Effect of unusual polyamines on cleavage of DNA by restriction enzymes

The effect of unusual polyamines, such as thermine, caldopentamine, caldohexamine, tris(3-aminopropyl)amine, or tetrakis(3-aminopropyl)ammonium, on the activities of various restriction endonucleases was investigated by using an Escherichia coli plasmid as a substrate, which contains a high GC content fragment from an extreme thermophile. Restriction enzymes used were SmaI, BanII, NaeI, RsaI, and TaqI. Most of the polyamines tested were inhibitory to the enzyme activities. The larger and more branched a polyamine was, the more the activities of nucleases were inhibited. The inhibition was positively correlated with the polyamine concentration. The sites protected by a polyamine were identical to those protected by other polyamines, and also identical to those which were less sensitive to the restriction enzyme in the absence of polyamines. No sequence specificity was seen among these sites.     

Studies on the NADH-menaquinone oxidoreductase segment of the respiratory chain in Thermus thermophilus HB-8

Five distinct low potential iron-sulfur clusters have been identified potentiometrically in the membrane particles from Thermus thermophilus HB-8. Three of these clusters (designated as [N-1H]T, [N-2H]T, and [N-3]T) exhibit the following midpoint redox potentials and g values (Em8.0 = -274 mV, gx,y,z = 1.93, 1.94, 2.02), (Em8.0 = -304 mV, gx,y,z = 1.89, 1.95, 2.04), and (Em8.0 = -289 mV, gx,y,z = 1.80, 1.83, 2.06), respectively. These clusters, one binuclear and two tetranuclear, have been shown to be components of the energy coupled NADH-menaquinone oxidoreductase complex (NADH dh I). They are reducible by NADH in the piericidin A-inhibited aerobic membrane particles as well as in the purified NADH dh I complex. Two additional very low potential iron-sulfur clusters (one binuclear, [N-1L]T, and one tetranuclear, [N-2L]T) were observed in membrane particles. These clusters possess the following physiochemical properties (Em8.0 = -418 mV, gx,y,z = 1.93, 19.5, 2.02) and (Em8.0 = -437 mV, gx,y,z = 1.89, 1.95, 2.04), respectively. No high potential tetranuclear cluster equivalent to the mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster [N-2]B was found in this bacterial system. In membrane particles isolated from T. thermophilus HB-8 cells, four different semiquinone species have been identified based on their redox midpoint potentials [Em9(Q/QH2) = 40, -100, -160, -300 mV] and sensitivity to the quinone analogue inhibitor, 2-heptyl-4-hydroxy quinoline-N-oxide. Of these semiquinone species the -100 mV component has been suggested to be part of the NADH dehydrogenase. Piericidin A sensitive delta psi formation has been demonstrated to be coupled to the NADH-MQ1 oxidoreductase in membrane vesicles of T. thermophilus HB-8.     

Production of tropane alkaloids in cultured cells of Hyoscyamus niger

Tests for calluses rich in tropane alkaloids were made with newly induced calluses of Atropa belladonna, Datura stramonium and Hyoscyamus niger. Only calluses of H. niger gave an alkaloid-positive test.A Hyoscyamus cell line had the highest total alkaloid content of all the calluses screened by the cell-squash alkaloid assay. Both hyoscyamine and scopolamine were identified in the cultured cells of this line by TLC, GLC and GC-MS.Abbreviations NAA 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid - BA Benzyladenine - BSA N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl) acetamide     

Mating-Type Differentiation by Transposition of Controlling Elements in SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

The nonfunctional mutation of the homothallic gene HML alpha, designated hml alpha, produced two mutant alleles, hml alpha-1 and hml alpha-2. Both mutant clones were mixed cultures consisting of a mating-type cells and nonmating haploid cells. The frequencies of the two cell types were different, and a few diploid cells able to sporulate were found in the hml alpha-2 mutant. Conversions of an a mating-type cell to nonmater, and vice versa, were observed in both mutants. The conversion of an a mating phenotype to nonmating is postulated to occur by alteration of the a mating type to the sterile mating-type allele in the hml alpha-1 mutant. In tetrad dissection of prototrophic diploids that were obtained by rare mating of hml alpha-1 mutants with a heterothallic strain having the MATa ho HMRa HMLa genotype, many mating-deficient haploid segregants were found, while alpha mating-type segregants were observed in a similar diploid using an hml alpha-2 mutant. The mating-type-deficient haploid segregants were supposed to have the sterile alpha mating-type allele because the nonmating genetic trait always segregated with the mating-type locus. Sporogenous diploid cells obtained in the hml alpha-2 mutant clone had the MATa/MAT alpha HO/HO HMRa/HMRa hml alpha-2/hml alpha-2 genotype. These observations suggested that the hml alpha-1 allele produces a transposable element that gives rise to the sterile alpha mating type by transposition into the mating-type locus, and that the hml alpha-2 allele produces an element that provides alpha mating-type information, but is defective in the structure for transposition.     

Proton nuclear-magnetic-resonance and resonance Raman studies of thermophilic cytochrome c-552 from Thermus thermophilus HB8

The pH and temperature dependences of the 270-MHz proton nuclear magnetic resonance and resonance Raman spectra of Thermus thermophilus cytochrome c-552 were studied. Observation of the NMR methyl signal of the iron-bound methionine indicates that a methionine residue is the sixth ligand of heme iron in both ferric and ferrous states, although the environment of this methionine is not similar to that in mitochondrial cytochrome c. The NMR methyl signal of the coordinated methionine in the ferrous state was observed even at 87 degrees C, indicating the retention of the methionine ligand at the sixth coordination position. None of resonance Raman lines in ferrous cytochrome c-552 at higher temperatures showed a prominant temperature-dependent frequency shift, which implies that the heme iron was still bound with strong ligands and retained the low-spin state. In either redox state overall thermal denaturation did not occur even at 87 degrees C, although the ferric form existed in thermal spin mixture of the low-spin and high-spin species at higher temperatures. The hyperfine-shifted NMR resonances of the ferric form indicated rapid exchange of the sixth ligand at alkaline pH in the process of a single-step alkaline isomerization.     

Changes in protease during differentiation of mouse myeloid leukemia cells.

The protease activities of mouse myeloid leukemia cells Ml were examined using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled albumin as substrate. Protease activity in Ml cells was greatest at alkaline pH values with a maximum at pH 11.0, and only slight activity was seen at neutral and acidic pHs. When Ml cells were induced to differentiate into mature cells by lipopolysaccharide, their alkaline protease activity decreased greatly with marked increase in acid protease activity. Moreover, in a variant cell line Mml with the properties of differentiated Ml cells, no protease activity was found at alkaline pH values.     

Peptide inhibitors of angiotensin I-converting enzyme in digests of gelatin by bacterial collagenase.

Peptide inhibitors of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (peptidyldipeptide hydrolase, EC 3.4.15.1) were produced by digesting gelatin with bacterial collagenase. The inhibitors were isolated from the digests with a combination of alcohol fractionation, treatment with Amberlite CG-50 column, gel filtration through Sephadex G-25, and Dowex 50 column and paper chromatography. Nine peptide fractions were purified to apparent homogeneity judging by thin-layer and ion-exchange column chromatography, and amino acid composition. Amino acid sequences of the peptides were determined: 2 were found to be mixtures of peptides and the sequence of another was only partially determined. Six of the peptides were potent inhibitors of the converting enzyme, while the other three were less active. 6 peptides were substrates for the enzyme. The enzyme released a dipeptide, Ala-Hyp from one peptide and was strongly inhibited by this dipeptide. The remainder of the parent peptides was a less effective inhibitor.     

Studies on polypeptide-chain-elongation factors from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus HB8. 3. Molecular properties.

Molecular properties of the polypeptide chain elongation factors from Thermus thermophilus HB8 have been investigated and compared with those from Escherichia coli. 1. As expected, the factors purified from T. thermophilus were exceedingly heat-stable. Even free EF-Tu not complexed with GDP was stable after heating for 5 min at 60 degrees C. 2. GDP binding activity of T. thermophilus EF-Tu was also stable in various protein denaturants, such as 5.5 M urea, 1.5 M guanidine-HCl, and 4 M LiCl. 3. Amino acid compositions of EF-Tu and EF-G from T. thermophilus were similar to those from E. coli. On the other hand, amino acid composition of T. thermophilus EF-Ts was considerably different from that of E. coli EF-Ts. 4. In contrast to E. coli EF-Tu, T. thermophilus EF-Tu contained no free sulfhydryl group, but one disulfide bond. The disulfide bond was cleaved by sodium borohydride or sodium sulfite under native conditions. The heat stability of the reduced EF-Tu . GDP, as measured by GDP binding activity, did not differ from that of the untreated EF-Tu . GDP. 5. T. thermophilus EF-Ts contained, in addition to one disulfide bond, a sulfhydryl group which could be titrated only after complete denaturation of the protein. 6. Under native conditions one sulfhydryl group of T. thermophilus EF-G was titrated with p-chloromercuribenzoate, while the rate of reaction was very sluggish. The sulfhydryl group appears to be essential for interaction with ribosomes, whereas the ability to form a binary GDP . EF-G complex was not affected by its modification. The protein contained also one disulfide bond. 7. Circular dichroic spectra of EF-Tu from T. thermophilus and E. coli were very similar. Binding of GDP or GTP caused a similar spectral change in both. T. thermophilus and E. coli EF-Tu. On the other hand, the spectra of T. thermophilus EF-G and E. coli EF-G were significantly different, the content of ordered structure being higher in the former as compared to the latter.