Further thermal characterization of an aspartate aminotransferase from a halophilic organism.

Aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT, EC 2.6.1.1) from the halophilic archaebacterium Haloferax mediterranei was purified [Muriana, Alvarez-Ossorio and Relimpio (1991) Biochem. J. 278, 149-154] and further characterization of the effects of temperature on the activity and stability of the halophilic AspAT were carried out. The halophilic transaminase is most active at 65 degrees C and stable at high temperatures, under physiological or nearly physiological conditions (3.5 M KCl, pH 7.8). Thermal inactivation (60-85 degrees C) of the halophilic AspAT followed first-order kinetics, 2-oxoglutarate causing a shift of the thermal inactivation curves to higher temperatures. The salt concentration affected the thermal stability of the halophilic transaminase at 60 degrees C, suggesting that disruption of hydrophobic interactions may play an important role in the decreased thermal stability of the enzyme.

Benzyl viologen inactivation of rat liver glutamine synthetase.

Partially purified glutamine synthetase from rat liver underwent rapid inactivation upon incubation with NADH and benzyl viologen, under aerobic conditions. This in vitro inactivation was prevented by catalase or chelating-agents, which suggests that hydrogen peroxide and metal ions are involved in the process. Similar inactivation was observed when the rat liver glutamine synthetase was preincubated, under anaerobic conditions, with NADH and benzyl viologen, and hydrogen peroxide was added to the reaction mixture. A radical scavenger, histidine, partially prevents the inactivation, while hydrogen peroxide shows a low inactivation capacity when incubated without NADH. Furthermore, the fact that the inactivation can also be catalyzed by a model consisting of ferrous ions and hydrogen peroxide leads to the conclusion that hydroxyl radicals, or something with similar reactivity, are most likely produced through a Fenton reaction.

Is hydrogen peroxide involved in the benzyl viologen-mediated in-vivo inactivation of rat liver glutamine synthetase?

After benzyl viologen administration to rats, a decrease in the rat liver glutamine synthetase activity was observed. An increase in the rat liver catalase activity was found concomitantly. In combination with the catalase inhibitor aminotriazole, benzyl viologen again diminished, but markedly, the rat liver glutamine synthetase activity. Moreover, partially purified glutamine synthetase from rat liver underwent rapid inactivation upon aerobic incubation with NAD(P)H and benzyl viologen. This inactivation was prevented by catalase, which suggests that the NAD(P)H/BV2+/O2-dependent system has a role in H2O2 production. Our results suggest that H2O2 is involved in the benzyl viologen-mediated in-vivo inactivation of the rat liver glutamine synthetase. In contrast, benzyl viologen alone or in combination with aminotriazole produced a significant increase of brain glutamine synthetase.

Purification and characterization of aspartate aminotransferase from the halophile archaebacterium Haloferax mediterranei.

Aspartate aminotransferase from the archaebacterium Haloferax mediterranei was purified and found to be homogeneous. An average Mr of 66,000 was estimated. The native halophilic transaminase exhibited no maximum absorption at 410 nm, which indicates that the apo form is obtained by our purification procedure, and the molar absorption coefficient at 275 nm in 3.5 M-KCl (pH 7.8) was found to be 78.34 mM-1.cm-1. Plots of titration data show that 1 mol of halophilic aspartate aminotransferase binds 2 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. The halophilic transaminase behaved as a dimer with two similar subunits and had a maximum activity in the pH range 7.6-7.9 and at 65 degrees C in 3.5 M-KCl. By differential scanning calorimetry, the denaturation temperature of the halophilic holo- and apo-transaminase was determined to be 78.5 and 68.0 degrees C respectively at 3.3 M-KCl (pH 7.8). At low salt concentration the halophilic transaminase was inactivated, following first-order kinetics. The Km values for 2-oxoglutarate and L-aspartate, in 3 M-KCl (pH 7.8), were 0.75 mM and 12.6 mM respectively.

Optimization of the cell envelope disruption of extremely halophilic bacteria.

This paper describes an examination of the cell envelope stability opposite to disruption by chemical and physical methods of extremely halophilic bacteria. The following methods of cell treatment were studied: solvent and chelating agents; pressure shearing at several pressures; ultrasonic disintegration for various times; ballistic disintegration; grinding with cold alumina; lysozyme digestion; osmotic shock; and freezing and thawing. The procedure is based on the determination of three cytoplasmic enzymes released by the cell treatment. Menadione reductase was also used as convenient marker enzyme for damage to the permeability barrier. Of all the methods, only pressure shearing and ultrasonic disintegration yielded a crude extract with high halophilic enzyme activities. These procedures are suitable in designing a cell fractionation scheme for halophilic enzyme purifications.

Effects of the dipyridamol-dihydroergotoxine methane sulphonate associations on pO2 and its incidence in brain tissue.

Several groups of rats were treated with dipyridamol and dihydroergotoxine methane sulphonate and their association. Their clinical constants were then monitored and their brain tissue examined by optical microscopy. This study indicates that the association has a remarkable effect on the pO2, maintaining the level of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate concentration, and moreover a vasodilatory action, facilitating a better supply of oxygen to the cerebral cells. The results show the advantage of these drugs in treating cerebral vascular disease.

Structure and anticholinesterase activity of series of ethyl substituted phenyl methylphosphonates.

Thirty derivates from substituted-phenyl-ethyl methylphosphonates have been synthesized and their inhibiting power of acetyl-cholinesterase have been examined in vitro and in vivo. The correlation between inhibition of the enzyme and electrophylic power of the substituent of the phenyl group was excellent, but when this group contains two substituents, steric factors appear to operate. The activity of these compounds has been demonstrated to be higher than their phosphate analogs.

Fluorine-19 as a covalent active site-directed magnetic resonance probe in aspartate transaminase.

Phosphypyridoxyl trifluoroethylamine has been synthesized as an active site-directed 19F NMR probe for aspartate transaminase. This coenzyme derivative adds stoichiometrically to the apotransaminase as observed by both fluorescence and circular dichroism measurements. The fluorinated phosphypyridoxamine derivative, when bound to the apotransaminase, will not dissociate upon extensive dialysis or passage through Sephadex G-25. The compound behaves as a pyridoxamine phosphate derivative and not as a coenzyme-substrate complex, since both competing anions and dicarboxylic acid inhibitors still bind to the phosphopyridoxyl trifluoroethylamine enzyme. The 19F NMR spectra of the enzyme-bound phosphopyridoxyl trifluoroethylamine were measured as a function of pH, ionic strength, and temperature. The 19F MNR of the enzyme-bound coenzyme derivative revealed no predetermined asymmetry in the subunits of aspartate transaminase insolution in terms of differences in chemical shift or resonance line shape between the two environments. A pH-dependent chemical shift change of the single 19F resonance was observed, which is consistent with the influence of a single ionization with an apparent pKa of 8.4 in 0.10 M KCl at 30 degrees. Increasing the ionic strength resulted in increasing values for the observed pKa, the highest recorded value was 9.1 in 3.0 M KCl. The temperature dependence of the pH titration of the chemical shift gives deltaH' of ionization of 10.5 kcal/mol. The evidence suggests a possible epsilon-amino group, electrostatically affected by positive charges, being responsible for the titration effect of the active site-bound fluorine derivative of pyridoxamine phosphate.

Ferredoxin-dependent photosynthetic reduction of nitrate and nitrite by particles of Anacystis nidulans.

The dark and light reduction of nitrate and nitrite by cell-free preparations of the blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans has been investigated. The three following methods have been successfully applied to the preparation of active particulate fractions from the alga cells: (a) shaking with glass beads, (b) lysozyme treatment and lysis of the resulting protoplasts, and (c) sonication. The two enzymes of the nitrate-reducing system-namely, nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase-are firmly bound to the isolated pigment-containing particles, and can be easily solubilized by prolonging the vibration or sonication time. Both enzymes-whether solubilized or bound to the particles-depend on reduced ferredoxin as the immediate electron donor. In its presence, the alga particles catalyze the gradual photoreduction of nitrate to nitrite and ammonia, a process that can thus be considered as one of the most simple and relevant examples of Photosynthesis. Some of the properties of nitrate reductase have been studied. Nitrate reductase as well as nitrite reductase are adaptive enzymes repressed by ammonia.