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Effects of endoglycoceramidase or D-threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol on glucose uptake, glycolysis, and mitochondrial respiration in HL60 cells.

The glycosphingolipid content of HL60 cells was reduced by endoglycoceramidase, an enzyme which specifically hydrolyzes glycosphingolipids on the cell surface, or by D-threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol, an inhibitor which specifically reduces the activity of UDP-glucose:ceramide glucosyltransferase. Reduction of the glycosphingolipid content by both reagents resulted in enhancement of glucose uptake and glycolysis. Neither of these effects was observed in the presence of cytochalasin B, an inhibitor of facilitated glucose transport. The uptake of radiolabeled 3-O-methylglucose by the cells was not affected by treatment with either of the reagents, indicating no activation of the glucose transporter. On the other hand, both reagents decreased the level of ATP and CO2 production. The molecule mediating these effects appeared to be ceramide, since both treatments actually increased the intracellular ceramide content, and the cell-permeable short-chain ceramide N-acetylsphingosine, but not sphingosine, sphinganine, or palmitic acid, mimicked the effects of both reagents to comparable extents. Finally, the function of electron transport in isolated mitochondria fractions was found to be reduced by treatment of the cells with N-acetylsphingosine. These results strongly suggest that ceramide may affect mitochondrial respiration.

Cell Membrane Permeability↗

Soybean nodule xanthine dehydrogenase: a kinetic study.

Xanthine dehydrogenase was purified from soybean nodules and the kinetic properties were studied at pH 7.5. Km values of 5.0 +/- 0.6 and 12.5 +/- 2.5 microM were obtained for xanthine and NAD+, respectively. The pattern of substrate dependence suggested a Ping-Pong mechanism. Reaction with hypoxanthine gave Km's of 52 +/- 3 and 20 +/- 2.5 microM for hypoxanthine and NAD+, respectively. The Vmax for this reaction was twice that for the xanthine-dependent reaction. The pH dependence of Vmax gave a pKa of 7.6 +/- 0.1 for either xanthine or hypoxanthine oxidation. In addition the Km for xanthine had a pKa of 7.5 consistent with the protonated form of xanthine being the true substrate. Km for hypoxanthine varied only 2.5-fold between pH 6 and 10.7. Product inhibition studies were carried out with urate and NADH. Both products gave mixed inhibition with respect to both substrates. Xanthine dehydrogenase was able to use APAD+ as an electron acceptor for xanthine oxidation, with a Km at pH 7.5 of 21.2 +/- 2.5 microM and Vmax the same as that obtained with NAD+. Reduction of APAD+ by NADH was also catalyzed by xanthine dehydrogenase with a Km of 102 +/- 15 microM; Vmax was approximately 2.5 times that for the xanthine-dependent reaction, and was independent of pH between 6 and 9. Reaction with group-specific reagents indicated the possibility of an essential histidyl group. A thiol-modifying reagent did not cause inactivation of the enzyme. A role for the histidyl side chain in catalysis is proposed.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Identification of the antibacterial component of an ethanolic extract of the Australian medicinal plant, Eremophila duttonii.

Activity-guided fractionation was used to determine the antibacterial component of an ethanolic extract of the leaves of an Australian native medicinal plant, Eremophila duttonii F. Muell. (Myoporaceae). The extract, previously shown to have activity against Gram positive bacteria, was shown to have activity against additional Gram positive bacteria, including Clostridium perfringens, C. sporogenes and Listeria monocytogenes. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used to separate the extract into seven coloured fractions in visible light, one of which was shown by bioautography to contain antibacterial activity. Recovery of the component from the TLC plate and testing for antibacterial activity using a plate-hole diffusion assay supported this result. The purity of the component was verified by high-performance liquid chromatography and a time-kill experiment indicated that the purified component showed identical bactericidal activity to the whole extract. TLC spray reagents indicated that the component was a sterol, terpene or sugar but not a flavonoid, while the pigmented nature suggested a carotenoid.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Ice nucleating activity of Pseudomonas syringae and Erwinia herbicola.

Chemical and biological properties of the ice nucleating sites of Pseudomonas syringae, strain C-9, and Erwinia herbicola have been characterized. The ice nucleating activity (INA) for both bacteria was unchanged in buffers ranging from pH 5.0 to 9.2, suggesting that there were no essential groups for which a change in charge in this range was critical. The INA of both bacteria was also unaffected by the addition of metal chelating compounds. Borate compounds and certain lectins markedly inhibited the INA of both types of bacterial cells. Butyl borate was not an inhibitor, but borate, phenyl borate, and m-nitrophenyl borate were, in order, increasingly potent inhibitors. These compounds have a similar order of affinity for cis hydroxyls, particularly for those found on sugars. Lentil lectin and fava bean lectin, which have binding sites for mannose or glucose, inhibited the INA of both bacteria. All other lectins examined had no effect. The inhibition of INA by these two types of reagents indicate that sugar-like groups are at or near the ice nucleating site. Sulfhydryl reagents were potent inhibitors of the INA of both bacteria. When treated with N-ethylmaleimide, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, or iodoacetamide, the INA was irreversibly inhibited by 99%. The kinetics of inactivation with N-ethylmaleimide suggested that E. herbicola cells have at least two separate ice nucleating sites, whereas P. syringae cells have possibly four or more separate sites. The effect of infection with a virulent phage (Erh 1) on the INA of E. herbicola was examined. After multiple infection of a bacterial culture the INA was unchanged until 40 to 45 min, which was midway through the 95-min latent period. At that time, the INA activity began falling and 99% of the INA was lost by 55 min after infection, well before any cells had lysed. This decrease in INA before lysis is attributed to phage-induced changes in the cell wall.

Bacterial Proteins↗

The effect of thiol reagents on GABA transport in rat brain synaptosomes.

The nature of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transport has been investigated in preparations of rat brain synaptosomes using a number of thiol reagents with varying membrane permeabilities. N-Ethylmaleimide, p-chloromercuribenzoate and p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate effectively inhibited GABA transport in both directions (i.e., uptake and release) whereas 5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoate, mercaptopropionate and N- nitroethylenediamine were much less effective, or ineffective, even at millimolar concentrations. For each of the thiol reagents, the inhibition profile for GABA uptake was approximately the same as that for its release. The effectiveness of the reagents indicates that there is an external, reactable SH-group on the transporter, that the thiol reagent must be somewhat lipophilic for it to react with the SH-group(s), and that the same synaptosomal transport system is responsible for both uptake and release of GABA.

4-Chloromercuribenzenesulfonate↗

Identification of the mitochondrial branched chain aminotransferase as a branched chain alpha-keto acid transport protein.

Conditions were developed which optimized reconstitution of branched chain alpha-keto acid transport activity, which was measured as alpha-ketoisocaproate (KIC) transport, and pyruvate transport activity. Reconstitutable KIC transport activity was about 40-fold higher in heart than in liver mitochondrial extracts and 40-fold higher than heart pyruvate transport activity but only about 7-fold higher than liver pyruvate transport activity. A purification procedure was developed for the branched chain alpha-keto acid and pyruvate transport proteins which resulted in partial purification of the proteins from rat heart mitochondria. Pyruvate transport activity appeared to be associated with a 32.5-kDa protein, whereas KIC transport activity appeared to be associated with two proteins around 41 kDa. As shown by immunoblotting and immunoaffinity chromatography, these proteins were recognized by an antiserum raised against purified rat heart mitochondrial branched chain aminotransferase (BCATm). Procedures used to extract BCATm from mitochondria effectively solubilized KIC transport activity, and both transaminase and transport activities in the sonicate supernatant were immunoprecipitated by BCATm antiserum. The tissue distribution of reconstitutable KIC transport activity was identical with the tissue distribution of BCATm. On the other hand, the distribution of reconstitutable pyruvate transport activity was distinct from that of KIC transport and branched chain aminotransferase activities, and pyruvate transport activity could not be immunoprecipitated by BCATm antiserum. When incorporated into phospholipid vesicles, purified BCATm exhibited branched chain alpha-keto acid transport activity but did not transport pyruvate. Transport was saturable, and Km values for KIC and alpha-ketoisovalerate uptake were 10 and 25 microM, respectively. Substrate competition experiments indicated that KIC transport could be inhibited substantially by branched chain alpha-keto acids and their derivatives but not by substrates for the pyruvate transporter. Transport was also inhibited by several aromatic carboxylic acid derivatives and alpha-ketoglutarate, but not by N-butylmalonate and succinate. Studies with covalent protein-modifying reagents indicated that transport was inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents, the histidine reagent diethyl pyrocarbonate, and the tyrosine reagent N-acetylimidazole. When BCATm was incorporated into phospholipid vesicles, pyridoxal 5-phosphate was an inhibitor of transport (75% inhibition at 10 mM) but had little effect on aminotransferase activity. The data indicate BCATm is a bifunctional protein catalyzing branched chain amino acid transamination and branched chain alpha-keto acid transport. The transport properties of BCATm suggest that this protein may be the branched chain alpha-keto acid transporter that was originally identified and characterized kinetically in isolated rat heart mitochondria (Hutson, S.M., and Rannels, S.L. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 14189-14193).

Animals↗

Identification of a pyruvoyl residue in S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been purified to homogeneity. Acid hydrolysis of NaB3H4-reduced enzyme released 2.2 mol of tritiated lactate per mol of dimeric enzyme, indicating that a pyruvate moiety is present. Inhibition of enzymatic activity by NaBH4 reduction and by carbonyl-binding reagents indicates that this pyruvoyl residue is required for the activity of the enzyme. This is the first example reported of a eukaryotic enzyme containing a covalently linked pyruvoyl residue.

Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase↗

Patterns in effects of sulfhydryl reagents on transport in bovine lens.

Active fluxes of Na+ and Rb+ and mediated transport of organic nutrients in the bovine lens were inhibited by five sulfhydryl reagents, whereas that of inorganic ions was increased, with the exception of the ouabain-resistant component of Na+, which was not significantly altered. The changes produced by the reagents indicate that cysteinyl residues are essential for normal operation of most of the transport systems investigated. The variable effectiveness of the reagents on transport of some of the solutes may provide information on the microenvironment of critical sulfhydryl residues in the transporters: that for glucose, adenosine, and influx of Ca++ appears to be hydrophobic; for acetate and influx of Na+, hydrophilic. Comparison of the rates of inactivation of influx via the L-system of 1-aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylate indicates that p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate is most effective, inhibiting almost completely in 10 minutes. There was no significant lag in inhibition by the selective glutathione oxidants, tert-butylhydroperoxide and diazinedicarboxylic acid-bis (N,N-dimethylamide), indicating that they either rapidly oxidize glutathione in superficial cellular elements, or, less probably, act directly on the transporter.

Animals↗

Stabilization of ribonuclease HI from Thermus thermophilus HB8 by the spontaneous formation of an intramolecular disulfide bond.

To identify factors that contribute to the thermal stability of ribonuclease HI (RNase HI) from Thermus thermophilus HB8, protein variants with a series of carboxyl-terminal truncations and Cys --> Ala mutations were constructed, and their thermal denaturations were analyzed by CD. The results indicate that Cys41 and Cys149 contribute to the protein stability, probably through the formation of a disulfide bond. Peptide mapping analysis for the mutant protein with only two cysteine residues, at positions 41 and 149, indicated that this disulfide bond is partially formed in a protein purified from Escherichia coli in the absence of a reducing reagent but is fully formed in a thermally denatured protein. These results suggest that the thermal stability of T. thermophilus RNase HI, determined in the absence of a reducing reagent, reflects that of an oxidized form of the protein. Comparison of the thermal stabilities and the enzymatic activities of the wild-type and truncated proteins, determined in the presence and absence of a reducing reagent, indicates that the formation of this disulfide bond increases the thermal stability of the protein by 6-7 degreesC in Tm and approximately 3 kcal/mol in DeltaG without seriously affecting the enzymatic activity. Since T. thermophilus RNase HI is present in a reducing environment in cells, this disulfide bond probably is not formed in vivo but is spontaneously formed in vitro in the absence of a reducing reagent.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The 3G11+ antigen, a marker for murine CD4+ TH1 lymphocytes, is a ganglioside.

Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), SM3G11 and SM6C10, can be used to discriminate between functionally distinct murine CD4+ T cell subsets. In this study we use high-performance thin-layer chromatography and immunostaining techniques to show that the 3G11 mAb reacts with two bands of a ganglioside fraction from murine spleen and thymus, and rat spleen. The 6C10 antibody shows no evidence of glycolipid reactivity. The 3G11+ bands have a mobility between those of the reference gangliosides GD1a and GD1b from human brain. The 3G11+ reactive bands were eluted in the disialyl fraction of rat spleen gangliosides using DEAE anion-exchange chromatography. Treatment of spleen gangliosides with endoglycoceramidase eliminates 3G11 antibody binding over time, indicating that the antigen contains a Glc beta 1-1'ceramide linkage, characteristic of a glycosphingolipid. Treatment of thymus or spleen gangliosides with sialidase eliminates binding of 3G11, thus indicating that the 3G11 epitope is dependent on the expression of one or more sialic acid residues. Immunostaining studies with a variety of reagents indicate that the 3G11+ gangliosides: (i) probably do not contain either the asialo-GM1 or the GM1 core structures; (ii) are not recognized by mAbs specific for the oligosaccharides of asialo-GM2, GM2, GD2 and GD3 gangliosides; and (iii) are also not recognized by antibodies or reagents that are specific for several structures representative of other major glycosphingolipid classes. Overall, these studies strongly suggest that the 3G11+ gangliosides have structures that have not been previously recognized in murine lymphoid tissue. Structures that could account for the known properties of the 3G11+ molecules are described. Finally, ways in which the selective expression of 3G11+ gangliosides might be linked to functionally distinct T-cell behaviours are discussed.

Animals↗

Discrimination of DNA polymerase and RNase H activities in reverse transcriptase of avian myeloblastosis virus.

The active sites in reverse transcriptase of avian myeloblastosis virus have been selectively modified by various chemical reagents. The DNA polymerase activity is very sensitive to hydrophobic sulfhydryl reagents such as 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate but resistant to sulfhydryl reagents with hydrophilic properties. The RNase H activity, on the other hand, is resistant to both hydrophobic and hydrophilic sulfhydryl reagents, indicating the absence of cysteinyl residues essential for RNase H activity. N-Ethylmaleimide (NEM), an amino and sulfhydryl group specific reagent, inactivates both DNA polymerase and RNase H, the later activity being fourfold more stable. Polynucleotides, but not nucleotide triphosphates, protect the two enzymatic activites of reverse transcriptase against NEM. Since pretreatment of the enzyme with 5,5' -dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) does not prevent N-ethylmaleimide from reacting with a residue necessary for DNA polymerase activity, two different reactive groups are probably involved with this enzymatic activity. The pH profile of reverse transcriptase inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide also suggests the involvement of two reactive groups essential for the DNA polymerase activity with apparent pKas of 5.5 and 6.5. Only one reactive group with a pKa of 7.5 is found associated with the RNase H activity.

Avian Leukosis Virus↗

Cross-reactivity of rat, mouse, and human IgD.

Highly purified sheep anti-rat lymphocyte membrane IgD (mIgD) was used to detect cross-reactivity with the putative murine-delta chain on mouse lymphocytes. Cross-reactivity is demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescent staining and by immunoprecipitation of 125I-labeled lymphocyte membrane extracts followed by electrophoresis on 10% polyacrylamide gels. In addition, cross-reactivity of anti-rat-delta with human IgD is shown by gel diffusion analysis. The anti-rat-delta reagent stained both Ig5a+ and Ig5b+ lymphocytes. Preincubation of Ig5b+ (but not Ig5a+) cells with monoclonal allotype-specific antibodies (anti-Ig5b) under capping conditions caused inhibition of staining by the sheep anti-rat-delta reagent, indicating that it is the delta-chain that is recognized on mouse lymphocytes and that the anti-rat-delta reagents does not distinguish between mouse-delta allotypes. Furthermore, absorption of the sheep anti-rat-delta serum with purified human IgD reduced subsequent staining of mouse lymphocytes by approximately 50%; staining was not affected by absorption with human IgM. This xenogeneic anti-delta antiserum appears to detect determinants on the delta-heavy chain, which are shared by at least three species of mammals, suggesting that these determinants represent important molecular features conserved during evolution.

Animals↗

Identification of histidyl and cysteinyl residues essential for catalysis by 5'-nucleotidase.

Inactivation of both cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase and ecto-5'-nucleotidase by diethylpyrocarbonate indicated the presence of an essential histidyl residue which in the cytosolic enzyme was conclusively located at the active site. Inactivation by thiol reagents indicated the presence of an essential cysteinyl residue in both enzymes. The data suggest that both 5'-nucleotidases belong to a group of histidine phosphatases which also includes glucose-6-phosphatase and acid phosphatase. A working hypothesis for the catalytic mechanism of these enzymes is proposed.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

Chronic lithium treatment antagonizes glutamate-induced decrease of phosphorylated CREB in neurons via reducing protein phosphatase 1 and increasing MEK activities.

The cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) has major roles in mediating adaptive responses at glutamatergic synapses and in the neuroprotective effects of neurotrophins. CREB has been implicated as a potential mediator of antidepressant actions. In vitro, chronic lithium treatment has been shown to promote neuronal cell survival. In the present study, we have used cultures of cerebellar granule neurons to analyze the effects of acute and chronic lithium treatment on the response to toxic concentrations of glutamate. Such concentrations of glutamate decrease the phosphorylation of CREB at serine(133) in an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent manner. Chronic, but not acute, lithium treatment suppresses glutamate-induced decreases in phosphorylated CREB, and transfection studies indicate that chronic lithium, in the presence of a glutamate stimulus, markedly increases CRE-driven gene expression. Experiments with selected pharmacological reagents indicate that the glutamate-induced decreases in phosphorylated CREB are regulated primarily by protein phosphatase 1. Chronic lithium treatment not only decreases protein phosphatase 1 activity under these circumstances, but also augments glutamate-induced increases in MEK activity. PD 98059, a MEK inhibitor, prevents chronic lithium treatment from increasing phosphorylated CREB levels in glutamate-treated neurons. We conclude from these results that chronic lithium treatment is permissive for maintaining higher phosphorylated CREB levels in the presence of glutamate in part by decreasing protein phosphatase 1 activity and in part by increasing MEK activity. Higher levels of phosphorylated CREB and CRE-responsive genes such as bcl-2 may be responsible for lithium's reported effects on neuronal survival.

6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione↗

Toxoplasma gondii: characterization of monoclonal antibodies that recognize rhoptries.

We have previously reported on a series of monoclonal antibodies that recognize the rhoptries of Toxoplasma gondii and that interfere with the action of penetration enhancing factor. The antibodies immunoprecipitate several related antigens from [35S]methionine-labeled parasites that range in size from 60 to 43 kDa. By immunoblot, one of the antibodies reacts with the 60 kDa protein in the presence of protease inhibitors. Trypsin digestion of the antigen destroyed antigenic reactivity indicating that the 60 kDa antigen is a protein. The antigen was stable to periodate oxidation and failed to react with Schiff's reagent, indicating that the antigen contains little or no carbohydrate. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by immunoblot showed that the antigen recognized by Tg 49 was an acidic protein with an approximate pI of 5.8.

Animals↗

Purification and characterization of N-acetylglucosamine kinase from rat liver--comparison with UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase.

N-Acetylglucosamine, a major sugar in complex carbohydrates, enters the pathways of aminosugar metabolism by the action of N-acetylglucosamine kinase (EC 2.7.1.59). In this study we report the purification to homogeneity of GlcNAc kinase from rat liver cytosol using salmine sulfate precipitation, chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, ATP-agarose and MonoQ, and finally gel filtration on Superdex 200. It was characterized as a dimer of 39-kDa subunits. About 25% of the amino acid sequence of GlcNAc kinase was established by peptide mapping. Part of the ATP-binding site of GlcNAc kinase was identified by sequence comparison with related hexokinases, including the bifunctional enzyme UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase (EC 5.1.3.14/2.7.1.60), the key enzyme of N-acetylneuraminic acid biosynthesis in rat liver. The Cys residues in the active sites of GlcNAc kinase and ManNAc kinase were characterized by chemical modification with N-ethylmaleimide, iodoacetamide and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The finding that the substrates GlcNAc and ManNAc protected their respective enzymes from inhibition by the above sulfhydryl reagents indicates that Cys residues are located in or near the active sites of both enzymes. Use of the specific dithiol-modifying chemical reagents, sodium meta-periodate, sodium meta-arsenite/2,3-dimercaptopropanol and diazenedicarboxylic acid bis-N,N'-dimethylamide revealed that the active sites of GlcNAc kinase and ManNAc kinase possess at least one pair of vicinal thiols. Chemical treatment of UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase provided no evidence for the presence of cysteine in the active site of this enzyme. From the incorporation of N-[3H]ethylmaleimide into GlcNAc kinase in the absence and presence of ligands we estimated that the active site of GlcNAc kinase contains two Cys residues.

Acetylglucosamine↗