Study of the interaction of the medium chain mu 2 subunit of the clathrin-associated adapter protein complex 2 with cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 and CD28.

The medium chain mu 2 subunit (AP50) of the clathrin-associated adapter protein complex 2 (AP-2) interacts specifically with the tyrosine-based signals of several integral membrane proteins through the consensus sequence YXXPhi, where X can be any residue and Phi is a large hydrophobic residue. Using surface plasmon resonance combined with structural information, we have analysed the interaction of AP50 with peptides derived from the cytoplasmic tail of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4). The crystal structure of AP50 in complex with a CTLA-4-derived peptide was determined to 3.6 A (1 A=0.1 nm) resolution. The binding domain of AP50 (residues 164-435) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. In agreement with previous reports, the AP50 domain bound to residues 152-174 of CTLA-4, but not to the same peptide that was phosphorylated at the single tyrosine residue (position 165). The interaction exhibited fast kinetics with rapid on and off rates and a K(d) of 0.7 microM. In order to further understand why AP50 binds to CTLA-4, but not to the homologous receptor CD28, a comparison of binding of AP50 with five peptides with single changes in and around the YXXPhi motif to the equivalent residues of CD28 was made. T162H greatly reduced binding, whereas T161L had little effect. Mutations G163S, V164D and K167N all exhibited reduced binding. Modelling of the single amino acid changes using structural information, was in broad agreement with the binding data, demonstrating that residues outside of the YXXPhi motif are also important in the interaction of membrane proteins with AP50.

An analysis of two refolding routes for a C-terminally truncated human collagenase-3 expressed in Escherichia coli.

We describe here the expression of a C-terminally truncated form of human procollagenase-3 in Escherichia coli. The protein was found almost exclusively in inclusion bodies that were solubilized and refolded by two separate methods and then purified on Ni-NTA agarose. The purified proenzyme could be activated with either trypsin or APMA and active enzyme could be purified on a peptidic hydroxamate affinity column. Competitive elution from the affinity matrix yielded a highly purified preparation.

Kinetic and structural characteristics of the inhibition of enoyl (acyl carrier protein) reductase by triclosan.

Triclosan is used widely as an antibacterial agent in dermatological products, mouthwashes, and toothpastes. Recent studies imply that antibacterial activity results from binding to enoyl (acyl carrier protein) reductase (EACPR, EC 1.3.1.9). We first recognized the ability of triclosan to inhibit EACPR from Escherichia coli in a high throughput screen where the enzyme and test compound were preincubated with NAD(+), which is a product of the reaction. The concentration of triclosan required for 50% inhibition approximates to 50% of the enzyme concentration, indicating that the free compound is depleted by binding to EACPR. With no preincubation or added NAD(+), the degree of inhibition by 150 nM triclosan increases gradually over several minutes. The onset of inhibition is more rapid when NAD(+) is added. Gel filtration and mass spectrometry show that inhibition by triclosan is reversible. Steady-state assays were designed to avoid depletion of free inhibitor and changes in the degree of inhibition. The results suggest that triclosan binds to E-NAD(+) complex, with a dissociation constant around 20-40 pM. Triclosan follows competitive kinetics with respect to NADH, giving an inhibition constant of 38 pM at zero NADH and saturating NAD(+). Uncompetitive kinetics are observed when NAD(+) is varied, giving an inhibition constant of 22 pM at saturating NAD(+). By following regain of catalytic activity after dilution of EACPR that had been preincubated with triclosan and NAD(+), the rate constant for dissociation of the inhibitor (k(off)) is measured as 1.9 x 10(-4) s(-1). The association rate constant (k(on)) is estimated as 2.6 x 10(7) s(-1) M(-1) by monitoring the onset of inhibition during assays started by addition of EACPR. As expected, the ratio k(off)/k(on) = 7.1 pM is similar to the inhibition constants from the steady-state studies. The crystal structure of E. coli EACPR in a complex with coenzyme and triclosan has been determined at 1.9 A resolution, showing that this compound binds in a similar site to the diazaborine inhibitors. The high affinity of triclosan appears to be due to structural similarity to a tightly bound intermediate in catalysis.

The entropic penalty of ordered water accounts for weaker binding of the antibiotic novobiocin to a resistant mutant of DNA gyrase: a thermodynamic and crystallographic study.

Novobiocin is an antibiotic which binds to a 24 kDa fragment from the B subunit of DNA gyrase. Naturally occurring resistance arises from mutation of Arg-136 which hydrogen bonds to the coumarin ring of novobiocin. We have applied calorimetry to characterize the binding of novobiocin to wild-type and R136H mutant 24 kDa fragments. Upon mutation, the Kd increases from 32 to 1200 nM at 300 K. The enthalpy of binding is more favorable for the mutant (DeltaH degrees shifts from -12.1 to -17.5 kcal/mol), and the entropy of binding is much less favorable (TDeltaS degrees changes from -1.8 to -9.4 kcal/mol). Both of these changes are in the direction opposite to that expected if the loss of the Arg residue reduces hydrogen bonding. The change in heat capacity at constant pressure upon binding (DeltaCp) shifts from -295 to -454 cal mol-1 K-1. We also report the crystal structure, at 2.3 A resolution, of a complex between the R136H 24 kDa fragment and novobiocin. Although the change in DeltaCp often would be interpreted as reflecting increased burial of hydrophobic surface on binding, this structure reveals a small decrease. Furthermore, an ordered water molecule is sequestered into the volume vacated by removal of the guanidinium group. There are large discrepancies when the measured thermodynamic parameters are compared to those estimated from the structural data using empirical relationships. These differences seem to arise from the effects of sequestering ordered water molecules upon complexation. The water-mediated hydrogen bonds linking novobiocin to the mutant protein make a favorable enthalpic contribution, whereas the immobilization of the water leads to an entropic cost and a reduction in the heat capacity of the system. Such a negative contribution to DeltaCp, DeltaH degrees , and TDeltaS degrees appears to be a general property of water molecules that are sequestered when ligands bind to proteins.

Biochemical characterization and deletion analysis of recombinant human protein phosphatase 2C alpha.

The use of protein phosphatase inhibitors has been instrumental in defining the intracellular roles of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), PP2A and PP2B. Identification of the role of PP2C in vivo has been hampered, in part, by the unavailability of specific inhibitors. In order to facilitate the identification of novel and specific inhibitors of PP2C by random screening of compounds, and to further characterize this enzyme at the molecular level by site-directed mutagenesis and X-ray crystallography, we have expressed active recombinant human PP2C alpha (rPP2C alpha) in Escherichia coli. Biochemical characterization of rPP2C alpha showed that it could hydrolyse p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) although, in contrast with native PP2C, this was not stimulated by Mg2+. As with native PP2C, okadaic acid failed to inhibit rPP2C alpha, whereas 50 mM NaF dramatically inhibited its activity. An alignment of the amino acid sequence of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) with those of other serine/threonine protein kinases around the regulatory phosphorylation site (subdomains VII-VIII) revealed a high degree of conservation. Phosphopeptides derived from this region of AMPK and containing the almost invariant threonine (Thr172 in AMPK) were found to be good substrates for rPP2C alpha. We also showed that rPP2C alpha can inactivate AMPK, but only in the presence of Mg2+. To define the regions of PP2C alpha important for catalytic activity, we expressed a number of truncated proteins based on the sequence and proposed domain structure of the PP2C alpha homologue from Paramecium tetraurelia. Deletion of 75 residues (9 kDa) from the C-terminus appeared to have little effect on the catalytic activity using pNPP, phosphopeptides or AMPK as substrates. This suggests that the residues important in catalysis lie elsewhere in the protein. A further deletion of the C-terminus led to a completely inactive and very poorly soluble protein.

Cloning and expression of cystolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and a naturally occurring variant. Phosphorylation of Ser505 of recombinant cPLA2 by p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase results in an increase in specific activity.

Full-length cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) was cloned from U937 cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) while a naturally occurring variant of cPLA2, which lacks residues Val473-Ala749 but has a C-terminal extension of ILMNLSEYMLWMSKVKRFM (DcPLA2) was cloned from PMNLs and mononuclear leukocytes. We were unable to clone DcPLA2 from U937 cells. When cPLA2 and DcPLA2 were expressed in insect cells, both proteins were detected in cell lysates by SDS/PAGE as single bands of apparent molecular masses 100 kDa and 57 kDa, respectively. Full-length cPLA2 was phosphorylated stoichiometrically by p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in vitro at a similar rate to other physiological substrates of this protein kinase and the major site of phosphorylation was identified by amino acid sequencing as Ser505. [32P]Ser(P)505 in cPLA2 was only dephosphorylated at a slow rate by mammalian tissue homogenates. Protein phosphatases 2A, 2B and 2C all contributed significantly to the overall dephosphorylation of cPLA2. The phosphorylation of cPLA2 by p42 MAP kinase correlated with an approximately 1.5-fold increase in specific enzyme activity which was reversed by dephosphorylation.

Pharmacokinetics of the anti-inflammatory drug ximoprofen in healthy young and elderly subjects: comparison with elderly rheumatic patients.

The pharmacokinetics of ximoprofen were studied in young and elderly subjects after single and repeated doses up to 30 mg. In healthy elderly subjects (30 mg dose), a mean peak plasma drug concentration of 1.78 micrograms ml-1 +/- 0.83 s.d. occurred at a mean time of 1.95 h +/- 1.40 s.d. and, thereafter, concentrations declined monoexponentially with a mean half-life of 3.8 h +/- 1.4 s.d. Comparison of these data with those from younger healthy subjects showed that peak drug concentrations, areas under the curve and half-lives were about two-fold greater in the elderly, these differences probably reflecting a lower systemic drug clearance. Similar results were obtained on comparing data from young healthy subjects and elderly rheumatic patients receiving single and repeated doses of ximoprofen (15 mg twice daily). In patients, the half-life of ximoprofen was 2.5 h +/- 0.7 s.d. Within either group, pharmacokinetic parameters after single or repeated doses were similar: ximoprofen did not accumulate in the plasma of the young or elderly.

Pharmacokinetics of the anti-inflammatory drug ximoprofen in healthy subjects and in disease states.

The pharmacokinetics of ximoprofen, a potent new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, has been investigated in normal healthy subjects and in patients with hepatic or renal disease. After intravenous infusion of 22.8 mg to healthy subjects, plasma ximoprofen concentrations declined in a polyexponential manner with a terminal phase half-life of 1.9 h. The systemic clearance of ximoprofen was 115 ml.min-1 and the volumes of distribution were 18.01 Vz and 13.81 Vss. Ximoprofen was 80-90% bound to plasma proteins. The systemic availabilities (f) of orally and rectally administered doses of 30 mg of ximoprofen were 98% and 56% respectively and, in the case of the rectal dose, absorption appeared to be prolonged leading to "flip-flop" kinetics. After single oral doses of 30 mg of ximoprofen to patients with hepatic disease, half-life (2.2 h), peak plasma concentrations (1.55 micrograms.ml-1 cf 1.04 micrograms.ml-1 in healthy subjects) and areas under the curve (6.12 micrograms.h.ml-1 cf 3.54 micrograms.h.ml-1 in healthy subjects) were significantly different from those in healthy subjects. After single oral doses of 30 mg of ximoprofen to patients with renal disease, pharmacokinetic parameters of half-life (4.0 h), mean residence time (6.0 h) and area under the curve (9.2 micrograms.h.ml-1) were significantly different from those in healthy subjects. There were no significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between patients having differing degrees of renal disease. These data nevertheless suggest that accumulation of ximoprofen in hepatic or renal disease would be of slight or negligible clinical relevance and that no alteration of the dose regimen (up to 15 mg twice daily) may be required when ximoprofen is administered in these disease states.

The metabolic fate of 14C-ximoprofen in rats, baboons and humans.

1. The metabolic fate of 14C-ximoprofen was compared in rat (2 mg/kg), baboon (2 mg/kg) and human (approx. 0.4 mg/kg). An oral dose was well absorbed in all three species as indicated by urinary excretion of 80%, 86% and 94% dose respectively in 5 days: excreted in the faeces were 14%, 2% and 2% dose respectively. 2. Total 14C in plasma reached peak concentrations at 1-1.5 h in humans and earlier in animals. In humans, plasma 14C was initially associated mainly with unchanged drug which declined with a half-life of about 2 h (plasma 14C t1/2 about 8 h; cf. about 6 h in animals). 3. Tissue 14C concentrations in rats were generally similar to those in baboons at 1 h after dosing, decreasing substantially at later times. The distribution of 14C was consistent with that of a compound readily eliminated. 4. The major biotransformation products of ximoprofen were formed by hydrolysis to the keto-analogue followed by reduction to the hydroxy-analogue and conjugation of these two compounds. The same major metabolites were detected in urine of rat, baboon and humans but there was (a) complete biotransformation of ximoprofen in the rat, (b) an apparent difference in the nature of the conjugated component(s) in rat urine and those in baboon and human urine, (c) only one hydroxy-analogue detected in human urine but two such compounds in animal urine as indicated by mass spectrometry. 5. In human plasma at peak concentrations, the relative importance of circulating components was ximoprofen greater than keto-analogue greater than hydroxy-analogue, whereas in the plasma of the animal species this order was reversed, consistent with the more extensive biotransformation of ximoprofen observed in rat or baboon.

Organic nitrate reductase: reassessment of its subcellular localization and tissue distribution and its relationship to the glutathione transferases.

1. Using a specific and sensitive GLC method for the determination of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), its subcellular and tissue distribution were reassessed. Liver was the most active tissue, but activity was also detected in the heart, kidney and gut. In all tissues activity was localized in the soluble fraction. The activity of soluble glutathione S-transferase followed the same pattern, liver exhibiting the highest and the heart the lowest activity. 2. Pretreatment with phenobarbitone and 3-methylcholanthrene stimulated both the glutathione S-transferase and organic nitrate reductase activities. 3. Glutathione S-transferase activity was competitively inhibited by GTN. 4. A comparison of the plasma and hepatic metabolism of GTN revealed higher drug affinity for the hepatic enzyme.

The pharmacokinetics of amlodipine in healthy volunteers after single intravenous and oral doses and after 14 repeated oral doses given once daily.

Intravenous administration of amlodipine (single dose, 10 mg) to 12 volunteers gave a mean plasma half-life of 34 h, mean clearance of 7 ml min-1 kg-1 and a mean apparent volume of distribution of 21 l kg-1. Oral administration (single dose, 10 mg) to the same 12 volunteers gave a mean systemic availability of 64% and a mean plasma half-life of 36 h. In a second study, repeated oral administration (once daily for 14 days, 15 mg) to 28 volunteers resulted in steady state plasma drug concentration being reached after seven doses, an accumulation of approximately threefold and a mean half-life of 45 h.

Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, ryosidine, in man.

The metabolic fate of [14C]ryosidine (ryodipine) has been investigated after oral administration to human subjects (by capsule), and to rats and dogs (in solution). The excretion patterns of 14C were similar for all three species: about 50% dose was excreted in urine, mainly in 24 h, but a proportion was excreted slowly, particularly by humans. Absorption in man appeared to be less than in the animal species, probably as a result of the capsule dosage form used. Mean concentrations of total 14C in human plasma reached a peak value of 0.41 microgram equiv./ml at four hours and declined biphasically thereafter (mean terminal t1/2 = 28 h). Unchanged ryosidine was only detected in plasma from two to six hours (mean t1/2 = 80 min), and never accounted for more than 5% of the plasma 14C. The extent of binding of ryosidine to the plasma proteins (in vitro) was similar (greater than 90%) to that of total 14C (in vivo; mainly metabolites). Less than 0.5% of the dose to human subjects was excreted via the kidneys as unchanged ryosidine, whereas the bulk of the extractable faecal 14C was in the form of unchanged drug and presumably represented unabsorbed material. The principal routes of biotransformation of ryosidine in all three species involved oxidative aromatization of the 1,4-dihydropyridine ring, followed by ester hydrolysis, O-dealkylation, hydroxylation of an alpha-methyl group (and lactonization) and some glucuronidation, although quantitative interspecies differences were apparent.

Application of DNA flow cytometry to paraffin-embedded archival material for the study of aneuploidy and its clinical significance.

By using a recently developed flow cytometric method we have analyzed cellular DNA content of paraffin-embedded histological material from cancer patients. This method allows the retrospective study of tumors from patients whose clinical outcome is already known, and we have applied it to ovarian cancers, stage II breast cancers, and to metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site. In addition to knowledge of patient survival, comprehensive information was available about other prognostic determinants and treatment received, and we have used multivariate analysis in an attempt to determine the prognostic significance of cellular DNA content. In ovarian cancer, it is a major prognostic variable except in stage IV disease, whereas in metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site cellular DNA content has no influence on survival. For stage II breast cancer the situation is more complex and requires larger numbers to be studied. However, aneuploid tumors tend to have more extensive involvement of axillary lymph nodes and a poorer overall disease-free survival. This influence of DNA content on disease-free survival appears to be confined to premenopausal patients, and has no effect on patient survival following disease recurrence. Although we need to study more patients and more tumor types, taken together the results so far show a generally more favorable prognosis for patients with diploid tumors, except in the presence of recurrent or metastatic disease. The better prognosis associated with diploid tumors could be due to the fact that they are more commonly found in earlier clinical stages rather than to their being inherently less aggressive than aneuploid tumors.

Estimation of nonproliferating cells in the neural retina of embryonic chicks by flow cytometry.

Nonproliferating cells (N cells) in the neural retina of embryonic chicks were estimated after isolating them in the 2C peak of a DNA distribution by exposure to the cell-cycle inhibitor ICRF 159. ICRF 159 inhibits cell division but not DNA synthesis, so proliferating cells can leave the 2C peak but not reenter it. Cells left in the 2C peak after exposure to ICRF 159 were assumed to be N cells. The effectiveness of ICRF 159 in inhibiting cell division but not inhibiting DNA synthesis was demonstrated in neural retinae from stage 17 embryos which showed no evidence of a 2C peak after 6-h exposure to ICRF 159 and which were thus shown to have no N cells. A test to detect escape from the cell division block in older embryos with an N cell population in the neural retina showed some escape after longer exposures to ICRF 159. The escape was suppressed by a second dose of ICRF 159, given some hours after the first.

Selective toxicity of a new lipophilic antifolate, BW301U, for methotrexate-resistant cells with reduced drug uptake.

Three methotrexate (MTX)-resistant cell lines and their MTX-sensitive counterparts have been used to examine 2,4-diamino-6-(2,5-dimethoxybenzyl)-5-methyl-pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine (BW301U), a novel lipophilic antifolate, and compare its cytotoxicity with MTX and metoprine. Collateral sensitivity for both BW301U and metoprine was observed in CCRF-CEM/MTX R-cells, where MTX resistance appeared to be primarily due to a deficiency in drug uptake. This was particularly pronounced with BW301U which proved to be as effective in killing CCRF-CEM/MTX R as was MTX with the parental CCRF-CEM cell line. This effect was not seen in other cell lines, L5178Y/MTX or L1210/MTX R, where resistance to MTX was correlated with either an overproduction of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate:nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidoreductase EC 1.5.1.3 (DHFR) or with combined uptake defect and increased DHFR levels, respectively. In each case, however, BW301U and metoprine, especially at high concentrations, were more effective than MTX in treating MTX-resistant cells.

Ovarian tumour xenografts in the study of the biology of human epithelial ovarian cancer.

Human epithelial ovarian tumours were successfully established as xenografts in nude mice in 54% of cases. An evaluation of the biological characteristics of tumours propagated in nude mice was carried out and the functions investigated included morphology, growth kinetics, cellular DNA content, cell surface antigen expression and sensitivity to chemotherapy. To allow a more detailed study of the influence of ploidy on biological behaviour, xenografted tumour with varying degrees of aneuploidy and tumours with a common ancestry but different ploidies were also established. Although this is a highly selective model system favouring the growth of biologically aggressive tumours the xenografts, in general, reflect many of the characteristics of the tumours from which they were derived and are likely to provide a useful model for investigating the biology of ovarian cancer.