PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J C Nicolas

Publications and source records attributed to J C Nicolas.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Characterisation of an associate 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity and affinity labelling of the 3-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of Pseudomonas testosteroni.

The 3-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and the 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of Pseudomonas testosteroni were purified to homogeneity by polyaerylamide gel electrophoresis using the following stages: DEAE cellulose chromatography, affinity chromatography on oestrone-aminocaproate sepharose and Sephadex gel filtration. The pure 3-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was completely devoid of 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity but could oxidize estradiol 17-beta at an appreciable rate. This activity accounts for about 40 per cent of the total 17-beta-estradiol dehydrogenase of the crude bacterial extract. Affinity labelling of pure 3-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was carried out using 5-beta-pregnane 3,20-dione-12-alpha-iodoacetate and 5-alpha-androstane 3-one-17-beta-bromoacetate. With both reagents, inactivation was obtained only in the presence of coenzyme, the substrate protected against inactivation and the enzyme was fully inhibited with covalent binding of 1 mole of reagent per mole of subunit suggesting an active site directed inhibition. Histidine and methionine were identified as the labelled aminoacid residues.

17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗

[Infantile diarrhea and rotavirus (author's transl)].

The acute and convalescent sera of 328 children with acute enteritis were checked with the bovine diarrhea virus as antigen in complement fixation test. 13% had a seroconversion. Some cases were associated with skin rashes or signs of respiratory infection.

Antibodies, Viral↗

Affinity labelling of the estradiol-17 beta dehydrogenase from human placenta with substrate analogs.

Affinity labelling of the estradiol-17 beta dehydrogenase of human placenta has been performed using derivatives of estradiol-17 beta carrying alkylating groups in nine different positions on the steroid nucleus. The active-site-directed character of the inhibition is confirmed by the following observations: the affinity labels are substrates or competitive inhibitors, the enzyme is protected against inactivation and alkylation by the substrate and by the coenzyme, the stoichiometry of the alkylation is two moles of inhibitor per 68 000 g of enzyme (dimer). The alkylation of a histidine residue which is fast and extensive when the alkylation side chain is on the C-3 carbon atom, is dramatically decreased when alkylating side chain is shifted towards rings B and D. These results allow the location of this histidine in the vicinity of ring A and probably on the beta face of the steroid nucleus. The reactivity of a cysteine located on the active site was quite different, showing increasing alkylation when the alkylating substituent of the affinity labels was shifted from C-3 to C-16 of the steroid nucleus. The correlation of this result and that obtained using an alkylating analog of NAD (3-chloroacetyl-pyridine-adenine dinucleotide) indicates that this cysteine is located in the catalytic region of the active site, at the junction of the ring D of the steroid nucleus with the nicotinamide moiety of the coenzyme.

Acetamides↗

Alkylation of estradiol 17beta-dehydrogenase from human placenta with 3-chloroacetylpyridine--adenine dinucleotide.

3-Chloroacetylpyridine--adenine dinucleotide, which is active as a hydride acceptor (Km = 0.6 mM), inactivates and alkylates estradiol 17beta-dehydrogenase. The kinetics of inactivation by 3-chloroacetylpyridine--adenine dinucleotide and the absence of inactivation by 3-chloroacetylpyridine ribose phosphate show that the alkylation follows the formation of a binary complex (Kd = 4.5 X 10(-4) M). Studies of the labelling by 3-chloro[2-14C]acetylpyridine--adenine dinucleotide and the rate of alkylation as a function of pH, give evidence to the alkylation of a cysteine, the stoichiometry being one mole per subunit. The 14C label is distributed between three chymotryptic peptides, one of which accounts for about 50% of the radioactive label.

Binding Sites↗

[Virus infections in man during immunodepression (author's transl)].

The authors review virus infections observed in patients undergoing immunosuppressive treatment. The herpes virus, in particular the cytomegalovirus, are the most important cause. However, the role of the virus itself in an unfavourable course is variously assessed. The mechanism of the virus infection is discussed, whether primary infection, exogenous or endogenous re-infection. The latter seems to be the most frequent, at least in the case of the herpes viruses.

Chickenpox↗

17 beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of the sheep ovary : purification, properties and substrate binding site.

Sheep ovarian 17 beta HSDH has been purified about 1000 fold to a specific activity of 0.5 IU/mg protein, using DEAE cellulose chromatography, affinity chromatography on estrone-amino caproate-Sepharose and a second DEAE cellulose chromatography. The molecular weight is 70,000 ; the pH optimum for activity is 9.2 and the energy of activation is 16.5 Kcal/mole. The kinetics of the oxidation of estradiol and many analogues have been studied at various concentrations and in the presence of different amounts of coenzyme. The data are in agreement with a compulsory order mechanism with the binding of NAD+ as the first substrate. Sheep ovarian 17 beta HSDH accepts subtituents in position C3, C11, C13 ; the substrate binding site is open in this region. On the contrary, the binding requirements are strict for the region of C10 since the presence of a C19 methyl group impairs binding and (or) oxidation of the steroid. Sheep ovarian and human placental 17 beta HSDH have close analogies : molecular weight, pH optimum, substrate binding site requirements. Their reaction mechanisms are different : random for the placental 17 beta HSDH, compulsory order for the ovarian 17 beta HSDH : this can be explained by the effect of the coenzyme upon the binding of the substrate : without effect on placental enzyme, the coenzyme fixation enhances the affinity of the ovarian 17 beta HSDH for any substrate.

Animals↗

Renal transplantation and viral infections. II. Results of follow-up studies.

13 renal transplant recipeints were submitted to virological survey over a period of about 10 months following transplantation. They were compared to a group of individuals who underwent no transplantation : 7 patients on chronic hemodialysis and 10 healthy blood donors. The renal transplant recipients, showed rises in titer of antibodies against various viral antigens. Nevertheless, no other viral elimination but that of cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus was detected in them. Renal trnasplant recipients show significantly more often rises in virus antibody titers than the other individuals, when time of survey is taken into account. Some of these rises appeared to be simultaneous. Their mechanism is under debate : analysis of special cases and observation of associated immunohematological abnormalities are strongly suggesting that in some situations, rises in titer of viral antibodies may occur without infection.

Adult↗

Chemiluminescent assay of lipid hydroperoxides.

The addition of luminol plus a catalyst such as peroxidase or a heme prosthetic group to a solution containing a small quantity of lipid hydroperoxides results in a flash of chemiluminescence, the intensity of which is a function of the hydroperoxide concentrations. Various protocols for lipid hydroperoxide assays have been described and we have studied conditions to increase their sensitivity and specificity. Plasma lipid hydroperoxide determinations require an extraction, since compounds present in plasma interfere with light emission. Moreover, the sensitivity of the assay is by the presence of hydrogen peroxide in the medium, which causes high background values. Catalase does not act on lipid hydroperoxides and can be used to eliminate hydrogen peroxide from the reaction medium. The determination requires a blank tube in which hydroperoxides are destroyed by incubating the sample with haematin plus ascorbate. The increase in the chemiluminescence of the assay tube caused by the presence of lipid hydroperoxides is then compared to the value obtained for an internal standard.

Arachidonic Acids↗