Archive of mass spectral data files on recordable CD-ROMs and creation and maintenance of a searchable computerized database.

A database containing names of mass spectral data files generated in a forensic toxicology laboratory and two Microsoft Visual Basic programs to maintain and search this database is described. The data files (approximately 0.5 KB/each) were collected from six mass spectrometers during routine casework. Data files were archived on 650 MB (74 min) recordable CD-ROMs. Each recordable CD-ROM was given a unique name, and its list of data file names was placed into the database. The present manuscript describes the use of search and maintenance programs for searching and routine upkeep of the database and creation of CD-ROMs for archiving of data files.

Modification of Hewlett-Packard Chemstation (G1034C version C.02.00 and G1701AA version C.02.00 and C.03.00) data analysis program for addition of automatic extracted ion chromatographic groups.

A modification to data analysis macros to create "ion groups" and add a menu item to the data analysis menu bar is described. These "ion groups" consist of up to 10 ions for extracted ion chromatographs. The present manuscript describes modifications to yield a drop down menu in data analysis that contains user-defined names of groups (e.g., opiates, barbiturates, benzodiazepines) of ions that, when selected, will automatically perform extracted ion chromatographs with up to 10 ions in that group for the loaded datafile.

Inhibition of ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in human blood by sodium fluoride.

Production of ethanol in antemortem blood samples inoculated with an efficient ethanol-producing microorganism and incubated at various temperatures is discussed. Whole blood samples inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae were incubated in gray stoppered Venoject tubes (approximate draw volume 7 mL) containing sodium fluoride (17.5 mg) and potassium oxalate (14.0 mg) at 4 degrees C, 25 degrees C, and 37 degrees C for 0, 24, 96, 192, and 408 h. No volatile substances (such as ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, acetone, or acetaldehyde) (< 0.010 g/dL) were produced in any of the samples at 4 or 25 degrees C. At 24 h incubation a trace amount (< 0.018 g/dL) of ethanol was detected at 37 degrees C.

Protein phosphatase 2A is a specific protamine-kinase-inactivating phosphatase.

Purified preparations of a protamine protein kinase from bovine kidney cytosol [Damuni, Amick & Sneed (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 6412-6416] were inactivated after incubation with near-homogeneous preparations of protein phosphatase 2A1 and protein phosphatase 2A2. These protein phosphatase 2A-mediated inactivations of the protamine kinase were unaffected by highly purified preparations of inhibitor 2, but were prevented when the incubations were performed in the presence of 100 nM microcystin-LR, 100 nM okadaic acid or 0.2 mM-ATP. By contrast, highly purified preparations of protein phosphatase 2B, protein phosphatase 2C, the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 1, and two forms of a protein tyrosine phosphatase, designated PTPase 1B and T-cell PTPase, had little effect, if any, on protamine kinase activity. Purified preparations of the protamine kinase did not react with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, as determined by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation analysis. The results indicate that protein phosphatase 2A is a specific protamine-kinase-inactivating phosphatase.

Purification and properties of a protamine kinase from bovine kidney microsomes.

About an eightfold increase in protamine kinase activity was detected following extraction of highly purified microsomes from bovine kidney with 1% Triton X-100. Relative to the soluble fraction, the microsomes contained about 30% protamine kinase activity. The microsomal protamine kinase was purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified enzyme exhibited an apparent M(r) approximately 45,000 as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by gel permeation chromatography on Sephacryl S-200. Relative to protamine, the purified kinase exhibited about 100% activity with the synthetic peptide RRLSSLRA and about 5, 8, and less than 0.1% activity with casein, histone H2B, and histone H1, respectively. The purified kinase phosphorylated several 40 S ribosome polypeptides. One of these polypeptides was identified as ribosomal protein S6 by N-terminal sequencing. About 2.5 mol of phosphoryl groups was incorporated per mole of ribosomal protein S6 following incubation of the 40 S ribosomes with the purified kinase. Following incubation with protein phosphatase 2A2, purified preparations of the protamine kinase were inactivated. These properties were identical to those of purified preparations of a protamine kinase from extracts of bovine kidney cytosol (Z. Damuni, G.D. Amick, and T.R. Sneed, 1989, J. Biol. Chem. 264, 6412-6418). Near identical peptide patterns were obtained following incubation of purified preparations of the microsomal and cytosolic protamine kinases with Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase. The results indicate that a form of the cytosolic protamine kinase is present in microsomes.

Protamine kinase phosphorylates eukaryotic protein synthesis initiation factor 4E.

Up to 1 mol of phosphoryl groups was incorporated per mol of eukaryotic protein synthesis initiation factor (eIF) 4E following incubation of purified preparations of this factor with purified preparations of a protamine kinase from bovine kidney cytosol. By contrast, purified preparations of two forms of mitogen-activated protein kinase, casein kinase II and two forms of a distinct autophosphorylation-activated protein kinase exhibited little activity, if any, with eIF-4E. Together with previous observations, the results indicate that the protamine kinase could contribute to the insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of eIF-4E.

Insulin stimulates the activity of a protamine kinase in isolated rat hepatocytes.

Treatment of isolated rat hepatocytes with 10-100 nM insulin for 5-10 min increased by about 2-fold the activity of a protamine kinase which exhibited properties similar to those of a protamine kinase from bovine kidney (Damuni, Z., Amick, G. D., and Sneed, T. R. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 6412-6416). Half-maximal increase in protamine kinase activity occurred at about 1 nM insulin. This effect of insulin was detected only when 25 mM NaF or 50 mM KPO4 were included in the homogenization buffers and was not prevented by preincubation of the hepatocytes with 10 microM cycloheximide. Insulin stimulation of protamine kinase was maintained following chromatography of extracts on protamine-agarose, DEAE-cellulose, and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. The apparent Mr of the protamine kinase from control and insulin-treated hepatocytes was 45,000 as estimated by gel permeation chromatography. Experiments utilizing partially purified protamine kinase from control and insulin-treated hepatocytes indicated that insulin did not affect the apparent Km for protamine, Mg2+, or ATP, but increased the Vmax for the protamine kinase reaction by 1.6-2-fold. Incubation with the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2A completely inactivated the protamine kinase from control and insulin-treated cells. The results indicate that the insulin-stimulated increase in protamine kinase activity may be due to a covalent modification, possibly phosphorylation, of the protamine kinase.

Purification and properties of a distinct protamine kinase from the cytosol of bovine kidney cortex.

A protamine kinase has been purified to apparent homogeneity from extracts of the cytosol of bovine kidney cortex. This protamine kinase exhibited an apparent Mr = 43,000 as estimated by gel permeation chromatography on Sephacryl S-200 and an apparent Mr = 45,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified protamine kinase exhibited about 5% activity with casein, 8% with histone H2B, and less than 0.1% with histone H1, histone H4, glycogen synthase a from rabbit skeletal muscle, ovalbumin, bovine serum albumin, and phosvitin. The activity of the highly purified protamine kinase was unaffected by cyclic AMP (up to 0.1 mM), cyclic GMP (up to 0.1 mM), the heat-stable protein inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (up to 100 micrograms/ml), heparin (up to 100 micrograms/ml), EGTA (up to 1 mM), Ca2+ (up to 1 mM), calmodulin (up to 0.5 microM) in the absence or presence of Ca2+ (0.05 mM), and phosphatidylserine (up to 40 micrograms/ml) and/or diolein (up to 1 microgram/ml) in the absence or presence of Ca2+ (up to 0.5 mM). Experiments in which extracts of kidney cytosol were incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP and MgCl2 revealed that the phosphorylation of numerous polypeptides was markedly increased in the presence of the purified protamine kinase. The results indicate that this protamine kinase of kidney cytosol is a novel protein kinase.