Demonstration of 125I-labelled thrombin binding platelet proteins by use of crossed immunoelectrophoresis and autoradiography

A possible receptor for thrombin on the platelet membrane has been identified. Whole platelets were treated with 125I-labelled thrombin followed by washing of the platelets, solubilization in Triton X-100, crossed immunoelectrophoresis and autoradiography. A heavily labelled antigen which migrated slightly more slowly than albumin was observed. No corresponding arc was seen on the same immunoplate when stained with Coomassie brilliant blue, indicating that the antigen possessed weak antigenic properties and/or was present in very small amounts. When 125I-labelled thrombin that had been inactivated by phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride was used, no such labelled arc was seen. The radiolabelled immunoprecipitate does not represent any of the antigens identified hitherto in the immunoelectrophoretic patterns obtained with platelets or platelet material. The electrophoretic mobility of the antigen was influenced neither by neuraminidase treatment of the platelets prior to the 125I-labelled thrombin exposure nor by inclusion of concanavalin A, wheat-germ lectin or lentil lectin in the gel during the first-dimension electrophoresis. This suggests that the antigen does not represent a glycoprotein. Upon subcellular fractionation the radioactively labelled arc was observed in the cytosol fraction following crossed immunoelectrophoresis and autoradiography. Analysis of the secreted proteins after induction of the release reaction with 125I-labelled thrombin revealed labelling of immunoprecipitates representing thrombospondin, albumin and the 'line' form of platelet factor 4. This confirms that stable complexes of 125I-labelled thrombin and platelet proteins can exist in the presence of Triton X-100 and during electrophoresis.     

Demonstration of 125I-labelled thrombin binding platelet proteins by use of crossed immunoelectrophoresis and autoradiography

A possible receptor for thrombin on the platelet membrane has been identified. Whole platelets were treated with ¹²⁵I-labelled thrombin followed by washing of the platelets, solubilization in Triton X-100, crossed immunoelectrophoresis and autoradiography. A heavily labelled antigen which migrated slightly more slowly than albumin was observed. No corresponding arc was seen on the same immunoplate when stained with Coomassie brilliant blue, indicating that the antigen possessed weak antigenic properties and/or was present in very small amounts. When ¹²⁵I-labelled thrombin that had been inactivated by phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride was used, no such labelled arc was seen. The radiolabelled immunoprecipitate does not represent any of the antigens identified hitherto in the immunoelectrophoretic patterns obtained with platelets or platelet material. The electrophoretic mobility of the antigen was influenced neither by neuraminidase treatment of the platelets prior to the ¹²⁵I-labelled thrombin exposure nor by inclusion of concanavalin A, wheat-germ lectin or lentil lectin in the gel during the first-dimension electrophoresis. This suggests that the antigen does not represent a glycoprotein. Upon subcellular fractionation the radioactively labelled arc was observed in the cytosol fraction following crossed immunoelectrophoresis and autoradiography. Analysis of the secreted proteins after induction of the release reaction with ¹²⁵I-labelled thrombin revealed labelling of immunoprecipitates representing thrombospondin, albumin and the ‘line’ form of platelet factor 4. This confirms that stable complexes of ¹²⁵I-labelled thrombin and platelet proteins can exist in the presence of Triton X-100 and during electrophoresis.     

Uptake and degradation of 125I-labelled high density lipoproteins in rat liver cells in vivo and in vitro.

1. The uptake of 125I-labelled high density lipoproteins (HDL) in various organs of the rat was determined after an intravenous injection. The uptake of 125I-labelled polyvinylpyrrolidone in the same organs was determined in order to assess uptake by fluid endocytosis. The uptake/organ was highest for the liver. The adrenals showed the highest uptake/unit weight of the organs studied. The liver, the kidneys and the spleen showed comparable values for uptake/g of tissue. The uptake of 125I-labelled HDL exceeded by far that of 125I-labelled polyvinylpyrrolidone in the liver, the kidneys, the spleen and the adrenals, indicating that the uptake of 125I-labelled HDL was mediated by adsorptive endocytosis. 2. The in vivo uptake of 125I-labelled HDL was determined in purified hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells prepared by collagenase perfusion of livers from animals after intravenous injections of 125I-labelled HDL. When expressed per cell, the hepatocytes and the non-parenchymal liver cells took up about the same amount of 125I-labelled HDL. 3. The in vitro uptake and degradation of 125I-labelled HDL in isolated rat hepatocytes was studied. The uptake at increasing concentrations of 125I-labelled HDL was saturable indicating uptake mediated through binding sites. 125I-labelled HDL were easily degraded by contaminating proteases from the perfusate. 4. Subcellular fractionation by isopycnic centrifugation indicated that the accumulation of 125I-labelled HDL did not take place in the lysosomes, but rather on the plasma membrane and possibly in the endosomes (phagosomes). 5. 125I-labelled HDL were internalized into the cells and degraded in the lysosomes. Leupetin and chloroquine, inhibitors of the lysosomal function effectively inhibited the formation of 125I-labelled acid-soluble radioactivity by the cells. Chloroquine, but not the protease inhibitor leupeptin, reduced the hydrolysis of the cholesteryl ester moiety of HDL.     

Presence of a Vicia unijuga lectin-binding (Vgu) glycoprotein with Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) activity and Vgu glycoproteins in human primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

1. Twenty perchloric acid-soluble glycoprotein fractions (PASFs) were separated from carcinomatous and non-carcinomatous regions of the livers of 5 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 5 patients with a complication of HCC and hepatocirrhosis (HC). 2. In autoradiography using 125I-labelled Vicia unijuga lectin (VUA) and 125I-labelled Arachis hypogaea anti-T lectin as probes, 10 PASFs from carcinomatous regions of the livers of 10 patients gave 1 Vgu glycoprotein with T activity and/or 1-4 Vgu glycoproteins, respectively, and among 10 PASFs from non-carcinomatous regions of the livers of 10 patients, 7 PASFs gave no glycoproteins, respectively. 3. These results show that a Vgu glycoprotein with T activity and Vgu glycoproteins occur in HCC and in a complication of HCC and HC as oncofetal antigens.     

An antibody-lectin sandwich assay for the determination of CA125 antigen in ovarian cancer patients

A two-step forward sandwich assay was developed for the determination of the ovarian tumour associated glycoconjugate antigen CA125 with anti-CA125 Monoclonal antibody B27.1 on the solid phase and¹²⁵I-labelled wheat germ lectin as tracer in the solution phase. This Mab-lectin heterosandwich assay was optimized and the clinical utility was evaluated in sera from healthy volunteers and ovarian cancer patients. A correlation was established between Mab-lectin assay and the dual monoclonal antibody sandwich assay, TRUQUANT®OV2 RIA, that uses the same MAb B27.1 on the solid phase and a second¹²⁵I-labelled B43.13 MAb in the solution phase. A potentially improved clinical utility is suggested for the Mab-lectin assay. The unique format seems to identify novel isoforms of CA125 with different carbohydrate side chains that would otherwise be undetectable in the MAb-MAb sandwich assay wherein the paratopes are likely directed to protein determinants.     

High-density lipoprotein binding to bovine adrenal cortex membranes

Binding studies were performed with bovine adrenal cortex membranes, human 125I-labelled high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and modified photoactivable derivatives of 125I-labelled HDL, namely 125I-labelled HDL-amidinophenylazide and 125I-labelled HDL-amidopropionyldithiophenylazide. The purity of the apolipoprotein composition of the 125I-labelled HDL and photoactivable 125I-labelled HDL used in the binding studies was determined by Coomassie blue and silver staining, and by measuring 125I-labelled cpm after SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. About 45% of the 125I-labelled HDL binding to the membranes occurred in the presence of excess EDTA and only unlabelled HDL competed for the binding site. The 125I-labelled interaction with this binding site on the membranes did not require calcium. In addition, 40% of the 125I-labelled HDL binding was to an EDTA-sensitive site, and unlabelled HDL and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) competed for the binding site. Consequently, adrenal cortex membranes have binding sites which show cross reactivity for both HDL and LDL. Modification of 58% of the apolipoprotein lysine residues of 125I-labelled HDL with methylazidophenylimidate, a reagent which maintains the positive charge at lysine residues, had little affect on binding to EDTA-sensitive and insensitive sites. In contrast, modification of 35% of apolipoprotein lysine residues of 125I-labelled HDL with N-succinimidyl(4-azidophenyldithio)propionate, a reagent which converts charged amino lysines to amide bonds, showed binding properties which were almost totally inhibited by EDTA.     

Evidence for a cryptic lectin site in the cell-binding domain of plasma fibronectin

Various proteolytic fragments from the central region of the fibronectin subunit chains containing the main cell-affinity site were applied in cell binding studies using peritoneal macrophages of guinea pigs. A 125I-labelled 23-kDa peptide was relatively well bound by the cells. Attachment to cells was partially inhibited by wheat germ lectin, suggesting a lectin-like site in the cell-binding domain which recognizes oligosaccharide groups with terminal N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylneuraminic acid. Binding was inhibited by N-acetylneuraminic acid with half-maximal effect at 2 X 10(-3) M. Other inhibitors were a sialic acid rich ganglioside preparation and fetuin, a sialic acid-containing glycoprotein. In contrast to the 23-kDa peptide a 125I-labelled 125-kDa fragment was only weakly bound, although it included the sequence of the 23-kDa peptide on its C-terminus. The residual binding was weakly inhibited by low concentrations of wheat germ lectin and was remarkably improved by higher concentrations. The behavior of the peptide was explained by the presence of a sialic acid-containing oligosaccharide side chain localized outside of the 23-kDa region and interacting with the lectin-like site in the cell-binding sequence. In accord with this suggestion a 95-kDa fragment representing the oligosaccharide-containing part of the 125-kDa peptide was capable of inhibiting at least partially the cell attachment of the 23-kDa piece. The results indicate a lectin-like affinity site in the cell-binding region of fibronectin which is accessible in the 23-kDa peptide, but is masked in the 125-kDa fragment and in fibronectin by a sialic acid-containing oligosaccharide moiety.     

Identification of liver plasma membrane glycoproteins which bind to 125I-labelled concanavalin A following electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate.

Following electrophoresis of ovalbumin in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) this glycoprotein bound 125I-labelled concanavalin A (Con A). The reaction was specific and proportional to the amount of glycoprotein present on the gel. This technique was used to study the Con-A-binding glycoproteins of liver cell surfaces. Mouse liver plasma membranes were purified and subfractionated to yield two fractions corresponding to the bile canalicular surface and the surface between adjacent hepatocytes (Evans, W.H. (1970) Biochem. J. 116, 833-842). Both fractions bound 125I-labelled Con A, the former binding two to three times more lectin than the latter. Following SDS gel electrophoresis individual membrane glycoproteins reacted with 125I-labelled Con A. Both membrane subfractions yielded qualitatively similar Con A binding profiles, seven binding proteins being present in each. The results are consistent with a generally uniform distribution of glycoproteins over the hepatocyte surface. The reaction of lectins with glycoproteins following SDS gel electrophoresis should find general application in the study of membrane composition.     

Affinity modulation of human placental insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors by lectins

The ability of plant lectins to modify the interactions of the insulin receptor (IR) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) receptors (IGFRs) with their ligands was investigated. The lectins profoundly affected the competition-binding curves for (125)I-labelled IGF-I and insulin, causing an increase in the affinity of placental IGF1R and IR towards their ligands. This increment was of such a magnitude that it could affect the receptors' specificity towards these ligands. The lower the ligand concentration, the greater was the lectin-induced affinity shift, which suggests potential physiological significance of the effect. The affinity modulation occurred in a lectin-specific and dose-dependent manner. In contrast to IGF1R and IR, the binding of (125)I-labelled IGF-II to its receptors resisted lectin modulation. Here we provide evidence of the possibility of external modulation of the affinity of placental IGF1R and IR via interactions of the receptors' carbohydrate moieties with lectins. The existence of modulators that would selectively inhibit or enhance the binding of IGFs or insulin to their corresponding receptors may have important implications for placental cell responses to these molecules.     

蝗虫消化道形态结构研究的一种新方法

采用扫描仪和扫描电镜相结合的方法对中华稻蝗Oxyachinensis(Thunberg)消化道内部的超微结构进行定位研究。结果表明直接将蝗虫消化道的内壁翻出(不染色)铺展于扫描仪的玻璃板上进行扫描,就能得到蝗虫消化道在自然状态下的完整图像,将扫描仪扫描后的样品用于扫描电子显微镜的样品制备,并对照上述研究结果,即可定位蝗虫消化道在扫描电子显微镜下的超微结构。为蝗虫消化道的形态学研究提供一个简便有效的方法,同时也为蝗虫消化道超微结构的定位研究提供新的手段。     

Endocytosis and subsequent processing of 125I-labelled immunoglobulin G by guinea pig yolk sac in vitro.

We have developed conditions for studying the binding, uptake, degradation and transport of 125I-labelled IgG by yolk sac in vitro. Specific binding to tissue at 4 degrees C and to paraformaldehyde-treated tissue at 37 degrees C was time- and temperature-dependent and showed saturation kinetics (Kd,4 degrees C = 2.9 X 10(-6) M, Kd,37 degrees C = 5.3 X 10(-6) M). Uptake was studied at 37 degrees C using untreated tissue (K uptake = 13.3 X 10(-6) M) and was inhibited by preincubation with metabolic poisons but not with cycloheximide. Tissue that had been incubated with 125I-labelled IgG at 37 degrees C released radiolabelled degradation products and intact 125I-labelled IgG into the medium. Experiments with paraformaldehyde-treated and untreated tissue showed that release of intact 125I-labelled IgG was mostly the result of ligand dissociation from surface binding sites. However, more 125I-labelled IgG was released from untreated tissue than could be accounted for solely by loss of surface-bound ligand and the difference was presumed to reflect uptake, transport and exocytosis of 125I-labelled IgG. Degradation of 125I-labelled IgG was inhibited by leupeptin and lysosomotropic amines. These drugs had no detectable effect on 125I-labelled IgG release. The results suggest that degradation and transport of IgG are not intimately related and are consistent with a previously proposed model for IgG transport via coated vesicles which do not fuse with lysosomes and for non-selective uptake into another class of vesicle which does fuse with lysosomes.     

A study on concanavalin a binding to human erythrocytes

Interactions of concanavalin A with human erythrocytes were studied using ¹²⁵I-labelled concanavalin A and a centrifugal technique with dibutyl phthalate which permitted complete separation of bound and free concanavalin A. Binding of ¹²⁵I-labelled concanavalin A to human erythrocytes was dependent on cell concentration, pH and temperature. Specificity of binding was confirmed by inhibition and dissociation studies with sugars and native concanavalin A. Positive cooperative binding of concanavalin A to human erythrocytes was observed at low concanavalin A concentrations (less than 1 μ/ml) in both buffers studied. Positive cooperativity at higher concanavalin A concentrations (more than 100 μ/ml) was seen in Tris-Hepes buffer but not in phosphate-buffered saline. Consistent with this cooperative effect was the observation that although dissociation of ¹²⁵I-labelled concanavalin A from the erythrocytes was complete in the presence of 1 mg/ml of the native lectin, release was inhibited by low concentrations (1 μ/ml). A comparison of concanavalin A binding with hemagglutination studies suggest that the amount of concanavalin A bound determines the rate of erythrocyte agglutination and the size of the aggregates formed.     

Binding activity of Streptococcus canis for albumin and other plasma proteins

All 24 cultures of Streptococcus canis examined bound 125I-labelled human albumin, IgG and fibrinogen; but neither IgA nor haptoglobin. Binding of human albumin was time-dependent, saturable and reversible by the addition of unlabelled albumin. The binding of 125I-labelled human albumin could be inhibited completely by unlabelled albumin preparations from humans, mice and dogs, and partly by bovine albumin. In contrast, binding of 125I-labelled human albumin was not inhibited by unlabelled rabbit albumin, human IgG or human fibrinogen. Data from competition experiments of two S. canis cultures with high 125I-labelled albumin-binding activities yielded KD values of 10 and 15 nmol l-1, respectively. The estimated number of binding sites per bacterial cell ranged from 30,000 to 57,000. The binding factor for albumin could be isolated from S. canis by boiling the bacteria at pH 2, and it was purified by affinity chromatography on human albumin-Sepharose. The isolated albumin-binding proteins had a molecular mass of approximately 51 kDa and inhibited binding of 125I-labelled albumin to S. canis. They formed complexes with human albumin that altered its electrophoretic mobility.     

Characterization of cell-surface glycopeptides from mouse cerebral cortex that inhibit cell growth and protein synthesis.

The occurrence of multiple forms of rat prolactin with different molecular weights (size heterogeneity) was studied with anterior pituitary extracts, purified rat prolactin and 125I-labelled rat prolactin. In each case, three main forms of the hormone were detected by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100: a major one (80--90%) corresponding to monomeric prolactin (mol.wt. 22000--25000), a peak (8--20%) that could be a dimer (mol.wt. 45000--50000) and a small quantity (1--5%) of a component of much greater molecular weight. On freezing and thawing of 125I-labelled rat prolactin, there was little interconversion of monomer and 'dimer' peaks, but both were converted substantially to very high-molecular-weight material. All three peaks of 125I-labelled rat prolactin could be precipitated by anti-(rat prolactin) serum and all three gave similar patterns of radioactive peptides after digestion with chymotrypsin followed by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. On sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, the monomer peak of 125I-labelled prolactin migrated as a single component of mol.wt. 22000, the very high-molecular-weight peak largely dissociated to a component running in the same position as the monomer, and the 'dimer' peak migrated partly as a component of mol.wt. 45000 and partly as a component migrating with monomeric prolactin. No treatment was found that could dissociate the 'dimer' peak completely to monomeric prolactin.     

Grafting of different glycosides on the surface of liposomes and its effect on the tissue distribution of 125I-labelled γ-globulin encapsulated in liposomes

Different glycosides were grafted on the surface of liposomes containing ¹²⁵I-labelled γ-globulin by two ways: (1) by using glycolipid and (2) by covalent coupling of $\text{p-}\text{aminophenyl-}\text{d}\text{-glycosides}$ to phosphatidylethanolamine liposomes using glutaraldehyde. The distribution of ¹²⁵I-labelled γ-globulin was determined in mouse tissues from 5–60 min after a single injection of these liposomes. The liver uptake of encapsulated ¹²⁵I-labelled γ-globulin was highest from liposomes having galactose and mannose on the surface. Competition experiments and cross-inhibition studies indicate that this uptake are mediated by specific recognition of the surface galactose and mannose residues of liposomes by the receptors present on the plasma membrane of liver cells. Stearylamine-containing liposomes were found to be more efficient in mediating the uptake of ¹²⁵I-labelled γ-globulin by the lung, whereas in the case of spleen, phosphatidylethanolamine liposomes were more efficient. The extent of uptake of ¹²⁵I-labelled γ-globulin from all types of liposome decreases as the amount of given liposomes increases. The uptake of ¹²⁵I-labelled γ-globulin from liposomes containing asialogangliosides depends upon the phospholipid/ glycolipid ratio. These experiments clearly demonstrate that enhanced liposome uptake by liver cells could be achieved by grafting galactose and mannose on the liposomal surface.     

Effects of temperature, metabolic inhibitors and some other factors on fluid-phase and adsorptive pinocytosis by rat peritoneal macrophages.

Low temperature, NaF and 2,4-dinitrophenol could each abolish the pinocytic uptake of 125I-labelled poly(vinylpyrrolidone) or colloidal [198Au]gold by rat peritoneal macrophages cultured in vitro. Cytochalasin B caused only partial inhibition, even at 10 microgram/ml, and colchicine (10 or 25 microgram/ml) inhibited uptake of colloidal [198Au]gold much more than that of 125I-labelled poly(vinylpyrrolidone). Dibutyryl cyclic AMP and ouabain were without effect on uptake of 125I-labelled poly(vinylpyrrolidone), and slight stimulation was seen with ATP and theophylline. Uptake of 125I-labelled poly(vinylpyrrolidone) was abolished by EGTA (5mM), but restored by adding CaCl2 (5mM). The results appear not to support the conventional criteria for the division of pinocytic phenomena into macropinocytosis, requiring a metabolic energy supply and cytoskeletal components, and micropinocytosis, requiring neither.     

Characterization of the binding of human growth hormone to microsomal membranes from rat liver.

The binding of 125I-labelled human growth hormone to the 100000g microsomal membrane fraction prepared from the livers of normal female rats was dependent on time, temperature, pH, membrane concentration and concentration of 125I-labelled human growth hormone. At 22 degrees C binding reached a steady state after 16h, with the mean maximal specific binding being 20% of the tracer initially added. Dissociation of 125I-labelled human growth hormone from the membranes, after addition of excess of unlabelled hormone, was relatively slow with a half-time greater than 24h. Only minor degradation of the 125I-labelled human growth hormone was observed during incubation with membranes for 16 or 25h at 22 degrees C. Similarly, no significant change in the ability of membranes to bind human growth hormone was evident after preincubation of the membranes for 16 or 25h. Specificity studies showed that up to 90% of the 125I-labelled human growth hormone bound could be displaced by 1 mug of unlabelled hormone. Ovine prolactin also showed considerable competition for the binding site. Non-primate growth-hormone preparations (ovine, bovine, porcine and rat) and non-related hormones (insulin, thyrotropin, lutropin and follitropin) all showed negligible competition. Scatchard analysis of the binding data was consistent with two classes of binding site with binding affinities of 0.64 X 10(10) +/- 0.2 X 10(10)M-1 and 0.03 X 10(10) +/- 0.007 X 10(10)M-1 and corresponding binding capacities of 98.4 +/- 10 fmol/mg of protein and 314.6 +/- 46.3 fmol/mg of protein. These studies provide data which, in general, are consistent with the criteria required for hormone-receptor interaction. However, proof of the thesis that the human-growth-hormone-binding sites in female rat liver represent physiological receptors must await the demonstration of a correlation between hormone binding and a biological response.     

The streptokinase–human plasminogen activator complex. Composition and identity of a subcomponent with activator activity

Reactions between purified plasminogen and streptokinase, labelled with ¹³¹I and ¹²⁵I respectively, were investigated by polyacrylamide-gel discontinuous electrophoresis. A molecular complex consisting of both ¹³¹I-labelled plasminogen and ¹²⁵I-labelled streptokinase migrated between plasminogen and streptokinase. This complex contained bovine plasminogen activator activity. The relative quantities of ¹³¹I-labelled plasminogen and ¹²⁵I-labelled streptokinase in this complex were markedly affected by reaction conditions. A fragment that retained 50% or more of the parent activator activity was released from the complex after exposure to mercaptoethanol. This subcomponent had an estimated molecular weight of 70000, and contained both ¹³¹I-labelled plasminogen and ¹²⁵I-labelled streptokinase.     

Formation of complexes between 125I-labelled human or bovine somatotropins and binding proteins in vivo in rat liver and kidney.

At 5 min after intravenous injection, both 125I-labelled human somatotropin and 125I-labelled bovine somatotropin were concentrated in rat liver and kidney. When the labelled hormones were administered along with an excess of the corresponding unlabelled hormone, a significant decrease of the uptake was observed in the liver, but not in the kidney. Study of the subcellular distribution of radioiodinated somatotropins in liver revealed that most of the radioactivity was specifically concentrated in the microsomal fraction. In contrast, the kidney fraction that accounted for most of the radioactivity was the 100 000 g supernatant. After solubilization, with 1% (w/v) Triton X-100, of the microsomal fractions obtained from both organs, the radioactive material was analysed by gel filtration on Sepharose CL-6B. By using this approach, it was demonstrated that both 125I-labelled human somatotropin and 125I-labelled bovine somatotropin bind in vivo to proteins present in liver. A small proportion of 125I-labelled human somatotropin was also shown to form complexes with proteins present in kidney. The present results demonstrate that the liver uptake is mainly due to binding of somatotropins to specific proteins, in contrast with the kidney, in which binding to specific sites contributes minimally to the overall uptake.