A new assay of X-prolyl dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase activity in human serum with glycylproline p-phenylazoanilide as substrate

Summary A new assay procedure for X-prolyl dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase activity in human serum was developed with glycylproline p-phenylazoanilide tosylate as substrate. p-Phenylazoaniline liberated by the enzyme reaction was measured photometrically at 493 nm after stopping the reaction with acid. This assay was simple and sensitive, and less than 50 l of human serum was required for the assay. Km value was 2.5 mm and the optimum pH was 8.7. After disc gel electrophoresis of human serum, the enzyme activity could be distinctly observed as a reddish band on the gel when the gel was incubated with this substrate.     

Highly sensitive assay for tyrosine hydroxylase activity by high-performance liquid chromatography

A highly sensitive assay for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with amperometric detection was devised based on the rapid isolation of enzymatically formed DOPA by a double-column procedure, the columns fitted together sequentially (the top column of Amberlite CG-50 and the bottom column of aluminium oxide). DOPA was adsorbed on the second aluminium oxide column, then eluted with 0.5 M hydrochloric acid, and assayed by HPLC with amperometric detection. d-Tyrosine was used for the control. α-Methyldopa was added to the incubation mixture as an internal standard after incubation. This assay was more sensitive than radioassays and 5 pmol of DOPA formed enzymatically could be measured in the presence of saturating concentrations of tyrosine and 6-methyltetrahydropterin. The TH activity in 2 mg of human putamen could be easily measured, and this method was found to be particularly suitable for the assay of TH activity in a small number of nuclei from animal and human brain.     

Characterization of O-trimethylsilyl derivatives of d-glucose,d-galactose,and d-mannose by gas-liquid chromatography-chemical-ionization mass spectrometry with ammonia as reagent gas

The per(trimethylsilyl) ethers of d-glucose, d-galactose, and d-mannose were analyzed by g.l.c.-c.i.m.s. with ammonia as the reagent gas. C.i.m.s. gave simple fragmentation and fragment ions of high intensity in the high-mass range where the QM⁺ ion is also detected. The β-d anomers gave ions at m/e 558 showing intensities 3–12 times those of the α-d anomers. The epimers could be distinguished by differences in the intensities of the ions and by the observation that d-glucose gave a base peak at m/e 198, d-galactose at m/e 468, and d-mannose at m/e 204. The pyranose and furanose structures could be distinguished by comparing the ion intensities at m/e 198, m/e 271, m/e 361, m/e 396, and m/e 451. A similar analysis was also performed with 2-methylpropane as the reagent gas.     

Multiple-flash development of thermoluminescence bands in dark-grown spruce leaves

Spruce leaves greened in darkness were devoid of three of the five thermoluminescence bands found for mature leaves. These bands were developed rapidly by exposure of the dark-grown leaves to continuous light. The development of these bands was studied by illumination with repetitive flashes at varied intervals. Flashes at intervals of 1 s were the most effective in inducing these bands. Those at shorter or longer intervals were less effective. It was deduced from these data that the development of these bands is a multiquantum process which involves at least two photo-events with a dark reaction between them.     

Indirect evidence that guarded quiescent deutonymph females invest energy to attract conspecific males in the Kanzawa spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae)?

Because only the first mating results in fertilization in Tetranychus kanzawai (Acari: Tetranychidae), adult males guard quiescent deutonymph females (i.e., precopulatory mate guarding). A previous study reported that quiescent deutonymph females guarded by a male attract more conspecific males than solitary females and then hypothesized that guarded females release more chemical signals than solitary ones to attract males. Quiescent deutonymph females do not feed. If the hypothesis is appropriate, guarded females should invest energy in attracting males at the expense of investment in other activities, such as egg production. Therefore, we compared oviposition rates immediately after adult emergence between guarded females and solitary females. On the first day, the oviposition rate of guarded females was lower than that of solitary females. On the second day, however, there was no significant difference between female groups. These results suggest that guarded females invest energy in activities other than egg production before adult emergence and that the energetic cost is easily recoverable. We believe that our finding indirectly supports the hypothesis that guarded females release more chemical signals than solitary females to attract conspecific males.     

Structure of Novel Enzyme in Mannan Biodegradation Process 4-O-β-d-Mannosyl-d-Glucose Phosphorylase MGP

The crystal structure of a novel component of the mannan biodegradation system, 4-O-β-d-mannosyl-d-glucose phosphorylase (MGP), was determined to a 1.68-Å resolution. The structure of the enzyme revealed a unique homohexameric structure, which was formed by using two helices attached to the N-terminus and C-terminus as a tab for sticking between subunits. The structures of MGP complexes with genuine substrates, 4-O-β-d-mannosyl-d-glucose and phosphate, and the product d-mannose-1-phosphate were also determined. The complex structures revealed that the invariant residue Asp131, which is supposed to be the general acid/base, did not exist close to the glycosidic Glc-O4 atom, which should be protonated in the catalytic reaction. Also, no solvent molecule that might mediate a proton transfer from Asp131 was observed in the substrate complex structure, suggesting that the catalytic mechanism of MGP is different from those of known disaccharide phosphorylases.     

Phosphorylation of a 25 kDa protein is induced by thermostable direct hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) is a possible virulence factor produced by Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Although TDH has a variety of biological activities, including hemolytic activity, the biochemical mechanism of action remains uncertain. Here we analysed biochemical events, especially phosphorylation, caused by TDH in erythrocytes, and found that TDH caused significant phosphorylations of proteins on erythrocyte membrane. Phosphorylation of proteins was studied using γ-³²P ATP and SDS-PAGE. A number of protein kinase inhibitors were tested, to determine which types of kinases were involved in the phosphorylation events. TDH induced the phosphorylation of two proteins on membranes of human erythrocyte that are sensitive to TDH. The estimated molecular weight of these proteins was 25 and 22.5 kDa. Interestingly, the 22.5 kDa, but not the 25 kDa protein, was phosphorylated on the membrane of TDH-insensitive (resistant) horse erythrocytes. Moreover, a mutant TDH (R7), which retained binding ability but lost hemolytic activity, also phosphorylated only the 22.5 kDa protein on human erythrocyte membranes. Among the protein kinase inhibitors used the protein kinase C inhibitors, (staurosporine and calphostin C) showed marked inhibition of phosphorylation of 25 kDa protein. In addition to phosphorylation, these protein kinase C inhibitors suppresssed hemolysis by TDH. These results indicate that the phosphorylation of the 25 kDa protein seems to be essential for the hemolysis by TDH after it binds to erythrocyte membranes.     

Oxidative modification of proteasome: identification of an oxidation-sensitive subunit in 26 S proteasome

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have the potential to damage cellular components, such as protein, resulting in loss of function and structural alteration of proteins. The oxidative process affects a variety of side amino acid groups, some of which are converted to carbonyl compounds. We have previously shown that a prostaglandin D2 metabolite, 15-deoxy-delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), is the potent inducer of intracellular oxidative stress on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells [Kondo, M., Oya-Ito, T., Kumagai, T., Osawa, T., and Uchida, K. (2001) Cyclopentenone prostaglandins as potential inducers of intracellular oxidative stress, J. Biol. Chem. 276, 12076-12083]. In the present study, to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the oxidative stress-mediated cell degeneration, we analyzed the protein carbonylation on SH-SY5Y cells when these cells were submitted to an endogenous inducer of ROS production. Upon exposure of SH-SY5Y cells to this endogenous electrophile, we observed significant accumulation of protein carbonyls within the cells. Proteomic analysis of oxidation-sensitive proteins showed that the major intracellular target of protein carbonylation was one of the regulatory subunits in 26 S proteasome, S6 ATPase. Accompanied by a dramatic increase in protein carbonyls within S6 ATPase, the electrophile-induced oxidative stress exerted a significant decrease in the S6 ATPase activities and a decreased ability of the 26 S proteasome to degrade substrates. Moreover, in vitro oxidation of 26 S proteasome with a metal-catalyzed oxidation system also confirmed that S6 ATPase represents the most oxidation-sensitive subunit in the proteasome. These and the observation that down-regulation of S6 ATPase by RNA interference resulted in the enhanced accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins suggest that S6 ATPase is a molecular target of ROS under conditions of electrophile-induced oxidative stress and that oxidative modification of this regulatory subunit of proteasome may be functionally associated with the altered recognition and degradation of proteasomal substrates in the cells.