A new method for rapid assignment of S-S bridges in proteins

A new method for complementing existing protein chemical techniques for the assignment of S-S bridge positions in amino-acid sequences is described. The principle of the method is the direct examination of the masses of protein fragments, obtained by chemical or enzymatic degradation. Proteins are digested under conditions known to minimise disulphide reduction and reshuffling, and the unfractionated digest is examined directly by high field magnet (or other high mass) fast atom bombardment or Californium mass spectrometry. Disulphide linked peptides are identified from their unique masses, and by comparison with the spectrum of digested and reduced samples in which the signal corresponding to the S-S linked peptide(s) is replaced by two signals corresponding to the respective thiol peptide components, if INTER-bridged, or shifted by two mass units (dithiol) if INTRA-bridged. This rapid procedure has considerable potential in assisting with studies on the primary structure of proteins, in crystallographic studies and the monitoring of denaturation/renaturation of recombinant proteins.     

High and low dietary potassium effects on rat vascular sodium pump activity

Studies of renal and other tissues suggest that chronic elevation or reduction of dietary potassium intake could affect vascular smooth muscle sodium pump (Na-pump) activity. To examine this possibility, the effects of 3 weeks of low (LK: 4 mmole KCl/kg chow), normal (NK; 162 mmole/kg), and high (HK; 1350 mmole/kg) dietary potassium intake on Na-pump activity, the Na-pump activity response to changes in extracellular potassium concentration, and Na-pump site density were determined in tail arteries of rats. Plasma potassium concentration was elevated by 21% in HK rats and reduced by 45% in LK rats. When incubated in autologous plasma, compared to arteries from NK rats, Na-pump activity was decreased in the tail arteries from LK rats but not altered in those from HK rats. When arteries from NK and LK rats were incubated in autologous plasma with the potassium concentration increased to equal that of the HK rats, Na-pump activity exceeded that of HK rat arteries: Na-pump activity of arteries incubated in autologous plasma did not differ from that of arteries incubated in Krebs-Henseleit buffer with the potassium concentration adjusted to equal that of the plasma. Tail artery Na-pump activity for all three dietary potassium groups increased as potassium concentration of the incubation medium was increased from 1 to 12 mM; Na-pump activity was similar for the NK and LK rats at all potassium concentrations, but Na-pump activity of HK rat arteries was less than that of NK arteries at high extracellular potassium concentrations. Na-pump site density was not altered by either HK or LK diet. It is concluded that in tail arteries of rats fed the LK diet, chronically decreased extracellular potassium results in chronically decreased Na-pump activity. In contrast, an adaptive change occurs in tail arteries of rats fed HK diet, such that Na-pump activity remains at normal levels despite elevated extracellular potassium; this adaptive response to chronically increased dietary potassium does not appear to be the result of decreased Na-pump site density.     

Acceptance of simulated oral rabies vaccine baits by urban raccoons

In summer 1986, a study was conducted to evaluate raccoon (Procyon lotor) acceptance of oral baits that could be used for rabies vaccination. One thousand wax-coated sponge bait cubes were filled with 5 mg of a seromarker (iophenoxic acid), placed in polyethylene bags, and hand-distributed in an 80 ha area within an urban National Park in Washington, D. C. (USA). After 3 wk, target and nontarget animals were trapped and blood samples collected to evaluate bait uptake. Thirty-three of 52 (63%) raccoons had elevated blood iodine levels indicating they had eaten at least one bait, 13 (25%) were negative, and six (12%) had marginal values. These results indicate that sponge baits hand-placed at a density of 12.4/ha can reach a significant proportion of an urban raccoon population. Implications for oral rabies vaccination of raccoons are discussed.     

Insertional inactivation of a gene which controls expression of vancomycin resistance on plasmid pHKK100

Expression of inducible high level vancomycin resistance (Vmr) in enterococci appears to require other plasmid-encoded genes in addition to the previously described structural genes vanA and vanH. Tn917 mutagenesis was used to identify such a region in the Vmr plasmid pHKK100. Insertional inactivation of a 693-bp open reading frame upstream from vanH resulted in complete loss of Vmr. This putative 26,642-Da protein has been designated VanR.     

Oral vaccination of skunks with raccoon poxvirus recombinants expressing the rabies glycoprotein or the nucleoprotein.

Twenty nine skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were vaccinated orally with raccoon poxvirus (RCN) recombinants: 10 with a recombinant expressing the rabies virus glycoprotein (RCNRG), 10 with RCNRG mixed with a recombinant expressing the rabies virus nucleoprotein (RCNRN) and nine with RCN alone. Rabies virus neutralizing antibodies were detected in six of the 20 skunks; five skunks (three given RCNRG, two given a mixture of recombinants) survived a rabies challenge that was lethal for nine skunks vaccinated with RCN alone.     

Substance P as a transglutaminase substrate: identification of the reaction products by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry

Substance P was found to be an effective acyl donor substrate of transglutaminase in vitro, the reaction products having been examined by both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Electrophoretic experiments showed that Substance P incorporated 14C-labeled polyamines when incubated with purified guinea pig liver transglutaminase and Ca2+. Extensive use of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry allowed to establish that: i) a 1:1 adduct Substance P-spermine is formed; ii) only a single glutamine residue out of two, i.e. Gln-5, acts as acyl donor, iii) the single lysine residue of the neuropeptide is unable to act as acyl acceptor. A direct analytical methodology to detect transglutaminase reaction products is described.