• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.270-273
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• 1996

Micrococcus luteus purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) has been purified and characterized. The physical and kinetic properties have been described previously. Chemical modification of the enzyme was attempted to gain insight on the active site. The enzyme was inactivated in a time-dependent manner by the arginine- specific modifying reagent phenylglyoxal. There was a linear relationship between the observed rate of inactivation and the phenylglyoxal concentration. At 30 $^{\circ}C$ the bimolecular rate constant for the modification was 0.015 $min^{-1}mM^{-1}$ in 50 mM $NaHCO_3$ buffer, pH 7.5. The plot of logk versus log phenylglyoxal concentration was a strainght line with a slope value of 0.9, indicating that modification of one arginine residue was needed to inactivate the enzyme. Preincubation with saturated solutions of substrates protected the enzyme from inhibition of phenylglyoxal, indicating that reactions with phenylglyoxal were directed at arginyl residues essential for the catalytic functioning of the enzyme.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.280-284
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• 1997

Phenylglyoxal diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC), and 1-cyclohexyl-3-[2-morpholinoethyl]-carbodiimide metho-p-toluenesulfonate (CMC) are modifying reagents specific for arginine, histidine, and aspartate or glutamate, respectively. They were found to inactivate S. cerevisiae farnesyl protein transferase (FPTase). The peptide substrate protected the enzyme against inactivation by CMC and the other substrate farnesyl pyrophosphate showed protection against inactivation by phenylglyoxal. while neither of the two substrates protected the enzyme against DEPC inactivation. These results suggest the presence of aspartate/glutamate, arginine and histidine residues at the active site of this enzyme.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 1995

Acetolactate synthase purified from Serratia marcescens ATCC 25419 was rapidly inactivated by the thiol specific reagent p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB), the tryptophan specific reagent N-bromosuccinimide (NBS), and the arginine modifying reagent phenylglyoxal (PGO). Inactivation by PCMB was prevented by both ${\alpha}$-ketobutyrate and pyruvate, and the second order rate constant for the inactivation was $2480\;M^{-1}{\cdot}min^{-1}$. The reaction order with respect to PCMB was 0.94. The inactivation of the enzyme by NBS was also substantially reduced by both ${\alpha}$-ketobutyrate and pyruvate. The second order rate constant for inactivation by NBS was $15,000\;M^{-1}{\cdot}min^{-1}$, and the reaction order was 2.0. On the other hand, inactivation by PGO was partially prevented by ${\alpha}$-ketobutyrate, but not by pyruvate. The second order rate constant for the inactivation was $1480\;M^{-1}{\cdot}min^{-1}$ and the order of reaction with respect to PGO was 0.75. These results suggest that essential cysteine, tryptophan and arginine are located at or near the substrate binding site.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.139-143
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• 1998

The catabolic ${\alpha}-acetolactate$ synthase purified from Serratia marcescens ATCC 25419 was rapidly inactivated by the tryptophane-specific reagent, N -bromosuccinimide, and the arginine-specific reagent, phenylglyoxal. The enzyme was inactivated slowly by the cysteine-specific reagent N-ethylmaleimide. The second-order rate constants for the inactivation by N-bromosuccinimide, phenylglyoxal. and N -ethylmaleimide were $114,749M^{-1}min^{-1}$, $304.3M^{-1}min^{-1}$, and $5.1M^{-1}min^{-1}$, respectively. The reaction order with respect to N-bromosuccinimide, phenylglyoxal, and N-ethylmaleimide were 1.5,0.71, and 0.86, respectively. The inactivation of the catabolic aacetolactate synthase by these modifying reagents was protected by pyruvate. These results suggest that essential tryptophane, arginine, and cysteine residues are located at or near the active site of the catabolic ${\alpha}-acetolactate$ synthase.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.277-282
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• 1997

Acetolactate synthase (ALS) was partially purified from Escherichia coli MF2000/pTATX containing Arabidopsis thaliana ALS gene. The partially purified ALS was examined for its sensitivity toward various modifying reagents such as iodoacetic acid, iodoacetamide, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (PCMB), and phenylglyoxal. It was found that PCMB inhibited the enzyme activity most strongly followed by DTNB and NEM. Since iodoacetic acid did not compete with substrate pyruvate, it appeared that cysteine is not involved in the substrate binding site. On the other hand, the substrate protected the enzyme partly from inactivation by phenylglyoxal, which might indicate interaction of arginine residue with the substrate. The partially purified enzyme was inhibited by end products, valine and isoleucine, but not by leucine. However, the ALS modified with PCMB led to potentiate the feedback inhibition of all end products. Additionally, derivatives of pyrimidyl sulfur benzoate, a candidate for a new herbicide for ALS, were examined for their inhibitory effects.

• The Microorganisms and Industry
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.34-41
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• 1993

Industrial strain improvement is concerned with developing or modifying microorganisms used in production of commercially important fermentation products. The aim is to reduce the production cost by improving productivity of a strain and manipulating specific characteristics such as the ability to utilize cheaper raw materials or resist bacteriophages. The traditional empirical approach to strain improvement is mutation combined with selection and breeding techniques. It is still used by us to improve the productivity of organisms in amino acids, organic acids and enzymes production. The breeding of high L-lysine-producing strain Au112 is one of the outstanding examples of this approach. It is a homoserine auxotroph with AEC, TA double metabolic analogue resistant markers. The yield reaches 100 g/l. Besides, the citric acid-producing organism Aspergillus niger, Co827, its productivity reaches the advanced level in the world, is also the result of a series mutations especially with $^60Co{\gamma}$-radiation. The thermostable .alpha.-amylase producing strain A 4041 is the third example. By combining physical and chemical mutations, the strain A 4041 becomes an asporogenous, catabolite derepressed mutant with rifamycin resistant and methionine, arginine auxotroph markers. The .alpha.-amylase activity reaches 200 units/ml. The fourth successful example of mutation in strain improvement is the glucoamylase-producing strain Aspergillus niger SP56, its enzyme activity is 20,000 units/ml, 4 times of that of the parental strain UV-11. Recently, recombinant DNA approach provides a worthwhile alternative strategy to industrial strain improvement. This technique had been used by us to increase the thermostable .alpha.-amylase production and on some genetic researches.

• The Microorganisms and Industry
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.38-42
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• 1989

Industrial strain Improvement is concerned with developing or modifying microorga-nisms used In production of commercially important fermentation products. The aim is to reduce the production cost by improving productivity of a strain and manipulating specific cilarafteristic such as the ability to utilize cheaper raw materials or resist bacteriophages. The traditional empiri-cal approach to strain improvement is mutation combined with selection and breeding techniques. It is still used by us to improve the productivity of organisms in amino acids. organic acids andenzymes production. The breeding of high L-lysine-producing strain Au112 is one of the outstanding examples of this approach. It is it homoserine auxotroph with AEC, TA double metabolicanalogue resistant markers. The yield reaches 100g/1. Resides, the citric acid-producing organism Aspergillus nuger, Co827, its productivity reches the advanced level in the world, is also the result of a series mutations expecially with Co Y-radiation. The thermostable a-amylaseroducing strain A 4041 is the third example. By combining physical and chemical multations. the strain ,A 4041becomes an asporogenous, catabolite derepressed mutant with rifamycin resistant and methionine, arginine auxotroph markers. The a-amylase activity reaches 200 units/ml. The fourth successful example of mutation in strain improvement is the glucoamylase-producing strain Aspergillus nigerSP56 its enzyme activity is 20,000 units/ml, 4 times of that of the parental strain UV_11. Recently recombinant DNA approach Provides a worth while alternative strategy to Industrial strain improve-ment. This technique had been used by us to increase the thermostable a-amylase production and on some genetic researches.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.318-327
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• 2021

CD4+ T helper (Th) cells play a crucial role in the modulation of innate and adaptive immune responses through the differentiation of Th precursor cells into several subsets, including Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T (Treg) cells. Effector Th and Treg cells are distinguished by the production of signature cytokines and are important for eliminating intracellular and extracellular pathogens and maintaining immune homeostasis. Stimulation of naive Th cells by T cell receptor and specific cytokines activates master transcription factors and induces lineage specification during the differentiation of Th cells. The master transcription factors directly activate the transcription of signature cytokine genes and also undergo post-translational modifications to fine-tune cytokine production and maintain immune balance through cross-regulation with each other. This review highlights the post-translational modifications of master transcription factors that control the differentiation of effector Th and Treg cells and provides additional insights on the immune regulation mediated by protein argininemodifying enzymes in effector Th cells.