Mechanism of the photocatalytic inactivation of Lactobacillus casei phage PL-1 by titania thin film.

The mechanism of the inactivation of Lactobacillus casei phage PL-1 suspended in a phosphate buffer by black-light (BL) -catalytic titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film was studied. Generation of both superoxide anions (O2-) and hydroxyl radicals (*OH) was confirmed in the aqueous medium in which TiO2 film was settled with BL irradiation under gentle shaking. With BL-irradiation alone without TiO2 film, only O2- was generated to some extent. The genome DNA inside the phage particles was found to be fragmented by the treatment of PL-1 phages with BL-catalytic TiO2 film. The phage inactivation by BL-catalytic TiO2 film was inhibited by the addition of albumin in a concentration-dependent manner. BL-catalytic TiO2 film was considered to cause primarily the damage to the capsid protein through the generation of active oxygen species such as *OH, followed by damage to the genome DNA inside the phage particles.

Nucleotide sequence specificity in DNA cleavage caused by dihydropyrazines, a new type of DNA strand-cleaving agent.

The specificity of the nucleotide sequence of DNA strand cleavage sites produced by dihydropyrazines, a new type of DNA strand-cleaving agent, was studied. Biotin-5'-end-labeled PCR-amplified DNA restriction fragments of different defined nucleotide sequences were prepared from plasmid pBR322, and reacted with dihydropyrazines in the presence of Cu2+. After being heated with aqueous piperidine, the DNA products were analyzed on polyacrylamide gels. The most preferentially cleaved sites induced by dihydropyrazines were at purine/pyrimidine-guanine (5' --> 3') sequences. The purine/pyrimidine-adenine, pyrimidine-pyrimidine and purine-pyrimidine (5' --> 3') sequences were more resistant to attack by these dihydropyrazines. The side chains of the dihydropyrazine skeleton greatly affected the DNA strand-cleaving activity, and also, to some extent, the nucleotide sequence-specificity in the DNA strand-cleavage.

Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of Lactobacillus casei phage PL-1 lysis genes.

The genes encoding the host cell wall-lytic proteins were searched in the genome DNA of phage PL-1 active against Lactobacillus casei ATCC 27092 by comparing the amino acid sequences with those of others using a computer software of the DDBJ data base. The gene regions found were cloned into E. coli by inserting PCR-amplified DNA fragments into the EcoRI site of pUC 19, and the nucleotide sequences were determined. One of the ORFs (hol) consisted of 270 bp encoding 90 amino acids. The hol product (holin) possessed a putative secretion signal, two putative transmembrane helices, and a highly charged C-terminus. Another ORF (lys) consisted of 1050 bp encoding an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase of 350 amino acids. The gene lys was expressed in E. coli using pCALn expression vector, and the purified gene product hydrolysed the amide linkage in the peptidoglycans of L. casei. The amino acid sequence of PL-1 amidase showed a high homology to those of Lactococcus lactis phage rlt and Listeria monocytogenes phage A511. It was suggested that the N-terminal region was involved in enzyme activity and the C-terminal region in binding the enzyme to the cell wall substrate, respectively.

Effect of ionic strength on the inactivation of micro-organisms by microwave irradiation.

Microwave irradiation at 2450 MHz inactivated the cells of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans suspended in a phosphate buffer. The rate of cell inactivation was proportional to that of the increase in temperature accompanied by microwave irradiation. The inactivation rates of E. coli and C. albicans were affected by addition of NaCl and KCl, but not by sucrose. The maximal inactivation effect was exerted at concentrations of 0.5-1.0 mol l-1, and the end-point temperature was the highest at the same salt concentrations. Correlation of both the electroconductivity and di-electric loss of ionic solutions with the heating by microwave irradiation was discussed.

Cloning of the gene of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Lactobacillus casei ATCC 27092 and characterization of the enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli.

The gene encoding beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAcase) of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 27092 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene consisted of 1581 nucleotides, and had a promoter, Shine-Dalgarno, and rho-independent type transcription termination sequences typical in bacteria. The protein deduced from the sequence consisted of 526 amino acids, and had a putative signal peptide of 14 amino acids and 5 possible asparagine-linked glycosylation sites. A conserved sequence was homologous to the 12 other hexosaminidases from different origins. The recombinant GlcNAcase (r-GlcNAcase) purified from the transformed E. coli had a MW of 39 kDa and lacked oligosaccharide chains. The isoelectric point and the optimum pH for the activity of r-GlcNAcase were similar to those of original GlcNAcases (o-GlcNAcase). However, the thermal stability was lower, and sensitivity to Cd2+, Fe2+, Cu2+ and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was higher than those of o-GlcNAcases, suggesting that the oligosaccharide moieties of the enzyme contribute to their stability. The Km value for p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-beta-1,4-D-glucosamine (PNP-GlcNAc) of r-GlcNAcase (6.4 microM) implied that the affinity of r-GlcNAcase for the substrate was 200-fold higher than that of the original ones.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of p62dok by p210bcr-abl inhibits RasGAP activity.

The t(9;22) chromosomal translocation is found in almost all patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. The resultant Bcr-Abl fusion gene expresses a chimeric fusion protein p210(bcr-abl) with increased tyrosine kinase activity. Hematopoietic progenitors isolated from chronic myelogenous leukemia patients in the chronic phase contain constitutively tyrosine-phosphorylated p62(dok) protein. p62(dok) associates with the Ras GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP), but only when p62(dok) is tyrosine phosphorylated. Here we have investigated the interaction between p62(dok) and RasGAP and the consequences of p62(dok) tyrosine phosphorylation on the activity of RasGAP. We have found that p62(dok) is directly tyrosine phosphorylated by p210(bcr-abl), and the sites of phosphorylation are located in the C-terminal half of the p62(dok) molecule. We have identified five tyrosine residues that are involved in in vitro RasGAP binding and have found that tyrosine-phosphorylated p62(dok) inhibits RasGAP activity. Our results suggest that p210(bcr-abl) might lead to the activation of the Ras signaling pathway by inhibiting a key down-regulator of Ras signaling.

Purification and characterization of intracellular alpha-L-rhamnosidase from Pseudomonas paucimobilis FP2001.

alpha-L-Rhamnosidase was extracted and purified from the cells of Pseudomonas paucimobilis FP2001 with a 19.5% yield. The purified enzyme, which was homogeneous as shown by SDS-PAGE and isoelectric focusing, had a molecular weight of 112,000 and an isoelectric point of 7.1. The enzyme activity was accelerated by Ca2+ and remained stable for several months when stored at -20 C. The optimum pH was 7.8; the optimum temperature was 45 degrees C. The Km, V(max) and k(cat) for p-nitrophenyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside were 1.18 mM, 92.4 microM x min(-1) and 117,000 x min(-1), respectively. Examination of the substrate specificity using various synthetic and natural L-rhamnosyl glycosides showed that this enzyme had a relatively broader substrate specificity than those reported so far.

A carbon-centered radical as a reaction species in the DNA strand-breakage by D-glucosamine.

Electron spin resonance(ESR) studies using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) and sodium 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzensulfonate (DBNBS) as a spin-trapping agent revealed the formation of both hydroxyl and carbon-centered radical-derived spin adducts in Cu2+-containing 50 mM Tris-HCl buffered solutions (pH 7.1) of D-glucosamine, D-mannosamine, and D-galactosamine, which were previously shown to have the ability to break the single-strand of plasmid pBR322 DNA in a nucleotide sequence-specific manner. HCl-free D-glucosamine has higher DNA breaking activity, and this activity is promoted more by the presence of Cu2+ than the original D-glucosamine hydrochloride, exhibits stronger radical signals in the ESR spectrum. It is suggested that D-glucosamine is unstable around neutral pH, being converted into certain intermediate(s) such as a dihydropyrazine compound, which generate(s) carbon-centered radicals, and that, besides the hydroxyl radical, the intermediate(s) is/are responsible for DNA strand breakage.

Purification and Properties of Three ß-N-Acetylglucosaminidases from Lactobacillus casei ATCC 27092.

Three ß-N-acetylglucosaminidases, GlcNAcase A, B, and C, were purified from the culture fluid of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 27092, and the molecular weights of these enzymes were estimated to be 54,000, 51,000, and 44,000, respectively, by SDS-PAGE. The production of these GlcNAcases was accelerated by the addition of N-acetylglucosamine to the culture. These enzymes had pIs of about 5.2, an optimum pH of 5.0-5.5, and an optimum temperature of 37-40°C. The K m values of GlcNAcase A, B, and C for p-nitrophenyl-ß-N-acetylglucosamine were 0.85, 1.30, and 1.04 mM and those for p-nitrophenyl-ß-N-acetylgalactosamine were 39.6, 57.7, and 60.8 mM, respectively.

Photocatalysis-dependent inactivation of Lactobacillus phage PL-1 by a ceramics preparation.

A ceramics preparation (Cleansand-205), which was coated with a mixture of the oxides of Si, Al, Ti, and Ag, was found to inactivate Lactobacillus phage PL-1 suspended in a buffer solution. The inactivation of phage was dependent on the amounts of Cleansand-205 added, and the reaction obeyed almost first-order reaction kinetics. The phage inactivation was considerably accelerated by the presence of light.

Dihydropyrazine derivatives as a new type of DNA strand breaking agent.

The DNA strand-breaking activity of some dihydropyrazine derivatives, 2,3-dihydro-5,6-dimethylpyrazine (3), 2,3-dihydro-2,5,6-trimethylpyrazine (4), 2,3-dihydro-2,2,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine (5), trans-2,3-dimethyl-5,6,7,8,9, 10-hexahydroquinoxaline (6), its cis-compound (7) and the mixture of 6 and 7 (8) was tested by agarose gel electrophoresis using plasmid pBR322 ccc-DNA as a substrate. The order of DNA strand-breaking activity in the presence of Cu2+ was (7) > (8) > or = (5) > (2) > (6) > (4) > or = (1) > or = (3). 2,5-Bis(D-arabino-tetrahydroxybutyl)-2,5-dihydropyrazine (1) and 2,5-dihydro-3,6-dimethylpyrazine (2) have already been described in terms of DNA breaking activity in a previous paper. The activity was suggested to be due to the dihydropyrazine skeleton, in addition to active oxygen radicals formed in an aqueous solution. The introduction of a methyl group to the dihydropyrazine skeleton enhanced the activities of dihydropyrazine derivatives. The possible chemical basis for DNA strand breakage by dihydropyrazine derivatives, especially in the presence of Cu2+, was discussed.

Possible involvement of dihydrofructosazine in the DNA breaking activity of D-glucosamine.

Dehydrochlorination of D-glucosamine (2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose) hydrochloride with an anion exchange resin made its DNA breaking activity in plasmid pBR322 much higher, especially in the presence of Cu2+. The sample of anion exchanger-treated D-glucosamine hydrochloride, i.e., HCL-free D-glucosamine sample, showed an absorption maximum at 274 nm on the UV absorption spectrum in water as seen in the case of fructosazine [2,5-bis(D-arabino-tetrahydroxybutyl)pyrazine] one of the dimers of D-glucosamine. On a positive-ion fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrum, the sample showed an ion peak at m/z 323 as a base peak, corresponding to dihydrofructosazine [2,5-bis(D-arabino-tetrahydroxybutyl) dihydropyrazine], which was a precursor of fructosazine, as well as those of D-glucosamine itself (m/z 180) and fructosazine (m/z 321). The DNA strand breaking activity of HCL-free D-glucosamine sample was directly proportional to the peak intensity of m/z 323 ion, while the DNA breaking activity of fructosazine was much weaker than that of HCL-free D-glucosamine sample. 2,5-Dihydro-3,6-dimethylprazine and 2,3-dihydro-5,6-dimethylpyrazine having a dihydropyrazine skeleton the same as dihydrofructosazine showed the same extent of DNA strand breaking activity as did the HCL-free D-glucosamine sample. These results indicated that dihydrofructosazine produced during the dehydrochlorination is closely involved in the DNA breaking activity of HCL-free D-glucosamine sample.

Inactivation of Lactobacillus bacteriophage PL-1 by microwave irradiation.

The effect of microwave irradiation on the survival of bacteriophage PL-1, which is specific for Lactobacillus casei, was studied using a commercial 2,450 MHz microwave oven. The phages were inactivated by microwave irradiation according to almost first-order reaction kinetics. The rate of phage inactivation was not affected by the difference in the continuous or intermittent irradiation, nor by the concentrations of phages used, but was affected by the volume of phage suspensions, which prevented the loss of generated heat. Microwave irradiation of phage suspensions produced a number of ghost phages with empty heads, but fragmentation of the tail was hardly noticed. The breakage of phage genome DNA was primarily caused by the heat generated by microwave irradiation, whereas the phage DNA was not affected by the same temperature achieved by heat from outside. Thus we concluded that the phage-inactivating effect of microwave irradiation was mainly attributed to a thermal microwave effect, which was much stronger than a simple thermal exposure.

Structure-activity relationships in the induction of single-strand breakage in plasmid pBR322 DNA by amino sugars and derivatives.

Structure-activity relationships in the induction of strand breakage in plasmid pBR322 DNA by amino sugars and their derivatives were investigated using agarose gel electrophoresis. The coexistence of a potential free aldehyde group at the C-1 position and a free amino group at the C-2 position in the molecules was indispensable for the display of DNA strand-breaking activity in both mono- and oligo-aminosaccharides. The activity was increased by the introduction of an acidic group, especially a phosphate group, at the C-6 position. The activity was also increased by the addition of Cu2+. The order of activity of the amino monosaccharides tested was D-isoglucosamine > D-mannosamine > D-galactosamine > D-glucosamine, and it is suggested that this order is correlated with the portion of acyclic (aldehydo) form in the solution of each sugar. The possible chemical basis for DNA strand breakage by amino sugars is discussed.

Correlation between DNA-breaking activity of aminosugars and the amounts of active oxygen molecules generated in their aqueous solutions.

The generation of active oxygen molecules, O2-, H2O2, and OH, from the aqueous solution of aminosugars, such as D-glucosamine, was confirmed by their actual measurement. Both the C-2 amino and C-1 aldehyde groups in the aminosugar molecules were indispensable for the generation of active oxygen molecules. The introduction of a C-6 phosphate group to D-glucosamine or the simultaneous use of phosphate ion and D-glucosamine heightened the original activity of D-glucosamine to generate these oxygens, especially OH. Cu2+, which promoted the DNA-breaking activity of aminosugar most at 1 millimolar, also promoted the generation of OH most greatly at the same concentration, but neither O2- nor H2O2 was generated under the same conditions. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and some radical scavengers inhibited the generation of these active oxygen molecules. Among the active oxygen molecules, only the amount of OH generated was directly proportional to the DNA-breaking activity of the aminosugar.

Specificity of nucleotide sequence in DNA cleavage induced by D-glucosamine and D-glucosamine-6-phosphate in the presence of Cu2+.

32P-End-labeled restriction fragments derived from pBR322 and pUC9 DNAs were reacted with D-glucosamine or D-glucosamine-6-phosphate in the presence of Cu2+, and, after being heated at 90 degrees C in aqueous piperidine, the DNA products were analyzed on polyacrylamide gels for the sequence-specificity of alkali-labile cleavaged sites. The intensity of oligonucleotide bands of cleavaged sites was directly proportional to the concentration of aminosugars, indicating that the DNA cleavage was caused by the action of aminosugars themselves. The preferred DNA cleavage sites induced by these aminosugars were identical, both at pyrimidine-purine (5'----3') sequences, especially at thymineguanine ones, and to some extent at pyrimidine-pyrimidine (5'----3') sequences. The 6-phosphate moiety of D-glucosamine did not affect the specificity of DNA cleavage.