The influence of substrate peptide length on human beta-tryptase specificity.

Combinatorial chemistry approach was applied to design chromogenic substrates of human beta-tryptase. The most active substrate, Ala-Ala-Pro-Ile-Arg-Asn-Lys-ANB-NH(2), was selected from among over 9 million heptapeptides. The amide of 5-amino-2-nitrobenzoic acid (ANB-NH(2)) attached at the C-terminus served as a chromophore. In order to determine the optimal length of the tryptase substrate, a series of N-terminally truncated fragments of this substrate was synthesized. Pro-Ile-Arg-Asn-Lys-ANB-NH(2), with the determined value of the specificity constant (k(cat)/K(M)) above 9 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), appeared to be the most specific substrate of tryptase. This substrate was twice as active as the parent heptapeptide substrate. We postulate that the optimal size of the pentapeptide substrate for the interaction with human beta-tryptase is associated with the unique structure of this proteinase, comprising four almost identical monomer subunits arranged in a square flat ring with its substrate pockets faced inside, forming a tetramer with a central pore that can be penetrated by this short peptide. Copyright (c) 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The lower molecular weight acid phosphatase from the frog liver: isolation of homogeneous AcPase III and IV representing glycoforms with different bioactivity

1. AcPase III and AcPase IV, the major enzyme forms of the LMW AcPase of the frog (Rana esculenta) liver were resolved and purified to homogeneity. 2. AcPase III and IV showed a single protein band on SDS-PAGE corresponding to a mol. wt (Mr) of about 35,000. The Mr of the native enzyme forms were 33,200 (gel electrophoresis) and 38,200 +/- 5000 (gel filtration). This indicates that they are monomeric proteins sharing the same protein molecule. 3. AcPase III and IV differ essentially in thermostability and the activating effect of ConA binding. 4. AcPase III and IV are considerably activated with DTT but they differed markedly by the extent of this activation and the accompanying changes of their pH-activity curves. 5. It is suggested that the frog liver LMW AcPase represents a set of glycoforms whose different bioactivity is determined by the redox states of their essential cysteine residues.     

Role of chemotherapy in the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer --personal observations]

Results of chemotherapy applied in 23 patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer are presented. Chemotherapy combined with local treatment is a suggested therapy for treatment the locally advanced anaplastic thyroid cancer.     

Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals the Mechanism Underlying Histone Loading of Schizosaccharomyces pombe AAA+ ATPase Abo1

Chromatin dynamics is essential for maintaining genomic integrity and regulating gene expression. Conserved bromodomain-containing AAA+ ATPases play important roles in nucleosome organization as histone chaperones. Recently, the high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Abo1 revealed that it forms a hexameric ring and undergoes a conformational change upon ATP hydrolysis. In addition, single-molecule imaging demonstrated that Abo1 loads H3-H4 histones onto DNA in an ATP hydrolysis-dependent manner. However, the molecular mechanism by which Abo1 loads histones remains unknown. Here, we investigated the details concerning Abo1-mediated histone loading onto DNA and the Abo1-DNA interaction using single-molecule imaging techniques and biochemical assays. We show that Abo1 does not load H2A-H2B histones. Interestingly, Abo1 deposits multiple copies of H3-H4 histones as the DNA length increases and requires at least 80 bp DNA. Unexpectedly, Abo1 weakly binds DNA regardless of ATP, and neither histone nor DNA stimulates the ATP hydrolysis activity of Abo1. Based on our results, we propose an allosteric communication model in which the ATP hydrolysis of Abo1 changes the configuration of histones to facilitate their deposition onto DNA.     

Triglycerides, fatty acids and cortisol in simple obesity in children

In 50 children with obesitas simplex, 6-14 years of age, the triglycerides (TG), free fatty acids (FFA) and cortisol (F) levels in venous blood serum were estimated. In agreement with the development stages, studied patients were divided into the group of younger children in prematurity stage and the group of older children approaching the maturity. Obtained mean values of TG, FFA and F concentrations were analysed in the particular groups of obese children and compared with the healthy children of the same age. Mean concentrations of TG, FFA and cortisol in obese children were within the normal values and statistically did not differ from those of control healthy children. Also there was no difference in parameters studied if compared the younger and older groups of obese children. There was no interrelationship between the high birth weight and the degree of overweight as well as between the duration of obesity and the blood serum TG levels. In the course of obesitas simplex in children no detectable disturbances in the levels of TG, FFA and cortisol were found. It may depends on the more efficient adaptational mechanism connected with metabolism which are acting in the course of overfeed in the period of growth and development.     

Anthocyanins attenuate endothelial dysfunction through regulation of uncoupling of nitric oxide synthase in aged rats

Endothelial dysfunction is one of the main age‐related arterial phenotypes responsible for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults. This endothelial dysfunction results from decreased bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) arising downstream of endothelial oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of anthocyanins and the underlying mechanism in rat thoracic aorta and human vascular endothelial cells in aging models. In vitro, cyanidin‐3‐rutinoside (C‐3‐R) and cyanidin‐3‐glucoside (C‐3‐G) inhibited the d‐galactose (d‐gal)‐induced senescence in human endothelial cells, as indicated by reduced senescence‐associated‐β‐galactosidase activity, p21, and p16^INK4a. Anthocyanins blocked d‐gal‐induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and NADPH oxidase activity. Anthocyanins reversed d‐gal‐mediated inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) serine phosphorylation and SIRT1 expression, recovering NO level in endothelial cells. Also, SIRT1‐mediated eNOS deacetylation was shown to be involved in anthocyanin‐enhanced eNOS activity. In vivo, anthocyanin‐rich mulberry extract was administered to aging rats for 8 weeks. In vivo, mulberry extract alleviated endothelial senescence and oxidative stress in the aorta of aging rats. Consistently, mulberry extract also raised serum NO levels, increased phosphorylation of eNOS, increased SIRT1 expression, and reduced nitrotyrosine in aortas. The eNOS acetylation was higher in the aging group and was restored by mulberry extract treatment. Similarly, SIRT1 level associated with eNOS decreased in the aging group and was restored in aging plus mulberry group. These findings indicate that anthocyanins protect against endothelial senescence through enhanced NO bioavailability by regulating ROS formation and reducing eNOS uncoupling.