STUDIES ON THE REGULATION OF CELLULASE ACTIVITY AND GROWTH IN EXCISED PEA EPICOTYL SECTIONS

1967 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1837-1844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Der-Fong Fan ◽  
G. A. Maclachlan

Applied indoleacetic acid (10−4 – 10−6 M) increased elongation and the amount and specific activity of cellulase in sections detached from the epicotyl of Pisum sativum L. var. Alaska. Actinomycin D (20 μg/ml) inhibited growth and the capacity of sections for synthesizing protein from absorbed 14C-leucine. At the same time it caused cellulase levels to decrease at a rate which indicated a half-life for the enzyme of less than 24 h. Pea cellulase was most stable in vitro between pH 6 and 7; at or below pH 5 its rate of denaturation was comparable to its turnover rate in vivo. Fractionation of sections yielded wall preparations which contained cellulase at a higher specific activity than particles or supernatant. It is concluded that cellulase is synthesized in excised sections by an auxin-regulated mechanism. It is proposed that the enzyme is transported to the wall where it may promote elongation and eventually become denatured.

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (05) ◽  
pp. 805-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuo Takahashi ◽  
Yoshitaka Hosaka ◽  
Hiromi Niina ◽  
Katsuaki Nagasawa ◽  
Masaaki Naotsuka ◽  
...  

SummaryWe examined the anticoagulant activity of two major molecules of soluble thrombomodulin purified from human urine. The apparent molecular weights of these urinary thrombomodulins (UTMs) were 72,000 and 79,000, respectively. Both UTMs showed more potent cofactor activity for protein C activation [specific activity >5,000 thrombomodulin units (TMU)/mg] than human placental thrombomodulin (2,180 TMU/mg) and rabbit lung thrombomodulin (1,980 TMU/mg). The UTMs prolonged thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting time (>1 TMU/ml), APTT (>5 TMU/ml), TT (>5 TMU/ml) and PT (>40 TMU/ml) in a dose-dependent fashion. These effects appeared in the concentration range of soluble thrombomodulins present in human plasma and urine. In the rat DIC model induced by thromboplastin, administration of UTMs by infusion (300-3,000 TMU/kg) restored the hematological abnormalities derived from DIC in a dose-dependent fashion. These results demonstrate that UTMs exhibit potent anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities, and could play a physiologically important role in microcirculation.


1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (03) ◽  
pp. 244-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
D P Thomas ◽  
Rosemary E Merton ◽  
T W Barrowcliffe ◽  
L Thunberg ◽  
U Lindahl

SummaryThe in vitro and in vivo characteristics of two oligosaccharide heparin fragments have been compared to those of unfractionated mucosal heparin. A decasaccharide fragment had essentially no activity by APTT or calcium thrombin time assays in vitro, but possessed very high specific activity by anti-Factor Xa assays. When injected into rabbits at doses of up to 80 ¼g/kg, this fragment was relatively ineffective in impairing stasis thrombosis despite producing high blood levels by anti-Xa assays. A 16-18 monosaccharide fragment had even higher specific activity (almost 2000 iu/mg) by chromogenic substrate anti-Xa assay, with minimal activity by APTT. When injected in vivo, this fragment gave low blood levels by APTT, very high anti-Xa levels, and was more effective in preventing thrombosis than the decasaccharide fragment. However, in comparison with unfractionated heparin, the 16-18 monosaccharide fragment was only partially effective in preventing thrombosis, despite producing much higher blood levels by anti-Xa assays.It is concluded that the high-affinity binding of a heparin fragment to antithrombin III does not by itself impair venous thrombogenesis, and that the anti-Factor Xa activity of heparin is only a partial expression of its therapeutic potential.


1968 ◽  
Vol 57 (3_Suppl) ◽  
pp. S19-S35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Å. Hjalmarson

ABSTRACT In vitro addition of bovine growth hormone (GH) to intact hemidiaphragms from hypophysectomized rats has previously been found to produce both an early stimulatory effect lasting for 2—3 hours and a subsequent late inhibitory effect during which the muscle is insensitive to further addition of GH (Hjalmarson 1968). These effects on the accumulation rate of α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) and D-xylose have been further studied. In presence of actinomycin D (20 μg/ml) or puromycin (100 μg/ml) the duration of the stimulatory effect of GH (25 μg/ml) was prolonged to last for at least 4—5 hours and the late inhibitory effect was prevented. Similar results were obtained when glucose-free incubation medium was used. Preincubation of the diaphragm at different glucose concentrations (0—5 mg/ml) for 3 hours did not change the GH sensitivity. Addition of insulin at start of incubation could not prevent GH from inducing its late inhibitory effect, while dexamethasone seemed to potentiate this effect of GH. Furthermore, adrenaline was found to decrease the uptake of AIB-14C and D-xylose-14C in the diaphragm, but not to change the sensitivity of the muscle to GH. Preincubation of the diaphragm for 3 hours with puromycin in a concentration of 200 μg/ml markedly decreased the subsequent basal uptake of both AIB-14C and D-xylose-14C, in the presence of puromycin, and abolished the stimulatory effect of GH on the accumulation of AIB-14C. However, the effect of GH on the accumulation of D-xylose-14C was unchanged. The present observations are discussed and evaluated in relation to various mechanisms of GH action proposed to explain the dual nature of the hormone.


1972 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 741-757
Author(s):  
Otto Linèt

ABSTRACT Rat adrenal glands atrophied by the administration of cortisol acetate in vivo were used as a model for the study of early metabolic processes occurring in vitro. Atrophied adrenals incubated in the presence of 14C-leucine incorporated subnormal quantities of this amino acid per mg of protein for the first 120 min. When the incubation lasted for a total period of 180 or 240 min a supranormal rise in the 14C-leucine incorporation was observed. Similar changes occurred with some delay with regard to corticosterone production as expressed per 100 mg of tissue. No differences in 14C-leucine incorporation were observed between the control and atrophied adrenals in vivo. Homogenates from atrophied glands incorporated 14C-leucine to a greater extent than the control homogenates. The in vitro incorporation of 14C-orotic acid into the RNA was also higher in atrophied adrenals. The in vitro use of actinomycin D, cycloheximide and amphenone indicated that corticosterone production depended on the incorporation of 14C-leucine. The addition of cortisol to the incubation media markedly decreased the enhancement of 14C-lysine incorporation into the protein of atrophied adrenals. These, as well as additional results suggest rebound phenomena: once atrophic adrenals are transferred to cortisol-free media, reparative processes begin after a delay period. Such phenomena seem to be mediated by regulatory mechanisms at the adrenal level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changpeng Wang ◽  
Siwei Zhang ◽  
Yuefei Zou ◽  
Hongzhao Ma ◽  
Donglang Jiang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Some neuropsychological diseases are associated with abnormal thiamine metabolism, including Korsakoff–Wernicke syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease. However, in vivo detection of the status of brain thiamine metabolism is still unavailable and needs to be developed. Methods A novel PET tracer of 18F-deoxy-thiamine was synthesized using an automated module via a two-step route. The main quality control parameters, such as specific activity and radiochemical purity, were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Radiochemical concentration was determined by radioactivity calibrator. Metabolic kinetics and the level of 18F-deoxy-thiamine in brains of mice and marmosets were studied by micro-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). In vivo stability, renal excretion rate, and biodistribution of 18F-deoxy-thiamine in the mice were assayed using HPLC and γ-counter, respectively. Also, the correlation between the retention of cerebral 18F-deoxy-thiamine in 60 min after injection as represented by the area under the curve (AUC) and blood thiamine levels was investigated. Results The 18F-deoxy-thiamine was stable both in vitro and in vivo. The uptake and clearance of 18F-deoxy-thiamine were quick in the mice. It reached the max standard uptake value (SUVmax) of 4.61 ± 0.53 in the liver within 1 min, 18.67 ± 7.04 in the kidney within half a minute. The SUV dropped to 0.72 ± 0.05 and 0.77 ± 0.35 after 60 min of injection in the liver and kidney, respectively. After injection, kidney, liver, and pancreas exhibited high accumulation level of 18F-deoxy-thiamine, while brain, muscle, fat, and gonad showed low accumulation concentration, consistent with previous reports on thiamine distribution in mice. Within 90 min after injection, the level of 18F-deoxy-thiamine in the brain of C57BL/6 mice with thiamine deficiency (TD) was 1.9 times higher than that in control mice, and was 3.1 times higher in ICR mice with TD than that in control mice. The AUC of the tracer in the brain of marmosets within 60 min was 29.33 ± 5.15 and negatively correlated with blood thiamine diphosphate levels (r = − 0.985, p = 0.015). Conclusion The 18F-deoxy-thiamine meets the requirements for ideal PET tracer for in vivo detecting the status of cerebral thiamine metabolism.


1972 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A.-B. Badawy

1. Salicylate, in concentrations of 0.25mm and above, enhances the basal activity of tyrosine–2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase in homogenates of rat liver incubated in the absence of added pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (endogenous activity). The effect is decreased by increasing the concentration of the cofactor. 2. The intraperitoneal administration of sodium salicylate enhances the activity of rat liver tyrosine aminotransferase; the major effect during the first hour being on the enzyme in the absence of added pyridoxal phosphate. Actinomycin D prevents the induction of the enzyme by cortisol and tryptophan. Induction by pyridoxine or salicylate is 50% inhibited by actinomycin D. The effects of the injections of various combinations of cortisol, pyridoxine and salicylate were also studied in the absence or presence of actinomycin D. 3. It is suggested that salicylate induces rat liver tyrosine aminotransferase by displacing its protein-bound cofactor and that a cofactor-type induction of the hepatic enzyme occurs in pyridoxine-treated rats.


1975 ◽  
Vol 146 (3) ◽  
pp. 675-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
S G Siddell ◽  
R J Ellis

The function of plastid ribosomes in pea (Pisum sativum L.) was investigated by characterizing the products of protein synthesis in vitro in plastids isolated at different stages during the transition from etioplast to chloroplast. Etioplasts and plastids isolated after 24, 48 and 96h of greening in continuous white light, use added ATP to incorporate labelled amino acids into protein. Plastids isolated from greening leaves can also use light as the source of energy for protein synthesis. The labelled polypeptides synthesized in isolated plastids were analysed by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate-ureapolyacrylamide gels. Six polypeptides are synthesized in etioplasts with ATP as energy source. Only one of these polypeptides is present in a 150 000g supernatant fraction. This polypeptide has been identified as the large subunit of Fraction I protein (3-phospho-D-glycerate carboxylyase EC 4.1.1.39) by comparing the tryptic ‘map’ of its L-(35S)methionine-labelled peptides with the tryptic ‘map’ of large subunit peptides from Fraction I labelled with L-(35S)methionine in vivo. The same gel pattern of six polypeptides is seen when plastids isolated from greening leaves are incubated with either added ATP or light as the energy source. However, the rates of synthesis of particular polypeptides are different in plastids isolated at different stages of the etioplast to chloroplast transition. The results support the idea that plastid ribosomes synthesize only a small number of proteins, and that the number and molecular weight of these proteins does not alter during the formation of chloroplasts from etioplasts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
Saima Khan ◽  
Meenu Katoch ◽  
Sharada Mallubhotla ◽  
Suphla Gupta ◽  
Manju Sambyal ◽  
...  

The potential of various culture lines of Atropa acuminata were investigated for resourcing acid phosphatase (ACP) (3.1.3.2). Crude enzyme extract comprised of a mixture of four isoforms, distinguishable by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) with molecular weight ranging from 39 to 215 kDa. In vitro regenerated proliferative shoots, callus and roots showed higher specific activity (2.49, 3.41, 2.91 U/mg protein, respectively) as compared to in vivo grown plants (0.71 U/mg protein). ACP activity in root cultures increased progressively up to 4.6 U/mg during the entire growth period (2 ? 24 weeks), whereas in case of shoot cultures, the specific activity escalated to 2.49 U/mg at 8 weeks, which then declined subsequently (1.95 U/mg). Similarly, callus cultures initially showed a higher phosphohydrolytic activity (3.41 U/mg protein) until 8 weeks by which period, it decreased with the passage of growth period. The present studies reveal an alternate system for resourcing of ACP from Atropa acuminata.Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 26(1): 15-23, 2016 (June)


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Laruelle ◽  
Anissa Abi-Dargham ◽  
Mohammed S. AI-Tikriti ◽  
Ronald M. Baldwin ◽  
Yolanda Zea-Ponce ◽  
...  

In vivo benzodiazepine receptor equilibrium dissociation constant, KD, and maximum number of binding sites, Bmax, were measured by single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) in three baboons. Animals were injected with a bolus followed by a constant i.v. infusion of the high affinity benzodiazepine ligand [123I]iomazenil. Plasma steady-state concentration and receptor–ligand equilibrium were reached within 2 and 3 h, respectively, and were sustained for the duration (4–9 h) of the experiments (n = 15). At the end of the experiments, a receptor saturating dose of flumazenil (0.2 mg/kg) was injected to measure nondisplaceable activity. Experiments were carried out at various levels of specific activity, and Scatchard analysis was performed for derivation of the KD (0.59 ± 0.09 n M) and Bmax (from 126 n M in the occipital region to 68 n M in the striatum). Two animals were killed and [125I]iomazenil Bmax and KD were measured at 22 and 37°C on occipital homogenate membranes. In vitro values of Bmax (114 ± 33 n M) and 37°C KD (0.66 ± 0.16 n M) were in good agreement with in vivo values measured by SPECT. This study demonstrates that SPECT can be used to quantify central neuroreceptors density and affinity.


1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 934-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. Dolby ◽  
Lewis J. Kleinsmith

The experiments presented in this paper examine the mechanisms underlying the ability of cannabinoids to alter the in vivo levels of cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) in mouse brain. It was found that changes in cyclic AMP levels are a composite result of direct actions of cannabinoids on adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) activity and indirect actions involving the potentiation or inhibition of biogenic amine induced activity of adenylate cyclase. Furthermore, the long-term intraperitoneal administration of 1-(−)-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol to mice produced a form of phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.17) in the brain whose activity is not stimulated by Ca2+, although its basal specific activity is similar to that of control animals. In vitro, the presence of the cannabinoids caused no significant changes in activity of brain PDE at the concentrations tested. Some correlations are presented which imply that many of the observed behavioral and physiological actions of the cannabinoids in mammalian organisms may be mediated via cyclic AMP mechanisms.


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