Purification and properties of UDP-glucuronyltransferase from kidney microsomes of beta-naphthoflavone-treated rat

Rat kidney microsomal UDP-glucuronyltransferase activities toward phenoic xenobiotics were enhanced about 4-5-fold by treatment of the animal with beta-naphthoflavone. The transferase activity toward serotonin, an endogenous substrate, was also enhanced about 7.5-fold. A form of UDP-glucuronyltransferase was purified from kidney microsomes of beta-naphthoflavone-treated rat by solubilization with sodium cholate and two steps of column chromatography, the first with DEAE-Toyopearl (fast flow rate liquid chromatography:FFLC) and the second with UDP-hexanolamine Sepharose 4B (affinity chromatography). These procedures gave about 39-fold purification and 11.5% yield of the transferase activity toward 1-naphthol. The preparation, tentatively termed "GT-2," was highly purified as judged from the single protein band (Mr 54,000) on sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis. It catalyzed the glucuronidation of not only phenolic xenobiotics such as 1-naphthol, 4-nitrophenol, and 4-methylumbelliferone but also serotonin. From the result that apparent molecular weight of GT-2 was reduced to 50,000 by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (Endo H)-treatment, GT-2 was found to be a 50,000 Da polypeptide carrying "high mannose" type oligosaccharide chain(s). The NH2-terminal sequence of 20 residues of GT-2 was determined to be Asp-Lys-Leu-Leu-Val-Val-Pro-Gln-Asp-Gly-Ser-His-Trp-Leu-Ser-Met-Lys-Glu- Ile-Val . It was observed that there are two amino acids substitutions in the seven NH2-terminal residues in comparison with GT-1, which was purified from liver microsomes of 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rat. The NH2-terminal sequence of GT-2 was found to be homologous with the NH2-terminal sequence from the 26th to 46th amino acid residue of various UDP-glucuronyltransferase cloned by other investigators.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Purification, amino acid sequence, and some properties of rabbit kidney lysozyme

The lysozyme (rabbit kidney lysozyme) from the homogenate of rabbit kidney (Japanese white) was purified by repeated cation-exchange chromatography on Bio-Rex 70. The amino acid sequence was determined by automated gas-phase Edman degradation of the peptides obtained from the digestion of reduced and S-carboxymethylated rabbit lysozyme with Achromobacter protease I (lysyl endopeptidase). The sequence thus determined was KIYERCELARTLKKLGLDGYKGVSLANWMCLAKWESSYNTRATNYNPGDKSTDYGIFQ INSRYWCNDGKTPRAVNACHIPCSDLLKDDITQAVACAKRVVSDPQGIRAWVAWRNHCQ NQDLTPYIRGCGV, indicating 25 amino acid substitutions from human lysozyme. The lytic activity of rabbit lysozyme against Micrococcus lysodeikticus at pH 7, ionic strength of 0.1, and 30 degrees C was found to be 190 and 60% of those of hen and human lysozymes, respectively. The lytic activity-pH profile of rabbit lysozyme was slightly different from those of hen and human lysozymes. While hen and human lysozymes had wide optimum activities at around pH 5.5-8.5, the optimum activity of rabbit lysozyme was at around pH 5.5-7.0. The high proline content (five residues per molecule compared with two prolines per molecule in hen or human lysozyme) is one of the interesting features of rabbit lysozyme. The transition temperatures for the unfolding of rabbit, human, and hen lysozymes in 3 M guanidine hydrochloride at pH 5.5 were 51.2, 45.5, and 45.4 degrees C, respectively, indicating that rabbit lysozyme is stabler than the other two lysozymes. The high proline content may be responsible for the increased stability of rabbit lysozyme.     

Purification and some properties of a thermostable acid esterase from Acidiphilium sp. AIU 409

Extracellular and cell-bound esterases produced by Acidiphilium sp. AIU 409 were homogeneously purified from culture broth and cells, respectively, and some properties were investigated. Both esterases more rapidly hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl acyl esters containing long-chain fatty acids from C 8:0 to C 18:0 than those containing short-chain fatty acids from C 2:0 to C 6:0. The Km values for p-nitrophenyl long-chain fatty acid esters from C 8:0 to C 18:0 were approximately 1.3-1.5 mM. The enzymes were stable at 50 degrees C for 2 days between pH 3.0 and 6.5, and optimum pH and temperature were 5.0 and 70 degrees C, respectively. Enzyme activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and SDS. The molecular mass of both enzymes was estimated to be approximately 64 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The 23 amino acid sequence from the NH(2)-terminus was also the same in both enzymes. These results suggest that extracellular esterase might be composed of the same components as cell-bound esterase.     

Fatty acid hydroxylation in rat kidney cortex microsomes

Rat kidney microsomes have been found to catalyze the hydroxylation of medium-chained fatty acids to the omega- and (omego-1)-hydroxy derivatives. This reaction, which requires NADPH and molecular oxygen, is a function of monooxygenase system present in the kidney microsomes, containing NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome P-450K. NADH is about half as effective as an electron donor as NADPH and there is an additive effect in the presence of both nucleotides. Cytochrome P-450K absorbs light maximally at 452-3 nm, when it is reduced and bound to carbon monoxide. The extinction coefficient of this complex is 91 mM(-1) cm(-1). Electrons from NADPH are transferred to cytochrome P-450K via the NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. The reduction rate of cytochrome P-450K is stimulated by added fatty acids and the reduction kinetics reveal the presence of endogenous substrates bound to cytochrome P-450K. Both cytochrome P-450K concentration and fatty acid hydroxylation activity in kidney microsomes are increased by starvation. On the other hand, phenobarbital treatment of the rats has no effect on either the hemoprotein or the overall hydroxylation reaction and 3,4-benzpyrene administration induces a new species of cytochrome P-450K not involved in fatty acid hydroxylation. Cytochrome P-450K shows, in contrast to liver P-450, high substrate specificity. The only substances forming enzyme-substrate complexes with cytochrome P-450K are the medium-chained fatty acids and certain derivatives of these acids. The chemical requirements for substrate binding include a carbon chain of medium length and at the end of the chain a carbonyl group and a free electron pair on a neighbouring atom. The distance between the binding site for the carbonyl group and the active oxygen is suggested to be in the order of 16 A. This distance fixes the ratio of omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylated products formed from a certain fatty acid by the single species of cytochrome P-450K involved. The membrane microenvironment seems also to be of importance for the substrate specificity of cytochrome P-450K, since removal of the cytochrome from the membrane lowers its binding specificity to some extent. A comparison between the liver and kidney cytochrome P-450 systems suggests that the kidney cytochrome P-450K system is specialized for fatty acid hydroxylation.     

Preparation and some properties of a suspension of fragmented tubules from rat kidney

A method is described whereby short fragments of rat kidney tubule were obtained when kidney slices were gently dispersed by exposure to collagenase and hyaluronidase. When suspended in buffered saline the fragmented tubules respired actively over a period of several hours, the rate of oxygen consumption being proportional to the amount of cell protein. Oxygen uptake was stimulated by the addition of glucose, lactate, butyrate, alpha-oxoglutarate and other substrates and was decreased by the omission of Ca(2+) from the suspending medium. With alpha-oxoglutarate as the added substrate, dinitrophenol strongly stimulated oxygen uptake. Dinitrophenol had a less-marked stimulatory effect when glucose was the added substrate, and inhibited respiration in the absence of added substrate. Oligomycin inhibited respiration and this inhibition was partially reversed by dinitrophenol. Fragmented tubules synthesized glucose from lactate at a high rate but this capacity for gluconeogenesis was abolished by dinitrophenol and by physically damaging the cells.     

Macrophage esterase: identification, purification and properties of a chymotrypsin-like esterase from lung that hydrolyses and transfers nonpolar amino acid esters.

A chymotrypsin-like esterase was purified from beef lung. This lysosomal enzyme, not previously characterized, seemed to be composed of two or more forms with molecular weights of about 52 000. It hydrolysed N-benzoyl-DL-phenylalanine beta-naphthol ester at acid and neutral pH; it polymerized L-phenylalanine methyl ester(Phe-OMe) at neutral pH; and it transferred the Phe-residue from Phe-OMe to hydroxylamine at neutral pH. Phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, an inhibitor of hydrolytic enzymes with serine in their catalytic site, inhibited this enzyme, but pepstatin, the cathepsin D (EC 3.4.4.23) inhibitor, did not. Sulfhydryl reagents were not required for activity. Macrophages, especially pulmonary alveolar macrophages, were a rich source of this esterase, so it is likely that the enzyme purified from lung came from its macrophages. The esterase hydrolysed and transferred monoamino acid esters, especially those of the aromatic type. Cathepsin C, the dipeptidyl peptide hydrolase (EC 3.4.14.1), acted only on dipeptide esters and amides. Pancreatic chymotrypsin acted on both monoamino acid and dipeptide esters. The chymotrypsin-like esterase did not hydrolyse hemoglobin, casein, or plasma albumin. Thus its proteolytic activity, if present, must be limited to specific substrates, as yet unknown.     

Purification and some properties of an esterase from yeast

An esterase was isolated and purified from baker's yeast by ammonium sulfate precipitation and column chromatographies on Sephacryl S-200, DEAE-Sephacel, chromatofocusing, and DEAE-Sephacel again. The molecular weight of the enzyme was approximately 84,000 on Sephadex G-100 and 40,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis, suggesting a dimer for the activity. This enzyme hydrolyzed short-chain naphthyl esters and p-nitrophenyl esters, and its activity was strongly inhibited by mercuric compounds. The esterase appeared to be an arylesterase (EC 3.1.1.2) and its optimum pH was 8.0 at 30°C.     

Immunochemical studies on a phenobarbital-inducible esterase in rat liver microsomes

Detergent extracts of liver microsomes from drug-treated rats were analyzed semiquantitatively in crossed immunoelectrophoresis in combination with a zymogram technique for nonspecific esterase activity. One esterase-active antigen was quantitatively induced by phenobarbital as demonstrated with both antimicrosomal antiserum and a monospecific antiserum prepared against this antigen. No similar inducation of this or any other esterase-active antigen was detected after 3-methylcholanthrene treatment. With the monospecific antiserum, the antigen was also detected in other organs, capable of carrying out hydroxylation reactions, such as lung and kidney. It was, however, not induced by phenobarbital in these organs. Quantitative enzyme assays with acetanilide as substrate indicated that the phenobarbital-inducible esterase could also function as an amidase. Furthermore, from absorption studies, it was concluded that this antigen is located on the cytoplasmic side of the microsomal vesicles. Crossed immunoelectrofocusing experiments revealed that this esterase-active antigen consists of five subcomponents with different charge properties.     

Purification and properties of a protamine kinase from bovine kidney microsomes.

About an eightfold increase in protamine kinase activity was detected following extraction of highly purified microsomes from bovine kidney with 1% Triton X-100. Relative to the soluble fraction, the microsomes contained about 30% protamine kinase activity. The microsomal protamine kinase was purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified enzyme exhibited an apparent M(r) approximately 45,000 as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by gel permeation chromatography on Sephacryl S-200. Relative to protamine, the purified kinase exhibited about 100% activity with the synthetic peptide RRLSSLRA and about 5, 8, and less than 0.1% activity with casein, histone H2B, and histone H1, respectively. The purified kinase phosphorylated several 40 S ribosome polypeptides. One of these polypeptides was identified as ribosomal protein S6 by N-terminal sequencing. About 2.5 mol of phosphoryl groups was incorporated per mole of ribosomal protein S6 following incubation of the 40 S ribosomes with the purified kinase. Following incubation with protein phosphatase 2A2, purified preparations of the protamine kinase were inactivated. These properties were identical to those of purified preparations of a protamine kinase from extracts of bovine kidney cytosol (Z. Damuni, G.D. Amick, and T.R. Sneed, 1989, J. Biol. Chem. 264, 6412-6418). Near identical peptide patterns were obtained following incubation of purified preparations of the microsomal and cytosolic protamine kinases with Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase. The results indicate that a form of the cytosolic protamine kinase is present in microsomes.     

Structures of sugar chains of a p-nitrophenyl acetate-hydrolyzing esterase from the microsomes of rat liver

The structures of sugar chains of a p-nitrophenyl acetate-hydrolyzing esterase from the microsomes of rat liver were established. The enzyme contained mannose and glucosamine as sugar components. Asparagine-linked sugar chains of the esterase were liberated by hydrazinolysis. After N-acetylation of the hydrazinolysate, the reducing ends of the sugar chains were coupled with 2-aminopyridine. Fluorescent pyridylamino (PA-) derivatives of sugar chains thus obtained were purified by gel filtration and reversed-phase HPLC. Eleven PA-sugar chains were obtained. The structures of the PA-sugar chains were first identified by HPLC using two series of separation systems by which 11 PA-oligomannose-type sugar chains with known structures could be separated. Further elucidation of the structures of each PA-sugar chain was performed by exoglycosidase digestions and partial acetolysis. The structures of two of the PA-sugar chains were further confirmed by 500 mHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy.     

Oxidative decarboxylation of retinoic acid in microsomes of rat liver and kidney

Liver and kidney microsomes have been found to catalyze a rapid decarboxylation of retinoic acid in vitro. The reaction requires NADPH and Fe(2+), and is further stimulated by the presence of pyrophosphate. Thiamine pyrophosphate contained sufficient iron as an impurity to provide strong enhancement of the reaction in the absence of added iron. The decarboxylation could also be shown to occur nonenzymatically in the presence of ascorbate, Fe(2+), and boiled microsomes, but there was little autoxidation resulting in decarboxylation. The reaction was strongly inhibited by chelating agents, N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylene diamine, phenazine methosulfate, and ferricyanide, and resembled lipid peroxidation in both its cofactor requirements and response to inhibitors. The product of the reaction appeared to lack only the C-15 of the original retinoic acid molecule. It was not retained by diethylaminoethyl cellulose, was more polar than retinoic acid upon silicic acid chromatography, had a lower UV absorption maximum (295 m micro ) than the starting product, and seemed to have an aldehyde group at C-14. The physiological significance of the decarboxylation remains to be assessed, but its rapidity makes it important to in vitro work on retinoic acid.     

The amino acid composition and some properties of histones

Some of the properties and the amino acid compositions of the histones of calf thymus, calf liver, fowl erythrocytes, and of a protamine-like material isolated from rooster sperm were described. The amino acid compositions of the histones were rather similar except that no methionine was found in the fowl erythrocyte histone. In the fowl, histones are found in the somatic chromosomes and protamines are found in the sperm chromosomes. This shows that great variations in chromosome composition can exist in an organism. Histone is digested by pepsin both when isolated and when in the chromosome.     

Purification and some properties of intracellular esterase from Pseudomonas fluorescens

A novel esterase was found in Pseudomonas fluorescens cells and purified to homogeneity as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The esterase was extracted from the cells by freeze-thawing and hypotonic treatment. Purification was achieved by ammonium sulfate precipitation, followed by successive chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose and benzylamine-agarose and then electrophoresis. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of methyl esters, such as methyl butyrate, but its hydrolyzing activity decreased with increase in the chain length of the alcohol moiety, and it did not catalyze the hydrolysis of triacylglycerols, such as triacetin. In contrast, the enzyme acted on various acyl residues in a series of methyl esters, such as dimethyl succinate, methyl methacrylate, and dimethyl malate. The optimum pH for activity of this enzyme with methyl butyrate was 7.0-8.5. The enzyme was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride. Its molecular weight was estimated as 48,000 by molecular sieve electrophoresis and gel filtration on Sephadex G-150.     

Purification and partial amino acid sequences of an esterase from tomato

Screening of 18 suspension plant cell cultures of taxonomically distant species revealed that a methyl jasmonate hydrolysing enzyme activity (0.21-5.67 pkat/mg) occurs in all species so far analysed. The methyl jasmonate hydrolysing esterase was purified from cell cultures of Lycopersicon esculentum using a five-step procedure including anion-exchange chromatography, gel-filtration and chromatography on hydroxylapatite. The esterase was purified 767-fold to give an almost homogenous protein in a yield of 2.2%. The native enzyme exhibited a M(r) of 26 kDa (gel-filtration chromatography), which was similar to the M(r) determined by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis (M(r) of 28547 kDa). Enzyme kinetics revealed a K(m) value of 15 microM and a V(max) value of 7.97 nkat/mg, an pH optimum of 9.0 and a temperature optimum of 40 degrees C. The enzyme also efficiently hydrolyzed methyl esters of abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and fatty acids. In contrast, methyl esters of salicylic acid, benzoic acid and cinnamic acid were only poor substrates for the enzyme. N-Methylmaleimide, iodacetamide, bestatin and pepstatin (inhibitors of thiol-, metal- and carboxyproteases, respectively) did not inactivate the enzyme while a serine protease inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, at a concentration of 5 mM led to irreversible and complete inhibition of enzyme activity. Proteolysis of the pure enzyme with endoproteinase LysC revealed three peptide fragments with 11-14 amino acids. N-Terminal sequencing yielded an additional peptide fragment with 10 amino acids. Sequence alignment of these fragments showed high homologies to certain plant esterases and hydroxynitrile lyases that belong to the alpha/beta hydrolase fold protein superfamily.     

Purification and some properties of tartrate-sensitive acid phosphatase from rabbit kidney cortex.

Two forms of tartrate-sensitive acid phosphatases (EC 3.1.3.2) were purified from rabbit kidney cortex by a multiple-column-chromatography method. The basic form constituted 90% of the enzyme and migrated as a single band of protein on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The proteins contaminating the acidic form did not exceed 5% of the total protein. The specific activity towards p-nitrophenyl phosphate was 12 mumol/min per mg for the basic form and 0.7 mumol/min per mg for the acidic form. The basic form of the enzyme differs from the acidic form in its heat-stability, Km values, inhibition rates by tartrate and fluoride and substrate specificities. Relative to p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis rate, the acidic form hydrolysed a variety of physiological monophosphate esters, whereas the basic form hydrolysed only CMP and phosphoenolpyruvate. Bacterial neuraminidases had no effect on the activity and mobility of the acidic form on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Both forms have the same molecular weight (101000 +/- 4000) and are probably composed of two identical subunits. The question whether the two forms of the enzyme are different proteins or whether one is a modified form of the other is discussed.     

Polyamines and amino acid incorporation in vitro into microsomes of rat cerebral cortex

1. Polyamines were found to be associated with microsomes of rat cerebral cortex, the amount of spermine being about four times that of spermidine. Cell sap contained more spermidine than spermine. 2. Both polyamines were able to stimulate the incorporation of [(14)C]valine into microsomes in vitro with a maximum rate equal to 250% of the control. Polyamines stimulated at concentrations close to the amount of spermine and spermidine naturally present in the system. 3. Spermine (0.05mm) was used to study the mechanism of action of polyamines. The increasing of microsome and cell-sap concentration facilitated the action of spermine, but the same process was inhibited by increasing pH5-enzyme concentration. 4. Spermine did not affect the association of [(14)C]valine with tRNA in cell sap, but increased the rate of aminoacyl-tRNA formation in pH5 enzyme preparations. However, this process was not affected in any case when incorporating microsomes were present. 5. It is suggested that microsomes are the main site of action of polyamines.