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J Neuzil

Publications and source records attributed to J Neuzil.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Oxidation of free fatty acids in low density lipoprotein by 15-lipoxygenase stimulates nonenzymic, alpha-tocopherol-mediated peroxidation of cholesteryl esters.

15-Lipoxygenase has been implicated in the in vivo oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) a process thought to be important in the origin and/or progression of human atherogenesis. We have suggested previously that oxidation of LDL's cholesteryl esters (CE) and phospholipids by soybean (SLO) or human recombinant 15-lipoxygenase (rhLO) can be ascribed largely to alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOH)-mediated peroxidation (TMP). In this study we demonstrate that addition to LDL of unesterified linoleate (18:2), other free fatty acid (FFA) substrates, or phospholipase A2 (PLA2) significantly enhanced the accumulation of CE hydro(pero)xides (CE-O(O)H) induced by rhLO, whereas the corresponding CE and nonsubstrate FFA were without effect. The enhanced CE-O(O)H accumulation showed a dependence on the concentration of free 18:2 in LDL. In contrast, addition of 18:2 had little effect on LDL oxidation induced by aqueous peroxyl radicals or Cu2+ ions. Analyses of the regio- and stereoisomers of oxidized 18:2 in SLO-treated native LDL demonstrated that the small amounts of 18:2 associated with the lipoprotein were oxidized enzymically and within minutes, whereas cholesteryl linoleate (Ch18:2) was oxidized nonenzymically and continuously over hours. alpha-Tocopheroxyl radical (alpha-TO.) formed in LDL exposed to SLO was enhanced by addition of 18:2 or PLA2. With rhLO and 18:2-supplemented LDL, oxidation of 18:2 was entirely enzymic, whereas that of Ch18:2 was largely, though not completely, nonenzymic. The small extent of enzymic Ch18:2 oxidation increased with increasing enzyme to LDL ratios. Ascorbate and the reduced form of coenzyme Q, ubiquinol-10, which are both capable of reducing alpha-TO. and thereby preventing TMP, inhibited nonenzymic Ch18:2 oxidation induced by rhLO. Trolox and ascorbyl palmitate, which also inhibit TMP, ameliorated both enzymic and nonenzymic oxidation of LDL's lipids, whereas probucol, a radical scavenger not capable of preventing TMP, was ineffective. These results demonstrate that rhLO-induced oxidation of CE is largely nonenzymic and increases with LDL's content of FFA substrates. We propose that conditions which increase LDL's FFA content, such as the presence of lipases, increase 15-LO-induced LDL lipid peroxidation and that this process requires only an initial, transient enzymic activity.

Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase↗

Alpha-tocopheryl hydroquinone is an efficient multifunctional inhibitor of radical-initiated oxidation of low density lipoprotein lipids.

As the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) lipids may be a key event in atherogenesis, there is interest in antioxidants as potential anti-atherogenic compounds. Here we report that alpha-tocopheryl hydroquinone (alpha-TQH2) strongly inhibited or completely prevented the (per)oxidation of ubiquinol-10 (CoQ10H2), alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOH), and both surface and core lipids in LDL exposed to either aqueous or lipophilic peroxyl radicals, Cu2+, soybean lipoxygenase, or the transition metal-containing Ham's F-10 medium in the absence or presence of human monocyte-derived macrophages. The antioxidant activity of alpha-TQH2 was superior to that of several other lipophilic hydroquinones, including endogenous CoQ10H2, which is regarded as LDL's first line of antioxidant defence. At least three independent activities contributed to the antioxidant action of alpha-TQH2. First, alpha-TQH2 readily associated with LDL and instantaneously reduced the lipoprotein's ubiquinone-10 to CoQ10H2, thereby maintaining this antioxidant in its active form. Second, alpha-TQH2 directly intercepted aqueous peroxyl radicals, as indicated by the increased rate of its consumption with increasing rates of radical production, independent of LDL's content of CoQ10H2 and alpha-TOH. Third, alpha-TQH2 rapidly quenched alpha-tocopheroxyl radical in oxidizing LDL, as demonstrated directly by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Similar antioxidant activities were also seen when alpha-TQH2 was added to high-density lipoprotein or the protein-free Intralipid, indicating that the potent antioxidant activity of alpha-TQH2 was neither lipoprotein specific nor dependent on proteins. These results suggest that alpha-TQH2 is a candidate for a therapeutic lipid-soluble antioxidant. As alpha-tocopherylquinone is formed in vivo at sites of oxidative stress, including human atherosclerotic plaque, and biological systems exist that reduce the quinone to the hydroquinone, our results also suggest that alpha-TQH2 could be a previously unrecognized natural antioxidant.

Coenzymes↗

Inhibition of LDL oxidation by ubiquinol-10. A protective mechanism for coenzyme Q in atherogenesis?

The oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) is now commonly regarded as an important early event in atherogenesis. As such there is considerable interest in the ability of antioxidant supplementation to attenuate LDL oxidation and hence atherosclerosis. A majority of studies on LDL antioxidation have focused on alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOH), biologically and chemically the most active form of vitamin E and quantitatively the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in extracts prepared from human LDL. In addition to alpha-TOH, circulating LDL also contains low levels of ubiquinol-10 (CoQ10H2; the reduced form of coenzyme Q). Recent studies have shown that in intact, isolated LDL, alpha-TOH can act as either an anti- or prooxidant for the lipoprotein's lipids. This article reviews the molecular action of alpha-TOH in LDL undergoing radical-initiated oxidation, and how the presence of CoQ10H2 suppresses the pro-oxidant or complements the antioxidant activity of the vitamin. We also comment on the plasma and intimal levels of alpha-TOH and CoQ10H2 in patients suffering from coronary artery disease and discuss the potential implications of these results for atherogenesis.

Antioxidants↗

Requirement for, promotion, or inhibition by alpha-tocopherol of radical-induced initiation of plasma lipoprotein lipid peroxidation.

alpha-Tocopherol (alpha-TOH), generally regarded as the most important lipid-soluble, chain-breaking antioxidant in human plasma, can also be a pro-oxidant in isolated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (Bowry V. W.; Stocker R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115:6029-6044; 1993). Here we examined whether this pro-oxidant activity of alpha-TOH is of more general relevance. We compared the oxidizability of lipid hydroperoxide-free, in vivo or in vitro alpha-TOH-depleted LDL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), as well as plasma reconstituted with alpha-TOH-depleted lipoproteins, with that of the corresponding native and alpha-TOH-supplemented samples, using water- and lipid-soluble peroxyl radicals (ROO.), hydroxyl radicals (.OH), Cu2+, the transition metal-containing Ham's F-10 medium, soybean 15-lipoxygenase, and horseradish peroxidase as oxidants. Lipoprotein and plasma oxidizability was assessed by the loss of cholesteryl esters and alpha-TOH and the accumulation of hydroperoxides of cholesteryl esters and phospholipids. Compared to native LDL, HDL, and plasma, the in vivo and in vitro alpha-TOH-depleted counterparts were highly resistant to peroxidation initiation by all oxidants when used at mild radical flux conditions. Wherever tested, the oxidizability of isolated LDL decreased proportionally with decreasing alpha-TOH content. Initiation of LDL lipid oxidation by lipoxygenase and Cu2+ (even up to Cu2+:LDL ratio of 20:1) had an absolute requirement for alpha-TOH. Oxidation of reconstituted plasma with ROO. showed that in the absence of the vitamin, plasma lipids were largely resistant to oxidation, whereas bilirubin and urate oxidized more rapidly. Replenishing the in vitro depleted LDL with alpha-TOH, but not with alpha-tocopherol acetate, fully restored its original content of vitamin E and its oxidizability. Similarly, dietary supplementation with alpha-TOH restored the vitamin content and oxidizability of the in vivo alpha-TOH-depleted lipoproteins and plasma obtained from a patient with familial isolated vitamin E deficiency. Under high fluxes of ROO. and .OH, the activity of alpha-TOH in LDL switched from pro- to anti-oxidant, with the switching point for .OH observed at a lower radical flux than that for ROO.. Together, our results show that alpha-TOH generally makes lipoproteins more reactive towards radical oxidants; this can result in a pro-oxidant activity depending on the specific oxidation conditions.

Free Radicals↗

Cosupplementation with coenzyme Q prevents the prooxidant effect of alpha-tocopherol and increases the resistance of LDL to transition metal-dependent oxidation initiation.

There is considerable interest in the ability of antioxidant supplementation, in particular with vitamin E, to attenuate LDL oxidation, a process implicated in atherogenesis. Since vitamin E can also promote LDL lipid peroxidation, we investigated the effects of supplementation with vitamin E alone or in combination with coenzyme Q on the early stages of the oxidation of isolated LDL. Isolated LDL was obtained from healthy subjects before and after in vitro enrichment with vitamin E (D-alpha-tocopherol, alpha-TOH) or dietary supplementation with D-alpha-TOH (1 g/d) and/or coenzyme Q (100 mg/d). LDL oxidation initiation was assessed by measurement of the consumption of alpha-TOH and cholesteryl esters containing polyunsaturated fatty acids and the accumulation of cholesteryl ester hydroperoxides during incubation of LDL in the transition metal-containing Ham's F-10 medium in the absence and presence of human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs). Native LDL contained 8.5 +/- 2 molecules of alpha-TOH and 0.5 to 0.8 molecules of ubiquinol-10 (CoQ10H2, the reduced form of coenzyme Q) per lipoprotein particle. Incubation of this LDL in Ham's F-10 medium resulted in a time-dependent loss of alpha-TOH with concomitant stoichiometric conversion of the major cholesteryl esters to their respective hydroperoxides. MDMs enhanced this process. LDL lipid peroxidation occurred via a radical chain reaction in the presence of alpha-TOH, and the rate of this oxidation decreased on alpha-TOH depletion. In vitro enrichment of LDL with alpha-TOH resulted in an LDL particle containing sixfold to sevenfold more alpha-TOH, and such enriched LDL was more readily oxidized in the absence and presence of MDMs compared with native LDL. In vivo alpha-TOH-deficient LDL, isolated from a patient with familial isolated vitamin E deficiency, was highly resistant to Ham's F-10-initiated oxidation, whereas dietary supplementation with vitamin E restored the oxidizability of the patient's LDL. Oral supplementation of healthy individuals for 5 days with either alpha-TOH or coenzyme Q increased the LDL levels of alpha-TOH and CoQ10H2 by two to three or three to four times, respectively. alpha-TOH-supplemented LDL was significantly more prone to oxidation, whereas CoQ10H2-enriched LDL was more resistant to oxidation initiation by Ham's F-10 medium than native LDL. Cosupplementation with both alpha-TOH and coenzyme Q resulted in LDL with increased levels of alpha-TOH and CoQ10H2, and such LDL was markedly more resistant to initiation of oxidation than native or alpha-TOH-enriched LDL. These results demonstrate that oral supplementation with alpha-TOH alone results in LDL that is more prone to oxidation initiation, whereas cosupplementation with coenzyme Q not only prevents this prooxidant activity of vitamin E but also provides the lipoprotein with increased resistance to oxidation.

Cell Line↗

Oxidation of LDL by recombinant human 15-lipoxygenase: evidence for alpha-tocopherol-dependent oxidation of esterified core and surface lipids.

Various lipoxygenases (LO) oxidize low density lipoprotein (LDL) in vitro and 15-LO has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis in vivo. Direct oxidation of phospholipids (PL) and cholesteryl esters (CE) by LO has been proposed as a mechanism whereby these enzymes cause or contribute to LDL lipid peroxidation. Herein we show that the extent to which recombinant human 15-LO (rhLO) caused peroxidation of LDL's esterified core and surface lipids depended on, and directly related to, the alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOH) content of the lipoprotein. Thus, CE and PL of in vivo alpha-TOH-depleted LDL, isolated from a patient with familial isolated vitamin E deficiency, were resistant to oxidation by rhLO, whereas those in alpha-TOH-containing LDL from the same patient receiving vitamin E supplements readily oxidized. The extent to which rhLO caused oxidation of CE and PL directly and linearly correlated with LDL's content of vitamin E, as demonstrated by studies with in vitro alpha-TOH-depleted lipoproteins. The geometric isomers of oxidized cholesteryl linoleate formed in LDL during oxidation initiated by rhLO, matched those obtained during non-enzymic, peroxyl radical-initiated oxidation of LDL whilst alpha-TOH was present. Ascorbate, an efficient co-antioxidant for alpha-TOH, completely prevented rhLO-initiated oxidation of LDL's CE, but did not inhibit rhLO-mediated oxidation of unesterified linoleate. These results are inconsistent with direct oxidation of LDL esterified lipids by rhLO. Isolated LDL contained free fatty acids (FFA), and its exposure to rhLO caused a rapid formation of linoleate hydroperoxide. To reconcile these data, we propose that during rhLO-initiated oxidation of LDL, enzymic oxidation of FFA preceeds the oxidation of CE and PL, which occurs largely via a tocopherol-dependent process.

Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase↗

Oxidation of parenteral lipid emulsion by ambient and phototherapy lights: potential toxicity of routine parenteral feeding.

Vitamin E can be a prooxidant in isolated lipoprotein suspensions. Because lipid emulsions used in parenteral nutrition are lipoprotein-like suspensions rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, we hypothesized that vitamin E may act as a prooxidant in lipid emulsions, as it is in lipoprotein suspensions. We therefore exposed an intravenously administered lipid emulsion (Intralipid) to a single spotlight commonly used in the treatment of neonatal jaundice, and measured the formation of triglyceride hydroperoxides by using high-performance liquid chromatography with postcolumn chemiluminescence detection. Concentrations of these hydroperoxides in different batches of fresh intralipid were usually approximately 10 mumol/L but increased up to 60 times after exposure to phototherapy light for a period of 24 hours, even though significant amounts of vitamin E were present at the end of the exposure. Triglyceride hydroperoxides were formed during phototherapy light exposure whether the intralipid was in plastic tubing used routinely for infusion or in glass containers. Ambient light also caused significant peroxidation of the formula lipids, although to a much lesser extent than observed with phototherapy light. For infants in the neonatal intensive care unit who were receiving intralipid but not phototherapy, solutions being infused at the end of 24 hours contained a mean of 40 mumol/L hydroperoxides. For infants receiving phototherapy, the mean was 97 mumol/L. Phototherapy light-induced formation of triglyceride hydroperoxides was prevented by covering the intralipid with aluminum foil or supplementation with sodium ascorbate before light exposure. We conclude that intralipid is highly susceptible to oxidation and that elevated levels of oxidized lipids can be formed during its clinical use, especially when intralipid infusion is combined with phototherapy. Because lipid hydroperoxides are cytotoxic and can cause adverse effects, inadvertent infusion of rancid intralipid may add to the numerous problems encountered by premature neonates.

Aluminum↗

Coantioxidants make alpha-tocopherol an efficient antioxidant for low-density lipoprotein.

The oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) is now commonly implicated as an important early event in atherogenesis. The resulting interest in LDL antioxidation has focused on alpha-tocopherol, the biologically and chemically most active form of vitamin E and quantitatively the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in extracts prepared from human LDL. We review advances made in our understanding of the molecular action of alpha-tocopherol in radical-mediated oxidation of isolated human LDL and how the vitamin's antioxidant activity is enhanced or even dependent on the presence of suitable reducing species, which are referred to as coantioxidants.

3-Hydroxyanthranilic Acid↗

Free and albumin-bound bilirubin are efficient co-antioxidants for alpha-tocopherol, inhibiting plasma and low density lipoprotein lipid peroxidation.

Peroxidation of the lipid moieties of low density lipoproteins (LDL) is regarded as an early event in atherogenesis. Because bilirubin is a physiological reductant with antioxidant activities, we investigated its inhibitory action on the radical-mediated oxidation of LDL and plasma lipids. Exposing fresh human blood plasma to lipophilic peroxyl radicals generated from 2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (AMVN) resulted in rapid oxidation of ubiquinol-10, followed by that of ascorbate and bilirubin. Plasma lipids were well protected from peroxidation as long as these three antioxidants were present, as assessed by the amounts of cholesterylester hydroperoxides formed during this period. Following consumption of these antioxidants, and in the presence of alpha-tocopherol, the rate of hydroperoxide formation increased sharply with roughly 2 molecules of cholesterylester hydroperoxides being formed for each peroxidation initiating event. Supplementation of AMVN-oxidizing plasma with exogenous bilirubin at the onset of rapid lipid peroxidation, i.e. after depletion of endogenous ubiquinol-10, ascorbate, and bilirubin, led to a halt in both hydroperoxide formation and consumption of alpha-tocopherol. When isolated LDL was incubated with AMVN, approximately 9 molecules of cholesterylester hydroperoxides were formed per peroxidation initiating event and while alpha-tocopherol was consumed. Addition of free or albumin-bound bilirubin to isolated LDL at the onset of oxidation resulted in a strong inhibition of hydroperoxide formation and alpha-tocopherol consumption, the effect being more pronounced with the free pigment. Addition of the corresponding amounts of albumin alone was without effect. In the presence of albumin-bound bilirubin, some 30% of the pigment was initially converted into biliverdin, whereas formation of this oxidation product was not observed with the free pigment. Also, the presence of bilirubin oxidase partially reversed the inhibitory activity of bilirubin on AMVN-induced LDL oxidation in the absence but not presence of albumin. An attenuation of hydroperoxide formation and a temporary increase in LDL's alpha-tocopherol concentration were observed when free- or albumin-bound bilirubin were added to AMVN-oxidizing, alpha-tocopherol-containing LDL. In contrast, hydroperoxide formation was not inhibited significantly when the albumin-bound pigment was added to oxidizing LDL after complete consumption of its alpha-tocopherol. Our results show that bilirubin inhibits oxidation of LDL lipids initiated within the lipoprotein core and indicate that this activity is mediated by interaction of the pigment with LDL's alpha-tocopherol.

Adult↗

Bilirubin attenuates radical-mediated damage to serum albumin.

Oxidative damage to biological macromolecules has been implicated in a number of diseases. Much interest has focused on how non-proteinaceous, low-molecular weight antioxidants prevent oxidative damage to lipids, while comparatively little is known about protein antioxidation. Here we show that bilirubin (BR), the end-product of heme catabolism, when bound to bovine serum albumin (BSA), is oxidised by hydroxyl (.OH), hydroperoxyl (HO2.), and superoxide anion (O2-.) radicals to so far mostly uncharacterised products. The initial oxidation rates of BSA-bound BR decreased in the order OH > HO2. > O2-.. BR protected its carrier protein from oxidative damage inflicted by .OH radicals. This protective action included a reduction in the .OH-mediated cleavage of BSA, conversion of Trp into kynurenine and formation of 'bityrosine-specific' fluorescence. BR also strongly inhibited .OH-mediated formation of protein carbonyls, whereas ascorbate and Trolox (a water-soluble analogue of vitamin E) were much less effective. These results support an antioxidant-protective function of BR and point towards significant differences in the efficacies of various antioxidants in the prevention of oxidative damage to lipids and proteins.

Antioxidants↗

Radical-induced chain oxidation of proteins and its inhibition by chain-breaking antioxidants.

Exposure of proteins to oxygen-centred radicals results in dramatic changes in their structure, stability and function; properties that have been studied in many laboratories from a qualitative viewpoint. To allow a quantitative evaluation, we subjected aerated solutions of BSA to hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals generated radiolytically under conditions where all radicals formed reacted with the protein (as judged by maximum damage to BSA). We observed that for each radical generated approx. 15 amino acids were consumed initially. Similar results were found with lysozyme and melittin. Such a massive consumption of BSA's amino acids was not observed when irradiations were carried out under anaerobic conditions. When bilirubin or Trolox (a water-soluble analogue of vitamin E) was added at a 2-fold molar excess over BSA, initial consumption of all measured amino acids, except tryptophan, decreased 4-fold. The total mass of amino acids initially protected (from consumption) exceeded the mass of antioxidants consumed by more than a factor of 20. Such protection of amino acids was not observed when the antioxidant-inactive acetyl Trolox was used. These results suggest that radical-mediated oxidation of proteins can proceed via a previously unrecognized chain reaction that may be inhibited by chain-breaking antioxidants.

Amino Acids↗

Cooperative effect of fructose bisphosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase on aldolase action.

The combination of binding and kinetic approaches is suggested to study (i) the mechanism of substrate-modulated dynamic enzyme associations; (ii) the specificity of enzyme interactions. The effect of complex formation between aldolase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate:NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12) on aldolase catalysis was investigated under pseudo-first-order conditions. No change in kcat but a significant increase in KM of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate for aldolase was found when both enzymes were obtained from muscle. In contrast, kcat rather than KM changed if dehydrogenase was isolated from yeast. Next, the conversion of fructose 1-phosphate was not affected by interactions between enzyme couples isolated from muscle. The influence of fructose phosphates on the enzyme-complex formation was studied by means of covalently attached fluorescent probe. We found that the interaction ws not perturbed by the presence of fructose 1-phosphate; however, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate altered the dissociation constant of the enzyme complex. A molecular model for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate-modulated enzyme interaction has been evaluated which suggests that high levels of fructose bisphosphate would drive the formation of the 'channelling' complex between aldolase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Animals↗

A direct-injection reversed-phase liquid chromatographic micromethod for studying the kinetics of terminal reactions of tetracycline biosynthesis.

A new micromethod for measuring enzyme-catalyzed reactions was developed. The method involves a number of consecutive direct injections of aliquots of the reaction mixture onto a microbore column and permits the determination of the time dependence of the decrease of substrate or increase of product concentrations. The reactions proceed in a microvial placed in the autosampler, and as the starting volume can be as low as 10 microliters, the requirement for the amount of enzyme is very low. The autosampler backed by the liquid chromatographic software allows automation of the analyses including data processing and easy quantitation of the enzymatic reaction(s). The method was applied to a system of two consecutive terminal reactions of tetracycline biosynthesis in Streptomyces aureofaciens, catalyzed by anhydrotetracycline oxygenase and tetracycline dehydrogenase. The usage of a diode-array detector facilitated the quantification of the reactions as the product and substrate could be monitored at their optimal wavelengths.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

A further characterization of alanine dehydrogenase from Streptomyces aureofaciens.

Homogeneous alanine dehydrogenase isolated from Streptomyces aureofaciens, a producer of tetracycline, was characterized from the point of its molecular and catalytic properties. Using analytical ultracentrifugation the molecular weight of alanine dehydrogenase was found to be 198,000. The enzyme could use as cofactors apart from NAD+ also 1,N6-etheno-NAD+, 3-acetylpyridine-NAD+, deamino-NAD+ and nicotinamide guanine dinucleotide. The enzyme activity in the direction of oxidative deamination was not affected by the addition of nonsubstrate amino acids, however, it was sensitive to inhibitors of SH-groups. Reductive amination of pyruvate was inhibited by L-alanine, L-serine and D-alanine. The inhibition by L-alanine and L-serine was uncompetitive with respect to NADH and noncompetitive with regard to pyruvate and ammonium ions.

Alanine Dehydrogenase↗

Purification and properties of NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase from Streptomyces fradiae.

Streptomyces fradiae has two chromatographically distinct forms of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH): one GDH utilizes NAD as coenzyme, the other uses NADP. The intracellular level of both GDHs is strongly regulated by the nitrogen source in the growth medium. NADP-dependent GDH was purified to homogeneity from crude extracts of S. fradiae. The Mr of the native enzyme was determined to be 200,000 by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography whereas after sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis one major band of Mr 49,000 was found, suggesting that the enzyme is a tetramer. The enzyme was highly specific for the substrates 2-oxoglutarate and L-glutamate, and required NADP, which could not be replaced by NAD, as a cofactor. The pH optimum was 9.2 for oxidative deamination of glutamate and 8.4 for reductive amination of 2-oxoglutarate. The Michaelis constants (Km) were 28.6 mM for L-glutamate and 0.12 mM for NADP. Km values for reductive amination were 1.54 mM for 2-oxoglutarate, 0.07 mM for NADPH and 30.8 mM for NH+4. The enzyme activity was significantly reduced by adenine nucleotides, particularly ATP.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Isolation of pure anhydrotetracycline oxygenase from Streptomyces aureofaciens.

Anhydrotetracycline oxygenase was purified to homogeneity from Streptomyces aureofaciens, a producer of tetracycline. The enzyme was purified 60-fold in a 40% yield by a two-step procedure using a combination of hydrophobic chromatography and ion-exchange h.p.l.c. Purified anhydrotetracycline oxygenase was homogeneous according to SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, ion-exchange h.p.l.c. on a Mono Q HR 5/5 column and size-exclusion h.p.l.c. on a TSK G 3000 SW column. The enzyme consists of two subunits of Mr 57,500, as determined by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Enzymic degradation of bromoxynil by cell-free extracts of Streptomyces felleus.

A method is described for spectrophotometric monitoring the degradation of the herbicide bromoxynil by cell-free extracts of Streptomyces felleus. The method involves a decrease in absorbance at 286 nm (absorption maximum of bromoxynil) that can be ascribed most probably to the cleavage of the aromatic ring of the bromoxynil molecule. Conditions necessary for measuring this degradation together with physico-chemical features of the degradation indicate that the reaction(s) is seemingly catalyzed by an Fe2+-dependent dioxygenase whose activity was not, however, detected in cell-free extracts of a bromoxynil-sensitive mutant of S. felleus as well as other bromoxynil-sensitive streptomycete strains.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Valine dehydrogenase from Streptomyces fradiae: purification and properties.

Valine dehydrogenase (VDH) was purified to homogeneity from cell-free extract of Streptomyces fradiae, which produces tylosin. The enzyme was purified 1508-fold in a 17.7% yield using a combination of hydrophobic chromatography and ion-exchange fast protein liquid chromatography. The Mr of the native enzyme was determined to be 218,000 and 215,000, by equilibrium ultracentrifugation and size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The enzyme is composed of 12 subunits of Mr 18,000. Using analytical isoelectric focusing the isoelectric point of VDH was found to be 4.7. Oxidative deamination of L-valine was optimal at pH 10.6. Reductive amination of 2-oxoisovalerate was optimal at pH 8.8. The Michaelis constants (Km) were 1 mM for L-valine and 0.029 mM for NAD+. Km values for reductive amination were 0.80 mM for 2-oxoisovalerate, 0.050 mM for NADH and 22 mM for NH4+.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗