PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Sodium Cholate”

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 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources

Determination of N-acetyl- and N-glycolylneuraminic acids in gangliosides by combination of neuraminidase hydrolysis and fluorometric high-performance liquid chromatography using a GM3 derivative as an internal standard.

A highly sensitive method for quantification of sialic acids in gangliosides was developed. The sialic acids, released by hydrolysis of gangliosides, were converted to fluorescent derivatives with 1,2-diamino-4,5-(methylenedioxy)benzene (DMB) and separated on a reversed-phase C18 column with an isocratic elution. As little as 0.1-1.0 nmol of sialic acid in ganglioside was quantified. The use of acetate buffer instead of water in the mobile phase could prevent damage on the column and reduce background peaks derived from the reagents. When gangliosides were subjected to acid hydrolysis, the velocity of hydrolysis varied depending on their structures and a part of the sialic acid liberated decomposed with prolonged heating time. Therefore gangliosides were hydrolyzed by Arthrobacter ureafaciens neuraminidase in the presence of sodium cholate after addition of an internal standard. For the internal standard, GM3 with N-propionylneuraminic acid (GM3(NeuPr)) was synthesized from GM3(NeuAc) by N-deacylation followed by N-propionylation. Folch partition was used to decrease lipophilic materials included in the sample, and the sialic acids released were recovered from the upper phase. The present method has a satisfactory sensitivity in the simultaneous quantification of NeuAc and NeuGc in purified gangliosides as well as in crude lipid fractions containing a variety of gangliosides.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗

Purification from adult pig testicular P-450 and 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity of P-450 containing liposomal membranes.

A cytochrome P-450 from adult pig testicular microsomes was purified to a specific content of 12 nmol P-450/mg protein. P-450 has a minimum molecular weight of 46000 +/- 1000, as judged on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Adult testicular P-450 is prepared in the low-spin form with an absorbance maximum at 417 nm. The substrate-induced difference spectrum with progesterone is a typical I difference spectrum. P-450 was incorporated into liposomal membranes composed of phosphatidylcholine, and 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity was shown to amount to 15.5 nmol product/min/nmol of P-450. Furthermore, testicular cytochrome b 5 did not increase the 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity, and the activity was largely inhibited by the addition of sodium cholate, Emulgen 913 and testicular lipid.

Animals↗

Purification and characterization of two membrane bound serine proteinases from rat liver microsomes active in degradation of cytochrome P450.

Two serine proteinases capable of digesting cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) have been purified from sodium cholate solubilized rat liver microsomal membranes. After chromatography on hydroxyapatite, DEAE-Sepharose chromatography resolved the CYP2E1-degrading activity into two peaks, and the two proteinases were finally purified on benzamidine-Sepharose. Both have a M(r) of 32,000 on SDS-PAGE, are optimally active at pH 8, and show a susceptibility to inhibitors typical of serine proteinases. CYP2E1 degradation patterns exhibited by the proteinases are identical to each other and similar to that observed during the proteolysis of endogenous CYP2E1 in the microsomal membranes, which indicates that the proteinases can degrade CYP2E1 in its native environment. We suggest a role of these proteinases in the rapid phase of cytochrome P450 degradation in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Animals↗

Detection of low molecular weight GTP-binding proteins associated with rat atrial secretory granules.

Recent studies suggest that low molecular weight (LMW) GTP-binding proteins are involved in the vesicular transport of proteins along the secretory pathway. In order to determine whether LMW GTP-binding proteins are potentially involved in the regulated secretion of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) from the atrial myocyte, rat atrial secretory granules were purified and the LMW GTP-binding proteins associated with these granules were detected in [alpha-32P]GTP-blotting experiments. Three LMW GTP-binding proteins, displaying molecular weights of 23,000, 25,000 and 29,000, were usually observed in atrial secretory granule preparations. The 29 kDa GTP-binding protein (G29), however, was typically the predominantly labelled band. The binding of [alpha-32P]GTP to G29 was guanine nucleotide specific and magnesium-dependent. Trypsin treatment of intact secretory granules markedly reduced the binding of [alpha-32P]GTP to G29. G29 is tightly associated with the granule membrane, as evidenced by its resistance to solubilization by high ionic strength buffers but its sensitivity to solubilization with sodium cholate. When secretory granule preparations of rat anterior pituitary glands were examined for the presence of LMW GTP-binding proteins, a different pattern of LMW GTP-binding proteins was observed which did not include a predominantly labelled 29 kDa protein. The results of this study indicate that: (1) LMW GTP-binding proteins are present on atrial secretory granules and may therefore be involved in the regulated secretion of ANF and (2) tissue-specific differences exist between the LMW GTP-binding proteins associated with secretory granules.

Animals↗

Expression of heme oxygenase in hemopoiesis.

Heme oxygenase has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from detergent solubilized adult human liver microsomes. Treatment of microsomes with Triton X-100, sodium cholate and subsequent batchwise DEAE-cellulose, 2', 5' ADP-sepharose 4B, Sepharose CLB and hydroxylapatite column resulted in 17% yield of the purified heme oxygenase. The reconsituted system of heme oxygenase, composed of heme oxygenase, NADPH cytochrome c (P450) reductase and biliverdin reductase was equiactive with 1 mM NADPH and 4 nM NADH and showed complete dependence on added heme for catalytic activity. The Km values for NADPH and NADH were .046 and .526 mM, respectively. While NADPH concentration was held constant, the Km value for heme was 1.01 microM with a specific activity of 583 unit/mg protein. The activity of the reconstituted heme oxygenase system was not affected by preincubation with heavy metals despite their inhibitory effect of NADPH cytochrome c (P450) reductase and biliverdin reductase. However, the metalloporphyrins of these heavy metals were found to be strong inhibitors of the reconsituted system with Ki values of 0.015, 0.6, 2.3 and 5 microM for Sn-, Co-, Zn- and Mg- protoporphyrins, respectively. Similarly, the sulfhydryl inactivating reagents, HgCl2, iodoacetamide and p-chloromercurylbenzoate, inhibited the reconstituted heme oxygenase activity. Rabbits were immunized with purified human liver heme oxygenase and the resulting antibody preparation was used to examine the species specificity of the enzyme. Microsomal protein with a molecular weight of 32,000 from rat and human liver as well as HepG2 cells were identified on dot and Western blots by their reaction with the anti-heme oxygenase similar to the purified enzyme protein. Anti-heme oxygenase precipitated quantitatively, the entire heme oxygenase of rat liver microsomes obtained from animals maintained on standard diet. The human bone marrow microsomal heme oxygenase activity was also quantitatively precipitated by this antibody. Antibody inhibition of rat and human heme xoygenase demonstrated a degree of conservation of both enzyme proteins between the species. As judged by Western blotting, the anti-heme oxygenase recognized only a single protein in spleen, liver, kidney, brain, heart, bone marrow, integtine and corneal epithelium. The human heme oxygenase cDNA was isolated by screening a cDNA library in the Okayama-Berg vector with a rat liver cDNA and was subjected to nucleotide sequence analysis. The deducted human heme oxygenase is also composed of 288 amino acids with a molecular mass of 32,800 Da.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

A vanadate-stimulated NADH oxidase in erythrocyte membrane generates hydrogen peroxide.

Oxidation of NADH by rat erythrocyte plasma membrane was stimulated by about 50-fold on addition of decavanadate, but not other forms of vanadate like orthovanadate, metavanadate aad vanadyl sulphate. The vanadate-stimulated activity was observed only in phosphate buffer while other buffers like Tris, acetate, borate and Hepes were ineffective. Oxygen was consumed during the oxidation of NADH and the products were found to be NAD+ and hydrogen peroxide. The reaction had a stoichiometry of one mole of oxygen consumption and one mole of H2O2 production for every mole of NADH that was oxidized. Superoxide dismutase and manganous inhibited the activity indicating the involvement of superoxide anions. Electron spin resonance in the presence of a spin trap, 5, 5'-dimethyl pyrroline N-oxide, indicated the presence of superoxide radicals. Electron spin resonance studies also showed the appearance of VIV species by reduction of VV of decavanadate indicating thereby participation of vanadate in the redox reaction. Under the conditions of the assay, vanadate did not stimulate lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte membranes. Extracts from lipid-free preparations of the erythrocyte membrane showed full activity. This ruled out the possibility of oxygen uptake through lipid peroxidation. The vanadate-stimulated NADH oxidation activity could be partially solubilized by treating erythrocyte membranes either with Triton X-100 or sodium cholate. Partially purified enzyme obtained by extraction with cholate and fractionation by ammonium sulphate and DEAE-Sephadex was found to be unstable.

Animals↗

Induction and ionic basis of slow wave potentials in seedlings of Pisum sativum L.

Slow wave potentials (SWPs) are transient depolarizations which propagate substantial distances from their point of origin. They were induced in the epidermal cells of pea epicotyls by injurious methods such as root excision and heat treatment, as well as by externally applied defined steps in xylem pressure (Px) in the absence of wounding. The common principle of induction was a rapid increase in Px. Such a stimulus appeared under natural conditions after (i) bending of the epicotyl, (ii) wounding of the epidermis, (iii) rewatering of dehydrated roots, and (iv) embolism. The induced depolarization was not associated with a change in cell input resistance. This result and the ineffectiveness of ion channel blockers point to H(+)-pumps rather than ion channels as the ionic basis of the SWP. Stimuli such as excision, heat treatment and pressure steps, which generate SWPs, caused a transient increase in the fluorescence intensity of epicotyls loaded with the pH-indicator DM-NERF, a 2',7'-dimethyl derivative of rhodol, but not of those loaded with the pH indicator 2',7'bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). Matching kinetics of depolarization and pH response identify a transient inactivation of proton pumps in the plasma membrane as the causal mechanism of the SWP. Feeding pump inhibitors to the cut surface of excised epicotyls failed to chemically simulate a SWP; cyanide, azide and 2,4-dinitrophenol caused sustained, local depolarizations which did not propagate. Of all tested substances, only sodium cholate caused a transient and propagating depolarization whose arrival in the growing region of the epicotyl coincided with a transient growth rate reduction.

Cholic Acids↗

Gaucher disease: the effects of phosphatidylserine on glucocerebrosidase from normal and Gaucher fibroblasts.

Glucocerebroside beta-glucosidase (glucocerebrosidase) activity was assayed from cultured fibroblasts of normal individuals, and patients with type 1 (non-neuropathic), type 2 (acute neuropathic), and type 3 (subacute neuropathic) form of Gaucher disease. Residual glucocerebrosidase activity of patients was 8.9 to 17.4% of normal controls, and there was no clear correlation between the level of residual enzyme activity and the different clinical subtypes of the disease. When membrane-bound glucocerebrosidase activity was assayed in the presence of crude brain lipid extracts or purified phosphatidylserine, enzyme from both the normal and type 1 Gaucher fibroblasts was stimulated dramatically (35-60% by crude extracts, 85-90% by phosphatidylserine). This stimulation was not observed with fibroblast glucocerebrosidase of an infantile type 2 and two juvenile type 3 Gaucher patients. The presence of inhibitors of glucocerebrosidase in these type 2 and type 3 Gaucher cells was not detected. Contrary to the mutant enzyme from these Gaucher fibroblasts, glucocerebrosidase from fibroblasts of two adult type 3 Gaucher patients with cerebral involvement was stimulated substantially (72-85%) by phosphatidylserine. When membrane-bound glucocerebrosidase from fibroblasts of the infantile type 2 and juvenile type 3 patients was solubilized with sodium cholate (1% w/v) and delipidated, the phospholipid stimulation of enzyme activity was restored. These findings suggest that considerable clinical and biochemical heterogeneity exists among patients with neuropathic Gaucher disease and that phosphatidylserine activation cannot be used as a reliable indicator in predicting future onset of neurodegeneration in Gaucher patients. The possibility of an aberrant binding of mutant glucocerebrosidase to the lysosomal membrane in juvenile type 3 form of Gaucher disease is discussed.

Adult↗

Activation of cyclophosphamide in mouse limb bud cultures using a reconstituted cytochrome P-450 system.

Purified phenobarbital-induced rat liver cytochrome P-450 was incorporated in a reconstituted system containing NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, dilauroyl phosphatidyl choline and sodium cholate. This system was added to organ cultures of limb buds from mouse embryos on day 11 of gestation. Cyclophosphamide (100 micrograms per ml) was used as a "pre-teratogen" and activation was initiated by adding an NADPH-regenerating system. Due to extensive purification, toxicity of the enzyme preparations and residual solubilisation detergents could be greatly reduced. A reconstituted system containing 10-100 pmol cytochrome P-450 per ml without cyclophosphamide caused no noticeable interference with limb development. The same assay containing cyclophosphamide, however, resulted in a pronounced impairment of cartilage differentiation and in the formation of clearly abnormal structures, especially at the paw skeleton. The activity of the reconstituted system declined under the experimental conditions used, but some activating capacity towards cyclophosphamide was still demonstrable after about 2 h of incubation.

Animals↗

Morpho-cytochemical and biochemical evidence for insulin absorption by the rat ileal epithelium.

In order to investigate the mechanism through which insulin is absorbed by the intestinal epithelium and transferred to the circulation where it exercises its biological activity of lowering blood glucose levels, a combined biochemical morpho-cytochemical study was undertaken on rat ileal tissue, in vivo. Insulin was introduced into the lumen of the ileum in combination with sodium cholate and aprotinin and allowed to be absorbed for various periods of time. Analysis of blood samples from the inferior vena cava, at different time points has demonstrated an increase in plasma insulin followed by a decrease in blood glucose levels. The ileal tissues were studied at different time points after the introduction of the insulin, by applying the protein A-gold immunocytochemical technique. Insulin antigenic sites were detected with high resolution, at various levels of the enterocytes but were absent from goblet cells. At 2 to 5 min, the labelling was mainly associated with the microvilli and endocytotic vesicles in the apical portion of the epithelial cells. Some gold particles were in contact with the lateral membranes. At 10 min, the labelling was found at the level of the trans-side of the Golgi apparatus and mainly along the baso-lateral membranes of the epithelial cells. Labelling was also detected in the interstitial space. The control experiments have demonstrated the specificity of the labelling and confirmed the nature of the insulin molecules detected. Furthermore, the morphological study has confirmed that exposure of the tissue to the insulin-cholate-aprotinin solution does not affect the integrity of the epithelium while promoting insulin absorption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Influence of rifamycin SV on bile acid metabolism in rats.

Sodium cholate was infused with or without Rifamycin SV in rats in order to determine the site of interference of the drug on hepatic bile salt metabolism. Both compounds were administered at rates such as to saturate their respective maximal excretory capacities. When Rifamycin SV was given, bile acid uptake and excretion significantly decreased, with a significant reduction of the percent of conjugated bile salts in bile. Rifamycin SV neither modified bile flow nor affected the correlation between bile flow and bile salt excretion. These data suggest that the antibiotic interferes with the three main steps of hepatic bile acid metabolism. The cholestatic effect and the modification of biliary bile salt output produced by Ryfamycin SV in rats, could be of clinical relevance.

Animals↗

Mitochondrial ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase complex: crystallization and protein: ubiquinone interaction.

The ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase complex was crystallized in a thin plate form, which diffracts X-rays to 7 A resolution in the presence of mother liquor. This crystalline complex contains ten protein subunits and 140 nmol phospholipid per milligram protein. Over 90% of the phospholipid and ubiquinone in the reductase can be removed by repeated ammonium sulfate precipitation in the presence of 0.5% sodium cholate. The delipidated complex has no enzymatic activity and shows significant changes in the circular dichroism spectrum in the near UV region and in the EPR characteristics of both cytochromes b. Enzyme activity and spectral characteristics can be restored by replenishing the phospholipid and ubiquinone. The structural requirements of ubiquinone for electron transport were studied by measuring the ability of a variety of synthetic ubiquinone derivatives to restore the enzymatic activity and native spectroscopic signatures to the delipidated complex. Q-binding proteins and binding domains were identified using photoaffinity labeled Q-derivatives and HPLC separation of photolabeled peptides. Interaction between ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase and succinate-Q reductase was established by differential scanning calorimetry and saturation transfer EPR using spin-labeled ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase. Involvement of iron-sulfur protein in proton translocation by ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase was investigated by hematorporphyrin-promoted photoinactivation of the complex. The cDNAs encoding the Rieske iron-sulfur protein and a small molecular mass Q-binding protein (QPc-9.5 kDa) were isolated and their nucleotide sequences determined. These will be useful in future structural and mechanistic studies of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase via in vitro reconstitution between an over-expressed, mutated subunit and a specific subunit-depleted reductase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Plasma membrane dehydrogenases in rat brain synaptic membranes. Multiplicity and subunit composition.

Plasma membrane redox enzymes have been investigated in synaptic membranes from rat brain nerve terminals. UV-Vis spectra of intact synaptic plasma membranes are presented and the presence of a b-type cytochrome, detectable at 77 degrees K and sensitive to NADH or NADPH, is shown. The molecular characterization of rat synaptic NADH-dehydrogenases was further performed on solubilized enzymes using a recently developed nondissociating polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique. Synaptic plasma membranes were solubilized with 1% sodium cholate or Triton X-114 and centrifuged. The supernatant retained over 60% of the NADH-dehydrogenase activity, tested with either DCIP2 or ferricyanide as substrates, together with NADH. Both enzyme activities were insensitive toward rotenone. This extraction procedure also solubilized about 50% of the proteins. When submitted to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions and stained for NADH-dehydrogenase activity, five bands of different mobilities were detected. The multiple NADH-dehydrogenases of synaptic plasma membranes were investigated by means of band excision and the five excised bands each submitted to amino acid analysis and to 2-D electrophoresis. The subunit composition of each band was then deduced, together with the molecular weight and pI of each respective subunit. NADH-dehydrogenases have also been purified by means of FPLC on Mono-P (chromatofocusing) followed by gel filtration on Superose 12. NADH-Dehydrogenase IV and V could be purified in their active forms by this approach.

Amino Acids↗

Compartmentation and release of exogenous GABA in sheep brain synaptosomes.

Exogenous tritiated gamma-aminobutiric acid ([3H]GABA) is retained in two compartments in sheep cortex synaptosomes, corresponding to cytoplasmic and vesicular spaces, assuming that freeze-thawing the synaptosomes loaded with [3H]GABA releases the cytoplasmic [3H]GABA (81 +/- 3.9%), and that subsequent solubilization of the synaptosomes with 1% sodium cholate releases the vesicular [3H]GABA (19 +/- 3.9%). Depolarization of synaptosomes with 40 mM K+ in a Na+-medium, in the absence of Ca2+, releases 20.3 +/- 2.7% of the [3H]GABA retained in the synaptosomes. The [3H]GABA released under these conditions comes predominantly from the cytoplasm. The presence of 1 mM Ca2+ during depolarization releases an additional 13% (a total of about 33.5 +/- 9.9%) of the releasable [3H]GABA, and the [3H]GABA release which is Ca2+-dependent also comes mostly from the cytoplasmic compartment. When choline replaces external Na+, the [3H]GABA release is absolutely Ca2+-dependent, and the [3H]GABA released also comes mostly from the cytoplasmic pool. Therefore, it appears that [3H]GABA taken up by synaptosomes is accumulated mostly in the cytoplasmic compartment from which it is released upon depolarization. The technique described permits distinguishing the effect of different factors on the two pools of accumulated [3H]GABA.

Animals↗

Solubilization and reconstitution of dopamine D1 receptor from bovine striatal membranes: effects of agonist and antagonist pretreatment.

The bovine striatal dopamine D1 receptor was solubilized with a combination of sodium cholate and NaCl in the presence of phospholipids, following treatment of membranes with a dopaminergic agonist (SKF-82526-J) or antagonist (SCH-23390). The solubilized receptors were subsequently reconstituted into lipid vesicles by gel-filtration. A comparison of ligand-binding properties shows that the solubilized and reconstituted receptors bound [3H]SCH-23390 to a homogeneous site in a saturable, stereospecific and reversible manner with a Kd of 0.95 and 1.1 nM and a Bmax of 918 and 885 fmol/mg protein respectively for agonist- and antagonist-pretreated preparations. These values are very similar to those obtained for membrane-bound receptors. The competition of antagonists for [3H]SCH-23390 binding exhibited a clear D1 dopaminergic order in the reconstituted preparation obtained from either agonist or antagonist-pretreated membranes, except that (+)butaclamol was about four-fold more potent than cis-flupentixol in displacing [3H]SCH-23390 binding in preparation obtained from agonist-pretreated membranes compared to antagonist-pretreated membranes. The agonist/[3H]SCH-23390 competition studies revealed the presence of a high-affinity component of agonist binding in both the reconstituted receptor preparations. The number of high-affinity agonist binding sites, however, is 40-80% higher in reconstituted preparation obtained from antagonist-treated membrane compared to that obtained from the agonist-treated membrane. In both the preparations, 100 microM guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) completely abolished the high-affinity component of agonist binding compared to partial abolition in the native membranes, indicating a close association of a G-protein with the solubilized receptors. Whether the receptor was solubilized following agonist or antagonist preincubation of the membranes, the receptor-detergent complex eluted from a steric-exclusion HPLC column with an apparent molecular size of 360,000. Preincubation of the solubilized preparations with Gpp(NH)p had virtually no effect on the elution profile suggesting a lack of guanine nucleotide-dependent dissociation of G-protein receptor complex.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗

Regulation of polyunsaturated fat induced postprandial hypercholesterolemia by a novel gene Phc-2.

Inbred mouse strains vary in susceptibility or resistance to dietary induced atherosclerosis. To investigate the effect of polyunsaturated fat feeding on postprandial serum cholesterol levels, in C57BL/67 (B6) and BALB/cJ inbred mice, we fed by stomach gavage previously fasted mice, a mixture containing 30% sunflower oil, 5% cholesterol, 2% sodium cholate and 0.5% choline chloride. The most significant difference in serum cholesterol levels between B6 and BALB/cJ mouse strains was observed at 2 h postfeeding. Susceptible B6 strain mice had a 41% postprandial increment in serum cholesterol. The resistant BALB/cJ strain had an insignificant 16% rise in serum cholesterol, at 2 h. We next examined eight other inbred mouse strains, to identify the gene(s) that regulate the observed 2 h postprandial hypercholesterolemia response, in the susceptible B6 mouse strain. Only the C57BR/cdJ and C57L/J strains developed postprandial hypercholesterolemia, at 2 h. The C57BR/cdJ strain had a 20% increase and the C57L/J strain a 62% increase in postprandial serum cholesterol levels. From this result, we found that the postprandial hypercholesterolemic response to an acute polyunsaturated fat-cholesterol feed, cosegregated with the a allele at the Gpd-1 and Ahd-1 loci, on mouse chromosome 4. In this study, non-responsiveness cosegregated with the b allele at the Gpd-1 and Ahd-1 loci. Thus polyunsaturated fat-cholesterol induced postprandial hypercholesterolemia appeared to be genetically determined by a gene located between the Gpd-1 and Ahd-1 loci, in mice. The putative gene regulating polyunsaturated fat-cholesterol induced post-absorptive hypercholesterolemia was designated Phc-2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Insect cytochrome P-450.

Two approaches may be used to study the function of cytochrome P-450 in insects: (a) an evaluation of the spectral and catalytic properties of the hemoprotein while associated with microsomal membranes; (b) the solubilization, resolution and purification of the microsomal mixed-function oxidase system. The first approach has provided some understanding of the biochemical factors involved in the metabolism of a variety of compounds, including pesticides, drugs, hormones and many other xenobiotics. However, solubilization of the monooxygenase system allows the study of each of its components individually, providing a better insight on the sequence of events leading to the hydroxylation of a substrate, the type of intermediates formed, and the rate-limiting step(s). This report discusses studies carried out with the monooxygenase system associated with microsomal membranes, as well as procedures to solubilize and partially purify its components from housefly microsomes. The latter involves solubilization with either Triton X-100 or sodium cholate, followed by either ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephadex G-200, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography or by omega-amino-n-octyl-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. These procedures have shown that two cytochrome P-450 species (P-450 and P-450I) are present in microsomes isolated from a resistant housefly strain. Induction with either naphthalene or phenobarbital appears to increase cytochrome P-450I preferentially.

Animals↗

Physical and kinetic properties of beta-glucosidase in Gaucher disease.

Membrane-bound 'acid' beta-glucosidase of human spleen was solubilized with either sodium cholate or 'Cutscum'. The solubilized enzyme in type 1 (adult) Gaucher disease was less heat-stable than the normal enzyme, and when precipitated by ammonium sulphate it had a higher apparent molecular weight than the corresponding normal enzyme. The normal beta-glucosidase was activated by taurocholate, whereas the Gaucher enzyme was inhibited. The decrease in 'acid' beta-glucosidase activity in Gaucher disease was associated with a profound deficiency of that form of the enzyme which bound to Concanavalin A. The results are consistent with faulty processing of newly synthesized 'acid' beta-glucosidase in type 1 Gaucher disease.

Chemical Phenomena↗