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Overexpression of squalene-hopene cyclase by the pET vector in Escherichia coli and first identification of tryptophan and aspartic acid residues inside the QW motif as active sites.

An overexpression system for squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) was constructed by using the pET3a vector, which is responsible for high expression with help from the strong T7 promoter when incorporated into E. coli BL21(DE3). Site-directed mutagenesis experiments prove that two amino acid residues of tryptophan and aspartic acid inside the QW-motif 5 resided as active sites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Aspartic acid administered neonatally affects ventilation of male and female rats differently.

In this study ventilation was evaluated in 12-mo-old male and female rats who had received large doses of aspartic acid neonatally. Rats of both sexes treated with aspartic acid were obese, stunted, and exhibited hypogonadism. Although metabolic rates of the aspartic acid-treated rats were not different compared with sex-matched controls, ventilatory patterns were different. Aspartic acid-treated females breathed with a smaller tidal volume (VT), higher frequency (f), and similar minute ventilation (VE) compared with control females. This pattern is commonly observed in many patients who are obese. The aspartic acid-treated females responded to hypercapnic and hypoxic challenges by increasing f more than VT. Tissue pocket gases (PCO2 and PO2) of aspartic acid-treated females were normal. In contrast, aspartic acid-treated males hypoventilated compared with control males. Tissue pocket gas values suggested that aspartic acid-treated males were hypoxemic and hypercapnic. Moreover, the response of aspartic acid-treated males to hypercapnia was parallel to but was less than that of control male rats. The ventilatory response of aspartic acid-treated male rats to hypoxia was blunted. This study has shown that neonatal administration of aspartic acid causes a decreased ventilation and blunted response to hypoxia in adult male but not female rats.

Animals↗

Formation of hydrated calcium oxalates in the presence of poly-L-aspartic acid.

The effect of poly-L-aspartic acid (PA) on the crystal structure of calcium oxalate crystals grown after spontaneous nucleation was evaluated as a function of relative supersaturation and calcium:oxalate ratio in a buffered salt solution, with pH and ionic strength in the range of normal human urine. PA was used as a model for naturally occurring acidic urine proteins that have been shown to inhibit nucleation and growth of calcium oxalate crystals. The crystals grown were characterized by optical microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. It was observed that calcium oxalate monohydrate was the preferred crystalline form in the absence of added PA, and it was the only crystalline form obtained at most conditions tested without PA. However, the presence of PA favored the formation of calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals, when present in adequate quantities. The quantity of PA required to affect this change in preferred crystal structure was increased at higher supersaturations and at lower calcium:oxalate ratios, exhibiting a non-linear dependence on both variables. PA was also shown to be a kinetic inhibitor of calcium oxalate dihydrate crystallization. Aspartic acid monomer was found to cause no change in the preferred structure of calcium oxalate monohydrate at mass concentrations well beyond those required with PA to obtain 100% calcium oxalate dihydrate, indicating the critical importance of the polymeric nature of PA for this effect on crystal structure.

Calcium Oxalate↗

Characterization and anticancer activity of the micelle-forming polymeric anticancer drug adriamycin-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(aspartic acid) block copolymer.

Adriamycin (ADR), an anthracycline anticancer drug, was bound to the poly(aspartic acid) chain of poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(aspartic acid) block copolymer by amide bond formation between an amino group of Adriamycin and the carboxyl groups of the poly(aspartic acid) chain. The polymeric drug thus obtained was observed to form a micelle structure possessing diameter of approximately 50 nm, with a narrow distribution, in phosphate-buffered saline and to show excellent water solubility despite a large amount of ADR introduction. Further, it was able to be stored in lyophilized form without losing its water solubility in the redissolving procedure. Increased stability of the bound Adriamycin molecules in phosphate-buffered saline and elimination of binding affinity for bovine serum albumin due to the micelle formation were further advantages of this polymeric drug. In vivo high anticancer activity of this micelle-forming polymeric drug against P 388 mouse leukemia was obtained with less body weight loss than that seen with free ADR, due to low toxicity as compared with free ADR.

Animals↗

Phage formation in Staphylococcus muscae cultures. VIII. Effect of the protein factor and aspartic acid on virus synthesis with various bacterial strains.

1. Four strains of Staphylococcus muscae have been isolated which differ in their growth rates and phage syntheses in Fildes' synthetic medium. 2. Two of the strains when singly infected cannot release phage in Fildes' synthetic medium unless a substance present in certain acid-hydrolyzed proteins is added to the medium. One of these strains also requires other substance(s) present in acid-hydrolyzed proteins in order to grow in Fildes' medium. 3. The two strains which do not require the addition of the phage-stimulating factor have been found either to synthesize this substance, or one similar to it. One of these strains will not grow in Fildes' medium unless substance(s) present in acid-hydrolyzed proteins is added to the medium. 4. The purified acid-hydrolyzed protein factor necessary for virus liberation does not affect the multiplication rate of uninfected S. muscae cells in Fildes' synthetic medium. 5. The substance is not needed for the adsorption or the invasion of the host cell by the virus. In the absence of the factor, the virus is adsorbed to the cell and "kills" it. 6. An analysis carried out by means of the one-step growth curve technique has indicated that the substance is not concerned simply with the mechanism of virus release, but is necessary for some initial stage in virus synthesis. 7. With one bacterial strain not requiring the AHPF, aspartic acid had to be present at least during the minimum latent period for the cell to form virus. 8. In the absence of aspartic acid, the virus was adsorbed to the cell and killed it, but no virus was released from singly infected bacteria. 9. If the cells were grown in a medium containing aspartic acid and then resuspended in the medium minus aspartic acid, no virus was released, although such cells contained at least two times the amount of aspartic acid necessary for the burst size in the complete medium. 10. Aspartic acid, a constituent of the virus particle, appears from an analysis of one-step growth curves to take part in the initial phase of phage synthesis. 11. The effect of amino acids on virus formation is discussed in relation to the time sequence of virus protein and desoxyribonucleic acid synthesis.

Aspartic Acid↗

[Regulation of L-asparaginase biosynthesis in mutants of Bacillus mesentericus 43A, poorly growing in the presence of aspartic acid].

Biosynthesis of L-asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1) was inhibited in the growing culture of Bac. mesentericus 43A on addition of L-aspartic acid (20 mM). My treatment with methyl nitrosourea (2 mg/ml) mutants were obtained, which grew poorly on aspartic acid used as the only source of carbon and nitrogen. The aspartic acid did not repress the asparaginase biosynthesis in 8 strains, found between the mutants. In six of these mutants the asparaginase biosynthesis was inhibited by means of the type of catabolite repression. The data obtained suggest that in Bac. mesentericus 43A the asparaginase biosynthesis is controlled more likely by two independent mechanisms: 1) specific repression with aspartic acid as an end product and 2) catabolite repression.

Asparaginase↗

D-Aspartic acid in bovine dentine non-collagenous phosphoprotein.

In tooth dentine, owing to its slow metabolism after its formation, racemized and transformed D-aspartic acid remains in the tissue and accumulates with age. However, no dentinal proteins which contain D-aspartic acid have been identified. In this study, a non-collagenous phosphoprotein was purified from bovine dentine. Its molecular mass was about 130 kDa and its amino acid composition was very similar to that of bovine dentine phosphophoryn. The purified protein contained a large proportion of aspartic acid residues and some of them were stereoinverted from the L-isomer to the D-isomer. The D-/L-aspartic acid ratio of dentine non-collagenous phosphoproteins purified from 8-month-old fetal, postnatal and 1-year-old bovine first incisors showed that the stereoinversion tended to increase with age. These results suggest that the purified non-collagenous phosphoprotein is a candidate for the protein in dentine containing D-aspartic acid.

Aging↗

Involvement of dorsolateral periaqueductal gray N-methyl-D-aspartic acid glutamate receptors in the regulation of risk assessment and inhibitory avoidance behaviors in the rat elevated T-maze.

The involvement of the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray in the regulation of fear-related behaviors such as escape and freezing is well established. It is still a matter of investigation, however, whether this midbrain area may have a relevant role in the modulation of more subtle defensive responses associated with anxiety such as risk assessment and inhibitory avoidance. By stimulating N-methyl-D-aspartic acid glutamate receptors located in the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray with its prototypical agonist N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (50 pmol), we report here an increase in both risk assessment and inhibitory avoidance behaviors of male Wistar rats tested in the elevated T-maze. These results are indicative of an anxiogenic-like effect. The selective N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor antagonist DL-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (2.0 and 4.0 nmol) had the opposite effect on both defensive tasks. Pretreatment with an ineffective dose of DL-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (1.0 nmol) prevented the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid anxiogenic-like effect. At the dose range of DL-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid and/or N-methyl-D-aspartic acid tested, neither the escape response from one of the elevated T-maze open arms nor the general exploratory activity as assessed in the open-field test was affected. The present results suggest that the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray column is also involved in the regulation of defensive behaviors related to anxiety, and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid glutamate receptors are recruited for this action.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

Racemization of aspartic acid and phenylalanine in the sweetener aspartame at 100 degrees C.

The racemization half-lives (i.e., the time required to reach a D/L = 0.33) at pH 6.8 for aspartic acid and phenylalanine in the sweetener aspartame (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) were determined to be 13 and 23 hours, respectively, at 100 degrees C. Racemization at this pH does not occur in aspartame but rather in its diketopiperazine decomposition product. Our results indicate that the use of aspartame to sweeten neutral pH foods and beverages that are then heated at elevated temperature could generate D-aspartic acid and D-phenylalanine. The nutritive consequences of these D-amino acids in the human diet are not well established, and thus aspartame should probably not be used as a sweetener when the exposure of neutral pH foods and beverages to elevated temperatures is required. At pH 4, a typical pH of most foods and beverages that might be sweetened with aspartame, the half-lives are 47 hours for aspartic acid and 1200 hours for phenylalanine at 100 degrees C. Racemization at pH 4 takes place in aspartame itself. Although the racemization rates at pH 4 are slow and no appreciable racemization of aspartic acid and phenylalanine should occur during the normal use of aspartame, some food and beverage components could conceivably act as catalysts. Additional studies are required to evaluate whether the use of aspartame as a sugar substitute might not in turn result in an increased human consumption of D-aspartic acid and D-phenylalanine.

Aspartame↗

Free alanine, aspartic acid, or glutamic acid reduce the glycation of human lens proteins.

The amino acids lysine and glycine are reported to react with glucose at physiological pH and temperature and undergo non-enzymic glycation. Three other amino acids present in relatively larger amounts in the lens i.e. alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid were also found to undergo non-enzymic glycation as found by incorporation of uniformly labelled (U-[14C]) glucose into the amino acids. The glucose incorporation was 1.6 to 2.5% for alanine, 35 to 50% for aspartic acid and 2.3 to 3.3% for glutamic acid. Each amino acid of varying concentrations lowered the extent of in vitro glycation of lens proteins significantly in glucose-treated homogenates of normal lens from humans. The decrease in glycation for alanine was between 32 and 69%, that for aspartate was between 18 and 74%, and for glutamate was between 52 to 74%. Decreased glycation was greater for higher concentrations of glucose. Scavenging of intracellular glucose and decreasing the extent of glycation of lens proteins could be the mechanism of action by which the amino acids alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid could exercise a beneficial effect on cataract and diabetic retinopathy.

Alanine↗

Neonatal sex steroids affect ventilatory responses to aspartic acid and NMDA receptor subunit 1 in rats.

We hypothesized that administration of estradiol benzoate to males and testosterone propionate to female neonatal rat pups alters sex-specific ventilatory responses to aspartic acid with correspondent changes in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 1 (NR1) expression determined by Western blot in specific brain regions. One-day-old rat pups received estradiol benzoate, testosterone propionate, or vehicle and were studied at weanling and adulthood. Different groups had distinct patterns of changes in tidal volume and frequency of breathing after aspartic acid administration. NR1 expression in hypothalamus was altered by age, sex, and treatment. Medullary and pontine NR1 expression correlated with baseline ventilation and magnitude of the ventilatory response to aspartic acid in some groups. Thus 1) tidal volume and breathing frequency patterns in response to aspartic acid are gender, age, and treatment dependent; 2) sex, age, and exogenous steroid hormones affect NR1 expression primarily in the hypothalamus; and 3) there is correlation between NR1 expression in pons and medulla with ventilatory parameters.

Animals↗

Aspartic acid racemization and age-depth relationships for organic carbon in Siberian permafrost.

We have analyzed the degree of racemization of aspartic acid in permafrost samples from Northern Siberia, an area from which microorganisms of apparent ages up to a few million years have previously been isolated and cultured. We find that the extent of aspartic acid racemization in permafrost cores increases very slowly up to an age of approximately 25,000 years (around 5 m in depth). The apparent temperature of racemization over the age range of 0-25,000 years, determined using measured aspartic acid racemization rate constants, is -19 degrees C. This apparent racemization temperature is significantly lower than the measured environmental temperature (-11 to -13 degrees C) and suggests active recycling of D-aspartic acid in Siberian permafrost up to an age of around 25,000 years. This indicates that permafrost organisms are capable of repairing some molecular damage incurred while in a "dormant" state over geologic time.

Aspartic Acid↗

Estimation of age from dentin by utilizing the racemization of aspartic acid: influence of pH.

The rate of racemization of aspartic acid is considered to be influenced by environmental factors. The influence of pH (4 and 9) on teeth was investigated by a heating experiment for precise estimation of age at death. The rate of racemization of aspartic acid in dentin (D/L ratio) was determined by gas chromatography. The reaction rate was highest in dentin in a pH 9 environment, followed by that in water, that in a pH 4 environment, and that in a dry state. The age estimated from teeth left in these environmental states (16 degrees C) for 1 year showed only a slight increase of < 0.2 years for teeth in a dry state; a pH 4 environment and in water. However, the age estimated from teeth in the pH 9 environment showed an increase of 0.6 years and that from teeth left for 5 years showed an increase of 3.2 years. These results suggest that careful attention should be paid to age estimation from specimens left in an alkaline state for an extended period (several years). Previous studies on estimation of age from bones have-shown no influence of pH 4 or 9 on teeth. It is interesting to consider whether these conflicting findings are attributable to differences between experimental methods or differences in components between bone and tooth.

Age Determination by Teeth↗

[Preparation, characterization and characteristics of copolypeptide consisting of L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid].

For the purpose of increasing the hydrophilicity of poly-aspartic acid, a copolypeptide consisting of L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid (8: 2 mol/mol) was prepared. The copolymer was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray and element analysis. 3-hydroxyamino, as a side chain, was linked to the polymer, and poly-(3-hydroxypropyl)-L-aspartamide-L-glutamide (PHPAG) was obtained. The molecular weight of PHPAG was determined by GPC. Tests of the PHPAG on laboratory animals corroborated its potential use as a drug carrier. Acute toxicity studies revealed no death in animals treated, other studies recorded no notable difference between treated and control animals either in terms of principal haematological parameters or in micronucleus test. In vitro enzymatic hydrolysis for the co-polymer was performed using chymotrypsin, fungi protease and trypsin. It showed that these proteins could degrade the copolymer to some degree. The effects of pH, light and humidity on PHPAG were also investigated. The results indicated that it was stable under the experiment conditions.

Animals↗

Method for on-line derivatization and separation of aspartic acid enantiomer in pharmaceuticals application by the coupling of flow injection with micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

A novel, easy and accurate capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with flow injection (FI) method for the separation and determination of aspartic acid (Asp) enantiomers by on-line derivatization had been developed, and it had been applied to the real sample for the first time. The derivatization reagents were o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and mercaptoethanol (ME), which were obtained easily, the chiral selector was beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), the micellar chemical was sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and the modifier was methanol. By on-line derivatization, aspartic acid enantiomers were automatically and reproducibly converted to the ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing diastereoisomer derivates, which were separated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). According to the factors affecting the separation and sensitivity of aspartic acid enantiomer and other amino acids in the real sample, the pH value and concentration of the buffer, the concentration of beta-CD and SDS, the volume percentage of the methanol (v/v) in the buffer, the applied voltage and the conversion time were selected as the investigating variates. Under the investigated separation conditions, D-aspartic acid (D-Asp), L-aspartic acid (L-Asp) and other four amino acids achieved the baseline separation in not only the standard mixture of amino acids but also the real sample (Compound Amino Acid Injection (6AA)). The repeatability (defined as relative standard deviation (RSD), n = 5) was 4.0% and 4.0% with peak area evaluation, and 4.2% and 3.7% with peak height evaluation for D-Asp and L-Asp in the real sample. Recovery at added standard levels of 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 mM was 92%, 104% and 109%, respectively.

Aspartic Acid↗