Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P56851 (epididymal)
 11,273 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Aspartate transcarbamoylase from wheat germ is irreversibly inactivated by the triazinyl dye Procion Red HE3B. Since triazinyl dyes may mimic nucleotides, and UMP is a known allosteric modifier of this enzyme, the reaction was studied to elucidate whether the dye is an 'affinity label' for the enzyme. The reaction is apparently first order in the first 5-10 min, but is more complex in the longer term and does not go to completion. Kinetic analysis of the initial phase suggests that there are two parallel reactions, one saturable (dye binds reversibly before reaction) and one non-saturable (biomolecular). The apparent rate constant kapp (i.e. the sum of the rate constants for the parallel reactions) varies only slightly over the pH range 7-10. In the presence of a number of active centre ligands, as well as the allosteric ligand UMP, there is a clear increase in kapp. This finding is contrary to the reduction in rate of inactivation (protection) normally provided by ligands against active-site directed reagents, suggesting that in the saturable reaction, there is a conformational change upon dye-binding that increases the exposure of the essential residue(s) with which the dye reacts. These results show that, although it probably inactivates by reaction with specific amino-acid residues, the dye is not bound at the substrate-binding or allosteric sites, i.e. it is not an affinity-labeling reagent in the usual sense.
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PMID:Inactivation of wheat-germ aspartate transcarbamoylase by the triazinyl dye, procion red HE3B. 173 53

In mammalian cells the requirement for pyrimidines is met by uridine phosphate (UMP) de novo synthesis and, to a greater or lesser extent, by salvage of free nucleosides. The fourth enzyme of the de novo synthesis, the mitochondrially bound dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) was the focus of the present study. Rabbit anti-DHODH IgG, which was generated using an immunization protocol with truncated recombinant human DHODH protein and purified by an immunosorbent method, was used for immunocytochemical detection and localization of this enzyme in ejaculated human spermatozoa. The presence of DHODH protein was demonstrated by Western blotting of solubilized membrane fractions with peroxidase conjugated anti-rabbit IgG in combination with chemiluminescence detection. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, using Cy3-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG, revealed specific binding in the midpiece of spermatozoa. As these cells no longer have a demand for de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidines, we hypothesize that the pathway could serve a specialized function in nitrogen or zinc metabolism during the process of spermiogenesis and/or epididymal maturation.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical detection of mitochondrial dihydroorotate dehydrogenase in human spermatozoa. 1101 87

Nucleic acids have been known to have biological effects on the digestive and immune systems, although less attention has been paid to the action on metabolism. In the present study, in order to investigate the effects of oral ingestion of uridylic acid (5'-uridine monophosphate, 5'-UMP) on hormonal and metabolic levels, we measured changes in the plasma concentrations of leptin, insulin, glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), weights of the liver and abdominal fat and fat accumulation in the liver and M. gastrocnemius in male rats. Intragastric administration of 5'-UMP via a stomach tube at a dose of 44 mg/day for 7 days slightly (P=0.098) blunted the body weight gain without causing a significant change in food intake. The administration significantly reduced the plasma concentrations of glucose (P=0.004) and NEFA (P=0.004), whereas it significantly increased (P=0.03) plasma leptin concentration. The weights of perirenal (but not epididymal) fat (P=0.083) and the liver (P=0.061) were slightly increased. The triacylglyceride concentration in M. gastrocnemius was slightly increased (P=0.097), although the muscle weight was not significantly changed (P=0.197). In summary, acute oral administration of 5'-UMP was effective in the rat in reducing plasma concentrations of glucose and NEFA, an effect that was accompanied by an elevated plasma leptin concentration.
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PMID:Oral administration of uridylic acid increases plasma leptin, but suppresses glucose and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations in rats. 1649 Feb 18