Regulation of the functional expression of hexose transporter GLUT-1 by glucose in murine fibroblasts: role of lysosomal degradation.

The nature of the membrane compartments involved in the regulation by glucose of hexose transport is not well defined. The effect of inhibitors of lysosomal protein degradation on hexose transport (i.e., uptake of [3H]-2-deoxy-D-glucose) and hexose transporter protein GLUT-1 (i.e., immunoblotting with antipeptide serum) in glucose-fed and -deprived cultured murine fibroblasts (3T3-C2 cells) was studied. The acidotropic amines chloroquine (20 microM) and ammonium chloride (10 mM) cause accumulation (both approximately 4-fold) of GLUT-1 protein and a small increase (both approximately 25%) in hexose transport in glucose-fed fibroblasts (24 h). The endopeptidase inhibitor, leupeptin (100 microM) causes accumulation (approximately 4-fold) of GLUT-1 protein in glucose-fed fibroblasts (24 h) without changing hexose transport (less than or equal to 5%). These agents do not greatly alter the electrophoretic mobility of GLUT-1. Neither chloroquine nor leupeptin augment the glucose deprivation (24 h) induced increases in hexose transport (approximately 4-fold) and GLUT-1 content (approximately 7-fold). In contrast, chloroquine or leupeptin diminish the reversal by glucose refeeding of the glucose deprivation induced accumulation of GLUT-1 protein but fail to alter the return of hexose transport to control levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The impact of plant chemical diversity on plant–herbivore interactions at the community level

Oecologia - Understanding the role of diversity in ecosystem processes and species interactions is a central goal of ecology. For plant–herbivore interactions, it has been hypothesized that...     

Cytochrome P450cam-catalyzed oxidation of a hypersensitive radical probe.

trans-1-Phenyl-2-vinylcyclopropane, a hypersensitive radical probe, is oxidized by cytochrome P450cam (CYP101) to a diastereomeric mixture of the corresponding epoxide (81%), (trans-2-phenylcyclopropyl)acetaldehyde (6%), and trans-5-phenyl-2-penten-1,5-diol (13%). trans-5-Phenyl-2-penten-1-ol and (trans-2-phenylcyclopropyl)ethane-1,2-diol are not detectably formed. Authentic standards of all the products have been synthesized and used to establish the identities (or the absence) of the metabolites. Studies with [18O]H2O demonstrate that the oxygens at positions 1 and 5 in the rearranged diol derive from molecular oxygen and water, respectively. Catalytic turnover of the enzyme is required for product formation from the olefin, but incubation of the epoxide metabolite with the enzyme, or with buffer alone, yields both the aldehyde and the rearranged diol products. The absence of trans-5-phenyl-2-penten-1-ol implies that the lifetime of the putative radical intermediate is so short that its existence as a discrete entity is questionable. A cationic intermediate is unlikely but cannot be excluded because the same metabolites are formed in a secondary reaction, even at pH 8.0, from the epoxide. The results provide no evidence for the involvement of radicals or cations in the epoxidation reaction, in agreement with results on the oxidation of olefins in organic solvents by metalloporphyrin catalysts.