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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)

In a wide variety of nitrogen-fixing organisms among the Purple Bacteria (large division of Gram-negative bacteria) the nitrogen fixation (nif) operons are transcribed by an alternative holoenzyme form of RNA polymerase, sigma 54-holoenzyme. Transcription depends on the activator protein NIFA (nitrogen fixation protein A), which catalyzes isomerization of closed complexes between this polymerase and a promoter to transcriptionally productive open complexes. NIFA-mediated activation of transcription from the nifH promoter of Klebsiella pneumoniae is greatly stimulated by the integration host factor IHF, which binds to a site between the upstream binding site for NIFA and the promoter, and bends the DNA. IHF fails to stimulate activation of transcription from this promoter by another activator of sigma 54-holoenzyme, NTRC (nitrogen regulatory protein C), which lacks a specific binding site in the nifH promoter region. As predicted, if the IHF-induced bend facilitates interaction between NIFA and sigma 54-holoenzyme, substitution of an NTRC-binding site for the NIFA-binding site allowed IHF to stimulate NTRC-mediated activation of transcription from the nifH promoter. The stimulation was of the same order of magnitude as that for NIFA in the native configuration of the promoter-regulatory region (up to 20-fold). With purified NTRC and the substitution construct we could demonstrate that stimulation by IHF in a purified transcription system was comparable to that in a crude coupled transcription-translation system, indicating that the stimulation in the crude system could be accounted for by IHF. The IHF stimulation was observed on linear as well as supercoiled templates, indicating that the geometric requirements are relatively simple. We have attempted to visualize the arrangement of proteins on DNA fragments carrying the nifH promoter-regulatory region of K. pneumoniae by electron microscopy. IHF stimulated NIFA-mediated activation of transcription from the nifH and nifD promoters of Bradyrhizobium japonicum and less so from the nifH promoters of Rhizobium meliloti and Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, consistent with previous observations that stimulation is greatest at promoters that are weak binding sites for sigma 54-holoenzyme in closed complexes.
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PMID:Role of integration host factor in stimulating transcription from the sigma 54-dependent nifH promoter. 140 79

Activated protein C is a potent, physiologic anticoagulant that inactivates the activated forms of factors V and VIII as well as facilitates in vivo fibrinolysis. We developed a competitive protein-binding enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) for protein C that was utilized to investigate if the hypercoagulability of the nephrotic syndrome is related to a deficiency of circulating plasma protein C. Protein C was measured in plasma of 11 patients with nephrotic syndrome (24 hr protein 8.4 +/- 1.6 g, SEM; serum creatinine 4.2 +/- .74 mg/dl, SEM). Ten azotemic nonnephrotic patients were employed as controls (serum creatinine 6.0 +/- 1.25 mg/dl, SEM). No significant reduction of protein C values was observed (mean 108%, range 65-200%) in nephrotic patients when compared with the controls (mean 127%, range 100-200%) even though protein C antigen was present in all nephrotic urine samples tested. Also, no correlation existed between blood levels of urea nitrogen, creatinine, albumin, total protein, or 24-hr urine protein excretion and the observed protein C values. These results suggest that in patients with the nephrotic syndrome, a hypercoagulable state may not be related to a deficiency of protein C and that the level of this zymogen in nephrotic syndrome reflects a dynamic balance between urinary losses and systemic production.
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PMID:Protein C levels in nephrotic syndrome: use of a new enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay for protein C antigen. 308 87

Sulfuric acid-casein (A), spray dried isolated Vicia faba protein (B), Vicia faba protein/casein (1 : 1) protein fibres-untreated (C), treated with dialdehyde starch (D) or aluminum chloride (E) and meal of Vicia faba (F) were studied as sole protein sources in semisynthetic feed mixtures on 13 female pigs (40 to 45 kg body weight). Total utilization of nitrogen (b-value, PNu) and intermediate utilization (BW) were highest in A, followed by C. Protein C was superior to D. Protein E showed a drastic drop in protein quality compared with D because of a high decrease in S-containing amino acids content, however, their efficiency (bc-1-value) was not limited. Despite of a higher apparent digestibility by approximately 17 units in protein B, proteins B and F showed a similar quality. The true absorption of cystine (estimated by the balance of digestive tract) was corresponding to the protein quality of the respective step of treatment of protein C and was used for the correction of the gross content is S-containing amino acids.
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PMID:[Nutritional physiology studies in pigs on the evaluation of modified proteins. 1. Results of the estimation of N-turnover, apparent and true digestibility of proteins in addition to apparent and true absorption of amino acids in the entire digestive tract]. 729 23

Nitrogen regulatory protein C (NtrC) is a bacterial enhancer-binding protein that activates transcription by the sigma 54-holoenzyme. To activate transcription, NtrC must hydrolyze ATP, a reaction that depends upon its being phosphorylated and forming an appropriate oligomer. In this paper we characterize "constitutive" mutant forms of the NtrC protein from Salmonella typhimurium; unlike wild-type NtrC, these forms are able to hydrolyze ATP and activate transcription in vitro without being phosphorylated. The amino acids altered in NtrCconstitutive proteins are located in both the N-terminal regulatory domain and the central domain, which is directly responsible for transcriptional activation. The residues that are altered are not conserved among activators of the sigma 54-holoenzyme, and are not identical even among NtrC proteins from members of different subgroups of the proteobacteria (purple bacteria). NtrCconstitutive proteins are phosphorylated normally; phosphorylation increases their ability to hydrolyze ATP and activate transcription. Moreover, the oligomerization of these proteins that occurs when they bind to an enhancer also increases the ATPase activity of both unmodified and phosphorylated forms. Removal of the N-terminal regulatory domain from two NtrCconstitutive proteins with amino acid substitutions in the central domain (NtrCS160F and NtrCV2881) leaves them active, indicating that essential oligomerization determinants lie outside the regulatory domain. This conclusion is confirmed by the observation that the ATPase activity of delta N-NtrCS160F is greatly stimulated when it binds to an enhancer, and by the ability of this protein to activate transcription synergistically with a form of NtrC incapable of DNA-binding. Together with previous results indicating that oligomerization determinants do not lie in the C-terminal DNA-binding domain of NtrC; these results provide evidence that they lie in the central domain.
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PMID:Constitutive forms of the enhancer-binding protein NtrC: evidence that essential oligomerization determinants lie in the central activation domain. 760 83

To activate transcription of the glnA gene, the dimeric NTRC protein (nitrogen regulatory protein C) of enteric bacteria binds to an enhancer located approximately 100 bp upstream of the promoter. The enhancer is composed of two binding sites for NTRC that are three turns of the DNA helix apart. One role of the enhancer is to tether NTRC in high local concentration near the promoter to allow for its frequent interaction with sigma 54 holoenzyme by DNA looping. We have found that a second role of the enhancer is to ensure oligomerization of NTRC into a complex of at least two dimers that is required for transcriptional activation. Formation of this complex is greatly facilitated by a protein-protein interaction between NTRC dimers that is increased when the protein is phosphorylated.
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PMID:Oligomerization of NTRC at the glnA enhancer is required for transcriptional activation. 790 Nov 22

The NTRC protein (nitrogen regulatory protein C) of enteric bacteria is an enhancer-binding protein that activates transcription by the sigma54-holoenzyme form of RNA polymerase. NTRC is a homodimeric protein that binds to a dyad-symmetrical site in DNA. To activate transcription NTRC must be phosphorylated and must form an appropriate oligomeric species at an enhancer. In order to study subunit exchange between NTRC dimers, we constructed a fusion of the maltose-binding protein (MBP) to the amino-terminal end of NTRC (MBP-NTRC) and visualized the formation of heterodimers between MBP-NTRC and wild-type NTRC by a gel-mobility shift assay for DNA-binding. When MBP-NTRC is mixed with wild-type NTRC at 37 degrees C, subunit exchange occurs rapidly. The apparent half-life for dissociation of homodimers of NTRC is two to three minutes at 37 degrees C and is not changed by phosphorylation. The isolated carboxy-terminal domain of NTRC (91 amino acid residues) forms heterodimers with both wild-type NTRC and MBP-NTRC, indicating that the C-terminal domain is sufficient for dimerization. The apparent rate of dissociation of homodimers of the C-terminal domain is essentially the same as that of full-length NTRC, indicating that the major dimerization determinants of the protein lie in its C-terminal domain. Congruent with this, a truncated form of NTRC from which the last 58 amino acid residues were removed is a monomer in solution. Moreover, truncated forms of NTRC from which the last 16 or 26 amino acid residues were removed are predominantly monomeric in solution, as is a mutant form with the amino acid substitution A410E in its C-terminal domain. Monomerization of the above mutant forms of NTRC can be rationalized on the basis of homology between the C-terminal region of NTRC and a 50 amino acid residue region of the factor for inversion stimulation (FIS) protein.
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PMID:The major dimerization determinants of the nitrogen regulatory protein NTRC from enteric bacteria lie in its carboxy-terminal domain. 805 63

Several activators of sigma 70 holoenzyme whose binding sites lie upstream of the -35 region of promoters require the C-terminal region of the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase to activate transcription. (These are among class I activators, which require the C-terminal region of the alpha subunit for transcription activation.) Because transcription by sigma 54 holoenzyme universally depends upon activators whose binding sites lie well upstream (or downstream) of promoters, we determined whether the C-terminal region of the alpha subunit was also required for transcription from the sigma 54-dependent promoter for the glnA operon. Nitrogen regulatory protein C-dependent activation from the glnA promoter remained good when RNA polymerases containing C-terminal truncations of the alpha subunit were employed. This was also the case for nitrogen fixation protein A-dependent activation if a nitrogen fixation protein A-binding site was appropriately placed upstream of the glnA promoter. These results lead to the working hypothesis (as yet untested) that activators of sigma 54 holoenzyme, which appear to make direct physical contact with the polymerase to catalyze a change in its conformation, activate the sigma 54 holoenzyme by contacting the sigma subunit rather than the alpha subunit of the core enzyme.
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PMID:The C terminus of the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase is not essential for transcriptional activation of sigma 54 holoenzyme. 809 42

We investigated the effect of activated protein C (APC) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pulmonary vascular injury in rats to investigate the possible usefulness of APC as a treatment for adult respiratory distress syndrome. Intravenously administered LPS (5 mg/kg) significantly increased pulmonary vascular permeability. APC prevented the LPS-induced increase in pulmonary vascular permeability observed at 6 hours. Heparin plus antithrombin III (ATIII) and active site-blocked factor Xa (DEGR-Xa), a selective inhibitor of thrombin generation, inhibited LPS-induced coagulopathy but did not prevent LPS-induced pulmonary vascular injury. LPS-induced pulmonary vascular injury was significantly attenuated in rats with nitrogen mustard-induced leukocytopenia and in rats treated with ONO-5046, a potent granulocyte elastase inhibitor. Administration of LPS also increased pulmonary accumulation of leukocytes, as evaluated by measurement of myeloperoxidase activity in the lungs. APC significantly reduced LPS-induced increases in pulmonary accumulation of leukocytes at 1 hour. Neither ATIII plus heparin nor DEGR-Xa inhibited leukocyte accumulation. Active site-blocked APC (DIP-APC) prevented neither the LPS-induced pulmonary accumulation of leukocytes nor the LPS-induced increase in pulmonary vascular permeability. These results suggest that the mechanism of APC inhibition of LPS-induced pulmonary vascular injury was independent of its anticoagulant activity and was related to its ability to inhibit accumulation of leukocytes. In addition, these findings suggest that the serine protease activity of APC may be essential to its inhibitory effect on LPS-induced pulmonary accumulation of leukocytes and subsequent pulmonary vascular injury.
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PMID:Activated protein C attenuates endotoxin-induced pulmonary vascular injury by inhibiting activated leukocytes in rats. 855 86

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious complication of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or multiple organ failure. To determine whether recombinant soluble human thrombomodulin (rsTM) may be useful in treating ARDS due to sepsis, we investigated the effect of rsTM on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pulmonary vascular injury in rats. The intravenous administration of rsTM prevented the increase in pulmonary vascular permeability induced by LPS. Neither heparin plus antithrombin III (AT III) nor dansyl Glu Gly Arg chloromethyl ketone-treated factor Xa (DEGR-Xa), a selective inhibitor of thrombin generation, prevented LPS-induced vascular injury. The agents rsTM, heparin plus AT III, and DEGR-Xa all significantly inhibited the LPS-induced intravascular coagulation. Recombinant soluble TM pretreated with a monoclonal antibody (moAb) that inhibits protein C activation by rsTM did not prevent the LPS-induced vascular injury; in contrast, rsTM pretreated with a moAb that does not affect thrombin binding or protein C activation by rsTM prevented vascular injury. Administration of activated protein C (APC) also prevented vascular injury. LPS-induced pulmonary vascular injury was significantly reduced in rats with leukopenia induced by nitrogen mustard and by ONO-5046, a potent inhibitor of granulocyte elastase. Results suggest that rsTM prevents LPS-induced pulmonary vascular injury via protein C activation and that the APC-induced prevention of vascular injury is independent of its anticoagulant activity, but dependent on its ability to inhibit leukocyte activation.
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PMID:Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin reduces endotoxin-induced pulmonary vascular injury via protein C activation in rats. 860 7

NtrC (nitrogen regulatory protein C) is a bacterial enhancer-binding protein that activates transcription by catalyzing isomerization of closed complexes between sigma54-holoenzyme and a promoter to open complexes. To catalyze this reaction, NtrC must be phosphorylated and form an appropriate oligomer so that it can hydrolyze ATP. NtrC can also repress transcription by sigma70-holoenzyme. In this paper we characterize "repressor" mutant forms of NtrC from Salmonella typhimurium, forms that have lost the ability to activate transcription by sigma54-holoenzyme (in vitro activity at least 1000-fold lower than wild-type) but retain the ability to repress transcription by sigma70-holoenzyme. The amino acid substitutions in NtrCrepressor proteins that were obtained by classical genetic techniques alter residues in the central domain of the protein, the domain directly responsible for transcriptional activation. Commensurate with this, phosphorylation and the autophosphatase activities of NtrCrepressor proteins, which are functions of the amino-terminal regulatory domain of NtrC, are normal. In addition, these proteins have essentially normal DNA-binding, which is a function of the C-terminal region of NtrC and bind cooperatively to enhancers. (The NtrC(G219K) protein has "improved" DNA-binding, which is discussed.) We previously presented evidence that several NtrCrepressor proteins have impaired ATPase activity. We now show that two other repressor proteins, NtrC(A216V) and NtrC(A220T), have as much ATPase activity as wild-type NtrC when they are phosphorylated and bound to an enhancer and that they have considerably more activity than an unphosphorylated NtrC(constitutive) protein, which is capable of activating transcription. These results demonstrate that NtrC(A216V) and NtrC(A220T) fail in a function of the central domain other than ATPase activity. Although they may fail in contact with sigma54-holoenzyme per se, the fact that alanine is the amino acid normally found at these positions leads us to speculate that these proteins fail in coupling energy to a change in conformation of the polymerase.
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PMID:Repressor forms of the enhancer-binding protein NrtC: some fail in coupling ATP hydrolysis to open complex formation by sigma 54-holoenzyme. 875 96


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