Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and guanine nucleotides activate calcium release from endoplasmic reticulum via distinct mechanisms

A sensitive and specific guanine nucleotide regulatory process has recently been shown to rapidly mediate a substantial release of Ca2+ from endoplasmic reticulum within the N1E-115 neuronal cell line (Gill, D. L., Ueda, T., Chueh, S. H., and Noel, M. W. (1986) Nature 320, 461-464). The relationship between this mechanism and Ca2+ efflux mediated by the intracellular regulator inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) has been investigated. Using saponin-permeabilized N1E-115 cells, studies reveal a number of distinctions between the activation of Ca2+ release mediated by GTP and IP3. Thus, the GTP-mediated Ca2+ release process is specifically activated by polyethylene glycol which increases both GTP sensitivity and the extent of GTP-activated Ca2+ release; in contrast, IP3-dependent Ca2+ release is unaffected by polyethylene glycol. The non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio)triphosphate, which completely inhibits GTP-mediated Ca2+ release, does not alter release mediated by IP3. Decreasing the release temperature from 37 to 4 degrees C decreases IP3-activated Ca2+ release by only 20%, whereas the action of GTP on Ca2+ release is abolished at 4 degrees C. Activation of Ca2+ release by IP3 is completely inhibited by increasing free Ca2+ from 0.1 to 10 microM, whereas the fraction of GTP-dependent Ca2+ release (approximately 50% of ionophore-releasable Ca2+) remains unaltered with increasing free Ca2+. These distinctions between IP3- and GTP-mediated Ca2+ release indicate that the two effectors function via distinct mechanisms to activate Ca2+ release; however, they do not preclude the possibility that coupling between the two mechanisms can occur or that a common Ca2+-translocating pathway activated by both effectors exists.     

Nonenzymic adenosine 5'-diphosphate ribosylation of poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose)

Poly(adenosine 5'-diphosphate ribose) [poly(ADP-ribose]) is spontaneously ADP-ribosylated when it is incubated with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, especially in 0.5 M NaCl and at an alkaline pH. The ADP-ribose residues are monomeric and are attached to the middle of polymer chains. The linkage is similar to, and may be identical with, that of the branch points that are created in cells. RNA is also spontaneously ADP-ribosylated, but not DNA.     

Self-phosphorylation enhances the protein-tyrosine kinase activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor

The effect of self-phosphorylation on the protein-tyrosine kinase activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor has been investigated using immunoaffinity-purified protein. Enzyme was first incubated for various times with excess ATP to phosphorylate it to differing extents; the ability of the enzyme to phosphorylate exogenous peptide substrates was then measured as a function of its self-phosphorylation state. Increasing self-phosphorylation to 1.3-1.8 mol of phosphate mol-1 of epidermal growth factor receptor enhanced protein-tyrosine kinase activity 2-3-fold. Comparison of the kinetics of protein-tyrosine kinase activity at different ATP concentrations revealed significant differences between unphosphorylated and phosphorylated enzyme. At low levels of ATP, a double reciprocal plot of the protein-tyrosine kinase activity of the unphosphorylated enzyme was hyperbolic, suggesting that ATP may act as an activator of the enzyme. At higher ATP concentrations, where greater levels of self-phosphorylation occurred during the reaction, the kinetics appeared linear and similar to those of the phosphorylated enzyme. Dose-response studies using three different peptide substrates (angiotensin II, gastrin, and a synthetic peptide corresponding to the self-phosphorylation site in p60v-src) showed that exogenous substrates inhibit receptor self-phosphorylation. In each case, half-maximal inhibition was observed at a peptide concentration approximately equal to the substrate's Km. A kinetic analysis comparing peptide phosphorylation using unphosphorylated and prephosphorylated enzyme indicated that the self-phosphorylation site can act as a competitive inhibitor (alternate substrate) versus peptide substrates. These results suggest that self-phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor removes a competitive constraint so that exogenous substrates can be more readily phosphorylated.     

Magnesium ion exerts a central role in the regulation of inhibitory adenosine receptors.

Guanine nucleotides and Mg2+ differentially regulate agonist binding to adenosine (Ri) receptors in fat-cell plasma membranes. GTP alone decreases binding of the agonist ligand [3H]N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA) by increasing the dissociation constant (Kd). Mg2+ alone also decreases [3H]CHA binding, which is associated with a decrease in the number of receptors and in the dissociation constant. In the presence of Mg2+, the effect of GTP is to increase [3H]CHA binding by increasing the total number of receptors. It thus appears that Mg2+ acts specifically at a bivalent-cation site which, with GTP, regulates agonist binding. This putative Mg site is highly sensitive to alkylating agents. Mild treatment with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) abolishes the characteristic GTP effect on agonist binding in the presence of Mg2+. In addition, the effect of Mg2+ alone is also eliminated. The effect of GTP alone is largely unaltered. Studies of the adenylate cyclase activity indicate that this NEM treatment also abolishes the inhibition of basal activity by adenosine analogues, whereas guanylyl imidodiphosphate inhibition of forskolin-stimulated activity is only slightly impaired at this NEM concentration. These observations indicate that a Mg2+ 'site' or 'component' is required for the integration of receptor (Ri) occupancy with regulation of catalytic activity (C). The regulatory role of Mg2+ is more demonstrable in receptor-GTP-regulatory-protein (Ri-Ni) interactions than in GTP-regulatory-protein-catalytic-unit (Ni-C) interactions.     

Comparison of health problems related to work and environmental measurements in two office buildings with different ventilation systems.

A cross sectional survey investigating "building sickness" was carried out in two buildings with similar populations of office workers but differing ventilation systems, one being fully air conditioned with humidification and the other naturally ventilated. The prevalence of symptoms related to work was assessed by a questionnaire administered by a doctor. A stratified, randomly selected sample of workers was seen (84% response). Building sickness includes several distinct syndromes related to work, most of which were significantly more common in the air conditioned building than the naturally ventilated building--namely, rhinitis (28% v 5%), nasal blockage and dry throat (35% v 9%), lethargy (36% v 13%), and headache (31% v 15%). The prevalence of work related asthma and humidifier fever was low and did not differ significantly between the two buildings. An environmental assessment of the offices was performed to attempt to identify possible factors responsible for the differences in the prevalence of disease. Globe temperature, dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, moisture content, air velocity, positive and negative ions, and carbon monoxide, ozone, and formaldehyde concentrations were all measured. None of these factors differed between the buildings, suggesting that building sickness is caused by other factors.     

Transport of mevalonate by Pseudomonas sp. strain M.

Pseudomonas sp. M, isolated from soil by elective culture on R,S-mevalonate as the sole source of carbon, possessed an inducible transport system for mevalonate. This high-affinity system had a pH optimum of 7.0, a temperature optimum of 30 degrees C, a Km for R,S-mevalonate of 88 microM, and a V max of 26 nmol of mevalonate transported per min/mg of cells (dry weight). Transport was energy dependent since azide, cyanide, or m-chlorophenylhydrazone caused complete cessation of transport activity. Transport of mevalonate was highly substrate specific. Of the 16 structural analogs of mevalonate tested, only acetoacetate, mevinolin, and mevaldehyde significantly inhibited transport. Growth of cells on mevalonate induced transport activity by 40- to 65-fold over that observed in cells grown on alternate carbon sources. A biphasic pattern for cell growth, as well as for induction of mevalonate transport activity, was observed when mevalonate was added to a culture actively growing on glucose. The induction of transport activity under these conditions began within 30 min after the addition of mevalonate and reached 60% of maximal activity during phase I. A further increase in mevalonate transport activity occurred during phase II of growth. Glucose was the preferred carbon source for growth during phase I, whereas mevalonate was preferred during phase II. Only one isomer of the R,S-mevalonate mixture appeared to be utilized, since growth ceased after 45 to 50% of the total mevalonate was depleted from the medium. However, nearly 30% of the preferred mevalonate isomer was depleted from the medium during phase I without significant metabolism to CO2. These results suggest that mevalonate or a mevalonate catabolite may accumulate in cells of Pseudomonas sp. M during phase I and that glucose metabolism may inhibit or repress the expression of enzymes further along the mevalonate catabolic pathway.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) metabolism appears normal in EM9, a mutagen-sensitive mutant of CHO cells

EM9 is a mutagen-sensitive CHO cell whose phenotype resembles that of normal CHO cells exposed to 3-aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis. This phenotype suggested that EM9 might be defective in poly(ADP-ribose) metabolism, but we now cannot find any abnormality in the synthesis or in the degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) in permeabilized EM9 cells. Thus the effects of 3-aminobenzamide on wild-type cells may be due to the inhibition of processes other than poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis. 3-Aminobenzamide enhances the cytotoxicity of EMS toward EM9 and control cells to the same degree.     

Environmental versus social factors as determinants of growth in nestlings of a communally breeding bird

Summary Nestlings of the communally breeding Greycrowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis) were studied to discover if supplemental feeding by auxiliary birds at nests enhanced their growth. Growth of wing, bill, tarsus and weight was measured. Growth curves were fitted by computer using a commercial program (MLAB). Our data provided little support for possible sibling competition. A significant component of the variance in asymptote and growth constant for some variables could be attributed to differences among nests. Environmental variables such as temperature and rainfall were much more strongly associated with nestling growth than were the numbers of auxiliary birds feeding broods.