Novel phosphonoglycosphingolipids containing pyruvylated galactose from the nervous system of Aplysia kurodai

We have reported the existence of a phosphonoglycosphingolipid containing a pyruvylated galactose, FGL-IIb, in nerve fibers of Aplysia kurodai (Araki, S., Abe, S., Ando, S., Kon, K., Fujiwara, N. & Satake, M. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 19922-19927). We have now isolated two other pyruvylated galactose-containing phosphonoglycosphingolipids, named FGL-V and FGL-IIa, from the nervous tissue of Aplysia, and characterized them as [3,4-O-(S-1-carboxyethylidene)]Gal beta 1----3GalNAc alpha 1----3[6'-O-(2- aminoethylphosphonyl)Gal alpha 1----2] (2-aminoethylphosphonyl----6) Gal beta 1----4Glc beta 1----1 ceramide and [3,4,O-(S-1-carboxyethylidene)] Gal beta 1----3GalNAc alpha 1----3[6'-O-(2-aminoethylphosphonyl)Gal alpha 1----2]Gal beta 1----4Glc beta 11----ceramide, respectively. Their major aliphatic components are palmitic acid, octadeca-4-sphingenine and anteisononadeca-4-sphingenine. Thus, the nervous system of Aplysia contains several pyruvylated phosphonoglycolipids.     

Regulation of the superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase by a small GTP-binding protein and its stimulatory and inhibitory GDP/GTP exchange proteins.

The superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase system in phagocytes consists of at least membrane-associated cytochrome b558 and three cytosolic components named SOCI/NCF-3/sigma 1/C1, SOCII/NCF-1/p47-phox, and SO-CIII/NCF-2/p67-phox. p47-phox and p67-phox were isolated, and their primary structures were determined, but SOCI has not been well characterized. In the present study, we first purified SOCI to homogeneity from the cytosol fraction of the differentiated HL-60 cells. The purified SOCI was a small GTP-binding protein (G protein) with a M(r) of about 22,000. The guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate-bound form, but not the GDP-bound form, of this small G protein showed the SOCI activity. The partial amino acid sequence of SOCI thus far determined was identical to the amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA encoding rac2 p21. None of the purified small G proteins, including Ki-ras p21, smg p21B/rap1B p21, rhoA p21, and rac1 p21, showed the SOCI activity. These results indicate that SOCI is a small G protein very similar, if not identical, to rac2 p21. The GDP/GTP exchange reaction of SOCI was stimulated and inhibited by stimulatory and inhibitory GDP/GTP exchange proteins for small G proteins, named smg GDS and rho GDI, respectively. The NADPH oxidase activity was also stimulated and inhibited by smg GDS and rho GDI, respectively. These results indicate that the superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase system is regulated by both smg GDS and rho GDI through rac2 p21 or the rac2-related small G protein in phagocytes.     

Enhanced insulin-induced mitogenesis and mitogen-activated protein kinase activities in mutant insulin receptors with substitution of two COOH-terminal tyrosine autophosphorylation sites by phenylalanine.

We have studied the function of a mutant human insulin receptor in which two COOH-terminal autophosphorylation sites (Tyr-1316 and -1322) were replaced by phenylalanine (F/Y COOH-terminal 2 tyrosines (CT2)). In addition, we have also constructed a mutant receptor in which Lys-1018 in the ATP-binding site was changed to arginine (R/K 1018). Both the wild type insulin receptor (HIR) and the mutant receptors were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by stable transfection. Autophosphorylation of solubilized and partially purified F/Y CT2 was decreased by approximately 30% compared with the HIR. Tyrosine kinase activities of F/Y CT2 and HIR toward exogenous substrates were almost equal. When CHO cells transfected with F/Y CT2 (CHO-F/Y CT2) were stimulated with insulin, autophosphorylation of the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor and the phosphorylation of an endogenous substrate (pp185) in the intact cell were normal compared with cells expressing HIR (CHO-HIR). CHO-F/Y CT2 exhibited the same insulin sensitivity as CHO-HIR with respect to 2-deoxyglucose uptake. However, the dose-response curve of insulin-stimulated thymidine incorporation in CHO-F/Y CT2 was shifted to the left (approximately 5-7-fold) compared with that in CHO-HIR. There was no significant difference in insulin-like growth factor 1-stimulated thymidine incorporation between CHO-F/Y CT2 and CHO-HIR. Furthermore, the dose-response curve of insulin-stimulated kinase activity toward myelin basic protein in CHO-F/Y CT2 was also shifted to the left (approximately 5-fold) compared with that in CHO-HIR. Kinase assays in myelin basic protein-containing gels revealed that both species of MAP kinases (M(r) 44,000, 42,000) were more sensitive to activation by insulin in CHO-F/Y CT2 than in CHO-HIR. This observation was confirmed in immune complex kinase assays toward microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) using specific antibodies against mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. R/K 1018 mutant insulin receptors showed an absence of insulin-stimulated kinase activity and CHO cells transfected with R/K 1018 (CHO-R/K 1018) failed to enhance 2-deoxyglucose uptake or thymidine incorporation in response to insulin. In addition, R/K 1018 kinase-defective insulin receptors were unable to mediate insulin-stimulated MAP kinase activation. These data suggest that: 1) tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor is required for activation of insulin-stimulated MAP kinases and 2) phosphorylation of COOH-terminal tyrosine residues may play an inhibitory role in mitogenic signaling through regulation of MAP kinases.     

Hydroxyl radical production by H2O2 plus Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase reflects the activity of free copper released from the oxidatively damaged enzyme.

To elaborate the catalytic activity of Cu2+ of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the generation of hydroxyl radical (.OH) from H2O2, we investigated the mechanism of inactivation of alpha 1-protease inhibitor (alpha 1-PI), mediated by H2O2 and Cu,Zn-SOD. When alpha 1-PI was incubated with 500 units/ml Cu,Zn-SOD and 1.0 mM H2O2, 60% of anti-elastase activity of alpha 1-PI was lost within 90 min. ESR spin trapping using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide showed that free .OH was indeed generated in the reaction of Cu,Zn-SOD/H2O2; this was substantiated by the almost complete eradication of .OH by either ethanol or dimethyl sulfoxide accompanied by the generation of carbon-centered radicals. .OH production and alpha 1-PI inactivation in the H2O2/SOD system became apparent at 30 min or later. Dimethyl sulfoxide and 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide protected inactivation of alpha 1-PI significantly in this system, indicating that alpha 1-PI inactivation was mediated by .OH. SOD activity decreased rapidly during the reaction with H2O2 for the initial 30 min. Time-dependent changes in the ESR signal of SOD showed the destruction of ligands for Cu2+ in SOD by H2O2 within this initial period. Thus we conclude that inactivation of alpha 1-PI is mediated in the H2O2/Cu,Zn-SOD system via the generation of .OH by free Cu2+ released from oxidatively damaged SOD.     

Life cycle of Gnathostoma nipponicum Yamaguti, 1941.

The life cycle of Gnathostoma nipponicum was examined by field survey and by experimental infection of animals with the larvae. Naturally infected larval G. nipponicum were found in loaches, catfish, and snakes. Experimentally, loaches, killifishes, frogs, salamanders, mice, and rats were successfully infected with the early third-stage larvae of G. nipponicum obtained from copepods (the first intermediate host), whereas snakes, quails, and weasels were not. Frogs, snakes, quails, and rats were experimentally infected with the advanced third-stage larvae (AdL3) from loaches. These results reveal that some species of fishes, amphibians and mammals can act as the second intermediate host and that some species of reptiles, birds and mammals can act as a paratenic host. The life cycle was completed in weasels, the definitive host, which were infected with AdL3 from loaches and started to evacuate eggs of G. nipponicun in faeces on days 65-90 postinfection.     

Biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) from amino acids

It was found that an optically active copolyester, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), denoted as P(3HB-co-3HV), is synthesized by Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 from several amino acids under various fermentation conditions. The optimum condition for the biosynthesis from one amino acid, threonine, was investigated and its biosynthetic pathway was discussed on the basis of the relation between the fermentation condition and the co-monomer composition of the produced polyesters.     

Possible role of sodium-hydrogen antiport in acetylcholine-induced relaxation of rat aorta.

The decreased extracellular Na concentration (25mM) attenuated vasodilator effect of acetylcholine (ACh) in norepinephrine-treated aortic ring. This attenuation was greater in the low Na medium substituted by Li, which can exchange intracellular H through Na-H antiport, as compared with that substituted by choline, which cannot. 10 microM amiloride canceled the difference between the two low Na mediums. Thus the inhibition of Na-H antiport may counteract the suppressive effect of decreased intracellular Na on ACh vasodilation, suggesting a possible role of Na-H antiport in a release of vasoactive substance(s) from endothelial cells.     

A monoclonal antibody to the phosphorylated form of glial fibrillary acidic protein: application to a non-radioactive method for measuring protein kinase activities

Monoclonal antibody YC10 showed specificity for the phosphorylated form of human, bovine and porcine glial fibrillary acidic proteins (GFAPs) and negligible reactivity towards the dephosphorylated form of the GFAPs. Analysis of species specificity and of the epitope, determined using synthetic phosphopeptides, indicated that this antibody recognized the local phosphorylation-site sequence Thr-phosphoSer-Ala-Ala-Arg-Arg (residues 7-12 of GFAP). Making use of this antibody we developed a non-radioactive method to measure protein kinase activities. After incubation of a protein kinase with non-radioactive ATP in ninety-six wells coated with the synthetic peptide Arg-Arg-Arg-Val-Thr-Ser-Ala-Ala-Arg-Arg-Ser-Cys (residues 3-13 of GFAP), the phosphorylated product was detected by using this mouse antibody and peroxidase-labeled goat anti-mouse IgG. This method proved to be equally as sensitive as the radioactive method for the measurement of protein kinase activities and was less affected by concentrations of ATP present in the reaction mixture.     

Application of immobilized lipase to regio-specific interesterification of triglyceride in organic solvent

Summary Lipase from Rhizopus delemar was immobilized by entrapment with photo-crosslinkable resin prepolymers or urethane prepolymers or by binding to various types of porous silica beads. The immobilized lipase preparations thus obtained were examined for their activity in converting olive oil to an interesterified fat (cacao butter-like fat), whose oleic acid moieties at 1- and 3-positions were replaced with stearic acid moieties, in the reaction solvent n-hexane. Although all of the immobilized preparations exhibited some activity, lipase adsorbed on Celite and then entrapped with a hydrophobic photo-crosslinkable resin prepolymer showed the highest activity, about 75% of that of lipase simply adsorbed onto Celite. Entrapment markedly enhanced the operational stability of lipase.Dedicated to Professor H. Holzer, Freiburg University, on his 60th birthday (June 13, 1981)