Nucleoside Phosphorylase Activity Research Articles

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum enables blood urate control in mice through degradation of nucleosides in gastrointestinal tract

BackgroundLactobacillus species in gut microbiota shows great promise in alleviation of metabolic diseases. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of how Lactobacillus interacts with metabolites in circulation. Here, using high nucleoside intake to induce hyperuricemia in mice, we investigated the improvement in systemic urate metabolism by oral administration of L. plantarum via different host pathways.ResultsGene expression analysis demonstrated that L. plantarum inhibited the activity of xanthine oxidase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase in liver to suppress urate synthesis. The gut microbiota composition did not dramatically change by oral administration of L. plantarum over 14 days, indicated by no significant difference in α and β diversities. However, multi-omic network analysis revealed that increase of L. plantarum and decrease of L. johnsonii contributed to a decrease in serum urate levels. Besides, genomic analysis and recombinant protein expression showed that three ribonucleoside hydrolases, RihA–C, in L. plantarum rapidly and cooperatively catalyzed the hydrolysis of nucleosides into nucleobases. Furthermore, the absorption of nucleobase by intestinal epithelial cells was less than that of nucleoside, which resulted in a reduction of urate generation, evidenced by the phenomenon that mice fed with nucleobase diet generated less serum urate than those fed with nucleoside diet over a period of 9-day gavage.ConclusionCollectively, our work provides substantial evidence identifying the specific role of L. plantarum in improvement of urate circulation. We highlight the importance of the enzymes RihA–C existing in L. plantarum for the urate metabolism in hyperuricemia mice induced by a high-nucleoside diet. Although the direct connection between nucleobase transport and host urate levels has not been identified, the lack of nucleobase transporter in intestinal epithelial cells might be important to decrease its absorption and metabolization for urate production, leading to the decrease of serum urate in host. These findings provide important insights into urate metabolism regulation.BbgstkDZoHsJm_QsUh-oZNVideo

Trimeric Architecture Ensures the Stability and Biological Activity of the Calf Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase: In Silico and In Vitro Studies of Monomeric and Trimeric Forms of the Enzyme.

Mammalian purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) is biologically active as a homotrimer, in which each monomer catalyzes a reaction independently of the others. To answer the question of why the native PNP forms a trimeric structure, we constructed, in silico and in vitro, the monomeric form of the enzyme. Molecular dynamics simulations showed different geometries of the active site in the non-mutated trimeric and monomeric PNP forms, which suggested that the active site in the isolated monomer could be non-functional. To confirm this hypothesis, six amino acids located at the interface of the subunits were selected and mutated to alanines to disrupt the trimer and obtain a monomer (6Ala PNP). The effects of these mutations on the enzyme structure, stability, conformational dynamics, and activity were examined. The solution experiments confirmed that the 6Ala PNP mutant occurs mainly as a monomer, with a secondary structure almost identical to the wild type, WT PNP, and importantly, it shows no enzymatic activity. Simulations confirmed that, although the secondary structure of the 6Ala monomer is similar to the WT PNP, the positions of the amino acids building the 6Ala PNP active site significantly differ. These data suggest that a trimeric structure is necessary to stabilize the geometry of the active site of this enzyme.

A Direct OnFlow Assay to Monitor the Activity of Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A Direct OnFlow Assay to Monitor the Activity of Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Effects of quercetin and metabolites on uric acid biosynthesis and consequences for gene expression in the endothelium

BackgroundUric acid, a metabolic product of purine degradation in humans, is a risk factor for developing gout and type 2 diabetes, and supplementation with quercetin lowers plasma uric acid in mildly hyperuricemic men. Here we examined the mechanism of inhibition of enzymes involved in uric acid metabolism by quercetin, conjugates and microbial catabolites, and measured the effect of lowered circulating uric acid on endothelial cell gene expression. MethodsInhibition of adenosine deaminase (ADA), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) and xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) activity by quercetin and metabolites was determined by HPLC. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured under conditions mimicking blood flow, treated with uric acid (0, 300 or 500 μmol/L), and changes in gene expression measured using transcriptomics and quantitative droplet digital PCR. ResultsIn human plasma, no inhibition of PNP activity was observed, and only quercetin weakly inhibited ADA. XOR was not present at sufficient amount in human plasma to use for testing, but quercetin, quercetin-3′-sulfate and the gut microbial metabolite 3′,4′-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid inhibited bovine milk XOR. Several changes were observed in gene expression in HUVECs under flow compared to static conditions, but after uric acid treatment, only very few changes were detected. ConclusionsWe propose that the main mechanism by which quercetin, as quercetin-3′-sulfate, lowers uric acid in vivo is through inhibition of XOR, and not ADA nor PNP. The pertinent shift in uric acid concentration was not sufficient to produce significant changes in endothelial gene expression in a cell model.

Энзимное профилирование плазмы крови и лимфоцитов при системной красной волчанке: фокус на ферменты пуринового и пиримидинового метаболизма

Изучение метаболизма пуриновых и пиримидиновых оснований при системной красной волчанке в настоящее время является актуальным направлением, как с позиций фундаментальной науки, так и в аспекте разработки инновационных средств лечения. Не менее важным является и энзимное профилирование, поскольку именно ферменты - перспективные предикторы ответа на терапию и удобные «мишени» для терапевтических воздействий. Цель исследования - описание профиля активности ключевых ферментов пуринового и пиримидинового метаболизма в плазме крови и в лизатах циркулирующих лимфоцитов у больных системной красной волчанкой. Методика. В плазме крови и лизатах лимфоцитов 50 больных системной красной волчанкой определяли активность комплекса из 10 ферментов пуринового и пиримидинового метаболизма. В качестве контроля использовали образцы 30 здоровых лиц. Оценка степени активности проводилась с использованием шкалы индексов ECLAM. Выделение лимфоцитов из венозной периферической крови проводили c помощью метода седиментации в градиенте плотности. Результаты. У больных системной красной волчанкой была установлена зависимость активности ферментов пуринового пиримидинового метаболизма от тяжести заболевания. Прямые корреляционные связи с индексом ECLAM выявлены в плазменной активности пуриннуклеозидфосфорилазы, аденозинкиназы, урацил/тимидиндегидрогеназы, ИМФ-дегидрогеназы, цитидиндезаминазы, тимидинкиназы, дигидрооротатдегидрогеназы, а также у активности аденозинкиназы, ИМФ-дегидрогеназы и тимидинкиназы в лизатах лимфоцитов. Обратные корреляционные связи с индексом ECLAM выявлены для аденозиндезаминазы, тимидинфосфорилазы в плазме и активности пуриннуклеозидфосфорилазы, аденозиндезаминазы, гуанилаткиназы, урацил/тимидиндегидрогеназы, цитидиндезаминазы, тимидинфосфорилазы, дигидрооротатдегидрогеназы в лизатах лимфоцитов. При системной красной волчанке в плазме наиболее информативными оказались показатели минимальной активности пуриннуклеозидфосфорилазы, аденозинкиназы и ИМФ-дегидрогеназы, в лимфоцитах - пуриннуклеозидфосфорилазы, аденозиндезаминазы и аденозинкиназы. Заключение. Изученные энзимные показатели можно использовать в качестве дополнительных маркеров активности системной красной волчанке. Purine and pyrimidine metabolic pathways are emerging topical areas of research from the perspective of both basic science and development of innovative therapies for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is particularly important, therefore, to disclose characteristic enzymatic patterns for further prediction of the response to treatment. Objective: to characterize activity patterns of the major enzymes of purine and pyrimidine metabolic pathways in SLE. Methods. Samples were obtained from 50 patients with verified SLE and 30 healthy controls. Disease activity was assessed using the ECLAM scale. Blood lymphocytes were isolated by a standard density gradient centrifugation procedure. Activities of 10 major purine and pyrimidine enzymes were measured in blood plasma and lysed lymphocytes. Results. For different enzyme groups, enzyme activities directly or inversely correlated with SLE severity. Plasma purine nucleoside phosphorylase, adenosine kinase, uracil/thymidine dehydrogenase, IMP dehydrogenase, cytidine deaminase, thymidine kinase, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, and lymphocyte adenosine kinase, IMP dehydrogenase, and thymidine kinase activities positively correlated with the ECLAM score. Negative correlations with ECLAM score were found for plasma adenosine deaminase and thymidine phosphorylase, and for lymphocyte purine nucleoside phosphorylase, adenosine deaminase, guanylate kinase, uracil/thymidine dehydrogenase, cytidine deaminase, thymidine phosphorylase, and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase. Activities of plasma purine nucleoside phosphorylase, adenosine kinase, IMP dehydrogenase, and lymphocyte purine nucleoside phosphorylase, adenosine deaminase, and adenosine kinase activities had the highest correlations with minimal SLE activity and represented candidate markers for the disease severity. Conclusion. The studied enzymatic patterns can be used as auxiliary markers of SLE activity, with special emphasis on minimal disease activity.

Development of a new HPLC method using fluorescence detection without derivatization for determining purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity in human plasma.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) activity is involved in cell survival and function, since PNP is a key enzyme in the purine metabolic pathway where it catalyzes the phosphorolysis of the nucleosides to the corresponding nucleobases. Its dysfunction has been found in relevant pathological conditions (such as inflammation and cancer), so the detection of PNP activity in plasma could represent an attractive marker for early diagnosis or assessment of disease progression. Thus the aim of this study was to develop a simple, fast and sensitive HPLC method for the determination of PNP activity in plasma. The separation was achieved on a Phenomenex Kinetex PFP column using 0.1% formic acid in water and methanol as mobile phases in gradient elution mode at a flow rate of 1ml/min and purine compounds were detected using UV absorption and fluorescence. The analysis was fast since the run was achieved within 13min. This method improved the separation of the different purines, allowing the UV-based quantification of the natural PNP substrates (inosine and guanosine) or products (hypoxanthine and guanine) and its subsequent metabolic products (xanthine and uric acid) with a good precision and accuracy. The most interesting innovation is the simultaneous use of a fluorescence detector (excitation/emission wavelength of 260/375nm) that allowed the quantification of guanosine and guanine without derivatization. Compared with UV, the fluorescence detection improved the sensitivity for guanine detection by about 10-fold and abolished almost completely the baseline noise due to the presence of plasma in the enzymatic reaction mixture. Thus, the validated method allowed an excellent evaluation of PNP activity in plasma which could be useful as an indicator of several pathological conditions.

Dietary Modulation of Thymic Enzymes

Malnutrition is a complex syndrome caused by an inadequate intake of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins which affects the immune system. Nutritional imbalances, present in children with energy-protein malnutrition and infections, make defining the specific effects of each of them on the thymus difficult. For this reason, it is necessary to design an experimental model in animals that could define a single variable. As the thymus atrophy described in humans is similar to that observed in murines, a rat experimental model makes the extrapolation to man possible. Some authors suggest that the activity of Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) and Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase (PNP)--involved in purine metabolism--have an influence on T lymphocyte development and the immune system, due to intracellular accumulation of toxic levels of deoxynucleotides. Studies in our group, performed in an experimental model on Wistar growing rats, have demonstrated that protein deficiency or imbalance in the profile of essential amino acids in the diet, produce loss of thymus weight, reduction in the number of thymocytes, a diminished proportion of T cells presenting the W3/13 antigenic determinant and DNA content with concomitant increase in cell size, and the proportion of immature T cells and activity of ADA and PNP, without modifying the activity of 5´Nucleotidase in the thymus. It is important to point out that there were neither differences in energy intake between experimental groups and their controls, nor clinical symptoms of deficiency of other nutrients. The increase in these thymic enzyme activities was an alternative mechanism to avoid the accumulation of high levels of deoxynucleotides, which would be toxic for T lymphocytes. On the other hand, the administration of a recovery diet, with a high amount of high quality protein, was able to reverse the mentioned effects. The quick reply of Adenosine Deaminase to nutritional disorders and the following nutritional recovery, points out to this determination as a potential functional marker of nutritional status. Some authors have demonstrated an increase in ADA activity, in serum and other biological fluids in patients with various diseases involving defense mechanisms. According to these findings, it could be inferred that ADA activity in serum would follow the same behavior as observed in a rat thymus. So, we have analyzed if its determination could be considered a functional biochemical parameter in populations at nutritional risk. We analyzed the serum ADA activity in groups of individuals with altered nutritional status evaluated through different markers--young adult patients with Nervous Anorexia, overweight or obese school children, children suffering cystic fibrosis. The results show a statistically significant increase in the ADA activity in all groups, with respect to their healthy controls--same age range and socio economic status. The results obtained to date suggest the importance of including the determination of serum Adenosine Deaminase activity in the biochemical evaluation of the nutritional status, as a functional marker related to defense mechanisms.

Nucleoside-catabolizing Enzymes in Mycoplasma-infected Tumor Cell Cultures Compromise the Cytostatic Activity of the Anticancer Drug Gemcitabine

The intracellular metabolism and cytostatic activity of the anticancer drug gemcitabine (2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine; dFdC) was severely compromised in Mycoplasma hyorhinis-infected tumor cell cultures. Pronounced deamination of dFdC to its less cytostatic metabolite 2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxyuridine was observed, both in cell extracts and spent culture medium (i.e. tumor cell-free but mycoplasma-containing) of mycoplasma-infected tumor cells. This indicates that the decreased antiproliferative activity of dFdC in such cells is attributed to a mycoplasma cytidine deaminase causing rapid drug catabolism. Indeed, the cytostatic activity of gemcitabine could be restored by the co-administration of tetrahydrouridine (a potent cytidine deaminase inhibitor). Additionally, mycoplasma-derived pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNP) activity indirectly potentiated deamination of dFdC: the natural pyrimidine nucleosides uridine, 2'-deoxyuridine and thymidine inhibited mycoplasma-associated dFdC deamination but were efficiently catabolized (removed) by mycoplasma PyNP. The markedly lower anabolism and related cytostatic activity of dFdC in mycoplasma-infected tumor cells was therefore also (partially) restored by a specific TP/PyNP inhibitor (TPI), or by exogenous thymidine. Consequently, no effect on the cytostatic activity of dFdC was observed in tumor cell cultures infected with a PyNP-deficient Mycoplasma pneumoniae strain. Because it has been reported that some commensal mycoplasma species (including M. hyorhinis) preferentially colonize tumor tissue in cancer patients, our findings suggest that the presence of mycoplasmas in the tumor microenvironment could be a limiting factor for the anticancer efficiency of dFdC-based chemotherapy. Accordingly, a significantly decreased antitumor effect of dFdC was observed in mice bearing M. hyorhinis-infected murine mammary FM3A tumors compared with uninfected tumors.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity decline is linked to the decay of the trimeric form of the enzyme

Homotrimeric mammalian purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) plays a key role in the nucleoside and nucleotide metabolic salvage pathway. Each monomer in the active PNP trimer is composed of a central β-sheet flanked by several α-helices. We investigated the stability of calf PNP using analytical ultracentrifugation, differential scanning calorimetry, circular dichroism, and UV absorption spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the activity decline (due to protein aging after isolation from cells) of wild type PNP and its two mutants with point mutations in the region of monomer–monomer interface, is accompanied by a decrease of the population of the trimeric enzyme and an increase of the population of its aggregated forms. The data do not indicate a significant population of either folded or unfolded PNP monomers. The enzyme with specific activity lower than the maximal shows a decrease of the helical structure, which can make it prone to aggregation. The presence of phosphate stabilizes the enzyme but leads to a more pronounced aggregation above the melting temperature. These results suggest that the biological role of packing of the PNP monomers into a trimeric structure is to provide the stability of the enzyme since the monomers are not stable in solution.

Isolation and substrate specificity of an adenine nucleoside phosphorylase from adult Schistosoma mansoni

An adenine nucleoside phosphorylase (ANP, EC none) activity was identified and partially purified from extracts of Schistosoma mansoni by chromatofocussing column chromatography and molecular sieving. The enzyme is distinct from purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP, EC 2.4.2.1). ANP is specific for adenine nucleosides which includes adenosine analogs modified in the aglycone, pentose or both moieties. (e.g. 2′-deoxyadenosine, 5′-deoxy-5′-methylthioadenosine, 5′-deoxy-5′-iodo-2-fluoroadenosine, etc.) The enzyme is also distinct from the mammalian 5′-deoxy-5′-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP, EC 2.4.2.28) in that it is able of the phosphorolysis of 2′-deoxyadenosine while mammalian MTAP cannot. Because of ANP unique substrate specificity, the enzyme could play a role as a target for chemotherapy of these parasites. Cytotoxic analogs may be designed as subversive substrates that are selectively activated only by the schistosomal ANP.

A purine nucleoside phosphorylase in Solanum tuberosum L. (potato) with specificity for cytokinins contributes to the duration of tuber endodormancy

StCKP1 (Solanum tuberosum cytokinin riboside phosphorylase) catalyses the interconversion of the N9-riboside form of the plant hormone CK (cytokinin), a subset of purines, with its most active free base form. StCKP1 prefers CK to unsubstituted aminopurines. The protein was discovered as a CK-binding activity in extracts of tuberizing potato stolon tips, from which it was isolated by affinity chromatography. The N-terminal amino acid sequence matched the translation product of a set of ESTs, enabling a complete mRNA sequence to be obtained by RACE-PCR. The predicted polypeptide includes a cleavable signal peptide and motifs for purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity. The expressed protein was assayed for purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity against CKs and adenine/adenosine. Isopentenyladenine, trans-zeatin, dihydrozeatin and adenine were converted into ribosides in the presence of ribose 1-phosphate. In the opposite direction, isopentenyladenosine, trans-zeatin riboside, dihydrozeatin riboside and adenosine were converted into their free bases in the presence of Pi. StCKP1 had no detectable ribohydrolase activity. Evidence is presented that StCKP1 is active in tubers as a negative regulator of CKs, prolonging endodormancy by a chill-reversible mechanism.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase and xanthine oxidase activities in erythrocytes and plasma from marine, semiaquatic and terrestrial mammals

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) and xanthine oxidase (XO) are key enzymes involved in the purine salvage pathway. PNP metabolizes purine bases to synthetize purine nucleotides whereas XO catalyzes the oxidation of purines to uric acid. In humans, PNP activity is reported to be high in erythrocytes and XO activity to be low in plasma; however, XO activity increases after ischemic events. XO activity in plasma of northern elephant seals has been reported during prolonged fasting and rest and voluntary associated apneas. The objective of this study was to analyze circulating PNP and XO activities in marine mammals adapted to tolerate repeated cycles of ischemia/reperfusion associated with diving (bottlenose dolphin, northern elephant seal) in comparison with semiaquatic (river otter) and terrestrial mammals (human, pig). PNP activities in plasma and erythrocytes, as well as XO activity in plasma, from all species were quantified by spectrophotometry. No clear relationship in circulating PNP or XO activity could be established between marine, semiaquatic and terrestrial mammals. Erythrocytes from bottlenose dolphins and humans are highly permeable to nucleosides and glucose, intraerythrocyte PNP activity may be related to a release of purine nucleotides from the liver. High-energy costs will probably mean a higher ATP degradation rate in river otters, as compared to northern elephant seals or dolphins. Lower erythrocyte PNP activity and elevated plasma XO activity in northern elephant seal could be associated with fasting and/or sleep- and dive-associated apneas.

PSS179 - Circulating Xanthine Oxidase and Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase Activities in Diving and Non-Diving Mammals

PSS179 - Circulating Xanthine Oxidase and Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase Activities in Diving and Non-Diving Mammals

生化学的および酵素組織化学的方法によるヒトTおよびBリンパ球のPurine Nucleoside Phosphorylase活性の検討

生化学的および酵素組織化学的方法によるヒトTおよびBリンパ球のPurine Nucleoside Phosphorylase活性の検討

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity and expression are upregulated in sites affected by periodontal disease

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible phosphorolysis of purine nucleosides, playing a key role in the purine salvage pathway. Activated T cells seem to rely heavily on PNP to remain functionally active and are particularly sensitive to PNP deficiency. The role of PNP in periodontal tissues has not been characterized thus far. The aim of this study therefore was to assess the activity and expression of PNP in the gingival tissues of periodontitis patients. Ten patients consecutively admitted for treatment had their periodontal clinical variables recorded and their gingival crevicular fluid collected. After periodontal treatment the patients were seen once a month for plaque and bleeding control, and had their periodontal variables recorded and gingival crevicular fluid collected at 90 and 180 d. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase-specific activity was assessed using a spectrophotometer through the addition of the PNP substrate analog 2-amino-6mercapto-7-methyl purine riboside to the gingival crevicular fluid. In parallel, PNP expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR in gingival biopsies and cell culture. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity was higher in the gingival crevicular fluid of periodontally diseased sites, which was positively correlated with improvements of the clinical variables. Treatment of periodontal disease induced a striking decrease of PNP activity in periodontally diseased sites. Expression of PNP was more pronounced in mononuclear cells and endothelial cells of the gingiva, and the mRNA levels were 5.7-fold higher in inflamed tissues compared with control samples. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity and expression are upregulated in periodontally diseased sites and can be detected in the gingival crevicular fluid.

9‐Deazaguanine derivatives connected by a linker to difluoromethylene phosphonic acid are slow‐binding picomolar inhibitors of trimeric purine nucleoside phosphorylase

Genetic deficiency of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP; EC 2.4.2.1) activity leads to a severe selective disorder of T-cell function. Therefore, potent inhibitors of mammalian PNP are expected to act as selective immunosuppressive agents against, for example, T-cell cancers and some autoimmune diseases. 9-(5',5'-difluoro-5'-phosphonopentyl)-9-deazaguanine (DFPP-DG) was found to be a slow- and tight-binding inhibitor of mammalian PNP. The inhibition constant at equilibrium (1 mm phosphate concentration) with calf spleen PNP was shown to be = 85 +/- 13 pm (pH 7.0, 25 degrees C), whereas the apparent inhibition constant determined by classical methods was two orders of magnitude higher ( = 4.4 +/- 0.6 nm). The rate constant for formation of the enzyme/inhibitor reversible complex is (8.4 +/- 0.5) x 10(5) m(-1).s(-1), which is a value that is too low to be diffusion-controlled. The picomolar binding of DFPP-DG was confirmed by fluorimetric titration, which led to a dissociation constant of 254 pm (68% confidence interval is 147-389 pm). Stopped-flow experiments, together with the above data, are most consistent with a two-step binding mechanism: E + I <--> (EI) <--> (EI)*. The rate constants for reversible enzyme/inhibitor complex formation (EI), and for the conformational change (EI) <--> (EI)*, are k(on1) = (17.46 +/- 0.05) x 10(5) m(-1).s(-1), k(off1) = (0.021 +/- 0.003) s(-1), k(on2) = (1.22 +/- 0.08) s(-1) and k(off2) = (0.024 +/- 0.005) s(-1), respectively. This leads to inhibition constants for the first (EI) and second (EI)* complexes of K(i) = 12.1 nM (68% confidence interval is 8.7-15.5 nm) and = 237 pm (68% confidence interval is 123-401 pm), respectively. At a concentration of 10(-4) m, DFPP-DG exhibits weak, but statistically significant, inhibition of the growth of cell lines sensible to inhibition of PNP activity, such as human adult T-cell leukaemia and lymphoma (Jurkat, HuT78 and CCRF-CEM). Similar inhibitory activities of the tested compound were noted on the growth of lymphocytes collected from patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease. The observed weak cytotoxicity may be a result of poor membrane permeability.

Effects of some modulators on purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity in myocardial tissue

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) in mammalian tissue is an enzyme responsible for formation of purine bases in DNA. It is also believed that PNP is crucial under energy-deprived conditions for the cell to metabolise adenosine during ATP degradation. This work describes a new method for determination of PNP activity in myocardial tissue using a commercially available substrate, 2-amino-6-mercapto-7-methylpurine riboside (MESG). The method involves the photometric assessment of the reaction between PNP (extracted from myocardial tissue) and MESG. Quantification as well as temperature- and pH-dependency for myocardial PNP activity is described. Also, the effect of some modulators has been studied. We have established the presence of PNP activity in pig myocardial tissue. Further, the results indicate a pH tolerance under slightly acid conditions and a calcium ion dependence of the enzyme.

Sensing purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity by using silver nanoparticles

In this paper, an electrochemical biosensor to assay purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) activity is reported. Due to the facilitation of sliver nanoparticles, which are modified on an electrode surface, to the electron transfer reactivity of guanosine and guanine, the electrochemical response of these species can clearly reveal the activity of the enzyme PNP. This electrochemical biosensor for the assay of PNP activity may have a broad linear range of 4–20 unit/mL with a detection limit of 0.1 unit/mL, which is good enough for clinical applications. Meanwhile, on the basis of the finding that guanosine and guanine can induce silver nanoparticles to different agglomeration degrees, we have also developed a rapid UV–vis spectroscopy assay method for PNP activity. This work may show acceptable reliability and specificity for the assay of PNP activity, and may avoid the utilization of coupled enzymes or radiochemical reagents, which are required to the previous reports.

Deficiency of purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity in thymocytes from the immunodeficient diabetic BB rat

The spontaneously diabetic BB (BBd) rat displays marked T lymphopenia. The present study was designed to investigate whether the immunodeficiency in this animal may be associated with deficiency of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) and possibly adenosine deaminase (ADA). The activities of these two enzymes were measured in lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells from both non-diabetes-prone (BBn) and BBd rats as well as from streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ) BBn rats. There were no significant differences between BBn and BBd rats in ADA activities in thymocytes, skeletal muscle or brain. However, ADA activity was increased (P less than 0.01) by 50% in BBd mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes and splenocytes as compared with BBn cells, but was not altered in cells from STZ-BBn rats. On the other hand, the PNP activity in BBd thymocytes was only 61% (P less than 0.01) of that observed in BBn cells. This PNP deficiency was not the consequence of diabetes per se, as its activity was normal in thymocytes from STZ-BBn rats. There were no significant differences in PNP activities between BBn and BBd rats in all other cell types examined. The diabetic BB rat may be a novel source of PNP-deficient thymocytes (mainly immature T cells) for studying biochemical mechanisms of immunodeficiency in association with decreased PNP activity. The findings also raise the question of whether a causal relationship exists between PNP deficiency and the recently demonstrated abnormality in T cell maturation in the thymus of the BBd rat.

Uric Acid and Neuroprotection

To the Editor: Having arguably originated both sides and after long-equivocation over whether urate is physiologically primarily pro- or antioxidant, we finally declared in favor of a neuroprotective role in acute ischemic stroke.1 But, as Dawson et al2 note, this leaves unanswered the role of xanthine oxidase and the putative pro-oxidant role of urate in atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, and so forth.3–6 Perhaps treatment will ultimately involve both allopurinol and urate. Besides the work of Chamorro and others, our support for an acute neuroprotective role is based on new …