Two highly homologous synthetic peptides MLC(3-13) (K-R-A-K-A-K-T-TK-K-R-G) and MLC(5-13) (A-K-A-K-T-T-K-K-R-G) corresponding to the amino terminal amino acid sequence of smooth muscle myosin light chain were utilized as substrates for protein kinase C purified from murine lymphosarcoma tumors to determine the role of the primary amino acid sequence of protein kinase C substrates in defining the lipid (phosphatidyl serine and diacylglycerol) requirements for the activation of the enzyme. Removal of the basic residues lysine and arginine from the amino terminus of MLC(3-13) did not have a significant effect on the Ka value of diacylglycerol. The binding of effector to calcium-protein kinase C appears to be random since binding of one effector did not block the binding of the other.

N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are fatty acid derivatives in plants that negatively influence seedling growth. N-Lauroylethanolamine (NAE 12:0), one type of NAE, inhibits root length, increases radial swelling of root tips and reduces root hair numbers in a dose dependent manner in Arabidopis thaliana L. (ecotype Columbia). A forward genetics approach was employed by screening a population of T-DNA “activation-tagged” developed by the Salk Institute lines for NAE resistance to identify potential genes involved in NAE signaling events in Arabidopsis thaliana L. (ecotype Columbia). Seeds of the activation tagged lines were grown at 0, 25, 30, 50, 75 and 100 µM N-lauroylethanolamime (NAE 12:0). Ten plants which displayed NAE tolerance (NRA) seedling phenotypes, compared with wildtype (Columbia, Col-0) seedlings were identified. I focused on one mutant line, identified as NRA 25, where the tolerance to NAE 12:0 appears to be mediated by a single dominant, nuclear gene. Thermal asymmetric interlaced (TAIL) PCR identified the location of the T-DNA insert as 3.86 kbp upstream of the locus At1g68510. Quantitative PCR indicated that the transcript level corresponding to At1g68510 is upregulated approximately 20 fold in the mutant relative to wildtype. To determine whether the NAE tolerance in NRA 25 is associated with overexpression of …

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most abundant environmental pharmaceutical contaminants. In this study, a proteomic analysis was conducted to identify proteins differentially expressed in gill tissue of zebrafish (Danio rerio) after a 14-day exposure to the NSAIDs ibuprofen or naproxen. A total of 104 proteins with altered expression as indicated by 2-dimensional electrophoresis were analyzed by liquid chromatography with ion trap mass spectrometry (MS/MS). A total of 14 proteins fulfilled our requirements for identification which included consistency among replicate gels as well as successful MS/MS ion searches with the MASCOT database. The most prominent feature of the differential protein expression observed after NSAID exposure was an up-regulation of proteins belonging to the globin family which are involved in the transport of oxygen from gills and availability of heme molecules required for synthesis of cyclooxygenase. Differential expression was observed at exposure concentrations as low as 1-10 µg/L indicating that altered gene expression may occur in fish subjected to environmentally realistic levels of NSAID exposure.

A Differentiation Factor (DF) was purified from rat lung conditioned medium by a four-steps procedure. The DF has a molecular weight of 27000, and an isoelectric point of 4.70. Although DF is stable up to 60°C, it is sensitive to digestion by trypsin, chymotrypsin and subtilisin. DF forms granulocyte colonies in soft agar. Studies using anti-NRK CSF antibody demonstrated that DF is distinct from GM-CSF.

Male Fischer rats (n=43) were used in a diet-diet/ exercise design to investigate the apparent protein sparing effects of exercise. The animals were divided into five groups: INITIAL (baseline), SEDENTARY (control), DIET, DIET/EXERCISE, and EXERCISE. Carcasses were analyzed for body composition, the blood for plasma alanine concentration and the urine for urea nitrogen concentration. The results showed no significant differences between groups in urinary urea nitrogen, plasma alanine, body weight, or carcass weights. The EXERCISE group had a significant increase in percent protein and a significant decrease in percent fat and grams of fat when compared to all other groups (p <.05).

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation occurs in plants harboring nitrogen-fixing bacteria within the plant tissue. The most widely studied association is between the legumes and rhizobia. In this relationship the plant (legumes) provides the bacteria (rhizobia) with reduced carbon derived from photosynthesis in exchange for reduced atmospheric nitrogen. This allows the plant to survive in soil, which is low in available of nitrogen. Rhizobia infect and enter plant root and reside in organs known as nodules. In the nodules the bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen. The association between the legume, Medicago truncatula and the bacteria Sinorhizobium meliloti, has been studied in detail. Medicago mutants that have defects in nodulation help us understand the process of nitrogen fixation better. One such mutant is the Mtnip-1. Mtnip-1 plants respond to S. meliloti by producing abnormal nodules in which numerous aberrant infection threads are produced, with very rare rhizobial release into host plant cells. The mutant plant Mtnip-1 has an abnormal defense-like response in root nodules as well as defects in lateral root development. Three alleles of the Mtnip/latd mutants, Mtnip-1, Mtlatd and Mtnip-3 show different degrees of severity in their phenotype. Phylogenetic analysis showed that MtNIP/LATD encodes a protein belonging to the NRT1(PTR) family of …

Methodology was developed which allowed the rapid and routine quantitation of subpicomole quantities of diadenosine-5ʹ,5ʹʹʹ-P¹,P⁴-tetraphosphate (Ap₄A) in cultured mammalian cells. This methodology includes the rapid extraction of cellular nucleotides in cold alkali, resolution of Ap₄A from the bulk of cellular materials on a highly specific boronate affinity resin, and quantitation of the dinucleotide in a coupled bioluminescence assay utilizing venom phosphodiesterase and firefly luciferase. The sensitivity and selectivity of this assay is demonstrated and contrasted with previously developed techniques. This assay was used to examine the role of Ap₄A in DNA replication and the cellular stress response.

Two aspects of the biological activity of N-nitrosamines were studied. First, the effect of ascorbate on the mutagenicity of N-nitrosopiperidines was studied in the Ames Salmanella/ mammalian microsome mutagenicity test. The addition of ascorbate significantly enhanced the mutagenicity of these compounds. This enhancement was selective for N-nitrosamines suggesting a possible role of ascorbate in N-nitrosamine induced carcinogenicity. Second, the technique of velocity sedimentation in alkaline sucrose density gradients was applied to the detection of N-nitrosamine induced DNA damage in Balb/c 3T3 cells. This technique detected N-nitrosamine induced DNA damage when the cells were made permeable before treatment. This technique compares favorably with other test systems used to evaluate N-nitrosamines and should be useful in further studies of N-nitrosamines.

A novel molecular mechanism of autophosphorylation-dependent activation of the ser/thr S6/H4 kinase isolated from human placenta is described. Phosphopeptide mapping of the enzyme was used to determine the rate and extent of site-specific autophosphorylation. These data were correlated to phosphotransferase activity of the protein kinase. The results indicated that a sequential phosphorylation of two sites in the catalytic domain is required for maximum activation. Kinetic analysis determined that site 1 is modified by an intramolecular phosphorylation, and site 2 is modified by an intermolecular phosphorylation. On the basis of these data a model is proposed in which autophosphorylation of the pseudosubstrate domain and on a serine residue in subdomain VIII are both required for maximum activation of the S6/H4 kinase.

A complete initial velocity study of the 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Candida utilis in both reaction directions suggests a rapid equilibrium random kinetic mechanism with dead-end E:NADP:(ribulose 5-phosphate) and E:NADPH:(6- phosphogluconate) complexes. Initial velocity studies obtained as a function of pH and using NAD as the dinucleotide substrate for the reaction suggest that the 2'-phosphate is critical for productive binding of the dinucleotide substrate. Primary deuterium isotope effects using 3-<i-6-phosphogluconate were obtained for the 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase reaction using NADP and various alternative inucleotide substrates.

Prostanoids are oxygenated derivatives of arachidonic acid with a wide range of physiological effects in vertebrates including modulation of inflammation and innate immune responses. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) act through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) conversion of arachidonic acid to prostanoids. In order to better understand the potential of environmental NSAIDS for interruption of normal levels COX products in fishes, we developed an LC/MS/MS-based approach for tissue analysis of 7 prostanoids. Initial studies examining muscle, gut and gill demonstrated that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was the most abundant of the measured prostanoids in all tissues and that gill tissue had the highest and most consistent concentrations of PGE2. After short-term 48-h laboratory exposures to concentrations of 5, 25, 50 and 100 ppb ibuprofen, 50.0ppb and 100.0 ppb exposure concentrations resulted in significant reduction of gill tissue PGE2 concentration by approximately 30% and 80% respectively. The lower exposures did not result in significant reductions when compared to unexposed controls. Measured tissue concentrations of ibuprofen indicated that this NSAID had little potential for bioaccumulation (BCF 1.3) and the IC50 of ibuprofen for inhibition of PGE2 production in gill tissue was calculated to be 0.4 µM. Short-term laboratory exposure to ibuprofen did not result in …

The enzyme 3-Hydroxy-3- Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase catalyzes the rate limiting step of hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis and is unique among the enzymes in the early part of the pathway in that it is membrane bound. This gives rise to potential regulation of the enzyme through interactions with the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. A purification procedure has been developed which consistently produces enzyme of high specific activity. In order to fully characterize the interactions between HMG-CoA reductase and the lipids in its immediate environment, HMG-CoA reductase was purified to homogeneity and shown to be a protein-lipid complex.

Recently, three distinct isoforms of phospholipase D (PLD) were identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLD α represents the well-known form found in plants, while PLD β and γ have been only recently discovered (Pappan et al., 1997b; Qin et al., 1997). These isoforms differ in substrate selectivity and cofactors required for activity. Here, I report that PLD β and γ isoforms were active toward N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE), but PLD α was not. The ability of PLD β and γ to hydrolyze NAPE marks a key difference from PLD α. N-acylethanolamines (NAE), the hydrolytic products of NAPE by PLD β and γ, inhibited PLD α from castor bean and cabbage. Inhibition of PLD α by NAE was dose-dependent and inversely proportional to acyl chain length and degree of unsaturation. Enzyme kinetic analysis suggested non-competitive inhibition of PLD α by NAE 14:0. In addition, a 1.2-kb tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cDNA fragment was isolated that possessed a 74% amino acid identity to Arabidopsis PLD β indicating that this isoform is expressed in tobacco cells. Collectively, these results provide evidence for NAE producing PLD activities and suggest a possible regulatory role for NAE with respect to PLD α.

Phloem transport is along hydrostatic pressure gradients generated by differences in solute concentration between source and sink tissues. Numerous species accumulate raffinose-family oligosaccharides (RFOs) in the phloem of mature leaves to accentuate the pressure gradient between source and sinks. In this study, metabolic engineering was used to generate RFOs at the inception of the translocation stream of Arabidopsis thaliana, which transports predominantly sucrose. To do this, three genes, GALACTINOL SYNTHASE, RAFFINOSE SYNTHASE and STACHYOSE SYNTHASE, were expressed from promoters specific to the companion cells of minor veins. Two transgenic lines homozygous for all three genes (GRS63 and GRS47) were selected for further analysis. Sugars were extracted and quantified by high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD), and 21-day old plants of both lines had levels of galactinol, raffinose, and stachyose approaching 50% of total soluble sugar. All three exotic sugars were also identified in phloem exudates from excised leaves of transgenic plants whereas levels were negligible in exudates from wild type leaves. Differences in starch accumulation or degradation between wild type and GRS63 and GRS47 lines were not observed. Similarly, there were no differences in vegetative growth between wild type and engineered plants, but engineered plants flowered …

Modification of proteins by ADP-ribose has been shown to be a versatile modification with respect to the amino acid side chain. The results described here will allow the study of the biological importance of ADP-ribose glycation and also allow differentiation on crude extracts between enzymatic modifications from protein ADP-ribose glycation that can occur due to the presence of NAD glycohydrolases.

Two swine kidney proteins (PI 4.8 and 5.8) both possessing 9-prostaglandin ketoreductase (9-PGKR) and 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) activities were purified to homogeneity. Purification increased specific activities in parallel. Molecular weight, subunit size, amino acid composition, coenzyme and substrate specificity and antigenicity of both proteins were similar. Gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis molecular weights of 29,500 and 29,000, respectively, suggested a single subunit. Although a variety of prostaglandins served as substrates, the best for 15-PGDH was PGB, while PGA_1-GSH showed the lowest Km for 9-PGKR. Rabbit antibody against the PI 5.8 protein crossreacted with both purified renal enzymes and with extracts from rat spleen, lung, heart, aorta, and liver.

Two phage lambda clones encompassing human tRNA genes have been isolated from a human gene library harbored in bacteriophage lambda Charon-UA. One of the clones (designated as hLeuU) containing a 20-kb human DNA fragment was isolated and found to contain a cluster of four tRNA genes. An 8.2-kb Hindlll fragment encompassing the four tRNA genes was isolated from the 20-kb fragment and subcloned into pBR322 for restriction mapping and DNA sequence analysis. The four tRNA genes are arranged as two tandem pairs with the first pair containing a proline tRNAAGQ gene and a leucine tRNAAAQ gene and the second pair containing another proline tRNAAGG gene and a threonine tRNAuQU gene. The two pairs are separated about 3 kb from each other, and the leucine tRNAAAG gene is of opposite polarity from the other three tRNA genes. The tRNA transcription units were sequenced by a unidirectional deletion dideoxyribonucleotide chain-termination method in the M13mpl8 and 19 vectors. The coding regions of the four tRNA genes contain characteristic internal split promoter sequences and do not encode intervening sequences nor the CCA trinucleotide found in mature tRNAs. The proline t R N A A G G gene is separated from the leucine t R …

The isotope partitioning studies of the Ascaris suum NAD-malic enzyme reaction were examined with five transitory complexes including E:NAD, E:NAD:Mg, E:malate, E:Mg:malate, and E:NAD:malate. Three productive complexes, E:NAD, E:NAD:Mg, and E:Mg:malate, were obtained, suggesting a steady-state random mechanism. Data for trapping with E:14C-NAD indicate a rapid equilibrium addition of Mg2+ prior to the addition of malate. Trapping with 14C-malate could only be obtained from the E:Mg2+:14C-malate complex, while no trapping from E:14C-malate was obtained under feasible experimental conditions. Most likely, E:malate is non-productive, as has been suggested from the kinetic analysis. The experiment with E:NAD:malate could not be carried out due to the turnover of trace amounts of malate dehydrogenase in the pulse solution. The equations for the isotope partitioning studies varying two substrates in the chase solution in an ordered terreactant reaction were derived, allowing a determination of the relative rates of substrate dissociation to the catalytic reaction for each of the productive transitory complexes. NAD and malate are released from the central complex at an identical rate, equal to the catalytic rate.

A description of the nature of the transition state structure for phosphoryl transfer in the cAPK reaction requires a measurement of the primary 180 isotope effect at the serine hydroxyl acceptor. Since it is difficult to obtain primary 180 isotope effect directly, the 15N/1 4N ratio of the a-amine of the C-terminal glycine in the peptide Leu Arg-Lys-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly (when serine is phosphorylated) was used to represent on the phosphorylation at serine. 15N Glycine, ' 4N-Glycine and 180 serine were synthesized and used to synthesize two peptides, one containing 1 80-serine/' 5 N glycine and second 1 60-serine/1 4N-glycine. Methods were developed for hydrolyzing the peptides and quantitatively isolating glycine. Partitioning results suggest that catalytic rate was slow compare to substrate dissociation. The 180 primary isotope effect will be determined in the near future using the method developed herein.

A method for assaying poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PADPRP) activity in lymphocytes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients has been developed. Using this method, PADPRP activity has been studied in lymphocytes from 15 patients and 13 controls. The mean activity in SLE lymphocytes was significantly lower than that in controls and 60% of the SLE patients demonstrated activities below the minimum of the control population. Possible mechanisms for this altered metabolism were investigated. The Km app of PADPRP for NAD; size distribution, branch frequency, and rates of turnover of polymers; competition for substrate; and number of PADPRP molecules were studied. The data demonstrated that SLE lymphocytes have a decreased synthetic capacity rather than alterations in the substrate or in turnover of the product.

Data obtained from isotope exchange at equilibrium, exchange of inorganic phosphate against forward reaction flux, and positional isotope exchange of 18O from the (βγ-bridge position of pyrophosphate to a (β-nonbridge position all indicate that the pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase from Propionibacterium freudenreichii has a rapid equilibrium random kinetic mechanism. All exchange reactions are strongly inhibited at high concentrations of the fructose 6-phosphate/Pi and MgPPi/Pi substrate-product pairs and weakly inhibited at high concentrations of the MgPPi/fructose 1,6-bisphosphate pair suggesting three dead-end complexes, E:F6P:Pi, E:MgPPi:Pi, and E:FBP:MgPPi. Neither back-exchange by [32p] nor positional isotope exchange of 18O-bridge-labeled pyrophosphate was observed under any conditions, suggesting that either the chemical interconversion step or a step prior to it limits the overall rate of the reaction. Reduction of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-inactivated enzyme with NaB[3H]4 indicates that about 7 lysines are modified in free enzyme and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate protects 2 of these from modification. The pH dependence of the enzyme-reactant dissociation constants suggests that the phosphates of fructose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, inorganic phosphate, and Mg-pyrophosphate must be completely ionized and that lysines are present in the vicinity of the 1- and 6-phosphates of the sugar phosphate and bisphosphates probably directly coordinated to these phosphates. The pH dependence of …

Glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) occurs in different bovine tissues as multiple, catalytically active isozymes which can be resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. GPI from bovine heart was purified to homogeneity and each of the isozymes was resolved. Four of the five isozymes were characterized with regard to their physical, chemical and catalytic properties in order to establish their possible physiological significance and to ascertain their molecular basis. The isozymes exhibited identical native (118 Kd) and subunit (59 Kd) molecular weights but had different apparent pi values of 7.2, 7.0, 6.8 and 6.6. Structural analyses showed that the amino terminus was blocked and the carboxyl terminal sequence was -Glu-Ala-Ser-Gly for all four isozymes. The most basic isozyme was more stable than the more acidic isozymes (lower pi values) at pH extremes, at high ionic strength, in the presence of denaturants or upon exposure to proteases. Kinetic constants, such as turnover number, Km and Ki values, were identical for all isozymes. Identical amino acid composition and peptide mapping by chemical cleavage at methionine and cysteine residues of the isozymes suggest a postsynthetic modification rather then a genetic origin for the in vivo isozymes. When the most basic isozyme was …

A novel luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) nanocircuit assay involving a donor and two acceptors in tandem was developed to study the dynamic interaction of skeletal muscle contraction proteins. The donor transmits energy relayed to the acceptors distinguishing myosin subfragment-1 (S1) lever arm orientations. The last acceptor allows the detection of S1's bound near or in between troponin complexes on the thin filament. Additionally, calcium related changes between troponin T and myosin were detected. Based on this data, the troponin complex situated every 7 actin monomers, hinders adjacently bound myosins to complete their power stroke; whereas myosins bound in between troponin complexes undergo complete power strokes.

To elaborate on the function(s) of the ENOD8 gene in the nodules of M. truncatula, several different experimental approaches were used. A census of the ENOD8 genes was first completed indicating that only ENOD8.1 (nt10554-12564 of GenBank AF463407) is highly expressed in nodule tissues. A maltose binding protein-ENOD8 fusion protein was made with an E. coli recombinant system. A variety of biochemical assays were undertaken with the MBP-ENOD8 recombinant protein expressed in E. coli, which did not yield the esterase activity observed for ENOD8 protein nodule fractions purified from M. sativa, tested on general esterase substrates, α-naphthyl acetate, and p-nitrophenylacetate. Attempts were also made to express ENOD8 in a Pichia pastoris system; no ENOD8 protein could be detected from Pichia pastoris strains which were transformed with the ENOD8 expression cassette. Additionally, it was shown that the ENOD8 protein can be recombinantly synthesized by Nicotiana benthamiana in a soluble form, which could be tested for activity toward esterase substrates, bearing resemblance to nodule compounds, such as the Nod factor. Transcription localization studies using an ENOD8 promoter gusA fusion indicated that ENOD8 is expressed in the bacteroid-invaded zone of the nodule. The ENOD8 protein was also detected in that same zone by …