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Regulation of the Bacillus subtilis pyrimidine biosynthetic (pyr) gene cluster by an autogenous transcriptional attenuation mechanism.

A complete transcript of the Bacillus subtilis pyr operon contains the following elements in 5' to 3' order: a 151-nucleotide (nt) untranslated leader; pyrR, encoding a 20-kDa protein; a 173-nt intercistronic region; pyrP, encoding a 46-kDa protein; a 145-nt intercistronic region; and eight overlapping cistrons encoding all of the six enzymes for de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. Transcription is controlled by the availability of pyrimidines via an attenuation mechanism. There are three transcription terminators within the operon, each of which is preceded by another stem-loop structure, the antiterminator, whose formation would prevent formation of the terminator stem-loop. These are located in the leader, the pyrR-pyrP intercistronic region, and the pyrP-pyrB intercistronic region. Northern (RNA) blot analysis has identified transcripts of lengths which coincide with termination at these proposed attenuation sites and whose relative abundances vary in the expected pyrimidine-dependent manner. Each antiterminator contains a 50-base conserved sequence in its promoter-proximal half. Various transcriptional fusions of the pyr promoter and surrounding sequences to promoterless reporter genes support an attenuation mechanism whereby when pyrimidines are abundant, the PyrR protein binds to the conserved sequence in the pyr mRNA and disrupts the antiterminator, permitting terminator hairpin formation and promoting transcription termination. Deletion of pyrR from the chromosome resulted in the constitutive, elevated expression of aspartate transcarbamylase, which is encoded by pyrB, the third gene in the operon. Complementation of an E. coli upp mutant, as well as direct enzymatic assay, has demonstrated that pyrR also confers uracil phosphoribosyltransferase activity. Analysis of pyrR and upp deletion mutants demonstrated that upp, not pyrR, encodes the quantitatively important uracil phosphoribosyltransferase activity. The pyrP gene probably encodes an integral membrane uracil permease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Pyrimidine biosynthesis in Lactobacillus leichmannii.

Tracer studies of pyrimidine biosynthesis in Lactobacillus leichmannii (ATCC 7830) indicated that, while aspartate is utilized in the usual manner, the guanido carbon of arginine, rather than carbon dioxide, is utilized as a pyrimidine precursor. The guanido carbon of arginine also contributes, to some extent, to the carbon dioxide pool utilized for purine biosynthesis. The enzyme of the first reaction leading from arginine to pyrimidines, arginine deiminase, was investigated in crude bacterial extracts. It was inhibited by thymidylic acid and purine ribonucleotides, and to a lesser extent by purine deoxynucleotides and deoxycytidylic acid. Under the assay conditions employed, a number of nucleotides had no effect on the enzyme activity of the aspartate transcarbamylase of L. leichmannii. Growth of the cells in media containing uracil, compared to growth in media without uracil, resulted in a four- to fivefold decrease in the concentrations of aspartate transcar-bamylase and dihydroorotase and a twofold increase in the concentration of arginine deiminase, as estimated from specific enzyme activity in crude extracts of the cells. A small increase in specific enzyme activity of ornithine transcarbamylase and carbamate kinase was also observed in extracts obtained from cells grown on uracil. No appreciable change in concentration of any of the five enzymes studied was detected when the cells were grown in media containing thymidine or guanylic acid. A hypothetical scheme which suggests a relationship between the control of purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis in this bacterium and which is consistent with the experimental results obtained is presented.

Arginine↗

Pyrimidine tracts between the 5' splice site and branch point facilitate splicing and recognition of a small Drosophila intron.

The minimum size for splicing of a vertebrate intron is approximately 70 nucleotides. In Drosophila melanogaster, more than half of the introns are significantly below this minimum yet function well. Such short introns often lack the pyrimidine tract located between the branch point and 3' splice site common to metazoan introns. To investigate if small introns contain special sequences that facilitate their recognition, the sequences and factors required for the splicing of a 59-nucleotide intron from the D. melanogaster mle gene have been examined. This intron contains only a minimal region of interrupted pyrimidines downstream of the branch point. Instead, two longer, uninterrupted C-rich tracts are located between the 5' splice site and branch point. Both of these sequences are required for maximal in vivo and in vitro splicing. The upstream sequences are also required for maximal binding of factors to the 5' splice site, cross-linking of U2AF to precursor RNA, and assembly of the active spliceosome, suggesting that sequences upstream of the branch point influence events at both ends of the small mle intron. Thus, a very short intron lacking a classical pyrimidine tract between the branch point and 3' splice site requires accessory pyrimidine sequences in the short region between the 5' splice site and branch point.

Animals↗

UV light-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers are mutagenic in mammalian cells.

We used a simian virus 40-based shuttle vector plasmid, pZ189, to determine the role of pyrimidine cyclobutane dimers in UV light-induced mutagenesis in monkey cells. The vector DNA was UV irradiated and then introduced into monkey cells by transfection. After replication, vector DNA was recovered from the cells and tested for mutations in its supF suppressor tRNA marker gene by transformation of Escherichia coli carrying a nonsense mutation in the beta-galactosidase gene. When the irradiated vector was treated with E. coli photolyase prior to transfection, pyrimidine cyclobutane dimers were removed selectively. Removal of approximately 90% of the pyrimidine cyclobutane dimers increased the biological activity of the vector by 75% and reduced its mutation frequency by 80%. Sequence analysis of 72 mutants recovered indicated that there were significantly fewer tandem double-base changes and G X C----A X T transitions (particularly at CC sites) after photoreactivation of the DNA. UV-induced photoproducts remained (although at greatly reduced levels) at all pyr-pyr sites after photoreactivation, but there was a relative increase in photoproducts at CC and TC sites and a relative decrease at TT and CT sites, presumably due to a persistence of (6-4) photoproducts at some CC and TC sites. These observations are consistent with the fact that mutations were found after photoreactivation at many sites at which only cyclobutane dimers would be expected to occur. From these results we conclude that UV-induced pyrimidine cyclobutane dimers are mutagenic in DNA replicated in monkey cells.

Animals↗

Photolyases from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli recognize common binding determinants in DNA containing pyrimidine dimers.

DNA photolyases catalyze the light-dependent repair of pyrimidine dimers in DNA. The results of nucleotide sequence analysis and spectroscopic studies demonstrated that photolyases from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli share 37% amino acid sequence homology and contain identical chromophores. Do the similarities between these two enzymes extend to their interactions with DNA containing pyrimidine dimers, or does the organization of DNA into nucleosomes in S. cerevisiae necessitate alternative or additional recognition determinants? To answer this question, we used chemical and enzymatic techniques to identify the contacts made on DNA by S. cerevisiae photolyase when it is bound to a pyrimidine dimer and compared these contacts with those made by E. coli photolyase and by a truncated derivative of the yeast enzyme when bound to the same substrate. We found evidence for a common set of interactions between the photolyases and specific phosphates in the backbones of both strands as well as for interactions with bases in both the major and minor grooves of dimer-containing DNA. Superimposed on this common pattern were significant differences in the contributions of specific contacts to the overall binding energy, in the interactions of the enzymes with groups on the complementary strand, and in the extent to which other DNA-binding proteins were excluded from the region around the dimer. These results provide strong evidence both for a conserved dimer-binding motif and for the evolution of new interactions that permit photolyases to also act as accessory proteins in nucleotide excision repair. The locations of the specific contacts made by the yeast enzyme indicate that the mechanism of nucleotide excision repair in this organism involves incision(s) at a distance from the pyrimidine dimer.

Base Sequence↗

Characterization of pyrimidine metabolism in the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum.

The arginine-independent, de novo biosynthetic pathway of pyrimidines in Dictyostelium discoideum is initiated by a class II carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (EC 6.3.5.5) specific for pyrimidine biosynthesis which utilized L-glutamine as its N donor and was partially inhibited by both UTP and CTP. The second step in the de novo pathway was provided by an unregulated aspartate transcarbamoylase (EC 2.1.3.2) which primarily appeared as a multimeric enzyme of 105 kilodaltons. The next enzyme, dihydroorotase (EC 3.5.2.3), was approximately 90-100 kilodaltons. Although the early enzymatic activities of the pyrimidine pathway appeared to reside in independent protein complexes, various unstable molecular species were observed. These structural variants may represent proteolytic fragments of a multienzyme complex. In addition to de novo synthesis, the amoeba demonstrated the capacity for salvage utilization of uracil, uridine, and cytidine. Upon starvation on a solid substratum, axenically grown amoebas began a concerted developmental program accompanied by a restructuring of nucleotide metabolism. The absolute levels of the ribonucleotide pools droppedby 98% within 30 h; however, both the adenylate energy charge and the GTP/ATP ratios were maintained for 50 h after the initiation of development. The maintenance of these metabolic energy parameters required the tight cell-cell contact necessary for development, and the capacity for pyrimidine metabolism was maintained throughout developmental morphogenesis.

Arginine↗

Control of pyrimidine formation in Pseudomonas putida ATCC 17536.

The regulation of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis in Pseudomonas putida ATCC 17536 by pyrimidines was explored. The pathway enzyme activities were higher in glucose-grown cells than in succinate-grown cells, indicating catabolite repression by succinate. In P. putida cells grown on succinate as a carbon source, only aspartate transcarbamoylase activity was greatly diminished by uracil supplementation. When glucose was the carbon source, orotic acid supplementation significantly decreased orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidine 5'-monophosphate (OMP) decarboxylase activities. Uracil auxotrophs, deficient for dihydroorotase activity or with reduced phosphoribosyltransferase activity, were isolated. After pyrimidine limitation of both auxotrophs, the greatest derepression of enzyme activity was observed for OMP decarboxylase independent of carbon source. Orotic acid induced both phosphoribosyltransferase and decarboxylase activities in glucose-grown cells of the dihydroorotase-deficient strain. Regulation at the transcriptional level of de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic enzyme synthesis in P. putida ATCC 17536 was observed, which contrasts with previous observations.

Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase↗

Pyrimidine nucleotides do not affect the enzymes of glutathione biosynthesis.

Erythrocytes from patients with hereditary pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase (P5N, EC 3.1.3.5) deficiency accumulate large quantities of several pyrimidine nucleotides and their derivatives. In addition, the reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration is elevated in erythrocytes from patients with this enzyme deficiency. In the present study, we were unable to demonstrate any effect of various pyrimidine nucleotides and their derivatives on enzymes of glutathione biosynthesis and metabolism. Thus, elevation of GSH levels in erythrocytes from P5N patients is not a result of modulation of these enzymes by pyrimidine nucleotides and their derivatives.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

Photorepair and excision repair removal of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts in the tail fin of the medaka, Oryzias latipes.

Induction and repair of UV-B induced DNa damage in the tail fin of the Medaka, were examined immunohistochemicaly and by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). UV-induced DNA damage was detected only in the outermost layer of epithelial cells and did not differ in fishes having different degree of melanization. Both pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts in the fin cells were removed by excision repair in the dark, the excision of (6-4) photoproducts being about twice as efficient as that of pyrimidine dimers. The rate of excision repair of UV-induced lesions in fin tissue was three to four times that in cultured Medaka cells, OL32. In the fin cells, reductions in the numbers of pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts were seen after treatment with fluorescent light, whereas less reductions of pyrimidine dimers and no reductions of (6-4) photoproducts were observed in OL32 cells.

Animals↗

Formation and repair of psoralen-DNA adducts and pyrimidine dimers in human DNA and chromatin.

DNA damage and repair in human cells exposed to ultraviolet light (254 nm) or to psoralen derivatives plus 360 nm light were compared by means of a variety of analytic techniques. The two kinds of damage show considerable structural similarity; both involve cyclobutyl bonds to 5,6 positions of pyrimidines as major products and have various minor products. In purified DNA, pyrimidine dimers, but not psoralen adducts, cause structural distortions that are substances for digestion with single-strand-specific nucleases. Whereas pyrimidine dimers are randomly produced in chromatin, psoralen adducts, are concentrated approximately 2- to 4-fold in linker regions of chromatin at doses that are not highly lethal. Chromatin shows considerable mobility; assignment of DNA to linker or core regions is not permanent, and psoralen adducts initially concentrated in linker regions become randomized after 10 hr. Pyrimidine dimers and psoralen adducts are excised by normal cells but not by repair-deficient xeroderma pigmentosum cells. This repair process requires DNA polymerase alpha, but its rate in ultraviolet-damaged cells is twice that in psoralen-damaged cells. Conversion of monoadducts to DNA-DNA crosslinks reduces the rate of repair because of the increased complexity of the damaged site.

Cell Line↗

Pyrimidine nucleoside analogs in cancer treatment.

Pyrimidine nucleoside analogs are essential components of hematological malignancy therapy and are also used in the treatment of solid tumors. These agents act as antimetabolites, compete with physiologic pyrimidine nucleosides and, consequently, interact with a large number of intracellular targets to induce cytotoxicity. Pyrimidine nucleoside analogs share some common characteristics, such as requiring both transport by specific membrane transporters and intracellular metabolism. However, these compounds differ in regards to their preferential interaction with certain targets, which may explain why some compounds are more effective against rapidly proliferating tumors and others against neoplasias with a more protracted evolution. Recent progress in the identification and characterization of nucleoside transporters and the enzymes of nucleoside metabolism, as well as an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of anticancer nucleoside activity, provides opportunities for the development of new pyrimidine nucleoside analogs. Strategies to optimize intracellular analog accumulation and to enhance cancer cell selectivity are proving beneficial in clinical trials.

Animals↗

Peripheral nerve regeneration in a silicone tube: effect of collagen sponge prosthesis, laminin, and pyrimidine compound administration.

Regeneration of transected peripheral nerve with a 10-mm gap encased in a silicone tube was evaluated in the presence of collagen sponge with or without laminin, or with systemic administration of a pyrimidine compound, MS-818. The sciatic nerve of 20 adult rats was transected and the proximal and distal nerve stumps were fixed in a silicone tube. The lumen of the silicone tube was empty, or filled with a collagen sponge alone or with a laminin-soaked collagen sponge. Also, a pyrimidine compound was injected intraperitoneally after implantation of the empty silicone tube. Three weeks later, the contents of the silicone tubes were processed for histological examination of regenerated nerve fibers. Other animals were observed 6, 12, and 18 months after surgery to examine the long-term effects of the collagen sponge on nerve regeneration. All animals had regenerated tissue within the tube 3 weeks after nerve transection. The diameter of the tissue decreased toward the distal stump in the empty tube, but was the same throughout the full length in the collagen sponge-containing tube. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that the nerve fibers extended beyond the midline of the regenerated tissue in animals treated with a laminin-containing collagen sponge or receiving a pyrimidine compound. Long-term observation showed the regenerated nerve was thick as the proximal stump and many neurofilament- and peripheral myelin-positive fibers were observed around the collagen sponge. Collagen sponge assists the progress of regenerated tissues in silicone tubes, and laminin-containing prostheses and administration of a pyrimidine compound enhance peripheral nerve regeneration.

Animals↗

Erythrocyte disorders of purine and pyrimidine metabolism.

The maturing reticulocyte degrades ribosomal RNA to constituent ribonucleoside phosphates. Guanosine ribonucleotides are retained only in small amounts and pyrimidine ribonucleotides only in trace quantities. In the mature erythrocyte more than 97% of total nucleotides are the interconvertible adenosine mono-, di-, and triphosphates. High energy ATP fuels most of the reactions required to sustain viability. Unable to synthesize adenosine phosphates from small precursor molecules, the red cell relies on certain salvage pathways to replenish its losses from the adenosine phosphate pool. The most important of these involve adenosine. Adenylate kinase deficiency, when severe, is associated with nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. A genetically-determined deficiency of pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase prevents the normal dephosphorylation of pyrimidine ribonucleotides, and hence is characterized by the unique accumulation of pyrimidine phosphates intracellularly. Other features are chronic hemolytic anemia, splenomegaly, and a profound increase in basophilic stippling on the stained blood film. The syndrome is transmitted as an autosomal recessive disorder. A similar syndrome is found in severe lead poisoning as a consequence of nucleotidase inhibition by lead. An inherited, dominantly transmitted hemolytic anemia associated with low red cell ATP and a 45-70 fold increase in the enzymatic activity of adenosine deaminase has also been documented. The undefined molecular lesion appears to involve overproduction of an entirely normal enzyme protein. Severe deficiency of either of two sequential enzymes of purine metabolism, adenosine deaminase anemia, but by excessive accumulations of deoxyribonucleotides within red cells and lymphocytes. The clinical counterpart of each is a severe immunodeficiency state secondary to lymphopenia and lymphocyte dysfunction. Certain other rare clinical syndromes involving disturbed nucleotide metabolism also are detectable by red cell assay procedures.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

New aspects in the free-radical chemistry of pyrimidine nucleobases.

i) It has been known for some time that OH radicals and H atoms react with the pyrimidines by adding to the C(5)-C(6) double bond, but only the u.v.-spectra of the sum of these radicals have been reported so far. It will be shown how to arrive at the individual spectra of the C(5) and the C(6) adduct radicals. ii) alpha-Hydroxyalkyl radicals are known to inactivate biologically active DNA. In contrast to the electrophilic radicals H and OH they are nucleophilic and the hydroxymethyl radicals add exclusively at the C(6) position of 1,3-dimethyluracil (k approximately 10(4) dm3 mol-1 s-1). In the corresponding thymine derivative this reaction also occurs, but one third of the hydroxymethyl radicals abstract an H-atom from the C(5)-methyl group thereby forming an allylic radical. In the course of these reactions pyrimidines with an exocyclic double bond are formed. These products react much more rapidly with hydroxymethyl radicals than the starting material leading to highly hydroxymethylated material at very low doses. iii) The direct effect of ionizing radiation which would produce a pyrimidine base radical cation can be mimicked by reacting the pyrimidine with SO4-, a very good electron acceptor. In water, the radical cation of 1,3-dimethyluracil is rapidly (t1/2 less than 2 microseconds) converted into the C(5) OH adduct radical. In the presence of peroxodisulphate a chain reaction sets in which leads to the cis-glycol.

Cations↗

Restriction of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis inhibits Th1 cell activation and promotes Th2 cell differentiation.

Leflunomide, an inhibitor of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, has recently been introduced as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in an attempt to ameliorate inflammation by inhibiting lymphocyte activation. Although the immunosuppressive ability of leflunomide has been well described in several experimental animal models, the precise effects of a limited pyrimidine supply on T cell differentiation and effector functions have not been elucidated. We investigated the impact of restricted pyrimidine biosynthesis on the activation and differentiation of CD4 T cells in vivo and in vitro. Decreased activation of memory CD4 T cells in the presence of leflunomide resulted in impaired generation and outgrowth of Th1 effectors without an alteration of Th2 cell activation. Moreover, priming of naive T cells in the presence of leflunomide promoted Th2 differentiation from uncommitted precursors in vitro and enhanced Th2 effector functions in vivo, as indicated by an increase in Ag-specific Th2 cells and in the Th2-dependent Ag-specific Ig responses (IgG1) in immunized mice. The effects of leflunomide on T cell proliferation and differentiation could be antagonized by exogenous UTP, suggesting that they were related to a profound inhibition of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. These results indicate that leflunomide might exert its anti-inflammatory activities in the treatment of autoimmune diseases by preventing the generation of proinflammatory Th1 effectors and promoting Th2 cell differentiation. Moreover, the results further suggest that differentiation of CD4 T cells can be regulated at the level of nucleotide biosynthesis.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Capillary electrophoresis for detection of inherited disorders of purine and pyrimidine metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of purine and pyrimidine metabolites presents complex problems for separations currently performed by HPLC and thin-layer chromatography in clinical practice. We developed a novel capillary electrophoresis method for this purpose. METHODS: Separations were performed in 60 mmol/L borate-2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol-80 mmol/L sodium dodecyl sulfate (pH 9.6) at 35 degrees C. RESULTS: The conditions reported allowed separation of all diagnostic metabolites from major urinary constituents in an analysis time of 3 min and with a separation efficiency of 220 000 theoretical plates/m. The clinically important metabolites were detectable at concentrations of 0.85-4.28 micromol/L. The method was linear over the range 5-500 micromol/L (r >0.99). The within-run and intra- and interday imprecision (CV) was <5%. Characteristic abnormalities were detected in the electropherograms of urine samples from patients with purine and pyrimidine enzyme deficiencies. We provide the electrophoretic and spectral characteristics of many intermediates in purine and pyrimidine metabolism and describe common artifacts from medication and ultraviolet-absorbing compounds. CONCLUSION: Capillary electrophoresis is a valuable screening tool in the detection of inborn errors of purine and pyrimidine metabolism.

Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase↗

Synthesis of some new derivatives of thiazolo-[3,2-a]pyrimidine-3,5,7(2H)-trione of potential biological activity.

A number of 6-(m-tolylazo)-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-3,5,7(2H)-trione (3), 2,6-di(m-tolylazo)thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-3,5,7(2H)-trione (4), thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-3,5,7-trione (5) and 2-(m-tolylazo)thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-3,5,7(2H)-trione (6) here been prepared. The structure of the new ring system have been confirmed by IR and 1H-NMR spectral data.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗

Effect of Mg2+ on kinetics of oxidation of pyrimidines in duplex DNA by potassium permanganate.

Potassium permanganate oxidation of pyrimidine bases is often used to probe single-stranded regions in functional DNA-protein complexes. However, so far reactivity of these bases in double-stranded DNA has not been studied quantitatively. We have investigated the kinetics of oxidation of pyrimidines in supercoiled pDS3 plasmid dsDNA by quantitative KMnO4 footprinting, in connection with parallel studies on the effect of Mg2+ on kinetics of oxidation of individual thymines in the single-stranded region of the open transcription complex of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase at a cognate Pa promoter contained in this plasmid. Rate constants of oxidation for pyrimidines, kj, in selected regions of pDS3 DNA, including Pa promoter, were determined under single-hit reaction conditions in the absence and presence of 10 mM MgCl2. Their values appeared to be sequence-dependent and were: (i) the largest for Ts in 5'TA3' and 5'TC3' steps, while 2-4 times smaller for 5'-adjacent ones in TT(A,G,C) and TTT(A) runs, (ii) for Cs in 5'TC3' steps 2-4 fold smaller than for adjacent Ts, and (iii) in the presence of Mg2+ generally larger by a sequence-dependent factor: in 5'TC3' steps of about 2 and 4 for Ts and Cs, respectively, in 5'TA3' steps of TTA and TTTA sequences for 3'-terminal Ts of about 3, while for their 5'-neighbors o tinctly smaller value of about 2. Comparison of kj data for corresponding Ts located between +1 and -10 regions of Pa promoter in dsDNA and in ssDNA form in the open transcription complex, reported elsewhere, demonstrates that reactivity of pyrimidines in dsDNA is by 2-3 orders of magnitude smaller. The effect of Mg2+ in dsDNA is interpreted in terms of electrostatic barrier to diffusion of MnO4- on DNA surface, which is lowered by diffusive binding of these ions to backbone phosphates, involving also sequence-specific contacts with bases in the minor and major grooves of B-DNA.

DNA Footprinting↗