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Biomedical subjects

C L Peebles

Publications and source records attributed to C L Peebles.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Serologic studies in patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

Thirty-two patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) were screened for the presence of antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and autoantibodies associated with Sjögren's syndrome (designated SS-A and SS-B). None of these patients had or were found to have clinical evidence of connective-tissue disease. The conditions of 19 (59%) patients were antinuclear-antibody-positive and 18 (56%) were rheumatoid-factor-positive. We found SS-A and/or SS-B autoantibodies in ten (31%) patients. There seems to be a high incidence of serologic abnormalities in patients with KCS, even when those patients with connective-tissue disease are excluded. Serologic testing seems to be a useful adjunct in the early diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome. The presence of SS-A and SS-B autoantibodies correlated well with the clinical diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome and seemed to identify the conditions of patients who may have a higher incidence of systemic complications with KCS.

Adult↗

Splicing of yeast tRNA precursors: a two-stage reaction.

Soluble extracts of S. cerevisiae splice tRNA precursors which contain intervening sequences. The reaction goes to completion and requires ATP for the production of mature sequence tRNA. In the absence of ATP, half-tRNA molecules accumulate. Similar half-tRNA molecules appear as kinetic intermediates and accumulate if splicing is inhibited with pure, mature tRNA. Half-tRNA molecules have been purified. These half-tRNAs are efficiently ligated in an ATP-dependent reaction that is inhibited by added mature tRNA. The product of ligation is the expected mature sequence tRNA. The excised intervening sequence has also been identified. These results suggest an enzymatic mechanism for splicing which involves two independent steps.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Splicing of yeast tRNA precursors: structure of the reaction intermediates.

The intermediates of the yeast tRNA splicing reaction have been characterized. The intervening sequence is excised as an unique linear molecule. It has 5'-hydroxyl and 3'-phosphate termini. Correspondingly, the half-tRNA molecules are shown to have a 3'-phosphate terminus on the 5' half and 5'-hydroxyl terminus on the 3' half. These isolated halves have been shown to be active in the ligation step of tRNA splicing. Removal of the 3'-phosphate from the 5' half eliminates the ability of the 5' half to participate in ligation.

Base Sequence↗

A topoisomerase from Escherichia coli related to DNA gyrase.

We have identified a topoisomerase activity from Escherichia coli related to DNA gyrase (topoisomerase II): we designate it topoisomerase II'. It was constructed of two subunits, which were purified separately. One is the product of the gyrA (formerly nalA) gene and is identical to subunit A of DNA gyrase. The other is a 50,000-dalton protein, which we have purified to homogeneity and call v. v may be a processed form of the much larger gyrase subunit B or may be derived from a transcript of part of the subunit B structural gene, because preliminary peptide maps of the two subunits are similar. Topoisomerase II' relaxes negatively supercoiled DNA and, uniquely among E. coli topoisomerases, relaxes positive supercoils efficiently. It is the only topoisomerase that can introduce positive supercoils; these are stoichiometric with enzyme molecules. Topoisomerase II' resembles gyrase in its sensitivity to oxolinic acid, the wrapping of DNA in an apparent positive supercoil around the enzyme, and the introduction in an aborted reaction of site-specific double-strand breaks in the DNA with concomitant covalent attachment of protein to both newly created 5' ends. Unlike DNA gyrase, topoisomerase II' has no negative supercoiling activity. Functional chimeric topoisomerases were constructed with the alpha subunit of the Micrococcus luteus gyrase and v or gyrase subunit B from E. coli. We discuss the implications of the dual of the gyrA gene product.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Energy coupling in DNA gyrase and the mechanism of action of novobiocin.

Escherichia coli DNA gyrase catalyzes negative supercoiling of closed duplex DNA at the expense of ATP. Two additional activities of the enzyme that have illuminated the energy coupling component of the supercoiling reaction are the DNA-dependent hydrolysis of ATP to ADP and P(i) and the alteration by ATP of the DNA site specificity of the gyrase cleavage reaction. This cleavage of both DNA strands results from treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate of the stable gyrase-DNA complex that is trapped by the inhibitor oxolinic acid. Either ATP or a nonhydrolyzable analogue, adenyl-5'-yl-imidodiphosphate (App[NH]p), shifts the primary cleavage site on ColE1 DNA. The prevention by novobiocin and coumermycin A(1) of this cleavage rearrangement places the site of action of the antibiotics at a reaction step prior to ATP hydrolysis. The step blocked is the binding of ATP because coumermycin A(1) and novobiocin interact competitively with ATP in the ATPase and supercoiling assays; the K(i) values are more than four orders of magnitude less than the K(m) for ATP. This simple mechanism accounts for all effects of the drugs on DNA gyrase. Studies with App[NH]p, another potent competitive inhibitor of reactions catalyzed by gyrase, show that cleavage of a high energy bond is not required for driving DNA into the higher energy supercoiled form. With substrate levels of gyrase, App[NH]p induces supercoiling that is proportional to the amount of enzyme; a -0.3 superhelical turn was introduced per gyrase protomer A. We postulate that ATP and App[NH]p are allosteric effectors of a conformational change of gyrase that leads to one round of supercoiling. Nucleotide dissociation favored by hydrolysis of ATP returns gyrase to its original conformation and thereby permits enzyme turnover. Such cyclic conformational changes accompanying alteration in nucleotide affinity also seem to be a common feature of energy transduction in other diverse processes including muscle contraction, protein synthesis, and oxidative phosphorylation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Purification of subunits of Escherichia coli DNA gyrase and reconstitution of enzymatic activity.

Extensively purified DNA gyrase from Escherichia coli is inhibited by nalidixic acid and by novobiocin. The enzyme is composed of two subunits, A and B, which were purified as separate components. Subunit A is the product of the gene controlling sensitivity to nalidixic acid (nalA) because: (i) the electrophoretic mobility of subunit A in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate is identical to that of the 105,000-dalton nalA gene product; (ii) mutants that are resistant to nalidixic acid (nalA(r)) produce a drug-resistant subunit A; and (iii) wild-type subunit A confers drug sensitivity to in vitro synthesis of varphiX174 DNA directed by nalA(r) mutants. Subunit B contains a 95,000-dalton polypeptide and is controlled by the gene specifying sensitivity to novobiocin (cou) because cou(r) mutants produce a novobiocin-resistant subunit B and novobiocin-resitant gyrase is made drug sensitive by wild-type subunit B. Subunits A and B associate, so that gyrase was also purified as a complex containing 105,000- and 95,000-dalton polypeptides. This enzyme and gyrase reconstructed from subunits have the same drug sensitivity, K(m) for ATP, and catalytic properties. The same ratio of subunits gives efficient reconstitution of the reactions intrinsic to DNA gyrase, including catalysis of supercoiling of closed duplex DNA, relaxation of supercoiled DNA in the absence of ATP, and site-specific cleavage of DNA induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate.

DNA, Bacterial↗

Microhemagglutination test for detection of antibodies to nuclear Sm and ribonucleoprotein antigens in systemic lupus erythematosus and related diseases.

A reproducible hemagglutination procedure to detect antibodies to Sm and ribonucleoprotein nuclear antigens is described. The application and interpretation is discussed. The hemagglutination test was found to be more sensitive than the immunodiffusion test; however, the hemagglutination test may not detect the presence of low titers of anti-ribonucleoprotein in the presence of a high level of anti-Sm antibody. Anti-ribonucleoprotein antibodies in the presence of high titers of anti-Sm antibodies are best identified by gel precipitation methods where precipitin lines can be characterized by their interaction with precipitin lines produced by known prototype antisera.

Animals↗

Mechanism of action of nalidixic acid: purification of Escherichia coli nalA gene product and its relationship to DNA gyrase and a novel nicking-closing enzyme.

A target protein for nalidixic and oxolinic acids in Escherichia coli, the nalA gene product (Pnal), was purified to homogeneity as judged by gel electrophoresis, using an in vitro complementation assay. It is a dimer of identical 110,000-dalton subunits. A polypeptide of this molecular weight is uniquely induced by a lambda nalA transducing phage, thereby showing that the purified Pnal is a product of the nalA gene. Nalidixic and oxolinic acids inhibit DNA gyrase activity and induce formation of a relaxation complex analogue. Treatment of the complex with sodium dodecyl sulfate causes a doublestrand break in the DNA substrate and the resulting linear molecule seems covalently bound to protein. Complex formation, unlike the introduction of supertwists, does not require ATP or relaxed circular DNA and is insensitive to novobiocin. DNA gyrase from a strain with a nalA mutation conferring drug resistance (nalA(r)) is 1/100 as sensitive to oxolinic and nalidixic acids with respect to inhibition of supertwisting and induction of the pre-linearization complex. Addition of Pnal restores drug sensitivity and stimulates DNA gyrase activity. DNA gyrase preparations and Pnal catalyze a third reaction sensitive to nalidixic and oxolinic acids, the ATP-independent relaxation of supertwister DNA. Relaxation by gyrase from nalA(r) cells is drug resistant. The nicking-closing activity is distinct from E. coli omega protein in several properties, including the ability to relax positively supertwisted DNA. We postulate that the nalA gene product occurs in two molecular forms, as Pnal and as a gyrase component. Both forms catalyze nicking-closing, and inhibition of this activity by nalidixic and oxolinic acids may account for the inhibition of DNA synthesis by these drugs.

Bacterial Proteins↗