Characteristics of the inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase by homopolypurines

Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase partially purified from rat testis was markedly inhibited by the homopolypurines polyG, polyI and polyA. The inhibition was competitive with respect to poly(ADP-ribose) and the Ki for polyG and polyA was 2.8 uM and 5.5 uM, respectively. This inhibitory effect of the homopolypurines was practically eliminated when 250 mM KCl was present in the reaction mixture. Moreover, the inhibition exerted by polyI or polyA was markedly diminished after hybridization with polyC or polyT, respectively.     

Conformation of NAD+ bound to allosteric L-lactate dehydrogenase activated by chemical modification

On modification of arginine residues with 2,3-butanedione, the Thermus caldophilus L-lactate dehydrogenase is converted to an activated form that is independent of an allosteric effector, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Fru-1,6-P2). The conformation of NAD+ bound to the modified enzyme in the absence of Fru-1,6-P2 was investigated by means of proton NMR, analyzing the time dependence of the transferred nuclear Overhauser effect (TRNOE) and TRNOE action spectra. The inter-proton distances determined on TRNOE analysis indicated that both the nicotinamide riboside moiety and the adenosine moiety of NAD+ were in the anti conformation, the ribose rings being in the C3'-endo form. This conformation was almost the same as that of NAD+ bound to the native enzyme-Fru-1,6-P2 complex, rather than that of NAD+ bound to the free native enzyme. These results suggest that the C3'-endo-anti form of the enzyme-bound NAD+ is essential for the activation of the T. caldophilus L-lactate dehydrogenase.     

ADP ribosylation of rat liver lysine-rich histone in vitro.

Purified rat liver nuclei were incubated with [14C]-NAD+ and the various nuclear protein fractions were separated. Forty per cent of the total radioactivity incorporated was associated with the histone fraction. Of this, about 50% was extracted with H1, in 0.5 N perchloric acid. When crude H1 was purified and fractionated into five different subfractions by chromatography on Bio-Rex 70, it was found that all the H1 subfractions contained radioactivity. This radioactive material was identified as oligomers of adenosine diphosphate ribose (ADP-Rib) with an average chain length which corresponded to trimers. The extent of the modification was dependent on the concentration of NAD+. About 60% of the H1 molecules were modified with a concentration of 1 mM NAD+. The presence of these oligomers of ADP-Rib introduced a large degree of microheterogeneity to H1 as detected by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels containing 2.5 M urea and 0.9 N acetic acid. Bands of H1 with 10 to 20% less mobility than the unmodified H1 were present. Also, as a consequence of large content of ADP-Rib, the absorption maximum shifted from 275 to 259 nm. The half-life of the bond between the oligomers of ADP-Rib and H1 was about 3 min at 37 degrees C in the presence of 0.1 N NaOH, and 10 m1 were modified. The site of ADP ribosylation in the NH2-terminal half was localized in the tryptic peptide extending from the NH2-terminal end to lysine 15. The site of modification of the COOH-erminal half was localized in the tryptic peptide which contained the only glutamic acid residue in this fragment of H1...     

Involvement of IL-1 in the Maintenance of Masseter Muscle Activity and Glucose Homeostasis

Physical exercise reportedly stimulates IL-1 production within working skeletal muscles, but its physiological significance remains unknown due to the existence of two distinct IL-1 isoforms, IL-1α and IL-1β. The regulatory complexities of these two isoforms, in terms of which cells in muscles produce them and their distinct/redundant biological actions, have yet to be elucidated. Taking advantage of our masticatory behavior (Restrained/Gnawing) model, we herein show that IL-1α/1β-double-knockout (IL-1-KO) mice exhibit compromised masseter muscle (MM) activity which is at least partially attributable to abnormalities of glucose handling (rapid glycogen depletion along with impaired glucose uptake) and dysfunction of IL-6 upregulation in working MMs. In wild-type mice, masticatory behavior clearly increased IL-1β mRNA expression but no incremental protein abundance was detectable in whole MM homogenates, whereas immunohistochemical staining analysis revealed that both IL-1α- and IL-1β-immunopositive cells were recruited around blood vessels in the perimysium of MMs after masticatory behavior. In addition to the aforementioned phenotype of IL-1-KO mice, we found the IL-6 mRNA and protein levels in MMs after masticatory behavior to be significantly lower in IL-1-KO than in WT. Thus, our findings confirm that the locally-increased IL-1 elicited by masticatory behavior, although present small in amounts, contributes to supporting MM activity by maintaining normal glucose homeostasis in these muscles. Our data also underscore the importance of IL-1-mediated local interplay between autocrine myokines including IL-6 and paracrine cytokines in active skeletal muscles. This interplay is directly involved in MM performance and fatigability, perhaps mediated through maintaining muscular glucose homeostasis.