(1/704) Antisense RNA strategies for metabolic engineering of Clostridium acetobutylicum.

We examined the effectiveness of antisense RNA (as RNA) strategies for metabolic engineering of Clostridium acetobutylicum. Strain ATCC 824(pRD4) was developed to produce a 102-nucleotide asRNA with 87% complementarity to the butyrate kinase (BK) gene. Strain ATCC 824(pRD4) exhibited 85 to 90% lower BK and acetate kinase specific activities than the control strain. Strain ATCC 824(pRD4) also exhibited 45 to 50% lower phosphotransbutyrylase (PTB) and phosphotransacetylase specific activities than the control strain. This strain exhibited earlier induction of solventogenesis, which resulted in 50 and 35% higher final concentrations of acetone and butanol, respectively, than the concentrations in the control. Strain ATCC 824(pRD1) was developed to putatively produce a 698-nucleotide asRNA with 96% complementarity to the PTB gene. Strain ATCC 824(pRD1) exhibited 70 and 80% lower PTB and BK activities, respectively, than the control exhibited. It also exhibited 300% higher levels of a lactate dehydrogenase activity than the control exhibited. The growth yields of ATCC 824(pRD1) were 28% less than the growth yields of the control. While the levels of acids were not affected in ATCC 824(pRD1) fermentations, the acetone and butanol concentrations were 96 and 75% lower, respectively, than the concentrations in the control fermentations. The lower level of solvent production by ATCC 824(pRD1) was compensated for by approximately 100-fold higher levels of lactate production. The lack of any significant impact on butyrate formation fluxes by the lower PTB and BK levels suggests that butyrate formation fluxes are not controlled by the levels of the butyrate formation enzymes.  (+info)

(2/704) Immunofluorescence detection of ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) proteins with their carboxyl-terminal threonine phosphorylated in cultured cells and tissues.

Ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) proteins are thought to play an important role in organizing cortical actin-based cytoskeletons through cross-linkage of actin filaments with integral membrane proteins. Recent in vitro biochemical studies have revealed that ERM proteins phosphorylated on their COOH-terminal threonine residue (CPERMs) are active in their cross-linking activity, but this has not yet been evaluated in vivo. To immunofluorescently visualize CPERMs in cultured cells as well as tissues using a mAb specific for CPERMs, we developed a new fixation protocol using trichloroacetic acid (TCA) as a fixative. Immunoblotting analyses in combination with immunofluorescence microscopy showed that TCA effectively inactivated soluble phosphatases, which maintained the phosphorylation level of CPERMs during sample processing for immunofluorescence staining. Immunofluorescence microscopy with TCA-fixed samples revealed that CPERMs were exclusively associated with plasma membranes in a variety of cells and tissues, whereas total ERM proteins were distributed in both the cytoplasm and plasma membranes. Furthermore, the amounts of CPERMs were shown to be regulated in a cell and tissue type-dependent manner. These findings favored the notion that phosphorylation of the COOH-terminal threonine plays a key role in the regulation of the cross-linking activity of ERM proteins in vivo.  (+info)

(3/704) Dibromopropanone cross-linking of the phosphopantetheine and active-site cysteine thiols of the animal fatty acid synthase can occur both inter- and intrasubunit. Reevaluation of the side-by-side, antiparallel subunit model.

The objective of this study was to test a new model for the homodimeric animal FAS which implies that the condensation reaction can be catalyzed by the amino-terminal beta-ketoacyl synthase domain in cooperation with the penultimate carboxyl-terminal acyl carrier protein domain of either subunit. Treatment of animal fatty acid synthase dimers with dibromopropanone generates three new molecular species with decreased electrophoretic mobilities; none of these species are formed by fatty acid synthase mutant dimers lacking either the active-site cysteine of the beta-ketoacyl synthase domain (C161A) or the phosphopantetheine thiol of the acyl carrier protein domain (S2151A). A double affinity-labeling strategy was used to isolate dimers that carried one or both mutations on one or both subunits; the heterodimers were treated with dibromopropanone and analyzed by a combination of sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, gel filtration, and matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry. Thus the two slowest moving of these species, which accounted for 45 and 15% of the total, were identified as doubly and singly cross-linked dimers, respectively, whereas the fastest moving species, which accounted for 35% of the total, was identified as originating from internally cross-linked subunits. These results show that the two polypeptides of the fatty acid synthase are oriented such that head-to-tail contacts are formed both between and within subunits, and provide the first structural evidence in support of the new model.  (+info)

(4/704) Evidence for an inducible nucleotide-dependent acetone carboxylase in Rhodococcus rhodochrous B276.

The metabolism of acetone was investigated in the actinomycete Rhodococcus rhodochrous (formerly Nocardia corallina) B276. Suspensions of acetone- and isopropanol-grown R. rhodochrous readily metabolized acetone. In contrast, R. rhodochrous cells cultured with glucose as the carbon source lacked the ability to metabolize acetone at the onset of the assay but gained the ability to do so in a time-dependent fashion. Chloramphenicol and rifampin prevented the time-dependent increase in this activity. Acetone metabolism by R. rhodochrous was CO2 dependent, and 14CO2 fixation occurred concomitant with this process. A nucleotide-dependent acetone carboxylase was partially purified from cell extracts of acetone-grown R. rhodochrous by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggested that the acetone carboxylase was composed of three subunits with apparent molecular masses of 85, 74, and 16 kDa. Acetone metabolism by the partially purified enzyme was dependent on the presence of a divalent metal and a nucleoside triphosphate. GTP and ITP supported the highest rates of acetone carboxylation, while CTP, UTP, and XTP supported carboxylation at 10 to 50% of these rates. ATP did not support acetone carboxylation. Acetoacetate was determined to be the stoichiometric product of acetone carboxylation. The longer-chain ketones butanone, 2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, and 2-hexanone were substrates. This work has identified an acetone carboxylase with a novel nucleotide usage and broader substrate specificity compared to other such enzymes studied to date. These results strengthen the proposal that carboxylation is a common strategy used for acetone catabolism in aerobic acetone-oxidizing bacteria.  (+info)

(5/704) Urinary volatile constituents of the lion, Panthera leo.

The volatile components of urine from lions were investigated using GC-MS headspace techniques. Fifty-five compounds were found in the urine samples. Seven potential species-identifying compounds were found. Male lion scent marks overlapped significantly more in compound composition with other males than they did with female marks. A similar relationship was not found for the females. Males had a significantly higher absolute content of 2-butanone in their urine than females, and females had a significantly higher relative content of acetone than males. Samples from 13/16 individual lions overlapped more within the individual than they did with samples from the other individuals, but only seven significantly so.  (+info)

(6/704) Toxicokinetic interactions between orally ingested chlorzoxazone and inhaled acetone or toluene in male volunteers.

The aim of this study was to examine if the drug chlorzoxazone has any influence on the toxicokinetics of acetone and toluene. Chlorzoxazone is mainly metabolized by the same enzyme (Cytochrome P450 2E1) as ethanol and many other organic solvents. Ten male volunteers were exposed to solvent vapor (2 h, 50 watt) in an exposure chamber. Each subject was exposed to acetone only (250 ppm), acetone + chlorzoxazone, toluene (50 ppm) only, toluene + chlorzoxazone, and chlorzoxazone only. Chlorzoxazone (500 mg) was taken as two tablets 1 h prior to solvent exposure. Samples of blood, urine and exhaled air were collected before, during and until 20 h post exposure. The samples were analyzed by head-space gas chromatography (acetone and toluene) and high-performance liquid chromatography (chlorzoxazone, 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone and hippuric acid). The time-concentration curves of acetone and toluene in blood were fitted to one- and four-compartment toxicokinetic models, respectively. Intake of chlorzoxazone was associated with slight but significant increases in the area under the blood concentration-time curve (AUC) and steady state concentration of acetone in blood, along with non significant tendencies to an increased half time in blood and an increased AUC in urine. Except for a delayed excretion of hippuric acid in urine, no effects on the toluene toxicokinetics were seen after chlorzoxazone treatment. Small increases in chlorzoxazone plasma levels were seen after exposure compared to chlorzoxazone alone. These interactions, although statistically significant, seem to be small compared to the interindividual variability on metabolism and toxicokinetics.  (+info)

(7/704) Anti-tumor-promoting activity of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from grape seeds in the mouse skin two-stage initiation-promotion protocol and identification of procyanidin B5-3'-gallate as the most effective antioxidant constituent.

Procyanidins present in grape seeds are known to exert anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and anti-allergic activities, prevent skin aging, scavenge oxygen free radicals and inhibit UV radiation-induced peroxidation activity. Since most of these events are associated with the tumor promotion stage of carcinogenesis, these studies suggest that grape seed polyphenols and the procyanidins present therein could be anticarcinogenic and/or anti-tumor-promoting agents. Therefore, we assessed the anti-tumor-promoting effect of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from grape seeds (GSP) employing the 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-initiated and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-promoted SENCAR mouse skin two-stage carcinogenesis protocol as a model system. Following tumor initiation with DMBA, topical application of GSP at doses of 0.5 and 1.5 mg/mouse/application to the dorsal initiated mouse skin resulted in a highly significant inhibition of TPA tumor promotion. The observed anti-tumor-promoting effects of GSP were dose dependent and were evident in terms of a reduction in tumor incidence (35 and 60% inhibition), tumor multiplicity (61 and 83% inhibition) and tumor volume (67 and 87% inhibition) at both 0.5 and 1.5 mg GSP, respectively. Based on these results, we directed our efforts to separate and identify the individual polyphenols present in GSP and assess their antioxidant activity in terms of inhibition of epidermal lipid peroxidation. Employing HPLC followed by comparison with authentic standards for retention times in HPLC profiles, physiochemical properties and spectral analysis, nine individual polyphenols were identified as catechin, epicatechin, procyanidins B1-B5 and C1 and procyanidin B5-3'-gallate. Five of these individual polyphenols with evident structural differences, namely catechin, procyanidin B2, procyanidin B5, procyanidin C1 and procyanidin B5-3'-gallate, were assessed for antioxidant activity. All of them significantly inhibited epidermal lipid peroxidation, albeit to different levels. A structure-activity relationship study showed that with an increase in the degree of polymerization in polyphenol structure, the inhibitory potential towards lipid peroxidation increased. In addition, the position of linkage between inter-flavan units also influences lipid peroxidation activity; procyanidin isomers with a 4-6 linkage showed stronger inhibitory activity than isomers with a 4-8 linkage. A sharp increase in the inhibition of epidermal lipid peroxidation was also evident when a gallate group was linked at the 3'-hydroxy position of a procyanidin dimer. Procyanidin B5-3'-gallate showed the most potent antioxidant activity with an IC(50) of 20 microM in an epidermal lipid peroxidation assay. Taken together, for the first time these results show that grape seed polyphenols possess high anti-tumor-promoting activity due to the strong antioxidant effect of procyanidins present therein. In summary, grape seed polyphenols in general, and procyanidin B5-3'-gallate in particular, should be studied in more detail to be developed as cancer chemopreventive and/or anticarcinogenic agents.  (+info)

(8/704) Thapsigargin has similar effect on p53 protein response to benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts as TPA in mouse skin.

The level of p53 tumor suppressor protein increases in response to DNA damage caused by benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). The most used tumor promoter in the two step mouse skin carcinogenesis model, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) decreases this response in mouse skin. In this study the effect of another promoter, thapsigargin was tested on B[a]P-induced p53 response using immunohistochemistry, western blotting and immunoelectron microscopy. We also studied the localization of p53 protein after treatments with BP and TPA or thapsigargin. Thapsigargin had a TPA-like effect on the acute induction of p53 protein related to benzo[a]pyrene-7, 8-diol-9,10-epoxide-DNA adducts in the skin of C57BL/6 mouse. After B[a]P treatment, there was slightly more putatively wild-type p53 protein in nuclei than in cytoplasm of the cells. Neither TPA nor thapsigargin affected the localization of p53 protein. Since both compounds increase the level of intracellular calcium, the inhibition of the p53 response may depend on the level of intracellular calcium. Inhibition of the putatively genome-protecting increase in p53 protein may be one of the critical effects of tumor promoters.  (+info)

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