Cyanogen bromide cleavage of methionin residues as a control method for enkephalin immunocytochemistry

Summary Serial semithin sections of rat neurohypophysis were immunostained with 2 antibodies to enkephalins using the peroxidase antiperoxidase method. One of the antibodies (R133) recognizes both met- and leu-enkephalin whereas the other (R26) reacts with met-enkephalin only. After cyanogen bromide pretreatment of the sections the antibody R133 stained only a subpopulation of nerve endings that were distinct from those stained with the latter antibody. R26-(met-enkephalin-like) immunoreactivity was totally abolished by cyanogen bromide pretreatment. This preincubation method which selectively interferes with the staining of met-enkephalin terminals may help to discriminate the two enkephalins in immunocytochemical preparations.     

Cyanogen bromide cleavage at methionine residues of polypeptides containing disulfide bonds

A method for cleaving polypeptides at their methionine residues without affecting intramolecular disulfide bonds is described. This method may be applied for cleaving recombinant heterologous hybrid polypeptides with release of the interesting peptide. The method may also be applied to assign the correct positions of disulfide bonds in protein molecules.     

Comparison of synenkephalin and methionine enkephalin immunocytochemistry in rat brain

Immunocytochemistry using an antiserum to the C-terminal octapeptide of synenkephalin, proenkephalin(63–70), was performed throughout the rat brain and revealed numerous immunopositive fibers and some cell bodies. The morphology and distribution of synenkephalin immunoreactivity was extremely similar to that of a commercial methionine enkephalin (Met-ENK) antiserum. Colchicine pretreatment allowed the immunostaining of cell bodies not otherwise possible without pretreatment, but did not affect the distribution of immunoreactive fibers. Using 6 μm serial sections, we were able to colocalize synenkephalin and Met-ENK immunoreactivities in gigantocellular neurons of the medullary reticular formation. Preabsorption of the antiserum with [Tyr⁶³]proenkephalin(63–70) octapeptide (YEESHLLA) completely eliminated immunoreactivity in the rat brain, while preabsorption with all other peptides used had no detectable effect. We conclude that our antiserum to synenkephalin is specific for enkephalinergic cell bodies, fibers and terminals. The synenkephalin antiserum used in these studies may have advantages over other antisera utilized for immunocytochemical detection of proenkephalin gene expression.     

Enzymatic cleavage prior to antibody incubation as a method for neuropeptide immunocytochemistry

When deplasticized Epon sections were treated with endo- and/or exopeptidases prior to incubation with antibodies, the neuropeptide immuno-reactivity of secretory nerves was often altered in a predictable way. Cleavage of neurosecretory material in octopus nerves by trypsin and carboxypeptidase-B enhanced enkephalin-like immunoreactivity, while Molluscan neuropeptide-like immunoreactivity was prevented by tryptic cleavage. The enzyme effects indicated the occurrence of a heptapeptide (Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met/Leu-Arg-Phe) that contains both the enkephalin and the Molluscan neuropeptide sequence. Vasopressin terminals of the rat neurohypophysis, which presumably contain enkephalin precursor sequences, exhibited enkephalin-like immunostaining after tryptic cleavage. ACTH/beta-endorphin cells of the rat intermediate pituitary, which synthesize the enkephalin sequence at the N-terminus of Beta-endorphin, exhibited enkephalin=like immunoreactivity when sections were treated with alpha-chymotrypsin or trypsin, but not after incubation with leucine-aminopeptidase or carboxypeptidase-B. Enkephalin-like immunostaining could not be induced in any way in ACTH/beta-endorphin cells of the anterior pituitary. Enzymatic cleavage may give additional information in immunocytochemical localization studies on neuropeptide sequences in secretory nerves and hormonal granules.     

Cyanogen bromide cleavage of proteins in salt and buffer solutions

Protocols for recombinant polypeptide production should provide high yields and be efficient, user friendly, and time saving. To perform cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage of fusion proteins, the majority of researchers first desalted and vacuum-dried samples and then dissolved them in aqueous formic or trifluoroacetic acid. We propose to exclude the desalting step and run CNBr cleavage directly. We show that the commonly used Tris-HCl, sodium phosphate, NaCl, imidazole, and guanidine-HCl do not interfere with the reaction under acidic conditions. Omitting the desalting step does not decrease the final yields of target products, as demonstrated for fusion proteins of different origin and composition.     

Enzymatic cleavage prior to antibody incubation as a method for neuropeptide immunocytochemistry

Summary Five anti-gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) sera have been characterized against GRP, bombesin and related polypeptides spotted on cellulose acetate discs. Antibodies reacting with the C-terminal G-14 sequence of bombesin and the 19–27 sequence of GRP, were detected in all sera. Antibodies directed exclsively against the bombesin unrelated 1–17 sequence of GRP were found only in one serum (R-6902). With parallel immunohistochemical tests only the C-terminal immunoreactivity was detected in endocrine-paracrine cells of the chicken proventriculus, while both immunoreactivities were present in nerve fibres and a few nerve cell bodies of the mammalian gut. The distribution of GRP- and bombesin-like immunoreactive nerves in the gastric mucosa of both pyloric and oxyntic type the submucosal and myenteric plexus along the whole gastrointestinal wall and at sphincter regions is detailed.     

Cyanogen bromide cleavage of bovine secretory component and its tryptic fragments

1. Five-domain bovine secretory component and its two-domain and three-domain tryptic fragments have been treated with cyanogen bromide. 2. N-terminal sequence analysis of the purified products showed that cleavage occurred within the disulphide bridged polypeptide loop of domain 2. The site lies within the region that binds IgM and IgA dimers. 3. The relative binding of the CNBr fragments to IgM has been measured and indicates that domains 1 and 3 are directly involved. 4. A possible role for domain 2 is less clear and domains 4 and 5 do not participate in binding.     

Cyanogen bromide cleavage and partial sequence of the heavy chain of a pathological immunoglobulin G

The heavy chain of a pathological immunoglobulin G (Daw) of type L, subclass gamma(2b) (We) and Gm(a+)(f-), has been cleaved with cyanogen bromide. The five fragments resulting from the cleavage have been isolated and analysed. The papain-digest fragments, Fab and Fc, have also been cleaved with cyanogen bromide and the products analysed and compared with those from the heavy chain. The order of the five fragments in the heavy chain has been established and the location of some of the inter-chain and inter-fragment disulphide bonds has been determined. The sequence of the N-terminal fragment consisting of 34 residues is reported.     

Yeast phosphoglycerate mutate. Cyanogen bromide cleavage and amino acid sequence of an active-site peptide.

The molecular weight and amino acid composition of phosphoglycerate mutase from yeast were determined. CNBr cleavage produced a large (190-residue) fragment and a small (60-residue) fragment. Tryptic and chymotryptic peptides derived from the large fragment were fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography. Peptides from two histidine-containing regions were isolated and the amino acid sequences were determined. Correlation of these data with X-ray-crystallographic evidence shows that the histidine residue in the sequence Arg-Leu Asn-Glu-Arg-His-Tyr-Gly-Asp-Leu-Glu-Gly-Lys is located at the active site.     

Indirect [3H]methyl exchange as a general method for labeling methionine residues: application to calcitonin

Native porcine calcitonin from Armour is known to contain two components. It is shown that these can be separated by cation-exchange chromatography in 8 M urea. The technique of [3H]methyl exchange on the methionine residue was used to prepare each of these in a tritiated form. The reduced components formed by demethylation were found to readily reoxidize at neutral pH, to regenerate the disulfide bridge. Evidence is provided to show that the two forms were partially interconverted during these steps. The reoxidized 3H-labeled products were found to be indistinguishable in chemical, immunological, and biological properties from the equivalent components in native porcine calcitonin and had specific activities of approximately 20 Ci/mmol. It is concluded that this labeling method can be conveniently applied to peptides containing one or more disulfide bridges, to give products of high specific activity in acceptable yield, provided appropriate conditions are used to ensure correct reoxidation occurs.     

Cyanogen bromide fragments of bovine cervical mucus glycoprotein.

Treatment of bovine cervical mucus glycoprotein with cyanogen bromide gives four fractions, with the molecular weights of the three major fractions being 230 000, 130 000, and 35 000. The results indicate that, as for other glycoproteins, there are different regions along the protein core, some of which have a high sugar content and others which contain considerably less carbohydrate; it seems likely that the regions of lower sugar content may be important to intermolecular linkages. The data suggest that the basic unit of the glycoprotein has a molecular weight of 550 000-600 000, with its protein core consisting of approx. 1200 amino acid residues.