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S Milstien

Publications and source records attributed to S Milstien.

108 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Partial purification and characterization of rat liver phenylalanine hydroxylase phosphatase.

A phosphatase which catalyzes the release of 32Pi from 32P-labeled phenylalanine hydroxylase has been purified about 50-fold from rat liver extracts. The phosphatase is able to catalyze the removal of only 70 to 80% of the 32Pi leaving about the same amount of Pi still bound to the hydroxylase as was originally present in the native enzyme. Dephosphorylation is accompanied by a corresponding loss in phenylalanine hydroxylase activity when the activity is measured with the natural cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin, but not when measured with the synthetic cofactor, 6-methyltetrahydropterin. The partially purified phosphatase has very low activity toward p-nitrophenylphosphate, histone phosphate, and phosphorylase a. The activity toward these substrates has not been purified to the same extent as the phenylalanine hydroxylase phosphatase activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Atypical phenylketonuria with normal phenylalanine hydroxylase and dihydropteridine reductase activity in vitro.

A child with phenylketonuria had normal phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in vitro. In addition, all known components of the phenylalanine hydroxylating system were within the normal range. Despite early treatment with a phenylalanine-restricted diet, the patient developed severe neurological symptoms. Although the primary molecular defect in this child is not known, there are indications that the defect lead to disturbances in phenylalanine metabolism and the biosynthesis of L-dopa and L-5-hydroxytryptophan. The administration of these two precursors of neurotransmitters brought a notable improvement in the patient's neurological symptoms.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMed1976

In vitro activation of rat liver phenylalanine hydroxylase by phosphorylation.

Essentially pure phenylalanine hydroxylase from rat liver can be activated between 2.5- and 3.0-fold by treatment with Mg2+, ATP, protein kinase, and cyclic AMP. The activation is seen when the hydroxylase is assayed in the presence of tetrahydrobiopterin, but not in the presence of 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6,7-dimethyltetrahydropteridine. In the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP, activation is accompanied by incorporation of 32P into the protein to the extent of 0.7 mol/mol of hydroxylase subunit (Mr = 50,000). Cehmical analysis of the untreated enzyme shows that it already contains about 0.3 mol of Pi/mol of hydroxylase. These results suggest that the activity of the hydroxylase may be regulated by phosphorylation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1976

Hyperphenylalaninemia due to dihydropteridine reductase deficiency. Assay of the enzyme in fibroblasts from affected infants, heterozygotes, and in normal amniotic fluid cells.

Two infant siblings with modest elevations of serum phenylalanine concentrations had seizures and developmental regression: they died in their second year. Dihydropteridine reductase activity, which can be measured in normal cultured skin fibroblasts, was measured in the younger sibling and was absent. Parents of the two siblings and parents of a previously reported patient all showed 50% or less of the normal dihydropteridine reductase activity in their cultured fibroblasts. Dihydropteridine reductase activity is also present in normal cultured amniotic fluid cells, offering the possibility of prenatal diagnosis. Absence of dihydropteridine reductase results not only in a defect in the conversion of phenylalaning to tyrosine, but also in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters, dopamine, norephinephrine, and serotonin. Since deficiencies in these neurotransmitters would not be alleviated by a phenylalanine-restricted diet, it is important to establish the nature of the enzymatic defect in all suspected variants of phenylketonuria.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Hepatic phenylalanine 4-monooxygenase is a phosphoprotein.

Phenylalanine hydroxylase [phenylalanine 4-monooxygenase; EC 1.14.16.1; L-phenylalanine, tetrahydropteridine:oxygen oxidoreductase(4-hydroxylating)] isolated from rat liver is a phosphoprotein containing approximately 0.31 mumol of protein-bound phosphate per mumol of subunit (50,000 molecular weight). When the enzyme is further phosphorylated in the presence of ATP and a 3'5'-cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37; ATP:protein phsophotransferase), an additional 0.7 mumol of phosphate per mumol of subunit is introduced, bringing the total phosphate content up to about 1 mumol/mumol of subunit. This phosphorylation of the enzyme in vitro is accompanied by a 2.6-fold increase in hydroxylase activity when the activity is assayed in the presence of tetrahydrobiopterin. Partial proteolytic digestion of phenylalanine hydroxylase, which previously had been shown to activate the enzyme 20- to 50-fold [Fisher, D.B. & Kaufman, S. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 4345-4353], removes almost all of the phosphate from the enzyme.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Phenylketonuria due to a deficiency of dihydropteridine reductase.

The onset of neurologic symptoms in a child who had markedly elevated blood phenylalanine levels during the first two weeks of life and who was promptly treated with a low phenylalanine diet, with excellent control of serum phenylalanine levels, suggested that this child had an unusual form of phenylketonuria. In assays of the components of the phenylalanine hydroxylating system (open liver biopsy at 14 months), the activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase was 20 per cent of the average normal adult value. By contrast, no dihydropteridine reductase activity was detected in the patient's liver, brain or cultured skin fibroblasts. Since dihydropteridine reductase is also essential for the biosynthesis of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, disturbed neurotransmitter function may be responsible for the patient's neurologic deterioration. On the basis of these results, assay of reductase in cultured skin fibroblasts may be advisable in the initial diagnosis of phenylketonuria.

Biopterins↗
PubMed1975

Studies on the phenylalanine hydroxylase system in liver slices.

A method was developed to study the unsupplemented phenylalanine hydroxylase system in rat liver slices. All of the components of the system--tetrahydrobiopterin, dihydropteridine reductase, and the hydroxylase itself--are present under conditions which should be representative of the actual physiological state of the animal. The properties of the system in liver slices have been compared to those of the purified enzyme in vitro. The three pterins, tetrahydrobiopterin, 6,7-dimethyltetrahydropterin, and 6-methyltetrahydropterin, all stimulate the hydroxylation of phenylalanine when added to the liver slice medium in the presence of a chemical reducing agent. The relative velocities found at 1 mM phenylalanine and saturating pterin concentrations are: tetrahydrobiopterin, 1; 6,7-dimethyltetrahydropterin, 2.5; 6-methyltetrahydropterin, 13. This ratio of activities is similar to that found for the purified, native phenylalanine hydroxylase and indicates that the enzyme in vivo is predominantly in the native form. Rats pretreated with 6-methyltetrahydropterin showed enhanced phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in liver slices demonstrating for the first time that an exogenous tetrahydropterin can interact with the phenylalanine hydroxylase system in vivo. This finding opens up the possibility of treating phenylketonurics who still possess some residual phenylalanine hydroxylase activity with a tetrahydropterin like 6-methyltetrahydropterin which can give a large increase in rate over that seen with the natural cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Studies on the phenylalanine hydroxylase system in vivo. An in vivo assay based on the liberation of deuterium or tritium into the body water from ring-labeled L-phenylalanine.

The rate of release of deuterons into the body water from 2,3,4,5,6-pentadeutero-L-phenylalanine has been shown to be a valid measure of the activity of the phenylalanine hydroxylase system in vivo. At a dose of 0.5 g/kg, the rate of release of deuterons is linear for 60 to 90 min. Male rats, which had previously been shown to have 22 to 25% more phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in liver extracts than female rats, produced deuterons from deuterated phenylalanine at a rate 20 to 30% greater than female rats. p-Chlorophenylalanine, which irreversibly inhibits phenylalanine hydroxylase in vivo, caused a similar degree of inhibition of the rate of deuteron formation as was found when phenylalanine hydroxylase was measured in extracts from the same group of animals. Methotrexate, which inhibits the phenylalanine hydroxylase system by preventing regeneration of the tetrahydropteridine cofactor, caused parallel inhibition of the in vivo assay as well as when the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine was measured in liver slices. Randomly ring-tritiated phenylalanine can be used interchangeably with ring-deuterated phenylalanine if greater sensitivity is needed in the in vivo assay for phenylalanine hydroxylase. However, a dose of 20 to 30 muCi/kg is required. The in vivo deuterium release assay described in this paper should be useful in studying the physiological control of the phenylalanine hydroxylating system. It also may be of value in differentiating between individuals who are heterozygotes for phenylketonuria and those who are homozygotes for hyperphenylalaninemia.

Animals↗
PubMed1973

Role of intestinal microflora in the metabolism of guanidinosuccinic acid.

Among a variety of bacteria isolated from the gastrointestinal tracts of rats and humans, only streptococci of group N are capable of degrading guanidinosuccinic acid added to their culture medium. The urinary excretion of guanidinosuccinic acid by germfree rats is greater than that of conventional rats. The excretion of this compound by gnotobiotic rats correlates with the capacity of their intestinal microflora to degrade guanidinosuccinic acid in culture. Thus, guanidinosuccinic acid excretion is low in rats infected exclusively with Streptococcus faecalis, and the excretion is not altered when germfree rats are infected with an organism unable to degrade guanidinosuccinic acid (Lactobacillus). These findings suggest that the intestinal microflora, particularly Streptococcus, play a role in the metabolism of guanidinosuccinic acid by the host.

Animals↗
PubMed1970

Rate acceleration by stereopopulation control: models for enzyme action.

As a result of alkyl substitution in both aromatic ring and side chain, the rate constant for acid-catalyzed lactonization of hydrocoumaric acid is increased by factors as high as 10(11) and, in comparison with the bimolecular esterification of phenol and acetic acid, by almost 10(16). In the most favorable case studied, the half-life of the phenolic acid (imidazole buffer, pH 7, 30 degrees C) is 6 sec, with 90% of the total rate being due to catalysis by the buffer species. The effect is attributed to a unique interlocking of methyl groups, which produces a severe conformational restriction of the side chain and increases greatly the population of the most productive conformer. This phenomenon is presented as a model for the conformational restraint imposed by an enzyme on its substrate. The magnitude of the effect suggests that the contribution of substrate "freezing" to total rate enhancement by an enzyme can be considerably greater than previously supposed and may in fact be sufficient to complete the justification for enzyme catalysis.

Catalysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Phenylketonuria and its variants.

The hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase system is complex, consisting of at least two enzymes and two non-protein cofactors. In classical phenylketonuria (PKU) the affect component has been shown to be the enzyme, phenylalanine hydroxylase. Recently, several variant forms of PKU have been identified which are due to deficiencies of two of the other components of the hydroxylase system, dihydropteridine reductase and tetrahydrobiopterin. In these cases, the defects lead to symptoms which are more severe than in PKU. Furthermore, since these two components are also required in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, treatment with a phenylalanine-restricted diet is not effective. Thus, it is important to distinguish PKU from one of its variant forms at as early an age as possible to institute alternate therapies. The methods for determining the affected component will be discussed.

Biopterins↗