Synthesis of N-acetylglucosaminides of unconjugated and conjugated bile acids.

3-N-Acetylglucosaminides of unconjugated, glycine- and taurine-conjugated bile acids have been synthesized. Bile acids appropriately protected were condensed with acetochloroglucosamine through the 3 alpha-hydroxyl group by means of the Koenigs-Knorr reaction using cadmium carbonate as a catalyst. Subsequent borohydride reduction and/or alkaline hydrolysis provided desired 3-N-acetylglucosaminides of unconjugated bile acids. Glycine-conjugates were obtained from N-acetylglucosaminides of unconjugated bile acids and ethyl glycinate by the carbodiimide method. The preparation of N-acetylglucosaminides of taurine-conjugates was attained by the Koenigs-Knorr reaction of bile acid p-nitrophenyl esters followed by condensation with taurine. 7-N-Acetylglucosaminides of ursodeoxycholates were prepared in a similar fashion. The convenient synthesis of 3-N-acetylglucosaminides of unconjugated bile acids is also described.     

Biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) from amino acids

It was found that an optically active copolyester, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), denoted as P(3HB-co-3HV), is synthesized by Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 from several amino acids under various fermentation conditions. The optimum condition for the biosynthesis from one amino acid, threonine, was investigated and its biosynthetic pathway was discussed on the basis of the relation between the fermentation condition and the co-monomer composition of the produced polyesters.     

Establishment and characterization of new cell lines from human renal cell carcinoma

We have characterized seven human renal cell carcinoma cell lines established from primary sites of five patients between 1987 and 1989. Two lines, OUR-20P and OUR-20S, were derived from the OUR-20 cells by cloning with a dilution method 3 months after the primary culture. These three cell lines were tumorigenic in athymic nude mice when inoculated subcutaneously. Examined by a dye uptake method, OUR-20 was highly sensitive to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha); OUR-20P, OUR-20S and OUR-30 showed slight sensitivities, while the other three cell lines were insensitive. All seven cell lines have been maintained for more than 2 years and over 50 passages in vitro. Cytogenetic analyses performed 1.5 to 3 years after the starts of primary cultures indicated that all seven cell lines, which exhibited different morphologies in phase-contrast micrographs, were aneuploid with modal chromosome numbers 41 to 89.     

Purification and properties of extracellularβ-fructofuranosidases fromAureobasidium sp. ATCC 20524

Summary Two extracellular -fructofuranosidases (E-1 andE-2) fromAureobasidium sp. ATCC 20524, producing 1-kestose (1^F--fructofuranosyl-sucrose) from sucrose, were purified to homogeneity. Molecular weights of the enzymes were estimated to be about 304000 (E-1) and 315000 (E-2) Da by gel filtration. The enzymes contained 33% (w/w) (E-1) and 27% (w/w) (E-2) carbohydrate. TheK _m values for sucrose ofE-1 andE-2 andE-2 were 0.34 and 0.28 M, respectively. were 0.34 and 0.28 M, respectively. The enzymatic profiles of these enzymes were almost identical to intracellular enzymesP-1 andP-2 except for the differences in carbohydrate content andK _m values ofE-2 andP-2.     

Affinity labelling of endothelin receptor and characterization of solubilized endothelin-endothelin-receptor complex

Chick cardiac membranes were affinity labelled by cross-linking to membrane-bound 125I-endothelin-1 with disuccinimidyl tartarate. SDS/PAGE and autoradiographic analysis of the 125I-endothelin-1-labelled material in the presence or absence of 2-mercaptoethanol revealed one major labelled band, corresponding to a molecular mass of 53 kDa, whose appearance was dose-dependently inhibited by the addition of unlabelled endothelin-1 (1-100 nM). Subtracting the molecular mass of 125I-endothelin-1 and disuccinimidyl tartarate, the binding protein appeared to have a molecular mass of 50 kDa. To investigate further the molecular properties of endothelin receptor, the 125I-endothelin-1-endothelin-receptor complex was solubilized from chick cardiac membranes using the detergent digitonin. Sucrose gradient sedimentation of the solubilized complex indicated a sedimentation coefficient of 13 S, whereas the complex of (+)-[3H]PN200-110, a dihydropyridine derivative, and dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels sedimented at 22 S. A monoclonal antibody raised against dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels from the chick brain did not immunoprecipitate the 125I-endothelin-1-endothelin-receptor complex. These data suggest that endothelin receptor is clearly distinct from dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels and endothelin has its own specific 50-kDa receptor.     

Identity of a tumor cytotoxic factor from human fibroblasts and hepatocyte growth factor

Human embryonic lung diploid fibroblast, IMR-90 cells secreted a tumor cytotoxic factor. The fibroblast-derived tumor cytotoxic factor (F-TCF) has a cytotoxic activity to Sarcoma 180 and a cytostatic and degenerative activities to KB cells. F-TCF has been purified about 540,000-fold with 23.3% recovery from 75 liters of the conditioned medium containing 5% newborn calf serum. The purified F-TCF is a basic glycoprotein with isoelectric point values of 7.4 to 8.6. It was stable in the pH range from 6.0 to 9.0 and was stable at the heating temperature of 60 degrees C for 10 min, but completely inactivated by reducing it with 2-mercaptoethanol. F-TCF has molecular weight of 76 to 80 kD on SDS-PAGE under non-reducing conditions and is a heterodimer consisting of a large alpha subunit with 52 to 56 kD and a small beta subunit with 30 to 34 kD. F-TCF was identified as one of human hepatocyte growth factors by the physicochemical properties including N terminal and a few internal amino acid sequences. We have confirmed that F-TCF has an ability to dramatically stimulate DNA synthesis in adult rat hepatocytes in the low dose range of 1 to 10 ng/ml.     

Immunohistochemical studies on the serotonergic innervation of the pia mater

Summary The direct innervation of the pial blood vessels by serotonin neurons has been demonstrated with a modified peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique in the mammalian central nervous system. The pia mater covering the ventrolateral surface of the medulla oblongata is innervated by numerous varicose serotonin fibers originating from the serotonin neurons of the lower brainstem. Scattered serotonin fibers were observed in the pia mater in every part of the brain and spinal cord.     

Unfolding and refolding of the constant fragment of the immunoglobulin light chain

The kinetics of reversible unfolding and refolding by guanidine hydrochloride of the constant fragment of the immunoglobulin light chain are described. The kinetic measurements were made at pH 7.5 and 25 °C using tryptophyl fluorescence and farultraviolet circular dichroism.The kinetics of unfolding of the constant fragment showed two phases in the conformational transition zone and a single phase above the transition zone. A double-jump experiment confirmed the presence of two forms of the unfolded molecule. These results were thoroughly explained on the basis of the three-species mechanism, U₁

U₂

N, where U₁ and U₂ are the slow-folding and fast-folding species, respectively, of unfolded protein and N is native protein. The equilibrium constant for the process of U₂ to U₁ was estimated to be about 10 and was independent of the conditions of denaturation. These findings were consistent with the view that the U₁

U₂ reaction is proline isomerization. The rates of interconversion between N and U₂ changed greatly with the concentration of guanidine hydrochloride. On the other hand, the refolding kinetics below the transition zone showed behavior unexpected from the three-species mechanism. Whereas the apparent rate constant of the slow phase of refolding was independent of the refolding conditions, its amplitude decreased markedly with the decrease in the final concentration of guanidine hydrochloride. On the basis of this and other results, formation of an intermediate during refolding was ascertained and the refolding kinetics were consistently explained in terms of a more general mechanism involving a kinetic intermediate probably containing non-native proline isomers. The intermediate seemed to have a folded conformation similar to native protein. Comparison of the refolding kinetics of the constant fragment with those of other domains of the immunoglobulin molecule suggested that Pro143 is responsible for the appearance of the slow phase.     

Hydrocephalus in suckling rats infected intracerebrally with mouse hepatitis virus, MHV-A59

After intracerebral inoculation of mouse hepatitis virus, MHV-A59 strain, into 3- to 5-day-old Wistar rats, some survivors at 14 days postinoculation (p.i.) were found to lack the cerebral cortex and to have an accumulation of considerable amount of cerebrospinal fluid. The virus titer in the brain increased exponentially after inoculation, reaching a maximum 4 to 6 days p.i. when immunofluorescence revealed virus-specific antigen within neurons in the cerebral cortex. A small amount of infectious virus was also detectable 14 days p.i. when the cerebral anomaly was evident. This brain malformation causing hydrocephalus was due to cerebral damage by viral infection.     

Adenosine kinase from human liver

Adenosine kinase (ATP: adenosine 5'-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.20) has been purified to homogeneity from human liver. The yield was 55% of the initial activity with a final specific activity of 6.3 mumol/min per mg protein. The molecular weight was estimated as about 40 000 by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The enzyme catalyzed the phosphorylation of adenosine, deoxyadenosine, arabinoadenosine, inosine and ribavirin. The activity of deoxyadenosine phosphorylation was 18% of that of adenosine. The pH optimum profile was biphasic; a sharp pH optimum at pH 5.5 and a broad optimum at pH 7.5--8.5. The Km value for adenosine was 0.15 micrometer, and the activity was strongly inhibited at higher concentrations than 0.5 micrometer. ATP, dATP, GTP and dGTP were proved to be effective phosphate donors. Co2+ was more effective than Mg2+, and Ca2+, Mn2+, Fe2+ and Ni2+ showed about 50% of the activity for Mg2+. Some difference in structure between the adenosine kinase from human liver and that from rabbit or rat tissue, was observed by amino acid analysis and peptide mapping analysis.