E. coli Citrate Synthase (CS) is a large hexameric protein with a molecular weight of 280kDa and belonging to the type II class of citrate synthases. The crystal structure of E. coli CS in the T (inactive) state is known. The structure shows that the backbone atoms of 42 residues (1-5, 266-297 and 330-335) have temperature factors about 9 times greater than the average as compared to the rest of the molecule. Residues 266-297, also referred to as the “Mobile loop”, are particularly of interest since they form a part of the active site and any rearrangement in the mobile loop can provide useful information about the R(active) state of the protein. In this study, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy has been used to study the flexible regions of E. coli CS in solution. The flexible residues have been assigned based on the amino acid type by 15N-specific amino acid labeling, while the residue type has been assigned by site-directed mutagenesis. Changes in the dynamics of the flexible residues, in response to the substrate binding, have been studied using both NMR and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Also a method to use Mass Spectrometry for accessing the isotopic incorporation in the samples prepared for NMR spectroscopy has been described. The initial hypothesis in this study was that only the mobile loop residues which show significant high B-factors will contribute to the NMR spectrum. However in the NMR spectrum, in addition to the mobile loop, some uncharacterized flexible regions were also observed. We also found that some of the residues show signs of slow conformational exchange resulting in multiple signals in the NMR spectrum. In addition we see that the environment of some flexible residues is changed in the presence of substrates, a few residues were immobilized, but most remained mobile. / February 2007

E. coli Citrate Synthase (CS) is a large hexameric protein with a molecular weight of 280kDa and belonging to the type II class of citrate synthases. The crystal structure of E. coli CS in the T (inactive) state is known. The structure shows that the backbone atoms of 42 residues (1-5, 266-297 and 330-335) have temperature factors about 9 times greater than the average as compared to the rest of the molecule. Residues 266-297, also referred to as the “Mobile loop”, are particularly of interest since they form a part of the active site and any rearrangement in the mobile loop can provide useful information about the R(active) state of the protein. In this study, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy has been used to study the flexible regions of E. coli CS in solution. The flexible residues have been assigned based on the amino acid type by 15N-specific amino acid labeling, while the residue type has been assigned by site-directed mutagenesis. Changes in the dynamics of the flexible residues, in response to the substrate binding, have been studied using both NMR and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Also a method to use Mass Spectrometry for accessing the isotopic incorporation in the samples prepared for NMR spectroscopy has been described. The initial hypothesis in this study was that only the mobile loop residues which show significant high B-factors will contribute to the NMR spectrum. However in the NMR spectrum, in addition to the mobile loop, some uncharacterized flexible regions were also observed. We also found that some of the residues show signs of slow conformational exchange resulting in multiple signals in the NMR spectrum. In addition we see that the environment of some flexible residues is changed in the presence of substrates, a few residues were immobilized, but most remained mobile.

E. coli Citrate Synthase (CS) is a large hexameric protein with a molecular weight of 280kDa and belonging to the type II class of citrate synthases. The crystal structure of E. coli CS in the T (inactive) state is known. The structure shows that the backbone atoms of 42 residues (1-5, 266-297 and 330-335) have temperature factors about 9 times greater than the average as compared to the rest of the molecule. Residues 266-297, also referred to as the “Mobile loop”, are particularly of interest since they form a part of the active site and any rearrangement in the mobile loop can provide useful information about the R(active) state of the protein. In this study, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy has been used to study the flexible regions of E. coli CS in solution. The flexible residues have been assigned based on the amino acid type by 15N-specific amino acid labeling, while the residue type has been assigned by site-directed mutagenesis. Changes in the dynamics of the flexible residues, in response to the substrate binding, have been studied using both NMR and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Also a method to use Mass Spectrometry for accessing the isotopic incorporation in the samples prepared for NMR spectroscopy has been described. The initial hypothesis in this study was that only the mobile loop residues which show significant high B-factors will contribute to the NMR spectrum. However in the NMR spectrum, in addition to the mobile loop, some uncharacterized flexible regions were also observed. We also found that some of the residues show signs of slow conformational exchange resulting in multiple signals in the NMR spectrum. In addition we see that the environment of some flexible residues is changed in the presence of substrates, a few residues were immobilized, but most remained mobile.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

The influence of body size on metabolic rate, muscle enzyme activities, and the underlying patterns of mRNA for these enzymes were explored in an effort to explain the genetic basis of allometric variation in metabolic enzymes. Two pairs of sister species of centrarchid fishes were studied: black bass (largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides and smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieui), and sunfish (pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus and bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus). The goal was to assess the regulatory basis of both intraspecific and interspecific variation in relation to body size, as well as gain insights into the evolutionary constraints within lineages. Whole animal routine metabolic rate showed scaling coefficients not significantly different from 1, ranging from +0.87 to +0.96. However, there were significant effects of body size on the specific activities of oxidative and glycolytic enzymes. Mass-specific activity of the oxidative enzyme citrate synthase (CS) scaled negatively with body size in each species, with scaling coefficients ranging from -0.15 to -0.19 whereas the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase (PK) showed positive scaling, with scaling coefficients ranging from +0.08 to +0.23. The ratio of mass-specific enzyme activity in PK to CS increased with body size, whereas the ratio of mRNA transcripts of PK to CS was unaffected, suggesting the enzyme relationships were not due simply to transcriptional regulation of both genes. The mass-dependent differences in PK activities were best explained by transcriptional regulation of the muscle PK gene; PK mRNA was a good predictor of PK specific enzyme activity within species and between species. Conversely, CS mRNA did not correlate with CS specific enzyme activities, suggesting post-transcriptional mechanisms may explain the observed inter-specific and intraspecific differences in oxidative enzymes. / Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-31 11:55:28.757

Tinamous (Tinamidae) have the smallest heart in relation to body mass compared to any other flying bird today (Bishop 1997). This means that heart size is likely to restrict aerobic metabolism. Tinamous inhabit areas from sea level to 4800 m a.s.l., which means that the high altitude living species, Nothoprocta ornata (NO), is exposed to hypoxia. In this study the activity of the two metabolic enzymes Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) and Citrate Synthase (CS) was measured and the ratio between the enzyme activities calculated to examine if the small heart of the tinamous affects their aerobic/anaerobic metabolism. The activity of the two enzymes was measured in the heart and the gastrocnemius muscle in the three species Nothoprocta ornata (NO), Nothoprocta perdicaria (NP) and Gallus gallus (GG). CS activity was significantly higher in the heart compared to the skeletal muscle and LDH activity was significant higher in the skeletal muscle than in the heart in all three species. The LDH/CS ratio was significantly higher in NO’s skeletal muscle than in chickens but there was no significant difference between species in the heart. The higher ratio in NO´s muscle could be a sign of a higher anaerobic metabolism that is used in the muscles to compensate for the small heart NO have. In conclusion, the Tinamous

Afin de mettre en évidence le phénomène de localisation d'énergie dans les protéines, un modèle utilisant les concepts de la Physique non-linéaire a été développé. Il permet, via l'utilisation d'un potentiel de type FPU et d'une dissipation placée sur la surface, de faire apparaître des breathers chaotiques dans certaines enzymes. Ces breathers ont une durée de vie importante par rapport aux échelles de temps caractéristiques du système. Ils sont localisés sur un seul résidu, toujours situé dans une région rigide de la protéine. Cela nous a conduit à l'hypothèse d'un lien possible entre la fonction catalytique, les propriétés locales de structure des enzymes et les localisations d'énergie. Plus précisément, l'activation d'un breather chaotique lors d'une réaction enzymatique au niveau des sites catalytiques pourrait permettre à la protéine de stocker de l'énergie pendant de longues durées.

O gene TrCit do fungo filamentoso Trichoderma reesei codifica a proteína citrato sintase, uma enzima chave do ciclo de Krebs. Análise da região 5´ upstream de TrCit mostra que o gene está adjacente ao gene TrIcl (que codifica a proteína isocitrato liase, uma enzima do ciclo de glioxalato), em uma orientação cabeça-cabeça. A região promotora intergênica de 647 pb rica em G + C, apresenta uma ilha CpG, seqüência INR, caixas GC, caixas CAAT, sítios de ligação para diversos fatores de transcrição e é isenta de caixa TATA. O gene TrCit de 1573 pb contém 3 éxons e 2 íntrons. Sua seqüência codificadora de 1422 pb produz uma proteína de 474 aminoácidos, com um peso molecular estimado de 52,3 kD. O gene TrIcl de 1880 pb contém 3 éxons e 2 íntrons. Sua seqüência codificadora de 1788 pb produz uma proteína de 596 aminoácidos, com um peso molecular estimado de 65,4 kD. A atividade transcricional da região promotora foi analisada utilizando como repórter o gene de higromicina B fosfotransferase (hph). Uma região funcional necessária à transcrição de ambos os genes foi identificada na região central do promotor e contém uma caixa GC que liga o putativo fator de transcrição Sp1 de T. reesei (TrZnFSp1). O gene do putativo fator de transcrição “zinc-finger" TrZnFSp1 de 1500 pb contém 3 éxons e 2 íntrons. Sua seqüência codificadora de 1344 pb produz uma proteína de 448 aminoácidos, com um peso molecular estimado de 48,4 kD. Os resultados mostram que ambos os genes são transcritos de forma divergente a partir de um promotor bidirecional que compartilha na região central uma caixa GC, necessária para a transcrição de ambos os genes. / The TrCit gene from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei codes for the citrate synthase protein, a key enzyme in the Krebs cycle. Analysis of TrCit 5’ upstream region showed that it is adjacent to the TrIcl gene that codes for isocitrate lyase protein, an enzyme involved in the glyoxylate cycle. Both genes, on a head-to-head orientation, are separated by an intergenic GC-rich and TATA-less promoter region of 647 base pairs. This bidirectional promoter has diverse cis regulatory elements: a CpG island, two INR sequences, GC boxes, CAAT boxes and several putative interaction sites for different transcription factors. The TrCit gene, 1,573-base pair-long, has an open reading frame of 1,422 base pairs interrupted by two introns. The gene codes for a protein with an estimated molecular weight of 52.3 kD. The TrIcl gene, 1,880-base pair-long, contains 3 exons and 2 introns and a putative coding sequence of 1,788 base pairs. The estimated molecular weight of TrICL is 65.4 kD. he transcriptional activity of the intergenic promoter region was analyzed using hygromicin B phosphotransferase (hph) as a reporter gene. A functional region required for the transcription of both genes was identified in the centre of this promoter. It has a GC box that interacts with a putative transcription factor Sp1 from T. reesei (TrZnFSp1). The results presented in this work show that both genes are divergently transcribed from a bidirectional promoter that shares an essential central GC box.

Rockfish are commercially and recreationally important, yet due to the in habitat depths at which rockfish inhabit, little is known about their ecology. As a consequence, management of rockfish population as a fishery resource is a work in progress. In particular, changes in physiological condition aver the course of the year is poorly described. This study examined 19 different species of Sebastes from the Southern California Bight over four seasons (late summer, fall, winter, and spring) using metabolic enzyme assays. Enzymes used were lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), pyruvate kinase (PK), and citrate synthase (CS). Some muscle composition data (percent water, percent protein, percent lipid, and protein as a percentage of wet mass) were also used to help interpret the enzyme data. Enzyme activity was lowest in the summer when expressed as activity per gram wet weight but when it was expressed per gram protein the trend was reversed. We found that the rockfish tend to have the highest protein as a percentage of wet mass (P%WM) in the spring right before the upwelling period begins and have the lowest P%WM in late summer after the peak of upwelling. Their metabolic poise (represented as CS/LDH) grouped according to locomotory habit (benthic or bentho-pelagic). A mass and oxygen consumption plot also showed that the species group according to locomotory habit. With those known to be benthic grouped together and those species that are known to more actively swimming had higher values. This knowledge could be used to infer whether a rockfish that hasn't been well studied is benthic or bentho-pelagic.

In this study first time, we have cloned and sequenced the citrate synthase gene from a thermoacidophilic archaeon Thermoplasma (Tp.) volcanium (Optimum growth temperature of Tp.volcanium is 60oC and optimum pH is 2.0.). For cloning we have followed a PCR based approach. Amplification of citrate synthase gene from chromosomal DNA of Tp.volcanium yielded a product of 1476 bp containing an open reading frame of 1161 bp comprising the structural gene. After ligation of the PCR amplicon to pDrive vector through AU complementation, recombinant plasmids were transferred into E.coli TG-1 competent cells. Out of three recombinants, E.coli pDriveCS-31 was selected for further characterization by restriction mapping and DNA sequencing. Southern Blotting and Hybridization using the membrane blot of pDriveCS-31 plasmid and DIG-labeled PCR amplified citrate synthase gene probe, also confirmed the cloning of Tp.volcanium citrate synthase gene in E.coli. Clustal W Version 1.82 was used for alignment of aminoacid sequence of Tp.volcanium citrate synthase with that of other archaeal, bacterial and eukaryotic citrate synthases. The highest sequence similarity (87%) was found between Tp.volcanium and Tp.acidophilum enzymes. Despite low sequence homology (18%) with the pig enzyme, of the 11 residues implicated in catalytic activity of the pig citrate synthase 9 were conserved in the Tp.volcanium enzyme. Heterologous expression of this citrate synthase gene in E.coli has been achieved under the control of its promoter sequences. The recombinant enzyme (386 aa) has been purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography on Reactive Red 120 column. The subunit molecular size was estimated as 43 kDa. The purified enzyme followed classical Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The Km values of 5.15 &amp / #956 / M and 5.60 &amp / #956 / M, and Vmax values of 1.74 &amp / #956 / moles/ml/min and 1.60 &amp / #956 / moles/ml/min were calculated from Lineweaver-Burk plots for acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate, respectively. The recombinant enzyme was thermostable and retained about 80% of the activity at 85oC after 1 hour.