Sustained depolarization of the Xenopus oocyte membrane elicits a slowly activating Na+ current, thought to be due to the opening of sodium selective channels. These channels are induced to become voltage gated by the depolarization. They show unconventional gating properties and are insensitive to tetrodotoxin (TTX). The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of extracellular mult...

The hypercalciuria and hypermagnesuria that accompany aldosteronism contribute to a fall in plasma ionized extracellular Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]o and [Mg2+]o). Despite these losses and the decline in extracellular levels of these cations, total intracellular and cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) is increased and oxidative stress is induced. This involves diverse tissues, ...

Zn2+ can induce a conformational change of Band 3 with concomitant inhibition of its anion transport activity of human erythrocyte membrane vesicles only from the cytoplasmic side. The Zn2+ inhibition exhibits a dose-dependent manner with an apparent half maximal concentration of 50 microM ZnCl2 and can be reversed by 0.5 mM EDTA, but not by 1 mM dithiothreitol. The Zn2+ effect is specific and ...

The kinetic properties of purified yeast pyruvate kinase were investigated. The enzyme showed cooperative kinetics toward the essential activating monovalent cations K+ and NH4+, Mg2+, and phosphoenolpyruvate. Fructose 1,6diphosphate, which yielded homotropic cooperative kinetics and did not affect maximal velocity, transformed the sigmoidal kinetics of Kf and NH4+, Mgz+, and phosphoenolpyruvat...

We have analyzed the function of spermine in the aminoacylation of tRNA Val by the valyl-tRNA synthetase of Escherichia coli. Our results indicate that Mg2+ is required for the aminoacylation reaction as well as for the ATP-PPi exchange catalyzed by this enzyme. The apparent stimulation by spermine is a function of the tRNA used, which appears to contain bound cations even after dialysis agains...

The effects of divalent cations on the gating of the cGMP-activated channel, and the effects of gating on the movement of divalent cations in and out of the channel's pore were studied by recording macroscopic currents in excised membrane patches from salamander retinal rods. The fractional block of cGMP-activated Na+ currents by internal and external Mg2+ as well as internal Ca2+ was nearly in...

An adenylate cyclase activity in Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa) roots was partially characterized. The enzyme activity remains in the supernatant fluid after centrifugation at 105,000 g and shows in crude extracts an apparent Mr of about 84,000. The enzyme is active with Mg2+ and Ca2+ as bivalent cations, and is inhibited by EGTA and by chlorpromazine. Calmodulin from bovine brain or spinach leav...

Abstract Surface positve-charged composite membranes were prepared through two guanidine group containing polymers, polyhexamethylene (PHMG) and biguanidine (PHMB). They used as aqueous phase monomers in an interfacial polymerization (IP) process reacting with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) on the surface of polysulfone (Psf) ultrafiltration membrane. Piperazine (PIP) provided best pH adjustment amon...

Synthetic myosin thick filaments were formed from preparations of electrophoretically homogeneous myosin isolated from Chaos carolinensis and Amoeba proteus when dialysed to physiological ionic strength and pH. Myosin dialysed directly against low ionic strength buffers formed native-like thick filaments in the presence and absence of exogenous divalent cations. The average dimensions of the sy...

Intron-encoded endonucleases are distinguished by their ability to catalyze the cleavage of double-stranded DNA with high specificity. I-PpoI endonuclease, an intron-encoded endonuclease from the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, is a small enzyme (2 x 20 kDa) that catalyzes the cleavage of a large asymmetric DNA sequence (15 base pairs). Here, the interactions of I-PpoI with its substrate were...