Natural polyamines, i.e. putrescine, spermidine and spermine, are excellent promoters of triplex DNA. Using melting temperature (Tm) measurements and CD spectroscopy, we found that structural alterations on spermidine backbone, including methylation, or acetylation at the N1-, N4- and/or N8-positions had a profound influence on the stability and conformation of poly(dA).2poly(dT) triplex. The c...

The isolation from the rat ventral prostate of a soluble enzyme preparation producing spermidine, COZ, and methylthioadenosine from putrescine and S-adenosyl-L-methionine is described. This preparation catalyzes limited decarboxylation of S-adenosyhnethionine in the absence of any additional reactants but maximal rates of CO2 release from S-adenosyhnethionine require the presence of putrescine....

The Cryptococcus neoformans LYS9 gene (encoding saccharopine dehydrogenase) was cloned and found to be part of an evolutionarily conserved chimera with SPE3 (encoding spermidine synthase). spe3-lys9, spe3-LYS9, and SPE3-lys9 mutants were constructed, and these were auxotrophic for lysine and spermidine, spermidine, and lysine, respectively. Thus, SPE3-LYS9 encodes functional spermidine synthase...

In our earlier work we showed that either spermidine or spermine could support the growth of spe2Delta or spe3Delta polyamine-requiring mutants, but it was unclear whether the cells had a specific requirement for either of these amines. In the current work, we demonstrate that spermidine is specifically required for the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We were able to show this specificity b...

Guirard, Beverly M. (University of California, Berkeley), and Esmond E. Snell. Effect of polyamine structure on growth and spermine and spermidine content of lactic acid bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 88:72-80. 1964.-Growth from small inocula of six species of lactobacilli was stimulated by addition of spermine or spermidine to a defined medium; none of four streptococcal species showed this effect. L...

The peppers which were treated at ice-temperature for 6 hours and 1 mmol/L spermidine for 10 min, followed by cold storage (4 ̊C ± 1 ̊C) respectively were investigated. The results indicated that the chilling injury was delayed and reduced by ice-temperature and spermidine treatments. Comparing with control group, ice-temperature and spermidine exerted significant effects on reduction of ascorbic...

Hydroxycinnamic acid amides are a class of secondary metabolites distributed widely in plants. We have identified two sinapoyl spermidine derivatives, N-((4'-O-glycosyl)-sinapoyl),N'-sinapoylspermidine and N,N'-disinapoylspermidine, which comprise the two major polyamine conjugates that accumulate in Arabidopsis thaliana seed. Using metabolic profiling of knockout mutants to elucidate the funct...

Polyamine synthesis and accumulation was studied in several species of developing sea urchins. Most striking is the presence in the gametes of a large amount of spermine, with low amounts of putrescine and spermidine. This contrasts with the pattern of polyamines present in both micro-organisms and mammals. Micro-organisms contain mainly putrescine and spermidine and adult mammalian tissues usu...

Spergualin (SG) and 15-deoxyspergualin (DSG) are derivatives of spermidine. Their substrate and inhibitor activities toward amine oxidase from bovine plasma were determined. SG was a good substrate of amine oxidase next to spermidine. The Km and Vmax for SG were 46.5 microM and 0.429 microM/minute, respectively, whereas the Km and Vmax for spermidine were 111 microM and 3.75 microM/minute, resp...