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D Kukla

Publications and source records attributed to D Kukla.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Nicotinic acid metabolism enzymic preparation and absolute configuration of the substrate for 2,3-dimethylmalate lyase.

1) A convenient method for the enzymatic preparation of a chemically and optically pure isomer of 2,3-dimethylmalic acid in g-amounts is described. Propionate, pyruvate and partially purified 2,3-dimethylmalate lyase (from Clostridium barkeri) were applied. 2) The enzymically formed product, m.p. 99--100 degrees C, [alpha]D20 = -16.4 (water), is related to the known stereochemistry of the Senecio alkaloid jacobine and to a laevorotatory 2,3-dimethylmalic acid derived from jaconecic acid, a degradation product of the alkaloid. From this relationship it appears likely that the substrate of the lyase is a component of the threo racemate and is of (2R,3S) configuration. 3) A three-dimensional X-ray structure analysis was performed and the structure refined to an R value of 0.049. The asymmetric unit contains three independent threo dimethylmalic acid molecules. The anomalous dispersion effects of carbon and oxygen were used to determine the absolute configuration. These measurements yielded a (2R,3S) configuration. 4) We conclude from these results that (2R,3S)-2,3-dimethylmalate is the substrate of the lyase. The results also establish that previously isolated racemic 2,3-dimethylmalic acids, m.p. 143 degrees C and m.p. 104--106 degrees C, represent the erythro and threo pair, respectively.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Crystal structure analysis of the tetragonal crystal form are preliminary molecular model of pig-heart citrate synthase.

The crystal structure of pig heart citrate synthase was analyzed at 0.35-nm resolution. Chain tracing was possible and an initial molecular model constructed. The dimensions of the dimer molecule (located on a crystallographic diad) are 7.5 x 6.0 x 9.0 nm. The chain folding is characterized by the predominance of helices and the absence of sheet structure. The electron density accounts for 355 residues per monomer, so that about 80 residues must be disordered in the crystal. The disordered segment in probably N-terminal. The ordered part consists of two closely associated domains, a large domain with 300 residues and a C-terminal domain of 55 residues consisting of 3(anti)parallel helices. The large domain is built from 12 helical segments, some of which are buried in the interior of the molecule. Inhibitor binding studies with citrate and CoA revealed citrate binding sites but showed no electron density for CoA. It is suggested that CoA binds to the disordered, flexible N-terminal domain. Experiments of limited proteolysis with trypsin showed that under conditions a segment of Mr 9000 is cleaved off selectively. The remaining 35 000-Mr part is dimeric.

Animals↗

The structure of the complex formed by bovine trypsin and bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor III. Structure of the anhydro-trypsin-inhibitor complex.

The structure of the complex between anhydro-trypsin and pancreatic trypsin inhibitor has been determined by difference Fourier techniques using phases obtained from the native complex (Huber et al., 1974). It was refined independently by constrained crystallographic refinement at 1.9 A resolution. The anhydro-complex has Ser 195 converted to dehydro-alanine. There were no other significant structural changes. In particular, the high degree of pyramidalization of the C atom of Lys 15 (I) of the inhibitor component observed in the native complex in maintained in the anhydro-species.

Amino Acids↗