The use of N-[beta-(4-diazophenyl)ethyl]maleimide as a heterobifunctional agent in developing enzyme immunoassay for neurotensin

A heterobifunctional crosslinking agent N-[beta-(4-diazophenyl)ethyl]maleimide (DPEM) was newly synthesized and characterized to possess the maleimide group with a stability greater than that previously reported for N-(4-diazophenyl)maleimide. Using the peptide hormone neurotensin (NT) as a model hapten, DPEM was used in the conjugation reaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and with beta-D-galactosidase (beta-Gal) in developing an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for NT. The NT-DPEM-BSA conjugate elicited anti-NT antibodies in rabbits and the NT-beta-Gal conjugate behaved as an enzyme marker of NT in the EIA. The EIA developed double antibody was reproducible and sensitive in detecting NT at concentrations as low as 30 fmol per tube. The specificity of anti-NT serum seems to be primarily toward the carboxy-terminal region of NT, showing cross-reactions with such NT fragments as NT2-13, NT8-13, and NT1-8 for 120, 22, and less than 0.1%, respectively. The utility of this assay was also demonstrated by measuring the NT immunoreactivity in several rat organs. DPEM could be useful for developing EIAs for other peptide hormones (even those which contain neither a free amino group nor a free carboxyl group), using the imidazole, phenolic, or indole group(s) of amino acids as a binding site for carrier proteins.     

Evaluation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone as a potential antidepressant agent in the conscious dog

Results from preliminary clinical reports have indicated that thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) produces improvement in depressed patients. In the present study, doses of TRH at least 25 times greater than those reported as clinically effective on a mg/kg basis were evaluated for antidepressant activity in the conscious dog. Clinically effective antidepressants, such as MAO inhibitors and tricyclics like imipramine, potentiate certain behavioral, autonomic, and cardiovascular responses produced by the indole alkaloid yohimbine, whereas general CNS stimulants such as amphetamine or cocaine do not potentiate these responses. Both 50 and 100 ug/kg doses of TRH failed to potentiate yohimbine effects. Certain gross similarities in effects produced by TRH and amphetamine observed in this study support the view that beneficial effects of TRH in depression may be related to general sympathetic activation produced by this hormone.     

Preparation of reproducible alkaline phosphatase-antibody conjugates for enzyme immunoassay using a heterobifunctional linking agent

Conjugates of alkaline phosphatase (AP) and mouse monoclonal immunoglobulins G (IgG) were prepared by means of the heterobifunctional linker, N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)-propionate. The efficiency of such conjugates can be improved by optimizing the degree of substitution of IgG and AP. We have determined conditions yielding better performing conjugates than those synthesized by methods described previously. Moreover, the results obtained with the technique presented here are quite reproducible with all four monoclonal antibodies tested.     

Synthesis of a new heterobifunctional linker, N-[4-(aminooxy)butyl]maleimide, for facile access to a thiol-reactive 18F-labeling agent

A new heterobifunctional linker containing an aldehyde-reactive aminooxy group and a thiol-reactive maleimide group, namely N-[4-(aminooxy)butyl]maleimide, was synthesized as a stable HCl salt by O-alkylation of either N-hydroxyphthalimide or N-(4-monomethoxytrityl)hydroxylamine, followed by N-alkylation of maleimide, in an overall yield of 18% (seven steps) or 29% (five steps), respectively. This heterobifunctional linker allowed a simple and efficient synthesis of a maleimide-containing thiol-reactive (18)F-labeling agent. Thus, N-[4-[(4-[(18)F]fluorobenzylidene)aminooxy]butyl]maleimide (specific activity: approximately 3000 Ci/mmol at end of synthesis) was synthesized in two steps involving the preparation of 4-[(18)F]fluorobenzaldehyde, followed by its aminooxy-aldehyde coupling reaction to the heterobifunctional linker, with an overall radiochemical yield of approximately 35% (decay corrected) within approximately 60 min from end of bombardment. Initial (18)F-labeling experiments were carried out using a thiol-containing tripeptide glutathione (GSH) and a 5'-thiol-functionalized oligodeoxynucleotide (5'-S-ODN) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.5). After standing at room temperature for 10 min, the (18)F-labeled GSH and 5'-S-ODN were obtained in (18)F-labeling yields of approximately 70% and approximately 5% (decay-corrected), respectively. The heterobifunctional linker is easy to synthesize and provides a facile access to the maleimide-containing thiol-reactive (18)F-labeling agent, which could be advantageously employed in the development of (18)F-labeled biomomolecules for use with positron emission tomography.     

Subfemtomole enzyme immunoassay for human growth hormone using affinity chromatography and enzyme amplified detection

An immunometric assay is described which allows fast detection of attomole amounts of an antigen. The sensitivity is 100 to 1000 times better than that of classical sandwich immunometric assays. Our system allowed the measurement of human growth hormone in the range of 0.1 amol to 100 fmol in a 4-h time period overall. A chromatography column is sequentially filled with two immunoaffinity resins: SP-M1--E1-Ab1 in the upper half and SP-M2--E2-Ab2 in the lower half, where Ab1 and Ab2 represent complementary antibodies reacting with the antigen to be assayed, E1 and E2 represent enzymes, M1 and M2 represent substances reacting reversibly with E1 and E2, respectively, and SP represents the chromatographic solid phase; the sign - represents covalent linkages and the sign--reversible linkages. The sample solution is passed through the column, resulting in binding of the antigen to the first encountered antibody, yielding the immobilized complex SP-M1--E1-Ab1--Ag. The M1 bound is then destabilized by washing with solution of agonist to M1. The freed complex is immediately trapped by the second antibody in the lower part of the column, resulting in the entity SP-M2--E2-Ab2--Ag--Ab1-E1. After a washing step, and amplified detection allows the measurement of the antigen through the activity of the enzyme E1. The antigen-antibody reactions occur in the presence of a very large excess of antibody. The continuous equilibrium displacement due to the chromatographic procedure enhances the yield of complex formation. These factors explain the extremely low levels (subattomole) capable of being detected with this original technique.     

N-(m-[125I]iodophenyl)maleimide: an agent for high yield radiolabeling of antibodies

In an effort to radiolabel antibodies, N-(m-[¹²⁵I]iodophenyl)maleimide (m-[¹²⁵I]IPM) was prepared by the demetallation of an N-[m-tri-(n-butyl)stannylphenyl]maleimide intermediate. The unlabeled intermediate was synthesized in ⩾ 75% yield using a palladium catalyzed reaction of hexabutylditin with m-bromoaniline, followed by reaction with maleic anhydride and ring annulation. All products were confirmed by NMR and elemental analysis. Labeling with ¹²⁵I was carried out in a biphasic mixture containing chloramine-T (radiochemical yield ⩾ 70%). Rabbit IgG modified with the heterobifunctional crosslinking agent N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate (SPDP) and bovine serum albumin were conjugated with m-[¹²⁵I]IPM (yield: 40 and 80%, respectively). In addition, m-[¹²⁵I]IPM was conjugated to rabbit IgG subunits (HL) in 70% yield. The in vitro stability of the radiolabeled proteins in serum showed < 1% deiodination over 24 h.     

N-(1-pyrene)maleimide: a fluorescent cross-linking reagent.

N-(1-Pyrene)maleimide is nonfluorescent in aqueous solution but forms strongly fluorescent adducts with sulfhydryl groups of organic compounds or proteins. The conjugation reactions of N-(1-pyrene)maleimide are relatively fast and can be monitored by the increase in fluorescence intensity of the pyrene chromophore. In cases where primary amino groups are also present in the system, we have observed a red shift of the emission spectra of the fluorescent adducts subsequent to the initial conjugation, as characterized by the disappearance of three emission peaks at 376, 396, and 416 nm, and the appearance of two new peaks at 386 and 405 nm. Model studies with N-(1-pyrene)maleimide adducts of L-cysteine and cysteamine indicate that the spectral shift is the result of an intramolecular aminolysis of the succinimido ring in the adducts. Evidence from both chemical analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the addition products supports this reaction scheme. N-(1-Pyrene)maleimide adducts of N-acetyl-L-cysteine and beta-mercaptoethanol, which have no free amino group, do not exhibit a spectral shift. Among several protein conjugates only the N-(1-pyrene)maleimide adduct of bovine serum albumin (PM-BSA) shows the spectral shift resembling that of PM-cysteine. N-(1-Pyrene)maleimide reacts with the sulfhydryl group of the single cysteine residue at position 34 in BSA. The finding that the alpha-amino group of the N-terminus in PM-BSA is blocked after the spectral shift is completed strongly suggests that N-(1-pyrene)maleimide cross-links the N-terminus and the cysteine residue in BSA. The relative proximity of the sulfhydryl and amino groups is very critical in the cross-linking as demonstrated by the observation that the spectral shift observed with PM-BSA can be prevented by addition of denaturing reagents such as 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate immediately after labeling, and by the failure of PM-glutathione to undergo the intramolecular aminolysis. Since the intramolecular rearrangement of PM adducts is associated with characteristic fluorescence changes, N-(1-pyrene)maleimide can serve as a fluorescent cross-linking reagent which provides information about the spatial proximity of sulfhydryl and amino groups in proteins.     

Reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography of mercaptoacetate and N-acetylcysteine after derivatization with N-(1-pyrene)maleimide and N-(7-dimethylamino-4-methyl-3-coumarinyl)maleimide

We have developed a high-performance liquid chromatographic system capable of resolving mercaptoacetate and N-acetylcysteine as their N-(1-pyrene)maleimide (PM) and N-(7-dimethylamino-4-methyl-3-coumarinyl)maleimide (DACM) derivatives. Good resolution was obtained by ion pairing with tetramethylammonium hydroxide and chromatography on reversed phase. The detection limits for the thiols were about 50 fmol as their DACM derivatives and about 400 fmol as their PM derivatives. The method is illustrated by chromatography of urinary thiols which indicates that the derivatization and chromatography procedures should be well applicable in bioanalytical work.     

Development of a sensitive semi-automatized enzyme immunoassay of leukotriene using acetylcholinesterase-leukotriene C4 as tracer

The obtention of icosanoids tracers of high specific radioactivity (e.g. radioiodinated tracers) has been a prerequisite for the development of radioimmunoassays that would allow the detection of femtomoles amount of these substances from biological medium. However, recent attempts to develope immunoassays using haptens (e.g. prostaglandins or thromboxane B2) labeled with enzymes have turned out to be disappointing because of their poor sensitivity. Using the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from “electrophorus electricus” as a tracer we have labeled LTC4 after coupling it to the enzyme with 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as a bifunctional reagent. The use of 96-well microtiter plates coated with pig anti-rabbit immunoglobulin antibodies (purified by affinity chromatography) has allowed to develop a semiautomatized enzyme immunoassay (EIA). A dispenser was used to add all common reagents (antibody, tracer, enzyme substrate); a washer was used to eliminate the unreacted molecules from the immuno-reactions. After addition of the enzyme substrate (Ellman's reagent), the reaction was allowed to proceed during one hour and the optical density was measured at 414 nm using an automatic reader. Using the same antiserum (kind gift of Dr. Rokach, Merck Frosst, Canada) at appropriate dilutions (1/30,000 for LTC4 AChE versus 1/6,000 for 3HLTC4) the sensitivities were compared. LTC4 was detectable in the range of 3.3 to 84 femtomoles/well corresponding to a 12–75% displacement of initial binding (i.e. approximately 2–50 pg/well) with LTC4-AChE as compared with 80–1000 pg/tube for 3H. The 50% inhibition was approximately obtained at 15 pg/tube, respectively. The determination of LTC4 on human neutrophils stimulated by various stimuli was performed without any extraction. The results obtained by this technique have been validated by comparing them to those obtained using a quantitative HPLC method. It was also possible to use the same labeling technique for prostaglandin D2-methoxamine, 6-keto PGFlα and TXB2. For all these EIA, the 50% diplacement of initial binding was 2–3 pg/well.     

Enzyme immunoassay for serum dexamethasone using 4-(carboxymethylthio)dexamethasone as a new hapten.

A sensitive and simple enzyme immunoassay for direct quantitation of serum dexamethasone was established. An antiserum with high specificity was produced by the immunization of rabbits with a newly synthesized 4-(carboxymethylthio)dexamethasone-bovine serum albumin conjugate. Alkaline phosphatase was used as a labeling enzyme. The minimum amount of dexamethasone detected was 2 pg per tube on the basis of B/Bo 100 - 2 SD (%) of standard curve. However, taking into account the cross-reaction with steroids such as cortisol in dexamethasone-free serum, the measurable range was from approximately 0.13 to 10 micrograms/dl. Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 1.5 - 5.4% and 0.6 - 6.5%, respectively. Serum levels of dexamethasone and cortisol in four normal subjects after an oral administration of 1 mg of dexamethasone are also reported.     

Synthesis of N-(9-Acridinyl)maleimide,a Fluorometrical Reagent for Thiol Compounds

The authors have reported¹⁾ a new maleimide type fluorescent thiol reagent, N-(9-acridinyl)- maleimide (NAM). In this paper the syntheses of NAM and its coupling products with thiol compounds are presented. NAM was synthesized from 9-aminoacridine and maleic anhydride through dehydratic cyclization in polyphosphoric acid. NAM showed no substantial fluorescence but its coupling products with thiol compounds exhibited strong blue fluorescence. Application of NAM for the fluorometrical analysis of cysteine and glutathione are suggested.     

Regulation of excitation-secretion coupling by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH): Evidence for TRH receptor-ion channel coupling in cultured pituitary cells

Summary The electrophysiological and secretory properties of a well-studied clonal line of rat anterior pituitary cells (GH₃) have been compared with a new line of morphologically distinct cells derived from it (XG-10). The properties of the latter cells differ from the parent cells in that they do not have receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone and their basal rate of secretion is substantially higher (ca. three- to fivefold). While both cell types generate Ca⁺⁺ spikes, the duration of the spike in XG-10 cells (ca. 500 msec) is about 2 orders of magnitude longer than that in GH₃ cells (5–10 msec). The current-voltage characteristics of the two cell types are markedly different; the conductance of GH₃ cells is at least 20-fold higher than XG-10 cells when cells are depolarized to more positive potentials than the threshold for Ca⁺⁺ spikes (–35 mV). While treatment of GH₃ cells with the secretagogues tetraethylammonium chloride or thyrotropin-releasing hormone decreases the conductance in this voltage region to approximately the same as that for XG-10 cells, the electrophysiological and secretory properties of XG-10 cells are unaffected by treatment with either of these agents. Results of this comparative study suggest that XG-10 cells lack tetraethylammonium-sensitive K⁺ channels. The parallel loss of thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor binding activity and of a K⁺ channel in XG-10 cells implies that the thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor may be coupled with, or be an integral part of, this channel. Apparently thyrotropin-releasing hormone, like tetraethylammonium chloride, acts by inhibiting K⁺ channels resulting in a prolongation of the action potential, promoting Ca⁺⁺ influx and subsequently enhancing hormone secretion.     

Novel and sensitive noncompetitive enzyme immunoassay for peptides

A novel and sensitive noncompetitive enzyme immunoassay for peptides is described. Peptides were biotinylated using sulfosuccinimidyl-6-(biotinamido)hexanoate and were trapped onto anti-peptide IgG-coated polystyrene balls. After washing the polystyrene balls to eliminate other biotinylated substances, the biotinylated peptides were eluted with HC1 and were reacted with anti-peptide Fab'-peroxidase conjugate. The complex formed was trapped onto streptavidin-coated polystyrene balls. Peroxidase activity bound to the polystyrene balls was assayed by fluorimetry. The detection limit of angiotensin I as a model peptide was 13 fg (10 amol)/tube and 0.8 ng/l of plasma, which was 80 to 480-fold lower than those previously reported by competitive radioimmunoassay and competitive enzyme immunoassay. And other peptides could also be measured more sensitively by the present noncompetitive enzyme immunoassay method than by competitive immunoassays.     

Purification and characterization of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-degrading serum enzyme and its identification as a product of liver origin.

Previous biochemical studies have indicated that the membrane-bound thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-degrading enzyme (TRH-DE) from brain and liver and the serum TRH-DE are derived from the same gene. These studies also suggested that the serum enzyme is of liver origin. The present study was undertaken to verify these hypotheses. In different species, a close relationship between the activities of the serum enzyme and the particulate liver enzyme was noticed. The activity of the serum enzyme decreased when rats were treated with thioacetamide, a known hepatotoxin. With hepatocytes cultured in a sandwich configuration, release of the TRH-DE into the culture medium could also be demonstrated. The trypsin-solubilized particulate liver TRH-DE and the serum TRH-DE were purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. Both enzymes and the brain TRH-DE were recognized by a monoclonal antibody generated with the purified brain enzyme as antigen. Lectin blot analysis indicated that the serum enzyme and the liver enzyme are glycoproteins containing a sugar structure of the complex type, whereas the brain enzyme exhibits an oligomannose/hybrid glycostructure. A molecular mass of 97 000 Da could be estimated for all three enzymes after deglycosylation and SDS/PAGE followed by Western blotting. Fragment analysis of the serum TRH-DE revealed that the peptide sequences correspond to the cDNA deduced amino-acid sequences of the membrane-bound brain TRH-DE, whereby two peptides were identified that are encoded by exon 1. These data strongly support the hypothesis that the TRH-DEs are all derived from the same gene, whereby the serum enzyme is generated by proteolytic cleavage of the particulate liver enzyme.     

Maleimide derivative of hapten for coupling to enzyme: a new method in enzyme immunoassay.

Meta-maleimidobenzoyl derivative of L-thyroxine methyl ester (MBTM) was synthesized and coupled to β-galactosidase at molar ratio of over 5 to 1. More than 97% of the enzyme was found to be labeled with MBTM as examined by double antibody precipitation method in excess of anti-T4 antibody. Maleimide group of MBTM was found to be labile; about 50% was destroyed in 3 hours when prepared in a solution of 1 μg/ml phosphate buffer (pH 7.0, 0.05M). With antiserum dilution of 2,400 fold, reproducible T4 enzyme immunoassay was carried out using double antibody precipitation method. A high sensitivity in the assay was observed on the 0–10 μg/100 ml range.     

Fluorescent staining of microfilaments with heavy meromyosin labeled with N-(7-dimethylamino-4-methylcoumarinyl) maleimide

For fluorescent staining of microfilaments in cells, heavy meromyosin (HMM) or subfragment-1 (S-1) was labeled with a novel thiol-directed fluorescent dye, N-(7-dimethylamino-4-methylcoumarinyl) maleimide (DACM), instead of the usual dyes, such as fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC). DACM-labeled HMM or S-1 gave characteristic fluorescence patterns to a variety of cell types similar to those reported with the use of FITC-labeled HMM or S-1 or with immunofluorescence techniques using anti-actin antibody. The fluorescence of DACM was fairly photoresistant as compared with FITC, so that HMM or S-1 required only 1 mol of the dye per myosin head. Consequently, F-actin need not be used to preserve the actin binding activity of the myosin fragments when labeling with the dye.     

A new UV method for serum gamma-glutamyltransferase assay using recombinant 4-aminobenzoate hydroxylase as a coupling enzyme.

4-aminobenzoate hydroxylase (4ABH) is a flavin-dependent monooxygenase that catalyzes the decarboxylative hydroxylation of 4-aminobenzoate to 4-hydroxyaniline. For use as a clinical reagent, the gene encoding 4ABH from Agaricus bisporus was cloned by the RACE method. Also, the cDNA encoding 4ABH was expressed in Escherichia coli cells as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST). The expressed GST-4ABH fusion protein (recombinant 4ABH) in the soluble fraction exhibits decarboxylative hydroxylation and additional NADH oxidation activities.We investigated a new ultraviolet spectrometric method for determining serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT) using recombinant 4ABH as a coupling enzyme. The principle of the method is as follows. Using gamma-glutamyl-3-choloro-4-aminobenzoate (L-gamma-glu-PAClBA) and glycylglycine as the donor and acceptor substrates, 3-choloro-4-aminobenzoate (PAClBA) is formed by the catalysis of serum gamma-GT. PAClBA is stoichiometrically converted to 3-choloro-4-hydroxyaniline (PHClA) and NAD(+) by 4ABH and NADH. However, NADH oxidation results in a high reagent blank, which is considered as a drawback for use as a clinical reagent.Using recombinant 4ABH, we examined the effects of pH and detergents on these two activities, and found that several detergents suppress the additional NADH oxidation activity with little or no effect on hydroxylation activity. The results indicate a promising approach to establishing an ultraviolet spectrophotometric method for determining serum gamma-GT activity using L-gamma-glu-PAClBA as the donor substrate and recombinant 4ABH as a coupling enzyme.     

Evidence for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) biosynthesis in rat prostate

TRH occurs in very high concentration in rat prostate. A species specific protein with repetitive -Gln-His-Pro-Gly- sequences, which are flanked on the N- and C-terminus by paired basic residues, has been shown to be the source of TRH in frog skin and rat hypothalamus. Following cleavage by trypsin-like enzymes, the peptide fragments with N-terminal Gln spontaneously cyclize to pGlu while Gly within the C-terminally extended peptides serves as the -NH2 donor for the alpha-amidation of the proline residue. Because this last step in the biosynthesis of TRH is rate limiting for pGlu-His-Pro-Gly, we have combined several chromatographic and radioimmunoassay techniques to identify this TRH precursor in rat prostate.