Adp Ribose Transfer Reactions

Current interest in NAD (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) in biological systems focuses on its role in ADP-ribose transfer reactions. These appear to be fundamentally involved in the regulation of many physiological processes. The contributions in this monograph thus represent the range of research in the very active investigation of niacin metabolism. The major topics covered are: ??? - Enzymology of ADP-Ribosylation - ADP-Ribosylation and Chromatin Function - Carcinogenesis and Differentiation - NAD Metabolism and Chemotherapy - ADP-Ribosylation and Signal Transduction - Molecular Genetic Approaches to ADP-Ribosylation

This special issue of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry contains twenty-two selected research papers and reviews from a total of one hundred and ten presentations given at the 12th International Symposium on ADP-ribosylation Reactions: From Bacterial Pathogenesis to Cancer, held in Cancun, Mexico, May 10-14, 1997. The Symposium was hosted by the Sociedad Mexicana de Bioquimica and was sponsored by the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA. This volume provides a state-of-the-art source of information for basic scientists and clinicians who are interested in the molecular, biochemical, and cellular aspects of protein-(ADP-ribose) transfer reactions in human health and disease.

This monograph is dedicated to one of the discoverers of poly(ADP ribose), Professor Paul Mandel, from the Centre de Neurochimie in Strasbourg. We would like to congratulate him for his distinguished contributions to the field of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and express our gratitude for his support in the last years and particularly for his encouragement for the organization of this meeting. Poly(ADP-ribose) was discovered more than 25 years ago. Since then, excellent progress has been made on the study of the mechanisms of poly(ADP ribose) reaction. The last five years have been particularly exciting since the development of various molecular biology techniques has revealed the complex nature of this multifunctional enzyme. Looking at the contributions presented at this meeting, it becomes obvious that more work at the molecular level is needed. Most likely, these experiments will shed some light on the functions of poly(ADP-ribose), but further ~iophysical studies will still be required to fully understand this complex enzymatic system.

This book provides an update on recent advances in the field of ADP ribosylation reactions. The individual chapters represent the synopses of contributions which were presented at the Seventh International Symposium on ADP-Ribosylation Reactions, held in Vitznau, Switzer land, from September 23 to 27, 1984. This volume covers new devel opments in the field since the last meeting was held on this topic in 1982, in Tokyo. Therefore, the present text is not meant to form a comprehensive account of a specialized research area, but encompasses a collection of state-of-the-art reports from the vast majority of laboratories currently involved in ADP-ribosylation work. For the sake of rapid publication, the editorial policy was to ensure easy accessibility of information contained in individual articles rather than to provide elaborate cross references or reference to work published prior to 1982. However, a detailed subject index will help the reader find complementary information. The enzymes of ADP-ribose metabolism have not yet acquired universally acceptable trivial names and the Enzyme Commission has not yet defmitely decided on formal appellations. Consequently, a variety of names for the nuclear enzyme appear in this book, including nuc1ear(ADP-ribosyl)transferase, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, or synthetase or synthase. Hopefully, a common convention will soon be established. The Seventh International Symposium on ADP-Ribosylation Reac tions was only possible because of the generous support which we have been given by our sponsors, listed below.

This is the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference on this post-translational modification of proteins, which is intimately linked with DNA repair, maintenance of genomic stability, transcriptional regulation, cell death and a variety of other cellular phenomena as well as with a variety of pathophysiological conditions, including ischemia-reperfusion damage, Parkinson’s disease, Type I diabetes mellitus, hemorrhagic and septic shock and other inflammatory conditions. Richly illustrated, it offers 19 chapters written by international experts.

Considering the current interest in cellular regulation and intracellular signalling systems, it is surprising that the contribution of ADP-ribosylation reactions to the modulation of a variety of specific cell processes, in parallel with other post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, has not been generally recognized. While it is not feasible to cover all aspects of ADP-ribosylation, the thirty-one articles contained in this volume provide a valuable overview of recent progress in the field within the context of cell control mechanisms. For the convenience of the reader, the various topics have been grouped into several sections: (a) poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation; (b) mono-ADP-ribosylation; (c) toxin mono-ADP-ribosylation; (d) inhibitors and activators; (e) protein modification with ADP-ribose and its analogues; and (f) non-modification forms of ADP-ribose. The contents of the individual chapters reflect the ideas of the contributors, many of whom have spent their careers attempting to resolve the biological functions of ADP-ribosylation. We hope that this publication will serve as a useful reference for those investigators that are new to the area as well as those who are actively studying ADP-ribosylation.

ADP-ribosylating toxins have been the focus of intensive research for more than 30 years. Researchers from diverse fields of science have taken an interest in these bacterial toxins; they are studied, for example, by microbiologists, biochemists, cell biologists, and pharmacologists. There are two principal reasons for the broad and still growing interest in ADP ribosylating toxins. First, insights into the structure and functions of the toxins might be the key to prevention and treatment of diseases caused by the toxin-producing infectious micro organisms. Second, the ADP-ribosylating toxins provide potent and often unique pharmacological tools for the study of the physiological functions of their target proteins. The latter is especially the case with cholera and pertussis toxins, which both modify the IX-subunits of heterotrimeric G-proteins involved in signal transduction pathways. These toxins have proved invaluable in extending our basic understanding of the regulation of hormone-controlled signal transduction. This volume provides a review and an update of recent studies on the basic properties of bacterial ADP-ribosylating tbxins and/or exoenzymes. Our current knowledge of the cel lular entry mechanisms of ADP-ribosylating toxins is reviewed by MADSHUS and STENMARK. WILSON and COLLIER then deal with recent insights into the enzyme mechanism and active site structure of diphtheria toxin and Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A, which modify elongation factor 2. Toxins which ADP-ribosylate heterotrimeric G-proteins involved in trans membrane signal transduction are the subject of the next two chapters.

Written by an expert team, this research compilation provides a fascinating insight into the scientific knowledge around these compounds for health and nutritional scientists.