In most organisms, S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (SAMDC EC 4.1 .I SO) plays a pivotal role in polyamine biogenesis by contributing S-methyladenosylhomocysteamine which in turn donates its propylamine moiety in a stepwise manner to putrescine and spermidine to yield spermidine and spermine, respectively [l-3]. Two distinct and separable enzymes, namely spermidine synthase (EC 2.5 .l .I 6...

We studied the effects of natural and synthetic polyamines on the conformation of an oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN1) harboring the estrogen response element (ERE) by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Putrescine and spermidine had no marked effect on the CD spectrum of ODN1. In contrast, spermine provoked and stabilized two characteristic changes in the...

Insufficient polyamine intake could play a role in the induction of sensitization to dietary allergens. This proposal is based essentially on investigations made in sucking rats and in children. In sucking rats it has been established that oral administration of spermine can induce all the modifications occurring in the digestive tract at weaning. In the intestine events occur in two phases. Th...

AN investigation of spermine has been proceeding for some time in these laboratories, and we propose to deal in this paper with the occurrence and. isolation of this substance, and to describe some salts and derivatives which have enabled us to establish its chemical composition. It has been pointed out in the preceding communication that, according to Schreiner [1878], the base is not specific...

We have previously shown that spermine, shortly after its ingestion, can induce the alteration of the morphology of the small intestine of suckling rats. It was proposed that this alteration is due to polyamine accumulation inside the epithelial cells. This could also be related to the fact that the intestine of the suckling rat is in an immature state. To shed light on this issue, disaccharida...

BACKGROUND Spermine is one of the naturally occurring ligands that influence the function of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor. Similar to other endogenous polyamines present in micromolar concentration in the brain, it may play a role in the modulation of depression. Thus, the present study investigated the suggested antidepressant effect of spermine. METHODS The mouse forced swim test (FST)...

Polyamines such as spermine, spermidine and putrescine are necessary for cell proliferation and are detected at higher concentrations in most tumor tissues, compared to normal tissues. The amine oxidase enzymes can generate cytotoxic products such as hydrogen peroxide and aldehydes from these polyamines. This study investigates the mechanisms of cell death in B16-F0 mouse melanoma tumor cells e...

The relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) and dietary profile, with a focus on polyamine intake, was investigated in 35 Asian countries. Data on food supply, GDP, and health condition were collected from databases of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Health Organization, respectively. The amount of polyamine intake from food was estimated using polya...

In our earlier work we showed that either spermidine or spermine could support the growth of spe2Delta or spe3Delta polyamine-requiring mutants, but it was unclear whether the cells had a specific requirement for either of these amines. In the current work, we demonstrate that spermidine is specifically required for the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We were able to show this specificity b...

Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach elicits a vigorous but ineffective host immune and inflammatory response, resulting in persistence of the bacterium for the life of the host. We have reported that in macrophages, H. pylori up-regulates inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and antimicrobial NO production, but in parallel there is induction of arginase II, generating ornithine, and of ornithi...