Comparison of enzyme phenotypes in human bladder tumours and experimentally induced hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the rat urinary bladder. A combined histochemical and immunohistochemical approach

The expression of a number of enzymes involved in drug metabolism, membrane function etc. was compared in hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the rat bladder and in human bladder tumours. Transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) in both rat and Man were characterized by decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and increased gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), beta-glucuronidase (beta-G1), succinate dehydrogenase (SD) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activities. In addition, binding for antibodies specific for different cytochrome P-450 species (UT50, PB3a, MC1, MC2) and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEHb) was elevated in both murine and human tumours. Comparison of the enzyme phenotype in hyperplastic lesions induced by freeze ulceration or uracil administration with that in preneoplastic papillary or nodular hyperplasia (PNH) and TCC suggested, however, that most of the alteration in enzyme content or activity was non-specific and related to requirements for epithelial cell proliferation. On the other hand, the decreased ALP, and increased GGT and beta-G1 activity appeared more directly related to neoplastic transformation. The results suggested that qualitative differences exist between reactive hyperplasia and preneoplastic or neoplastic lesions in the urinary bladder. The finding of increased cytochrome P-450, in clear contrast to the reduction characteristic of preneoplastic hepatic lesions, may be important with regard to the observed difference in neoplastic transformation between the bladder and liver in response to drug metabolising enzyme inducers.     

Structural studies of fertilization-associated carbohydrate-rich glycoproteins (hyosophorin) isolated from the fertilized and unfertilized eggs of flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Presence of a novel penta-antennary N-linked glycan chain in the tandem repeating glycopeptide unit of hyosophorin

New glycoproteins of 100-120 kDa were isolated from the unfertilized eggs of flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Compositionally indistinguishable glycopeptides of 6 kDa were also purified from the activated or fertilized eggs. These high and low molecular mass glycoproteins are characterized by high (about 85%) carbohydrate content. Although some heterogeneities exist in the amino acid sequences, the 6-kDa glycopeptides (decapeptides with single large N-linked glycan chains), isolated from the fertilized eggs are the repeating units of the high molecular mass glycoproteins. As judged from several distinctive features the 100-120-kDa glycoproteins are apparently major components of cortical alveoli of flounder eggs and are regarded as members of glycoproteins we have defined under the name of "hyosophorin" (Kitajima, K., Inoue, S., and Inoue, Y. (1989) Dev. Biol. 132, 544-553). Composition analysis, Smith degradation, hydrazinolysis-nitrous acid deamination, permethylation analysis, and 400-MHz 1H NMR spectroscopy provided evidence for the structure of a novel penta-antennary glycan chain attached to the repeating unit (decapeptide) of the protein core. The structure thus determined is: (Formula: see text). The presence of a unique class of carbohydrate-rich glycoproteins (H-hyosophorin) in the unfertilized eggs, their conversion to the repeating unit (L-hyosophorin) at fertilization, and the finding of a free glycan chain that was formed by scission between the GlcNAc and Asn residues of L-hyosophorin, in the fertilized eggs including embryos of 4-11-h postinsemination, support the view that these molecules may be important in fertilization and subsequent development.     

Effect of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) on splanchnic circulation in dogs

The effect of intravenous administration of human epidermal growth factor on the splanchnic blood flows was examined in anesthetized dogs, using an ultrasonic transit-time volume flow meter. Human epidermal growth factor (0.1, 0.5 and 1 microgram/kg) significantly increased blood flows in the portal vein (36.9 +/- 7.4% at 1 microgram/kg) and the superior mesenteric artery (49.0 +/- 16.8% at 1 microgram/kg). Systemic blood pressure monitored simultaneously was significantly decreased (8.4 +/- 1.2% at 1 microgram/kg). This study is the first to demonstrate that intravenous administration of epidermal growth factor increases the portal venous blood flow.     

Application of a ribosomal DNA integration vector in the construction of a brewer's yeast having alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase activity

An integration plasmid, pIARL28, containing the ribosomal DNA gene as a homologous recombination sequence was constructed for introduction of the alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase gene into brewer's yeast. The transformation efficiency of pIARL28 was 20- to 50-fold higher than those of the other YIp vectors, as yeast cells had approximately 140 copies of the ribosomal DNA gene. All transformants showed very high alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase activity due to the multiple integrated copies of the plasmid. The transformants were grown in nonselective conditions, and segregants which had maintained the alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase expression cassette but no other vector sequences were isolated. Southern analysis showed that these marker-excised segregants contained more than 20 copies of the alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase gene and were stably maintained under nonselective conditions. Fermentation tests confirmed that the diacetyl concentration was considerably reduced in wort fermented by these marker-excised segregants. The degree of reduction was related to the copy number of the alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase gene.     

Conformational feature of neuroactive domoic acid: X-ray structural comparison with isodomoic acid A and alpha-kainic acid.

As an aid for developing a new type of potent insecticide acting on the neuromuscular junction, conformational characteristics of domoic acid and isodomoic acid A, the naturally occurring glutamate agonists, were investigated by X-ray crystal analyses. Conformational comparison with a neuroactive alpha-kainic acid provides information concerning the stereochemical feature responsible for the biological activity.     

Tyrosine-7 is an essential residue for the catalytic activity of human class PI glutathione S-transferase: chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis studies.

The glutathione (GSH)-conjugating activity of human class Pi glutathione S-transferase (GST pi) toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) was significantly lowered by reaction with N-acetylimidazole, an O-acetylating reagent for tyrosine residues. Further, the replacement of Tyr7 in GST pi, which is conserved in all cytosolic GSTs, with phenylalanine by site-directed mutagenesis also lowered the activities toward CDNB and ethacrynic acid. The Km values of the mutant for both GSH and CDNB were almost equivalent to those of the wild type, while the Vmax of the former was about 55-fold smaller than that of the latter. Therefore, Tyr7 is considered to be an essential residue for the catalytic activity of GST pi.     

Prebiotic synthesis of orotic acid parallel to the biosynthetic pathway

By heating an aqueous solution of aspartic acid and urea, carbamylaspartic acid is first formed and then the molecule is cyclized to dihydroorotic acid (DHO) with loss of water. Irradiation of an aqueous solution of DHO with a tungsten lamp yields orotic acid by photo-dehydrogenation of the molecule. This pathway of orotic acid formation is quite similar to that of biosynthesis of the molecule.