Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.21.69 (APC)
 16,337 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Isolated cell envelopes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were treated with N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) or with ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). DMF solubilized 73% of the dry weight of the cell envelope, 76% of the protein, 78% of the carbohydrate, and 76% of the phosphorus. Electron microscopy showed that DMF caused extensive alterations in the appearance of the cell envelope with blebs and bleblike vesicles predominating. After incubation with EDTA, the cell envelopes appeared to have lost material, but still retained the cell-like morphology. Analysis of DMF-solubilized proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed 16 protein bands. There were three major proteins that predominated, however, with molecular masses of 43,000 (protein A), 16,500 (protein B), and 72,000 daltons (protein C). Evidence is presented that protein A and protein B are glycoproteins. Gel electrophoresis of EDTA-solubilized material revealed that a number of proteins were released from the cell envelope. However, electrophoresis of an isolated protein-lipopolysaccharide complex released by EDTA showed that protein A and protein B were the major protein components of this complex. These data suggest that protein A and protein B are components of the outer cell wall membrane of P. aeruginosa. There is suggestive evidence that these proteins may play a role in maintaining the structural integrity of the cell envelope. Whether these proteins also have enzymatic activity could not be discerned from the present study, although it is possible that they may be associated with the terminal stages of lipopolysaccharide synthesis.
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PMID:Proteins released from cell envelopes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on exposure to ethylenediaminetetraacetate: comparison with dimethylformamide-extractable proteins. 463 46

Calciphylaxis is a small vessel vasculopathy involving mural calcification with intimal proliferation, fibrosis, and thrombosis. This syndrome occurs predominantly in individuals with renal failure and results in ischemia and necrosis of skin, subcutaneous fat, visceral organs, and skeletal muscle. The syndrome causes significant morbidity in the form of infection, organ failure, and pain. Mortality rates are high. In individuals with renal failure, risk factors for the development of calciphylaxis include female sex, Caucasian race, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Many cases occur within the first year of dialysis treatment. Several recent reports demonstrate that prolonged hyperphosphatemia and/or elevated calcium x phosphorus products are associated with the syndrome. Protein malnutrition increases the likelihood of calciphylaxis, as does warfarin use and hypercoagulable states, such as protein C and/or protein S deficiency. Recent advances in diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies have helped in the management of patients with calciphylaxis.
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PMID:Calciphylaxis: emerging concepts in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. 1210 Apr 55

The aim of this prospective study was to identify hemodynamic factors associated with two different types of polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) AV grafts. The study was conducted on 46 hemodialysis patients over a 3-year period. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of two study groups: Group 1 patients (n = 24) underwent a brachiocephalic loop PTFE fistula; Group 2 patients (n = 22), a brachioaxillary PTFE fistula. Preoperatively, we recorded each individual's subclavian catheter history, hemodialysis frequency, and serum levels of parathormone (PTH), calcium (Ca)-phosphorus (P) product, homocysteine, protein C, and protein S. Doppler ultrasonography was used to evaluate vascular hemodynamic changes in the proximal and distal portions of the AV fistula at 48 hours and 1 week postoperatively. Group 1 showed a significantly greater number of ipsilateral subclavian catheter interventions prior to AV graft surgery than Group 2 (14 versus 7, respectively; P = .05; chi-square). The mean peak systolic velocity in the brachial artery in Group 1 was significantly higher than that in Group 2 at 1-week postoperatively (P = .04, paired t-test). The mean radial artery diameter in Group 1 was greater than that of Group 2 at 1 week postoperatively (P = .05, Student t-test). At 48 hours postoperatively the observed change in cephalic vein diameter in Group 1 was significantly greater than the change in axillary vein diameter in Group 2 (P = .08, paired t-test). Preoperatively, the mean serum protein C and protein S levels in Group 1 were higher than those in Group 2 (P = .03 and P = .04, respectively; Mann-Whitney U test). The total numbers of dialysis sessions per week in each group were significantly different (P = .001, chi-square). Six Group 1 patients exhibited graft thrombosis at 48 hours after AV graft surgery. None of the patients in Group 2 exhibited thrombosis at 48 hours or 1 week postoperatively. The results indicate that patients with brachiocephalic PTFE AV grafts show more significant changes in the cephalic vein and brachial artery than patients with brachioaxillary PTFE AV grafts. The findings also suggest that more ipsilateral subclavian catheter interventions and a higher weekly frequency of hemodialysis prior to AV graft surgery are risk factors for early thrombosis of PTFE AV grafts.
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PMID:Comparison of hemodynamic changes associated with two different polytetraflouroethylene arteriovenous fistulae in hemodialysis patients. 1562 Nov

Oral anticoagulants antagonize vitamin K action and potentially impair the carboxylation of osteocalcin, a protein essential for normal bone matrix formation. In the present study, bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers were evaluated in 23 children under long-term oral anticoagulant therapy. BMD of the lumbar spine was assessed (Dual Energy x-ray Absorptiometry) and reported as z score. Osteoblast [bone alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin (Gla-Oc), amino-terminal procollagen 1 extension peptide] and osteoclast (urinary calcium and deoxypyridinoline, serum cross-linked C telopeptide) activity markers were measured. Vitamin D {[25(OH) D], parathormone, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium} and vitamin K status [factors II, VII, IX, X, protein C, protein S, undercarboxylated osteocalcin (Glu-Oc)] were determined. The above parameters were also evaluated in 25 healthy controls. Patients presented with higher levels in Glu-Oc, parathormone, and bone resorption markers, lower levels in bone formation markers and 25(OH) D, whereas 52% of them showed signs of osteopenia (-1>BMD z score>-2.5). Statistical analysis demonstrated that anticoagulant therapy was an independent predictor of alterations in Glu-Oc, Gla-Oc, bone alkaline phosphatase, amino-terminal procollagen 1 extension peptide, and serum cross-linked C telopeptide levels. It seems that long-term use of coumarin derivatives may cause osteopenia in children with the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.
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PMID:Assessment of bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in children under long-term oral anticoagulant therapy. 1879 35

Due to the large-scale application of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms on the bioremediation of eutrophic lake in China, the influence of growth, physiological characteristics, microcystins production and release of M. aeruginosa by E. crassipes was investigated. Meanwhile, the release risk of nutrients from M. aeruginosa and the accumulation risk of microcystins in E. crassipe were explored through semi-continuous co-existence experiments. Our results indicated that M. aeruginosa was promoted by E. crassipes to undergo the cell death. Under the stress of E. crassipes, direct damage of phycocyanin and phycocyanin/allophycocyanin ratio in M. aeruginosa occurred, while the photosystem II-Hill reaction in M. aeruginosa was not interrupted. The PC/APC levels in the treatment of 10% and 20% water exchange rate were respectively decreased to 54.93% +/- 7.07% and 55.81% +/- 1.97% of the level in their relative controls after 8 days. Then, the final significant decrease of specific superoxide dismutase activity and the striking elevation of malondialdehyde content in M. aeruginosa could be the results of oxidative damage by E. crassipes. Algal malondialdehyde content in the treatment of 10% and 20% water exchange rate were respectively 2.95 +/- 0.074 and 2.22 +/- 0.086 times of the level in their relative controls on day 8. The release of nutrients from M. aeruginosa was accelerated because the decay and lysis of algal cells were promoted by E. crassipes. After 12-day co-existence experiments, the concentration of total dissolved nitrogen in water was brought back to the initial level and the release of total dissolved phosphorus was faster than nitrogen nutrients under the stress of E. crassipes. In addition, the microcystins production in M. aeruginosa was not stimulated and the extracellular microcystins were significantly eliminated by the influence of E. crassipes. The extracellular microcystins contents in the treatment of 10% and 20% water exchange rate were respectively decreased to 12.07 microg x L(-1) +/- 0.63 microg x L(-1) and 11.36 microg x L(-1) +/- 0.04 microg x L(-1) after 12 days. But the microcystins level in the whole plants of E. crassipes co-cultured with M. aeruginosa for 12 days was only about 5.95 ng x g(-1) +/- 0.76 ng x g(-1) FW. The increase of water exchange rate could reduce the damage of M. aeruginosa by E. crassipes, but had no significant effect on the microcystins elimination.
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PMID:[Impacts of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms stress on the growth characteristics, microcystins and nutrients release of Microcystis aeruginosa]. 2481 53

Pollen germination is an essential step towards successful pollination during maize reproduction. How low niutrogen (N) affects pollen germination remains an interesting biological question to be addressed. We found that only low N resulted in a significantly lower germination rate of pollen grains after 4 weeks of low N, phosphorus or potassium treatment in maize production. Importantly, cytological analysis showed 7-fold more micronuclei in male meiocytes under the low N treatment than in the control, indicating that the lower germination rate of pollen grains was partially due to numerous chromosome loss events resulting from preceding meiosis. The appearance of 10 bivalents in the control and low N cells at diakinesis suggested that chromosome pairing and recombination in meiosis I was not affected by low N. Further gene expression analysis revealed dramatic down-regulation of Nuclear Division Cycle 80 (Ndc80) and Regulator of Chromosome Condensation 1 (Rcc1-1) expression and up-regulation of Cell Division Cycle 20 (Cdc20-1) expression, although no significant difference in the expression level of kinetochore foundation proteins Centromeric Histone H3 (Cenh3) and Centromere Protein C (Cenpc) and cohesion regulators Recombination 8 (Rec8) and Shugoshin (Sgo1) was observed. Aberrant modulation of three key meiotic regulators presumably resulted in a high likelihood of erroneous chromosome segregation, as testified by pronounced lagging chromosomes at anaphase I or cell cycle disruption at meiosis II. Thus, we proposed a cytogenetic mechanism whereby low N affects male meiosis and causes a higher chromosome loss frequency and eventually a lower germination rate of pollen grains in a staple crop plant.
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PMID:Aberrant Meiotic Modulation Partially Contributes to the Lower Germination Rate of Pollen Grains in Maize (Zea mays L.) Under Low Nitrogen Supply. 2800 67