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Robert R Rando

Publications and source records attributed to Robert R Rando.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Stereospecificity of aminoglycoside-ribosomal interactions.

Aminoglycoside antibiotics bind to the A-site decoding region of bacterial rRNA causing mistranslation and/or premature message termination. Aminoglycoside binding to A-site RNA decoding region constructs is established here to be only weakly stereospecific. Mirror-image prokaryotic A-site decoding region constructs were prepared in the natural D-series and the enantiomeric L-series and tested for binding to a series of aminoglycosides. In general, aminoglycosides bind to the D-series decoding region constructs with 2-3-fold higher affinities than they bind to the enantiomeric L-series. Moreover, L-neamine, the enantiomer of naturally occurring D-neamine, was prepared and shown to bind approximately 2-fold more weakly than D-neamine to the natural series decoding region construct, a result consistent with weakly stereospecific binding. The binding of naturally occurring D-neamine and its synthetic L-enantiomer was further evaluated with respect to binding to prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes. Here, weak stereospecifcity was again observed with L-neamine being the more potent binder by a factor of approximately 2. However, on a functional level, unnatural L-neamine proved to inhibit in vitro translation with significantly lower potency (approximately 5-fold) than D-neamine. In addition, both L- and D-neamine are bacteriocidal toward Gram-(-) bacteria. L-Neamine inhibits the growth of E. coli and P. aeruginosa with 8- and 3-fold higher MIC than D-neamine. Interestingly, L-neamine also inhibits the growth of aminoglycoside-resistant E. coli, which expresses a kinase able to phosphorylate and detoxify aminoglycosides of the D-series. These observations suggest that mirror-image aminoglycosides may avoid certain forms of enzyme-mediated resistance.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2002

Decoding region bubble size and aminoglycoside antibiotic binding.

Aminoglycoside antibiotics promiscuously bind to structurally diverse RNA molecules containing internal bubbles and bulges with affinities in the microM range. An interesting exception is found in the human 12S mitochondrial decoding region where aminoglycoside binding, unlike in the case of its bacterial and human cytoplasmic counterparts, is absent. Mutations that reduce the size of the bubble in the 12S decoding region immediately restore aminoglycoside binding, giving the system chemical switch like behavior.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed2002

Lecithin retinol acyltransferase forms functional homodimers.

Membrane-bound lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), an essential enzyme in vitamin A processing, catalyzes the formation of retinyl esters from vitamin A and lecithin. Cloned and expressed LRAT has a molecular mass of 25.3 kDa. The enzyme is not homologous to known enzymes and is, therefore, of substantial interest mechanistically. Along these lines, the functional protomeric state of LRAT is of importance. Gel electrophoretic studies on LRAT in the presence of SDS and disulfide reducing agents show the expected 25 kDa monomer. However, gel electrophoresis in the absence of a reducing agent and/or strong denaturing conditions reveals substantial dimer formation. LRAT monomers can be efficiently and irreversibly cross-linked by thiol reactive bismaleimides in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) membranes generating LRAT homodimers. Cross-linked LRAT homodimers are fully active catalytically. The experiments suggest that LRAT monomers interact in membranes and form functional homodimers through protein-protein interactions and disulfide bond formation.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed2002

Retinol metabolism and lecithin:retinol acyltransferase levels are reduced in cultured human prostate cancer cells and tissue specimens.

Recent studies from our laboratory have indicated that the metabolism of vitamin A (retinol) to retinyl esters, carried out primarily by the enzyme lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), is greatly reduced in human carcinoma cell lines of the oral cavity, skin, breast, and kidney as compared with their normal epithelial counterparts. These studies suggest that human carcinoma cells are retinoid-deficient relative to normal epithelial cells. In this study, we examined the metabolism of [(3)H]retinol and [(3)H]retinoic acid (RA) in human prostate cancer lines and in primary cultures of human prostate epithelial cells. Normal cells esterified all of the [(3)H]retinol added to the cultures. In contrast, all seven prostate cancer cell lines and four primary cultures derived from prostatic adenocarcinomas metabolized only trace amounts of [(3)H]retinol to [(3)H]retinyl esters. Correlated with this relative lack of esterification of [(3)H]retinol by the cancer cells was loss of expression of LRAT protein, whereas normal cells expressed abundant levels of LRAT protein by Western analysis. The metabolism of [(3)H]RA was also examined in these prostatic cells. Two of the prostate cancer tumor lines, DU 145 and PJ-1, exhibited rapid metabolism of [(3)H]RA; in contrast, the other tumor lines or primary cultures metabolized [(3)H]RA at a much slower rate. We also found that the immortalization of normal human prostatic epithelial cells by SV40 T antigen led to a reduction in LRAT protein expression and esterification of [(3)H]retinol. Further transformation to tumorigenicity with the ras oncogene resulted in loss of detectable LRAT expression. Finally, we analyzed LRAT protein expression in tissue sections from six prostatectomy specimens by immunohistochemistry. LRAT protein was predominantly expressed in the basal cells of normal prostatic epithelium, whereas its expression was lost in prostate cancer. Collectively, these data implicate aberrant retinoid metabolism in the process of prostatic carcinogenesis.

Acyltransferases↗