Studies on naturally occurring proteinous inhibitor for transmethylation reactions

An inhibitor for S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet)-dependent methyltransferases has been purified from rat liver particulate fraction to apparent homogeneity, as judged by high-performance liquid chromatography, two-dimensional paper electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing chromatography. This inhibitor molecule, which is composed of 27 amino acid residues with an additional fluorescent chromophore, is rich in glycine, contains no basic amino acid, and has an isoelectric point (pI) of 3.70. A single absorption peak was observed at 248 nm in acidic as well as in neutral media, while two peaks were detected in alkaline medium at 206 nm and 248 nm. The former peak was found to be quite labile. The fluorescent spectra with excitation peak at 285 nm and emission peak at 358 nm are greatly influenced by the pH, being the highest in alkaline medium. The purified inhibitor inhibits all the AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases examined.     

The phosphate group of 3-phosphoglycerate accounts for conformational changes occurring on binding to 3-phosphoglycerate kinase. Enzyme inhibition and thiol reactivity studies

Steady-state kinetic study of the inhibition of 3-phosphoglycerate kinase reaction by the substrate analogues D-glycerol 3-phosphate, 2-phosphoglycolate, tartronate and malonate revealed competition with respect to 3-phosphoglycerate. D-Glycerate had no detectable inhibitory effect. The data indicate that (a) the phosphate of 3-phosphoglycerate plays an essential role in the formation of its complex with the enzyme and, taking into account the relatively strong binding of 3-phosphoglycerate, (b) the two charged groups of the substrate might cause a synergic interaction with the protein. The carboxyl-lacking D-glycerol 3-phosphate is a non-competitive inhibitor with respect to MgATP, while all the investigated carboxyl-containing inhibitors compete for MgATP binding. The inhibitory analogues of 3-phosphoglycerate reduce the reactivity of both the two fast-reacting and the five slow-reacting thiol groups of the enzyme molecule. In the case of the fast-reacting thiols the effect is specifically associated with the presence of a ligand's phosphate group. Similarly mainly the phosphate-containing nucleotides and analogues slow down significantly the reaction rate of the fast-reacting thiols, while adenosine is less effective and the competitive inhibitor adenine has no effect at all. MgADP has an especially dramatic effect as compared to MgATP, in line with the known X-ray structural data. The fast-reacting thiols are of particular interest, since their reactivity is possibly controlled by ligand-induced conformational changes. This is shown by the similar ligand protection against alkylation irrespective of the reagent's electrostatic charge (iodoacetamide or iodoacetate) and also by the similar substrate-binding properties of carboxamidomethylated and the unmodified enzyme.     

Variation in alpha-L-fucosidase properties among 28 inbred mouse strains: Six strains have high enzyme activity and heat-stabile enzyme with a variant pH-activity curve; twenty-two strains have low activity and heat-labile enzyme

Alpha-L-fucosidase in tissues of 28 inbred mouse strains varied with respect to three properties: high or low heat stability, a pH-activity curve with high or low relative activity at pH 2.8, and high or low activity. Alpha-L-fucosidase from six strains (A/J, BDP/J, LP/J, P/J, SEA/GNJ, and 129/J) had high heat stability, high pH 2.8 relative activity, and high activity, whereas the other 22 strains all had low heat stability, low pH 2.8 relative activity, and low activity. The heat-stability difference was seen in all organs tested (brain, liver, kidney, spleen, heart, skeletal muscle, lung, and testis) for two heat-stabile strains (P/J and 129/J) and four heat-labile strains (C57 BL/6J, C3H/HeJ, DBA/2J, and BALB/cJ) studied in detail. The findings suggested that two structural variants of alpha-L-fucosidase, probably genetically determined, exist in these 28 inbred mouse strains, although the presence of linkage disequilibrium between alleles of tightly linked structural and regulatory genes could not be excluded.This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NS-15281 and NS-11766), the Muscular Dystrophy Association (H. Houston Merritt Clinical Center for Muscular Dystrophy and Related Diseases), the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, and a generous gift from the Alexander Rapaport Foundation.     

Spermine as a modulator of membrane fusion: interactions with acidic phospholipids

The interaction of spermine with acidic phospholipids was investigated for its possible relevance to membrane fusion. Equilibrium dialysis was used to measure the binding of spermine and calcium to large unilamellar vesicles (liposomes) of phosphatidate (PA) or phosphatidylserine (PS). Spermine bound to isolated PA and PS liposomes with intrinsic association constants of approximately 2 and 0.2 M-1, respectively. Above the aggregation threshold of the liposomes, the binding of spermine increased dramatically, especially for PA. The increased binding upon aggregation of PA liposomes was interpreted as evidence for the formation of a new binding complex after aggregation. Spermine enhanced calcium binding to PA, while it inhibited calcium binding to PS, under the same conditions. This difference explained the small effect of spermine on the overall rate of calcium-induced fusion of PS liposomes as opposed to the large effect on PA liposomes. The rate increase could be modeled by a spermine-induced increase in the liposome aggregation rate. The preference for binding of spermine to PA over PS suggested a preference for accessible monoesterified phosphate groups by spermine. This preference was confirmed by the large effects of spermine on aggregation and overall fusion rates of liposomes containing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-diphosphate. The large spermine effects on these liposomes compared with phosphatidate- or phosphatidylinositol-containing liposomes suggested that spermine has a strong specific interaction with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-diphosphate. Clearly, phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol can lead to a large change in the spermine sensitivity of membrane fusion.     

Fusion of liposomes induced by a cationic protein from the acrosome granule of abalone spermatozoa

Lysin, a protein of Mr 16 000 from the acrosome granule of the abalone, is responsible for the dissolution of the egg vitelline layer. The primary structure of this cationic protein projects some hydrophobic domains in the secondary structure. Lysin was found to associate nonselectively with phospholipid bilayers and cause a spontaneous release of encapsulated carboxyfluorescein in liposomes. The association of lysin with phosphatidylcholine liposomes suggests that there is a hydrophobic interaction between lysin and lipid bilayers. Binding of lysin to phospholipid resulted in the aggregation of phosphatidylserine-containing liposomes, but aggregation was not observed in neutral phosphatidylcholine liposomes. Resonance energy transfer and dequenching of fluorescent 1-palmitoyl-2-cis-parinaroylphosphatidylcholine were both used to determine the fusogenic activity of lysin in aggregated liposomes. Results from both assays are consistent. Lysin-induced fusion was observed in all the phosphatidylserine-containing liposomes, and the general trend of fusion susceptibility was phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine (1:2) approximately equal to phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine (1:1:1) greater than phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylethanolamine (1:2). Cholesterol up to 30% did not affect the intrinsic fusion susceptibility. A hydrophobic penetration by protein molecules and the packing of phospholipid bilayers are used to interpret the fusion susceptibility. Lysin-induced liposome aggregation was highly independent of the state of self-association of lysin in ionic medium. However, the fusogenic activity of self-associated lysin was found to be much less than the monodispersed one. Liposomes preincubated with Ca2+ did not fuse initially as readily as those without Ca2+ treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Isolation of a cDNA for human muscle 6-phosphofructokinase

A cDNA for human muscle 6-phosphofructokinase (EC.2.7.1.11) has been isolated from a human fibroblast cDNA library made using the Okayama-Berg procedure. The cDNA isolated as a Bam H1 fragment of the pcD recombinant, pO4, is approximately 2000 bp in length. It represents approximately 1350 bp of the C-terminus coding sequence of the enzyme, approximately 500 bp of the 3'-untranslated region and approximately 150 bp of the vector sequences. The identity of the pO4 cDNA was established by the observation of a high degree of homology (approximately 95%) between the deduced amino acid sequence with the published protein sequence of rabbit muscle 6-phosphofructokinase, and the assignment of the sequence to human chromosome 1 (the known location of PFKM) by using somatic cell hybrids. Based on immunochemical evidence, we had previously predicted not only a remarkable structural conservation of the vertebrate muscle PFK, but also partial structural identity among all three vertebrate PFK isozymes. The pO4 cDNA is, therefore, expected to permit isolation of cDNAs for muscle and non-muscle PFKs from a wide variety of vertebrate species.     

5,5-Diphenylhydantoin Antagonizes Neurochemical and Behavioral Effects of p, p'-DDT but Not of Chlordecone

Abstract: Rats were given 75 mg/kg of 5,5-diphenylhydantoin (phenytoin) or vehicle 30 min prior to 75 mg/kg of 1, 1, 1-trichloro-bis( p -chlorophenyl)ethane ( p, p' -DDT) (p.o.) or chlordecone (i.p.) and tremor was measured 12 h later. Rats were then killed, and regional brain levels of biogenie amines and their acid metabolites and amino acids were determined. Pretreatment with phenytoin significantly attenuated the tremor produced by p, p' -DDT but enhanced that produced by chlordecone. p, p' -DDT had significant effects on the levels of asparate, glutamate, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), whereas chlordecone increased glycine, 5-HIAA, and MHPG levels. Pretreatment with phenytoin blocked p.p' -DDT-induced increases of aspartate in the brainstem and spinal cord, 5-HIAA in the hippocampus, and MHPG in the brainstem and hypothalamus. Phenytoin significantly enhanced chlordecone-induced increases of MHPG in the brainstem. These data indicate that organo-chlorine-induced increases in noradrenergic activity in the brainstem and spinal cord may be directly related to the tremorigenic effects of these chemicals.     

Comparison of male adult population densities of the oriental and artocarpus fruit flies,Dacus spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae), in two nearby villages in Penang,Malaysia

The populations of native male adult oriental fruit fly Dacus dorsalis (Hendel ) and artocarpus fruit fly D. umbrosus (F.) in two selected site (BU and SD) were estimated weekly by the capture-recapture technique using live traps baited with methyl eugenol. In BU where many varieties of fruit trees were grown, the estimated population densities of D. dorsalis were between 980 and 3100 male flies per ha between May and July, 1984. During the same period, in SD where there were fewer number and varieties of fruit trees, the estimated population densities were between 300 and 1000 flies per ha. The estimated population densities of D. umbrosus over the same period were between 570 and 1290 flies per ha in BU; and between 5 and 95 flies per ha in SD. Of a total 6828 marked D. dorsalis flies released only one fly (released 6 weeks earlier in BU) was caught in a different site.     

体外分化的人体巨噬细胞抑制天然杀伤(NK)细胞的研究

本文继先前工作后,进一步应用正常健康人外周血单个核细胞(PBMNC)经塑料培皿粘附技术把单核细胞分离出来,经培养进一步纯化,随后动态观察培养0,2,4,6和8天的单核-巨噬细胞的形态变化和对新鲜分离同种异基因个体PBMNC中NK活性的影响。实验表明,体外分化6天和8天的巨噬细胞质/核比例和胞浆内空泡显著增加,细胞直径约为0天时的2倍。这些细胞和PBMNC之比为0.5:1时,引起了NK细胞活性的50%以上抑制(4小时~(51)Cr标记K 562肿瘤的同位素释放试验)。这种抑制效应不为过氧化氢酶(Catalase 4000单位/毫升)和前列腺素合成酶的抑制剂(Indom 1×10~(-5)M)所阻断。实验证明,同种异基因个体的NK细胞不能识别巨噬细胞表面抗原,从而排除了巨噬细胞和K562肿瘤抗原竞争的可能性。实验还表明,巨噬细胞对NK活性的抑制是不受HLA约束的。应用高频超声振荡破碎巨噬细胞膜方法和免疫调变技术进一步提示,人体巨噬细胞对NK活性的抑制与巨噬细胞体积无关,而与体外分化所赋有的固有特性和它们分泌的免疫调节分子有关。     

Transplantation of cultured thymic fragments. VI. H-2 recombinant donors

Athymic (nude) mice were transplanted with cultured thymic fragments from syngeneic, allogeneic, and partially allogeneic (recombinant) mice. Lymphocyte proliferation and cytotoxicity in vitro were measured to assess immunologic reconstitution. Transplanted nude mice were immunocompetent whether donor and recipient were disparate for class I, class II, or both H-2 gene types. Furthermore, allotolerance for thymic H-2 class I antigens was achieved independently of class II antigen allotolerance. Class I antigen tolerance was not broken during lymphocyte responses to unrelated alloantigens, ruling out insufficient help as the tolerance mechanism. Splenocytes, isolated from nude mice transplanted with fully allogeneic or syngeneic thymic fragments and stimulated in vitro with trinitrophenyl-modified cells, displayed H-2-restricted, hapten-specific cytotoxicity. Cytotoxic cells from allotolerant mice were restricted to either host or thymic H-2 antigens, depending on the stimulating cell haplotype. Response levels for thymic and host trinitrophenyl-modified cells were comparable. We have shown that allogeneic thymic epithelium transplanted into adult nude mice can induce allotolerance to class I and II H-2 antigens equally, and permits T lymphocyte interaction with cells bearing thymic donor or host H-2 antigens. Our results are consistent with a model wherein T lymphocyte self-receptors retain their genomic repertoire but can be selectively mutated or expanded by appropriate H-2 antigen presentation by the thymus.