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T H Kowalczyk

Publications and source records attributed to T H Kowalczyk.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Plasmid size up to 20 kbp does not limit effective in vivo lung gene transfer using compacted DNA nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles consisting of single molecules of DNA condensed with polyethylene glycol-substituted lysine 30-mers efficiently transfect lung epithelium following intrapulmonary administration. Nanoparticles formulated with lysine polymers having different counterions at the time of DNA mixing have distinct geometric shapes: trifluoroacetate or acetate counterions produce ellipsoids or rods, respectively. Based on intracytoplasmic microinjection studies, nanoparticle ellipsoids having a minimum diameter less than the 25 nm nuclear membrane pore efficiently transfect non-dividing cells. This 25 nm size restriction corresponds to a 5.8 kbp plasmid when compacted into spheroids, whereas the 8-11 nm diameter of rod-like particles is smaller than the nuclear pore diameter. In mice, up to 50% of lung cells are transfected after dosing with a rod-like compacted 6.9 kbp lacZ expression plasmid, and correction of the CFTR chloride channel was observed in humans following intranasal administration of a rod-like compacted 8.3 kbp plasmid. To further investigate the potential size and shape limitations of DNA nanoparticles for in vivo lung delivery, reporter gene activity of ellipsoidal and rod-like compacted luciferase plasmids ranging in size between 5.3 and 20.2 kbp was investigated. Equivalent molar reporter gene activities were observed for each formulation, indicating that microinjection size limitations do not apply to the in vivo gene transfer setting.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1996

Kinetic mechanisms of polyphosphate glucokinase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Polyphosphate glucokinase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose using inorganic polyphosphates [poly(P)] or ATP. The steady-state kinetic mechanisms of the poly(P)- and ATP-dependent glucokinase reactions were investigated using initial velocity, product inhibition, and dead-end inhibition analyses. In the poly(P)-dependent reaction, the enzyme follows an Ordered Bi Bi sequential mechanism with poly(P) binding to the enzyme first and glucose 6-phosphate dissociating last. Polyphosphate is utilized nonprocessively with a preference for longer chains due to higher kcat/K(m) values. The lack of inhibition at high poly(P) concentrations suggests that binding of poly(P) as a product is not favorable. In the ATP-dependent glucokinase reaction, the data are also consistent with an Ordered Bi Bi sequential mechanism, with ATP binding to the enzyme first and glucose 6-phosphate leaving last. At high concentrations, ATP displays competitive substrate inhibition with respect to glucose, which is consistent with the formation of an enzyme.ATP.ATP nonproductive complex. The overall catalytic efficiencies (kcat/KiaK(b)) of the poly(P)- and ATP-dependent reactions are approximately 10(11) M-2 s-1 and approximately 10(8) M-2 s-1, respectively. The higher catalytic efficiency, high value of the substrate specificity constant (kcat/K(a)) approaching a diffusion-controlled limit, and the absence of substrate inhibition in the poly(P)-dependent reaction suggest that poly(P), rather than ATP, is the major phosphate donor for poly(P)-glucokinase in M. tuberculosis.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1996

Initial rate and equilibrium isotope exchange studies on the ATP-dependent activity of polyphosphate Glucokinase from Propionibacterium shermanii.

Polyphosphate glucokinase [EC 2.7.1.63] catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose using either inorganic polyphosphate [poly(P)] or ATP as the phosphoryl donor. Both activities purified from Propionibacterium shermanii are the functional properties of a single enzyme with separate binding sites for the two phosphoryl donor substrates. The enzyme was found to utilize poly(P) much more efficiently than it does ATP, with a kcat/Kpoly(P) to kcat/KATP ratio of 2800. The catalytic constant for poly(P) is about 2-fold higher than for ATP. Other nucleotides like GTP and dATP also served as substrates with good efficiencies. The ATP-dependent reaction was analyzed using steady-state kinetics and isotopic exchange kinetics at chemical equilibrium. Intersecting initial velocity patterns for both glucose and ATP indicate sequential addition of substrates. Product inhibition studies resulted in two competitive and two noncompetitive patterns, which is characteristic of a Theorell-Chance mechanism or a random mechanism with two dead-end complexes. Results of isotope exchange experiments, however, rule out a Theorell-Chance mechanism, as well as a truly random mechanism. They are not consistent with a partially random mechanism (although a kinetically compulsory order of substrate binding is not excluded), where glucose is preferentially bound to free enzyme before ATP, and ADP is preferentially released as the first product, followed by glucose 6-phosphate. Dead-end inhibition analysis confirms this order of substrate binding. Competitive inhibition of ADP vs ATP is explained as resulting primarily from binding as a dead-end inhibitor (E.Glc.ADP) and not as a product. Another weaker abortive complex, E.ATP.G6P, is also formed. The chemical transformation or the release of ADP is the rate-limiting step in ATP utilization.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Determination of endopolyphosphatase using polyphosphate glucokinase.

A method has been developed for determining endopolyphosphatase (polyphosphate depolymerase, EC 3.6.1.10) activity. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of inorganic polyphosphates [poly(Ps)] by cleaving internal phosphoanhydride bonds without removal of terminal phosphate residues. During the reaction, shorter poly(P) chains are formed and the molar concentration of poly(P) increases. This enzymatic activity is difficult to quantitate, because the substrates and products of the reaction are chemically identical. The commonly used viscometric method lacks sensitivity and cannot be used with shorter poly(P) substrates. The method described here overcomes these problems, and in addition is rapid, simple, and can be used for distinguishing between the endopolyphosphatase and exopolyphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.11) activities. It is based on monitoring the increase in the number of poly(P) chains generated by endopolyphosphatase. For this purpose, the method takes advantage of the specific property of poly(P) glucokinase (EC 2.7.1.63) which utilizes poly(Ps) of different sizes present in the endopolyphosphatase reaction mixture and reduces them to fairly uniform very short-chain product, poly(P)m. The concentration of poly(P)m is expressed in terms of acid-labile phosphorus and is proportional to the duration of the endopolyphosphatase reaction (i.e., the number of original poly(P) chains) and to protein concentration. The increase in the poly(P)m concentration is a relative measure of the endopolyphosphatase activity. Under certain conditions, m equals 3.5 and the activity can be expressed in standard units, since the exact number of poly(P) chains formed by endopolyphosphatase can be calculated from the increase in molar concentration of poly(P)3.5. Accuracy and advantages of the assay are discussed.

Acid Anhydride Hydrolases↗
PubMed1991

Glucose determination using immobilized polyphosphate glucokinase.

Polyphosphate glucokinase (EC 2.7.1.63, polyphosphate:glucose phosphotransferase) was covalently coupled to collagen-coated silica gel beads. The immobilized enzyme, as a packed-bed reactor, was used to determine glucose in serum and other samples. The method was based on a spectrophotometric measurement of NADPH produced by two consecutive reactions, similar to the hexokinase method. The described approach takes advantage of the greater stability of polyphosphate compared to that of ATP, the greater specificity of polyphosphate glucokinase versus that of hexokinase, and the reusability of the immobilized enzyme. Linearity, precision, and accuracy of the method were tested and found to be very good. The results were linear between 10 and 50 nmol of glucose in a 50-microliter sample and the coefficient of variation was less than 4% in five successive determinations. The recovery of glucose was about 100% after calibration of the method. The results of the measurements correlated well with those obtained with soluble polyphosphate glucokinase (r = 0.997, y = 1.036x - 0.016). The immobilized-enzyme reactor showed good operational stability during a month of use, losing about 12% of its initial activity.

Collagen↗