Purification and properties of a membrane-bound insulin binding protein, a putative receptor, from Neurospora crassa.

The protein that is responsible for specific, high-affinity binding of insulin to the surface of Neurospora crassa cells has been purified to homogeneity. The insulin binding activity of solubilized plasma membranes resembled that of intact cells with regard to affinity of binding, specificity for mammalian insulins, and amount of insulin bound per cell. Insulin binding activity was purified from Triton X-100 solubilized membranes in two steps: FPLC on a MonoQ HR5/5 column; and affinity chromatography on insulin-agarose. The pure material migrated as a single band of ca. 66 kDa on SDS gels, pI = 7.4 by isoelectric focusing. The protein bound 5.34 pmol of insulin/micrograms, or 35% of that expected for univalent binding. Cross-linking of 125I-insulin to pure protein or to solubilized membranes revealed a single labeled band of 67-70 kDa on SDS gels. In nonreducing native gels, two labeled bands of ca. 55 and 110 kDa were produced after cross-linking, and two bands of similar molecular weight bound iodinated insulin after transfer to nitrocellulose filters. These may correspond to active monomer and dimer forms. The pure protein possessed no protein kinase activity against itself, or against exogenous substrates (histone H2, casein, or the synthetic peptide Glu80-Tyr20), and possessed no detectable phosphorylated amino acids. It is suggested, however, that this 66-kDa protein is the "receptor" that mediates insulin-induced downstream metabolic effects.     

Solubilization of the 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol-stimulated low density lipoprotein receptor of male rat liver

Pharmacological doses of 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol induce a low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor in the liver of male rats. Our aim was to solubilize this receptor. Isolated liver membranes (8,000-100,000 g fraction) from male rats treated with 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol and from control rats were solubilized in 1% (w/v) Triton X-100. Using Amberlite XAD-2, more than 90% of the detergent was then removed. Liposomes were prepared by precipitating the solubilized proteins with acetone in the presence of phosphatidylcholine. The receptor activity of these liposomes was assayed using human 125I-labeled LDL. Filtration was used to separate bound from free 125I-labeled LDL. The assay was optimized; 0.25 mM CaCl2, 25 mM NaCl, pH 8.0, were chosen as the standard conditions. Binding of 125I-labeled LDL was dependent on Ca2+. Liposomes containing solubilized membrane proteins from treated rats displayed Ca2+-dependent binding which was 11 times higher than for control rats. The specific binding of 125I-labeled LDL was saturable with a Kd = 18 micrograms/ml. 125I-Labeled LDL was displaced by unlabeled lipoproteins containing apolipoproteins B and E and by dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes containing purified apolipoprotein E, but not by HDL3. The binding was abolished by pronase and was inhibited by suramin. Ligand blotting with 125I-labeled LDL revealed one band of protein with an apparent molecular weight of 133,000 daltons. These properties are characteristic of the low density lipoprotein receptor.     

Analysis of murine interferon-gamma binding to its receptor on intact cells and solubilized membranes. Identification of an 80 kDa receptor

The receptor for murine-interferon-gamma (Mu-IFN-gamma) has been characterized for its molecular size and equilibrium binding constant on a thymoma cell line, EL-4. Binding of 125I-IFN-gamma to intact cells and their solubilized membranes has shown a single class of receptor with Kd values of 1.9 x 10(-9) M and 1.3 x 10(-8) M, respectively. It was shown that solubilization of the Mu-IFN-gamma receptor with a Zwitterionic detergent (Chaps) preserves its binding activity. A direct comparison of the molecular mass of the Mu-IFN-gamma receptor on intact cells versus detergent-solubilized membranes was performed using a radiolabeled photoactivated crosslinking reagent and direct hybridization with 125I-labeled IFN-gamma on Western blots of solubilized receptor. The results indicate that both types of receptors have an identical molecular mass of approximately 80 kDa.     

Murine interleukin 1 receptor. Direct identification by ligand blotting and purification to homogeneity of an interleukin 1-binding glycoprotein

Functional receptors (IL1-R) for the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 (IL1) were solubilized from plasma membranes of the NOB-1 subclone of murine EL4 6.1 thymoma cells using the zwitterionic detergent 3[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS). Membrane extracts were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, and "ligand blotted" with 125I-labeled recombinant human IL1 alpha in order to reveal proteins capable of specifically binding IL1. A single polydisperse polypeptide of Mr approximately equal to 80,000 was identified in this way, which bound IL1 alpha and IL1 beta with the same affinity as the IL1-R on intact NOB-1 cells (approximately equal to 10(-10) M). The IL1-binding polypeptide was only seen in membranes from IL1-R-bearing cells and did not react with interleukin 2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, or interferon. IL1-R was purified to apparent homogeneity from solubilized NOB-1 membranes by affinity chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose and IL1 alpha-Sepharose. Gel electrophoresis and silver staining of purified preparations revealed a single protein of Mr approximately equal to 80,000 which reacted positively in the ligand-blotting procedure and which we identify as the ligand-binding moiety of the murine IL1-R. Purified IL1-R exhibited the same affinity and specificity as the receptor on intact cells. The relationship of this protein to proteins identified by covalent cross-linking studies is discussed.     

Characterization of rat skeletal muscle sarcolemmal insulin receptors and a sarcolemmal insulin binding inhibitor

When insulin receptors of rat skeletal muscle sarcolemmal vesicles were solubilized with Triton X-100, the specific binding of 125I-labeled insulin increased by more than 10-fold over that seen in the intact vesicles. Partial purification of the skeletal muscle insulin receptors on wheat germ agglutinin affinity columns increased the total insulin binding activity by 7-fold and reduced the Kd for insulin binding from 1.92 to 0.20 nM, suggesting that an inhibitor of insulin binding was removed by this purification step. This was confirmed when the unbound fractions of the affinity column were dialyzed and reconstituted with the insulin receptors. The inhibitory activity in the sarcolemmal extract could not be accounted for by the presence of Triton X-100. The skeletal muscle inhibitor was more potent in inhibiting insulin binding to skeletal muscle insulin receptors than to liver or adipose receptors. The inhibitor was very effective in inhibiting insulin binding to wheat germ agglutinin-purified IM-9 receptors, but had negligible effects on insulin binding to intact IM-9 cells. The properties of the alpha and beta subunits of the skeletal muscle insulin receptors appear to be the same as those of insulin receptors of other tissues: cross-linking of 125I-labeled insulin to the receptor revealed a band of 130,000 daltons, and insulin stimulated the phosphorylation of bands of 90,000 and 95,000 daltons in the receptor preparation. The skeletal muscle insulin binding inhibitor elutes from molecular sieves in a major 160,000-dalton peak and minor 75,000-dalton peak. The binding inhibitor is not inactivated by heat, by mercaptoethanol, or by trypsin, pepsin, or proteinase K. Collectively, these data suggest that the inhibitor may be a small molecule that aggregates with itself, with larger proteins, or with detergent micelles.     

Characterization of heparin-binding growth-associated factor receptor on NIH 3T3 cells.

Scatchard plot analysis of the binding of 125I-labeled heparin binding cell growth-associated factor (125I-HBGAF) to NIH 3T3 cells revealed a single class of high affinity receptors (-5000/cell) with kd of -0.6 nM. 125I-HBGAF was covalently cross-linked to the cell surface receptor on NIH 3T3 cells with disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS). Two 125I-HBGAF-cross-linked complexes of 170 kDa and 142 kDa were observed on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing and nonreducing conditions. The 125I-HBGAF-cross-linked complex formation was completely abolished in the presence of greater than or equal to 100-fold excess of unlabeled HBGAF but not PDGF, EGF, aFGF, bFGF, or insulin. 125I-HBGAF appeared to undergo rapid internalization and relatively slow degradation following binding to the HBGAF receptor on NIH 3T3 cells. These results suggest that NIH 3T3 cells express a high affinity HBGAF receptor which shows two different estimated molecular masses of -155 kDa and -127 kDa. This high affinity HBGAF receptor was also found to express in other cell types.     

Solubilization and Characterization of High Affinity Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptors from Porcine Granulosa Cells

Abstract

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-receptors were solubilized from immature porcine ovarian granulosa cells with retention of high affinity ¹²⁵I-porcine FSH-binding activity. The optimal concentration of Triton X-100 for solubilization was 0.5% (w/v), and the optimal cellular protein concentration 25 mg/ml. Glycerol (30%) increased recovery of solubilized receptor. ¹²⁵I-pFSH-binding affinity ranged from 4 × 10¹⁰ M^?1 to 8 × 10¹⁰ M^?1 inn either the absence or presence of glycerol. ¹²⁵I-pFSH-binding capacity was 5 fmol/mg protein in the absence of glycerol and 58 fmol/mg protein in the presence of glycerol as determined by equilibrium saturation binding analysis. By gel permeation chromatography, the apparent size of the ¹²⁵I-pFSH-receptor complex was 462 kDa in the absence of glycerol and 762 kDa in the presence of glycerol. Ligand blotting of solubilized receptor yielded a single species with an apparent molecular weight of 200 kDa under nonreducing conditions and a single species with an apparent molecular weight of 60 kDa under reducing conditions. These studies indicated that high affinity FSH-binding activity can be solubilized from membranes of immature porcine granulosa.     

Kinetics of receptor-mediated binding of tropoelastin to ligament fibroblasts

Soluble 125I-labeled tropoelastin bound to confluent cultures of bovine ligamentum nuchae fibroblasts and to fibroblast plasma membrane preparations in a time-dependent, saturable, and reversible manner. Scatchard analysis indicates that there are approximately 2 X 10(6) binding sites/cell with a binding efficiency (Kd) of 8 X 10(-9) M. Binding of tropoelastin to cells and membranes reached equilibrium by 90 min and was reversible with 50% of specifically bound material released by 40 min. Specific binding of tropoelastin to cells pre-treated with dilute trypsin solutions was reduced significantly when compared with controls. Four polypeptides of estimated molecular masses of 67, 61, 55, and 43 kDa were obtained from detergent extracts of plasma membranes by elution affinity chromatography on elastin-Affi-Gel. Our findings establish that elastin-specific binding proteins displaying characteristics of a true receptor are present on the surface of elastin-producing cells.     

Identification of the insulin receptor in undifferentiated and differentiated NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells by affinity labeling

Plasma membranes prepared from clonal NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells were sequentially incubated with 125I-labeled insulin (10 nM) and the bifunctional cross-linking agent disuccinimidyl suberate. This treatment resulted in the cross-linking of 125I-labeled insulin to a polypeptide that gave an apparent Mr of 135 000 on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresed in the presence of 10% beta-mercaptoethanol. Affinity labeling of this polypeptide was inhibited by the presence of 5 microM unlabeled insulin, but not by 1 microM unlabeled nerve growth factor. Using the same affinity labeling technique, 125I-labeled nerve growth factor (1 nM) did not label any polypeptide appreciably in the plasma membranes of NB-15 cells but labeled an Mr 145 000 and an Mr 115 000 species in PC-12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. The number of insulin binding sites per cell in the intact differentiated NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells was approx. 6-fold greater than that in the undifferentiated NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells as measured by specific binding assay, suggesting an increase of the number of insulin receptors in NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells during differentiation.     

Solubilization of rat liver vasopressin receptors as a complex with a guanine-nucleotide-binding protein and phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C.

Vasopressin V1 receptors were solubilized from rat liver plasma membranes with the detergent lysophosphatidylcholine. [[3H]Arginine]vasopressin (AVP) binding to the solubilized preparations was specific and saturable, with a dissociation constant of 0.6 nM. Cross-linking of [125I]vasopressin to the solubilized fraction, studied by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoretic analysis, demonstrated the presence of a 65 kDa band which was specifically labelled with [125I]vasopressin. Specific binding of [3H]AVP to these solubilized receptors was decreased by guanine nucleotides, but not by adenosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate. Addition of vasopressin increased specific binding of 35S-labelled guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[35S]) to the solubilized fractions, indicating co-solubilization of GTP-binding protein(s) [G-protein(s)] and vasopressin receptors. The solubilized fraction was insensitive to both cholera- and pertussistoxin treatment. Immunoblotting of the solubilized fraction with antibodies specific for a phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC I) demonstrated the presence of a 60 kDa protein. Anti-PI-PLC I antiserum immunoprecipitated solubilized vasopressin-binding sites from rat liver (V1), but not solubilized vasopressin-binding sites from hog kidney (V2). Similar results were obtained with an anti-PI-PLC I IgG affinity column. The solubilized (V1) receptors were enriched by ion-exchange and high-performance gel-filtration liquid chromatography. Vasopressin-binding activity was co-eluted with PI-PLC I and GTP[S]-binding activity on a DEAE-Sepharose column. The major vasopressin- and GTP[35S]-binding activities were co-eluted with PI-PLC I activity at approx. 240 kDa suggesting that vasopressin receptors from rat liver membranes can be solubilized as a complex of receptor-coupler-effector by using the detergent lysophosphatidycholine.     

The Qa-1 alloantigens. I. Identification and molecular weight characterization of glycoproteins controlled by the Qa-1a and Qa-1b alleles

Splenocytes from the Qa-Tla congenic strain pairs, A and A-Tlab or B6 and B6-Tlaa, were biosynthetically labeled with 3H-amino acids or cell surface labeled with 125I. Membrane proteins were solubilized with detergent and chromatographed on lentil lectin-Sepharose, and the resulting adherent pools were immunoprecipitated with antisera specific for determinants controlled by the Qa-1a and Qa-1b alleles, Qa-1.1 and Qa-1.2, respectively. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of immunoprecipitates from biosynthetically labeled preparations indicated that both the Qa-1.1 and Qa-1.2 antigens were glycoproteins with a m.w. of approximately 46,000. Qa-1.2 isolated from radioiodinated spleen cells similarly had a m.w. of 46,000. Analysis of anti-Qa-1.1 precipitates from 125I-labeled Qa-1a lysates demonstrated in addition to the 46,000 m.w. component, an electrophoretically heterogeneous protein or series of proteins in the m.w. range of 55,000 to 75,000. The specificity of these reactivities was shown by both antiserum and genetic control immunoprecipitations. These findings indicate that the Qa-1.1 and Qa-1.2 antigens are cell surface glycoproteins that are distinct from the TL antigens, and suggest a further complexity at the Qa-1--Tla locus.     

The surface glycoproteins of the HeLa cell. Internalization of wheat germ agglutinin-receptors.

The sensitivity of 125I-labeled sialoglycoproteins to neuraminidase digestion was used to monitor the loss of specific membrane glycoproteins from the cell surface in to the cytoplasmic compartment during lectin-mediated endocytosis. These studies demonstrated that a major portion of the surface glycoproteins had undergone internalization concurrently with wheat germ agglutinin in a time- and temperature-dependent process. The internalized 125I-labeled glycoproteins were associated with the small vesicle fraction and were present in the same relative proportion as they existed in the plasma membrane isolated from control untreated cells. Many of the 125I-labeled membrane proteins were shown to be receptors and were isolated after affinity chromatography of the solubilized plasma membranes on wheat germ agglutinin-agarose columns.     

Insulin-induced stimulation of protein phosphorylation in Neurospora crassa cells.

1) Insulin stimulated the phosphorylation of at least 14 discrete proteins in Neurospora crassa cells. Specific proteins were phosphorylated at serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues, as determined by phosphoamino acid analysis of discrete spots on two-dimensional gels. 2) Insulin stimulated the phosphorylation by [gamma-32P]ATP of at least six discrete proteins in solubilized N. crassa membrane preparations at serine and tyrosine residues. 3) A phosphotyrosine-containing protein of 38 kDa, pI 7.0-7.2, reacted by both immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation with antiserum to P2, a peptide from the human insulin receptor that contains an autophosphorylated tyrosine residue. In N. crassa cells, therefore, as in mammalian cells, insulin induces a variety of protein phosphorylations, some of which may be part of an evolutionarily conserved signal transduction pathway.     

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor binding in bovine anterior pituitary

Synthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was monoiodinated at a high specific radioactivity with 125I. The iodinated hormone retained full biological activity as assessed by the release of luteinizing hormone in vitro from bovine anterior pituitary tissue slices. Specific binding of 125I-labeled gonadotropin-releasing hormone of high affinity and low capacity was obtained using dispersed bovine anterior pituitary cells. The binding had sigmoid characteristics, compatible with the presence of more than one binding site. The subcellular fraction responsible for binding was identified with the plasma membranes. However, significant binding also occurred in the secretory granules fraction. The plasma membranes were solubilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Using gonadotropin-releasing hormone covalently coupled to a solid phase, a protein was purified by an affinity technique from the solubilized plasma membrane preparation which possessed similar binding propperties as plasma membranes, both intact and solubilized. The protein migrated as a single component on polyacrylamide gel in sodium dodecyl sulfate and the estimated molecular weight was 60 000. The character of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone concentration dependence binding as well as association kinetics were multiphasic and suggested the presence of more than one binding site. When analyzed by the Hill plot, the Hill coefficient of all binding curves was always greater than one which is compatible with positive cooperativity. This was further supported by the dissociation studies where the dissociation rate was inversely proportionate to both the gonadotropin-releasing hormone concentration and the time interval during which the gonadotropin-releasing hormone-gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor protein complex was formed. Using difference chromatography, aggregation of the purified gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor protein was demonstrated to occur upon its exposure to gonadotropin-releasing hormone. The formed macromolecular complexes bound preferentially 125I-labeled gonadotropin-releasing hormone. It is concluded that a single receptor protein is responsible for gonadotropin-releasing hormone binding in the bovine anterior pituitary. It is a part of the plasma membranes. Its interaction with gonadotropin-releasing hormone provokes transitions of the protein into different allosteric forms and this may be related to the biological effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone on gonadotropin secretion.     

Interactions between insulins and liver membrane receptors of guinea pig,calf and chicken. Exclusion of a species-specific insulin receptor

Insulin binding experiments were performed with liver plasma membranes from guinea pig, calf and chicken. Bound insulin was separated from free insulin by a simple and rapid centrifugation of membranes through a layer of silicon oil. ¹²⁵I-labeled beef insulin was displaced from receptor sites by unlabelled guinea pig, beef and chicken insulin. The receptors of animals with insulins of different biological activity show similar basic characteristics and affinities to the different insulin molecules and thus are not specialised for the interactions with the homologous insulin molecule. The binding capacity of the membranes for beef insulin seems to be inversely related to the affinity of the homologous insulin to the receptor, guinea pig membranes showing the highest and chicken membranes the lowest receptor concentration     

Purification of the neurotensin receptor from mouse brain by affinity chromatography

The neurotensin receptor was purified from newborn mouse brain by affinity chromatography. Active neurotensin binding sites were solubilized from brain homogenates using the nondenaturing detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonic acid (CHAPS) in the presence of cholesteryl hemisuccinate. Chromatography of the soluble extract on SP-Sephadex C-25 and hydroxylapatite eliminated 50% of proteins without loss of neurotensin binding activity. This prepurified material was loaded into an affinity column prepared by coupling neurotensin (2-13) to glutaraldehyde-activated Ultrogel AcA22. Nonspecifically adsorbed proteins were eliminated by extensive washing, and the receptor was eluted with a buffer containing 1 M NaCl, 0.1% CHAPS, and 0.02% cholesteryl hemisuccinate. After desalting, the purified receptor bound 125I-labeled neurotensin with a dissociation constant of 0.26 nM and retained its specificity towards a series of neurotensin analogues. The desalted NaCl eluate appeared on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a major band of molecular weight 100,000 which was identified as the receptor by affinity labeling with 125I-labeled neurotensin in the presence of disuccinimidyl suberate. The purity of the mouse brain receptor eluted from the affinity column was estimated to be 78%. Electroelution of the 100-kDa protein band gave an homogenous preparation of receptor. Very similar results were obtained with CHAPS-solubilized neurotensin receptors from rat and rabbit brain.     

Identification of the fibroblast growth factor receptor of Swiss 3T3 cells and mouse skeletal muscle myoblasts

Two distinct fibroblast growth factors (FGF) were purified to homogeneity from bovine brain on the basis of their ability to stimulate skeletal muscle myoblast proliferation. These growth factors are also mitogenic for Swiss 3T3 cells and appear to be closely related to or identical with previously isolated anionic and cationic fibroblast growth factors. The half-maximum concentrations (EC50) for stimulation of myoblast DNA synthesis by the anionic and cationic growth factors were 30pM and 1pM, respectively. In contrast, an EC50 of 45 pM was observed for stimulation of 3T3 cell DNA synthesis by both growth factors. Binding of 125I-labeled anionic FGF was saturable with apparent Kd values of 45 pM and 11 pM and approximately 60 000 and 2000 receptor sites per cell for 3T3 cells and MM14 murine myoblasts, respectively. Unlabeled anionic and cationic FGF equally displaced 125I-labeled anionic FGF from 3T3 cells while cationic FGF was more potent than anionic FGF for displacement from skeletal muscle myoblasts, demonstrating that a single receptor binds the two distinct growth factors. Binding was specific for these factors since platelet-derived growth factor, insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1, epidermal growth factor, and nerve growth factor were unable to displace bound 125I-labeled anionic FGF from Swiss 3T3 cells. Chemical cross-linking of specifically bound 125I-labeled anionic FGF to 3T3 cells and MM14 myoblasts identified a single detergent-soluble FGF receptor with an apparent molecular weight of 165 000.     

Identification of the insulin receptor in undifferentiated and differentiated NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells by affinity labeling

Plasma membranes prepared from clonal NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells were sequentially incubated with ¹²⁵I-labeled insulin (10 nM) and the bifunctional cross-linking agent disuccinimidyl suberate. This treatment resulted in the cross-linking of ¹²⁵I-labeled insulin to a polypeptide that gave an apparent M_r of 135 000 on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresed in the presence of 10% β-mercaptoethanol. Affinity labeling of this polypeptide was inhibited by the presence of 5 μM unlabeled insulin, but not by 1 μM unlabeled nerve growth factor. Using the same affinity labeling technique, ¹²⁵I-labeled nerve growth factor (1 nM) did not label any polypeptide appreciably in the plasma membranes of NB-15 cells but labeled an M_r 145 000 and an M_r 115 000 species in PC-12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. The number of insulin binding sites per cell in the intact differentiated NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells was approx. 6-fold greater than that in the undifferentiated NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells as measured by specific binding assay, suggesting an increase of the number of insulin receptors in NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells during differentiation.     

An investigation of sites that bind human somatotropin (growth hormone) in the liver of the pregnant rabbit.

The binding of 125I-labelled human somatotropin (growth hormone) to a crude membrane preparation from the liver of pregnant rabbit, and to receptors solubilized from this fraction by Triton X-100, was dependent on time, temperature and receptor concentration. At 4 degrees C a steady state was reached after 20 h, and maximum specific binding (as a percentage of total tracer added) was approx. 50% for both membrane-bound and solubilized receptors. Solubilization did not significantly affect the binding properties of the receptor at low concentrations of Triton X-100 (less than 0.05%, v/v, in the assay tube). However, at higher concentrations (approx. 0.1%, v/v), the detergent lowered the ability of some hormones, for example ovine prolactin, to displace 125I-labelled human somatotropin, but did not affect other hormones such as bovine somatotropin. Some somatogenic hormones, such as bovine somatotropin, and some lactogenic hormones, such as ovine prolactin, displaced 125I-labelled human somatotropin from membrane-bound and solubilized receptor preparations. Furthermore, 85% of 125I-labelled bovine somatotropin was displaced from membrane-bound receptors by ovine prolactin, and 125I-labelled ovine prolactin was almost completely displaced by bovine somatotropin. Scatchard analysis of the binding data for human somatotropin suggested a single class of binding sites in the membrane-bound receptor preparation, with an affinity (Ka) of 1.9 X 10(9) M-1 and a capacity of 1726 fmol/mg of protein; these values were slightly increased by solubilization (Ka = 3.2 X 10(9) M-1, capacity = 2103 fmol/mg of protein). Scatchard analysis of binding to membrane-bound receptors also indicated a single class of high-affinity binding sites for bovine somatotropin (Ka = 4.8 X 10(9) M-1, capacity = 769 fmol/mg) and for ovine prolactin (Ka = 6.1 X 10(9) M-1, capacity = 187 fmol/mg).     

Solubilization and Characterization of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Binding Site from Porcine Spinal Cord

The binding site for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was solubilized with 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate (CHAPS) in an active form from porcine spinal cord. 125I-labeled human alpha-CGRP (125I-CGRP) binding to the solubilized protein was determined by filtration using a GF/B glass filter. The maximal binding activity (approximately 60% of the crude membrane fraction) was obtained with 5 mM CHAPS. 125I-CGRP binding to the solubilized protein was of high affinity, saturability, and high specificity, having KD and Bmax values of 3.69 pM and 338 fmol/mg of protein, respectively. The binding activity was eluted in a single peak with a molecular mass of 400,000 daltons by gel filtration on TSK gel G4000SW. These results suggest that the solubilized protein may be responsible for the specific binding site.