Modeling with in vitro kinetic parameters for the elaboration of transfer RNA identity in vivo

A tRNA with "double identity" was created, and this tRNA was demonstrated in vitro to aminoacylate quantitatively with either of two amino acids. In contrast, acceptance of only one of these amino acids was observed in vivo, and a simple manipulation determined which one was accepted. Kinetic parameters were obtained for aminoacylation with each amino acid of the tRNA with double identity and of related tRNAs. Modeling with these parameters largely explains which amino acid specificity is observed in vivo. The results delineate some of the kinetic boundaries for the design and accommodation of tRNA sequence variations in the elaboration of identity in vivo.     

Purification and biochemical characterization of recombinant hirudin produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Recombinant hirudin was produced by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the alpha-pheromone prepro sequence to direct its secretion into the culture medium. The secreted hirudin was isolated to greater than or equal to 95% purity as measured by 205-nm absorbance integration from a reverse-phase chromatogram. One major activity peak corresponding to the complete, correctly processed molecule and two minor activity peaks corresponding to C-terminally truncated forms were identified. The primary structure of the major peak, determined by N-terminal sequencing of tryptic peptides, was that predicted from the cDNA sequence, and the molecular mass analyzed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) was 6892.6 (calculated 6892.5). UV spectral analysis suggested that, in contrast to the natural molecule, recombinant hirudin produced by S. cerevisiae is not sulfated.     

Nonelectrolyte permeability of liposomes of hydroxyfatty acid-containing phosphatidylcholines

Two phosphatidylcholines containing hydroxylated fatty acids, 1-palmitoyl-2-[5-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoyl]-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine (1-palm-2-5HETE PC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-[15(S)-hydroxy-5,8,11,13- eicosatetraenoyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (1-palm-2-15HETE PC), and one phosphatidylcholine containing nonhydroxylated fatty acids, 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (1-palm-2-arach PC) were synthesized. Permeation of small nonelectrolytes (glycerol, 1,2-propanediol, urea, methylurea, propionamide and dimethylformamide) was assessed in multilamellar liposomes containing these synthetic PCs plus egg yolk phosphatidycholine (EPC) in the presence and absence of cholesterol. In liposomes containing 23% cholesterol, 69.3% EPC and 7.7% of either 1-palm-2-5HETE PC or 1-palm-2-15HETE PC the permeability to small nonelectrolytes was 60 to 400% greater than in liposomes containing 23% cholesterol and 77% EPC. The HETE-containing PCs also increased permeability in liposomes without cholesterol but the effects were less striking. Addition of the synthetic PCs did not affect the energy of activation of permeation.     

Studies on the incorporation of precursors into purine and pyrimidine nucleotides via 'de novo' and 'salvage' pathways in normal lymphocytes and lymphoblastic cell-line cells

The incorporation of radioactive precursors into purine and pyrimidine nucleotides via 'de novo' and 'salvage' pathways was measured in normal lymphocytes, resting as well as proliferating, and lymphoblastic cell-line cells (MOLT-3). Lymphocytes stimulated with anti-CD3 were taken as actively proliferating lymphocytes (35% in the S-phase, 40 h after stimulation). The incorporation of the precursors in the purine and pyrimidine ribonucleotides was measured by a combination of anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and on-line radioactivity measurement. The actively proliferating normal lymphocytes and MOLT-3 cells incorporated 30-500 times more of the various precursors in the ribonucleotides compared to normal resting lymphocytes. The imbalance in the nucleotide pool found in proliferating normal and lymphoblastic cells was reflected in the incorporation pattern of the various precursors. The activities of the branch-point enzymes IMP dehydrogenase and CTP synthetase most likely determine the differences in the composition of the nucleotide pools between resting and proliferating cells.     

Conformational change of the heme moiety of the ferrous cytochrome P-450scc-phenyl isocyanide complex upon binding of reduced adrenodoxin

Reduction of cytochrome P-450scc(SF) (SF, substrate free) purified from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria with sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4) or with beta-NADPH mediated by catalytic amounts of adrenodoxin and adrenodoxin reductase in the presence of phenyl isocyanide produced a ferrous cytochrome P-450scc(SF)-phenyl isocyanide complex with Soret absorbance maximum at 455 nm having a shoulder at 425 nm. On the other hand, when a preformed cytochrome P-450scc(SF)-adrenodoxin complex was reduced chemically or enzymatically under the same conditions, the absorbance spectrum showed drastic changes, i.e., an increase in intensity at 425 nm and a concomitant decrease in intensity at 455 nm. Similar spectral changes could be produced by addition of the same amount of reduced adrenodoxin afterward to the ferrous cytochrome P-450scc(SF)-phenyl isocyanide complex. Titration experiments with adrenodoxin showed that (1) a 1:1 stoichiometric saturation of the spectral change was obtained for both the absorbance increase at 425 nm and the absorbance decrease at 455 nm, (2) there was no spectral change in the presence of 0.35 M NaCl, and (3) there was no spectral change for cytochrome P-450scc(SF) whose Lys residue(s) essential to the interaction with adrenodoxin had been covalently modified with PLP. These results suggest that ternary complex formation of ferrous cytochrome P-450scc(SF)-phenyl isocyanide with reduced adrenodoxin caused a conformational change around the ferrous heme moiety. By analysis of temperature and pH dependencies of the spectral change of the ternary complex, it was suggested that this conformational change may reflect the essential step for electron transfer from reduced adrenodoxin to the ferrous-dioxygen complex of cytochrome P-450scc.     

A cytoplasmic thyroid hormone binding protein: characterization using monoclonal antibodies

We have previously purified a cellular thyroid hormone binding protein (p58) from a human carcinoma cell line [Kitagawa, S., Obata, T., Hasumura, S., Pastan, I., & Cheng, S.-y. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 3903-3908]. In the present study, the binding characteristics, the molecular properties, and subcellular localization of p58 were further characterized. Binding of the purified p58 to thyroid hormones was examined. Analysis of binding data indicates that p58 binds to 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) with a Kd of 24.3 +/- 0.3 nM and n = 0.71. p58 binds to L-thyroxine similarly as to T3. However, D-T3 and reverse-T3 bind to p58 with an affinity 4- and 20-fold less than that of T3, respectively. By use of the purified p58 as an immunogen, two hybridomas, J11 and J12, secreting monoclonal antibodies to p58 were isolated; both antibodies belong to the IgG1K subclass. J12 recognizes p58 from human, monkey, dog, hamster, and rat, but not mouse. J11 exhibits a similar species specificity except that it does not react with p58 from hamster. With these antibodies, p58 was found to be not posttranslationally modified by glycosylation, sulfation, or phosphorylation. It has a cellular degradation rate t1/2 congruent to 2.1 h. Immunocytochemical studies indicate that p58 is located in the nonmembranous cytoplasm (cytosol). These results are consistent with subcellular fractionation studies which show that greater than 95% of J11 and J12 reactivity and T3 binding activity can be found in the 110,000g supernatant.     

Induction of microsomal 1-acylglycerophosphocholine acyltransferase by peroxisome proliferators in rat kidney; co-induction with peroxisomal beta-oxidation

Induction of microsomal 1-acyl-glycerophosphocholine (GPC) acyltransferase in rat tissues by four peroxisome proliferators, clofibric acid, tiadenol, DEHP and PFOA, was examined. Among the nine tissues examined, kidney, liver and intestinal mucosa responded to the challenges by the peroxisome proliferators to induce the enzyme. The treatment of rats with various dose of clofibric acid, tiadenol, DEHP or PFOA resulted in an induction of kidney microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase in a dose-dependent manner. Despite the structural dissimilarity of peroxisome proliferators, the induction of microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase was highly correlated with the induction of peroxisomal beta-oxidation. The activity of microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase was not affected by changes in hormonal (adrenalectomy, diabetes, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism) and nutritional (starvation, starvation-refeeding, fat-free-diet feeding and high-fat-diet feeding) states. The induction of renal microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase was seen in mice subsequent to the administration of clofibric acid and tiadenol and in guinea pigs subsequent to the administration of tiadenol. These results may indicate that kidney microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase is a highly specific parameter responsive to the challenges by peroxisome proliferators and may suggest that the possibility that the inductions by peroxisome proliferators of microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase and peroxisomal beta-oxidation in kidney are co-regulated.     

Mechanism of membrane damage induced by the amphipathic peptides gramicidin S and melittin

The action of gramicidin S and melittin on human erythrocytes, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was studied as an extension of the previous study (Katsu, T., Ninomiya, C., Kuroko, M., Kobayashi, H., Hirota, T. and Fujita, Y. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 939, 57-63). These amphipathic peptides stimulated the release of membrane phospholipids outside cells in a concentration range causing permeability change. The shape change of erythrocytes from normal discoid to spiculate form was observed just prior to the release of membrane components. We have proposed the following action mechanism of gramicidin S and melittin. The peptide molecules were predominantly accumulated in the outer half of the bilayer, deforming the erythrocyte cell into crenature. A large accumulation made the membrane structure unstable, resulting in the release of membrane fragments and the simultaneous enhancement of permeability. The action mechanism of these peptides was compared with that of simple surfactants.     

Ajoene prevents fat digestion by human gastric lipase in vitro

Human gastric lipase (HGL) is a sulfhydryl enzyme which has been shown by Gargouri et al. (Gargouri, Y., Moreau, H., Piéroni, G. and Verger, R. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 2159-2162) to be inhibited by hydrophobic disulfides. Since HGL is involved in the digestion and absorption of dietary fats we have investigated in vitro the ability of ajoene, a natural disulfide to inactivate HGL. Ajoene is derived from ethanolic garlic extracts. The finding that ajoene inactivates HGL is consistent with the fact that it is reactive towards sulfhydryl compounds and also corroborates previous reports on the ability of garlic to lower triacylglycerol blood levels. These data may explain the age-old Mediterranean and Oriental belief in the 'blood-thinning' effects of garlic on a molecular and physiological basis.     

Biosynthesis, processing and half-life of P-glycoprotein in a human multidrug-resistant KB cell

The biosynthesis, processing, and half-life of the drug efflux pump, P-glycoprotein, were studied in human multidrug-resistant KB (KB-C2) cells selected for resistance to colchicine. An antibody directed against a synthetic oligopeptide corresponding to the amino-acid sequence (Glu-393-Lys-408) of P-glycoprotein from human mdr1 cDNA was prepared in rabbits. With immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation, we detected a 140-170 kDa protein in KB-C2 cells but not in parental sensitive KB cells. KB-C2 cells made a 125 kDa precursor that was slowly processed (t1/2 = 45 min) to the mature form of 140-150 kDa. The processing rate of P-glycoprotein was slower than that of low-density lipoprotein receptor. We detected another 160-180 kDa smear band, which might be a completely denatured form of P-glycoprotein. With immunoblotting, a minor band of high molecular mass (greater than 500 kDa) was also detected and this form increased after the cells were treated with chemical cross-linker, 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. The half-life of P-glycoprotein was long; no significant loss of P-glycoprotein was observed within 24 h after synthesis. Cells treated with tunicamycin produced a 120 kDa form of P-glycoprotein which was no longer processed but showed stability similar to that of the mature 140-150 kDa form. Agents that reverse multidrug resistance, phorbol ester and transport substrate did not affect the stability of P-glycoprotein.