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Isolation and Identification of Two l-Azetidine-2-carboxylic Acid-Degrading Soil Microorganisms, Enterobacter agglomerans and Enterobacter amnigenus

Soil samples collected at several times during the growing season and at different locations within Convallaria majalis beds in Ann Arbor, MI, were screened for their ability to grow with the cyclic amino acid, l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (l-A-2-C), as their sole nitrogen source (i.e., metabolize l-A-2-C). Two different soil microorganisms were isolated, characterized, and identified using fundamental selection methods, the standard battery of biochemical characterization tests, and scanning electron microscopy. The assignment of the identity of these organisms as Enterobacter agglomerans and Enterobacter amnigenus was further verified by comparison with authentic microbial samples obtained from ATCC that were able to utilize l-A-2-C as their sole nitrogen source.

Journal Article↗

A novel acetyltransferase found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sigma1278b that detoxifies a proline analogue, azetidine-2-carboxylic acid.

L-Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC), a toxic four-membered ring analogue of L-proline, is transported into the cells via proline transporters. It causes misfolding of the proteins into which it is incorporated competitively with L-proline and thereby inhibits the growth of the cells. We recently have discovered, on the chromosome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sigma1278b, a novel gene MPR1 required for the resistance of Sigma1278 background strains to toxic AZC. This gene was missing in the particular yeast strain used for the genomic sequence determination. Although the protein sequence was homologous to that of the S. cerevisiae transcriptional regulator, Mpr1p did not affect the expression of genes involved in proline uptake. However, gene expression in Escherichia coli and enzymatic analysis showed that the MPR1 gene encodes a novel AZC acetyltransferase, by which L-proline itself and other L-proline analogues are not acetylated. Mpr1p was considered to be a member of the N-acetyltransferase superfamily based on the results of an Ala-scan mutagenesis through the highly conserved region involved in binding acetyl-CoA in members of the superfamily. Our findings suggest that Mpr1p detoxifies AZC by acetylating it in the cytoplasm. This enzyme might be utilized as a selective marker in a wide variety of organisms, because the cells expressing the MPR1 gene acquire the AZC-resistant phenotype.

Acetylation↗

Many amino acid substitutions in a hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF)-1alpha-like peptide cause only minor changes in its hydroxylation by the HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases: substitution of 3,4-dehydroproline or azetidine-2-carboxylic acid for the proline leads to a high rate of uncoupled 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylation.

Three human prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4Hs) regulate the hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs) by hydroxylating a Leu-Xaa-Xaa-Leu-Ala-Pro motif. We report here that the two leucines in the Leu-Glu-Met-Leu-Ala-Pro core motif of a 20-residue peptide corresponding to the sequence around Pro(564) in HIF-1alpha can be replaced by many residues with no or only a modest decrease in its substrate properties or in some cases even a slight increase. The glutamate and methionine could be substituted by almost any residue, eight amino acids in the former position and four in the latter being even better for HIF-P4H-3 than the wild-type residues. Alanine was by far the strictest requirement, because no residue could fully substitute for it in the case of HIF-P4H-1, and only serine or isoleucine, valine, and serine did this in the cases of HIF-P4Hs 2 and 3. Peptides with more than one substitution, having the core sequences Trp-Glu-Met-Val-Ala-Pro, Tyr-Glu-Met-Ile-Ala-Pro, Ile-Glu-Met-Ile-Ala-Pro, Trp-Glu-Met-Val-Ser-Pro, and Trp-Glu-Ala-Val-Ser-Pro were in most cases equally as good or almost as good substrates as the wild-type peptide. The acidic residues present in the 20-residue peptide also played a distinct role, but alanine substitution for any six of them, and in some combinations even three of them, had no negative effects. Substitution of the proline by 3,4-dehydroproline or l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, but not any other residue, led to a high rate of uncoupled 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylation with no hydroxylation. The data obtained for the three HIF-P4Hs in various experiments were in most cases similar, but in some cases HIF-P4H-3 showed distinctly different properties.

Alanine↗

Characterization of novel acetyltransferases found in budding and fission yeasts that detoxify a proline analogue, azetidine-2-carboxylic acid.

We recently found that budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae sigma1278b, but not genome project strain S288C, has a gene conferring resistance to L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC), a toxic four-membered ring analogue of L-proline. Also, the gene, designated as MPR1, encodes a novel acetyltransferase that detoxifies AZC via acetylation. We now report the results of subsequent work. On a homology search with MPR1, we detected a gene in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This gene, designated as ppr1(+) (pombe MPR1), is responsible for the AZC-resistance of S. pombe as judged from the results of gene disruption and overexpression experiments. Escherichia coli cells expressing ppr1(+), like ones expressing MPR1, were resistant to AZC and produced an AZC acetyltransferase. We further found that the enzymes encoded by MPR1 and ppr1(+) were homodimers, and catalyzed the acetylation of AZC but not any other L-proline-related compounds. Ppr1p was more thermostable than Mpr1p, although Ppr1p had a lower optimum temperature than Mpr1p. The higher AZC acetylation activity of Mpr1p, in comparison to that of Ppr1p, was attributed to the larger k(cat)/K(m) value for acetyl-CoA of Mpr1p than that of Ppr1p.

Acetyltransferases↗

Trans-azetidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid activates neuronal metabotropic receptors.

The expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in primary cultures of cerebellar granule neurones can be: (i) modulated by the degree of depolarization during the culture period, rendering neurones differently sensitive to agonist-stimulated inositol phosphate (IP) hydrolysis; (ii) down-regulated by specific mGluR agonists. In this culture the new rigid glutamate analogue, (+/-)-trans-azetidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (t-ADA) and the known mGluR agonist 1S,3R-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1S,3R-ACPD) stimulated IP formation in line with the depolarization-modified expression of mGluR1. However, the two compounds caused different patterns of mGluR down-regulation. The effects of t-ADA and 1S,3R-ACPD were also tested on transformed human embryonic kidney 293 cells transfected with mGluR1. Only 1S,3R-ACPD, but not t-ADA, stimulated IP hydrolysis, suggesting that t-ADA acts on a subtype of metabotropic receptors different from mGluR1. Hence, t-ADA might prove useful in differentiating the function of various mGluR subtypes.

Animals↗

The effect of the proline analogue l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (LACA) on epidermal and dermal wound repair.

To evaluate epidermal-dermal interdependency during the wound-healing process, the proline analogue L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (LACA) was topically applied to split-thickness skin wounds in young domestic pigs. LACA is incorporated into collagen and the collagen containing this analogue is extruded from the cell at a decreased rate. Wounds were assigned to one of three treatment groups: control (no treatment), LACA (0.2 mg in 0.1ml of water), and placebo (0.1 ml of water). On days 2 through 10 after wounding, several wounds from each treatment group were excised and the epidermis was separated from the dermis. The epidermal sheet containing the wound was evaluated for integrity and the underlying dermis was assayed for hydroxyproline. LACA was found to decrease both the rate of reepithelialization and the hydroxyproline levels. LACA did not seem to directly affect the epidermis, since epidermal collagen did not differ markedly. These results suggest that during wound healing, the migrating epithelium is partially dependent on the underlying connective tissue.

Animals↗

Effect of azetidine 2-carboxylic Acid on ion uptake and ion release to the xylem of excised barley roots.

Azetidine 2-carboxylic acid (AZ) was used as an analog of proline to investigate further the relationship between protein synthesis and ion transport. AZ does not inhibit protein assembly, but the proteins formed are ineffective as enzymes. At relatively low concentrations (50 muM) AZ was a potent inhibitor of release of ions to the xylem of excised roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and intact plants. Uptake to the root was also inhibited but to a lesser degree. A procedure was introduced for estimating unidirectional fluxes from measurements of net tracer uptake, net transport to the xylem, and net efflux from the roots. It was shown that inhibition of release to the xylem was not caused by reduction in influx at the plasmalemma or to stimulation of influx to the vacuoles. It was suggested that AZ was acting on the process of release from symplast to the xylem. The action of AZ is compared with similar effects on ion transport produced by p-fluorophenylalanine, cycloheximide, and abscisic acid.

Journal Article↗

Synthesis and biological activities of [7-(azetidine-2-carboxylic acid)]-oxytocin and -lysine-vasopressin.

[7-(Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid)]-oxytocin and -lysine-vasopressin have been synthesised by a (6 + 3) strategy using protected hexapeptide acids with preformed disulphide bridges, and their biological activities have been investigated. All activities were reduced but not to the same extent. In assays of pressor and antidiuretic activity it was observed consistently that the responses to the vasopressin analogue were of shorter duration than responses to lysine-vasopressin of the same amplitude.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

In vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities of E-4868, a new fluoroquinolone with a 7-azetidin ring substituent.

E-4868, (-)-7-[3-(R)-amino-2-(S)-methyl-1-azetidinyl]-1-(2,4- difluorophenyl)-1,4-dihydro-6-fluoro-4-oxo-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid, is a new fluoroquinolone with an azetidine moiety at the 7 position. The in vitro activity of E-4868 has been compared with those of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and fleroxacin, while the activity of ciprofloxacin was used as reference for in vivo studies. The MICs of E-4868 for 90% of the isolates tested (MIC90s) were 0.06 to 0.5 microgram/ml against gram-positive organisms, including Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus spp. In general, the in vitro potency of E-4868 against gram-positive bacteria was higher than those of all of the other fluoroquinolones tested. MIC90s against members of the family Enterobacteriaceae between 0.03 and 1 microgram/ml were observed, with the exception of those against Serratia marcescens and Providencia spp., and a MIC90 of 2 micrograms/ml against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was obtained. E-4868 inhibited 90% of the Clostridium spp. and Bacteroides spp. at 2 micrograms/ml and was twofold more active than ciprofloxacin. An increase in the Mg2+ concentration from 1 to 10 mM increased the MIC between two and three times. Human urine caused a significant decrease in activity of E-4868, which was more pronounced at pH 5.5 than at pH 7.2. The presence of serum also decreased the activity of E-4868. Fifty percent effective dose (ED50) values against experimental Escherichia coli HM-42 infections in mice were 3.9 mg/kg of body weight with E-4868 and 3.5 mg/kg of body weight with ciprofloxacin. Corresponding ED50 values against P. aeruginosa HS-116 were 93.2 and 107.8 mg/kg, respectively, and those against Staphylococcus aureus HS-93 were 6.5 and 44.6 mg/kg, respectively. In experimental infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae 84551, the ED50 value of E-4868 was 154.4 mg/kg, while ciprofloxacin proved totally inactive at a dose of 400 mg/kg. When E-4868 was administered orally at a dose of 50 mg/kg in mice, the area under the concentration-time curve (0 to 4 h) value was 28.4 microgram . h/ml, while an area under the concentration-time curve value of 2.3 microgram . h/ml was observed for ciprofloxacin at the same dose. In these studies, levels of the two agents in blood 1 h postadministration were 7.6 and 1.2 microgram/ml, respectively.

Animals↗

Antimicrobial activity of E-4441, a representative azetidine quinolone.

E-4441 is a third-generation difluoroquinolone characterized by the presence in position 7 of an azetidine ring, disubstituted in position 3 by amine and methyl groups. E-4322 is another difluoroquinolone which differs from the former in having a 3-acetidinol substitution in position 7. E-4441 shows satisfactory levels of activity, both in vitro and in vivo, its activity against G(+) aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria being generally notable.

4-Quinolones↗

L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid retards lung growth and surfactant synthesis in fetal rats.

Maturation of the pulmonary epithelium during late fetal development is controlled at least in part by the underlying fibroblasts. To further investigate this cellular interdependence and the role of collagen in type 2 cell differentiation, we studied the effects of inhibiting fibroblast function in vivo by injecting the proline analog L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (LACA) to timed pregnant rats, and examining changes in cell proliferation and surfactant synthesis in fetal lungs. LACA (200 mg/kg) was injected twice daily for 2 days and rats were killed 2 days later at days 19, 20, 21, and 22 of gestation. Fetal lung weight and DNA content were about 50% of controls, hydroxyproline per dry weight was reduced and by electron microscopy, there appeared to be less fibrillar collagen in the lung. Autoradiography after [3H]thymidine pulse-labeling showed reduced cell proliferation on days 19 and 20 mainly due to lower fibroblast growth with a smaller reduction in epithelial labeling. Lung development in LACA-treated rats was retarded; air sacs were slow to open, epithelial cells retained glycogen longer and fewer cells developed lamellar bodies compared with age-matched controls. There was a reduction in the incidence of epithelial-interstitial cell contacts at day 20 only. Measurements of disaturated phosphatidylcholine showed a 50% reduction per dry weight and a lower disaturated phosphatidylcholine/lipid ratio after LACA. The results indicate that LACA administration in vivo slows fibroblast growth and greatly reduces fibrillar collagen deposition with an accompanying reduction in pulmonary surfactant. This suggests that secreted matrix influences growth and differentiation of the alveolar epithelium.

Animals↗

[Effect of an analog of proline (L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid) on in vitro differentiation of the rat fetal testis].

The initial stages of the development of the seminiferous cords involve the differentiation and the aggregation of primordial Sertoli cells opposite to cells which acquire a mesenchymal-like aspect. The hypothesis that the development of the seminiferous cords depends on epithelial-mesenchymal relations between the two cell types was submitted to experimental test. Male gonadal primordia of rat fetuses were cultured in vitro in a synthetic medium containing the proline competitor, L-Azetidine-2-Carboxylic Acid. This drug is known to disturb the synthesis and secretion of collagen and proline-containing proteins. It prevents testicular organogenesis or destroys it if it has begun. It suppresses the expression of laminin and fibronectin in the gonadal primordium. These observations are taken as evidence that cellular correlations of the epithelial-mesenchymal type play a role in the development of the testis as they do in that of other organs.

Animals↗

[Incorporation of L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid into collagen of the skin. Structural changes].

As previously shown by two dimensional thin-layer chromatography L-azetidine-2-carboxylic-acid (L-Az) is incorporated into type I skin collagen instead of proline when 3 week old mice are fed with a 0,1% solution of L-Az orally. Ultrastructural investigations did not reveal significant changes in collagen periodicity and on fibril diameter. The collagen fibrils of the upper papillary dermis seemed to be packed more densely, sometimes only one electron dense lamina was seen instead of basal lamina and plasma membrane. The glycosaminoglycane-induced fibrillogenesis was not changed in contrary to the collagen-heat-gelation fibrillogenesis at 37 degrees C, where no gel aggregation could be seen. The reconstruction of native fibres from collagen solutions was disturbed too, several finer precipitated fibrils being detectable. On infrared spectroscopy significant differences in absorption spectra were detected. Correlating with previous results of reduced tensile strength and normal melting point of L-Az collagen we can conclude that L-Az might cause rather intermolecular than intramolecular disturbances of crosslinking.

Animals↗