Liquefaction of dulse (Palmaria palmata (L.) Kuntze) by a commercial enzyme preparation and a purified endo ,β-1,4-D-xylanase

Liquefaction of dry and freshPalmaria palmata by food grade enzyme preparations and a purified endo--1,4-D-xylanase was studied.The endo--1,4-D-xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) was purified to homogeneity from a commercial food grade enzyme prepared fromAspergillus niger. It has a molecular weight of 22 500, a pI of 3.5, is inactive toward corn arabinoxylan,p-nitrophenyl--D-xylose, carboxymethyl cellulose but shows a weak activity toward microcrystalline cellulose. It hydrolyzes oat and dulse xylan equally well in seawater and deionized water essentially into xylose and xylobiose. It is stable between pH 5.5 to 9.0 and 0 to 30 °C and its activity is optimal at pH 4.5–5.5 and 40–60 °C. It has a K_m of 2.2 and 2.8 mg ml^-1 and V_max of 3600 and 3900 nkat mg^-1 of protein on oat and dulse xylan, respectively.Acetate buffer, deionized water and seawater alone extracted 62.6 to 64.5 % of the dry weight of dry dulse, but the use of commercial food grade enzyme preparations or the purified xylanase improved liquefaction to 81.2–87.1 %. Xylose and galactose were the only sugars present in the soluble extracts. Deionized and seawater extracted 58.8–52.7 and 39.1–42.2% of the dry weight of the fresh algae collected in fall and summer, respectively. Only galactose was found in the seawater extract, while some xylose with galactose were measured in the deionized water extract of the fresh autumn algal sample. Purified and crude xylanase improved liquefaction of fresh algae to 79.8–81.4 and 71.9–77.9% of the fresh dry weight (fall and summer, respectively) in deionized and seawater, respectively, and increased the xylose content of the soluble fractions. Polysaccharides in the soluble residues were composed of 1,3/1,4-linked xylose, 1-linked galactose (floridoside) and 1,4-linked glucose (cellulose) and contained essentially 1,4-linked xylose and 1,4-linked glucose in insoluble fractions obtained after enzymatic treatment.The use of xylanase-containing food grade enzyme preparations improves liquefaction ofPalmaria palmata, particularly from fresh alga. This study indicates that processing such as drying may modify markedly the solubility ofP. palmata cell wall polysaccharides, which would imply the existence of some organization and/or other components in the fresh cell wall that lower xylan solubility in seawater.     

Isolation and Identification of α-(γ-Aminobutyryl)-Hypusine

A new dipeptide, alpha-(gamma-aminobutyryl)-hypusine, was identified in bovine brain. This compound was isolated from trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction of bovine brain with five steps of ion-exchange chromatography. Its structure was postulated by routine chemical analyses and determined by synthesis. The amount of the compound isolated from 1.2 kg of bovine brain was 870 nmol.     

(6R)-Tetrahydrobiopterin Increases the Activity of Tryptophan Hydroxylase in Rat Raphe Slices

The effects of (6R)- and (6S)-tetrahydrobiopterin (BPH4), tetrahydroneopterin, and 6-methyltetrahydropterin on the activity of tryptophan hydroxylase were investigated in rat raphe slices. The activity of tryptophan hydroxylase was estimated by measurement of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) formation under inhibition of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase with use of HPLC-fluorometric detection. (6R)-BPH4 (the naturally occurring form) at 42 microM, tetrahydroneopterin at 50 microM, and 6-methyltetrahydropterin at 100 microM increased tryptophan hydroxylase activity to 350, 145, and 146% of control values, respectively. (6S)-BPH4, however, had no significant effects on tryptophan hydroxylase activity. These results suggest that tryptophan hydroxylase is subsaturating in vivo for the naturally occurring cofactor, (6R)-BPH4, and that the concentration of (6R)-BPH4 may play an important role for the regulation of tryptophan hydroxylase activity in vivo.     

Solubilization and Characterization of D2-Dopamine Receptors in an Estrone-Induced, Prolactin-Secreting Rat Pituitary Adenoma

D2-dopamine (3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine) receptors were successfully solubilized with 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate from an estrone-induced rat pituitary adenoma. Forty-five percent of initial protein and 48% of initial [3H]spiroperidol binding sites were solubilized. The high affinity as well as the stereoselectivity of the sites was preserved. The order of potency of dopaminergic agonists was found to be typical of D2 receptors. Target size analysis by radiation inactivation indicated a molecular weight of 143,000 +/- 3,000 and of 106,000 +/- 4,000 daltons for membrane-bound and solubilized receptors, respectively. This suggests the loss of a 37,000-dalton subunit during solubilization without significant modification of binding characteristics. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of receptor protein preparation photolabeled with N-(p-azido-m[125I]iodophenethyl)spiroperidol confirmed the existence of a 94,000-dalton peptide which probably constitutes the ligand binding site of the receptor. Thus, our data indicate that chronic estrogen treatment of rats, although inducing a pituitary adenoma, does not modify the pharmacological characteristics of D2 receptors. These data suggest therefore that these adenoma may represent an ideal source of material for further biochemical characterization of D2 receptors.     

Stimulation and inhibition of secretion by phorbol myristate acetate in different cell types

In washed human platelets and in HL60 granulocytes phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 1-2000nM) synergised with threshold concentrations of secretogogues to induce a sustained maximum secretory response. Likewise, superoxide production from HL60 cells maintained a maximal response at PMA concentrations between 30-300nM. At concentrations up to 10nM PMA also augmented calcium ionophore, A23187, stimulated histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells. However, in the mast cell PMA concentrations above 10nM reduced maximum histamine release in a dose-dependent manner.     

Application of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry to chlorogenic acids

The technique of positive- and negative-ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry has been shown to be capable of producing molecular mass and useful fragmentation information for the structural elucidation of chlorogenic acids. The mass spectra of chlorogenic acid and the related compounds 3′-O-methylchlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoyl quinic acid and 1,5-dicaffeoyl quinic acid are compared with those obtained by electron impact mass spectrometry.     

Immunological aspects of retinoids in humans. II. Retinoic acid enhances induction of hemolytic plaque-forming cells

The effects of retinoic acid (RA) on the induction of antibody-producing cells from human tonsillar lymphocytes sensitized to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) have been evaluated. Our results indicated that 10(-5) to 10(-7) M RA caused up to a three-fold increase in the number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) and a qualitative increase in the size of the plaques during the induction of PFC in 5- to 7-day cultures. Enhancement also occurred when tonsil cells were preincubated with RA for 24 hr and then washed, or when RA was added any time in the first 4 days after initiation of the culture. When T- and B-cell fractions were pretreated with RA for 24 hr, washed, and recombined with SRBC, RA-induced augmentation of PFC occurred only in conjunction with RA treatment of the B-cell fraction. Pretreatment of the T-cell fraction had no effect on PFC induction or on the RA-enhanced response when the B-cell fraction was simultaneously treated with RA. Other experiments suggested that RA did not modulate PFC induction by influencing regulatory functions of adherent accessory cells. Our study demonstrates that RA can enhance human antibody responses and shows that this effect is not caused by increased activity of T cells or adherent accessory cells, but is instead the result of a direct effect of RA on B-cell populations.     

Effects of glucagon on the redox states of cytochromes in mitochondria in situ in perfused rat liver

The effects of glucagon on the respiratory function of mitochondria in situ were investigated in isolated perfused rat liver. Glucagon at the concentrations higher than 20 pM and cyclic AMP (75 microM) stimulated hepatic respiration, and shifted the redox state of pyridine nucleotide (NADH/NAD) in mitochondria in situ to a more reduced state as judged by organ fluorometry and beta-hydroxybutyrate/acetoacetate ratio. The organ spectrophotometric study revealed that glucagon and cyclic AMP induced the reduction of redox states of cytochromes a(a3), b and c+c1. Atractyloside (4 micrograms/ml) abolished the effects of glucagon on these parameters and gluconeogenesis from lactate. These observations suggest that glucagon increases the availability of substrates for mitochondrial respiration, and this alteration in mitochondrial function is crucial in enhancing gluconeogenesis.     

Highly potent and specific inhibitors of human renin

We designed aldehyde derivatives of small peptides representing the C-terminal portion of angiotensin I sequence as an inhibitor of human renin. Among compounds that we synthesized, benzyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Phe-His-Leucinal (compound V), Z-Pro-Phe-His-Leucinal (Compound IV) and Z-[3-(1'-naphthyl)Ala]-His-Leucinal (compound VII) markedly inhibited human renin (IC50, 7.5 X 10(-7), 3.2 X 10(-7) and 8.0 X 10(-8) mol/l, respectively). Compound VII was shown to be noncompetitive (Ki = 2.4 X 10(-7) mol/l). It did not inhibit either cathepsin D or pepsin. Compound V had slight or no inhibitory effect at the concentration of 10(-5) mol/l on six animal renins except for monkey and rabbit renins. Results obtained show that these aldehyde compounds are highly selective and species specific inhibitors for human and monkey renins.     

Characterization of chlorophyll fluorescence quenching in chloroplasts by fluorescence spectroscopy at 77 K II. ATP-dependent quenching

In intact, uncoupled type B chloroplasts from spinach, added ATP causes a slow light-induced decline ($\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{≈ 3}\text{min}$) of chlorophyll a fluorescence at room temperature. Fluorescence spectra were recorded after fast cooling to 77 K and normalized with fluorescein as an internal standard. Related to the fluorescence quenching at room temperature, an increase in Photosystem (PS) I fluorescence (F₇₃₅) and a decrease in PS II fluorescence (F₆₉₅) were observed in the low-temperature spectra. The change in the $\text{F}{}_{735}\text{F}{}_{695}$ ratio was abolished by the presence of methyl viologen. Fluorescence induction at 77 K of chloroplasts frozen in the quenched state showed lowered variable (F_v) and initial (F₀) fluorescence at 690 nm and an increase in F₀ at 735 nm. The results are interpreted as indicating an ATP-dependent change of the initial distribution of excitation energy in favor of PS I, which is controlled by the redox state of the electron-transport chain and, according to current theories, is caused by phosphorylation of the light-harvesting complex.