Imatinib mesylate affects extracellular ATP catabolism and expression of NTPDases in a chronic myeloid leukemia cell line

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm, characterized by the occurrence of the t(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation. First-line therapy for CML consists of treatment with imatinib mesylate, which selectively inhibits the BCR-ABL protein by competing for its ATP-binding site. Adenine nucleotide signaling is modulated by the ectonucleotidases and this pathway is related to tumorigenic processes. Considering the relationship between ATP and cancer, we aimed to evaluate the influence of imatinib mesylate on the expressions and functions of the NTPDase and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) enzymes in imatinib-sensitive and -resistant K-562 cell lines. mRNA analysis showed that K-562 cells express all ENTPDs and NT5E. However, when treated with imatinib mesylate for 24 h, the expression of ENTPD1, -2, -3 and -5 increased, leading to a higher nucleotides hydrolysis rate. HPLC analysis identified increased ATP degradation in cells after 24 h of treatment, with consequent ADP and AMP formation, corroborating the increase in gene and protein expression of ectonucleotidases as observed in previous results. On the other hand, we observed that imatinib-resistant K-562 cells presented a decrease in nucleotide hydrolysis and expressions of ENTPD1 and -5. These results suggest an involvement of imatinib in modulating ectonucleotidases in CML that will need further investigation. Since these ectonucleotidases have important catalytic activities in the tumor microenvironment, their modulation in CML cells may represent an important therapeutic approach to regulate levels of extracellular adenine nucleotides.

Insights into Pathomechanisms and Treatment Development in Heritable Ectopic Mineralization Disorders: Summary of the PXE International Biennial Research Symposium-2016

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum is a prototype of heritable ectopic mineralization disorders, with phenotypic overlap with generalized arterial calcification of infancy and arterial calcification due to CD73 deficiency. Recent observations have suggested that the reduced inorganic pyrophosphate/phosphate ratio is the cause of soft connective tissue mineralization in these disorders. PXE International, a patient advocacy organization, supports research in part by sponsoring biennial research symposia on these disorders; the latest meeting was held in September 2016 at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. This report summarizes the progress in pseudoxanthoma elasticum and other ectopic mineralization disorders, as presented in the symposium, with focus on translational aspects of precision medicine toward improved diagnostics and treatment development for these currently intractable disorders.

Fluoride exposure inhibits protein expression and enzyme activity in the lung-stage larvae ofAscaris suum

Sodium fluoride (NaF) is an anion that has been previously shown to block the moulting process ofAscaris suumlarvae. This study describes moulting and development-specific protein expression profiles ofA. suumlung-stage L3 (AsLL3) following NaF exposure. AsLL3s cultured in the presence or absence of NaF were prepared for protein analysis using two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis. NaF exposure inhibited at least 22 proteins in AsLL3 compared with moulted larvae (i.e. AsLL4). A further comparison of AsLL4 with those of pre-cultured AsLL3 and NaF-exposed AsLL3 revealed 8 stage-specifically and 4 over-expressed proteins. Immunoblot analysis revealed an inhibition by NaF of 19 immunoreactive proteins. Enzyme assay and immunochemical data showed an inhibition of the moulting-specific inorganic pyrophosphatase activity by 41% and a decreased expression in NaF-treated larvae, indicating its significance in the moulting process. A protein spot associated with NaF inhibition was isolated and identified by peptide mass spectrometry and bioinformatics approaches to be a member of 3–hydroxyacyl–CoA dehydrogenase/short-chain dehydrogenase enzyme families. These results have implications for the identification of proteins specific to the moulting process as potential chemotherapeutic targets.

Inhibition of yeast glutathione reductase by trehalose: possible implications in yeast survival and recovery from stress

Accumulation of trehalose has been implicated in the tolerance of yeast cells to several forms of stress, including heat-shock and high ethanol levels. However, yeast lacking trehalase, the enzyme that degrades trehalose, exhibit poor survival after exposure to stress conditions. This suggests that optimal cell viability also depends on the capacity to rapidly degrade the high levels of trehalose that build up under stress. Here, we initially examined the effects of trehalose on the activity of an important antioxidant enzyme, glutathione reductase (GR), from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. At 25 degrees C, GR was inhibited by trehalose in a dose-dependent manner, with 70% inhibition at 1.5M trehalose. The inhibition was practically abolished at 40 degrees C, a temperature that induces a physiological response of trehalose accumulation in yeast. The inhibition of GR by trehalose was additive to the inhibition caused by ethanol, indicating that enzyme function is drastically affected upon ethanol-induced stress. Moreover, two other yeast enzymes, cytosolic pyrophosphatase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, showed temperature dependences on inhibition by trehalose that were similar to the temperature dependence of GR inhibition. These results are discussed in terms of the apparent paradox represented by the induction of enzymes involved in both synthesis and degradation of trehalose under stress, and suggest that the persistence of high levels of trehalose after recovery from stress could lead to the inactivation of important yeast enzymes.

Repair system for noncanonical purines in Escherichia coli

Exposure of Escherichia coli strains deficient in molybdopterin biosynthesis (moa) to the purine base N-6-hydroxylaminopurine (HAP) is mutagenic and toxic. We show that moa mutants exposed to HAP also exhibit elevated mutagenesis, a hyperrecombination phenotype, and increased SOS induction. The E. coli rdgB gene encodes a protein homologous to a deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate pyrophosphatase from Methanococcus jannaschii that shows a preference for purine base analogs. moa rdgB mutants are extremely sensitive to killing by HAP and exhibit increased mutagenesis, recombination, and SOS induction upon HAP exposure. Disruption of the endonuclease V gene, nfi, rescues the HAP sensitivity displayed by moa and moa rdgB mutants and reduces the level of recombination and SOS induction, but it increases the level of mutagenesis. Our results suggest that endonuclease V incision of DNA containing HAP leads to increased recombination and SOS induction and even cell death. Double-strand break repair mutants display an increase in HAP sensitivity, which can be reversed by an nfi mutation. This suggests that cell killing may result from an increase in double-strand breaks generated when replication forks encounter endonuclease V-nicked DNA. We propose a pathway for the removal of HAP from purine pools, from deoxynucleotide triphosphate pools, and from DNA, and we suggest a general model for excluding purine base analogs from DNA. The system for HAP removal consists of a molybdoenzyme, thought to detoxify HAP, a deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate pyrophosphatase that removes noncanonical deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates from replication precursor pools, and an endonuclease that initiates the removal of HAP from DNA.

Insulin modulates PC-1 processing and recruitment in cultured human cells

We evaluated whether insulin signaling modulates plasma cell glycoprotein (PC-1) plasma membrane recruitment, posttranslational processing, and gene expression in human cultured cell lines. Insulin induced a fourfold increase (P < 0.01) of membrane PC-1 expression by rapid and sensitive mechanism(s). This effect was reduced (P < 0.05-0.01) by inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (200 nmol/l wortmannin) and S6 kinase (50 nmol/l rapamycin) activities and intracellular trafficking (50 micromol/l monensin) and was not accompanied by PC-1 gene expression changes. Moreover, at Western blot, insulin elicited the appearance, in both plasma membrane and cytosol, of a PC-1-related 146-kDa band (in addition to bands of 163, 117, 106, and 97 kDa observed also in absence of insulin) that was sensitive to endoglycosidase H. Finally, inhibition of PC-1 translocation to plasma membrane, by wortmannin pretreatment, increases insulin-stimulated receptor autophosphorylation. Our data indicate that insulin stimulates PC-1 posttranslational processing and translocation to the plasma membrane, which in turn impairs insulin receptor signaling. Bidirectional cross talk between insulin and PC-1, therefore, takes place, which may be part of the hormone self-desensitization mechanism.

Cerivastatin and atorvastatin inhibit IL-3-dependent differentiation and IgE-mediated histamine release in human basophils and downmodulate expression of the basophil-activation antigen CD203c/E-NPP3

Recent data suggest that the statins, apart from their lipid-lowering activity, exhibit profound anti-inflammatory effects. Basophils are major proinflammatory effector cells in diverse pathologic reactions. We have examined the in vitro effects of five different statins on primary human basophils, their progenitors, and the basophil cell line KU-812. Preincubation of blood basophils with cerivastatin or atorvastatin (0.1-100 microM) for 24 h reduced their capacity to release histamine on immunoglobulin E (IgE)-dependent stimulation in a dose-dependent manner. These statins also inhibited IgE-dependent up-regulation of the basophil-activation antigen CD203c. Moreover, both statins suppressed interleukin-3-induced differentiation of basophils from their progenitors as well as (3)H-thymidine uptake in KU-812 cells. All inhibitory effects of cerivastatin and atorvastatin were reversed by mevalonic acid (200 microM). The other statins tested (lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin) did not show significant inhibitory effects on basophils. Together, these data identify cerivastatin and atorvastatin as novel inhibitors of growth and activation of human basophils.

Functional complementation of yeast cytosolic pyrophosphatase by bacterial and plant H+-translocating pyrophosphatases

Two types of proteins that hydrolyze inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), very different in both amino acid sequence and structure, have been characterized to date: soluble and membrane-bound proton-pumping pyrophosphatases (sPPases and H(+)-PPases, respectively). sPPases are ubiquitous proteins that hydrolyze PPi releasing heat, whereas H+-PPases, so far unidentified in animal and fungal cells, couple the energy of PPi hydrolysis to proton movement across biological membranes. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has two sPPases that are located in the cytosol and in the mitochondria. Previous attempts to knock out the gene coding for a cytosolic sPPase (IPP1) have been unsuccessful, thus suggesting that this protein is essential for growth. Here, we describe the generation of a conditional S. cerevisiae mutant (named YPC-1) whose functional IPP1 gene is under the control of a galactose-dependent promoter. Thus, YPC-1 cells become growth arrested in glucose but they regain the ability to grow on this carbon source when transformed with autonomous plasmids bearing diverse foreign H+-PPase genes under the control of a yeast constitutive promoter. The heterologously expressed H+-PPases are distributed among different yeast membranes, including the plasma membrane, functional complementation by these integral membrane proteins being consistently sensitive to external pH. These results demonstrate that hydrolysis of cytosolic PPi is essential for yeast growth and that this function is not substantially affected by the intrinsic characteristics of the PPase protein that accomplishes it. Moreover, this is, to our knowledge, the first direct evidence that H+-PPases can mediate net hydrolysis of PPi in vivo. YPC-1 mutant strain constitutes a convenient expression system to perform studies aimed at the elucidation of the structure-function relationships of this type of proton pumps.

In vitro effects of thyroid hormones on ectonucleotidase activities in synaptosomes from hippocampus of rats

1. Studies have shown that adenosine transport and adenosine A1 receptors in rat brain are subjected to regulation by thyroid hormone levels. Since the ectonucleotidase pathway is an important source of adenosine extracellular, in the present study the in vitro action of T3 and T4 hormones on ectonucleotidase activities in hippocampal synaptosomes was evaluated. 2. T3 (Triiodo-l-thyronine) significantly inhibited, in an uncompetitive manner, the ATP and ADP hydrolysis promoted by ATP diphosphohydrolase activity in hippocampal synaptosomes of adult rats. 3. In contrast, T4 (Thyroxine) only inhibited ATP hydrolysis in an uncompetitive mechanism, at the concentrations tested (100-500 microM), but at the same time did not affect ADP hydrolysis. 4. In the present study, we also investigate the in vitro effect of T3 and T4 on 5'-nucleotidase activity. However, there are no changes in the activity of this enzyme in the presence of T3 and T4 in the hippocampal synaptosomes of rats. 5. These results suggest that thyroid hormones could be involved in the regulation of ectonucleotidase activities, such as ecto-ATP diphosphohydrolase and ecto-ATPase, possibly exerting a modulatory role in extracellular adenosine levels.

Ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase modulates the purinoceptor-mediated signal transduction and is inhibited by purinoceptor antagonists

1. The effect of ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase (ecto-NPPase; EC 3.6.1. 9) on the ATP- and ADP-mediated receptor activation was studied in rat C6 glioma cells. The P2-purinoceptor antagonists pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid (PPADS) and reactive blue (RB2) are potent inhibitors (IC(50)=12+/-3 microM) of the latter enzyme. 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2' disulfonic acid (DIDS), 5'-phosphoadenosine 3'-phosphate (PAP) and suramin were less potent inhibitors with an IC(50) of 22+/-4, 36+/-7 and 72+/-11 microM respectively. 2. P1-purinoceptor antagonists CGS 15943, cyclo-pentyl theophylline (CTP) and theophylline did not affect the activity of the ecto-NPPase. 3. ATP- and ADP-mediated P2Y(1)-like receptor activation inhibited the (-)-isoproterenol-induced increase of intracellular cyclic AMP concentration. PPADS, an ineffective P2Y-antagonist in C6, potentiated the ATP and ADP effect approximately 3 fold due to inhibition of nucleotide hydrolysis by the ecto-NPPase. 4. We conclude that ecto-NPPase has a modulator effect on purinoceptor-mediated signalling in C6 glioma cell cultures.

The complete triphosphate moiety of non-hydrolyzable substrate analogues is required for a conformational shift of the flexible C-terminus in E. coli dUTP pyrophosphatase

The molecular mechanism of substrate analogue interaction with Escherichia coli dUTPase was investigated, using the non-hydrolyzable 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-(alpha,beta-imido)triphosphate (alpha,beta-imido-dUTP). Binding of this analogue induces a difference in the far UV circular dichroism (CD) spectrum arguing for a significant change in protein conformation. The spectral shift is strictly Mg2+-dependent, does not appear with dUDP instead of alpha,beta-imido-dUTP and is not elicited if the flexible C-terminal arm is deleted from the protein by limited tryptic digestion. Involvement of the C-terminal arm in alpha,beta-imido-dUTP binding is consistent with the finding that this analogue protects against tryptic hydrolysis at Arg-141. Near UV CD of ligand-enzyme complexes reveals a characteristic difference in the microenvironments of enzyme-bound dUDP and alpha,beta-imido-dUTP, a difference not observable in C-terminally truncated dUTPase. The results suggest that (i) closing of the active site during the catalytic cycle, through the movement of the C-terminal arm, requires the presence of the complete triphosphate moiety of the substrate in complex with Mg2+, and (ii) after catalytic cleavage the active site pops open to facilitate product release.

dUTP pyrophosphatase as a potential target for chemotherapeutic drug development

Aberrant dUTP metabolism plays a critical role in the molecular mechanism of cell killing induced by inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase. While considerable effort has been directed towards discovering new, more potent inhibitors of these two enzymes, little attention has been given dUTP pyrophosphatase (dUTPase)--the key modulator of cellular dUTP levels--as a potential target for chemotherapeutic drug development. Recent studies have provided evidence that dUTPase is vital for cellular and, in some cases, viral DNA replication. Furthermore, some retroviruses encode dUTPases--a fact which suggests that cellular dUTP metabolism may be more important than previously realized. Here, we briefly review current knowledge of cellular and viral dUTPases and discuss the potential of these enzymes as targets for cancer chemotherapeutic and anti-viral drug development.

Carbohydrate protection of enzyme structure and function against guanidinium chloride treatment depends on the nature of carbohydrate and enzyme

Baker's yeast cells accumulate osmolytes as a response to several stress conditions such as high-temperature and low-temperature shifts, dehydration, or osmotic stress. One of the major osmolytes that accumulates is trehalose, which plays an essential role affecting the survival of yeast at the time of stress. In this report, we show that trehalose efficiently protects the function and the structure of two yeast cytosolic enzymes against chemical denaturation by guanidinium chloride. Other sugars tested also protected yeast pyrophosphatase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase structure against guanidinium chloride effects, but were not as efficient at protecting enzyme activity. The thermostable pyrophosphatase from Bacillus stearothermophilus was also protected by several sugars against the chaotropic properties of guanidinium chloride, but was only protected by trehalose against functional inactivation. The function of the membrane-embedded H+-ATPase from yeast could not be protected by any of the tested sugars, although all of the sugars protected its structure from guanidinium-chloride-induced unfolding. The results presented in this study suggest that several sugars are able to prevent protein unfolding induced by a chaotropic compound. However, prevention of functional inactivation depends on the nature of the sugar. Trehalose was the most efficient, being able to protect many cytosolic enzymes against guanidinium chloride. The efficiency of protection also depended on the nature of the protein tested. This might explain why trehalose is one of the osmolytes accumulated in yeast and also why it is not the only osmolyte to accumulate.

Potassium and voltage dependence of the inorganic pyrophosphatase of intact vacuoles from Chenopodium rubrum

The activity and the voltage dependence of the inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) was measured on intact vacuoles of Chenopodium rubrum cells using the patch-clamp technique. With K+ at the cytoplasmic side a negative current representing the forward mode of the pump was measured after addition of pyrophosphate (PPi). The pump was reversed and a positive current was detected after addition of orthophosphate (Pi) in the presence of K+ at the vacuolar side when a pH gradient across the tonoplast was applied. The PPase operates as a constant current source, because no voltage dependence was observed (-60 to 60 mV). The K+ dependence of the PPi-induced current was investigated by substitution of cytoplasmic K+ by other cations. The selectivity sequence was: K+ > or = Rb+ > NH4+ = Cs+ > Na+ > Li+ = choline+, and was independent of the membrane voltage and pHcyt. With Cs+ or Li+ in the bath and K+ inside the vacuole the PPi-induced current became voltage-dependent, and positive currents were observed even if the pump was geared to operate in the forward mode. We suggest a "tunneling' effect through a channel-like domain in the PPase molecule which, under defined electrochemical gradient conditions and in the presence of PPi, allows K+ ions to cross the energy barrier usually separating the cytoplasmic from the vacuolar face of the pump.

Functional analysis of a relA/spoT gene homolog from Streptococcus equisimilis

We examined the functional attributes of a gene encountered by sequencing the streptokinase gene region of Streptococcus equisimilis H46A. This gene, originally called rel, here termed relS. equisimilis, is homologous to two related Escherichia coli genes, spoT and relA, that function in the metabolism of guanosine 5',3'-polyphosphates [(p)ppGpp]. Studies with a variety of E. coli mutants led us to deduce that the highly expressed rel S. equisimilis gene encodes a strong (p)ppGppase and a weaker (p)ppGpp synthetic activity, much like the spoT gene, with a net effect favoring degradation and no complementation of the absence of the relA gene. We verified that the Rel S. equisimilis protein, purified from an E. coli relA spoT double mutant, catalyzed a manganese-activated (p)ppGpp 3'-pyrophosphohydrolase reaction similar to that of the SpoT enzyme. This Rel S. equisimilis protein preparation also weakly catalyzed a ribosome-independent synthesis of (p)ppGpp by an ATP to GTP 3'-pyrophosphoryltransferase reaction when degradation was restricted by the absence of manganese ions. An analogous activity has been deduced for the SpoT protein from genetic evidence. In addition, the Rel S. equisimilis protein displays immunological cross-reactivity with polyclonal antibodies specific for SpoT but not for RelA. Despite assignment of rel S. equisimilis gene function in E. coli as being similar to that of the native spoT gene, disruptions of rel S. equisimilis in S. equisimilis abolish the parental (p)ppGpp accumulation response to amino acid starvation in a manner expected for relA mutants rather than spoT mutants.

Trehalose protects yeast pyrophosphatase against structural and functional damage induced by guanidinium chloride

Trehalose is accumulated at very high concentrations in yeasts when this organism is submitted to a stress condition. This report approaches the question on the protective effect of trehalose and its degradation product, glucose, against structural and functional damage promoted by guanidinium on yeast cytosolic pyrophosphatase. Here it is shown that both, 1 M trehalose or 2 M glucose, are able to attenuate at almost the same extent the conformational changes promoted by guanidinium chloride on the pyrophosphatase structure. On the other hand while 1 M trehalose increases 3.8 times the Ki (from 0.15 to 0.57 M) for guanidinium chloride inhibition of pyrophosphatase activity, 2 M glucose did not even duplicate this parameter (from 0.15 to 0.25 M). These data support evidences for a functional reason for the accumulation by yeasts of trehalose, and not other compound, during stress conditions.

Kinetic characterization of the hydrolytic activity of the H+-pyrophosphatase of Rhodospirillum rubrum in membrane-bound and isolated states

Substrate hydrolysis by the H+-pyrophosphatase (pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase, H+-PPase) of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum follows a two-pathway reaction scheme in which preformed 1:1 and 1:2 . enzyme . Mg2+ complexes (EMg and EMg2) convert dimagnesium pyrophosphate (the substrate). This scheme is applicable to isolated enzyme, uncoupled chromatophores and chromatophores energized by a K+/valinomycin diffusion potential. Tris and other amine buffers exert a specific effect on the bacterial H+-PPase by increasing the Michaelis constant for substrate binding to EMg by a factor of 26-32, while having only small effect on substrate binding to EMg2. Formation of EMg requires a basic group with pKa of 7.2-7.7 and confers resistance against inactivation by mersalyl and N-ethylmaleimide to H+-PPase. The dissociation constants governing EMg and EMg2 formation, as estimated from the mersalyl-protection assays and steady-state kinetics of PPi hydrolysis, respectively, differ by an order of magnitude. Comparison with the data on soluble PPases suggests that, in spite of gross structural differences between H+-PPase and soluble PPases and the added ability of H+-PPase to act as a proton pump, the two classes of enzyme utilize the same reaction mechanism in PPi hydrolysis.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a soluble inorganic pyrophosphatase in potato

A cDNA clone encoding a soluble inorganic pyrophosphatase (EC 3.6.1.1) of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) was isolated by screening a developing tuber library with a heterologous probe. The central domain of the encoded polypeptide is nearly identical at the sequence level with its Arabidopsis homolog (J.J. Kieber and E.R. Signer [1991] Plant Mol Biol 16: 345-348). Computer-assisted analysis of the potato, Arabidopsis, and Escherichia coli soluble pyrophosphatases indicated a remarkably conserved organization of the hydrophobic protein domains. The enzymatic function of the potato protein could be deduced from the presence of amino acid residues highly conserved in soluble pyrophosphatases and was confirmed by its capacity to complement a thermosensitive pyrophosphatase mutation in E. coli. The potato polypeptide was purified from complemented bacterial cells and its pyrophosphatase activity was shown to be strictly dependent on Mg2+ and strongly inhibited by Ca2+. The subcellular location of the potato pyrophosphatase is unknown. Structure analysis of the N-terminal protein domain failed to recognize typical transit peptides and the calculated molecular mass of the polypeptide (24 kD) is significantly inferior to the values reported for the plastidic (alkaline) or mitochondrial pyrophosphatases in plants (28-42 kD). Two unlinked loci could be mapped by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in the potato genome using the full-length cDNA as probe.

Modulation of ecto-nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphatase activity of human osteoblast-like bone cells by 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, parathyroid hormone, and dexamethasone

Extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) is involved in the regulation of mineralization, and there is evidence that the cell surface enzyme, NTP pyrophosphatase, is a major source of this metabolite in bone. Osteotrophic agents that influence bone turnover may exert their effects, in part, by modulating the activity of ecto-NTP pyrophosphatase in bone cells. We investigated the effect of 1, 25(OH)2 D3, 24, 25(OH)2D3, dexamethasone, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) on the activity of this enzyme in cultured human trabecular bone-derived osteoblast-like cells. 1,25(OH)2D3 at 10(-11)-10(-9) M induced a dose- and time-dependent increase in activity (at 96 h; maximum 10(-9) M, p < 0.001), whereas higher concentrations (10(-8) and 10(-7) M) had no effect. In contrast, 24,25(OH)2D3 was effective only at 10(-8) and 10(-6) M (at 96 h; p < 0.01). Dexamethasone (10(-9)-10(-7) M) caused a dose-dependent decrease in ecto-NTP pyrophosphatase activity (10(-7) M, p < 0.001); concentrations higher than 10(-7) M did not evoke greater inhibition. This effect became apparent by 48 h and was significantly enhanced after 72 h. The response to dexamethasone was attenuated by cycloheximide, indicating a requirement for de novo protein synthesis. Interestingly, the stimulatory effect of 10(-9) M 1,25(OH)2D3 on ecto-NTP pyrophosphatase activity was significantly enhanced in the presence of dexamethasone (10(-9)-10(-7) M). Human PTH(1-34) and bovine PTH(1-34) in the range 10(-10)-10(-7) M had no effect on enzyme activity over a 72 h period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Causal link between nucleotide pyrophosphohydrolase overactivity and increased intracellular inorganic pyrophosphate generation demonstrated by transfection of cultured fibroblasts and osteoblasts with plasma cell membrane glycoprotein-1. Relevance to calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease

OBJECTIVE

In subjects with idiopathic calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) deposition disease, cartilage chondrocytes elaborate increased amounts of PPi. The mechanism of the intracellular PPi elevation is not known. Plasma membrane 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase I/nucleotide pyrophosphohydrolase (NTPPPH) activity also is elevated in chondrocytes and dermal fibroblasts of patients with idiopathic CPPD deposition disease. NTPPPH, as an ecto-enzyme, could act within certain intracellular compartments. Thus, we hypothesized a potential causal link between increased NTPPPH activity and increased intracellular PPi.

METHODS

Transformed simian fibroblasts (COS cells) and human osteoblasts (U2OS cells) were transfected with the 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase I ecto-enzyme plasma cell membrane glycoprotein-1 (PC-1), recently shown to be expressed in cartilage, osteoblasts, and fibroblasts.

RESULTS

Transfection with PC-1 markedly up-regulated 5'-nucleotode phosphodiesterase I activity and increased intracellular PPi concentrations by increasing the capacity of cells to generate PPi. Importantly, this did not require supplementation with exogenous nucleotides.

CONCLUSION

Cellular overexpression of PC-1 produces NTPPPH overactivity and increased intracellular PPi generation in vitro. These findings support the potential importance of NTPPPH overactivity in PPi generation, both inside and outside the cell, in some subjects with CPPD deposition disease.

Probenecid inhibits transforming growth factor-beta 1 induced pyrophosphate elaboration by chondrocytes

OBJECTIVE

The elaboration of excess extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate (ePPi) by cartilage contributes to calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF beta 1) is the only defined physiologic stimulant of cartilage ePPi elaboration. The mechanism of ePPi generation by chondrocytes is unknown, but current evidence suggests that TGF beta 1 induced ePPi is made intracellularly. An active transport mechanism such as an anion transporter would then be necessary to export ePPi to the matrix where crystals form. We determined the effect of probenecid (PB), an anion transport inhibitor, on TGF beta 1 induced ePPi elaboration.

METHODS

Porcine hyaline articular chondrocytes in high density monolayer cultures were exposed to serum-free media with and without TGF beta 1 and/or PB. ePPi was measured in the media after 48-96 h of exposure. Cell injury was measured by examining the release of 3H-deoxyglucose from chondrocytes. The activity of the ePPi generating ectoenzyme nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase (NTPPPH) and media lactate concentrations were measured with standard colorimetric assays. As PB may inhibit phosphodiesterase (PDE), its effects on ePPi generation were compared with isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), a specific PDE inhibitor.

RESULTS

PB inhibited TGF beta 1 induced ePPi elaboration by chondrocytes. PB did not cause membrane injury or decrease NTPPPH activity. Lactate production was decreased by PB but did not correlate with the effects of PB on ePPi elaboration. IBMX did not inhibit TGF beta 1 effect on ePPi elaboration.

CONCLUSION

PB blocks TGF beta 1 induced ePPi elaboration. This effect is independent of cell membrane injury, decreased NTPPPH activity, or PDE inhibition. Our data implicate a role for anion transport in TGF beta 1 induced ePPi elaboration, and suggest a potential therapy for CPPD disease.

Protective role of trehalose in thermal denaturation of yeast pyrophosphatase

Trehalose, a disaccharide of glucose, is accumulated in yeast cytosol when this organism is submitted to a stress condition. Recently it was shown that the level of trehalose increase up to 15 times when yeast cells are submitted to heat shock (De Virgilio et al., 1991). In this report we give evidence how trehalose may play an important role on the stress-survival of yeasts when submitted to a heat shock. We show that 1.5 M trehalose increases 13-fold the half-time for thermal inactivation (t0.5) of yeast cytosolic pyrophosphatase at 50 degrees C. This thermal protection conferred by trehalose is dose-dependent, after 10 min at 50 degrees C, a condition which inactivated pyrophosphatase, the presence of 2 M trehalose preserves 95% of total activity. Other carbohydrates were tested but were not so effective as trehalose. The presence of trehalose at high concentrations in the reaction medium at 35 degrees C inhibits pyrophosphatase activity. This inhibition is less effective at 50 degrees C suggesting that under this condition the enzyme is temperature-protected and active.

Expression and purification of the mouse mammary tumor virus gag-pro transframe protein p30 and characterization of its dUTPase activity

The mouse mammary tumor virus gag-pro transframe protein (p30) contains the nucleocapsid protein domain derived from the 3' end of gag, fused to 154 residues encoded by the 5' region of the pro open reading frame. The DNA coding for p30 was cloned into the plasmid pALTER-1, and an additional nucleotide was inserted by site-directed mutagenesis to allow the read-through from the gag into the pro open reading frame. The obtained insert was then cloned into pGEX-2T, a plasmid containing the glutathione S-transferase gene of Schistosoma japonicum and a nucleotide sequence encoding for a thrombin cleavage site. The chimeric protein (GST-p30) was isolated by affinity chromatography on a glutathione-Sepharose 4B column, and after thrombin treatment, the excised p30 was further purified on a single-stranded DNA-agarose column. This protein showed dUTPase activity, with only negligible cleavage of dATP, dGTP, dCTP, dTTP, or UTP. Its apparent Km for dUTP was 28 microM. The enzyme was inhibited by EDTA, but its effect could be reversed by Mg2+ and other divalent cations. dUTPase activity was also detected in purified mouse mammary tumor virus, and p30 was the only protein recognized by antibodies directed towards the carboxyl-terminal sequence of the dUTPase coding region.

Molecular cloning and characterization of deoxyuridine triphosphatase from feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

The feline lentivirus, FIV, contains dUTPase (DU) as part of the enzyme cassette encoded by the viral pol gene (Elder et al., 1992, J. Virol. 66, 1791-1794). The enzyme is processed from the Pol polyprotein and is packaged into infectious virions. We report here the basic characteristics of the viral enzyme, including substrate specificity, ion requirements, and pH optimum. We also report the overexpression of DU in Escherichia coli and insertional mutagenesis of the enzyme in the context of the complete provirus or DU alone. The enzyme requires Mg2+ for full activity and competition studies employing unlabeled dNTPs indicated that DU has an absolute preference for dUTP. The pH optimum for FIV DU is pH 7.0. The limits of the protein dictate a species of M(r) 14,350, which agrees precisely with the determination by ion spray mass spectroscopy of DU isolated from virions. Cleavage sites at the junctions between DU, RT, and IN, as defined by N-terminal amino acid sequencing of each protein species, are consistent with predictions for sites of cleavage by aspartate protease. In-frame insertional mutagenesis at Tyr 75 of DU abolishes activity. Cells transfected with proviruses containing this mutation express virion-associated reverse transcriptase activity but lack DU activity. The resultant virions replicate slower than those possessing wild-type DU. Tests are currently underway to evaluate the consequences of DU mutagenesis on in vivo phenotype.

Inorganic pyrophosphatase of clofibrate-induced rat liver peroxisomes

Clofibrate increased inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) activity in peroxisomes more than 12-fold (740 milliunits/head, 15.9 +/- 5.0 milliunits/mg protein) in rat liver. The distribution of cytochrome c oxidase and that of the PPase in a Nycodenz gradient suggested that the PPase is an original peroxisomal enzyme and not a mitochondrial contaminant: This was confirmed by second Nycodenz gradient centrifugation. The optimum pH of the peroxisomal PPase was about 8.5. The activity was specific to inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), the Km value for PPi being 34.1 +/- 3.3 microM. It was strictly dependent on Mg2+ and showed a sigmoidal dose-response for Mg2+ with an S0.5 value of 100 microM. The activity was inhibited by Ca2+, p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid, Hg2+, N-ethylmaleimide, and NaF. The functions of peroxisomal PPase are discussed.

Studies on the utilization of inorganic pyrophosphate by different metabolic systems in yeast mitochondria

A mitochondrial pyrophosphatase (PPase) from yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was studied and characterized. The hydrolytic activity towards inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) was inhibited by different SH-reagents and increased in the presence of uncouplers, indicating a possible involvement of this enzyme in energy-linked processes. This view was also supported by the observation that these mitochondria were able to hydrolyze PPi, generating an electrical membrane potential (delta psi) of the same magnitude as that obtained with ATP. Both ATP and PPi inhibited the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and it was demonstrated that PPi can be used as substrate by mitochondrial kinases leading to the same pattern of protein phosphorylation as when ATP is used.

A fluoride-insensitive inorganic pyrophosphatase isolated from Methanothrix soehngenii

An inorganic pyrophosphatase [E.C. 3.6.1.1] was isolated from Methanothrix soehngenii. In three steps the enzyme was purified 400-fold to apparent homogeneity. The molecular mass estimated by gelfiltration was 139 +/- 7 kDa. Sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the enzyme is composed of subunits with molecular masses of 35 and 33 kDa in an alpha 2 beta 2 oligomeric structure. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate, tri- and tetrapolyphosphate, but no activity was observed with a variety of other phosphate esters. The cation Mg2+ was required for activity. The pH optimum was 8 at 1 mM PPi and 5 mM Mg2+. The enzyme was heat-stable, insensitive to molecular oxygen and not inhibited by fluoride. Analysis of the kinetic properties revealed an apparent Km for PPi of 0.1 mM in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+. The Vmax was 590 mumol of pyrophosphate hydrolyzed per min per mg protein, which corresponds to a Kcat of 1400 per second. The enzyme was found in the soluble enzyme fraction after ultracentrifugation, when cells were disrupted by French Press. Upto 5% of the pyrophosphatase was associated with the membrane fraction, when gentle lysis procedure were applied.

On the activation of plasma membrane ecto-enzymes by treatment with neuraminidase

It had been proposed that sialyl-residues on the surface of the cell control the activity of certain plasma membrane ecto-enzymes. We have tested the effects of several established (or presumptive) ecto-enzymes in tissue cultures of CNS-derived cells. Application of neuraminidases to cultured mouse neuroblastoma (N-18), neonatal Syrian hamster astrocytes (NN), human astrocytoma (Cox clone) and two lines of primary mouse astroblasts failed to change the activity of ecto-ATPase and 5'-nucleotidase. Only two of the seven neuraminidase preparations produced marked or moderate increases in inorganic pyrophosphatase, p-nitrophenylphosphatase and cholinesterase. We have concluded that the stimulation of these enzymes was not due to removal of sialyl-residues. We suggest that contaminants (haemolysins?) in neuraminidase preparations of Clostridium perfringens increased membrane permeability and facilitated substrate-product translocation.