• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.403-409
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• 1997

Studies were undertaken to develop a competitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) and indirect antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the determination of 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA), which is formed from decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine by spermidine and spermine synthase. Specific antiserum against MTA was raised in rabbits by immunization with MTA-BSA which was prepared by coupling BSA to oxidized MTA with periodate. Since MTA is oxidized easily to the sulfoxide, the sulfhydryl reagent, DTT. was added to the immunogen. For RIA, immunocomplexes were separated from free MTA by using ammonium sulfate precipitation. The antiserum showed almost no cross-reactivity with a variety of other nucleotides and riboses. But, the level of cross-reactivity of 5'-isobutylthioadenosine (SIBA) was high. These results showed the importance of hydrophobicity adjacent to the 5'-OH for determining antigenicity. The lower limit of detection by this assay was 100 fmol of MTA per tube. Using this assay. MTA levels were more easily and precisely determined in biological samples when compared with HPLC analysis. The RIA procedure is less time consuming. More than 24 analyses can be carried out in 2 h and required only a very small amount of sample ($20{\mu}l$ serum). In ELISA, biotin conjugated MTA-BSA was used as the labelled MTA. The sensitivity limit of this assay was lower than 100 pmol.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.558-561
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• 1998

In the screening for lipid peroxidation inhibitors from edible mushroom, Agrocybe cylindracea, a bioactive compound AG 8 was isolated. The AG 8 was purified from methanol extract of its fruit body by Diaion HP-20 column chromatography, ethyl acetate extraction, and silica gel column chromatography, consecutively. Based on various NMR studies including $^1$H irradiation and HMBC experiments, the AG 8 was identified as MTA, 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine. This compound inhibited lipid peroxidation with an $IC_{50}$/ value of 3.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$. The MTA was isolated for the first time from basidiomycetes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.443-447
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• 1997

We have developed a novel method for assays of spermidine and spermine synthase (aminopropyltransferase) activities using antibody against 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA). A new assay is reported here which is based on the observation that MTA is formed as a stoichiometric by-product of the spermidine and spermine synthases reactions. In order to determine MTA, a radioimmunoassay method with sensitivity and rapidity was used. (Lee and Cho, 1997). In this assay, adenine must be added in the reaction mixture, since it effectively inhibits the action of MTA phosphorylase by which MTA is metabolized. This assay is a improvement in term of sensitivity and time saving, compared to the currently used methods. It has a level of sensitivity (100 fmol) sufficient to monitor aminopropyltransferase activities in incubations containing as little as $10{\mu}g$ protein prepared from rat tissue homogenate. The results obtained showed that this method is particularly useful for cultured cells with low enzyme concentration. Moreover, this assay has the advantage which allows studies using alternative substrates (other amines). Spermidine synthase activity was high in rat liver, but low in rat kidney. The activity of spermine synthase was in most rat tissues very low as compared to that of spermidine synthase, but was high in brain.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2001

We have investigated the secondary metabolites from the mushroom Suillus granulatus. The methanolic extract of fruit body was separated by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies. TLC and HPLC were also used for the further purification on compounds from the extracts, Nine compounds were finally isolated and their structures were assigned as 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester 5'-deoxy-5'methylthioadenosine. indole-3- carboxlic acid methyl ester indole 3-carboxaldehyde 1,3,5-trihydroxy 7-methylanthraquinone nicotinamide and 3-geranylgeranyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid on the basis of NMR studies.