New antiviral antibiotics, kistamicins A and B. I. Taxonomy, production, isolation, physico-chemical properties and biological activities.

A new strain of Microtetraspora parvosata subsp. kistnae subsp. nov. (ATCC 55076) was found to produce new antiviral antibiotics, designated kistamicins A and B. These antibiotics exhibited activity against influenza virus type A and moderate activity against Gram-positive bacteria.

Characterization of a cloned rat serotonin 5-HT1A receptor expressed in the HeLa cell line.

We have previously isolated the rat serotonin (5-HT)1A receptor gene (G21Y2) and now report the expression and characterization of this receptor. The BamHI/Xbal fragment of this gene was cloned into Rc/RSV and stably transfected into HeLa cells by the calcium phosphate method. For determination of specific 5-HT1A receptor binding, [3H]8OH-DPAT was used as the radioligand and incubated with HeLa cell membranes. The cells expressed specific and saturable binding of [3H]8OH-DPAT with a Kd value of 0.3 nM and a Bmax value of 2 pmol/mg protein. GTP (50 microM) added to the incubation mixture increased the Kd value to 3 nM indicating that the expressed receptor is coupled to a G protein. The specific binding was inhibited by selective 5-HT1A partial agonists, such as buspirone, ipsapirone, gepirone, tandospirone, zalospirone and SUN8399 with Ki values of 1-30nM, whereas other neurotropic drugs except for spiperone (Ki = 46 nM) and nemonapride (Ki = 2.3 nM) were effective only at concentrations of more than 100 microM. The potencies of these compounds to inhibit [3H]8OH-DPAT from its specific binding sites were similar to their affinities determined in rat hippocampus binding studies. These data suggest that the expressed receptor is a 5-HT1A-type similar to 5-HT1A receptors in the rat hippocampus.

Eurystatins A and B, new prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors. I. Taxonomy, production, isolation and biological activities.

Eurystatins A and B, were isolated from the cultured broth of Streptomyces eurythermus R353-21. They showed specific and potent inhibitory activity against prolyl endopeptidase and did not show antimicrobial activity. No lethal toxicity was observed for the two compounds after ip administration in mice at 200 mg/kg.

Inhibitory effects of copiamycin A, a macrocyclic lactone antibiotic, on gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase, acid secretion and ulcer formation.

When 17 macrocyclic lactone antibiotics were examined for their abilities to inhibit gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase, copiamycin A was found to have the strongest and relatively specific activity with IC50s of 15.7 micrograms/ml and greater than 100 micrograms/ml against the hog gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase and the dog kidney Na+,K(+)-ATPase, respectively. Furthermore, this antibiotic inhibited the histamine-induced gastric acid secretion in the isolated gastric mucosal membrane of guinea pigs and the gastric ulcer formation in pylorus-ligated rats.

New biological properties of pyrroloquinoline quinone and its related compounds: inhibition of chemiluminescence, lipid peroxidation and rat paw edema.

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) inhibited the chemiluminescence (CL) from mouse peritoneal cells initiated by zymosan, carrageenin and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine and CL generated by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction and the lipid peroxidation in the rat brain homogenate. The inhibitory activity of PQQ was more potent than that of idebenone, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid in all the three assay systems. In the xanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction, PQQ had no effect on the formation of uric acid at the concentration of CL inhibition. These results suggest that PQQ might have a radical scavenger-like activity. Structure-activity relationship of PQQ and its six related compounds showed that the 7- and 9-carboxyl groups of PQQ as well as the orthoquinone structure are responsible for the radical scavenger-like activity. In addition, the -NH group in the pyrrole ring of PQQ seemed to be essential for the antilipid peroxidative activity in the rat brain homogenate. When administered i.p., PQQ inhibited the development of 0.1% carrageenin-induced paw edema in rats. These results suggest that PQQ might have therapeutic effects on various diseases, of which development or exacerbation has been known to be associated with radical oxygens.

Chemical and biological properties of rubiginone, a complex of new antibiotics with vincristine-cytotoxicity potentiating activity.

A novel complex of isotetracenone (angucyclinone) group antibiotics was discovered from the cultured broth of Streptomyces griseorubiginosus No. Q144-2. The antibiotic consisted of six related factors, designated rubiginones A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. They significantly potentiated cytotoxicity of vincristine (VCR) against VCR-resistant P388 leukemia and Moser cells.

Characterization of human endogenous retroviral envelope RNA transcripts.

We characterized the structure of human endogenous retroviral env RNA transcripts by Northern blot hybridization and cDNA cloning. Polyadenylated 3.0- and 1.7-kilobase env RNAs can be identified in placenta, colon carcinoma, and breast carcinoma cells. We have obtained partial cDNA clones of both size classes of RNAs. Both env RNAs contained putative gp70 coding sequences; the 1.7-kilobase species, however, lacked sequences in the 3' env region which could specify a p15E analog. Both cDNA clones contained in-frame termination codons; thus, neither could encode full-length env proteins.

Antibodies against a nonapeptide of polyomavirus middle T antigen: cross-reaction with a cellular protein(s).

Antibodies were raised against the sequence Glu-Glu-Glu-Glu-Tyr-Met-Pro-Met -Glu, which represents a part of the middle T antigen of polyomavirus that is considered to be important in inducing the phenotype of transformed cells. The antibodies reacted with native as well as denatured middle T antigens. In addition, the antibodies immunoprecipitated a cellular protein with an apparent molecular weight of 130,000 (130K) from mouse and rat cells. In some cases, a 33K protein was also immunoprecipitated. Immunoprecipitation of middle T antigen as well as 130K and 33K proteins was blocked by the peptide. The antibodies labeled microfilaments of untransformed mouse, rat, human, and chicken cells by immunofluorescence. This labeling was also blocked by the peptide. The labeling pattern and distribution under a variety of conditions were indistinguishable from those of anti-actin antibodies, although no evidence has been obtained to indicate that the anti-peptide antibodies react with actin. The 130K protein migrated in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis slightly slower than chicken gizzard vinculin (130K) and slightly faster than myosin light-chain kinase of chicken smooth muscle (130K). Neither of these proteins absorbed the anti-peptide antibodies. The 33K protein does not seem to be tropomyosin (32K to 40K).

A radioimmunoassay for guanosine-5'-diphosphate-3'-diphosphate and adenosine-5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate.

A radioimmunoassay for guanosine-5'-diphosphate-3'-diphosphate (ppGpp) and adenosine-5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate (pppApp) has been developed. The assay method is based on competition of an unlabeled highly phosphorylated nucleotide with 3H-labeled highly phosphorylated nucleotide for binding sites on a specific antibody. Antibodies to ppGpp and pppApp were obtained by immunizing rabbits with the antigen prepared by conjugating ppGpp with human serum albumin using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide, and with the antigen prepared by conjugating 8-(6-aminohexyl)amino-adenosine-5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate with human serum albumin using glutaraldehyde, respectively. Antibody-bound 3H-labeled highly phosphorylated nucleotides were separated from the free 3H-labeled highly phosphorylated nucleotides by selective adsorption on dextran-coated charcoal. Displacement plots were linear over a concentration range of 5-1,000 pmol/assay tube in a log-probit percentage plot. Application of this method to biological systems offers improved accuracy and convenience compared with the previous 32PO4-labeling technique.

Effect of adenosine-5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate and related nucleoside polyphosphates on the spore germination of Streptomyces galilaeus.

Exogenous addition of adenosine- and guanosine 5'-(di- and tri) phosphate 3'-diphosphate (pppApp, ppApp, pppGpp and ppGpp) at the concentration of 0.5 mM inhibits spore germination of Streptomyces galilaeus ATCC 31133. This reversible inhibitory effect appeared to be at the transcriptional level, and also depends on the phase of spore germination; pppApp inhibited more strongly RNA synthesis in the period of the germ tube emergence than the early stage of germination. No inhibitory effect was observed with normal purine and pyrimidine nucleosides, nucleotides, pApp, pGpp, cyclic AMP and pyrophosphoric acid at the concentration of 0.1 - 1.0 mM.