Purification and properties of the MboII, a class-IIS restriction endonuclease.

After five purification steps a homogeneous preparation of endonuclease MboII was obtained, and several properties of the enzyme were determined. MboII is a monomer, with Mr under native and denaturing conditions being 47-49 x 10(3) Da. Endonuclease MboII is a basic protein (pI 8.3) which remains active when Mg2+ is replaced by Mn2+, Co2+, Ca2+, or Fe2+. MboII exhibits a star activity in the presence of some of the following reagents or ions: DMSO, glycerol, ethanol (and Co2+ or Mn2+ at pH 6). MboII does not bend DNA and is heat sensitive, losing activity after 15 min at 50 degrees C.     

Isolation and some properties of a nonspecific extracellular ribonuclease of Aspergillus clavatus]

RNase has been isolated from the homogenate of the Aspergillus clavatus mycelium by gel filtration through Sephadex G-75, chromatography on CM-cellulose and DEAE-cellulose. By gel filtration and electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel the preparation has been shown to be homogeneous. The enzyme is acid protein with the isoelectric point at pH 4.4 and molecular weight of 27,000. RNase has pH optimum at 6.0--6.2 and temperature optimum 60 degrees for RNA action. The enzyme splits RNA completely in the absence of metal ions. Ions Zn2+, Cu+2, Ag+1 and Ni+2 at a concentration of 10(-4) M are strong inhibitors of RNase activity.     

Isolation of Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent nuclease from calf thymus chromatin

Ca2+,Mg2+-dependent nuclease was isolated from calf thymus chromatin by stepwise chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, CM-Sephadex and DNA-Sepharose. The enzyme was purified more than 700-fold. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis revealed one protein band possessing an enzymatic activity. The molecular mass of the nuclease as determined by gel filtration is 25700 Da, that determined by 12% SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is 28,000 Da. In the presence of various ions the enzyme activity decreases in the following order: (Ca2+ + Mn2+) greater than (Ca2+ + Mg2+) greater than Mn2+; the pH optimum is at 8.0. In media with Mg2+, Ca2+, Co2+ and Zn2+ the nuclease is inactive. Some other properties of the enzyme are described.     

A newly identified iron-binding protein in rat liver: purification and characterization

A novel iron-binding protein from rat liver homogenates was purified 1,800-fold with a 5.7% yield, to apparent homogeneity. The molecular weight of the protein was estimated to be 16,000, by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The purified protein exhibited 0.43 mol of iron binding per mol of protein with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 3.5 x 10(-6) M. Al3+ inhibited the iron-binding and the binding was also slightly inhibited by Ni2+. Other divalent metal ions such as Cu2+, Zn2+ and Mn2+ were without effect. Immunoblot analysis of the iron-binding protein revealed that the protein is located mainly in microsomes. This newly identified iron-binding protein may be involved in intracellular transport of iron.     

Interaction of divalent metal ions with human serum albumin

ESR study was carried out of the interaction between Zn2+, Cu2+, Ca2+, Mg2+ ions and human serum albumin (HSA) in the presence of Mn2+ ions which depends on pH. Competitive binding of these ions with "manganese-binding" sites of albumin was shown to depend on pH. An analysis of concentration dependence of binding these ions with human serum albumin confirmed earlier supposition about the nature of the binding sites of Mn2+ ions with HSA.     

Isolation and characterization of NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase of germinating pea seeds (Pisum sativum)

NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.1.42) has been purified to homogeneity from germinating pea seeds. The enzyme is a tetrameric protein (mol wt, about 146,000) made up of apparently identical monomers (subunit mol wt, about 36,000). Thermal inactivation of purified enzyme at 45 degrees and 50 degrees C shows simple first order kinetics. The enzyme shows optimum activity at pH range 7.5-8. Effect of substrate [S] on enzyme activity at different pH (6.5-8) suggests that the proton behaves formally as an "uncompetitive inhibitor". A basic group of the enzyme (site) is protonated in this pH range in the presence of substrate only, with a pKa equal to 6.78. On successive dialysis against EDTA and phosphate buffer, pH 7.8 at 0 degrees C, yields an enzymatically inactive protein showing kinetics of thermal inactivation identical to the untreated (native) enzyme. Maximum enzyme activity is observed in presence of Mn2+ and Mg2+ ions (3.75 mM). Addition of Zn2+, Cd2+, Co2+ and Ca2+ ions brings about partial recovery. Other metal ions Fe2+, Cu2+ and Ni2+ are ineffective.     

Purification and characterization of a novel 12,000-Da calcium binding protein from smooth muscle.

A new low molecular weight calcium binding protein, designated 12-kDa CaBP, has been isolated from chicken gizzard using a phenyl-Sepharose affinity column followed by ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatographies. The isolated protein was homogeneous and has a molecular weight of 12,000 based on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. The amino acid composition of this protein is similar to but distinct from other known low molecular weight Ca2+ binding proteins. Ca2+ binding assays using Arsenazo III (Sigma) indicated that the protein binds 1 mol of Ca2+/mol of protein. The 12-kDa CaBP underwent a conformational change upon binding Ca2+, as revealed by uv difference spectroscopy and circular dichroism studies in the aromatic and far-ultraviolet range. Addition of Ca2+ to the 12-kDa CaBP labeled with 2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate (TNS) resulted in a sevenfold increase in fluorescence intensity, accompanied by a blue shift of the emission maximum from 463 to 445 nm. Hence, the probe in the presence of Ca2+ moves to a more nonpolar microenvironment. Like calmodulin and other related Ca2+ binding proteins, this protein also exposes a hydrophobic site upon binding calcium. Fluorescence titration with Ca2+ using TNS-labeled protein revealed the presence of a single high affinity calcium binding site (kd approximately 1 x 10(-6) M).     

Isolation of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase from rabbit semen and its role in fertilization.

Beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase was purified from the rabbit seminal plasma by a three-step procedure involving hydroxyapatite, Sephadex G-200 and concanavalin A--Sepharose chromatography. The specific activity of the purified preparation was 56mu mol/min per mg of protein, which represented a 226-fold purification and a 54% yield of the enzyme activity. The purified enzyme was electrophoretically homogeneous. The homogeneous enzyme showed optimal activity at pH4.0. The apparent Km value and Vmax. were 1.4 mM and 56mu mol/min per mg of protein respectively. Metal ions such as Ag + and Hg2+ and p-chloromercuribenzoate strongly inhibited the enzyme activity. The treatment of rabbit ova with a mixture of Beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase and arylsulphatase A results in the swelling of the zona pellucida.     

Characterisation of a novel homodimeric N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase from Streptococcus gordonii

An N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (GcnA) from Streptococcus gordonii FSS2 was cloned and sequenced. GcnA had a deduced molecular mass of 72,120 Da. The molecular weight after gel-filtration chromatography was 140,000 Da and by SDS-PAGE was 70,000 Da, indicating that the native protein was a homodimer. The deduced amino acid sequence had significant homology to a glycosyl hydrolase from Streptococcus pneumoniae and the conserved catalytic domain of the Family 20 glycosyl hydrolases. GcnA catalysed the hydrolysis of the synthetic substrates, 4-methylumbelliferyl (4MU)-N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide, 4MU-N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminide, 4-MU-beta-D-N,N'-diacetylchitobioside, and 4-MU-beta-D-N,N',N'-chitotrioside as well as the respective chito-oligosaccharides. GcnA was optimally active at pH 6.6 and 42 degrees C. The Km for 4-MU-beta-D-N,N',N'-chitotrioside, 45 microM, was the lowest for all the substrates tested. Hg2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+ completely inhibited while Co2+, Mn2+, and Ni2+ partially inhibited activity. S. gordonii FSS2 and a GcnA negative mutant grew equally well on chito-oligosaccharides as substrates. The S. gordonii sequencing projects indicate two further N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activities.     

日本鳗鲡肠道N-乙酰-β-D-氨基葡萄糖苷酶的分离纯化及酶学性质

为了探讨日本鳗鲡(Anguilla japonica)N-乙酰-β-D-氨基葡萄糖苷酶(EC3.2.1.52, NAGase)的分离纯化及其酶学性质, 通过硫酸铵沉淀分级分离、Sephadex G-100分子筛凝胶柱层析和DEAE-32离子交换柱层析纯化NAGase, 经聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(PAGE)和SDS-PAGE鉴定酶的纯度、测定酶蛋白亚基分子质量; 以对-硝基苯-N-乙酰-β-D-氨基葡萄糖为底物, 研究NAGase催化反应的动力学参数, 探讨其酶学性质。结果表明: 日本鳗鲡肠道NAGase纯酶制剂比活力为2517.40 U/mg, 酶蛋白亚基分子质量为69.98 kD, 酶的最适pH、最适温度、米氏常数K_m和最大反应速度V_max分别为6.0、60℃、0.336 mmol/L和7.634 μmol/(L·min); 酶在pH 4.8—7.2较稳定, 在温度60℃以下具有较好的热稳定性, 在65℃以上酶迅速失活。Mg²⁺、Ca²⁺、Mn²⁺、Cu²⁺...     

Purification and properties of phosphorylase from Phymatotrichum omnivorum

The glycogen phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1) from the mycelium of Phymatotrichum omnivorum was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200, and DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography to more than 100-fold. The purified enzyme was homogeneous; this was confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis indicated the relative molecular size of the enzyme was around 145,000. The approximate molecular weight by gel filtration was 116,000. The optimum pH of the enzyme was 7.0 and the enzyme was more specific for glycogen, with a Km value of 0.36 mg/ml. Nucleotides AMP, ADP, and ATP and compounds containing an "SH" group inhibited the enzyme activity. Diethyldithiocarbamate, EDTA, ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid, and Cu2+ were the potent inhibitors of the glycogen phosphorylase activity, Ca2+, Cu2+, Co2+, and Fe2+ stimulated the enzyme activity. The enzyme preparation was stable at 4 degrees C during a period of 30 days.     

Metal ion-dependent binding of gastrin to albumin

Binding of 125I-[Nle15]gastrin to albumin purified from porcine serum, from porcine gastric mucosal cytosol, and from bovine serum has been demonstrated by covalent cross-linking and ultracentrifugation. Binding was enhanced in the presence of Zn2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Co2+, and Cd2+, but not Ca2+, Mg2+, or Mn2+. The best fit to the binding data for bovine serum albumin was obtained with a model assuming two nonequivalent binding sites. The affinity of both sites for gastrin was increased in the presence of 100 microM Zn2+ or Ni2+ ions. The highest association constant observed was 2.3 X 10(5) M-1 in the presence of 100 microM Zn2+ ions. The similarity of the Zn(2+)-dependence of binding for bovine and porcine serum albumins, despite the replacement of His3 by Tyr, suggested that the N-terminal metal ion-binding site was not involved. Although all gastrin affinities were reduced by 50% in the presence of 150 mM NaCl, the Zn(2+)-dependence of binding was retained. We therefore propose that the ternary complex of gastrin, Zn2+ ions, and albumin may play a physiological role in the serum transport of Zn2+ ions and in the uptake of Zn2+ ions from the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract.     

Stoichiometry and dynamic interaction of metal ion activators with calcineurin phosphatase

Calcineurin, a calmodulin-regulated phosphatase, is composed of two distinct subunits (A and B) and requires certain metal ions for activity. The binding of the two most potent activators, Ni2+ and Mn2+, to calcineurin and its subunits has been studied. Incubation of the protein with 63Ni2+ (or 54Mn2+) followed by gel filtration to separate free and protein-bound ions indicated that calcineurin could maximally bind 2 mol/mol of Ni2+ or Mn2+. While isolated A subunit also bound 2 mol/mol of Ni2+, no Mn2+ binding was demonstrated for either isolated A or B subunit. When bindings were monitored by nitrocellulose filter assay, only 1 mol/mol bound Ni2+ or Mn2+ was detected, suggesting that the two Ni2+ (or Mn2+) binding sites had different relative affinities and that only metal ions bound at the higher affinity sites were detected by the filter assay. Preincubation of calcineurin with Mn2+ (or Ni2+) decreased the filter assay-measured Ni2+ (or Mn2+) binding by only 30%. Preincubation of the protein with Zn2+ decreased the filter assay-measured Ni2+ or Mn2+ binding by 90 or 17%, respectively. The results suggest that the higher affinity sites are a Ni2+-specific site and a distinct Mn2+-specific site. Preincubation of calcineurin with Mn2+ (or Ni2+) decreased the gel filtration-determined Ni2+ (or Mn2+) binding from 2 to 1 mol/mol suggesting that calcineurin also contains a site which binds either metal ion. The time course of Ni2+ (or Mn2+) binding was correlated with that of the enzyme activation, and the extent of deactivation of the Ni2+-activated calcineurin by EDTA or by incubation with Ca2+ and calmodulin (Pallen, C. J., and Wang, J. H. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 6134-6141) was correlated with the release of the bound ions, thus suggesting that the bound ion is directly responsible for enzyme activation.     

Binding of monovalent cations to Na+,K+-dependent ATPase purified from porcine kidney. I. Simultaneous binding of three sodium and two potassium or rubidium ions to the enzyme

We previously measured the amounts of Na+ and K+ ions bound to the Na+,K+-dependent ATPase [EC 3.6.1.3] purified from porcine kidney by a modified membrane filtration method [(1979) J. Biochem. 86, 509--523]. In this study, we improved the method for measuring the amount of the active site and measured the amount of Rb+ ions (a K+ congener) bound to the ATPase as well as those of Na+ and K+ ions to get more accurate information on the K+- and Na+-binding sites. The following results were obtained. Two kinds of cation-binding sites were found to exist on the ATPase molecule. One was the Na+-binding sites (3 mol per mol of active site). Na+ ions were bound to the sites cooperatively (Hill coefficient, 2.5--3), and the apparent dissociation constant was 0.20--0.32 mM. Three moles of Na+ ions bound to the sites was displaced by 1 mol of K+ ions bound to the ATPase (phi K, 24 microM). The other was the K+-binding sites (2 mol per mol of active site). Two moles of K+, Rb+, or Na+ ions was bound to the sites cooperatively (Hill coefficient, 1.5--2), and their apparent dissociation constants were 0.044, 0.024, and 2.2 mM, respectively. We measured the amounts of Na+ and Rb+ ions bound to the ATPase in the presence of 0.8 mM NaCl and 0.13 mM RbCl, and obtained unequivocal evidence for the simultaneous binding of 3 mol of Na+ ions and 2 mol of Rb+ ions per mol of active site of the ATPase.     

Isolation of a highly active preparation of beta-D-galactosidase

Methods for isolation and purification of beta-galactosidase from Bacillus subtilis, st. IBP-101 are described. The bacterial cells were disrupted by different procedures such as freezing and thawing with subsequent autolysis at 37 degrees C, disrupting in a French press DKM-3 or in ultrasonic disintegrators UZDN-1 (USSR) and Soniprep-150. It is shown that the specific activity and yield of the enzyme depends to a great extent on the disrupting procedure used. The best results were obtained in case of sonication. The preparation was purified by precipitation with ammonium sulphate (25-75% saturated) and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and DEAE-Sephadex. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 3155 units per mg protein. The molecular weight of the homogeneous according to gel polyacrylamide electrophoresis preparation was 215,000, as estimated by gel filtration, and 105,000, as estimated by SDS gel electrophoresis. The enzyme retains the activity in the presence of Na+, Mn2+ or Mg2+ ions or the thiolic reagents, dithiothreitol or 2-mercaptoethanol. The pH optimum of the enzyme activity is 6.3 and it is stable in water solutions at pH from 6 to 9 and can be lyophilized. The given preparation of beta-galactosidase has a high affinity for synthetic substrates such as o- and p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranosides and 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside.     

The influence of metal ions and some inhibitors on the activity of the proteinase isolated from the hatching liquid of Coregonus peled

A specific proteinase (chorionase) was isolated from the hatching liquid, obtained by electric stimulation of the hatching glands in Coregonus peled embryos. The enzymatic preparation was electrophoretically homogeneous, and showed proteolytic activity towards the egg membranes. Ions of Na+ at concentration from 10(-5) to 10(-4) M activated the chorionase of C. peled, whereas ions of K+, Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ at concentrations above 10(-4) M inhibited the enzyme. Addition of EDTA to the incubation mixture significantly reduced the enzyme activity. The chorionase was not inhibited by the natural soybean trypsin inhibitor.     

Magnesium: Effects on reperfusion arrhythmias and membrane potential in isolated rat hearts

Myocardial Na+,K+-ATPase was studied in patients with aortic valve disease, and myocardial Na+,K+- and Ca2+-ATPase were assessed in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and hereditary cardiomyopathic hamsters using methods ensuring high enzyme recovery. Na+,K+-ATPase was quantified by [3H]ouabain binding to intact myocardial biopsies from patients with aortic valve disease. Aortic stenosis, regurgitation and a combination hereof were compared with normal human heart and were associated with reductions of left ventricular [3H]ouabain binding site concentration (pmol/g wet weight) of 56, 46 and 60%, respectively (p < 0.01). Na+,K+ and Ca2+-ATPases were quantified by K+- and Ca2+-dependent p-nitrophenyl phosphatase (pNPPase) activity determinations in crude myocardial homogenates from SHR and hereditary cardiomyopathic hamsters. When SHR were compared to age-matched Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats an increase in heart-body weight ratio of 75% (p < 0.001) was associated with reductions of K+- and Ca2+-dependent pNPPase activities (mol/min/g wet weight) of 42 (p < 0.01) and 27% (p < 0.05), respectively. When hereditary cardiomyopathic hamsters were compared to age-matched Syrian hamsters an increase in heart-body weight ratio of 69% (p < 0.001) was found to be associated with reductions in K+- and Ca2+-dependent pNPPase activities of 50 (p < 0.001) and 26% (p = 0.05), respectively. The reductions in Na+,K+- and Ca2+-ATPases were selective in relation to overall protein content and were not merely the outcome of increased myocardial mass relative to Na+,K+- and Ca2+-pumps. In conclusion, myocardial hypertrophy is in patients associated with reduced Na+,K+-ATPase concentration and in rodents with reduced Na+,K+- and Ca2+-ATPase concentrations. This may be of importance for development of heart f in hypertrophic heart disease.     

Isolation of a Ca2+ carrier from calf heart inner mitochondrial membrane

A protein has been isolated from calf heart inner mitochondrial membrane with the aid of an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) assay based on the relative binding properties of Ca2+, Mn2+, and Mg2+ to the protein. The molecular weight of this protein has been estimated to be about 3000 by urea/sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and amino acid analysis. The isolated protein has been shown to have high affinity and high specificity for Ca2+ (Jeng, A. Y., Ryan T. E., and Shamoo, A. E. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 75, 2125-2129). However, the protein was found to be contaminated with a large amount of phospholipids. There are 150 mol of phospholipids associated with each mole of the protein. The protein is delipidated using Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. The contaminating phospholipids can be reduced to 0.1 mol of phospholipids/mol of protein. There are no detectable free fatty acids, hexosamines, or sialic acids associated with the delipidated protein. This protein is named "calciphorin," meaning calcium ionophore protein.     

Different metal-binding properties of the two sites of human transferrin.

Transferrin, the serum serum iron-transport protein which can bind two metal ions at physiologic pH, binds just one Fe3+, VO2+, or Cr3+ ion at pH 6.0. Fe3+ and VO2+ appear to be bound at the same site, designated A, based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of VO2+-transferrin and (Fe3+)1(VO2+)1-transferrin. The EPR spectra of (Cr3+)1(VO2+)1-transferrin and of (Cr3+), (FE3+)1-transferrin indicate that that Cr3+ is bound to site B at pH 6.0. Transferrin was labeled at site A with 59Fe at pH 6.0 and at site B with 55Fe at pH 7.5. When the pH of the resulting preparation was lowered to 6.3 and the dissociated iron was separated by gel filtration, about ten times as much 55Fe as 59Fe was lost. The same EPR and isotopic-labeling experiments showed that Fe3+ added to transferrin at pH 7.5 binds to site A with about 90% selectivity.     

Zn2+ enhances the molecular chaperone function and stability of alpha-crystallin

Alpha-crystallin, the major eye lens protein, is a molecular chaperone that plays a crucial role in the suppression of protein aggregation and thus in the long-term maintenance of lens transparency. Zinc is a micronutrient of the eye, but its molecular interaction with alpha-crystallin has not been studied in detail. In this paper, we present results of in vitro experiments that show bivalent zinc specifically interacts with alpha-crystallin with a dissociation constant in the submillimolar range (Kd approximately 0.2-0.4 mM). We compared the effect of Zn2+ with those of Ca2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Fe2+, and Co2+ at 1 mM on the structure and chaperoning ability of alpha-crystallin. An insulin aggregation assay showed that among the bivalent metal ions, only 1 mM Zn2+ improved the chaperone function of alpha-crystallin by 30% compared to that in the absence of bivalent metal ions. Addition of 1 mM Zn2+ increased the yield of alpha-crystallin-assisted refolding of urea-treated LDH to its native state from 33 to 38%, but other bivalent ions had little effect. The surface hydrophobicity of alpha-crystallin was increased by 50% due to the binding of Zn2+. In the presence of 1 mM Zn2+, the stability of alpha-crystallin was enhanced by 36 kJ/mol, and it became more resistant to tryptic cleavage. The implications of enhanced stability and molecular chaperone activity of alpha-crystallin in the presence of Zn2+ are discussed in terms of its role in the long-term maintenance of lens transparency and cataract formation.