PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Amino Acids, Basic”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

ATP binding at human P2X1 receptors. Contribution of aromatic and basic amino acids revealed using mutagenesis and partial agonists.

P2X receptors comprise a family of ATP-gated ion channels with the basic amino acids Lys-68, Arg-292, and Lys-309 (P2X(1) receptor numbering) contributing to agonist potency. In many ATP-binding proteins aromatic amino acids coordinate the binding of the adenine group. There are 20 conserved aromatic amino acids in the extracellular ligand binding loop of at least 6 of the 7 P2X receptors. We used alanine replacement mutagenesis to determine the effects of individual conserved aromatic residues on the properties of human P2X(1) receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. ATP evoked concentration-dependent (EC(50) approximately 1 microm) desensitizing currents at wild-type receptors and for the majority of mutants there was no change (10 residues) or a <6-fold decrease in ATP potency (6 mutants). Mutants F195A and W259A failed to form detectable channels at the cell surface. F185A and F291A produced 10- and 160-fold decreases in ATP potency. The partial agonists 2',3'-O-(4-benzoyl)-ATP (BzATP) and P(1),P(5)-di(adenosine 5')-pentaphosphate (Ap(5)A) were tested on a range of mutants that decreased ATP potency to determine whether this resulted predominantly from changes in agonist binding or gating of the channel. At K68A and K309A receptors BzATP and Ap(5)A had essentially no agonist activity but antagonized, or for R292A potentiated, ATP responses. At F185A receptors BzATP was an antagonist but Ap(5)A no longer showed affinity for the receptor. These results suggest that residues Lys-68, Phe-185, Phe-291, Arg-292, and Lys-309 contribute to ligand binding at P2X(1) receptors, with Phe-185 and Phe-291 coordinating the binding of the adenine ring of ATP.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2004

Basic amino acids as modulators of an O-linked glycosylation signal of the herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein gC: functional roles in viral infectivity.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein gC-1 is engaged both in viral attachment and viral immune evasion mechanisms in the infected host. Besides several N-linked glycans, gC-1 contains numerous O-linked glycans, mainly localized in two pronase-resistant clusters in the N-terminal domain of gC-1. In the present study we construct and characterize one gC-1 mutant virus, in which two basic amino acids (114K and 117R) in a putative O-glycosylation sequon were changed to alanine. We found that this modification did not modify the N-linked glycosylation but increased the content of O-linked glycans considerably. Analysis of the O-glycosylation capacity of wild-type and mutant gC-1 was performed by in vitro glycosylation assays with synthetic peptides derived from the mutant region predicted to present new O-glycosylation sites. Thus the mutant peptide region served as a better substrate for polypeptide GalNAc-transferase 2 than the wild-type peptide, resulting in increased rate and number of O-glycan attachment sites. The predicted increase in O-linked glycosylation resulted in two modifications of the biological properties of mutant virus-that is, an impaired binding to cells expressing chondroitin sulfate but not heparan sulfate on the cell surface and a significantly reduced plaque size in cultured cells. The results suggested that basic amino acids present within O-glycosylation signals may down-regulate the amount of O-linked glycans attached to a protein and that substitution of such amino acid residues may have functional consequences for a viral glycoprotein involving virus attachment to permissive cells as well as viral cell-to-cell spread.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Basic amino acids predominate in the sequential autoantigenic determinants of the small nuclear 70K ribonucleoprotein.

Autoantibodies binding the 70K nRNP polypeptide are commonly found in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. IgG antibodies binding overlapping octapeptides of 70K nRNP have been evaluated in 10 patients with anti-nRNP precipitins, seven patients with other autoimmune serology, and four normal human sera. Neither normal controls nor patients without an anti-nRNP precipitin significantly bind any of the 70K nRNP octapeptides. Sera containing an anti-nRNP precipitin strongly bind various combinations of eleven different regions of the 70K nRNP protein. One antigenic region is consistently the most reactive in nine of ten nRNP precipitin positive sera tested. This sequence, KDKDRDRKRRSSRSR, is highly charged and has a similar pattern of alternating basic amino acids also present in seven of the other purported humoral autoimmune epitopes of the 70K nRNP polypeptide. The closely related DRKR and ERKR are important components of two of these epitopes. All regions of the 70K peptide bound by human anti-nRNP precipitin positive sera are very rich in the basic amino acids, especially lysine (chi-square = 23.03, odds ratio = 13.3, P < 0.000001).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Crystallization of recombinant hemoglobins with basic amino acid substitutions (Lys and Arg) at the beta 6 position.

We have produced recombinant hemoglobins (rHbs) alpha 2 beta 2(6Glu-->Lys) (rHb beta E6K) and alpha 2 beta 2(6Glu-->Arg) (rHb beta E6R) using a yeast expression system coupled with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based mutagenesis strategy for studies focused on defining determinants that facilitate crystallization of Hb C (alpha 2 beta 2(6Lys)). rHb beta E6K had the same electrophoretic mobility as native human Hb C, whereas rHb beta E6R migrated slightly slower than Hb C on cellulose acetate electrophoresis. The carbonmonoxy (CO) forms of rHb beta E6K and rHb beta E6R formed tetrahedral crystals in vitro in 2.3 mol/L phosphate buffer just like native Hb C. The Hb concentration required for crystallization of CO-rHb beta E6R was lower than that of CO-rHb beta E6K, suggesting that stronger basic amino acids at the beta 6 position accelerate crystallization of Hb. However, the size of rHb beta E6R crystals was smaller than that of rHb beta E6K. Crystallization of native Hb C and both rHbs was inhibited by Hb F. These results suggest that alpha 2 beta gamma-heterohybrids that have basic amino acids at the beta 6 position behave similarly and are unable to crystallize like Hb C.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1973

Basic amino acid transport in Escherichia coli: properties of canavanine-resistant mutants.

A mutant of Escherichia coli strain CanR 22 has been isolated which is resistant to growth inhibition by canavanine, an analogue of arginine. The properties of this strain and of another canavanine-resistant mutant, JC182-5 (isolated by Celis et al. [5]), were studied. The mutation is pleiotropic in that it results in a reduction in the activity of two distinct permeases, the arginine-specific and lysine-arginine-ornithine transport systems. The lesion maps at min 56 of the E. coli linkage map, at or near the argP locus. Although strain CanR 22 excretes arginine, this excretion appears to result from reduced ability to concentrate arginine, rather than the loss of transport ability being the result of excretion. This conclusion is based on findings with a canavanine-resistant strain auxotrophic for arginine, which exhibits transport properties similar to those of the prototrophic strains. Additionally, growth in the presence of arginine or ornithine results in a repression of the activity of the two basic amino acid transport systems. Neither the arginine-specific nor the lysine-arginine-ornithine binding proteins of the mutant cells show significant alterations in terms of amount, physical properties, or kinetic parameters. These observations lead to the proposal of a model for the two basic amino acid transport systems in which two carrier proteins with different specificities interact with a common energy coupling mechanism. A lesion in the gene (or one of the genes) for this coupling mechanism can confer canavanine resistance.

Arginine↗
PubMed1997

How amino acids control the binding of Cu(II) ions to DNA (II): effect of basic amino acid residues and the chirality on the orientation of the complexes.

The binding structures of bis-lysine and bis-arginine complexes of copper(II) on highly oriented DNA fibers have been investigated by ESR spectroscopy. These complexes bind to DNA in two different modes; species A in one mode has a planar coordination structure as in solution, and species B in the other mode has a distorted planar structure on the DNA. The relative amount of A and B changes with the conformation of the DNA, as well as with the type and chirality of the amino acids. Arginine forms A more than lysine. On A-form DNA fibers, A for L-lysine and L-arginine complexes are bound with the angle theta = 45 degrees between the g// axis and the DNA helical axis, while A and B for the D-isomers are almost randomly oriented. L-arginine fixes the orientation of A on A-form DNA fibers more firmly than L-lysine. On B-form DNA fibers, the orientation of the complexes is modulated dynamically, and the g// axes have a tendency to be reoriented along the fiber axis by the conformational change of the DNA from A- to B-form at room temperature. The D-arginine complex on B-form DNA is peculiar in that it rotates ore freely than the other complexes at room temperature and shows only the A at low temperature.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

[Studies using labeled urea on lactating ruminants. 4. Incorporation of 15N-urea into the basic amino acids of goat milk].

Goats were used in a trial to investigate the rate of 15N incorporation from labelled urea into the basic amino acids of the milk (excess of 15N = 24.9 atom%). As early as 20 minutes after administration of the first dose of 15N urea nitrogen labelling in arginine and lysine was observed. The highest level of 15N labelling was noticed for lysine and arginine 24 hrs after start of the trial. The peak values of labelling for histidine were essentially lower. Reference is made to peculiarities of the ruminal metabolism of histidine.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1990

A human leukemia cell culture system for testing new antifols: differential sensitivity of lymphoid and nonlymphoid cell lines to unconjugated and methotrexate-conjugated polymers of basic amino acids.

A human cell culture system is described for biological testing of potent new folate-targeted antileukemic drugs that are poorly transported. Basic amino acid (lysine and ornithine) polymers were employed as carriers for increasing the uptake of folate analogs by human leukemia cell lines. In growth inhibition assays, the lymphocytic CCRF-CEM line displayed sensitivities to covalent methotrexate (MTX) conjugates of poly-L-lysine (Mr = 15,000, 50,000, or 100,000) or poly-L-ornithine (Mr = 35,000) which were identical to the sensitivities of these cells to the unconjugated polymers during continuous (120 hr) and pulse (24 hr) exposures; both polymers and conjugates were 50-fold less toxic than unconjugated MTX. The growth inhibitory effects of the polymers or MTX-conjugates were not reversed by simultaneous inclusion of leucovorin, while those of MTX were reversed. In contrast, the nonlymphocytic K562 line showed toxicity by the MTX-conjugates at nontoxic levels of the polymers during continuous, but not pulse, exposures. During continuous exposure the conjugates were only 10-fold less toxic than unconjugated MTX. Toxicities of the MTX-conjugates for the K562 line under continuous exposure conditions were reversed by the simultaneous presence of leucovorin or the lysosomotropic agent leupeptin and thus appeared to be a true antifolate effect which required uptake and lysosomal degradation. This human cell line is thus a suitable system in which to study the effects of antifolates which can be coupled to basic polymers.

Blood Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed1978

In Vivo Synthesis of Crown Gall-specific Agrobacterium tumefaciens-directed Derivatives of Basic Amino Acids.

Several kinds of primary sunflower (Helianthus annuus) crown gall tissues were established in tissue culture and then labeled in vivo with either [(14)C]arginine, [(14)C]histidine, [(3)H]lysine, or [(3)H]ornithine. Crown gall tissues incited by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains that utilize octopine as a sole source of carbon or nitrogen for growth synthesized the four members of the N(2)-(1-carboxyethyl)-amino acid family: octopine, histopine, lysopine, and octopinic acid. Those tissues incited by A. tumefaciens strains that utilize nopaline synthesized nopaline and two new compounds, a lysine and an ornithine derivative (ornaline). A normal tissue culture, a habituated tissue culture, and a crown gall culture from a strain of the bacteria unable to utilize either octopine or nopaline did not synthesize any of the amino acid derivatives. We could not detect any other crown gall-specific derivatives of the four basic amino acids.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Mutational analysis of all conserved basic amino acids in RAG-1 reveals catalytic, step arrest, and joining-deficient mutants in the V(D)J recombinase.

Although both RAG-1 and RAG-2 are required for all steps of V(D)J recombination, little is known about the specific contribution of either protein to these steps. RAG-1 contains three acidic active-site amino acids that are thought to coordinate catalytic metal ions. To search for additional catalytic amino acids and to better define the functional anatomy of RAG-1, we mutated all 86 conserved basic amino acids to alanine and evaluated the mutant proteins for DNA binding, nicking, hairpin formation, and joining. We found several amino acids outside of the canonical nonamer-binding domain that are critical for DNA binding, several step arrest mutants with defects in nicking or hairpin formation, and four RAG-1 mutants defective specifically for joining. Analysis of coding joints formed by some of these mutants revealed excessive deletions, frequent use of short sequence homologies, and unusually long palindromic junctional inserts, known as P nucleotides, that result from aberrant hairpin opening. These features characterize junctions found in scid mice, which are deficient for the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), suggesting that the RAG proteins and DNA-PKcs perform overlapping functions in coding joint formation. Interestingly, the amino acids that are altered in 12 of our mutants are also mutated in human inherited immunodeficiency syndromes. Our analysis of these mutants provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders.

Alanine↗
PubMed1997

Two basic amino acids in the second inner loop of the interleukin-8 receptor are essential for Galpha16 coupling.

The involvement of basic residues of interleukin(IL)-8 receptors in coupling to the Gi and G16 proteins was investigated by using a series of IL-8 receptor mutants. Substitution of the basic amino acids in the third inner loop of the receptor does not alter the abilities of the receptor mutants to activate recombinant Galpha16 or phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) beta2 expressed in COS-7 cells. However, an IL-8 receptor mutant with double mutations at residues Lys158 and Arg159 of the second inner loop loses its abilities to activate Galpha16 but retains its ability to activate PLC beta2. The activation of PLC beta2 by an IL-8 receptor that is sensitive to pertussis toxin has been previously demonstrated to be mediated through Gbetagamma. Surprisingly, the IL-8 receptor mutants with substitution of Ala for either residue Lys158 or Arg159 can still activate Galpha16, which suggests that either of the two basic residues in the second inner loop of the IL-8 receptor is sufficient for Galpha16 coupling.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1978

Automated analysis of common basic amino acids, mono-, di-, and polyamines, phenolicamines, and indoleamines in crude biological samples.

A fully automated, fast, and sensitive method for the separation of common basic amino acids and mono-, di-, and polyamines as well as phenolic- and indoleamines is described. Picomole level determination of hydroxytryptophan, tryptophan, histidine, lysine, ethanol amine, arginine, noradrenaline, diaminopropane, putrescine, histamine, cadaverine, dopamine, hexamethylenediamine, agmatine, tyramine, phenethylamine, serotonin, 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine, 5-methoxytryptamine, tryptamine, spermidine, and spermine is carried out by ion-exchange column chromatography on a single sample in 170 min of total analysis. This method is well suited for crude extracts without preliminary purification, thus reducing preparative losses. The reproducibility of the method has been studied and the percentage recovery of the different compounds after column chromatography is reported. Its application to crude samples from different biological sources such as microorganisms, vegetables, platelets, and urine is presented. This method could serve as a powerful tool for the analysis of these amino compounds in which there is currently a considerable interest.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Radiolabeled amino acids: basic aspects and clinical applications in oncology.

As the applications of metabolic imaging are expanding, radiolabeled amino acids may gain increased clinical interest. This review first describes the basic aspects of amino acid metabolism, then continues with basic aspects of radiolabeled amino acids, and finally describes clinical applications, with an emphasis on diagnostic value. A special focus is on (11)C-methionine, (11)C-tyrosine, and (123)I-iodomethyltyrosine, because these have been most used clinically, although their common affinity for the L-transport systems may limit generalization to other classes of amino acids. The theoretic and preclinical background of amino acid imaging is sound and supports clinical applications. The fact that amino acid imaging is less influenced by inflammation may be advantageous in comparison with (18)F-FDG PET imaging, although tumor specificity is not absolute. In brain tumor imaging, the use of radiolabeled amino acids is established, the diagnostic accuracy of amino acid imaging seems adequate, and the diagnostic value seems advantageous. The general feasibility of amino acid imaging in other tumor types has sufficiently been shown, but more research is required in larger patient series and in well-defined clinical settings.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2006

Functional categorization of the conserved basic amino acid residues in TrmH (tRNA (Gm18) methyltransferase) enzymes.

Transfer RNA (Gm18) methyltransferase (TrmH) catalyzes the methyl transfer from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to the 2'-OH group of the G18 ribose in tRNA. To identify amino acid residues responsible for the tRNA recognition, we have carried out the alanine substitution mutagenesis of the basic amino acid residues that are conserved only in TrmH enzymes and not in the other SpoU proteins. We analyzed the mutant proteins by S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine affinity column chromatography, gel mobility shift assay, and kinetic assay of the methyl transfer reaction. Based on these biochemical studies and the crystal structure of TrmH, we found that the conserved residues can be categorized according to their role (i) in the catalytic center (Arg-41), (ii) in the initial site of tRNA binding (Lys-90, Arg-166, Arg-168, and Arg-176), (iii) in the tRNA binding site required for continuation the catalytic cycle (Arg-8, Arg-19, and Lys-32), (iv) in the structural element involved in release of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (Arg-11-His-71-Met-147 interaction), (v) in the assisted phosphate binding site (His-34), or (vi) in an unknown function (Arg-109). Furthermore, the difference between the Kd and Km values for tRNA suggests that the affinity for tRNA is enhanced in the presence of AdoMet. To confirm this idea, we carried out the kinetic studies, a gel mobility shift assay with a mutant protein disrupted in the catalytic center, and the analytical gel-filtration chromatography. Our experimental results clearly show that the enzyme has a semi-ordered sequential mechanism in which AdoMet both enhances the affinity for tRNA and induces formation of the tetramer structure.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed1994

Separations of basic amino acid benzyl esters by pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography.

pH-Zone-refining counter-current chromatography was applied to the separation of basic amino acid benzyl esters. The method uses a retainer base in the stationary phase to retain analytes in the column and an eluent acid to elute the analytes in the decreasing order of pKa and hydrophilicity. The preparative capability of the method is demonstrated in the separation of a 10-g quantity of the sample.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1991

Specific cleavages of arginyl peptide bonds at basic amino acid pairs by a serine proteinase from the microsomal membranes of rat liver.

The specificity of action of a serine proteinase from the microsomal membranes of rat liver was investigated at pH 7.5 and 37 degrees C using various peptides as substrates. HPLC analyses of the peptides produced followed by their amino acid analyses have revealed that the enzyme is a unique endopeptidase specifically cleaving arginyl peptide bonds at paired basic amino acid residues. Thus, the enzyme is suggested to be a kind of processing proteinase involved in the conversion of proproteins to their mature forms. Indeed, the enzyme cleaved specifically the NH2-terminal 20-residue peptide of proalbumin at the Arg-Arg sequence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗