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Biomedical subjects

W Levinson

Publications and source records attributed to W Levinson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Binding of N-methyl isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone-copper complexes to proteins and nucleic acids.

N-Methyl isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone-copper complexes interact with nucleic acids and proteins as shown by ultraviolet (UV) and visible spectroscopy and Sephadex exclusion chromatography. The Cu++ ions are most effective; Co++ ions have less albeit significant activity. Chelating agents, such as Tris and histidine, high NaCl concentration, and dimethyl sulfoxide reduce the binding of the drug-metal complex. The binding constant of the drug-copper complex to calf-thymus DNA was calculated to range between 6.9 x 10(4) and 2.7 x 10(5) M-1.

Chelating Agents↗
PubMed1978

Effect of antabuse (disulfiram) on Rous sarcoma virus and on eukaryotic cells.

Antabuse (disulfiram) is widely used in the treatment of chronic alcoholism. We have examined the effect of this drug on malignant transformation by Rous sarcoma virus, on eukaryotic cell synthesis, and on nucleic acid binding. It was found that: (1) Disulfiram inhibits the activity of the RNA dependent DNA polymerase of Rous sarcoma virus and inactivates the ability of the virus to malignantly transform chick embryo cells. The monomer of disulfiram, diethyldithiocarbamate does not affect the virus. (2) Disulfiram induced the synthesis of four proteins in normal chick embryo and human foreskin cells. The monomer diethyldithiocarbamate, induced these proteins also. Cellular DNA synthesis is more sensitive to disulfiram than are RNA and protein synthesis. (3) Disulfiram binds to neither DNA or RNA in the presence or absence of copper. However, diethyldithiocarbamate in the presence of, but not in the absence of, copper binds to HeLa cell DNA and to Rous sarcoma virus 70 S genome RNA. These results indicate that this compound, which causes no symptoms in people who do not consume alcohol, may have significant effects on a cellular level.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Induction of four proteins in eukaryotic cells by kethoxal bis(thiosemicarbazone).

Kethoxal bis(thiosemicarbazone) induces the synthesis of four proteins (100 000, 70 000, 35 000 and 25 000 daltons) in normal chick embryo cells. The 70 000 dalton species is produced at the fastest rate 2 hr after exposure to the compound. Pulse-chase experiments revealed neither precursors nor products of these proteins and both actinomycin and cycloheximide inhibited their synthesis. Neither of the two substituents of the inducer, kethoxal or thiosemicarbazide, were active. The four proteins were induced in several other species, but human cells produced only three proteins (100 000, 70 000 and a different 30 000 dalton form).

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Inhibition of the RNA dependent DNA polymerase and the malignant transforming ability of Rous sarcoma virus by thiosemicarbazone-transition metal complexes.

Several thiosemicarbazone-metal complexes inhibit the RNA dependent DNA polymerase and the transforming ability of Rous sarcoma virus. Some complexes are equally as active as the free ligand whereas the activity of others is greatly enhanced. The 2-formyl pyridine thiosemicarbazone copper (II) complex is the most potent compound of this class that we tested. Some copper complexes of salicylaldehyde derivatives are very active also, particularly N-n-butyl, N-n-hexyl and N-benzylsalicylaldimine; no nickel complex of any salicylaldehyde compound is active. In addition, other metal ligands, such as dithizone, diacetyl bis (mercaptoethylimine), N-butyl thiocarbamate, 0,0' dimethyl dithiophosphate, potassium dithiooxalate, and cis-PtII(NH3)2Cl2 were tested with varying results.

Aldehydes↗
PubMed1978

Effect of isonicotinic acid hydrazide-copper complex on Rous sarcoma virus and its genome RNA.

The copper complex of the antituberculous drug, insonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH), inhibits the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase of Rous sarcoma virus and inactivates its ability to malignantly transform chick embryo cells. The INH-copper complex binds to the 70S genome RNA of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), which may account for its ability to inhibit the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase. The complex binds RNA more effectively than DNA in contrast to M-IBT-copper complexes, which bind both types of nucleic acids equally. The homopolymers, poly rA and poly rU, are bound by the INH-copper complex to a greater extent than poly rC. Isonicotinic acid hydrazide alone and CuSO4 alone bind neither DNA, RNA, poly (rA), poly (rU), nor poly (rC). However, CuSO4 alone binds poly (rI); INH alone does not. In addition to viral DNA synthesis, chick-embryo cell DNA synthesis is inhibited by the INH-copper complex. The extent of inhibition of cellular DNA synthesis is greater than that of cellular RNA and protein synthesis. No selective inhibition of transformation in cells previously infected with Rous sarcoma virus is observed.

Avian Sarcoma Viruses↗
PubMed1977

Inhibition of amino acyl tRNA synthetase activity by copper complexes of two metal binding ligands. N-Methyl isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone and 8-hydroxyquinoline.

Copper complexes of N-methyl isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone, 1-formyl isoquinoline thiosemicarbazone and thiosemicarbazide inhibit amino acyl tRNA synthetase activity. Copper complexes of 8-hydroxyquinoline and 8-mercaptoquinoline also inhibit. The 1 : 1 ligand-metal complex is significantly more active than the 2 : 1 complex. The free ligand alone and copper sulfate alone have little, if any, effect. These complexes have no effect on the ATP-PPi exchange reaction and do not cause deacylation of amino acyl tRNAs. This indicates that the process inhibited by these complexes is the amino acylation reaction. This is the first report that these copper binding ligands can inhibit enzymatic processes which involve nucleic acids but which are not viral, bacterial or mammalian cell polymerases.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗
PubMed1977

Inactivation and inhibition of Rous sarcoma virus by copper-binding ligands: thiosemicarbazones, 8-hydroxyquinolines, and isonicotinic acid hydrazide.

We have shown that three types of copper-binding ligands, thiosemicarbazones, 8-hydroxyquinolines, and isonicotinic acid hydrazide and their copper complexes, inactivate the transforming ability of RSV and inhibit its RNA-dependent DNA polymerases. Three other compounds, 2-pyridine thiosemicarbazone, 1-formyl isoquinoline thiosemicarbazone, and diphenyl thiocarbazone inhibit transformation by RSV intracellularly. Most but not all of these compounds bind to nucleic acids in the presence of copper, which may be important in their mode of action.

Avian Sarcoma Viruses↗
PubMed1977

Anti-tumor virus activity of copper-binding drugs.

Several, structurally different, copper-binding ligands can inhibit the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and can inactivate the ability of the virus to malignantly transform chick embryo cells. These ligands include the anti-microbial agents, thiosemicarbazones, 8-hydroxyquinolines, isonicotinic acid hydrazide, and others. Many of these compounds bind to DNA and RNA in the presence of copper, which may play a role in their anti-viral activity. However, not all agents active against RSV bind to nucleic acids and not all ligands that bind to nucleic acids are active against RSV. Some copper-binding ligands are neither active against RSV, nor bind nucleic acids. It appears that there is no simple relationship between the anti-viral activity of copper-binding ligands and their nucleic acid-binding ability. The biological importance of thiosemicarbazone-copper complex binding to nucleic acids is supported by the observation that treatment of intact RSV virions with the complex causes the genome 70S RNA to sediment abnormally in velocity sucrose gradient analysis.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1977

Inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus by kethoxal bis (thiosemicarbazone).

Kethoxal bis (thiosemicarbazone) (KTS) inhibited replication of, and plaque formation by, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in chick embryo cells. No other thiosemicarbazones tested were effective. Virus-specific m-RNA and protein synthesis were inhibited by KTS. However, virion RNA-dependent RNA synthesis was not inhibited by the drug. Treatment of VSV virions directly with KTS produced enhancement, rather than inactivation, of plaque formation. KTS inhibited cellular DNA and RNA synthesis by 67 and 25% respectively. Since cellular DNA and RNA synthesis are not required for VSV replication, the inhibition of these processes is probably unrelated to the antivirial activity of KTS. Cellular protein synthesis was inhibited 24% by KTS. Unexpectedly, synthesis of four proteins was induced in KTS-treated uninfected cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Cytoskeletal elements of chick embryo fibroblasts revealed by detergent extraction.

Treatment of chick embryo fibroblasts with 0.5% Triton X-100 extracts most of the cell protein, leaving an organized part of the cell structure attached to the tissue culture dish. This "Triton cytoskeleton" consists largely of intermediate-sized filaments and bundles of microfilaments. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reveals that this cytoskeleton is made up of three main proteins. One protein component is 42,000 daltons and co-migrates with muscle actin. The other two components are 52,000 and 230,000 daltons and remain quantitatively associated with the cytoskeleton during the detergent extraction. The possible identity of these three protein components and their organization into a supramolecular structure is discussed.

Actins↗
PubMed1976

Hydroxyquinolines inhibit ribonucleic acid-dependent deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase and inactivate Rous sarcoma virus and herpes simplex virus.

8-Hydroxyquinoline and several of its derivatives inactivate the transforming ability of Rous sarcoma virus and inhibit its ribonucleic acid-dependent deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase activity. The copper complex of these metal-binding ligands is as active as the free ligand. The activity of the 8-hydroxyquinolines is approximately 50-fold more effective than another group of metal-binding compounds that we have tested, the thiosemicarbazones. In contrast to the potency of the 8-hydroxyquinolines to inactivate Rous sarcoma virus, no intracellular inhibition of transformation could be demonstrated at a concentration that did not affect the growth and appearance of the cells. Cellular deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis was inhibited to a greater extent than was ribonucleic acid or protein synthesis. The phenomenon of "concentration quenching" was observed with high concentrations of drug, causing less inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis than was observed with lower concentrations. Herpes simplex virus type 1 was inactivated also by the 8-hydroxyquinolines and their copper complexes. No intracellular inhibition of plaque formation was observed. Treatment with 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate had no effect on the resolution of herpetic keratitis in rabbits. Some 8-hydroxyquinolines bind to deoxyribonucleic acid in the presence of copper, a phenomenon that may be important in their antiviral activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Inactivation of lambda phage infectivity and lambda deoxyribonucleic acid transfection by N-methyl-isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone-copper complexes.

The infectivity of intact lambda phage and transfection by lambda deoxyribonucleic acid were inactivated by exposure to the copper complexes of N-methyl-isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone, thiosemicarbazide, and semicarbazide, but not methyl-isatin. No inactivation was observed when these compounds were used in the absence of copper sulfate. This confirms our previous observation that the activity of N-methyl-isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone is mediated by its thiosemicarbazone moiety and that the presence of copper is required for action. This represents the first time, to our knowledge, that semicarbazide has been found to possess antiviral activity. It is clear that these compounds act directly on deoxyribonucleic acid; whether the compounds also act on proteins has not been determined.

Coliphages↗