Isolation and characterization of the two active fractions from porcine brain phosphofructokinase purified by affinity chromatography

Phosphofructokinase was purified from porcine brain by the successive affinity chromatographies of Blue-Sepharose and ATP-agarose. The purified enzyme was found to contain three subunits, namely, the L-, M- and C-type by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The purified enzyme separated into the two active fractions through gel filtration (FIs and FIIs). SDS-PAGE revealed that the FIs contained the L- and M-type subunits, while the FIIs contained the M- and C-type. The FIIs preparation was more sensitive to ATP inhibition, ADP activation and citrate inhibition than the FIs.     

Purification and characterization of protein kinase C epsilon from rabbit brain.

Protein kinase C epsilon was chromatographically purified from rabbit brain to electrophoretic homogeneity. We identified the enzyme as the epsilon species of novel-type protein kinase C (nPKC epsilon), originally discovered and defined by cDNA cloning [Ohno, S., et al. (1988) Cell 53, 731-741], on the basis of the following observations: (i) the enzyme reacts specifically with an antipeptidic antiserum to nPKC epsilon but not with antisera to any of the other molecular species of PKC thus far known; (ii) it exhibits enzymatic behavior essentially identical to that of a recombinant nPKC epsilon purified from transfected COS cells [Konno, Y., et al. (1989) J. Biochem. 106, 673-678] and distinct from that of conventional PKC (alpha, beta I/II, and gamma) in its dependence on magnesium concentration and cofactors such as phospholipids, calcium, and phorbol ester; and (iii) it has an apparent molecular weight of 95.7K +/- 0.4K on SDS-PAGE, significantly greater than the other conventional and novel PKCs thus far identified. Notably, calcium exhibits a complex effect, both positive and negative, on the kinase activity of epsilon depending on the kind of substrate and the coexisting phospholipid, calling for a modification of the current notion that epsilon is a kinase unresponsive to calcium. The amount of epsilon species in the brain was estimated to be comparable to that of each conventional species, indicating that epsilon stands as one of the major PKC family members in brain. Furthermore, the enzyme shows a broader substrate spectrum than conventional PKC when examined with endogenous substrates, implying that it may cover a wider or different range of physiological functions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Isolation and characterization of cathepsin B from rabbit testis

Cathepsin B (EC 3.4.22.1) has been purified from rabbit testes to apparent homogeneity by chromatography on DE-52, affinity chromatography on organomercurial agarose and subsequent gel filtrations on Sephadex G-75. The enzyme is composed of a single polypeptide of Mr 23,000. Thiol blocking agents and leupeptin abolished the activity of the enzyme completely. The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 6.0 and 43 degrees C, required 2 mM-cysteine for the optimal activity and had a Km1.45 X 10(-3) M using Z-Arg-beta-naphthylamide as the substrate. However, Z-Arg-Arg-beta-naphthylamide was 12 times more sensitive as a substrate than was Z-Arg-beta-naphthylamide. Rabbit testicular cathepsin B hydrolysed intact proteins. An endogenous inhibitor isolated from the rabbit testes inhibited purified Cathepsin B.     

Isolation and characterization of L-fucose dehydrogenase from rabbit liver

L-Fucose dehydrogenase [EC 1.1.1.122] was isolated from a rabbit liver extract and purified about 390-fold with a yield of approximately 13%. The purification procedures included treatment with protamine, ammonium sulfate fractionation, treatment with acid, DE-32 celluose colum chromatography, gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and affinity chromatography on 5' AMP-Sepharose 4B. The last procedure, affinity chromatography on 5' AMP-Sephadex 4B, was useful for the removal of other dehydrogenases. The eznyme which was homogeneous, as shown by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, had a molecular weight of about 92,000. The optimum pH was at 10.0 and isoelectric point at 5.2. The enzyme accepted both L-fucose and D-arabinose as substrate, but was specific for NAD+ as coenzyme. Km values were 0.15 mM, 1.4 mM, and 0.7 mM for L-fucose, D-arabinose, and NAD+, respectively. A single enzyme catalyzed the oxidation of L-fucose and D-arabinose, which had the same configurations of hydroxyl groups from C-2 to C-4. The reaction products obtained with L-fucose as substrate were L-fucono-lactone and L-fuconic acid. The L-fucono-lactone was an immediate product of oxidation and was hydrolyzed to L-fuconic acid spontaneously. This reaction was irreversible. Therefore, it is likely that L-fucose dehydrogenase is involved in the initial step of the catabolic pathway of L-fucose in rabbit liver.     

Isolation and characterization of calcineurin from bovine brain

Calcineurin was isolated from bovine cerebrum extracts by sequential chromatography on Affi-Gel blue and calmodulin affinity columns. Calcineurin so isolated was approximately 90% pure and was composed of equimolar amounts of subunit A (Mr = 61 000-63 000) and subunit B (Mr = 15 000-17 000) when examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. A polypeptide (less than 10%) with Mr = 71 000 whose function and role remains to be investigated, was routinely detected in the calcineurin preparation. Both inhibitory activity (towards calmodulin-dependent cAMP phosphodiesterase) and phosphatase activity (with 32P-labelled myelin basic protein as substrate) were associated with calcineurin as evidenced by (i) coelution from Affi-Gel blue, Affi-Gel calmodulin, diethythaminoethyl-Sepharose, and Sephacryl S-200 chromatography columns; (ii) association with the same protein band on nondenaturing gels; (iii) similar stability upon storage at 4 degrees C and with repeated freezing and thawing; and (iv) parallel heat inactivation. Phosphatase activity of calcineurin was maximal with 32P-labelled myelin basic protein as the substrate. Using this substrate, enzyme activity was generally stimulated 5- to 10-fold in the presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin; half-maximal activation (A0.5) was observed with 25 nM calmodulin. Calmodulin increased the Vmax of the reaction without affecting the Km for the substrate. Optimum temperature and pH for the reaction were 45 degrees C and 7, respectively, in both the absence and presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Isolation and characterization of flavin-linked glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from rabbit skeletal muscle mitochondria and comparison with the enzyme from rabbit brain

Mitochondrial glycerol-3-P dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.99.5) has been purified in 20% yield from both rabbit skeletal muscle and brain using a four step procedure involving osmotic shock, solubilization with Triton X-100, hydrophobic chromatography, gel filtration, and preparative column isoelectrofocusing. The active muscle and brain enzymes were found to be 95% and 80% homogeneous, respectively. Final purification was performed on the denatured subunit. The active enzyme from each of the tissues focused at pH 5.25 +/- 0.12 and each produced similar biphasic thermal inactivation plots at 50 degrees C. Mixtures of the purified brain and muscle enzymes co-migrated in discontinuous electrophoresis gels and each enzyme exhibited a single polypeptide component on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gels either when run separately or in mixtures. The subunit molecular weight was shown to be 76,000 +/- 3,000 by SDS-gel electrophoresis and gel filtration in 6 M guanidine HCl. One mole of noncovalently bound FAD and 1 mole of iron were measured per Mr = 100,000. The amino acid composition was determined based on the assumption of 70 aspartate residues per subunit to give a Mr = 76,000. The absorption spectrum has a maximum at 416 nm and a shoulder at 450 to 460 nm which is bleached on treatment with sodium dithionite. The maximum at 416 nm is removed by treatment with mersalyl.     

Isolation and characterization of a mannan-binding protein from rabbit serum

A binding protein which recognizes mannose and N-acetylglucosamine has been isolated from rabbit serum to apparent homogeneity. The serum binding protein was nearly identical to the mannan-binding protein isolated previously from rabbit liver [Kawasaki, T., Etoh, R. and Yamashina, I. (1978) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. $\text{81}$, 1018–1024] in respect of immunochemical properties and subunit profiles, but could be differentiated from the liver protein in its larger molecular size and inferior sensitivity to monosaccharides as haptenic inhibitors of the binding to ¹²⁵I-mannan. A postulation was made that the plasma was, comparable with the liver, a major locus of mannan-binding protein in the rabbit.     

Isolation and characterization of glycogen branching enzyme from rabbit liver

Glycogen branching enzyme was isolated from rabbit liver. The highly purified enzyme shows a monomer molecular weight of 71 000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and apparent molecular weights of 93 000 by sucrose density gradient sedimentation and 52 000 by gel-exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-300. No glucosamine, mannosamine, galactosamine, or sialic acid was detected in the protein. An amino acid analysis is reported. The spectrum of branching enzyme is that of a simple polypeptide, with A1%280nm = 24.6. Highly purified branching enzyme consists of several closely related active enzyme forms that can be resolved by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel. The major species of pI 5.7 is flanked by less abundant forms of pI 5.6 and 5.8. Seemingly identical enzyme forms are observed in crude extracts of rabbit liver, skeletal muscle, brain, and heart, although the absolute and relative concentrations vary among the tissues. Branching enzyme apparently does not exhibit tissue-specific isoenzymes.     

The isolation and characterization of differentially phosphorylated fractions of phosphofructokinase from rabbit skeletal muscle.

A preparation of phosphofructokinase from rabbit skeletal muscle is described which exploits the association-dissociation properties of the enzyme. Phosphofructokinase to prepared is partially phosphorylated and may be fractioned into three distinct species with sedimentation coefficients of 30 S, 18 S and 13 S by chromatography of agarose gels, hydroxyapatite or DEAE-cellulose. Measurements of alkali-labile phosphate content (phosphoserine and/or phosphothreonine) show that fractions consisting almost exclusively of 30-S species and fractions consisting predominantly of 18-S and 13-S species contain approximately 0.15 and 0.29 mol of phosphate per phosphofructokinase monomer (Mr = 80000) respectively. The results are interpreted in terms of at least two 13-S components which differ in their phosphate contents and also in their self-association properties. The possible significance of phosphorylation is discussed.     

Isolation and characterization of plasma membranes from rabbit skeletal muscle

An improved procedure was developed for the isolation of skeletal muscle plasma membranes. This method includes a DNAse treatment of the homogenate prior to the isolation of membranes by differential and sucrose gradient centrifugation techniques. We obtained two light fractions which were highly enriched in many biochemical and chemical plasma membrane markers. These fractions were shown to be mostly inside-out vesicles containing a Ca2+-ATPase activity. These results suggested that this enzyme could participate in the extrusion of calcium ions from the muscle cells.     

Isolation and characterization of a mannan-binding protein from rabbit liver

A membrane protein which binds mannan has been isolated from rabbit liver by affinity chromatography. Upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a single major band was recovered with an estimated molecular weight of 31,000. When assayed as inhibitors, N-acetylmannosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, and mannose were potent inhibitors of mannan binding; N-acetylgalactosamine and mannose-6-phosphate were inert. Glycoproteins with terminal N-acetylglucosamine and/or mannose residues which are cleared rapidly from the circulation by the liver were the most potent inhibitors. On the basis of these results, it is proposed that the mannan-binding protein is the principle mediating the hepatic uptake of glycoproteins with terminal N-acetylglucosamine and/or mannose residues.     

Isolation and characterization of two different forms of inositol phospholipid-specific phospholipase C from rat brain

Two different forms of inositol phospholipid-specific phospholipase C (PLC) have been purified 2810- and 4010-fold, respectively, from a crude extract of rat brain. The purification procedures consisted of chromatography of both enzymes on Affi-Gel blue and cellulose phosphate, followed by three sequential high performance liquid chromatography steps, which were different for the two enzymes. The resultant preparations each contained homogeneous enzyme with a Mr of 85,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. One of these enzymes (PLC-II) was found to hydrolyze phosphatidyl-inositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) at a rate of 15.3 mumol/min/mg of protein and also phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate and phosphatidylinositol (PI) at slower rates. For hydrolysis of PI, this enzyme was activated by an acidic pH and a high concentration of Ca2+ and showed a Vmax value of 19.2 mumol/min/mg of protein. The other enzyme (PLC-III) catalyzed hydrolysis of PIP2 preferentially at a Vmax rate of 12.9 mumol/min/mg of protein and catalyzed that of phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate slightly. The rate of PIP2 hydrolysis by this enzyme exceeded that of PI under all conditions tested. Neither of these enzymes had any activity on phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, or phosphatidic acid. These two enzymes showed not only biochemical but also structural differences. Western blotting showed that antibodies directed against PLC-II did not react with PLC-III. Furthermore, the two enzymes gave different peptide maps after digestion with alpha-chymotrypsin or Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. These results suggest that these two forms of PLC belong to different families of PLC.     

Isolation and characterization of glial filaments from human brain

Intermediate (8--9 nm) filaments of human central nervous system astrocytes were isolated from the gliosed white matter of cases of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). This hereditary lipidosis is characterized pathologically by demyelination, loss of axons, and replacement of the white matter of the caudal cerebrum by a glial scar. Glial filaments were composed largely of a single protein component with a mol wt of about 49,000 daltons. Smaller components (44,000--39,000 daltons) were detected in some samples, and appear to represent degradation products of the filament protein. Human neurofilaments were isolated from the normal frontal white matter of ALD cases by the standard myelin-free axon technique. Isolated glial and neurofilament proteins comigrated during acrylamide gel electrophoresis in SDS. Polypeptides resulting from cyanogen bromide cleavage of the two filament proteins were the same. Both proteins reacted with rabbit antisera raised against isolated bovine neurofilament protein and human glial fibrillary acidic protein.     

Isolation and characterization of galanin from sheep brain.

Galanin is a well-known, naturally occurring peptide, which has been characterized from both cDNA sequences and direct peptide analysis. Previous structural studies have been made using intestinally derived material. This report concerns galanin isolation from sheep brain and its sequence determination. Sheep galanin shows great similarity to pig galanin, differing by one amino acid substitution, that being a histidine residue, as in cow and rat galanin, instead of tyrosine at position 26.     

Isolation and characterization of cathepsin B from bovine brain

Cathepsin B (EC 3.4.22.1) was purified 746-fold with a 21% recovery from bovine brain by autolysis, fractional precipitation with acetone, carboxy-methyl-Sephadex chromatography, affinity chromatography on a cystamine containing column and gel filtration chromatography. The purified cathepsin B eluted on gel filtration with an apparent molecular weight of 27,000 but was resolved into three bands of 30,000, 25,000 and 5,000 molecular weight by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE). Antibodies to cathepsin B, raised against the 30,000 dalton band, were shown by immunoblots to react with both the 30,000 and 25,000 dalton proteins with results suggesting that the former predominated as the immunoreactive form in bovine brain homogenates. Isoelectric focusing demonstrated multiple bands, ranging from pH 4.75–5.2 with the major band at pH 5.1–5.2, all of which were capable of degrading N-carbobenzoxy-l-arginyl-l-arginine 4-methoxy--naphthylamide. The cathepsin B activity against N-benzoyl-dl-arginine -naphthylamide (BANA) and bovine myelin basic protein (MBP) had a pH optimum of pH 6.0. The Km for the degradation of BANA was 1.0 mM and 5.1 mM when assayed in the presence of 1% and 2.5% dimethylsulfoxide, respectively. Cathepsin B from bovine brain has many properties similar to cathepsin B isolated from other organs. The degradative effect of cathepsin B on MBP suggests a role for this proteinase in inflammatory demyelination.     

Isolation and characterization of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase A, B and C from rat brain nuclei

Abstract— DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activities were solubilized from the brain nuclei of young rats. Six forms of RNA polymerases were distinguished on DEAE-Sephadex A-25 chromatography and designated A, BI, BII, CI, CII, and Oil by their sensitivities to α-amanitin. CII enzyme was shown to derive from CIII enzyme by serine-protease digestion. CI enzyme was also suggested to be a product of a proteolytic process. Using a DNA template, enzyme A was completely resistant to α-amanitin; BI and BII enzymes were equally sensitive to this toxin (50% inhibition at 0.006 μg/ml); while C enzymes showed intermediate sensitivity (50% inhibition at 30 μg/ml). When poly[d(A-T)] was used as a template, α-amanitin sensitivities were altered in A, CI, CII, and CIII enzymes without any change in the BII enzyme. CI, CII and CIII enzymes were greatly stimulated by poly[d(A-T)], whereas A and BII enzymes were only slightly stimulated. All six forms of RNA polymerases were extensively characterized with respect to their ammonium sulphate optima, effects of divalent metal ions, template requirements and pH optima, using DNA and poly[d(A-T)] as templates. The results show new findings in several properties and supply basic data for discussion and future studies on RNA metabolism of the brain.     

Isolation and characterization of macrophages-foam cells from aorta of hypercholesterolemic rabbit

Evidence has accumulatd to support the hypothesis that atherosclerosis involves lipid imbalance as well as inflammatory responses mediated by macrophage and foam cells. These findings have been based on animal models. To rationalize animal use and to propose an alternative biological model, a technique was standardized for macrophage-foam cell isolation and culture. The cultures were characterized by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of nonspecific esterases and histochemical staining. This method has not been applied previously for the characterization of the non specific esterases from leucocytes. The biological model presented here can be used to study macrophage-foam cell responses related to atherosclerosis.     

Isolation and characterization of ciliary neurotrophic factor from rabbit sciatic nerves

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has been purified 35,000-fold to homogeneity from rabbit sciatic nerves using its ability to promote the survival of chick embryo ciliary ganglion neurons as the bioassay. The purification involved a combination of acid treatment, ammonium sulfate fractionation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, chromatofocusing, preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Overlapping peptide sequences were obtained which accounted for 49% of the primary structure of the molecule. This information was used to prepare synthetic peptides in order to elicit antibodies. Purified CNTF exhibited two major and several minor bands between 24 and 22 kDa on silver-stained sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels. All of the molecular forms were immunostained in Western blots by antiserum to synthetic peptides. The peptide sequences also provided a basis for cloning and expression of the rabbit CNTF gene (Lin, L-F. H., Mismer, D., Lile, J. D., Armes, L. G., Butler, E. T., III, Vannic, J. L., and Collins, F. (1989) Science 246, 1023-1025) confirming that the protein purified as reported here is CNTF.