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K Ohgi

Publications and source records attributed to K Ohgi.

98 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Carboxymethylation of a minor ribonuclease from Aspergillus saitoi.

(1) RNase Ms was inactivated by iodoacetate. The inactivation was most rapid at pH 6.0, and was inhibited in the presence of a denaturant such as 8 m urea or 6 m guanidine-HCL. (2) Competitive inhibitors protected RNase Ms from inactivation by iodoacetate; the effect was in the order 2',(3')-GTP greater than 2',(3')-AMP, 2',(3')-UMP greater than or equal to 2',(3')-CMP. The order is not consistent with that of the binding constants of the 4 nucleotides towards RNase Ms (A is greater than C greater than G greater than U). (3) RNase Ms was inactivated with the concomitant incorporation of one molar equivalent of carboxymethly group. The following evidence indicated that the carboxymethyl group was incorporated into the carboxyl group of an aspartic acid or glutamic acid residue. (i) The carboxymethyl group incorporated into RNase Ms was liberated by treatment with 0.1 n NaOH or 1 m hydroxylamine. (ii) The amino acid composition of carboxymethylated RNase Ms (CM RNase Ms) after acid hydrolysis is similar to that of RNase Ms. (4) 14C-Labeled CM RNase Ms was digested successively with alkaline protease and amino-peptidase M. The radioactive amino acid released was eluted just before aspartate on an amino acid analyzer. After hydrolysis with 6 n HCL, glutamic acid was produced exclusively from the radioactive amino acid. The specific radioactivity of this amino acid calculated from the radioactivity and glutamic acid formed was practctically the same as that of CM RNase Ms. Thus, it was concluded that a carboxymethyl group was incorporated at the carboxyl group of a glutamic acid residue of RNnase Ms. (5) CM RNase Ms bound with 2'-AMP to the same extent as native RNase Ms, but bound to a lesser extent with 2',(3')-GMP. (6) Although the conformation of CM RNase Ms as judged from the CD spectrum was practically the same as that of native RNase Ms, the reactivity of CM RNase Ms towards dinitrofluorobenzene was different from that of native RNase Ms, indicating some difference in the conformation. (7) These results indicate that one glutamic acid residue is involved in the active of RNase Ms.

Amino Acids↗

Photooxidation and carbethoxylation of a minor ribonuclease from Aspergillus saitoi.

In order to investigate the nature of amino acid residues involved in the active in the active site of a ribonuclease from Aspergillus saitoi, the pH dependence of the rates of inactivation of RNase Ms by photooxidation and modification with diethylpyrocarbonate were studied. (1) RNase Ms was inactivated by illumination in the presence of methylene blue at various pH's. The pH dependence of the rate of photooxidative inactivation of RNase Ms indicated that at least one functional group having pKa 7.2 was involved in the active site. (2) Amino acid analyses of photooxidized RNase Ms at various stages of photooxidative inactivation at pH's 4.0 and 6.0 indicated that one histidine residue was related to the activity of RNase Ms, but that no tryptophan residue was involved in the active site. (3) 2',(3')-AMP prevented the photooxidative inactivation of RNase Ms. The results also indicated the presence of a histidine residue in the active site. (4) Modification of RNase Ms with diethylpyrocarbonate was studied at various pH's. The results indicated that a functional group having pKa 7.1 was involved in the active site of RNase Ms.

Aspergillus↗

Further studies on the specificity of the minor ribonuclease from Aspergillus saitoi.

In order to investigate the base specificity of the minor RNase [EC 3.1.4.23] from Aspergillus saitoi, the kinetic constant of the enzyme was measured with 16 dinucleoside phosphates (XpY's) as substrates at pH 5.5 and 25 degrees. The maximum rates of transesterification of GpY's were in the range of 10,000 to 2,800 and were markedly larger than those of other XpY's, including XpG's. The average Km values of UpY, CpY, ApY, and GpY increased in the order A, C, U, and G. This order coincides with that of the rates of release of 4 common nucleotides from RNA by RNase Ms (the rates decreased in the order 3'-GMP, 3'-AMP, 3'-CMP, and 3'-UMP), except for the case of GpY. Therefore the rates of release of nucleotides seem to be dependent on the affinity constant of the X base in XpY, except in the case of GpY. The high rate of release of guanylic acid from RNA was explained by the findings that higher rates of hydrolysis of GpY's compensate for their lower affinity to the enzyme. These results suggested that the base specificity was rather dependent upon the X nucleotide in XpY. The Ki values of various nucleotides and nucleosides towards RNase Ms were measured. These compounds inhibited the RNase competitively. Although the inhibitory effect depends on the bases, sugars and location of phosphate, when the location of phosphate on the sugar was the same, the Ki values of ribonucleotides decreased in the order U, G, C, and A and those of deoxyribonucleotides decreased in the order T, G, C, and A. The dependence of the inhibitory effect of ribonucleosides on the bases was similar to that of ribonucleotides, but that of deoxyribonucleosides was in the order dT, dA, dG, and dC.

Aspergillus↗

Head and neck reconstruction with pectoralis major myocutaneous flap: CT evaluation.

Sixty-one CT scans in 20 patients who had undergone head and neck reconstructive surgery using a pectoralis major myocutaneous (PM-MC) flap were retrospectively evaluated to assess the usefulness of Ct in the follow-up of these patients. The normal CT findings in patients with PM-MC flaps are described. Of 13 cases with tumor recurrence, CT examination correctly detected recurrent masses in all cases, including 3 in which there was no clinical sign of recurrence. Postoperative masses mimicking tumor recurrence included deformed breast tissue, hematomas, lymphoceles, and abscesses. Computed tomography was of great value in the detection of tumor recurrence, but careful interpretation is required because a postoperative complication or anatomic alteration may lead to the erroneous diagnosis of tumor recurrence.

Abscess↗