LOCALIZATION OF TYROSINE TRANSAMINASE IN RAT BRAIN

The distribution of rat brain tyrosine transaminase was determined in brain regions and in subcellular fractions. The results indicate that brain tyrosine transaminase is predominantly a mitochondrial enzyme. Its localization on the inner mitochondrial membrane is suggested. The results are discussed in relation to the function of tyrosine as precursor of catecholamines in the central nervous system.     

DEVELOPMENTAL PROFILES OF GANGLIOSIDES IN HUMAN AND RAT BRAIN

Abstract— The developmental profiles of individual gangliosides of human brain were compared with those of rat brain. Interest was focused mainly on the pre- and early postnatal development. Human frontal lobe cortex covering the period from 10 foetal weeks to adult age and the cerebrum of rat from birth to 21 days were analysed. Lipid-NANA and lipid-P were followed; in the rat, also protein and brain weight. A limited number of samples of human cerebral white matter and cerebellar cortex were also studied. The following major results were obtained:

• 1 The ganglioside concentration increased approximately three-fold within a short period: in rat cerebrum, from birth to the 17th day; in human cerebral cortex, from the 15th foetal week to the age of about 6 months. The largest increase in the rat brain occurred by the 11th to the 13th day; in human brain by term. The relative increase of gangliosides during this period was more rapid than that of phospholipids.
• 2 A hitherto unknown distinct early period of ganglioside and phospholipid formation in rat occurred by the second to fourth day.
• 3 The changes in brain ganglioside pattern, characteristic of the developmental stages of the rat, were found to be equally pronounced in the human brain.
• 4 Regional developmental differences in the ganglioside pattern were demonstrated in human brain. A characteristic white matter pattern, rich in monosialogangliosides, had developed by the age of 1 year. The increase in ganglioside concentration and the formation of the definitive ganglioside pattern of cerebellar cortex occurred later than in cerebral cortex. This cerebellar pattern was characterized by a very large trisialoganglioside fraction.
• 5 The two periods of rapid ganglioside metabolism in rat brain preceded the two periods of rapid protein biosynthesis.

     

TYROSINE HYDROXYLASE IN RAT BRAIN: DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract— The development of tyrosine hydroxylase (tyrosine 3-hydroxylase, EC 1.14.3.a) activity has been examined in whole rat brain and in various regions and subcellular fractions thereof. The specific activity of tyrosine hydroxylase increased almost 15-fold from 15 days of gestation to adulthood. With maturation, those regions of the brain that contain only terminals of the catecholaminergic neurons showed the greatest increases in enzyme activity. There was a shift in the subcellular distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase from the soluble fraction in the fetal brain to the synaptosomal fraction in the adult brain. Tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine hydroxylase (EC 1.14.2.1) and the specific uptake mechanism for norepinephrine appear to develop in a coordinated fashion.     

人脑胶质瘤细胞质膜的制备和鉴定

 本文介绍以手术摘除的人脑胶质瘤为标本,应用蔗糖梯度离心建立的一种较为简便的人脑胶质瘤细胞质膜制备法。经标记酶测定,化学组成分析及电镜检查,证实质膜具有一定的纯度。质膜中5’-核苷酸酶(质膜标记酶)活性为全匀浆的8.2倍,其它亚细胞组份污染较小。质膜收量为24.6％。生化测定还显示质膜5’-核苷酸酶活性随着胶质瘤恶性程度升高而下降。     

DIFFERENCES IN THE REGULATION OF TYROSINE AMINOTRANSFERASE IN BRAIN AND LIVER

Abstract— l -Tyrosine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.5) activity in rat brain is not regulated in the same way as in rat liver. No diurnal rhythm in the activity of the cerebral enzyme was found in rats fed ad lib. although there was a marked diurnal variation in the activity of the hepatic enzyme. In adrenalectomized rats, hydrocortisone and glucagon induced the enzyme in liver but had no effect on the enzyme in brain. In normal rats, treatment with reserpine or exposure to cold elevated the activity of the hepatic enzyme without affecting the enzyme in brain. Thus, the tyrosine aminotransferase of brain differed from the enzyme in liver since it did not exhibit diurnal variations of activity and was not affected by hormones, drugs, or stress.     

ALTERATIONS IN BRAIN OCTOPAMINE AND BRAIN TYROSINE FOLLOWING PORTACAVAL ANASTOMOSIS IN RATS

Abstract— Following portacaval anastomosis in the rat, plasma and brain tyrosine are markedly elevated, although brain tyrosine is increased to a significantly greater degree than plasma tyrosine. Both plasma and brain tyrosine as well as brain octopamine correlated well with a presumed index of impaired hepatic function, the ratio of liver weight to body weight in shunted rats. A significant positive correlation was observed between brain octopamine and brain tyrosine. The significance of these findings to the etiology and treatment of clinical hepatic encephalopathy is discussed.     

THE EFFECTS OF REPEATED-LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE INJECTIONS ON CATECHOLAMINE LEVELS AND TYROSINE HYDROXYLASE ACTIVITY IN RAT BRAIN REGIONS

Daily injections of 100 μg/kg of d -lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for 14 days produced a significant decrease in the dopamine level in rat brain corpus striatum which was still apparent 15 days after the last LSD treatment. Further LSD injections did not change the amount of dopamine depletion. In cerebral cortex, 14 days of LSD injections produced a significant decrease in the norepinephrine level and a significant increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity. The elevated tyrosine hydroxylase activity was still present 15 days after the final LSD injection but only in those animals receiving daily vehicle injections during this period. Pre-treatment of rats with daily saline injections for 2 weeks before the 2 week period of LSD treatment prevented both the reduced norepinephrine content and elevated tyrosine hydroxylase activity usually found 24 h after the last LSD injection.     

MASS FRAGMENTOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF SOME ACIDIC AND ALCOHOLIC METABOLITES OF BIOGENIC AMINES IN THE RAT BRAIN

—A mass fragmentographic procedure is described for the simultaneous quantification of a number of deaminated metabolites derived from tyramine, octopamine, dopamine, and norepinephrine. With this method, several of the metabolites were measured in normal rat brain. The results support the central nervous system origin of tyramine, octopamine and their metabolites. The concentration of the dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid, in the rat brain was found to be about 15% higher than that of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. As for the metabolites of norepinephrine, vanilmandelic acid concentration was found to be about 5% that of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol. The possible role of vanilmandelic acid in the CNS metabolism of norephrine is discussed.     

SYNTHESIS AND METABOLISM OF l-KYNURENINE IN RAT BRAIN

Abstract— A method for the quantitative analysis of femtomole amounts of kynurenine (along with tryptophan, 3-hydroxykynurenine and kynuramine) in rat brain using high pressure liquid chroma-tography and electron-capture GLC is described. Endogenous concentrations of these substances in rat brain regions were measured, and their formation after the injection of radioactive tryptophan or kynurenine was determined. Kynurenine was formed from tryptophan in brain and was also taken up from the periphery. Extracerebral kynurenine was calculated to account for 60% of the cerebral pool of kynurenine. The cerebral rates of synthesis of kynurenine and 3-hydroxykynurenine were 0.29 and 0.17nmol/g/h. The turnover rate of kynurenine in the brain was 1.02 nmol/g/h measured from [¹⁴C]tryptophan or 1.14 nmol/g/h from [³H]kynurenine injected intraperitoneally. Kynuramine levels in different areas of the brain were similar to those of tryptamine. Following intraperitoneal injection of [¹⁴C]tryptophan, the presence of anthranilic, 3-hydroxyanthranilic, xanthurenic, kynurenic and quinaldic acids was demonstrated in the brain.     

TRIPHOSPHOINOSITIDE PHOSPHODIESTERASE IN DEVELOPING BRAIN OF THE RAT AND IN SUBCELLULAR FRACTIONS OF BRAIN

Abstract— An assay system for the measurement of triphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase in homogenates of rat brain is described. With triphosphoinositide (TPI) as substrate, and in the presence of 0·1 m -KCI and saturating amounts of diethyl ether, the activity of phosphodiesterase in myelinated brain was 400–500 μmoles of TPI hydrolysed per g wet wt. per hr. One quarter of the adult level of the enzyme was present in rat brain one day after birth, with the remainder being added prior to and during the early stages of myelination. On subfractionation of brain homogenates, substantial activity of the enzyme was located in the soluble portion and in the paniculate fractions enriched in myelin and synaptosomes. The enzyme associated with the particulate fractions could not be detached from the membranes by any of several methods employed. There was a rough correlation between distribution of phosphodiesterase and that of 5'-nucleotidase, an enzyme associated with plasma membrane in a number of tissues. Some implications of the results are discussed.     

SYNAPTOSOMAL TYROSINE HYDROXYLATION IN THE RAT BRAIN: COMPARISON OF ACTIVITY FROM HIPPOCAMPUS AND HYPOTHALAMUS WITH ACTIVITY FROM STRIATUM

Abstract— A modified tritium release assay for the measurement of synaptosomal tyrosine hydroxyl-ation. with a sensitivity suitable for use on areas of the rat brain with a low density of catecholamine terminals. is described. The apparent K_m , for tyrosine hydroxylase in the hippocampus was 9.3 μM. in the hypothalamus 6.1 μM and in the striatum 9.9 μM Preparations from all three regions showed a pH optimum of 6.0–6.2, and the activities were reduced to a small % of control by synaptosomal disruption. 3-iodotyrosine. noradrenaline and reserpine. Membrane depolarization at a pH of 6.1 did not elevate tyrosine hydroxylation rates in any of the regions studied, although striatal tyrosine hy-droxylation rates were elevated at a pH of 7.2 by 55 mM-K⁺. The addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (0.5 mM) to the medium produced a 20-30% elevation of the rates of hydroxylation in all three regions studied: addition of tetrahydrobiopterin (0.2 mM) elevated hydroxylation rates in the hypothalamus and striatum. These results indicate that many characteristics of tyrosine hydroxylase from the three regions are similar. In each case the enzyme is apparently sensitive to end-product inhibition and to cyclic AMP activation.     

LOCALIZATION, SOLUBILIZATION AND PROPERTIES GANGLIOSIDE TRANSFERASES IN RAT BRAIN OF N-ACETYLGALACTOSAMINYL AND GALACTOSYL GANGLIOSIDE TRANSFERASES IN RAT BRAIN

Abstract— The subcellular distributions of UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine: G_M3 N-acetyl-galactosaminyl transferase and UDP-galactose: G_M2 galactosyl transferase, two enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of gangliosides, were determined in the 7-day-old rat brain by means of synaptosomal fractionation techniques. The enzymes were located on the synaptic membranes and appeared to be closely associated with gangliosides and acetylcholinesterase. Solubilization of the transferase enzymes from the microsomal particles was achieved and differed from the solubilization of acetylcholinesterase and of the total membrane protein. Competition studies suggest that the ^N-acetylgalactosaminyl transferase involved in the formation of G_M2 from G_M3 is different from the N-acetylgalactosaminyl transferase involved in the formation of GalNAoGal-Glc-ceramide from Gal-Glc-ceramide, whereas in contrast, both the formation of G_M1 from G_M2 and of Gal-GalNAc-Gal-Glcceramide from GalNAc-Gal-Glc-ceramide appear to be catalysed by the same galactosyl transferase.     

CORRELATION OF PLASMA AND BRAIN AMINO ACID AND PUTATIVE NEUROTRANSMITTER ALTERATIONS DURING ACUTE HEPATIC COMA IN THE RAT

During acute hepatic coma following two-stage hepatic devascularization in the rat, profound changes occurred in plasma and whole-brain amino acids and putative neurotransmitters. Brain ammonia, glutamine and GABA were increased, aspartate was decreased, while glutamate was unchanged. An increase in brain tryptophan was accompanied by a similar increase in plasma unbound tryptophan but decreased plasma total tryptophan. These changes occurred in the presence of high plasma levels of the other neutral amino acids, including the branched chain amino acids. Plasma insulin was unchanged while glucagon levels rose, resulting in a decreased insulin to glucagon ratio. These results suggest that while plasma unbound tryptophan may influence brain tryptophan levels, altered plasma concentrations of neutral amino acids which compete with tryptophan for transport into the brain do not contribute to the increase in brain tryptophan observed during acute hepatic coma.     

BRAIN TYROSINE HYDROXYLATION: ALTERATION OF OXYGEN AFFINITY IN VIVO BY IMMOBILIZATION OR ELECTROSHOCK IN THE RAT

Abstract— The rates of brain tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylation, estimated in vivo from the accumulation of DOPA and 5-hydroxytryptophan after the administration of a decarboxylase inhibitor, appear dependent on the availability of oxygen as a substrate. During two types of physical stress, electroshock and curare-immobilization, the rate of brain tyrosine hydroxylation was greater than in unstressed controls and was not significantly decreased when the stresssed animals were made hypoxic. The loss of oxygen dependence by brain tyrosine hydroxylation during stress was observed in several brain regions and was not associated with alterations in the concentrations of brain tyrosine. tryptophan, serotonin, dopamine or norepinephrine. The rate of brain tryptophan hydroxylation was not affected by stress and remained oxygen dependent. The increase in catecholamine synthesis during stress appears to be the result of increased catecholaminergic nerve impulse flow. These experiments are consistent with the hypothesis that during neuronal stimulation an allosteric change in tyrosine hydroxylase increases the affinity of the enzyme for oxygen allowing greater catecholamine synthesis despite limiting concentrations of this substrate.     

STUDIES ON ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE OF RAT BRAIN SYNAPTOSOMAL PLASMA MEMBRANES

Abstract— A fluorimetric assay has been used to examine some kinetic properties of AChE from synaptosomal plasma membranes prepared from rat brain. The AChE bound to the plasma membranes was compared to that solubilized with Triton X-100 and found to be essentially the same with respect to Michaelis constant and inhibitor constants for several AChE inhibitors. The two forms of the enzyme had slightly different pH optima. The kinetic studies revealed no evidence that synaptosomal plasma membrane AChE has allosteric properties. The solubilized enzyme was further purified by affinity chromatography.     

IN VIVO METHYLATION AND TURNOVER OF RAT BRAIN HISTONES

Abstract— The turnover of the different histone components from brain nuclei was studied after the administration of l -[³H]lysine and l -[¹⁴C-methyl]methionine to newborn rats. The radioactivities of the different histone subfractions as well as other proteins were determined over a 280-day period. Biphasic type decay curves (³H and ¹⁴C) were obtained for total brain histones and all the subfractions. From 6 to 40 days of age the half life of total brain histones was 19 days. After reaching brain maturity the half life was 132 days. The lysine rich histone (F₁) was found to turnover the fastest of all the histones, having half lives of 13 and 112 days, respectively. The decay curve for the slightly lysine rich histones (F_2a2, F_2b) gave half lives of 25 days up to 40 days of age and 189 days after reaching brain maturity. The arginine rich histones (F_2a1, F₃) gave a half life of 32 days up to 40 days of age, while no turnover was observed after maturity. The turnover rates of the methyl groups and/or methionyl residues did not vary significantly from the turnover rates of the lysyl residues in the F₂ and F₃ histones. The lysine-rich histones did not contain significant amounts of methionyl residues or methyl groups.
Amino acid analysis of the brain histones revealed that about 3·6 per cent of the lysyl residues in the slightly lysine rich histones were methylated, mainly as ε-N-dimethyllysine. About 13 per cent of the lysyl residues in the arginine rich histones were methylated, mainly as ε-N-monomethyllysine and ε-N-dimethyllysine.     

SYNTHESIS OF GLYCOPROTEINS AND GANGLIO-SIDES IN DEVELOPING RAT BRAIN

Abstract— Intracerebral injections of radioactive fucose into developing rats resulted in specific labelling of the brain glycoproteins in their fucose moieties. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate revealed that the radioactive glycoproteins were very heterogeneous with regard to molecular weight. A procedure utilizing [³H]fucose and [¹⁴C]fucose together with double-label counting techniques was developed for comparing the electrophoretic patterns of newly synthesized glycoproteins from different samples of tissue. By the use of this procedure we showed that the incorporation of radioactive fucose into the glycoproteins of high mol. wt. was relatively greater in the brains of 5-day-old rats than in those of 25-day-old rats. Intracerebral injection of N -[ Ac -³H]acetyl- d -mannosamine resulted in a high degree of specificity for the labelling of sialic acid moieties in glycoproteins and gangliosides. The ratio of the d.p.m. of N -[³H]acetylmannosamine incorporated into glycoproteins to the d.p.m. incorporated into gangliosides was higher in 5-day-old rats than in 15- or 25-day-old rats. Experiments in which 15-day-old rats were injected with a mixture of [¹⁴C]fucose and N -[³H]acetylmannosamine showed that there were differences in the relative degrees of incorporation of the two radioactive precursors into the various glycoproteins. The greatest incorporation of [¹⁴C]fucose relative to that of N- [³H]acetylmannosamine occurred in some of the glycoproteins of smaller mol. wt.     

DETERMINATION OF MONOAMINE OXIDASE IN RAT BRAIN BY ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE TECHNIQUES

—The recent development of spin-labeling techniques has permitted its application to the measurement of the concentration of rat brain mitochondrial monoamine oxidase (MAO) and detection of possible multiple forms of this enzyme. Spin-labeled p-hydroxyamphetamine (SHA) was used as a probe of the active site of the enzyme. The binding of SHA to MAO was monitored by measuring the intensity of the × band ESR spectra obtained with a Varian V-4502 ESR spectrometer. The measured volume of each sample was about 0·02 ml and time required for each measurement was 5 min. In the presence of MAO, a linear relationship was observed between spectral intensity and the concentration of the spin-label in a range of 4 × 10^?6m to 10^?3m . A plot of the amount of enzyme-inhibitor complex formed against the concentration of SHA suggested the existence of at least three different affinities of SHA to the possible multiple forms of MAO. Measurements made using a constant concentration of the spin-label (3·21 × 10^?5m ) resulted in a calibration curve with two plateaus when the concentration of the enzyme-inhibitor complex was plotted against the apparent concentration of MAO. These data also suggested that spin-labeled hydroxyamphetamine had distinctly different affinities toward the multiple forms of MAO that were present in the partially purified preparation employed. Measurements made with constant concentrations of SHA and MAO but with varying temperatures (4-56°C) resulted in a curve with two plateaus which also suggested the existence of at least three different binding affinities of the enzyme preparation for the inhibitor. This ESR technique is simple, rapid, accurate and fairly sensitive. It was also applied to the measurement of MAO in human platelets.     

GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS FRAGMENTOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID IN RAT BRAIN

Abstract— A gas chromatography-mass fragmentographic procedure is described for the quantitation of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in rat brain. IAA was determined as its IV-1-pentafluoropropionyl-methyl ester. Deuterium labeled IAA was employed as an internal standard. Assay sensitivities of at least 500 pg and 2.5 ng could be achieved by single and double ion monitoring respectively. Whole brain IAA concentrations were determined to be 11.6 + 0.75 ng/g (n = 6). IAA concentrations in brain areas ranged from 10 to 64 ng/g with highest levels in the striatum. Rat brain IAA accumulated curvilinearly with respect to time over a 90 min interval following probenecid (200 mg/kg, i.p.). The efflux of IAA from brain appears mediated in part through a probenecid-sensitive active efflex process.