MOLECULAR WEIGHT AND ELECTROPHORESIS OF CRYSTALLINE RIBONUCLEASE

Electrophoretic studies on purified crystalline ribonuclease showed the absence of any impurities differing in mobility from the bulk of material. The isoelectric point of ribonuclease was found by electrophoresis to be at about pH 7.8. Ultracentrifuge studies indicated fair homogeneity of ribonuclease in solution. Only one moving component has been observed. The molecular weight of ribonuclease was found to be 12,700 from rate of sedimentation (S ²⁵ = 1.85 x 10^–13 in 0.5 M (NH₄)₂SO₄) and diffusion measurement (D = 1.36 x 10_–6 in 0.5 M (NH₄)₂SO₄), in good agreement with the average value of 13,000 found from equilibrium measurements. This low value for the molecular weight of a protein would seem to discredit the value 17,600 as representing a universal unit weight for proteins in general.     

THE REVERSIBLE INACTIVATION OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS BY CRYSTALLINE RIBONUCLEASE

The reversible inactivation of tobacco mosaic virus by crystalline ribonuclease is reported. Studies on the effect of time of standing on the amount of inactivation, and on the effect of dilution and repeated high speed centrifugation on the recovery of virus activity, and the preparation of an insoluble virus-enzyme complex show that the inactivation is brought about at least in part by a combination between virus and enzyme. The significance of the fact that ribonuclease has no detectable effect on the virus nucleic acid when the latter is in combination with protein in the form of virus is discussed with respect to the structure of the virus.     

核糖核酸酶抑制因子与衰老关系的研究

本文研究了红细胞核糖核酸酶抑制因子(RI)活力在小鼠和人增龄时的变化。在3、7、17和34周龄?性小鼠(BALB/C,ICR和DBA/2)的实验中,观察到红细胞RI活力随小鼠周龄的增加而显著下降。用20—60岁健康人为研究对象,发现红细胞RI的活力变化与增龄具有线性相关。y=-43.25x+5290,r=0.477,P<0.001,n=58。 本文提出;红细胞RI活力随增龄而下降,能反映生物年龄的变化,并对RI在细胞代谢的意义及与衰老的关系进行了讨论。RI的研究为阐明衰老机理提供了一条途径。     

VARIABILITY OF RIBONUCLEASE ACTIVITY IN LICHEN THALLI

Abstract: RNase activity in Lasallia hispanica, Parmelia omphalodes andCornicularia normoerica collected at different times and in different habitats, have shown variability that cannot be solely attributable to variation in habitat or season. Electromorph pattern of RNase activity in L. hispanica and C. normoerica, showed variations among different collection times; some bands are constant but other showed high variability, which could be related to physiological changes. It is also noteworthy that in both species one band is exclusively present in thalli from one of the sampling localities. This could be the result of an adaptation to this habitat and/or due to genetic differences.     

A METHOD FOR SYNTHESIS OF AN ARTIFICIAL RIBONUCLEASE

5-Amino-2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline-oligonucleotide conjugates have been synthesized. A 2′-O-methyl octaribonucleotide carrying a 2′-aminoethoxymethyl linker in a central position was produced. Reaction of the aminoneocuproine phenyl carbamate with the fully deprotected oligonucleotide in aqueous solution gave virtually quantitative conversion into the conjugate. Preliminary cleavage studies in presence of zinc ions show nuclease activity towards RNA targets.     

NUCLEAR RIBONUCLEASE ACTIVITIES OF RAT BRAIN DURING POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract— The activities of alkaline and acidic RNAses were determined in soluble and insoluble fractions from nuclei of brain hemispheres of rats, aged from 1 day to adult. The activities increased rapidly and reached a maximum, at 30 days, of about 10 times (alkaline RNAsel or 5 times (acidic RNAse) that seen at day 1.     

CRYSTALLINE SILICA IN PLANTS

Crystalline silica has been found in Fragaria leaves, Equisetum shoots, diatomite, and tabaschir. Differing proportions of amorphous silica (opal) also occur in each of these. The crystalline X-ray reflections of α-quartz, low tridymite, or α-cristobalite have been found in virtually all specimens. However, unidentified crystalline reflections are noted, particulary in the silica isolated from Fragaria leaves and diatomite.     

INACTIVATION OF CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN

1. The rate of inactivation of crystalline trypsin solutions and the nature of the products formed during the inactivation at various pH at temperatures below 37°C. have been studied. 2. The inactivation may be reversible or irreversible. Reversible inactivation is accompanied by the formation of reversibly denatured protein. This denatured protein exists in equilibrium with the native active protein and the equilibrium is shifted towards the denatured form by raising the temperature or by increasing the alkalinity. The decrease in the fraction of active enzyme present (due to the formation of this reversibly denatured protein) as the pH is increased from 8.0 to 12.0 accounts for the decrease in the rate of digestion of proteins by trypsin in this range of pH. 3. The loss of activity at high temperatures or in alkaline solutions, just described, is very rapid and is completely reversible for a short time only. If the solutions are allowed to stand the loss in activity becomes gradually irreversible and is accompanied by the appearance of various reaction products the nature of which depends upon the temperature and pH of the solution. 4. On the acid side of pH 2.0 the trypsin protein is changed to an inactive form which is irreversibly denatured by heat. The course of the reaction in this range is monomolecular and its velocity increases as the acidity increases. 5. From pH 2.0 to 9.0 trypsin protein is slowly hydrolyzed. The course of the inactivation in this range of pH is bimolecular and its velocity increases as the alkalinity increases to pH 10.0 and then decreases. As a result of these two reactions there is a point of maximum stability at about pH 2.3. 6. On the alkaline side of pH 13.0 the reaction is similar to that in strong acid solution and consists in the formation of inactive protein. The course of the reaction is monomolecular and the velocity increases with increasing alkalinity. From pH 9.0 to 12.0 some hydrolysis takes place and some inactive protein is formed and the course of the reaction is represented by the sum of a bi- and monomolecular reaction. The rate of hydrolysis decreases as the solution becomes more alkaline than pH 10.0 while the rate of formation of inactive protein increases so that there is a second point at about pH 13.0 at which the rate of inactivation is a minimum. In general the decrease in activity under all these conditions is proportional to the decrease in the concentration of the trypsin protein. Equations have been derived which agree quantitatively with the various inactivation experiments.     

CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN : V. ISOLATION OF CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN FROM BOVINE GASTRIC JUICE

1. A method has been described for isolating a crystalline protein with high proteolytic activity from bovine gastric juice by means of precipitation with magnesium sulfate and fractionation of the precipitate with acetone and magnesium sulfate. 2. The crystalline protein obtained in this way has the same crystalline form, optical activity, and specific activity, as determined by a number of methods, as does the crystalline protein previously isolated from swine gastric mucosa. 3. The solubility of the two preparations, however, is additive so that they are different although very closely related proteins.     

HISTOCHEMICAL DEMONSTRATION OF ACID RIBONUCLEASE IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Abstract— The staining pattern of acid ribonuclease activity in the nervous tissues of rats has been studied with different fixatives and incubation media. Certain modifications in the method adopted (V orbrodt , 1961) produced a definite improvement in the localization as well as distinct subcellular distribution at the pHs studied. The modifications introduced consisted of preincubation of tissue sections with prostatic acid phosphatase, omission of acid phosphatase from the standard incubation medium and its addition at a later stage of incubation. This avoids much of the diffused cytoplasmic and filamentous background staining at pH 5.2–5.8, eliminates the irregular nuclear staining at pH 4.5 and replaces the strong nuclear positivity at pH 5.2 by a fine granular dispersion.
A study of the enzyme activity of subcellular fractions at the different pHs used was performed to confirm the histochemical localization.     

CRYSTALLINE ACETYL DERIVATIVES OF PEPSIN

Crystalline pepsin has been acetylated by the action of ketene in aqueous solution at pH 4.07–5.5. As acetylation proceeds the activity decreases, the decrease being more rapid at pH 5.0–5.5 than at 4.0–4.5. Three acetyl derivatives have been isolated from the reaction mixture and obtained in crystalline form. The crystal form of these derivatives is similar to that of pepsin. Fractionation and solubility determinations show that these preparations are not mixtures or solid solutions of the original pepsin with an inactive derivative. A compound which contains three or four acetyl groups and which has lost all of its original primary amino groups can be isolated after short acetylation. It has the same activity as the original pepsin. A second derivative containing six to eleven acetyl groups has also been isolated. It has about 60 per cent of the activity of the original pepsin. A third derivative having twenty to thirty acetyl groups and about 10 per cent of the activity of original pepsin can be isolated after prolonged acetylation. The 60 per cent active derivative on standing in strong acid solution loses some of its acetyl groups and at the same time regains the activity of the original pepsin. The compound obtained in this way is probably the same as the completely active three acetyl derivative obtained by mild acetylation. These results show that acetylation of three or four of the primary amino groups of pepsin causes no change in the specific activity of the enzyme but that the introduction of acetyl groups in other parts of the molecule results in a marked loss in activity. The solubilities, amino nitrogen content, acetyl content, isoelectric point, and the specific activity have been determined by a variety of methods and found to be different from the corresponding properties of crystalline pepsin. The pH-activity curves, acid and alkali inactivation, and titration curves were not significantly different from the same respective properties of pepsin.     

RIBONUCLEASE ACTIVITIES IN VARIOUS CLASSES OF NUCLEI FROM BOVINE CEREBRUM

Abstract— Nuclei of adult bovine cerebrum were separated by dissection of grey matter from white matter and discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation, into neuron, astrocyte-enriched and oligodendrocyte fractions. The activities of alkaline and acidic RNAses were determined in the different nuclei types. The acidic and alkaline RNAse activities of the neuronal nuclei were much higher than those of the glial nuclei. In each type of nuclei the acidic RNAse activity was lower than the measured alkaline RNAse activity.     

INTRACELLULAR CRYSTALLINE ERGOSTEROL IN NEUROSPORA

In the fungus Neurospora crassa, hexagonal crystalline inclusions have been observed with both the light and electron microscopes. These crystals have been enriched by differential centrifugation and found to be identical with ergosterol by the criteria of ultraviolet spectral analysis and cytochemical analysis. Observations have been made on the distribution and fine structure of the crystalline bodies in various wild type and mutant strains of N. crassa.     

CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN : III. PREPARATION OF ACTIVE CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN FROM INACTIVE DENATURED PEPSIN

1. Pepsin solutions which have been completely denatured and inactivated by adjusting to pH 10.5 recover some of their activity when titrated to about pH 5.4 and allowed to stand at 22°C. for 24 to 48 hours. 2. Control experiments show that this inactivation and reactivation are probably not due to the effect of any inhibiting substance. 3. A method of isolation of the reactivated material has been worked out. 4. The reactivated material recovered in this way is a protein with the same general solubility, the same crystalline form, and the same specific proteolytic activity as the original crystalline pepsin. 5. This furnishes additional proof that the proteolytic activity is a property of the protein molecule.