Repression of Pyruvate Kinase in Candida utilis and Rat Liver by Sclerin through Energy Charge

Though sclerin (SCL) only slightly inhibited the activity of pyruvate kinase (PK) in crude extract of Candida utilis, markedly repressed the level of that in the growing cells in a glucose medium. The repression of PK was largely recovered by 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), and SCL rather raised the level in the cells growing on gluconate.

SCL also slightly inhibited the activity of a partially purified PK from rat liver, and, when orally administered, or incubated with the liver slices, obviously lowered the level of PK in the liver and liver slices. The effect of SCL in the liver slices was reversed by DNP. SCL stimulated the oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria prepared from the fresh liver, and served to maintain the activity in the liver slices during incubation.

Both activity of PK from Candida utilis and rat liver was remarkably inhibited by adenylate energy charge in vitro.

It is concluded that SCL represses the level of PK in these cells and tissues through a high energy charge by stimulating the oxidative phosphorylation.     

Effect of Sclerin on Production of the Aminoglycoside Antibiotics Accompanied by Salvage Function in Streptomyces

Sclerin (SCL) stimulated the production of aminoglycoside antibiotics. Production of kanamycin (KM) was preceded by formation of KM-N-acetyltransferase and initiated by induction of N-acetyl-KM-amidohydrolase. KM-acetyltransferase rapidly developed and suddenly decreased at an early trophophase, whereas N-acetyl-KM-amidohydrolase appeared late and increased gradually. Addition of SCL to the culture initially most enhanced the productivity of KM, inducing both enzymes. Production of ribostamycin (RM) was also preceded by RM-acetyltransferase and optimal period for SCL addition was initial. On the other hand, production of streptomycin (SM) associated with both SM-(streptidino) kinase and alkaline phosphatase through trophophase and idiophase was rather stimulated by SCL added later. SCL induced alkaline phosphatase but not SM-(streptidino) kinase. Thus, a difference has been found in the effect of SCL between regulation of aminoglycoside-modifying (salvaging) enzymes and productivity of antibiotics.     

CDC42 and Rac1 are implicated in the activation of the Nef-associated kinase and replication of HIV-1

Background : The negative factor (Nef) of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1, HIV-2 and SIV) is required for high levels of viremia and progression to AIDS. Additionally, Nef leads to cellular activation, increased viral infectivity and decreased expression of CD4 on the cell surface. Previously, we and others demonstrated that Nef associates with a cellular serine kinase (NAK) activity. Recently, it was demonstrated that NAK bears structural and functional similarity to p21-activated kinases (PAKs).Results : In this study, we demonstrate that Nef not only binds to but also activates NAK via the small GTPases CDC42 and Rac1. First, the dominant-negative PAK (PAKR), via its GTPase-binding domain, and dominant-negative GTPases (CDC42Hs-N17 and Rac1-N17) block the ability of Nef to associate with and activate NAK. Second, constitutively active small GTPases (CDC42Hs-V12 and Rac1-V12) potentiate the effects of Nef. Third, interactions between Nef and NAK result in several cellular effector functions, such as activation of the serum-response pathway. And finally, PAKR, CDC42Hs-N17 and Rac1-N17 decrease levels of HIV-1 production to those of virus from which the nef gene is deleted.Conclusions : By activating NAK via small GTPases and their downstream effectors, Nef interacts with regulatory pathways required for cell growth, cytoskeletal rearrangement and endocytosis. Thus, NAK could participate in the budding of new virions, the modification of viral proteins and the increased endocytosis of surface molecules such as CD4. Moreover, blocking the activity of these GTPases could lead to new therapeutic interventions against AIDS.     

Microbial production, purification, and characterization of (S)-specific N-acetyl-2-amino-1-phenyl-4-pentene amidohydrolase from Rhodococcus globerulus K1/1

Rhodococcus globerulus K1/1 was found to express an inducible (S)-specific N-acetyl-2-amino-1-phenyl-4-pentene amidohydrolase. Optimal bacterial growth and amidohydrolase expression were both observed at about pH 6.5. Purification of the enzyme to a single band in a Coomassie blue-stained SDS-PAGE gel was achieved by nucleic acid and ammonium sulfate precipitation of Rhodococcus globerulus K1/1 crude extract and column chromatography on TSK Butyl-650(S) Fractogel and Superose 12HR. The amidohydrolase was purified to a homogeneity leading to a tenfold increase of the specific activity with a recovery rate of 65%. At pH 7.0 and 23 °C the enzyme showed no loss of activity after 30 days incubation. The amidohydrolase was stable up to 55 °C. The enzyme was inhibited strongly only by 10 mM Zn²⁺ among the tested metal cations and was inhibited 100% by 0.01 mM phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was estimated to be 92 kDa by gel filtration and 55 kDa by SDS-PAGE, suggesting a homodimeric structure. Received: 8 February 1999 / Received revision: 3 May 1999 / Accepted: 7 May 1999     

Enzymatic production of l-phenylalanine from acetamidocinnamic acid: breeding of an acetamidocinnamate amidohydrolase-hyperproducing mutant

To increase the productivity of l-phenylalanine from acetamidocinnamic acid, we screened bacteria containing high acetamidocinnamate amidohydrolase activity, and strain S-5 containing high activity was isolated from soil. The bacteria were identified as Corynebacterium sp. S-5.When strain S-5 was cultured in a medium containing acetamidocinnamic acid as the sole carbon source or enzyme inducer, the formation of acetamidocinnamate amidohydrolase was observed. This was controlled by catabolite repression. When the strain was cultured in a medium containing glucose and acetamidocinnamic acid as the sole nitrogen source, it showed low acetamidocinnamate amidohydrolase activity and an increased doubling time.To obtain acetamidocinnamate amidohydrolase-hyperproducing strain, we enriched cells growing faster than strain S-5 in a medium containing glucose and acetamidocinnamic acid by continuous culture of mutagenized cells. Mutant C-23 had 12-fold the enzyme production and 3-fold the growth rate of the wild-type strain in a medium containing glucose. Acetamidocinnamate amidohydrolase formation in the mutant did not require acetamidocinnamic acid as enzyme inducer and was resistant to catabolite repression.     

A novel N-carbamoyl-L-amino acid amidohydrolase of Pseudomonas sp. strain ON-4a: purification and characterization of N-carbamoyl-L-cysteine amidohydrolase expressed in Escherichia coli

N-carbamoyl-l-cysteine amidohydrolase (NCC amidohydrolase) was purified and characterized from the crude extract of Escherichia coli in which the gene for NCC amidohydrolase of Pseudomonas sp. strain ON-4a was expressed. The enzyme was purified 58-fold to homogeneity with a yield of 16.1% by three steps of column chromatography. The results of gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300 and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggested that the enzyme was a tetramer protein of identical 45-kDa subunits. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme activity were pH 9.0 and 50°C, respectively. The enzyme required Mn²⁺ ion for activity expression and was inhibited by EDTA, Hg²⁺ and sulfhydryl reagents. The enzyme was strictly specific for the l-form of N-carbamoyl-amino acids as substrates and exhibited high activity in the hydrolysis of N-carbamoyl-l-cysteine as substrate. These results suggested that the NCC amidohydrolase is a novel l-carbamoylase, different from the known l-carbamoylases.     

Degradation and replenishment of the labile protein fraction in non-growing cells of the asporogenic mutant ofBacillus megaterium

Kinetics of degradation of labelled proteins was followed in two asporogenic mutants ofBacillus megaterium during incubation in a sporulation medium. Both the mutant producing exocellular protease (KM 1prn ⁺) and the mutant not producing the enzyme (KM 12prn) were found to contain a labile protein fraction, whose proportion decreases with prolonged time of labelling and whose half-life is about 1 h. Most proteins were relatively stable and were degraded at a rate of 1 %/h and 2 %/h in strains KM 1 and KM 12, respectively (half life 70–80 h and 35–40 h in strains KM 1 and KM 12, respectively). The intracellular proteolytic activity of the KM 12 mutant remains practically the same during incubation in the sporulation medium or slowly increases. The labile protein fraction practically disappears from the cells after a 3.5-h incubation. When such a culture is then subjected to a shift-up and transferred again to the sporulation medium, the rate of protein turnover temporarily increases. The temporary increase of the turnover rate is caused by a partial replenishment of the labile protein fraction rather than by an accelerated degradation of the relatively stable fraction. The intracellular proteolytic activity does not increase under these conditions. The wild sporogenic strain ofB. megaterium also contains the labile protein fraction. Its half protein life is 1 h or less. However, the second protein fraction is degraded much more rapidly than in the asporogenic mutants and its half life is 6–7 h.     

Protective Effect of Sclerin on a Lead-acetate Injury Affecting the Growth and Porphyrin Metabolism in Rat

While a continuous ingestion of lead acetate added in drinking water suppressed the rat growth, depressing in some degree the level of hepatic δ-aminolevulinate (ALA) dehydratase, a very small amount of sclerin (SCL) added simultaneously in the water restored the growth and dehydratase level. Moreover, subcutaneous injection of SCL to the rat not only maintained the ALA dehydratase level, but prevented a marked depression of the level of mitochondrial ALA synthetase in liver caused by intraperitoneal injection of lead acetate. Injection of SCL alone increased tolerably (about 1.8 times) the mitochondrial ALA synthetase, but little the extramitochondrial synthetase. The treatment by SCL was attended by a initial decrease, then a gradual increase in the activity of microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme.     

Separation and purification of penicillin acylase from Escherichia coli using AOT reverse micelles

Summary The extraction of penicillin acylase by reverse micellar solutions of a surfactant was studied. A 50 mM solution of dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate in isooctane extracted 46% of the enzyme activity in a crude periplasmic extract of induced cells of E. coli ATCC 9637. The increase in the specific activity of the final enzyme preparation, after stripping of the organic phase at pH 7.5, in the presence of 1 M KCl, was 8 - fold.Abbreviations PA penicillin acylase (penicillin amidohydrolase EC 3.5.1.11) - AOT Aerosol OT (dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate) - NIPAB 6-nitro-3-(phenylacetamido)-benzoic acid - NABA 6-nitro-3-aminobenzoic acid - BSA bovine serum albumin - SDS sodium dodecylsulphate     

Identification of NAP1, a regulatory subunit of IkappaB kinase-related kinases that potentiates NF-kappaB signaling

The IkappaB kinase (IKK)-related kinase NAK (also known as TBK or T2K) contributes to the activation of NF-kappaB-dependent gene expression. Here we identify NAP1 (for NAK-associated protein 1), a protein that interacts with NAK and its relative IKK epsilon (also known as IKKi). NAP1 activates NAK and facilitates its oligomerization. Interestingly, the NAK-NAP1 complex itself effectively phosphorylated serine 536 of the p65/RelA subunit of NF-kappaB, and this activity was stimulated by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). Overexpression of NAP1 specifically enhanced cytokine induction of an NF-kappaB-dependent, but not an AP-1-dependent, reporter. Depletion of NAP1 reduced NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene expression and sensitized cells to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. These results define NAP1 as an activator of IKK-related kinases and suggest that the NAK-NAP1 complex may protect cells from TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis by promoting NF-kappaB activation.     

Effect of Sclerin on Incorporation of Oleic Acid into Phospholipids and Activity of Phospholipase in Mitochondria

Sclerin (SCL) stimulated the oxidation and the incorporation into the phospholipids of Na-[1-¹⁴C]-oleate in mitochondria isolated from rat liver, preventing the depression of the phosphorylating functions and protecting 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP)-activated ATPase in mitochondria during incubation with oleate. Also, SCL markedly enhanced the activity of phospholipase to hydrolyze endogenous substrates in mitochondria. The increase in the activity was due to reconstruction of phospholipids through esterification of oleate in mitochondrial membrane, but not to the de novo enzyme synthesis. It was concluded that the level of endogenous phospholipase in mitochondria during incubation reflects the energy- dependent reacylation of the lysophospholipids produced by the action of phospholipase in mitochondrial membrane.     

Creatinine Decomposing Enzymes in Pseudomonas putida

Creatinine was found to be rapidly decomposed by several strains belonging to Pseudomonas, one of which was assigned to P. putida. Analyses of the metabolites indicated that creatinine was converted to sarcosine via creatine and further to glycine. The enzymes involving in a metabolic pathway of creatinine, i.e. creatinine amidohydrolase (EC 3.5.2), creatine amidinohydrolase (EC 3.5.3.3) and sarcosine dehydrogenase (EC 1.5.99.1), were found to be inducibly formed and accumulated in the bacterial cells. A novel assay method for sarcosine dehydrogenase activity was also described.     

Purification and properties of 5,6-dihydropyrimidine amidohydrolase from calf liver

5,6-Dihydropyrimidine amidohydrolase was isolated from an acetone powder of calf liver and purified to homogeneity. Purification made use of heat treatment, ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatography on Chelating Sepharose and DEAE-Sepharose with 44% recovery of total activity. The native enzyme has a molecular mass of 217 kDa consisting of four subunits with a molecular mass of 54 kDa each. The amidohydrolase is a metalloenzyme containing one zinc atom/subunit. The enzyme can slowly be inactivated by chelating agents. The kinetic parameters for substrates, 5,6-dihydrouracil, 5,6-dihydrothymine and glutarimide were determined. From log Vmax/KM data, a pKa of 7.6 could be calculated suggesting the formation of a zinc-bound hydroxyl ion which carries out the nucleophilic attack on the C-4 of dihydrouracil.     

Infectivity enhancement by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Nef is independent of its association with a cellular serine/threonine kinase.

Nef proteins from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolate SF2 (HIV-1SF2) and simian immunodeficiency virus isolate mac239 (SIVmac239) have been found to associate with a cellular serine/threonine kinase designated NAK. We have recently shown that the association of Nef with NAK is isolate dependent. To identify the structural basis for Nef-kinase association, several chimeric molecules were constructed between SF2 Nef (binding NAK) and 233 Nef (a primary isolate not binding NAK) and stably expressed in HuT-78 human T cells via retrovirus-mediated gene transfer. The Nef 233/SF2/SF2 chimera in which the N-terminal 37 amino acids of SF2 Nef were replaced by those of 233 Nef showed the same ability as SF2 Nef to bind NAK. The Nef 233/SF2/233 chimera in which the N-terminal 37 amino acids and the C-terminal 72 amino acids of SF2 Nef were replaced by corresponding sequences from 233 Nef completely lost the ability to associate with the kinase activity. Furthermore, replacement of the C-terminal 72 amino acids of 233 Nef with the equivalent SF2 sequence (chimera 233/233/SF2) fully restored kinase association to 233 Nef. These results suggest that (i) the core of Nef is not sufficient for NAK binding, (ii) the C terminus of SF2 Nef contains structural determinants important for association with NAK, and (iii) the failure of 233 Nef to bind NAK is due to a defect in its C terminus. Taking advantage of the C terminus of 233 Nef being nonfunctional and using an infectious clone of HIV-1SF2, we show that association with NAK is not required for Nef-mediated infectivity enhancement. While the strong and reproducible association of some Nef isolates with NAK has been clearly established, the role of NAK in Nef function remains to be fully elucidated.     

Creatinine and N-methylhydantoin degradation in two newly isolated Clostridium species

With N-methylhydantoin (NMH) as the main organic substrate, two strictly anaerobic spore forming Gram-positive bacterial strains were isolated from sewage sludge. These strains, named Clostridium sp. FS23 and Clostridium sp. FS41, totally degraded NMH, via N-carbamoylsarcosine (CS) and sarcosine as intermediates. Strain FS23 grew also with creatinine, which was converted to NMH by creatinine iminohydrolase (EC 3.5.4.21). This enzyme was formed at high rates with all substrates tested. Cytosine and 5-fluorocytosine were not utilized as substrates by creatinine iminohydrolase preparations purified to a homogeneity of 98%. NMH amidohydrolase (NMHase) and N-carbamoylsarcosine amidohydrolase (CSHase) turned out to be inducible in both srains. Other than in aerobic organisms, NMHase from these two isolates did not require ATP for enzymatic activity. SH-group protecting agents were not necessary for stability.     

Effects of oxygen on kynurenine-3-monooxygenase activity

Abstract

Kynurenine-3-monooxygenase (KM), the third enzyme in the kynurenine (KYN) pathway from tryptophan to quinolinic acid (QA), is a monooxygenase requiring oxygen, NADPH and FAD for the catalytic oxidation of L-kynurenine to 3-hydroxykynurenine and water. KM is innately low in the brain and similar in activity to indoleamine oxidase, the rate-limiting pathway enzyme. Accumulation in the CNS of QA, a known excitotoxin, is proposed to cause convulsions in several pathologies. Thus, we theorized that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) induced convulsions arise from increased QA via oxygen K_m effects on this pathway [Brown OR, Draczynska-Lusiak. Oxygen activation and inactivation of quinolinate-producing and iron-requiring 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid oxidase: a role in hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsions? Redox Report 1995; 1: 383–385]. To complement prior studies on the effects of oxygen on pathway enzymes, in this paper we report the effects of oxygen on KM. Brain and liver KM enzyme are not known to be identical, and some systemically-produced KYN pathway intermediates can permeate the brain and might stimulate the brain pathway. Thus, KM from both brain and liver was assayed at various oxygen substrate concentrations to evaluate, in vitro, the potential effects of increases in oxygen, as would occur in mammals breathing therapeutic and convulsive HBO. In crude tissue extracts, KM was not activated during incubation in HBO up to 6 atm. The effects of oxygen as substrate on brain and liver KM activity was nearly identical: activity was nil at zero oxygen with an apparent oxygen K_m of 20–22 µM. Maximum KM activity occurred at about 1000 µM oxygen and decreased slightly to plateau from 2000 to 8000 µM oxygen. This compares to approximately 30–40 µM oxygen typically reported for brain tissue of humans or rats breathing air, and an unknown but surely much lower value (perhaps below 1 µM) intracellularly at the site of KM. Thus HBO, as used therapeutically and at convulsive pressures, likely stimulates flux through the KM-catalyzed step of the KYN pathway in liver and in brain and could increase brain QA, by K_m effects on brain KM, or via increased KM pathway intermediates produced systemically (in liver) and transported into the brain.     

p21-activated kinase 1 plays a critical role in cellular activation by Nef

The activation of Nef-associated kinase (NAK) by Nef from human and simian immunodeficiency viruses is critical for efficient viral replication and pathogenesis. This induction occurs via the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Vav and the small GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42. In this study, we identified NAK as p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1). PAK1 bound to Nef in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the induction of cytoskeletal rearrangements such as the formation of trichopodia, the activation of Jun N-terminal kinase, and the increase of viral production were blocked by an inhibitory peptide that targets the kinase activity of PAK1 (PAK1 83-149). These results identify NAK as PAK1 and emphasize the central role its kinase activity plays in cytoskeletal rearrangements and cellular signaling by Nef.     

Role and Regulation Mechanism of Kanamycin Acetyltransferase in Kanamycin Biosynthesis

The formation of kanamycin (KM) and KM-acetyltransferase (KAT) in washed cell suspensions of a strain of Streptomyces kanamyceticus was induced by 4-O-(6-aminoglycosyl)-2-deoxystreptamine, i.e. 6–AG–DOS, but repressed by 6-O-(3-aminoglycosyl)-DOS and KM, i.e. 3–AG–DOS and 6′–AG–DOS–3″–AG. The “feedback” inhibition of the formation of KM and KAT by KM was relieved by addition of 3–AG in the presence of 6–AG–DOS. Acetylation of 6–AG–DOS was supposed to be prerequisite for binding 3–AG. The activity of KAT in a cell-free extract was inhibited by inorganic phosphate, ADP, phosphoenolpyruvate, oxalacetate and malate. Citrate and oleate were available to the acetylation reaction as a substitute for acetate. Sclerin stimulated both formation and activity of KAT throughout the experiments mentioned above.     

A morphological study on regulation of hyaline bleb formation in early embryonic cells of Cynops pyrrhogaster

Summary Presumptive ectodermal cells isolated from the animal pole region of Cynops pyrrhogaster embryos showed active formation of hyaline blebs after the eleventh cleavage. The role of the submembranous cortical layer (SCL) in hyaline bleb formation was investigated in relation to the number of cleavages. Rhodamine-phalloidin staining and transmission electron-microscopy showed structural changes in the SCL after the eleventh cleavage. Partial breakdown of the SCL by electric pulses and deformation of the SCL by treatment with cycloheximide and nocodazole induced hyaline bleb formation before the eleventh cleavage. These results suggest that the SCL plays an important role in hyaline bleb formation after the eleventh cleavage.     

Antitumor effects of a novel monoclonal antibody with high binding affinity to ganglioside GD3

Ganglioside GD3, which is one of the major gangliosides expressed on the cell surface human tumors of neuroectodermal origin, has been studied as a target molecule for passive immunotherapy. We established ten kinds of anti-GD3 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) of the mouse IgG3 subclass by immunization with purified GD3 and melanoma cells. One of the established mAb, KM641, showed major reactivity with GD3 and minor reactivity with GQ1b out of 11 common gangliosides in an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Immunostaining of gangliosides, separated on thin-layer chromatography plates, using KM641 revealed that most of the melanoma cell lines contained immunoreactive GD3 and GD3-lactone at a high level, but only the adrenal gland and the urinary bladder out of 21 human normal tissues had immunoreactive GD3. In immunofluorescence, KM641 bound to a variety of living tumor cell lines especially melanoma cells, including some cell lines to which another anti-GD3 mAb R24, established previously, failed to bind. High-affinity binding of KM641 to a tumor cell line was quantified by Scatchard analysis (K _d = 1.9×10^–8 M). KM641 exerted tumor-killing activity in the presence of effector cells or complement against melanoma cells expressing GD3 at a high level. Not only natural killer cells but also polymorphonuclear cells were effective as the effector cells in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Intravenous injection of KM641 markedly suppressed the tumor growth of a slightly positive cell line, C24.22 (7.2×10⁵ binding sites/cell), as well as a very GD3-positive cell line, G361 (1.9×10⁷ binding sites/cell), inoculated intradermally in nude mice. KM641, characterized by a high binding affinity for GD3, has the potential to be a useful agent for passive immunotherapy of human cancer.