The heterogeneity and acceptor specificity of human serum galactosyltransferase

Human serum was fractionated by high resolution agarose isoelectricfocusing and the galactosyltransferase activity profile was determined using the ovalbumin, mucin, glucose and N-acetylglucosamine acceptor assays. The four acceptors gave very similar activity profiles. There were minor quantitative differences in some of the 12 or more peaks of activity detected and the only qualitative difference between them was a minor peak at pH 3.90 (2% of the total activity) which reacted only with the mucin acceptor. This suggests that most of the isoenzymes of human serum galactosyltransferase have broad and similar acceptor specificities and that the heterogeneity seen in serum cannot be accounted for by acceptor-specific forms of the enzyme.     

Organspezifische multiple Formen der Glutamatdehydrogenase in Medicago sativa

Summary The alteration of the multiple forms of NAD-dependent glutamic dehydrogenase (GDH) during the development of Medicago sativa is investigated by means of polyacrylamide electrophoresis. Seed germination is accompanied by a characteristic change of the GDH-isoenzyme pattern. Seeds contain seven isoenzymes, which gradually decrease in number during germination. At the same time a pattern of new isoenzymes becomes visible. The seed pattern is called GDH-I and the later appearing pattern GDH-II. GDH-I is characteristic for the cotyledons, whereas GDH-II is the typical pattern of the root system. Shoots produce a mixed pattern composed of the GDH-II isoenzymes as well as some GDH-I isoenzymes.These isoenzyme patterns are organ specific. No qualitative change occurs during further development of the plants and during growth in the presence of different inorganic and organic N-sources in the culture medium.All the individual isoenzymes are found predominantly in the particulate fraction. They represent stable forms which are not altered by variation of the conditions of enzyme extraction or during enzyme purification. Re-electrophoresis of the individual isoenzymes following elution from the polyacrylamide gels reveals only one specific band. The molecular weights of all the distinctive isoenzymes are identical.There is some evidence that the different isoenzymes represent conformational forms of one enzyme, and it is postulated that the GDH-I isoenzymes are correlated to a normal metabolic (or catabolic) function of the enzyme, whereas the GDH-II isoenzymes are responsible for a primarily anabolic function of glutamic dehydrogenase.     

Detection, purification and characterization of a human cancer-associated galactosyltransferase acceptor.

A low-molecular-weight acceptor of galactosyltransferase activity was detected in sera and effusions of patients with extensive maligant disease. This substance was purified to homogeneity from both human serum and effusion by using sequential charcoal/Celite and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The purified acceptor was shown to act as substrate for both purified normal and cancer-associated human galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.22) isoenzymes, but had a higher affinity for the cancer-associated isoenzyme (Km = 20 microM) than for the normal isoenzyme (Km = 500 microM). The substrate was found to be a glycopeptide with mol.wt. approx. 3600 determined by polyacrylamide-gel chromatography. Carbohyydate analysis demonstrated only the presence of glucosamine and mannose. Amino acid analysis revealed that the peptide moiety consisted of eight different amino acids, including two residues of asparagine and one residue of serine, but no threonine. These structural data suggest that the acceptor is a fraction of an asparagine-glucosamine type of glycoprotein.     

Metabolism of the human serum beta-hexosaminidase isoenzymes in the rat: an in vivo and in vitro study

Plasma clearance of purified human serum beta-hexosaminidase isoenzymes was studied in the rat. The serum beta-hexosaminidase isoenzymes (A, B and P) showed a slow clearance from circulation compared to their tissue counterparts. After desialylation, the clearance rate of all serum isoenzymes was markedly enhanced. The uptake of native as well as desialylated serum beta-hexosaminidase isoenzymes was studied in rat liver nonparenchymal cells and hepatocytes. No detectable uptake of any native serum isoenzyme was noticed in either cell type. However, when these isoenzymes were desialylated by neuraminidase treatment, isoenzymes A and B were taken up by the nonparenchymal cells. No uptake was observed for the P form. None of the desialylated serum forms was taken up by hepatocytes.     

Separation, purification, and comparative properties of chloroplast and cytoplasmic phosphoglycerate kinase from barley leaves

The chloroplast and cytoplasmic isoenzymes of phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) (EC. 2.7.2.3) from Hordeum vulgare leaves have been separated and purified for the first time to apparent homogeneity. The method for purifying the isoenzymes is described here and consists of DEAE Sephacel chromatography followed by affinity chromatography on ATP Sepharose. This consistently provided a 500- to 900-fold purification of each isoenzyme. Most of the total PGK in green barley leaves was found to be in the chloroplasts with only 10% in the cytoplasm. The immunological properties of the two isoenzymes were compared. The antisera raised to the separate isoenzymes showed cross-reactivity, although there is evidence that each isoenzyme possesses some distinct epitopes. The isoenzymes differ in overall charge with isoelectric points at 5.2 and 5.4 for the chloroplast and cytoplasmic isoenzymes, respectively. Molecular mass estimations by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis provided similar values of approximately 38 kilodaltons for each isoenzyme, some 4 to 5 kilodaltons less than the values calculated from the cDNA sequences of the wheat isoenzymes. The isoenzymes have broadly similar pH optima of pH 7 to 8. The cytoplasmic isoenzyme is more thermally stable than the chloroplast isoenzyme. Further studies are now in progress to compare both the regulatory properties of the isoenzymes and also their three-dimensional structures as compared with the yeast enzyme.     

Heat Stability of Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase and its Isoenzymes in Young and Adult Cattle and Sheep

The heat stability of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) has been investigated in serum from young and adult cattle and sheep. The thermoresistance of the isoenzymes was determined by electrophoresis of serum samples preincubated at different temperatures. Marked differences were found in the percentage distribution of isoenzymes in serum from the two species as well as in the heat stability. LDH in serum from sheep was inactivated at a lower temperature than that in serum from cattle, and inactivation occurred at a lower temperature in young than in adult animals. The enzyme was in both species less tolerant to elevated temperatures than what is reported for human serum. Procedures worked out for a so-called relative heat stability test of LDH in human clinical diagnosis may therefore give misleading results if they were applied uncritically to sera from these animals. The LDH isoenzyme pattern of some main organs in calves and sheep indicates that a serum heat stability test may be useful in the diagnosis of skeletal muscle injuries in sheep. In cattle the tissue isoenzyme distribution is assumed to be too uniform to give information about specific organ lesions either by serum electrophoresis or by a heating technique. In contrast to what has been reported in man, serum levels of α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD) in cattle and sheep, as earlier reported in swine, are found to be far better correlated to total LDH than to the most thermostable isoenzyme, LDH1.     

Separation of isoenzymatic forms of human serum galactosyltransferase by chromatofocusing and isoelectric focusing. Application to cancerology

Chromatofocusing is used to separate the multiple isoenzyme forms of human serum galactosyltransferase. At least 11 major peaks of activity are observed in normal sera, which are eluted between pH 4.3 and 6.9; a fraction of activity is eluted above pH 7.0. The normal patterns are compared with those obtained with sera from cancer patients and with an ascitic fluid. Chromatofocusing appears as resolutive as agarose isoelectric focusing.     

Biochemical purification of monkey and human LDH isoenzyme 5 suitable as immunization antigen

A method consisting in an ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A50 and an affinity chromatography on Oxamate-hexyl-Sepharose for the purification of monkey and human LDH isoenzyme 5 is presented. Analytical isoelectric focusing reveals minor variants in the monkey LDH isoenzyme 5. This material has been used to produce an antiserum from rabbits which recognizes all the human LDH isoenzymes containing the M subunit, without cross-reacting with LDH1.     

Comparison of human alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes. Structural evidence for three protein classes.

The structural relationships among human alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes from placenta, bone, kidney, liver and intestine were investigated by using three criteria. 1. Immunochemical characterization by using monospecific antisera prepared against either the placental isoenzyme or the liver isoenzyme distinguishes two antigenic groups: bone, kidney and liver isoenzymes cross-react with anti-(liver isoenzyme) serum, and the intestinal and placental isoenzymes cross-react with the anti-(placental isoenzyme) antiserum. 2. High-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of the 32P-labelled denatured subunits of each enzyme distinguishes three groups of alkaline phosphatase: (a) the liver, bone and kidney isoenzymes, each with a unique isoelectric point in the native form, can be converted into a single form by treatment with neuraminidase; (b) the placental isoenzyme, whose position also shifts after removal of sialic acid; and (c) the intestinal isoenzyme, which is distinct from all other phosphatases and is unaffected by neuraminidase digestion. 3. Finally, we compare the primary structure of each enzyme by partial proteolytic-peptide 'mapping' in dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels. These results confirm the primary structural identity of liver and kidney isoenzymes and the non-identity of the placental and intestinal forms. These data provide direct experimental support for the existence of at least three alkaline phosphatase genes.     

Carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes in the erythrocytes and uterus of the rabbit

1. Two forms of the zinc-containing enzyme carbonic anhydrase (EC 4.2.1.1) were isolated from rabbit erythrocytes and two forms from rabbit uterine tissue (endometrium) in the progestational stage of pregnancy (days 6-8 of gestation). Separation of the isoenzymes was achieved by ion-exchange chromatography, preparative polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. A comparison was made of the general properties and kinetic behaviour of the purified isoenzymes. 2. Although indistinguishable in terms of molecular weight and zinc content the isoenzymes were very different as catalysts of the hydration of carbon dioxide. The two erythrocyte isoenzymes, found in almost equal amounts, differed more than 100-fold in specific activity. Of the two isoenzymes prepared from either endometrial or entire uterine homogenates one was kinetically indistinguishable from the erythrocyte high-activity form, whereas the other, also possessing high activity, was found only in the endometrial or uterine tissue. Present evidence suggests that the former isoenzyme originated from residual blood contaminating the tissue homogenates, and that a marked rise in the content of the latter isoenzyme accounts for the increase in rabbit endometrial carbonic anhydrase activity that previously has been observed in early pregnancy. 3. Minor forms of the erythrocyte isoenzymes, having a characteristic quantitative and electrophoretic relationship to one another, were occasionally produced during purification. 4. The actions were investigated of the inhibitors acetazolamide (5-acetamido-3,4-diazole-1-thia-2-sulphonamide), 1,1-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulphonamide and ethoxyzolamide (6-ethoxybenzothiazole-2-sulphonamide) on the hydration of carbon dioxide and the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate catalysed by the isoenzymes. 5. The low-activity erythrocyte isoenzyme was superior to the high-activity form as a catalyst of beta-naphthyl acetate hydrolysis.     

Enolase isoenzymes in adult and developing Xenopus laevis and characterization of a cloned enolase sequence.

As part of a study of glycolysis during early development we have examined the pattern of expression of enolase isoenzymes in Xenopus laevis. In addition, the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone coding for the complete amino acid sequence of one enolase gene (ENO1) in X. laevis was determined. X. laevis ENO1 shows highest homology to mammalian non-neuronal enolase. Analysis of enolase isoenzymes in X. laevis by non-denaturing electrophoresis on cellulose acetate strips revealed five isoenzymes. One form was present in all tissues tested, two additional forms were expressed in oocytes, embryos, adult liver and adult brain, and two further forms were restricted to larval and adult muscle. Since enolase is a dimer, three different monomers (gene products) could account for the observed number of isoenzymes. This pattern of enolase isoenzyme expression in X. laevis differs from that of birds and mammals. In birds and mammals the most acidic form is neuron-specific and there is only one major isoenzyme expressed in the liver. RNAase protection experiments showed the presence of ENO1 mRNA in oocytes, liver and muscle, suggesting that it codes for a non-tissue-restricted isoenzyme. ENO1 mRNA concentrations are high in early oocytes, decrease during oogenesis and decrease further after fertilization. Enolase protein, however, is maintained at high concentrations throughout this period.     

Isoenzyme patterns of human liver alpha-L-fucosidase during development.

The pattern of human liver α-l-fucosidase isoenzymes during development has been studied by isoelectric focusing. Seven isoenzymes have been found in livers from fetuses, children and adults. The pattern of isoenzymes appears to change during development. Whereas the most neutral form (I) of α-l-fucosidase is prominent in early fetal development (105–109 days gestation), it is greatly diminished in amount later in fetal development (123–124 days gestation) and in children and adults. Incubation of adult human liver α-l-fucosidase with neuraminidase eliminates the five most acid forms of the enzyme and greatly increases the amount of the most neutral form (I). It is thus possible that sialylation of the most neutral form of α-l-fucosidase accounts, at least in part, for the changes in fucosidase isoenzyme patterns during development.     

Two Escherichia coli fructose-6-phosphate kinases. Preparative purification, oligomeric structure and immunological studies.

Two isoenzymes of fructose-6-phosphate kinase (ATP: D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.11) are present in Escherichia coli K12. One isoenzyme is allosterically inhibited by phosphoenolpyruvate and activated by nucleoside diphosphates, and is a tetramer composed of four subunits of molecular weight 35 000. A simple method for the purification of this enzyme is reported. Equilibrium dialysis indicates that there are four ATP sites and four GDP sites per tetramer. The second isoenzyme is present in low quantity in wild type bacteria. This enzyme is devoid of allosteric properties. A complete method of purification is described. Determination of its molecular weight under native and denaturing conditions indicates that this protein is a dimer composed of two subunits of molecular weight 36 000. Antisera have been produced against both isoenzymes. The antiserum against one isoenzyme does not cross-react with the other. Discrepancies between our results and those of other workers are discussed.     

Pregnancy modulates the expression of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase in rat serum and tissues.

1. beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases in maternal rat serum were separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and compared with those of adult rat serum. 2. In pregnant serum there is an increase of the isoenzymes which are entirely composed of beta-subunits (B and intermediate forms). 3. These alterations could be compared to those already described in human pregnancy. 4. The levels of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase and the relative expression of alpha- and beta-subunits in normal and pregnant serum correlate with the above isoenzyme expression. 5. The increase of B and intermediate forms as well as the increase of specific activity during pregnancy was not peculiar to maternal serum but was also demonstrated in several foetal tissues and in maternal tissues, in which cases the beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase isoenzyme patterns closely resemble the foetal ones rather than those of the adult rat tissues. 6. These analogies strongly suggest that the expression of beta-subunit of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase is regulated by hormones or other factors related to pregnancy.     

Cytosolic and mitochondrial isoenzymes of branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase during development of the rat.

The isoenzymic forms of branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase in mitochondria of rat tissues were compared with the better-known cytosolic forms in order to find any regular pattern of expression of these isoenzymes during development. Mitochondria of all tissues examined except brain contained only a type-I isoenzyme differing from the cytosolic type-I isoenzyme in heat stability and activation by mercaptoethanol. Foetal and adult brain mitochondria contained isoenzymes type III as well as type I. The large excess of type-I isoenzyme in foetal liver was localized in mitochondria, apparently of haematopoietic cells. The activity of this isoenzyme declined precipitously (by 80%) from day 19 of gestation at the same period and rate as does the volume fraction of haematopoietic cells that are then leaving the liver. Cortisol treatment accelerated the loss of these cells, and proportionally accelerated loss of the mitochondrial isoenzyme I. A development succession of type-I isoenzyme by the unique type II of liver parenchymal cell cytosols could not be demonstrated, since small, about equal, amounts of types I and II were always present in cytosols of foetal and adult liver. Developmental succession of isoenzymes within tissues was limited to cytosols and was demonstrated by the presence of cytosolic isoenzyme III in foetal and newborn skeletal muscle and kidney, organs which contain only isoenzyme I in the adult.     

Separation, purification and characterization of three isoenzymes of UDP-glucuronyltransferase from rat liver microsomes

Three isoenzymes of UDP-glucuronyltransferase (UDPGT) have been separated and purified from liver microsomes of untreated female rats or female rats pretreated with 3-methylcholanthrene. The UDPGT isoenzymes were purified utilizing Chromatofocusing, column isoelectric focusing, and UDP-hexanolamine Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. UDPGT activities could also be separated during UDP-hexanolamine affinity chromatography by elution with different UDPGA (UDP-glucuronic acid) concentrations. One isoenzyme exhibits a subunit molecular weight of 56,000 and is capable of conjugating p-nitrophenol, 1-naphthol, and 4-methylumbelliferone. This isoenzyme is inducible by 3-methylcholanthrene treatment and requires high UDPGA concentrations for elution from the UDP-hexanolamine affinity column in contrast to the other UDPGT isoenzymes. A second isoenzyme was purified and displayed a subunit molecular weight of 50,000. This isoenzyme was not induced by 3-methylcholanthrene and was active towards testosterone, the 17-OH position of beta-estradiol, p-nitrophenol, and 1-naphthol. A third isoenzyme was also purified and exhibited a subunit molecular weight of 52,000. This isoenzyme conjugated androsterone and etiocholanolone and was not induced by 3-methylcholanthrene treatment. This study reports the purification of two separate and distinct rat liver UDPGT isoenzymes capable of conjugating p-nitrophenol, only one of which is inducible by 3-methylcholanthrene treatment. Also, this is the first report of the purification of a UDPGT isoenzyme active towards the 3-OH position of androgens.     

Separation of rat lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme C4 from other isoenzymes by affinity and ion-exchange chromatography.

Lactate dehydrogenase C, an isoenzyme composed of C polypeptide subunits and found only in mature testes and spermatozoa, differs kinetically, chemically and immunologically from the five common isoenzymes of lactate dehydrogenase, each of which is a tetramer of A and/or B subunits. In the rat lactate dehydrogenase C exists in two molecular forms, isoenzymes C4 and A1C3. In addition to these two forms of lactate dehydrogenase C, rat testicular homogenate contains all the five isoenzymes of A and B type. Purification of isoenzyme C4 requires its separation from the other six isoenzymes, of which isoenzymes A1C3 and A3B1 are the most difficult ones to separate. In the present study isoenzyme A3B1, along with other enzymes, was separated from isoenzyme C4 by AMP-Sepharose chromatography by using a gradient of increasing concentration of NAD+-pyruvate adduct. In the next step, isoenzyme A1C3 was separated from isoenzyme C4 by DEAD-cellulose chromatography, resulting in a pure lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme C4 preparation.     

A method of fast separation of lignin peroxidases using convective interaction media disks.

The HPLC separation of lignin peroxidase isoenzymes using Convective Interaction Media disks containing quaternary amine and diethylaminoethyl ion-exchange active groups is proposed. In contrast to standard HPLC procedures the separation can be performed within a few minutes without considerably affecting the separation resolution. The method is reproducible and gives a linear response of integrated peak area to protein concentration for all measured isoenzymes. The separation resolution is retained unchanged by applying crude culture filtrate instead of a sample previously frozen and dialyzed. The optimized method might therefore be used for on-line monitoring of lignin peroxidase isoenzyme composition during fermentation. On the other hand, the proposed method is comparable in time to the original method of lignin peroxidase activity measurement (proposed by Tien and Kirk), providing additionally the isoenzyme composition.     

Purification and some properties of cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase from sheep liver

1. A procedure for the purification of the cytoplasmic isoenzyme of aspartate aminotransferase from sheep liver is described. 2. The purified isoenzyme shows a single component in the ultracentrifuge at pH7.6 and forms a single protein band on agar-gel electrophoresis at pH6.3 or 8.6, as well as when stained for protein or activity after polyacrylamide-gel or cellulose acetate electrophoresis at pH8.8. 3. Immunoelectrophoresis on agar gel yields only one precipitin arc associated with the protein band, with rabbit antiserum to the purified isoenzyme. By immunodiffusion, cross-reaction was detected between the cytoplasmic isoenzymes from sheep liver and pig heart, but not between the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial sheep liver isoenzymes. 4. The s(20,w) of the enzyme is 5.69S and the molecular weight determined by sedimentation equilibrium is 88900; 19313 molecules of oxaloacetate were formed/min per molecule of enzyme at pH7.4 and 25 degrees C. 5. The amino acid composition of the isoenzyme is presented. It has about 790 residues per molecule. 6. The holoenzyme has a maximum of absorption at 362nm at pH7.6 and 25 degrees C. 7. A value of 2.1 was found for the coenzyme/enzyme molar ratio. 8. The purified enzyme revealed two bands of activity on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis at pH7.4 and an extra, faster, band in some circumstances. These bands occurred even when dithiothreitol was present throughout the isolation procedure. 9. Three main bands were obtained by electrofocusing on polyacrylamide plates with pI values 5.75, 5.56 and 5.35. 10. Structural similarities with cytoplasmic isoenzymes from other organs are discussed.     

Purification and crystallization of three isoenzymes of malate dehydrogenase from Zea mays seed

A successful method for the preparation of plant malate dehydrogenase (MDH) was developed. Three isoenzymes were isolated and crystallized from maize seed. Purification of these proteins involved a course of acetone fractionation, batch and column adsorption on hydroxylapatites, gel permeation chromatography, and ionexchange on DEAE-cellulose columns. In addition, final separation of one of the component isoenzymes was accomplished by continuous flow elution electrophoresis on acrylamide gels. By these techniques it was possible to prepare 5–10 mg of each isoenzyme at one time. Two of the proteins (designated M1-MDH and M2-MDH) are very similar with respect to their charge properties and association with mitochondrial fractions. The other isoenzyme (S-MDH) is associated with the supernatant or cytosol fraction. Antibodies prepared against one of the mitochondrial forms (M1-MDH) cross-reacts with the other form from the mitochondria (M2-MDH) and shows a reaction of identity on agar double diffusion tests. The antibodies against the mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase show no cross-reactivity with the supernatant protein. This preparation of malate dehydrogenase isoenzymes represents the first procedure for obtaining these proteins in a homogenous state from a plant, source, and it is the first purification and separation of multiple mitochondrial isoenzymes as separate entities.