Kinetic characteristics of the ATP-pyrophosphate isotope exchange catalyzed by RNA ligase from T4 bacteriophage

The dependence of initial rate v0 of ATP--PPi exchange reaction catalyzed by RNA-ligase of bacteriophage T4 on the concentration of ATP(s), pyrophosphate (z) and Mgcl2 has been determined. The dependence of v0 on s and z described by the equation v0 = k-1k2E0/(k-1 + K2) (1 + K1/s + k2/z) has been obtained for the reaction of E + S in equilibrium ES in equilibrium E1 + Z, where E--enzyme, E1--adenylylenzyme, S--ATP, Z--pyrophosphate, K1 and K2--constants of equilibrium, k-1, k2--velocity constants of transition of ES to E + S and E1 + Z, E0--complete concentration of enzyme. The low inhibition of the ATP--PPi exchange by the acceptor A(pA)2 and donors pAp, p(Ap)3, pCp has been shown. The dependence of v0 on the concentration of MgCl2 is consent with the incorporation of only dimagnesium salts of substrates in the isotope-exchange reaction.     

Ysp2 mediates death of yeast induced by amiodarone or intracellular acidification

Recently we have found that the drug amiodarone induces apoptosis in yeast, which is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here we have used this finding as a tool to screen for genes involved in the death program. We have described a novel mitochondrial protein, Ysp2, acting in the amiodarone-induced death cascade. After amiodarone addition both the control and amiodarone-resistant ysp2-deleted cells formed ROS, but the mutant (unlike the control) did not undergo the mitochondrial thread-to-grain transition. To test whether the action of Ysp2 is amiodarone-specific we tried to induce PCD by other agents. We have found that acetic acid-induced PCD also depends on Ysp2. We also demonstrate that, like acetic acid, propionic acid or nigericin triggered intracellular acidification causing ROS-dependent death. We suggest that intracellular acidification results in the protonation of superoxide anion (O2-*) to form HO2, one of the most aggressive ROS, which in turn induces Ysp2-mediated PCD.     

Fe(II) phthalocyanine catalyzed oxidation of dGMP by molecular oxygen

We show that iron(II)-phthalocyanines are able to catalyze guanosine oxidation by molecular oxygen in the presence of reducing agents such as ascorbic acid and 2-mercaptoethanol. The products of 5′-monophosphate-2′-deoxyguanosine (dGMP) oxidation were directly analyzed using the HPLC-ESI/MS method. The main oxidation products were 5′-phospho-2′-deoxy-8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine and the 1,N2-glyoxal adduct of the 5′-monophosphate-2′-deoxyguanosine.     

Kinetics of growth and substrate consumption of Escherichia coli ML 30 on two carbon sources.

When E. coli ML 30 is grown in batch culture on a mineral salt medium containing a mixed carbon source of glucose and pyruvate, there is no sequential utilization of the carbon sources. The consumption of glucose and pyruvate takes place simultaneously with reciprocal influence (inhibition) on rates of substrate uptake. The specific growth rate is greater than mupmax for pyruvate but smaller than musmax for glucose. In the paper three cases of kinetics of growth and of substrate consumption at several combinations of initial substrate concentrations are considered. A mathematical model is proposed and investigated. The model allows to describe the growth on glucose or on pyruvate not only as singular carbon sources, but also as a mixed carbon source with reciprocal inhibition on rates of substrate uptake. By data fitting parameters of growth and substrate consumption were found.