A possible role of cadaverine in the biosynthesis of polyamines in the Japanese newt testis

Polyamine content in testes of various vertebrates was studied extensively. Putrescine, spermidine and spermine were detected in all the animals examined, although the distribution pattern varied greatly from animal to animal. Cadaverine was detected only in amphibian testes; sym-homospermidine was found not only in testes but also in various other tissues of amphibians and of some reptiles. In the newt testis the concentration of cadaverine was lower than that of any other polyamines in summer, but there was a great increase in cadaverine content from autumn to winter. The testicular content of cadaverine was greater than that of other polyamines in winter. There was a gradual decrease in the cadaverine content in spring. The spermidine and spermine levels, which were rather low in winter, increased in spring and reached a peak in summer when spermatogenesis was active. The testicular concentration of putrescine that was much higher than that of spermidine or spermine throughout the year, increased only a little in summer. There was a significant negative correlation between the cadaverine levels and four other polyamine levels. Exogenous cadaverine decreased the testicular levels of putrescine. Mammalian gonadotropins decreased the cadaverine levels and increased the levels of other polyamines. A partially purified LH fraction from pituitaries of bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, was also potent in depleting cadaverine of the testes of newts kept at 8 degrees C. These results suggest that testicular cadaverine suppresses the biosynthesis of polyamines, especially spermidine and spermine which are closely associated with spermatogenesis.

Ferric ion sequestering agents: kinetics of iron release from ferritin to catechoylamides

The removal of ferric ion from the iron storage protein ferritin to synthetic catechoylamide sequestering agents has been studied using visible spectroscopy at 487 nm. One ligand which has been investigated in detail is N,N',N' ',-tris(2,3-dihydroxy-5-sulfobenzoyl)-1,5,10-triazadecane (3,4-LICAMS), which octahedrally coordinates the metal ion via six phenolic oxygens. For some related catechoylamide chelates, the percentage of iron removed after 6 h has been determined. These ligands incorporate various modifications, either on the catechol moiety or on the backbone structure of the ligand. Mobilization of iron by the catechoylamide ligands alone results in very slow exchange, and virtually no iron removal after 6 h. In contrast, addition of ascorbic acid to the reaction mixture facilitates iron exchange, with the release of 7% of the available iron in the same time span. Variation of the initial rate with ascorbic acid concentration results in Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Km = 1.7 . 10(-3) M and a maximal rate of 1.28 . 10(-7) M . min-1. The ascorbic acid-mediated rate was not affected by changing the catechoylamide ligand concentration, and was only slightly affected by variation of the ligand employed. These data are consistent with a multistep process which includes diffusion of a reductant into the ferritin inner core, reduction and possible chelation of the ferrous ion, diffusion out of the protein shell, and subsequent iron exchange with the catechoylamide molecule.

Enhanced urinary excretion of N1-acetylspermidine and the presence of tumors

We have studied the urinary excretion of free and acetylated polyamines in hepatoma-bearing Buffalo rats during the period of linear growth of the tumor mass. The excretion of nonconjugated polyamines was unchanged. N1-Acetylspermidine excretion did not parallel the linear increase in tumor mass but increased exponentially. Enhancement of N8-acetylspermidine excretion above control levels was observed only at a time when the average tumor mass was 35 +/- 9 (S.D.) g. shortly before the period when necrosis is usually observed. These data taken together with the analysis of urinary acetylpolyamines in rats bearing mammary tumors and in two melanoma patients show that the determination of the N1-acetylspermidine/N8-acetylspermidine ratio in urine may be of only limited value as an indicator for the presence of tumors.

Determination of monoacetyldiamines and -polyamines in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A procedure is described for the determination of monoacetylputrescine, N1-acetyl-spermidine and N8-acetylspermidine in human urine. The procedure is based on the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of the 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl (dansyl) derivatives of these amines using two different chromatographic modes. Monoacetyl-1,6-diaminohexane was used as an internal standard. The amines were extracted from urine using a silica gel cartridge. The dansyl monoacetylpolyamines were separated from the mixture of dansyl derivatives of urinary amines on a bonded-phase CN column using a programmed solvent gradient elution. The dansyl acetylpolyamines were rechromatographed on a silica gel column. This chromatographic procedure was used for the determination of the concentration of N1-acetylspermidine, N8-acetylspermidine and monoacetylputrescine in the urine of healthy volunteers and cancer patients.

Formation of acetylpolyamines and putrescine from spermidine by normal and transformed chick embryo fibroblasts

Polyamine uptake and metabolism were studied in cultures of normal and Rous sarcoma virus-transformed chick embryo fibroblasts. The uptake of radioactive putrescine and spermidine by the transformed cells was faster than that of the normal controls. The amount of radioactive putrescine and polyamines taken up by the transformed cells also exceeded that observed with normal fibroblasts. The intracellular levels of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine were considerably higher in the transformed cells than in the normal controls. Radioactive spermidine was converted into N-acetylputrescine and N1-acetylspermidine by the transformed cells. The extent of this conversion by the normal fibroblasts was significantly lower. Radioactive putrescine and spermine were also formed from radioactive spermidine added to cultures of transformed fibroblasts. The rate of this conversion was significantly slower in normal chick embryo fibroblasts.

Correlation between the association and the desmutagenicity of benzo(a)pyrene by hemin: comparison with hemoproteins, transient metals and amines

The mutagenicity of the potent carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene proved to be lost by binding with hemin and other tested compounds. The association constant (Kass) and the desmutation constant (Kmut) of benzo(a)pyrene and hemin were 8.5 x 10(4) M(-1) and 7.0 x 10(-4) M(-1), respectively. The correlation coefficient (gamma) of the association and the desmutation of benzo(a)pyrene and hemin was nearly 1, and the coefficient of regression of association on the desmutation, gamma (sigma ass/sigma mut), was 0.78. The correlation of other compounds, ferric chloride among transient metals, and 3,3'-diaminodipropylamine and p-phenylenediamine, were also almost 1 in both values, but their Kass an Kmut were must smaller than those of hemin: Kass:Kmut, 525 M(-1):520 M(-1) for ferric chloride, 2.2 x 10(3) M(-1):2.3 x 10(3) M(-1) for diaminodipropylamine and 175 M(-1):125 M(-1) for p-phenylenediamine. Good agreement of Kass and Kmut means that the desmutation of benzo(a)pyrene is caused by binding with tested materials.

High-performance liquid chromatographic procedure for the simultaneous determination of the natural polyamines and their monoacetyl derivatives

The separation of the natural polyamines and their monoacetyl derivatives by high-performance reversed-phase liquid chromatography is reported. Octane sulfonate was used to form ion pairs with the polycations and acetylspermidine determinations directly from tissue extracts and body fluids without pre-purification.

Synthesis, absorption, and toxicity of N1,N8-bis(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)spermidine, a potent iron chelator

A synthesis of N1,N8-bis(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)spermidine, a potent iron chelator, is developed employing N4-benzylspermidine as the starting material. Both the toxicity and the absorption properties of this compound are evaluated, further supporting its potential as a clinical iron chelator.

Specificity of the spermidine requirement for the replication of phi X174 DNA be cell-free extracts of Escherichia coli

A new experimental approach for assessing the biological significance of spermidine interactions in isolated systems is applied to the stimulation by spermidine of the conversion of phi X174 virion DNA to its replicative form by cell-free extracts of Escherichia coli. At 2.5 mM Mg2+, spermidine activated the reaction 20-fold. Varying the spermidine concentration affected both the rate and extent of this DNA synthetic reaction without altering the nature of the reaction products. We evaluated the biological significance of the spermidine requirement by measuring reaction rates in the presence of a homologous series of spermidine analogs of known activity in vivo. There was a lack of specificity, in that all of these analogs were capable of efficiently substituting for spermidine in stimulating the reaction rate. The relevance of this in vitro spermidine stimulation to Escherichia coli chromosome replication in vivo is discussed in light of the results obtained with the spermidine analogs.

Enzymic synthesis of sym-homospermidine in Lathyrus sativus (grass pea) seedlings

An enzyme catalysing the synthesis of sym-homospermidine from putrescine and NAD+ with concomitant liberation of NH3 was purified 100-fold from Lathyrus sativus (grass pea) seedlings by affinity chromatography on Blue Sepharose. This thiol enzyme had an apparent mol.wt. of 75000 and exhibited Michelis-Menten kinetics with Km 3.0mM for putrescine. The same enzyme activity could also be demonstrated in the crude extracts of sandal (Santalum album) leaves, but with a specific activity 15-fold greater than that in L. sativus seedlings.

B-1008, a new antibiotic of bacterial origin containing a spermidine moiety. Production, isolation, characterization and biological properties

A new antibiotic, B-1008 has been isolated from the cultured broth of Pseudomonas fluorescens No. 101 B-13L. B-1008 is a water-soluble basic substance containing the spermidine moiety and possessing antibacterial activity against a wide range of bacterial species.

New compounds: N1,N8-bis(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)spermidine and analogs as potential iron-chelating drugs

N1,N8-bis(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)spermidine was synthesized and evaluated as an iron-chelating drug. Homologs were prepared and evaluated together with a series of N,N'-bis(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)-alpha,omega-diaminoalkanes. Analogous 2-hydroxbenzoyl compounds also were synthesized and evaluated.

Formulation of N-acetylputrescine and N1-acetylspermidine in cultured human lymphocytes

N-Acetylputrescine and N1-acetylspermidine were synthesized from putrescine in cultured human lymphocytes. They were identified by paper chromatography and t.l.c. Acetylputrescine was also identified by mass spectrometry. N-Acetylputrescine and N1-acetylspermidine were formed in untreated cells and in lectin-transformed cells.

Stimulation of deoxyribonucleic acid replication fork movement by spermidine analogs in polyamine-deficient Escherichia coli

We examined the rate of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication fork movement in polyamine-deficient cells of Escherichia coli by two independent techniques. DNA autoradiography was used to directly visualize the length of DNA produced during a given time interval, and replication rates were calculated. The amount of DNA synthesized after blocking protein synthesis also allowed calculation of replication rates. We found that the DNA chain elongation rate in polyamine-deficient cells was about half that of putrescine- or spermidine-supplemented cells. We also found that spermidine homologs of increasing chain length, when present at equal intracellular concentrations, exhibited a decreasing ability to support growth and the rate of DNA replication fork movement. The kinetics of recovery of DNA synthesis from the polyamine-deficient state were also investigated. A new rate of DNA synthesis was reached about 20 min after addition of spermidine to polyamine-limited cells. The rise in the rate of DNA synthesis was preceded by a rise in the intracellular concentration of spermidine.

Structural specificity of the spermidine requirement of an Escherichia coli auxotroph

A homologous series of spermidine analogs was synthesized with the general structure NH3+ (CH2)nNH2+(CH2)3NH3+, where spermidine has n = 4. The influence of these compounds on growth and on the syntheses of protein and messenger ribonucleic acid was examined in a spermidine auxotroph of Escherichia coli. All of the homologs tested were taken up by the cells to an intracellular level equivalent to the level of spermidine which gives optimal growth. With increasing chain length of the homologs, there was reduced ability to stimulate growth. The homologs with n = 7 and n = 8 were essentially inactive. A similar specificity was observed when the ability of the homologs to restore the rates of protein and messenger ribonucleic acid chain elongation was compared to that of spermidine. These results suggest that a definite spatial arrangement of the amino groups of spermidine is required for productive interaction at its intracellular site(s) of action.

Studies on polyamine biosynthesis in Euglena gracilis

Euglene gracilis (strain Z) was found to contain five polyamines which could be separated by high-pressure cation-exchange chromatography. 1,3-Diaminopropane, putrescine, norspermidine (N-(3-aminopropyl)-1,3-diaminopropane), spermidine and norspermine (N,N'-bis(aminopropyl)-1,3-diaminopropane) were identified. Biosynthesis of putrescine in E. gracilis proceeds through decarboxylation of L-ornithine, no arginine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.19) activity could be detected. The properties of the enzymes ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.50) in this alga were found to be similar to those of the enzymes isolated from animal tissues or yeast cells. A bioxynthetic scheme is proposed which relates the different polyamines occurring in E. gracilis.