One-pot lipase-catalyzed esterification of ε-caprolactone with methyl-d-glucopyranoside and its elongation with free 6-hydroxyhexanoate monomer units.

One-pot synthesis of sugar-functionalized oligomeric caprolactone was carried out by lipase-catalyzed esterification of ε-caprolactone (ECL) with methyl-d-glucopyranoside (MGP) followed by the elongation of functionalized oligomer chain. Functionalization was performed in a custom-fabricated glass reactor equipped with Rushton turbine impeller and controlled temperature at 60 °C using tert-butanol as reaction medium. The overall reaction steps include MGP esterification of ECL monomer and its subsequent elongation by free 6-hydroxyhexanoate monomer units. A ping-pong bi-bi mechanism without ternary complex was proposed for esterification of ECL and MGP with apparent values of kinetic constant, namely maximal velocity (Vmax ), Michaelis constant for MGP (KmMGP ), and Michaelis constant for ECL (KmECL ) at 3.848 × 10-3  M H-1 , 8.189 × 10-2  M, and 6.050 M, respectively. Chain propagation step of MGP-functionalized ECL oligomer exhibits the properties of living polymerization mechanism. Linear relationship between conversion (%) and number average molecular weight, Mn (g mol-1 ), of functionalized oligomer was observed. Synthesized functionalized oligomer showed narrow range of molecular weight from 1,400 to 1,600 g mol-1 with more than 90% conversion achieved. Structural analysis confirmed the presence of covalent bond between the hydroxyl group in MGP with carboxyl end group of ECL oligomer.

Mitogen-stimulated glucose transport in thymocytes. Possible role of Ca++ and antagonism by adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate.

The plant lectin, concanavalin A (Con-A), and the ionophore, A-23187 (specific for divalent cations), stimulated glucose transport in rat thymocytes. Con-A stimulation developed more slowly and was somewhat less extensive than that of stimulation developed more slowly and was somewhat less extensive than that of A-23187. Both responses showed saturation dose dependencies. The two responses were poorly additive, suggesting that A-23187 may saturate regulatory processes shared by the two stimulatory mechanisms. Doses of methylisobutylxanthine (MIX) and prostaglandin E2 which raised adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP) levels in these cells also antagonized the Con-A stimulation of glucose transport but did not inhibit basal glucose transport or the A-23187 stimulation. Dibutyryl-cAMP and 8-bromo-cAMP also natagonized Con-A stimulation without inhibiting basal glucose transport. MIX antagonized high Con-A doses about as strongly as it did low Con-A doses, suggesting that MIX did not compete in the Con-A binding step or other process saturable by Con-A. [3H-A1Con-A binding was not affected by MIX. The stimulatory effects of Con-A and A-23187 were reduced by reduction of Ca++ in the medium. Both Con-A and A-23187 enhanced 45Ca++ influx and cellular Ca++ content. The A-23187 dose, which was saturating for glucose transport stimulation, enhanced Ca++ influx and cellular Ca++ content more than did the Con-A dose which was saturating for glucose transport stimulation. The dose fo MIX which specifically antagonized Con-A stimulation of glucose transport proved also to reduce Ca++ influx and cellular Ca++ in the presence of Con-A but not in the presence of A-23187. Thus, glucose transport correlates rather well with cellular Ca++. These results are compatible with the view that Ca++ in a cellular compartment can promote glucose transport, the Con-A's enhancement of Ca++ entry contributes to its stimulation of glucose transport, and the MIX antagonized Con-A action at least partly by reducing Ca++ entry. The action of MIX is apparently mediated by cAMP.

Regulation of amino acid transport in kidney cortex of newborn rats.

After incubation at 37 degrees C the subsequent uptake of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid, cycloleucine, glycine, and L-proline by newborn (as compared to adult) rat kidney cortex slices is enhanced. The effect is abolished by the presence of cycloheximide, actinomycin D, and high concentrations of the above-mentioned amino acids in the medium during the 37 degrees C incubation prior to measurement of uptake. The data suggest that there is an adaptive control mechanism which is expressed on incubation at 37 degrees C and which can regulate amino acid transport in newborn rat kidney cortex.

Mechanism of the postreceptor defect in insulin action in human obesity. Decrease in glucose transport system activity.

We have studied insulin-stimulated 3-O-methyl glucose transport by isolated adipocytes prepared from 10 normal and 11 obese individuals. The results demonstrated that the insulin-glucose transport dose-response curves were shifted to the right in cells from the obese patients, and that the magnitude of this rightward shift was significantly correlated to the reduction in adipocyte insulin receptors in individual subjects (r = 0.48, P less than 0.01). In three obese patients a rightward shift in the dose-response curve could be demonstrated and there was no decrease in maximal insulin effect. This corresponded to in vivo glucose clamp results showing only a rightward shift in the insulin dose-response curve for overall glucose disposal in these three subjects (1980. J. Clin. Invest. 65: 1272-1284). In the remaining eight obese patients, the in vitro glucose transport studies showed not only a rightward shift in the dose-response curves but also a marked decrease in basal and maximally insulin-stimulated rates of transport, indicating a postreceptor defect in insulin action. Again, this was consistent with the in vivo glucose clamp studies demonstrating a marked postreceptor defect in these individuals. In conclusion, these results indicate that the mechanism of the postreceptor defect in insulin action, which exists in many obese patients, is related to a decrease in the activity of the glucose transport effector system.

Mechanism for enhanced glucose transport response to insulin in adipose cells from chronically hyperinsulinemic rats. Increased translocation of glucose transporters from an enlarged intracellular pool.

The mechanism for the increased glucose transport response to insulin in adipose cells from chronically hyperinsulinemic rats was examined. Rats were infused with insulin s.c. for 2 wk. Isolated adipose cells were incubated with and without insulin, 3-O-methylglucose transport was measured, and glucose transporters in subcellular membrane fractions were assessed by cytochalasin B binding. Adipose cells from insulin-treated rats showed no change in basal but a 55% increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity compared with those from control rats (7.1 +/- 0.8 vs. 4.6 +/- 0.5 fmol/cell per min, mean +/- SEM) and a corresponding increase in the concentration of glucose transporters in the plasma membranes (44 +/- 5 vs. 32 +/- 6 pmol/mg of membrane protein). In the low-density microsomes, glucose transporter concentrations in both basal and insulin-stimulated states were the same, but the total numbers were greater in cells from the insulin-treated rats because of a 39% increase in low-density microsomal protein. Therefore, chronic experimental hyperinsulinemia in the rat enhances the stimulatory action of insulin on glucose transport in the adipose cell by increasing the concentration of glucose transporters in the plasma membranes. This results from an enlarged intracellular pool due to increased intracellular protein and enhanced glucose transporter translocation in response to insulin.

Accelerated net efflux of 3-O-[14C]methylglucose in isolated fat cells.

A flow-tube apparatus suited for measurement of rapid efflux of sugars from adipocytes is described. Due to heterogeneity of fat cell populations, a conventional analysis of the time-course of net efflux of 3-O-methylglucose based on the integrated rate equation can produce gross errors in estimates of kinetic parameters. The half-saturation constant and maximum transport capacity for 3-O-methylglucose transport were found to be about 3-fold higher for net efflux than for equilibrium exchange flux, both in insulin-stimulated and non-stimulated adipocytes. This suggests asymmetric kinetic parameters for 3-O-methylglucose transport.

Mode of action of acetylxylan esterase from Streptomyces lividans: a study with deoxy and deoxy-fluoro analogues of acetylated methyl beta-D-xylopyranoside.

Streptomyces lividans acetylxylan esterase removes the 2- or 3-O-acetyl groups from methyl 2,4-di-O-acetyl- and 3,4-di-O-acetyl beta-D-xylopyranoside. When the free hydroxyl group was replaced with a hydrogen or fluorine, the rate of deacetylation was markedly reduced, but regioselectivity was not affected. The regioselectivity of deacetylation was found to be independent of the prevailing conformation of the substrates in solution as determined by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. These observations confirm the importance of the vicinal hydroxyl group and are consistent with our earlier hypothesis that the deacetylation of positions 2 and 3 may involve a common ortho-ester intermediate. Another possible role of the free vicinal hydroxyl group could be the activation of the acyl leaving group in the deacetylation mechanism. Involvement of the free hydroxyl group in the enzyme-substrate binding is not supported by the results of inhibition experiments in which methyl 2,4-di-O-acetyl beta-D-xylopyranoside was used as substrate and its analogues or methyl beta-D-xylopyranoside as inhibitors. The enzyme requires for its efficient action the trans arrangement of the free and acetylated hydroxyl groups at positions 2 and 3.

Hexose transport in Novikoff rat hepatoma cells. A simple carrier with directional symmetry, but variable relative mobilities of loaded and empty carrier.

The kinetics of transport of the non-metabolizable hexose, 3-O-methyl-D-glucose, have been measured in Novikoff rat hepatoma cells by both zero-trans entry and equilibrium exchange procedures. Transport conformed to a simple carrier model which operates symmetrically with respect to direction, but with greater mobility of the loaded than of the empty carrier. Although a complete kinetic description of the transporter can, in theory, be obtained by application of integrated equations describing the time course of substrate equilibrium across the membrane beginning from the zero-trans situation, statistical analysis of hypothetical data indicated that directional asymmetry or differential mobilities of loaded and empty carrier cannot be discerned reliably from such data alone. The difference in mobility of loaded and empty carrier, apparent in a comparison of zero-trans entry and exchange data, ranged from 1.5--7-fold in different batches of cells. It is concluded that the magnitude of the difference is not an inherent property of the transporter, but is determined physiologically, and may be involved in regulation of hexose transport.

Basal-lateral transport and transcellular flux of methyl alpha-D-glucoside across LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells.

The characteristics of methyl alpha-D-glucoside transport by the LLC-PK1 cell line are extended by a study of the interaction of this glucose analog with the basal-lateral membrane of these cells: 1 mM methyl alpha-D-glucoside enters LLC-PK1 cells across the basal-lateral membrane 10-times more slowly than when entering across the apical membrane; neither 10 mM glucose nor 10 mM methyl alpha-D-glucoside affect the rate of methyl glucoside uptake at the basal lateral membrane; 0.1 mM phlorizin in the apical hemichamber significantly decreases the rate at which methyl glucoside enter the cell when methyl glucoside is present in the basal-lateral hemichamber; the methyl glucoside transcellular flux ratio, Ja/Jb (apical to basal vs. basal to apical) is 15, whereas Ja/Jb for D-mannitol equals 1; and basal-lateral to apical fluxes (Jb) of mannitol consistently exceed those of methyl glucoside. These results demonstrate that methyl glucoside, unlike glucose, is accumulated within these cells to a high degree because of the limited ability of methyl glucoside to exit the cells by a carrier-mediated pathway. They also raise the important caveat for any studies with glucose (and other low-molecular-weight substrates) by showing that a monosaccharide presented to one surface of these cells will traverse the cell sheet (in part) by the intercellular route and will enter the cell at the unintended cell surface. The ability of the tight junctions of this intercellular route to discriminate between open-chain molecules, such as mannitol, vs. closed ring structures, like methyl glucoside, is also described.

2-Deoxy-D-glucose accumulation in adipocytes: apparent transport discrimination between 2-deoxy-D-glucose and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose.

The uphill accumulation of free 2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-deoxy-D-glucose 6-phosphate in rat adipocytes was found not to affect the steady-state distribution of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose although both hexoses share a common transport pathway. This observation argues against a possible effect of 2-deoxy-D-glucose phosphate on the equilibrating nature of the carrier. The results are discussed in light of hypotheses advanced to explain free 2-deoxy-D-glucose accumulation in a variety of cells.

Transport of glucose and fructose in rat hepatocytes at 37 degrees C.

The kinetic parameters for transport of the nonmetabolizable glucose analogue 3-O-methyl-D-glucose and the relationship between transport and metabolism of D-glucose and D-fructose were determined in isolated rat hepatocytes at 37 degrees C and pH 7.4. 3-O-Methylglucose at a very low concentration (0.1 mM) equilibrated with the intracellular water with a rate constant of 0.41 s-1. Km for equilibrium exchange entry was 5.5 mM and Vmax was 2.2 mM X s-1 and similar results were obtained when using the zero-trans entry protocol. The rate constant for entry of tracer D-glucose was 0.15 s-1 and Km for glucose was about 20 mM. The phosphorylation rate for D-glucose was much slower than the transport rate. The rate constant for D-fructose entry was about 0.04 s-1, the apparent Km was about 100 mM and Vmax about 5 mM X s-1. The concentration dependence of 3-O-methylglucose inhibition of labelled fructose transport revealed biphasic kinetics indicating that fructose was transferred by both the glucose transporter and a fructose transporter. At concentrations lower than 1 mM, fructose metabolism appeared to be limited by the transport step.

Studies of insulin release and rat pancreatic islet metabolism with diastereomers of D-glucose.

Studies of insulin release with diastereomers and other analogues of D-glucose demonstrated that only sugars which undergo oxidation to CO2 stimulated insulin release by the pancreatic islet. None of the non-metabolizable diastereomers of glucose stimulated insulin release in the presence of a sub-stimulatory concentration of glucose for fuel. Although 5.5 mM glucose formed 77% as much CO2 as 16.7 mM mannose and twice that of 16.7 mM fructose, 5.5 mM glucose did not stimulate insulin release whereas 16.7 mM mannose and fructose did stimulate insulin release. These results indicate that the important stimulus for glucose-induced insulin release involves metabolism of glucose, but that the stimulus does not involve solely a fuel function of glucose.

The effect of diamide and glutathione on the uptake of alpha-methyl-D-glucoside by slices of rat kidney cortex.

The uptake of alpha-methyl-D-glucoside was stimulated in slices of rat kidney cortex by pretreatment with reduced glutathione. Diamide, an oxidizind agent with high specificity for GSH, caused an inhibition of alpha-methyl-D-glucoside uptake. These effects appeared to be related specifically to GSH, since dithiothreitol and mercaptoethanol did not increase alpha-methyl-D-glucoside uptake, and were not as effective as GSH in reversing the effects of diamide. GSH and diamide had no effect on the uptake of another sugar analog, 3-O-methylglucose, which is not actively transported. Kinetic studies indicated that GSH increased the apparent V without affecting K-m. The results are discussed in terms of the possible role of GSH in the process of sugar transport.

Effect of maleic acid on the kinetics of alpha-methyl-D-glucoside uptake by isolated rat renal tubules.

ALPHA-Methyl-D-glucoside has been used to study the invitro mechanism of the effect of maleic acid on sugar transport, using isolated rat renal tubule fragments. 6 mM maleate maximally inhibits the ability of the tubule to establish a concentration gradient for this model sugar with no evidence of ultrastructural changes. This inhibition is due to a 100% increase in efflux, as well as to a 50% decrease in influx with more prolonged incubation. The data presented here are consistent with those of other workers, but their work does not explain our results, which therefore deserve further investigation by other techniques.

Seasonal variation in the active transporting ability and in the membrane ATPase activity of the frog intestinal epithelium.

The active sugar and amino acid transport in the small intestine of the American leopard frog (Rana pipiens) and a species of European frog (Rana esculenta) decreases during the winter months. Parallel with this the (Na+, K+)-stimulated ("pump") ATPase activity is markedly depressed. No seasonal changes are observed in the intestine of the tropical bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). It is assumed that the low pump-ATPase activity is caused by the hibernation of the frogs living in moderate or subtropical areas and is connected to a biological clock. The decreased active transport of non-electrolytes appears to be a consequence of the change of the ATPase activity.

Cytochalasin B inhibition and temperature dependence of 3-O-methylglucose transport in fat cells.

The transport of 3-O-methylglucose in white fat cells was measured under equilibrium exchange conditions at 3-O-methylglucose concentrations up to 50 mM with a previously described method (Vinten, J., Gliemann, J. and Osterlind, K. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 794--800). Under these conditions the main part of the transport was inhibitable by cytochalasin B. The inhibition was found to be of competitive type with an inhibition constant of about 2.5 . 10(-7) M, both in the absence and in the presence of insulin (1 micrometer). The cytochalasin B-insensitive part of the 3-O-methylglucose permeability was about 2 . 10(-9) cm . s-1, and was not affected by insulin. As calculated from the maximum transport capacity, the half saturation constant and the volume/surface ratio, the maximum permeability of the fat cell membrane to 3-O-methylglucose at 37 degrees C and in the presence of insulin was 4.3 . 10(-6) cm . s-1. From the temperature dependence of the maximum transport capacity in the interval 18--37 degrees C and in the presence of insulin, an Arrhenius activation energy of 14.8 +/- 0.44 kcal/mol was found. The corresponding value was 13.9 +/- 0.89 in the absence of insulin. The half saturating concentration of 3-O-methylglucose was about 6 mM in the temperature interval used, and it was not affected by insulin, although this hormone increased the maximum transport capacity about ten-fold to 1.7 mmol . s-1 per 1 intracellular water at 37 degrees C.

Transacetylations to carbohydrates catalyzed by acetylxylan esterase in the presence of organic solvent.

Various conditions were applied to test the ability of acetylxylan esterase (AcXE) from Schizophyllum commune to catalyze acetyl group transfer to methyl beta-D-xylopyranoside (Me-beta-Xylp) and other carbohydrates. The best performance of the enzyme was observed in an n-hexane-vinyl acetate-sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate (DOSS)-water microemulsion at a molar water-detergent ratio (w(0)) of about 4-5. Although the enzyme was found to have a half-life of about 1 h in the system, more than 60% conversion of Me-beta-Xylp to acetylated derivatives was achieved. Under identical reaction conditions, the enzyme acetylated other carbohydrates such as methyl beta-D-cellobioside (Me-beta-Cel), cellotetraose, methyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (Me-beta-Glcp), 2-deoxy-D-glucose, D-mannose, beta-1,4-mannobiose, -mannopentaose, -mannohexaose, beta-1,4-xylobiose and -xylopentaose. This work is the first example of reverse reactions by an acetylxylan esterase and a carbohydrate esterase belonging to family 1.

Kinetic analysis of H+/methyl beta-D-thiogalactoside symport in Saccharomyces fragilis.

A theoretical description of initial uptake kinetics of H+/sugar symport is given, with emphasis on the differences between carrier and non-carrier systems. Transport of methyl beta-D-thiogalactoside in Saccharomyces fragilis is shown to proceed via the inducible lactose transporter. Uptake of this sugar stimulates electrogenic H+ influx. Together with the correlation between methyl beta-D-thiogalactoside accumulation and the proton-motive force this shows that transport proceeds via H+ symport. Kinetic analysis of initial influx revealed that transport proceeds via a single transport system, sensitive to changes in membrane potential. The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters showed that Kapp is almost pH insensitive, whereas Vapp decreases strongly at increasing extracellular pH. It is shown that transport proceeds, most likely, via a non-carrier system, with random binding of H+ and sugar, in a system where binding of the first ligand does not influence binding of the second.

Cytochalasin B does not stimulate sugar uptake into small intestine of necturus or chick.

3-O-Methylglucose accumulation by Necturus intestine was studied in the presence and absence of cytochalasin B. The effect of this agent on 3-O-methylglucose-induced changes in transepithelial potential difference was also investigated. Cytochalasin B (50 microM) blocked the rise in potential difference induced by 4 mM 3-O-methyglucose. 3-O-Methyglucose accumulation by Necturus intestine was measured; it was inhibited by cytochalasin B at concentrations of 50 and 100 microM. These results indicate that, in Necturus intestine, sodium-dependent sugar transport across the apical cell membrane is blocked by cytochalasin B.

Distribution of three hexose derivatives across the pancreatic epithelium: paracellular shunts or cellular passage?

It has been proposed that the pancreatic epithelium is permeable to three presumably passively distributed non-electrolytes, namely sucrose, inulin and mannitol, via paracellular shunts, and that the increased flux of sucrose and inulin seen during augmented digestive enzyme secretion is due to an increase in the permeability of these shunts. The present study considers this hypothesis by comparing the permeability of the epithelium to three different hexose derivatives, mannitol, inositol and 3-O-methyl-glucose, in both the unstimulated state and after the augmentation of protein secretion with a cholinergic drug. The epithelium was found to be more permeable to mannitol than to either inositol or 3-O-methyl-glucose. In the unstimulated state, the concentration of mannitol in ductal fluid at the steady state was approx. 54% of its concentration in the interstitium, as compared to 12% for inositol and 8% for 3-O-methyl-glucose. Cholinergic stimulation substantially increased the concentration of inositol and 3-O-methyl-glucose in secretion, but did not increase that of mannitol. The increase in the concentration of inositol occurred in the absence of an increase in its rate of transepithelial movement. Taken together, the results suggest that: (1) there is a substantial passage of mannitol through the cells of the epithelial layer, and (2) the increased concentration of inositol and 3-O-methyl-glucose in ductal fluid that occurs with stimulation is due to an increase in their efflux from secretory cells.