Efficient singlet oxygen inactivation of firefly luciferase

Firefly luciferase is inactivated by singlet oxygen at near diffusion controlled rates, 1.9 X 10(9) M-1 s-1, based on direct comparison with the oxidation of L-histidine. The inactivation kinetics are multiphasic. Inactivation is inhibitable by NaN3. Surface-separated-sensitizer (SSS) system in which singlet oxygen is produced above an air gap separating the reaction solution from the Rose Bengal sensitizer, ensuring only Type II reactions, was compared with a Sensitox II system in which the polymer bound Rose Bengal is contained in the reaction solution and both Type I and Type II reactions can occur. A slight stabilization is afforded by MgSO4.     

Potential role of methionine sulfoxide in the inactivation of the chaperone GroEL by hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-)

GroEL is an Escherichia coli molecular chaperone that functions in vivo to fold newly synthesized polypeptides as well as to bind and refold denatured proteins during stress. This protein is a suitable model for its eukaryotic homolog, heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60), due to the high number of conserved amino acid sequences and similar function. Here, we will provide evidence that GroEL is rather insensitive to oxidants produced endogenously during metabolism, such as nitric oxide (.NO) or hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), but is modified and inactivated by efficiently reactive species generated by phagocytes, such as peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) and hypochlorous acid (HOCl). For the exposure of 17.5 microm GroEL to 100-250 microm HOCl, the major pathway of inactivation was through the oxidation of methionine to methionine sulfoxide, established through mass spectrometric detection of methionine sulfoxide and the reactivation of a significant fraction of inactivated GroEL by the enzyme methionine sulfoxide reductase B/A (MsrB/A). In addition to the oxidation of methionine, HOCl caused the conversion of cysteine to cysteic acid and this product may account for the remainder of inactivated GroEL not recoverable through MsrB/A. In contrast, HOCl produced only negligible yields of 3-chlorotyrosine. A remarkable finding was the conversion of Met(111) and Met(114) to Met sulfone, which suggests a rather low reduction potential of these 2 residues in GroEL. The high sensitivity of GroEL toward HOCl and ONOO(-) suggests that this protein may be a target for bacterial killing by phagocytes.     

Cholesterol oxidase in microemulsion: Enzymatic activity on a substrate of low water solubility and inactivation by hydrogen peroxide

Cholesterol oxidase from Nocardia erythropolis, Pseudomonas, and Streptomyces species was active in microemulsion in which cholesterol is well solubilized. The activity was stable in nonionic microemulsions whereas in cationic and anionic microemulsions the activity decreased with time. The coupled activity test using horseradish peroxidase which is very stable in microemulsion, was modified. The activity at very low water concentration in nonionic microemulsions increased with the water content. The kinetic constants were determined: the Michaelis constant is in the range 10 to 28 mm in the microemulsions, compared to 10 to 28 μm in buffer. The maximum velocity was reduced by a factor of 3 to 5 compared to that in buffer. Neither substrate excess nor product inhibition was detected. The preparative oxidation of cholesterol revealed the inactivation of the cholesterol oxidase by hydrogen peroxide. In contrast to glucose oxidase, hydrogen peroxide inactivated cholesterol oxidase in the absence of substrate. Catalase provides protection during the cholesterol oxidation. Microemulsions are very good media in which to perform enzyme catalyzed reactions with substrates of low water solubility. Their use for the reproducible determination of cholesterol should be examined.     

Monoclonal antibodies against spore antigens of Bacillus anthracis

A murine monoclonal antibody produced against heat inactivated spores of Bacillus anthracis Ames, reacted with live or inactivated spores of several anthrax strains in indirect immunofluorescence (IF) tests. The reactive anthrax strain gave only a moderate degree of reaction. No staining of anthrax vegetative cells was observed. The monoclonal did not react with spores of non-anthrax Bacillus strains that gave cross reactions with mouse hyperimmune antiserum raised against Ames spores. The staining of individual spores in B. anthracis preparations was more heterogeneous with the monoclonal antibody than with the hyperimmune serum. Evidence is produced that the epitope for this monoclonal is not stable during long-term storage of inactivated spore preparations, and is not fully available for reaction with antibody until late in spore maturation. The monoclonal did not react by immunoblotting (Western blotting) of spore extracts. A monoclonal antibody produced against Ames spore extracts reacted with about 1% of Ames spores in IF tests, but not reproducible reactions with other anthrax strains were recorded. This monoclonal interacted with three bands in Western blots of anthrax spore extracts.     

Direct amination of carboxylic acids with ammonia by electric discharge against aqueous solution

Glow discharge was applied to the aqueous solution containing ammonia and aliphatic carboxylic acids. Several amino acids were synthesized by the direct amination reaction. Simultaneously stepwise oxidation reactions of the substrates and the products were also took place. The time courses of the amination reactions and also the oxidation reactions were studied. These results indicate that the amination and oxidation reactions induced by the electric discharge are initiated by hydroxyl radicals which are produced by the electric discharge through the decomposition of water molecules.     

Anaerobic biodegradation of spiramycin I and characterization of its new metabolites

Activated sludge was used to treat the wastewater containing spiramycin I. Three new metabolites were isolated and identified, which produced by oxidation of C6-aldehyde, hydrolysis of C5-mycaminose-mycarose and macrolactone ring-open reaction of spiramycin I in anaerobic digestion. And their antimicrobial activities were inactivated. Our results indicated that anaerobic biodegradation metabolites of spiramycin I could not induce bacterial resistance in environment.     

A toxic shock syndrome toxin mutant of Staphylococcus aureus isolated by allelic replacement lacks virulence in a rabbit uterine model

The gene coding for toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 in S. aureus was inactivated by allelic replacement in two TSS-associated strains. One mutant derived from FRI1169 (a non-enterotoxigenic strain) lacked virulence in the rabbit uterine chamber infection model. This suggests that TSST-1 is the only determinant produced by this strain that can induce the symptoms of shock in rabbits. A novel method for allelic replacement involving transduction of plasmid integrants is described.     

Hydrogen peroxide involvement in the rhodanese inactivation by dithiothreitol.

The conditions required to obtain rhodanese inactivation in the presence of dithiothreitol indicate the involvement of hydrogen peroxide produced by metal-ion catalyzed oxidation of dithiothreitol. Inhibition of dithiothreitol oxidation by a chelating agent, or by removal of hydrogen peroxide by catalase prevents the enzyme inactivation. The inactivated enzyme contains a disulfide bond resulting from the oxidation of the catalytic sulfhydryl group and another sulfhydryl group close to it. This disulfide might be formed via a sulfenic intermediate.     

Multiple forms of non-associative plasticity in Aplysia: a behavioural, cellular and pharmacological analysis

A complete understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying the formation of associations between stimuli, as occurs during classical conditioning, requires an understanding of the non-associative effects of the individual stimuli. The siphon withdrawal reflex of Aplysia exhibits both non-associative and associative learning when a tactile stimulus to the siphon serves as a conditioned stimulus, and tail shock serves as an unconditioned stimulus. In this chapter we describe experiments which examine the non-associative effects of tail shock at three different levels of analysis. At a behavioural level we found that the magnitude, and even the sign of reflex modulation induced by tail shock depended critically on three parameters: (i) the state of the reflex (habituated or non-habituated); (ii) the strength of the tail shock, and (iii) the time of testing after tail shock. Specifically, when non-habituated responses produced by water jet stimuli to the siphon were examined, tail shock produced transient inhibition 90 s later; facilitation of non-habituated responses (sensitization) only emerged after a considerable delay of 20-30 min. When habituated responses were examined, tail shock produced immediate facilitation (dishabituation); the amount of facilitation was inversely related to the strength of tail shock, with stronger shock producing no dishabituation. At a cellular level it was found that the complex excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) in siphon motor neurons produced by water jet stimuli to the siphon provides a reliable cellular correlate of several of the non-associative effects of tail shock that we observe behaviourally. When non-decremented complex EPSPS were examined, strong tail shock produced transient inhibition at a test 90 s after shock.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Monoclonal antibodies against spore antigens of Bacillus anthracis

Abstract A murine monoclonal antibody produced against heat inactivated spores of Bacillus anthracis Ames, reacted with live or inactivated spores of several anthrax strains in indirect immunofluorescence (IF) tests. The reactive anthrax strain gave only a moderate degree of reaction. No staining of anthrax vegetative cells was observed. The monoclonal did not react with spores of non-anthrax Bacillus strains that gave cross reactions with mouse hyperimmune antiserum raised against Ames spores. The staining of individual spores in B. anthracis preparations was more heterogeneous with the monoclonal antibody than with the hyperimmune serum. Evidence is produced that the epitope for this monoclonal is not stable during long-term storage of inactivated spore preparations, and is not fully available for reaction with antibody until late in spore maturation. The monoclonal did not react by immunoblotting (Western blotting) of spore extracts.     

Purification and properties of beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium phlei ATCC354.

beta-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.30) was purified 145-fold from Mycobacterium phlei ATCC354 by ammonium sulphate fractionation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The pH optima for oxidation and reduction reactions were 8.4 and 6.8 respectively. The purified enzyme was specific for NAD, NADH, acetoacetate and D(-)-beta-hydroxybutyrate. Km values for DL-beta-hydroxybutyrate and NAD were 7.4 mM and 0.66 mM respectively. The enzyme was inactivated by mercurial thiol inhibitors and by heat, but could be protected by NADH, Ca2+ and partially by Mn2+. The enzyme did not require metal ions and was insensitive to EDTA, glutathione, dithiothreitol, beta-mercaptoethanol and cysteine.     

PON1 paraoxonase activity is reduced during HDL oxidation and is an indicator of HDL antioxidant capacity

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HDL oxidation on PON1 paraoxonase activity. Also, we were interested in investigating the mechanism by which PON1 could be inactivated and the correlation between its enzymatic activity and the antioxidant properties of HDL. Three different oxidation systems were used for the HDL oxidation: (1) oxidation induced by THP1 cells, (2) oxidation induced by copper ions at a concentration 10 microM, and (3) oxidation induced by *OH and O2.- oxygen free radicals produced by gamma-radiolysis. HDL oxidation was followed by the measurement of lipid peroxide formation, and PON1 activity was determined by measuring the rate of paraoxon hydrolysis. Our results show that HDL oxidation is accompanied by a reduction in the PON1 paraoxonase activity. The extent of PON1 inactivation depends both on the extent of HDL oxidation and on the oxidation system used. The rates of HDL oxidation and PON1 inactivation were significantly correlated (r = 0.93, p < 0.0054). Our results show that oxidized HDL loses its protective effect toward LDL oxidation. The antioxidant action of HDL towards LDL oxidation and the degradation of PON1 paraoxonase activity were significantly correlated (r = 0.95, p < 0.04).     

Metal-mediated allylation of enzymatically oxidized methyl α-D-galactopyranoside

The C-6 unit of methyl α-d-galactopyranoside was selectively modified by combining enzymatic oxidation with an indium-mediated allylation reaction. The Barbier-Grignard type reaction, where a carbonyl group reacts with an allyl halide, proceeds in aqueous solution, even with water as the only solvent; thus carbohydrates can be modified without the need for drying or protection-deprotection steps. The corresponding homoallyl alcohols are produced in high yields of >90% in the reactions with allyl bromide and cinnamyl chloride. The main products were isolated and characterized by GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy.     

Substrate inactivation of enzymes in vitro and in vivo

Some enzymes are inactivated by their natural substrates during catalytic turnover, limiting the ultimate extent of reaction. These enzymes can be separated into three broad classes, depending on the mechanism of the inactivation process. The first type is enzymes which use molecular oxygen as a substrate. The second type is inactivated by hydrogen peroxide, which is present either as a substrate or a product, and are stabilized by high catalase activity. The oxidation of both types of enzymes shares common features with oxidation of other enzymes and proteins. The third type of enzyme is inactivated by non-oxidative processes, mainly reversible loss of cofactors or attached groups. Sub classes are defined within each broad classification based on kinetics and stoichiometry. Reaction-inactivation is in part a regulatory mechanism in vivo, because specific proteolytic systems give rapid turnover of such labelled enzymes. The methods for enhancing the stability of these enzymes under reaction conditions depends on the enzyme type. The kinetics of these inactivation reactions can be used to optimize bioreactor design and operation.     

Further investigation of the light-induced cytochrome b-559 reaction in membrane fragments of the blue-green alga Anabaena variabilis

Oxidation-reduction reactions of the low redox potential cytochromeb-559 were studied for membrane fragments of the blue-greenalga Anabaena variabilis. Cytochrome photooxidation was observableat room temperature when the membrane fragments had been preincubatedat room temperature in the dark. A CCCP addition (10^–4M) strongly enhanced the reaction. Oxidation consisted of a DCMU-sensitive and an insensitive reaction.The former depended on actinic illumination of short wavelength.The latter showed a dependency on longer wavelength light. Theformer was assumed to be induced by the action of photosystemII and the latter by that of photosystem I. The photosystem II oxidation was small before preincubation,and was enhanced by added DPIP or Ferro. This was interpretedas photosystem II action inducing oxidation as well as reduction;reduction being inactivated during dark incubation or beingsuppressed by added redox reagents which compete for electronacceptance from photosystem II so that oxidation was apparentlyenhanced. The oxidationreduction reactions of this cytochromewith low redox potential were assumed to be almost identicalwith those of the high redox potential form, at least in themembrane fragments of Anabaena variabilis. (Received June 8, 1975; )     

Studies on Auxin Protectors: IX. Inactivation of Certain Protectors by Polyphenol Oxidase

Protector-II (Pr-II) of the Japanese morning glory (Pharbitis nil Choisy) was inactivated by exposure to polyphenol oxidase. An unidentified protector in the same molecular weight range obtained from sunflower was also inactivated by this enzyme. Earlier speculations that protectors might be lipoprotein in nature were negated by the fact that neither lipase nor protease inactivated the protectors. The protectors were also not inactivated by incubating with α-amylase, DNase, or RNase. Catechol mimics Pr and is inactivated by polyphenol oxidase. The oxidation of catechol to o-quinone is accompanied by a loss of chromophores that absorb ultraviolet light and the appearance of a reddish brown color. Similarly, when the relatively low molecular weight auxin protectors (Pr-II class) were incubated with polyphenol oxidase, their oxidation was also frequently associated with the formation of brown color, and oxidation with H₂O₂ caused a loss of ultraviolet-absorbing chromophores. The data indicate that auxin protectors contain o-dihydroxyphenolic groups at their active site.     

Reconstituted O-dealkylase systems containing various forms of liver microsomal cytochrome P-450.

Among the seven forms of purified liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 tested, P-4501, P-4502 (both from phenobarbital-treated rabbits), P-4504 (from phenobarbital-treated rats), and P-4482 (from methylcholanthrene-treated rats) could reconstitute significant activities catalyzing the O-deethylation of 7-ethoxycourmarin, but remarkable differences were seen among the catalytic properties of the four reconstituted systems. The systems containing P-4501, and P-4504 required the presence of cytochrome b5 for maximal activity, but no such requirement was observed with the other two systems. The Km value of the P-4502 system for ethoxycoumarin was of the order of 10(-7) M, whereas those of the other systems were about 1,000 times higher. The Vmax value determined for the P-4482 system was higher than those for the other systems by a factor of 10. 7-Methoxycoumarin was metabolized in a way similar to ethoxycoumarin by the systems containing P-4501, P-4502, and P-4504, but acted as a strong uncoupler in the P-4482-containing system. In the P-4482 system, however, ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation was almost completely coupled to NADPH oxidation. In the other systems, on the other hand, NADPH oxidation was partially uncoupled to similar extents with respect to the product formation with both ethoxy- and methoxycoumarins as substrates. The four systems could also be distinguished from one another with respect to the effects of several inhibitors. The P-4502-containing system, but not the other three systems, was progressively inactivated during methoxycoumarin O-demethylation and benzphetamine N-demethylation. Such inactivation was not observable during the ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation reaction. It is suggested that the active site of P-4502 reacted with formaldehyde produced by the demethylation reactions and was thus irreversibly inactivated. The results reported in this paper provide a clear example of different catalytic properties of multiple forms of hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450.     

The photosynthetic water oxidase: its proton pumping activity is short-circuited within the protein by DCCD

The photosynthetic water oxidase is composed of ˜15 polypeptides which are grouped around two functional parts: photosystem II and the catalytic manganese centre. Photochemically driven vectorial electron transfer between the manganese centre and bound plastoquinone causes deprotonation–protonation reactions at opposite sides of the thylakoid membrane. Thereby the water oxidase acts as a proton pump. Incubation of stacked thylakoids with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) short-circuited its proton pumping activity. Under flashing light, the extent of both proton release into the lumen by water oxidation and of proton uptake from the medium by reduced quinone was diminished. Instead there was a rapid electrogenic backreaction with a strong H/D-isotope effect. Apparently protons which were produced by water oxidation were channelled across the transmembrane protein to the bound quinone. A more rapid protonation of the reduced quinone was evident from a shortening of the time lag for the reduction of photosystem I. These effects were paralleled by the preferential labelling with [¹⁴C]DCCD in stacked thylakoids of two polypeptides with 20 and 24 kd apparent molecular mass. These may be capping the oxidizing and the reducing terminus of the water oxidase to control proton extrusion and proton uptake respectively.     

Mechanism of inactivation of enteric viruses in fresh water.

Fresh water obtained from nine sources was shown to cause inactivation of poliovirus. Further testing with four of these water samples showed that enteric viruses from different genera were consistently inactivated in these freshwater samples. Studies on the cause of inactivation were conducted with echovirus type 12 as the model virus. The results revealed that the virucidal agents in the waters tested could not be separated from microorganisms. Any treatment that removed or inactivated microorganisms caused loss of virucidal activity. Microbial growth in a sterilized creek water seeded with a small amount of stream water resulted in concomitant production of virucidal activity. When individual bacterial isolates obtained from a stream were grown in this sterilized creek water, most (22 of 27) produced a large amount of virucidal activity, although the amount varied from one isolate to the next. Active and inactive isolates were represented by both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Examination of echoviruses inactivated in stream water revealed that loss of infectivity first correlated with a slight decrease in the sedimentation coefficient of virus particles. The cause appeared to be cleavage of viral proteins, most notably, VP-4 and, to a lesser extent, VP-1. Viral RNA associated with particles was also cleaved but the rate was slower than loss of infectivity. These results suggest that proteolytic bacterial enzymes inactivate echovirus particles in fresh water by cleavage of viral proteins, thus exposing the viral RNA to nuclease digestion.