In-vitro modulation of protein kinase C activity by environmental chemical pollutants

A number of environmental chemical pollutants have been reported to cause tumors or help in the propagation of tumors in experimental animals. The in-vitro effects of a few chemical contaminants were studied on the histone phosphorylation and 3H Phorbol dibutyrate (PdBu) binding of partially purified Ca2+/phospholipid dependent protein kinase c (PKC) from the brains of Fischer F344 and B6C3F1 mice. The enzyme was prepared by a modified method which gave approximately 75-fold purification. A differential effect of various compounds was observed on the phosphorylation activity and PdBu binding of PKC from rats and mice. The reported tumor promoting ability and effect on protein kinase C activity appeared to be related in the case of the rat enzyme, although causality cannot be inferred.     

Activation of phospholipase C in platelets by platelet activating factor and thrombin causes hydrolysis of a common pool of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate

Despite their physicochemical and mechanistic differences platelet activating factor (or acetylglycerylether phosphorylcholine; AGEPC) and thrombin, both platelet stimulatory agents, induce phosphoinositide turnover in platelets. We therefore investigated the stimulation of the phosphoinositide phosphodiesterase by these agents and questioned whether they evoked hydrolysis of the same or different pools of phosphoinositides. [3H]Inositol-labelled rabbit platelets were challenged with thrombin and/or AGEPC under a variety of protocols, and the phospholipase C mediated production of radioactive inositol monophosphate (IP); inositol bisphosphate (IP2) and inositol trisphosphate (IP3) was used as the parameter. AGEPC (1 X 10(-9) M) caused a transient maximum (5 to 6-fold) increase in [3H]IP3 at 5 s followed by a decrease. Thrombin (2 U/ml) elicited an increase in [3H]IP3 at a much slower rate than AGEPC; 2 fold at 5 s, 5 fold at 30 s and a maximum 6 to 8-fold at 2-5 min. Compared to AGEPC, thrombin stimulated generation of [3H]IP2 and [3H]IP were severalfold higher. When thrombin and AGEPC were added together to platelets there was no evidence for an additive increase in inositol polyphosphate levels except at earlier time points where increases were submaximal. When AGEPC was added at various time intervals after thrombin pretreatment, no additional increases in [3H]IP3 were observed over that maximally seen with thrombin or AGEPC alone. In another set of experiments, submaximal increases (about 1/4 and 1/2 of maximum) in [3H]IP3 were achieved by using selected concentrations of thrombin (0.1 U and 0.3 U, respectively) and then AGEPC (1 X 10(-9) M) was added for 5 s. Once again the increase in [3H]IP3 was close to the maximal level seen with thrombin or AGEPC individually. It is concluded that thrombin and AGEPC differentially activated phosphoinositide phosphodiesterase (phospholipase C) in rabbit platelets and that the stimulation of the phospholipase C by these two stimuli causes IP3 production via hydrolysis of a common pool of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate.     

Migration of O-acetyl groups in N,O-acetylneuraminic acids

Highly purified N-acetyl-4-O-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu4,5Ac2), N-acetyl-7-O-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,7Ac2) and N-acetyl-7,9-di-O-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,7,9Ac3) were used to study spontaneous migrations of acetyl groups between hydroxyl groups. The techniques applied involved thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography and 360-MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy. It was found that at pH values at which no significant de-O-acetylation is observed: (a) Neu5,7Ac2 can easily be transformed into Neu5,9Ac2, (b) Neu5,7,9Ac3 yields an equilibrium of Neu5,7,9Ac3 and Neu5,8,9Ac3 in a molar ratio of approximately 1:1, and (c) Neu4,5Ac2 does not give rise to O-acetyl migrations. The importance of these findings is discussed in terms of the biosynthesis of O-acetylated sialic acids.     

Evidence for photosynthetic independence of viral multiplication in cyanophage LPP-1 infected cyanobacterium Phormidium uncinatum

Abstract Pigment decomposition, oxygen evolution and CO₂ fixation were measured in the cyanobacterium Phormidium uncinatum after infection with cyanophage LPP-1, under light and dark conditions. A gradual decrease in para benzoquinone supported O₂ evolution, chlorophyll a and phycocyanin level were noticed after 6 h of infection. These results demonstrated decreased photosynthetic activity of the host P. uncinatum prior to the start of LPP-1 multiplication. Metabolic inhibitor investigations confirmed that the cyanophage LPP-1 multiplication was independent of host photosynthesis.     

Altered drug metabolism in parasitic diseases

While the immune system represents the main line of host defence against parasite infections, mixed function oxidase (MFO) systems (Box 1) offer the main line of defence against drugs and other biologically active substances. But, as this review shows, many parasites can exert a profound effect on the host MFO system by altering the microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes and electron transport carriers such as cytochrome P-450. This can markedly affect the host's ability to metabolize biologically active compounds, often with adverse physiological, pharmacological and toxicological consequences. In mammals, drug metabolism occurs predominantly in the liver, and to a lesser extent in the spleen, lungs, kidneys, intestine and cerebral tissues. Thus those parasites that occupy sites in these tissues - such as amoebae, Fasciola, schistosomes and malaria - tend to be those with greatest effects on the host's ability to metabolize drugs. The effects can modify the host response to substances unrelated to the infection, and to drugs which may be administered under a chemotherapeutic regime.     

Platelet activating factor induces expression of early response genes c-fos and TIS-1 in human epidermoid carcinoma A-431 cells

The effect of platelet activating factor (PAF) on the induction of early response genes was investigated in A-431 cells (human epidermal carcinoma cells). PAF induced a transient expression of c-fos and TIS-1 mRNA in a time- and dose-dependent manner. As low as 10(-10) M PAF caused detectable expression of these genes with a maximum observed at 10(-7) M. In the presence of cycloheximide, increases in the gene expression were noticeable at 20 min and peaked between 30-60 min. A lack of induction with lyso-PAF, an inactive PAF metabolite, confirmed the specificity of PAF towards this expression. The cells pretreated with CV-6209, a PAF receptor antagonist, did not show any induction of these genes by PAF. It is concluded that PAF causes induction of the early response genes c-fos and TIS-1 in a structurally specific and receptor dependent manner. This finding offers a new role for PAF at the nuclear level and may have important implications in the long term effects of PAF in pathophysiological conditions.     

Effect of nitrogen and chlormequat chloride on the seed yield and oil content of mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss)

The growth of mustard was increased significantly when treated with up to 80 kg N ha^–1 (N₈₀). Spraying with (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammoniumchloride (chlormequat chloride) increased seed yield and seed protein content. Spraying nitrogen fertilized plots with chlormequat chloride, increased leaf area, leaf area ratio, leaf area duration, number of siliquae plant^–1, number of seeds siliqua^–1 and length of siliqua. Reducing, non-reducing and total sugars in the leaves at 80 days after sowing were also affected significantly. Chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll were little affected. The number of siliquae plant^–1 was highly correlated with seed yield in both the seasons of experimentation. The correlation coefficient value () was 0.586 in 1982/83 and 0.912 in 1983/84.The total accumulation of nutrients, i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in seed and straw was significantly affected by N₈₀ × chlormequat chloride interaction.