Free and polymerized tubulin in cultured bone cells and Chinese hamster ovary cells: the influence of cold and hormones

A low pH method of liposome-membrane fusion (Schneider et al., 1980, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 77:442) was used to enrich the mitochondrial inner membrane lipid bilayer 30-700% with exogenous phospholipid and cholesterol. By varying the phospholipid-to- cholesterol ratio of the liposomes it was possible to incorporate specific amounts of cholesterol (up to 44 mol %) into the inner membrane bilayer in a controlled fashion. The membrane surface area increased proportionally to the increase in total membrane bilayer lipid. Inner membrane enriched with phospholipid only, or with phospholipid plus cholesterol up to 20 mol %, showed randomly distributed intramembrane particles (integral proteins) in the membrane plane, and the average distance between intramembrane particles increased proportionally to the amount of newly incorporated lipid. Membranes containing between 20 and 27 mol % cholesterol exhibited small clusters of intramembrane particles while cholesterol contents above 27 mol % resulted in larger aggregations of intramembrane particles. In phospholipid-enriched membranes with randomly dispersed intramembrane particles, electron transfer activities from NADH- and succinate-dehydrogenase to cytochrome c decreased proportionally to the increase in distance between the particles. In contrast, these electron- transfer activities increased with decreasing distances between intramembrane particles brought about by cholesterol incorporation. These results indicate that (a) catalytically interacting redox components in the mitochondrial inner membrane such as the dehydrogenase complexes, ubiquinone, and heme proteins are independent, laterally diffusible components; (b) the average distance between these redox components is effected by the available surface area of the membrane lipid bilayer; and (c) the distance over which redox components diffuse before collision and electron transfer mediates the rate of such transfer.     

Social status and reproductive success of male Macaca fascicularis

Dominant males of nonseasonally breeding species should have more opportunity than seasonal breeders to monopolize access to estrous females and thus enhance their reproductive success. They may also use other strategies for maximizing reproductive success such as producing offspring by relatively high ranking females. To test these hypotheses, the paternity of 35 (80%) of 44 Macaca fascicularis offspring, born over a 28-month period, was established using electrophoretically and serologically defined genetic markers. The social ranks of each of the seven potential fathers and 26 potential mothers were determined by recording outcomes of dyadio agonistic interactions. No evidence could be found to support either hypothesis. Further, in view of previously reported significant, positive correlations between male social rank and sexual activity rates in this study group, sexual activity rates do not appear to predict the number of offspring a male sires in this species.     

Hormonal regulation of estradiol biosynthesis, aromatase activity, and aromatase mRNA in rat ovarian follicles and corpora lutea

To determine the molecular basis for changes in aromatase (P450arom) activity in rat ovarian follicles and corpora lutea, seven clones for rat P450arom cDNA have been identified and isolated from a rat granulosa cell λgtll cDNA expression library using a 62 mer deoxyoligonucleotide probe (derived from an amino acid sequence of purified human placental aromatase) and a human placental P450arom cDNA probe. One of the rat P450arom cDNA clones contained an insert 1.2 kb in size. Both the human 1.8 kb cDNA and the rat 1.2 kb cDNA probes hybridized to a single species of P450arom mRNA that was 2.6 kb in size. Northern blot analysis revealed that corpora lutea isolated on day 15 of pregnancy contained high amounts of P450arom mRNA, whereas granulosa cells of antral follicles of hormonally primed, hypophysectomized rats (i.e., those from which mRNA was isolated to construct the cDNA library) contained only low amounts of P450arom mRNA. The lower amounts of P450arom in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicles in the estradiol-follicle-stimulating hormone primed hypophysectomized rats were unexpected because follicles incubated in medium containing testosterone substrate produce more estradiol than do corpora lutea isolated on day 15 of pregnancy and incubated under similar conditions. Additional studies will determine the hormonal events responsible for the elevated amounts and constitutive maintenance of P450arom mRNA and aromatase activity in luteal cells in vivo and in vitro.     

Demonstration of structural differences between the two subunits of human-plasma fibronectin in the carboxy-terminal heparin-binding domain

Structural differences between the two subunits of human plasma fibronectin were studied by analyzing the carboxy-terminal heparin-binding domain (Hep-2). Two fragments (29 kDa and 38 kDa) derived from the Hep-2 domain were purified from thermolysin-digested human plasma fibronectin. Identical NH2-terminal sequences were obtained for both fragments through 16 Edman cycles. Neither domain contained the 90-amino-acid extra domain which is predicted by cDNA analysis of the cellular form of fibronectin. We have examined the primary structures of the 29-kDa and 38-kDa Hep-2 domains produced from the two chains of plasma fibronectin by analyzing the tryptic peptides by fast atom bombardment/mass spectrometry and comparison with the predicted fragments deduced from the corresponding cDNA-derived peptide sequences. Peptides that were unique to each domain were further characterized by microsequence analysis. The two domains showed identical amino acid sequences through 274 residues, followed by a region of variability. The 29-kDa domain contains 279 amino acids with an estimated relative molecular mass (Mr) of 30,460. This domain is located in the heavy chain of plasma fibronectin and contains three repeats of type III sequences plus a portion of the connecting segment (IIICS) region. The 38-kDa domain contains 359 amino acids and one O-linked glycosyl unit for an estimated Mr of 39,263. This domain is from the light chain of plasma fibronectin and contains four repeats of type III sequences with the deletion of the entire 120-amino-acid IIICS area. Secondary structure analysis by Chou/Fasman and circular dichroism reveals extensive beta-sheet structure for these domains. Key sulfhydryl and glycosylation sites are located near the mRNA splice junctions for the two chains. It is postulated that the splice junctions are adjacent to a flexible domain joining two regions of extensive beta-sheet structure.     

Microsequence analysis of peptides and proteins. VI. A continuous flow reactor for sample concentration and sequence analysis

We have designed and tested a continuous flow reactor (CFR) for microsequence analysis of peptides and proteins. The CFR forms the site for immobilization of the peptide or protein substrate and automated Edman chemistry. The CFR was constructed from 0.125-in.-o.d., 0.0625-in.-i.d. Teflon tubing (length 2-3 cm) containing 5-10 mg of Polybrene-coated, spherical, porous silica (100-200-micron particle size). The silica is retained in the CFR with porous Teflon filters (Zitex) at the bed bottom and optionally at the bed top. The i.d. of the CFR was selected for a tight press fit when 0.0625-in.-o.d. Teflon lines are inserted at the top and bottom of the CFR. This design allows the replacement of the existing cartridge/glass fiber disk found in conventional microsequencers with a CFR with a minimal amount of changes. The advantages of the CFR over the previous design include a lower background or noise level and no need to precycle Polybrene before sample application, and the entire unit is inexpensive and therefore disposable. We believe that the decrease in noise, especially the decrease in the commonly observed diphenylthiourea peak, is due to the more direct flow path and relative absence of unswept area in the CFR. Several standard peptides and proteins were sequenced in the CFR to demonstrate the improved results. A direct comparison to the cartridge/glass fiber disk design demonstrated less background and higher initial and repetitive yields for the CFR. An additional advantage is the ability to directly concentrate samples on CFRs containing reverse-phase packing. We have successfully concentrated 1.0-ml samples (200 pmol) onto 5 mg of octyldecylsilyl-derivatized silica in yields of 95-100%. The resulting samples were microsequenced after addition of Polybrene-coated silica to the CFR with high initial and repetitive yields. This methodology promises to improve sample handling and microsequence analysis of low picomole amounts of peptides and proteins.     

Microsequence analysis of peptides and proteins: trimethylsilylisothiocyanate as a reagent for COOH-terminal sequence analysis

A reinvestigation of the isothiocyanate-based chemistry for cyclic degradations of peptides and proteins revealed that the reagent trimethylsilylisothiocyanate (TMS-ITC) gives superior results in terms of coupling efficiency and lack of complicating side reactions. Acetic anhydride (10 min at various temperatures) was used to activate the carboxyl terminus, and 6 N HCl (30 min at room temperature) was used for cleavage as originally described by G.R. Stark (Biochemistry 8, 4735, 1968). Reaction conditions for efficient coupling were explored using subtractive chemistry on bradykinin, a nonapeptide, and separation of the reaction products by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The products were analyzed by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry and shown to be the N-acetylated starting material and the N-acetylated des-Arg9 derivative of bradykinin. The pseudo-first-order rate constants measured at 50, 70, and 90 degrees C were 5.6 X 10(-5), 5.1 X 10(-4), and 8.6 X 10(-4) s-1, respectively. In order to obtain complete couplings within 30-40 min at 50 degrees C, the effect of pyridine catalysis was studied. The addition of 0.225 M pyridine resulted in roughly doubling the rates at 50 and 70 degrees C. In the case of bradykinin, the reaction with TMS-ITC in the presence of the pyridine catalyst at 50 degrees C was complete in 15 min. In order to apply this methodology to the analysis of proteins, the thiohydantoin derivatives of amino acids were synthesized and separated by reverse-phase HPLC. The derivatives were also characterized by mass spectrometry. The above reaction conditions were tested on 3 nmol of sperm whale apomyoglobin for three cycles of degradation. The sample was first coupled to p-phenylene diisothiocyanate-derivatized aminopropyl glass with a 90% yield. The approximate initial yield of glycine at cycle one was 30%. The first three cycles corresponded exactly to the predicted carboxy-terminal sequence of myoglobin. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a new Stark reagent for automated carboxy-terminal chemistry.     

Hepatic lipase: a member of a family of structurally related lipases

Partial amino acid sequence of rat hepatic lipase was obtained by gas-phase microsequence analysis of proteolytic fragments. Sequence comparison to bovine lipoprotein lipase and porcine pancreatic lipase reveals a highly conserved region existing among these three physiologically distinct lipolytic enzymes. In a stretch of 36 amino acid residues previously reported for pancreatic lipase (De Caro, J., Boudouard, M., Bonicel, J., Guidoni, A., Desnuelle, P. and Rovery, M. (1981) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 671, 129-138), nineteen residues are identical for all three enzymes, whereas 27 of 36 are identical in rat hepatic lipase and bovine lipoprotein lipase. The fact that this primary structural conservation extends to three different animal species emphasizes the conclusion that these lipolytic enzymes comprise a protein family originating from a common ancestral gene.     

Isolation and characterization of rabbit gastrin

The heptadecapeptide form the rabbit gastrin was extracted from 16 rabbit antra and purified by a combination of DEAE Sephadex, C-18 SEP PAK cartridges, fast performance liquid chromatography (FPLC) and reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) steps. After the HPLC purification, a sharp, single peak of gastrin-like immunoreactivity was detected that had the same absorption to immunoreactivity ratio as human gastrin. An amino terminal pyrrolidone carboxylic acid blocking group was removed by incubation with pyrrolidone carboxylic peptidase. The amino acid analysis, microsequence analysis and mass spectrometry all confirmed the structure of rabbit gastrin being pQGPWLQEEEEAYGWMDFamide. This sequence is identical to human gastrin-17 except for glutamine in position 6 which replaces glutamate in human gastrin. Both sulfated and unsulfated rabbit gastrin-17 were characterized by mass spectrometry.     

Chemical characterization of rat cholecystokinin-58

Cholecystokinin-58 (CCK-58) was purified from rat intestines using an extraction method that yields large amounts of this peptide. Greater than 30% of total CCK immunoreactivity eluted before CCK-39 upon gel permeation chromatography (Sephadex G-50) if extracts were loaded onto Sep Pak cartridges before freezing. If the extracts were frozen and stored at −70°C for six weeks, only 20% of the material eluted in this region and total immunoreactivity was reduced by 50%, suggesting that proteases were active under these storage conditions. This early eluting peak was purified by reverse phase and ion-exchange HPLC to a single absorbance peak. Microsequence analysis of this peak detected AVLRPDSEP which is the amino terminus of rat CCK-58 predicted from the rat preprocholecystokinin cDNA. Because degradation of CCK-58 occurred in these extracts, it is possible that CCK-58 is the predominant molecule form in the rat small intestine.     

A hypothalamic activator of calmodulin-dependent enzymes is thymosin β4 (1–39)

A new class of stimulators of basal activity of a number of calmodulin-dependent enzymes have been previously isolated from bovine hypothalamus. One of these stimulators, denoted as C₃, has been purified to homogeneity by reverse phase HPLC and tentatively identified as thymosin ₄ (1–39) by mass spectrometry and Edman microsequence analysis. The stimulating effect of C₃ on rabbit skeletal muscle MLCK basal activity was compared with that of thymosin ₁ and thymosin ₄ (16–38). Evidence is presented that all the indicated compounds are Ca²⁺-independent high-affinity MLCK stimulators. The potency of the stimulators in activating the enzyme was: C₃>₄>(CaM+Ca²⁺>₁.This revised version was published online in June 2005 with corrections to the author name Gurvits.