Studies on structural proteins of the rat liver ribosomes. I. Molecular wights of the proteins of large and small subunits.

Structural proteins of active 60-S and 40-S subunits of rat liver ribosomes were analysed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 35 and 29 spots were shown on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of proteins from large and small subunits, respectively. It was noted that the migration distances of stained proteins with Amido black 10B remained unchanged in the following sodium dodecyl sulfate-acrylamide gel electrophoresis, although some minor degradation and/or aggregation products were observed in the case of several ribosomal proteins, especially of those with high molecular weights. This finding made it possible to measure the molecular weight of each ribosomal protein in the spot on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis by following sodium dodecyl sulfate-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weights of the protein components of two liver ribosomal subunits were determined by this 'three-dimensional' polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weights of proteins of 40-S subunits ranged from 10 000 to 38 000 and the number average molecular weight was 23 000. The molecular weights of proteins of 60-S subunits ranged from 10 000 to 60 000 and the number average molecular weight was 23 900.     

Immunological comparison of the proteins of chicken and rat liver ribosomes.

A comparison of the proteins of chicken and rat liver ribosomes using immunochemical techniques was undertaken. The procedures included quantitative precipitation, passive hemagglutination, and immunodiffusion on Ouchterlony plates. The results indicate that antisera specific for chicken or rat liver ribosomes recognize only about 20% of common determinants. While there are important reservations, the results suggest extensive differences in the proteins of rat and chicken liver ribosomes. Despite those differences, rat and chicken liver ribosomal proteins maintain some homologous sequences present in bacterial ribosomal proteins. An enriched antibody preparation against chicken 80 S ribosomes inhibited the poly(U)-directed synthesis of polyphenylalanine and the elongation factor G (EF-G)-catalyzed binding of [3H]GDP to Escherichia coli ribosomes. Thus, chicken liver ribosomes, like ribosomes from rat liver and yeast, must have proteins homologous with those of E. coli ribosomes.     

Acetylation of ribosome-associated proteins in vitro by an acetyltransferanse bound to rat liver ribosomes.

Incubation of rat liver ribosomes with [1-14-C]acetyl-coenzyme A results in the incorporation of [14-C]acetyl into a material insoluble in cold trichloroacetic acid. The acetyltransferase involved in the self-acetylation of ribosomes can be released by high salt washing of the ribosomes; the activity of the solubilized enzyme can be assayed using histones as acetyl acceptors. Electrophoretic analysis of acetylated risosomes or ribosomal proteins indicated that the acetyl radicals are associated with a group of relatively basic proteins, having molecular weights ranging from 10,000 to 45,000. Chromatographic analysis of the enzymatic hydrolsates of proteins extracted from acetylated ribosomes indicates that acetylation is mainly or exclusively NH2 terminal. Almost 80% of the acetyl proteins are released from the ribosomes by high salt treatment. Most of the acetyl radicals not solubilized by the high salt treatment were found in the 60S subunit, associated with a protein(s) having an apparent molecular weight of 43,000. This acetyl protein(s) was released from the 60S subunit by EDTA treatment and was found in a ribonucleoprotein complex having a bouyant density of 1.56.     

Acidic proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribosomes.

Two dimensional gel electrophoresis of ribosomal proteins from $\text{Saccharomyces}\text{cerevisiae}$ reveals the presence of three spots in the region corresponding to proteins of high acidic character. Washing the ribosomes with 0.4 M NH₄Cl and 50% ethanol, followed by chromatography of the extracted proteins on DEAE-cellulose, indicated the presence of two fractions of acidic proteins; (A and Ax), having very similar molecular weights (12.000–13.000), but phosphorylated to different extents. Fractions A and Ax are immunologically distinct and their immunologic properties differ from acidic proteins found in $\text{Escherichia}\text{coli}$, rat liver, and $\text{Artemia}\text{salina}$ ribosomes.Protein A can be resolved into two bands by electrofocusing, and two dimensional gel electrophoresis. The two components correspond to proteins L44 and L45 according to the standard nomenclature. Proteins Ax seems to correspond to the spot that moves above and to the left of L44 and L45 and is at least three times more phosphorylated than these two proteins.     

The composition of rat liver microsomes. The structural proteins of rat liver microsomes

1. The structural-protein component of microsomal membranes was isolated by three separate methods. Analysis by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis indicated that the microsomal structural component is made up of a heterogeneous group of proteins. These proteins were further characterized by their phospholipid-binding capacity. The electrophoretic patterns of microsomal structural proteins were found to differ significantly from those of mitochondrial structural proteins. 2. The reticulosomal fraction was also characterized by electrophoresis with reference to total microsomal proteins, microsomal structural proteins and ribosomal proteins. The reticulosomes gave an electrophoretic pattern significantly different from those of the other three preparations examined. It is suggested that reticulosomes consist largely of enzymic proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum.