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Sample records for c-terminal amino acids

  1. Quantitation of some amino-terminal residues in proteins using 3H-labelled dansyl chloride and 14C labelled amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flengsrud, R.

    1979-01-01

    A method for quantitation of amino-terminal residues in proteins is presented. The method is a modification of a double isotope-labelling technique, using 3 H-labelled dansyl chloride and 14 C-labelled amino acids as internal standards. The method is demonstrated on human fibrinogen, horse myoglobin and on mouse myoloma IgA. A linear relationship between the ratio 3 H/ 14 C in the separated amino-terminal amino acid of the protein and the amount of protein added in the labelling mixture was obtained with standard deviations of +- 7.4%, +-3.4% and +-10.3%, respectively. An application of the method is demonstrated by measuring the increase in amino-terminal glycine in fibrinogen following the proteolytic action of thrombin. The method seems to be useful when 0.1 nmol or more of protein is used. (author)

  2. Importance of Terminal Amino Acid Residues to the Transport of Oligopeptides across the Caco-2 Cell Monolayer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Long; Wang, Liying; Yu, Zhipeng; Ma, Sitong; Du, Zhiyang; Zhang, Ting; Liu, Jingbo

    2017-09-06

    The objective of this paper was to investigate the effects of terminal amino acids on the transport of oligopeptides across the Caco-2 cell monolayer. Ala-based tetra- and pentapeptides were designed, and the N- or C-terminal amino acid residues were replaced by different amino acids. The results showed that the oligopeptides had a wide range of transport permeability across the Caco-2 cell monolayer and could be divided into four categories: non-/poor permeability, low permeability, intermediate permeability, and good permeability. Tetrapeptides with N-terminal Leu, Pro, Ile, Cys, Met, and Val or C-terminal Val showed the highest permeability, with apparent permeability coefficient (P app ) values over 10 × 10 -6 cm/s (p transport of tetrapeptides. Pentapeptides with N- or C-terminal Tyr also showed high permeability levels, with P app values of about 10 × 10 -6 cm/s. The amino acids Glu, Asn, and Thr at the N terminus or Lys, Asp, and Arg at the C terminus were also beneficial for the transport of tetra- and pentapeptides, with P app values ranging from 1 × 10 -6 to 10 × 10 -6 cm/s. In addition, peptides with amino acids replaced at the N terminus generally showed higher permeability than those with amino acids replaced at the C terminus (p transport of oligopeptides across the Caco-2 cell monolayer.

  3. Single amino acids in the carboxyl terminal domain of aquaporin-1 contribute to cGMP-dependent ion channel activation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yool Andrea J

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aquaporin-1 (AQP1 functions as an osmotic water channel and a gated cation channel. Activation of the AQP1 ion conductance by intracellular cGMP was hypothesized to involve the carboxyl (C- terminus, based on amino acid sequence alignments with cyclic-nucleotide-gated channels and cGMP-selective phosphodiesterases. Results Voltage clamp analyses of human AQP1 channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes demonstrated that the nitric oxide donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 3–14 mM activated the ionic conductance response in a dose-dependent manner. Block of soluble guanylate cyclase prevented the response. Enzyme immunoassays confirmed a linear dose-dependent relationship between SNP and the resulting intracellular cGMP levels (up to 1700 fmol cGMP /oocyte at 14 mM SNP. Results here are the first to show that the efficacy of ion channel activation is decreased by mutations of AQP1 at conserved residues in the C-terminal domain (aspartate D237 and lysine K243. Conclusions These data support the idea that the limited amino acid sequence similarities found between three diverse classes of cGMP-binding proteins are significant to the function of AQP1 as a cGMP-gated ion channel, and provide direct evidence for the involvement of the AQP1 C-terminal domain in cGMP-mediated ion channel activation.

  4. Effects of alkali or acid treatment on the isomerization of amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohmori, Taketo; Mutaguchi, Yuta; Doi, Katsumi; Ohshima, Toshihisa

    2012-10-01

    The effect of alkali treatment on the isomerization of amino acids was investigated. The 100×D/(D+L) values of amino acids from peptide increased with increase in the number of constituent amino acid residues. Furthermore, the N-terminal amino acid of a dipeptide was isomerized to a greater extent than the C-terminal residue. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. The catalytic chain of human complement subcomponent C1r. Purification and N-terminal amino acid sequences of the major cyanogen bromide-cleavage fragments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arlaud, G J; Gagnon, J; Porter, R R

    1982-01-01

    1. The a- and b-chains of reduced and alkylated human complement subcomponent C1r were separated by high-pressure gel-permeation chromatography and isolated in good yield and in pure form. 2. CNBr cleavage of C1r b-chain yielded eight major peptides, which were purified by gel filtration and high-pressure reversed-phase chromatography. As determined from the sum of their amino acid compositions, these peptides accounted for a minimum molecular weight of 28 000, close to the value 29 100 calculated from the whole b-chain. 3. N-Terminal sequence determinations of C1r b-chain and its CNBr-cleavage peptides allowed the identification of about two-thirds of the amino acids of C1r b-chain. From our results, and on the basis of homology with other serine proteinases, an alignment of the eight CNBr-cleavage peptides from C1r b-chain is proposed. 4. The residues forming the 'charge-relay' system of the active site of serine proteinases (His-57, Asp-102 and Ser-195 in the chymotrypsinogen numbering) are found in the corresponding regions of C1r b-chain, and the amino acid sequence around these residues has been determined. 5. The N-terminal sequence of C1r b-chain has been extended to residue 60 and reveals that C1r b-chain lacks the 'histidine loop', a disulphide bond that is present in all other known serine proteinases.

  6. Human liver phosphatase 2A: cDNA and amino acid sequence of two catalytic subunit isotypes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arino, J.; Woon, Chee Wai; Brautigan, D.L.; Miller, T.B. Jr.; Johnson, G.L.

    1988-01-01

    Two cDNA clones were isolated from a human liver library that encode two phosphatase 2A catalytic subunits. The two cDNAs differed in eight amino acids (97% identity) with three nonconservative substitutions. All of the amino acid substitutions were clustered in the amino-terminal domain of the protein. Amino acid sequence of one human liver clone (HL-14) was identical to the rabbit skeletal muscle phosphatase 2A cDNA (with 97% nucleotide identity). The second human liver clone (HL-1) is encoded by a separate gene, and RNA gel blot analysis indicates that both mRNAs are expressed similarly in several human clonal cell lines. Sequence comparison with phosphatase 1 and 2A indicates highly divergent amino acid sequences at the amino and carboxyl termini of the proteins and identifies six highly conserved regions between the two proteins that are predicted to be important for phosphatase enzymatic activity

  7. PCI-GC-MS-MS approach for identification of non-amino organic acid and amino acid profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luan, Hemi; Yang, Lin; Ji, Fenfen; Cai, Zongwei

    2017-03-15

    Alkyl chloroformate have been wildly used for the fast derivatization of metabolites with amino and/or carboxyl groups, coupling of powerful separation and detection systems, such as GC-MS, which allows the comprehensive analysis of non-amino organic acids and amino acids. The reagents involving n-alkyl chloroformate and n-alcohol are generally employed for providing symmetric labeling terminal alkyl chain with the same length. Here, we developed an asymmetric labeling strategy and positive chemical ionization gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (PCI-GC-MS-MS) approach for determination of non-amino organic acids and amino acids, as well as the short chain fatty acids. Carboxylic and amino groups could be selectively labelled by propyl and ethyl groups, respectively. The specific neutral loss of C 3 H 8 O (60Da), C 3 H 5 O 2 (74Da) and C 4 H 8 O 2 (88Da) were useful in the selective identification for qualitative analysis of organic acids and amino acid derivatives. PCI-GC-MS-MS using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was applied for semi-quantification of typical non-amino organic acids and amino acids. This method exhibited a wide range of linear range, good regression coefficient (R 2 ) and repeatability. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of targeted metabolites showed excellent intra- and inter-day precision (chloroformate derivatization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. High-level production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Washburn, L.C.; Sun, T.T.; Byrd, B.L.; Hayes, R.L.; Butler, T.A.; Callahan, A.P.

    1979-01-01

    Carbon-11-labeled amino acids have significant potential as agents for positron tomographic functional imaging. We have developed a rapid, high-temperature, high-pressure modification of the Buecherer--Strecker amino acid synthesis and found it to be quite general for the production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled neutral amino acids. Production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled DL-tryptophan requires certain modifications in the procedure. Twelve different amino acids have been produced to date by this technique. Synthesis and chromatographic purification require approximately 40 min, and C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids have been produced in yields of up to 425 mCi. Two C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids are being investigated clinically for tumor scanning and two others for pancreatic imaging. Over 120 batches of the various agents have been produced for clinical use over a three-year period

  9. The N-terminal 33 amino acid domain of Siva-1 is sufficient for nuclear localization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, J.Y.; Yang, L.X. [Institute of Human Virology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou (China); Huang, Z.F. [Institute of Human Virology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou (China); Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou (China); Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education in China, Guangzhou (China)

    2013-12-02

    Siva-1 induces apoptosis in multiple pathological processes and plays an important role in the suppression of tumor metastasis, protein degradation, and other functions. Although many studies have demonstrated that Siva-1 functions in the cytoplasm, a few have found that Siva-1 can relocate to the nucleus. In this study, we found that the first 33 amino acid residues of Siva-1 are required for its nuclear localization. Further study demonstrated that the green fluorescent protein can be imported into the nucleus after fusion with these 33 amino acid residues. Other Siva-1 regions and domains showed less effect on Siva-1 nuclear localization. By site-mutagenesis of all of these 33 amino acid residues, we found that mutants of the first 1-18 amino acids affected Siva-1 nuclear compartmentalization but could not complete this localization independently. In summary, we demonstrated that the N-terminal 33 amino acid residues were sufficient for Siva-1 nuclear localization, but the mechanism of this translocation needs additional investigation.

  10. The N-terminal 33 amino acid domain of Siva-1 is sufficient for nuclear localization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, J.Y.; Yang, L.X.; Huang, Z.F.

    2013-01-01

    Siva-1 induces apoptosis in multiple pathological processes and plays an important role in the suppression of tumor metastasis, protein degradation, and other functions. Although many studies have demonstrated that Siva-1 functions in the cytoplasm, a few have found that Siva-1 can relocate to the nucleus. In this study, we found that the first 33 amino acid residues of Siva-1 are required for its nuclear localization. Further study demonstrated that the green fluorescent protein can be imported into the nucleus after fusion with these 33 amino acid residues. Other Siva-1 regions and domains showed less effect on Siva-1 nuclear localization. By site-mutagenesis of all of these 33 amino acid residues, we found that mutants of the first 1-18 amino acids affected Siva-1 nuclear compartmentalization but could not complete this localization independently. In summary, we demonstrated that the N-terminal 33 amino acid residues were sufficient for Siva-1 nuclear localization, but the mechanism of this translocation needs additional investigation

  11. The amino-terminal 200 amino acids of the plasma membrane Na+,K+-ATPase alpha subunit confer ouabain sensitivity on the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase.

    OpenAIRE

    Ishii, T; Takeyasu, K

    1993-01-01

    Cardiac glycosides such as G-strophanthin (ouabain) bind to and inhibit the plasma membrane Na+,K(+)-ATPase but not the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase, whereas thapsigargin specifically blocks the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase. The chimera [n/c]CC, in which the amino-terminal amino acids Met1 to Asp162 of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA1) were replaced with the corresponding portion of the Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 subunit (Met1 to Asp200), retained thapsigargin- and Ca(2+)-sensitive ATPase activity,...

  12. Functional evidence for the critical amino-terminal conserved domain and key amino acids of Arabidopsis 4-HYDROXY-3-METHYLBUT-2-ENYL DIPHOSPHATE REDUCTASE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Wei-Yu; Sung, Tzu-Ying; Wang, Hsin-Tzu; Hsieh, Ming-Hsiun

    2014-09-01

    The plant 4-HYDROXY-3-METHYLBUT-2-ENYL DIPHOSPHATE REDUCTASE (HDR) catalyzes the last step of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway to synthesize isopentenyl diphosphate and its allyl isomer dimethylallyl diphosphate, which are common precursors for the synthesis of plastid isoprenoids. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genomic HDR transgene-induced gene-silencing lines are albino, variegated, or pale green, confirming that HDR is essential for plants. We used Escherichia coli isoprenoid synthesis H (Protein Data Bank code 3F7T) as a template for homology modeling to identify key amino acids of Arabidopsis HDR. The predicted model reveals that cysteine (Cys)-122, Cys-213, and Cys-350 are involved in iron-sulfur cluster formation and that histidine (His)-152, His-241, glutamate (Glu)-242, Glu-243, threonine (Thr)-244, Thr-312, serine-379, and asparagine-381 are related to substrate binding or catalysis. Glu-242 and Thr-244 are conserved only in cyanobacteria, green algae, and land plants, whereas the other key amino acids are absolutely conserved from bacteria to plants. We used site-directed mutagenesis and complementation assay to confirm that these amino acids, except His-152 and His-241, were critical for Arabidopsis HDR function. Furthermore, the Arabidopsis HDR contains an extra amino-terminal domain following the transit peptide that is highly conserved from cyanobacteria, and green algae to land plants but not existing in the other bacteria. We demonstrated that the amino-terminal conserved domain was essential for Arabidopsis and cyanobacterial HDR function. Further analysis of conserved amino acids in the amino-terminal conserved domain revealed that the tyrosine-72 residue was critical for Arabidopsis HDR. These results suggest that the structure and reaction mechanism of HDR evolution have become specific for oxygen-evolving photosynthesis organisms and that HDR probably evolved independently in cyanobacteria versus other prokaryotes. © 2014

  13. Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA coding for the amino-terminal region of human prepro. alpha. 1(III) collagen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toman, P D; Ricca, G A [Rorer Biotechnology, Inc., Springfield, VA (USA); de Crombrugghe, B [National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (USA)

    1988-07-25

    Type III Collagen is synthesized in a variety of tissues as a precursor macromolecule containing a leader sequence, a N-propeptide, a N-telopeptide, the triple helical region, a C-telopeptide, and C-propeptide. To further characterize the human type III collagen precursor, a human placental cDNA library was constructed in gt11 using an oligonucleotide derived from a partial cDNA sequence corresponding to the carboxy-terminal part of the 1(III) collagen. A cDNA was identified which contains the leader sequence, the N-propeptide and N-telopeptide regions. The DNA sequence of these regions are presented here. The triple helical, C-telopeptide and C-propeptide amino acid sequence for human type III collagen has been determined previously. A comparison of the human amino acid sequence with mouse, chicken, and calf sequence shows 81%, 81%, and 92% similarity, respectively. At the DNA level, the sequence similarity between human and mouse or chicken type III collagen sequences in this area is 82% and 77%, respectively.

  14. Studies on Aculeines: Synthetic Strategy to the Fully Protected Protoaculeine B, the N-Terminal Amino Acid of Aculeine B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiozaki, Hiroki; Miyahara, Masayoshi; Otsuka, Kazunori; Miyako, Kei; Honda, Akito; Takasaki, Yuichi; Takamizawa, Satoshi; Tukada, Hideyuki; Ishikawa, Yuichi; Sakai, Ryuichi; Oikawa, Masato

    2018-05-23

    A synthetic strategy for accessing protoaculeine B (1), the N-terminal amino acid of the highly modified peptide toxin aculeine, was developed via the synthesis of the fully protected natural homologue of 1 with a 12-mer poly(propanediamine). The synthesis of mono(propanediamine) analog 2, as well as core amino acid 3, was demonstrated by this strategy. New amino acid 3 induced convulsions in mice; however, compound 2 showed no such activity.

  15. Activation of human acid sphingomyelinase through modification or deletion of C-terminal cysteine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Huawei; Edmunds, Tim; Baker-Malcolm, Jennifer; Karey, Kenneth P; Estes, Scott; Schwarz, Cordula; Hughes, Heather; Van Patten, Scott M

    2003-08-29

    One form of Niemann-Pick disease is caused by a deficiency in the enzymatic activity of acid sphingomyelinase. During efforts to develop an enzyme replacement therapy based on a recombinant form of human acid sphingomyelinase (rhASM), purified preparations of the recombinant enzyme were found to have substantially increased specific activity if cell harvest media were stored for several weeks at -20 degrees C prior to purification. This increase in activity was found to correlate with the loss of the single free thiol on rhASM, suggesting the involvement of a cysteine residue. It was demonstrated that a variety of chemical modifications of the free cysteine on rhASM all result in substantial activation of the enzyme, and the modified cysteine responsible for this activation was shown to be the C-terminal residue (Cys629). Activation was also achieved by copper-promoted dimerization of rhASM (via cysteine) and by C-terminal truncation using carboxypeptidase Y. The role of the C-terminal cysteine in activation was confirmed by creating mutant forms of rhASM in which this residue was either deleted or replaced by a serine, with both forms having substantially higher specific activity than wild-type rhASM. These results indicate that purified rhASM can be activated in vitro by loss of the free thiol on the C-terminal cysteine via chemical modification, dimerization, or deletion of this amino acid residue. This method of activation is similar to the cysteine switch mechanism described previously for matrix metalloproteinases and could represent a means of posttranslational regulation of ASM activity in vivo.

  16. The human receptor for urokinase plasminogen activator. NH2-terminal amino acid sequence and glycosylation variants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Behrendt, N; Rønne, E; Ploug, M

    1990-01-01

    -PA. The purified protein shows a single 55-60 kDa band after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining. It is a heavily glycosylated protein, the deglycosylated polypeptide chain comprising only 35 kDa. The glycosylated protein contains N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and sialic acid......, but no N-acetyl-D-galactosamine. Glycosylation is responsible for substantial heterogeneity in the receptor on phorbol ester-stimulated U937 cells, and also for molecular weight variations among various cell lines. The amino acid composition and the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence are reported...

  17. C-terminal peptide extension via gas-phase ion/ion reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Zhou; McLuckey, Scott A.

    2015-01-01

    The formation of peptide bonds is of great importance from both a biological standpoint and in routine organic synthesis. Recent work from our group demonstrated the synthesis of peptides in the gas-phase via ion/ion reactions with sulfo-NHS reagents, which resulted in conjugation of individual amino acids or small peptides to the N-terminus of an existing ‘anchor’ peptide. Here, we demonstrate a complementary approach resulting in the C-terminal extension of peptides. Individual amino acids or short peptides can be prepared as reagents by incorporating gas phase-labile protecting groups to the reactive C-terminus and then converting the N-terminal amino groups to the active ketenimine reagent. Gas-phase ion/ion reactions between the anionic reagents and doubly protonated “anchor” peptide cations results in extension of the “anchor” peptide with new amide bond formation at the C-terminus. We have demonstrated that ion/ion reactions can be used as a fast, controlled, and efficient means for C-terminal peptide extension in the gas phase. PMID:26640400

  18. Basic amino acid residues located in the N-terminal region of BEND3 are essential for its nuclear localization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shiheido, Hirokazu, E-mail: shiheido@ak.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Shimizu, Jun

    2015-02-20

    BEN domain-containing protein 3 (BEND3) has recently been reported to function as a heterochromatin-associated protein in transcriptional repression in the nucleus. BEND3 should have nuclear localization signals (NLSs) to localize to the nucleus in light of its molecular weight, which is higher than that allowed to pass through nuclear pore complexes. We here analyzed the subcellular localization of deletion/site-directed mutants of human BEND3 by an immunofluorescence assay in an attempt to identify the amino acids essential for its nuclear localization. We found that three basic amino acid residues located in the N-terminal region of BEND3 (BEND3{sub 56–58}, KRK) are essential, suggesting that these residues play a role as a functional NLS. These results provide valuable information for progressing research on BEND3. - Highlights: • BEND3 localizes to the nucleus. • The N-terminal 60 amino acids region of BEND3 contains NLS. • Amino acids located between 56 and 58 of BEND3 (KRK) are part of NLS. • KRK motif is highly conserved among BEND3 homologs.

  19. Biochemical Characterization of Mycobacterium smegmatis RnhC (MSMEG_4305), a Bifunctional Enzyme Composed of Autonomous N-Terminal Type I RNase H and C-Terminal Acid Phosphatase Domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacewicz, Agata; Shuman, Stewart

    2015-08-01

    Mycobacterium smegmatis encodes several DNA repair polymerases that are adept at incorporating ribonucleotides, which raises questions about how ribonucleotides in DNA are sensed and removed. RNase H enzymes, of which M. smegmatis encodes four, are strong candidates for a surveillance role. Here, we interrogate the biochemical activity and nucleic acid substrate specificity of M. smegmatis RnhC, a bifunctional RNase H and acid phosphatase. We report that (i) the RnhC nuclease is stringently specific for RNA:DNA hybrid duplexes; (ii) RnhC does not selectively recognize and cleave DNA-RNA or RNA-DNA junctions in duplex nucleic acid; (iii) RnhC cannot incise an embedded monoribonucleotide or diribonucleotide in duplex DNA; (iv) RnhC can incise tracts of 4 or more ribonucleotides embedded in duplex DNA, leaving two or more residual ribonucleotides at the cleaved 3'-OH end and at least one or two ribonucleotides on the 5'-PO4 end; (v) the RNase H activity is inherent in an autonomous 140-amino-acid (aa) N-terminal domain of RnhC; and (vi) the C-terminal 211-aa domain of RnhC is an autonomous acid phosphatase. The cleavage specificity of RnhC is clearly distinct from that of Escherichia coli RNase H2, which selectively incises at an RNA-DNA junction. Thus, we classify RnhC as a type I RNase H. The properties of RnhC are consistent with a role in Okazaki fragment RNA primer removal or in surveillance of oligoribonucleotide tracts embedded in DNA but not in excision repair of single misincorporated ribonucleotides. RNase H enzymes help cleanse the genome of ribonucleotides that are present either as ribotracts (e.g., RNA primers) or as single ribonucleotides embedded in duplex DNA. Mycobacterium smegmatis encodes four RNase H proteins, including RnhC, which is characterized in this study. The nucleic acid substrate and cleavage site specificities of RnhC are consistent with a role in initiating the removal of ribotracts but not in single-ribonucleotide surveillance. RnhC

  20. Amino-terminal extension present in the methionine aminopeptidase type 1c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is indispensible for its activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kumaran Sangaralingam

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Methionine aminopeptidase (MetAP is a ubiquitous enzyme in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, which catalyzes co-translational removal of N-terminal methionine from elongating polypeptide chains during protein synthesis. It specifically removes the terminal methionine in all organisms, if the penultimate residue is non-bulky and uncharged. The MetAP action for exclusion of N-terminal methionine is mandatory in 50-70% of nascent proteins. Such an activity is required for proper sub cellular localization, additional processing and eventually for the degradation of proteins. Results We cloned genes encoding two such metalloproteases (MtMetAP1a and MtMetAP1c present in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and expressed them as histidine-tagged proteins in Escherichia coli. Although they have different substrate preferences, for Met-Ala-Ser, we found, MtMetAP1c had significantly high enzyme turnover rate as opposed to MtMetAP1a. Circular dichroism spectroscopic studies as well as monitoring of enzyme activity indicated high temperature stability (up to 50°C of MtMetAP1a compared to that of the MtMetAP1c. Modelling of MtMetAP1a based on MtMetAP1c crystal structure revealed the distinct spatial arrangements of identical active site amino acid residues and their mutations affected the enzymatic activities of both the proteins. Strikingly, we observed that 40 amino acid long N-terminal extension of MtMetAP1c, compared to its other family members, contributes towards the activity and stability of this enzyme, which has never been reported for any methionine aminopeptidase. Furthermore, mutational analysis revealed that Val-18 and Pro-19 of MtMetAP1c are crucial for its enzymatic activity. Consistent with this observation, molecular dynamic simulation studies of wild-type and these variants strongly suggest their involvement in maintaining active site conformation of MtMetAP1c. Conclusion Our findings unequivocally emphasized that N-terminal

  1. Quantitative structure-activity relationship study of antioxidative peptide by using different sets of amino acids descriptors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yao-Wang; Li, Bo; He, Jiguo; Qian, Ping

    2011-07-01

    A database consisting of 214 tripeptides which contain either His or Tyr residue was applied to study quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) of antioxidative tripeptides. Partial Least-Squares Regression analysis (PLSR) was conducted using parameters individually of each amino acid descriptor, including Divided Physico-chemical Property Scores (DPPS), Hydrophobic, Electronic, Steric, and Hydrogen (HESH), Vectors of Hydrophobic, Steric, and Electronic properties (VHSE), Molecular Surface-Weighted Holistic Invariant Molecular (MS-WHIM), isotropic surface area-electronic charge index (ISA-ECI) and Z-scale, to describe antioxidative tripeptides as X-variables and antioxidant activities measured with ferric thiocyanate methods were as Y-variable. After elimination of outliers by Hotelling's T 2 method and residual analysis, six significant models were obtained describing the entire data set. According to cumulative squared multiple correlation coefficients ( R2), cumulative cross-validation coefficients ( Q2) and relative standard deviation for calibration set (RSD c), the qualities of models using DPPS, HESH, ISA-ECI, and VHSE descriptors are better ( R2 > 0.6, Q2 > 0.5, RSD c 0.44). Furthermore, the predictive ability of models using DPPS descriptor is best among the six descriptors systems (cumulative multiple correlation coefficient for predict set ( Rext2) > 0.7). It was concluded that the DPPS is better to describe the amino acid of antioxidative tripeptides. The results of DPPS descriptor reveal that the importance of the center amino acid and the N-terminal amino acid are far more than the importance of the C-terminal amino acid for antioxidative tripeptides. The hydrophobic (positively to activity) and electronic (negatively to activity) properties of the N-terminal amino acid are suggested to play the most important significance to activity, followed by the hydrogen bond (positively to activity) of the center amino acid. The N-terminal amino acid

  2. Carbobenzoxy amino acids: Structural requirements for cholecystokinin receptor antagonist activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maton, P.N.; Sutliff, V.E.; Jensen, R.T.; Gardner, J.D.

    1985-01-01

    The authors used dispersed acini prepared from guinea pig pancreas to examine 28 carbobenzoxy (CBZ) amino acids for their abilities to function as cholecystokinin receptor antagonists. All amino acid derivatives tested, except for CBZ-alanine, CBZ-glycine, and N alpha-CBZ- lysine, were able to inhibit the stimulation of amylase secretion caused by the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin. In general, there was a good correlation between the ability of a carbobenzoxy amino acid to inhibit stimulated amylase secretion and the ability of the amino acid derivative to inhibit binding of 125 I-cholecystokinin. The inhibition of cholecystokinin-stimulated amylase secretion was competitive, fully reversible, and specific for those secretagogues that interact with the cholecystokinin receptor. The potencies with which the various carbobenzoxy amino acids inhibited the action of cholecystokinin varied 100-fold and CBZ-cystine was the most potent cholecystokinin receptor antagonist. This variation in potency was primarily but not exclusively a function of the hydrophobicity of the amino acid side chain

  3. On the synthesis of 11C-labelled aromatic amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halldin, C.

    1984-01-01

    The use of 11 C-labelled aromatic amino acids in positron emission tomography (PET) and their importance in physiological studies, especially cerebral protein synthesis or their role as precursors of neurotransmitters, is discussed. The synthesis of 11 -C-labelled aromatic amino acids by various routes is presented and new 11 C-labelled precursors, aromatic and aliphatic 11 C-aldehydes, are reported. The 11 C-aldehydes were obtained in 60-95% radiochemical yield and reaction times were of the order of 5 min. The 11 C-aldehydes have been used in condensation reactions with 2-aryl-5-oxazolones in the presence of a tertiary amine, diazabicyclooctane (DABCO), to produce the corresponding [α- 11 C]-4-arylene-2-aryl-5-oxazolones. Ring opening, hydrogenation and removal of protecting groups were carried out in one step to produce the racemic [3- 11 C]-labelled aromatic amino acids in 8-30% radiochemical yield. The total reaction time was 52-60 min. L-[3- 11 C]Phenylalanine was obtained by a seven-step synthesis in 80% e.e. (enantiomeric excess) and 60% e.e., respectively, in 10-15% radiochemical yield within 60 min, by use of the chiral rhodium complex of (R)-1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane ((R)-PROPHOS) or (+)-2,3-isopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane ((+)-DIOP) in the hydrogenation reaction. Racemic [2- 11 C]-labelled aromatic amino acids were produced by a high-pressure, high-temperature modification of the Buechere-Strecker synthesis. [2- 11 C]Phenylglycine was obtained in 20% radiochemical yield within 50 min. [3- 11 C]Phenylpyruvic acid was prepared via the aldehyde-oxyzolone condensation reaction in 40% radiochemical yield within 40 min (not including LC separation). Its use in the synthesis of [3- 11 C]-phenylalanine by enzymatic transamination is also discussed. With 32 refs.(Author)

  4. Amino acid derived 1,4-dialkyl substituted imidazolones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Diness, Frederik; Meldal, Morten Peter

    2010-01-01

    A general method for synthesis of 1,4-substituted imidazolones from amino acids on solid support or in solution has been developed. Amino acid derived 3-Boc-(1,3)-oxazinane (Box) protected amino aldehyde building blocks were coupled through urea bonds to the amino terminal of dipeptides or amino...... acids. Upon acidic release, the aldehyde instantaneously formed the cyclic N-carbamyliminium ion, which rearranged to the corresponding imidazolone. Under strongly acidic conditions the imidazolones acted as nuclophiles in the Pictet-Spengler reaction....

  5. Assessment of the PrPc Amino-Terminal Domain in Prion Species Barriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davenport, Kristen A; Henderson, Davin M; Mathiason, Candace K; Hoover, Edward A

    2016-12-01

    Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle are prion diseases that are caused by the same protein-misfolding mechanism, but they appear to pose different risks to humans. We are interested in understanding the differences between the species barriers of CWD and BSE. We used real-time, quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) to model the central molecular event in prion disease, the templated misfolding of the normal prion protein, PrP c , to a pathogenic, amyloid isoform, scrapie prion protein, PrP Sc We examined the role of the PrP c amino-terminal domain (N-terminal domain [NTD], amino acids [aa] 23 to 90) in cross-species conversion by comparing the conversion efficiency of various prion seeds in either full-length (aa 23 to 231) or truncated (aa 90 to 231) PrP c We demonstrate that the presence of white-tailed deer and bovine NTDs hindered seeded conversion of PrP c , but human and bank vole NTDs did the opposite. Additionally, full-length human and bank vole PrP c s were more likely to be converted to amyloid by CWD prions than were their truncated forms. A chimera with replacement of the human NTD by the bovine NTD resembled human PrP c The requirement for an NTD, but not for the specific human sequence, suggests that the NTD interacts with other regions of the human PrP c to increase promiscuity. These data contribute to the evidence that, in addition to primary sequence, prion species barriers are controlled by interactions of the substrate NTD with the rest of the substrate PrP c molecule. We demonstrate that the amino-terminal domain of the normal prion protein, PrP c , hinders seeded conversion of bovine and white-tailed deer PrP c s to the prion forms, but it facilitates conversion of the human and bank vole PrP c s to the prion forms. Additionally, we demonstrate that the amino-terminal domain of human and bank vole PrP c s requires interaction with the rest of the molecule to facilitate conversion by CWD

  6. Measurement of δ13C values of soil amino acids by GC-C-IRMS using trimethylsilylation: a critical assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubino, Mauro; Milin, Sylvie; D'Onofrio, Antonio; Signoret, Patrick; Hatté, Christine; Balesdent, Jérôme

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we evaluated trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives as derivatization reagents for the compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis of soil amino acids by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). We used non-proteinogenic amino acids to show that the extraction-derivatization-analysis procedure provides a reliable method to measure δ(13)C values of amino acids extracted from soil. However, we found a number of drawbacks that significantly increase the final total uncertainty. These include the following: production of multiple peaks for each amino acid, identified as di-, tri- and tetra-TMS derivatives; a number of TMS-carbon (TMS-C) atoms added lower than the stoichiometric one, possibly due to incomplete combustion; different TMS-C δ(13)C for di-, tri- and tetra-TMS derivatives. For soil samples, only four amino acids (leucine, valine, threonine and serine) provide reliable δ(13)C values with a total average uncertainty of 1.3 ‰. We conclude that trimethylsilyl derivatives are only suitable for determining the (13)C incorporation in amino acids within experiments using (13)C-labelled tracers but cannot be applied for amino acids with natural carbon isotope abundance until the drawbacks described here are overcome and the measured total uncertainty significantly decreased.

  7. Isolation of 14C labelled amino acids by biosynthesis in maize plants (Zea mais L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carreras, N.; Mazon, M.P.

    1983-01-01

    A method of obtaining 14 C labelled amino acids by biosynthesis in maize plants which had assimilated 14CO 2 , has been assayed. The plants were labelled for 60 minutes with 14 C O2 produced from Ba 14 C O3 (specific activity of 148 KBq/μmol). An extract of the soluble compounds was obtained with 80% ethanol and the amino acids were separated from the rest of the soluble compounds by ion exchange chromatography on column of Dowex 50-X8 resin. Finally, seventeen amino acids were isolated and identified from the purified extract. The acid amino acids were separated in anionic column (Dowex 1-X8) and the neutral and basic amino acids in cationic column (Dowex 50-X4). (Author) 56 refs

  8. N-terminal amino acid sequence of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase: comparison with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis Enzymes.

    OpenAIRE

    Kuhn, H; Fietzek, P P; Lampen, J O

    1982-01-01

    The thermostable, liquefying alpha-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis was immunologically cross-reactive with the thermolabile, liquefying alpha-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Their N-terminal amino acid sequences showed extensive homology with each other, but not with the saccharifying alpha-amylases of Bacillus subtilis.

  9. Purification, properties, and N-terminal amino acid sequence of homogeneous Escherichia coli 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase, a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, J J; Dekker, E E

    1987-10-25

    Starting with 100 g (wet weight) of a mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 forced to grow on L-threonine as sole carbon source, we developed a 6-step procedure that provides 30-40 mg of homogeneous 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase (also called aminoacetone synthetase or synthase). This ligase, which catalyzes the cleavage/condensation reaction between 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate (the presumed product of the L-threonine dehydrogenase-catalyzed reaction) and glycine + acetyl-CoA, has an apparent molecular weight approximately equal to 85,000 and consists of two identical (or nearly identical) subunits with Mr = 42,000. Computer analysis of amino acid composition data, which gives the best fit nearest integer ratio for each residue, indicates a total of 387 amino acids/subunit with a calculated Mr = 42,093. Stepwise Edman degradation provided the N-terminal sequence of the first 21 amino acids. It is a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme since (a) several carbonyl reagents caused greater than 90% loss of activity, (b) dialysis against buffer containing hydroxylamine resulted in 89% loss of activity coincident with an 86% decrease in absorptivity at 428 nm, (c) incubation of the apoenzyme with 20 microM pyridoxal phosphate showed a parallel recovery (greater than 90%) of activity and 428-nm absorptivity, and (d) reduction of the holoenzyme with NaBH4 resulted in complete inactivation, disappearance of a new absorption maximum at 333 nm. Strict specificity for glycine is shown but acetyl-CoA (100%), n-propionyl-CoA (127%), or n-butyryl-CoA (16%) is utilized in the condensation reaction. Apparent Km values for acetyl-CoA, n-propionyl-CoA, and glycine are 59 microM, 80 microM, and 12 mM, respectively; the pH optimum = 7.5. Added divalent metal ions or sulfhydryl compounds inhibited catalysis of the condensation reaction.

  10. Amino acids and insulin act additively to regulate components of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in C2C12 myotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lomax Michael A

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The ubiquitin-proteasome system is the predominant pathway for myofibrillar proteolysis but a previous study in C2C12 myotubes only observed alterations in lysosome-dependent proteolysis in response to complete starvation of amino acids or leucine from the media. Here, we determined the interaction between insulin and amino acids in the regulation of myotube proteolysis Results Incubation of C2C12 myotubes with 0.2 × physiological amino acids concentration (0.2 × PC AA, relative to 1.0 × PC AA, significantly increased total proteolysis and the expression of 14-kDa E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme (p Conclusion In a C2C12 myotube model of myofibrillar protein turnover, amino acid limitation increases proteolysis in a ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent manner. Increasing amino acids or leucine alone, act additively with insulin to down regulate proteolysis and expression of components of ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The effects of amino acids on proteolysis but not insulin and leucine, are blocked by inhibition of the mTOR signalling pathway.

  11. Asymmetric synthesis including enzymatic catalysis of 11C and 13N labelled amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langstrom, B.; Antonio, G.; Bjurling, P.; Fasth, K.J.; Westerberg, G.; Watanabe, Y.

    1993-01-01

    Use of asymmetric synthesis in production of 11 C- and 13 N-labelled amino acids has been shown to be a useful approach in order to prepare amino acids routinely for PET-studies. Such PET-studies are focused either on problems related to amino acid transport, protein synthesis rate or the turnover of neurotransmitters from amino acids. The paper discusses matters regarding synthetic strategies and techniques involving production of precursors, labelled intermediates and main reaction sequences. In synthesis using the short-lived β + -emitters like 11 C and 13 N with T 1/2 of 20.3 and 10.0 min respectively, many special aspects have to be considered. The use of enzymes as catalysts has shown to be a useful tool in such preparations. The design of the labelled amino acids especially considering the stereochemistry, the position of the label will be addressed since these points are important both with regard to the application of the labelled amino acids as well as to the synthesis itself. In this presentation of the synthesis of labelled amino acids these various aspects are discussed

  12. Conformational and functional analysis of the C-terminal globular head of the reovirus cell attachment protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, R; Horne, D; Strong, J E; Leone, G; Pon, R T; Yeung, M C; Lee, P W

    1991-06-01

    We have been investigating structure-function relationships in the reovirus cell attachment protein sigma 1 using various deletion mutants and protease analysis. In the present study, a series of deletion mutants were constructed which lacked 90, 44, 30, 12, or 4 amino acids from the C-terminus of the 455-amino acid-long reovirus type 3 (T3) sigma 1 protein. The full-length and truncated sigma 1 proteins were expressed in an in vitro transcription/translation system and assayed for L cell binding activity. It was found that the removal of as few as four amino acids from the C-terminus drastically affected the cell binding function of the sigma 1 protein. The C-terminal-truncated proteins were further characterized using trypsin, chymotrypsin, and monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Our results indicated that the C-terminal portions of the mutant proteins were misfolded, leading to a loss in cell binding function. The N-terminal fibrous tail of the proteins was unaffected by the deletions as was sigma 1 oligomerization, further illustrating the discrete structural and functional roles of the N- and C-terminal domains of sigma 1. In an attempt to identify smaller, functional peptides, full-length sigma 1 expressed in vitro was digested with trypsin and subsequently with chymotrypsin under various conditions. The results clearly demonstrated the highly stable nature of the C-terminal globular head of sigma 1, even when separated from the N-terminal fibrous tail. We concluded that: (1) the C-terminal globular head of sigma 1 exists as a compact, protease-resistant oligomeric structure; (2) an intact C-terminus is required for proper head folding and generation of the conformationally dependent cell binding domain.

  13. Biosynthesis of 2-aminooctanoic acid and its use to terminally modify a lactoferricin B peptide derivative for improved antimicrobial activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almahboub, Sarah A; Narancic, Tanja; Devocelle, Marc; Kenny, Shane T; Palmer-Brown, William; Murphy, Cormac; Nikodinovic-Runic, Jasmina; O'Connor, Kevin E

    2018-01-01

    Terminal modification of peptides is frequently used to improve their hydrophobicity. While N-terminal modification with fatty acids (lipidation) has been reported previously, C-terminal lipidation is limited as it requires the use of linkers. Here we report the use of a biocatalyst for the production of an unnatural fatty amino acid, (S)-2-aminooctanoic acid (2-AOA) with enantiomeric excess > 98% ee and the subsequent use of 2-AOA to modify and improve the activity of an antimicrobial peptide. A transaminase originating from Chromobacterium violaceum was employed with a conversion efficiency 52-80% depending on the ratio of amino group donor to acceptor. 2-AOA is a fatty acid with amino functionality, which allowed direct C- and N-terminal conjugation respectively to an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) derived from lactoferricin B. The antibacterial activity of the modified peptides was improved by up to 16-fold. Furthermore, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of C-terminally modified peptide were always lower than N-terminally conjugated peptides. The C-terminally modified peptide exhibited MIC values of 25 μg/ml for Escherichia coli, 50 μg/ml for Bacillus subtilis, 100 μg/ml for Salmonella typhimurium, 200 μg/ml for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 400 μg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus. The C-terminally modified peptide was the only peptide tested that showed complete inhibition of growth of S. aureus.

  14. Synthesis of γ-amino[4-11C]butyric acid (GABA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antoni, G.; Laangstroem, B.

    1989-01-01

    A one-pot synthesis of no-carrier added γ-amino[4- 11 C]butyric acid (GABA) starting with hydrogen [ 11 C]cyanide prepared from [ 11 C]carbon dioxide, is presented. Hydrogen [ 11 C]cyanide was trapped in tetrahydrofuran/potassium hydroxide in the presence of the amino polyether Krytofix 2.2.2. A Michael addition with ethyl acrylate followed by a selective reduction and hydrolysis of the resulting amino ester gave [4- 11 C]GABA. The radiochemical purity of GABA was higher than 99% and the decay corrected radiochemical yield was 60-65% based on the amount of H[ 11 C]CN used. The total synthesis time including purification was around 40 min, counted from the start of the Michael addition reaction. (Author)

  15. Characterization of the C-terminal ER membrane anchor of PTP1B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderie, Ines; Schulz, Irene; Schmid, Andreas

    2007-01-01

    The tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B is an important regulator of cell function. In living cells PTP1B activity is restricted to the vicinity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by post-translational C-terminal attachment of PTP1B to the ER membrane network. In our study we investigated the membrane anchor of PTP1B by use of EGFP fusion proteins. We demonstrate that the membrane anchor of PTP1B cannot be narrowed down to a unique amino acid sequence with a defined start and stop point but rather is moveable within several amino acids. Removal of up to seven amino acids from the C-terminus, as well as exchange of single amino acids in the putative transmembrane sequence did not influence subcellular localization of PTP1B. With the method of bimolecular fluorescence complementation we could demonstrate dimerization of PTP1B in vivo. Homodimerization was, in contrast to other tail-anchored proteins, not dependent on the membrane anchor. Our data demonstrate that the C-terminal membrane anchor of PTP1B is formed by a combination of a single stretch transmembrane domain (TMD) followed by a tail. TMD and tail length are variable and there are no sequence-specific features. Our data for PTP1B are consistent with a concept that explains the ER membrane anchor of tail-anchored proteins as a physicochemical structure

  16. A Propensity for n-omega-Amino Acids in Thermally-Altered Antarctic Meteorites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, Aaron S.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Callahan, Michael P.; Martin, Mildred G.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Johnson, Natasha M.; Dworkin, Jason P.

    2012-01-01

    Carbonaceous meteorites are known to contain a wealth of indigenous organic molecules, including amino acids, which suggests that these meteorites could have been an important source of prebiotic organic material during the origins of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere. We report the detection of extraterrestrial amino acids in thermally-altered type 3 CV and CO carbonaceous chondrites and ureilites recovered from Antarctica. The amino acid concentrations of the thirteen Antarctic meteorites were generally less abundant than in more amino acid-rich CI, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites that experienced much lower temperature aqueous alteration on their parent bodies. In contrast to low-temperature aqueously-altered meteorites that show complete structural diversity in amino acids formed predominantly by Strecker-cyanohydrin synthesis, the thermally-altered meteorites studied here are dominated by small, straight-chain, amine terminal (n-omega-amino) amino acids that are not consistent with Strecker formation. The carbon isotopic ratios of two extraterrestrial n-omega-amino acids measured in one of the CV chondrites are consistent with C-13-depletions observed previously in hydrocarbons produced by Fischer-Tropsch type reactions. The predominance of n-omega-amino acid isomers in thermally-altered meteorites hints at cosmochemical mechanisms for the preferential formation and preservation of a small subset of the possible amino acids.

  17. Unnatural amino acids increase activity and specificity of synthetic substrates for human and malarial cathepsin C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poreba, Marcin; Mihelic, Marko; Krai, Priscilla; Rajkovic, Jelena; Krezel, Artur; Pawelczak, Malgorzata; Klemba, Michael; Turk, Dusan; Turk, Boris; Latajka, Rafal; Drag, Marcin

    2014-04-01

    Mammalian cathepsin C is primarily responsible for the removal of N-terminal dipeptides and activation of several serine proteases in inflammatory or immune cells, while its malarial parasite ortholog dipeptidyl aminopeptidase 1 plays a crucial role in catabolizing the hemoglobin of its host erythrocyte. In this report, we describe the systematic substrate specificity analysis of three cathepsin C orthologs from Homo sapiens (human), Bos taurus (bovine) and Plasmodium falciparum (malaria parasite). Here, we present a new approach with a tailored fluorogenic substrate library designed and synthesized to probe the S1 and S2 pocket preferences of these enzymes with both natural and a broad range of unnatural amino acids. Our approach identified very efficiently hydrolyzed substrates containing unnatural amino acids, which resulted in the design of significantly better substrates than those previously known. Additionally, in this study significant differences in terms of the structures of optimal substrates for human and malarial orthologs are important from the therapeutic point of view. These data can be also used for the design of specific inhibitors or activity-based probes.

  18. A Convenient Approach to Synthesizing Peptide C-Terminal N-Alkyl Amides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Wei-Jie; Yakovleva, Tatyana; Aldrich, Jane V.

    2014-01-01

    Peptide C-terminal N-alkyl amides have gained more attention over the past decade due to their biological properties, including improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles. However, the synthesis of this type of peptide on solid phase by current available methods can be challenging. Here we report a convenient method to synthesize peptide C-terminal N-alkyl amides using the well-known Fukuyama N-alkylation reaction on a standard resin commonly used for the synthesis of peptide C-terminal primary amides, the PAL-PEG-PS (Peptide Amide Linker-polyethylene glycol-polystyrene) resin. The alkylation and oNBS deprotection were conducted under basic conditions and were therefore compatible with this acid labile resin. The alkylation reaction was very efficient on this resin with a number of different alkyl iodides or bromides, and the synthesis of model enkephalin N-alkyl amide analogs using this method gave consistently high yields and purities, demonstrating the applicability of this methodology. The synthesis of N-alkyl amides was more difficult on a Rink amide resin, especially the coupling of the first amino acid to the N-alkyl amine, resulting in lower yields for loading the first amino acid onto the resin. This method can be widely applied in the synthesis of peptide N-alkyl amides. PMID:22252422

  19. Occurrence of C-Terminal Residue Exclusion in Peptide Fragmentation by ESI and MALDI Tandem Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupré, Mathieu; Cantel, Sonia; Martinez, Jean; Enjalbal, Christine

    2012-02-01

    By screening a data set of 392 synthetic peptides MS/MS spectra, we found that a known C-terminal rearrangement was unexpectedly frequently occurring from monoprotonated molecular ions in both ESI and MALDI tandem mass spectrometry upon low and high energy collision activated dissociations with QqTOF and TOF/TOF mass analyzer configuration, respectively. Any residue localized at the C-terminal carboxylic acid end, even a basic one, was lost, provided that a basic amino acid such arginine and to a lesser extent histidine and lysine was present in the sequence leading to a fragment ion, usually depicted as (bn-1 + H2O) ion, corresponding to a shortened non-scrambled peptide chain. Far from being an epiphenomenon, such a residue exclusion from the peptide chain C-terminal extremity gave a fragment ion that was the base peak of the MS/MS spectrum in certain cases. Within the frame of the mobile proton model, the ionizing proton being sequestered onto the basic amino acid side chain, it is known that the charge directed fragmentation mechanism involved the C-terminal carboxylic acid function forming an anhydride intermediate structure. The same mechanism was also demonstrated from cationized peptides. To confirm such assessment, we have prepared some of the peptides that displayed such C-terminal residue exclusion as a C-terminal backbone amide. As expected in this peptide amide series, the production of truncated chains was completely suppressed. Besides, multiply charged molecular ions of all peptides recorded in ESI mass spectrometry did not undergo such fragmentation validating that any mobile ionizing proton will prevent such a competitive C-terminal backbone rearrangement. Among all well-known nondirect sequence fragment ions issued from non specific loss of neutral molecules (mainly H2O and NH3) and multiple backbone amide ruptures (b-type internal ions), the described C-terminal residue exclusion is highly identifiable giving raise to a single fragment ion in

  20. Lipidization of Simple and di-Functional Amino Acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zainab Idris; Mohd Wahid Samsudin; Salmiah Ahmad

    2013-01-01

    This paper discuss the modification of azelaic acid into its applicable form by attachment of both its carboxyl sites to N-terminal of amino acid ethyl ester forming amide linkages in anhydrous medium. Acylation of glycine ethyl ester hydrochloride with azelaic acid dichloride was best conducted in a 100 % anhydrous medium. L-amino acid ethyl ester bearing a primary hydroxyl group on its side chain gave mixtures of product and variation in composition depending on the mole ratio of reactants used. Reduction in purity was also observed for L-amino acid ethyl ester with primary -SH group on its side chain as compared to L-amino acid ethyl ester having -SCH 3 group on the L-amino acid side chain. The diamidoester of azelaic acid with L-alanine ethyl ester, L-valine ethyl ester, L-leucine ethyl ester and L-glutamic acid diethyl ester were in good yield when prepared through the modified Schotten-Baumann reaction conditions. (author)

  1. An Experimental and Computational Study of the Gas-Phase Acidities of the Common Amino Acid Amides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plummer, Chelsea E; Stover, Michele L; Bokatzian, Samantha S; Davis, John T M; Dixon, David A; Cassady, Carolyn J

    2015-07-30

    Using proton-transfer reactions in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer and correlated molecular orbital theory at the G3(MP2) level, gas-phase acidities (GAs) and the associated structures for amides corresponding to the common amino acids have been determined for the first time. These values are important because amino acid amides are models for residues in peptides and proteins. For compounds whose most acidic site is the C-terminal amide nitrogen, two ions populations were observed experimentally with GAs that differ by 4-7 kcal/mol. The lower energy, more acidic structure accounts for the majority of the ions formed by electrospray ionization. G3(MP2) calculations predict that the lowest energy anionic conformer has a cis-like orientation of the [-C(═O)NH](-) group whereas the higher energy, less acidic conformer has a trans-like orientation of this group. These two distinct conformers were predicted for compounds with aliphatic, amide, basic, hydroxyl, and thioether side chains. For the most acidic amino acid amides (tyrosine, cysteine, tryptophan, histidine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid amides) only one conformer was observed experimentally, and its experimental GA correlates with the theoretical GA related to side chain deprotonation.

  2. Protection efficacy of the Brucella abortus ghost vaccine candidate lysed by the N-terminal 24-amino acid fragment (GI24) of the 36-amino acid peptide PMAP-36 (porcine myeloid antimicrobial peptide 36) in murine models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Ae Jeong; Moon, Ja Young; Kim, Won Kyong; Kim, Suk; Hur, Jin

    2016-11-01

    Brucella abortus cells were lysed by the N-terminal 24-amino acid fragment (GI24) of the 36-amino acid peptide PMAP-36 (porcine myeloid antimicrobial peptide 36). Next, the protection efficacy of the lysed fragment as a vaccine candidate was evaluated. Group A mice were immunized with sterile PBS, group B mice were intraperitoneally (ip) immunized with 3 × 10 8 colony-forming units (CFUs) of B. abortus strain RB51, group C mice were immunized ip with 3 × 10 8 cells of the B. abortus vaccine candidate, and group D mice were orally immunized with 3 × 10 9 cells of the B. abortus vaccine candidate. Brucella lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-specific serum IgG titers were considerably higher in groups C and D than in group A. The levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) were significantly higher in groups B-D than in group A. After an ip challenge with B. abortus 544, only group C mice showed a significant level of protection as compared to group A. Overall, these results show that ip immunization with a vaccine candidate lysed by GI24 can effectively protect mice from systemic infection with virulent B. abortus.

  3. Evaluation of [1-11C]-α-aminoisobutyric acid for tumor detection and amino acid transport measurement: Spontaneous canine tumor studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigler, R.E.; Zanzonico, P.B.; Schmall, B.; Conti, P.S.; Dahl, J.R.; Rothman, L.; Sgouros, G.

    1985-01-01

    Alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) or α-methyl alanine, is a nonmetabolized amino acid treansported into cells particularly malignant cells, predominantly by the ''A'' amino acid transport system. Since it is not metabolized, [1- 11 C]-AIB can be used to quantify A-type amino acid transport into cells using a relatively simple compartmental model and quantitative imaging procedures (e.g. positron tomography). The tissue distribution of [1- 11 C]-AIB was determined in six dogs bearing spontaneous tumors, including lymphosarcoma, osteogenic sarcoma, mammary carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. Quantitative imaging with tissue radioassay confirmation at necropsy showed poor to excellent tumor localization. However, in all cases the concentrations achieved appear adequate for amino acid transport measurement at known tumor locations. The observed low normal brain (due to blood-brain barrier exclusion) and high (relative to brain) tumor concentrations of [1- 11 C]-AIB suggest that this agent may prove effective for the early detection of human brain tumors. (orig.)

  4. Protein synthesis in the presence of carbamoyl-amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kraus, L.M.; Stephens, M.C.

    1987-01-01

    The role of exogenous carbamoyl-amino acids in protein biosynthesis has been examined in vitro using a mixture of 14 C amino acids to label newly synthesized protein in human reticulocyte rich (8-18%) peripheral blood. Aliquots of the radiolabeled newly synthesized protein were acid precipitated, washed and the radioactivity measured. Control samples which measured the synthetic capacity of the blood were aliquots of the same blood- 14 C amino acid mixture without added carbamoyl-amino acids or cyanate. N-carbamoyl leucine alone or a 3 N-carbamoyl amino acid mixture of leucine, aspartic acid and tyrosine were used to test inhibition of protein synthesis. Also carbamoyl-amino acids were synthesized using cyanate and Pierce hydrolyzate amino acid calibration standards or the mixture of 14 C amino acids. In this system the carbamoylation of endogenous amino acids by cyanate up to 8 μmol/100μl showed a linear decrease in protein synthesis with time which is inversely related to the cyanate concentration. At greater cyanate levels the inhibition of protein synthesis reaches a plateau. When N-carbamoyl-amino acids only are present there is about a 50% decrease in the 14 C protein at 30 minutes as compared to the synthesis of 14 C protein without N-carbamoyl-amino acids. These results indicate that the presence of carbamoyl-amino acids interferes with protein synthesis

  5. Replacement of C305 in heart/muscle-type isozyme of human carnitine palmitoyltransferase I with aspartic acid and other amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuo, Taisuke; Yamamoto, Atsushi; Yamamoto, Takenori; Otsuki, Kaoru; Yamazaki, Naoshi; Kataoka, Masatoshi; Terada, Hiroshi; Shinohara, Yasuo

    2010-04-01

    Liver- and heart/muscle-type isozymes of human carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (L- and M-CPTI, respectively) show a certain similarity in their amino acid sequences, and mutation studies on the conserved amino acids between these two isozymes often show essentially the same effects on their enzymatic properties. Earlier mutation studies on C305 in human M-CPTI and its counterpart residue, C304, in human L-CPTI showed distinct effects of the mutations, especially in the aspect of enzyme stability; however, simple comparison of these effects on the conserved Cys residue between L- and M-CPTI was difficult, because these studies were carried out using different expression systems and distinct amino acids as replacements. In the present study, we carried out mutation studies on the C305 in human M-CPTI using COS cells for the expression system. Our results showed that C305 was replaceable with aspartic acid but that substitution with other amino acids caused both loss of function and reduced expression.

  6. Stereoconversion of amino acids and peptides in uryl-pendant binol schiff bases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Hyunjung; Nandhakumar, Raju; Hong, Jooyeon; Ham, Sihyun; Chin, Jik; Kim, Kwan Mook

    2008-01-01

    (S)-2-Hydroxy-2'-(3-phenyluryl-benzyl)-1,1'-binaphthyl-3-carboxaldehyde (1) forms Schiff bases with a wide range of nonderivatized amino acids, including unnatural ones. Multiple hydrogen bonds, including resonance-assisted ones, fix the whole orientation of the imine and provoke structural rigidity around the imine C==N bond. Due to the structural difference and the increase in acidity of the alpha proton of the amino acid, the imine formed with an L-amino acid (1-l-aa) is converted into the imine of the D-amino acid (1-D-aa), with a D/L ratio of more than 10 for most amino acids at equilibrium. N-terminal amino acids in dipeptides are also predominantly epimerized to the D form upon imine formation with 1. Density functional theory calculations show that 1-D-Ala is more stable than 1-L-Ala by 1.64 kcal mol(-1), a value that is in qualitative agreement with the experimental result. Deuterium exchange of the alpha proton of alanine in the imine form was studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and the results support a stepwise mechanism in the L-into-D conversion rather than a concerted one; that is, deprotonation and protonation take place in a sequential manner. The deprotonation rate of L-Ala is approximately 16 times faster than that of D-Ala. The protonation step, however, appears to favor L-amino acid production, which prevents a much higher predominance of the D form in the imine. Receptor 1 and the predominantly D-form amino acid can be recovered from the imine by simple extraction under acidic conditions. Hence, 1 is a useful auxiliary to produce D-amino acids of industrial interest by the conversion of naturally occurring L-amino acids or relatively easily obtainable racemic amino acids.

  7. Adsorption of amino acids by fullerenes and fullerene nanowhiskers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashizume, Hideo; Hirata, Chika; Fujii, Kazuko; Miyazawa, Kun'ichi

    2015-12-01

    We have investigated the adsorption of some amino acids and an oligopeptide by fullerene (C60) and fullerene nanowhiskers (FNWs). C60 and FNWs hardly adsorbed amino acids. Most of the amino acids used have a hydrophobic side chain. Ala and Val, with an alkyl chain, were not adsorbed by the C60 or FNWs. Trp, Phe and Pro, with a cyclic structure, were not adsorbed by them either. The aromatic group of C60 did not interact with the side chain. The carboxyl or amino group, with the frame structure of an amino acid, has a positive or negative charge in solution. It is likely that the C60 and FNWs would not prefer the charged carboxyl or amino group. Tri-Ala was adsorbed slightly by the C60 and FNWs. The carboxyl or amino group is not close to the center of the methyl group of Tri-Ala. One of the methyl groups in Tri-Ala would interact with the aromatic structure of the C60 and FNWs. We compared our results with the theoretical interaction of 20 bio-amino acids with C60. The theoretical simulations showed the bonding distance between C60 and an amino acid and the dissociation energy. The dissociation energy was shown to increase in the order, Val changed a little by C60. In our study Try and Tyr were hardly adsorbed by C60 and FNWs. These amino acids did not show a different adsorption behavior compared with other amino acids. The adsorptive behavior of mono-amino acids might be different from that of polypeptides.

  8. [The importance of C-terminal aspartic acid residue (D141) to the antirestriction activity of the ArdB (R64) protein].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kudryavtseva, A A; Osetrova, M S; Livinyuk, V Ya; Manukhov, I V; Zavilgelsky, G B

    2017-01-01

    Antirestriction proteins of the ArdB/KlcA family are specific inhibitors of restriction (endonuclease) activity of type-I restriction/modification enzymes. The effect of conserved amino acid residues on the antirestriction activity of the ArdB protein encoded by the transmissible R64 (IncI1) plasmid has been investigated. An analysis of the amino acid sequences of ArdB homologues demonstrated the presence of four groups of conserved residues ((1) R16, E32, and W51; (2) Y46 and G48; (3) S81, D83 and E132, and (4) N77, L(I)140, and D141) on the surface of the protein globule. Amino acid residues of the fourth group showed a unique localization pattern with the terminal residue protruding beyond the globule surface. The replacement of two conserved amino acids (D141 and N77) located in the close vicinity of each other on the globule surface showed that the C-terminal D141 is essential for the antirestriction activity of ArdB. The deletion of this residue, as well as replacement by a hydrophobic threonine residue (D141T), completely abolished the antirestriction activity of ArdB. The synonymous replacement of D141 by a glutamic acid residue (D141E) caused an approximately 30-fold decrease of the antirestriction activity of ArdB, and the point mutation N77A caused an approximately 20-fold decrease in activity. The residues D141 and N77 located on the surface of the protein globule are presumably essential for the formation of a contact between ArdB and a currently unknown factor that modulates the activity of type-I restriction/modification enzymes.

  9. Adsorption of amino acids by fullerenes and fullerene nanowhiskers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashizume, Hideo; Hirata, Chika; Fujii, Kazuko; Miyazawa, Kun’ichi

    2015-01-01

    We have investigated the adsorption of some amino acids and an oligopeptide by fullerene (C 60 ) and fullerene nanowhiskers (FNWs). C 60 and FNWs hardly adsorbed amino acids. Most of the amino acids used have a hydrophobic side chain. Ala and Val, with an alkyl chain, were not adsorbed by the C 60 or FNWs. Trp, Phe and Pro, with a cyclic structure, were not adsorbed by them either. The aromatic group of C 60 did not interact with the side chain. The carboxyl or amino group, with the frame structure of an amino acid, has a positive or negative charge in solution. It is likely that the C 60 and FNWs would not prefer the charged carboxyl or amino group. Tri-Ala was adsorbed slightly by the C 60 and FNWs. The carboxyl or amino group is not close to the center of the methyl group of Tri-Ala. One of the methyl groups in Tri-Ala would interact with the aromatic structure of the C 60 and FNWs. We compared our results with the theoretical interaction of 20 bio-amino acids with C 60 . The theoretical simulations showed the bonding distance between C 60 and an amino acid and the dissociation energy. The dissociation energy was shown to increase in the order, Val < Phe < Pro < Asp < Ala < Trp < Tyr < Arg < Leu. However, the simulation was not consistent with our experimental results. The adsorption of albumin (a protein) by C 60 showed the effect on the side chains of Try and Trp. The structure of albumin was changed a little by C 60 . In our study Try and Tyr were hardly adsorbed by C 60 and FNWs. These amino acids did not show a different adsorption behavior compared with other amino acids. The adsorptive behavior of mono-amino acids might be different from that of polypeptides. (paper)

  10. Biodistribution of [11C] methylaminoisobutyric acid, a tracer for PET studies on system A amino acid transport in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sutinen, E.; Jyrkkioe, S.; Groenroos, T.; Haaparanta, M.; Lehikoinen, P.; Naagren, K.

    2001-01-01

    [N-methyl- 11 C]α-Methylaminoisobutyric acid ( 11 C-MeAIB) is a potentially useful tracer for positron emission tomography (PET) studies on hormonally regulated system A amino acid transport. 11 C-MeAIB is a metabolically stable amino acid analogue specific for system A amino acid transport. We evaluated the biodistribution of 11 C-MeAIB in rats and humans to estimate the usefulness of the tracer for in vivo human PET studies, for example, on regulation of system A amino acid transport and on tumour imaging. Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats (n=14) were killed 5, 20, 40 or 60 min after the injection of 11 C-MeAIB, and the tissue samples were weighed and counted for 11 C radioactivity. Ten lymphoma patients with relatively limited tumour burden underwent whole-body (WB) PET imaging with 11 C-MeAIB. In addition, three other patients had dynamic PET scanning of the head and neck area, and the tracer uptake was quantitated by calculating the kinetic influx constants (K i values) for the tracer. In animal studies, the highest activity was detected in the kidney, pancreas, adrenal gland and intestines. In humans, the highest activity was found in the salivary glands, and after that in the kidney and pancreas, similar to the results in animal studies. Rapid uptake was also detected in the skeletal muscle. In the graphical analysis, linear plots were obtained, and the mean fractional tracer uptake values (K i ) of the parotid glands (n=3) and cervical muscles (n=3) were 0.039±0.008 min -1 and 0.013±0.006 min -1 , respectively. The K i value of the tumour (n=1) was 0.064 min -1 . Higher uptake of 11 C-MeAIB into the tumour tissue was encountered. These results encourage further 11 C-MeAIB PET studies in humans on the physiology and pathology of system A amino acid transport and on tumour detection. (orig.)

  11. Azide- and Alkyne-Functionalised α- and β3-Amino Acids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sminia, T.J.; Pedersen, Daniel Sejer

    2012-01-01

    The synthesis and full characterisation of bifunctional β -amino acids that have side chains functionalised with terminal azides (S)-4 and (R)-4 or acetylenes 5 and 6 is reported for the first time. The building blocks incorporate a turn-inducing β -segment and a side chain that can...... be functionalised further, for example, through copper-catalysed Huisgen cycloaddition. Moreover, the corresponding α-amino acids 1 and 3 have been synthesised and characterised. All amino acid building blocks were of high optical purity as demonstrated by derivatisation and subsequent NMR analysis....

  12. PPII propensity of multiple-guest amino acids in a proline-rich environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi, Mahmoud; Babin, Volodymyr; Sagui, Celeste; Roland, Christopher

    2011-07-07

    There has been considerable debate about the intrinsic PPII propensity of amino acid residues in denatured polypeptides. Experimentally, this scale is based on the behavior of guest amino acid residues placed in the middle of proline-based hosts. We have used classical molecular dynamics simulations combined with replica-exchange methods to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the conformational equilibria of proline-based host oligopeptides with multiple guest amino acids including alanine, glutamine, valine, and asparagine. The tracked structural characteristics include the secondary structural motifs based on the Ramachandran angles and the cis/trans isomerization of the prolyl bonds. In agreement with our recent study of single amino acid guests, we did not observe an intrinsic PPII propensity in any of the guest amino acids in a multiple-guest setting. Instead, the experimental results can be explained in terms of (i) the steric restrictions imposed on the C-terminal guest amino acid that is immediately followed by a proline residue and (ii) an increase in the trans content of the prolyl bonds due to the presence of guest residues. In terms of the latter, we found that the more guests added to the system, the larger the increase in the trans content of the prolyl bonds, which results in an effective increase in the PPII content of the peptide.

  13. Azetidinic amino acids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Bunch, Lennart; Chopin, Nathalie

    2005-01-01

    A set of ten azetidinic amino acids, that can be envisioned as C-4 alkyl substituted analogues of trans-2-carboxyazetidine-3-acetic acid (t-CAA) and/or conformationally constrained analogues of (R)- or (S)-glutamic acid (Glu) have been synthesized in a diastereo- and enantiomerically pure form from...... of two diastereoisomers that were easily separated and converted in two steps into azetidinic amino acids. Azetidines 35-44 were characterized in binding studies on native ionotropic Glu receptors and in functional assays at cloned metabotropic receptors mGluR1, 2 and 4, representing group I, II and III...... beta-amino alcohols through a straightforward five step sequence. The key step of this synthesis is an original anionic 4-exo-tet ring closure that forms the azetidine ring upon an intramolecular Michael addition. This reaction was proven to be reversible and to lead to a thermodynamic distribution...

  14. Differential isotope dansylation labeling combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry for quantification of intact and N-terminal truncated proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Yanan; Li, Liang

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •LC–MS was developed for quantifying protein mixtures containing both intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. • 12 C 2 -Dansylation of the N-terminal amino acid of proteins was done first, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis. •The released 12 C 2 -dansyl labeled N-terminal amino acid was quantified using 13 C 2 -dansyl labeled amino acid standards. •The method provided accurate and precise results for quantifying intact and N-terminal truncated proteins within 8 h. -- Abstract: The N-terminal amino acids of proteins are important structure units for maintaining the biological function, localization, and interaction networks of proteins. Under different biological conditions, one or several N-terminal amino acids could be cleaved from an intact protein due to processes, such as proteolysis, resulting in the change of protein properties. Thus, the ability to quantify the N-terminal truncated forms of proteins is of great importance, particularly in the area of development and production of protein-based drugs where the relative quantity of the intact protein and its truncated form needs to be monitored. In this work, we describe a rapid method for absolute quantification of protein mixtures containing intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. This method is based on dansylation labeling of the N-terminal amino acids of proteins, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of the proteins into amino acids. It is shown that dansyl labeled amino acids are stable in acidic conditions and can be quantified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) with the use of isotope analog standards

  15. Complete amino acid sequence of human intestinal aminopeptidase N as deduced from cloned cDNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cowell, G M; Kønigshøfer, E; Danielsen, E M

    1988-01-01

    The complete primary structure (967 amino acids) of an intestinal human aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) was deduced from the sequence of a cDNA clone. Aminopeptidase N is anchored to the microvillar membrane via an uncleaved signal for membrane insertion. A domain constituting amino acid 250...

  16. Amino Acid Permeases and Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin Felipe Cruz Martho

    Full Text Available Fungal opportunistic pathogens colonize various environments, from plants and wood to human and animal tissue. Regarding human pathogens, one great challenge during contrasting niche occupation is the adaptation to different conditions, such as temperature, osmolarity, salinity, pressure, oxidative stress and nutritional availability, which may constitute sources of stress that need to be tolerated and overcome. As an opportunistic pathogen, C. neoformans faces exactly these situations during the transition from the environment to the human host, encountering nutritional constraints. Our previous and current research on amino acid biosynthetic pathways indicates that amino acid permeases are regulated by the presence of the amino acids, nitrogen and temperature. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans have twenty-four and twenty-seven genes encoding amino acid permeases, respectively; conversely, they are scarce in number in Basidiomycetes (C. neoformans, Coprinopsis cinerea and Ustilago maydis, where nine to ten permease genes can be found depending on the species. In this study, we have demonstrated that two amino acid permeases are essential for virulence in C. neoformans. Our data showed that C. neoformans uses two global and redundant amino acid permeases, Aap4 and Aap5 to respond correctly to thermal and oxidative stress. Double deletion of these permeases causes growth arrest in C. neoformans at 37°C and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The inability to uptake amino acid at a higher temperature and under oxidative stress also led to virulence attenuation in vivo. Our data showed that thermosensitivity caused by the lack of permeases Aap4 and Aap5 can be remedied by alkaline conditions (higher pH and salinity. Permeases Aap4 and Aap5 are also required during fluconazole stress and they are the target of the plant secondary metabolite eugenol, a potent antifungal inhibitor that targets amino acid permeases. In summary, our work

  17. Role of sialic acid in synaptosomal transport of amino acid transmitters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaleska, M.M.; Erecinska, M.

    1987-01-01

    Active, high-affinity, sodium-dependent uptake of [ 14 C]-aminobutyric acid and of the acidic amino acid D-[ 3 H]-aspartate was inhibited by pretreatment of synaptosomes with neuraminidase from Vibrio cholerae. Inhibition was of a noncompetitive type and was related to the amount of sialic acid released. The maximum accumulation ratios of both amino acids (intracellular [amino acid]/extracellular [amino acid]) remained largely unaltered. Treatment with neuraminidase affected neither the synaptosomal energy levels nor the concentration of internal potassium. It is suggested that the γ-aminobutyric acid and acidic amino acid transporters are glycosylated and that sialic acid is involved in the operation of the carrier proteins directly and not through modification of driving forces responsible for amino acid uptake

  18. Characterization of d-succinylase from Cupriavidus sp. P4-10-C and its application in d-amino acid synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumida, Yosuke; Iwai, Sachio; Nishiya, Yoshiaki; Kumagai, Shinya; Yamada, Toshihide; Azuma, Masayuki

    2018-03-01

    d-Amino acids are important building blocks for various compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. A more cost-effective enzymatic method for d-amino acid production is needed in the industry. We improved a one-pot enzymatic method for d-amino acid production by the dynamic kinetic resolution of N-succinyl amino acids using two enzymes: d-succinylase (DSA) from Cupriavidus sp. P4-10-C, which hydrolyzes N-succinyl-d-amino acids enantioselectively to their corresponding d-amino acid, and N-succinyl amino acid racemase (NSAR, EC.4.2.1.113) from Geobacillus stearothermophilus NCA1503. In this study, DSA and NSAR were purified and their properties were investigated. The optimum temperature of DSA was 50°C and it was stable up to 55°C. The optimum pH of DSA and NSAR was around 7.5. In d-phenylalanine production, the optical purity of product was improved to 91.6% ee from the examination about enzyme concentration. Moreover, 100 mM N-succinyl-dl-tryptophan was converted to d-tryptophan at 81.8% yield with 94.7% ee. This enzymatic method could be useful for the industrial production of various d-amino acids. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Critical amino acids within the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein V4 N- and C-terminals contribute to virus entry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Li

    Full Text Available The importance of the fourth variable (V4 region of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env in virus infection has not been well clarified, though the polymorphism of this region has been found to be associated with disease progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS. In the present work, we focused on the correlation between HIV-1 gp120 V4 region polymorphism and the function of the region on virus entry, and the possible mechanisms for how the V4 region contributes to virus infectivity. Therefore, we analyzed the differences in V4 sequences along with coreceptor usage preference from CCR5 to CXCR4 and examined the importance of the amino acids within the V4 region for CCR5- and CXCR4-tropic virus entry. In addition, we determined the influence of the V4 amino acids on Env expression and gp160 processing intracellularly, as well as the amount of Env on the pseudovirus surface. The results indicated that V4 tended to have a shorter length, fewer potential N-linked glycosylation sites (PNGS, greater evolutionary distance, and a lower negative net charge when HIV-1 isolates switched from a coreceptor usage preference for CCR5 to CXCR4. The N- and C-terminals of the HIV-1 V4 region are highly conserved and critical to maintain virus entry ability, but only the mutation at position 417 in the context of ADA (a R5-tropic HIV-1 strain resulted in the ability to utilize CXCR4. In addition, 390L, 391F, 414I, and 416L are critical to maintain gp160 processing and maturation. It is likely that the hydrophobic properties and the electrostatic surface potential of gp120, rather than the conformational structure, greatly contribute to this V4 functionality. The findings provide information to aid in the understanding of the functions of V4 in HIV-1 entry and offer a potential target to aid in the development of entry inhibitors.

  20. Studies on radiolysis of amino acids, (3)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oku, Tadatake

    1978-01-01

    For the purpose of investigating the radiolysis of amino acids and the safeness to radiation, the radiolytic mechanism and radio-sensitivity of sulfur-containing amino acids in aqueous solution in the presence of air or in the atmosphere of nitrogen were studied. Aqueous solutions of L-methionine, cysteine (both 1mM) and L-cystine (0.3mM) were irradiated with γ-ray of 60 Co at the dose of 4.2 - 2,640 x 10 3 rad. The amino acids and the radiolytic products were determined with an amino acid analyzer. The volatile sulfur compounds formed from γ-irradiated methionine were estimated by a flame photometric detector-gas chromatograph. From the results obtained, G values of the radiolysis of sulfur-containing amino acids and the products were calculated, and the radiolytic mechanisms of methionine, cysteine and cystine were proposed. The radio-sensitivity of sulfur-containing amino acids was shown as follows: cysteine (C3-SH) > methionine (C5, -SCH 3 ) > cystine (C 6 , -S-S-). Off-flavor development from γ-irradiated methionine when oxidizing agent was added was less than that when reducing agent was added. (Kobatake, H.)

  1. Radiotracer studies on the synthesis of prorennin and rennin using 14C-amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angelo, I.A.; Ganguli, N.C.

    1976-01-01

    In vivo incorporation of 14 C-amino acids into the prorennin and rennin fractions of the abomasal tissue of the intact animal (i.e. calf) has been investigated by : (1) intravenous injection of the label and subsequent isolation of rennin and prorennin fractions from the excised abomasum and (2) feeding. of milk whey fortified with the label to a fistulated kid and subsequent processing of the abomasal juice for rennet extraction. Prorennin incorporates more radioactivity than rennin. This indicates that abomasal tissue uses blood amino acids for prorennin synthesis, but amino acids fed through dietary channels may not be used for rennin synthesis. (M.G.B.)

  2. Natural monomeric form of fetal bovine serum acetylcholinesterase lacks the C-terminal tetramerization domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, Ashima; Hur, Regina S; Luo, Chunyuan; Doctor, Bhupendra P

    2003-12-30

    Acetylcholinesterase isolated from fetal bovine serum (FBS AChE) was previously characterized as a globular tetrameric form. Analysis of purified preparations of FBS AChE by gel permeation chromatography revealed the presence of a stable, catalytically active, monomeric form of this enzyme. The two forms could be distinguished from each other based on their molecular weight, hydrodynamic properties, kinetic properties, thermal stability, and the type of glycans they carry. No differences between the two forms were observed for the binding of classical inhibitors such as edrophonium and propidium or inhibitors that are current or potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease such as (-) huperzine A and E2020; tacrine inhibited the monomeric form 2-3-fold more potently than the tetrameric form. Sequencing of peptides obtained from an in-gel tryptic digest of the monomer and tetramer by tandem mass spectrometry indicated that the tetramer consists of 583 amino acid residues corresponding to the mature form of the enzyme, whereas the monomer consists of 543-547 amino acid residues. The subunit molecular weight of the protein component of the monomer (major species) was determined to be 59 414 Da and that of the tetramer as 64 239 Da. The N-terminal of the monomer and the tetramer was Glu, suggesting that the monomer is not a result of truncation at the N-terminal. The only differences detected were at the C-terminus. The tetramer yielded the expected C-terminus, CSDL, whereas the C-terminus of the monomer yielded a mixture of peptides, of which LLSATDTLD was the most abundant. These results suggest that monomeric FBS AChE is trimmed at the C-terminus, and the results are consistent with the involvement of C-terminal amino acids in the assembly of monomers into tetramers.

  3. Differential isotope dansylation labeling combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry for quantification of intact and N-terminal truncated proteins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Yanan; Li, Liang, E-mail: Liang.Li@ualberta.ca

    2013-08-20

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •LC–MS was developed for quantifying protein mixtures containing both intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. •{sup 12}C{sub 2}-Dansylation of the N-terminal amino acid of proteins was done first, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis. •The released {sup 12}C{sub 2}-dansyl labeled N-terminal amino acid was quantified using {sup 13}C{sub 2}-dansyl labeled amino acid standards. •The method provided accurate and precise results for quantifying intact and N-terminal truncated proteins within 8 h. -- Abstract: The N-terminal amino acids of proteins are important structure units for maintaining the biological function, localization, and interaction networks of proteins. Under different biological conditions, one or several N-terminal amino acids could be cleaved from an intact protein due to processes, such as proteolysis, resulting in the change of protein properties. Thus, the ability to quantify the N-terminal truncated forms of proteins is of great importance, particularly in the area of development and production of protein-based drugs where the relative quantity of the intact protein and its truncated form needs to be monitored. In this work, we describe a rapid method for absolute quantification of protein mixtures containing intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. This method is based on dansylation labeling of the N-terminal amino acids of proteins, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of the proteins into amino acids. It is shown that dansyl labeled amino acids are stable in acidic conditions and can be quantified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) with the use of isotope analog standards.

  4. Effect of the essential amino acids upon inclusion in vitro of 14C-phenylalanine and 14C-leucine in the protein of mammary gland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexandrov, S.; Ivanov, N.; Sirakov, L.

    1983-01-01

    It is admitted that the essential amino acids could be divided into two groups, depending on the need of them for synthesis of milk protein: group i - amino acids, which are absorbed in quantities precisely corresponding to their content in milk protein (methionine, phenyl-alanine, histidine, thyrosine and triptophane), and group ii - amino acids, which are absorbed in quantities greater than their content in milk protein and which, because of this, could fullfil other metabolic functions in the mammary gland (threonine, valine, isoleucine, lysine and arginine). According to this concept, tissue slices of lactating mammary gland of guinea-pigs were incubated in the presence of grour i or group ii essential amino acids. Slices were incubated for 60 min at 37+-0.5 deg C, In a Crebs-Ringer phosphate buffer plus 0.2 glucose and 3.7 KBq/ml incubation medium DL-(I- 14 C)-phenylalanine or L-(U- 14 C)-leucine and their incorporation in the tissue proteins of mammary gland was measured in vitro. Group ii essential amino acids provoked significantly more intensive (P<0.001) inclusion in protein synthesis of these labelled amino acids in the tissue of mammary gland, as compared with group i essential amino acids

  5. Quantitative amino acid profiling and stable isotopically labeled amino acid tracer enrichment used for in vivo human systemic and tissue kinetics measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bornø, Andreas; van Hall, Gerrit

    2014-01-01

    An important area within clinical functional metabolomics is in vivo amino acid metabolism and protein turnover measurements for which accurate amino acid concentrations and stable isotopically labeled amino acid enrichments are mandatory not the least when tissue metabolomics is determined....... The present study describes a new sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry method quantifying 20 amino acids and their tracer(s) ([ring-(13)C6]/D5Phenylalanine) in human plasma and skeletal muscle specimens. Before analysis amino acids were extracted and purified via deprotonization....../ion exchange, derivatized using a phenylisothiocyanate reagent and each amino acid was quantitated with its own stable isotopically labeled internal standard (uniformly labeled-(13)C/(15)N). The method was validated according to general recommendations for chromatographic analytical methods. The calibration...

  6. Excitatory amino acid transporters as potential drug targets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bunch, Lennart; Erichsen, Mette Navy; Jensen, Anders Asbjørn

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) are transmembrane proteins responsible for the uptake of (S)-glutamate (Glu) from the synaptic cleft, thereby terminating the glutamatergic neurotransmitter signal. Today five subtypes have been identified. Except for EAAT2, their individual...

  7. Docking Studies of Binding of Ethambutol to the C-Terminal Domain of the Arabinosyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillermo Salgado-Moran

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The binding of ethambutol to the C-terminal domain of the arabinosyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was studied. The analysis was performed using an in silico approach in order to find out, by docking calculations and energy descriptors, the conformer of Ethambutol that forms the most stable complex with the C-terminal domain of arabinosyltransferase. The complex shows that location of the Ethambutol coincides with the cocrystallization ligand position and that amino acid residues ASH1051, ASN740, ASP1052, and ARG1055 should be critical in the binding of Ethambutol to C-terminal domain EmbC.

  8. The first 3':5'-cyclic nucleotide-amino acid complex: L-His-cIMP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slepokura, Katarzyna

    2012-08-01

    In the crystal structure of the L-His-cIMP complex, i.e. L-histidinium inosine 3':5'-cyclic phosphate [systematic name: 5-(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium 7-hydroxy-2-oxo-6-(6-oxo-6,9-dihydro-1H-purin-9-yl)-4a,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-4H-1,3,5,2λ(5)-furo[3,2-d][1,3,2λ(5)]dioxaphosphinin-2-olate], C(6)H(10)N(3)O(2)(+)·C(10)H(10)N(4)O(7)P(-), the Hoogsteen edge of the hypoxanthine (Hyp) base of cIMP and the Hyp face are engaged in specific amino acid-nucleotide (His···cIMP) recognition, i.e. by abutting edge-to-edge and by π-π stacking, respectively. The Watson-Crick edge of Hyp and the cIMP phosphate group play a role in nonspecific His···cIMP contacts. The interactions between the cIMP anions (anti/C3'-endo/trans-gauche/chair conformers) are realized mainly between riboses and phosphate groups. The results for this L-His-cIMP complex, compared with those for the previously reported solvated L-His-IMP crystal structure, indicate a different nature of amino acid-nucleotide recognition and interactions upon the 3':5'-cyclization of the nucleotide phosphate group.

  9. 40 Oil Characterization, Amino Acid and Vitamin A and C ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AL-AMAANI

    using Techno sequential multi sample amino acid analyser and except phenylalanine which was most abundant in the sample had the highest contents of all the amino acids analysed. The fatty ..... Health Organization Rome, 19-26. October.

  10. Presence and expression of hydrogenase specific C-terminal endopeptidases in cyanobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindblad Peter

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydrogenases catalyze the simplest of all chemical reactions: the reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen or vice versa. Cyanobacteria can express an uptake, a bidirectional or both NiFe-hydrogenases. Maturation of those depends on accessory proteins encoded by hyp-genes. The last maturation step involves the cleavage of a ca. 30 amino acid long peptide from the large subunit by a C-terminal endopeptidase. Until know, nothing is known about the maturation of cyanobacterial NiFe-hydrogenases. The availability of three complete cyanobacterial genome sequences from strains with either only the uptake (Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133/PCC 73102, only the bidirectional (Synechocystis PCC 6803 or both NiFe-hydrogenases (Anabaena PCC 7120 prompted us to mine these genomes for hydrogenase maturation related genes. In this communication we focus on the presence and the expression of the NiFe-hydrogenases and the corresponding C-terminal endopeptidases, in the three strains mentioned above. Results We identified genes encoding putative cyanobacterial hydrogenase specific C-terminal endopeptidases in all analyzed cyanobacterial genomes. The genes are not part of any known hydrogenase related gene cluster. The derived amino acid sequences show only low similarity (28–41% to the well-analyzed hydrogenase specific C-terminal endopeptidase HybD from Escherichia coli, the crystal structure of which is known. However, computational secondary and tertiary structure modeling revealed the presence of conserved structural patterns around the highly conserved active site. Gene expression analysis shows that the endopeptidase encoding genes are expressed under both nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing conditions. Conclusion Anabaena PCC 7120 possesses two NiFe-hydrogenases and two hydrogenase specific C-terminal endopeptidases but only one set of hyp-genes. Thus, in contrast to the Hyp-proteins, the C-terminal endopeptidases are the only known

  11. Roles of the C-terminal domains of human dihydrodiol dehydrogenase isoforms in the binding of substrates and modulators: probing with chimaeric enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuura, K; Hara, A; Deyashiki, Y; Iwasa, H; Kume, T; Ishikura, S; Shiraishi, H; Katagiri, Y

    1998-01-01

    Human liver dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (DD; EC 1.3.1.20) exists in isoforms (DD1, DD2 and DD4) composed of 323 amino acids. DD1 and DD2 share 98% amino acid sequence identity, but show lower identities (approx. 83%) with DD4, in which a marked difference is seen in the C-terminal ten amino acids. DD4 exhibits unique catalytic properties, such as the ability to oxidize both (R)- and (S)-alicyclic alcohols equally, high dehydrogenase activity for bile acids, potent inhibition by steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and activation by sulphobromophthalein and clofibric acid derivatives. In this study, we have prepared chimaeric enzymes, in which we exchanged the C-terminal 39 residues between the two enzymes. Compared with DD1, CDD1-4 (DD1 with the C-terminal sequence of DD4) had increased kcat/Km values for 3alpha-hydroxy-5beta-androstanes and bile acids of 3-9-fold and decreased values for the other substrates by 5-100-fold. It also became highly sensitive to DD4 inhibitors such as phenolphthalein and hexoestrol. Another chimaeric enzyme, CDD4-1 (DD4 with the C-terminal sequence of DD1), showed the same (S)-stereospecificity for the alicyclic alcohols as DD1, had decreased kcat/Km values for bile acids with 7beta- or 12alpha-hydroxy groups by more than 120-fold and was resistant to inhibition by betamethasone. In addition, the activation effects of sulphobromophthalein and bezafibrate decreased or disappeared for CDD4-1. The recombinant DD4 with the His314-->Pro (the corresponding residue of DD1) mutation showed intermediate changes in the properties between those of wild-type DD4 and CDD4-1. The results indicate that the binding of substrates, inhibitors and activators to the enzymes is controlled by residues in their C-terminal domains; multiple residues co-ordinately act as determinants for substrate specificity and inhibitor sensitivity. PMID:9820821

  12. Use of [11C]aminocyclohexanecarboxylate for the measurement of amino acid uptake and distribution volume in human brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koeppe, R.A.; Mangner, T.; Betz, A.L.; Shulkin, B.L.; Allen, R.; Kollros, P.; Kuhl, D.E.; Agranoff, B.W.

    1990-01-01

    A quantitative positron emission tomographic (PET) method to measure amino acid blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport rate and tissue distribution volume (DV) has been developed using 11 C-labeled aminocyclohexanecarboxylate (ACHC), a nonmetabolized amino acid analogue. Dynamic PET data were acquired as a series of 15 scans covering a total of 60 min and analyzed by means of a two-compartment, two-parameter model. Functional images were calculated for the amino acid transport rate constants across the BBB and the amino acid DV in the brain. Results show [ 11 C]ACHC to have an influx rate constant in gray matter of approximately 0.03-0.04 ml g-1 min-1, indicating a single-pass extraction fraction of approximately 5-7%. The intersubject coefficient of variation was approximately 15% while intrasubject variability of repeat scans was only slightly greater than 5%. Studies were performed in 15 young normal volunteer control subjects, 5 elderly controls, 7 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, and one patient with phenylketonuria. Results indicate that [ 11 C]-ACHC will serve as the basis of a method for measuring amino acid transport rate and DV in the normal and pathological human brain

  13. Subcritical Water Hydrolysis of Peptides: Amino Acid Side-Chain Modifications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, Thomas; Bowra, Steve; Cooper, Helen J.

    2017-09-01

    Previously we have shown that subcritical water may be used as an alternative to enzymatic digestion in the proteolysis of proteins for bottom-up proteomics. Subcritical water hydrolysis of proteins was shown to result in protein sequence coverages greater than or equal to that obtained following digestion with trypsin; however, the percentage of peptide spectral matches for the samples treated with trypsin were consistently greater than for those treated with subcritical water. This observation suggests that in addition to cleavage of the peptide bond, subcritical water treatment results in other hydrolysis products, possibly due to modifications of amino acid side chains. Here, a model peptide comprising all common amino acid residues (VQSIKCADFLHYMENPTWGR) and two further model peptides (VCFQYMDRGDR and VQSIKADFLHYENPTWGR) were treated with subcritical water with the aim of probing any induced amino acid side-chain modifications. The hydrolysis products were analyzed by direct infusion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, either collision-induced dissociation or electron transfer dissociation, and liquid chromatography collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. The results show preferential oxidation of cysteine to sulfinic and sulfonic acid, and oxidation of methionine. In the absence of cysteine and methionine, oxidation of tryptophan was observed. In addition, water loss from aspartic acid and C-terminal amidation were observed in harsher subcritical water conditions. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  14. Plasma amino acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amino acids blood test ... types of methods used to determine the individual amino acid levels in the blood. ... test is done to measure the level of amino acids in the blood. An increased level of a ...

  15. The C-Terminal O-S Acyl Shift Pathway under Acidic Condition to Propose Peptide-Thioesters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Mi Kim

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Peptide-thioester is a pivotal intermediate for peptide ligation and N-, C-terminal cyclization. In this study, desired pathway and the side products of two C-terminal handles, hydroxyethylthiol (HET and hydroxypropylthiol (HPT are described in different conditions as well as kinetic studies. In addition, a new mechanism of C-terminal residue racemization is proposed on the basis of differentiation of products derived from the two C-terminal handles in preparing peptide thioesters through an acid-catalyzed tandem thiol switch, first by an intramolecular O-S acyl shift, and then by an intermolecular S-S exchange.

  16. The intercorrelation of the amino acid quality between raw, steeped ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The total amino acid contents were: steeped [57.71 g/100 g crude protein (c.p.)], germinated (53.37 g/100 g c.p.) and raw (37.91 g/100 g c.p.) with respective essential amino acids of 30.70 g/100 g c.p., 28.33 g/100 g c.p. and 21.48 g/100 g c.p. Percentage cystine/total sulfur amino acid (% Cys/TSAA) trend was 72.0 ...

  17. Crystallization of the C-terminal domain of the addiction antidote CcdA in complex with its toxin CcdB

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buts, Lieven; De Jonge, Natalie; Loris, Remy; Wyns, Lode; Dao-Thi, Minh-Hoa

    2005-01-01

    The CcdA C-terminal domain was crystallized in complex with CcdB in two crystal forms that diffract to beyond 2.0 Å resolution. CcdA and CcdB are the antidote and toxin of the ccd addiction module of Escherichia coli plasmid F. The CcdA C-terminal domain (CcdA C36 ; 36 amino acids) was crystallized in complex with CcdB (dimer of 2 × 101 amino acids) in three different crystal forms, two of which diffract to high resolution. Form II belongs to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 37.6, b = 60.5, c = 83.8 Å and diffracts to 1.8 Å resolution. Form III belongs to space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 41.0, b = 37.9, c = 69.6 Å, β = 96.9°, and diffracts to 1.9 Å resolution

  18. Asparagine 326 in the extremely C-terminal region of XRCC4 is essential for the cell survival after irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wanotayan, Rujira; Fukuchi, Mikoto; Imamichi, Shoji; Sharma, Mukesh Kumar; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa, E-mail: yoshim@nr.titech.ac.jp

    2015-02-20

    XRCC4 is one of the crucial proteins in the repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB) through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). As XRCC4 consists of 336 amino acids, N-terminal 200 amino acids include domains for dimerization and for association with DNA ligase IV and XLF and shown to be essential for XRCC4 function in DSB repair and V(D)J recombination. On the other hand, the role of the remaining C-terminal region of XRCC4 is not well understood. In the present study, we noticed that a stretch of ∼20 amino acids located at the extreme C-terminus of XRCC4 is highly conserved among vertebrate species. To explore its possible importance, series of mutants in this region were constructed and assessed for the functionality in terms of ability to rescue radiosensitivity of M10 cells lacking XRCC4. Among 13 mutants, M10 transfectant with N326L mutant (M10-XRCC4{sup N326L}) showed elevated radiosensitivity. N326L protein showed defective nuclear localization. N326L sequence matched the consensus sequence of nuclear export signal. Leptomycin B treatment accumulated XRCC4{sup N326L} in the nucleus but only partially rescued radiosensitivity of M10-XRCC4{sup N326L}. These results collectively indicated that the functional defects of XRCC4{sup N326L} might be partially, but not solely, due to its exclusion from nucleus by synthetic nuclear export signal. Further mutation of XRCC4 Asn326 to other amino acids, i.e., alanine, aspartic acid or glutamine did not affect the nuclear localization but still exhibited radiosensitivity. The present results indicated the importance of the extremely C-terminal region of XRCC4 and, especially, Asn326 therein. - Highlights: • Extremely C-terminal region of XRCC4 is highly conserved among vertebrate species. • XRCC4 C-terminal point mutants, R325F and N326L, are functionally deficient in terms of survival after irradiation. • N326L localizes to the cytoplasm because of synthetic nuclear export signal. • Leptomycin B restores the

  19. Activity of the C-terminal-dependent vacuolar sorting signal of horseradish peroxidase C1a is enhanced by its secondary structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsui, Takeshi; Tabayashi, Ayako; Iwano, Megumi; Shinmyo, Atsuhiko; Kato, Ko; Nakayama, Hideki

    2011-02-01

    Plant class III peroxidase (PRX) catalyzes the oxidation and oxidative polymerization of a variety of phenolic compounds while reducing hydrogen peroxide. PRX proteins are classified into apoplast type and vacuole type based on the absence or the presence of C-terminal propeptides, which probably function as vacuolar sorting signals (VSSs). In this study, in order to improve our understanding of vacuole-type PRX, we analyzed regulatory mechanisms of vacuolar sorting of a model vacuole-type PRX, the C1a isozyme of horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) (HRP C1a). Using cultured transgenic tobacco cells and protoplasts derived from horseradish leaves, we characterized HRP C1a's VSS, which is a 15 amino acid C-terminal propeptide (C15). We found that the C-terminal hexapeptide of C15 (C6), which is well conserved among vacuole-type PRX proteins, forms the core of the C-terminal-dependent VSS. We also found that the function of C6 is enhanced by the remaining N-terminal part of C15 which probably folds into an amphiphilic α-helix.

  20. Amino acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002222.htm Amino acids To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins . ...

  1. Searching for Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in a Contaminated Meteorite: Amino Acid Analyses of the Canakkale L6 Chondrite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, A. S.; Elsila, J. E.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Ornek, C. Y.; Esenoglu, H. H.; Unsalan, O.; Ozturk, B.

    2016-01-01

    Amino acids can serve as important markers of cosmochemistry, as their abundances and isomeric and isotopic compositions have been found to vary predictably with changes in parent body chemistry and alteration processes. Amino acids are also of astrobiological interest because they are essential for life on Earth. Analyses of a range of meteorites, including all groups of carbonaceous chondrites, along with H, R, and LL chondrites, ureilites, and a martian shergottite, have revealed that amino acids of plausible extraterrestrial origin can be formed in and persist after a wide range of parent body conditions. However, amino acid analyses of L6 chondrites to date have not provided evidence for indigenous amino acids. In the present study, we performed amino acid analysis on larger samples of a different L6 chondite, Canakkale, to determine whether or not trace levels of indigenous amino acids could be found. The Canakkale meteor was an observed fall in late July, 1964, near Canakkale, Turkey. The meteorite samples (1.36 and 1.09 g) analyzed in this study were allocated by C. Y. Ornek, along with a soil sample (1.5 g) collected near the Canakkale recovery site.

  2. The C-terminal amino acid of the MHC-I heavy chain is critical for binding to Derlin-1 in human cytomegalovirus US11-induced MHC-I degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Sunglim; Kim, Bo Young; Ahn, Kwangseog; Jun, Youngsoo

    2013-01-01

    Derlin-1 plays a critical role in endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) of a particular subset of proteins. Although it is generally accepted that Derlin-1 mediates the export of ERAD substrates from the ER to the cytosol, little is known about how Derlin-1 interacts with these substrates. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) US11 exploits Derlin-1-dependent ERAD to degrade major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules and evade immune surveillance. US11 requires the cytosolic tail of the MHC-I heavy chain to divert MHC-I molecules into the ERAD pathway for degradation; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show that the cytosolic tail of the MHC-I heavy chain, although not required for interaction with US11, is required for tight binding to Derlin-1 and thus for US11-induced dislocation of the MHC-I heavy chain to the cytosol for proteasomal degradation. Surprisingly, deletion of a single C-terminal amino acid from the cytosolic tail disrupted the interaction between MHC-I molecules and Derlin-1, rendering mutant MHC-I molecules resistant to US11-induced degradation. Consistently, deleting the C-terminal cytosolic region of Derlin-1 prevented it from binding to MHC-I molecules. Taken together, these results suggest that the cytosolic region of Derlin-1 is involved in ERAD substrate binding and that this interaction is critical for the Derlin-1-mediated dislocation of the MHC-I heavy chain to the cytosol during US11-induced MHC-I degradation.

  3. Amino acid metabolism in plant leaf, 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Osamu; Kumazawa, Kikuo

    1977-01-01

    14C-labelled sodium bicarbonate and 15N-labelled ammonium sulfate were simultaneously vacuum-infiltrated into detached sunflower leaves, and the incorporation of 14C and 15N into free amino acids was chased during 60-min period in the light and in the dark. In the light, the 14C specific activity of aspartic acid, alanine, serine and glycine rapidly increased for 5 min and thereafter decreased. On the other hand, that of glutamic acid continued to increase slowly during the entire 60-min period. In the dark, aspartic acid most actively incorporated 14C. The difference of changes in 14C specific activity between glutamic acid and other amino acids was also observed in the dark as in the light. These results suggest that the carbon skeleton of glutamic acid is synthesized from aspartic acid, alanine, serine and glycine. 15N content of glutamine was the highest of all amino acids investigated in the light, and it was followed by glutamic acid, alanine, aspartic acid, serine and glycine, in this order. In the dark, 15N content of glutamic acid fell remarkably and was lower than that of alanine up to 5 min. From these 15N tracer experiments, it is suggested that the incorporation of ammonium into glutamic acid is strictly dependent on light and that alanine incorporates ammonium by the direct animation besides the transamination from glutamic acid. (auth.)

  4. The simultaneous biosynthesis and uptake of amino acids by Lactococcus lactis studied by C-13-labeling experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, N.B.S.; Christensen, B.; Nielsen, Jette

    2002-01-01

    Uniformly C-13 labeled glucose was fed to a lactic acid bacterium growing on a defined medium supplemented with all proteinogenic amino acids except glutamate. Aspartate stemming from the protein pool and from the extracellular medium was enriched with C-13 disclosing a substantial de novo...... biosynthesis of this amino acid simultaneous to its uptake from the growth medium and a rapid exchange flux of aspartate over the cellular membrane. Phenylalanine, alanine, and threonine were also synthesized de novo in spite of their presence in the growth medium....

  5. Comparison of Glutamate Turnover in Nerve Terminals and Brain Tissue During [1,6-13C2]Glucose Metabolism in Anesthetized Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Anant B; Lai, James C K; Chowdhury, Golam I M; Rothman, Douglas L; Behar, Kevin L

    2017-01-01

    The 13 C turnover of neurotransmitter amino acids (glutamate, GABA and aspartate) were determined from extracts of forebrain nerve terminals and brain homogenate, and fronto-parietal cortex from anesthetized rats undergoing timed infusions of [1,6- 13 C 2 ]glucose or [2- 13 C]acetate. Nerve terminal 13 C fractional labeling of glutamate and aspartate was lower than those in whole cortical tissue at all times measured (up to 120 min), suggesting either the presence of a constant dilution flux from an unlabeled substrate or an unlabeled (effectively non-communicating on the measurement timescale) glutamate pool in the nerve terminals. Half times of 13 C labeling from [1,6- 13 C 2 ]glucose, as estimated by least squares exponential fitting to the time course data, were longer for nerve terminals (Glu C4 , 21.8 min; GABA C2 21.0 min) compared to cortical tissue (Glu C4 , 12.4 min; GABA C2 , 14.5 min), except for Asp C3 , which was similar (26.5 vs. 27.0 min). The slower turnover of glutamate in the nerve terminals (but not GABA) compared to the cortex may reflect selective effects of anesthesia on activity-dependent glucose use, which might be more pronounced in the terminals. The 13 C labeling ratio for glutamate-C4 from [2- 13 C]acetate over that of 13 C-glucose was twice as large in nerve terminals compared to cortex, suggesting that astroglial glutamine under the 13 C glucose infusion was the likely source of much of the nerve terminal dilution. The net replenishment of most of the nerve terminal amino acid pools occurs directly via trafficking of astroglial glutamine.

  6. Structure predictions of two Bauhinia variegata lectins reveal patterns of C-terminal properties in single chain legume lectins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Gustavo M S G; Conceição, Fabricio R; McBride, Alan J A; Pinto, Luciano da S

    2013-01-01

    Bauhinia variegata lectins (BVL-I and BVL-II) are single chain lectins isolated from the plant Bauhinia variegata. Single chain lectins undergo post-translational processing on its N-terminal and C-terminal regions, which determines their physiological targeting, carbohydrate binding activity and pattern of quaternary association. These two lectins are isoforms, BVL-I being highly glycosylated, and thus far, it has not been possible to determine their structures. The present study used prediction and validation algorithms to elucidate the likely structures of BVL-I and -II. The program Bhageerath-H was chosen from among three different structure prediction programs due to its better overall reliability. In order to predict the C-terminal region cleavage sites, other lectins known to have this modification were analysed and three rules were created: (1) the first amino acid of the excised peptide is small or hydrophobic; (2) the cleavage occurs after an acid, polar, or hydrophobic residue, but not after a basic one; and (3) the cleavage spot is located 5-8 residues after a conserved Leu amino acid. These rules predicted that BVL-I and -II would have fifteen C-terminal residues cleaved, and this was confirmed experimentally by Edman degradation sequencing of BVL-I. Furthermore, the C-terminal analyses predicted that only BVL-II underwent α-helical folding in this region, similar to that seen in SBA and DBL. Conversely, BVL-I and -II contained four conserved regions of a GS-I association, providing evidence of a previously undescribed X4+unusual oligomerisation between the truncated BVL-I and the intact BVL-II. This is the first report on the structural analysis of lectins from Bauhinia spp. and therefore is important for the characterisation C-terminal cleavage and patterns of quaternary association of single chain lectins.

  7. Use of ( sup 11 C)aminocyclohexanecarboxylate for the measurement of amino acid uptake and distribution volume in human brain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koeppe, R.A.; Mangner, T.; Betz, A.L.; Shulkin, B.L.; Allen, R.; Kollros, P.; Kuhl, D.E.; Agranoff, B.W. (Univ. of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor (USA))

    1990-09-01

    A quantitative positron emission tomographic (PET) method to measure amino acid blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport rate and tissue distribution volume (DV) has been developed using {sup 11}C-labeled aminocyclohexanecarboxylate (ACHC), a nonmetabolized amino acid analogue. Dynamic PET data were acquired as a series of 15 scans covering a total of 60 min and analyzed by means of a two-compartment, two-parameter model. Functional images were calculated for the amino acid transport rate constants across the BBB and the amino acid DV in the brain. Results show ({sup 11}C)ACHC to have an influx rate constant in gray matter of approximately 0.03-0.04 ml g-1 min-1, indicating a single-pass extraction fraction of approximately 5-7%. The intersubject coefficient of variation was approximately 15% while intrasubject variability of repeat scans was only slightly greater than 5%. Studies were performed in 15 young normal volunteer control subjects, 5 elderly controls, 7 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, and one patient with phenylketonuria. Results indicate that ({sup 11}C)-ACHC will serve as the basis of a method for measuring amino acid transport rate and DV in the normal and pathological human brain.

  8. Quantification of glucosinolates, anthocyanins, free amino acids, and vitamin C in inbred lines of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Suhyoung; Valan Arasu, Mariadhas; Lee, Min-Ki; Chun, Jin-Hyuk; Seo, Jeong Min; Lee, Sang-Won; Al-Dhabi, Naif Abdullah; Kim, Sun-Ju

    2014-02-15

    We profiled and quantified glucosinolates (GSLs), anthocyanins, free amino acids, and vitamin C metabolites in forty-five lines of green and red cabbages. Analysis of these distinct cabbages revealed the presence of 11 GSLs, 13 anthocyanins, 22 free amino acids, and vitamin C. GSL contents were varied amongst the different lines of cabbage. The total GSL content was mean 10.6 μmol/g DW, and sinigrin was the predominant GSL accounted mean 4.0 μmol/g DW (37.7% of the total) followed by glucoraphanin (1.9) and glucobrassicin (2.4). Amongst the 13 anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-(sinapoyl) diglucoside-5-glucoside levels were the highest. The amounts of total free amino acids in green cabbage lines ranged 365.9 mg/100g fresh weight (FW) to 1089.1mg/100g FW. Vitamin C levels were much higher in red cabbage line (129.9 mg/100g FW). Thus, the amounts of GSLs, anthocyanins, free amino acids, and vitamin C varied widely, and the variations in these compounds between the lines of cabbage were significant. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Amino-terminal sequence of glycoprotein D of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eisenberg, R.J.; Long, D.; Hogue-Angeletti, R.; Cohen, G.H.

    1984-01-01

    Glycoprotein D (gD) of herpes simplex virus is a structural component of the virion envelope which stimulates production of high titers of herpes simplex virus type-common neutralizing antibody. The authors caried out automated N-terminal amino acid sequencing studies on radiolabeled preparations of gD-1 (gD of herpes simplex virus type 1) and gD-2 (gD of herpes simplex virus type 2). Although some differences were noted, particularly in the methionine and alanine profiles for gD-1 and gD-2, the amino acid sequence of a number of the first 30 residues of the amino terminus of gD-1 and gD-2 appears to be quite similar. For both proteins, the first residue is a lysine. When we compared out sequence data for gD-1 with those predicted by nucleic acid sequencing, the two sequences could be aligned (with one exception) starting at residue 26 (lysine) of the predicted sequence. Thus, the first 25 amino acids of the predicted sequence are absent from the polypeptides isolated from infected cells

  10. C9/12 Ribbon-Like Structures in Hybrid Peptides Alternating α- and Thiazole-Based γ-Amino Acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnel, Clément; Legrand, Baptiste; Simon, Matthieu; Martinez, Jean; Bantignies, Jean-Louis; Kang, Young Kee; Wenger, Emmanuel; Hoh, Francois; Masurier, Nicolas; Maillard, Ludovic T

    2017-12-11

    According to their restricted conformational freedom, heterocyclic γ-amino acids are usually considered to be related to Z-vinylogous γ-amino acids. In this context, oligomers alternating α-amino acids and thiazole-based γ-amino acids (ATCs) were expected to fold into a canonical 12-helical shape as described for α/γ-hybrid peptides composed of cis-α/β-unsaturated γ-amino acids. However, through a combination of X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, FTIR experiments, and DFT calculations, it was determined that the folding behavior of ATC-containing hybrid peptides is much more complex. The homochiral α/(S)-ATC sequences were unable to adopt a stable conformation, whereas the heterochiral α/(R)-ATC peptides displayed novel ribbon structures stabilized by unusual C 9/12 -bifurcated hydrogen bonds. These ribbon structures could be considered as a succession of pre-organized γ/α dipeptides and may provide the basis for designing original α-helix mimics. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Structure discrimination for the C-terminal domain of Escherichia coli trigger factor in solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao Yong; Bhabha, Gira; Kroon, Gerard; Landes, Mindy; Dyson, H. Jane

    2008-01-01

    NMR measurements can give important information on solution structure, without the necessity for a full-scale solution structure determination. The C-terminal protein binding domain of the ribosome-associated chaperone protein trigger factor is composed of non-contiguous parts of the polypeptide chain, with an interpolated prolyl isomerase domain. A construct of the C-terminal domain of Escherichia coli trigger factor containing residues 113-149 and 247-432, joined by a Gly-Ser-Gly-Ser linker, is well folded and gives excellent NMR spectra in solution. We have used NMR measurements on this construct, and on a longer construct that includes the prolyl isomerase domain, to distinguish between two possible structures for the C-terminal domain of trigger factor, and to assess the behavior of the trigger factor C-terminal domain in solution. Two X-ray crystal structures, of intact trigger factor from E. coli (Ferbitz et al., Nature 431:590-596, 2004), and of a truncated trigger factor from Vibrio cholerae (Ludlam et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101:13436-13441, 2004) showed significant differences in the structure of the C-terminal domain, such that the two structures could not be superimposed. We show using NMR chemical shifts and long range nuclear Overhauser effects that the secondary and tertiary structure of the E. coli C-terminal domain in solution is consistent with the crystal structure of the E. coli trigger factor and not with the V. cholerae protein. Given the similarity of the amino acid sequences of the E. coli and V. cholerae proteins, it appears likely that the structure of the V. cholerae protein has been distorted as a result of truncation of a 44-amino acid segment at the C-terminus. Analysis of residual dipolar coupling measurements shows that the overall topology of the solution structure is completely inconsistent with both structures. Dynamics analysis of the C-terminal domain using T 1 , T 2 and heteronuclear NOE parameters show that the protein is

  12. Reactions of tritium atoms with amino acids, deuterated amino acids and mixtures of amino acids. Additivity property and isotope effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badun, G.A.; Filatov, Eh.S.

    1988-01-01

    Interaction of tritium atoms with glycine (1) and leucine (2) amino acids, deuterated amino acids, their mixtures and glycylleucine (3) peptide in the 77-300 K temperature range is studied in isothermal and gradient regimes. Tagged amino acids were separated from targets after conducting the reaction. At T 150 K are associated with intermolecular transmission of free valence in the mixture of amino acids. Regularities of the reaction found for the mixture of amino acids are conserved for (3) as well, i.e. the peptide bond does not essentially affect the reaction of isotopic exchange conditioned by atomic tritium

  13. Biomonitoring of carcinogenic substances: enzymatic digestion of globin for detecting alkylated amino acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bader, Michael; Rauscher, Dankwart; Geibel, Kurt; Angerer, Juergen

    1993-03-01

    We report the application of proteases for the total hydrolysis of globin with subsequent determination of amino acids. Optimization of the proteolysis was made with respect to enzyme concentration, time of incubation and type of protease. Ethylene oxide modified globin was used to compare the results of the analysis of the N-terminal amino acid valine after enzymatic cleavage to those obtained from the widely used modified Edman procedure. It is shown that the cleavage is of good reproducibility and yields more alkylated amino acid than the Edman procedure.

  14. Comparative analysis of amino acids and amino-acid derivatives in protein crystallization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Len; Shiraki, Kentaro; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi

    2010-01-01

    New types of aggregation suppressors, such as amino acids and their derivatives, were focused on as fourth-component additives. Data were obtained that indicated that the additives promote protein crystallization. Optimal conditions for protein crystallization are difficult to determine because proteins tend to aggregate in saturated solutions. This study comprehensively evaluates amino acids and amino-acid derivatives as additives for crystallization. This fourth component of the solution increases the probability of crystallization of hen egg-white lysozyme in various precipitants owing to a decrease in aggregation. These results suggest that the addition of certain types of amino acids and amino-acid derivatives, such as Arg, Lys and esterified and amidated amino acids, is a simple method of improving the success rate of protein crystallization

  15. Specific lysosomal transport of small neutral amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pisoni, R.L.; Flickinger, K.S.; Thoene, J.G.; Christensen, H.N.

    1986-01-01

    Studies of amino acid exodus from lysosomes have allowed us previously to describe transport systems specific for cystine and another for cationic amino acids in fibroblast lysosomes. They are now able to study amino acid uptake into highly purified fibroblast lysosomes obtained by separating crude granular fraction on gradients formed by centrifugation in 35% isoosmotic Percoll solutions. Analog inhibition and saturation studies indicate that L-[ 14 C]proline (50 μM) uptake by fibroblast lysosomes at 37 0 C in 50 mM citrate/tris pH 7.0 buffer containing 0.25 M sucrose is mediated by two transport systems, one largely specific for L-proline and the other for which transport is shared with small neutral amino acids such as alanine, serine and threonine. At 7 mM, L-proline inhibits L-[ 14 C]proline uptake almost completely, whereas ala, ser, val, thr, gly, N-methylalanine and sarcosine inhibit proline uptake by 50-65%. The system shared by alanine, serine and threonine is further characterized by these amino acids strongly inhibiting the uptakes of each other. Lysosomal proline transport is selective for the L-isomer of the amino acid, and is scarcely inhibited by 7 mM arg, glu, asp, leu, phe, his, met, (methylamino) isobutyrate, betaine or N,N-dimethylglycine. Cis or trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline inhibit proline uptake only slightly. In sharp contrast to the fibroblast plasma membrane in which Na + is required for most proline and alanine transport, lysosomal uptake of these amino acids occurs independently of Na +

  16. Subcritical Water Extraction of Amino Acids from Atacama Desert Soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amashukeli, Xenia; Pelletier, Christine C.; Kirby, James P.; Grunthaner, Frank J.

    2007-01-01

    Amino acids are considered organic molecular indicators in the search for extant and extinct life in the Solar System. Extraction of these molecules from a particulate solid matrix, such as Martian regolith, will be critical to their in situ detection and analysis. The goals of this study were to optimize a laboratory amino acid extraction protocol by quantitatively measuring the yields of extracted amino acids as a function of liquid water temperature and sample extraction time and to compare the results to the standard HCl vapor- phase hydrolysis yields for the same soil samples. Soil samples from the Yungay region of the Atacama Desert ( Martian regolith analog) were collected during a field study in the summer of 2005. The amino acids ( alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, serine, and valine) chosen for analysis were present in the samples at concentrations of 1 - 70 parts- per- billion. Subcritical water extraction efficiency was examined over the temperature range of 30 - 325 degrees C, at pressures of 17.2 or 20.0 MPa, and for water- sample contact equilibration times of 0 - 30 min. None of the amino acids were extracted in detectable amounts at 30 degrees C ( at 17.2 MPa), suggesting that amino acids are too strongly bound by the soil matrix to be extracted at such a low temperature. Between 150 degrees C and 250 degrees C ( at 17.2 MPa), the extraction efficiencies of glycine, alanine, and valine were observed to increase with increasing water temperature, consistent with higher solubility at higher temperatures, perhaps due to the decreasing dielectric constant of water. Amino acids were not detected in extracts collected at 325 degrees C ( at 20.0 MPa), probably due to amino acid decomposition at this temperature. The optimal subcritical water extraction conditions for these amino acids from Atacama Desert soils were achieved at 200 degrees C, 17.2 MPa, and a water- sample contact equilibration time of 10 min.

  17. Role for excitatory amino acids in methamphetamine-induced nigrostriatal dopaminergic toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonsalla, P K; Nicklas, W J; Heikkila, R E

    1989-01-20

    The systemic administration of either methamphetamine or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to experimental animals produces degenerative changes in nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons or their axon terminals. This study was conducted to determine if excitatory amino acids, which appear to be involved in various neurodegenerative disorders, might also contribute to the dopaminergic neurotoxicity produced in mice by either methamphetamine or MPTP. MK-801, phencyclidine, and ketamine, noncompetitive antagonists of one subtype of excitatory amino acid receptor, the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, provided substantial protection against neurotoxicity produced by methamphetamine but not that produced by MPTP. These findings indicate that excitatory amino acids play an important role in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic damage induced by methamphetamine.

  18. Barley polyamine oxidase: Characterisation and analysis of the cofactor and the N-terminal amino acid sequence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Radova, A.; Sebela, M.; Galuszka, P.

    2001-01-01

    This paper reports the first purification method developed for the isolation of an homogeneous polyamine oxidase (PAO) from etiolated barley seedlings. The crude enzyme preparation was obtained after initial precipitation of the extract with protamine sulphate and ammonium sulphate. The enzyme...... was further confirmed by measuring the fluorescence spectra, Barley PAO is an acidic protein (pI 5.4) containing 3% of neutral sugars: its molecular mass determined by SDS-PAGE was 56 kDa, whilst gel permeation chromatography revealed the higher value of 76 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of barley...... PAO shows a high degree of similarity to that of maize PAO and to several other flavoprotein oxidases. The polyamines spermine and spermidine were the only two substrates of the enzyme with K-m values 4 x 10(-5) and 3 x 10(-5) M and pH optima of 5.0 and 6.0, respectively. Barley polyamine oxidase...

  19. Partial amino acid sequence of the branched chain amino acid aminotransferase (TmB) of E. coli JA199 pDU11

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feild, M.J.; Armstrong, F.B.

    1987-01-01

    E. coli JA199 pDU11 harbors a multicopy plasmid containing the ilv GEDAY gene cluster of S. typhimurium. TmB, gene product of ilv E, was purified, crystallized, and subjected to Edman degradation using a gas phase sequencer. The intact protein yielded an amino terminal 31 residue sequence. Both carboxymethylated apoenzyme and [ 3 H]-NaBH-reduced holoenzyme were then subjected to digestion by trypsin. The digests were fractionated using reversed phase HPLC, and the peptides isolated were sequenced. The borohydride-treated holoenzyme was used to isolate the cofactor-binding peptide. The peptide is 27 residues long and a comparison with known sequences of other aminotransferases revealed limited homology. Peptides accounting for 211 of 288 predicted residues have been sequenced, including 9 residues of the carboxyl terminus. Comparison of peptides with the inferred amino acid sequence of the E. coli K-12 enzyme has helped determine the sequence of the amino terminal 59 residues; only two differences between the sequences are noted in this region

  20. C-Terminal Substitution of HBV Core Proteins with Those from DHBV Reveals That Arginine-Rich 167RRRSQSPRR175 Domain Is Critical for HBV Replication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Taeyeung; Shin, Bo-Hye; Park, Gil-Soon; Park, Sun; Chwae, Yong-Joon; Shin, Ho-Joon; Kim, Kyongmin

    2012-01-01

    To investigate the contributions of carboxyl-terminal nucleic acid binding domain of HBV core (C) protein for hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, chimeric HBV C proteins were generated by substituting varying lengths of the carboxyl-terminus of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) C protein for the corresponding regions of HBV C protein. All chimeric C proteins formed core particles. A chimeric C protein with 221–262 amino acids of DHBV C protein, in place of 146–185 amino acids of the HBV C protein, supported HBV pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) encapsidation and DNA synthesis: 40% amino acid sequence identity or 45% homology in the nucleic-acid binding domain of HBV C protein was sufficient for pgRNA encapsidation and DNA synthesis, although we predominantly detected spliced DNA. A chimeric C protein with 221–241 and 251–262 amino acids of DHBV C, in place of HBV C 146–166 and 176–185 amino acids, respectively, could rescue full-length DNA synthesis. However, a reciprocal C chimera with 242–250 of DHBV C (242RAGSPLPRS 250) introduced in place of 167–175 of HBV C (167RRRSQSPRR 175) significantly decreased pgRNA encapsidation and DNA synthesis, and full-length DNA was not detected, demonstrating that the arginine-rich 167RRRSQSPRR175 domain may be critical for efficient viral replication. Five amino acids differing between viral species (underlined above) were tested for replication rescue; R169 and R175 were found to be important. PMID:22911745

  1. Solubility of xenon in amino-acid solutions. II. Nine less-soluble amino acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennan, Richard P.; Himm, Jeffrey F.; Pollack, Gerald L.

    1988-05-01

    Ostwald solubility (L) of xenon gas, as the radioisotope 133Xe, has been measured as a function of solute concentration, at 25.0 °C, in aqueous solutions of nine amino acids. The amino-acid concentrations investigated covered much of their solubility ranges in water, viz., asparagine monohydrate (0-0.19 M), cysteine (0-1.16 M), glutamine (0-0.22 M), histidine (0-0.26 M), isoleucine (0-0.19 M), methionine (0-0.22 M), serine (0-0.38 M), threonine (0-1.4 M), and valine (0-0.34 M). We have previously reported solubility results for aqueous solutions of six other, generally more soluble, amino acids (alanine, arginine, glycine, hydroxyproline, lysine, and proline), of sucrose and sodium chloride. In general, L decreases approximately linearly with increasing solute concentration in these solutions. If we postulate that the observed decreases in gas solubility are due to hydration, the results under some assumptions can be used to calculate hydration numbers (H), i.e., the number of H2O molecules associated with each amino-acid solute molecule. The average values of hydration number (H¯) obtained at 25.0 °C are 15.3±1.5 for asparagine, 6.8±0.3 for cysteine, 11.5±1.1 for glutamine, 7.3±0.7 for histidine, 5.9±0.4 for isoleucine, 10.6±0.8 for methionine, 11.2±1.3 for serine, 7.7± 1.0 for threonine, and 6.6±0.6 for valine. We have also measured the temperature dependence of solubility L(T) from 5-40 °C for arginine, glycine, and proline, and obtained hydration numbers H¯(T) in this range. Between 25-40 °C, arginine has an H¯ near zero. This may be evidence for an attractive interaction between xenon and arginine molecules in aqueous solution.

  2. Aliphatic semisynthetic amino terminal variants of myoglobin: enrichment with carbon-13, determination and interpretation of terminal pK values and motions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Busch, M.R.

    1985-01-01

    The synthesis of a series of myoglobins substituted in the amino terminal residue to provide variation in the aliphatic nature of the side chain and enrichment in 13 C was accomplished by semisynthetic methods. The replacements of valine, the native first residue, included 13 C enriched glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine. The products were extensively characterized and found to be virtually indistinguishable by most physical methods. 13 C NMR spectroscopy showed significant differences in the amino terminal pK value, ranging from 7.72 for myoglobin to 7.15 for myoglobin. Consideration of the electrostatic effects of the charge array indicated a balance of interactions at this site not significantly altered by variations in the side chain. By examination of the crystal structure, consideration of earlier work regarding the interactions of the side chain of Leu-2, and data regarding the motions of the terminal residue, it was concluded that the interaction of the side chain of the first residue with the hydrophobic cluster formed primarily by close contact of invariant residues Leu-2 and Leu-137 was the primary cause for the reduction in the terminal pK values seen for the larger aliphatics. By restricting the freedom of the residue, this interaction limits the available hydration volume, and consequently favors the unprotonated form of the amine. The concurrent observation of both functional elements in the series of α amino terminal residues brings out the interrelated consequences for the two categories of solvent interactions controlling structural and functional properties in a graded way

  3. Differential utilization of blood meal amino acids in mosquitoes

    OpenAIRE

    Miesfeld, Roger

    2009-01-01

    Guoli Zhou, Roger MiesfeldDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USAAbstract: Amino acids in the mosquito blood meal have two forms, protein-bound and plasma-free amino acids. To determine if the metabolic fate and flux of these two forms of blood meal amino acids are distinct, we fed mosquitoes eight [14C]-labeled amino acids, seven of which are essential for mosquitoes (leucine, valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, lysine, arginine, histidine), and one th...

  4. General synthesis of C-glycosyl amino acids via proline-catalyzed direct electrophilic alpha-amination of C-glycosylalkyl aldehydes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuzzi, Andrea; Massi, Alessandro; Dondoni, Alessandro

    2008-10-16

    Non-natural axially and equatorially linked C-glycosyl alpha-amino acids (glycines, alanines, and CH2-serine isosteres) with either S or R alpha-configuration were prepared by D- and L-proline-catalyzed (de >95%) alpha-amination of C-glycosylalkyl aldehydes using dibenzyl azodicarboxylate as the electrophilic reagent.

  5. Incorporation of 14C-amino acids proteins by abomasa from cow, buffalo calves and goat kid in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angelo, I.A.; Ganguli, N.C.

    1975-01-01

    The capability of abomasal tissue to incorporate 14 C-amino acids in vitro into its tissue protein complex was demonstrated. The tissues from younger animals manifested higher activity. Amongst the species, abomasa from cow and buffalo calves exhibited higher incorporation efficiency than that observed with kid abomasum. Mucous membrane of abomasum was more potent in respect of the uptake of amino acid than the whole tissue. The impact of additives on the incorporation of amino acid showed distinct variation when tested with whole tissue and its mucous membrane fraction. (author)

  6. Degradation of amino acids to short-chain fatty acids in humans. An in vitro study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, H S; Holtug, K; Mortensen, P B

    1988-01-01

    Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) originate mainly in the colon through bacterial fermentation of polysaccharides. To test the hypothesis that SCFA may originate from polypeptides as well, the production of these acids from albumin and specific amino acids was examined in a faecal incubation system....... Albumin was converted to all C2-C5-fatty acids, whereas amino acids generally were converted to specific SCFA, most often through the combination of a deamination and decarboxylation of the amino acids, although more complex processes also took place. This study indicates that a part of the intestinal...

  7. Molecular cloning of chicken metallothionein. Deduction of the complete amino acid sequence and analysis of expression using cloned cDNA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, D; Andrews, G K

    1988-01-25

    A cDNA library was constructed using RNA isolated from the livers of chickens which had been treated with zinc. This library was screened with a RNA probe complementary to mouse metallothionein-I (MT), and eight chicken MT cDNA clones were obtained. All of the cDNA clones contained nucleotide sequences homologous to regions of the longest (375 bp) cDNA clone. The latter contained an open reading frame of 189 bp, and the deduced amino acid sequence indicates a protein of 63 amino acids of which 20 are cysteine residues. Amino acid composition and partial amino acid sequence analyses of purified chicken MT protein agreed with the amino acid composition and sequence deduced from the cloned cDNA. Amino acid sequence comparison establish that chicken MT shares extensive homology with mammalian MTs. Southern blot analysis of chicken DNA indicates that the chicken MT gene is not a part of a large family of related sequences, but rather is likely to be a unique gene sequence. In the chicken liver, levels of chicken MT mRNA were rapidly induced by metals (Cd/sup 2 +/, Zn/sup 2 +/, Cu/sup 2 +/), glucocorticoids and lipopolysaccharide. MT mRNA was present in low levels in embryonic liver and increased to high levels during the first week after hatching before decreasing again to the basal levels found in adult liver. The results of this study establish that MT is highly conserved between birds and mammals and is regulated in the chicken by agents which also regulate expression of mammalian MT genes. However, in contrast to the mammals, the results suggest the existence of a single isoform of MT in the chicken.

  8. Complete cDNA sequence and amino acid analysis of a bovine ribonuclease K6 gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pietrowski, D; Förster, M

    2000-01-01

    The complete cDNA sequence of a ribonuclease k6 gene of Bos Taurus has been determined. It codes for a protein with 154 amino acids and contains the invariant cysteine, histidine and lysine residues as well as the characteristic motifs specific to ribonuclease active sites. The deduced protein sequence is 27 residues longer than other known ribonucleases k6 and shows amino acids exchanges which could reflect a strain specificity or polymorphism within the bovine genome. Based on sequence similarity we have termed the identified gene bovine ribonuclease k6 b (brk6b).

  9. Facile preparation of amine and amino acid adducts of [60]fullerene using chlorofullerene C60Cl6 as a precursor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kornev, Alexey B; Khakina, Ekaterina A; Troyanov, Sergey I; Kushch, Alla A; Peregudov, Alexander; Vasilchenko, Alexey; Deryabin, Dmitry G; Martynenko, Vyacheslav M; Troshin, Pavel A

    2012-06-04

    We report a general synthetic approach to the preparation of highly functionalized amine and amino acid derivatives of [60]fullerene starting from readily available chlorofullerene C(60)Cl(6). The synthesized water-soluble amino acid derivative of C(60) demonstrated pronounced antiviral activity, while the cationic amine-based compound showed strong antibacterial action in vitro.

  10. PLASMA PROTEIN AND HEMOGLOBIN PRODUCTION : DELETION OF INDIVIDUAL AMINO ACIDS FROM GROWTH MIXTURE OF TEN ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN URINARY NITROGEN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robscheit-Robbins, F S; Miller, L L; Whipple, G H

    1947-02-28

    Given healthy dogs fed abundant iron and protein-free or low protein diets with sustained anemia and hypoproteinemia, we can study the capacity of these animals to produce simultaneously new hemoglobin and plasma protein. Reserve stores of blood protein-building materials are measurably depleted and levels of 6 to 8 gm. per cent for hemoglobin and 4 to 5 gm. per cent for plasma protein can be maintained for weeks or months depending upon the intake of food proteins or amino acid mixtures. These dogs are very susceptible to infection and various poisons. Dogs tire of these diets and loss of appetite terminates many experiments. Under these conditions (double depletion) standard growth mixtures of essential amino acids are tested to show the response in blood protein output and urinary nitrogen balance. As a part of each tabulated experiment one of the essential amino acids is deleted from the complete growth mixture to compare such response with that of the whole mixture. Methionine, threonine, phenylalanine, and tryptophane when singly eliminated from the complete amino acid mixture do effect a sharp rise in urinary nitrogen. This loss of urinary nitrogen is corrected when the individual amino acid is replaced in the mixture. Histidine, lysine, and valine have a moderate influence upon urinary nitrogen balance toward nitrogen conservation. Leucine, isoleucine, and arginine have minimal or no effect upon urinary nitrogen balance when these individual amino acids are deleted from the complete growth mixture of amino acids during 3 to 4 week periods. Tryptophane and to a less extent phenylalanine and threonine when returned to the amino acid mixture are associated with a conspicuous preponderance of plasma protein output over the hemoglobin output (Table 4). Arginine, lysine, and histidine when returned to the amino acid mixture are associated with a large preponderance of hemoglobin output. Various amino acid mixtures under these conditions may give a positive

  11. The Role of Amino Acids in Gluconeogenesis in Lactating Ruminants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Black, A. L.; Egan, A. R.; Anand, R. S.; Chapman, T. E. [Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA (United States)

    1968-07-01

    Gluconeogenesis has an important metabolic role in all animals, but it is especially important in ruminants because of the paucity of their alimentary glucose. Several amino acids give rise to glucogenic precursors during metabolism and thus dietary or body protein represents an important source of potential glucogenic material that the ruminant can utilize to manufacture the glucose required for its physiological functions. The role of various amino acids as glucose precursors has been evaluated in lactating ruminants by making a single intravenous injection of several different amino acids uniformly labelled with {sup 14}C and following, with time, the rate and extent of incorporation of {sup 14}C into the plasma glucose. The time interval after injecting each {sup 14}C-amino acid until the specific activity maximum occurred in plasma glucose was found to vary widely among the different amino acids. Thus, the maximum specific activity in plasma glucose occurred 6 min after injection of L-aspartate-{sup 14}C and 15 min after injection of L-glutamate- {sup 14}C, while for L-valine-{sup 14}C and L-arginine-{sup 14}C the maximum specific activity in plasma glucose did not occur until 45 and 90 min, respectively, had elapsed. After injection of L-serine and L-alanine there were several maxima in the glucose specific activity. These maxima occurred between 12 and 24 min after injection of serine and during the first 30 min after injection of alanine indicating that carbon from these amino acids becomes available for glucose synthesis along diverse pathways which have different delays. Although only a few amino acids have been studied, the experimental results obtained clearly suggest an important metabolic role for protein in ruminants which has previously not been recognized. It appears that amino acids, released from protein, are utilized by the animal in a fashion which results in a prolonged availability of glucogenic precursors so that the animal can form glucose

  12. Mutations in the C-terminal region affect subcellular localization of crucian carp herpesvirus (CaHV) GPCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jun; Gui, Lang; Chen, Zong-Yan; Zhang, Qi-Ya

    2016-08-01

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are known as seven transmembrane domain receptors and consequently can mediate diverse biological functions via regulation of their subcellular localization. Crucian carp herpesvirus (CaHV) was recently isolated from infected fish with acute gill hemorrhage. CaHV GPCR of 349 amino acids (aa) was identified based on amino acid identity. A series of variants with truncation/deletion/substitution mutation in the C-terminal (aa 315-349) were constructed and expressed in fathead minnow (FHM) cells. The roles of three key C-terminal regions in subcellular localization of CaHV GPCR were determined. Lysine-315 (K-315) directed the aggregation of the protein preferentially at the nuclear side. Predicted N-myristoylation site (GGGWTR, aa 335-340) was responsible for punctate distribution in periplasm or throughout the cytoplasm. Predicted phosphorylation site (SSR, aa 327-329) and GGGWTR together determined the punctate distribution in cytoplasm. Detection of organelles localization by specific markers showed that the protein retaining K-315 colocalized with the Golgi apparatus. These experiments provided first evidence that different mutations of CaHV GPCR C-terminals have different affects on the subcellular localization of fish herpesvirus-encoded GPCRs. The study provided valuable information and new insights into the precise interactions between herpesvirus and fish cells, and could also provide useful targets for antiviral agents in aquaculture.

  13. cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raikhel, N.V.; Broekaert, W.F.; Chua, N.H.; Kush, A.

    2000-07-04

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74--79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli.

  14. cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raikhel, N.V.; Broekaert, W.F.; Chua, N.H.; Kush, A.

    1999-05-04

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74--79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli. 12 figs.

  15. cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raikhel, Natasha V. (Okemos, MI); Broekaert, Willem F. (Dilbeek, BE); Chua, Nam-Hai (Scarsdale, NY); Kush, Anil (New York, NY)

    1999-05-04

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74-79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli.

  16. cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raikhel, N.V.; Broekaert, W.F.; Chua, N.H.; Kush, A.

    1995-03-21

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1,018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74--79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli. 11 figures.

  17. Specific recognition of the C-terminal end of A beta 42 by a high affinity monoclonal antibody

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Axelsen, Trine Veje; Holm, Arne; Birkelund, Svend

    2009-01-01

    The neurotoxic peptide A beta(42) is derived from the amyloid precursor protein by proteolytic cleavage and is deposited in the brain of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study we generate a high affinity monoclonal antibody that targets the C-terminal end of A beta(42......) with high specificity. By this is meant that the paratope of the antibody must enclose the C-terminal end of A beta(42) including the carboxy-group of amino acid 42, and not just recognize a linear epitope in the C-terminal part of A beta. This has been accomplished by using a unique antigen construct made...... by the Ligand Presenting Assembly technology (LPA technology). This strategy results in dimeric presentation of the free C-terminal end of A beta(42). The generated Mab A beta1.1 is indeed specific for the C-terminal end of A beta(42) to which it binds with high affinity. Mab A beta1.1 recognizes the epitope...

  18. Role of the Cationic C-Terminal Segment of Melittin on Membrane Fragmentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Therrien, Alexandre; Fournier, Alain; Lafleur, Michel

    2016-05-05

    The widespread distribution of cationic antimicrobial peptides capable of membrane fragmentation in nature underlines their importance to living organisms. In the present work, we determined the impact of the electrostatic interactions associated with the cationic C-terminal segment of melittin, a 26-amino acid peptide from bee venom (net charge +6), on its binding to model membranes and on the resulting fragmentation. In order to detail the role played by the C-terminal charges, we prepared a melittin analogue for which the four cationic amino acids in positions 21-24 were substituted with the polar residue citrulline, providing a peptide with the same length and amphiphilicity but with a lower net charge (+2). We compared the peptide bilayer affinity and the membrane fragmentation for bilayers prepared from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC)/1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine (DPPS) mixtures. It is shown that neutralization of the C-terminal considerably increased melittin affinity for zwitterionic membranes. The unfavorable contribution associated with transferring the cationic C-terminal in a less polar environment was reduced, leaving the hydrophobic interactions, which drive the peptide insertion in bilayers, with limited counterbalancing interactions. The presence of negatively charged lipids (DPPS) in bilayers increased melittin binding by introducing attractive electrostatic interactions, the augmentation being, as expected, greater for native melittin than for its citrullinated analogue. The membrane fragmentation power of the peptide was shown to be controlled by electrostatic interactions and could be modulated by the charge carried by both the membrane and the lytic peptide. The analysis of the lipid composition of the extracted fragments from DPPC/DPPS bilayers revealed no lipid specificity. It is proposed that extended phase separations are more susceptible to lead to the extraction of a lipid species in a specific manner

  19. Tyrosine phosphorylation of the human guanylyl cyclase C receptor

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    **Laboratory of Cellular Carcinogenesis and Tumor Promotion, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, .... This construct expresses the N-terminal 330 amino acids ... C-terminal 112 amino acids of GCC as fusion with GST.

  20. Regional amino acid transport into brain during diabetes: Effect of plasma amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mans, A.M.; DeJoseph, M.R.; Davis, D.W.; Hawkins, R.A.

    1987-01-01

    Transport of phenylalanine and lysine into the brain was measured in 4-wk streptozotocin-diabetic rats to assess the effect on the neutral and basic amino acid transport systems at the blood-brain barrier. Amino acid concentrations in plasma and brain were also measured. Regional permeability-times-surface area (PS) products and influx were determined using a continuous infusion method and quantitative autoradiography. The PS of phenylalanine was decreased by an average of 40% throughout the entire brain. Influx was depressed by 35%. The PS of lysine was increased by an average of 44%, but the influx was decreased by 27%. Several plasma neutral amino acids (branched chain) were increased, whereas all basic amino acids were decreased. Brain tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine, and lysine contents were markedly decreased. The transport changes were almost entirely accounted for by the alterations in the concentrations of the plasma amino acids that compete for the neutral and basic amino acid carriers. The reduced influx could be responsible for the low brain content of some essential amino acids, with possibly deleterious consequences for brain functions

  1. Incretin effect after oral amino Acid ingestion in humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindgren, Ola; Pacini, Giovanni; Tura, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    is also present after amino acid ingestion is not known. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to explore insulin secretion and incretin hormones after oral and iv amino acid administration at matched total amino acid concentrations in healthy subjects. DESIGN: An amino acid mixture (Vaminolac......) was administered orally or iv at a rate resulting in matching total amino acid concentrations to 12 male volunteers with age 22.5 ± 1.4 years and a body mass index 22.4 ± 1.4 kg/m(2), who had no history of diabetes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome measures were area under the 120-minute curve for insulin, C...... after oral than after iv amino acid challenges (P = .006), whereas there was no significant difference in the glucagon response. Intact and total GIP rose after oral but not after iv amino acid administration, whereas intact and total GLP-1 levels did not change significantly in either test. CONCLUSION...

  2. Keratin 8 phosphorylation in vitro by cAMP-dependent protein kinase occurs within the amino- and carboxyl-terminal end domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ando, S; Tokui, T; Yano, T; Inagaki, M

    1996-04-05

    We reported earlier that phosphorylation in vitro of keratin filaments reconstituted from rat type I keratin 18 and type II keratin 8 by cAPM-dependent protein kinase induces disassembly of the keratin filament structure. Keratin 8 rather than keratin 18 was the major target of the kinase. We have now identified the sites on rat keratin 8 for cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Sequential analysis of the purified phosphoropeptides, together with the known primary sequence, revealed that four major sites, Ser-12, Ser-23, Ser-36, and Ser-50, and three minor sites, Ser-8, Ser-33, Ser-42, are located in the amino-terminal head domain, while three minor sites, Ser-416, Ser-423 and Ser-425 locate in the carboxyl-terminal tail domain.

  3. GBNV encoded movement protein (NSm) remodels ER network via C-terminal coiled coil domain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Pratibha; Savithri, H.S., E-mail: bchss@biochem.iisc.ernet.in

    2015-08-15

    Plant viruses exploit the host machinery for targeting the viral genome–movement protein complex to plasmodesmata (PD). The mechanism by which the non-structural protein m (NSm) of Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) is targeted to PD was investigated using Agrobacterium mediated transient expression of NSm and its fusion proteins in Nicotiana benthamiana. GFP:NSm formed punctuate structures that colocalized with mCherry:plasmodesmata localized protein 1a (PDLP 1a) confirming that GBNV NSm localizes to PD. Unlike in other movement proteins, the C-terminal coiled coil domain of GBNV NSm was shown to be involved in the localization of NSm to PD, as deletion of this domain resulted in the cytoplasmic localization of NSm. Treatment with Brefeldin A demonstrated the role of ER in targeting GFP NSm to PD. Furthermore, mCherry:NSm co-localized with ER–GFP (endoplasmic reticulum targeting peptide (HDEL peptide fused with GFP). Co-expression of NSm with ER–GFP showed that the ER-network was transformed into vesicles indicating that NSm interacts with ER and remodels it. Mutations in the conserved hydrophobic region of NSm (residues 130–138) did not abolish the formation of vesicles. Additionally, the conserved prolines at positions 140 and 142 were found to be essential for targeting the vesicles to the cell membrane. Further, systematic deletion of amino acid residues from N- and C-terminus demonstrated that N-terminal 203 amino acids are dispensable for the vesicle formation. On the other hand, the C-terminal coiled coil domain when expressed alone could also form vesicles. These results suggest that GBNV NSm remodels the ER network by forming vesicles via its interaction through the C-terminal coiled coil domain. Interestingly, NSm interacts with NP in vitro and coexpression of these two proteins in planta resulted in the relocalization of NP to PD and this relocalization was abolished when the N-terminal unfolded region of NSm was deleted. Thus, the NSm

  4. Effect of amino acids and amino acid derivatives on crystallization of hemoglobin and ribonuclease A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Len; Kobayashi, Toyoaki; Shiraki, Kentaro; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi

    2008-01-01

    The effect of the addition of amino acids and amino acid derivatives on the crystallization of hemoglobin and ribonuclease A has been evaluated. The results showed that certain types of additives expand the concentration conditions in which crystals are formed. Determination of the appropriate conditions for protein crystallization remains a highly empirical process. Preventing protein aggregation is necessary for the formation of single crystals under aggregation-prone solution conditions. Because many amino acids and amino acid derivatives offer a unique combination of solubility and stabilizing properties, they open new avenues into the field of protein aggregation research. The use of amino acids and amino acid derivatives can potentially influence processes such as heat treatment and refolding reactions. The effect of the addition of several amino acids, such as lysine, and several amino acid derivatives, such as glycine ethyl ester and glycine amide, on the crystallization of equine hemoglobin and bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A has been examined. The addition of these amino acids and amino acid derivatives expanded the range of precipitant concentration in which crystals formed without aggregation. The addition of such additives appears to promote the crystallization of proteins

  5. Effect of amino acids and amino acid derivatives on crystallization of hemoglobin and ribonuclease A

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ito, Len, E-mail: len@ksc.kwansei.ac.jp; Kobayashi, Toyoaki [School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan); Shiraki, Kentaro [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Yamaguchi, Hiroshi [School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan)

    2008-05-01

    The effect of the addition of amino acids and amino acid derivatives on the crystallization of hemoglobin and ribonuclease A has been evaluated. The results showed that certain types of additives expand the concentration conditions in which crystals are formed. Determination of the appropriate conditions for protein crystallization remains a highly empirical process. Preventing protein aggregation is necessary for the formation of single crystals under aggregation-prone solution conditions. Because many amino acids and amino acid derivatives offer a unique combination of solubility and stabilizing properties, they open new avenues into the field of protein aggregation research. The use of amino acids and amino acid derivatives can potentially influence processes such as heat treatment and refolding reactions. The effect of the addition of several amino acids, such as lysine, and several amino acid derivatives, such as glycine ethyl ester and glycine amide, on the crystallization of equine hemoglobin and bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A has been examined. The addition of these amino acids and amino acid derivatives expanded the range of precipitant concentration in which crystals formed without aggregation. The addition of such additives appears to promote the crystallization of proteins.

  6. Displacement of carbon-14 labelled amino acids from leaves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schiller, R.

    1973-01-01

    The displacement of amino acids from nature leaves was investigated. The amino acids (Ala, Asn, Asp, Glu, Gln, Val, Leu, Lys, Ser, Pro) were applied on the leaves in L-form, uniformly labelled with 14 C, and the type and direction of displacement have been observed. Most of the studies have been carried out on bush beans aged 3 to 4 weeks. The experiments were carried out in climatic chambers; in one case, barley plants just reaching maturity were used. In order to find out whether the applied amino acids were also displaced in their original form, freeze-dried plants were extracted and the 14 C activity of the various fraction was determined. The radioactivity of some free amino acids was determined after two-dimensional separation by thin film chromatography. (orig./HK) [de

  7. Investigation and kinetic evaluation of the reactions of hydroxymethylfurfural with amino and thiol groups of amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamzalıoğlu, Aytül; Gökmen, Vural

    2018-02-01

    In this study, reactions of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with selected amino acids (arginine, cysteine and lysine) were investigated in HMF-amino acid (high moisture) and Coffee-amino acid (low moisture) model systems at 5, 25 and 50°C. The results revealed that HMF reacted efficiently and effectively with amino acids in both high and low moisture model systems. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analyses of the reaction mixtures confirmed the formations of Michael adduct and Schiff base of HMF with amino acids. Calculated pseudo-first order reaction rate constants were in the following order; k Cysteine >k Arginine >k Lysine for high moisture model systems. Comparing to these rate constants, the k Cysteine decreased whereas, k Arginine and k Lysine increased under the low moisture conditions of Coffee-amino acid model systems. The temperature dependence of the rate constants was found to obey the Arrhenius law in a temperature range of 5-50°C under both low and high moisture conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Amino acids and proteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Goudoever, Johannes B.; Vlaardingerbroek, Hester; van den Akker, Chris H.; de Groof, Femke; van der Schoor, Sophie R. D.

    2014-01-01

    Amino acids and protein are key factors for growth. The neonatal period requires the highest intake in life to meet the demands. Those demands include amino acids for growth, but proteins and amino acids also function as signalling molecules and function as neurotransmitters. Often the nutritional

  9. Updating the profile of C-terminal MECP2 deletions in Rett syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bebbington, A; Percy, A; Christodoulou, J; Ravine, D; Ho, G; Jacoby, P; Anderson, A; Pineda, M; Ben Zeev, B; Bahi-Buisson, N; Smeets, E; Leonard, H

    2014-01-01

    Objectives This study aimed to compare the phenotype of Rett syndrome cases with C-terminal deletions to that of cases with different MECP2 mutations and to examine the phenotypic variation within C-terminal deletions. Methods Cases were selected from InterRett, an international database and from the population-based Australian Rett Syndrome Database. Cases (n=832) were included if they had a pathogenic MECP2 mutation in which the nature of the amino acid change was known. Three severity scale systems were used, and individual aspects of the phenotype were also compared. Results Lower severity was associated with C-terminal deletions (n=79) compared to all other MECP2 mutations (e.g. Pineda scale C-terminals mean 15.0 (95% CI 14.0–16.0) vs 16.2 (15.9–16.5). Cases with C-terminal deletions were more likely to have a normal head circumference (odds ratio 3.22, 95% CI 1.53 – 6.79) and weight (odds ratio 2.97, 95% CI 1.25–5.76). Onset of stereotypies tended to be later (median age 2.5 years vs 2 years, pmiddle of the range. In terms of individual aspects of phenotype growth and ability to ambulate appear to be particular strengths. By pooling data internationally this study has achieved the case numbers to provide a phenotypic profile of C-terminal deletions in Rett syndrome. PMID:19914908

  10. cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hev ein sequence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raikhel, Natasha V. (Okemos, MI); Broekaert, Willem F. (Dilbeek, BE); Chua, Nam-Hai (Scarsdale, NY); Kush, Anil (New York, NY)

    2000-07-04

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74-79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli.

  11. Proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid composition of fish maws.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Jing; Zeng, Ling; Xu, Youhou; Sun, Yulin; Chen, Ziming; Fan, Sigang

    2016-01-01

    Fish maws are commonly recommended and consumed in Asia over many centuries because it is believed to have some traditional medical properties. This study highlights and provides new information on the proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid composition of fish maws of Cynoscion acoupa, Congresox talabonoides and Sciades proops. The results indicated that fish maws were excellent protein sources and low in fat content. The proteins in fish maws were rich in functional amino acids (FAAs) and the ratio of FAAs and total amino acids in fish maws ranged from 0.68 to 0.69. Among species, croaker C. acoupa contained the most polyunsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapntemacnioc acid, showing the lowest value of index of atherogenicity and index of thrombogenicity, showing the highest value of hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio, which is the most desirable.

  12. Structural organization of intercellular channels II. Amino terminal domain of the connexins: sequence, functional roles, and structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyer, Eric C; Lipkind, Gregory M; Kyle, John W; Berthoud, Viviana M

    2012-08-01

    The amino terminal domain (NT) of the connexins consists of their first 22-23 amino acids. Site-directed mutagenesis studies have demonstrated that NT amino acids are determinants of gap junction channel properties including unitary conductance, permeability/selectivity, and gating in response to transjunctional voltage. The importance of this region has also been emphasized by the identification of multiple disease-associated connexin mutants affecting amino acid residues in the NT region. The first part of the NT is α-helical. The structure of the Cx26 gap junction channel shows that the NT α-helix localizes within the channel, and lines the wall of the pore. Interactions of the amino acid residues in the NT with those in the transmembrane helices may be critical for holding the channel open. The predicted sites of these interactions and the applicability of the Cx26 structure to the NT of other connexins are considered. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The Communicating junctions, composition, structure and characteristics. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. Composition of antioxidants and amino acids in Stevia leaf infusions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Periche, Angela; Koutsidis, Georgios; Escriche, Isabel

    2014-03-01

    Stevia, a non-caloric natural sweetener with beneficial properties and considerable antioxidants and amino acids, is increasingly consumed as an infusion. This work evaluates the influence of the conditions (temperature: 50, 70 or 90 °C and time: 1, 5, 20 or 40 min) applied to obtain Stevia infusions, on antioxidants (total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity) and amino acids. The total concentration of the eleven amino acids found was 11.70 mg/g in dried leaves and from 6.84 to 9.11 mg/g per gram of Stevia in infusions. However, infusions showed higher levels of certain amino acids (alanine, asparagine, leucine and proline), and greater values of the three antioxidant parameters in comparison with dry leaves. Temperature had more influence (minimum values at 50 °C and maximum at 90 °C) than time in the case of antioxidants. At 90 °C there were no important increases in the extraction of antioxidant compounds after 5 min; each gram of Stevia had 117 mg trolox (total antioxidant activity), 90 mg gallic acid (total phenols) and 56 mg catechin equivalents (flavonoids). Varying the temperature and time conditions no notable differences were observed in the concentrations of the majority of amino acids. However, the infusion treatment at 90 °C for 5 min was the best, as it gave the highest yield of 8 of the 11 amino acids. Therefore, with respect to the compounds analyzed in this study, the best way to obtain Stevia leaf infusions is the same as the domestic process, almost boiling water for a short time.

  14. Rhenium(V) complexes with sulfur-containing amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gagieva, S.Ch.; Tautieva, M.A.; Tsaloev, A.T.; Galimov, Yu.B.; Gagieva, L.Ch.; Belyaeva, T.N.

    2007-01-01

    Rhenium(V) complexes with 2-amino-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid (methionine, Met) and 2-amino-3-sulfopropionic acid (cysteine, Cys) have been synthesized. Depending on the initial reagent ratio, the resulting complexes contain one or two ligand molecules. On heating the compounds with one amino acid molecule, two hydrogen halide molecules are removed at 128-132 deg C to form a molecular complex. The composition, structure, and thermal stability of the complexes have been studied by elemental analysis, conductometry, IR spectroscopy, NMR, and mass spectrometry [ru

  15. Dependence of the metabolic fecal amino acids on the amino acid content of the feed. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krawielitzki, K.; Schadereit, R.; Voelker, T.; Reichel, K.

    1981-01-01

    The amount of metabolic fecal amino acids (MFAA) in dependence on the amino acid intake was determined for graded maize rations in 15 N-labelled rats and the part of labelled endogenous amino acids in feces was calculated by the isotope dilution method. The excretion of amino acids and MFAA in feces are described as functions of the amino acid intake for 17 amino acids and calculated regressively. For all 17 amino acids investigated, there was a more or less steep increase of MFAA according to an increasing amino acid intake. In contrast to N-free feeding, the MFAA increase to the 2- to 4.5-fold value in feeding with pure maize (16.5% crude protein). The thesis of the constancy of the excretion of MFAA can consequently be no longer maintained. The true digestibility according to the conventional method is, on an average of all amino acids, 7.3 units below ascertained according to the 15 N method. The limiting amino acids lysine and threonine revealed the greatest difference. Tryptophane as first limiting amino acid could not be determined. The true digestibility of nearly all amino acids ascertained for maize by the isotope method is above 90%. (author)

  16. Extraterrestrial material analysis: loss of amino acids during liquid-phase acid hydrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buch, Arnaud; Brault, Amaury; Szopa, Cyril; Freissinet, Caroline

    2015-04-01

    Searching for building blocks of life in extraterrestrial material is a way to learn more about how life could have appeared on Earth. With this aim, liquid-phase acid hydrolysis has been used, since at least 1970 , in order to extract amino acids and other organic molecules from extraterrestrial materials (e.g. meteorites, lunar fines) or Earth analogues (e.g. Atacama desert soil). This procedure involves drastic conditions such as heating samples in 6N HCl for 24 h, either under inert atmosphere/vacuum, or air. Analysis of the hydrolyzed part of the sample should give its total (free plus bound) amino acid content. The present work deals with the influence of the 6N HCl hydrolysis on amino acid degradation. Our experiments have been performed on a standard solution of 17 amino acids. After liquid-phase acid hydrolysis (6N HCl) under argon atmosphere (24 h at 100°C), the liquid phase was evaporated and the dry residue was derivatized with N-Methyl-N-(t-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) and dimethylformamide (DMF), followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. After comparison with derivatized amino acids from the standard solution, a significant reduction of the chromatographic peak areas was observed for most of the amino acids after liquid-phase acid hydrolysis. Furthermore, the same loss pattern was observed when the amino acids were exposed to cold 6N HCl for a short amount of time. The least affected amino acid, i.e. glycine, was found to be 73,93% percent less abundant compared to the non-hydrolyzed standard, while the most affected, i.e. histidine, was not found in the chromatograms after hydrolysis. Our experiments thereby indicate that liquid-phase acid hydrolysis, even under inert atmosphere, leads to a partial or total loss of all of the 17 amino acids present in the standard solution, and that a quick cold contact with 6N HCl is sufficient to lead to a loss of amino acids. Therefore, in the literature, the reported increase

  17. Relationship Between the Plasma Methionine {sup 14}C Activity and the Level of Some Other Essential Amino Acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boldizsar, H.; Pethes, G.; Kemeny, A. [Radioisotope Laboratory, Department of Physiology, University of Veterinary Science, Budapest (Hungary)

    1968-07-01

    At present there exists no sufficiently accurate and rapid method of determining the limiting order of amino acids. Labelled amino acid was used as an index to measure the rate of protein synthesis. Twenty-six leghorn cocks were used: 50 {mu}Ci {sup 14}C-methionine was injected, and 30 min later 200 mg of lysine, glycine, valine, alpha-amino-butyric-acid, and a mixture of lysine, tryptophane, methionine and phenylalanine, were added by injection. The total activity of plasma, the activity of the protein fraction, the fat- and water-soluble fractions, and that of urine, were determined. Between the 60th and 120th minutes, after the labelled methionine was injected, the total plasma- and protein-bound activity increased as follows: glycine (38%), the mixture (34%), lysine (31%), alpha-amino- butyric-acid (28%), but decreased in the case of valine (11%). In accordance with these, the free methionine activity in the plasma decreased proportionally. The extent of the changes depended on the place of the respective amino acids in the limiting order. On the basis of results the authors discuss a method that would be suitable for quantitative and rapid measurements of the insufficiency of essential amino acids in foodstuffs. (author)

  18. Preferential Treatment: Interaction Between Amino Acids and Minerals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crapster-Pregont, E. J.; Cleaves, H. J.; Hazen, R. M.

    2008-12-01

    Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are important for some models of the origin of life. Polymerization of amino acids from dilute solution is unlikely without a scaffold or catalyst. The surfaces of early Earth minerals are the most likely candidates for this role. The surface adsorption behavior of 12 amino acids (L-alanine, L-serine, L-aspartic acid, L-proline, L- phenylalanine, L-valine, L-arginine, d-amino valeric acid, glycine, L-lysine, L-isoleucine, and B-alanine) on 21 minerals (quartz, calcite, enstatite, illite, olivine, pyrrhotite, pyrite, alkali basalt, albite, analcime, chlorite, barite, hydroxyl apatite, hematite, magnetite, aluminum hydroxide, kaolin, silica gel, corundum, rutile, and montmorillonite) was determined via batch adsorption experiments. Absorption was determined for concentrations between 10-4M and 10-6M in the presence of 0.1M NaCl, and between pH values of 3 and 9 at 25 degrees C. The equilibrated solutions were centrifuged, filtered, derivatized using a fluorescent amino group tag (dansyl-chloride) and analyzed by HPLC. Adsorption was standardized using BET surface area measurements for each mineral to give the number of mols of each amino acid adsorbed per square meter for each mineral. The results indicate an enormous difference in the adsorption of amino acids between minerals, along with major differences in the adsorption of individual amino acids on the same mineral surface. There is also a change in the absorbance of amino acids as the pH changes. Many previous studies of amino acid concentration and catalysis by minerals have used clay minerals because of their high surface areas, however, this data suggests that the surfaces of minerals such as calcite, quartz and pyrite have even higher affinities for amino acids. The results suggest mineral surfaces that could be optimal locations for the polymerization of molecules linked to the origin of life.

  19. Identifying SARS-CoV membrane protein amino acid residues linked to virus-like particle assembly.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying-Tzu Tseng

    Full Text Available Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV membrane (M proteins are capable of self-assembly and release in the form of membrane-enveloped vesicles, and of forming virus-like particles (VLPs when coexpressed with SARS-CoV nucleocapsid (N protein. According to previous deletion analyses, M self-assembly involves multiple M sequence regions. To identify important M amino acid residues for VLP assembly, we coexpressed N with multiple M mutants containing substitution mutations at the amino-terminal ectodomain, carboxyl-terminal endodomain, or transmembrane segments. Our results indicate that a dileucine motif in the endodomain tail (218LL219 is required for efficient N packaging into VLPs. Results from cross-linking VLP analyses suggest that the cysteine residues 63, 85 and 158 are not in close proximity to the M dimer interface. We noted a significant reduction in M secretion due to serine replacement for C158, but not for C63 or C85. Further analysis suggests that C158 is involved in M-N interaction. In addition to mutations of the highly conserved 107-SWWSFNPE-114 motif, substitutions at codons W19, W57, P58, W91, Y94 or F95 all resulted in significantly reduced VLP yields, largely due to defective M secretion. VLP production was not significantly affected by a tryptophan replacement of Y94 or F95 or a phenylalanine replacement of W19, W57 or W91. Combined, these results indicate the involvement of specific M amino acids during SARS-CoV virus assembly, and suggest that aromatic residue retention at specific positions is critical for M function in terms of directing virus assembly.

  20. Free amino acids and 5'-nucleotides in Finnish forest mushrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manninen, Hanna; Rotola-Pukkila, Minna; Aisala, Heikki; Hopia, Anu; Laaksonen, Timo

    2018-05-01

    Edible mushrooms are valued because of their umami taste and good nutritional values. Free amino acids, 5'-nucleotides and nucleosides were analyzed from four Nordic forest mushroom species (Lactarius camphoratus, Boletus edulis, Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus tubaeformis) using high precision liquid chromatography analysis. To our knowledge, these taste components were studied for the first time from Craterellus tubaeformis and Lactarius camphoratus. The focus was on the umami amino acids and 5'-nucleotides. The free amino acid and 5'-nucleotide/nucleoside contents of studied species differed from each other. In all studied samples, umami amino acids were among five major free amino acids. The highest concentration of umami amino acids was on L. camphoratus whereas B. edulis had the highest content of sweet amino acids and C. cibarius had the highest content of bitter amino acids. The content of umami enhancing 5'-nucleotides were low in all studied species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Conformational properties of oxazole-amino acids: effect of the intramolecular N-H···N hydrogen bond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siodłak, Dawid; Staś, Monika; Broda, Małgorzata A; Bujak, Maciej; Lis, Tadeusz

    2014-03-06

    Oxazole ring occurs in numerous natural peptides, but conformational properties of the amino acid residue containing the oxazole ring in place of the C-terminal amide bond are poorly recognized. A series of model compounds constituted by the oxazole-amino acids occurring in nature, that is, oxazole-alanine (L-Ala-Ozl), oxazole-dehydroalanine (ΔAla-Ozl), and oxazole-dehydrobutyrine ((Z)-ΔAbu-Ozl), was investigated using theoretical calculations supported by FTIR and NMR spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It was found that the main feature of the studied oxazole-amino acids is the stable conformation β2 with the torsion angles φ and ψ of -150°, -10° for L-Ala-Ozl, -180°, 0° for ΔAla-Ozl, and -120°, 0° for (Z)-ΔAbu-Ozl, respectively. The conformation β2 is stabilized by the intramolecular N-H···N hydrogen bond and predominates in the low polar environment. In the case of the oxazole-dehydroamino acids, the π-electron conjugation that is spread on the oxazole ring and C(α)═C(β) double bond is an additional stabilizing interaction. The tendency to adopt the conformation β2 clearly decreases with increasing the polarity of environment, but still the oxazole-dehydroamino acids are considered to be more rigid and resistant to conformational changes.

  2. Radioimmunoassay of Pro-. gamma. -melanotropin, the amino-terminal fragment of proopiolipomelanocortin. [Swine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ekman, R.; Hakanson, R.; Larsson, I.; Sundler, F.; Thorell, J.I.

    1982-08-01

    A RIA has been developed for natural porcine pro-..gamma..-MSH, the 103-amino acid peptide that represents the amino-terminal part of proopiolipomelanocortin. Rabbits were immunized with the purified peptide polymerized with glutaraldehyde. The antiserum is directed against the amino-terminial end of the antigen and does not cross-react with corticotropin, ..beta..-lipotropin, ..beta..-endorphin, ..gamma../sub 3/MSH, or ..gamma../sub 2/MSH. The minimum detectable concentration is 0.15 ng/ml standard pro-..gamma..MSH (15 pg/tube). Pro-..gamma..MSH-like immunoreactivity was detected in plasma and extracts of the hypothalamus and pituitary of pigs. Gel chromatography of these extracts revealed at least three immunoreactive peaks in the anterior and neurointermediate lobes of the pituitary, wheras two immunoreactive peaks were found in extracts of the hypothalalmus. (Endocrinology 111:578,1982)

  3. Role of N-terminal 28-amino-acid region of Rhizopus oryzae lipase in directing proteins to secretory pathway of Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hama, Shinji; Tamalampudi, Sriappareddy; Shindo, Naoki; Numata, Takao; Yamaji, Hideki; Fukuda, Hideki; Kondo, Akihiko

    2008-07-01

    To develop a new approach for improving heterologous protein production in Aspergillus oryzae, we focused on the functional role of the N-terminal region of Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL). Several N-terminal deletion variants of ROL were expressed in A. oryzae. Interestingly, a segment of 28 amino acids from the C-terminal region of the propeptide (N28) was found to be critical for secretion of ROL into the culture medium. To further investigate the role of N28, the ROL secretory process was visualized in vivo using ROL-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins. In cells producing ROL with N28, fluorescence observations showed that the fusion proteins are transported through endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi, and cell wall, which is one of the typical secretory processes in a eukaryotic cell. Because the expression of the mature ROL-GFP fusion protein induced fluorescence accumulation without its translocation into the ER, N28 is considered to play a crucial role in protein transport. When N28 was inserted between the secretion signal and GFP, fluorescence observations showed that GFP, which is originally a cytoplasmic protein, was efficiently translocated into the ER of A. oryzae, resulting in an enhanced secretion of mature GFP after proteolytic cleavage of N28. These findings suggest that N28 facilitates protein translocation into ER and can be a promising candidate for improving heterologous protein production in A. oryzae.

  4. N-13 labeled amino acids: biodistribution, metabolism and dosimetric considerations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenspire, K.C.; Gelbard, A.S.

    1986-01-01

    With the growing interest in metabolic imaging and with the increasing number of cyclotron/PET facilities, more studies are being performed in animal and humans using short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides. Amino acids labeled either with N-13 or C-11 are one group of compounds being used to study in vivo regional organ (i.e., brain and heart) or tumor metabolism. Of the studies previously reported using C-11 or N-13 labeled amino acids (methionine, alanine, valine, glutamate, glutamine and tryptophan), imaging was restricted mainly to the organ or tissue of interest with little information obtained about the whole-bode distribution of the label. Such data are important for studying interorgan transport of amino acids and for determining accurate dosimetric measurements after intravenous injection of labeled amino acids. The goals of the authors study were to compare the distribution of several N-13 L-amino acids and N-13 ammonia in tumor-bearing mice and to determine the metabolic fate of the label in vivo. The following amino acids were enzymatically labeled using N-13 ammonia: glutamine, glutamate, methionine, α-aminobutyric acid, valine and leucine. 30 references, 2 figures, 14 tables

  5. Recommended ingestion of indispensable amino acids to young men . A study using stable isotopes, plasmatic amino acids and nitrogen balance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marchini, J.S.

    1992-01-01

    It has been previously stated that the minimum physiological recommendations for the indispensable amino acids in health adults, as proposed by FAO/WHO/UNU in 1985, are far too low, except for the methionine. An amino acid stable isotopic kinetic study was conducted to seek further experimental support to this hypothesis. Twenty healthy young men received an l-amino acid based diet, supplying 140 mg N.kg -1 .d -1 , patterned on egg protein for 1 week, then for 3 weeks either i) a pattern based on current international recommendations (FAO diet, n=7), ii) a the tentative Laboratory of Human Nutrition of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, new amino acid recommendation pattern (MIT diet, n=7) or iii) again the egg hen pattern (EGG diet, n=6). All subjects were again studied for one final, consecutive week of the egg diet. At the end of the initial week, at the first and third week with the three experimental diets,and after three days following the return of the egg diet, an 8 h primed continuous intravenous infusion with l- 13 C-leucine was conducted (3 h, fast, 5 h fed - while subjects received hourly meals supplying the equivalent of 5/12 total daily intake). Estimation of leucine balance were carried out with measurements plasma free amino acids changes. Daily nitrogen balances were obtained through the study. Interpretation of plasma amino acids profile, and changes of leucine kinetics balances, indicated that the FAO diet was not able to maintain amino acids homeostasis whereas the MIT and the egg diets sustained body amino acids equilibrium with a positive amino acid balance. nitrogen balances tended to be more negative with the FAO diet but failed to show statistically significant differences among the three diets. The finding point out that it would be prudent to use the new, tentative recommended amino acid pattern (MIT diet 0 as the minimum physiological amino acid needs of healthy human adults (author)

  6. Characterization of cDNA for human tripeptidyl peptidase II: The N-terminal part of the enzyme is similar to subtilisin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomkinson, B.; Jonsson, A-K

    1991-01-01

    Tripeptidyl peptidase II is a high molecular weight serine exopeptidase, which has been purified from rat liver and human erythrocytes. Four clones, representing 4453 bp, or 90% of the mRNA of the human enzyme, have been isolated from two different cDNA libraries. One clone, designated A2, was obtained after screening a human B-lymphocyte cDNA library with a degenerated oligonucleotide mixture. The B-lymphocyte cDNA library, obtained from human fibroblasts, were rescreened with a 147 bp fragment from the 5' part of the A2 clone, whereby three different overlapping cDNA clones could be isolated. The deduced amino acid sequence, 1196 amino acid residues, corresponding to the longest open rading frame of the assembled nucleotide sequence, was compared to sequences of current databases. This revealed a 56% similarity between the bacterial enzyme subtilisin and the N-terminal part of tripeptidyl peptidase II. The enzyme was found to be represented by two different mRNAs of 4.2 and 5.0 kilobases, respectively, which probably result from the utilziation of two different polyadenylation sites. Futhermore, cDNA corresponding to both the N-terminal and C-terminal part of tripeptidyl peptidase II hybridized with genomic DNA from mouse, horse, calf, and hen, even under fairly high stringency conditions, indicating that tripeptidyl peptidase II is highly conserved

  7. Molecular cloning and expression of the hyu genes from Microbacterium liquefaciens AJ 3912, responsible for the conversion of 5-substituted hydantoins to alpha-amino acids, in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Shun'ichi; Takenaka, Yasuhiro; Onishi, Norimasa; Yokozeki, Kenzo

    2005-08-01

    A DNA fragment from Microbacterium liquefaciens AJ 3912, containing the genes responsible for the conversion of 5-substituted-hydantoins to alpha-amino acids, was cloned in Escherichia coli and sequenced. Seven open reading frames (hyuP, hyuA, hyuH, hyuC, ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3) were identified on the 7.5 kb fragment. The deduced amino acid sequence encoded by the hyuA gene included the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the hydantoin racemase from M. liquefaciens AJ 3912. The hyuA, hyuH, and hyuC genes were heterologously expressed in E. coli; their presence corresponded with the detection of hydantoin racemase, hydantoinase, and N-carbamoyl alpha-amino acid amido hydrolase enzymatic activities respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences of hyuP were similar to those of the allantoin (5-ureido-hydantoin) permease from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that hyuP protein might function as a hydantoin transporter.

  8. Asymmetric Synthesis of Carbon-11 Labelled alpha-Amino Acids for PET

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Popkov, Alexander; Elsinga, Philip H.

    2013-01-01

    For PET applications in oncological and neurological diagnostics, amino acids have been studied both clinically and pre-clinically during the last 35 years. Nowadays two applications of labelled amino acids for visualisation of tumours attract the main attention: [C-11] or [F-18]amino acids as

  9. The amino acid sequence of cytochrome c from Cucurbita maxima L. (pumpkin)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, E. W.; Richardson, M.; Boulter, D.

    1971-01-01

    The amino acid sequence of pumpkin cytochrome c was determined on 2μmol of protein. Some evidence was found for the occurrence of two forms of cytochrome c, whose sequences differed in three positions. Pumpkin cytochrome c consists of 111 residues and is homologous with mitochondrial cytochromes c from other plants. Experimental details are given in a supplementary paper that has been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50005 at the National Lending Library for Science and Technology, Boston Spa, Yorks. LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1971), 121, 7. PMID:5131733

  10. The cerebral metabolism of amino acids and related metabolites as studied by 13C and 14C labelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassel, B.

    1995-11-01

    The present investigations show the feasibility of analyzing the cerebral metabolism of amino acids and related metabolites by 13 C-and 14 C-labelling using labelled acetate and glucose as markers for glial and neuronal metabolism, respectively. Using [ 13 C[acetate, it was shown that glial cells export ∼60% of their TCA cycle intermediates, mostly as glutamine, and that this glutamine is used by neurons partly as an energy reserve, and partly it is converted directly to glutamate and GABA. Using [ 13 C[glucose, the glial process or pyruvate carboxylation was shown to compensate fully for the loss of glutamine. The mechanism of action of two neurotoxins, fluorocitrate and 3-nitropropionate was elucidated. The latter toxin was shown to inhibit the TCA cycle of GABAergic neurons selectively. Formation of pyruvate and lactate from glial TCA cycle intermediates was demonstrated in vivo. This pathway may be important for glial inactivation of transmitter glutamate and GABA. The results illustrate glianeuronal interactions, and they suggest the applicability of 13 CNMR spectroscopy to the detailed study of the cerebral metabolism of amino acids in the intact, unanesthetized human brain. 174 refs

  11. Studies on radiolysis of amino acids, (4)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oku, Tadatake

    1978-01-01

    In order to elucidate the effect of adding methionine on the loss of amino acid by γ-irradiation in amino acid mixture, because methionine is one of the most radio-sensitive in amino acids, the remaining amino acids in γ-irradiated aqueous solution of amino acid mixture were studied by determining the total amount of each remaining amino acid. The mixture of 18 amino acids which contains methionine and that of 17 amino acids without methionine were used. Amino acids and the irradiation products were determined with an automatic amino acid analyzer. The total amount of remaining amino acids in the irradiated solution of 18 amino acid mixture was more than that of 17 amino acid mixture. The order of the total amount of each remaining amino acid by low-dose irradiation was Gly>Ala>Asp>Glu>Val>Ser, Pro>Ile, Leu>Thr>Lys>Tyr>Arg>His>Phe>Try>Cys>Met. In case of the comparison of amino acids of same kinds, the total remaining amount of each amino acid in amino acid mixture was more than that of individually irradiated amino acid. The total remaining amounts of glycine, alanine and aspartic acid in irradiated 17 amino acid mixture resulted in slight increase. Ninhydrin positive products formed from 18 amino acid mixture irradiated with 2.640 x 10 3 rad were ammonia, methionine sulfoxide and DOPA of 1.34, 0.001 and 0.25 μmoles/ml of the irradiated solution, respectively. (Kobake, H.)

  12. Identification of a novel amino acid racemase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3 induced by D-amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawakami, Ryushi; Ohmori, Taketo; Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Ohshima, Toshihisa

    2015-08-01

    To date, there have been few reports analyzing the amino acid requirement for growth of hyperthermophilic archaea. We here found that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3 requires Thr, Leu, Val, Phe, Tyr, Trp, His and Arg in the medium for growth, and shows slow growth in medium lacking Met or Ile. This largely corresponds to the presence, or absence, of genes related to amino acid biosynthesis in its genome, though there are exceptions. The amino acid requirements were dramatically lost by addition of D-isomers of Met, Leu, Val, allo-Ile, Phe, Tyr, Trp and Arg. Tracer analysis using (14)C-labeled D-Trp showed that D-Trp in the medium was used as a protein component in the cells, suggesting the presence of D-amino acid metabolic enzymes. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent racemase activity toward Met, Leu and Phe was detected in crude extract of P. horikoshii and was enhanced in cells grown in the medium supplemented with D-amino acids, especially D-allo-Ile. The gene encoding the racemase was narrowed down to one open reading frame on the basis of enzyme purification from P. horikoshii cells, and the recombinant enzyme exhibited PLP-dependent racemase activity toward several amino acids, including Met, Leu and Phe, but not Pro, Asp or Glu. This is the first report showing the presence in a hyperthermophilic archaeon of a PLP-dependent amino acid racemase with broad substrate specificity that is likely responsible for utilization of D-amino acids for growth.

  13. Isolation of 14{sub C} labelled amino acids by biosynthesis in maize plants (Zea mais L.); Obtencin de aminoacidos marcados con 14{sub C} por biosintesis en plantulas de maiz (Zea mais L)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carreras, N; Mazon, M P

    1983-07-01

    A method of obtaining 14{sub C} labelled amino acids by biosynthesis in maize plants which had assimilated 14CO{sub 2}, has been assayed. The plants were labelled for 60 minutes with 14{sub C}O2 produced from Ba 14{sub C}O3 (specific activity of 148 KBq/{mu}mol). An extract of the soluble compounds was obtained with 80% ethanol and the amino acids were separated from the rest of the soluble compounds by ion exchange chromatography on column of Dowex 50-X8 resin. Finally, seventeen amino acids were isolated and identified from the purified extract. The acid amino acids were separated in anionic column (Dowex 1-X8) and the neutral and basic amino acids in cationic column (Dowex 50-X4). (Author) 56 refs.

  14. Amino acid sequence of bovine muzzle epithelial desmocollin derived from cloned cDNA: a novel subtype of desmosomal cadherins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, P J; Goldschmidt, M D; Walsh, M J; Zimbelmann, R; Schmelz, M; Franke, W W

    1991-05-01

    Desmosomes are cell-type-specific intercellular junctions found in epithelium, myocardium and certain other tissues. They consist of assemblies of molecules involved in the adhesion of specific cell types and in the anchorage of cell-type-specific cytoskeletal elements, the intermediate-size filaments, to the plasma membrane. To explore the individual desmosomal components and their functions we have isolated DNA clones encoding the desmosomal glycoprotein, desmocollin, using antibodies and a cDNA expression library from bovine muzzle epithelium. The cDNA-deduced amino-acid sequence of desmocollin (presently we cannot decide to which of the two desmocollins, DC I or DC II, this clone relates) defines a polypeptide with a calculated molecular weight of 85,000, with a single candidate sequence of 24 amino acids sufficiently long for a transmembrane arrangement, and an extracellular aminoterminal portion of 561 amino acid residues, compared to a cytoplasmic part of only 176 amino acids. Amino acid sequence comparisons have revealed that desmocollin is highly homologous to members of the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules, including the previously sequenced desmoglein, another desmosome-specific cadherin. Using riboprobes derived from cDNAs for Northern-blot analyses, we have identified an mRNA of approximately 6 kb in stratified epithelia such as muzzle epithelium and tongue mucosa but not in two epithelial cell culture lines containing desmosomes and desmoplakins. The difference may indicate drastic differences in mRNA concentration or the existence of cell-type-specific desmocollin subforms. The molecular topology of desmocollin(s) is discussed in relation to possible functions of the individual molecular domains.

  15. Quantification of the xylem-to-phloem transfer of amino acids by use of inulin (14C)carboxylic acid as xylem transfer marker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Bel, A.J.

    1984-01-01

    Inulin ( 14 C)carboxylic acid and 14 C-labelled amino acid (α-aminoisobutyric acid (aib) and valine) solutions were introduced into the transpiration stream through the cut stem bases of young (4-12 leaves) tomato plants. Inulin carboxylic acid (inu) was translocated exclusively by the xylem, whereas the amino acid distribution resulted from both xylem and phloem import. Comparison of the distribution of inu and aib permitted a quantitative assessment of the xylem-to-phloem transfer in the stem. Of aib, 20.6% traversed from xylem to phloem in a plant with 12 leaves. The phloem import was not evenly distributed over the leaves and varied from 0% (first five leaves) to 95% (top leaf) of the aib import per leaf. Doubling the flow rates in the xylem reduced the aib supply to 25% in the top leaf and 55% in the next leaf, which reflects a reduced xylem-to-phloem transfer. (author)

  16. Structure of a C-terminal AHNAK peptide in a 1:2:2 complex with S100A10 and an acetylated N-terminal peptide of annexin A2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozorowski, Gabriel; Milton, Saskia; Luecke, Hartmut

    2013-01-01

    Structure of a 20-amino-acid peptide of AHNAK bound asymmetrically to the AnxA2–S100A10A heterotetramer (1:2:2 symmetry) provides insights into the atomic level interactions that govern this membrane-repair scaffolding complex. AHNAK, a large 629 kDa protein, has been implicated in membrane repair, and the annexin A2–S100A10 heterotetramer [(p11) 2 (AnxA2) 2 )] has high affinity for several regions of its 1002-amino-acid C-terminal domain. (p11) 2 (AnxA2) 2 is often localized near the plasma membrane, and this C2-symmetric platform is proposed to be involved in the bridging of membrane vesicles and trafficking of proteins to the plasma membrane. All three proteins co-localize at the intracellular face of the plasma membrane in a Ca 2+ -dependent manner. The binding of AHNAK to (p11) 2 (AnxA2) 2 has been studied previously, and a minimal binding motif has been mapped to a 20-amino-acid peptide corresponding to residues 5654–5673 of the AHNAK C-terminal domain. Here, the 2.5 Å resolution crystal structure of this 20-amino-acid peptide of AHNAK bound to the AnxA2–S100A10 heterotetramer (1:2:2 symmetry) is presented, which confirms the asymmetric arrangement first described by Rezvanpour and coworkers and explains why the binding motif has high affinity for (p11) 2 (AnxA2) 2 . Binding of AHNAK to the surface of (p11) 2 (AnxA2) 2 is governed by several hydrophobic interactions between side chains of AHNAK and pockets on S100A10. The pockets are large enough to accommodate a variety of hydrophobic side chains, allowing the consensus sequence to be more general. Additionally, the various hydrogen bonds formed between the AHNAK peptide and (p11) 2 (AnxA2) 2 most often involve backbone atoms of AHNAK; as a result, the side chains, particularly those that point away from S100A10/AnxA2 towards the solvent, are largely interchangeable. While the structure-based consensus sequence allows interactions with various stretches of the AHNAK C-terminal domain, comparison

  17. Thermal decomposition of the amino acids glycine, cysteine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, arginine and histidine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Ingrid M; Muth, Christina; Drumm, Robert; Kirchner, Helmut O K

    2018-01-01

    The pathways of thermal instability of amino acids have been unknown. New mass spectrometric data allow unequivocal quantitative identification of the decomposition products. Calorimetry, thermogravimetry and mass spectrometry were used to follow the thermal decomposition of the eight amino acids G, C, D, N, E, Q, R and H between 185 °C and 280 °C. Endothermic heats of decomposition between 72 and 151 kJ/mol are needed to form 12 to 70% volatile products. This process is neither melting nor sublimation. With exception of cysteine they emit mainly H 2 O, some NH 3 and no CO 2 . Cysteine produces CO 2 and little else. The reactions are described by polynomials, AA→ a NH 3 + b H 2 O+ c CO 2 + d H 2 S+ e residue, with integer or half integer coefficients. The solid monomolecular residues are rich in peptide bonds. Eight of the 20 standard amino acids decompose at well-defined, characteristic temperatures, in contrast to commonly accepted knowledge. Products of decomposition are simple. The novel quantitative results emphasize the impact of water and cyclic condensates with peptide bonds and put constraints on hypotheses of the origin, state and stability of amino acids in the range between 200 °C and 300 °C.

  18. Purification and characterization of a branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase from Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei CHCC 2115

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thage, B.V.; Rattray, F.P.; Laustsen, M.W.

    2004-01-01

    Purification and characterization of an aminotransferase (AT) specific for the degradation of branched-chain amino acids from Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei CHCC 2115. Methods and Results: The purification protocol consisted of anion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography...... of other metal ions, thiol- and carbonyl-binding agents. The N-terminal sequence of the enzyme was SVNIDWNNLGFDYMQLPYRYVAHXKDGVXD, and had at the amino acid level, 60 and 53% identity to a branched-chain amino acid AT of Lact. plantarum and Lactococcus lactis, respectively. Conclusions: The results suggest...

  19. Growth hormone receptor C-terminal domains required for growth hormone-induced intracellular free Ca2+ oscillations and gene transcription

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Billestrup, N; Bouchelouche, P; Allevato, G

    1995-01-01

    of varying frequency and amplitude. GH-induced transcription of the serine protease inhibitor 2.1 gene required the same C-terminal 52-amino acid domain of the receptor as for Ca2+ signaling. Mutation of the four proline residues in the conserved box 1 region of the GHR, which is responsible for binding...

  20. Compound-Specific Carbon, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen Isotopic Ratios for Amino Acids in CM and CR Chondrites and their use in Evaluating Potential Formation Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elsila, Jamie E.; Charnley, Steven B.; Burton, Aaron S.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.

    2012-01-01

    Stable hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen isotopic ratios (oD, 013C, and olSN) of organic compounds can revcal information about their origin and formation pathways. Several formation mechanisms and environments have been postulated for the amino acids detected in carbonaceous chondrites. As each proposed mechanism utilizes different precursor molecules, the isotopic signatures of the resulting amino acids may indicate the most likely of these pathways. We have applied gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry to measure the compound-specific C, N, and H stable isotopic ratios of amino acids from seven CM and CR carbonaceous chondrites: CM1I2 Allan Hills (ALH) 83100, CM2 Murchison, CM2 Lewis Cliff (LEW) 90500, CM2 Lonewolf Nunataks (LON) 94101, CRZ Graves Nunataks (GRA) 95229, CRZ Elephant Moraine (EET) 92042, and CR3 Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 99177. We compare the isotopic compositions of amino acids in these meteorites with predictions of expected isotopic enrichments from potential formation pathways. We observe trends of decreasing ODC and increasing oD with increasing carbon number in the aH, (l-NH2 amino acids that correspond to predictions made for formation via Streckercyanohydrin synthesis. We also observe light ODC signatures for -alanine, which may indicate either formation via Michael addition or via a pathway that forms primarily small, straight-chain, amine-terminal amino acids (n-ro-amino acids). Higher deuterium enrichments are observed in amethyl amino acids, indicating formation of these amino acids or their precursors in cold interstellar or nebular environments. Finally, individual amino acids are more enriched in deuterium in CR chondrites than CM chondrites, reflecting different parent-body chemistry.

  1. Dependence of the metabolic fecal amino acids on the amino acid content of the feed. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krawielitzki, K.; Schadereit, R.; Voelker, T.; Reichel, K.

    1982-01-01

    In an experiment with 20 15 N-labelled growing rats the excretion of amino acids as well as of metabolic fecal amino acids were investigated after feeding of soybean oil meal as sole protein source. A low, yet statistically significant increase of the excretion of amino acids and metabolic fecal amino acids was ascertained in accordance with a growing quota of soybean oil meal in the ration. The true digestibility of amino acids ascertained according to conventional methods is above 90% and, under consideration of the increase of metabolic fecal amino acids, on the average increases by 3.5 digestibility units (1.4 to 6.2). (author)

  2. Steric and electrostatic interactions govern nanofiltration of amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Yongki; Chellam, Shankararaman

    2007-10-01

    Crossflow nanofiltration experiments were performed to investigate the factors influencing the removal of amino acids by a commercially available polymeric thin-film composite membrane. The removals of five monoprotic (Ala, Val, Leu, Gly, and Thr), one diprotic (Asp), and one dibasic (Arg) amino acids in a range of permeate fluxes, feed pH values, and ionic strengths were analyzed using a phenomenological model of membrane transport. At any given pH and ionic strength, reflection coefficients (rejection at asymptotically infinite flux) of monoprotic amino acids increased with molar radius demonstrating the role of steric interactions on their removal. Additionally, consistent with Donnan exclusion, higher reflection coefficients were obtained when the membrane and the amino acids both carried the same nature of charge (positive or negative). In other words, both co-ion repulsion and molecular size determined amino acids removal. Importantly, the removal of effectively neutral amino acids were significantly higher than neutral sugars and alcohols of similar size demonstrating that even near their isoelectric point, zwitterionic characteristics preclude them from being considered as strictly neutral. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Amino acid "little Big Bang": representing amino acid substitution matrices as dot products of Euclidian vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimmermann, Karel; Gibrat, Jean-François

    2010-01-04

    Sequence comparisons make use of a one-letter representation for amino acids, the necessary quantitative information being supplied by the substitution matrices. This paper deals with the problem of finding a representation that provides a comprehensive description of amino acid intrinsic properties consistent with the substitution matrices. We present a Euclidian vector representation of the amino acids, obtained by the singular value decomposition of the substitution matrices. The substitution matrix entries correspond to the dot product of amino acid vectors. We apply this vector encoding to the study of the relative importance of various amino acid physicochemical properties upon the substitution matrices. We also characterize and compare the PAM and BLOSUM series substitution matrices. This vector encoding introduces a Euclidian metric in the amino acid space, consistent with substitution matrices. Such a numerical description of the amino acid is useful when intrinsic properties of amino acids are necessary, for instance, building sequence profiles or finding consensus sequences, using machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machine and Neural Networks algorithms.

  4. Amino acid "little Big Bang": Representing amino acid substitution matrices as dot products of Euclidian vectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zimmermann Karel

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Sequence comparisons make use of a one-letter representation for amino acids, the necessary quantitative information being supplied by the substitution matrices. This paper deals with the problem of finding a representation that provides a comprehensive description of amino acid intrinsic properties consistent with the substitution matrices. Results We present a Euclidian vector representation of the amino acids, obtained by the singular value decomposition of the substitution matrices. The substitution matrix entries correspond to the dot product of amino acid vectors. We apply this vector encoding to the study of the relative importance of various amino acid physicochemical properties upon the substitution matrices. We also characterize and compare the PAM and BLOSUM series substitution matrices. Conclusions This vector encoding introduces a Euclidian metric in the amino acid space, consistent with substitution matrices. Such a numerical description of the amino acid is useful when intrinsic properties of amino acids are necessary, for instance, building sequence profiles or finding consensus sequences, using machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machine and Neural Networks algorithms.

  5. Synthesis and structure-activity studies on acidic amino acids and related diacids as NMDA receptor ligands

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, T N; Frydenvang, Karla Andrea; Ebert, B

    1994-01-01

    The 3-isoxazolol amino acids (S)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazolyl)propionic acid [(S)-AMPA, 2] and (R,S)-2-amino-2-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)acetic acid (AMAA, 5a) (Figure 1) are potent and specific agonists at the AMPA and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) subtypes, respectively......, of (S)-glutamic acid (1) receptors. A number of amino acids and diacids structurally related to AMAA were synthesized and tested electrophysiologically and in receptor-binding assays. The hydroxymethyl analogue 7c of AMAA was an NMDA agonist approximately equipotent with AMAA in the [3H...... by molecular mechanics calculations. Compound 7a possesses extra steric bulk and shows significant restriction of conformational flexibility compared to AMAA and 7c, which may be determining factors for the observed differences in biological activity. Although the nitrogen atom of quinolinic acid (6) has very...

  6. More than just sugar: allocation of nectar amino acids and fatty acids in a Lepidopteran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, Eran; McCue, Marshall D; Davidowitz, Goggy

    2017-02-08

    The ability to allocate resources, even when limited, is essential for survival and fitness. We examine how nutrients that occur in minute amounts are allocated among reproductive, somatic, and metabolic demands. In addition to sugar, flower nectars contain two macronutrients-amino acids and fatty acids. We created artificial nectars spiked with 13 C-labelled amino acids and fatty acids and fed these to adult moths (Manduca sexta: Sphingidae) to understand how they allocate these nutrients among competing sinks (reproduction, somatic tissue, and metabolic fuel). We found that both essential and non-essential amino acids were allocated to eggs and flight muscles and were still detectable in early-instar larvae. Parental-derived essential amino acids were more conserved in the early-instars than non-essential amino acids. All amino acids were used as metabolic fuel, but the non-essential amino acids were oxidized at higher rates than essential amino acids. Surprisingly, the nectar fatty acids were not vertically transferred to offspring, but were readily used as a metabolic fuel by the moth, minimizing losses of endogenous nutrient stores. We conclude that the non-carbohydrate components of nectar may play important roles in both reproductive success and survival of these nectar-feeding animals. © 2017 The Author(s).

  7. Amino Acids and Chirality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Jamie E.

    2012-01-01

    Amino acids are among the most heavily studied organic compound class in carbonaceous chondrites. The abundance, distributions, enantiomeric compositions, and stable isotopic ratios of amino acids have been determined in carbonaceous chondrites fi'om a range of classes and petrographic types, with interesting correlations observed between these properties and the class and typc of the chondritcs. In particular, isomeric distributions appear to correlate with parent bodies (chondrite class). In addition, certain chiral amino acids are found in enantiomeric excess in some chondrites. The delivery of these enantiomeric excesses to the early Earth may have contributed to the origin of the homochirality that is central to life on Earth today. This talk will explore the amino acids in carbonaceous chondritcs and their relevance to the origin of life.

  8. Amino Acid Metabolism Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... this process. One group of these disorders is amino acid metabolism disorders. They include phenylketonuria (PKU) and maple syrup urine disease. Amino acids are "building blocks" that join together to form ...

  9. Amino acid δ13C analysis of hair proteins and bone collagen using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raghavan, Maanasa; McCullagh, James S. O.; Lynnerup, Niels

    2010-01-01

    We report a novel method for the chromatographic separation and measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios (delta(13)C) of individual amino acids in hair proteins and bone collagen using the LC-IsoLink system, which interfaces liquid chromatography (LC) with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS......). This paper provides baseline separation of 15 and 13 of the 18 amino acids in bone collagen and hair proteins, respectively. We also describe an approach to analysing small hair samples for compound-specific analysis of segmental hair sections. The LC/IRMS method is applied in a historical context...... by the delta(13)C analysis of hair proteins and bone collagen recovered from six individuals from Uummannaq in Greenland. The analysis of hair and bone amino acids from the same individual, compared for the first time in this study, is of importance in palaeodietary reconstruction. If hair proteins can be used...

  10. Mirrors in the PDB: left-handed alpha-turns guide design with D-amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annavarapu, Srinivas; Nanda, Vikas

    2009-09-22

    Incorporating variable amino acid stereochemistry in molecular design has the potential to improve existing protein stability and create new topologies inaccessible to homochiral molecules. The Protein Data Bank has been a reliable, rich source of information on molecular interactions and their role in protein stability and structure. D-amino acids rarely occur naturally, making it difficult to infer general rules for how they would be tolerated in proteins through an analysis of existing protein structures. However, protein elements containing short left-handed turns and helices turn out to contain useful information. Molecular mechanisms used in proteins to stabilize left-handed elements by L-amino acids are structurally enantiomeric to potential synthetic strategies for stabilizing right-handed elements with D-amino acids. Propensities for amino acids to occur in contiguous alpha(L) helices correlate with published thermodynamic scales for incorporation of D-amino acids into alpha(R) helices. Two backbone rules for terminating a left-handed helix are found: an alpha(R) conformation is disfavored at the amino terminus, and a beta(R) conformation is disfavored at the carboxy terminus. Helix capping sidechain-backbone interactions are found which are unique to alpha(L) helices including an elevated propensity for L-Asn, and L-Thr at the amino terminus and L-Gln, L-Thr and L-Ser at the carboxy terminus. By examining left-handed alpha-turns containing L-amino acids, new interaction motifs for incorporating D-amino acids into right-handed alpha-helices are identified. These will provide a basis for de novo design of novel heterochiral protein folds.

  11. Branched-Chain Amino Acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matteo Ghiringhelli

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Our study is focused on evaluation and use of the most effective and correct nutrients. In particular, our attention is directed to the role of certain amino acids in cachectic patients. During parenteral nutrition in humans, physician already associates in the PN-bags different formulations including amino acids, lipids and glucose solutions or essential amino acids solution alone or exclusively branched-chain amino acids (BCAA. Studies investigated the effects of dietary BCAA ingestion on different diseases and conditions such as obesity and metabolic disorders, liver disease, muscle atrophy, cancer, impaired immunity or injuries (surgery, trauma, burns, and sepsis. BCAAs have been shown to affect gene expression, protein metabolism, apoptosis and regeneration of hepatocytes, and insulin resistance. They have also been shown to inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cells in vitro, and are essential for lymphocyte proliferation and dendritic cell maturation. Oral or parenteral administration of these three amino acids will allow us to evaluate the real efficacy of these compounds during a therapy to treat malnutrition in subjects unable to feed themselves.

  12. Oxidative kinetics of amino acids by peroxydisulfate: Effect of dielectric constant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khalid, Mohammad A. A.

    2008-01-01

    The kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of alanine, asparagines, cysteine, glutamic acid, lysine, phenylalanine and serine by peroxydisulfate ion have been studied in aqueous acidic (sulfuric acid) medium at the temperature range 60-80C. The rate shows first order dependence on peroxydisulfate concentration and zero order dependence on amino acid concentration. The rate law observed is: -d [S2O82-] /dt = Kobs [S2O82-] [amino acid]0. An autocatalytic effect has been observed in amino acids oxidation due to formation of Schiff's base between the formed aldehyde and parent amino acid. A decrease in the dielectric constant of the medium-adding acetic acid (5-15% v/v) results in a decrease in the rate in all cases studied. Reactions were carried out at different temperature (60-80C) and the thermodynamics parameters have been calculated. The logarithm of the rate constant is linearly interrelated to the square root of the ionic strength. (author)

  13. Amino acid substitutions affecting aspartic acid 605 and valine 606 decrease the interaction strength between the influenza virus RNA polymerase PB2 '627' domain and the viral nucleoprotein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsia, Ho-Pan; Yang, Yin-Hua; Szeto, Wun-Chung; Nilsson, Benjamin E; Lo, Chun-Yeung; Ng, Andy Ka-Leung; Fodor, Ervin; Shaw, Pang-Chui

    2018-01-01

    The influenza virus RNA genome is transcribed and replicated in the context of the viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complex by the viral RNA polymerase. The nucleoprotein (NP) is the structural component of the vRNP providing a scaffold for the viral RNA. In the vRNP as well as during transcription and replication the viral polymerase interacts with NP but it is unclear which parts of the polymerase and NP mediate these interactions. Previously the C-terminal '627' domain (amino acids 538-693) of PB2 was shown to interact with NP. Here we report that a fragment encompassing amino acids 146-185 of NP is sufficient to mediate this interaction. Using NMR chemical shift perturbation assays we show that amino acid region 601 to 607 of the PB2 '627' domain interacts with this fragment of NP. Substitutions of these PB2 amino acids resulted in diminished RNP activity and surface plasmon resonance assays showed that amino acids D605 was essential for the interaction with NP and V606 may also play a partial role in the interaction. Collectively these results reveal a possible interaction surface between NP and the PB2 subunit of the RNA polymerase complex.

  14. Amino acid racemisation dating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murray-Wallace, C.V.

    1999-01-01

    The potential of the time-dependent amino acid racemisation reaction as a method of age assessment was first reported by Hare and Abelson (1968). They noted that in specimens of the bivalve mollusc Mercenaria sp., greater concentrations of amino acids in the D-configuration with increasing fossil age. Hare and Abelson (1968) also reported negligible racemisation in a modern specimen of Mecanaria sp. On this basis they suggested that the extent of amino acid racemisation (epimerisation in the case of isoleucine) may be used to assess the age of materials within and beyond the range of radiocarbon dating. For the past thirty years amino acid racemisation has been extensively applied in Quaternary research as a method of relative and numeric dating, and a particularly large literature has emerged on the subject

  15. Studies on radiolysis of amino acids, 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oku, Tadatake

    1977-01-01

    In order to elucidate the radiolysis of amino acid, peptide, protein and enzyme, the radiolytic mechanisms of neutral amino acids (glycine, L-alanine, L-valine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-serine, and L-threonine) and acidic amino acids (L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid and DL-amino-n-adipic acid) were studied in the presence of air or in the atmosphere nitrogen. An aqueous solution of 1 mM. of each amino acid was sealed in a glass ampoule under air or nitrogen. Irradiation of amino acid solutions was carried out with γ-rays of 60 Co at doses of 4.4-2,640x10 3 rads. The amino acids and the radiolytic products formed were determined by ion-exchange chromatography. From the results of determining amino acids and the radiolytic products formed and their G-values, the radiolytic mechanisms of the amino acids were discussed. (auth.)

  16. Tub-Tag Labeling; Chemoenzymatic Incorporation of Unnatural Amino Acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helma, Jonas; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Hackenberger, Christian P R; Schumacher, Dominik

    2018-01-01

    Tub-tag labeling is a chemoenzymatic method that enables the site-specific labeling of proteins. Here, the natural enzyme tubulin tyrosine ligase incorporates noncanonical tyrosine derivatives to the terminal carboxylic acid of proteins containing a 14-amino acid recognition sequence called Tub-tag. The tyrosine derivative carries a unique chemical reporter allowing for a subsequent bioorthogonal modification of proteins with a great variety of probes. Here, we describe the Tub-tag protein modification protocol in detail and explain its utilization to generate labeled proteins for advanced applications in cell biology, imaging, and diagnostics.

  17. Incorporation of radioactive amino acids into protein in isolated rat hepatocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seglin, P.O.

    1976-01-01

    The incorporation of radioactivity from a 14 C-labelled amino acid mixture (algal protein hydrolysate) into protein in isolated rat hepatocytes has been studied. The incorporation rate declined with increasing cell concentration, an effect which could be explained by isotope consumption, partly (and largely) by isotope dilution due to the formation of non-labelled amino acids by the cells. At a high extracellular amino acid concentration, the rate of incorporation into protein became independent of cell concentration because the isotope dilution effect was now quantitatively insignificant. The time course of protein labelling at various cell concentrations correlated better with the intracellular than with the extracellular amino acid specific activity, suggesting that amino acids for protein synthesis were taken from an intracellular pool. With increasing extracellular amino acid concentrations, both the intracellular amino acid concentration, the intracellular radioactivity and the rate of incorporation into protein increased. Protein labelling exhibited a distinct time lag at high amino acid concentrations, presumable reflecting the time-dependent expansion of the intracellular amino acid pool. The gradual increase in the rate of protein labelling could be due either to an increased intracellular specific activity, or to a real stimulation of protein synthesis by amino acids, depending on whether the total intracellular amino acid pool or just the expandable compartment is the precursor pool for protein synthesis

  18. Uptake of Tyrosine Amino Acid on Nano-Graphene Oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossam M. Nassef

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Graphene oxide (GO is emerging as a promising nanomaterial with potential application in the detection and analysis of amino acids, DNA, enzymes, and proteins in biological fluid samples. So, the reaction of GO with amino acids should be characterized and determined before using it in biosensing methods and devices. In this study, the reaction of tyrosine amino acid (Tyr with GO was characterized using FT-IR, UV-vis spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM before its use. The optimum conditions for GO’s interaction with Tyr amino acid have been studied under variable conditions. The optimum conditions of pH, temperature, shaking time, and GO and tyrosine concentrations for the uptaking of tyrosine amino acid onto the GO’s surface from aqueous solution were determined. The SEM analysis showed that the GO supplied was in a particle size range between 5.4 and 8.1 nm. A pH of 8.4–9.4 at 25 °C and 5 min of shaking time were the optimum conditions for a maximum uptake of 1.4 μg/mL of tyrosine amino acid onto 0.2 mg/mL of GO.

  19. Identification of critical amino acids in the proximal C-terminal of TREK-2 K+ channel for activation by acidic pHi and ATP-dependent inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woo, Joohan; Jun, Young Keul; Zhang, Yin-Hua; Nam, Joo Hyun; Shin, Dong Hoon; Kim, Sung Joon

    2018-02-01

    TWIK-related two-pore domain K + channels (TREKs) are regulated by intracellular pH (pH i ) and Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P 2 ). Previously, Glu 306 in proximal C-terminal (pCt) of mouse TREK-1 was identified as the pH i -sensing residue. The direction of PI(4,5)P 2 sensitivity is controversial, and we have recently shown that TREKs are inhibited by intracellular ATP via endogenous PI(4,5)P 2 formation. Here we investigate the anionic and cationic residues of pCt for the pH i and ATP-sensitivity in human TREK-2 (hTREK-2). In inside-out patch clamp recordings (I TREK-2,i-o ), acidic pH i -induced activation was absent in E332A and was partly attenuated in E335A. Neutralization of cationic Lys (K330A) also eliminated the acidic pH i sensitivity of I TREK-2,i-o . Unlike the inhibition of wild-type (WT) I TREK-2,i-o by intracellular ATP, neither E332A nor K330A was sensitive to ATP. Nevertheless, exogenous PI(4,5)P 2 (10 μM) abolished I TREK-2 i-o in all the above mutants as well as in WT, indicating unspecific inhibition by exogenous PI(4,5)P 2 . In whole-cell recordings of TREK-2 (I TREK-2,w-c ), K330A and E332A showed higher or fully active basal activity, showing attenuated or insignificant activation by 2-APB, arachidonic acid, or acidic pH e 6.9. I TREK-1,w-c of WT is largely suppressed by pH e 6.9, and the inhibition is slightly attenuated in K312A and E315A. The results show concerted roles of the oppositely charged Lys and Glu in pCt for the ATP-dependent low basal activity and pH i sensitivity.

  20. Effect of nerve growth factor on the synthesis of amino acids in PC12 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zielke, H.R.; Tildon, J.T.; Kauffman, F.C.; Baab, P.J.

    1989-01-01

    Radioactive short-chain fatty acids preferentially label glutamine relative to glutamate in brain due to compartmentation of glutamine and glutamate. To determine whether this phenomenon occurs in a single cell culture model, we examined the effect of fatty acid chain length on the synthesis as well as pool size of selected amino acids in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, a cell culture model of the large glutamate compartment in neurons. Intracellular 14C-amino acids were quantitated by HPLC, and the incorporation of [U-14C]-glucose, [1-14C]-butyrate, [1-14C]-octanoate, and [1-14C]-palmitate into five amino acids was measured in native and NGF-treated PC12 cells. NGF pretreatment decreased the intracellular concentration of amino acids as did addition of fatty acids but these effects were not additive. Specific activities of amino acids in native cells labelled by 14C-octanoate were 1,300 DPM/nmol, 490 DPM/nmol, 200 DPM/nmol, and 110 DPM/nmol for glutamate, aspartate, glutamine, and serine, respectively. No radioactivity was detected in alanine. Similar specific activities were noted when 14C-butyrate was the precursor; however, there was at least 5-fold less if 14C-palmitate was the precursor. Pretreatment of cells with NGF decreased the specific activity of amino acids by 25-65%. Specific activities of amino acids synthesized from 14C-glucose decreased in the following order: glutamate, 1,640 DPM/nmol; aspartate, 1,210 DPM/nmol; alanine, 580 DPM/nmol; glutamine, 275 DPM/nmol; and serine, 80 DPM/nmol for native cells. NGF pretreatment decreased the specific activities of glutamate and glutamine, but not of the other 3 amino acids. The preferred precursor for glutamate synthesis in native PC12 cells was glucose followed by octanoate, butyrate and palmitate (16:6:3:1)

  1. Mirrors in the PDB: left-handed α-turns guide design with D-amino acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nanda Vikas

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Incorporating variable amino acid stereochemistry in molecular design has the potential to improve existing protein stability and create new topologies inaccessible to homochiral molecules. The Protein Data Bank has been a reliable, rich source of information on molecular interactions and their role in protein stability and structure. D-amino acids rarely occur naturally, making it difficult to infer general rules for how they would be tolerated in proteins through an analysis of existing protein structures. However, protein elements containing short left-handed turns and helices turn out to contain useful information. Molecular mechanisms used in proteins to stabilize left-handed elements by L-amino acids are structurally enantiomeric to potential synthetic strategies for stabilizing right-handed elements with D-amino acids. Results Propensities for amino acids to occur in contiguous αL helices correlate with published thermodynamic scales for incorporation of D-amino acids into αR helices. Two backbone rules for terminating a left-handed helix are found: an αR conformation is disfavored at the amino terminus, and a βR conformation is disfavored at the carboxy terminus. Helix capping sidechain-backbone interactions are found which are unique to αL helices including an elevated propensity for L-Asn, and L-Thr at the amino terminus and L-Gln, L-Thr and L-Ser at the carboxy terminus. Conclusion By examining left-handed α-turns containing L-amino acids, new interaction motifs for incorporating D-amino acids into right-handed α-helices are identified. These will provide a basis for de novo design of novel heterochiral protein folds.

  2. Amino acid sequences and structures of chicken and turkey beta 2-microglobulin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Welinder, K G; Jespersen, H M; Walther-Rasmussen, J

    1991-01-01

    The complete amino acid sequences of chicken and turkey beta 2-microglobulins have been determined by analyses of tryptic, V8-proteolytic and cyanogen bromide fragments, and by N-terminal sequencing. Mass spectrometric analysis of chicken beta 2-microglobulin supports the sequence-derived Mr of 11...

  3. Structure of a C-terminal AHNAK peptide in a 1:2:2 complex with S100A10 and an acetylated N-terminal peptide of annexin A2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ozorowski, Gabriel [University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900 (United States); University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900 (United States); Milton, Saskia [University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900 (United States); Luecke, Hartmut, E-mail: hudel@uci.edu [University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900 (United States); University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900 (United States); University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Structure of a 20-amino-acid peptide of AHNAK bound asymmetrically to the AnxA2–S100A10A heterotetramer (1:2:2 symmetry) provides insights into the atomic level interactions that govern this membrane-repair scaffolding complex. AHNAK, a large 629 kDa protein, has been implicated in membrane repair, and the annexin A2–S100A10 heterotetramer [(p11){sub 2}(AnxA2){sub 2})] has high affinity for several regions of its 1002-amino-acid C-terminal domain. (p11){sub 2}(AnxA2){sub 2} is often localized near the plasma membrane, and this C2-symmetric platform is proposed to be involved in the bridging of membrane vesicles and trafficking of proteins to the plasma membrane. All three proteins co-localize at the intracellular face of the plasma membrane in a Ca{sup 2+}-dependent manner. The binding of AHNAK to (p11){sub 2}(AnxA2){sub 2} has been studied previously, and a minimal binding motif has been mapped to a 20-amino-acid peptide corresponding to residues 5654–5673 of the AHNAK C-terminal domain. Here, the 2.5 Å resolution crystal structure of this 20-amino-acid peptide of AHNAK bound to the AnxA2–S100A10 heterotetramer (1:2:2 symmetry) is presented, which confirms the asymmetric arrangement first described by Rezvanpour and coworkers and explains why the binding motif has high affinity for (p11){sub 2}(AnxA2){sub 2}. Binding of AHNAK to the surface of (p11){sub 2}(AnxA2){sub 2} is governed by several hydrophobic interactions between side chains of AHNAK and pockets on S100A10. The pockets are large enough to accommodate a variety of hydrophobic side chains, allowing the consensus sequence to be more general. Additionally, the various hydrogen bonds formed between the AHNAK peptide and (p11){sub 2}(AnxA2){sub 2} most often involve backbone atoms of AHNAK; as a result, the side chains, particularly those that point away from S100A10/AnxA2 towards the solvent, are largely interchangeable. While the structure-based consensus sequence allows interactions with various

  4. A common periodic table of codons and amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biro, J C; Benyó, B; Sansom, C; Szlávecz, A; Fördös, G; Micsik, T; Benyó, Z

    2003-06-27

    A periodic table of codons has been designed where the codons are in regular locations. The table has four fields (16 places in each) one with each of the four nucleotides (A, U, G, C) in the central codon position. Thus, AAA (lysine), UUU (phenylalanine), GGG (glycine), and CCC (proline) were placed into the corners of the fields as the main codons (and amino acids) of the fields. They were connected to each other by six axes. The resulting nucleic acid periodic table showed perfect axial symmetry for codons. The corresponding amino acid table also displaced periodicity regarding the biochemical properties (charge and hydropathy) of the 20 amino acids and the position of the stop signals. The table emphasizes the importance of the central nucleotide in the codons and predicts that purines control the charge while pyrimidines determine the polarity of the amino acids. This prediction was experimentally tested.

  5. Amino acid-based dithiazines: synthesis and photofragmentation of their benzaldehyde adducts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurchan, Alexei N; Kutateladze, Andrei G

    2002-11-14

    Alpha-amino acids and GABA are functionalized with dithiazine rings via reaction with sodium hydrosulfide in aqueous formaldehyde. The resulting dithiazines are lithiated at -78 degrees C and reacted with benzaldehyde furnishing amino acid-based 2,5-bis-substituted dithiazines. These adducts undergo externally sensitized photofragmentation with quantum efficiency comparable to that of the parent dithiane adducts, thus offering a novel approach to amino acid-based photolabile tethers. [reaction: see text

  6. Amino acid analogs for tumor imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodman, M.M.; Shoup, T.

    1998-01-01

    The invention provides novel amino acid compounds of use in detecting and evaluating brain and body tumors. These compounds combine the advantageous properties of 1-amino-cycloalkyl-1-carboxylic acids, namely, their rapid uptake and prolonged retention in tumors with the properties of halogen substituents, including certain useful halogen isotopes including fluorine-18, iodine-123, iodine-125, iodine-131, bromine-75, bromine-76, bromine-77 and bromine-82. In one aspect, the invention features amino acid compounds that have a high specificity for target sites when administered to a subject in vivo. Preferred amino acid compounds show a target to non-target ratio of at least 5:1, are stable in vivo and substantially localized to target within 1 hour after administration. An especially preferred amino acid compound is [ 18 F]-1-amino-3-fluorocyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (FACBC). In another aspect, the invention features pharmaceutical compositions comprised of an α-amino acid moiety attached to either a four, five, or a six member carbon-chain ring. In addition, the invention features analogs of α-aminoisobutyric acid

  7. The effect of amino acid backbone length on molecular packing: crystalline tartrates of glycine, β-alanine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and DL-α-aminobutyric acid (AABA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Losev, Evgeniy; Boldyreva, Elena

    2018-02-01

    We report a novel 1:1 cocrystal of β-alanine with DL-tartaric acid, C 3 H 7 NO 2 ·C 4 H 6 O 6 , (II), and three new molecular salts of DL-tartaric acid with β-alanine {3-azaniumylpropanoic acid-3-azaniumylpropanoate DL-tartaric acid-DL-tartrate, [H(C 3 H 7 NO 2 ) 2 ] + ·[H(C 4 H 5 O 6 ) 2 ] - , (III)}, γ-aminobutyric acid [3-carboxypropanaminium DL-tartrate, C 4 H 10 NO 2 + ·C 4 H 5 O 6 - , (IV)] and DL-α-aminobutyric acid {DL-2-azaniumylbutanoic acid-DL-2-azaniumylbutanoate DL-tartaric acid-DL-tartrate, [H(C 4 H 9 NO 2 ) 2 ] + ·[H(C 4 H 5 O 6 ) 2 ] - , (V)}. The crystal structures of binary crystals of DL-tartaric acid with glycine, (I), β-alanine, (II) and (III), GABA, (IV), and DL-AABA, (V), have similar molecular packing and crystallographic motifs. The shortest amino acid (i.e. glycine) forms a cocrystal, (I), with DL-tartaric acid, whereas the larger amino acids form molecular salts, viz. (IV) and (V). β-Alanine is the only amino acid capable of forming both a cocrystal [i.e. (II)] and a molecular salt [i.e. (III)] with DL-tartaric acid. The cocrystals of glycine and β-alanine with DL-tartaric acid, i.e. (I) and (II), respectively, contain chains of amino acid zwitterions, similar to the structure of pure glycine. In the structures of the molecular salts of amino acids, the amino acid cations form isolated dimers [of β-alanine in (III), GABA in (IV) and DL-AABA in (V)], which are linked by strong O-H...O hydrogen bonds. Moreover, the three crystal structures comprise different types of dimeric cations, i.e. (A...A) + in (III) and (V), and A + ...A + in (IV). Molecular salts (IV) and (V) are the first examples of molecular salts of GABA and DL-AABA that contain dimers of amino acid cations. The geometry of each investigated amino acid (except DL-AABA) correlates with the melting point of its mixed crystal.

  8. Amino Acids and Biogenic Amines Evolution during the Estufagem of Fortified Wines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanda Pereira

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The current study was focused on the impact of accelerated ageing (heating step on the amino acid and biogenic amine profiles of fortified wines. In this sense, three Madeira wines from two commonly used grape varieties (one red and the other white were analysed during the heating, at standard (45°C, 3 months and overheating (70°C, 1 month conditions, following a precolumn derivatization procedure using iodoacetic acid, o-phthaldialdehyde, and 2-mercaptoethanol, carried out in the injection loop prior to RP-HPLC-FLD detection. Eighteen amino acids were identified, with arginine being the most abundant. An important decrease of the amino acid levels was detected during the standard heating (up to 30%, enhanced up to 61% by the temperature increase. Cysteine, histidine, and asparagine revealed the greatest decreases at 45°C. Conversely, some amino acids, such as asparagine, slightly increased. Four biogenic amines were identified but always in trace amounts. Finally, it was observed that the accelerated ageing did not favour the biogenic amine development. The results also indicate that the heating process promotes the amino acid transformation into new ageing products.

  9. The cerebral metabolism of amino acids and related metabolites as studied by {sup 13}C and {sup 14}C labelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hassel, B

    1995-11-01

    The present investigations show the feasibility of analyzing the cerebral metabolism of amino acids and related metabolites by {sup 13}C-and {sup 14}C-labelling using labelled acetate and glucose as markers for glial and neuronal metabolism, respectively. Using [{sup 13}C]acetate, it was shown that glial cells export {approx}60% of their TCA cycle intermediates, mostly as glutamine, and that this glutamine is used by neurons partly as an energy reserve, and partly it is converted directly to glutamate and GABA. Using [{sup 13}C]glucose, the glial process or pyruvate carboxylation was shown to compensate fully for the loss of glutamine. The mechanism of action of two neurotoxins, fluorocitrate and 3-nitropropionate was elucidated. The latter toxin was shown to inhibit the TCA cycle of GABAergic neurons selectively. Formation of pyruvate and lactate from glial TCA cycle intermediates was demonstrated in vivo. This pathway may be important for glial inactivation of transmitter glutamate and GABA. The results illustrate glianeuronal interactions, and they suggest the applicability of {sup 13}CNMR spectroscopy to the detailed study of the cerebral metabolism of amino acids in the intact, unanesthetized human brain. 174 refs.

  10. Amino acid neurotransmitters and new approaches to anticonvulsant drug action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meldrum, B

    1984-01-01

    Amino acids provide the most universal and important inhibitory (gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine) and excitatory (glutamate, aspartate, cysteic acid, cysteine sulphinic acid) neurotransmitters in the brain. An anticonvulsant action may be produced (1) by enhancing inhibitory (GABAergic) processes, and (2) by diminishing excitatory transmission. Possible pharmacological mechanisms for enhancing GABA-mediated inhibition include (1) GABA agonist action, (2) GABA prodrugs, (3) drugs facilitating GABA release from terminals, (4) inhibition of GABA-transaminase, (5) allosteric enhancement of the efficacy of GABA at the receptor complex, (6) direction action on the chloride ionophore, and (7) inhibition of GABA reuptake. Examples of these approaches include the use of irreversible GABA-transaminase inhibitors, such as gamma-vinyl GABA, and the development of anticonvulsant beta-carbolines that interact with the "benzodiazepine receptor." Pharmacological mechanisms for diminishing excitatory transmission include (1) enzyme inhibitors that decrease the maximal rate of synthesis of glutamate or aspartate, (2) drugs that decrease the synaptic release of glutamate or aspartate, and (3) drugs that block the post-synaptic action of excitatory amino acids. Compounds that selectively antagonise excitation due to dicarboxylic amino acids have recently been developed. Those that selectively block excitation produced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (and aspartate) have proved to be potent anticonvulsants in many animal models of epilepsy. This provides a novel approach to the design of anticonvulsant drugs.

  11. The Processed Amino-Terminal Fragment of Human TLR7 Acts as a Chaperone To Direct Human TLR7 into Endosomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepherd, Dawn; Booth, Sarah; Waithe, Dominic; Reis e Sousa, Caetano

    2015-01-01

    TLR7 mediates innate immune responses to viral RNA in endocytic compartments. Mouse and human (h)TLR7 undergo proteolytic cleavage, resulting in the generation of a C-terminal fragment that accumulates in endosomes and associates with the signaling adaptor MyD88 upon receptor triggering by TLR7 agonists. Although mouse TLR7 is cleaved in endosomes by acidic proteases, hTLR7 processing can occur at neutral pH throughout the secretory pathway through the activity of furin-like proprotein convertases. However, the mechanisms by which cleaved hTLR7 reaches the endosomal compartment remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that, after hTLR7 proteolytic processing, the liberated amino (N)-terminal fragment remains bound to the C terminus through disulfide bonds and provides key trafficking information that ensures correct delivery of the complex to endosomal compartments. In the absence of the N-terminal fragment, the C-terminal fragment is redirected to the cell surface, where it is functionally inactive. Our data reveal a novel role for the N terminus of hTLR7 as a molecular chaperone that provides processed hTLR7 with the correct targeting instructions to reach the endosomal compartment, hence ensuring its biological activity and preventing inadvertent cell surface responses to self-RNA. PMID:25917086

  12. Akt kinase C-terminal modifications control activation loop dephosphorylation and enhance insulin response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Tung O; Zhang, Jin; Tiegs, Brian C; Blumhof, Brian; Yan, Linda; Keny, Nikhil; Penny, Morgan; Li, Xue; Pascal, John M; Armen, Roger S; Rodeck, Ulrich; Penn, Raymond B

    2015-10-01

    The Akt protein kinase, also known as protein kinase B, plays key roles in insulin receptor signalling and regulates cell growth, survival and metabolism. Recently, we described a mechanism to enhance Akt phosphorylation that restricts access of cellular phosphatases to the Akt activation loop (Thr(308) in Akt1 or protein kinase B isoform alpha) in an ATP-dependent manner. In the present paper, we describe a distinct mechanism to control Thr(308) dephosphorylation and thus Akt deactivation that depends on intramolecular interactions of Akt C-terminal sequences with its kinase domain. Modifications of amino acids surrounding the Akt1 C-terminal mTORC2 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2) phosphorylation site (Ser(473)) increased phosphatase resistance of the phosphorylated activation loop (pThr(308)) and amplified Akt phosphorylation. Furthermore, the phosphatase-resistant Akt was refractory to ceramide-dependent dephosphorylation and amplified insulin-dependent Thr(308) phosphorylation in a regulated fashion. Collectively, these results suggest that the Akt C-terminal hydrophobic groove is a target for the development of agents that enhance Akt phosphorylation by insulin. © 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

  13. The IBO germination quantitative trait locus encodes a phosphatase 2C-related variant with a nonsynonymous amino acid change that interferes with abscisic acid signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amiguet-Vercher, Amélia; Santuari, Luca; Gonzalez-Guzman, Miguel; Depuydt, Stephen; Rodriguez, Pedro L; Hardtke, Christian S

    2015-02-01

    Natural genetic variation is crucial for adaptability of plants to different environments. Seed dormancy prevents precocious germination in unsuitable conditions and is an adaptation to a major macro-environmental parameter, the seasonal variation in temperature and day length. Here we report the isolation of IBO, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) that governs c. 30% of germination rate variance in an Arabidopsis recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the parental accessions Eilenburg-0 (Eil-0) and Loch Ness-0 (Lc-0). IBO encodes an uncharacterized phosphatase 2C-related protein, but neither the Eil-0 nor the Lc-0 variant, which differ in a single amino acid, have any appreciable phosphatase activity in in vitro assays. However, we found that the amino acid change in the Lc-0 variant of the IBO protein confers reduced germination rate. Moreover, unlike the Eil-0 variant of the protein, the Lc-0 variant can interfere with the activity of the phosphatase 2C ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 1 in vitro. This suggests that the Lc-0 variant possibly interferes with abscisic acid signaling, a notion that is supported by physiological assays. Thus, we isolated an example of a QTL allele with a nonsynonymous amino acid change that might mediate local adaptation of seed germination timing. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

  14. The superfamily of C3b/C4b-binding proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Torsten; D'Eustachio, P; Ogata, R T

    1987-01-01

    The determination of primary structures by amino acid and nucleotide sequencing for the C3b-and/or C4b-binding proteins H, C4BP, CR1, B, and C2 has revealed the presence of a common structural element. This element is approximately 60 amino acids long and is repeated in a tandem fashion, commencing...... at the amino-terminal end of each molecule. Two other complement components, C1r and C1s, have two of these repeating units in the carboxy-terminal region of their noncatalytic A chains. Three noncomplement proteins, beta 2-glycoprotein I (beta 2I), the interleukin 2 receptor (IL 2 receptor), and the b chain...... of factor XIII, have 4, 2 and 10 of these repeating units, respectively. These proteins obviously belong to the above family, although there is no evidence that they interact with C3b and/or C4b. Human haptoglobin and rat leukocyte common antigen also contain two and three repeating units, respectively...

  15. Metabolism of γ-hydroxyl-[1-14C] butyrate by rat brain: relationship to the Krebs cycle and metabolic compartmentation of amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doherty, J.D.; Roth, R.H.

    1978-01-01

    Ninhydrin decarboxylation experiments were carried out on the labelled amino acids produced following intraventricular injection of either γ-hydroxy-[1- 14 C] butyric acid (GHB) or [1- 14 C] succinate. The loss of isotope (as 14 CO 2 ) was similar for both substances. The [1- 14 C] GHB metabolites lost 75% of the label and the [1- 14 C] succinate metabolites lost 68%. This observation gives support to the hypothesis that the rat brain has the enzymatic capacity to metabolize [1- 14 C] GHB to succinate and to amino acids that have the isotope in the carboxylic acid group adjacent to the α-amino group. These results also indicate that the label from [1- 14 C] GHB does not enter the Krebs cycle as acetate. The specific activity ratio of radio-labelled glutamine to glutamic acid was determined in order to evaluate which of the two major metabolic compartments prefentially metabolize GHB. It was found that for [1- 14 C] GHB the ratio was 4.20 +- 0.18 (S.E. for n = 7) and for [1- 14 C] succinate the ratio was 7.71 (average of two trials, 7.74 and 7.69). These results suggest that the compartment thought to be associated with glial cells and synaptosomal structures is largely responsible for the metabolism of GHB. Metabolism as it might relate to the neuropharmacological action of GHB is discussed. (author)

  16. An amino acid depleted cell-free protein synthesis system for the incorporation of non-canonical amino acid analogs into proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh-Blom, Amrita; Hughes, Randall A; Ellington, Andrew D

    2014-05-20

    Residue-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into proteins is usually performed in vivo using amino acid auxotrophic strains and replacing the natural amino acid with an unnatural amino acid analog. Herein, we present an efficient amino acid depleted cell-free protein synthesis system that can be used to study residue-specific replacement of a natural amino acid by an unnatural amino acid analog. This system combines a simple methodology and high protein expression titers with a high-efficiency analog substitution into a target protein. To demonstrate the productivity and efficacy of a cell-free synthesis system for residue-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids in vitro, we use this system to show that 5-fluorotryptophan and 6-fluorotryptophan substituted streptavidin retain the ability to bind biotin despite protein-wide replacement of a natural amino acid for the amino acid analog. We envisage this amino acid depleted cell-free synthesis system being an economical and convenient format for the high-throughput screening of a myriad of amino acid analogs with a variety of protein targets for the study and functional characterization of proteins substituted with unnatural amino acids when compared to the currently employed in vivo methodologies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Utilization of acidic α-amino acids as acyl donors: an effective stereo-controllable synthesis of aryl-keto α-amino acids and their derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Murai, Yuta; Yoshida, Takuma; Okamoto, Masashi; Tachrim, Zetryana Puteri; Hashidoko, Yasuyuki; Hashimoto, Makoto

    2014-05-16

    Aryl-keto-containing α-amino acids are of great importance in organic chemistry and biochemistry. They are valuable intermediates for the construction of hydroxyl α-amino acids, nonproteinogenic α-amino acids, as well as other biofunctional components. Friedel-Crafts acylation is an effective method to prepare aryl-keto derivatives. In this review, we summarize the preparation of aryl-keto containing α-amino acids by Friedel-Crafts acylation using acidic α-amino acids as acyl-donors and Lewis acids or Brönsted acids as catalysts.

  18. Amino acid residues important for substrate specificity of the amino acid permeases Can I p and Gnp I p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Regenberg, Birgitte; Kielland-Brandt, M.C.

    2001-01-01

    Deletion of the general amino acid permease gene GAP1 abolishes uptake of L-citrulline in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, resulting in the inability to grow on L-citrulline as sole nitrogen source. Selection for suppressor mutants that restored growth on L-citrulline led to isolation of 21 mutations...... in the arginine permease gene CAN1. One similar mutation was found in the glutamine-asparagine permease gene GNP1. L-[C-14]citrulline uptake measurements confirmed that suppressor mutations in CAN1 conferred uptake of this amino acid, while none of the mutant permeases had lost the ability to transport L-[C-14......]arginine. Substrate specificity seemed to remain narrow in most cases, and broad substrate specificity was only observed in the cases where mutations affect two proline residues (P148 and P313) that are both conserved in the amino acid-polyamine-choline (APC) transporter superfamily. We found mutations...

  19. Investigation on the pancreatic and stomach secretion in pigs by means of continuous infusion of 14C-amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, O.; Bergner, H.; Muenchmeyer, R.; Zebrowska, T.

    1983-01-01

    2 pigs received a barley-soya bean meal diet and another 2 a casein-wheat starch diet. The specific radioactivity (SR = dpm/μmol) of leucine and phenylalanine in the TCA soluble fraction of plasma and in the TCA soluble and TCA precipitable fractions of pancreatic juice and of digesta leaving the stomach was determined during 6 hours of intravenous infusion of 14 C-leucine and 14 C-phenylalanine. At the end of the infusion the SR of both amino acids in both fractions of several tissues was measured and used for calculations of the rate of tissue protein synthesis. The results are that mainly amino acids derived from the extracellular space were used for synthesis that the process of synthesis, concentration and secretion of secretory proteins requires in pigs 120 to 180 minutes, and that TCA soluble amino acids in pancreatic juice are not free amino acids per se, but originate from processing of presecretory proteins. In the duodenal digesta labelled proteins appeared 3 to 4 hours after the beginning of the infusion. Both, secretion of proteins by the pancreas and by the stomach seemed to be more stimulated after feeding the barley-soya diet than the casein-starch diet. Of all tissues, the SR of amino acids in proteins was highest in the pancreas. However, proteins secreted by the pancreas were 3 to 4 times higher labelled than those retained in the tissue. The range of the fractional rate of protein synthesis was calculated for the sections of the gastrointestinal tract, the liver and skeletal muscles and discussed with other findings. (author)

  20. Gut luminal endogenous protein: implications for the determination of ileal amino acid digestibility in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moughan, Paul J; Rutherfurd, Shane M

    2012-08-01

    The true ileal digestibility assay provides the most informative measure of digestibility to assess bioavailability of amino acids in foods for humans. To determine 'true' estimates of ileal amino acid digestibility, requires that endogenous amino acids present in digesta at the terminal ileum be quantified. The amounts of endogenous amino acids in ileal digesta can be determined after feeding an animal or human a protein-free diet (traditional approach) or by various methods after giving a protein-containing diet. When the protein-free method has been applied with adult human subjects an overall mean value (three separate studies) for endogenous ileal nitrogen flow of 800 mg N/d has been reported. This value is considerably lower than a comparable value obtained after feeding protein of 1852 mg N/d (mean of four separate studies), and thus endogenous ileal N and amino acids should be measured under conditions of protein alimentation. There is some confusion concerning the terminology used to define digestibility, with the term "true" digestibility having different adopted meanings. Here, true amino acid digestibility is defined as apparent amino acid digestibility corrected for the basal amino acid losses determined after giving either a protein-free or a protein-containing diet. Basal losses should be determined at a defined dry-matter and protein intake. The protein-free diet approach to determining endogenous amino acids is considered unphysiological and basal losses refer to ileal endogenous amino acid flows associated with digesta dry-matter flow, and not including "specific" effects of dietary factors such as non starch polysaccharides and anti nutritional factors. Arguments are advanced that the enzyme hydrolysed protein/ultra filtration method may be suitable for routine application with a cannulated pig model, to obtain physiologically-valid basal estimates of ileal endogenous amino acids to allow calculation of true ileal amino acid digestibility in the

  1. Structural analysis of complementary DNA and amino acid sequences of human and rat androgen receptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, C.; Kokontis, J.; Liao, S.

    1988-01-01

    Structural analysis of cDNAs for human and rat androgen receptors (ARs) indicates that the amino-terminal regions of ARs are rich in oligo- and poly(amino acid) motifs as in some homeotic genes. The human AR has a long stretch of repeated glycines, whereas rat AR has a long stretch of glutamines. There is a considerable sequence similarity among ARs and the receptors for glucocorticoids, progestins, and mineralocorticoids within the steroid-binding domains. The cysteine-rich DNA-binding domains are well conserved. Translation of mRNA transcribed from AR cDNAs yielded 94- and 76-kDa proteins and smaller forms that bind to DNA and have high affinity toward androgens. These rat or human ARs were recognized by human autoantibodies to natural Ars. Molecular hybridization studies, using AR cDNAs as probes, indicated that the ventral prostate and other male accessory organs are rich in AR mRNA and that the production of AR mRNA in the target organs may be autoregulated by androgens

  2. Amino acids in the sedimentary humic and fulvic acids

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sardessai, S.

    acids in the coastal Arabian Sea sediments: whereas amino acids content of fulvic acids was lower than that of humic acids in the coastal sediments of Bay of Bengal. Slope sedimentary humic acids were relatively enriched in amino acids as compared...

  3. The Amino Acid Composition of the Sutter's Mill Carbonaceous Chondrite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glavin, D. P.; Burton, A. S.; Elsila, J. E.; Dworkin, J. P.; Yin, Q. Z.; Cooper, G.; Jenniskens, P.

    2012-01-01

    In contrast to the Murchison meteorite which had a complex distribution of amino acids with a total C2 to Cs amino acid abundance of approx.14,000 parts-per-billion (ppb) [2], the Sutters Mill meteorite was found to be highly depleted in amino acids. Much lower abundances (approx.30 to 180 ppb) of glycine, beta-alanine, L-alanine and L-serine were detected in SM2 above procedural blank levels indicating that this meteorite sample experienced only minimal terrestrial amino acid contamination after its fall to Earth. Carbon isotope measurements will be necessary to establish the origin of glycine and beta-alanine in SM2. Other non-protein amino acids that are rare on Earth, yet commonly found in other CM meteorites such as aaminoisobutyric acid (alpha-AIB) and isovaline, were not identified in SM2. However, traces of beta-AIB (approx.1 ppb) were detected in SM2 and could be" extraterrestrial in origin. The low abundances of amino acids in the Sutter's Mill meteorite is consistent with mineralogical evidence that at least some parts of the Sutter's Mill meteorite parent body experienced extensive aqueous and/or thermal alteration.

  4. Efficient farnesylation of an extended C-terminal C(x)3X sequence motif expands the scope of the prenylated proteome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanden, Melanie J; Suazo, Kiall F; Hildebrandt, Emily R; Hardgrove, Daniel S; Patel, Meet; Saunders, William P; Distefano, Mark D; Schmidt, Walter K; Hougland, James L

    2018-02-23

    Protein prenylation is a post-translational modification that has been most commonly associated with enabling protein trafficking to and interaction with cellular membranes. In this process, an isoprenoid group is attached to a cysteine near the C terminus of a substrate protein by protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) or protein geranylgeranyltransferase type I or II (GGTase-I and GGTase-II). FTase and GGTase-I have long been proposed to specifically recognize a four-amino acid C AAX C-terminal sequence within their substrates. Surprisingly, genetic screening reveals that yeast FTase can modify sequences longer than the canonical C AAX sequence, specifically C( x ) 3 X sequences with four amino acids downstream of the cysteine. Biochemical and cell-based studies using both peptide and protein substrates reveal that mammalian FTase orthologs can also prenylate C( x ) 3 X sequences. As the search to identify physiologically relevant C( x ) 3 X proteins begins, this new prenylation motif nearly doubles the number of proteins within the yeast and human proteomes that can be explored as potential FTase substrates. This work expands our understanding of prenylation's impact within the proteome, establishes the biologically relevant reactivity possible with this new motif, and opens new frontiers in determining the impact of non-canonically prenylated proteins on cell function. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  5. Identification of critical amino acids in the IgE epitopes of Ric c 1 and Ric c 3 and the application of glutamic acid as an IgE blocker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deus-de-Oliveira, Natalia; Felix, Shayany P; Carrielo-Gama, Camila; Fernandes, Keysson V; DaMatta, Renato Augusto; Machado, Olga L T

    2011-01-01

    The allergenicity of Ricinus communis L. (castor bean, Euphorbiaceae) is associated with components of its seeds and pollen. Castor bean allergy has been described not only in laboratory workers, but also in personnel working in oil processing mills, fertilizer retail, the upholstery industry and other industrial fields. In the present study, we describe the critical amino acids in the IgE-binding epitopes in Ric c 1 and Ric c 3, two major allergens of R. communis. In addition, we also investigate the cross-reactivity between castor bean and some air and food allergen extracts commonly used in allergy diagnosis. The IgE reactivity of human sera from atopic patients was screened by immune-dot blot against castor bean allergens. Allergenic activity was evaluated in vitro using a rat mast cell activation assay and by ELISA. Cross-reactivity was observed between castor bean allergens and extracts from shrimp, fish, gluten, wheat, soybean, peanut, corn, house dust, tobacco and airborne fungal allergens. We observed that treatment of rat and human sera (from atopic patients) with glutamic acid reduced the IgE-epitope interaction. The identification of glutamic acid residues with critical roles in IgE-binding to Ric c 3 and Ric c 1 support the potential use of free amino acids in allergy treatment.

  6. Oxidative diversification of amino acids and peptides by small-molecule iron catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osberger, Thomas J; Rogness, Donald C; Kohrt, Jeffrey T; Stepan, Antonia F; White, M Christina

    2016-09-08

    Secondary metabolites synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases display diverse and complex topologies and possess a range of biological activities. Much of this diversity derives from a synthetic strategy that entails pre- and post-assembly oxidation of both the chiral amino acid building blocks and the assembled peptide scaffolds. The vancomycin biosynthetic pathway is an excellent example of the range of oxidative transformations that can be performed by the iron-containing enzymes involved in its biosynthesis. However, because of the challenges associated with using such oxidative enzymes to carry out chemical transformations in vitro, chemical syntheses guided by these principles have not been fully realized in the laboratory. Here we report that two small-molecule iron catalysts are capable of facilitating the targeted C-H oxidative modification of amino acids and peptides with preservation of α-centre chirality. Oxidation of proline to 5-hydroxyproline furnishes a versatile intermediate that can be transformed to rigid arylated derivatives or flexible linear carboxylic acids, alcohols, olefins and amines in both monomer and peptide settings. The value of this C-H oxidation strategy is demonstrated in its capacity for generating diversity: four 'chiral pool' amino acids are transformed to twenty-one chiral unnatural amino acids representing seven distinct functional group arrays; late-stage C-H functionalizations of a single proline-containing tripeptide furnish eight tripeptides, each having different unnatural amino acids. Additionally, a macrocyclic peptide containing a proline turn element is transformed via late-stage C-H oxidation to one containing a linear unnatural amino acid.

  7. Influence of cold stress on contents of soluble sugars, vitamin C and free amino acids including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in spinach (Spinacia oleracea).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Young-Eun; Kuppusamy, Saranya; Cho, Kye Man; Kim, Pil Joo; Kwack, Yong-Bum; Lee, Yong Bok

    2017-01-15

    The contents of soluble sugars (sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose and raffinose), vitamin C and free amino acids (34 compounds, essential and non-essential) were quantified in open-field and greenhouse-grown spinaches in response to cold stress using liquid chromatography. In general, greenhouse cultivation produced nutritionally high value spinach in a shorter growing period, where the soluble sugars, vitamin C and total amino acids concentrations, including essential were in larger amounts compared to those grown in open-field scenarios. Further, low temperature exposure of spinach during a shorter growth period resulted in the production of spinach with high sucrose, ascorbate, proline, gamma-aminobutyric acid, valine and leucine content, and these constitute the most important energy/nutrient sources. In conclusion, cultivation of spinach in greenhouse at a low temperature (4-7°C) and exposure for a shorter period (7-21days) before harvest is recommended. This strategy will produce a high quality product that people can eat. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The C-terminal domain of TRPV4 is essential for plasma membrane localization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Daniel; Müller, Margarethe; Leuner, Kristina; Jendrach, Marina

    2008-02-01

    Many members of the TRP superfamily oligomerize in the ER before trafficking to the plasma membrane. For membrane localization of the non-selective cation channel TRPV4 specific domains in the N-terminus are required, but the role of the C-terminus in the oligomerization and trafficking process has been not determined until now. Therefore, the localization of recombinant TRPV4 in two cell models was analyzed: HaCaT keratinocytes that express TRPV4 endogenously were compared to CHO cells that are devoid of endogenous TRPV4. When deletions were introduced in the C-terminal domain three states of TRPV4 localization were defined: a truncated TRPV4 protein of 855 amino acids was exported to the plasma membrane like the full-length channel (871 aa) and was also functional. Mutants with a length of 828 to 844 amino acids remained in the ER of CHO cells, but in HaCaT cells plasma membrane localization was partially rescued by oligomerization with endogenous TRPV4. This was confirmed by coexpression of recombinant full-length TRPV4 together with these deletion mutants, which resulted in an almost complete plasma membrane localization of both proteins and significant FRET in the plasma membrane and the ER. All deletions upstream of amino acid 828 resulted in total ER retention that could not rescued by coexpression with the full-length protein. However, these deletion mutants did not impair export of full-length TRPV4, implying that no oligomerization took place. These data indicate that the C-terminus of TRPV4 is required for oligomerization, which takes place in the ER and precedes plasma membrane trafficking.

  9. SHORT COMMUNICATION DETERMINATION OF AMINO ACIDS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    B. S. Chandravanshi

    The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of free and total amino acid ... Gas chromatographic method with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) was ... Total amino acid analysis was done on acid hydrolysates of RJ samples by the ion-exchange ... The data of amino acids and protein content for all analyzed fresh and.

  10. The proapoptotic activity of C-terminal domain of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF is separated from its N-terminal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YONG ZHANG

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF is a mitochondrial flavoprotein that mediates both NADH-oxidizing and caspase-independent apoptosis. Further, the proapoptotic activity of AIF is located in the C-terminus of AIF, although the precise minimum sequence responsible for apoptosis induction remains to be investigated. In the present study, we generated two truncated AIFs, AIFΔ1-480-FLAG, which is a FLAG-tagged C-terminal peptide comprising amino acids from 481 to 613, and AIF360-480 containing amino acids from 360 to 480 of AIF. We used confocal microscopy to demonstrate that both the truncated proteins are expressed and located in the cytoplasm of transfected cells. AIFΔ1-480 but not AIF360-480 induces apoptosis in transfected cells. We also found that the expression of AIFΔ1-480 could initiate the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. The suppression of caspase-9 via siRNA blocked the proapoptotic activity of AIFΔ1-480. Therefore, AIFΔ 1-480 is sufficient for inducing caspase-9-dependent apoptotic signaling, probably by promoting the release of cytochrome c. At last, we generated a chimeric immuno-AIFΔ 1-480 protein, which comprised an HER2 antibody, a Pseudomonas exotoxin A translocation domain and AIFΔ 1-480. Human Jurkat cells transfected with the immuno-AIFΔl-480 gene could express and secrete the chimeric protein, which selectively recognize and kill HER2-overexpressing tumor cells. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of the immuno-AIFΔl-480 gene as a novel approach to treating HER2-overexpressing cancers.

  11. Low Mass MS/MS Fragments of Protonated Amino Acids Used for Distinction of Their 13C- Isotopomers in Metabolic Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xin; Dagan, Shai; Somogyi, Árpád; Wysocki, Vicki H.; Scaraffia, Patricia Y.

    2013-04-01

    Glu, Gln, Pro, and Ala are the main amino acids involved in ammonia detoxification in mosquitoes. In order to develop a tandem mass spectrometry method (MS2) to monitor each carbon of the above isotopically-labeled 13C-amino acids for metabolic studies, the compositions and origins of atoms in fragments of the protonated amino acid should be first elucidated. Thus, various electrospray (ESI)-based MS2 tools were employed to study the fragmentation of these unlabeled and isotopically-labeled amino acids and better understand their dissociation pathways. A broad range of fragments, including previously-undescribed low m/z fragments was revealed. The formulae of the fragments (from m/z 130 down to m/z 27) were confirmed by their accurate masses. The structures and conformations of the larger fragments of Glu were also explored by ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) and gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) experiments. It was found that some low m/z fragments ( m/z 27-30) are common to Glu, Gln, Pro, and Ala. The origins of carbons in these small fragments are discussed and additional collision induced dissociation (CID) MS2 fragmentation pathways are proposed for them. It was also found that small fragments (≤ m/z 84) of protonated, methylated Glu, and methylated Gln are the same as those of the underivatized Glu and Gln. Taken together, the new approach of utilizing low m/z fragments can be applied to distinguish, identify, and quantify 13C-amino acids labeled at various positions, either in the backbone or side chain.

  12. Reactivity of glycyl-amino acids toward hydroxyl radical in neutral aqueous solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masuda, Takahiro; Iwashita, Naomi; Shinohara, Hiroyuki; Kondo, Masaharu

    1978-01-01

    Rate constants for reactions of hydroxyl radicals with several glycyl-amino acids were determined by a competition method using p-nitrosodimethylailine as a reference compound. For glycyl-aliphatic amino acids, the enhancement of reactivity was observed as compared with the corresponding free amino acids. The reactivity was explained qualitatively in terms of partial reactivities assigned to each C-H bond of the dipeptides. For glycyl-aromatic amino acids, the rate constants were found to be almost equal to those of the corresponding free amino acids. The reactivity of a protein toward hydroxyl radical was well understood by summation of the rate constants, corrected by steric factors, of amino acid residues located on surface of the protein. The enhanced reactivity of the aliphatic peptides was interpreted in terms of the difference in interaction energy between NH 2 - and NH 3 + -forms of an aliphatic amino acid, which was calculated for the system including glycine and hydroxyl radical according to CNDO/2 method. (auth.)

  13. C-terminal of human histamine H1 receptors regulates their agonist-induced clathrin-mediated internalization and G-protein signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hishinuma, Shigeru; Nozawa, Hiroki; Akatsu, Chizuru; Shoji, Masaru

    2016-11-01

    It has been suggested that the agonist-induced internalization of G-protein-coupled receptors from the cell surface into intracellular compartments regulates cellular responsiveness. We previously reported that G q/11 -protein-coupled human histamine H 1 receptors internalized via clathrin-dependent mechanisms upon stimulation with histamine. However, the molecular determinants of H 1 receptors responsible for agonist-induced internalization remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the roles of the intracellular C-terminal of human histamine H 1 receptors tagged with hemagglutinin (HA) at the N-terminal in histamine-induced internalization in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The histamine-induced internalization was evaluated by the receptor binding assay with [ 3 H]mepyramine and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy with an anti-HA antibody. We found that histamine-induced internalization was inhibited under hypertonic conditions or by pitstop, a clathrin terminal domain inhibitor, but not by filipin or nystatin, disruptors of the caveolar structure and function. The histamine-induced internalization was also inhibited by truncation of a single amino acid, Ser487, located at the end of the intracellular C-terminal of H 1 receptors, but not by its mutation to alanine. In contrast, the receptor-G-protein coupling, which was evaluated by histamine-induced accumulation of [ 3 H]inositol phosphates, was potentiated by truncation of Ser487, but was lost by its mutation to alanine. These results suggest that the intracellular C-terminal of human H 1 receptors, which only comprises 17 amino acids (Cys471-Ser487), plays crucial roles in both clathrin-dependent internalization of H 1 receptors and G-protein signaling, in which truncation of Ser487 and its mutation to alanine are revealed to result in biased signaling toward activation of G-proteins and clathrin-mediated internalization, respectively. © 2016 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  14. An amino-terminal segment of hantavirus nucleocapsid protein presented on hepatitis B virus core particles induces a strong and highly cross-reactive antibody response in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geldmacher, Astrid; Skrastina, Dace; Petrovskis, Ivars; Borisova, Galina; Berriman, John A.; Roseman, Alan M.; Crowther, R. Anthony; Fischer, Jan; Musema, Shamil; Gelderblom, Hans R.; Lundkvist, Aake; Renhofa, Regina; Ose, Velta; Krueger, Detlev H.; Pumpens, Paul; Ulrich, Rainer

    2004-01-01

    Previously, we have demonstrated that hepatitis B virus (HBV) core particles tolerate the insertion of the amino-terminal 120 amino acids (aa) of the Puumala hantavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein. Here, we demonstrate that the insertion of 120 amino-terminal aa of N proteins from highly virulent Dobrava and Hantaan hantaviruses allows the formation of chimeric core particles. These particles expose the inserted foreign protein segments, at least in part, on their surface. Analysis by electron cryomicroscopy of chimeric particles harbouring the Puumala virus (PUUV) N segment revealed 90% T = 3 and 10% T = 4 shells. A map computed from T = 3 shells shows additional density splaying out from the tips of the spikes producing the effect of an extra shell of density at an outer radius compared with wild-type shells. The inserted Puumala virus N protein segment is flexibly linked to the core spikes and only partially icosahedrally ordered. Immunisation of mice of two different haplotypes (BALB/c and C57BL/6) with chimeric core particles induces a high-titered and highly cross-reactive N-specific antibody response in both mice strains

  15. Urinary amino acid analysis: a comparison of iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and amino acid analyzer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Chan, Queenie; Daniels, Scott; Nimkar, Subodh; Daviglus, Martha L; Stamler, Jeremiah; Elliott, Paul; Oefner, Peter J

    2009-07-01

    Urinary amino acid analysis is typically done by cation-exchange chromatography followed by post-column derivatization with ninhydrin and UV detection. This method lacks throughput and specificity. Two recently introduced stable isotope ratio mass spectrometric methods promise to overcome those shortcomings. Using two blinded sets of urine replicates and a certified amino acid standard, we compared the precision and accuracy of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of propyl chloroformate and iTRAQ derivatized amino acids, respectively, to conventional amino acid analysis. The GC-MS method builds on the direct derivatization of amino acids in diluted urine with propyl chloroformate, GC separation and mass spectrometric quantification of derivatives using stable isotope labeled standards. The LC-MS/MS method requires prior urinary protein precipitation followed by labeling of urinary and standard amino acids with iTRAQ tags containing different cleavable reporter ions distinguishable by MS/MS fragmentation. Means and standard deviations of percent technical error (%TE) computed for 20 amino acids determined by amino acid analyzer, GC-MS, and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS analyses of 33 duplicate and triplicate urine specimens were 7.27+/-5.22, 21.18+/-10.94, and 18.34+/-14.67, respectively. Corresponding values for 13 amino acids determined in a second batch of 144 urine specimens measured in duplicate or triplicate were 8.39+/-5.35, 6.23+/-3.84, and 35.37+/-29.42. Both GC-MS and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS are suited for high-throughput amino acid analysis, with the former offering at present higher reproducibility and completely automated sample pretreatment, while the latter covers more amino acids and related amines.

  16. A new highly selective metabotropic excitatory amino acid agonist: 2-amino-4-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)butyric acid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Sløk, F A; Skjaerbaek, N

    1996-01-01

    The homologous series of acidic amino acids, ranging from aspartic acid (1) to 2-aminosuberic acid (5), and the corresponding series of 3-isoxazolol bioisosteres of these amino acids, ranging from (RS)-2-amino-2-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)acetic acid (AMAA, 6) to (RS)-2-amino-6-(3-hydroxy-5......-methylisoxazol-4-yl)hexanoic acid (10), were tested as ligands for metabotropic excitatory amino acid receptors (mGlu1 alpha, mGlu2, mGlu4a, and mGlu6). Whereas AMAA (6) and (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)propinoic acid (AMPA, 7) are potent and highly selective agonists at N......-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and AMPA receptors, respectively, the higher homologue of AMPA (7), (RS)-2-amino-4-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)butyric acid (homo-AMPA, 8), is inactive at ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors. Homo-AMPA (8), which is a 3-isoxazolol bioisostere of 2-aminoadipic acid (3), was...

  17. Role of stimulated amino acid transport in promoting glycogenesis in the irradiated rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilberg, M.S.; Neuhaus, O.W.

    1976-01-01

    Whole-body irradiation of rats stimulates an amino acid transport system in the liver. Another phenomenon observed after exposure to ionizing radiations is the accumulation of hepatic glycogen. The data presented here relate the increased hepatic uptake of amino acids to glycogenesis. Male rats were exposed to two doses of γ rays, 2500 and 1500 R. Following exposure to 2500 R, the hepatic free amino acids were elevated during the first 48 hr accompanied by a decline in serum levels. At 72 hr the hepatic amino acids diminished to the control levels while the serum increased abruptly. By contrast, 72 hr after exposure to 1500 R the serum amino acid levels increased only 27 percent and the hepatic amino acid values increased 52 percent. These results are explained on the basis of the changes in AIB transport previously reported. The incorporation of 14 C from labeled L-alanine into hepatic glycogen was maximal 48 hr postexposure to 2500 R but declined to below control values at 72 hr. On the other hand, exposure to 1500 R resulted in maximal incorporation of 14 C at both 48 and 72 hr. We propose that transport of amino acids into liver cells is stimulated by the elevated blood levels of amino acids released from the degradation of protein. The transport increases the levels of hepatic free amino acids, and therefore, is a key factor in regulating postirradiation glycogenesis

  18. Differential functions of C- and N-terminal hepatitis B x protein in liver cells treated with doxorubicin in normoxic or hypoxic condition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davor Kin-Fan Chau

    Full Text Available Hepatitis viral B x protein (HBx, a hepatocarcinogen, is frequently mutated. Hypoxia influences the growth of HCC and also the sensitivity of tumor cells to treatments. We aimed to test the role of HBx and acute hypoxia in the efficacy of chemotherapy. In this study, we established 4 Chang liver cell lines with the full-length HBx (HBx, the first 50 amino acids of N-terminal HBx (HBx/50, the last 104 amino acids of C-terminal HBx (HBx/51 and empty vector (CL, respectively. MTT and TNUEL assays were used to assess cell viability and apoptosis respectively. Western blot was used to determine the expression of relevant proteins. Results showed that among 4 cell lines, doxorubicin was most effective in decreasing the viability and enhancing apoptosis in HBx/51 cells, while HBx/50 cells were most resistant to the treatment. Cells in hypoxia were more susceptible to doxorubicin than cells in normoxia. Hypoxia facilitated the Bid cleavage especially in HBx/51 cells via phosphorylating p38 MAPK. p38 MAPK inhibitor significantly reduced the tBid level and increased cell viability. In conclusion, N-terminal HBx and C-terminal HBx function differentially in their ability to regulate cell growth, with the former being promotive but the latter being inhibitory. The acute hypoxia may overcome the HBx-induced resistance and facilitate the chemotherapy.

  19. Branched-Chain Amino Acids Are the Primary Limiting Amino Acids in the Diets of Endurance-Trained Men after a Bout of Prolonged Exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Katsuya; Bannai, Makoto; Moore, Daniel R

    2018-05-09

    The indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method estimates the protein intake required to maximize whole-body protein synthesis and identify the daily protein requirement in a variety of populations. However, it is unclear whether the greater requirements for endurance athletes previously determined by the IAAO reflect an increased demand for all or only some amino acids. The aim of this study was to determine the primary rate-limiting amino acids in endurance-trained athletes after prolonged exercise, by measuring the oxidation of ingested [1-13C]phenylalanine in response to variable amino acid intake. Five endurance-trained men (means ± SDs: age, 26 ± 7 y; body weight, 66.9 ± 9.5 kg; maximal oxygen consumption, 63.3 ± 4.3 mL · kg-1 · min-1) performed 5 trials that involved 2 d of controlled diet (1.4 g protein · kg-1 · d-1) and running (10 km on day 1 and 5 km on day 2) prior to performing an acute bout of endurance exercise (20-km treadmill run) on day 3. During recovery on day 3, participants consumed test diets as 8 isocaloric hourly meals providing sufficient energy and carbohydrate but a variable amino acid intake. The test diets, consumed in random order, were deficient (BASE: 0.8 g · kg-1 · d-1) and sufficient (SUF; 1.75 g · kg-1 · d-1) amino acid diets modeled after egg protein, and BASE supplemented with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA diet; 1.03 g · kg-1 · d-1), essential amino acids (EAA diet; 1.23 g · kg-1 · d-1), or nonessential amino acids (NEAA diet; 1.75 g · kg-1 · d-1). Whole-body phenylalanine flux (Q), 13CO2 excretion (F13CO2), and phenylalanine oxidation (OX) were determined according to standard IAAO methodology. There was no effect of amino acid intake on Q (P = 0.43). F13CO2 was significantly (all P amino acids in the greater daily protein requirement of endurance trained men. This trial was registered at clinicaltrial.gov as NCT02628249.

  20. Incorporation of 15N and 14C into amino acids of bacterial and protozoal protein in the rumen of the cow on urea-rich feed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eeva-Liisa Syväoja

    1979-01-01

    Full Text Available The utilization of the non-protein nitrogen and carbon of feed by rumen microorganisms for the synthesis of protein was studied by administering [U-14C] sucrose and 15NH4Cl to a cow on urea-rich, low-protein feed. By studying the labelling of the protozoa and bacteria and the amino acids isolated from them at intervals up to 48 hours afterwards, it was found that the bacteria synthesized amino acids from nonprotein nitrogen much more rapidly and effectively than the protozoa. Also the labelling of the carbon in the amino acids of the bacteria was more rapid than in the protozoa. In both protozoa and bacteria there was intracellular storage of [14C] sucrose. Of the bacterial amino acids the most vigorous 14C labelling was found in Glu, Arg, Lys, Val and Ala and the weakest labelling in Gly, His and Ser. Of the protozoal amino acids Ala, Asp, Glu, Leu and Lys had the highest labelling and Pro, Gly, His and Phe the lowest. In the bacterial protein the labelling of Pro and Arg was ten times that of the corresponding protozoal amino acids, and Asp, Ser and Ala four times. After the 15NH4Cl dose the half-life of 15N in the rumen fluid was estimated to be 3.3 h. Labelled ammonium nitrogen was about 11 —15 % of the bacterial nitrogen and 2—3 % of the protozoal nitrogen after 1 h. Of the protozoal amino acids Ala, Glu, Val, Asp and Met had the most vigorous labelling, and of the bacterial amino acids Glu, Asp, Ser, He and Tyr. The slowest incorporation of ammonium nitrogen was into His, Pro, Arg and Gly in both bacteria and protozoa. The labelling of the bacterial amino acids was approximately 7—8 times more vigorous than that of the protozoal amino acids. The labelling of Ala was only 4 times, and that of Val, Met and Glu 5 times more vigorous than with protozoal protein. The pathway of histidine synthesis seemed to be restricted in both bacteria and protozoa and therefore may be a limiting factor in protein synthesis, particularly in cows fed

  1. Post-transcriptional regulation of the arginine transporter Cat-1 by amino acid availability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aulak, K. S.; Mishra, R.; Zhou, L.; Hyatt, S. L.; de Jonge, W.; Lamers, W.; Snider, M.; Hatzoglou, M.

    1999-01-01

    The regulation of the high affinity cationic amino acid transporter (Cat-1) by amino acid availability has been studied. In C6 glioma and NRK kidney cells, cat-1 mRNA levels increased 3.8-18-fold following 2 h of amino acid starvation. The transcription rate of the cat-1 gene remained unchanged

  2. Nutritional and medicinal aspects of D-amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Mendel; Levin, Carol E

    2012-05-01

    This paper reviews and interprets a method for determining the nutritional value of D-amino acids, D-peptides, and amino acid derivatives using a growth assay in mice fed a synthetic all-amino acid diet. A large number of experiments were carried out in which a molar equivalent of the test compound replaced a nutritionally essential amino acid such as L-lysine (L-Lys), L-methionine (L-Met), L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), and L-tryptophan (L-Trp) as well as the semi-essential amino acids L-cysteine (L-Cys) and L-tyrosine (L-Tyr). The results show wide-ranging variations in the biological utilization of test substances. The method is generally applicable to the determination of the biological utilization and safety of any amino acid derivative as a potential nutritional source of the corresponding L-amino acid. Because the organism is forced to use the D-amino acid or amino acid derivative as the sole source of the essential or semi-essential amino acid being replaced, and because a free amino acid diet allows better control of composition, the use of all-amino-acid diets for such determinations may be preferable to protein-based diets. Also covered are brief summaries of the widely scattered literature on dietary and pharmacological aspects of 27 individual D-amino acids, D-peptides, and isomeric amino acid derivatives and suggested research needs in each of these areas. The described results provide a valuable record and resource for further progress on the multifaceted aspects of D-amino acids in food and biological samples.

  3. Optimization of short amino acid sequences classifier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barcz, Aleksy; Szymański, Zbigniew

    This article describes processing methods used for short amino acid sequences classification. The data processed are 9-symbols string representations of amino acid sequences, divided into 49 data sets - each one containing samples labeled as reacting or not with given enzyme. The goal of the classification is to determine for a single enzyme, whether an amino acid sequence would react with it or not. Each data set is processed separately. Feature selection is performed to reduce the number of dimensions for each data set. The method used for feature selection consists of two phases. During the first phase, significant positions are selected using Classification and Regression Trees. Afterwards, symbols appearing at the selected positions are substituted with numeric values of amino acid properties taken from the AAindex database. In the second phase the new set of features is reduced using a correlation-based ranking formula and Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization. Finally, the preprocessed data is used for training LS-SVM classifiers. SPDE, an evolutionary algorithm, is used to obtain optimal hyperparameters for the LS-SVM classifier, such as error penalty parameter C and kernel-specific hyperparameters. A simple score penalty is used to adapt the SPDE algorithm to the task of selecting classifiers with best performance measures values.

  4. Acquisition of a novel eleven amino acid insertion directly N-terminal to a tetrabasic cleavage site confers intracellular cleavage of an H7N7 influenza virus hemagglutinin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, Brian S.; Sun, Xiangjie; Chung, Changik; Whittaker, Gary R.

    2012-01-01

    A critical feature of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (H5N1 and H7N7) is the efficient intracellular cleavage of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein. H7N7 viruses also exist in equine species, and a unique feature of the equine H7N7 HA is the presence of an eleven amino acid insertion directly N-terminal to a tetrabasic cleavage site. Here, we show that three histidine residues within the unique insertion of the equine H7N7 HA are essential for intracellular cleavage. An asparagine residue within the insertion-derived glycosylation site was also found to be essential for intracellular cleavage. The presence of the histidine residues also appear to be involved in triggering fusion, since mutation of the histidine residues resulted in a destabilizing effect. Importantly, the addition of a tetrabasic site and the eleven amino acid insertion conferred efficient intracellular cleavage to the HA of an H7N3 low pathogenicity avian influenza virus. Our studies show that acquisition of the eleven amino acid insertion offers an alternative mechanism for intracellular cleavage of influenza HA.

  5. Acquisition of a novel eleven amino acid insertion directly N-terminal to a tetrabasic cleavage site confers intracellular cleavage of an H7N7 influenza virus hemagglutinin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamilton, Brian S.; Sun, Xiangjie; Chung, Changik [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853 (United States); New York Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester NY 14627 (United States); Whittaker, Gary R., E-mail: grw7@cornell.edu [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853 (United States); New York Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester NY 14627 (United States)

    2012-12-05

    A critical feature of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (H5N1 and H7N7) is the efficient intracellular cleavage of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein. H7N7 viruses also exist in equine species, and a unique feature of the equine H7N7 HA is the presence of an eleven amino acid insertion directly N-terminal to a tetrabasic cleavage site. Here, we show that three histidine residues within the unique insertion of the equine H7N7 HA are essential for intracellular cleavage. An asparagine residue within the insertion-derived glycosylation site was also found to be essential for intracellular cleavage. The presence of the histidine residues also appear to be involved in triggering fusion, since mutation of the histidine residues resulted in a destabilizing effect. Importantly, the addition of a tetrabasic site and the eleven amino acid insertion conferred efficient intracellular cleavage to the HA of an H7N3 low pathogenicity avian influenza virus. Our studies show that acquisition of the eleven amino acid insertion offers an alternative mechanism for intracellular cleavage of influenza HA.

  6. On the Maillard reaction of meteoritic amino acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolb, Vera M.; Bajagic, Milica; Liesch, Patrick J.; Philip, Ajish; Cody, George D.

    2006-08-01

    We have performed the Maillard reaction of a series of meteoritic amino acids with sugar ribose under simulated prebiotic conditions, in the solid state at 65°C and at the room temperature. Many meteoritic amino acids are highly reactive with ribose, even at the room temperature. We have isolated high molecular weight products that are insoluble in water, and have studied their structure by the IR (infrared) and solid-state C-13 NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopic methods. The functional groups and their distribution were similar among these products, and were comparable to the previously isolated insoluble organic materials from the Maillard reaction of the common amino acids with ribose. In addition, there were some similarities with the insoluble organic material that is found on Murchison. Our results suggest that the Maillard products may contribute to the composition of the part of the insoluble organic material that is found on Murchison. We have also studied the reaction of sodium silicate solution with the Maillard mixtures, to elucidate the process by which the organic compounds are preserved under prebiotic conditions.

  7. Ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptor ligands. Synthesis and pharmacology of a new amino acid AMPA antagonist

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, U; Sløk, F A; Stensbøl, T B

    2000-01-01

    We have previously described the potent and selective (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)propionic acid (AMPA) receptor agonist, (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-carboxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)propionic acid (ACPA), and the AMPA receptor antagonist (RS)-2-amino-3-[3-(carboxymethoxy)-5-methyl-4...... excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors using receptor binding and electrophysiological techniques, and for activity at metabotropic EAA receptors using second messenger assays. Compounds 1 and 4 were essentially inactive. (RS)-2-Amino-3-[3-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl]propionic acid (ACMP, 2......-isoxazolyl]propionic acid (AMOA). Using these AMPA receptor ligands as leads, a series of compounds have been developed as tools for further elucidation of the structural requirements for activation and blockade of AMPA receptors. The synthesized compounds have been tested for activity at ionotropic...

  8. Application of cyanuric chloride-based six new chiral derivatizing reagents having amino acids and amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries for enantioresolution of proteinogenic amino acids by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhushan, Ravi; Dixit, Shuchi

    2012-04-01

    Six dichloro-s-triazine (DCT) reagents having L-Leu, D-Phg, L-Val, L-Met, L-Ala and L-Met-NH(2) as chiral auxiliaries in cyanuric chloride were introduced for enantioseparation of 13 proteinogenic amino acids. Four other DCTs and six monochloro-s-triazine (MCT) reagents having amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries were also synthesized. These 16 chiral derivatizing reagents (CDRs) were used for synthesis of diastereomers of all the 13 analytes using microwave irradiation, which were resolved by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using C18 column and gradient eluting mixture of aqueous TFA and acetonitrile with UV detection at 230 nm. It required only 60-90 s for derivatization using microwave irradiation. Better resolution and lower retention times were observed for the diastereomers prepared with CDRs having amino acids as chiral auxiliaries as compared to counterparts prepared with reagents having amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries. As the best resolution of all the 13 analytes was observed for their diastereomers prepared using the DCT reagent having L-Leu as chiral auxiliary, this CDR was further employed for derivatization of Lys, Tyr, His and Arg followed by RP-HPLC analysis of resulting diastereomers. The results are discussed in light of acid and amide groups of chiral auxiliaries constituting CDRs, electronegativities of the atoms of achiral moieties constituting CDRs and hydrophobicities of side chains of amino acids constituting CDRs and analytes.

  9. Parent Body Influences on Amino Acids in the Tagish Lake Meteorite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glavin, D. P.; Callahan, M. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Elsila, J. E.; Herd, C. D. K.

    2010-01-01

    The Tagish Lake meteorite is a primitive C2 carbonaceous chondrite with a mineralogy, oxygen isotope, and bulk chemical. However, in contrast to many CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites, the Tagish Lake meteorite was reported to have only trace levels of indigenous amino acids, with evidence for terrestrial L-amino acid contamination from the Tagish Lake meltwater. The lack of indigenous amino acids in Tagish Lake suggested that they were either destroyed during parent body alteration processes and/or the Tagish Lake meteorite originated on a chemically distinct parent body from CI and CM meteorites where formation of amino acids was less favorable. We recently measured the amino acid composition of three different lithologies (11h, 5b, and 11i) of pristine Tagish Lake meteorite fragments that represent a range of progressive aqueous alteration in order 11h amino acids found in hot-water extracts of the Tagish Lake fragments were determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection and time of flight mass spectrometry coupled with OPA/NAC derivatization. Stable carbon isotope analyses of the most abundant amino acids in 11h were measured with gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

  10. Amino acid properties conserved in molecular evolution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Witold R Rudnicki

    Full Text Available That amino acid properties are responsible for the way protein molecules evolve is natural and is also reasonably well supported both by the structure of the genetic code and, to a large extent, by the experimental measures of the amino acid similarity. Nevertheless, there remains a significant gap between observed similarity matrices and their reconstructions from amino acid properties. Therefore, we introduce a simple theoretical model of amino acid similarity matrices, which allows splitting the matrix into two parts - one that depends only on mutabilities of amino acids and another that depends on pairwise similarities between them. Then the new synthetic amino acid properties are derived from the pairwise similarities and used to reconstruct similarity matrices covering a wide range of information entropies. Our model allows us to explain up to 94% of the variability in the BLOSUM family of the amino acids similarity matrices in terms of amino acid properties. The new properties derived from amino acid similarity matrices correlate highly with properties known to be important for molecular evolution such as hydrophobicity, size, shape and charge of amino acids. This result closes the gap in our understanding of the influence of amino acids on evolution at the molecular level. The methods were applied to the single family of similarity matrices used often in general sequence homology searches, but it is general and can be used also for more specific matrices. The new synthetic properties can be used in analyzes of protein sequences in various biological applications.

  11. Urinary Amino Acid Analysis: A Comparison of iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and Amino Acid Analyzer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Chan, Queenie; Daniels, Scott; Nimkar, Subodh; Daviglus, Martha L.; Stamler, Jeremiah; Elliott, Paul; Oefner, Peter J.

    2009-01-01

    Urinary amino acid analysis is typically done by cation-exchange chromatography followed by post-column derivatization with ninhydrin and UV detection. This method lacks throughput and specificity. Two recently introduced stable isotope ratio mass spectrometric methods promise to overcome those shortcomings. Using two blinded sets of urine replicates and a certified amino acid standard, we compared the precision and accuracy of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of propyl chloroformate and iTRAQ® derivatized amino acids, respectively, to conventional amino acid analysis. The GC-MS method builds on the direct derivatization of amino acids in diluted urine with propyl chloroformate, GC separation and mass spectrometric quantification of derivatives using stable isotope labeled standards. The LC-MS/MS method requires prior urinary protein precipitation followed by labeling of urinary and standard amino acids with iTRAQ® tags containing different cleavable reporter ions distinguishable by MS/MS fragmentation. Means and standard deviations of percent technical error (%TE) computed for 20 amino acids determined by amino acid analyzer, GC-MS, and iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS analyses of 33 duplicate and triplicate urine specimens were 7.27±5.22, 21.18±10.94, and 18.34±14.67, respectively. Corresponding values for 13 amino acids determined in a second batch of 144 urine specimens measured in duplicate or triplicate were 8.39±5.35, 6.23±3.84, and 35.37±29.42. Both GC-MS and iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS are suited for high-throughput amino acid analysis, with the former offering at present higher reproducibility and completely automated sample pretreatment, while the latter covers more amino acids and related amines. PMID:19481989

  12. Role of amino acids and vitamins in nutrition of mesophilic Methanococcus spp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitman, W.B.; Sohn, S.; Kuk, S.; Xing, R.

    1987-01-01

    In this study the authors found that autotrophic methanococci similar to Methanococcus maripaludis obtained up to 57% of their cellular carbon from exogeneous amino acids. About 85% of the incorporation was into protein. Primarily nonpolar and basic amino acids and glycine were incorporated; only small amounts of acidic and some polar amino acids were taken up. An additional 10% of the incorporation was into the nucleic acid fraction. Because little 14 CO 2 was formed from the 14 C-amino acids, little metabolism of the amino acids occurred. Therefore, the growth stimulation by amino acids was probably due to the sparing of anabolic energy requirements. Of the amino acids incorporated, only alanine was also a sole nitrogen source for these methanococci. In contrast, Methanococcus vannielii and Methanococcus aeolicus are autotrophic methanococci which did not incorporate amino acids and did not utilize alanine as a sole nitrogen source. Although glutamine served as a sole nitrogen source for the autotrophic methanococci and Methanococcus voltae, a heterotrophic methanococcus, growth was due to chemical deamination in the medium. M. voltae requires leucine and isoleucine for growth. However, these amino acids were not significant nitrogen sources, and alanine was not a sole nitrogen source for the growth of M. voltae. The branched-chain amino acids were not extensively metabolized by M. voltae. Pantoyl lactone and pantoic acid were readily incorporated by M. voltae. The intact vitamin pantothenate was neither stimulatory to growth nor incorporated. In conclusion, although amino acids and vitamins are nutritionally important to both autotrophic and heterotrophic methanococci, generally they are not subject to extensive catabolism

  13. Synthesis of some labelled non-proteinogenic amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adrianens, P.; Vanderhaeghe, H.

    1987-01-01

    The literature on the synthesis of labeled non-proteinogenic amino acids contains approximately 300 papers, whereas syntheses of labeled proteinogenic amino acids are dealt with in some 800-1000 publications. However, most of the methods described in this paper for the synthesis of non-proteinogenic amino acids are also used for the preparation of the essential amino acids addition, the first category also contains β, γ...amino acids, seleno amino acids, N-methyl and α-methyl amino acids and sometimes have atoms or groups which are not present in the protein building blocks. Furthermore the latter group is more easily available so that methods for synthesis of non-proteinogenic amino acids are more needed

  14. Poly(ester amide)s based on (L)-lactic acid oligomers and α-amino acids: influence of the α-amino acid side chain in the poly(ester amide)s properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonseca, Ana C; Coelho, Jorge F J; Valente, Joana F A; Correia, Tiago R; Correia, Ilídio J; Gil, Maria H; Simões, Pedro N

    2013-01-01

    Novel biodegradable and low cytotoxic poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) based on α-amino acids and (L)-lactic acid (L-LA) oligomers were successfully synthesized by interfacial polymerization. The chemical structure of the new polymers was confirmed by spectroscopic analyses. Further characterization suggests that the α-amino acid plays a critical role on the final properties of the PEA. L-phenylalanine provides PEAs with higher glass transition temperature, whereas glycine enhances the crystallinity. The hydrolytic degradation in PBS (pH = 7.4) at 37 °C also depends on the α-amino acid, being faster for glycine-based PEAs. The cytotoxic profiles using fibroblast human cells indicate that the PEAs did not elicit an acute cytotoxic effect. The strategy presented in this work opens the possibility of synthesizing biodegradable PEAs with low citotoxicity by an easy and fast method. It is worth to mention also that the properties of these materials can be fine-tuned only by changing the α-amino acid.

  15. Amino Acid Transporters and Release of Hydrophobic Amino Acids in the Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Pernil

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that can use inorganic compounds such as nitrate or ammonium as nitrogen sources. In the absence of combined nitrogen, it can fix N2 in differentiated cells called heterocysts. Anabaena also shows substantial activities of amino acid uptake, and three ABC-type transporters for amino acids have been previously characterized. Seven new loci encoding predicted amino acid transporters were identified in the Anabaena genomic sequence and inactivated. Two of them were involved in amino acid uptake. Locus alr2535-alr2541 encodes the elements of a hydrophobic amino acid ABC-type transporter that is mainly involved in the uptake of glycine. ORF all0342 encodes a putative transporter from the dicarboxylate/amino acid:cation symporter (DAACS family whose inactivation resulted in an increased uptake of a broad range of amino acids. An assay to study amino acid release from Anabaena filaments to the external medium was set up. Net release of the alanine analogue α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB was observed when transport system N-I (a hydrophobic amino acid ABC-type transporter was engaged in the uptake of a specific substrate. The rate of AIB release was directly proportional to the intracellular AIB concentration, suggesting leakage from the cells by diffusion.

  16. Amino Acid Crossword Puzzle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sims, Paul A.

    2011-01-01

    Learning the 20 standard amino acids is an essential component of an introductory course in biochemistry. Later in the course, the students study metabolism and learn about various catabolic and anabolic pathways involving amino acids. Learning new material or concepts often is easier if one can connect the new material to what one already knows;…

  17. Assimilate unloading from maize (Zea mays L.) pedicel tissues. II. Effects of chemical agents on sugar, amino acid, and 14C-assimilate unloading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porter, G.A.; Knievel, D.P.; Shannon, J.C.

    1987-01-01

    Sugar, amino acid, and 14 C-assimilate release from attached maize (Zea mays L.) pedicels was studied following treatment with several chemical inhibitors. In the absence of these agents, sugar release was nearly linear over a 7-hour period. At least 13 amino acids were released with glutamine comprising over 30% of the total. Release was not affected by potassium concentration, 10-minute pretreatments with p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid (PCMBS) or dithiothreitol, and low concentrations of CaCl 2 . Three hours or more exposure to PCMBS, dinitrophenol, N-ethylmaleimide, or 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid strongly inhibited 14 C-assimilate, sugar, and amino acid release from the pedicel. These treatments also reduced 14 C-assimilate movement into the kernel bases. It is, therefore, likely that reduced unloading, caused by these relatively long-term exposures to chemical inhibitors, was related to reduced translocation of assimilates into treated kernels. Whether this effect is due to disruption of kernel metabolism and sieve element function or reduced assimilate unloading and subsequent accumulation of unlabeled assimilates within the pedicel tissues cannot be determined at this time

  18. Antisense-mediated suppression of C-hordein biosynthesis in the barley grain results in correlated changes in the transcriptome, protein profile, and amino acid composition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Mette; Lange, Marianne; Friis, Carsten

    2007-01-01

    Antisense- or RNAi-mediated suppression of the biosynthesis of nutritionally inferior storage proteins is a promising strategy for improving the amino acid profile of seeds. However, the potential pleiotropic effects of this on interconnected pathways and the agronomic quality traits need...... to be addressed. In the current study, a transcriptomic analysis of an antisense C-hordein line of barley was performed, using a grain-specific cDNA array. The C-hordein antisense line is characterized by marked changes in storage protein and amino acid profiles, while the seed weight is within the normal range...... and no external morphological irregularities were observed. The results of the transcriptome analysis showed excellent correlation with data on changes in the relative proportions of storage proteins and amino acid composition. The antisense line had a lower C-hordein level and down-regulated transcript encoding...

  19. Amino acid composition of some Mexican foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales de León, Josefina; Camacho, M Elena; Bourges, Héctor

    2005-06-01

    Knowledge of the amino acid composition of foods is essential to calculate their chemical score, which is used to predict protein quality of foods and diets. Though amino acid composition of many foods is reasonably well established, better knowledge is needed on native foods consumed in different regions and countries. This paper presents the amino acid composition of different presentations of raw and processed foods produced and consumed in Mexico. The amino acid composition was determined using Beckman amino acid analyzers (models 116 and 6300). Tryptophan was determined using the Spies and Chambers method. Of the different foods analyzed, some comments are made on native or basic foods in Mexico: Spirulin, where lysine is the limiting amino acid, with a chemical score of 67%, is a good source of tryptophan (1.16g/16 gN); amaranth contains high levels of sulphur amino acids (4.09 to 5.34 g/16gN), with a protein content of 15 g/100g; and pulque, a Pre-Hispanic beverage that contains high levels of tryptophan (2.58 g/16 gN) and sulphur amino acids (2.72 g/16 gN). Finally, insects are good sources of sulphur amino acids and lysine.

  20. Present Global Situation of Amino Acids in Industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonouchi, Naoto; Ito, Hisao

    At present, amino acids are widely produced and utilized industrially. Initially, monosodium glutamate (MSG) was produced by extraction from a gluten hydrolysate. The amino acid industry started using the residual of the lysate. The discovery of the functions of amino acids has led to the expansion of their field of use. In addition to seasoning and other food use, amino acids are used in many fields such as animal nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. On the other hand, the invention of the glutamate fermentation process, followed by the development of fermentation methods for many other amino acids, is no less important. The supply of these amino acids at a low price is very essential for their industrial use. Most amino acids are now produced by fermentation. The consumption of many amino acids such as MSG or feed-use amino acids is still rapidly increasing.

  1. Enantiomer-specific selection of amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Xueying; Tellez, Luis A; de Araujo, Ivan E

    2013-12-01

    Dietary intake of L-amino acids impacts on several physiological functions, including the control of gastrointestinal motility, pancreatic secretion, and appetite. However, the biological mechanisms regulating behavioral predilections for certain amino acid types remain poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that, in mice, the potency with which a given glucogenic amino acid increases glucose utilization reflects its rewarding properties. We have found that: (1) during long-, but not short-, term preference tests, L-alanine and L-serine were preferred over their D-enantiomer counterparts, while no such effect was observed for L-threonine vs. D-threonine; (2) these behavioral patterns were closely associated with the ability of L-amino acids to promote increases in respiratory exchange ratios such that those, and only those, L-amino acids able to promote increases in respiratory exchange ratios were preferred over their D-isomers; (3) these behavioral preferences were independent of gustatory influences, since taste-deficient Trpm5 knockout mice displayed ingestive responses very similar to those of their wild-type counterparts. We conclude that the ability to promote increases in respiratory exchange ratios enhances the reward value of nutritionally relevant amino acids and suggest a mechanistic link between substrate utilization and amino acid preferences.

  2. Structure of the C-terminal domain of lettuce necrotic yellows virus phosphoprotein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Nicolas; Ribeiro, Euripedes A; Leyrat, Cédric; Tarbouriech, Nicolas; Ruigrok, Rob W H; Jamin, Marc

    2013-09-01

    Lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV) is a prototype of the plant-adapted cytorhabdoviruses. Through a meta-prediction of disorder, we localized a folded C-terminal domain in the amino acid sequence of its phosphoprotein. This domain consists of an autonomous folding unit that is monomeric in solution. Its structure, solved by X-ray crystallography, reveals a lollipop-shaped structure comprising five helices. The structure is different from that of the corresponding domains of other Rhabdoviridae, Filoviridae, and Paramyxovirinae; only the overall topology of the polypeptide chain seems to be conserved, suggesting that this domain evolved under weak selective pressure and varied in size by the acquisition or loss of functional modules.

  3. Identification of critical amino acids in the IgE epitopes of Ric c 1 and Ric c 3 and the application of glutamic acid as an IgE blocker.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia Deus-de-Oliveira

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The allergenicity of Ricinus communis L. (castor bean, Euphorbiaceae is associated with components of its seeds and pollen. Castor bean allergy has been described not only in laboratory workers, but also in personnel working in oil processing mills, fertilizer retail, the upholstery industry and other industrial fields. In the present study, we describe the critical amino acids in the IgE-binding epitopes in Ric c 1 and Ric c 3, two major allergens of R. communis. In addition, we also investigate the cross-reactivity between castor bean and some air and food allergen extracts commonly used in allergy diagnosis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The IgE reactivity of human sera from atopic patients was screened by immune-dot blot against castor bean allergens. Allergenic activity was evaluated in vitro using a rat mast cell activation assay and by ELISA. Cross-reactivity was observed between castor bean allergens and extracts from shrimp, fish, gluten, wheat, soybean, peanut, corn, house dust, tobacco and airborne fungal allergens. We observed that treatment of rat and human sera (from atopic patients with glutamic acid reduced the IgE-epitope interaction. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The identification of glutamic acid residues with critical roles in IgE-binding to Ric c 3 and Ric c 1 support the potential use of free amino acids in allergy treatment.

  4. The Role of Amino Acid Permeases and Tryptophan Biosynthesis in Cryptococcus neoformans Survival.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Daniel Santos Fernandes

    Full Text Available Metabolic diversity is an important factor during microbial adaptation to different environments. Among metabolic processes, amino acid biosynthesis has been demonstrated to be relevant for survival for many microbial pathogens, whereas the association between pathogenesis and amino acid uptake and recycling are less well-established. Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen with many habitats. As a result, it faces frequent metabolic shifts and challenges during its life cycle. Here we studied the C. neoformans tryptophan biosynthetic pathway and found that the pathway is essential. RNAi indicated that interruptions in the biosynthetic pathway render strains inviable. However, auxotroph complementation can be partially achieved by tryptophan uptake when a non preferred nitrogen source and lower growth temperature are applied, suggesting that amino acid permeases may be the target of nitrogen catabolism repression (NCR. We used bioinformatics to search for amino acid permeases in the C. neoformans and found eight potential global permeases (AAP1 to AAP8. The transcriptional profile of them revealed that they are subjected to regulatory mechanisms which are known to respond to nutritional status in other fungi, such as (i quality of nitrogen (Nitrogen Catabolism Repression, NCR and carbon sources (Carbon Catabolism Repression, CCR, (ii amino acid availability in the extracellular environment (SPS-sensing and (iii nutritional deprivation (Global Amino Acid Control, GAAC. This study shows that C. neoformans has fewer amino acid permeases than other model yeasts, and that these proteins may be subjected to complex regulatory mechanisms. Our data suggest that the C. neoformans tryptophan biosynthetic pathway is an excellent pharmacological target. Furthermore, inhibitors of this pathway cause Cryptococcus growth arrest in vitro.

  5. Synthesis of L-2-amino-8-oxodecanoic acid: an amino acid component of apicidins

    OpenAIRE

    Linares de la Morena, María Lourdes; Agejas Chicharro, Francisco Javier; Alajarín Ferrández, Ramón; Vaquero López, Juan José; Álvarez-Builla Gómez, Julio

    2001-01-01

    The synthesis Of L-2-amino-8-oxodecanoic acid (Aoda) is described. This is a rare amino acid component of apicidins, a family of new cyclic tetrapeptides, inhibitors of histone deacetylase. Aoda was synthesised in seven steps from L-glutamic acid along with some derivatives. Universidad de Alcalá Fundación General de la Universidad de Alcalá FEDER

  6. Investigation on the pancreatic and stomach secretion in pigs by means of continuous infusion of /sup 14/C-amino acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simon, O; Bergner, H; Muenchmeyer, R [Humboldt-Universitaet, Berlin (German Democratic Republic). Sektion Tierproduktion und Veterinaermedizin; Zebrowska, T [Polska Akademia Nauk, Warsaw

    1983-01-01

    2 pigs received a barley-soya bean meal diet and another 2 a casein-wheat starch diet. The specific radioactivity (SR = dpm/..mu..mol) of leucine and phenylalanine in the TCA soluble fraction of plasma and in the TCA soluble and TCA precipitable fractions of pancreatic juice and of digesta leaving the stomach was determined during 6 hours of intravenous infusion of /sup 14/C-leucine and /sup 14/C-phenylalanine. At the end of the infusion the SR of both amino acids in both fractions of several tissues was measured and used for calculations of the rate of tissue protein synthesis. The results are that mainly amino acids derived from the extracellular space were used for synthesis that the process of synthesis, concentration and secretion of secretory proteins requires in pigs 120 to 180 minutes, and that TCA soluble amino acids in pancreatic juice are not free amino acids per se, but originate from processing of presecretory proteins. In the duodenal digesta labelled proteins appeared 3 to 4 hours after the beginning of the infusion. Both, secretion of proteins by the pancreas and by the stomach seemed to be more stimulated after feeding the barley-soya diet than the casein-starch diet. Of all tissues, the SR of amino acids in proteins was highest in the pancreas. However, proteins secreted by the pancreas were 3 to 4 times higher labelled than those retained in the tissue. The range of the fractional rate of protein synthesis was calculated for the sections of the gastrointestinal tract, the liver and skeletal muscles and discussed with other findings.

  7. Free amino acids in spider hemolymph.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tillinghast, Edward K; Townley, Mark A

    2008-11-01

    We examined the free amino acid composition of hemolymph from representatives of five spider families with an interest in knowing if the amino acid profile in the hemolymph of orb-web-building spiders reflects the high demands for small organic compounds in the sticky droplets of their webs. In nearly all analyses, on both orb and non-orb builders, glutamine was the most abundant free amino acid. Glycine, taurine, proline, histidine, and alanine also tended to be well-represented in orb and non-orb builders. While indications of taxon-specific differences in amino acid composition were observed, it was not apparent that two presumptive precursors (glutamine, taurine) of orb web sticky droplet compounds were uniquely enriched in araneids (orb builders). However, total amino acid concentrations were invariably highest in the araneids and especially so in overwintering juveniles, even as several of the essential amino acids declined during this winter diapause. Comparing the data from this study with those from earlier studies revealed a number of discrepancies. The possible origins of these differences are discussed.

  8. carcass amino acid composition and utilization of dietary amino

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Maynard (1954), Fisher & Scott (1954), Forbes &. Rao (1959), Hartsook & Mitchell (1956). King (1963) showed that individual amino acids in the carcass could differ widely from the requirement by the anirnal for those particular amino acids used for purposes other than protein synthesis and subsequent retention. How-.

  9. Effects of protein deficiency on the rate of radioactivity loss from body constituents in adult rats given 14C-amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Shigeru; Inoue, Goro

    1975-01-01

    The effect of protein deficiency on the rate of loss of radioactivity from body constituents was studied in adult rats administered 14 C-Chlorella protein hydrolysate or 14 C-lysine. Rats were kept on a protein-free diet for 3 weeks and then injected with labelled amino acids and fed on a protein-free diet for 3 more days to allow 14 C deposition in tissues. Then they were given experimental diets (protein-free diet, 1% and 10% wheat gluten diets pair-fed with the protein-free diet, and 10% wheat gluten diet ad libitum) for 7 days and sacrificed. The rates of loss of radioactivity from tissue proteins became low in general with the extent of protein deficiency. This increased capacity of tissues to retain 14 C-amino acids may result from higher efficiency of protein utilization in protein deficiency. The reutilization of free amino acids and the rate of catabolism of tissue protein are discussed on the basis of the results. The half-life of muscle protein was too long to observe the effects of experimental diets given for 7 days on the rate of loss of radioactivity. (auth.)

  10. Interaction of metal ions and amino acids - Possible mechanisms for the adsorption of amino acids on homoionic smectite clays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, A.; Loew, G. H.; Lawless, J.

    1983-01-01

    A semiempirical molecular orbital method is used to characterize the binding of amino acids to hexahydrated Cu(2+) and Ni(2+), a process presumed to occur when they are adsorbed in the interlamellar space of homoionic smectite clays. Five alpha-amino acids, beta-alanine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid were used to investigate the metal ion and amino acid specificity in binding. It was assumed that the alpha, beta, and gamma-amino acids would bind as bidentate anionic ligands, forming either 1:1 or 1:2 six-coordinated five, six, and seven-membered-ring chelate complexes, respectively. Energies of complex formation, optimized geometries, and electron and spin distribution were determined; and steric constraints of binding of the amino acids to the ion-exchanged cations in the interlamellar spacing of a clay were examined. Results indicate that hexahydrated Cu(2+) forms more stable complexes than hexahydrated Ni(2+) with all the amino acids studied. However, among these amino acids, complex formation does not favor the adsorption of the biological subset. Calculated energetics of complex formation and steric constraints are shown to predict that 1:1 rather than 1:2 metal-amino acid complexes are generally favored in the clay.

  11. Acute effects of sodium valproate and gamma-vinyl GABA on regional amino acid metabolism in the rat brain: incorporation of 2-[14C]glucose into amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapman, A G; Riley, K; Evans, M C; Meldrum, B S

    1982-09-01

    Amino acid concentrations have been determined in rat brain regions (cortex, striatum, cerebellum, and hippocampus) by HPLC after administration of acute anticonvulsant doses of sodium valproate (400 mg/kg, i.p.) and gamma-vinyl-GABA (1 g/kg, i.p.). After valproate administration the GABA level increases only in the cortex; aspartic acid concentration decreases in the cortex and hippocampus, and glutamic acid decreases in the hippocampus and striatum and increases in the cortex and cerebellum. There are no changes in the concentrations of glutamine, taurine, glycine, serine, and alanine following valproate administration. Only the GABA level increases in all the regions after gamma-vinyl-GABA administration. Cortical analyses 2, 4 and 10 minutes after pulse labeling with 2-[14C]glucose, i.v., show no change in the rate of cortical glucose utilization in the valproate treated group. The rate of labeling of glutamic acid is also unchanged, but the rate of labeling of GABA is reduced following valproate administration. After gamma-vinyl-GABA administration there is no change in the rate of labeling of GABA. These biochemical findings can be interpreted in terms of a primary anticonvulsant action of valproate on membrane receptors with secondary effects on the metabolism of amino acid neurotransmitters. This contrasts with the primary action of gamma-vinyl-GABA on GABA-transaminase activity.

  12. Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in the Almahata Sitta Meteorite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glavin, Daniel P.; Aubrey, Andrew D.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Parker, Eric T.; Bada, Jeffrey L.

    2010-01-01

    Amino acid analysis of a meteorite fragment of asteroid 2008 TC3 called Almahata Sitta was carried out using reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled with UV fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-FD/ToF-MS) as part of a sample analysis consortium. LC-FD/ToF-MS analyses of hot-water extracts from the meteorite revealed a complex distribution of two- to seven-carbon aliphatic amino acids and one- to three-carbon amines with abundances ranging from 0.5 to 149 parts-per-billion (ppb). The enantiomeric ratios of the amino acids alanine, R-amino-n-butyric acid (beta-ABA), 2-amino-2-methylbutanoic acid (isovaline), and 2-aminopentanoic acid (norvaline) in the meteorite were racemic (D/L approximately 1), indicating that these amino acids are indigenous to the meteorite and not terrestrial contaminants. Several other non-protein amino acids were also identified in the meteorite above background levels including alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (alpha-AIB), 4-amino-2- methylbutanoic acid, 4-amino-3-methylbutanoic acid, and 3-, 4-, and 5-aminopentanoic acid. The total abundances of isovaline and alpha-AIB in Almahata Sitta are 1000 times lower than the abundances of these amino acids found in the CM carbonaceous chondrite Murchison. The extremely low abundances and unusual distribution of five carbon amino acids in Almahata Sitta compared to Cl, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites may reflect extensive thermal alteration of amino acids on the parent asteroid by partial melting during formation or subsequent impact shock heating. It is also possible that amino acids were synthesized by catalytic reactions on the parent body after asteroid 2008 TC3 cooled to lower temperatures.

  13. Amino Acid Stability in the Early Oceans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, E. T.; Brinton, K. L.; Burton, A. S.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Bada, J. L.

    2015-01-01

    It is likely that a variety of amino acids existed in the early oceans of the Earth at the time of the origin and early evolution of life. "Primordial soup", hydrothermal vent, and meteorite based processes could have contributed to such an inventory. Several "protein" amino acids were likely present, however, based on prebiotic synthesis experiments and carbonaceous meteorite studies, non-protein amino acids, which are rare on Earth today, were likely the most abundant. An important uncertainty is the length of time these amino acids could have persisted before their destruction by abiotic and biotic processes. Prior to life, amino acid concentrations in the oceans were likely regulated by circulation through hydro-thermal vents. Today, the entire ocean circulates through vent systems every 10(exp 7) years. On the early Earth, this value was likely smaller due to higher heat flow and thus marine amino acid life-time would have been shorter. After life, amino acids in the oceans could have been assimilated by primitive organisms.

  14. Impact of charged amino acid substitution in the transmembrane domain of L-alanine exporter, AlaE, of Escherichia coli on the L-alanine export.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seryoung; Ihara, Kohei; Katsube, Satoshi; Ando, Tasuke; Isogai, Emiko; Yoneyama, Hiroshi

    2017-01-01

    The Escherichia coli alaE gene encodes the L-alanine exporter, AlaE, that catalyzes active export of L-alanine using proton electrochemical potential. The transporter comprises only 149 amino acid residues and four predicted transmembrane domains (TMs), which contain three charged amino acid residues. The AlaE-deficient L-alanine non-metabolizing cells (ΔalaE cells) appeared hypersusceptible to L-alanyl-L-alanine showing a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2.5 µg/ml for the dipeptide due to a toxic accumulation of L-alanine. To elucidate the mechanism by which AlaE exports L-alanine, we replaced charged amino acid residues in the TMs, glutamic acid-30 (TM-I), arginine-45 (TM-II), and aspartic acid-84 (TM-III) with their respective charge-conserved amino acid or a net neutral cysteine. The ΔalaE cells producing R45K or R45C appeared hypersusceptible to the dipeptide, indicating that arginine-45 is essential for AlaE activity. MIC of the dipeptide in the ΔalaE cells expressing E30D and E30C was 156 µg/ml and >10,000 µg/ml, respectively, thereby suggesting that a negative charge at this position is not essential. The ΔalaE cells expressing D84E or D84C showed an MIC >10,000 and 78 µg/ml, respectively, implying that a negative charge is required at this position. These results were generally consistent with that of the L-alanine accumulation experiments in intact cells. We therefore concluded that charged amino acid residues (R45 and D84) in the AlaE transmembrane domain play a pivotal role in L-alanine export. Replacement of three cysteine residues at C22, C28 (both in TM-I), and C135 (C-terminal region) with alanine showed only a marginal effect on L-alanine export.

  15. Effect of exercise and obesity on skeletal muscle amino acid uptake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friedman, J.E.

    1988-01-01

    To determine if amino acid uptake by muscle of the obese Zucker rat is impaired, epitrochlearis (EPI) and soleus strip (SOL) muscles from 32 pairs of female lean (Fa/-) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats were incubated using [ 14 C]α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). Because contractile activity also influences amino acid uptake, the effect of acute endurance exercise on amino acid uptake by skeletal muscle from lean and obese rats was also studied. Muscle wet and dry weights were similar in lean and obese rats. However, both muscle protein content and concentration from obese rats were significantly reduced. In preliminary studies, pinning EPI at resting length during incubation significantly increased AIB uptake and reduced muscle water accumulation. AIB uptake was similar in stripped and intact SOL. Lean and obese rats were studied at rest or following a 1 hr treadmill run at 8% grade Muscles were pinned, and preincubated for 30 min at 37 degree C in Krebs Ringer bicarbonate buffer (KRB) containing 5mM glucose under 95:5 O 2 /CO 2 , followed by 30, 60, 120, or 180 min of incubation in KRB with 0.5 mM AIB, [ 14 C]-AIB to measure amino acid, and [ 3 H]-inulin to determine extracellular water

  16. Ultrasound-assisted extraction of amino acids from grapes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrera, Ceferino; Ruiz-Rodríguez, Ana; Palma, Miguel; Barroso, Carmelo G

    2015-01-01

    Recent cultivar techniques on vineyards can have a marked influence on the final nitrogen content of grapes, specifically individual amino acid contents. Furthermore, individual amino acid contents in grapes are related to the final aromatic composition of wines. A new ultrasound-assisted method for the extraction of amino acids from grapes has been developed. Several extraction variables, including solvent (water/ethanol mixtures), solvent pH (2-7), temperature (10-70°C), ultrasonic power (20-70%) and ultrasonic frequency (0.2-1.0s(-)(1)), were optimized to guarantee full recovery of the amino acids from grapes. An experimental design was employed to optimize the extraction parameters. The surface response methodology was used to evaluate the effects of the extraction variables. The analytical properties of the new method were established, including limit of detection (average value 1.4mmolkg(-)(1)), limit of quantification (average value 2.6mmolkg(-)(1)), repeatability (average RSD=12.9%) and reproducibility (average RSD=15.7%). Finally, the new method was applied to three cultivars of white grape throughout the ripening period. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Optical Sensors for Detection of Amino Acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettiwala, Aafrin M; Singh, Prabhat K

    2017-11-06

    Amino acids are crucially involved in a myriad of biological processes. Any aberrant changes in physiological level of amino acids often manifest in common metabolic disorders, serious neurological conditions and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, devising methods for detection of trace amounts of amino acids becomes highly elemental to their efficient clinical diagnosis. Recently, the domain of developing optical sensors for detection of amino acids has witnessed significant activity which is the focus of the current review article. We undertook a detailed search of the peer-reviewed literature that primarily deals with optical sensors for amino acids and focuses on the use of different type of materials as a sensing platform. Ninety-five papers have been included in the review, majority of which deals with optical sensors. We attempt to systematically classify these contributions based on applications of various chemical and biological scaffolds such as polymers, supramolecular assemblies, nanoparticles, DNA, heparin etc. for the sensing of amino acids. This review identifies that supramolecular assemblies and nanomaterial continue to be commonly used materials to devise sensors for amino acids followed by surfactant assemblies. The broad implications of amino acids in human health and diagnosis have stirred a lot of interest to develop optimized optical detection systems for amino acids in recent years, using different materials based on chemical and biological scaffolds. We have also attempted to highlight the merits and demerits of some of the noteworthy sensor systems to instigate further efforts for constructing amino acids sensor based on unconventional concepts. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  18. Powdery mildew fungal effector candidates share N-terminal Y/F/WxC-motif

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emmersen Jeppe

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Powdery mildew and rust fungi are widespread, serious pathogens that depend on developing haustoria in the living plant cells. Haustoria are separated from the host cytoplasm by a plant cell-derived extrahaustorial membrane. They secrete effector proteins, some of which are subsequently transferred across this membrane to the plant cell to suppress defense. Results In a cDNA library from barley epidermis containing powdery mildew haustoria, two-thirds of the sequenced ESTs were fungal and represented ~3,000 genes. Many of the most highly expressed genes encoded small proteins with N-terminal signal peptides. While these proteins are novel and poorly related, they do share a three-amino acid motif, which we named "Y/F/WxC", in the N-terminal of the mature proteins. The first amino acid of this motif is aromatic: tyrosine, phenylalanine or tryptophan, and the last is always cysteine. In total, we identified 107 such proteins, for which the ESTs represent 19% of the fungal clones in our library, suggesting fundamental roles in haustoria function. While overall sequence similarity between the powdery mildew Y/F/WxC-proteins is low, they do have a highly similar exon-intron structure, suggesting they have a common origin. Interestingly, searches of public fungal genome and EST databases revealed that haustoria-producing rust fungi also encode large numbers of novel, short proteins with signal peptides and the Y/F/WxC-motif. No significant numbers of such proteins were identified from genome and EST sequences from either fungi which do not produce haustoria or from haustoria-producing Oomycetes. Conclusion In total, we identified 107, 178 and 57 such Y/F/WxC-proteins from the barley powdery mildew, the wheat stem rust and the wheat leaf rust fungi, respectively. All together, our findings suggest the Y/F/WxC-proteins to be a new class of effectors from haustoria-producing pathogenic fungi.

  19. Pharmacology of (S)-homoquisqualic acid and (S)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid [(S)-AP5] at cloned metabotropic glutamate receptors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Krogsgaard-Larsen, P

    1998-01-01

    1 In this study we have determined the pharmacological profile of (S)-quisqualic acid, (S)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid ((S)-AP4) and their higher homologues (S)-homoquisqualic acid, (S)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid ((S)-AP5), respectively, and (R)-AP5 at subtypes of metabotropic (S)-glutamic...... demonstrate that incorporation of an additional carbon atom into the backbone of (S)-glutamic acid and its analogues, to give the corresponding homologues, and replacement of the terminal carboxyl groups by isosteric acidic groups have profound effects on the pharmacological profiles at mGlu receptor subtypes...... acid (mGlu) receptors expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. 2 (S)-Quisqualic acid was a potent mGlu1/mGlu5 agonist (EC50 values of 1.1 microM and 0.055 microM, respectively) showing no activity at mGlu2 and weak agonism at mGlu4 (EC50 approximately 1000 microM). 3 (S)-Homoquisqualic acid displayed...

  20. The long and winding road: transport pathways for amino acids in Arabidopsis seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karmann, Julia; Müller, Benedikt; Hammes, Ulrich Z

    2018-03-16

    certain plants, e.g., legumes as a resource to support the growth of the seedling after germination. The support of the embryo depends on transport processes that occur between the mother plant and the seed tissues including the embryo. In this review, we will focus on the processes of unloading amino acids from the phloem and their post-phloem transport. We will further highlight similarities between amino acid transport and the transport of the main assimilate and osmolyte, sucrose. Finally, we will discuss similarities and differences between different plant species in terms of structural aspects but for the molecular aspects we are almost exclusively focusing on Arabidopsis. Fig. 1 Vascularization of the Arabidopsis ovule and seed. Plants expressing ER-localized mCherry under control of the companion cell-specific SUC2 promoter and ER-localized GFP under control of the sieve element marker PD1 as described (Müller et al. 2015) are shown to visualize the phloem in the funiculus and the chalazal regions. a Overview over an ovule. FG: female gametophyte. b A magnification of the region marked by a square in panel a. c Overview over a seed. ES: endosperm; E: embryo. d A magnification of the region marked by a square in panel c. The arrows in b and d point to the terminal companion cell and arrowheads to terminal sieve elements.

  1. Amino acid diversity on the basis of cytochrome b gene in Kacang and Ettawa Grade goats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. A. Lestari

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of study were to identify and assess the amino acid diversity of Cytochrome b (Cyt b gene, genetic marker and characteristic of specific amino acid in Kacang and Ettawa Grade goat. Nineteen heads of Kacang goat (KG and twelve heads of Ettawa Grade goat (EG were purposively sampled. The genomic DNA was isolated by Genomic DNA Mini Kit (Geneaid and amplified Cyt b using PCR method with CytbCapF and CytbCapR primers and was sequenced. The results showed that there were two specific amino acids that distinguish KG and EG goat with C. hircus and C. aegagrus and four specific amino acids that distinguish KG and EG goat with C. falconeri, but there were no specific amino acids can be used as a genetic marker to distinguish between Kacang and EG goat. In conclusion, specific amino acids in Cyt b gene can be used as a genetic marker among KG and EG goat with 3 goat others comparator.

  2. Kinetics of oxidation of acidic amino acids by sodium N

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Asp)) by sodium N-bromobenzenesulphonamide (bromamine-B or BAB) has been carried out in aqueous HClO4 medium at 30°C. The rate shows firstorder dependence each on [BAB]o and [amino acid]o and inverse first-order on [H+]. At [H+] > ...

  3. Synthesis of the C8’-epimeric thymine pyranosyl amino acid core of amipurimycin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pramod R. Markad

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The C8’-epimeric pyranosyl amino acid core 2 of amipurimycin was synthesized from D-glucose derived alcohol 3 in 13 steps and 14% overall yield. Thus, the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of allyl alcohol 7 followed by trimethyl borate mediated regio-selective oxirane ring opening with azide, afforded azido diol 10. The acid-catalyzed 1,2-acetonide ring opening in 10 concomitantly led to the formation of the pyranose ring skeleton to give 2,7-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane 12. Functional group manipulation in 12 gave 21 that on stereoselective β-glycosylation afforded the pyranosyl thymine nucleoside 2 – a core of amipurimycin.

  4. Branched-chain amino acids for hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Als-Nielsen, B; Koretz, R L; Kjaergard, L L

    2003-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy.......Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy....

  5. Sites that Can Produce Left-handed Amino Acids in the Supernova Neutrino Amino Acid Processing Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyd, Richard N.; Famiano, Michael A.; Onaka, Takashi; Kajino, Toshitaka

    2018-03-01

    The Supernova Neutrino Amino Acid Processing model, which uses electron anti-neutrinos and the magnetic field from a source object such as a supernova to selectively destroy one amino acid chirality, is studied for possible sites that would produce meteoroids with partially left-handed amino acids. Several sites appear to provide the requisite magnetic field intensities and electron anti-neutrino fluxes. These results have obvious implications for the origin of life on Earth.

  6. Amino Acid Patterns around Disulfide Bonds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brett Drury

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Disulfide bonds provide an inexhaustible source of information on molecular evolution and biological specificity. In this work, we described the amino acid composition around disulfide bonds in a set of disulfide-rich proteins using appropriate descriptors, based on ANOVA (for all twenty natural amino acids or classes of amino acids clustered according to their chemical similarities and Scheffé (for the disulfide-rich proteins superfamilies statistics. We found that weakly hydrophilic and aromatic amino acids are quite abundant in the regions around disulfide bonds, contrary to aliphatic and hydrophobic amino acids. The density distributions (as a function of the distance to the center of the disulfide bonds for all defined entities presented an overall unimodal behavior: the densities are null at short distances, have maxima at intermediate distances and decrease for long distances. In the end, the amino acid environment around the disulfide bonds was found to be different for different superfamilies, allowing the clustering of proteins in a biologically relevant way, suggesting that this type of chemical information might be used as a tool to assess the relationship between very divergent sets of disulfide-rich proteins.

  7. Subcritical water extraction of amino acids from Mars analog soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noell, Aaron C; Fisher, Anita M; Fors-Francis, Kisa; Sherrit, Stewart

    2018-01-18

    For decades, the Martian regolith has stymied robotic mission efforts to catalog the organic molecules present. Perchlorate salts, found widely throughout Mars, are the main culprit as they breakdown and react with organics liberated from the regolith during pyrolysis, the primary extraction technique attempted to date on Mars. This work further develops subcritical water extraction (SCWE) as a technique for extraction of amino acids on future missions. The effect of SCWE temperature (185, 200, and 215°C) and duration of extraction (10-120 min) on the total amount and distribution of amino acids recovered was explored for three Mars analog soils (JSC Mars-1A simulant, an Atacama desert soil, and an Antarctic Dry Valleys soil) and bovine serum albumin (as a control solution of known amino acid content). Total amounts of amino acids extracted increased with both time and temperature; however, the distribution shifted notably due to the destruction of the amino acids with charged or polar side chains at the higher temperatures. The pure bovine serum albumin solution and JSC Mars 1A also showed lower yields than the Atacama and Antarctic extractions suggesting that SCWE may be less effective at hydrolyzing large or aggregated proteins. Changing solvent from water to a dilute (10 mM) HCl solution allowed total extraction efficiencies comparable to the higher temperature/time combinations while using the lowest temperature/time (185°C/20 min). The dilute HCl extractions also did not lead to the shift in amino acid distribution observed at the higher temperatures. Additionally, adding sodium perchlorate salt to the extraction did not interfere with recoveries. Native magnetite in the JSC Mars-1A may have been responsible for destruction of glycine, as evidenced by its uncharacteristic decrease as the temperature/time of extraction increased. This work shows that SCWE can extract high yields of native amino acids out of Mars analog soils with minimal disruption of the

  8. Valine entry into rat brain after diet-induced changes in plasma amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tews, J.K.; Greenwood, J.; Pratt, O.E.; Harper, A.E.

    1987-01-01

    Passage of amino acids across the blood-brain barrier is assumed to be modified by amino acid composition of the blood. To gain a better understanding of the effects of protein intake on brain amino acid uptake, the authors examined associations among diet, plasma amino acid patterns, and the rate of entry of valine into the brain. Rats were fed diets containing 6, 18, or 50% casein before receiving one meal of a diet containing 0, 6, 18, or 50% casein. After 4-7 h, they were anesthetized and infused intravenously with [ 14 C]valine for 5 min before plasma and brain samples were taken for determination of radioactivity and content of individual amino acids. As protein content of the meal was increased from 0 to 50% casein, plasma and brain concentrations of valine and most other large neutral amino acid (LNAA) increased severalfold; also the ratio of [ 14 C]valine in brain to that in plasma decreased by >50%, and the rate of valine entry into the brain increased 3.5-fold. The increase in valine flux slowed as plasma levels of LNAA, competitors for valine transport, increased. The results were far more dependent on protein content of the final meal than on that of the adaptation diet; thus changes in protein intake, as reflected in altered plasma amino acid patterns, markedly altered valine entry into the brain

  9. Synthesis and biological activity of amino acid conjugates of abscisic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todoroki, Yasushi; Narita, Kenta; Muramatsu, Taku; Shimomura, Hajime; Ohnishi, Toshiyuki; Mizutani, Masaharu; Ueno, Kotomi; Hirai, Nobuhiro

    2011-03-01

    We prepared 19 amino acid conjugates of the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and investigated their biological activity, enzymatic hydrolysis by a recombinant Arabidopsis amidohydrolases GST-ILR1 and GST-IAR3, and metabolic fate in rice seedlings. Different sets of ABA-amino acids induced ABA-like responses in different plants. Some ABA-amino acids, including some that were active in bioassays, were hydrolyzed by recombinant Arabidopsis GST-IAR3, although GST-ILR1 did not show hydrolysis activity for any of the ABA-amino acids. ABA-L-Ala, which was active in all the bioassays, an Arabidopsis seed germination, spinach seed germination, and rice seedling elongation assays, except in a lettuce seed germination assay and was hydrolyzed by GST-IAR3, was hydrolyzed to free ABA in rice seedlings. These findings suggest that some plant amidohydrolases hydrolyze some ABA-amino acid conjugates. Because our study indicates the possibility that different plants have hydrolyzing activity toward different ABA-amino acids, an ABA-amino acid may function as a species-selective pro-hormone of ABA. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Rapid determination of amino acids in biological samples using a monolithic silica column.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yanting; Funatsu, Takashi; Tsunoda, Makoto

    2012-05-01

    A high-performance liquid chromatography method in which fluorescence detection is used for the simultaneous determination of 21 amino acids is proposed. Amino acids were derivatized with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F) and then separated on a monolithic silica column (MonoClad C18-HS, 150 mm×3 mm i.d.). A mixture of 25 mM citrate buffer containing 25 mM sodium perchlorate (pH 5.5) and acetonitrile was used as the mobile phase. We found that the most significant factor in the separation was temperature, and a linear temperature gradient from 30 to 49°C was used to control the column temperature. The limits of detection and quantification for all amino acids ranged from 3.2 to 57.2 fmol and 10.8 to 191 fmol, respectively. The calibration curves for the NBD-amino acid had good linearity within the range of 40 fmol to 40 pmol when 6-aminocaproic acid was used as an internal standard. Using only conventional instruments, the 21 amino acids could be analyzed within 10 min. This method was found to be suitable for the quantification of the contents of amino acids in mouse plasma and adrenal gland samples.

  11. Synthesis and Biological Activity of Novel Amino Acid-(N'-Benzoyl Hydrazide and Amino Acid-(N'-Nicotinoyl Hydrazide Derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sherine N. Khattab

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available The coupling reaction of benzoic acid and nicotinic acid hydrazides with N- protected L-amino acids including valine, leucine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid and tyrosine is reported. The target compounds, N-Boc-amino acid-(N`-benzoyl- and N- Boc-amino acid-(N`-nicotinoyl hydrazides 5a-5e and 6a-6e were prepared in very high yields and purity using N-[(dimethylamino-1H-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-b]pyridin-1-yl- methylene]-N-methyl-methanaminium hexafluorophosphate N-oxide (HATU as coupling reagent. The antimicrobial activity of the Cu and Cd complexes of the designed compounds was tested. The products were deprotected affording the corresponding amino acid-(N`-benzoyl hydrazide hydrochloride salts (7a-7e and amino acid-(N`- nicotinoyl hydrazide hydrochloride salts (8a-8e. These compounds and their Cu and Cd complexes were also tested for their antimicrobial activity. Several compounds showed comparable activity to that of ampicillin against S. aureus and E. coli.

  12. What makes ribosome-mediated transcriptional attenuation sensitive to amino acid limitation?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johan Elf

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Ribosome-mediated transcriptional attenuation mechanisms are commonly used to control amino acid biosynthetic operons in bacteria. The mRNA leader of such an operon contains an open reading frame with "regulatory" codons, cognate to the amino acid that is synthesized by the enzymes encoded by the operon. When the amino acid is in short supply, translation of the regulatory codons is slow, which allows transcription to continue into the structural genes of the operon. When amino acid supply is in excess, translation of regulatory codons is rapid, which leads to termination of transcription. We use a discrete master equation approach to formulate a probabilistic model for the positioning of the RNA polymerase and the ribosome in the attenuator leader sequence. The model describes how the current rate of amino acid supply compared to the demand in protein synthesis (signal determines the expression of the amino acid biosynthetic operon (response. The focus of our analysis is on the sensitivity of operon expression to a change in the amino acid supply. We show that attenuation of transcription can be hyper-sensitive for two main reasons. The first is that its response depends on the outcome of a race between two multi-step mechanisms with synchronized starts: transcription of the leader of the operon, and translation of its regulatory codons. The relative change in the probability that transcription is aborted (attenuated can therefore be much larger than the relative change in the time it takes for the ribosome to read a regulatory codon. The second is that the general usage frequencies of codons of the type used in attenuation control are small. A small percentage decrease in the rate of supply of the controlled amino acid can therefore lead to a much larger percentage decrease in the rate of reading a regulatory codon. We show that high sensitivity further requires a particular choice of regulatory codon among several synonymous codons for the

  13. Evaluation of methods to estimate the essential amino acids requirements of fish from the muscle amino acid profile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Álvaro José de Almeida Bicudo

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Many methods to estimate amino acid requirement based on amino acid profile of fish have been proposed. This study evaluates the methodology proposed by Meyer & Fracalossi (2005 and by Tacon (1989 to estimate amino acids requirement of fish, which do exempt knowledge on previous nutritional requirement of reference amino acid. Data on amino acid requirement of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, were used to validate de accuracy of those methods. Meyer & Fracalossi's and Tacon's methodology estimated the lysine requirement of pacu, respectively, at 13 and 23% above requirement determined using dose-response method. The values estimated by both methods lie within the range of requirements determined for other omnivorous fish species, the Meyer & Fracalossi (2005 method showing better accuracy.

  14. Discovery and History of Amino Acid Fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashimoto, Shin-Ichi

    There has been a strong demand in Japan and East Asia for L-glutamic acid as a seasoning since monosodium glutamate was found to present umami taste in 1907. The discovery of glutamate fermentation by Corynebacterium glutamicum in 1956 enabled abundant and low-cost production of the amino acid, creating a large market. The discovery also prompted researchers to develop fermentative production processes for other L-amino acids, such as lysine. Currently, the amino acid fermentation industry is so huge that more than 5 million metric tons of amino acids are manufactured annually all over the world, and this number continues to grow. Research on amino acid fermentation fostered the notion and skills of metabolic engineering which has been applied for the production of other compounds from renewable resources. The discovery of glutamate fermentation has had revolutionary impacts on both the industry and science. In this chapter, the history and development of glutamate fermentation, including the very early stage of fermentation of other amino acids, are reviewed.

  15. Amino acid metabolism conflicts with protein diversity

    OpenAIRE

    Krick, Teresa; Shub, David A.; Verstraete, Nina; Ferreiro, Diego U.; Alonso, Leonardo G.; Shub, Michael; Sanchez, Ignacio E.

    2014-01-01

    The 20 protein-coding amino acids are found in proteomes with different relative abundances. The most abundant amino acid, leucine, is nearly an order of magnitude more prevalent than the least abundant amino acid, cysteine. Amino acid metabolic costs differ similarly, constraining their incorporation into proteins. On the other hand, a diverse set of protein sequences is necessary to build functional proteomes. Here, we present a simple model for a cost-diversity trade-off postulating that n...

  16. Nucleolar targeting of proteins by the tandem array of basic amino acid stretches identified in the RNA polymerase I-associated factor PAF49

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ushijima, Ryujiro; Matsuyama, Toshifumi; Nagata, Izumi; Yamamoto, Kazuo

    2008-01-01

    There is accumulating evidence to indicate that the regulation of subnuclear compartmentalization plays important roles in cellular processes. The RNA polymerase I-associated factor PAF49 has been shown to accumulate in the nucleolus in growing cells, but disperse into the nucleoplasm in growth-arrested cells. Serial deletion analysis revealed that amino acids 199-338 were necessary for the nucleolar localization of PAF49. Combinatorial point mutation analysis indicated that the individual basic amino acid stretches (BS) within the central (BS1-4) and the C-terminal (BS5 and 6) regions may cooperatively confer the nucleolar localization of PAF49. Addition of the basic stretches in tandem to a heterologous protein, such as the interferon regulatory factor-3, translocated the tagged protein into the nucleolus, even in the presence of an intrinsic nuclear export sequence. Thus, tandem array of the basic amino acid stretches identified here functions as a dominant nucleolar targeting sequence

  17. Sugar amino acids and related molecules

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Sugar amino acids constitute an important class of such polyfunctional scaffolds where the carboxyl, amino and hydroxyl termini provide an excellent opportunity to organic chemists to create structural diversities akin to Nature's molecular arsenal. In recent years, sugar amino acids have been used extensively in the area of ...

  18. Analysis of Protein Amino Acids in Tobacco Using Microwave Digestion of Plant Material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moldoveanu SC

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a technique using microwave digestion and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS, which makes possible the analysis of protein amino acids in tobacco. The technique involves first the measurement of free amino acids, a hydrolysis using microwave digestion, and a measurement of total resulting amino acids. The content of protein amino acids is determined from the difference of total and free amino acids. The digestion is performed with aqueous 6 N HCl (with 1% phenol for two hours in a microwave at 120°C in sealed vials. The GC-MS analysis is performed after the amino acids are derivatized with N-methyl-N-(t-butyldimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA. The technique provides reliable results with less than 10% relative standard deviation (RSD for most amino acids. Only the determination of very low level amino acids is affected by larger errors. The method provides results for free amino acids that are in very good agreement with those obtained by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, and also results for protein levels in tobacco in agreement with data previously reported in the literature. Results are given for several single grade tobaccos and for tobacco blends from four Kentucky reference cigarettes.

  19. Cloning and expression of cDNA coding for bouganin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    den Hartog, Marcel T; Lubelli, Chiara; Boon, Louis; Heerkens, Sijmie; Ortiz Buijsse, Antonio P; de Boer, Mark; Stirpe, Fiorenzo

    2002-03-01

    Bouganin is a ribosome-inactivating protein that recently was isolated from Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. In this work, the cloning and expression of the cDNA encoding for bouganin is described. From the cDNA, the amino-acid sequence was deduced, which correlated with the primary sequence data obtained by amino-acid sequencing on the native protein. Bouganin is synthesized as a pro-peptide consisting of 305 amino acids, the first 26 of which act as a leader signal while the 29 C-terminal amino acids are cleaved during processing of the molecule. The mature protein consists of 250 amino acids. Using the cDNA sequence encoding the mature protein of 250 amino acids, a recombinant protein was expressed, purified and characterized. The recombinant molecule had similar activity in a cell-free protein synthesis assay and had comparable toxicity on living cells as compared to the isolated native bouganin.

  20. Uptake and conversion of D-amino acids in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gördes, Dirk; Kolukisaoglu, Üner; Thurow, Kerstin

    2011-02-01

    The D-enantiomers of proteinogenic amino acids fulfill essential functions in bacteria, fungi and animals. Just in the plant kingdom, the metabolism and role of D-amino acids (D-AAs) still remains unclear, although plants have to cope with significant amounts of these compounds from microbial decay in the rhizosphere. To fill this gap of knowledge, we tested the inhibitory effects of D-AAs on plant growth and established a method to quantitate 16 out of 19 proteinogenic amino acids and their D-enantiomers in plant tissue extracts. Therefore, the amino acids in the extracts were derivatized with Marfey's reagent and separated by HPLC-MS. We used two ecotypes (Col-0 and C24) and a mutant (lht1) of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to determine the influence and fate of exogenously applied D-AAs. All of them were found in high concentrations in the plant extracts after application, even in lht1, which points to additional transporters facilitating the import of D-AAs. The addition of particular amino acids (D-Trp, D-Phe, D-Met and D-His) led to the accumulation of the corresponding L-amino acid. In almost all cases, the application of a D-AA resulted in the accumulation of D-Ala and D-Glu. The presented results indicate that soil borne D-AAs can actively be taken up and metabolized via central metabolic routes.

  1. Carbon-11 and Fluorine-18 Labeled Amino Acid Tracers for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Tumors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Aixia; Liu, Xiang; Tang, Ganghua

    2017-12-01

    Tumor cells have an increased nutritional demand for amino acids(AAs) to satisfy their rapid proliferation. Positron-emitting nuclide labeled AAs are interesting probes and are of great importance for imaging tumors using positron emission tomography (PET). Carbon-11 and fluorine-18 labeled AAs include the [1-11C] amino acids, labeling alpha-C- amino acids, the branched-chain of amino acids and N-substituted carbon-11 labeled amino acids. These tracers target protein synthesis or amino acid(AA) transport, and their uptake mechanism mainly involves AA transport. AA PET tracers have been widely used in clinical settings to image brain tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, prostate cancer, breast cancer, non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and hepatocellular carcinoma. This review focuses on the fundamental concepts and the uptake mechanism of AAs, AA PET tracers and their clinical applications.

  2. Potential use of carbon-11 labeled alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) as an in vivo tracer of amino acid uptake in differing metabolic states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conti, P.S.; Starnes, H.F.; Brennan, M.F.

    1986-01-01

    AIB has been used as a model amino acid for the evaluation of alanine-preferring amino acid transport. Hormonal factors and starvation alter the tissue distribution of amino acids, particularly in liver and muscle. With positron emission tomography and labeling of biochemical tracers with C-11, (t1/2=20.4 min), it is now possible to study amino acid kinetics in vivo using external imaging. In order to investigate the utility of C-11 AIB as an in vivo tracer of altered tissue metabolism, C-14 AIB was studied in groups of rats with either streptozotocin-induced diabetes, insulin-induced hypoglycemia or starvation. The data suggest an increased amino acid uptake in liver in starvation, an increased uptake in muscle in response to insulin and associated hypoglycemia and decreased transport in muscle in starvation, as seen by other investigators. These results suggest that C-11 AIB may be useful as an in vivo monitor of metabolic changes in body tissues

  3. In vivo microdialysis studies on the effects of decortication and excitotoxic lesions on kainic acid-induced calcium fluxes, and endogenous amino acid release, in the rat striatum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butcher, S.P.; Lazarewicz, J.W.; Hamberger, A.

    1987-11-01

    The in vivo effects of kainate (1 mM) on fluxes of /sup 45/Ca2+, and endogenous amino acids, were examined in the rat striatum using the brain microdialysis technique. Kainate evoked a rapid decrease in dialysate /sup 45/Ca2+, and an increase in the concentration of amino acids in dialysates in Ca2+-free dialysates. Taurine was elevated six- to 10-fold, glutamate two- to threefold, and aspartate 1.5- to twofold. There was also a delayed increase in phosphoethanolamine, whereas nonneuroactive amino acids were increased only slightly. The kainic acid-evoked reduction in dialysate /sup 45/Ca2+ activity was attenuated in striata lesioned previously with kainate, suggesting the involvement of intrinsic striatal neurons in this response. The increase in taurine concentration induced by kainate was slightly smaller under these conditions. Decortication did not affect the kainate-evoked alterations in either dialysate /sup 45/Ca2+ or amino acids. These data suggest that kainate does not release acidic amino acids from their transmitter pools located in corticostriatal terminals.

  4. Whole-body nitrogen and tyrosine metabolism in surgical patients receiving branched-chain amino acid solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desai, S.P.; Bistrian, B.R.; Moldawer, L.L.; Blackburn, G.L.

    1985-01-01

    Fifteen patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity received preoperatively a standard crystalline amino acid solution containing 15.6% branched-chain amino acids. During the first five postoperative days, the patients were randomized to receive one of three amino acid solutions of different branched-chain amino acid content. Whole-body amino acid appearance and oxidation were estimated using a continuous intravenous infusion of L-(U- 14 C)-tyrosine preoperatively and on the third postoperative day. This study suggests that an adequate nitrogen intake of a balanced amino acid mixture, as well as a solution enriched with branched-chain amino acids, maintains protein homeostasis and supports protein synthesis similarly in well-nourished patients following major abdominal surgery. A diet containing only branched-chain amino acids in isomolar ratios was as effective at maintaining protein retention and whole-body protein synthesis and albumin renewal postoperatively when compared with a standard amino acid formula

  5. Fatty acid composition and amino acid profile of two freshwater ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The proximate, fatty and amino acids composition of two commercially important freshwater fish species Clarias gariepinus and Tilapia zillii. purchased from local fishermen in two landing sites in Lagos State, Nigeria were determined. Live specimens of C. gariepinus were purchased while samples of T. zillii were stored in ...

  6. Flux Analysis of Free Amino Sugars and Amino Acids in Soils by Isotope Tracing with a Novel Liquid Chromatography/High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yuntao; Zheng, Qing; Wanek, Wolfgang

    2017-09-05

    Soil fluxomics analysis can provide pivotal information for understanding soil biochemical pathways and their regulation, but direct measurement methods are rare. Here, we describe an approach to measure soil extracellular metabolite (amino sugar and amino acid) concentrations and fluxes based on a 15 N isotope pool dilution technique via liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. We produced commercially unavailable 15 N and 13 C labeled amino sugars and amino acids by hydrolyzing peptidoglycan isolated from isotopically labeled bacterial biomass and used them as tracers ( 15 N) and internal standards ( 13 C). High-resolution (Orbitrap Exactive) MS with a resolution of 50 000 allowed us to separate different stable isotope labeled analogues across a large range of metabolites. The utilization of 13 C internal standards greatly improved the accuracy and reliability of absolute quantification. We successfully applied this method to two types of soils and quantified the extracellular gross fluxes of 2 amino sugars, 18 amino acids, and 4 amino acid enantiomers. Compared to the influx and efflux rates of most amino acids, similar ones were found for glucosamine, indicating that this amino sugar is released through peptidoglycan and chitin decomposition and serves as an important nitrogen source for soil microorganisms. d-Alanine and d-glutamic acid derived from peptidoglycan decomposition exhibited similar turnover rates as their l-enantiomers. This novel approach offers new strategies to advance our understanding of the production and transformation pathways of soil organic N metabolites, including the unknown contributions of peptidoglycan and chitin decomposition to soil organic N cycling.

  7. Flux Analysis of Free Amino Sugars and Amino Acids in Soils by Isotope Tracing with a Novel Liquid Chromatography/High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Soil fluxomics analysis can provide pivotal information for understanding soil biochemical pathways and their regulation, but direct measurement methods are rare. Here, we describe an approach to measure soil extracellular metabolite (amino sugar and amino acid) concentrations and fluxes based on a 15N isotope pool dilution technique via liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. We produced commercially unavailable 15N and 13C labeled amino sugars and amino acids by hydrolyzing peptidoglycan isolated from isotopically labeled bacterial biomass and used them as tracers (15N) and internal standards (13C). High-resolution (Orbitrap Exactive) MS with a resolution of 50 000 allowed us to separate different stable isotope labeled analogues across a large range of metabolites. The utilization of 13C internal standards greatly improved the accuracy and reliability of absolute quantification. We successfully applied this method to two types of soils and quantified the extracellular gross fluxes of 2 amino sugars, 18 amino acids, and 4 amino acid enantiomers. Compared to the influx and efflux rates of most amino acids, similar ones were found for glucosamine, indicating that this amino sugar is released through peptidoglycan and chitin decomposition and serves as an important nitrogen source for soil microorganisms. d-Alanine and d-glutamic acid derived from peptidoglycan decomposition exhibited similar turnover rates as their l-enantiomers. This novel approach offers new strategies to advance our understanding of the production and transformation pathways of soil organic N metabolites, including the unknown contributions of peptidoglycan and chitin decomposition to soil organic N cycling. PMID:28776982

  8. Amino acid code of protein secondary structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shestopalov, B V

    2003-01-01

    -dimensional structure from the amino acid sequence, and the calculated secondary structure and codon strength distribution can be used for simulating the next step of protein folding; b) one can propose that the same secondary structures can be folded into different tertiary structures and, vice versa, different secondary structures can be folded into the same tertiary structures, provided codon distributions are considered also; c) codons can be considered as first elements of protein three-dimensional structure language.

  9. Structure of the C-Terminal Domain of Lettuce Necrotic Yellows Virus Phosphoprotein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Nicolas; Ribeiro, Euripedes A.; Leyrat, Cédric; Tarbouriech, Nicolas; Ruigrok, Rob W. H.

    2013-01-01

    Lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV) is a prototype of the plant-adapted cytorhabdoviruses. Through a meta-prediction of disorder, we localized a folded C-terminal domain in the amino acid sequence of its phosphoprotein. This domain consists of an autonomous folding unit that is monomeric in solution. Its structure, solved by X-ray crystallography, reveals a lollipop-shaped structure comprising five helices. The structure is different from that of the corresponding domains of other Rhabdoviridae, Filoviridae, and Paramyxovirinae; only the overall topology of the polypeptide chain seems to be conserved, suggesting that this domain evolved under weak selective pressure and varied in size by the acquisition or loss of functional modules. PMID:23785215

  10. Distribution of Amino Acids in Lunar Regolith

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elsila, J. E.; Callahan, M. P.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Noble, S. K.; Gibson, E. K., Jr.

    2014-01-01

    One of the most eagerly studied questions upon initial return of lunar samples was whether significant amounts of organic compounds, including amino acids, were present. Analyses during the 1970s produced only tentative and inconclusive identifications of indigenous amino acids. Those analyses were hampered by analytical difficulties including relative insensitivity to certain compounds, the inability to separate chiral enantiomers, and the lack of compound-specific isotopic measurements, which made it impossible to determine whether the detected amino acids were indigenous to the lunar samples or the results of contamination. Numerous advances have been made in instrumentation and methodology for amino acid characterization in extraterrestrial samples in the intervening years, yet the origin of amino acids in lunar regolith samples has been revisited only once for a single lunar sample, (3) and remains unclear. Here, we present initial data from the analyses of amino acid abundances in 12 lunar regolith samples. We discuss these abundances in the context of four potential amino acid sources: (1) terrestrial biological contamination; (2) contamination from lunar module (LM) exhaust; (3) derivation from solar windimplanted precursors; and (4) exogenous delivery from meteorites.

  11. Catolé palm (Syagrus oleracea Mart fruits: fatty and amino acids composition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moreira, Rosalynd V. R.

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Catolé Palm (Syagrus oleracea Mart Fruits were analysed for their chemical composition. The pulp and kernel portions contained 0.7 and 40.0% lipids. Freshly extracted kernel oil showed a small concentration (0.4 meq/kg of peroxides but did not contain free fatty acids. The iodine and saponification values were 27.4 and 226, respectively. A large qualitative as well as quantitative difference in the fatty acid composition between the catolé pulp and kernel oil was observed. Fifteen and 19 fatty acids were identified in the pulp and kernel oil, respectively. These oils contained 48.9 and 73.2 % saturated fatty acids. The principal saturated fatty acids of the pulp oil was palmitic (C16 acid, while that of kernel oil was lauric (C12 acid. Oleic acid was the main monounsaturated fatty acid in both oils. In pulp oil, linoleic (C18:2 and linolenic (C18:3 were present at 23.5 and 11,3% concentrations, while kernel oil contained only linoleic acid (3.59%. In relation to amino acid composition of proteins, pulp proteins presented better amino acid profile than kernel proteins. In pulp proteins, the essential amino acids were present at concentrations higher than recommended by FAO except for methionine and lysine, while kernel proteins were deficient in all essential amino acids except phenylalanine, isoleucine and threonine.Los frutos de la Palmera catolé (Syagrus oleracea Mart fueron analizados para determinar su composición química. Las fracciones de la pulpa y almendra contenían 0,7 y 40.0 % de lípidos. El aceite de almendra fresca mostró una pequeña concentración de peróxidos pero no presentó ácidos grasos libres. El índice de iodo y de saponificación fueron 27,4 y 226, respectivamente. Fue observada una gran diferencia cualitativa como también cuantitativa en la composición de ácidos grasos entre el aceite de la pulpa y de la almendra. 15 y 19 ácidos grasos fueron identificados en el aceite de la pulpa y de la almendra

  12. Development of SI-traceable C-peptide certified reference material NMIJ CRM 6901-a using isotope-dilution mass spectrometry-based amino acid analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinumi, Tomoya; Goto, Mari; Eyama, Sakae; Kato, Megumi; Kasama, Takeshi; Takatsu, Akiko

    2012-07-01

    A certified reference material (CRM) is a higher-order calibration material used to enable a traceable analysis. This paper describes the development of a C-peptide CRM (NMIJ CRM 6901-a) by the National Metrology Institute of Japan using two independent methods for amino acid analysis based on isotope-dilution mass spectrometry. C-peptide is a 31-mer peptide that is utilized for the evaluation of β-cell function in the pancreas in clinical testing. This CRM is a lyophilized synthetic peptide having the human C-peptide sequence, and contains deamidated and pyroglutamylated forms of C-peptide. By adding water (1.00 ± 0.01) g into the vial containing the CRM, the C-peptide solution in 10 mM phosphate buffer saline (pH 6.6) is reconstituted. We assigned two certified values that represent the concentrations of total C-peptide (mixture of C-peptide, deamidated C-peptide, and pyroglutamylated C-peptide) and C-peptide. The certified concentration of total C-peptide was determined by two amino acid analyses using pre-column derivatization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and hydrophilic chromatography-mass spectrometry following acid hydrolysis. The certified concentration of C-peptide was determined by multiplying the concentration of total C-peptide by the ratio of the relative area of C-peptide to that of the total C-peptide measured by liquid chromatography. The certified value of C-peptide (80.7 ± 5.0) mg/L represents the concentration of the specific entity of C-peptide; on the other hand, the certified value of total C-peptide, (81.7 ± 5.1) mg/L can be used for analyses that does not differentiate deamidated and pyroglutamylated C-peptide from C-peptide itself, such as amino acid analyses and immunochemical assays.

  13. Developmental changes in aspartate-family amino acid biosynthesis in pea chloroplasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mills, W.R.; Cato, L.W.; Stephens, B.W.; Reeves, M.

    1990-01-01

    Isolated chloroplasts are known to synthesize the asp-derived amino acids (ile, hse, lys and thr) from [ 14 C]asp (Mills et al, 1980, Plant Physiol. 65, 1166). Now, we have studied the influence of tissue age on essential amino acid biosynthesis in pea (Pisum sativum) plastids. Chloroplasts from the younger (third and fourth) leaves of 12 day old plants, were 2-3 times more active in synthesizing lys and thr from [ 14 C]asp than those from older (first or second) leaves. We also examined two key pathway enzymes (aspartate kinase and homoserine dehydrogenase); with each enzyme,a activity in younger leaves was about 2 times that in plastids from older tissue. Both lys- and thr-sensitive forms of aspartate kinase are known in plants; in agreement with earlier work, we found that lys-sensitive activity was about 4 times higher in the younger tissues, while the thr-sensitive activity changed little during development (Davies and Miflin, 1977, Plant Sci. Lett. 9, 323). Recently the role of aspartate kinase and homoserine dehydrogenase in controlling asp-family amino acid synthesis has been questioned (Giovanelli et al, 1989, Plant Physiol. 90, 1584); we hope that measurements of amino acid levels in chloroplasts as well as further enzyme studies will help us to better understand the regulation of asp-family amino acid synthesis

  14. The repertoire of olfactory C family G protein-coupled receptors in zebrafish: candidate chemosensory receptors for amino acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ngai John

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Vertebrate odorant receptors comprise at least three types of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs: the OR, V1R, and V2R/V2R-like receptors, the latter group belonging to the C family of GPCRs. These receptor families are thought to receive chemosensory information from a wide spectrum of odorant and pheromonal cues that influence critical animal behaviors such as feeding, reproduction and other social interactions. Results Using genome database mining and other informatics approaches, we identified and characterized the repertoire of 54 intact "V2R-like" olfactory C family GPCRs in the zebrafish. Phylogenetic analysis – which also included a set of 34 C family GPCRs from fugu – places the fish olfactory receptors in three major groups, which are related to but clearly distinct from other C family GPCRs, including the calcium sensing receptor, metabotropic glutamate receptors, GABA-B receptor, T1R taste receptors, and the major group of V2R vomeronasal receptor families. Interestingly, an analysis of sequence conservation and selective pressure in the zebrafish receptors revealed the retention of a conserved sequence motif previously shown to be required for ligand binding in other amino acid receptors. Conclusion Based on our findings, we propose that the repertoire of zebrafish olfactory C family GPCRs has evolved to allow the detection and discrimination of a spectrum of amino acid and/or amino acid-based compounds, which are potent olfactory cues in fish. Furthermore, as the major groups of fish receptors and mammalian V2R receptors appear to have diverged significantly from a common ancestral gene(s, these receptors likely mediate chemosensation of different classes of chemical structures by their respective organisms.

  15. Plasma free amino acid kinetics in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using a bolus injection of 15N-labeled amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Jacob William; Yanke, Dan; Mirza, Jeff; Ballantyne, James Stuart

    2011-02-01

    To gain insight into the metabolic design of the amino acid carrier systems in fish, we injected a bolus of (15)N amino acids into the dorsal aorta in mature rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The plasma kinetic parameters including concentration, pool size, rate of disappearance (R(d)), half-life and turnover rate were determined for 15 amino acids. When corrected for metabolic rate, the R(d) values obtained for trout for most amino acids were largely comparable to human values, with the exception of glutamine (which was lower) and threonine (which was higher). R(d) values ranged from 0.9 μmol 100 g(-1) h(-1) (lysine) to 22.1 μmol 100 g(-1) h(-1) (threonine) with most values falling between 2 and 6 μmol 100 g(-1) h(-1). There was a significant correlation between R(d) and the molar proportion of amino acids in rainbow trout whole body protein hydrolysate. Other kinetic parameters did not correlate significantly with whole body amino acid composition. This indicates that an important design feature of the plasma-free amino acids system involves proportional delivery of amino acids to tissues for protein synthesis.

  16. A Novel Concept of Amino Acid Supplementation to Improve the Growth of Young Malnourished Male Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furuta, Chie; Murakami, Hitoshi

    2018-01-01

    This study was aimed at understanding the relationship between plasma amino acids and protein malnutrition and at determining whether amino acid supplementation associated with malnutrition and growth improves linear growth in growing rats. Body length and plasma amino acids were measured in young male rats that were fed the following diet for 3 weeks, mimicking a low and imbalanced protein diets based on maize, a major staple consumed in developing countries: a 70% calorically restricted cornmeal-based diet (C), C + micronutrients (CM), CM + casein (CMC), CM + soy protein (CMS) or CMS + 0.3% lysine. A correlation analysis of linear growth and plasma amino acids indicated that lysine, tryptophan, branched-chain amino acids, methionine, and phenylalanine significantly correlated with body length. Supplementation with these 5 amino acids (AA1) significantly improved the body length in rats compared to CMC treatment whereas, nitrogen-balanced amino acid supplemented controls (AA2) did not (CM +1.2 ± 0.2, CMC +2.7 ± 0.3, CMS +2.1 ± 0.3, AA1 +2.8 ± 0.2, and AA2 +2.5 ± 0.3 cm). With securing proper amino acid balance, supplementing growth-related amino acids is more effective in improving linear growth in malnourished growing male rats. Analysis of the correlation between plasma amino acids and growth represents a powerful tool to determine candidate amino acids for supplementation to prevent malnutrition. This technology is adaptable to children in developing countries. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of novel bicyclic acidic amino acids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Conti, Paola; De Amici, Marco; Joppolo Di Ventimiglia, Samuele

    2003-01-01

    Bicyclic acidic amino acids (+/-)-6 and (+/-)-7, which are conformationally constrained homologues of glutamic acid, were prepared via a strategy based on a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The new amino acids were tested toward ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes; both of them...

  18. Variation of amino acid sequences of serum amyloid a (SAA) and immunohistochemical analysis of amyloid a (AA) in Japanese domestic cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tei, Meina; Uchida, Kazuyuki; Chambers, James K; Watanabe, Ken-Ichi; Tamamoto, Takashi; Ohno, Koichi; Nakayama, Hiroyuki

    2018-02-02

    Amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, a fatal systemic amyloid disease, occurs secondary to chronic inflammatory conditions in humans. Although persistently elevated serum amyloid A (SAA) levels are required for its pathogenesis, not all individuals with chronic inflammation necessarily develop AA amyloidosis. Furthermore, many diseases in cats are associated with the elevated production of SAA, whereas only a small number actually develop AA amyloidosis. We hypothesized that a genetic mutation in the SAA gene may strongly contribute to the pathogenesis of feline AA amyloidosis. In the present study, genomic DNA from four Japanese domestic cats (JDCs) with AA amyloidosis and from five without amyloidosis was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and direct sequencing. We identified the novel variation combination of 45R-51A in the deduced amino acid sequences of four JDCs with amyloidosis and five without. However, there was no relationship between amino acid variations and the distribution of AA amyloid deposits, indicating that differences in SAA sequences do not contribute to the pathogenesis of AA amyloidosis. Immunohistochemical analysis using antisera against the three different parts of the feline SAA protein-i.e., the N-terminal, central, and C-terminal regions-revealed that feline AA contained the C-terminus, unlike human AA. These results indicate that the cleavage and degradation of the C-terminus are not essential for amyloid fibril formation in JDCs.

  19. Distinctive Roles of D-Amino Acids in the Homochiral World: Chirality of Amino Acids Modulates Mammalian Physiology and Pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasabe, Jumpei; Suzuki, Masataka

    2018-05-22

    Living organisms enantioselectively employ L-amino acids as the molecular architecture of protein synthesized in the ribosome. Although L-amino acids are dominantly utilized in most biological processes, accumulating evidence points to the distinctive roles of D-amino acids in non-ribosomal physiology. Among the three domains of life, bacteria have the greatest capacity to produce a wide variety of D-amino acids. In contrast, archaea and eukaryotes are thought generally to synthesize only two kinds of D-amino acids: D-serine and D-aspartate. In mammals, D-serine is critical for neurotransmission as an endogenous coagonist of N-methyl D-aspartate receptors. Additionally, D-aspartate is associated with neurogenesis and endocrine systems. Furthermore, recognition of D-amino acids originating in bacteria is linked to systemic and mucosal innate immunity. Among the roles played by D-amino acids in human pathology, the dysfunction of neurotransmission mediated by D-serine is implicated in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Non-enzymatic conversion of L-aspartate or L-serine residues to their D-configurations is involved in age-associated protein degeneration. Moreover, the measurement of plasma or urinary D-/L-serine or D-/L-aspartate levels may have diagnostic or prognostic value in the treatment of kidney diseases. This review aims to summarize current understanding of D-amino-acid-associated biology with a major focus on mammalian physiology and pathology.

  20. Yeast carboxypeptidase Y vacuolar targeting signal is defined by four propeptide amino acids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Valls, L A; Winther, Jakob R.; Stevens, T H

    1990-01-01

    The amino-terminal propeptide of carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) is necessary and sufficient for targeting this glycoprotein to the vacuole of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A 16 amino acid stretch of the propeptide was subjected to region-directed mutagenesis using randomized oligonucleotides. Mutations...... sort and deliver only the wild-type molecule to the vacuole. These results indicate that the PRC1 missorting mutations are cis-dominant, implying that the mutant forms of proCPY are secreted as a consequence of failing to interact with the sorting apparatus, rather than a general poisoning...

  1. Murine protein H is comprised of 20 repeating units, 61 amino acids in length

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Torsten; Tack, B F

    1986-01-01

    A cDNA library constructed from size-selected (greater than 28 S) poly(A)+ RNA isolated from the livers of C57B10. WR mice was screened by using a 249-base-pair (bp) cDNA fragment encoding 83 amino acid residues of human protein H as a probe. Of 120,000 transformants screened, 30 hybridized......, 448 bp of 3'-untranslated sequence, and a polyadenylylated tail of undetermined length. Murine pre-protein H was deduced to consist of an 18-amino acid signal peptide and 1216 residues of H-protein sequence. Murine H was composed of 20 repetitive units, each about 61 amino acid residues in length...

  2. Deorphanization of GPRC6A: a promiscuous L-alpha-amino acid receptor with preference for basic amino acids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wellendorph, Petrine; Hansen, Kasper B; Balsgaard, Anders

    2005-01-01

    with the signal transducing transmembrane and C terminus of the homologous goldfish 5.24 receptor allowed us to overcome these obstacles. Homology modeling of the hGPRC6A ATD based on the crystal structure of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 1 predicted interaction with alpha-amino acids...

  3. Antioxidant activity of amino acids in soybean oil at frying temperature: Structural effects and synergism with tocopherols

    Science.gov (United States)

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate amino acids as natural antioxidants for frying. Twenty amino acids were added to soybean oil heated to 180 ºC, and the effects of amino acid structure on the antioxidant activity were investigated. Amino acids containing a thiol, a thioether, or an extra ami...

  4. Synthesis and antimicrobial activities of new higher amino acid Schiff base derivatives of 6-aminopenicillanic acid and 7-aminocephalosporanic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özdemir (nee Güngör), Özlem; Gürkan, Perihan; Özçelik, Berrin; Oyardı, Özlem

    2016-02-01

    Novel β-lactam derivatives (1c-3c) (1d-3d) were produced by using 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA), 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) and the higher amino acid Schiff bases. The synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H/13C NMR and UV-vis spectra. Antibacterial activities of all the higher amino acid Schiff bases (1a-3a) (1b-3b) and β-lactam derivatives were screened against three gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Acinetobacter baumannii RSKK 02026), three gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 07005, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633) and their drug-resistant isolates by using broth microdilution method. Two fungi (Candida albicans and Candida krusei) were used for antifungal activity.

  5. Amino Acid Metabolism in Acute Renal Failure: Influence of Intravenous Essential L-Amino Acid Hyperalimentation Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abel, Ronald M.; Shih, Vivian E.; Abbott, William M.; Beck, Clyde H.; Fischer, Josef E.

    1974-01-01

    A solution of 8 essential I-amino acids and hypertonic dextrose was administered to 5 patients in acute postoperative renal failure in a program of hyperalimentation designed to decrease the patient's catabolic state and to accrue certain metabolic benefits. A sixth patient receiving intravenous glucose alone served as a control. The pretreatment plasma concentrations of amino acids in all 6 patients did not differ significantly from normal; following intravenous essential amino acids at a dose of approximately 12.6 gm/24 hours, no significant elevations out of the normal range of these substances occurred. Since urinary excretion rates did not dramatically increase, urinary loss was excluded as a possible cause for the failure of increase of plasma concentrations. The results suggest that the administration of an intravenous solution of 1-amino acids and hypertonic dextrose is associated with rapid clearance from the blood of these substances and, with a failure of increased urinary excretion, indirect evidence of amino acid utilization for protein synthesis has been obtained. Histidine supplementation in patients with acute renal failure is probably unnecessary based on the lack of significant decreases in histidine concentrations in these patients. PMID:4850497

  6. Carbon isotope composition of individual amino acids in the Murchison meteorite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Engel, M.H.; Macko, S.A.; Silter, J.A.

    1996-01-01

    A SIGNIFICANT parties of prebiotic organic matter on the early Earth may have been introduced by carbonaceous asteroids and comets. 1 The distribution and stable-isotope composition of individual organic compounds in carbonaceous meteorites, which are thought to be derived from asteroidal parent bodies, may therefore provide important information concerning mechanistic pathways for prebiotic synthesis 2 and the composition of organic matter on Earth before living systems developed. 3 Previous studies 11,12 have shown that meteorite amino acids are enriched in 13 C relatives to their terrestrial counterparts, but individual species were not distinguished. Here we report the 13 C contents of individual amino acids in the Murchison meteorite. The amino acids are enriched in 13 C, indicating an extraterrestrial origin. Alanine is not racemic, and the 13 C enrichment of its D- and L-enantiomers implies that the excess of the L-enantiomer is indigenous rather than terrestrial contamination, suggesting that optically active materials were present in the early Solar System before life began. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

  7. Chemical composition and ruminal degradation kinetics of crude protein and amino acids, and intestinal digestibility of amino acids from tropical forages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidia Ferreira Miranda

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this research was to determine the chemical composition and ruminal degradation of the crude protein (CP, total and individual amino acids of leaves from tropical forages: perennial soybean (Neonotonia wightii, cassava (Manihot esculenta, leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala and ramie (Boehmeria nivea, and to estimate the intestinal digestibility of the rumen undegradable protein (RUDP and individual amino acids of leaves from the tropical forages above cited, but including pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan. Three nonlactating Holstein cows were used to determine the in situ ruminal degradability of protein and amino acids from leaves (6, 18 and 48 hours of ruminal incubation. For determination of the intestinal digestibility of RUDP, the residue from ruminal incubation of the materials was used for 18 hours. A larger concentration of total amino acids for ramie and smaller for perennial soybean were observed; however, they were very similar in leucaena and cassava. Leucine was the essential amino acid of greater concentration, with the exception of cassava, which exhibited a leucine concentration 40.45% smaller. Ramie showed 14.35 and 22.31% more lysine and methionine, respectively. The intestinal digestibility of RUDP varied from 23.56; 47.87; 23.48; 25.69 and 10.86% for leucaena, perennial soybean, cassava, ramie and pigeon pea, respectively. The individual amino acids of tropical forage disappeared in different extensions in the rumen. For the correct evaluation of those forages, one should consider their composition of amino acids, degradations and intestinal digestibility, once the amino acid composition of the forage does not reflect the amino acid profiles that arrived in the small intestine. Differences between the degradation curves of CP and amino acids indicate that degradation of amino acids cannot be estimated through the degradation curve of CP, and that amino acids are not degraded in a similar degradation profile.

  8. Turkey-hen amino acid composition of brain and eyes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adeyeye, E.I.

    2015-01-01

    The amino acids composition of the brain and eyes of the mature Turkey-hen (Meleagris gallopavo L.), were determined on dry weight basis. Total essential amino acids ranged from 35.1-36.0 g/100 g as 49.5-49.8% of the total amino acids. The amino acid score showed that lysine ranged from 0.76-0.91 (on whole hen.s egg comparison), 0.85-1.03 (on provisional essential amino acid scoring pattern), and 0.81-0.98 (on suggested requirement of the essential amino acid of a preschool child). The predicted protein efficiency ratio was 1.94-2.41, whilst essential amino acid index range was 1.06-1.08 and the calculated isoelectric point range was 3.97-4.18. The correlation coefficient (rxy) was positively high and significant at r = 0.01 for the total amino acids, amino acid scores (on the whole hen.s egg comparisons made) and the isoelectric point. On the whole, the eyes were better in 12/18 or 66.7% parameters of the amino acids than the brain of Turkey-Hen. (author)

  9. Methods for preparation of deuterated amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pshenichnikova, A.B.; Karnaukhova, E.N.; Zvonkova, E.N.

    1995-01-01

    The current state and prospects for the use of amino acids labeled with stable isotopes are considered. Methods for the preparation of deuterated amino acids, including synthetic, chemicoenzymatic, and biosynthetic ones, and deuterium exchange reactions are summarized. Problems in the preparation of optically pure amino acids are discussed. 120 refs., 15 figs

  10. Density, viscosity, and N2O solubility of aqueous amino acid salt and amine amino acid salt solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aronu, Ugochukwu E.; Hartono, Ardi; Svendsen, Hallvard F.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Density of amino acid salt and amine amino acid salt. ► Viscosity of amino acid salt and amine amino acid salt. ► Henry’s law constant/N 2 O solubility of amino acid salt and amine amino acid salt. ► Schumpe model. Correlations for density, viscosity, and N 2 O solubility. - Abstract: Physicochemical properties of aqueous amino acid salt (AAS), potassium salt of sarcosine (KSAR) and aqueous amine amino acid salt (AAAS), 3-(methylamino)propylamine/sarcosine (SARMAPA) have been studied. Densities of KSAR were measured for sarcosine mole fraction 0.02 to 0.25 for temperature range 298.15 K to 353.15 K, the viscosities were measured for 0.02 to 0.10 mole fraction sarcosine (293.15 K to 343.15 K) while the N 2 O solubilities were measured from 0.02 to 0.10 mole fraction sarcosine solutions (298.15 K to 363.15 K). Densities of SARMAPA were measured for sarcosine mole fraction 0.02 to 0.23 for temperature range (298.15 K to 353.15 K), viscosities were measured for 0.02 to 0.16 mole fraction sarcosine (293.15 K to 343.15 K) while the N 2 O solubilities were measured from 0.02 to 0.16 mole fraction sarcosine solutions (298.15 K to 343.15 K). Experimental results were correlated well with empirical correlations and N 2 O solubility results for KSAR were predicted adequately by a Schumpe model. The solubilities of N 2 O in AAS and AAAS are significantly lower than values for amines. The solubilities vary as: amine > AAAS > AAS.

  11. Amino acid chirality breaking by N-phosphorylation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Yufen; Yan Qingjin.

    1995-01-01

    The chirality breaking of amino acid is a focus issue in the origin of life. For chemists, there are some interesting chemical approaches to solve the symmetry breaking problem. Our previous experiments indicated that when amino acids were phosphorylated, there were many bio-mimic reactions happened. In this paper, it was found that there had significant difference between the N-phosphoryl L- and D- amino acids such as serine and threonine. The optical rotation tracing experiments of the racemic N-phosphoamino acids also showed the similar results. The chirality breaking of amino acids by N-phosphorylation was a novel phenomena. (author). 3 refs, 1 fig. Abstract only

  12. Effects of cadmium stress on growth and amino acid metabolism in two Compositae plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Guangxu; Xiao, Huayun; Guo, Qingjun; Zhang, Zhongyi; Zhao, Jingjing; Yang, Dan

    2018-08-30

    Cadmium, a high toxic heavy metal, is one of the most serious contaminants in soil and a potential threat to plant growth and human health. Amino acid metabolism has the central role in heavy metal stress resistance of plants. In this paper, a pot experiment was carried out to study the effects of different concentrations of cadmium (0, 3, 6, 12, 30 mg kg -1 ) on the growth, Cd accumulation and amino acid metabolism in two Compositae plants (Ageratum conyzoides L. and Crassocephalum crepidioides). The results showed that under cadmium stress, C. crepidioides accumulated more Cd in its shoot and was tolerant to Cd, whereas its low Cd-accumulating relative, A. conyzoides, suffered reduced growth. The Cd content in the aerial part of C. crepidioides exceeded the threshold of Cd-hyperaccumulator. Furthermore, the bioaccumulation factor (BCF) and biological transfer factor (BTF) values for Cd in C. crepidioides were > 1. Thus, C. crepidioides can be regarded as Cd-hyperaccumulator. The comparison between both studied plants indicated that Cd stress resulted in a differential but coordinated response of amino acid levels, which are playing a significant role in plant adaptation to Cd stress. Glu, Gln, Asp, Asn, Gaba, Val and Ala dominated the major amino acids. Higher Cd tolerance and Cd accumulation in C. crepidioides was associated with greater accumulation of free amino acids, especially for Gln and Asn, in C. crepidioides than in A. conyzoides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Amino Acids from a Comet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Jamie Elisla

    2009-01-01

    NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned samples from comet 81P/Wild 2 to Earth in January 2006. Examinations of the organic compounds in cometary samples can reveal information about the prebiotic organic inventory present on the early Earth and within the early Solar System, which may have contributed to the origin of life. Preliminary studies of Stardust material revealed the presence of a suite of organic compounds including several amines and amino acids, but the origin of these compounds (cometary- vs. terrestrial contamination) could not be identified. We have recently measured the carbon isotopic ratios of these amino acids to determine their origin, leading to the first detection of a coetary amino acid.

  14. Effect of magnesium and of some trace elements on 14C incorporation in leaf sugars and amino acids of maize plants recovering after magnesium deficit stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chichev, P.; Stoyanov, I.; Tungarov, G.

    1977-01-01

    The incorporation and distribution of 14 C in leaf free sugars and amino acids of maize plants under magnesium deficiency and following their recovery was studied by the aid of Mg applied singly or in combination with the trace elements Co, Cr, and B. It was established that stress resulting from magnesium deficit causes considerable changes in free sugar and amino acid metabolism. Magnesium deficiency reduces the relative share of sugars and raises the share of amino acids. It leads to great changes also in the ratio of the individual substances - reduces succrose, glutamic acid, and -amino butyric acid, increases fructose, rafinose, glucose, alanine, aspartic acid and valine. During a 10-day period of plant recovery the metabolic changes of free sugars and amino acids occurring as a result of magnesium deficit are restored to normal condition. Under the conditions existing in this experiment Mg was capable to restore alone disturbances in free sugar and amino acid metabolism to the level observed in the control plants. The trace elements Co, Cr and B, used in combination with Mg, had no marked additive effect on the recovery process of free sugar and amino acid metabolic disturbances caused by Mg deficiency. (author)

  15. Engineering an ATP-dependent D-Ala:D-Ala ligase for synthesizing amino acid amides from amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miki, Yuta; Okazaki, Seiji; Asano, Yasuhisa

    2017-05-01

    We successfully engineered a new enzyme that catalyzes the formation of D-Ala amide (D-AlaNH 2 ) from D-Ala by modifying ATP-dependent D-Ala:D-Ala ligase (EC 6.3.2.4) from Thermus thermophilus, which catalyzes the formation of D-Ala-D-Ala from two molecules of D-Ala. The new enzyme was created by the replacement of the Ser293 residue with acidic amino acids, as it was speculated to bind to the second D-Ala of D-Ala-D-Ala. In addition, a replacement of the position with Glu performed better than that with Asp with regards to specificity for D-AlaNH 2 production. The S293E variant, which was selected as the best enzyme for D-AlaNH 2 production, exhibited an optimal activity at pH 9.0 and 40 °C for D-AlaNH 2 production. The apparent K m values of this variant for D-Ala and NH 3 were 7.35 mM and 1.58 M, respectively. The S293E variant could catalyze the synthesis of 9.3 and 35.7 mM of D-AlaNH 2 from 10 and 50 mM D-Ala and 3 M NH 4 Cl with conversion yields of 93 and 71.4 %, respectively. This is the first report showing the enzymatic formation of amino acid amides from amino acids.

  16. Unnatural reactive amino acid genetic code additions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deiters, Alexander; Cropp, T. Ashton; Chin, Jason W.; Anderson, Christopher J.; Schultz, Peter G.

    2017-10-25

    This invention provides compositions and methods for producing translational components that expand the number of genetically encoded amino acids in eukaryotic cells. The components include orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases and unnatural amino acids. Proteins and methods of producing proteins with unnatural amino acids in eukaryotic cells are also provided.

  17. Polymorphisms at Amino Acid Residues 141 and 154 Influence Conformational Variation in Ovine PrP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Sujeong; Thackray, Alana M.; Hopkins, Lee; Monie, Tom P.; Burke, David F.; Bujdoso, Raymond

    2014-01-01

    Polymorphisms in ovine PrP at amino acid residues 141 and 154 are associated with susceptibility to ovine prion disease: Leu141Arg154 with classical scrapie and Phe141Arg154 and Leu141His154 with atypical scrapie. Classical scrapie is naturally transmissible between sheep, whereas this may not be the case with atypical scrapie. Critical amino acid residues will determine the range or stability of structural changes within the ovine prion protein or its functional interaction with potential cofactors, during conversion of PrPC to PrPSc in these different forms of scrapie disease. Here we computationally identified that regions of ovine PrP, including those near amino acid residues 141 and 154, displayed more conservation than expected based on local structural environment. Molecular dynamics simulations showed these conserved regions of ovine PrP displayed genotypic differences in conformational repertoire and amino acid side-chain interactions. Significantly, Leu141Arg154 PrP adopted an extended beta sheet arrangement in the N-terminal palindromic region more frequently than the Phe141Arg154 and Leu141His154 variants. We supported these computational observations experimentally using circular dichroism spectroscopy and immunobiochemical studies on ovine recombinant PrP. Collectively, our observations show amino acid residues 141 and 154 influence secondary structure and conformational change in ovine PrP that may correlate with different forms of scrapie. PMID:25126555

  18. Amino Acid Availability Modulates Vacuolar H+-ATPase Assembly*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stransky, Laura A.; Forgac, Michael

    2015-01-01

    The vacuolar H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) is an ATP-dependent proton pump composed of a peripheral ATPase domain (V1) and a membrane-integral proton-translocating domain (V0) and is involved in many normal and disease processes. An important mechanism of regulating V-ATPase activity is reversible assembly of the V1 and V0 domains. Increased assembly in mammalian cells occurs under various conditions and has been shown to involve PI3K. The V-ATPase is necessary for amino acid-induced activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which is important in controlling cell growth in response to nutrient availability and growth signals. The V-ATPase undergoes amino acid-dependent interactions with the Ragulator complex, which is involved in recruitment of mTORC1 to the lysosomal membrane during amino acid sensing. We hypothesized that changes in the V-ATPase/Ragulator interaction might involve amino acid-dependent changes in V-ATPase assembly. To test this, we measured V-ATPase assembly by cell fractionation in HEK293T cells treated with and without amino acids. V-ATPase assembly increases upon amino acid starvation, and this effect is reversed upon readdition of amino acids. Lysosomes from amino acid-starved cells possess greater V-ATPase-dependent proton transport, indicating that assembled pumps are catalytically active. Amino acid-dependent changes in both V-ATPase assembly and activity are independent of PI3K and mTORC1 activity, indicating the involvement of signaling pathways distinct from those implicated previously in controlling assembly. By contrast, lysosomal neutralization blocks the amino acid-dependent change in assembly and reactivation of mTORC1 after amino acid starvation. These results identify an important new stimulus for controlling V-ATPase assembly. PMID:26378229

  19. Biochemical, biological and molecular characterization of an L-Amino acid oxidase (LAAO) purified from Bothrops pictus Peruvian snake venom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazo, Fanny; Vivas-Ruiz, Dan E; Sandoval, Gustavo A; Rodríguez, Edith F; Kozlova, Edgar E G; Costal-Oliveira, F; Chávez-Olórtegui, Carlos; Severino, Ruperto; Yarlequé, Armando; Sanchez, Eladio F

    2017-12-01

    An L-amino acid oxidase from Peruvian Bothrops pictus (Bpic-LAAO) snake venom was purified using a combination of size-exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography. Bpic-LAAO is a homodimeric glycosylated flavoprotein with molecular mass of ∼65 kDa under reducing conditions and ∼132 kDa in its native form as analyzed by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration chromatography, respectively. N-terminal amino acid sequencing showed highly conserved residues in a glutamine-rich motif related to binding substrate. The enzyme exhibited optimal activity towards L-Leu at pH 8.5, and like other reported SV-LAAOs, it is stable until 55 °C. Kinetic studies showed that the cations Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and Mn 2+ did not alter Bpic-LAAO activity; however, Zn 2+ is an inhibitor. Some reagents such as β-mercaptoethanol, glutathione and iodoacetate had inhibitory effect on Bpic-LAAO activity, but PMSF, EDTA and glutamic acid did not affect its activity. Regarding the biological activities of Bpic-LAAO, this enzyme induced edema in mice (MED = 7.8 μg), and inhibited human platelet aggregation induced by ADP in a dose-dependent manner and showed antibacterial activity on Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria. Bpic-LAAO cDNA of 1494 bp codified a mature protein with 487 amino acid residues comprising a signal peptide of 11 amino acids. Finally, the phylogenetic tree obtained with other sequences of LAAOs, evidenced its similarity to other homologous enzymes, showing two well-established monophyletic groups in Viperidae and Elapidae families. Bpic-LAAO is evolutively close related to LAAOs from B. jararacussu, B. moojeni and B. atrox, and together with the LAAO from B. pauloensis, form a well-defined cluster of the Bothrops genus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Analysis of Peptides and Conjugates by Amino Acid Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højrup, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Amino acid analysis is a highly accurate method for characterization of the composition of synthetic peptides. Together with mass spectrometry, it gives a reliable control of peptide quality and quantity before conjugation and immunization.Peptides are hydrolyzed, preferably in gas phase, with 6 M...... HCl at 110 °C for 20-24 h and the resulting amino acids analyzed by ion-exchange chromatography with post-column ninhydrin derivatization. Depending on the hydrolysis conditions, tryptophan is destroyed, and cysteine also, unless derivatized, and the amides, glutamine and asparagine, are deamidated...... to glutamic acid and aspartic acid, respectively. Three different ways of calculating results are suggested, and taking the above limitations into account, a quantitation better than 5 % can usually be obtained....

  1. Folding units in calcium vector protein of amphioxus: Structural and functional properties of its amino- and carboxy-terminal halves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baladi, S; Tsvetkov, P O; Petrova, T V; Takagi, T; Sakamoto, H; Lobachov, V M; Makarov, A A; Cox, J A

    2001-04-01

    Muscle of amphioxus contains large amounts of a four EF-hand Ca2+-binding protein, CaVP, and its target, CaVPT. To study the domain structure of CaVP and assess the structurally important determinants for its interaction with CaVPT, we expressed CaVP and its amino (N-CaVP) and carboxy-terminal halves (C-CaVP). The interactive properties of recombinant and wild-type CaVP are very similar, despite three post-translational modifications in the wild-type protein. N-CaVP does not bind Ca2+, shows a well-formed hydrophobic core, and melts at 44 degrees C. C-CaVP binds two Ca2+ with intrinsic dissociation constants of 0.22 and 140 microM (i.e., very similar to the entire CaVP). The metal-free domain in CaVP and C-CaVP shows no distinct melting transition, whereas its 1Ca2+ and 2Ca2+) forms melt in the 111 degrees -123 degrees C range, suggesting that C-CaVP and the carboxy- domain of CaVP are natively unfolded in the metal-free state and progressively gain structure upon binding of 1Ca2+ and 2Ca2+. Thermal denaturation studies provide evidence for interdomain interaction: the apo, 1Ca2+ and 2Ca2+ states of the carboxy-domain destabilize to different degrees the amino-domain. Only C-CaVP forms a Ca2+-dependent 1:1 complex with CaVPT. Our results suggest that the carboxy-terminal domain of CaVP interacts with CaVPT and that the amino-terminal lobe modulates this interaction.

  2. Effects of compound amino acids capsule on the immunological function of naval servicemen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-zhong ZHONG

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective  To investigate the effects of the compound amino acids capsule on the immunological function of the naval servicemen during military activity. Methods  The subjects included 100 officers and soldiers, whose Modified Fatigue Rating Scale (MFIS scores were >21 points. The participants were randomly divided into two groups, namely, the amino acids capsule group and placebo group (n=50. Under the condition of military operations, either amino acids capsule (8 kinds of essential amino acids and 11 kinds of vitamins were contained or placebo capsule was given for 14 days continuously. The humoral immune indices, i.e., IgG, IgA, IgM, and complements C3 and C4, were measured with immunoturbidimetry. The percentage of peripheral blood CD subsets was measured using flow cytometry on the first day and 14th day. Results  The levels of IgG, IgM, and complement C3 in the capsule group were significantly higher on the 14th day than on the first day (P+CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD3-CD19+ B lymphocytes in the capsule group on the 14th day were higher than those on the first day, whereas the CD3-CD56+ NK lymphocytes decreased significantly (PConclusion  Compound amino acids capsule can improve the humoral and cellular immunological function of naval servicemen.

  3. Side Chain Cyclized Aromatic Amino Acids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Van der Poorten, Olivier; Knuhtsen, Astrid; Sejer Pedersen, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Constraining the conformation of flexible peptides is a proven strategy to increase potency, selectivity, and metabolic stability. The focus has mostly been on constraining the backbone dihedral angles; however, the correct orientation of the amino acid side chains (χ-space) that constitute...... the peptide pharmacophore is equally important. Control of χ-space utilizes conformationally constrained amino acids that favor, disfavor, or exclude the gauche (-), the gauche (+), or the trans conformation. In this review we focus on cyclic aromatic amino acids in which the side chain is connected...... to the peptide backbone to provide control of χ(1)- and χ(2)-space. The manifold applications for cyclized analogues of the aromatic amino acids Phe, Tyr, Trp, and His within peptide medicinal chemistry are showcased herein with examples of enzyme inhibitors and ligands for G protein-coupled receptors....

  4. Mapping Substance P Binding Sites on the Neurokinin-1 Receptor Using Genetic Incorporation of a Photoreactive Amino Acid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Valentin-Hansen, Louise; Park, Minyoung; Huber, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    that the binding site for SP includes multiple domains in the N-terminal (Nt) segment and the second extracellular loop (ECLII) of NK1. To map precisely the NK1 residues that interact with SP, we applied a novel receptor-based targeted photocross-linking approach. We used amber codon suppression to introduce...... the photoreactive unnatural amino acid p-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine (BzF) at 11 selected individual positions in the Nt tail (residues 11-21) and 23 positions in the ECLII (residues 170(C-10)-193(C+13)) of NK1. The 34 NK1 variants were expressed in mammalian HEK293 cells and retained the ability to interact...

  5. Amino acids in the cultivation of mammalian cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salazar, Andrew; Keusgen, Michael; von Hagen, Jörg

    2016-05-01

    Amino acids are crucial for the cultivation of mammalian cells. This importance of amino acids was realized soon after the development of the first cell lines, and a solution of a mixture of amino acids has been supplied to cultured cells ever since. The importance of amino acids is further pronounced in chemically defined mammalian cell culture media, making the consideration of their biological and chemical properties necessary. Amino acids concentrations have been traditionally adjusted to their cellular consumption rates. However, since changes in the metabolic equilibrium of amino acids can be caused by changes in extracellular concentrations, metabolomics in conjunction with flux balance analysis is being used in the development of culture media. The study of amino acid transporters is also gaining importance since they control the intracellular concentrations of these molecules and are influenced by conditions in cell culture media. A better understanding of the solubility, stability, dissolution kinetics, and interactions of these molecules is needed for an exploitation of these properties in the development of dry powdered chemically defined media for mammalian cells. Due to the complexity of these mixtures however, this has proven to be challenging. Studying amino acids in mammalian cell culture media will help provide a better understanding of how mammalian cells in culture interact with their environment. It would also provide insight into the chemical behavior of these molecules in solutions of complex mixtures, which is important in the understanding of the contribution of individual amino acids to protein structure.

  6. Distribution, industrial applications, and enzymatic synthesis of D-amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xiuzhen; Ma, Qinyuan; Zhu, Hailiang

    2015-04-01

    D-Amino acids exist widely in microbes, plants, animals, and food and can be applied in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics. Because of their widespread applications in industry, D-amino acids have recently received more and more attention. Enzymes including D-hydantoinase, N-acyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase, D-amino acid amidase, D-aminopeptidase, D-peptidase, L-amino acid oxidase, D-amino acid aminotransferase, and D-amino acid dehydrogenase can be used for D-amino acids synthesis by kinetic resolution or asymmetric amination. In this review, the distribution, industrial applications, and enzymatic synthesis methods are summarized. And, among all the current enzymatic methods, D-amino acid dehydrogenase method not only produces D-amino acid by a one-step reaction but also takes environment and atom economics into consideration; therefore, it is deserved to be paid more attention.

  7. Postprandial fate of amino acids: adaptation to molecular forms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nolles, J.A.

    2006-01-01

    During the postprandial phase dietary proteins are digested to peptides and amino acids and absorbed. Once absorbed the peptides are further hydrolyzed to amino acids and transported to the tissues. These amino acids are largely incorporated into body proteins. Not all amino acids are, however,

  8. Kinetics of oxidation of acidic amino acids by sodium N ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    BAB) has been carried out in aqueous HClO4 medium at 30°C. The rate shows first- ... amino acids by chloramines 7,8 while, little attention has been focused on ... in glass-stoppered pyrex boiling tubes whose outer surface was coated ... BAB in a measured aliquot (5 ml each) of the reaction mixture at different intervals of.

  9. "Facilitated" amino acid transport is upregulated in brain tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyagawa, T; Oku, T; Uehara, H; Desai, R; Beattie, B; Tjuvajev, J; Blasberg, R

    1998-05-01

    The goal of this study was to determine the magnitude of "facilitated" amino acid transport across tumor and brain capillaries and to evaluate whether amino acid transporter expression is "upregulated" in tumor vessels compared to capillaries in contralateral brain tissue. Aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid (ACPC), a non-metabolized [14C]-labeled amino acid, and a reference molecule for passive vascular permeability, [67Ga]-gallium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Ga-DTPA), were used in these studies. Two experimental rat gliomas were studied (C6 and RG2). Brain tissue was rapidly processed for double label quantitative autoradiography 10 minutes after intravenous injection of ACPC and Ga-DTPA. Parametric images of blood-to-brain transport (K1ACPC and K1Ga-DTPA, microL/min/g) produced from the autoradiograms and the histology were obtained from the same tissue section. These three images were registered in an image array processor; regions of interest in tumor and contralateral brain were defined on morphologic criteria (histology) and were transferred to the autoradiographic images to obtain mean values. The facilitated component of ACPC transport (deltaK1ACPC) was calculated from the K1ACPC and K1Ga-DTPA data, and paired comparisons between tumor and contralateral brain were performed. ACPC flux, K1ACPC, across normal brain capillaries (22.6 +/- 8.1 microL/g/min) was >200-fold greater than that of Ga-DTPA (0.09 +/- 0.04 microL/g/min), and this difference was largely (approximately 90%) due to facilitated ACPC transport. Substantially higher K1ACPC values compared to corresponding K1DTPA values were also measured in C6 and RG2 gliomas. The deltaK1ACPC values for C6 glioma were more than twice that of contralateral brain cortex. K1ACPC and deltaK1ACPC values for RG2 gliomas was not significantly higher than that of contralateral cortex, although a approximately 2-fold difference in facilitated transport is obtained after normalization for differences in capillary

  10. Preparation of carbon-11 labelled phenylalanine and phenylglycine by a new amino acid synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaalburg, W.; Beerling-van der Molen, H.D.; Reiffers, S; Rijskamp, A.; Woldring, M.G.; Wynberg, H.

    1976-01-01

    Of the cyclotron-produced short-lived isotopes carbon-11 (tsub(1/2) = 20.4 min;β + ) is one of the most promising as label for radiopharmaceuticals. To prepare 11 C-labelled amino acids for evaluation as pancreas scanning agents a new rapid amino acid synthesis was developed. The method is based on the carboxylation of α-lithioisocyanides with 11 CO 2 , followed by hydrolysis of the intermediate reaction product to the desired amino acid. By this method DL-α-phenylalanine-1- 11 C and DL-α-phenylglycine-1- 11 C were prepared. The precursor 11 CO 2 was produced via the 14 N(p,α) 11 C reaction by bombardment of a flow of nitrogen gas mixed with 0.1% 0 2 with 20 MeV protons. The target system is described. (author)

  11. Solid-state NMR detection of 14N-13C dipolar couplings between amino acid side groups provides constraints on amyloid fibril architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Middleton, David A

    2011-02-01

    Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) is a powerful technique for the structural analysis of amyloid fibrils. With suitable isotope labelling patterns, SSNMR can provide constraints on the secondary structure, alignment and registration of β-strands within amyloid fibrils and identify the tertiary and quaternary contacts defining the packing of the β-sheet layers. Detection of (14)N-(13)C dipolar couplings may provide potentially useful additional structural constraints on β-sheet packing within amyloid fibrils but has not until now been exploited for this purpose. Here a frequency-selective, transfer of population in double resonance SSNMR experiment is used to detect a weak (14)N-(13)C dipolar coupling in amyloid-like fibrils of the peptide H(2)N-SNNFGAILSS-COOH, which was uniformly (13)C and (15)N labelled across the four C-terminal amino acids. The (14)N-(13)C interatomic distance between leucine and asparagine side groups is constrained between 2.4 and 3.8 Å, which allows current structural models of the β-spine arrangement within the fibrils to be refined. This procedure could be useful for the general structural analysis of other proteins in condensed phases and environments, such as biological membranes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. A novel branched chain amino acids responsive transcriptional regulator, BCARR, negatively acts on the proteolytic system in Lactobacillus helveticus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taketo Wakai

    Full Text Available Transcriptional negative regulation of the proteolytic system of Lactobacillus helveticus CM4 in response to amino acids seems to be very important for the control of antihypertensive peptide production; however, it remains poorly understood. A 26-kDa protein with N-terminal cystathionine β-synthase domains (CBS domain protein, which seems to be involved in the regulatory system, was purified by using a DNA-sepharose bound 300-bp DNA fragment corresponding to the upstream regions of the six proteolytic genes that are down-regulated by amino acids. The CBS domain protein bound to a DNA fragment corresponding to the region upstream of the pepV gene in response to branched chain amino acids (BCAAs. The expression of the pepV gene in Escherichia coli grown in BCAA-enriched medium was repressed when the CBS domain protein was co-expressed. These results reveal that the CBS domain protein acts as a novel type of BCAA-responsive transcriptional regulator (BCARR in L. helveticus. From comparative analysis of the promoter regions of the six proteolysis genes, a palindromic AT-rich motif, 5'-AAAAANNCTWTTATT-3', was predicted as the consensus DNA motif for the BCARR protein binding. Footprint analysis using the pepV promotor region and gel shift analyses with the corresponding short DNA fragments strongly suggested that the BCARR protein binds adjacent to the pepV promoter region and affects the transcription level of the pepV gene in the presence of BCAAs. Homology search analysis of the C-terminal region of the BCARR protein suggested the existence of a unique βαββαβ fold structure that has been reported in a variety of ACT (aspartate kinase-chorismate mutase-tyrA domain proteins for sensing amino acids. These results also suggest that the sensing of BCAAs by the ACT domain might promote the binding of the BCARR to DNA sequences upstream of proteolysis genes, which affects the gene expression of the proteolytic system in L. helveticus.

  13. Stable isotope fingerprinting: a novel method for identifying plant, fungal, or bacterial origins of amino acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas Larsen; D. Lee Taylor; Mary Beth Leigh; Diane M. O' Brien

    2009-01-01

    Amino acids play an important role in ecology as essential nutrients for animals and as currencies in symbiotic associations. Here we present a new approach to tracing the origins of amino acids by identifying unique patterns of carbon isotope signatures generated by amino acid synthesis in plants, fungi, and bacteria ("13C fingerprints...

  14. Amino acids transport in lactic streptococci

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Driessen, Arnold Jacob Mathieu

    1987-01-01

    Lactic streptococci are extremely fastidious bacteria. For growth an exogenous source of amino acids and other nutrients is essential. The amino acid requirement in milk is fulfilled by the milk-protein casein, which is degraded by sequential hydrolysis, involving proteases and peptidases. ... Zie:

  15. Purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis of the C-terminal protease domain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus nsP2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russo, Andrew T.; Watowich, Stanley J.

    2006-01-01

    The C-terminal protease domain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) nsP2 has been overexpressed in E. coli, purified and successfully crystallized. Native crystals diffract to beyond 2.5 Å resolution and isomorphous heavy-atom derivatives suitable for phase analysis have been identified. The C-terminal region of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) nsP2 is responsible for proteolytic processing of the VEEV polyprotein replication complex. This action regulates the activity of the replication complex and is essential for viral replication, thus making nsP2 a very attractive target for development of VEEV therapeutics. The 338-amino-acid C-terminal region of VEEV nsP2 has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. Crystals diffract to beyond 2.5 Å resolution and belong to the orthorhombic space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 . Isomorphous heavy-atom derivatives suitable for phase analysis have been obtained and work on building a complete structural model is under way

  16. Purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis of the C-terminal protease domain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus nsP2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Russo, Andrew T.; Watowich, Stanley J., E-mail: watowich@xray.utmb.edu [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX (United States)

    2006-06-01

    The C-terminal protease domain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) nsP2 has been overexpressed in E. coli, purified and successfully crystallized. Native crystals diffract to beyond 2.5 Å resolution and isomorphous heavy-atom derivatives suitable for phase analysis have been identified. The C-terminal region of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) nsP2 is responsible for proteolytic processing of the VEEV polyprotein replication complex. This action regulates the activity of the replication complex and is essential for viral replication, thus making nsP2 a very attractive target for development of VEEV therapeutics. The 338-amino-acid C-terminal region of VEEV nsP2 has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. Crystals diffract to beyond 2.5 Å resolution and belong to the orthorhombic space group P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1}. Isomorphous heavy-atom derivatives suitable for phase analysis have been obtained and work on building a complete structural model is under way.

  17. Branched chain amino acid profile in early chronic kidney disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Anil Kumar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The nutritional status in chronic kidney disease (CKD patients is a predictor of prognosis during the first period of dialysis. Serum albumin is the most commonly used nutritional marker. Another index is plasma amino acid profile. Of these, the plasma levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAA, especially valine and leucine, correlate well with nutritional status. Plasma BCAAs were evaluated along with albumin and C-reactive protein in 15 patients of early stages of CKD and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. A significant decrease in plasma valine, leucine and albumin levels was observed in CKD patients when compared with the controls (P <0.05. No significant difference in C-reactive protein (CRP levels was observed between the two groups. Malnutrition seen in our CKD patients in the form of hypoalbuminemia and decreased concentrations of BCAA points to the need to evaluate the nutritional status in the early stages itself. Simple measures in the form of amino acid supplementation should be instituted early to decrease the morbidity and mortality before start of dialysis in these patients.

  18. Targeted amino-terminal acetylation of recombinant proteins in E. coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew Johnson

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available One major limitation in the expression of eukaryotic proteins in bacteria is an inability to post-translationally modify the expressed protein. Amino-terminal acetylation is one such modification that can be essential for protein function. By co-expressing the fission yeast NatB complex with the target protein in E.coli, we report a simple and widely applicable method for the expression and purification of functional N-terminally acetylated eukaryotic proteins.

  19. Stereoselective synthesis of stable-isotope-labeled amino acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unkefer, C.J.; Martinez, R.A.; Silks, L.A. III [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States); Lodwig, S.N. [Centralia College, WA (United States)

    1994-12-01

    For magnetic resonance and vibrational spectroscopies to reach their full potential, they must be used in combination with sophisticated site-specific stable isotope labeling of biological macromolecules. Labeled amino acids are required for the study of the structure and function of enzymes and proteins. Because there are 20 common amino acids, each with its own distinguishing chemistry, they remain a synthetic challenge. The Oppolzer chiral auxiliary provides a general tool with which to approach the synthesis of labeled amino acids. By using the Oppolzer auxiliary, amino acids can be constructed from several small molecules, which is ideal for stable isotope labeling. In addition to directing the stereochemistry at the {alpha}-carbon, the camphorsultam can be used for stereo-specific isotope labeling at prochiral centers in amino acids. By using the camphorsultam auxiliary we have the potential to synthesize virtually any isotopomer of all of the common amino acids.

  20. Stereoselective synthesis of stable-isotope-labeled amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Unkefer, C.J.; Martinez, R.A.; Silks, L.A. III; Lodwig, S.N.

    1994-01-01

    For magnetic resonance and vibrational spectroscopies to reach their full potential, they must be used in combination with sophisticated site-specific stable isotope labeling of biological macromolecules. Labeled amino acids are required for the study of the structure and function of enzymes and proteins. Because there are 20 common amino acids, each with its own distinguishing chemistry, they remain a synthetic challenge. The Oppolzer chiral auxiliary provides a general tool with which to approach the synthesis of labeled amino acids. By using the Oppolzer auxiliary, amino acids can be constructed from several small molecules, which is ideal for stable isotope labeling. In addition to directing the stereochemistry at the α-carbon, the camphorsultam can be used for stereo-specific isotope labeling at prochiral centers in amino acids. By using the camphorsultam auxiliary we have the potential to synthesize virtually any isotopomer of all of the common amino acids

  1. Genetic analysis of amino acid transport in the facultatively heterotrophic cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Strain 6803

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labarre, J.; Thuriaux, P.; Chauvat, F.

    1987-01-01

    The existence of active transport systems (permeases) operating on amino acids in the photoautotrophic cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain 6803 was demonstrated by following the initial rates of uptake with 14 C-labeled amino acids, measuring the intracellular pools of amino acids, and isolating mutants resistant to toxic amino acids. One class of mutants (Pfa1) corresponds to a regulatory defect in the biosynthesis of the aromatic amino acids, but two other classes (Can1 and Aza1) are defective in amino acid transport. The Can1 mutants are defective in the active transport of three basic amino acids (arginine, histidine, and lysine) and in one of two transport systems operating on glutamine. The Aza1 mutants are not affected in the transport of the basic amino acids but have lost the capacity to transport all other amino acids except glutamate. The latter amino acid is probably transported by a third permease which could be identical to the Can1-independent transport operating on glutamine. Thus, genetic evidence suggests that strain 6803 has only a small number of amino acid transport systems with fairly broad specificity and that, with the exception of glutamine, each amino acid is accumulated by only one major transport system. Compared with heterotrophic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, these permeases are rather inefficient in terms of affinity (apparent K/sub m/ ranging from 6 to 60 μM) and of V/sub max/

  2. Isolation of carbon 14 labelled amino acids by biosynthesis in maize plants (zea mais L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carreras, N.; Mazon, M.P.

    1983-01-01

    A method of obtaining 14 C labelled amino acids by biosynthesis in maize plants which had assimilated 14 CO 2 , has been assayed. The plants were labelled for 60 minutes with 14 CO 2 produced from Ba 14 CO 3 (specific activity of 148 KBq/μmol). An extract of the soluble compounds was obtained with 80% ethanol and the amino acids were separated from the rest of the soluble compounds by ion exchange chromatography on column of Dowex 50-X8 resin. Finally, seventeen amino acids were isolated and identified from the purified extract. The acid amino acids were separated in anionic column (Dowex 1-X8) and the neutral and basic amino acids in cationic columns (Dowex 50-X4). (author)

  3. Amino acid regulation of autophagosome formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijer, Alfred J.

    2008-01-01

    Amino acids are not only substrates for various metabolic pathways, but can also serve as signaling molecules controlling signal transduction pathways. One of these signaling pathways is mTOR-dependent and is activated by amino acids (leucine in particular) in synergy with insulin. Activation of

  4. Functional and biochemical analysis of Chlamydia trachomatis MurC, an enzyme displaying UDP-N-acetylmuramate:amino acid ligase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hesse, Lars; Bostock, Julieanne; Dementin, Sebastien; Blanot, Didier; Mengin-Lecreulx, Dominique; Chopra, Ian

    2003-11-01

    Chlamydiae are unusual obligate intracellular bacteria that cause serious infections in humans. Chlamydiae contain genes that appear to encode products with peptidoglycan biosynthetic activity. The organisms are also susceptible to antibiotics that inhibit peptidoglycan synthesis. However, chlamydiae do not synthesize detectable peptidoglycan. The paradox created by these observations is known as the chlamydial anomaly. The MurC enzyme of chlamydiae, which is synthesized as a bifunctional MurC-Ddl product, is expected to possess UDP-N-acetylmuramate (UDP-MurNAc):L-alanine ligase activity. In this paper we demonstrate that the MurC domain of the Chlamydia trachomatis bifunctional protein is functionally expressed in Escherichia coli, since it complements a conditional lethal E. coli mutant possessing a temperature-sensitive lesion in MurC. The recombinant MurC domain was overexpressed in and purified from E. coli. It displayed in vitro ATP-dependent UDP-MurNAc:L-alanine ligase activity, with a pH optimum of 8.0 and dependence upon magnesium ions (optimum concentration, 20 mM). Its substrate specificity was studied with three amino acids (L-alanine, L-serine, and glycine); comparable Vmax/Km values were obtained. Our results are consistent with the synthesis of a muramic acid-containing polymer in chlamydiae with UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide as a precursor molecule. However, due to the lack of specificity of MurC activity in vitro, it is not obvious which amino acid is present in the first position of the pentapeptide.

  5. Amino acid sequences of the ribosomal proteins HL30 and HmaL5 from the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatakeyama, T; Hatakeyama, T

    1990-07-06

    The complete amino acid sequences of the ribosomal proteins HL30 and HmaL5 from the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui were determined. Protein HL30 was found to be acetylated at its N-terminal amino acid and shows homology to the eukaryotic ribosomal proteins YL34 from yeast and RL31 from rat. Protein HmaL5 was homologous to the protein L5 from Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus as well as to YL16 from yeast. HmaL5 shows more similarities to its eukaryotic counterpart than to eubacterial ones.

  6. Structure of a designed, right-handed coiled-coil tetramer containing all biological amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sales, Mark; Plecs, Joseph J; Holton, James M; Alber, Tom

    2007-10-01

    The previous design of an unprecedented family of two-, three-, and four-helical, right-handed coiled coils utilized nonbiological amino acids to efficiently pack spaces in the oligomer cores. Here we show that a stable, right-handed parallel tetrameric coiled coil, called RH4B, can be designed entirely using biological amino acids. The X-ray crystal structure of RH4B was determined to 1.1 Angstrom resolution using a designed metal binding site to coordinate a single Yb(2+) ion per 33-amino acid polypeptide chain. The resulting experimental phases were particularly accurate, and the experimental electron density map provided an especially clear, unbiased view of the molecule. The RH4B structure closely matched the design, with equivalent core rotamers and an overall root-mean-square deviation for the N-terminal repeat of the tetramer of 0.24 Angstrom. The clarity and resolution of the electron density map, however, revealed alternate rotamers and structural differences between the three sequence repeats in the molecule. These results suggest that the RH4B structure populates an unanticipated variety of structures.

  7. AMINO ACIDS APPLICATION TO CREATE OF NANOSTRUCTURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. S. Chekman

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Review is devoted to the amino acids that could be used for nanostructures creation. The investigation of corresponding properties of amino acids is essential for their role definition in creation of nanomedicines. However, amino acid studying as components of nanostructures is insufficient. Study of nanoparticles for medicines creation was initiated by the development of nanotechnology. Amino acids in complexes with the nanoparticles of organic and inorganic nature play an important role for medicines targeting in pathological process. They could reduce toxicity of the nanomaterials used in nanomedicine and are used for creation of biosensors, lab-on-chip and therefore they are a promising material for synthesis of new nanodrugs and diagnostic tools.

  8. The Origin of Amino Acids in Lunar Regolith Samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Jamie E.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; McLain, Hannah L.; Noble, Sarah K.; Gibson, Everett K., Jr.

    2016-01-01

    We analyzed the amino acid content of seven lunar regolith samples returned by the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 missions and stored under NASA curation since collection using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Consistent with results from initial analyses shortly after collection in the 1970s, we observed amino acids at low concentrations in all of the curated samples, ranging from 0.2 parts-per-billion (ppb) to 42.7 ppb in hot-water extracts and 14.5 ppb to 651.1 ppb in 6M HCl acid-vapor-hydrolyzed, hot-water extracts. Amino acids identified in the Apollo soil extracts include glycine, D- and L-alanine, D- and L-aspartic acid, D- and L-glutamic acid, D- and L-serine, L-threonine, and L-valine, all of which had previously been detected in lunar samples, as well as several compounds not previously identified in lunar regoliths: -aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), D-and L-amino-n-butyric acid (-ABA), DL-amino-n-butyric acid, -amino-n-butyric acid, -alanine, and -amino-n-caproic acid. We observed an excess of the L enantiomer in most of the detected proteinogenic amino acids, but racemic alanine and racemic -ABA were present in some samples.

  9. Modulation of procaspase-7 self-activation by PEST amino acid residues of the N-terminal prodomain and intersubunit linker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Juliano; Garay-Malpartida, Miguel; Occhiucci, João M; Belizário, José E

    2017-12-01

    Procaspase-7 zymogen polypeptide is composed of a short prodomain, a large subunit (p20), and a small subunit (p10) connected to an intersubunit linker. Caspase-7 is activated by an initiator caspase-8 and -9, or by autocatalysis after specific cleavage at IQAD 198 ↓S located at the intersubunit linker. Previously, we identified that PEST regions made of amino acid residues Pro (P), Glu (E), Asp (D), Ser (S), Thr (T), Asn (N), and Gln (Q) are conserved flanking amino acid residues in the cleavage sites within a prodomain and intersubunit linker of all caspase family members. Here we tested the impact of alanine substitution of PEST amino acid residues on procaspase-7 proteolytic self-activation directly in Escherichia coli. The p20 and p10 subunit cleavage were significantly delayed in double caspase-7 mutants in the prodomain (N18A/P26A) and intersubunit linker (S199A/P201A), compared with the wild-type caspase-7. The S199A/P201A mutants effectively inhibited the p10 small subunit cleavage. However, the mutations did not change the kinetic parameters (k cat /K M ) and optimal tetrapeptide specificity (DEVD) of the purified mutant enzymes. The results suggest a role of PEST-amino acid residues in the molecular mechanism for prodomain and intersubunit cleavage and caspase-7 self-activation.

  10. Cloning of a cDNA encoding the human cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate-specific receptor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pohlmann, R.; Nagel, G.; Schmidt, B.

    1987-01-01

    Complementary DNA clones for the human cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate-specific receptor have been isolated from a human placenta library in λgt11. The nucleotide sequence of the 2463-base-pair cDNA insert includes a 145-base-pair 5' untranslated region, an open reading frame of 831 base pairs corresponding to 277 amino acids, and a 1487-base-pair 3' untranslated region. The deduced amino acid sequence is colinear with that determined by amino acid sequencing of the N-terminus peptide (41 residues) and nine tryptic peptides (93 additional residues). The receptor is synthesized as a precursor with a signal peptide of 20 amino acids. The hydrophobicity profile of the receptor indicates a single membrane-spanning domain, which separates an N-terminal region containing five potential N-glycosylation sites from a C-terminal region lacking N-glycosylation sites. Thus the N-terminal (M/sub r/ = 18,299) and C-terminal (M/sub r/ ≤ 7648) segments of the mature receptor are assumed to be exposed to the extracytosolic and cytosolic sides of the membrane, respectively. Analysis of a panel of somatic cell (mouse-human) hybrids shows that the gene for the receptor is located on human chromosome 12

  11. UTILIZATION OF AMINO ACIDS OF BROKEN RICE IN GROWING PIGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matej Brestenský

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The six cannulated gilts (initial body weight 35.8 ± 0.5 kg fitted with a T-cannula in terminal ileum, were used to determine the apparent (AID and standardized (SID ileal digestibility of nitrogen (N and amino acids (AA in broken rice. Animals were fed twice daily in a two equal doses at a daily rate of 80 g.kg - 0.75. Water was offered ad libitum. The tested feed was the sole source of protein in the diet. The N-free diet was used to determine the ileal endogenous flow of AA and N. Chromium oxide (Cr2O3 was added to the diets as an indigestible marker in an amount of 0.3 % per kg of diet. After a 14 d postoperative period a 6 d adaptation period followed during which the animals were fed with an experimental diet. On d 7 ileal digesta was collected continuously for 24 h. The AID and SID of AA and N were calculated using analytically determined values of N, Cr2O3 and AA. The SID of AA was in a range from 81.6 % (tyrosine to 112.6 % (proline (P 0.05, respectively. There were no differences between standardized ileal digestibility of essential amino acids (94.3 % and nonessential amino acids (95.3 %. Regarding the ileal digestibility of AA, broken rice, a by-product from the food industry, is an appropriate source of digestible AA for growing pigs.

  12. Crystalline amino acids and nitrogen emission

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verstegen, M.W.A.; Jongbloed, A.W.

    2003-01-01

    Reductions in dietary protein level and supplementation with certain crystalline amino acids is a well-established method of formulating diets to achieve a more ideal amino acid pattern and to reduce nitrogen excretion. Up to 35% reduction in nitrogen excretion may be achieved by supplementing pig

  13. 21 CFR 172.320 - Amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Special Dietary and Nutritional Additives § 172.320 Amino acids. The food additive amino acids may be safely used...

  14. Effects of squat exercise and branched-chain amino acid supplementation on plasma free amino acid concentrations in young women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimomura, Yoshiharu; Kobayashi, Hisamine; Mawatari, Kazunori; Akita, Keiichi; Inaguma, Asami; Watanabe, Satoko; Bajotto, Gustavo; Sato, Juichi

    2009-06-01

    The present study was conducted to examine alterations in plasma free amino acid concentrations induced by squat exercise and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation in young, untrained female subjects. In the morning on the exercise session day, participants ingested drinks containing either BCAA (isoleucine:leucine:valine=1:2.3:1.2) or dextrin (placebo) at 0.1 g/kg body weight 15 min before a squat exercise session, which consisted of 7 sets of 20 squats, with 3 min intervals between sets. In the placebo trial, plasma BCAA concentrations were decreased subsequent to exercise, whereas they were significantly increased in the BCAA trial until 2 h after exercise. Marked changes in other free amino acids in response to squat exercise and BCAA supplementation were observed. In particular, plasma concentrations of methionine and aromatic amino acids were temporarily decreased in the BCAA trial, being significantly lower than those in the placebo trial. These results suggest that BCAA intake before exercise affects methionine and aromatic amino acid metabolism.

  15. Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widdows, Kate L.; Panitchob, Nuttanont; Crocker, Ian P.; Please, Colin P.; Hanson, Mark A.; Sibley, Colin P.; Johnstone, Edward D.; Sengers, Bram G.; Lewis, Rohan M.; Glazier, Jocelyn D.

    2015-01-01

    Uptake of system L amino acid substrates into isolated placental plasma membrane vesicles in the absence of opposing side amino acid (zero-trans uptake) is incompatible with the concept of obligatory exchange, where influx of amino acid is coupled to efflux. We therefore hypothesized that system L amino acid exchange transporters are not fully obligatory and/or that amino acids are initially present inside the vesicles. To address this, we combined computational modeling with vesicle transport assays and transporter localization studies to investigate the mechanisms mediating [14C]l-serine (a system L substrate) transport into human placental microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) vesicles. The carrier model provided a quantitative framework to test the 2 hypotheses that l-serine transport occurs by either obligate exchange or nonobligate exchange coupled with facilitated transport (mixed transport model). The computational model could only account for experimental [14C]l-serine uptake data when the transporter was not exclusively in exchange mode, best described by the mixed transport model. MVM vesicle isolates contained endogenous amino acids allowing for potential contribution to zero-trans uptake. Both L-type amino acid transporter (LAT)1 and LAT2 subtypes of system L were distributed to MVM, with l-serine transport attributed to LAT2. These findings suggest that exchange transporters do not function exclusively as obligate exchangers.—Widdows, K. L., Panitchob, N., Crocker, I. P., Please, C. P., Hanson, M. A., Sibley, C. P., Johnstone, E. D., Sengers, B. G., Lewis, R. M., Glazier, J. D. Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms. PMID:25761365

  16. Cloning and characterization of an aromatic amino acid and leucine permease of Penicillium chrysogenum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trip, Hein; Evers, Melchior E.; Konings, Wil N.; Driessen, Arnold J.M.

    2002-01-01

    The gene encoding the amino acid permease ArlP (Aromatic and leucine Permease) was isolated from the filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum after PCR using degenerated oligonucleotides based on conserved regions of fungal amino acid permeases. The cDNA clone was used for expression of the

  17. Cloning and characterization of cDNAs encoding the complete sequence of decay-accelerating factor of human complement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medof, M.E.; Lublin, D.M.; Holers, V.M.; Ayers, D.J.; Getty, R.R.; Leykam, J.F.; Atkinson, J.P.; Tykocinski, M.L.

    1987-01-01

    cDNAs encoding the complement decay-accelerating factor (DAF) were isolated from HeLa and differentiated HL-60 λgt cDNA libraries by screening with a codon preference oligonucleotide corresponding to DAF NH 2 -terminal amino acids 3-14. The composite cDNA sequence showed a 347-amino acid protein preceded by an NH 2 -terminal leader peptide sequence. The translated sequence beginning at the DAF NH 2 terminus encodes four contiguous ≅ 61-amino acid long repetitive units of internal homology. The repetitive regions contain four conserved cysteines, one proline, one glycine, one glycine/alanine, four leucines/isoleucines/valines, one serine, three tyrosines/phenylalanines, and on tryptophan and show striking homology to similar regions previously identified in factor B, C2, C4 binding protein, factor H, C1r, factor XIII, interleukin 2 receptor, and serum β 2 -glycoprotein I. The consensus repeats are attached to a 70-amino acid long segment rich in serine and threonine (potential O-glycosylation sites), which is in turn followed by a stretch of hydrophobic amino acids. RNA blot analysis of HeLa and HL-60 RNA revealed three DAF mRNA species of 3.1, 2.7, and 2.0 kilobases. The results indicate that portions of the DAF gene may have evolved from a DNA element common to the above proteins, that DAF cDNA predicts a COOH-terminal anchoring polypeptide, and that distinct species of DAF message are elaborated in cells

  18. Synthesis and conformational analysis of linear homo- and heterooligomers from novel 2-C-branched sugar amino acids (SAAs).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Guang-Zong; Hu, Jing; Zhang, Heng-Xi; Rademacher, Christoph; Zou, Xiao-Peng; Zheng, Hong-Ning; Xu, Fei; Wang, Xiao-Li; Linker, Torsten; Yin, Jian

    2018-04-26

    Sugar amino acids (SAAs), as biologically interesting structures bearing both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups represent an important class of multifunctional building blocks. In this study, we develop an easy access to novel SAAs in only three steps starting from nitro compounds in high yields in analytically pure form, easily available by ceric (IV) mediated radical additions. Such novel SAAs have been applied in the assembly of total nine carbopeptoids with the form of linear homo- and heterooligomers for the structural investigations employing circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, which suggest that the carbopeptoids emerge a well-extended, left (or right)-handed conformation similar to polyproline II (PPII) helices. NMR studies also clearly demonstrated the presence of ordered secondary structural elements. 2D-ROESY spectra were acquired to identify i+1 NH ↔  i C 1 H, i C 2 H correlations which support the conformational analysis of tetramers by CD spectroscopy. These findings provide interesting information of SAAs and their oligomers as potential scaffolds for discovering new drugs and materials.

  19. A 13C{31P} REDOR NMR Investigation of the Role of Glutamic Acid Residues in Statherin-Hydroxyapatite Recognition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndao, Moise; Ash, Jason T.; Breen, Nicholas F.; Goobes, Gil; Stayton, Patrick S.; Drobny, Gary P.

    2011-01-01

    The side chain carboxyl groups of acidic proteins found in the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) of mineralized tissues play a key role in promoting or inhibiting the growth of minerals such as hydroxyapatite (HAP), the principal mineral component of bone and teeth. Among the acidic proteins found in the saliva is statherin, a 43-residue tyrosine-rich peptide that is a potent lubricant in the salivary pellicle and an inhibitor of both HAP crystal nucleation and growth. Three acidic amino acids – D1, E4, and E5 – are located in the N-terminal 15 amino acid segment, with a fourth amino acid, E26, located outside the N-terminus. We have utilized 13C{31P} REDOR NMR to analyze the role played by acidic amino acids in the binding mechanism of statherin to the HAP surface by measuring the distance between the δ-carboxyl 13C spins of the three glutamic acid side chains of statherin (residues E4, E5, E26) and 31P spins of the phosphate groups at the HAP surface. 13C{31P} REDOR studies of glutamic-5-13C acid incorporated at positions E4 and E26 indicate a 13C–31P distance of more than 6.5 Å between the side chain carboxyl 13C spin of E4 and the closest 31P in the HAP surface. In contrast, the carboxyl 13C spin at E5 has a much shorter 13C–31P internuclear distance of 4.25±0.09 Å, indicating that the carboxyl group of this side chain interacts directly with the surface. 13C T1ρ and slow-spinning MAS studies indicate that the motions of the side chains of E4 and E5 are more restricted than that of E26. Together, these results provide further insight into the molecular interactions of statherin with HAP surfaces. PMID:19678690

  20. The isolation, purification and amino-acid sequence of insulin from the teleost fish Cottus scorpius (daddy sculpin).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cutfield, J F; Cutfield, S M; Carne, A; Emdin, S O; Falkmer, S

    1986-07-01

    Insulin from the principal islets of the teleost fish, Cottus scorpius (daddy sculpin), has been isolated and sequenced. Purification involved acid/alcohol extraction, gel filtration, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to yield nearly 1 mg pure insulin/g wet weight islet tissue. Biological potency was estimated as 40% compared to porcine insulin. The sculpin insulin crystallised in the absence of zinc ions although zinc is known to be present in the islets in significant amounts. Two other hormones, glucagon and pancreatic polypeptide, were copurified with the insulin, and an N-terminal sequence for pancreatic polypeptide was determined. The primary structure of sculpin insulin shows a number of sequence changes unique so far amongst teleost fish. These changes occur at A14 (Arg), A15 (Val), and B2 (Asp). The B chain contains 29 amino acids and there is no N-terminal extension as seen with several other fish. Presumably as a result of the amino acid substitutions, sculpin insulin does not readily form crystals containing zinc-insulin hexamers, despite the presence of the coordinating B10 His.

  1. Absorption of proteins and amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeejeebhoy, K.N.

    1976-01-01

    Although the absorption of proteins and amino acids is an important issue in nutrition, its measurement is not common because of the methodological difficulties. Complications are attributable in particular to the magnitude of endogenous protein secretion and to the diversity of absorption mechanisms for amino acids either as individual units or as peptides. Methods for studying absorption include balance techniques, tolerance tests, tracer techniques using proteins or amino acids labelled with 131 I, 3 H, or 15 N, intestinal perfusion studies, and others; they must be selected according to the nature of the information sought. Improvements over the current methods would be useful. (author)

  2. The Role of Microbial Amino Acid Metabolism in Host Metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evelien P. J. G. Neis

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Disruptions in gut microbiota composition and function are increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The functional output of the gut microbiota, including short-chain fatty acids and amino acids, are thought to be important modulators underlying the development of these disorders. Gut bacteria can alter the bioavailability of amino acids by utilization of several amino acids originating from both alimentary and endogenous proteins. In turn, gut bacteria also provide amino acids to the host. This could have significant implications in the context of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, conditions associated with elevated systemic concentrations of certain amino acids, in particular the aromatic and branched-chain amino acids. Moreover, several amino acids released by gut bacteria can serve as precursors for the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids, which also play a role in the development of obesity. In this review, we aim to compile the available evidence on the contribution of microbial amino acids to host amino acid homeostasis, and to assess the role of the gut microbiota as a determinant of amino acid and short-chain fatty acid perturbations in human obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

  3. Stability of antibiotics and amino acids in two synthetic L-amino acid solutions commonly used for total parenteral nutrition in children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Colding, H; Andersen, G E

    1978-01-01

    The stability and interaction at 29 degrees C of ampicillin, carbenicillin, gentamicin, and polymyxin B were examined in a common electrolyte solution, invertose darrow, and in two synthetic l-amino acid solutions, one commercial (vamin with fructose; Vitrum) and the other a neonatal preparation ...

  4. Quantification of transformation rates of soil amino sugars and amino acids by a novel isotope pool dilution approach via liquid chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (LC/HRMS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yuntao; Zheng, Qing; Noll, Lisa; Zhang, Shasha; Wanek, Wolfgang

    2017-04-01

    Organic nitrogen transformation processes are the key driver of soil nitrogen availability, strongly affecting the nitrogen turnover and carbon cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. Low molecular weight organic nitrogen compounds (e.g. amino acids and amino sugars) that can be directly utilized by plants or microorganisms are released by the extracellular cleavage of high molecular weight organic nitrogen compounds (e.g. proteins, peptidoglycan, and chitin) by hydrolytic enzymes. This decomposition process is believed to be the rate-limiting step in the soil N cycle. Direct measurements of the in situ transformation rates of these small N compounds is highly challenging but can be realized by applying the isotope pool dilution (IPD) technique, in which the target compound pool is labeled with isotopic tracers and subsequently the dilution of the tracers is measured. We have recently pioneered the development of IPD assays to investigate the in situ flux of proteinaceous amino acids and glucose due to decomposition of organic matter and microbial utilization, but the roles of fluxes of amino sugars and amino acid enantiomers in soil nitrogen transformation processes are still unknown due to the lack of feasible extraction, purification, separation and detection methods. Here we developed a 15N IPD assay by utilizing a novel LC/HRMS (Orbitrap) platform, with the aim to measure transformation rates of amino sugars and amino acid enantiomers. After the tracer experiments soil extracts were purified by solid phase extraction prior to the analysis by MS. The utilization of Orbitrap-HRMS allowed us to resolve the mass signals of unlabeled analytes, and their 15N labeled (tracers) and 13C labeled (internal standards) analogues. The commercially unavailable 15N and 13C labeled amino sugars and amino acid enantiomers were produced from bacterial cell walls after batch culture in labeled growth media. This workflow was validated with soils from two sampling sites, allowing us to

  5. New Functions and Potential Applications of Amino Acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uneyama, Hisayuki; Kobayashi, Hisamine; Tonouchi, Naoto

    Currently, several types of amino acids are being produced and used worldwide. Nevertheless, several new functions of amino acids have been recently discovered that could result in other applications. For example, oral stimulation by glutamate triggers the cephalic phase response to prepare for food digestion. Further, the stomach and intestines have specific glutamate-recognizing systems in their epithelial mucosa. Regarding clinical applications, addition of monosodium glutamate to the medicinal diet has been shown to markedly enhance gastric secretion in a vagus-dependent manner. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are the major components of muscles, and ingestion of BCAAs has been found to be effective for decreasing muscle pain. BCAAs are expected to be a solution for the serious issue of aging. Further, ingestion of specific amino acids could be beneficial. Glycine can be ingested for good night's sleep: glycine ingestion before bedtime significantly improved subjective sleep quality. Ingestion of alanine and glutamine effectively accelerates alcohol metabolism, and ingestion of cystine and theanine effectively prevents colds. Finally, amino acids could be used in a novel clinical diagnostic method: the balance of amino acids in the blood could be an indicator of the risk of diseases such as cancer. These newly discovered functions of amino acids are expected to contribute to the resolution of various issues.

  6. Wet, Carbonaceous Asteroids: Altering Minerals, Changing Amino Acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, G. J.

    2011-04-01

    Many carbonaceous chondrites contain alteration products from water-rock interactions at low temperature and organic compounds. A fascinating fact known for decades is the presence in some of them of an assortment of organic compounds, including amino acids, sometimes called the building blocks of life. Murchison and other CM carbonaceous chondrites contain hundreds of amino acids. Early measurements indicated that the amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites had equal proportions of L- and D-structures, a situation called racemic. This was in sharp contrast to life on Earth, which heavily favors L- forms. However, beginning in 1997, John Cronin and Sandra Pizzarello (Arizona State University) found L- excesses in isovaline and several other amino acids in the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite. In 2009, Daniel Glavin and Jason Dworkin (Astrobiology Analytical Lab, Goddard Space Flight Center) reported the first independent confirmation of L-isovaline excesses in Murchison using a different analytical technique than employed by Cronin and Pizzarello. Inspired by this work, Daniel Glavin, Michael Callahan, Jason Dworkin, and Jamie Elsila (Astrobiology Analytical Lab, Goddard Space Flight Center), have done an extensive study of the abundance and symmetry of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites that experienced a range of alteration by water in their parent asteroids. The results show that amino acids are more abundant in the less altered meteorites, implying that aqueous processing changes the mix of amino acids. They also confirmed the enrichment in L-structures of some amino acids, especially isovaline, confirming earlier work. The authors suggest that aqueously-altered planetesimals might have seeded the early Earth with nonracemic amino acids, perhaps explaining why life from microorganisms to people use only L- forms to make proteins. The initial imbalance caused by non-biologic processes in wet asteroids might have been amplified by life on Earth. Alternatively

  7. Amino acid catabolism and generation of volatiles by lactic acid bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tavaria, F K; Dahl, S; Carballo, F J; Malcata, F X

    2002-10-01

    Twelve isolates of lactic acid bacteria, belonging to the Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Enterococcus genera, were previously isolated from 180-d-old Serra da Estrela cheese, a traditional Portuguese cheese manufactured from raw milk and coagulated with a plant rennet. These isolates were subsequently tested for their ability to catabolize free amino acids, when incubated independently with each amino acid in free form or with a mixture thereof. Attempts were made in both situations to correlate the rates of free amino acid uptake with the numbers of viable cells. When incubated individually, leucine, valine, glycine, aspartic acid, serine, threonine, lysine, glutamic acid, and alanine were degraded by all strains considered; arginine tended to build up, probably because of transamination of other amino acids. When incubated together, the degradation of free amino acids by each strain was dependent on pH (with an optimum pH around 6.0). The volatiles detected in ripened Serra da Estrela cheese originated mainly from leucine, phenylalanine, alanine, and valine, whereas in vitro they originated mainly from valine, phenylalanine, serine, leucine, alanine, and threonine. The wild strains tested offer a great potential for flavor generation, which might justify their inclusion in a tentative starter/nonstarter culture for that and similar cheeses.

  8. Extraordinarily Adaptive Properties of the Genetically Encoded Amino Acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilardo, Melissa; Meringer, Markus; Freeland, Stephen; Rasulev, Bakhtiyor; Cleaves II, H. James

    2015-01-01

    Using novel advances in computational chemistry, we demonstrate that the set of 20 genetically encoded amino acids, used nearly universally to construct all coded terrestrial proteins, has been highly influenced by natural selection. We defined an adaptive set of amino acids as one whose members thoroughly cover relevant physico-chemical properties, or “chemistry space.” Using this metric, we compared the encoded amino acid alphabet to random sets of amino acids. These random sets were drawn from a computationally generated compound library containing 1913 alternative amino acids that lie within the molecular weight range of the encoded amino acids. Sets that cover chemistry space better than the genetically encoded alphabet are extremely rare and energetically costly. Further analysis of more adaptive sets reveals common features and anomalies, and we explore their implications for synthetic biology. We present these computations as evidence that the set of 20 amino acids found within the standard genetic code is the result of considerable natural selection. The amino acids used for constructing coded proteins may represent a largely global optimum, such that any aqueous biochemistry would use a very similar set. PMID:25802223

  9. Extraordinarily adaptive properties of the genetically encoded amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilardo, Melissa; Meringer, Markus; Freeland, Stephen; Rasulev, Bakhtiyor; Cleaves, H James

    2015-03-24

    Using novel advances in computational chemistry, we demonstrate that the set of 20 genetically encoded amino acids, used nearly universally to construct all coded terrestrial proteins, has been highly influenced by natural selection. We defined an adaptive set of amino acids as one whose members thoroughly cover relevant physico-chemical properties, or "chemistry space." Using this metric, we compared the encoded amino acid alphabet to random sets of amino acids. These random sets were drawn from a computationally generated compound library containing 1913 alternative amino acids that lie within the molecular weight range of the encoded amino acids. Sets that cover chemistry space better than the genetically encoded alphabet are extremely rare and energetically costly. Further analysis of more adaptive sets reveals common features and anomalies, and we explore their implications for synthetic biology. We present these computations as evidence that the set of 20 amino acids found within the standard genetic code is the result of considerable natural selection. The amino acids used for constructing coded proteins may represent a largely global optimum, such that any aqueous biochemistry would use a very similar set.

  10. Use of green fluorescent protein fusions to analyse the N- and C-terminal signal peptides of GPI-anchored cell wall proteins in Candida albicans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Yuxin; Zhang, Zimei; Wong, Brian

    2003-12-01

    Glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins account for 26-35% of the Candida albicans cell wall. To understand the signals that regulate these proteins' cell surface localization, green fluorescent protein (GFP) was fused to the N- and C-termini of the C. albicans cell wall proteins (CWPs) Hwp1p, Als3p and Rbt5p. C. albicans expressing all three fusion proteins were fluorescent at the cell surface. GFP was released from membrane fractions by PI-PLC and from cell walls by beta-glucanase, which implied that GFP was GPI-anchored to the plasma membrane and then covalently attached to cell wall glucans. Twenty and 25 amino acids, respectively, from the N- and C-termini of Hwp1p were sufficient to target GFP to the cell surface. C-terminal substitutions that are permitted by the omega rules (G613D, G613N, G613S, G613A, G615S) did not interfere with GFP localization, whereas some non-permitted substitutions (G613E, G613Q, G613R, G613T and G615Q) caused GFP to accumulate in intracellular ER-like structures and others (G615C, G613N/G615C and G613D/G615C) did not. These results imply that (i) GFP fusions can be used to analyse the N- and C-terminal signal peptides of GPI-anchored CWPs, (ii) the omega amino acid in Hwp1p is G613, and (iii) C can function at the omega+2 position in C. albicans GPI-anchored proteins.

  11. Composition of amino acid using carbon monoxide. Amide carbonylation reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Izawa, Kunisuke (Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Tokyo (Japan))

    1989-02-01

    Amide carbonylation reaction is a method to compose N-acyl-{alpha}-amino acid from aldehyde, carboxylic acid amide, and carbon monoxide in a phase and with high yield. Unlike the conventional Strecker reaction, this method does not use HCN which is in question on public pollution and does not require hydrolysis. This amide carbonylation reaction was discovered by Wakamatsu and others of Ajinomoto Co.,Ltd. Present application examples of this method are the composition of N-acetyl amino acid from the aldehyde class, the composition of N-Acyl amino acid from olefin, the composition of N-acyl or acetyl amino acid from the raw material of alcohol and the halide class, the composition of N-acyl or acetyl amino acid via the isomerization of epoxide and allyl alcohol, the composition of amino dicarboxylic acid, applying deoxidation of ring acid anhydride, the composition of N-acyl amino acid from the raw material of the amine class, the stereoselective composition of -substitution ring-{alpha}-amino acid, and the composition of amino aldehyde. 24 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

  12. Metabolism-oriented amino acid requirement determination by means of the catabolic rates of 14C- and 15N-labelled lysine under maintenance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, O.; Bergner, H.; Adam, K.

    1977-01-01

    Male Wistar rats (of 60 g live weight) allotted in 10 groups were fed diets with gradually increasing lysine levels ranging from 1.4 to 7.4 g lysine/16 g N. Feed intake was restricted so much that the experimental animals did not change their live weights during the last 3 days of the 8-day experimental period. On the 7the experimental day, 4 animals of each group were injected, i. p. 14 C-L-lysine, the 14 CO 2 -excretion being subsequently measured over a period of 2 hours. On the next day, 6 animals of each group were applied an i. p. injection of 15 N-L-lysine, the urine being collected over the following 24-hour period to measure the 15 N-frequency. Applying both labelling methods, an increased catabolisation of the amino acid was observed after the metabolically necessary lysine requirement had been covered. The methods are very sensitive and revealed, under the experimental conditions chosen, a lysine requirement coverage of about 3 g lysine/16 g N. The possibility of using also 15 N-labelled compounds in the metabolism-oriented amino acid requirement determination is likely to facilitate the transfer of the methodology to farm animals would thus allow to study the amino acid requirement of man. The metabolism-oriented amino acid requirement determination will likewise allow to estimate exact amino acid requirement data under conditions that cannot be rated on the basis of productive yields. (author)

  13. The C-terminal sequence of IFITM1 regulates its anti-HIV-1 activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui Jia

    Full Text Available The interferon-inducible transmembrane (IFITM proteins inhibit a wide range of viruses. We previously reported the inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 strain BH10 by human IFITM1, 2 and 3. It is unknown whether other HIV-1 strains are similarly inhibited by IFITMs and whether there exists viral countermeasure to overcome IFITM inhibition. We report here that the HIV-1 NL4-3 strain (HIV-1NL4-3 is not restricted by IFITM1 and its viral envelope glycoprotein is partly responsible for this insensitivity. However, HIV-1NL4-3 is profoundly inhibited by an IFITM1 mutant, known as Δ(117-125, which is deleted of 9 amino acids at the C-terminus. In contrast to the wild type IFITM1, which does not affect HIV-1 entry, the Δ(117-125 mutant diminishes HIV-1NL4-3 entry by 3-fold. This inhibition correlates with the predominant localization of Δ(117-125 to the plasma membrane where HIV-1 entry occurs. In spite of strong conservation of IFITM1 among most species, mouse IFITM1 is 19 amino acids shorter at its C-terminus as compared to human IFITM1 and, like the human IFITM1 mutant Δ(117-125, mouse IFITM1 also inhibits HIV-1 entry. This is the first report illustrating the role of viral envelope protein in overcoming IFITM1 restriction. The results also demonstrate the importance of the C-terminal region of IFITM1 in modulating the antiviral function through controlling protein subcellular localization.

  14. Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in Ureilites Including Almahata Sitta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, A. S.; Glavin, D. P.; Callahan, M. P.; Dworkin, J. P.

    2011-01-01

    Ureilites are a class of meteorites that lack chondrules (achondrites) but have relatively high carbon abundances, averaging approx.3 wt %. Using highly sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with UV fluorescence and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-FD/ToF-MS), it was recently determined that there are amino acids in. fragment 94 of the Almahata Sitta ureilite[l]. Based on the presence of amino acids that are rare in the Earth's biosphere, as well as the near-racemic enantiomeric ratios of marry of the more common amino acids, it was concluded that most of the detected amino acids were indigenous to the meteorite. Although the composition of the Almahata Sitta ureilite appears to be unlike other recovered ureilites, the discovery of amino acids in this meteorite raises the question of whether other ureilites rnav also contain amino acids. Herein we present the results of LC-FDlTo.F-MS analyses of: a sand sample from the Almahata Sitta strewn held, Almahata Sitta fragments 425 (an ordinary H5 chondrite) and 427 (ureilite), as well as an Antarctic ureilite (Allan lulls, ALHA 77257).

  15. Highly acidic C-terminal domain of pp32 is required for the interaction with histone chaperone, TAF-Ibeta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, In-Seon; Oh, Sang-Min; Kim, Sung-Mi; Lee, Dong-Seok; Seo, Sang-Beom

    2006-12-01

    We have previously reported that INHAT (inhibitor of acetyltransferases) complex subunits, TAF (template activating factor)-Ialpha, TAF-Ibeta and pp32 can inhibit histone acetylation and HAT (histone acetyltransferase)-dependent transcription by binding to histones. Evidences are accumulating that INHAT complex subunits have important regulatory roles in various cellular activities such as replication, transcription, and apoptosis etc. However, how these subunits interact each other remains largely unknown. Using immunoprecipitation (IP) and protein-protein interaction assays with TAF-Ibeta and pp32 deletion mutant proteins, we identify INHAT complex subunits, TAF-Ibeta and pp32 interaction requires highly acidic C-terminal domain of pp32. We also show that the interaction between the INHAT complex subunits is stronger in the presence of histones. In this study, we report that the synergistic inhibition of HAT-mediated transcription by TAF-Ibeta and pp32 is dependent on the highly acidic C-terminal domain of pp32.

  16. Breed and species comparison of amino acid transport variation in equine erythrocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fincham, D A; Young, J D; Mason, D K; Collins, E A; Snow, D H

    1985-05-01

    The amino acid permeability of red blood cells from Equus caballus (thoroughbred, Arab, shire and pony), E przewalskii (Przewalski's horse), E asinus (donkey and mule) and E burchelli (common or plains zebra) was measured. Individual animals exhibited stable but widely differing rates of L-[U-14C]alanine uptake in the range 5 to 1554 mumol (litre cells)-1 h-1 (0.2 mM extracellular L-alanine, 37 degrees C). Of the thoroughbreds tested, 30 per cent had red blood cells which were essentially impermeable to L-alanine (5 to 10 mumol (litre cells)-1 h-1, giving transport rates similar to those found previously in amino acid transport-deficient sheep erythrocytes. In contrast, only 3 per cent of the ponies tested had red blood cells impermeable to L-alanine. No cases of erythrocyte amino acid transport deficiency were found in the other horse breeds and species tested.

  17. Preparation of carbon-11 labelled phenylalanine and phenylglycine by a new amino acid synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vaalburg, W; Beerling-van der Molen, H D; Reiffers, S; Rijskamp, A; Woldring, M G; Wynberg, H [Academic Hospital, Groningen (Netherlands). Central Isotope Lab.

    1976-03-01

    Of the cyclotron-produced short-lived isotopes carbon-11 (tsub(1/2) = 20.4 min;..beta../sup +/) is one of the most promising as label for radiopharmaceuticals. To prepare /sup 11/C-labelled amino acids for evaluation as pancreas scanning agents a new rapid amino acid synthesis was developed. The method is based on the carboxylation of ..cap alpha..-lithioisocyanides with /sup 11/CO/sub 2/, followed by hydrolysis of the intermediate reaction product to the desired amino acid. By this method DL-..cap alpha..-phenylalanine-1-/sup 11/C and DL-..cap alpha..-phenylglycine-1-/sup 11/C were prepared. The precursor /sup 11/CO/sub 2/ was produced via the /sup 14/N(p,..cap alpha..)/sup 11/C reaction by bombardment of a flow of nitrogen gas mixed with 0.1% 0/sub 2/ with 20 MeV protons. The target system is described.

  18. Methodological investigation on the use of 14C-leucine and 15N-leucine for studying the absorption of amino acids in the experimental rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergner, H.; Bergner, U.; Adam, K.

    1980-01-01

    After nine days of adaptation to a whole-egg diet, albino rats were given 14 C-U-L-leucine and 15 N-L-leucine in addition by the oral route. Each rat received the labelled leucine via a pellet made from the whole-egg diet after food deprivation for 15 h. Thereafter, the experimental animals consumed the unlabelled experimental diet ad libitum. Four times, 30 min, and 1, 2, 4 and 8 h after ingestion of the labelled food, four experimental rats were sacrificed. The contents of the digestive tract and tissue samples were examined for 14 C and 15 N. The halftime of disappearance of the 14 C activity and of the 15 N excess from the TCA-soluble fraction of the gastric contents lay between 1.9 and 2.2 h. Up to the fourth hour of experiment, the 15 N level of the TCA-soluble fraction of the gastric contents was high. The free leucine is obviously absorbed in the stomach and is used for the synthesis of enzyme protein and mucoproteides. In the TCA-soluble fraction of the total contents of the small intestine, the following values (expressed as percentages of the total amounts ingested at the times of measurement) were found: 14 C = 2.0; 6.5; 9.6; 7.4 and 1.5; 15 N excess = 0.8; 1.2; 1.6; 1.6 and 1.2 Were these values regarded as non-absorbed leucine, the 14 C values obtained during the one-to-four hour period of experiment would unequivocally be too high. Presumably, they are simulated by other 14 C-metabolites which originate from the leucine catabolism and reach the intestinal lumen through the intestinal wall. Amino acids labelled with 15 N should be preferred in studies on the absorption of amino acids because, in case of catabolization, the 15 N-amino group is excreted mainly in the form of urea. 14 C-amino acids can be recommended for such studies only if the specific 14 C activity of the amino acid used is also measured. (author)

  19. On the terminal homologation of physiologically active peptides as a means of increasing stability in human serum--neurotensin, opiorphin, B27-KK10 epitope, NPY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seebach, Dieter; Lukaszuk, Aneta; Patora-Komisarska, Krystyna; Podwysocka, Dominika; Gardiner, James; Ebert, Marc-Olivier; Reubi, Jean Claude; Cescato, Renzo; Waser, Beatrice; Gmeiner, Peter; Hübner, Harald; Rougeot, Catherine

    2011-05-01

    The terminal homologation by CH(2) insertion into the peptides mentioned in the title is described. This involves replacement of the N-terminal amino acid residue by a β(2) - and of the C-terminal amino acid residue by a β(3) -homo-amino acid moiety (β(2) hXaa and β(3) hXaa, resp.; Fig. 1). In this way, the structure of the peptide chain from the N-terminal to the C-terminal stereogenic center is identical, and the modified peptide is protected against cleavage by exopeptidases (Figs. 2 and 3). Neurotensin (NT; 1) and its C-terminal fragment NT(8-13) are ligands of the G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) NT1, NT2, NT3, and NT analogs are promising tools to be used in cancer diagnostics and therapy. The affinities of homologated NT analogs, 2b-2e, for NT1 and NT2 receptors were determined by using cell homogenates and tumor tissues (Table 1); in the latter experiments, the affinities for the NT1 receptor are more or less the same as those of NT (0.5-1.3 vs. 0.6 nM). At the same time, one of the homologated NT analogs, 2c, survives in human plasma for 7 days at 37° (Fig. 6). An NMR analysis of NT(8-13) (Tables 2 and 4, and Fig. 8) reveals that this N-terminal NT fragment folds to a turn in CD(3) OH. - In the case of the human analgesic opiorphin (3a), a pentapeptide, and of the HIV-derived B27-KK10 (4a), a decapeptide, terminal homologation (→3b and 4b, resp.) led to a 7- and 70-fold half-life increase in plasma (Fig. 9). With N-terminally homologated NPY, 5c, we were not able to determine serum stability; the peptide consisting of 36 amino acid residues is subject to cleavage by endopetidases. Three of the homologated compounds, 2b, 2c, and 5c, were shown to be agonists (Fig. 7 and 11). A comparison of terminal homologation with other stability-increasing terminal modifications of peptides is performed (Fig. 5), and possible applications of the neurotensin analogs, described herein, are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Verlag Helvetica Chimica

  20. THE INTERCORRELATION OF THE AMINO ACID QUALITY ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    a

    ABSTRACT. Levels of amino acids were determined in the grains of guinea corn, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ... KEY WORDS: Amino acid quality, Raw, Steeped, Germinated, Guinea corn ..... Health Organization: Geneva; 1999; pp. 101-119.

  1. Amino acid nitrosation products as alkylating agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Santos, M del P; Calle, E; Casado, J

    2001-08-08

    Nitrosation reactions of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-amino acids whose reaction products can act as alkylating agents of DNA were investigated. To approach in vivo conditions for the two-step mechanism (nitrosation and alkylation), nitrosation reactions were carried out in aqueous acid conditions (mimicking the conditions of the stomach lumen) while the alkylating potential of the nitrosation products was investigated at neutral pH, as in the stomach lining cells into which such products can diffuse. These conclusions were drawn: (i) The alkylating species resulting from the nitrosation of amino acids with an -NH(2) group are the corresponding lactones; (ii) the sequence of alkylating power is: alpha-lactones > beta-lactones > gamma-lactones, coming respectively from the nitrosation of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-amino acids; and (iii) the results obtained may be useful in predicting the mutagenic effectiveness of the nitrosation products of amino acids.

  2. Amino acid composition of cottage cheese and whey with bifidobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. S. Rodionova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Breaking condition intestinal flora, the simplest way to create sensitive parts of the body microbiocenosis caused by various factors. Reasons for people microecology imbalances – antibiotics, preservatives, stress. The result is an imbalance – the number of gastrointestinal disorders, immune deficiency disorders metabolic processes in the body. Therapeutic effect of probiotic microorganisms is the result of exogenous and endometabolitov synthesis the character of the protein. Acid activity information probiotic microorganisms and the distribution of amino acids between the products and intermediates in biopotential evaluation process foods produced with probiotic microflora by fermentation. Test results from the amino acid composition of whey and quark are obtained by fermenting raw milk probiotics bifidobacterias. It was found that during the fermentation of the quark consortium, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium bifidum Y enriched curd 4 of leucine and glutamine. Rate of transfer amino acids in serum to 2–6% of essential amino acids is irrelevant 3–7%. The highest value observed transient threonine, isoleucyl, lysine, valine, alanine, glycine, proline, serine. The mean value of the prototype amino acid protein curd and whey protein biological value was 71.89 and 74.58. Preservation of active forms of probiotic microorganisms after heating the bunch to 53–55 °C, lg concentration of not less than 7 (in 1 g in cottage cheese and serum. The received data are actual for formation of an information data bank, necessary for the development of prescription-component solutions of eubiotic products.

  3. Synthesis and in vitro and in vivo activity of analogs of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH) with C-terminal agmatine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarandi, M; Csernus, V; Bokser, L; Bajusz, S; Groot, K; Schally, A V

    1990-12-01

    In the search for more active analogs of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH), 37 new compounds were synthesized by solid phase methodology, purified, and tested biologically. Most of the analogs contained a sequence of 27 amino acids and N-terminal desaminotyrosine (Dat) and C-terminal agmatine (Agm), which are not amino acids. In addition to Dat in position 1 and Agm in position 29, the majority of the analogs had Ala15 and Nle27 substitutions and one or more additional L- or D-amino acid modifications. [Dat1, Ala15, Nle27]GH-RH(1-28)Agm (MZ-2-51) was the most active analog. Its in vitro GH-releasing potency was 10.5 times higher than that of GH-RH(1-29)NH2 and in the i.v. in vivo assay, MZ-2-51 was 4-5 times more active than the standard. After s.c. administration to rats. MZ-2-51 showed an activity 34 times higher at 15 min and 179 times greater at 30 min than GH-RH(1-29)NH2 and also displayed a prolonged activity. D-Tyr10, D-Lys12, and D-Lys21 homologs of MZ-2-51 also showed enhanced activities. Thus, [Dat1, D-Tyr10, Ala15, Nle27]GH-RH(1-28)Agm (MZ-2-159), [Dat1, D-Lys12, Ala15, Nle27]GH-RH(1-28)AGM (MZ-2-57), and [Dat1, Ala15, D-Lys21, Nle27]GH-RH(1-28)Agm (MZ-2-75) were 4-6 times more active in vitro than GH-RH(1-29)NH2. In vivo, after i.v. administration, analog MZ-2-75 was equipotent and analogs MZ-2-159 and MZ-2-57 about twice as potent as the standard.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  4. Temperature effects on protein depolymerization and amino acid immobilization rates in soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noll, Lisa; Hu, Yuntao; Zhang, Shasha; Zheng, Qing; Wanek, Wolfgang

    2017-04-01

    Increasing N deposition, land use change, elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming have altered soil nitrogen (N) cycling during the last decades. Those changes affected ecosystem services, such as C and N sequestration in soils, which calls for a better understanding of soil N transformation processes. The cleavage of macromolecular organic N by extracellular enzymes maintains an ongoing flow of new bioavailable organic N into biotic systems and is considered to be the bottle neck of terrestrial N cycling in litter and soils. Recent studies showed that protein depolymerization is susceptible to changes in C and N availabilities. Based on general biological observations the temperature sensitivity of soil organic N processes is expected to depend on whether they are rather enzyme limited (i.e. Q10=2) or diffusion limited (i.e. Q10= 1.0 - 1.3). However, temperature sensitivities of protein depolymerization and amino acid immobilization are still unknown. We therefore here report short-term temperature effects on organic N transformation rates in soils differing in physicochemical parameters but not in climate. Soil samples were collected from two geologically distinct sites close to the LFZ Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Styria, Austria, each from three different management types (arable land, grassland, forest). Four replicates of mineral soil were taken from every site and management type. The area provides a unique opportunity to study geological and management controls in soils without confounding effects of climate and elevation. The soils differ in several soil chemical parameters, such as soil pH, base saturation, soil C: N ratio and SOM content as well as in soil physical parameters, such as soil texture, bulk density and water holding capacity. Soils were pre-incubated at 5, 15 and 25˚ C for one day. Protein depolymerization rates and amino acid immobilization rates were assessed by an isotope pool dilution assay with 15N labeled amino acids at

  5. Glucose and amino acid metabolism in rat brain during sustained hypoglycemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, K.L.; Tyce, G.M.

    1983-01-01

    The metabolism of glucose in brains during sustained hypoglycemia was studied. [U- 14 C]Glucose (20 microCi) was injected into control rats, and into rats at 2.5 hr after a bolus injection of 2 units of insulin followed by a continuous infusion of 0.2 units/100 g rat/hr. This regimen of insulin injection was found to result in steady-state plasma glucose levels between 2.5 and 3.5 mumol per ml. In the brains of control rats carbon was transferred rapidly from glucose to glutamate, glutamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and aspartate and this carbon was retained in the amino acids for at least 60 min. In the brains of hypoglycemic rats, the conversion of carbon from glucose to amino acids was increased in the first 15 min after injection. After 15 min, the specific activity of the amino acids decreased in insulin-treated rats but not in the controls. The concentrations of alanine, glutamate, and gamma-amino-butyric acid decreased, and the concentration of aspartate increased, in the brains of the hypoglycemic rats. The concentration of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, a cofactor in many of the reactions whereby these amino acids are formed from tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, was less in the insulin-treated rats than in the controls. These data provide evidence that glutamate, glutamine, aspartate, and GABA can serve as energy sources in brain during insulin-induced hypoglycemia

  6. Accumulation, selection and covariation of amino acids in sieve tube sap of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and castor bean (Ricinus communis): evidence for the function of a basic amino acid transporter and the absence of a γ-amino butyric acid transporter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Susanne N; Nowak, Heike; Keller, Frank; Kallarackal, Jose; Hajirezaei, Mohamad-Reza; Komor, Ewald

    2014-09-01

    Sieve tube sap was obtained from Tanacetum by aphid stylectomy and from Ricinus after apical bud decapitation. The amino acids in sieve tube sap were analyzed and compared with those from leaves. Arginine and lysine accumulated in the sieve tube sap of Tanacetum more than 10-fold compared to the leaf extracts and they were, together with asparagine and serine, preferably selected into the sieve tube sap, whereas glycine, methionine/tryptophan and γ-amino butyric acid were partially or completely excluded. The two basic amino acids also showed a close covariation in sieve tube sap. The acidic amino acids also grouped together, but antagonistic to the other amino acids. The accumulation ratios between sieve tube sap and leaf extracts were smaller in Ricinus than in Tanacetum. Arginine, histidine, lysine and glutamine were enriched and preferentially loaded into the phloem, together with isoleucine and valine. In contrast, glycine and methionine/tryptophan were partially and γ-amino butyric acid almost completely excluded from sieve tube sap. The covariation analysis grouped arginine together with several neutral amino acids. The acidic amino acids were loaded under competition with neutral amino acids. It is concluded from comparison with the substrate specificities of already characterized plant amino acid transporters, that an AtCAT1-like transporter functions in phloem loading of basic amino acids, whereas a transporter like AtGAT1 is absent in phloem. Although Tanacetum and Ricinus have different minor vein architecture, their phloem loading specificities for amino acids are relatively similar. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

  7. Development and validation of RP-UHPLC procedure for estimation of 5-amino salicyclic acid in 5-amino salicyclic acid rectal suppositories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balaji, Jayagopal; Shivashankar, Murugesh

    2017-11-01

    The present study describes a simple and robust reverse phase ultra performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC) method for the quantification of 5-amino salicyclic acid in 5-amino salicyclic acid rectal capsules. Successful separation of Mesalamine peak from excipient peaks and diluent were achieved on a Acquity C8 (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) and UV detector at 254 nm, 0.3 mL/min as a flow rate, and 3 μL as an injection volume. For the RP-UPLC method, phosphate buffer and methanol was used as mobile phases at ratio of 83:17 and the column temperature was 25 °C. Percentage recovery obtained in the range of 98.7 - 99.7 % and the method is linear for Mesalamine for specified concentration range with coefficient of variation (r) not less than 0.99. The proposed RP-UPLC method was found to be specific, linear, precise, accurate and robust.

  8. Comparison of amino acid digestibility of feedstuffs determined with the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay and the standardized ileal amino acid digestibility assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, E J; Utterback, P L; Applegate, T J; Parsons, C M

    2011-11-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare amino acid digestibility of several feedstuffs using 2 commonly accepted methods: the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay (PFR) and the standardized ileal amino acid assay (SIAAD). Six corn, 6 corn distillers dried grains with or without solubles (DDGS/DDG), one wet distillers grains, one condensed solubles, 2 meat and bone meal (MBM) and a poultry byproduct meal were evaluated. Due to insufficient amounts, the wet distillers grains and condensed solubles were only evaluated in roosters. Standardized amino acid digestibility varied among the feed ingredients and among samples of the same ingredient for both methods. For corn, there were generally no differences in amino acid digestibility between the 2 methods. When differences did occur, there was no consistent pattern among the individual amino acids and methods. Standardized amino acid digestibility was not different between the 2 methods for 4 of the DDG samples; however, the PFR yielded higher digestibility values for a high protein DDG and a conventionally processed DDGS. The PFR yielded higher amino acid digestibility values than the SIAAD for several amino acids in 1 MBM and the poultry byproduct meal, but it yielded lower digestibility values for the other MBM. Overall, there were no consistent differences between methods for amino acid digestibility values. In conclusion, the PFR and SIAAD methods are acceptable for determining amino acid digestibility. However, these procedures do not always yield similar results for all feedstuffs evaluated. Thus, further studies are needed to understand the underlying causes in this variability.

  9. A new sensitive technique for study of radiation effects in amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thwaites, D.I.; Buchan, G.; Ettinger, K.V.; Mallard, J.R.; Takavar, A.

    1976-01-01

    A new technique for the study of radiation induced free radicals in amino acids based on their reactions when untrapped by dissolution in water is reported. The light emission or lyoluminescence response of various amino acids to gamma radiation ( 60 Co) measured 4 hr after irradiation are shown. The sensitivities vary over three orders of magnitude, but there is little or no correlation between the lyoluminescent response and the structural type of amino acid. Dose-reponse curves indicate that the useful range extends from a few krad to a few hundred krad. Methods of extending the lower limits are discussed. Storage of irradiated material over a period of 4 months at 20 0 C showed changes of the order of 10%. Exposure to daylight has no effect on the light yield of amino acids. It is stated that the lyoluminescence technique is more sensitive than ESR in detecting radiation effects in amino acids. Lyoluminescence of irradiated proteins, RNA and DNA, has been observed. It appears that the new method may be particularly useful in providing information on the nature and magnitude of direct radiation damage in biologically important compounds and find applications in radiation dosimetry. (U.K.)

  10. Serum Neuron-Specific Enolase, Biogenic Amino-Acids and Neurobehavioral Function in Lead-Exposed Workers from Lead-Acid Battery Manufacturing Process

    OpenAIRE

    K Ravibabu; T Barman; HR Rajmohan

    2015-01-01

    Background: The interaction between serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), biogenic amino-acids and neurobehavioral function with blood lead levels in workers exposed to lead form lead-acid battery manufacturing process was not studied. Objective: To evaluate serum NSE and biogenic amino-acids (dopamine and serotonin) levels, and neurobehavioral performance among workers exposed to lead from lead-acid storage battery plant, and its relation with blood lead levels (BLLs). Methods: In a c...

  11. Supernovae, Neutrinos and the Chirality of Amino Acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toshitaka Kajino

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available A mechanism for creating an enantioenrichment in the amino acids, the building blocks of the proteins, that involves global selection of one handedness by interactions between the amino acids and neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae is defined. The chiral selection involves the dependence of the interaction cross sections on the orientations of the spins of the neutrinos and the 14N nuclei in the amino acids, or in precursor molecules, which in turn couple to the molecular chirality. It also requires an asymmetric distribution of neutrinos emitted from the supernova. The subsequent chemical evolution and galactic mixing would ultimately populate the Galaxy with the selected species. The resulting amino acids could either be the source thereof on Earth, or could have triggered the chirality that was ultimately achieved for Earth’s proteinaceous amino acids.

  12. Phospholyl(borane) Amino Acids and Peptides: Stereoselective Synthesis and Fluorescent Properties with Large Stokes Shift.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arribat, Mathieu; Rémond, Emmanuelle; Clément, Sébastien; Lee, Arie Van Der; Cavelier, Florine

    2018-01-24

    The synthesis of phospholyl(borane) amino acids was stereoselectively achieved by reaction of phospholide anion with iodo α-amino ester derived from l-aspartic acid or l-serine, followed by in situ complexation with borane. Phospholyl(borane) amino acids are easy to store and can be subjected to direct transformation into the corresponding free phospholyl, gold complex, oxide or sulfur derivatives as well as phospholinium salts, thus offering a variety of side chains. After selective deprotection of carboxylic function or amine, C- or N- peptide coupling with an alanine moiety proved the possible incorporation into peptides. Such phospholyl amino acid and peptide derivatives exhibit fluorescent properties with a large Stokes shift (160 nm) and fluorescence up to 535 nm, depending on the phosphole aromaticity and the chemical environment. These phospholyl(borane) amino acids constitute a new class of unnatural amino acids useful for structure-activities relationship studies and appear to be promising fluorophores for the development of labeled peptides.

  13. Human baby hair amino acid natural abundance 15N-isotope values are not related to the 15N-isotope values of amino acids in mother's breast milk protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romek, Katarzyna M; Julien, Maxime; Frasquet-Darrieux, Marine; Tea, Illa; Antheaume, Ingrid; Hankard, Régis; Robins, Richard J

    2013-12-01

    Since exclusively breast-suckled infants obtain their nutrient only from their mother's milk, it might be anticipated that a correlation will exist between the (15)N/(14)N isotope ratios of amino acids of protein of young infants and those supplied by their mother. The work presented here aimed to determine whether amino nitrogen transfer from human milk to infant hair protein synthesized within the first month of life conserves the maternal isotopic signature or whether post-ingestion fractionation dominates the nitrogen isotope spectrum. The study was conducted at 1 month post-birth on 100 mother-infant pairs. Isotope ratios (15)N/(14)N and (13)C/(12)C were measured using isotope ratio measurement by Mass Spectrometry (irm-MS) for whole maternal milk, and infant hair and (15)N/(14)N ratios were also measured by GC-irm-MS for the N-pivaloyl-O-isopropyl esters of amino acids obtained from the hydrolysis of milk and hair proteins. The δ(15)N and δ(13)C (‰) were found to be significantly higher in infant hair than in breast milk (δ(15)N, P amino acids in infant hair was also significantly higher than that in maternal milk (P < 0.001). By calculation, the observed shift in isotope ratio was shown not to be accounted for by the amino acid composition of hair and milk proteins, indicating that it is not simply due to differences in the composition in the proteins present. Rather, it would appear that each pool-mother and infant-turns over independently, and that fractionation in infant N-metabolism even in the first month of life dominates over the nutrient N-content.

  14. No evidence for association of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene T2119C and C3161G amino acid substitution variants with risk of breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spurdle, Amanda B; Hopper, John L; Chen, Xiaoqing; McCredie, Margaret RE; Giles, Graham G; Newman, Beth; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Khanna, KumKum

    2002-01-01

    There is evidence that certain mutations in the double-strand break repair pathway ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene act in a dominant-negative manner to increase the risk of breast cancer. There are also some reports to suggest that the amino acid substitution variants T2119C Ser707Pro and C3161G Pro1054Arg may be associated with breast cancer risk. We investigate the breast cancer risk associated with these two nonconservative amino acid substitution variants using a large Australian population-based case–control study. The polymorphisms were genotyped in more than 1300 cases and 600 controls using 5' exonuclease assays. Case–control analyses and genotype distributions were compared by logistic regression. The 2119C variant was rare, occurring at frequencies of 1.4 and 1.3% in cases and controls, respectively (P = 0.8). There was no difference in genotype distribution between cases and controls (P = 0.8), and the TC genotype was not associated with increased risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 1.08, 95% confidence interval = 0.59–1.97, P = 0.8). Similarly, the 3161G variant was no more common in cases than in controls (2.9% versus 2.2%, P = 0.2), there was no difference in genotype distribution between cases and controls (P = 0.1), and the CG genotype was not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 1.30, 95% confidence interval = 0.85–1.98, P = 0.2). This lack of evidence for an association persisted within groups defined by the family history of breast cancer or by age. The 2119C and 3161G amino acid substitution variants are not associated with moderate or high risks of breast cancer in Australian women

  15. Molecular cloning of cDNAs of human liver and placenta NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yubisui, T.; Naitoh, Y.; Zenno, S.; Tamura, M.; Takeshita, M.; Sakaki, Y.

    1987-01-01

    A cDNA coding for human liver NADH-cytochrome b 5 reductase was cloned from a human liver cDNA library constructed in phage λgt11. The library was screened by using an affinity-purified rabbit antibody against NADH-cytochrome b 5 reductase of human erythrocytes. A cDNA about 1.3 kilobase pairs long was isolated. By using the cDNA as a probe, another cDNA (pb 5 R141) of 1817 base pairs was isolated that hybridized with a synthetic oligonucleotide encoding Pro-Asp-Ile-Lys-Tyr-Pro, derived from the amino acid sequence at the amino-terminal region of the enzyme from human erythrocytes. Furthermore, by using the pb 5 R141 as a probe, cDNA clones having more 5' sequence were isolated from a human placenta cDNA library. The amino acid sequences deduced from the nucleotide sequences of these cDNA clones overlapped each other and consisted of a sequence that completely coincides with that of human erythrocytes and a sequence of 19 amino acid residues extended at the amino-terminal side. The latter sequence closely resembles that of the membrane-binding domain of steer liver microsomal enzyme

  16. Decomposition of some amines and amino acids in steam generator environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jayaweera, P.; Hettiarachchi, S.; Millett, P.J.

    1994-01-01

    Hydrothermal decomposition rate constants and high temperature pH values of some selected high-molecular weight amines and amino acids were measured under simulated steam generator conditions. These amines and amino acids were evaluated as potential crevice buffering agents for steam generator applications in pressurized water reactors. The study showed that, although the high molecular weight amines undergo hydrothermal decomposition, they have a better buffer capacity than their low molecular weight counterparts at 290 C. The amines provide effective crevice buffering by increasing the pH of the simulated crevice solution by as much as 2.84 to 4.24 units. However, volatility data for the amines and amino acids are needed before in-plant testing to ensure that amines can concentrate sufficiently in steam generator crevices to provide effective buffering

  17. Protein kinase C activation decreases cell surface expression of the GLT-1 subtype of glutamate transporter. Requirement of a carboxyl-terminal domain and partial dependence on serine 486.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalandadze, Avtandil; Wu, Ying; Robinson, Michael B

    2002-11-29

    Na(+)-dependent glutamate transporters are required for the clearance of extracellular glutamate and influence both physiological and pathological effects of this excitatory amino acid. In the present study, the effects of a protein kinase C (PKC) activator on the cell surface expression and activity of the GLT-1 subtype of glutamate transporter were examined in two model systems, primary co-cultures of neurons and astrocytes that endogenously express GLT-1 and C6 glioma cells transfected with GLT-1. In both systems, activation of PKC with phorbol ester caused a decrease in GLT-1 cell surface expression. This effect is opposite to the one observed for the EAAC1 subtype of glutamate transporter (Davis, K. E., Straff, D. J., Weinstein, E. A., Bannerman, P. G., Correale, D. M., Rothstein, J. D., and Robinson, M. B. (1998) J. Neurosci. 18, 2475-2485). Several recombinant chimeric proteins between GLT-1 and EAAC1 transporter subtypes were generated to identify domains required for the subtype-specific redistribution of GLT-1. We identified a carboxyl-terminal domain consisting of 43 amino acids (amino acids 475-517) that is required for PKC-induced GLT-1 redistribution. Mutation of a non-conserved serine residue at position 486 partially attenuated but did not completely abolish the PKC-dependent redistribution of GLT-1. Although we observed a phorbol ester-dependent incorporation of (32)P into immunoprecipitable GLT-1, mutation of serine 486 did not reduce this signal. We also found that chimeras containing the first 446 amino acids of GLT-1 were not functional unless amino acids 475-517 of GLT-1 were also present. These non-functional transporters were not as efficiently expressed on the cell surface and migrated to a smaller molecular weight, suggesting that a subtype-specific interaction is required for the formation of functional transporters. These studies demonstrate a novel effect of PKC on GLT-1 activity and define a unique carboxyl-terminal domain as an

  18. Determination of amino acids in grape-derived products: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callejón, R M; Troncoso, A M; Morales, M L

    2010-06-15

    The amino acids present in foods and beverages affect the quality of these products and they play an important role in enology. Amino acids are consumed by yeasts as a source of nitrogen during alcoholic fermentation and are precursors of aroma compounds. In this review various chromatographic methodologies for the determination of amino acids are described, and specific applications for the analysis of amino acid content are discussed. Amino acids usually need to be derivatized to make them more detectable. Several derivatizing reagents have been employed for the determination of amino acids in enological applications, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

  19. Extraterrestrial Amino Acids Identified in Metal-Rich CH and CB Carbonaceous Chondrites from Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, Aaron S.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Hein, Jason E.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.

    2013-01-01

    Carbonaceous chondrites contain numerous indigenous organic compounds and could have been an important source of prebiotic compounds required for the origin of life on Earth or elsewhere. Extraterrestrial amino acids have been reported in five of the eight groups of carbonaceous chondrites and are most abundant in CI, CM, and CR chondritesbut are also present in the more thermally altered CV and CO chondrites. We report the abundance, distribution, and enantiomeric and isotopic compositions of simple primary amino acids in six metal-rich CH and CB carbonaceous chondrites that have not previously been investigated for amino acids: Allan Hills (ALH) 85085 (CH3), Pecora Escarpment(PCA) 91467 (CH3), Patuxent Range (PAT) 91546 (CH3), MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 02675(CBb), Miller Range (MIL) 05082 (CB), and Miller Range (MIL) 07411 (CB). Amino acid abundances and carbon isotopic values were obtained by using both liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and fluorescence, and gas chromatography isotope ratiomass spectrometry. The (delta D, delta C-13, delta N-15) ratios of multiple amino acids fall outside of the terrestrial range and support their extraterrestrial origin. Extracts of CH chondrites were found to be particularly rich in amino acids (1316 parts per million, ppm) while CB chondrite extracts had much lower abundances (0.22 ppm). The amino acid distributions of the CH and CB chondrites were distinct from the distributions observed in type 2 and 3 CM and CR chondrites and contained elevated levels of beta-, gamma-, and delta-amino acids compared to the corresponding alpha-amino acids, providing evidence that multiple amino acid formation mechanisms were important in CH and CB chondrites.

  20. Evolutionarily conserved bias of amino-acid usage refines the definition of PDZ-binding motif

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Launey Thomas

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The interactions between PDZ (PSD-95, Dlg, ZO-1 domains and PDZ-binding motifs play central roles in signal transductions within cells. Proteins with PDZ domains bind to PDZ-binding motifs almost exclusively when the motifs are located at the carboxyl (C- terminal ends of their binding partners. However, it remains little explored whether PDZ-binding motifs show any preferential location at the C-terminal ends of proteins, at genome-level. Results Here, we examined the distribution of the type-I (x-x-S/T-x-I/L/V or type-II (x-x-V-x-I/V PDZ-binding motifs in proteins encoded in the genomes of five different species (human, mouse, zebrafish, fruit fly and nematode. We first established that these PDZ-binding motifs are indeed preferentially present at their C-terminal ends. Moreover, we found specific amino acid (AA bias for the 'x' positions in the motifs at the C-terminal ends. In general, hydrophilic AAs were favored. Our genomics-based findings confirm and largely extend the results of previous interaction-based studies, allowing us to propose refined consensus sequences for all of the examined PDZ-binding motifs. An ontological analysis revealed that the refined motifs are functionally relevant since a large fraction of the proteins bearing the motif appear to be involved in signal transduction. Furthermore, co-precipitation experiments confirmed two new protein interactions predicted by our genomics-based approach. Finally, we show that influenza virus pathogenicity can be correlated with PDZ-binding motif, with high-virulence viral proteins bearing a refined PDZ-binding motif. Conclusions Our refined definition of PDZ-binding motifs should provide important clues for identifying functional PDZ-binding motifs and proteins involved in signal transduction.

  1. Far UV irradiation of DNA in the presence of proteins, amino acids or peptides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larcom, L.L.; Rains, C.A.

    1985-01-01

    The DNA of bacteriophage SPO2c12 was subjected to 254 nm irradiation in solutions containing lysozyme or histone. The sensitivity of phage DNA to biological inactivation by UV increased as the amount of lysozyme bound per DNA strand increased. Although binding constants could not be measured for the DNA-histone interaction, this protein had a protective effect which was greater under conditions which cause enhanced binding. No crosslinking of either protein could be detected. Irradiation was also performed in the presence of various amino acids and short peptides. These were chosen to include amino acids which: (1) are positively charged, (2) absorb UV of this wavelength or (3) form UV-induced crosslinks to DNA. None of the amino acids tested affected sensitivity of the DNA to biological inactivation. Peptides containing a UV-absorbing amino acid and a positively charged amino acid enhanced sensitivity. For each of these peptides, a mixture of the constituent amino acids had the same effect as the peptide itself. Under the conditions used, no evidence for formation of DNA-amino acid crosslinks was found. The results indicate that proteins and peptides can sensitize DNA to UV inactivation by mechanisms other than covalent crosslink formation. (author)

  2. New acute transforming feline retovirus with fms homology specifies a C-terminally truncated version of the c-fms protein that is different from SM-feline sarcoma virus v-fms protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besmer, P.; Lader, E.; George, P.C.; Bergold, P.J.; Qui, F.; Zuckerman, E.E.; Hardy, W.D.

    1986-01-01

    The HZ5-feline sarcoma virus (FeSV) is a new acute transforming feline retrovirus which was isolated from a multicentric fibrosarcoma of a domestic cat. The HZ5-FeSV transforms fibroblasts in vitro and is replication defective. A biologically active integrated HZ5-FeSV provirus was molecularly cloned from cellular DNA of HZ5-FeSV-infected FRE-3A rat cells. The HZ5-FeSV has oncogene homology with the fms sequences of the SM-FeSV. The genome organization of the 8.6-kilobase HZ5-FeSV provirus is 5' Δgag-fms-Δpol-Δenv 3'. The HZ5- and SM-FeSVs display indistinguishable in vitro transformation characteristics, and the structures of the gag-fms transforming genes in the two viruses are very similar. In the HZ5-FeSV and the SM-FeSV, identical c-fms and feline leukemia virus p10 sequences form the 5' gag-fms junction. With regard to v-fms the two viruses are homologous up to 11 amino acids before the C terminus of the SM-FeSV v-fms protein. In HZ5-FeSV a segment of 362 nucleotides then follows before the 3' recombination site with feline leukemia virus pol. The new 3' v-fms sequence encodes 27 amino acids before reaching a TGA termination signal. The relationship of this sequence with the recently characterized human c-fms sequence has been examined. The 3' HZ5-FeSV v-fms sequence is homologous with 3' c-fms sequences. A frameshift mutation (11-base-pair deletion) was found in the C-terminal fms coding sequence of the HZ5-FeSV. As a result, the HZ5-FeSV v-fms protein is predicted to be a C-terminally truncated version of c-fms. This frameshift mutation may determine the oncogenic properties of v-fms in the HZ5-FeSV

  3. New acute transforming feline retovirus with fms homology specifies a C-terminally truncated version of the c-fms protein that is different from SM-feline sarcoma virus v-fms protein

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Besmer, P.; Lader, E.; George, P.C.; Bergold, P.J.; Qui, F.; Zuckerman, E.E.; Hardy, W.D.

    1986-10-01

    The HZ5-feline sarcoma virus (FeSV) is a new acute transforming feline retrovirus which was isolated from a multicentric fibrosarcoma of a domestic cat. The HZ5-FeSV transforms fibroblasts in vitro and is replication defective. A biologically active integrated HZ5-FeSV provirus was molecularly cloned from cellular DNA of HZ5-FeSV-infected FRE-3A rat cells. The HZ5-FeSV has oncogene homology with the fms sequences of the SM-FeSV. The genome organization of the 8.6-kilobase HZ5-FeSV provirus is 5' ..delta..gag-fms-..delta..pol-..delta..env 3'. The HZ5- and SM-FeSVs display indistinguishable in vitro transformation characteristics, and the structures of the gag-fms transforming genes in the two viruses are very similar. In the HZ5-FeSV and the SM-FeSV, identical c-fms and feline leukemia virus p10 sequences form the 5' gag-fms junction. With regard to v-fms the two viruses are homologous up to 11 amino acids before the C terminus of the SM-FeSV v-fms protein. In HZ5-FeSV a segment of 362 nucleotides then follows before the 3' recombination site with feline leukemia virus pol. The new 3' v-fms sequence encodes 27 amino acids before reaching a TGA termination signal. The relationship of this sequence with the recently characterized human c-fms sequence has been examined. The 3' HZ5-FeSV v-fms sequence is homologous with 3' c-fms sequences. A frameshift mutation (11-base-pair deletion) was found in the C-terminal fms coding sequence of the HZ5-FeSV. As a result, the HZ5-FeSV v-fms protein is predicted to be a C-terminally truncated version of c-fms. This frameshift mutation may determine the oncogenic properties of v-fms in the HZ5-FeSV.

  4. [Studies on interaction of acid-treated nanotube titanic acid and amino acids].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Huqin; Chen, Xuemei; Jin, Zhensheng; Liao, Guangxi; Wu, Xiaoming; Du, Jianqiang; Cao, Xiang

    2010-06-01

    Nanotube titanic acid (NTA) has distinct optical and electrical character, and has photocatalysis character. In accordance with these qualities, NTA was treated with acid so as to enhance its surface activity. Surface structures and surface groups of acid-treated NTA were characterized and analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR). The interaction between acid-treated NTA and amino acids was investigated. Analysis results showed that the lengths of acid-treated NTA became obviously shorter. The diameters of nanotube bundles did not change obviously with acid-treating. Meanwhile, the surface of acid-treated NTA was cross-linked with carboxyl or esterfunction. In addition, acid-treated NTA can catch amino acid residues easily, and then form close combination.

  5. An Examination of the Carbon Isotope Effects Associated with Amino Acid Biosynthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, James H.; O'Brien, Diane M.; Emerson, David; Sun, Henry; McDonald, Gene D.; Salgado, Antonio; Fogel, Marilyn L.

    2006-12-01

    Stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) were determined for alanine, proline, phenylalanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, aspartate (aspartic acid and asparagine), glutamate (glutamic acid and glutamine), lysine, serine, glycine, and threonine from metabolically diverse microorganisms. The microorganisms examined included fermenting bacteria, organotrophic, chemolithotrophic, phototrophic, methylotrophic, methanogenic, acetogenic, acetotrophic, and naturally occurring cryptoendolithic communities from the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Here we demonstrated that reactions involved in amino acid biosynthesis can be used to distinguish amino acids formed by life from those formed by nonbiological processes. The unique patterns of δ13C imprinted by life on amino acids produced a biological bias. We also showed that, by applying discriminant function analysis to the δ13C value of a pool of amino acids formed by biological activity, it was possible to identify key aspects of intermediary carbon metabolism in the microbial world. In fact, microorganisms examined in this study could be placed within one of three metabolic groups: (1) heterotrophs that grow by oxidizing compounds containing three or more carbon-to-carbon bonds (fermenters and organotrophs), (2) autotrophs that grow by taking up carbon dioxide (chemolitotrophs and phototrophs), and (3) acetoclastic microbes that grow by assimilation of formaldehyde or acetate (methylotrophs, methanogens, acetogens, and acetotrophs). Furthermore, we demonstrated that cryptoendolithic communities from Antarctica grouped most closely with the autotrophs, which indicates that the dominant metabolic pathways in these communities are likely those utilized for CO2 fixation. We propose that this technique can be used to determine the dominant metabolic types in a community and reveal the overall flow of carbon in a complex ecosystem.

  6. A Search for Amino Acids and Nucleobases in the Martian Meteorite Roberts Massif 04262 Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callahan, Michael P.; Burton, Aaron S.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Baker, Eleni M.; Smith, Karen E.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.

    2013-01-01

    The investigation into whether Mars contains signatures of past or present life is of great interest to science and society. Amino acids and nucleobases are compounds that are essential for all known life on Earth and are excellent target molecules in the search for potential Martian biomarkers or prebiotic chemistry. Martian meteorites represent the only samples from Mars that can be studied directly in the laboratory on Earth. Here, we analyzed the amino acid and nucleobase content of the shergottite Roberts Massif (RBT) 04262 using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We did not detect any nucleobases above our detection limit in formic acid extracts; however, we did measure a suite of protein and nonprotein amino acids in hot-water extracts with high relative abundances of beta-alanine and gamma-amino-eta-butyric acid. The presence of only low (to absent) levels of several proteinogenic amino acids and a lack of nucleobases suggest that this meteorite fragment is fairly uncontaminated with respect to these common biological compounds. The distribution of straight-chained amine-terminal eta-omega-amino acids in RBT 04262 resembled those previously measured in thermally altered carbonaceous meteorites. A carbon isotope ratio of -24(0/00) +/- 6(0/00) for beta-alanine in RBT 04262 is in the range of reduced organic carbon previously measured in Martian meteorites (Steele et al. 2012). The presence of eta-omega-amino acids may be due to a high temperature Fischer-Tropschtype synthesis during igneous processing on Mars or impact ejection of the meteorites from Mars, but more experimental data are needed to support these hypotheses.

  7. Azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansson, Karl Henrik; Pedersen, D.S.

    2012-01-01

    With the emergence of the copper-catalysed Huisgen cycloaddition the use of azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids has found widespread use within most chemistry disciplines. Despite a growing interest in these building blocks researchers are struggling to identify the best way for their syn......With the emergence of the copper-catalysed Huisgen cycloaddition the use of azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids has found widespread use within most chemistry disciplines. Despite a growing interest in these building blocks researchers are struggling to identify the best way...... for their synthesis. In this review we have compiled available methods for synthesising optically active azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids that can be prepared from readily available α-amino acids. We highlight a number of commonly overlooked problems associated with existing methods and direct attention...... to unexplored possibilities. Azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids are finding widespread use within most chemistry disciplines. However, it is far from clear what the best way for the synthesis of these useful building blocks is. Herein we show the available methods for synthesis of optically active...

  8. Evolutionary systems biology of amino acid biosynthetic cost in yeast.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael D Barton

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Every protein has a biosynthetic cost to the cell based on the synthesis of its constituent amino acids. In order to optimise growth and reproduction, natural selection is expected, where possible, to favour the use of proteins whose constituents are cheaper to produce, as reduced biosynthetic cost may confer a fitness advantage to the organism. Quantifying the cost of amino acid biosynthesis presents challenges, since energetic requirements may change across different cellular and environmental conditions. We developed a systems biology approach to estimate the cost of amino acid synthesis based on genome-scale metabolic models and investigated the effects of the cost of amino acid synthesis on Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression and protein evolution. First, we used our two new and six previously reported measures of amino acid cost in conjunction with codon usage bias, tRNA gene number and atomic composition to identify which of these factors best predict transcript and protein levels. Second, we compared amino acid cost with rates of amino acid substitution across four species in the genus Saccharomyces. Regardless of which cost measure is used, amino acid biosynthetic cost is weakly associated with transcript and protein levels. In contrast, we find that biosynthetic cost and amino acid substitution rates show a negative correlation, but for only a subset of cost measures. In the economy of the yeast cell, we find that the cost of amino acid synthesis plays a limited role in shaping transcript and protein expression levels compared to that of translational optimisation. Biosynthetic cost does, however, appear to affect rates of amino acid evolution in Saccharomyces, suggesting that expensive amino acids may only be used when they have specific structural or functional roles in protein sequences. However, as there appears to be no single currency to compute the cost of amino acid synthesis across all cellular and environmental

  9. Anatomical and pharmacological characterization of excitatory amino acid receptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monaghan, D.T.

    1985-01-01

    The majority of the excitatory neurotransmission in the vertebrate Central Nervous System is thought to be mediated by acidic amino acid neurotransmitters. However, relatively little is known about the excitatory amino acid receptors and their distribution within the CNS. By analyzing radioligand binding to purified synaptic plasma membranes and to thin tissue sections processed for autoradiography, multiple distinct binding sites were found. These binding sites exhibited the pharmacological properties indicative of the excitatory amino acid receptors, which had been identified by electrophysiological techniques. Specifically, L-[ 3 H]-glutamate and D-[ 3 H]-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate appear to label N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, L-[ 3 H]-glutamate and [ 3 H]-kainic acid appear to label kainic acid receptors, and L-[ 3 H]-glutamate and [ 3 H]-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate appear to label quisqualate receptors. Together, these results confirm the three receptor scheme proposed for excitatory amino acid neurotransmission. These results also show that these transmitter-receptor systems are differentially distributed in the brain, and that the total distribution is consistent with that found by other markers for excitatory amino acid-using neurons

  10. A protein with amino acid sequence homology to bovine insulin is present in the legume Vigna unguiculata (cowpea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venâncio T.M.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Since the discovery of bovine insulin in plants, much effort has been devoted to the characterization of these proteins and elucidation of their functions. We report here the isolation of a protein with similar molecular mass and same amino acid sequence to bovine insulin from developing fruits of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata genotype Epace 10. Insulin was measured by ELISA using an anti-human insulin antibody and was detected both in empty pods and seed coats but not in the embryo. The highest concentrations (about 0.5 ng/µg of protein of the protein were detected in seed coats at 16 and 18 days after pollination, and the values were 1.6 to 4.0 times higher than those found for isolated pods tested on any day. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of insulin was performed on the protein purified by C4-HPLC. The significance of the presence of insulin in these plant tissues is not fully understood but we speculate that it may be involved in the transport of carbohydrate to the fruit.

  11. Sample preparation techniques for the determination of natural 15N/14N variations in amino acids by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofmann, D; Gehre, M; Jung, K

    2003-09-01

    In order to identify natural nitrogen isotope variations of biologically important amino acids four derivatization reactions (t-butylmethylsilylation, esterification with subsequent trifluoroacetylation, acetylation and pivaloylation) were tested with standard mixtures of 17 proteinogenic amino acids and plant (moss) samples using GC-C-IRMS. The possible fractionation of the nitrogen isotopes, caused for instance by the formation of multiple reaction products, was investigated. For biological samples, the esterification of the amino acids with subsequent trifluoroacetylation is recommended for nitrogen isotope ratio analysis. A sample preparation technique is described for the isotope ratio mass spectrometric analysis of amino acids from the non-protein (NPN) fraction of terrestrial moss. 14N/15N ratios from moss (Scleropodium spec.) samples from different anthropogenically polluted areas were studied with respect to ecotoxicologal bioindication.

  12. Excitatory amino acid receptor antagonists

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, T N; Frydenvang, Karla Andrea; Ebert, B

    1997-01-01

    We have previously shown that (RS)-2-amino-2-(5-tert-butyl-3-hydroxyisoxazol-4-yl)acetic acid (ATAA) is an antagonist at N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)propionic acid (AMPA) receptors. We have now resolved ATAA via diastereomeric salt formation......)-phenylethylamine salt of N-BOC-(R)-ATAA. Like ATAA, neither (R)- nor (S)-ATAA significantly affected (IC50 > 100 microM) the receptor binding of tritiated AMPA, kainic acid, or (RS)-3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonic acid, the latter being a competitive NMDA antagonist. Electrophysiological experiments......, using the rat cortical wedge preparation, showed the NMDA antagonist effect as well as the AMPA antagonist effect of ATAA to reside exclusively in the (R)-enantiomer (Ki = 75 +/- 5 microM and 57 +/- 1 microM, respectively). Neither (R)- nor (S)-ATAA significantly reduced kainic acid-induced excitation...

  13. Reaction of hypochlorite with amino acids and peptides : EPR evidence for rapid rearrangement and fragmentation of nitrogen-centred radicals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hawkins, C.L.; Davies, M.J.

    1998-01-01

    Various amino acid side chains have been shown to be particularly susceptible to attack and modification by hypochlorite (HOCl). It is known that tyrosine is readily chlorinated by HOCl to give 3-chlorotyrosine and this product has been employed as a marker of HOCl-mediated damage to proteins. Cysteine and methionine react rapidly with HOCl to give oxy acids and cystine (from cysteine) and sulphoxides (from methionine). Lysine and amino acids which lack the above functional groups also react with HOCl via the free amino group which results in the generation of unstable chloramine intermediates; subsequent decomposition of these species gives NH 3 , CO 2 and aldehydes. While the products of reaction of HOCl with amino acids and peptides are reasonably well characterised, the mechanism(s) by which these products arise is less well understood. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy with spin trapping and UV/visible spectroscopy has been employed to examine the reaction of HOCl with amino acids and some small peptides. Reaction of HOCl with N-acetyl amino acids or small peptides gives radicals predominantly at α-carbon sites via reaction at N-terminal free amino groups or amide (peptide) bonds. It is proposed that these carbon-centred radicals are produced as a result of the rearrangement of initial nitrogen-centred radicals formed on cleavage of the N-CI bond of the chloramine/chloramide species by a 1,2-shift reaction

  14. Comparison of amino acids interaction with gold nanoparticle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramezani, Fatemeh; Amanlou, Massoud; Rafii-Tabar, Hashem

    2014-04-01

    The study of nanomaterial/biomolecule interface is an important emerging field in bionanoscience, and additionally in many biological processes such as hard-tissue growth and cell-surface adhesion. To have a deeper understanding of the amino acids/gold nanoparticle assemblies, the adsorption of these amino acids on the gold nanoparticles (GNPs) has been investigated via molecular dynamics simulation. In these simulations, all the constituent atoms of the nanoparticles were considered to be dynamic. The geometries of amino acids, when adsorbed on the nanoparticle, were studied and their flexibilities were compared with one another. The interaction of each of 20 amino acids was considered with 3 and 8 nm gold GNPs.

  15. Amino acids grafting of Ar+ ions modified PE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svorcik, V.; Hnatowicz, V.; Stopka, P.; Bacakova, L.; Heitz, J.; Oechsner, R.; Ryssel, H.

    2001-01-01

    Polyethylene (PE) was irradiated with 63 keV Ar + ions to the fluences from 1x10 12 to 3x10 15 cm -2 and then grafted at room temperature from water solution with amino acids (alanine, leucine). Using various spectroscopic techniques (UV-VIS, FTIR, RBS and EPR) it was shown that the amino acids penetrate into PE where they are eventually captured either on double bonds or on free radicals created by the ion irradiation. Grafting with amino acids in the whole specimen layer modified by irradiation is observed. The ion-beam-modified and amino-acid grafted PE is supposed to exhibit increased biocompatibility. (author)

  16. Amino Acid Interaction (INTAA) web server.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galgonek, Jakub; Vymetal, Jirí; Jakubec, David; Vondrášek, Jirí

    2017-07-03

    Large biomolecules-proteins and nucleic acids-are composed of building blocks which define their identity, properties and binding capabilities. In order to shed light on the energetic side of interactions of amino acids between themselves and with deoxyribonucleotides, we present the Amino Acid Interaction web server (http://bioinfo.uochb.cas.cz/INTAA/). INTAA offers the calculation of the residue Interaction Energy Matrix for any protein structure (deposited in Protein Data Bank or submitted by the user) and a comprehensive analysis of the interfaces in protein-DNA complexes. The Interaction Energy Matrix web application aims to identify key residues within protein structures which contribute significantly to the stability of the protein. The application provides an interactive user interface enhanced by 3D structure viewer for efficient visualization of pairwise and net interaction energies of individual amino acids, side chains and backbones. The protein-DNA interaction analysis part of the web server allows the user to view the relative abundance of various configurations of amino acid-deoxyribonucleotide pairs found at the protein-DNA interface and the interaction energies corresponding to these configurations calculated using a molecular mechanical force field. The effects of the sugar-phosphate moiety and of the dielectric properties of the solvent on the interaction energies can be studied for the various configurations. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  17. Transport of amino acids and GABA analogues via the human proton-coupled amino acid transporter, hPAT1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Mie; Larsen, Birger Brodin; Frølund, Bente

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate transepithelial amino acid transport as a function of Caco-2 cell culture time. Furthermore, the objective was to investigate apical uptake characteristics of hPAT1-mediated transport under various experimental conditions. Apical amino acid uptake......, which has been shown to function as a carboxylic acid bioisostere for substrates of the GABA receptor and transport systems....

  18. Synthesis of novel N1-substituted bicyclic pyrazole amino acids and evaluation of their interaction with glutamate receptors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Conti, Paola; Grazioso, Giovanni; di Ventimiglia, Samuele Joppolo

    2005-01-01

    N1-substituted bicyclic pyrazole amino acids (S)-9a-9c and (R)-9a-9c, which are conformationally constrained analogues of glutamic acid, were prepared via a strategy based on a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The new amino acids were tested for activity at ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors...

  19. Conformational effects of a common codon 751 polymorphism on the C-terminal domain of the xeroderma pigmentosum D protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monaco Regina

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The xeroderma pigmentosum D (XPD protein is a DNA helicase involved in the repair of DNA damage, including nucleotide excision repair (NER and transcription-coupled repair (TCR. The C-terminal domain of XPD has been implicated in interactions with other components of the TFIIH complex, and it is also the site of a common genetic polymorphism in XPD at amino acid residue 751 (Lys->Gln. Some evidence suggests that this polymorphism may alter DNA repair capacity and increase cancer risk. The aim of this study was to investigate whether these effects could be attributable to conformational changes in XPD induced by the polymorphism. Materials and Methods: Molecular dynamics techniques were used to predict the structure of the wild-type and polymorphic forms of the C-terminal domain of XPD and differences in structure produced by the polymorphic substitution were determined. Results: The results indicate that, although the general configuration of both proteins is similar, the substitution produces a significant conformational change immediately N-terminal to the site of the polymorphism. Conclusion: These results provide support for the hypothesis that this polymorphism in XPD could affect DNA repair capability, and hence cancer risk, by altering the structure of the C-terminal domain.

  20. Cloning and characterization of the human colipase cDNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowe, M.E.; Rosenblum, J.L.; McEwen, P.; Strauss, A.W.

    1990-01-01

    Pancreatic lipase hydrolyzes dietary triglycerides to monoglycerides and fatty acids. In the presence of bile salts, the activity of pancreatic lipase is markedly decreased. The activity can be restored by the addition of colipase, a low molecular weight protein secreted by the pancreas. The action of pancreatic lipase in the gut lumen is dependent upon its interaction with colipase. As a first step in elucidating the molecular events governing the interaction of lipase and colipase with each other and with fatty acids, a cDNA encoding human colipase was isolated from a λgt11 cDNA library with a rabbit polyclonal anti-human colipase antibody. The full-length 525 bp cDNA contained an open reading frame encoding 112 amino acids, including a 17 amino acid signal peptide. The predicted sequence contains 100% of the published protein sequence for human colipase determined by chemical methods, but predicts the presence of five additional NH 2 -terminal amino acids and four additional COOH-terminal amino acids. Comparison of the predicted protein sequence with the known sequences of colipase from other species reveals regions of extensive identity. The authors report, for the first time, a cDNA for colipase. The cDNA predicts a human procolipase an suggests that there may also be processing at the COOH-terminus. The regions of identity with colipase from other species will aid in defining the interaction with lipase and lipids through site-specific mutagenesis

  1. Determination of 13C isotopic enrichment of valine and threonine by GC-C-IRMS after formation of the N(O,S)-ethoxycarbonyl ethyl ester derivatives of the amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godin, Jean-Philippe; Faure, Magali; Breuille, Denis; Hopfgartner, Gérard; Fay, Laurent-Bernard

    2007-06-01

    We describe a new method of assessing, in a single run, (13)C isotopic enrichment of both Val and Thr by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). This method characterised by a rapid one-step derivatisation procedure performed at room temperature to form the N(O,S)-ethoxycarbonyl ethyl ester derivatives, and a polar column for GC. The suitability of this method for Val and Thr in in-vivo samples (mucosal hydrolysate) was demonstrated by studying protein metabolism with two tracers ((13)C-valine or (13)C-threonine). The intra-day and inter-day repeatability were both assessed either with standards or with in-vivo samples at natural abundance and at low (13)C isotopic enrichment. For inter-day repeatability CVs were between 0.8 and 1.5% at natural abundance and lower than 5.5% at 0.112 and 0.190 atom% enrichment for Val and Thr, respectively. Overall isotopic precision was studied for eleven standard amino acid derivatives (those of Val, Ala, Leu, Iso, Gly, Pro, Asp, Thr, Ser, Met, and Phe) and was assessed at 0.32 per thousand. The (13)C isotopic measurement was then extended to the other amino acids (Ala, Val, Leu, Iso, Gly, Pro, Thr, and Phe) at natural abundance for in-vivo samples. The isotopic precision was better than 0.002 atom% per amino acid (for n = 4 rats). This analytical method was finally applied to an animal study to measure Thr utilization in protein synthesis.

  2. Functional analysis of fructosyl-amino acid oxidases of Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akazawa, Shin-Ichi; Karino, Tetsuya; Yoshida, Nobuyuki; Katsuragi, Tohoru; Tani, Yoshiki

    2004-10-01

    Three active fractions of fructosyl-amino acid oxidase (FAOD-Ao1, -Ao2a, and -Ao2b) were isolated from Aspergillus oryzae strain RIB40. N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of FAOD-Ao2a corresponded to those of FAOD-Ao2b, suggesting that these two isozymes were derived from the same protein. FAOD-Ao1 and -Ao2 were different in substrate specificity and subunit assembly; FAOD-Ao2 was active toward N(epsilon)-fructosyl N(alpha)-Z-lysine and fructosyl valine (Fru-Val), whereas FAOD-Ao1 was not active toward Fru-Val. The genes encoding the FAOD isozymes (i.e., FAOAo1 and FAOAo2) were cloned by PCR with an FAOD-specific primer set. The deduced amino acid sequences revealed that FAOD-Ao1 was 50% identical to FAOD-Ao2, and each isozyme had a peroxisome-targeting signal-1, indicating their localization in peroxisomes. The genes was expressed in Escherichia coli and rFaoAo2 showed the same characteristics as FAOD-Ao2, whereas rFaoAo1 was not active. FAOAo2 disruptant was obtained by using ptrA as a selective marker. Wild-type strain grew on the medium containing Fru-Val as the sole carbon and nitrogen sources, but strain Delta faoAo2 did not grow. Addition of glucose or (NH(4))(2)SO(4) to the Fru-Val medium did not affect the assimilation of Fru-Val by wild-type, indicating glucose and ammonium repressions did not occur in the expression of the FAOAo2 gene. Furthermore, conidia of the wild-type strain did not germinate on the medium containing Fru-Val and NaNO(2) as the sole carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, suggesting that Fru-Val may also repress gene expression of nitrite reductase. These results indicated that FAOD is needed for utilization of fructosyl-amino acids as nitrogen sources in A. oryzae.

  3. Comparative sequence analysis of acid sensitive/resistance proteins in Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manikandan, Selvaraj; Balaji, Seetharaaman; Kumar, Anil; Kumar, Rita

    2007-01-01

    The molecular basis for the survival of bacteria under extreme conditions in which growth is inhibited is a question of great current interest. A preliminary study was carried out to determine residue pattern conservation among the antiporters of enteric bacteria, responsible for extreme acid sensitivity especially in Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. Here we found the molecular evidence that proved the relationship between E. coli and S. flexneri. Multiple sequence alignment of the gadC coded acid sensitive antiporter showed many conserved residue patterns at regular intervals at the N-terminal region. It was observed that as the alignment approaches towards the C-terminal, the number of conserved residues decreases, indicating that the N-terminal region of this protein has much active role when compared to the carboxyl terminal. The motif, FHLVFFLLLGG, is well conserved within the entire gadC coded protein at the amino terminal. The motif is also partially conserved among other antiporters (which are not coded by gadC) but involved in acid sensitive/resistance mechanism. Phylogenetic cluster analysis proves the relationship of Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. The gadC coded proteins are converged as a clade and diverged from other antiporters belongs to the amino acid-polyamine-organocation (APC) superfamily. PMID:21670792

  4. Preference for and learning of amino acids in larval Drosophila

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nana Kudow

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Relative to other nutrients, less is known about how animals sense amino acids and how behaviour is organized accordingly. This is a significant gap in our knowledge because amino acids are required for protein synthesis − and hence for life as we know it. Choosing Drosophila larvae as a case study, we provide the first systematic analysis of both the preference behaviour for, and the learning of, all 20 canonical amino acids in Drosophila. We report that preference for individual amino acids differs according to the kind of amino acid, both in first-instar and in third-instar larvae. Our data suggest that this preference profile changes across larval instars, and that starvation during the third instar also alters this profile. Only aspartic acid turns out to be robustly attractive across all our experiments. The essentiality of amino acids does not appear to be a determinant of preference. Interestingly, although amino acids thus differ in their innate attractiveness, we find that all amino acids are equally rewarding. Similar discrepancies between innate attractiveness and reinforcing effect have previously been reported for other tastants, including sugars, bitter substances and salt. The present analyses will facilitate the ongoing search for the receptors, sensory neurons, and internal, homeostatic amino acid sensors in Drosophila.

  5. Profile of Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, Carotenoid Total, and α-Tocopherol from Flying Fish Eggs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aulia Azka

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Flying fish are found in waters of eastern Indonesia, which until now is still limited informationabout nutritional content. The purpose of this research was determine the composition offatty acids, amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol flying fish eggs (Hyrundicthys sp..The composition of fatty acid was measured by gas chromatography (GC, while amino acids,total carotenoids, α-tocopherol was measured by High performanced Liquid Chromatography(HPLC. Egg contained 22 fatty acids such as saturated fatty acid 29.71%, monounsaturated fattyacid 7.86%, and polysaturated fatty acid 13.64%. The result showed that eggs flying fish contained17 amino acids, such as essential amino acid 14.96% and non-essential amino acids 20.27%. Eggscontained a total carotenoid of 245.37 ppm. α-tocopherol content of flying fish eggs by 1.06 ppm.Keywords: Amino acids, carotenoid total, fatty acid, flying fish egg, α-tocopherol

  6. Involvement of tyrosine residues, N-terminal amino acids, and beta-alanine in insect cuticular sclerotization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Svend Olav

    2007-09-01

    During sclerotization of insect cuticle the acyldopamines, N-acetyldopamine (NADA) and N-beta-alanyldopamine (NBAD), are oxidatively incorporated into the cuticular matrix, thereby hardening and stabilizing the material by forming crosslinks between the proteins in the cuticular matrix and by forming polymers filling the intermolecular spaces in the cuticle. Sclerotized cuticle from the locust, Schistocerca gregaria, and the beetle, Tenebrio molitor, was hydrolyzed in dilute hydrochloric acid, and from the hydrolysates some components presumably degradation products of cuticular crosslinks were isolated. In two of the components, the sidechain of 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone was linked to the amino groups of glycine and beta-alanine, respectively, and in the third component to the phenolic group of tyrosine. These three compounds, glycino-dihydroxyacetophenone, beta-alanino-dihydroxyacetophenone, and O-tyrosino-dihydroxyacetophenone, as well as the previously reported compound, lysino-dihydroxyacetophenone [Andersen, S.O., Roepstorff, P., 2007. Aspects of cuticular sclerotization in the locust, Schistocerca gregaria, and the beetle, Tenebrio molitor. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 37, 223-234], are suggested to be degradation products of cuticular crosslinks, in which amino acid residues formed linkages to both the alpha- and beta-positions of the sidechain of acyldopamines.

  7. Stardust, Supernovae and the Chirality of the Amino Acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyd, R.N.; Kajino, T.; Onaka, T.

    2011-01-01

    A mechanism for creating enantiomerism in the amino acids, the building blocks of the proteins, that involves global selection of one chirality by interactions between the amino acids and neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae is described. The selection involves the dependence of the interaction cross sections on the orientations of the spins of the neutrinos and the 14N nuclei in the amino acids, or in precursor molecules, which in turn couple to the molecular chirality. The subsequent chemical evolution and galactic mixing would ultimately populate the Galaxy with the selected species. The resulting amino acids could either be the source thereof on Earth, or could have triggered the chirality that was ultimately achieved for Earth's amino acids.

  8. Chaperone protein HYPK interacts with the first 17 amino acid region of Huntingtin and modulates mutant HTT-mediated aggregation and cytotoxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choudhury, Kamalika Roy [Crystallography and Molecular Biology Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India); Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Bhattacharyya, Nitai P., E-mail: nitai_sinp@yahoo.com [Biomedical Genomics Centre, PG Polyclinic Building, 5, Suburbun Hospital Road, Kolkata 700020 (India)

    2015-01-02

    Highlights: • HYPK reduces mutant HTT-mediated aggregate formation and cytotoxicity. • Interaction of HYPK with HTT requires N-terminal 17 amino acid of HTT (HTT-N17). • Deletion of HTT-N17 leads to SDS-soluble, smaller, nuclear aggregates. • These smaller aggregates do not associate with HYPK and are more cytotoxic. • Maybe, interaction of HYPK with amphipathic HTT-N17 block HTT aggregate formation. - Abstract: Huntington’s disease is a polyglutamine expansion disorder, characterized by mutant HTT-mediated aggregate formation and cytotoxicity. Many reports suggests roles of N-terminal 17 amino acid domain of HTT (HTT-N17) towards subcellular localization, aggregate formation and subsequent pathogenicity induced by N-terminal HTT harboring polyQ stretch in pathogenic range. HYPK is a HTT-interacting chaperone which can reduce N-terminal mutant HTT-mediated aggregate formation and cytotoxicity in neuronal cell lines. However, how HYPK interacts with N-terminal fragment of HTT remained unknown. Here we report that specific interaction of HYPK with HTT-N17 is crucial for the chaperone activity of HYPK. Deletion of HTT-N17 leads to formation of tinier, SDS-soluble nuclear aggregates formed by N-terminal mutant HTT. The increased cytotoxicity imparted by these tiny aggregates might be contributed due to loss of interaction with HYPK.

  9. Preparation of C-terminally modified chemokines by expressed protein ligation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, Lars; Steinhagen, Max; Beck-Sickinger, Annette G

    2013-01-01

    In order to link structural features on a molecular level to the function of chemokines, site-specific modification strategies are strongly required. These can be used to incorporate fluorescent dyes and/or physical probes to allow investigations in a wide range of biological and physical techniques, e.g., nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), or fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). Only a limited number of functional groups within the 20 canonical amino acids allow ligation strategies that can be helpful to introduce novel functionalities, which in turn expand the scope of chemoselective and orthogonal reactivity of (semi)synthetic chemokines. In the present chapter we mainly focus on the fabulous history of native chemical ligation (NCL) and provide a general protocol for the preparation of C-terminally modified SDF-1α including tips and tricks for practical work. We believe that this protocol can be easily adapted to other chemokines and many proteins in general.

  10. Activity of L-alpha-amino acids at the promiscuous goldfish odorant receptor 5.24

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Bolette; Wellendorph, Petrine; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

    2006-01-01

    The goldfish odorant receptor 5.24 is a member of family C of G protein-coupled receptors and is closely related to the human receptor GPRC6A. Receptor 5.24 has previously been shown to have binding affinity for L-alpha-amino acids, especially the basic amino acids arginine and lysine. Here we...

  11. Composition of amino acids, fatty acids and dietary fibre monomers ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    There is increasing demand for sources of energy and non-meat protein with balanced amino acid profiles worldwide. Nuts are rich in protein and essential amino acids, and have a high energy value due to their high fat content. Kernels from two wild fruits in Mozambique, Adansonia digitata and Sclerocarya birrea, were ...

  12. Content of selected amino acids in the gastrocnemius muscle during experimental hypothyroidism in rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gołyński Marcin

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Thyroid hormones affect protein turnover, and in the case of hypothyroidism a decrease in protein synthesis and reduced release of certain amino acids from skeletal muscles are observed. Changes in the amino acid system of skeletal muscles may be responsible for the occurrence of muscle disorders. Material and Methods: The study measured the content of selected amino acids in the gastrocnemius muscle of Wistar rats during experimental hypothyroidism induced by oral administration of methimazole at a concentration of 0.05% in drinking water for 90 d. The rats were divided into four groups: E1 (n = 6 - experimental males, E2 (n = 6 - experimental females, C1 (n = 6 - control males, and C2 (n = 6 control females. Results: A statistically significant reduction occurred in leucine, isoleucine, and 1-methylhistidine levels in males, and 1-methylhistidine in females, in comparison to the control groups. Conclusion: The hypothyroidism-induced changes in amino acid content may be responsible for the occurrence of skeletal muscle function disorders.

  13. Cyanobacteria as efficient producers of mycosporine-like amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Shikha; Prajapat, Ganshyam; Abrar, Mustari; Ledwani, Lalita; Singh, Anoop; Agrawal, Akhil

    2017-09-01

    Mycosporine-like amino acids are the most common group of transparent ultraviolet radiation absorbing intracellular secondary metabolites. These molecules absorb light in the range of ultraviolet-A and -B with a maximum absorbance between 310 and 362 nm. Cyanobacteria might have faced the most deleterious ultraviolet radiation, which leads to an evolution of ultraviolet protecting mycosporine-like amino acids for efficient selection in the environment. In the last 30 years, scientists have investigated various cyanobacteria for novel mycosporine-like amino acids, applying different induction techniques. This review organizes all the cyanobacterial groups that produce various mycosporine-like amino acids. We found out that cyanobacteria belonging to orders Synechococcales, Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales, and Nostocales are frequently studied for the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids, while orders Gloeobacterales, Spirulinales, Pleurocapsales, and Chroococcidiopsidales are still need to be investigated. Nostoc and Anabaena strains are major studied genus for the mycosporine-like amino acids production. Hence, this review will give further insight to the readers about potential mycosporine-like amino acid producing cyanobacterial groups in future investigations. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Regulation of intestinal protein metabolism by amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertrand, Julien; Goichon, Alexis; Déchelotte, Pierre; Coëffier, Moïse

    2013-09-01

    Gut homeostasis plays a major role in health and may be regulated by quantitative and qualitative food intake. In the intestinal mucosa, an intense renewal of proteins occurs, at approximately 50% per day in humans. In some pathophysiological conditions, protein turnover is altered and may contribute to intestinal or systemic diseases. Amino acids are key effectors of gut protein turnover, both as constituents of proteins and as regulatory molecules limiting intestinal injury and maintaining intestinal functions. Many studies have focused on two amino acids: glutamine, known as the preferential substrate of rapidly dividing cells, and arginine, another conditionally essential amino acid. The effects of glutamine and arginine on protein synthesis appear to be model and condition dependent, as are the involved signaling pathways. The regulation of gut protein degradation by amino acids has been minimally documented until now. This review will examine recent data, helping to better understand how amino acids regulate intestinal protein metabolism, and will explore perspectives for future studies.

  15. Lactobacillus kefiri shows inter-strain variations in the amino acid sequence of the S-layer proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malamud, Mariano; Carasi, Paula; Bronsoms, Sílvia; Trejo, Sebastián A; Serradell, María de Los Angeles

    2017-04-01

    The S-layer is a proteinaceous envelope constituted by subunits that self-assemble to form a two-dimensional lattice that covers the surface of different species of Bacteria and Archaea, and it could be involved in cell recognition of microbes among other several distinct functions. In this work, both proteomic and genomic approaches were used to gain knowledge about the sequences of the S-layer protein (SLPs) encoding genes expressed by six aggregative and sixteen non-aggregative strains of potentially probiotic Lactobacillus kefiri. Peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) analysis confirmed the identity of SLPs extracted from L. kefiri, and based on the homology with phylogenetically related species, primers located outside and inside the SLP-genes were employed to amplify genomic DNA. The O-glycosylation site SASSAS was found in all L. kefiri SLPs. Ten strains were selected for sequencing of the complete genes. The total length of the mature proteins varies from 492 to 576 amino acids, and all SLPs have a calculated pI between 9.37 and 9.60. The N-terminal region is relatively conserved and shows a high percentage of positively charged amino acids. Major differences among strains are found in the C-terminal region. Different groups could be distinguished regarding the mature SLPs and the similarities observed in the PMF spectra. Interestingly, SLPs of the aggregative strains are 100% homologous, although these strains were isolated from different kefir grains. This knowledge provides relevant data for better understanding of the mechanisms involved in SLPs functionality and could contribute to the development of products of biotechnological interest from potentially probiotic bacteria.

  16. Amino acid fermentation at the origin of the genetic code.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vladar, Harold P

    2012-02-10

    There is evidence that the genetic code was established prior to the existence of proteins, when metabolism was powered by ribozymes. Also, early proto-organisms had to rely on simple anaerobic bioenergetic processes. In this work I propose that amino acid fermentation powered metabolism in the RNA world, and that this was facilitated by proto-adapters, the precursors of the tRNAs. Amino acids were used as carbon sources rather than as catalytic or structural elements. In modern bacteria, amino acid fermentation is known as the Stickland reaction. This pathway involves two amino acids: the first undergoes oxidative deamination, and the second acts as an electron acceptor through reductive deamination. This redox reaction results in two keto acids that are employed to synthesise ATP via substrate-level phosphorylation. The Stickland reaction is the basic bioenergetic pathway of some bacteria of the genus Clostridium. Two other facts support Stickland fermentation in the RNA world. First, several Stickland amino acid pairs are synthesised in abiotic amino acid synthesis. This suggests that amino acids that could be used as an energy substrate were freely available. Second, anticodons that have complementary sequences often correspond to amino acids that form Stickland pairs. The main hypothesis of this paper is that pairs of complementary proto-adapters were assigned to Stickland amino acids pairs. There are signatures of this hypothesis in the genetic code. Furthermore, it is argued that the proto-adapters formed double strands that brought amino acid pairs into proximity to facilitate their mutual redox reaction, structurally constraining the anticodon pairs that are assigned to these amino acid pairs. Significance tests which randomise the code are performed to study the extent of the variability of the energetic (ATP) yield. Random assignments can lead to a substantial yield of ATP and maintain enough variability, thus selection can act and refine the assignments

  17. Formation of taste-active amino acids, amino acid derivatives and peptides in food fermentations - A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Cindy J; Schieber, Andreas; Gänzle, Michael G

    2016-11-01

    Fermented foods are valued for their rich and complex odour and taste. The metabolic activity of food-fermenting microorganisms determines food quality and generates odour and taste compounds. This communication reviews the formation of taste-active amino acids, amino acid derivatives and peptides in food fermentations. Pathways of the generation of taste compounds are presented for soy sauce, cheese, fermented meats, and bread. Proteolysis or autolysis during food fermentations generates taste-active amino acids and peptides; peptides derived from proteolysis particularly impart umami taste (e.g. α-glutamyl peptides) or bitter taste (e.g. hydrophobic peptides containing proline). Taste active peptide derivatives include pyroglutamyl peptides, γ-glutamyl peptides, and succinyl- or lactoyl amino acids. The influence of fermentation microbiota on proteolysis, and peptide hydrolysis, and the metabolism of glutamate and arginine is well understood, however, the understanding of microbial metabolic activities related to the formation of taste-active peptide derivatives is incomplete. Improved knowledge of the interactions between taste-active compounds will enable the development of novel fermentation strategies to develop tastier, less bitter, and low-salt food products, and may provide novel and "clean label" ingredients to improve the taste of other food products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Transport of acidic amino acids by human jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajendran, V.M.; Harig, J.M.; Adams, M.B.; Ramaswamy, K.

    1987-01-01

    This study characterizes the transport of radiolabeled acidic amino acids into brush-border membrane vesicles prepared from human jejunum. The uptakes of L-glutamic, L-aspartic, and D-aspartic acids were stimulated by a Na + gradient. Concentrative uptake (resulting in an overshoot phenomenon) of these dicarboxylic amino acids occurred when there was an outward K + gradient. In addition, increasing K + gradients resulted in enhanced uptake of L-glutamic acid. This K + requirement is somewhat specific as Rb + and Cs + could enhance uptake to a limited extent, whereas Li + and choline + showed no enhancement. The presence of a K + gradient did not affect the affinity of the carrier system for L-glutamic acid but it did increase the V/sub max/. The presence of extravesicular anions having differing membrane permeabilities did not altar L-glutamic acid uptake indicating an absence of an effect of membrane potential on the transport process. Finally, the human transport system for L-glutamic acid appears to be specific for acidic amino acids as demonstrated by inhibition studies. The studies demonstrate a transport system in human jejunum specific for acidic amino acids that is energized by an inward Na + gradient and an outward K + gradient

  19. Mutation-induced quisqualic acid and ibotenic acid affinity at the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 4: ligand selectivity results from a synergy of several amino acid residues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hermit, Mette B; Greenwood, Jeremy R; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

    2004-01-01

    The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are key modulators of excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. The eight mGluR subtypes are seven trans-membrane-spanning proteins that possess a large extracellular amino-terminal domain in which the endogenous ligand binding pocket...... resides. In this study, we have identified four non-conserved amino acid residues that are essential for differentiating mGluR1 from mGluR4. Our approach has been to increase the affinity of the classic mGluR1 agonists, quisqualic acid and ibotenic acid, at mGluR4 by making various point mutations......, the mutations K74Y and K317R induced dramatic triple-order-of-magnitude increases in the affinity of ibotenic acid at mGluR4, making the affinity equivalent to that of mGluR1. Furthermore, the affinity of quisqualic acid at mGluR4 was increased to the same level as mGluR1 by the two double mutations, K74Y/K317R...

  20. Toward Sustainable Amino Acid Production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usuda, Yoshihiro; Hara, Yoshihiko; Kojima, Hiroyuki

    Because the global amino acid production industry has been growing steadily and is expected to grow even more in the future, efficient production by fermentation is of great importance from economic and sustainability viewpoints. Many systems biology technologies, such as genome breeding, omics analysis, metabolic flux analysis, and metabolic simulation, have been employed for the improvement of amino acid-producing strains of bacteria. Synthetic biological approaches have recently been applied to strain development. It is also important to use sustainable carbon sources, such as glycerol or pyrolytic sugars from cellulosic biomass, instead of conventional carbon sources, such as glucose or sucrose, which can be used as food. Furthermore, reduction of sub-raw substrates has been shown to lead to reduction of environmental burdens and cost. Recently, a new fermentation system for glutamate production under acidic pH was developed to decrease the amount of one sub-raw material, ammonium, for maintenance of culture pH. At the same time, the utilization of fermentation coproducts, such as cells, ammonium sulfate, and fermentation broth, is a useful approach to decrease waste. In this chapter, further perspectives for future amino acid fermentation from one-carbon compounds are described.

  1. An NMR and ab initio quantum chemical study of acid-base equilibria for conformationally constrained acidic alpha-amino acids in aqueous solution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter Aadal; Jaroszewski, Jerzy W.; Norrby, Per-Ola

    2001-01-01

    The protonation states of a series of piperidinedicarboxylic acids (PDAs), which are conformationally constrained acidic alpha -amino acids, have been studied by C-13 NMR titration in water. The resulting data have been correlated with theoretical results obtained by HF/6-31+G* calculations using...

  2. Regulation of autophagy by mTOR and amino acids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ruf, Stefanie

    2016-01-01

    Amino acids are the molecular building blocks for proteins, which form the molecular framework of every cell. In addition, amino acids are also needed for the production of nucleotides and lipids to make DNA and membranes. Amino acids are essential biomolecules and without them cellular growth would

  3. Study of Temperature Effect on the Corrosion Inhibition of C38 Carbon Steel Using Amino-tris(Methylenephosphonic Acid in Hydrochloric Acid Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Najoua Labjar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Tafel polarization method was used to assess the corrosion inhibitive and adsorption behaviours of amino-tris(methylenephosphonic acid (ATMP for C38 carbon steel in 1 M HCl solution in the temperature range from 30 to 60∘C. It was shown that the corrosion inhibition efficiency was found to increase with increase in ATMP concentration but decreased with temperature, which is suggestive of physical adsorption mechanism. The adsorption of the ATMP onto the C38 steel surface was found to follow Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The corrosion inhibition mechanism was further corroborated by the values of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters obtained from the experimental data.

  4. Modulatory Effects of Dietary Amino Acids on Neurodegenerative Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajagopal, Senthilkumar; Sangam, Supraj Raja; Singh, Shubham; Joginapally, Venkateswara Rao

    2016-01-01

    Proteins are playing a vital role in maintaining the cellular integrity and function, as well as for brain cells. Protein intake and supplementation of individual amino acids can affect the brain functioning and mental health, and many of the neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids. The amino acid supplementation has been found to reduce symptoms, as they are converted into neurotransmitters which in turn extenuate the mental disorders. The biosynthesis of amino acids in the brain is regulated by the concentration of amino acids in plasma. The brain diseases such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), and Huntington's diseases (HD) are the most common mental disorders that are currently widespread in numerous countries. The intricate biochemical and molecular machinery contributing to the neurological disorders is still unknown, and in this chapter, we revealed the involvement of dietary amino acids on neurological diseases.

  5. d-Amino acids in molecular evolution in space - Absolute asymmetric photolysis and synthesis of amino acids by circularly polarized light.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugahara, Haruna; Meinert, Cornelia; Nahon, Laurent; Jones, Nykola C; Hoffmann, Søren V; Hamase, Kenji; Takano, Yoshinori; Meierhenrich, Uwe J

    2018-07-01

    Living organisms on the Earth almost exclusively use l-amino acids for the molecular architecture of proteins. The biological occurrence of d-amino acids is rare, although their functions in various organisms are being gradually understood. A possible explanation for the origin of biomolecular homochirality is the delivery of enantioenriched molecules via extraterrestrial bodies, such as asteroids and comets on early Earth. For the asymmetric formation of amino acids and their precursor molecules in interstellar environments, the interaction with circularly polarized photons is considered to have played a potential role in causing chiral asymmetry. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the investigation of chirality transfer from chiral photons to amino acids involving the two major processes of asymmetric photolysis and asymmetric synthesis. We will discuss analytical data on cometary and meteoritic amino acids and their potential impact delivery to the early Earth. The ongoing and future ambitious space missions, Hayabusa2, OSIRIS-REx, ExoMars 2020, and MMX, are scheduled to provide new insights into the chirality of extraterrestrial organic molecules and their potential relation to the terrestrial homochirality. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: d-Amino acids: biology in the mirror, edited by Dr. Loredano Pollegioni, Dr. Jean-Pierre Mothet and Dr. Molla Gianluca. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Fate of free amino acids in paddy and upland soils by using 13C and 15N tracer techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamuro, Shigekazu; Ueno, Hideto; Takahashi, Shigeru

    1999-01-01

    Direct and indirect (=through decomposition) uptakes of free amino acids (FAA) by rice and tomato plants were investigated by using 13 C- and 15 N-labeled aspartic and glutamic acids, serine, leusine and ammonium as tracers. 1) One week after the surface application of amino acid-N or NH 4 -N to paddy soil, the amounts of ammonium remaining in the soil, assimilated ammonium, denitrificated ammonium and amounts taken up by plants were similar. 2) From 5.5 to 7.7% of the FAA applied was absorbed directly by rice plants, and from 42.5 to 47.2% of that was indirectly absorbed as ammonium after decomposition. It is suggested that the FAA degraded to ammonium around 2 or 3 d and the 1- 13 C absorption rates of the FAA (RCH(NH 2 ) 13 COOH) were high in proportion to the number of carbon atoms of the R side-chain. 3) The absorption rate of N derived from the FAA by tomato plants was lower than that by rice plants, namely, from 0.4 to 1.9% in direct-uptake and from 16.0 to 29.8% in indirect-uptake. Percentage of direct-uptake of the FAA in upland soil was much lower than that in the paddy field. (author)

  7. [Amino acid level in pastry with low caloric value].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barkhatov, V Iu; Vyskubova, N K; Felipas, T B; Pshemurzova, R M; Kamenetskaia, E V

    1988-01-01

    The effect of fruit paste additives on amino acid composition of farinaceous and decorative confectionery semifinished products was studied to decrease their fuel value. It was found that a partial replacement of sugar and fat for apple and quince pastes in apple biscuit and apple shortbread semiproducts led to an increase in the content of essential and sulfur-containing amino acids. Cream prepared from egg albumin and quince paste had reduced content of amino acids (except for glutamic acid) due to the diminished content of egg albumin, however, the balance of amino acid composition was improved.

  8. Cytokines: muscle protein and amino acid metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Hall, Gerrit

    2012-01-01

    raises TNF-α and IL-6 to moderate levels, has only identified IL-6 as a potent cytokine, decreasing systemic amino acid levels and muscle protein metabolism. The marked decrease in circulatory and muscle amino acid concentrations was observed with a concomitant reduction in both the rates of muscle...... of IL-6 on the regulation of muscle protein metabolism but indirectly via IL-6 reducing amino acid availability. SUMMARY: Recent studies suggest that the best described cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 are unlikely to be the major direct mediators of muscle protein loss in inflammatory diseases. However...

  9. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation during bed rest: effect on recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, T. P.; Donaldson, M. R.; Leskiw, M. J.; Schluter, M. D.; Baggett, D. W.; Boden, G.

    2003-01-01

    Bed rest is associated with a loss of protein from the weight-bearing muscle. The objectives of this study are to determine whether increasing dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) during bed rest improves the anabolic response after bed rest. The study consisted of a 1-day ambulatory period, 14 days of bed rest, and a 4-day recovery period. During bed rest, dietary intake was supplemented with either 30 mmol/day each of glycine, serine, and alanine (group 1) or with 30 mmol/day each of the three BCAAs (group 2). Whole body protein synthesis was determined with U-(15)N-labeled amino acids, muscle, and selected plasma protein synthesis with l-[(2)H(5)]phenylalanine. Total glucose production and gluconeogenesis from alanine were determined with l-[U-(13)C(3)]alanine and [6,6-(2)H(2)]glucose. During bed rest, nitrogen (N) retention was greater with BCAA feeding (56 +/- 6 vs. 26 +/- 12 mg N. kg(-1). day(-1), P BCAA supplementation on either whole body, muscle, or plasma protein synthesis or the rate of 3-MeH excretion. Muscle tissue free amino acid concentrations were increased during bed rest with BCAA (0.214 +/- 0.066 vs. 0.088 +/- 0.12 nmol/mg protein, P BCAA group in the recovery phase. In conclusion, the improved N retention during bed rest is due, at least in part, to accretion of amino acids in the tissue free amino acid pools. The amount accreted is not enough to impact protein kinetics in the recovery phase but does improve N retention by providing additional essential amino acids in the early recovery phase.

  10. Up-Regulation of the Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters EAAT1 and EAAT2 by Mammalian Target of Rapamycin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abeer Abousaab

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: The excitatory amino-acid transporters EAAT1 and EAAT2 clear glutamate from the synaptic cleft and thus terminate neuronal excitation. The carriers are subject to regulation by various kinases. The EAAT3 isoform is regulated by mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR. The present study thus explored whether mTOR influences transport by EAAT1 and/or EAAT2. Methods: cRNA encoding wild type EAAT1 (SLC1A3 or EAAT2 (SLC1A2 was injected into Xenopus oocytes without or with additional injection of cRNA encoding mTOR. Dual electrode voltage clamp was performed in order to determine electrogenic glutamate transport (IEAAT. EAAT2 protein abundance was determined utilizing chemiluminescence. Results: Appreciable IEAAT was observed in EAAT1 or EAAT2 expressing but not in water injected oocytes. IEAAT was significantly increased by coexpression of mTOR. Coexpression of mTOR increased significantly the maximal IEAAT in EAAT1 or EAAT2 expressing oocytes, without significantly modifying affinity of the carriers. Moreover, coexpression of mTOR increased significantly EAAT2 protein abundance in the cell membrane. Conclusions: The kinase mTOR up-regulates the excitatory amino acid transporters EAAT1 and EAAT2.

  11. Covalently functionalized graphene sheets with biocompatible natural amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallakpour, Shadpour; Abdolmaleki, Amir; Borandeh, Sedigheh

    2014-01-01

    Graphene sheets were covalently functionalized with aromatic–aliphatic amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine) and aliphatic amino acids (alanine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine and valine) by simple and green procedure. For this aim, at first natural graphite was converted into graphene oxide (GO) through strong oxidation procedure; then, based on the surface-exposed epoxy and carboxylic acid groups in GO solid, its surface modification with naturally occurring amino acids, occurred easily throughout the corresponding nucleophilic substitution and condensation reactions. Amino acid functionalized graphene demonstrates stable dispersion in water and common organic solvents. Fourier transform infrared, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the nanostructures and properties of prepared materials. Each amino acid has different considerable effects on the structure and morphology of the pure graphite, from increasing the layer spacing to layer scrolling, based on their structures, functional groups and chain length. In addition, therogravimetric analysis was used for demonstrating a successful grafting of amino acid molecules to the surface of graphene.

  12. Changes in amino acid profile of alfalfa silage preserved by chemical and biological additives during fermentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaroslava Michálková

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Changes in amino acid profile of alfalfa silage preserved with chemical or biological additives were studied in fresh and wilted silage. The chemical additive was formic acid and the biological additive consisted of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. brevis, L. buchneri and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Second cut alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. was harvested at the bloom stage, ensiled in mini silos (15 dm3 and fermented at 20–23 °C for 12 weeks. The dry matter of the fresh silage was 228 g . kg−1 and 281.6 g . kg−1 for the wilted before ensiling. The amino acid content was estimated by using an automatic amino acid analyzer AAA (INGOS Prague. The results of the experiments indicated that amino acid breakdown was inhibited by increased dry matter and the use of chemical and biological additive. Additionally, the content of amino acids was found to change in relation to the degree of wilting and formic acid treatment yielded the lowest amino acid breakdown. The amino acid breakdown was also reduced by biological preservative especially in the silage with a higher level of dry matter content.

  13. Electronic-state control of amino acids on semiconductor surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oda, Masato; Nakayama, Takashi

    2005-01-01

    Electronic structures of amino acids on the Si(1 1 1) surfaces are investigated by using ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations. It is shown that among various polar amino acids, a histidine is the only one that can be positively ionized when hole carriers are supplied in the Si substrate, by transferring the hole charge from Si substrate to an amino acid. This result indicates that the ionization of a histidine, which will activate the protein functions, can be controlled electrically by producing amino acid/Si junctions

  14. 4-alkyl-L-(Dehydro)proline biosynthesis in actinobacteria involves N-terminal nucleophile-hydrolase activity of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase homolog for C-C bond cleavage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Guannan; Zhao, Qunfei; Zhang, Qinglin; Liu, Wen

    2017-07-01

    γ-Glutamyltranspeptidases (γ-GTs), ubiquitous in glutathione metabolism for γ-glutamyl transfer/hydrolysis, are N-terminal nucleophile (Ntn)-hydrolase fold proteins that share an autoproteolytic process for self-activation. γ-GT homologues are widely present in Gram-positive actinobacteria where their Ntn-hydrolase activities, however, are not involved in glutathione metabolism. Herein, we demonstrate that the formation of 4-Alkyl-L-(dehydro)proline (ALDP) residues, the non-proteinogenic α-amino acids that serve as vital components of many bioactive metabolites found in actinobacteria, involves unprecedented Ntn-hydrolase activity of γ-GT homologue for C-C bond cleavage. The related enzymes share a key Thr residue, which acts as an internal nucleophile for protein hydrolysis and then as a newly released N-terminal nucleophile for carboxylate side-chain processing likely through the generation of an oxalyl-Thr enzyme intermediate. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the biosynthesis of various ALDP residues/associated natural products, highlight the versatile functions of Ntn-hydrolase fold proteins, and particularly generate interest in thus far less-appreciated γ-GT homologues in actinobacteria.

  15. Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of (2S,4R)-2-amino-4-(3-(2,2-diphenylethylamino)-3-oxopropyl)pentanedioic acid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sagot, Emanuelle; Jensen, Anders A.; Pickering, Darryl S

    2008-01-01

    In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), the action of sodium dependent excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) is responsible for termination of glutamatergic neurotransmission by reuptake of ( S) -glutamate (Glu) from the synaptic cleft. Five EAAT subtypes have been identified, of which...

  16. Nucleotide and Predicted Amino Acid Sequence-Based Analysis of the Avian Metapneumovirus Type C Cell Attachment Glycoprotein Gene: Phylogenetic Analysis and Molecular Epidemiology of U.S. Pneumoviruses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, Rene; Lwamba, Humphrey M.; Kapczynski, Darrell R.; Njenga, M. Kariuki; Seal, Bruce S.

    2003-01-01

    A serologically distinct avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) was isolated in the United States after an outbreak of turkey rhinotracheitis (TRT) in February 1997. The newly recognized U.S. virus was subsequently demonstrated to be genetically distinct from European subtypes and was designated aMPV serotype C (aMPV/C). We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the cell attachment glycoprotein (G) of aMPV/C (Colorado strain and three Minnesota isolates) and predicted amino acid sequence by sequencing cloned cDNAs synthesized from intracellular RNA of aMPV/C-infected cells. The nucleotide sequence comprised 1,321 nucleotides with only one predicted open reading frame encoding a protein of 435 amino acids, with a predicted Mr of 48,840. The structural characteristics of the predicted G protein of aMPV/C were similar to those of the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) attachment G protein, including two mucin-like regions (heparin-binding domains) flanking both sides of a CX3C chemokine motif present in a conserved hydrophobic pocket. Comparison of the deduced G-protein amino acid sequence of aMPV/C with those of aMPV serotypes A, B, and D, as well as hRSV revealed overall predicted amino acid sequence identities ranging from 4 to 16.5%, suggesting a distant relationship. However, G-protein sequence identities ranged from 72 to 97% when aMPV/C was compared to other members within the aMPV/C subtype or 21% for the recently identified human MPV (hMPV) G protein. Ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous nucleotide changes were greater than one in the G gene when comparing the more recent Minnesota isolates to the original Colorado isolate. Epidemiologically, this indicates positive selection among U.S. isolates since the first outbreak of TRT in the United States. PMID:12682171

  17. Mechanisms controlling renal hemodynamics and electrolyte excretion during amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woods, L.L.; Mizelle, H.L.; Montani, J.P.; Hall, J.E.

    1986-01-01

    Our purpose was to investigate the mechanisms by which increased plasma amino acids elevate renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Since transport of amino acids and Na + is linked in the proximal tubule, the authors hypothesized that increased amino acids might stimulate proximal tubular Na + reabsorption (PR/sub Na/) and thus increase RBF and GFR by a macula densa feedback mechanism. A solution of four amino acids (Ala, Ser, Gly, Pro) was infused intravenously into anesthetized dogs with normal kidneys (NK) and with kidneys in which the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism was blunted by lowering renal artery pressure (LPK) or blocked by making the kidneys nonfiltering (NFK). In NK, RBF and GFR increased by 35 +/- 4% and 30 +/- 7% after 90 min of amino acid infusion, while PR/sub Na/ (estimated from lithium clearance) and O 2 consumption increased by 31 +/- 5% and 29 +/- 5% and distal Na + delivery remained relatively constant. Autoregulation of RBF and GFR in response to step deceases in renal artery pressure was impaired during amino acids in NK. The hemodynamic responses to amino acids were abolished in LPK and NFK. Infusion of the nonmetabolized α-aminoisobutyric acid into NK produced changes in renal hemodynamics that were similar to the responses observed with the four metabolizable amino acids. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that elevation of plasma amino acids increases RBF and GFR by a mechanism that requires an intact macula densa feedback. Metabolism of the amino acids does not appear to be necessary for these changes to occur

  18. Mechanisms controlling renal hemodynamics and electrolyte excretion during amino acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woods, L.L.; Mizelle, H.L.; Montani, J.P.; Hall, J.E.

    1986-08-01

    Our purpose was to investigate the mechanisms by which increased plasma amino acids elevate renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Since transport of amino acids and Na is linked in the proximal tubule, the authors hypothesized that increased amino acids might stimulate proximal tubular Na reabsorption (PR/sub Na/) and thus increase RBF and GFR by a macula densa feedback mechanism. A solution of four amino acids (Ala, Ser, Gly, Pro) was infused intravenously into anesthetized dogs with normal kidneys (NK) and with kidneys in which the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism was blunted by lowering renal artery pressure (LPK) or blocked by making the kidneys nonfiltering (NFK). In NK, RBF and GFR increased by 35 +/- 4% and 30 +/- 7% after 90 min of amino acid infusion, while PR/sub Na/ (estimated from lithium clearance) and O2 consumption increased by 31 +/- 5% and 29 +/- 5% and distal Na delivery remained relatively constant. Autoregulation of RBF and GFR in response to step deceases in renal artery pressure was impaired during amino acids in NK. The hemodynamic responses to amino acids were abolished in LPK and NFK. Infusion of the nonmetabolized -aminoisobutyric acid into NK produced changes in renal hemodynamics that were similar to the responses observed with the four metabolizable amino acids. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that elevation of plasma amino acids increases RBF and GFR by a mechanism that requires an intact macula densa feedback. Metabolism of the amino acids does not appear to be necessary for these changes to occur.

  19. Effects of amino acids and metabolizable energy on egg ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Jane

    2011-08-31

    Aug 31, 2011 ... rate. All amino acids are not available in the feedstuffs for maintenance and production. Parts of amino acids are indigestible and can vary among different .... Fertility and hatch- ability are the major economical traits in broiler breeder reproductive performance. Main effects of amino acid of feedstuffs was ...

  20. [Effect of glucocorticoides on the release of amino acids in the perfused rat hindquarter (author's transl)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thienhaus, R; Tharandt, L; Zais, U; Staib, W

    1975-06-01

    The release of amino acids by skeletal muscle was studied in the isolated perfused rat hindquarter. Adrenalectomy depressed the formation of glutamine and alanine as well as the efflux of all other amino acids measured. Betamethasone--a synthetic glucocorticoid--caused a significant increase in the efflux of nearly all amino acids up to the level of normal controls. The release of amino acids was also increased in perfused hindquarters of diabetic rats. On the other hand, insulin exhibited a depressing effect on the release of amino acids by hindquarters of normal rats. The metabolic integrity of the muscle tissue was proved by measuring creatine phosphate, ATP, ADP and water content as well as by the significant insulin effect on glucose uptake and on [14C]leucine incorporation into muscle proteins.

  1. Amino acid metabolism of Lemna minor L

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhodes, D.; Rich, P.J.; Brunk, D.G.

    1989-01-01

    A serious limitation to the use of N(O,S)-heptafluorobutyryl isobutyl amino acid derivatives in the analysis of 15 N-labeling kinetics of amino acids in plant tissues, is that the amides glutamine and asparagine undergo acid hydrolysis to glutamate and aspartate, respectively, during derivatization. This led us to consider an alternative procedure for derivatization of glutamine and asparagine with N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide in pyridine. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry yielded fragment ions (M-57) of mass 417 and 431 for the [ 14 N]asparagine and [ 14 N]glutamine derivatives, respectively, suitable for monitoring unlabeled, single- 15 N- and double- 15 N-labeled amide species from the ion clusters at mass to charge ratio (m/z) 415 to 423 for asparagine, and m/z 429 to 437 for glutamine. From separate analyses of the specific isotope abundance of the amino-N groups of asparagine and glutamine as their N-heptafluorobutyryl isobutyl derivatives, the specific amide-[ 15 N] abundance of these amino acids was determined

  2. Abiotic racemization kinetics of amino acids in marine sediments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steen, Andrew; Jørgensen, Bo Barker; Lomstein, Bente Aagaard

    2013-01-01

    Enantiomeric ratios of amino acids can be used to infer the sources and composition of sedimentary organic matter. Such inferences, however, rely on knowing the rates at which amino acids in sedimentary organic racemize abiotically. Based on a heating experiment, we report Arrhenius parameters...... between different amino acids or depths. These results can be used in conjunction with measurements of sediment age to predict the ratio of D:L amino acids due solely to abiotic racemization of the source material, deviations from which can indicate the abundance and turnover of active microbial...

  3. Amino acids fortification of low-protein diet for broilers under tropical climate. 2. Nonessential amino acids and increasing essential amino acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elmutaz Atta Awad

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available A three-week trial was carried out to evaluate the effect of nonessential amino acids (NEAA supplementation to a low-crude protein (CP diet with adequate essential amino acids (EAA level on growth performance, blood metabolites, and relative weights of abdominal fat, breast yield, and internal organs in broiler chickens raised under tropical hot and humid environment. Five isocaloric (3000 metabolisable energy/kg corn-soybean diets were administered (1 to 21 days to 5 groups of broilers (60 birds/group as follows: i 22.2% CP (positive control; PC; ii 16.2% CP+all EAA to meet or exceed the National Research Council (1994 recommendations (negative control; NC; iii NC+further EAA to equal the levels in the PC diet; iv NC+NEAA to equal the levels in the PC; v NC+EAA and NEAA to equal the amino acids levels in the PC diet. The results showed that the fortification of EAA alone, only improved feed intake (FI, whereas, addition of NEAA or EAA+NEAA significantly enhanced body weight, daily weight gain, and FI and decreased the feed conversion ratio to the same levels as in PC. Serum uric acid was significantly reduced and serum triglyceride increased in NC group. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on relative weights of heart, liver, abdominal fat, breast meat yield, serum albumin, and serum total protein. In conclusion, these results suggest that NEAA fortification may improve the growth performance of broilers fed an excessive low-CP diet under tropical hot and humid condition.

  4. Antioxidative Categorization of Twenty Amino Acids Based on Experimental Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Naijin; Chen, Guanqun; Liu, Hui

    2017-11-27

    In view of the great importance bestowed on amino acids as antioxidants in oxidation resistance, we attempted two common redox titration methods in this report, including micro-potassium permanganate titration and iodometric titration, to measure the antioxidative capacity of 20 amino acids, which are the construction units of proteins in living organisms. Based on the relative intensities of the antioxidative capacity, we further conducted a quantitative comparison and found out that the product of experimental values obtained from the two methods was proven to be a better indicator for evaluating the relative antioxidative capacity of amino acids. The experimental results were largely in accordance with structural analysis made on amino acids. On the whole, the 20 amino acids concerned could be divided into two categories according to their antioxidative capacity. Seven amino acids, including tryptophan, methionine, histidine, lysine, cysteine, arginine and tyrosine, were greater in total antioxidative capacity compared with the other 13 amino acids.

  5. Optimization of amino acid type-specific 13C and 15N labeling for the backbone assignment of membrane proteins by solution- and solid-state NMR with the UPLABEL algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hefke, Frederik; Bagaria, Anurag; Reckel, Sina; Ullrich, Sandra Johanna; Dötsch, Volker; Glaubitz, Clemens; Güntert, Peter

    2011-01-01

    We present a computational method for finding optimal labeling patterns for the backbone assignment of membrane proteins and other large proteins that cannot be assigned by conventional strategies. Following the approach of Kainosho and Tsuji (Biochemistry 21:6273–6279 (1982)), types of amino acids are labeled with 13 C or/and 15 N such that cross peaks between 13 CO(i – 1) and 15 NH(i) result only for pairs of sequentially adjacent amino acids of which the first is labeled with 13 C and the second with 15 N. In this way, unambiguous sequence-specific assignments can be obtained for unique pairs of amino acids that occur exactly once in the sequence of the protein. To be practical, it is crucial to limit the number of differently labeled protein samples that have to be prepared while obtaining an optimal extent of labeled unique amino acid pairs. Our computer algorithm UPLABEL for optimal unique pair labeling, implemented in the program CYANA and in a standalone program, and also available through a web portal, uses combinatorial optimization to find for a given amino acid sequence labeling patterns that maximize the number of unique pair assignments with a minimal number of differently labeled protein samples. Various auxiliary conditions, including labeled amino acid availability and price, previously known partial assignments, and sequence regions of particular interest can be taken into account when determining optimal amino acid type-specific labeling patterns. The method is illustrated for the assignment of the human G-protein coupled receptor bradykinin B2 (B 2 R) and applied as a starting point for the backbone assignment of the membrane protein proteorhodopsin.

  6. Subcellular SIMS imaging of isotopically labeled amino acids in cryogenically prepared cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandra, Subhash

    2004-01-01

    Ion microscopy is a potentially powerful technique for localization of isotopically labeled molecules. In this study, L-arginine and phenylalanine amino acids labeled with stable isotopes 13 C and 15 N were localized in cultured cells with the ion microscope at 500 nm spatial resolution. Cells were exposed to the labeled amino acids and cryogenically prepared. SIMS analyses were made in fractured freeze-dried cells. A dynamic distribution was observed from labeled arginine-treated LLC-PK 1 kidney cells at mass 28 ( 13 C 15 N) in negative secondaries, revealing cell-to-cell heterogeneity and preferential accumulation of the amino acid (or its metabolite) in the nucleus and nucleolus of some cells. The smaller nucleolus inside the nucleus was clearly resolved in SIMS images and confirmed by correlative light microscopy. The distribution of labeled phenylalanine contrasted with arginine as it was rather homogeneously distributed in T98G human glioblastoma cells. Images of 39 K, 23 Na and 40 Ca were also recorded to confirm the reliability of sample preparation and authenticity of the observed amino acid distributions. These observations indicate that SIMS techniques can provide a valuable technology for subcellular localization of nitrogen-containing molecules in proteomics since nitrogen does not have a radionuclide tracer isotope. Amino acids labeled with stable isotopes can be used as tracers for studying their transport and metabolism in distinct subcellular compartments with SIMS. Further studies of phenylalanine uptake in human glioblastoma cells may have special significance in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) as a boron analogue of phenylalanine, boronophenylalanine is a clinically approved compound for the treatment of brain tumors

  7. Subcellular SIMS imaging of isotopically labeled amino acids in cryogenically prepared cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chandra, Subhash

    2004-06-15

    Ion microscopy is a potentially powerful technique for localization of isotopically labeled molecules. In this study, L-arginine and phenylalanine amino acids labeled with stable isotopes {sup 13}C and {sup 15}N were localized in cultured cells with the ion microscope at 500 nm spatial resolution. Cells were exposed to the labeled amino acids and cryogenically prepared. SIMS analyses were made in fractured freeze-dried cells. A dynamic distribution was observed from labeled arginine-treated LLC-PK{sub 1} kidney cells at mass 28 ({sup 13}C{sup 15}N) in negative secondaries, revealing cell-to-cell heterogeneity and preferential accumulation of the amino acid (or its metabolite) in the nucleus and nucleolus of some cells. The smaller nucleolus inside the nucleus was clearly resolved in SIMS images and confirmed by correlative light microscopy. The distribution of labeled phenylalanine contrasted with arginine as it was rather homogeneously distributed in T98G human glioblastoma cells. Images of {sup 39}K, {sup 23}Na and {sup 40}Ca were also recorded to confirm the reliability of sample preparation and authenticity of the observed amino acid distributions. These observations indicate that SIMS techniques can provide a valuable technology for subcellular localization of nitrogen-containing molecules in proteomics since nitrogen does not have a radionuclide tracer isotope. Amino acids labeled with stable isotopes can be used as tracers for studying their transport and metabolism in distinct subcellular compartments with SIMS. Further studies of phenylalanine uptake in human glioblastoma cells may have special significance in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) as a boron analogue of phenylalanine, boronophenylalanine is a clinically approved compound for the treatment of brain tumors.

  8. Fortifying Horticultural Crops with Essential Amino Acids: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guoping; Xu, Mengyun; Wang, Wenyi; Galili, Gad

    2017-06-19

    To feed the world's growing population, increasing the yield of crops is not the only important factor, improving crop quality is also important, and it presents a significant challenge. Among the important crops, horticultural crops (particularly fruits and vegetables) provide numerous health compounds, such as vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be produced by the organism and, therefore, must be obtained from diet, particularly from meat, eggs, and milk, as well as a variety of plants. Extensive efforts have been devoted to increasing the levels of essential amino acids in plants. Yet, these efforts have been met with very little success due to the limited genetic resources for plant breeding and because high essential amino acid content is generally accompanied by limited plant growth. With a deep understanding of the biosynthetic pathways of essential amino acids and their interactions with the regulatory networks in plants, it should be possible to use genetic engineering to improve the essential amino acid content of horticultural plants, rendering these plants more nutritionally favorable crops. In the present report, we describe the recent advances in the enhancement of essential amino acids in horticultural plants and possible future directions towards their bio-fortification.

  9. Amino acid fermentation at the origin of the genetic code

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    There is evidence that the genetic code was established prior to the existence of proteins, when metabolism was powered by ribozymes. Also, early proto-organisms had to rely on simple anaerobic bioenergetic processes. In this work I propose that amino acid fermentation powered metabolism in the RNA world, and that this was facilitated by proto-adapters, the precursors of the tRNAs. Amino acids were used as carbon sources rather than as catalytic or structural elements. In modern bacteria, amino acid fermentation is known as the Stickland reaction. This pathway involves two amino acids: the first undergoes oxidative deamination, and the second acts as an electron acceptor through reductive deamination. This redox reaction results in two keto acids that are employed to synthesise ATP via substrate-level phosphorylation. The Stickland reaction is the basic bioenergetic pathway of some bacteria of the genus Clostridium. Two other facts support Stickland fermentation in the RNA world. First, several Stickland amino acid pairs are synthesised in abiotic amino acid synthesis. This suggests that amino acids that could be used as an energy substrate were freely available. Second, anticodons that have complementary sequences often correspond to amino acids that form Stickland pairs. The main hypothesis of this paper is that pairs of complementary proto-adapters were assigned to Stickland amino acids pairs. There are signatures of this hypothesis in the genetic code. Furthermore, it is argued that the proto-adapters formed double strands that brought amino acid pairs into proximity to facilitate their mutual redox reaction, structurally constraining the anticodon pairs that are assigned to these amino acid pairs. Significance tests which randomise the code are performed to study the extent of the variability of the energetic (ATP) yield. Random assignments can lead to a substantial yield of ATP and maintain enough variability, thus selection can act and refine the assignments

  10. Amino acid fermentation at the origin of the genetic code

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de Vladar Harold P

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract There is evidence that the genetic code was established prior to the existence of proteins, when metabolism was powered by ribozymes. Also, early proto-organisms had to rely on simple anaerobic bioenergetic processes. In this work I propose that amino acid fermentation powered metabolism in the RNA world, and that this was facilitated by proto-adapters, the precursors of the tRNAs. Amino acids were used as carbon sources rather than as catalytic or structural elements. In modern bacteria, amino acid fermentation is known as the Stickland reaction. This pathway involves two amino acids: the first undergoes oxidative deamination, and the second acts as an electron acceptor through reductive deamination. This redox reaction results in two keto acids that are employed to synthesise ATP via substrate-level phosphorylation. The Stickland reaction is the basic bioenergetic pathway of some bacteria of the genus Clostridium. Two other facts support Stickland fermentation in the RNA world. First, several Stickland amino acid pairs are synthesised in abiotic amino acid synthesis. This suggests that amino acids that could be used as an energy substrate were freely available. Second, anticodons that have complementary sequences often correspond to amino acids that form Stickland pairs. The main hypothesis of this paper is that pairs of complementary proto-adapters were assigned to Stickland amino acids pairs. There are signatures of this hypothesis in the genetic code. Furthermore, it is argued that the proto-adapters formed double strands that brought amino acid pairs into proximity to facilitate their mutual redox reaction, structurally constraining the anticodon pairs that are assigned to these amino acid pairs. Significance tests which randomise the code are performed to study the extent of the variability of the energetic (ATP yield. Random assignments can lead to a substantial yield of ATP and maintain enough variability, thus selection can

  11. Meteoritic Amino Acids: Diversity in Compositions Reflects Parent Body Histories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elsila, Jamie E.; Aponte, Jose C.; Blackmond, Donna G.; Burton, Aaron S.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.

    2016-01-01

    The analysis of amino acids in meteorites dates back over 50 years; however, it is only in recent years that research has expanded beyond investigations of a narrow set of meteorite groups (exemplied by the Murchison meteorite) into meteorites of other types and classes. These new studies have shown a wide diversity in the abundance and distribution of amino acids across carbonaceous chondrite groups, highlighting the role of parent body processes and composition in the creation, preservation, or alteration of amino acids. Although most chiral amino acids are racemic in meteorites, the enantiomeric distribution of some amino acids, particularly of the nonprotein amino acid isovaline, has also been shown to vary both within certain meteorites and across carbonaceous meteorite groups. Large -enantiomeric excesses of some extraterrestrial protein amino acids (up to 60) have also been observed in rare cases and point to nonbiological enantiomeric enrichment processes prior to the emergence of life. In this Outlook, we review these recent meteoritic analyses, focusing on variations in abundance, structural distributions, and enantiomeric distributions of amino acids and discussing possible explanations for these observations and the potential for future work.

  12. Corrosion control of vanadium in aqueous solutions by amino acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Rabiee, M.M.; Helal, N.H.; El-Hafez, Gh.M. Abd; Badawy, W.A.

    2008-01-01

    The electrochemical behavior of vanadium in amino acid free and amino acid containing aqueous solutions of different pH was studied using open-circuit potential measurements, polarization techniques and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The corrosion current density, i corr , the corrosion potential, E corr and the corrosion resistance, R corr , were calculated. A group of amino acids, namely, glycine, alanine, valine, histidine, glutamic and cysteine has been investigated as environmentally safe inhibitors. The effect of Cl - on the corrosion inhibition efficiency especially in acid solutions was investigated. In neutral and basic solutions, the presence of amino acids increases the corrosion resistance of the metal. The electrochemical behavior of V before and after the corrosion inhibition process has shown that some amino acids like glutamic acid and histidine have promising corrosion inhibition efficiency at low concentration (≅25 mM). The inhibition efficiency (η) was found to depend on the structure of the amino acid and the constituents of the corrosive medium. The corrosion inhibition process is based on the adsorption of the amino acid molecules on the metal surface and the adsorption process follows the Freundlich isotherm. The adsorption free energy for valine on V in acidic solutions was found to be -9.4 kJ/mol which reveals strong physical adsorption of the amino acid molecules on the vanadium surface

  13. Amino acid composition in parenteral nutrition: what is the evidence?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarandi, Shadi S.; Zhao, Vivian M.; Hebbar, Gautam; Ziegler, Thomas R.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose of review Complete parenteral nutrition solutions contain mixed amino acid products providing all nine essential amino acids and a varying composition of nonessential amino acids. Relatively little rigorous comparative efficacy research on altered parenteral nutrition amino acid composition has been published in recent years. Recent findings Limited data from randomized, double-blind, adequately powered clinical trials to define optimal doses of total or individual amino acids in parenteral nutrition are available. An exception is the growing number of studies on the efficacy of glutamine supplementation of parenteral nutrition or given as a single parenteral agent. Parenteral glutamine appears to confer benefit in selected patients; however, additional data to define optimal glutamine dosing and the patient subgroups who may most benefit from this amino acid are needed. Although some promising studies have been published, little data are available in the current era of nutrition support on the clinical efficacy of altered doses of arginine, branched chain amino acids, cysteine, or taurine supplementation of parenteral nutrition. Summary Despite routine use of parenteral nutrition, surprisingly little clinical efficacy data are available to guide total or specific amino acid dosing in adult and pediatric patients requiring this therapy. This warrants increased attention by the research community and funding agencies to better define optimal amino acid administration strategies in patient subgroups requiring parenteral nutrition. PMID:21076291

  14. Polymers with complexing properties. Simple poly(amino acids)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roque, J. M.

    1978-01-01

    The free amino (0.3 equiv/residue) and carboxyl (0.5 equiv/residue) groups of thermal polylysine increased dramatically on treatment with distilled water. The total hydrolysis of such a polymer was abnormal in that only about 50% of the expected amino acids were recovered. Poly (lysine-co-alanine-co-glycine) under usual conditions hydrolyzed completely in 8 hours; whereas, when it was pretreated with diazomethane, a normal period of 24 hours was required to give (nearly) the same amounts of each free amino acid as compared with those obtained from the untreated polymer. The amino groups of the basic thermal poly(amino acids) were sterically hindered. The existence of nitrogen atoms linking two or three chains and reactive groups (anhydride, imine) were proposed.

  15. Catalytically important amino-acid residues of abalone alginate lyase HdAly assessed by site-directed mutagenesis

    OpenAIRE

    Yamamoto, Sayo; Sahara, Takehiko; Sato, Daisuke; Kawasaki, Kosei; Ohgiya, Satoru; Inoue, Akira; Ojima, Takao

    2008-01-01

    Alginate lyase is an enzyme that degrades alginate chains via β-elimination and has been used for the production of alginate oligosaccharides and protoplasts from brown algae. Previously, we deduced the amino-acid sequence of an abalone alginate lyase, HdAly, from its cDNA sequence and, through multiple amino-acid sequence alignment, found that several basic amino-acid residues were highly conserved among the polysaccharide-lyase family 14 (PL-14) enzymes including HdAly. In the present study...

  16. Interactive Hangman teaches amino acid structures and abbreviations

    OpenAIRE

    Pennington, BO; Sears, D; Clegg, DO

    2014-01-01

    © 2014 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(6):495-500, 2014. We developed an interactive exercise to teach students how to draw the structures of the 20 standard amino acids and to identify the one-letter abbreviations by modifying the familiar game of "Hangman." Amino acid structures were used to represent single letters throughout the game. To provide additional practice in identifying structures, hints to the answers were written in "amino acid sentences" f...

  17. Soft X-ray-induced decomposition of amino acids: An XPS, mass spectrometry, and NEXAFS study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zubavichus, Yan; Fuchs, Oliver; Weinhardt, Lothar; Heske, Clemens; Umbach, Eberhard; Denlinger, Jonathan D.; Grunze, Michael

    2003-01-01

    Decomposition of five amino acids, alanine, serine, cysteine, aspartic acid, and asparagine, under irradiation with soft X-rays (magnesium Ka X-ray source) in ultra-high vacuum was studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and mass spectrometry. A comparative analysis of changes in XPS line shapes, stoichiometry and residual gas composition indicates that the molecules decompose by several pathways. Dehydration, decarboxylation, decarbonylation,deamination and desulfurization of pristine molecules accompanied by desorption of H2, H2O, CO2, CO, NH3and H2S are observed with rates depending on the specific amino acid. NEXAFS spectra of cysteine at the carbon, oxygen and nitrogen K-shell and sulfur L2,3 edges complement the XPS and mass spectrometry data and show that the exposure of the sample to an intense soft X-ray synchrotron beam results in the formation of C-C and C-N double and triple bonds. Qualitatively, the amino acids studied can be arranged in the following ascending order of radiation stability:serine< alanine< aspartic acid< cysteine< asparagine

  18. An SFG study of interfacial amino acids at the hydrophilic SiO2 and hydrophobic deuterated polystyrene surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holinga, George J; York, Roger L; Onorato, Robert M; Thompson, Christopher M; Webb, Nic E; Yoon, Alfred P; Somorjai, Gabor A

    2011-04-27

    Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was employed to characterize the interfacial structure of eight individual amino acids--L-phenylalanine, L-leucine, glycine, L-lysine, L-arginine, L-cysteine, L-alanine, and L-proline--in aqueous solution adsorbed at model hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Specifically, SFG vibrational spectra were obtained for the amino acids at the solid-liquid interface between both hydrophobic d(8)-polystyrene (d(8)-PS) and SiO(2) model surfaces and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.4. At the hydrophobic d(8)-PS surface, seven of the amino acids solutions investigated showed clear and identifiable C-H vibrational modes, with the exception being l-alanine. In the SFG spectra obtained at the hydrophilic SiO(2) surface, no C-H vibrational modes were observed from any of the amino acids studied. However, it was confirmed by quartz crystal microbalance that amino acids do adsorb to the SiO(2) interface, and the amino acid solutions were found to have a detectable and widely varying influence on the magnitude of SFG signal from water at the SiO(2)/PBS interface. This study provides the first known SFG spectra of several individual amino acids in aqueous solution at the solid-liquid interface and under physiological conditions.

  19. Profile of Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, Carotenoid Total, and α-Tocopherol from Flying Fish Eggs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aulia Azka

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Flying fish are found in waters of eastern Indonesia, which until now is still limited information about nutritional content. The purpose of this research was determine the composition of fatty acids, amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol flying fish eggs (Hyrundicthys sp.. The composition of fatty acid was measured by gas chromatography (GC, while amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol was measured by High performanced Liquid Chromatography (HPLC. Egg contained 22 fatty acids such as saturated fatty acid 29.71%, monounsaturated fatty acid 7.86%, and polysaturated fatty acid 13.64%. The result showed that eggs flying fish contained 17 amino acids, such as essential amino acid 14.96% and non-essential amino acids 20.27%. Eggs contained a total carotenoid of 245.37 ppm. α-tocopherol content of flying fish eggs by 1.06 ppm.

  20. Cross-protective immunity to Leishmania amazonensis is mediated by CD4+ and CD8+-epitopes of Leishmania donovani Nucleoside Hydrolase terminal domains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dirlei eNico

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The Nucleoside hydrolase of Leishmania donovani (NH36 is a phylogenetic marker of high homology among Leishmania parasites. In mice and dog vaccination NH36 induces a CD4+ T cell-driven protective response against Leishmania chagasi infection directed against its C-terminal domain (F3. The C-terminal and N-terminal domain vaccines also decreased the footpad lesion caused by Leishmania amazonensis. We studied the basis of the crossed immune response using recombinant generated peptides covering the whole NH36 sequence and saponin for mice prophylaxis against L. amazonensis. The F1 (amino acids 1-103 and F3 peptide (amino acids 199-314 vaccines enhanced the IgG and IgG2a anti-NH36 antibodies to similar levels. The F3 vaccine induced the strongest DTH response, the highest proportions of NH36-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells after challenge and the highest expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α. The F1 vaccine, on the other hand, induced a weaker but significant DTH response and a mild enhancement of IFN-γ and TNF-α levels. The in vivo depletion with anti-CD4 or CD8 monoclonal antibodies disclosed that cross-protection against L. amazonensis infection was mediated by a CD4+ T cell response directed against the C-terminal domain (75% of reduction of the size of footpad lesion followed by a CD8+ T cell response against the N-terminal domain of NH36 (57% of reduction of footpad lesions. Both vaccines were capable of inducing long-term cross-immunity. The amino acid sequence of NH36 showed 93% identity to the sequence of the NH A34480 of L. amazonensis which also showed the presence of completely conserved predicted epitopes for CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in F1 domain, and of CD4+ epitopes differing in a single amino acid, in F1 and F3 domains. The identification of the C-terminal and N-terminal domains as the targets of the immune response to NH36 in the model of L. amazonesis infection represents a basis for the rationale development of a bivalent vaccine

  1. Laboratory generated artifacts in plasma amino acid quantitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ananth Nanjunda Rao

    2002-10-01

    Full Text Available The pace of physicians? involvement in amino acid metabolism has been enormous in the last five decades. With further development of technology to identify and quantitate upto picomoles of amino acids, their metabolites and related peptides, diagnosis and effective medical intervention in cases of inherited metabolic disorders have been well within the reach of the clinician. Automatic amino acid analyzers have become an essential part of major medical and research centers around the world. The technology has come indeed as a boon to physicians who in particular deal with inherited defects of amino acid metabolism. However, the technology comes with the risk of major deviations from the actual results when a few minor variations are not looked into. Trivial variations in basic steps of obtaining the sample, the choice of anticoagulant, hemolysis etc. can cause significant variations in the resulting values, particularly while dealing with inherited defects of amino acid metabolism and their treatment/management. Effects of such factors are revisited here for the benefit of the modern day laboratory personnel.

  2. The structural analysis of protein sequences based on the quasi-amino acids code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ping, Zhu; Xu-Qing, Tang; Zhen-Yuan, Xu

    2009-01-01

    Proteomics is the study of proteins and their interactions in a cell. With the successful completion of the Human Genome Project, it comes the postgenome era when the proteomics technology is emerging. This paper studies protein molecule from the algebraic point of view. The algebraic system (Σ, +, *) is introduced, where Σ is the set of 64 codons. According to the characteristics of (Σ, +, *), a novel quasi-amino acids code classification method is introduced and the corresponding algebraic operation table over the set ZU of the 16 kinds of quasi-amino acids is established. The internal relation is revealed about quasi-amino acids. The results show that there exist some very close correlations between the properties of the quasi-amino acids and the codon. All these correlation relationships may play an important part in establishing the logic relationship between codons and the quasi-amino acids during the course of life origination. According to Ma F et al (2003 J. Anhui Agricultural University 30 439), the corresponding relation and the excellent properties about amino acids code are very difficult to observe. The present paper shows that (ZU, ⊕, ) is a field. Furthermore, the operational results display that the codon tga has different property from other stop codons. In fact, in the mitochondrion from human and ox genomic codon, tga is just tryptophane, is not the stop codon like in other genetic code, it is the case of the Chen W C et al (2002 Acta Biophysica Sinica 18(1) 87). The present theory avoids some inexplicable events of the 20 kinds of amino acids code, in other words it solves the problem of 'the 64 codon assignments of mRNA to amino acids is probably completely wrong' proposed by Yang (2006 Progress in Modern Biomedicine 6 3). (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  3. Mycosporine like amino acids in brown algae

    OpenAIRE

    Serban Radu; Stoian Gheorghe

    2013-01-01

    Biosynthesis of mycosporine and accumulation in cells serves as protection, by shielding the cells sensitive molecules Mycosporine-like aminoacids (MAAs) are derivated compounds of mycosporine that contains an amino-cyclohexenimine ring liked to an amino acid, amino alcohol or amino group. They preesent absorbtion maximum between 320 and 360 nm.

  4. Determination of amino acids in industrial effluents contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahar, M.T.; Khuhawar, M.Y.

    2014-01-01

    38 samples of soil for 19 locations partially irrigated on the effluents of sugar mill and oil andghee mill, bottom sediments of evaporation ponds of sugar and fertilizer industries were collected and analyzed for amino acids after acid digestion by gas chromatography using pre column derivatization with trifluroacetyleacetone and ethyl chloroformate. The results obtained were compared with the soil samples irrigated with fresh water. The soil samples were also analyzed for pH, total nitrogen contents and organic carbon. Nine essential (leucine (Leu), threonine (Thr), lysine (Lys), L-phenylalanine (Phe), tryptophan (Trp), histadine (His), L-valine (Val), methionine (Met) and isoleucine Ile) and ten non-essential ( alanine (Ala), cysteine (Cys), asparagine (Asn), glutamic acid (Glu), serine (Ser), glycine (Gly), proline (Pro), Glutamine (Gln), aspartic acid (Asp), tyrosine (Tyr)) amino acids were analyzed 13-15 amino acids were identified and determined quantitatively from soil samples. Amino acids Met, Asn, Gln and Trp were observed absent from all the samples. The variation in the amino acids contents in soil with the industrial effluents added and total nitrogen and organic carbon is discussed. (author)

  5. Glucagon and Amino Acids Are Linked in a Mutual Feedback Cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holst, Jens J; Wewer Albrechtsen, Nicolai J; Pedersen, Jens

    2017-01-01

    ; neither condition is necessarily associated with disturbed glucose metabolism. In glucagonoma patients, amino acid turnover and ureagenesis are greatly accelerated, and low plasma amino acid levels are probably at least partly responsible for the necrolytic migratory erythema, which resolves after amino...... acid administration. In patients with receptor mutations (and in knockout mice), pancreatic swelling is due to α-cell hyperplasia with gross hypersecretion of glucagon, which according to recent groundbreaking research may result from elevated amino acid levels. Additionally, solid evidence indicates...... that ureagenesis, and thereby amino acid levels, is critically controlled by glucagon. Together, this constitutes a complete endocrine system; feedback regulation involving amino acids regulates α-cell function and secretion, while glucagon, in turn, regulates amino acid turnover....

  6. Solid state radiolysis of non-proteinaceous amino acids in vacuum. Astrochemical implications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franco Cataldo; Giancarlo Angelini; Yaser Hafez; Susana Iglesias-Groth

    2013-01-01

    The analysis of the amino acids present in Murchison meteorite and in other carbonaceous chondrites has revealed the presence of 66 different amino acids. Only eight of these 66 amino acids are proteinaceous amino acids used by the present terrestrial biochemistry in protein synthesis, the other 58 amino acids are somewhat 'rare' or unusual or even 'unknown' for the current terrestrial biochemistry. For this reason in the present work a series of 'uncommon' non-proteinaceous amino acids, namely, l-2-aminobutyric acid, R(-)-2-aminobutyric acid, 2-aminoisobutyric acid (or α-aminoisobutyric acid), l-norleucine, l-norvaline, l-β-leucine, l-β-homoalanine, l-β-homoglutamic acid, S(-)-α-methylvaline and dl-3-aminoisobutyric acid were radiolyzed in vacuum at 3.2 MGy a dose equivalent to that emitted in 1.05 x 10 9 years from the radionuclide decay in the bulk of asteroids or comets. The residual amount of each amino acid under study remained after radiolysis was determined by differential scanning calorimetry in comparison to pristine samples. For optically active amino acids, the residual amount of each amino acid remained after radiolysis was also determined by optical rotatory dispersion spectroscopy and by polarimetry. With these analytical techniques it was possible to measure also the degree of radioracemization undergone by each amino acid after radiolysis. It was found that the non-proteinaceous amino acids in general do not show a higher radiation and radioracemization resistance in comparison to the common 20 proteinaceous amino acids studied previously. The unique exception is represented by ?-aminoisobutyric acid which shows an extraordinary resistance to radiolysis since 96.6 % is recovered unchanged after 3.2 MGy. Curiously α-aminoisobutyric acid is the most abundant amino acid found in carbonaceous chondrites. In Murchison meteorite α-aminoisobutyric acid represents more than 20 % of the total 66 amino acids found in this meteorite. (author)

  7. Prebiotic Amino Acid Thioester Synthesis: Thiol-Dependent Amino Acid Synthesis from Formose substrates (Formaldehyde and Glycolaldehyde) and Ammonia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Arthur L.

    1998-01-01

    Formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde (substrates of the formose autocatalytic cycle) were shown to react with ammonia yielding alanine and homoserine under mild aqueous conditions in the presence of thiol catalysts. Since similar reactions carried out without ammonia yielded alpha-hydroxy acid thioesters, the thiol-dependent synthesis of alanine and homoserine is presumed to occur via amino acid thioesters-intermediates capable of forming peptides. A pH 5.2 solution of 20 mM formaldehyde, 20 mM glycolaldehyde, 20 mM ammonium chloride, 23 mM 3-mercaptopropionic acid, and 23 mM acetic acid that reacted for 35 days at 40 C yielded (based on initial formaldehyde) 1.8% alanine and 0.08% homoserine. In the absence of thiol catalyst, the synthesis of alanine and homoserine was negligible. Alanine synthesis required both formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde, but homoserine synthesis required only glycolaldehyde. At 25 days the efficiency of alanine synthesis calculated from the ratio of alanine synthesized to formaldehyde reacted was 2.1%, and the yield (based on initial formaldehyde) of triose and tetrose intermediates involved in alanine and homoserine synthesis was 0.3 and 2.1%, respectively. Alanine synthesis was also seen in similar reactions containing only 10 mM each of aldehyde substrates, ammonia, and thiol. The prebiotic significance of these reactions that use the formose reaction to generate sugar intermediates that are converted to reactive amino acid thioesters is discussed.

  8. Mutagenesis Analysis Reveals Distinct Amino Acids of the Human Serotonin 5-HT2C Receptor Underlying the Pharmacology of Distinct Ligands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yue; Canal, Clinton E; Cordova-Sintjago, Tania C; Zhu, Wanying; Booth, Raymond G

    2017-01-18

    While exploring the structure-activity relationship of 4-phenyl-2-dimethylaminotetralins (PATs) at serotonin 5-HT 2C receptors, we discovered that relatively minor modification of PAT chemistry impacts function at 5-HT 2C receptors. In HEK293 cells expressing human 5-HT 2C-INI receptors, for example, (-)-trans-3'-Br-PAT and (-)-trans-3'-Cl-PAT are agonists regarding Gα q -inositol phosphate signaling, whereas (-)-trans-3'-CF 3 -PAT is an inverse agonist. To investigate the ligand-receptor interactions that govern this change in function, we performed site-directed mutagenesis of 14 amino acids of the 5-HT 2C receptor based on molecular modeling and reported G protein-coupled receptor crystal structures, followed by molecular pharmacology studies. We found that S3.36, T3.37, and F5.47 in the orthosteric binding pocket are critical for affinity (K i ) of all PATs tested, we also found that F6.44, M6.47, C7.45, and S7.46 are primarily involved in regulating EC/IC 50 functional potencies of PATs. We discovered that when residue S5.43, N6.55, or both are mutated to alanine, (-)-trans-3'-CF 3 -PAT switches from inverse agonist to agonist function, and when N6.55 is mutated to leucine, (-)-trans-3'-Br-PAT switches from agonist to inverse agonist function. Notably, most point-mutations that affected PAT pharmacology did not significantly alter affinity (K D ) of the antagonist radioligand [ 3 H]mesulergine, but every mutation tested negatively impacted serotonin binding. Also, amino acid mutations differentially affected the pharmacology of other commercially available 5-HT 2C ligands tested. Collectively, the data show that functional outcomes shared by different ligands are mediated by different amino acids and that some 5-HT 2C receptor residues important for pharmacology of one ligand are not necessarily important for another ligand.

  9. Effect of the ratio between essential and nonessential amino acids in the diet on utilization of nitrogen and amino acids by growing pigs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lenis, N.P.; Diepen, van H.T.M.; Bikker, P.; Jongbloed, A.W.; Meulen, van der J.

    1999-01-01

    In 36 growing pigs (30 to 60 kg), N balance and amino acid (AA) composition of weight gain were measured to evaluate the interactive effect of the ratio between N from essential amino acids (EAA(N)) to nonessential amino acids (NEAA(N)) and total N level (T(N)) in the diet on N retention and

  10. Mycosporine like amino acids in brown algae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serban Radu

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Biosynthesis of mycosporine and accumulation in cells serves as protection, by shielding the cells sensitive molecules Mycosporine-like aminoacids (MAAs are derivated compounds of mycosporine that contains an amino-cyclohexenimine ring liked to an amino acid, amino alcohol or amino group. They preesent absorbtion maximum between 320 and 360 nm.

  11. Proliferation-dependent changes in amino acid transport and glucose metabolism in glioma cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasajima, Toshio; Miyagawa, Tadashi; Oku, Takamitsu; Gelovani, Juri G.; Finn, Ronald; Blasberg, Ronald

    2004-01-01

    Amino acid imaging is increasingly being used for assessment of brain tumor malignancy, extent of disease, and prognosis. This study explores the relationship between proliferative activity, amino acid transport, and glucose metabolism in three glioma cell lines (U87, Hs683, C6) at different phases of growth in culture. Growth phase was characterized by direct cell counting, proliferation index determined by flow cytometry, and [ 3 H]thymidine (TdR) accumulation, and was compared with the uptake of two non-metabolized amino acids ([ 14 C]aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid (ACPC) and [ 14 C]aminoisobutyric acid (AIB)), and [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Highly significant relationships between cell number (density), proliferation index, and TdR accumulation rate were observed in all cell lines (r>0.99). Influx (K 1 ) of both ACPC and AIB was directly related to cell density, and inversely related to the proliferation index and TdR accumulation in all cell lines. The volume of distribution (V d ) for ACPC and AIB was lowest during rapid growth and highest during the near-plateau growth phase in all cell lines. FDG accumulation in Hs683 and C6 cells was unaffected by proliferation rate, growth phase, and cell density, whereas FDG accumulation was correlated with TdR accumulation, growth phase, and cell density in U87 cells. This study demonstrates that proliferation rate and glucose metabolism are not necessarily co-related in all glioma cell lines. The values of K 1 and V d for ACPC and AIB under different growth conditions suggest that these tumor cell lines can up-regulate amino acid transporters in their cell membranes when their growth conditions become adverse and less than optimal. (orig.)

  12. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation during bed rest: effect on recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, T. P.; Donaldson, M. R.; Leskiw, M. J.; Schluter, M. D.; Baggett, D. W.; Boden, G.

    2003-01-01

    Bed rest is associated with a loss of protein from the weight-bearing muscle. The objectives of this study are to determine whether increasing dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) during bed rest improves the anabolic response after bed rest. The study consisted of a 1-day ambulatory period, 14 days of bed rest, and a 4-day recovery period. During bed rest, dietary intake was supplemented with either 30 mmol/day each of glycine, serine, and alanine (group 1) or with 30 mmol/day each of the three BCAAs (group 2). Whole body protein synthesis was determined with U-(15)N-labeled amino acids, muscle, and selected plasma protein synthesis with l-[(2)H(5)]phenylalanine. Total glucose production and gluconeogenesis from alanine were determined with l-[U-(13)C(3)]alanine and [6,6-(2)H(2)]glucose. During bed rest, nitrogen (N) retention was greater with BCAA feeding (56 +/- 6 vs. 26 +/- 12 mg N. kg(-1). day(-1), P < 0.05). There was no effect of BCAA supplementation on either whole body, muscle, or plasma protein synthesis or the rate of 3-MeH excretion. Muscle tissue free amino acid concentrations were increased during bed rest with BCAA (0.214 +/- 0.066 vs. 0.088 +/- 0.12 nmol/mg protein, P < 0.05). Total glucose production and gluconeogenesis from alanine were unchanged with bed rest but were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) with the BCAA group in the recovery phase. In conclusion, the improved N retention during bed rest is due, at least in part, to accretion of amino acids in the tissue free amino acid pools. The amount accreted is not enough to impact protein kinetics in the recovery phase but does improve N retention by providing additional essential amino acids in the early recovery phase.

  13. Amino acid repletion does not decrease muscle protein catabolism during hemodialysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raj, Dominic S C; Adeniyi, Oladipo; Dominic, Elizabeth A; Boivin, Michel A; McClelland, Sandra; Tzamaloukas, Antonios H; Morgan, Nancy; Gonzales, Lawrence; Wolfe, Robert; Ferrando, Arny

    2007-06-01

    Intradialytic protein catabolism is attributed to loss of amino acids in the dialysate. We investigated the effect of amino acid infusion during hemodialysis (HD) on muscle protein turnover and amino acid transport kinetics by using stable isotopes of phenylalanine, leucine, and lysine in eight patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Subjects were studied at baseline (pre-HD), 2 h of HD without amino acid infusion (HD-O), and 2 h of HD with amino acid infusion (HD+AA). Amino acid depletion during HD-O augmented the outward transport of amino acids from muscle into the vein. Increased delivery of amino acids to the leg during HD+AA facilitated the transport of amino acids from the artery into the intracellular compartment. Increase in muscle protein breakdown was more than the increase in synthesis during HD-O (46.7 vs. 22.3%, P HD-O compared with pre-HD (-33.7 +/- 1.5 vs. -6.0 +/- 2.3, P acids, the net balance (-16.9 +/- 1.8) did not switch from net release to net uptake. HD+AA induced a proportional increase in muscle protein synthesis and catabolism. Branched chain amino acid catabolism increased significantly from baseline during HD-O and did not decrease during HD+AA. Protein synthesis efficiency, the fraction of amino acid in the intracellular pool that is utilized for muscle protein synthesis decreased from 42.1% pre-HD to 33.7 and 32.6% during HD-O and HD+AA, respectively (P acid repletion during HD increased muscle protein synthesis but did not decrease muscle protein breakdown.

  14. Incorporation of 14CO2 and 15NH4 into amino acids of the two subunits of fraction 1 protein in spinach leaves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sano, Chiaki; Ito, Osamu; Yoneyama, Tadakatsu; Kumazawa, Kikuo

    1978-01-01

    14 Co 2 and 15 NH 4 were applied to spinach leaf discs, and the incorporation of 14 C and 15 N into the constituent amino acids of subunits in Fraction 1 protein was traced. The solution containing NaH 14 CO 3 and ( 15 NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 was vacuum-infiltrated into leaf discs, which were then incubated under light condition for 8 hr. The leaf discs were immediately frozen with liquid nitrogen after the incubation. The Fraction 1 protein was isolated and purified according to Kawashima's method, and separated into two subunits by his method. These subunits were hydrolyzed, and the hydrolyzates were analyzed by amino acid analyzer. The determination of 14 C activity and 15 N content in each amino acid was performed as previously described. Glycine and aspartic acid showed the highest 14 C specific activity among free amino acids. The distribution pattern of 14 C in bound amino acids almost reflected the distribution in free amino acids, though the 14 C specific activity in the former was lower than that in the latter. There was some difference in the 14 C specific activity of large and small subunits. The 15 N content of glutamine was the highest among free amino acids. This result coincides with the previous conclusion that when ammonium was applied to the free cells separated from spinach leaves, it was initially incorporated into glutamine in the sequence of its assimilation. Glutamic acid and serine showed the highest 15 N content among bound amino acids. (Kobatake, H.)

  15. Amino acid biogeo- and stereochemistry in coastal Chilean sediments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lomstein, Bente Aagaard; Jørgensen, Bo Barker; Schubert, Carsten J.

    2006-01-01

    The spatial distribution of total hydrolysable amino acids (THAA) and amino acid enantiomers (D- and L-forms) was investigated in sediments underlying two contrasting Chilean upwelling regions,: at ~23°S off Antofagasta and at ~36°S off Concepcion. The contribution of amino acids to total organic...... carbon (%TAAC: 7-14%) and total nitrogen (%TAAN: 23-38%) in surface sediments decreased with increasing water depth (from 126 to 1350 m) indicating that organic matter becomes increasingly decomposed in surface sediments at greater water depth. Changes in the ratio between the protein amino acid...... aspartate and its non-protein degradation product β-alanine confirmed this observation. Furthermore, estimates of THAA mineralization showed that sedimentary amino acid reactivity decreased with both increasing water depth as well as progressive degradation status of the organic matter that was incorporated...

  16. Protein evolution via amino acid and codon elimination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goltermann, Lise; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Banerjee, Rajat

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Global residue-specific amino acid mutagenesis can provide important biological insight and generate proteins with altered properties, but at the risk of protein misfolding. Further, targeted libraries are usually restricted to a handful of amino acids because there is an exponential...... correlation between the number of residues randomized and the size of the resulting ensemble. Using GFP as the model protein, we present a strategy, termed protein evolution via amino acid and codon elimination, through which simplified, native-like polypeptides encoded by a reduced genetic code were obtained...... simultaneously), while retaining varying levels of activity. Combination of these substitutions to generate a Phe-free variant of GFP abolished fluorescence. Combinatorial re-introduction of five Phe residues, based on the activities of the respective single amino acid replacements, was sufficient to restore GFP...

  17. Adsorption of nucleic acid bases and amino acids on single-walled carbon and boron nitride nanotubes: a first-principles study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Jiaxin; Song, Wei; Wang, Lu; Lu, Jing; Luo, Guangfu; Zhou, Jing; Qin, Rui; Li, Hong; Gao, Zhengxiang; Lai, Lin; Li, Guangping; Mei, Wai Ning

    2009-11-01

    We study the adsorptions of nucleic acid bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), thymine (T), and uracil (U) and four amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, alanine on the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and boron nitride nanotubes (SWBNNTs) by using density functional theory. We find that the aromatic content plays a critical role in the adsorption. The adsorptions of nucleic acid bases and amino acids on the (7, 7) SWBNNT are stronger than those on the (7, 7) SWCNT. Oxidative treatment of SWCNTs favors the adsorption of biomolecules on nanotubes.

  18. From Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation to Artificial Metalloenzymes

    KAUST Repository

    Makki, Arwa

    2016-01-01

    This thesis explores a novel strategy based on the site-selective incorporation of unnatural, metal binding amino acids into a host protein. The unnatural amino acids can either serve directly as metal binding centers can

  19. Method Development for Efficient Incorporation of Unnatural Amino Acids

    KAUST Repository

    Harris, Paul D.

    2014-04-01

    The synthesis of proteins bearing unnatural amino acids has the potential to enhance and elucidate many processes in biochemistry and molecular biology. There are two primary methods for site specific unnatural amino acid incorporation, both of which use the cell’s native protein translating machinery: in vitro chemical acylation of suppressor tRNAs and the use of orthogonal amino acyl tRNA synthetases. Total chemical synthesis is theoretically possible, but current methods severely limit the maximum size of the product protein. In vivo orthogonal synthetase methods suffer from the high cost of the unnatural amino acid. In this thesis I sought to address this limitation by increasing cell density, first in shake flasks and then in a bioreactor in order to increase the yield of protein per amount of unnatural amino acid used. In a parallel project, I used the in vitro chemical acylation system to incorporate several unnatural amino acids, key among them the fluorophore BODIPYFL, with the aim of producing site specifically fluorescently labeled protein for single molecule FRET studies. I demonstrated successful incorporation of these amino acids into the trial protein GFP, although incorporation was not demonstrated in the final target, FEN1. This also served to confirm the effectiveness of a new procedure developed for chemical acylation.

  20. Method Development for Efficient Incorporation of Unnatural Amino Acids

    KAUST Repository

    Harris, Paul D.

    2014-01-01

    The synthesis of proteins bearing unnatural amino acids has the potential to enhance and elucidate many processes in biochemistry and molecular biology. There are two primary methods for site specific unnatural amino acid incorporation, both of which use the cell’s native protein translating machinery: in vitro chemical acylation of suppressor tRNAs and the use of orthogonal amino acyl tRNA synthetases. Total chemical synthesis is theoretically possible, but current methods severely limit the maximum size of the product protein. In vivo orthogonal synthetase methods suffer from the high cost of the unnatural amino acid. In this thesis I sought to address this limitation by increasing cell density, first in shake flasks and then in a bioreactor in order to increase the yield of protein per amount of unnatural amino acid used. In a parallel project, I used the in vitro chemical acylation system to incorporate several unnatural amino acids, key among them the fluorophore BODIPYFL, with the aim of producing site specifically fluorescently labeled protein for single molecule FRET studies. I demonstrated successful incorporation of these amino acids into the trial protein GFP, although incorporation was not demonstrated in the final target, FEN1. This also served to confirm the effectiveness of a new procedure developed for chemical acylation.