Incorporation of purine nucleosides in cultured fibroblasts from a patient with purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency and associated T-cell immunodeficiency.

Cultured skin fibroblasts from a patient with T-cell immune deficiency and an absence of purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity in red cells were assayed for their capacity to metabolize inosine and guanosine. The cultured fibroblasts were lacking activity of nucleoside phosphorylase and, compared to normal fibroblasts, could incorporate only 2% and 4% of 14C-inosine and 3H-guanosine, respectively, into acid precipitable material. Autoradiography visually confirmed the failure of the NP deficient cell line to incorporate the nucleosides into nuclear material. The physiological mechanism by which the deficiency of purine nucleoside phosphorylase causes T-cell dysfunction remains unclear.     

A second purine nucleoside phosphorylase in Escherichia coli K-12

Summary The presence of a second purine nucleoside phosphorylase in wild-type strains of E. coli K-12 after growth on xanthosine has been demonstrated. Like other purine nucleoside phosphorylases it is able to carry out both phosphorylosis and synthesis of purine deoxy- and ribonucleosides whilst pyrimidine nucleosides cannot act as substrates. In contrast to the well characterised purine nucleoside phosphorylase of E. coli K-12 (encoded by the deoD gene) this new enzyme could act on xanthosine and is hence called xanthosine phosphorylase. Studies of its substrate specificity showed that xanthosine phosphorylase, like the mammalian purine nucleoside phosphorylases, has no activity towards adenine and the corresponding nucleosides. Determinations of K _m and gel filtration behaviour was carried out on crude dialysed extracts. The presence of xanthosine phosphorylase enables E. coli to grow on xanthosine as carbon source. Xanthosine was the only compound found which induced xanthosine phosphorylase. No other known nucleoside catabolising enzyme was induced by xanthosine. The implications of non-linear induction kinetics of xanthosine phosphorylase is discussed.     

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase synthesis and turnover in human lymphoid cells

We have studied the turnover and synthesis of purine nucleoside phosphorylase by using a polyclonal rabbit antiserum to this protein. The turnover of purine nucleoside phosphorylase was studied in the B lymphoblast cell, WI-L2, by specific immunoprecipitation of [3H]leucine-labeled proteins. The half-lives for total protein and purine nucleoside phosphorylase were 14.5 and 14.1 hr, respectively. For cells cultured in the presence of inosine the half-life of purine nucleoside phosphorylase was reduced to 11.2 hr. The synthesis of purine nucleoside phosphorylase was analyzed during phytohemagglutinin-stimulated T cell transformation by pulse labeling cells with [35S]methionine. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase synthesis increased greater than 10-fold during the first 12 hr of transformation and continued to a maximum of 30-fold. The relative rate of purine nucleoside phosphorylase labeled to total proteins was 0.04% in unstimulated T cells and increased to 0.18% 12 hr after stimulation. These studies identify some preferential synthesis of purine nucleoside phosphorylase during the early stages of T cell transformation.     

A species difference in nucleoside phosphorylase activity and inosine-stimulated insulin secretion in isolated islets of Langerhans.

Inosine is a potent simulant of insulin release from rat but not from rabbit islets of Langerhans. Further investigation showed that nucleoside phosphorylase activity is exceptionally low in rabbit islets. The ability of inosine to promote insulin release seems to be related to islet nucleoside phosphorylase activity, which can display marked species differences.     

Induction and repression of enzymes involved in exogenous purine compound utilization of Bacillus cereus

5'-Nucleotidase, adenosine phosphorylase, adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase, four enzymes involved in the utilization of exogenous compounds in Bacillus cereus, were measured in extracts of this organism grown in different conditions. It was found that adenosine deaminase is inducible by addition of adenine derivatives to the growth medium, and purine, nucleoside phosphorylase by metabolizable purine and pyrimidine ribonucleosides. Adenosine deaminase is repressed by inosine, while both enzymes are repressed by glucose. Evidence is presented that during growth of B. cereus in the presence of AMP, the concerted action of 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine phosphorylase, two constitutive enzymes, leads to formation of adenine, and thereby to induction of adenosine deaminase. The ionsine formed would then cause induction of the purine nucleoside phosphorylase and repression of the deaminase. Taken together with our previous findings showing that purine nucleoside phosphorylase of B. cereus acts as a translocase of the ribose moiety of inosine inside the cell (Mura, U., Sgarrella, F. and Ipata, P.L. (1978) J. Biol Chem. 253, 7905-7909), our results provide a clear picture of the molecular events leading to the utilization of the sugar moiety of exogenous AMP, adenosine and inosine as an energy source.     

Biochemical and structural characterization of mammalian-like purine nucleoside phosphorylase from the Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

We report here the characterization of the first mammalian-like purine nucleoside phosphorylase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (PfPNP). The gene PF0853 encoding PfPNP was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity. PfPNP is a homohexamer of 180 kDa which shows a much higher similarity with 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) than with purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) family members. Like human PNP, PfPNP shows an absolute specificity for inosine and guanosine. PfPNP shares 50% identity with MTAP from P. furiosus (PfMTAP). The alignment of the protein sequences of PfPNP and PfMTAP indicates that only four residue changes are able to switch the specificity of PfPNP from a 6-oxo to a 6-amino purine nucleoside phosphorylase still maintaining the same overall active site organization. PfPNP is highly thermophilic with an optimum temperature of 120 degrees C and is characterized by extreme thermodynamic stability (T(m), 110 degrees C that increases to 120 degrees C in the presence of 100 mm phosphate), kinetic stability (100% residual activity after 4 h incubation at 100 degrees C), and remarkable SDS-resistance. Limited proteolysis indicated that the only proteolytic cleavage site is localized in the C-terminal region and that the C-terminal peptide is not necessary for the integrity of the active site. By integrating biochemical methodologies with mass spectrometry we assigned three pairs of intrasubunit disulfide bridges that play a role in the stability of the enzyme against thermal inactivation. The characterization of the thermal properties of the C254S/C256S mutant suggests that the CXC motif in the C-terminal region may also account for the extreme enzyme thermostability.     

Production of 5-methyluridine by immobilized thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylase and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859.

5-Methyluridine was produced continuously from thymine and inosine by immobilized enzymes, which consisted of thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylase and thermostable pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase obtained from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859. The process was carried out in a column reactor at 60 degrees C for 17 d without any bacterial contamination under non-aseptical conditions. Half-lives of the activity of the immobilized enzymes were 47 d and 4.5 d at 60 degrees C and 70 degrees C, respectively, although half-life of the crude enzyme was only 14 h at 70 degrees C.     

8-azaguanosine-5'-monophosphate synthesis via nucleoside kinase in cultured Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts

Cultured chinese hamster lung fibroblasts, and a variant clone selected for resistance to 8-azaguanine, that lacks hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (EC 2.4.2.8), have been tested for the ability to convert 8-azaguanine into 8-azaguanosine-5'-monophosphate via purine nucleoside phosphorylase and nucleoside kinase. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase of both cell types is able to synthesize 8-azaguanosine from 8-azaguanine with the same efficiency. Wild type cells possess a nucleoside kinase activity acting on 8-azaguanosine, but this activity is considerably lower in the cells displaying resistance to the base analog. Our lines of evidence demonstrate that purine nucleoside phosphorylase and nucleoside kinase constitute a possible way of synthesis of the cytotoxic mononucleotide of 8-azaguanine, and, in fact, cells selected for resistance to the base analog show an impairement in the nucleoside kinase activity.     

The role of PNP enzyme in autologous rosette-forming cells

Since purine nucleoside phosphorylase has been associated with suppressor function in lymphocytes, enzyme activities were studied in autologous rosette-forming cells, a subset showing suppressor properties. Levels of this enzyme were higher in these cells than in other T cells. Con A induction of autologous red cell receptors and suppressor activity of T cells were both inhibited in dose-dependent fashion by Formycin B, a well known inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Inhibition of autologous rosette-forming cells was obtained after pulse treatment of cells with Formycin B for as little as 1 hr, whereas cell proliferation was only inhibited when Formycin B was present throughout culture; this confirms the independence of cell proliferation, and development of red cell receptors and suppressor activity. This study indicates a crucial role for purine nucleoside phosphorylase enzyme in induction of T cell suppressor activity.     

Enzymatic transglycosylation of natural and modified nucleosides by immobilized thermostable nucleoside phosphorylases from Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Natural and modified purine nucleosides have been synthesized using the recombinant thermostable enzymes purine nucleoside phosphorylase II (E. C. 2.4.2.1) and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (E. C. 2.4.2.2) from Geobacillus stearothermophilus B-2194. The enzymes were produced in recombinant E. coli strains and covalently immobilized on aminopropylsilochrom AP-CPG-170 after heating the cell lysates and the removal of coagulated thermolabile proteins. The resulting preparations of thermostable nucleoside phosphorylases retained a high activity after 20 reuses in nucleoside transglycosylation reactions at 70–75°C with a yield of the target products as high as 96%. Owing to the high catalytic activity, thermal stability, the ease of application, and the possibility of repeated use, the immobilized preparations of thermostable nucleoside phosphorylases are suitable for the production of pharmacologically important natural and modified nucleosides.     

Induction and repression of enzymes involved in exogenous purine compound utilization in Bacillus cereus

5′-Nucleotidase, adenosine phosphorylase, adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase, four enzymes involved in the utilization of exogenous purine compounds in Bacillus cereus, were measured in extracts of this organism grown in different conditions. It was found that adenosine deaminase is inducible by addition of adenine derivatives to the growth medium, and purine nucleoside phosphorylase by metabolizable purine and pyrimidine ribonucleosides. Adenosine deaminase is repressed by inosine, while both enzymes are repressed by glucose. Evidence is presented at during growth of B. cereus in the presence of AMP, the concerted action of 5′-nucleotidase and adenosine phosphorylase, two constitutive enzymes, leads to formation of adenine, and thereby to induction of adenosine deaminase. The ionsine formed would then cause induction of the purine nucleoside phosphorylase and repression of the deaminase. Taken together with our previous findings showing that purine nucleoside phosphorylase of B cereus acts as a translocase of the ribose moiety of ionsine inside the cell (Mura, U., Sgarrella, F. and Ipata, P.L. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 7905–7909), our results provide a clear picture of the molecular events leading to the utilization of the sugar moiety of exogenous AMP, adenosine and inosine as an energy source.     

Guanosine metabolism in novikoff hepatoma cells: Isolation and characterization of guanosine resistant variants

Clones resistant to 0.15% guanosine were isolated from rat hepatoma cells. Analysis of cell extracts from these clones revealed the presence of normal levels of purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity but less than 2% of the parental level of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase activity. In addition, the resistant cells transported guanosine and inosine at less than 2% of the rate of sensitive cells. Despite this low rate of transport, the resistant cells were still capable of metabolizing extracellular guanosine and inosine. The ability of the resistant cells to metabolize guanosine and inosine without requiring their direct transport lends support to the existence of a membrane localized form of purine nucleoside phosphorylase which metabolizes extracellular purine nucleosides.     

Expression of human malaria parasite purine nucleoside phosphorylase in host enzyme-deficient erythrocyte culture. Enzyme characterization and identification of novel inhibitors

The intraerythrocytic human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, requires a source of hypoxanthine for nucleic acid synthesis and energy metabolism. Adenosine has been implicated as a major source for intraerythrocytic hypoxanthine production via deamination and phosphorolysis, utilizing adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase, respectively. To study the expression and characteristics of human malaria purine nucleoside phosphorylase, P. falciparum was successfully cultured in purine nucleoside phosphorylase-deficient human erythrocytes to an 8% parasitemia level. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity was undetectable in the uninfected enzyme-deficient host red cells but after parasite infection rose to 1.5% of normal erythrocyte levels. The parasite purine nucleoside phosphorylase was not cross-reactive with antibody against human enzyme, exhibited a calculated native molecular weight of 147,000, and showed a single major electrophoretic form of pI 5.4 and substrate specificity for inosine, guanosine and deoxyguanosine but not xanthosine or adenosine. The Km values for substrates, inosine and guanosine, were 4-fold lower than that for the human erythrocyte enzyme. In these studies we have identified two novel potent inhibitors of both human erythrocyte and parasite purine nucleoside phosphorylase, 8-amino-5'-deoxy-5'-chloroguanosine and 8-amino-9-benzylguanine. These enzyme inhibitors may have some antimalarial potential by limiting hypoxanthine production in the parasite-infected erythrocyte.     

Isolation of amylopectin granules and identification of amylopectin phosphorylase in the oocysts of Eimeria tenella.

Amylopectin granules were purified from Eimeria tenella oocysts following digestion with sodium dodecyl sulfate and pronase. The oval granules had a uniform size of 0.5 X 0.7 mum, and consisted of only glucose polymers. alpha-Amylase treatment yielded 235 nmoles of maltose from the granules from 10(6) unsporulated oocysts and 93 nmoles maltose from those from 10(6) sporulated oocysts. Amylopectin phosphorylase activity was detected in the cytoplasm of unsporulated oocysts of E. tenella. It had a specific activity of 13 U/mg protein in crude extracts, and a pH optimum of 6.0. The Km values determined were 9.1 mM for glucose-1-phosphate and 5.6 mM for glucose end groups in potato amylopectin. Enzyme activity declined at a linear rate during sporulation, sporulated oocysts containing less than 8% of the activity of unsporulated oocysts. No amylase-type activity was found in the parasite.     

Light dependency of the cytokinin-induced bud initiation in protonemata of the moss Funaria hygrometrica

The activities of starch synthesizing enzymes were investigated in wheat grains ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Kolibri) throughout the grain development period. Starch phosphorylase (E.C. 2.4.1.1.) activity was especially high during the early period of grain development, while starch synthase I (ADP glucose α-glucan 4-α-glucosyl-transferase, E.C. 2.4.1.21) had a maximum activity during the later stage of grain filling. The synthetic potential of starch phosphorylase measured in vitro was about 16 times higher than the quantity of starch actually produced. It is therefore suggested that starch phosphorylase is of substantial importance in grain starch synthesis, particularly in the early period of grain growth. The synthetic potential of starch synthase I measured in vitro made up 25 to 50% of the starch production and the synthetic potential of starch synthase II (UDP glucose α-glucan 4α-glucosyl-transferase. E.C. 2.4.1.11) only about 5%.
Reducing light intensity (shading) during the grain filling period depressed grain growth and starch production by about 20%. Starch phosphorylase was not significantly affected by the reduced light intensity if enzyme activity is calculated on unit grain weight and not as activity per grain. Starch synthase I activity, however, was depressed by shading during the later stage of grain development. The depressed starch production found under low light conditions, however, cannot only be explained by an affected starch synthase I activity, but probably was also related to other still unknown factors limiting grain growth under low light conditions. The poor starch production in the shaded plants was not due to an insufficient supply of assimilates.     

Utilization of 2,6-diaminopurine by Salmonella typhimurium

The pathway for the utilization of 2,6-diaminopurine (DAP) as an exogenous purine source in Salmonella typhimurium was examined. In strains able to use DAP as a purine source, mutant derivatives lacking either purine nucleoside phosphorylase or adenosine deaminase activity lost the ability to do so. The implied pathway of DAP utilization was via its conversion to DAP ribonucleoside by purine nucleoside phosphorylase, followed by deamination to guanosine by adenosine deaminase. Guanosine can then enter the established purine salvage pathways. In the course of defining this pathway, purine auxotrophs able to utilize DAP as sole purine source were isolated and partially characterized. These mutants fell into several classes, including (i) strains that only required an exogenous source of guanine nucleotides (e.g., guaA and guaB strains); (ii) strains that had a purF genetic lesion (i.e., were defective in alpha-5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate amidotransferase activity); and (iii) strains that had constitutive levels of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Selection among purine auxotrophs blocked in the de novo synthesis of inosine 5'-monophosphate, for efficient growth on DAP as sole source of purine nucleotides, readily yielded mutants which were defective in the regulation of their deoxyribonucleoside-catabolizing enzymes (e.g., deoR mutants).     

Purification and characterization of human erythrocyte purine nucleoside phosphorylase and its subunits.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (EC 2.4.2.1; purine nucleoside:orthophosphate ribosyltransferase) from fresh human erythrocytes has been purified to homogeneity in two steps with an overall yield of 56%. The purification involves DEAE-Sephadex chromatography followed by affinity chromatography on a column of Sepharose/formycin B. This scheme is suitable for purification of the phosphorylase from as little as 0.1 ml of packed erythrocytes. The native enzyme appears to be a trimer with native molecular weight of 93,800 and the subunit molecular weight of 29,700 +/- 1,100. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme under denaturing conditions revealed four major separable subunits (numbered 1 to 4) with the same molecular weight. The apparent isoelectric points of subunits 1 to 4 in 9.5 M urea are 6.63, 6.41, 6.29, and 6.20, respectively. The different subunits are likely the result of post-translational modification of the enzyme and provide an explanation of the complex native isoelectric focusing pattern of purine nucleoside phosphorylase from erythrocytes. Three of the four subunits are detectable in two-dimensional electrophoretic gels of crude hemolysates. Knowing the location of the subunits of purine nucleoside phosphorylase in a two-dimensional electropherogram allows one to characterize the purine nucleoside phosphorylase in crude cell extracts from individuals with variant or mutant purine nucleoside phosphorylase as demonstrated in a subsequent communication. Partial purification of the phosphorylase from 1 ml of erythrocytes on DEAE-Sephadex increases the sensitivity of detection of the subunits to the 0.3% level.     

Uridine phosphorylase from Schistosoma mansoni

Uridine phosphorylase is the only pyrimidine nucleoside cleaving activity that can be detected in extracts of Schistosoma mansoni. The enzyme is distinct from the two purine nucleoside phosphorylases contained in this parasite. Although Urd is the preferred substrate, uridine phosphorylase can also catalyze the reversible phosphorolysis of dUrd and dThd, but not Cyd, dCyd, or orotidine. The enzyme was purified 170-fold to a specific activity of 2.76 nmol/min/mg of protein with a 16% yield. It has a Mr of 56,000 as determined by molecular sieving on Sephadex G-100. The mechanism of uridine phosphorylase is sequential. When Urd was the substrate, the KUrd = 13 microM and the KPi = 533 +/- 78 microM. When dThd was used as a substrate, the KdThd = 54 microM and the KPi = 762 +/- 297 microM. The Vmax with dThd was 53 +/- 9.8% that of Urd. dThd was a competitive inhibitor when Urd was used as a substrate. The enzyme showed substrate inhibition by Urd, dThd (greater than 0.125 mM) and phosphate (greater than 10 mM). 5-(Benzyloxybenzyloxybenzyl)acyclouridine was identified as a potent and specific inhibitor of parasite (Ki = 0.98 microM) but not host uridine phosphorylase. Structure-activity relationship studies suggest that uridine phosphorylase from S. mansoni has a hydrophobic pocket adjacent to the 5-position of the pyrimidine ring and indicate differences between the binding sites of the mammalian and parasite enzymes. These differences may be useful in designing specific inhibitors for schistosomal uridine phosphorylase which will interfere selectively with nucleic acids synthesis in this parasite.     

Altered purine and pyrimidine metabolism in erythrocytes with purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency

Purine and pyrimidine metabolism was compared in erythrocytes from three patients from two families with purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency and T-cell immunodeficiency, one heterozygote subject for this enzyme deficiency, one patient with a complete deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase, and two normal subjects. The erythrocytes from the heterozygote subject were indistinguishable from the normal erythrocytes. The purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficient erythrocytes had a block in the conversion of inosine to hypoxanthine. The erythrocytes with 0.07% of normal purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity resembled erythrocytes with hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency by having an elevated intracellular concentration of PP-ribose-P, increased synthesis of PP-ribose-P, and an elevated rate of carbon dioxide release from orotic acid during its conversion to UMP. Two hypotheses to account for the associated immunodeficiency—that the enzyme deficiency leads to a block of PP-ribose-P synthesis or inhibition of pyrimidine synthesis—could not be supported by observations in erythrocytes from both enzyme-deficient families.This work was supported by U.S. Public Health Service Grant AM 19674 and 5 M01 RR 42 and by a Grant-In-Aid from American Heart Association (77-849) and with funds contributed in part by the Michigan Heart Association. N.L.E. is a Rheumatology Fellow from the Rackman Arthritis Research Unit supported by Training Grant USPHS AM 07080.     

Genetic variability of purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity in the mouse: Relationship to Np-1 and Np-2

A survey of 37 inbred strains for erythrocyte purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity showed a greater than threefold range. Six of these strains had significantly greater activity than the others, and all of the high-activity strains had the Np-2 electrophoretic band. The high-purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity trait corresponding to Np-2 was inherited in an autosomal codominant manner and minor differences were apparent in thermal and kinetic properties between low- and high-activity strains. This work provides further support for there being either two structural loci for purine nucleoside phosphorylase, Np-1 and Np-2, or a regulatory-modifier locus.