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M K Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to M K Thomas.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Substrate- and kinase-directed regulation of phosphorylation of a cGMP-binding phosphodiesterase by cGMP.

A purified bovine lung cGMP-binding cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase (cG-BPDE) was rapidly phosphorylated by purified bovine lung cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK). Within a physiological concentration range, cGK catalyzed phosphorylation of cG-BPDE at a rate approximately 10 times greater than did equimolar concentrations of purified catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAK). cG-BPDE was a poor substrate for either purified protein kinase C or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Binding of cGMP to the cG-BPDE binding site was required for phosphorylation since (a) phosphorylation of cG-BPDE by the catalytic subunit of cAK was cGMP-dependent, (b) phosphorylation of cG-BPDE in the presence of a cGMP analog specific for activation of cGK was cGMP-dependent, and (c) occupation of the cG-BPDE hydrolytic site with competitive inhibitors did not produce the cGMP-dependent effect. cGMP-dependent phosphorylation of cG-BPDE by both cGK and cAK occurred at serine. Proteolytic digestion of cG-BPDE phosphorylated by either cGK or cAK revealed the same phosphopeptide pattern, suggesting that phosphorylation by the two kinases occurred at the same or adjacent site(s). Tryptic digestion of cG-BPDE phosphorylated by cGK and [gamma-32P]ATP produced a single major phosphopeptide of approximately 2 kDa with the following amino-terminal sequence: Lys-Ile-Ser-Ala-Ser-Glu-Phe-Asp-Arg-Pro-Leu-Arg- Radioactivity was released during the third cycle of Edman degradation. cG-BPDE is one of few specific in vitro cGK substrates of known function to be identified. Elevation of intracellular cGMP may cause phosphorylation of cG-BPDE by modulating the substrate site availability as well as by activating cGK. Such regulation would greatly increase the selectivity of the phosphorylation of cG-BPDE and would represent a unique mechanism of action of a cyclic nucleotide or other second messenger.

3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases↗
PubMed1989

Regulation of ecdysteroidogenesis in prothoracic glands of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta.

Ecdysteroidogenesis in Manduca sexta prothoracic glands is regulated by a set of bioregulatory molecules, including prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) and a protein factor present in larval hemolymph, and by the competence of the glands to synthesize ecdysteroids in response to those molecules. A larval molting bioassay was used to assess the in vivo activity of Manduca PTTHs. Crude PTTH, big PTTH, and small PTTH each elicited a larval molt in head-ligated larvae. However, big PTTH was approximately 10-fold more potent than crude PTTH, which was, in turn, several orders of magnitude more potent than small PTTH. When big and small PTTH were combined, the molting response was similar to that elicited with crude PTTH. The chemical nature of the hemolymph protein factor was also investigated. Injection of [3H]cholesterol into last-instar larvae and fractionation of the radiolabeled hemolymph by gel filtration chromatography revealed three peaks of radioactivity. One peak eluted in fractions containing the hemolymph protein factor, a result consistent with the notion that the factor transports a sterol substrate. The possibility that the factor is a 3(2)-ketoreductase was investigated by assessing the effect of the factor on the accumulation of RIA-detectable ecdysteroids in prothoracic-gland-conditioned medium. Three of five preparations of the factor significantly enhanced the amount of RIA-detectable ecdysteroids in conditioned medium, indicating that at least some preparations of the factor may contain ketoreductase activity. The above findings are discussed in the context of current hypotheses of how bioregulatory molecules interact with the prothoracic glands to regulate ecdysteroidogenesis in Manduca.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Insect prothoracicotropic hormone: evidence for two molecular forms.

In an insect, the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, the cerebral neuropeptide prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), the primary effector of postembryonic development, exists as two molecular forms. These two PTTH's elicit characteristic in vitro dose responses of activation of prothoracic glands from different developmental stages, an indication that during development the glands change in their sensitivity to the neurohormones. Both PTTH's are active in a specific in situ bioassay. Since they may be released in situ at stage-specific times to evoke distinctly different developmental responses, the PTTH neuroendocrine axis appears to be an effective system for determining the functions of molecular forms of a neurohormone in the regulation of growth and development.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Inhibition of glycolytic enzymes by 2-phosphotartronate.

2-Phosphotartronate has been synthesized by permanganate oxidation of glycerol 2-phosphate and has been tested as an inhibitor of five glycolytic enzymes that bind phosphoglycerate or phosphoglycollate. Competitive inhibition of rabbit muscle phosphoglycerate mutase, enolase and pyruvate kinase was observed. Triose phosphate isomerase and 3-phosphoglycerate kinase were not inhibited.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunoaffinity purification of the neuropeptide prothoracicotropic hormone from Manduca sexta.

The prothoracicotropic hormones (PTTH) are cerebral peptides that control insect postembryonic development by stimulating the prothoracic glands to synthesize ecdysteroids. Using immunoaffinity chromatography and SDS-PAGE, a 25.5 kDa big PTTH has been purified from Manduca sexta. Based upon SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis, the native form of big PTTH appears to be a dimer with monomers of 16.5 kDa. Four HPLC-separated fragments of this acidic peptide were sequenced and exhibited no sequence similarity with Bombyx mori PTTH. In agreement with this finding, the basic Bombyx PTTH had no PTTH bioactivity in Manduca. One sequenced fragment of the Manduca PTTH is approximately 70% similar to the vertebrate cellular retinoid binding proteins, suggesting these binding proteins may be present in insects.

Amino Acid Sequence↗