Alpha-amanitin administration results in a temporary inhibition of hepatic enzyme induction by triiodothyronine: further evidence favoring a long-lived mediator of thyroid hormone action

Thyroid hormone action at the cellular level

A large body of circumstantial evidence suggests that the basic unit of thyroid hormone action is the triiodothyronine nuclear receptor complex. This complex stimulates the formation, directly or indirectly, of a diversity of messenger RNA (mRNA) sequences. A generalized increase in mRNA as well as a disproportionate increase in a limited number of RNA sequences have been demonstrated. Regulation of thyroid hormone effects may be carried out largely at a local cellular level. Highly selective alterations in sensitivity to the triiodothyronine nuclear receptor complex may occur at specific target genes. Metabolic factors and hormones participate in such regulation. In a given tissue, alterations in the total number of receptor sites has not been shown to be useful as an index of thyroid hormone response, and local modulation of the response to the triiodothyronine receptor complex by a variety of factors other than triiodothyronine may be carried out at a postreceptor level.

Amatoxins, phallotoxins, phallolysin, and antamanide: the biologically active components of poisonous Amanita mushrooms

This review gives a comprehensive account of the molecular toxicology of the bicyclic peptides obtained from the poisonous mushrooms of the genus Amanita. The discussion of the biochemical events will be preceded by a consideration of the chemistry of the toxic peptides. The structural features essential for biological activities of both the amatoxins and the phallotoxins will be discussed, also including the most important analytical data. Similar consideration will be given to antamanide, a cyclic peptide, which counteracts phalloidin. In addition, the phallolysins, three cytolytic proteins from Amanita phalloides will be discussed. The report on the biological activity of the amatoxins will deal with the sensitivity of the different RNA-polymerases towards the toxins and with their action on various cell types. Consideration will also be given to systems in which alpha-amanitin was used and can be used as a molecular tool; in the past, many investigators used the inhibitor in molecular biology, genetics, and even in physiological research. As for the phallotoxins, discussion of the affinity of these toxins for actin is provied. Further discussion attempts to understand the course of intoxication by filling in the gap between the first molecular event, formation of microfilaments, and the various lesions in hepatocytes during the intoxication.

Regulation of malic enzyme synthesis by thyroid hormone and glucagon: inhibitor and kinetic experiments

Synthesis of malic enzyme was rapidly and markedly stimulated by the addition of triiodothyronine to chick embryo liver cells in culture. Alpha-Amanitin, an inhibitor of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II, blocked induction. The kinetics of induction and de-induction of malic enzyme synthesis suggested that the most stable event in triiodothyronine induction had a half-life of 18 to 20 h. However, malic enzyme synthesis decayed with a half-life of 2,4 h when transcription was inhibited with alpha-amanitin. Thus a long-lived event in thyroid hormone stimulation of malic enzyme synthesis occurred prior to transcription of a specific messenger RNA (mRNA), presumably malic enzyme mRNA. Malic enzyme synthesis decayed with a half-life of about 2 h when glucagon was added to pre-induced liver cells. The similarity of decay rates after inhibition of transcription with alpha-amanitin or inhibition of malic enzyme synthesis by glucagon suggests that glucagon may inhibit the transcription or processing of a specific mRNA required for malic enzyme synthesis.