gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase in rat ascites tumor cell LY-5. Lack of functional correlation of its catalytic activity with the amino acid transport

gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase activity was detected in rat ascites tumor cells (LY-5) suspended in Hanks' balanced saline solution using L-gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide as a substrate. Whole-cell suspension of the tumor cells exhibited full activity of the enzyme without detectable cell disruption under the conditions examined. Various amino acids, transported through specific membrane carriers, did not affect the accessibility of substrate for the enzyme. An inhibitor of sodium-dependent transport systems of amino acids caused no significant change in the rate of enzyme catalysis. Like glutathione or S-methylglutathione, S-acetyldextran (mol. wt 215000) derivative of glutathione, which is believed to be unable to penetrate into intact cells, caused marked inhibition of the rate of p-nitroaniline release from the synthetic substrate by the tumor cells. These data indicated that the active site of the enzyme faced to the outer surface of the cells. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase of the tumor cells was successfully affinity-labeled by 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, a glutamine analog, without causing detectable change in the viability of the cells under the conditions examined. The rate of transport of alanine, leucine, glycine and glutamine into cells was not affected by the inactivation of this enzyme with the affinity label. Thus, the activity of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase located on the outer surface of tumor cell membrane does not seem to be requisite for the transport process of amino acids.

Affinity labeling of rat-kidney gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

The reaction of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase from rat kidney with a glutamine analog, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, resulted in irreversible inactivation of the enzyme. The concentration of this reagent giving a half-maximum rate of inactivation was 6 mMat pH 7.5. The inactivation was prevented by the presence of reduced glutathione in a competitive fashion, which indicates the active-site-directed nature of this reagent. The rate of inactivation was greatly accelerated in the presence of maleate, which is known to enhance the glutaminase activity of this enzyme. The presence of maleate increased the maximum velocity of the inactivation, but did not affect the affinity of the enzyme for 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine. Inactivation of the enzyme with 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-[6=14C]norleucine as well as with 6-diazo-5-oxo-L[1,2,3,4,5-14C]norleucine resulted in a stoichiometric incorporation of radioactivity into the enzyme protein via covalent linkage. The amount of radioactivity incorporated was 1 mol 14C label/248000 g enzyme protein. A native enzyme preparation showing a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gave four distinct bands upon sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Upon sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the 14C-labeled enzyme, only the band moving the fastest towards the anode was found to contain radioactivity. This finding indicates that this protein band represents the catalytic component of the enzyme.

Control of replication and segregation of R plasmid Rts1

A mutant plasmid, pTW2, which was derived from the integrated Rst1 genome in the Escherichia coli chromosome, was studied as to its mode of replication at 30 degrees C. When Proteus mirabilis Pm17 harboring pTW2 was grown in broth at 30 degrees C, a considerable number of R- segregants (approximately 40%) were consistently observed. This indicates that pTW2 is unstable even at the permissive temperature for the replication of Rts1. The pTW2+ cells in a culture were heterogeneous with respect to the level of kanamycin resistance, ranging from 500 to 4,000 mug of the drug per ml. The amount of pTW2 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) relative to the Pm17 chromosomal DNA was about fivefold as large as that of Rts1 DNA in an exponentially growing culture. In addition, pTW2 in P. mirabilis continued to replicate after the chromosome had ceased to replicate, which was shown in the study of the inhibition of protein synthesis. Contrary to pTW2, the parent plasmid Rts1 is highly stable, and the relative percent Rts1 DNA is maintained at approximately 7% in any cultural conditions at a permissive temperature. These results suggest that copies of pTW2 may not segregate evenly into the host progeny upon cell division and that the replication of pTW2 does not coordinate with that of the chromosome. A remarkable instability of pTW2 as well as an increase in the relative percent pTW2 DNA was also shown when E. coli were used as the host cells. These results suggest the possibility that there is a gene or a gene cluster on the Rst1 genome responsible for the control of both replication and segregation of Rts1.

The structure and function of acid proteases. VI. Effects of acid protease-specific inhibitors on the acid proteases from Aspergillus niger var. macrosporus

1. The Type B acid protease from Aspergillus niger var. macrosporus was inactivated by reaction with diazoacetyl-DL-norleucine methyl ester (DAN), DL-1-diazo-3-tosylamido-2-heptanone (DTH), and L-1-diazo-3-tosylamido-4-phenyl-2-butanone (DTPB) in the presence of cupric ions. The reaction with DAN took place with 1:1 stoichiometry. The enzyme was also inactivated by reaction with 1, 2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)-propane (EPNP) with concomitant incorporation of approximately two EPNP molecules per molecule of protein. Moreover, these reactions of DAN and of EPNP were markedly inhibited by pepstatin. These results seem to indicate that, as in the case of porcine pepsin [EC 3.4.23.1] and related acid proteases, the enzyme has two essential carboxyl groups at the active site, one reactive with DAN and related diazo reagents in the presence of cupric ions and the other reactive with EPNP, and that pepstatin binds in the vicinity of these residues. 2. The Type A acid protease from the same mold, on the other hand, was found to be markedly less sensitive to these specific inhibitors. Under conditions where the Type B enzyme was completely inactivated by DAN and related diazo reagents, only partial inactivation of this enzyme occurred. The effect of prior mixing of DAN and cupric ions on the pH profile of inactivation was also different from that for the Type B enzyme. Moreover, the Type A enzyme was not inactivated by EPNP. These results thus indicate that the nature of the active site of the Type A enzyme is rather different from that of the Type B enzyme and hence that the Type A enzyme belongs to a different class of acid proteases from the Type B enzyme.

Study on use of isolated segment of ileum in urological plastic operation

Studies were done on 33 cases of plastic reconstruction of the urinary tract with an isolated ileal segment. We found that electrolytes and other components in the urine can be absorbed or excreted by the isolated ileal mucosa. Although electrolyte balance was preserved in most cases the tendency for hyperchloremic acidosis and high blood urea nitrogen was observed in some patients with poor renal function. The degree and the incidence of these changes were influenced by the length of ileal segment used and the volume of urine excreted. These 2 factors were related to infection, which gave deleterious effects on renal function. Among the tests used for prognosis the excretory urogram was found to be the most simple and provided the best information.

Comparative studies on generalized transducing bacteriophages of Proteus mirabilis, phim and pi1

Comparative studies were made on the generalized transducing bacteriophages of Proteus mirabilis phim (Nakaya and Rownd), pi1(Böhme), and a clear plaque-forming mutant phim-c, derived from phim. Electron microscopic observations revealed that these phages were morphologically identical, indicating that they belonged to the group C of Bradley's classification, or to the type C1 of Ackermann's classification. Phages phim and pi1 formed characteristic turbid plaques different from each other, and the plaques of pi1 were smaller in size than those of phim. The plaques of phage phim-c were clear and also were the largest in size among those studied. Average latent periods of phim and pi1 were 70 and 60 min, respectively. Average burst size was found to be 30 and 10 plaque-forming units per infected cell for phim and pi1, respectively. It was confirmed by cross neutralization tests that phim and pi1 differed serologically from each other. The host range of the two phages also differed, and phage phim was more sensitive to heat than pi1. These results indicate that phages phim and pi1 are different types of phages. Majority of the properties of phage phim-c were nearly identical with those of phage phim except that the multiplication of phim-c was more strongly inhibited by methylene blue than that of phim and pi1. Phage phim-c is considered to be a clear mutant of phim.

Inhibition of ovulation induced with PMS and HCG by a melatonin-free extract of bovine pineal powder

Using borate buffer a substance that suppresses the ovulation induced with PMS and HCG in immature mice was obtained from acetone-defatted bovine pineal powder by an extraction method similar to that used for an extraction of a gonadotropin-inhibiting substance in urine. This gonadotropin inhibitor in the pineal powder differs from melatonin or arginine vasotocin and seems to be different from the water soluble antigonadotropic substance which has been isolated from the bovine and ovine pineal. Partial purification of the gonadotropin inhibitor was accomplished by a Sephadex G-100 column.