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Changes in amount and activity of enzyme protein are critical factors in regulating intracellular metabolisms. However, since the metabolisms are proceeding in environment with complex architecture consisted of various membranes, spatial factors should be taken into consideration for the regulation. In this review, involvement of interaction between cytosolic and membrane proteins in metabolic regulation are discussed. It had been reported that hexokinase activity was found in mitochondrial fraction in spite of almost exclusive distribution of other glycolytic enzymes to soluble fraction, the tendency being marked in the brain and many types of tumor cells whereas mitochondrial hexokinase activity was quite low in the liver. Interested in such enzyme and tissue specificities, we investigated the significance and mechanism of the unique intracellular distribution of hexokinase. We found that mitochondria-bound hexokinase was more active than the cytosolic type in producing glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), probably due to the advantage in utilizing ATP produced in mitochondria. In addition, we also found that the binding stabilized hexokinase against G6P inhibition. As to the binding, it was reported that G6P released hexokinase from mitochondria while Mg2+ promoted the binding. In this respect, we found that polyamines promoted the binding at much lower concentration than that of Mg2+, and mitochondria-bound form had small hydrophobic domain at terminal region for the binding to porin on the outer membrane. Then, we found a protease which specifically cleaved the domain with little effect on catalytic activity and molecular size of the bindable form. Such a modifying protease was purified and identified as lysosomal cathepsin L. The protease activity was high in the liver and low in the brain, suggesting that the difference in the activity was responsible for the afore-mentioned tissue specificity. On the other hand, we examined regulatory mechanism for active oxygen production in neutrophils, since the production of superoxide anion (O2-) by NADPH oxidase was very low at the resting state while markedly increased on phagocytosis and chemical stimulation. Since the stimulants for the activation were so various in chemical nature, we postulated mechanism to converge the stimulation to the activation. Incidentally, we found increase in phosphorylation of 46-47 K protein, irrespective of the type of stimulation. Use of inhibitors and examination on the phosphorylation condition indicated protein kinase C (PKC) as the phosphorylating enzyme. In addition, we observed the 46-47 K protein existed in cytosol at resting state, while it was translocated to cell membranes in concurrence with the phosphorylation. Similar findings were obtained in many laboratories and those proteins were named cytosolic activating factors (and then p47-phox, etc.). These proteins associate with membrane proteins to constitutes the active from of NADPH oxidase. Next, we examined mechanism to shut off the O2- production, and found that the inactivation through disassembly of the constituents was attained by dephosphorylation of phosphorylated p47-phox by cytosolic protein phosphatase. Then we have also found that protein kinases other than PKC were involved in regulation of NADPH oxidase activity. Though phosphorylation of p47-phox etc. is deeply involved in the activation of NADPH oxidase, membrane perturbation, so-called priming, is required for the activation. We also reported some possible indications for the priming, and possible involvement of cytoskeletons in O2- production. Apart from protein phosphorylation, it has been reported that amphiphilic acidic compounds are potent activator for NADPH oxidase. We also have examined their effects to find that these compounds also caused the assembly of the NADPH oxidase constituents. Reversely, amphiphilic basic compounds suppressed suggesting significance of introduction of negative charge in NADPH oxidase activat

Mechanisms for the cell-free activation of NADPH oxidase by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and arachidonate were compared in relation to their responsiveness to short chain diacylglycerols. The plasma membrane and cytosol prepared from guinea pig neutrophils were used for the cell-free system. The activation of NADPH oxidase by SDS was enhanced about 5- to 10-fold by 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (diC8), but not by either 1,2-dihexanoylglycerol (diC6) or 1,2-didecanoylglycerol (diC10). However, none of these diacylglycerols potentiated the NADPH oxidase activation by arachidonate. The maximal extent of activation by the combination of SDS and diC8 was similar to that by arachidonate alone. In the presence of sufficient amounts of diC8 and SDS, GTP gamma S potentiated the activation of NADPH oxidase. The potentiating activity of diC8 was preserved in the membrane fraction, not in the cytosol fraction. These results suggest that arachidonate may possess the functions of both SDS and diC8 in the activation. In addition, diC8 and GTP gamma S seem to independently enhance the NADPH oxidase activation.

New method for nitroblue-tetrazolium (NBT) test was developed by the following modifications. (1) After 10 N KOH treatment, bathochromic shift in the maximal absorption took place from 515 nm to 710 nm and the optical density of the new peak was 5 times higher than that of non-treated sample. In this assay, dimethylformamide extraction was substituted for pyridine. (2) Because of the smallness of the incubation mixture (100 μl), the background of the test was greatly reduced. (3) Increase in the concentration of latex particles elevated the NBT reducing activity. In consideration with the background absorption, 2.9-5.7×108 particles/assay was set as the optimal condition. The particles themselves, however, did not interrupt the reading of optical density in this system. In this modified method, 3 ml of blood was enough to estimate the NBT reducing activity in the duplicate tests (6 samples). This assay system is, therefore, applicable for weak children, from whom the collection of the large volume of the blood is not desirable.

Guanylate cyclase activity was examined in inflammatory granuloma tissue induced by subcutaneous injection of carrageenin solution in the rat. Enzymological properties of guanylate cyclase in this tissue, such as pH optimum, metal ion requirement, etc., were examined, with special reference to the intracellular distribution of the enzyme. Differences were found between guanylate cyclase in the soluble fraction and that in the particulate fraction in the response to Mn2+ and Triton X-100 in this tissue.

Treatment of guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes with digitonin in the presence of Ca2+ induced marked stimulation of superoxide anion production. Removal of Ca2+ from the incubation medium by addition of ethyleneglycolbis (β-aminoethyl ether) N, N, N', N'-tetraacetate (EGTA) either before or after the digitonin addition suppressed the stimulation of the superoxide anion production. Furthermore, readdition of Ca2+ in excess of the added EGTA restored the stimulatory effect of digitonin on the superoxide anion production in the leukocytes. These findings suggest the existence of reversible regulation of the digitonin-stimulated superoxide anion production by Ca2+.

Treatment of rat reticulocytes with isoproterenol caused about 50, 25, and 25% decreases in beta-adrenergic agonist-, fluoride-, and guanine nucleotide-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities, respectively. The desensitization was also induced by dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) prevented the isoproterenol-induced desensitization, suggesting the involvement of cyclic AMP in the desensitization. Time course studies revealed that the desensitization to NaF-AlCl3 occurred faster than that to isoproterenol. Furthermore, the rate of the resensitization to NaF-AlCl3 by removal of isoproterenol was also faster than that to isoproterenol. Thus, it is likely that both guanine nucleotide-binding stimulatory regulatory protein, Ns, and beta-adrenergic receptor are sequentially involved in both desensitization and resensitization of the adenylate cyclase system in rat reticulocytes to isoproterenol.

The effect of dan-shen extract, the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza, on adenylate cyclase was investigated in both rat brain and rat erythrocytes. The EtOAc fraction of the MeOH extract was proved to have significant inhibitory activity. Potent inhibitory principles in the EtOAc fraction were isolated and identified as 4 polyphenolic acids, rosemarinic acid, lithospermic acid, and their methyl ester derivatives.

Involvement of divalent cations was examined in the activation of catecholamine sensitive adenylate cyclase in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. In the presence of various concentrations of either Mg2+ or Mn2+, both basal and norepinephrine-stimulated, adenylate cyclase activities were measured. Both activities were gradually increased with the increase in Mg2+ concentration. On the other hand, with Mn2+, both activities were maximum at the low (2.5 mM) concentration, and decreased at the highest concentrations, the decrease being marked in the norepinephrine-stimulated activity. Similar difference between the two divalent cations was also observed in the effect on the binding of the beta-adrenergic ligand to the membrane receptor.

The effect of barbiturates on an adenylate cyclase system in rat brain was examined. The activity of the catalytic unit of this system isolated from the synaptic membrane was inhibited by phenobarbital in dose- and time-dependent manners. The mode of the inhibition was non-competitive with respect to Mg-adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The activity of the synaptic membrane-bound adenylate cyclase was also inhibited by phenobarbital in a similar manner. The inhibitory effect of phenobarbital was more potent on the activation of the enzyme by 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (GppNHp) than on the basal enzyme activity. The inhibitory effect, however, was not observed in the synaptic membrane preparation in which the guanine nucleotide-binding stimulatory regulatory protein (Ns) and the catalytic unit of adenylate cyclase system had been functionally coupled by pretreatment with GppNHp. Similar results were obtained with other pharmacologically active barbiturates. These findings indicate that barbiturates primarily affect the activation of the catalytic unit by an interaction with Ns resulting in the inhibition of the enzyme activity.

After the injection of radioactive strontium, a mixture of trisodium citrate and monosodium monocalcium citrate was injected into rats and the effect of monosodijm monocalcium citrate injection in accelerating the excretion of radiostrontium was compared with the effect of the injection of trisodium citrate only. Greatly enhanced excretion of radiostrontium into urine was found in the rats treated with sodium calcium citrate, without any symptom of hypocalcemia. When citrate was injected into rats in the form of either trisodium salt or sodium calcium salt, citrate level in blood plasma was greatly elevated and nearly one-half of injected citrate was found in the urine within six hours. Mechanism of the action of citrate on the excretion of radioactive strontium is discussed and attributed to its chelating ability.

Effect of tricarballylate, citraconate, tartrate, lactate, and citrate, which are able to form chelating complex with strontium, on the distribution of parenterally administered radioactive strontium was examined, and it was indicated that all of these organic acids markedly decreased skeletal depostion of radiostrontium and four acids other than citrate markedly increased radiostrontium in the blood serum and soft tissues.