Threonine activity

This enzyme, catalyzing Eq. (1), has been demonstrated in a number of plants (Smith and Thompson, 1%9 Ngo and Shargool, 1974 Ascano and Nicholas, 1977). The 54-fold purified enzyme from kidney bean seedlings (Smith and Thompson, 1971) had values of 6 x lO IW for serine and 2 x Qr M for acetyl-CoA. The enzyme does not catalyze the acetylation of homoserine or threonine. Activities with other acyl-CoA derivatives were not tested. During purification, this enzyme was separated fix>m cysteine synthase, in contrast to the serine acetyltransferase from SalmoneUa typhimurium which has been isolated predominantly complexed with cysteine synthase (Kredich et al., 1969). 

To the list of highly purified enzymes given in Table IV should be added an alanine-activatii enzyme obtained from hog liver cytoplasm by Webster SI), and a threonine-activating enzyme obtained from guinea pig liver by Allen et al. 36). 

The phenolic hydroxyl group of tyrosine, the imidazole moiety of histidine, and the amide groups of asparagine and glutamine are often not protected in peptide synthesis, since it is usually unnecessary. The protection of the hydroxyl group in serine and threonine (O-acetylation or O-benzylation) is not needed in the azide condensation procedure but may become important when other activation methods are used. 

The asterisk signifies an asymmetric carbon. AH of the amino acids, except glycine, have two optically active isomers designated D- or L-. Isoleucine and threonine also have centers of asymmetry at their P-carbon atoms (1,10). Protein amino acids are of the L-a-form (1,10) as illustrated in Table 1. 

Quaternary salts of the substances represented by tliese formulae have been prepared by Kogl, Veldstra and van der Laan as well as of the next lower homologues, the substituted butyraldehydes, and the methyl ethers of both series. Their pharmacological activities were negligible in comparison with that of muscarine, but as six stereoisomeric forms may be produced in each synthesis, the inactivity may be due to stereoisomerism, just as in the case of threonine (a-amino-)3-hydroxy-butyric acid) where West and Carter found that only the d —) form is... 

PHOSPHOPROTEINS. These proteins have phosphate groups esterified to the hydroxyls of serine, threonine, or tyrosine residues. Casein, the major protein of milk, contains many phosphates and serves to bring essential phosphorus to the growing infant. Many key steps in metabolism are regulated between states of activity or inactivity, depending on the presence or absence of phosphate groups on proteins, as we shall see in Chapter 15. Glycogen phospho-rylase a is one well-studied example. 

This active ester was used for carboxyl protection of Fmoc-serine and Fmoc-threonine during glycosylation. The esters are then used as active esters in peptide synthesis. 

The earliest method developed for the preparation of nonracemic aziridine-2-car-boxylates was the cyclization of naturally occurring (3-hydroxy-a-amino acid derivatives (serine or threonine) [4]. The (3-hydroxy group is normally activated as a tosyl or mesyl group, which is ideal for an intramolecular SN2 displacement. The cyclization has been developed in both one-pot and stepwise fashion [4—9]. As an example, serine ester 3 (Scheme 3.2) was treated with tosyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine to afford aziridine-2-carboxylate 4 in 71% yield [9]. Cyclization of a-hydroxy- 3-amino esters to aziridine-2-carboxylates under similar conditions has also been described [10]. 

Phosphorylation is a common method of regulation. As described above, SH2 domains bind to phosphorylated tyrosine residues. Conversely, phosphorylation of serines and threonines proximal to SH3 and PDZ domains uncouples them from their target motifs. Therefore modulation of protein kinase activity in cells regulates interactions between adaptor proteins and their target proteins. 

The a subunits, for which two isoforms exist in mammals (al, a2), contain conventional protein serine/threonine kinase domains at the N-terminus, with a threonine residue in the activation loop (Thr-172) that must be phosphorylated by upstream kinases (see below) before the kinase is active. The kinase domain is followed by an autoinhibitory domain, whose effect is somehow relieved by interaction with the other subunits. The C-terminal domain of the a subunit is required for the formation of a complex with the C-terminal domain of the (3 subunit, which in turn mediates binding to the y subunit. The al and a2 catalytic subunit isoforms are widely distributed, although a2 is most abundant in muscle and may be absent in cells of the endothelial/hemopoietic lineage. 

These enzymes are activated by the binding of cAMP or cGMP. When activated, cAKs and cGKs phosphorylate specific serine or threonine residues in target proteins control the activity of these proteins. 

G-protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) are a family of enzymes that catalyze the phosphorylation of threonine or serine residues on G-protein-coupled receptors. Characteristically, GRKs only phosphorylate the ligand-activated form of the receptors. Phosphorylation by GRKs usually leads to impaired receptor/G-protein coupling. 

Sirolimus (SRL), also termed rapamycin is a macrolide lactone isolated from the ascomycete species Stre-ptomyces hygroscopicus. After binding to its cytosolic receptor FKBP-12 the resulting complex inhibits the multifunctional serine-threonine kinase mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). Inhibition of mTOR prevents activation of the p70S6 kinase and successive... 

Tyrosine phosphorylated IRS interacts with and activates PI 3-kinase [3]. Binding takes place via the SRC homology 2 (SH2) domain of the PI 3-kinase regulatory subunit. The resulting complex consisting of INSR, IRS, and PI 3-kinase facilitates interaction of the activated PI 3-kinase catalytic subunit with the phospholipid substrates in the plasma membrane. Generation of PI 3-phosphates in the plasma membrane reemits phospholipid dependent kinases (PDKl and PDK2) which subsequently phosphorylate and activate the serine/threonine kinase Akt (synonym protein... 

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