Studies on the Protease of Pseudomonas

A discussion was made on the step of the incorporation of Ca in the synthesizing reaction of the proteinase of Ps. myxogenes sp.

When the cell suspensions containing a carbon source without addition of Ca were shaken aerobically, the secreted protein content was found to be remarkably lower than that of the suspensions containing Ca, while total amounts of secreted organic nitrogen materials were almost the same despite of the presence or absence of Ca. From the experimental result of an auto-splitting phenomenon of the proteinase by Ca-removal treatment, it was assumed that the above result occurs by auto-digestion of the proteinase secreted in the medium where Ca is absent. Accordingly, the step of incorporation of Ca would be considered to occur in the synthesized Ca-free proteinase.     

Differential Roles of Hsp70 and Hsp90 in the Assembly of the Replicase Complex of a Positive-Strand RNA Plant Virus

Assembly of viral replicase complexes of eukaryotic positive-strand RNA viruses is a regulated process: multiple viral and host components must be assembled on intracellular membranes and ordered into quaternary complexes capable of synthesizing viral RNAs. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood. In this study, we used a model virus, Red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV), whose replicase complex can be detected readily as the 480-kDa functional protein complex. We found that host heat shock proteins Hsp70 and Hsp90 are required for RCNMV RNA replication and that they interact with p27, a virus-encoded component of the 480-kDa replicase complex, on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Using a cell-free viral translation/replication system in combination with specific inhibitors of Hsp70 and Hsp90, we found that inhibition of p27-Hsp70 interaction inhibits the formation of the 480-kDa complex but instead induces the accumulation of large complexes that are nonfunctional in viral RNA synthesis. In contrast, inhibition of p27-Hsp90 interaction did not induce such large complexes but rendered p27 incapable of binding to a specific viral RNA element, which is a critical step for the assembly of the 480-kDa replicase complex and viral RNA replication. Together, our results suggest that Hsp70 and Hsp90 regulate different steps in the assembly of the RCNMV replicase complex.     

Enhancement of Nitrogen Dioxide-Induced Lipid Peroxidation and Dna Strand Breaking by Cysteine and Glutathione

Nitrogen dioxide less than 100 ppm in air induced lipid peroxidation of liposome composed of l-palmitoyl-2-arachidonylphosphatidylcholine as assessed by thiobarbituric acid reactivity. The nitrogen dioxide-induced lipid peroxidation was enhanced by cysteine, glutathione and bovine serum albumin. While the activity of nitrogen dioxide in air to induce single strand breaks of supercoiled plasmid DNA was low, the breaking was remarkably enhanced by cysteine, glutathione and bovine serum albumin. ESR spin trapping using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide showed that certain strong oxidant(s) were generated by interaction of nitrogen dioxide and cysteine. The spin trapping using 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzene-sulfonate suggested that sulfur-containing radicals were generated by interaction of nitrogen dioxide and cysteine or glutathione. Hence, certain sulfur-containing radicals generated by the interaction which could effectively induce lipid peroxidation and DNA strand breaks.     

Partial purification and characterization of a factor which stimulates an increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity in the liver from tumor cell-free ascites fluid

A factor responsible for stimulating an increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity in the liver of mice was found in tumor cell-free ascites fluid of mice 3 days after inoculation of tumor cells. The factor was purified about 70-fold in 25% yield from tumor cell-free ascites fluid. As little as 1 μg of protein of purified fraction, injected intraperitoneally into normal mice, significantly increased the activity of ornithine decarboxylase in the liver. The most active preparation of the factor formed two major protein bands on analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and both these bands stained with periodic acid-Schiff's reagent. The factor was a heat-labile, alkaline-stable, acidic protein with a molecular weight of more than 300 000. It was inactivated by treatment with 10 mM dithiothreitol, 5M urea, pronase or mixed glycosidase, but was stable on treatment with DNAase, RNAase or neuraminidase.     

Change in mobility of side chains due to neutralization of charged poly(L-lysine) with dansyl group

Poly(L -lysine) having dansyl (5-dimethylamino-1-naphthalene-sulfonyl) groups to its side chains was prepared. The fluorescence spectra and fluorescence anisotropy ratios of the dansyl (DNS) group were measured in various conditions. In aqueous solution the increase in emission intensity was observed reflecting the alkali-induced coil-to-helix transition. In aqueous-methanolic solutions with methanol content above 60 wt %, the poly(L -lysine) with DNS group (DNS-PLL) was probed to show α-helical conformation from CD spectra. With addition of alkali, the increase in fluorescence intensity of α-helical DNS-PLL and the drastic change in fluorescence anisotropy ratio were observed. In this case the rotational mobility of DNS probe decreases, gives a minimum at a certain concentration of added alkali, and then increases again up to approximately the initial level. At the concentration where the rotational mobility gives the minimum, intensity of scattered light gives a maximum. This shows that suppression of the mobility of DNS side chains is caused by the intermolecular aggregation of α-helical DNS-PLL. This concentration of added alkali corresponds to the midpoint of neutralization to charged side chains of the DNS-PLL. The interaction that causes aggregate of α-helical DNS-PLL is suggested to be the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between neutralized and unneutralized side chains. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Elastase Activity of some Purified Proteinase Preparations as Related to their Depilatory Action

Relation between the elastolytic and depilatory activities was examined using various highly purified proteinase preparations. Elastolytic activity of the enzymes did not correlates well with their depilatory action. Among 11 proteinase preparations tested, Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase showed the highest depilatory activity.