Characterization of different proteolytic activities in Trypanosoma brucei brucei

The variant surface glycoprotein of African trypanosomes is released after overnight incubation of parasites at 4°C in pH 5.5 phosphate glucose buffer and may be purified by Concanavalin A Sepharose affinity chromatography [1]. The addition of proteinase inhibitors during the parasite incubation is necessary to prevent the proteolysis of the variant surface glycoproteins by the trypanosomal released proteinases. Using this procedure without the addition of proteinase inhibitors, the proteolytic activities, released from the bloodstream forms Trypanosoma brucei brucei variant AnTat 1.1, were separated by Concanavalin-A Sepharose affinity chromatography. The unretained material (F1) shows hydrolytic activity against the two synthetic substrates Z-Phe-Arg-AMC and Z-Arg-Arg-AMC, which is stimulated by dithiothreitol, but not inhibited by E-64, and characterized by and alkaline pH optimum and an estimated molecular mass of 80–100 kDa. The Michaelis constant for the substrates Z-Arg-Arg-AMC and Z-Phe-Arg-AMC was, respectively, 2.8 and 6.7 μM. The retained material eluted by addition of 1% methyl-α-D-mannopyranoside (F2) shows hydrolytic activity against the synthetic substrate Z-Phe-Arg-AMC, which is stimulated by dithiothreitol, inhibited by E-64, active between pH 6.0 and 8.0, and could be separated into two peaks of activity by HPLC, one peak of high molecular mass (> 70 kDa) and the other peak of lower molecular mass (30–70 kDa). By electrophoresis in gels containing gelatin as substrate, this fraction contains several proteins with gelatinolytic activity, whereas the unretained fraction F1 did not have any gelatinolytic activity.     

Histone-like protein and chromatin structure in the wall-less dinoflagellate Gymnodinium nelsoni

Basic nuclear proteins from the wall-less dinoflagellate Gymnodinium nelsoni were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). One major histone-like protein with a molecular weight of about 10 000 was present in acid extracts of whole nuclei and chromatin isolated from growing cultures. In addition, two minor components of 17 000 and 13 000 daltons were also noted. Chromatin fibers spread by the microcentrifugation technique showed no indication of a subunit structure, but instead appeared as smooth threads with a diameter of about 6.5 nm.     

The effect of ammonium nitrate on the synthesis of nitrogenase and the concentration of leghemoglobin in pea root nodules induced by Rhizobium leguminosarum

The effects of NH₄NO₃ on the development of root nodules of Pisum sativum after infection with Rhizobium leguminosarum (strain PRE) and on the nitrogenase activity of the bacteriods in the nodule tissue were studied. The addition of NH₄NO₃ decreased the nitrogenase activity measured on intact nodules. This reduction of nitrogen fixation did not result from a reduced number of bacteroids or a decreased amount of bacteroid proteins per gram of nodule. The synthesis of nitrogenase, measured as the relative amount of incorporation of [³⁵S]sulfate into the components I and II of nitrogenase was similarly not affected.The addition of NH₄NO₃ decreased the amount of leghemoglobin in the nodules and there was a quantitative correlation between the leghemoglobin content and the nitrogen-fixing capacity of the nodules. The conclusion is that the decrease of nitrogen-fixing capacity is caused by a decrease of the leghemoglobin content of the root nodules and not by repression of the nitrogenase synthesis.     

A high molecular weight platelet aggregating factor in Crocus sativus

Bulbs of Crocus sativus, variety Cartwrightianus contain a protein factor with aggregating properties on human platelets. This factor was purified by different chromatographic techniques and shows a molecular weight of 42 000, as it was estimated by Sephadex G-75 column chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis.     

Purine metabolism in the bloodstream forms of trypanosoma gambiense and Trypanosoma rhodesiense

Bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucie gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense are incapable of de novo purine synthesis. Purine bases are converted directly to ribonucleotides and with the exception of guanine, are stable. Guanine is incorporated directly into ribonucleotides and also deaminated to xanthine. Purine ribonucleosides are hydrolyzed rapidly; these reactions may limit their incorporation since purine bases label the nucleotide pools more efficiently than do ribonucleosides. The apparent order of salvage efficiency for ribonucleosides is adenosine>inosine>guanosine>xanthosine for both organisms. T. b. gambiense salvages purine bases in the same order, while T. b. rhodesiense salvages purine bases in the order hypoxanthine>adenine>guanine>xanthine.     

The isolation of plasmids containing dna complementary to messenger rna for variant surface glycoproteins of Trypanosoma brucei

We have isolated poly(A)⁺ RNA from four antigenic variants (117, 118, 121, 221) of one clone of Trypanosoma brucei. Translation of these poly(A)⁺ RNAs in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate gave rise to proteins that could be precipitated with antisera against homologous variant surface glycoprotein, the protein responsible for antigenic variation in trypanosomes. From the electrophoretic mobility of these in vitro products in sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gels we infer that variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs) are made as pre-proteins, which require trimming to yield mature VSGs.The total translation products from the four poly(A)⁺ RNAs produced a complex set of bands on SDS gels, which only differed in the region where the variant pre-glycoproteins migrated. The only detectable variation in the messenger RNA populations of these variants is, therefore, in the messenger RNA for variant pre-glycoproteins.We have made duplex DNA copies of these poly(A)⁺ RNAs, linked the complementary DNA to plasmid pBR322 by GC tailing and cloned this recombinant DNA in Escherichia coli. Colony hybridization with complementary DNA made on poly(A)⁺ RNA showed that 7–10% of the colonies contained DNA that hybridized only with the homologous probe. Plasmid DNA was isolated from ten such colonies (two or three of each variant complementary DNA), bound to diazobenzyloxymethyl-cellulose (DBM) paper and used to select complementary messenger RNA from total poly(A)⁺ RNA by hybridization. In eight cases the RNA recovered from the filter gave variant pre-glycoprotein as the predominant product of in vitro translation.Poly(A)⁺ RNA from each of the variants only hybridized to the homologous complementary DNA in filter hybridizations. Each trypanosome variant, therefore, contains no detectable messenger RNAs for the three heterologous variant-specific glycoproteins tested. We conclude from this lack of cross-hybridization that antigenic diversity in trypanosomes, unlike antibody diversity in mammals, does not involve the linkage of a repertoire of genes for the variable N-terminal half to a single gene for the C-terminal half of the VSGs.     

Variant forms of matrix protein in Escherichia coli B/r bearing N plasmids

Plasmids of the N incompatibility group have been found to decrease or virtually eliminate the synthesis of the 36 500 dalton outer membrane matrix protein of their Escherichia coli B/r hosts (Iyer, R. (1977) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 470, 258–272 and Iyer, R., Darby, V. and Holland, I.B. (1978) FEBS Lett. 85, 127–132) or modify its composition. Although the 34 000 dalton tol G protein is slightly increased in some strains, it is identical in composition to the homologous protein from the plasmidless host. In three of five N⁺ strains, the synthesis of the modified matrix proteins depends on the temperature of cultivation of the strains in which they occur. The alterations to the matrix proteins are non-identical and do not affect the expression of several plasmid-coded functions including those of sensitivity to the N plasmid-specific filamentous bacteriophage IKe (Khatoon, H. and Iyer, R. (1971) Can. J. Microbiol. 17, 669–675), or their interbacterial transfer via conjugation to appropriate recipient strains. Thus, although the significance of the variant matrix proteins in N⁺ strains with respect to plasmid-mediated functions remains unclear, N plasmids nevertheless provide a convenient system which might be used to elucidate the events that precede the insertion of this protein into the outer membrane of E. coli B/r hosts.     

rgn gene is required for gut cell homeostasis after ingestion of sodium dodecyl sulfate in Drosophila

Resistance and resilience constitute the two complementary aspects of epithelial host defenses in Drosophila. Epithelial cell homeostasis is necessary for the recovery of damages caused by stress or infections. However, the genes responsible for gut epithelial homeostasis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that rgn^G4035 mutant flies have higher mortality than wild-type flies after ingestion of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Excessive melanization and increased necrotic cells in the gut contribute to the reduced survival of rgn^G4035 mutant flies following SDS ingestion. rgn mutant flies have a defect in the replenishment of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) following gut damage. The antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression is affected in rgn^G4035 mutant fly guts. Together, our study provides evidence that rgn gene is essential for gut cell homeostasis following damage in Drosophila.     

Transient phosphorylation by ATP of a 160 000 dalton protein in rod outer segments of Bufo marinus

Radioactive phosphate was incorporated from [γ-³²P]ATP into a 160 000 dalton protein from preparations of highly purified toad retinal rod outer segment membranes. Maximal incorporation occurred at 1μM ATP, and turnover in the presence of nonradioactive substrate was rapid, showing that the 160 kdalton protein catalyzes ATP hydrolysis. The 160 kdalton intermediate was sensitive to hydroxylamine, suggesting an acyl linkage between the protein and phosphate. Ionic requirements for phosphorylation showed the ATPase is different from other membrane-bound ionic pumps. The phosphorylated intermediate was almost completely suppressed by 20 μM vanadate, and partial suppression occurred at lower concentrations. About one 160 kdalton protein was labelled per 30 000 molecules of rhodopsin. Although [γ-³²P]GTP labeled the protein, the ATPase was far more specific for adenine than guanine nucleotides. The specificity for ATP and sensitivity to vanadate of the intermediate suggest a relation to an ATP-dependent structural change which occurs in stacks of outer segment discs (Thacher, S.M.; (1980) Fed. Proc. 39, 2066).     

Lipid and protein composition and thermotropic lipid phase transitions in fatty acid-homogeneous membranes of Acholeplasma laidlawii B

The membrane composition and lipid physical properties have been systematically investigated as a function of fatty acid composition for a series of Acholeplasma laidlawii B membrane preparations made homogeneous in various fatty acids by growing cells on single fatty acids and avidin, a potent fatty acid synthetic inhibitor. The membrane protein molecular weight distribution is essentially constant as a function of fatty acid composition, but the lipid/protein ratio varies over a 2-fold range when different fatty acid growth supplements are used. The membrane lipid head-group composition varies somewhat under these conditions, particularly in the ratio of the two major neutral glycolipids. Differential thermal analytical investigations of the thermotropic phase transitions of various combinations of membrane components suggest that these compositional changes are unlikely to result in qualitative changes in the nature of lipid-protein or lipid-lipid interactions, although lesser changes of a quantitative nature probably do occur. The total lipids of membranes made homogeneous in their lipid fatty acyl chain composition exhibit sharper than normal gel-to-liquid-crystalline phase transitions of which midpoint temperatures correlate very well with the phase transition temperatures of synthetic hydrated phosphatidylcholines with like acyl chains. Our results indicate that using avidin and suitable fatty acids to grow A. laidlawii B, it is possible to manipulate the position and the sharpness of the membrane lipid phase transition widely and independently without causing major modifications in other aspects of the membrane composition. This fact makes the fatty acid-homogeneous A. laidlawii B membrane a very useful biological membrane preparation in which to study lipid physical properties and their functional consequences.     

Relationship of growth temperature and thermotropic lipid phase changes in cytoplasmic and outer membranes from Escherichia coli K12

Purified cytoplasmic and outer membranes isolated from cells of wild type Escherichia coli grown at 12, 20, 37 and 43°C were labelled with the fatty acid spin probe 5-doxyl stearate. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy revealed broad thermotropic phase changes. The inherent viscosity of both membranes was found to increase as a function of elevated growth temperature. The lipid order to disorder transition in the outer membrane but not the cytoplasmic membrane was dramatically affected by the temperature of growth. As a result, the cytoplasmic membrane presumably existed in a gel + liquid crystalline state during cellular growth at 12 and 20°C, but in a liquid crystalline state when cells were grown at 37 and 43°C. In contrast, the outer membrane apparently existed in a gel + liquid crystalline state at all incubation temperatures. Data presented here indicate that the temperature range over which the cell can maintain the outer membrane phospholipids in a mixed (presumedly gel + liquid crystalline) state correlates with the temperature range over which growth occurs.     

Cloning of the modification methylase gene of Bacillus centrosporus in Escherichia coli

The gene specifying a sequence-specific modification methylase of Bacillus centrosporus has been cloned in Escherichia coli using the restriction endonuclease HindIII and the plasmid pBR322. The selection was based on detection of new methylation properties rendering recombinant plasmids carrying the methylase gene nonsusceptible to BcnI endonuclease cleavage. The presence of a 3.2-kb HindIII fragment in either orientation conferred BcnI resistance on the recombinant plasmids. These results suggest that the BcnI methylase gene is expressed in E. coli under the control of a promoter located on the cloned fragment. The relative level of BcnI methylase enzyme in E. coli was similar to that in B. centrosporus. The recombinant clones do not exhibit any BcnI restriction-endonuclease activity.     

Effects of light intensity on membrane differentiation in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

Cells of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, strain 37b4, leu^?, precultivated anaerobically under low light intensity, were exposed to high light intensity (2000 W · m^?2). The cells grew with a mass doubling time of 3 h. The synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) began after two doublings of cell mass. Reaction center and light-harvesting BChl I (B-875) were the main constituents of the photosynthetic apparatus incorporated into the membrane. The size of the photosynthetic unit (total BChl/reaction center) decreased and light-harvesting BChl I became the dominating BChl species. Concomitant with the appearance of the different spectral forms of BChl the respective proteins were incorporated into the membrane, i.e. the three reaction center polypeptides, the polypeptide associated with light-harvesting BChl I, the two polypeptides associated with BChl II. A polypeptide of an apparent molecular weight of 45 000 was also incorporated. A lowering of the light intensity to 7 W · m^?2 resulted in a lag phase of growth for 6 h. Afterwards, the time for doubling of cell mass was 11 h. The concentration of all three BChl complexes (reaction center, light-harvesting BChl I and II complexes)/cell and per membrane protein increased immediately. Also the size of the photosynthetic unit and the amount of intracytoplasmic membranes/cell increased.The activities of photophosphorylation, succinate dehydrogenase, NADH dehydrogenase and NADH oxidation (respiratory chain)/membrane protein are higher in membrane preparations isolated from cells grown at high light intensities than in such preparations from cells grown at low light intensities.     

Photoaffinity labelling of methyltransferase enzymes with S-adenosylmethionine: effects of methyl acceptor substrates

Radioactivity from 3H-[methyl]-S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) was covalently bound to protein-O-carboxylmethyltransferase and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase following 10-15 min irradiation by short-wave ultraviolet light. This photoaffinity binding of 3H-[methyl]-AdoMet was blocked by S-adenosylhomocysteine and sinefungin, but was not affected by 5 mM dithiothreitol. The binding was also inhibited by including methyl acceptors such as calmodulin (protein-O-carboxylmethyltransferase) or phenylethanolamine (phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase) in the photoaffinity incubation. Staphlococcus V8 protease digests of 3H-[methyl]-AdoMet/enzyme complexes revealed that the primary structure around the AdoMet binding site is different in these two enzymes. Thus, protein-O-carboxylmethyltransferase, a large molecule methyltransferase, can covalently bind 3H-[methyl]-AdoMet in a manner similar to that of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase.     

Changes in activity of enzymes associated with prespore differentiation in a suspension culture of Dictyostelium discoideum

It has been shown (Okamoto, K. (1981) J. Gen. Microbiol. in the press) that Dictyostelim discoideum cells dissociated at early aggregation can differentiate into prespore cells in a suspension containing glucose, albumin, EDTA and cyclic AMP. Strict requirement of cyclic AMP in this process has also been demonstrated. In the present paper, changes in activity of eight developmentally regulated enzymes were examined in this culture system and compared to those occuring in the normal course of development on the solid substratum. The results show that (a) formation in this medium is not accompanied by increases in activity of UDPglucose pyrophosphorylase and trehalose phosphate synthetase, unlike the case of the normal development, (b) among the enzymes examined, only UDPgalactose: polysaccharide galactosyl transferase can be regarded as a specific marker of the prespore formation, and (c) development in this system does not proceed beyond the slug stage of the normal development, in the case of a wild-type strain NC4.     

Linear dichroism of light harvesting bacteriochlorophyll proteins from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides in stretched polyvinyl alcohol films

Light-harvesting bacteriochlorophyll-protein complexes from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides 2.4.1 and R-26 mutant are solubilized in sodium dodecyl sulfate and imbedded in polyvinyl alcohol. Stretching induces orientation, and the linear dichroism of visible and near infrared absorption is analyzed. Based on a simple model, angles between the particle axis and the transition dipole moments are found. In the near infrared absorption band of the R-26 light-harvesting protein the dichroic ratio varies from 1.30 to 1.57. Using the absorption curves the band is resolved into two exciton components. In the visible absorption band the dichroic ratio has a constant value of 0.43 for the R-26 protein but varies with wavelength for the wild type light-harvesting protein. This variation is attributed to an additional bacteriochlorophyll not present in the R-26 protein.