Biomaterial Database

Cell surface gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in live cultures. 1991

K Morgenstern, and O Hanson-Painton, and L De Bault

Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73190.

A physiological assay for measuring surface accessible gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in adherent, living cultures is described. Cell surface transpeptidase activity remained linear throughout a 60-min time course over a wide range of cell densities. In addition, the assay conditions have neither acute nor long-term effects on cell growth potential, cellular morphology, or cell surface transpeptidase activity levels. As a result, cell surface transpeptidase activity can be continually evaluated in the same cultures during proliferation. The assay appears to be specific for cell surface transpeptidase and can be used to study the partitioning of the enzyme between substrate-accessible and substrate-inaccessible pools. This method utilizes an automated microtiter plate reader for the spectrophotometric quantification of small aliquots removed from cultures incubated with the chromogenic substrate L-gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide. The use of a microtiter plate autoreader and the minimal handling of the cells permit a large number of cultures to be assayed with a substantial reduction in the time required to measure surface transpeptidase activity. The assay described is a nondestructive means for studying cell surface-accessible gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase catalytic activity within the microenvironment of the living culture.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D002452	Cell Count	The number of CELLS of a specific kind, usually measured per unit volume or area of sample.	Cell Density,Cell Number,Cell Counts,Cell Densities,Cell Numbers,Count, Cell,Counts, Cell,Densities, Cell,Density, Cell,Number, Cell,Numbers, Cell
D002462	Cell Membrane	The lipid- and protein-containing, selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.	Plasma Membrane,Cytoplasmic Membrane,Cell Membranes,Cytoplasmic Membranes,Membrane, Cell,Membrane, Cytoplasmic,Membrane, Plasma,Membranes, Cell,Membranes, Cytoplasmic,Membranes, Plasma,Plasma Membranes
D002471	Cell Transformation, Neoplastic	Cell changes manifested by escape from control mechanisms, increased growth potential, alterations in the cell surface, karyotypic abnormalities, morphological and biochemical deviations from the norm, and other attributes conferring the ability to invade, metastasize, and kill.	Neoplastic Transformation, Cell,Neoplastic Cell Transformation,Transformation, Neoplastic Cell,Tumorigenic Transformation,Cell Neoplastic Transformation,Cell Neoplastic Transformations,Cell Transformations, Neoplastic,Neoplastic Cell Transformations,Neoplastic Transformations, Cell,Transformation, Cell Neoplastic,Transformation, Tumorigenic,Transformations, Cell Neoplastic,Transformations, Neoplastic Cell,Transformations, Tumorigenic,Tumorigenic Transformations
D005723	gamma-Glutamyltransferase	An enzyme, sometimes called GGT, with a key role in the synthesis and degradation of GLUTATHIONE; (GSH, a tripeptide that protects cells from many toxins). It catalyzes the transfer of the gamma-glutamyl moiety to an acceptor amino acid.	GGTP,Glutamyl Transpeptidase,gammaglutamyltransferase,gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase,Transpeptidase, Glutamyl,Transpeptidase, gamma-Glutamyl,gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase,gamma Glutamyltransferase
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001253	Astrocytes	A class of large neuroglial (macroglial) cells in the central nervous system - the largest and most numerous neuroglial cells in the brain and spinal cord. Astrocytes (from "star" cells) are irregularly shaped with many long processes, including those with "end feet" which form the glial (limiting) membrane and directly and indirectly contribute to the BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER. They regulate the extracellular ionic and chemical environment, and "reactive astrocytes" (along with MICROGLIA) respond to injury.	Astroglia,Astroglia Cells,Astroglial Cells,Astrocyte,Astroglia Cell,Astroglial Cell,Astroglias,Cell, Astroglia,Cell, Astroglial
D001322	Autoanalysis	Method of analyzing chemicals using automation.	Autoanalyses
D013053	Spectrophotometry	The art or process of comparing photometrically the relative intensities of the light in different parts of the spectrum.
D013379	Substrate Specificity	A characteristic feature of enzyme activity in relation to the kind of substrate on which the enzyme or catalytic molecule reacts.	Specificities, Substrate,Specificity, Substrate,Substrate Specificities