Subunits of Xanthine Dehydrogenase and Their Differential Appearance in Chick Tissues During Development

Xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) from adult chick liver comprises two polypeptide chains of different size in a molar ratio of 1: 1. The molecular weights of these subunits were estimated to be 155K (α) and 135K (β) daltons (1). However, XDH isolated from the liver of newly hatched chick was not found to represent the equimolar ratio of these two subunits; that is, the amount of subunit β was lower than that of subunit α. While examamining electrophoretically the change in the amounts of these subunits in the liver, the subunit α was found to appear earlier in the embryonic stage, but β only after hatching. In the kidney, however, both subunits were detected before hatching, being consistent with the fact that XDH exists before hatching in the kidney. The two subunits also appeared differentially in the kidney; i.e., subunit α appeared earlier than subunit β. In either tissue, the rate of increase in XDH activity corresponded to that of subunit β. Thus, the synthesis of two subunits of XDH are separately regulated at least until just after hatching.     

Allelic Variants at the Xanthine Dehydrogenase Locus Affecting Enzyme Activity in DROSOPHILA PSEUDOOBSCURA

Quantitative studies of enzyme activity on gels show about four-fold differences in enzyme activity of different xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH ) alleles. At least three different activity classes could be distinguished among the 23 strains isogenic for the XDH locus. No association of high activity with the high frequency electromorph was observed; instead, the low frequency electromorphs had 0.5 to 2 times the activity of the high frequency electromorph. The frequency of low activity, high activity and intermediate activity XDH alleles among these 23 lines is 0.13, 0.09, and 0.78, respectively.     

Glutamate Dehydrogenase in Cerebellar Mutant Mice: Gene Localization and Enzyme Activity in Different Tissues

Many similarities of both the inheritance pattern and the neuropathology can be observed between olivopontocerebellar atrophies, or so-called multiple system atrophies (MSAs), and murine cerebellar mutations like Purkinje cell degeneration, nervous, staggerer, weaver, and reeler. Our study aimed to test whether the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) deficiency observed in some MSA patients could be found also in any of the murine mutants. GDH activity was assayed in several organs of these mutants, and no general deficiency was detected. By contrast, the level was found to be elevated in the cerebellum. The GDH gene was localized on mouse chromosome 14 and does not map close to any known neurological mutation in the mouse. We conclude, for the moment, that none of these cerebellar mutant mice can be considered as an animal model for GDH-deficient MSA.     

Mechanism of Transition from Xanthine Dehydrogenase to Xanthine Oxidase: Effect of Guanidine-HCL or Urea on the Activity

Mammalian xanthine oxidoreductase can be converted from the dehydrogenase to the oxidase form, either reversibly by formation of disulfide bridges or irreversibly by proteolytic cleavage within the xanthine oxidoreductase protein molecule. A tightly packed amino acid cluster stabilizes the dehydrogenase form, and disruption of this cluster is accompanied with rearrangement of the active site loop. Here, we show that the conversion occurs in the presence of guanidine-HCl or urea. We propose that xanthine dehydrogenase and oxidase are in a thermodynamic equilibrium that can be shifted by disruption of the amino acid cluster with a denaturant.     

Developmental Pattern of Plasminogen Activator Activity in Chick Brain Hemispheres

Plasminogen activators play key roles in several developmental events. In previous works we demonstrated the existence of typical developmental patterns of protease activity in the chick optic lobe and cerebellum. The aim of this work is to study the temporal pattern of development of plasminogen activator activity in the brain hemispheres. Plasminogen activator activity was assayed in soluble fractions derived by ultracentrifugation from Triton X-100 treated membrane fractions by using a radial fibrinolytic assay. Employing different inhibitors and anti-plasminogen activators antibodies we showed that developing brain hemispheres express only one type of enzyme which corresponds to the urokinase-type. Other results indicate that the protease activity displays a temporal pattern which completely differs from those of general parameters of development. This suggests that the plasminogen activator activity is developmentally regulated and could display specific functions during particular stages of development.     

饥饿对珠颈斑鸠组织糖元、抗氧化酶活性及血液相应指标的影响

饥饿处理珠颈斑鸠1 d、2 d和3 d,分别测定肌肉、肝脏中糖元含量和肝脏抗氧化酶活性及血清中葡萄糖和甘油三酯含量.结果 显示,饥饿处理后珠颈斑鸠体重及肝体比显著下降,肌肉、肝脏中糖元含量下降,饥饿第3 d肝脏组织超氧化物歧化酶活性下降,而丙二醛含量升高,血液中血糖和甘油三酯含量显著下降.     

Xanthine Oxidase/Dehydrogenase Activity in Intact Cultured Cells (In Situ Analysis)

The measured ratio of xanthine oxidase activity to the total activity of xanthine oxidase and dehydrogenase showed higher values in intact cells than when similar cells were homogenized. The total activity was the same for both systems. The xanthine oxidase ratio was 90, 60, 50, 50, 60% in V79, RIF/Ha³, SCC7, KHT intact cells and freshly extracted murine peritoneal macrophages respectively while the corresponding ratios measured were 25, 40, 38, 35, 22% when the cells were lysed by homogenization. Superoxide radical 0₂ production by addition of xanthine to intact or homogenized cells to activate intracellular xanthine oxidase was higher in intact than homogenized cells. Homogenization of cells and tissues in the presence of dithioerythritol (DTE) can evidently lead to a considerable under-estimation of the xanthine oxidase ratio. The effect of hypoxia on cells has also been examined.     

山梨醇脱氢酶的克隆、表达及活性检测

目的:从氧化葡糖杆菌H24中克隆山梨醇脱氢酶基因进行表达并检测其活性。方法:以氧化葡糖杆菌H24基因组DNA为模板,PCR扩增包括启动子、结构基因及其后的终止序列在内的山梨醇脱氢酶基因;将PCR产物插入pMD18T载体,转化大肠杆菌DH5α;通过活性电泳检测山梨醇脱氢酶在大肠杆菌中的表达及活性。结果:从氧化葡糖杆菌H24中扩增得到山梨醇脱氢酶基因并在大肠杆菌中实现表达,重组菌株经活性电泳检测具有醇糖转化活性。结论:原核表达的山梨醇脱氢酶具有很强的醇糖转化活性。     

Activity and Isoenzyme Pattern of Lactate Dehydrogenase in Neurons and Astroblasts Cultured from Brains of Chick Embryos

Primary cultures of neurons and glial cells (astroblasts) prepared from brains of 8-day-old and 15-day-old chick embryos, respectively, were grown for periods between 3 and 19 days. Specific activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increased in both types of cultures as a function of time and was always significantly higher in glial cells than in neurons. Glial cell extracts were found to contain predominantly the anaerobic isoenzymatic form of LDH (LDH-H4), and this pattern did not change over a period of 19 days. Cultured neurons contained predominantly the aerobic isoenzymatic form LDH-H4, and there was a progressive appearance of all other isoenzymes over an 8-day period. These results support the hypothesis of a different energy metabolism in neurons and glia.     

Developmental Changes in Rat Liver Xanthine Oxidase(s) and Its Intracellular Distribution

Developmental change and subcellular distribution of xanthine oxidase in the rat liver were examined.

The specific activity of the fetal liver xanthine oxidase increased sharply to the levels of the adult liver on the day of the birth. After birth, the activity dropped rapidly and on the 14th day after birth it was about 1/4 of adult level. Then the activity was regained and around 28th day after birth it was about the same as in adult level.

In the livers from 80 days old rats, about 60% of total xanthine oxidase activity was found in soluble fraction and the rest was distributed among particulate fractions including microsomal, lysosomal, mitochondrial and nuclear fractions.

In contrast to the adult livers 80% of total xanthine oxidase activity in fetal liver was found to be in particulate fractions.

From kinetic studies of xanthine oxidases in particulate and soluble fractions it was suggested that xanthine oxidase in soluble fraction and xanthine oxidase in particulate fraction might be different in their natures of protein molecule.     

Glycerol Phosphate Dehydrogenase in Developing Chick Retina and Brain

Abstract: The development of cytoplasmic glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity in chick neural retina is compared with that in brain. GPDH converts dihydroxyacetone phosphate to glycerol 3-phosphate, an intermediate in phospholipid synthesis. The enzyme is known to be under corticosteroid control in rat brain and spinal cord (but not muscle or liver) and in primary oligodendrocyte cultures. It has not been previously studied in the eye. In chick brain the GDPH specific activity rises fivefold from the early embryo to the adult, with nearly all the increase occurring between embryonic day 14 and hatching. This time course correlates well with the known maturation of chick adrenal cortex (which produces corticosteroids). On the other hand, in chick retina the GPDH specific activity remains at a low basal level throughout development. Furthermore, adult rat and beef retinas show much lower enzyme activity than do the corresponding brain tissues. GPDH can be induced precociously by hydrocortisone in embryonic chick brain from days 12 through 16, both in the intact embryo and in tissue culture; however, GPDH is not at all inducible in chick retina. The developmental increase in chick brain GPDH can be correlated qualitatively with myelin formation, as shown by luxol fast blue staining, whereas no myelin is seen in retina at any age. Our results are consistent with recent immunocytochemical studies demonstrating that GPDH in rat brain is associated with myelin-producing oligodendroglial cells, absent in retina. In comparison, another glial enzyme, glutamine synthetase (GS), known to be inducible in both chick brain and retina, is localized in brain astrocytes and retinal Müller cells.     

Aging-Related Changes in Proteasomal Activity and Activity of Neutral Proteinases in Brain Tissues of the Rats

We compared the proteasomal activity and activity of neutral proteinases in tissues of the neocortex and cerebellum in old (18 months) and young mature (5 months) rats. We found that, in homogenates of the tissues obtained from brains of old animals, the chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome complex in the cortex increased by 50% as compared with the control, while in the cerebellum such an activity remained practically unchanged. Peptidylglutamyl peptide hydrolase proteasomal activity increased on average by 72% in the cortex and by 14% in the cerebellum. Protamine-splitting activity, which is indicative of the activity of neutral proteinases, dropped insignificantly in the cortex and cerebellum (by 16.4 and 15.3%, respectively). The data obtained allow us to suppose that aging-related changes in brain cells result from disturbances of the functional connections between lysosomal and proteasomal proteolysis.Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 11–14, January–February, 2005.     

酮古龙酸菌山梨酮脱氢酶的原核表达及活性鉴定

目的:克隆酮古龙酸菌Y25的山梨酮脱氢酶基因sndh2,在大肠杆菌中进行表达,并检测表达产物的活性。方法:以酮古龙酸菌Y25基因组DNA为模板,PCR扩增sndh2基因,连接到pET22b表达载体后转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中,经IPTG诱导表达;对菌体裂解液进行SDS-PAGE分析;以D-木糖为底物,采用非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳后活性染色及DCIP检测法鉴定表达产物的脱氢酶活性。结果:扩增得到1290 bp的山梨酮脱氢酶基因;构建了表达质粒pET22b-sndh2,SDS-PAGE结果显示获得相对分子质量为43.1×103的可溶性表达产物;非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳胶上出现的蓝黑色条带及DCIP检测液颜色的变化说明表达产物在以D-木糖为底物时表现出脱氢酶活性。结论:在大肠杆菌中表达的山梨酮脱氢酶具有生物活性。     

酮古龙酸菌山梨醇脱氢酶的原核表达及活性检测

目的：克隆酮古龙酸菌Y25的山梨醇脱氢酶基因sldh,在大肠杆菌中进行表达并检测表达产物的活性。方法：以酮古龙酸菌Y25基因组DNA为模板,PCR扩增sldh基因,连接到表达载体pTIG,转入大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）,IPTG诱导表达;取表达菌体、菌体裂解上清和沉淀进行SDS-PAGE分析;以山梨醇为底物,通过活性电泳、体外转化及休止细胞转化进行sldh基因表达产物的活性检测。结果：扩增得到1740 bp的山梨醇脱氢酶基因,构建了表达质粒pTIG-sldh并在大肠杆菌中获得表达,SDS-PAGE结果显示表达产物为可溶性形式,相对分子质量约58×10^3;活性电泳结果说明表达产物在以山梨醇为底物时表现出脱氢酶活性,而经体外转化和休止细胞转化后薄层层析检测出转化产物山梨糖的存在。结论：在大肠杆菌中实现了酮古龙酸菌山梨醇脱氢酶的可溶性表达,且表达的重组脱氢酶能将山梨醇脱氢生成山梨糖。