Contributions of ammonia to pathogenesis of hepatic coma.
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Animals↗
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Results for “AMMONIA AND AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS”
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Effect of ammonium ions on synaptic transmission in the mammalian central nervous system.
It is not surprising that a compound with such unique properties as NH3/NH4+, should have a large variety of biochemical and neurological effects and to find itself implicated in many pathological conditions. Its undissociated (NH3) or dissociated (NH4+) forms, having different physicochemical properties, enter neurons and other cells through differing pathways. These two forms then change internal pH in opposite directions, and initiate a variety of regulatory processes that attempt to overcome these pH changes. In addition, ammonia has a central role in normal intermediary metabolism, and when present in excess, it can disturb reversible reactions in which it participates. The challenge in interpreting these various observations lies in the difficulty in assigning to them a role in the generation of symptoms seen in experimental and clinical hyperammonemias. In this review we have attempted to summarize information available on the effects of ammonium ions on synaptic transmission, a central process in nervous system function. Evidence has been presented to show that ammonium ions, in pathologically relevant concentrations, interfere with glutamatergic excitatory transmission, not by decreasing the release of glutamate, but by preventing its action on post-synaptic AMPA receptors. Furthermore, NH4+ depolarizes neurons to a variable degree, without consistently changing membrane resistance, probably by reducing [K+]i. A decrease in EK+ may also be responsible for decreasing the effectiveness of the outward chloride pump, thus explaining the well known inhibitory effect of NH4+ on the hyperpolarizing IPSP. There is a consensus of opinion that chronic hyperammonemia increases 5HT turnover and this may be responsible for altered sleep patterns seen in hepatic encephalopathy. There does not seem to be a consistent effect on catecholaminergic transmission in hyperammonemias. However, chronic hyperammonemia causes pathological changes in perineuronal astrocytes, which may lead to a reduced uptake of released glutamate and a decreased detoxification of ammonia by the brain. Chronic moderate increase in extracellular glutamate results in a down-regulation of NMDA receptors, while the decreased detoxification of ammonia makes the central nervous system more vulnerable to a sudden hyperammonemia, due, for instance, to an increased dietary intake of proteins or to gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with liver disease. Clearly, data summarized in this review represent only the beginning in the elucidation of the mechanism of ammonia neurotoxicity. It should help, we hope, to direct future investigations towards some of the questions that need to be answered.
Ammonia↗
The influence of increasing amounts of NH4CI in the diet on ammonia detoxication in rats.
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Ammonium Chloride↗
Continuous production of urocanic acid by immobilized Achromobacter liquidum cells.
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Acrylamides↗
Methylammonium-resistant mutants of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia are affected in nitrate transport.
This work reports the isolation and preliminary characterization of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia mutants resistant to methylammonium. Nicotiana plumbaginifolia plants cannot grow on low levels of nitrate in the presence of methylammonium. Methylammonium is not used as a nitrogen source, although it can be efficiently taken up by Nicotiana plumbaginifolia cells and converted into methylglutamine, an analog of glutamine. Glutamine is known to repress the expression of the enzymes that mediate the first two steps in the nitrate assimilatory pathway, nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR). Methylammonium has therefore been used, in combination with low concentrations of nitrate, as a selective agent in order to screen for mutants in which the nitrate pathway is de-repressed. Eleven semi-dominant mutants, all belonging to the same complementation group, were identified. The mutant showing the highest resistance to methylammonium was not affected either in the utilization of ammonium, accumulation of methylammonium or in glutamine synthase activity. A series of experiments showed that utilization of nitrite by the wild-type and the mutant was comparable, in the presence or the absence of methylammonium, thus suggesting that the mutation specifically affected nitrate transport or reduction. Although NR mRNA levels were less repressed by methylammonium treatment of the wild-type than the mutant, NR activities of the mutant remained comparable with or without methylammonium, leading to the hypothesis that modified expression of NR is probably not responsible for resistance to methylammonium. Methylammonium inhibited nitrate uptake in the wild-type but had only a limited effect in the mutant. The implications of these results are discussed.
Amino Acids↗
Biological changes in the rhizosphere of wheat after foliar application of chlorocholinechloride, urea and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid.
In field experiments wheat in the phase of shooting was sprayed with solutions of chlorocholinechloride (CCC) and urea, CCC and ammonium salt MCPA (Aminex) or CCC, urea and Aminex. The effect of the treatment on dry weight of overground parts of wheat, number of bacteria, production of carbon dioxide, urease activity and content of ammonium in the rhizosphere soil was investigated. In all cases evolution of carbon dioxide in the rhizosphere soil was higher than that in the control soil. Highest numbers of bacteria were found in the rhizosphere soil of plants treated with urea, the herbicide and their mixtures. Content of ammonium was higher in the control soil than in the rhizosphere soils, the urease activity was highest in the rhizosphere soil of plants treated with the solution of the herbicide and with the combination of the herbicide with urea.
Ammonia↗
NaCl stress effects on enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation pathway in tomato "Lycopersicon esculentum" seedlings.
Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv. Chibli F1) grown for 10 days on control medium were exposed to differing concentrations of NaCl (0, 25, 50, and 100mM). Increasing salinity led to a decrease of dry weight (DW) production and protein contents in the leaves and roots. Conversely, the root to shoot (R/S) DW ratio was increased by salinity. Na(+) and Cl(-) accumulation were correlated with a decline of K(+) and NO(3)(-) in the leaves and roots. Under salinity, the activities of nitrate reductase (NR, EC 1.6.6.1) and glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) were repressed in the leaves, while they were enhanced in the roots. Nitrite reductase (NiR, EC 1.7.7.1) activity was decreased in both the leaves and roots. Deaminating activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH, EC 1.4.1.2) was inhibited, whereas the aminating function was significantly stimulated by salinity in the leaves and roots. At a high salt concentration, the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced (NADH)-GDH activity was stimulated concomitantly with the increasing NH(4)(+) contents and proteolysis activity in the leaves and roots. With respect to salt stress, the distinct sensitivity of the enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation is discussed.
Chlorides↗
Glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase contribute differentially to proline accumulation in leaves of wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings exposed to different salinity.
To investigate the roles of ammonium-assimilating enzymes in proline synthesis under salinity stress, the activities of glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) and NADH-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-GDH; EC 1.4.1.2) were determined in leaves of wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings exposed to salt stress at 150 and 300 mM NaCl for 5d. At the lower salinity, only GS activity increased markedly. At 300 mM NaCl, however, NADH-GDH activity increased while GS activity decreased. A significant accumulation of proline was found only at high-salinity exposure while glutamate, a proline precursor, increased dramatically under both low and high salinity. These data suggests that GS-catalysis might be the main glutamate synthesis pathway under low salinity. At 300 mM NaCl, glutamate seems to be preferentially produced through the process catalyzed by NADH-GDH. The increase of ammonium in salinity-stressed wheat seedlings might have resulted from increased photorespiration, which is responsible for the higher NADH-GDH activity. The activity of Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR; EC 1.5.1.2) was significantly enhanced at 300 mM NaCl but remained unchanged at 150 mM. Delta(1)-Pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) activity did not show a specific response, indicating that P5CR might be the limiting step in proline synthesis from glutamate at high salinity.
Amino Acids↗
Effects of the overexpression of a soybean cytosolic glutamine synthetase gene (GS15) linked to organ-specific promoters on growth and nitrogen accumulation of pea plants supplied with ammonium.
A soybean cytosolic glutamine synthetase gene (GS15) fused to a constitutive promoter (CaMV 35S), a putative nodule-specific promoter (LBC(3)), or a putative root-specific promoter (rolD) was transformed into Pisum sativum L. cv. Greenfeast. Four lines with single copies (Lines 1, 7, 8 and 9) and four lines with two copies each of GS15 (Lines 2, 4, 6 and 11) were compared to the wild-type (WT) parental line for levels of cytosolic glutamine synthetase (GS1), glutamine synthetase (GS) activity, N accumulation, N derived form the atmosphere (NDFA), and biomass of plants grown on 0.0, 0.1, 1.0 or 10.0 mM NH(4)(+). Enhanced levels of GS1 were detected in leaves of one of the two lines transformed with the 35S-GS15 construct, and all three lines containing the rolD-GS15 construct. All three lines containing the LBC(3)-GS15 construct had increased levels of GS1 in nodules. Despite the increased levels of GS1 in many transformants, only the roots of lines containing the rolD-GS15 construct consistently demonstrated enhanced levels of GS activity (up to 12-fold). Positive responses in plant N content, NDFA, and biomass were rare, but increases in plant biomass and N content of up to 17% and 54%, respectively, occurred in some of the rolD-GS15 lines at certain levels of ammonium. In general, GS15 copy number did not seem to differentially affect phenotype of the transformants, and transformants respond to ammonium concentrations in similar patterns to that previously observed with nitrate. Despite the fact that the rolD-GS15 transformants consistently resulted in increased GS activity in roots and resulted in some occurrences of increases in biomass and plant N content, the lack of consistent positive growth effect across all transformants indicates that the generalized overexpression of GS1 in tissues holds little potential for positive growth responses in pea.
Biomass↗
Effect of brewery sludge amendments on some chemical properties of acid soil in pot experiments.
A laboratory experiment was performed for an incubation period of 120 days in order to evaluate the changes in chemical properties of an acid soil amended with 0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 t ha-' of brewery sludge (BS). Increasing BS rates and incubation time reduced pH of the soil by 0.3-0.5 unit with respect to the control while soluble salts increased from 0.11 to 0.80 dS m(-1). Organic C, exchangeable cations, soluble cations and anions, NH4+-N and NO3--N contents of the amended soil increased as BS rates increased. In addition, BS application caused a slight increase in cation exchange capacity (CEC) and a slight decrease in exchangeable acidity.
Ammonia↗
Stimulating accumulation of nitrifying bacteria in porous carrier by addition of inorganic carbon in a continuous-flow fluidized bed wastewater treatment reactor.
Porous polyurethane carrier particles have been successfully applied for microbial immobilization to simultaneously remove carbonaceous and nitrogenous substances from wastewater by a fill-and-draw operation. This reactor system was extended to a continuous-flow operation mode, by which inorganic carbon (IC) was supplemented in order to stimulate the growth of autotrophic nitrifying bacteria. By addition of sodium bicarbonate, the ammonia oxidation reaction proceeded remarkably in the porous particle fluidized bed reactor, while a small increase in the nitrification was observed in a reactor with suspended microbes. Dissolved oxygen profile was obtained using an oxygen microelectrode to measure the microbial consumption of oxygen in the porous carrier. The size of ammonia-oxidizing bacterial populations in the carrier was proportional to the volume of the aerobic region of the carrier. The aerobic region decreased with the increase in sodium bicarbonate concentration, which improved the ammonia-oxidizing activity of retained nitrifiers in the carrier. The maximum ammonia oxidation rate was up to 55.6 gN/m3/h within the aerobic region of the carrier under the following feed conditions: 100 mg/l of total organic compound, 55 mg/l of ammonium concentration and 48 mg/l of inorganic carbon.
Journal Article↗
Kinetic and mutagenic studies of the role of the active site residues Asp-50 and Glu-327 of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase.
The role of Asp-50 and Glu-327 of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase in catalysis and substrate binding has been interrogated by construction of site-directed mutants at these positions. Steady-state and rapid-quench kinetic methods were used to elucidate contributions of Asp-50 and Glu-327 to the Km values of all three substrates, ATP, glutamate, and NH4+, as well as to the enzymatic kcat value. Kinetic constants were obtained for the D50A enzyme using both Mg2+ and Mn2+ as activating metal ions; the data reveal that Asp-50 has a significant role in both substrate binding and catalysis as reflected by the increases in the Km values for NH4+ and the destabilization of both the ground state and the transition state for phosphoryl transfer. The D50E mutant was found to have activity with Mn2+ but very low activity with Mg2+, the physiologically important metal ion. The kcat/Km values for all three substrates were substantially altered by changing Asp to Glu. The steady-state results for the E327A mutant indicate a decreased kcat/Km value for NH4+ compared to that of the wild-type enzyme. The E327A-Mg2+ enzyme destabilizes the ground state of the ternary complex (E-ATP-Glu-NH4+) and the transition state for phosphoryl transfer while the E327A-Mn2(+)-enzyme provides greater stabilization for the ATP and glutamate complexes but destabilizes phosphoryl transfer steps in the ternary complex. Overall, these results suggest that Asp-50 is likely involved in binding NH4+ and may also play a role in catalyzing deprotonation of NH4+ to form NH3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adenosine Triphosphate↗
A strong constitutive positive element is essential for the ammonium-regulated expression of a soybean gene encoding cytosolic glutamine synthetase.
In order to identify important promoter elements controlling the ammonium-regulated expression of the soybean gene GS15 encoding cytosolic glutamine synthetase, a series of 5' promoter deletions were fused to the GUS reporter gene. To allow the detection of positive and negative regulatory elements, a series of 3' deletions were fused to a -90 CaMV 35S promoter fragment placed upstream of the GUS gene. Both types of construct were introduced into Lotus corniculatus plants and soybean roots via Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation. Both spectrophotometric enzymatic analysis and histochemical localization of GUS activity in roots, root nodules and shoots of transgenic plants revealed that a strong constitutive positive element (SCPE) of 400 bp, located in the promoter distal region is indispensable for the ammonium-regulated expression of GS15. Interestingly, this SCPE was able to direct constitutive expression in both a legume and non-legume background to a level similar to that driven by the CaMV 35S full-length promoter. In addition, results showed that separate proximal elements, located in the first 727 bp relative to the transcription start site, are essential for root- and root nodule-specific expression. This proximal region contains an AAAGAT and two TATTTAT consensus sequences characteristic of nodulin or nodule-enhanced gene promoters. A putative silencer region containing the same TATTTAT consensus sequence was identified between the SCPE and the organ-specific elements. The presence of positive, negative and organ-specific elements together with the three TATTTAT consensus sequences within the promoter strongly suggest that these multiple promoter fragments act in a cooperative manner, depending on the spatial conformation of the DNA for trans-acting factor accessibility.
Base Sequence↗
In vivo modification of Azotobacter chroococcum glutamine synthetase.
A monospecific anti-(glutamine synthetase) antibody raised against glutamine synthetase of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 immunoreacted with glutamine synthetase from the N2-fixing heterotrophic bacterium Azotobacter chroococcum. In Western-blotting experiments this antibody recognized a single protein of a molecular mass of 59 kDa corresponding to glutamine synthetase subunit. This protein was in vivo-labelled in response to addition of ammonium, both [3H]adenine and H(3)32PO4 preincubation of the cells being equally effective. Nevertheless, the amount of glutamine synthetase present in A. chroococcum was independent of the available nitrogen source. Modified, inactive glutamine synthetase was re-activated by treatment with snake-venom phosphodiesterase but not by alkaline phosphatase. L-Methionine-DL-sulphoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, prevented the enzyme from being covalently modified. We conclude that, in A. chroococcum, glutamine synthetase is adenylylated in response to ammonium and that for the modification to take place ammonium must be metabolized.
Adenine↗
Mechanisms of excretion of some low-molecular-weight bases in the rat.
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Acidosis↗
Structural homologues P(II) and P(Z) of Azospirillum brasilense provide intracellular signalling for selective regulation of various nitrogen-dependent functions.
P(II) (glnB) is a signal transduction protein that in Azospirillum brasilense is specifically required for nitrogen fixation. Little is known about whether and how its homologue P(Z) (glnZ) participates in the regulation of cellular functions. In this study, we have shown the regulatory action of the two proteins by analysing the relevant single and double null-mutant strains. The transcription of glnZ is monocistronic, and it starts mainly from a sigma54-dependent promoter, activated by NtrC. glnZ expression is dependent on the ntr system, even under conditions of nitrogen excess, and is greatly enhanced in the presence of aspartate. P(Z) is uridylylated in response to nitrogen limitation, like P(II), although different amounts of the two proteins are synthesized. P(II) is required for the dephosphorylation of NtrC. Thus, in the absence of P(II), the repression of nitrate assimilation is not promoted, which, in turn, leads to a high rate of ammonium excretion. Unexpectedly, P(II) and P(Z) proteins are not essential for the reversible modification of glutamine synthetase. (Methyl)ammonium transport into the cell is negatively regulated by P(Z). The growth of a double-mutant strain (glnB::kan; glnZ::omega) is drastically disabled, although wild-type growth is restored by complementation with either glnB or glnZ. We conclude that P(II) and P(Z), despite their structural similarity, are involved in different regulatory processes, except for that required for cell growth.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Effect of ammonia on the growth of Bacillus species and some other bacteria.
The tolerance of 26 Bacillus species isolated from alkaline fermented foods, five other bacilli and nine non spore-forming bacteria to alkaline pH and ammonia was determined. All grew at pH 7, 8 and 9 in the presence of 930 mmol l-1 NH4 + at pH 7.0, and in the presence of NH3 concentrations up to 5 mmol l-1 at pH 7.0 and 8.0. At higher NH3 concentrations, growth of some of the bacteria was inhibited and at 500 mmol l-1 only B. pasteurii and B. pumilus grew. Bacteria from alkaline food fermentations included strains relatively sensitive to NH3 (inhibited by 50 mmol l-1) and relatively tolerant strains (grew in the presence of 300 mmol l-1) and there was no evidence that they were more tolerant to NH3 than bacteria not associated with these fermentations.
Ammonia↗
Regulation of glutamine and glutamate metabolism by GlnR and GlnA in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Several genes involved in nitrogen metabolism are known to contribute to the virulence of pathogenic bacteria. Here, we studied the function of the nitrogen regulatory protein GlnR in the Gram-positive human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. We demonstrate that GlnR mediates transcriptional repression of genes involved in glutamine synthesis and uptake (glnA and glnPQ), glutamate synthesis (gdhA), and the gene encoding the pentose phosphate pathway enzyme Zwf, which forms an operon with glnPQ. Moreover, the expression of gdhA is also repressed by the pleiotropic regulator CodY. The GlnR-dependent regulation occurs through a conserved operator sequence and is responsive to the concentration of glutamate, glutamine, and ammonium in the growth medium. By means of in vitro binding studies and transcriptional analyses, we show that the regulatory function of GlnR is dependent on GlnA. Mutants of glnA and glnP displayed significantly reduced adhesion to Detroit 562 human pharyngeal epithelial cells, suggesting a role for these genes in the colonization of the host by S. pneumoniae. Thus, our results provide a thorough insight into the regulation of glutamine and glutamate metabolism of S. pneumoniae mediated by both GlnR and GlnA.
Base Sequence↗