Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:Q86TM3 (cage)
 29,987 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

NMR experiments were carried out to study the interaction of thrombin with a synthetic peptide, ESKATNATLDPR, derived from the newly-identified platelet receptor for thrombin [Vu, T.-K. H., Hung, D. T., Wheaton, V. I., & Coughlin, S. R. (1991) Cell 64, 1057-1068]. On the basis of the observation of the thrombin-induced line broadening and transferred NOEs, binding of the peptide was found to be located exclusively within residues LDPR of the proteolytic cleavage site LDPR/S essential for receptor activation by thrombin. Measurement of transferred NOEs and molecular modeling indicate that the side chain of the Asp(P3) residue may form a hydrogen bond with thrombin and, by doing so, it is brought near a positively-charged thrombin residue Arg(221A), thereby partially neutralizing the negative charge of an Asp residue at this site of protein substrates. The hydrophobic side chains of residues Leu(P4) and Pro(P2) reside on the same side of the peptide backbone as indicated by transferred NOEs and were found by modeling to fit into a hydrophobic cage around the thrombin active site. These results suggest that the interaction of thrombin with protein substrates such as prothrombin, protein C, protein S, the platelet receptor, and the A alpha- and B beta-chains of fibrinogen all follow the same canonical binding mode in that the substrate forms an antiparallel beta-strand with thrombin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:Solution structure of a platelet receptor peptide bound to bovine alpha-thrombin. 133 64

The tetradecapeptide Ac-D-F-L-A-E-G-G-G-V-R-G-P-R-V-OMe, which mimics residues 7f-20f of the A alpha-chain of human fibrinogen, has been co-crystallized with bovine thrombin from ammonium sulfate solutions in space group P2(1) with unit cell dimensions of a = 83.0 A, b = 89.4 A, c = 99.3 A, and beta = 106.6 degrees. Three crystallographically independent complexes were located in the asymmetric unit by molecular replacement using the native bovine thrombin structure as a model. The standard crystallographic R-factor is 0.167 at 2.3-A resolution. Excellent electron density could be traced for the decapeptide, beginning with Asp-7f and ending with Arg-16f in the active site of thrombin; the remaining 4 residues, which have been cleaved from the tetradecapeptide at the Arg-16f/Gly-17f bond, are not seen. Residues 7f-11f at the NH2 terminus of the peptide form a single turn of alpha-helix that is connected by Gly-12f, which has a positive phi angle, to an extended chain containing residues 13f-16f. The major specific interactions between the peptide and thrombin are 1) a hydrophobic cage formed by residues Tyr-60A, Trp-60D, Leu-99, Ile-174, Trp-215, Leu-9f, Gly-13f, and Val-15f that surrounds Phe-8f; 2) a hydrogen bond linking Phe-8f NH to Lys-97 O;3) a salt link between Glu-11f and Arg-173; 4) two antiparallel beta-sheet hydrogen bonds between Gly-14f and Gly-216; and 5) the insertion of Arg-16f into the specificity pocket. Binding of the peptide is accompanied by a considerable shift in two of the loops near the active site relative to human D-phenyl-L-prolyl-L-arginyl chloromethyl ketone (PPACK)-thrombin.
 ...
PMID:The structure of residues 7-16 of the A alpha-chain of human fibrinogen bound to bovine thrombin at 2.3-A resolution. 156 20

Recent studies have revealed a role for platelets and the platelet-adhesive proteins, fibronectin and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in platelet-tumor cell interaction in vitro and metastasis in vivo. The present report documents the effect of thrombin treatment of platelets on this interaction in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, thrombin at 100-1,000 mU/ml maximally stimulated the adhesion of six different tumor cell lines from three different species two- to fivefold. As little as 1-10 mU/ml was effective. The effect of thrombin was specific (inhibitable by hirudin, dansyl-arginine N-(3-ethyl-1,5 pentanediyl) amide and unreactive with the inactive thrombin analogue N-P-tosyl-L-phenylchloromethylketone-thrombin and D-phenylalanyl-L-propyl-L-arginine chloromethylketone-thrombin (PPACK-thrombin), and required high-affinity thrombin receptors (competition with PPACK-thrombin but not with N-P-tosyl-L-lysine-chloromethyl-ketone-thrombin). Functionally active thrombin was required on the platelet surface. Binding of tumor cells to thrombin-activated platelets was inhibitable by agents known to interfere with the platelet GPIIb-GPIIIa integrin: monoclonal antibody 10E5, tetrapeptide RGDS and gamma chain fibrinogen decapeptide LGGAKQAGDV, as well as polyclonal antibodies against the platelet adhesive ligands, fibronectin and vWF. In vivo, thrombin at 250-500 mU per animal increased murine pulmonary metastases fourfold with CT26 colon carcinoma cells and 68-413-fold with B16 amelanotic melanoma cells. Thus, thrombin amplifies tumor-platelet adhesion in vitro two- to fivefold via occupancy of high-affinity platelet thrombin receptors, and modulation of GPIIb-GPIIIa adhesion via an RGD-dependent mechanism. In vivo, thrombin enhances tumor metastases 4-413-fold with two different tumor cell lines.
 ...
PMID:Thrombin stimulates tumor-platelet adhesion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. 184 69

The three-dimensional structure of conotoxin GIIIA, an important constituent of the venom from the marine hunting snail Conus geographus L., was determined in aqueous solution by two-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance and simulated annealing based methods. On the basis of 162 assigned nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) connectivities obtained at the medium field strength frequency of 400 MHz, 74 final distance constraints of sequential and tertiary ones were derived and used together with 18 torsion angle (phi, chi 1) constraints and 9 distance constraints derived from disulfide bridges. A total of 32 converged structures were obtained from 200 runs of calculations. The atomic root-mean-square (RMS) difference about the mean coordinate positions (excluding the terminal residues 1 and 22) is 0.8 A for backbone atoms (N, C alpha, C). Conotoxin GIIIA is characterized by a particular folding of the 22 amino acid peptidic chain, which is stabilized by three disulfide bridges arranged in cage at the center of a discoidal structure of approximately 20-A diameter. The seven cationic side chains of lysine and arginine residues project radially into the solvent and form potential sites of interaction with the skeletal muscle sodium channel for which the toxin is a strong inhibitor. The present results provide a molecular basis to elucidate the remarkable physiological properties of this neurotoxin.
 ...
PMID:Tertiary structure of conotoxin GIIIA in aqueous solution. 206 51

The mechanisms that underlie synaptic plasticity have been largely inferred from electrophysiological studies performed at sites remote from synaptic terminals. Thus the mechanisms involved in plasticity at the secretory sites have remained ill-defined. We have now used somatic synapses of cultured Helisoma neurones to directly assess presynaptic ion conductances and study the secretory apparatus. At these synapses we determined the actions of a modulatory neuropeptide, Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 (FMRFa), on the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). Using voltage- and calcium-clamp techniques, we have demonstrated that FMRFa causes a presynaptic inhibition of ACh release by (1) reducing the magnitude of the voltage-dependent calcium current, and (2) regulating the secretory apparatus. The photolabile calcium cage, nitr-5 (refs 3-8), was dialysed into the presynaptic cell. In response to ultraviolet light, calcium was released from nitr-5 and ACh secretion was stimulated. Under conditions of constant internal calcium, FMRFa reduced the rate of ACh release. Thus we conclude that FMRFa reduces the influx of calcium during the action potential and decreases the sensitivity of the secretory apparatus to elevated internal calcium, thereby contributing to a presynaptic inhibition of transmitter release.
 ...
PMID:A neuromodulator of synaptic transmission acts on the secretory apparatus as well as on ion channels. 247 76

The polymorphic epithelial mucin (PEM) appears to be the target molecule for many monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which react with tumour-associated and epithelium-specific antigens. PEM contains a large domain made up of 20 amino-acid tandem repeats which are highly immunodominant as many of the antibodies reactive with this molecule recognize epitopes within this area. Using overlapping peptide octamers, we have precisely mapped the epitopes of 4 MAbs reactive with the tandem repeats including one, SM-3, which shows enhanced tumour specificity. We report that the core of the SM-3 epitope corresponds to the continuous amino acid sequence Pro-Asp-Thr-Arg-Pro. We also show that the epitopes recognized by 3 other antibodies, which show reactivity with normal and malignant tissues, map to within this area of the tandem repeat. However, none of these epitopes contain the proline found at the amino end of the SM-3 determinant. These results are consistent with the idea that, in the cancer-associated mucin, premature termination of the carbohydrate side-chains results in the exposure of the SM-3 epitope.
 ...
PMID:A short sequence, within the amino acid tandem repeat of a cancer-associated mucin, contains immunodominant epitopes. 247 36

A stoichiometric complex formed between human alpha-thrombin and D-Phe-Pro-Arg chloromethylketone was crystallized in an orthorhombic crystal form. Orientation and position of a starting model derived from homologous modelling were determined by Patterson search methods. The thrombin model was completed in a cyclic modelling-crystallographic refinement procedure to a final R-value of 0.171 for X-ray data to 1.92 A. The structure is in full agreement with published cDNA sequence data. The A-chain, ordered only in its central part, is positioned along the molecular surface opposite to the active site. The B-chain exhibits the characteristic polypeptide fold of trypsin-like proteinases. Several extended insertions form, however, large protuberances; most important for interaction with macromolecular substrates is the characteristic thrombin loop around Tyr60A-Pro60B-Pro60C-Trp60D (chymotrypsinogen numbering) and the enlarged loop around the unique Trp148. The former considerably restricts the active site cleft and seems likely to be responsible for poor binding of most natural proteinase inhibitors to thrombin. The exceptional specificity of D-Phe-Pro-Arg chloromethylketone can be explained by a hydrophobic cage formed by Ile174, Trp215, Leu99, His57, Tyr60A and Trp60D. The narrow active site cleft, with a more polar base and hydrophobic rims, extends towards the arginine-rich surface of loop Lys70-Glu80 that probably represents part of the anionic binding region for hirudin and fibrinogen.
 ...
PMID:The refined 1.9 A crystal structure of human alpha-thrombin: interaction with D-Phe-Pro-Arg chloromethylketone and significance of the Tyr-Pro-Pro-Trp insertion segment. 258 8

The effect of physical training on insulin and glucagon release in perfused rat pancreas was examined in the spontaneously exercised group running in a wheel cage an average of 1.4 km/day for 3 weeks and in the sedentary control group kept in the cage whose rotatory wheel was fixed on purpose. Pancreatic immunoreactive insulin (IRI) responses to glucose and arginine were reduced by 28% and 47.8% respectively in trained rats compared with untrained rats, while IRI content of the pancreas was similar in these two groups. The demonstrated decrease in insulin secretion of the beta-cell of the trained rats, in response to the glucose and arginine stimulations, may be functional in nature. On the other hand, neither pancreatic glucagon immunoreactivity (GI) response to glucose and arginine nor GI content of the pancreas was modified by exercise training. These results demonstrate that exercise training reduces IRI responses to glucose as well as to arginine stimulations, but does not modify any secretory response of pancreatic GI.
 ...
PMID:Effect of exercise training on insulin and glucagon release from perfused rat pancreas. 331 58

Effect alterations of methamphetamine by pretreatment of amino acids or their salts on ambulatory activity in mice were investigated to confirm a fact that certain amino acids, particularly monosodium L-glutamate, are added to methamphetamine by the street users, and that the amino acids augment the effect of methamphetamine. The ambulatory activity of mouse was measured by a tilting-type round activity cage of 25 cm in diameter. The amino acids or their salts tested were monosodium L-glutamate, monosodium L-aspartate, gamma-amino-butyric acid, L-alanine, L-lysine hydrochloride and L-arginine hydrochloride. A single administration of each chemical at doses of 1 and 2 g/kg i.p. did not induce a marked change in the ambulatory activity in mice. Methamphetamine 2 mg/kg s.c. induced an increase in the ambulatory activity with a peak at 40 min after the administration, and the increased ambulatory activity persisted for 3 hr. The ambulation-increasing effect of methamphetamine was augmented by the pretreatment of monosodium L-glutamate and monosodium L-aspartate at 30 min before the methamphetamine administration, while attenuated by the pretreatment of L-lysine hydrochloride and L-arginine hydrochloride in a dose-dependent manner. Gamma-aminobutyric acid and L-alanine did not affect the effect of methamphetamine. Similar augmentation and attenuation in the ambulation-increasing effect of methamphetamine were induced by the pretreatment of sodium bicarbonate 0.9 g/kg i.p. (urinary alkalizer) and ammonium chloride 0.07 g/kg i.p. (urinary acidifier), respectively. The urinary pH level was elevated by the administration of monosodium L-glutamate, monosodium L-aspartate and sodium bicarbonate, and decreased by L-lysine hydrochloride, L-arginine hydrochloride and ammonium chloride. Gamma-aminobutyric acid and L-alanine did not elicit a marked change in the urinary pH level. The present experiment confirms the fact in human that monosodium L-glutamate augments the effect of methamphetamine. Moreover, the present results suggest that monosodium salts of acidic amino acids augment, and conversely monohydrochloric salts of basic amino acids attenuate the effect of methamphetamine. The alterations of the ambulation-increasing effect of methamphetamine may be due to the urinary excretion rates of the drug through changes in the urinary pH level after the administration of amino acids or their salts.
 ...
PMID:Effect alteration of methamphetamine by amino acids or their salts on ambulatory activity in mice. 687 1

Pancreatic A-cell function in the newly developed Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) strain of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) rats was examined in relation to the morphological changes in their islets and the plasma glucagon responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia and an arginine test by chronological studies in seven male OLETF and seven male non-diabetic control Long Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats each at 10, 16 and 24 weeks of age and eight male OLETF rats that were placed in a cage with a wheel for exercising from 5 to 24 weeks of age. The hormonal contents and morphological features of the pancreas of these rats were examined. After iv injection of insulin, the plasma glucagon level rose significantly from the basal level in OLETF rats at 10 weeks old, but little if at all in those of 16 and 24 weeks old. The pancreatic A cells of LETO rats of all age groups responded equally well to glucopenia. The areas under the response curves of plasma glucagon (sigma delta IRG) during the 90 min of insulin-induced hypoglycemia were 14496 +/- 7860 vs 9588 +/- 3930, 2257 +/- 3018 vs 9235 +/- 5447 (p < 0.05) and 826 +/- 985 vs 9707 +/- 2510 (p < 0.01) ng.min-1.l-1 in OLETF rats vs LETO rats of 10, 16 and 24 weeks old, respectively. The plasma glucagon responses during the arginine test were higher in OLETF rats than in LETO rats at 10 and 16 weeks but not at 24 weeks of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:Plasma glucagon responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia and arginine in spontaneous non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) rats, Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) strain. 810 92


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>