Biomedical subjects

M van Heuvel

Publications and source records attributed to M van Heuvel.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

Bacterial lipases.

Many different bacterial species produce lipases which hydrolyze esters of glycerol with preferably long-chain fatty acids. They act at the interface generated by a hydrophobic lipid substrate in a hydrophilic aqueous medium. A characteristic property of lipases is called interfacial activation, meaning a sharp increase in lipase activity observed when the substrate starts to form an emulsion, thereby presenting to the enzyme an interfacial area. As a consequence, the kinetics of a lipase reaction do not follow the classical Michaelis-Menten model. With only a few exceptions, bacterial lipases are able to completely hydrolyze a triacylglycerol substrate although a certain preference for primary ester bonds has been observed. Numerous lipase assay methods are available using coloured or fluorescent substrates which allow spectroscopic and fluorimetric detection of lipase activity. Another important assay is based on titration of fatty acids released from the substrate. Newly developed methods allow to exactly determine lipase activity via controlled surface pressure or by means of a computer-controlled oil drop tensiometer. The synthesis and secretion of lipases by bacteria is influenced by a variety of environmental factors like ions, carbon sources, or presence of non-metabolizable polysaccharides. The secretion pathway is known for Pseudomonas lipases with P. aeruginosa lipase using a two-step mechanism and P. fluorescens lipase using a one-step mechanism. Additionally, some Pseudomonas lipases need specific chaperone-like proteins assisting their correct folding in the periplasm. These lipase-specific foldases (Lif-proteins) which show a high degree of amino acid sequence homology among different Pseudomonas species are coded for by genes located immediately downstream the lipase structural genes. A comparison of different bacterial lipases on the basis of primary structure revealed only very limited sequence homology. However, determination of the three-dimensional structure of the P. glumae lipase indicated that at least some of the bacterial lipases will presumably reveal a conserved folding pattern called the alpha/beta-hydrolase fold, which has been described for other microbial and human lipases. The catalytic site of lipases is buried inside the protein and contains a serine-protease-like catalytic triad consisting of the amino acids serine, histidine, and aspartate (or glutamate). The Ser-residue is located in a strictly conserved beta-epsilon Ser-alpha motif. The active site is covered by a lid-like alpha-helical structure which moves away upon contact of the lipase with its substrate, thereby exposing hydrophobic residues at the protein's surface mediating the contact between protein and substrate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Cloning and characterization of the abfB gene coding for the major alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase (ABF B) of Aspergillus niger.

Based on amino-acid sequence data from Aspergillus niger alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase B (ABF B), and cyanogen bromide fragments derived thereof, deoxyoligonucleotide mixtures were designed to be employed as primers in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on A. niger genomic DNA. This resulted in amplification of three related PCR products. The abfB gene encoding ABF B was isolated from a genomic library using such an amplification product as a probe. A 5.1-kb BamHI fragment was subcloned to result in plasmid pIM991. Upon introduction by co-transformation into both A. niger and A. nidulans uridine auxotrophic strains, pIM991 was shown to contain the functional gene since prototrophic transformants overproduced ABF B upon growth on the inducing carbon source sugar beet pulp. A plate assay was developed enabling quick selection of ABF B-overproducing transformants. The sequence of a 4122-bp long BamHI/SstI fragment was determined. The abfB gene does not contain introns and codes for a protein of 499 amino acids. The mature ABF B, 481 amino acids in length, has a deduced molecular weight of 50.7 kDa. A. niger abfB is the first eukaryotic gene encoding an ABF to be characterized.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1989

The biological activity of interferon alpha is influenced by two distinct regions in the protein.

With the aim to assign differences in activity between murine interferon-alpha 1 and -alpha 4 to specific amino acids, we have constructed hybrid genes and analysed the antiviral properties of the corresponding hybrid proteins. The hybrid genes were constructed by means of homologous recombination between the alpha 1 and alpha 4 genes in Escherichia coli. Hybrids in which the N-terminal part is derived from alpha 1 show that two regions have a major effect on the activity: amino acid 10-20 and 55-67. When comparing hybrids with N-terminal alpha 4 sequences, transitions in activity are found in the same regions. Interestingly, the curves for the two sets of hybrids are exactly each others mirror image.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1988

Interferon-alpha-(IFN) producing CHO cell lines are resistant to the antiproliferative activity of IFN: a correlation with gene expression.

CHO cell lines that constitutively produce the murine interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) subspecies alpha 4 and alpha 6 were constructed. The producer cell lines were protected against viral (vesicular stomatitis virus) infection by the IFN species secreted, but were resistant to the growth inhibitory activity of the IFN species. As compared with alpha 4, the alpha 6 protein displayed a high antiproliferative activity when added to normal CHO cells, which correlates completely with the high antiviral activity of alpha 6 on these cells. Three messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) species, which are normally induced in CHO cells by IFN treatment (1-8, 2-5A synthetase, and ISG 15) were constitutively present in CHO producer cell lines. The level of another mRNA (ISG 54), however, was very low in the producer cells as compared with its expression in short-term IFN-treated cells. These data indicate that 1-8, 2-5A synthetase and ISG 15 are not involved in the antigrowth activity of IFN in this system, but rather suggest a function of ISG 54 in this respect.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Structure-function analysis of mouse interferon alpha species: MuIFN-alpha 10, a subspecies with low antiviral activity.

A mouse interferon alpha gene (MuIFN-alpha 10) was isolated from a BALB/c cosmid genomic library. The gene was located on a 1.8 kb HindIII fragment and a 5.1 kb EcoRI fragment. The coding region and parts of the 5' and 3' non-coding regions were sequenced. The results showed that the MuIFN-alpha 10 gene encoded a protein of 167 amino acids. Like most other MuIFN-alpha species it contained a putative N-glycosylation site at amino acid positions 78 to 80. It also possessed cysteine residues at positions 1, 29, 86, 99 and 129. In the signal peptide, in addition to cysteine 21, which is present in all MuIFN-alpha species sequenced so far, a cysteine was found at position 22. At the amino acid level MuIFN-alpha 10 showed strong homology to MuIFN-alpha 1 (only 15 out of 167 amino acids were different). The MuIFN-alpha 10 gene was transiently expressed in monkey COS cells under the direction of the simian virus 40 early promoter. The protein product secreted by COS cells was equally active on mouse (L929) and hamster (CHO) cells. However, as compared to MuIFN-alpha 1 and MuIFN-alpha 4 the specific activity on mouse cells of the protein was 10- to 100-fold lower. To find out which region of its structure was responsible for this low activity, hybrids of the genes encoding MuIFN-alpha 10 and MuIFN-alpha 1 were constructed using the two common XmmI sites which correspond to positions between amino acids 67 and 68 and 123 and 124, respectively. The data showed that hybrid constructs which were MuIFN-alpha 1-like from amino acid 68 or MuIFN-alpha 10-like from position 124 to the C terminus possessed high antiviral activity. Other hybrid constructs were hardly active at all. This implied that the amino acid 68 to 123 region was mainly responsible for the low antiviral activity of MuIFN-alpha 10. In this part of the molecule MuIFN-alpha 1 and MuIFN-alpha 10 differed in only five amino acids. A serine at position 110 and a valine at 85 were unique to MuIFN-alpha 10 as compared to all known MuIFN-alpha and human IFN-alpha subspecies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Two domains in alpha interferons influence the efficacy of the antiviral response.

Murine interferon-alpha 1 and murine interferon-alpha 4 share 80% of their amino acids, yet the proteins differ considerably in their ability to protect mouse or hamster cells against viral infection. With the aim of localizing areas within these proteins which influence the biological response we have constructed hybrid alpha 1 alpha 4 genes by means of homologous recombination of the parent genes. When the antiviral activities of these proteins were compared, it appeared that there are at least two domains that affect the biological response to these proteins: area A (amino acids 10-20) and area B (amino acids 55-67). These areas are presumably involved in the interaction between ligand and receptor. Most interestingly, hybrids in which area A from IFN-alpha 1 is combined with area B from alpha 4, have antiviral activities on homologous cells that are one to two orders of magnitude higher than those of the parent proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1986

Transient expression of murine interferon-alpha genes in mouse and monkey cells.

The coding regions of murine interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) genes were combined with promoter and 3'-noncoding sequences from other eukaryotic genes. Transient expression of these fusion genes was achieved in monkey COS cells and in a mouse cell line (TOP cells) expressing polyoma virus (Py) large T antigen constitutively. The efficiency of the different expression plasmids was determined by measuring the amount of IFN secreted into the medium. Replacement of the 3'-noncoding region of an IFN-alpha gene by that of the rabbit beta-globin gene resulted in a fourfold higher IFN-alpha production. The SV40 early promoter and the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) long terminal repeat (LTR) produced similar amounts of IFN-alpha in COS cells. However, a tandem combination of the SV40 enhancer/early promoter and the mouse metallothionein-I promoter appeared fivefold more active than the SV40 early promoter. In TOP cells the MoMLV LTR was found to be threefold more active than the Py early promoter.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Regulation of Mu transposition. II. The escherichia coli HimD protein positively controls two repressor promoters and the early promoter of bacteriophage Mu.

Two leftward Pc promoters for the repressor gene of bacteriophage Mu have been localized by fusions of the promoter region to the structural galK gene and by S1 nuclease mapping. Transcription initiated at the left-end-proximal promoter (Pc-1) starts 23 bp ahead of the c gene. The second promoter (Pc-2) is located 200 bp from the translation start codon of gene c. The RNA initiated from Pc-2 overlaps 35 bp with the rightward transcript from the early Mu promoter (Pe). The expression from Pe and both repressor promoters is positively regulated by the Escherichia coli HimD (Hip) protein, probably acting as a subunit of the integration host factor (IHF). Two overlapping sequences matching the consensus for the IHF binding site (ihf) are found between Pe and Pc-1.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed1978

Alkali-labile sites and post-irradiation effects in single-stranded DNA induced by H radicals.

Single-stranded phiX174 DNA in aqueous solutions has been irradiated in the absence of oxygen, under conditions in which only H radicals react with the DNA. It was shown that H radical reactions result in breaks, which contribute approximately 10 per cent inactivation. Further, two types of alkali-labile sites are formed. One is lethal and gives rise to single-strand breaks by alkali and is most probably identical with post-irradiation heat damage and contributes about 33 per cent to the inactivation mentioned above. The other consists of non-lethal damage, partly dihydropyrimidine derivatives, and is converted to lethal damage by alkali. This follows from experiments in which the DNA was treated with osmium-tetroxide, which oxidizes thymine to 5,6-dihydroxy-dihydrothymine. Treatment with alkali of this DNA gives the same temperature dependence as found for the non-lethal alkali-labile sites in irradiated DNA. A similar temperature dependence is found for dihydrothymine and irradiated pyrimidines with alkali.

Alkalies↗

PubMed1976

Biological relevance of gamma-ray-induced alkali-labile sites in single-stranded Dna in aqueous solutions.

Gamma-irradiation in single-stranded phiX174 DNA in aqueous solution in the presence of oxygen produces at least two types of alkali-labile site. One is lethal and gives rise to single-strand breaks by treatment with alkali. The other is non-lethal, but is converted to lethal damage by alkali. The effect of alkali is dependent on temperature. This dependence is different for both types of alkali-labile site.

Coliphages↗