Synthesis of a tetrasaccharide phosphate from the linkage region of the arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex in the mycobacterial cell wall

The synthesis of dibenzyl 6-O-naphthylmethyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-beta-D-galactofuranosyl-(1-->5)-2,3-di-O-benzoyl-6-O-benzyl-beta-D-galactofuranosyl-(1-->4)-3-O-benzyl-2-O-pivaloyl-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4,6-di-O-benzoyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (1), a protected form of the tetrasaccharide phosphate of the linkage region of the arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex in the mycobacterial cell wall, has been accomplished. Key steps include the coupling of four monosaccharide building blocks with complete stereoselectivity by glycosylations employing thioglycosides, 2'-carboxybenzyl glycosides, and glycosyl fluorides as glycosyl donors. The alpha-glycosyl phosphate linkage was also stereoselectively elaborated by reaction of a tetrasaccharide hemiacetal with tetrabenzyl pyrophosphate in the presence of a base.     

Biosynthesis of the arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The compositional complexity of the mycobacterial cell envelope differentiates Mycobacterium species from most other prokaryotes. Historically, research in this area has focused on the elucidation of the structure of the mycobacterial cell envelope with the result that the structures of the mycolic acid-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex from M. tuberculosis are fairly well understood. However, the current impetus for studying M. tuberculosis and other pathogenic mycobacteria is the need to identify targets for the development of new drugs. Therefore, emphasis has been shifting to the study of cell envelope biosynthesis and the identification of enzymes that are essential to the viability of M. tuberculosis. The publication of the complete M. tuberculosis genome in 1998 has greatly aided these studies. To date, thirteen enzymes involved in the synthesis of the arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex of M. tuberculosis have been identified and at least partially characterized. Eleven of these enzymes were reported subsequent to the publication of the M. tuberculosis genome, a clear indication of the rapid evolution of knowledge stimulated by the sequencing of the genome. In this article we review the current understanding of M. tuberculosis arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan structure and biosynthesis.     

Immunochemical characterization of cell wall protein antigen purified from the cell wall autolysate of Clostridium botulinum type A.

The cell wall protein antigen was solubilized from the isolated cell walls of Clostridium botulinum type A by autolysis and purified by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose column chromatography followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150. The two fractions showed a high degree of the serological activity and produced a main fused precipitin line in immunodiffusion tests against the homologous antiserum. The fact that antigenic fractions contained various kinds of amino acids but no detectable amounts of amino sugars or carbohydrates suggests that the antigens were principally composed of proteins. The protein antigen possessed multiple antigenic components in immunoelectrophoresis. As serological activity, the antigen was heat-stable and resistant to tryptic digestion but sensitive to the actions of pronase, nagarse or pepsin. The protein antigen appeared to be responsible for the common antigenicity among the proteolytic strains of C. botulinum.     

Electron microscopy of the cell wall complex ofMethylomonas albus

In surface view, the cell wall complex ofMethylomonas albus possesses a hexagonal pattern of ridges. Thin sections reveal a continuous layer of goblet-shaped elements attached to the outermost surface of the lipopolysaccharide membrane. A possible interpretation of the cell wall complex ofM. albus, based on the fine-structural data is presented.     

Antitumor activity of Nocardia cell wall skeleton preparations in transplantable tumors in syngeneic mice and patients with malignant pleurisy

Summary The antitumor activity of the cell wall skeleton preparations of four species of Nocardia, N. brasiliensis strain 146, N. coeliaca strain 122, N. polychromogenes strain 6, and N. rubra, which showed potent adjuvant activity on the induction of cell-mediated cytotoxicity in allogeneic mice, was examined with the aid of EL-4 leukemia, melanoma B16, and MH-134 hepatoma in syngeneic mice. Preliminary clinical trials were performed and the results suggest that the cell wall skeleton of N. rubra, upon intrapleural injection, may be useful as an immunotherapeutic agent for patients with malignant pleurisy. The chemical properties of these cell wall skeleton preparations are described.     

Identification of actin kinase activity in purified fragmin-actin complex.

Actin kinase phosphorylates actin of fragmin-actin complex, resulting in the inactivation of the nucleation and capping activities of the complex. Fragmin-actin complex was prepared by a new purification procedure. Incubation with ATP caused inactivation of the purified complex and phosphorylation of actin of fragmin-actin complex. The detailed analysis of the complex by SDS-gel electrophoresis showed that actin kinase was co-purified with the fragmin-actin complex. Formation of such an association between actin kinase and substrate suggests that the kinase is localized on the fragmin-actin complex to efficiently regulate actin cytoskeletons.     

Mass spectrometric analysis of O-peracetylated derivatives of 1-monomycoloylglycerol isolated from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, Rhodococcus rhodochrous and R. lentifragmentus

1-Monomycoloylglycerols from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, Rhodococcus rhodochrous and R. lentifragmentus were reacted with acetic acid ahydride in the presence of pyridine. On infrared spectra the reaction products showed a sharp characteristic absorption of the acetyl ester group at 1235 cm-1; the hydroxyl group absorption (3400 cm-1) was absent. O-Peracetylated monomycoloylglycerols were analyzed by mass spectrometry under electron impact mode. The most common and representative peaks were associated to the following remarkable fragments: (a) peak at m/z 159 represented the backbone of the glycerol unit of peracetylated monomycoloylglycerols; it constituted the diagnostic and base peak of that group of compounds; (b) peak representing the glycerol moiety together with the alpha-subunit of the mycolic acid moiety; it gave the size of the chain length of the hydrocarbon side chain of that mycolic acid; and (c) a series of peaks of acylium ions minus 60 mass units (acetic acid) indicated the size of the chain length of the esterified mycolic acid. Therefore, acetylation of monomycoloylglycerol becomes the derivatized compound suitable for mass spectrometry. Moreover, the derivatives are more thermostable and resistant to pyrolysis. By associating these properties, separation and identification of homologs of monomycoloylglycerols are further expected.     

The cell wall of the pathogenic bacterium Rhodococcus equi contains two channel-forming proteins with different properties

We have identified in organic solvent extracts of whole cells of the gram-positive pathogen Rhodococcus equi two channel-forming proteins with different and complementary properties. The isolated proteins were able to increase the specific conductance of artificial lipid bilayer membranes made from phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylserine mixtures by the formation of channels able to be permeated by ions. The channel-forming protein PorA(Req) (R. equi pore A) is characterized by the formation of cation-selective channels, which are voltage gated. PorA(Req) has a single-channel conductance of 4 nS in 1 M KCl and shows high permeability for positively charged solutes because of the presence of negative point charges. According to the results of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), the protein has an apparent molecular mass of about 67 kDa. The analysis (using the effect of negative charges on channel conductance) of the concentration dependence of the single-channel conductance suggested that the diameter of the cell wall channel is about 2.0 nm. The second channel (formed by PorB(Req) [R. equi pore B]) shows a preferred movement of anions through the channel and is not voltage gated. This channel shows a single-channel conductance of 300 pS in 1 M KCl and is characterized by the presence of positive point charges in or near the channel mouth. Based on SDS-PAGE, the apparent molecular mass of the channel-forming protein is about 11 kDa. Channel-forming properties of the investigated cell wall porins were compared with those of others isolated from mycolic acid-containing actinomycetes. We present here the first report of a fully characterized anion-selective cell wall channel from a member of the order Actinomycetales.     

A purified Drosophila septin complex forms filaments and exhibits GTPase activity

Septin proteins are necessary for cytokinesis in budding yeast and Drosophila and are thought to be the subunits of the yeast neck filaments. To test whether septins actually form filaments, an immunoaffinity approach was used to isolate a septin complex from Drosophila embryos. The purified complex is comprised of the three previously identified septin polypeptides Pnut, Sep2, and Sep1. Hydrodynamic and sequence data suggest that the complex is composed of a heterotrimer of homodimers. The complex copurifies with one molecule of bound guanine nucleotide per septin polypeptide. It binds and hydrolyzes exogenously added GTP. These observations together with conserved sequence motifs identify the septins as members of the GTPase superfamily. We discuss a model of filament structure and speculate as to how the filaments are organized within cells.     

Carbon source-induced modifications in the mycolic acid content and cell wall permeability of Rhodococcus erythropolis E1

The influence of the carbon source on cell wall properties was analyzed in an efficient alkane-degrading strain of Rhodococcus erythropolis (strain E1), with particular focus on the mycolic acid content. A clear correlation was observed between the carbon source and the mycolic acid profiles as estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Two types of mycolic acid patterns were observed after growth either on saturated linear alkanes or on short-chain alkanoates. One type of pattern was characterized by the lack of odd-numbered carbon chains and resulted from growth on linear alkanes with even numbers of carbon atoms. The second type of pattern was characterized by mycolic acids with both even- and odd-numbered carbon chains and resulted from growth on compounds with odd-numbered carbon chains, on branched alkanes, or on mixtures of different compounds. Cellular short-chain fatty acids were twice as abundant during growth on a branched alkane (pristane) as during growth on acetate, while equal amounts of mycolic acids were found under both conditions. More hydrocarbon-like compounds and less polysaccharide were exposed at the cell wall surface during growth on alkanes. Whatever the substrate, the cells had the same affinity for aqueous-nonaqueous solvent interfaces. By contrast, bacteria displayed completely opposite susceptibilities to hydrophilic and hydrophobic antibiotics and were found to be strongly stained by hydrophobic dyes after growth on pristane but not after growth on acetate. Taken together, these data show that the cell wall composition of R. erythropolis E1 is influenced by the nutritional regimen and that the most marked effect is a radical change in cell wall permeability.     

Retinyl esterase activity of purified rat liver retinyl ester lipoprotein complex.

Retinyl ester lipoprotein complex from rat liver was shown to possess a retinyl esterase activity toward its own ligand complement. In the presence of serum albumin the retinyl esterase activity at 30 °C was about fivefold larger than the activity at 4 °C, while higher temperatures than 30 °C led to some degradation of retinyl compounds. The pH optimum was 7.8. The esterase activity was markedly enhanced by serum albumin although the serum albumin as such had no retinyl esterase activity. In the presence of serum albumin and under optimal conditions, some 75 to 80% of the total retinyl ester complement of the lipoprotein was hydrolyzed in 24 h. The retinyl esterase activity was totally abolished by treatment with the serine esterase inhibitor diisopropyl fluorophosphate (1.4 × 10^?4 M), by treatment with sulfhydryl reagents, and by detergents (0.2% of Tween 80 and sodium deoxycholate). From this series of experiments it was concluded that the retinyl ester lipoprotein complex possesses the additional physiological function of hydrolyzing its own retinyl ester complement to unesterified retinol which may then combine with serum retinol-binding protein.     

Promotion of peroxidase activity in the cell wall of Nicotiana

Peroxidase catalyzes the oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid. The primary products of this reaction stimulate growth in plants. Therefore, our concept is that an increase in peroxidase activity will increase the effect of indole-3-acetic acid as a growth hormone. Our objective was to study the effect of 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid, a growth regulator, on isoperoxidases in the cell wall and cytoplasm of Nicotiana. Isoperoxidases from the cell wall and cytoplasmic fractions were separated by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. We found that 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid and indole-3-acetic acid increase peroxidase activity in the cell wall. Since both 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid and indole-3-acetic acid increase the activity of the same isoperoxidase, we conclude that 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid synergizes rather than antagonizes auxin action, and we suggest that this increase in indole-3-acetic acid oxidase activity sensitizes plant tissues to auxin.     

Adjuvant activity of monomeric bacterial cell wall peptidoglycans

We have previously shown that lysozyme solubilized cell walls of Mycobacteria or Nocardiae can replace whole mycobacterial cells or Wax D in Freund's complete adjuvant and it was found quite recently that hydrosoluble peptidoglycans, free of neutral sugars, are also adjuvant active. We show now that the simplest fragment tested — the disaccharide tetrapeptide (I) — increases circulating antibodies to ovalbumin and induces a delayed hypersensitivity toward this antigen. Similar compounds obtained from the basal layer of the cell wall of $\text{E. coli}$ are also active. Thus the immunoadjuvant activity of soluble cell wall peptidoglycans is a property of the monomeric unit and is not restricted to acid fast bacteria.     

Direct activation of tumoricidal properties in rat alveolar macrophages by Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton

Summary Alveolar macrophages (AM) lavaged from lungs of normal F344 rats were rendered tumoricidal following their direct interaction with squalene-treated Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (N-CWS) present in the culture medium. Maximum tumoricidal activity was obtained by incubating AM with 1 g N-CWS/ml for a 24-h period. These AM were cytolytic to syngeneic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic tumorigenic cells. Tumoricidal activity following interaction with N-CWS decreased gradually and was lost completely by 96 h. A second in vitro exposure to N-CWS reactivated AM to their full tumoricidal potential. The present studies suggest that N-CWS can directly activate AM to render them tumoricidal.