Interaction of acetyl phosphate and carbamyl phosphate with plant phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase.

Acetyl phosphate produced an increase in the maximum velocity (Vmax. for the carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate catalysed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. The limiting Vmax. was 22.2 mumol X min-1 X mg-1 (185% of the value without acetyl phosphate). This compound also decreased the Km for phosphoenolpyruvate to 0.18 mM. The apparent activation constants for acetyl phosphate were 1.6 mM and 0.62 mM in the presence of 0.5 and 4 mM-phosphoenolpyruvate respectively. Carbamyl phosphate produced an increase in Vmax. and Km for phosphoenolpyruvate. The variation of Vmax./Km with carbamyl phosphate concentration could be described by a model in which this compound interacts with the carboxylase at two different types of sites: an allosteric activator site(s) and the substrate-binding site(s). Carbamyl phosphate was hydrolysed by the action of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. The hydrolysis produced Pi and NH4+ in a 1:1 relationship. Values of Vmax. and Km were 0.11 +/- 0.01 mumol of Pi X min-1 X mg-1 and 1.4 +/- 0.1 mM, respectively, in the presence of 10 mM-NaHCO3. If HCO3- was not added, these values were 0.075 +/- 0.014 mumol of Pi X min-1 X mg-1 and 0.76 +/- 0.06 mM. Vmax./Km showed no variation between pH 6.5 and 8.5. The reaction required Mg2+; the activation constants were 0.77 and 0.31 mM at pH 6.5 and 8.5 respectively. Presumably, carbamyl phosphate is hydrolysed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase by a reaction the mechanism of which is related to that of the carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate.     

Purification of a nickel-containing urease from the rumen anaerobe Selenomonas ruminantium

Urease was purified 592-fold to homogeneity from the anaerobic rumen bacterium Selenomonas ruminantium. The urease isolation procedure included a heat step and ion-exchange, hydrophobic, gel filtration, and fast protein liquid chromatography. The purified enzyme exhibited a Km for urea of 2.2 +/- 0.5 mM and a Vmax of 1100 mumol of urea min-1 mg-1. The molecular mass estimated for the native enzyme was 360,000 +/- 50,000 daltons, whereas a subunit value of 70,000 +/- 2,000 daltons was determined. These results are in contrast to the findings of Mahadevan et al. (Mahadevan, S., Sauer, F. D., and Erfle, J. D. (1977) Biochem. J. 163, 495-501) in which isolated rumen urease was reported to be one-third this size (Mr 120,000-130,000) and to catalyze urea hydrolysis at a maximum velocity of only 53 mumol min-1 mg-1. S. ruminantium urease contained 2.1 +/- 0.4 nickel ions/subunit, comparable to the nickel content in jack bean urease (Dixon, N.E., Gazzola, C., Blakeley, R.L., and Zerner, B. (1975) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 97, 4131-4133). Thus, the active site of bacterial urease is very similar to that found in the plant enzymes.     

Substrate specificity of a multifunctional calmodulin-dependent protein kinase

The substrate specificity of the multifunctional calmodulin-dependent protein kinase from skeletal muscle has been studied using a series of synthetic peptide analogs. The enzyme phosphorylated a synthetic peptide corresponding to the NH2-terminal 10 residues of glycogen synthase, Pro-Leu-Ser-Arg-Thr-Leu-Ser-Val-Ser-Ser-NH2, stoichiometrically at Ser-7, the same residue phosphorylated in the parent protein. The synthetic peptide was phosphorylated with a Vmax of 12.5 mumol X min-1 X mg-1 and an apparent Km of 7.5 microM compared to values of 1.2 mumol X min-1 X mg-1 and 3.1 microM, respectively, for glycogen synthase. Similarly, a synthetic peptide corresponding to the NH2-terminal 23 residues of smooth muscle myosin light chain was readily phosphorylated on Ser-19 with a Km of 4 microM and a Vmax of 5.4 mumol X min-1 X mg-1. The importance of the arginine 3 residues NH2-terminal to the phosphorylated serine in each of these peptides was evident from experiments in which this arginine was substituted by either leucine or alanine, as well as from experiments in which its position in the myosin light chain sequence was varied. Positioning arginine 16 at residues 14 or 17 abolished phosphorylation, while location at residue 15 not only decreased Vmax 14-fold but switched the major site of phosphorylation from Ser-19 to Thr-18. It is concluded that the sequence Arg-X-Y-Ser(Thr) represents the minimum specificity determinant for the multifunctional calmodulin-dependent protein kinases. Studies with various synthetic peptide substrates and their analogs revealed that the specificity determinants of the multifunctional calmodulin-dependent protein kinase were distinct from several other "arginine-requiring" protein kinases.     

Phosphorylation by cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase of a synthetic peptide corresponding to the autophosphorylation site in the enzyme

The substrate specificity of cGMP-dependent protein kinase has been investigated by examining the ability of the enzyme to phosphorylate a series of synthetic peptides that correspond to the amino acid sequence at its site of autophosphorylation. The undecapeptide Ile53-Gly-Pro-Arg-Thr-Thr58-Arg-Ala-Gln-Gly-Ile63 which corresponds to the sequence around threonine-58 in cGMP-dependent protein kinase (Takio, K., Smith, S.B., Walsh, K.A., Krebs, E.G., and Titani, K. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 5531-5536) was synthesized and tested as a substrate for that enzyme. It was phosphorylated to the extent of 1.0 mol of phosphate/mol of peptide. Analysis of the products of Edman degradation of the phosphopeptide indicated that only threonine-58 was phosphorylated, as is the case for the autophosphorylation reaction in the native enzyme. The peptide was phosphorylated by cGMP-dependent protein kinase with a Km value of 578 +/- 25 microM and a Vmax of 0.069 +/- 0.003 mumol/min/mg of enzyme. This low Vmax value is consistent with the relatively slow rate of the autophosphorylation reaction. An analog peptide that contained serine in place of threonine-58 was also phosphorylated to 1.0 mol of phosphate/mol of peptide. That phosphopeptide contained only phosphoserine. The serine-containing analog peptide had a Km value similar to that of the parent peptide but was phosphorylated with a 70-fold higher Vmax value. Substitution of arginine-56 in the parent peptide by an alanine residue resulted in a peptide that was essentially not a substrate. Substitution of arginine-59, COOH-terminal to the phosphorylatable threonine, yielded a peptide with a Vmax similar to that of the parent peptide but a Km value of almost 22,000 microM. These results indicate that serine is a better phosphate-accepting residue than is threonine and that both arginine residues around the site of autophosphorylation are important specificity determinants for the cGMP-dependent protein kinase.     

Determinants on simian virus 40 large T antigen are important for recognition and phosphorylation by casein kinase I.

Casein kinase I has been shown to phosphorylate Ser123 and possibly Thr124, in simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen; the same sites are also modified in cultured cells incubated with 32Pi [Friedrich A. Gr?sser, Karl H. Scheidtmann, Polygena T. Tuazon, Jolinda A. Traugh & Gernot Walter (1988) Virology 165, 13-22]. The peptide, A-D-S-Q-H-S-T-P-P, which corresponds to the amino acid sequence 118-125 of SV40 large T antigen, was synthesized together with peptides containing changes in specific amino acid residues on either side of Ser123. These peptides were used as model substrates to determine the amino acids in the SV40 large T antigen important for recognition by casein kinase I. The native peptide identified above, with aspartate at the -4 position, was a poor substrate for casein kinase I in vitro. Peptides with acidic residues added at the -2 and -3 positions, preceding Ser123, were phosphorylated by casein kinase I with apparent Km values around 2 mM and Vmax values up to 500 pmol.min-1.ml-1. When acidic residues were added at both sides of the phosphorylatable serine, the peptide had a first-order rate constant over 20-fold higher than peptides with acidic amino acid residues at the N-terminus only; the apparent Km value was 0.65 mM with a Vmax of 2900 pmol.min-1.ml-1. The effects of modifying Ser120 to phosphoserine were examined by addition of a recognition sequence for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase prior to Ser120. Prior phosphorylation of the peptide at Ser120 lowered the apparent Km to 0.061 mM and increased the Vmax to 360 pmol.min-1.ml-1, a 50-fold decrease in Km for casein kinase I and a 6-fold increase in Vmax as compared to the non-phosphorylated peptide. This indicates that Ser120, which has been shown to be phosphorylated in vivo, provides an appropriate recognition determinant for casein kinase I.     

Definition of a consensus sequence for peptide substrate recognition by p44mpk, the meiosis-activated myelin basic protein kinase

Synthetic peptides have been used to define the consensus amino acid sequence for substrate recognition by the meiosis-activated myelin basic protein (MBP) kinase (p44mpk), which was purified from maturing sea star oocytes. This protein kinase shares many properties with the mitogen-activated microtubule-associated protein-2 kinase (p42mapk) in vertebrates. Recently, Thr-97 in the tryptic fragment KNIVTPRTPPPSQGK of bovine MBP was identified as the major site of phosphorylation by p44mpk (Sanghera, J. S., Aebersold, R., Morrison, H. D., Bures, E. J., and Pelech, S. L. (1990) FEBS Lett. 273, 223-226). Synthetic peptides modeled after this sequence revealed that the presence of a proline residue C-terminal (+1 position) to the phosphorylatable threonine (or serine) residue was critical for recognition by p44mpk. Although not essential, a proline residue located at the -2 position enhanced the Vmax of peptide phosphorylation. Basic, acidic, and non-polar residues were equally tolerated at the -1 position. The presence of an amino acid residue at position -3 also increased peptide phosphorylation. Thus, the optimum consensus sequence for phosphorylation by p44mpk was defined as Pro-X-(Ser/Thr)-Pro, where X is a variable amino acid residue, but ideally not a Pro. Peptides that included this sequence were phosphorylated by p44mpk with Vmax values approaching 1 mumol.min-1.mg-1 and with apparent Km values of approximately 1 mM). Pseudosubstrate peptides in which the phosphorylatable residue was replaced by valine or alanine were weak inhibitors of p44mpk (apparent Ki values of approximately 3 mM). Over 40 distinct protein kinases contain Pro-X-(Ser/Thr)-Pro sequences including the human receptors for insulin and epidermal growth factor, and kinases encoded by the human proto-oncogenes abl, neu, and raf-1, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell cycle control genes ran-1 and wee-1. Multiple putative sites were also identified in rat microtubule-associated protein-2, human retinoblastoma protein, human tau protein, and Drosophila myb protein and RNA polymerase II.     

Phosphorylation of D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Rabbit muscle D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was shown to serve as a substrate for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II with a Km of 0.33 microM and a Vmax of 2.63 mumol.min-1.mg-1 at pH 7.5 and 30 degrees C. In the absence of calmodulin, the Vmax was halved and Km unchanged. 0.99 mol of phosphate was incorporated per tetrameric molecule of D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase under the experimental conditions employed.     

Purification and properties of phloroglucinol reductase from Eubacterium oxidoreducens G-41

Phloroglucinol reductase was purified 90-fold to homogeneity from the anaerobic rumen organism Eubacterium oxidoreducens strain G-41. The enzyme is stable in the presence of air and is found in the soluble fraction after ultracentrifugation of cell extract. Ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and affinity chromatography were used to purify the enzyme. The native Mr is 78,000, and the subunit Mr is 33,000 indicating an alpha 2 homodimer. The enzyme is specific for phloroglucinol and NADPH. The Km and Vmax are 600 microM and 640 mumol min-1 mg-1 (pH 7.2) for phloroglucinol, and 6.7 microM and 550 mumol min-1 mg-1 (pH 6.8) for NADPH; the Km and Vmax for the reverse direction are 290 microM and 140 mumol min-1 mg-1 (pH 7.2) for dihydrophloroglucinol, and 27 microM and 220 mumol min-1 mg-1 (pH 7.2) for NADP. Temperature and pH optima are 40 degrees C and 7.8 in the forward direction. The pure enzyme is colorless in solution and flavins are absent. Analysis for cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten, selenium, copper, nickel, iron, and zinc indicated that these metals are not components of the phloroglucinol reductase. Cupric chloride, n-ethylmaleimide, and p-chloromercuribenzoate are potent inhibitors of enzyme activity. The properties of phloroglucinol reductase indicate that it functions in the pathway of anaerobic degradation of trihydroxybenzenes by catalyzing reduction of the aromatic nucleus prior to ring fission.     

食酸丛毛单胞菌AN3菌株降解苯胺代谢途径的研究

食酸丛毛单胞菌(\%Comamonas acidovorans\%)AN3菌株中降解苯胺的酶类均为诱导酶,在以苯胺为唯一碳、氮源和能源生长的细胞中,含有苯胺双加氧酶、邻苯二酚2,3双加氧酶、2羟基己二烯半醛酸脱氢酶、4草酰巴豆酸脱羧酶和4羟基2酮戊酸醛缩酶等。苯胺双加氧酶作用于苯胺的\%K\%m值和\%V\%\-\{max\}分别为292μmol/L和3.57μmol\5mg\+\{-1\}·min-1;邻苯二酚2,3双加氧酶作用于邻苯二酚的\%K\%m和\%V\%\-\{max\}分别为16.4 mol/L和15.2μmol\5mg\+\{-1\}\5min\+\{-1\}。根据实验结果,推测了该菌株降解苯胺的代谢途径。     

Characterization of proline endopeptidase from rat brain

A homogeneous proline endopeptidase from rat brain is characterized with respect to its substrate specificity and the residues essential for catalysis. The two fluorogenic substrate analogues tested, pyroglutamylhistidylprolyl-beta-naphthylamide and pyroglutamy(N-benzylimidazolyl)-histidylprolyl-beta-naphthylamide, have higher Vmax values (19.5 and 26.9 mumol . min-1 . mg-1, respectively) and considerably lower Km values (0.034 and 0.020 mM, respectively) than pyroglutamylhistidylprolylamide (Vmax = 2.9 mumol . min-1 . mg-1 and Km = 4.1 mM). Both fluorogenic substrates give rise to pH optima and pH-rate profiles similar to those of the amide. Values of Km and kcat are determined as a function of pH. Km is pH independent, with the titration curve for kcatKm-1 implicating an active-site residue(s) with a pKa of 6.2. Proline endopeptidase can be completely inactivated by low concentrations of diisopropyl fluorophosphate with an observed second-order rate constant of 2.5 x 10(4) min-1 . M-1. The stoichiometry of the alkylphosphorylation is 0.83 mol/mol of enzyme. The pH dependence of the inactivation by diisopropylfluorophosphate implicates a residue(s) involved in covalent bond formation having a pKa of 6.0. These data suggest that proline endopeptidase is a serine proteinase.     

Characterization of two independent modes of action of ATP on human erythrocyte sugar transport

Intracellular ATP has been reported either to stimulate [Jacquez, J.A. (1983) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 727, 367-378] or to inhibit [Hebert, D. N., & Carruthers, A. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 10093-10099] human erythrocyte sugar transport. This current study provides a rational explanation for these divergent findings. Protein-mediated 3-O-methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (3OMG) uptake by intact human red blood cells (lacking intracellular sugar) at ice temperature in isotonic KCl containing 2 mM MgCl2, 2 mM EGTA, and 5 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4 (KCl medium), is characterized by a Km(app) of 0.4 +/- 0.1 mM and a Vmax of 114 +/- 20 mumol L-1 min-1. Lysis of red cells in 40 volumes of EGTA-containing hypotonic medium and resealing in 10 volumes of KCl medium increase the Km(app) and Vmax for uptake to 7.1 +/- 1.8 mM and 841 +/- 191 mumol L-1 min-1, respectively. Addition of ATP (4 mM) to the resealing medium restores Michaelis and velocity constants for zero-trans 3OMG uptake to 0.42 +/- 0.11 mM and 110 +/- 15 mumol L-1 min-1, respectively. Addition of CaCl2 to extracellular KCl medium (calculated [Ca2+]o = 101 microM) reduces the Vmax for zero-trans 3OMG uptake in intact cells and ATP-containing ghosts by 79 +/- 4% and 61 +/- 9%, respectively. Intracellular Ca2+ (15 microM) reduces the Vmax for 3OMG uptake by ATP-containing ghosts by 38 +/- 12%. In nominally ATP-free ghosts, extracellular (101 microM) and intracellular (11 microM) Ca2+ reduce the Vmax for 3OMG uptake by 96 and 94%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Human insulin receptor beta-subunit transmembrane/cytoplasmic domain expressed in a baculovirus expression system: purification, characterization, and polylysine effects on the protein tyrosine kinase activity.

We have expressed, purified, and characterized the insulin receptor protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) retaining the transmembrane and downstream domains. The proteins expressed in insect cells using a baculovirus expression system were identified as membrane-bound by immunofluorescence staining and biochemical characterization. One-step purification by immunoaffinity chromatography from Triton X-100 cell extracts resulted in a approximately 360-fold increase in the specific kinase activity with a yield of approximately 50%. An appMr = approximately 60,000 protein was the major component identified by both silver staining of the purified enzyme and immunostaining of the crude extracts after separation by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. Using nondenaturing conditions, the molecular weight was estimated to be approximately 250,000 and approximately 500,000 by glycerol gradient centrifugation and gel permeation chromatography, respectively, suggesting that oligomers of the beta-subunit domains such as tetramers and octamers are formed. The basal PTK activity of this enzyme was much higher than those of previously reported soluble-form insulin receptor PTKs expressed in insect cells or the native receptor. Km and Vmax for two substrates, src-related peptide and poly(Glu, Tyr) (4:1), were 2.4 mM and 2.5 mumol min-1 mg-1 and 0.26 mM and 1.2 mumol min-1 mg-1, respectively. Specific activities measured under two previously reported conditions using histone H2B as a substrate were 100 or 135 nmol min-1 mg-1, in contrast to those of soluble PTKs which were reported to be 20 or 70 nmol min-1 mg-1, respectively. The purified enzyme was autophosphorylated at Tyr residues. Autophosphorylation activated the enzyme approximately 3-fold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Isolation and properties of an extracellular beta-glucosidase from the polycentric rumen fungus Orpinomyces sp. strain PC-2.

An extracellular beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) was purified from culture filtrate of the anaerobic rumen fungus Orpinomyces sp. strain PC-2 grown on 0.3% (wt vol-1) Avicel by using Q Sepharose anion-exchange chromatography, ammonium sulfate precipitation, chromatofocusing ion-exchange chromatography, and Superose 12 gel filtration. The enzyme is monomeric with a M(r) of 85,400, as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, has a pI of 3.95, and contains about 8.5% (wt vol-1) carbohydrate. The N terminus appears to be blocked. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of cellobiose and p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside (PNPG). The Km and Vmax values with cellobiose as the substrate at pH 6.0 and 40 degrees C are 0.25 mM and 27.1 mumol.min-1 x mg-1, respectively; with PNPG as the substrate, the corresponding values are of 0.35 mM and 27.7 mumol.min-1 x mg-1. Glucose (Ki = 8.75 mM, with PNPG as the substrate) and gluconolactone (Ki = 1.68 x 10(-2) and 2.57 mM, with PNPG and cellobiose as the substrates, respectively) are competitive inhibitors. Optimal activity with PNPG and cellobiose as the substrates is at pH 6.2 and 50 degrees C. The enzyme has high activity against sophorose (beta-1,2-glucobiose) and laminaribiose (beta-1,3-glucobiose) but has no activity against gentiobiose (beta-1,6-glucobiose). The activity of the beta-glucosidase is stimulated by Mg2+, Mn2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ and inhibited by Ag+, Fe2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, SDS, and p-chloromercuribenzoate.     

Smooth muscle myosin kinase requires residues on the COOH-terminal side of the phosphorylation site. Peptide inhibitors

The COOH-terminal residue in peptide analogs of the phosphorylation site sequence in smooth muscle myosin light chains, Lys11-Lys12-Arg13-Ala-Ala-Arg16-Ala-Thr-Ser19 -(P)Asn20-Val21-Phe22-Ala23, were shown to have a strong influence on the kinetics of peptide phosphorylation. The peptides 11-19, 11-20, 11-21, 11-22, and 11-23 were all phosphorylated by the myosin light chain kinase with similar apparent Km values in the range 11-17 microM. The Vmax varied 40-fold, with the peptides 11-19, 11-20, 11-21, 11-22, and 11-23 having Vmax values of 0.035, 0.045, 0.32, 1.74, and 1.43 mumol X min-1 X mg-1 respectively. These results indicated that Ala23 was not essential whereas Phe22 and Val21 had a strong influence on the Vmax of peptide phosphorylation. This series of peptides competitively inhibited myosin light chain phosphorylation with Ki values similar to their respective Km values. Peptide 11-19 had a Ki value of approximately 10 microM and a Vmax less than 0.1% of the value with myosin light chains and is therefore an effective inhibitor of the smooth muscle myosin kinase.     

Phosphorylation of synthetic peptides by skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinases

Substrate determinants for rabbit and chicken skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinases were examined with synthetic peptides. Both skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinases had similar phosphorylation kinetics with synthetic peptide substrates. Average kinetic constants for skeletal muscle myosin light chain heptadecapeptide, (formula; see text) where S(P) is phosphoserine, were Km, 2.3 microM and Vmax, 0.9 mumol/min/mg of enzyme. Km values were 122 and 162 microM for skeletal muscle peptides containing A-A for basic residues at positions 2-3 and 6-7, respectively. Average kinetic constants for smooth muscle myosin light chain peptide, (formula; see text), were Km, 1.4 microM and Vmax 27 mumol/min/mg of enzyme. Average Km values for the smooth muscle peptide, residues 11-23, were 10 microM which increased 6- and 11-fold with substitutions of alanine at residues 12 and 13, respectively. Vmax values decreased and Km values increased markedly by substitution of residue 16 with glutamate in the 11-23 smooth muscle tridecapeptide. Basic residues located 3 and 6-7 residues toward the NH2 terminus from phosphoserine in smooth muscle myosin light chain and 6-8 and 10-11 residues toward the NH2 terminus from phosphoserine in skeletal muscle myosin light chain appear to be important substrate determinants for skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinases. These properties are different from myosin light chain kinase from smooth muscle.     

Importance of methionine residues in the enzymatic carboxylation of biotin-containing peptides representing the local biotinyl site of E. coli acetyl-CoA carboxylase

A biotin-containing hexapeptide Ac-Glu-Ala-Met-Bct-Met-Met (1) that represents the local biotin-containing site of Escherichia coli acetyl-CoA carboxylase has been prepared by the solid phase method. Peptide 1 is carboxylated by the biotin carboxylase subunit dimer of E. coli acetyl-CoA carboxylase with the following kinetic parameters; Km 12 mM, Vmax 2.8 microM X min-1. These compare with the parameters for biotin of Km 214 mM and Vmax 28 microM X min -1. Hence, the overall reactivity (Vmax/Km) of 1 is 1.8 times greater than that of free biotin. When all methionines in 1 are replaced by alanine, the resulting peptide (2) retains a similar binding ability but with a much decreased Vmax. It was also found that peptide 3, which carries an N epsilon-benzyloxycarbonyllysine in place of biocytin in 1, decreases the Km of biotin threefold.     

Characteristics of the methylammonium/ammonium transport systems of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120 (ATCC 27893)

NH4(+)-transport in Anabaena 7120 was studied using the NH4+ analogue, 14CH3NH3+. At pH 7, two energy-dependent NH4(+)-transport systems were detected in both N2- and NO3(-)-grown cells, but none in NH4(+)-grown cells. Both transport systems showed a low and a high affinity mode of operation depending on the substrate concentration. One of the transport systems showed Km values of 8 microM (Vmax = 1 nmole min-1mg-1protein) and 80 microM (Vmax = 7 nmole min-1mg-1protein), and was insensitive to L-methionine-DL-sulphoximine, a glutamate analogue and irreversible inhibitor of glutamine synthetase. The other transport system showed Km values of 2.5 microM (Vmax = 0.1 nmole min-1mg-1protein) and 70 microM (Vmax = 0.7 nmole min-1mg-1protein), and was sensitive to L-methionine-DL-sulphoximine. Intracellular accumulation of free 14CH3NH3+ showed a biphasic pattern in response to variation in external 14CH3NH3+ concentrations. A maximum intracellular concentration of 2.5 mM and 7.5 mM was reached in the external 14CH3NH3+ concentration range of 1-50 microM and 1-500 microM, respectively. At pH 9, an energy-independent diffusion of 14CH3NH2 leading to a higher intracellular accumulation and assimilation rate, than that at pH 7, was observed.     

Properties of the cyanobacterial coupling factor ATPase from Spirulina platensis. II. Activity of the purified and membrane-bound enzymes

Cyanobacterial (Spirulina platensis) photosynthetic membranes and isolated F1 ATPase were characterized with respect to ATP activity. The following results indicate that the regulation of expression of ATPase activity in Spirulina platensis is similar to that found in chloroplasts: the ATPase activity of Spirulina membranes and isolated F1 ATPase is mostly latent, a characteristic of chloroplast ATPase activity; treatments that elicit ATPase activity in higher plant chloroplast thylakoids and isolated chloroplast coupling factor (CF1) greatly stimulate the activity of Spirulina membranes and F1, and the cation specificity of chloroplast ATPase activity, e. g., light-induced membrane activity that is magnesium dependent and trypsin-activated CF1 activity that is calcium dependent, is also observed in Spirulina. Thus, an 8- to 15-fold increase in specific activity (to 13-15 mumol Pi min-1 mg chl-1) is obtained when Spirulina membranes are treated with trypsin (CaATPase) or with methanol (MgATPase): a light-induced, dithiothreitol-dependent MgATPase activity is also found in the membranes. Purified Spirulina F1 is a CaATPase when activated with trypsin (endogenous activity increases from 4 to 27-37 mumol Pi min-1 mg protein-1) or with dithiothreitol (5.6 mumol Pi min-1 mg-1), but a MgATPase when assayed with methanol (18-20 mumol Pi min-1 mg-1). The effects of varying calcium and ATP concentrations on the kinetics of trypsin-induced CaATPase activity of Spirulina F1 were examined. When the calcium concentration is varied at constant ATP concentration, the velocity plot shows a marked sigmoidicity. By varying Ca-ATP metal-nucleotide complex concentration at constant concentrations of free calcium or ATP, it is shown that the sigmoidicity is due to the effect of free ATP, which changes the Hill constant to 1.6 from 1.0 observed when the free calcium concentration is kept constant at 5 mM. Therefore not only is ATP an inhibitor but it is also an allosteric effector of Spirulina F1 ATPase activity. At 5 mM free calcium, the Km for teh Ca-ATP metal-nucleotide complex is 0.42 mM.     

Purification and characterization of the nickel-containing multicomponent urease from Klebsiella aerogenes

Klebsiella aerogenes urease was purified 1,070-fold with a 25% yield by a simple procedure involving DEAE-Sepharose, phenyl-Sepharose, Mono Q, and Superose 6 chromatographies. The enzyme preparation was comprised of three polypeptides with estimated Mr = 72,000, 11,000, and 9,000 in a alpha 2 beta 4 gamma 4 quaternary structure. The three components remained associated during native gel electrophoresis, Mono Q chromatography, and Superose 6 chromatography despite the presence of thiols, glycols, detergents, and varied buffer conditions. The apparent compositional complexity of K. aerogenes urease contrasts with the simple well-characterized homohexameric structure for jack bean urease (Dixon, N. E., Hinds, J. A., Fihelly, A. K., Gazzola, C., Winzor, D. J., Blakeley, R. L., and Zerner, B. (1980) Can. J. Biochem. 58, 1323-1334); however, heteromeric subunit compositions were also observed for the enzymes from Proteus mirabilis, Sporosarcina ureae, and Selemonomas ruminantium. K. aerogenes urease exhibited a Km for urea of 2.8 +/- 0.6 mM and a Vmax of 2,800 +/- 200 mumol of urea min-1 mg-1 at 37 degrees C in 25 mM N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazineN'-2-ethanesulfonic acid, 5.0 mM EDTA buffer, pH 7.75. The enzyme activity was stable in 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 5% Triton X-100, 1 M KCl, and over a pH range from 5 to 10.5, with maximum activity observed at pH 7.75. Two active site groups were defined by their pKa values of 6.55 and 8.85. The amino acid composition of K. aerogenes urease more closely resembled that for the enzyme from Brevibacter ammoniagenes (Nakano, H., Takenishi, S., and Watanabe, Y. (1984) Agric. Biol. Chem. 48, 1495-1502) than those for plant ureases. Atomic absorption analysis was used to establish the presence of 2.1 +/- 0.3 mol of nickel per mol of 72,000-dalton subunit in K. aerogenes urease.     

Dephosphorylation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunit (type II) by calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase. Determinants of substrate specificity

Calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase purified from bovine cardiac muscle catalyzed the rapid dephosphorylation of Ser-95 of bovine cardiac cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunit (RII). The kinetic constants determined for the reaction (Km = 20 microM; Vmax = 2 mumol min-1 mg-1) are comparable to those determined for other good substrates of this phosphatase. Because little is known about the determinants of substrate specificity for the calmodulin-dependent phosphatase, various phosphopeptides were used to investigate the structural features important for substrate recognition. Limited proteolysis of phospho-RII with trypsin and chymotrypsin yielded fragments (residues 93-400 and 91-400, respectively) that were poor substrates, whereas digestion with Staphylococcal aureus V8 protease produced three phosphopeptides that were all dephosphorylated as rapidly as intact RII. The sequence of the shortest phosphopeptide produced by S. aureus V8 protease was determined by sequence analysis to be Asp-Leu-Asp-Val-Pro-Ile-Pro-Gly-Arg-Phe-Asp-Arg-Arg-Val-Ser-Val-Cys-Ala-Glu, corresponding to residues 81-99 of RII. Synthetic phosphopeptides corresponding to residues 81-99, 85-99, 90-99, and 91-99 were prepared to determine the minimum sequence necessary for substrate recognition. Only the 19-residue peptide (81-99) was dephosphorylated with kinetics comparable to RII (Km = 26 microM, Vmax = 1.7 mumol min-1 mg-1). Structural analysis of this peptide indicates that an amphipathic beta-sheet structure may be an important structural determinant for some substrates of the calmodulin-dependent phosphatase.