Inhibition of superoxide-dependent processes by aminoglycoside antibiotics

The ability of various antibiotics to inhibit superoxide anion(O-2)-mediated formation of adrenochrome from adrenaline and recovery of cytochrome c by xanthine oxidase was studied. In the adrenaline system (pH 10.2), aminoglycosides might be arranged, according to the inhibitory effect, in the following order: monomycin greater than gentamicin greater than kanamycin greater than lincomycin greater than streptomycin. In the xanthine oxidase system (pH 7.8), that order was the following: monomycin greater than gentamicin greater than lincomycin greater than greater than kanamycin. It was suggested that the antibiotic inhibition of the O-2-dependent processes at the essential sites of metabolism and/or the antibiotic involvement into the process of free radical oxidation initiated by O-2 in the cells might be one of the mechanisms of the drug action and toxicity with respect to the host.     

Inhibition of ribosomal translocation by aminoglycoside antibiotics.

The translocation of AcPhe-tRNA in a purified system and that of peptidyl-tRNA in a crude, complete polypeptide synthesizing system containing endogenous $\text{E. coli}$ polysomes are inhibited by antibiotics of the neomycin, kanamycin and gentamicin groups. The extent of inhibition varies with the different antibiotics, but it correlates well with the capacity of each antibiotic to inhibit polypeptide chain elongation. Thus, the inhibition of translocation by these antibiotics is clearly significant for their inhibitory effect on polypeptide synthesis.     

Inhibition of initiation of DNA synthesis by aminoglycoside antibiotics

In a $\text{dna}\text{C}{}^{\mathrm{ts}}$ mutant of $\text{E. coli}$, the reinitiation of DNA synthesis, which occurred by the shift of the culture from a restrictive temperature to a permissive temperature, was markedly prevented by habakacin, dibekacin, kanamycin, and gentamicin. On the contrary, chloramphenicol did not inhibit the reinitiation synthesis for 30 min. In a parallel experiment, leucine uptake into protein was profoundly blocked by chloramphenicol, but only slightly by habekacin. Habekacin did not significantly affect DNA elongation of the cells at a restrictive temperature. We propose that inhibition of initiation of replication by aminoglycoside antibiotics is related to their lethality.     

Inhibition of protein synthesis by aminoglycoside antibiotics in polyamine-requiring bacteria

The effect of streptomycin and other aminoglycosides on protein synthesis has been studied using various streptomycin-sensitive strains unable to synthesize polyamines. We have confirmed and extended our previous results showing that the strong inhibition of translation caused by the antibiotic in polyamine-supplemented bacteria was markedly reduced in polyamine-starved cells. The analysis of polypeptides synthesized in the absence and presence of streptomycin in bacteria grown with and without putrescine has shown that the antibiotic provoked the accumulation of low molecular weight peptides partially bound to ribosomes in polyamine-unstarved cells. On the contrary, the drug did not induce major alterations in the patterns of proteins obtained from polyamine-depleted bacteria. The addition of the antibiotic did not evoke any change of proteolytic activity.     

Inhibition of transfer messenger RNA aminoacylation and trans-translation by aminoglycoside antibiotics

Transfer messenger RNA (tmRNA) directs the modification of proteins of which the biosynthesis has stalled or has been interrupted. Here, we report that aminoglycosides can interfere with this quality control system in bacteria, termed trans-translation. Neomycin B is the strongest inhibitor of tmRNA aminoacylation with alanine (K(i) value of approximately 35 micro m), an essential step during trans-translation. The binding sites of neomycin B do not overlap with the identity determinants for alanylation, but the aminoglycoside perturbs the conformation of the acceptor stem that contains the aminoacylation signals. Aminoglycosides reduce the conformational freedom of the transfer RNA-like domain of tmRNA. Additional contacts between aminoglycosides and tmRNA are within the tag reading frame, probably also disturbing reprogramming of the stalled ribosomes prior protein tagging. Aminoglycosides impair tmRNA aminoacylation in the presence of all of the transfer RNAs from Escherichia coli, small protein B, and elongation factor Tu, but when both proteins are present, the inhibition constant is 1 order of magnitude higher. SmpB and elongation factor Tu have RNA chaperone activities, ensuring that tmRNA adopts an optimal conformation during aminoacylation.     

The polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase of erythrocyte membranes

1. A new assay procedure has been devised for measurement of the Ca(2+)-activated polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase (phosphatidylinositol polyphosphate phosphodiesterase) activity of erythrocyte ghosts. The ghosts are prepared from cells previously incubated with [(32)P]P(i). They are incubated under appropriate conditions for activation of the phosphodiesterase and the released (32)P-labelled inositol bisphosphate and inositol trisphosphate are separated by anion-exchange chromatography on small columns of Dowex-1 (formate form). When necessary, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate can be deacylated and the released phosphodiesters separated on the same columns. 2. The release of both inositol bisphosphate and inositol trisphosphate was rapid in human ghosts, with half of the labelled membrane-bound phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate broken down in only a few minutes in the presence of 0.5mm-Ca(2+). For both esters, optimum rates of release were seen at pH6.8-6.9. Mg(2+) did not provoke release of either ester. 3. Ca(2+) provoked rapid polyphosphoinositide breakdown in rabbit erythrocyte ghosts and a slower breakdown in rat ghosts. Erythrocyte ghosts from pig or ox showed no release of inositol phosphates when exposed to Ca(2+). 4. In the presence of Mg(2+), the inositol trisphosphate released from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate was rapidly converted into inositol bisphosphate by phosphomonoesterase activity. 5. Neomycin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic that interacts with polyphosphoinositides, inhibited the breakdown of both phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, with the latter process being appreciably more sensitive to the drug. Phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride, an inhibitor of serine esterases that is said to inhibit phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase, had no effect on the activity of the erythrocyte polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase. 6. These observations are consistent with the notion that human, and probably rabbit and rat, erythrocyte membranes possess a single polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase that is activated by Ca(2+) and that attacks phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate with equal facility. Inhibition of this activity by neomycin seems likely to be due to interactions between neomycin and the polyphosphoinositides, with the greater inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate breakdown consistent with the greater affinity of the drug for this lipid. In addition, erythrocyte membranes possess Mg(2+)-dependent phosphomonoesterase that converts inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate into inositol bisphosphate.     

The aminoglycoside antibiotics

As can be seen in Table 4, the cost of aminoglycosides per daily therapy varies appreciably. The cost to individual institutions may also vary based on purchasing policies. The least expensive aminoglycoside is gentamicin because a number of companies (others available that are not listed) are selling the product. Therefore, cost becomes an important factor when an institution determines the formulary status of individual agents. Other elements to consider, however, include the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in a specific area, the capability to monitor therapeutic outcomes, and the provision of consistent and reliable aminoglycoside dosing to enhance efficacy and decrease toxicity.     

Modulation of RNA function by aminoglycoside antibiotics

One of the most important families of antibiotics are the aminoglycosides, including drugs such as neomycin B, paromomycin, gentamicin and streptomycin. With the discovery of the catalytic potential of RNA, these antibiotics became very popular due to their RNA-binding capacity. They serve for the analysis of RNA function as well as for the study of RNA as a potential therapeutic target. Improvements in RNA structure determination recently provided first insights into the decoding site of the ribosome at high resolution and how aminoglycosides might induce misreading of the genetic code. In addition to inhibiting prokaryotic translation, aminoglycosides inhibit several catalytic RNAs such as self-splicing group I introns, RNase P and small ribozymes in vitro. Furthermore, these antibiotics interfere with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication by disrupting essential RNA-protein contacts. Most exciting is the potential of many RNA-binding antibiotics to stimulate RNA activities, conceiving small-molecule partners for the hypothesis of an ancient RNA world. SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) has been used in this evolutionary game leading to small synthetic RNAs, whose NMR structures gave valuable information on how aminoglycosides interact with RNA, which could possibly be used in applied science.     

DNA triple helix stabilization by aminoglycoside antibiotics

The stabilization of the poly(dA) x 2poly(dT) triple helix by neomycin is reported. Preliminary results indicate that neomycin stabilizes DNA triple helices and the double helical structures composed of poly(dA) x poly(dT) are virtually unaffected. This is the first report of the interaction of aminoglycoside antibiotics with DNA triple helices.     

Inhibition of polyphosphoinositide turnover in rat cerebral cortex by clonidine

In the rat brain, a number of receptors are linked to phospholipase C which catalyzes the hydrolysis of membrane inositol phospholipids; stimulation of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, for example, increases polyphosphoinositide turnover, but stimulation of alpha 2-receptors does not. The hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids in rat cortical slices was investigated using a direct assay involving prelabeling these lipids with 3H-inositol and then measuring the formation of 3H-inositol phosphates in the presence of lithium ions. As expected, clonidine, an alpha 2-agonist, did not stimulate the formation of 3H-inositol phosphates; however, clonidine antagonized the ability of noradrenaline to stimulate 3H-inositol phosphate formation. This effect was not blocked by antagonists of alpha 2, 5HT2, H2, or muscarinic receptors. Clonidine did not affect carbachol-stimulated 3H-inositol phosphate formation.     

Inhibition of interconversion of ribosomes between forms active and inactive in 30 S subunit functions by aminoglycoside antibiotics

Antibiotics of the aminoglycoside group interfere with the reversible interconversions of 70 S ribosomes between forms active and inactive in the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA. Both inactivation and reactivation are strongly inhibited by streptomycin and neomycin. Activation is also weakly inhibited by kanamycin and inactivation is inhibited by kasugamycin.     

Genetic engineering and aminoglycoside antibiotics

Since actinomycetes are the source of the majority of antibiotics and DNA cloning systems have recently been established for these organisms^1–3 we are now in a position to devise approaches for increasing yields or combining the beneficial properties of two (or more) antibiotics in one molecule. Here we assess the capabilities of the available technology to improve the production of aminoglycoside antibiotics.     

Stability of enzymes inactivating aminoglycoside antibiotics

Stability of aminoglycoside phosphotransferases, adenylyltransferases and acetyltransferases isolated from various sources was studied. The enzymes were characterized by different substrate profiles. They were stored at a temperature of -10 degrees C in the form of frozen solutions or at a temperature of 4 degrees C in the lyophilized form. It was shown that lyophilization markedly increased the stability of the enzymes inactivating aminoglycoside antibiotics. Aminoglycoside phosphotransferases and adenylyltransferases with streptomycin as substrate were less stable than aminoglycoside phosphotransferases with neomycin as substrate. Aminoglycoside acetyltransferases from Streptomyces fradiae 918 producing neomycin were least stable among the enzymes studied. Lyophilized enzymes as a possible stabilizer of ATP added to the preparations had no significant effect on their stability during storage.     

Electrochemical interactions between some beta-lactam antibiotics and aminoglycoside antibiotics

Complexation reactions between the two aminoglycosides tobramycin and gentamycin and the two beta-lactam antibiotics carbenicillin and ticarcillin were studied conductimetrically, in aqueous solution. Carbenicillin and gentamycin form a 21 adduct in which about 75% of the antibiotics are bound. Likewise, carbenicillin and tobramycin form a 21 adduct binding about 67% of its components. Tobramycin and ticarcillin also interact, but weakly, binding about 12% of the adduct components. Only a trace of adduct formation was observed between cephalothin and gentamycin and between cephalothin and tobramycin. Cephalothin did not interact with carbenicillin. It appears that the adsorption behavior of the aminoglycosides differs considerably from that of the beta-lactams.     

Combination effect with some aminoglycoside antibiotics

Strains of resistant species -- Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecalis -- isolated from material of nosocomial infections in the surgical department of a Prague hospital were tested for combined effect with further chemotherapeutics. The same concerned Ps, aeruginosa noted, at present, by a high degree of resistance. In Ps. aeruginosa it was the combination sisomicin-carfecillin that proved a success in 50 p. c. of cases as well as that of sisomicin-doxycyclin. At the same time the authors draw attention to the possibility of antagonistic action of the combination sisomicin-chloramphenicol in a third part of the strains tested. Potentiation of the effect in Staphylococcus aureus strains was observed also in the combination sisomicin-carfecillin in more than one half of the strains tested and in case of sisomicin-doxycyclin in one third of the strains. In Streptococcus faecalis strains sisomicin was combined with amoxycillin, carbenicillin, carfecillin and doxycyclin; synergistic action being observed with all those combinations in more than one half of strains tested. No antagonism was registered in those cases. (Ta.).