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Biomedical subjects

S Tanase

Publications and source records attributed to S Tanase.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Monocyte chemotactic factor in rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue. Probably a cross-linked derivative of S19 ribosomal protein.

The extracts of rheumatoid arthritis-synovial lesions from seven patients possessed a strong chemotactic activity for monocytes and a negligible one for polymorphonuclear leukocytes. These results are consistent with a prominent histological feature of the synovial lesion, the mononuclear cell predominant infiltration. The major monocyte chemotactic factor in the synovial tissue extracts was purified to a single protein peak in reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography with a C4 column. NH2-terminal amino acid analysis of the initial 20 residues yielded a single sequence. Surprisingly, this sequence was completely identical to that of S19 ribosomal protein. The purified sample demonstrated two protein bands in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with apparent molecular masses of 34 and 68 kDa. These sizes were 2 and 4 times that of S19 ribosomal protein, suggesting that the chemotactic factor would be a dimer or tetramer of S19 ribosomal protein cross-linked by factor XIIIa. A recombinant human S19 ribosomal protein was prepared as a fusion protein with a maltose binding protein in Escherichia coli. After treatment with factor XIIIa, cross-linked recombinant S19 ribosomal protein exhibited the monocyte chemotactic activity, although the untreated recombinant protein did not.

Amino Acid Sequence

NMR studies of 1H resonances in the 10-18-ppm range for cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase.

Continuing a previous investigation (Kintanar, A., Metzler, C. M., Metzler, D. E., and Scott, R. D. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 17222-17229), we have recorded 1H NMR spectra at 500 MHz in the 10-18-ppm range for the 93-kDa porcine cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase and for four specific mutant forms of the enzyme in which histidine 68 has been replaced by lysine or histidine 143, 189, or 193 has been replaced by glutamine. We have correlated resonances for apoenzyme, pyridoxamine and pyridoxal phosphate forms, and dicarboxylate complexes and have assigned imidazole NH resonances of active site histidines. The chemical shifts of several resonances undergo pH-dependent changes around the pKa of the Schiff base proton at the active site. Other resonances shift upon binding of dicarboxylates or other ligands. Phosphate or carboxylate ions, which can also occupy the site of the substrate's alpha-carboxylate, cause rapid exchange of the Schiff base proton. Although most resonances in the 10-18-ppm range disappear rapidly in D2O, a few are retained for months in the presence of the dicarboxylate inhibitor glutarate. We demonstrate that changes in chemical shifts and in exchange rates are sensitive indicators of electronic interactions of the enzyme with ligands and of conformational change. Nuclear Overhauser effects from NH protons have allowed us to identify resonances of CH protons of the imidazole rings of histidines 143, 189, and 193. Observed and predicted chemical shifts have been compared. We conclude that the net charge on this histidine cluster is zero but that some negative charge from the aspartate 222 carboxylate is donated inductively into the histidine 143 ring. Studies of the related enzyme from Escherichia coli are provided in an accompanying paper (Metzler, D. E., Metzler, C. M., Scott, R. D., Mollova, E. T., Kagamiyama, H., Yano, T., Kuramitsu, S., Hayashi, H., Hirotsu, K., and Miyahara, I. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 28027-28033). Our approach should be applicable to the study of active sites of a broad range of relatively large proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence

Functional role of the amino-terminal mobile segment in catalysis by porcine cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase. Critical importance of Val17 and Phe18 for productive binding of substrates.

A notable feature of porcine cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase is the closure of the active site cleft by a mobile amino-terminal segment (residues 15-40) upon binding substrate. The functional roles of Val17 and Phe18, residues that are part of the mobile loop, have been studied in the site-directed mutants in which the size and hydrophobic nature of these residues have been changed. Absorption, circular dichroism spectra, susceptibility to protease 401, and thermal stability did not differ appreciably between wild type and mutant enzymes. In the overall transamination between aspartate and 2-oxoglutarate, V17A represented a typical Km mutant while V17I retained the substrate binding affinity fairly well. In contrast, replacement of Phe18 by Ala resulted in a large decrease in both catalytic rate and binding affinity for substrates. F18W, F18Y, and F18H showed a moderate decrease in kcat and a considerable increase in Km values. Single-turnover reactions with four individual substrates yielded analogous results to those obtained for the overall reaction and, in addition, revealed that k/Kd values of mutants F18A and F18H were over 10 times lower for C5 substrates (glutamate and 2-oxoglutarate) than those for C4 substrates (aspartate and oxalacetate). All mutant enzymes showed variously increased Kd values for substrate analogs such as 2-methylaspartate, succinate, and glutarate. 1H NMR observations of F18H, in which His18 served as a built-in probe, were in accord with the behavior that would be expected from the conformational transition. We conclude that, although Val17 and Phe18 may not be essential for catalysis, the presence of a bulky residue of appropriate size at each position is critical for productive binding of substrate.

Animals

A novel nuclear protein with zinc fingers down-regulated during early mammalian cell differentiation.

We introduced a promoter trap vector carrying a neo gene as a selectable marker into F9 cells and established several cell lines in which the expression of neo gene is under the control of an endogenous host gene that is active only in the undifferentiated F9 cells. Using one of these cell lines, G19, we isolated the integrated neo construct and its flanking host sequences by the plasmid rescue method, identified the host gene which contributes to the expression of neo gene, and named it the Zfp-57 gene. Two different Zfp-57 transcripts (1.8 and 3.2 kilobases) were identified in the undifferentiated F9 cells, and the levels of these transcripts were decreased significantly within a short time after induction of differentiation. We examined mouse organs for the presence of the Zfp-57 RNAs and found that the 1.8-kilobase RNA was detected only in the testis. The Zfp-57 cDNAs corresponding to the two different RNAs were isolated, and a comparison of the nucleotide sequences revealed that their coding regions were completely identical, but they differed both in length and in sequence of the 3'-untranslated region. The Zfp-57 cDNA encoded a protein consisting of 421 amino acids with an extremely high content of basic amino acid residues and multiple zinc finger motifs. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that this protein is localized in the nucleus. These findings suggest that the Zfp-57 protein is a DNA-binding protein.

Amino Acid Sequence

Ethylene production by strains of the plant-pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae depends upon the presence of indigenous plasmids carrying homologous genes for the ethylene-forming enzyme.

The molecular characteristics of the ethylene-forming enzymes of strains of Pseudomonas syringae were tested. The ethylene-producing activities of the nine strains as measured in vivo and in vitro were similar, except for that of P. syringae pv. mori M5. A polyclonal antibody and a DNA probe for the ethylene-forming enzyme from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2 were prepared to investigate homologies among the proteins and genes for the ethylene-forming enzymes. With the exception of P. syringae pv. mori M5, eight strains tested expressed the same antigen as the ethylene-forming enzyme from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2 and were homologous to DNA sequences on indigenous plasmids. Molecular masses of antigenic proteins from all ethylene-producing strains were 40 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified ethylene-forming enzyme from P. syringae pv. glycinea KN130 was identical to that of the enzyme from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2. These results show that the ethylene-forming enzymes encoded by the indigenous plasmid(s) in the pathogenic bacteria examined were similar.

Amino Acid Sequence

Familial carpal tunnel syndrome due to amyloidogenic transthyretin His 114 variant.

We studied two patients from a Japanese family with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The biopsy samples obtained during CTS surgical release revealed deposits of amyloid that stained with antihuman transthyretin (TTR) antiserum. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and sequence analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified exons of the proband's TTR gene revealed a point mutation resulting in a substitution of histidine for tyrosine at position 114. The mutation was confirmed by PCR-primer-induced restriction analysis. Our findings account for clinical heterogeneity of TTR-derived amyloidosis, and suggest the importance of substitution itself for deposits of amyloid in CTS.

Aged

Functional roles of valine 37 and glycine 38 in the mobile loop of porcine cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase.

The functional roles of Val37 and Gly38 in porcine cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase have been studied in the site-directed mutants V37A, G38A, and G38S where the size and hydrophobic character of these residues has been altered. Previous x-ray studies have shown that Val37 and Gly38, which are part of a flexible loop, interact directly with bound substrate. From x-ray and solution experiments we find that the V37A, G38A, and G38S mutations do not cause significant perturbations to the unliganded enzyme. Replacing Val37 with a less bulky alanine residue does not affect the maximal catalytic rate (kcat), but it does increase significantly the Michaelis constants for substrates in the overall transamination reaction between aspartate and 2-oxoglutarate. On the other hand, replacing Gly38 with alanine or serine results in striking decreases in kcat to 5 and 0.6%, respectively, of the value observed for the wild-type enzyme, as well as in considerable increases in Km values. Consequently, the catalytic competence, kcat/Km, decreases by 3 orders of magnitude for G38A and by 4 orders of magnitude for G38S. Single turnover reactions of G38A and G38S with four individual substrates (aspartate, glutamate, oxalacetate, and 2-oxoglutarate) are characterized by kinetic parameters that are largely consistent with those of the overall reaction. In addition, the mutations at position 38 impair more seriously the catalytic competence of the enzyme toward C5-substrates than toward C4-substrates. We conclude that Gly38 is probably required for proper function of the enzyme because it permits a high level of flexibility for the 36-39 peptide, which in turn allows the essential substrate-induced movement of the small domain.

Amines

Difference between human and guinea pig Hageman factors in activation by bacterial proteinases: cleavage site shift due to local amino acid substitutions may determine the activation efficiency of serine proteinase zymogens.

Human and guinea pig Hageman factors have been subjected to the action of pseudomonal elastase and serratial E15 proteinase. The pseudomonal elastase cleaved 22-24% of the human molecule at Arg353-Val354, and the remainder at Gly357-Leu358 resulting in the generation of about 20% of potential activity as activated Hageman factor, compared with trypsin activation, while it hydrolyzed Arg340-Ile341 bond in guinea pig molecule and generated about 75% of activity as activated Hageman factor. The serratial proteinase did not hydrolyze the essential cleavage site (Arg353-Val354) of the human zymogen but Gly356-Gly357 (30%) and Gly357-Leu358 (70%) bonds. Both products showed no activity. The guinea pig zymogen, in contrast, was cleaved mostly at Arg340-Ile341 (70%) and less abundantly at Gly344-Leu345 (30%), generating about 85% of the whole potential activity as activated Hageman factor. From the high correspondence between the proportions of activation and of hydrolysis at the essential cleavage site in activation, it was concluded that hydrolysis of the bonds different from the essential bond did not cause activation, even when the spatial separation was only 3 or 4 residues. Considering the amino acid differences between human and guinea pig Hageman factors, -Met351-Thr-Arg-Val-Val-Gly-Gly-Leu-Val-Ala360- and -Leu338-Ser-Arg-Ile-Val-Gly-Gly-Leu-Val-Ala347-, respectively, it was realized that even the minor amino acid substitutions caused the cleavage site shift which resulted in significant differences in activation efficiency of the proteinase zymogens.

Amino Acid Sequence

Purification and characterization of cytochrome P450 from an isobutene-forming microorganism, Rhodotorula minuta.

A cytochrome P450 was purified from microsomes of Rhodotorula minuta. The optical spectrum of the purified cytochrome was characteristic of a low-spin ferric heme protein. Isovalerate caused a type I spectral change in it. The amino-terminal sequence of the cytochrome was different from those of other known microsomal cytochrome P450s. These results indicate that the cytochrome, which is tentatively named P450rm, is a novel species of cytochrome P450.

Alkenes

Thrombin generates monocyte chemotactic activity from complement factor H.

We have recently found that the complement factor H (H) was the precursor of the major macrophage chemotactic factor in the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction site in the skin and was converted to the factor by an unidentified trypsin-like protease in plasma. Thrombin and plasmin are also present in the site, and we, therefore, examined the possibility that these proteases converted H to be monocyte chemotactic. Intact H caused no monocyte migration, although it was able to do so after incubation with thrombin, but not with plasmin. The activity was chemotactic rather than chemokinetic and was absorbed by an anti-H IgG-conjugated column. The generation of monocyte chemotactic activity from H was dependent on incubation time with thrombin and also the protease activity of thrombin, and the activity was seen at concentrations of H lower than 10(-8) M. The inhibitory activity of H for C3b-Bb was not affected by incubation with thrombin or plasmin. Incubation of H with thrombin, but not with plasmin, generated a hydrophobic molecule, in a time-dependent manner, which had monocyte chemotactic activity. These results show that H becomes a monocyte chemotactic factor due to cleavage by thrombin, which converts H to a more hydrophobic molecule and also suggest that thrombin-treated H induces monocyte migration in the DTH reaction site.

Chemotaxis, Leukocyte

Novel function of C4a anaphylatoxin. Release from monocytes of protein which inhibits monocyte chemotaxis.

The complement C4-derived anaphylatoxin, C4a, possesses a strong chemotaxis inhibitory capacity to blood monocytes at concentrations as low as 10(-16) mol/L. In our study, treatment with carboxypeptidase B to convert it to C4a des Arg77 decreased the inhibitory activity to less than 1/1,000. The extraordinary inhibitory capacity of C4a suggests the presence of an amplification mechanism in this inhibition. Indeed, we found that the conditioned media of peripheral blood mononuclear cells or monocyte/macrophage lineage cell lines (U937 and THP-1 cells) preincubated with 10(-16) mol/L C4a for 5 minutes or more at 37 C possessed the inhibitory capacity 100,000-fold stronger than the original activity of C4a. The monocyte-derived chemotaxis inhibitory factor seemed monocyte-specific. This cell-derived factor was sensitive to treatment with trypsin and chymotrypsin and immunologically distinct from C4a. The apparent molecular size of the monocyte factor was estimated to be approximately 20 kd by gel filtration. These results indicate that C4a anaphylatoxin induces the release from monocytes of a protein with inhibitory activity for monocyte chemotaxis.

Cell Line

Two reactions are simultaneously catalyzed by a single enzyme: the arginine-dependent simultaneous formation of two products, ethylene and succinate, from 2-oxoglutarate by an enzyme from Pseudomonas syringae.

A single enzyme isolated from Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2 simultaneously catalyzed two reactions, namely, the formation of ethylene and succinate from 2-oxoglutarate, at a molar ratio of 2:1. In the main reaction, 2-oxoglutarate was dioxygenated to produce one molecule of ethylene and three molecules of carbon dioxide. In the sub-reaction, both 2-oxoglutarate and L-arginine were mono-oxygenated to yield succinate plus carbon dioxide and L-hydroxyarginine, respectively, the latter being further transformed to guanidine and L-delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate. We propose a dual-circuit mechanism for the entire reaction, in which the binding of L-arginine and 2-oxoglutarate in a Schiff-base structure generates a common intermediate for two reactions.

Arginine

Molecular cloning in Escherichia coli, expression, and nucleotide sequence of the gene for the ethylene-forming enzyme of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2.

The gene for the ethylene-forming enzyme of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2 was found to be encoded by an indigenous plasmid, designated pPSP1. The gene for the ethylene-forming enzyme was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli JM109. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the clone revealed an open reading frame that encodes 350 amino acids (mol. wt. 39,444). In a comparison with other proteins, the homology score for the entire amino-acid sequence of the ethylene-forming enzyme of Pseudomonas syringae versus ethylene-forming enzymes from plants and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases was low. However, functionally significant regions are conserved.

Amino Acid Sequence

Primary structure of guinea-pig Hageman factor: sequence around the cleavage site differs from the human molecule.

The guinea-pig and human Hageman factors differ in their sensitivity to activation by particular bacterial proteinases. To understand this difference, the primary structure and cleavage site on activation of the guinea-pig molecule were determined and compared with the human molecule. By the use of a synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide probe which encoded a part of human Hageman factor cDNA, a cDNA clone was isolated from a lambda gt11 cDNA library of guinea-pig liver and sequenced. The cDNA clone was identified as that of guinea-pig Hageman factor by the complete identity of the deduced amino-acid sequence with the actual sequence of the amino-terminal portion of guinea-pig Hageman factor molecule and the active form. The cDNA included part of a leader sequence and the entire coding region of the Hageman factor molecule. Guinea-pig Hageman factor was composed of the same domain structures as the human counterpart with an overall 72% homology in the amino-acid sequence. However, the sequences around the cleavage site were surprisingly different; -Met351-Thr-Arg-Val-Val-Gly-Gly-Leu-Val359-(human) and -Leu338-Ser-Arg-Ile-Val-Gly-Gly-Leu-Val346-(guinea-pig). The amino-acid substitutions around the cleavage site might explain the difference in sensitivity to activation between the human and guinea-pig molecules.

Amino Acid Sequence

A novel transthyretin mutation at position 30 (Leu for Val) associated with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy.

A novel transthyretin (TTR) mutation associated with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy was detected in a Japanese patient. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and sequence analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified exons of the patient's TTR gene revealed a point mutation resulting in a substitution of leucine for valine at position 30. As the mutation creates a Cfr13I site, it was confirmed by PCR and restriction analysis. Our finding indicates the importance of position 30 in TTR-derived amyloid fibril formation.

Amyloidosis

Presequence binding factor-dependent and -independent import of proteins into mitochondria.

A cytosolic protein factor(s) is involved in the import of precursor proteins into mitochondria. PBF (presequence binding factor) is a protein factor which binds to the precursor form (pOTC) of rat ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OTC) but not to the mature OTC, and is required for the mitochondrial import of pOTC. The precursors for aspartate aminotransferase and malate dehydrogenase as well as pOTC synthesized in a reticulocyte lysate were efficiently imported into the mitochondria. However, the precursors synthesized in the lysate depleted for PBF by treatment with pOTC-Sepharose were not imported. Readdition of the purified PBF to the depleted lysate fully restored the import. pOTC synthesized in the untreated lysate sedimented as a complex with a broad peak of around 9 S, whereas pOTC synthesized in the PBF-depleted lysate sedimented at an expected position of monomer (2.5 S). When the purified PBF was readded to the depleted lysate, pOTC sedimented as a complex of about 7 S. In contrast to most mitochondrial proteins, rat 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase is synthesized with no cleavable presequence and an NH2-terminal portion of the mature protein functions as a mitochondrial import signal. The thiolase synthesized in the PBF-depleted lysate could be efficiently imported into the mitochondria, and readdition of PBF had little effect on the import. The thiolase synthesized in the untreated, the PBF-depleted, or the PBF-readded lysate sedimented at an expected position of monomer (2.5 S). These observations provide support for the existence of PBF-dependent and -independent pathways of mitochondrial protein import.

Acetyl-CoA C-Acyltransferase