Is superoxide an initiator of microsomal lipid peroxidation?

The effects of "pro-oxidant" quinones, doxorubicin, Fe(3+)-ADP-doxorubicin complex, and menadione, as well as of free radical scavengers possessing superoxide-dismuting activities, Fe(3+)-rutin and Cu(2+)-rutin, on superoxide production and lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes have been studied. All quinone compounds efficiently suppressed lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence produced in NADPH-dependent microsomal lipid peroxidation, but exhibited different effects on cytochrome c reduction: doxorubicin and Fe(3+)-ADP-doxorubicin weakly inhibited and menadione enhanced it. In accord with previous findings, menadione inhibited malondialdehyde (MDA) formation in microsomes, while Fe3-ADP-doxorubicin enhanced it. Efficiency of inhibition of MDA formation by the Fe(3+)-rutin and Cu(2+)-rutin complexes correlated well with their superoxide-dismuting activities in contrast to the findings obtained in nonenzymatic liposomal peroxidation, where the formation of superoxide ion is not expected. On these grounds, we propose that superoxide ion is an obligatory initiation species in microsomal lipid peroxidation; the effects of pro-oxidant quinones on lipid peroxidation depends on their ability to chelate iron ions and not on their redox-cycling activities.

[Intragenomic polymorphism of the primary structure of 5S rRNA gene variants of the loach (Misgurnus fossilis L.). Determination of the transcriptional activity]. / Vnutrigenomnyi polimorfizm pervichnoi struktury variantov genov 5S rRNK v'iuna (Misgurnus fossilis L.). Opredelenie transkriptsionnoi aktivnosti.

The primary structure of 12 cloned repeats of loach oocyte 5S rRNA genes was determined. The heterogeneity of nucleotide sequences was revealed in the coding regions and spacer of the genes. The results of the study on in vivo transcriptional activity of the cloned 5S rRNA gene variants are consistent with the localisation of site specific base substitutions in the coding part affecting the transcription. We have compared the nucleotide sequences of loach 5S rRNA gene variants and of Xenopus laevis, X. borealis and Bombyx mori 5S genes which can be actively transcribed in X. laevis oocyte nuclei. As a result we could propose a consensus nucleotide sequence in the internal control region (from 45-th up to 100-th nucleotide) of the eukaryotic 5S rRNA gene. This sequence comprises a RNA-polymerase III promotor and stretches interacting with transcriptional factors. We have considered the base substitutions in the nucleotide sequences of 5S gene variants exerted on the experimental model of loach 5S rRNA secondary structure. All base substitutions in actively transcribed genes do not influence the general double-stranded structures of the transcripts. However in 5S RNA transcripts from genes with low transcriptional activity base substitutions affecting the box c RNA-polymerase III promoter destroy hairpin II interacting with ribosomal proteins. We have concluded that two factors can restrict the divergency of 5S rRNA genes: (1) conservation of the nucleotide sequence in the gene internal control region, and (2) conservation of the general double stranded structures in 5S rRNA transcripts.

Mechanism of the interaction of superoxide ion and ascorbate with anthracycline antibiotics.

The interaction of superoxide ion and ascorbate anion with anthracycline antibiotics (adriamycin and aclacinimycin A) as well as with their Fe3+ complexes has been studied in aprotic and protic media. It was found that both superoxide and ascorbate reduce anthracyclines to deoxyaglycons via a one-electron transfer mechanism under all conditions studied. The reaction of ascorbate anion with adriamycin and aclacinomycin A in aqueous solution proceeded only in the presence of Fe3+ ions; it is supposed that an active catalytic species was Fe3+ adriamycin. It is also supposed that the reduction of anthracycline antibiotics by O2-. and ascorbate in cells may increase their anticancer effect.