Streptozotocin-induced diabetes decreases the cyclic AMP binding activity of the regulatory subunit of type I cAMP-dependent protein kinase from rat liver

Neutral sphingomyelinase mediates the co-morbidity trias of alcohol abuse, major depression and bone defects

Mental disorders are highly comorbid and occur together with physical diseases, which are often considered to arise from separate pathogenic pathways. We observed in alcohol-dependent patients increased serum activity of neutral sphingomyelinase. A genetic association analysis in 456,693 volunteers found associations of haplotypes of SMPD3 coding for NSM-2 (NSM) with alcohol consumption, but also with affective state, and bone mineralisation. Functional analysis in mice showed that NSM controls alcohol consumption, affective behaviour, and their interaction by regulating hippocampal volume, cortical connectivity, and monoaminergic responses. Furthermore, NSM controlled bone-brain communication by enhancing osteocalcin signalling, which can independently supress alcohol consumption and reduce depressive behaviour. Altogether, we identified a single gene source for multiple pathways originating in the brain and bone, which interlink disorders of a mental-physical co-morbidity trias of alcohol abuse-depression/anxiety-bone disorder. Targeting NSM and osteocalcin signalling may, thus, provide a new systems approach in the treatment of a mental-physical co-morbidity trias.

Comparative characterization of receptor and non-receptor associated protein tyrosine kinases

By using poly(Glu: Tyr, 4:1) as an exogenous substrate, the characteristics of insulin receptor associated protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) from rabbit skeletal muscle has been compared with a growth factor-independent non-receptor PTK partially purified from rat lung particulate fraction. The two PTKs phosphorylated poly(Glu: Tyr; 4:1) very effectively with apparent Km values of 0.3 mg/ml for insulin receptor PTK and 0.8 mg/ml for lung PTK. ATP was the preferred phosphoryl donor for both PTKs (Km = 150 microM); however, in the case of lung PTK, GTP was able to partially replace ATP. ATP analogues, AMP-PNP and ATP-gamma-S inhibited the activities of both enzymes. Receptor PTK was more active in the presence of Mn2+ whereas the lung PTK did not discriminate between Mg2+ or Mn2+ for enzyme activity. Para-hydroxymercurobenzoate (pHMB), a SH-group blocking agent, inhibited the activities of both PTKs, suggesting the requirement of SH-groups for enzymatic activities. Both enzymes were inhibited by fluorosulfonylbenzoyl 5'-adenosine (FSBA). NaCl also inhibited both kinases, however, lung PTK was more sensitive to inhibition. In addition, the lung PTK was not retained on a wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-agarose column, suggesting that the lung enzyme is either not a glycoprotein or that the carbohydrate moieties present, if any, have no affinity for WGA. Furthermore, the lung PTK appears to be immunologically distinct from both insulin receptor and pp60Src, since it was not immunoprecipitated by antibodies to either pp60Src or insulin receptor. These data indicate that only a few but significant differences exist in the characteristics of receptor and non-receptor associated PTKs.

Angiotensin II receptors negatively coupled to adenylate cyclase in rat myocardial sarcolemma. Involvement of inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein

The effect of angiotensin II (AII) on adenylate cyclase was studied in the rat and rabbit heart sarcolemma. AII inhibited adenylate cyclase activity in the rat and rabbit sarcolemma in a concentration-dependent manner. Maximal inhibition of about 35-40% was observed in the rat, with an apparent Ki of about 3 nM; about 30% inhibition, with an apparent Ki of about 6 nM, was noted in rabbit sarcolemma. The inhibitory effect of AII was dependent on the presence of guanine nucleotides and was blocked by saralasin. In addition, AII also inhibited the stimulatory effects of isoproterenol and glucagon on adenylate cyclase. Ninhibin, a sperm factor which has been shown to modify the characteristics of inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein (Gi), attenuated the inhibitory effects of AII on basal and hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase. Furthermore, pertussis toxin (PT) treatment of the sarcolemma in the presence of [32P]NAD resulted in ADP-ribosylation of a single 41-kD protein. PT also attenuated the AII-mediated inhibition of basal and hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase and enhanced the magnitude of the stimulatory effects of isoproterenol and glucagon on adenylate cyclase activity. These data suggest that the rat myocardial sarcolemma contains AII receptors that are negatively coupled to adenylate cyclase through Gi protein.

Regulation of a rat lung protein tyrosine kinase activity by reversible phosphorylation/dephosphorylation

Incubation of a partially purified protein tyrosine kinase from rat lung with Mg2+ and ATP resulted in about 10-15-fold activation of the enzyme activity as judged by the phosphorylation of poly(Glu:Tyr,4:1), an exogenous substrate. The activation was time dependent and was associated with the phosphorylation of a single protein band of 50 kDa. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the phosphorylated protein indicated that tyrosine was the amino acid being phosphorylated. Upon gel filtration on a Sephacryl S-200 column, the phosphorylated protein co-eluted with protein tyrosine kinase and ATP-binding activities, suggesting that all three activities are part of the same protein. In addition, pretreatment of the partially purified protein tyrosine kinase with alkaline phosphatase inhibited its enzyme activity which could be restored by reincubation with Mg2+ and ATP. These data suggest that a temporal relationship exists between the phosphorylation and the activation states of rat lung protein tyrosine kinase, and that the phospho- and dephospho- forms represent the active and inactive (or less active) forms, respectively, of the enzyme.

The nucleotide sequence of the HEM1 gene and evidence for a precursor form of the mitochondrial 5-aminolevulinate synthase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The biosynthesis of yeast 5-aminolevulinate (ALA) synthase, a mitochondrial protein encoded by the nuclear HEM1 gene, has been studied in vitro in a cell-free translation system and in vivo in whole cells. In vitro translation of mRNA hybrid-selected by the cloned HEM1 gene, or of total RNA followed by immunoprecipitation with anti-(ALA synthase) antibody yielded a single polypeptide of higher molecular mass than the purified ALA synthase. This larger form, also seen in pulse-labeled cells, can be post-translationally processed by isolated mitochondria. These results show that the cytoplasmically made ALA synthase is synthesized with a cleavable extension which was estimated to be about 3.5 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The complete nucleotide sequence of the HEM1 gene and its flanking regions was determined. The 5' ends of the HEM1 mRNAs map from -76 to -63 nucleotides upstream of the translation initiation codon. The open reading frame of 1644 base pairs encodes a protein of 548 amino acids with a calculated Mr of 59,275. The predicted amino-terminal sequence of the protein is strongly basic (five basic and no acidic amino acids within the first 35 residues), rich in serine and threonine and must represent the transient presequence that targets this protein to the mitochondria. Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences indicates a clear homology between the mature yeast and chick embryo liver ALA synthases.

Inhibition of phosphorylase kinase, and tyrosine protein kinase activities by quercetin

Quercetin, a naturally occurring bioflavonoid inhibited the activities of phosphorylase kinase and a partially purified tyrosine protein kinase from rat lung. The inhibition was rapid and concentration dependent. Quercetin at 100 microM inhibited the activities of phosphorylase kinase and tyrosine protein kinase by about 95 and 80-90 percent respectively. ATP reversed the quercetin mediated inhibition of tyrosine protein kinase but not of phosphorylase kinase. These data suggest that quercetin has differential effect on different protein kinase activities and it may be used as a tool to probe the role of various protein kinases in cell function.

Complete nucleotide sequence of hepatic 5-aminolaevulinate synthase precursor

Chick embryo liver mitochondrial matrix protein, 5-aminolaevulinate synthase, is synthesised initially as a larger cytosolic precursor. In this report we present the complete nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone coding for the precursor together with corresponding confirmatory amino acid sequence of peptides derived from purified mature mitochondrial enzyme. The deduced amino acid sequence shows that the precursor consists of mature enzyme of 579 amino acids and an N-terminal extension of 56 amino acids. The latter presequence is highly basic in character as found with other mitochondrial preproteins.

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes and hormone sensitivity of adenylate cyclase in rat myocardial sarcolemma, aorta and liver

Adenylate cyclase activity was investigated in myocardial sarcolemma, aorta particulate fractions, and liver plasma membranes from control and 5-day streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The basal adenylate cyclase activity was increased in heart sarcolemma from diabetic rats, whereas the extent of stimulation by glucagon, dopamine, isoproterenol, epinephrine, sodium fluoride and forskolin was decreased markedly. The decreased responsiveness was associated with a decrease in Vmax but not in the activation constant. In contrast, GTP stimulated adenylate cyclase in control and diabetic myocardial sarcolemma to the same extent. In addition, the basal adenylate cyclase activity was not altered significantly in aorta particulate fraction of liver plasma membranes from diabetic rats, but the stimulation of adenylate cyclase by catecholamines and forskolin (in the case of aorta) and by adenosine, glucagon, NaF and forskolin (in the case of liver) was diminished markedly. These data suggest that, in streptozotocin-induced diabetes, the responsiveness of adenylate cyclase to various hormones and agents (fluoride and forskolin) which act through receptor-independent mechanisms is decreased.

Electron microscopic studies on liver 5-aminolaevulinate synthase

The structure of chick embryo liver 5-aminolaevulinate synthase has been examined by electron microscopic studies using negative staining. From the different projections of the enzyme particles observed in electron micrographs, a model for the enzyme molecule has been proposed. In this model, an enzyme molecule consists of two curved and identical subunits associated in opposite polarities. From the dimensions of an enzyme molecule subunit measured from electron micrographs, the relative molecular mass of each subunit is estimated to be 70 000.

Molecular cloning of hepatic 5-aminolevulinate synthase

Hepatic 5-aminolevulinate synthase was induced in chick embryos by administration of the porphyrinogenic drugs 2-allyl-2-isopropylacetamide and 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine. A cDNA library was constructed from drug-induced liver mRNA and clones containing sequences coding for 5-aminolevulinate synthase were identified by hybrid-selected translation. The identity of these clones was confirmed by comparing DNA sequence data with the amino acid sequence of peptides from purified 5-aminolevulinate synthase. From Northern blot analysis the size of the mRNA for 5-aminolevulinate synthase was estimated to be 2800 base pairs, approximately 600 base pairs more than that required to code for the primary translation product of relative molecular mass 74000.