Problems in pharmacoeconomic analyses.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D Di Giorgio.
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Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae produces two groups of cyclic lipodepsipeptides (LDPs): the nona-peptides syringomycins, syringostatins, and syringotoxin (ST), and the more complex syringopeptins composed of either 22 or 25 amino acid residues (SP22 and SP25). Both classes of peptides significantly contribute to bacterial pathogenesis and their primary target of action seems to be the plasma membrane. We studied and compared the activity of some members of these two classes of LDPs on red blood cells and on model membranes (monolayers and unilamellar vesicles). All peptides induced red blood cell hemolysis. The mechanism was apparently that of a colloid-osmotic shock caused by the formation of pores, as it could be prevented by osmoticants of adequate size. Application of the Renkin equation indicated a radius of approximately 1 nm for the lesions formed by syringopeptins SP22A and SP25A, whereas those formed by syringomycin E (SRE) had a variable, dose-dependent size ranging from 0.7 up to 1.7 nm. All tested LDPs displayed surface activity, forming peptide monolayers with average molecular areas of 1.2 nm2 (SRE), 1.5 nm2 (SP22A), and 1.3 nm2 (SP25A). They also partitioned into preformed lipid monolayers occupying molecular areas that ranged from 0.6 to 1.7 nm2 depending on the peptide and the lipid composition of the film. These LDPs formed channels in lipid vesicles as indicated by the release of an entrapped fluorescent dye (calcein). The extent of permeabilization was dependent on the concentration of the peptide and the composition of the lipid vesicles, with a preference for those containing a sterol. From the dose dependence of the permeabilization it was inferred that LDPs increased membrane permeability by forming oligomeric channels containing from four to seven monomers. On average, syringopeptin oligomers were smaller than SRE and ST oligomers.
Syringopeptin 25A, a pseudomonad lipodepsipeptide, can form ion channels in planar lipid membranes. Pore conductance is around 40 pS in 0.1 M NaCl. Channel opening is strongly voltage dependent and requires a negative potential on the same side of the membrane where the toxin was added. These pores open and close with a lifetime of several seconds. At negative voltages, an additional pore state of around 10 pS and a lifetime of around 30 ms is also present. The voltage dependence of the rates of opening and closing of the stable pores is exponential. This allows estimation of the equivalent charge that is moved across the membrane during the process of opening at about 2.6 elementary charges. When NaCl is present, the pore is roughly 3 times more permeant for anions than for cations. The current voltage characteristic of the pore is nonlinear, i.e., pore conductance is larger at negative than at positive voltages. The maximal conductance of the pore depends on the concentration of the salt present, in a way that varies almost linearly with the conductivity of the solution. From this, an estimate of a minimal pore radius of 0.4 nm was derived.
The structure of the corpeptins, bioactive lipodepsipeptides produced in culture by Pseudomonas corrugata, the causal agent of tomato pith necrosis, has been determined. The combined use of FAB-mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy and chemical procedures has allowed us to assign the following primary structure to the peptide moiety: Dhb-Pro-Ala-Ala-Ala-Val-Val-Dhb-Hse-Val-alle-Dhp-Ala-Ala-Ala-Val-D hb-aThr-Ala-Dab-Ser-Ile with the terminal carboxy group closing a macrocyclic ring on the hydroxy group of the allo-threonine residue. The N-terminus is in turn acylated by 3-hydroxydecanoate in corpeptin A and by cis-3-hydroxy-5-dodecenoate in corpeptin B. Some preliminary data on the biological activity of corpeptins are included.
Similarly to other Pseudomonas lipodepsinonapeptides, pseudomycin A inhibits proton extrusion from maize roots, promotes closure of stomata in Vicia faba, necrosis of tobacco leaves, haemolysis of human erythrocytes, affects H(+)-ATPase activity and proton translocation in plasma membrane vesicles, and stimulates succinate respiration in pea mitochondria. In general, the biological activities of pseudomycin A are lower than those of syringomycin-E, the prototype member of this family of bacterial metabolities. This difference might depend on the diverse number and distribution of charged residues in the peptide moiety of these compounds.
The structure of the fuscopeptins, bioactive lipodepsipeptides produced in culture by the gramineae pathogen Pseudomonas fuscovaginae, has been determined. The combined use of FAB mass spectroscopy NMR spectroscopy and chemical and enzymatic procedures allowed one to define a peptide moiety corresponding to Z-Dhb-D-Pro-L-Leu-D-Ala-D-Ala-D-Ala-D-Ala-D-Val-Gly-D-Ala-D-Val-D-Ala-D- Val-Z-Dhb-Da-Thr-L-Ala-L-Dab-D-Dab-L-Phe with the terminal carboxyl group closing a macrocyclic ring on the hydroxyl group of the allothreonine residue. The N-terminus is in turn acylated by 3-hydroxyoctanoate in fuscopeptin A and 3-hydroxydecanoate in fuscopeptin B. Some preliminary data on the biological activity of fuscopeptins are also reported.
Syringopeptin 25-A is a phytotoxic amphiphilic lipodepsipeptide containing 25 amino acid residues, produced by some isolates of the plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Previous papers have reported its covalent structure and some of its biological properties. Attention has now been directed to define its conformation in solution, a structural feature regarded as important for understanding its possible role in the bacterial colonization of host plants, and its toxic action on the plant cell. Here we report the stereochemistry of its amino acid components, the complete interpretation of the two-dimensional NMR spectra and NOE data, and finally the structure obtained by computer simulations applying distance geometry and molecular dynamics procedures. The conformation of syringopeptin 25-A in aqueous solution includes three different structural regions interrupted by rigid 2,3-dehydro-2-aminobutyric acid residues: a loop from residue 2 to 6, a helicoidal zone from 8 to 15, and the lactone ring from 18 to 25. The three-dimensional structure of the lactone moiety is very similar to that of two previously studied bioactive lipodepsinonapeptides. Preliminary circular dichroism evidence of conformational variations in solution of trifluoroethanol, which stimulates a membrane-like environment, are also reported.
The Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae phytotoxins syringomycin-E and syringopeptins 22-A and 25-A reversibly and noncompetitively inhibit purified H(+)-ATPase solubilized from plasma membrane of maize roots. Moreover, they increase the passive permeability to protons in phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine liposomes. Both effects are more pronounced with syringopeptins than with syringomycin-E. Activity on phospholipid bilayers is detectable at phytotoxin concentrations not affecting H(+)-ATPase activity.
A saprophytic fluorescent bacterium (strain M1) isolated from wheat was identified as Pseudomonas syringae and shown to produce the cyclic lipodepsipeptides, syringomycin E and syringopeptin SP25A. M1 grew in planta but did not affect germination or cause disease symptoms in wheat. The findings show that the production of these metabolites, generally regarded as plant virulence factors, does not correlate with plant pathogenicity.
The covalent structure and most of the stereochemistry of the pseudomycins, bioactive metabolites of a transposon-generated mutant of a Pseudomonas syringae wild-type strain proposed for the biological control of Dutch elm disease, have been determined. While two pseudomycins are identical to the known syringopeptins 25-A and 25-B, pseudomycins A, B, C, C' are new lipodepsinonapeptides. For all of these the peptide moiety corresponds to L-Ser-D-Dab-L-Asp-L-Lys-L-Dab-L-aThr-Z-Dhb-L-Asp(3-OH) -L-Thr (4-Cl) with the terminal carboxyl group closing a macrocyclic ring on the OH group of the N-terminal Ser. This is in turn N-acylated by 3,4-dihydroxytetradecanoate in pseudomycin A, by 3-hydroxytetradecanoate in pseudomycin B, by 3,4-dihydroxyhexadecanoate in pseudomycin C, and by 3-hydroxyhexadecanoate in pseudomycin C'. Some preliminary data on the biological activity of pseudomycin A are reported.