METABOLISM OF AMINO ACIDS IN AGROBAGTERIUM TUMEFACIENS: III. UPTAKE OFL-PROLINE

1967 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 1819-1830 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Behki

The characteristics of14C-proline uptake by cells of Agrobacterium tumefaciens are described. The results obtained were different from those reported for other bacteria (e.g. Escherichia coli). In addition, significant differences were observed with cells of the non-tumorogenic strain, IIBNV6, as compared to the tumorogenic strain, IIBV7K.Uptake of14C-proline by both strains of cells did not show the specificity known to exist for this amino acid in other microorganisms. A host of unrelated amino acids inhibited proline uptake. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of some amino acids were different in the two strains. Although glutamate and cysteine had no effect on14C-proline uptake in IIBNV6cells, they showed strong inhibition in IIBV7K cells. In addition, cells of the latter strain metabolized proline to a much greater extent than IIBNV6cells.In growing IIBV7K cells, glycine and glutamate suppressed14C-proline uptake and its incorporation into protein. They were also able to displace accumulated14C-proline from the cells. Glycine and leucine, which inhibited proline uptake in IIBNV6cells, showed a similar effect on the displacement of accumulated14C-proline in these cells.Hydroxylamine and Δ′-pyrroline carboxylate suppressed14C-proline uptake and its incorporation into protein in IIBNV6ceils. In IIBV7K cells, on the other hand, Δ′-pyrroline carboxylate had no effect on14C-proline uptake. The incorporation of the label into protein was only slightly reduced. Hydroxylamine in these cells showed a lesser degree of uptake inhibition but a stronger suppression of label incorporation into protein.

1969 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 855-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. B. Fern ◽  
R. C. Hider ◽  
D. R. London

1. The effect of peptides containing leucine and glycine on accumulation of leucine and glycine by everted jejunal rings was studied. 2. It was shown that, on a molar basis, leucyl-leucine is a more effective inhibitor of uptake of [14C]leucine than is either leucylglycine or glycyl-leucine. These latter dipeptides behave alike. 3. The concentration of the dipeptides and their constituent amino acids in both the incubation medium and the tissue has been followed in these experiments by amino acid analysis. No leucine-containing peptides were observed in the tissue. 4. The inhibitory effects of the mixed dipeptides are altered by pH changes in an analogous way to the alterations in peptidase activity. 5. The experimental results indicate that leucine-containing peptides are hydrolysed before the transport step. 6. Glycylglycine, on the other hand, has only a small effect on the accumulation of glycine, although large amounts of the peptide accumulate unchanged in the tissue. This suggests that glycylglycine is taken up by a different mechanism to that for the leucine dipeptides.


1957 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 967-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. McLaughlan

Cystine, cysteinesulphinic acid (CSA), and other closely related sulphur-containing amino acids inhibited growth of Escherichia coli 113-3, particularly in aerobic conditions. The cystine inhibition was completely prevented by aspartic acid, partially reversed by pantothenic acid or β-alanine and slightly reversed by lysine or thiamine. The inhibitory effect of CSA was completely or partially reversed by aspartic acid, lysine, glutamic acid, proline, ornithine, or homoserine. Aspartic acid and glutamic acid appeared to reverse the inhibition competitively while lysine seemed to reverse the inhibition in a noncompetitive manner. Reversal of the inhibitory effect of relatively high concentrations of CSA by lysine was not complete, however, unless methionine was also present. Possible mechanisms of the cystine and CSA inhibition are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1018
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Yokota

Helicases are nucleic acid-unwinding enzymes that are involved in the maintenance of genome integrity. Several parts of the amino acid sequences of helicases are very similar, and these quite well-conserved amino acid sequences are termed “helicase motifs”. Previous studies by X-ray crystallography and single-molecule measurements have suggested a common underlying mechanism for their function. These studies indicate the role of the helicase motifs in unwinding nucleic acids. In contrast, the sequence and length of the C-terminal amino acids of helicases are highly variable. In this paper, I review past and recent studies that proposed helicase mechanisms and studies that investigated the roles of the C-terminal amino acids on helicase and dimerization activities, primarily on the non-hexermeric Escherichia coli (E. coli) UvrD helicase. Then, I center on my recent study of single-molecule direct visualization of a UvrD mutant lacking the C-terminal 40 amino acids (UvrDΔ40C) used in studies proposing the monomer helicase model. The study demonstrated that multiple UvrDΔ40C molecules jointly participated in DNA unwinding, presumably by forming an oligomer. Thus, the single-molecule observation addressed how the C-terminal amino acids affect the number of helicases bound to DNA, oligomerization, and unwinding activity, which can be applied to other helicases.


1989 ◽  
Vol 44 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 838-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Mach ◽  
M. Hecker ◽  
I. Hill ◽  
A. Schroeter ◽  
F. Mach

The viability of three isogenic relA+/relA strain pairs of Escherichia coli (CP78/CP79; NF 161/ NF162; CP 107/CP 143) was studied during prolonged starvation for amino acids, glucose or phosphate. After amino acid limitation we found a prolonged viability of all relA+ strains which synthesized ppGpp. We suggest that some ppGpp-mediated pleiotropic effects of the stringent response (e.g. glykogen accumulation, enhanced protein turnover) might be involved in this prolongation of survival. After glucose or phosphate starvation there was no difference in the relA+/relA strains either in the ppGpp content or in the survival.


1976 ◽  
Vol 154 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
J D Young ◽  
J C Ellory ◽  
E M Tucker

1. Uptake rates for 23 amino acids were measured for both normal (high-GSH) and GSH-deficient (low-GSH) erythrocytes from Finnish Landrace sheep. 2. Compared with high-GSH cells, low-GSH cells had a markedly diminished permeability to D-alanine, L-alanine, α-amino-n-butyrate, valine, cysteine, serine, threonine, asparagine, lysine and ornithine. Smaller differences were observed for glycine and proline, whereas uptake of the other amino acids was not significantly different in the two cell types.


1963 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Fennah

The feeding of the cacao thrips, Selenothrips rubrocinctus (Giard), on cashew, Anacardium occidentale, one of its host plants in Trinidad, West Indies, is considered in relation to the annual period of maximum population increase on this host and to the choice of feeding sites on individual leaves. On trees observed for three years, populations regularly increased during the dry season, from a low level in December and January to a peak in April or May, and then rapidly declined during the wet season. Even when thrips were most abundant, some trees were free from attack, and this could not be attributed to protective morphological features, to specific repellent substances in the leaf, or to chance. S. rubrocinctus was found to feed on leaves that were subjected to water-stress and to breed only on debilitated trees: the evidence suggested that the adequacy of its supply of nutrients depends on the induction of suitable metabolic conditions within the leaf by water-stress.Both nymphs and adults normally feed on the lower, stomata-bearing surface of the leaf, but in a very humid atmosphere only a weak preference is shown for this surface and if, under natural conditions, it is exposed to insolation by inversion of the leaf, the insects migrate to the other surface. Since the thrips were shown to be indifferent to bodily posture, the observation suggests that their behaviour is governed primarily by avoidance of exposure to undue heat or dryness and only secondarily by the attractiveness of the stomata-bearing surface.Leaves of cashew tend not to become infested while still immature, and become most heavily infested, if at all, soon after they have hardened. Breeding does not occur on senescent leaves. The positions of feeding thrips are almost random on leaves under abnormal water-stress, but otherwise conform to certain patterns that mainly develop in fixed sequence. On reversal of an undetached leaf and consequent transfer of thrips from one surface to the other, there is no appreciable change in their distribution pattern or the apparent acceptability of the substrate. Changes of pattern were readily induced by injury to the plant during a period of water-stress and less easily, or not at all, when water-stress was low. Injury of areas of the leaf by heat was followed by their colonisation by thrips, and partial severance of branches by increased attack on their leaves.Leaves detached from uninfested trees invariably became acceptable for feeding within four hours. During this period, leaf water-content declined and the ratios of soluble-carbohydrate content and α-amino acids to fresh-leaf weight fell slightly and rose considerably, respectively. In the field, the latter ratio was invariably higher for infested than for uninfested leaf tissue, even on portions of the same leaf. If the nutrient value of leaf tissue is determined by the rate at which α-amino acids are extractable through a stylet puncture, the observed change in acceptability for feeding following plucking may be accounted for by the increase in α-amino-acid concentration. Feeding that is restricted on any one tree to the margins of local leaf injuries during prolonged high water-stress and totally absent when stress is low can be correlated with an α-amino-acid content in the living marginal tissue that is high or low, respectively. The ability of thrips to establish themselves and breed on leaves of a particular tree in the dry season and their failure to do so on leaves of the same tree in the wet season conforms with the greater or less amino-acid concentration occurring in the leaf at these respective times.


1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 314-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Hannecart-Pokorni ◽  
F Depuydt ◽  
L de wit ◽  
E van Bossuyt ◽  
J Content ◽  
...  

The amikacin resistance gene aac(6')-Im [corrected] from Citrobacter freundii Cf155 encoding an aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferase was characterized. The gene was identified as a coding sequence of 521 bp located down-stream from the 5' conserved segment of an integron. The sequence of this aac(6')-Im [corrected] gene corresponded to a protein of 173 amino acids which possessed 64.2% identity in a 165-amino-acid overlap with the aac(6')-Ia gene product (F.C. Tenover, D. Filpula, K.L. Phillips, and J. J. Plorde, J. Bacteriol. 170:471-473, 1988). By using PCR, the aac(6')-Im [corrected] gene could be detected in 8 of 86 gram-negative clinical isolates from two Belgian hospitals, including isolates of Citrobacter, Klebsiella spp., and Escherichia coli. PCR mapping of the aac(6')-Im [corrected] gene environment in these isolates indicated that the gene was located within a sulI-type integron; the insert region is 1,700 bases long and includes two genes cassettes, the second being ant (3")-Ib.


Author(s):  
George Joseph ◽  
Asha Varughese ◽  
Ann Daniel

Abstract Background A method has been developed and validated for selective, accurate and precise determination of total proteinogenic amino acids and taurine from Infant Formula and Adult/Pediatric Nutritional Formulas (powders, ready-to-feed liquids, and liquid concentrates). The method was reviewed by the AOAC INTERNATIONAL SPIFAN Expert Review Panel (ERP) during the 133rd AOAC Annual Meeting & Expo on September 7, 2019 in Denver, CO, USA and was recommended to First Action Official MethodsSM status. Objective The method involves protein hydrolysis to amino acids, a simple pre-column derivatisation of amino acids and separation of derivatised amino acids by UHPLC. The quantification of amino acids is performed by multi-point calibration using norvaline as the internal standard. The analytical method is capable of quantitative determination for 22 proteinogenic amino acids, but cannot be used to quantitate tryptophan, which is destroyed during the acid hydrolysis step. Asparagine is determined as aspartic acid and glutamine as glutamic acid. The cystine and cysteine are converted to S-2-carboxyethylthiocysteine (CYSx) and the derivative is separated from the other amino acids. Citrulline which is present in some matrices and it is separated from other amino acids is not included in the method performance evaluation in the single laboratory validation (SLV). Method The proposed method met all the performance requirement limits set in standard method performance requirements (SMPR) 2014.013 for total proteinogenic amino acids and taurine. The correlation coefficient of multi-point calibration was not less than 0.999 for any amino acids at any point in the SLV study confirming the validity of linear dynanic range (LDR) and linearity of the method. The individual amino acids in the chromatogram were identified by absolute retention time and relative retention time (RRT) with respect to the internal standard norvaline. There were no significant (S/N Ratio <10) interferences from the reagents or by-products of derivatisation and targeted matrices. The method demonstrated high selectivity. Result Accuracy of the method was validated using standard reference materials (NIST SRM 1869 and 1849a) and spike recovery studies. The amino acid results in the SRMs were within the ranges of Reference Mass Fraction Values. The accuracy of the method was corroboratively validated by spike recovery studies. The average spike recovery range between 93 to 107% ensure the accuracy of the method for amino acids and compliance to the AOAC SMPR 2014.013. Conclusions Precision data of the method demonstrate that it meets the stakeholder requirements as per the SMPR. The mean RSDr for all the amino acids for 17 matrices selected for the SLV were not more than 4%. The method is very sensitive and the LOQ can go down to approximately ten times lower than the SMPR requirements. The sensitivity of method is a direct reflection of its signal to noise ratio which ensures guaranteed method performance at the lower levels of amino acids in these matrices. Highlights Taurine (aminoethane sulfonic acid) unlike the other amino acids is a beta-sulfonic amino acid that is not used in protein synthesis but is found as a free amino acid in tissues. The acidic functional group (-COOH) in common amino acid is replaced with a sulfonic acid (-SO3H) group in Taurine. The method offers baseline separation of citrulline which is an alpha amino acid generally present in Infant Formula and Adult/Pediatric Nutritional products. The separation of citrulline eliminates the risk of interference of this compound with other amino acids. The method can also separate and quantitate hydroxyproline, an important component of collagen that is often used to quantitate collagen. The method is simple and does not include any proprietary chemicals or instruments and can be performed on any basic reverse phase UHPLC system with UV detection.


1962 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 459-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. H. Jellinck ◽  
Louise Irwin

Aerobic incubation of estrone-16-C14with peroxidase in the presence of serum albumin and other proteins resulted in the formation of water-soluble, ether-insoluble metabolites in high percentage yields. Similar products were formed when protein was replaced by cysteine or tryptophan but none of the other amino acids tested had any effect. The evidence points to an initial generation of hydrogen peroxide from these nitrogenous compounds by the enzyme acting as an aerobic oxidase, and the subsequent peroxidation of estrone to highly reactive products. These then combine with the protein or amino acid or else undergo alternative reactions. A strong chemical bond is formed with albumin and attempts to release the estrone metabolites from it were unsuccessful. Uterine homogenates from estrogen-treated rats showing high DPNH oxidase activity contained no "peroxidase" as measured by the formation of water-soluble products from estrone in the presence of protein.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (23) ◽  
pp. 8765-8768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vrajesh A. Karkhanis ◽  
Anjali P. Mascarenhas ◽  
Susan A. Martinis

ABSTRACT Leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) has evolved an editing function to clear misactivated amino acids. An Escherichia coli-based assay was established to identify amino acids that compromise the fidelity of LeuRS and translation. Multiple nonstandard as well as standard amino acids were toxic to the cell when LeuRS editing was inactivated.


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