The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases

The polyamines, putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, are major polybasic compounds in all living cells. These amines have been shown to be important for many systems related to growth and differentiation. We have been interested in how these polyamines are synthesized, how their biosynthesis and degradation are regulated, their physiologic functions, and how they act in vivo. For this purpose we have constructed null mutants in each of the biosynthetic steps in both Escherichia coli and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These mutants are unable to make these amines, and hence they are very useful tools to study the physiological effects due to their deprivation. Our present studies are directed at extending our studies on the biochemistry, regulation, and genetics of these amines and of the biosynthetic enzymes in S. cerevisiae. Our older work plus our current work has demonstrated that the polyamines are required for growth of the organisms, for sporulation, for maintenance of the killer dsRNA virus, for protection against oxidative damage, for protection against elevated temperatures, for fidelity of protein biosynthesis, and for the maintenance of mitochondria. Clones have been constructed that overproduce the various enzymes, and the sequence and structural characteristics of these enzymes have been studied. We have concentrated particularly on the structure and regulation of ornithine decarboxylase, spermidine synthase, spermine synthase, and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase.

Chattopadhyay MK, Tabor CW, Tabor H Methylthioadenosine and polyamine biosynthesis in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae meu1delta mutant. Biochem Biophys Res Commun (343): 203-7, 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Chattopadhyay MK, Tabor CW, Tabor H Polyamine deficiency leads to accumulation of reactive oxygen species in a spe2Delta mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast (23): 751-61, 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Chattopadhyay MK, Tabor CW, Tabor H Studies on the regulation of ornithine decarboxylase in yeast: effect of deletion in the MEU1 gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (102): 16158-63, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Chattopadhyay MK, Tabor CW, Tabor H Polyamines protect Escherichia coli cells from the toxic effect of oxygen. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (100): 2261-5, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Chattopadhyay MK, Tabor CW, Tabor H Spermidine but not spermine is essential for hypusine biosynthesis and growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: spermine is converted to spermidine in vivo by the FMS1-amine oxidase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (100): 13869-74, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Chattopadhyay MK, Tabor CW, Tabor H Absolute requirement of spermidine for growth and cell cycle progression of fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (99): 10330-4, 2002. [Full Text/Abstract]

Gupta R, Hamasaki-Katagiri N, White Tabor C, Tabor H Effect of spermidine on the in vivo degradation of ornithine decarboxylase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (98): 10620-3, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H It all started on a streetcar in Boston. Annu Rev Biochem (68): 1-32, 1999. [Full Text/Abstract]

Balasundaram D, Tabor CW, Tabor H Sensitivity of spermidine-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae to paromomycin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother (43): 1314-6, 1999. [Full Text/Abstract]

Hamasaki-Katagiri N Katagiri Y Tabor CW Tabor H Spermine is not essential for growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: identification of the SPE4 gene (spermine synthase) and characterization of a spe4 deletion mutant. Gene (210): 195-201, 1998. [Full Text/Abstract]

Balasundaram D, Dinman JD, Tabor CW, Tabor H SPE1 and SPE2: two essential genes in the biosynthesis of polyamines that modulate +1 ribosomal frameshifting in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Bacteriol (176): 7126-8, 1994. [Full Text/Abstract]

Balasundaram D, Dinman JD, Wickner RB, Tabor CW, Tabor H Spermidine deficiency increases +1 ribosomal frameshifting efficiency and inhibits Ty1 retrotransposition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (91): 172-6, 1994. [Full Text/Abstract]

Balasundaram D Dinman JD Wickner RB Tabor CW Tabor H Spermidine deficiency increases +1 ribosomal frameshifting efficiency and inhibits Ty1 retrotransposition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (91): 172-6, 1994. [Full Text/Abstract]

Xie QW Tabor CW Tabor H Deletion mutations in the speED operon: spermidine is not essential for the growth of Escherichia coli. Gene (126): 115-7, 1993. [Full Text/Abstract]

Xie QW Tabor CW Tabor H Ornithine decarboxylase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: chromosomal assignment and genetic mapping of the SPE1 gene. Yeast (6): 455-60, 1990. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW Tabor H The speEspeD operon of Escherichia coli. Formation and processing of a proenzyme form of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. J Biol Chem (262): 16037-40, 1987. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H Polyamines in microorganisms. Microbiol Rev (49): 81-99, 1985. [Full Text/Abstract]

Boyle SM, Markham GD, Hafner EW, Wright JM, Tabor H, Tabor CW Expression of the cloned genes encoding the putrescine biosynthetic enzymes and methionine adenosyltransferase of Escherichia coli (speA, speB, speC and metK). Gene (30): 129-36, 1984. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H Polyamines. Annu Rev Biochem (53): 749-90, 1984. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tyagi AK, Wickner RB, Tabor CW, Tabor H Specificity of polyamine requirements for the replication and maintenance of different double-stranded RNA plasmids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (81): 1149-53, 1984. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H, Hafner EW, Markham GD, Boyle SM Cloning of the Escherichia coli genes for the biosynthetic enzymes for polyamines. Methods Enzymol (94): 117-21, 1983. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Tabor CW Glutathionylspermidine. Methods Enzymol (94): 434-7, 1983. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H, Hafner EH Mass screening for mutants in the biosynthetic pathway for polyamines in Escherichia coli: a general method for mutants in enzymatic reactions producing CO2. Methods Enzymol (94): 83-91, 1983. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Tabor CW, Cohn MS Mass screening for mutants in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods Enzymol (94): 104-8, 1983. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H Quantitative determination of naturally occurring aliphatic diamines and polyamines by an automated liquid chromatography procedure. Methods Enzymol (94): 29-36, 1983. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tyagi AK, Tabor H, Tabor CW Inactivation of yeast ornithine decarboxylase by polyamines in vivo does not result from the incorporation of polyamines into enzyme protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun (109): 533-40, 1982. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Tabor CW Polyamine requirement for efficient translation of amber codons in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (79): 7087-91, 1982. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H, Tyagi AK, Cohn MS The biochemistry, genetics, and regulation of polyamine biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fed Proc (41): 3084-8, 1982. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tyagi AK, Tabor CW, Tabor H Ornithine decarboxylase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Purification, properties, and regulation of activity. J Biol Chem (256): 12156-63, 1981. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H Polyamine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: construction of polyamine-deficient mutants. Med Biol (59): 389-93, 1981. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Tabor CW, Cohn MS, Hafner EW Streptomycin resistance (rpsL) produces an absolute requirement for polyamines for growth of an Escherichia coli strain unable to synthesize putrescine and spermidine [delta(speA-speB) delta specC]. J Bacteriol (147): 702-4, 1981. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Hafner EW, Tabor CW Construction of an Escherichia coli strain unable to synthesize putrescine, spermidine, or cadaverine: characterization of two genes controlling lysine decarboxylase. J Bacteriol (144): 952-6, 1980. [Full Text/Abstract]

Cohn MS, Tabor CW, Tabor H Regulatory mutations affecting ornithine decarboxylase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Bacteriol (142): 791-9, 1980. [Full Text/Abstract]

Hafner EW, Tabor CW, Tabor H Mutants of Escherichia coli that do not contain 1,4-diaminobutane (putrescine) or spermidine. J Biol Chem (254): 12419-26, 1979. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H, Hafner EW Escherichia coli mutants completely deficient in adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and in spermidine biosynthesis. J Biol Chem (253): 3671-6, 1978. [Full Text/Abstract]

Cohn MS, Tabor CW, Tabor H Isolation and characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants deficient in S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, spermidine, and spermine. J Bacteriol (134): 208-13, 1978. [Full Text/Abstract]

Cohn MS, Tabor CW, Tabor H, Wickner RB Spermidine or spermine requirement for killer double-stranded RNA plasmid replication in yeast. J Biol Chem (253): 5225-7, 1978. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H 1,4-Diaminobutane (putrescine), spermidine, and spermine. Annu Rev Biochem (45): 285-306, 1976. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Tabor CW Glutathionylspermidine in Escherichia coli. Ital J Biochem (25): 70-6, 1976. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Tabor CW Isolation, characterization, and turnover of glutathionylspermidine from Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem (250): 2648-54, 1975. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Tabor CW, Irreverre F Quantitative determination of aliphatic diamines and polyamines by an automated liquid chromatography procedure. Anal Biochem (55): 457-67, 1973. [Full Text/Abstract]

Bowman WH, Tabor CW, Tabor H Spermidine biosynthesis. Purification and properties of propylamine transferase from Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem (248): 2480-6, 1973. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor H, Tabor CW Biosynthesis and metabolism of 1,4-diaminobutane, spermidine, spermine, and related amines. Adv Enzymol Relat Areas Mol Biol (36): 203-68, 1972. [Full Text/Abstract]

Tabor CW, Tabor H Transport systems for 1,4-diaminobutane, spermidine, and spermine in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem (241): 3714-23, 1966. [Full Text/Abstract]

TABOR CW, TABOR H, BACHRACH U IDENTIFICATION OF THE AMINOALDEHYDES PRODUCED BY THE OXIDATION OF SPERMINE AND SPERMIDINE WITH PURIFIED PLASMA AMINE OXIDASE. J Biol Chem (239): 2194-203, 1964. [Full Text/Abstract]

KAISER D, TABOR H, TABOR CW Spermine protection of coliphage lambda DNA against breakage by hydrodynamic shear. J Mol Biol (6): 141-7, 1963. [Full Text/Abstract]