Evidence against the incorporation into protein of amino acids directly from the membrane transport system in rat heart

The possibility suggested recently [Hider, R.C., Fern, E.B. and London, D.R. (1969) Biochem. J. 114, 171-178; Hider, R.C., Fern, E.B. and London, D.R. (1971) Biochem. J. 121, 817-827; van Venrooij, W.J., Poort, C., Kramer, M.F. and Jansen, M.T. (1972) Eur. J. Biochem. 30, 427-433; and Adamson, L.F., Herington, A.C. and Bornstein, J. (1972) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 282, 352-365] that protein synthesis takes place using amino acids directly from the membrane transport system and not from an intracellular pool has been investigated in rat heart. The tissue was perfused first for 30 min with either [14C]glycine or [14C]leucine and then for a further 30 min with identical medium containing [3H]glycine or [3H]leucine, respectively. After an initial lag, [14C]glycine was incorporated into protein at a linear rate up to 60 min. The [3H]glycine was accumulated into tissue water and incorporated just as readily as the [14C]glycine had been. The rate of total protein synthesis agrees with literature values only if intracellular and not extracellular specific activity values are used in the calculation. Some glycine was converted to serine or threonine. Leucine influx and efflux were very rapid in contrast to the relatively slow exchange reported for incubated tissues [Hider, R.C., Fern, E.B. and London, D.R. (1969) Biochem. J. 114, 171-178; Hider, R.C., Fern, E.B. and London, D.R. (1971) Biochem. J. 121, 817-827; van Venrooij, W.J., Poort, C., Kramer, M.F. and Jansen, M.T. (1972) Eur. J. Biochem. 30, 427-433]. The results are consistent with the existence of an intracellular precursor pool for glycine. Some possible reasons for the discrepancies between this and the other studies are discussed.     

A comment on the ''jack-knife'' technique for analysing enzyme-kinetic data.

The use of the 'jack-knife' technique in the analysis of enzyme-kinetic data [Cornish-Bowden & Wong (1978] Biochem. J. 175, 969--976) is examined. The method can give parameter estimates that appear to be incorrect.     

Application of topological methods in enzyme kinetics.

A criticism [Cornish-Bowden (1976) Biochem. J. 159, 167] of an algebraic method for deriving steady-state rate equations [Indge & Childs (1976) Biochem. J. 155, 567-570] is theoretically founded.     

A comparison of seven methods for fitting the Michaelis-Menten equation.

The Michaelis-Menten equation was fitted to simulated data containing different sorts of error by using the three linear transformations, and the methods of S. R. Cohen [Anal. Biochem. (1968) 22, 549-552], R. Eisenthal & A. Cornish-Bowden [Biochem. J. (1974) 139, 715-120], F. de M. Merino [Biochem. J. 143, 93-95] and G. N. Wilkinson [Biochem. J. (1961) 808 324-332). The best methods were those of Eisenthal & Cornish-Bowden (1974) and Wilkinson (1961).     

Kinetic studies on the enzymes conjugating bile acids with taurine and glycine in bovine liver.

It has been suggested [Williams, D.C. & Jones, J.G. (1976) Biochem. J. 155, 661-667] that monomeric hexokinase isoenzyme A is not catalytically active. We here present data from reacting-enzyme sedimentation, dissociation experiments and from previous studies which are consistent with the monomeric form possessing catalytic activity.     

The molecular structure of a rapidly formed oligomeric adenosine tetraphosphate derivative from rat heart.

The inability to account for large systematic variations with time in soluble adenine nucleotides in perfused rat hearts [Bates, Perrett & Mowbray (1978) Biochem. J. 176, 485-493; Mowbray, Bates & Perrett (1981) FEBS Lett. 131, 55-59; Mowbray, Perrett & Bates (1984) Int. J. Biochem. 16, 889-894] led us to show that the soluble nucleotides are in rapid equilibrium with some hitherto unrecognized trichloroacetic acid/methanol-precipitable highly phosphorylated heteropolymeric form [Mowbray, Hutchinson, Tibbs & Morris (1984) Biochem. J. 223, 627-632]. Selective digestion coupled to chromatographic analysis together with m.s. and 31P-n.m.r. spectrometry have now been used to show that the likely structure for a purified oligomer that is in specific-radioactivity equilibrium with tissue ATP is 3-phospho-[glyceroyl-gamma-triphosphoroyl-5'-adenosine-3'-3- phospho]4 glyceroyl-gamma-triphosphoroyl-5'-adenosine.     

Estimation of the initial velocity of enzyme-catalysed reactions by non-linear regression analysis of progress curves.

Most methods for studying the kinetic properties of an enzyme involve the determination of initial velocities. When the reaction progress curve shows significant curvature due to depletion of the substrate, accumulation of inhibitory products or instability of the enzyme, estimation of the initial velocity is a subjective and inexact process. Two methods have been suggested [Cornish-Bowden (1975) Biochem. J. 144, 305-312; Boeker (1982) Biochem J. 203, 117-123] that attempt to eliminate this subjective element. The present study offers a third alternative, which is based on fitting a reparameterized form of the integrated Michaelis-Menten equation to the progress curves by non-linear regression. This method yields estimates and standard errors of the initial velocity and of the time to reach 50% reaction. No prior knowledge of the apparent product concentration at zero time or infinite time is required, since both of these quantities are also estimated from the data. It is shown that this method yields reliable estimates of the initial velocity under a wide range of circumstances, including those where the two previously published methods perform poorly.     

A thermodynamic model for the cooperative functional properties of the tetraheme cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio gigas.

A thermodynamic model is presented to describe the redox behaviour of the tetraheme cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio gigas. This molecule displays different intrinsic redox potentials for the four hemes and during the redox titration process, interactions among different hemes occur, thus altering the values of redox potentials according to which of the hemes are oxidized [Santos, H., Moura, J.J.G., Moura, I., LeGall, J. & Xavier, A.V. (1984) Eur. J. Biochem. 141, 283-296]. This complex cooperative behaviour [Xavier, A.V. (1986) J. Inorg. Biochem. 28, 239-243] has been analyzed here using an I2H4-interaction network [Cornish-Bowden, A. & Koshland, D.E. Jr (1970) J. Biol. Chem. 245, 6241-6250] coupled to a proton-linked equilibrium between two tertiary structures. Such a formalism, which requires a reduced number of parameters, is able to fully account quantitatively for the pH dependence of the NMR redox-titration curves. The 'redox-Bohr' effect is discussed in terms of the available structure and thermodynamic data and a functional mechanism is proposed.     

Tetracyano-2,2-bipyridineiron(iii), an improved electron acceptor for the spectrophotometric assay of beta-oxidation and of succinate dehydrogenase in intact mitochondria.

A recently described direct reading assay for beta-oxidation and for succinate oxidation in intact mitochondria using [Fe(CN)6]3- as final electron acceptor [Osmundsen & Bremer (1977) Biochem. J. 164. 621--633] has been improved by using instead tetracyano-2,2-bipyridineiron(III) [Fe(CN)4(bpy)]-, which gives a 2.6 times greater absorbance change on reduction. Some physical and kinetic properties of [Fe(CN)4(bpy)]- are described. The use of exogenous cytochrome c(III) as electron acceptor was also tested; this gives the largest absorbance change, although the absolute rate of reaction is only approx. one-third of that using [Fe(CN)6]3- or [Fe(CN)4(bpy)]-.     

Sequence studies on the constant region of the Fd sections of rabbit immunoglobulin G of different allotype.

The amino acid sequence has been completed for the constant region of the Fd fragments of heavy chains from rabbit IgG (immunoglobulin G) of allotype Aa1 and Aa3. The amino acid sequence given by Fruchter et al. [(1970) Biochem. J. 116, 249-259] for the constant region of the Fd fragment from Aa1 IgG was extended and in in part corrected to give a continuous sequence of 140 residues. No allotype-related sequence variation was found in the constant section of the Fd fragment. This evidence confirms the view that the differences in sequence between the variable regions of Aa1 and Aa3 IgG [Mole et al., (1971) Biochem. J. 124, 301-318] are responsible for the allotypic specificities.     

Synthesis and properties of peptidyl derivatives of arginylfluoromethanes.

Two peptide derivatives of arginylfluoromethane (Arg-CH2F), namely Bz(benzoyl)-Phe-ArgCH2F and D-Phe-Pro-Arg-CH2F, have been synthesized by extension of available methods, i.e. the Dakin-West reaction [Rasnick (1985) Anal. Biochem. 149, 461-465] or synthesis of a phthaloyl-blocked C-terminal fluoromethane [Rauber, Angliker, Walker & Shaw (1986) Biochem. J. 239, 633-640; Angliker, Wikström, Rauber & Shaw (1987) Biochem. J. 241, 871-875] with subsequent elongation. The guanidino group of arginine was protected as the bis-Cbz (benzyloxycarbonyl) derivative. The products were examined as active-site-directed inhibitors of some trypsin-related serine proteinases as well as a pair of cysteine proteinases. The results extend previous observations that the rate of alkylation of serine proteinases by fluoromethanes may be considerably slower than by chloromethanes. As expected, the amino acid sequence of the inhibitors influenced their relative effectiveness. Thus the rate of inactivation of a number of trypsin-like proteinases by D-Phe-Pro-Arg-CH2F varied by more than two orders of magnitude.     

Mechanistic origin of the sigmoidal rate behaviour of rat liver hexokinase D (''glucokinase'').

Two recent proposals to account for the kinetic co-operativity of hexokinase D ('glucokinase') from rat liver are examined. A model in which the deviations from Michaelis-Menten kinetics result from a random order of binding of the substrates [Pettersson (1986) Biochem. J. 233, 347-350] accounts satisfactorily for the behaviour as a function of glucose concentrations, but it also predicts observable substrate inhibition by MgATP, which is in fact not observed. An alternative proposal in which the deviations arise from recycling of an enzyme-MgADP complex [Pettersson (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 154, 167-170] also accounts satisfactorily for some of the data, but the required enzyme-MgADP complex could not be detected in isotope-exchange measurements. Thus the mnemonical mechanism proposed originally [Storer & Cornish-Bowden (1977) Biochem. J. 165, 61-69], which explains the deviations in terms of a relatively slow interconversion between two forms of free enzyme, remains the most parsimonious explanation of the behavior of hexokinase D.     

The effect of [Ca2+] and [H+] on the functional recovery of rat brain synaptosomes from anoxic insult in vitro.

The energy status (as measured by the ATP/ADP ratio), oxidative metabolism (14CO2 output) and neurotransmitter synthesis ( [14C]acetylcholine production) by rat brain synaptosomes utilizing [U-14C]glucose has been studied. The ability of anoxia in vitro to permanently alter these parameters was investigated with reference to external [Ca2+] and [H+]. It has previously been shown that anoxic damage to synaptosomal preparations is only apparent when their metabolism is stimulated by veratridine [Harvey, Booth & Clark (1982) Biochem. J. 206, 433-439]. It is concluded that low [Ca2+] ameliorates, and high [H+] exacerbates, the damage sustained by veratridine-stimulated anoxic synaptosomes. The combined effects of low pH, anoxia and veratridine stimulation on synaptosomal metabolism most closely approximated to the irreversible damage to brain metabolism observed during acute hypoxia in vivo [Booth, Harvey & Clark (1983) J. Neurochem. 40, 106-110]. Suitably treated synaptosomal preparations may therefore be usefully employed as models to study impaired neurotransmitter synthesis in vivo.     

Reappraisal of the quantitative importance of non-skeletal-muscle source of N tau-methylhistidine in urine.

The claim of Millward, Bates, Grimble, Brown, Nathan & Rennie [(1980) Biochem. J. 190. 225--228] that muscle actomyosin contributes as little as 25% of urinary N tau-methylhistidine is not consistent with other published data from that group [Bates, DeCoster, Grimble, Holloszy, Millward & Rennie (1980) J. Physiol. (London) 303, 41 P] or with literature values. It appears likely that the turnover rate of muscle actomyosin has been considerably underestimated and that when realistic rates of protein turnover are used, muscle tissue remains the major contributor of N tau-methylhistidine in urine.     

Identification of fibronectin fragments that bind to carboxy-group-modified proteins.

Limited proteolysis of human plasma fibronectin with chymotrypsin, trypsin or thermolysin has been used to localize binding sites responsible for binding [Vuento, Korkolainen & Stenman (1982) Biochem. J. 205, 303-311] of fibronectin to carboxy-group-modified proteins. These bindings sites are different from those mediating binding of fibronectin to gelatin or heparin. They are located close to the C-terminus of the polypeptide chains of fibronectin, and apparently overlap with the C-terminal fibrin binding site.     

Cloning and sequencing of glutamate mutase component S from Clostridium tetanomorphum. Homologies with other cobalamin-dependent enzymes.

The gene encoding component S, the small subunit, of glutamate mutase, an adenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B12)-dependent enzyme from Clostridium tetanomorphum has been cloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. The mutS gene encodes a protein of 137 amino acid residues, with M(r) 14,748. The deduced amino acid sequence showed homology with the C-terminal portion of adenosylcobalamin-dependent methylmalonyl-CoA mutase [1989, Biochem. J. 260, 345-352] and a region of cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase which has been shown to bind cobalamin [1989, J. Biol. Chem 264, 13888-13895].     

The amino acid sequence of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogenin

The amino acid sequence of glycogenin from rabbit skeletal muscle has been determined. The N-acetylated protein consists of 332 amino acids and has a molecular mass of 37278 Da. The novel tyrosyl-glucose linkage between glycogenin and glycogen [Smythe, C., Caudwell, F. B., Ferguson, M. & Cohen, P. (1988) EMBO J. 7, 2681-2686] is shown to occur at a single site, tyrosine-194. Although glycogenin is a UDP-Glc utilising glucosyltransferase that self-glucosylates [Pitcher, J., Smythe, C. & Cohen, P. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem. 176, 391-395], following addition by an unknown enzyme of the first glucose to tyrosine-194, it is not homologous to either human glycogen synthase or other UDP-Glc-requiring enzymes.     

Structural heterogeneity of the sialic-acid-containing oligosaccharides from the lipopolysaccharide of Hafnia alvei strain 2 as detected by FABMS studies.

The structure of four oligosaccharide fractions from the Hafnia alvei strain 2 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have been assigned by FABMS. This approach corroborates data previously established by NMR spectroscopy for the major oligosaccharides in these fractions [A. Gamian, E. Romanowska, U. Dabrowski, J. Dabrowski, Biochemistry 30 (1991) 5032-5038; E. Katzenellenbogen, A. Gamian, E. Romanowska, U. Dabrowski, J. Dabrowski, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 194 (1993) 1058-1064; N. Ravenscroft, A. Gamian, E. Romanowska, Eur. J. Biochem. 227 (1995) 889-896]. In addition, the MS/MS with B/E linked scan technique allowed the detection of an additional oligosaccharide with the structure: [formula: see text] lacking the branched O-6 linked glucopyranose residue at the 3-linked Gal unit, which indicates a structural heterogeneity for the major oligosaccharide fraction.     

The prosthetic groups in succinate dehydrogenase. Number and stoichiometry

I. Succinate:Q oxidoreductase (EC 1.3.99.1) as present in beef-heart submitochondrial particles contains equal amounts of FAD, a [2Fe-2S] cluster and a [4Fe-4S] cluster. Both Fe-S clusters are reducible by succinate. 2. A second type of [2Fe-2S] cluster, called center S-2, that has been proposed to be present in purified preparations of succinate dehydrogenase and isolated Complex II (Ohnishi, T., Winter, D.B., Lim, J. and King, T.E. (1973) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 53, 231--237) is an artifact introduced by the purification procedure. 3. It is suggested that the 70 000 dalton subunit which is known to bind the flavin, accomodates also the [4Fe-4S] cluster whereas the 28 000 dalton subunit contains the [2Fe-2S] cluster.     

Evidence that glutathione S-transferases B1B1 and B2B2 are the products of separate genes and that their expression in human liver is subject to inter-individual variation. Molecular relationships between the B1 and B2 subunits and other Alpha class glutathione S-transferases.

The Alpha class glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in human liver are composed of polypeptides of Mr 25,900. These enzymes are dimeric, and two immunochemically distinct subunits, B1 and B2, have been described that combine to form GSTs B1B1, B1B2 and B2B2 [Stockman, Beckett & Hayes (1985) Biochem. J. 227, 457-465]. Gradient affinity elution from GSH-Sepharose has been used to resolve the three Alpha class GSTs, and this method has been applied to demonstrate marked inter-individual differences in the hepatic content of GSTs B1B1, B1B2 and B2B2. The B1 and B2 subunits can be resolved by reverse-phase h.p.l.c., and their elution positions suggest that they are equivalent to the alpha chi and alpha y h.p.l.c. peaks described by Ketterer and his colleagues [Ostlund Farrants, Meyer, Coles, Southan, Aitken, Johnson & Ketterer (1987) Biochem. J. 245, 423-428]. The B1 and B2 subunits have now been cleaved with CNBr and the fragments subjected to automated amino acid sequence analysis. The sequence data show that B1 and B2 subunits do not arise from post-translational modification, as had been previously believed for the hepatic Alpha class GSTs, but are instead the products of separate genes; B1 and B2 subunits were found to contain different amino acid residues at positions 88, 110, 111, 112, 116, 124 and 127. The relationship between the B1 and B2 subunits and the cloned GTH1 and GTH2 cDNA sequences [Rhoads, Zarlengo & Tu (1987) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 145, 474-481] is discussed.