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L Yu

Publications and source records attributed to L Yu.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

The existence of an antimycin A insensitive ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activity in the photosynthetic apparatus.

A nonproteinaceous, antimycin A insensitive ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activity is detected in and purified from chromatophores of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides, R-26. This activity is about 5 times the antimycin A sensitive reductase activity in chromatophores and the two are not interconvertable. The purification involved chloroform:methanol (2:1), and hexane extractions and florisil column chromatography. The purified preparation contains some bacteriochlorophyll-like pigments and phospholipids, and is stable in organic solvent. It catalyzes the oxidation of ubiquinol by cytochrome c with substrate specificity and pH optimum.

Antimycin A

Syntheses of biologically active ubiquinone derivatives.

Various 6-alkylubiquinone or 6-(omega-haloalkyl)ubiquinone derivatives were synthesized through a radical coupling reaction between alkanoyl or omega-haloalkanoyl peroxides and ubiquinone 0. The latter was synthesized from 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol via nitration, methylation, reduction, and oxidation by modifications of the reported methods. 6-(omega-Haloalkyl)ubiquinones were converted to 6-(omega-hydroxyalkyl)ubiquinones by a mercuric-assisted solvolysis technique. The 6-(omega-hydroxyalkyl)ubiquinones were then esterified with carboxylic acid anhydrides or carboxylic acid bearing reporting groups, such as a photoaffinity label, N-(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl)-beta-alanine, or a spin-label, 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolinyl-1-oxy. The esterification was catalyzed by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and pyridine, and the esters were purified by preparative silica gel thin-layer chromatography, developed by 3% ethanol in benzene. The spectral properties and biological functions of the synthesized ubiquinone derivatives were studied. The biological function of the synthesized compounds was followed by the ability to serve as an electron acceptor, donor, or mediator in the isolated mitochondrial electron transfer complexes of succinate-Q reductase, ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase, and succinate-cytochrome c reductase, respectively. The concentration effect of these ubiquinone derivatives on the electron transfer reaction was compared with that of ubiquinone 10. The study of the inhibitory effect of synthesized arylazidoubiquinone on succinate-cytochrome c reductase after photolysis confirmed the existence of specific Q-binding proteins in this segment of the respiratory chain. The specific interaction between ubiquinone and protein has also gained support from the immobilization of the spin-label of a synthesized spin-labeled ubiquinone derivative.

Affinity Labels

Quantitative resolution of succinate-cytochrome c reductase into succinate-ubiquinone and ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductases.

A purified, active succinate-ubiquinone reductase was prepared from succinate-cytochrome c reductase without damage to ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase by 1.1% Triton X-100 solubilization at pH 8.0, and calcium phosphate column chromatography in 50 mM Tris-succinate buffer, pH 8.0, containing 30 mM potassium phosphate. Succinate-ubiquinone reductase thus obtained contains ubiquinone and catalyzes thenoyltrifluoroacetone-sensitive oxidation of succinate by 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol in the absence of exogenous mediator. Addition of ubiquinone enhanced the activity about 50%. Analytical sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the enzyme contains four polypeptides. The high molecular weight polypeptide contaminants usually observed in the Complex II preparation obtained by the reported method were absent. The active succinate-ubiquinone reductase can reconstitute with the cytochrome b-c1III complex, or Complex III to form succinate-cytochrome c reductase in the absence of exogenous ubiquinone or with the resolved ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase in the presence of ubiquinone and phospholipids. Under the proper conditions, all the original succinate-cytochrome c reductase was obtained, indicating that the resolution caused no damage to the protein, despite the removal of phospholipids and ubiquinone from the ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase region.

Animals

The participation of primary amino groups of succinate dehydrogenase in the formation of succinate-Q reductase.

(1) Purified succinate dehydrogenase contains about 49 mol of lysine residues per mol enzyme. Titration of succinate dehydrogenase with fluorescamine indicates that half the lysyl groups are located on the surface of the protein and the other half are buried inside. (2) The reconstitutive activity and the low Km ferricyanide reductase activity of succinate dehydrogenase decreased as the extent of alkylation of amino groups by fluorescamine increased. (3) The inhibitory effects of fluorescamine on both activities are parallel and are succinate concentration dependent. (4) Alkylation of the native succinate-Q reductase by fluorescamine does not affect the enzymatic activity or alter the enzyme kinetic parameters. This indicates that the inhibitory effect of fluorescamine on succinate dehydrogenase is due to the modification of a specific amino group(s) on succinate dehydrogenase which is essential in the interaction with QPs to form succinate-Q reductase. The participation of an ionic group in the formation of succinate-Q reductase supports the idea of the involvement of ionic interaction between succinate dehydrogenase and QPs.

Alkylation

Clinical studies on the antitumor action of mecaphane.

Over a period of 4 years, 241 patients with advanced cancer were treated with mecaphane alone in 11 hospitals. Effective objective responses were obtained in 100 patients (41.4%). The response was most conspicuous in chronic granulocytic leukemia, with remission in 37 of 40 patients; in Hodgkin's disease and lymphosarcoma response rates were 60% and 47.3%, respectively. Mecaphane had an analgesic action in metastatic osteolytic bone cancer, and two patients with such metastases even attained recalcification of the osteolytic destructive lesions. The common toxic manifestations of mecaphane were leukopenia (33.6%), gastrointestinal upsets (28.2%), and thrombocytopenia (12.8%). It is concluded, therefore, that mecaphane could be a good antitumor agent in clinical use. It is less expensive and can be taken orally. Further trials of this drug are recommended.

Adult

Multiple systems organ failure: II. The effect of infusion of amino acids and glucose.

Amino acids and dextrose infusion were given for short periods of time to a young man whose basal state is characterized in the previous paper in this series, and their effects were documented in terms of plasma concentrations and splanchnic extraction. The basal state measurements show in the acute trauma state and its subsequent starvation state a largely balanced splanchnic extraction of amino acids but at a decreasing rate. Amino acid (FreAmine) infusion at low rates on this background produced a large increase in extraction of a largely balanced mixture of amino acids but a minimal change in glucose release. The septic state is characterized in both the basal and amino acid infusion state by splanchnic extraction of an unbalanced mixture of amino acids which is deficient in branched-chain amino acids and in relative excess of glucogenic amino acids with increased glucose release and increased utilization of amino acids for gluconeogenesis. In early sepsis this state can largely be repaired by exogenous amino acid infusion but in late sepsis can only be partially repaired. The data suggest that the patient in late sepsis should have a branched-chain rich amino acid mixture and that the hepatic failure of sepsis is strongly associated with peripheral release of an unbalanced mixture of amino acids secondary to enhanced branched-chain catabolism. Infused glucose produces a large increase in the plasma glucose but also improves the balance of the splanchnic amino acids extracted. The statistical validity of the preceding statements are examined in detail in the manuscript.

Amino Acids

Multiple systems organ failure: III Contrasts in plasma amino acid profiles in septic trauma patients who subsequently survive and do not survive-effects of intravenous amino acids.

The response of the plasma substrate and hormone profile of survivor and nonsurvivor septic trauma patients to varying rates of amino acid infusion (IVAA) were contrasted. When IVAA=0 levels of most plasma amino acids (except aspartate, tryptophan, cysteine, and proline) were lower in nonsurvivors. At IVAA=1 to 100, however, 11 of 20 plasma amino acids were significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) higher in nonsurvivors: only glutamate was significantly lower (p less than or equal to 0.001) and valine, isoleucine, and arginine on average lower. At IVAA less than or equal to 101 to 200, only alanine, methionine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine were significantly (p less than or equal to 0.005) higher in nonsurvivors; isoleucine was significantly (p less than or equal to 0.02) lower. The sharp increase in methionine and decrease in tryptophan in nonsurvivors with IVAA was particularly marked. Polynomial regression analysis showed that urea increased significantly with IVAA in both patient groups, while free fatty acids and cortisol decreased only in nonsurvivors. Insulin increased with IVAA only in survivors, glucagon only in nonsurvivors. Triglycerides, glycerol, acetoacetate, beta OH butyrate, and glucose appeared to show no significant response to IVAA in either patient group. The data are consistent with increased peripheral protein catabolism and branched-chain amino acid oxidation in association with decreased tissue uptake of conventional energetic fuels. These results may be interpreted to be consistent with an impairment of mitochondrial translocase systems.

Adolescent