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Biomedical subjects

D Vazquez

Publications and source records attributed to D Vazquez.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Partial reconstitution of active ribosomes and 50S subunits.

Escherichia coli ribosomes and their 50S subunits disassembled by LiCl treatment can be reconstituted into structurally completed but inactive particles. However, peptidyltransferase and polyphenylalanine synthesizing activity can be partly recovered by the addition of methanol to the reconstitution system. Furthermore, entirely active ribosomes and 50S subunits are reconstituted when methanol is present during the initial treatment with LiCl to disassemble the ribosomal components. The presence of methanol (10% v/v) during this treatment diminished the release of some proteins but does not affect the separation of the 5S RNA.

Acyltransferases↗

Simultaneous ribosomal resistance to trichodermin and anisomycin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants.

A spontaneous mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae resistant to trichodermin has been isolated. It displays cross resistance both in vivo and in vitro to a number of sesquiterpene antibiotics (fusarenon X, trichothecin and verrucarin A) and to the chemically unrelated antibiotic anisomycin. The mutation conferring resistance to anisomycin and trichodermin is expressed in the 60-S subunit of the yeast 80-S ribosome. Mutant ribosomes bind [-14C]trichodermin much less efficiently than wild type ribosomes, suggesting that resistance may be due, at least in part, to this property. However, both types of ribosomes bind [-3H] anisomycin equally. These results suggest that anisomycin and trichodermin have different binding sites on the 60-S subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes, even though previous results have shown that both antibiotics bind to mutually exclusive sites.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

The involvement of sulphydryl groups in the peptidyl transferase centre of eukaryotic ribosomes.

Treatment of mammalian ribosomes with N-ethylmaleimide enhances up to 100% the ribosome efficiency in the "fragment reaction assay" for peptide bond formation by increasing the affinity of the substrate C-A-C-C-A-Leu-Ac for the donor site. This stimulation in peptidyl transferase activity was not observed when yeast ribosomes were treated in a similar manner. Stimulation of the peptidyl transferase activity of mammalian ribosomes was also observed by treatment with either p-chloromercuribenzoic acid or 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) or 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitropyridine) or the maleimide-derived antibiotic showdomycin. N-Ethylmaleimide treatment also enhances C-A-C-C-A-Leu binding to the acceptor site of the peptidyl transferase centre. However, neither binding of N-Ac-Phe-tRNA in the presence of ethanol, nor binding of Phe-tRNA to the ribosomes is stimulated by N-ethylmaleimide. The antibiotic tenuazionic acid (a selective inhibitor of peptide bond formation by mammalian ribosomes) appears to require for its inhibitory effect the ribosome sulphydryl residues, since its inhibitory action on the fragment reaction is greatly decreased in ribosomes treated with N-ethylmaleimide.

Acyltransferases↗

Quantitative binding of antibiotics to ribosomes from a yeast mutant altered on the peptidyl-transferase center.

Quantitative binding studies of [G-3H]anisomycin and [acetyl-14C]trichodermin to sensitive and resistant 80-S ribosomes from yeasts are described in this work. A single mutation, most probably affecting the ribosome peptidyl transferase centre, appears to have pleiotropic effects on the ribosome leading to resistance to trichodermin and anisomycin and to an increased sensitivity to sparsomycin. Resistance to trichodermin is due to a reduced affinity of ribosomes from the mutant for the antibiotic. Ribosomes from the sensitive strain (Y 1661 bind [acetyl-14C]trichodermin with a dissociation constant of 0.99 muM while those from the resistant one (TR1) bind [acetyl-14C]trichodermin with a dissociation constant of 15.4 muM. Similar results are obtained when the binding of [acetyl-14C]trichodermin to Y 166 and TR1 60-S subunits is studied. The mutant TR1 is also resistant to anisomycin. Although trichodermin and anisomycin bind to the ribosome at mutually exclusive sites, the higher affinity binding of [G-3H]anisomycin that is responsible for the inhibition of the peptidyl transferase center is practically identical for Y 166 and TR1 ribosomes. Therefore, the mutation in the ribosome leading to resistance to trichodermin and anisomycin decreases the affinity for trichodermin but not for anisomycin. Trichodermin, trichothecin and fusarenon X inhibit the binding of [G-3H]anisomycin to TR1 ribosomes to a lower extent than to Y 166 ribosomes, suggesting that the resistance of TR1 ribosomes to the effects of trichothecin and fusarenon X is caused by a decrease in the affinity of the ribosomes for these drugs, as was seen with trichodermin. On the other hand, verrucarin A inhibits [G-3H]anisomycin binding to Y 166 and TR1 ribosomes to a similar extent and therefore its affinity for the ribosome does not appear to be affected by the mutation leading to resistance. Trichothecin, trichodermin and fusarenon X appear to have a common binding site on the 60-S ribosomal subunits, which overlaps or is closely linked to the binding sites of anisomycin and verrucarin A.

Acyltransferases↗

Effects of ricin on the ribosomal sites involved in the interaction of the elongation factors.

The effects of ricin on the different steps of the elongation cycle of protein synthesis in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free system are studied in this paper. The toxin most probably acts by catalytically inactivating the ribosomes, since a single molecule of the toxin can inactivate 300 ribosomes for poly(U)-directed phenylalanine incorporation. The effect of the toxin on the ribosome is irreversible. Ricin specifically inhibits elongation-factor-1-dependent aminoacyl-tRNA binding to ribosomes but has no effect on the non-enzymic binding of aminoacyl-tRNA. Ricin also inhibits formation of the complex elongation-factor-2 - ribosome - nucleotide with GTP, GDP or GMP-P(CH2)P. However, the toxin has no effect on translocation. These apparently conflicting results are discussed in this study.

Animals↗

Inhibitors of polypeptide elongation on yeast polysomes.

Yeast polysomes are very active for amino acid incorporation when supplemented with elongation factors and the different components required for elongation of the polypeptide chain. This polysomal system is suitable for the study of the individual streps of the elongation cycle and to test the effect of different inhibitors. Anisomycin, trichodermin, trichodermol, trichothecin, fusarenon X, sparsomycin and blasticidin S inhibit peptide bond formation on these polysomes, whereas diphtheria toxin, pederine, cycloheximide and cryptopleurine block translocation.

Amino Acids↗