Biochemical characterization of human GMP synthetase

GMP synthetase (EC 6.3.5.2) plays a key role in the de novo synthesis of guanine nucleotides. It is a potential target for immunosuppressive therapy. Recently, the human enzyme was purified to homogeneity (Hirst, M., Haliday, E., Nakamura, J., and Lou, L. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 23830-23837). We now report the characterization of this enzyme in terms of its biochemical and kinetic properties. We found that there are distinct features of the human enzyme that has not been reported for GMP synthetase from other sources. There are two variant forms of human GMP synthetase. Their catalytic properties are very similar, although their isoelectric points are different. They most likely represent post-translational modification variants. Magnesium ion is required for enzyme activity, and the requirement is beyond levels needed for ATP chelation. Magnesium appears to be an essential activator and there may be more than one binding site. Interaction of GMP synthetase with xanthosine 5'-monophosphate (XMP), a substrate, exhibits sigmoidal kinetics with a Hill coefficient of 1.48 +/- 0.07. This positive cooperativity is not due to ligand-induced oligomerization, since GMP synthetase remains a monomer in the presence of XMP and other substrates. Decoyinine, a selective inhibitor of GMP synthetase, inhibits the human enzyme reversibly with uncompetitive inhibition kinetics toward glutamine and XMP and non-competitive kinetics toward ATP.

cDNA cloning and characterization of a Cek7 receptor protein-tyrosine kinase ligand that is identical to the ligand (ELF-1) for the Mek-4 and Sek receptor protein-tyrosine kinases

We have isolated a murine cDNA encoding a ligand for the Cek7 receptor protein-tyrosine kinase (RPTK), a member of the Eph/Eck RPTK subfamily. Sequence analysis predicts an open reading frame of 209 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 24 kDa. The Cek7 ligand shows a 48% sequence identity at the protein level to B61, a ligand for the related Eck RPTK, 30% to the Cek5 ligand, 59% to the recently cloned Ehk1-L, and identity to ELF-1, a recently described ligand for the Mek4 and Sek RPTKs. The expressed Cek7 ligand is functionally active as it induces autophosphorylation of the Cek7 RPTK.

cDNA cloning and characterization of a ligand for the Cek5 receptor protein-tyrosine kinase

We have isolated a murine cDNA encoding a ligand for the Cek5 receptor protein-tyrosine kinase (RPTK), a member of the Eph/Eck RPTK subfamily. Sequence analysis predicts an open reading frame of 345 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 38 kDa. Metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation of cells transfected with a cDNA encoding the Cek5 ligand revealed the mature protein to have an apparent molecular mass of 45 kDa. The extracellular domain of the Cek5 ligand shows a 27% sequence identity at the protein level to B61, a ligand for the related Eck RPTK (Bartley, T. D., et al. (1994) Nature 368, 558-560). Consistent with the presence of a transmembrane domain, flow cytometry analysis revealed the Cek5 ligand to be expressed on the cell surface. The expressed Cek5 ligand is functionally active as it induces autophosphorylation of the Cek5 RPTK.

Human GMP synthetase. Protein purification, cloning, and functional expression of cDNA

GMP synthetase is a key enzyme in the de novo synthesis of guanine nucleotides. Human GMP synthetase has been purified to homogeneity, and a cDNA encoding the enzyme has been isolated from the T-lymphoblastoma cell line, A3.01. The open reading frame encodes a protein of 693 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 76,725. The cDNA complements a guaA mutant of Escherichia coli, which lacks a functional GMP synthetase and extracts from the transformed E. coli exhibit GMP synthetase activity, which is absent in the parental strain. RNA hybridization analysis shows that human GMP synthetase is encoded by a single 2.4-kilobase message. DNA hybridization analysis suggests that the human GMP synthetase is encoded by one gene. In several human cell lines, the level of mRNA expression is substantially higher in proliferating, transformed cells than in nontransformed cells. In two transformed cell lines, treatment with phorbol ester inhibits proliferation and results in a dramatic down-regulation in the levels of GMP synthetase mRNA and protein.