Inhibitory effect of di- and tripeptidyl aldehydes on calpains and cathepsins

Eight different di- and tripeptidyl aldehyde derivatives, each having at its C-terminus an aldehyde analog of L-norleucine, L-methionine, or L-phenylalanine with a preceding L-leucine residue, were synthesized and tested for their inhibitory effects on several serine and cysteine endopeptidases. These compounds showed almost no inhibition of trypsin, and only weak inhibition of alpha-chymotrypsin and cathepsin H, while they exhibited marked inhibition of cathepsin B less than calpain II congruent to calpain I less than cathepsin L, being stronger in this order. The mode of inhibition of these cysteine proteinases was competitive for the peptide substrate used and inhibitor constants (Ki) were calculated from the Dixon plot. The best inhibitors found were: 4-phenyl-butyryl-Leu-Met-H for calpain I (Ki, 36 nM) and calpain II (Ki, 50 nM); acetyl-Leu-Leu-nLeu-H for cathepsin L (Ki, 0.5 nM); acetyl-Leu-Leu-Met-H for cathepsin B (Ki, 100 nM).     

Augmentation of Interferon Production after Cell-Differentiation of U937 Cells by TPA

Persistent infections with mumps virus were established in several human lymphoid cells of T-cell origin (Molt-4, TALL-1, and CCRF-CEM) and human monocyte cells (U937 and THP-1). 2′,5′-Oligoadenylate synthetase (2–5AS) activity was demonstrated to be only slightly induced by interferon (IFN) or TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate) treatment in these cells. Treatment of the persistently infected cells with IFN or TPA did not stimulate an increase in the amount of synthetase mRNA. Induction of cell differentiation and augmentation of IFN production by TPA were demonstrated in U937 cells persistently infected with mumps virus (U937-MP). Similar results for IFN production were obtained from differentiated U937 cells. It is suggested that cell differentiation of U937 cells might be associated with the development of IFN inducibility.     

Studies on Mechano-Perception in Characean Cells: Development of a Monitoring Apparatus

An apparatus to monitor the electrical signal generated in Characells upon mechanical stimulation was developed. An internodalcell was stimulated by dropping a glass tubing with the intensityof the stimulus being controlled by changing either the weightof the glass tubing or the height from which it was dropped.Upon stimulation, a receptor potential was generated with theamplitude being dependent on the stimulus intensity. When thereceptor potential reached a threshold value, an action potentialwas generated. The receptor potential and action potential werecharacterized. The usefulness of this apparatus for analyzingreceptor potentials is discussed. (Received January 29, 1996; Accepted April 16, 1996)     

Efficient Conversion of L-Tryptophan to Indole-3-Acetic Acid and/or Tryptophol by Some Species of Rhizoctonia

In a study of various phytopathogenic fungi, we found that fungithat belong to the genus Rhizoctonia produce IAA efficientlyfrom tryptophan. R. solani Kühn MAFF-305219, in particular,produced large amounts of tryptophol (Tol), which was assumedto be a specific by-product of the indole-3-pyruvate (IPy) pathway,in addition to IAA. Therefore, this fungus seemed suitable foranalysis of the function and the regulation of the biosynthesisof auxin by a fungal pathogen. Under normal aerobic conditions,the ratio of IAA to Tol synthesized by this strain was higherthan that under less aerobic conditions. In metabolic studieswith various indole derivatives, R. solani converted L-tryptophanand indole-3-acetaldehyde to IAA and Tol, but other indole derivativeswere scarcely metabolized. These results suggest that both IAAand Tol are synthesized from tryptophan through the IPy pathwayin Rhizoctonia. (Received May 27, 1996; Accepted July 8, 1996)     

Genetically polymorphic α-l-fucosidase (FUCA1) isozymes detected in blood plasma

The main isozyme patterns of desialylated blood plasma or serum -l-fucosidase (FUCA) were found to be almost identical to those of semen, urine, placental extracts, and leukocyte lysates, when detected by polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing, and activity staining using the fluorogenic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl--l-fucopyranoside. Three phenotypes (1, 2-1, and 2) determined from plasma samples were identical to the phenotypes from urine and leukocyte lysates from the same individuals. A population study of plasma samples collected from 485 Japanese individuals indicated that the frequencies of the FUCA11 ^* and FUCA12 ^* alleles were 0.7505 and 0.2495, respectively. The mean plasma enzyme activities (+SD) of the three phenotypes were 318.8 ± 116.7 nmol/ml per h for type 1, 268.0 ± 108.3 nmol/ml per h for type 2-1, and 233.2 ± 84.4 nmol/ml per h for type 2. The mean activities of types 1 and 2 suggest that, on average, the FUCA11 ^* gene product in plasma has about 1.4 times the activity of FUCA12 ^*.     

Effect of penicillin on GABA-gated chloride ion influx

To investigate the mechanism of penicillin-induced convulsions, we have studied the effects of penicillin G (PC-G) on GABA-gated chloride ion influx in brain microsac preparations of mice. In the presence of 10^–4 M GABA, PC-G inhibited GABA-gated chloride ion influx in a dose-dependent manner. The dose-response curve for GABA in the presence of 10^–3 M PC-G was shifted rightward and there was a decrease in maximum response. The inhibitory effects of PC-G were not reversed by RO 15-1788, an antagonist of benzodiazepine (BZ) receptors, but were reversed by washing the microsac membranes. Therefore, PC-G probably exerts its proconvulsant effect by inhibiting GABA-gated chloride ion influx. However, it appears not to act through the BZ receptor of the GABA/BZ receptor complex.     

Stabilization of the phosphorylated form of Bacillus subtilis DegU caused by degU9 mutation

Abstract A Bacillus subtilis response regulator, DegU9, carrying an amino acid alteration caused by the degU9 (Hy) mutation was partially purified, and phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the protein was studied. The extent of phosphorylation was not as high as the level attained with wild-type DegU, but the DegU9-phosphate once formed was more stable than the wild-type DegU-phosphate. An in vivo study with a degU9 mutant showed that degS was necessary for the overproduction of exoproteases. These results suggest that phosphorylation is necessary for the mutant DegU9 to exert its effect and that the higher stability of phosphorylated DegU9 is responsible for the overproulation phenotype.     

Prevalence of Human Herpesvirus 6 Variants A and B in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from 13 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and 13 healthy controls were analyzed for the presence of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA by variant-specific polymerase chain reaction and dot blot hybridization. HHV-6 DNA was detected in 7 of 13 (53%) patients, and of those 7 patients, 4 were positive for HHV-6 variant A DNA and 3 were for variant B. No HHV-6 DNA was detected in the controls. Serum antibody titers to the late antigen and antibody prevalence to the early antigen of HHV-6 were significantly higher in the patient group. These results suggest active replication of HHV-6 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.     

Bulb canker of garlic caused byEmbellisia allii,newly found in Japan

Bulb canker of garlic caused byEmbellisia allii was newly detected in Japan. Symptoms of the disease are described and the morphological characteristics of the causal fungus are illustrated and described.