A heparin sulfate-regulated human keratinocyte autocrine factor is similar or identical to amphiregulin.

A novel human keratinocyte-derived autocrine factor (KAF) was purified from conditioned medium by using heparin affinity chromatography as the first step. Purified KAF stimulated the growth of normal human keratinocytes, mouse AKR-2B cells, and a mouse keratinocyte cell line (BALB/MK). Heparin sulfate inhibited KAF mitogenic activity on all cell types tested and inhibited the ability of KAF to compete with epidermal growth factor for cell surface binding. Interestingly, KAF stimulated the growth of BALB/MK cells at high cell density but failed to stimulate these cells at clonal density. Protein microsequencing of the first 20 NH2-terminal amino acid residues of purified KAF revealed identity to the NH2 terminus of human amphiregulin (AR). Northern (RNA) blot analysis with AR-specific cRNA demonstrated that human keratinocytes, as well as mammary epithelial cell cultures, expressed high levels of AR mRNA. In contrast, AR mRNA was not detected in normal human fibroblasts or melanocytes and was present at reduced levels in several mammary tumor cell lines. The mitogenic activity of purified AR was also shown to be inhibited by heparin sulfate, and an AR-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that KAF and AR are antigenically related. We have previously shown that human keratinocytes can grow in an autocrine manner. Our present study demonstrates that one of the growth factors responsible for this autocrine growth (KAF) is similar or identical to AR and that KAF and AR bioactivity can be negatively regulated by heparin sulfate.     

Purification of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase and of carboxysomes from Thiobacillus thyasiris the putative symbiont of Thyasira flexuosa (Montagu)

The bacterial symbionts of many marine invertebrates contain ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase but apparently no carboxysomes, polyhedral bodies containing RuBP carboxylase. In the few cases where polyhedral bodies have been observed they have not been characterised enzymatically. Polyhedral bodies, 50–90 nm in diameter, were observed in thin cell sections of Thiobacillus thyasiris the putative symbiont of Thyasira flexuosa and RuBP carboxylase activity was detected in both soluble and particulate fractions after centrifugation of cell-free extracts. RuBP carboxylase purified 90-fold from the soluble fraction was of high molecular weight and consisted of large and small subunits, with molecular weights of 53,110 and 11,100 respectively. Particulate RuBP carboxylase activity was associated with polyhedral bodies 50–100 nm in diameter, as revealed by density gradient centrifugation and electron microscopy. Therefore, the polyhedral bodies were inferred to be carboxysomes. Native electrophoresis of isolated carboxysomes demonstrated a major band which comigrated with the purified RuBP carboxylase and three minor bands of lower molecular weight. Sodium dodecyl-sulphate (SDS) gel electrophoresis of SDS-dissociated carboxysomes demonstrated nine major polypeptides two of which were the large and small subunits of RuBP carboxylase. The RuBP carboxylase subunits represented 21% of the total carboxysomal protein. The most abundant polypeptide had a molecular weight of 40,500. Knowledge of carboxysome composition is necessary to provide an understanding of carboxysome function.Abbreviations FPLC fast performance liquid chromatography - IB isolation buffer - PAGE polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - RuBP carboxylase - ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase - SDS sodium dodecyl-sulphate     

Isolation of plasma membranes from cultured glioma cells and application to evaluation of membrane sphingomyelin turnover

A rapid and reliable method for the isolation of plasma membranes and microsomes of high purity and yield from cultured glioma cells is described. The procedure involves disruption by N2 cavitation, preliminary separation by centrifugation in Tricine buffer, and final separation on a gradient formed from 40% Percoll at pH 9.3. Enzyme and chemical markers indicated greater than 60% yield with six- to eightfold enrichment for plasma membranes and greater than 25% yield with three- to fourfold enrichment for a microsomal fraction consisting mainly of endoplasmic reticulum. The final fractions were obtained with high reproducibility in less than 1 h from the time of cell harvesting. Application of this procedure to human fibroblasts in culture is assessed. The isolation procedure was applied to investigations of synthesis and turnover of sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine in plasma membranes of glioma cells following incubation for 4-24 h with [methyl-3H]choline. These studies indicated that radioactivity from phosphatidylcholine synthesized in microsomes from exogenous choline may serve as a precursor of the head-group of sphingomyelin accumulating in the plasma membrane.     

Partial amino acid sequence of rat topoisomerase I: comparison with the predicted sequences for the human and yeast enzymes

The partial amino acid sequence of rat topoisomerase I was determined by gas-phase microsequencing. Seven tryptic peptides closely matched the sequences deduced from human topoisomerase I cDNA (94.5% homology). Similarity to sequences deduced from baker's yeast and fission yeast genomic DNA were restricted to conserved domains which may represent important sites of interaction with DNA or with other proteins.     

Molecular basis for the isozymes of bovine glucose-6-phosphate isomerase

Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase exists as multiple, catalytically active isozymes which can be resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, and ion-exchange chromatography. GPI from bovine heart was purified to homogeneity and each of the isozymes resolved. Four of the five isozymes were characterized with regard to their physical, chemical, and catalytic properties in order to establish their possible physiological significance and to ascertain their molecular basis. The isozymes exhibited identical native (118,000) and subunit (59,000) molecular weights but had different apparent pI values of 7.2, 7.0, 6.8, and 6.6. Kinetic constants, such as turnover number, Km and Ki values, were identical for all isozymes in either reaction direction. Structural analyses showed that the amino termini were blocked and the carboxyl terminal sequences were -Glu-Ala-Ser-Gly for all four isozymes. The most basic isozyme was more stable than the more acidic isozymes at pH extremes, at high ionic strength, in the presence of denaturants, or upon exposure to proteases. When the most basic isozyme was incubated in vitro under mild alkaline conditions, there was a spontaneous generation of the more acidic isozymes with electrophoretic properties identical to those found in vivo. The simultaneous release of ammonia along with the spontaneous shift to more acidic isozymes indicates deamidation as the molecular basis for the formation of the acidic isozymes both in vivo and in vitro. The change in the peptide fragmentation patterns following cleavage by hydroxylamine further suggests that deamidation of specific Asn-Gly bonds accounts for the structural basis of the isozymes.     

Isotope partitioning in the adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate dependent protein kinase reaction indicates a steady-state random kinetic mechanism

Isotope partitioning beginning with the binary E.MgATP and E.N-acetyl-Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly (Ser-peptide) complexes indicates that the kinetic mechanism for the adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate dependent protein kinase is steady-state random. A total of 100% of the initial radioactive E.MgATP complex is trapped as phospho-Ser-peptide at infinite Ser-peptide concentration at both low and high concentration of uncomplexed Mg2+, suggesting that the off-rate of MgATP from the E.MgATP.Ser-peptide complex is slow relative to the catalytic steps. Km for Ser-peptide in the trapping reaction decreases from 17 microM at low Mg2+ to 2 microM at high Mg2+, indicating that Mg2+ decreases the off-rate for MgATP from the E.MgATP complex. A total of 100% of the radioactive E.Ser-peptide complex is trapped as phospho-Ser-peptide at low Mg2+, but only 40% is trapped at high Mg2+ in the presence of an infinite concentration of MgATP, suggesting that the off-rate for Ser-peptide from the central complex is much less than catalysis at low but not at high Mg2+. In support of this finding, the Ki for Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ala-Leu-Gly (Ala-peptide) increases from 0.27 mM at low Mg2+ to 2.4 mM at high Mg2+. No trapping was observed at either high or low Mg2+ for the E.MgADP complex up to a phospho-Ser-peptide concentration of 5 mM. Thus, it is likely that in the slow-reaction direction the kinetic mechanism is rapid equilibrium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Use of primary deuterium and 15N isotope effects to deduce the relative rates of steps in the mechanisms of alanine and glutamate dehydrogenases

We have used deuterium and 15N isotope effects to study the relative rates of the steps in the mechanisms of alanine and glutamate dehydrogenases. The proposed chemical mechanisms for these enzymes involve carbinolamine formation, imine formation, and reduction of the imine to the amino acid [Grimshaw, C.E., Cook, P.F., & Cleland, W.W. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 5655; Rife, J.E., & Cleland, W.W. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 2328]. These steps are almost equally rate limiting for V/Kammonia with alanine dehydrogenase, while with glutamate dehydrogenase carbinolamine formation, imine formation, and release of glutamate after hydride transfer provide most of the rate limitation of V/Kammonia. Release of oxidized nucleotide is largely rate limiting for Vmax for both enzymes. When beta-hydroxypyruvate replaces pyruvate, or 3-acetylpyridine NADH (Acpyr-NADH) or thio-NADH replaces NADH with alanine dehydrogenase, nucleotide release no longer limits Vmax, and hydride transfer becomes more rate limiting. With glutamate dehydrogenase, replacement of alpha-ketoglutarate by alpha-ketovalerate makes hydride transfer more rate limiting. Use of Acpyr-NADPH has a minimal effect with alpha-ketoglutarate but causes an 8-fold decrease in Vmax with alpha-ketovalerate, with hydride transfer the major rate-limiting step. In contrast, thio-NADPH with either alpha-keto acid causes carbinolamide formation to become almost completely rate limiting. These studies show the power of multiple isotope effects in deducing details of the chemistry and changes in rate-limiting step(s) in complicated reaction mechanisms such as those of alanine and glutamate dehydrogenases.     

Alpha i-3 cDNA encodes the alpha subunit of Gk, the stimulatory G protein of receptor-regulated K+ channels

cDNA cloning has identified the presence in the human genome of three genes encoding alpha subunits of pertussis toxin substrates, generically called "Gi." They are named alpha i-1, alpha i-2 and alpha i-3. However, none of these genes has been functionally identified with any of the alpha subunits of several possible G proteins, including pertussis toxin-sensitive Gp's, stimulatory to phospholipase C or A2, Gi, inhibitory to adenylyl cyclase, or Gk, stimulatory to a type of K+ channels. We now report the nucleotide sequence and the complete predicted amino acid sequence of human liver alpha i-3 and the partial amino acid sequence of proteolytic fragments of the alpha subunit of human erythrocyte Gk. The amino acid sequence of the proteolytic fragment is uniquely encoded by the cDNA of alpha i-3, thus identifying it as alpha k. The probable identity of alpha i-1 with alpha p and possible roles for alpha i-2, as well as additional roles for alpha i-1 and alpha i-3 (alpha k) are discussed.     

Protonation mechanism and location of rate-determining steps for the Ascaris suum nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-malic enzyme reaction from isotope effects and pH studies

The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters and the primary deuterium isotope effects with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and also thionicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (thio-NAD) as the nucleotide substrates were determined in order to obtain information about the chemical mechanism and location of rate-determining steps for the Ascaris suum NAD-malic enzyme reaction. The maximum velocity with thio-NAD as the nucleotide is pH-independent from pH 4.2 to 9.6, while with NAD, V decreases below a pK of 4.8. V/K for both nucleotides decreases below a pK of 5.6 and above a pK of 8.9. Both the tartronate pKi and V/Kmalate decrease below a pK of 4.8 and above a pK of 8.9. Oxalate is competitive vs. malate above pH 7 and noncompetitive below pH 7 with NAD as the nucleotide. The oxalate Kis increases from a constant value above a pK of 4.9 to another constant value above a pK of 6.7. The oxalate Kii also increases above a pK of 4.9, and this inhibition is enhanced by NADH. In the presence of thio-NAD the inhibition by oxalate is competitive vs. malate below pH 7. For thio-NAD, both DV and D(V/K) are pH-independent and equal to 1.7. With NAD as the nucleotide, DV decreases to 1.0 below a pK of 4.9, while D(V/KNAD) and D(V/Kmalate) are pH-independent. Above pH 7 the isotope effects on V and the V/K values for NAD and malate are equal to 1.45, the pH-independent value of DV above pH 7. From the above data, the following conclusions can be made concerning the mechanism for this enzyme. Substrates bind to only the correctly protonated form of the enzyme. Two enzyme groups are necessary for binding of substrates and catalysis. Both NAD and malate are released from the Michaelis complex at equal rates which are equal to the rate of NADH release from E-NADH above pH 7. Below pH 7 NADH release becomes more rate-determining as the pH decreases until at pH 4.0 it completely limits the overall rate of the reaction.     

Sequence analyses of adipokinetic hormones II from corpora cardiaca of Schistocerca nitans, Schistocerca gregaria, and Locusta migratoria by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry

Structures of the second adipokinetic hormones (AKH II's) from three locust species have been assigned by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The AKH II hormone is identical in two Schistocerca species, S. nitans and S. gregaria, but is different in Locusta migratoria. Both AKH II's are related to red pigment-concentrating hormone (RPCH) from prawns, Schistocerca AKH II being [Thr6]-RPCH and Locusta AKH II being [Ala6]-RPCH. Schistocerca AKH II is also bioactive in Locusta individuals.