Effect of endothelin-1(1-31) on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in cultured human mesangial cells

It was reported that human chymase cleaves big endothelins (ETs) at the Tyr31-Gly32 bond and produces 31-amino acid ETs(1-31). In this study, we investigated the effect of ET-1(1-31) on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK) activity in human mesangial cells (HMCs). By measuring the kinase activity, we demonstrated that ET-1 (1-31) activated the p38-MAPK dose-dependently (10(-9) M to 10(-7) M), which was inhibited by SB203580. The p38-MAPK activation induced by ET-1(1-31) peaked at 10 minutes. BQ123 almost abolished ET-1(1-31)-induced p38-MAPK activation, whereas BQ788 failed to inhibit it. These findings suggest that the stimulatory effect of ET-1(1-31) on p38-MAPK activation is mediated through ET(A) or ET(A)-like receptor. In conclusion, ET-1(1-31) induced increase in p38-MAPK activation in cultured HMCs.     

Novel endonuclease in Archaea cleaving DNA with various branched structure

We identified a novel structure-specific endonuclease in Pyrococcus furiosus. This nuclease contains two distinct domains, which are similar to the DEAH helicase family at the N-terminal two-third and the XPF endonuclease superfamily at the C-terminal one-third of the protein, respectively. The C-terminal domain has an endonuclease activity cleaving the DNA strand at the 5'-side of nicked or flapped positions in the duplex DNA. The nuclease also incises in the proximity of the 5'-side of a branch point in the template strand for leading synthesis in the fork-structured DNA. The N-terminal helicase may work cooperatively to change the fork structure suitable for cleavage by the C-terminal endonuclease. This protein, designated as Hef (helicase-associated endonuclease for fork-structured DNA), may be a prototypical enzyme for resolving stalled forks during DNA replication, as well as working at nucleotide excision repair.     

Nucleotide sequence of the lig gene and primary structure of DNA ligase of Escherichia coli

Summary The DNA ligase of Escherichia coli catalyses the NAD-dependent formation of phosphodiester linkages between 5-phosphoryl and 3-hydroxyl groups in DNA. It is essential for DNA replication and repair of damaged DNA strands. We determined the nucleotide sequence of the lig gene of Escherichia coli coding for DNA ligase and flanking regions. The coding frame of the gene was confirmed by the amino acid composition and the amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequences of the purified ligase. The ligase consists of 671 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 73,690.On leave from Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd., Kyoto, Japan     

Hemodynamic shear stress stimulates endothelin production by cultured endothelial cells

We have examined the effect of shear stress on the production of endothelin by cultured porcine endothelial cells. Low shear stress stimulated the expression of endothelin mRNA in polygonal endothelial cells with a peak time of 2 to 4 hours and also increased the release of immunoreactive endothelin into the culture medium. The expression of endothelin mRNA in the ellipsoidal endothelial cells under higher shear stress was not different from that of the control level. Our results suggest a possible role for hemodynamic shear stress in the regulation of endothelin production in vascular endothelial cells.     

Amino acid replacement studies of human cytochrome c by a complementation system using CYC1 deficient yeast

Various in vitro mutated human cytochrome c genes which encode displaced amino acid residues at the 14th, 17th, 28th, 37th, 38th, 56th, and/or 84th residues were constructed, and their degrees of complementation of yeast CYC1 deficiency were examined. Invariant Cys-17 and Arg-38 could not be replaced by alanine and tryptophan, respectively, without function impairment. Cytochrome c containing Ala-14 instead of conserved Cys-14, Gly-38 or Lys-38 instead of Arg-38, and Ser-84 instead of invariant Gly-84 were partly functional. These results indicate that these invariant or conserved residues are important. Cytochromes c containing Cys-56 instead of native Gly-56 was partly functional. Cytochrome c containing Arg-37 and Gly-38 instead of Gly-37 and Arg-38 was slightly functional. Replacement of variable Thr-28 and Gly-37 by Ile-28 and Arg-37, respectively, produced no effects. Our results are as a whole consistent with the view that conserved residues are important and variable residues are less important for cytochrome c to function.     

Growth-Promoting Action of Adenosine-Containing Dinucleotide on Neuroblastoma Cells: Detection of Adenosine-Cytidine Dinucleotide (ApCp) in Neurofibroma (NF1) Extracts

Abstract: Neurofibroma type 1 tissue was investigated for the presence of growth-promoting activity on human neuroblastoma cells. The activity was isolated by gel filtration and reversed-phase column chromatographs from neurofibroma type 1 extracts. An adenosine-containing dinucleotide (adenylyl(3'-5')cytidine-3'-phosphate) was identified as one of the major components of the activities by its enzymatic fragmentation and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Synthetic adenosine-containing dinucleotide derivatives such as cytidyl(3'-5')adenosine, cytidyl(2'-5')adenosine, adenylyl(3'-5')cytidine, and adenylyl(2'-5')cytidine showed a similar action. Cytidyl(3'-5')adenosine, cytidyl(2'-5')adenosine, and adenylyl(2'-5')cytidine, which are able to release a free adenosine through enzymatic hydrolysis, in particular elicited a strong activity corresponding to that of adenosine with the highest action. These results suggest that neuroblastoma cells are able to use adenosine-containing dinucleotides as well as mononucleotides for their survival and proliferation.     

Detection of ribose-methylated nucleotides in Pyrodictium occultum tRNA by liquid chromatography—frit-fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry

Ribose-methylated dinucleotides of the type NmpN′ derived from digestion of tRNA with RNase T₂ were separated and characterized by directly combined liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry (LC—MS) with a continuous-flow frit-fast atom bombardment (frit-FAB) interface. Prediction of NmpN′ peaks was readily made by comparison of the LC profile with that of comparative nuclease P₁ digest. The identity of the candidate peaks including NmpN′ was further recognized by the mass spectra, in which NmpN′ showed intense molecular-related ions, in addition to sequence-specific fragment ions, to verify the chemical structures in both positive- and negative-ion modes. The method was applied to screening NmpN′ (and NmpN′mpN″) in tRNA from the extremely thermophilic archaeon Pyrodictium occultum.     

A Novel DNA Polymerase Family Found in Archaea

One of the most puzzling results from the complete genome sequence of the methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus jannaschii was that the organism may have only one DNA polymerase gene. This is because no other DNA polymerase-like open reading frames (ORFs) were found besides one ORF having the typical α-like DNA polymerase (family B). Recently, we identified the genes of DNA polymerase II (the second DNA polymerase) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, which has also at least one α-like DNA polymerase (T. Uemori, Y. Sato, I. Kato, H. Doi, and Y. Ishino, Genes Cells 2:499–512, 1997). The genes in M. jannaschii encoding the proteins that are homologous to the DNA polymerase II of P. furiosus have been located and cloned. The gene products of M. jannaschii expressed in Escherichia coli had both DNA polymerizing and 3′→5′ exonuclease activities. We propose here a novel DNA polymerase family which is entirely different from other hitherto-described DNA polymerases.     

Site-directedly mutated human cytochrome c which retains heme c via only one thioether bond

Although Cys-14 (human numbering) of cytochrome c was conserved during its molecular evolution and it is supposed to be essential for most cytochromes c to retain heme c via two thioether bonds, a site-directedly mutated human cytochrome c which has an alanine residue at this position and only one thioether bond through Cys-17 turns out to be functional. This shows that Cys-14 is not essential. The absorption spectrum of the atypical cytochrome c is red shifted, and similar to those of Euglena and Crithidia cytochromes c, which also have only one thioether bond [Pettigrew, G.W., Leaver, J.L., Meyer, T.E., & Ryle, A.P. (1975) Biochem. J. 147, 291-302].