Observation of myo-inositol 1,2-(cyclic) phosphate in a Morris hepatoma by 31P NMR

We have identified an unusual resonance at 16.5 ppm in the 31P NMR spectrum of a Morris (7777) hepatoma grown in the inguinal fossa of a Buffalo rat as myoinositol 1,2-(cyclic) phosphate. This compound has been observed in all of the 32 tumors examined as well as in cultured cells derived from the tumor, but it has not been observed in normal rat tissues. Its level in the aqueous phase of chloroform/methanol/water extracts of the tumor is 70 +/- 40 nmol/g, wet weight (n = 4). The presence of a breakdown product of phosphatidylinositol at such high levels in a fast growing tumor may provide an important clue for understanding the metabolic defect that results in the malignant growth of this tumor.     

Locust flight metabolism studied in vivo by 31P NMR spectroscopy

Flight metabolism of locusts has been extensively studied, but biochemical and physiological methods have led to conflicting results. For this reason the non-invasive and non-destructive method of ³¹P NMR spectroscopy was used to study migratory locusts, Locusta migratoria, at rest and during flight.

31P NMR of phosphate and phosphonate complexes of metalloalkaline phosphatases.

31P NMR spectra of phosphate and phosphonate complexes of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase have been obtained by Fourier transform NMR methods. One equivalent of P1i, bound to Zn(II) alkaline phosphatase, pH 8, gives rise to a single 31P resonance 2 ppm downfield from that for Pi, and assignable to the noncovalent complex, E-P. Inorganic phosphate in excess of 1 eq per enzyme dimer gives rise to a resonance at the position expected for free Pi. At pH 5.1, a second resonance appears 8.5 ppm downfield from that for free Pi, and is assignable to the covalent complex, E-P. The large downfield shift suggests that the enzyme phosphoryl group is highly strained with an O-P-O bond angle of under 100 degrees.     

31P NMR measurements of myocardial pH in vivo

A 31P NMR magnetization transfer method for measuring myocardial pH in vivo is demonstrated in the lamb, dog and cat. The method involves measuring the difference in chemical shift between the resonances of phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate in magnetization transfer difference spectra in which the gamma-phosphate resonance of ATP has been saturated. The method has been verified by measuring the chemical shift difference between the resonances of 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate and phosphocreatine following infusion of the animals with 2-deoxyglucose. The measured pH values are significantly lower than those obtained in previous studies on the heart in vivo.     

Observation of inositol pentakis- and hexakis-phosphates in mammalian tissues by 31P NMR

In analyzing the 31P NMR spectra of extracts of mammalian tissues and cells we have identified inositol pentakis- and hexakis-phosphates in essentially all of the samples examined. These compounds were present at concentrations of at least 5-15 microM. While the sources and functions of these compounds in mammalian cells are not clear, they may play an important role in phosphoinositol metabolism. For example, one obvious possibility is that these compounds may be sources of or sinks for the Ca++ mobilizing inositol tris- and tetrakis-phosphates.     

Unknown phosphate compounds in tail muscle of intact conscious newts by 31P NMR

Unknown phosphate resonances at 0 and -21.6 ppm have been identified in 31P NMR spectra of tail muscle of unanesthetized newts which do not correspond to known phosphate-bearing compounds in skeletal muscle cells. The concentrations of both unknowns decrease markedly during muscular activity and severe hypoxia (conditions associated with decreased intracellular pH and increased cellular levels of inorganic phosphate). The unknown at 0 ppm increases in concentration with imposition of moderate hypoxia. Our data suggest that these unknowns may be liable storage compounds for a high energy phosphate bond, and are involved in newt skeletal muscle phosphogen metabolism.     

Effect of aging on phosphate metabolites of rat brain as revealed by the in vivo and in vitro 31P NMR measurements

Changes of phosphate metabolism in brains of neonate, weaning and adult rats were compared using both in vivo and in vitro nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Ratios of phosphocreatine/nucleoside triphosphate (PCr/NTP) were the same in neonatal brain in both in vivo and in vitro studies, but not in weaning and adult brains. This discrepancy may have resulted from extended cerebral hypoxia due to slowed freezing of the brain by the increased skull thickness and brain mass in the weaning and adult rats. Variations in in vitro extraction condition for this age-related study may lead to systematic errors in the adult rats. Nevertheless, the phosphomonoester/nucleoside triphosphate (PME/NTP) ratios in extracts of brain from neonatal rats were higher than those obtained in vivo. In addition, the glycerophosphorylethanolamine plus glycerophosphorylcholine/nucleoside triphosphate (GPE+GPC/NTP) ratios, which were not measurable in vivo, showed age-dependent increase in extracts of rat brain. Some of the phosphomonoester and phosphodiester molecules in rat brain may be undetectable in in vivo NMR analysis because of their interaction with cellular components. The total in vitro GPE and GPC concentration in brain from neonatal rat was estimated to be 0.34 mmole/g wet tissue.     

Ammonia rhythm in Microcystis firma studied by in vivo 15N and 31P NMR spectroscopy

Cultures of the cyanobacterium Microcystis firma show rhythmic uptake and release of ammonia under conditions of carbon limitation. The massive removal of ammonia from the medium during the first light phase has little impact on the intracellular pH: a pH shift of less than 0.2 U towards the alkaline can be measured by in vivo ³¹P NMR. Furthermore, the energy status of the cells remains regulated. In vivo ¹⁵N NMR of M. firma, cultivated either with labelled nitrate or ammonia as the sole nitrogen source, reveals only gradual differences in the pool of free amino acids. Additionally both cultivation types show -aminobutyric acid, acid amides and yet unassigned secondary metabolites as nitrogen storing compounds. Investigating the incorporation of nitrogen under carbon limitation, however, only the amide nitrogen of glutamine is found permanently labelled in situ. While transamination reactions are blocked, nitrate reduction to ammonia can still proceed. Cation exchange processes in the cell wall are considered regarding the ammonia disappearance in the first phase, and the control of ammonia uptake is discussed with respect to the avoidance of intracellular toxification.Abbreviations GABA -aminobutyric acid - GOGAT glutamate synthase - GS glutamine synthetase - MDP methylene diphosphonate - MOPSO 3-(N-morpholino)-2-hydroxy-propanesulfonic acid - NDPS nucieoside diphosphosugars - NOE nuclear Overhauser effect - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance For convenience, the term ammonia is used throughout to denote ammonia or ammonium ion when there is no good evidence as to which chemical species is involved     

Combined 1H and 31P NMR studies of cerebral metabolism in vivo

NMR spectroscopic methods have recently been developed for measurement of several concentrated cerebral metabolites in vivo. At present, 31P spectra from the brain permit detection of ATP, PCr, Pi, and certain sugar and lipid phosphates. The resonant frequency of Pi also provides a measure of cerebral pHi, and under some conditions ADP concentration can be calculated from information available in the 31P spectrum. The 1H spectrum of brain provides measurements of lactate, creatine, and several amino acids and choline-containing compounds. Both kinds of spectra can be obtained from the same subject. Our group at Yale used combined 31P and 1H methods to demonstrate that loss and recovery of phosphate energy stores and concomitant changes in cerebral amino acids during hypoglycemic coma in rodents could be observed in vivo. We then used the same methods to show that cerebral pHi can be normal while lactate is elevated in status epilepticus. NMR spectroscopy performed in vivo provides an array of chemically specific measurements unavailable by any other non-invasive method. It is thought to be entirely free of deleterious biological effects; hence, its potential for use in humans is considerable.     

Estrogen-induced changes in high-energy phosphate metabolism in rat uterus: 31P NMR studies

Changes in the concentrations of high-energy phosphate metabolites were measured by 31P NMR spectroscopy of surviving rat uteri from 0-48 h following estrogen administration. Concentrations (millimoles per kilogram wet weight) of these metabolites in the untreated immature uterus, measured at 4 degrees C, were found to be the following: creatine phosphate (CP), 2.1 +/- 0.2; nucleoside triphosphates, mainly adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), 4.6 +/- 0.4; phospho monoesters, primarily sugar phosphates (SP), 5.4 +/- 0.7; and inorganic phosphate (Pi), 0.8 +/- 0.4. Adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) concentration was estimated to be approximately 40 mumol/kg wet weight from the assumed equilibrium of the creatine kinase reaction. The concentration of CP, and to lesser extent ATP and SP, declined within the first 1.5-3 h after injection of 17 beta-estradiol, returned to control values between 6 and 12 h, and then increased, reaching maximal concentrations at 24 h. From the fractions of the total soluble ATP in free and Mg2+-bound forms, [free Mg2+] in the untreated uterus was estimated to be 0.2-0.4 mmol/kg wet weight. An increase in [free Mg2+] in the uterus was detected 1.5 h after estrogen injection. A subsequent parallel increase in the ratio of ATP to CP concentrations suggests that estrogen can also affect the apparent creatine kinase equilibrium by modulating [free Mg2+].     

Triosephosphate isomerase catalysis is diffusion controlled. Appendix: Analysis of triose phosphate equilibria in aqueous solution by 31P NMR

The rates of the forward and reverse reactions of triosephosphate isomerase catalyzed by the wild-type and by a sluggish mutant enzyme have been studied in the absence and the presence of several viscosogenic agents. For the mutant enzyme, the kcat for which is some 10(3) times less than that for the wild-type enzyme, the value of kcat/Km with glyceraldehyde phosphate as substrate is almost unaffected by the presence of sucrose or glycerol, even though the concentration of the aldehyde form of the substrate is smaller because of hemiacetal formation. [The nature and relative amounts of the various forms of triose phosphate present in solution (free carbonyl forms, hydrates, dimers, hemiacetal adducts) have been evaluated by 31P NMR and are presented in the Appendix.] The viscosogenic agents cause the substrate to bind more tightly to the enzyme, roughly compensating for the lower substrate concentration. With dihydroxyacetone phosphate as substrate, the values of kcat/Km for the mutant enzyme increase with the addition of viscosogenic agent, consistent with the tighter binding of substrate without (in this case) any concomitant loss due to hemiketal formation. These results for the mutant enzyme (known to be limited in rate by an enolization step in the catalytic mechanism) can be used to interpret the behavior of the wild-type enzyme. Plots of the relative values of kcat/Km for catalysis by the wild-type enzyme (normalized with the corresponding data for the mutant enzyme) against the relative viscosity have slopes close to unity, as predicted by the Stokes-Einstein equation for a cleanly diffusive process. In the presence of polymeric viscosogenic additives such as poly(ethylene glycol), polyacrylamide, or ficoll, no effect on kcat/Km is seen for the wild-type enzyme, consistent with the expectation that molecular diffusion rates are unaffected by the macroviscosity and are only slowed by the presence of smaller agents that raise the microviscosity. These results show that the reaction catalyzed by the wild-type triosephosphate isomerase is limited by the rate at which glyceraldehyde phosphate encounters, or departs from, the active site.     

Muscle pain after exercise is linked with an inorganic phosphate increase as shown by31P NMR

³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were obtained from the forearm muscles of 5 subjects before and after performing a muscle stretching (eccentric) exercise routine. Spectra collected before and immediately after exercise showed normal resting phosphorylated metabolite levels and unchanged intracellular pH (pH_i). Measurements made on the day following exercise, when muscular pain was apparent, revealed an elevated inorganic phosphate level. No significant changes in other metabolites or pH_i were detected. This study gives the first indication of biochemical change following a form of exercise that is associated with considerable muscle pain and damage. The findings may help in understanding pathological processes resulting in pain and damage in muscle.     

Observation of slow dynamic exchange processes in Ras protein crystals by 31P solid state NMR spectroscopy

The folding, structure and biological function of many proteins are inherently dynamic properties of the protein molecule. Often, the respective molecular processes are preserved upon protein crystallization, leading, in X-ray diffraction experiments, to a blurring of the electron density map and reducing the resolution of the derived structure. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is known to be an alternative method to study molecular structure and dynamics. We designed and built a probe for phosphorus solid state NMR that allows for the first time to study static properties as well as dynamic processes in single-crystals of a protein by NMR spectroscopy. The sensitivity achieved is sufficient to detect the NMR signal from individual phosphorus sites in a 0.3mm(3) size single-crystal of GTPase Ras bound to the nucleotide GppNHp, that is, the signal from approximately 10(15) phosphorus nuclei. The NMR spectra obtained are discussed in terms of the conformational variability of the active center of the Ras-nucleotide complex. We conclude that, in the crystal, the protein complex exists in three different conformations. Magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectra of a powder sample of Ras-GppNHp show a splitting of one of the phosphate resonances and thus confirm this conclusion. The MAS spectra provide, furthermore, evidence of a slow, temperature-dependent dynamic exchange process in the Ras protein crystal.     

Heterogeneity of lipid A: structural determination by 13C and 31P NMR of lipid A fractions from lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli 0111

Purified lipid A from Escherichia coli 0111 was fractionated by thin-layer chromatography, and seven major bands were studied by 13C and 31P NMR. All lipid A fractions except one had fatty acids, 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid, 3-(acyloxy)tetradecanoic acid, and phosphate groups bonded to the diglucosamine backbone. The remaining fraction was shown to be phosphatidylethanolamine. The number of substituents found showed that in all fractions all sites available for C-acylation (C-3, C-4, and C-3') and N-acylation (C-2 and C-2') carried acylic substituents. The number, ranging from four to six, and type of ester-bound carboxylic acid residues as well as the number of phosphate groups differed among the fractions. The three fastest moving bands all had three unsubstituted hydroxy fatty acids and one phosphate group (C-4'), while the slower moving bands had four hydroxy fatty acids and two phosphate groups. Unsubstituted 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid residues were amide-bound to the disaccharide in all but one of the fractions. In summary, the heterogeneity of E. coli 0111 lipid A is found to be a consequence of a variation of the number and composition of carboxylic acid residues and of varying phosphate content.