Clinical efficacy and treatment persistence of monthly minodronate for osteoporotic patients unsatisfied with, and shifted from, daily or weekly bisphosphonates: the BP-MUSASHI study.

UNLABELLED: This multi-center, prospective, open-label, observational study evaluated the effects of once-monthly minodronate (50 mg) on treatment persistence, bone turnover markers, bone mineral density, low back pain, and upper gastrointestinal symptoms in outpatients with osteoporosis previously treated with daily or weekly bisphosphonate products. INTRODUCTION: The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of once-monthly oral minodronate (MIN 50 mg) on bone turnover markers and bone mineral density, low back pain, and upper gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as preference for and treatment persistence of MIN 50 mg among Japanese osteoporosis patients currently treated with daily or weekly bisphosphonates. METHODS: Study patients were allocated based on their preference to either the Switch group (patients willing to switch over to MIN 50 mg) or the Continue group (patients wanting to continue their current therapies). Patients' treatment persistence and satisfaction levels with the therapies were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. The study endpoints were serum TRACP-5b, serum P1NP, bone mineral density, upper gastrointestinal symptoms, and low back pain. RESULTS: In total, 264 and 133 patients were allocated into the Switch and Continue groups, respectively. Approximately, 65 % of patients were willing to switch to MIN 50 mg, with the predominant reason being "less frequent dosing more convenient." Treatment persistence was significantly higher in the Switch group (MIN 50 mg) than the Continue group. Almost all patients with abnormal bone metabolism markers demonstrated normalization after switchover. MIN 50 mg alleviated low back pain and upper gastrointestinal symptoms induced by prior bisphosphonate use. CONCLUSIONS: MIN 50 mg alleviates low back pain, reduces bone turnover markers and increases bone density, and induces fewer upper gastrointestinal symptoms after switchover from prior bisphosphonate products, and therefore, it may provide patients with a more convenient treatment option and enhance long-term treatment persistence.

Regulatory functions of hapten-reactive helper and suppressor T lymphocytes. III. Amplification of a generation of tumor-specific killer T-lymphocyte activities by suppressor T-cell-depleted hapten-reactive T lymphocytes.

2,4.6-trinitrophenyl (TNP)-reactive T-cell activities were raised in mice by immunization with TNP-isologous mouse gamma globulin. After establishing that TNP-reactive T lymphocytes can serve as amplifier cells for induction of killer T lymphocytes in allogeneic system, we explored the possibility of this hapten-reactive T-cell system to amplify tumor-specific killer T-lymphocyte activity in the syngeneic system. We utlized relatively weak immunogenic syngeneic plasmacytoma X5563 in C3H/He mice. Analysis of the TNP-reactive T-cell activities revealed that such T lymphocytes express the biological functions of both major subtypes of regulatory T cells, namely suppressors and helpers, and that TNP-reactive suppressor and helper T lymphocytes, respectively, differ in their relative susceptibility to specific inactivation by TNP conjugates of the nonimmunogenic D-amino acid copolymer, D-glutamic acid, and D-lysine (D-GL). By taking advantage of the relative susceptibility-difference to TNP-D-GL, selective inactivation of TNP-reactive suppressor T cells was induced by appropriate treatment with TNP-D-GL, and the generation of TNP-reactive helper T-cell activity was amplified. The supplement of augmented TNP-reactive helper T-cell activity to the system at the immunization with syngeneic X5563 with TNP-haptenation, resulted in a striking augmentation of induction of tumor-specific killer T-lymphocyte activity, and a considerable number of hosts survived after the challenge with lethal dose of viable tumor cells. Thus, appropriate manipulations designed to induce potent hapten-reactive helper T-lymphocytes provided the potential for a very effective mode of immunoprophylaxis against tumor.

Endoscopic photodynamic therapy using talaporfin sodium for recurrent intranasal carcinomas after radiotherapy in three dogs.

Radiation is the treatment of choice for canine nasal tumours but, in almost all cases, there is local recurrence associated with poor prognosis. This report describes the effect of endoscopic photodynamic therapy using talaporfin sodium for canine intranasal carcinoma recurring after radiation therapy. Rhinoscopic photodynamic therapy was administered after radiation therapy in three dogs with recurrent intranasal carcinoma. Two to 24 illuminations of a 665-nm diode laser were performed two hours after intravenous bolus injection of 5·0 mg/kg of talaporfin sodium. Photodynamic therapy induced almost complete remission and prolonged survival time in all cases suggesting that it might be a useful treatment for intranasal carcinomas that recur after radiation.

Gallbladder Agenesis in 17 Dogs: 2006-2016.

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder agenesis (GBA) is extremely rare in dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe the history, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of dogs with GBA. ANIMALS: Seventeen client-owned dogs with GBA. METHODS: Medical records from 2006 through 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Dogs were included when GBA was suspected on abdominal ultrasonography and confirmed by gross evaluation. Signalment, clinical signs, clinicopathological data, diagnostic imaging, histopathology, treatment, and outcome were recorded. RESULTS: Dogs were of 6 different breeds, and Chihuahuas (10 of 17) were most common. Median age at presentation was 1.9 (range, 0.7-7.4) years. Clinical signs included vomiting (5 of 17), anorexia (2 of 17), ascites (2 of 17), diarrhea (1 of 17), lethargy (1 of 17), and seizures (1 of 17). All dogs had increased serum activity of at least 1 liver enzyme, most commonly alanine aminotransferase (15 of 17). Fifteen dogs underwent computed tomography (CT) cholangiography; common bile duct (CBD) dilatation was confirmed in 12, without evidence of bile duct obstruction. Gross evaluation confirmed malformation of the liver lobes in 14 of 17 dogs and acquired portosystemic collaterals in 5 of 17. Ductal plate malformation was confirmed histologically in 16 of 17 dogs. During follow-up (range, 4-3,379 days), 16 of 17 dogs remained alive. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs with GBA exhibit clinicopathological signs of hepatobiliary injury and hepatic histopathological changes consistent with a ductal plate abnormality. Computed tomography cholangiography was superior to ultrasound examination in identifying accompanying nonobstructive CBD distention. Computed tomography cholangiography combined with laparoscopic liver biopsy is the preferable approach to characterize the full disease spectrum accompanying GBA in dogs.

Gene expressions of canine angiopoietin-1 and -2 in normal tissues and spontaneous tumours.

The angiopoietin (Ang) family of proteins are central to the regulation of angiogenesis. The purposes of this study were to determine cDNA sequences of canine Ang-1 and Ang-2 and investigate their expressions in normal tissues and spontaneous tumours. The cDNA sequences of canine Ang-1 and Ang-2 were 1,494 and 1,488 bp, and the deduced amino acid sequences were 497 and 495 residues, respectively. The cDNA sequences of canine Ang-1 and Ang-2 showed high homology with those of the other mammalian species. Canine Ang-1 and Ang-2 mRNA were detectable in all 22 normal tissues and spontaneous tumours. Higher mRNA expression level of canine Ang-2 was demonstrated in mammary simple carcinomas, haemangiosarcoma and hepatocellular carcinoma in comparison with normal tissues.

Pharmacokinetics of TAK-475, a Squalene Synthase Inhibitor, in Rats and Dogs.

The pharmacokinetics of TAK-475 (lapaquistat acetate), a squalene synthase inhibitor, was investigated in rats and dogs. After oral administration of (14)C-labeled TAK-475 ([(14)C]TAK-475) to rats and dogs at a dose of 10 mg/kg, the bioavailability (BA) was relatively low at 3.5 and 8.2%, respectively. The main component of the radioactivity in the plasma was M-I, which has a comparable pharmacological activity to TAK-475 in vitro. The radioactivity in the portal plasma after intraduodenal administration of [(14)C]TAK-475 to portal vein-cannulated rat was also mainly M-I, suggesting that most of the TAK-475 was hydrolyzed to M-I during the permeable process in the intestine. The concentrations of M-I in the liver, the main organ of cholesterol biosynthesis, were much higher than those in the plasma after oral administration of [(14)C]TAK-475 to rats. The main elimination route of the radioactivity was fecal excretion after oral administration of [(14)C]TAK-475 to rats and dogs, and the absorbed radioactivity was mainly excreted via the bile as M-I in rats. M-I excreted into the bile was partially subjected to enterohepatic circulation. These results suggest that although the BA values of TAK-475 are low, M-I can exert compensatory pharmacological effects in the animals. These pharmacokinetic characteristics in animals were also confirmed in the clinical studies. The evaluation of M-I disposition is important for the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicity of TAK-475 in animals and humans.

MicroRNA-16 mediates the regulation of a senescence-apoptosis switch in cutaneous T-cell and other non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Multiple sequential genetic and epigenetic alterations underlie cancer development and progression. Overcoming cellular senescence is an early step in cancer pathogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that a noncoding regulatory RNA, microRNA-16 (miR-16), has the potential to induce cellular senescence. First, we examined the expression of miR-16 in primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and other non-Hodgkin T/natural killer (NK)-cell lymphomas and found that miR-16 was downregulated than that in the corresponding normal cells. Notably, miR-16 expression was reduced as the primary CTCL progressed from the early stage to the advanced stage. Next, we transduced CTCL cells with miR-16 to examine whether this miRNA exhibited tumor-suppressive effects in CTCL cells. In CTCL cells expressing wild-type p53, forced expression of miR-16 enhanced p21 expression via downregulation of the polycomb group protein Bmi1, thereby inducing cellular senescence. Alternatively, in CTCL cells lacking functional p53, miR-16 induced compensatory apoptosis. The miR-16 transfection significantly decreased senescent cells and increased apoptotic cells in p21-knockdown CTCL cells expressing wild-type p53, suggesting that the presence or absence of p21 may be the most important condition in the senescence-apoptosis switch in CTCL lymphomagenesis. Furthermore, we found that the histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) restored the expression of miR-16 and its essential targets, induced senescence in CTCL cells expressing wild-type p53 and promoted apoptosis in cells with nonfunctional p53. Moreover, we found that other T/NK-cell lymphoma cell lines showed similar tumor-suppressive effects in response to miR-16 and SAHA and that these effects were dependent on p53 status. These results suggested that epigenetic silencing of miR-16 may be a key step during lymphoma development. Elucidation of the essential targets of miR-16 and SAHA provides a basis for the clinical application of SAHA in the treatment of CTCL and other non-Hodgkin T/NK-cell lymphomas.

Synthesis and immunosuppressive activity of 2-substituted 2-aminopropane-1,3-diols and 2-aminoethanols.

A series of 2-substituted 2-aminopropane-1,3-diols was synthesized and evaluated for their lymphocyte-decreasing effect and immunosuppressive effect on rat skin allograft. A phenyl ring was introduced into the alkyl chain of the lead compound 3, which is an immunosuppressive agent structurally simplified from myriocin (1, ISP-I) via compound 2. The potency of the various compounds was dependent upon the position of the phenyl ring within the alkyl side chain. The most suitable length between the quaternary carbon atom and the phenyl ring was two carbon atoms. 2-Substituted 2-aminoethanols were successively synthesized and evaluated for their T-cell-decreasing effect and immunosuppressive effect using a popliteal lymph node gain assay in rats. The absolute configuration at the quaternary carbon affected the activity, and the (pro-S)-hydroxymethyl group of compound 6 was essential for potent immunosuppressive activity. Favorable substituents for the (pro-R)-hydroxymethyl group of 6 were hydroxyalkyl (hydroxyethyl and hydroxypropyl) or lower alkyl (methyl and ethyl) groups. 2-Amino-2-[2-(4-octylphenyl)ethyl]propane-1,3-diol hydrochloride (6, FTY720) was found to possess considerable activity and is expected to be useful as an immunosuppressive drug for organ transplantation.

Characterization of an apamin-sensitive potassium current in suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons.

In neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, spike frequency adaptation and membrane afterhyperpolarization occur during a train of action potentials. Extracellular Ca2+ may regulate neuronal excitability by several mechanisms, including activation of small conductance and large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels. The overall goal of this study was to examine the role of Ca(2+)-activated K+ currents in individual suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons. To this end, we used the nystatin-perforated patch technique to record currents from suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons. Iberiotoxin and tetraethylammonium, antagonists of large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels, had no effect on the membrane afterhyperpolarization. However, antagonists of small conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels, apamin and d-tubocurarine, reduced the amplitude of the membrane afterhyperpolarization and inhibited the spike frequency adaptation that occurred during a train of action potentials. Although there was no significant difference in membrane AHP between different portions of the circadian day, apamin and d-tubocurarine increased the spontaneous firing frequency of suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons during the daytime. In voltage-clamp mode, membrane depolarization-activated currents were followed by an outward tail current reversing near the K+ equilibrium potential. The tail current decayed with a time constant of 220 ms at +20 mV and 149 ms at -40 mV. Apamin irreversibly and d-tubocurarine reversibly inhibited the tail current. The tail current amplitude was also reduced by the GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline methiodide, while picrotoxin (another GABAA receptor antagonist) was without effect. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ or the addition of Cd2+ reversibly inhibited the tail current. These results indicate that apamin- and d-tubocurarine-sensitive small conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels have a modulatory function on the action potential firing frequency as well as the membrane afterhyperpolarization that follows a train of action potentials in suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons. Importantly, our data also indicate that a portion of the effects of bicuculline methiodide on suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons may be mediated by inhibition of small conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels.

Bindings of cobra venom phospholipases A2 to micelles of n-hexadecylphosphorylcholine.

Bindings of cobra venom phospholipases A2 to micelles of n-hexadecylphosphorylcholine were studied by the tryptophyl fluorescence method at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1. The data were analyzed by assuming that the micellar surface has multiple binding sites for the enzyme and these sites are identical and mutually independent. The enzyme binding site was found to accommodate a constant number of substrate (monomer) molecules, N = 10, 5 or 13 for N. naja atra apoenzyme and its Ca2+ complex, and N. naja kaouthia apoenzyme, respectively. The binding constant of the enzymes to the micelle, Kmic = 0.18-3.1 X 10(6) M-1, was 9-160 times greater than that to the monomeric substrate, Kmon = 2 X 10(4) M-1 (Teshima et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 89, 1163-1174). This was interpreted in terms of the presence of an additional substrate-binding site in the enzyme molecule. The binding constant of the enzyme-Ca2+ complex to the micelle was smaller than that for the apoenzyme over a wide range of pH. The pH dependence of the binding constant of the apoenzyme to the micelle was well interpreted in terms of pK shifts of two ionizable groups from 5.4 to 5.53 and 7.55 to 7.95. The pH dependence curve for the Ca2+ complex, which lacked the former transition, was interpreted in terms of the pK shift of only a single ionizable group from 7.25 to 7.55. The former ionizable group was assigned as Asp 49, to which Ca2+ can coordinate, and the latter as His 48 in the active site on the basis of the reported pK values of these ionizable groups in the apoenzyme and Ca2+ complex (Teshima et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 89, 13-20 and Teshima et al. (1982) J. Biochem. 91, 1777-1788). No participation of the alpha-amino group with a pK value of 8.55 was observed.

pH dependence of the binding constant of a phospholipase A2 from Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii venom to micelles of n-hexadecylphosphorylcholine.

The phospholipase A2 from the venom of A. halys blomhoffii was titrated with micellar n-hexadecylphosphorylcholine (an analog of lysolecithin) by following the tryptophyl fluorescence change at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1. The data were analyzed by assuming that the micellar surface has multiple binding sites for the enzyme and that these sites are identical and mutually independent. The enzyme binding site was found to accommodate a constant number of the substrate (monomer) molecules, N = 10.0 and 6.7 for the apoenzyme and its Ca2+ complex, respectively. The binding constant of the enzyme to the substrate micelle was found to be enhanced by Ca2+ binding to the enzyme. The pH dependence of the binding constant of the apoenzyme to the micelle was well interpreted in terms of pK shifts of two ionizable groups from 5.16 to 5.67 and from 6.45 to 6.6. The pH-dependence curve for the enzyme-Ca2+ complex, which lacked the former transition, was interpreted in terms of the pK shift of a single ionizable group from 5.55 to 5.76. The former ionizable group was assigned as Asp 49, to which Ca2+ ion can coordinate, and the latter as His 48 in the active site. No participation of the alpha-amino group with a pK value of 7.30 was observed. The binding constant of the enzyme to the substrate micelle, Kmic = 0.45-2.3 X 10(6) M-1, was found to be far greater than that to the monomeric substrate, Kmon = 0.2-1.0 X 10(4) M-1. This was interpreted in terms of the presence of an additional weak substrate-binding site in the enzyme molecule.

Participation of an ionizable group with pK 8.55 in the reaction of p-bromophenacyl bromide with His 48 of cobra venom phospholipases A2.

The chemical reaction of p-bromophenacyl bromide (BPB) with His 48 of cobra venom phospholipases A2 (N. naja siamensis, N. naja kaouthia, and N. naja atra) was studied at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1 by following the decreases in the fluorescence intensity of 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) and/or in the enzymatic activity. The effect of the BPB concentration on the pseudo-first-order rate constant, chi obs, was studied for the N. naja atra enzyme and the dissociation constants of a noncovalent intermediate were determined to be 5.6 x 10(-4) and 1.8 x 10(-4) M at pH 8.4 and 9.3, respectively. The ph-dependence curve of chi obs, obtained at fixed concentration(s) of BPB was found to be biphasic for all three enzymes. The analysis showed that two ionizable groups with pK values of 7.3 and 8.55 participated in this reaction. The reaction of BPB with the modified enzyme of N. naja atra lacking the N-terminal octapeptide, which had been prepared by the CNBr-cleavage method, was followed by measuring the decrease in the tryptophyl fluorescence. Since this modified enzyme showed a monophasic pH-dependence curve lacking the latter transition, the former group was assigned to His 48 and the latter to the alpha-amino group located nearby in the active site. The pK value of His 48 determined at present was in good agreement with that estimated from the pH dependence of the binding constant of Ca2+ (Teshima et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 89, 13-20). The pK value of the alpha-amino group of this enzyme, 8.55, was found to be somewhat higher than that of the A. halys blomhoffii enzyme, 7.3 (Ikeda & Samejima (1981) J. Biochem. 90, 799-804 and Ikeda et al (1981) J. Biochem. 90, 1125-1130), but quite similar to that for the porcine pancreatic enzyme, 8.4 (van Dam-Mieras et al. (1976) Nobel Symp. 34, 177-197 and Slotboom et al. (1978) Biochemistry 17, 4593-4600).

Kinetics of the hydrolysis of mixed micelles of dipalmitoyllecithin with triton X-100 catalyzed by a phospholipase A2 from the venom of Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii.

The pH dependence of kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of mixed micelles of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (diC16PC) with Triton X-100, catalyzed by the intact and the N-terminal alpha-NH2-modified phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) of Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii, was studied at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1 in the presence of saturating amounts of Ca2+. The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of monodispersed diC6PC, catalyzed by the modified enzyme, was also studied under the same conditions, and the data were compared with the previous results for the intact enzyme [Teshima, K. et al. (1986) J. Biochem. 100, 1655-1662]. The pK values of the catalytic group, His 48, and Tyr 52 were found to shift from 5.55 to 7.00 and from 10.50 to 11.50, respectively, on binding of the micellar substrates to the enzyme. On the other hand, no participation of these ionizable groups was observed for the binding of the monodispersed substrate. On the basis of the present finding and the X-ray crystallographic studies on bovine pancreatic PLA2 [Dijkstra, B.W. et. al. (1981) J. Mol. Biol. 147, 97-123] and on a PLA2 of Crotalus atrox venom [Brunie, S. et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 9742-9749], the hydrogen-bonding of Tyr 73, which is involved in the lipid-water interface recognition site, to His 48 and Tyr 52 in the active center was strongly suggested to be important for the hydrolysis of micellar substrates.

Kinetics of the hydrolysis of monodispersed and micellar phosphatidylcholines catalyzed by a phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus.

The phosphatidylcholine-hydrolyzing phospholipase C, so-called "phospholipase C" (PLC), was isolated from the culture of Bacillus cereus strain IAM 1208. The amino-acid composition and partial N-terminal sequence of the purified enzyme were in good agreement with those expected from the nucleotide sequence for a PLC of strain ATCC 10987 [Johansen et al. (1988) Gene 65, 293-304]. The chain-length dependence of kinetic parameters for the PLC-catalyzed hydrolysis of monodispersed short-chain phosphatidylcholines (diCNPC, N = 3-6) was studied by a pH-stat assay method at 25 degrees C, pH 8.0, and ionic strength 0.2 in the presence of saturating amounts of Zn2+ (0.1 mM). The result was compared with those for snake venom phospholipases A2 [Teshima et al. (1989) J. Biochem. 106, 518-527]. It was found that the interaction of the PLC with the head group of the substrate molecule is very important for the binding. The pH dependences of kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of monodispersed diC5PC and mixed micelles of diC16PC with Triton X-100 were also studied under the same conditions. An ionizable group, whose pK value is perturbed from 7.77 to 8.30 by substrate binding, was found to be essential to the catalysis. This group was tentatively assigned to His 14 on the basis of the results on X-ray crystallographic and chemical modification studies [Hough et al. (1989) Nature 338, 357-360 and Little (1977) Biochem. J. 167, 399-404].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Kinetics of the hydrolysis of monodispersed dihexanoyllecithin catalyzed by the phospholipase A2 from Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii venom.

The hydrolysis of 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (diC6PC), catalyzed by the phospholipase A2 from the venom of Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii, was studied at 25 degrees C and the ionic strength of 0.1 in the presence of 3-33.3 mM Ca2+, which can saturate the Ca2+-binding site of the enzyme. The initial velocity data, obtained at various concentrations of the substrate below the critical micelle concentration (cmc), were analyzed according to the Michaelis-Menten equation. The pH-dependence curve of the Km value exhibited only one transition below pH 8. The analytical results indicated that the pK value of 6.30 of an ionizable group changed to 6.54 on the binding of the monodispersed substrate. This ionizable group was assigned as the alpha-amino group on the basis of its pK value, which had been determined from the pH dependence of the binding constant of monodispersed n-dodecylphosphorylcholine (n-C12PC) (Ikeda and Samejima (1981) J. Biochem. 90, 799-804, and Haruki et al. (1986) J. Biochem. 99, 99-109). The pH-dependence curve of the kcat value exhibited two transitions, below pH 6.5 and above pH 9.5. The analytical results indicated the participation of two ionizable groups with pK values of 5.55 and 10.50. Deprotonation of the former and protonation of the latter group were found to be essential for the catalysis. The former ionizable group was assigned as His 48 in the active site on the basis of its pK value, which had been determined from the pH dependence of the binding constant of Ca2+ (Ikeda et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 90, 1125-1130).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Interaction of monodispersed and micellar phospholipids with an Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii phospholipase A2, in which the alpha-amino group had been modified to an alpha-keto group.

The pH dependence of the binding constant of Ca2+ to a phospholipase A2 of Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii, in which the alpha-amino group had been selectively modified to an alpha-keto group, was studied at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1 by the tryptophyl fluorescence method. The dependence was compared with the results for the intact enzyme (Ikeda et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 90, 1125-1130). The pH-dependence curve could be well interpreted in terms of the participation of the two ionizable groups Asp 49 and His 48, with pK values of 4.70 and 6.69, respectively. These values were slightly different from the respective pK values for the intact enzyme, 5.15 and 6.45. Ca2+ binding to the intact enzyme involves the participation of an additional ionizable group with a pK value of 7.30, which was thus assigned as alpha-amino group. The pH dependence of the binding constant of monodispersed n-dodecylphosphorylcholine (n-C12PC) to the alpha-NH2-modified enzyme was studied at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1 by the aromatic circular dichroism (CD) method. The pH-dependence curve for the modified apoenzyme was interpreted as reflecting the participation of a single ionizable group with a pK value of 4.7, which was assigned to Asp 49 (to which a Ca2+ ion can coordinate) since the curve for the Ca2+ complex lacked this transition: the binding constant was independent of pH. The pH-dependence curves for the intact apoenzyme and its Ca2+ complex involve the participation of an additional ionizable group with pK values of 7.30 and 6.30, respectively (Ikeda & Samejima (1981) J. Biochem. 90, 799-804), which was assigned as the alpha-amino group. The hydrolysis of monodispersed 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (diC6PC), catalyzed by the intact and the alpha-NH2-modified enzymes was studied by the pH stat method at 25 degrees C, pH 8.2, and ionic strength 0.1 in the presence of 3 mM Ca2+. The Km value for the modified enzyme was found to be very similar to that for the intact enzyme: this was compatible with the results of the direct binding study on the monodispersed n-C12PC under the same conditions. However, the kcat value was about 43% of the value for the intact enzyme, suggesting that the alpha-keto group introduced by the chemical modification perturbed the network of hydrogen bonds in the active site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Hydrolysis of micellar diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine catalyzed by bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2: kinetic characterization of group I and II enzymes.

Initial velocity data for the hydrolysis of micellar 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (diC7PC) catalyzed by bovine pancreatic PLA2 (Group I) were analyzed using the Michaelis-Menten equation. The Km value for the micellar substrate was found to be independent of Ca2+ concentration, as was the Km value for the monodispersed substrate. The pH dependence curve of Km in the presence of saturating amounts of Ca2+ showed two transitions reflecting large pK shifts of two ionizable groups from 5.0 to 5.45 and from 9.5 to 10.25, whereas the Km value for the monodispersed substrate was independent of pH [Fujii et al. (1991) J. Biochem. 110, 1008-1015]. The pH dependence curve of kcat showed three transitions, indicating the participation of three ionizable groups with pK values of 5.45, 8.4, and 10.25. Deprotonation of the first group and protonation of the third group were found to be essential for catalysis. The respective groups were assigned as the catalytic group His 48, the N-terminal alpha-amino group, and invariant Tyr 52. The present results as well as those for another Group I PLA2 (Naja naja atra) are very different from those for Group II PLA2s (Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii and Trimeresurus flavoviridis), which showed Ca(2+)-dependent substrate binding and no participation of the alpha-amino group in catalysis [Teshima et al. (1989) J. Biochem. 106, 518-527; Nishimura et al. (1992) J. Biochem. 111, 210-218].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bindings of Ca2+ and substrate analogs to a cobra venom phospholipase A2 in which the alpha-amino group is modified to an alpha-keto group.

The pH dependence of the chemical reaction rate of p-bromophenacyl bromide (BPB) with His 48 of cobra (Naja naja atra) venom phospholipase A2, in which the alpha-NH2 group had been selectively modified to an alpha-keto group, was studied at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1 in the absence of Ca2+. The pH-dependence curve was monophasic with a midpoint at pH 7.9, which corresponds to the pK value of His 48 of the alpha-NH2-modified enzyme, whereas the curve for the intact enzyme was biphasic, indicating participation of two ionizable groups with pK values of 7.3 and 8.55 (Teshima et al. (1982) J. Biochem. 91, 1778-1788). These two groups were thus identified as His 48 and the alpha-NH2 group, respectively. The pH dependence of the binding constant of Ca2+ to the alpha-NH2-modified enzyme was studied at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1 by measuring the tryptophyl fluorescence changes. The pH-dependence curve was very similar to that for the intact enzyme (Teshima et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 89, 13-20), and it was interpreted in terms of participation of His 48 and Asp 49 (pK 5.4). The absence of participation of the alpha-NH2 group in the Ca2+ binding was thus confirmed. Bindings of monodispersed n-dodecylphosphorylcholine (n-C12PC) and micellar n-hexadecylphosphorylcholine (n-C16PC) to the alpha-NH2-modified enzyme were studied at 25 degrees C and ionic strength 0.1 by the aromatic circular dichroism (CD) and tryptophyl fluorescence methods, respectively. The binding constant of the monodispersed substrate was very similar to that for the intact enzyme (Teshima et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 89, 1163-1174). The binding constant of the micellar substrate to the modified enzyme in the presence of Ca2+ was also very similar to that for the intact enzyme-Ca2+ complex (Teshima et al. (1983) J. Biochem. 94, 223-232), and the pH-dependence curve was interpreted in terms of participation of His 48. On the other hand, the binding constant of the micellar substrate to the modified apoenzyme was much smaller than that for the intact apoenzyme. Nevertheless, the pH-dependence curve could be interpreted in terms of participation of His 48 and Asp 49. From these findings, it was concluded that the ionization state of the alpha-NH2 group of cobra venom phospholipase A2 is essentially irrelevant to the bindings of Ca2+ and also of the monodispersed and micellar substrates.

Kinetics of the hydrolysis of monodispersed dihexanoyllecithin catalyzed by a cobra (Naja naja atra) venom phospholipase A2.

The hydrolysis of 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (diC6PC), catalyzed by a cobra (Naja naja atra) venom phospholipase A2, was studied at 25 degrees C ionic strength 0.1 in the presence of 3-10 mM Ca2+, which can saturate the Ca2+-binding site of the enzyme. The initial velocity data, obtained at various concentrations of the substrate below the critical micellar concentration (cmc), were analyzed according to the Michaelis-Menten equation. The Km value was practically independent of pH (between pH 6.75 and 10.30). This finding was consistent with the result of a direct binding study on monodispersed n-alkylphosphorylcholines (Teshima et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 89, 1163-1174). The hydrolysis of the substrate was competitively inhibited by the presence of monodispersed n-dodecylphosphorylcholine (n-C12PC). These results indicated that the substrate and n-C12PC compete for the same site on the enzyme molecule. The pH dependence curve of the kinetic parameter, kcat/Km, exhibited three transitions, below pH 8, between pH 8 and 9.5, and above pH 10. The analysis indicated the participation of three ionizable groups with pK values of 7.25, 8.50, and 10.4. The deprotonation of the first group and the protonation of the third group were found to be essential for the catalysis. The first group was assigned as His 48 in the active site on the basis of its pK value, which had been determined from the pH dependence of the binding constant of Ca2+ (Teshima et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 89, 13-20).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Kinetics of the hydrolysis of micellar substrates catalyzed by snake venom phospholipases A2.

Effects of Ca2+ on the kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of mixed micelles of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (diC16PC) with Triton X-100, catalyzed by a cobra (Naja naja atra) (Group I) and a Habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis) (Group II) PLA2s, were studied and compared with the results reported for other Group I and II enzymes. The substrate bindings to Group I enzymes were independent of the Ca2+ binding, whereas the substrate bindings to Group II enzymes were facilitated more than 10 times by the Ca2+ binding to the enzymes. The result for Group II enzymes, but not Group I enzymes, seemed compatible with the hypothesis for interpreting the catalytic mechanism that an intermediate complex should be stabilized by the coordination of the bound Ca2+ with the phosphoryl group and the carbonyl oxygen atom of the ester bond at the sn-2 position of the bound substrate molecule [Verheij et al. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 743-750 and (1981) Rev. Physiol. Biochem. Pharmacol. 91, 91-203]. The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of the mixed micellar diC16PC, catalyzed by the cobra (N. naja atra) (Group I) and Habu (T. flavoviridis) (Group II) PLA2s, was also studied. The pK values of the catalytic group, His 48, and Tyr 52 for N. naja atra PLA2, shifted from 7.25 to 7.70 and from 10.30 to 10.85, respectively, and the corresponding values for T. flavoviridis PLA2 shifted from 5.80 to 6.95 and from 10.10 to 10.76, respectively, on binding of the micellar substrates to the enzymes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)