Incorporation of [32P]orthophosphate into brain-slice phospholipids and their precursors. Effects of electrical stimulation

1. The incorporation of [(32)P]phosphate into phospholipids was measured in slices cut from the pial surface of guinea-pig cerebral cortex; incorporation into the phosphorus of some water-soluble precursors of phospholipid was measured under similar conditions. 2. Slices subjected to overall electrical stimulation at a frequency of 5pulses/sec. differed from control slices in their pattern of phospholipid labelling. After 1hr. of stimulation, incorporation of [(32)P]phosphate into phosphatidylcholine, ethanolamine phospholipid and cardiolipin was respectively 54, 55 and 58% of the control value, and that into phosphatidylinositol was 186% of control. Phosphatidic acid labelling tended to increase with electrical stimulation, but the statistical significance of this change was marginal. Labelling of phosphatidylglycerol and di- and tri-phosphoinositides was not affected significantly by electrical stimulation. 3. Electrical stimulation of the tissue altered the specific radioactivities of water-soluble precursors of phospholipid. 4. The turnover rates of the phosphate groups of phospholipids were estimated approximately from the specific radioactivities of phospholipids and their precursors. Phosphatidylinositol (and its lipid-soluble precursors) showed the largest change in turnover rate in response to electrical stimulation of the tissue; the turnover rates of other lipids were also affected. Changes in the specific radioactivity of phospholipids did not correspond to changes in turnover in these experiments.     

Incorporation of [32P]orthophosphate into long chains of inorganic polyphosphate within lysosomes of human fibroblasts.

When isolated human fibroblast lysosomes are incubated with 4 microM [32P]phosphate at pH 7.0, orthophosphate is transported into lysosomes and is rapidly incorporated into low and high molecular weight products. We have characterized the high molecular weight (HMW) lysosomal material into which [32P]phosphate is incorporated and have found it to consist of long chains of inorganic polyphosphate based on the following observations. 1) greater than 97% of HMW 32P-lysosomal material is converted to [32P]orthophosphate when incubated with 1 N HCl for 20 min at 100 degrees C. 2) Incubation of HMW 32P-lysosomal material at pH 7.0 and 65 degrees C for 96 h results in the formation of [32P]trimetaphosphate, which is known to be produced only from linear chains of polyphosphate under these conditions. 3) HMW 32P-lysosomal material is resistant to degradation by proteinase K, ribonuclease, and deoxyribonuclease and extracts into the aqueous phase during phenol/chloroform extractions. 4) HMW 32P-lysosomal material displays heterogeneous mobility on polyacrylamide gels with most chains ranging in length from 100 to at least 600 phosphate residues. 5) HMW 32P-lysosomal material is partially hydrolyzed under alkaline conditions to yield a continuous ladder of polyphosphate species differing by one or several residues in length on polyacrylamide gels.     

Distribution of ciliatine (2-aminoethylphosphonic acid) and phosphonoalanine (2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid) in human tissues

Ciliatine (2-aminoethylphosphonic acid) was detected in the human brain, heart, kidney, liver, intestine, spleen, adrenal glands, and aorta. Phosphonoalanine (2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid) was found in the human liver, intestine and spleen. Tissue homogenates were extracted with trichloroacetic acid and a chloroform-methanol mixture. After hydrolysis, each fraction was subfractionated by ion-exchange chromatography and examined by paper chromatography and electrophoresis using a specific ninhydrin-molybdate staining procedure to detect the phosphonic acids. The acids were found bound either to lipid or to protein; no free phosphonic acid was detected.     

Evidence for the incorporation of [32P]orthophosphate into leaf inositol phospholipids

Leaf discs of brinjal, tomato, sugar cane and maize rapidly incorporated [32P]orthophosphate into total phospholipids. Analyses of the labelled lipid extracts by thin-layer chromatography, autoradiography and comparison with inositol phospholipid standards demonstrated the labelling of phosphatidylinositol monophosphate and phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate in addition to other phospholipids. The presence of polyphosphoinositides was further confirmed by deacylation of phosphatidylinositol monophosphate and phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate and separation of the water-soluble products, glycerophosphoinositol phosphate and glycerophosphoinositol bisphosphate by formate exchange chromatography. Incorporation of [32P]orthophosphate into inositol phospholipids was time-dependent, with monoester phosphate groups attaining isotopic equilibrium within 90 min of incubation. After 2 h, incorporation of label into phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol monophosphate and phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate was about 15, 10 and 3%, respectively, of the total phospholipids. The ratio of radioactivity in phosphatidylinositol/phosphatidylinositol monophosphate/phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate was about 5:5:1 in brinjal leaves. However, this ratio may be an overestimate of the amounts of inositol phospholipids present, as other lysophospholipids may comigrate with standards.     

The enzymatic preparation of [alpha-(32)P]nucleoside triphosphates, cyclic [32P] AMP, and cyclic [32P] GMP.

A method has been developed for the enzymatic preparation of alpha-(32)P-labeled ribo- and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, cyclic [(32)P]AMP, and cyclic [(32)P]GMP of high specific radioactivity and in high yield from (32)Pi. The method also enables the preparation of [gamma-(32)P]ATP, [gamma-(32)P]GTP, [gamma-(32)P]ITP, and [gamma-(32)P]-dATP of very high specific activity and in high yield. The preparation of the various [alpha-(32)P]nucleoside triphosphates relies on the phosphorylation of the respective 3'-nucleoside monophosphates with [gamma-(32)P]ATP by polynucleotide kinase and a subsequent nuclease reaction to form [5'-(32)P]nucleoside monophosphates. The [5'-(32)P]nucleoside monophosphates are then converted enzymatically to the respective triphosphates. All of the reactions leading to the formation of [alpha-(32)P]nucleoside triphosphates are carried out in the same reaction vessel, without intermediate purification steps, by the use of sequential reactions with the respective enzymes. Cyclic [(32)P]AMP and cyclic [(32)P]GMP are also prepared enzymatically from [alpha-(32)P]ATP or [alpha-(32)P]GTP by partially purified preparations of adenylate or guanylate cyclases. With the exception of the cyclases, all enzymes used are commerically available. The specific activity of (32)P-labeled ATP made by this method ranged from 200 to 1000 Ci/mmol for [alpha-(32)P]ATP and from 5800 to 6500 Ci/mmol for [gamma-(32)P]ATP. Minor modifications of the method should permit higher specific activities, especially for the [alpha-(32)P]nucleoside triphosphates. Methods for the use of the [alpha-(32)P]nucleoside phosphates are described for the study of adenylate and guanylate cyclases, cyclic AMP- and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase, cyclic nucleotide binding proteins, and as precursors for the synthesis of other (32)P-labeled compounds of biological interest. Moreover, the [alpha-(32)P]nucleoside triphosphates prepared by this method should be very useful in studies on nucleic acid structure and metabolism and the [gamma-(32)P]nucleoside triphosphates should be useful in the study of phosphate transfer systems.     

Incorporation of [14C] arachidonic acid into ovine conceptus and endometrial lipids.

The purpose of this study was to quantitate conceptus and endometrial incorporation of [14C]arachidonic acid (AA) into individual neutral and polar lipids. Endometrium and conceptuses from pregnant ewes and endometrium from nonbred ewes were collected 14 and 16 d after onset of estrus (d 0). Tissues were incubated for 8 h at 37 degrees C in medium containing 1 microCi of [14C]AA. Thin-layer chromatographic procedures were used to separate 12 lipids. Radioactivity was measured in each lipid, and the amount (ng) of [14C]AA incorporated into each lipid was calculated. Conceptuses and endometrium incorporated more [14C]AA into triacylglycerols than into any other lipid. Day and tissue type affected differentially (i.e., day X tissue interaction) the incorporation of [14C]AA into several lipids; d-14 conceptuses incorporated [14C]AA more actively than did any other day-tissue combination. Results indicate that triacylglycerols may be an important reservoir for conceptus and endometrial AA. The remarkable ability of d-14 conceptuses to incorporate [14C]AA into various lipids may be important for their accelerated elongation and active prostaglandin synthetic system.     

Incorporation of [32P]phosphate into the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in rat heart mitochondria.

1. Evidence is given for three sites of phosphorylation in the alpha-chains of the decarboxylase component of purified rat heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, analogous to those established for procine and bovine complexes. Inactivation of rat heart complex was correlated with phosphorylation of site 1. Relative initial rates of phosphorylation were site 1 greater than site 2 greater than site 3. 2. Methods are described for measurement of incorporation of 32Pi into the complex in rat heart mitochondria oxidizing 2-oxoglutarate + L-malate (total, sites 1, 2 and 3). Inactivation of the complex was related linearly to phosphorylation of site 1 in mitochondria of normal or diabetic rats. The relative initial rates of phosphorylation were site 1 greater than site 2 greater than site 3. Rates of site-2 and site-3 phosphorylation may have been closer to that of site 1 in mitochondria of diabetic rats than in mitochondria of normal rats. 3. The concentration of inactive (phosphorylated) complex was varied in mitochondria from normal rats by inhibiting the kinase reaction with pyruvate at concentrations ranging from 0.15 to 0.4 mM. The results showed that the concentration of inactive complex is related linearly to incorporation of 32Pi into site 1. Inhibition of 32Pi incorporations with pyruvate at all concentrations over this range was site 3 greater than site 2 greater than site 1. 4. With mitochondria from diabetic rats, pyruvate (0.15-0.4 mM) inhibited incorporation of 32Pi into site 3, but it had no effect on the concentration of inactive complex or on incorporations of 32Pi into site 1 or site 2. It is concluded that site-3 phosphorylation is not required for inactivation of the complex in rat heart mitochondria. 5. Evidence is given that phosphorylation of sites 2 and 3 may inhibit reactivation of the complex by dephosphorylation in rat heart mitochondria.