SEROLOGICAL STUDIES IN BAPTISIA AND CERTAIN OTHER GENERA OF THE LEGUMINOSAE

Fourteen species of Baptisia were compared serologically, using antiserum against B. nuttalliana. By means of both immunoelectrophoretic and double-diffusion techniques, it was possible to disclose 11 distinct arcs plus some weaker arcs, with few reliable (definite and repeatable) differences detected among the species of Baptisia investigated. Since the individual species of Baptisia are often quite distinctive, as judged by other chemical and morphological criteria, the serological data are in this instance conservative and appear to be effective in circumscribing the genus. In contrast, striking interspecific differences in the serological properties of unicellular green algae have been obtained (reported elsewhere) by similar techniques in this laboratory. It is concluded that serological data should be regarded as adjuncts to other systematic knowledge only on the basis of empirical manifestations of their utility. There is no clear justification for regarding serological data as intrinsically either superior or inferior to other systematic criteria.     

Amino ketone formation and aminopropanol-dehydrogenase activity in rat-liver preparations

1. Rat tissue homogenates convert dl-1-aminopropan-2-ol into aminoacetone. Liver homogenates have relatively high aminopropanol-dehydrogenase activity compared with kidney, heart, spleen and muscle preparations. 2. Maximum activity of liver homogenates is exhibited at pH9·8. The K_m for aminopropanol is approx. 15mm, calculated for a single enantiomorph, and the maximum activity is approx. 9mμmoles of aminoacetone formed/mg. wet wt. of liver/hr.at 37°. Aminoacetone is also formed from l-threonine, but less rapidly. An unidentified amino ketone is formed from dl-4-amino-3-hydroxybutyrate, the K_m for which is approx. 200mm at pH9·8. 3. Aminopropanol-dehydrogenase activity in homogenates is inhibited non-competitively by dl-3-hydroxybutyrate, the K_i being approx. 200mm. EDTA and other chelating agents are weakly inhibitory, and whereas potassium chloride activates slightly at low concentrations, inhibition occurs at 50–100mm. 4. It is concluded that aminopropanol-dehydrogenase is located in mitochondria, and in contrast with l-threonine dehydrogenase can be readily solubilized from mitochondrial preparations by ultrasonic treatment. 5. Soluble extracts of disintegrated mitochondria exhibit maximum aminopropanol-dehydrogenase activity at pH9·1 At this pH, K_m values for the amino alcohol and NAD⁺ are approx. 200 and 1·3mm respectively. Under optimum conditions the maximum velocity is approx. 70mμmoles of aminoacetone formed/mg. of protein/hr. at 37°. Chelating agents and thiol reagents appear to have little effect on enzyme activity, but potassium chloride inhibits at all concentrations tested up to 80mm. dl-3-Hydroxybutyrate is only slightly inhibitory. 6. Dehydrogenase activities for l-threonine and dl-4-amino-3-hydroxybutyrate appear to be distinct from that for aminopropanol. 7. Intraperitoneal injection of aminopropanol into rats leads to excretion of aminoacetone in the urine. Aminoacetone excretion proportional to the amount of the amino alcohol administered, is complete within 24hr., but represents less than 0·1% of the dose given. 8. The possible metabolic role of amino alcohol dehydrogenases is discussed.     

Microbial metabolism of amino ketones: l-1-Aminopropan-2-ol dehydrogenase and l-threonine dehydrogenase in Escherichia coli

1. A wide range of intermediary metabolites and substrate analogues have no effect on the oxidation of dl-1-aminopropan-2-ol to aminoacetone by washed-cell suspensions of Escherichia coli. Only dl-2-hydroxy-2-phenylethylamine, dl-1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol, dl-serine and l-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-aminoethanol act as inhibitors. 2. Dialysed cell-free extracts of E. coli exhibit an NAD(+)-dependent dl-1-aminopropan-2-ol-dehydrogenase activity of approx. 8mmumoles of aminoacetone formed/mg. of protein/min. at the pH optimum of approx. 10. The K(m) values for the coenzyme and dl-amino alcohol are approx. 0.4 and 10.0mm respectively. A smaller peak of activity occurs at pH7.0-7.2, the K(m) for NAD(+) at pH7 being approx. 0.05mm. 3. Enzyme activity in cell-free extracts is inhibited by dl-2-hydroxy-2-phenylethylamine, dl-1-aminopropane-2,3-diol and dl-serine. dl-Phenylserine and dl-1-aminobutan-2-ol are oxidized to compounds reacting as amino ketones. 4. In fresh cell-free extracts l(+)-1-aminopropan-2-ol preparations are oxidized more rapidly than racemic or laevo-rotatory material, the d(-)-enantiomorph appearing to act as a competitive inhibitor. The K(m) for l(+)-1-aminopropan-2-ol appears to be approx. 1.5mm when highly resolved substrate preparations are used, either in the free base form or as the l(+)-tartrate salt. 5. l(+)-1-Aminopropan-2-ol dehydrogenase is a labile enzyme, and in appropriately treated extracts activity towards the d-enantiomorph is detectable and relatively higher than that towards the l-enantiomorph. 6. Optimum activity of l-threonine-dehydrogenase in cell-free extracts is exhibited at pH9.6 in the presence of NAD(+). The K(m) values for coenzyme and amino acid substrate are approx. 0.08 and 5.0mm respectively. This enzyme is distinct from 1-aminopropan-2-ol dehydrogenases on the basis of kinetic evidence, and the separation of activities by gel filtration. 7. Both l-threonine and dl-1-aminopropan-2-ol dehydrogenases are markedly inhibited by 8-hydroxyquinoline and p-chloromercuribenzoate, but only slightly by other chelating and thiol reagents. 8. E. coli is incapable of growth on simple synthetic media, containing a variety of carbon sources, when dl-1-aminopropan-2-ol is supplied as the sole source of nitrogen. It appears unlikely that the micro-organism can deaminate aminoacetone. 9. The metabolic roles of l-threonine dehydrogenase, aminoacetone and 1-aminopropan-2-ol dehydrogenases are discussed.     

Conformational analysis of thioredoxin using organoarsenical reagents as probes. A time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy and size exclusion chromatography study

Reduced thioredoxin was subjected to chemical modification studies employing organoarsenical reagents specific for "spatially close" thiols. Modification was monitored by the loss in the free thiol content, by the percent incorporation of radiolabelled organoarsenical reagents, and by observing the changes in the amounts of the various thioredoxins by size exclusion chromatography. The rate of modification depends upon the polarity, rigidity, and size of the reagents. Small nonpolar organoarsenical reagents readily modified reduced thioredoxin, whereas polar and large reagents do not. Modifications resulted in the formation of stable 15-membered cyclodithioarsenite ring structures with no apparent changes in the secondary structure of the protein. Modification was reversed by the extrusion of the arsenical moiety by addition of 2,3-dimercaptopropanol. We have further characterized the oxidized, reduced, and modified thioredoxins by size exclusion chromatography and fluorescence anisotropy decay measurements. Both techniques show an increase in the hydrated volume of the protein upon reduction. Upon modification, the hydrodynamic volume of the protein further swells. Fluorescence anisotropy decay reveals that with modification there is loosening of the protein so that a "domain" containing the fluorophores can relax independently of the whole protein structure.     

Evidence for two modes of Ca2+ entry following muscarinic stimulation of a human salivary epithelial cell line

Summary We have investigated muscarinic receptor-operated Ca²⁺ mobilization in a salivary epithelial cell line, HSG-PA, using an experimental approach which allows independent evaluation of intracellular Ca²⁺ release and extracellular Ca²⁺ entry. The carbachol (Cch) dose response of intracellular Ca²⁺ release indicates the involvement of a single, relatively low-affinity, muscarinic receptor site (K _0.510 or 30 m, depending on the method for [Ca²⁺] _i determination). However, similar data for Ca²⁺ entry indicate the involvement of two Cch sites, one consistent with that associated with Ca²⁺ release and a second higher affinity site withK _0.52.5 m. In addition, the Ca²⁺ entry response observed at lower concentrations of Cch (2.5 m) was completely inhibited by membrane depolarization induced with high K⁺ (>55mm) or gramicidin D (1 m), while membrane depolarization had little or no effect on Ca²⁺ entry induced by 100 m Cch. Another muscarinic agonist, oxotremorine-M (100 m; Oxo-M), like Cch, also induced an increase in the [Ca²⁺] _i of HSG-PA cells (from 72±2 to 104±5nm). This response was profoundly blocked (75%) by the inorganic Ca²⁺ channel blocker La³⁺ (25–50 m) suggesting that Oxo-M primarily mobilizes Ca²⁺ in these cells by increasing Ca²⁺ entry. Organic Ca²⁺ channel blockers (verapamil or diltiazem at 10 m, nifedipine at 1 m), had no effect on this response. The Oxo-M induced Ca²⁺ mobilization response, like that observed at lower doses of Cch, was markedly inhibited (70–90%) by membrane depolarization (high K⁺ or gramicidin D). At 100 m Cch the formation of inositol trisphosphate (IP₃) was increased 55% above basal levels. A low concentration of carbachol (1 m) elicited a smaller change in IP₃ formation (25%), similar to that seen with 100 m Oxo-M (20%). Taken together, these results suggest that there are two modes of muscarinic receptor-induced Ca²⁺ entry in HSG-PA cells. One is associated with IP₃ formation and intracellular Ca²⁺ release and is independent of membrane potential; the other is less dependent on IP₃ formation and intracellular Ca²⁺ release and is modulated by membrane potential. This latter pathway may exhibit voltage-dependent gating.     

Differential effects of amino acid substitutions in the beta-sheet floor and alpha-2 helix of HLA-A2 on recognition by alloreactive viral peptide-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Crystallographic studies of the HLA-A2 molecule have led to the assignment of a putative peptide binding site that consists of a groove with a beta-pleated sheet floor bordered by two alpha-helices. A CTL-defined variant of HLA-A2, termed HLA-A2.2F, differs from the common A2.1 molecule by three amino acids: a Leu to Trp substitution at position 156 in the alpha-2 helix, a Val to Leu substitution at position 95 in the beta-sheet floor of the groove, and a Gln to Arg substitution at position 43 in a loop outside of the groove. Another HLA-A2 variant, termed CLA, has a single Phe to Tyr substitution at position 9 that is sterically located adjacent to position 95 in the beta-sheet floor of the groove. We have determined which of the amino acid substitutions at positions 9, 43, 95, or 156 could individually affect recognition by panels of A2.1 allospecific and A2.1-restricted influenza viral matrix peptide-specific CTL lines, using a panel of site-directed mutants and CLA. Recognition by allospecific CTL lines was generally unaffected by any one of the amino acid substitutions, but was eliminated by the double substitution at positions 95 and 156. Allorecognition by some CTL lines was eliminated by a single substitution at position 9 or 95. In contrast, recognition by A2.1-restricted matrix peptide specific CTL was totally eliminated by a single substitution at position 9 or 156. The substitution at position 43 in a loop away from the peptide binding groove had no effect on allorecognition or matrix peptide recognition. These results indicate that amino acid residues in the floor or alpha-2 helical wall of the peptide binding groove of the HLA-A2 molecule can differentially affect allorecognition and viral peptide recognition.     

Anatomical variation of orthotropic elastic moduli of the proximal human tibia

The anatomical variation of orthotropic elastic moduli of the cancellous bone from three human proximal tibiae was investigated using an ultrasonic technique. With this technique, it was possible to measure three orthogonal elastic moduli and three shear moduli from cubic specimens of cancellous bone as small as 8 mm per side. Correlation with mechanical tensile testing has shown this technique to offer a precise measure of cancellous modulus (Eten = 0.94Eult + 144.6 MPa, r2 = 0.96, n = 34). The cancellous bone of the proximal tibia was found to be very inhomogeneous, with the axial modulus ranging between 340 and 3350 MPa. A course map is presented, showing measured Young's moduli as a function of anatomical position. The anisotropy of the cancellous bone, determined by the relative differences between the three orthogonal moduli, was shown to be relatively constant over the entire range of cancellous densities tested. The relationship between the axial elastic modulus and the apparent density was found to be approximately linear, as reported by others for proximal tibial cancellous bone.