New Plasmid-Mediated Phosphorylation of Gentamicin C in Staphylococcus aureus

A clinical isolate of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to gentamicin, kanamycin and 3′,4′-dideoxykanamycin B contained two enzymes capable of inactivating gentamicin, i.e., an aminoglycoside 2″-phosphotransferase and aminoglycoside acetyltransferase.     

Pathochemistry, pathogenesis and enzyme replacement in multiple-sulfatase deficiency

Multiple-sulfatase deficiency (MSD) is now considered to be heterogeneous and could be classified into three or four clinical phenotypes according to the onset of the disease: neonatal, late infantile, juvenile and possibly adult type. Neonatal-type MSD shows severe clinical involvement and practically no arylsulfatase A, B and C activities in cultured skin fibroblasts. Furthermore, arylsulfatase A activity in neonatal-type MSD was not enhanced by the addition of thiosulfate. Therefore, it is distinct from late infantile-type MSD. The degradation of 14C-sulfatide can occur in MSD-cultured skin fibroblasts and was much higher than in late infantile-type MLD. The addition of thiol protease such as leupeptin to cultured MSD skin fibroblasts enhanced arylsulfatase A activity as well as the degradation of 14C-sulfatide. This suggests that the decreased activities of arylsulfatase A is due to an acceleration of the enzyme degradation. Enzyme replacement by the addition of arylsulfatases of different sources (human liver, brain, fungus) was carried out in cultured MSD skin fibroblasts. Human enzymes of arylsulfatase A and B were mostly taken up by MSD cells rather than those of fungus origin. By the exposure to leukocytes to cultured skin fibroblasts, MSD cells corrected arylsulfatase A and B activities.     

Sulfhydryl modification and activation of phenylalanine hydroxylase by dinitrophenyl alkyl disulfide

A new family of asymmetric thiol-disulfide exchange reagents, the dinitrophenyl alkyl disulfides (DNPSSR), was used to modify rat liver phenylalanine hydroxylase. The results indicate that the enzyme has two different types of reactive sulfhydryl (SH) residues per subunit. One SH residue was modified selectively by a DNPSSR having a neutral and hydrophilic alkyl group, and this modification was accompanied by appreciable activation of enzyme; the other SH residue was modified only by an anionic DNPSSR, and this modification did not result in activation. The catalytic properties of phenylalanine hydroxylase activated by DNPSSR were similar to those of the N-ethylmaleimide- (NEM-) modified enzyme, but the process of activation by DNPSSR was quite different from modification with NEM. An analysis of the reaction kinetics of the modification and of catalysis by the modified enzyme suggests that DNPSSR modification causes a change in the subunit interaction leading to a loss of the negative cooperativity normally seen with phenylalanine hydroxylase.     

Heterogeneity of big-big hPRL in hyperprolactinemia

Sera from a patient with macroprolactinoma (case 1) and from a hyperprolactinemic woman with regular menstruation (case 2) were analyzed for prolactin activity by gel filtration using Sephadex G-100, Sephadex G-200 and TSK G3000SW columns. The chromatographic profile by Sephadex G-100 showed that the percentage of immunoreactive big-big hPRL was 10.7% in case 1 and 64.1% in case 2. On Sephadex G-200 and TSK G3000SW columns, the molecular weight of big-big hPRL was estimated to be more than 500,000 daltons (big-big1 hPRL) in case 1 and approximately 250,000-300,000 daltons (big-big2 hPRL) in case 2. Big-big1 hPRL in case 1 was converted to big and little hPRLs when the serum was treated with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), but part of the big-big2 hPRL in case 2 was converted to a larger molecule. Radioactive big-big hPRL generated by mixing labeled hPRL with the serum from case 1 was eluted with the void volume on Sephadex G-100 column and was not converted to the other molecular forms after 2-ME treatment. There were two radioactive big-big hPRL on TSK G3000SW column and these estimated molecular weights were more than 300,000 daltons. The data demonstrated the existence of at least two forms of big-big hPRL in the serum and indicated that radioactive big-big hPRL may be different from these hPRLs in the serum.     

Degradation mechanisms of phenolic beta-1 lignin substructure model compounds by laccase of Coriolus versicolor

Phenolic beta-1 lignin substructure model compounds, 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-phenyl)-2-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)propa ne-1, 3-diol (I) and 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-2-(3, 5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane-1,3-diol (II) were degraded by laccase of Coriolus versicolor. Substrate I was converted to 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-3- hydroxypropanone (III), 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyethanone (IV), syringaldehyde (V), 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropanal (VI), 2,6-dimethoxy-p-hydroquinone (VII), and 2,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone (VIII). Furthermore, incorporations of 18O of 18O2 into ethanone (IV) and 18O of H218O into hydroquinone (VII) and benzoquinone (VIII) were confirmed. Substrate II gave 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane-1, 2-diol (IX), 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyethanone (X), and 3,5-dimethoxy-4-ethoxybenzaldehyde (XI). Also 18O of H218O was incorporated into glycol (IX) and ethanone (X). Based on the structures of the degradation products and the isotopic experiments, it was established that three types of reactions occurred via phenoxy radicals of substrates caused by laccase: (i) C alpha-C beta cleavage (between C1 and C2 carbons); (ii) alkyl-aryl cleavage (between C1 carbon and aryl group); and (iii) C alpha (C1) oxidation.     

Predominance of gluconate formation from glucose during germination of Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 spores.

Metabolic pathways of glucose during germination of Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 spores were studied by using specifically labeled glucose and gluconate. The Embden-Meyerhof pathway, the pentose cycle, and the direct oxidation route of glucose to gluconate (the gluconate pathway) were all operative at this stage; among those, gluconate accumulation was most predominant, especially in the early stage. Potassium fluoride, an enolase inhibitor, abolished the catabolism by the Embden-Meyerhof pathway totally without affecting gluconate accumulation. Under these conditions glucose was exclusively oxidized to gluconate. Gluconate thus accumulated could be metabolized further via phosphorylation by gluconate kinase. Remarkable gluconate accumulation was also demonstrated in several other spores requiring alanine as an effective germinant. NADH formed by the direct glucose oxidation may serve as a initial ATP source to phosphorylate glucose in germinating spores.     

A New Myelin-Deficient Mutant Hamster: Biochemical and Morphological Studies

Biochemical and morphological studies were done on a new trembling mutant hamster CBB. The yield of myelin from the mutant was 30 and 40% of the control at 46 and 140 days of age, respectively, but myelin composition and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphohydrolase (CNPase) activity were normal. Morphologically, about 18% of the axons were myelinated in the mutant optic nerve at 46 days of age, in which the myelinated fibers were those with larger diameters (more than 0.6 micron), while the control had a peak at 0.4 micron in diameter. The ultrastructure and thickness of compact myelin lamellae in the mutant were normal. Myelination and the structure of peripheral nerve myelin appeared normal. The results indicate that the essential defect is the delay and arrest of myelination in the CNS, which is probably caused by either a decreased rate of synthesis of myelin components in oligodendrocytes or a defect in the oligodendrocyte-axon recognition in smaller axons.     

Inhibition of brain prostaglandin D synthetase and prostaglandin D2 dehydrogenase by some saturated and unsaturated fatty acids

The activities of rat brain prostaglandin D synthetase and swine brain prostaglandin D2 dehydrogenase were inhibited by some saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Myristic acid was most potent among saturated straight-chain fatty acids so far tested. The IC50 values of this acid were 80 microM for prostaglandin D synthetase and 7 microM for prostaglandin D2 dehydrogenase, respectively. Little inhibition was found with methyl myristate and myristyl alcohol. The IC50 values of these derivatives were more than 200 microM for both enzymes, suggesting that the free carboxyl group was essential for the inhibition. The effects of cis double bond structure of fatty acids on the inhibition potency were examined by the use of the carbon 18 and 20 fatty acids. The inhibition potencies for both enzymes increased with the number of cis double bonds; the IC50 values of stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid were, respectively, more than 200, 60, 30 and 30 microM for prostaglandin D synthetase, and 20, 10, 8.5 and 7 microM for prostaglandin D2 dehydrogenase. Arachidonic acid also inhibited the activities of both enzymes with respective IC50 values of 40 microM for prostaglandin D synthetase and 3.9 microM for prostaglandin D2 dehydrogenase, while arachidic acid showed little inhibition. The kinetic studies with myristic acid and arachidonic acid demonstrated that the inhibition by these fatty acids was competitive and reversible for both enzymes. Myristic acid and other fatty acids also inhibited the activities of several enzymes in prostaglandin metabolism, although to a lesser extent. The IC50 values of myristic acid for prostaglandin E isomerase, thromboxane synthetase and NAD-linked prostaglandin dehydrogenase (type I) were 200, 700 and 100 microM, respectively. However, this fatty acid showed little inhibition on fatty acid cyclooxygenase (20% at 800 microM), glutathione-requiring prostaglandin D synthetase from rat spleen (20% at 800 microM), and NADP-linked prostaglandin dehydrogenase (type II) (no inhibition at 200 microM).