Regulation of ACV synthetase activity in the beta-lactam biosynthetic pathway by carbon sources and their metabolites

The activity of -l--aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine catalysis. Addition of l-cysteine to fermentation media increased -lactam production in both organisms and alleviated the negative carbon source regulation by glycerol in S. clavuligerus.     

Production of δ-(l-α-aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine by entrapped ACV-synthetase fromStreptomyces clavuligerus

Summary -(l--Aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine (ACV)-synthetase fromStreptomyces clavuligerus was studied under conditions that enabled the reuse of the enzyme. Coupling of ACV-synthetase to DEAE-Trisacryl and aminopropyl-glass resulted in an immobilized enzyme product of little or no catalytic activity. However, an enzyme reactor was designed by physical confinement of partially-purified ACV-synthetase in an ultrafiltration cell. This system was stimulated by phosphoenolpyruvate at lower concentrations of ATP, an effect not observed with purified enzyme. Up to 30% conversion of the limiting substrate, cysteine, to ACV occurred under semi-continuous conditions. Reaction products were investigated as potential inhibitors: AMP was the most inhibitory, but only when used at concentrations in excess of those produced in reaction mixtures. Under a nitrogen atmosphere, both product and enzyme stabilities were greatly improved and the enzyme retained 45–46% of its initial activity after five uses at room temperature during a 24-h period. Extrapolations based on these data suggest that 1.3 g partially purified enzyme (0.13 U g^–1) would be capable of producing 411 mg of ACV in a 1-L reaction mixture in this period.     

Fast atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry of Nucleosides,Nucleotides and Oligonucleotides

Abstract

Fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry, a new ionization technique, has been applied to a variety of polar, nonvolatile compounds with considerable success. Current literature regarding the analysis of nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleotides using FAB is reviewed.     

5'AMP-activated protein kinase alpha deficiency enhances stress-induced apoptosis in BHK and PC12 cells

5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation occurs under a variety of stress conditions but the role of this enzyme in the promotion or inhibition of stress-induced cell death is unclear. To address this issue, we transformed two different cell lines with shRNA-expressing plasmids, targeting the alpha subunit of AMPK, and verified AMPKalpha downregulation. The cell lines were then stressed by exposure to medium without glucose (PC12 cells) or with the viral thymidine kinase-specific DNA replication inhibitors: acyclovir, penciclovir and ganciclovir (herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase-expressing Baby Hamster Kidney cells). In non-AMPK-downregulated cells, these stress treatments induced AMPK upregulation and phosphorylation, leaving open the question whether the association of AMPK activation with stress-induced cell death reflects a successful death-promoting or an ineffective death-inhibiting activity. In AMPKalpha-deficient cells (expressing AMPKalpha-specific shRNAs or treated with Compound C) exposure to low glucose medium or DNA replication inhibitors led to an enhancement of cell death, indicating that, under the conditions examined, the role of activated AMPK is not to promote, but to protect from or delay stress-induced cell death.     

人中性粒细胞多肽HNP1，3体外抗单纯疱疹病毒Ⅰ型的作用

体外观察人中性粒细胞多肽1,3(Humanneutrophilpeptide,HNP1,3)及阿昔洛韦(Acyclovir,ACV)对单纯疱疹病毒-Ⅰ型(Herpessimplexvirus1,HSV-1)的抑制作用。以Vero细胞为靶细胞,用各种浓度HNP1,3与游离病毒颗粒(直接失活组)及感染病毒后的靶细胞(复制抑制组)进行相互作用,镜下观察各药物对HSV-1致细胞病变效应的抑制作用,并采用ELISA法测定感染48h后药物对HSV-1囊膜糖蛋白分泌的抑制作用。MTT法检测各药物对细胞的毒性作用。结果显示直接失活组中,HNP1,3可使HSV-1的致细胞病变效应减轻,对HSV-1直接失活的50%有效浓度(EC50)为8.1μg/mL、10.03μg/mL;复制抑制组中,ACV使HSV-1的致细胞病变效应减轻,EC50为0.68μg/mL。MTT检测结果表明HNP1,3在治疗浓度范围内无明显细胞毒性。以上结果表明HNP1,3除具有较强的抗菌作用和抗人类免疫缺陷病毒Ⅰ型(Humanimmunodeficiencyvirus1,HIV-1)活性外,还能失活HSV-1病毒颗粒,从而逆转病毒及其蛋白的病毒效应(致细胞病变)和抑制病毒蛋白质的合成。     

Trichosanthin affects HSV-1 replication in Hep-2 cells

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a type I ribosome-inactivating protein that inhibits the replication of both human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The mechanism of inhibition is not clear. This investigation explored the effects of TCS on the stages of HSV-1 infection in Hep-2 cells, from attachment to release. We demonstrated that TCS reduced HSV-1 antigen and DNA content and interfered with viral replication as early as 3-15 h after infection. TCS had no effect on HSV-1 attachment, penetration or immediate-early gene expression. However, the expression of early and late genes and virion release were diminished. In summary, this study demonstrates that TCS primarily affects HSV-1 replication in Hep-2 cells during the early to late infection period.     

青蒿提取物抗单纯疱疹病毒活性研究

用细胞病变效应(CPE)法证明了青蒿水提物具有抗单纯疱疹病毒Ⅱ型(HSV—2)活性,通过初步分离纯化得到抗HSV—2活性的有效成分。用MTT法研究了青蒿水提物和有效成分的细胞毒性和抗HSV—2活性,CC50分别为5．29mg／ml和4,94mg／ml,IC50分别为1．45mg／ml和0．128mg／ml,TI分别为3．65和38．6。以0．5mg／ml的无环鸟苷(ACV)作为阳性对照,结果显示有效成分在体外可以明显抑制HSV—2的致细胞病变作用,效果与ACV相当。     

Synthesis and Antiviral Activity of Some C2-, C4-, and C6-Substituted Pyrazolo[3,4-D]Pyrimidine Acyclonucleosides with the Alkylating Chains of ACV,HBG, and ISO-DHPG

A useful route to obtain trisubstituted pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines 14–17 is described. Those later were coupled with the alkylating agents 18–20 as in ACV, HBG, and iso-DHPG to give, after deprotection, the desired acylonucleosides 33–44. Almost all of the new compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects against the replication of various DNA viruses in culture.     

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases-evidence for a second ATP-binding site

δ-(l-α-Aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine synthetase (ACVS) catalyses, via the protein thiotemplate mechanism, the nonribosomal biosynthesis of the penicillin and cephalosporin precursor tripeptide δ-(l-α-aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine (ACV). The complete and fully saturated biosynthetic system approaches maximum rate of product generation with increasing ATP concentration. Nonproductive adenylation of ACVS, monitored utilising the ATP–[³²P]PP_i exchange reaction, has revealed substrate inhibition with ATP. The kinetic inhibition pattern provides evidence for the existence of a second nucleotide-binding site with possible implication in the regulatory mechanism. Under suboptimal reaction conditions, in the presence of MgATP^2?, l-Cys and inorganic pyrophosphatase, ACVS forms adenosine(5′)tetraphospho(5′)adenosine (Ap₄A) from the reverse reaction of adenylate formation involving a second ATP molecule. The potential location of the second ATP binding site was deduced from sequence comparisons and molecular visualisation in conjunction to data obtained from biochemical analysis.