The hydrolysis of glycerophosphocholine by rat brain microsomes: Activation and inhibition

Experiments with glycerophosphocholine phosphodiesterase (GPC diesterase, EC 3.1.4.2.) in rat brain microsomes suggest that, although its activity is inhibited by low concentrations of calmidazolium, its dependence on Ca²⁺ ions is not modulated by calmoulin. The activity of glycerophosphocholine choline phosphodiesterase (choline phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.38) was much lower than that of the GPC diesterase. A relatively inexpensive method for the preparation ofsn-glycero-3-phospho [Me-¹⁴C]choline is described.Special Issue Dedicated to Dr. Abel Lajtha.     

Kinetic and biochemical properties of CTP:choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase from the rat brain

In order to investigate the mechanisms involved in some brain disorders at the membrane level, we studied the kinetics and biochemical properties of brain CTP:choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.15), the rate-limiting enzyme of the two-step biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine. This enzyme catalyzes the biosynthesis of CDPcholine from choline phosphate and CTP. We found that its subcellular localization (mainly in microsomal and cytosolic fractions) was different from that of phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.17), the enzyme of the alternative pathway for phosphatidylcholine synthesis. CTP:choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase showed a Km of 10 mM for CTP and 0.3 mM for choline phosphate and exhibited a random mechanism. CDPcholine, the reaction product, was a competitive inhibitor of choline phosphate and CTP utilization and had a Ki of 0.090 mM. Both particulate and soluble enzymes required Mg2+ and exhibited an optimal pH at about 7. Cytosolic activity was enhanced by addition of unsaturated fatty acids or phospholipids extracted from brain membranes. Such an enhancement was increased with the centrifugation time used for preparing the soluble enzyme.     

In vitro inhibition of stable 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthase activity from Neurospora crassa.

Glucan synthase activity of Neurospora crassa was isolated by treatment of protoplast lysates with 0.1% 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate and 0.5% octylglucoside in 25 mM 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid buffer, pH 7.4, containing 5 mM EDTA, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, 200 mM inorganic phosphate, 10 microM GTP, 1 mM DTT, 10 mM sodium fluoride, and 600 mM glycerol. Resulting activity was partially purified by sucrose gradient density sedimentation. Approximately 70% of enzyme activity in the sucrose gradient peak fraction was soluble and enzyme activity was purified 7.3-fold. Partially purified enzyme activity had a half-life of several weeks at 4 degrees C, and a Km(app) of 1.66 +/- 0.28 mM. Inhibitors (Cilofungin, papulacandin B, aculeacin A, echinocandin B, sorbose and UDP) of 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthase activity were tested against crude particulate and detergent treated enzyme fractions and the Ki(app) of each inhibitor determined. It seems likely that this stable preparation of glucan synthase activity may be useful for in vitro enzyme screens for new glucan synthase inhibitors.     

The metabolism of lyso-platelet-activating factor (1-O-alkyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) by a calcium-dependent lysophospholipase D in rabbit kidney medulla

A Ca2+-dependent lysophospholipase D activity in microsomal preparations from the rabbit kidney medulla hydrolyzes the choline moiety from 1-O-[9,10-3H]hexadecyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (lyso-PAF) to form 1-O-[9,10-3H]hexadecyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-P; the latter is subsequently dephosphorylated by a phosphohydrolase to 1-O-[9,10-3H]hexadecyl-sn-glycerol. Sodium vanadate, which is known to inhibit phosphohydrolases, reduces the proportion of hexadecylglycerol and increases the formation of hexadecyl-lysoglycerophosphate. Essentially no hydrolysis occurs when the sn-2 position of the hexadecyllysoGPC substrate contains an acyl moiety. The lysophospholipase D in rabbit kidney is of microsomal origin and has a broad pH optimum between 8.0 and 8.8, with the activity decreasing sharply from pH 7.6 to 7.2. Wykle et al. (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 619 (1980) 58-67) have previously demonstrated the existence of a microsomal lysophospholipase D (specific for ether lipid substrates) in rat tissues that requires Mg2+ and exhibits a pH optimum of 7.2; high activities of the Mg2+-dependent lysophospholipase D were found in liver and brain, but not in kidney. In contrast to the Mg2+-dependent lysophospholipase D in rat tissues, the renal enzyme from rabbits requires Ca2+ (5 mM), whereas Mg2+ (5 mM) exhibits little stimulatory action. Under optimal assay conditions (0.1 M Tris-HCl (pH 8.4)/5 mM CaCl2), lysophospholipase D in the rabbit kidney medulla has an activity of 2.7 nmol/min per mg protein compared to 0.9 nmol/min per mg protein for the lysophospholipase D in the rat kidney medulla (0.1 M Tris-HCl (pH 7.2)/5 mM MgCl2). The Ca2+-dependent lysophospholipase D is highest in the liver and kidney medulla from rabbits, but is very low in rat tissues; similar activities were found in male and female rabbits. Our data indicate that the divalent metal ion requirements for expression of maximum lysophospholipase D activities can differ markedly among animal species and also suggest the microsomal Ca2+-dependent lysophospholipase D is an important catabolic route for lyso-PAF metabolism in rabbit renomedullary tissue.     

Acid and alkaline phosphatase activity in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes

Phosphatase activity in intact Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes has been demonstrated. After subcellular fractionation three activities were characterized: (a) a membrane-bound microsomal acid activity with an optimum pH of 4.0 and a Km of 1.2 mM, strongly inhibited by tartrate and fluoride; (b) a soluble cytosolic acid activity with an optimum pH of 5.5 and a Km of 0.95 mM, strongly inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, EDTA and copper ions and activated by cyanide, manganese and magnesium ions; and (c) a soluble cytosolic alkaline activity with an optimum pH of 8.0 and a Km of 3.8 mM, inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, fluoride, EDTA, and copper, calcium and zinc ions. This activity was increased by magnesium and manganese ions.     

Purification and properties of 3-ketovalidoxylamine A C-N lyase from Flavobacterium saccharophilum

3-Ketovalidoxylamine A C-N lyase was purified about 900-fold from the cell-free extract of Flavobacterium saccharophilum by ammonium sulfate fractionation, column chromatography on CM cellulose and gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200. The purified enzyme was homogeneous as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 36,000 by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 and by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicating that the enzyme is a monomer. The optimum pH was found at 9.0. The enzyme activity was inhibited by EDTA or ethyleneglycol bis(beta-aminoethylether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid and the inhibition was reversed by Ca2+ ion. The enzyme was able to eliminate p-nitroaniline or p-nitrophenol from p-nitrophenyl-3-ketovalidamine (IV) or p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-3-ketoglucoside (VI), but not from p-nitrophenyl-1-epi-3-ketovalidamine or p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-3-ketoglucoside. Apparent Km values for IV and VI were 0.24 mM and 0.5 mM, respectively.     

Hexokinases of tobacco leaves: Subcellular localization and characterization

Subeellular localization of the enzymes which phosphorylate hexoses was studied in photosynthesizing tobacco leaves by means of differential centrifugation and centrifugation in sucrose gradient. More than 80 % of the total hexokinase activity of leaf tissues were found to be associated with the particulate fraction of mitochondria; however, the ratio of the particulate hexokinase fraction to the soluble fraction was influenced by the extraction medium applied. The particulate hexokinases showed a high affinity to glucose (Km = 26.8 μM) and a relatively low affinity to fructose (Km = 17.6 mM). They had a broad pH optimum, because 81 % of the phosphorylating activity obtained for glucose and 75 % of the activity obtained for fructose occurred in pH range from 7.9 to 9.1 (Tris-HCl buffer). The hexokinases were Mg2+ dependent with the highest activity occurring at equimolar Mg2+ and ATP concentrations. Their activity was enhanced by KC1, NaCl, and (NH4)2SO4 at 30 to 120 mM concentrations.     

Purification of a phospholipase A2 from human monocytic leukemic U937 cells. Calcium-dependent activation and membrane association

The existence of an intracellular phospholipase A2 (PLA2) involved in the production of 1-O-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and free arachidonic acid has been repeatedly postulated. Using 1-O-hexadecyl-2-[3H]arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as a substrate and a series of conventional and high-pressure liquid chromatographic techniques, we have purified a PLA2 from the soluble fraction of differentiated human monocytic U937 cells. The enzyme has been purified nearly 2000-fold to homogeneity. The purified enzyme has a molecular mass of 56 kDa, under reducing conditions, by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The enzyme activity has a pH optimum of 8.0 and is calcium concentration-dependent. The EC50 for the activation of the enzyme activity by calcium is 300 nM. When the cells were homogenized in the presence of the calcium chelator EGTA (0.2 mM), the enzyme was found to be soluble (more than 90% of the activity in the 100,000 x g supernatant). However, when Ca2+ concentration was controlled from 10 nM to 100 microM in Ca2(+)-EGTA buffers, increasing amounts of the activity were found in the particulate fraction (100,000 x g pellet). This suggests that membrane translocation and activation of the soluble PLA2 may be regulated by physiological intracellular levels of Ca2+. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed different phosphatidylcholine substrates presented in either vesicular or Triton X-100 mix micellar forms. In both situations, the enzyme showed a high degree of specificity for arachidonic acid on the sn-2 position of the substrate. Substitution of palmitic or oleic on the sn-2 position substantially reduced the hydrolytic activity of the enzyme. When vesicles of arachidonic acid-containing phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol were presented to the purified enzyme, all of them were hydrolyzed with comparable efficiency. However, only phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol were hydrolyzed when presented in Triton X-100 mixed micelles.     

Separation of two PZ-peptidases from bovine dental follicle.

Two PZ-peptidases (EC 3.4.-) (A and B) cleaving a synthetic substrate for collagenase, 4-phenylazobenzyloxycarbonyl-L-Pro-L-Leu-Gly-L-Pro-D-Arg (PZ-peptide) have been separated from the particulate fraction of bovine dental follicle. PZ-peptidase A had a molecular weight of 220 000, an optimum pH at 8.0-8.5, and a Km value of 67 muM toward PZ-peptide at pH 7.1, whereas PZ-peptidase B had a molecular weight of 20 000, an optimum pH at 6.5-6.7, and a Km value of 400 muM toward PZ-peptide at pH 7.1. Two similar enzymes were also isolated from the soluble fraction. Since the pH-activity curve of the crude tissue preparations such as homogenate, microsomes and soluble supernatant had two peaks at 6.5-6.7 and 8.0-8.5, both PZ-peptidase A and B may exist in situ as two independent active enzymes.     

Calf thymus alkaline phosphatase. I. Properties of the membrane-bound enzyme.

A membrane fraction from calf thymocytes was used to investigate molecular and catalytic properties of membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase (ortho-phosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.1). The principal findings were: 1. Solubilization of membranes with the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 increases alkaline phosphatase activity by 30-40%. The enzyme activity elutes in a single peak (Stokes' radius = 7.7 nm) after chromatography in Sepharose 6B in the presence of Triton X-100. The activity also sediments as a single component of approx. 6.4 S during centrifugation in sucrose gradients containing Triton X-100. 2. Ion-exchange chromatography and isoelectric focusing in the presence of Triton X-100 indicate substantial charge heterogeneity. Two overlapping bands, a peak at pH 5.92 with a pronounced shoulder at pH 5.29, are apparent by isoelectric focusing. 3. The pH optimum for hydrolysis of p-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPhP) by the undissolved enzyme(s) is 9.57. Half-maximal activity occurs at pH 8.65 and ph 10.45. Triton X-100 has no effect on the pH profile. 4. Catalytic activity is affected by amines, especially analogues of ethanolamine. Diethanolamine exerts a unique stimulatory effect, but does not change the pH dependency. Increasing the concentration of diethanolamine from 0 to 1 M causes a 6-fold increase in Km and a 10-fold increase in the rate of hydrolysis of pNPhP. Glycine is inhibitory. 5. EDTA causes an irreversible loss of activity with t1/2 (1 mM EDTA, pH 8.2, 23 degrees C) = 3.5 h. Optimal activity is achieved in 0.1--1.0 mM Mg2+, although this does not cause the degree of activation reported to occur with the purified enzymes. Other divalent ions are inhibitory. Concentrations required to reduce activity to 50% of control are: Zn2+, 4.0 muM (no added Mg2+) and 30 muM (in the presence of 1 mM Mg2+); Mn2+, 0.25 mM (+/- Mg2+); Ca2+, 20 mM (+/- Mg2+). 6. Monovalent cations have little effect on activity. In the absence of added Mg2+, 50--150 mM Na+ is partially inhibitory, but markedly less so in the presence of 1 mM Mg2+. K+ has no significant effect. 7. Of the substrates tested, pNPhP (Km = 44 muM) was most rapidly hydrolyzed. Other substrates (rate relative to pNPhP) were alpha-naphthylphosphate (0.79), 2'-AMP (0.80), 5'-AMP (0.70), 3'-AMP (0.63), alpha-glycerophosphate (0.47) and glucose 6-phosphate (0.35). Phosphodiesterase activity was less than or equal to 10% of the phosphomonoesterase activity (for pNPhP) as evidenced by the lack of hydrolysis of bis(p-nitrophenyl)-phosphate and cyclic 3',5'-AMP. The ability of these substances to inhibit hydrolysis of pNPhP reflected their capacity as substrates, i.e. the most inhibitory were the most rapidly hydrolyzed.     

Dissociation of Tetrahymena 30 S dynein into 14 S subunit by sonication.

The sonication of 30 S dynein obtained from Tetrahymena cilia induced dissociation into 14-S subunits, some of the enzyme still remaining as intact 30 S dynein and partially dissociated dynein (21 S) in a minor amount. It was demonstrated that the enzymatic properties of the 14 S subunit are quite similar to those of 30 S dynein except for the Ca2+:Mg2+ ratio. ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) (ATP phosphohydrolase activity of the 14 S subunit was steadily enhanced by increasing concentrations of Mg2+. It was also activated by Ca2+ with an optimum at 6 mM but inhibited by a further increase in concentration. The Ca2+:Mg2+ ratio at 1 mM was about 0.62. 0.6 M KCl stimulated ATPase activity of the 14 S subunit two-fold. The Mg2+-ATPase had an optimum at pH 6.2 and revealed a high activity over pH 10. The Ca2+-ATPase showed two optima at pH 6.2 and 9.5. The Km for ATP was 10 muM. Only 10% of the 14 S subunit recombined with the outer fibers in the presence of Mg2+. The 14 S subunit was shown to have the same mobility as that of 30 S dynein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Intestinal surface peptide hydrolases: identification and characterization of three enzymes from rat brush border.

Peptide hydrolases were solubilized from rat small intestinal brush border by papain and separated by Sephadex G-200 chromatography, velocity gradient ultracentrifugation and polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis and designated according to approximate molecular size from sedimentation studies. Peptidases I (apparent Mr 230 000) and II (apparent Mr 160 000) are oligopeptidases with maximum specificity for tripeptides with identical pH optima (7.5) and similar apparent Km with L-Leu-Gly (I, 0.60 MM; II, 0.76 mM). L-Leucyl-beta-naphthylamide is a competitive inhibitor of both enzymes. Concentration of peptidase II produced partial conversion to peptidase I on polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis. The third peptide hydrolase (III, Mr 120 000) is a dipeptidase with pH optimum 8.5 and apparent Km for L-Leu-Gly of 0.65 mM. These peptide hydrolases were inhibited appreciably (37-59%) by 0.2 M glycine/NaOH, Tris - HCl or Tris - glycine buffers. EDTA (5 mM) completely inhibited these enzymes but all activity was restored by dialysis against buffer without divalent ions. Subsequent addition of Mg2+, Mn2+, Co2+ or Zn2+ (1-2 mM) inhibited peptidases I and II variably (4-81%) depending upon the substrate and buffer used. In contrast peptidase III was activated slightly by metal ions (5-20%). These peptide hydrolases are strategically located at the intestinal lumen-cell interface and possess biochemical characteristics making them ideally suited to play a pivotal role in the final stage of protein digestion.     

Enzymatic characterization of the chondrocytic alkaline phosphatase isolated from bovine fetal epiphyseal cartilage.

Purified chondrocytic alkaline phosphatase (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum), EC 3.1.3.1) from bovine fetal epiphyseal cartilage hydrolyzes a variety of phosphate esters as well as ATP and inorganic pyrophosphate. Optimal activities for p-nitrophenyl phosphate, ATP and inorganic pyrophosphate are found at pH 10.5, 10.0 and 8.5, respectively. The latter two substrates exhibit substrate inhibition at high concentrations. p-Nitrophenyl phosphate demonstrates decreasing pH optima with decreasng substrate concentration. Heat inactivation studies indicate that both phosphorolytic and pyrophosphorolytic cleavage occur at the same site on the enzyme. Mg2+ (0.1-10.0 mM) and Mn2+ (0.01-0.1 mM) show a small stimulation of p-nitrophenyl phosphate-splitting activity at pH 10.5. Levamisole, Pi, CN-, Zn2+ and L-phenylalanine are all reversible inhibitors of the phosphomonoesterase activity. Pi is a competitive inhibitor with a Ki of 10.0 mM. Levamisole and Zn2+ are potent non-competitive inhibitors with inhibition constants of 0.05 and 0.04 mM, respectively. The chondrocytic alkaline phosphatase is inhibited irreversibly by Be2+, EDTA, EGTA, ethane-1-hydroxydiphosphonate, dichloromethane diphosphonate, L-cysteine, phenyl-methylsulfonyl fluoride, N-ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide. NaCL, KCL and Na2SO4 at 0.5-1.0 M inhibit the enzyme. At pH 8.5, the cleavage of inorganic pyrophosphate (pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.1) by the chondrocytic enzyme is slightly enhanced by low levels of Mg2+ and depressed by concentrations higher than 1mM. Ca2+ show only inhibition. Similar effects of Mg2+ and Ca2+ on the associated ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.3) activity were observed. Arrhenius studies using p-nitrophenyl phosphate and AMP as substrates have accounted for the ten-fold difference in V in terms of small differences in both the enthalpies and entropies of activation which are 700 cal/mol and 2.3 cal/degree per mol, respectively.     

Purification and properties of 2'-nucleotidase from mammalian brain.

A nucleotidase specific for 2'-nucleotides was localized in both the soluble and the synaptosomal fractions of rat brain. The enzyme was partially purified from the soluble fraction of bovine brain. The s20,w was 4.9 S with an estimated molecular weight of about 70 000. The optimum pH was 8.0 and Km value for 2'-AMP was 5.5 . 10(-4) M. The substrate and inhibitor specificities of the enzyme were examined. The nucleotidase has an absolute requirement for Mg2+ but neither Fe3+ nor Ca2+ acted as replacement ions. In fact, Mn2+ and Ca2+ inhibited the Mg2+-dependent 2'-nucleotidase.     

Characterization of phosphoprotein phosphatases and phosphorylase phosphatase from yeast

Three peaks of protein phosphatase (phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.16) activity (fractions a, b and c) acting on muscle phosphorylase (1,4-alpha-D-glucan:orthophosphate alpha-D-glucosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.1) were separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography of yeast extracts. In contrast to fractions a and b, only fraction c was able to liberate phosphate from 32P-labelled inactivated yeast phosphorylase. The activity of fraction c on both substrates was totally dependent on the presence of bivalent metal ions (Mg2+, Mn2+), and was activated by Mg . ATP. Following freezing in the presence of mercaptoethanol, fractions a and b were also able to dephosphorylate yeast phosphorylase. Rabbit muscle phosphoprotein phosphatase inhibitors 1 and 2 showed that yeast phosphatases acting on muscle phosphorylase were inhibited by inhibitor 2 but not by inhibitor 1. The action of fraction c on yeast phosphorylase was not inhibited by either inhibitor. The native yeast phosphorylase phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.17) was purified 8000-fold by ion-exchange chromatography, casein-Sepharose chromatography and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. The purified enzyme was unable to dephosphorylate rabbit muscle phosphorylase a, but acted on casein phosphate (Km 3.3 mg/ml). Molecular weight was estimated to be 78 000 and pH optimum 6.5-7.5. Activity of the enzyme was dependent on bivalent metal ions (Mg2+, Mn2+) and was inhibited by fluoride (Ki 20 mM) and succinate (Ki 10 mM).     

Control of rabbit liver fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase activity by magnesium ions.

EDTA at a concentration of 1 muM produced a threshold effect in the activation of purified rabbit liver fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase [EC 3.1.3.11] in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+ at pH 7.2. Without EDTA, biphasic activation curves were produced by Mg2+. A double-reciprocal plot of the data gave the Km values corresponding to the two linear regions. They were 0.19 and 0.83 mM at pH 7.5, and 0.055 and 0.83 mM at pH 9.1. In the presence of 5muM EDTA a sigmoidal curve was obtained for Mg2+ activation in the range of noninhibitory Mg2+ concentrations at pH 7.2. The apparent Km value for Mg2+ was 0.15 mM, and the Hill coefficient was 2.0. At pH 9.1 cooperativity among the Mg2+ sites disappeared, and the apparent Km value for Mg2+ was 0.055 mM. These Km values at pH 7.2 or 9.1 corresponded to the smaller of the biphasic Km values obtained without EDTA. In the absence of EDTA, no inhibition by Mg2+ was observed in the Mg2+ concentration range below 10 mM. In the presence of EDTA, the enzyme was inhibited markedly by Mg2+ at concentrations above 0.5 mM at pH 7.2, and was more sensitive to inhibition at pH 9.1. The effects of pH on the Km value for Mg2+ activation and on the Mg2+ inhibition contributed to an apparent shift of the pH optimum for activity induced by EDTA. Cooperative interaction among fructose-1, 6-diphosphate sites was observed for the enzyme in the presence of EDTA. The Hill coefficient was approximatley 1.8, and the apparent Km value for the substrate was 0.74 muM. EDTA appears to make liver fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase very sensitive to various effectors. It is suggested that Mg2+ serves as a regulator for the enzyme activity.     

Activation of mouse splenic lymphocyte guanylate cyclase by calcium ion.

The guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) level in the mouse splenic lymphocytes was increased about 2- to 3-fold by concanavalin A. This increase was completely dependent on the presence of Ca2+ in the medium. Homogenates of mouse splenic lymphocytes contained significant guanylate cyclase [EC 4.6.1.2] activity in both the 105,000 X g (60 min) particulate and supernatant fractions and both fractions required Mn2+ for full activity. Calcium ion (3mM) activated soluble guanylate cyclase 3-fold at a relatively low concentration of Mn2+ (less than 1mM) but inhibited the particulate enzyme slightly at all Mn2+ concentrations tested. Concanavalin A itself did not stimulate either fraction of guanylate cyclase. Thus these results suggest that elevation of the cGMP level in lymphocytes by concanavalin A might be brought about by stimulation of Ca2+ uptake and activation of soluble guanylate cyclase by the latter.     

Purification of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase from Drosophila hydei and comparison with the 'heat-shock' polypeptides.

Mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase (NADH:(acceptor) oxidoreductase, EC .6.99.3) from either Drosophila hydei larvae or embryos has been purified 150- and 120-fold, respectively. The purified enzyme appeared homogeneous and showed a molecular weight of 57 000. The molecular weight of the nondenatured enzyme was 79 000. On isoelectro-focussing of the preparation, two fractions were observed, a major one with an isoelectric point of 6.2 and a minor fraction with an isoelectric point of 4.9. Straight-line kinetics in Lineweaver-Burk plots were observed for the purified enzyme with a Km of 0.040 mM. The Km was not changed during the purification procedure, suggesting that the enzyme was not denatured or inactivated. The pH optimum of the purified enzyme was 5.6. The molecular weight of the purified mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase does not correspond to that of one of the 'heat-shock' polypeptides.     

Phytase from Klebsiella Sp. No. PG-2: purification and properties

A phytase (EC 3.1.3.8) was extracted from rat intestinal bacterium, Klebsiella Sp. No. PG.-2, and purified 50-fold by ammonium sulphate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The enzyme is inducible in nature. The pH optimum was at 6.0 for all the inositol phosphates studied and this characterized the enzyme as an acid phosphohydrolase. Of a range of potential substrates tested, only p-nitrophenyl phosphate alongwith the inositol phosphates was hydrolyzed. It exhibits a Km of 2.0 mM; temperature optimum of 37 degrees C and energy of activation 9,120 cal/mole for all the inositol phosphates studied. The activity was inhibited by Ag2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, fluoride and high substrate concentration.     

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in the cricket, Acheta domesticus.

Exceptionally high levels of guanosine 3'-5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) in the accessory reproductive gland of the male house cricket, Acheta domesticus, led to an investigation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.--) as a possible regulatory enzyme. Cricket cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity with cyclic GMP or cyclic AMP as substrate had a pH optimum around 9.0, required Mg2+ or Mn2+ for maximal activity, and was inhibited by EDTA and methylxanthines. Cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase occurred mainly in the soluble fraction of homogenates of accessory glands or whole crickets, but cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in the accessory gland was primarily particulate. Kinetic analysis indicated three forms of cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase, with Km values at 2.9 muM, 71 muM and 1.5 mM. Chromatography of whole cricket or accessory gland extracts on DEAE cellulose gave an initial peak having comparable activity with either cyclic GMP or cyclic AMP, and a second peak specific for cyclic AMP. There were no appreciable changes in the specific activity or kinetic properties of accessory gland cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase during a developmental period over which cyclic GMP levels rise more than 500-fold. Thus, the accumulation of cyclic GMP in the accessory gland is probably not associated with concomitant developmental modulation of phosphodiesterase activity.