Impact of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine on (deoxy)ribonucleotide metabolism and nucleic acid synthesis in tumor cells.
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Following exposure to 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (an inhibitor of the cellular DNA polymerases alpha, delta and epsilon), human erythroleukemia K562, human T-lymphoid CEM and murine leukemia L1210 cells markedly accumulated in the S phase of the cell cycle. In contrast to DNA replication, RNA synthesis (transcription) and protein synthesis (mRNA translation) were not affected by 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-adenine. The ribonucleoside triphosphate pools were slightly elevated, while the intracellular levels of all four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates were 1.5-4-fold increased in 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine-treated K562, CEM and L1210 cells. The effect of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine on de novo (thymidylate synthase-mediated) and salvage (thymidine kinase-mediated) dTTP synthesis was investigated using radio-labelled nucleoside precursors. The amount of thymidylate synthase-derived dTTP in the acid soluble pool was 2-4-fold higher in PMEA-treated than in untreated K562 cells, which is in accord with the 3-4-fold expansion of the global dTTP level in the presence of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine. Strikingly, 2-derived dTTP accumulated to a much higher extent (i.e. 16-40-fold) in the soluble dTTP pool upon 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine treatment. In keeping with this finding, a markedly increased thymidine kinase activity could be demonstrated in extracts of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine-treated K562 cell cultures. Also, in the presence of 200 microM 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine, 14-fold less thymidylate synthase-derived but only 3-fold less thymidine kinase-derived dTTP was incorporated into the DNA of the K562 cells. These data show that thymidine incorporation may be inappropriate as a cell proliferation marker in the presence of DNA synthesis inhibitors such as 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine. Our findings indicate that 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine causes a peculiar pattern of (deoxy)ribonucleotide metabolism deregulation in drug-treated tumor cells, as a result of the metabolic block imposed by the drug on the S phase of the cell cycle. (+info)
Transfer of the 1-pro-R and the 1-pro-S hydrogen atoms of ethanol in metabolic reductions in vivo.
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The transfer of deuterium from [1 R-2H]ethanol and [1 S-2H]-ethanol to reduced metabolites of administered compounds was measured in female rats provided with bile fistulas. Administered cyclohexanone was reduced to cyclohexanol, and in this reduction hydrogen was transferred only from the 1-pro-R position of the ethanol. The deuterium content in the cyclohexanol was about 67% of that in the ethanol. In the reduction of the 17-oxo group in 3beta-hydroxy-5alpha-androstan-17-one, hydrogen was transferred both from the 1-pro-R position and the 1-pro-S position, resulting in degrees of labelling that were about 25% and 2%, respectively, of those in the specific positions of the ethanols. The 1-pro-R and 1-pro-S positions of ethanol contributed about 9% and 5%, respectively, of the 3beta hydrogen in lithocholic acid formed from 3-oxo-5beta-cholanoic acid. The results indicate that alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase do not share a common pool of NAD, and that NADH formed during acetaldehyde oxidation is utilized for reductions in the cytosol to a smaller extent than the NADH formed in the alcohol dehydrogenase reaction. This result supports the concept that aldehyde oxidation is mainly an intramitochondrial process. The relatively extensive utilization of the 1-pro-S hydrogen of ethanol in the reduction of 3-oxo-5beta-cholanoic acid, that is probably NADPH-dependent, indicates that cytosolic NADPH may be produced from malate or isocitrate formed intramitochondrially. (+info)
Kinetics of thyroglobulin iodination and of hormone synthesis catalysed by thyroid peroxidase. Role of iodide in the coupling reaction.
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The kinetics of tyrosine iodination and of thyroxine synthesis in thyroglobulin, different reactions catalyzed by the same enzyme (thyroid peroxidase), have been compared. Thyroxine synthesis always began after a lag period of 3-5 min. This lag was constant whatever the rate of iodination; this rate of iodination was increased either by increasing the concentration of iodide or enzyme or by decreasing the concentration of thyroglobulin. Increasing the rate of iodination resulted in increasing the number of iodine atoms incorporated during the lag period. Thus the lag observed for thyroxine synthesis was constant and did not depend on the fact that free iodide or non-iodinated tyrosine residues of thyroglobulin were exhausted before thyroxine synthesis occurred. Finally, it appeared that, whatever the explanation of the lag, the enzyme catlyzes thyroid hormone synthesis at a slower rate than iodination. The existence of a lag also allowed us to prepare thyroglobulin samples with different iodine contents but without thyroid hormones. Thus iodination and thyroxine synthesis could be studied independently and the following results were obtained. 1. Iodotyrosine residues which can couple to form thytoxine are made considerably before coupling occurs. 2. H2O2 is required for coupling of these hormonogenic residues; thus the coupling reaction requires enzymic oxidation of the iodotyrosine residues. 3. In addition a strict requirement for iodide was needed for coupling; the requirement was dependent on the concentration of iodide. Thus iodide, a substrate of the iodination reaction, may also have other effects on the activity of thyroid peroxidase. (+info)
Quantitative determination of N-acetylglucosamine residues at the non-reducing ends of peptidoglycan chains by enzymic attachment of [14C]-D-galactose.
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The ability of human milk galactosyltransferase to attach D-galactose residues quantitatively to the C-4 of N-acetylglucosamine moieties at the ends of oligosaccharides has been utilized for the specific labeling and quantitative determination of the chain length of the glycan moiety of the bacterial cell wall. The average polysaccharide chain length of the soluble, uncrosslinked peptidoglycan secreted by Micrococcus luteus cells on incubation with penicillin G was studied with this technique and found to be approximately 70 hexosamines long. Furthermore, the peptidoglycan chain length of Escherichia coli sacculi of different cell shapes and dimensions was determined both in rod-shaped cells and in filaments induced by temperature shift of a division mutant or by addition of cephalexin or nalidixic acid. The average chain length found in most of these sacculi was between 70 and 100 hexosamines long. Small spherical 'mini' cells had chain lengths similar to those of the isogenic rod-like cells. (+info)
Radioactive labelling of ribosomal proteins with reductive alkylation and its use in studying ribosome-cytosol interactions.
(5/3036)
Mouse brain ribosomes were radioactively labelled by a cell-free reductive alkylation reaction with NaBH4 and [14C]formaldehyde. The radioactivity was largely associated with ribosomal proteins, but little, if any, of the rRNA was radioactive after the alkylation procedure. Both ribosomal structural proteins and loosely associated components were successfully labelled by this procedure. The sedimentation properties of the ribosomes were unaltered and their ability to carry out poly(U)-directed protein synthesis, although decreased, was largely retained. Incubation of 14C-labelled ribosomes with brain cytosol resulted in a 17% loss of radioactivity, although treatment of the ribosomes with 1.0 m-KCl to remove the loosely associated factors rendered the ribonucleoprotein particles resistant to cytosol effects. The ribosome-cytosol interactions did not appear to be related to an exchange process, since the released radioactivity was largely degraded to acid-soluble material. In addition, the incubation of native ribosomes with brain cytosol resulted in an almost complete loss in the ability of the ribosomes to participate in cell-free protein synthesis. (+info)
Intratumoral distribution of two consecutive injections of chimeric antibody G250 in primary renal cell carcinoma: implications for fractionated dose radioimmunotherapy.
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Tumor uptake of the chimeric G250 (cG250) monoclonal antibody (mAb) in patients with primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the highest reported in solid tumors. However, as observed in other tumor types, the intratumoral distribution of the antibody is highly heterogeneous, which may limit the efficacy of radioimmunotherapy. A number of highly dynamic physiological factors have been postulated that may contribute to heterogeneous tumor uptake of antibodies. Their impact on tumor uptake of antibodies may vary from one tumor region to another as well as from one day to the next. Here, we report on a clinical study that was designed to investigate whether the pattern of mAb cG250 uptake within RCC tumors is altered with subsequent injections. Ten patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary RCC were studied. Nine days before surgery, patients received 125I-cG250 (5 mg of cG250, 50 microCi of 125I), followed by a second injection of 131I-cG250 (5 mg of cG250, 3.5 mCi of 131I) 4 days later. Postsurgery, the tumor was cut into (1-cm) thick slices. Slices were imaged on a gamma camera, and the slice with the most pronounced heterogeneity in 131I-cG250 distribution was selected and cut into 1-cm3 cubes. Each cube was analyzed for 121I-cG250 and 131I-cG250 uptake, and the 131I/125I ratio was determined. For each tumor slice, the distribution patterns of both isotopes were reconstructed and compared with each other. All tumors analyzed showed a heterogeneous distribution of both isotopes throughout the tumor slice; focal uptake in some areas of a tumor reached very high levels (up to 0.19% injected dose/g), whereas other tumorous areas of the same slice showed much lower uptake (as low as 0.0047% injected dose/g). Remarkably, in all tumors, the distribution pattern of both injections was identical: without exception, in all samples analyzed (n = 692), the uptake of 125I-cG250 was similar to 131I-cG250 uptake. Overall, the 131I/125I ratio was 1.64+/-0.31 (mean+/-SD). The constant 131I/125I ratios, observed in all tumor samples investigated, indicate that the tumor parameters governing cG250 mAb uptake were not altered significantly within the time period studied. In addition, the results of this study suggest that multiple radiolabeled antibody injections, administered within short time periods, will target the same areas within a tumor and, thus, will not solve the problem of heterogeneous tumor uptake of antibody. (+info)
Structures of the M2 channel-lining segments from nicotinic acetylcholine and NMDA receptors by NMR spectroscopy.
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The structures of functional peptides corresponding to the predicted channel-lining M2 segments of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and of a glutamate receptor of the NMDA subtype (NMDAR) were determined using solution NMR experiments on micelle samples, and solid-state NMR experiments on bilayer samples. Both M2 segments form straight transmembrane alpha-helices with no kinks. The AChR M2 peptide inserts in the lipid bilayer at an angle of 12 degrees relative to the bilayer normal, with a rotation about the helix long axis such that the polar residues face the N-terminal side of the membrane, which is assigned to be intracellular. A model built from these solid-state NMR data, and assuming a symmetric pentameric arrangement of M2 helices, results in a funnel-like architecture for the channel, with the wide opening on the N-terminal intracellular side. (+info)
15N-labelling and preliminary heteronuclear NMR study of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough cytochrome c553.
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When using heteronuclear NMR, 15N-labelling is necessary for structural analysis, dynamic studies and determination of complex formation. The problems that arise with isotopic labelling of metalloproteins are due to their complex maturation process, which involves a large number of factors. Cytochromes c are poorly expressed in Escherichia coli and the overexpression that is necessary for 15N-labelling, requires an investigation of the expression host and special attention to growth conditions. We have succeeded in the heterologous expression and the complete and uniform isotopic 15N-labelling of the cytochrome c553 from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, in a sulphate-reducing bacterium, D. desulfuricans G200, by using a growth medium combining 15N-ammonium chloride and 15N-Celtone. These conditions allowed us to obtain approximately 0.8 mg x L-1 of pure labelled cytochrome c553. 1H and 15N-assignments for both the oxidized and the reduced states of cytochrome c553 were obtained from two-dimensional heteronuclear experiments. Pseudocontact effects due to the haem Fe3+ have been analysed for the first time through 15N and 1H chemical shifts in a c-type cytochrome. (+info)