Candida albicans phosphatidylinositol synthase has common features with both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammalian phosphatidylinositol synthases.

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) synthase (cytidine 5'-diphospho (CDP)-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol:myo-inositol 3-phosphatidyltransferase, EC 2.7.8.11) was isolated from the microsomal cell fraction of Candida albicans. The Triton X-100 extracted enzyme was enriched 140-fold by affinity chromatography on CDP-diacylglycerol-Sepharose. The enzyme had a pH optimum at 9.5 in glycine/NaOH buffer. It had an absolute requirement for Mg2+ or Mn2+ and was inhibited by Ca2+ and Zn2+. Maximal activity was at 0.2-0.6 mM-CDP-diacylglycerol, higher concentrations inhibited the enzyme. With 2'-deoxy-CDP-diacylglycerol as the lipid substrate, optimal activity was at 0.7 mM. The K(m) for myo-inositol was determined to be 0.55 mM. The optimal temperature for the PI synthase reaction was 55 degrees C. The C. albicans PI synthase shows differences to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme, such as activation by bivalent cations, inhibition by nucleotides, temperature optimum and activation energy, but also to the human PI synthase in preference for the lipid substrates, inhibition by nucleoside monophosphates and stabilization by Mn2+ and phospholipids.

Purification and characterization of phosphatidylinositol synthase from human placenta.

Phosphatidylinositol synthase (CDP-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol:myoinositol 3-phosphatidyltransferase, EC 2.7.8.11) was purified from the microsomal fraction of human placenta. The Triton X-100-extracted enzyme was purified 8300-fold over the microsomal fraction by affinity chromatography on CDP-diacylglycerol-Sepharose followed by ion-exchange chromatography on Mono Q. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 24,000 Da on SDS/PAGE. The enzyme had a pH optimum at 9.0, required Mn2+ or Mg2+, and was inhibited by Ca2+ and Zn2+. The Km for myo-inositol was determined to be 0.28 mM. Optimal activity was obtained at 0.2-0.4 mM CDP-diacylglycerol; higher concentrations of the lipid substrate inhibited the enzyme reaction. The enzyme was inhibited by nucleoside di- and tri-phosphates, Pi and PPi. CDP competitively inhibited the enzyme reaction with a Kis of 4 mM. The optimal temperature for the PtdIns synthase reaction was 50 degrees C.

Effect of 5-azacytidine and congeners on DNA methylation and expression of deoxycytidine kinase in the human lymphoid cell lines CCRF/CEM/0 and CCRF/CEM/dCk-1.

The human lymphoid cell lines CCRF/CEM/0 and the deoxycytidine kinase (dCk)-deficient CCRF/CEM/dCk- were treated with various 5-azacytidine (5-aza-C) nucleosides and the effect on DNA methylation and dCk activity were examined. 5-Azacytidine (5-aza-C), 5,6-dihydro-5-azacytidine (DHAC), 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-Cdr), and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-azacytidine (ara-AC) reduced the DNA 5-methylcytosine level in the CEM/0 cells, down to approximately 10% of the level in untreated cells. The dCk activity was increased after treatment with the 5-aza-C nucleosides approximately 10% compared to untreated cells. In CEM/dCk- cells DNA hypomethylation between 50 and 25% of control was seen only after treatment with DHAC and 5-aza-C. No decrease in the methylation level was seen after treatment with 5-aza-Cdr or ara-AC. The dCk activity was increased up to 37% after treatment with DHAC or 5-aza-C but no increase was observed after treatment with 5-aza-Cdr or ara-AC. CEM/dCk- cells treated with DHAC showed a revertant frequency to cells expressing dCk activity of between 0.1 and 0.6%. Cloned revertant CEM/dCk- cells isolated from soft agar had dCk activity between 31 and 113% compared to the activity in untreated CEM/0 cells. This in vitro study indicates that DHAC and 5-aza-C induced dCk re-expression in the CEM/dCk- cells whereas 5-aza-Cdr and ara-AC did not.