Glycogen metabolism in rat liver during transition form the fed to fasted states

Hepatic glycogen metabolism was studied in rats during the period of transition from the fed to fasted states. Glycogenic activity was measured in vivo based on the incorporation of [¹⁴C]glucose into liver glycogen. Its changes were almost parallel to the changes in glucogen synthase activity. Progressive accumulation of liver glycogen that occurred in the fed state was associated with a proportional increase in glycogenic activity. Within 4 h after the cessation of food intake, glycogenic activity showd a precipitous fall from the peak to its nadir without significant changes in glycogen content. Meanwhile, the glucose concentration in the portal vein decreased. Upon further development of fasting, glycogenic activity displayed a progressive regain, reciprocally as glycogen contents gradually decreased. The precipitous fall of glycogenic activity during the transition from the fed to fasted states was associated with a transient increase in plasma glucagon, and was partly overcome by the injection of anti-glucagon serum. It is concluded that the fall of portal venous concentration of glucose and secretion of glucagon act as a signal to initiate liver glycogen metabolism characteristics of the fasted or postabsorptive state.     

A microdetermination of ( 14 C)lactate in biological fluids

A simple method, based on a single-step conversion of lactate to pyruvic acid semicarbazone by lactic dehydrogenase, has been developed for the microdetermination of [¹⁴C]lactate in the biological fluids. Pyruvic semicarbazone thus formed is efficiently separated from other labelled metabolites by means of charcoal treatment followed by thin-layer chromatography on cellulose plate. The entire procedure applied to rat whole blood revealed the mean recovery of 75.2% with a good reproducibility.     

Molecular characterization of an adenylate cyclase gene of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis

A cyaA gene, encoding an adenylate cyclase, was isolated from a filamentous cyanobacterium, Spirulina platensis, by functional complementation of a cya mutant of Escherichia coli, defective in adenylate cyclase activity. The predicted gene product of cyaA contains a signal peptide-like domain, a putative sensor domain similar to the gene product of vsrA of Pseudomonas solanacearum, a putative membrane-spanning domain and an adenylate cyclase-like catalytic domain. Two other positive clones that complemented the E. coli mutant were isolated from the same cyanobacterium, suggesting that several cya genes are functioning in S. platensis.     

Dual pathways of receptor-mediated cyclic GMP generation in NG108-15 cells as differentiated by susceptibility to islet-activating protein, pertussis toxin

The cellular cGMP content increased in response to a variety of receptor agonists, which activate [e.g., prostaglandin (PG) E1, E2, and F2 alpha] or inhibit (e.g., alpha-adrenergic, muscarinic, and opiate agonists) adenylate cyclase in neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid NG108-15 cells. The responses were additive when PGF2 alpha and enkephalin were mixed. The inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein (Ni) is involved in adenylate cyclase inhibition; this function of Ni is lost when it is ADP-ribosylated by islet-activating protein (IAP), pertussis toxin [H. Kurose, T. Katada, T. Amano, and M. Ui (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 4870-4875]. The cGMP rise induced by stimulation of the receptors linked to adenylate cyclase inhibition was also diminished by IAP; the time course and dose response for the IAP-induced diminution were the same between adenylate cyclase inhibition and cGMP generation. Ni thus appears to mediate guanylate cyclase activation as well as adenylate cyclase inhibition initiated via the same receptors. Melittin also increased cGMP. No additivity was shown when enkephalin and melittin were combined, suggesting that phospholipase A2 might play a role in Ni-mediated guanylate cyclase activation. On the other hand, the PGF2 alpha-induced cGMP rise was associated with increased incorporation of 32Pi into phosphatidylinositol; was not affected by cholera toxin, IAP or forskolin; and showed no additivity when combined with A23187, which increased cGMP by itself. PGs would occupy receptors linked to phosphatidylinositol breakdown, thereby increasing the availability of intracellular Ca2+, which is responsible for guanylate cyclase activation. Thus, dual pathways are proposed for a receptor-mediated cGMP rise in NG108-15 cells.