Immunocytochemical,electrophoresis, and immunoblot analysis of Heliothis virescens gap junctions isolated in the presence and absence of protease inhibitors

Gap junction-enriched fractions were prepared from larvae of the tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens using the NaOH procedure in the presence or absence of protease inhibitors and were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting and EM immunocytochemistry. Protease inhibitor fractions contained a 48-kDa protein in addition to the 10 proteins in fractions with and without inhibitors. Three polyclonal antibodies were used as probes for gap junction plaques and proteins: R16, against an 40-kDa candidate gap junction protein from Drosophila melanogaster; R17, against the 40-kDa candidate gap junction protein from H. virescens; and R18AP, an affinity purified antibody against a consensus sequence of N-terminal amino acids 2–21 of the H. virescens 40-kDa protein. R16, R17, and R18AP stain the 40- and 48-kDa proteins, R16 and R18AP stain a 64-kDa protein, and R16 stains an 30-kDa protein in the absence of inhibitors. Inclusion of protease inhibitors had no effect on gap junction ultrastructure. R16 and R17 label gap junction plaques in crude membrane and NaOH fractions, whereas R18AP exhibits only a low level of reactivity with gap junctions in crude membrane fractions and none with gap junctions in NaOH fractions. The results show that the 30-, 40-, 48- and 64-kDa proteins are immunologically related and are associated with gap junctions in H. virescens, the N-terminus of the 40-kDa protein is relatively inaccessible or easily lost, and the 48-kDa protein is protease-sensitive.     

Structural,immunocytochemical and initial biochemical characterization of NAOH-extracted gap junctions from an insect,Heliothis virescens

Subcellular fractions enriched in gap junctions with an ultrastructure similar to those in intact insect tissue have been obtained by extracting crude membranes from the tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with 2.5 mM NaOH. n-Octyl--d-glucopyranoside (OG) was used to further purify integral membrane proteins in the NaOH-extracted fractions. A polyclonal antibody (R16) is described that specifically labels nonextracted and NaOH-extracted gap junctions in cell fractions by electron microscope immunocytochemistry. R16 immunostaining of sectioned Heliothis testis at the light-microscope level yields a pattern of immunoreactivity consistent with the distribution of gap junctions in the tissue. R16 identifies a 40-kDa protein as a candidate gap junction protein on immunoblots of crude membrane, NaOH-extracted and NaOH/OG-extracted fractions.     

Intercellular junctions during development and in tissue cultures ofDrosophila melanogaster: An electron-microscopic study

Summary The present investigation analyzes intercellular junctions in tissues with different developmental capacities. The distribution of junctions was studied inDrosophila embryos, in imaginal disks, and in cultures of disk cells that were no longer able to differentiate any specific pattern of the adult epidermis.The first junctions —primitive desmosomes andclose membrane appositions — already appear in blastoderm.Gap junctions are first detected in early gastrulae and later become more and more frequent.Zonulae adhaerentes are formed around 6 h after fertilization, whileseptate junctions appear in the ectoderm of 10-h-old embryos.Inwing disks of all stages studied (22–120 h), three types of junctions are found: zonulae adhaereentes, gap junctions, and septate junctions. Gap junctions, which are rare and small at 22 h, increase in number and size during larval development. The other types of junctions are found between all cells of a wing disk throughout development.All types of junctions that are found in normal wing disks are also present in theimaginal disk tissues cultured in vivo for some 15 years and in thevesicles of imaginal disk cells grown in embryonic primary cultures in vitro. However, gap junctions are smaller and in the vesicles less frequent than in wing disks of mature larvae.Thus gap junctions, which allow small molecules to pass between the cells they connect, are present in the early embryo, when the first developmental decisions take place, and in all imaginal disk tissues studied, irrespective of whether or not these are capable of forming normal patterns.     

Localization and characterization of acharan sulfate in the body of the giant African snail Achatina fulica

Acharan sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG), having the structure →4)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α- -glucopyranose(1→4)-2-sulfo-α- -idopyranosyluronic acid (1→, isolated from the body of the giant African snail Achatina fulica. This GAG represents 3–5% of the dry weight of this snail's soft body tissues. Frozen sections and polyester wax sections of the snail's body were stained by Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff's reagent (PAS) to localize acharan sulfate. Alcian blue staining indicated that GAG was mainly secreted into the outer surface of the body from internal granules. A highly mucous material was collected and treated and the acharan sulfate was recovered by ethanol and cetyl pyridinium chloride precipitation. Crude acharan sulfate was purified by DEAE-Sephacel ion-exchange chromatography. Depolymerization of intact mucus and purified acharan sulfate fractions by heparin lyase II (heparitinase I) from Flavobacterium heparinum produced an unsaturated disaccharide as a major product, establishing the repeating unit of acharan sulfate. These results demonstrate that mucus in the granule and secreted to the outside of the body is composed entirely of acharan sulfate.     

Tissue and species conservation of the vertebrate and arthropod forms of the low molecular weight (16–18000) proteins of gap junctions

Summary Gap junctions have been isolated from four murine tissues, from rat and Xenopus laevis liver, and from Nephrops norvegicus (Norway lobster) hepatopancreas. The preparations of gap junctions from each vertebrate tissue contain a single major protein, M_r 16000, and those from Nephrops hepatopancreas a protein, M_r 18000. Immunocytochemical studies using affinity-purified antibodies raised against gap junctions from Nephrops show the junctional origin of the 18k protein. Immunological studies using Western blotting and biochemical studies using tryptic peptide mapping show no significant differences between the 16k junctional proteins of mouse and hence provide no evidence of tissue variation. These studies also suggest that the mouse, rat, and Xenopus 16 k proteins and the Nephrops 18 k protein share some common structural features.     

The arthropod gap junction and pseudo-gap junction: Isolation and preliminary biochemical analysis

Summary The hepatopancreas of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, contains an unusual abundance of gap junctions, suggesting that this tissue might provide an ideal source from which to isolate the arthropod-type of gap junction. A membrane fraction obtained by subcellular fractionation of this organ contained smooth septate junctions, zonulae adhaerentes, gap junctions and pentalaminar membrane structures (pseudo-gap junctions) as determined by electron microscopy. A further enrichment of plasma membranes and gap junctions was achieved by the use of linear sucrose gradients and extraction with 5 mM NaOH. The enrichment of gap junctions correlated with the enrichment of a 31 Kd protein band on polyacrylamide gels. Extraction with 20 mM NaOH or 0.5% (w/v) Sarkosyl NL97 resulted in the disruption and/or solubilization of gap junctions. Negative staining revealed a uniform population of 9.6 nm diameter subunits within the gap junctions with an apparent sixfold symmetry. Using antisera to the major gap junctional protein of rat liver (32 Kd) and to the lens membrane protein (MP 26), we failed to detect any homologous antigenic components in the arthropod material by immunoblotting-enriched gap junction fractions or by immunofluorescence on tissue sections. The enrichment of another membrane structure (pseudo-gap junctions), closely resembling a gap junction, correlated with the enrichment of two protein bands, 17 and 16Kd, on polyacrylamide gels. These structures appeared to have originated from intracellular myelin-like figures in phagolysosomal structures. They could be distinguished from gap junctions on the basis of their thickness, detergent-alkali insolubility, and lack of association with other plasma membrane structures, such as the septate junction. Pseudo-gap junctions may be related to a class of pentalaminar contacts among membranes involved in intracellular fusion in many eukaryotic cell types. We conclude that pseudo-gap junctions and gap junctions are different cellular structures, and that gap junctions from this arthropod tissue are uniquely different from mammalian gap junctions of rat liver in their detergentalkali solubility, equilibrium density on sucrose gradients, and protein content (antigenic properties).     

Subcellular fractions and the refringent granules of the spermatozoa of Ascaris suum (Nematoda)

Summary Six subcellular fractions were isolated by differential centrifugation of the homogenate of spermatozoa of Ascaris suum. The cellular constituents of pelleted fractions, as identified by electron microscopy, were membranes and membranous organelles (fraction A1), microsomal (A2), cytoplasmic (A3), large refringent granules (B1), small refringent granules (B2) and a detergent-soluble fraction (B3).Polypeptide analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that the 18,400-dalton band, one of the major spermatozoan proteins, is detectable in all of the fractions. However, the cytoplasmic (A1) and refringent-granule (B1) fractions contained the highest level.The isolated refringent granules consisted of 2–6 % lipid while the nonlipid fraction formed an insoluble matrix with a fibrillar network morphology. This fibrillar matrix contained three polypeptides of small molecular weight (7,000–14,000) in addition to the 18,400-dalton polypeptide. These small polypeptides (7,000–14,000 MW) are detectable only in fractions of the refringent granules and are therefore called the refringent-granule proteins (RGP). These RGP are sensitive to tryptic hydrolysis and have solubility properties similar to the protein, ascaridine.Adult Ascaris suum were generously provided by Wilson and Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This study was supported by postdoctoral fellowship 5F32AI05646 from NIH. The assistance of Mr. Douglas Wood is gratefully acknowledged     

High-level expression of bovine rotavirus VP4 protein in Escherichia coli using a hepatitis B core antigen vector

Six regions of the VP4 protein of bovine rotavirus strain UKtc were expressed using hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) as a carrier. Following induction by IPTG, the six fusion proteins, AHBcAg through FHBcAg, were expressed in Escherichia coli to a level of 20–37% of total cellular protein. Soluble fusion proteins in a particulate form were partially purified with yields ranging from 0.5–6.4 mg l^–1 of culture.     

Gap junctions are non-randomly distributed inDrosophila wing discs

Summary The distribution of gap junctions in mature larvalDrosophila melanogaster wing discs was analyzed by means of quantitative electron microscopy. Gap junctions are non-randomly distributed in the proximal-distal disc axis and in the apical-basal cell axis of the epithelium. In the epithelial cells, the surface density, number and length of gap junctions are greatest in the apical cell region and distal disc region. The average gap junction surface density is 0.0572 m^–1 and 2.77% of the lateral cell surface is composed of gap junctions. In the adepithelial cells, the gap junction surface density is 0.0005 m^–1 and 0.06% of the cell surface is composed of gap junctions. No gap junctions were observed between epithelial cells and adepithelial cells. The absolute area of gap junctions was estimated in a proximal-distal strip of cells in the disc and is considerably less in the folded regions of the epithelium compared to the flat notum and wing pouch regions. The results are discussed with respect to pattern formation and growth control in imaginal discs.     

Cell junctions in the germinal epithelium may play an important role in spermatogenesis of the catfish P. fasciatum (Pisces, Siluriformes)

We identified adhesive junctions and gap junctions between Sertoli cells, between Sertoli and germ cells and between germ cells in the testis of P. fasciatum, a catfish of commercial relevance. To investigate the role of these junctions in spermatogenesis, as well as the molecular composition of the junctions, we performed an immunohistochemistry light microscopy as well as an immunogold labelling electron microscopy study with antibodies to adhesive and gap junctions proteins. Testes that were at different stages of spermatogenesis were used. Based on our morphological studies we speculate that Sertoli–germ and germ–germ cell adhesive junctions are important for maintaining the three-dimensional structure of the germinal cysts and an organized arrangement of the germ cells inside the cysts. Connexin 32 was identified in the germ cells and in the cysts walls. Our observations also suggest that Sertoli–germ and germ–germ cells gap junctions may be involved in the mechanism of synchronous development of germ cells.     

Extra sequences found at P element excision sites in Drosophila melanogaster.

Summary. We have previously established a transgenic Drosophila line with a highly transposable P element insertion. Using this strain we analyzed transposition and excision of the P element at the molecular level. We examined sequences flanking the new insertion sites and those of the remnants after excision. Our results on mobilization of the P element demonstrate that target-site duplication at the original insertion site does not play a role in forward excision and transposition. After P element excision an 8 by target-site duplication and part of the 31 by terminal inverted repeat (5–18 bp) remained in all the strains examined. Moreover, in 11 out of 28 strains, extra sequences were found between the two remaining inverted repeats. The double-strand gap repair model does not explain the origin of these extra sequences. The mechanism creating them may be similar to the hairpin model proposed for the transposon Tam in Antirrhinum majus.     

Distribution and role of gap junctions in normal myocardium and human ischaemic heart disease

In the heart, individual cardiac muscle cells are linked by gap junctions. These junctions form low resistance pathways along which the electrical impulse flows rapidly and repeatedly between all the cells of the myocardium, ensuring their synchronous contraction. To obtain probes for mapping the distribution of gap junctions in cardiac tissue, polyclonal antisera were raised to three synthetic peptides, each matching different cytoplasmically exposed portions of the sequence of connexin43, the major gap-junctional protein reported in the heart. The specificity of each antiserum for the peptide to which it was raised was established by dot blotting. New methods were developed for isolating enriched fractions of gap junctions from whole heart and from dissociated adult myocytes, in which detergent-treatment and raising the temperature (potentially damaging steps in previously described techniques) are avoided. Analysis of these fractions by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed major bands at 43 kDa (matching the molecular mass of connexin43) and at 70 kDa. Western blot experiments using our antisera indicated that both the 43-kDa and the 70-kDa bands represent cardiac gap-junctional proteins. Pre-embedding immunogold labelling of isolated gap junctions and post-embedding immunogold labelling of Lowicryl-embedded whole tissue demonstrated the specific binding of the antibodies to ultrastructurally defined gap junctions. One antiserum (raised to residues 131–142) was found to be particularly effective for cytochemical labelling. Using this antiserum for immunofluorescence labelling in combination with confocal scanning laser microscopy enabled highly sensitive detection and three-dimensional mapping of gap junctions through thick slices of cardiac tissue. By means of the serial optical sectioning ability of the confocal microscope, images of the entire gap junction population of complete en face-viewed disks were reconstructed. These reconstructions reveal the presence of large junctions arranged as a peripheral ring around the disk, with smaller junctions in an interior zone: an arrangement that may facilitate efficient intercellular transfer of current. By applying our immunolabelling techniques to tissue from hearts removed from transplant patients with advanced ischaemic heart disease, we have demonstrated that gap junction distribution between myocytes at the border zone of healed infarcts is markedly disordered. This abnormality may contribute to the genesis of reentrant arrhythmias in ischaemic heart disease.     

Partial characterization of neural-inducing factors from Xenopus gastrulae Evidence for a larger protein complex containing the factor

Summary High (Mr 90–110 kDa) and low (Mr 15–30 kDa) molecular weight forms of neural-inducing factors have been found in the supernatant of Xenopus gastrula homogenate. The factors, which are protein in nature, have been partially purified by size exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The factor of smaller size, which could be derived from a precursor, is associated with other proteins in a larger complex. The neural-inducing factors are not irreversibly inactivated after chemical deglycosylation with trifluoromethansulfonic acid. The neural-inducing protein which is found in ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-particles was partially purified by hydrophobic chromatography. Possible relationships of the factors in different subcellular fractions and their physiological significance are discussed. Offprint requests to: H. Tiedemann     

Hemocyte differentiation in the hematopoietic organs of the silkworm, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombyx mori</Emphasis>: prohemocytes have the function of phagocytosis

Hemocytes isolated from the larval hematopoietic organs of the silkworm were classified following staining with acridine orange and propidium iodide. Among the hemocytes isolated from the hematopoietic organs of whole fifth larval and wandering stages, most were prohemocytes (60%–70%) and oenocytoids (30%–40%). Granulocytes comprised only about 0.5%–1% at the wandering stage and were even rarer at other stages; no spherulocytes or plasmatocytes were found. Therefore, hemocyte differentiation inside larval hematopoietic organs is not as extensive as previously thought. Following 10–30 min in vitro culture of hemocytes isolated from larval hematopoietic organs, many young granulocytes and plasmatocytes appeared. Furthermore, during phagocytosis assays, prohemocytes were seen to adopt the morphology of plasmatocytes, containing fragments of phagocytosed cells. Our results underline the similarities between Drosophila and Bombyx hematopoiesis.     

Plasmodium falciparum: recombinant baculoviruses direct the expression of circumsporozoite proteins in Spodoptera frugiperda cell cultures

The DNA coding for the circumsporozoite protein (CPS) of Plasmodium falciparum has been cloned into the baculovirus expression vector pAcYM1 and expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells. Three DNA constructs have been made: the first one directs the synthesis of the complete CSP (aa 1–412), the second leads to the production of a species devoid of the anchor domain (aa 1–391) and the third one to a molecule lacking both signal and membrane anchor sequences (aa 18–391). All three recombinant CPS were produced at about 3 g per 10⁶ infected cells and were characterized in terms of immunoreactivity and apparent molecular weight. Analytical purification of the recombinant proteins was achieved by a combination of heat treatment, acidification, isoelectric focusing and ion exchange chromatography. The purified material, when injected into mice, generated only modest antibody responses, although antisera from immunized mice reacted with control CSP antigens carrying or not the major immunodominant repeat region.Abbreviations AcNPV Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus - CSP circumsporozoite protein     

Evidence for numerous analogs of yessotoxin in Protoceratium reticulatum

A solid-phase extract from Protoceratium reticulatum was partitioned between water and butanol and the two fractions purified on an alumina column. Fractionation was monitored by ELISA and LC–MS. Results indicate that while almost all yessotoxin (1) was extracted into butanol, large amounts of yessotoxin analogs remained in the aqueous extract along with lesser amounts in the butanolic extract. NMR analysis of selected fractions from reverse-phase chromatography of the extracts confirmed the presence of yessotoxin analogs, although structure determinations were not possible due to the complexity of the mixtures. Analysis of fractions with LC–MS³ and neutral-loss LC–MS/MS indicated the presence of more than 90 yessotoxin analogs, although structures for most of these have not yet been determined. These analogs provide a mechanism to rationalise the discrepancy between ELISA and LC–MS analyses of algae and shellfish.     

Isolation and characterization of Perkinsus marinus proteases using bacitracin–sepharose affinity chromatography

Extracellular proteases were isolated from the cell-free culture supernatant of the oyster-pathogenic protozoan, Perkinsus marinus, by bacitracin–sepharose affinity chromatography. The purified protease fractions contained >75% of the protease activity initially loaded onto the column with very high specific activity that corresponded to 8–11-fold level of protease enrichment. The isolated proteases hydrolysed a variety of protein substrates including oyster plasma. All of the isolated P. marinus proteases belonged to the serine class of proteases. Inhibitor studies involving spectrophotometric assay and gelatin gel electrophoresis showed high levels of inhibition in the presence of the serine protease inhibitors PMSF, benzamidine and chymostatin, whereas inhibitors of cysteine, aspartic, and metalloproteases showed little or no inhibition. Spectrophotometric assays involving serine-specific peptide substrates further revealed that the isolated proteases belong to the class of chymotrypsin-like serine proteases. A 41.7 kDa monomeric, N-glycosylated, serine protease (designated Perkinsin) has been identified as the major P. marinus extracellular protease.     

Gap junction reductions precede tissue hyperplasia following temperature-upshift in theDrosophila ts-mutantl(3)c43 hs1

Summary The wing discs of the temperature-sensitiveDrosophila mutantl(3)c43 ^hs1 become hyperplastic when larvae are reared at the restrictive temperature of 25° C or above (Martin et al. 1977). We have previously shown that reductions in gap junctions are correlated with the hyperplasia (Ryerse and Nagel 1984a). We report here that reductions in gap junction surface density, number and percent of the lateral plasma membrane area precede the onset of tissue hyperplasia as defined by the gross appearance of tissue overgrowth in the wing pouch and an increase in cell number. Gap junction reductions begin soon after temperature upshift and become significantly different from non-shifted controls by 16 h. Direct cell counts indicate that there is no difference in the total number of cells in experimental vs control discs until after 16 h when the 28° C discs begin to grow rapidly with a cell doubling time of about 6 h as compared with about 13 h for the 20°C controls. The finding that gap junction reductions precede the onset of tissue hyperplasia is consistent with the idea that gap junctions play a regulatory role in growth control and pattern formation and strengthens our hypothesis (Ryerse and Nagel 1984b) that a minimum number and a specific distribution of gap junctions are required for normal development.     

Purification of cadmium-binding proteins from related species of terrestrial helicidae (gastropoda,mollusca): A comparative study

Summary Three species of terrestrial Helicidae (Helix pomatia, Cepaea hortensis andArianta arbustorum) were fed cadmium-rich diet in the laboratory. The snails accumulated high amounts of the metal in their hepatopancreas. Most cadmium and some zinc were found, after centrifugation, in the soluble fractions from which a cadmium-binding protein was isolated for each species by ion exchange and gel chromatography. The proteins contained different amounts of cadmium, but little or no zinc, and showed high absorption at 254 nm indicating the presence of cadmium-mercaptide bonds. After gel filtration, a molecular weight of 12000 was found for cadmium-binding proteins fromHelix pomatia andArianta arbustorum, whereas a molecular weight of 10 000 was found for a cadmium-binding protein fromCepaea hortensis. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed one single band for each protein fromHelix pomatia andArianta arbustorum and suggested a molecular weight of 11000 for both species. Amino acid analysis revealed, for each protein, high amounts of cysteine (12–20%), glycine (15–19%), and serine (12–14%), and moderately elevated contents of lysine (9–13%) and alanine (4–8%), but no methionine and only traces, if any, of aromatic amino acids. The ratios of cadmium to cysteine were 1:5, 1:10 and 1:3 in the proteins fromHelix pomatia,Cepaea hortensis andArianta arbustorum, respectively. Some features of the isolated proteins resembled mammalian metallothioneins. Most characteristics, however, differed from true metallothioneins and were similar to cadmium-binding proteins found in some marine molluscs.     

Preparation of hepatic gap (communicating) junctions. Identification of the constituent polypeptide subunits

1. Gap (communicating) junctions are plasma-membrane specializations of characteristic morphology that form transmembrane channels allowing direct communication between cells. Their preparation is described starting from mouse liver plasma membranes and the constituent polypeptides are deduced. 2. Gap junctions co-purify with collagen fibres when the plasma-membrane residues insoluble in N-dodecyl sarcosinate are fractionated on sucrose gradients. Sucrose-density perturbation by relipidation of isolated gap junctions or the use of urea to remove non-junctional membranes both failed to diminish the collagen content of fractions. 3. Removal of collagen by treatment with purified collagenase preparations yielded morphologically satisfactory gap-junction fractions. Analysis by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of the polypeptides present in gap junctions prepared by procedures omitting or using collagenases indicated two non-glycosylated polypeptides, a major component of apparent mol.wt. 38000 and a minor 40000-mol.wt. component. These two polypeptides were also present in plasma membranes and the intermediate fractions. 4. Proteolysis of the gap-junction polypeptides yielding components of mol.wt. 34000, 25000 and below 20000 occurred when iodinated gap junctions were subject to prolonged collagenase treatment, thus explaining the variable polypeptide composition of gap junctions reported by others. 5. The morphological properties of the isolated gap junctions prepared by the various procedures are described.