Detection of distinct isoform patterns of the beta-amyloid precursor protein in human platelets and lymphocytes.

Cerebral deposition of the amyloid beta-protein (A beta P), approximately 40 residue fragment of the integral membrane protein, beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta APP), has been implicated as the probable cause of some cases of familial Alzheimer's disease (AD). The parallels between A beta P deposition in AD and the deposition of certain plasma proteins in systemic amyloid diseases has heightened interest in the analysis of beta APP in circulating cells and plasma. Here, we describe distinct isoform patterns of beta APP in peripheral platelets and lymphocytes. PCR-mediated amplification of mRNA from purified platelets demonstrated the expression of all three major beta APP transcripts (beta APP770,751,695). The full-length, approximately 140 kDa form of beta APP751,770 was detected in membranes of resting and activated platelets but very little immature, approximately 122 kDa beta APP751,770 was found, suggesting a different processing of beta APP in platelets than that described in a variety of cultured cells and tissues. Platelets stimulated with thrombin, calcium ionophore, or collagen released the soluble, carboxyl-truncated form of beta APP (protease nexin-II), but no evidence for the shedding of full-length beta APP associated with platelet microparticles was found, in contrast to previous reports. As a positive control marker for microparticles, the fibrinogen receptor subunit, GPIIIa, was readily detected in platelet releasates. Resting and activated platelets contained similar amounts of the approximately 10 kDa carboxyl terminal beta APP fragment that is retained in platelet membranes following the constitutive cleavage of protease nexin-II. Nonstimulated peripheral B and T lymphocytes contained small amounts of membrane-associated mature and immature beta APP751,770. The potentially amyloidogenic full-length beta APP molecules present in circulating platelets and lymphocytes but not in microparticles could serve as a source of the microvascular A beta P deposited during aging and particularly in AD.

Formation of epsilon-hydroxycaproate and epsilon-aminocaproate from N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine: evidence that microsomal alpha-hydroxylation of cyclic nitrosamines may not always involve the insertion of molecular oxygen into the substrate.

The formation of the products of microsomal metabolism of the cyclic nitrosamine, nitrosohexamethyleneimine (NO-HEX) were studied. Information on the origins of the oxygen atoms in four major metabolites of NO-HEX was obtained by metabolizing this compound in an 18O2 atmosphere using microsomes and cytosol, beta- and gamma-Hydroxy-NO-HEX are formed as a result of the insertion of a hydroxyl group derived from molecular oxygen into NO-HEX. All of the oxygen atoms in epsilon-aminocaproate (EAC) were derived from water. Approximately half of the molecules of epsilon- hydroxycaproate ( EHC ) contain an 18O atom; thus, half of the alpha-hydroxy-NO-HEX formed incorporates a hydroxyl group derived from molecular oxygen with the remainder of the hydroxyls being from water. To account for the above data and the related metabolic origins of EAC and EHC ( Hecker and McClusky , Cancer Res., 42 (1982) 59; Hecker et al., Teratogen. Carcinogen. Mutagen (1982) in press), we have proposed a mechanism for the formation of these compounds from cyclic nitrosamines catalyzed by microsomal and cytosolic enzymes.

Mutagenicity of potassium alkanediazotates and their use as model compounds for activated nitrosamines.

The mutagenicity of a series of potassium alkanediazotates in the Ames assay was studied. These compounds were isolated as solids and are soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide. Upon addition to water, they form diazohydroxides (which are postulated intermediates in the decomposition of alpha-hydroxylated nitrosamines). The diazohydroxides decompose to electrophilic intermediates which may react with macromolecules or water. In the Ames assay, potassium diazotates produced his+ revertants in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 100 and TA 1535 but not in strains TA 98, TA 1537, or TA 1538. Methane, methane-d3, ethane, propane, and phenylmethanediazotates were mutagenic in strain TA 100, and all diazotates with the exception of phenylmethanediazotate, produced revertants in TA 1535. The order of mutagenic potency of these compounds was: methane approximately equal to methane-d3 greater than ethane, greater than phenylmethane (TA 100) greater than propane greater than phenylmethane (TA 1535) = 0. All diazotates were direct-acting mutagens and produced revertants even when no liver 9000 X g supernatant (S9) fractions were present. S9 fractions inhibited the mutagenicity of potassium diazotates, and equivalent concentrations of S9 fractions (3 mg protein per plate) from either rat or hamster liver, whether induced or not, were equally effective. Bovine serum albumin was not as effective as S9 fractions in inhibiting diazotate mutagenesis, but heat-inactivated (70 degrees for 20 min) S9 fractions were as inhibitory of methanediazotate mutagenicity as native S9 fractions were at low protein concentrations. The half-lives of mutagenicity of methane- and ethanediazotates in aqueous solutions were identical (less than or equal to 15 sec); after less than 2 min in solution, these diazotates were rendered completely inactive. The implications of these studies for mechanisms of nitrosamine action and the use of potassium alkanediazotates as model compounds for activated nitrosamines are discussed.

Metabolism and mutagenicity of N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine and its hydroxylated derivatives.

There is a direct relationship between the metabolism and mutagenicity of N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine (NO-HEX) in the presence of uninduced and AC- and PB-induced S8 and S9 fractions from rats and hamsters. Although alpha-hydroxylation is the most important process in the formation of mutagens, NO-HEX may be hydroxylated on the beta- and gamma-carbon atoms as well. beta- and gamma-hydroxyNO-HEX do not appear to play a significant role in the total mutagenicity of NO-HEX. Using rat liver subcellular fractions, beta- and gamma-hydroxyNO-HEX are only marginally mutagenic compared with NO-HEX. With hamster S9 fractions, beta-hydroxyNO-HEX is equally as mutagenic as NO-HEX itself, but gamma-hydroxyNO-HEX is a much less potent mutagen. However, beta-hydroxyNO-HEX is produced in small amounts and therefore does not contribute greatly to the total mutagenicity of NO-HEX.

The nucleotide sequence of blue-green algae phenylalanine-tRNA and the evolutionary origin of chloroplasts.

Phenylalanine tRNA from the blue-green alga, Agmenellum quadruplicatum, has been purified to homogeneity. The nucleotide sequence of this tRNA was determined to be: (see tests) Comparisons of the sequence and the modified nucleosides of this tRNA with those of other tRNAPhes thus far sequenced, indicate that this blue green algal tRNAPhe is typically prokaryotic and closely resembles the chloroplast tRNAPhes of higher plants and Euglena. The significance of this observation to the evolutionary origin of chloroplasts is discussed.

The metabolism of nitrosopyrrolidine by hepatocytes from Fischer rats.

Nitrosopyrrolidine (NO-PYR), an hepatocellular carcinogen, is rapidly metabolized to CO2 by hepatocytes freshly isolated from the livers of male Fischer rats. Using CO2 evolution as a measure of NO-PYR metabolism, we observed two kinetic constants; a high affinity component (Km = 0.11 mM), and a lower affinity component (K m = 3.2 mM). The high affinity component has similar kinetic constants to those observed for in vitro reactions with microsomes plus cytosol (Km = 0.36 mM). Therefore, it is probable that the microsomal reaction is the limiting factor in the metabolism of NO-PYR in hepatocytes. NO-PYR may be metabolized to CO2 through normal anaplerotic sequences. Some metabolites of NO-PYR which have been tentatively identified are gamma-hydroxybutyrate, succinic semialdehyde, 3,4-dihydroxybutyric acid lactone, lactate, acetate, pyruvate, glyoxylate, gamma-aminobutyrate and alanine. 2-Hydroxytetrahydrofuran (2-hydroxy-THF). a product of alpha-hydroxylation was detected at low levels in only one of four reactions. 3-Hydroxy-NO-PYR is present but represents only a small percentage of the total metabolism and is probably of little significance in the overall catabolism of NO-PYR in hepatocytes.

Comparison of the in vitro metabolism of N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine by rat liver and lung microsomal fractions.

The in vitro metabolism of N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine by lung and liver microsomes and cytosol from uninduced male Fischer rats is described. Metabolites produced by both organs appeared to be identical. The liver subcellular fractions had a lower Km (0.6 mM) than did lung fractions (3 mM) and metabolized 2.5 to 5 times as much nitrosamine per mg protein. Our results, together with those from our earlier studies, indicate that, as the size of the carbon ring increases from nitrosopyrolidine to nitrosohexamethyleneimine, lung microsomes had an increased affinity for the cyclic nitrosamines; they was only a small effect with liver enzymes. Ths suggests that microsomal enzymes that metabolize cyclic nitrosamines in rat livers and lungs are not the same. The first stable alpha-hydroxylation product, 6-hydroxyhexanal, was not detected in reactions involving microsomes alone. Apparently, this compound is rapidly converted to 1,6-hexanediol by liver or lung microsomes. The presence of cytosol was needed for the full conversion of these metabolites to xi-hydroxycaproate and maximal alpha-hydroxylation activity. xi-Aminocaproate was always found in direct proportion to the hydroxyacid, suggesting that both acids arise from the same alpha-hydroxylation event by different breakdown mechanisms. beta- and gamma-hydroxynitrosohexamethyleneimine were not metabolized significantly by rat liver enzymes and thus, in this species, may be "detoxification products" of N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine.

The nucleotide sequence of Euglena cytoplasmic phenylalanine transfer RNA. Evidence for possible classifications of Euglena among the animal rather than the plant kingdom.

The nucleotide sequence of cytoplasmic phenylalanine tRNA from Euglena gracilis has been elucidated using procedures described previously for the corresponding chloroplastic tRNA [Cell, 9, 717 (1976)]. The sequence is: pG-C-C-G-A-C-U-U-A-m(2)G-C-U-Cm-A-G-D-D-G-G-G-A-G-A-G-C-m(2)2G-psi-psi-A-G-A-Cm -U-Gm-A-A-Y-A-psi-C-U-A-A-A-G-m(7)G-U-C-*C-C-U-G-G-T-psi-C-G-m(1)A-U-C-C-C-G-G- G-A-G-psi-C-G-G-C-A-C-C-A. Like other tRNA Phes thus far sequenced, this tRNA has a chain length of 76 nucleotides. The sequence of E. gracilis cytoplasmic tRNA Phe is quite different (27 nucleotides out of 76 different) from that of the corresponding chloroplastic tRNA but is surprisingly similar (72 out of 76 nucleotides identical) to that of tRNA Phe from mammalian cytoplasm. This extent of sequence homology even exceeds that found between E. gracilis and wheat germ cytoplasmic tRNA Phe. These findings raise interesting questions on the evolution of tRNAs and the taxonomy of Euglena.

Lack of metabolism of 2,6-dimethyldinitrosopiperazine by microsomes and postmicrosomal supernatant prepared from the rat esophagus and non-glandular stomach.

Microsomes and postmicrosomal supernatant were prepared from the esophagus and non-grandular stomach of rats. Using these fractions, we could not demonstrate in vitro metabolism of 2,6-dimethyldinitrosopiperazine (DMDNP), a potent esophageal and non-grandular stomach carcinogen in rats. The esophageal and non-grandular stomach fractions did metabolize N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) to a small extent, and liver microsomes and postmicrosomal supernatant metabolized both nitrosamines to a similar extent. Therefore, we advise caution in the interpretation of metabolic studies using 'target' and 'non-target' organs as indicative of activation of compounds to proximate carcinogens.

In vitro metabolism of N-nitrosopyrrolidine by rat lung subcellular fractions: alpha-hydroxylation in a non-target tissue.

N-Nitrosopyrrolidine is carcinogenic for the liver but not for the lung. Optimal conditions for the metabolism of N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NO-PYR) by rat lung microsomes and post-microsomal supernatant were determined. Neither lung nor liver subcellular fractions were able to form detectable amounts of 3-hydroxyNO-PYR. Liver and lung microsomes could only alpha-hydroxylate NO-PYR, and even though the rates of lung reactions were considerably slower than those of liver, similar products were produced by the action of both lung and liver supernatants on microsomal products. The apparent Km for the lung microsome plus supernatant reaction was approx. 20 mM as compared with 0.36 mM for the liver system. Since both the target and non-target tissue extracts could metabolize NO-PYR by the same pathways, we speculate that alpha-hydroxylation of NO-PYR may be a necessary, but not sufficient cause for its carcinogenic actions.

The nucleotide sequence of phenylalanine tRNA from the cytoplasm of Neurospora crassa.

The phenylalanine tRNA from the cytoplasm of Neurospora crassa has been purified and sequenced. The sequence is: pGCGGGUUUAm2GCUCA (N) GDDGGGAGAGCm22GpsiCAGACmUGmAAYApsim5CUGAAGm7GDm5CGUGUGTpsiCGm1AUCCACACAAACCGCACCAOH. Both in the nature of modified nucleotides which are present in this tRNA and in the overall sequence, this tRNA resembles more closely phenylalanine tRNAs of eukaryotic cytoplasm than those of prokaryotes. The sequence of this tRNA differs from those of the corresponding tRNAs of wheat germ and yeast by only 6 and 7 nucleotides respectively out of 76 nucleotides.U

In vitro formation and properties of beta- and gamma-hydroxy-N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine.

Stable hydroxylated metabolites of N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine (NO-HEX) account for about one-third of the metabolites produced in in vitro reactions using uninduced rat liver microsomes post-microsomal supernatant. The ratio of gamma- to beta-hydroxyNO-HEX thus produced is 3:1. Each of these isomers exists in two conformeric forms that can be separated easily at room temperature by h.p.l.c. on C18 columns. The ratio of isomers does not vary with substrate concentration or time of reaction, which suggests that one liver enzyme is responsible for the formation of both isomers. Different ratios of conformeric forms of gamma-hydroxyNO-HEX produced by liver and lung microsomes indicate that these organs have different enzymes that perform the same functions. Anti-syn (E-Z) configurational assignments for the conformers were based on data obtained from 13C-n.m.r. studies. Although isolated conformers were stable at room temperature, when heated above 70 degrees C or dissolved in aprotic solvents, after several hours an equilibrium mixture was formed. The conformers of beta-hydroxyNO-HEX reached equilibrium in less than half the time required by gamma-hydroxy conformers. The results of i.r. spectroscopic studies suggest that hydrogen bonding may be involved in the stabilization of the conformers. Upon modification of the hydroxy group separable conformers are not detected; this is consistent with the suggestion that the hydroxy group may be involved in the stabilization of separable conformeric forms. We speculate that the occurrence of relatively stable and separable conformers may be due to intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the hydroxy and nitroso groups.

The mutagenicity of nitrosopyrrolidine is related to its metabolism.

Various cell fractions from rat liver were tested for their ability to convert nitrosopyrrolidine (NO-PYR) to products which were mutagenic to E. coli in liquid-incubation assays. Microsomes alone produced only a small number of tyr+ revertants, approximately 40/10(8) survivors), while the S100 supernatant produced none at all. However, the S8 Fraction or combinations of microsomes and the S100 supernatant, yielded 300-400 tyr+ revertants/10(8) survivors. Neither products of the microsomal, nor microsome + supernatant reactions were mutagenic in the absence or presence of cellular fractions. These results suggest that bacterial mutagens are formed during the microsomal metabolism of NO-PYR to 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran by alpha-hydroxylation, but not during the metabolism of 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran by the S100 supernatant enzymes. Possible roles of the supernatant enzymes in the formation of mutagenic intermediates during the initial alpha-hydroxylation of NO-PYR are discussed.

Metabolism of the liver carcinogen N-nitrosopyrrolidine by rat liver microsomes.

This report represents a study of the total metabolism of the hepatocellular carcinogen, N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NO-PYR), by rat liver microsomes and postmicrosomal supernatant. [2,5-14C]NO-PYR, which is totally extractable from aqueous solution with methylene chloride, is converted to radioactive nonmethylene chloride-extractable products by these fractions. The initial rate of conversion to nonmethylene chloride-extractable products follows simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics with an apparent Km of 3.6 x 10(-4) M NO-PYR. The major products of NO-PYR metabolism by rat liver microsomes and postmicrosomal supernatant have been isolated and identified. One product of metabolism of NO-PYR is 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran formed by alpha-hydroxylation by the microsomes. In the presence of postmicrosomal supernatant enzymes, this compound exists only as a transient intermediate which is rapidly converted to 1,4-butanediol or gamma-hydroxybutyrate. These compounds may be cycled into general cellular metabolism resulting in the production of CO2. Two minor pathways of metabolism have also been found.

Nucleotide sequence of Neurospora crassa cytoplasmic initiator tRNA.

Initiator methionine tRNA from the cytoplasm of Neurospora crassa has been purified and sequenced. The sequence is: pAGCUGCAUm1GGCGCAGCGGAAGCGCM22GCY*GGGCUCAUt6AACCCGGAGm7GU (or D) - CACUCGAUCGm1AAACGAG*UUGCAGCUACCAOH. Similar to initiator tRNAs from the cytoplasm of other eukaryotes, this tRNA also contains the sequence -AUCG- instead of the usual -TphiCG (or A)- found in loop IV of other tRNAs. The sequence of the N. crassa cytoplasmic initiator tRNA is quite different from that of the corresponding mitochondrial initiator tRNA. Comparison of the sequence of N. crassa cytoplasmic initiator tRNA to those of yeast, wheat germ and vertebrate cytoplasmic initiator tRNA indicates that the sequences of the two fungal tRNAs are no more similar to each other than they are to those of other initiator tRNAs.