A simultaneous protein-binding assay for adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate in biological materials.

Adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and guanosine 3′:5′-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) have been determined simultaneously by combining individual protein binding assays using different isotopically labeled cyclic nucleotides. Preparations of cyclic AMP-binding protein from beef adrenal cortex and cyclic GMP-binding protein from the fat body of silkworm pupae ($\text{Bombyx mori}$) have been used for the assay. The method allows the analysis of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP levels in crude extracts without any purification. The assay has been applied to hormone-stimulated Mouse liver and phorbol ester-treated Rat embryo cells.     

Phosphorylation and anti-leishmanial activity of formycin B

The inosine analog formycin B (1–10 μM) inhibited the $\text{in vitro}$ growth of $\text{Leishmania}$ promastigotes and amastigotes. When administered to Syrian hamsters infected with $\text{Leishmania}\text{donovani}$, formycin B (10 mg qd × 5) decreased by greater than 90% the number of liver amastigotes, with a concomitant reduction in hepatosplenomegaly. Both extracts and intact cells of $\text{Leishmania}$, unlike mammalian cells, effectively phosphorylated formycin B. The resulting formycin B monophosphate inhibited dose dependently the conversion of IMP to adenylosuccinate in parasite extracts. This effect may be related to the potent anti-leishmanial activity of formycin B.     

5-Nitro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-monophosphate is a potent irreversible inhibitor of Lactobacillus caesi thymidylate synthetase.

5-Nitro-2′-deoxyuridine 5′-monophosphate was found to be an active sitedirected irreversible inhibitor of thymidylate synthetase from $\text{Lactobacillus caesi}$. It's K_I was determined as 2.9 × 10^?8$\text{M}$ from a double-reciprocal plot of velocity $\text{vs}$ substrate concentration.     

Improved measurement of thymidylate synthetase activity by a modified tritium-release assay

Accurate quantitation of thymidylate synthetase activity using a tritium-release assay is dependent upon measurement of only that tritium released from deoxy[5-³H]uridine monophosphate ([³H]dUMP) during the biosynthesis of thymidylate. Removal of remaining [³H]dUMP on completion of the assay by charcoal adsorption and correction for the nonenzymatic release of tritium are necessary. Although over 99% of [³H]dUMP is removed immediately following addition of charcoal, these studies demonstrate that sufficient [³H]dUMP can remain to prevent accurate measurement of low levels of thymidylate synthetase activity. By delaying measurement of radioactivity for at least 24 h following addition of charcoal, this problem is minimized. To account for nonenzymatic release of tritium, a blank containing enzyme extract with omission of $\text{±,}\text{l}\text{-5,10-}\text{methylenetetrahydrofolate}$ is demonstrated to be more effective than the commonly used blank in which water is substituted for enzyme extract. In samples containing 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine monophosphate (FdUMP), a potent inhibitor of thymidylate synthetase activity, an alternative blank containing a high concentration of FdUMP (approximately 1mM) is useful in demonstrating a theoretical maximal or complete inhibition of thymidylate synthetase activity.     

Differences in macromolecular binding between cyclic AMP and its dibutyryl derivative in vitro

Rat liver cytosol binds ³H-cAMP and ³H-DBcAMP $\text{in vitro}$. Fractionation of bound radioactivity by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography shows that ³H-cAMP is associated with a different cytosolic protein than is ³H-DBcAMP. The pI's of the cAMP-protein and the ³H-DBcAMP-protein complexes are 6.7 and 3.9, respectively. Competition studies between ³H-cAMP and its structural analogues have shown the following order of effectiveness in competing for binding sites in rat liver cytosol: cAMP > N⁶-MBcAMP > O²′-MBcAMP. No inhibition of ³H-cAMP binding was observed with 5′-AMP, adenosine, cGMP or DBcAMP. $\text{In vitro}$ binding experiments with rat serum has shown that only ³H-DBcAMP binds to any significant extent.     

A fluorometric-high-performance liquid chromatographic assay procedure for several enzymatic activities using formycin analogs of adenosine 5'-mono, 5'-tri, and cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate as substrates

The present study describes the synthesis of formycin 5′-triphosphate (FoTP), formycin 5′-monophosphate (FoMP), and formycin 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cFoMP) from formycin A (FoA). These compounds, analogs of ATP, AMP, cAMP, and adenosine, respectively, are all fluorescent and differ chemically from the adenosine compounds by the reversal of the carbon atom at position 8 and the nitrogen at position 9 of the purine ring. Both FoMP and cFoMP were synthesized by chemical procedures from FoA while FoTP was made from FoMP enzymatically. All the analogs could be separated from each other using a high-performance liquid chromatographic (hplc) reverse-phase isocratic system that includes a μBondapak C-18 column as stationary phase and a solution of 0.01 m KH₂PO₄ adjusted to pH 5.5 with NaOH containing methanol as a mobile phase. At a flow rate of 2 ml/min, FoTP had a retention time of about 1 min followed by FoMP (2 min), cFoMP (3.5 min), and finally FoA (5.5 min). The analogs were detected by fluorometry using an excitation wavelength of 300 nm and an emission wavelength above 320 nm. This detection system proved to be more sensitive than absorbtion spectroscopy and as little as 2 pmol of the compounds could be measured.The analogs, together with the hplc system, were used to develop fluorometric (nonradioactive) assays for several enzymes including 3′5′-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDase), ATP pyrophosphohydrolase, and alkaline phosphatase. With these enzymes, the conversion of cFoMP to FoMP, FoTP to FoMP, and FoMP to FoA, respectively, could be followed. The conversion of FoA to formycin B (FoB), an analog of inosine, was also followed. The intracellular PDase activity isolated from the eukaryotic microorganism Dictyostelium discoideum was studied in some detail, and an apparent K_m of 5 μm and V_max of 0.1 nmol/min/mg protein were obtained for the enzyme at pH 7.5 and 30°. These values are compared to those in the literature.A number of advantages of this fluorometric-hplc assay procedure are discussed, including the facts that it offers an increase in sensitivity over other spectrophotometric assays and is at least equivalent to radiochemical assays currently in use.     

Leishmania donovani: Oral efficacy and toxicity of formycin B in the infected hamster

Formycin B, a structural analog of inosine, was evaluated as an orally administrable antileishmanial agent. Against Leishmania donovani in hamsters, it achieved an 85–92% reduction in numbers of parasites in livers of infected animals after oral administration at 13 mg/kg/day for 4 days. Its efficacy by oral administration was approximately four to eight times that by intramuscular administration and four times that of the positive control drug Glucantime by intramuscular administration. The levels of formycin B in serum after the final oral administration of 26 mg/kg/day were 1.4 μg/ml at 1 hr and 0.3 μg/ml at 2 hr. The concentration in liver was greater (9.0 μg/ml at 1 hr) and declined more slowly. With this latter dosage or with 104 mg/kg/day there was no acute toxicity of formycin B to bone marrow or formed elements of the blood. The only statistically significant toxicity to the liver was a doubling of serum total bilirubin levels. Comparison of the in vivo efficacy of formycin B against L. donovani to the mild acute toxicity of the drug suggests that formycin B has potential as an oral agent against visceral leishmaniasis.     

In vitro studies of skeletal muscle membranes characterization of a phosphorylated intermediate of sarcolemmal (Na+ + K+)ATPase

The sarcolemmal membranes isolated from rat skeletal muscle are capable of incorporating ³²P from [γ?³²P]ATP. The membrane protein phosphorylation requires Mg²⁺. Cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP and their dibutyrul derivatives showed no marked effect on sarcolemmal phosphorylation.The Mg²⁺-dependent ³²P labeling was significantly enhanced by Na⁺. The rate of Na⁺ -stimulated ³²P incorporation was quite rapid reaching steady state levels within 5 s at 0 °C. K⁺ reduced the Na⁺ -stimulated ³²P-incorporation but enhanced the ³²P_i release. This inhibitory effect of K⁺ on Na⁺ -stimulated ³²P incorporation was prevented by the cardiac glycoside, ouabain.The Na⁺ -dependent ³²P labeling showed substrate dependency and the Na⁺ site was saturable. The apparent $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ for ATP was 2 · 10?5 M. The optimum pH for ³²P labeling was between 7 and 8.Na⁺ -dependent membrane phosphorylation showed a direct relationship with the (Na⁺ + K⁺ATPase activity. The high turnover rate of ³²P intermediate (12 000 min ?1) suggested its functional significance in the overall transport ATPase reaction sequence.The predominate portion (> 90%) of the phosphorylated membrane complex was sensitive to acidified hydroxylamine and to alkaline pH suggesting an acylphosphate nature of the phosphoprotein.Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that ³²P incorporation occurred predominately into a 108 000 dalton subunit which is a major protein component of sarcolemmal membranes. A very low level of ³²P incorporation was also observed into a 25 000 dalton subunit and Ca²⁺ slightly enhanced the phosphorylation of this component.The size ($\text{M}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>r</mtext>}}\text{108 000}$) and some properties of the sarcolemmal phosphoprotein are closely similar to other (Na⁺ + K⁺ATPase preparations reported so far.     

Synthesis and antitumor activity of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine conjugates of cortisol and cortisone.

Superior antitumor activity of 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) conjugates of prednisolone and prednisone against L1210 leukemic mice, based on ara-C content, has encouraged us to synthesize 5′-(cortisone-21-phosphoryl)-1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (I) and 5′-(cortisone-21-phosphoryl)-1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine (II) by condensation of N⁴,2′,3′-triacetyl-1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine 5′-monophosphate with cortisol and cortisone in the presence of N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide at room temperature followed by removing the acetyl groups in 2 N methanolic ammonia in 20% yield. The conjugates I and II inhibited the $\text{in}\text{vitro}$ growth of L1210 by 50% (ED₅₀) at 0.25 μM and 0.07 μM, respectively, while ara-C showed ED₅₀ 0.1 μM. However, the conjugates I and II exhibited 287% and 238% of $\text{T}\text{C}$ at 50 mg/kg/day × 5 doses against L1210 leukemic mice, respectively, while ara-C at 25 mg and 50 mg/kg/day × 5 gave the respective 127% and 110% of $\text{T}\text{C}$.     

Human complex-forming glycoprotein, heterogeneous in charge: the primary structure around the cysteine residues and characterization of a disulfide bridge

L-929 cell surface membranes have been assayed in vitro and found to contain significant protein kinase activity. A steady-state kinetic analysis indicated that at least two distinct protein kinases were present. Plots of reaction velocity (v) against substrate (ATP) concentration were distinctly biphasic, as were Lineweaver-Burk plots of $\text{1}\text{v}$ versus $\text{1}\text{ATP}$. Michaelis constants of the two enzymes were calculated to be 22 and 173 μm, respectively. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel analysis of the phosphorylated membrane proteins provided additional support for the existence of more than one protein kinase. Different endogenous proteins were phosphorylated at 1 μm ATP compared to 1 μm ATP. Further studies of the low K_m (22 μm) enzyme suggested that it is a typical cyclic 3′,5′-AMP-independent protein kinase. Its activity was dependent on the presence of Mg²⁺, but it was not affected by cyclic 3′,5′-AMP, cyclic 3′,5′-GMP, or the heat-stable inhibitor of cyclic 3′,5′-AMP-dependent protein kinases. ATP and GTP, but not other nucleoside triphosphates, could serve as phosphoryl donor and maximum kinase activity was expressed at pH 7.0. Phosvitin and casein were superior to histones as exogenous substrates for the low K_m enzyme.     

Bifunctional activity of fused Plasmodium falciparum orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidine 5′-monophosphate decarboxylase

Fusion of the last two enzymes in the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway in the inversed order by having a COOH-terminal orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT) and an NH₂-terminal orotidine 5′-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC), as OMPDC-OPRT, are described in many organisms. Here, we produced gene fusions of Plasmodium falciparum OMPDC-OPRT and expressed the bifunctional protein in Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity using affinity and anion-exchange chromatography, exhibited enzymatic activities and functioned as a dimer. The activities, although unstable, were stabilized by its substrate and product during purification and long-term storage. Furthermore, the enzyme expressed a perfect catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m). The k_cat was selectively enhanced up to three orders of magnitude, while the K_m was not much affected and remained at low μM levels when compared to the monofunctional enzymes. The fusion of the two enzymes, creating a “super-enzyme” with perfect catalytic power and more flexibility, reflects cryptic relationship of enzymatic reactivities and metabolic functions on molecular evolution.     

Fungal proteases and the mammalian kinin system. II. Kinin hydrolysis by brinolase.

Brinolase, a thrombolytic fungal protease capable of forming vasoactive kinins, has been shown to hydrolyze kinins after their formation. Using synthetic bradykinin as a substrate, the kinetics and mechanism of hydrolysis have been elucidated, evidently explaining the apparently low kinin formation $\text{in vivo}$, Bradykinin hydrolysis proceeded rapidly $\text{in vitro}$ with a pH optimum of 7.0–7.5, and a half-life of 5.1 min, using 250 ng/ml bradykinin and 50 μg/ml brinolase. The K_m was 3.2×10^?6 M and the V_max was 4.6 × 10^?8 mol/liter/min, using 5 μg/ml brinolase. Two-dimensional paper fractionation of the brinolase-bradykinin digest revealed the presence of free arginine amongst the five peptide fragment spots.     

Evidence for the regulation of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate formation in liver by pyridoxamine (pyridoxine) 5′-phosphate oxidase

Pyridoxamine (pyridoxine) 5′-phosphate oxidase (EC 1.4.3.5) purified from rabbit liver is competitively inhibited by the reaction product, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate. The K_i, 3 μM, is considerably lower than the K_m for either natural substrate (18 and 24 μM for pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate and 25 and 16 μM for pyridoxine 5′-phosphate in 0.2 M potassium phosphate at pH 8 and 7, respectively). The K_i determined using a 10% rabbit liver homogenate is the same as that for the pure enzyme; hence, product inhibition $\text{in}\text{vivo}$ is probably not diminished significantly by other cellular components. Similar determinations for a 10% rat liver homogenate also show strong inhibition by pyridoxal 5′-phosphate. Since the reported liver content of free or loosely bound pyridoxal 5′-phosphate is greater than K_i, the oxidase in liver is probably associated with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate. These results also suggest that product inhibition of pyridoxamine-P oxidase may regulate the $\text{in}\text{vivo}$ rate of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate formation.     

The enzymatic sulphation of heparan sulphate by hen's uterus

A sulphotransferase preparation from hen's uterus catalysed the transfer of sulphate from adenosine 3′-phosphate 5′-sulphatophosphate to N-desulphated heparan sulphate, heparan sulphate, N-desulphated heparin and dermatan sulphate. Heparin, chondroitin sulphate and hyaluronic acid were inactive as substrates for the enzyme. N-desulphated heparin was a much poorer substrate for the enzyme than N-desulphated heparan sulphate suggesting that properties of the substrate other than available glucosaminyl residues influenced enzyme activity. N-acetylation of N-desulphated heparin and N-desulphated heparan sulphate reduced their sulphate acceptor properties so it was unlikely that the N-acetyl groups of heparan sulphate facilitated its sulphatiion. Direct evidence for the transfer of [³⁵S]sulphate to amino groups of N-desulphated haparan sulphate was obtained by subsequent isolation of glucosamine $\text{N-[}{}^{35}\text{S}\text{]}\text{sulphate}$ from heparan [³⁵S]sulphate product. This was made possible through the use of a flavobacterial enzyme preparation which contained “heparitinase” activity but had been essentially freed of sulphatases. Attempts to transfer [³⁵S]sulphate to glucosamine or N-acetylglucosamine were unsuccessfull.     

m-Octopamine as a substrate for monoamine oxidase.

$\text{m}$-Octopamine was characterized as substrate for monoamine oxidase (MAO) in rat brain and liver mitochondria. The $\text{K}$m and $\text{V}$max values of the brain enzyme were 735 μM and 32.5 nmoles/mg protein/30 min, and those of the liver enzyme 351 μM and 125 nmoles/mg protein/30 min, respectively. The inhibition experiments with clorgyline and deprenyl showed that $\text{m}$-octopamine was a common substrate for type A and type B MAO, though a major part of the activity was due to type A enzyme.     

L-histidine induced changes in adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate levels in rat brain and amounts of apo-, holo-a and holo-b fatty acid synthetases in rat liver.

When fasted rats were fed a chow or fat-free diet supplemented 5% with L-histidine for three days, the brain adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate (cAMP) level increased. A 50% increase occurred in rats fed a chow diet and 20% increase in rats fed a fat-free diet. Purification of liver fatty acid synthetase and the isolation of liver apo-, holo-$\text{a}$ and holo-$\text{b}$ fatty acid synthetases demonstrated that L-histidine feeding caused changes in the relative amounts of these enzymes. Apo- and holo-$\text{b}$ fatty acid synthetases increased while the holo-$\text{a}$ form simultaneously decreased. This effect was observed in rats fed either chow or fat-free diets supplemented with L-histidine.     

1,4-Methylhistamine is a specific substrate for type B monoamine oxidase

1,4-Methylhistamine was characterized as substrate for monoamine oxidase (MAO) in rat liver mitochondria. The $\text{K}$_m and $\text{V}$_max values were 38.8 μM and 6.33 nmoles/mg protein/60 min, respectively. The inhibition experiments with clorgyline and deprenyl, the selective inhibitors for type A and type B MAO, showed that 1,4-methylhistamine was specific for type B MAO.     

Cyclic AMP inhibition of reactions of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) is an inhibitor of the reaction of d-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and benzaldehyde. Inhibition appears to be competitive toward glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and of a mixed type toward NAD⁺. In the absence of arsenate a plot of $\text{1}\text{V}$ vs (I) is sigmoidal at constant concentrations of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and NAD⁺ and linear at constant concentrations of benzaldehyde and NAD⁺. Thus, sigmoidal inhibition plots are dependent on the nature of the aldehyde substrate as was found previously to be the case with inhibition of these reactions by highly branched acyl phosphates. In the presence of 0.013 m arsenate the plots of $\text{1}\text{V}$ vs [I] are linear.     

S1 nuclease of Aspergillus oryzae: characterization of the associated phosphomonoesterase activity

S₁ nuclease (EC 3.1.30.1) of Aspergillus oryzae was found to catalyze the hydrolysis of 2′- or 3′-phosphomonoester groups from several mono- and oligonucleotides. The specificity of the enzyme for mononucleotide substrates was determined by steady-state kinetic measurements at pH 4.5. The values of V were similar for all ribonucleoside 3′-phosphates tested, and they were 50–400 times greater than those for the corresponding deoxyribonucleotides or ribonucleoside 2′-phosphates. Purine nucleotides had lower apparent K_m values than pyrimidine nucleotides. Apparent K_m values of mononucleotides were also strongly dependent on the type of sugar and the positions of phosphoryl groups. Substrate specificity, as expressed by $\text{V}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{m}}$, occurred in the following order: ribonucleoside 3′,5′-bisphosphate > ribonucleoside 3′-phosphate > deoxyribonucleoside 3′,5'-bisphosphate > deoxyribonucleoside 3′-phosphate ≈ ribonucleoside 2′-phosphate. S₁ nuclease also catalyzed the dephosphorylation of the dinucleotide ApAp at a high rate and the release of PP_i from adenosine 3′-diphosphate 5′-phosphate at a low rate. The phosphomonoesterase activity of the enzyme was competitively inhibited by single-stranded DNA and 5′-nucleotides. Apparent K_i values for adenosine compounds occurred in the order ATP < ADP < AMP ? adenosine. Tests of S₁ nuclease for phosphotransferase activity at pH 4.5 and 7.0 were negative.     

Elimination kinetics and protein binding of theophylline in the rabbit

The detailed elimination kinetics of theophylline were studied in 27 rabbits. Each received a 10 mg/kg intravenous bolus of aminophylline. The theophylline half-life ($\text{T}\text{1}\text{2}$) was 3.8 ± 0.63 hr. The apparent volume of distribution (V_D) and total body clearance (TBC) for theophylline were 439 ± 60 ml/kg and 81.0 ± 17.3 ml/kg·hr respectively. Theophylline protein binding was determined in 10 animals. The mean bound fraction was 74.3 ± 3.9% (range, 68.3–78.0%); the fraction bound was concentration indifferent over a serum concentration range of 5–20 μgm/ml.