Non-cognizable ribonucleotide, 2''AMP, binds to a mutant ribonuclease T1 (Y45W) at a new base-binding site but not at the guanine-recognition site.

Complex of a mutant ribonuclease T₁ (Y4SW) with a non-cognizable ribonucleotide, 2′AMP, has been determined and refined by X-ray diffraction at 1.7 Å resolution. The 2′AMP molecule locates at a new base-binding site which is remote from the guanine-recognition site, where 2′GMP was found to be bound. The nucleotide adopts the anti conformation of the glycosidic bond and C3′-exo sugar pucker. There exists a single hydrogen bond between the adenine base and the enzyme, and, therefore, the site found is apparently a non-specific binding site. The results indicate that the binding of 2′AMP to the guanine-recognition site is weaker than that to the new binding site.     

Formation of functionally active chloroplasts is determined at a limited stage of leaf development in virescent mutants of rice

The ability to form functionally active chloroplasts is determined at a certain early stage of leaf development in three non-allelic temperature-sensitive virescent mutants of rice. Temperature-shift analysis, together with anatomical observations, indicates that the intrinsic developmental signals of the virescent genes are expressed at the stage immediately following the formation of basic leaf structure, but just before the onset of leaf elongation. These signals control the expression of chloroplast-encoded genes but do not affect the subsequent morphological development of the leaf or the photo-regulation of the expression of nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins.     

Osmotic adaptation of Escherichia coli with a negligible proton motive force in the presence of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone.

It has been reported that Escherichia coli is able to grow in the presence of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) when ATP is produced by glycolysis (N. Kinoshita et al., J. Bacteriol. 160:1074-1077, 1984). We investigated the effect of CCCP on the osmotic adaptation of E. coli growing with glucose. When E. coli growing in rich medium containing CCCP was transferred to medium containing sucrose, its growth stopped for a while and then started again. This lag time was negligible in the absence of CCCP. The same results were obtained when the osmolarity was increased by N-methylglucamine-maleic acid. In addition to adapting itself to the hyperosmotic rich medium, E. coli adapted itself to hyperosmolarity in a minimal medium containing CCCP, again with a lag time. Hyperosmotic shock decreased the internal level of potassium ion rather than causing the accumulation of external potassium ion in the presence of CCCP. The internal amount of glutamic acid increased in cells growing in hyperosmotic medium in the presence and absence of CCCP. Large elevations in levels of other amino acids were not observed in the cells adapted to hyperosmolarity. Trehalose was detected only in hyperosmosis-stressed cells in the presence and absence of CCCP. These results suggest that E. coli can adapt to changes in the environmental osmolarity with a negligible accumulation of osmolytes from the external milieu but that the accumulation may promote the adaptation.     

Characterization of a Xenopus laevis skin peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase expressed in insect-cell culture.

The C-terminal amide structure of peptide hormones and neurotransmitters is synthesized via a two-step reaction catalyzed by peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) and peptidylhydroxyglycine N-C lyase. A Xenopus laevis PHM expressed in insect-cell culture by the baculovirus-expression-vector system was purified to homogeneity and characterized. Using a newly established assay system for PHM, the kinetic features of this enzyme were investigated. As expected, the enzyme required copper ions, L-ascorbate and molecular oxygen for turnover. Salts like KI and KCl, and catalase stabilized the enzyme in the presence of L-ascorbate. The optimum pH value for the enzyme reaction was around six when Mes buffer was used and around seven when phosphate buffer was used under the same assay condition. Below pH 6, acetate, iodide and chloride ions activated the reaction. The kinetic analysis is consistent with a ping-pong mechanism with respect to peptide and L-ascorbate, and the peptide showed substrate inhibition. The substrate specificity of the enzyme at the penultimate position was examined by competitive assay using tripeptides with glycine at the C-termini and the inhibitory potency of these peptides in descending order was methionine > aromatic > non-polar amino acids.     

Augmentation of retinoic acid-induced granulocytic differentiation in HL-60 leukemia cells by serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitors.

To evaluate the involvement of protein phosphatases (PP) in differentiation of human myelogenous leukemia HL-60 cells, we made use of potent inhibitors of PP1 and PP2A, calyculin-A (CAL-A) and okadaic acid (OKA). CAL-A and OKA could augment all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-induced granulocytic differentiation, whereas the differentiation toward macrophage lineage by 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) was unchanged in the presence of CAL-A. CAL-A augmented the phosphorylation of 18K, 23K and 30K proteins induced by ATRA. The PP1 and PP2A were identified and were present mainly in the cytosol of HL-60 cells. These results suggest that either PP1 or PP2A or both may be involved in regulating granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells.     

Spatial, temporal, and hormonal regulation of epidermal keratin expression during development of the frog, Xenopus laevis.

To study the mechanism of hormone-induced keratin expression in the epidermis during Xenopus metamorphosis, a monospecific antibody was raised against a unique carboxy-terminal peptide of the 63-kDa keratin. Immunohistological analysis demonstrated that the onset of 63-kDa keratin expression showed distinct regional and temporal differences. The expression started at stage 54 in the hindlimb epidermis, at stage 57 in the head, and over 1 month later at stage 63 in the tail. The amount of 63-kDa keratin was further regulated during epidermal stratification and differentiation. The 63-kDa keratin was expressed first in basal epidermal cells before stratification began. The outer layer of the larval epidermis (periderm) did not express the 63-kDa keratin. As the cells moved out of basal layer, they stained more intensely with the anti-keratin antibody indicating that 63-kDa keratin synthesis is up-regulated during differentiation. Similar results were obtained with cultures of purified epidermal cells grown in high calcium conditions. Since we have shown that thyroid hormone (T3) induces 63-kDa keratin gene expression and hydrocortisone (HC) modulates T3 action we examined the effects of T3 and HC at the single cell level with the anti-keratin antibody. Immunostaining demonstrated that T3 alone and T3 plus HC increased the number of 63-kDa keratin-positive cells as well as the amount of 63-kDa keratin per cell. Unexpectedly these hormones had the same effects on head and tail epidermal cells even though the latter cells degenerate during metamorphosis. The major difference between tail and head cells was that the percentage 63-kDa keratin-producing cells was much greater in the head than in the tail.     

Analysis of the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) metabolite delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha in human plasma by GC/SIM using [18O] delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha.

A method of the microdetermination of delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha, a hydrolyzed metabolite of PGI3, is described. An authentic delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha (120 mg) was prepared from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) incubated with homogenate of bovine aortic intima. [18O]delta 17-6-Keto-PGF1 alpha was synthesized by repeating base-catalyzed hydrolysis of methyl ester derivatives in [18O]water, to obtain an internal standard in gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring (GC/SIM) of delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha. Good linear response over the range of 10 pg-10ng was demonstrated. Chromatographic conditions using a MP-65HT column presented nearly baseline separation of delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. We were able to detect delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha in the range from 6 to 26 pg/ml of the human plasma. The present method can be applied to the determination of delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha in the human urine and plasma.     

Separation and concentration of delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha using monoclonal antibody to omega 3-olefin structure of trienoic prostanoids.

A monoclonal antibody against cis-3-hexen-1-ol was prepared and used to separate and/or concentrate delta 17-6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (PGF1 alpha) in the human sera. cis-3-Hexen-1-ol was conjugated with the human serum albumin (HSA) according to the N-succinimidylester method and hyperimmunized to BALB/c mouse. The monoclonal antibodies were obtained from hybridoma clones established by a fusion between SP2/0-Ag14-k13 mouse myeloma cells and splenocytes of a mouse. A monoclonal antibody, named 4G9-12B, recognized the epitope characteristic for omega 3-olefin structure. The 4G9-12B antibody became more specific for delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha than 6-keto-PGF1 alpha by applying inhibition ELISA using amino-residue coating plates. Using the prepared immunoaffinity columns of this antibody, delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha was clearly detected in 6 pg/ml of the human blood sera by GC/MS analysis. These results suggest that the monoclonal antibody to the partial structure of trienoic prostanoid, omega 3-olefin unit, and that its immunoaffinity columns are useful in separating and concentrating delta 17-6-keto-PGF1 alpha in the human blood or urine.     

Construction of shuttle vectors derived fromAcetobacter xylinum for cellulose-producing bacteriumAcetobacter xylinum

Summary Shuttle vector pUF106 was constructed by ligation ofAcetobacter xylinum plasmid pFF6 toEscherichia coli plasmid pUC18. It had unique restriction sites suitable for insertion of a foreign DNA fragment and conferred ampicillin resistance to a host. pUF106 transformed cellulose-producingA. xylinum ATCC10245 as well asE. coli JM109.     

A possible clinical application of multicytokine-producing cytotoxic mononuclear cell (MCCM) therapy

When peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were incubated with a streptococcal preparation, OK-432, for 24 h, PBMC acquired cytolytic activity against cultured and fresh human tumor cells. Such PBMC were called OK-432-activated mononuclear cells (OK-MC). OK-MC produce several kinds of cytokines such as interferon (IFN), IFN, and tumor growth inhibitory factor (TGIF) bothin vitro andin vivo. OK-MC-produced cytokines also inhibited the growth of cultured and fresh human tumor cells. The growth inhibition was examined by human tumor clonogenic assay using a double-layer agar technique. The results indicate that two pathways of anti-tumor activity are induced in OK-MC, i.e., cell-mediated and cytokine-mediated.