Preclinical evidence of mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as an effective alarm parameter under hypoxia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Hua; Sun, Nannan; Mayevsky, Avraham; Zhang, Zhihong; Luo, Qingming

2014-01-01

Early detection of tissue hypoxia in the intensive care unit is essential for effective treatment. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) has been suggested to be the most sensitive indicator of tissue oxygenation at the mitochondrial level. However, no experimental evidence comparing the kinetics of changes in NADH and other physiological parameters has been provided. The aim of this study is to obtain the missing data in a systematic and reliable manner. We constructed four acute hypoxia models, including hypoxic hypoxia, hypemic hypoxia, circulatory hypoxia, and histogenous hypoxia, and measured NADH fluorescence, tissue reflectance, cerebral blood flow, respiration, and electrocardiography simultaneously from the induction of hypoxia until death. We found that NADH was not always the first onset parameter responding to hypoxia. The order of responses was mainly affected by the cause of hypoxia. However, NADH reached its alarm level earlier than the other monitored parameters, ranging from several seconds to >10 min. As such, we suggest that the NADH can be used as a hypoxia indicator, although the exact level that should be used must be further investigated. When the NADH alarm is detected, the body still has a chance to recover if appropriate and timely treatment is provided.

Synthesis, conformational analysis, and biological activity of new analogues of thiazole-4-carboxamide adenine dinucleotide (TAD) as IMP dehydrogenase inhibitors.

PubMed

Franchetti, Palmarisa; Cappellacci, Loredana; Pasqualini, Michela; Petrelli, Riccardo; Jayaprakasan, Vetrichelvan; Jayaram, Hiremagalur N; Boyd, Donald B; Jain, Manojkumar D; Grifantini, Mario

2005-03-15

Thiazole-4-carboxamide adenine dinucleotide (TAD) analogues T-2'-MeAD (1) and T-3'-MeAD (2) containing, respectively, a methyl group at the ribose 2'-C-, and 3'-C-position of the adenosine moiety, were prepared as potential selective human inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) type II inhibitors. The synthesis of heterodinucleotides was carried out by CDI-catalyzed coupling reaction of unprotected 2'-C-methyl- or 3'-C-methyl-adenosine 5'-monophosphate with 2',3'-O-isopropylidene-tiazofurin 5'-monophosphate, and then deisopropylidenation. Biological evaluation of dinucleotides 1 and 2 as inhibitors of recombinant human IMPDH type I and type II resulted in a good activity. Inhibition of both isoenzymes by T-2'-MeAD and T-3'-MeAD was noncompetitive with respect to NAD substrate. Binding of T-3'-MeAD was comparable to that of parent compound TAD, while T-2'-MeAD proved to be a weaker inhibitor. However, no significant difference was found in inhibition of the IMPDH isoenzymes. T-2'-MeAD and T-3'-MeAD were found to inhibit the growth of K562 cells (IC(50) 30.7 and 65.0muM, respectively).

Minimizing photodecomposition of flavin adenine dinucleotide fluorescence by the use of pulsed LEDs.

PubMed

Rösner, J; Liotta, A; Angamo, E A; Spies, C; Heinemann, U; Kovács, R

2016-11-01

Dynamic alterations in flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) fluorescence permit insight into energy metabolism-dependent changes of intramitochondrial redox potential. Monitoring FAD fluorescence in living tissue is impeded by photobleaching, restricting the length of microfluorimetric recordings. In addition, photodecomposition of these essential electron carriers negatively interferes with energy metabolism and viability of the biological specimen. Taking advantage of pulsed LED illumination, here we determined the optimal excitation settings giving the largest fluorescence yield with the lowest photobleaching and interference with metabolism in hippocampal brain slices. The effects of FAD bleaching on energy metabolism and viability were studied by monitoring tissue pO 2 , field potentials and changes in extracellular potassium concentration ([K + ] o ). Photobleaching with continuous illumination consisted of an initial exponential decrease followed by a nearly linear decay. The exponential decay was significantly decelerated with pulsed illumination. Pulse length of 5 ms was sufficient to reach a fluorescence output comparable to continuous illumination, whereas further increasing duration increased photobleaching. Similarly, photobleaching increased with shortening of the interpulse interval. Photobleaching was partially reversible indicating the existence of a transient nonfluorescent flavin derivative. Pulsed illumination decreased FAD photodecomposition, improved slice viability and reproducibility of stimulus-induced FAD, field potential, [K + ] o and pO 2 changes as compared to continuous illumination. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2016 Royal Microscopical Society.

Characterization of Two Mitochondrial Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide-Dependent Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases in Trypanosoma brucei

PubMed Central

Škodová, Ingrid; Verner, Zdeněk; Bringaud, Fréderic; Fabian, Peter

2013-01-01

Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (G3PDHs) constitute a shuttle that serves for regeneration of NAD+ reduced during glycolysis. This NAD-dependent enzyme is employed in glycolysis and produces glycerol-3-phosphate from dihydroxyacetone phosphate, while its flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent homologue catalyzes a reverse reaction coupled to the respiratory chain. Trypanosoma brucei possesses two FAD-dependent G3PDHs. While one of them (mitochondrial G3PDH [mtG3PDH]) has been attributed to the mitochondrion and seems to be directly involved in G3PDH shuttle reactions, the function of the other enzyme (putative G3PDH [putG3PDH]) remains unknown. In this work, we used RNA interference and protein overexpression and tagging to shed light on the relative contributions of both FAD-G3PDHs to overall cellular metabolism. Our results indicate that mtG3PDH is essential for the bloodstream stage of T. brucei, while in the procyclic stage the enzyme is dispensable. Expressed putG3PDH-V5 was localized to the mitochondrion, and the data obtained by digitonin permeabilization, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence indicate that putG3PDH is located within the mitochondrion. PMID:24142106

[Influence exogenous nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) on contractile and bioelectric activity of the rat heart].

PubMed

Pustovit, K B; Kuz'min, V S; Sukhova, G S

2014-04-01

This study is aimed to the investigation of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) effects and mechanisms of action in a heart. NAD+ (mcM) induces multiphase alternation of contractile activity of isolated rat heart: short positive inotropic action is followed by a negative inotropic phase. NAD+ (1-100 mcM) induces decreasing of action potential duration (APD) in rat atrial myocardium (from 45 +/- 0.82 ms in control experiments to 39 +/- 1.05 (n = 8) and 32 +/- 2 (n = 8) during application of 10 and 100 mcM of NAD+, respectively). Significant APD increase (from 45 +/- 0.82 ms to 74 +/- 1.89 (n = 8) ms) was observed during washing out of NAD+ (100 mcM). ATP or adenosine was unable to increase APD both during application or washing out. NAD+ induced APD decrease was not suppressed by P1-antagonist theophylline. P1-purinoreceptor and metabolite independent direct action of NAD+ in rat heart is suggested. Activation of P2X or P2Y receptors, cyclic ADP-ribose accumulation in cardiomyocytes is proposed as a main mechanism of NAD(+)-induced effects in the heart.

Visualization of Nicotine Adenine Dinucleotide Redox Homeostasis with Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensors.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuzheng; Zhang, Zhuo; Zou, Yejun; Yang, Yi

2018-01-20

Beyond their roles as redox currency in living organisms, pyridine dinucleotides (NAD + /NADH and NADP + /NADPH) are also precursors or cosubstrates of great significance in various physiologic and pathologic processes. Recent Advances: For many years, it was challenging to develop methodologies for monitoring pyridine dinucleotides in situ or in vivo. Recent advances in fluorescent protein-based sensors provide a rapid, sensitive, specific, and real-time readout of pyridine dinucleotide dynamics in single cells or in vivo, thereby opening a new era of pyridine dinucleotide bioimaging. In this article, we summarize the developments in genetically encoded fluorescent sensors for NAD + /NADH and NADP + /NADPH redox states, as well as their applications in life sciences and drug discovery. The strengths and weaknesses of individual sensors are also discussed. These sensors have the advantages of being specific and organelle targetable, enabling real-time monitoring and subcellular-level quantification of targeted molecules in living cells and in vivo. NAD + /NADH and NADP + /NADPH have distinct functions in metabolic and redox regulation, and thus, a comprehensive evaluation of metabolic and redox states must be multiplexed with a combination of various metabolite sensors in a single cell. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 213-229.

Stimulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthetic pathways delays axonal degeneration after axotomy.

PubMed

Sasaki, Yo; Araki, Toshiyuki; Milbrandt, Jeffrey

2006-08-16

Axonal degeneration occurs in many neurodegenerative diseases and after traumatic injury and is a self-destructive program independent from programmed cell death. Previous studies demonstrated that overexpression of nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 1 (Nmnat1) or exogenous application of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) can protect axons of cultured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from degeneration caused by mechanical or neurotoxic injury. In mammalian cells, NAD can be synthesized from multiple precursors, including tryptophan, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and nicotinamide riboside (NmR), via multiple enzymatic steps. To determine whether other components of these NAD biosynthetic pathways are capable of delaying axonal degeneration, we overexpressed each of the enzymes involved in each pathway and/or exogenously administered their respective substrates in DRG cultures and assessed their capacity to protect axons after axotomy. Among the enzymes tested, Nmnat1 had the strongest protective effects, whereas nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase and nicotinic acid phosphoribosyl transferase showed moderate protective activity in the presence of their substrates. Strong axonal protection was also provided by Nmnat3, which is predominantly located in mitochondria, and an Nmnat1 mutant localized to the cytoplasm, indicating that the subcellular location of NAD production is not crucial for protective activity. In addition, we showed that exogenous application of the NAD precursors that are the substrates of these enzymes, including nicotinic acid mononucleotide, nicotinamide mononucleotide, and NmR, can also delay axonal degeneration. These results indicate that stimulation of NAD biosynthetic pathways via a variety of interventions may be useful in preventing or delaying axonal degeneration.

Regulation of the intersubunit ammonia tunnel in Mycobacterium tuberculosis glutamine-dependent NAD[superscript +] synthetase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chuenchor, Watchalee; Doukov, Tzanko I.; Resto, Melissa

Glutamine-dependent NAD{sup +} synthetase is an essential enzyme and a validated drug target in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mtuNadE). It catalyses the ATP-dependent formation of NAD{sup +} from NaAD{sup +} (nicotinic acid-adenine dinucleotide) at the synthetase active site and glutamine hydrolysis at the glutaminase active site. An ammonia tunnel 40 {angstrom} (1 {angstrom} = 0.1 nm) long allows transfer of ammonia from one active site to the other. The enzyme displays stringent kinetic synergism; however, its regulatory mechanism is unclear. In the present paper, we report the structures of the inactive glutaminase C176A variant in an apo form and in three synthetase-ligandmore » complexes with substrates (NaAD{sup +}/ATP), substrate analogue {l_brace}NaAD{sup +}/AMP-CPP (adenosine 5'-[{alpha},{beta}-methylene]triphosphate){r_brace} and intermediate analogues (NaAD{sup +}/AMP/PPi), as well as the structure of wild-type mtuNadE in a product complex (NAD{sup +}/AMP/PPi/glutamate). This series of structures provides snapshots of the ammonia tunnel during the catalytic cycle supported also by kinetics and mutagenesis studies. Three major constriction sites are observed in the tunnel: (i) at the entrance near the glutaminase active site; (ii) in the middle of the tunnel; and (iii) at the end near the synthetase active site. Variation in the number and radius of the tunnel constrictions is apparent in the crystal structures and is related to ligand binding at the synthetase domain. These results provide new insight into the regulation of ammonia transport in the intermolecular tunnel of mtuNadE.« less

[Effect of flavin adenine dinucleotide on ultraviolet B induced damage in cultured human corneal epithelial cells].

PubMed

Sakamoto, Asuka; Nakamura, Masatsugu

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the effects of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) on ultraviolet B (UV-B)-induced damage in cultured human corneal epithelial (HCE-T) cells. The cultured HCE-T cells were treated with 0.003125-0.05% FAD before exposure to 80 mJ/cm2 UV-B. Cell viability was measured 24 h after UV-B irradiation using the MTS assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected 30 min after UV-B irradiation using 5-(and-6)-chloromethyl-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate acetyl ester. Apoptosis was evaluated 4 h after UV-B irradiation in the caspase-3/7 activity assay. UV-B irradiation reduced cell viability and stimulated ROS production and caspase-3/7 activity in HCE-T cells. Pretreatment of UV-B irradiated HCE-T cells with FAD significantly attenuated cell viability reduction and inhibited the stimulation of both ROS production and caspase-3/7 activity due to UV-B exposure compared with those with vehicle (0% FAD). These results clarified that FAD inhibits ROS-mediated apoptosis by UV-B irradiation in HCE-T cells and suggest that FAD may be effective as a radical scavenger in UV-B-induced corneal damage.

A lectin receptor kinase as a potential sensor for extracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Wang, Chenggang; Zhou, Mingqi; Zhang, Xudong; Yao, Jin; Zhang, Yanping; Mou, Zhonglin

2017-01-01

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) participates in intracellular and extracellular signaling events unrelated to metabolism. In animals, purinergic receptors are required for extracellular NAD+ (eNAD+) to evoke biological responses, indicating that eNAD+ may be sensed by cell-surface receptors. However, the identity of eNAD+-binding receptors still remains elusive. Here, we identify a lectin receptor kinase (LecRK), LecRK-I.8, as a potential eNAD+ receptor in Arabidopsis. The extracellular lectin domain of LecRK-I.8 binds NAD+ with a dissociation constant of 436.5 ± 104.8 nM, although much higher concentrations are needed to trigger in vivo responses. Mutations in LecRK-I.8 inhibit NAD+-induced immune responses, whereas overexpression of LecRK-I.8 enhances the Arabidopsis response to NAD+. Furthermore, LecRK-I.8 is required for basal resistance against bacterial pathogens, substantiating a role for eNAD+ in plant immunity. Our results demonstrate that lectin receptors can potentially function as eNAD+-binding receptors and provide direct evidence for eNAD+ being an endogenous signaling molecule in plants. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25474.001 PMID:28722654

Discovery of antimicrobial compounds targeting bacterial type FAD synthetases.

PubMed

Sebastián, María; Anoz-Carbonell, Ernesto; Gracia, Begoña; Cossio, Pilar; Aínsa, José Antonio; Lans, Isaías; Medina, Milagros

2018-12-01

The increase of bacterial strains resistant to most of the available antibiotics shows a need to explore novel antibacterial targets to discover antimicrobial drugs. Bifunctional bacterial FAD synthetases (FADSs) synthesise the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These cofactors act in vital processes as part of flavoproteins, making FADS an essential enzyme. Bacterial FADSs are potential antibacterial targets because of differences to mammalian enzymes, particularly at the FAD producing site. We have optimised an activity-based high throughput screening assay targeting Corynebacterium ammoniagenes FADS (CaFADS) that identifies inhibitors of its different activities. We selected the three best high-performing inhibitors of the FMN:adenylyltransferase activity (FMNAT) and studied their inhibition mechanisms and binding properties. The specificity of the CaFADS hits was evaluated by studying also their effect on the Streptococcus pneumoniae FADS activities, envisaging differences that can be used to discover species-specific antibacterial drugs. The antimicrobial effect of these compounds was also evaluated on C. ammoniagenes, S. pneumoniae, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures, finding hits with favourable antimicrobial properties.

Simultaneous quantitation of nicotinamide riboside, nicotinamide mononucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in milk by a novel enzyme-coupled assay.

PubMed

Ummarino, Simone; Mozzon, Massimo; Zamporlini, Federica; Amici, Adolfo; Mazzola, Francesca; Orsomando, Giuseppe; Ruggieri, Silverio; Raffaelli, Nadia

2017-04-15

Nicotinamide riboside, the most recently discovered form of vitamin B3, and its phosphorylated form nicotinamide mononucleotide, have been shown to be potent supplements boosting intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) levels, thus preventing or ameliorating metabolic and mitochondrial diseases in mouse models. Here we report for the first time on the simultaneous quantitation of nicotinamide riboside, nicotinamide mononucleotide and NAD in milk by means of a fluorometric, enzyme-coupled assay. Application of this assay to milk from different species revealed that the three vitamers were present in human and donkey milk, while being selectively distributed in the other milks. Human milk was the richest source of nicotinamide mononucleotide. Overall, the three vitamers accounted for a significant fraction of total vitamin B3 content. Pasteurization did not affect the bovine milk content of nicotinamide riboside, whereas UHT processing fully destroyed the vitamin. In human milk, NAD levels were significantly affected by the lactation time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flow-injection analysis with electrochemical detection of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide using 2,6-dichloroindophenol as a redox coupling agent.

PubMed

Tang, H T; Hajizadeh, K; Halsall, H B; Heineman, W R

1991-01-01

The determination of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by electrochemical oxidation requires a more positive potential than is predicted by the formal reduction potential for the NAD+/NADH couple. This problem is alleviated by use of 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCIP) as a redox coupling agent for NADH. The electrochemical characteristics of DCIP at the glassy carbon electrode are examined by cyclic voltammetry and hydrodynamic voltammetry. NADH is determined by reaction with DCIP to form NAD+ and DCIPH2. DCIPH2 is then quantitated by flow-injection analysis with electrochemical detection by oxidation at a detector potential of +0.25 V at pH 7. NADH is determined over a linear range of 0.5 to 200 microM and with a detection limit of 0.38 microM. The lower detection potential for DCIPH2 compared to NADH helps to minimize interference from oxidizable components in serum samples.

Comparison of oral nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) versus conventional therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

PubMed

Santaella, María L; Font, Ivonne; Disdier, Orville M

2004-06-01

To compare effectiveness of oral therapy with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) to conventional modalities of treatment in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). CFS is a potentially disabling condition of unknown etiology. Although its clinical presentation is associated to a myriad of symptoms, fatigue is a universal and essential finding for its diagnosis. No therapeutic regimen has proven effective for this condition. A total of 31 patients fulfilling the Centers for Disease Control criteria for CFS, were randomly assigned to either NADH or nutritional supplements and psychological therapy for 24 months. A thorough medical history, physical examination and completion of a questionnaire on the severity of fatigue and other symptoms were performed each trimester of therapy. In addition, all of them underwent evaluation in terms of immunological parameters and viral antibody titers. Statistical analysis was applied to the demographic data, as well as to symptoms scores at baseline and at each trimester of therapy. The twelve patients who received NADH had a dramatic and statistically significant reduction of the mean symptom score in the first trimester (p < 0.001). However, symptom scores in the subsequent trimesters of therapy were similar in both treatment groups. Elevated IgG and Ig E antibody levels were found in a significant number of patients. Observed effectiveness of NADH over conventional treatment in the first trimester of the trial and the trend of improvement of that modality in the subsequent trimesters should be further assessed in a larger patient sample.

Ca2+ release triggered by nicotinate adenine dinucleotide phosphate in intact sea urchin eggs.

PubMed Central

Perez-Terzic, C M; Chini, E N; Shen, S S; Dousa, T P; Clapham, D E

1995-01-01

Nicotinate adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) was recently identified [Lee and Aarhus (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 2152-2157; Chini, Beers and Dousa (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 3116-3223] as a potent Ca(2+)-releasing agent in sea urchin egg homogenates. NAADP triggered Ca2+ release by a mechanism that was distinct from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)- and cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR)-induced Ca2+ release. When NAADP was microinjected into intact sea urchin eggs it induced a dose-dependent increase in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ which was independent of the extracellular [Ca2+]. The Ca2+ waves elicited by microinjections of NAADP originated at the site of injection and swept across the cytosol. As previously found in sea urchin egg homogenates, NAADP-induced Ca2+ release in intact eggs was not blocked by heparin or by prior desensitization to InsP3 or cADPR. Thio-NADP, a specific inhibitor of the NAADP-induced Ca2+ release in sea urchin homogenates [Chini, Beers and Dousa (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 3116-3223] blocked NAADP (but not InsP3 or cADPR) injection-induced Ca2+ release in intact sea urchin eggs. Finally, fertilization of sea urchin eggs abrogated subsequent NAADP-induced Ca2+ release, suggesting that the NAADP-sensitive Ca2+ pool may participate in the fertilization response. This study demonstrates that NAADP acts as a selective Ca(2+)-releasing agonist in intact cells. Images Figure 2 PMID:8554544

Studies of yeast cell oxygenation and energetics by laser fluorometry of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Fu-shih; Chen, Stephen; Mintzer, Robert A.; Chen, Chin-Tu; Schumacker, Paul

1991-03-01

It is of fundamental importance for biological scientists to assess cellular energetics. Under aerobic conditions, the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) is coupled with the mitochondrial electron cascade pathway to provide the cell with energy. The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-conjugated pair (NAD and NADH) is the coenzyme in numerous important biomedical reactions which include several important dehydrogenase reactions in the TCA cycle. Based on Le Chatelier's principle, NADH will accumulate when this energy production mechanism is impaired. The relative amounts of NAD and NADH in a cell are defined as the redox state of the cell (Williamson et.al. 1967) which provides a valuable index of cellular energetics. The sum of the amounts of NAD and NADH in a cell may be assumed to be constant during a finite time; therefore, a reliable means of measuring the NADH concentration would provide us with a useful indicator of tissue viability. Traditionally, the quantities of NADH and NAD may be measured by chemical assay methods. We can avoid these tediois analyses by exploiting the significant difference between the ultraviolet absorption spectra of this redox pair. However, because of the opacity of biological samples and the interference of other biochemicals that also absorb ultraviolet radiation, measurement of NADH and NAD+ concentrations in vivo by absorption spectroscopy is not feasible.

Purification and characterization of the enzymes involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide degradation by Penicillium brevicompactum NRC 829.

PubMed

Ali, Thanaa Hamed; El-Ghonemy, Dina Helmy

2016-06-01

The present study was conducted to investigate a new pathway for the degradation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) by Penicillium brevicompactum NRC 829 extracts. Enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of NAD, i.e. alkaline phosphatase, aminohydrolase and glycohydrolase were determined. Alkaline phosphatase was found to catalyse the sequential hydrolysis of two phosphate moieties of NAD molecule to nicotinamide riboside plus adenosine. Adenosine was then deaminated by aminohydrolase to inosine and ammonia. While glycohydrolase catalyzed the hydrolysis of the nicotinamide-ribosidic bond of NAD+ to produce nicotinamide and ADP-ribose in equimolar amounts, enzyme purification through a 3-step purification procedure revealed the existence of two peaks of alkaline phosphatases, and one peak contained deaminase and glycohydrolase activities. NAD deaminase was purified to homogeneity as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with an apparent molecular mass of 91 kDa. Characterization and determination of some of NAD aminohydrolase kinetic properties were conducted due to its biological role in the regulation of cellular NAD level. The results also revealed that NAD did not exert its feedback control on nicotinamide amidase produced by P. brevicompactum.

The human amygdaloid complex: a cytologic and histochemical atlas using Nissl, myelin, acetylcholinesterase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase staining.

PubMed

Sims, K S; Williams, R S

1990-01-01

We examined the distribution of acetylcholinesterase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase enzyme activity in the human amygdala using histochemical techniques. Both methods revealed compartments of higher or lower enzyme activity, in cells or neuropil, which corresponded to the nuclear subdivisions of the amygdala as defined with classical Nissl and myelin methods. The boundaries between the histochemical compartments were usually so sharp that the identification of these nuclear subdivisions was enhanced. There was also variation of staining intensity within many of the nuclear subdivisions, such as the lateral and central nuclei, anterior amygdaloid area and the intercalated groups. This histochemical difference corresponded to more subtle differences in Nissl and myelin staining patterns, and suggests further structural subdivisions of potential functional significance. We present a revised scheme of anatomical parcellation of the human amygdala based upon serial analysis with all four techniques. Our expectation is that this will allow the delineation of a clearer homology between the cytoarchitectonic subdivisions of the human amygdala and those of experimental animals.

Photosensitized oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by diethoxyphosphorus(V)tetraphenylporphyrin and its fluorinated derivative: Possibility of chain reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirakawa, Kazutaka; Murata, Atsushi

2018-01-01

Water-soluble porphyrins, diethoxyphosphorus(V)tetraphenylporphyrin (EtP(V)TPP) and its fluorinated analogue (FEtP(V)TPP), decreased the typical absorption around 340 nm of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) under visible light irradiation, indicating oxidative decomposition. A singlet oxygen quencher, sodium azide, and a triplet quencher, potassium iodide, slightly inhibited photosensitized NADH oxidation. However, these inhibitory effects were very small. Furthermore, the fluorescence lifetime of these P(V)porphyrins was decreased by NADH, suggesting the contribution of electron transfer to the singlet excited (S1) state of P(V)porphyrin. The redox potential measurement supports the electron transfer-mediated oxidation of NADH. The quantum yields of NADH photodecomposition by P(V)porphyrins could be estimated from the kinetic data and the effect of these quenchers on NADH oxidation. The obtained values suggest that the electron accepting by the S1 states of P(V)porphyrins triggers a chain reaction of NADH oxidation. This photosensitized reaction may play an important role in the photocytotoxicity of P(V)porphyrins. The axial ligand fluorination of P(V)porphyrins improved electron accepting ability. However, fluorination slightly suppressed static interaction with NADH, resulting in decreased oxidation quantum yield.

Generation of Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide for Nitrate Reduction in Green Leaves 1

PubMed Central

Klepper, Lowell; Flesher, Donna; Hageman, R. H.

1971-01-01

An in vivo assay of nitrate reductase activity was developed by vacuum infiltration of leaf discs or sections with a solution of 0.2 m KNO3 (with or without phosphate buffer, pH 7.5) and incubation of the infiltrated tissue and medium under essentially anaerobic conditions in the dark. Nitrite production, for computing enzyme activity, was determined on aliquots of the incubation media, removed at intervals. By adding, separately, various metabolites of the glycolytic, pentose phosphate, and citric acid pathways to the infiltrating media, it was possible to use the in vivo assay to determine the prime source of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) required by the cytoplasmically located NADH-specific nitrate reductase. It was concluded that sugars that migrate from the chloroplast to the cytoplasm were the prime source of energy and that the oxidation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate was ultimately the in vivo source of NADH for nitrate reduction. This conclusion was supported by experiments that included: inhibition studies with iodoacetate; in vitro studies that established the presence and functionality of the requisite enzymes; and studies showing the effect of light (photosynthate) and exogenous carbohydrate on loss of endogenous nitrate from plant tissue. The level of nitrate reductase activity obtained with the in vitro assay is higher (2.5- to 20-fold) than with the in vivo assay for most plant species. The work done to date would indicate that the in vivo assays are proportional to the in vitro assays with respect to ranking genotypes for nitrate-reducing potential of a given species. The in vivo assay is especially useful in studying nitrate assimilation in species like giant ragweed from which only traces of active nitrate reductase can be extracted. PMID:16657841

Cleavage of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by the ribosome-inactivating protein from Momordica charantia.

PubMed

Vinkovic, M; Dunn, G; Wood, G E; Husain, J; Wood, S P; Gill, R

2015-09-01

The interaction of momordin, a type 1 ribosome-inactivating protein from Momordica charantia, with NADP(+) and NADPH has been investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis of complexes generated by co-crystallization and crystal soaking. It is known that the proteins of this family readily cleave the adenine-ribose bond of adenosine and related nucleotides in the crystal, leaving the product, adenine, bound to the enzyme active site. Surprisingly, the nicotinamide-ribose bond of oxidized NADP(+) is cleaved, leaving nicotinamide bound in the active site in the same position but in a slightly different orientation to that of the five-membered ring of adenine. No binding or cleavage of NADPH was observed at pH 7.4 in these experiments. These observations are in accord with current views of the enzyme mechanism and may contribute to ongoing searches for effective inhibitors.

Reduction of mitomycin C is catalysed by human recombinant NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 using reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as an electron donating co-factor

PubMed Central

Jamieson, D; Tung, A T Y; Knox, R J; Boddy, A V

2006-01-01

NRH:Quinone Oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) has been described as having no enzymatic activity with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) or NADPH as electron donating cosubstrates. Mitomycin C (MMC) is both a substrate for and a mechanistic inhibitor of the NQO2 homologue NQO1. NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 catalysed the reduction of MMC at pH 5.8 with NADH as a co-factor. This reaction results in species that inhibit the NQO2-mediated metabolism of CB1954. In addition, MMC caused an increase in DNA cross-links in a cell line transfected to overexpress NQO2 to an extent comparable to that observed with an isogenic NQO1-expressing cell line. These data indicate that NQO2 may contribute to the metabolism of MMC to cytotoxic species. PMID:17031400

UV-Vis Action Spectroscopy Reveals a Conformational Collapse in Hydrogen-Rich Dinucleotide Cation Radicals.

PubMed

Korn, Joseph A; Urban, Jan; Dang, Andy; Nguyen, Huong T H; Tureček, František

2017-09-07

We report the generation of deoxyriboadenosine dinucleotide cation radicals by gas-phase electron transfer to dinucleotide dications and their noncovalent complexes with crown ether ligands. Stable dinucleotide cation radicals of a novel hydrogen-rich type were generated and characterized by tandem mass spectrometry and UV-vis photodissociation (UVPD) action spectroscopy. Electron structure theory analysis indicated that upon electron attachment the dinucleotide dications underwent a conformational collapse followed by intramolecular proton migrations between the nucleobases to give species whose calculated UV-vis absorption spectra matched the UVPD action spectra. Hydrogen-rich cation radicals generated from chimeric riboadenosine 5'-diesters gave UVPD action spectra that pointed to novel zwitterionic structures consisting of aromatic π-electron anion radicals intercalated between stacked positively charged adenine rings. Analogies with DNA ionization are discussed.

Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NAADP)-mediated Calcium Signaling and Arrhythmias in the Heart Evoked by β-Adrenergic Stimulation*♦

PubMed Central

Nebel, Merle; Schwoerer, Alexander P.; Warszta, Dominik; Siebrands, Cornelia C.; Limbrock, Ann-Christin; Swarbrick, Joanna M.; Fliegert, Ralf; Weber, Karin; Bruhn, Sören; Hohenegger, Martin; Geisler, Anne; Herich, Lena; Schlegel, Susan; Carrier, Lucie; Eschenhagen, Thomas; Potter, Barry V. L.; Ehmke, Heimo; Guse, Andreas H.

2013-01-01

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is the most potent Ca2+-releasing second messenger known to date. Here, we report a new role for NAADP in arrhythmogenic Ca2+ release in cardiac myocytes evoked by β-adrenergic stimulation. Infusion of NAADP into intact cardiac myocytes induced global Ca2+ signals sensitive to inhibitors of both acidic Ca2+ stores and ryanodine receptors and to NAADP antagonist BZ194. Furthermore, in electrically paced cardiac myocytes BZ194 blocked spontaneous diastolic Ca2+ transients caused by high concentrations of the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. Ca2+ transients were recorded both as increases of the free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and as decreases of the sarcoplasmic luminal Ca2+ concentration. Importantly, NAADP antagonist BZ194 largely ameliorated isoproterenol-induced arrhythmias in awake mice. We provide strong evidence that NAADP-mediated modulation of couplon activity plays a role for triggering spontaneous diastolic Ca2+ transients in isolated cardiac myocytes and arrhythmias in the intact animal. Thus, NAADP signaling appears an attractive novel target for antiarrhythmic therapy. PMID:23564460

Sensitive colorimetric visualization of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide based on anti-aggregation of gold nanoparticles via boronic acid-diol binding.

PubMed

Liu, Shufeng; Du, Zongfeng; Li, Peng; Li, Feng

2012-05-15

A facile, highly sensitive colorimetric strategy for dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) detection is proposed based on anti-aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) via boronic acid-diol binding chemistry. The aggregation agent, 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (MPBA), has specific affinity for AuNPs through Au-S interaction, leading to the aggregation of AuNPs by self-dehydration condensation at a certain concentration, which is responsible for a visible color change of AuNPs from wine red to blue. With the addition of NADH, MPBA would prefer reacting with NADH to form stable borate ester via boronic acid-diol binding dependent on the pH and solvent, revealing an obvious color change from blue to red with increasing the concentration of NADH. The anti-aggregation effect of NADH on AuNPs was seen by the naked eye and monitored by UV-vis extinction spectra. The linear range of the colorimetric sensor for NADH is from 8.0 × 10(-9)M to 8.0 × 10(-6)M, with a low detection limit of 2.0 nM. The as-established colorimetric strategy opened a new avenue for NADH determination. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photosensitized oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by diethoxyphosphorus(V)tetraphenylporphyrin and its fluorinated derivative: Possibility of chain reaction.

PubMed

Hirakawa, Kazutaka; Murata, Atsushi

2018-01-05

Water-soluble porphyrins, diethoxyphosphorus(V)tetraphenylporphyrin (EtP(V)TPP) and its fluorinated analogue (FEtP(V)TPP), decreased the typical absorption around 340nm of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) under visible light irradiation, indicating oxidative decomposition. A singlet oxygen quencher, sodium azide, and a triplet quencher, potassium iodide, slightly inhibited photosensitized NADH oxidation. However, these inhibitory effects were very small. Furthermore, the fluorescence lifetime of these P(V)porphyrins was decreased by NADH, suggesting the contribution of electron transfer to the singlet excited (S 1 ) state of P(V)porphyrin. The redox potential measurement supports the electron transfer-mediated oxidation of NADH. The quantum yields of NADH photodecomposition by P(V)porphyrins could be estimated from the kinetic data and the effect of these quenchers on NADH oxidation. The obtained values suggest that the electron accepting by the S 1 states of P(V)porphyrins triggers a chain reaction of NADH oxidation. This photosensitized reaction may play an important role in the photocytotoxicity of P(V)porphyrins. The axial ligand fluorination of P(V)porphyrins improved electron accepting ability. However, fluorination slightly suppressed static interaction with NADH, resulting in decreased oxidation quantum yield. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Eliciting the mitochondrial unfolded protein response by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide repletion reverses fatty liver disease in mice

PubMed Central

Gariani, Karim; Menzies, Keir J.; Ryu, Dongryeol; Wegner, Casey J.; Wang, Xu; Ropelle, Eduardo R.; Moullan, Norman; Zhang, Hongbo; Perino, Alessia; Lemos, Vera; Kim, Bohkyung; Park, Young‐Ki; Piersigilli, Alessandra; Pham, Tho X.; Yang, Yue; Ku, Chai Siah; Koo, Sung I.; Fomitchova, Anna; Cantó, Carlos; Schoonjans, Kristina; Sauve, Anthony A.

2015-01-01

With no approved pharmacological treatment, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Western countries and its worldwide prevalence continues to increase along with the growing obesity epidemic. Here, we show that a high‐fat high‐sucrose (HFHS) diet, eliciting chronic hepatosteatosis resembling human fatty liver, lowers hepatic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels driving reductions in hepatic mitochondrial content, function, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, in conjunction with robust increases in hepatic weight, lipid content, and peroxidation in C57BL/6J mice. To assess the effect of NAD+ repletion on the development of steatosis in mice, nicotinamide riboside, a precursor of NAD+ biosynthesis, was added to the HFHS diet, either as a preventive strategy or as a therapeutic intervention. We demonstrate that NR prevents and reverts NAFLD by inducing a sirtuin (SIRT)1‐ and SIRT3‐dependent mitochondrial unfolded protein response, triggering an adaptive mitohormetic pathway to increase hepatic β‐oxidation and mitochondrial complex content and activity. The cell‐autonomous beneficial component of NR treatment was revealed in liver‐specific Sirt1 knockout mice (Sirt1hep−/−), whereas apolipoprotein E‐deficient mice (Apoe −/−) challenged with a high‐fat high‐cholesterol diet affirmed the use of NR in other independent models of NAFLD. Conclusion: Our data warrant the future evaluation of NAD+ boosting strategies to manage the development or progression of NAFLD. (Hepatology 2016;63:1190–1204) PMID:26404765

Quantification of riboflavin, flavin mononucleotide, and flavin adenine dinucleotide in mammalian model cells by CE with LED-induced fluorescence detection.

PubMed

Hühner, Jens; Ingles-Prieto, Álvaro; Neusüß, Christian; Lämmerhofer, Michael; Janovjak, Harald

2015-02-01

Cultured mammalian cells essential are model systems in basic biology research, production platforms of proteins for medical use, and testbeds in synthetic biology. Flavin cofactors, in particular flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), are critical for cellular redox reactions and sense light in naturally occurring photoreceptors and optogenetic tools. Here, we quantified flavin contents of commonly used mammalian cell lines. We first compared three procedures for extraction of free and noncovalently protein-bound flavins and verified extraction using fluorescence spectroscopy. For separation, two CE methods with different BGEs were established, and detection was performed by LED-induced fluorescence with limit of detections (LODs 0.5-3.8 nM). We found that riboflavin (RF), FMN, and FAD contents varied significantly between cell lines. RF (3.1-14 amol/cell) and FAD (2.2-17.0 amol/cell) were the predominant flavins, while FMN (0.46-3.4 amol/cell) was found at markedly lower levels. Observed flavin contents agree with those previously extracted from mammalian tissues, yet reduced forms of RF were detected that were not described previously. Quantification of flavins in mammalian cell lines will allow a better understanding of cellular redox reactions and optogenetic tools. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Eliciting the mitochondrial unfolded protein response by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide repletion reverses fatty liver disease in mice.

PubMed

Gariani, Karim; Menzies, Keir J; Ryu, Dongryeol; Wegner, Casey J; Wang, Xu; Ropelle, Eduardo R; Moullan, Norman; Zhang, Hongbo; Perino, Alessia; Lemos, Vera; Kim, Bohkyung; Park, Young-Ki; Piersigilli, Alessandra; Pham, Tho X; Yang, Yue; Ku, Chai Siah; Koo, Sung I; Fomitchova, Anna; Cantó, Carlos; Schoonjans, Kristina; Sauve, Anthony A; Lee, Ji-Young; Auwerx, Johan

2016-04-01

With no approved pharmacological treatment, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Western countries and its worldwide prevalence continues to increase along with the growing obesity epidemic. Here, we show that a high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet, eliciting chronic hepatosteatosis resembling human fatty liver, lowers hepatic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+) ) levels driving reductions in hepatic mitochondrial content, function, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, in conjunction with robust increases in hepatic weight, lipid content, and peroxidation in C57BL/6J mice. To assess the effect of NAD(+) repletion on the development of steatosis in mice, nicotinamide riboside, a precursor of NAD(+) biosynthesis, was added to the HFHS diet, either as a preventive strategy or as a therapeutic intervention. We demonstrate that NR prevents and reverts NAFLD by inducing a sirtuin (SIRT)1- and SIRT3-dependent mitochondrial unfolded protein response, triggering an adaptive mitohormetic pathway to increase hepatic β-oxidation and mitochondrial complex content and activity. The cell-autonomous beneficial component of NR treatment was revealed in liver-specific Sirt1 knockout mice (Sirt1(hep-/-) ), whereas apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (Apoe(-/-) ) challenged with a high-fat high-cholesterol diet affirmed the use of NR in other independent models of NAFLD. Our data warrant the future evaluation of NAD(+) boosting strategies to manage the development or progression of NAFLD. © 2015 The Authors. Hepatology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Amperometric cholesterol biosensor based on in situ reconstituted cholesterol oxidase on an immobilized monolayer of flavin adenine dinucleotide cofactor.

PubMed

Vidal, Juan-C; Espuelas, Javier; Castillo, Juan-R

2004-10-01

A new amperometric biosensor for determining cholesterol based on deflavination of the enzyme cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and subsequent reconstitution of the apo-protein with a complexed flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) monolayer is described. The charge transfer mediator pyrroquinoline quinone (PQQ) was covalently bound to a cystamine self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on an Au electrode. Boronic acid (BA) was then bound to PQQ using the carbodiimide procedure, and the BA ligand was complexed to the FAD molecules on which the apo-ChOx was subsequently reconstituted. The effective release of the FAD from the enzyme and the successful reconstitution were verified using molecular fluorescence and cyclic voltammetry. The optimal orientation of FAD toward the PQQ mediator and the distances between FAD and PQQ and between PQQ and electrode enhance the charge transfer, very high sensitivity (about 2,500 nAmM(-1)cm(-2)) being obtained for cholesterol determination. The biosensor is selective toward electroactive interferents (ascorbic acid and uric acid) and was tested in reference serum samples, demonstrating excellent accuracy (relative errors below 3% in all cases). The biosensor activity can be successfully regenerated in a simple process by successive reconstitution with batches of recently prepared apo-ChOx on the same immobilized Au/SAM-PQQ-BA-FAD monolayer (it was tested five times); the lifetime of the biosensor is about 45-60 days.

Blue light induced reactive oxygen species from flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide on lethality of HeLa cells.

PubMed

Yang, Ming-Yeh; Chang, Chih-Jui; Chen, Liang-Yü

2017-08-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a safe and non-invasive treatment for cancers and microbial infections. Various photosensitizers and light sources have been developed for clinical cancer therapies. Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) are the cofactor of enzymes and are used as photosensitizers in this study. Targeting hypoxia and light-triggering reactive oxygen species (ROS) are experimental strategies for poisoning tumor cells in vitro. HeLa cells are committed to apoptosis when treated with FMN or FAD and exposed to visible blue light (the maximum emitted wavelength of blue light is 462nm). Under blue light irradiation at 3.744J/cm 2 (=0.52mW/cm 2 irradiated for 2h), the minimal lethal dose is 3.125μM and the median lethal doses (LD 50 ) for FMN and FAD are 6.5μM and 7.2μM, respectively. Individual exposure to visible blue light irradiation or riboflavin photosensitizers does not produce cytotoxicity and no side effects are observed in this study. The western blotting results also show that an intrinsic apoptosis pathway is activated by the ROS during photolysis of riboflavin analogues. Blue light triggers the cytotoxicity of riboflavins on HeLa cells in vitro. Based on these results, this is a feasible and efficient of PDT with an intrinsic photosensitizer for cancer research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[The release of flavin adenine dinucleotide upon local conformational transition in electron-transferring flavoprotein induced by trimethylamine dehydrogenase].

PubMed

Lomtev, A S; Bobrov, A G; Vekshin, N L

2004-01-01

The electron-transferring proteins, trimethylamine dehydrogenase (TMAD) and electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF) from the bacterium Methylophilius methylotrophus, were studied in vitro by fluorescence spectroscopy. Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) was found to be capable of a slow and spontaneous release from ETF, which is accompanied by an increase in flavin fluorescence. At a rather high ionic strength (0.1 M NaCl or 50 mM phosphate), the FAD release is sharply activated by TMAD preparations that induce a local conformational transition in ETF. The values of tryptophan fluorescence polarization and lifetime and the use of the Levshin-Perrin equation helped show that the size of protein particles remain unchanged upon the TMAD and ETF mixing; i.e., these proteins themselves do not form a stable complex with each other. The protein mixture did not release flavin from ETF in the presence of trimethylamine and formaldehyde. In this case, a stable complex between the proteins appeared to be formed under the action of formaldehyde. Upon a short-term incubation of ETF with ferricyanide, FAD was hydrolyzed to flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and AMP. This fact explains the previous detection of AMP in ETF preparations by some researches. A fluorescence method was proposed for distinguishing FAD from FMN in solution using ethylene glycol. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2004, vol. 30, no. 3; see also http://www.maik.ru.

Transcriptional regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate: quinone oxidoreductase in murine hepatoma cells by 6-(methylsufinyl)hexyl isothiocyanate, an active principle of wasabi (Eutrema wasabi Maxim).

PubMed

Hou, D X; Fukuda, M; Fujii, M; Fuke, Y

2000-12-20

Wasabi is a very popular pungent spice in Japan. This study examined the ability of 6-(methylsufinyl)hexyl isothiocyanate (6-MITC), an active principle of wasabi, to induce the cellular expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate: quinone oxidoreductase (QR) in Hepa 1c1c7 cells. The cells were treated with various concentrations of 6-MITC, and were then assessed for cell growth, QR activity and QR mRNA expression. The induction of QR activity and QR mRNA expression was time- and dose-responsive over a narrow range of 0.1-5 microM, with declining induction at higher concentrations due to cell toxicity. Furthermore, transfection studies demonstrated that the induction of transcription of the QR gene by 6-MITC involved an antioxidant/electrophile-responsive element (ARE/EpRE) activation. Our results suggest a novel mechanism by which dietary wasabi 6-MITC may be implicated in cancer chemoprevention.

Auxotrophic Actinobacillus pleurpneumoniae grows in multispecies biofilms without the need for nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NAD) supplementation.

PubMed

Loera-Muro, Abraham; Jacques, Mario; Avelar-González, Francisco J; Labrie, Josée; Tremblay, Yannick D N; Oropeza-Navarro, Ricardo; Guerrero-Barrera, Alma L

2016-06-27

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the etiologic agent of porcine contagious pleuropneumonia, which causes important worldwide economic losses in the swine industry. Several respiratory tract infections are associated with biofilm formation, and A. pleuropneumoniae has the ability to form biofilms in vitro. Biofilms are structured communities of bacterial cells enclosed in a self-produced polymer matrix that are attached to an abiotic or biotic surface. Virtually all bacteria can grow as a biofilm, and multi-species biofilms are the most common form of microbial growth in nature. The goal of this study was to determine the ability of A. pleuropneumoniae to form multi-species biofilms with other bacteria frequently founded in pig farms, in the absence of pyridine compounds (nicotinamide mononucleotide [NMN], nicotinamide riboside [NR] or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide [NAD]) that are essential for the growth of A. pleuropneumoniae. For the biofilm assay, strain 719, a field isolate of A. pleuropneumoniae serovar 1, was mixed with swine isolates of Streptococcus suis, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Pasteurella multocida, Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli, and deposited in 96-well microtiter plates. Based on the CFU results, A. pleuropneumoniae was able to grow with every species tested in the absence of pyridine compounds in the culture media. Interestingly, A. pleuropneumoniae was also able to form strong biofilms when mixed with S. suis, B. bronchiseptica or S. aureus. In the presence of E. coli, A. pleuropneumoniae only formed a weak biofilm. The live and dead populations, and the matrix composition of multi-species biofilms were also characterized using fluorescent markers and enzyme treatments. The results indicated that poly-N-acetyl-glucosamine remains the primary component responsible for the biofilm structure. In conclusion, A. pleuropneumoniae apparently is able to satisfy the requirement of pyridine compounds through of other swine pathogens by

African Swine Fever Virus pB119L Protein Is a Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide-Linked Sulfhydryl Oxidase

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Irene; Redrejo-Rodríguez, Modesto; Rodríguez, Javier M.; Alejo, Alí; Salas, José; Salas, María L.

2006-01-01

Protein pB119L of African swine fever virus belongs to the Erv1p/Alrp family of sulfhydryl oxidases and has been described as a late nonstructural protein required for correct virus assembly. To further our knowledge of the function of protein pB119L during the virus life cycle, we have investigated whether this protein possesses sulfhydryl oxidase activity, using a purified recombinant protein. We show that the purified protein contains bound flavin adenine dinucleotide and is capable of catalyzing the formation of disulfide bonds both in a protein substrate and in the small molecule dithiothreitol, the catalytic activity being comparable to that of the Erv1p protein. Furthermore, protein pB119L contains the cysteines of its active-site motif CXXC, predominantly in an oxidized state, and forms noncovalently bound dimers in infected cells. We also show in coimmunoprecipitation experiments that protein pB119L interacts with the viral protein pA151R, which contains a CXXC motif similar to that present in thioredoxins. Protein pA151R, in turn, was found to interact with the viral structural protein pE248R, which contains disulfide bridges and belongs to a class of myristoylated proteins related to vaccinia virus L1R, one of the substrates of the redox pathway encoded by this virus. These results suggest the existence in African swine fever virus of a system for the formation of disulfide bonds constituted at least by proteins pB119L and pA151R and identify protein pE248R as a possible final substrate of this pathway. PMID:16537584

African swine fever virus pB119L protein is a flavin adenine dinucleotide-linked sulfhydryl oxidase.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Irene; Redrejo-Rodríguez, Modesto; Rodríguez, Javier M; Alejo, Alí; Salas, José; Salas, María L

2006-04-01

Protein pB119L of African swine fever virus belongs to the Erv1p/Alrp family of sulfhydryl oxidases and has been described as a late nonstructural protein required for correct virus assembly. To further our knowledge of the function of protein pB119L during the virus life cycle, we have investigated whether this protein possesses sulfhydryl oxidase activity, using a purified recombinant protein. We show that the purified protein contains bound flavin adenine dinucleotide and is capable of catalyzing the formation of disulfide bonds both in a protein substrate and in the small molecule dithiothreitol, the catalytic activity being comparable to that of the Erv1p protein. Furthermore, protein pB119L contains the cysteines of its active-site motif CXXC, predominantly in an oxidized state, and forms noncovalently bound dimers in infected cells. We also show in coimmunoprecipitation experiments that protein pB119L interacts with the viral protein pA151R, which contains a CXXC motif similar to that present in thioredoxins. Protein pA151R, in turn, was found to interact with the viral structural protein pE248R, which contains disulfide bridges and belongs to a class of myristoylated proteins related to vaccinia virus L1R, one of the substrates of the redox pathway encoded by this virus. These results suggest the existence in African swine fever virus of a system for the formation of disulfide bonds constituted at least by proteins pB119L and pA151R and identify protein pE248R as a possible final substrate of this pathway.

β-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (β-NAD) Inhibits ATP-Dependent IL-1β Release from Human Monocytic Cells.

PubMed

Hiller, Sebastian Daniel; Heldmann, Sarah; Richter, Katrin; Jurastow, Innokentij; Küllmar, Mira; Hecker, Andreas; Wilker, Sigrid; Fuchs-Moll, Gabriele; Manzini, Ivan; Schmalzing, Günther; Kummer, Wolfgang; Padberg, Winfried; McIntosh, J Michael; Damm, Jelena; Zakrzewicz, Anna; Grau, Veronika

2018-04-10

While interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine essential for host defense, high systemic levels cause life-threatening inflammatory syndromes. ATP, a stimulus of IL-1β maturation, is released from damaged cells along with β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (β-NAD). Here, we tested the hypothesis that β-NAD controls ATP-signaling and, hence, IL-1β release. Lipopolysaccharide-primed monocytic U937 cells and primary human mononuclear leukocytes were stimulated with 2'(3')- O -(4-benzoyl-benzoyl)ATP trieethylammonium salt (BzATP), a P2X7 receptor agonist, in the presence or absence of β-NAD. IL-1β was measured in cell culture supernatants. The roles of P2Y receptors, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and Ca 2+ -independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β, PLA2G6) were investigated using specific inhibitors and gene-silencing. Exogenous β-NAD signaled via P2Y receptors and dose-dependently (IC 50 = 15 µM) suppressed the BzATP-induced IL-1β release. Signaling involved iPLA2β, release of a soluble mediator, and nAChR subunit α9. Patch-clamp experiments revealed that β-NAD inhibited BzATP-induced ion currents. In conclusion, we describe a novel triple membrane-passing signaling cascade triggered by extracellular β-NAD that suppresses ATP-induced release of IL-1β by monocytic cells. This cascade links activation of P2Y receptors to non-canonical metabotropic functions of nAChRs that inhibit P2X7 receptor function. The biomedical relevance of this mechanism might be the control of trauma-associated systemic inflammation.

Protective effect of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury via reducing oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis.

PubMed

Xie, Lei; Wang, Zhenfei; Li, Changwei; Yang, Kai; Liang, Yu

2017-02-01

As previous studies demonstrate that oxidative stress and apoptosis play crucial roles in ischemic pathogenesis and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) treatment attenuates oxidative stress-induced cell death among primary neurons and astrocytes as well as significantly reduce cerebral ischemic injury in rats. We used a spinal cord ischemia injury (SCII) model in rats to verify our hypothesis that NAD + could ameliorate oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis. Adult male rats were subjected to transient spinal cord ischemia for 60min, and different doses of NAD + were administered intraperitoneally immediately after the start of reperfusion. Neurological function was determined by Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) scores. The oxidative stress level was assessed by superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The degree of apoptosis was analyzed by deoxyuridinetriphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining and protein levels of cleaved caspase-3 and AIF (apoptosis inducing factor). The results showed that NAD + at 50 or 100mg/kg significantly decreased the oxidative stress level and neuronal apoptosis in the spinal cord of ischemia-reperfusion rats compared with saline, as accompanied with the decreased oxidative stress, NAD + administration significantly restrained the neuronal apoptosis after ischemia injury while improved the neurological and motor function. These findings suggested that NAD + might protect against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion via reducing oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unprecedented head-to-head right-handed cross-links between the antitumor bis(mu-N,N'-di-p-tolylformamidinate) dirhodium(II,II) core and the dinucleotide d(ApA) with the adenine bases in the rare imino form.

PubMed

Chifotides, Helen T; Dunbar, Kim R

2007-10-17

Reactions of the anticancer active compound cis-[Rh2(DTolF)2(CH3CN)6](BF4)2 with 9-ethyladenine (9-EtAdeH) or the dinucleotide d(ApA) proceed with bridging adenine bases in the rare imino form (A*), spanning the Rh-Rh bond at equatorial positions via N7/N6. The inflection points for the pH-dependent H2 and H8 NMR resonance curves of cis-[Rh2(DTolF)2(9-EtAdeH)2](BF4)2 correspond to N1H deprotonation of the metal-stabilized rare imino tautomer, which takes place at pKa approximately 7.5 in CD3CN-d3, a considerably reduced value as compared to that of the imino form of 9-EtAdeH. Similarly, coordination of the metal atoms to the N7/N6 adenine sites in Rh2(DTolF)2{d(ApA)} induces formation of the rare imino tautomer of the bases with a concomitant substantial decrease in the basicity of the N1H sites (pKa approximately 7.0 in CD3CN-d3), as compared to the imino form of the free dinucleotide. The presence of the adenine bases in the rare imino form, due to bidentate metalation of the N6/N7 sites, is further corroborated by DQF-COSY H2/N1H and ROE N1H/N6H cross-peaks in the 2D NMR spectra of Rh2(DTolF)2{d(ApA)} in CD3CN-d3 at -38 degrees C. Due to the N7/N6 bridging mode of the adenine bases in Rh2(DTolF)2{d(ApA)}, only the anti orientation of the imino tautomer is possible. The imino form A* of adenine in DNA may result in AT-->CG transversions or AT-->GC transitions, which can eventually lead to lethal mutations. The HH arrangement of the bases in Rh2(DTolF)2{d(ApA)} is indicated by the H8/H8 NOE cross-peaks in the 2D ROESY NMR spectrum, whereas the formamidinate bridging groups dictate the presence of one right-handed conformer HH1R in solution. Complete characterization of Rh2(DTolF)2{d(ApA)} by 2D NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling supports the presence of the HH1R conformer, anti orientation of both sugar residues about the glycosyl bonds, and N-type conformation for the 5'-A base.

Evolutionary divergence of chloroplast FAD synthetase proteins

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Flavin adenine dinucleotide synthetases (FADSs) - a group of bifunctional enzymes that carry out the dual functions of riboflavin phosphorylation to produce flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and its subsequent adenylation to generate FAD in most prokaryotes - were studied in plants in terms of sequence, structure and evolutionary history. Results Using a variety of bioinformatics methods we have found that FADS enzymes localized to the chloroplasts, which we term as plant-like FADS proteins, are distributed across a variety of green plant lineages and constitute a divergent protein family clearly of cyanobacterial origin. The C-terminal module of these enzymes does not contain the typical riboflavin kinase active site sequence, while the N-terminal module is broadly conserved. These results agree with a previous work reported by Sandoval et al. in 2008. Furthermore, our observations and preliminary experimental results indicate that the C-terminus of plant-like FADS proteins may contain a catalytic activity, but different to that of their prokaryotic counterparts. In fact, homology models predict that plant-specific conserved residues constitute a distinct active site in the C-terminus. Conclusions A structure-based sequence alignment and an in-depth evolutionary survey of FADS proteins, thought to be crucial in plant metabolism, are reported, which will be essential for the correct annotation of plant genomes and further structural and functional studies. This work is a contribution to our understanding of the evolutionary history of plant-like FADS enzymes, which constitute a new family of FADS proteins whose C-terminal module might be involved in a distinct catalytic activity. PMID:20955574

Secondary NAD+ deficiency in the inherited defect of glutamine synthetase.

PubMed

Hu, Liyan; Ibrahim, Khalid; Stucki, Martin; Frapolli, Michele; Shahbeck, Noora; Chaudhry, Farrukh A; Görg, Boris; Häussinger, Dieter; Penberthy, W Todd; Ben-Omran, Tawfeg; Häberle, Johannes

2015-11-01

Glutamine synthetase (GS) deficiency is an ultra-rare inborn error of amino acid metabolism that has been described in only three patients so far. The disease is characterized by neonatal onset of severe encephalopathy, low levels of glutamine in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, chronic moderate hyperammonemia, and an overall poor prognosis in the absence of an effective treatment. Recently, enteral glutamine supplementation was shown to be a safe and effective therapy for this disease but there are no data available on the long-term effects of this intervention. The amino acid glutamine, severely lacking in this disorder, is central to many metabolic pathways in the human organism and is involved in the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) starting from tryptophan or niacin as nicotinate, but not nicotinamide. Using fibroblasts, leukocytes, and immortalized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) from a patient carrying a GLUL gene point mutation associated with impaired GS activity, we tested whether glutamine deficiency in this patient results in NAD(+) depletion and whether it can be rescued by supplementation with glutamine, nicotinamide or nicotinate. The present study shows that congenital GS deficiency is associated with NAD(+) depletion in fibroblasts, leukocytes and PBSC, which may contribute to the severe clinical phenotype of the disease. Furthermore, it shows that NAD(+) depletion can be rescued by nicotinamide supplementation in fibroblasts and leukocytes, which may open up potential therapeutic options for the treatment of this disorder.

Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NAADP) and Endolysosomal Two-pore Channels Modulate Membrane Excitability and Stimulus-Secretion Coupling in Mouse Pancreatic β Cells*

PubMed Central

Arredouani, Abdelilah; Ruas, Margarida; Collins, Stephan C.; Parkesh, Raman; Clough, Frederick; Pillinger, Toby; Coltart, George; Rietdorf, Katja; Royle, Andrew; Johnson, Paul; Braun, Matthias; Zhang, Quan; Sones, William; Shimomura, Kenju; Morgan, Anthony J.; Lewis, Alexander M.; Chuang, Kai-Ting; Tunn, Ruth; Gadea, Joaquin; Teboul, Lydia; Heister, Paula M.; Tynan, Patricia W.; Bellomo, Elisa A.; Rutter, Guy A.; Rorsman, Patrik; Churchill, Grant C.; Parrington, John; Galione, Antony

2015-01-01

Pancreatic β cells are electrically excitable and respond to elevated glucose concentrations with bursts of Ca2+ action potentials due to the activation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs), which leads to the exocytosis of insulin granules. We have examined the possible role of nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP)-mediated Ca2+ release from intracellular stores during stimulus-secretion coupling in primary mouse pancreatic β cells. NAADP-regulated Ca2+ release channels, likely two-pore channels (TPCs), have recently been shown to be a major mechanism for mobilizing Ca2+ from the endolysosomal system, resulting in localized Ca2+ signals. We show here that NAADP-mediated Ca2+ release from endolysosomal Ca2+ stores activates inward membrane currents and depolarizes the β cell to the threshold for VDCC activation and thereby contributes to glucose-evoked depolarization of the membrane potential during stimulus-response coupling. Selective pharmacological inhibition of NAADP-evoked Ca2+ release or genetic ablation of endolysosomal TPC1 or TPC2 channels attenuates glucose- and sulfonylurea-induced membrane currents, depolarization, cytoplasmic Ca2+ signals, and insulin secretion. Our findings implicate NAADP-evoked Ca2+ release from acidic Ca2+ storage organelles in stimulus-secretion coupling in β cells. PMID:26152717

Ultrafast photo-initiated molecular quantum dynamics in the DNA dinucleotide d(ApG) revealed by broadband transient absorption spectroscopy.

PubMed

Stuhldreier, Mayra C; Temps, Friedrich

2013-01-01

The ultrafast photo-initiated quantum dynamics of the adenine-guanine dinucleotide d(ApG) in aqueous solution (pH 7) has been studied by femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy after excitation at lambda = 260 nm. The results reveal a hierarchy of processes on time scales from tau < 100 fs to tau > 100 ps. Characteristic spectro-temporal signatures are observed indicating the transformation of the molecules in the electronic relaxation from the photo-excited state to a long-lived exciplex. In particular, broadband UV/VIS excited-state absorption (ESA) measurements detected a distinctive absorption by the excited dinucleotide around lambda = 335 nm, approximately 0.5 eV to the blue compared to the maximum of the broad and unstructured ESA spectrum after excitation of an equimolar mixture of the mononucleotides dAMP and dGMP. A similar feature has been identified as signature of the excimer in the dynamics of the adenine dinucleotide d(ApA). The lifetime of the d(ApG) exciplex was found to be tau = 124 +/- 4 ps both from the ESA decay time and from the ground-state recovery time, far longer than the sub-picosecond lifetimes of excited dAMP or dGMP. Fluorescence-time profiles measured by the up-conversion technique indicate that the exciplex state is reached around approximately 6 ps after excitation. Very weak residual fluorescence at longer times red-shifted to the emission from the photo-excited state shows that the exciplex is almost optically dark, but still has enough oscillator strength to give rise to the dual fluorescence of the dinucleotide in the static fluorescence spectrum.

Effects of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD(+)) and Diadenosine Tetraphosphate (Ap4A) on Electrical Activity of Working and Pacemaker Atrial Myocardium in Guinea Pigs.

PubMed

Pustovit, K B; Abramochkin, D V

2016-04-01

Effects of nucleotide polyphosphate compounds (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD(+); diadenosine tetraphosphate, Ap4A) on the confi guration of action potentials were studied in isolated preparations of guinea pig sinoatrial node and right atrial appendage (auricle). In the working myocardium, NAD(+) and Ap4A in concentrations of 10(-5) and 10(-4) M had no effect on resting potential, but significantly reduced the duration of action potentials; the most pronounced decrease was found at 25% repolarization. In the primary pacemaker of the sinoatrial node, both concentrations of NAD(+) and Ap4A induced hyperpolarization and reduction in the rate of slow diastolic depolarization, but significant slowing of the sinus rhythm was produced by these substances only in the concentration of 10(-4) M. Moreover, AP shortening and marked acceleration of AP upstroke were observed in the pacemaker myocardium after application of polyphosphates. Comparative analysis of the effects of NAD(+) and Ap4A in the working and pacemaker myocardium drove us to a hypothesis on inhibitory effects of these substances on L-type calcium current accompanied by stimulation of one or several potassium currents, which induce enhancement of repolarization and hyperpolarization of membranes probably mediated by the activation of purine receptors.

Rho-kinase inhibitor and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase inhibitor prevent impairment of endothelium-dependent cerebral vasodilation by acute cigarette smoking in rats.

PubMed

Iida, Hiroki; Iida, Mami; Takenaka, Motoyasu; Fukuoka, Naokazu; Dohi, Shuji

2008-06-01

We previously reported that acute cigarette smoking can cause a dysfunction of endothelium-dependent vasodilation in cerebral vessels, and that blocking the angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT1) receptor with valsartan prevented this impairment. Our aim was to investigate the effects of a Rho-kinase inhibitor (fasudil) and a Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide PHosphate (NADPH) oxidase inhibitor (apocynin) on smoking-induced endothelial dysfunction in cerebral arterioles. In Sprague-Dawley rats, we used a closed cranial window preparation to measure changes in pial vessel diameters following topical acetylcholine (ACh) before smoking. After one-minute smoking, we again examined the arteriolar responses to ACh. Finally, after intravenous fasudil or apocynin pre-treatment we re-examined the vasodilator responses to topical ACh (before and after cigarette smoking). Under control conditions, cerebral arterioles were dose-dependently dilated by topical ACh (10(-6) M and 10(-5) M). One hour after a one-minute smoking (1 mg-nicotine cigarette), 10(-5) M ACh constricted cerebral arterioles. However, one hour after a one-minute smoking, 10(-5) M ACh dilated cerebral pial arteries both in the fasudil pre-treatment and the apocynin pre-treatment groups, responses that were significantly different from those obtained without fasudil or apocynin pre-treatment. Thus, inhibition of Rho-kinase and NADPH oxidase activities may prevent the above smoking-induced impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation.

Enzyme-Mediated Conversion of Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD) to 8-Formyl FAD in Formate Oxidase Results in a Modified Cofactor with Enhanced Catalytic Properties.

PubMed

Robbins, John M; Souffrant, Michael G; Hamelberg, Donald; Gadda, Giovanni; Bommarius, Andreas S

2017-07-25

Flavins, including flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), are fundamental catalytic cofactors that are responsible for the redox functionality of a diverse set of proteins. Alternatively, modified flavin analogues are rarely found in nature as their incorporation typically results in inactivation of flavoproteins, thus leading to the disruption of important cellular pathways. Here, we report that the fungal flavoenzyme formate oxidase (FOX) catalyzes the slow conversion of noncovalently bound FAD to 8-formyl FAD and that this conversion results in a nearly 10-fold increase in formate oxidase activity. Although the presence of an enzyme-bound 8-formyl FMN has been reported previously as a result of site-directed mutagenesis studies of lactate oxidase, FOX is the first reported case of 8-formyl FAD in a wild-type enzyme. Therefore, the formation of the 8-formyl FAD cofactor in formate oxidase was investigated using steady-state kinetics, site-directed mutagenesis, ultraviolet-visible, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy, liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, and computational analysis. Surprisingly, the results from these studies indicate not only that 8-formyl FAD forms spontaneously and results in the active form of FOX but also that its autocatalytic formation is dependent on a nearby arginine residue, R87. Thus, this work describes a new enzyme cofactor and provides insight into the little-understood mechanism of enzyme-mediated 8α-flavin modifications.

Crystal structures of trypanosomal histidyl-tRNA synthetase illuminate differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic homologs

PubMed Central

Merritt, Ethan A; Arakaki, Tracy L; Gillespie, J Robert; Larson, Eric T; Kelley, Angela; Mueller, Natascha; Napuli, Alberto J; Kim, Jessica; Zhang, Li; Verlinde, Christophe L M J; Fan, Erkang; Zucker, Frank; Buckner, Frederick S; Van Voorhis, Wesley C; Hol, Wim G J

2010-01-01

Crystal structures of histidyl-tRNA synthetase from the eukaryotic parasites Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi provide a first structural view of a eukaryotic form of this enzyme, and reveal differences from bacterial homologs. Histidyl-tRNA synthetases in general contain an extra domain inserted between conserved motifs 2 and 3 of the Class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase catalytic core. The current structures show that the three dimensional topology of this domain is very different in bacterial and archaeal/eukaryotic forms of the enzyme. Comparison of apo and histidine-bound trypanosomal structures indicates substantial active site rearrangement upon histidine binding, but relatively little subsequent rearrangement after reaction of histidine with ATP to form the enzyme’s first reaction product, histidyladenylate. The specific residues involved in forming the binding pocket for the adenine moiety differ substantially both from the previously characterized binding site in bacterial structures and from the homologous residues in human histidyl-tRNA synthetases. The essentiality of the single histidyl-tRNA synthetase gene in T. brucei is shown by a severe depression of parasite growth rate that results from even partial suppression of expression by RNA interference. PMID:20132829

Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Plays a Critical Role in Naive and Effector Murine T Cells but Not Natural Regulatory T Cells*

PubMed Central

Ali, Ramadan A.; Camick, Christina; Wiles, Katherine; Walseth, Timothy F.; Slama, James T.; Bhattacharya, Sumit; Giovannucci, David R.; Wall, Katherine A.

2016-01-01

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP), the most potent Ca2+ mobilizing second messenger discovered to date, has been implicated in Ca2+ signaling in some lymphomas and T cell clones. In contrast, the role of NAADP in Ca2+ signaling or the identity of the Ca2+ stores targeted by NAADP in conventional naive T cells is less clear. In the current study, we demonstrate the importance of NAADP in the generation of Ca2+ signals in murine naive T cells. Combining live-cell imaging methods and a pharmacological approach using the NAADP antagonist Ned-19, we addressed the involvement of NAADP in the generation of Ca2+ signals evoked by TCR stimulation and the role of this signal in downstream physiological end points such as proliferation, cytokine production, and other responses to stimulation. We demonstrated that acidic compartments in addition to the endoplasmic reticulum were the Ca2+ stores that were sensitive to NAADP in naive T cells. NAADP was shown to evoke functionally relevant Ca2+ signals in both naive CD4 and naive CD8 T cells. Furthermore, we examined the role of this signal in the activation, proliferation, and secretion of effector cytokines by Th1, Th2, Th17, and CD8 effector T cells. Overall, NAADP exhibited a similar profile in mediating Ca2+ release in effector T cells as in their counterpart naive T cells and seemed to be equally important for the function of these different subsets of effector T cells. This profile was not observed for natural T regulatory cells. PMID:26728458

Tissue-specific regulation of sirtuin and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthetic pathways identified in C57Bl/6 mice in response to high-fat feeding.

PubMed

Drew, Janice E; Farquharson, Andrew J; Horgan, Graham W; Williams, Lynda M

2016-11-01

The sirtuin (SIRT)/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) system is implicated in development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and diet-induced obesity, a major risk factor for T2D. Mechanistic links have not yet been defined. SIRT/NAD system gene expression and NAD/NADH levels were measured in liver, white adipose tissue (WAT) and skeletal muscle from mice fed either a low-fat diet or high-fat diet (HFD) for 3 days up to 16 weeks. An in-house custom-designed multiplex gene expression assay assessed all 7 mouse SIRTs (SIRT1-7) and 16 enzymes involved in conversion of tryptophan, niacin, nicotinamide riboside and metabolic precursors to NAD. Significantly altered transcription was correlated with body weight, fat mass, plasma lipids and hormones. Regulation of the SIRT/NAD system was associated with early (SIRT4, SIRT7, NAPRT1 and NMNAT2) and late phases (NMNAT3, NMRK2, ABCA1 and CD38) of glucose intolerance. TDO2 and NNMT were identified as markers of HFD consumption. Altered regulation of the SIRT/NAD system in response to HFD was prominent in liver compared with WAT or muscle. Multiple components of the SIRTs and NAD biosynthetic enzymes network respond to consumption of dietary fat. Novel molecular targets identified above could direct strategies for dietary/therapeutic interventions to limit metabolic dysfunction and development of T2D. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

β-Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide acts at prejunctional adenosine A1 receptors to suppress inhibitory musculomotor neurotransmission in guinea pig colon and human jejunum

PubMed Central

Wang, Guo-Du; Wang, Xi-Yu; Liu, Sumei; Xia, Yun; Zou, Fei; Qu, Meihua; Needleman, Bradley J.; Mikami, Dean J.

2015-01-01

Intracellular microelectrodes were used to record neurogenic inhibitory junction potentials in the intestinal circular muscle coat. Electrical field stimulation was used to stimulate intramural neurons and evoke contraction of the smooth musculature. Exposure to β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (β-NAD) did not alter smooth muscle membrane potential in guinea pig colon or human jejunum. ATP, ADP, β-NAD, and adenosine, as well as the purinergic P2Y1 receptor antagonists MRS 2179 and MRS 2500 and the adenosine A1 receptor agonist 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine, each suppressed inhibitory junction potentials in guinea pig and human preparations. β-NAD suppressed contractile force of twitch-like contractions evoked by electrical field stimulation in guinea pig and human preparations. P2Y1 receptor antagonists did not reverse this action. Stimulation of adenosine A1 receptors with 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine suppressed the force of twitch contractions evoked by electrical field stimulation in like manner to the action of β-NAD. Blockade of adenosine A1 receptors with 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine suppressed the inhibitory action of β-NAD on the force of electrically evoked contractions. The results do not support an inhibitory neurotransmitter role for β-NAD at intestinal neuromuscular junctions. The data suggest that β-NAD is a ligand for the adenosine A1 receptor subtype expressed by neurons in the enteric nervous system. The influence of β-NAD on intestinal motility emerges from adenosine A1 receptor-mediated suppression of neurotransmitter release at inhibitory neuromuscular junctions. PMID:25813057

Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Plays a Critical Role in Naive and Effector Murine T Cells but Not Natural Regulatory T Cells.

PubMed

Ali, Ramadan A; Camick, Christina; Wiles, Katherine; Walseth, Timothy F; Slama, James T; Bhattacharya, Sumit; Giovannucci, David R; Wall, Katherine A

2016-02-26

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP), the most potent Ca(2+) mobilizing second messenger discovered to date, has been implicated in Ca(2+) signaling in some lymphomas and T cell clones. In contrast, the role of NAADP in Ca(2+) signaling or the identity of the Ca(2+) stores targeted by NAADP in conventional naive T cells is less clear. In the current study, we demonstrate the importance of NAADP in the generation of Ca(2+) signals in murine naive T cells. Combining live-cell imaging methods and a pharmacological approach using the NAADP antagonist Ned-19, we addressed the involvement of NAADP in the generation of Ca(2+) signals evoked by TCR stimulation and the role of this signal in downstream physiological end points such as proliferation, cytokine production, and other responses to stimulation. We demonstrated that acidic compartments in addition to the endoplasmic reticulum were the Ca(2+) stores that were sensitive to NAADP in naive T cells. NAADP was shown to evoke functionally relevant Ca(2+) signals in both naive CD4 and naive CD8 T cells. Furthermore, we examined the role of this signal in the activation, proliferation, and secretion of effector cytokines by Th1, Th2, Th17, and CD8 effector T cells. Overall, NAADP exhibited a similar profile in mediating Ca(2+) release in effector T cells as in their counterpart naive T cells and seemed to be equally important for the function of these different subsets of effector T cells. This profile was not observed for natural T regulatory cells. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The distribution of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) in the medulla oblongata, spinal cord, cranial and spinal nerves of frog, Microhyla ornata.

PubMed

Jadhao, Arun G; Biswas, Saikat P; Bhoyar, Rahul C; Pinelli, Claudia

2017-04-01

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) enzymatic activity has been reported in few amphibian species. In this study, we report its unusual localization in the medulla oblongata, spinal cord, cranial nerves, spinal nerves, and ganglions of the frog, Microhyla ornata. In the rhombencephalon, at the level of facial and vagus nerves, the NADPH-d labeling was noted in the nucleus of the abducent and facial nerves, dorsal nucleus of the vestibulocochlear nerve, the nucleus of hypoglossus nerve, dorsal and lateral column nucleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, the dorsal field of spinal grey, the lateral and medial motor fields of spinal grey and radix ventralis and dorsalis (2-10). Many ependymal cells around the lining of the fourth ventricle, both facial and vagus nerves and dorsal root ganglion, were intensely labeled with NADPH-d. Most strikingly the NADPH-d activity was seen in small and large sized motoneurons in both medial and lateral motor neuron columns on the right and left sides of the brain. This is the largest stained group observed from the caudal rhombencephalon up to the level of radix dorsalis 10 in the spinal cord. The neurons were either oval or elongated in shape with long processes and showed significant variation in the nuclear and cellular diameter. A massive NADPH-d activity in the medulla oblongata, spinal cord, and spinal nerves implied an important role of this enzyme in the neuronal signaling as well as in the modulation of motor functions in the peripheral nervous systems of the amphibians. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide and Related Precursors as Therapeutic Targets for Age-Related Degenerative Diseases: Rationale, Biochemistry, Pharmacokinetics, and Outcomes.

PubMed

Braidy, Nady; Berg, Jade; Clement, James; Khorshidi, Fatemeh; Poljak, Anne; Jayasena, Tharusha; Grant, Ross; Sachdev, Perminder

2018-05-11

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) is an essential pyridine nucleotide that serves as an essential cofactor and substrate for a number of critical cellular processes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production, DNA repair, epigenetically modulated gene expression, intracellular calcium signaling, and immunological functions. NAD + depletion may occur in response to either excessive DNA damage due to free radical or ultraviolet attack, resulting in significant poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation and a high turnover and subsequent depletion of NAD + , and/or chronic immune activation and inflammatory cytokine production resulting in accelerated CD38 activity and decline in NAD + levels. Recent studies have shown that enhancing NAD + levels can profoundly reduce oxidative cell damage in catabolic tissue, including the brain. Therefore, promotion of intracellular NAD + anabolism represents a promising therapeutic strategy for age-associated degenerative diseases in general, and is essential to the effective realization of multiple benefits of healthy sirtuin activity. The kynurenine pathway represents the de novo NAD + synthesis pathway in mammalian cells. NAD + can also be produced by the NAD + salvage pathway. Recent Advances: In this review, we describe and discuss recent insights regarding the efficacy and benefits of the NAD + precursors, nicotinamide (NAM), nicotinic acid (NA), nicotinamide riboside (NR), and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), in attenuating NAD + decline in degenerative disease states and physiological aging. Results obtained in recent years have shown that NAD + precursors can play important protective roles in several diseases. However, in some cases, these precursors may vary in their ability to enhance NAD + synthesis via their location in the NAD + anabolic pathway. Increased synthesis of NAD + promotes protective cell responses, further demonstrating that NAD + is a regulatory molecule associated with several

A continuous spectrophotometric assay for monitoring adenosine 5'-monophosphate production.

PubMed

First, Eric A

2015-08-15

A number of biologically important enzymes release adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) as a product, including aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, cyclic AMP (cAMP) phosphodiesterases, ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like ligases, DNA ligases, coenzyme A (CoA) ligases, polyA deadenylases, and ribonucleases. In contrast to the abundance of assays available for monitoring the conversion of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) to ADP, there are relatively few assays for monitoring the conversion of ATP (or cAMP) to AMP. In this article, we describe a homogeneous assay that continuously monitors the production of AMP. Specifically, we have coupled the conversion of AMP to inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) (by AMP deaminase) to the oxidation of IMP (by IMP dehydrogenase). This results in the reduction of oxidized nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) to reduced nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NADH), allowing AMP formation to be monitored by the change in the absorbance at 340 nm. Changes in AMP concentrations of 5 μM or more can be reliably detected. The ease of use and relatively low expense make the AMP assay suitable for both high-throughput screening and kinetic analyses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uptake and Metabolism of Antibiotics Roseoflavin and 8-Demethyl-8-Aminoriboflavin in Riboflavin-Auxotrophic Listeria monocytogenes.

PubMed

Matern, Andreas; Pedrolli, Danielle; Großhennig, Stephanie; Johansson, Jörgen; Mack, Matthias

2016-12-01

The riboflavin analogs roseoflavin (RoF) and 8-demethyl-8-aminoriboflavin (AF) are produced by the bacteria Streptomyces davawensis and Streptomyces cinnabarinus Riboflavin analogs have the potential to be used as broad-spectrum antibiotics, and we therefore studied the metabolism of riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ), RoF, and AF in the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium which is a riboflavin auxotroph. We show that the L. monocytogenes protein Lmo1945 is responsible for the uptake of riboflavin, RoF, and AF. Following import, these flavins are phosphorylated/adenylylated by the bifunctional flavokinase/flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) synthetase Lmo1329 and adenylylated by the unique FAD synthetase Lmo0728, the first monofunctional FAD synthetase to be described in bacteria. Lmo1329 generates the cofactors flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and FAD, whereas Lmo0728 produces FAD only. The combined activities of Lmo1329 and Lmo0728 are responsible for the intracellular formation of the toxic cofactor analogs roseoflavin mononucleotide (RoFMN), roseoflavin adenine dinucleotide (RoFAD), 8-demethyl-8-aminoriboflavin mononucleotide (AFMN), and 8-demethyl-8-aminoriboflavin adenine dinucleotide (AFAD). In vivo reporter gene assays and in vitro transcription/translation experiments show that the L. monocytogenes FMN riboswitch Rli96, which controls expression of the riboflavin transport gene lmo1945, is negatively affected by riboflavin/FMN and RoF/RoFMN but not by AF/AFMN. Treatment of L. monocytogenes with RoF or AF leads to drastically reduced FMN/FAD levels. We suggest that the reduced flavin cofactor levels in combination with concomitant synthesis of inactive cofactor analogs (RoFMN, RoFAD, AFMN, and AFAD) explain why RoF and AF contribute to antibiotic activity in L. monocytogenes IMPORTANCE: The riboflavin analogs roseoflavin (RoF) and 8-demethyl-8-aminoriboflavin (AF) are small molecules which are produced by Streptomyces davawensis and Streptomyces cinnabarinus

Structural basis of malaria parasite lysyl-tRNA synthetase inhibition by cladosporin.

PubMed

Khan, Sameena; Sharma, Arvind; Belrhali, Hassan; Yogavel, Manickam; Sharma, Amit

2014-06-01

Malaria parasites inevitably develop drug resistance to anti-malarials over time. Hence the immediacy for discovering new chemical scaffolds to include in combination malaria drug therapy. The desirable attributes of new chemotherapeutic agents currently include activity against both liver and blood stage malaria parasites. One such recently discovered compound called cladosporin abrogates parasite growth via inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum lysyl-tRNA synthetase (PfKRS), an enzyme central to protein translation. Here, we present crystal structure of ternary PfKRS-lysine-cladosporin (PfKRS-K-C) complex that reveals cladosporin's remarkable ability to mimic the natural substrate adenosine and thereby colonize PfKRS active site. The isocoumarin fragment of cladosporin sandwiches between critical adenine-recognizing residues while its pyran ring fits snugly in the ribose-recognizing cavity. PfKRS-K-C structure highlights ample space within PfKRS active site for further chemical derivatization of cladosporin. Such derivatives may be useful against additional human pathogens that retain high conservation in cladosporin chelating residues within their lysyl-tRNA synthetase.

Effects of Mg2+ and adenine nucleotides on thymidylate synthetase from different mouse tumors.

PubMed

Rode, W; Jastreboff, M M

1984-01-01

Magnesium ions variably influenced activity of highly purified thymidylate synthetase preparations from different mouse tumors, activating the enzyme from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells and inhibiting the enzyme from L1210 and L5178Y cells and from 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd)-resistant EAC cells. In the presence of Mg2+ in a concentration resulting in either maximum activation or inhibition (25-30 mM) the enzymes from both the sensitive and FdUrd-resistant EAC lines and L5178Y cells were activated by ATP. Under the same conditions of Mg2+ concentration ADP and AMP inhibited the enzyme from the parental but not from the FdUrd-resistant EAC cells.

DNA Methylation Suppresses Expression of the Urea Cycle Enzyme Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase 1 (CPS1) in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Liu, Hongyan; Dong, Huijia; Robertson, Keith; Liu, Chen

2011-01-01

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) is a liver-specific, intramitochondrial, rate-limiting enzyme in the urea cycle. A previous study showed that CPS1 is the antigen for hepatocyte paraffin 1 antibody, a commonly used antibody in surgical pathology practice; and CPS1 expression appears to be down-regulated in liver cancer tissue and cell lines. The aim of this study is to understand how the CPS1 gene is regulated in liver carcinogenesis. In this report, we show that human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells do not express CPS1, whereas cultured human primary hepatocytes express abundant levels. In addition, CPS1 was silenced or down-regulated in liver tumor tissues compared with the matched noncancerous tissues. The expression of CPS1 in HCC cells was restored with a demethylation agent, 5-azacytidine. We show that two CpG dinucleotides, located near the transcription start site, and a CpG-rich region in the first intron were hypermethylated in HCC cells. The hypermethylation of the two CpG dinucleotides was also detected in HCC tumor tissues compared with noncancerous tissues. Further molecular analysis with mutagenesis indicated that the two CpG dinucleotides play a role in promoter activity of the CPS1 gene. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that DNA methylation is a key mechanism of silencing CPS1 expression in human HCC cells, and CPS1 gene hypermethylation of the two CpG dinucleotides is a potential biomarker for HCC. PMID:21281797

Increased rate of adenine incorporation into adenine nucleotide pool in erythrocytes of patients with chronic renal failure.

PubMed

Marlewski, M; Smolenski, R T; Szolkiewicz, M; Aleksandrowicz, Z; Rutkowski, B; Swierczynski, J

2000-11-01

Elevated purine nucleotide pool (mainly ATP) in erythrocytes of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) is a known phenomenon, however the mechanism responsible for this abnormality is far from being clear. We hypothesize that the increased rate of adenine incorporation into adenine nucleotide pool is responsible for the elevated level of ATP in uremic erythrocytes. In chronically uremic patients we evaluated using HPLC technique: (a) plasma adenine concentration; (b) the rate of adenine incorporation into adenine nucleotide pool in uremic erythrocytes. Additionally, the effect of higher than physiological phosphate concentration (2.4 mM) and lower than physiological pH (7.1) on adenine incorporation into erythrocytes adenine nucleotide pool was investigated. Healthy volunteers with normal renal function served as control. The concentration of adenine in plasma of CRF patients was found to be significantly higher than in plasma of healthy subjects. In contrast, adenosine concentration was similar both in healthy humans and in CRF patients. In isolated erythrocytes of uremic patients (incubated in the medium pH 7.4, containing 1.2 mM inorganic phosphate) adenine was incorporated into adenine nucleotide pool at a rate approximately 2-fold higher than in erythrocytes from healthy subjects. The rate of adenosine incorporation into adenine nucleotide pool was similar in erythrocytes of both studied groups. Incubation of erythrocytes obtained from healthy subjects in the medium pH 7.4, containing 2.4 mM inorganic phosphate, caused the increase of adenine incorporation into adenine nucleotide pool by about 60%. Incubation of the cells in the pH 7.1 buffer containing 2. 4 mM inorganic phosphate increased the rate of adenine incorporation into adenylate approximately 2-fold as compared to erythrocytes incubated in the medium pH 7.4 containing 1.2 mM inorganic phosphate. Erythrocytes obtained from uremic patients and incubated in the pH 7.1 medium containing 2.4 m

A Single Primary Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury in a Rodent Model Causes Cell-Type Dependent Increase in Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Oxidase Isoforms in Vulnerable Brain Regions.

PubMed

Rama Rao, Kakulavarapu V; Iring, Stephanie; Younger, Daniel; Kuriakose, Matthew; Skotak, Maciej; Alay, Eren; Gupta, Raj K; Chandra, Namas

2018-06-12

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a leading cause of morbidity in soldiers on the battlefield and in training sites with long-term neurological and psychological pathologies. Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated activation of oxidative stress pathways after blast injury, but their distribution among different brain regions and their impact on the pathogenesis of bTBI have not been explored. The present study examined the protein expression of two isoforms: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 1 and 2 (NOX1, NOX2), corresponding superoxide production, a downstream event of NOX activation, and the extent of lipid peroxidation adducts of 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE) to a range of proteins. Brain injury was evaluated 4 h after the shock-wave exposure, and immunofluorescence signal quantification was performed in different brain regions. Expression of NOX isoforms displayed a differential increase in various brain regions: in hippocampus and thalamus, there was the highest increase of NOX1, whereas in the frontal cortex, there was the highest increase of NOX2 expression. Cell-specific analysis of changes in NOX expression with respect to corresponding controls revealed that blast resulted in a higher increase of NOX1 and NOX 2 levels in neurons compared with astrocytes and microglia. Blast exposure also resulted in increased superoxide levels in different brain regions, and such changes were reflected in 4HNE protein adduct formation. Collectively, this study demonstrates that primary blast TBI induces upregulation of NADPH oxidase isoforms in different regions of the brain parenchyma and that neurons appear to be at higher risk for oxidative damage compared with other neural cells.

Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NAADP) Activates Global and Heterogeneous Local Ca2+ Signals from NAADP- and Ryanodine Receptor-gated Ca2+ Stores in Pulmonary Arterial Myocytes*

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yong-Liang; Lin, Amanda H. Y.; Xia, Yang; Lee, Suengwon; Paudel, Omkar; Sun, Hui; Yang, Xiao-Ru; Ran, Pixin; Sham, James S. K.

2013-01-01

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is the most potent Ca2+-mobilizing messenger that releases Ca2+ from endolysosomal organelles. Recent studies showed that NAADP-induced Ca2+ release is mediated by the two-pore channels (TPCs) TPC1 and TPC2. However, the expression of TPCs and the NAADP-induced local Ca2+ signals have not been examined in vascular smooth muscle. Here, we found that both TPC1 and TPC2 are expressed in rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), with TPC1 being the major subtype. Application of membrane-permeant NAADP acetoxymethyl ester to PASMCs elicited a biphasic increase in global [Ca2+]i, which was independent of extracellular Ca2+ and blocked by the NAADP antagonist Ned-19 or the vacuolar H+-ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin A1, indicating Ca2+ release from acidic endolysosomal Ca2+ stores. The Ca2+ response was unaffected by xestospongin C but was partially blocked by ryanodine or thapsigargin. NAADP triggered heterogeneous local Ca2+ signals, including a diffuse increase in cytosolic [Ca2+], Ca2+ sparks, Ca2+ bursts, and regenerative Ca2+ release. The diffuse Ca2+ increase and Ca2+ bursts were ryanodine-insensitive, presumably arising from different endolysosomal sources. Ca2+ sparks and regenerative Ca2+ release were inhibited by ryanodine, consistent with cross-activation of loosely coupled ryanodine receptors. Moreover, Ca2+ release stimulated by endothelin-1 was inhibited by Ned-19, ryanodine, or xestospongin C, suggesting that NAADP-mediated Ca2+ signals interact with both ryanodine and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors during agonist stimulation. Our results show that NAADP mediates complex global and local Ca2+ signals. Depending on the physiological stimuli, these diverse Ca2+ signals may serve to regulate different cellular functions in PASMCs. PMID:23443655

Alkaloid cluster gene ccsA of the ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea encodes chanoclavine I synthase, a flavin adenine dinucleotide-containing oxidoreductase mediating the transformation of N-methyl-dimethylallyltryptophan to chanoclavine I.

PubMed

Lorenz, Nicole; Olsovská, Jana; Sulc, Miroslav; Tudzynski, Paul

2010-03-01

Ergot alkaloids are indole-derived secondary metabolites synthesized by the phytopathogenic ascomycete Claviceps purpurea. In wild-type strains, they are exclusively produced in the sclerotium, a hibernation structure; for biotechnological applications, submerse production strains have been generated by mutagenesis. It was shown previously that the enzymes specific for alkaloid biosynthesis are encoded by a gene cluster of 68.5 kb. This ergot alkaloid cluster consists of 14 genes coregulated and expressed under alkaloid-producing conditions. Although the role of some of the cluster genes in alkaloid biosynthesis could be confirmed by a targeted knockout approach, further functional analyses are needed, especially concerning the early pathway-specific steps up to the production of clavine alkaloids. Therefore, the gene ccsA, originally named easE and preliminarily annotated as coding for a flavin adenine dinucleotide-containing oxidoreductase, was deleted in the C. purpurea strain P1, which is able to synthesize ergot alkaloids in axenic culture. Five independent knockout mutants were analyzed with regard to alkaloid-producing capability. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), ultrapressure liquid chromatography (UPLC), and mass spectrometry (MS) analyses revealed accumulation of N-methyl-dimethylallyltryptophan (Me-DMAT) and traces of dimethylallyltryptophan (DMAT), the first pathway-specific intermediate. Since other alkaloid intermediates could not be detected, we conclude that deletion of ccsA led to a block in alkaloid biosynthesis beyond Me-DMAT formation. Complementation with a ccsA/gfp fusion construct restored alkaloid biosynthesis. These data indicate that ccsA encodes the chanoclavine I synthase or a component thereof catalyzing the conversion of N-methyl-dimethylallyltryptophan to chanoclavine I.

Alkaloid Cluster Gene ccsA of the Ergot Fungus Claviceps purpurea Encodes Chanoclavine I Synthase, a Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide-Containing Oxidoreductase Mediating the Transformation of N-Methyl-Dimethylallyltryptophan to Chanoclavine I ▿

PubMed Central

Lorenz, Nicole; Olšovská, Jana; Šulc, Miroslav; Tudzynski, Paul

2010-01-01

Ergot alkaloids are indole-derived secondary metabolites synthesized by the phytopathogenic ascomycete Claviceps purpurea. In wild-type strains, they are exclusively produced in the sclerotium, a hibernation structure; for biotechnological applications, submerse production strains have been generated by mutagenesis. It was shown previously that the enzymes specific for alkaloid biosynthesis are encoded by a gene cluster of 68.5 kb. This ergot alkaloid cluster consists of 14 genes coregulated and expressed under alkaloid-producing conditions. Although the role of some of the cluster genes in alkaloid biosynthesis could be confirmed by a targeted knockout approach, further functional analyses are needed, especially concerning the early pathway-specific steps up to the production of clavine alkaloids. Therefore, the gene ccsA, originally named easE and preliminarily annotated as coding for a flavin adenine dinucleotide-containing oxidoreductase, was deleted in the C. purpurea strain P1, which is able to synthesize ergot alkaloids in axenic culture. Five independent knockout mutants were analyzed with regard to alkaloid-producing capability. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), ultrapressure liquid chromatography (UPLC), and mass spectrometry (MS) analyses revealed accumulation of N-methyl-dimethylallyltryptophan (Me-DMAT) and traces of dimethylallyltryptophan (DMAT), the first pathway-specific intermediate. Since other alkaloid intermediates could not be detected, we conclude that deletion of ccsA led to a block in alkaloid biosynthesis beyond Me-DMAT formation. Complementation with a ccsA/gfp fusion construct restored alkaloid biosynthesis. These data indicate that ccsA encodes the chanoclavine I synthase or a component thereof catalyzing the conversion of N-methyl-dimethylallyltryptophan to chanoclavine I. PMID:20118373

Adenine specific DNA chemical sequencing reaction.

PubMed Central

Iverson, B L; Dervan, P B

1987-01-01

Reaction of DNA with K2PdCl4 at pH 2.0 followed by a piperidine workup produces specific cleavage at adenine (A) residues. Product analysis revealed the K2PdCl4 reaction involves selective depurination at adenine, affording an excision reaction analogous to the other chemical DNA sequencing reactions. Adenine residues methylated at the exocyclic amine (N6) react with lower efficiency than unmethylated adenine in an identical sequence. This simple protocol specific for A may be a useful addition to current chemical sequencing reactions. Images PMID:3671067

Supramolecular polymer formation by cyclic dinucleotides and intercalators affects dinucleotide enzymatic processing

PubMed Central

Nakayama, Shizuka; Zhou, Jie; Zheng, Yue; Szmacinski, Henryk; Sintim, Herman O

2016-01-01

Background: Cyclic dinucleotides form supramolecular aggregates with intercalators, and this property could be utilized in nanotechnology and medicine. Methods & results: Atomic force microscopy and electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to show that cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP) forms G-wires in the presence of intercalators. The average fluorescence lifetime of thiazole orange, when bound to c-di-GMP was greater than when bound to DNA G-quadruplexes or dsDNA. The stability of c-di-GMP supramolecular polymers is dependent on both the nature of the cation present and the intercalator. C-di-GMP or cyclic diadenylic acid/intercalator complexes are more resistant to cleavage by YybT, a phosphodiesterase, than the uncomplexed nucleotides. Conclusion: Cleavage of bacterial cyclic dinucleotides could be slowed down via complexation with small molecules and that this could be utilized for diverse applications in nanotechnology and medicine. PMID:28031943

Cyclic Dinucleotides in Oral Bacteria and in Oral Biofilms.

PubMed

Gürsoy, Ulvi K; Gürsoy, Mervi; Könönen, Eija; Sintim, Herman O

2017-01-01

Oral cavity acts as a reservoir of bacterial pathogens for systemic infections and several oral microorganisms have been linked to systemic diseases. Quorum sensing and cyclic dinucleotides, two "decision-making" signaling systems, communicate to regulate physiological process in bacteria. Discovery of cyclic dinucleotides has a long history, but the progress in our understanding of how cyclic dinucleotides regulate bacterial lifestyle is relatively new. Oral microorganisms form some of the most intricate biofilms, yet c-di-GMP, and c-di-AMP signaling have been rarely studied in oral biofilms. Recent studies demonstrated that, with the aid of bacterial messenger molecules and their analogs, it is possible to activate host innate and adaptive immune responses and epithelial integrity with a dose that is relevant to inhibit bacterial virulence mechanisms, such as fimbriae and exopolysaccharide production, biofilm formation, and host cell invasion. The aim of this perspective article is to present available information on cyclic dinucleotides in oral bacteria and in oral biofilms. Moreover, technologies that can be used to detect cyclic dinucleotides in oral biofilms are described. Finally, directions for future research are highlighted.

Radioresistance of Adenine to Cosmic Rays.

PubMed

Vignoli Muniz, Gabriel S; Mejía, Christian F; Martinez, Rafael; Auge, Basile; Rothard, Hermann; Domaracka, Alicja; Boduch, Philippe

2017-04-01

The presence of nucleobases in carbonaceous meteorites on Earth is an indication of the existence of this class of molecules in outer space. However, space is permeated by ionizing radiation, which can have damaging effects on these molecules. Adenine is a purine nucleobase that amalgamates important biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and ATP. Adenine has a unique importance in biochemistry and therefore life. The aim of this work was to study the effects of cosmic ray analogues on solid adenine and estimate its survival when exposed to corpuscular radiation. Adenine films were irradiated at GANIL (Caen, France) and GSI (Darmstadt, Germany) by 820 MeV Kr 33+ , 190 MeV Ca 10+ , 92 MeV Xe 23+ , and 12 MeV C 4+ ion beams at low temperature. The evolution of adenine molecules under heavy ion irradiation was studied by IR absorption spectroscopy as a function of projectile fluence. It was found that the adenine destruction cross section (σ d ) follows an electronic stopping power (S e ) power law under the form: CS e n ; C is a constant, and the exponential n is a dimensionless quantity. Using the equation above to fit our results, we determined σ d  = 4 × 10 -17 S e 1.17 , with S e in kiloelectronvolts per micrometer (keV μm -1 ). New IR absorption bands arise under irradiation of adenine and can be attributed to HCN, CN - , C 2 H 4 N 4 , CH 3 CN, and (CH 3 ) 3 CNC. These findings may help to understand the stability and chemistry related to complex organic molecules in space. The half-life of solid adenine exposed to the simulated interstellar medium cosmic ray flux was estimated as (10 ± 8) × 10 6 years. Key Words: Heavy ions-Infrared spectroscopy-Astrochemistry-Cosmic rays-Nucleobases-Adenine. Astrobiology 17, 298-308.

Responses of Adenine Nucleotides in Germinating Soybean Embryonic Axes to Exogenously Applied Adenine and Adenosine

PubMed Central

Anderson, James D.

1977-01-01

The ATP content of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv. Kent) axes incubated for 3 hours in 1 mm solutions of adenine and adenosine increased over 100% and 75%, respectively, over axes incubated in water. The increase in ATP was primarily due to the conversion of these purines to nucleotides via the nucleotide salvage pathway. The ATP formed was in a metabolically active pool because label from adenine was incorporated into acid-insoluble material. Adenine also increased the levels of GTP, UTP, and CTP, but not to the extent of the ATP level. PMID:16660165

Radioresistance of Adenine to Cosmic Rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vignoli Muniz, Gabriel S.; Mejía, Christian F.; Martinez, Rafael; Auge, Basile; Rothard, Hermann; Domaracka, Alicja; Boduch, Philippe

2017-04-01

The presence of nucleobases in carbonaceous meteorites on Earth is an indication of the existence of this class of molecules in outer space. However, space is permeated by ionizing radiation, which can have damaging effects on these molecules. Adenine is a purine nucleobase that amalgamates important biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and ATP. Adenine has a unique importance in biochemistry and therefore life. The aim of this work was to study the effects of cosmic ray analogues on solid adenine and estimate its survival when exposed to corpuscular radiation. Adenine films were irradiated at GANIL (Caen, France) and GSI (Darmstadt, Germany) by 820 MeV Kr33+, 190 MeV Ca10+, 92 MeV Xe23+, and 12 MeV C4+ ion beams at low temperature. The evolution of adenine molecules under heavy ion irradiation was studied by IR absorption spectroscopy as a function of projectile fluence. It was found that the adenine destruction cross section (σd) follows an electronic stopping power (Se) power law under the form: CSen; C is a constant, and the exponential n is a dimensionless quantity. Using the equation above to fit our results, we determined σd = 4 × 10-17 Se1.17, with Se in kiloelectronvolts per micrometer (keV μm-1). New IR absorption bands arise under irradiation of adenine and can be attributed to HCN, CN-, C2H4N4, CH3CN, and (CH3)3CNC. These findings may help to understand the stability and chemistry related to complex organic molecules in space. The half-life of solid adenine exposed to the simulated interstellar medium cosmic ray flux was estimated as (10 ± 8) × 106 years.

Atomic substitution reveals the structural basis for substrate adenine recognition and removal by adenine DNA glycosylase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Seongmin; Verdine, Gregory L.; Harvard)

2010-01-14

Adenine DNA glycosylase catalyzes the glycolytic removal of adenine from the promutagenic A {center_dot} oxoG base pair in DNA. The general features of DNA recognition by an adenine DNA glycosylase, Bacillus stearothermophilus MutY, have previously been revealed via the X-ray structure of a catalytically inactive mutant protein bound to an A:oxoG-containing DNA duplex. Although the structure revealed the substrate adenine to be, as expected, extruded from the DNA helix and inserted into an extrahelical active site pocket on the enzyme, the substrate adenine engaged in no direct contacts with active site residues. This feature was paradoxical, because other glycosylases havemore » been observed to engage their substrates primarily through direct contacts. The lack of direct contacts in the case of MutY suggested that either MutY uses a distinctive logic for substrate recognition or that the X-ray structure had captured a noncatalytically competent state in lesion recognition. To gain further insight into this issue, we crystallized wild-type MutY bound to DNA containing a catalytically inactive analog of 2'-deoxyadenosine in which a single 2'-H atom was replaced by fluorine. The structure of this fluorinated lesion-recognition complex (FLRC) reveals the substrate adenine buried more deeply into the active site pocket than in the prior structure and now engaged in multiple direct hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. This structure appears to capture the catalytically competent state of adenine DNA glycosylases, and it suggests a catalytic mechanism for this class of enzymes, one in which general acid-catalyzed protonation of the nucleobase promotes glycosidic bond cleavage.« less

Characterization of a gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of anticancer agent FK228 in Chromobacterium violaceum No. 968.

PubMed

Cheng, Yi-Qiang; Yang, Min; Matter, Andrea M

2007-06-01

A gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of anticancer agent FK228 has been identified, cloned, and partially characterized in Chromobacterium violaceum no. 968. First, a genome-scanning approach was applied to identify three distinctive C. violaceum no. 968 genomic DNA clones that code for portions of nonribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase. Next, a gene replacement system developed originally for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was adapted to inactivate the genomic DNA-associated candidate natural product biosynthetic genes in vivo with high efficiency. Inactivation of a nonribosomal peptide synthetase-encoding gene completely abolished FK228 production in mutant strains. Subsequently, the entire FK228 biosynthetic gene cluster was cloned and sequenced. This gene cluster is predicted to encompass a 36.4-kb DNA region that includes 14 genes. The products of nine biosynthetic genes are proposed to constitute an unusual hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase-polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase assembly line including accessory activities for the biosynthesis of FK228. In particular, a putative flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductase is proposed to catalyze disulfide bond formation between two sulfhydryl groups of cysteine residues as the final step in FK228 biosynthesis. Acquisition of the FK228 biosynthetic gene cluster and acclimation of an efficient genetic system should enable genetic engineering of the FK228 biosynthetic pathway in C. violaceum no. 968 for the generation of structural analogs as anticancer drug candidates.

Formation of the imidazolides of dinucleotides under potentially prebiotic conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sleeper, H. L.; Lohrmann, R.; Orgel, L. E.

1978-01-01

Imidazolides of dinucleotides such as ImpApA can be formed from the corresponding dinucleotides in a two-stage process, which gives up to 15% yields under potentially prebiotic conditions. First a solution of the dinucleotide and sodium trimetaphosphate is dried out at constant temperature and humidity. This produces polyphosphates such as p(n)ApA in excellent yield (greater than or equal to 80%). The products are dissolved in water, imidazole is added, and the solution is dried out again. This yields the 5'-phosphorimidazolides.

Dexamethasone regulates glutamine synthetase expression in rat skeletal muscles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Max, Stephen R.; Konagaya, Masaaki; Konagaya, Yoko; Thomas, John W.; Banner, Carl; Vitkovic, Ljubisa

1986-01-01

The regulation of glutamine synthetase by glucocorticoids in rat skeletal muscles was studied. Administration of dexamethasone strikingly enhanced glutamine synthetase activity in plantaris and soleus muscles. The dexamethasone-mediated induction of glutamine synthetase activity was blocked to a significant extent by orally administered RU38486, a glucocorticoid antagonist, indicating the involvement of intracellular glucocorticoid receptors in the induction. Northern blot analysis revealed that dexamethasone-mediated enhancement of glutamine synthetase activity involves dramatically increased levels of glutamine synthetase mRNA. The induction of glutamine synthetase was selective in that glutaminase activity of soleus and plantaris muscles was not increased by dexamethasone. Furthermore, dexamethasone treatment resulted in only a small increase in glutamine synthetase activity in the heart. Accordingly, there was only a slight change in glutamine synthetase mRNA level in this tissue. Thus, glucocorticoids regulate glutamine synthetase gene expression in rat muscles at the transcriptional level via interaction with intracellular glutamine production by muscle and to mechanisms underlying glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy.

Multiple Animal Studies for Medical Chemical Defense Program in Soldier/ Patient Decontamination and Drug Development on Task Order 84-6: Pyruvate Dehydrogenase System for Determining the Effectiveness of Arsenic Antidotes

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-11

adenine dinucleotide FAD = flavin-adenine dinucleotide iipS2 = lipoic acid lip(SH)2 = dihydrolipoic acid CoA = coenzyme A. SHepatic PDH complex activity...tissues has yet to be fully characterized, but it probably involves arsenic binding to the lipoic acid and dithiol moieties of the complex (Fluharty...covalently bound lipoic acid substrate of dihydrolipoyl transacetylase is greater per mole of L and CVAA than for sodium arsenite. This is possible

Immobilization of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) onto carbon cloth and its application as working electrode in an electroenzymatic bioreactor.

PubMed

Jayabalan, R; Sathishkumar, M; Jeong, E S; Mun, S P; Yun, S E

2012-11-01

A high porosity carbon cloth with immobilized FAD was employed as working electrode in electrochemical NADH-regeneration procedure. Carbon cloth was oxidized with hot acids to create surface carboxyl group and then coupled by adenine amino group of FAD with carbodiimide in the presence of N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide. The bioelectrocatalytic NADH-regeneration was coupled to the conversion of achiral substrate pyruvate into chiral product l-lactate by l-lactate dehydrogenase (l-LDH) within the same reactor. The conversion was completed at 96h in bioreactor with FAD-modified carbon cloth, resulting in about 6mM of l-lactate from 10mM of pyruvate. While with bare carbon cloth, the yield at 120h was around 5mM. Immobilized FAD on the surface of carbon cloth electrode facilitated it to carry electrons from electrode to electron transfer enzymes; thereby NADH-regeneration was accelerated to drive the enzymatic reaction efficiently. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Silver-induced reconstruction of an adeninate-based metal-organic framework for encapsulation of luminescent adenine-stabilized silver clusters.

PubMed

Jonckheere, Dries; Coutino-Gonzalez, Eduardo; Baekelant, Wouter; Bueken, Bart; Reinsch, Helge; Stassen, Ivo; Fenwick, Oliver; Richard, Fanny; Samorì, Paolo; Ameloot, Rob; Hofkens, Johan; Roeffaers, Maarten B J; De Vos, Dirk E

2016-05-21

Bright luminescent silver-adenine species were successfully stabilized in the pores of the MOF-69A (zinc biphenyldicarboxylate) metal-organic framework, starting from the intrinsically blue luminescent bio-MOF-1 (zinc adeninate 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylate). Bio-MOF-1 is transformed to the MOF-69A framework by selectively leaching structural adenine linkers from the original framework using silver nitrate solutions in aqueous ethanol. Simultaneously, bright blue-green luminescent silver-adenine clusters are formed inside the pores of the recrystallized MOF-69A matrix in high local concentrations. The structural transition and concurrent changes in optical properties were characterized using a range of structural, physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques (steady-state and time-resolved luminescence, quantum yield determination, fluorescence microscopy). The presented results open new avenues for exploring the use of MOFs containing luminescent silver clusters for solid-state lighting and sensor applications.

CpG Dinucleotide Frequencies Reveal the Role of Host Methylation Capabilities in Parvovirus Evolution

PubMed Central

Upadhyay, Mohita; Samal, Jasmine; Kandpal, Manish; Vasaikar, Suhas; Biswas, Banhi; Gomes, James

2013-01-01

Parvoviruses are rapidly evolving viruses that infect a wide range of hosts, including vertebrates and invertebrates. Extensive methylation of the parvovirus genome has been recently demonstrated. A global pattern of methylation of CpG dinucleotides is seen in vertebrate genomes, compared to “fractional” methylation patterns in invertebrate genomes. It remains unknown if the loss of CpG dinucleotides occurs in all viruses of a given DNA virus family that infect host species spanning across vertebrates and invertebrates. We investigated the link between the extent of CpG dinucleotide depletion among autonomous parvoviruses and the evolutionary lineage of the infected host. We demonstrate major differences in the relative abundance of CpG dinucleotides among autonomous parvoviruses which share similar genome organization and common ancestry, depending on the infected host species. Parvoviruses infecting vertebrate hosts had significantly lower relative abundance of CpG dinucleotides than parvoviruses infecting invertebrate hosts. The strong correlation of CpG dinucleotide depletion with the gain in TpG/CpA dinucleotides and the loss of TpA dinucleotides among parvoviruses suggests a major role for CpG methylation in the evolution of parvoviruses. Our data present evidence that links the relative abundance of CpG dinucleotides in parvoviruses to the methylation capabilities of the infected host. In sum, our findings support a novel perspective of host-driven evolution among autonomous parvoviruses. PMID:24109231

CpG dinucleotide frequencies reveal the role of host methylation capabilities in parvovirus evolution.

PubMed

Upadhyay, Mohita; Samal, Jasmine; Kandpal, Manish; Vasaikar, Suhas; Biswas, Banhi; Gomes, James; Vivekanandan, Perumal

2013-12-01

Parvoviruses are rapidly evolving viruses that infect a wide range of hosts, including vertebrates and invertebrates. Extensive methylation of the parvovirus genome has been recently demonstrated. A global pattern of methylation of CpG dinucleotides is seen in vertebrate genomes, compared to "fractional" methylation patterns in invertebrate genomes. It remains unknown if the loss of CpG dinucleotides occurs in all viruses of a given DNA virus family that infect host species spanning across vertebrates and invertebrates. We investigated the link between the extent of CpG dinucleotide depletion among autonomous parvoviruses and the evolutionary lineage of the infected host. We demonstrate major differences in the relative abundance of CpG dinucleotides among autonomous parvoviruses which share similar genome organization and common ancestry, depending on the infected host species. Parvoviruses infecting vertebrate hosts had significantly lower relative abundance of CpG dinucleotides than parvoviruses infecting invertebrate hosts. The strong correlation of CpG dinucleotide depletion with the gain in TpG/CpA dinucleotides and the loss of TpA dinucleotides among parvoviruses suggests a major role for CpG methylation in the evolution of parvoviruses. Our data present evidence that links the relative abundance of CpG dinucleotides in parvoviruses to the methylation capabilities of the infected host. In sum, our findings support a novel perspective of host-driven evolution among autonomous parvoviruses.

Transport of adenine, hypoxanthine and uracil into Escherichia coli.

PubMed Central

Burton, K

1977-01-01

Uptake of adenine, hypoxanthine and uracil by an uncA strain of Escherichia coli is inhibited by uncouplers or when phosphate in the medium is replaced by less than 1 mM-arsenate, indicating a need for both a protonmotive force and phosphorylated metabolites. The rate of uptake of adenine or hypoxanthine was not markedly affected by a genetic deficiency of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. In two mutants with undetected adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, the rate of adenine uptake was about 30% of that in their parent strain, and evidence was obtained to confirm that adenine had then been utilized via purine nucleoside phosphorylase. In a strain deficient in both enzymes adenine uptake was about 1% of that shown by wild-type strains. Uptake of hypoxanthine was similarly limited in a strain lacking purine nucleoside phosphorylase, hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase and guanine phosphoribosyltransferase. Deficiency of uracil phosphoribosyltransferase severely limits uracil uptake, but the defect can be circumvented by addition of inosine, which presumably provides ribose 1-phosphate for reversal of uridine phosphorylase. The results indicate that there are porter systems for adenine, hypoxanthine and uracil dependent on a protonmotive force and facilitated by intracellular metabolism of the free bases. PMID:413544

Preparation, purification and analyses of thirteen alkali-stable dinucleotides from ribonucleic acid

PubMed Central

Trim, A. R.; Parker, Janet E.

1970-01-01

Of the 16 alkali-stable dinucleotides known to be obtained by hydrolysis of commercial yeast RNA with alkali, 13 were prepared in quantities of the order of 10mg or more. The samples, with only one exception, contain at least 90% of dinucleotide, and spectroscopic constants and nucleotide-sequence determinations, although not conclusive, indicate a high degree of purity of these products. The small dinucleotide fraction in 150g of RNA hydrolysed with alkali (1–2% of the total nucleotides) was separated from the mononucleotides by stepwise ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose columns and resolved into seven fractions containing from one to four different dinucleotides by electrophoresis on paper at pH3.0. These fractions were resolved into their constituent dinucleotides by chromatography in ammonium sulphate. Contamination of the products by impurities from the paper was minimized by washing it before using it for chromatography or electrophoresis and, by using a thick grade of paper (Whatman no. 17), it was possible to handle and purify relatively large quantities of nucleotides. PMID:5435489

A Cascade of Thermophilic Enzymes As an Approach to the Synthesis of Modified Nucleotides.

PubMed

Esipov, R S; Abramchik, Yu A; Fateev, I V; Konstantinova, I D; Kostromina, M A; Muravyova, T I; Artemova, K G; Miroshnikov, A I

2016-01-01

We propose a new approach for the synthesis of biologically important nucleotides which includes a multi-enzymatic cascade conversion of D -pentoses into purine nucleotides. The approach exploits nucleic acid exchange enzymes from thermophilic microorganisms: ribokinase, phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase, and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase. We cloned the ribokinase gene from Thermus sp . 2.9, as well as two different genes of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase (PRPP-synthetase) and the adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APR-transferase) gene from Thermus thermophilus HB27 into the expression vectors, generated high-yield E. coli producer strains, developed methods for the purification of the enzymes, and investigated enzyme substrate specificity. The enzymes were used for the conversion of D -pentoses into 5-phosphates that were further converted into 5-phospho-α- D -pentofuranose 1-pyrophosphates by means of ribokinase and PRPP-synthetases. Target nucleotides were obtained through the condensation of the pyrophosphates with adenine and its derivatives in a reaction catalyzed by APR-transferase. 2-Chloro- and 2-fluoroadenosine monophosphates were synthesized from D -ribose and appropriate heterobases in one pot using a system of thermophilic enzymes in the presence of ATP, ribokinase, PRPP-synthetase, and APR-transferase.

Biomarkers and Biological Spectral Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-23

Image t iZ ~ Rotator SSteping r De m oo ontroler Frmegabe (single ams) ... Software -= • . ... PCCm ue Data acquisition Rotator control PC Co puterImage...the depth of bum injury", Bums, 7, pp. 197-202, 1981. 7. R. A. De Blasi, M. Cope, C. Elwell, F. Safoue and M. Ferrari, "Noninvasive measurement of...nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), oxidized flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and porphyrins. A number of studies have shown that the measured

Homology of aspartyl- and lysyl-tRNA synthetases.

PubMed Central

Gampel, A; Tzagoloff, A

1989-01-01

The yeast nuclear gene MSD1 coding for mitochondrial aspartyl-tRNA synthetase has been cloned and sequenced. The identity of the gene is confirmed by the following evidence. (i) The primary structure of the protein derived from the gene sequence is similar to that of the yeast cytoplasmic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. (ii) In situ disruption of MSD1 in a respiratory-competent haploid strain of yeast induces a pleiotropic phenotype consistent with a lesion in mitochondrial protein synthesis. (iii) Mitochondria from a mutant with a disrupted chromosomal copy of MSD1 are unable to acylate mitochondrial aspartyl-tRNA. The primary structures of the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial aspartyl-tRNA synthetases are similar to the yeast cytoplasmic lysyl-tRNA synthetase, suggesting that the two types of synthetases may have a common evolutionary origin. Searches of the current protein banks also have revealed a high degree of sequence similarity of the lysyl-tRNA synthetase to the product of the Escherichia coli herC gene and to the partial sequence of a protein encoded by an unidentified reading frame located adjacent to the E. coli frdA gene. Based on the sequence similarities and the map positions of the herC and frdA loci, we propose herC to be the structural gene of the constitutively expressed lysyl-tRNA synthetase of E. coli and the unidentified reading frame to be the structural gene of the heat-inducible lysyl-tRNA synthetase. Images PMID:2668951

Dinucleotide Composition in Animal RNA Viruses Is Shaped More by Virus Family than by Host Species

PubMed Central

Di Giallonardo, Francesca; Schlub, Timothy E.; Shi, Mang

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Viruses use the cellular machinery of their hosts for replication. It has therefore been proposed that the nucleotide and dinucleotide compositions of viruses should match those of their host species. If this is upheld, it may then be possible to use dinucleotide composition to predict the true host species of viruses sampled in metagenomic surveys. However, it is also clear that different taxonomic groups of viruses tend to have distinctive patterns of dinucleotide composition that may be independent of host species. To determine the relative strength of the effect of host versus virus family in shaping dinucleotide composition, we performed a comparative analysis of 20 RNA virus families from 15 host groupings, spanning two animal phyla and more than 900 virus species. In particular, we determined the odds ratios for the 16 possible dinucleotides and performed a discriminant analysis to evaluate the capability of virus dinucleotide composition to predict the correct virus family or host taxon from which it was isolated. Notably, while 81% of the data analyzed here were predicted to the correct virus family, only 62% of these data were predicted to their correct subphylum/class host and a mere 32% to their correct mammalian order. Similarly, dinucleotide composition has a weak predictive power for different hosts within individual virus families. We therefore conclude that dinucleotide composition is generally uniform within a virus family but less well reflects that of its host species. This has obvious implications for attempts to accurately predict host species from virus genome sequences alone. IMPORTANCE Determining the processes that shape virus genomes is central to understanding virus evolution and emergence. One question of particular importance is why nucleotide and dinucleotide frequencies differ so markedly between viruses. In particular, it is currently unclear whether host species or virus family has the biggest impact on dinucleotide

Dinucleotide Composition in Animal RNA Viruses Is Shaped More by Virus Family than by Host Species.

PubMed

Di Giallonardo, Francesca; Schlub, Timothy E; Shi, Mang; Holmes, Edward C

2017-04-15

Viruses use the cellular machinery of their hosts for replication. It has therefore been proposed that the nucleotide and dinucleotide compositions of viruses should match those of their host species. If this is upheld, it may then be possible to use dinucleotide composition to predict the true host species of viruses sampled in metagenomic surveys. However, it is also clear that different taxonomic groups of viruses tend to have distinctive patterns of dinucleotide composition that may be independent of host species. To determine the relative strength of the effect of host versus virus family in shaping dinucleotide composition, we performed a comparative analysis of 20 RNA virus families from 15 host groupings, spanning two animal phyla and more than 900 virus species. In particular, we determined the odds ratios for the 16 possible dinucleotides and performed a discriminant analysis to evaluate the capability of virus dinucleotide composition to predict the correct virus family or host taxon from which it was isolated. Notably, while 81% of the data analyzed here were predicted to the correct virus family, only 62% of these data were predicted to their correct subphylum/class host and a mere 32% to their correct mammalian order. Similarly, dinucleotide composition has a weak predictive power for different hosts within individual virus families. We therefore conclude that dinucleotide composition is generally uniform within a virus family but less well reflects that of its host species. This has obvious implications for attempts to accurately predict host species from virus genome sequences alone. IMPORTANCE Determining the processes that shape virus genomes is central to understanding virus evolution and emergence. One question of particular importance is why nucleotide and dinucleotide frequencies differ so markedly between viruses. In particular, it is currently unclear whether host species or virus family has the biggest impact on dinucleotide frequencies and

The Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Complex.

PubMed

Mirande, Marc

2017-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) are essential enzymes that specifically aminoacylate one tRNA molecule by the cognate amino acid. They are a family of twenty enzymes, one for each amino acid. By coupling an amino acid to a specific RNA triplet, the anticodon, they are responsible for interpretation of the genetic code. In addition to this translational, canonical role, several aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases also fulfill nontranslational, moonlighting functions. In mammals, nine synthetases, those specific for amino acids Arg, Asp, Gln, Glu, Ile, Leu, Lys, Met and Pro, associate into a multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex, an association which is believed to play a key role in the cellular organization of translation, but also in the regulation of the translational and nontranslational functions of these enzymes. Because the balance between their alternative functions rests on the assembly and disassembly of this supramolecular entity, it is essential to get precise insight into the structural organization of this complex. The high-resolution 3D-structure of the native particle, with a molecular weight of about 1.5 MDa, is not yet known. Low-resolution structures of the multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex, as determined by cryo-EM or SAXS, have been reported. High-resolution data have been reported for individual enzymes of the complex, or for small subcomplexes. This review aims to present a critical view of our present knowledge of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex in 3D. These preliminary data shed some light on the mechanisms responsible for the balance between the translational and nontranslational functions of some of its components.

Catalytic carbene transfer allows the direct customization of cyclic purine dinucleotides.

PubMed

Fei, Na; Häussinger, Daniel; Blümli, Seraina; Laventie, Benoît-Joseph; Bizzini, Lorenzo D; Zimmermann, Kaspar; Jenal, Urs; Gillingham, Dennis

2014-08-11

We describe a simple method for the direct modification of nucleobases in cyclic purine dinucleotides, important signalling molecules in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The method tolerates all members of the cyclic dinucleotide family and could be used to modulate their function or introduce useful side-chains such as fluorophores and photo-crosslinking groups.

A comparison of adenine and some derivatives on pig isolated tracheal muscle.

PubMed Central

Bach-Dieterle, Y.; Holden, W. E.; Junod, A. F.

1983-01-01

We studied the muscle relaxation induced by adenine and several adenine derivatives in strips of tracheal smooth muscle from pigs; in addition their metabolism by the tissue was examined. Adenine relaxed tissue which was contracted by carbachol, histamine, or KCl. Adenine's potency was similar to that of adenosine and ATP (threshold about 4 X 10(-5)M). In tissues with carbachol-induced tone, the adenine effect differed from adenosine and ATP by being slower in onset and in 'washout' time. Furthermore, neither dipyridamole nor theophylline modified the response to adenine. The relationship was examined between pharmacological effects and the metabolism of [3H]-adenosine and [3H]-adenine. Both substrates were taken up by the tissue and converted to nucleotides, but relaxation correlated with nucleotide accumulation only in the case of [3H]-adenine. We conclude that the site and mechanism of adenine-induced relaxation is different from that of adenosine and ATP in porcine tracheal muscle. PMID:6571222

TRYPTOPHANASE-TRYPTOPHAN SYNTHETASE SYSTEMS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI I.

PubMed Central

Freundlich, Martin; Lichstein, Herman C.

1962-01-01

Freundlich, Martin (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis) and Herman C. Lichstein. Tryptophanase-tryptophan synthetase systems in Escherichia coli. I. Effect of tryptophan and related compounds. J. Bacteriol. 84:979–987. 1962.—The effect of tryptophan and related compounds on tryptophanase and tryptophan synthetase formation in Escherichia coli was determined. Several of these compounds stimulated the formation of tryptophanase while concomitantly decreasing the production of synthetase. A number of tryptophan analogues were found to inhibit growth. The possible mode of action of these substances was examined further. 5-Hydroxytryptophan greatly inhibited the formation of synthetase and also reduced growth. Its inhibitory action on growth was attributed, at least partially, to the false feedback inhibition of anthranilic acid formation. Tryptamine was found to be a potent inhibitor of the activity of synthetase, as well as of the enzyme(s) involved in the synthesis of anthranilic acid from shikimic acid. However, growth reduction was only partially reversed by tryptophan. Indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-propionic acid decreased growth and increased the formation of synthetase six- to eightfold. The action of these compounds was ascribed to their ability to block the endogenous formation of tryptophan. PMID:13959621

Base Excision Repair of Tandem Modifications in a Methylated CpG Dinucleotide*

PubMed Central

Sassa, Akira; Çağlayan, Melike; Dyrkheeva, Nadezhda S.; Beard, William A.; Wilson, Samuel H.

2014-01-01

Cytosine methylation and demethylation in tracks of CpG dinucleotides is an epigenetic mechanism for control of gene expression. The initial step in the demethylation process can be deamination of 5-methylcytosine producing the TpG alteration and T:G mispair, and this step is followed by thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) initiated base excision repair (BER). A further consideration is that guanine in the CpG dinucleotide may become oxidized to 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), and this could affect the demethylation process involving TDG-initiated BER. However, little is known about the enzymology of BER of altered in-tandem CpG dinucleotides; e.g. Tp8-oxoG. Here, we investigated interactions between this altered dinucleotide and purified BER enzymes, the DNA glycosylases TDG and 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1), apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease 1, DNA polymerase β, and DNA ligases. The overall TDG-initiated BER of the Tp8-oxoG dinucleotide is significantly reduced. Specifically, TDG and DNA ligase activities are reduced by a 3′-flanking 8-oxoG. In contrast, the OGG1-initiated BER pathway is blocked due to the 5′-flanking T:G mispair; this reduces OGG1, AP endonuclease 1, and DNA polymerase β activities. Furthermore, in TDG-initiated BER, TDG remains bound to its product AP site blocking OGG1 access to the adjacent 8-oxoG. These results reveal BER enzyme specificities enabling suppression of OGG1-initiated BER and coordination of TDG-initiated BER at this tandem alteration in the CpG dinucleotide. PMID:24695738

Dinucleotide controlled null models for comparative RNA gene prediction.

PubMed

Gesell, Tanja; Washietl, Stefan

2008-05-27

Comparative prediction of RNA structures can be used to identify functional noncoding RNAs in genomic screens. It was shown recently by Babak et al. [BMC Bioinformatics. 8:33] that RNA gene prediction programs can be biased by the genomic dinucleotide content, in particular those programs using a thermodynamic folding model including stacking energies. As a consequence, there is need for dinucleotide-preserving control strategies to assess the significance of such predictions. While there have been randomization algorithms for single sequences for many years, the problem has remained challenging for multiple alignments and there is currently no algorithm available. We present a program called SISSIz that simulates multiple alignments of a given average dinucleotide content. Meeting additional requirements of an accurate null model, the randomized alignments are on average of the same sequence diversity and preserve local conservation and gap patterns. We make use of a phylogenetic substitution model that includes overlapping dependencies and site-specific rates. Using fast heuristics and a distance based approach, a tree is estimated under this model which is used to guide the simulations. The new algorithm is tested on vertebrate genomic alignments and the effect on RNA structure predictions is studied. In addition, we directly combined the new null model with the RNAalifold consensus folding algorithm giving a new variant of a thermodynamic structure based RNA gene finding program that is not biased by the dinucleotide content. SISSIz implements an efficient algorithm to randomize multiple alignments preserving dinucleotide content. It can be used to get more accurate estimates of false positive rates of existing programs, to produce negative controls for the training of machine learning based programs, or as standalone RNA gene finding program. Other applications in comparative genomics that require randomization of multiple alignments can be considered. SISSIz

The requirement for bivalent cations in formation of nicotinamide–adenine dinucleotide by nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase of pig-liver nuclei

PubMed Central

Jackson, J. F.; Atkinson, M. R.

1966-01-01

1. The requirement for bivalent cations in catalysis of NAD formation from ATP and NMN in the presence of NMN adenylyltransferase of pig-liver nuclei was studied. Rates of NAD formation in the presence of the activating cations Cd2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Co2+ and Ni2+ were approximately a linear function of heats of hydration of the corresponding ions. Ba2+, Sr2+, Ca2+, Cu2+ and Be2+ did not activate the enzyme; Be2+ inhibited the reaction in the presence of Mg2+ and, to a greater extent, in the presence of Ni2+. 2. Michaelis constants for NAD formation, measured in a coupled assay with NMN adenylyltransferase and alcohol dehydrogenase at pH8·0 and 25°, in the presence of 3mm concentrations of the unvaried reactants, were 88±7μm-ATP, 42±4μm-NMN and 85±4μm-Mg2+. The results at this pH and at pH7·5 were consistent with mechanisms in which Mg2+–ATP complex is a reactant and free ATP a competitive inhibitor. 3. Formation of nicotinamide–hypoxanthine dinucleotide from NMN and ITP in the presence of the transferase was also more rapid with Ni2+ and Co2+ than with Mg2+. PMID:4291356

Depletion of CpG Dinucleotides in Papillomaviruses and Polyomaviruses: A Role for Divergent Evolutionary Pressures.

PubMed

Upadhyay, Mohita; Vivekanandan, Perumal

2015-01-01

Papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses are small ds-DNA viruses infecting a wide-range of vertebrate hosts. Evidence supporting co-evolution of the virus with the host does not fully explain the evolutionary path of papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses. Studies analyzing CpG dinucleotide frequencies in virus genomes have provided interesting insights on virus evolution. CpG dinucleotide depletion has not been extensively studied among papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses. We sought to analyze the relative abundance of dinucleotides and the relative roles of evolutionary pressures in papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses. We studied 127 full-length sequences from papillomaviruses and 56 full-length sequences from polyomaviruses. We analyzed the relative abundance of dinucleotides, effective codon number (ENC), differences in synonymous codon usage. We examined the association, if any, between the extent of CpG dinucleotide depletion and the evolutionary lineage of the infected host. We also investigated the contribution of mutational pressure and translational selection to the evolution of papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses. All papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses are CpG depleted. Interestingly, the evolutionary lineage of the infected host determines the extent of CpG depletion among papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses. CpG dinucleotide depletion was more pronounced among papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses infecting human and other mammals as compared to those infecting birds. Our findings demonstrate that CpG depletion among papillomaviruses is linked to mutational pressure; while CpG depletion among polyomaviruses is linked to translational selection. We also present evidence that suggests methylation of CpG dinucleotides may explain, at least in part, the depletion of CpG dinucleotides among papillomaviruses but not polyomaviruses. The extent of CpG depletion among papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses is linked to the evolutionary lineage of the infected host. Our

Glutathione synthetase deficiency: a family report.

PubMed Central

Pejaver, R K; Watson, A H

1994-01-01

Glutathione synthetase deficiency is a rare inborn error of metabolism. Low levels of and at times unstable molecules of glutathione synthetase leads to glutathione deficiency affecting various systems of the body. The inheritance is thought to be of autosomal recessive variety. We diagnosed the condition in a neonate and proceeded to investigate the family. The results are discussed below. PMID:8158601

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases as drug targets in eukaryotic parasites☆

PubMed Central

Pham, James S.; Dawson, Karen L.; Jackson, Katherine E.; Lim, Erin E.; Pasaje, Charisse Flerida A.; Turner, Kelsey E.C.; Ralph, Stuart A.

2013-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are central enzymes in protein translation, providing the charged tRNAs needed for appropriate construction of peptide chains. These enzymes have long been pursued as drug targets in bacteria and fungi, but the past decade has seen considerable research on aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in eukaryotic parasites. Existing inhibitors of bacterial tRNA synthetases have been adapted for parasite use, novel inhibitors have been developed against parasite enzymes, and tRNA synthetases have been identified as the targets for compounds in use or development as antiparasitic drugs. Crystal structures have now been solved for many parasite tRNA synthetases, and opportunities for selective inhibition are becoming apparent. For different biological reasons, tRNA synthetases appear to be promising drug targets against parasites as diverse as Plasmodium (causative agent of malaria), Brugia (causative agent of lymphatic filariasis), and Trypanosoma (causative agents of Chagas disease and human African trypanosomiasis). Here we review recent developments in drug discovery and target characterisation for parasite aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. PMID:24596663

The importance of cytosolic glutamine synthetase in nitrogen assimilation and recycling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bernard, S.M.; Habash, D.Z.

2009-07-02

Glutamine synthetase assimilates ammonium into amino acids, thus it is a key enzyme for nitrogen metabolism. The cytosolic isoenzymes of glutamine synthetase assimilate ammonium derived from primary nitrogen uptake and from various internal nitrogen recycling pathways. In this way, cytosolic glutamine synthetase is crucial for the remobilization of protein-derived nitrogen. Cytosolic glutamine synthetase is encoded by a small family of genes that are well conserved across plant species. Members of the cytosolic glutamine synthetase gene family are regulated in response to plant nitrogen status, as well as to environmental cues, such as nitrogen availability and biotic/abiotic stresses. The complex regulationmore » of cytosolic glutamine synthetase at the transcriptional to post-translational levels is key to the establishment of a specific physiological role for each isoenzyme. The diverse physiological roles of cytosolic glutamine synthetase isoenzymes are important in relation to current agricultural and ecological issues.« less

The RFK catalytic cycle of the pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae shows species-specific features in prokaryotic FMN synthesis.

PubMed

Sebastián, María; Velázquez-Campoy, Adrián; Medina, Milagros

2018-12-01

Emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria forces us to explore new therapeutic strategies, and proteins involved in key metabolic pathways are promising anti-bacterial targets. Bifunctional flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) synthetases (FADS) are prokaryotic enzymes that synthesise the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and FAD cofactors. The FADS from the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (SpnFADS)-causative agent of pneumonia in humans - shows relevant catalytic dissimilarities compared to other FADSs. Here, by integrating thermodynamic and kinetic data, we present a global description of the riboflavin kinase activity of SpnFADS, as well as of the inhibition mechanisms regulating this activity. Our data shed light on biophysical determinants that modulate species-specific conformational changes leading to catalytically competent conformations, as well as binding rates and affinities of substrates versus products. This knowledge paves the way for the development of tools - that taking advantage of the regulatory dissimilarities during FMN biosynthesis in different species - might be used in the discovery of specific anti-pneumococcal drugs.

A Bacterial Multidomain NAD-Independent d-Lactate Dehydrogenase Utilizes Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide and Fe-S Clusters as Cofactors and Quinone as an Electron Acceptor for d-Lactate Oxidization

PubMed Central

Jiang, Tianyi; Guo, Xiaoting; Yan, Jinxin; Zhang, Yingxin; Wang, Yujiao; Zhang, Manman; Sheng, Binbin; Ma, Cuiqing; Xu, Ping

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Bacterial membrane-associated NAD-independent d-lactate dehydrogenase (Fe-S d-iLDH) oxidizes d-lactate into pyruvate. A sequence analysis of the enzyme reveals that it contains an Fe-S oxidoreductase domain in addition to a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-containing dehydrogenase domain, which differs from other typical d-iLDHs. Fe-S d-iLDH from Pseudomonas putida KT2440 was purified as a His-tagged protein and characterized in detail. This monomeric enzyme exhibited activities with l-lactate and several d-2-hydroxyacids. Quinone was shown to be the preferred electron acceptor of the enzyme. The two domains of the enzyme were then heterologously expressed and purified separately. The Fe-S cluster-binding motifs predicted by sequence alignment were preliminarily verified by site-directed mutagenesis of the Fe-S oxidoreductase domain. The FAD-containing dehydrogenase domain retained 2-hydroxyacid-oxidizing activity, although it decreased compared to the full Fe-S d-iLDH. Compared to the intact enzyme, the FAD-containing dehydrogenase domain showed increased catalytic efficiency with cytochrome c as the electron acceptor, but it completely lost the ability to use coenzyme Q10. Additionally, the FAD-containing dehydrogenase domain was no longer associated with the cell membrane, and it could not support the utilization of d-lactate as a carbon source. Based on the results obtained, we conclude that the Fe-S oxidoreductase domain functions as an electron transfer component to facilitate the utilization of quinone as an electron acceptor by Fe-S d-iLDH, and it helps the enzyme associate with the cell membrane. These functions make the Fe-S oxidoreductase domain crucial for the in vivo d-lactate utilization function of Fe-S d-iLDH. IMPORTANCE Lactate metabolism plays versatile roles in most domains of life. Lactate utilization processes depend on certain enzymes to oxidize lactate to pyruvate. In recent years, novel bacterial lactate-oxidizing enzymes have been

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is transported into mammalian mitochondria.

PubMed

Davila, Antonio; Liu, Ling; Chellappa, Karthikeyani; Redpath, Philip; Nakamaru-Ogiso, Eiko; Paolella, Lauren M; Zhang, Zhigang; Migaud, Marie E; Rabinowitz, Joshua D; Baur, Joseph A

2018-06-12

Mitochondrial NAD levels influence fuel selection, circadian rhythms, and cell survival under stress. It has alternately been argued that NAD in mammalian mitochondria arises from import of cytosolic nicotinamide (NAM), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), or NAD itself. We provide evidence that murine and human mitochondria take up intact NAD. Isolated mitochondria preparations cannot make NAD from NAM, and while NAD is synthesized from NMN, it does not localize to the mitochondrial matrix or effectively support oxidative phosphorylation. Treating cells with nicotinamide riboside that is isotopically labeled on the nicotinamide and ribose moieties results in the appearance of doubly labeled NAD within mitochondria. Analogous experiments with doubly labeled nicotinic acid riboside (labeling cytosolic NAD without labeling NMN) demonstrate that NAD(H) is the imported species. Our results challenge the long-held view that the mitochondrial inner membrane is impermeable to pyridine nucleotides and suggest the existence of an unrecognized mammalian NAD (or NADH) transporter. © 2018, Davila et al.

Synthesis of adenine-modified reduced graphene oxide nanosheets.

PubMed

Cao, Huaqiang; Wu, Xiaoming; Yin, Gui; Warner, Jamie H

2012-03-05

We report here a facile strategy to synthesize the nanocomposite of adenine-modified reduced graphene oxide (AMG) via reaction between adenine and GOCl which is generated from SOCl(2) reacted with graphite oxide (GO). The as-synthesized AMG was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic discharge analysis. The AMG owns about one adenine group per 53 carbon atoms on a graphene sheet, which improves electronic conductivity compared with reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The AMG displays enhanced supercapacitor performance compared with RGO accompanying good stability and good cycling behavior in the supercapacitor.

Glutamate Dehydrogenase from Apodachlya (Oomycetes) 1

PubMed Central

Price, Jeffrey S.; Gleason, Frank H.

1972-01-01

A glutamate dehydrogenase specific for nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide has been purified 50-fold from Apodachlya brachynema (Leptomitales). Certain physical, chemical, and kinetic properties of this enzyme have been studied, particularly specificity for coenzymes and substrates. With glucose as the sole carbon source, the synthesis of glutamate dehydrogenase was repressed, whereas glutamate, proline, alanine, or ornithine plus aspartate as sole carbon sources induced synthesis of the enzyme. These data indicate that the function of this enzyme is primarily degradative, although there is no evidence for a nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-phosphate-specific biosynthetic glutamate dehydrogenase in Apodachlya. PMID:16657902

Adenine and 2-aminopurine: paradigms of modern theoretical photochemistry.

PubMed

Serrano-Andrés, Luis; Merchán, Manuela; Borin, Antonio C

2006-06-06

Distinct photophysical behavior of nucleobase adenine and its constitutional isomer, 2-aminopurine, has been studied by using quantum chemical methods, in particular an accurate ab initio multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory. After light irradiation, the efficient, ultrafast energy dissipation observed for nonfluorescent 9H-adenine is explained here by the nonradiative internal conversion process taking place along a barrierless reaction path from the initially populated 1(pipi* La) excited state toward a low-lying conical intersection (CI) connected with the ground state. In contrast, the strong fluorescence recorded for 2-aminopurine at 4.0 eV with large decay lifetime is interpreted by the presence of a minimum in the 1(pipi* La) hypersurface lying below the lowest CI and the subsequent potential energy barrier required to reach the funnel to the ground state. Secondary deactivation channels were found in the two systems related to additional CIs involving the 1(pipi* Lb) and 1(npi*) states. Although in 9H-adenine a population switch between both states is proposed, in 7H-adenine this may be perturbed by a relatively larger barrier to access the 1(npi*) state, and, therefore, the 1(pipi* Lb) state becomes responsible for the weak fluorescence measured in aqueous adenine at approximately 4.5 eV. In contrast to previous models that explained fluorescence quenching in adenine, unlike in 2-aminopurine, on the basis of the vibronic coupling of the nearby 1(pipi*) and 1(npi*) states, the present results indicate that the 1(npi*) state does not contribute to the leading photophysical event and establish the prevalence of a model based on the CI concept in modern photochemistry.

One-pot synthesis of fluorescent polysaccharides: adenine grafted agarose and carrageenan.

PubMed

Oza, Mihir D; Prasad, Kamalesh; Siddhanta, A K

2012-08-01

New fluorescent polysaccharides were synthesized by grafting the nucleobase adenine on to the backbones of agarose and κ-carrageenan, which were characterized by FT-IR, (13)C NMR, TGA, XRD, UV, and fluorescence properties. The synthesis involved a rapid water based potassium persulfate (KPS) initiated method under microwave irradiation. The emission spectra of adenine grafted agarose and κ-carrageenan were recorded in aqueous (5×10(-5) M) solution, exhibiting λ(em,max) 347 nm by excitation at 261 nm, affording ca. 30% and 40% enhanced emission intensities, respectively compared to that of pure adenine solution in the same concentration. Similar emission intensity was recorded in the pure adenine solution at its molar equivalent concentrations present in the 5×10(-5) M solution of the agarose and carrageenan grafted products, that is, 3.28×10(-5) M and 4.5×10(-5) M respectively. These fluorescent adenine grafted products may have potential utility in various sensor applications. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evidence for the absence of the terminal adenine nucleotide at the amino acid-acceptor end of transfer ribonucleic acid in non-lactating bovine mammary gland and its inhibitory effect on the aminoacylation of rat liver transfer ribonucleic acid

PubMed Central

Herrington, M. D.; Hawtrey, A. O.

1970-01-01

1. tRNA isolated from non-lactating bovine mammary gland competitively inhibits the formation of aminoacyl-tRNA in the rat liver system. 2. Non-lactating bovine mammary gland tRNA and twice-pyrophosphorolysed rat liver tRNA are unable to accept amino acids in a reaction catalysed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from either rat liver or bovine mammary gland. Deacylated rat liver tRNA can however be aminoacylated in the presence of either enzyme. 3. Bovine mammary gland tRNA lacks the terminal adenine nucleotide at the 3′-terminus amino acid acceptor end, which can be replaced by incubation in the presence of rat liver nucleotide-incorporating enzyme, ATP and CTP. 4. The enzymically modified bovine tRNA (tRNApCpCpA) can bind labelled amino acids to form aminoacyl-tRNA, which can then transfer its labelled amino acids to growing polypeptide chains on ribosomes. 5. Molecules of rat liver tRNA or bovine mammary gland tRNA that lack the terminal adenine nucleotide or the terminal cytosine and adenine nucleotides inhibit the aminoacylation of normal rat liver tRNA to varying degrees. tRNA molecules lacking the terminal −pCpCpA nucleotide sequence exhibit the major inhibitory effect. 6. The enzyme fraction from bovine mammary gland corresponding to that containing the nucleotide-incorporating enzyme in rat liver is unable to catalyse the incorporation of cytosine and adenine nucleotides in pyrophosphorolysed rat liver tRNA and deacylated bovine tRNA. This fraction also markedly inhibits the action of the rat liver nucleotide-incorporating enzyme. PMID:5435687

3-base periodicity in coding DNA is affected by intercodon dinucleotides

PubMed Central

Sánchez, Joaquín

2011-01-01

All coding DNAs exhibit 3-base periodicity (TBP), which may be defined as the tendency of nucleotides and higher order n-tuples, e.g. trinucleotides (triplets), to be preferentially spaced by 3, 6, 9 etc, bases, and we have proposed an association between TBP and clustering of same-phase triplets. We here investigated if TBP was affected by intercodon dinucleotide tendencies and whether clustering of same-phase triplets was involved. Under constant protein sequence intercodon dinucleotide frequencies depend on the distribution of synonymous codons. So, possible effects were revealed by randomly exchanging synonymous codons without altering protein sequences to subsequently document changes in TBP via frequency distribution of distances (FDD) of DNA triplets. A tripartite positive correlation was found between intercodon dinucleotide frequencies, clustering of same-phase triplets and TBP. So, intercodon C|A (where “|” indicates the boundary between codons) was more frequent in native human DNA than in the codon-shuffled sequences; higher C|A frequency occurred along with more frequent clustering of C|AN triplets (where N jointly represents A, C, G and T) and with intense CAN TBP. The opposite was found for C|G, which was less frequent in native than in shuffled sequences; lower C|G frequency occurred together with reduced clustering of C|GN triplets and with less intense CGN TBP. We hence propose that intercodon dinucleotides affect TBP via same-phase triplet clustering. A possible biological relevance of our findings is briefly discussed. PMID:21814388

Glucocorticoid receptor-mediated induction of glutamine synthetase in skeletal muscle cells in vitro

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Max, Stephen R.; Thomas, John W.; Banner, Carl; Vitkovic, Ljubisa; Konagaya, Masaaki

1987-01-01

The regulation by glucocorticoids of glutamine synthetase in L6 muscle cells in culture is studied. Glutamine synthetase activity was strikingly enhanced by dexamethasone. The dexamethasone-mediated induction of glutamine synthetase activity was blocked by RU38486, a glucocorticoid antagonist, indicating the involvement of intracellular glucocorticoid receptors in the induction process. RU38486 alone was without effect. Northern blot analysis revealed that dexamethasone-mediated enhancement of glutamine synthetase activity involves increased levels of glutamine synthetase mRNA. Glucocorticoids regulate the expression of glutamine synthetase mRNA in cultured muscle cells via interaction with intracellular receptors. Such regulation may be relevant to control of glutamine production by muscle.

Adenine and 2-aminopurine: Paradigms of modern theoretical photochemistry

PubMed Central

Serrano-Andrés, Luis; Merchán, Manuela; Borin, Antonio C.

2006-01-01

Distinct photophysical behavior of nucleobase adenine and its constitutional isomer, 2-aminopurine, has been studied by using quantum chemical methods, in particular an accurate ab initio multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory. After light irradiation, the efficient, ultrafast energy dissipation observed for nonfluorescent 9H-adenine is explained here by the nonradiative internal conversion process taking place along a barrierless reaction path from the initially populated 1(ππ* La) excited state toward a low-lying conical intersection (CI) connected with the ground state. In contrast, the strong fluorescence recorded for 2-aminopurine at 4.0 eV with large decay lifetime is interpreted by the presence of a minimum in the 1(ππ* La) hypersurface lying below the lowest CI and the subsequent potential energy barrier required to reach the funnel to the ground state. Secondary deactivation channels were found in the two systems related to additional CIs involving the 1(ππ* Lb) and 1(nπ*) states. Although in 9H-adenine a population switch between both states is proposed, in 7H-adenine this may be perturbed by a relatively larger barrier to access the 1(nπ*) state, and, therefore, the 1(ππ* Lb) state becomes responsible for the weak fluorescence measured in aqueous adenine at ≈4.5 eV. In contrast to previous models that explained fluorescence quenching in adenine, unlike in 2-aminopurine, on the basis of the vibronic coupling of the nearby 1(ππ*) and 1(nπ*) states, the present results indicate that the 1(nπ*) state does not contribute to the leading photophysical event and establish the prevalence of a model based on the CI concept in modern photochemistry. PMID:16731617

The catalase activity of diiron adenine deaminase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kamat S. S.; Swaminathan S.; Holmes-Hampton, G. P.

2011-12-01

Adenine deaminase (ADE) from the amidohydrolase superfamily (AHS) of enzymes catalyzes the conversion of adenine to hypoxanthine and ammonia. Enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli was largely inactive toward the deamination of adenine. Molecular weight determinations by mass spectrometry provided evidence that multiple histidine and methionine residues were oxygenated. When iron was sequestered with a metal chelator and the growth medium supplemented with Mn{sup 2+} before induction, the post-translational modifications disappeared. Enzyme expressed and purified under these conditions was substantially more active for adenine deamination. Apo-enzyme was prepared and reconstituted with two equivalents of FeSO{sub 4}. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometrymore » and Moessbauer spectroscopy demonstrated that this protein contained two high-spin ferrous ions per monomer of ADE. In addition to the adenine deaminase activity, [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE catalyzed the conversion of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O. The values of k{sub cat} and k{sub cat}/K{sub m} for the catalase activity are 200 s{sup -1} and 2.4 x 10{sup 4} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}, respectively. [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE underwent more than 100 turnovers with H{sub 2}O{sub 2} before the enzyme was inactivated due to oxygenation of histidine residues critical for metal binding. The iron in the inactive enzyme was high-spin ferric with g{sub ave} = 4.3 EPR signal and no evidence of anti-ferromagnetic spin-coupling. A model is proposed for the disproportionation of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} by [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE that involves the cycling of the binuclear metal center between the di-ferric and di-ferrous oxidation states. Oxygenation of active site residues occurs via release of hydroxyl radicals. These findings represent the first report of redox reaction catalysis by any member of the AHS.« less

Catalytic Mechanism and Three-Dimensional Structure of Adenine Deaminase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kamat, S.S.; Swaminathan, S.; Bagaria, A.

2011-03-22

Adenine deaminase (ADE) catalyzes the conversion of adenine to hypoxanthine and ammonia. The enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli using standard expression conditions was low for the deamination of adenine (k{sub cat} = 2.0 s{sup -1}; k{sub cat}/K{sub m} = 2.5 x 10{sup 3} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}). However, when iron was sequestered with a metal chelator and the growth medium was supplemented with Mn{sup 2+} prior to induction, the purified enzyme was substantially more active for the deamination of adenine with kcat and kcat/Km values of 200 s{sup -1} and 5 x 10{sup 5} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}, respectively. Themore » apoenzyme was prepared and reconstituted with Fe{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+}, or Mn{sup 2+}. In each case, two enzyme equivalents of metal were necessary for reconstitution of the deaminase activity. This work provides the first example of any member of the deaminase subfamily of the amidohydrolase superfamily to utilize a binuclear metal center for the catalysis of a deamination reaction. [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE was oxidized to [Fe{sup III}/Fe{sup III}]-ADE with ferricyanide with inactivation of the deaminase activity. Reducing [Fe{sup III}/Fe{sup III}]-ADE with dithionite restored the deaminase activity, and thus, the diferrous form of the enzyme is essential for catalytic activity. No evidence of spin coupling between metal ions was evident by electron paramagnetic resonance or Moessbauer spectroscopy. The three-dimensional structure of adenine deaminase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Atu4426) was determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.2 {angstrom} resolution, and adenine was modeled into the active site on the basis of homology to other members of the amidohydrolase superfamily. On the basis of the model of the adenine-ADE complex and subsequent mutagenesis experiments, the roles for each of the highly conserved residues were proposed. Solvent isotope effects, pH-rate profiles, and solvent viscosity were utilized to propose a chemical reaction mechanism

Catalytic Mechanism and Three-Dimensional Structure of Adenine Deaminase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S Kamat; A Bagaria; D Kumaran

2011-12-31

Adenine deaminase (ADE) catalyzes the conversion of adenine to hypoxanthine and ammonia. The enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli using standard expression conditions was low for the deamination of adenine (k{sub cat} = 2.0 s{sup -1}; k{sub cat}/K{sub m} = 2.5 x 10{sup 3} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}). However, when iron was sequestered with a metal chelator and the growth medium was supplemented with Mn{sup 2+} prior to induction, the purified enzyme was substantially more active for the deamination of adenine with k{sub cat} and k{sub cat}/K{sub m} values of 200 s{sup -1} and 5 x 10{sup 5} M{sup -1} s{supmore » -1}, respectively. The apoenzyme was prepared and reconstituted with Fe{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+}, or Mn{sup 2+}. In each case, two enzyme equivalents of metal were necessary for reconstitution of the deaminase activity. This work provides the first example of any member of the deaminase subfamily of the amidohydrolase superfamily to utilize a binuclear metal center for the catalysis of a deamination reaction. [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE was oxidized to [Fe{sup III}/Fe{sup III}]-ADE with ferricyanide with inactivation of the deaminase activity. Reducing [Fe{sup III}/Fe{sup III}]-ADE with dithionite restored the deaminase activity, and thus, the diferrous form of the enzyme is essential for catalytic activity. No evidence of spin coupling between metal ions was evident by electron paramagnetic resonance or Moessbauer spectroscopy. The three-dimensional structure of adenine deaminase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Atu4426) was determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.2 {angstrom} resolution, and adenine was modeled into the active site on the basis of homology to other members of the amidohydrolase superfamily. On the basis of the model of the adenine-ADE complex and subsequent mutagenesis experiments, the roles for each of the highly conserved residues were proposed. Solvent isotope effects, pH-rate profiles, and solvent viscosity were utilized to propose a chemical

Expression of Human CTP Synthetase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Reveals Phosphorylation by Protein Kinase A*

PubMed Central

Han, Gil-Soo; Sreenivas, Avula; Choi, Mal-Gi; Chang, Yu-Fang; Martin, Shelley S.; Baldwin, Enoch P.; Carman, George M.

2005-01-01

CTP synthetase (EC 6.3.4.2, UTP: ammonia ligase (ADP-forming)) is an essential enzyme in all organisms; it generates the CTP required for the synthesis of nucleic acids and membrane phospholipids. In this work we showed that the human CTP synthetase genes, CTPS1 and CTPS2, were functional in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and complemented the lethal phenotype of the ura7Δ ura8Δ mutant lacking CTP synthetase activity. The expression of the CTPS1-and CTPS2-encoded human CTP synthetase enzymes in the ura7Δ ura8Δ mutant was shown by immunoblot analysis of CTP synthetase proteins, the measurement of CTP synthetase activity, and the synthesis of CTP in vivo. Phosphoamino acid and phosphopeptide mapping analyses of human CTP synthetase 1 isolated from 32Pi-labeled cells revealed that the enzyme was phosphorylated on multiple serine residues in vivo. Activation of protein kinase A activity in yeast resulted in transient increases (2-fold) in the phosphorylation of human CTP synthetase 1 and the cellular level of CTP. Human CTP synthetase 1 was also phosphorylated by mammalian protein kinase A in vitro. Using human CTP synthetase 1 purified from Escherichia coli as a substrate, protein kinase A activity was dose- and time-dependent, and dependent on the concentrations of CTP synthetase1 and ATP. These studies showed that S. cerevisiae was useful for the analysis of human CTP synthetase phosphorylation. PMID:16179339

Continuous directed evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

PubMed Central

Bryson, David I.; Fan, Chenguang; Guo, Li-Tao; Miller, Corwin; Söll, Dieter; Liu, David R.

2017-01-01

Directed evolution of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) enables site-specific installation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins. Traditional evolution techniques typically produce AARSs with greatly reduced activity and selectivity compared to their wild-type counterparts. We designed phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE) selections to rapidly produce highly active and selective orthogonal AARSs through hundreds of generations of evolution. PACE of a chimeric Methanosarcina spp. pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) improved its enzymatic efficiency (kcat/KMtRNA) 45-fold compared to the parent enzyme. Transplantation of the evolved mutations into other PylRS-derived synthetases improved yields of proteins containing non-canonical residues up to 9.7-fold. Simultaneous positive and negative selection PACE over 48 h greatly improved the selectivity of a promiscuous Methanocaldococcus jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase variant for site-specific incorporation of p-iodo-L-phenylalanine. These findings offer new AARSs that increase the utility of orthogonal translation systems and establish the capability of PACE to efficiently evolve orthogonal AARSs with high activity and amino acid specificity. PMID:29035361

Adenine alleviates iron overload by cAMP/PKA mediated hepatic hepcidin in mice.

PubMed

Zhang, Yingqi; Wang, Xudong; Wu, Qian; Wang, Hao; Zhao, Lu; Wang, Xinhui; Mu, Mingdao; Xie, Enjun; He, Xuyan; Shao, Dandan; Shang, Yanna; Lai, Yongrong; Ginzburg, Yelena; Min, Junxia; Wang, Fudi

2018-03-30

Hemochromatosis is prevalent and often associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The safe alternative iron-reducing approaches are urgently needed in order to better control iron overload. Our unbiased vitamin screen for modulators of hepcidin, a master iron regulatory hormone, identifies adenine (vitamin B4) as a potent hepcidin agonist. Adenine significantly induced hepcidin mRNA level and promoter activity activation in human cell lines, possibly through BMP/SMAD pathway. Further studies in mice validated the effect of adenine on hepcidin upregulation. Consistently, adenine dietary supplement in mice led to an increase of hepatic hepcidin expression compared with normal diet-fed mice via BMP/SMAD pathway. Notably, adenine-rich diet significantly ameliorated iron overload accompanied by the enhanced hepcidin expression in both high iron-fed mice and in Hfe -/- mice, a murine model of hereditary hemochromatosis. To further validate this finding, we selected pharmacological inhibitors against BMP (LDN193189). We found LDN193189 strongly blocked the hepcidin induction by adenine. Moreover, we uncovered an essential role of cAMP/PKA-dependent axis in triggering adenine-induced hepcidin expression in primary hepatocytes by using 8 br cAMP, a cAMP analog, and H89, a potent inhibitor for PKA signaling. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic role of adenine for hereditary hemochromatosis. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Oxidation of ethane by an Acremonium species.

PubMed Central

Davies, J S; Wellman, A M; Zajic, J E

1976-01-01

Ethane oxidation was studied in ethane-grown resting cells (mycelia) of an Acremonium sp. and in cell-free preparations of such mycelia. From resting cell experiments evidence was found for a pathway of ethane oxidation via ethanol, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid. In vitro studies indicated that ethane-oxidizing activity in such mycelia occurred predominantly in the microsomal fraction of crude homogenates. Microsomal preparations were inactive in the absence of added coenzyme. Marked stimulation of activity was obtained in such preparations with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and to a much lesser degree with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. Ethane oxidation was inhibited by sodium azide and carbon monoxide. PMID:9900

Actinobacterial Acyl Coenzyme A Synthetases Involved in Steroid Side-Chain Catabolism

PubMed Central

Casabon, Israël; Swain, Kendra; Crowe, Adam M.

2014-01-01

Bacterial steroid catabolism is an important component of the global carbon cycle and has applications in drug synthesis. Pathways for this catabolism involve multiple acyl coenzyme A (CoA) synthetases, which activate alkanoate substituents for β-oxidation. The functions of these synthetases are poorly understood. We enzymatically characterized four distinct acyl-CoA synthetases from the cholate catabolic pathway of Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 and the cholesterol catabolic pathway of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Phylogenetic analysis of 70 acyl-CoA synthetases predicted to be involved in steroid metabolism revealed that the characterized synthetases each represent an orthologous class with a distinct function in steroid side-chain degradation. The synthetases were specific for the length of alkanoate substituent. FadD19 from M. tuberculosis H37Rv (FadD19Mtb) transformed 3-oxo-4-cholesten-26-oate (kcat/Km = 0.33 × 105 ± 0.03 × 105 M−1 s−1) and represents orthologs that activate the C8 side chain of cholesterol. Both CasGRHA1 and FadD17Mtb are steroid-24-oyl-CoA synthetases. CasG and its orthologs activate the C5 side chain of cholate, while FadD17 and its orthologs appear to activate the C5 side chain of one or more cholesterol metabolites. CasIRHA1 is a steroid-22-oyl-CoA synthetase, representing orthologs that activate metabolites with a C3 side chain, which accumulate during cholate catabolism. CasI had similar apparent specificities for substrates with intact or extensively degraded steroid nuclei, exemplified by 3-oxo-23,24-bisnorchol-4-en-22-oate and 1β(2′-propanoate)-3aα-H-4α(3″-propanoate)-7aβ-methylhexahydro-5-indanone (kcat/Km = 2.4 × 105 ± 0.1 × 105 M−1 s−1 and 3.2 × 105 ± 0.3 × 105 M−1 s−1, respectively). Acyl-CoA synthetase classes involved in cholate catabolism were found in both Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. Overall, this study provides insight into the physiological roles of acyl-CoA synthetases in steroid catabolism and

Functional expansion of human tRNA synthetases achieved by structural inventions

PubMed Central

Guo, Min; Schimmel, Paul; Yang, Xiang-Lei

2010-01-01

Known as an essential component of the translational apparatus, the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase family catalyzes the first step reaction in protein synthesis, that is, to specifically attach each amino acid to its cognate tRNA. While preserving this essential role, tRNA synthetases developed other roles during evolution. Human tRNA synthetases, in particular, have diverse functions in different pathways involving angiogenesis, inflammation and apoptosis. The functional diversity is further illustrated in the association with various diseases through genetic mutations that do not affect aminoacylation or protein synthesis. Here we review the accumulated knowledge on how human tRNA synthetases used structural inventions to achieve functional expansions. PMID:19932696

Polyspecific pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetases from directed evolution.

PubMed

Guo, Li-Tao; Wang, Yane-Shih; Nakamura, Akiyoshi; Eiler, Daniel; Kavran, Jennifer M; Wong, Margaret; Kiessling, Laura L; Steitz, Thomas A; O'Donoghue, Patrick; Söll, Dieter

2014-11-25

Pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) and its cognate tRNA(Pyl) have emerged as ideal translation components for genetic code innovation. Variants of the enzyme facilitate the incorporation >100 noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins. PylRS variants were previously selected to acylate N(ε)-acetyl-Lys (AcK) onto tRNA(Pyl). Here, we examine an N(ε)-acetyl-lysyl-tRNA synthetase (AcKRS), which is polyspecific (i.e., active with a broad range of ncAAs) and 30-fold more efficient with Phe derivatives than it is with AcK. Structural and biochemical data reveal the molecular basis of polyspecificity in AcKRS and in a PylRS variant [iodo-phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (IFRS)] that displays both enhanced activity and substrate promiscuity over a chemical library of 313 ncAAs. IFRS, a product of directed evolution, has distinct binding modes for different ncAAs. These data indicate that in vivo selections do not produce optimally specific tRNA synthetases and suggest that translation fidelity will become an increasingly dominant factor in expanding the genetic code far beyond 20 amino acids.

Polyspecific pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetases from directed evolution

PubMed Central

Guo, Li-Tao; Wang, Yane-Shih; Nakamura, Akiyoshi; Eiler, Daniel; Kavran, Jennifer M.; Wong, Margaret; Kiessling, Laura L.; Steitz, Thomas A.; O’Donoghue, Patrick; Söll, Dieter

2014-01-01

Pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) and its cognate tRNAPyl have emerged as ideal translation components for genetic code innovation. Variants of the enzyme facilitate the incorporation >100 noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins. PylRS variants were previously selected to acylate Nε-acetyl-Lys (AcK) onto tRNAPyl. Here, we examine an Nε-acetyl-lysyl-tRNA synthetase (AcKRS), which is polyspecific (i.e., active with a broad range of ncAAs) and 30-fold more efficient with Phe derivatives than it is with AcK. Structural and biochemical data reveal the molecular basis of polyspecificity in AcKRS and in a PylRS variant [iodo-phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (IFRS)] that displays both enhanced activity and substrate promiscuity over a chemical library of 313 ncAAs. IFRS, a product of directed evolution, has distinct binding modes for different ncAAs. These data indicate that in vivo selections do not produce optimally specific tRNA synthetases and suggest that translation fidelity will become an increasingly dominant factor in expanding the genetic code far beyond 20 amino acids. PMID:25385624

Dissociative Excitation of Adenine by Electron Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConkey, J. William; Trocchi, Joshuah; Dech, Jeffery; Kedzierski, Wladek

2017-04-01

Dissociative excitation of adenine (C6H5NH2) into excited atomic fragments has been studied in the electron impact energy range from threshold to 300 eV. A crossed beam system coupled to a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) monochromator is used to study emissions in the wavelength range from 110 to 200 nm. The beam of adenine vapor from a stainless steel oven is crossed at right angles by the electron beam and the resultant UV radiation is detected in a mutually orthogonal direction. The strongest feature in the spectrum is H Lyman- α. Financial support from NSERC and CFI, Canada, is gratefully acknowledged.

Enzymatic Production of Glutathione by Bifunctional γ-Glutamylcysteine Synthetase/Glutathione Synthetase Coupled with In Vitro Acetate Kinase-Based ATP Generation.

PubMed

Jiang, Yu; Tao, Rongsheng; Shen, Zhengquan; Sun, Liangdong; Zhu, Fuyun; Yang, Sheng

2016-12-01

Glutathione (γ-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine, GSH) is a pharmaceutical compound often used in food additives and the cosmetics industry. GSH can be produced biologically from L-glutamic acid, L-cysteine, and glycine through an enzymatic process traditionally involving two sequential adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent reactions catalyzed by γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS or GSHI, EC 6.3.2.2) and GSH synthetase (GS or GSHII, EC 6.3.2.3). Here, we report the enzymatic production of GSH by recombinant cell-free bifunctional γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase/glutathione synthetase (γ-GCS-GS or GshF) coupled with in vitro acetate kinase-based ATP generation. GSH production by an acetate kinase-integrated Escherichia coli Rosetta(DE3) mutant expressing Streptococcus thermophilus GshF reached 18.3 ± 0.1 g l -1 (59.5 ± 0.3 mM) within 3 h, with a molar yield of 0.75 ± 0.00 mol mol -1 added cysteine and a productivity of 6.1 ± 0.0 g l -1  h -1 . This is the highest GSH titer reported to date. This newly developed biocatalytic process offers a promising approach for meeting the industrial requirements for GSH production.

Butyrate influences intracellular levels of adenine and adenine derivatives in the fungus Penicillium restrictum.

PubMed

Zutz, Christoph; Chiang, Yi Ming; Faehnrich, Bettina; Bacher, Markus; Hellinger, Roland; Kluger, Bernhard; Wagner, Martin; Strauss, Joseph; Rychli, Kathrin

2017-04-01

Butyrate, a small fatty acid, has an important role in the colon of ruminants and mammalians including the inhibition of inflammation and the regulation of cell proliferation. There is also growing evidence that butyrate is influencing the histone structure in mammalian cells by inhibition of histone deacetylation. Butyrate shows furthermore an antimicrobial activity against fungi, yeast and bacteria, which is linked to its toxicity at a high concentration. In fungi there are indications that butyrate induces the production of secondary metabolites potentially via inhibition of histone deacetylases. However, information about the influence of butyrate on growth, primary metabolite production and metabolism, besides lipid catabolism, in fungi is scarce. We have identified the filamentous fungus Penicillium (P.) restrictum as a susceptible target for butyrate treatment in an antimicrobial activity screen. The antimicrobial activity was detected only in the mycelium of the butyrate treated culture. We investigated the effect of butyrate ranging from low (0.001mM) to high (30mM), potentially toxic, concentrations on biomass and antimicrobial activity. Butyrate at high concentrations (3 and 30mM) significantly reduced the fungal biomass. In contrast P. restrictum treated with 0.03mM of butyrate showed the highest antimicrobial activity. We isolated three antimicrobial active compounds, active against Staphylococcus aureus, from P. restrictum cellular extracts treated with butyrate: adenine, its derivate hypoxanthine and the nucleoside derivate adenosine. Production of all three compounds was increased at low butyrate concentrations. Furthermore we found that butyrate influences the intracellular level of the adenine nucleoside derivate cAMP, an important signalling molecule in fungi and various organisms. In conclusion butyrate treatment increases the intracellular levels of adenine and its respective derivatives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Adenine formation from adenosine by mycoplasmas: adenosine phosphorylase activity.

PubMed Central

Hatanaka, M; Del Giudice, R; Long, C

1975-01-01

Mammalian cells have enzymes to convert adenosine to inosine by deamination and inosine to hypoxanthine by phosphorolysis, but they do not possess the enzymes necessary to form the free base, adenine, from adenosine. Mycoplasmas grown in broth or in cell cultures can produce adenine from adenosine. This activity was detected in a variety of mycoplasmatales, and the enzyme was shown to be adenosine phosphorylase. Adenosine formation from adenine and ribose 1-phosphate, the reverse reaction of adenine formation from adenosine, was also observed with the mycoplasma enzyme. Adenosine phosphorylase is apparently common to the mycoplasmatales but it is not universal, and the organisms can be divided into three groups on the basis of their use of adenosine as substrate. Thirteen of 16 Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma, and Siroplasma species tested exhibit adenosine phosphorylase activity. M. lipophilium differed from the other mycoplasmas and shared with mammalian cells the ability to convert adenosine to inosine by deamination. M. pneumoniae and the unclassified M. sp. 70-159 showed no reaction with adenosine. Adenosine phosphorylase activity offers an additional method for the detection of mycoplasma contamination of cells. The patterns of nucleoside metabolism will provide additional characteristics for identification of mycoplasmas and also may provide new insight into the classification of mycoplasmas. PMID:236559

A disposable tear glucose biosensor--part 3: assessment of enzymatic specificity.

PubMed

Lan, Kenneth; McAferty, Kenyon; Shah, Pankti; Lieberman, Erica; Patel, Dharmendra R; Cook, Curtiss B; La Belle, Jeffrey T

2011-09-01

A concept for a tear glucose sensor based on amperometric measurement of enzymatic oxidation of glucose was previously presented, using glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide (GDH-FAD) as the enzyme. Glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide is further characterized in this article and evaluated for suitability in glucose-sensing applications in purified tear-like saline, with specific attention to the effect of interfering substances only. These interferents are specifically saccharides that could interact with the enzymatic activity seen in the sensor's performance. Bench top amperometric glucose assays were performed using an assay solution of GDH-FAD and ferricyanide redox mediator with samples of glucose, mannose, lactose, maltose, galactose, fructose, sucrose, and xylose at varying concentrations to evaluate specificity, linear dynamic range, signal size, and signal-to-noise ratio. A comparison study was done by substituting an equivalent activity unit concentration of glucose oxidase (GOx) for GDH-FAD. Glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide was found to be more sensitive than GOx, producing larger oxidation currents than GOx on an identical glucose concentration gradient, and GDH-FAD exhibited larger slope response (-5.65 × 10(-7) versus -3.11 × 10(-7) A/mM), signal-to-noise ratio (18.04 versus 2.62), and linear dynamic range (0-30 versus 0-10 mM), and lower background signal (-7.12 versus -261.63 nA) than GOx under the same assay conditions. GDH-FAD responds equally to glucose and xylose but is otherwise specific for glucose. Glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide compares favorably with GOx in many sensor-relevant attributes and may enable measurement of glucose concentrations both higher and lower than those measurable by GOx. GDH-FAD is a viable enzyme to use in the proposed amperometric tear glucose sensor system and perhaps also in detecting extreme hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia in blood. © 2011 Diabetes

A Disposable Tear Glucose Biosensor—Part 3: Assessment of Enzymatic Specificity

PubMed Central

Lan, Kenneth; McAferty, Kenyon; Shah, Pankti; Lieberman, Erica; Patel, Dharmendra R; Cook, Curtiss B; La Belle, Jeffrey T

2011-01-01

Background A concept for a tear glucose sensor based on amperometric measurement of enzymatic oxidation of glucose was previously presented, using glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide (GDH-FAD) as the enzyme. Glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide is further characterized in this article and evaluated for suitability in glucose-sensing applications in purified tear-like saline, with specific attention to the effect of interfering substances only. These interferents are specifically saccharides that could interact with the enzymatic activity seen in the sensor's performance. Methods Bench top amperometric glucose assays were performed using an assay solution of GDH-FAD and ferricyanide redox mediator with samples of glucose, mannose, lactose, maltose, galactose, fructose, sucrose, and xylose at varying concentrations to evaluate specificity, linear dynamic range, signal size, and signal-to-noise ratio. A comparison study was done by substituting an equivalent activity unit concentration of glucose oxidase (GOx) for GDH-FAD. Results Glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide was found to be more sensitive than GOx, producing larger oxidation currents than GOx on an identical glucose concentration gradient, and GDH-FAD exhibited larger slope response (-5.65 × 10-7 versus -3.11 × 10-7 A/mM), signal-to-noise ratio (18.04 versus 2.62), and linear dynamic range (0–30 versus 0–10 mM), and lower background signal (-7.12 versus -261.63 nA) than GOx under the same assay conditions. GDH-FAD responds equally to glucose and xylose but is otherwise specific for glucose. Conclusion Glucose dehydrogenase flavin adenine dinucleotide compares favorably with GOx in many sensor-relevant attributes and may enable measurement of glucose concentrations both higher and lower than those measurable by GOx. GDH-FAD is a viable enzyme to use in the proposed amperometric tear glucose sensor system and perhaps also in detecting extreme hypoglycemia or

Profiling Redox and Energy Coenzymes in Whole Blood, Tissue and Cells Using NMR Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Gowda, G A Nagana

2018-05-14

Coenzymes of cellular redox reactions and cellular energy, as well as antioxidants mediate biochemical reactions fundamental to the functioning of all living cells. Conventional analysis methods lack the opportunity to evaluate these important redox and energy coenzymes and antioxidants in a single step. Major coenzymes include redox coenzymes: NAD⁺ (oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), NADH (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), NADP⁺ (oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) and NADPH (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate); energy coenzymes: ATP (adenosine triphosphate), ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and AMP (adenosine monophosphate); and antioxidants: GSSG (oxidized glutathione) and GSH (reduced glutathione). We show here that a simple ¹H NMR experiment can measure these coenzymes and antioxidants in tissue and whole blood apart from a vast pool of other metabolites. In addition, focused on the goal of identification of coenzymes in subcellular fractions, we demonstrate analysis of coenzymes in the cytoplasm using breast cancer cells. Owing to their unstable nature, or low concentrations, most of the coenzymes either evade detection or lose their integrity when established sample preparation and analysis methods are used. To overcome this challenge, here we describe the development of new methods to detect these molecules without affecting the integrity of other metabolites. We used an array of 1D and 2D NMR methods, chemical shift databases, pH measurements and spiking with authentic compounds to establish the identity of peaks for the coenzymes and antioxidants in NMR spectra. Interestingly, while none of the coenzymes and antioxidants were detected in plasma, they were abundant in whole blood. Considering that the coenzymes and antioxidants represent a sensitive measure of human health and risk for numerous diseases, the presented NMR methods to measure them in one step potentially open new opportunities in the

Coding of Class I and II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

PubMed Central

Carter, Charles W.

2018-01-01

SUMMARY The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and their cognate transfer RNAs translate the universal genetic code. The twenty canonical amino acids are sufficiently diverse to create a selective advantage for dividing amino acid activation between two distinct, apparently unrelated superfamilies of synthetases, Class I amino acids being generally larger and less polar, Class II amino acids smaller and more polar. Biochemical, bioinformatic, and protein engineering experiments support the hypothesis that the two Classes descended from opposite strands of the same ancestral gene. Parallel experimental deconstructions of Class I and II synthetases reveal parallel losses in catalytic proficiency at two novel modular levels—protozymes and Urzymes—associated with the evolution of catalytic activity. Bi-directional coding supports an important unification of the proteome; affords a genetic relatedness metric—middle base-pairing frequencies in sense/antisense alignments—that probes more deeply into the evolutionary history of translation than do single multiple sequence alignments; and has facilitated the analysis of hitherto unknown coding relationships in tRNA sequences. Reconstruction of native synthetases by modular thermodynamic cycles facilitated by domain engineering emphasizes the subtlety associated with achieving high specificity, shedding new light on allosteric relationships in contemporary synthetases. Synthetase Urzyme structural biology suggests that they are catalytically active molten globules, broadening the potential manifold of polypeptide catalysts accessible to primitive genetic coding and motivating revisions of the origins of catalysis. Finally, bi-directional genetic coding of some of the oldest genes in the proteome places major limitations on the likelihood that any RNA World preceded the origins of coded proteins. PMID:28828732

Regulated capture by exosomes of mRNAs for cytoplasmic tRNA synthetases.

PubMed

Wang, Feng; Xu, Zhiwen; Zhou, Jie; Lo, Wing-Sze; Lau, Ching-Fun; Nangle, Leslie A; Yang, Xiang-Lei; Zhang, Mingjie; Schimmel, Paul

2013-10-11

Although tRNA synthetases are enzymes that catalyze the first step of translation in the cytoplasm, surprising functions unrelated to translation have been reported. These studies, and the demonstration of novel activities of splice variants, suggest a far broader reach of tRNA synthetases into cell biology than previously recognized. Here we show that mRNAs for most tRNA synthetases can be detected in exosomes. Also detected in exosomes was an mRNA encoding a unique splice variant that others had associated with prostate cancer. The exosomal mRNAs encoding the native synthetase and its cancer-associated splice variant could be translated in vitro and in mammalian cells into stable proteins. Other results showed that selection by exosomes of the splice variant mRNA could be regulated by an external stimulus. Thus, a broad and diverse regulated pool of tRNA synthetase-derived mRNAs is packaged for genetic exchange.

Multiple isotope effects with alternative dinucleotide substrates as a probe of the malic enzyme reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weiss, P.M.; Urbauer, J.L.; Cleland, W.W.

1991-06-11

Deuterium isotope effects and {sup 13}C isotope effects with deuterium- and protium-labeled malate have been obtained for both NAD- and NADP-malic enzymes by using a variety of alternative dinucleotide substrates. With nicotinamide-containing dinucleotides as the oxidizing substrate, the {sup 13}C effect decreases when deuterated malate is the substrate compared to the value obtained with protium-labeled malate. These data are consistent with a stepwise chemical mechanism in which hydride transfer precedes decarboxylation of the oxalacetate intermediate as previously proposed. When dinucleotide substrates such as thio-NAD, 3-nicotinamide rings are used, the {sup 13}C effect increases when deuterated malate is the substrate comparedmore » to the value obtained with protium-labeled malate. These data, at face value, are consistent with a change in mechanism from stepwise to concerted for the oxidative decarboxylation portion of the mechanism. However, the increase in the deuterium isotope effect from 1.5 to 3 with a concomitant decrease in the {sup 13}C isotope effect from 1.034 to 1.003 as the dinucleotide substrate is changed suggests that the reaction may still be stepwise with the non-nicotinamide dinucleotides. A more likely explanation is that a {beta}-secondary {sup 13}C isotope effect accompanies hydride transfer as a result of hyperconjugation of the {beta}-carboxyl of malate as the transition state for the hydride transfer step is approached.« less

Nicotinamide riboside kinase structures reveal new pathways to NAD+.

PubMed

Tempel, Wolfram; Rabeh, Wael M; Bogan, Katrina L; Belenky, Peter; Wojcik, Marzena; Seidle, Heather F; Nedyalkova, Lyudmila; Yang, Tianle; Sauve, Anthony A; Park, Hee-Won; Brenner, Charles

2007-10-02

The eukaryotic nicotinamide riboside kinase (Nrk) pathway, which is induced in response to nerve damage and promotes replicative life span in yeast, converts nicotinamide riboside to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) by phosphorylation and adenylylation. Crystal structures of human Nrk1 bound to nucleoside and nucleotide substrates and products revealed an enzyme structurally similar to Rossmann fold metabolite kinases and allowed the identification of active site residues, which were shown to be essential for human Nrk1 and Nrk2 activity in vivo. Although the structures account for the 500-fold discrimination between nicotinamide riboside and pyrimidine nucleosides, no enzyme feature was identified to recognize the distinctive carboxamide group of nicotinamide riboside. Indeed, nicotinic acid riboside is a specific substrate of human Nrk enzymes and is utilized in yeast in a novel biosynthetic pathway that depends on Nrk and NAD+ synthetase. Additionally, nicotinic acid riboside is utilized in vivo by Urh1, Pnp1, and Preiss-Handler salvage. Thus, crystal structures of Nrk1 led to the identification of new pathways to NAD+.

Was adenine the first purine?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, Alan W.; Bakker, C. G.

1989-01-01

Oligomerization of HCN (1 molar) in the presence of added formaldehyde (0.5 molar) produced an order of magnitude more 8-hydroxymethyladenine than adenine or any other biologically significant purine. This result suggests that on the prebiotic earth, nucleoside analogs may have been synthesized directly in more complex mixtures of HCN with other aldehydes.

Singlet Oxygen Generation by UVA Light Exposure of Endogenous Photosensitizers

PubMed Central

Baier, Jürgen; Maisch, Tim; Maier, Max; Engel, Eva; Landthaler, Michael; Bäumler, Wolfgang

2006-01-01

UVA light (320–400 nm) has been shown to produce deleterious biological effects in tissue due to the generation of singlet oxygen by substances like flavins or urocanic acid. Riboflavin, flavin mononucleotide (FMN), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), urocanic acid, or cholesterol in solution were excited at 355 nm. Singlet oxygen was directly detected by time-resolved measurement of its luminescence at 1270 nm. NAD, NADP, and cholesterol showed no luminescence signal possibly due to the very low absorption coefficient at 355 nm. Singlet oxygen luminescence of urocanic acid was clearly detected but the signal was too weak to quantify a quantum yield. The quantum yield of singlet oxygen was precisely determined for riboflavin (ΦΔ = 0.54 ± 0.07), FMN (ΦΔ = 0.51 ± 0.07), and FAD (ΦΔ = 0.07 ± 0.02). In aerated solution, riboflavin and FMN generate more singlet oxygen than exogenous photosensitizers such as Photofrin, which are applied in photodynamic therapy to kill cancer cells. With decreasing oxygen concentration, the quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation decreased, which must be considered when assessing the role of singlet oxygen at low oxygen concentrations (inside tissue). PMID:16751234

Rational design of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase specific for p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine.

PubMed

Sun, Renhua; Zheng, Heng; Fang, Zhengzhi; Yao, Wenbing

2010-01-01

The Methanococcus jannaschii tRNA(Tyr)/tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase pair has been engineered to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in Escherichia coli site-specifically. In order to add other unnatural amino acids into proteins by this approach, the amino acid binding site of M. jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase need to be mutated. The crystal structures of M. jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and its mutations were determined, which provided an opportunity to design aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases specific for other unnatural amino acids. In our study, we attempted to design aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases being able to deliver p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine into proteins. p-Acetyl-L-phenylalanine was superimposed on tyrosyl in M. jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase-tyrosine complex. Tyr32 needed to be changed to non-polar amino acid with shorter side chain, Val, Leu, Ile, Gly or Ala, in order to reduce steric clash and provide hydrophobic environment to acetyl on p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine. Asp158 and Ile159 would be changed to specific amino acids for the same reason. So we designed 60 aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Binding of these aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases with p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine indicated that only 15 of them turned out to be able to bind p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine with reasonable poses. Binding affinity computation proved that the mutation of Tyr32Leu and Asp158Gly benefited p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine binding. And two of the designed aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases had considerable binding affinities. They seemed to be very promising to be able to incorporate p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine into proteins in E. coli. The results show that the combination of homology modeling and molecular docking is a feasible method to filter inappropriate mutations in molecular design and point out beneficial mutations. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sequencing of adenine in DNA by scanning tunneling microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Taniguchi, Masateru

2017-08-01

The development of DNA sequencing technology utilizing the detection of a tunnel current is important for next-generation sequencer technologies based on single-molecule analysis technology. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, we previously reported that dI/dV measurements and dI/dV mapping revealed that the guanine base (purine base) of DNA adsorbed onto the Cu(111) surface has a characteristic peak at V s = -1.6 V. If, in addition to guanine, the other purine base of DNA, namely, adenine, can be distinguished, then by reading all the purine bases of each single strand of a DNA double helix, the entire base sequence of the original double helix can be determined due to the complementarity of the DNA base pair. Therefore, the ability to read adenine is important from the viewpoint of sequencing. Here, we report on the identification of adenine by STM topographic and spectroscopic measurements using a synthetic DNA oligomer and viral DNA.

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from Rhodobacter capsulatus; the H+/H- ratio and the activation state of the enzyme during reduction of acetyl pyridine adenine dinucleotide.

PubMed

Palmer, T; Jackson, J B

1992-02-21

Chromatophores from Rhodobacter capsulatus were incubated in the dark with NADPH and acetylpyridineadenine dinucleotide (AcPdAD+) in the presence of different concentrations of myxothiazol. The transhydrogenase activity was monitored until an appropriate mass action ratio, [AcPdAD+][NADPH]/[AcPdADH][NADP+], was reached. The sample was then illuminated and the initial rate of either AcPdAD+ reduction by NADPH or AcPdADH oxidation by NADP+ was recorded. The ratio of H+ translocated per H- equivalent transferred by transhydrogenase was calculated from the value of the membrane potential (delta pH = 0) at which illumination caused no net reaction in either direction. The mean value for the H+/H- ratio was 0.55. At greater values of [AcPdAD+][NADPH]/[AcPdADH][NADP+] than were employed in the above experiments and over a wider range of concentrations of myxothiazol, it was found that incremental increases in the membrane potential always gave rise to a decrease, never an increase in the rate of AcPdAD+ reduction. In contrast to the H(+)-ATP synthase, there is no evidence of any activation/deactivation of H(+)-transhydrogenase by the protonmotive force.

Genetic and Immunological Studies of Bacteriophage T4 Thymidylate Synthetase

PubMed Central

Krauss, S. W.; Stollar, B. D.; Friedkin, M.

1973-01-01

Thymidylate synthetase, which appears after infection of Escherichia coli with bacteriophage T4, has been partially purified. The phage enzyme is immunologically distinct from the host enzyme and has a molecular weight of 50,000 in comparison to 68,000 for the host enzyme. A system has been developed to characterize T4 td mutants previously known to have impaired expression of phage thymidylate synthetase. For this system, an E. coli host lacking thymidylate synthetase was isolated. Known genetic suppressors were transduced into this host. The resulting isogenic hosts were infected with phage T4 td mutants. The specific activities and amounts of cross-reacting material induced by several different types of phage mutants under conditions of suppression or non-suppression have been examined. The results show that the phage carries the structural gene specifying the thymidylate synthetase which appears after phage infection, and that the combination of plaque morphology, enzyme activity assays, and an assay for immunologically cross-reacting material provides a means for identifying true amber mutants of the phage gene. Images PMID:4575286

Genetic Validation of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases as Drug Targets in Trypanosoma brucei

PubMed Central

Kalidas, Savitha; Cestari, Igor; Monnerat, Severine; Li, Qiong; Regmi, Sandesh; Hasle, Nicholas; Labaied, Mehdi; Parsons, Marilyn; Stuart, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is an important public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa. Current drugs are unsatisfactory, and new drugs are being sought. Few validated enzyme targets are available to support drug discovery efforts, so our goal was to obtain essentiality data on genes with proven utility as drug targets. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are known drug targets for bacterial and fungal pathogens and are required for protein synthesis. Here we survey the essentiality of eight Trypanosoma brucei aaRSs by RNA interference (RNAi) gene expression knockdown, covering an enzyme from each major aaRS class: valyl-tRNA synthetase (ValRS) (class Ia), tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS-1) (class Ib), arginyl-tRNA synthetase (ArgRS) (class Ic), glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) (class 1c), threonyl-tRNA synthetase (ThrRS) (class IIa), asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS) (class IIb), and phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (α and β) (PheRS) (class IIc). Knockdown of mRNA encoding these enzymes in T. brucei mammalian stage parasites showed that all were essential for parasite growth and survival in vitro. The reduced expression resulted in growth, morphological, cell cycle, and DNA content abnormalities. ThrRS was characterized in greater detail, showing that the purified recombinant enzyme displayed ThrRS activity and that the protein localized to both the cytosol and mitochondrion. Borrelidin, a known inhibitor of ThrRS, was an inhibitor of T. brucei ThrRS and showed antitrypanosomal activity. The data show that aaRSs are essential for T. brucei survival and are likely to be excellent targets for drug discovery efforts. PMID:24562907

When contemporary aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases invent their cognate amino acid metabolism

PubMed Central

Roy, Hervé; Becker, Hubert Dominique; Reinbolt, Joseph; Kern, Daniel

2003-01-01

Faithful protein synthesis relies on a family of essential enzymes called aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, assembled in a piecewise fashion. Analysis of the completed archaeal genomes reveals that all archaea that possess asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS) also display a second ORF encoding an AsnRS truncated from its anticodon binding-domain (AsnRS2). We show herein that Pyrococcus abyssi AsnRS2, in contrast to AsnRS, does not sustain asparaginyl-tRNAAsn synthesis but is instead capable of converting aspartic acid into asparagine. Functional analysis and complementation of an Escherichia coli asparagine auxotrophic strain show that AsnRS2 constitutes the archaeal homologue of the bacterial ammonia-dependent asparagine synthetase A (AS-A), therefore named archaeal asparagine synthetase A (AS-AR). Primary sequence- and 3D-based phylogeny shows that an archaeal AspRS ancestor originated AS-AR, which was subsequently transferred into bacteria by lateral gene transfer in which it underwent structural changes producing AS-A. This study provides evidence that a contemporary aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase can be recruited to sustain amino acid metabolism. PMID:12874385

Stability Characteristics of "Aerobic" Acetyl-CoA Synthetase of Yeast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Satyanarayana, T.; Klein, Harold P.

1976-01-01

During the purification of the "aerobic" acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, strain LK2Gl2, it was noted that stronge at 4 C resulted in the loss of enzyme activity within 24 hr. Similar losses were observed during column chromatography. Addition of boiled extracts from either aerobic or anerobic cells completely prevents this. The stabilizing factor (SF) in these extracts is non-dialyzable and organic in nature. SF is excluded on G-25 and G-50 Sephadex columns and is slightly retarded on G-75 columns. On G-100 columns, SF elutes as a peak exactly coincident with that of cytochrome c, indicating a molecular weight of 13,000. SF activity was not destroyed by Pronase treatment, was adsorbed onto Norite, and absorbed in the UV with a single maximum at 260 nm. The action of SF could be replaced by a number of nucleotides. At 0.01 M, the order of effectiveness was: ATP>ADP>AMP>GTP>CTP>/=UTP>XTP. Even at 2 x 10(exp -4) M, ATP and ADP, but not AMP, cyclic AMP, adenosine or adenine, were effective in stabilizing this ACS. The mechanism of stabilization by ATP and AMP appears to be the same, since AMP competitively inhibited the ACS with respect to ATP in in vitro assays, while ADP gave a mixed type of inhibition, thus indicating a different mechanism. ACS from nonaerobic cells is also unstable in the absence of SF but, unlike aerobic ACS, is not affected by ATP or other nucleotides.

Peptide Synthetase Gene in Trichoderma virens

PubMed Central

Wilhite, S. E.; Lumsden, R. D.; Straney, D. C.

2001-01-01

Trichoderma virens (synonym, Gliocladium virens), a deuteromycete fungus, suppresses soilborne plant diseases caused by a number of fungi and is used as a biocontrol agent. Several traits that may contribute to the antagonistic interactions of T. virens with disease-causing fungi involve the production of peptide metabolites (e.g., the antibiotic gliotoxin and siderophores used for iron acquisition). We cloned a 5,056-bp partial cDNA encoding a putative peptide synthetase (Psy1) from T. virens using conserved motifs found within the adenylate domain of peptide synthetases. Sequence similarities with conserved motifs of the adenylation domain, acyl transfer, and two condensation domains support identification of the Psy1 gene as a gene that encodes a peptide synthetase. Disruption of the native Psy1 gene through gene replacement was used to identify the function of this gene. Psy1 disruptants produced normal amounts of gliotoxin but grew poorly under low-iron conditions, suggesting that Psy1 plays a role in siderophore production. Psy1 disruptants cannot produce the major T. virens siderophore dimerum acid, a dipetide of acylated Nδ-hydroxyornithine. Biocontrol activity against damping-off diseases caused by Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani was not reduced by the Psy1 disruption, suggesting that iron competition through dimerum acid production does not contribute significantly to disease suppression activity under the conditions used. PMID:11679326

Glutamate-Dependent Translational Control of Glutamine Synthetase in Bergmann Glia Cells.

PubMed

Tiburcio-Félix, Reynaldo; Escalante-López, Miguel; López-Bayghen, Bruno; Martínez, Daniel; Hernández-Kelly, Luisa C; Zinker, Samuel; Hernández-Melchor, Dinorah; López-Bayghen, Esther; Olivares-Bañuelos, Tatiana N; Ortega, Arturo

2018-06-01

Glutamate is the major excitatory transmitter of the vertebrate brain. It exerts its actions through the activation of specific plasma membrane receptors expressed both in neurons and in glial cells. Recent evidence has shown that glutamate uptake systems, particularly enriched in glia cells, trigger biochemical cascades in a similar fashion as receptors. A tight regulation of glutamate extracellular levels prevents neuronal overstimulation and cell death, and it is critically involved in glutamate turnover. Glial glutamate transporters are responsible of the majority of the brain glutamate uptake activity. Once internalized, this excitatory amino acid is rapidly metabolized to glutamine via the astrocyte-enriched enzyme glutamine synthetase. A coupling between glutamate uptake and glutamine synthesis and release has been commonly known as the glutamate/glutamine shuttle. Taking advantage of the established model of cultured Bergmann glia cells, in this contribution, we explored the gene expression regulation of glutamine synthetase. A time- and dose-dependent regulation of glutamine synthetase protein and activity levels was found. Moreover, glutamate exposure resulted in the transient shift of glutamine synthetase mRNA from the monosomal to the polysomal fraction. These results demonstrate a novel mode of glutamate-dependent glutamine synthetase regulation and strengthen the notion of an exquisite glia neuronal interaction in glutamatergic synapses.

Genetics Home Reference: holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency

MedlinePlus

... holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency Orphanet: Multiple carboxylase deficiency Screening, Technology, and Research in Genetics Virginia Department of Health (PDF) Patient Support and Advocacy Resources (3 links) Children Living with Inherited Metabolic Diseases Organic Acidemia Association ...

Nucleotide synthetase ribozymes may have emerged first in the RNA world

PubMed Central

Ma, Wentao; Yu, Chunwu; Zhang, Wentao; Hu, Jiming

2007-01-01

Though the “RNA world” hypothesis has gained a central role in ideas concerning the origin of life, the scenario concerning its emergence remains uncertain. It has been speculated that the first scene may have been the emergence of a template-dependent RNA synthetase ribozyme, which catalyzed its own replication: thus, “RNA replicase.” However, the speculation remains uncertain, primarily because of the large sequence length requirement of such a replicase and the lack of a convincing mechanism to ensure its self-favoring features. Instead, we propose a nucleotide synthetase ribozyme as an alternative candidate, especially considering recent experimental evidence suggesting the possibility of effective nonenzymatic template-directed synthesis of RNA. A computer simulation was conducted to support our proposal. The conditions for the emergence of the nucleotide synthetase ribozyme are discussed, based on dynamic analysis on a computer. We suggest the template-dependent RNA synthetase ribozyme emerged later, perhaps after the emergence of protocells. PMID:17878321

Electron transfer driven decomposition of adenine and selected analogs as probed by experimental and theoretical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunha, T.; Mendes, M.; Ferreira da Silva, F.; Eden, S.; García, G.; Bacchus-Montabonel, M.-C.; Limão-Vieira, P.

2018-04-01

We report on a combined experimental and theoretical study of electron-transfer-induced decomposition of adenine (Ad) and a selection of analog molecules in collisions with potassium (K) atoms. Time-of-flight negative ion mass spectra have been obtained in a wide collision energy range (6-68 eV in the centre-of-mass frame), providing a comprehensive investigation of the fragmentation patterns of purine (Pu), adenine (Ad), 9-methyl adenine (9-mAd), 6-dimethyl adenine (6-dimAd), and 2-D adenine (2-DAd). Following our recent communication about selective hydrogen loss from the transient negative ions (TNIs) produced in these collisions [T. Cunha et al., J. Chem. Phys. 148, 021101 (2018)], this work focuses on the production of smaller fragment anions. In the low-energy part of the present range, several dissociation channels that are accessible in free electron attachment experiments are absent from the present mass spectra, notably NH2 loss from adenine and 9-methyl adenine. This can be understood in terms of a relatively long transit time of the K+ cation in the vicinity of the TNI tending to enhance the likelihood of intramolecular electron transfer. In this case, the excess energy can be redistributed through the available degrees of freedom inhibiting fragmentation pathways. Ab initio theoretical calculations were performed for 9-methyl adenine (9-mAd) and adenine (Ad) in the presence of a potassium atom and provided a strong basis for the assignment of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals accessed in the collision process.

Orthogonal use of a human tRNA synthetase active site to achieve multifunctionality.

PubMed

Zhou, Quansheng; Kapoor, Mili; Guo, Min; Belani, Rajesh; Xu, Xiaoling; Kiosses, William B; Hanan, Melanie; Park, Chulho; Armour, Eva; Do, Minh-Ha; Nangle, Leslie A; Schimmel, Paul; Yang, Xiang-Lei

2010-01-01

Protein multifunctionality is an emerging explanation for the complexity of higher organisms. In this regard, aminoacyl tRNA synthetases catalyze amino acid activation for protein synthesis, but some also act in pathways for inflammation, angiogenesis and apoptosis. It is unclear how these multiple functions evolved and how they relate to the active site. Here structural modeling analysis, mutagenesis and cell-based functional studies show that the potent angiostatic, natural fragment of human tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS) associates via tryptophan side chains that protrude from its cognate cellular receptor vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin). VE-cadherin's tryptophan side chains fit into the tryptophan-specific active site of the synthetase. Thus, specific side chains of the receptor mimic amino acid substrates and expand the functionality of the active site of the synthetase. We propose that orthogonal use of the same active site may be a general way to develop multifunctionality of human tRNA synthetases and other proteins.

Structural control of caspase-generated glutamyl-tRNA synthetase by appended noncatalytic WHEP domains.

PubMed

Halawani, Dalia; Gogonea, Valentin; DiDonato, Joseph A; Pipich, Vitaliy; Yao, Peng; China, Arnab; Topbas, Celalettin; Vasu, Kommireddy; Arif, Abul; Hazen, Stanley L; Fox, Paul L

2018-06-08

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are ubiquitous, evolutionarily conserved enzymes catalyzing the conjugation of amino acids onto cognate tRNAs. During eukaryotic evolution, tRNA synthetases have been the targets of persistent structural modifications. These modifications can be additive, as in the evolutionary acquisition of noncatalytic domains, or subtractive, as in the generation of truncated variants through regulated mechanisms such as proteolytic processing, alternative splicing, or coding region polyadenylation. A unique variant is the human glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS) consisting of two fused synthetases joined by a linker containing three copies of the WHEP domain (termed by its presence in tryptophanyl-, histidyl-, and glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetases). Here, we identify site-selective proteolysis as a mechanism that severs the linkage between the EPRS synthetases in vitro and in vivo Caspase action targeted Asp-929 in the third WHEP domain, thereby separating the two synthetases. Using a neoepitope antibody directed against the newly exposed C terminus, we demonstrate EPRS cleavage at Asp-929 in vitro and in vivo Biochemical and biophysical characterizations of the N-terminally generated EPRS proteoform containing the glutamyl-tRNA synthetase and most of the linker, including two WHEP domains, combined with structural analysis by small-angle neutron scattering, revealed a role for the WHEP domains in modulating conformations of the catalytic core and GSH- S -transferase-C-terminal-like (GST-C) domain. WHEP-driven conformational rearrangement altered GST-C domain interactions and conferred distinct oligomeric states in solution. Collectively, our results reveal long-range conformational changes imposed by the WHEP domains and illustrate how noncatalytic domains can modulate the global structure of tRNA synthetases in complex eukaryotic systems. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Treatment of renal colic by prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors and avafortan (analgesic antispasmodic).

PubMed

el-Sherif, A E; Foda, R; Norlen, L J; Yahia, H

1990-12-01

In a study of the pain-relieving effect of 3 drugs commonly used to treat acute renal colic in this hospital, intravenous indomethacin and intramuscular diclofenac (prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors) were compared with intravenous Avafortan (analgesic antispasmodic). As first-line analgesics, prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors, if given intravenously, offer an effective alternative to Avafortan. Of 145 patients studied, 32 required a second injection for complete relief of pain. Administering a second dose of prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors resulted in equally significant pain relief rate even though the route was intramuscular.

Transformation by Complementation of an Adenine Auxotroph of the Lignin-Degrading Basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

PubMed Central

Alic, Margaret; Kornegay, Janet R.; Pribnow, David; Gold, Michael H.

1989-01-01

Swollen basidiospores of an adenine auxotroph of Phanerochaete chrysosporium were protoplasted with Novozyme 234 and transformed to prototrophy by using a plasmid containing the gene for an adenine biosynthetic enzyme from Schizophyllum commune. Transformation frequencies of 100 transformants per μg of DNA were obtained. Southern blot analysis of DNA extracted from transformants demonstrated that plasmid DNA was integrated into the chromosomal DNA in multiple tandem copies. Analysis of conidia and basidiospores from transformants demonstrated that the transforming character was mitotically and meiotically stable on both selective and nonselective media. Genetic crosses between double mutants transformed for adenine prototrophy and other auxotrophic strains yielded Ade− progeny, which indicated that integration occurred at a site(s) other than the resident adenine biosynthetic gene. Images PMID:16347848

A mutational analysis of U12-dependent splice site dinucleotides

PubMed Central

DIETRICH, ROSEMARY C.; FULLER, JOHN D.; PADGETT, RICHARD A.

2005-01-01

Introns spliced by the U12-dependent minor spliceosome are divided into two classes based on their splice site dinucleotides. The /AU-AC/ class accounts for about one-third of U12-dependent introns in humans, while the /GU-AG/ class accounts for the other two-thirds. We have investigated the in vivo and in vitro splicing phenotypes of mutations in these dinucleotide sequences. A 5′ A residue can splice to any 3′ residue, although C is preferred. A 5′ G residue can splice to 3′ G or U residues with a preference for G. Little or no splicing was observed to 3′ A or C residues. A 5′ U or C residue is highly deleterious for U12-dependent splicing, although some combinations, notably 5′ U to 3′ U produced detectable spliced products. The dependence of 3′ splice site activity on the identity of the 5′ residue provides evidence for communication between the first and last nucleotides of the intron. Most mutants in the second position of the 5′ splice site and the next to last position of the 3′ splice site were defective for splicing. Double mutants of these residues showed no evidence of communication between these nucleotides. Varying the distance between the branch site and the 3′ splice site dinucleotide in the /GU-AG/ class showed that a somewhat larger range of distances was functional than for the /AU-AC/ class. The optimum branch site to 3′ splice site distance of 11–12 nucleotides appears to be the same for both classes. PMID:16043500

Computational Insights into the High-Fidelity Catalysis of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aboelnga, Mohamed M.

Obtaining insights into the catalytic function of enzymes is an important area of research due to their widespread applications in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Among these enzymes, the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are known for their remarkable fidelity in catalyzing the aminoacylation reactions of tRNA in protein biosynthesis. Despite the exceptional execution of this critical function, mechanistic details of the reactions catalyzed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases remain elusive demonstrating the obvious need to explore their remarkable chemistry. During the PhD studies reported in this thesis the mechanism of aminoacylation, pre?transfer editing and post?transfer editing catalyzed by different aaRS have been established using multi-scale computational enzymology. In the first two chapters a detailed information about aaRS and the addressed questions was given in addition to an overview of the used computational methodology currently used to investigate the enzymatic mechanisms. The aminoacylation mechanism of threonine by Threonyl-tRNA synthetases, glutamine by Glutaminyl-tRNA synthetases and glutamate by Glutamyl-tRNA synthetases have been clearly unveiled in chapter 3 and 4. Also, valuable information regarding the role of cofactors and active site residues has been obtained. While investigating the post-transfer editing mechanisms, which proceed in a remote and distinct active site, two different scenarios were experimentally suggested for two types of threonyl-tRNA synthetase species to correct the misacylation of the structurally related serine. We explored these two mechanisms as in chapters 5 and 6. Moreover, the synthetic site in which the aminoacylation reaction is catalyzed, is also responsible for a second type of proofreading reaction called pre-transfer editing mechanism. In chapter 7, this latter mechanism has been elucidated for both Seryl-tRNA synthetases and Isoleucyl-tRNA synthetases against their non-cognate substrates

Differential inhibition of adenylylated and deadenylylated forms of M. tuberculosis glutamine synthetase as a drug discovery platform

PubMed Central

Theron, A.; Roth, R. L.; Hoppe, H.; Parkinson, C.; van der Westhuyzen, C. W.; Stoychev, S.; Wiid, I.; Pietersen, R. D.; Baker, B.

2017-01-01

Glutamine synthetase is a ubiquitous central enzyme in nitrogen metabolism that is controlled by up to four regulatory mechanisms, including adenylylation of some or all of the twelve subunits by adenylyl transferase. It is considered a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of tuberculosis, being essential for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and is found extracellularly only in the pathogenic Mycobacterium strains. Human glutamine synthetase is not regulated by the adenylylation mechanism, so the adenylylated form of bacterial glutamine synthetase is of particular interest. Previously published reports show that, when M. tuberculosis glutamine synthetase is expressed in Escherichia coli, the E. coli adenylyl transferase does not optimally adenylylate the M. tuberculosis glutamine synthetase. Here, we demonstrate the production of soluble adenylylated M. tuberulosis glutamine synthetase in E. coli by the co-expression of M. tuberculosis glutamine synthetase and M. tuberculosis adenylyl transferase. The differential inhibition of adenylylated M. tuberulosis glutamine synthetase and deadenylylated M. tuberulosis glutamine synthetase by ATP based scaffold inhibitors are reported. Compounds selected on the basis of their enzyme inhibition were also shown to inhibit M. tuberculosis in the BACTEC 460TB™ assay as well as the intracellular inhibition of M. tuberculosis in a mouse bone-marrow derived macrophage assay. PMID:28972974

TRAF6-Mediated SM22α K21 Ubiquitination Promotes G6PD Activation and NADPH Production, Contributing to GSH Homeostasis and VSMC Survival In Vitro and In Vivo.

PubMed

Dong, Li-Hua; Li, Liang; Song, Yu; Duan, Zhi-Li; Sun, Shao-Guang; Lin, Yan-Ling; Miao, Sui-Bing; Yin, Ya-Juan; Shu, Ya-Nan; Li, Huan; Chen, Peng; Zhao, Li-Li; Han, Mei

2015-09-25

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) survival under stressful conditions is integral to promoting vascular repair, but facilitates plaque stability during the development of atherosclerosis. The cytoskeleton-associated smooth muscle (SM) 22α protein is involved in the regulation of VSMC phenotypes, whereas the pentose phosphate pathway plays an essential role in cell proliferation through the production of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. To identify the relationship between dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate production and SM22α activity in the development and progression of vascular diseases. We showed that the expression and activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) are promoted in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferative VSMCs. PDGF-BB induced G6PD membrane translocation and activation in an SM22α K21 ubiquitination-dependent manner. Specifically, the ubiquitinated SM22α interacted with G6PD and mediated G6PD membrane translocation. Furthermore, we found that tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF) 6 mediated SM22α K21 ubiquitination in a K63-linked manner on PDGF-BB stimulation. Knockdown of TRAF6 decreased the membrane translocation and activity of G6PD, in parallel with reduced SM22α K21 ubiquitination. Elevated levels of activated G6PD consequent to PDGF-BB induction led to increased dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate generation through stimulation of the pentose phosphate pathway, which enhanced VSMC viability and reduced apoptosis in vivo and in vitro via glutathione homeostasis. We provide evidence that TRAF6-induced SM22α ubiquitination maintains VSMC survival through increased G6PD activity and dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate production. The TRAF6-SM22α-G6PD pathway is a novel mechanism underlying the association between glucose metabolism and VSMC survival, which is beneficial for vascular repair after injury but facilitates

Transformation by complementation of an adenine auxotroph of the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alic, M.; Kornegay, J.R.; Pribnow, D.

1989-02-01

Swollen basiodiospores of an adenine auxotroph of Phanerochaete chrysosporium were protoplasted with Novozyme 234 and transformed to prototrophy by using a plasmid containing the gene for an adenine biosynthetic enzyme from Schizophyllum commune. Transformation frequencies of 100 transformants per {mu}g of DNA were obtained. Southern blot analysis of DNA extracted from transformants demonstrated that plasmid DNA was integrated into the chromosomal DNA in multiple tandem copies. Analysis of conidia and basiodiospores from transformants demonstrated that the transforming character was mitotically and meiotically stable on both selective and nonselective media. Genetic crosses between double mutants transformed for adenine prototrophy and othermore » auxotrophic strains yielded Ade{sup {minus}} progeny, which indicated that integration occurred at a site(s) other than the resident adenine biosynthetic gene.« less

A 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase mediates non-ribosomal peptide synthetase activation in Aspergillus fumigatus.

PubMed

Neville, Claire; Murphy, Alan; Kavanagh, Kevin; Doyle, Sean

2005-04-01

Aspergillus fumigatus is a significant human pathogen. Non-ribosomal peptide (NRP) synthesis is thought to be responsible for a significant proportion of toxin and siderophore production in the organism. Furthermore, it has been shown that 4'-phosphopantetheinylation is required for the activation of key enzymes involved in non-ribosomal peptide synthesis in other species. Here we report the cloning, recombinant expression and functional characterisation of a 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase from A. fumigatus and the identification of an atypical NRP synthetase (Afpes1), spanning 14.3 kb. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that the NRP synthetase exhibits greatest identity to NRP synthetases from Metarhizium anisolpiae (PesA) and Alternaria brassicae (AbrePsy1). Northern hybridisation and RT-PCR analysis have confirmed that both genes are expressed in A. fumigatus. A 120 kDa fragment of the A. fumigatus NRP synthetase, containing a putative thiolation domain, was cloned and expressed in the baculovirus expression system. Detection of a 4'-phosphopantetheinylated peptide (SFSAMK) from this protein, by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis after coincubation of the 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase with the recombinant NRP synthetase fragment and acetyl CoA, confirms that it is competent to play a role in NRP synthetase activation in A. fumigatus. The 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase also activates, by 4'-phosphopantetheinylation, recombinant alpha-aminoadipate reductase (Lys2p) from Candida albicans, a key enzyme involved in lysine biosynthesis.

Orofacial inflammatory pain affects the expression of MT1 and NADPH-d in rat caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus and trigeminal ganglion

PubMed Central

Huang, Fang; He, Hongwen; Fan, Wenguo; Liu, Yongliang; Zhou, Hongyu; Cheng, Bin

2013-01-01

Very little is known about the role of melatonin in the trigeminal system, including the function of melatonin receptor 1. In the present study, adult rats were injected with formaldehyde into the right vibrissae pad to establish a model of orofacial inflammatory pain. The distribution of melatonin receptor 1 and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase in the caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus and trigeminal ganglion was determined with immunohistochemistry and histochemistry. The results show that there are significant differences in melatonin receptor 1 expression and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase expression in the trigeminal ganglia and caudal spinal nucleus during the early stage of orofacial inflammatory pain. Our findings suggest that when melatonin receptor 1 expression in the caudal spinal nucleus is significantly reduced, melatonin's regulatory effect on pain is attenuated. PMID:25206619

Novel electrochemical sensor based on functionalized graphene for simultaneous determination of adenine and guanine in DNA.

PubMed

Huang, Ke-Jing; Niu, De-Jun; Sun, Jun-Yong; Han, Cong-Hui; Wu, Zhi-Wei; Li, Yan-Li; Xiong, Xiao-Qin

2011-02-01

A nano-material carboxylic acid functionalized graphene (graphene-COOH) was prepared and used to construct a novel biosensor for the simultaneous detection of adenine and guanine. The direct electrooxidation behaviors of adenine and guanine on the graphene-COOH modified glassy carbon electrode (graphene-COOH/GCE) were carefully investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The results indicated that both adenine and guanine showed the increase of the oxidation peak currents with the negative shift of the oxidation peak potentials in contrast to that on the bare glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical parameters of adenine and guanine on the graphene-COOH/GCE were calculated and a simple and reliable electroanalytical method was developed for the detection of adenine and guanine, respectively. The modified electrode exhibited good behaviors in the simultaneous detection of adenine and guanine with the peak separation as 0.334V. The detection limit for individual determination of guanine and adenine was 5.0×10(-8)M and 2.5×10(-8)M (S/N=3), respectively. Furthermore, the measurements of thermally denatured single-stranded DNA were carried out and the value of (G+C)/(A+T) of single-stranded DNA was calculated as 0.80. The biosensor exhibited some advantages, such as simplicity, rapidity, high sensitivity, good reproducibility and long-term stability. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of adenine based on the fluorescence recovery of the L-Tryptophan-Cu(2+) complex.

PubMed

Duan, Ruilin; Li, Chunyan; Liu, Shaopu; Liu, Zhongfang; Li, Yuanfang; Yuan, Yusheng; Hu, Xiaoli

2016-01-05

A simple and sensitive method for determination of adenine was developed based on fluorescence quenching and recovery of L-Tryptophan (L-Trp). The fluorescence of L-Trp could efficiently quenched by copper ion compared with other common metal ions. Upon addition of adenine (Ade) in L-Trp-Cu(II) system, the fluorescence was reoccurred. Under the optimum conditions, the recovery fluorescence intensity was linearly correlated with the concentration of adenine in the range from 0.34 to 25.0μmolL(-1), with a correlation coefficient (R(2)) of 0.9994. The detection limit (3σ/k) was 0.046μmolL(-1), indicating that this method could applied to detect trace adenine. In this study, amino acids including L-Trp, D-Trp, L-Tyr, D-Tyr, L-Phe, D-Phe were investigated and only L-Trp could well chelated copper ion. Additionally, the mechanism of quench and recovery also were discussed and the method was successfully applied to detect the adenine in DNA with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Site-directed mutagenesis reveals transition-state stabilization as a general catalytic mechanism for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.

PubMed

Borgford, T J; Gray, T E; Brand, N J; Fersht, A R

1987-11-17

Some aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases of almost negligible homology do have a small region of similarity around four-residue sequence His-Ile(or Leu or Met)-Gly-His(or Asn), the HIGH sequence. The first histidine in this sequence in the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, His-45, has been shown to form part of a binding site for the gamma-phosphate of ATP in the transition state for the reaction as does Thr-40. Residue His-56 in the valyl-tRNA synthetase begins a HIGH sequence, and there is a threonine at position 52, one position closer to the histidine than in the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase. The mutants Thr----Ala-52 and His----Asn-56 have been made and their complete free energy profiles for the formation of valyl adenylate determined. Difference energy diagrams have been constructed by comparison with the reaction of wild-type enzyme. The difference energy profiles are very similar to those for the mutants Thr----Ala-40 and His----Asn-45 of the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase. Thr-52 and His-56 of the valyl-tRNA synthetase contribute little binding energy to valine, ATP, and Val-AMP. Instead, the wild-type enzyme binds the transition state and pyrophosphate some 6 kcal/mol more tightly than do the mutants. Preferential transition-state stabilization is thus an important component of catalysis by the valyl-tRNA synthetase. Further, by analogy to the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, the valyl-tRNA synthetase has a binding site for the gamma-phosphate of ATP in the transition state, and this is likely to be a general feature of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases that have a HIGH region.

Preparation and storage of isotopically labeled reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Northrop, D.B.; Duggleby, R.G.

1987-09-01

A method for obtaining highly purified NADH in a dry, solid, and stable form is described. The method involves improvements of the ion-exchange and reversed-phase chromatographic procedures of C. J. Newton and S. M. Faynor, and D. B. Northrop. The necessary time to prepare pure NADH has been reduced to a few hours. The final product, obtained by drying the nucleotide from absolute ethanol, shows no detectable decomposition either during the drying procedure or during storage under nitrogen gas at -20 degrees C for several months. Using dry product prepared from fixed volumes of ethanolic solution, standardized solutions of knownmore » amounts of the highly purified and stored NADH can be obtained in a few seconds.« less

Pseudouridylate Synthetase of Escherichia coli: a Catabolite-Repressible Enzyme

PubMed Central

Solomon, L. R.; Breitman, T. R.

1971-01-01

The growth on pseudouridine of two pyrimidine auxotrophs of Escherichia coli (Bu− and W63-86) was markedly enhanced when glycerol replaced glucose as a carbon source or when adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphoric acid was added to medium containing glucose. These results indicated that an enzyme catalyzing a reaction in the pathway of pseudouridine conversion to uracil was sensitive to catabolite repression. The following pathway is proposed for pseudouridine utilization: [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] Pseudouridylate synthetase was sensitive to catabolite repression in strains Bu− and W63-86. In contrast, strains B5RU and W5RU, mutants of Bu− and W63-86 which were selected for their ability to grow rapidly on pseudouridine in the presence of glucose, had high levels of pseudouridylate synthetase in the presence of glucose. In the case of B5RU but not W5RU, synthetase activity was greater in cells grown on glycerol or on glucose plus adenosine 3′:5-cyclic monophosphoric acid than on glucose. PMID:4329733

Salicylate Treatment Improves Age-Associated Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction: Potential Role of Nuclear Factor κB and Forkhead Box O Phosphorylation

PubMed Central

Durrant, Jessica R.; Connell, Melanie L.; Folian, Brian J.; Donato, Anthony J.; Seals, Douglas R.

2011-01-01

We hypothesized that I kappa B kinase (IKK)-mediated nuclear factor kappa B and forkhead BoxO3a phosphorylation will be associated with age-related endothelial dysfunction. Endothelium-dependent dilation and aortic protein expression/phosphorylation were determined in young and old male B6D2F1 mice and old mice treated with the IKK inhibitor, salicylate. IKK activation was greater in old mice and was associated with greater nitrotyrosine and cytokines. Endothelium-dependent dilation, nitric oxide (NO), and endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation were lower in old mice. Endothelium-dependent dilation and NO bioavailability were restored by a superoxide dismutase mimetic. Nuclear factor kappa B and forkhead BoxO3a phosphorylation were greater in old and were associated with increased expression/activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase and lower manganese superoxide dismutase expression. Salicylate lowered IKK phosphorylation and reversed age-associated changes in nitrotyrosine, endothelium-dependent dilation, NO bioavailability, endothelial NO synthase, nuclear factor kappa B and forkhead BoxO3a phosphorylation, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, and manganese superoxide dismutase. Increased activation of IKK with advancing age stimulates nuclear factor kappa B and inactivates forkhead BoxO3a. This altered transcription factor activation contributes to a pro-inflammatory/pro-oxidative arterial phenotype that is characterized by increased cytokines and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase and decreased manganese superoxide dismutase leading to oxidative stress-mediated endothelial dysfunction. PMID:21303813

Characterization of the type 2 NADH:menaquinone oxidoreductases from Staphylococcus aureus and the bactericidal action of phenothiazines.

PubMed

Schurig-Briccio, Lici A; Yano, Takahiro; Rubin, Harvey; Gennis, Robert B

2014-07-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is currently one of the principal multiple drug resistant bacterial pathogens causing serious infections, many of which are life-threatening. Consequently, new therapeutic targets are required to combat such infections. In the current work, we explore the type 2 Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced form (NADH) dehydrogenases (NDH-2s) as possible drug targets and look at the effects of phenothiazines, known to inhibit NDH-2 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. NDH-2s are monotopic membrane proteins that catalyze the transfer of electrons from NADH via flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) to the quinone pool. They are required for maintaining the NADH/Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) redox balance and contribute indirectly to the generation of proton motive force. NDH-2s are not present in mammals, but are the only form of respiratory NADH dehydrogenase in several pathogens, including S. aureus. In this work, the two putative ndh genes present in the S. aureus genome were identified, cloned and expressed, and the proteins were purified and characterized. Phenothiazines were shown to inhibit both of the S. aureus NDH-2s with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values as low as 8μM. However, evaluating the effects of phenothiazines on whole cells of S. aureus was complicated by the fact that they are also acting as uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 18th European Bioenergetic Conference. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mannitol and Mannitol Dehydrogenases in Conidia of Aspergillus oryzae

PubMed Central

Horikoshi, Koki; Iida, Shigeji; Ikeda, Yonosuke

1965-01-01

Horikoshi, Koki (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Tokyo, Japan), Shigeji Iida, and Yonosuke Ikeda. Mannitol and mannitol dehydrogenases in conidia of Aspergillus oryzae. J. Bacteriol. 89:326–330. 1965.—A sugar alcohol was isolated from the conidia of Aspergillus oryzae and identified as d-mannitol. Two types of d-mannitol dehydrogenases, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-linked and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-linked, were found in the conidia. Substrate specificities, pH optima, Michaelis-Menton constants, and the effects of inhibitors were studied. d-Mannitol was converted to fructose by the dehydrogenases. Synthesis of d-mannitol dehydrogenases was not observed during germination; the content of d-mannitol decreased at an early stage of germination. It was assumed, therefore, that d-mannitol might be used as the source of endogenous respiration and provide energy for the germination. PMID:14255698

A dinucleotide motif in oligonucleotides shows potent immunomodulatory activity and overrides species-specific recognition observed with CpG motif.

PubMed

Kandimalla, Ekambar R; Bhagat, Lakshmi; Zhu, Fu-Gang; Yu, Dong; Cong, Yan-Ping; Wang, Daqing; Tang, Jimmy X; Tang, Jin-Yan; Knetter, Cathrine F; Lien, Egil; Agrawal, Sudhir

2003-11-25

Bacterial and synthetic DNAs containing CpG dinucleotides in specific sequence contexts activate the vertebrate immune system through Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). In the present study, we used a synthetic nucleoside with a bicyclic heterobase [1-(2'-deoxy-beta-d-ribofuranosyl)-2-oxo-7-deaza-8-methyl-purine; R] to replace the C in CpG, resulting in an RpG dinucleotide. The RpG dinucleotide was incorporated in mouse- and human-specific motifs in oligodeoxynucleotides (oligos) and 3'-3-linked oligos, referred to as immunomers. Oligos containing the RpG motif induced cytokine secretion in mouse spleen-cell cultures. Immunomers containing RpG dinucleotides showed activity in transfected-HEK293 cells stably expressing mouse TLR9, suggesting direct involvement of TLR9 in the recognition of RpG motif. In J774 macrophages, RpG motifs activated NF-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Immunomers containing the RpG dinucleotide induced high levels of IL-12 and IFN-gamma, but lower IL-6 in time- and concentration-dependent fashion in mouse spleen-cell cultures costimulated with IL-2. Importantly, immunomers containing GTRGTT and GARGTT motifs were recognized to a similar extent by both mouse and human immune systems. Additionally, both mouse- and human-specific RpG immunomers potently stimulated proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from diverse vertebrate species, including monkey, pig, horse, sheep, goat, rat, and chicken. An immunomer containing GTRGTT motif prevented conalbumin-induced and ragweed allergen-induced allergic inflammation in mice. We show that a synthetic bicyclic nucleotide is recognized in the C position of a CpG dinucleotide by immune cells from diverse vertebrate species without bias for flanking sequences, suggesting a divergent nucleotide motif recognition pattern of TLR9.

Alteration of adenyl dinucleotide metabolism by environmental stress.

PubMed Central

Baker, J C; Jacobson, M K

1986-01-01

Exposure of cultured mammalian cells to a variety of conditions that induce the synthesis of stress proteins, including hyperthermia, ethanol, cadmium, and arsenite resulted in an increased cellular content of adenyl dinucleotides including diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A). Exposure to other agents that cause metabolic perturbations not known to induce the synthesis of stress proteins, such as cyclohexamide, cytosine arabinoside, hydroxyurea, and ultraviolet irradiation did not alter the content of these nucleotides. It is proposed that these unique nucleotides may mediate adaptive responses of mammalian cells to environmental stress. PMID:3458199

Downregulation of acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 is a metabolic hallmark of tumor progression and aggressiveness in colorectal carcinoma.

PubMed

Bae, Jeong Mo; Kim, Jung Ho; Oh, Hyeon Jeong; Park, Hye Eun; Lee, Tae Hun; Cho, Nam-Yun; Kang, Gyeong Hoon

2017-02-01

Acetyl-CoA synthetase-2 is an emerging key enzyme for cancer metabolism, which supplies acetyl-CoA for tumor cells by capturing acetate as a carbon source under stressed conditions. However, implications of acetyl-CoA synthetase-2 in colorectal carcinoma may differ from other malignancies, because normal colonocytes use short-chain fatty acids as an energy source, which are supplied by fermentation of the intestinal flora. Here we analyzed acetyl-CoA synthetase-2 mRNA expression by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR in paired normal mucosa and tumor tissues of 12 colorectal carcinomas, and subsequently evaluated acetyl-CoA synthetase-2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry in 157 premalignant colorectal lesions, including 60 conventional adenomas and 97 serrated polyps, 1,106 surgically resected primary colorectal carcinomas, and 23 metastatic colorectal carcinomas in the liver. In reverse-transcription quantitative PCR analysis, acetyl-CoA synthetase-2 mRNA expression was significantly decreased in tumor tissues compared with corresponding normal mucosa tissues. In acetyl-CoA synthetase-2 immunohistochemistry analysis, all 157 colorectal polyps showed moderate-to-strong expression of acetyl-CoA synthetase-2. However, cytoplasmic acetyl-CoA synthetase-2 expression was downregulated (acetyl-CoA synthetase-2 low expression) in 771 (69.7%) of 1,106 colorectal carcinomas and 21 (91.3%) of 23 metastatic lesions. The colorectal carcinomas with acetyl-CoA synthetase-2-low expression were significantly associated with advanced TNM stage, poor differentiation, and frequent tumor budding. Regarding the molecular aspect, acetyl-CoA synthetase-2-low expression exhibited a tendency of frequent KRT7 expression and decreased KRT20 and CDX2 expression. In survival analysis, acetyl-CoA synthetase-2-low expression was an independent prognostic factor for poor 5-year progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.79; P=0.01). In conclusion

Genetic and physiological characterization of the purine salvage pathway in the archaebacterium Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg.

PubMed Central

Worrell, V E; Nagle, D P

1990-01-01

The enzymes involved in the purine interconversion pathway of wild-type and purine analog-resistant strains of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg were assayed by radiometric and spectrophotometric methods. Wild-type cells incorporated labeled adenine, guanine, and hypoxanthine, whereas mutant strains varied in their ability to incorporate these bases. Adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine were activated by phosphoribosyltransferase activities present in wild-type cell extracts. Some mutant strains simultaneously lost the ability to convert both guanine and hypoxanthine to the respective nucleotide, suggesting that the same enzyme activates both bases. Adenosine, guanosine, and inosine phosphorylase activities were detected for the conversion of base to nucleoside. Adenine deaminase activity was detected at low levels. Guanine deaminase activity was not detected. Nucleoside kinase activities for the conversion of adenosine, guanosine, and inosine to the respective nucleotides were detected by a new assay. The nucleotide-interconverting enzymes AMP deaminase, succinyl-AMP synthetase, succinyl-AMP lyase, IMP dehydrogenase, and GMP synthetase were present in extracts; GMP reductase was not detected. The results indicate that this autotrophic methanogen has a complex system for the utilization of exogenous purines. PMID:2345148

Prolonged Pulmonary Exposure to Diesel Exhaust Particles Exacerbates Renal Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and DNA Damage in Mice with Adenine-Induced Chronic Renal Failure.

PubMed

Nemmar, Abderrahim; Karaca, Turan; Beegam, Sumaya; Yuvaraju, Priya; Yasin, Javed; Hamadi, Naserddine Kamel; Ali, Badreldin H

2016-01-01

Epidemiological evidence indicates that patients with chronic kidney diseases have increased susceptibility to adverse outcomes related to long-term exposure to particulate air pollution. However, mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. Presently, we assessed the effect of prolonged exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on chronic renal failure induced by adenine (0.25% w/w in feed for 4 weeks), which is known to involve inflammation and oxidative stress. DEP (0.5m/kg) was intratracheally (i.t.) instilled every 4th day for 4 weeks (7 i.t. instillation). Four days following the last exposure to either DEP or saline (control), various renal endpoints were measured. While body weight was decreased, kidney weight increased in DEP+adenine versus saline+adenine or DEP. Water intake, urine volume, relative kidney weight were significantly increased in adenine+DEP versus DEP and adenine+saline versus saline. Plasma creatinine and urea increased and creatinine clearance decreased in adenine+DEP versus DEP and adenine+saline versus saline. Tumor necrosis factor α, lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species were significantly increased in adenine+DEP compared with either DEP or adenine+saline. The antioxidant calase was significantly decreased in adenine+DEP compared with either adenine+saline or DEP. Notably, renal DNA damage was significantly potentiated in adenine+DEP compared with either adenine+saline or DEP. Similarly, systolic blood pressure was increased in adenine+DEP versus adenine+saline or DEP, and in DEP versus saline. Histological evaluation revealed more collagen deposition, higher number of necrotic cell counts and dilated tubules, cast formation and collapsing glomeruli in adenine+DEP versus adenine+saline or DEP. Prolonged pulmonary exposure to diesel exhaust particles worsen renal oxidative stress, inflammation and DNA damage in mice with adenine-induced chronic renal failure. Our data provide biological plausibility that air

Leishmania donovani tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase structure in complex with a tyrosyl adenylate analog and comparisons with human and protozoan counterparts.

PubMed

Barros-Álvarez, Ximena; Kerchner, Keshia M; Koh, Cho Yeow; Turley, Stewart; Pardon, Els; Steyaert, Jan; Ranade, Ranae M; Gillespie, J Robert; Zhang, Zhongsheng; Verlinde, Christophe L M J; Fan, Erkang; Buckner, Frederick S; Hol, Wim G J

2017-07-01

The crystal structure of Leishmania donovani tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (LdTyrRS) in complex with a nanobody and the tyrosyl adenylate analog TyrSA was determined at 2.75 Å resolution. Nanobodies are the variable domains of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies. The nanobody makes numerous crystal contacts and in addition reduces the flexibility of a loop of LdTyrRS. TyrSA is engaged in many interactions with active site residues occupying the tyrosine and adenine binding pockets. The LdTyrRS polypeptide chain consists of two pseudo-monomers, each consisting of two domains. Comparing the two independent chains in the asymmetric unit reveals that the two pseudo-monomers of LdTyrRS can bend with respect to each other essentially as rigid bodies. This flexibility might be useful in the positioning of tRNA for catalysis since both pseudo-monomers in the LdTyrRS chain are needed for charging tRNA Tyr . An "extra pocket" (EP) appears to be present near the adenine binding region of LdTyrRS. Since this pocket is absent in the two human homologous enzymes, the EP provides interesting opportunities for obtaining selective drugs for treating infections caused by L. donovani, a unicellular parasite causing visceral leishmaniasis, or kala azar, which claims 20,000 to 30,000 deaths per year. Sequence and structural comparisons indicate that the EP is a characteristic which also occurs in the active site of several other important pathogenic protozoa. Therefore, the structure of LdTyrRS could inspire the design of compounds useful for treating several different parasitic diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

Pyrrolysyl-tRNA Synthetase, an Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase for Genetic Code Expansion

DOE PAGES

Crnkovic, Ana; Suzuki, Tateki; Soll, Dieter; ...

2016-06-14

Genetic code expansion (GCE) has become a central topic of synthetic biology. GCE relies on engineered aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) and a cognate tRNA species to allow codon reassignment by co-translational insertion of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins. Introduction of such amino acids increases the chemical diversity of recombinant proteins endowing them with novel properties. Such proteins serve in sophisticated biochemical and biophysical studies both in vitro and in vivo, they may become unique biomaterials or therapeutic agents, and they afford metabolic dependence of genetically modified organisms for biocontainment purposes. In the Methanosarcinaceae the incorporation of the 22nd genetically encodedmore » amino acid, pyrrolysine (Pyl), is facilitated by pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) and the cognate UAG-recognizing tRNAPyl. This unique aaRS•tRNA pair functions as an orthogonal translation system (OTS) in most model organisms. The facile directed evolution of the large PylRS active site to accommodate many ncAAs, and the enzyme’s anticodon-blind specific recognition of the cognate tRNAPyl make this system highly amenable for GCE purposes. The remarkable polyspecificity of PylRS has been exploited to incorporate >100 different ncAAs into proteins. Here we review the Pyl-OT system and selected GCE applications to examine the properties of an effective OTS.« less

Communication: Site-selective bond excision of adenine upon electron transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunha, T.; Mendes, M.; Ferreira da Silva, F.; Eden, S.; García, G.; Limão-Vieira, P.

2018-01-01

This work demonstrates that selective excision of hydrogen atoms at a particular site of the DNA base adenine can be achieved in collisions with electronegative atoms by controlling the impact energy. The result is based on analysing the time-of-flight mass spectra yields of potassium collisions with a series of labeled adenine derivatives. The production of dehydrogenated parent anions is consistent with neutral H loss either from selective breaking of C-H or N-H bonds. These unprecedented results open up a new methodology in charge transfer collisions that can initiate selective reactivity as a key process in chemical reactions that are dominant in different areas of science and technology.

Two-dimensional network stability of nucleobases and amino acids on graphite under ambient conditions: adenine, L-serine and L-tyrosine.

PubMed

Bald, Ilko; Weigelt, Sigrid; Ma, Xiaojing; Xie, Pengyang; Subramani, Ramesh; Dong, Mingdong; Wang, Chen; Mamdouh, Wael; Wang, Jianguo; Besenbacher, Flemming

2010-04-14

We have investigated the stability of two-dimensional self-assembled molecular networks formed upon co-adsorption of the DNA base, adenine, with each of the amino acids, L-serine and L-tyrosine, on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface by drop-casting from a water solution. L-serine and L-tyrosine were chosen as model systems due to their different interaction with the solvent molecules and the graphite substrate, which is reflected in a high and low solubility in water, respectively, compared with adenine. Combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the self-assembly process is mainly driven by the formation of strong adenine-adenine hydrogen bonds. We find that pure adenine networks are energetically more stable than networks built up of either pure L-serine, pure L-tyrosine or combinations of adenine with L-serine or L-tyrosine, and that only pure adenine networks are stable enough to be observable by STM under ambient conditions.

Construction of hybrid peptide synthetases by module and domain fusions

PubMed Central

Mootz, Henning D.; Schwarzer, Dirk; Marahiel, Mohamed A.

2000-01-01

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases are modular enzymes that assemble peptides of diverse structures and important biological activities. Their modular organization provides a great potential for the rational design of novel compounds by recombination of the biosynthetic genes. Here we describe the extension of a dimodular system to trimodular ones based on whole-module fusion. The recombinant hybrid enzymes were purified to monitor product assembly in vitro. We started from the first two modules of tyrocidine synthetase, which catalyze the formation of the dipeptide dPhe-Pro, to construct such hybrid systems. Fusion of the second, proline-specific module with the ninth and tenth modules of the tyrocidine synthetases, specific for ornithine and leucine, respectively, resulted in dimodular hybrid enzymes exhibiting the combined substrate specificities. The thioesterase domain was fused to the terminal module. Upon incubation of these dimodular enzymes with the first tyrocidine module, TycA, incorporating dPhe, the predicted tripeptides dPhe-Pro-Orn and dPhe-Pro-Leu were obtained at rates of 0.15 min-1 and 2.1 min-1. The internal thioesterase domain was necessary and sufficient to release the products from the hybrid enzymes and thereby facilitate a catalytic turnover. Our approach of whole-module fusion is based on an improved definition of the fusion sites and overcomes the recently discovered editing function of the intrinsic condensation domains. The stepwise construction of hybrid peptide synthetases from catalytic subunits reinforces the inherent potential for the synthesis of novel, designed peptides. PMID:10811885

Construction of hybrid peptide synthetases by module and domain fusions.

PubMed

Mootz, H D; Schwarzer, D; Marahiel, M A

2000-05-23

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases are modular enzymes that assemble peptides of diverse structures and important biological activities. Their modular organization provides a great potential for the rational design of novel compounds by recombination of the biosynthetic genes. Here we describe the extension of a dimodular system to trimodular ones based on whole-module fusion. The recombinant hybrid enzymes were purified to monitor product assembly in vitro. We started from the first two modules of tyrocidine synthetase, which catalyze the formation of the dipeptide dPhe-Pro, to construct such hybrid systems. Fusion of the second, proline-specific module with the ninth and tenth modules of the tyrocidine synthetases, specific for ornithine and leucine, respectively, resulted in dimodular hybrid enzymes exhibiting the combined substrate specificities. The thioesterase domain was fused to the terminal module. Upon incubation of these dimodular enzymes with the first tyrocidine module, TycA, incorporating dPhe, the predicted tripeptides dPhe-Pro-Orn and dPhe-Pro-Leu were obtained at rates of 0.15 min(-1) and 2.1 min(-1). The internal thioesterase domain was necessary and sufficient to release the products from the hybrid enzymes and thereby facilitate a catalytic turnover. Our approach of whole-module fusion is based on an improved definition of the fusion sites and overcomes the recently discovered editing function of the intrinsic condensation domains. The stepwise construction of hybrid peptide synthetases from catalytic subunits reinforces the inherent potential for the synthesis of novel, designed peptides.

ON THE INTERACTION OF ADENINE WITH IONIZING RADIATION: MECHANISTICAL STUDIES AND ASTROBIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evans, Nicholas L.; Ullrich, Susanne; Bennett, Chris J.

2011-04-01

The molecular inventory available on the prebiotic Earth was likely derived from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial sources. A complete description of which extraterrestrial molecules may have seeded early Earth is therefore necessary to fully understand the prebiotic evolution which led to life. Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are expected to cause both the formation and destruction of important biomolecules-including nucleic acid bases such as adenine-in the interstellar medium within the ices condensed on interstellar grains. The interstellar ultraviolet (UV) component is expected to photochemically degrade gas-phase adenine on a short timescale of only several years. However, the destruction rate is expectedmore » to be significantly reduced when adenine is shielded in dense molecular clouds or even within the ices of interstellar grains. Here, biomolecule destruction by the energetic charged particle component of the GCR becomes important as it is not fully attenuated. Presented here are results on the destruction rate of the nucleobase adenine in the solid state at 10 K by energetic electrons, as generated in the track of cosmic ray particles as they penetrate ices. When both UV and energetic charged particle destructive processes are taken into account, the half-life of adenine within dense interstellar clouds is found to be {approx}6 Myr, which is on the order of a star-forming molecular cloud. We also discuss chemical reaction pathways within the ices to explain the production of observed species, including the formation of nitriles (R-C{identical_to}N), epoxides (C-O-C), and carbonyl functions (R-C=O).« less

Pleiotropic effects of the sirtuin inhibitor sirtinol involves concentration-dependent modulation of multiple nuclear receptor-mediated pathways in the androgen-responsive prostate cancer cell LNCaP

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sirtinol, a purported specific inhibitor of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent type III histone deacetylase (also known as sirtuin), has been used extensively to identify chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agents that modulate the activity of this group of enzymes. However, the mole...

Characterization of Ten Heterotetrameric NDP-Dependent Acyl-CoA Synthetases of the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

DOE PAGES

Scott, Joseph W.; Poole, Farris L.; Adams, Michael W. W.

2014-01-01

Tmore » he hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus grows by fermenting peptides and carbohydrates to organic acids. In the terminal step, acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) isoenzymes convert acyl-CoA derivatives to the corresponding acid and conserve energy in the form of AP. ACS1 and ACS2 were previously purified from P. furiosus and have α 2 β 2 structures but the genome contains genes encoding three additional α -subunits. he ten possible combinations of α and β genes were expressed in E. coli and each resulted in stable and active α 2 β 2 isoenzymes. he α -subunit of each isoenzyme determined CoA-based substrate specificity and between them they accounted for the CoA derivatives of fourteen amino acids. he β -subunit determined preference for adenine or guanine nucleotides. he GP-generating isoenzymes are proposed to play a role in gluconeogenesis by producing GP for GP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and for other GP-dependent processes. ranscriptional and proteomic data showed that all ten isoenzymes are constitutively expressed indicating that both AP and GP are generated from the metabolism of most of the amino acids. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the ACSs of P. furiosus and other members of the hermococcales are evolutionarily distinct from those found throughout the rest of biology, including those of other hyperthermophilic archaea.« less

Genetics Home Reference: carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency

MedlinePlus

... synthetase I. This enzyme participates in the urea cycle, which is a sequence of biochemical reactions that occurs in liver cells. The urea cycle processes excess nitrogen, generated when protein is broken ...

Adenine Inhibits TNF-α Signaling in Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Reduces Mucosal Inflammation in a Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Mouse Model.

PubMed

Fukuda, Toshihiko; Majumder, Kaustav; Zhang, Hua; Turner, Patricia V; Matsui, Toshiro; Mine, Yoshinori

2016-06-01

Adenine (6-amino-6H-purine), found in molokheiya (Corchorus olitorius L.), has exerted vasorelaxation effects in the thoracic aorta. However, the mode of action of the anti-inflammatory effect of adenine is unclear. Thus, we investigated to clarify the effect of adenine on chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. In intestinal epithelial cells, adenine significantly inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α-induced interleukin-8 secretion. The inhibition of adenine was abolished under the treatment of inhibitors of adenyl cyclase (AC) and protein kinase A (PKA), indicating the effect of adenine was mediated through the AC/PKA pathway. Adenine (5, 10, and 50 mg/kg BW/day) was administered orally for 14 days to female BALB/c mice, and then 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was given to induce colitis. Adenine (5 mg/kg BW/day) significantly prevented DSS-induced colon shortening, expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and histological damage in the colon. These results suggest that adenine can be a promising nutraceutical for the prevention of intestinal inflammation.

Biosynthetic engineering of nonribosomal peptide synthetases.

PubMed

Kries, Hajo

2016-09-01

From the evolutionary melting pot of natural product synthetase genes, microorganisms elicit antibiotics, communication tools, and iron scavengers. Chemical biologists manipulate these genes to recreate similarly diverse and potent biological activities not on evolutionary time scales but within months. Enzyme engineering has progressed considerably in recent years and offers new screening, modelling, and design tools for natural product designers. Here, recent advances in enzyme engineering and their application to nonribosomal peptide synthetases are reviewed. Among the nonribosomal peptides that have been subjected to biosynthetic engineering are the antibiotics daptomycin, calcium-dependent antibiotic, and gramicidin S. With these peptides, incorporation of unnatural building blocks and modulation of bioactivities via various structural modifications have been successfully demonstrated. Natural product engineering on the biosynthetic level is not a reliable method yet. However, progress in the understanding and manipulation of biosynthetic pathways may enable the routine production of optimized peptide drugs in the near future. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Structure-wise discrimination of adenine and guanine by proteins on the basis of their nonbonded interactions.

PubMed

Usha, S; Selvaraj, S

2015-01-01

We have analyzed the nonbonded interactions of the structurally similar moieties, adenine and guanine forming complexes with proteins. The results comprise (a) the amino acid-ligand atom preferences, (b) solvent accessibility of ligand atoms before and after complex formation with proteins, and (c) preferred amino acid residue atoms involved in the interactions. We have observed that the amino acid preferences involved in the hydrogen bonding interactions vary for adenine and guanine. The structural variation between the purine atoms is clearly reflected by their burial tendency in the solvent environment. Correlation of the mean amino acid preference values show the variation that exists between adenine and guanine preferences of all the amino acid residues. All our observations provide evidence for the discriminating nature of the proteins in recognizing adenine and guanine.

Dietary L-lysine prevents arterial calcification in adenine-induced uremic rats.

PubMed

Shimomura, Akihiro; Matsui, Isao; Hamano, Takayuki; Ishimoto, Takuya; Katou, Yumiko; Takehana, Kenji; Inoue, Kazunori; Kusunoki, Yasuo; Mori, Daisuke; Nakano, Chikako; Obi, Yoshitsugu; Fujii, Naohiko; Takabatake, Yoshitsugu; Nakano, Takayoshi; Tsubakihara, Yoshiharu; Isaka, Yoshitaka; Rakugi, Hiromi

2014-09-01

Vascular calcification (VC) is a life-threatening complication of CKD. Severe protein restriction causes a shortage of essential amino acids, and exacerbates VC in rats. Therefore, we investigated the effects of dietary l-lysine, the first-limiting amino acid of cereal grains, on VC. Male Sprague-Dawley rats at age 13 weeks were divided randomly into four groups: low-protein (LP) diet (group LP), LP diet+adenine (group Ade), LP diet+adenine+glycine (group Gly) as a control amino acid group, and LP diet+adenine+l-lysine·HCl (group Lys). At age 18 weeks, group LP had no VC, whereas groups Ade and Gly had comparable levels of severe VC. l-Lysine supplementation almost completely ameliorated VC. Physical parameters and serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and phosphate did not differ among groups Ade, Gly, and Lys. Notably, serum calcium in group Lys was slightly but significantly higher than in groups Ade and Gly. Dietary l-lysine strongly suppressed plasma intact parathyroid hormone in adenine rats and supported a proper bone-vascular axis. The conserved orientation of the femoral apatite in group Lys also evidenced the bone-protective effects of l-lysine. Dietary l-lysine elevated plasma alanine, proline, arginine, and homoarginine but not lysine. Analyses in vitro demonstrated that alanine and proline inhibit apoptosis of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, and that arginine and homoarginine attenuate mineral precipitations in a supersaturated calcium/phosphate solution. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of l-lysine ameliorated VC by modifying key pathways that exacerbate VC. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Dietary l-Lysine Prevents Arterial Calcification in Adenine-Induced Uremic Rats

PubMed Central

Shimomura, Akihiro; Matsui, Isao; Hamano, Takayuki; Ishimoto, Takuya; Katou, Yumiko; Takehana, Kenji; Inoue, Kazunori; Kusunoki, Yasuo; Mori, Daisuke; Nakano, Chikako; Obi, Yoshitsugu; Fujii, Naohiko; Takabatake, Yoshitsugu; Nakano, Takayoshi; Tsubakihara, Yoshiharu; Rakugi, Hiromi

2014-01-01

Vascular calcification (VC) is a life-threatening complication of CKD. Severe protein restriction causes a shortage of essential amino acids, and exacerbates VC in rats. Therefore, we investigated the effects of dietary l-lysine, the first-limiting amino acid of cereal grains, on VC. Male Sprague-Dawley rats at age 13 weeks were divided randomly into four groups: low-protein (LP) diet (group LP), LP diet+adenine (group Ade), LP diet+adenine+glycine (group Gly) as a control amino acid group, and LP diet+adenine+l-lysine·HCl (group Lys). At age 18 weeks, group LP had no VC, whereas groups Ade and Gly had comparable levels of severe VC. l-Lysine supplementation almost completely ameliorated VC. Physical parameters and serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and phosphate did not differ among groups Ade, Gly, and Lys. Notably, serum calcium in group Lys was slightly but significantly higher than in groups Ade and Gly. Dietary l-lysine strongly suppressed plasma intact parathyroid hormone in adenine rats and supported a proper bone-vascular axis. The conserved orientation of the femoral apatite in group Lys also evidenced the bone-protective effects of l-lysine. Dietary l-lysine elevated plasma alanine, proline, arginine, and homoarginine but not lysine. Analyses in vitro demonstrated that alanine and proline inhibit apoptosis of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, and that arginine and homoarginine attenuate mineral precipitations in a supersaturated calcium/phosphate solution. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of l-lysine ameliorated VC by modifying key pathways that exacerbate VC. PMID:24652795

Valyl-tRNA synthetase modification-dependent restriction of bacteriophage T4.

PubMed Central

Olson, N J; Marchin, G L

1984-01-01

A strain of Escherichia coli, CP 790302, severely restricts the growth of wild-type bacteriophage T4. In broth culture, most infections of single cells are abortive, although a few infected cells exhibit reduced burst sizes. In contrast, bacteriophage T4 mutants impaired in the ability to modify valyl-tRNA synthetase develop normally on this strain. Biochemical evidence indicates that the phage-modified valyl-tRNA synthetase in CP 790302 is different from that previously described. Although the enzyme is able to support normal protein synthesis, a disproportionate amount of phage structural protein (serum blocking power) fails to mature into particles of the appropriate density. The results with host strain CP 790302 are consistent with either a gratuitous inhibition of phage assembly by faulty modification or abrogation of an unknown role that valyl-tRNA synthetase might normally play in viral assembly. PMID:6374167

Raman Spectroscopy of the Interferon-Induced 2’,5’-Oligoadenylates

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-25

generation of the Raman spectrum of triethyl ammonium ion ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 41 12. structures of purine, adenine, purine riboside , adenosine...ribose 5 1-phosphate, AMP, and ATP........ 48 13. Raman spectra of adenine and purine •••••••.••••••••• 49 14. Raman spectra of purine riboside and... nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide; TFAB, triethyl anunonium bicarbonate; TFA, triethyl amm::mium. ion; CD circular _dichroism; NMR, nuclear magnetic

Crystal structure of human cytosolic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, a component of multi-tRNA synthetase complex

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyung Rok; Park, Sang Ho; Kim, Hyoun Sook; Rhee, Kyung Hee; Kim, Byung-Gyu; Kim, Dae Gyu; Park, Mi Seul; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Kim, Sunghoon; Han, Byung Woo

2013-01-01

Human cytosolic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (DRS) catalyzes the attachment of the amino acid aspartic acid to its cognate tRNA and it is a component of the multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC) which has been known to be involved in unexpected signaling pathways. Here, we report the crystal structure of DRS at a resolution of 2.25 Å. DRS is a homodimer with a dimer interface of 3750.5 Å2 which comprises 16.6% of the monomeric surface area. Our structure reveals the C-terminal end of the N-helix which is considered as a unique addition in DRS, and its conformation further supports the switching model of the N-helix for the transfer of tRNAAsp to elongation factor 1α. From our analyses of the crystal structure and post-translational modification of DRS, we suggest that the phosphorylation of Ser146 provokes the separation of DRS from the MSC and provides the binding site for an interaction partner with unforeseen functions. PMID:23609930

Crystal structure of human cytosolic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, a component of multi-tRNA synthetase complex.

PubMed

Kim, Kyung Rok; Park, Sang Ho; Kim, Hyoun Sook; Rhee, Kyung Hee; Kim, Byung-Gyu; Kim, Dae Gyu; Park, Mi Seul; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Kim, Sunghoon; Han, Byung Woo

2013-10-01

Human cytosolic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (DRS) catalyzes the attachment of the amino acid aspartic acid to its cognate tRNA and it is a component of the multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC) which has been known to be involved in unexpected signaling pathways. Here, we report the crystal structure of DRS at a resolution of 2.25 Å. DRS is a homodimer with a dimer interface of 3750.5 Å(2) which comprises 16.6% of the monomeric surface area. Our structure reveals the C-terminal end of the N-helix which is considered as a unique addition in DRS, and its conformation further supports the switching model of the N-helix for the transfer of tRNA(Asp) to elongation factor 1α. From our analyses of the crystal structure and post-translational modification of DRS, we suggest that the phosphorylation of Ser146 provokes the separation of DRS from the MSC and provides the binding site for an interaction partner with unforeseen functions. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cloning and characterization of the metE gene encoding S-adenosylmethionine synthetase from Bacillus subtilis.

PubMed Central

Yocum, R R; Perkins, J B; Howitt, C L; Pero, J

1996-01-01

The metE gene, encoding S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (EC 2.5.1.6) from Bacillus subtilis, was cloned in two steps by normal and inverse PCR. The DNA sequence of the metE gene contains an open reading frame which encodes a 400-amino-acid sequence that is homologous to other known S-adenosylmethionine synthetases. The cloned gene complements the metE1 mutation and integrates at or near the chromosomal site of metE1. Expression of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase is reduced by only a factor of about 2 by exogenous methioinine. Overproduction of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase from a strong constitutive promoter leads to methionine auxotrophy in B. subtilis, suggesting that S-adenosylmethionine is a corepressor of methionine biosynthesis in B. subtilis, as others have already shown for Escherichia coli. PMID:8755891

Cloning and characterization of the metE gene encoding S-adenosylmethionine synthetase from Bacillus subtilis.

PubMed

Yocum, R R; Perkins, J B; Howitt, C L; Pero, J

1996-08-01

The metE gene, encoding S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (EC 2.5.1.6) from Bacillus subtilis, was cloned in two steps by normal and inverse PCR. The DNA sequence of the metE gene contains an open reading frame which encodes a 400-amino-acid sequence that is homologous to other known S-adenosylmethionine synthetases. The cloned gene complements the metE1 mutation and integrates at or near the chromosomal site of metE1. Expression of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase is reduced by only a factor of about 2 by exogenous methioinine. Overproduction of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase from a strong constitutive promoter leads to methionine auxotrophy in B. subtilis, suggesting that S-adenosylmethionine is a corepressor of methionine biosynthesis in B. subtilis, as others have already shown for Escherichia coli.

Selective intra-dinucleotide interactions and periodicities of bases separated by K sites: a new vision and tool for phylogeny analyses.

PubMed

Valenzuela, Carlos Y

2017-02-13

Direct tests of the random or non-random distribution of nucleotides on genomes have been devised to test the hypothesis of neutral, nearly-neutral or selective evolution. These tests are based on the direct base distribution and are independent of the functional (coding or non-coding) or structural (repeated or unique sequences) properties of the DNA. The first approach described the longitudinal distribution of bases in tandem repeats under the Bose-Einstein statistics. A huge deviation from randomness was found. A second approach was the study of the base distribution within dinucleotides whose bases were separated by 0, 1, 2… K nucleotides. Again an enormous difference from the random distribution was found with significances out of tables and programs. These test values were periodical and included the 16 dinucleotides. For example a high "positive" (more observed than expected dinucleotides) value, found in dinucleotides whose bases were separated by (3K + 2) sites, was preceded by two smaller "negative" (less observed than expected dinucleotides) values, whose bases were separated by (3K) or (3K + 1) sites. We examined mtDNAs, prokaryote genomes and some eukaryote chromosomes and found that the significant non-random interactions and periodicities were present up to 1000 or more sites of base separation and in human chromosome 21 until separations of more than 10 millions sites. Each nucleotide has its own significant value of its distance to neutrality; this yields 16 hierarchical significances. A three dimensional table with the number of sites of separation between the bases and the 16 significances (the third dimension is the dinucleotide, individual or taxon involved) gives directly an evolutionary state of the analyzed genome that can be used to obtain phylogenies. An example is provided.

Malic enzyme: Tritium isotope effects with alternative dinucleotide substrates and divalent metal ions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karsten, W.E.; Harris, B.G.; Cook, P.F.

1992-01-01

The NAD-malic enzyme from Ascaris suum catalyzes the divalent metal ion dependent oxidative decarboxylation of L-malate to yield pyruvate, carbon dioxide and NADH. Multiple isotope effect studies suggest a stepwise chemical mechanism with hydride transfer from L-malate to NAD occurring first to form oxalacetate, followed by decarboxylation. Utilizing L-malate-2-T, tritium V/K isotope effects have been determined for the hydride transfer step using a variety of alternative dinucleotide substrates and divalent metal ions. Combination of these data with deuterium isotope effects data and previously determined [sup 13]C isotope effects has allowed the calculation of intrinsic isotope effects for the malic enzymemore » catalyzed reaction. The identity of both the dinucleotide substrate and divalent metal ion has an effect of the size of the intrinsic isotope effect for hydride transfer.« less

Methods for detection of methyl-CpG dinucleotides

DOEpatents

Dunn, John J

2013-11-26

The invention provides methods for enriching methyl-CpG sequences from a DNA sample. The method makes use of conversion of cytosine residues to uracil under conditions in which methyl-cytosine residues are preserved. Additional methods of the invention enable to preservation of the context of me-CpG dinucleotides. The invention also provides a recombinant, full length and substantially pure McrA protein (rMcrA) for binding and isolation of DNA fragments containing the sequence 5'-C.sup.MeCpGG-3'. Methods for making and using the rMcrA protein, and derivatives thereof are provided.

Methods for detection of methyl-CpG dinucleotides

DOEpatents

Dunn, John J.

2013-01-29

The invention provides methods for enriching methyl-CpG sequences from a DNA sample. The method makes use of conversion of cytosine residues to uracil under conditions in which methyl-cytosine residues are preserved. Additional methods of the invention enable to preservation of the context of me-CpG dinucleotides. The invention also provides a recombinant, full length and substantially pure McrA protein (rMcrA) for binding and isolation of DNA fragments containing the sequence 5'-C.sup.MeCpGG-3'. Methods for making and using the rMcrA protein, and derivatives thereof are provided.

Methods for detection of methyl-CpG dinucleotides

DOEpatents

Dunn, John J.

2012-09-11

The invention provides methods for enriching methyl-CpG sequences from a DNA sample. The method makes use of conversion of cytosine residues to uracil under conditions in which methyl-cytosine residues are preserved. Additional methods of the invention enable to preservation of the context of me-CpG dinucleotides. The invention also provides a recombinant, full length and substantially pure McrA protein (rMcrA) for binding and isolation of DNA fragments containing the sequence 5'-C.sup.MeCpGG-3'. Methods for making and using the rMcrA protein, and derivatives thereof are provided.

Binding of adenine to Stx2, the protein toxin from Escherichia coli O157:H7

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fraser, Marie E., E-mail: frasm@ucalgary.ca; Cherney, Maia M.; Marcato, Paola

2006-07-01

Crystals of Stx2 were grown in the presence of adenosine and adenine. In both cases, the resulting electron density showed only adenine bound at the active site of the A subunit, proving that the holotoxin is an active N-glycosidase. Stx2 is a protein toxin whose catalytic subunit acts as an N-glycosidase to depurinate a specific adenine base from 28S rRNA. In the holotoxin, the catalytic portion, A1, is linked to the rest of the A subunit, A2, and A2 interacts with the pentameric ring formed by the five B subunits. In order to test whether the holotoxin is active asmore » an N-glycosidase, Stx2 was crystallized in the presence of adenosine and adenine. The crystals diffracted to ∼1.8 Å and showed clear electron density for adenine in the active site. Adenosine had been cleaved, proving that Stx2 is an active N-glycosidase. While the holotoxin is active against small substrates, it would be expected that the B subunits would interfere with the binding of the 28S rRNA.« less

Detection of ATP and NADH: A Bioluminescent Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selig, Ted C.; And Others

1984-01-01

Described is a bioluminescent assay for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reduced nicotineamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH) that meets the requirements of an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course. The 3-hour experiment provides students with experience in bioluminescence and analytical biochemistry yet requires limited instrumentation,…

Design and synthesis of novel adenine fluorescence probe based on Eu(III) complexes with dtpa-bis(guanine) ligand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Fengyun; Jiang, Xiaoqing; Dou, Xuekai; Wu, Qiong; Wang, Jun; Song, Youtao

2017-05-01

A novel adenine (Ad) fluorescence probe (EuIII-dtpa-bis(guanine)) was designed and synthesized by improving experimental method based on the Eu(III) complex and dtpa-bis(guanine) ligand. The dtpa-bis(guanine) ligand was first synthesized by the acylation action between dtpaa and guanine (Gu), and the corresponding Eu(III) complex was successfully prepared through heat-refluxing method with dtpa-bis(guanine) ligand. As a novel fluorescence probe, the EuIII-dtpa-bis(guanine) complex can detect adenine (Ad) with characteristics of strong targeting, high specificity and high recognition ability. The detection mechanism of the adenine (Ad) using this probe in buffer solution was studied by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and fluorescence spectroscopy. When the EuIII-dtpa-bis(guanine) was introduced to the adenine (Ad) solution, the fluorescence emission intensity was significantly enhanced. However, adding other bases such as guanine (Gu), xanthine (Xa), hypoxanthine (Hy) and uric acid (Ur) with similar composition and structure to that of adenine (Ad) to the EuIII-dtpa-bis(guanine) solution, the fluorescence emission intensities are nearly invariable. Meanwhile, the interference of guanine (Gu), xanthine (Xa), hypoxanthine (Hy) and uric acid (Ur) on the detection of the adenine using EuIII-dtpa-bis(guanine) probe was also studied. It was found that presence of these bases does not affect the detection of adenine (Ad). A linear response of fluorescence emission intensities of EuIII-dtpa-bis(guanine) at 570 nm as a function of adenine (Ad) concentration in the range of 0.00-5.00 × 10- 5 mol L- 1 was observed. The detection limit is about 4.70 × 10- 7 mol L- 1.

Paper microfluidic-based enzyme catalyzed double microreactor.

PubMed

Ferrer, Ivonne M; Valadez, Hector; Estala, Lissette; Gomez, Frank A

2014-08-01

We describe a paper microfluidic-based enzyme catalyzed double microreactor assay using fluorescent detection. Here, solutions of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and diaphorase (DI) were directly spotted onto the microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD). Samples containing lactic acid, resazurin, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidized form (NAD(+) ), potassium chloride (KCl), and BSA, in MES buffer were separately spotted onto the μPAD and MES buffer flowed through the device. A cascade reaction occurs upon the sample spot overlapping with LDH to form pyruvate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced form (NADH). Subsequently, NADH is used in the conversion of resazurin to fluorescent resorufin by DI. The μPAD avoids the need of surface functionalization or enzyme immobilization steps. These microreactor devices are low cost and easy to fabricate and effect reaction based solely on buffer capillary action. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

General approach to reversing ketol-acid reductoisomerase cofactor dependence from NADPH to NADH

DOE PAGES

Brinkmann-Chen, Sabine; Flock, Tilman; Cahn, Jackson K. B.; ...

2013-06-17

To date, efforts to switch the cofactor specificity of oxidoreductases from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) have been made on a case-by-case basis with varying degrees of success. Here we present a straightforward recipe for altering the cofactor specificity of a class of NADPH-dependent oxidoreductases, the ketol-acid reductoisomerases (KARIs). Combining previous results for an engineered NADH-dependent variant of Escherichia coli KARI with available KARI crystal structures and a comprehensive KARI-sequence alignment, we identified key cofactor specificity determinants and used this information to construct five KARIs with reversed cofactor preference. Additional directed evolution generated two enzymesmore » having NADH-dependent catalytic efficiencies that are greater than the wild-type enzymes with NADPH. As a result, high-resolution structures of a wild-type/variant pair reveal the molecular basis of the cofactor switch.« less

Structure of the prolyl-tRNA synthetase from the eukaryotic pathogen Giardia lamblia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larson, Eric T.; Kim, Jessica E.; Napuli, Alberto J.

2012-09-01

The structure of Giardia prolyl-tRNA synthetase cocrystallized with proline and ATP shows evidence for half-of-the-sites activity, leading to a corresponding mixture of reaction substrates and product (prolyl-AMP) in the two active sites of the dimer. The genome of the human intestinal parasite Giardia lamblia contains only a single aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase gene for each amino acid. The Giardia prolyl-tRNA synthetase gene product was originally misidentified as a dual-specificity Pro/Cys enzyme, in part owing to its unexpectedly high off-target activation of cysteine, but is now believed to be a normal representative of the class of archaeal/eukaryotic prolyl-tRNA synthetases. The 2.2 Å resolutionmore » crystal structure of the G. lamblia enzyme presented here is thus the first structure determination of a prolyl-tRNA synthetase from a eukaryote. The relative occupancies of substrate (proline) and product (prolyl-AMP) in the active site are consistent with half-of-the-sites reactivity, as is the observed biphasic thermal denaturation curve for the protein in the presence of proline and MgATP. However, no corresponding induced asymmetry is evident in the structure of the protein. No thermal stabilization is observed in the presence of cysteine and ATP. The implied low affinity for the off-target activation product cysteinyl-AMP suggests that translational fidelity in Giardia is aided by the rapid release of misactivated cysteine.« less

Increased PRPP synthetase activity in cultured rat hepatoma cells containing mutations in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene.

PubMed

Graf, L H; McRoberts, J A; Harrison, T M; Martin, D W

1976-07-01

Nine independently derived clones of mutagenized rat hepatoma cells selected for resistance to 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) or 6-thioguanine (6-ThioG) have been isolated. Each has severely reduced catalytic activity of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) and seven of them possess significantly increased activities of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase. The degrees of elevations of PRPP synthetase activities do not correlate with the degrees of deficiencies of HPRT activities. The cells from one of these clones, 1020/12, posses 40% of the normal HPRT catalytic activity and overproduce purines. We have extensively examined the cells from this clone. Immunotration studies of 1020/12 cells indicate that there is a mutation in the structural gene for HPRT. Although they possess increased specific catalytic activities of the enzyme. PRPP synthetase, the catalytic parameters, heat stability, and isoelectric pH of PRPP synthetase from 1020/12 cells are indistinguishable from those of the enzyme from wild-type cells. The cause of purine overproduction by 1020/12 cells appears to be the elevated PRPP synthetase activity, rather than a PRPP "sparing" effect stemming from reduced HPRT activity. Support for this idea is provided by the observation that the complete loss of HPRT activity in a clone derived from 1020/12 cells does not further enhance the levels of PRPP synthetase or purine overproduction. We propose that the elevated levels of PRPP synthetase activity in these HPRT deficient cells result from a mutational event in the structural gene for HPRT, and that this causes the disruption of a previously undescribed regulatory function of this gene on the expression of the PRPP synthetase gene.

Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of isopenicillin N synthetase genes from Streptomyces lipmanii and Aspergillus nidulans.

PubMed Central

Weigel, B J; Burgett, S G; Chen, V J; Skatrud, P L; Frolik, C A; Queener, S W; Ingolia, T D

1988-01-01

beta-Lactam antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins are synthesized by a wide variety of microbes, including procaryotes and eucaryotes. Isopenicillin N synthetase catalyzes a key reaction in the biosynthetic pathway of penicillins and cephalosporins. The genes encoding this protein have previously been cloned from the filamentous fungi Cephalosporium acremonium and Penicillium chrysogenum and characterized. We have extended our analysis to the isopenicillin N synthetase genes from the fungus Aspergillus nidulans and the gram-positive procaryote Streptomyces lipmanii. The isopenicillin N synthetase genes from these organisms have been cloned and sequenced, and the proteins encoded by the open reading frames were expressed in Escherichia coli. Active isopenicillin N synthetase enzyme was recovered from extracts of E. coli cells prepared from cells containing each of the genes in expression vectors. The four isopenicillin N synthetase genes studied are closely related. Pairwise comparison of the DNA sequences showed between 62.5 and 75.7% identity; comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences showed between 53.9 and 80.6% identity. The close homology of the procaryotic and eucaryotic isopenicillin N synthetase genes suggests horizontal transfer of the genes during evolution. Images PMID:3045077

Quercetin Attenuates Vascular Calcification through Suppressed Oxidative Stress in Adenine-Induced Chronic Renal Failure Rats.

PubMed

Chang, Xue-Ying; Cui, Lei; Wang, Xing-Zhi; Zhang, Lei; Zhu, Dan; Zhou, Xiao-Rong; Hao, Li-Rong

2017-01-01

This study investigated whether quercetin could alleviate vascular calcification in experimental chronic renal failure rats induced by adenine. 32 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups fed normal diet, normal diet with quercetin supplementation (25 mg/kg·BW/d), 0.75% adenine diet, or adenine diet with quercetin supplementation. All rats were sacrificed after 6 weeks of intervention. Serum renal functions biomarkers and oxidative stress biomarkers were measured and status of vascular calcification in aorta was assessed. Furthermore, the induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)/p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) pathway was determined to explore the potential mechanism. Adenine successfully induced renal failure and vascular calcification in rat model. Quercetin supplementation reversed unfavorable changes of phosphorous, uric acid (UA) and creatinine levels, malonaldehyde (MDA) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in serum and the increases of calcium and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the aorta ( P < 0.05) and attenuated calcification and calcium accumulation in the medial layer of vasculature in histopathology. Western blot analysis showed that iNOS/p38MAPK pathway was normalized by the quercetin supplementation. Quercetin exerted a protective effect on vascular calcification in adenine-induced chronic renal failure rats, possibly through the modulation of oxidative stress and iNOs/p38MAPK pathway.

Quercetin Attenuates Vascular Calcification through Suppressed Oxidative Stress in Adenine-Induced Chronic Renal Failure Rats

PubMed Central

Chang, Xue-ying; Cui, Lei; Wang, Xing-zhi; Zhang, Lei; Zhu, Dan

2017-01-01

Background This study investigated whether quercetin could alleviate vascular calcification in experimental chronic renal failure rats induced by adenine. Methods 32 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups fed normal diet, normal diet with quercetin supplementation (25 mg/kg·BW/d), 0.75% adenine diet, or adenine diet with quercetin supplementation. All rats were sacrificed after 6 weeks of intervention. Serum renal functions biomarkers and oxidative stress biomarkers were measured and status of vascular calcification in aorta was assessed. Furthermore, the induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)/p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) pathway was determined to explore the potential mechanism. Results Adenine successfully induced renal failure and vascular calcification in rat model. Quercetin supplementation reversed unfavorable changes of phosphorous, uric acid (UA) and creatinine levels, malonaldehyde (MDA) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in serum and the increases of calcium and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the aorta (P < 0.05) and attenuated calcification and calcium accumulation in the medial layer of vasculature in histopathology. Western blot analysis showed that iNOS/p38MAPK pathway was normalized by the quercetin supplementation. Conclusions Quercetin exerted a protective effect on vascular calcification in adenine-induced chronic renal failure rats, possibly through the modulation of oxidative stress and iNOs/p38MAPK pathway. PMID:28691026

Methods and composition for the production of orthogonal tRNA-aminoacyltRNA synthetase pairs

DOEpatents

Schultz, Peter G.; Wang, Lei; Anderson, John Christopher; Chin, Jason; Liu, David R.; Magliery, Thomas J.; Meggers, Eric L.; Mehl, Ryan Aaron; Pastrnak, Miro; Santoro, Stephen William; Zhang, Zhiwen

2010-05-11

This invention provides compositions and methods for generating components of protein biosynthetic machinery including orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases. Methods for identifying orthogonal pairs are also provided. These components can be used to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo.

Methods and composition for the production of orthogonal tRNA-aminoacyltRNA synthetase pairs

DOEpatents

Schultz, Peter G [La Jolla, CA; Wang, Lei [San Diego, CA; Anderson, John Christopher [San Diego, CA; Chin, Jason [Cambridge, GB; Liu, David R [Lexington, MA; Magliery, Thomas J [North Haven, CT; Meggers, Eric L [Philadelphia, PA; Mehl, Ryan Aaron [Lancaster, PA; Pastrnak, Miro [San Diego, CA; Santoro, Steven William [Cambridge, MA; Zhang, Zhiwen [San Diego, CA

2012-05-22

This invention provides compositions and methods for generating components of protein biosynthetic machinery including orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases. Methods for identifying orthogonal pairs are also provided. These components can be used to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo.

Methods and composition for the production of orthogonal tRNA-aminoacyltRNA synthetase pairs

DOEpatents

Schultz, Peter G [La Jolla, CA; Wang, Lei [San Diego, CA; Anderson, John Christopher [San Diego, CA; Chin, Jason [Cambridge, GB; Liu, David R [Lexington, MA; Magliery, Thomas J [North Haven, CT; Meggers, Eric L [Philadelphia, PA; Mehl, Ryan Aaron [Lancaster, PA; Pastrnak, Miro [San Diego, CA; Santoro, Steven William [Cambridge, MA; Zhang, Zhiwen [San Diego, CA

2008-04-08

This invention provides compositions and methods for generating components of protein biosynthetic machinery including orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases. Methods for identifying orthogonal pairs are also provided. These components can be used to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo.

Adenylosuccinate synthetase: recent developments.

PubMed

Honzatko, R B; Stayton, M M; Fromm, H J

1999-01-01

By exerting strategic control on purine nucleotide biosynthesis, and by engaging GTP-dependent transphosphorylation of IMP to activate loss of an oxygen atom during catalysis, adenylosuccinate synthetase remains as enzyme that justifiably fascinates students of enzyme catalysis. This review describes how the balanced application of X-ray crystallography and enzyme kinetics has advanced the comprehension of the catalytic and regulatory properties of adenylosuccinate synthetase. Detailed analysis has demonstrated the formation of 6-phosphoryl-IMP, an intermediate originally postulated over 40 years ago on the basis of oxygen-18 exchange experiments showing that position-6 oxygen of IMP becomes incorporated into phosphate. Inferences about the participation of amino acid side-chains that stabilize 6-P-IMP during catalysis have also been confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis and examination of such mutations on various kinetic parameters. Moreover, the action of certain regulatory ligands have also been viewed at atomic level resolution. For example, magnesium ion and GDP can induce conformational changes linked to the stabilization of one of two known conformations of the so-called 40s loop. Another significant finding is that two magnesium ions play fundamental roles: one binding with high affinity to the substrate GTP, and a second binding with lower affinity to the co-substrate aspartate. These structural and kinetic studies have also formed the basis for clarifying the action of various inhibitors and potentially important pharmacologic agents with this key regulatory enzyme. Finally, this review explores the current status of investigations on gene structure and gene expression in a number of organisms.

Quantitative bioluminescent detection of bacteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappelle, E. W.; Picciolo, G. L.

1976-01-01

Phosphoflavins in sample are measured using photobacterial luciferase assay technique for flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Boiling perchloric acid is used to rupture cells to free bound flavin and to hydrolyze flavin adenine dinucleotide to FMN. Base-stabilized water solution of sodium borohydride is used as reactant.

The in vivo effects of adenine-induced chronic kidney disease on some renal and hepatic function and CYP450 metabolizing enzymes.

PubMed

Al Za'abi, M; Shalaby, A; Manoj, P; Ali, B H

2017-05-04

Adenine-induced model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a widely used model especially in studies testing novel nephroprotective agents. We investigated the effects of adenine-induced CKD in rats on the activities of some xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in liver and kidneys, and on some in vivo indicators of drug metabolism (viz pentobarbitone sleeping time, and plasma concentration of theophylline 90 min post administration). CKD was induced by orally feeding adenine (0.25 % w/w) for 35 days. Adenine induced all the characteristics of CKD, which was confirmed by biochemical and histological findings. Glutathione concentration and activities of some enzymes involved in its metabolism were reduced in kidneys and livers of rats with CKD. Renal CYP450 1A1 activity was significantly inhibited by adenine, but other measured isoenzymes (1A2, 3A4 and 2E1) were not significantly affected. Adenine significantly prolonged pentobarbitone-sleeping time and increased plasma theophylline concentration 90 min post administration. Adenine also induced a moderate degree of hepatic damages as indicated histologically and by significant elevations in some plasma enzymes. The results suggest that adenine-induced CKD is associated with significant in vivo inhibitory activities on some drug-metabolizing enzymes, with most of the effect on the kidneys rather than the liver.

The microsomal dicarboxylyl-CoA synthetase.

PubMed Central

Vamecq, J; de Hoffmann, E; Van Hoof, F

1985-01-01

Dicarboxylic acids are products of the omega-oxidation of monocarboxylic acids. We demonstrate that in rat liver dicarboxylic acids (C5-C16) can be converted into their CoA esters by a dicarboxylyl-CoA synthetase. During this activation ATP, which cannot be replaced by GTP, is converted into AMP and PPi, both acting as feedback inhibitors of the reaction. Thermolabile at 37 degrees C, and optimally active at pH 6.5, dicarboxylyl-CoA synthetase displays the highest activity on dodecanedioic acid (2 micromol/min per g of liver). Cell-fractionation studies indicate that this enzyme belongs to the hepatic microsomal fraction. Investigations about the fate of dicarboxylyl-CoA esters disclosed the existence of an oxidase, which could be measured by monitoring the production of H2O2. In our assay conditions this H2O2 production is dependent on and closely follows the CoA consumption. It appears that the chain-length specificity of the handling of dicarboxylic acids by this catabolic pathway (activation to acyl-CoA and oxidation with H2O2 production) parallels the pattern of the degradation of exogenous dicarboxylic acids in vivo. PMID:4062873

Spectroscopic investigation on cocrystal formation between adenine and fumaric acid based on infrared and Raman techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Yong; Fang, Hong Xia; Zhang, Qi; Zhang, Hui Li; Hong, Zhi

2016-01-01

As an important component of double-stranded DNA, adenine has powerful hydrogen-bond capability, due to rich hydrogen bond donors and acceptors existing within its molecular structure. Therefore, it is easy to form cocrystal between adenine and other small molecules with intermolecular hydrogen-bond effect. In this work, cocrystal of adenine and fumaric acid has been characterized as model system by FT-IR and FT-Raman spectral techniques. The experimental results show that the cocrystal formed between adenine and fumaric acid possesses unique spectroscopical characteristic compared with that of starting materials. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation has been performed to optimize the molecular structures and simulate vibrational modes of adenine, fumaric acid and the corresponding cocrystal. Combining the theoretical and experimental vibrational results, the characteristic bands corresponding to bending and stretching vibrations of amino and carbonyl groups within cocrystal are shifted into lower frequencies upon cocrystal formation, and the corresponding bond lengths show some increase due to the effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Different vibrational modes shown in the experimental spectra have been assigned based on the simulation DFT results. The study could provide experimental and theoretical benchmarks to characterize cocrystal formed between active ingredients and cocrystal formers and also the intermolecular hydrogen-bond effect within cocrystal formation process by vibrational spectroscopic techniques.

Synthesis, spectroscopic, structural and thermal characterizations of vanadyl(IV) adenine complex prospective as antidiabetic drug agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Megharbel, Samy M.; Hamza, Reham Z.; Refat, Moamen S.

2015-01-01

The vanadyl(IV) adenine complex; [VO(Adn)2]ṡSO4; was synthesized and characterized. The molar conductivity of this complex was measured in DMSO solution that showed an electrolyte nature. Spectroscopic investigation of the green solid complex studied here indicate that the adenine acts as a bidentate ligand, coordinated to vanadyl(IV) ions through the nitrogen atoms N7 and nitrogen atom of amino group. Thus, from the results presented the vanadyl(IV) complex has square pyramid geometry. Further characterizations using thermal analyses and scanning electron techniques was useful. The aim of this paper was to introduce a new drug model for the diabetic complications by synthesized a novel mononuclear vanadyl(IV) adenine complex to mimic insulin action and reducing blood sugar level. The antidiabetic ability of this complex was investigated in STZ-induced diabetic mice. The results suggested that VO(IV)/adenine complex has antidiabetic activity, it improved the lipid profile, it improved liver and kidney functions, also it ameliorated insulin hormone and blood glucose levels. The vanadyl(IV) complex possesses an antioxidant activity and this was clear through studying SOD, CAT, MDA, GSH and methionine synthase. The current results support the therapeutic potentiality of vanadyl(IV)/adenine complex for the management and treatment of diabetes.

Effect of atracylodes rhizome polysaccharide in rats with adenine-induced chronic renal failure.

PubMed

Yang, C; Liu, C; Zhou, Q; Xie, Y C; Qiu, X M; Feng, X

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to elucidate the therapeutic effects of Atracylodes rhizome polysaccharide on adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats. Fifty male Sprague Dawley rats were selected and randomly divided in to 5 groups (n=10 rats per group): The normal control group, the chronic renal failure pathological control group, the dexamethasone treatment group and two Atracylodes rhizome polysaccharide treatment groups, treated with two different concentrations of the polysaccharide, the Atracylodes rhizome polysaccharide high group and the Atracylodes rhizome polysaccharide low group. All the rats, except those in the normal control group were fed adenine-enriched diets, containing 10 g adenine per kg food for 3 weeks. After being fed with adenine, the dexamethasone treatment group, Atracylodes rhizome polysaccharide high group and Atracylodes rhizome polysaccharide low group rats were administered the drug orally for 2 weeks. On day 35, the kidney coefficient of the rats and the serum levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, total protein and hemalbumin were determined. Subsequent to experimentation on a model of chronic renal failure in rats, the preparation was proven to be able to reduce serum levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and hemalbumin levels (P<0.05) and improve renal function. Atracylodes rhizome polysaccharide had reversed the majority of the indices of chronic renal failure in rats.

Properties and substrate specificity of the leucyl-, the threonyl- and the valyl-transfer-ribonucleic acid synthetases from Aesculus species

PubMed Central

Anderson, J. W.; Fowden, L.

1970-01-01

1. Leucyl- and threonyl-tRNA synthetases were partially purified up to 100-fold and 30-fold respectively from cotyledons of Aesculus hippocastanum and were largely separated from the other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Valyl-tRNA synthetase was purified 25-fold from cotyledons of Aesculus californica. 2. Some properties are reported for the three enzymes when assayed by the [32P]pyrophosphate-ATP exchange technique. 3. β-(Methylenecyclopropyl)alanine, isoleucine, azaleucine, norleucine and γ-hydroxynorvaline acted as alternative substrates for the leucyl-tRNA synthetase; the enzyme's affinity for β-(methylenecyclopropyl)-alanine and for isoleucine was about 80-fold less than that exhibited for leucine. 4. α-Cyclopropylglycine and α-cyclobutylglycine acted as alternative substrates for the valyl-tRNA synthetase. PMID:5493505

A Survey of Glutamine Synthetase Activities in Tissues from Three Classes of Fish.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

reveree side it necessay end identify by block enamaber) Glutamine synthetase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, osmoregulation , glutamate, glutamine...aspects of osmoregulation as well. The only known route of glutanmine synthesis n all species is activity of glutamine synthetase (EC 6.3.1.2) which...for osmoregulation . There is a relatively small difference n species which retain urea for osmoregulation . This may help to explain the relationship of

Mitochondrial and cytoplasmic isoleucyl-, glutamyl- and arginyl-tRNA synthetases of yeast are encoded by separate genes.

PubMed

Tzagoloff, A; Shtanko, A

1995-06-01

Three complementation groups of a pet mutant collection have been found to be composed of respiratory-deficient deficient mutants with lesions in mitochondrial protein synthesis. Recombinant plasmids capable of restoring respiration were cloned by transformation of representatives of each complementation group with a yeast genomic library. The plasmids were used to characterize the complementing genes and to institute disruption of the chromosomal copies of each gene in respiratory-proficient yeast. The sequences of the cloned genes indicate that they code for isoleucyl-, arginyl- and glutamyl-tRNA synthetases. The properties of the mutants used to obtain the genes and of strains with the disrupted genes indicate that all three aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases function exclusively in mitochondrial proteins synthesis. The ISM1 gene for mitochondrial isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase has been localized to chromosome XVI next to UME5. The MSR1 gene for the arginyl-tRNA synthetase was previously located on yeast chromosome VIII. The third gene MSE1 for the mitochondrial glutamyl-tRNA synthetase has not been localized. The identification of three new genes coding for mitochondrial-specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases indicates that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae at least 11 members of this protein family are encoded by genes distinct from those coding for the homologous cytoplasmic enzymes.

Double mimicry evades tRNA synthetase editing by toxic vegetable-sourced non-proteinogenic amino acid.

PubMed

Song, Youngzee; Zhou, Huihao; Vo, My-Nuong; Shi, Yi; Nawaz, Mir Hussain; Vargas-Rodriguez, Oscar; Diedrich, Jolene K; Yates, John R; Kishi, Shuji; Musier-Forsyth, Karin; Schimmel, Paul

2017-12-22

Hundreds of non-proteinogenic (np) amino acids (AA) are found in plants and can in principle enter human protein synthesis through foods. While aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (AARS) editing potentially provides a mechanism to reject np AAs, some have pathological associations. Co-crystal structures show that vegetable-sourced azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (Aze), a dual mimic of proline and alanine, is activated by both human prolyl- and alanyl-tRNA synthetases. However, it inserts into proteins as proline, with toxic consequences in vivo. Thus, dual mimicry increases odds for mistranslation through evasion of one but not both tRNA synthetase editing systems.

Membrane anchoring of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases by convergent acquisition of a novel protein domain.

PubMed

Olmedo-Verd, Elvira; Santamaría-Gómez, Javier; Ochoa de Alda, Jesús A G; Ribas de Pouplana, Lluis; Luque, Ignacio

2011-11-25

Four distinct aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) found in some cyanobacterial species contain a novel protein domain that bears two putative transmembrane helices. This CAAD domain is present in glutamyl-, isoleucyl-, leucyl-, and valyl-tRNA synthetases, the latter of which has probably recruited the domain more than once during evolution. Deleting the CAAD domain from the valyl-tRNA synthetase of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 did not significantly modify the catalytic properties of this enzyme, suggesting that it does not participate in its canonical tRNA-charging function. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the function of the CAAD domain is structural, mediating the membrane anchorage of the enzyme, although membrane localization of aaRSs has not previously been described in any living organism. Synthetases containing the CAAD domain were localized in the intracytoplasmic thylakoid membranes of cyanobacteria and were largely absent from the plasma membrane. The CAAD domain was necessary and apparently sufficient for protein targeting to membranes. Moreover, localization of aaRSs in thylakoids was important under nitrogen limiting conditions. In Anabaena, a multicellular filamentous cyanobacterium often used as a model for prokaryotic cell differentiation, valyl-tRNA synthetase underwent subcellular relocation at the cell poles during heterocyst differentiation, a process also dependent on the CAAD domain.

Orthogonal use of a human tRNA synthetase active site to achieve multi-functionality

PubMed Central

Zhou, Quansheng; Kapoor, Mili; Guo, Min; Belani, Rajesh; Xu, Xiaoling; Kiosses, William B.; Hanan, Melanie; Park, Chulho; Armour, Eva; Do, Minh-Ha; Nangle, Leslie A.; Schimmel, Paul; Yang, Xiang-Lei

2011-01-01

Protein multi-functionality is an emerging explanation for the complexity of higher organisms. In this regard, while aminoacyl tRNA synthetases catalyze amino acid activation for protein synthesis, some also act in pathways for inflammation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. How multiple functions evolved and their relationship to the active site is not clear. Here structural modeling analysis, mutagenesis, and cell-based functional studies show that the potent angiostatic, natural fragment of human TrpRS associates via Trp side chains that protrude from the cognate cellular receptor VE-cadherin. Modeling indicates that (I prefer the way it was because the conclusion was reached not only by modeling, but more so by experimental studies.)VE-cadherin Trp side chains fit into the Trp-specific active site of the synthetase. Thus, specific side chains of the receptor mimic (?) amino acid substrates and expand the functionality of the active site of the synthetase. We propose that orthogonal use of the same active site may be a general way to develop multi-functionality of human tRNA synthetases and other proteins. PMID:20010843

Supramolecular polymeric chemosensor for biomedical applications: design and synthesis of a luminescent zinc metallopolymer as a chemosensor for adenine detection.

PubMed

Chow, Cheuk-Fai

2012-11-01

Adenine is an important bio-molecule that plays many crucial roles in food safety and biomedical diagnostics. Differentiating adenine from a mixture of adenosine and other nucleic bases (guanine, thymine, cytosine, and uracil) is particularly important for both biological and clinical applications. A neutral Zn(II) metallosupramolecular polymer based on acyl hydrazone derived coordination centres (P1) were generated through self-assembly polymerization. It is a linear coordination polymer that behaves like self-standing film. The synthesis, (1)H-NMR characterization, and spectroscopic properties of this supramolecular material are reported. P1 was found to be a chemosensor specific to adenine, with a luminescent enhancement. The binding properties of P1 with common nucleic bases and nucleosides reveal that this supramolecular polymer is very selective to adenine molecules (~20 to 420 times more selectivity than other nucleic bases). The formation constant (K) of P1 to adenine was found to be log K = 4.10 ± 0.02. This polymeric chemosensor produces a specific response to adenine down to 90 ppb. Spectrofluorimetric and (1)H-NMR titration studies showed that the P1 polymer allows each Zn(II) coordination centre to bind to two adenine molecules through hydrogen bonding with their imine and hydrazone protons.

Regulation of glutamine synthetase activity in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 by the nitrogen source: effect of ammonium.

PubMed Central

Mérida, A; Candau, P; Florencio, F J

1991-01-01

Glutamine synthetase activity from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is regulated as a function of the nitrogen source available in the medium. Addition of 0.25 mM NH4Cl to nitrate-grown cells promotes a clear short-term inactivation of glutamine synthetase, whose enzyme activity decreases to 5 to 10% of the initial value in 25 min. The intracellular levels of glutamine, determined under various conditions, taken together with the results obtained with azaserine (an inhibitor of transamidases), rule out the possibility that glutamine per se is responsible for glutamine synthetase inactivation. Nitrogen starvation attenuates the ammonium-mediated glutamine synthetase inactivation, indicating that glutamine synthetase regulation is modulated through the internal balance between carbon-nitrogen compounds and carbon compounds. The parallelism observed between the glutamine synthetase activity and the internal concentration of alpha-ketoglutarate suggests that this metabolite could play a role as a positive effector of glutamine synthetase activity in Synechocystis sp. Despite the similarities of this physiological system to that described for enterobacteria, the lack of in vivo 32P labeling of glutamine synthetase during the inactivation process excludes the existence of an adenylylation-deadenylylation system in this cyanobacterium. Images PMID:1676397

Heptacopper(II) and dicopper(II)-adenine complexes: synthesis, structural characterization, and magnetic properties

DOE PAGES

Leite Ferreira, B. J. M.; Brandão, Paula; Dos Santos, A. M.; ...

2015-07-13

The syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of two new copper(II) complexes with molecular formulas [Cu 7(μ 2-OH 2) 6(μ 3-O) 6(adenine) 6(NO 3) 26H 2O (1) and [Cu 2(μ 2-H 2O) 2(adenine) 2(H 2O) 4](NO 3) 42H 2O (2) are reported. We composed the heptanuclear compound of a central octahedral CuO 6 core sharing edges with six adjacent copper octahedra. In 2, the copper octahedra shares one equatorial edge. In both compounds, these basic copper cluster units are further linked by water bridges and bridging adenine ligands through N3 and N9 donors. All copper(II) centers exhibit Jahn-Teller distorted octahedralmore » coordination characteristic of a d 9 center. Our study of the magnetic properties of the heptacopper complex revealed a dominant ferromagnetic intra-cluster interaction, while the dicopper complex exhibits antiferromagnetic intra-dimer interactions with weakly ferromagnetic inter-dimer interaction.« less

Multiple Click-Selective tRNA Synthetases Expand Mammalian Cell-Specific Proteomics.

PubMed

Yang, Andrew C; du Bois, Haley; Olsson, Niclas; Gate, David; Lehallier, Benoit; Berdnik, Daniela; Brewer, Kyle D; Bertozzi, Carolyn R; Elias, Joshua E; Wyss-Coray, Tony

2018-06-13

Bioorthogonal tools enable cell-type-specific proteomics, a prerequisite to understanding biological processes in multicellular organisms. Here we report two engineered aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases for mammalian bioorthogonal labeling: a tyrosyl ( ScTyr Y43G ) and a phenylalanyl ( MmPhe T413G ) tRNA synthetase that incorporate azide-bearing noncanonical amino acids specifically into the nascent proteomes of host cells. Azide-labeled proteins are chemoselectively tagged via azide-alkyne cycloadditions with fluorophores for imaging or affinity resins for mass spectrometric characterization. Both mutant synthetases label human, hamster, and mouse cell line proteins and selectively activate their azido-bearing amino acids over 10-fold above the canonical. ScTyr Y43G and MmPhe T413G label overlapping but distinct proteomes in human cell lines, with broader proteome coverage upon their coexpression. In mice, ScTyr Y43G and MmPhe T413G label the melanoma tumor proteome and plasma secretome. This work furnishes new tools for mammalian residue-specific bioorthogonal chemistry, and enables more robust and comprehensive cell-type-specific proteomics in live mammals.

Root of the universal tree of life based on ancient aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase gene duplications.

PubMed

Brown, J R; Doolittle, W F

1995-03-28

Universal trees based on sequences of single gene homologs cannot be rooted. Iwabe et al. [Iwabe, N., Kuma, K.-I., Hasegawa, M., Osawa, S. & Miyata, T. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 9355-9359] circumvented this problem by using ancient gene duplications that predated the last common ancestor of all living things. Their separate, reciprocally rooted gene trees for elongation factors and ATPase subunits showed Bacteria (eubacteria) as branching first from the universal tree with Archaea (archaebacteria) and Eucarya (eukaryotes) as sister groups. Given its topical importance to evolutionary biology and concerns about the appropriateness of the ATPase data set, an evaluation of the universal tree root using other ancient gene duplications is essential. In this study, we derive a rooting for the universal tree using aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase genes, an extensive multigene family whose divergence likely preceded that of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. An approximately 1600-bp conserved region was sequenced from the isoleucyl-tRNA synthetases of several species representing deep evolutionary branches of eukaryotes (Nosema locustae), Bacteria (Aquifex pyrophilus and Thermotoga maritima) and Archaea (Pyrococcus furiosus and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius). In addition, a new valyl-tRNA synthetase was characterized from the protist Trichomonas vaginalis. Different phylogenetic methods were used to generate trees of isoleucyl-tRNA synthetases rooted by valyl- and leucyl-tRNA synthetases. All isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase trees showed Archaea and Eucarya as sister groups, providing strong confirmation for the universal tree rooting reported by Iwabe et al. As well, there was strong support for the monophyly (sensu Hennig) of Archaea. The valyl-tRNA synthetase gene from Tr. vaginalis clustered with other eukaryotic ValRS genes, which may have been transferred from the mitochondrial genome to the nuclear genome, suggesting that this amitochondrial trichomonad once harbored an

Thiamin and riboflavin vitamers in human milk: effects of lipid-based nutrient supplementation and stage of lactation on vitamer secretion and contributions to total vitamin content

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

While thiamin and riboflavin in breast milk have been analyzed for over 50 years, less attention has been given to the different forms of each vitamin. Thiamin-monophosphate (TMP) and free thiamin contribute to total thiamin content; flavin adenine-dinucleotide (FAD) and free riboflavin are the main...

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) and Nicotinamide: Sex Differences in Cerebral Ischemia

PubMed Central

Siegel, Chad S.; McCullough, Louise D.

2013-01-01

Background Previous literature suggests that cell death pathways activated after cerebral ischemia differ between the sexes. While caspase-dependent mechanisms predominate in the female brain, caspase-independent cell death induced by activation of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) predominates in the male brain. PARP-1 gene deletion decreases infarction volume in the male brain, but paradoxically increases damage in PARP-1 knockout females. Purpose This study examined stroke induced changes in NAD+, a key energy molecule involved in PARP-1 activation in both sexes. Methods Mice were subjected to Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion and NAD+ levels were assessed. Caspase-3 activity and nuclear translocation was assessed 6 hours after ischemia. In additional cohorts, Nicotinamide (500mg/kg i.p.) a precursor of NAD+ or vehicle was administered and infarction volume was measured 24 hours after ischemia. Results Males have higher baseline NAD+ levels than females. Significant stroke-induced NAD+ depletion occurred in males and ovariectomized females but not in intact females. PARP-1 deletion prevented the stroke induced loss in NAD+ in males, but worsened NAD+ loss in PARP-1 deficient females. Preventing NAD+ loss with nicotinamide reduced infarct in wild-type males and PARP-1 knockout mice of both sexes, with no effect in WT females. Caspase-3 activity was significantly increased in PARP-1 knockout females compared to males and wild-type females, this was reversed with nicotinamide. Conclusions Sex differences exist in baseline and stroke-induced NAD+ levels. Nicotinamide protected males and PARP knockout mice, but had minimal effects in the wild-type female brain. This may be secondary to differences in energy metabolism between the sexes. PMID:23403179

Improved Ethanol Production from Xylose by Candida shehatae Induced by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Air Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Huixia; Xiu, Zhilong; Bai, Fengwu

2014-06-01

Xylose fermentation is essential for ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Exposure of the xylose-fermenting yeast Candida shehatae (C. shehatae) CICC1766 to atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) air plasma yields a clone (designated as C81015) with stability, which exhibits a higher ethanol fermentation rate from xylose, giving a maximal enhancement in ethanol production of 36.2% compared to the control (untreated). However, the biomass production of C81015 is lower than that of the control. Analysis of the NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)- and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate)-linked xylose reductases and NAD+-linked xylitol dehydrogenase indicates that their activities are enhanced by 34.1%, 61.5% and 66.3%, respectively, suggesting that the activities of these three enzymes are responsible for improving ethanol fermentation in C81015 with xylose as a substrate. The results of this study show that DBD air plasma could serve as a novel and effective means of generating microbial strains that can better use xylose for ethanol fermentation.

Application of Negative Curvature Hollow-Core Fiber in an Optical Fiber Sensor Setup for Multiphoton Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Stawska, Hanna Izabela; Mazur, Leszek Mateusz; Kosolapov, Alexey; Kolyadin, Anton; Bereś-Pawlik, Elżbieta

2017-01-01

In this paper, an application of negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) in an all-fiber, multiphoton fluorescence sensor setup is presented. The dispersion parameter (D) of this fiber does not exceed the value of 5 ps/nm × km across the optical spectrum of (680–750) nm, making it well suited for the purpose of multiphoton excitation of biological fluorophores. Employing 1.5 m of this fiber in a simple, all-fiber sensor setup allows us to perform multiphoton experiments without any dispersion compensation methods. Multiphoton excitation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) with this fiber shows a 6- and 9-fold increase, respectively, in the total fluorescence signal collected when compared with the commercial solution in the form of a hollow-core photonic band gap fiber (HCPBF). To the author’s best knowledge, this is the first time an NCHCF was used in an optical-fiber sensor setup for multiphoton fluorescence experiments. PMID:28984838

Application of Negative Curvature Hollow-Core Fiber in an Optical Fiber Sensor Setup for Multiphoton Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Popenda, Maciej Andrzej; Stawska, Hanna Izabela; Mazur, Leszek Mateusz; Jakubowski, Konrad; Kosolapov, Alexey; Kolyadin, Anton; Bereś-Pawlik, Elżbieta

2017-10-06

In this paper, an application of negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) in an all-fiber, multiphoton fluorescence sensor setup is presented. The dispersion parameter (D) of this fiber does not exceed the value of 5 ps/nm × km across the optical spectrum of (680-750) nm, making it well suited for the purpose of multiphoton excitation of biological fluorophores. Employing 1.5 m of this fiber in a simple, all-fiber sensor setup allows us to perform multiphoton experiments without any dispersion compensation methods. Multiphoton excitation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) with this fiber shows a 6- and 9-fold increase, respectively, in the total fluorescence signal collected when compared with the commercial solution in the form of a hollow-core photonic band gap fiber (HCPBF). To the author's best knowledge, this is the first time an NCHCF was used in an optical-fiber sensor setup for multiphoton fluorescence experiments.

Nonselective enrichment for yeast adenine mutants by flow cytometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruschi, C. V.; Chuba, P. J.

1988-01-01

The expression of certain adenine biosynthetic mutations in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae results in a red colony color. This phenomenon has historically provided an ideal genetic marker for the study of mutation, recombination, and aneuploidy in lower eukaryotes by classical genetic analysis. In this paper, it is reported that cells carrying ade1 and/or ade2 mutations exhibit primary fluorescence. Based on this observation, the nonselective enrichment of yeast cultures for viable adenine mutants by using the fluorescence-activated cell sorter has been achieved. The advantages of this approach over conventional genetic analysis of mutation, recombination, and mitotic chromosomal stability include speed and accuracy in acquiring data for large numbers of clones. By using appropriate strains, the cell sorter has been used for the isolation of both forward mutations and chromosomal loss events in S. cerevisiae. The resolving power of this system and its noninvasiveness can easily be extended to more complex organisms, including mammalian cells, in which analogous metabolic mutants are available.

Spectroscopic investigation on cocrystal formation between adenine and fumaric acid based on infrared and Raman techniques.

PubMed

Du, Yong; Fang, Hong Xia; Zhang, Qi; Zhang, Hui Li; Hong, Zhi

2016-01-15

As an important component of double-stranded DNA, adenine has powerful hydrogen-bond capability, due to rich hydrogen bond donors and acceptors existing within its molecular structure. Therefore, it is easy to form cocrystal between adenine and other small molecules with intermolecular hydrogen-bond effect. In this work, cocrystal of adenine and fumaric acid has been characterized as model system by FT-IR and FT-Raman spectral techniques. The experimental results show that the cocrystal formed between adenine and fumaric acid possesses unique spectroscopical characteristic compared with that of starting materials. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation has been performed to optimize the molecular structures and simulate vibrational modes of adenine, fumaric acid and the corresponding cocrystal. Combining the theoretical and experimental vibrational results, the characteristic bands corresponding to bending and stretching vibrations of amino and carbonyl groups within cocrystal are shifted into lower frequencies upon cocrystal formation, and the corresponding bond lengths show some increase due to the effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Different vibrational modes shown in the experimental spectra have been assigned based on the simulation DFT results. The study could provide experimental and theoretical benchmarks to characterize cocrystal formed between active ingredients and cocrystal formers and also the intermolecular hydrogen-bond effect within cocrystal formation process by vibrational spectroscopic techniques. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved Model for Predicting the Free Energy Contribution of Dinucleotide Bulges to RNA Duplex Stability.

PubMed

Tomcho, Jeremy C; Tillman, Magdalena R; Znosko, Brent M

2015-09-01

Predicting the secondary structure of RNA is an intermediate in predicting RNA three-dimensional structure. Commonly, determining RNA secondary structure from sequence uses free energy minimization and nearest neighbor parameters. Current algorithms utilize a sequence-independent model to predict free energy contributions of dinucleotide bulges. To determine if a sequence-dependent model would be more accurate, short RNA duplexes containing dinucleotide bulges with different sequences and nearest neighbor combinations were optically melted to derive thermodynamic parameters. These data suggested energy contributions of dinucleotide bulges were sequence-dependent, and a sequence-dependent model was derived. This model assigns free energy penalties based on the identity of nucleotides in the bulge (3.06 kcal/mol for two purines, 2.93 kcal/mol for two pyrimidines, 2.71 kcal/mol for 5'-purine-pyrimidine-3', and 2.41 kcal/mol for 5'-pyrimidine-purine-3'). The predictive model also includes a 0.45 kcal/mol penalty for an A-U pair adjacent to the bulge and a -0.28 kcal/mol bonus for a G-U pair adjacent to the bulge. The new sequence-dependent model results in predicted values within, on average, 0.17 kcal/mol of experimental values, a significant improvement over the sequence-independent model. This model and new experimental values can be incorporated into algorithms that predict RNA stability and secondary structure from sequence.

Evolutionary anomalies among the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doolittle, R. F.; Handy, J.; Bada, J. L. (Principal Investigator)

1998-01-01

Unexpected relationships among the various aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases continue to be uncovered. The question arises - is this mainly the result of promiscuous exchange, or is the confusion really a reflection of the differential loss of past duplications? Phylogenetic analysis may yet provide the answer.

Methods and compositions for the production of orthogonal tRNA-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase pairs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schultz, Peter G.; Wang, Lei; Anderson, John Christopher

2015-10-20

This invention provides compositions and methods for generating components of protein biosynthetic machinery including orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases. Methods for identifying orthogonal pairs are also provided. These components can be used to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo.

Compositions of orthogonal glutamyl-tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs and uses thereof

DOEpatents

Anderson, J Christopher [San Francisco, CA; Schultz, Peter G [La Jolla, CA; Santoro, Stephen [Cambridge, MA

2009-05-05

Compositions and methods of producing components of protein biosynthetic machinery that include glutamyl orthogonal tRNAs, glutamyl orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of glutamyl tRNAs/synthetases are provided. Methods for identifying these orthogonal pairs are also provided along with methods of producing proteins using these orthogonal pairs.

Methods and compositions for the production of orthogonal tRNA-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase pairs

DOEpatents

Schultz, Peter; Wang, Lei; Anderson, John Christopher; Chin, Jason; Liu, David R.; Magliery, Thomas J.; Meggers, Eric L.; Mehl, Ryan Aaron; Pastrnak, Miro; Santoro, Stephen William; Zhang, Zhiwen

2006-08-01

This invention provides compositions and methods for generating components of protein biosynthetic machinery including orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases. Methods for identifying orthogonal pairs are also provided. These components can be used to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo.

Methods and composition for the production of orthogonal tRNA-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase pairs

DOEpatents

Schultz, Peter G [La Jolla, CA; Wang, Lei [San Diego, CA; Anderson, John Christopher [San Diego, CA; Chin, Jason W [San Diego, CA; Liu, David R [Lexington, MA; Magliery, Thomas J [North Haven, CT; Meggers, Eric L [Philadelphia, PA; Mehl, Ryan Aaron [San Diego, CA; Pastrnak, Miro [San Diego, CA; Santoro, Stephen William [San Diego, CA; Zhang, Zhiwen [San Diego, CA

2012-05-08

This invention provides compositions and methods for generating components of protein biosynthetic machinery including orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases. Methods for identifying orthogonal pairs are also provided. These components can be used to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo.

Methods and compositions for the production of orthogonal tRNA-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs

DOEpatents

Schultz, Peter G [La Jolla, CA; Wang, Lei [San Diego, CA; Anderson, John Christopher [San Diego, CA; Chin, Jason W [San Diego, CA; Liu, David R [Lexington, MA; Magliery, Thomas J [North Haven, CT; Meggers, Eric L [Philadelphia, PA; Mehl, Ryan Aaron [San Diego, CA; Pastrnak, Miro [San Diego, CA; Santoro, Stephen William [San Diego, CA; Zhang, Zhiwen [San Diego, CA

2011-09-06

This invention provides compositions and methods for generating components of protein biosynthetic machinery including orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases. Methods for identifying orthogonal pairs are also provided. These components can be used to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo.

Some reactions of the hydroxyl adduct of adenine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vanhemmen, J.J.

1975-01-01

The chemical reactions of purine derivatives resulting from pulse radiolysis were studied. Some reactions of the hydroxyl adduct of adenine are described and one of these reactions was compared with similar reactions of hydroxyl adducts of other purine derivatives. Evidence is given that in various purines opening of the imidazole ring is due to unimolecular rearrangements of the hydroxyl adducts. (GRA)

Transfer of D-phenylalanine from gramicidin S synthetase 1 to gramicidin S synthetase 2 in gramicidin S synthesis.

PubMed

Hori, K; Kanda, M; Miura, S; Yamada, Y; Saito, Y

1983-01-01

The transfer of phenylalanine from gramicidin S synthetase 1 (GS 1) to gramicidin S synthetase 2 (GS 2) was studied by the use of combinations of wild-type GS 1 with various GS 2s from a wild strain and gramicidin S non-producing mutant strains of Bacillus brevis Nagano. The combinations of mutant GS 2s lacking 4'-phosphopantetheine (from BI-4, C-3, E-1, and E-2) did not transfer D-phenylalanine from GS 1, although they could activate all the constituent amino acids. Other mutant GS 2s containing 4'-phosphopantetheine, except GS 2 from BII-3 (proline-activation lacking) accepted D-phenylalanine from intact GS 1. To ascertain more directly whether 4'-phosphopantetheine is involved in the transfer of D-phenylalanine from GS 1 to GS 2, pepsin digests of GS 2 that accepted [14C]phenylalanine were analyzed by Sephadex G-50 column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Radioactivity of [14C]phenylalanine was always associated with a peptide containing 4'-phosphopantetheine. Furthermore, the position of radioactivity was distinct from the position of 4'-phosphopantetheine on TLC after alkaline treatment or performic acid oxidation of the digests.

Thiol synthetases of legumes: immunogold localization and differential gene regulation by phytohormones.

PubMed

Clemente, Maria R; Bustos-Sanmamed, Pilar; Loscos, Jorge; James, Euan K; Pérez-Rontomé, Carmen; Navascués, Joaquín; Gay, Marina; Becana, Manuel

2012-06-01

In plants and other organisms, glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis is catalysed sequentially by γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γECS) and glutathione synthetase (GSHS). In legumes, homoglutathione (hGSH) can replace GSH and is synthesized by γECS and a specific homoglutathione synthetase (hGSHS). The subcellular localization of the enzymes was examined by electron microscopy in several legumes and gene expression was analysed in Lotus japonicus plants treated for 1-48 h with 50 μM of hormones. Immunogold localization studies revealed that γECS is confined to chloroplasts and plastids, whereas hGSHS is also in the cytosol. Addition of hormones caused differential expression of thiol synthetases in roots. After 24-48 h, abscisic and salicylic acids downregulated GSHS whereas jasmonic acid upregulated it. Cytokinins and polyamines activated GSHS but not γECS or hGSHS. Jasmonic acid elicited a coordinated response of the three genes and auxin induced both hGSHS expression and activity. Results show that the thiol biosynthetic pathway is compartmentalized in legumes. Moreover, the similar response profiles of the GSH and hGSH contents in roots of non-nodulated and nodulated plants to the various hormonal treatments indicate that thiol homeostasis is independent of the nitrogen source of the plants. The differential regulation of the three mRNA levels, hGSHS activity, and thiol contents by hormones indicates a fine control of thiol biosynthesis at multiple levels and strongly suggests that GSH and hGSH play distinct roles in plant development and stress responses.

Purification, gene cloning, and characterization of γ-butyrobetainyl CoA synthetase from Agrobacterium sp. 525a.

PubMed

Fujimitsu, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Akira; Takubo, Sayaka; Fukui, Akiko; Okada, Kazuma; Mohamed Ahmed, Isam A; Arima, Jiro; Mori, Nobuhiro

2016-08-01

The report is the first of purification, overproduction, and characterization of a unique γ-butyrobetainyl CoA synthetase from soil-isolated Agrobacterium sp. 525a. The primary structure of the enzyme shares 70-95% identity with those of ATP-dependent microbial acyl-CoA synthetases of the Rhizobiaceae family. As distinctive characteristics of the enzyme of this study, ADP was released in the catalytic reaction process, whereas many acyl CoA synthetases are annotated as an AMP-forming enzyme. The apparent Km values for γ-butyrobetaine, CoA, and ATP were, respectively, 0.69, 0.02, and 0.24 mM.

Acetylcholine promotes the emergence and elongation of lateral roots of Raphanus sativus

PubMed Central

Sugiyama, Kou-ichi

2011-01-01

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) was grown on four layers of paper towel moistened with distilled water with and without acetylcholine (ACh) for five days in the dark after sowing. ACh at 1 nM promoted the growth (emergence and elongation) of lateral roots of radish plants, but had no effect on the stems and main roots. Moreover, ACh enhanced the dry weight of roots [main (primary) + lateral roots]. Neostigmine, an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) also promoted the emergence and elongation of lateral roots, and atropine, a competitive inhibitor of ACh receptor, suppressed the emergence and elongation. ACh promoted the activities of glyceraldehyde-3-phosephate dehydrogenase (G-3-PD), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-ICDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and cytochrome-c oxidase (Cyt-c OD) in seedlings. Moreover, ACh suppressed the activity of AChE and increased the amount of proteins and pyridine nucleotides (NAD and NADH) in the roots of the seedlings. It also increased the activities of NAD-forming enzymes [NAD synthetase and ATP-nicotinamide mononucleotide (ATP-NMN) adenyltransferase], and enhanced the amount of DNA in the roots of the seedlings. The relationship between ACh and the emergence and growth of lateral roots was discussed from a biochemical viewpoint. PMID:21900743

NaCl stress effects on enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation pathway in tomato "Lycopersicon esculentum" seedlings.

PubMed

Debouba, Mohamed; Gouia, Houda; Suzuki, Akira; Ghorbel, Mohamed Habib

2006-12-01

Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv. Chibli F1) grown for 10 days on control medium were exposed to differing concentrations of NaCl (0, 25, 50, and 100mM). Increasing salinity led to a decrease of dry weight (DW) production and protein contents in the leaves and roots. Conversely, the root to shoot (R/S) DW ratio was increased by salinity. Na(+) and Cl(-) accumulation were correlated with a decline of K(+) and NO(3)(-) in the leaves and roots. Under salinity, the activities of nitrate reductase (NR, EC 1.6.6.1) and glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) were repressed in the leaves, while they were enhanced in the roots. Nitrite reductase (NiR, EC 1.7.7.1) activity was decreased in both the leaves and roots. Deaminating activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH, EC 1.4.1.2) was inhibited, whereas the aminating function was significantly stimulated by salinity in the leaves and roots. At a high salt concentration, the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced (NADH)-GDH activity was stimulated concomitantly with the increasing NH(4)(+) contents and proteolysis activity in the leaves and roots. With respect to salt stress, the distinct sensitivity of the enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation is discussed.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis occurring postpartum in a patient with anti-PL-7 anti-synthetase syndrome.

PubMed

Nagai, Kojiro; Kishi, Jun; Morizumi, Shun; Minakuchi, Jun; Bando, Yoshimi; Nishioka, Yasuhiko; Doi, Toshio

2017-09-01

A 37-year-old pregnant woman developed purpura which was subsequently diagnosed as Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). After childbirth, the patient developed proteinuria and hematuria. Further examination revealed that the HSP nephritis (HSPN) was associated with anti-threonyl-tRNA synthetase anti-synthetase syndrome. The onset of HSPN during pregnancy or after childbirth is rare. Moreover, to our knowledge, this is the first case to describe renal involvement in anti-synthetase syndrome.

Properties and substrate specificities of the phenylalanyl-transfer-ribonucleic acid synthetases of Aesculus species

PubMed Central

Anderson, J. W.; Fowden, L.

1970-01-01

1. Phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetases have been partially purified from cotyledons of seeds of Aesculus californica, which contains 2-amino-4-methylhex-4-enoic acid, and from four other species of Aesculus that do not contain this amino acid. The A. californica preparation was free from other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and the contaminating synthetase activity in preparations from A. hippocastanum was decreased to acceptable limits by conducting assays of pyrophosphate exchange activity in 0.5m-potassium chloride. 2. The phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase from each species activated 2-amino-4-methylhex-4-enoic acid with Km 30–40 times that for phenylalanine. The maximum velocity for 2-amino-4-methylhex-4-enoic acid was only 30% of that for phenylalanine with the A. californica enzyme, but the maximum velocities for the two substrates were identical for the other four species. 3. 2-Amino-4-methylhex-4-enoic acid was not found in the protein of A. californica, so discrimination against this amino acid probably occurs in the step of transfer to tRNA, though subcellular localization, or subsequent steps of protein synthesis could be involved. 4. Crotylglycine, methallylglycine, ethallylglycine, 2-aminohex-4,5-dienoic acid, 2-amino-5-methylhex-4-enoic acid, 2-amino-4-methylhex-4-enoic acid, β-(thien-2-yl)alanine, β-(pyrazol-1-yl)alanine, phenylserine and m-fluorophenylalanine were substrates for pyrophosphate exchange catalysed by the phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetases of A. californica or A. hippocastanum. Allylglycine, phenylglycine and 2-amino-4-phenylbutyric acid were inactive. PMID:5493504

Curcumin and resveratrol rescue cortical-hippocampal system from chronic fluoride-induced neurodegeneration and enhance memory retrieval.

PubMed

Sharma, Chhavi; Suhalka, Pooja; Bhatnagar, Maheep

2018-04-13

The aim of this study was: (1) to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of resveratrol and curcumin on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase activity in neuronal cell in subregions of mice brain, (2) to evaluate the effects on antioxidant status and (3) to evaluate the protective effects of phytochemicals on learning and memory following fluoride exposure. Young mice (one month old, body weight (BW) 30 ± 5 mg) were provided with 120 ppm sodium fluoride dissolved in drinking water. They were given curcumin (30 mg/kg BW) or resveratrol (30 mg/kg BW) orally once in a day up to 30 days. Effects of resveratrol and curcumin on spatial learning and memory were studied using Morris water maze and classic maze test. Effects on brain antioxidants' (lactose dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species) status were also studied in vitro. Histochemistry was done to assess the effect of treatments on nitric oxide neurotransmitter. Our study showed that in fluoride-treated animals, the number of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase positive neurons, intracellular Ca 2+ , reactive oxygen species level, LDH and malondialdehyde concentration increased significantly. Interestingly, after treatment with curcumin or resveratrol, a significant decrease in the number of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase positive neurons and antioxidant status was observed. This decrease was more considerable in resveratrol-treated group. Our study indicates that both antioxidants, curcumin and resveratrol, are useful in reducing neurodegeneration in selective areas of cornus ammonis 1 (CA1), CA3, dentate gyrus (DG) and the cortex of mice brain and in recuperating the loss of memory and learning caused due to fluoride exposure.

Protective effect of dietary potassium against vascular injury in salt-sensitive hypertension.

PubMed

Kido, Makiko; Ando, Katsuyuki; Onozato, Maristela L; Tojo, Akihiro; Yoshikawa, Masahiro; Ogita, Teruhiko; Fujita, Toshiro

2008-02-01

Hypertensive cardiovascular damage is accelerated by salt loading but counteracted by dietary potassium supplementation. We suggested recently that antioxidant actions of potassium contribute to protection against salt-induced cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, we examined whether potassium supplementation ameliorated cuff-induced vascular injury in salt-sensitive hypertension via suppression of oxidative stress. Four-week-old Dahl salt-sensitive rats were fed a normal-salt (0.3% NaCl), high-salt (8% NaCl), or high-salt plus high-potassium (8% KCl) diet for 5 weeks, and some of the rats fed a high-salt diet were also given antioxidants. One week after the start of the treatments, a silicone cuff was implanted around the femoral artery. Examination revealed increased cuff-induced neointimal proliferation with adventitial macrophage infiltration in arteries from salt-loaded Dahl salt-sensitive rats compared with that in arteries from non-salt-loaded animals (intima/media ratio: 0.471+/-0.070 versus 0.302+/-0.037; P<0.05), associated with regional superoxide overproduction and reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activation and mRNA overexpression. On the other hand, simultaneous potassium supplementation attenuated salt-induced neointimal hyperplasia (intima/media ratio: 0.205+/-0.012; P<0.001), adventitial macrophage infiltration, superoxide overproduction, and reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activation and overexpression. Antioxidants, which decrease vascular oxidative stress, also reduced neointima formation induced by salt excess. In conclusion, high-potassium diets seems to have a protective effect against the development of vascular damage induced by salt loading mediated, at least in part, through suppression of the production of reactive oxygen species probably generated by reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase.

New Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase-like Protein in Insecta with an Essential Mitochondrial Function*♦

PubMed Central

Guitart, Tanit; Leon Bernardo, Teresa; Sagalés, Jessica; Stratmann, Thomas; Bernués, Jordi; Ribas de Pouplana, Lluís

2010-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARS) are modular enzymes that aminoacylate transfer RNAs (tRNA) for their use by the ribosome during protein synthesis. ARS are essential and universal components of the genetic code that were almost completely established before the appearance of the last common ancestor of all living species. This long evolutionary history explains the growing number of functions being discovered for ARS, and for ARS homologues, beyond their canonical role in gene translation. Here we present a previously uncharacterized paralogue of seryl-tRNA synthetase named SLIMP (seryl-tRNA synthetase-like insect mitochondrial protein). SLIMP is the result of a duplication of a mitochondrial seryl-tRNA synthetase (SRS) gene that took place in early metazoans and was fixed in Insecta. Here we show that SLIMP is localized in the mitochondria, where it carries out an essential function that is unrelated to the aminoacylation of tRNA. The knockdown of SLIMP by RNA interference (RNAi) causes a decrease in respiration capacity and an increase in mitochondrial mass in the form of aberrant mitochondria. PMID:20870726

Adenine nucleotide-dependent and redox-independent control of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase activity in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Yoshida, Keisuke; Hisabori, Toru

2016-06-01

Mitochondrial metabolism is important for sustaining cellular growth and maintenance; however, the regulatory mechanisms underlying individual processes in plant mitochondria remain largely uncharacterized. Previous redox-proteomics studies have suggested that mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (mMDH), a key enzyme in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and redox shuttling, is under thiol-based redox regulation as a target candidate of thioredoxin (Trx). In addition, the adenine nucleotide status may be another factor controlling mitochondrial metabolism, as respiratory ATP production in mitochondria is believed to be influenced by several environmental stimuli. Using biochemical and reverse-genetic approaches, we addressed the redox- and adenine nucleotide-dependent regulation of mMDH in Arabidopsis thaliana. Recombinant mMDH protein formed intramolecular disulfide bonds under oxidative conditions, but these bonds did not have a considerable effect on mMDH activity. Mitochondria-localized o-type Trx (Trx-o) did not facilitate re-reduction of oxidized mMDH. Determination of the in vivo redox state revealed that mMDH was stably present in the reduced form even in Trx-o-deficient plants. Accordingly, we concluded that mMDH is not in the class of redox-regulated enzymes. By contrast, mMDH activity was lowered by adenine nucleotides (AMP, ADP, and ATP). Each adenine nucleotide suppressed mMDH activity with different potencies and ATP exerted the largest inhibitory effect with a significantly lower K(I). Correspondingly, mMDH activity was inhibited by the increase in ATP/ADP ratio within the physiological range. These results suggest that mMDH activity is finely controlled in response to variations in mitochondrial adenine nucleotide balance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Properties of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase and its relationship to microsomal mixed-function oxidation in the southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania).

PubMed Central

Brattsten, L B; Wilkinson, C F

1975-01-01

1. Activity of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase was measured in the midgut and other tissues of the last larval instar of the southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania Cramer, formerly Prodenia eridania Cramer). 2. Optimum conditions for measuring the activity were established with respect to all variables involved and considerable differences from those reported for mammalian enzyme preparations were found. 3. Maximum activity (20 nmol/h per mg of protein) occurs 18-24 h after the fifth moult and thereafter decreases to trace amounts as the larvae age and approach pupation. 4. Synthetase activity was rapidly induced by oral administration (in the diet) of pentamethylbenzene, phenobarbital, diethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine-3, 5-dicarboxylate, and 2-allyl-2-isopropylacetamide. 5. Puromycin inhibited the induction of synthetase by pentamethylbenzene. 6. Induction of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase correlated well with the induction of microsomal N-demethylation of p-chloro-N-methylaniline, except for phenobarbital, which induced the microsomal oxidase relatively more than the synthetase. PMID:1004

Properties of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase and its relationship to microsomal mixed-function oxidation in the southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania).

PubMed

Brattsten, L B; Wilkinson, C F

1975-07-01

1. Activity of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase was measured in the midgut and other tissues of the last larval instar of the southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania Cramer, formerly Prodenia eridania Cramer). 2. Optimum conditions for measuring the activity were established with respect to all variables involved and considerable differences from those reported for mammalian enzyme preparations were found. 3. Maximum activity (20 nmol/h per mg of protein) occurs 18-24 h after the fifth moult and thereafter decreases to trace amounts as the larvae age and approach pupation. 4. Synthetase activity was rapidly induced by oral administration (in the diet) of pentamethylbenzene, phenobarbital, diethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine-3, 5-dicarboxylate, and 2-allyl-2-isopropylacetamide. 5. Puromycin inhibited the induction of synthetase by pentamethylbenzene. 6. Induction of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase correlated well with the induction of microsomal N-demethylation of p-chloro-N-methylaniline, except for phenobarbital, which induced the microsomal oxidase relatively more than the synthetase.

Thiol synthetases of legumes: immunogold localization and differential gene regulation by phytohormones

PubMed Central

Clemente, Maria R.; Bustos-Sanmamed, Pilar; Loscos, Jorge; James, Euan K.; Pérez-Rontomé, Carmen; Navascués, Joaquín; Gay, Marina; Becana, Manuel

2012-01-01

In plants and other organisms, glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis is catalysed sequentially by γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γECS) and glutathione synthetase (GSHS). In legumes, homoglutathione (hGSH) can replace GSH and is synthesized by γECS and a specific homoglutathione synthetase (hGSHS). The subcellular localization of the enzymes was examined by electron microscopy in several legumes and gene expression was analysed in Lotus japonicus plants treated for 1–48 h with 50 μM of hormones. Immunogold localization studies revealed that γECS is confined to chloroplasts and plastids, whereas hGSHS is also in the cytosol. Addition of hormones caused differential expression of thiol synthetases in roots. After 24–48 h, abscisic and salicylic acids downregulated GSHS whereas jasmonic acid upregulated it. Cytokinins and polyamines activated GSHS but not γECS or hGSHS. Jasmonic acid elicited a coordinated response of the three genes and auxin induced both hGSHS expression and activity. Results show that the thiol biosynthetic pathway is compartmentalized in legumes. Moreover, the similar response profiles of the GSH and hGSH contents in roots of non-nodulated and nodulated plants to the various hormonal treatments indicate that thiol homeostasis is independent of the nitrogen source of the plants. The differential regulation of the three mRNA levels, hGSHS activity, and thiol contents by hormones indicates a fine control of thiol biosynthesis at multiple levels and strongly suggests that GSH and hGSH play distinct roles in plant development and stress responses. PMID:22442424

A Phenotypic Based Target Screening Approach Delivers New Antitubercular CTP Synthetase Inhibitors.

PubMed

Esposito, Marta; Szadocka, Sára; Degiacomi, Giulia; Orena, Beatrice S; Mori, Giorgia; Piano, Valentina; Boldrin, Francesca; Zemanová, Júlia; Huszár, Stanislav; Barros, David; Ekins, Sean; Lelièvre, Joel; Manganelli, Riccardo; Mattevi, Andrea; Pasca, Maria Rosalia; Riccardi, Giovanna; Ballell, Lluis; Mikušová, Katarína; Chiarelli, Laurent R

2017-06-09

Despite its great potential, the target-based approach has been mostly unsuccessful in tuberculosis drug discovery, while whole cell phenotypic screening has delivered several active compounds. However, for many of these hits, the cellular target has not yet been identified, thus preventing further target-based optimization of the compounds. In this context, the newly validated drug target CTP synthetase PyrG was exploited to assess a target-based approach of already known, but untargeted, antimycobacterial compounds. To this purpose the publically available GlaxoSmithKline antimycobacterial compound set was assayed, uncovering a series of 4-(pyridin-2-yl)thiazole derivatives which efficiently inhibit the Mycobacterium tuberculosis PyrG enzyme activity, one of them showing low activity against the human CTP synthetase. The three best compounds were ATP binding site competitive inhibitors, with K i values ranging from 3 to 20 μM, but did not show any activity against a small panel of different prokaryotic and eukaryotic kinases, thus demonstrating specificity for the CTP synthetases. Metabolic labeling experiments demonstrated that the compounds directly interfere not only with CTP biosynthesis, but also with other CTP dependent biochemical pathways, such as lipid biosynthesis. Moreover, using a M. tuberculosis pyrG conditional knock-down strain, it was shown that the activity of two compounds is dependent on the intracellular concentration of the CTP synthetase. All these results strongly suggest a role of PyrG as a target of these compounds, thus strengthening the value of this kind of approach for the identification of new scaffolds for drug development.

The spectrum of genomic signatures: from dinucleotides to chaos game representation.

PubMed

Wang, Yingwei; Hill, Kathleen; Singh, Shiva; Kari, Lila

2005-02-14

In the post genomic era, access to complete genome sequence data for numerous diverse species has opened multiple avenues for examining and comparing primary DNA sequence organization of entire genomes. Previously, the concept of a genomic signature was introduced with the observation of species-type specific Dinucleotide Relative Abundance Profiles (DRAPs); dinucleotides were identified as the subsequences with the greatest bias in representation in a majority of genomes. Herein, we demonstrate that DRAP is one particular genomic signature contained within a broader spectrum of signatures. Within this spectrum, an alternative genomic signature, Chaos Game Representation (CGR), provides a unique visualization of patterns in sequence organization. A genomic signature is associated with a particular integer order or subsequence length that represents a measure of the resolution or granularity in the analysis of primary DNA sequence organization. We quantitatively explore the organizational information provided by genomic signatures of different orders through different distance measures, including a novel Image Distance. The Image Distance and other existing distance measures are evaluated by comparing the phylogenetic trees they generate for 26 complete mitochondrial genomes from a diversity of species. The phylogenetic tree generated by the Image Distance is compatible with the known relatedness of species. Quantitative evaluation of the spectrum of genomic signatures may be used to ultimately gain insight into the determinants and biological relevance of the genome signatures.

Co-operation between Polymerases and Nucleotide Synthetases in the RNA World.

PubMed

Kim, Ye Eun; Higgs, Paul G

2016-11-01

It is believed that life passed through an RNA World stage in which replication was sustained by catalytic RNAs (ribozymes). The two most obvious types of ribozymes are a polymerase, which uses a neighbouring strand as a template to make a complementary sequence to the template, and a nucleotide synthetase, which synthesizes monomers for use by the polymerase. When a chemical source of monomers is available, the polymerase can survive on its own. When the chemical supply of monomers is too low, nucleotide production by the synthetase is essential and the two ribozymes can only survive when they are together. Here we consider a computational model to investigate conditions under which coexistence and cooperation of these two types of ribozymes is possible. The model considers six types of strands: the two functional sequences, the complementary strands to these sequences (which are required as templates), and non-functional mutants of the two sequences (which act as parasites). Strands are distributed on a two-dimensional lattice. Polymerases replicate strands on neighbouring sites and synthetases produce monomers that diffuse in the local neighbourhood. We show that coexistence of unlinked polymerases and synthetases is possible in this spatial model under conditions in which neither sequence could survive alone; hence, there is a selective force for increasing complexity. Coexistence is dependent on the relative lengths of the two functional strands, the strand diffusion rate, the monomer diffusion rate, and the rate of deleterious mutations. The sensitivity of this two-ribozyme system suggests that evolution of a system of many types of ribozymes would be difficult in a purely spatial model with unlinked genes. We therefore speculate that linkage of genes onto mini-chromosomes and encapsulation of strands in protocells would have been important fairly early in the history of life as a means of enabling more complex systems to evolve.

An experimental and theoretical vibrational study of interaction of adenine and thymine with artificial seawaters: A prebiotic chemistry experiment.

PubMed

Anizelli, Pedro R; Baú, João P T; Nabeshima, Henrique S; da Costa, Marcello F; de Santana, Henrique; Zaia, Dimas A M

2014-05-21

Nucleic acid bases play important roles in living beings. Thus, their interaction with salts the prebiotic Earth could be an important issue for the understanding of origin of life. In this study, the effect of pH and artificial seawaters on the structure of adenine and thymine was studied via parallel determinations using FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. Thymine and adenine lyophilized in solutions at basic and acidic conditions showed characteristic bands of the enol-imino tautomer due to the deprotonation and the hydrochloride form due to protonation, respectively. The interaction of thymine and adenine with different seawaters representative of different geological periods on Earth was also studied. In the case of thymine a strong interaction with Sr(2+) promoted changes in the Raman and infrared spectra. For adenine changes in infrared and Raman spectra were observed in the presence of salts from all seawaters tested. The experimental results were compared to theoretical calculations, which showed structural changes due to the presence of ions Na(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+) and Sr(2+) of artificial seawaters. For thymine the bands arising from C4=C5 and C6=O stretching were shifted to lower values, and for adenine, a new band at 1310cm(-1) was observed. The reactivity of adenine and thymine was studied by comparing changes in nucleophilicity and energy of the HOMO orbital. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrothermal stability of adenine under controlled fugacities of N2, CO2 and H2.

PubMed

Franiatte, Michael; Richard, Laurent; Elie, Marcel; Nguyen-Trung, Chinh; Perfetti, Erwan; LaRowe, Douglas E

2008-04-01

An experimental study has been carried out on the stability of adenine (one of the five nucleic acid bases) under hydrothermal conditions. The experiments were performed in sealed autoclaves at 300 degrees C under fugacities of CO(2), N(2) and H(2) supposedly representative of those in marine hydrothermal systems on the early Earth. The composition of the gas phase was obtained from the degradation of oxalic acid, sodium nitrite and ammonium chloride, and the oxidation of metallic iron. The results of the experiments indicate that after 200 h, adenine is still present in detectable concentration in the aqueous phase. In fact, the concentration of adenine does not seem to be decreasing after approximately 24 h, which suggests that an equilibrium state may have been established with the inorganic constituents of the hydrothermal fluid. Such a conclusion is corroborated by independent thermodynamic calculations.

Randomised double-blind trial of acyclovir (Zovirax) and adenine arabinoside in herpes simplex amoeboid corneal ulceration.

PubMed

Collum, L M; Logan, P; McAuliffe-Curtin, D; Hung, S O; Patterson, A; Rees, P J

1985-11-01

Fifty-one patients were treated in a dual-centre, double-blind comparison of acyclovir and adenine arabinoside in herpetic amoeboid (geographic) corneal ulceration. Twenty-four of the 25 patients receiving acyclovir healed in a mean time of 12.2 days, while 24 of the 26 patients treated with adenine arabinoside healed in a mean time of 11.0 days. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of healing. A second analysis, excluding any patients who had received antiviral treatment immediately prior to entry into the study, showed that 18 of the 19 who received acyclovir healed in an average of 11.7 days and 18 of the 19 recipients of adenine arabinoside healed in a mean time of 11.2 days. Again the difference was not statistically significant.

Hemolytic anemia and metabolic acidosis: think about glutathione synthetase deficiency.

PubMed

Ben Ameur, Salma; Aloulou, Hajer; Nasrallah, Fehmi; Kamoun, Thouraya; Kaabachi, Naziha; Hachicha, Mongia

2015-02-01

Glutathione synthetase deficiency (GSSD) is a rare disorder of glutathione metabolism with varying clinical severity. Patients may present with hemolytic anemia alone or together with acidosis and central nervous system impairment. Diagnosis is made by clinical presentation and detection of elevated concentrations of 5-oxoproline in urine and low glutathione synthetase activity in erythrocytes or cultured skin fibroblasts. The prognosis seems to depend on early diagnosis and treatment. We report a 4 months old Tunisian male infant who presented with severe metabolic acidosis with high anion gap and hemolytic anemia. High level of 5-oxoproline was detected in her urine and diagnosis of GSSD was made. Treatment consists of the correction of acidosis, blood transfusion, and supplementation with antioxidants. He died of severe metabolic acidosis and sepsis at the age of 15 months.

Pulmonary preservation studies: effects on endothelial function and pulmonary adenine nucleotides.

PubMed

Paik, Hyo Chae; Hoffmann, Steven C; Egan, Thomas M

2003-02-27

Lung transplantation is an effective therapy plagued by a high incidence of early graft dysfunction, in part because of reperfusion injury. The optimal preservation solution for lung transplantation is unknown. We performed experiments using an isolated perfused rat lung model to test the effect of lung preservation with three solutions commonly used in clinical practice. Lungs were retrieved from Sprague-Dawley rats and flushed with one of three solutions: modified Euro-Collins (MEC), University of Wisconsin (UW), or low potassium dextran and glucose (LPDG), then stored cold for varying periods before reperfusion with Earle's balanced salt solution using the isolated perfused rat lung model. Outcome measures were capillary filtration coefficient (Kfc), wet-to-dry weight ratio, and lung tissue levels of adenine nucleotides and cyclic AMP. All lungs functioned well after 4 hr of storage. By 6 hr, UW-flushed lungs had a lower Kfc than LPDG-flushed lungs. After 8 hr of storage, only UW-flushed lungs had a measurable Kfc. Adenine nucleotide levels were higher in UW-flushed lungs after prolonged storage. Cyclic AMP levels correlated with Kfc in all groups. Early changes in endothelial permeability seemed to be better attenuated in lungs flushed with UW compared with LPDG or MEC; this was associated with higher amounts of adenine nucleotides. MEC-flushed lungs failed earlier than LPDG-flushed or UW-flushed lungs. The content of the solution may be more important for lung preservation than whether the ionic composition is intracellular or extracellular.

Compositions of orthogonal lysyl-tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs and uses thereof

DOEpatents

Anderson, J Christopher [San Francisco, CA; Wu, Ning [Brookline, MA; Santoro, Stephen [Cambridge, MA; Schultz, Peter G [La Jolla, CA

2009-12-29

Compositions and methods of producing components of protein biosynthetic machinery that include orthogonal lysyl-tRNAs, orthogonal lysyl-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of lysyl-tRNAs/synthetases, which incorporate homoglutamines into proteins are provided in response to a four base codon. Methods for identifying these orthogonal pairs are also provided along with methods of producing proteins with homoglutamines using these orthogonal pairs.

Compositions of orthogonal lysyl-tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs and uses thereof

DOEpatents

Anderson, J Christopher [San Francisco, CA; Wu, Ning [Brookline, MA; Santoro, Stephen [Cambridge, MA; Schultz, Peter G [La Jolla, CA

2011-10-04

Compositions and methods of producing components of protein biosynthetic machinery that include orthogonal lysyl-tRNAs, orthogonal lysyl-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of lysyl-tRNAs/synthetases, which incorporate homoglutamines into proteins are provided in response to a four base codon. Methods for identifying these orthogonal pairs are also provided along with methods of producing proteins with homoglutamines using these orthogonal pairs.

Compositions of orthogonal lysyl-tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs and uses thereof

DOEpatents

Anderson, J Christopher [San Francisco, CA; Wu, Ning [Brookline, MA; Santoro, Stephen [Cambridge, MA; Schultz, Peter G [La Jolla, CA

2009-08-18

Compositions and methods of producing components of protein biosynthetic machinery that include orthogonal lysyl-tRNAs, orthogonal lysyl-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and orthogonal pairs of lysyl-tRNAs/synthetases, which incorporate homoglutamines into proteins are provided in response to a four base codon. Methods for identifying these orthogonal pairs are also provided along with methods of producing proteins with homoglutamines using these orthogonal pairs.

TRYPTOPHAN SYNTHETASE LEVELS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI, SHIGELLA DYSENTERIAE, AND TRANSDUCTION HYBRIDS

PubMed Central

Eisenstein, Richard B.; Yanofsky, Charles

1962-01-01

Eisenstein, Richard B. (Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio) and Charles Yanofsky. Tryptophan synthetase levels in Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, and transduction hybrids. J. Bacteriol. 83:193–204. 1962—Shigella dysenteriae and Escherichia coli, strains K-12 and B, were found to produce low levels of tryptophan synthetase, although some hybrids, formed by the introduction of the gene cluster concerned with tryptophan synthesis from S. dysenteriae into E. coli, produced high levels of this enzyme system. A revertant obtained from a tryptophan-requiring mutant also formed high levels of tryptophan synthetase. The gene or genes responsible for high enzyme production in these strains was shown to be linked to the cluster of genes concerned with tryptophan synthesis. The cause of high enzyme production was investigated. Various lines of evidence, including stimulation of growth by tryptophan precursors, sensitivity to inhibition by 5-methyltryptophan, absence of accumulation of tryptophan, and repression of enzyme formation by anthranilic acid and tryptophan, suggested that high enzyme production in the strains examined results from a partial block in the tryptophan pathway and not from resistance to repression by tryptophan. The conversion of shikimic acid-5-phosphate to anthranilic acid appears to be the partially blocked reaction in the strains studied. PMID:13889700

Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic study of DHNA synthetase from Geobacillus kaustophilus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kanaujia, Shankar Prasad; Ranjani, Chellamuthu Vasuki; Jeyakanthan, Jeyaraman

2007-02-01

DHNA synthetase from G. kaustophilus has been cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized. The aerobic Gram-positive bacterium Geobacillus kaustophilus is a bacillus species that was isolated from deep-sea sediment from the Mariana Trench. 1,4-Dihydroxy-2-naphthoate (DHNA) synthetase plays a vital role in the biosynthesis of menaquinone (vitamin K{sub 2}) in this bacterium. DHNA synthetase from Geobacillus kaustophilus was crystallized in the orthorhombic space group C222{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 77.01, b = 130.66, c = 131.69 Å. The crystal diffracted to a resolution of 2.2 Å. Preliminary studies and molecular-replacement calculations reveal the presence of three monomers in the asymmetricmore » unit.« less

The Local Dinucleotide Preference of APOBEC3G Can Be Altered from 5′-CC to 5′-TC by a Single Amino Acid Substitution

PubMed Central

Rathore, Anurag; Carpenter, Michael A; Demir, Özlem; Ikeda, Terumasa; Li, Ming; Shaban, Nadine; Law, Emily K.; Anokhin, Dmitry; Brown, William L.; Amaro, Rommie E.; Harris, Reuben S.

2013-01-01

APOBEC3A and APOBEC3G are DNA cytosine deaminases with biological functions in foreign DNA and retrovirus restriction, respectively. APOBEC3A has an intrinsic preference for cytosine preceded by thymine (5′-TC) in single-stranded DNA substrates, whereas APOBEC3G prefers the target cytosine to be preceded by another cytosine (5′-CC). To determine the amino acids responsible for these strong dinucleotide preferences, we analyzed a series of chimeras in which putative DNA binding loop regions of APOBEC3G were replaced with the corresponding regions from APOBEC3A. Loop 3 replacement enhanced APOBEC3G catalytic activity but did not alter its intrinsic 5′-CC dinucleotide substrate preference. Loop 7 replacement caused APOBEC3G to become APOBEC3A-like and strongly prefer 5′-TC substrates. Simultaneous loop 3/7 replacement resulted in a hyperactive APOBEC3G variant that also preferred 5′-TC dinucleotides. Single amino acid exchanges revealed D317 as a critical determinant of dinucleotide substrate specificity. Multi-copy explicitly solvated all-atom molecular dynamics simulations suggested a model in which D317 acts as a helix-capping residue by constraining the mobility of loop 7, forming a novel binding pocket that favorably accommodates cytosine. All catalytically active APOBEC3G variants, regardless of dinucleotide preference, retained HIV-1 restriction activity. These data support a model in which the loop 7 region governs the selection of local dinucleotide substrates for deamination but is unlikely to be part of the higher level targeting mechanisms that direct these enzymes to biological substrates such as HIV-1 cDNA. PMID:23938202

Absorption by DNA single strands of adenine isolated in vacuo: The role of multiple chromophores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, Lisbeth Munksgaard; Pedersen, Sara Øvad; Kirketerp, Maj-Britt Suhr; Nielsen, Steen Brøndsted

2012-02-01

The degree of electronic coupling between DNA bases is a topic being up for much debate. Here we report on the intrinsic electronic properties of isolated DNA strands in vacuo free of solvent, which is a good starting point for high-level excited states calculations. Action spectra of DNA single strands of adenine reveal sign of exciton coupling between stacked bases from blueshifted absorption bands (˜3 nm) relative to that of the dAMP mononucleotide (one adenine base). The bands are blueshifted by about 10 nm compared to those of solvated strands, which is a shift similar to that for the adenine molecule and the dAMP mononucleotide. Desolvation has little effect on the bandwidth, which implies that inhomogenous broadening of the absorption bands in aqueous solution is of minor importance compared to, e.g., conformational disorder. Finally, at high photon energies, internal conversion competes with electron detachment since dissociation of the bare photoexcited ions on the microsecond time scale is measured.

Enzymatic Basis for Differentiation of Rhizobium into Fast- and Slow-Growing Groups

PubMed Central

Drets, G. Martinez-De; Arias, A.

1972-01-01

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and other enzymes related to carbohydrate metabolism were studied in rhizobia. A nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was detected in strains of the fast-growing group of Rhizobium but not in strains of the slow-growing group. An enzymatic differentiation of rhizobia was established. PMID:4400417

Structural energetics of the adenine tract from an intrinsic transcription terminator.

PubMed

Huang, Yuegao; Weng, Xiaoli; Russu, Irina M

2010-04-02

Intrinsic transcription termination sites generally contain a tract of adenines in the DNA template that yields a tract of uracils at the 3' end of the nascent RNA. To understand how this base sequence contributes to termination of transcription, we have investigated two nucleic acid structures. The first is the RNA-DNA hybrid that contains the uracil tract 5'-rUUUUUAU-3' from the tR2 intrinsic terminator of bacteriophage lambda. The second is the homologous DNA-DNA duplex that contains the adenine tract 5'-dATAAAAA-3'. This duplex is present at the tR2 site when the DNA is not transcribed. The opening and the stability of each rU-dA/dT-dA base pair in the two structures are characterized by imino proton exchange and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results reveal concerted opening of the central rU-dA base pairs in the RNA-DNA hybrid. Furthermore, the stability profile of the adenine tract in the RNA-DNA hybrid is very different from that of the tract in the template DNA-DNA duplex. In the RNA-DNA hybrid, the stabilities of rU-dA base pairs range from 4.3 to 6.5 kcal/mol (at 10 degrees C). The sites of lowest stability are identified at the central positions of the tract. In the template DNA-DNA duplex, the dT-dA base pairs are more stable than the corresponding rU-dA base pairs in the hybrid by 0.9 to 4.6 kcal/mol and, in contrast to the RNA-DNA hybrid, the central base pairs have the highest stability. These results suggest that the central rU-dA/dT-dA base pairs in the adenine tract make the largest energetic contributions to transcription termination by promoting both the dissociation of the RNA transcript and the closing of the transcription bubble. The results also suggest that the high stability of dT-dA base pairs in the DNA provides a signal for the pausing of RNA polymerase at the termination site. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coordinated regulation of accessory genetic elements produces cyclic di-nucleotides for V. cholerae virulence.

PubMed

Davies, Bryan W; Bogard, Ryan W; Young, Travis S; Mekalanos, John J

2012-04-13

The function of the Vibrio 7(th) pandemic island-1 (VSP-1) in cholera pathogenesis has remained obscure. Utilizing chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing to map the regulon of the master virulence regulator ToxT, we identify a TCP island-encoded small RNA that reduces the expression of a previously unrecognized VSP-1-encoded transcription factor termed VspR. VspR modulates the expression of several VSP-1 genes including one that encodes a novel class of di-nucleotide cyclase (DncV), which preferentially synthesizes a previously undescribed hybrid cyclic AMP-GMP molecule. We show that DncV is required for efficient intestinal colonization and downregulates V. cholerae chemotaxis, a phenotype previously associated with hyperinfectivity. This pathway couples the actions of previously disparate genomic islands, defines VSP-1 as a pathogenicity island in V. cholerae, and implicates its occurrence in 7(th) pandemic strains as a benefit for host adaptation through the production of a regulatory cyclic di-nucleotide. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The structures of cytosolic and plastid-located glutamine synthetases from Medicago truncatula reveal a common and dynamic architecture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Torreira, Eva; Seabra, Ana Rita; Marriott, Hazel

The experimental models of dicotyledonous cytoplasmic and plastid-located glutamine synthetases unveil a conserved eukaryotic-type decameric architecture, with subtle structural differences in M. truncatula isoenzymes that account for their distinct herbicide resistance. The first step of nitrogen assimilation in higher plants, the energy-driven incorporation of ammonia into glutamate, is catalyzed by glutamine synthetase. This central process yields the readily metabolizable glutamine, which in turn is at the basis of all subsequent biosynthesis of nitrogenous compounds. The essential role performed by glutamine synthetase makes it a prime target for herbicidal compounds, but also a suitable intervention point for the improvement of cropmore » yields. Although the majority of crop plants are dicotyledonous, little is known about the structural organization of glutamine synthetase in these organisms and about the functional differences between the different isoforms. Here, the structural characterization of two glutamine synthetase isoforms from the model legume Medicago truncatula is reported: the crystallographic structure of cytoplasmic GSII-1a and an electron cryomicroscopy reconstruction of plastid-located GSII-2a. Together, these structural models unveil a decameric organization of dicotyledonous glutamine synthetase, with two pentameric rings weakly connected by inter-ring loops. Moreover, rearrangement of these dynamic loops changes the relative orientation of the rings, suggesting a zipper-like mechanism for their assembly into a decameric enzyme. Finally, the atomic structure of M. truncatula GSII-1a provides important insights into the structural determinants of herbicide resistance in this family of enzymes, opening new avenues for the development of herbicide-resistant plants.« less

Effective immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenase on carbon nanoscaffolds for ethanol biofuel cell.

PubMed

Umasankar, Yogeswaran; Adhikari, Bal-Ram; Chen, Aicheng

2017-12-01

An efficient approach for immobilizing alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) while enhancing its electron transfer ability has been developed using poly(2-(trimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (MADQUAT) cationic polymer and carbon nanoscaffolds. The carbon nanoscaffolds were comprised of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) wrapped with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The ADH entrapped within the MADQUAT that was present on the carbon nanoscaffolds exhibited a high electron exchange capability with the electrode through its cofactor β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrate and β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced disodium salt hydrate (NAD + /NADH) redox reaction. The advantages of the carbon nanoscaffolds used as the support matrix and the MADQUAT employed for the entrapment of ADH versus physisorption were demonstrated via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Our experimental results showed a higher electron transfer, electrocatalytic activity, and rate constant for MADQUAT entrapped ADH on the carbon nanoscaffolds. The immobilization of ADH using both MADQUAT and carbon nanoscaffolds exhibited strong potential for the development of an efficient bio-anode for ethanol powered biofuel cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluorescence spectroscopy using excitation and emission matrix for quantification of tissue native fluorophores and cancer diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Binlin; Gayen, S. K.; Xu, M.

2014-03-01

Native fluorescence spectrum of normal and cancerous human prostate tissues is studied to distinguish between normal and cancerous tissues, and cancerous tissues at different cancer grade. The tissue samples were obtained from Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) and National Disease Research Interchange(NDRI). An excitation and emission matrix (EEM) was generated for each tissue sample by acquiring native fluorescence spectrum of the sample using multiple excitation wavelengths. The non-negative matrix factorization algorithm was used to generate fluorescence EEMs that correspond to the fluorophores in biological tissues, including tryptophan, collagen, elastin, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and the background paraffin. We hypothesize that, as a consequence of metabolic changes associated with the development of cancer, the concentrations of NADH and FAD are different in normal and cancerous tissues, and also different for different cancer grades. We used the ratio of the abundances of FAD and NADH to distinguish between normal and cancerous tissues, and the tissue cancer grade. The FAD-to-NADH ratio was found to be the highest for normal tissue and decreased as the cancer grade increased.

Correlating two-photon excited fluorescence imaging of breast cancer cellular redox state with seahorse flux analysis of normalized cellular oxygen consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Jue; Wright, Heather J.; Chan, Nicole; Tran, Richard; Razorenova, Olga V.; Potma, Eric O.; Tromberg, Bruce J.

2016-06-01

Two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging of the cellular cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and oxidized flavin adenine dinucleotide is widely used to measure cellular metabolism, both in normal and pathological cells and tissues. When dual-wavelength excitation is used, ratiometric TPEF imaging of the intrinsic cofactor fluorescence provides a metabolic index of cells-the "optical redox ratio" (ORR). With increased interest in understanding and controlling cellular metabolism in cancer, there is a need to evaluate the performance of ORR in malignant cells. We compare TPEF metabolic imaging with seahorse flux analysis of cellular oxygen consumption in two different breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). We monitor metabolic index in living cells under both normal culture conditions and, for MCF-7, in response to cell respiration inhibitors and uncouplers. We observe a significant correlation between the TPEF-derived ORR and the flux analyzer measurements (R=0.7901, p<0.001). Our results confirm that the ORR is a valid dynamic index of cell metabolism under a range of oxygen consumption conditions relevant for cancer imaging.

3′-NADP and 3′-NAADP, Two Metabolites Formed by the Bacterial Type III Effector AvrRxo1*♦

PubMed Central

Schuebel, Felix; Rocker, Andrea; Edelmann, Daniel; Schessner, Julia; Brieke, Clara; Meinhart, Anton

2016-01-01

An arsenal of effector proteins is injected by bacterial pathogens into the host cell or its vicinity to increase virulence. The commonly used top-down approaches inferring the toxic mechanism of individual effector proteins from the host's phenotype are often impeded by multiple targets of different effectors as well as by their pleiotropic effects. Here we describe our bottom-up approach, showing that the bacterial type III effector AvrRxo1 of plant pathogens is an authentic phosphotransferase that produces two novel metabolites by phosphorylating nicotinamide/nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide at the adenosine 3′-hydroxyl group. Both products of AvrRxo1, 3′-NADP and 3′-nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (3′-NAADP), are substantially different from the ubiquitous co-enzyme 2′-NADP and the calcium mobilizer 2′-NAADP. Interestingly, 3′-NADP and 3′-NAADP have previously been used as inhibitors or signaling molecules but were regarded as “artificial” compounds so far. Our findings now necessitate a shift in thinking about the biological importance of 3′-phosphorylated NAD derivatives. PMID:27621317

Optical biopsy using fluorescence spectroscopy for prostate cancer diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Binlin; Gao, Xin; Smith, Jason; Bailin, Jacob

2017-02-01

Native fluorescence spectra are acquired from fresh normal and cancerous human prostate tissues. The fluorescence data are analyzed using a multivariate analysis algorithm such as non-negative matrix factorization. The nonnegative spectral components are retrieved and attributed to the native fluorophores such as collagen, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) in tissue. The retrieved weights of the components, e.g. NADH and FAD are used to estimate the relative concentrations of the native fluorophores and the redox ratio. A machine learning algorithm such as support vector machine (SVM) is used for classification to distinguish normal and cancerous tissue samples based on either the relative concentrations of NADH and FAD or the redox ratio alone. The classification performance is shown based on statistical measures such as sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, along with the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. A cross validation method such as leave-one-out is used to evaluate the predictive performance of the SVM classifier to avoid bias due to overfitting.

3'-NADP and 3'-NAADP, Two Metabolites Formed by the Bacterial Type III Effector AvrRxo1.

PubMed

Schuebel, Felix; Rocker, Andrea; Edelmann, Daniel; Schessner, Julia; Brieke, Clara; Meinhart, Anton

2016-10-28

An arsenal of effector proteins is injected by bacterial pathogens into the host cell or its vicinity to increase virulence. The commonly used top-down approaches inferring the toxic mechanism of individual effector proteins from the host's phenotype are often impeded by multiple targets of different effectors as well as by their pleiotropic effects. Here we describe our bottom-up approach, showing that the bacterial type III effector AvrRxo1 of plant pathogens is an authentic phosphotransferase that produces two novel metabolites by phosphorylating nicotinamide/nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide at the adenosine 3'-hydroxyl group. Both products of AvrRxo1, 3'-NADP and 3'-nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (3'-NAADP), are substantially different from the ubiquitous co-enzyme 2'-NADP and the calcium mobilizer 2'-NAADP. Interestingly, 3'-NADP and 3'-NAADP have previously been used as inhibitors or signaling molecules but were regarded as "artificial" compounds so far. Our findings now necessitate a shift in thinking about the biological importance of 3'-phosphorylated NAD derivatives. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Assembly of Multi-tRNA Synthetase Complex via Heterotetrameric Glutathione Transferase-homology Domains.

PubMed

Cho, Ha Yeon; Maeng, Seo Jin; Cho, Hyo Je; Choi, Yoon Seo; Chung, Jeong Min; Lee, Sangmin; Kim, Hoi Kyoung; Kim, Jong Hyun; Eom, Chi-Yong; Kim, Yeon-Gil; Guo, Min; Jung, Hyun Suk; Kang, Beom Sik; Kim, Sunghoon

2015-12-04

Many multicomponent protein complexes mediating diverse cellular processes are assembled through scaffolds with specialized protein interaction modules. The multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC), consisting of nine different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and three non-enzymatic factors (AIMP1-3), serves as a hub for many signaling pathways in addition to its role in protein synthesis. However, the assembly process and structural arrangement of the MSC components are not well understood. Here we show the heterotetrameric complex structure of the glutathione transferase (GST) domains shared among the four MSC components, methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MRS), glutaminyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS), AIMP2 and AIMP3. The MRS-AIMP3 and EPRS-AIMP2 using interface 1 are bridged via interface 2 of AIMP3 and EPRS to generate a unique linear complex of MRS-AIMP3:EPRS-AIMP2 at the molar ratio of (1:1):(1:1). Interestingly, the affinity at interface 2 of AIMP3:EPRS can be varied depending on the occupancy of interface 1, suggesting the dynamic nature of the linear GST tetramer. The four components are optimally arranged for maximal accommodation of additional domains and proteins. These characteristics suggest the GST tetramer as a unique and dynamic structural platform from which the MSC components are assembled. Considering prevalence of the GST-like domains, this tetramer can also provide a tool for the communication of the MSC with other GST-containing cellular factors. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Structure of Escherichia coli Arginyl-tRNA Synthetase in Complex with tRNAArg: Pivotal Role of the D-loop.

PubMed

Stephen, Preyesh; Ye, Sheng; Zhou, Ming; Song, Jian; Zhang, Rongguang; Wang, En-Duo; Giegé, Richard; Lin, Sheng-Xiang

2018-05-25

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are essential components in protein biosynthesis. Arginyl-tRNA synthetase (ArgRS) belongs to the small group of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases requiring cognate tRNA for amino acid activation. The crystal structure of Escherichia coli (Eco) ArgRS has been solved in complex with tRNA Arg at 3.0-Å resolution. With this first bacterial tRNA complex, we are attempting to bridge the gap existing in structure-function understanding in prokaryotic tRNA Arg recognition. The structure shows a tight binding of tRNA on the synthetase through the identity determinant A20 from the D-loop, a tRNA recognition snapshot never elucidated structurally. This interaction of A20 involves 5 amino acids from the synthetase. Additional contacts via U20a and U16 from the D-loop reinforce the interaction. The importance of D-loop recognition in EcoArgRS functioning is supported by a mutagenesis analysis of critical amino acids that anchor tRNA Arg on the synthetase; in particular, mutations at amino acids interacting with A20 affect binding affinity to the tRNA and specificity of arginylation. Altogether the structural and functional data indicate that the unprecedented ArgRS crystal structure represents a snapshot during functioning and suggest that the recognition of the D-loop by ArgRS is an important trigger that anchors tRNA Arg on the synthetase. In this process, A20 plays a major role, together with prominent conformational changes in several ArgRS domains that may eventually lead to the mature ArgRS:tRNA complex and the arginine activation. Functional implications that could be idiosyncratic to the arginine identity of bacterial ArgRSs are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glutamine-dependent carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase and other enzyme activities related to the pyrimidine pathway in spleen of Squalus acanthias (spiny dogfish).

PubMed Central

Anderson, P M

1989-01-01

The first two steps of urea synthesis in liver of marine elasmobranchs involve formation of glutamine from ammonia and of carbamoyl phosphate from glutamine, catalysed by glutamine synthetase and carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, respectively [Anderson & Casey (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 456-462]; both of these enzymes are localized exclusively in the mitochondrial matrix. The objective of this study was to establish the enzymology of carbamoyl phosphate formation and utilization for pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis in Squalus acanthias (spiny dogfish), a representative elasmobranch. Aspartate carbamoyltransferase could not be detected in liver of dogfish. Spleen extracts, however, had glutamine-dependent carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, aspartate carbamoyltransferase, dihydro-orotase, and glutamine synthetase activities, all localized in the cytosol; dihydro-orotate dehydrogenase, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase, and orotidine-5'-decarboxylase activities were also present. Except for glutamine synthetase, the levels of all activities were very low. The carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity is inhibited by UTP and is activated by 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate. The first three enzyme activities of the pyrimidine pathway were eluted in distinctly different positions during gel filtration chromatography under a number of different conditions; although complete proteolysis of inter-domain regions of a multifunctional complex during extraction cannot be excluded, the evidence suggests that in dogfish, in contrast to mammalian species, these three enzymes of the pyrimidine pathway exist as individual polypeptide chains. These results: (1) establish that dogfish express two different glutamine-dependent carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activities, (2) confirm the report [Smith, Ritter & Campbell (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 198-202] that dogfish express two different glutamine synthetases, and (3) provide indirect evidence that glutamine may not be available in liver for

S-Adenosylmethionine synthetase 3 is important for pollen tube growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

S-Adenosylmethionine is widely used in a variety of biological reactions and participates in the methionine (Met) metabolic pathway. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), one of the four S-adenosylmethionine synthetase genes, METHIONINE ADENOSYLTRANSFERASE3 (MAT3), is highly expressed in pollen. He...

Assessing the effects of threonyl-tRNA synthetase on angiogenesis-related responses.

PubMed

Mirando, Adam C; Abdi, Khadar; Wo, Peibin; Lounsbury, Karen M

2017-01-15

Several recent reports have found a connection between specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and the regulation of angiogenesis. As this new area of research is explored, it is important to have reliable assays to assess the specific angiogenesis functions of these enzymes. This review provides information about specific in vitro and in vivo methods that were used to assess the angiogenic functions of threonyl-tRNA synthetase including endothelial cell migration and tube assays as well as chorioallantoic membrane and tumor vascularization assays. The theory and discussion include best methods of analysis and quantification along with the advantages and limitations of each type of assay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pseudomonas syringae Phytotoxins: Mode of Action, Regulation, and Biosynthesis by Peptide and Polyketide Synthetases

PubMed Central

Bender, Carol L.; Alarcón-Chaidez, Francisco; Gross, Dennis C.

1999-01-01

Coronatine, syringomycin, syringopeptin, tabtoxin, and phaseolotoxin are the most intensively studied phytotoxins of Pseudomonas syringae, and each contributes significantly to bacterial virulence in plants. Coronatine functions partly as a mimic of methyl jasmonate, a hormone synthesized by plants undergoing biological stress. Syringomycin and syringopeptin form pores in plasma membranes, a process that leads to electrolyte leakage. Tabtoxin and phaseolotoxin are strongly antimicrobial and function by inhibiting glutamine synthetase and ornithine carbamoyltransferase, respectively. Genetic analysis has revealed the mechanisms responsible for toxin biosynthesis. Coronatine biosynthesis requires the cooperation of polyketide and peptide synthetases for the assembly of the coronafacic and coronamic acid moieties, respectively. Tabtoxin is derived from the lysine biosynthetic pathway, whereas syringomycin, syringopeptin, and phaseolotoxin biosynthesis requires peptide synthetases. Activation of phytotoxin synthesis is controlled by diverse environmental factors including plant signal molecules and temperature. Genes involved in the regulation of phytotoxin synthesis have been located within the coronatine and syringomycin gene clusters; however, additional regulatory genes are required for the synthesis of these and other phytotoxins. Global regulatory genes such as gacS modulate phytotoxin production in certain pathovars, indicating the complexity of the regulatory circuits controlling phytotoxin synthesis. The coronatine and syringomycin gene clusters have been intensively characterized and show potential for constructing modified polyketides and peptides. Genetic reprogramming of peptide and polyketide synthetases has been successful, and portions of the coronatine and syringomycin gene clusters could be valuable resources in developing new antimicrobial agents. PMID:10357851

Cyclic Dinucleotides in the Scope of the Mammalian Immune System.

PubMed

Mankan, Arun K; Müller, Martina; Witte, Gregor; Hornung, Veit

2017-01-01

First discovered in prokaryotes and more recently in eukaryotes, cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) constitute a unique branch of second messenger signaling systems. Within prokaryotes CDNs regulate a wide array of different biological processes, whereas in the vertebrate system CDN signaling is largely dedicated to activation of the innate immune system. In this book chapter we summarize the occurrence and signaling pathways of these small-molecule second messengers, most importantly in the scope of the mammalian immune system. In this regard, our main focus is the role of the cGAS-STING axis in the context of microbial infection and sterile inflammation and its implications for therapeutic applications.

Mis-Regulation of 3-Deoxy-d-Arabino-Heptulosonate 7-Phosphate Synthetase Does Not Account for Growth Inhibition by Phenylalanine in Agmenellum quadruplicatum

PubMed Central

Jensen, Roy A.; Stenmark-Cox, S.; Ingram, Lonnie O.

1974-01-01

The growth of the blue-green bacterium, Agmenellum quadruplicatum, is inhibited in the presence of l-phenylalanine. This species has a single, constitutively synthesized 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase. l-Phenylalanine inhibits DAHP synthetase non-competitively with respect to both substrate reactants. Other aromatic amino acids do not inhibit the activity of DAHP synthetase. A common expectation for branch-point enzymes such as DAHP synthetase is a balanced pattern of feedback control by all of the ultimate end products. It seemed likely that growth inhibition might equate with defective regulation within the branched aromatic pathway. Accordingly, the possibility was examined that mis-regulation of DAHP synthetase by l-phenylalanine in wild-type cells causes starvation for precursors of the other aromatic end products. However, the molecular basis for growth inhibition cannot be attributed to l-phenylalanine inhibition of DAHP synthetase for the following reasons: (i) DAHP synthetase enzymes from l-phenylalanine-resistant mutants are more, rather than less, sensitive to feedback inhibition by l-phenylalanine. (ii) Shikimate not only fails to antagonize inhibition, but is itself inhibitory. (iii) Neither the sensitivity nor the completeness of l-phenylalanine inhibition of the wild-type enzyme in vitro appears sufficient to account for the potent inhibition of growth in vivo by l-phenylalanine. The dominating effect of l-phenylalanine in the control of DAHP synthetase appears to reflect a mechanism that prevents rather than causes growth inhibition by l-phenylalanine. The alteration of the control of DAHP synthetase in mutants selected for resistance to growth inhibition by l-phenylalanine did indicate that the cause for this metabolite vulnerability can be localized within the aromatic amino acid pathway. Apparently, an aromatic intermediate (between shikimate and the end products) accumulates in the presence of l

Evidence for two immunologically distinct acetyl-coenzyme A synthetases in yeast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Satyanarayana, T.; Mandel, A. D.; Klein, H. P.

1974-01-01

Evidence is presented that clearly establishes the presence of two acetyl-CoA synthetases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one elaborated under 'aerobic' conditions, the other under 'nonaerobic' conditions. The antibody produced by each enzyme is immunologically specific.

Reassimilation of Photorespiratory Ammonium in Lotus japonicus Plants Deficient in Plastidic Glutamine Synthetase

PubMed Central

Pérez-Delgado, Carmen M.; García-Calderón, Margarita; Márquez, Antonio J.; Betti, Marco

2015-01-01

It is well established that the plastidic isoform of glutamine synthetase (GS2) is the enzyme in charge of photorespiratory ammonium reassimilation in plants. The metabolic events associated to photorespiratory NH4 + accumulation were analyzed in a Lotus japonicus photorespiratory mutant lacking GS2. The mutant plants accumulated high levels of NH4 + when photorespiration was active, followed by a sudden drop in the levels of this compound. In this paper it was examined the possible existence of enzymatic pathways alternative to GS2 that could account for this decline in the photorespiratory ammonium. Induction of genes encoding for cytosolic glutamine synthetase (GS1), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and asparagine synthetase (ASN) was observed in the mutant in correspondence with the diminishment of NH4 +. Measurements of gene expression, polypeptide levels, enzyme activity and metabolite levels were carried out in leaf samples from WT and mutant plants after different periods of time under active photorespiratory conditions. In the case of asparagine synthetase it was not possible to determine enzyme activity and polypeptide content; however, an increased asparagine content in parallel with the induction of ASN gene expression was detected in the mutant plants. This increase in asparagine levels took place concomitantly with an increase in glutamine due to the induction of cytosolic GS1 in the mutant, thus revealing a major role of cytosolic GS1 in the reassimilation and detoxification of photorespiratory NH4 + when the plastidic GS2 isoform is lacking. Moreover, a diminishment in glutamate levels was observed, that may be explained by the induction of NAD(H)-dependent GDH activity. PMID:26091523

Head-to-head right-handed cross-links of the antitumor-active bis(mu-N,N'-di-p-tolylformamidinato)dirhodium(II,II) unit with the dinucleotides d(GpA) and d(ApG).

PubMed

Chifotides, Helen T; Dunbar, Kim R

2008-01-01

Reactions of cis-[Rh(2)(DTolF)(2)(NCCH(3))(6)](BF(4))(2) with the dinucleotides d(GpA) and d(ApG) proceed to form [Rh(2)(DTolF)(2){d(GpA)}] and [Rh(2)(DTolF)(2){d(ApG)}], respectively, with bridging purine bases spanning the Rh-Rh unit in the equatorial positions. Both dirhodium adducts exhibit head-to-head (HH) arrangement of the bases, as indicated by the presence of H8/H8 NOE cross-peaks in the 2D ROESY NMR spectra. The guanine bases bind to the dirhodium core at positions N7 and O6, a conclusion that is supported by the absence of N7 protonation at low pH values and the notable increase in the acidity of the guanine N1H sites (pK(a) approximately 7.4 in 4:1 CD(3)CN/D(2)O), inferred from the pH-dependence titrations of the guanine H8 proton resonances. In both dirhodium adducts, the adenine bases coordinate to the metal atoms through N6 and N7, which induces stabilization of the rare imino tautomer of the bases with a concomitant substantial decrease in the basicity of the N1H adenine sites (pK(a) approximately 7.0-7.1 in 4:1 CD(3)CN/D(2)O), as compared to the imino form of free adenosine. The presence of the adenine bases in the rare imino form is further corroborated by the observation of DQF-COSY H2/N1H and ROE N1H/N6H cross-peaks in the 2D NMR spectra of [Rh(2)(DTolF)(2){d(GpA)}] and [Rh(2)(DTolF)(2){d(ApG)}] in CD(3)CN at -38 degrees C. The 2D NMR spectroscopic data and the molecular modeling results suggest the presence of right-handed variants, HH1R, in solution for both adducts (HH1R refers to the relative base canting and the direction of propagation of the phosphodiester backbone with respect to the 5' base). Complete characterization of [Rh(2)(DTolF)(2){d(GpA)}] and [Rh(2)(DTolF)(2){d(ApG)}] by 2D NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling supports anti-orientation of the sugar residues for both adducts about the glycosyl bonds as well as N- and S-type conformations for the 5'- and 3'-deoxyribose residues, respectively.

Effects of polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors on S-adenosylmethionine synthetase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activities in carrot cell cultures

Treesearch

S.C. Minocha; R. Minocha; A. Komamine

1991-01-01

Changes in the activites of S-adcnosylmethionine (SAM) synthetase (methionine adenosyltransferase, EC 2.5.1.6.) and SAM decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.50) were studied in carrot (Daucus carota) cell cultures in response to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and several inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis. Activity of SAM synthetase increased...

Structural Basis for Specific Inhibition of tRNA Synthetase by an ATP Competitive Inhibitor.

PubMed

Fang, Pengfei; Han, Hongyan; Wang, Jing; Chen, Kaige; Chen, Xin; Guo, Min

2015-06-18

Pharmaceutical inhibitors of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases demand high species and family specificity. The antimalarial ATP-mimetic cladosporin selectively inhibits Plasmodium falciparum LysRS (PfLysRS). How the binding to a universal ATP site achieves the specificity is unknown. Here we report three crystal structures of cladosporin with human LysRS, PfLysRS, and a Pf-like human LysRS mutant. In all three structures, cladosporin occupies the class defining ATP-binding pocket, replacing the adenosine portion of ATP. Three residues holding the methyltetrahydropyran moiety of cladosporin are critical for the specificity of cladosporin against LysRS over other class II tRNA synthetase families. The species-exclusive inhibition of PfLysRS is linked to a structural divergence beyond the active site that mounts a lysine-specific stabilizing response to binding cladosporin. These analyses reveal that inherent divergence of tRNA synthetase structural assembly may allow for highly specific inhibition even through the otherwise universal substrate binding pocket and highlight the potential for structure-driven drug development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of Carbamyl Phosphate Synthetase-I and Glutamine Synthetase by Hepatotoxic Doses of Acetaminophen in Mice

PubMed Central

Gupta, Sanjiv; Rogers, Lynette K.; Taylor, Sarah K.; Smith, Charles V.

2016-01-01

The primary mechanisms proposed for acetaminophen-induced hepatic necrosis should deplete protein thiols, either by covalent binding and thioether formation or by oxidative reactions such as S-thiolations. However, in previous studies we did not detect significant losses of protein thiol contents in response to administration of hepatotoxic doses of acetaminophen in vivo. In the present study we employed derivatization with the thiol-specific agent monobromobimane and separation of proteins by SDS–PAGE to investigate the possible loss of specific protein thiols during the course of acetaminophen-induced hepatic necrosis. Fasted adult male mice were given acetaminophen, and protein thiol status was examined subsequently in subcellular fractions isolated by differential centrifugation. No decreases in protein thiol contents were indicated, with the exception of a marked decrease in the fluorescent intensity, but not of protein content, as indicated by staining with Coomassie blue, of a single band of approximately 130 kDa in the mitochondrial fractions of acetaminophen-treated mice. This protein was identified by isolation and N-terminal sequence analysis as carbamyl phosphate synthetase-I (CPS-I) (EC 6.3.4.16). Hepatic CPS-I activities were decreased in mice given hepatotoxic doses of acetaminophen. In addition, hepatic glutamine synthetase activities were lower, and plasma ammonia levels were elevated in mice given hepatotoxic doses of acetaminophen. The observed hyperammonemia may contribute to the adverse effects of toxic doses of acetaminophen, and elucidation of the specific mechanisms responsible for the hyperammonemia may prove to be useful clinically. However, the preferential depletion of protein thiol content of a mitochondrial protein by chemically reactive metabolites generated in the endoplasmic reticulum presents a challenging and potentially informative mechanistic question. PMID:9344900

Inhibition of recombinant Pneumocystis carinii dihydropteroate synthetase by sulfa drugs.

PubMed Central

Hong, Y L; Hossler, P A; Calhoun, D H; Meshnick, S R

1995-01-01

Forty-four sulfa drugs were screened against crude preparations of recombinant Pneumocystis carinii dihydropteroate synthetase. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constants (Km) for p-aminobenzoic acid and 7,8-dihydro-6-hydroxymethylpterin pyrophosphate were 0.34 +/- 0.02 and 2.50 +/- 0.71 microM, respectively. Several sulfa drugs, including sulfathiazole, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfamethoxypyridazine, and sulfathiourea, inhibited dihydropteroate synthetase approximately as well as sulfamethoxazole, as determined by the concentrations which cause 50% inhibition and/or by Ki. For all sulfones and sulfonamides tested, unsubstituted p-amino groups were necessary for activity, and sulfonamides containing an N1-heterocyclic substituent were found to be the most effective inhibitors. Folate biosynthesis in isolated intact P. carinii was approximately equally sensitive to inhibition by sulfamethoxazole, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfamethoxypyridazine, sulfisoxazole, and sulfathiazole. Two of these drugs, sulfamethoxypyridazine and sulfisoxazole, are known to be less toxic than sulfamethoxazole and should be further evaluated for the treatment of P. carinii pneumonia. PMID:7486915

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases: versatile players in the changing theater of translation.

PubMed Central

Francklyn, Christopher; Perona, John J; Puetz, Joern; Hou, Ya-Ming

2002-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases attach amino acids to the 3' termini of cognate tRNAs to establish the specificity of protein synthesis. A recent Asilomar conference (California, January 13-18, 2002) discussed new research into the structure-function relationship of these crucial enzymes, as well as a multitude of novel functions, including participation in amino acid biosynthesis, cell cycle control, RNA splicing, and export of tRNAs from nucleus to cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells. Together with the discovery of their role in the cellular synthesis of proteins to incorporate selenocysteine and pyrrolysine, these diverse functions of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases underscore the flexibility and adaptability of these ancient enzymes and stimulate the development of new concepts and methods for expanding the genetic code. PMID:12458790

Function of membranous lysyl-tRNA synthetase and its implication for tumorigenesis.

PubMed

Young, Ho Jeon; Lee, Jung Weon; Kim, Sunghoon

2016-12-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are essential enzymes that conjugate specific amino acids to their cognate tRNAs for protein synthesis. Besides their catalytic activity, recent studies have uncovered many additional functions of these enzymes through their interactions with diverse cellular factors. Among human ARSs, cytosolic lysyl-tRNA synthetase (KRS) is often highly expressed in cancer cells and tissues, and facilitates cancer cell migration and invasion through the interaction with the 67kDa laminin receptor on the plasma membrane. Specific modulation of this interaction by small molecule inhibitors has revealed a new way to control metastasis. Here, we summarize the pro-metastatic functions of KRS and their patho-physiological implications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ameliorative effect of ursolic acid on renal fibrosis in adenine-induced chronic kidney disease in rats.

PubMed

Thakur, Richa; Sharma, Anshuk; Lingaraju, Madhu C; Begum, Jubeda; Kumar, Dhirendra; Mathesh, Karikalan; Kumar, Pawan; Singh, Thakur Uttam; Kumar, Dinesh

2018-05-01

Ursolic acid (UA), an ursane-type pentacyclic triterpenoid commonly found in apple peels and holy basil has been shown to possess many beneficial effects. Renal fibrosis is a complication of kidney injury and associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. In our previous investigation, a lupane-type pentacyclic triterpenoid, betulinic acid (BA) was found to have protective effect on chronic kidney disease (CKD) and renal fibrosis. This prompted us to explore the therapeutic value of UA, a chemically related compound to BA in CKD. CKD was induced by feeding adenine with the feed at a concentration of 0.75% for 28 days. UA at the dose rate of 30 mg/kg in 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) was administered by oral route, simultaneously with adenine feeding for 28 days. Adenine feeding increased the kidney weight to body weight index, decreased the kidney function due to injury as indicated by increased markers like serum urea, uric acid, creatinine, cystatin C and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and initiated the fibrotic response in kidney by increasing the profibrotic proteins viz. transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), fibronectin and collagen. However, treatment with UA reversed the damage induced by adenine as shown by reduced kidney injury and fibrosis markers which was further clearly evident in histological picture indicating the suitability of UA for use in CKD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of a leucine aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase from Tritrichomonas augusta.

PubMed

Horner, J; Champney, W S; Samuels, R

1991-04-01

This study has investigated the characteristics of a leucine aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase enzyme from Tritrichomonas augusta. Differential centrifugation and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography were used for partial enzyme purification. The column purification increased the synthetase activity 125-fold over the unfractionated cell extract. The conditions for maximum [3H] leucine charging were 37 degrees C for 20 min, with protein at 180 micrograms ml-1 using yeast leucine tRNA as an acceptor. The optimal reaction conditions were 14 mM-Mg acetate, 3 mM-ATP, 3 mM-spermidine and 5.5 mM-putrescine. Acceptor activity with T. augusta transfer RNA was 8-fold higher than with yeast transfer RNA and 25-fold higher than with Escherichia coli transfer RNA. The partially purified enzyme fraction had comparable changing activities for both leucine and valine.

Two non-redundant fragments in the N-terminal peptide of human cytosolic methionyl-tRNA synthetase were indispensable for the multi-synthetase complex incorporation and enzyme activity.

PubMed

He, Ran; Zu, Li-Dong; Yao, Peng; Chen, Xin; Wang, En-Duo

2009-02-01

In human cytoplasm, nine aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) and three protein factors form a multi-synthetase complex (MSC). Human cytosolic methionyl-tRNA synthetase (hcMetRS) is a component of the MSC. Sequence alignment revealed that hcMetRS has an N-terminal extension of 267 amino acid residues. This extension can be divided into three sub-domains: GST-like, GN, and GC sub-domains. The effect of each sub-domain in the N-terminal extension of hcMetRS on enzymatic activity and incorporation into the MSC was studied. The results of cellular assay showed that the GST-like sub-domain was responsible for the incorporation of hcMetRS into the MSC. The entire N-terminal extension of hcMetRS is indispensable for the enzymatic activity. Deletion mutagenesis revealed that a seven-amino acid motif within the sub-domain GC was important for the activity of amino acid activation. A conserved proline residue within the seven-amino acid motif was crucial, while the other six residues were moderately important for the amino acid activation activity. Thus, the last 15 residues of previously defined N-terminal extension of hcMetRS was a part of the catalytic domain; whereas the first 252 residues of hcMetRS constitute the N-terminal extended domain of hcMetRS. The formerly defined N-terminal extension of hcMetRS possesses two functions of two different domains.

Bacillus anthracis o-succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase: reaction kinetics and a novel inhibitor mimicking its reaction intermediate.

PubMed

Tian, Yang; Suk, Dae-Hwan; Cai, Feng; Crich, David; Mesecar, Andrew D

2008-11-25

o-Succinylbenzoyl-CoA (OSB-CoA) synthetase (EC 6.2.1.26) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of o-succinylbenzoate (OSB) and CoA to form OSB-CoA, the fourth step of the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway in Bacillus anthracis. Gene knockout studies have highlighted this enzyme as a potential target for the discovery of new antibiotics. Here we report the first studies on the kinetic mechanism of B. anthracis OSB-CoA synthetase, classifying it as an ordered bi uni uni bi ping-pong mechanism. Through a series of pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetic studies in conjunction with direct binding studies, it is demonstrated that CoA, the last substrate to bind, strongly activates the first half-reaction after the first round of turnover. The activation of the first half-reaction is most likely achieved by CoA stabilizing conformations of the enzyme in the "F" form, which slowly isomerize back to the E form. Thus, the kinetic mechanism of OSB-CoA synthetase may be more accurately described as an ordered bi uni uni bi iso ping-pong mechanism. The substrate specificity of OSB-CoA synthetase was probed using a series of OSB analogues with alterations in the carboxylate groups. OSB-CoA shows a strong preference for OSB over all of the analogues tested as none were active except 4-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-oxobutyric acid which exhibited a 100-fold decrease in k(cat)/K(m). On the basis of an understanding of OSB-CoA synthetase's kinetic mechanism and substrate specificity, a reaction intermediate analogue of OSB-AMP, 5'-O-{N-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-oxobutyl}adenosine sulfonamide (TFMP-butyl-AMS), was designed and synthesized. This inhibitor was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor to CoA and a mixed-type inhibitor to ATP and OSB with low micromolar inhibition constants. Collectively, these results should serve as an important forerunner to more detailed and extensive inhibitor design studies aimed at developing lead compounds against the OSB-CoA synthetase

Selective self-assembly of adenine-silver nanoparticles forms rings resembling the size of cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Sungmoon; Park, Soonyoung; Yang, Seon-Ah; Jeong, Yujin; Yu, Junhua

2015-12-01

Self-assembly has played critical roles in the construction of functional nanomaterials. However, the structure of the macroscale multicomponent materials built by the self-assembly of nanoscale building blocks is hard to predict due to multiple intermolecular interactions of great complexity. Evaporation of solvents is usually an important approach to induce kinetically stable assemblies of building blocks with a large-scale specific arrangement. During such a deweting process, we tried to monitor the possible interactions between silver nanoparticles and nucleobases at a larger scale by epifluorescence microscopy, thanks to the doping of silver nanoparticles with luminescent silver nanodots. ssDNA oligomer-stabilized silver nanoparticles and adenine self-assemble to form ring-like compartments similar to the size of modern cells. However, the silver ions only dismantle the self-assembly of adenine. The rings are thermodynamically stable as the drying process only enrich the nanoparticles-nucleobase mixture to a concentration that activates the self-assembly. The permeable membrane-like edge of the ring is composed of adenine filaments glued together by silver nanoparticles. Interestingly, chemicals are partially confined and accumulated inside the ring, suggesting that this might be used as a microreactor to speed up chemical reactions during a dewetting process.

Selective self-assembly of adenine-silver nanoparticles forms rings resembling the size of cells

PubMed Central

Choi, Sungmoon; Park, Soonyoung; Yang, Seon-Ah; Jeong, Yujin; Yu, Junhua

2015-01-01

Self-assembly has played critical roles in the construction of functional nanomaterials. However, the structure of the macroscale multicomponent materials built by the self-assembly of nanoscale building blocks is hard to predict due to multiple intermolecular interactions of great complexity. Evaporation of solvents is usually an important approach to induce kinetically stable assemblies of building blocks with a large-scale specific arrangement. During such a deweting process, we tried to monitor the possible interactions between silver nanoparticles and nucleobases at a larger scale by epifluorescence microscopy, thanks to the doping of silver nanoparticles with luminescent silver nanodots. ssDNA oligomer-stabilized silver nanoparticles and adenine self-assemble to form ring-like compartments similar to the size of modern cells. However, the silver ions only dismantle the self-assembly of adenine. The rings are thermodynamically stable as the drying process only enrich the nanoparticles-nucleobase mixture to a concentration that activates the self-assembly. The permeable membrane-like edge of the ring is composed of adenine filaments glued together by silver nanoparticles. Interestingly, chemicals are partially confined and accumulated inside the ring, suggesting that this might be used as a microreactor to speed up chemical reactions during a dewetting process. PMID:26643504

Restoring NAD(+) Levels with NAD(+) Intermediates, the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Aging Delay.

PubMed

Poljsak, Borut; Milisav, Irina

2018-04-26

The hypothesis regarding the role of increased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels with reference to the fundamental concepts of ageing and entropy is presented. Considering the second law of thermodynamics, NAD+ seems the appropriate candidate for reversing many aging-associated pathologies. NAD+ is presented as an essential compound that enables organisms to stay highly organized and well-maintained, with a lower entropy state.

Gene encoding plant asparagine synthetase

DOEpatents

Coruzzi, Gloria M.; Tsai, Fong-Ying

1993-10-26

The identification and cloning of the gene(s) for plant asparagine synthetase (AS), an important enzyme involved in the formation of asparagine, a major nitrogen transport compound of higher plants is described. Expression vectors constructed with the AS coding sequence may be utilized to produce plant AS; to engineer herbicide resistant plants, salt/drought tolerant plants or pathogen resistant plants; as a dominant selectable marker; or to select for novel herbicides or compounds useful as agents that synchronize plant cells in culture. The promoter for plant AS, which directs high levels of gene expression and is induced in an organ specific manner and by darkness, is also described. The AS promoter may be used to direct the expression of heterologous coding sequences in appropriate hosts.

Crystal structures and biochemical analyses suggest a unique mechanism and role for human glycyl-tRNA synthetase in Ap4A homeostasis.

PubMed

Guo, Rey-Ting; Chong, Yeeting E; Guo, Min; Yang, Xiang-Lei

2009-10-16

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases catalyze the attachment of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs for protein synthesis. However, the aminoacylation reaction can be diverted to produce diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A), a universal pleiotropic signaling molecule needed for cell regulation pathways. The only known mechanism for Ap4A production by a tRNA synthetase is through the aminoacylation reaction intermediate aminoacyl-AMP, thus making Ap4A synthesis amino acid-dependent. Here, we demonstrate a new mechanism for Ap4A synthesis. Crystal structures and biochemical analyses show that human glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) produces Ap4A by direct condensation of two ATPs, independent of glycine concentration. Interestingly, whereas the first ATP-binding pocket is conserved for all class II tRNA synthetases, the second ATP pocket is formed by an insertion domain that is unique to GlyRS, suggesting that GlyRS is the only tRNA synthetase catalyzing direct Ap4A synthesis. A special role for GlyRS in Ap4A homeostasis is proposed.

Crystal Structures and Biochemical Analyses Suggest a Unique Mechanism and Role for Human Glycyl-tRNA Synthetase in Ap4A Homeostasis*

PubMed Central

Guo, Rey-Ting; Chong, Yeeting E.; Guo, Min; Yang, Xiang-Lei

2009-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases catalyze the attachment of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs for protein synthesis. However, the aminoacylation reaction can be diverted to produce diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A), a universal pleiotropic signaling molecule needed for cell regulation pathways. The only known mechanism for Ap4A production by a tRNA synthetase is through the aminoacylation reaction intermediate aminoacyl-AMP, thus making Ap4A synthesis amino acid-dependent. Here, we demonstrate a new mechanism for Ap4A synthesis. Crystal structures and biochemical analyses show that human glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) produces Ap4A by direct condensation of two ATPs, independent of glycine concentration. Interestingly, whereas the first ATP-binding pocket is conserved for all class II tRNA synthetases, the second ATP pocket is formed by an insertion domain that is unique to GlyRS, suggesting that GlyRS is the only tRNA synthetase catalyzing direct Ap4A synthesis. A special role for GlyRS in Ap4A homeostasis is proposed. PMID:19710017

Silver-induced reconstruction of an adeninate-based metal–organic framework for encapsulation of luminescent adenine-stabilized silver clusters† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details and additional structural, physicochemical and optical characterisation. See DOI: 10.1039/c6tc00260a Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Jonckheere, Dries; Coutino-Gonzalez, Eduardo; Baekelant, Wouter; Bueken, Bart; Reinsch, Helge; Stassen, Ivo; Fenwick, Oliver; Richard, Fanny; Samorì, Paolo; Ameloot, Rob; Hofkens, Johan

2016-01-01

Bright luminescent silver-adenine species were successfully stabilized in the pores of the MOF-69A (zinc biphenyldicarboxylate) metal–organic framework, starting from the intrinsically blue luminescent bio-MOF-1 (zinc adeninate 4,4′-biphenyldicarboxylate). Bio-MOF-1 is transformed to the MOF-69A framework by selectively leaching structural adenine linkers from the original framework using silver nitrate solutions in aqueous ethanol. Simultaneously, bright blue-green luminescent silver-adenine clusters are formed inside the pores of the recrystallized MOF-69A matrix in high local concentrations. The structural transition and concurrent changes in optical properties were characterized using a range of structural, physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques (steady-state and time-resolved luminescence, quantum yield determination, fluorescence microscopy). The presented results open new avenues for exploring the use of MOFs containing luminescent silver clusters for solid-state lighting and sensor applications. PMID:28496980

The Role of the Plant Hormone Benzyl Adenine to Promote Growth for the Diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez Franco, D.; Vernet, M.; Walters, R. J.; Tan, M.

2016-02-01

This study was inspired by the establishment of autoinduction in the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana, and the identification of the cytokinin plant hormone benzyl adenine (BA) as a potential autoinducer in this species via comparative genome studies. The effects of a wide range (0.0017518 mg/L-500 mg/L) of concentrations of benzyl adenine on the growth dynamics of T. pseudonana have been explored. The results suggest that a concentration of 5 mg BA/L has the highest positive effect on the growth rate of T. pseudonana batch cultures, compared to the other concentrations tested. Furthermore, concentrations of >100 mg BA/L were lethal. No marked effects on the lag phase length were observed. However, it is possible that some trade-offs between growth rate and lag phase length exist as a result of benzyl adenine. For instance, the BA concentration that exhibited the highest growth rate (5mg BA/L; µ=1.06 d-1) had a negative effect on the lag phase length (6 days), as compared to our control (lag phase length = 5 d; µ=0.81 d-1). On the other hand, at 10 mg BA/L, a slightly smaller growth rate of 1.01 d-1 was observed, with a shorter lag phase length of 4 days, suggesting that benzyl adenine may not have a positive effect on all growth parameters at once. These results provide insight into the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of cell-to-cell communication employed by diatoms, and supports the hypothesis that hormones may play an important role in bloom development.

Biochemical heterogeneity in glutathione synthetase deficiency.

PubMed Central

Spielberg, S P; Garrick, M D; Corash, L M; Butler, J D; Tietze, F; Rogers, L; Schulman, J D

1978-01-01

Two different clinical syndromes are associated with glutathione synthetase deficiency, one presenting with hemolytic anemia and 5-oxoprolinuria, the other with isolated hemolysis. We have differentiated these disorders on an enzymatic basis. In 5-oxoprolinuria, all cell types examined have grossly deficient enzyme activity and glutathione content. In contrast, in the nonoxoprolinuric variant, erythrocytes have decreased enzyme activity and glutathione content, whereas nucleated cells maintain substantial levels of both. The enzyme in this disorder is unstable in vitro and has shortened survival in intact erythrocytes. Nucleated cells appear able to maintain sufficient enzyme activity and concentrations of glutathione to suppress overproduction of 5-oxoproline. PMID:659603

Plasmodium falciparum mitochondria import tRNAs along with an active phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase.

PubMed

Sharma, Arvind; Sharma, Amit

2015-02-01

The Plasmodium falciparum protein translation enzymes aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are an emergent family of drug targets. The aaRS ensemble catalyses transfer of amino acids to cognate tRNAs, thus providing charged tRNAs for ribosomal consumption. P. falciparum proteome expression relies on a total of 36 aaRSs for the three translationally independent compartments of cytoplasm, apicoplast and mitochondria. In the present study, we show that, of this set of 36, a single genomic copy of mitochondrial phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (mFRS) is targeted to the parasite mitochondria, and that the mFRS gene is exclusive to malaria parasites within the apicomplexan phyla. Our protein cellular localization studies based on immunofluorescence data show that, along with mFRS, P. falciparum harbours two more phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (FRS) assemblies that are localized to its apicoplast and cytoplasm. The 'extra' mFRS is found in mitochondria of all asexual blood stage parasites and is competent in aminoacylation. We show further that the parasite mitochondria import tRNAs from the cytoplasmic tRNA pool. Hence drug targeting of FRSs presents a unique opportunity to potentially stall protein production in all three parasite translational compartments.

Enzymatic characterization of a class II lysyl-tRNA synthetase, LysS, from Myxococcus xanthus.

PubMed

Oka, Manami; Takegawa, Kaoru; Kimura, Yoshio

2015-08-01

Lysyl-tRNA synthetases efficiently produce diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) from lysyl-AMP with ATP in the absence of tRNA. We characterized recombinant class II lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysS) from Myxococcus xanthus and found that it is monomeric and requires Mn(2+) for the synthesis of Ap4A. Surprisingly, Zn(2+) inhibited enzyme activity in the presence of Mn(2+). When incubated with ATP, Mn(2+), lysine, and inorganic pyrophosphatase, LysS first produced Ap4A and ADP, then converted Ap4A to diadenosine triphosphate (Ap3A), and finally converted Ap3A to ADP, the end product of the reaction. Recombinant LysS retained Ap4A synthase activity without lysine addition. Additionally, when incubated with Ap4A (minus pyrophosphatase), LysS converted Ap4A mainly ATP and AMP, or ADP in the presence or absence of lysine, respectively. These results demonstrate that M. xanthus LysS has different enzymatic properties from class II lysyl-tRNA synthetases previously reported. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The pimeloyl-CoA synthetase BioW defines a new fold for adenylate-forming enzymes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Estrada, Paola; Manandhar, Miglena; Dong, Shi-Hui

Reactions that activate carboxylates through acyl-adenylate intermediates are found throughout biology and include acyl- and aryl-CoA synthetases and tRNA synthetases. Here we describe the characterization of Aquifex aeolicus BioW, which represents a new protein fold within the superfamily of adenylating enzymes. Substrate-bound structures identified the enzyme active site and elucidated the mechanistic strategy for conjugating CoA to the seven-carbon α,ω-dicarboxylate pimelate, a biotin precursor. Proper position of reactive groups for the two half-reactions is achieved solely through movements of active site residues, as confirmed by site-directed mutational analysis. The ability of BioW to hydrolyze adenylates of noncognate substrates is reminiscentmore » of pre-transfer proofreading observed in some tRNA synthetases, and we show that this activity can be abolished by mutation of a single residue. These studies illustrate how BioW can carry out three different biologically prevalent chemical reactions (adenylation, thioesterification, and proofreading) in the context of a new protein fold.« less

MD Simulations of tRNA and Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases: Dynamics, Folding, Binding, and Allostery

PubMed Central

Li, Rongzhong; Macnamara, Lindsay M.; Leuchter, Jessica D.; Alexander, Rebecca W.; Cho, Samuel S.

2015-01-01

While tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are classes of biomolecules that have been extensively studied for decades, the finer details of how they carry out their fundamental biological functions in protein synthesis remain a challenge. Recent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are verifying experimental observations and providing new insight that cannot be addressed from experiments alone. Throughout the review, we briefly discuss important historical events to provide a context for how far the field has progressed over the past few decades. We then review the background of tRNA molecules, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and current state of the art MD simulation techniques for those who may be unfamiliar with any of those fields. Recent MD simulations of tRNA dynamics and folding and of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase dynamics and mechanistic characterizations are discussed. We highlight the recent successes and discuss how important questions can be addressed using current MD simulations techniques. We also outline several natural next steps for computational studies of AARS:tRNA complexes. PMID:26184179

Time course of the uridylylation and adenylylation states in the glutamine synthetase bicyclic cascade.

PubMed Central

Varón-Castellanos, R; Havsteen, B H; García-Moreno, M; Valero-Ruiz, E; Molina-Alarcón, M; García-Cánovas, F

1993-01-01

A kinetic analysis of the glutamine synthetase bicyclic cascade is presented. It includes the dependence on time from the onset of the reaction of both the uridylylation of Shapiro's regulatory protein and the adenylylation of the glutamine synthetase. The transient phase equations obtained allow an estimation of the time elapsed until the states of uridylylation and adenylylation reach their steady-states, and therefore an evaluation of the effective sensitivity of the system. The contribution of the uridylylation cycle to the adenylylation cycle has been studied, and an equation relating the state of adenylylation at any time to the state of uridylylation at the same instant has been derived. PMID:8104399

Binding of pixantrone to DNA at CpA dinucleotide sequences and bulge structures.

PubMed

Konda, Shyam K; Wang, Haiqiang; Cutts, Suzanne M; Phillips, Don R; Collins, J Grant

2015-06-07

The binding of the anti-cancer drug pixantrone to three oligonucleotide sequences, d(TCATATGA)2, d(CCGAGAATTCCGG)2 {double bulge = DB} and the non-self complementary d(TACGATGAGTA) : d(TACCATCGTA) {single bulge = SB}, has been studied by NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. The upfield shifts observed for the aromatic resonances of pixantrone upon addition of the drug to each oligonucleotide confirmed the drug bound by intercalation. For the duplex sequence d(TCATATGA)2, NOEs were observed from the pixantrone aromatic H7/8 and aliphatic Ha/Hb protons to the H6/H8 and H1' protons of the C2, A3, T6 and G7 nucleotides, demonstrating that pixantrone preferentially binds at the symmetric CpA sites. However, weaker NOEs observed to various protons from the T4 and A5 residues indicated alternative minor binding sites. NOEs from the H7/H8 and Ha/Hb protons to both major (H6/H8) and minor groove (H1') protons indicated approximately equal proportions of intercalation was from the major and minor groove at the CpA sites. Intermolecular NOEs were observed between the H7/H8 and H4 protons of pixantrone and the A4H1' and G3H1' protons of the oligonucleotide that contains two symmetrically related bulge sites (DB), indicative of binding at the adenine bulge sites. For the oligonucleotide that only contains a single bulge site (SB), NOEs were observed from pixantrone protons to the SB G7H1', A8H1' and G9H1' protons, confirming that the drug bound selectively at the adenine bulge site. A molecular model of pixantrone-bound SB could be constructed with the drug bound from the minor groove at the A8pG9 site that was consistent with the observed NMR data. The results demonstrate that pixantrone preferentially intercalates at adenine bulge sites, compared to duplex DNA, and predominantly from the minor groove.

Long-Range Charge Transport in Adenine-Stacked RNA:DNA Hybrids.

PubMed

Li, Yuanhui; Artés, Juan M; Hihath, Joshua

2016-01-27

An extremely important biological component, RNA:DNA can also be used to design nanoscale structures such as molecular wires. The conductance of single adenine-stacked RNA:DNA hybrids is rapidly and reproducibly measured using the break junction approach. The conductance decreases slightly over a large range of molecular lengths, suggesting that RNA:DNA can be used as an oligonucleotide wire. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Lack of hepcidin ameliorates anemia and improves growth in an adenine-induced mouse model of chronic kidney disease

PubMed Central

Sureshbabu, Angara; Doty, Steve B.; Zhu, Yuan-Shan; Patino, Edwin; Cunningham-Rundles, Susanna; Choi, Mary E.; Boskey, Adele; Rivella, Stefano

2016-01-01

Growth delay is common in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), often associated with poor quality of life. The role of anemia in uremic growth delay is poorly understood. Here we describe an induction of uremic growth retardation by a 0.2% adenine diet in wild-type (WT) and hepcidin gene (Hamp) knockout (KO) mice, compared with their respective littermates fed a regular diet. Experiments were started at weaning (3 wk). After 8 wk, blood was collected and mice were euthanized. Adenine-fed WT mice developed CKD (blood urea nitrogen 82.8 ± 11.6 mg/dl and creatinine 0.57 ± 0.07 mg/dl) and were 2.1 cm shorter compared with WT controls. WT adenine-fed mice were anemic and had low serum iron, elevated Hamp, and elevated IL6 and TNF-α. WT adenine-fed mice had advanced mineral bone disease (serum phosphorus 16.9 ± 3.1 mg/dl and FGF23 204.0 ± 115.0 ng/ml) with loss of cortical and trabecular bone volume seen on microcomputed tomography. Hamp disruption rescued the anemia phenotype resulting in improved growth rate in mice with CKD, thus providing direct experimental evidence of the relationship between Hamp pathway and growth impairment in CKD. Hamp disruption ameliorated CKD-induced growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor 1 axis derangements and growth plate alterations. Disruption of Hamp did not mitigate the development of uremia, inflammation, and mineral and bone disease in this model. Taken together, these results indicate that an adenine diet can be successfully used to study growth in mice with CKD. Hepcidin appears to be related to pathways of growth retardation in CKD suggesting that investigation of hepcidin-lowering therapies in juvenile CKD is warranted. PMID:27440777

Deproteinization is Necessary for the Accurate Determination of Ammonia Levels by Glutamate Dehydrogenase Assay in Blood Plasma From Subjects With Liver Injury.

PubMed

Vodenicarovova, Melita; Skalska, Hana; Holecek, Milan

2017-11-08

To determine the effect of presence of high concentrations of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)- and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-consuming enzymes on the accuracy of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) assay for ammonia. We measured ammonia concentrations using GLDH and NADH or NADPH in blood-plasma specimens and specimens deproteinized by sulfosalicylic acid from CCl4-treated or control rats. The nonspecific oxidation of NADH and NADPH was measured in mixtures without GLDH. We observed a gradual decrease (~0.5%) in absorbance in the plasma of controls after the addition of NADH but not after adding NADPH. The decrease in absorbance in plasma of CCl4-treated animals was 13.2% and 5.2% after the addition of NADH and NADPH, respectively. The decrease in absorbance was not detected in deproteinized specimens. The values of ammonia concentration were higher in the plasma specimens compared with the deproteinized ones. Deproteinization is necessary for accurate measurement of ammonia using GLDH assay in the blood plasma of subjects with liver injury. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Evaluation of actinic cheilitis using fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito Nogueira, Marcelo; Cosci, Alessandro; Pratavieira, Sebastião.; Takahama, Ademar; Souza Azevedo, Rebeca; Kurachi, Cristina

2016-03-01

Actinic cheilitis is a potentially malignant disorder that mostly affects the vermilion border of the lower lip and can lead to squamous cell carcinoma. Because of its heterogeneous clinical aspect, it is difficult to indicate representative biopsy area. Late diagnosis is a limiting factor of therapeutic possibilities available to treat oral cancer. The diagnosis of actinic cheilitis is mainly based on clinical and histopathological analysis and it is a time consuming procedure to get the results. Information about the organization and chemical composition of the tissues can be obtained using fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy techniques without the need for biopsy. The main targeted fluorophores are NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide), which have free and bound states, each one with different average lifetimes. The average lifetimes for free and bound NADH and FAD change according to tissue metabolic alterations and allow a quick and non-invasive clinical investigation of injuries and to help clinicians with the early diagnosis of actinic cheilitis. This study aims to evaluate the fluorescence lifetime parameters at the discrimination of three degrees of epithelial dysplasia, the most important predictor of malignant development, described in up to 100% of actinic cheilitis cases.

Mapping absolute tissue endogenous fluorophore concentrations with chemometric wide-field fluorescence microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhang; Reilley, Michael; Li, Run; Xu, Min

2017-06-01

We report chemometric wide-field fluorescence microscopy for imaging the spatial distribution and concentration of endogenous fluorophores in thin tissue sections. Nonnegative factorization aided by spatial diversity is used to learn both the spectral signature and the spatial distribution of endogenous fluorophores from microscopic fluorescence color images obtained under broadband excitation and detection. The absolute concentration map of individual fluorophores is derived by comparing the fluorescence from "pure" fluorophores under the identical imaging condition following the identification of the fluorescence species by its spectral signature. This method is then demonstrated by characterizing the concentration map of endogenous fluorophores (including tryptophan, elastin, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and flavin adenine dinucleotide) for lung tissue specimens. The absolute concentrations of these fluorophores are all found to decrease significantly from normal, perilesional, to cancerous (squamous cell carcinoma) tissue. Discriminating tissue types using the absolute fluorophore concentration is found to be significantly more accurate than that achievable with the relative fluorescence strength. Quantification of fluorophores in terms of the absolute concentration map is also advantageous in eliminating the uncertainties due to system responses or measurement details, yielding more biologically relevant data, and simplifying the assessment of competing imaging approaches.

The impact of aging, hearing loss, and body weight on mouse hippocampal redox state, measured in brain slices using fluorescence imaging.

PubMed

Stebbings, Kevin A; Choi, Hyun W; Ravindra, Aditya; Llano, Daniel Adolfo

2016-06-01

The relationships between oxidative stress in the hippocampus and other aging-related changes such as hearing loss, cortical thinning, or changes in body weight are not yet known. We measured the redox ratio in a number of neural structures in brain slices taken from young and aged mice. Hearing thresholds, body weight, and cortical thickness were also measured. We found striking aging-related increases in the redox ratio that were isolated to the stratum pyramidale, while such changes were not observed in thalamus or cortex. These changes were driven primarily by changes in flavin adenine dinucleotide, not nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride. Multiple regression analysis suggested that neither hearing threshold nor cortical thickness independently contributed to this change in hippocampal redox ratio. However, body weight did independently contribute to predicted changes in hippocampal redox ratio. These data suggest that aging-related changes in hippocampal redox ratio are not a general reflection of overall brain oxidative state but are highly localized, while still being related to at least one marker of late aging, weight loss at the end of life. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regulation of the Biosynthesis of Amino Acids of the Aspartate Family in Coliform Bacteria and Pseudomonads

PubMed Central

Cohen, G. N.; Stanier, R. Y.; Bras, Gisele Le

1969-01-01

The control of aspartokinase and homoserine dehydrogenase activities was compared in aerobic and fermentative pseudomonads (genera Pseudomonas and Aeromonas), and in coliform bacteria representative of the principal genera of the Enterobacteriaceae. Isofunctional aspartokinases subject to independent end-product control occur in the Enterobacteriaceae and in Aeromonas. In Pseudomonas, there appears to be a single aspartokinase, subject to concerted feedback inhibition by lysine and threonine. Within this genus, the sensitivity of aspartokinase to the single allosteric inhibitors varies considerably: the aspartokinase of the acidovorans group is little affected by the single inhibitors, whereas that of the fluorescent group is severely inhibited by either amino acid at high concentration. In all bacteria examined, homoserine dehydrogenase activity is inhibited by threonine; inhibition is more severe in aerobic pseudomonads than in the other groups. In most of the bacteria examined, either nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate can serve as a cofactor for this enzyme, though the relative activity with the two pyridine nucleotides varies widely. Aerobic pseudomonads of the acidovorans group contain a homoserine dehydrogenase that is absolutely specific for NAD. The taxonomic implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:4391829

Primitive Photosynthetic Architectures Based on Self-Organization and Chemical Evolution of Amino Acids and Metal Ions.

PubMed

Liu, Kai; Ren, Xiaokang; Sun, Jianxuan; Zou, Qianli; Yan, Xuehai

2018-06-01

The emergence of light-energy-utilizing metabolism is likely to be a critical milestone in prebiotic chemistry and the origin of life. However, how the primitive pigment is spontaneously generated still remains unknown. Herein, a primitive pigment model based on adaptive self-organization of amino acids (Cystine, Cys) and metal ions (zinc ion, Zn 2+ ) followed by chemical evolution under hydrothermal conditions is developed. The resulting hybrid microspheres are composed of radially aligned cystine/zinc (Cys/Zn) assembly decorated with carbonate-doped zinc sulfide (C-ZnS) nanocrystals. The part of C-ZnS can work as a light-harvesting antenna to capture ultraviolet and visible light, and use it in various photochemical reactions, including hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) photoreduction, and reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride (NADH). Additionally, guest molecules (e.g., glutamate dehydrogenase, GDH) can be encapsulated within the hierarchical Cys/Zn framework, which facilitates sustainable photoenzymatic synthesis of glutamate. This study helps deepen insight into the emergent functionality (conversion of light energy) and complexity (hierarchical architecture) from interaction and reaction of prebiotic molecules. The primitive pigment model is also promising to work as an artificial photosynthetic microreactor.

Catabolism of phloroglucinol by the rumen anaerobe coprococcus.

PubMed

Patel, T R; Jure, K G; Jones, G A

1981-12-01

A rumen isolate, Coprococcus, sp. Pe(1)5, was found to carry phloroglucinol reductase, which catalyzed the initial step in the breakdown of phloroglucinol. The organism uses phloroglucinol as the sole source of carbon and energy when grown in the absence of oxygen. Induced levels of enzyme were detected in cells grown either on phloroglucinol or on other carbon sources in the presence of limiting quantities of phloroglucinol. Although the organism is a strict anaerobe, the enzyme from anaerobically grown cells was insensitive to air. The partially purified enzyme required reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate as an electron donor and was specific for phloroglucinol. However, partial enzyme activity (14 to 17%) was also detected in the presence of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone but not in the presence of several other phenolic compounds. The enzyme exhibited a higher affinity for phloroglucinol than for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, with K(m) values of 3.0 x 10 M and 29.0 x 10 M, respectively. The optimum pH for maximal enzyme activity was 7.4, and the molecular weight of the native protein was about 130,000, as determined by the Sephadex gel filtration technique.

Electrochemical Detection of the Molecules of Life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomson, Seamus; Quinn, Richard; Koehne, Jessica

2017-01-01

All forms of life on Earth contain cellular machinery that can transform and regulate chemical energy through metabolic pathways. These processes are oxidation-reduction reactions that are performed by four key classes of molecules: flavins, nicotinamaides, porphyrins, and quinones. By detecting the electrochemical interaction of these redox-active molecules with an electrode, a method of differentiating them by their class could be established and incorporated into future life-detecting missions. This body of work investigates the electrochemistry of ubiquitous molecules found in life and how they may be detected. Molecules can oxidise or reduce the surface of an electrode - giving or receiving electrons - and these interactions are represented by changes in current with respect to an applied voltage. This relationship varies with: electrolyte type and concentration, working electrode material, the redox-active molecule itself, and scan rate. Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), riboflavin, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), and anthraquinone are all molecules found intracellularly in almost all living organisms. An organism-synthesised extracellular redox-active molecule, Plumbagin, was also selected as part of this study. The goal of this work is to detect these molecules in seawater and assess its application in searching for life on Ocean Worlds.

Energy level alignment at the interfaces between typical electrodes and nucleobases: Al/adenine/indium-tin-oxide and Al/thymine/indium-tin-oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Younjoo; Lee, Hyunbok; Park, Soohyung; Yi, Yeonjin

2012-12-01

We investigated the interfacial electronic structures of Al/adenine/indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and Al/thymine/ITO using in situ ultraviolet and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Adenine shows both an interface dipole and level bending, whereas thymine shows only an interface dipole in contact with ITO. In addition, thymine possesses a larger ionization energy than adenine. These are understood with delocalized π states confirmed with theoretical calculations. For the interface between nucleobases and Al, both nucleobases show a prominent reduction of the electron injection barrier from Al to each base in accordance with a downward level shift.

Adenine-functionalized Spongy Graphene for Green and High-Performance Supercapacitors

PubMed Central

El-Gendy, Dalia M.; Ghany, Nabil A. Abdel; El Sherbini, E. E. Foad; Allam, Nageh K.

2017-01-01

A simple method is demonstrated to prepare spongy adenine-functionalized graphene (SFG) as interconnected, porous 3-dimensional (3D) network crinkly sheets. Such 3D network structure provides better contact at the electrode/electrolyte interface and facilitates the charge transfer kinetics. The fabricated SFG was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV−vis absorption spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesized materials have been evaluated as supercapacitor materials in 0.5 M H2SO4 using cyclic voltammetry (CV) at different potential scan rates, and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests at different current densities. The SFG electrodes showed a maximum specific capacitance of 333 F/g at scan rate of 1 mV/s and exhibited excellent cycling retention of 102% after 1000 cycles at 200 mV/s. The energy density was 64.42 Wh/kg with a power density of 599.8 W/kg at 1.0 A/g. Those figures of merit are much higher than those reported for graphene-based materials tested under similar conditions. The observed high performance can be related to the synergistic effects of the spongy structure and the adenine functionalization. PMID:28216668

Infection-specific phosphorylation of glutamyl-prolyl tRNA synthetase induces antiviral immunity

PubMed Central

Lee, Eun-Young; Lee, Hyun-Cheol; Kim, Hyun-Kwan; Jang, Song Yee; Park, Seong-Jun; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Kim, Jong Hwan; Hwang, Jungwon; Kim, Jae-Hoon; Kim, Tae-Hwan; Arif, Abul; Kim, Seon-Young; Choi, Young-Ki; Lee, Cheolju; Lee, Chul-Ho; Jung, Jae U; Fox, Paul L; Kim, Sunghoon; Lee, Jong-Soo; Kim, Myung Hee

2016-01-01

The mammalian cytoplasmic multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC) is a depot system that regulates non-translational cellular functions. Here we found that the MSC component glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS) switched its function following viral infection and exhibited potent antiviral activity. Infection-specific phosphorylation of EPRS at Ser990 induced its dissociation from the MSC, after which it was guided to the antiviral signaling pathway, where it interacted with PCBP2, a negative regulator of mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) that is critical for antiviral immunity. This interaction blocked PCBP2-mediated ubiquitination of MAVS and ultimately suppressed viral replication. EPRS-haploid (Eprs+/−) mice showed enhanced viremia and inflammation and delayed viral clearance. This stimulus-inducible activation of MAVS by EPRS suggests an unexpected role for the MSC as a regulator of immune responses to viral infection. PMID:27595231

Kinetic and mechanistic analysis of dinucleotide and oligonucleotide formation from the 5'-phosphorimidazolide of adenosine on Na(+)-montmorillonite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawamura, K.; Ferris, J. P.

1994-01-01

The rate constants for the condensation reaction of the 5'-phosphorimidazolide of adenosine (ImpA) to form dinucleotides and oligonucleotides have been measured in the presence of Na(+)-volclay (a Na(+)-montmorillonite) in pH 8 aqueous solution at 25 degrees C. The rates of the reaction of ImpA with an excess of adenosine 5'-monophosphoramidate (NH2pA), P1,P2-diadenosine 5',5'-pyrophosphate (A5'ppA), or adenosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-AMP or pA) in the presence of the montmorillonite to form NH2pA3'pA, A5'ppA3'pA, and pA3'pA, respectively, were measured. Only 3',5'-linked products were observed. The magnitude of the rate constants decrease in the order NH2pA3'pA > A5'-ppA3'pA > pA3'pA. The binding of ImpA to montmorillonite was measured, and the adsorption isotherm was determined. The binding of ImpA to montmorillonite and the formation of higher oligonucleotides is not observed in the absence of salts. Mg2+ enhances binding and oligonucleotide formation more than Ca2+ and Na+. The rate constants for the oligonucleotide formation were determined from the reaction products formed from 10 to 40 mM ImpA in the presence of Na(+)-montmorillonite using the computer program SIMFIT. The magnitudes of the rate constants for the formation of oligonucleotides increased in the order 2-mer < 3-mer < 4-mer ... 7-mer. The rate constants for dinucleotide and trinucleotide formation are more than 1000 times larger than those measured in the absence of montmorillonite. The rate constants for the formation of dinucleotide, trinucleotide, and tetranucleotide are 41,2.6, and 3.7 times larger than those for the formation of oligo(G)s with a poly(C) template. The hydrolysis of ImpA was accelerated 35 times in the presence of the montmorillonite. The catalytic ability of montmorillonite to form dinucleotides and oligonucleotides is quantitatively evaluated and possible pathways for oligo(A) formation are proposed.

Effect of aqueous extract and anthocyanins of calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae) in rats with adenine-induced chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Ali, Badreldin H; Cahliková, Lucie; Opletal, Lubomir; Karaca, Turan; Manoj, Priyadarsini; Ramkumar, Aishwarya; Al Suleimani, Yousuf M; Al Za'abi, Mohammed; Nemmar, Abderrahim; Chocholousova-Havlikova, Lucie; Locarek, Miroslav; Siatka, Tomas; Blunden, Gerald

2017-09-01

The aim of this work was to assess the possible beneficial effects of aqueous extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyces and anthocyanins isolated therefrom in an adenine-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) model. Rats were orally given, for 28 consecutive days, either adenine alone or together with either aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa calyces (5 and 10%) or anthocyanins (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of anthocyanin concentrate). For comparative purposes, two groups of rats were given lisinopril (10 mg/kg). When either H. sabdariffa aqueous extract or the anthocyanins isolated from it was administered along with adenine, the adverse effects of adenine-induced CKD were significantly lessened, mostly in a dose-dependent manner. The positive effects were similar to those obtained by administration of lisinopril. The results obtained show that both H. sabdariffa and its anthocyanins could be considered as possible promising safe dietary agents that could be used to attenuate the progression of human CKD. This could have added significance as H. sabdariffa tea is widely consumed in many parts of Africa and Asia and is thus readily available. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

STUDIES ON MAMMALIAN AND HUMAN PYRUVATE AND ALPHA-KETOGLUTARATE DEHYDROGENATION COMPLEXES.

DTIC Science & Technology

Enzyme systems that catalyze a coenzyme A- and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-linked oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate and alpha - ketoglutarate ...The pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was strongly inhibited by EDTA at low concentration, but the pig heart alpha - ketoglutarate ...On the oxidative decarboxylation of alpha -keto acids in pig heart complexes, Ca(2+) was strongly stimulatory to the same or more extent than Mg(2

Death by Protein Damage in Irradiated Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

tardigrades, J. Exp. Biol. 212 (2009) 4033– 4039. [63] A. Oren, N. Gunde-Cimerman, Mycosporines and mycosporine - like amino acids : UV protectants or...catalytically remove superoxide via a disproportionation mechanism [29,46]; and amino acids and peptides, which scav- enge hydroxyl radicals very efficiently...most radiation resistant mutants of B. pumilus displayed mul- tiple amino acid auxotrophies and a requirement for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Understanding the Sequence Preference of Recurrent RNA Building Blocks using Quantum Chemistry: The Intrastrand RNA Dinucleotide Platform.

PubMed

Mládek, Arnošt; Sponer, Judit E; Kulhánek, Petr; Lu, Xiang-Jun; Olson, Wilma K; Sponer, Jiřĺ

2012-01-10

Folded RNA molecules are shaped by an astonishing variety of highly conserved noncanonical molecular interactions and backbone topologies. The dinucleotide platform is a widespread recurrent RNA modular building submotif formed by the side-by-side pairing of bases from two consecutive nucleotides within a single strand, with highly specific sequence preferences. This unique arrangement of bases is cemented by an intricate network of noncanonical hydrogen bonds and facilitated by a distinctive backbone topology. The present study investigates the gas-phase intrinsic stabilities of the three most common RNA dinucleotide platforms - 5'-GpU-3', ApA, and UpC - via state-of-the-art quantum-chemical (QM) techniques. The mean stability of base-base interactions decreases with sequence in the order GpU > ApA > UpC. Bader's atoms-in-molecules analysis reveals that the N2(G)…O4(U) hydrogen bond of the GpU platform is stronger than the corresponding hydrogen bonds in the other two platforms. The mixed-pucker sugar-phosphate backbone conformation found in most GpU platforms, in which the 5'-ribose sugar (G) is in the C2'-endo form and the 3'-sugar (U) in the C3'-endo form, is intrinsically more stable than the standard A-RNA backbone arrangement, partially as a result of a favorable O2'…O2P intra-platform interaction. Our results thus validate the hypothesis of Lu et al. (Lu Xiang-Jun, et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 2010, 38, 4868-4876), that the superior stability of GpU platforms is partially mediated by the strong O2'…O2P hydrogen bond. In contrast, ApA and especially UpC platform-compatible backbone conformations are rather diverse and do not display any characteristic structural features. The average stabilities of ApA and UpC derived backbone conformers are also lower than those of GpU platforms. Thus, the observed structural and evolutionary patterns of the dinucleotide platforms can be accounted for, to a large extent, by their intrinsic properties as described by

Aspirin, protein transacetylation and inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase in the kidney

PubMed Central

Caterson, Robyn J.; Duggin, Geoffrey G.; Horvath, John; Mohandas, Janardanan; Tiller, David

1978-01-01

1 The effect of aspirin on the kidney has been investigated in mice and rabbits. [Acetyl-14C]-aspirin was administered intraperitoneally in doses ranging from subtherapeutic to toxic. The degree of acetylation of protein was determined by the radioactivity remaining on protein precipitates of renal cortex and medulla after sequential washing designed to remove non-covalently bound material. Controls were established, by the use of [carboxyl-14C]-aspirin. 2 The acetyl-14C residue was bound to renal proteins in a linear manner in increasing amounts with increasing dosage up to 100 mg/kg. The [carboxyl-14C]-aspirin was not bound and thus the salicylate portion of the molecule was not bound covalently to the renal protein. The time course of the acetylation was rapid, consistent with the rate of aspirin absorption. The disappearance of acetylated protein was slow, with a T1/2 of 112.5 h in the renal cortex, and 129.5 h in the renal medulla. 3 Differential centrifugation, Sephadex chromatography and gel electrophoresis were carried out on tissue homogenates to determine the site of acetylation. The acetylation was greatest in the microsomal fraction, although all protein fractions showed some degree of acetylation. 4 The prostaglandin synthetase activity of a particulate preparation from rabbit kidney was determined by a spectrophotometric assay of malondialdehyde formation. Aspirin (10 mg/kg, i.v.) significantly inhibited prostaglandin synthetase in the renal cortex and medulla. 5 Aspirin and renal proteins undergo a transacetylation reaction resulting in stable acetylated protein, with acetylation being greatest in the microsomal fraction. Aspirin has been shown to inhibit prostaglandin synthetase and this could lead to functional impairment of the tissue. PMID:102389

Structural insights into the polyphyletic origins of glycyl tRNA synthetases

DOE PAGES

Valencia-Sánchez, Marco Igor; Rodríguez-Hernández, Annia; Ferreira, Ruben; ...

2016-05-23

Glycyl tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) provides a unique case among class II aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, with two clearly widespread types of enzymes: a dimeric (α 2) species present in some bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes; and a heterotetrameric form (α 2β 2) present in most bacteria. Although the differences between both types of GlyRS at the anticodon binding domain level are evident, the extent and implications of the variations in the catalytic domain have not been described, and it is unclear whether the mechanism of amino acid recognition is also dissimilar. Here, we show that the α-subunit of the α 2β 2more » GlyRS from the bacterium Aquifex aeolicus is able to perform the first step of the aminoacylation reaction, which involves the activation of the amino acid with ATP. The crystal structure of the α-subunit in the complex with an analog of glycyl adenylate at 2.8 Å resolution presents a conformational arrangement that properly positions the cognate amino acid. This work shows that glycine is recognized by a subset of different residues in the two types of GlyRS. Furthermore, a structural and sequence analysis of class II catalytic domains shows that bacterial GlyRS is closely related to alanyl tRNA synthetase, which led us to define a new subclassification of these ancient enzymes and to propose an evolutionary path of α 2β 2 GlyRS, convergent with α 2 GlyRS and divergent from AlaRS, thus providing a possible explanation for the puzzling existence of two proteins sharing the same fold and function but not a common ancestor.« less

Gum acacia mitigates genetic damage in adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats.

PubMed

Ali, B H; Al Balushi, K; Al-Husseini, I; Mandel, P; Nemmar, A; Schupp, N; Ribeiro, D A

2015-12-01

Subjects with chronic renal failure (CRF) exhibit oxidative genome damage, which may predispose to carcinogenesis, and Gum acacia (GumA) ameliorates this condition in humans and animals. We evaluated here renal DNA damage and urinary excretion of four nucleic acid oxidation adducts namely 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoGua), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), 8-oxoguanosine (8-oxoGuo) and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanisone (8-OHdg) in rats with adenine (ADE)-induced CRF with and without GumA treatment. Twenty-four rats were divided into four equal groups and treated for 4 weeks. The first group was given normal food and water (control). The second group was given normal food and GumA (15% w/v) in drinking water. The third group was fed powder diet containing adenine (ADE) (0·75% w/w in feed). The fourth group was fed like in the third group, plus GumA in drinking water (15%, w/v). ADE feeding induced CRF (as measured by several physiological, biochemical and histological indices) and also caused a significant genetic damage and significant decreases in urinary 8-oxo Gua and 8-oxoGuo, but not in the other nucleic acids. However, concomitant GumA treatment reduced the level of genetic damage in kidney cells as detected by Comet assay and significantly reversed the effect of adenine on urinary 8-oxoGuo. Treatment with GumA is able to mitigate genetic damage in renal tissues of rats with ADE-induced CRF. © 2015 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.

Evidence of the Importance of Nox4 in Production of Hypertension in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats.

PubMed

Cowley, Allen W; Yang, Chun; Zheleznova, Nadezhda N; Staruschenko, Alexander; Kurth, Theresa; Rein, Lisa; Kumar, Vikash; Sadovnikov, Katherine; Dayton, Alex; Hoffman, Matthew; Ryan, Robert P; Skelton, Meredith M; Salehpour, Fahimeh; Ranji, Mahsa; Geurts, Aron

2016-02-01

This study reports the consequences of knocking out NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidase 4 (Nox4) on the development of hypertension and kidney injury in the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rat. Zinc finger nuclease injection of single-cell SS embryos was used to create an 8 base-pair frame-shift deletion of Nox4, resulting in a loss of the ≈68 kDa band in Western blot analysis of renal cortical tissue of the knock out of Nox4 in the SS rat (SS(Nox4-/-)) rats. SS(Nox4-/-) rats exhibited a significant reduction of salt-induced hypertension compared with SS rats after 21 days of 4.0% NaCl diet (134±5 versus 151±3 mm Hg in SS) and a significant reduction of albuminuria, tubular casts, and glomerular injury. Optical fluorescence 3-dimensional cryoimaging revealed significantly higher redox ratios (NADH/FAD [reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/flavin adenine dinucleotide]) in the kidneys of SS(Nox4-/-) rats even when fed the 0.4% NaCl diet, indicating greater levels of mitochondrial electron transport chain metabolic activity and reduced oxidative stress compared with SS rats. Before the development of hypertension, RNA expression levels of Nox subunits Nox2, p67(phox), and p22(phox) were found to be significantly lower (P<0.05) in SS(Nox4-/-) compared with SS rats in the renal cortex. Thus, the mutation of Nox4 seems to modify transcription of several genes in ways that contribute to the protective effects observed in the SS(Nox4-/-) rats. We conclude that the reduced renal injury and attenuated blood pressure response to high salt in the SS(Nox4-/-) rat could be the result of multiple pathways, including gene transcription, mitochondrial energetics, oxidative stress, and protein matrix production impacted by the knock out of Nox4. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Isolation and characterization of the gene coding for Escherichia coli arginyl-tRNA synthetase.

PubMed Central

Eriani, G; Dirheimer, G; Gangloff, J

1989-01-01

The gene coding for Escherichia coli arginyl-tRNA synthetase (argS) was isolated as a fragment of 2.4 kb after analysis and subcloning of recombinant plasmids from the Clarke and Carbon library. The clone bearing the gene overproduces arginyl-tRNA synthetase by a factor 100. This means that the enzyme represents more than 20% of the cellular total protein content. Sequencing revealed that the fragment contains a unique open reading frame of 1734 bp flanked at its 5' and 3' ends respectively by 247 bp and 397 bp. The length of the corresponding protein (577 aa) is well consistent with earlier Mr determination (about 70 kd). Primer extension analysis of the ArgRS mRNA by reverse transcriptase, located its 5' end respectively at 8 and 30 nucleotides downstream of a TATA and a TTGAC like element (CTGAC) and 60 nucleotides upstream of the unusual translation initiation codon GUG; nuclease S1 analysis located the 3'-end at 48 bp downstream of the translation termination codon. argS has a codon usage pattern typical for highly expressed E. coli genes. With the exception of the presence of a HVGH sequence similar to the HIGH consensus element, ArgRS has no relevant sequence homologies with other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Images PMID:2668891

A nonribosomal peptide synthetase (Pes1) confers protection against oxidative stress in Aspergillus fumigatus.

PubMed

Reeves, Emer P; Reiber, Kathrin; Neville, Claire; Scheibner, Olaf; Kavanagh, Kevin; Doyle, Sean

2006-07-01

Aspergillus fumigatus is an important human fungal pathogen. The Aspergillus fumigatus genome contains 14 nonribosomal peptide synthetase genes, potentially responsible for generating metabolites that contribute to organismal virulence. Differential expression of the nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene, pes1, in four strains of Aspergillus fumigatus was observed. The pattern of pes1 expression differed from that of a putative siderophore synthetase gene, sidD, and so is unlikely to be involved in iron acquisition. The Pes1 protein (expected molecular mass 698 kDa) was partially purified and identified by immunoreactivity, peptide mass fingerprinting (36% sequence coverage) and MALDI LIFT-TOF/TOF MS (four internal peptides sequenced). A pes1 disruption mutant (delta pes1) of Aspergillus fumigatus strain 293.1 was generated and confirmed by Southern and western analysis, in addition to RT-PCR. The delta pes1 mutant also showed significantly reduced virulence in the Galleria mellonella model system (P < 0.001) and increased sensitivity to oxidative stress (P = 0.002) in culture and during neutrophil-mediated phagocytosis. In addition, the mutant exhibited altered conidial surface morphology and hydrophilicity, compared to Aspergillus fumigatus 293.1. It is concluded that pes1 contributes to improved fungal tolerance against oxidative stress, mediated by the conidial phenotype, during the infection process.

Probing adenine rings and backbone linkages using base specific isotope-edited Raman spectroscopy: application to group II intron ribozyme domain V.

PubMed

Chen, Yuanyuan; Eldho, Nadukkudy V; Dayie, T Kwaku; Carey, Paul R

2010-04-27

Raman difference spectroscopy is used to probe the properties of a 36-nt RNA molecule, "D5", which lies at the heart of the catalytic apparatus in group II introns. For D5 that has all of its adenine residues labeled with (13)C and (15)N and utilizing Raman difference spectroscopy, we identify the conformationally sensitive -C-O-P-O-C- stretching modes of the unlabeled bonds adjacent to adenine bases, as well as the adenine ring modes themselves. The phosphodiester modes can be assigned to individual adenine residues based on earlier NMR data. The effect of Mg(2+) binding was explored by analyzing the Raman difference spectra for [D5 + Mg(2+)] minus [D5 no Mg(2+)], for D5 unlabeled, or D5 labeled with (13)C/(15)N-enriched adenine. In both sets of data we assign differential features to G ring modes perturbed by Mg(2+) binding at the N7 position. In the A-labeled spectra we attribute a Raman differential near 1450 cm(-1) and changes of intensity at 1296 cm(-1) to Mg binding at the N7 position of adenine bases. The A and G bases involved in Mg(2+) binding again can be identified using earlier NMR results. For the unlabeled D5, a change in the C-O-P-O-C stretch profile at 811 cm(-1) upon magnesium binding is due to a "tightening up" (in the sense of a more rigid molecule with less dynamic interchange among competing ribose conformers) of the D5 structure. For adenine-labeled D5, small changes in the adenine backbone bond signatures in the 810-830 cm(-1) region suggest that small conformational changes occur in the tetraloop and bulge regions upon binding of Mg(2+). The PO(2)(-) stretching vibration, near 1100 cm(-1), from the nonbridging phosphate groups, probes the effect of Mg(2+)-hydrate inner-sphere interactions that cause an upshift. In turn, the upshift is modulated by the presence of monovalent cations since in the presence of Na(+) and Li(+) the upshift is 23 +/- 2 cm(-1) while in the presence of K(+) and Cs(+) it is 13 +/- 3 cm(-1), a finding that correlates

Characterization of cDNAs and genomic DNAs for human threonyl- and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cruzen, M.E.

1993-01-01

Techniques of molecular biology were used to clone, sequence and map two human aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) cDNAs: threonyl-tRNA synthetase (ThrRS) a class II enzyme and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CysRS) a class I enzyme. The predicted protein sequence of human ThrRS is highly homologous to that of lower eukaryotic and prokaryotic ThRSs, particularly in the regions containing the three structural motifs common to all class II synthetases. Signature regions 1 and 2, which characterize the class IIa subgroup (SerRS, ThrRS and HisRS) are highly conserved from bacteria to human. Structural predictions for human ThrRS based on the known structure of the closelymore » related SerRS from E.coli implicate strongly conserved residues in the signature sequences to be important in substrate binding. The amino terminal 100 residues of the deduced amino acid sequence of ThrRS shares structural similarity to SerRS consistent with forming an antiparallel helix implicated in tRNA binding. The 5' untranslated sequence of the human ThrRS gene shares short stretches of common sequence with the gene for hamster HisRS including a binding site for the promoter specific transcription factor sp-1. The deduced amino acid sequence of human CysRS has a high degree of sequence identify to E. coli CysRS. Human CysRS possesses the classic characteristics of a class I synthetase and is most closely related to the MetRS subgroup. The amino terminal half of human CysRS can be modeled as a nucleotide binding fold and shares significant sequence and structural similarity to the other enzymes in this subgroup. The CysRS structural gene (CARS) was mapped to human chromosome 11p15.5 by fluorescent in situ hybridization. CARS is the first aaRS gene to be mapped to chromosome 11. The steady state of both CysRS and ThrRs mRNA were quantitated in several human tissues. Message levels for these enzymes appear to be subjected to differential regulation in different cell types.« less

Multistep modeling of protein structure: application towards refinement of tyr-tRNA synthetase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivasan, S.; Shibata, M.; Roychoudhury, M.; Rein, R.

1987-01-01

The scope of multistep modeling (MSM) is expanding by adding a least-squares minimization step in the procedure to fit backbone reconstruction consistent with a set of C-alpha coordinates. The analytical solution of Phi and Psi angles, that fits a C-alpha x-ray coordinate is used for tyr-tRNA synthetase. Phi and Psi angles for the region where the above mentioned method fails, are obtained by minimizing the difference in C-alpha distances between the computed model and the crystal structure in a least-squares sense. We present a stepwise application of this part of MSM to the determination of the complete backbone geometry of the 321 N terminal residues of tyrosine tRNA synthetase to a root mean square deviation of 0.47 angstroms from the crystallographic C-alpha coordinates.

Streptozotocin Diabetes CORRELATION WITH EXTENT OF DEPRESSION OF PANCREATIC ISLET NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDE

PubMed Central

Anderson, Tom; Schein, Philip S.; McMenamin, Mary G.; Cooney, David A.

1974-01-01

The diabetogenic activity of streptozotocin has been correlated with a reduction in pyridine nucleotide synthesis in the mouse pancreatic islet. To determine the specificity of this reduction for diabetogenicity, a comparative study of streptozotocin, its cytotoxic moiety, 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea, and alloxan was performed. Streptozotocin administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) producd a dose-related reduction in islet NAD which was proportional to the degree of diabetogenicity. A diabetogenic dose, 200 mg/kg, attained a peak plasma N-nitroso intact streptozotocin concentration of 0.224 μmol/ml and reduced the mean islet NAD from a control of 0.78 to 0.15 pmol. At borderline, 150 mg/kg, and nondiabetogenic, 100 mg/kg, doses, plasma concentrations reached 0.161 and 0.136 μmol/ml, and NAD was 0.36 and 0.86 pmol/islet, respectively. 1-Methyl-1-nitrosourea, 100 mg/kg, attained a maximum N-nitroso intact 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea concentration of 0.162 μmol/ml and reduced the mean NAD to 0.58 pmol/islet, and was nondiabetogenic; 200 mg/kg attained a peak plasma concentration of 0.344 μmol/ml and depressed NAD to 0.38 pmol/islet, and was inconsistently diabetogenic. Islet NAD of 0.4 pmol/islet or greater is required for integrity of the beta cell. A diabetogenic dose of alloxan, 500 mg/kg, did not depress NAD, 0.85 pmol/islet, therefore confirming that its mechanism of diabetogenicity differs from that of streptozotocin. In vivo uptake of [methyl-14C]streptozotocin by islets was 3.8 times that of [methyl-14C]-1-methyl-1-nitrosourea, whereas uptake by the exocrine pancreas favored 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea over streptozotocin 2.4:1. The decreased islet uptake of 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea correlates with the 3.5 times increased molar dosage required to produce islet NAD depression comparable to that of streptozotocin, 150 mg/kg. These studies indicate that the glucose carrier of streptozotocin facilitates uptake of its cytotoxic group, 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea, into islets. PMID:4369217

Identification of Bacillus subtilis men mutants which lack O-succinylbenzoyl-coenzyme A synthetase and dihydroxynaphthoate synthase.

PubMed Central

Meganathan, R; Bentley, R; Taber, H

1981-01-01

Menaquinone (vitamin K2)-deficient mutants of Bacillus subtilis, whose growth requirement is satisfied by 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid but not by o-succinylbenzoic acid (OSB), have been analyzed for enzymatic defects. Complementation analysis of cell-free extracts of the mutants revealed that there are two groups, as already indicated by genetic analysis. The missing enzyme in each group was identified by complementation of the cell-free extracts with o-succinylbenzoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase and dihydroxynaphthoate synthase extracted from Mycobacterium phlei. Mutants found to lack dihydroxynaphthoate synthase, and which therefore complement with dihydroxynaphthoate synthase of M. phlei, were designated as menB; those lacking o-succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase, and therefore complementing with o-succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase, were designated as menE. The menB mutants RB413 (men-325) and RB415 (men-329), when incubated with [2,3-14C2]OSB, produced only the spirodilactone form of OSB in a reaction that was CoA and adenosine 5'-triphosphate dependent. PMID:6780515

DNA adenine methylation of sams1 gene in symbiont-bearing Amoeba proteus.

PubMed

Jeon, Taeck J

2008-10-01

The expression of amoeba sams genes is switched from sams1 to sams2 when amoebae are infected with Legionella jeonii. To elucidate the mechanism for the inactivation of host sams1 gene by endosymbiotic bacteria, methylation states of the sams1 gene of D and xD amoebae was compared in this study. The sams1 gene of amoebae was methylated at an internal adenine residue of GATC site in symbiont-bearing xD amoebae but not in symbiont-free D amoebae, suggesting that the modification might have caused the inactivation of sams1 in xD amoebae. The sams1 gene of xD amoebae was inactivated at the transcriptional level. Analysis of DNA showed that adenine residues in L. jeonii sams were also methylated, implying that L. jeonii bacteria belong to a Dam methylase-positive strain. In addition, both SAM and Met appeared to act as negative regulators for the expression of sams1 whereas the expression of sams2 was not affected in amoebae.

Changes in polyamines, inorganic ions and glutamine synthetase activity in response to nitrogen availability and form in red spruce (Picea rubens)

Treesearch

Michelle J. Serapiglia; Rakesh Minocha; Subhash C. Minocha

2008-01-01

We analyzed effects of nitrogen availability and form on growth rates, concentrations of polyamines and inorganic ions and glutamine synthetase activity in in-vitro-cultured red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) cells. Growth rates, concentrations of polyamines and glutamine synthetase activity declined when either the amount of nitrate or the total amount...

DNA adenine methylation modulates pathogenicity of Klebsiella pneumoniae genotype K1.

PubMed

Fang, Chi-Tai; Yi, Wen-Ching; Shun, Chia-Tung; Tsai, Shih-Feng

2017-08-01

Klebsiella pneumoniae genotype K1 is a highly virulent pathogen that causes liver abscess and metastatic endophthalmitis/meningitis. Whether its pathogenicity is controlled by DNA adenine methylase (Dam), an epigenetic regulator of bacterial virulence gene expression, is yet unknown. We aimed to study the role of DNA adenine methylation in the pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae genotype K1. We identified the dam gene in the prototype tissue-invasive strain (NTUH-K2044) of K. pneumoniae genotype K1, using the strain's complete genome sequence in GenBank. We constructed a dam - mutant and compared it with the wild type, in terms of in vitro serum resistance and in vivo BALB/cByl mice inoculation. Loss of Dam activity in the mutant was verified by MboI restriction digestion of the genomic DNA and a 1000-fold increase in spontaneous mutation rate. The dam mutant lost at least 68% of serum resistance when compared with the wild type (survival ratio at 1 hour: 2.6 ± 0.4 vs. 8.2 ± 1.9; at 2 hours: 3.9 ± 1.6 vs. 17.4 ± 3.6; p values < 0.05). Likewise, virulence to mice decreased by 40-fold in an intraperitoneal injection model [lethal dose, 50% (LD 50 ): 2 × 10 3 colony-forming units (CFUs) vs. 5 × 10 1 CFUs] and by sixfold in a gastric ingestion model (LD 50 : 3 × 10 4 CFUs vs. 5 × 10 3 CFUs). Attenuation of the dam mutant was not attributable to its growth rate, which was similar to that of the wild type. Our results support the view that DNA adenine methylation plays an important role in modulating the pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae genotype K1. The incomplete attenuation indicates the existence of other regulatory factors. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Efficacy of Adenine in the Treatment of Leukopenia and Neutropenia Associated with an Overdose of Antipsychotics or Discontinuation of Lithium Carbonate Administration: Three Case Studies.

PubMed

Tomita, Takashi; Goto, Hidekazu; Sumiya, Kenji; Yoshida, Tadashi; Tanaka, Katsuya; Kohda, Yukinao

2016-11-30

Because adenine is effective for managing cases of radiation-induced and drug-induced leukopenia, it may be effective in cases of antipsychotic-induced leukopenia and neutropenia. Here, we report our experience with patients with leukopenia and neutropenia caused by an antipsychotic overdose or discontinuation of lithium carbonate, in whom adenine administration ameliorated the white blood cell and neutrophil counts. The progress of patients suggests that adenine is effective in cases of leukopenia and neutropenia associated with lithium carbonate discontinuation and an antipsychotic overdose.

Effects of low-molecular-weight-chitosan on the adenine-induced chronic renal failure rats in vitro and in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhi, Xuan; Han, Baoqin; Sui, Xianxian; Hu, Rui; Liu, Wanshun

2015-02-01

The effects of low-molecular-weight-chitosan (LMWC) on chronic renal failure (CRF) rats induced by adenine were investigated in vivo and in vitro. Chitosan were hydrolyzed using chitosanase at pH 6-7 and 37° for 24 h to obtain LMWC. In vitro, the effect of LMWC on the proliferation of renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC) showed that it had no cytotoxic effect and could promote cell growth. For the in vivo experiment, chronic renal failure rats induced by adenine were randomly divided into control group, Niaoduqing group, and high-, medium- and low-dose LMWC groups. For each group, we detected serum creatinine (SCR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione oxidase (GSH-Px) activities of renal tissue, and obtained the ratio of kidney weight/body weight, pathological changes of kidney. The levels of serum SCR, BUN were higher in the adenine-induced rats than those in the control group, indicating that the rat chronic renal failure model worked successfully. The results after treatment showed that LMWC could reduce the SCR and BUN levels and enhance the activities/levels of T-SOD and GSH-PX in kidney compared to control group. Histopathological examination revealed that adenine-induced renal alterations were restored by LMWC at three tested dosages, especially at the low dosage of 100 mg kg-1 d-1.

Adenine radicals generated in alternating AT duplexes by direct absorption of low-energy UV radiation.

PubMed

Banyasz, Akos; Ketola, Tiia; Martínez-Fernández, Lara; Improta, Roberto; Markovitsi, Dimitra

2018-04-17

There is increasing evidence that the direct absorption of photons with energies that are lower than the ionization potential of nucleobases may result in oxidative damage to DNA. The present work, which combines nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations, studies this process in alternating adenine-thymine duplexes (AT)n. We show that the one-photon ionization quantum yield of (AT)10 at 266 nm (4.66 eV) is (1.5 ± 0.3) × 10-3. According to our PCM/TD-DFT calculations carried out on model duplexes composed of two base pairs, (AT)1 and (TA)1, simultaneous base pairing and stacking does not induce important changes in the absorption spectra of the adenine radical cation and deprotonated radical. The adenine radicals, thus identified in the time-resolved spectra, disappear with a lifetime of 2.5 ms, giving rise to a reaction product that absorbs at 350 nm. In parallel, the fingerprint of reaction intermediates other than radicals, formed directly from singlet excited states and assigned to AT/TA dimers, is detected at shorter wavelengths. PCM/TD-DFT calculations are carried out to map the pathways leading to such species and to characterize their absorption spectra; we find that, in addition to the path leading to the well-known TA* photoproduct, an AT photo-dimerization path may be operative in duplexes.

Structural modeling of tissue-specific mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase (AARS2) defects predicts differential effects on aminoacylation

PubMed Central

Euro, Liliya; Konovalova, Svetlana; Asin-Cayuela, Jorge; Tulinius, Már; Griffin, Helen; Horvath, Rita; Taylor, Robert W.; Chinnery, Patrick F.; Schara, Ulrike; Thorburn, David R.; Suomalainen, Anu; Chihade, Joseph; Tyynismaa, Henna

2015-01-01

The accuracy of mitochondrial protein synthesis is dependent on the coordinated action of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (mtARSs) and the mitochondrial DNA-encoded tRNAs. The recent advances in whole-exome sequencing have revealed the importance of the mtARS proteins for mitochondrial pathophysiology since nearly every nuclear gene for mtARS (out of 19) is now recognized as a disease gene for mitochondrial disease. Typically, defects in each mtARS have been identified in one tissue-specific disease, most commonly affecting the brain, or in one syndrome. However, mutations in the AARS2 gene for mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase (mtAlaRS) have been reported both in patients with infantile-onset cardiomyopathy and in patients with childhood to adulthood-onset leukoencephalopathy. We present here an investigation of the effects of the described mutations on the structure of the synthetase, in an effort to understand the tissue-specific outcomes of the different mutations. The mtAlaRS differs from the other mtARSs because in addition to the aminoacylation domain, it has a conserved editing domain for deacylating tRNAs that have been mischarged with incorrect amino acids. We show that the cardiomyopathy phenotype results from a single allele, causing an amino acid change R592W in the editing domain of AARS2, whereas the leukodystrophy mutations are located in other domains of the synthetase. Nevertheless, our structural analysis predicts that all mutations reduce the aminoacylation activity of the synthetase, because all mtAlaRS domains contribute to tRNA binding for aminoacylation. According to our model, the cardiomyopathy mutations severely compromise aminoacylation whereas partial activity is retained by the mutation combinations found in the leukodystrophy patients. These predictions provide a hypothesis for the molecular basis of the distinct tissue-specific phenotypic outcomes. PMID:25705216

Structural Switch of Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Between Translation and Transcription

PubMed Central

Ofir-Birin, Yifat; Fang, Pengfei; Bennett, Steven P.; Zhang, Hui-Min; Wang, Jing; Rachmin, Inbal; Shapiro, Ryan; Song, Jing; Dagan, Arie; Pozo, Jorge; Kim, Sunghoon; Marshall, Alan G.; Schimmel, Paul; Yang, Xiang-Lei; Nechushtan, Hovav; Razin, Ehud; Guo, Min

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS), a component of the translation apparatus, is released from the cytoplasmic multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC) to activate the transcription factor MITF in stimulated mast cells through undefined mechanisms. Here we show that Ser207-phosphorylation provokes a new conformer of LysRS that inactivates its translational, but activates its transcriptional function. The crystal structure of an MSC sub-complex established that LysRS is held in the MSC by binding to the N-terminus of the scaffold protein p38/AIMP2. Phosphorylation-created steric clashes at the LysRS domain interface disrupt its binding grooves for p38/AIMP2, releasing LysRS and provoking its nuclear translocation. This alteration also exposes the C-terminal domain of LysRS to bind to MITF and triggers LysRS-directed production of the second messenger Ap4A that activates MITF. Thus our results establish that a single conformational change triggered by phosphorylation leads to multiple effects driving an exclusive switch of LysRS function from translation to transcription. PMID:23159739

Recoding aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases for synthetic biology by rational protein-RNA engineering.

PubMed

Hadd, Andrew; Perona, John J

2014-12-19

We have taken a rational approach to redesigning the amino acid binding and aminoacyl-tRNA pairing specificities of bacterial glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase. The four-stage engineering incorporates generalizable design principles and improves the pairing efficiency of noncognate glutamate with tRNA(Gln) by over 10(5)-fold compared to the wild-type enzyme. Better optimized designs of the protein-RNA complex include substantial reengineering of the globular core region of the tRNA, demonstrating a role for specific tRNA nucleotides in specifying the identity of the genetically encoded amino acid. Principles emerging from this engineering effort open new prospects for combining rational and genetic selection approaches to design novel aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases that ligate noncanonical amino acids onto tRNAs. This will facilitate reconstruction of the cellular translation apparatus for applications in synthetic biology.

Label-free in vivo flow cytometry in zebrafish using two-photon autofluorescence imaging.

PubMed

Zeng, Yan; Xu, Jin; Li, Dong; Li, Li; Wen, Zilong; Qu, Jianan Y

2012-07-01

We demonstrate a label-free in vivo flow cytometry in zebrafish blood vessels based on two-photon excited autofluorescence imaging. The major discovery in this work is the strong autofluorescence emission from the plasma in zebrafish blood. The plasma autofluorescence provides excellent contrast for visualizing blood vessels and counting blood cells. In addition, the cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide autofluorescence enables in vivo imaging and counting of white blood cells (neutrophils).

ROS open roads to roundworm infection.

PubMed

Feng, Baomin; Shan, Libo

2014-04-08

The rapid production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon pathogen attack is generally considered a defense mechanism for microbial killing and an initiation of host defense responses in plants and animals. In this issue, Siddique et al. show that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-derived ROS function as a pathogenicity factor to promote the roundworm nematode infection in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing the complex action of ROS in host-pathogen interactions.

Role of Nuclear Pools of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases in tRNA Nuclear Export

PubMed Central

Azad, Abul K.; Stanford, David R.; Sarkar, Srimonti; Hopper, Anita K.

2001-01-01

Reports of nuclear tRNA aminoacylation and its role in tRNA nuclear export (Lund and Dahlberg, 1998; Sarkar et al., 1999; Grosshans et al., 2000a) have led to the prediction that there should be nuclear pools of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. We report that in budding yeast there are nuclear pools of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, Tys1p. By sequence alignments we predicted a Tys1p nuclear localization sequence and showed it to be sufficient for nuclear location of a passenger protein. Mutations of this nuclear localization sequence in endogenous Tys1p reduce nuclear Tys1p pools, indicating that the motif is also important for nucleus location. The mutations do not significantly affect catalytic activity, but they do cause defects in export of tRNAs to the cytosol. Despite export defects, the cells are viable, indicating that nuclear tRNA aminoacylation is not required for all tRNA nuclear export paths. Because the tRNA nuclear exportin, Los1p, is also unessential, we tested whether tRNA aminoacylation and Los1p operate in alternative tRNA nuclear export paths. No genetic interactions between aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and Los1p were detected, indicating that tRNA nuclear aminoacylation and Los1p operate in the same export pathway or there are more than two pathways for tRNA nuclear export. PMID:11359929

Role of nuclear pools of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in tRNA nuclear export.

PubMed

Azad, A K; Stanford, D R; Sarkar, S; Hopper, A K

2001-05-01

Reports of nuclear tRNA aminoacylation and its role in tRNA nuclear export (Lund and Dahlberg, 1998; Sarkar et al., 1999; Grosshans et al., 20001) have led to the prediction that there should be nuclear pools of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. We report that in budding yeast there are nuclear pools of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, Tys1p. By sequence alignments we predicted a Tys1p nuclear localization sequence and showed it to be sufficient for nuclear location of a passenger protein. Mutations of this nuclear localization sequence in endogenous Tys1p reduce nuclear Tys1p pools, indicating that the motif is also important for nucleus location. The mutations do not significantly affect catalytic activity, but they do cause defects in export of tRNAs to the cytosol. Despite export defects, the cells are viable, indicating that nuclear tRNA aminoacylation is not required for all tRNA nuclear export paths. Because the tRNA nuclear exportin, Los1p, is also unessential, we tested whether tRNA aminoacylation and Los1p operate in alternative tRNA nuclear export paths. No genetic interactions between aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and Los1p were detected, indicating that tRNA nuclear aminoacylation and Los1p operate in the same export pathway or there are more than two pathways for tRNA nuclear export.

Three-dimensional structure of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase from E. coli at 2.71 Å resolution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Timofeev, V. I., E-mail: inna@ns.crys.ras.ru, E-mail: tostars@mail.ru, E-mail: ugama@yandex.ru; Abramchik, Yu. A.; Zhukhlistova, N. E.

2016-01-15

Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase from Escherichia coli was cloned, purified, and crystallized. Single crystals of the enzyme were grown under microgravity. The X-ray diffraction data set was collected at the Spring-8 synchrotron facility and used to determine the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme by the molecular-replacement method at 2.71 Å resolution. The active and regulatory sites in the molecule of E. coli phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase were revealed by comparison with the homologous protein from Bacillus subtilis, the structure of which was determined in a complex with functional ligands. The conformations of polypeptide-chain fragments surrounding and composing the active and regulatory sitesmore » were shown to be identical in both proteins.« less

Metabolic adaptation to long term changes in gravity environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slenzka, K.; Appel, R.; Rahmann, H.

Biochemical analyses of the brain of Cichlid fish larvae, exposed during their very early development for 7 days to an increased acceleration of 3g (hyper-gravity), revealed a decrease in brain nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) as well as creatine kinase (BB-CK) activity. Using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) the concentrations of adenine nucleotides (AMP, ADP, ATP), phosphocreatine (CP), as well as of nicotineamide adenine dinucleotides (NAD, NADP) were analyzed in the brain of hyper-g exposed larvae vs. 1g controls. A slight reduction in the total adenine nucleotides (TAN) as well as the adenylate energy charge (AEC) was found. In parallel a significant increase in the NAD concentration and a corresponding decrease in NADP concentration occurred in larva's hyper-g brains vs. 1g controls. These results give further evidence for an influence of gravity on cellular level and furthermore contribute to a clarification of the cellular signal-response chain for gravity perception.

Selective and Specific Inhibition of the Plasmodium falciparum Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase by the Fungal Secondary Metabolite Cladosporin

PubMed Central

Hoepfner, Dominic; McNamara, Case W.; Lim, Chek Shik; Studer, Christian; Riedl, Ralph; Aust, Thomas; McCormack, Susan L.; Plouffe, David M.; Meister, Stephan; Schuierer, Sven; Plikat, Uwe; Hartmann, Nicole; Staedtler, Frank; Cotesta, Simona; Schmitt, Esther K.; Petersen, Frank; Supek, Frantisek; Glynne, Richard J.; Tallarico, John A.; Porter, Jeffrey A.; Fishman, Mark C.; Bodenreider, Christophe; Diagana, Thierry T.; Movva, N. Rao; Winzeler, Elizabeth A.

2012-01-01

Summary With renewed calls for malaria eradication, next-generation antimalarials need be active against drug-resistant parasites and efficacious against both liver- and blood-stage infections. We screened a natural product library to identify inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum blood- and liver-stage proliferation. Cladosporin, a fungal secondary metabolite whose target and mechanism of action are not known for any species, was identified as having potent, nanomolar, antiparasitic activity against both blood and liver stages. Using postgenomic methods, including a yeast deletion strains collection, we show that cladosporin specifically inhibits protein synthesis by directly targeting P. falciparum cytosolic lysyl-tRNA synthetase. Further, cladosporin is >100-fold more potent against parasite lysyl-tRNA synthetase relative to the human enzyme, which is conferred by the identity of two amino acids within the enzyme active site. Our data indicate that lysyl-tRNA synthetase is an attractive, druggable, antimalarial target that can be selectively inhibited. PMID:22704625

Selective and specific inhibition of the plasmodium falciparum lysyl-tRNA synthetase by the fungal secondary metabolite cladosporin.

PubMed

Hoepfner, Dominic; McNamara, Case W; Lim, Chek Shik; Studer, Christian; Riedl, Ralph; Aust, Thomas; McCormack, Susan L; Plouffe, David M; Meister, Stephan; Schuierer, Sven; Plikat, Uwe; Hartmann, Nicole; Staedtler, Frank; Cotesta, Simona; Schmitt, Esther K; Petersen, Frank; Supek, Frantisek; Glynne, Richard J; Tallarico, John A; Porter, Jeffrey A; Fishman, Mark C; Bodenreider, Christophe; Diagana, Thierry T; Movva, N Rao; Winzeler, Elizabeth A

2012-06-14

With renewed calls for malaria eradication, next-generation antimalarials need be active against drug-resistant parasites and efficacious against both liver- and blood-stage infections. We screened a natural product library to identify inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum blood- and liver-stage proliferation. Cladosporin, a fungal secondary metabolite whose target and mechanism of action are not known for any species, was identified as having potent, nanomolar, antiparasitic activity against both blood and liver stages. Using postgenomic methods, including a yeast deletion strains collection, we show that cladosporin specifically inhibits protein synthesis by directly targeting P. falciparum cytosolic lysyl-tRNA synthetase. Further, cladosporin is >100-fold more potent against parasite lysyl-tRNA synthetase relative to the human enzyme, which is conferred by the identity of two amino acids within the enzyme active site. Our data indicate that lysyl-tRNA synthetase is an attractive, druggable, antimalarial target that can be selectively inhibited. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Control of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase activity in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. The involvement of sulphur metabolism

PubMed Central

Neuberger, Albert; Sandy, John D.; Tait, George H.

1973-01-01

1. The `initial' 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase activity, that is the activity observed immediately after cell disruption, in extracts prepared from unharvested semianaerobically grown Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, was twice that observed under the same assay conditions in extracts prepared from harvested cells. 2. The effect of oxygenation of a culture on the `maximum' aminolaevulinate synthetase activity, that is the activity observed 1h after disruption of harvested cells, is markedly influenced by the contents of the growth medium. Oxygenation of organisms for 1h in the medium in which they have grown produces an 80–90% decrease in maximum activity, whereas similar treatment of organisms resuspended in fresh medium produces less than a 40% decrease. 3. This protective effect of fresh medium is absolutely dependent on the presence of sulphate. When cells are suspended in sulphate-deficient fresh medium, the maximum activity falls by 65–75% even without oxygenation. A high maximum activity is regenerated when sulphate is resupplied. 4. When organisms are oxygenated in the medium in which they have grown, the cellular contents of GSH+GSSG and cysteine+cystine fall very markedly and homolanthionine is formed. Both the fall in aminolaevulinate synthetase activity and the changes in sulphur metabolism are largely prevented by the addition of compounds which stimulate synthesis of cysteine de novo or inhibit the conversion of cysteine S into homocysteine S. 5. The maximum aminolaevulinate synthetase activity was directly proportional to the GSH+GSSG content of all cell preparations. In glutathione-depleted extracts the `low'-activity enzyme could be re-activated in vitro by the addition of GSH, GSSG, cysteine or cystine, whereas in extracts with a high glutathione content the `high'-activity enzyme was unaffected by these sulphur compounds. 6. The activation of low-activity enzyme with exogenous sulphur compounds was prevented by excluding air or by adding NADH

The Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus halodurans Aspartyl-tRNA Synthetases Retain Recognition of tRNA(Asn).

PubMed

Nair, Nilendra; Raff, Hannah; Islam, Mohammed Tarek; Feen, Melanie; Garofalo, Denise M; Sheppard, Kelly

2016-02-13

Synthesis of asparaginyl-tRNA (Asn-tRNA(Asn)) in bacteria can be formed either by directly ligating Asn to tRNA(Asn) using an asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS) or by synthesizing Asn on the tRNA. In the latter two-step indirect pathway, a non-discriminating aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (ND-AspRS) attaches Asp to tRNA(Asn) and the amidotransferase GatCAB transamidates the Asp to Asn on the tRNA. GatCAB can be similarly used for Gln-tRNA(Gln) formation. Most bacteria are predicted to use only one route for Asn-tRNA(Asn) formation. Given that Bacillus halodurans and Bacillus subtilis encode AsnRS for Asn-tRNA(Asn) formation and Asn synthetases to synthesize Asn and GatCAB for Gln-tRNA(Gln) synthesis, their AspRS enzymes were thought to be specific for tRNA(Asp). However, we demonstrate that the AspRSs are non-discriminating and can be used with GatCAB to synthesize Asn. The results explain why B. subtilis with its Asn synthetase genes knocked out is still an Asn prototroph. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that this may be common among Firmicutes and 30% of all bacteria. In addition, the phylogeny revealed that discrimination toward tRNA(Asp) by AspRS has evolved independently multiple times. The retention of the indirect pathway in B. subtilis and B. halodurans likely reflects the ancient link between Asn biosynthesis and its use in translation that enabled Asn to be added to the genetic code. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Structural Insights into the Polyphyletic Origins of Glycyl tRNA Synthetases*♦

PubMed Central

Valencia-Sánchez, Marco Igor; Rodríguez-Hernández, Annia; Ferreira, Ruben; Santamaría-Suárez, Hugo Aníbal; Arciniega, Marcelino; Dock-Bregeon, Anne-Catherine; Moras, Dino; Beinsteiner, Brice; Brieba, Luis G.; Grøtli, Morten

2016-01-01

Glycyl tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) provides a unique case among class II aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, with two clearly widespread types of enzymes: a dimeric (α2) species present in some bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes; and a heterotetrameric form (α2β2) present in most bacteria. Although the differences between both types of GlyRS at the anticodon binding domain level are evident, the extent and implications of the variations in the catalytic domain have not been described, and it is unclear whether the mechanism of amino acid recognition is also dissimilar. Here, we show that the α-subunit of the α2β2 GlyRS from the bacterium Aquifex aeolicus is able to perform the first step of the aminoacylation reaction, which involves the activation of the amino acid with ATP. The crystal structure of the α-subunit in the complex with an analog of glycyl adenylate at 2.8 Å resolution presents a conformational arrangement that properly positions the cognate amino acid. This work shows that glycine is recognized by a subset of different residues in the two types of GlyRS. A structural and sequence analysis of class II catalytic domains shows that bacterial GlyRS is closely related to alanyl tRNA synthetase, which led us to define a new subclassification of these ancient enzymes and to propose an evolutionary path of α2β2 GlyRS, convergent with α2 GlyRS and divergent from AlaRS, thus providing a possible explanation for the puzzling existence of two proteins sharing the same fold and function but not a common ancestor. PMID:27226617

Cylindrospermopsin and Saxitoxin Synthetase Genes in Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii Strains from Brazilian Freshwater

PubMed Central

Hoff-Risseti, Caroline; Dörr, Felipe Augusto; Schaker, Patricia Dayane Carvalho; Pinto, Ernani; Werner, Vera Regina; Fiore, Marli Fatima

2013-01-01

The Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii population from Brazilian freshwater is known to produce saxitoxin derivatives (STX), while cylindrospermopsin (CYN), which is commonly detected in isolates from Australia and Asia continents, has thus far not been detected in South American strains. However, during the investigation for the presence of cyrA, cyrB, cyrC and cyrJ CYN synthetase genes in the genomes of four laboratory-cultured C. raciborskii Brazilian strains, the almost complete cyrA gene sequences were obtained for all strains, while cyrB and cyrC gene fragments were observed in two strains. These nucleotide sequences were translated into amino acids, and the predicted protein functions and domains confirmed their identity as CYN synthetase genes. Attempts to PCR amplify cyrJ gene fragments from the four strains were unsuccessful. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the nucleotide sequences together with their homologues found in known CYN synthetase clusters of C. raciborskii strains with high bootstrap support. In addition, fragments of sxtA, sxtB and sxtI genes involved in STX production were also obtained. Extensive LC-MS analyses were unable to detect CYN in the cultured strains, whereas the production of STX and its analogues was confirmed in CENA302, CENA305 and T3. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the presence of cyr genes in South American strains of C. raciborskii and the presence of sxt and cyr genes in a single C. raciborskii strain. This discovery suggests a shift in the type of cyanotoxin production over time of South American strains of C. raciborskii and contributes to the reconstruction of the evolutionary history and diversification of cyanobacterial toxins. PMID:24015317

Influence of endogenous pyrogen on the cerebral prostaglandin-synthetase system.

PubMed

Ziel, R; Krupp, P

1976-11-15

The biotransformation of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins in vitro is specifically augmented by endogenous pyrogen to a degree depending on the concentration applied, providing that the microsomal fraction of the cerebral cortex is used as prostaglandin-synthetase system. This effect is inhibited by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that prostaglandins might act as mediators of the febrile reaction induced by endogenous pyrogen.

Novel roles of folic acid as redox regulator: Modulation of reactive oxygen species sinker protein expression and maintenance of mitochondrial redox homeostasis on hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Lai, Kun-Goung; Chen, Chi-Fen; Ho, Chun-Te; Liu, Jun-Jen; Liu, Tsan-Zon; Chern, Chi-Liang

2017-06-01

We provide herein several lines of evidence to substantiate that folic acid (or folate) is a micronutrient capable of functioning as a novel redox regulator on hepatocellular carcinoma. First, we uncovered that folate deficiency could profoundly downregulate two prominent anti-apoptotic effectors including survivin and glucose-regulated protein-78. Silencing of either survivin or glucose-regulated protein-78 via small interfering RNA interfering technique established that both effectors could serve as reactive oxygen species sinker proteins. Second, folate deficiency-triggered oxidative-nitrosative stress could strongly induce endoplasmic reticulum stress that in turn could provoke cellular glutathione depletion through the modulation of the following two crucial events: (1) folate deficiency could strongly inhibit Bcl-2 expression leading to severe suppression of the mitochondrial glutathione pool and (2) folate deficiency could also profoundly inhibit two key enzymes that governing cellular glutathione redox regulation including γ-glutamylcysteinyl synthetase heavy chain, a catalytic enzyme for glutathione biosynthesis, and mitochondrial isocitrate dehydrogenase 2, an enzyme responsible for providing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate necessary for regenerating oxidized glutathione disulfide back to glutathione via mitochondrial glutathione reductase. Collectively, we add to the literature new data to strengthen the notion that folate is an essential micronutrient that confers a novel role to combat reactive oxygen species insults and thus serves as a redox regulator via upregulating reactive oxygen species sinker proteins and averting mitochondrial glutathione depletion through proper maintenance of redox homeostasis via positively regulating glutathione biosynthesis, glutathione transporting system, and mitochondrial glutathione recycling process.

The effect of swimming exercise on adenine-induced kidney disease in rats, and the influence of curcumin or lisinopril thereon

PubMed Central

Karaca, Turan; Al Suleimani, Yousuf; Al Za'abi, Mohammed; Al Kalbani, Jamila; Ashique, Mohammed; Nemmar, Abderrahim

2017-01-01

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been reported to benefit from different types of exercises. It has also been shown that the ACE inhibitor lisinopril, and the natural product curcumin are also beneficial in different models of CKD in rats. We assessed the influence of moderate swimming exercise (SE) on rats with adenine-induced CKD, and tested the possible effects of lisinopril and/or curcumin thereon using several physiological, biochemical, histopathological and immunohistochemical parameters. Rats (either sedentary or subjected to SE) were randomly divided into several groups, and given for five weeks either normal food or food mixed with adenine (0.25% w/w) to induce CKD. Some of these groups were also concomitantly treated orally with curcumin (75 mg/kg), or lisinopril (10 mg/kg) and were subjected to moderate SE (45 min/day three days each week). Rats fed adenine showed the typical biochemical, histopathological signs of CKD such as elevations in blood pressure, urinary albumin / creatinine ratio, and plasma urea, creatinine, indoxyl sulfate and phosphorus. SE, curcumin or lisinopril, given singly, significantly ameliorated all the adenine-induced actions. Administering curcumin or lisinopril with SE improved the histopathology of the kidneys, a salutary effect not seen with SE alone. Combining SE to the nephroprotective agents’ curcumin or lisinopril might offer additional nephroprotection. PMID:28445490

Development of bright fluorescent quadracyclic adenine analogues: TDDFT-calculation supported rational design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foller Larsen, Anders; Dumat, Blaise; Wranne, Moa S.; Lawson, Christopher P.; Preus, Søren; Bood, Mattias; Gradén, Henrik; Marcus Wilhelmsson, L.; Grøtli, Morten

2015-07-01

Fluorescent base analogues (FBAs) comprise a family of increasingly important molecules for the investigation of nucleic acid structure and dynamics. We recently reported the quantum chemical calculation supported development of four microenvironment sensitive analogues of the quadracyclic adenine (qA) scaffold, the qANs, with highly promising absorptive and fluorescence properties that were very well predicted by TDDFT calculations. Herein, we report on the efficient synthesis, experimental and theoretical characterization of nine novel quadracyclic adenine derivatives. The brightest derivative, 2-CNqA, displays a 13-fold increased brightness (ɛΦF = 4500) compared with the parent compound qA and has the additional benefit of being a virtually microenvironment-insensitive fluorophore, making it a suitable candidate for nucleic acid incorporation and use in quantitative FRET and anisotropy experiments. TDDFT calculations, conducted on the nine novel qAs a posteriori, successfully describe the relative fluorescence quantum yield and brightness of all qA derivatives. This observation suggests that the TDDFT-based rational design strategy may be employed for the development of bright fluorophores built up from a common scaffold to reduce the otherwise costly and time-consuming screening process usually required to obtain useful and bright FBAs.

Rheb Protein Binds CAD (Carbamoyl-phosphate Synthetase 2, Aspartate Transcarbamoylase, and Dihydroorotase) Protein in a GTP- and Effector Domain-dependent Manner and Influences Its Cellular Localization and Carbamoyl-phosphate Synthetase (CPSase) Activity*

PubMed Central

Sato, Tatsuhiro; Akasu, Hitomi; Shimono, Wataru; Matsu, Chisa; Fujiwara, Yuki; Shibagaki, Yoshio; Heard, Jeffrey J.; Tamanoi, Fuyuhiko; Hattori, Seisuke

2015-01-01

Rheb small GTPases, which consist of Rheb1 and Rheb2 (also known as RhebL1) in mammalian cells, are unique members of the Ras superfamily and play central roles in regulating protein synthesis and cell growth by activating mTOR. To gain further insight into the function of Rheb, we carried out a search for Rheb-binding proteins and found that Rheb binds to CAD protein (carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamoylase, and dihydroorotase), a multifunctional enzyme required for the de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. CAD binding is more pronounced with Rheb2 than with Rheb1. Rheb binds CAD in a GTP- and effector domain-dependent manner. The region of CAD where Rheb binds is located at the C-terminal region of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase domain and not in the dihydroorotase and aspartate transcarbamoylase domains. Rheb stimulated carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity of CAD in vitro. In addition, an elevated level of intracellular UTP pyrimidine nucleotide was observed in Tsc2-deficient cells, which was attenuated by knocking down of Rheb. Immunostaining analysis showed that expression of Rheb leads to increased accumulation of CAD on lysosomes. Both a farnesyltransferase inhibitor that blocks membrane association of Rheb and knockdown of Rheb mislocalized CAD. These results establish CAD as a downstream effector of Rheb and suggest a possible role of Rheb in regulating de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis. PMID:25422319

Rheb protein binds CAD (carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamoylase, and dihydroorotase) protein in a GTP- and effector domain-dependent manner and influences its cellular localization and carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (CPSase) activity.

PubMed

Sato, Tatsuhiro; Akasu, Hitomi; Shimono, Wataru; Matsu, Chisa; Fujiwara, Yuki; Shibagaki, Yoshio; Heard, Jeffrey J; Tamanoi, Fuyuhiko; Hattori, Seisuke

2015-01-09

Rheb small GTPases, which consist of Rheb1 and Rheb2 (also known as RhebL1) in mammalian cells, are unique members of the Ras superfamily and play central roles in regulating protein synthesis and cell growth by activating mTOR. To gain further insight into the function of Rheb, we carried out a search for Rheb-binding proteins and found that Rheb binds to CAD protein (carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamoylase, and dihydroorotase), a multifunctional enzyme required for the de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. CAD binding is more pronounced with Rheb2 than with Rheb1. Rheb binds CAD in a GTP- and effector domain-dependent manner. The region of CAD where Rheb binds is located at the C-terminal region of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase domain and not in the dihydroorotase and aspartate transcarbamoylase domains. Rheb stimulated carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity of CAD in vitro. In addition, an elevated level of intracellular UTP pyrimidine nucleotide was observed in Tsc2-deficient cells, which was attenuated by knocking down of Rheb. Immunostaining analysis showed that expression of Rheb leads to increased accumulation of CAD on lysosomes. Both a farnesyltransferase inhibitor that blocks membrane association of Rheb and knockdown of Rheb mislocalized CAD. These results establish CAD as a downstream effector of Rheb and suggest a possible role of Rheb in regulating de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Assessing the photoaging process at sun exposed and non-exposed skin using fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito Nogueira, Marcelo; Kurachi, Cristina

2016-03-01

Photoaging is the skin premature aging due to exposure to ultraviolet light, which damage the collagen, elastin and can induce alterations on the skin cells DNA, and, then, it may evolve to precancerous lesions, which are widely investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and lifetime. The fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime analysis has been presented as a technique of great potential for biological tissue characterization at optical diagnostics. The main targeted fluorophores are NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide), which have free and bound states, each one with different average lifetimes. The average lifetimes for free and bound NADH and FAD change according to tissue metabolic alterations and may contribute to a non-invasive clinical investigation of injuries such as skin lesions. These lesions and the possible areas where they may develop can be interrogated using fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy taking into account the variability of skin phototypes and the changes related to melanin, collagen and elastin, endogenous fluorophores which have emissions that spectrally overlap to the NADH and FAD emission. The objective of this study is to assess the variation on fluorescence lifetimes of normal skin at sun exposed and non-exposed areas and associate this variation to the photoaging process.

Rapid measurement of meat spoilage using fluorescence spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Binlin; Dahlberg, Kevin; Gao, Xin; Smith, Jason; Bailin, Jacob

2017-02-01

Food spoilage is mainly caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria. In this study, we measure the autofluorescence in meat samples longitudinally over a week in an attempt to develop a method to rapidly detect meat spoilage using fluorescence spectroscopy. Meat food is a biological tissue, which contains intrinsic fluorophores, such as tryptophan, collagen, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) etc. As meat spoils, it undergoes various morphological and chemical changes. The concentrations of the native fluorophores present in a sample may change. In particular, the changes in NADH and FAD are associated with microbial metabolism, which is the most important process of the bacteria in food spoilage. Such changes may be revealed by fluorescence spectroscopy and used to indicate the status of meat spoilage. Therefore, such native fluorophores may be unique, reliable and nonsubjective indicators for detection of spoiled meat. The results of the study show that the relative concentrations of all above fluorophores change as the meat samples kept in room temperature ( 19° C) spoil. The changes become more rapidly after about two days. For the meat samples kept in a freezer ( -12° C), the changes are much less or even unnoticeable over a-week-long storage.

The Arabidopsis dwarf1 Mutant Is Defective in the Conversion of 24-Methylenecholesterol to Campesterol in Brassinosteroid Biosynthesis1

PubMed Central

Choe, Sunghwa; Dilkes, Brian P.; Gregory, Brian D.; Ross, Amanda S.; Yuan, Heng; Noguchi, Takahiro; Fujioka, Shozo; Takatsuto, Suguru; Tanaka, Atsushi; Yoshida, Shigeo; Tax, Frans E.; Feldmann, Kenneth A.

1999-01-01

Since the isolation and characterization of dwarf1-1 (dwf1-1) from a T-DNA insertion mutant population, phenotypically similar mutants, including deetiolated2 (det2), constitutive photomorphogenesis and dwarfism (cpd), brassinosteroid insensitive1 (bri1), and dwf4, have been reported to be defective in either the biosynthesis or the perception of brassinosteroids. We present further characterization of dwf1-1 and additional dwf1 alleles. Feeding tests with brassinosteroid-biosynthetic intermediates revealed that dwf1 can be rescued by 22α-hydroxycampesterol and downstream intermediates in the brassinosteroid pathway. Analysis of the endogenous levels of brassinosteroid intermediates showed that 24-methylenecholesterol in dwf1 accumulates to 12 times the level of the wild type, whereas the level of campesterol is greatly diminished, indicating that the defective step is in C-24 reduction. Furthermore, the deduced amino acid sequence of DWF1 shows significant similarity to a flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding domain conserved in various oxidoreductases, suggesting an enzymatic role for DWF1. In support of this, 7 of 10 dwf1 mutations directly affected the flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding domain. Our molecular characterization of dwf1 alleles, together with our biochemical data, suggest that the biosynthetic defect in dwf1 results in reduced synthesis of bioactive brassinosteroids, causing dwarfism. PMID:10069828

Imaging Redox State in Mouse Muscles of Different Ages.

PubMed

Moon, Lily; Frederick, David W; Baur, Joseph A; Li, Lin Z

2017-01-01

Aging is the greatest risk factor for many diseases. Intracellular concentrations of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) and the NAD + -coupled redox state have been proposed to moderate many aging-related processes, yet the specific mechanisms remain unclear. The concentration of NAD + falls with age in skeletal muscle, yet there is no consensus on whether aging will increase or decrease the redox potential of NAD + /NADH. Oxidized flavin groups (Fp) (e.g. FAD, i.e., flavin adenine dinucleotide, contained in flavoproteins) and NADH are intrinsic fluorescent indicators of oxidation and reduction status of tissue, respectively. The redox ratio, i.e., the ratio of Fp to NADH, may be a surrogate indicator of the NAD + /NADH redox potential. In this study we used the Chance redox scanner (NADH/Fp fluorescence imaging at low temperature) to investigate the effect of aging on the redox state of mitochondria in skeletal muscles. The results showed that there are borderline significant differences in nominal concentrations of Fp and NADH, but not in the redox ratio s when comparing 3.5-month and 13-month old muscles of mice (n = 6). It may be necessary to increase the number of muscle samples and study mice of more advanced age.

Non-Euclidean phasor analysis for quantification of oxidative stress in ex vivo human skin exposed to sun filters using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osseiran, Sam; Roider, Elisabeth M.; Wang, Hequn; Suita, Yusuke; Murphy, Michael; Fisher, David E.; Evans, Conor L.

2017-12-01

Chemical sun filters are commonly used as active ingredients in sunscreens due to their efficient absorption of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Yet, it is known that these compounds can photochemically react with UV light and generate reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in vitro, though this has yet to be validated in vivo. One label-free approach to probe oxidative stress is to measure and compare the relative endogenous fluorescence generated by cellular coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides and flavin adenine dinucleotides. However, chemical sun filters are fluorescent, with emissive properties that contaminate endogenous fluorescent signals. To accurately distinguish the source of fluorescence in ex vivo skin samples treated with chemical sun filters, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy data were processed on a pixel-by-pixel basis using a non-Euclidean separation algorithm based on Mahalanobis distance and validated on simulated data. Applying this method, ex vivo samples exhibited a small oxidative shift when exposed to sun filters alone, though this shift was much smaller than that imparted by UV irradiation. Given the need for investigative tools to further study the clinical impact of chemical sun filters in patients, the reported methodology may be applied to visualize chemical sun filters and measure oxidative stress in patients' skin.

Electrocatalytic reaction of hydrogen peroxide and NADH based on poly(neutral red) and FAD hybrid film.

PubMed

Lin, Kuo Chiang; Lin, Yu Ching; Chen, Shen Ming

2012-01-07

A simple method to immobilize poly(neutral red) (PNR) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) hybrid film (PNR/FAD) by cyclic voltammetry is proposed. The PNR/FAD hybrid film can be easily prepared on an electrode surface involving electropolymerization of neutral red (NR) monomers and the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged PNR and the negatively charged FAD. It exhibits electroactive, stable, surface-confined, pH-dependent, nano-sized, and compatible properties. It provides good electrocatalytic properties to various species. It shows a sensitivity of 5.4 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) and 21.5 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) for hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) with the linear range of 0.1 μM-39 mM and 5 × 10(-5) to 2.5 × 10(-4) M, respectively. It shows another linear range of 48.8-355.5 mM with the sensitivity of 12.3 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) for H(2)O(2). In particular, the PNR/FAD hybrid film has potential to replace some hemoproteins to be a cathode of biofuel cells and provide the biosensing system for glucose and ethanol. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Non-Euclidean phasor analysis for quantification of oxidative stress in ex vivo human skin exposed to sun filters using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy.

PubMed

Osseiran, Sam; Roider, Elisabeth M; Wang, Hequn; Suita, Yusuke; Murphy, Michael; Fisher, David E; Evans, Conor L

2017-12-01

Chemical sun filters are commonly used as active ingredients in sunscreens due to their efficient absorption of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Yet, it is known that these compounds can photochemically react with UV light and generate reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in vitro, though this has yet to be validated in vivo. One label-free approach to probe oxidative stress is to measure and compare the relative endogenous fluorescence generated by cellular coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides and flavin adenine dinucleotides. However, chemical sun filters are fluorescent, with emissive properties that contaminate endogenous fluorescent signals. To accurately distinguish the source of fluorescence in ex vivo skin samples treated with chemical sun filters, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy data were processed on a pixel-by-pixel basis using a non-Euclidean separation algorithm based on Mahalanobis distance and validated on simulated data. Applying this method, ex vivo samples exhibited a small oxidative shift when exposed to sun filters alone, though this shift was much smaller than that imparted by UV irradiation. Given the need for investigative tools to further study the clinical impact of chemical sun filters in patients, the reported methodology may be applied to visualize chemical sun filters and measure oxidative stress in patients' skin. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Ebselen Reversibly Inhibits Human Glutamate Dehydrogenase at the Catalytic Site.

PubMed

Jin, Yanhong; Li, Di; Lu, Shiying; Zhao, Han; Chen, Zhao; Hou, Wei; Ruan, Benfang Helen

Human glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) plays an important role in neurological diseases, tumor metabolism, and hyperinsulinism-hyperammonemia syndrome (HHS). However, there are very few inhibitors known for human GDH. Recently, Ebselen was reported to crosslink with Escherichia coli GDH at the active site cysteine residue (Cys321), but the sequence alignment showed that the corresponding residue is Ala329 in human GDH. To investigate whether Ebselen could be an inhibitor for human GDH, we cloned and expressed an N-terminal His-tagged human GDH in E. coli. The recombinant human GDH enzyme showed expected properties such as adenosine diphosphate activation and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate dual recognition. Further, we developed a 2-(3-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2H-tetrazol-3-ium-5-yl) benzenesulfonate sodium salt (EZMTT)-based assay for human GDH, which was highly sensitive and is suitable for high-throughput screening for potent GDH inhibitors. In addition, ForteBio binding assays demonstrated that Ebselen is a reversible active site inhibitor for human GDH. Since Ebselen is a multifunctional organoselenium compound in Phase III clinical trials for inflammation, an Ebselen-based GDH inhibitor might be valuable for future drug discovery for HHS patients.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baig, M.; Brown, A.; Eswaramoorthy, S.

Klebsiella pneumoniae, a gram-negative enteric bacterium, is found in nosocomial infections which are acquired during hospital stays for about 10% of hospital patients in the United States. The crystal structure of a putative oxidoreductase from K. pneumoniae has been determined. The structural information of this K. pneumoniae protein was used to understand its function. Crystals of the putative oxidoreductase enzyme were obtained by the sitting drop vapor diffusion method using Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 3350, Bis-Tris buffer, pH 5.5 as precipitant. These crystals were used to collect X-ray data at beam line X12C of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) atmore » Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The crystal structure was determined using the SHELX program and refi ned with CNS 1.1. This protein, which is involved in the catalysis of an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction, has an alpha/beta structure. It utilizes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) or nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD) to perform its function. This structure could be used to determine the active and co-factor binding sites of the protein, information that could help pharmaceutical companies in drug design and in determining the protein’s relationship to disease treatment such as that for pneumonia and other related pathologies.« less

Fluorescence decay kinetics and imaging of NAD(P)H and flavins as metabolic indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneckenburger, Herbert; Koenig, Karsten

1992-07-01

The intrinsic fluorescence of various cell cultures in the blue and green spectral range has been attributed mainly to hydrated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin molecules. Their fluorescence decay curves were measured with subnanosecond resolution. The reduced coenzymes NADH and hydrated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate NADPH, both showed a biexponential decay pattern in solution with similar time constants, but different relative intensities of the two components. They could thus be distinguished from one another as well as from their oxidized forms. The NADPH fluorescence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was located within the cytoplasm and its organelles and was by about a factor of 4 higher for respiratory-deficient than for intact yeast strains. Intracellular flavin fluorescence showed a triexponential behavior--probably due to a superposition of protein-bound and free flavin molecules. The lifetime of the shortest component varied within the range of 0.20 to 0.50 ns between respiratory-deficient and intact yeast strains, and the relative intensity of this component was most pronounced for the intact strain DL1. Time- resolved fluorescence seems therefore to be an appropriate method of probe the function of the respiratory chain and--in the further step--to differentiate between various types of cells and tissues in medical diagnosis or environmental research.

Catabolism of Phloroglucinol by the Rumen Anaerobe Coprococcus

PubMed Central

Patel, T. R.; Jure, K. G.; Jones, G. A.

1981-01-01

A rumen isolate, Coprococcus, sp. Pe15, was found to carry phloroglucinol reductase, which catalyzed the initial step in the breakdown of phloroglucinol. The organism uses phloroglucinol as the sole source of carbon and energy when grown in the absence of oxygen. Induced levels of enzyme were detected in cells grown either on phloroglucinol or on other carbon sources in the presence of limiting quantities of phloroglucinol. Although the organism is a strict anaerobe, the enzyme from anaerobically grown cells was insensitive to air. The partially purified enzyme required reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate as an electron donor and was specific for phloroglucinol. However, partial enzyme activity (14 to 17%) was also detected in the presence of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone but not in the presence of several other phenolic compounds. The enzyme exhibited a higher affinity for phloroglucinol than for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, with Km values of 3.0 × 10−5 M and 29.0 × 10−5 M, respectively. The optimum pH for maximal enzyme activity was 7.4, and the molecular weight of the native protein was about 130,000, as determined by the Sephadex gel filtration technique. PMID:16345897

Blood modulates the kinetics of reactive oxygen release in pancreatic ischemia-reperfusion injury.

PubMed

Neeff, Hannes P; Sommer, Olaf; Meyer, Sebastian; Tinelli, Anja; Scholtes, Moritz; Hopt, Ulrich T; Drognitz, Oliver; von Dobschuetz, Ernst

2012-10-01

Reason for the unsuccessful use of antioxidants in transplantation might be the unknown kinetics of reactive oxygen species (ROS) release. In this study, we compared the kinetics of ROS release from rat pancreata in the presence and absence of blood. In vivo, ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) was induced in pancreata of male Wistar rats by occlusion of the arterial blood supply for 1 or 2 hours. In vitro, isolated pancreata were single-pass perfused with Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate solution. Reactive oxygen species were quantified by electron spin resonance spectroscopy using CMH (1-hydroxy-3-methoxycarbonyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine) as spin label. Thiols (glutathione), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase activity, myeloperoxidase activity, and adenosine triphosphate content were measured. During reperfusion, an increase in IRI-induced ROS in arterial blood was noted after 2 hours of warm ischemia. In sharp contrast, ROS release was immediate and short lived in blood-free perfused organs. The degree of tissue damage correlated with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase activity and adenosine triphosphate content. Antioxidative capacity of tissues was reduced. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy in conjunction with spin labels allows for the detection of ROS kinetics in pancreatic IRI. Reactive oxygen species kinetics are dependent on the length of the ischemic period and the presence or absence of blood.

Human sperm NADH and NADPH diaphorase cytochemistry: correlation with sperm motility.

PubMed

Zini, A; O'Bryan, M K; Israel, L; Schlegel, P N

1998-03-01

We have examined the correlation between the retention of residual sperm cytoplasm and sperm motility in semen from men presenting for infertility evaluation. Semen samples (n = 12) were obtained from nonazoospermic men presenting for infertility evaluation at our institution. Samples were fractionated into high-, intermediate-, and low-density subpopulations by Percoll gradients in order to examine the correlation between the retention of residual sperm cytoplasm and sperm motility. Residual sperm cytoplasm retention was detected by cytochemical staining of sperm for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)- or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent diaphorase activity. The different sperm subpopulations (low, intermediate, and high density) had significantly different percentages of sperm with droplet retention (analysis of variance, P < 0.05). Using either NADH or NADPH diaphorase staining as a marker of the cytoplasmic space, a significant negative correlation was observed between the percentage of sperm with residual cytoplasmic droplets and the percentage of motile sperm (r = -0.58 and -0.61, respectively, P < 0.05). Assessment of residual sperm cytoplasm retention is a simple diagnostic test. Although this test is of unproven value in the management of infertile men, this and other studies suggest that it may provide useful data on sperm function.

Interferon action: two (2'-5')(A)n synthetases specified by distinct mRNAs in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells treated with interferon.

PubMed

St Laurent, G; Yoshie, O; Floyd-Smith, G; Samanta, H; Sehgal, P B; Lengyel, P

1983-05-01

(2'-5')(A)n synthetase and RNAase L (a latent endoribonuclease) are among the mediators of interferon action. The product of (2'-5')(A)n synthetase (i.e., (2'-5')(A)n) binds, and thereby activates RNAase L. Interferons induce in Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells two mRNAs (sizes 1.5 kb and 3.8 kb), which can be translated in Xenopus oocytes into (2'-5')(A)n synthetases of 20,000 to 30,000 daltons and 85,000 to 100,000 daltons, respectively. (2'-5')(A)n synthetases of corresponding sizes are induced by interferons in EAT cells. In the cell extract the bulk of the larger enzyme is in the cytoplasmic fraction, and the bulk of the smaller one in the nuclear fraction. The only known function of (2'-5')(A)n is the activation of RNAase L, and RNAase L can be selectively crosslinked to a (2'-5')(A)n derivative in a cytoplasmic extract from EAT cells. The same (2'-5')(A)n derivative can be crosslinked to several proteins in the nuclear extract of EAT cells, and some of these proteins are induced by interferon.

Steric and thermodynamic limits of design for the incorporation of large unnatural amino acids in aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase enzymes.

PubMed

Armen, Roger S; Schiller, Stefan M; Brooks, Charles L

2010-06-01

Orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs from archaea have been evolved to facilitate site specific in vivo incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins in Escherichia coli. Using this approach, unnatural amino acids have been successfully incorporated with high translational efficiency and fidelity. In this study, CHARMM-based molecular docking and free energy calculations were used to evaluate rational design of specific protein-ligand interactions for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. A series of novel unnatural amino acid ligands were docked into the p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine tRNA synthetase, which revealed that the binding pocket of the enzyme does not provide sufficient space for significantly larger ligands. Specific binding site residues were mutated to alanine to create additional space to accommodate larger target ligands, and then mutations were introduced to improve binding free energy. This approach was used to redesign binding sites for several different target ligands, which were then tested against the standard 20 amino acids to verify target specificity. Only the synthetase designed to bind Man-alpha-O-Tyr was predicted to be sufficiently selective for the target ligand and also thermodynamically stable. Our study suggests that extensive redesign of the tRNA synthatase binding pocket for large bulky ligands may be quite thermodynamically unfavorable.

Hydration properties of natural and synthetic DNA sequences with methylated adenine or cytosine bases in the R.DpnI target and BDNF promoter studied by molecular dynamics simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanak, Siba; Helms, Volkhard

2014-12-01

Adenine and cytosine methylation are two important epigenetic modifications of DNA sequences at the levels of the genome and transcriptome. To characterize the differential roles of methylating adenine or cytosine with respect to their hydration properties, we performed conventional MD simulations and free energy perturbation calculations for two particular DNA sequences, namely the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promoter and the R.DpnI-bound DNA that are known to undergo methylation of C5-methyl cytosine and N6-methyl adenine, respectively. We found that a single methylated cytosine has a clearly favorable hydration free energy over cytosine since the attached methyl group has a slightly polar character. In contrast, capping the strongly polar N6 of adenine with a methyl group gives a slightly unfavorable contribution to its free energy of solvation. Performing the same demethylation in the context of a DNA double-strand gave quite similar results for the more solvent-accessible cytosine but much more unfavorable results for the rather buried adenine. Interestingly, the same demethylation reactions are far more unfavorable when performed in the context of the opposite (BDNF or R.DpnI target) sequence. This suggests a natural preference for methylation in a specific sequence context. In addition, free energy calculations for demethylating adenine or cytosine in the context of B-DNA vs. Z-DNA suggest that the conformational B-Z transition of DNA transition is rather a property of cytosine methylated sequences but is not preferable for the adenine-methylated sequences investigated here.

Hydration properties of natural and synthetic DNA sequences with methylated adenine or cytosine bases in the R.DpnI target and BDNF promoter studied by molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Shanak, Siba; Helms, Volkhard

2014-12-14

Adenine and cytosine methylation are two important epigenetic modifications of DNA sequences at the levels of the genome and transcriptome. To characterize the differential roles of methylating adenine or cytosine with respect to their hydration properties, we performed conventional MD simulations and free energy perturbation calculations for two particular DNA sequences, namely the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promoter and the R.DpnI-bound DNA that are known to undergo methylation of C5-methyl cytosine and N6-methyl adenine, respectively. We found that a single methylated cytosine has a clearly favorable hydration free energy over cytosine since the attached methyl group has a slightly polar character. In contrast, capping the strongly polar N6 of adenine with a methyl group gives a slightly unfavorable contribution to its free energy of solvation. Performing the same demethylation in the context of a DNA double-strand gave quite similar results for the more solvent-accessible cytosine but much more unfavorable results for the rather buried adenine. Interestingly, the same demethylation reactions are far more unfavorable when performed in the context of the opposite (BDNF or R.DpnI target) sequence. This suggests a natural preference for methylation in a specific sequence context. In addition, free energy calculations for demethylating adenine or cytosine in the context of B-DNA vs. Z-DNA suggest that the conformational B-Z transition of DNA transition is rather a property of cytosine methylated sequences but is not preferable for the adenine-methylated sequences investigated here.

Proton-impact ionization cross sections of adenine measured at 0.5 and 2.0 MeV by electron spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iriki, Y.; Kikuchi, Y.; Imai, M.; Itoh, A.

2011-11-01

Double-differential ionization cross sections (DDCSs) of vapor-phase adenine molecules (C5H5N5) by 0.5- and 2.0-MeV proton impact have been measured by the electron spectroscopy method. Electrons ejected from adenine were analyzed by a 45∘ parallel-plate electrostatic spectrometer over an energy range of 1.0-1000 eV at emission angles from 15∘ to 165∘. Single-differential cross sections (SDCSs) and total ionization cross sections (TICSs) were also deduced. It was found from the Platzman plot, defined as SDCSs divided by the classical Rutherford knock-on cross sections per target electron, that the SDCSs at higher electron energies are proportional to the total number of valence electrons (50) of adenine, while those at low-energy electrons are highly enhanced due to dipole and higher-order interactions. The present results of TICS are in fairly good agreement with recent classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations, and moreover, a simple analytical formula gives nearly equivalent cross sections in magnitude at the incident proton energies investigated.

Kinetics and Thermodynamics of the Reaction between the (•)OH Radical and Adenine: A Theoretical Investigation.

PubMed

Milhøj, Birgitte O; Sauer, Stephan P A

2015-06-18

The accessibility of all possible reaction paths for the reaction between the nucleobase adenine and the (•)OH radical is investigated through quantum chemical calculations of barrier heights and rate constants at the ωB97X-D/6-311++G(2df,2pd) level with Eckart tunneling corrections. First the computational method is validated by considering the hydrogen abstraction from the heterocyclic N9 nitrogen in adenine as a test system. Geometries for all molecules in the reaction are optimized with four different DFT exchange-correlation functionals (B3LYP, BHandHLYP, M06-2X, and ωB97X-D), in combination with Pople and Dunning basis sets, all of which have been employed in similar investigations in the literature. Improved energies are obtained through single point calculations with CCSD(T) and the same basis sets, and reaction rate constants are calculated for all methods both without tunneling corrections and with the Wigner, Bell, and Eckart corrections. In comparison to CCSD(T)//BHandHLYP/aug-cc-pVTZ reference results, the ωB97X-D/6-311++G(2df,2pd) method combined with Eckart tunneling corrections provides a sensible compromise between accuracy and time. Using this method, all subreactions of the reaction between adenine and the (•)OH radical are investigated. The total rate constants for hydrogen abstraction and addition for adenine are predicted with this method to be 1.06 × 10(-12) and 1.10 × 10(-12) cm(3) molecules(-1) s(-1), respectively. Abstractions of H61 and H62 contribute the most, while only addition to the C8 carbon is found to be of any significance, in contrast to previous claims that addition is the dominant reaction pathway. The overall rate constant for the complete reaction is found to be 2.17 × 10(-12) cm(3) molecules(-1) s(-1), which agrees exceptionally well with experimental results.

Bacillus anthracis o-succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase: reaction kinetics and a novel inhibitor mimicking its reaction intermediate †

PubMed Central

Tian, Yang; Suk, Dae-Hwan; Cai, Feng; Crich, David; Mesecar, Andrew D.

2009-01-01

O-succinylbenzoyl-CoA (OSB-CoA) synthetase (EC 6.2.1.26) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of o-succinylbenzoate (OSB) and CoA to form OSB-CoA, the fourth step of the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway in Bacillus anthracis. Gene knockout studies have highlighted this enzyme as a potential target for the discovery of new antibiotics. Here we report the first studies on the kinetic mechanism of B. anthracis OSB-CoA synthetase, classifying it as an ordered Bi Uni Uni Bi ping-pong mechanism. Through a series of pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetic studies in conjunction with direct-binding studies, it is demonstrated that CoA, the last substrate to bind, strongly activates the first half-reaction after the first round of turnover. The activation of the first-half reaction is most likely achieved by CoA stabilizing conformations of the enzyme in the ‘F’ form, which slowly isomerize back to the E form. Thus, the kinetic mechanism of OSB-CoA synthetase may be more accurately described as an ordered Bi Uni Uni Bi Iso ping-pong mechanism. The substrate specificity of OSB-CoA synthetase was probed using a series of OSB analogs with alterations in the carboxylate groups. OSB-CoA shows a strong preference for OSB over all of the analogs tested as none were active except 4-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-oxobutyric acid which exhibited a 100-fold decrease in kcat/Km. Based on an understanding of OSB-CoA synthetase’s kinetic mechanism and substrate specificity, a reaction intermediate analog of OSB-AMP, 5’-O-(N-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-oxobutyl) adenosine sulfonamide (TFMP-butyl-AMS), was designed and synthesized. This inhibitor was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor to CoA and a mixed-type inhibitor to ATP and OSB with low micromolar inhibition constants. Collectively, these results should serve as an important forerunner to more detailed and extensive inhibitor design studies aimed at developing lead compounds against the OSB-CoA synthetase class of

Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses a stress-inducible glycyl-tRNA synthetase gene.

PubMed

Chen, Shun-Jia; Wu, Yi-Hua; Huang, Hsiao-Yun; Wang, Chien-Chia

2012-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are a large family of housekeeping enzymes that are pivotal in protein translation and other vital cellular processes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses two distinct nuclear glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) genes, GRS1 and GRS2. GRS1 encodes both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial activities, while GRS2 is essentially silent and dispensable under normal conditions. We herein present evidence that expression of GRS2 was drastically induced upon heat shock, ethanol or hydrogen peroxide addition, and high pH, while expression of GRS1 was somewhat repressed under those conditions. In addition, GlyRS2 (the enzyme encoded by GRS2) had a higher protein stability and a lower K(M) value for yeast tRNA(Gly) under heat shock conditions than under normal conditions. Moreover, GRS2 rescued the growth defect of a GRS1 knockout strain when highly expressed by a strong promoter at 37 °C, but not at the optimal temperature of 30 °C. These results suggest that GRS2 is actually an inducible gene that may function to rescue the activity of GRS1 under stress conditions.

NAD(P)H-Independent Asymmetric C=C Bond Reduction Catalyzed by Ene Reductases by Using Artificial Co-substrates as the Hydrogen Donor

PubMed Central

Winkler, Christoph K; Clay, Dorina; Entner, Marcello; Plank, Markus; Faber, Kurt

2014-01-01

To develop a nicotinamide-independent single flavoenzyme system for the asymmetric bioreduction of C=C bonds, four types of hydrogen donor, encompassing more than 50 candidates, were investigated. Six highly potent, cheap, and commercially available co-substrates were identified that (under the optimized conditions) resulted in conversions and enantioselectivities comparable with, or even superior to, those obtained with traditional two-enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD(P)H)-recycling systems. PMID:24382795

An Enzymatic Bioassay for Perchlorate

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

redox active dye phenazine methosulfate (PMS) and nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NADH). By using a specific addition scheme and covering all...redox potentials determined from (Fultz and Durst, 1982)). The dye structures include an indole, a quinone, a bipyridinium, and two phenazine ...listed above, as well as 100 μM of the dye shown on the x-axis. As can be seen in figure 18, phenazine methosulfate (PMS, fourth from the left) is

Native fluorescence spectroscopy of blood plasma of rats with experimental diabetes: identifying fingerprints of glucose-related metabolic pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirshin, Evgeny; Cherkasova, Olga; Tikhonova, Tatiana; Berlovskaya, Elena; Priezzhev, Alexander; Fadeev, Victor

2015-05-01

We present the results of a native fluorescence spectroscopy study of blood plasma of rats with experimental diabetes. It was shown that the fluorescence emission band shape at 320 nm excitation is the most indicative of hyperglycemia in the blood plasma samples. We provide the interpretation of this fact based on the changes in reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate concentration due to glucose-related metabolic pathways and protein fluorescent cross-linking formation following nonenzymatic glycation.

Spectroscopic study of intermolecular complexes between FAD and some β-carboline derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Codoñer, Armando; Monzó, Isidro S.; Tomás, Francisco; Valero, Rosa

The formation of molecular complexes between flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and some β-carboline derivatives [antidepressant drugs that have a pronounced inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO)] has been studied by using electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. Thermodynamic parameters have been determined from the values of association constants for the molecular complexes at various temperatures. The influence of substituents in the β-carboline molecule on the stability of the complexes formed was also investigated.

Analogs of natural aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitors clear malaria in vivo

PubMed Central

Novoa, Eva Maria; Camacho, Noelia; Tor, Anna; Wilkinson, Barrie; Moss, Steven; Marín-García, Patricia; Azcárate, Isabel G.; Bautista, José M.; Mirando, Adam C.; Francklyn, Christopher S.; Varon, Sònia; Royo, Miriam; Cortés, Alfred; Ribas de Pouplana, Lluís

2014-01-01

Malaria remains a major global health problem. Emerging resistance to existing antimalarial drugs drives the search for new antimalarials, and protein translation is a promising pathway to target. Here we explore the potential of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) family as a source of antimalarial drug targets. First, a battery of known and novel ARS inhibitors was tested against Plasmodium falciparum cultures, and their activities were compared. Borrelidin, a natural inhibitor of threonyl-tRNA synthetase (ThrRS), stands out for its potent antimalarial effect. However, it also inhibits human ThrRS and is highly toxic to human cells. To circumvent this problem, we tested a library of bioengineered and semisynthetic borrelidin analogs for their antimalarial activity and toxicity. We found that some analogs effectively lose their toxicity against human cells while retaining a potent antiparasitic activity both in vitro and in vivo and cleared malaria from Plasmodium yoelii-infected mice, resulting in 100% mice survival rates. Our work identifies borrelidin analogs as potent, selective, and unexplored scaffolds that efficiently clear malaria both in vitro and in vivo. PMID:25489076

Theoretical Study of Tautomerization Reactions for the Ground and First Excited Electronic States of Adenine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salter, Latasha M.; Chaban, Galina M.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Geometrical structures and energetic properties for different tautomers of adenine are calculated in this study, using multi-configurational wave functions. Both the ground and the lowest singlet excited state potential energy surfaces are studied. Four tautomeric forms are considered, and their energetic order is found to be different on the ground and the excited state potential energy surfaces. Minimum energy reaction paths are obtained for hydrogen atom transfer (tautomerization) reactions in the ground and the lowest excited electronic states. It is found that the barrier heights and the shapes of the reaction paths are different for the ground and the excited electronic states, suggesting that the probability of such tautomerization reaction is higher on the excited state potential energy surface. This tautomerization process should become possible in the presence of water or other polar solvent molecules and should play an important role in the photochemistry of adenine.

Rare recessive loss-of-function methionyl-tRNA synthetase mutations presenting as a multi-organ phenotype

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MARS) catalyzes the ligation of methionine to its cognate transfer RNA and therefore plays an essential role in protein biosynthesis. Methods We used exome sequencing, aminoacylation assays, homology modeling, and immuno-isolation of transfected MARS to identify and characterize mutations in the methionyl-tRNA synthetase gene (MARS) in an infant with an unexplained multi-organ phenotype. Results We identified compound heterozygous mutations (F370L and I523T) in highly conserved regions of MARS. The parents were each heterozygous for one of the mutations. Aminoacylation assays documented that the F370L and I523T MARS mutants had 18 ± 6% and 16 ± 6%, respectively, of wild-type activity. Homology modeling of the human MARS sequence with the structure of E. coli MARS showed that the F370L and I523T mutations are in close proximity to each other, with residue I523 located in the methionine binding pocket. We found that the F370L and I523T mutations did not affect the association of MARS with the multisynthetase complex. Conclusion This infant expands the catalogue of inherited human diseases caused by mutations in aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase genes. PMID:24103465

A new microplatform based on titanium dioxide nanofibers/graphene oxide nanosheets nanocomposite modified screen printed carbon electrode for electrochemical determination of adenine in the presence of guanine.

PubMed

Arvand, Majid; Ghodsi, Navid; Zanjanchi, Mohammad Ali

2016-03-15

The current techniques for determining adenine have several shortcomings such as high cost, high time consumption, tedious pretreatment steps and the requirements for highly skilled personnel often restrict their use in routine analytical practice. This paper describes the development and utilization of a new nanocomposite consisting of titanium dioxide nanofibers (TNFs) and graphene oxide nanosheets (GONs) for screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modification. The synthesized GONs and TNFs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The modified electrode (TNFs/GONs/SPCE) was used for electrochemical characterization of adenine. The TNFs/GONs/SPCE exhibited an increase in peak current and the electron transfer kinetics and decrease in the overpotential for the oxidation reaction of adenine. Using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), the prepared sensor showed good sensitivity for determining adenine in two ranges from 0.1-1 and 1-10 μM, with a detection limit (DL) of 1.71 nM. Electrochemical studies suggested that the TNFs/GONs/SPCE provided a synergistic augmentation on the voltammetric behavior of electrochemical oxidation of adenine, which was indicated by the improvement of anodic peak current and a decrease in anodic peak potential. The amount of adenine in pBudCE4.1 plasmid was determined via the proposed sensor and the result was in good compatibility with the sequence data of pBudCE4.1 plasmid. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assembly of the novel five-component apicomplexan multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex is driven by the hybrid scaffold protein Tg-p43.

PubMed

van Rooyen, Jason M; Murat, Jean-Benjamin; Hammoudi, Pierre-Mehdi; Kieffer-Jaquinod, Sylvie; Coute, Yohann; Sharma, Amit; Pelloux, Hervé; Belrhali, Hassan; Hakimi, Mohamed-Ali

2014-01-01

In Toxoplasma gondii, as in other eukaryotes, a subset of the amino-acyl-tRNA synthetases are arranged into an abundant cytoplasmic multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (MARS) complex. Through a series of genetic pull-down assays, we have identified the enzymes of this complex as: methionyl-, glutaminyl-, glutamyl-, and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases, and we show that the N-terminal GST-like domain of a partially disordered hybrid scaffold protein, Tg-p43, is sufficient for assembly of the intact complex. Our gel filtration studies revealed significant heterogeneity in the size and composition of isolated MARS complexes. By targeting the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases subunit, which was found exclusively in the complete 1 MDa complex, we were able to directly visualize MARS particles in the electron microscope. Image analyses of the negative stain data revealed the observed heterogeneity and instability of these complexes to be driven by the intrinsic flexibility of the domain arrangements within the MARS complex. These studies provide unique insights into the assembly of these ubiquitous but poorly understood eukaryotic complexes.

Adenine derivatives as phosphate-activating groups for the regioselective formation of 3',5'-linked oligoadenylates on montmorillonite: possible phosphate-activating groups for the prebiotic synthesis of RNA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabahar, K. J.; Ferris, J. P.

1997-01-01

Methyladenine and adenine N-phosphoryl derivatives of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-AMP) and uridine 5'-monophosphate (5'-UMP) are synthesized, and their structures are elucidated. The oligomerization reactions of the adenine derivatives of 5'-phosphoramidates of adenosine on montmorillonite are investigated. 1-Methyladenine and 3-methyladenine derivatives on montmorillonite yielded oligoadenylates as long as undecamer, and the 2-methyladenine and adenine derivatives on montmorillonite yielded oligomers up to hexamers and pentamers, respectively. The 1-methyladenine derivative yielded linear, cyclic, and A5'ppA-derived oligonucleotides with a regioselectivity for the 3',5'-phosphodiester linkages averaging 84%. The effect of pKa and amine structure of phosphate-activating groups on the montmorillonite-catalyzed oligomerization of the 5'-phosphoramidate of adenosine are discussed. The binding and reaction of methyladenine and adenine N-phosphoryl derivatives of adenosine are described.

Zhen-wu-tang ameliorates adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats: regulation of the canonical Wnt4/beta-catenin signaling in the kidneys.

PubMed

La, Lei; Wang, Lili; Qin, Fei; Jiang, Jian; He, Songqi; Wang, Chunxia; Li, Yuhao

2018-06-12

Zhen-wu-tang (ZWT), composed of Radix Aconiti lateralis, Rhizoma Atractylodis macrocephalae, Poria, Radix Paeoniae alba and ginger, is a classic Chinese herbal formula for the treatment of chronic kidney diseases that may cause chronic renal failure (CRF). To better understand its clinical use, this study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of action of ZWT on CRF. CRF was induced by adenine. ZWT was given via an oral gavage method. The serum biochemical parameters were measured enzymatically or by ELISA. The kidneys were examined pathohistologically. The gene expression was analyzed by real time PCR and Western blot. Similar to the positive control losartan, ZWT extract inhibited adenine-induced increase in serum concentrations of creatinine, BUN and advanced oxidation protein products in rats. These effects were accompanied by attenuation of proteinuria and renal pathological changes and suppression of renal mRNA and protein overexpression of Collagen IV and fibronectin, two of the key components of fibrosis. Mechanistically, renal mRNA and protein expression of Wnt4, a Wnt signaling ligand, was increased in the adenine-treated group, compared to the vehicle-treated control. Consistently, Wnt4 downstream genes beta-catenin and Axin were also overexpressed. Treatment with ZWT extract and losartan suppressed adenine-stimulated overexpression of these mRNAs and proteins. The present results demonstrate that ZWT extract ameliorates adenine-induced CRF in rats by regulation of the canonical Wnt4/beta-catenin signaling in the kidneys. Our findings provide new insight into the underlying renoprotective mechanisms of the ancient formula. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A stochastic modeling of isotope exchange reactions in glutamine synthetase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazmiruk, N. V.; Boronovskiy, S. E.; Nartsissov, Ya R.

2017-11-01

The model presented in this work allows simulation of isotopic exchange reactions at chemical equilibrium catalyzed by a glutamine synthetase. To simulate the functioning of the enzyme the algorithm based on the stochastic approach was applied. The dependence of exchange rates for 14C and 32P on metabolite concentration was estimated. The simulation results confirmed the hypothesis of the ascertained validity for preferred order random binding mechanism. Corresponding values of K0.5 were also obtained.

Steric and Thermodynamic Limits of Design for the Incorporation of Large UnNatural Amino Acids in Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Enzymes

PubMed Central

Armen, Roger S.; Schiller, Stefan M.; Brooks, Charles L.

2015-01-01

Orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs from archaea have been evolved to facilitate site specific in vivo incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins in Escherichia coli. Using this approach, unnatural amino acids have been successfully incorporated with high translational efficiency and fidelity. In this study, CHARMM-based molecular docking and free energy calculations were used to evaluate rational design of specific protein-ligand interactions for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. A series of novel unnatural amino acid ligands were docked into the p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine tRNA synthetase, which revealed that the binding pocket of the enzyme does not provide sufficient space for significantly larger ligands. Specific binding site residues were mutated to alanine to create additional space to accommodate larger target ligands, and then mutations were introduced to improve binding free energy. This approach was used to redesign binding sites for several different target ligands, which were then tested against the standard 20 amino acids to verify target specificity. Only the synthetase designed to bind Man-α-O-Tyr was predicted to be sufficiently selective for the target ligand and also thermodynamically stable. Our study suggests that extensive redesign of the tRNA synthatase binding pocket for large bulky ligands may be quite thermodynamically unfavorable. PMID:20310065

AMP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetases in Archaea show unexpected diversity in substrate utilization

PubMed Central

Ingram-Smith, Cheryl; Smith, Kerry S.

2007-01-01

Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS; acetate:CoA ligase (AMP-forming), EC 6.2.1.1) is a key enzyme for conversion of acetate to acetyl-CoA, an essential intermediate at the junction of anabolic and catabolic pathways. Phylogenetic analysis of putative short and medium chain acyl-CoA synthetase sequences indicates that the ACSs form a distinct clade from other acyl-CoA synthetases. Within this clade, the archaeal ACSs are not monophyletic and fall into three groups composed of both bacterial and archaeal sequences. Kinetic analysis of two archaeal enzymes, an ACS from Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus (designated as MT-ACS1) and an ACS from Archaeoglobus fulgidus (designated as AF-ACS2), revealed that these enzymes have very different properties. MT-ACS1 has nearly 11-fold higher affinity and 14-fold higher catalytic efficiency with acetate than with propionate, a property shared by most ACSs. However, AF-ACS2 has only 2.3-fold higher affinity and catalytic efficiency with acetate than with propionate. This enzyme has an affinity for propionate that is almost identical to that of MT-ACS1 for acetate and nearly tenfold higher than the affinity of MT-ACS1 for propionate. Furthermore, MT-ACS1 is limited to acetate and propionate as acyl substrates, whereas AF-ACS2 can also utilize longer straight and branched chain acyl substrates. Phylogenetic analysis, sequence alignment and structural modeling suggest a molecular basis for the altered substrate preference and expanded substrate range of AF-ACS2 versus MT-ACS1. PMID:17350930

Caenorhabditis elegans Evolves a New Architecture for the Multi-aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Complex*

PubMed Central

Havrylenko, Svitlana; Legouis, Renaud; Negrutskii, Boris; Mirande, Marc

2011-01-01

MARS is an evolutionary conserved supramolecular assembly of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases found in eukaryotes. This complex was thought to be ubiquitous in the deuterostome and protostome clades of bilaterians because similar complexes were isolated from arthropods and vertebrates. However, several features of the component enzymes suggested that in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a species grouped with arthropods in modern phylogeny, this complex might not exist, or should display a significantly different structural organization. C. elegans was also taken as a model system to study in a multicellular organism amenable to experimental approaches, the reason for existence of these supramolecular entities. Here, using a proteomic approach, we have characterized the components of MARS in C. elegans. We show that this organism evolved a specific structural organization of this complex, which contains several bona fide components of the MARS complexes known so far, but also displays significant variations. These data highlight molecular evolution events that took place after radiation of bilaterians. Remarkably, it shows that expansion of MARS assembly in metazoans is not linear, but is the result of additions but also of subtractions along evolution. We then undertook an experimental approach, using inactivation of the endogenous copy of methionyl-tRNA synthetase by RNAi and expression of transgenic variants, to understand the role in complex assembly and the in vivo functionality, of the eukaryotic-specific domains appended to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. We show that rescue of the worms and assembly of transgenic variants into MARS rest on the presence of these appended domains. PMID:21685384

Caenorhabditis elegans evolves a new architecture for the multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex.

PubMed

Havrylenko, Svitlana; Legouis, Renaud; Negrutskii, Boris; Mirande, Marc

2011-08-12

MARS is an evolutionary conserved supramolecular assembly of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases found in eukaryotes. This complex was thought to be ubiquitous in the deuterostome and protostome clades of bilaterians because similar complexes were isolated from arthropods and vertebrates. However, several features of the component enzymes suggested that in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a species grouped with arthropods in modern phylogeny, this complex might not exist, or should display a significantly different structural organization. C. elegans was also taken as a model system to study in a multicellular organism amenable to experimental approaches, the reason for existence of these supramolecular entities. Here, using a proteomic approach, we have characterized the components of MARS in C. elegans. We show that this organism evolved a specific structural organization of this complex, which contains several bona fide components of the MARS complexes known so far, but also displays significant variations. These data highlight molecular evolution events that took place after radiation of bilaterians. Remarkably, it shows that expansion of MARS assembly in metazoans is not linear, but is the result of additions but also of subtractions along evolution. We then undertook an experimental approach, using inactivation of the endogenous copy of methionyl-tRNA synthetase by RNAi and expression of transgenic variants, to understand the role in complex assembly and the in vivo functionality, of the eukaryotic-specific domains appended to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. We show that rescue of the worms and assembly of transgenic variants into MARS rest on the presence of these appended domains.

Diagnostic of protein crystallization by dynamic light scattering; an application to an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikol, Vincent; Vincendon, Pascale; Eriani, Gilbert; Hirsch, Ernest; Giegé, Richard

1991-03-01

The apparent hydrodynamic radius of a truncated form of baker's yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase has been measured in various precipitating agent solutions as a function of the protein concentration by dynamic light scattering. In solvents containing ammonium sulfate or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol as the precipitating agent the protein remains essentially monodisperse, whereas in the presence of polyethylene glycol interactions and aggregations between protein molecules are detected before reaching supersaturation. These data are indications of possible crystallizations of the protein by the two former precipitants and no crystallization by the latter one. Crystallization experiments indeed have shown that the truncated synthetase crystallizes in the presence of ammonium sulfate and that no crystals grow in solvents containing polyethylene glycol.

Cytosine methylation effects on the repair of O6-methylguanines within CG dinucleotides.

PubMed

Guza, Rebecca; Ma, Linan; Fang, Qingming; Pegg, Anthony E; Tretyakova, Natalia

2009-08-21

O(6)-alkyldeoxyguanine adducts induced by tobacco-specific nitrosamines are repaired by O(6)-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), which transfers the O(6)-alkyl group from the damaged base to a cysteine residue within the protein. In the present study, a mass spectrometry-based approach was used to analyze the effects of cytosine methylation on the kinetics of AGT repair of O(6)-methyldeoxyguanosine (O(6)-Me-dG) adducts placed within frequently mutated 5'-CG-3' dinucleotides of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. O(6)-Me-dG-containing DNA duplexes were incubated with human recombinant AGT protein, followed by rapid quenching, acid hydrolysis, and isotope dilution high pressure liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis of unrepaired O(6)-methylguanine. Second-order rate constants were calculated in the absence or presence of the C-5 methyl group at neighboring cytosine residues. We found that the kinetics of AGT-mediated repair of O(6)-Me-dG were affected by neighboring 5-methylcytosine ((Me)C) in a sequence-dependent manner. AGT repair of O(6)-Me-dG adducts placed within 5'-CG-3' dinucleotides of p53 codons 245 and 248 was hindered when (Me)C was present in both DNA strands. In contrast, cytosine methylation within p53 codon 158 slightly increased the rate of O(6)-Me-dG repair by AGT. The effects of (Me)C located immediately 5' and in the base paired position to O(6)-Me-dG were not additive as revealed by experiments with hypomethylated sequences. Furthermore, differences in dealkylation rates did not correlate with AGT protein affinity for cytosine-methylated and unmethylated DNA duplexes or with the rates of AGT-mediated nucleotide flipping, suggesting that (Me)C influences other kinetic steps involved in repair, e.g. the rate of alkyl transfer from DNA to AGT.

Diagnostic utility and limitations of glutamine synthetase and serum amyloid-associated protein immunohistochemistry in the distinction of focal nodular hyperplasia and inflammatory hepatocellular adenoma.

PubMed

Joseph, Nancy M; Ferrell, Linda D; Jain, Dhanpat; Torbenson, Michael S; Wu, Tsung-Teh; Yeh, Matthew M; Kakar, Sanjay

2014-01-01

Inflammatory hepatocellular adenoma can show overlapping histological features with focal nodular hyperplasia, including inflammation, fibrous stroma, and ductular reaction. Expression of serum amyloid-associated protein in inflammatory hepatocellular adenoma and map-like pattern of glutamine synthetase in focal nodular hyperplasia can be helpful in this distinction, but the pitfalls and limitations of these markers have not been established. Morphology and immunohistochemistry were analyzed in 54 inflammatory hepatocellular adenomas, 40 focal nodular hyperplasia, and 3 indeterminate lesions. Morphological analysis demonstrated that nodularity, fibrous stroma, dystrophic blood vessels, and ductular reaction were more common in focal nodular hyperplasia, while telangiectasia, hemorrhage, and steatosis were more common in inflammatory hepatocellular adenoma, but there was frequent overlap of morphological features. The majority of inflammatory hepatocellular adenomas demonstrated perivascular and/or patchy glutamine synthetase staining (73.6%), while the remaining cases had diffuse (7.5%), negative (3.8%), or patchy pattern of staining (15%) that showed subtle differences from the classic map-like staining pattern and was designated as pseudo map-like staining. Positive staining for serum amyloid-associated protein was seen in the majority of inflammatory hepatocellular adenomas (92.6%) and in the minority of focal nodular hyperplasia (17.5%). The glutamine synthetase staining pattern was map-like in 90% of focal nodular hyperplasia cases, with the remaining 10% of cases showing pseudo map-like staining. Three cases were labeled as indeterminate and showed focal nodular hyperplasia-like morphology but lacked map-like glutamine synthetase staining pattern; these cases demonstrated a patchy pseudo map-like glutamine synthetase pattern along with the expression of serum amyloid-associated protein. Our results highlight the diagnostic errors that can be caused by variant

Germination Requirements of Bacillus macerans Spores

PubMed Central

Sacks, L. E.; Thompson, P. A.

1971-01-01

2-Phenylacetamide is an effective germinant for spores of five strains of Bacillus macerans, particularly in the presence of fructose. Benzyl penicillin, the phenyl acetamide derivative of penicillin, and phenylacetic acid are also good germinants. l-Asparagine is an excellent germinant for four strains. α-Amino-butyric acid is moderately effective. Pyridoxine, pyridoxal, adenine, and 2,6-diaminopurine are potent germinants for NCA strain 7X1 only. d-Glucose is a powerful germinant for strain B-70 only. d-Fructose and d-ribose strongly potentiate germination induced by other germinants (except l-asparagine) but have only weak activity by themselves. Niacinamide and nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide, inactive by themselves, are active in the presence of fructose or ribose. Effects of pH, ion concentration, and temperature are described. PMID:4251279

Suppression of Amber Codons in Caulobacter crescentus by the Orthogonal Escherichia coli Histidyl-tRNA Synthetase/tRNAHis Pair

PubMed Central

Ko, Jae-hyeong; Llopis, Paula Montero; Heinritz, Jennifer; Jacobs-Wagner, Christine; Söll, Dieter

2013-01-01

While translational read-through of stop codons by suppressor tRNAs is common in many bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes, this phenomenon has not yet been observed in the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus. Based on a previous report that C. crescentus and Escherichia coli tRNAHis have distinctive identity elements, we constructed E. coli tRNAHis CUA, a UAG suppressor tRNA for C. crescentus. By examining the expression of three UAG codon- containing reporter genes (encoding a β-lactamase, the fluorescent mCherry protein, or the C. crescentus xylonate dehydratase), we demonstrated that the E. coli histidyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNAHis CUA pair enables in vivo UAG suppression in C. crescentus. E. coli histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HisRS) or tRNAHis CUA alone did not achieve suppression; this indicates that the E. coli HisRS/tRNAHis CUA pair is orthogonal in C. crescentus. These results illustrate that UAG suppression can be achieved in C. crescentus with an orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/suppressor tRNA pair. PMID:24386240

Detection of Guanine and Adenine Using an Aminated Reduced Graphene Oxide Functional Membrane-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

PubMed Central

Li, Di; Yang, Xiao-Lu; Xiao, Bao-Lin; Geng, Fang-Yong; Hong, Jun; Sheibani, Nader; Moosavi-Movahedi, Ali Akbar

2017-01-01

A new electrochemical sensor based on a Nafion, aminated reduced graphene oxide and chitosan functional membrane-modified glassy carbon electrode was proposed for the simultaneous detection of adenine and guanine. Fourier transform-infrared spectrometry (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electrochemical methods were utilized for the additional characterization of the membrane materials. The prepared electrode was utilized for the detection of guanine (G) and adenine (A). The anodic peak currents to G and A were linear in the concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 120 μM and 0.2 to 110 μM, respectively. The detection limits were found to be 0.1 μM and 0.2 μM, respectively. Moreover, the modified electrode could also be used to determine G and A in calf thymus DNA. PMID:28718793

Fabrication of submicron proteinaceous structures by direct laser writing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Serien, Daniela; Takeuchi, Shoji, E-mail: takeuchi@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp; ERATO Takeuchi Biohybrid Innovation Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, 153-8505 Tokyo

In this paper, we provide a characterization of truly free-standing proteinaceous structures with submicron feature sizes depending on the fabrication conditions by model-based analysis. Protein cross-linking of bovine serum albumin is performed by direct laser writing and two-photon excitation of flavin adenine dinucleotide. We analyze the obtainable fabrication resolution and required threshold energy for polymerization. The applied polymerization model allows prediction of fabrication conditions and resulting fabrication size, alleviating the application of proteinaceous structure fabrication.

Deconvoluting AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) adenine nucleotide binding and sensing

PubMed Central

Gu, Xin; Yan, Yan; Novick, Scott J.; Kovach, Amanda; Goswami, Devrishi; Ke, Jiyuan; Tan, M. H. Eileen; Wang, Lili; Li, Xiaodan; de Waal, Parker W.; Webb, Martin R.; Griffin, Patrick R.; Xu, H. Eric

2017-01-01

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a central cellular energy sensor that adapts metabolism and growth to the energy state of the cell. AMPK senses the ratio of adenine nucleotides (adenylate energy charge) by competitive binding of AMP, ADP, and ATP to three sites (CBS1, CBS3, and CBS4) in its γ-subunit. Because these three binding sites are functionally interconnected, it remains unclear how nucleotides bind to individual sites, which nucleotides occupy each site under physiological conditions, and how binding to one site affects binding to the other sites. Here, we comprehensively analyze nucleotide binding to wild-type and mutant AMPK protein complexes by quantitative competition assays and by hydrogen-deuterium exchange MS. We also demonstrate that NADPH, in addition to the known AMPK ligand NADH, directly and competitively binds AMPK at the AMP-sensing CBS3 site. Our findings reveal how AMP binding to one site affects the conformation and adenine nucleotide binding at the other two sites and establish CBS3, and not CBS1, as the high affinity exchangeable AMP/ADP/ATP-binding site. We further show that AMP binding at CBS4 increases AMP binding at CBS3 by 2 orders of magnitude and reverses the AMP/ATP preference of CBS3. Together, these results illustrate how the three CBS sites collaborate to enable highly sensitive detection of cellular energy states to maintain the tight ATP homeostastis required for cellular metabolism. PMID:28615457

Inhibition of bovine kidney alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in the presence or absence of calcium ion and effect of adenosine 5'-diphosphate on reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide inhibition.

PubMed

Lawlis, V B; Roche, T E

1981-04-28

Micromolar Ca2+ markedly reduces NADH inhibition of bovine kidney alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex [Lawlis, V. B., & Roche, T. E. (1980) Mol. Cell. Biochem. 32, 147-152]. Product inhibition patterns from initial velocity studies conducted at less than 10(-9) M or at 1.5 X 10(-5) M Ca2+ with NAD+, CoA, or alpha-ketoglutarate as the variable substrate showed that NADH was a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to each of these substrates, except at high NAD+ concentrations, where reciprocal plots were nonlinear and the inhibition pattern for NADH vs. NAD+ changed from a noncompetitive to a competitive pattern. From slope and intercept replots, 2-fold to 12-fold higher inhibition constants were estimated for inhibition by NADH vs. the various substrates in the presence of 1.5 X 10(-5) M Ca2+ than for inhibition at less than 10(-9) M Ca2+. These inhibition patterns and the lack of an effect of Ca2+ on the inhibition of the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase component suggested that Ca2+-modulated NADH inhibition occurs at an allosteric site with competitive binding at the site by high levels of NAD+. Decarboxylation of alpha-keto[1-14C]glutarate by the resolved alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase component was investigated in the presence of 5.0 mM glyoxylate which served as an efficient acceptor. NADH (0.2 mM) or 1.0 mM ATP inhibited the partial reaction whereas 15 muM Ca2+, 1.0 mM ADP, or 10 mM NAD+ stimulated the partial reaction and reduced NADH inhibition of this reaction. Thus these effectors alter the activity of the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex by binding at allosteric sites on the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase component. Inhibition by NADH over a wide range of NADH/NAD+ ratios was measured under conditions in which the level of alpha-ketoglutarate was adjusted to give matching control activities at less than 10(-9) M Ca2+ or 1.5 X 10(-5) M Ca2+ in either the presence or the absence of 1.6 mM ADP. These studies establish that both Ca2+ and ADP decreased NADH inhibition under conditions compensating for the effects of Ca2+ and ADP on S0.5 for alpha-ketoglutarate. ADP was particularly effective in reducing NADH inhibition; further studies are required to determine whether this occurs through binding of NADH and ADP at the same, overlapping, or interacting sites.

Long-Range Structural Effects of a Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease-Causing Mutation in Human Glycyl-TRNA Synthetase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie, W.; Nangle, L.A.; Zhang, W.

2009-06-04

Functional expansion of specific tRNA synthetases in higher organisms is well documented. These additional functions may explain why dominant mutations in glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, the most common heritable disease of the peripheral nervous system. At least 10 disease-causing mutant alleles of GlyRS have been annotated. These mutations scatter broadly across the primary sequence and have no apparent unifying connection. Here we report the structure of wild type and a CMT-causing mutant (G526R) of homodimeric human GlyRS. The mutation is at the site for synthesis of glycyl-adenylate, but the rest of the two structuresmore » are closely similar. Significantly, the mutant form diffracts to a higher resolution and has a greater dimer interface. The extra dimer interactions are located {approx}30 {angstrom} away from the G526R mutation. Direct experiments confirm the tighter dimer interaction of the G526R protein. The results suggest the possible importance of subtle, long-range structural effects of CMT-causing mutations at the dimer interface. From analysis of a third crystal, an appended motif, found in higher eukaryote GlyRSs, seems not to have a role in these long-range effects.« less

Inhibition of isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase as a potential treatment for human African Trypanosomiasis.

PubMed

Cestari, Igor; Stuart, Kenneth

2013-05-17

Trypanosoma brucei sp. causes human African trypanosomiasis (HAT; African sleeping sickness). The parasites initially proliferate in the hemolymphatic system and then invade the central nervous system, which is lethal if not treated. New drugs are needed for HAT because the approved drugs are few, toxic, and difficult to administer, and drug resistance is spreading. We showed by RNAi knockdown that T. brucei isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase is essential for the parasites in vitro and in vivo in a mouse model of infection. By structure prediction and experimental analysis, we also identified small molecules that inhibit recombinant isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase and that are lethal to the parasites in vitro and highly selective compared with mammalian cells. One of these molecules acts as a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme and cures mice of the infection. Because members of this class of molecules are known to cross the blood-brain barrier in humans and to be tolerated, they may be attractive as leading candidates for drug development for HAT.

Influence of gamma irradiation and benzyl adenine on keeping quality of custard apple fruits during storage.

PubMed

Chouksey, Swati; Singh, Alpana; Thakur, Rajendra Singh; Deshmukh, Reena

2013-10-01

The custard apple (Annona squamosa) fruits were procured from local market, irradiated with radiation doses 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, 1.75 kGy and then treated with benzyl adenine (50 and 100 part per million) and stored at ambient temperature (25 ± 5 °C, Relative Humidity 90 ± 2%) for 12 days. The treated fruits were evaluated for sensory (viz; flavour, texture, internal and external colour) and chemical constituents (viz; Total Soluble Solids, titrable acidity, ascorbic acid, free soluble sugar, reducing sugar. non reducing sugar, carbohydrate) during storage. The study concluded that radiation dose of 1.5 kilo Gray along with 50 ppm benzyl adenine enhanced in shelf-life of custard apple fruits by 6 days at ambient temperature with good pulp texture, flavour, colour and nutritional quality as compared to control.

Muscle adenine nucleotide degradation during submaximal treadmill exercise to fatigue.

PubMed

Essén-Gustavsson, B; Gottlieb-Vedi, M; Lindholm, A

1999-07-01

The aim was to investigate metabolic response in muscle during submaximal treadmill exercise to fatigue, with a special emphasis on adenine nucleotide degradation products such as inosine monophosphate (IMP) in muscle and hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid in plasma. Five Standardbred trotters performed treadmill exercise on 2 occasions, once at 7 m/s and once at 10 m/s. Venous blood samples were taken at rest, during exercise and at the end of exercise. Muscle biopsies were taken before and after exercise and muscle temperature was measured before and after exercise. Running time differed among horses and was 48-58 min at 7 m/s and 10-15.5 min at 10 m/s. Both lactate and uric acid concentrations in plasma showed a gradual increase during exercise at both 7 and 10 m/s. At the end of exercise, values for uric acid were higher and values for lactate lower at 7 m/s compared with at 10 m/s. No marked changes were seen in plasma concentrations of hypoxanthine or xanthine with exercise. Muscle glycogen decreased after exercise at both 7 and 10 m/s with a marked depletion seen in some fibres. Muscle lactate concentrations increased after exercise at both 7 m/s and at 10 m/s. No significant changes were seen in adenosine triphosphate (ATP), ADP and AMP concentrations, whereas IMP concentrations increased after exercise at both 7 m/s and at 10 m/s. The results of this study indicate that AMP deamination occurs with submaximal exercise and that development of fatigue may be related to adenine nucleotide degradation in muscle.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases database Y2K

PubMed Central

Szymanski, Maciej; Barciszewski, Jan

2000-01-01

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARS) are a diverse group of enzymes that ensure the fidelity of transfer of genetic information from DNA into protein. They catalyse the attachment of amino acids to transfer RNAs and thereby establish the rules of the genetic code by virtue of matching the nucleotide triplet of the anticodon with its cognate amino acid. Currently, 818 AARS primary structures have been reported from archaebacteria, eubacteria, mitochondria, chloroplasts and eukaryotic cells. The database is a compilation of the amino acid sequences of all AARSs, known to date, which are available as separate entries or alignments of related proteins via the WWW at http://rose.man.poznan.pl/aars/index.html PMID:10592262

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases database Y2K.

PubMed

Szymanski, M; Barciszewski, J

2000-01-01

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARS) are a diverse group of enzymes that ensure the fidelity of transfer of genetic information from DNA into protein. They catalyse the attachment of amino acids to transfer RNAs and thereby establish the rules of the genetic code by virtue of matching the nucleotide triplet of the anticodon with its cognate amino acid. Currently, 818 AARS primary structures have been reported from archaebacteria, eubacteria, mitochondria, chloro-plasts and eukaryotic cells. The database is a compilation of the amino acid sequences of all AARSs, known to date, which are available as separate entries or alignments of related proteins via the WWW at http://rose.man.poznan.pl/aars/index.html

Optical imaging of mitochondrial redox state in rodent model of retinitis pigmentosa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maleki, Sepideh; Gopalakrishnan, Sandeep; Ghanian, Zahra; Sepehr, Reyhaneh; Schmitt, Heather; Eells, Janis; Ranji, Mahsa

2013-01-01

Oxidative stress (OS) and mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to photoreceptor cell loss in retinal degenerative disorders. The metabolic state of the retina in a rodent model of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) was investigated using a cryo-fluorescence imaging technique. The mitochondrial metabolic coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) are autofluorescent and can be monitored without exogenous labels using optical techniques. The cryo-fluorescence redox imaging technique provides a quantitative assessment of the metabolism. More specifically, the ratio of the fluorescence intensity of these fluorophores (NADH/FAD), the NADH redox ratio (RR), is a marker of the metabolic state of the tissue. The NADH RR and retinal function were examined in an established rodent model of RP, the P23H rat compared to that of nondystrophic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The NADH RR mean values were 1.11±0.03 in the SD normal and 0.841±0.01 in the P23H retina, indicating increased OS in the P23H retina. Electroretinographic data revealed a significant reduction in photoreceptor function in P23H animals compared to SD nozrmal rats. Thus, cryo-fluorescence redox imaging was used as a quantitative marker of OS in eyes from transgenic rats and demonstrated that alterations in the oxidative state of eyes occur during the early stages of RP.

Optical imaging of tissue mitochondrial redox state in intact rat lungs in two models of pulmonary oxidative stress

PubMed Central

Sepehr, Reyhaneh; Staniszewski, Kevin; Maleki, Sepideh; Jacobs, Elizabeth R.; Audi, Said

2012-01-01

Abstract. Ventilation with enhanced fractions of O2 (hyperoxia) is a common and necessary treatment for hypoxemia in patients with lung failure, but prolonged exposure to hyperoxia causes lung injury. Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury of lung tissue is common in lung transplant or crush injury to the chest. These conditions are associated with apoptosis and decreased survival of lung tissue. The objective of this work is to use cryoimaging to evaluate the effect of exposure to hyperoxia and IR injury on lung tissue mitochondrial redox state in rats. The autofluorescent mitochondrial metabolic coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) are electron carriers in ATP generation. These intrinsic fluorophores were imaged for rat lungs using low-temperature fluorescence imaging (cryoimaging). Perfused lungs from four groups of rats were studied: normoxia (control), control perfused with an mitochondrial complex IV inhibitor (potassium cyanide, KCN), rats exposed to hyperoxia (85% O2) for seven days, and from rats subjected to lung IR in vivo 24 hours prior to study. Each lung was sectioned sequentially in the transverse direction, and the images were used to reconstruct a three-dimensional (3-D) rendering. In KCN perfused lungs the respiratory chain was more reduced, whereas hyperoxic and IR lung tissue have a more oxidized respiratory chain than control lung tissue, consistent with previously measured mitochondrial dysfunction in both hyperoxic and IR lungs. PMID:22559688

Ethanol and liver: Recent insights into the mechanisms of ethanol-induced fatty liver

PubMed Central

Liu, Jinyao

2014-01-01

Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), a potentially pathologic condition, can progress to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis, leading to an increased probability of hepatic failure and death. Alcohol induces fatty liver by increasing the ratio of reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in hepatocytes; increasing hepatic sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1, and early growth response-1 activity; and decreasing hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α activity. Alcohol activates the innate immune system and induces an imbalance of the immune response, which is followed by activated Kupffer cell-derived tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α overproduction, which is in turn responsible for the changes in the hepatic SREBP-1 and PAI-1 activity. Alcohol abuse promotes the migration of bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) to the liver and then reprograms TNF-α expression from BMDCs. Chronic alcohol intake triggers the sympathetic hyperactivity-activated hepatic stellate cell (HSC) feedback loop that in turn activates the HSCs, resulting in HSC-derived TNF-α overproduction. Carvedilol may block this feedback loop by suppressing sympathetic activity, which attenuates the progression of AFLD. Clinical studies evaluating combination therapy of carvedilol with a TNF-α inhibitor to treat patients with AFLD are warranted to prevent the development of alcoholic liver disease. PMID:25356030

An Ancient Fingerprint Indicates the Common Ancestry of Rossmann-Fold Enzymes Utilizing Different Ribose-Based Cofactors

PubMed Central

Laurino, Paola; Tóth-Petróczy, Ágnes; Meana-Pañeda, Rubén; Lin, Wei; Truhlar, Donald G.; Tawfik, Dan S.

2016-01-01

Nucleoside-based cofactors are presumed to have preceded proteins. The Rossmann fold is one of the most ancient and functionally diverse protein folds, and most Rossmann enzymes utilize nucleoside-based cofactors. We analyzed an omnipresent Rossmann ribose-binding interaction: a carboxylate side chain at the tip of the second β-strand (β2-Asp/Glu). We identified a canonical motif, defined by the β2-topology and unique geometry. The latter relates to the interaction being bidentate (both ribose hydroxyls interacting with the carboxylate oxygens), to the angle between the carboxylate and the ribose, and to the ribose’s ring configuration. We found that this canonical motif exhibits hallmarks of divergence rather than convergence. It is uniquely found in Rossmann enzymes that use different cofactors, primarily SAM (S-adenosyl methionine), NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide). Ribose-carboxylate bidentate interactions in other folds are not only rare but also have a different topology and geometry. We further show that the canonical geometry is not dictated by a physical constraint—geometries found in noncanonical interactions have similar calculated bond energies. Overall, these data indicate the divergence of several major Rossmann-fold enzyme classes, with different cofactors and catalytic chemistries, from a common pre-LUCA (last universal common ancestor) ancestor that possessed the β2-Asp/Glu motif. PMID:26938925

Mitochondrial respiratory complex I probed by delayed luminescence spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baran, Irina; Ionescu, Diana; Privitera, Simona; Scordino, Agata; Mocanu, Maria Magdalena; Musumeci, Francesco; Grasso, Rosaria; Gulino, Marisa; Iftime, Adrian; Tofolean, Ioana Teodora; Garaiman, Alexandru; Goicea, Alexandru; Irimia, Ruxandra; Dimancea, Alexandru; Ganea, Constanta

2013-12-01

The role of mitochondrial complex I in ultraweak photon-induced delayed photon emission [delayed luminescence (DL)] of human leukemia Jurkat T cells was probed by using complex I targeting agents like rotenone, menadione, and quercetin. Rotenone, a complex I-specific inhibitor, dose-dependently increased the mitochondrial level of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), decreased clonogenic survival, and induced apoptosis. A strong correlation was found between the mitochondrial levels of NADH and oxidized flavin mononucleotide (FMNox) in rotenone-, menadione- and quercetin-treated cells. Rotenone enhanced DL dose-dependently, whereas quercetin and menadione inhibited DL as well as NADH or FMNox. Collectively, the data suggest that DL of Jurkat cells originates mainly from mitochondrial complex I, which functions predominantly as a dimer and less frequently as a tetramer. In individual monomers, both pairs of pyridine nucleotide (NADH/reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) sites and flavin (FMN-a/FMN-b) sites appear to bind cooperatively their specific ligands. Enhancement of delayed red-light emission by rotenone suggests that the mean time for one-electron reduction of ubiquinone or FMN-a by the terminal Fe/S center (N2) is 20 or 284 μs, respectively. All these findings suggest that DL spectroscopy could be used as a reliable, sensitive, and robust technique to probe electron flow within complex I in situ.

Two continuous coupled assays for ornithine-δ-aminotransferase.

PubMed

Juncosa, Jose I; Lee, Hyunbeom; Silverman, Richard B

2013-09-15

We have developed two new continuous coupled assays for ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (OAT) that are more sensitive than previous methods, measure activity in real time, and can be carried out in multiwell plates for convenience and high throughput. The first assay is based on the reduction of Δ(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C), generated from ornithine by OAT, using human pyrroline 5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1), which results in the concomitant oxidation of NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form) to NAD⁺ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form). This procedure was found to be three times more sensitive than previous methods and is suitable for the study of small molecules as inhibitors or inactivators of OAT or as a method to determine OAT activity in unknown samples. The second method involves the detection of L-glutamate, produced during the regeneration of the cofactor pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) of OAT by an unamplified modification of the commercially available Amplex Red L-glutamate detection kit (Life Technologies). This assay is recommended for the determination of the substrate activity of small molecules against OAT; measuring the transformation of L-ornithine at high concentrations by this assay is complicated by the fact that it also acts as a substrate for the L-glutamate oxidase (GluOx) reporter enzyme. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protein kinase C epsilon regulates mitochondrial pools of Nampt and NAD following resveratrol and ischemic preconditioning in the rat cortex

PubMed Central

Morris-Blanco, Kahlilia C; Cohan, Charles H; Neumann, Jake T; Sick, Thomas J; Perez-Pinzon, Miguel A

2014-01-01

Preserving mitochondrial pools of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) or nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt), an enzyme involved in NAD production, maintains mitochondrial function and confers neuroprotection after ischemic stress. However, the mechanisms involved in regulating mitochondrial-localized Nampt or NAD have not been defined. In this study, we investigated the roles of protein kinase C epsilon (PKCɛ) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in regulating mitochondrial pools of Nampt and NAD after resveratrol or ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in the cortex and in primary neuronal-glial cortical cultures. Using the specific PKCɛ agonist ψɛRACK, we found that PKCɛ induced robust activation of AMPK in vitro and in vivo and that AMPK was required for PKCɛ-mediated ischemic neuroprotection. In purified mitochondrial fractions, PKCɛ enhanced Nampt levels in an AMPK-dependent manner and was required for increased mitochondrial Nampt after IPC or resveratrol treatment. Analysis of intrinsic NAD autofluorescence using two-photon microscopy revealed that PKCɛ modulated NAD in the mitochondrial fraction. Further assessments of mitochondrial NAD concentrations showed that PKCɛ has a key role in regulating the mitochondrial NAD+/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced (NADH) ratio after IPC and resveratrol treatment in an AMPK- and Nampt-dependent manner. These findings indicate that PKCɛ is critical to increase or maintain mitochondrial Nampt and NAD after pathways of ischemic neuroprotection in the brain. PMID:24667915

Interactive response of photosynthetic characteristics in Haloxylon ammodendron and Hedysarum scoparium exposed to soil water and air vapor pressure deficits.

PubMed

Gong, Chunmei; Wang, Jiajia; Hu, Congxia; Wang, Junhui; Ning, Pengbo; Bai, Juan

2015-08-01

C4 plants possess better drought tolerance than C3 plants. However, Hedysarum scoparium, a C3 species, is dominant and widely distributed in the desert areas of northwestern China due to its strong drought tolerance. This study compared it with Haloxylon ammodendron, a C4 species, regarding the interactive effects of drought stress and different leaf-air vapor pressure deficits. Variables of interest included gas exchange, the activity levels of key C4 photosynthetic enzymes, and cellular anatomy. In both species, gas exchange parameters were more sensitive to high vapor pressure deficit than to strong water stress, and the net CO2 assimilation rate (An) was enhanced as vapor pressure deficits increased. A close relationship between An and stomatal conductance (gs) suggested that the species shared a similar response mechanism. In H. ammodendron, the activity levels of key C4 enzymes were higher, including those of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-malate enzyme (NADP-ME), whereas in H. scoparium, the activity level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-malate enzyme (NAD-ME) was higher. Meanwhile, H. scoparium utilized adaptive structural features, including a larger relative vessel area and a shorter distance from vein to stomata, which facilitated the movement of water. These findings implied that some C4 biochemical pathways were present in H. scoparium to respond to environmental challenges. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A second target of benzamide riboside: dihydrofolate reductase.

PubMed

Roussel, Breton; Johnson-Farley, Nadine; Kerrigan, John E; Scotto, Kathleen W; Banerjee, Debabrata; Felczak, Krzysztof; Pankiewicz, Krzysztof W; Gounder, Murugesan; Lin, HongXia; Abali, Emine Ercikan; Bertino, Joseph R

2012-11-01

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an essential enzyme involved in de novo purine and thymidine biosynthesis. For several decades, selective inhibition of DHFR has proven to be a potent therapeutic approach in the treatment of various cancers including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, osteogenic sarcoma, carcinoma of the breast, and head and neck cancer. Therapeutic success with DHFR inhibitor methotrexate (MTX) has been compromised in the clinic, which limits the success of MTX treatment by both acquired and intrinsic resistance mechanisms. We report that benzamide riboside (BR), via anabolism to benzamide adenine dinucleotide (BAD) known to potently inhibit inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), also inhibits cell growth through a mechanism involving downregulation of DHFR protein. Evidence to support this second site of action of BR includes the finding that CCRF-CEM/R human T-cell lymphoblasic leukemia cells, resistant to MTX as a consequence of gene amplification and overexpression of DHFR, are more resistant to BR than are parental cells. Studies of the mechanism by which BR lowers DHFR showed that BR, through its metabolite BAD, reduced NADP and NADPH cellular levels by inhibiting nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase (NADK). As consequence of the lack of NADPH, DHFR was shown to be destabilized. We suggest that, inhibition of NADK is a new approach to downregulate DHFR and to inhibit cell growth.

PnuC and the utilization of the nicotinamide riboside analog 3-aminopyridine in Haemophilus influenzae.

PubMed

Sauer, Elizabeta; Merdanovic, Melisa; Mortimer, Anne Price; Bringmann, Gerhard; Reidl, Joachim

2004-12-01

The utilization pathway for the uptake of NAD and nicotinamide riboside was previously characterized for Haemophilus influenzae. We now report on the cellular location, topology, and substrate specificity of PnuC. pnuC of H. influenzae is only distantly related to pnuC of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. When E. coli PnuC was expressed in an H. influenzae pnuC mutant, it was able to take up only nicotinamide riboside and not nicotinamide mononucleotide. Therefore, we postulated that PnuC transporters in general possess specificity for nicotinamide riboside. Earlier studies showed that 3-aminopyridine derivatives (e.g., 3-aminopyridine adenine dinucleotide) are inhibitory for H. influenzae growth. By testing characterized strains with mutations in the NAD utilization pathway, we show that 3-aminopyridine riboside is inhibitory to H. influenzae and is taken up by the NAD-processing and nicotinamide riboside route. 3-Aminopyridine riboside is utilized effectively in a pnuC+ background. In addition, we demonstrate that 3-aminopyridine adenine dinucleotide resynthesis is produced by NadR. 3-Aminopyridine riboside-resistant H. influenzae isolates were characterized, and mutations in nadR could be detected. We also tested other species of the family Pasteurellaceae, Pasteurella multocida and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, and found that 3-aminopyridine riboside does not act as a growth inhibitor; hence, 3-aminopyridine riboside represents an anti-infective agent with a very narrow host range.

Binding of p-mercaptobenzoic acid and adenine to gold-coated electroless etched silicon nanowires studied by surface-enhanced Raman scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohaček-Grošev, Vlasta; Gebavi, Hrvoje; Bonifacio, Alois; Sergo, Valter; Daković, Marko; Bajuk-Bogdanović, Danica

2018-07-01

Modern diagnostic tools ever aim to reduce the amount of analyte and the time needed for obtaining the result. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is a method that could satisfy both of these requirements, provided that for each analyte an adequate substrate is found. Here we demonstrate the ability of gold-sputtered silicon nanowires (SiNW) to bind p-mercaptobenzoic acid in 10-3, 10-4 and 10-5 M and adenine in 30 and 100 μM concentrations. Based on the normal mode analysis, presented here for the first time, the binding of p-mercaptobenzoic acid is deduced. The intensity enhancement of the 1106 cm-1 band is explained by involvement of the Csbnd S stretching deformation, and the appearance of the broad 300 cm-1 band attributed to Ssbnd Au stretching mode. Adenine SERS spectra demonstrate the existence of the 7H tautomer since the strongest band observed is at 736 cm-1. The adenine binding is likely to occur in several ways, because the number of observed bands in the 1200-1600 cm-1 interval exceeds the number of observed bands in the normal Raman spectrum of the free molecule.

Dynamics of dipole- and valence bound anions in iodide-adenine binary complexes: A time-resolved photoelectron imaging and quantum mechanical investigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stephansen, Anne B.; King, Sarah B.; Li, Wei-Li

2015-09-14

Dipole bound (DB) and valence bound (VB) anions of binary iodide-adenine complexes have been studied using one-color and time-resolved photoelectron imaging at excitation energies near the vertical detachment energy. The experiments are complemented by quantum chemical calculations. One-color spectra show evidence for two adenine tautomers, the canonical, biologically relevant A9 tautomer and the A3 tautomer. In the UV-pump/IR-probe time-resolved experiments, transient adenine anions can be formed by electron transfer from the iodide. These experiments show signals from both DB and VB states of adenine anions formed on femto- and picosecond time scales, respectively. Analysis of the spectra and comparison withmore » calculations suggest that while both the A9 and A3 tautomers contribute to the DB signal, only the DB state of the A3 tautomer undergoes a transition to the VB anion. The VB anion of A9 is higher in energy than both the DB anion and the neutral, and the VB anion is therefore not accessible through the DB state. Experimental evidence of the metastable A9 VB anion is instead observed as a shape resonance in the one-color photoelectron spectra, as a result of UV absorption by A9 and subsequent electron transfer from iodide into the empty π-orbital. In contrast, the iodide-A3 complex constitutes an excellent example of how DB states can act as doorway state for VB anion formation when the VB state is energetically available.« less

A hepcidin lowering agent mobilizes iron for incorporation into red blood cells in an adenine-induced kidney disease model of anemia in rats

PubMed Central

Sun, Chia Chi; Vaja, Valentina; Chen, Shanzhuo; Theurl, Igor; Stepanek, Aaron; Brown, Diane E.; Cappellini, Maria D.; Weiss, Guenter; Hong, Charles C.; Lin, Herbert Y.; Babitt, Jodie L.

2013-01-01

Background Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that negatively impacts the quality of life and is associated with numerous adverse outcomes. Excess levels of the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin are thought to contribute to anemia in CKD patients by decreasing iron availability from the diet and from body stores. Adenine treatment in rats has been proposed as an animal model of anemia of CKD with high hepcidin levels that mirrors the condition in human patients. Methods We developed a modified adenine-induced kidney disease model with a higher survival rate than previously reported models, while maintaining persistent kidney disease and anemia. We then tested whether the small molecule bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) inhibitor LDN-193189, which was previously shown to lower hepcidin levels in rodents, mobilized iron into the plasma and improved iron-restricted erythropoiesis in this model. Results Adenine-treated rats exhibited increased hepatic hepcidin mRNA, decreased serum iron, increased spleen iron content, low hemoglobin (Hb) and inappropriately low erythropoietin (EPO) levels relative to the degree of anemia. LDN-193189 administration to adenine-treated rats lowered hepatic hepcidin mRNA, mobilized stored iron into plasma and increased Hb content of reticulocytes. Conclusions Our data suggest that hepcidin lowering agents may provide a new therapeutic strategy to improve iron availability for erythropoiesis in CKD. PMID:23345622

Chlamydia trachomatis Scavenges Host Fatty Acids for Phospholipid Synthesis via an Acyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Synthetase*

PubMed Central

Yao, Jiangwei; Dodson, V. Joshua; Frank, Matthew W.; Rock, Charles O.

2015-01-01

The obligate intracellular parasite Chlamydia trachomatis has a reduced genome but relies on de novo fatty acid and phospholipid biosynthesis to produce its membrane phospholipids. Lipidomic analyses showed that 8% of the phospholipid molecular species synthesized by C. trachomatis contained oleic acid, an abundant host fatty acid that cannot be made by the bacterium. Mass tracing experiments showed that isotopically labeled palmitic, myristic, and lauric acids added to the medium were incorporated into C. trachomatis-derived phospholipid molecular species. HeLa cells did not elongate lauric acid, but infected HeLa cell cultures elongated laurate to myristate and palmitate. The elongated fatty acids were incorporated exclusively into C. trachomatis-produced phospholipid molecular species. C. trachomatis has adjacent genes encoding the separate domains of the bifunctional acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthetase/2-acylglycerolphosphoethanolamine acyltransferase gene (aas) of Escherichia coli. The CT775 gene encodes an acyltransferase (LpaT) that selectively transfers fatty acids from acyl-ACP to the 1-position of 2-acyl-glycerophospholipids. The CT776 gene encodes an acyl-ACP synthetase (AasC) with a substrate preference for palmitic compared with oleic acid in vitro. Exogenous fatty acids were elongated and incorporated into phospholipids by Escherichia coli-expressing AasC, illustrating its function as an acyl-ACP synthetase in vivo. These data point to an AasC-dependent pathway in C. trachomatis that selectively scavenges host saturated fatty acids to be used for the de novo synthesis of its membrane constituents. PMID:26195634

Malonyl-CoA Synthetase, Encoded by ACYL ACTIVATING ENZYME13, Is Essential for Growth and Development of Arabidopsis[C][W][OA

PubMed Central

Chen, Hui; Kim, Hyun Uk; Weng, Hua; Browse, John

2011-01-01

Malonyl-CoA is the precursor for fatty acid synthesis and elongation. It is also one of the building blocks for the biosynthesis of some phytoalexins, flavonoids, and many malonylated compounds. In plants as well as in animals, malonyl-CoA is almost exclusively derived from acetyl-CoA by acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2). However, previous studies have suggested that malonyl-CoA may also be made directly from malonic acid by malonyl-CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.14). Here, we report the cloning of a eukaryotic malonyl-CoA synthetase gene, Acyl Activating Enzyme13 (AAE13; At3g16170), from Arabidopsis thaliana. Recombinant AAE13 protein showed high activity against malonic acid (Km = 529.4 ± 98.5 μM; Vm = 24.0 ± 2.7 μmol/mg/min) but little or no activity against other dicarboxylic or fatty acids tested. Exogenous malonic acid was toxic to Arabidopsis seedlings and caused accumulation of malonic and succinic acids in the seedlings. aae13 null mutants also grew poorly and accumulated malonic and succinic acids. These defects were complemented by an AAE13 transgene or by a bacterial malonyl-CoA synthetase gene under control of the AAE13 promoter. Our results demonstrate that the malonyl-CoA synthetase encoded by AAE13 is essential for healthy growth and development, probably because it is required for the detoxification of malonate. PMID:21642549

Camphor revisited: involvement of a unique monooxygenase in metabolism of 2-oxo-delta 3-4,5,5-trimethylcyclopentenylacetic acid by Pseudomonas putida.

PubMed Central

Ougham, H J; Taylor, D G; Trudgill, P W

1983-01-01

Previously, Pseudomonas putida was shown to degrade (+)-camphor, and cleavage of the first ring of the bicyclic structure involved two monooxygenases (a hydroxylase and a ring oxygen-inserting enzyme), a dehydrogenase, and spontaneous cleavage of an unstable oxygenation product (lactone). Cleavage of the second ring was not demonstrated but was assumed also to occur by ring oxygen insertion, since the predicted oxygenation product was extracted from whole-cell incubation systems. Our investigation established that metabolism of the first ring cleavage intermediate, 2-oxo-delta 3-4,5,5-trimethylcyclopentenylacetic acid, occurred through the sequential action of two inducible enzymes, a coenzyme A ester synthetase and an oxygenase. The oxygenase was purified to homogeneity and had a molecular weight of 106,000. This enzyme carried a single molecule of flavin adenine dinucleotide and consisted of two identical subunits. Iron was not present at a significant level. The oxygenase was specific for NADPH as the electron donor and absolutely specific for the coenzyme A ester of 2-oxo-delta 3-4,5,5-trimethylcyclopentenylacetic acid as the substrate. The reaction stoichiometry was compatible with this enzyme being a monooxygenase, and a mass spectral analysis of the methyl ester of the product confirmed the insertion of a single oxygen atom. The enzyme appeared to be analogous to, although distinct from. 2,5-diketocamphane 1,2-monooxygenase in catalyzing a "biological Baeyer-Villiger" reaction with the formation of a lactone. Structural analogy suggested that this lactone, like the first, was also unstable and susceptible to spontaneous ring opening, although this was not experimentally established. Images PMID:6848481

Camphor revisited: involvement of a unique monooxygenase in metabolism of 2-oxo-delta 3-4,5,5-trimethylcyclopentenylacetic acid by Pseudomonas putida.

PubMed

Ougham, H J; Taylor, D G; Trudgill, P W

1983-01-01

Previously, Pseudomonas putida was shown to degrade (+)-camphor, and cleavage of the first ring of the bicyclic structure involved two monooxygenases (a hydroxylase and a ring oxygen-inserting enzyme), a dehydrogenase, and spontaneous cleavage of an unstable oxygenation product (lactone). Cleavage of the second ring was not demonstrated but was assumed also to occur by ring oxygen insertion, since the predicted oxygenation product was extracted from whole-cell incubation systems. Our investigation established that metabolism of the first ring cleavage intermediate, 2-oxo-delta 3-4,5,5-trimethylcyclopentenylacetic acid, occurred through the sequential action of two inducible enzymes, a coenzyme A ester synthetase and an oxygenase. The oxygenase was purified to homogeneity and had a molecular weight of 106,000. This enzyme carried a single molecule of flavin adenine dinucleotide and consisted of two identical subunits. Iron was not present at a significant level. The oxygenase was specific for NADPH as the electron donor and absolutely specific for the coenzyme A ester of 2-oxo-delta 3-4,5,5-trimethylcyclopentenylacetic acid as the substrate. The reaction stoichiometry was compatible with this enzyme being a monooxygenase, and a mass spectral analysis of the methyl ester of the product confirmed the insertion of a single oxygen atom. The enzyme appeared to be analogous to, although distinct from. 2,5-diketocamphane 1,2-monooxygenase in catalyzing a "biological Baeyer-Villiger" reaction with the formation of a lactone. Structural analogy suggested that this lactone, like the first, was also unstable and susceptible to spontaneous ring opening, although this was not experimentally established.

Parvovirus B19 DNA CpG Dinucleotide Methylation and Epigenetic Regulation of Viral Expression

PubMed Central

Bonvicini, Francesca; Manaresi, Elisabetta; Di Furio, Francesca; De Falco, Luisa; Gallinella, Giorgio

2012-01-01

CpG DNA methylation is one of the main epigenetic modifications playing a role in the control of gene expression. For DNA viruses whose genome has the ability to integrate in the host genome or to maintain as a latent episome, a correlation has been found between the extent of DNA methylation and viral quiescence. No information is available for Parvovirus B19, a human pathogenic virus, which is capable of both lytic and persistent infections. Within Parvovirus B19 genome, the inverted terminal regions display all the characteristic signatures of a genomic CpG island; therefore we hypothesised a role of CpG dinucleotide methylation in the regulation of viral genome expression. The analysis of CpG dinucleotide methylation of Parvovirus B19 DNA was carried out by an aptly designed quantitative real-time PCR assay on bisulfite-modified DNA. The effects of CpG methylation on the regulation of viral genome expression were first investigated by transfection of either unmethylated or in vitro methylated viral DNA in a model cell line, showing that methylation of viral DNA was correlated to lower expression levels of the viral genome. Then, in the course of in vitro infections in different cellular environments, it was observed that absence of viral expression and genome replication were both correlated to increasing levels of CpG methylation of viral DNA. Finally, the presence of CpG methylation was documented in viral DNA present in bioptic samples, indicating the occurrence and a possible role of this epigenetic modification in the course of natural infections. The presence of an epigenetic level of regulation of viral genome expression, possibly correlated to the silencing of the viral genome and contributing to the maintenance of the virus in tissues, can be relevant to the balance and outcome of the different types of infection associated to Parvovirus B19. PMID:22413013

Multiple Decay Mechanisms and 2D-UV Spectroscopic Fingerprints of Singlet Excited Solvated Adenine-Uracil Monophosphate.

PubMed

Li, Quansong; Giussani, Angelo; Segarra-Martí, Javier; Nenov, Artur; Rivalta, Ivan; Voityuk, Alexander A; Mukamel, Shaul; Roca-Sanjuán, Daniel; Garavelli, Marco; Blancafort, Lluís

2016-05-23

The decay channels of singlet excited adenine uracil monophosphate (ApU) in water are studied with CASPT2//CASSCF:MM potential energy calculations and simulation of the 2D-UV spectroscopic fingerprints with the aim of elucidating the role of the different electronic states of the stacked conformer in the excited state dynamics. The adenine (1) La state can decay without a barrier to a conical intersection with the ground state. In contrast, the adenine (1) Lb and uracil S(U) states have minima that are separated from the intersections by sizeable barriers. Depending on the backbone conformation, the CT state can undergo inter-base hydrogen transfer and decay to the ground state through a conical intersection, or it can yield a long-lived minimum stabilized by a hydrogen bond between the two ribose rings. This suggests that the (1) Lb , S(U) and CT states of the stacked conformer may all contribute to the experimental lifetimes of 18 and 240 ps. We have also simulated the time evolution of the 2D-UV spectra and provide the specific fingerprint of each species in a recommended probe window between 25 000 and 38 000 cm(-1) in which decongested, clearly distinguishable spectra can be obtained. This is expected to allow the mechanistic scenarios to be discerned in the near future with the help of the corresponding experiments. Our results reveal the complexity of the photophysics of the relatively small ApU system, and the potential of 2D-UV spectroscopy to disentangle the photophysics of multichromophoric systems. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Functional asymmetry in the lysyl-tRNA synthetase explored by molecular dynamics, free energy calculations and experiment

PubMed Central

Hughes, Samantha J; Tanner, Julian A; Hindley, Alison D; Miller, Andrew D; Gould, Ian R

2003-01-01

Background Charging of transfer-RNA with cognate amino acid is accomplished by the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and proceeds through an aminoacyl adenylate intermediate. The lysyl-tRNA synthetase has evolved an active site that specifically binds lysine and ATP. Previous molecular dynamics simulations of the heat-inducible Escherichia coli lysyl-tRNA synthetase, LysU, have revealed differences in the binding of ATP and aspects of asymmetry between the nominally equivalent active sites of this dimeric enzyme. The possibility that this asymmetry results in different binding affinities for the ligands is addressed here by a parallel computational and biochemical study. Results Biochemical experiments employing isothermal calorimetry, steady-state fluorescence and circular dichroism are used to determine the order and stoichiometries of the lysine and nucleotide binding events, and the associated thermodynamic parameters. An ordered mechanism of substrate addition is found, with lysine having to bind prior to the nucleotide in a magnesium dependent process. Two lysines are found to bind per dimer, and trigger a large conformational change. Subsequent nucleotide binding causes little structural rearrangement and crucially only occurs at a single catalytic site, in accord with the simulations. Molecular dynamics based free energy calculations of the ATP binding process are used to determine the binding affinities of each site. Significant differences in ATP binding affinities are observed, with only one active site capable of realizing the experimental binding free energy. Half-of-the-sites models in which the nucleotide is only present at one active site achieve their full binding potential irrespective of the subunit choice. This strongly suggests the involvement of an anti-cooperative mechanism. Pathways for relaying information between the two active sites are proposed. Conclusions The asymmetry uncovered here appears to be a common feature of oligomeric aminoacyl

Reaction Mechanism of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Glutamine Synthetase Using Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Calculations.

PubMed

Moreira, Cátia; Ramos, Maria J; Fernandes, Pedro Alexandrino

2016-06-27

This paper is devoted to the understanding of the reaction mechanism of mycobacterium tuberculosis glutamine synthetase (mtGS) with atomic detail, using computational quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods at the ONIOM M06-D3/6-311++G(2d,2p):ff99SB//B3LYP/6-31G(d):ff99SB level of theory. The complete reaction undergoes a three-step mechanism: the spontaneous transfer of phosphate from ATP to glutamate upon ammonium binding (ammonium quickly loses a proton to Asp54), the attack of ammonia on phosphorylated glutamate (yielding protonated glutamine), and the deprotonation of glutamine by the leaving phosphate. This exothermic reaction has an activation free energy of 21.5 kcal mol(-1) , which is consistent with that described for Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase (15-17 kcal mol(-1) ). The participating active site residues have been identified and their role and energy contributions clarified. This study provides an insightful atomic description of the biosynthetic reaction that takes place in this enzyme, opening doors for more accurate studies for developing new anti-tuberculosis therapies. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Glutamine synthetase 2 is not essential for biosynthesis of compatible solutes in Halobacillus halophilus

PubMed Central

Shiyan, Anna; Thompson, Melanie; Köcher, Saskia; Tausendschön, Michaela; Santos, Helena; Hänelt, Inga; Müller, Volker

2014-01-01

Halobacillus halophilus, a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from salt marshes, produces various compatible solutes to cope with osmotic stress. Glutamate and glutamine are dominant compatible solutes at mild salinities. Glutamine synthetase activity in cell suspensions of Halobacillus halophilus wild type was shown to be salt dependent and chloride modulated. A possible candidate to catalyze glutamine synthesis is glutamine synthetase A2, whose transcription is stimulated by chloride. To address the role of GlnA2 in the biosynthesis of the osmolytes glutamate and glutamine, a deletion mutant (ΔglnA2) was generated and characterized in detail. We compared the pool of compatible solutes and performed transcriptional analyses of the principal genes controlling the solute production in the wild type strain and the deletion mutant. These measurements did not confirm the hypothesized role of GlnA2 in the osmolyte production. Most likely the presence of another, yet to be identified enzyme has the main contribution in the measured activity in crude extracts and probably determines the total chloride-modulated profile. The role of GlnA2 remains to be elucidated. PMID:24782854

Inhibition of Isoleucyl-tRNA Synthetase as a Potential Treatment for Human African Trypanosomiasis*

PubMed Central

Cestari, Igor; Stuart, Kenneth

2013-01-01

Trypanosoma brucei sp. causes human African trypanosomiasis (HAT; African sleeping sickness). The parasites initially proliferate in the hemolymphatic system and then invade the central nervous system, which is lethal if not treated. New drugs are needed for HAT because the approved drugs are few, toxic, and difficult to administer, and drug resistance is spreading. We showed by RNAi knockdown that T. brucei isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase is essential for the parasites in vitro and in vivo in a mouse model of infection. By structure prediction and experimental analysis, we also identified small molecules that inhibit recombinant isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase and that are lethal to the parasites in vitro and highly selective compared with mammalian cells. One of these molecules acts as a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme and cures mice of the infection. Because members of this class of molecules are known to cross the blood-brain barrier in humans and to be tolerated, they may be attractive as leading candidates for drug development for HAT. PMID:23548908

Cytosine Methylation Effects on the Repair of O6-Methylguanines within CG Dinucleotides*

PubMed Central

Guza, Rebecca; Ma, Linan; Fang, Qingming; Pegg, Anthony E.; Tretyakova, Natalia

2009-01-01

O6-Alkyldeoxyguanine adducts induced by tobacco-specific nitrosamines are repaired by O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), which transfers the O6-alkyl group from the damaged base to a cysteine residue within the protein. In the present study, a mass spectrometry-based approach was used to analyze the effects of cytosine methylation on the kinetics of AGT repair of O6-methyldeoxyguanosine (O6-Me-dG) adducts placed within frequently mutated 5′-CG-3′ dinucleotides of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. O6-Me-dG-containing DNA duplexes were incubated with human recombinant AGT protein, followed by rapid quenching, acid hydrolysis, and isotope dilution high pressure liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis of unrepaired O6-methylguanine. Second-order rate constants were calculated in the absence or presence of the C-5 methyl group at neighboring cytosine residues. We found that the kinetics of AGT-mediated repair of O6-Me-dG were affected by neighboring 5-methylcytosine (MeC) in a sequence-dependent manner. AGT repair of O6-Me-dG adducts placed within 5′-CG-3′ dinucleotides of p53 codons 245 and 248 was hindered when MeC was present in both DNA strands. In contrast, cytosine methylation within p53 codon 158 slightly increased the rate of O6-Me-dG repair by AGT. The effects of MeC located immediately 5′ and in the base paired position to O6-Me-dG were not additive as revealed by experiments with hypomethylated sequences. Furthermore, differences in dealkylation rates did not correlate with AGT protein affinity for cytosine-methylated and unmethylated DNA duplexes or with the rates of AGT-mediated nucleotide flipping, suggesting that MeC influences other kinetic steps involved in repair, e.g. the rate of alkyl transfer from DNA to AGT. PMID:19531487

Glutamine synthetase immunor present in oligodendroglia of regions of the central nervous system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

D'Amelio, Fernando; Eng, Lawrence F.; Gibbs, Michael A.

1990-01-01

Glutamine synthetase immunoreactive oligodendrocytes were identified in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, brain stem, and spinal cord. They were mostly confined to the gray matter, particularly close to neurons and processes. The white matter showed few immunoreactive oligodendroglia. It was suggested that some type of oligodendrocytes, specially those in perineuronal location, might fulfill a functional role more akin to astrocytes than to the normally myelinating oligodendroglia.

Glutamine Synthetase Isoenzymes in the Green Soil Alga Stichococcus bacillaris Naeg.

PubMed

Ahmad, I; Hellebust, J A

1987-02-01

Two forms of glutamine synthetase (GS(1) and GS(2)) have been separated from cells of Stichococcus bacillaris by fast protein liquid chromatography. The activities of the two isoenzymes were influenced by the composition of the media employed; thiol reagents were essential for stabilizing GS(2) but they suppressed GS(1) activity. The activity of each isoenzyme was, therefore, determined following separate purification procedures. Growth conditions influenced both isoenzymes; GS(2) showed maximum activity under photoautotrophic conditions, whereas GS(1) showed maximum activity under heterotrophic conditions.

Acetate scavenging activity in Escherichia coli: interplay of acetyl-CoA synthetase and the PEP-glyoxylate cycle in chemostat cultures.

PubMed

Renilla, Sergio; Bernal, Vicente; Fuhrer, Tobias; Castaño-Cerezo, Sara; Pastor, José M; Iborra, José L; Sauer, Uwe; Cánovas, Manuel

2012-03-01

Impairment of acetate production in Escherichia coli is crucial for the performance of many biotechnological processes. Aerobic production of acetate (or acetate overflow) results from changes in the expression of central metabolism genes. Acetyl-CoA synthetase scavenges extracellular acetate in glucose-limited cultures. Once converted to acetyl-CoA, it can be catabolized by the tricarboxylic acid cycle or the glyoxylate pathway. In this work, we assessed the significance of these pathways on acetate overflow during glucose excess and limitation. Gene expression, enzyme activities, and metabolic fluxes were studied in E. coli knock-out mutants related to the glyoxylate pathway operon and its regulators. The relevance of post-translational regulation by AceK-mediated phosphorylation of isocitrate dehydrogenase for pathway functionality was underlined. In chemostat cultures performed at increasing dilution rates, acetate overflow occurs when growing over a threshold glucose uptake rate. This threshold was not affected in a glyoxylate-pathway-deficient strain (lacking isocitrate lyase, the first enzyme of the pathway), indicating that it is not relevant for acetate overflow. In carbon-limited chemostat cultures, gluconeogenesis (maeB, sfcA, and pck), the glyoxylate operon and, especially, acetyl-CoA synthetase are upregulated. A mutant in acs (encoding acetyl-CoA synthetase) produced acetate at all dilution rates. This work demonstrates that, in E. coli, acetate production occurs at all dilution rates and that overflow is the result of unbalanced synthesis and scavenging activities. The over-expression of acetyl-CoA synthetase by cAMP-CRP-dependent induction limits this phenomenon in cultures consuming glucose at low rate, ensuring the recycling of the acetyl-CoA and acetyl-phosphate pools, although establishing an energy-dissipating substrate cycle.

Mono- and bifunctional binding of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) to dinucleotides.

PubMed

Försti, A; Laatikainen, R; Hemminki, K

1987-01-01

cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-Pt) was reacted with four homodinucleotides (GpG, ApA, CpC, and UpU) and six heterodinucleotides (GpC, CpG, GpU, UpG, GpA, and ApG) at pH 6, and the reaction products were purified by HPLC. The most important products were characterized by 1H-NMR spectra. In all the heterodinucleotides except the ones containing uridine the main Pt-adduct was an intramolecular cross-link, but monofunctional adducts and intermolecular cross-links were also detected. Intramolecular cross-links were also formed with GpU and UpG but the amounts of them were about the same as the amounts of intermolecular cross-links. In the case of homodinucleotides GpG gave almost entirely intramolecular cross-links, in which cis-Pt was chelated between the N-7 atoms of two guanines. cis-Pt reacted also with ApA forming both monofunctional and bifunctional Pt-adducts. The main adducts were intramolecular cross-links. cis-Pt reacted equally well with all guanosine-containing dinucleotides, while the reaction with ApA was much slower. With CpC and UpU no reaction products were formed.

Structural Basis for the ATP-dependent Configuration of Adenylation Active Site in Bacillus subtilis o-Succinylbenzoyl-CoA Synthetase*

PubMed Central

Chen, Yaozong; Sun, Yueru; Song, Haigang; Guo, Zhihong

2015-01-01

o-Succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase, or MenE, is an essential adenylate-forming enzyme targeted for development of novel antibiotics in the menaquinone biosynthesis. Using its crystal structures in a ligand-free form or in complex with nucleotides, a conserved pattern is identified in the interaction between ATP and adenylating enzymes, including acyl/aryl-CoA synthetases, adenylation domains of nonribosomal peptide synthetases, and luciferases. It involves tight gripping interactions of the phosphate-binding loop (P-loop) with the ATP triphosphate moiety and an open-closed conformational change to form a compact adenylation active site. In MenE catalysis, this ATP-enzyme interaction creates a new binding site for the carboxylate substrate, allowing revelation of the determinants of substrate specificities and in-line alignment of the two substrates for backside nucleophilic substitution reaction by molecular modeling. In addition, the ATP-enzyme interaction is suggested to play a crucial catalytic role by mutation of the P-loop residues hydrogen-bonded to ATP. Moreover, the ATP-enzyme interaction has also clarified the positioning and catalytic role of a conserved lysine residue in stabilization of the transition state. These findings provide new insights into the adenylation half-reaction in the domain alteration catalytic mechanism of the adenylate-forming enzymes. PMID:26276389

Mutations in glycyl-tRNA synthetase impair mitochondrial metabolism in neurons.

PubMed

Boczonadi, Veronika; Meyer, Kathrin; Gonczarowska-Jorge, Humberto; Griffin, Helen; Roos, Andreas; Bartsakoulia, Marina; Bansagi, Boglarka; Ricci, Giulia; Palinkas, Fanni; Zahedi, René P; Bruni, Francesco; Kaspar, Brian; Lochmüller, Hanns; Boycott, Kym M; Müller, Juliane S; Horvath, Rita

2018-06-15

The nuclear-encoded glycyl-tRNA synthetase gene (GARS) is essential for protein translation in both cytoplasm and mitochondria. In contrast, different genes encode the mitochondrial and cytosolic forms of most other tRNA synthetases. Dominant GARS mutations were described in inherited neuropathies, while recessive mutations cause severe childhood-onset disorders affecting skeletal muscle and heart. The downstream events explaining tissue-specific phenotype-genotype relations remained unclear. We investigated the mitochondrial function of GARS in human cell lines and in the GarsC210R mouse model. Human-induced neuronal progenitor cells (iNPCs) carrying dominant and recessive GARS mutations showed alterations of mitochondrial proteins, which were more prominent in iNPCs with dominant, neuropathy-causing mutations. Although comparative proteomic analysis of iNPCs showed significant changes in mitochondrial respiratory chain complex subunits, assembly genes, Krebs cycle enzymes and transport proteins in both recessive and dominant mutations, proteins involved in fatty acid oxidation were only altered by recessive mutations causing mitochondrial cardiomyopathy. In contrast, significant alterations of the vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B (VAPB) and its downstream pathways such as mitochondrial calcium uptake and autophagy were detected in dominant GARS mutations. The role of VAPB has been supported by similar results in the GarsC210R mice. Our data suggest that altered mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAM) may be important disease mechanisms leading to neuropathy in this condition.

Localization of Carbamoylphosphate Synthetase and Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase in Chloroplasts

PubMed Central

Shibata, Hitoshi; Ochiai, Hideo; Sawa, Yoshihiro; Miyoshi, Shoji

1986-01-01

The localization of carbamoylphosphate synthetase (CPSase) and aspartate carbamoyltransferase (ACTase), the first two enzymes of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway, in chloroplasts was investigated. In dark-grown radish (Raphanus sativus) seedlings, light induced a prominent increase in CPSase activity, but had little effect on ACTase activity. Both enzymes were found in chloroplasts isolated from radish cotyledons and leaves of spinach (Spinacia oleracea), soybean (Glycine max), and corn (Zea mays). The higher activity of ACTase relative to CPSase is discussed in relation to the instability of carbamoylphosphate, the product of the CPSase, and to the control of pyrimidine synthesis. Based on these results, the function of CPSase and ACTase in chloroplasts is discussed. PMID:16664566

Progress in utilisation of graphene for electrochemical biosensors.

PubMed

Lawal, Abdulazeez T

2018-05-30

This review discusses recent graphene (GR) electrochemical biosensor for accurate detection of biomolecules, including glucose, hydrogen peroxide, dopamine, ascorbic acid, uric acid, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, DNA, metals and immunosensor through effective immobilization of enzymes, including glucose oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, and haemoglobin. GR-based biosensors exhibited remarkable performance with high sensitivities, wide linear detection ranges, low detection limits, and long-term stabilities. Future challenges for the field include miniaturising biosensors and simplifying mass production are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pressure-tuning infrared and Raman microscopy study of the DNA bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine.

PubMed

Yang, Seung Yun; Butler, Ian S

2013-12-01

Diamond-anvil cell, pressure-tuning infrared (IR), and Raman microspectroscopic measurements have been undertaken to examine the effects of high pressures up to about 45 kbar on the vibrational spectra of the four DNA bases, adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. Small structural changes were evident for all the four bases, viz., for adenine and cytosine at 28-31 kbar; for guanine at 16-19 kbar; and for thymine at 25-26 kbar. These changes are most likely associated with alterations in the intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions. The pressure dependences of the main peaks observed in the IR spectra of the two phases of guanine lie in the -0.07-0.66 (low-pressure phase) and 0.06-0.91 (high-pressure phase) cm⁻¹/kbar ranges. Also, in the Raman spectra of this nucleoside base, the dν/dP values range from -0.07-0.31 (low-pressure phase) to 0.08-0.50 (high-pressure phase) cm⁻¹/kbar. Similar ranges of dν/dP values were obtained for the other three nucleoside bases.

Effect of Electronic Excitation on Hydrogen Atom Transfer (Tautomerization) Reactions for the DNA Base Adenine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaban, Galina M.; Salter, Latasha M.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Geometrical structures and energetic properties for four different tautomers of adenine are calculated in this study, using multi-configurational wave functions. Both the ground and the lowest single excited state potential energy surface are studied. The energetic order of the tautomers on the ground state potential surface is 9H less than 7H less than 3H less than 1H, while on the excited state surface this order is found to be different: 3H less than 1H less than 9H less than 7H. Minimum energy reaction paths are obtained for hydrogen atom transfer (9 yields 3 tautomerization) reactions in the ground and the lowest excited electronic state. It is found that the barrier heights and the shapes of the reaction paths are different for the ground and the excited electronic state, suggesting that the probability of such tautomerization reaction is higher on the excited state potential energy surface. The barrier for this reaction in the excited state may become very low in the presence of water or other polar solvent molecules, and therefore such tautomerization reaction may play an important role in the solution phase photochemistry of adenine.

The structure of S . lividans acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase shows a novel interaction between the C-terminal extension and the N-terminal domain

DOE PAGES

Mitchell, Carter A.; Tucker, Alex C.; Escalante-Semerena, Jorge C.; ...

2014-12-09

The adenosine monoposphate-forming acyl-CoA synthetase enzymes catalyze a two-step reaction that involves the initial formation of an acyl adenylate that reacts in a second partial reaction to form a thioester between the acyl substrate and CoA. These enzymes utilize a Domain Alternation catalytic mechanism, whereby a ~110 residue C-terminal domain rotates by 140° to form distinct catalytic conformations for the two partial reactions. In this paper, the structure of an acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase (AacS) is presented that illustrates a novel aspect of this C-terminal domain. Specifically, several acetyl- and acetoacetyl-CoA synthetases contain a 30-residue extension on the C-terminus compared to othermore » members of this family. Finally, whereas residues from this extension are disordered in prior structures, the AacS structure shows that residues from this extension may interact with key catalytic residues from the N-terminal domain.« less

Salmonella DNA Adenine Methylase Mutants Confer Cross-Protective Immunity

PubMed Central

Heithoff, Douglas M.; Enioutina, Elena Y.; Daynes, Raymond A.; Sinsheimer, Robert L.; Low, David A.; Mahan, Michael J.

2001-01-01

Salmonella isolates that lack or overproduce DNA adenine methylase (Dam) elicited a cross-protective immune response to different Salmonella serovars. The protection afforded by the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium Dam vaccine was greater than that elicited in mice that survived a virulent infection. S. enterica serovar Typhimurium Dam mutant strains exhibited enhanced sensitivity to mediators of innate immunity such as antimicrobial peptides, bile salts, and hydrogen peroxide. Also, S. enterica serovar Typhimurium Dam− vaccines were not immunosuppressive; unlike wild-type vaccines, they failed to induce increased nitric oxide levels and permitted a subsequent robust humoral response to diptheria toxoid antigen in infected mice. Dam mutant strains exhibited a low-grade persistence which, coupled with the nonimmunosuppression and the ectopic protein expression caused by altered levels of Dam, may provide an expanded source of potential antigens in vaccinated hosts. PMID:11598044

Purification and Characterization of Ferredoxin-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Reductase from a Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterium

PubMed Central

Yoch, Duane C.

1973-01-01

Evidence suggesting that Bacillus polymyxa has an active ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (EC 1.6.99.4) was obtained when NADPH was found to provide reducing power for the nitrogenase of this organism; direct evidence was provided when it was shown that B. polymyxa extracts could substitute for the native ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase in the photochemical reduction of NADP+ by blue-green algal particles. The ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase was purified about 80-fold by a combination of high-speed centrifugation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, and chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and diethylaminoethyl-cellulose. The molecular weight was estimated by gel filtration to be 60,000. A small amount of the enzyme was further purified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and shown to be a flavoprotein. The reductase was specific for NADPH in the ferredoxin-dependent reduction of cytochrome c and methyl viologen diaphorase reactions; furthermore, NADP+ was the acceptor of preference when the electron donor was photoreduced ferredoxin. The reductase also has an irreversible NADPH-NAD+ transhydrogenase (reduced-NADP:NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.1.1) activity, the rate of which was proportional to the concentration of NAD (Km = 5.0 × 10−3M). The reductase catalyzed electron transfer from NADPH not only to B. polymyxa ferredoxin but also to the ferredoxins of Clostridium pasteurianum, Azotobacter vinelandii, and spinach chloroplasts, although less effectively. Rubredoxin from Clostridium acidi-urici and azotoflavin from A. vinelandii also accept electrons from the B. polymyxa reductase. The pH optima for the various reactions catalyzed by the B. polymyxa ferredoxin-NADP reductase are similar to those of the chloroplast reductase. NAD and acetyl-coenzyme A, which obligatorily activate NADPH- and NADH-ferredoxin reductases, respectively, in Clostridium kluyveri, have no effect on B. polymyxa reductase. PMID:4147648

Severe respiratory failure as a presenting feature of an interstitial lung disease associated with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS).

PubMed

Piroddi, Ines Maria Grazia; Ferraioli, Gianluca; Barlascini, Cornelius; Castagneto, Corrado; Nicolini, Antonello

2016-07-01

Anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) is defined as a heterogeneous connective tissue disorder characterized by the association of an interstitial lung disease (ILD) with or without inflammatory myositis with the presence of anti-aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase antibodies. ILD is one of the major extra-muscular manifestations of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. We report a case of a patient with dyspnea, cough, and intermittent fever as well as ILD associated ASS in the absence of muscular involvement. This patient was admitted to the emergency department with severe respiratory failure requiring non-invasive ventilation. Our patient's case demonstrates that the diagnosis of ASS may not be obvious. However, its diagnosis leads to appropriate and potentially life-saving treatment. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic Validation of Leishmania donovani Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Shows that It Is Indispensable for Parasite Growth and Infectivity

PubMed Central

Chadha, Sanya; Mallampudi, N. Arjunreddy; Mohapatra, Debendra K.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Leishmania donovani is a protozoan parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis. Increasing resistance and severe side effects of existing drugs have led to the need to identify new chemotherapeutic targets. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are ubiquitous and are required for protein synthesis. aaRSs are known drug targets for bacterial and fungal pathogens. Here, we have characterized and evaluated the essentiality of L. donovani lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LdLysRS). Two different coding sequences for lysyl-tRNA synthetases are annotated in the Leishmania genome database. LdLysRS-1 (LdBPK_150270.1), located on chromosome 15, is closer to apicomplexans and eukaryotes, whereas LdLysRS-2 (LdBPK_300130.1), present on chromosome 30, is closer to bacteria. In the present study, we have characterized LdLysRS-1. Recombinant LdLysRS-1 displayed aminoacylation activity, and the protein localized to the cytosol. The LdLysRS-1 heterozygous mutants had a restrictive growth phenotype and attenuated infectivity. LdLysRS-1 appears to be an essential gene, as a chromosomal knockout of LdLysRS-1 could be generated when the gene was provided on a rescuing plasmid. Cladosporin, a fungal secondary metabolite and a known inhibitor of LysRS, was more potent against promastigotes (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50], 4.19 µM) and intracellular amastigotes (IC50, 1.09 µM) than were isomers of cladosporin (3-epi-isocladosporin and isocladosporin). These compounds exhibited low toxicity to mammalian cells. The specificity of inhibition of parasite growth caused by these inhibitors was further assessed using LdLysRS-1 heterozygous mutant strains and rescue mutant promastigotes. These inhibitors inhibited the aminoacylation activity of recombinant LdLysRS. Our data provide a framework for the development of a new class of drugs against this parasite. IMPORTANCE Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are housekeeping enzymes essential for protein translation, providing charged tRNAs for the

Genetic Validation of Leishmania donovani Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Shows that It Is Indispensable for Parasite Growth and Infectivity.

PubMed

Chadha, Sanya; Mallampudi, N Arjunreddy; Mohapatra, Debendra K; Madhubala, Rentala

2017-01-01

Leishmania donovani is a protozoan parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis. Increasing resistance and severe side effects of existing drugs have led to the need to identify new chemotherapeutic targets. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are ubiquitous and are required for protein synthesis. aaRSs are known drug targets for bacterial and fungal pathogens. Here, we have characterized and evaluated the essentiality of L. donovani lysyl-tRNA synthetase ( Ld LysRS). Two different coding sequences for lysyl-tRNA synthetases are annotated in the Leishmania genome database. Ld LysRS-1 (LdBPK_150270.1), located on chromosome 15, is closer to apicomplexans and eukaryotes, whereas Ld LysRS-2 (LdBPK_300130.1), present on chromosome 30, is closer to bacteria. In the present study, we have characterized Ld LysRS-1. Recombinant Ld LysRS-1 displayed aminoacylation activity, and the protein localized to the cytosol. The Ld LysRS-1 heterozygous mutants had a restrictive growth phenotype and attenuated infectivity. Ld LysRS-1 appears to be an essential gene, as a chromosomal knockout of Ld LysRS-1 could be generated when the gene was provided on a rescuing plasmid. Cladosporin, a fungal secondary metabolite and a known inhibitor of LysRS, was more potent against promastigotes (50% inhibitory concentration [IC 50 ], 4.19 µM) and intracellular amastigotes (IC 50 , 1.09 µM) than were isomers of cladosporin (3-epi-isocladosporin and isocladosporin). These compounds exhibited low toxicity to mammalian cells. The specificity of inhibition of parasite growth caused by these inhibitors was further assessed using Ld LysRS-1 heterozygous mutant strains and rescue mutant promastigotes. These inhibitors inhibited the aminoacylation activity of recombinant Ld LysRS. Our data provide a framework for the development of a new class of drugs against this parasite. IMPORTANCE Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are housekeeping enzymes essential for protein translation, providing charged tRNAs for

Effects of aeration on formation and localization of the acetyl coenzyme A synthetases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, H. P.; Jahnke, L.

1979-01-01

Previous studies on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown that two different forms of the enzyme acetyl coenzyme A synthetase (ACS) are present, depending on the conditions under which the cells are grown. The paper evaluates the usefulness of a method designed to assay both synthetases simultaneously in yeast homogenates. The data presented confirm the possibility of simultaneous detection and estimation of the amount of both ACSs of S. cerevisiae in crude homogenates of this strain, making possible the study of physiological factors involved in the formation of these isoenzymes. One important factor for specifying which of the two enzymes is found in these yeast cells is the presence or absence of oxygen in their environment. Aeration not only affects the ratio of the two ACSs but also appears to affect the cellular distribution of these enzymes. Most of the data presented suggest the possibility that the nonaerobic ACS may serve as a precursor to the aerobic form.

Antipeptide antibodies that can distinguish specific subunit polypeptides of glutamine synthetase from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cai, X.; Henry, R. L.; Takemoto, L. J.; Guikema, J. A.; Wong, P. P.; Spooner, B. S. (Principal Investigator)

1992-01-01

The amino acid sequences of the beta and gamma subunit polypeptides of glutamine synthetase from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) root nodules are very similar. However, there are small regions within the sequences that are significantly different between the two polypeptides. The sequences between amino acids 2 and 9 and between 264 and 274 are examples. Three peptides (gamma 2-9, gamma 264-274, and beta 264-274) corresponding to these sequences were synthesized. Antibodies against these peptides were raised in rabbits and purified with corresponding peptide-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Western blot analysis of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of bean nodule proteins demonstrated that the anti-beta 264-274 antibodies reacted specifically with the beta polypeptide and the anti-gamma 264-274 and anti-gamma 2-9 antibodies reacted specifically with the gamma polypeptide of the native and denatured glutamine synthetase. These results showed the feasibility of using synthetic peptides in developing antibodies that are capable of distinguishing proteins with similar primary structures.

Erhuang Formula ameliorates renal damage in adenine-induced chronic renal failure rats via inhibiting inflammatory and fibrotic responses.

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Yan; Zhu, Jian-Yong; Ye, Ying; Zhang, Miao; Zhang, Li-Jun; Wang, Su-Juan; Song, Ya-Nan; Zhang, Hong

2017-11-01

The present study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Erhuang Formula (EHF) and explore its pharmacological mechanisms on adenine-induced chronic renal failure (CRF). The compounds in EHF were analyzed by HPLC/MS. Adenine-induced CRF rats were administrated by EHF. The effects were evaluated by renal function examination and histology staining. Immunostaining of some proteins related cell adhesion was performedin renal tissues, including E-cadherin, β-catenin, fibronectin and laminin. The qRT-PCR was carried out determination of gene expression related inflammation and fibrosis including NF-κB, TNF-α, TGF-β1, α-SMA and osteopontin (OPN). Ten compounds in EHF were identified including liquiritigenin, farnesene, vaccarin, pachymic acid, cycloastragenol, astilbin, 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptemthoxyflavone, physcion, emodin and curzerene. Abnormal renal function and histology had significant improvements by EHF treatment. The protein expression of β-catenin, fibronectin and laminin were significantly increased and the protein expression of E-cadherin significantly decreased in CRF groups. However, these protein expressions were restored to normal levels in EHF group. Furthermore, low expression of PPARγ and high expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, TGF-β1, α-SMA and OPN were substantially restored by EHF treatment in a dose-dependent manner. EHF ameliorated renal damage in adenine-induced CRF rats, and the mechanisms might involve in the inhibition of inflammatory and fibrotic responses and the regulation of PPARγ, NF-κB and TGF-β signaling pathways. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The de novo engineering of pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase for genetic incorporation of L-phenylalanine and its derivatives.

PubMed

Wang, Yane-Shih; Russell, William K; Wang, Zhiyong; Wan, Wei; Dodd, Lindsey E; Pai, Pei-Jing; Russell, David H; Liu, Wenshe R

2011-03-01

Using evolved pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNA(CUA)(Pyl) pairs, L-phenylalanine, p-iodo-L-phenylalanine and p-bromo-L-phenylalanine have been genetically incorporated into proteins at amber mutation sites in E. coli.

MS_RHII-RSD, a Dual-Function RNase HII-(p)ppGpp Synthetase from Mycobacterium smegmatis

PubMed Central

Murdeshwar, Maya S.

2012-01-01

In the noninfectious soil saprophyte Mycobacterium smegmatis, intracellular levels of the stress alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate, together termed (p)ppGpp, are regulated by the enzyme RelMsm. This enzyme consists of a single, bifunctional polypeptide chain that is capable of both synthesizing and hydrolyzing (p)ppGpp. The relMsm knockout strain of M. smegmatis (ΔrelMsm) is expected to show a (p)ppGpp null [(p)ppGpp0] phenotype. Contrary to this expectation, the strain is capable of synthesizing (p)ppGpp in vivo. In this study, we identify and functionally characterize the open reading frame (ORF), MSMEG_5849, that encodes a second functional (p)ppGpp synthetase in M. smegmatis. In addition to (p)ppGpp synthesis, the 567-amino-acid-long protein encoded by this gene is capable of hydrolyzing RNA·DNA hybrids and bears similarity to the conventional RNase HII enzymes. We have classified this protein as actRelMsm in accordance with the recent nomenclature proposed and have named it MS_RHII-RSD, indicating the two enzymatic activities present [RHII, RNase HII domain, originally identified as domain of unknown function 429 (DUF429), and RSD, RelA_SpoT nucleotidyl transferase domain, the SYNTH domain responsible for (p)ppGpp synthesis activity]. MS_RHII-RSD is expressed and is constitutively active in vivo and behaves like a monofunctional (p)ppGpp synthetase in vitro. The occurrence of the RNase HII and (p)ppGpp synthetase domains together on the same polypeptide chain is suggestive of an in vivo role for this novel protein as a link connecting the essential life processes of DNA replication, repair, and transcription to the highly conserved stress survival pathway, the stringent response. PMID:22636779

MS_RHII-RSD, a dual-function RNase HII-(p)ppGpp synthetase from Mycobacterium smegmatis.

PubMed

Murdeshwar, Maya S; Chatterji, Dipankar

2012-08-01

In the noninfectious soil saprophyte Mycobacterium smegmatis, intracellular levels of the stress alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate, together termed (p)ppGpp, are regulated by the enzyme Rel(Msm). This enzyme consists of a single, bifunctional polypeptide chain that is capable of both synthesizing and hydrolyzing (p)ppGpp. The rel(Msm) knockout strain of M. smegmatis (Δrel(Msm)) is expected to show a (p)ppGpp null [(p)ppGpp(0)] phenotype. Contrary to this expectation, the strain is capable of synthesizing (p)ppGpp in vivo. In this study, we identify and functionally characterize the open reading frame (ORF), MSMEG_5849, that encodes a second functional (p)ppGpp synthetase in M. smegmatis. In addition to (p)ppGpp synthesis, the 567-amino-acid-long protein encoded by this gene is capable of hydrolyzing RNA·DNA hybrids and bears similarity to the conventional RNase HII enzymes. We have classified this protein as actRel(Msm) in accordance with the recent nomenclature proposed and have named it MS_RHII-RSD, indicating the two enzymatic activities present [RHII, RNase HII domain, originally identified as domain of unknown function 429 (DUF429), and RSD, RelA_SpoT nucleotidyl transferase domain, the SYNTH domain responsible for (p)ppGpp synthesis activity]. MS_RHII-RSD is expressed and is constitutively active in vivo and behaves like a monofunctional (p)ppGpp synthetase in vitro. The occurrence of the RNase HII and (p)ppGpp synthetase domains together on the same polypeptide chain is suggestive of an in vivo role for this novel protein as a link connecting the essential life processes of DNA replication, repair, and transcription to the highly conserved stress survival pathway, the stringent response.

Versatility of acyl-acyl carrier protein synthetases

DOE PAGES

Beld, Joris; Finzel, Kara; Burkart, Michael D.

2014-10-09

The acyl carrier protein (ACP) requires posttranslational modification with a 4'-phosphopantetheine arm for activity, and this thiol-terminated modification carries cargo between enzymes in ACP-dependent metabolic pathways. In this paper, we show that acyl-ACP synthetases (AasSs) from different organisms are able to load even, odd, and unnatural fatty acids onto E. coli ACP in vitro. Vibrio harveyi AasS not only shows promiscuity for the acid substrate, but also is active upon various alternate carrier proteins. AasS activity also extends to functional activation in living organisms. We show that exogenously supplied carboxylic acids are loaded onto ACP and extended by the E.more » coli fatty acid synthase, including unnatural fatty acid analogs. These analogs are further integrated into cellular lipids. Finally, in vitro characterization of four different adenylate-forming enzymes allowed us to disambiguate CoA-ligases and AasSs, and further in vivo studies show the potential for functional application in other organisms.« less

Statistical Evaluation of the Rodin–Ohno Hypothesis: Sense/Antisense Coding of Ancestral Class I and II Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases

PubMed Central

Chandrasekaran, Srinivas Niranj; Yardimci, Galip Gürkan; Erdogan, Ozgün; Roach, Jeffrey; Carter, Charles W.

2013-01-01

We tested the idea that ancestral class I and II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases arose on opposite strands of the same gene. We assembled excerpted 94-residue Urgenes for class I tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS) and class II Histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HisRS) from a diverse group of species, by identifying and catenating three blocks coding for secondary structures that position the most highly conserved, active-site residues. The codon middle-base pairing frequency was 0.35 ± 0.0002 in all-by-all sense/antisense alignments for 211 TrpRS and 207 HisRS sequences, compared with frequencies between 0.22 ± 0.0009 and 0.27 ± 0.0005 for eight different representations of the null hypothesis. Clustering algorithms demonstrate further that profiles of middle-base pairing in the synthetase antisense alignments are correlated along the sequences from one species-pair to another, whereas this is not the case for similar operations on sets representing the null hypothesis. Most probable reconstructed sequences for ancestral nodes of maximum likelihood trees show that middle-base pairing frequency increases to approximately 0.42 ± 0.002 as bacterial trees approach their roots; ancestral nodes from trees including archaeal sequences show a less pronounced increase. Thus, contemporary and reconstructed sequences all validate important bioinformatic predictions based on descent from opposite strands of the same ancestral gene. They further provide novel evidence for the hypothesis that bacteria lie closer than archaea to the origin of translation. Moreover, the inverse polarity of genetic coding, together with a priori α-helix propensities suggest that in-frame coding on opposite strands leads to similar secondary structures with opposite polarity, as observed in TrpRS and HisRS crystal structures. PMID:23576570

The expression of selected non-ribosomal peptide synthetases in Aspergillus fumigatus is controlled by the availability of free iron.

PubMed

Reiber, Kathrin; Reeves, Emer P; Neville, Claire M; Winkler, Robert; Gebhardt, Peter; Kavanagh, Kevin; Doyle, Sean

2005-07-01

Three non-ribosomal peptide synthetase genes, termed sidD, sidC and sidE, have been identified in Aspergillus fumigatus. Gene expression analysis by RT-PCR confirms that expression of both sidD and C was reduced by up to 90% under iron-replete conditions indicative of a likely role in siderophore biosynthesis. SidE expression was less sensitive to iron levels. In addition, two proteins purified from mycelia grown under iron-limiting conditions corresponded to SidD ( approximately 200 kDa) and SidC (496 kDa) as determined by MALDI ToF peptide mass fingerprinting and MALDI LIFT-ToF/ToF. Siderophore synthetases are unique in bacteria and fungi and represent an attractive target for antimicrobial chemotherapy.

Structural analysis of malaria-parasite lysyl-tRNA synthetase provides a platform for drug development.

PubMed

Khan, Sameena; Garg, Ankur; Camacho, Noelia; Van Rooyen, Jason; Kumar Pole, Anil; Belrhali, Hassan; Ribas de Pouplana, Lluis; Sharma, Vinay; Sharma, Amit

2013-05-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are essential enzymes that transmit information from the genetic code to proteins in cells and are targets for antipathogen drug development. Elucidation of the crystal structure of cytoplasmic lysyl-tRNA synthetase from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (PfLysRS) has allowed direct comparison with human LysRS. The authors' data suggest that PfLysRS is dimeric in solution, whereas the human counterpart can also adopt tetrameric forms. It is shown for the first time that PfLysRS is capable of synthesizing the signalling molecule Ap4a (diadenosine tetraphosphate) using ATP as a substrate. The PfLysRS crystal structure is in the apo form, such that binding to ATP will require rotameric changes in four conserved residues. Differences in the active-site regions of parasite and human LysRSs suggest the possibility of exploiting PfLysRS for selective inhibition. These investigations on PfLysRS further validate malarial LysRSs as attractive antimalarial targets and provide new structural space for the development of inhibitors that target pathogen LysRSs selectively.

The chicken 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase A inhibits the replication of West Nile virus.

PubMed

Tag-El-Din-Hassan, Hassan T; Sasaki, Nobuya; Moritoh, Kanako; Torigoe, Daisuke; Maeda, Akihiko; Agui, Takashi

2012-08-01

West Nile virus (WNV) is a pathogen to cause West Nile encephalitis when the infection occurs in the brain. Previous studies in mice identified the 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase 1b (Oas1b) gene as a determining factor for resistance to WNV infection. In addition, it has been suggested that human OAS1 and OASL are associated with the resistance to the WNV infection. WNV is maintained in nature through a complex life cycle involving wildbirds and mosquitoes. Birds are not only susceptible to the WNV, but also act as reservoir hosts, thus participating in the spread of the disease. It has previously been reported that chicken OASL possesses the oligoadenylate synthetase activity. However, until now the antiviral activity of chicken OASL has not been determined. In this study, we investigated the putative antiviral activity of chicken OASL by ectopic expression of this enzyme in mammalian cells and then infecting these cells with WNV replicon. We demonstrate that chicken OASL has an antiviral activity against the WNV. This is the first report to show that chicken OASL is associated with the resistance to the WNV infection.

An acyl-CoA synthetase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis involved in triacylglycerol accumulation during dormancy.

PubMed

Daniel, Jaiyanth; Sirakova, Tatiana; Kolattukudy, Pappachan

2014-01-01

Latent infection with dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the major reasons behind the emergence of drug-resistant strains of the pathogen worldwide. In its dormant state, the pathogen accumulates lipid droplets containing triacylglycerol synthesized from fatty acids derived from host lipids. In this study, we show that Rv1206 (FACL6), which is annotated as an acyl-CoA synthetase and resembles eukaryotic fatty acid transport proteins, is able to stimulate fatty acid uptake in E. coli cells. We show that purified FACL6 displays acyl-coenzyme A synthetase activity with a preference towards oleic acid, which is one of the predominant fatty acids in host lipids. Our results indicate that the expression of FACL6 protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is significantly increased during in vitro dormancy. The facl6-deficient Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutant displayed a diminished ability to synthesize acyl-coenzyme A in cell-free extracts. Furthermore, during in vitro dormancy, the mutant synthesized lower levels of intracellular triacylglycerol from exogenous fatty acids. Complementation partially restored the lost function. Our results suggest that FACL6 modulates triacylglycerol accumulation as the pathogen enters dormancy by activating fatty acids.

Identification and Characterization of Daurichromenic Acid Synthase Active in Anti-HIV Biosynthesis.

PubMed

Iijima, Miu; Munakata, Ryosuke; Takahashi, Hironobu; Kenmoku, Hiromichi; Nakagawa, Ryuichi; Kodama, Takeshi; Asakawa, Yoshinori; Abe, Ikuro; Yazaki, Kazufumi; Kurosaki, Fumiya; Taura, Futoshi

2017-08-01

Daurichromenic acid (DCA) synthase catalyzes the oxidative cyclization of grifolic acid to produce DCA, an anti-HIV meroterpenoid isolated from Rhododendron dauricum We identified a novel cDNA encoding DCA synthase by transcriptome-based screening from young leaves of R. dauricum The gene coded for a 533-amino acid polypeptide with moderate homologies to flavin adenine dinucleotide oxidases from other plants. The primary structure contained an amino-terminal signal peptide and conserved amino acid residues to form bicovalent linkage to the flavin adenine dinucleotide isoalloxazine ring at histidine-112 and cysteine-175. In addition, the recombinant DCA synthase, purified from the culture supernatant of transgenic Pichia pastoris , exhibited structural and functional properties as a flavoprotein. The reaction mechanism of DCA synthase characterized herein partly shares a similarity with those of cannabinoid synthases from Cannabis sativa , whereas DCA synthase catalyzes a novel cyclization reaction of the farnesyl moiety of a meroterpenoid natural product of plant origin. Moreover, in this study, we present evidence that DCA is biosynthesized and accumulated specifically in the glandular scales, on the surface of R. dauricum plants, based on various analytical studies at the chemical, biochemical, and molecular levels. The extracellular localization of DCA also was confirmed by a confocal microscopic analysis of its autofluorescence. These data highlight the unique feature of DCA: the final step of biosynthesis is completed in apoplastic space, and it is highly accumulated outside the scale cells. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Time-gated FLIM microscope for corneal metabolic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Susana F.; Batista, Ana; Domingues, José Paulo; Quadrado, Maria João.; Morgado, António Miguel

2016-03-01

Detecting corneal cells metabolic alterations may prove a valuable tool in the early diagnosis of corneal diseases. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) are autofluorescent metabolic co-factors that allow the assessment of metabolic changes through non-invasive optical methods. These co-factors exhibit double-exponential fluorescence decays, with well-separated short and lifetime components, which are related to their protein-bound and free-states. Corneal metabolism can be assessed by measuring the relative contributions of these two components. For that purpose, we have developed a wide-field time-gated fluorescence lifetime microscope based on structured illumination and one-photon excitation to record FAD lifetime images from corneas. NADH imaging was not considered as its UV excitation peak is regarded as not safe for in vivo measurements. The microscope relies on a pulsed blue diode laser (λ=443 nm) as excitation source, an ultra-high speed gated image intensifier coupled to a CCD camera to acquire fluorescence signals and a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to implement the Structured Illumination technique. The system has a lateral resolution better than 2.4 μm, a field of view of 160 per 120 μm and an optical sectioning of 6.91 +/- 0.45 μm when used with a 40x, 0.75 NA, Water Immersion Objective. With this setup we were able to measure FAD contributions from ex-vivo chicken corneas collected from a local slaughterhouse..

Novel fiber optic-based needle redox imager for cancer diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanniyappan, Udayakumar; Xu, He N.; Tang, Qinggong; Gaitan, Brandon; Liu, Yi; Li, Lin Z.; Chen, Yu

2018-02-01

Despite various technological advancements in cancer diagnosis, the mortality rates were not decreased significantly. We aim to develop a novel optical imaging tool to assist cancer diagnosis effectively. Fluorescence spectroscopy/imaging is a fast, rapid, and minimally invasive technique which has been successfully applied to diagnosing cancerous cells/tissues. Recently, the ratiometric imaging of intrinsic fluorescence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), as pioneered by Britton Chance and the co-workers in 1950-70's, has gained much attention to quantify the physiological parameters of living cells/tissues. The redox ratio, i.e., FAD/(FAD+NADH) or FAD/NADH, has been shown to be sensitive to various metabolic changes in in vivo and in vitro cells/tissues. Optical redox imaging has also been investigated for providing potential imaging biomarkers for cancer transformation, aggressiveness, and treatment response. Towards this goal, we have designed and developed a novel fiberoptic-based needle redox imager (NRI) that can fit into an 11G clinical coaxial biopsy needle for real time imaging during clinical cancer surgery. In the present study, the device is calibrated with tissue mimicking phantoms of FAD and NADH along with various technical parameters such as sensitivity, dynamic range, linearity, and spatial resolution of the system. We also conducted preliminary imaging of tissues ex vivo for validation. We plan to test the NRI on clinical breast cancer patients. Once validated this device may provide an effective tool for clinical cancer diagnosis.

Multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging of metabolic status in mesenchymal stem cell during adipogenic differentiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meleshina, A. V.; Dudenkova, V. V.; Shirmanova, M. V.; Bystrova, A. S.; Zagaynova, E. V.

2016-03-01

Non-invasive imaging of cell metabolism is a valuable approach to assess the efficacy of stem cell therapy and understand the tissue development. In this study we analyzed metabolic trajectory of the mesenchymal stem cells (MCSs) during differentiation into adipocytes by measuring fluorescence lifetimes of free and bound forms of the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(P)H) and flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Undifferentiated MSCs and MSCs on the 5, 12, 19, 26 days of differentiation were imaged on a Zeiss 710 microscope with fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) system B&H (Germany). Fluorescence of NAD(P)H and FAD was excited at 750 nm and 900 nm, respectively, by a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser and detected in a range 455-500 nm and 500-550 nm, correspondingly. We observed the changes in the NAD(P)H and FAD fluorescence lifetimes and their relative contributions in the differentiated adipocytes compare to undifferentiated MSCs. Increase of fluorescence lifetimes of the free and bound forms of NAD(P)H and the contribution of protein-bound NAD(P)H was registered, that can be associated with a metabolic switch from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation and/or synthesis of lipids in adipogenically differentiated MSCs. We also found that the contribution of protein-bound FAD decreased during differentiation. After carrying out appropriate biochemical measurements, the observed changes in cellular metabolism can potentially serve to monitor stem cell differentiation by FLIM.

RNA interference of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase of the rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, increases susceptibility to insecticides.

PubMed

Liu, Su; Liang, Qing-Mei; Zhou, Wen-Wu; Jiang, Yan-Dong; Zhu, Qing-Zi; Yu, Hang; Zhang, Chuan-Xi; Gurr, Geoff M; Zhu, Zeng-Rong

2015-01-01

NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is essential for numerous biological reactions catalysed by microsomal cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s). Knockdown of CPR in several insects leads to developmental defects and increased susceptibility to insecticides. However, information about the role of CPR in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, is still unavailable. A full-length cDNA encoding CPR was cloned from N. lugens (NlCPR). The deduced amino acid sequence showed marked features of classical CPRs, such as an N-terminus membrane anchor, conserved domains for flavin mononucleotide, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate binding, as well as an FAD-binding motif and catalytic residues. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that NlCPR was located in a branch along with bed bug and pea aphid hemipteran insects. NlCPR mRNA was detectable in all tissues and developmental stages of N. lugens, as determined by real-time quantitative PCR. NlCPR transcripts were most abundant in the abdomen in adults, and in first-instar nymphs. Injection of N. lugens with double-strand RNA (dsRNA) against NlCPR significantly reduced the transcription level of the mRNA, and silencing of NlCPR resulted in increased susceptibility in N. lugens to beta-cypermethrin and imidacloprid. The results provide first evidence that NlCPR contributes to the susceptibility to beta-cypermethrin and imidacloprid in N. lugens. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Oxygen sensing PLIM together with FLIM of intrinsic cellular fluorophores for metabolic mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinina, Sviatlana; Schaefer, Patrick; Breymayer, Jasmin; Bisinger, Dominik; Chakrabortty, Sabyasachi; Rueck, Angelika

2018-02-01

Otical imaging techniques based on time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) has found wide applications in medicine and biology. Non-invasive and information-rich fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is successfully used for monitoring fluorescent intrinsic metabolic coenzymes as NAD(P)H (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate)) and FAD+ (flavin adenine dinucleotide) in living cells and tissues. The ratio between proteinbound and free coenzymes gives an information about the balance between oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis in the cells. The changes of the ratio reflects major cellular disorders. A correlation exists between metabolic activity, redox ratio and fluorescence lifetime during stem cell differentiation, neurodegenerative diseases, and carcinogenesis. A multichannel FLIM detection system was designed for monitoring the redox state of NAD(P)H and FAD+ and other intrinsic fluorophores as protoporphyrin IX. In addition, the unique upgrade is useful to perform FLIM and PLIM (phosphorescence lifetime imaging microscopy) simultaneously. PLIM is a promising method to investigate oxygen sensing in biomedical samples. In detail, the oxygen-dependent quenching of phosphorescence of some compounds as transition metal complexes enables measuring of oxygen partial pressure (pO2). Using a two-channel FLIM/PLIM system we monitored intrinsic pO2 by PLIM simultaneously with NAD(P)H by FLIM providing complex metabolic and redox imaging of living cells. Physico-chemical properties of oxygen sensitive probes define certain parameters including their localisation. We present results of some ruthenium based complexes including those specifically bound to mitochondria.