Peter E. Daddona

Human adenosine deaminase. Stoichiometry of the adenosine deaminase-binding protein complex.

In many human tissues adenosine deaminase exists as a large molecular weight complex (large form) composed of adenosine deaminase and an adenosine deaminase binding protein. The molar ratio of adenosine deaminase to binding protein in this large form complex appears to be 2:1, respectively, based on several observations. Scatchard-type analysis of the binding of 125I-labeled adenosine deaminase to purified binding protein indicates that 2.15 mol of adenosine deaminase are bound to 1 mol of binding protein. Chemical cross-linking of 125I-labeled adenosine deaminase-binding protein complex (large form) with glutaraldehyde produces 6 cross-linked species with molecular weights consistent with the proposed 2 to 1 stoichiometry. Sedimentation equilibrium analyses reveal a native molecular weight of 300 890 for the adenosine deaminase-binding protein complex (large form), 37 500 for small form adenosine deaminase, and 213 300 for the binding protein. A 2:1 molar ratio of adenosine deaminase and binding protein in the large form complex is most consistent with these molecular weight estimates.

Adenosine uptake sites in rat brain: Identification using [3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine and co-localization with adenosine deaminase

The binding characteristics of [3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine ([3H]NBI) to rat brain membrane preparations was examined, and the autoradiographic distribution of this ligand in brain sections was compared with the immunohistochemical localization of adenosine deaminase (ADA). It was found that [3H]NBI labels sites for which adenosine has far higher affinity than do other nucleosides, that these sites are heterogeneously distributed and that there is an exact correspondence between areas containing [3H]NBI sites and ADA-immunoreactive neurons. Our results indicate that [3H]NBI and ADA are potential markers for revealing anatomical sites at which actions of adenosine may be expressed.

Human hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase. Demonstration of structural variants in lymphoblastoid cells derived from patients with a deficiency of the enzyme.

We have explored the possibility of using cultured lymphoblasts from patients with a deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) as a source of cells for the isolation and characterization of mutant forms of the enzyme. HPRT from lymphoblasts derived from six male patients of five unrelated HPRT-deficient families was highly purified and characterized with regard to: (a) level of immunoreactive protein, (b) absolute specific activity, (c) isoelectric point, (d) migration during nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and (e) apparent subunit molecular weight. There experiments were performed on small quantities of lymphoblasts using several micromethods involving protein blot analysis of crude extracts as well as isolation and characterization of enzyme labeled in culture with radioactive amino acids. The lymphoblast enzymes from four of the patients exhibited structural and functional abnormalities that were similar to the recently described abnormalities found with the highly purified erythrocyte enzymes from these same patients. In addition, a previously undescribed HPRT variant was isolated and characterized from lymphoblasts derived from two male siblings. This unique variant has been called HPRT Ann Arbor. We conclude that lymphoblastoid cell lines can be used as a source of cells for the detection, isolation, and characterization of structural variants of human HPRT.

Purinogenic Immunodeficiency Diseases: DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF DEOXYADENOSINE AND DEOXYGUANOSINE ON DNA SYNTHESIS IN HUMAN T LYMPHOBLASTS

Deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine are toxic to human lymphoid cells in culture and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the immunodeficiency states associated with adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency, respectively. We have studied the relative incorporation of several labeled nucleosides into DNA and into nucleotide pools to further elucidate the mechanism of deoxyribonucleoside toxicity. In the presence of an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase [erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine [EHNA], 5 muM], deoxyadenosine (1-50 muM) progressively decreased the incorporation of thymidine, uridine, and deoxyuridine into DNA, but did not affect uridine incorporation into RNA. This decrease in DNA synthesis was associated with increasing dATP and decreasing dCTP pools. Likewise, incubation of cells with deoxyguanosine caused an elevation of dGTP, depletion of dCTP, and inhibition of DNA synthesis. To test the hypothesis that dATP and dGTP accumulation inhibit DNA synthesis by inhibiting the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase, simultaneous rates of incorporation of [(3)H]uridine and [(14)C]thymidine into DNA were measured in the presence of deoxyadenosine plus EHNA or deoxyguanosine, and in the presence of hydroxyurea, a known inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase. Hydroxyurea (100 muM) and deoxyguanosine (10 muM) decreased the incorporation of [(3)H]uridine but not of [(14)C]thymidine into DNA; both compounds also substantially increased [(3)H]cytidine incorporation into the ribonucleotide pool while reducing incorporation into the deoxyribonucleotide pool. In contrast, deoxyadenosine plus EHNA did not show this differential inhibition of [(3)H]uridine incorporation into DNA, and the alteration in [(3)H]cytidine incorporation into nucleotide pools was less impressive. These data show an association between accumulation of dATP or dGTP and a primary inhibition of DNA synthesis, and they provide support for ribonucleotide reductase inhibition as the mechanism responsible for deoxyguanosine toxicity. Deoxyadenosine toxicity, however, appears to result from another, or perhaps a combination of, molecular event(s).

Immunohistochemical localization of adenosine deaminase in primary afferent neurons of the rat

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) was detected immunohistochemically in neuronal cell bodies of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of the rat. ADA-immunoreactivity was confined exclusively to small type B ganglion neurons in cervical, thoracic and lumbar sensory ganglia; large type A neurons in sensory ganglia were devoid of immunostaining for ADA. It was consistently found that only a small proportion of type B neurons in DRG contain immunohistochemically detectable ADA. It is suggested that the expression of high ADA levels is a distinguishing feature of a subpopulation of type B DRG neurons and, further, that ADA in these neurons may reflect their utilization of purines (adenosine or adenine nucleotides) as transmitters or cotransmitters.

Adenosine deaminase deficiency with normal immune function. An acidic enzyme mutation.

In most instances, marked deficiency of the purine catabolic enzyme adenosine deaminase results in lymphopenia and severe combined immunodeficiency disease. Over a 2-yr period, we studied a white male child with markedly deficient erythrocyte and lymphocyte adenosine deaminase activity and normal immune function. We have documented that (a) adenosine deaminase activity and immunoreactive protein are undetectable in erythrocytes, 0.9% of normal in lymphocytes, 4% in cultured lymphoblasts, and 14% in skin fibroblasts; (b) plasma adenosine and deoxyadenosine levels are undetectable and deoxy ATP levels are only slightly elevated in lymphocytes and in erythrocytes; (c) no defect in deoxyadenosine metabolism is present in the probands cultured lymphoblasts; (d) lymphoblast adenosine deaminase has normal enzyme kinetics, absolute specific activity, S20,w, pH optimum, and heat stability; and (e) the probands adenosine deaminase exhibits a normal apparent subunit molecular weight but an abnormal isoelectric pH. In contrast to the three other adenosine deaminase-deficient healthy subjects who have been described, the proband is unique in demonstrating an acidic, heat-stable protein mutation of the enzyme that is associated with less than 1% lymphocyte adenosine deaminase activity. Residual adenosine deaminase activity in tissues other than lymphocytes may suffice to metabolize the otherwise lymphotoxic enzyme substrate(s) and account for the preservation of normal immune function.

Analysis of normal and mutant forms of human adenosine deaminase — A review

SummaryA deficiency of the enzyme adenosine deaminase is associated with an autosomal recessive form of severe combined immunodeficiency disease in man. The molecular forms of the normal human enzyme have now been well characterized in an effort to better understand the nature of the enzyme defect in affected patients.In some human tissues adenosine deaminase exists predominantly as a small molecular form while in other tissues a large form composed of adenosine deaminase (small form) and an adenosine deaminase-binding protein predominates. The small form of the enzyme purified to homogeneity by antibody affinity chromatography is a monomer of native molecular weight of 37,600. The adenosine deaminase-binding protein, purified by adenosine deaminase affinity chromatography, appears to be a dimer of native molecular weight 213,000 and contains carbohydrate. Based on direct binding measurements, chemical cross-linking studies and sedimentation equilibrium analyses, small form adenosine deaminase has been shown to combine with purified binding protein in a molar ratio of 2:1 respectively to produce the large form adenosine deaminase.Reduced, but widely ranging levels of adenosine deaminating activity, have been reported in various tissues of adenosine deaminase deficient patients. Further, the characteristics of this residual enzyme activity have been analyzed immunochemically to substantiate genetic heterogeneity in this disorder.While many types of immunodeficiency are currently recognized in man, in most cases the molecular defect is unknown. The discovery of a deficiency of the enzyme, adenosine deaminase, ADA, (EC 3.5.4.4), in some patients with severe combined immunodeficiency disease represented an early clue to the pathogenesis of immune dysfunction at the molecular level1-4. Affected patients with markedly reduced levels of ADA exhibit a defect of both cellular and humoral immunity characterized clinically by severe recurrent infections with a fatal outcome if untreated. Attempts to elucidate the nature of the genetic mutation(s) leading to the reduction of ADA activity in these immunodeficient patients have been complicated in part by an incomplete understanding of the nature of ADA in normal tissues. In this review we will consider the structural characteristics of the normal and mutant forms of ADA as they are currently understood.

EFFECT OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE AGENTS ON HUMAN T AND B LYMPHOBLASTS

We have studied the effects of various immunosuppressive drugs on the growth of human-derived T (MOLT-4) and B (MGL-8) lymphoblasts. In addition, we have examined whether the lymphotoxic effect of any of these drugs could be attributed to inhibition of either adenosine deaminase (ADA) or purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). Results indicated that 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (Ara-C), methotrexate and chlorambucil were four to seven times more toxic for T than for B cells, while azathioprine, 6-thioguanine, 6-mercaptopurine, and 5-fluorouracil were highly toxic for both T and B cells. Cyclophosphamide and oxisuran were lymphotoxic only at concentrations exceeding 300 microM. Deoxyadenosine (50 microM), deoxyguanosine (10 microM) and deoxycoformycin (10 microM) failed to enhance T cell toxicity when individually combined with each drug. None of the drugs tested inhibited T or B lymphoblast ADA or PNP activity. With the exception of Ara-C, neither dATP nor dGTP accumulated in T lymphoblasts incubated in the presence of any of the drugs. We conclude that the cell culture system used in this investigation is useful for identifying lymphotoxic and T cell-specific immunosuppressive agents. However, none of the drugs studied appeared to function as an inhibitor of, or a competitive substrate for, either ADA or PNP.

Radioimmunochemical quantitation of human adenosine deaminase.

Markedly reduced or absent adenosine deaminase activity in man is associated with an autosomal recesive form of severe conbined immunodeficiency disease. To further define the genetic nature of this enzyme defect, we have quantitated immunologically active adenosine deaminase (CRM) in the hemolysate of homozygous deficient patients and their heterozygous parents. A highly specific radioimmunoassay was developed capable of detecting 0.05% of normal erythrocyte adenosine deaminase. Hemolysates from nine heterozygotes (five families) showed a wide range in CRM (32--100% of normal) and variable absolute specific activities with several being at least 1 SD BELOW THE NORMAL MEAN. Hemolysates from four unrelated patients showed less than 0.09% adenosine deaminase activity with CRM ranging from less than 0.06 to 5.6% of the normal mean. In conclusion, heterozygote and homozygote hemolysates from five of the eight families analyzed revealed variable levels of CRM suggesting heterogeneous genetic alteration or expression of the silent or defective allele(s) of adenosine deaminase.

Characteristics of an aminohydrolase distinct from adenosine deaminase in cultured human lymphoblasts

An inherited deficiency of adenosine deaminase (adenosine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.4) is associated with an autosomal recessive form of severe combined immunodeficiency disease. Affected patients exhibit markedly reduced or absent adenosine deaminating activity in various tissues. In this study we have demonstrated the presence of a low level aminohydrolase activity in 11 different normal and adenosine deaminase-deficient lymphoblast cell lines which is apparently distinct from normal adenosine deaminase. Based on enzymatic, physical and immunoreactive properties, this lymphoblast aminohydrolase does not appear to be related to adenosine deaminase and is most likely coded for by a different gene locus. In future investigations designed to characterize mutant forms of adenosine deaminase, it will be important to distinguish this lymphoblast aminohydrolase activity from putative products of the adenosine deaminase gene locus.