Biochemical Characterization of Uracil Phosphoribosyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT) catalyzes the conversion of uracil and 5-phosphoribosyl-α-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) to uridine 5′-monophosphate (UMP) and pyrophosphate (PP_i). UPRT plays an important role in the pyrimidine salvage pathway since UMP is a common precursor of all pyrimidine nucleotides. Here we describe cloning, expression and purification to homogeneity of upp-encoded UPRT from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtUPRT). Mass spectrometry and N-terminal amino acid sequencing unambiguously identified the homogeneous protein as MtUPRT. Analytical ultracentrifugation showed that native MtUPRT follows a monomer-tetramer association model. MtUPRT is specific for uracil. GTP is not a modulator of MtUPRT ativity. MtUPRT was not significantly activated or inhibited by ATP, UTP, and CTP. Initial velocity and isothermal titration calorimetry studies suggest that catalysis follows a sequential ordered mechanism, in which PRPP binding is followed by uracil, and PP_i product is released first followed by UMP. The pH-rate profiles indicated that groups with pK values of 5.7 and 8.1 are important for catalysis, and a group with a pK value of 9.5 is involved in PRPP binding. The results here described provide a solid foundation on which to base upp gene knockout aiming at the development of strategies to prevent tuberculosis.     

重组E．coli胆固醇氧化酶的分离纯化及其酶学性质研究

对重组E.coli产生的胆固醇氧化酶采用70%硫酸铵盐析、CM Sepharose FF离子层析、Phenyl Sepharose 6 Fast疏水层析、Sephadex G-75凝胶过滤,得到的胆固醇氧化酶在SDS-PAGE上呈单一蛋白质条带,酶的纯化倍数为93,收率为21%.部分酶学性质表明:酶的最适反应温度为37℃,最适反应pH7.5,热稳定范围在40℃以下,酶的pH稳定范围为6～9,分子量分别为50 kD和52 kD.酶动力学参数Km值及Vmax分别为8.2×10-5 mol/L和0.21 mmol/(L.min).     

大连蛇岛蝮蛇类凝血酶基因在毕赤酵母中的克隆表达及分离纯化(英)

根据同源性分析设计引物,通过RT-PCR方法从大连蛇岛蝮蛇毒腺总RNA中合成扩增出类凝血酶基因,之后将该基因克隆到表达载体pPIC9K中,经电激转化后整合至毕赤酵母细胞基因组中.经筛选得到甲醇快速生长型转化子His⁺Mut⁺在500 ml摇瓶中培养,甲醇诱导分泌表达.上清液中重组类凝血酶是通过两步柱层析得到：Q Sepharose FF和Benzamidine-Sepharose 4BCL.与天然蛇毒类凝血酶一致,分泌表达的重组类凝血酶具有较强的酯酶活性,但精氨酸甲酯如TAME的水解活性较弱.此重组类凝血酶在37℃中性溶液中保存过夜将分解成小肽,但在0℃下很稳定.该酶的最适pH为8.0.     

大连蛇岛蝮蛇类凝血酶基因在毕赤酵母中的克隆表达及分离纯化

根据同源性分析设计引物,通过RT-PCR方法从大连蛇岛蝮蛇毒腺总RNA中合成扩增出类凝血酶基因,之后将该基因克隆到表达载体pPIC9K中,经电激转化后整合至毕赤酵母细胞基因组中.经筛选得到甲醇快速生长型转化子His+Mut+在500 ml摇瓶中培养,甲醇诱导分泌表达.上清液中重组类凝血酶是通过两步柱层析得到:Q Sepharose FF和Benzamidine-Sepharose 4BCL.与天然蛇毒类凝血酶一致,分泌表达的重组类凝血酶具有较强的酯酶活性,但精氨酸甲酯如TAME的水解活性较弱.此重组类凝血酶在37℃中性溶液中保存过夜将分解成小肽,但在0℃下很稳定.该酶的最适pH为8.0.     

毕赤酵母工程菌人hepcidin的纯化及部分铁代谢活性研究

采用摇瓶培养重组毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)表达并分泌重组人hepcidin至胞外,经等电沉淀,凝胶过滤纯化,电泳检测样品纯度,通过Western blot检测小鼠内皮细胞中hepcidin对GFP-FPN1及TfR1表达的影响.研究发现发酵hepcidin产量达150 mg/L,纯化后经Tricine-SDS-PAGE检测为单一条带,分子质量与理论质量一致,具有抗菌活性,转染内皮细胞证实重组hepcidin可影响内皮细胞GFP-FPN1及TfR1的表达,具有调节铁代谢活性,对研究hepcidin与铁代谢的相关分子吸收机制及药物开发应用奠定了基础,对潜在的医学诊断治疗具有重要意义.     

西伯利亚鲟卵黄脂磷蛋白的分离纯化及性质

卵黄是鱼类胚胎发生期的主要营养物质,卵黄的含量和质量对于早期幼体维持生命和生长发育至关重要.本研究采用Sephacryl S-300凝胶过滤层析法和蛋白质电泳技术分离纯化西伯利亚鲟(Acipenser baerii)卵黄脂磷蛋白(lipovitellin,Lv),层析洗脱共得到7个蛋白峰.对每个峰进行SDS-PAGE电泳及油红O、甲基绿和Schiff试剂特异染色,峰b蛋白均呈阳性,表明峰b蛋白为西伯利亚鲟卵中的一种卵黄脂磷蛋白,SDS-PAGE电泳分析表明,其由3个亚基构成,相对分子质量分别为30.6 ku、40.8 ku和76.7 ku.对西伯利亚鲟Lv氨基酸组成进行分析,证明是一种含有相对较多天冬氨酸、赖氨酸、谷氨酸、丝氨酸、缬氨酸和亮氨酸的蛋白,并且所含鲜味氨基酸含量比其他鱼偏高.     

Assay,Purification, and Partial Characterization of Choline Monooxygenase from Spinach

The osmoprotectant glycine betaine is synthesized via the path-way choline -> betaine aldehyde -> glycine betaine. In spinach (Spinacia oleracea), the first step is catalyzed by choline monooxygenase (CMO), and the second is catalyzed by betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase. Because betaine aldehyde is unstable and not easily detected, we developed a coupled radiometric assay for CMO. [14C]Choline is used as substrate; NAD+ and betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase prepared from Escherichia coli are added to oxidize [14C]betaine aldehyde to [14C]glycine betaine, which is isolated by ion exchange. The assay was used in the purification of CMO from leaves of salinized spinach. The 10-step procedure included polyethylene glycol precipitation, polyethyleneimine precipitation, hydrophobic interaction, anion exchange on choline-Sepharose, dimethyldiethanolamine-Sepharose, and Mono Q, hydroxyapatite, gel filtration, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Following gel filtration, overall purification was about 600-fold and recovery of activity was 0.5%. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a polypeptide with a molecular mass of 45 kD. Taken with the value of 98 kD estimated for native CMO (R. Brouquisse, P. Weigel, D. Rhodes, C.F. Yocum, A.D. Hanson [1989] Plant Physiol 90: 322-329), this indicates that CMO is a homodimer. CMO preparations were red-brown, showed absorption maxima at 329 and 459 nm, and lost color upon dithionite addition, suggesting that CMO is an iron-sulfur protein.     

Purification and properties of malate dehydrogenase from the extreme thermophileBacillus caldolyticus

The enzyme malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37) from an extreme thermophileB. Caldolyticus was purified to about 91% homogeneity. The molar mass of the enzyme was determined as 73 000 daltons and it is composed of two subunits, each with a molar mass of 37 000. Initial velocity studies with oxaloacetic acid and NADH as substrates at pH 8.1, over a range of temperatures, indicate that the enzyme operates via a sequential type mechanism. Van't Hoff plots of the kinetic parameters displayed sharp changes in slope at characteristic temperatures, whereas the Arrhenius plot exhibited no such breaks over the temperature interval investigated. The enzyme was found to be stable at 41°C and lower temperatures. At 51°C and 59°C an almost immediate 20% reduction in activity was obtained, but no further inactivation occurred during the 60 min of incubation. At 59°C the enzyme lost 50% of its initial activity in about 38 s. High concentration of NADH was observed to greatly stabilize the enzyme at that temperature.It is suggested that the slope changes in the Van't Hoff plots and the stability profies at 51°C and 59°C are representative of a temperature induced conformational change in the enzyme.Proceedings of the Fourth College Park Colloquium on Chemical Evolution:Limits of Life, University of Maryland, College Park, 18–20 October 1978.     

Partial Purification and Characterization of the Vacuolar H+-ATPase of Mammalian Synaptic Vesicles

Several major proteins of synaptic vesicles from rat or cow brain sediment as a large complex on sucrose density gradients when solubilized in nonionic detergents. A vacuolar H(+)-ATPase identified by sensitivity to bafilomycin A1 appears to be associated with this oligomeric protein complex. Two subunits of this complex, synaptic vesicle proteins S and U, correspond to the 57-kDa (B) and 39-kDa accessory (Ac39) subunits, respectively, of bovine chromaffin granule vacuolar H(+)-ATPase as shown by Western immunoblot analysis. The five subunits of the oligomeric complex constitute approximately 20% of the total protein of rat brain synaptic vesicles. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that the abundant, multisubunit complex partially purified from brain synaptic vesicles by density gradient centrifugation is a vacuolar H(+)-ATPase. Bafilomycin A1 completely blocks proton pumping in rat brain synaptic vesicles as measured by [14C]methylamine uptake and also blocks catecholamine accumulation measured by [3H]dopamine uptake. Moreover, ATPase activity, [14C]methylamine uptake, and [3H]dopamine uptake are inhibited by bafilomycin A1 at similar I50 values of approximately 1.7 nmol/mg of protein. These findings indicate that the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase is essential for proton pumping as well as catecholamine uptake by mammalian synaptic vesicles.     

Production, Partial Purification and Characterization of Extracelluar Xylanase from Chaetomium globosum

Culture conditions for efficient production of extracellular xylanase by fungus, Chaetomium globosum isolate Cg2, have been standardized. Further, xylanase has been partially purified and characterized. Xylanase activity was maximum after 9 days of incubation when amended in medium with 1.5 % xylan as carbon source and 0.6% NH₄H₂PO₄ as nitrogen source. Partial purification of the xylanase was accomplished by ammonium sulphate precipitation, followed by further purification by anion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column. The partially purified enzyme was electrophoresed on SDS-PAGE and a single band produced corresponded to molecular weight, 32 kD. The optimum temperature and pH for maximum activity of purified xylanase were 30°C and 5.5, respectively. Both the purified xylanase and culture filtrate have shown the antifungal activity against Bipolaris sorokiniana, a causal organism of spot blotch of wheat. Purified xylanase at 100 μg ml^?1 concentration caused 100 per cent inhibition of conidia germination of B. sorokiniana, whereas the culture filtrate was able to inhibit germination up to 67.5 per cent.     

Recombinant pp60 c-src from Baculovirus-Infected Insect Cells: Purification and Characterization

A simple and effective method has been developed to purify the recombinant protein tyrosine kinase pp60^c-^src from a baculovirus-insect cell expression system. The procedure includes affinity chromatography and HPLC. Milligram quantities of protein have been isolated with an activity of 3.9 μmol/min/mg protein using the substrate poly E₄Y. This specific activity is many times higher than any published protocol. The enzyme is stable for months when stored in buffered 10% glycerol at ?70°C. This purification technique is compared to the immuno-affinity technique which is widely used for this enzyme. Enzyme kinetics were characterized with respect to substrate specificity, the effect of temperature, ionic strength, pH, and Mg⁺² versus Mn⁺² ions. Similar to the enzyme expressed in human cells, the recombinant enzyme demonstrated a higher Vmax and substrate specificity for poly E₄Y over 5V-Agt-II. An activation energy of 14.2 kcal/mol was determined. Inhibition by increasing ionic strength is mostly due to an increase in Km for the poly E₄Y substrate and hence was substrate dependent. The Km(ATP) was pH dependent while the Km(poly E₄Y) was pH independent.     

Partial Purification and Characterization of Polyphenol Oxidase from Cocoyam, Xanthosoma sagittifolium

Polyphenol oxidase has been partially purified from Xanthosomasagittifolium. The enzyme showed activity towards pyrogallol,DL-ß-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and catechol.Of these three, pyrogallol was the best substrate. The effectsof various compounds as inhibitors of the reaction catalysedby the enzyme were tested. p-Nitrophenol competitively inhibitedthe binding of both catechol and pyrogallol to the enzyme. Inhibitionby the substrate analogue, p-cresol was of the mixed type whilethiourea and diethyldithiocarbamate inhibited the enzyme uncompetitively.The approximate molecular weight of the enzyme determined bygel filtration was 47 000.     

Purification and Properties of Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase from Streptomyces cyanogenus

Hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.8) of a strain of Streptomyces cyanogenus was purified 1,900-fold to an apparent homogenity from cell-free extracts. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 150,000 and consisted of eight identical subunits with a molecular weight of 18,000. The isoelectric point was at pH 4.4. The enzyme required Mg²⁺ or Ma²⁺ for activity and had a pH optimum at 8.5. Hypoxanthine and guanine were good substrates for the enzyme. Xanthine was a very poor substrate and adenine was not a substrate. Apparent Km values of the enzyme for hypoxanthine, guanine and 5-phosphoribose-1-pyro-phosphate were 1.6 × 10^?8, 2.7 × 10^?6 and 6.3 × 10^?5 m, respectively. All purine nucleotides tested inhibited the activity significantly, apparently by competing with 5-phosphoribose-1-pyrophosphate.     

Purification and Partial Characterization of the Extracellular Laccase from Ophiostoma novo-ulmi

Ophiostoma ulmi and O. novo-ulmi, both causative agents of Dutch elm disease, can be differentiated by their potential to produce constitutive extracellular laccase. The enzyme has been purified from the culture filtrate to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity and has been partially characterized. The laccase was glycosylated and found to have a molecular mass of 79 kDa or 70 kDa by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration, respectively. The pI, determined by chromatofocusing, was 5.1. Syringaldazine, guaiacol, and other typical laccase substrates were oxidized. No oxidation of tyrosine was detected. NaN₃ (0.01%) completely abolished the activity towards 2,6-dimethoxyphenol. Received: 31 March 1997 / Accepted: 9 May 1997     

三齿草藤(Vicia bungei Ohwi)凝集素的亲和层析纯化及其部分性质的研究

用Sephadex G-100或猪甲状腺球蛋白-对氨基苯砜乙基-交联琼脂作亲和吸附剂,均可从三齿草藤(Vicia Bungei Ohwi)的种子中分离纯化出三齿草藤凝集素。该凝集素经连续或不连续系统聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳均显示出单一蛋白带;糖蛋白染色法证实为糖蛋白;SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳测定其分子量为24,600,凝集素浓度为1.95微克/毫升时就能凝集兔红细胞;但对人ABO型血细胞不发生凝集作用;其对兔红细胞的凝集作用可被D-Man、D-GlcNA和D-GIC所抑制;它也是一种促有丝分裂原。     

香灰菌凝集素的纯化及其部分性质

香灰菌菌丝体经磷酸缓冲液抽提、20%-70%饱和浓度的硫酸铵沉淀、DEAE-Cellulose和SephadexG-100柱层析纯化得到香灰菌凝集素(Hypoxylonsp.lectin,简称HSL)。HSL经PAGE检测为单一蛋白条带,SDS-PAGE测得其亚基分子量为15.9kD。过碘酸-Schiff染色法表明HSL为一种糖蛋白,糖基的含量为15.5%,β-消去反应测得其糖和蛋白质的连接键为O-型糖肽键。HSL能凝集多种动物红细胞和人的红细胞,在所测试的红细胞中,对兔红细胞的凝集作用最强。HSL对热较敏感,经50°C处理10min,其凝集活性明显降低,其在碱性环境中较稳定,而在酸性环境中较不稳定。HSL的凝集活性受Al3+、Fe3+、Ca2+和Zn2+等阳离子的影响。对鼠红细胞的凝集作用可被半乳糖和乳糖所抑制。     

Purification and Partial Characterization of the Phosphoglucomutase Isozyhes from Human Placenta

We have developed a simple procedure for the purification of phosphoglucomutase (PGM) isozymes from human placenta of healthy women. The technique involves the ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion-exchange and dye-ligand chromatographies. By this method we obtained homogeneous isozyme preparations of the products (“primary” and “secondary”) of the two PGM¹ and PGM² loci. The final specific activities were 1134.6–1441.8 units/mg for PGM¹ forms and 40.2–46.5 units/mg for PGM² forms. On SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, the final preparations gave a single protein band of 58,500 and 69,000 Mr for PGM¹ and PGM² isozymes, respectively. These forms have the same kinetic properties, but from the substrate specificity experiments we have found that PGM² forms are more effective for catalyzing the phosphoribomutase and glucose 1,6-bisphosphate synthase reaction than PGM¹ forms. All these properties are shared by the same isozymes previously isolated from human erythrocytes but in this procedure the use of human placenta for the PGM isozymes purification takes advantage of high specific activity of PGM in the extracts of this tissue as well as obtaining highly homogeneous protein suitable for studies at molecular level.     

重组炭疽保护性抗原的表达、纯化与生物活性分析

构建分泌型表达质粒 ,在大肠杆菌中实现了重组炭疽保护性抗原 (rPA)的分泌型表达。重组蛋白位于细菌外周质 ,表达量约占菌体总蛋白的 10 %。以离子交换、疏水层析和凝胶过滤为基础 ,建立了rPA的纯化工艺 ,每升培养物可获得约 15mgrPA ,纯度可达 95 %以上。体外细胞毒性试验显示rPA具有较好的生物学活性。用rPA免疫家兔产生的抗血清在体外可抑制炭疽致死毒素的活性 ,表明rPA可诱导机体产生保护性免疫。以上结果为今后发展新一代炭疽疫苗打下基础