Bovine brain sphingomyelin was separated into different molecular species using a reverse phase column. PLC delta 1 was inhibited by all molecular species of sphingomyelin. The extent of this inhibition was dependent on the hydrophobicity. Based on fatty acid analysis, we conclude that the inhibition of PLC delta 1 depends ...

Liposomes are the potent carriers of therapeutic drugs for their targeted delivery to the intracellular sites specially when the drug is hydrophilic in nature and is unable to cross the cell membrane. Lead, a major source of environmental pollution, is accumulated in the body system of both animals and humans ...

To examine the potential of using photodynamic therapy (PDT) in condylomata, we studied the distribution and kinetics of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) formation in condylomata acuminata and adjacent normal skin after topical application of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA). PpIX fluorescence spectra were measured hourly in vivo after ALA application. After gross fluorescence ...

The equilibrium constant, K3, of aqueous homolysis of peroxynitrous acid into hydroxyl and nitrogen dioxide free radicals was estimated to be 5 x 10(-10) M. This value was derived from a thermodynamic cycle by use of the experimentally known delta fH degree(ONOO-,aq) = -10.8 kcal/mol and the enthalpy of ionic ...

We have examined the type of inhibition exerted by an activated preparation of the Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin CrylAa on K+-dependent leucine transport into midgut brush border membrane vesicles or epithelial cells of the isolated midgut from Bombyx mori to study its possible interaction with the amino acid symporter. K+ permeability ...

Bacterial resistance against antibiotic treatment is becoming an increasing problem in medicine. Therefore methods to destroy microorganisms by other means are being investigated, one of which is photodynamic therapy (PDT). It has already been shown that a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria can be killed in vitro by PDT ...

The tripeptide delta-L-alpha-aminoadipyl-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (LLD-ACV) is synthesised by the multifunctional enzyme ACV synthetase integrating four steps of the penicillin and cephalosporin biosynthetic pathway. Peptide synthesis follows the thiotemplate mechanism from intermediates bound as thioesters to the enzyme. The formation of delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-thioester in the absence of L-valine was shown by isolation of ...

Treatment of cultured parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.) cells with a structurally defined peptide elicitor (Pep25) of fungal origin has previously been shown to cause rapid and large changes in the levels of various desaturated fatty acids. We isolated two distinct parsley cDNAs sharing high sequence similarity with microsomal omega-6 fatty ...

Previous studies have shown that isocaloric modifications in the type of lipids in the diet alter the nutrient uptake and lipid composition of the intestinal brush border membrane. In this study adult rats were fed for 2 weeks isocaloric semisynthetic diets with triglycerides enriched with either saturated (S) or polyunsaturated ...

Fatty acids stimulate the oxidation rate of mitochondria isolated from the wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but do not affect significantly the respiration of mitochondria isolated from mutants, in which the ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) was either modified (R96H) or deleted (delta aac2). Similarly as in mammalian mitochondria, the transmembrane electrical potential difference ...

Several years ago, it was established that the delta 15 trans isomer of alpha-linolenic acid is converted in vivo into fatty acids containing 20 and 22 carbons (geometrical isomers of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids). The present study focused on the in vitro delta 6 desaturation, the first step of the ...

In photodynamic therapy with topically applied delta-aminolevulinic acid porphyrins are acting as photosensitizers. The profile of porphyrin metabolites in normal or in neoplastic skin after administration of delta-aminolevulinic acid has not been determined in detail yet. Thus, to study porphyrin biosynthesis in human skin an organ culture model was developed. ...

The first intermediate substrate in the heme synthetic pathway, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), is neurotoxic in animal models and may be responsible for some of the adverse neurologic outcomes in lead poisoning and porphyria in adult humans. ALA is a substrate for the enzyme aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD; EC 4.2.1.24), which ...

Sex pheromones are used by insects as a form of chemical communication for the purpose of attracting conspecific mates. Female moths Cadra cautella and Spodoptera exigua use the diene (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate as the major pheromone component. Biosynthesis of this pheromone component was demonstrated to occur through delta 11 desaturation of ...

To allow genetic modification of the fatty acid biosynthesis routes in the lipid-accumulating yeast Cryptococcus curvatus the delta 9 fatty acid desaturase gene was cloned and characterized. The 1668-bp gene encodes a protein of 556 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 62 kDa. The gene shows strong homology ...

Enhanced production of 5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid (Mead acid, 20:3(omega)9) was attained by a mutant fungus, Mortierella alpina M209-7, derived from (Delta)12 desaturase-defective M. alpina Mut48. The 20:3(omega)9 production by M209-7 was 1.3 times greater than that by its parent strain, Mut48. This is thought to be due to its enhanced (Delta)6 ...

gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA; C18:3 delta(6,9,12)) is a component of the seed oils of evening primrose (Oenothera spp.), borage (Borago officinalis L.), and some other plants. It is widely used as a dietary supplement and for treatment of various medical conditions. GLA is synthesized by a delta6-fatty acid desaturase using linoleic ...

Metabolism of conjugated isomers of linoleic acid (CLA) in rats was studied by feeding high quantities of CLA (180 mg/day) for six days to animals that had been reared on a fat-free diet for two weeks. After this period, animals were sacrificed and liver lipids extracted. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) ...

Hemoglobin in erythrocytes may be an important intravascular site of lead binding. We examined associations of hemoglobin subtypes A1 and A2 with delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) genotype, a protein that is another important site of erythrocyte lead binding. After oral administration of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA-chelatable lead), we also examined 4-h ...

In the liver of rats, monocarboxylic 3-thia fatty acids, tridecylthioacetic acid (C13-S-acetic acid) and tetradecylthioacetic acid (C14-S-acetic acid), increase the mRNA levels of delta 9-desaturase both in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The increased delta 9-desaturase mRNA levels were accompanied by increased delta 9-desaturase activity and increased amounts of oleic ...

2-(2-Acetoxyethyl)cyclohexanone (4) was converted into the lactone (-)-(5) regio- and enantioselectively using 2-oxo-delta 3-4,5,5-trimethylcyclopentenyl acetyl-CoA monooxygenase, an NADPH-dependent Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase from camphor grown Pseudomonas putida NCIMB 10007. The lactone (-)-(5) was converted into (R)-(+)-lipoic acid in six steps. In contrast cyclopentanone monooxygenase, an NADPH-dependent Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase from cyclopentanol-grown Pseudomonas sp. ...

This study compares the systemic and topical application of photofrin II and aminolevulinic acid as an intraoperative adjuvant therapy in the C3H mouse radiation-induced fibrosarcoma model. Dose-development and time-dependent studies were first conducted followed by intraoperative phototherapy studies with photofrin II and aminolevulinic acid. Study results clearly show that intraoperative ...

The role of 24:5n-3 and 24:6n-3 as intermediate in the formation of 22:6n-3 in trout liver was examined. Microsomes prepared from trout liver converted [1-14C]-eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) to 24: 5n-3 and 24:6n-3 but not docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3). The radiolabeled 24:5n-3 and 24:6n-3 were isolated from the microsomal incubations by argentation ...

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exogenously supplied to the red microalga Porphyridium cruentum were incorporated into cellular lipids. All the C18 PUFAs studied were desaturated by a delta 6-desaturase and all the C20 PUFAs by a delta 5-desaturase. The latter enzyme desaturated even 20:2(11, 14) to 20:3(5, 11, 14) and 20:3(11, ...

Deuterium NMR spectra for the phenyl ring deuterons have been obtained for D-phenylalanine, L-phenylalanine, phenylacetic acid, and phenyl propionic acid in randomly oriented crystals of carboxypeptidase A as a function of water content. The spectra are analyzed using a two-site jump model for phenyl ring pi-flips when the ligand is ...

Previously we demonstrated the use of chemical (topical acetic acid), thermal (radiant heat) and mechanical (von Frey filament) stimuli as quantifiable behavioral response assays in the northern grass frog, Rana pipiens. Furthermore, response thresholds in all of these sensory modalities are significantly elevated by systemic morphine injections, which can be ...

The effects of cadmium (Cd) on the fatty acid composition and delta 9 desaturation activity were studied in hepatocytes which had been cultured in serum-free medium. The aim of this study was to determine whether the inhibition of delta 9 desaturase seen in Cd-treated rat liver (Kudo et al. (1991) ...

Formation of the tripeptide delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (Aad-Cys-Val) is catalyzed by a multienzyme peptide synthetase encoded by the pcbAB gene in producers of beta-lactam antibiotics. The pcbAB gene of Nocardia lactamdurans was overexpressed in Streptomyces lividans giving a high Aad-Cys-Val synthetase activity. The synthetase was purified 2785-fold to near homogeneity showing a ...

The helix propagation and N-cap propensities of the amino acids have been measured in alanine-based peptides in 40 volume percent trifluoroethanol (40% TFE) to determine if this helix-stabilizing solvent uniformly affects all amino acids. The propensities in 40% TFE are compared with revised values of the helix parameters of alanine-based ...

The control of cytochrome c oxidase turnover in proteoliposomes by membrane potential (delta psi) and by pH gradient (delta pH) is probably kinetic in nature, and inhibition by valinomycin and stimulation by nigericin indicate that delta pH exerts a greater influence than does an equivalent delta psi. Oleic acid at ...

The use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) as a protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) precursor for photodynamic therapy (PDT) became very popular in a short time. However, despite its advantages, ALA also has a drawback; it shows a poor ability to diffuse through biological membranes because of its low lipophilicity. As a consequence, ...

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was twofold: to determine the distribution of the endogenous photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX in the uterus and to ascertain the time interval leading to maximal endometrial fluorescence after intrauterine instillation of 5-aminolevulinic acid. STUDY DESIGN: One milliliter of a 400 mg/ml 5-aminolevulinic acid-Hyskon solution was instilled into the ...

Delta 9, delta 6 and delta 5 desaturation activity and the thioesterification of eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid (DGLA) were measured in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared to normotensive controls (WKY). SHR exhibited lower levels in the long-chain fatty acyl-CoA (LCFA) synthetase and in delta 6 and delta 5 desaturase activities in liver. ...

The structure of the endospore cell wall peptidoglycan of Bacillus subtilis has been examined. Spore peptidoglycan was produced by the development of a method based on chemical permeabilization of the spore coats and enzymatic hydrolysis of the peptidoglycan. The resulting muropeptides which were >97% pure were analyzed by reverse-phase high-performance ...

Latent infection membrane protein 1 (LMP1), the Epstein-Barr virus transforming protein, associates with tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) associated factor 1 (TRAF1) and TRAF3. Since TRAF2 has been implicated in TNFR-mediated NF-kappa B activation, we have evaluated the role of TRAF2 in LMP1-mediated NF-kappa B activation. TRAF2 binds in vitro ...

The synthesis of two types of delta-acetylenic amino acids is described. Key intermediates were derived from terminal acetylenes via two different routes: (1) palladium-mediated, Heck-type arylation, and (2) Simmons-Smith homologation followed by reaction of the resulting propargylic organometallic with a benzoyltrimethylsilane. Further elaboration to the desired amino acids involved the ...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of alcohol administration on jejunoileal bypass (JIB)-induced liver dysfunction in rats resulting in abnormalities of fatty acid composition of cell membranes, and whether methionine is able to reverse these changes. Male Wistar rats were subjected to a jejunoileal bypass operation. ...

Hepatic 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase, the first and normally rate-controlling enzyme of heme biosynthesis, is regulated by heme. One of the known mechanisms whereby increased cellular heme regulates 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase is by decreasing the stability of its mRNA. In primary cultures of chick embryo liver cells, we tested whether a ...

Anacardic acids, a class of secondary compounds derived from fatty acids, are found in a variety of dicotyledonous families. Pest resistance (e.g., spider mites and aphids) in Pelargonium xhortorum (geranium) is associated with high levels (approximately 81%) of unsaturated 22:1 omega 5 and 24:1 omega 5 anacardic acids in the ...

Corneal permeability data taken from the literature were analyzed for possible quantitative relationships with physicochemical properties. Although a parabolic relationship was obtained with good correlation between lipophilicity, as expressed by the 1-octanol-water partition coefficients, log Poctanol (or the distribution coefficients, log D for ionizable compounds), and the permeability in individual ...

Increases in renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure (RIHP) by direct renal interstitial volume expansion (DRIVE) decrease proximal sodium reabsorption and increase urinary fractional sodium excretion (FENa). This natriuretic response is blunted by inhibition of the cyclooxygenase pathway. However, complicating the interpretation of the effects of cyclooxygenase inhibition on sodium excretion are ...

The Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is a common inherited birth disorder caused by markedly reduced 7-dehydrocholesterol delta 7-reductase activity, the final enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. BM 15.766 (4-[2-[1-(4-chlorocinnamyl)piperazin-4-yl]ethyl]-benzoic acid) inhibits 7-dehydrocholesterol delta 7-reductase activity, reduces plasma cholesterol levels, and increases 7-dehydrocholesterol levels to reproduce the biochemical abnormalities of the syndrome ...

A broad-specificity delta 9 desaturase gene was cloned from the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans. The enzyme introduces a cis-double bond at the delta 9 position of both 16 and 18 carbon saturated fatty acids linked to many kinds of membrane lipids. The gene was stably introduced into tobacco plants under transcriptional ...

An NMR titration method has been developed to simultaneously measure the difference in acid dissociation constants (delta pKa) of two or more compounds with high precision and accuracy. The delta pKa between the conjugate acids of the two stereoisomers of 4-tert-butylcyclohexylamine 1 was determined in a single 1H NMR titration ...

Protoporphyrin accumulates in tissues after administration of delta-aminolevulinic acid, and can be used as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy. To determine the distribution of porphyrins in a large animal model after administration of this porphyrin precursor, delta-aminolevulinic acid was administered to anesthetized dogs (100 mg/kg body weight intravenously) and porphyrin ...

In vitro evidence has been reported for an alternate pathway that involves delta 8 desaturation of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The present study was designed to allow detection of delta 8 desaturation in vivo and to provide an estimation of the relative contribution of delta 8 desaturation ...

The functional expression in yeast of the Arabidopsis thaliana FAD2 gene, encoding the extraplastidial oleate desaturase (1-acyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine delta 12-desaturase) is reported. Dienoic fatty acids constituted up to 11% (w/w) of the total fatty acids in transformed Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and were confirmed to be linoleic acid and delta 9, delta ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the selectivity of endometrial photosensitization after intrauterine 5-aminolevulinic acid administration in nonhuman primates, and to assess acute and chronic systemic toxicity after intravenous (i.v.) delivery of 5-aminolevulinic acid. METHODS: Ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys (n = 19) aged 6-18 years and ovariectomized rheusus monkeys (n = 3) aged 9-14 ...

We have developed a method for the analysis of 5,6-dihydroxyeicosatrienoate-1,5-lactone (5,6-DiHETriE-delta-lactone) in tissue homogenates, supplemented with NADPH and arachidonic acid [20:4(n-6)] as a substrate. During the incubation and the extraction, most of the 5,6-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (5,6-EpETriE) was converted to 5,6-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (5,6-DiHETriE), and most of the 5,6-DiHETriE was converted to ...

In a number of experimental systems, the early stage of the apoptotic process, i.e. the stage which precedes nuclear disintegration, is characterized by the breakdown of the inner mitochondrial transmembrane potential (delta psi m). Here we address the question as to whether mitochondrial permeability transition (PT) pores may account for ...