Initial Rate Of Incorporation Research Articles

Synthesis of acylglycerols from ω−3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid isomers

n-3 PUFA (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid) concentrate from mackerel oil enriched in EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) was used to esterify isomers of CLA (conjuated linoleic acid) to produce acylglycerols (glycerides). Catalysis was potentiated by immobilized lipases from the yeast Candida antarctica and the mould Mucor miehei. C. antarctica lipase showed higher reactivity and much faster initial rate of incorporation of CLA into acylglycerols than its M. miehei counterpart. Synthesis with molecular sieves also achieved a better rate of incorporation of fatty acids into acylglycerols than using vacuum or systems without water removal. Esterification achieved at 40 degrees C with C. antarctica lipase was significantly different from that achieved at 60 or 50 degrees C. However, there was no significant (P<0.05) difference between esterification at 50 degrees C and 60 degrees C. The molar ratio of glycerol to fatty acid was found to influence the initial rate of incorporation, with the lower ratios showing higher initial rates compared with the higher ratios. The present study shows that direct esterification is an effective mechanism for producing acylglycerols from fatty acids in a controlled system.

Role of Defective High-Affinity Thiamine Transporter slc19a2 in Marrow from a Mouse Model of Thiamine-Responsive Anemia Syndrome: Evidence for Defective Deoxyribose and Heme Synthesis.

Abstract The rare autosomal recessive human disorder, TRMA syndrome (thiamine-responsive anemia with diabetes and deafness, OMIM 249270), is caused by mutations in the high affinity vitamin B1 transporter, SLC19A2. In human TRMA, ringed sideroblasts and megaloblastic changes are found in the marrow, suggesting potential defects in heme synthesis or mitochondrial function, and DNA synthesis, respectively. The mechanism whereby defective marrow thiamine transport causes these findings in the marrow was examined in a mouse model for TRMA. We previously demonstrated in fibroblasts from humans with TRMA a defect in the rate and pathway used for de novo ribose synthesis using Stable Isotope Dynamic Metabolic Profiling (SIDMaP analysis - Boros et al, Blood102: 3556, 2003). To examine whether this fibroblast defect accurately defined the marrow pathophysiology, we have now examined this pathway in detail in mice defective for the orthologous slc19a2 gene by targeted gene disruption (Fleming et al, Mol Genet Metab80:234, 2003). Slc19a2 mutant (−/−) or wildtype (+/+) mice were subjected to normal mouse chow (22 mg/kg thiamine), or thiamine deficient chow diet. Diets were confirmed thiamine deficient by chemical analysis. To examine heme biosynthesis, we used 55Fe-transferrin, ex vivo, to label marrow from +/+ or −/− mice maintained for 10 days in thiamine replete or deficient chow. Mutant mice had cell surface labeling indistinguishable from +/+ at 0°C (P&amp;gt;0.3), reflecting available transferrin receptors. Total cellular 55Fe uptake at 37 C was equal to or slightly greater than that of +/+ marrow in thiamine depleted state. However, incorporation of 55Fe into heme lagged in −/− cells (7.3 +/− 0.4 pmol/106cells/7 min) compared to +/+ (8.6 +/− 0.5 pmol/106 cells, P =0.018 in triplicate experiments). To examine deoxyribose (dRibose) synthesis, mice were maintained on thiamine replete or depleted chow for 10 days, then [1,2 13C] glucose was administered intraperitoneally overnight and 3 hours before sacrifice and marrow harvest. DNA from whole marrow and from sorted basophilic erythroblasts (CD71+/Ter119+) was isolated, hydrolized, derivatized, and dRibose analyzed by GC-MS. The initial rate of incorporation of 13C into DNA dRibose, reflecting de novo synthetic rate, was reduced 34% in basophilic erythroblasts of −/− mice after thiamine depletion (n=3 in duplicate experiments, P&amp;lt;0.001). dRibose enrichment at position C1 and C2 (m2) compared to C1 onl1 (m1) reflects synthesis via transketolase (thiamine dependent, non-oxidative, m2), vs G6PD (oxidative, non-thiamine dependent, m1). The m2/m1 ratio was 0.73 in +/+ cells, but only 0.36 in −/− erythroblasts, demonstrating defective non-oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway. Thus, defective slc9a2 leads to two distinct erythropoietic defects. De novo DNA dRibose synthesis via transketolase is markedly impaired. Further, while iron uptake by marrow cells is maintained at normal levels, the heme biosynthetic rate is decreased in −/− mice in thiamine-depleted status. This is the first direct demonstration of a role for thiamine in normal erythrocyte heme and DNA metabolism. Together, these defects can account directly for the meglaoblastosis and sideroblasts of human SLC19A2 defects in TRMA.

Lipase-catalyzed modification of lard to produce human milk fat substitutes

Abstract The objective of the present work was to modify lard into human milk fat substitutes (HMFS) by Lipozyme RM IM-catalyzed acidolysis. Lard and soybean fatty acids were esterified in a solvent-free system. The reaction substrates for HMFS production were specially chosen to mimic human milk fats. Factors such as temperature, time, water content, enzyme load, substrate ratio, and enzyme reusability were investigated. The relationships between initial incorporation rate (Inc/h) and temperature (T, K) were set up, based on the Arrhenius law for both linoleic and for linolenic acids. Scale-up trials were carried out to confirm the feasibility of enzymatic modification for the production of HMFS. The characteristics of the product, produced in the scale-up acidolysis under selected conditions (temperature 61 °C, water content 3.5%, lard:fatty acids 1/2.4 (mol/mol), Lipozyme RM IM load 13.7%, and time 1.0 h), were similar to the fat in Chinese mothers' milk. The results showed that it was possible to produce human milk fat substitutes from lard through enzymatic acidolysis with soybean fatty acids.

Influence of metal ions on lead complexation in wine

Lead in wine is recognised as a potential health risk, but the total lead concentration of wine is not necessarily an indication of bioavailability. A more realistic approach to potential bioavailability is to study the chemical distribution of lead and examine factors that will influence this distribution. Stripping potentiometry, which enables a dynamic study of lead chemistry, was used to monitor the influence of strontium, barium, calcium, zinc, copper and potassium on lead binding in wine. Strontium was found to displace part of the bound lead, whereas barium caused an initial release of lead which was subsequently reincorporated. Zinc, calcium, copper and potassium had no effect on lead complexation. Competitive experiments involving lead and strontium or lead and barium showed that strontium limits the binding of lead, but that barium has little effect overall except on the initial rate of incorporation of lead. The observations are interpreted in terms of the ability of the acidic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan-II to interact with lead, strontium and barium, but not with other cations. Some advantages of stripping potentiometry as a method to study the labile lead concentration, as influenced by strontium and barium, are outlined.

In Vivo Induction of Tyrosylprotein Sulfotransferase by Ethanol: Role of Increased Enzyme Synthesis

Tyrosine sulfation is a posttranslational modification involved in the synthesis, secretion, and biological activity of proteins and peptides. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the enzyme activity was induced by ethanol. In the present work, the induction was studied in detail. Initial experiments were conducted to examine the time course of tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase (TPST) induction in rats pair-fed liquid diets containing either ethanol or carbohydrate substitute (controls). Marked elevation of TPST activity (3-fold) was measured on day 10 in the liver and gastric mucosa of ethanol-fed rats. Ethanol-mediated enhancement was also noticed by Western-blot analysis with anti-TPST antibody in both the liver and gastric mucosa on days 5 and 10. We then determined the steady-state TPST protein turnover in ethanol-fed and control animals that were given 35S-methionine after 10 days of pair-feeding with liquid diet. The rates of TPST synthesis assessed by measuring initial rates of incorporation of 35S-methionine into TPST was increased in the liver and gastric mucosa of animals fed with ethanol. Monophasic exponential decay curves showed that TPST protein half-lives for liver (control: 34 hr, ethanol: 32 hr) and gastric mucosa (control: 52 hr, ethanol: 48 hr) did not differ between control and ethanol groups. Our overall results indicate that the in vivo induction of TPST by ethanol involves increased enzyme synthesis rather than decreased enzyme degradation.

Isolation of Tyrosylprotein Sulfotransferase from Rat Liver

1. Tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase (TPST) is involved in the posttranslational modification of proteins and plays a critical role in the biological activity and secretion of proteins. A simple method has been developed to isolate the TPST (28% yield) from rat liver, using polyclonal anti-TPST antibodies. 2. The protein fractions eluted from antibody affinity column showed TPST activity and revealed a 50-54 kDa protein band in the silver stained SDS-polyacrylamide gels. 3. The enzyme exhibited optimum activity at pH 5.5 with 20 mM MnCl2. Unlike the TPST activity of the Golgi membrane, the activity of the purified enzyme was not stimulated by NaF, 5'-AMP, and Triton X-100. 4. The antibody was also used to study the TPST protein turnover in rat liver of animals that were given [35S]methionine. The TPST protein synthesis assessed by measuring initial rates of incorporation of [35S]methionine into TPST protein showed enzyme synthesis for up to 60 min. 35S-labeled TPST protein of rat liver was degraded with a half-life of 30 hr. 5. The immunoaffinity purification method using rat liver as an enzyme source appeared to be very simple, rapid, and easy to perform with significant enzyme recovery. Further, the antibody was also found to be useful in the study involving TPST protein metabolism.

Reduced Light-dependent Phosphorylation of an Analog Visual Pigment Containing 9-Demethylretinal as Its Chromophore

9-Demethyl rhodopsin (9dR), an analog of vertebrate rhodopsin, consists of opsin and a covalently attached chromophore of 11-cis 9-demethylretinal. Electrophysiological evidence that photoactivated 9dR (9dR*) undergoes abnormally slow deactivation in salamander rods (Corson, D. W., Cornwall, M. C., and Pepperberg, D. R. (1994) Visual Neurosci. 11, 91-98) raises the possibility that opsin phosphorylation, a reaction involved in visual pigment deactivation, operates abnormally on 9dR*. This possibility was tested by measuring the light-dependent phosphorylation of 9dR in preparations obtained from bovine rod outer segments. Outer segment membranes containing 9dR or regenerated rhodopsin were flash-illuminated in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP and rhodopsin kinase, further incubated in darkness, and then analyzed for opsin-bound [32P]Pi. [32P]Pi incorporation by 9dR* increased with both incubation period and bleaching extent but, under all conditions tested, was less than that measured in rhodopsin controls. Results obtained with 30-s incubation periods indicated that the maximal initial rate of incorporation by 9dR* is about 25% of that by photoactivated rhodopsin. The results imply that the low incorporation of Pi by 9dR* results from a reduced rate of phosphorylation by rhodopsin kinase and are consistent with the prolonged lifetime of 9dR* determined electrophysiologically.

Temperature‐sensitivity of D1 protein metabolism in isolated Zea mays chloroplasts

ABSTRACTThe effects of low temperature on the synthesis and stability of the 32 kDa D1 protein of photosystem II were investigated in chloroplasts isolated from maize (Zea mays cv. LG11) leaves. The synthesis of D1 by intact chloroplasts in vitro was strongly dependent on temperature; the Q10 for the initial rate of incorporation of [35S]‐methionine into D1 was ca. 2.6 over the range 13–25°C. The synthesis of other thylakoid polypeptides exhibited a similar temperature dependence, whilst synthesis of stromal proteins was considerably less temperature‐dependent, with the exception of two polypeptides of ca. 56 and 59.5 kDa. The stability of newly‐synthesized D1 in the thylakoid membranes was dependent both on the temperature at which the plants were grown and on the temperature during the pulse‐labelling period when the protein was synthesized. In chloroplasts isolated from maize leaves grown at 25°C, D1 that was synthesized and assembled at 25 °C in vitro was rapidly degraded during the chase period. At lower chase temperatures the protein was more stable. When chloroplasts from 25°C‐grown leaves were pulse‐labelled at 13°C, the stability of D1 was markedly enhanced at all temperatures during the chase period. This effect was even more pronounced in chloroplasts isolated from plants grown at 14°C. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to the ability of maize to recover from photoinhibitory damage at low temperatures.

In Vivo Induction of Hepatic P4502E1 by Ethanol: Role of Increased Enzyme Synthesis

P4502E1 (2E1), an ethanol-inducible P450 enzyme, plays an important role in the bioactivation of certain hepatotoxins and chemical carcinogens. Different mechanisms of 2E1 induction by ethanol and other agents (e.g., acetone) have been proposed, ranging from enhanced de novo enzyme synthesis caused by an increase in 2E1 mRNA and/or the efficiency with which it is translated to decreased enzyme degradation stemming from substrate stabilization. To evaluate these mechanisms, we first examined the time course of hepatic 2E1 protein induction in rats pair-fed liquid diets containing 36% of total calories as either ethanol or dextrin-maltose (controls) for 28 days. Western blot analysis with anti-2E1 immunoglobulins revealed that 2E1 reached a new steady-state level (eightfold greater than that found with controls) after ethanol feeding for 10 days and remained elevated for the duration of treatment. Microsomal p-nitrophenol hydroxylation, a 2E1-catalyzed reaction, exhibited a similar induction time course, with the maximal increase in enzyme activity also observed on Day 10 of ethanol administration. We then determined steady-state 2E1 protein turnover in ethanol-fed and control animals that were given [35S]methionine plus[3H]aminolevulinate to radiolabel 2E1 apoprotein and the prosthetic heme group, respectively. Monophasic exponential decay curves showed that hepatic 2E1 protein and heme half-lives (27-28 h and 17 h, respectively) did not differ between the treatment groups. However, rates of 2E1 synthesis, assessed by measuring initial rates of incorporation of [35S]methionine and [3H]aminolevulinate into 2E1 apoprotein and heme, were increased in animals fed ethanol. Our results indicate that the in vivo induction of hepatic 2E1 protein by ethanol involves increased enzyme synthesis rather than decreased enzyme degradation. This enhancement of de novo 2E1 synthesis most likely entails the ethanol-mediated increase of steady-state levels of 2E1 mRNA and/or the stimulation of its translational efficiency.

Application of chromatographic retention data in an investigation of a quantitative structure—nucleotide incorporation rate relationship

Abstract A series of 5-alkyl-, 5-alkenyl- and 5-alkynyl-substituted deoxyuridines and their triphosphate derivatives were synthesized and studied in DNA polymerase reactions. The initial rate of incorporation of the derivatives catalysed by Klenow fragment DNA polymerase enzyme ( E. coli ) was measured. Calf thymus DNA and synthetic poly (dA—dT) served as templates. The rate values were expressed as a percentage relative to the incorporation rate of natural substrate dTTP. The high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) retention behaviours of the nucleoside derivatives were investigated on silica and reversed-phase stationary phases using various mixtures of ethyl acetate—methanol and methanol—water, as respectively, mobile phases. According to the results of principal component analysis, the HPLC retention data describe the hydrophobic properties of the compounds. The inclusion complex stability constants of the derivatives with cyclodextrins determined by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography served as a measure of the steric properties of the subtituents. The electronic properties of the 5-substituents were characterized by the Swain-Lupton inductive and resonance parameters. The results of the stepwise linear regression analysis of the nucleotide incorporation rate data and the above-mentioned physico-chemical data revealed the importance of the electronic, steric and hydrophobic properties of the substituents in the DNA polymerase reactions. The importance of the steric parameter was more significant when the poly (dA—dT) template was used instead of the random base sequence template (calf thymus DNA).

On the source of the vasopressin-induced increases in diacylglycerol in hepatocytes

In hepatocytes pre-labelled with [3H]glycerol, vasopressin increased by 20% the amount of radioactivity present in diacylglycerols. The effect of vasopressin was partially dependent on Ca2+. The magnitude of the increase in [3H]diacylglycerol was 5-times the sum of the radioactivity present in phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. No stimulation by vasopressin of the initial rate of incorporation of radioactivity into diacylglycerols was observed in cells incubated in the presence of 10 mM [3H]glycerol. Treatment of hepatocytes labelled with either [3H]ethanolamine or [3H]choline with vasopressin, ionophore A23187 or phospholipase C increased the amount of radioactivity present in trichloroacetic acid extracts of the cells. The effect of vasopressin was dependent on extracellular Ca2+. It is concluded that in hepatocytes vasopressin increases diacylglycerols by a process which does not principally involve the conversion of phosphoinositides to diacylglycerol or the de novo synthesis of diacylglycerol from glycerol 3-phosphate, but does involve the Ca2+-dependent conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine to diacylglycerol.

Substrate specificity of DNA polymerases. I. Enzyme-catalysed incorporation of 5-'1-alkenyl)-2'-deoxyuridines into DNA.

A series of (E)-5-(1-alkenyl)-dUTPs as well as 5-vinyl-and (Z)-5-(1-propenyl)-dUTP have been synthesized to study steric requirements in DNA polymerase reactions. Experiments were carried out in E. coli DNA polymerase I Klenow fragment enzyme system. Substrates were characterized by KM and Vmax-values, initial incorporation rates as well as by total extent of incorporation of the analogues into poly(dA-dT) as a template-primer. Incorporation of the analogues could be best correlated with Vmax-values as well as the very similar initial incorporation rate values. Reactivity (Vmax/KM) showed no correlation with the extent of incorporation. 5-Vinyl-dUTP proved to be as good a substrate of the enzyme as dTTP, whereas (E)-5-(1-heptenyl)-and (E)-5-(1-octenyl)-dUTPs were very poor substrates, their incorporation was strongly limited and they also proved to be very efficient inhibitors of DNA replication, as shown by Ki-values. Substrate specificity of the Klenow enzyme can be explained by the steric hindrance of C-5 substituent, by the "orientational steric substituent effect" concept.

Organellar DNA synthesis in permeabilized soybean cells

Cultured cells of Glycine max (L.) Merr. v. Corsoy were permeabilized by treatment with L-α-lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). The permeabilized cells were capable of uptake and incorporation of deoxynucleoside triphosphates into DNA. Incorporation of exogenous nucleotides into DNA was linear for at least 90 minutes and the initial rate of incorporation approached 50% of the theoretical in vivo rate of DNA synthesis. However, DNA synthesis in the permeabilized cells was unaffected by the potent DNA polymerase α inhibitor, aphidicolin. Analysis of newly synthesized DNA by molecular hybridization revealed that only organellar DNA was synthesized by the permeabilized cells. The LPC treated cells were also permeable to a protein as large as DNase I. The permeabilized cells were capable of RNA and protein synthesis as indicated by incorporation of radiolabeled UTP and leucine, respectively, into acid-precipitable material.

Penicillin binding proteins: role in initiation of murein synthesis in Escherichia coli.

The consequences of the specific inhibition of penicillin binding proteins (Pbps) by beta-lactam antibiotics immediately before resumption of active growth in Escherichia coli suggest that inhibition of murein biosynthesis does not prevent the earlier steps of the initiation of cell growth in mass. The activity of Pbp 2 is apparently critical for the initiation of murein biosynthesis. Provided that Pbp 2 remains active, the other Pbps (1a, 1b, 3, 4, 5, and 6) can be inhibited without any noticeable effect on the initial rate of incorporation of new precursors into macromolecular peptidoglycan. These precursors are, in addition, inserted with a high degree of cross-linkage.

Studies on the mechanism of action of omeprazole

The effects of omeprazole on preparations of pig gastric (H+ + K+)-ATPase have been studied. Omeprazole was found to inhibit the (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity in a time-dependent manner. Inhibition was more pronounced at pH 6.1 compared with pH 7.4 and decreased as the concentration of (H+ + K+)-ATPase preparation increased. The potency of omeprazole was therefore highly dependent upon the conditions used. When pre- incubated with (H+ + K+)-ATPase preparation (30 micrograms protein/ml) for 30 min at 37 degrees and pH 6.1, omeprazole inhibited the (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity with an IC50 of 3.9 microM. This inhibition was shown to be irreversible in nature. Whilst omeprazole itself was not very potent as an inhibitor of the (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity at pH 7.4 (IC50 = 36 microM), transient acidification of omeprazole resulted in the formation of a compound(s) which produced marked inhibition at this pH (IC50 = 5.2 microM). The effects of omeprazole in the absence of acidification may have resulted from the rate-limiting formation of this compound. Radiolabelled omeprazole was shown to incorporate into the (H+ + K+)-ATPase preparation in a time-dependent and pH-dependent manner. Omeprazole, radiolabelled in three separate positions (the sulphur atom and the two adjacent carbon atoms), incorporated with equivalent time courses suggesting that the incorporation did not involve a fragmentation of the omeprazole molecule. Under conditions shown to produce a 50% inhibition of (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity, [14C] omeprazole had incorporated to a level of 4-5 nmoles/mg protein. Incorporation continued beyond the point required to produce 100% inhibition of (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity and reached 30 nmoles/mg protein after 5 hr. Prior acidification of the omeprazole resulted in a more rapid initial rate of incorporation although the final level of incorporation was lower than for omeprazole. Omeprazole was also shown to interact with the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from dog kidney. Omeprazole inhibited the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity (IC50 = 186 microM). Acid-degraded omeprazole inhibited the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity with greater potency (IC50 = 19 microM) and was also shown to incorporate into this enzyme preparation.

Rate-limiting steps in the DNA polymerase I reaction pathway

The initial rates of incorporation of dTTP and thymidine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (dTTP alpha S) into poly(dA) X oligo(dT) during template-directed synthesis by the large fragment of DNA polymerase I have been measured by using a rapid-quench technique. The rates were initially equal, indicating a nonrate-limiting chemical step. However, the rate of thionucleotide incorporation steadily diminished to 10% of its initial value as the number of consecutive dTMP alpha S residues in the primer strand increased. This anomalous behavior can be attributed to the helix instability inherent in phosphorothioate-containing duplexes. Positional isotope exchange experiments employing the labeled substrate [alpha-18O2]dATP have revealed negligible alpha, beta-bridging----beta-nonbridging isotope exchange in template-directed reactions of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Pol I) both in the presence and in the absence of added inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), suggesting rapid PPi release following the chemical step. These observations are consistent with a rate-limiting step that is tentatively assigned to a conformational change of the E X DNA X dNTP complex immediately preceding the chemical step. In addition, the substrate analogue (Sp)-dATP alpha S has been employed to examine the mechanism of the PPi exchange reaction catalyzed by Pol I. The net retention of configuration at the alpha-P is interpreted in terms of two consecutive inversion reactions, namely, 3'-hydroxyl attack, followed by PPi attack on the newly formed primer terminus. Kinetic analysis has revealed that while alpha-phosphorothioate substitution has no effect upon the initial rate of polymerization, it does attenuate the PPi exchange reaction by a factor of 15-18 fold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Stimulation of extracellular polysaccharide synthesis in oat protoplasts by the host-specific phytotoxin victorin

The host-specific phytotoxin victorin (HV-toxin) stimulates mesophyll protoplasts of susceptible but not of resistant oat (Avena sativa L.) to produce an amorphous, ethanol-insoluble extracellular material which stains with Calcofluor white and aniline blue. Over a 24-h period incorporation of [(14)C]glucose into ethanol-insoluble products is maximally stimulated by 60 pg victorin/ml, whereas at 6 ng/ml initial rates of incorporation are higher but the protoplasts collapse. The extracellular material produced in response to victorin is solubilized by cold 4.4 N NaOH and by commercial laminarinase and pectinase. Incorporation of [(14)C]glucose into cellulose (material resistant to Updegraff's acetic-nitric acid reagent) is stimulated as much as incorporation into other wall polysaccharides, but cellulose constitutes less than 15% of the total victorin-stimulated incorporation. Synthesis of ethanol-insoluble material that can be digested by pronase, i.e. protein, is inhibited by victorin above 60 pg victorin/ml. Formation of extracellular polysaccharide is stimulated at concentrations of victorin which cause almost complete inhibition of protein synthesis, indicating that de-novo protein synthesis is not involved. Preincubation of protoplasts with inhibitors of RNA or protein synthesis prevents both extracellular polysaccharide synthesis and cell death in response to victorin. Although previous studies have indicated a link between calcium and the action of victorin, several compounds which interact with calcium do not influence this response to victorin.

In vitro DNA replication in association with the nuclear matrix of permeable mammalian cells

DNA replication has been studied in in vitro cultured bovine liver cells permeabilized in 0.02% Triton X-100. The Km for TTP was 20 microM. The initial incorporation rate at 10 microM TTP concentration was about 12% of the in vivo synthesis and declined very strongly within 1 h. A similar decline of the incorporation rate was found at 0.12 microM TTP concentration. DNAase I digestion of DNA-matrix complexes obtained from isolated nuclei in 2 M NaCl revealed that newly replicated DNA was preferentially bound to the nuclear matrix. A similar digestion with S1 nuclease caused a selective release of short duplexes of Okazaki fragments with the complementary parental strand. The results show that in vivo replication continues in permeabilized cells in an almost unchanged way, except for a gradual decline of its rate which is mainly due to inactivation of one or more essential components.

35] Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase from bovine kidney

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses an assay method, purification, and properties of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase from bovine kidney. Kinase activity in preparations of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex can be detected by monitoring inactivation of the complex in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and Mg 2+ or incorporation of 32 P-labeled phosphoryl groups from [γ- 32 P]ATP into the complex. Quantitative assay of kinase activity is based on measurement of the initial rate of incorporation of 32 P-labeled phosphoryl groups into crystalline pyruvate dehydrogenase in the presence of dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (E 2 ). The purification procedure involves resolution of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex at pH 9.0, ammonium sulfate precipitation, treatment with p -hydroxymercuriphenyl sulfonate, and purification and crystallization of pyruvate dehydrogenase. The purified kinase consists of two subunits with molecular weights of about 48,000 and 45,000 as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE). Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase requires a divalent cation (Mg 2+ or Mn 2+ ) and its activity is not affected by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) or cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase is highly specific for pyruvate dehydrogenase.

Enrichment of the poly (A) sequence and lack of enhancement of total RNA synthesis in cultured Xenopus hepatocytes by estradiol-17 beta.

The effect of estradiol-17 beta on RNA synthesis and the amounts of total RNA and polyadenylic acid were determined in primary cultures of Xenopus laevis liver parenchymal cells. Results showed that estradiol did not alter the RNA content significantly; control cells contained 11.9 +/- 0.34 micrograms and estradiol-treated cells 12.4 +/- 0.17 micrograms per 10(6) cells on day 2 of estradiol treatment, and 22.0 +/- 0.61 micrograms and 24.0 +/- 1.09 micrograms on day 5. Hybridization with [3H]poly(U) revealed that estradiol increased the poly(A) content about 1.2-fold more than in the controls on day 2 and 1.6-fold on day 5 of estradiol treatment. The actual rate of RNA synthesis was estimated from analyses of the kinetics of [3H]adenosine incorporation into the ATP pool and into RNA. The initial rate of incorporation of ATP into RNA on day 5 of estradiol treatment was 29.38 pmol/min/10(6) cells and the rate of the controls of 29.35. Subsequent accumulation kinetics of [3H]adenosine into RNA showed no difference between estradiol and the control cells. Thus, estradiol did not alter the rate of total RNA synthesis and the total RNA content significantly, but it did increase the poly(A) content.