Photooxidation of dinitrophenylhistidine-200 human carbonic anhydrase B.

Partial inactivation of tau-dinitrophenylhistidine-200 human carbonic anhydrase B, induced by visible light, followed first order kinetics (k(app) = 6.05 times 10-2 min-1). After 50 min the tau-dinitrophenylhistidine (tau-DNP-histidine) content decreased to a negligible level, but the illuminated enzyme retained, at pH 7.6, approximately 9.2 percent of the esterase activity of the native enzyme. The following lines of evidence suggest that the loss of activity results from the destruction of tau-DNP-histidine-200. (1) No significant loss of amino acid other than tau-DNP-histidine was detected after illumination. (2) The rate of loss of activity correlated well with the loss of tau-DNP-histidine. (3) In the photooxidized enzyme the DNP moiety was retained but had lost the characteristic sensitivity of tau-DNP-histidine to nucleophilic attack. Titration of the illuminated enzyme with acetazolamide indicated that the residual activity is an intrinsic property of the modified enzyme. The chromatographically purified photooxidized enzyme migrated as a single band on isoelectrofocusing in polyacylamide gel, and at pH 7.6 possessed 7.5 percent esterase activity relative to the native enzyme. By establishing effective destruction of histidine-200, it can be concluded that neither the pi N nor, as previously shown, the tau N of histidine-200 is critical for the catalysis.     

2-Deoxy-D-galactose metabolism in ascites hepatoma cells results in phosphate trapping and glycolysis inhibition.

The metabolism of 2-deoxy-D-galactose has been studied in AS-30D rat ascites hepatoma cells in suspension. Using 2-deoxy-D-(1-14C)galactose and an alkaline ethanol deproteinization procedure, the quantitatively identified metabolites included 2-deoxy-D-galactose 1-phosphate comprising 99.3%, and UDP-2-deoxy-D-galactose and UDP-2-deoxy-D-glucose, together amounting to 0.4% of the total metabolites. After incubation for 5 h in the presence of 2-deoxy-D-galactose (1 mmo1/1), the content of 2-deoxy-D-galactose 1-phosphate reached 35 mmo1x(kg cells)-1. The rate of phosphorylation of 2-deoxy-D-galactose was rapid during the first 30 min and decreased to approximately 20% of this rate during the subsequent hours. The rapid trapping of Pi in the form of 2-deoxy-D-galactose 1-phosphate resulted in a depression of free intracellular Pi in spite of a concomitant increase in net 32Pi uptake from the medium and a decrease of ATP and other 5'-nucleotides. The rates of glucose utilization and lactate production were depressed by more than 80% in the presence of 2-deoxy-D-galactose (1 mmo1/1). Interruption of Pi trapping by removal of 2-deoxy-D-galactose from the medium reversed the depressions of Pi and ATP and resulted in a rapid but incomplete relief of glycolysis inhibition. Crossover analysis of glycolytic intermediates indicated an inhibition at the 6-phosphofructokinase step. The depression of glucose utilization may be mediated by the increased level of glucose 6-phosphate, a potent inhibitor of hexokinase. An additional inhibitory effect of a metabolite of 2-deoxy-D-galactose at the 6-phosphofructokinase step was indicated by crossover analysis after reversal of Pi and ATP depressions in the presence of a high intracellular content of 2-deoxy-D-glactose 1-phosphate. The quantitative analysis of the metabolites of 2-deoxy-D-galactose demonstrated the predominance of the monophosphate and the negligible formation of UPD derivatives of this sugar analog in AS-30D hepatoma cells. This provides a system for the investigation of a galactose analog as a phosphate-trapping agent in the virtual absence of uridylate trapping.     

DDT induced ethological changes in estuarine fish

Synopsis Experiments were carried out to study the feeding rates of the predator fish Therapon jarbua (Forsk) on mullet juveniles, before and after treatment with DDT. Mullet juveniles treated with a subacute concentration, were refused by the control predators, whereas predators treated with a subacute concentration consumed more mullet juveniles. In the present study crescent perch T. jarbua were exposed to subacute and acute concentrations of DDT, and their behaviour was compared with that of the control predators. There were changes in oriented behaviour and co-ordinated movements, and in feeding, aggression and comfort behaviour of the fish. Inflammation in the gills, and caudal fin serration, were noticed in treated fishes. The findings presented here throw light on fundamental pathways by which pollutants interact with the behaviour of fishes.