Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: KEGG:D02003 (NBT)
 1,323 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In the byosinthesis of glycosaminoglycans, UDP-glucose is utilized by two enzymes: UDP-glucose dehydrogenase which produces UDP-glucuronic acid (chondroitin sulphate precursor), and UDP-glucose 4'-epimerase which produces UDP-galactose (keratan sulphate precursor). The mechanisms regulating these two reactions have particular interest mainly considering that many connective tissues can modify its glycosaminoglycan production with aging; it is well-known that cartilage of young animals synthesizes almost exclusively chondroitin sulphate while cartilage of old animals synthesizes both chrondroitin sulphate and keratan sulphate. The kinetic parameters of both enzymes utilizing UDP-glucose have been recently investigated and some mechanisms responsible for UDP-glucose utilization in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis have been evidenced. Under histoenzymological viewpoint, we have confirmed the inhibiting effect of UDP-xilose on UDP-glucose dehydrogenase and the possible role of such nucleotide in aging processes of cartilage. In order to study this problem even by a histoenzymological approach, an original method for histochemical determination of UDP-glucose 4'-epimerase activity in connective tissue cells was developed. This method seem to be more sensitive than that described by other authors. In standard conditions the sections of the frozen tissue were incubated in Tris-HCL buffer, pH 8.8 (Tris concentration 0.025 M), containing 0.5 mM UDP-galactose, 2 mM NAD, 0.6mM NBT and an excess of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (about 300 mU). Control experiments in the absence of UDP-galactose, UDP-glucose dehydrogenase and in the absence of both UDP-galactose an- UDP-glucose dehydrogenase were also carried out. Under our experimental conditions, UDP-glucose 4'-epimerase present in the cells epimerizes UDP-galactose (added in the incubation mixture) to UDP-glucose which can bo oxidized by the excess of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase to UDP-glucuronic acid with a consequent NADH formation. The NADH formed is able to reduce and precipitate NBT. As a control of experimental sistem, we have determined the increase in O.D. at 525 nm of a reaction solution that was incubated directly in the spectrophotometer cuvette, at 37 degrees C with UDP-galactose 0.2 mM, NAD 2 mM, NBT 0.6 mM, 200 mU of UDP-glucose, dehydrogenase, 400mU of UDP-glucose 4'-epimerase and Tris HCL buffer pH 8.8 to a final volume of 1 ml. Histoenzymological and biochemical results demonstrate that this method is specific for and sensitive to UDP-glucose 4'-epimerase activity.
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PMID:[Histochemical demonstration of uridine diphospho-glucoso-4'-epimerase activity]. 102 36

Galactosyltransferase is required for the addition of galactose to lactosylceramide (galactose beta 1-4 glucose beta 1-1 ceramide), resulting in the synthesis of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). We describe a quantitative more sensitive and specific method for the measurement of UDP-galactose:lactosylceramide galactosyltransferase activities in rabbit small intestine and HeLa cell which utilizes the specific binding of Shiga toxin to the product, Gb3. Intestinal microsomal or HeLa cell sonicate preparations were incubated in the presence of lactosylceramide and [14C]UDP-galactose. The lipid reaction products were extracted on C18 Bond-Elut columns, separated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography and exposed to Shiga toxin followed by polyclonal rabbit anti-Shiga toxin antibody and goat anti-rabbit IgG alkaline phosphatase conjugate. Gb3 was visualized with NBT and BCIP and quantitated by densitometry. These data were compared with a standard assay in which, following incubation and lipid extraction, radioactivity was measured by scintillation counting of the isolated lipids. There was a 22-fold increase in enzyme activity by the immunostaining method compared to the usual scintillation counting technique. This is attributable to the exclusion of radioactive lipids other than Gb3 in calculating enzyme activity and the correction for endogenous UDP-galactose. Thus, the immunostaining method provides increased accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in the assay of galactosyltransferase activity.
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PMID:A quantitative immunostaining method for the measurement of UDP-galactose:lactosylceramide galactosyltransferase for the synthesis of globotriaosylceramide in rabbit small intestine and HeLa cells. 825 Feb 38