The guanine-hypoxanthine permease GhxP of Erwinia amylovora facilitates the influx of the toxic guanine derivative 6-thioguanine.

AIM: Erwinia amylovora is the causal agent of fire blight, a devastating disease of apples and pears. This study determines whether the E. amylovora guanine-hypoxanthine transporter (EaGhxP) is required for virulence and if it can import the E. amylovora produced toxic analogue 6-thioguanine (6TG) into cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: Characterization of EaGhxP in guanine transport deficient Escherichia coli reveals that it can transport guanine, hypoxanthine and the toxic analogues 8-azaguanine (8AG) and 6TG. Similarly, EaGhxP transports 8AG and 6TG into E. amylovora cells. EaGhxP has a high affinity for 6TG with a Ki of 3·7 µmol l-1 . An E. amylovora ⊿ghxP::Camr strain shows resistance to growth on 8AG and 6TG. Although EaGhxP is expressed during active disease propagation, it is not necessary for virulence as determined on immature apple and pear assays. CONCLUSIONS: EaGhxP is not required for virulence, but it does import 6TG into E. amylovora cells. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: As part of the disease establishment process, E. amylovora synthesizes and exports a toxic guanine derivative 6TG. Our results are counter intuitive and show that EaGhxP, an influx transporter, can move 6TG into cells raising questions regarding the role of 6TG in disease establishment.

New class of 8-aryl-7-deazaguanine cell permeable fluorescent probes.

A one step synthesis of fluorescent 8-aryl-(7-deazaguanines) has been accomplished. Probes exhibit blue to green high quantum yield fluorescence in a variety of organic and aqueous solutions, high extinction coefficients, and large Stokes shifts often above 100 nm. The probes are highly cell permeable, and exhibit stable bright fluorescence once intracellular; therefore are suited to the design of biosensors.

Nitric oxide as a source for bacterial triazole biosynthesis.

The heterocycle 1,2,3-triazole is among the most versatile chemical scaffolds and has been widely used in diverse fields. However, how nature creates this nitrogen-rich ring system remains unknown. Here, we report the biosynthetic route to the triazole-bearing antimetabolite 8-azaguanine. We reveal that its triazole moiety can be assembled through an enzymatic and non-enzymatic cascade, in which nitric oxide is used as a building block. These results expand our knowledge of the physiological role of nitric oxide synthase in building natural products with a nitrogen-nitrogen bond, and should also inspire the development of synthetic biology approaches for triazole production.

Metabolism and metabolic effects of 8-azainosine and 8-azaadenosine.

8-Azainosine (8-aza-HR) is of interest because of its activity against experimental tumors. Metabolic studies in cell cultures were performed with 8-aza-HR and with the structurally related nucleoside, 8-azaadenosine (9-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-8-azaadenine) (8-aza-AR), which has a lower degree of antitumor activity than does 8-aza-HR. In H. Ep. 2 cells and in Ca755 cells, both 14C-labeled nucleosides were metabolized to nucleotides of 8-azaadenine (8-aza-A) and 8-azaguanine (8-aza-G) and incorporated into polynucleotides as 8-aza-A and 8-aza-G. 8-Aza HR was incorporated primarily as 8-aza-G, whereas 8-aza-AR was incorporated about equally as 8-aza-A and 8-aza-G. In H. Ep. 2 cells, the extent of incorporation of 8-aza-HR as 8-aza-G was about one-half that found when [14C]-8-aza-G was the precursor. In the H. Ep. 2/FA/FAR cell line, 8-aza-AR and 8-aza-HR were metabolized similarly, in that both were incorporated into polynucleotides principally as 8-aza-G; apparently, in this cell line which is deficient in adenosine kinase and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, 8-aza-AR is metabolized by conversion to 8-aza-HR. A cell line (H. Ep 2/8-aza HR), which was resistant to 8-aza-HR but sensitive to 8-aza-AR and which retained hypoxanthine (guanine)-phosphoribosyltransferase activity, metabolized 8-aza-HR to only a small extent. However, in this cell-line, 8-aza-AR was more extensively metabolized and was incorporated primarily as 8-aza-A. The failure of these cells to convert 8-aza-AR or 8-aza-HR to 8-aza-G indicates that the basis for resistance may be a change in the substrate specificities of the enzymes of guanosine monophosphate synthesis such that these cells no longer effectively convert 8-azainosine monophosphate to 8-azaguanosine monophosphate. 8-Aza-AR was a potent inhibitor of purine synthesis de novo, but 8-aza-HR, at concentrations much higher than the inhibitory concentration of 8-aza-AR, did not inhibit this process. In H. Ep. 2 cells, 8-aza-HR blocked the conversion of orotic acid to uridine nucleotides and caused an accumulation of orotidine. This inhibition of pyrimidine biosynthesis apparently does not contribute significantly to the cytotoxicity of 8-aza-HR because uridine provided no degree of reversal of its inhibition of the growth of cell cultures.

Facilitated transport of 6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine and non-mediated permeation of 8-azaguanine in Novikoff rat hepatoma cells and relationship to intracellular phosphoribosylation.

6-Mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine strongly inhibited the zero-trans entry of hypoxanthine into Novikoff rat hepatoma cells which lacked hypoxanthine/guanine phosphoribosyltransferase, whereas 8-azaguanine had no significant effect. 6-Mercaptopurine was transported by the hypoxanthine carrier with about the same efficiency as its natural substrates (Michaelis-Menten constant = 372 +/- 23 microM; maximum velocity = 30 +/- 0.7 pmol/microl cell H2O per s). 8-Azaguanine entry into the cells, on the other hand, showed no sign of saturability and was not significantly affected by substrates of the hypoxanthine/guanine carrier. The rate of entry of 8-azaguanine at 10-100 microM amounted to only about 5% of that of hypoxanthine transport and was related to its lipid solubility in the same manner as observed for various substances whose permeation through the plasma membrane is believed to be non-mediated. Only the non-ionized form of 8-azaguanine (pKa = 6.6) permeated the cell membrane. Studies with wild type Novikoff cells showed that permeation into the cell was the main rate-determining step in the conversion of extracellular 8-azaguanine to intracellular aza-GTP and its incorporation into nucleic acids. In contrast, 6-mercaptopurine was rapidly transported into cells and phosphoribosylated; the main rate-determining step in its incorporation into nucleic acids was the further conversion of 6-mercaptopurine riboside 5'-monophosphate.

Guanine deaminase from rat brain. Purification, characteristics, and contribution to ammoniagenesis in the brain.

1. Guanine deaminase [EC 3.5.4.3] was purified to a homogeneous state from rat brain by a procedure involving ammonium sulfate fractionation, DE-52 column chromatography, hydroxylapatite column chromatography, gel filtration on ACA-34 and isoelectric focusing. Homogeneity was shown by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of SDS. 2. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined by gel filtration (105,000), and that of its subunit by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (52,000). From these findings, we concluded that the native enzyme consisted of two identical subunits. 3. The Km values for guanine and 8-azaguanine were calculated to be 0.17 mM and 0.67 mM, respectively. This enzyme was markedly inhibited by 5-amino 4-imidazolecarboxamide (AICA), a precursor of purine nucleotide synthesis, with a K1 value of 82 micrometer. 4. Guanine deaminase was purified from rat liver by the procedure used for purification of the brain enzyme and anti-liver enzyme serum was raised in rabbits. This antiserum cross-reacted with the brain enzyme without spur formation in the Ouchterlony double diffusion test. 5. The gamma-globulin fraction of the anti-guanine deaminase serum and AICA inhibited more than 50% of the ammoniagenesis in the brain system in which the purine nucleotide cycle operates. It was also shown that guanine nucleotides were degraded via guanosine and guanine liberating ammonia in the same brain system when substrates for the purine nucleotide cycle were omitted. On the basis of these findings it is suggested that guanine deaminase contributes to ammoniagenesis in the brain.

Mutagenicity of dimethylnitrosamine to mammalian cells as determined by the use of mouse liver microsomes.

The mutagenicity of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) to mammalian cells was investigated using a metabolic activation system. Mutation from 8-azaguanine (8AG) sensitivity to resistance in FM3A cells, a cell line derived from C3H mouse mammary carcinoma, was found only in the presence of dimethylnitrosamine, mouse liver microsomes and cofactors. The different inducibility of the mutation was shown by the use of liver microsomes from different strains of mouse.

Analyses of differential sensitivities of synchronized HeLa S3 cells to radiations and chemical carcinogens during the cell cycle. Par V. Radiation- and chemical carcinogen-induced mutagenesis.

8-Azaguanine(8AG)-resistant mutations induced by X-rays, ultraviolet radiation (UV) and a chemical carcinogen, 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide (4-HAQO) were examined during the cell cycle of synchronized HeLa S3 cells. Mutants induced by 400 R of X-rays occurred in a higher frequency in the X-ray-SENSITIVE Gl-S boundary phase than in the X-ray-resistant G1, S and early G2 phases. 8AG-resistant mutants induced by treatment with 10(-5) M 4-HAQO for 20 min appeared in a higher frequency in the early to middle S phases than in the other phases. In the case of UV, however, we found no significant difference in the induced mutation frequencies during the cell cycle, because the mutation frequencies induced by the UV doses (0-20 J/m2) used were too low for detection of the difference. These results suggest that there is a close correlation between the critical damage induced in DNA molecule(s) at the DNA-synthetic phase in the cell cycle and mutagenesis, because mitotic cells have a low mutability in spite of their high radio-sensitivity.

Interactions of calf spleen purine nucleoside phosphorylase with 8-azaguanine, and a bisubstrate analogue inhibitor: implications for the reaction mechanism.

Interactions of calf spleen purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) with a non-typical substrate, 8-azaguanine (8-azaG), and a bisubstrate analogue inhibitor, 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-8-azaguanine (PME-azaG), were investigated by means of steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. Both 8-azaG and PME-azaG form fluorescent complexes with the enzyme, and dissociation constants are comparable to the appropriate parameters (Km or Ki) obtained from kinetic measurements. PME-azaG inhibits both the phosphorolytic and synthetic pathway of the reaction in a competitive mode. The complex of 8-azaG with PNP is much weaker than the previously reported Gua-PNP complex, and its dissociation constant increases at pH > 7, where 8-azaG exists predominantly as the monoanion (pKa approximately 6.5). The fluorescence difference spectrum of the PNP/8-azaG complex points to participation of the N(7)H or/and N(8)H tautomers of the neutral substrate, and the 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl) derivative also exists as a neutral species in the complex with PNP. The latter conclusion is based on spectral characteristics of the PNP/PME-azaG complex, confirmed by fluorimetric determination of dissociation constants, which are virtually pH-independent in the range 6-7. These findings testify to involvement of the neutral purine molecule, and not its monoanion, as the substrate in the reverse, synthetic reaction. It is proposed that, in the reverse reaction pathway, the natural purine substrate is bound to the enzyme as the neutral N(7)H tautomer, which is responsible for the reported strong fluorescence of the guanine-PNP complex.

Study of the interaction between 8-azaguanine and bovine serum albumin using optical spectroscopy and molecular modeling methods.

The interaction between 8-azaguanine (8-Azan) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in Tris-HCl buffer solutions at pH 7.4 was investigated by means of fluorescence and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. At 298 K and 310 K, at a wavelength of excitation (λ (ex)) of 282 nm, the fluorescence intensity decreased significantly with increasing concentrations of 8-Azan. Fluorescence static quenching was observed for BSA, which was attributed to the formation of a complex between 8-Azan and BSA during the binding reaction. This was illuminated further by the UV-Vis absorption spectra and the decomposition of the fluorescence spectra. The thermodynamic parameters ∆G, ∆H, ∆S were calculated. The results showed that the forces acting between 8-Azan and BSA were typical hydrophobic forces, and that the interaction process was spontaneous. The interaction distance r between 8-Azan and BSA, evaluated according to fluorescence resonance energy transfer theory, suggested that there is a high possibility of energy transfer from BSA to 8-Azan. Theoretical investigations based on homology modeling and molecular docking suggested that binding between 8-Azan and BSA is dominated by hydrophilic forces and hydrogen bonding. The theoretical investigations provided a good structural basis to explain the phenomenon of fluorescence quenching between 8-Azan and BSA.

Detection of pathogenic Leptospira from selected environment in Kelantan and Terengganu, Malaysia.

Leptospirosis is recognized as one of the important zoonotic diseases in the world including Malaysia. A total of 145 soil and water samples were collected from selected National Service Training Centres (NSTC) in Kelantan and Terengganu. The samples were inoculated into modified semisolid Ellinghausen McCullough Johnson Harris (EMJH) medium, incubated at room temperature for 1 month and examined under the dark-field microscope. Positive growth of the leptospiral isolates were then confirmed with 8-Azaguanine Test, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay and Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). Fifteen cultures (10.34%) exhibited positive growths which were seen under dark field microscope whilst only 20% (3/15) were confirmed as pathogenic species. based on 8-Azaguanine Test and PCR. Serological identification of the isolates with MAT showed that hebdomadis was the dominant serovar in Terengganu. Pathogenic leptospires can be detected in Malaysian environment and this has the potential to cause an outbreak. Therefore, precautionary steps against leptospirosis should be taken by camp authorities to ensure the safety of trainees.

AtAzg1 and AtAzg2 comprise a novel family of purine transporters in Arabidopsis.

In plants, nucleobase biochemistry is highly compartmented relying upon a well-regulated and selective membrane transport system. In Arabidopsis two proteins, AtAzg1 and AtAzg2, show substantial amino acid sequence similarity to the adenine-guanine-hypoxanthine transporter AzgA of Aspergillus nidulans. Analysis of single and double mutant lines harboring T-DNA insertion alleles AtAzg1-1 and AtAzg2-1 reveal a marked resistance to growth in the presence of 8-azaadenine and 8-azaguanine but not to other toxic nucleobase analogues. Conversely, yeast strains expressing AtAzg1 and AtAzg2 gain heightened sensitivity to growth on 8-azaadenine and 8-azaguanine. Radio-labeled purine uptake experiments in yeast and in planta confirm the function of AtAzg1 and AtAzg2 as plant adenine-guanine transporters.