Isolation and partial characterization of an amphiphilic 56-kDa fatty acid binding protein from rat renal basolateral membrane

We have identified a 56-kDa fatty acid binding protein in rat renal basolateral membrane and purified it by extraction in nonionic detergent (Triton X-100), followed by gel filtration, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and affinity chromatography. The purified protein was homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of Triton X-100 or SDS. It showed amphiphilic properties on gel filtration, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and oleate-Sepharose 4B chromatography. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 56 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The protein showed optimal binding activity at pH 7.5 and 37 degrees C. The apparent Kd for palmitic acid was 0.79 microM. It was immunologically clearly distinct from renal cytosolic fatty acid binding protein.     

Purification to apparent homogeneity of inactive kallikrein from rat urine

Inactive kallikrein was purified from rat urine by a procedure including ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE cellulose chromatography, phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B chromatography, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and Sephadex G-75 columns. The resulting preparation was essentially homogeneous, as assessed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This preparation migrated as a single protein band on a SDS-polyacrylamide gel and the molecular weight was 41000. The purified material underwent marked activation by trypsin, but not by deoxycholate, Triton X-100, SDS or acidification. These results indicate that the purified inactive kallikrein is the precursor rather than a complex with a substance binding to the active form of kallikrein.     

Purification and properties of the membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase from adult rat brain

The membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine acetylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7) from adult rat brain has been purified to homogeneity using sequential affinity chromatography on Con A-Sepharose and on dimethyl-aminoethylbenzoic acid-Sepharose 4B followed by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The yield of the purified enzyme (specific activity: 3068 U/mg protein) is higher than 50%. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of Triton X-100 gives only one band with acetylcholinesterase activity. With the exception of electrofocusing and pore gradient electrophoresis, where a multiple band pattern was detected (which seems to be artefactual), the enzyme appears to be homogenous. Gel filtration and sucrose density gradient centrifugation in the presence of Triton X-100 give only one symmetrical peak, with a calculated molecular weight of 328 000. Since polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and mercaptoethanol gives only one band with a molecular weight of 74 500, a tetrametric structure can be postulated for the membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase from rat brain.     

Purification and partial characterization of arylsulphatase C from human placental microsomes

Arylsulphatase C (EC 3.1.6.1) has been purified 300-fold from human placental microsomes using a four step procedure involving solubilization with Triton X-100, chromatography on hydroxyapatite, column chromatofocussing and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose. The purified enzyme is electrophoretically homogeneous and has a molecular weight of 440 000 as determined by polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis. On analysis of the preparation by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate a polypeptide of molecular weight 74 000 was observed, suggesting that the enzyme as purified may be a hexamer. The behaviour of the enzyme during chromatofocussing indicates the enzyme has a pI of 6.56. Steroid sulphatase, as measured by activity towards dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, co-purifies with arylsulphatase C suggesting that both activities are due to a single enzyme.     

Purification of the colicin I receptor

The colicin I outer membrane receptor was solubilized from the cell envelope of Escherichia coli K12 by extraction with Triton X-100 and purified to homogeneity by a combination of ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography as well as isoelectric focusing. The receptor was isolated as a single polypeptide and retained capacity to form a complex with pure colicin. The apparent molecular weight of the receptor as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecy sulfate was 74,000 or 54,000 depending on whether the preparation was boiled or not in sodium dodecyl sulfate, respectively, prior to electrophoresis. Isoelectric focusing of the receptor in the presence of Triton X-100 revealed that the protein was slightly acidic (pI 4.75).     

Multiple molecular forms of purified human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase.

1. Human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase was solubilized by Triton X-100 and purified by affinity chromatography to a specific activity of 3800 IU/mg of protein. The yield of the purified enzyme was 25--45%. 2. Gel filtration on Sepharose 4-B in the presence of Triton X-100 revealed one peak of enzyme activity with a Stokes' radius of 8.7 nm. Density gradient centrifugation in 0.1% Triton X-100 showed one peak of enzyme activity with an S4 value of 6.3S. 3. Isoelectric focusing in Triton X-100 resolved the enzyme into five molecular forms with isoelectric points of 4.55, 4.68, 4.81, 4.98 and 5.18. Upon incubation with neuraminidase the enzyme activity in the first four forms was decreased with a concommitant increase in activity in the form with the higher isoelectric point. 4. After removal of excess Triton X-100 on Bio-Gel HTP, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed seven bands of protein and corresponding bands of enzyme activity. Density gradient centrifugation of the detergent-depleted enzyme at high ionic strength revealed five multiple molecular forms with S4 values of 6.3 S, 10.2 S, 12.2 S, 14.2 S and 16.3 S. At low ionic strength, higher aggregates were observed in addition to the other forms. Dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gave one subunit only with an apparent molecular weight of 80 000. 5. These results suggest that human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase, solubilized by Triton X-100, exists in various forms differing in net charge but of apparently similar molecular dimensions. After removal of the detergent, forms with different molecular sizes are observed.     

Purification and characterization of membrane-bound fumarate reductase from anaerobically grown Escherichia coli.

Fumarate reductase has been purified 100-fold to 95% homogeneity from the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli, grown anaerobically on a defined medium containing glycerol plus fumarate. Optimal solubilization of total membrane protein and fumarate reductase activity occurred with nonionic detergents having a hydrophobic-lipophilic balance (HLB) number near 13 and we routinely solubilized the enzyme with Triton X-100 (HLB number = 13.5). Membrane enzyme extracts were fractionated by hydrophobic-exchange chromatography on phenyl Sepharose CL-4B to yield purified enzyme. The enzyme whether membrane bound, in Triton extracts, or purified, had an apparent Km near 0.42 mM. Two peptides with molecular weights of 70 000 and 24 000, predent in 1:1 molar ratios, were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide slab-gel electrophoresis to coincide with enzyme activity. A minimal native molecular weight of 100 000 was calculated for fumarate reductase by Stephacryl S-200 gel filtration in the presence of sodium cholate. This would indicate that the enzyme is a dimer. The purified enzyme has low, but measurable, succinate dehydrogenase activity.     

Purification of the insulin receptor from human placental membranes

Insulin receptors were purified from human placental microsomal membranes by solubilisation with Triton X-100 followed by Sepharose 6B chromatography, phosphate gradient elution from hydroxyapatite and affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose. 2000-fold purification was achieved with 63% overall recovery. The purified receptor gave a single band on 3.75% polyacrylamide (0.1% Triton X-100) gel electrophoresis. On sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis there was a major band at 75,000 and a minor band at 80,000 daltons. The purified receptor rechromatographed on Sepharose 6B with an apparent molecular weight of 300,000.     

Acyl-coenzyme-A synthetase I from Candida lipolytica. Purification, properties and immunochemical studies.

Acyl-coenzyme-A synthetase I from Candida lipolytica has been purified to homogeneity as evidenced by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of dodecylsulfate as well as by Ouchterlony double-diffusion analysis. The purification procedure involves resolution of cellular particles with Triton X-100 and chromatography on phosphocellulose, Blue-Sepharose and Sephadex G-100. The purified enzyme exhibits a specific activity of 20--24 U/mg protein at 25 degree C, which is about 100-fold higher than those of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases hitherto reported. The molecular weight of the enzyme has been estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of dodecylsulfate to be approximately 84 000. The enzyme is specific for fatty acids with 14--18 carbon atoms regardless of the degree of unsaturation. Studies with the use of specific antibody to acyl-CoA synthetase I have indicated that this enzyme is immunochemically distinguishable from acyl-CoA synthetase II.     

Purification and molecular characterization of rat intestinal brush border membrane dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV

Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.-) was solubilized from a particulate membrane fraction of rat intestinal mucosa with Triton X-100. The solubilized enzyme was purified to homogeneity following ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose and hydroxyapatite, gel filtration and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The final enzyme preparation had a specific activity of 55 units/mg protein representing a 1373 fold purification over the starting material. Purity was judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and double immunodiffusion. The molecular weight of the native undenatured enzyme was estimated to be 230000 by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis under denaturing conditions (sodium dodecyl sulfate) indicated that the protein consists of two identical 98 kDa subunits. Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV is a glycoprotein containing approx. 8% carbohydrate by weight. A detailed analysis of the individual sugar components demonstrated that fucose, galactose, glucose, mannose, sialic acid and hexosamine sugars were present. The nature of the constituent asparagine linked oligosaccharide side chains was further examined following cleavage from the peptide backbone by hydrazinolysis. Following high voltage paper electrophoresis approx. 80% of the isolated oligosaccharide was found with the neutral fraction while the remaining 20% consisted of a single acidic component. Gel filtration of the neutral oligosaccharide fraction indicated that it contains approx. 19 sugar residues.     

Diacylglycerol kinase from suspension cultured plant cells : purification and properties

Diacylglycerol kinase (ATP:1,2-diacylglycerol 3-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.107) from suspension-cultured Catharanthus roseus cells was extracted from a membrane fraction with 0.6% Triton X-100 and 150 millimolar NaCl and was purified about 900-fold by DEAE-cellulose, blue Sepharose, gel permeation, and phenyl-Sepharose chromatography. The enzyme is obviously membrane bound as activity in the cytosol could not be detected. In the presence of detergents such as Triton X-100 (3-[3-cholamidopropyl]dimethylamino)-1-propanesulfonate (Chaps), or deoxycholate, a molecular weight of about 250,000 was determined by gel filtration. In glycerol density gradients, the enzyme sedimented slightly more slowly than bovine serum albumin, indicating a molecular weight of less than 68,000. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis enzyme activity could be assigned to a protein of 51,000 daltons. As found previously for bacterial and animal diacylglycerol kinases, the purified enzyme was completely devoid of activity without the addition of phospholipids or deoxycholate. Cardiolipin was found to be most effective, whereas higher amounts of detergent were inhibitory. The enzyme needs divalent cations for activity, with Mg²⁺ ions being the most effective. Apparent K_m values for ATP and diacylglycerol were determined as 100 and 250 micromolar, respectively.     

Purification of the Primary Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase (Oxidase) from Rat Liver Mitochondria

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase was purified to homogeneity from rat liver mitochondria by Triton X-100 solubilization, diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography and gel electrophoresis. The overall yield was 30 percent. The enzyme has a subunit molecular weight of 61, 000.     

Partial purification of the aminopeptidase from the midgut of the human body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus

The midgut of the human body louse Pediculus humanus humanus contains a thermally stable leucine aminopeptidase, which was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis using l ‐amino oxidase. Midgut extracts were homogenized in saline or in 1% Triton X‐100 and the aminopeptidase was purified by Superose 6 gel filtration chromatography. A peak with enzyme activity that was extracted with or without Triton X‐100 was eluted at a molecular weight 67–69 kDa. Non‐denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis resolved one band of molecular weight of 69 kDa for samples that were extracted in a saline buffer. Two closely linked bands of molecular weight 67 kDa and 69 kDa were observed in samples that were extracted in 1% Triton X‐100.     

Induction of a microsomal butyrylesterase in rat liver by phenobarbital treatment

A carboxylesterase (carboxylic-ester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.1) was induced in the liver of rats after repeated administration of phenobarbital. This enzyme migrated most rapidly towards the anode among Triton X-100-solubilized liver esterases by electrophoresis on the cellulose acetate membrane and it was tentatively designated as L-I.L-I increased in the microsomal fraction and was mainly concentrated in the fraction of smooth endoplasmic reticulum that proliferated after phenobarbital treatment.L-I was separated from other liver esterases and purified about 800-fold. The purified L-I was homogeneous as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and exhibited a molecular weight of about 55 000 as determined by gel filtration. L-I split the 1-naphthyl ester of butyric acid faster than esters of acetic, propionic or valeric acids; it therefore seemed to be a butyrylesterase.     

Purification of a new, calcium-independent, high molecular weight phospholipase A2/lysophospholipase (phospholipase B) from guinea pig intestinal brush-border membrane

A phospholipase A2 activity directed against phosphatidylcholine was previously described in brush-border membrane from guinea pig intestine (Diagne, A., Mitjavila, S., Fauvel, J., Chap, H., and Douste-Blazy, L. (1987) Lipids 22, 33-40). In the present study, this enzyme was solubilized either with Triton X-100 or upon papain treatment, suggesting a structural similarity with other intestinal hydrolases such as leucine aminopeptidase, sucrase, or trehalase. The papain-solubilized form, which is thought to lack the short hydrophobic tail responsible for membrane anchoring, was purified 1800-fold to about 90% purity by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA44, and hydrophobic chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose. Upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, a main band with an apparent molecular mass of 97 kDa was detected under reducing and nonreducing conditions. In the latter case, phospholipase A2 activity could be recovered from the gel and was shown to coincide with the 97-kDa protein detected by silver staining. The enzyme activity was unaffected by EGTA and slightly inhibited by CaCl2. The purified enzyme displayed a similar activity against phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, whereas 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine hydrolysis was reduced by 50% compared to diacylglycerophospholipids. Using phosphatidylcholine labeled with either [3H]palmitic acid or [14C]linoleic acid in the 1- or 2-positions, respectively, the purified enzyme catalyzed the removal of [3H]palmitic acid, although at a lower rate compared to [14C]linoleic acid. This resulted in the formation of sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, but only 1-[3H]palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine was detected as an intermediary product. In agreement with this, 1-acyl-2-lyso-sn-[14C]glycero-3-phosphocholine was deacylated at almost the same rate as the sn-2-position of phosphatidylcholine. Since upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the two hydrolytic activities were detected at the same position as 97-kDa protein, the enzyme is thus considered as a phospholipase A2 with lysophospholipase activity (phospholipase B), which might be involved in phospholipid digestion.     

Purification and properties of steroid sulfatase from human placenta.

Steroid sulfatase was purified approximately 170-fold from normal human placental microsomes and properties of the enzyme were investigated. The major steps in the purification procedure included solubilization with Triton X-100, column chromatofocusing, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography on phenylsepharose CL-4B. The purified sulfatase showed a molecular weight of 500-600 kDa on HPLC gel filtration, whereas the enzyme migrated as a molecular mass of 73 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point of steroid sulfatase was estimated to be 6.7 by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of 2% Triton X-100. The addition of phosphatidylcholine did not enhance the enzyme activity in the placental microsomes obtained from two patients with placental sulfatase deficiency (PSD) after solubilization and chromatofocusing. This result indicates that PSD is the result of a defect in the enzyme rather than a defect in the membrane-enzyme structure. Amino acid analysis revealed that the purified human placental sulfatase did not contain cysteine residue. The Km and Vmax values of the steroid sulfatase for dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHA-S) were 7.8 microM and 0.56 nmol/min, while those for estrone sulfate (E1-S) were 50.6 microM and 0.33 nmol/min, respectively. The results of the kinetic study suggest the substrate specificity of the purified enzyme, but further studies should be done with different substrates and inhibitors.     

Purification and properties of two ribonucleases and a nuclease from barley seeds

Three enzymes possessing RNAase activity were isolated from barley seeds. These enzymes were further purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation DEAE-cellulose chromatography, gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 and DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography. These enzymes have been characterized and classified as: 1. Plant RNAase I (EC 3.1.27.1). It has a pH optimum at 5.7 and molecular weight of 19 000. 2. Plant RNAase II (EC 3.1.27.1). It has a pH optimum at 6.35 and molecular weight of 19 000. 3. Plant nuclease I (EC 3.1.30.2). It has a pH optimum at 6.8 and molecular weight of 37 000. Two RNAases were purified to homogeneity by means of affinity chromatography on poly(G)-Sepharose 4B, as shown by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate.     

Purification and characterization of an arginine-specific carboxypeptidase from Mycoplasma salivarium.

The carboxypeptidase which had been shown to be present exclusively in nonfermentative mycoplasmas was found to be associated with cell membranes of Mycoplasma salivarium. The enzyme was released from the membranes with Triton X-100 and purified by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, affinity chromatography on arginine-Sepharose 4B, and chromatofocusing. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 218 kilodaltons, as estimated by gel filtration through Sepharose CL-6B, and yielded one band of activity in analytical disc-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis performed in the presence of 0.5% (wt/vol) Triton X-100. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme treated in the presence or absence of 2-mercaptoethanol revealed one band with a molecular mass of 87 kilodaltons. The enzyme catalyzed selectively the cleavage of the C-terminal arginine residue of peptides such as N-benzoylglycyl-L-arginine, tuftsin, and bradykinin and was inhibited considerably by o-phenanthroline and EDTA but only slightly by NiCl2. The inhibition of the enzyme by EDTA was fully reversed by the addition of ZnCl2, whereas the addition of CoCl2 activated the enzyme.     

the stability in various detergents of transferrin-transferrin receptor complexes from reticulocyte plasma membranes

Transferrin-membrane protein complexes were solubilized either with 0.4% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 1% Triton X-100 or 0.5% sulfobetaine 3-14 from the plasma membranes of rabbit reticulocytes previously labeled with 125I and then incubated with 131-labeled transferrin. When the solubilized membranes were analyzed by gel filtration fractionation, marked variation in the preservation of transferrin-transferrin receptor interaction was noted between the three detergents. After SDS solubilization, more than 80% of the 131I-labeled transferrin remained associated with membrane proteins with apparent molecular weight of the transferrin-receptor complexes of 1400 000 and 240 000. In contrast, after Triton X-100 solubilization only 40% of the transferrin was still complexed to membrane proteins with an apparent molecular weight of the complex of 450 000. Dissociation of transferrin from its receptor was most marked following sulfobetaine solubilization, with less than 30% of the transferrin still complexed. Following gel filtration 131I-labeled transferrin-125I-labeled membrane protein complexes were immunoprecipitated with goat specific anti-rabbit transferrin antibodies. The immunoprecipitates were analyzed under stringent dissociating conditions by two SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic techniques. In a linear 5-25% polyacrylamide gradient the 125I-labeled receptor obtained after membrane solubilization with all three detergents had an apparent molecular weight of 80 000. In contrast, in a different system using 10% polyacrylamide gel two 125I-labeled receptor components were detected wih apparent molecular weights of 90 000 and 80 000. These results demonstrate that estimates of the molecular weight of the transferrin receptor depended on the conditions of electrophoresis and suggest that the transferrin receptor is partially modified, perhaps by glycosylation.     

Molecular properties of cytochrome P-45011 beta from adrenal cortex mitochondria.

Cytochrome P-45011 beta has been solubilized and partially purified from bovine adrenal cortex mitochondria using chromatography on Octyl-Sepharose CL-4B or DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. The partially purified P-450 preparations were about 90% pure as judged by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the presence of purified preparations of adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin, the partially purified P-450 preparations catalyzed NADPH-supported 11 beta-hydroxylation of unconjugated and sulphoconjugated deoxycorticosterone. In presence of Triton X-100 the partially purified cytochrome P-45011 beta had a Stoke's radius of 4.5 nm, a sedimentation coefficient of 3.1 S and a partial specific volume of about 0.85 cm3/g. These results indicate that the cytochrome P-45011 beta-Triton X-100 complex has a molecular weight of about 100 000 and that P-45011 beta bound about 1.1 g of Triton X-100 per g of protein. The P-45011 beta-Triton X-100 complex was catalytically active in hydroxylation reactions supported by NADPH or the hydroxylating agent ortho-nitroiodosobenzene, suggesting that the monomer of cytochrome P-45011 beta is an active form of the protein.