Evolutionary Divergence in the Structure of Myelin Basic Protein: Comparison of Chondrichthye Basic Proteins with Those from Higher Vertebrates

Abstract: A basic protein has been purified from the CNS myelin of the gummy shark (Mustelus antarticus). Electroblotting was used to examine the capacity of rabbit antisera raised against this electrophoretically pure protein to recognize myelin basic protein from higher vertebrates. The antisera bound to two shark proteins including the original polypeptide antigen and to chicken, bovine, and human myelin basic proteins. Thus, the shark protein appeared to possess antigenic determinants that have been retained through evolutionary divergence of these proteins. Whereas bovine basic protein caused experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in guinea pigs, animals that received injections of the shark protein showed neither clinical nor histological signs of this disease. However, tests for delayed-type hypersensitivity and for Arthus reaction following injection with the shark protein revealed a T-cell-mediated response to this antigen and substantial cross-reactivity with higher vertebrate basic proteins. Analysis of the amino acid composition of the shark protein, and comparison of its tryptic peptide map with that of the bovine protein, revealed substantial changes in the amino acid sequence. Although the shark protein has some antigenic determinants in common with the proteins from higher vertebrates, it appears that much of the structure differs.     

Alkaline phosphatase and OmpA protein can be translocated posttranslationally into membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli.

We previously described a system for translocating the periplasmic enzyme alkaline phosphatase and the outer membrane protein OmpA into inverted membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli. We have now optimized and substantially improved the translocation system by including polyamines and by reducing the amount of membrane used. Under these conditions, efficient translocation was seen even posttranslationally, i.e., when vesicles were not added until after protein synthesis was stopped. This was the case not only with the OmpA protein, which is synthesized by free polysomes and hence is presumably exported posttranslationally in the cell, but also with alkaline phosphatase, which is synthesized only by membrane-bound polysomes and has been shown to be secreted cotranslationally in the cells. Prolonged incubation rendered the precursors inactive for subsequent translocation. Posttranslational translocation was impaired, like cotranslational translocation, by inhibitors of the proton motive force and by treatment of the vesicles with protease. Since it appears that E. coli can translocate the same proteins either cotranslationally or posttranslationally, the cotranslational mode may perhaps be more efficient, but not obligatory, for the secretion of bacterial proteins.     

Immunochemical Characterization of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex in Rat Brain

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) in rat brain was studied immunochemically, using antibodies against the bovine kidney PDHC, by immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, inhibition of enzyme activity, and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). The immunoblots showed that the antibodies bound strongly to the alpha peptide of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component, and to the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (E2) and the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (E3) components of PDHC. A similar immunoblotting pattern was observed in all eight brain regions examined. On immunoblotting of the subcellular fractions, these PDHC peptides were observed in mitochondria and synaptosomes but not in the postmitochondrial supernatants. This agrees with other evidence that brain PDHC is localized in the mitochondria. These results, together with those from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the immunoprecipitin, also showed that the alpha E1, beta E1, and E3 peptides of rat brain PDHC are very similar in sizes to those of the bovine kidney PDHC, being 42, 36, and 58 kD, respectively. The size of the E2 peptide, 66 kD, is different from that of bovine kidney E2, 73 kD. The relative abundance of PDHC protein in nonsynaptic mitochondria was compared by enzyme activity titration and ELISA. Both methods demonstrated that the amount of PDHC antigen in the mitochondria from cerebral cortex is greater than that in the olfactory bulb mitochondria. This is consistent with the results of the activity measurement. The ELISA also showed that the PDHCs in both mitochondrial populations are antigenically similar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Changes in prostacyclin and thromboxane biosynthesis and their catabolic enzyme activity in kidneys of aging rats

The effects of aging on the prostacyclin and thromboxane biosynthesis and prostaglandin catabolic enzyme activity in rat kidney were investigated. The prostacyclin biosynthesis, using arachidonic acid as substrate, was the greatest in young kidneys (2 months old) and then progressively decreased in mature (12 months old) and old (24 months old) kidneys, while thromboxane biosynthetic activity showed no significant change as a function of age. When prostaglandin H2 was used as substrate, the prostacyclin and thromboxane biosynthesis showed similar results as when arachidonic acid was used as substrate; the prostacyclin biosynthesis progressively decreased and thromboxane biosynthesis showed no significant change as a function of age. The fatty acid cyclooxygenase in kidney was measured by a specific radioimmunoassay. No significant change in renal fatty acid cyclooxygenase as a function of age was found. Thus, we concluded that the progressive decrease in renal prostacyclin biosynthesis as a function of age is due to a defect in prostacyclin synthetase in aged kidneys. The prostaglandin catabolic enzyme, NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase, in kidneys was also investigated. The enzyme activity progressively decreased as a function of age, which suggested a decrease in the metabolism of thromboxane A2 in aged kidneys. The present results, indicating a decrease in renal prostacyclin biosynthesis and renal 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activity with aging, might contribute to a plausible explanation of the progressive decrease in renal functions in the elderly.     

Localization and quantitation of proteins characteristic of the complexed membrane of Bacillus subtilis

We prepared antibodies to four proteins (molecular weights, 68,000, 64,000, 45,000, and 31,000) that are characteristic of the complexed (ribosome-bearing) fraction of the membrane of Bacillus subtilis and found that these proteins are immunologically distinct. Quantitation by immunoprecipitation confirmed that the ribosome-free membrane fraction contains much lower concentrations of these four proteins than the complexed-membrane fraction. The 64-kilodalton protein appeared to be attached more loosely than the other proteins, since it was more readily extracted from the membrane. In addition, this protein was also present in the cytosol in an even greater amount than in the membrane. The 68-, 64-, and 31-kilodalton proteins are present in cells in stoichiometrically equivalent amounts.     

Binding sites for monoclonal antibodies and for mRNPs on SV40 large T-antigen determined with a cleavage map

Immune complexes of simian virus 40 large T-antigen with monoclonal papovavirus protein antibodies PAb 416, PAb 402, or PAb 423 were bound to protein-A-Sepharose and then cleaved into discrete fragments by limited tryptic proteolysis. PAb 402 protected a specific cleavage site, located approximately within amino acid residues 450-500, from tryptic proteolysis; PAb 423 protected another site within residues 675-699. As shown by immunoblotting, 125I-labeled PAb 416 was bound to a 17-kDa N-terminal fragment of large T-antigen (amino acid residues 1-130), and PAb 423 was bound to several overlapping fragments derived from the C terminus of large T-antigen. These monoclonal antibodies were then used as accessibility probes to study the interaction of mRNPs with cytoplasmic large T-antigen. Whereas small T-antigen and nuclear large T-antigen were fully immunoreactive, cytoplasmic large T-antigen reacted poorly with PAb 402 or polyclonal antibodies unless the mRNP moiety was removed by treatment with EDTA/RNase A. In contrast, mRNP/T-antigen complexes were fully immunoreactive with PAb 416 or PAb 423 and did not require treatment with EDTA/RNase A. The results suggest that the binding site of PAb 402 is blocked due to the interaction with mRNPs whereas the N-terminal binding site of PAb 416 and the C-terminal binding site of PAb 423 remain accessible to antibodies.     

A model for the tertiary structure of transfer ribonucleic acids

In view of the possible changes of the structure of DNA at different relative humidities, a similar model for tRNA is proposed. In the native form, the sugar phosphate backbone folds repeatedly on itself resulting in a circular rod structure of about 50 Å in length and about 25 Å in diameter. Both the amino-acyl end and the anticodon site are surrounded by segments of base sequences common to different tRNA’s.     

Cold-sensitive Mutations in Salmonella typhimurium Which Affect Ribosome Synthesis

A number of mutations (45) expressed as cold-sensitive conditional lethal pheno-types were screened by transduction for their linkage to the streptomycin-resistance locus; 7 showed such linkage. Of these, two were studied in greater detail. The sedimentation profiles of ribosomes from cultures grown at low temperature differed from wild type and from one another. Both mutants lost ribonucleic acid control at low temperature. It is suggested that a high proportion of mutants expressing a cold-sensitive phenotype harbor mutations in genes affecting ribosome synthesis or regulation.     

Periodic conformations of deoxyribonucleic acids

The conformation of a deoxyribonucleotide unit in a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule can be defined by six angles, each of which specifies the relative orientations between two groups of atoms adjacent to a covalent bond. With the assumption that these atoms are hard spheres with fixed van der Waal radii, conformations are sought to minimize their overlapping. The additional requirement of the polymer having a periodic structure further reduces the allowable conformations.     

Characterization of primar cell cultures derived from rat renal proximal tubules

Summary Proximal tubules were prepared from rat kidney cortex by collagenase digestion and purified by percoll gradient centrifugation. Their enrichment was estimated by comparing the specific activities of various cell-specific enzymes in homogenates of renal cortex and of the isolated tubules. The tubules were cultured in a 50:50 mixture of Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s and Ham’s F12 media supplemented with insulin, transferrin, epidermal growth factor, hydrocortisone, and prostaglandin E₁. After 2 to 3 d an extensive outgrowth of epithelial cells developed from the attached tubules. After 5 to 7 d near confluent monolayers were obtained. Hormonal responsiveness, marker enzyme activities, and transport properties were determined to further characterize the primary cultures. The cultured cells exhibited increased cyclic AMP production in response to parathyroid hormone but not calcitonin or vasopressin, consistent with the absence of cells derived from distal and collecting tubules. The cells also retained significant levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃-lα-hydroxylase, alkaline phosphatase, and ψ-glytamyltranspeptidase, three enzymes that are primarily associated with the proximal tubule. The cultured epithelial cells also exhibit a Na⁺-dependent phosphate and glucose transport systems. Therefore, the cells retain many functional properties that are characteristic of proximal tubules. Thus, the primary cultures should be suitable for the study of processes that occur specifically within this segment of the rat nephron. This work was supported in part by the Veterans Administration (JBP), Washington, DC, by grant DK-37124 (NPC) from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and by grant BNS-86-17004 (CFL) from the National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.