A new enzymatic method for the determination of inorganic phosphate and its application to the nucleoside diphosphatase assay

A new enzymatic method has been developed for the determination of inorganic phosphate, in which purine nucleoside phosphorylase and xanthine oxidase are used as indicator enzymes. This method has been applied to the assay of nucleoside diphosphatase. Incidental to this work, the apparent Michaelis constant of phosphate for calf spleen purine nucleoside phosphorylase was determined to be 0.25 mm, and the extinction coefficient of uric acid at 293 nm and pH 7.4 was found to be 13.0 × 10³m^?1 cm^?1.     

Quantitative determination of phytate in the presence of high inorganic phosphate

The review on the determination of phytate and inositol phosphates by Oberleas (1) indicates that most methods for the determination of phytate are derived from the method of Heubner and Stadler (2). This method is based on the principle that ferric ion forms a stable complex with phytate in dilute acid solution and is the only phosphate compound, at least in significant concentration in nature, with this property. However, the phytate values were high when we applied the procedure of Oberleas (3) to samples with high inorganic phosphate content such as rat feces or semipurified rat diets. This appeared to be a result of inorganic phosphate coprecipitating with ferric phytate.     

Some remarks on the presence of organic phosphates in sediments

This article describes a new method developed to assess the size and nature of the organic phosphate pool. Using sediment suspensions from the Rhone, Garonne and Po rivers, inorganic P compounds, Fe(OOH) and CaCO₃ were removed using mild extractants at sediment pH. The residual phosphate was then fractionated into an acid soluble organic phosphate pool and a residual organic phosphate pool by acid hydrolysis (0.5 M H⁺). Both pools were quantitatively important, accounting for between 16 and 54% and 16 and 51% of total phosphate respectively. Acid hydrolysis was chosen since it yielded a distinct plateau, with high reproducibility, within 30 minutes.This fractionation permits a further study of dynamics and bioavailability of sediment org-P, without interference of Fe(OOH) and CaCO₃.In many studies in which changes in the organic pool were examined after extraction of inorganic phosphate, 0.5 M HCl was used to extract apatite bound phosphate. The results presented here show that this is likely to result in a considerable underestimation of the organic phosphate pool.     

A simple spectrophotometric method for measurement of nematode populations.

A convenient automated method for measuring inorganic phosphate based on the malachite green reaction with a phosphomolybdate complex has been developed. Less than 100 pmol of inorganic phosphate can be readily quantitated by the method which utilizes standard AutoAnalyzer equipment. Inorganic phosphate is measured in sample volumes of less than 0.1 ml and without interference by a number of phosphorylated metabolic intermediates or nucleotides. This methodology is especially useful in the analysis of hydrolytic processes involving phosphorylated substrates.     

Ultrastructural localization of 5'-nucleotidase in guinea pig neutrophils based upon the use of cerium as capturing agent

A cytochemical method for 5'-nucleotidase localization in which cerium serves as the capture agent in order to enzymatically detect liberated inorganic phosphate has been developed. The method has been established in cell-free model systems and in guinea pig neutrophils where 5'-nucleotidase is restricted to the plasmalemma as an ectoenzyme. This cerium-based method gives better results for ultrastructural localization of 5'-nucleotidase than conventional lead-based methods.     

杨树根际解无机磷细菌Mp1-Ha4的鉴定及其解磷机理

解无机磷细菌能够溶解土壤中的难溶性磷酸盐,增加土壤有效磷含量,促进植物生长。以一株杨树根际土壤中筛选得到的解无机磷细菌Mp1-Ha4为研究对象,利用分子生物学的方法对该菌株进行鉴定,测定了其对磷酸钙、磷酸铝和磷酸铁的解磷能力,并对该菌株9 d内的磷酸钙溶解动力学进行了研究。结果表明,解无机磷细菌Mp1-Ha4为一株西地西菌Cedecea sp.,其对磷酸钙的溶解能力远强于对磷酸铝和磷酸铁的溶解能力。在NBRIP液体培养基中,该菌株对磷酸钙的溶解能力达到了497.4 mg/L,在其对磷酸钙解磷过程中,培养基pH及可滴定酸度与解磷量分别呈显著负、正相关。高效液相色谱分析显示,该菌株在解磷过程中分泌了大量有机酸,主要包括α-酮戊二酸,酒石酸和苹果酸。分泌有机酸,降低环境pH可能是解无机磷细菌西地西菌(Cedecea sp.)Mp1-Ha4溶解难溶性磷酸盐的主要机制,同时该菌株对磷酸钙的高效溶解作用使其具有较大的研究和应用前景。     

Determination of inorganic phosphate by flow injection method with immobilized enzymes and chemiluminescence detection

A flow injection method with chemiluminescence detection has been developed for the enzymatic determination of inorganic phosphate. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase, xanthine oxidase, and urate oxidase were immobilized on controlled-pore glass beads. Hydrogen peroxide released by the enzymatic reactions of phosphate and inosine in carrier buffer was detected by the luminol-microperoxidase system in a flow cell. The calibration graph was linear over the range of 5 to 250 pmol, and reproducibility was 1.75% at 10 pmol. The detection limit was 500 fmol of phosphate in 50 microliters of sample injected. The phosphate content in deoxyribonucleic acid was measured by this method.     

Determination of inorganic phosphate. A method for the determination of phosphatase activities by a continuous flow system

A sensitive and accurate method for the determination of inorganic phosphate is described. The method enables the estimation of 10 nanomoles of inorganic phosphate with a coefficient of variation of 3.6% for ten replicates. The method is suitable for the estimation of the activities of thiamine triphosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase, and alkaline and acid phosphatase by a continuous flow system.     

Mechanisms of hydrolysis of adenosine 5'-triphosphate, adenosine 5'-diphosphate, and inorganic pyrophosphate in aqueous perchloric acid

The acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) has been found to give rise both to adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) and inorganic phosphate and to adenosine 5'-phosphate (AMP) and inorganic pyrophosphate. Kinetic and isotope studies on the mechanism of hydrolysis of ATP therefore depend on a knowledge of the mechanism of hydrolysis of the polyphosphate products, ADP and inorganic pyrophosphate. The latter reactions have been studied over the acidity range 1--5 M perchloric acid at 25 degrees C while the more complex problem of the hydrolysis of ATP has been followed at a single acidity (3 M perchloric acid). The positions of bond fission have been determined for both ATP and ADP.     

ATP and phosphate reciprocally affect subunit association of human recombinant High Km 5'-nucleotidase. Role for the C-terminal polyglutamic acid tract in subunit association and catalytic activity.

IMP-specific, High Km 5'-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) is an ubiquitous enzyme, the activity of which is highly regulated by substrate, ATP, and inorganic phosphate. The cDNA encoding this enzyme has recently been cloned and found to contain a unique stretch of nine glutamic and four aspartic acid residues at the C-terminus. To study the effects of this acidic tail, and of ATP and inorganic phosphate on enzyme function, we generated several structural modifications of the 5'-nucleotidase cDNA, expressed the corresponding proteins in Escherichia coli and compared their molecular and kinetic properties. As with the enzyme purified from human placenta, all recombinant proteins were activated by ATP and inhibited by inorganic phosphate. Although the S0.5-values were higher, the specific activities of the purified protein variants (except that truncated at the C-terminus) were similar. The molecular mass of the full-length enzyme subunit has been estimated at 57.3 kDa and the molecular mass of the native protein, as determined by gel-filtration chromatography, was estimated to be 195 kDa. Increasing the concentration of NaCl to 0.3 M promoted oligomerization of the protein and the formation of aggregates of 332 kDa. ATP induced further oligomerization to 715 kDa, while inorganic phosphate reduced the estimated molecular mass to 226 kDa. In contrast to the truncation of 30 amino acids at the N-terminus, which did not alter enzyme properties, the removal of the polyglutamic/aspartic acid tail of 13 residues at the C-terminus caused profound kinetic and structural changes, including a 29-fold decrease in specific activity and a significant increase in the sensitivity to inhibition by inorganic phosphate in the presence of AMP. Structurally, there was a dramatic loss of the ability to form oligomers at physiological salt concentration which was only partially restored by the addition of NaCl or ATP. These data suggest an important function of the polyglutamic acid tract in the process of association and dissociation of 5'-nucleotidase subunits.     

Effect of Inorganic Phosphate on the Extracellular Acid Phosphatase Activity of Tobacco Cells Cultured in vitro

Acid phosphatase activity in culture medium of tobacco cells growing in suspension increased with the age of the culture from which the medium was obtained. The increase in the activity was accelerated by omitting inorganic phosphate from nutrient medium, and it was depressed by addition of inorganic phosphate or cycloheximide. Amylase and β-galactosidase activities were not induced by the omission of inorganic phosphate. It was concluded that derepression of acid phosphatase synthesis was involved in the increase in the extracellular acid phosphatase activity upon inorganic phosphate depletion.     

Observation and characterisation of a transient in the yield of chlorophyll fluorescence in intact spinach chloroplasts

A transient in chlorophyll fluorescence, which is associated with a transient in 9-aminoacridine fluorescence and a perturbation in the rate of oxygen evolution, has been observed in intact spinach chloroplasts. The results indicate that changes in the redox state of Q are, at least partially, responsible for the transient in chlorophyll fluorescence. The size of the transient is highly dependent upon the concentration of inorganic phosphate and upon the pH of the medium. The properties of the transient are consistent with the suggestion that it reflects changes in the levels of stromal intermediates during induction.Abbreviations BES NN-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)2-aminoethanesulphonic acid dihydroxyacetone-P(DHAP): dihydroxyacetone phosphate glycerate-3-P (PGA): glycerate-3-phosphate - HEPES N-2-Hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethanesulphonic acid - MES 2-(N-Morpholino)ethanesulphonic acid - Pi inorganic phosphate - qE quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence by the energisation of the thylakoid membrane - qQ quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence by oxidised Q, the electron acceptor of photosystem 2 - ribose-5-P (R5P) ribose-5-phosphate - Rbu-5-P ribulose-5-phosphate     

Determination of inorganic phosphate with molybdate and Triton X-100 without reduction

A new colorimetric procedure is described for inorganic phosphate determination using the color reaction between inorganic phosphate and acidified ammonium molybdate in the presence of Triton X-100. The method is simple and specific, and produces results comparable with those of the widely used method of Fiske-Subbarow [C. H. Fiske and Y. Subbarow (1925) J. Biol. Chem. 66, 375]. The linearity of the standard curve is observed up to an absorbance of 0.410, compared to 0.370 in the Fiske-Subbarow method. Trichloroacetic acid and tungstic acid are found to interfere in the assay. However, the method is not disturbed by nonionic detergents and can therefore be used for the determination of inorganic phosphate contaminated with nonionic detergents.     

Some Properties of Fructose-l,2-cyclic Phosphates and Fructose-2-phosphates

Fructose- 1,2-cyclic phosphates(F-l,2-Ps) and fructose-2-phosphates(F-2-Ps) were synthesized according to the method of Pontis and Fischer and their properties toward acid hydrolysis were examined in detail. Fructopyranose-2-phosphate(Ep-2-P) showed exactly the same properties as those reported by Pontis and Fischer. On the other hand, a part of fructofu-ranose~2~phosphate(Ff-2-P) was converted into the acid-stable form during acid treatment and this substance increased progressively when the sample was stored at -20°C for a longer time. This acid-stable form resembled in its properties to the fructose phosphate obtained from UDP(2)-fructose by the action of nucleotide pyrophosphatase.

When treated with acid at room temperature, fructopyranose-l,2-cyclic phosphate(Fp-l,2-P) was almost completely hydrolyzed into fructose and inorganic phosphate, whereas only about 50% of fructofuranose-1,2-cyclic phosphate(Ff-l,2-P) was hydrolyzed into fructose and inorganic phosphate and the remainder was hydrolyzed into fructose-l-phosphate(F-l-P). On the other hand, when treated with acid at 100°C, 90% of both cyclic phosphates were hydrolyzed into F-l-P, and fructose and inorganic phosphate were formed only slightly.     

A continuous spectrophotometric assay for pyrimidine-5′-nucleotidase

A simple method is presented for the determination of pyrimidine-5′-nucleotidase activity using a continuous spectrophotometric assay system. Activity is determined by measuring inorganic phosphate generation using a linked indicator system that produces uric acid in the presence of inosine, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, and xanthine oxidase. This method has several advantages over any of the methods currently in use.     

Characterization of the catalyzed phosphate assay.

A detailed analysis of the catalyzed phosphate assay is presented. This assay uses polyvinylpyrrolidone as a catalyst to form phosphomolybdate complex in a relatively weak acid and hydroxylamine as a reductant to form molybdenum blue. It was found that this assay, which is useful in determining inorganic phosphate in the presence of acid-labile phosphates such as ATP and phosphocreatine, has the following advantages: The assay (a) forms phosphomolybdate at a relatively high pH (pH 1.9–2.1; in some cases even at pH 4.0), (b) is relatively insensitive to interfering reagents, and (c) does not require deproteinization. Conditions are described which make the present assay more sensitive than the Fiske-SubbaRow method.     

Separation of P-labeled inorganic phosphate from rat liver homogenates

A method has been developed for the separation of radioactive inorganic phosphate from rat liver homogenates by a combination of ion-exchange and precipitation chromatography. The method has been applied to normal rat liver.     

Fatty acid synthesis by isolated leucoplasts from developingBrassica seeds: Role of nucleoside triphosphates and DHAP-shuttle as the source of energy

Fatty acid synthesis in leucoplasts isolated from developing seeds ofBrassica campestris was absolutely dependent on external source of ATP. None of the other nucleoside triphosphates could replace ATP in the reaction mixture. Use of ADP alone also resulted in reduced rates of fatty acid synthesis. However, in combination with inorganic phosphate or inorganic pyrophosphate, it improved the rate of fatty acid synthesis, giving up to 50% of the ATP-control activity. Inorganic phosphate or inorganic pyrophosphate alone again did not serve as an energy source for fatty acid synthesis. AMP, alongwith inorganic pyrophosphate could promote fatty acid synthesis to up to 42% of the activity obtained with ATP. The three components dihydroxy acetone phosphate, oxaloacetic acid, inorganic phosphate of dihydroxy acetone phosphate-shuttle together could restore 50% of the activity obtained with ATP. Omission of any one of the components of this shuttle drastically reduced the rate of fatty acid synthesis to 15–24% of the ATP-control activity. Inclusion of ATP in reaction mixtures containing shuttle components enhanced the rate of synthesis over control. The optimum ratio of shuttle components dihydroxy acetone phosphate, oxaloacetic acid, inorganic phosphate determined was 1:1:2. Maximum rates of fatty acid synthesis were obtained when dihydroxy acetate phosphate was used as the shuttle triose. Glyceraldehyde-3-P, 3-phosphoglycerate, 2-phosphoglycerate and phosphoenolpyruvate as shuttle trioses were around 35–60% as effective as dihydroxy acetone phosphate in promoting fatty acid synthesis. The results presented here indicate that although the isolated leucoplasts readily utilize exogenously supplied ATP for fatty acid synthesis, intraplastidic ATP could also arise from dihydroxy acetone phosphate shuttle components or other appropriate metabolites     

The role of nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis in transducing systems: p21ras and muscle.

A variety of systems use nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis to control or provide energy for biological processes, mediated through protein-protein interactions. The nature of this coupling may vary, but often there is a degree of similarity. In this paper, two systems are compared: actomyosin in muscle and p21ras in a signal transduction pathway as yet undefined. The mechanism of the nucleotide triphosphate hydrolysis and the consequent changes in the protein-nucleotide complex have been investigated, to understand how the coupling to biological function is achieved. The basal nucleoside triphosphatase mechanisms are compared and the roles of proteins that activate the hydrolysis, actin and GAP, are discussed. The cleavage process was probed by stereochemical techniques to determine the basic mechanism, of either a phosphorylated enzyme intermediate or direct displacement of nucleoside diphosphate by water. Phosphate-water oxygen exchange probes were used to investigate nucleoside triphosphate and inorganic phosphate release steps. A new method of probing the kinetics of inorganic phosphate release directly has been developed. In muscle, this process seems likely to be related directly to force generation. In the GAP-ras system, measurement of phosphate release is allowing the mechanism of the GAP-p21ras interaction to be probed.