Initiation of the 3′:5′-AMP-induced protein kinase A Iα regulatory subunit conformational transition. Part II. Inhibition by Rp-3′:5′-AMPS

Protein-ligand docking and ab initio calculations have shown that the 3′:5′-AMP phosphorothioate analog (Rp-3′:5′-AMPS) blocks the A326 amide group displacement typical of transition from the H- to B-conformation within the B-domain of protein kinase A Iα R-subunit. This behavior of Rp-3′:5′-AMPS leads to the inhibition of initial stages of hydrophobic relay operation. In accordance with the proposed hypothesis, Rp-3′:5′-AMPS similarly to 3′:5′-AMP forms a hydrogen bond with the amide group of A326; however, the properties of this bond together with the position of the sulfur atom prevent the movement of A326. Finally, the Rp-3′:5′-AMPS-bound domain appears to be locked in the H-conformation, which is in agreement with the X-ray data.     

TheS,X-acetals in nucleoside chemistry. I. The synthesis of 2′- and 5′-O-methylthiomethylribonucleosides

Ribonucleoside 2′- and 5′-O-methylthiomethyl derivatives were synthesized from selectively protected nucleosides by the action of a dimethyl sulfoxide-acetic anhydride-acetic acid mixture.     

A. A. Ukhtomskiĭ and I. P. Pavlov: a controversy or a dialogue?

Pavlov's concept of conditioned reflexes and Ukhtomskii theory of dominanta fall within the biological line in physiology. They unravel the integral adaptive and active nature of the organism behavior in the environment. It is impossible to develop modern concepts about the determinants of goal-directed behavior of animals and voluntary activity of humans without in-depth study of the achievements of these Russian physiological schools which not only formed the methodological basis for the current studies but also directed the way for their further development.     

The amino acid sequence of cytochrome c′ from Alcaligenes sp. N.C.I.B. 11015

The amino acid sequence of the cytochrome c' from Alcaligenes sp. N.C.I.B. 11015 (Iwasaki's ;Pseudomonas denitrificans') has been determined. This organism is the only non-photosynthetic bacterium in which the protein has been found. The protein consists of a single polypeptide chain of 127 residues, with a single haem covalently attached to two cysteines. Unlike normal cytochromes c, the haem attachment site is very close to the C-terminus. The amino acid sequence around the haem attachment site is very similar to that of Chromatium vinosum D cytochrome c'. Detailed evidence for the amino acid sequence of the protein has been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50022 at the British Library (Lending Division), (formerly the National Lending Library for Science and Technology), Boston Spa, Yorks. LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies may be obtained on the terms given in Biochem. J. (1973) 131, 5.     

Stereochemical considerations in the enzymatic phosphorylation and antiviral activity of acyclonucleosides. I. Phosphorylation of 2′-nor-2′-deoxyguanosine

The antiviral compound 9-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]guanine (2′-nor-2′-deoxyguanosine, 2′-NDG) is phosphorylated by the HSV-1-induced thymidine kinase to the monophosphate (2′-NDG-MP) and this is further phosphorylated by cellular kinases to the triphosphate (2′-NDG-TP) which is a potent inhibitor of DNA polymerases. Since phosphorylation of 2′-NDG creates a chiral center in the molecule, it was of interest to examine whether both monophosphate enantiomers were produced by the viral thymidine kinase, whether they both could be further phosphorylated by cellular kinases and, if so, whether the respective triphosphates were equally inhibitory to the DNA polymerases. The time course of the phosphorylation by GMP kinase of a chemically synthesized, racemic 2′-NDG-MP was compared to that of a 2′-NDG-MP preparation obtained by enzymatic phosphorylation of 2′-NDG with HSV-1 thymidine kinase. The results indicated (a) that the two enantiomeric monophosphates were phosphorylated by GMP kinase with different rates and (b) that phosphorylation of 2′-NDG by HSV-1 thymidine kinase gave only one of the isomers, whose structure was determined to be S. Both enantiomeric diphosphates were further phosphorylated to the respective triphosphates and it was shown that, in contrast to the triphosphate obtained from the 2′-NDG-MP prepared by viral thymidine kinase which was a potent inhibitor of HSV-1 DNA polymerase, the triphosphate obtained from the slow-reacting R isomer had little or no inhibitory activity against this enzyme.     

N2-Substituted-2′-deoxyguanosine 5′-Triphosphates as Substrates for E. coli DNA Polymerase I

Abstract

Several N²-alkyl and N²-phenyl 2′-deoxyguanosine 5′-triphosphates and 2-bromo-2′-deoxyinosine 5′-triphosphate were synthesized and tested as substrates for E. coli DNA polymerase I with a template: primer system requiring incorporation of 85 nucleotides. N²-Methyl-dGTP and N²-ethyl-dGTP were found to be efficiently incorporated in place of dGTP to give full length product. N²-n-Hexyl-dGTP supported limited full length synthesis at high concentration, but N²-phenyl- and N²-(p-n-butylphenyl)-dGTP were poor substrates. 2-Bromo-2′-deoxyinosine 5′-triphosphate was a good substrate for pol I, and it was a replacement only for dGTP. Melting temperatures of oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing N²-alkyl-dG residues, annealed to complementary single stranded DNA, were lower than that of the normal oligomer.     

Raoul Combes (1883–1964) et la S.I.G.M.A.

Sans résumé     

Defect in 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate synthesis in brachymorphic mice: I. Characterization of the defect

Biosynthesis of the undersulfated proteoglycan found in brachymorphic mouse (bm/ bm) cartilage has been investigated. Similar amounts of cartilage proteoglycan core protein, as measured by radioimmune inhibition assay, and comparable activity levels of four of the glycosyltransferases requisite for synthesis of chondroitin sulfate chains were found in cartilage homogenates from neonatal bm/bm and normal mice, suggesting normal production of glycosylated core protein acceptor for sulfation. When incubated with ³⁵S-labeled 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS), bm/bm cartilage extracts showed a higher than control level of sulfotransferase activity. In contrast, when synthesis was initiated from ATP and ³⁵SO₄^2?, mutant cartilage extracts showed lower incorporation of ³⁵SO₄^2? into endogenous chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (19% of control level) and greatly reduced formation of PAPS (10% of control level). Results from coincubations of normal and mutant cartilage extracts exhibited intermediate levels of sulfate incorporation into PAPS and endogenous acceptors, suggesting the absence of an inhibitor for sulfate-activating enzymes or sulfotransferases. Degradation rates of ³⁵S]PAPS and of ³⁵S-labeled adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS) were comparable in bm/bm and normal cartilage extracts. Specific assays for both ATP sulfurylase (sulfate adenylyltransferase; ATP:sulfate adenylyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.4) and APS kinase (adenylylsulfate kinase; ATP:adenylylsulfate 3′-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.25) showed decreases in the former (50% of control) and the latter (10–15% of control) enzyme activities in bm/bm cartilage extracts. Both enzyme activities were reduced to intermediate levels in extracts of cartilage from heterozygous brachymorphic mice (ATP-sulfurylase, 80% of control; APS kinase, 40–70% of control). Furthermore, the moderate reduction in ATP sulfurylase activity in bm/bm cartilage extracts was accompanied by increased lability to freezing and thawing of the residual activity of this enzyme. These results indicate that under-sulfation of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan in bm/bm cartilage is due to a defect in synthesis of the sulfate donor (PAPS), resulting from diminished activities of both ATP sulfurylase and APS kinase, although the reduced activity of the latter enzyme seems to be primarily responsible for the defect in PAPS synthesis.     

pppA2′p5′A2′p5′A保护病毒感染细胞的普遍性

pppA2′p5′A2′p5′A(简称2′-5′P_3A_3)是干扰素作用于细胞后诱导产生的物质。干扰素的作用机理很复杂,其中之一是2′-5′寡聚腺苷酸合成酶的活力增加,此酶以ATP为底物合成2′-5′P_3A_3及其同系物2′-5′P_3An。但2′-5′P_3A_3或2′-5′P_3A_n本身是否具有抗病毒作用,干扰素的抗病毒作用是否通过2′-5′P_3A_3或2′-5′P_3A_n而进行,这是一个很     

A direct solid‐phase assay specific for heavy metal toxicity. I. methodology

We have developed a direct toxicity assay for soils, sediments and sludges that is specific for heavy‐metal toxicity. In the assay, a β‐galactosidase‐producingstrain of Escherichia coll is mixed with the solids sample together with a small volume (1.0 ml/0.5 to 1.0 g of solids) of eluent Extraction of metals from the solids sample is not required. Controls run with the assay eliminate interference due to indigenous β‐ga‐lactosidase activity or interaction between the solid matrix and the chromaphore. Use of 0.1 M sodium nitrate as eluent was found to yield somewhat higher sensitivity to heavy metals in solid‐phase samples than MilliQ water. Application of the assay to a diverse array of soils, sludges, and sediments indicated that samples from industrial sites were generally more toxic than those from residential or commercial sites. Heavy‐metal toxicity was correlated with the copper and zinc content of solids samples, but toxicity varied considerably at the lower range of metal contents. The proposed solid‐phase assay should prove useful as a screening test for heavy‐metal toxicity in soils, sediments, and sludges. It can also help distinguish between heavy metals and organic chemicals as the cause of toxicity in solid‐phase samples.     

3′-Azido-3′-deoxy-5′-O-isonicotinoylthymidine: A Novel Antiretroviral Analog of Zidovudine. II. Stability in Aqueous Media and Experimental and Theoretical Ionization Constants

Abstract

Degradation of 3′-azido-3′-deoxy-5′-O-isonicotinoylthymidine (AZT-Iso), an antiretroviral derivative of zidovudine, was investigated in buffer pH 7.4, µ = 300 mOsm at 37, 50 and 60°C, and in water (pH 6.6, 37°C), giving zidovudine (AZT) and isonicotinic acid (INA) as products. The rate constants were determined by reversed-phase HPLC showing pseudo-first-order kinetics related to the residual amount of AZT-Iso. In this way, the studied compound was demonstrated to be 153 times more stable in water than in buffer solution at 37°C. The analytical method was conveniently validated demonstrating to be a rapid and accurate stability-indicating technique. In addition, experimental and theoretical values of pKa were determined.     

Interaction of α-lactalbumin with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles. I. A microcalorimetric and fluorescence study

α-Lactalbumin and dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine were used as a prototype to study the influence of a protein conformational change, induced by the pH, on the interaction between that protein and a phospholipid.The enthalpy changes associated with the interaction of α-lactalbumin with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles were measured as a function of the molar ratio of phospholipid to protein, pH and temperature. Gel-filtration, electron-microscopic and fluorescence data for the same experimental conditions were also obtained. At pH 4 and 5, the enthalphy changes (ΔH) are not only larger than at physiological pH, but also show a maximum at about 23°C in the ΔH vs. temperature graph. At pH 6 and 7, on the contrary, ΔH increases with decreasing temperature without a maximum in the curve. Gel-chromatographic and electron-microscopic data show that at pH 6 and 7, the morphological characteristics of the vesicles are unchanged upon addition of α-lactalbumin, while at pH 4 and 5 at 23°C an extra peak appears in the gel-filtration graphs between the pure vesicles and α-lactalbumin. The new fraction contains lipid-protein complexes. Electron micrographs show that bar-shaped entities are formed. A red shift at 23°C and a blue shift at 37°C, both to 336 nm, are observed for λ_max of the fluorescence emission spectra at pH 4 when α-lactalbumin is brought into contact with the phospholipid. At the same time, a strong increase in the fluorescence intensity is observed. The chromatographic and fluorescence data indicate that a lipid-protein complex with a molar ratio of approx. 80 is formed. At pH 7 and different temperatures, the emission maximum remains at the wavelength of pure α-lactalbumin, the change in the fluorescence intensity, however, indicates that interaction with the lipid occurs.The results can be explained on the basis of an electrostatic interaction at pH 6 and 7, and a hydrophobic interaction at pH 4 and 5.