Guinea pig acylphosphatase: The amino acid sequence

We determined the primary structure of guinea pig skeletal muscle acylphosphatase, using the high degree of homology with several vertebrate acylphosphatases to obtain correct alignment of the complete series of tryptic peptides. Their sequences were obtained mainly by Edman degradation; FAB mass spectrometry was used to identify the acyl group blocking the NH₂-terminal residue and to elucidate the structure of the NH₂-terminal tryptic peptide. The comparison among acylphosphatase sequences from skeletal muscle of several vertebrate species is presented and discussed.     

Rat muscle acylphosphatase: Purification, amino sequence, and immunological characterization

Acylphosphatase was purified from rat skeletal muscle essentially by gel filtration and high-performance ion-exchange chromatography. The complete amino acid sequence was reconstructed by using the sequence data obtained from tryptic, peptic, andS. aureus V8 protease peptides. The protein consists of 96 amino acid residues and is acetylated at the NH₂-terminus. The immunological cross-reactivity of acylphosphatase from rat and horse skeletal muscle was examined by ELISA. The reaction with rabbit antiserum revealed the presence of at least five antigenic sites on rat enzyme, two of which are common to horse muscle enzyme. Anti-rat antibodies also recognize the peptide that corresponds to the initial part of the molecule, which varies greatly from equine enzyme. Two completely new antigenic sites are herein described: the first can be considered the main antigenic site and is located within positions 21–36, the second is in the COOH-terminal part of the molecule. A mixture of immunoreactive peptides gives strong antibody-antigen reaction inhibition (94%).     

Purification and characterization of acylphosphatase erythrocyte isoenzyme from turkey muscle

An acylphosphatase has been purified from turkey muscle in a rapid and high-yield way. The enzyme has been characterized for structural, kinetic, and immunological parameters, as well as with regard to its stability to thermal, urea, and phenylglyoxal inactivation. The enzyme is quite different from the turkey muscular isoenzyme, and shows structural and kinetic properties that are very similar to those previously reported for the erythrocyte isoenzyme from human erythrocytes and from chicken muscle. From the data reported it appears that this enzyme corresponds to the acylphosphatase erythrocyte isoenzyme. Unlike the erythrocyte isoenzymes studied so far, this enzyme is able to cross-react with antibodies that are raised against the muscular isoenzyme.     

Identification of three continuous antigenic sites in horse muscle acylphosphatase

The main antibody-combining sites of horse skeletal muscle acylphosphatase were mapped by preparing and purifying CNBr, tryptic and peptic peptides from the pure enzyme, and looking for the immunoreactivity of each peptide by the dot-immunobinding assay using specific polyclonal antienzyme antibodies previously purified by immunoaffinity chromatography. The immunoreactive peptides were identified on the basis of either their elution times in the fingerprint analysis or amino acid composition, or both, by comparison with the known enzyme amino acid sequence. All the CNBr as well as two tryptic and two peptic peptides were immunopositive, leading to identification of three main continuous antigenic sites on the enzyme molecule. The strong inhibition (92%) of the antigen-antibody reaction carried out in the presence of antibodies previously incubated with the immunoreactive peptide mixture supports the possibility that, at our experimental condition, the three identified antigenic domains contain the main antigenic determinants of the enzyme. The relationship between structure and antigenicity of the immunoreactive peptides is discussed in detail.     

Crystal structure and structural stability of acylphosphatase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3

To elucidate the structural basis for the high stability of acylphosphatase (AcP) from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3, we determined its crystal structure at 1.72 A resolution. P. horikoshii AcP possesses high stability despite its approximately 30% sequence identity with eukaryotic enzymes that have moderate thermostability. The overall fold of P. horikoshii AcP was very similar to the structures of eukaryotic counterparts. The crystal structure of P. horikoshii AcP shows the same fold betaalphabetabetaalphabeta topology and the conserved putative catalytic residues as observed in eukaryotic enzymes. Comparison with the crystal structure of bovine common-type AcP and that of D. melanogaster AcP (AcPDro2) as representative of eukaryotic AcP revealed some significant characteristics in P. horikoshii AcP that likely play important roles in structural stability: (1) shortening of the flexible N-terminal region and long loop; (2) an increased number of ion pairs on the protein surface; (3) stabilization of the loop structure by hydrogen bonds. In P. horikoshii AcP, two ion pair networks were observed one located in the loop structure positioned near the C-terminus, and other on the beta-sheet. The importance of ion pairs for structural stability was confirmed by site-directed mutation and denaturation induced by guanidium chloride.     

Bovine testis acylphosphatase: Purification and amino acid sequence

Two acylphosphatase molecular forms have been isolated from bovine testis. Their amino acid sequence was determined. One (ACY1) consists of 98 amino acid residues, while the other one (ACY2) consists of 100 amino acid residues. Both molecular forms are N-acetylated and differ only in the amino terminus. ACY2 has an additional Ser-Met tail with respect to ACY1. Both ACY1 and ACY2 are organ-common type isoenzymes and thus differ for about half of the amino acid positions from the previously sequenced bovine muscle isoenzyme.     

氧化苦参碱在鸭原代肝细胞中抗鸭乙肝病毒(DHBV)作用的研究

通过建立鸭原代肝细胞-DHBV感染模型研究氧化苦参碱抗DHBV的作用。分别在DHBV感染前、感染同时以及感染后给药,利用打点杂交、Southern印迹核酸杂交和荧光定量PCR方法分别检测培养细胞上清及细胞内病毒核酸,观察氧化苦参碱在病毒感染的各个环节所起的抗病毒作用。实验结果显示:1mg/mL氧化苦参碱处理细胞后,鸭原代肝细胞培养上清及细胞内的DHBV核酸明显低于病毒感染对照组,病毒抑制率达91.6%;在病毒感染同时加药对病毒的抑制率可达98.5%;感染后持续用药能使不同培养天数的鸭肝细胞内的DHBV核酸降低60.5%~96.6%;氧化苦参碱与DHBV共孵育后,可以使病毒感染力下降69.6%。结果说明氧化苦参碱可以在DHBV感染鸭原代肝细胞的多个环节,包括病毒吸附、进入细胞及细胞内复制等方面发挥抗病毒作用。     

Secondary structure of acylphosphatase from rabbit skeletal muscle. A nuclear magnetic resonance study

Sequence-specific assignment of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of acylphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.7) isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle have made it possible to identify short distance constraints from nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectra, to evaluate spin-spin coupling constants of many backbone amide hydrogens and to assess their slow exchange with deuterons in 2H2O solution. Analysis of these data show that the major regular secondary structure of the enzyme consists of five extended beta-strands, four of which are arranged in an antiparallel beta-sheet, while the fifth is attached parallel. A helix consisting of 11 residues has also been identified. Consideration of additional distance constraints between sequentially remote residues has allowed us to give an outline of the overall fold of the protein.     

鸭圆环病毒全基因组克隆与序列分析

为研究鸭圆环病毒全基因组的分子生物学特性,运用重叠PCR技术从鸭组织脏器提取的DNA中扩增出2条核苷酸序列,拼接后对其核酸组成、基因组结构及病毒的遗传变异进行分析.结果表明所获病毒核酸为大小1 995nt的环型DNA,包含6个ORF,与登录在GenBank中克隆株MuDCV(AY228555)的同源性高达97.4%,可见所扩增的核酸序列为鸭圆环病毒基因组序列.     

Comparative Analysis of Nucleic Acid and Protein Primary Structures

The review considers the original works on the primary structure of biopolymers carried out from 1983 to 2003. Most works were supported by the Russian program Human Genome and earlier similar Russian programs. Little-known publications of 1983–1993 and recent unpublished results are described in detail. In the field of genome comparisons, these concern the OWEN hierarchic algorithm aligning syntenic regions of two genome sequences. The resulting global alignment is obtained as an ordered chain of local similarities. Alignment of megabase sequences takes several minutes. The concept of local similarity conflicts is generalized to multiple comparisons. New algorithms aligning protein sequences are described and compared with the Smith–Waterman algorithm, which is now most accurate. The ANCHOR hierarchic algorithm generates alignments of much the same accuracy and is twice as rapid as the Smith–Waterman one. The STRSWer algorithm takes into account the secondary structures of proteins under study. With the secondary structures predicted using the PSI-PRED software for pairs of proteins having 10–30% similarity, the average accuracy of alignments generated by STRSWer is 15% higher than that achieved with the Smith–Waterman algorithm.     

Rabbit skeletal muscle acylphosphatase: the amino acid sequence of form Ra1

Acylphosphatase was purified from rabbit skeletal muscle by a procedure involving an affinity chromatography step on immunoadsorbent and subsequent ion-exchange chromatography. Three molecular forms with acylphosphatase activity, named Ra1, Ra2, and Ra3, were purified and characterized with respect to molecular weight, amino acid composition, and main kinetic parameters. The amino acid sequence of Ra1 is given in the present paper. The Ra1 form consists of a single polypeptide chain of 98 amino acid residues and contains only one cysteine residue at position 21 that is S-S bound to glutathione. The polypeptide chain has an acetyl group blocking the NH2 terminus. Ra1, Ra2, and Ra3 are compared with the corresponding molecular forms isolated from skeletal muscle of horse and turkey.     

Structure, conformational stability, and enzymatic properties of acylphosphatase from the hyperthermophile Sulfolobus solfataricus

The structure of AcP from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus has been determined by (1)H-NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Solution and crystal structures (1.27 A resolution, R-factor 13.7%) were obtained on the full-length protein and on an N-truncated form lacking the first 12 residues, respectively. The overall Sso AcP fold, starting at residue 13, displays the same betaalphabetabetaalphabeta topology previously described for other members of the AcP family from mesophilic sources. The unstructured N-terminal tail may be crucial for the unusual aggregation mechanism of Sso AcP previously reported. Sso AcP catalytic activity is reduced at room temperature but rises at its working temperature to values comparable to those displayed by its mesophilic counterparts at 25-37 degrees C. Such a reduced activity can result from protein rigidity and from the active site stiffening due the presence of a salt bridge between the C-terminal carboxylate and the active site arginine. Sso AcP is characterized by a melting temperature, Tm, of 100.8 degrees C and an unfolding free energy, DeltaG(U-F)H2O, at 28 degrees C and 81 degrees C of 48.7 and 20.6 kJ mol(-1), respectively. The kinetic and structural data indicate that mesophilic and hyperthermophilic AcP's display similar enzymatic activities and conformational stabilities at their working conditions. Structural analysis of the factor responsible for Sso AcP thermostability with respect to mesophilic AcP's revealed the importance of a ion pair network stabilizing particularly the beta-sheet and the loop connecting the fourth and fifth strands, together with increased density packing, loop shortening and a higher alpha-helical propensity.     

NMR solution structure of the acylphosphatase from Escherichia coli

The solution structure of Escherichia coli acylphosphatase (E. coli AcP), a small enzyme catalyzing the hydrolysis of acylphosphates, was determined by (1)H and (15)N NMR and restrained modelling calculation. In analogy with the other members of AcP family, E. coli AcP shows an alpha/beta sandwich domain composed of four antiparallel and one parallel beta-strand, assembled in a five-stranded beta-sheet facing two antiparallel alpha-helices. The pairwise RMSD values calculated for the backbone atoms of E. coli and Sulfolobus solfataricus AcP, Bovine common type AcP and Horse muscle AcP are 2.18, 5.31 and 5.12 A, respectively. No significant differences are present in the active site region and the catalytic residue side chains are consistently positioned in the structures.     

Primary structure of ferredoxin from bovine kidney mitochondria

Kidney mitochondrial ferredoxin (renodoxin) is a component of the cytochrome P-450-dependent enzymatic system whose main function is the hydroxylation of vitamin D₃ in the 1a- and 24-positions. The complete amino acid sequence of renodoxin was determined by protein chemistry and mass spectrometry. The mature renodoxin has 128 amino acid residues. The N- and C-terminal regions of renodoxin are subject to proteolytic modification, this being the origin of heterogeneous molecular mass (from 14,200 to 12,400 kD) of purified protein preparations. The antigenic structure of renodoxin was studied using antibodies to peptide fragments of a homologous protein, adrenodoxin.     

Primary structure and configuration of tea polysaccharide

Polysaccharide is a class of natural macromole-cules of which many species have been found to carry significant biological activities. Although the research on activities of saccharide has been at a lower level in the past comparing to those of proteins and nucleic acids, much progress has been made in recent years because of accelerated activities worldwide[1]. Such progress has been made mostly in areas of structural analysis, and researches on structure-activity relation-ships. The biologic…     

Primary structure and configuration of tea polysaccharide

The monosaccharide composition of a tea polysaccharide (TGC) was determined by GC-MS method. Furthermore, the primary structure of tea polysaccharide and its configuration in the aqueous solution were investigated utilizing a combination of classical chemical methods and modern instrumental techniques including GC-MS, Proton NMR, UV and CD. The results indicate that TGC consists of 6 monosaccharides: Rha, Ara, Xyl, Glu, Man and Gal. The configuration of TGC in water solution is proposed to be an ordered helix. The possible primary structure of TGC was outlined as below: the basic structure of the main chain consists of Rha, Glu and Gal units. All three monosaccharides can potentially be connected to branch chains consisting of mainly Ara, and the linkages could be in β1 → 2, β 1 → 3, β 2 → 3 forms. When branch chain is absent in the basic structure of the main chain the linkage consists of only β 1 → 3; Xyl exists at the terminal end of either the main chain or the branch chain with β 1 → linkage.     

Primary structure of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase deduced from cDNA clones

The complete amino acid sequence of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase was deduced from cDNA clones with a composite length of 3317 bp. An mRNA of 3.6 kb was identified by Northern blot analysis of rabbit skeletal muscle RNA. The mRNA coded for a protein of 734 residues with a molecular weight of 83,480. The deduced NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal sequences corresponded to those reported for the purified protein, indicating the absence of any proteolytic processing. At the nucleotide level, the 5' untranslated and coding regions were 79 and 90% identical for rabbit and human muscle glycogen synthases, whereas the 3' untranslated regions were significantly less similar. The enzymes had 97% amino acid sequence identity. Interestingly, the NH2 and COOH termini of rabbit and human muscle glycogen synthase, the regions of phosphorylation, showed the greatest sequence variation (15 of 19 mismatches and two insertion/deletion events), which may indicate different evolutionary constraints in the regulatory and catalytic regions of the molecule.