The role of the tryptophyl residue in the hypotensive peptide xenopsin

The role of the Trp⁶ residue in the biological activity of the hypotensive peptide xenopsin (<Glu-Gly-Lys-Arg-Pro-Trp-Ile-Leu-OH) was investigated. This residue was satisfactorily reduced to 2,3-dihydro-Trp on treatment with excess pyridine-borane in trifluoroacetic acid without any detectable change in other parts of the molecule. The analogous peptide, (Lys², Gly³) xenopsin, was also reduced in a similar manner. Both reduction products were purified by gel filtration and characterized by UV absorption, amino acid composition, and structural analysis.The reduced peptides were assayed on the fundus strip of isolated rat stomach and were found to possess less than 1 percent of the activity of the original peptides. Although each of the reduced analogs had an indoline substituted for an indole in the tryptophyl residue, their biological activity was virtually lost. This suggests that the tryptophyl residue of xenopsin is crucial for its biological activity.     

Structural analysis and specific expression of microsomal cytochrome P-450(M-1) mRNA in male rat livers

cDNA clones for the P-450(M-1) mRNA, which exhibits a male-specific expression in rat livers, were isolated by using synthetic oligonucleotides as the probes. Sequence analysis of the cDNAs showed that P-450(M-1) mRNA contains 1,853 nucleotides in addition to a poly(A) chain, and a single open reading frame of 1,500 nucleotides encodes a polypeptide of 500 amino acids with a Mr = 57,187. The predicted NH2-terminal sequence of 30 amino acids agrees well with that of the purified protein determined by Edman degradation, and the predicted primary structure included all the partial sequences of six internal peptides of P-450(M-1) obtained by the proteolytic digestion and a conserved amino acid sequence containing a putative heme-binding cysteine, proximate to the COOH terminus of the molecules. P-450(M-1) showed relatively high sequence similarity with P-450b (Fujii-Kuriyama, Y., Mizukami, Y., Kawajiri, K., Sogawa, K., and Muramatsu, M. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 2793-2797) (52% similarity), P-450-3b (Ozols, J., Heinemann, F. S., and Johnson, E. F. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 5427-5434) (64%), P-450-1 (Tukey, R. H., Okino, S., Barnes, H., Griffin, K. J., and Johnson, E. F. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 13347-13354) (74%), P-450PBc1 (Leighton, J. K., DeBrunner-Vossbrinck, B. A., and Kemper, B. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 4598-4603) (71%), while its sequence similarity with 3-methylcholanthrene-inducible P-450c and P-450d is rather low. Consequently, P-450(M-1) could be structurally classified into the phenobarbital-inducible type of P-450 gene family. RNA blot analysis using a synthetic oligonucleotide specific for P-450(M-1) revealed that P-450(M-1) mRNA was expressed exclusively in the livers of mature male rats in a sex-specific manner, but not in other tissues so far examined.     

Comparison of the developmental patterns of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase between mung bean and cucumber cotyledons during and following germination

The development of mitochondrial NAD⁺-malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37) in mung bean and cucumber cotyledons was followed. using the antibody raised against it, during and following germination. The developmental patterns were quite different between the two. In cucumber, the content of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase continued to increase through 3–4 days after the beginning of imbibition. This was, at least in part, due to active synthesis of the enzyme protein, and the synthesis seemed to be regulated by the availability of the translatable mRNA for the enzyme. In mung bean, on the other hand, the enzyme was present in dry cotyledons at a rather high concentration, and remained at a constant level between day 1 and day 3 after the reduction of the content to one-half its initial level during the first day. De novo synthesis of the enzyme could not be detected in mung bean cotyledons by pulse-labeling experiment.     

Heterogeneous distribution of the precursor of type I and type III collagen and fibronectin in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of palatal mesenchymal cells of the mouse embryo cultured in ascorbate-depleted medium

Summary In order to examine the intracellular distribution of precursors of type I and type III collagen and fibronectin in the palatal mesenchymal (MEPM) cells of the mouse embryo cultured under ascorbate-deficient conditions, immuno-electron-microscopic studies were carried out by use of affinity purified antibodies for these proteins. MEPM cells were obtained from the palatal shelves of 14-day-old mouse fetuses and cultured for 3–7 days in medium, either with or without 50 ng/dish/day ascorbic acid. Results obtained were as follows: (1) Although the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) of MEPM cells cultured for 5 days in ascorbate-supplemented medium was flattened, that in cells cultured in ascorbate-deficient medium had a distended or vesicular appearance. (2) Vesicular or distended rER showed heterogeneous staining for both type I and type III collagen, namely, some parts of rER showed positive staining for both types of collagen, while others showed negative staining. (3) Both type I and type III collagen showed codistribution in the same vesicular rER. (4) Vesicular rER showed negative or very faint labelling for fibronectin. These results may suggest regional differences in the function of rER.     

Lipase-mediated homotopic and heterotopic double resolutions of a planar chiral organometallic alcohol

Summary (±)-Tricarbonyl ⁶-3-methylbenzyl alcohol)chromium was resolved to of 100%e.e. and of 92%e.e. by lipase-catalyzed transesterifications arranged in homotopic and heterotopic double resolutions.     

Identification of (Na,K)ATPase inhibitor in brine shrimp,Artemia salina,as long-chain fatty acids

Summary An inhibitory activity to (Na,K)ATPase was found in cell extracts of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, irrespective of its developmental stages. Organic solvent extraction together with gas chromatographic analysis reveals that the inhibitory activity is due to long-chain, non-esterified fatty acids and their derivatives. Unsaturated fatty acids, especially with cis-configuration, are more effective in inhibition than saturated ones.Abbreviations ATPase adenosine triphosphatase - EDTA ethylenediamine-tetraacetate - TLC thin-layer chromatography     

Effects of Na+ and K+ on Artemia salina (Na,K)-ATPase solubilized with a zwitterionic detergent, CHAPS

The membrane bound (Na,K)-ATPase prepared from Artemia salina nauplii was solubilized with a zwitterionic detergent, 3[3(cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS), and then purified on a Bio-Gel A-1.5 m column in the presence of the detergent. 1) Upon solubilization, both NaCl and KCl protected the enzyme against loss of activity, KCl being more effective than NaCl. 2) Gel filtration of the solubilized enzyme on a Bio-Gel A-1.5 m column in the presence of 5 mM CHAPS resulted in loss of the enzyme activity even when one of the cations was added. Most of the phospholipids in the solubilized enzyme preparation were removed during the gel filtration (delipidation) and 10-25 phospholipids were left on a protomer (alpha beta) of the enzyme irrespective of the cation present during the gel filtration. With the addition of exogenous phospholipids, the activity was restored. The activity of the enzyme delipidated in the presence of KCl was restored to 3-4 times higher than in the case of that delipidated in the presence of NaCl. 3) Relipidation experiments with a fluorescent phospholipid, dansyl phosphatidylethanolamine (Dans-PE), suggested that the enzyme delipidated in the presence of KCl reassociated with phospholipids more firmly than the enzyme delipidated in the presence of NaCl. From these results we concluded that K+ stabilized the (Na,K)-ATPase more effectively than Na+, even when the enzyme was delipidated.     

An Endo-[beta]-Mannanase Develops Exclusively in the Micropylar Endosperm of Tomato Seeds Prior to Radicle Emergence

A galactomannan-hydrolyzing enzyme that develops pregerminatively in the micropylar region of the endosperm of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum [L.] Mill.) seed was characterized. The enzyme was endo-[beta]-mannanase (EC 3.2.1.78), since it hydrolyzed galactomannan into oligosaccharides with no release of galactose and mannose. The mobility of this pregerminative enzyme in sodium dodecyl sulfate and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was not identical to that of any of the three endo-[beta]-mannanases that develop in the same tissue (endosperm) after germination (H. Nonogaki, M. Nomaguchi, Y. Morohashi [1995] Physiol Plant 94: 328-334). There were also some differences in the products of galactomannan hydrolysis between the pregerminative and the postgerminative enzymes, indicating that the action pattern is different between the two types of enzymes. The pregerminative enzyme began to develop in the micropylar region of the endosperm at about 18 h postimbibition and increased up to the time immediately before radicle protrusion (24 h postimbibition). This enzyme was not present in the lateral part of the endosperm at any stage before or after germination. It is proposed that the enzyme develops prior to germination specifically at the micropylar region of the endosperm.