Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:6.3.5.5 (CPS)
 1,262 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The mouse hepatoma BWTG3 has been tested for its ability to grow in three different media that select for traits normally expressed in adult liver: homocysteine medium to select for cystathionine synthase (CS), tyrosine-free medium for phenylalanine hydroxylase (PH), and ornithine medium for carbamylphosphate synthetase-I (CPS-I) and ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC). In no case were the cells immediately capable of bulk growth, showing that all these traits were in some degree deficient. However, the cultures in homocysteine medium and in tyrosine-free medium both gave rise, spontaneously, to growing clones with frequencies of approximately 10(-3) and 10(-5), respectively. The deficiencies of CS and PH were accordingly excluded from further study, in view of their inherent instability. In contrast, no colonies ever formed in ornithine medium. Though neither CPS-I nor OTC were detectable in stock BWTG3 cells, it was found that CPS-I was readily inducible by hormones. The deficiency of OTC, however, appeared to be totally stable showing no reversion in response either to hormones or to azacytidine treatment. This deficiency was investigated by fusing the hepatoma to OTC+ liver cells prepared from normal or sparse-fur (spf) mice. Sparse-fur mice were used because their OTC is mutant and has a distinctive pH-dependence. OTC+ hybrids were readily produced, without the need for any specific selection for OTC, and, in one case at least, with only minimal chromosome segregation. In all the OTC+ hybrids made with spf cells, there was clear reactivation of the wild-type, hepatoma-derived OTC gene.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:BWTG3 hepatoma cells can acquire phenylalanine hydroxylase, cystathionine synthase and CPS-I without genetic manipulation, but activation of the silent OTC gene requires cell fusion with hepatocytes. 186 Sep 1

The sparse fur (spf) mutant mouse, with an X-linked ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, is a model of congenital hyperammonemia in children. Our earlier studies indicated a deficiency of hepatic carnitine, CoA-SH, acetyl CoA, and ATP in spf mice. We have now studied the effects of a 7-day treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) in the spf/Y mice on the activity and expression of the respiratory chain enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (COX; EC 1.9.3.1). We found decreased hepatic activity and expression of COX in the untreated hyperammonemic spf/Y mice, which was restored upon ALCAR treatment. Because COX is a mitochondrial membrane protein, we also carried out studies to explain the mechanism of ALCAR through its effect on membrane stability. Our results indicate a decrease of the mitochondrial membrane cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio (CHOL/PL ratio) with the activity and expression of COX in untreated spf/Y mice. While ALCAR treatment normalized the ratios, it also restored the hepatic ATP production to normal. To study further if there was any effect of ALCAR on the mitochondrial matrix urea cycle enzymes, we measured the activity and expression of mutant ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC; EC 2.1.3.3) and normal carbamyl phosphate synthase-I (CPS-I; EC 6.3.4.16) in spf/Y mice. There was no general effect on the specific activities of the matrix enzymes upon ALCAR treatment, although their mRNA levels were enhanced. Our studies point towards the feasibility of an ALCAR treatment in conjunction with other treatment modalities, e.g. sodium benzoate and/or arginine, to improve the availability of cellular ATP and to counteract the effects of hereditary hyperammonemic syndromes in children.
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PMID:Restoration of hepatic cytochrome c oxidase activity and expression with acetyl-L-carnitine treatment in spf mice with an ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. 971 4