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Biomedical subjects

H Seto

Publications and source records attributed to H Seto.

At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Effect of glucose and its analogues on the accumulation and release of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in a membrane fraction of Escherichia coli: relation to beta-galactosidase synthesis.

Correlation between beta-galactosidase synthesis and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) levels in a membrane fraction obtained from disrupted spheroplasts of Escherichia coli was investigated. Repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis in the membrane fraction by glucose-6-phosphate and by 2-deoxyglucose differed in sensitivity to reversal by cAMP. The difference between the two repressions could be due to the fact that glucose-6-phosphate inhibited severely the accumulation of exogenous [3-H]cAMP by the membrane fraction, whereas 2-deoxyglucose had little effect on the accumulation of the nucleotide. On the other hand, a quick decrease in the level of [3-H]cAMP preaccumulated in the membrane fraction resulted from addition of either glucose-6-phosphate or 2-deoxyglucose. Results reported here suggest that repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis is associated with anabrupt decrease in cAMP levels at the intramembranal sites where beta-galactosidase is synthesized, and the major, if not sole, mechanism which leads to instantaneous drop of cAMP level is via the release of cAMP, but not by degradation of the nucleotide since the membrane fraction retained less than 10 percent of cellular cyclic phosphodiesterase and the activity of the enzyme was not affected by repressing sugars.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1975

Nucleolytic degradation of homologous and heterologous deoxyribonucleic acid molecules at the surface of competent pneumococci.

Competent pneumococci can catalyze the rapid and quantitative degradation of extracellular deocyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules through the activity of surface-located nucleases (endo- and, possibly, exonucleases as well). Both homologous and heterologous DNAs are degraded by a mechanism that seems to involve a cyclic process: (i) attachment of DNA to the cell surface followed by (ii) nucleolytic attack, and (iii) release to the medium. Processes (ii) and (iii) are both inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetate. Whereas surface nuclease activity is specific for competent cells, the bulk of this activity is not coupled to irreversible DNA uptake (deoxyribonuclease-resistant binding). Pneumococcal DNA treated with ultraviolet irradiation or nitrous acid (cross-linking?) is selectively impaired in the ability to irreversibly bind to competent cells, whereas reversible binding is normal.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1975

Cell surface-located deoxyribonucleic acid receptors in transformable pneumococci.

We studied deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding in transformable pneumococci. The relevant findings are as follows. (i) At least half of the DNA Molecules adsorbed to competent cells in the growth medium are attached to sites on the protoplast membrane. (ii) Most of the DNA bound to live competent cells in the presence of glucose is not released by moderate shear or by autolysin treatment. In contrast, most of the DNA adsorbed to competent cells in the absence of glucose is shear and autolysin sensitive. (iii) The presence of binding sites resembling in properties the sites in live competent cells can be demonstrated in wall-membrane complexes. Most of these sites are lost during preparation of cell walls and protoplasts. It is suggested that the DNA-binding site is a membrane component (protein?) Stabilized by polysaccharide (cell Wall) material. (IV) Mechanical or enzymatic damage to the cell wall or change in the ionic conditions can induce DNA binding (and surface-nuclease activity) in the incompetent pneumococci. However, such cells still show neither genetic transformation nor extensive nuclease-resistant binding of DNA. It is suggested that both competent and incompetent cells contain a large number of sequestered DNA-binding sites that can be unmasked by several experimental conditions. Induction of the competent state by the competence activator protein may involve an endogenous unmasking process.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1975

Selective release of a deoxyribonucleic acid-binding factor from the surface of competent pneumococci.

Methods are described that resulted in the selective release of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-binding factor from the surface of competent pneumococci. The same methods caused a parallel inactivation of the DNA-binding capacity of the extracted bacteria. Genetically or physiologically incompetent pneumococci did not yield binding factor upon exposure to the same methods. The solubilized binding factor appeared to be a protein; it could be assayed by a membrane filter binding procedure. The binding factor had properties reminiscent of those of the DNA receptors of transformable pneumococci (Seto et al., 1975).

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1975

Isolation and purification of blasticidin S deaminase from Aspergillus terreus.

An enzyme catalyzing the deamination of the cytosine moiety of blasticidin S was extracted from a fungal strain that belongs to Aspergillus terreus. The enzyme was purified with ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephadex G-100 column and DEAE cellulose column chromatography, followed by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Blasticidin S deaminase could be separated easily from co-existing cytidine deaminase by DEAE column chromatography or gel electrophoresis, and preliminary study on the substrate specificity showed that this enzyme acts on blasticidin S derivatives, such as cytomycin and acetylblasticidin S, but not on cytosine, cytidine, purine bases or their nucleosides. Blasticidin S deaminase could be induced by the addition of blasticidin S to the culture, and sulfhydryl compounds, such as mercaptoethanol, were effective in protecting the enzyme from inactivation. The homogeneity of the enzyme was examined by both sedimentation analysis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight and isoelectric point were found to be around 30,000 and 4.35, respectively. Some other properties were also examined.

Aminohydrolases↗
PubMed1974

Early stages in DNA binding and uptake during genetic transformation of pneumococci.

Ethylenediaminetetraacetate and other divalent-cation-complexing agents greatly stimulate the cellular binding of DNA molecules to competent pneumococci, while the appearance of genetic transformants and nuclease-resistant DNA binding are completely inhibited. Based on this finding, we developed an experimental system in which three early and consecutive stages of genetic transformation can be experimentally separated: (i) attachment of DNA molecules to cell surface sites that are only demonstrable in the competent state; (ii) a divalent-cation-dependent nucleolytic splitting and release of the adsorbed molecules to the medium; and (iii) emergence of potential transformants accompanied by an energy-requiring and divalent-cation-dependent process in which the cell-associated DNA molecules become inaccessible to shearing forces, nucleases, anti-DNA serum, and polycations.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1969

Inducible synthesis of beta-galactosidase in disrupted spheroplast of Escherichia coli.

A membrane preparation obtained from osmotic lysate of spheroplasts of Escherichia coli cells showed an activity of synthesizing beta-galactosidase which was dependent upon oxidative phosphorylation. The synthesis was inhibited by the addition of actinomycin D or of chloramphenicol. The beta-galactosidase synthesized in the membrane preparation was completely released into the medium, while that synthesized in the spheroplasts and intact cells remained within the cells. The minimum concentration of the inducer, methyl-beta-d-thiogalactoside, required for the induction of beta-galactosidase was 5 x 10(-5)m for intact cells, 3 x 10(-4)m for spheroplasts and 1 x 10(-3)m for membrane preparation. Incorporation of labeled glucose into insoluble components in membrane preparation was extremely low compared with that in intact cells or in spheroplasts. Based on these and other observations, the nature of this membrane preparation is discussed in relation to the structure of E. coli cells.

Bacteriolysis↗