Germination of Bacillus cereus spores induced by purine ribosides and their analogs: effects of modification of base and sugar moieties of purine nucleosides on germination-inducing activity

Purine riboside and some of its analogs were tested for their ability to induce germination of Bacillus cereus T spores. Hypoxanthine and adenine showed no germination-inducing activity either in the present or absence of D-ribose or its phosphorylated derivatives. Purine riboside and 18 analogs with modified purine base were all able to induce germination of the spores to various extents. In contrast to this, the requirement for the sugar moiety in the purine riboside appeared to be more stringent. Only those nucleosides that contained either D-ribose or deoxy-D-ribose, and certain species of azole derivatives such as 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide covalently linked to the C(1') of the sugar actively induced germination.     

Synthesis of site-specifically modified oligoribonucleotides for studies of the recognition of TAR RNA by HIV-1 tat protein and studies of hammerhead ribozymes.

Synthetic oligoribonucleotides having single uracil residues replaced by dU, dT, 2'-O-methylU or 5-bromodU have been prepared and used in the study of the interaction of HIV-1 tat protein with an RNA stem-loop. The preparation of phosphoramidites of 5-bromouridine and purine riboside suitable for use in solid-phase oligoribonucleotide synthesis is also described. The effect of adenine replacement by purine in a hammerhead ribozyme has also been determined.     

Infection of soybean and pea nodules by Rhizobium spp. purine auxotrophs in the presence of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside.

Purine auxotrophs of various Rhizobium species are symbiotically defective, usually unable to initiate or complete the infection process. Earlier studies demonstrated that, in the Rhizobium etli-bean symbiosis, infection by purine auxotrophs is partially restored by supplementation of the plant medium with 5-amino-imidazole-4-carboxamide (AICA) riboside, the unphosphorylated form of the purine biosynthetic intermediate AICAR. The addition of purine to the root environment does not have this effect. In this study, purine auxotrophs of Rhizobium fredii HH303 and Rhizobium leguminosarum 128C56 (bv. viciae) were examined. Nutritional and genetic characterization indicated that each mutant was blocked in purine biosynthesis prior to the production of AICAR. R. fredii HH303 and R. leguminosarum 128C56 appeared to be deficient in AICA riboside transport and/or conversion into AICAR, and the auxotrophs derived from them grew very poorly with AICA riboside as a purine source. All of the auxotrophs elicited poorly developed, uninfected nodules on their appropriate hosts. On peas, addition of AICA riboside or purine to the root environment led to enhanced nodulation; however, infection threads were observed only in the presence of AICA riboside. On soybeans, only AICA riboside was effective in enhancing nodulation and promoting infection. Although AICA riboside supplementation of the auxotrophs led to infection thread development on both hosts, the numbers of bacteria recovered from the nodules were still 2 or more orders of magnitude lower than in fully developed nodules populated by wild-type bacteria. The ability to AICA riboside to promote infection by purine auxotrophs, despite serving as a very poor purine source for these strains, supports the hypothesis that AICAR plays a role in infection other than merely promoting bacterial growth.     

Physiological and genetic effects of puromycin aminonucleoside on ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli strains.

Puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) increased significantly the mutation rate of Escherichia coli B/r strains when used in conjunction with certain ultraviolet dosages. PAN (2.5 mM) when added to the post-irradiation medium of hcr+ cells slowed down RNA synthesis to 65%, protein to 76% and DNA to 48% of the control rate. Purine ribosides such as adenosine decreased the inhibitory action of PAN on DNA, RNA and protein synthesis. Quantitatively quite different results were obtained with the hcr- strains. PAN did not increase killing of UV, but decreased the frequency of UV-induced mutations. Antimutagenic purine ribosides decreased the synergistic mutagenic activity of PAN. Increases in DNA synthesis in the presence of antimutagens correspond to reductions in the rate of mutation to streptomycin resistance. The excision of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers was investigated in the presence and absence of PAN. The pattern of repair-inhibition reversion of pre-mutagenic lesions by adenosine suggests that PAN behaves as a feedback inhibitor of purine biosynthesis in UV-irradiated cells. It is probable that this inhibition results in an impairment of repair which produces the increase in mutant numbers.     

Differential control of cell cycle,proliferation, and survival of primary T lymphocytes by purine and pyrimidine nucleotides

Purine and pyrimidine nucleotides play critical roles in DNA and RNA synthesis as well as in membrane lipid biosynthesis and protein glycosylation. They are necessary for the development and survival of mature T lymphocytes. Activation of T lymphocytes is associated with an increase of purine and pyrimidine pools. However, the question of how purine vs pyrimidine nucleotides regulate proliferation, cell cycle, and survival of primary T lymphocytes following activation has not yet been specifically addressed. This was investigated in the present study by using well-known purine (mycophenolic acid, 6-mercaptopurine) and pyrimidine (methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) inhibitors, which are used in neoplastic diseases or as immunosuppressive agents. The effect of these inhibitors was analyzed according to their time of addition with respect to the initiation of mitogenic activation. We showed that synthesis of both purine and pyrimidine nucleotides is required for T cell proliferation. However, purine and pyrimidine nucleotides differentially regulate the cell cycle since purines control both G(1) to S phase transition and progression through the S phase, whereas pyrimidines only control progression from early to intermediate S phase. Furthermore, inhibition of pyrimidine synthesis induces apoptosis whatever the time of inhibitor addition whereas inhibition of purine nucleotides induces apoptosis only when applied to already cycling T cells, suggesting that both purine and pyrimidine nucleotides are required for survival of cells committed into S phase. These findings reveal a hitherto unknown role of purine and pyrimidine de novo synthesis in regulating cell cycle progression and maintaining survival of activated T lymphocytes.     

Indole-3-acetic acid production by bacteroids from soybean root nodules

Purine nucleotide and RNA synthesis have been investigated at the different growth stages of carrot ( Daucus carota L.) cells grown in suspension cultures. At the early growth stages an increase in the content of RNA was observed, although at later stages RNA was degraded. The highest rates of incorporation of [¹⁴C]-labelled adenosine into ATP and GTP were observed at the late growth sttages. This indicated that purine slavage was more importnt at the late growth stages, while de novo synthesis was dominant during the initial growth stages. This pattern was also reflected by increased levels, in the cell dividison phase, of theenzymes glycinamide ribonucleotide synthetase (EC 6.3.1.3.) and phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amido-transferase (EC 2.4.2.14) involved in de novo purine synthesis. The activities of the purine salvage enzymes varied little during growth. Cells in the stationary phase, that were starved for sucrose and phosphate, showed a dramatic increase in cellular metabolism, as judged from a rapid uptake and incorporation of [³²P]-labelled phosphate into nucleotides and RNA, when incubated in fresh medium.     

6-Methylmercaptopurine Riboside Is a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of Nerve Growth Factor-Activated Protein Kinase N

Protein kinase N (PKN) is a soluble, apparently novel serine protein kinase that is activated by nerve growth factor (NGF) and other agents in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells as well as in several nonneuronal cell lines. Purine analogs, such as 6-thioguanine and 2-aminopurine, have been found to inhibit PKN in vitro. When applied to intact cells, these compounds suppress certain biological responses to NGF, but not others, a findings suggesting the presence of multiple pathways in the NGF mechanism. We report here that 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside (6-MMPR) inhibits NGF-stimulated PKN activity in vitro with an apparent Ki of approximately 5 nM. This is approximately 1,000-fold lower than the Ki of the most potent purine inhibitor of PKN. Compounds similar to 6-MMPR, but lacking the methyl or riboside groups, were much less potent as PKN inhibitors. A survey of six additional purified protein kinases shows no inhibitory effect of 6-MMPR, thus indicating a good degree of specificity of this compound for PKN. In contrast to NGF-stimulated PKN, a PKN-like activity stimulated in PC12 cells in response to activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase was nearly insensitive to 6-MMPR. Application of 6-MMPR to intact PC12 cells resulted in blockade of several responses to NGF (neurite regeneration and ornithine decarboxylase induction) but not of several others (rapid enhancement of tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation and PKN activation). These findings suggest that 6-MMPR is a potent and selective agent for characterizing PKN in vitro and for assessing its potential role in the multiple pathways of the NGF mechanism of action.     

Effect of the antineoplastic substance brotheophine on the insertion of precursors into nucleic acids and proteins from Plisse lymphosarcoma

The effect of antitumor medicine Brotheophine to insertion of the marked precursors into DNA (14[C]-timidine), RNA (3[H]-orotic acid) and proteins (14[C]-leucine) of tumor cells (Pliss lymphosarcoma) as the indices of biosynthetic processes was investigated. It has been shown that Brotheophine acts as an antimethabolite of purine exchange and inhibits the vertical genetic information transfer in tumor cell (DNA-RNA-protein). Namely, a significant inhibition of 14[C]-timide insertion to DNA has been observed. less distinct is the inhibition of 3[H]-orotic acid to RNA und 14[C]-leucine to proteins. The above revealed allows to assume that during Brotheophine treatment certain changes in DNA biosynthesis take place leading to synthesis of slightly transformed RNA with subsequent impairment of proteins synthesis.     

Purine metabolism in cultured aortic and coronary endothelial cells

Purine salvage pathways in cultured endothelial cells of macrovascular (pig aorta) and microvascular (guinea pig coronary system) origin were investigated by measuring the incorporation of radioactive purine bases (adenine or hypoxanthine) or nucleosides (adenosine or inosine) into purine nucleotides. These precursors were used at initial extracellular concentrations of 0.1, 5, and 500 microM. In both types of endothelial cells, purine nucleotide synthesis occurred with all four substrates. Aortic endothelial cells salvaged adenine best among purines and nucleosides when applied at 0.1 microM. At 5 and 500 microM, adenosine was the best precursor. In contrast, microvascular endothelial cells from the coronary system used adenosine most efficiently at all concentrations studied. The synthetic capacity of salvage pathways was greater than that of the de novo pathway. As measured using radioactive formate or glycine, de novo synthesis of purine nucleotides was barely detectable in aortic endothelial cells, whereas it readily occurred in coronary endothelial cells. Purine de novo synthesis in coronary endothelial cells was inhibited by physiological concentrations of purine bases and nucleosides, and by ribose or isoproterenol. The isoproterenol-induced inhibition was prevented by the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol. The end product of purine catabolism in aortic endothelial cells was found to be hypoxanthine, whereas coronary endothelial cells degraded hypoxanthine further to xanthine and uric acid, a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme xanthine dehydrogenase.     

Substrate specificity of Aspergillus clavatus intracellular acid RNAase]

Substrate specificity of intracellular acid RNAse from Aspergillus clavatus, has been studied using different RNAs, synthetic polynucleotides and diribonucleoside monophosphates as substrates. The enzyme was shown to be a RNAse, non-specific to the chemical nature of bases adjacent to the disrupted phosphodiesther bonds in the molecules of RNA. It has been demonstrated that the order of nucleotide release from RNA coincides with the order of weakening of the enzyme binding to substrates XpY, depending on the base X. Purine bases increase substrates XpY binding with the enzyme and hamper their splitting. The effect of pyrimidine bases on adsorption and catalytic functions of the enzyme is contrary to that of purine bases cited above.     

Inhibition of herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase by purine ribonucleoside monophosphates

Purine ribonucleoside monophosphates were found to inhibit chain elongation catalyzed by herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA polymerase when DNA template-primer concentrations were rate-limiting. Inhibition was fully competitive with DNA template-primer during chain elongation; however, DNA polymerase-associated exonuclease activity was inhibited noncompetitively with respect to DNA. Combinations of 5'-GMP and phosphonoformate were kinetically mutually exclusive in dual inhibitor studies. Pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphates and deoxynucleoside monophosphates were less inhibitory than purine riboside monophosphates. The monophosphates of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine, Virazole (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide), 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine, and 9-(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl)guanine exerted little or no inhibition. In contrast to HSV DNA polymerase, human DNA polymerase alpha was not inhibited by purine ribonucleoside monophosphates. These studies suggest the possibility of a physiological role of purine ribonucleoside monophosphates as regulators of herpesvirus DNA synthesis and a new approach to developing selective anti-herpesvirus compounds.     

Plasmodium falciparum invasion and intraerythrocytic development are impaired by 2′, 3′-dialdehyde adenosine

Purine nucleotide synthesis in protozoa takes place exclusively via the purine salvage pathway and S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) is an important enzyme in the Plasmodium salvage pathway which is not present in erythrocytes. Here, we describe the antimalarial effect of 2′3′-dialdehyde adenosine or oxidized adenosine (oADO), inhibitor of SAHH, on in vitro infection of human erythrocytes by P. falciparum. Treatment of infected erythrocytes with oADO inhibits parasite development and reinvasion of new cells. Erythrocytes pre-treated with oADO have a reduced susceptibility to invasion. Our results suggest that oADO interferes with one or more parasitic enzymes of the purine salvage pathway.     

5 '-Amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside induces apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells via the mitochondrial pathway

5'-Amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide (AICA) riboside induces apoptosis in neuronal cell models. In order to exert its effect, AICA riboside must enter the cell and be phosphorylated to the ribotide. In the present work, we have further studied the mechanism of apoptosis induced by AICA riboside. The results demonstrate that AICA riboside activates AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK), induces release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and activation of caspase 9. The role of AMPK in determining cell fate is controversial. In fact, AICA riboside has been reported to be neuroprotective or to induce apoptosis depending on its concentration, cell type or apoptotic stimuli used. In order to clarify whether the activation of AMPK is related to apoptosis in our model, we have used another AMPK stimulator, metformin, and we have analysed its effects on cell viability, nuclear morphology and AMPK activity. Five mM metformin increased AMPK activity, inhibited viability, and increased the number of apoptotic nuclei. AICA riboside, which can be generated from the ribotide (an intermediate of the purine de novo synthesis) by the action of the ubiquitous cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase (cN-II), may accumulate in those individuals in which an inborn error of purine metabolism causes both a building up of intermediates and/or an increase of the rate of de novo synthesis, and/or an overexpression of cN-II. Therefore, our results suggest that the toxic effect of AICA riboside on some types of neurons may participate in the neurological manifestations of syndromes related to purine dismetabolisms.     

5 ′-Amino-4-Imidazolecarboxamide Riboside Induces Apoptosis in Human Neuroblastoma Cells Via the Mitochondrial Pathway

5′-Amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide (AICA) riboside induces apoptosis in neuronal cell models. In order to exert its effect, AICA riboside must enter the cell and be phosphorylated to the ribotide. In the present work, we have further studied the mechanism of apoptosis induced by AICA riboside. The results demonstrate that AICA riboside activates AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK), induces release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and activation of caspase 9. The role of AMPK in determining cell fate is controversial. In fact, AICA riboside has been reported to be neuroprotective or to induce apoptosis depending on its concentration, cell type or apoptotic stimuli used. In order to clarify whether the activation of AMPK is related to apoptosis in our model, we have used another AMPK stimulator, metformin, and we have analysed its effects on cell viability, nuclear morphology and AMPK activity. Five mM metformin increased AMPK activity, inhibited viability, and increased the number of apoptotic nuclei. AICA riboside, which can be generated from the ribotide (an intermediate of the purine de novo synthesis) by the action of the ubiquitous cytosolic 5′-nucleotidase (cN-II), may accumulate in those individuals in which an inborn error of purine metabolism causes both a building up of intermediates and/or an increase of the rate of de novo synthesis, and/or an overexpression of cN-II. Therefore, our results suggest that the toxic effect of AICA riboside on some types of neurons may participate in the neurological manifestations of syndromes related to purine dismetabolisms.     

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase synthesis and turnover in human lymphoid cells

We have studied the turnover and synthesis of purine nucleoside phosphorylase by using a polyclonal rabbit antiserum to this protein. The turnover of purine nucleoside phosphorylase was studied in the B lymphoblast cell, WI-L2, by specific immunoprecipitation of [3H]leucine-labeled proteins. The half-lives for total protein and purine nucleoside phosphorylase were 14.5 and 14.1 hr, respectively. For cells cultured in the presence of inosine the half-life of purine nucleoside phosphorylase was reduced to 11.2 hr. The synthesis of purine nucleoside phosphorylase was analyzed during phytohemagglutinin-stimulated T cell transformation by pulse labeling cells with [35S]methionine. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase synthesis increased greater than 10-fold during the first 12 hr of transformation and continued to a maximum of 30-fold. The relative rate of purine nucleoside phosphorylase labeled to total proteins was 0.04% in unstimulated T cells and increased to 0.18% 12 hr after stimulation. These studies identify some preferential synthesis of purine nucleoside phosphorylase during the early stages of T cell transformation.     

8-azaguanosine-5'-monophosphate synthesis via nucleoside kinase in cultured Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts

Cultured chinese hamster lung fibroblasts, and a variant clone selected for resistance to 8-azaguanine, that lacks hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (EC 2.4.2.8), have been tested for the ability to convert 8-azaguanine into 8-azaguanosine-5'-monophosphate via purine nucleoside phosphorylase and nucleoside kinase. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase of both cell types is able to synthesize 8-azaguanosine from 8-azaguanine with the same efficiency. Wild type cells possess a nucleoside kinase activity acting on 8-azaguanosine, but this activity is considerably lower in the cells displaying resistance to the base analog. Our lines of evidence demonstrate that purine nucleoside phosphorylase and nucleoside kinase constitute a possible way of synthesis of the cytotoxic mononucleotide of 8-azaguanine, and, in fact, cells selected for resistance to the base analog show an impairement in the nucleoside kinase activity.     

The synthesis and properties of N6-substituted 2-amino-purine derivatives.

1. The synthesis, ultraviolet absorption spectra, and behaviour in alkali of N6-methoxy-, N6-methyl, hydroxy-, and N6-hydroxy-2-aminopurines have been described 2. N6-Methoxy-2-aminopurine riboside 5'-pyrophosphate has been prepared and used for polymerization with polynucleotide phosphorylase. 3. The copolymer containing N6-methoxy-2-aminopurine riboside and adenosine residues has been obtained; attempts to synthesize the homopolymer have not been successful. 4. All the purine analogues synthesized have been tested and shown to act mutagenically on Salmonella typhimurium TA1530.     

Synthesis of purines in human lymphoblast cells deficient in methylthioadenosine phosphorylase activity

Two human lymphoblastic cell lines, deficient in methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) activity, were found to have increased rates of de novo purine synthesis. These MTAP⁻ cell lines were K562, an undifferentiated leukemic line and CCRF-CEM, a leukemic line of T-cell origin. Another T-cell line, CCRF-HSB-2 was found to be deficient in activity. However, this line did not demonstrate elevated rates of purine synthesis. Purine metabolism in the above cell cultures was compared with MTAP⁺ human B-cell lines and two human T-cell lines (MOLT-3 and MOLT-4). In all the MTAP⁺ cell lines, the rate of de novo purine synthesis was inhibited by the presence of methylthioadenosine in the assay medium (10 μM concentration produced more than 90% inhibition). However, purine synthesis in the MTAP⁻ cells was resistant to inhibition by methylthioadenosine. Adenine in the assay medium inhibited de novo purine synthesis in MTAP⁺ and MTAP⁻ cells to a similar degree. This inhibition was dose dependent and was elicited by concentrations similar to those of methylthioadenosine. Growth of the cell lines in culture was not affected by either methylthioadenosine or adenine at the concentrations which produced inhibition of purine synthesis. These results suggest that purine synthesis in MTAP⁺ cells is inhibited by adenine formed from the phosphorolytic cleavage of methylthioadenosine by methylthioadenosine phosphorylase.     

Decreased purine synthesis during amino acid starvation of human lymphoblasts

Normal human lymphoblasts starved for each of several essential, but not essential, amino acids had decreased DNA and RNA synthesis but no change in free intracellular purine nucleotides. The rates of purine nucleotide synthesis via the de novo and salvage pathways were measured by incorporating [14C]formate and [14C]hypoxanthine labels, respectively, into lymphoblasts starved for an amino acid or treated with a protein synthesis inhibitor. After 3 h of starvation, purine synthesis via the de novo pathway decreased 90% and via the salvage pathway decreased 60%. Cycloheximide and puromycin each reduced de novo synthesis by 96% and salvage synthesis by 72%. The decrease in purine synthesis de novo after removal of the amino acid was of first order kinetics and was fully and rapidly reversed by reconstitution with the amino acid. The synthesis of alpha-N-formylglycinamide ribonucleotide declined 97% after amino acid starvation; the synthesis of purines from 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside decreased 41%. The synthesis of guanylates decreased more than the synthesis of adenylates during amino acid starvation.