3HB) content of 21-43% w w-1 when grown on different sugars. The addition of valerate to the sugar-grown LB400 cultures yielded a DCW of 1.79 to 2.29 g L-1 and a P(3HB-co-3HV) content of 50.0‒51.2% w w-1, with varying 3HV compositions (28‒43 mol%). The highest 3HV incorporation was observed with d-xylose and valerate. Genomic analyses of strain LB400 revealed key elements of sugar metabolism influencing growth, polymer accumulation, and monomer composition. LB400 genome encodes the PhaJ-like R-specific hydratase and FadJ epimerase, which are potentially useful for modulating copolymer composition. PHA production under bioreactor conditions was evaluated. In a bioreactor fed with d-glucose, LB400 achieved a P(3HB) concentration of 2.2 g L-1. These findings highlight the metabolic versatility of P. xenovorans LB400 in utilizing diverse sugars to produce either P(3HB) or tailor-made P(3HB-co-3HV), supporting the development of bioplastics for specific applications. KEY POINTS: • Strain LB400 produced P(3HB-co-3HV) from various sugars and valerate. • Sugar type drives LB400 PHA copolymer synthesis and composition. • Strain LB400 PHA production was scaled up to a bioreactor.

Polyesters↗

Effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate infusion on hind limb metabolism in fetal sheep.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effects of high ketone levels on fetal carcass metabolism. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether beta-hydroxybutyrate was taken up by fetal muscle and whether lactate production by the fetal hind limb contributed to the raised circulating lactate levels seen in high ketone states. STUDY DESIGN: Hind limb metabolism was studied in 10 chronically catheterized fetal sheep. Substrate/oxygen quotients were measured before and after 2 hour infusions of beta-hydroxybutyrate and compared with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: beta-Hydroxybutyrate was taken up by hind limb tissues in large amounts (butyrate/oxygen quotient = 1.02 +/- 0.40). Lactate was produced by the hind limb (lactate/oxygen quotient = -0.96 +/- 0.52) in amounts almost equivalent to glucose uptake (glucose/oxygen quotient = 1.32 +/- 0.29). Hind limb oxygen consumption increased 35% and fetal arterial oxygen content fell 16%. CONCLUSION: beta-Hydroxybutyrate may be consumed by the fetal carcass in amounts sufficient to entirely substitute for glucose. Glucose may then be released as lactate for metabolism elsewhere. Ketones may be important fetal substrates during maternal starvation.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Utilization of 3-hydroxybutyrate by chick cerebral hemispheres during postnatal maturation.

1. The utilization of 3-hydroxybutyrate has been studied in the chick telencephalon during its post-hatching maturation. 2. In the 1-day-old chick the blood concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate appears to be relatively high and its value is 5 times that estimated in the 4- and 30-day-old chicks. 3. The determination of the cerebral arteriovenous differences of 3-hydroxybutyrate shows that the brain of the newly-hatched chick takes up 3 times more actively this ketone body than the brain of the 4-day-old bird does. 4. During incubation in a non-oxygenated and an oxygenated physiological medium, in the presence of 3-hydroxy [3-14C]butyrate, the specific radioactivity of the dicarboxylic amino acids in the 1-day-old chick brain slices is higher than in those of the 30-day-old chick, particularly in the oxygenated medium. 5. Thirty minutes after a subcutaneous injection of 3-hydroxy [3-14C]butyrate, the specific radioactivity of the dicarboxylic amino acids in the 1-day-old chick telencephalon is 3-4 times higher than that in the 4- and 30-day-old chick. 6. In conclusion, in the brain of the newly hatched chick, 3-hydroxybutyrate is an efficient precursor in the biosynthesis of dicarboxylic amino acids, particularly glutamate, and, as glucose, it is metabolically related to the "large compartment" of glutamate. 7. These results have been discussed comparatively to those previously obtained in the developing rodent brain.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Characterization of bdhA, encoding the enzyme D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, from Sinorhizobium sp. strain NGR234.

A genomic library of Sinorhizobium sp. strain NGR234 was introduced into Escherichia coli LS5218, a strain with a constitutively active pathway for acetoacetate degradation, and clones that confer the ability to utilize D-3-hydroxybutyrate as a sole carbon source were isolated. Subcloning experiments identified a 2.3 kb EcoRI fragment that retained complementing ability, and an ORF that appeared orthologous with known bdhA genes was located within this fragment. The deduced NGR234 BdhA amino acid sequence revealed 91% identity to the Sinorhizobium meliloti BdhA. Site-directed insertion mutagenesis was performed by introduction of a OmegaSmSp cassette at a unique EcoRV site within the bdhA coding region. A NGR234 bdhA mutant, NGRPA2, was generated by homogenotization, utilizing the sacB gene-based lethal selection procedure. This mutant was devoid of D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activity, and was unable to grow on D-3-hydroxybutyrate as sole carbon source. NGRPA2 exhibited symbiotic defects on Leucaena but not on Vigna, Macroptilium or Tephrosia host plants. Furthermore, the D-3-hydroxybutyrate utilization phenotype of NGRPA2 was suppressed by presence of plasmid-encoded multiple copies of the S. meliloti acsA2 gene. The glpK-bdhA-xdhA gene organization and the bdhA-xdhA operon arrangement observed in S. meliloti are also conserved in NGR234.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗