3(20)alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of monkey liver indanol dehydrogenase

Homogeneous indanol dehydrogenase from monkey liver catalyzed the reversible conversion of 3 alpha- or 20 alpha-hydroxy groups of several bile acids and 5 beta-pregnanes to the corresponding 3- or 20-ketosteroids. The kcat values for the steroids determined at pH 7.4 were low, but the kcat/Km values for the 3-ketosteroids were comparable to or exceeded those for 1-indanol and xenobiotic carbonyl substrates. The enzyme transferred the 4-pro-R-hydrogen atom of NADPH to the 3 beta- or 20 beta-face of the ketosteroid substrate. Competitive inhibition of the hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of the enzyme by medroxyprogesterone acetate, hexestrol, and 1,10-phenanthroline suggests that both 1-indanol and hydroxysteroid are oxidized at the same active site on the enzyme. The specific inhibitor of the enzyme, 1,10-phenanthroline, suppressed the 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in the crude extract of monkey liver by 50%. The results strongly suggest that indanol dehydrogenase acts as a 3(20)alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the metabolism of certain steroid hormones and bile acids.     

Purification and catalytic properties of a cross-linked complex between adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin

A stable covalent complex was prepared by cross-linking adrenodoxin reductase with adrenodoxin using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide. The covalent complex was purified extensively until free components were removed completely. The major component of the complex had a molecular weight of 63 kDa, which corresponds to a 1:1 stoichiometric complex between adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin. NADPH-cytochrome c reduction activity of the covalent complex was comparable to that of an equimolar mixture of adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin (native complex), and the NADPH-ferricyanide reduction activity of the complex was equal to that of the native one. In contrast to the native complex, the covalent complex produced much less superoxide upon NADPH-oxidation, and the covalent complex was found to be more stable than the native complex, suggesting that the complex state is more favorable for catalysis. From these results, we conclude that the adrenodoxin molecule does not need to dissociate from the complex during electron transfer from NADPH to cytochrome c.     

An ATP-driven Cl- pump in the brain

EDTA-treated microsomes prepared from rat brain mainly consisted of sealed membrane vesicles 200-500 nm in diameter and were rich in both Cl- -ATPase and Na+,K+-ATPase activities. Such Cl- -ATPase-rich membrane vesicles accumulated Cl- in an ATP-dependent and osmotically reactive manner in the presence of 1 nM ouabain. The Cl- uptake was maximally stimulated by ATP with a Km value of 1.5 mM; GTP, ITP, and UTP partially stimulated Cl- uptake, but CTP, beta, gamma-methylene ATP, ADP, and AMP did not. The ATP-dependent Cl- uptake was accelerated by an increase in the medium Cl- concentration with a Km value of 7.4 mM. Such stimulation of Cl- uptake by ATP was dependent on the pH of the medium, with an optimal pH of 7.4, and also on the temperature of the medium, with an optimal range of 37-42 degrees C. Ethacrynic acid dose dependently inhibited the ATP-dependent Cl- uptake with a concentration for half-maximal inhibition at 57 microM. N-ethylmaleimide (0.1 mM) completely inhibited and sodium vanadate (1 mM) partially inhibited the ATP-dependent Cl- uptake. The membrane vesicles did not accumulate H+ in the Cl- uptake assay medium. The ATP-dependent Cl- uptake profile agreed with that of Cl- -ATPase activity reported previously (Inagaki, C., Tanaka, T., Hara, M., and Ishiko, J. (1985) Biochem. Pharmacol. 34, 1705-1712), and this strongly supports the idea that Cl- -ATPase in the brain actively transports Cl-.     

Immuno- and enzyme-histochemical detection of phosphoprotein phosphatase in rat epidermis

A phosphoprotein phosphatase (PPase: EC 3.1.3.2) was recently purified from rat epidermis. The enzyme dephosphorylates phosphoprotein, and its properties, such as pH optimum, inhibitor spectrum, and Fe2+ activation, differ from those of other soluble phosphatases. We investigated in 2-day-old rat skin the distribution of immunologically detectable PPase and intracellular localization of PPase activity. The reaction of rabbit monospecific anti-PPase IgG was identified in granular and cornified cells by the avidin-biotin complex method. For activity staining, basic principles of the Gomori lead-salt method and azo dye technique with the substrates p-nitrophenylphosphate (p-NPP) and alpha-naphthyl phosphate (NP), respectively, were modified according to the biochemical properties of PPase activity which is resistant to formalin, Na tartrate, and NaF. Activity was detectable in granular cells including keratohyalin granules and the lower strata of cornified cells. The activity was inhibited by 1 mM CuSO4 and enhanced by a mixture of 0.5 mM FeSO4 and 1 mM ascorbic acid. We consider that PPase may be involved in dephosphorylation of histidine-rich proteins in granular and cornified cells and may play a key role in intracellular catabolism associated with epidermal cell differentiation.     

pH dependence of the absorbance and 31P NMR spectra of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase in the absence and presence of O-acetyl-L-serine.

O-Acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme which catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of L-cysteine in Salmonella, viz., the conversion of O-acetyl-L-serine (OAS) and sulfide to L-cysteine and acetate. UV-visible spectra of OASS exhibit absorbance maxima at 280 and 412 nm with pH-independent extinction coefficients over the range 5.5-10.8. Addition of OAS to enzyme results in a shift in the absorbance maximum from 412 to 470 nm, indicating the formation of an alpha-aminoacrylate Schiff base intermediate [Cook, P. F., & Wedding, R. T. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 2023]. The spectrum of the intermediate is also pH independent from 5.5 to 9.2. The observed changes in absorbance at 470 nm at different concentrations of OAS were used to calculate a Kd of 3 microM for OAS at pH 6.9. As the pH decreases, the Kd increases an order of magnitude per pH unit. The 31P NMR signal of the bound PLP has a pH-independent chemical shift of 5.2 ppm in the presence and absence of OAS. These results indicate that the phosphate group is present as the dianion possibly salt-bridged to positively charged groups of the protein. In agreement with this, the resonance at 5.2 ppm has a line width of 20.5 Hz, suggesting that the cofactor is tightly bound to the protein. The sulfhydrylase was also shown to catalyze an OAS deacetylase activity in which OAS is degraded to pyruvate, ammonia, and acetate. The activity was detected by a time-dependent disappearance of the 470-nm absorbance reflecting the alpha-aminoacrylate intermediate. The rate of disappearance of the intermediate was measured at pH values from 7 to 9.5 using equal concentrations of OAS and OASS. The rate constant for disappearance of the intermediate decreases below a pK of 8.1 +/- 0.1, reflecting the deprotonation of the active-site lysine that originally formed the Schiff base with PLP in free enzyme. A possible mechanism for the deacetylase activity is presented where the lysine displaces alpha-aminoacrylate which decomposes to pyruvate and ammonia.     

A rapid purification procedure and computer-assisted sulfide ion selective electrode assay for O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase from Salmonella typhimurium

An improved method for purifying O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase from Salmonella typhimurium is described as well as a new computer-controlled assay making use of the sulfide ion selective electrode. The purification method uses gradient elution from Q-Sepharose Fast Flow and phenyl-Sepharose columns to give 75 mg (50% yield) of the enzyme starting from 300 g of starting material in 3 days. The sulfide electrode assay makes use of sulfide and calomel electrodes attached to a signal buffer which serves as an impedance match. The output of the signal buffer is linked in parallel to a strip chart recorder and a Keithley Model 575 data acquisition and control system. The system 575 is interfaced to a Packard-Bell AT computer. In addition, two BASIC computer programs have been written to convert potential measured by the electrode to sulfide concentration and to convert the time course data to rates.     

Effect of Protease Inhibitors on Early Events of Apoptosis

Proteolysis is an early event of apoptosis which appears to be associated with activation of the endonuclease which is responsible for internucleosomal DNA cleavage. The present study was designed to reveal the possible role of proteolysis in other early events, such as chromatin condensation, nuclear breakdown, and destabilization ofin situDNA double-stranded structure. Apoptosis of human leukemic HL-60 cells and rat thymocytes was induced by different agents, including DNA topoisomerase inhibitors, an RNA antimetabolite, and the glucocorticosteroid, prednisolone. DNA degradation was evaluated by pulsed field and conventional gel electrophoresis and by the presence ofin situDNA strand breaks. DNA stability was estimated by the measure of its sensitivityin situto denaturation. Chromatin condensation, nuclear breakdown, and other morphological changes were monitored by interference contrast and UV microscopy following cell staining with the DNA-specific fluorochrome 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. Several irreversible or reversible serine protease inhibitors prevented internucleosomal DNA degradation, nuclear breakdown, and destabilization of DNA double-stranded structure. The effective inhibitors, however, did not prevent the onset of chromatin condensation, nor the loss of the fine structural framework, nor the initial step of DNA cleavage generating DNA fragments of ≥50 kb in size. The data indicate that in both cell systems the activity of proteases sensitive to the inhibitors tested is needed for internucleosomal DNA cleavage to occur. The data also suggest that these proteases may be involved in dissolution of the nuclear envelope. Because nuclear matrix proteins and histones stabilize DNAin situ,and the decrease in DNA stability which occurs during apoptosis is precluded by the inhibitors, it is likely that serine proteases may degrade DNA stabilizing proteins. The activity of these proteases, however, appears needed neither for DNA cleavage to ≥50-kb fragments nor for the onset of chromatin condensation which is associated with dissolution of the structural framework of the nucleus.     

Simultaneous Determination of Dermatan Sulfate and Oversulfated Dermatan Sulfate in Plasma by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Postcolumn Fluorescence Derivatization

A chemical method for the determination of dermatan sulfate (DS) and oversulfated dermatan sulfate has been developed and applied to the pharmacokinetic study of these polysaccharides in experimental animals. The analytical procedure includes a simple preparation step of administered DS and oversulfated DS from blood plasma, HPLC for the separation and detection of DS and oversulfated DS using an Asahipak NH₂P-50 column, fluorometric reaction of the polysaccharides with guanidine in a strong alkaline medium. DS and oversulfated DS were extracted from plasma by treating it with proteinase to remove plasma proteins and recovered with endogenous plasma glycosaminoglycans by ethanol precipitation. Finally, DS and oversulfated DS were analyzed by fluorometric HPLC. The detection limits of DS and oversulfated DS were 10 and 20 ng, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrated that artificial oversulfation of DS increased its biological half-life after intravenous administration to rats.     

A morphological study and hybridization analysis of Caloglossa leprieurii (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from Japan, Singapore and Australia

Morphological and hybridization experiments were performed on Caloglossa leprieurii (Montagne) J. Agardh collected from Japan, Singapore and Australia in order to evaluate taxonomic characters of this species. Within C. leprieurii at least four mating groups were recognized from the Indo-Pacific region. These mating groups could be characterized by the blade width at the inter-node and the cell-row numbers on the opposite side derived from the first axial cell at the main axis, though these properties showed a certain variability even in the same plant under both field and culture conditions. The phylogenetic relationship and geographic distribution of the four mating groups are discussed.