Purification of an Acidic Structural Protein from rat Skin Using Triton X-100

An acidic protein was extracted with neutral-salt solutions from rat skin. When precipitated by dialysis against dilute acetic acid, the structural protein was separated from contaminating soluble collagens and other soluble proteins. The precipitate was dissolved in buffers containing 1% Triton X-100 and purified to apparent size and charge homogeneity by chromatography on a DEAE Bio-Gel A column. Triton X-100 was necessary for achieving nondestructive disaggregation of the protein which could be reversed by dialyzing out the detergent against methanol-dilute acetic acid.     

Purification of an acidic structural protein from rat skin using Triton X-100.

An acidic protein was extracted with neutral-salt solutions from rat skin. When precipitated by dialysis against dilute acetic acid, the structural protein was separated from contaminating soluble collagens and other soluble proteins. The precipitate was dissolved in buffers containing 1% Triton X-100 and purified to apparent size and charge homogeneity by chromatography on a DEAE Bio-Gel A column. Triton X-100 was necessary for achieving nondestructive disaggregation of the protein which could be reversed by dialyzing out the detergent against methanol-dilute acetic acid.     

The inhibitory effects of polyoxyethylene detergents on human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase and Ca2+ + Mg2+ ATPase

The activities of acetylcholinesterase and Ca2+ + Mg2+ ATPase were measured following treatment of human erythrocyte membranes with nonsolubilizing and solubilizing concentrations of Triton X-100. A concentration of 0.1% (v/v) Triton X-100 caused a significant inhibition of both enzymes. The inhibition appears to be caused by perturbations in the membrane induced by Triton X-100 incorporation. No acetylcholinesterase activity and little Ca2+ + Mg2+ ATPase activity were detected in the supernatant at 0.05% Triton X-100 although this same detergent concentration induced changes in the turbidity of the membrane suspension. Also, no inhibition of soluble acetylcholinesterase was observed over the entire detergent concentration range. The inhibition of these enzymes at 0.1% Triton X-100 was present over an eightfold range of membrane protein in the assay indicating an independence of the protein/detergent ratio. The losses in activities of these two enzymes could be prevented by either including phosphatidylserine in the Triton X-100 suspension or using Brij 96 which has the same polyoxyethylene polar head group but an oleyl hydrophobic tail instead of the p-tert-octylphenol group of Triton X-100. The results are discussed in regard to the differential recovery of enzyme activities over the entire detergent concentration range.     

Removal of triton X-100 from aqueous solution using amberlite XAD-2.

Amberlite XAD-2 beads adsorb the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 over a wide range of conditions with a maximum capacity of 0.475 mmol/g dry weight. After treatment of protein solutions containing Triton X-100 with XAD-2 no interference by Triton with Folin assays was observed. Adsorption of Triton X-100 was favored by a free-energy change of ?835 cal/mol and by a positive entropy value. Adsorbed Triton could be completely desorbed and the XAD-2 regenerated with little loss in capacity by washing with propan-2-ol. Removal of Triton by XAD-2 was also successful in columns or bateh-wise on a pilot-plant scale.     

Use of resistant mutants to study the interaction of triton X-100 with Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus mutants resistant to the nonionic detergent Triton X-100, isolated from the wild-type strain H and the autolysin-deficient strain RUS3, could grow and divide in broth containing 5% (vol/vol) Triton X-100, while growth of the parental strains was markedly inhibited above the critical micellar concentration (0.02%) of the detergent. Growth-inhibitory concentrations of Triton X-100 killed wild-type cells without demonstrable cellular lysis. Triton X-100 stimulated autolysin activity of S. aureus cells under nongrowing conditions, and this lytic response was markedly reduced in energy-poisoned cells. In contrast, the detergent had no effect on the activity of autolysins in cell-free systems, and growth in the presence of Triton X-100 did not alter either the cellular autolysin activity or the susceptibility of cell walls to exogenous lytic enzymes. Treatment with either Triton X-100 or penicillin G in the growth medium stimulated release of predominantly acylated intracellular lipoteichoic acid and sensitized staphylococci to Triton X-100-induced autolysis. There was no significant difference in the cell wall and membrane compositions or Triton X-100 binding between the parental strains and the resistant mutants. The resistant mutant TXR1, derived from S. aureus H, had a higher level of L-alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity, and its oxygen uptake was more resistant to inhibition by a submicellar concentration (0.008%) of Triton X-100. Growth in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of Triton X-100 rendered S. aureus H cells phenotypically resistant to the detergent and greatly stimulated the level of oxygen uptake. Membranes isolated from such cells exhibited enhanced activity of the respiratory enzymes succinic dehydrogenase and L-alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase.     

Extraction and determination of adenosine 5'-triphosphate in bovine milk by the firefly luciferase assay

The release of ATP from somatic cells in milk with the detergent Triton X-100 was optimized for assay with firefly luciferase. A small volume of milk (40 microliters) is added to 0.8 ml of 0.2% Triton X-100 in 100 mM Tris, 4 mm EDTA, pH 7.8. After approximately 1 min, 0.2 ml of luciferase reagent is added and the emission of light is measured in a luminometer. Results are calibrated with an ATP standard. This single method gave high yields of ATP from somatic cells in milk without interference from bacterial ATP. Extracts could be stored or transported prior to assay without deterioration of results. A close correlation was found between somatic cell count and ATP in milk samples collected at a farm as well as in milk samples from a cow with experimental mastitis. Results are promising for future use for diagnosis of mastitis but further work and field testing has to be done before it can be used on a wider scale.     

A procedure for the estimation of microgram quantities of triton X-100

A spectrophotometric procedure is reported for the assay of microgram amounts of the nonionic detergent Triton X-100. The method is based on the reaction of ammonium cobaltothiocyanate with the poly (ethylene oxide) groups of Triton X-100 to form a blue precipitate. The latter is extracted into ethylene dichloride and assayed spectrophotometrically. Capable of assaying as little as 40 μg of Triton X-100, the procedure is applicable in the presence of proteins provided a small easily determined correction is applied. High ionic strength (up to 2 m NaCl tested) did not interfere with the method.     

Separation and reconstitution of sodium-dependent glucose transport activity from renal brush-border membranes using gel-filtration chromatography

Pig kidney brush-border membrane vesicles were solubilized using a final concentration of 1% Triton X-100, found optimal for quantitative reconstitution of d-glucose transport into liposomes. Using reconstituted proteoliposomes, selective permeability towards d-glucose compared to other sugars tested was shown as well as the main features of d-glucose transport in native membranes, namely sodium dependence and phlorizin inhibition of d-glucose accumulation. After removal of Triton X-100 from the detergent extract, some membrane proteins (about 40%), which are insoluble in the absence of detergent, were isolated. Among these proteins resolubilized by 1% Triton X-100, the component catalyzing the d-glucose transport was located by gel-filtration chromatography separation, using reconstitution of transport as the assay. The active fraction displayed a molecular size of 50 Å; when analyzed on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, it contained one major protein subunit with an apparent molecular weight close to 65 000. We conclude that this protein fraction is involved in d-glucose transport by renal brush borders.     

Determination of Triton X-100 binding to membrane proteins by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

The molecular weight of proteins in protein-detergent complexes can be determined from ultracentrifugation experiments if the amount of bound detergent is known. A new sensitive method to measure the binding of the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 to proteins has been developed. For the membrane proteins studied, less than 50 μg of protein was required to achieve an accuracy of 10% in the determination of the detergent-protein weight ratio.The proteins were equilibrated with the detergent by electrophoresis into polyacrylamide gels containing radioactively labelled Triton X-100. The gels were then sliced and the amount of bound detergent calculated from the increase in radioactivity in the slices containing the protein zone. The amounts of protein were determined by amino acid analysis of identical protein zones cut from gels running parallel .     

Subunit interactions of vesicular stomatitis virus envelope glycoprotein influenced by detergent micelles and lipid bilayers.

The envelope glycoprotein (G protein) of vesicular stomatitis virus is a transmembrane protein that exists as a trimer of identical subunits in the virus envelope. We have examined the effect of modifying the environment surrounding the membrane-spanning sequence on the association of G protein subunits using resonance energy transfer. G protein subunits were labeled with either fluorescein isothiocyanate or rhodamine isothiocyanate. When the labeled G proteins were mixed in the presence of the detergent octyl glucoside, mixed trimers containing both fluorescent labels were formed as a result of subunit exchange, as shown by resonance energy transfer between the two labels. In contrast when fluorescein- and rhodamine-labeled G proteins were mixed in the presence of Triton X-100, no resonance energy transfer was observed, indicating that subunit exchange did not occur in Triton X-100 micelles. However, if labeled G proteins were first mixed in the presence of octyl glucoside, energy transfer persisted after dilution with buffer containing Triton X-100. This result indicates that the G protein subunits remained associated in Triton X-100 micelles and that the failure to undergo subunit exchange was due to lack of dissociation of G protein subunits. Chemical cross-linking experiments confirmed that G protein was trimeric in the presence of Triton X-100. The efficiency of resonance energy transfer between labeled G protein was higher when G proteins were incorporated into dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes compared to detergent micelles. This result indicates that the labels exist in a more favorable environment for energy transfer in membranes than in detergent micelles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Sensitivity and variability of the Bradford protein assay in the presence of detergents

The effects of Triton X-100, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and urea on the response of Coomassie blue G to 16 different proteins and peptides of Mr 1140 to 146,000 were studied to assess the significance of protein conformation and of ionic and nonionic interactions for the dye response to individual proteins. Triton X-100 at a final concentration of 0.008% (v/v) increased the sensitivity of the Bradford assay toward all proteins of Mr 5700 or higher by an average 33%. Increases ranged from +11% with myelin basic protein to +128% with aprotinin. The relative range of absorbance of proteins and deviations from bovine serum albumin decreased by approximately 25%. Triton X-100 appears to facilitate nonionic interactions of the dye with proteins of limited capacity for ionic binding. Conformation of proteins also seemed to be of some significance because the chaotropic agent urea (0.16 M final concentration) increased sensitivity of the assay by 14%. Sensitivity of the assay was lowered by SDS (0.004% final concentration, w/v) by an average 75% from that of the control assay. The results indicate that the incorporation of low concentrations of a nonionic detergent may be useful in improving sensitivity and variability of the Bradford assay.     

Comparison of platelet-derived growth factor prepared from release products of fresh platelets and from outdated platelet concentrates

Treatment of synaptic membranes from rat brainstem and spinal cord with the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 at 1-10 microliters/mg protein caused a marked increase in glycine receptor (3H)strychnine binding expressed per mg of residual membrane protein. The effect was maximal (220 +/- 6% of control) at 5 microliters Triton/mg protein, while higher concentrations caused progressive loss of strychnine binding ability of membranes (27 +/- 6% at 25 microliters Triton/mg protein). The increase in strychnine binding caused by low Triton X-100 reflected an increase in membrane Bmax, the kD being unaffected by the treatment. The affinity of glycine analogues for receptor sites was not appreciably affected by the detergent either. The findings suggest an enrichment of the synaptic membrane preparation in glycine receptors, caused by the solubilization by Triton of membrane constituents not related to the receptor sites.     

Solubilization of pituitary receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone

Receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone were solubilized by Triton X-100. Membrane fractions from GH₃ pituitary tumor cells were incubated with thyrotropin-releasing hormone in order to saturate specific receptor sites before the addition of detergent. The amount of protein-bound hormone solubilized by Triton X-100 was proportional to the fractional saturation of specific membrane receptors. Increasing detergent: protein ratios from 0.5 to 20 led to a progressive loss of hormone · receptor complex from membrane fractions with a concomitant increase in soluble protein-bound hormone. The soluble hormone · receptor complex was not retained by 0.22 μm filters and remained soluble after ultracentrifugation. Following incubation with high (2.5–10%) concentration of Triton X-100 and other non-ionic detergents, or following repeated detergent extraction, at least 18% of specifically bound thyrotropin-releasing hormone remained associated with particulate material. Unlike the hormone receptor complex, the free hormone receptor was inactivated by Triton X-100. A 50% loss of binding activity was obtained with 0.01% Triton X-100, corresponding to a detergent: protein ratio of 0.033.The hormone · receptor complex was included in Sepharose 6B and exhibited an apparent Stokes radius of 46 Å in buffers containing Triton X-100. The complex aggregated in detergent-free buffers. Soluble hormone receptors were separated from excess detergent and thyrotropin-releasing hormone by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone dissociated from soluble receptors with a half-time of 120 min at 0°c, while the membrane hormone · receptor complex was stable for up to 5 h at 0°C.     

Rapid and efficient extraction of soluble proteins from gram-negative microorganisms without disruption of cell walls

The ability of buffer solutions containing low concentrations of nonionic detergents (Triton X-100, Tween 20, Brij 58, and Lubrol PX) and the anionic detergent sodium deoxycholate, as well as mixtures of these detergents with chaeotropes (urea and guanidine hydrochloride), to extract intracellular proteins of Gram-negative microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was studied. It was established that the solutions containing Triton X-100 and sodium deoxycholate and the mixtures of these detergents with urea are the most effective. It was shown that the extraction of proteins from bacterial cells under the studied conditions is not accompanied by a release of DNA into solution but is associated with extraction of low-molecular RNAs. The level of protein extraction reaches 80%. No disruption of the bacterial cell wall occurs during the extraction, and proteins probably permeate through meshes of the murein network. The efficiencies of our buffer mixtures are close to or higher than that of the commercial reagent CelLytic B (Sigma, United States). The practical uses of the chaeotropic mixtures developed are discussed.     

Solubilization of pituitary receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone.

Receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone were solubilized by Triton X-100. Membrane fractions from GH3 pituitary tumor cells were incubated with thyrotropin-releasing hormone in order to saturate specific receptor sites before the addition of detergent. The amount of protein-bound hormone solubilized by Triton X-100 was proportional to the fractional saturation of specific membrane receptors. Increasing detergent:protein ratios from 0.5 to 20 led to a progressive loss of hormone . receptor complex from membrane fractions with a concomitant increase in soluble protein-bound hormone. The soluble hormone . receptor complex was not retained by 0.22 micron filters and remained soluble after ultracentrifugation. Following incubation with high (2.5--10%) concentrations of Triton X-100 and other non-ionic detergents, or following repeated detergent extraction, at least 18% of specifically bound thyrotropin-releasing hormone remained associated with particulate material. Unlike the hormone receptor complex, the free hormone receptor was inactivated by Triton X-100. A 50% loss of binding activity was obtained with 0.01% Triton X-100, corresponding to a detergent:protein ratio of 0.033. The hormone . receptor complex was included in Sepharose 6B and exhibited an apparent Stoke radius of 46 A in buffers containing Triton X-100. The complex aggregated in detergent-free buffers. Soluble hormone receptors were separated from excess detergent and thyrotropin-releasing hormone by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone dissociated from soluble receptors with a half-time of 120 min at 0 degrees C, while the membrane hormone . receptor complex was stable for up to 5 at 0 degrees C.     

A cytoskeleton-associated plasma membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan in Schwann cells

Schwann cells cocultured with sensory neurons in a serum-free medium accumulate a single species of radiolabeled heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HS-PG) during incubation in medium containing 35SO4. This HS-PG was poorly extracted from cultures by solutions containing 1% Triton X-100 in low salt buffer or by solutions containing 1 M KCl, 4 M urea plus dithiothreitol, 1 mM Tris-HCl, 5 mM EDTA, or 100 micrograms/ml of heparin. The HS-PG was efficiently extracted, however, by 1% Triton X-100 in the presence of 1 M KCl or by 1% deoxycholate. These treatments solubilize both cell membranes and the Schwann cell cytoskeleton. In intact cells the HS-PG was digested by trypsin, indicating it was at least partially exposed on the cell surface. When solubilized HS-PG was applied to a column of octyl-sepharose CL-4B, more than 90% was retained by the column, but was quantitatively eluted by a solution containing 1% Triton X-100. In addition, the solubilized HS-PG could be incorporated into artificial phospholipid vesicles. These results indicate the HS-PG is an integral plasma membrane protein. The inability of low ionic strength solutions containing Triton X-100 to solubilize the HS-PG suggested it was bound to an additional structure. To determine whether the HS-PG was associated with the cytoskeleton we isolated cytoskeletons by detergent lysis of cells and centrifugation. The major protein components of isolated cytoskeletons were spectrin (Mr 225,000), vimentin (Mr 58,000), and actin (Mr 45,000). When 35SO4-labeled cells were used to prepare cytoskeletons approximately 80% of the total HS-PG was recovered in the cytoskeleton fraction. These results suggest the HS-PG is an externally exposed integral plasma membrane protein that is anchored to the Schwann cell cytoskeleton.     

Triton solubilization of proteins from pig liver mitochondrial membranes

Various aspects of membrane solubilization by the Triton X-series of nonionic detergents were examined in pig liver mitochondrial membranes. Binding of Triton X-100 to nonsolubilized membranes was saturable with increased concentrations of the detergent. Maximum binding occurred at concentrations exceeding 0.5% Triton X-100 (w/v). Solubilization of both protein and phospholipid increased with increasing Triton X-100 to a plateau which was dependent on the initial membrane protein concentration used. At low detergent concentrations (less than 0.087% Triton X-100, w/v), proteins were preferentially solubilized over phospholipids. At higher Triton X-100 concentrations the opposite was true. Using the well-defined Triton X-series of detergents, the optimal hydrophile-lipophile balance number (HLB) for solubilization of phosphatidylglycerophosphate synthase (EC 2.7.8.5) was 13.5, corresponding to Triton X-100. Activity was solubilized optimally at detergent concentrations between 0.1 and 0.2% (w/v). The optimal protein-to-detergent ratio for solubilization was 3 mg protein/mg Triton X-100. Solubilization of phosphatidylglycerophosphate synthase was generally better at low ionic strength, though total protein solubilization increased at high ionic strength. Solubilization was also dependent on pH. Significantly higher protein solubilization was observed at high pH (i.e., 8.5), as was phosphatidylglycerophosphate synthase solubilization. The manipulation of these variables in improving the recovery and specificity of membrane protein solubilization by detergents was examined.     

Rapid and efficient extraction of soluble proteins from Gram-negative microorganisms without disruption of cell walls

The ability of buffer solutions containing low concentrations of nonionic detergents (Triton X-100, Tween 20, Brij 58, and Lubrol PX) and the anionic detergent sodium deoxycholate, as well as mixtures of these detergents with chaeotropes (urea and guanidine hydrochloride), to extract intracellular proteins of Gram-negative microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was studied. It was established that the solutions containing Triton X-100 and sodium deoxycholate and the mixtures of these detergents with urea are the most effective. It was shown that the extraction of proteins from bacterial cells under the studied conditions is not accompanied by a release of DNA into solution but is associated with extraction of low-molecular RNAs. The level of protein extraction reaches 80%. No disruption of the bacterial cell wall occurs during the extraction, and proteins probably penetrate through meshes of the murein network. The efficiencies of our buffer mixtures are close to or higher than that of the commercial reagent CelLytic B (Sigma, United States). The practical uses of the chaeotropic mixtures developed are discussed.     

A novel two-step extraction method with detergent/polymer systems for primary recovery of the fusion protein endoglucanase I–hydrophobin I

Extraction systems for hydrophobically tagged proteins have been developed based on phase separation in aqueous solutions of non-ionic detergents and polymers. The systems have earlier only been applied for separation of membrane proteins. Here, we examine the partitioning and purification of the amphiphilic fusion protein endoglucanase I_core–hydrophobin I (EGI_core–HFBI) from culture filtrate originating from a Trichoderma reesei fermentation. The micelle extraction system was formed by mixing the non-ionic detergent Triton X-114 or Triton X-100 with the hydroxypropyl starch polymer, Reppal PES100. The detergent/polymer aqueous two-phase systems resulted in both better separation characteristics and increased robustness compared to cloud point extraction in a Triton X-114/water system. Separation and robustness were characterized for the parameters: temperature, protein and salt additions. In the Triton X-114/Reppal PES100 detergent/polymer system EGI_core–HFBI strongly partitioned into the micelle-rich phase with a partition coefficient (K) of 15 and was separated from hydrophilic proteins, which preferably partitioned to the polymer phase. After the primary recovery step, EGI_core–HFBI was quantitatively back-extracted (K_{EGIcore–HFBI}=150, yield=99%) into a water phase. In this second step, ethylene oxide–propylene oxide (EOPO) copolymers were added to the micelle-rich phase and temperature-induced phase separation at 55°C was performed. Total recovery of EGI_core–HFBI after the two separation steps was 90% with a volume reduction of six times. For thermolabile proteins, the back-extraction temperature could be decreased to room temperature by using a hydrophobically modified EOPO copolymer, with slightly lower yield. The addition of thermoseparating co-polymer is a novel approach to remove detergent and effectively releases the fusion protein EGI_core–HFBI into a water phase.     

The size and detergent binding of membrane proteins.

Sucrose density gradient centrifugation has been used to measure the binding of Triton X-100 above its critical micellar concentration to a variety of purified membrane and non-membrane proteins. In addition, binding studies were done on the three proteins below the critical micellar concentration of detergent to distinguish between the interaction of proteins with detergent monomers and detergent micelles. A procedure is described for the calculation of the molecular weight of these Triton X-100 protein complexes and measurements were made for opsin, plasma low density lipoprotein, the (Na-+ plus K-+)-dependent adenosine triphosphatase, the human red blood cell major sialoglycoprotein (PAS-1) and the human red blood cell minor glycoprotein (bandIII). These proteins behave as monomers or dimers in detergent and bind between 0.28 and 1.12 g of detergent per g of protein. A general method is also present for calculating the molecular size and shape of impure membrane proteins in detergent. Finally, Triton X-100 was shown to replace bound Na dodecyl-SO4 on the minor glycoprotein of the red blood cell.