Oxidation of fatty alcohol in the cotyledons of jojoba seedlings.

An externally accessible polypeptide has been purified from hepatoma tissue culture cells. The purification involves four steps: deoxycholate extraction of whole cells, isoelectric focusing of deoxycholate-insoluble material in the presence of 8 m urea and Triton X-100, hydroxylapatite chromatography in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, and preparative acrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The final preparation is homogeneous, as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide. The polypeptide has an apparent molecular weight of 55,000 and is labeled following in situ lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination of the hepatoma tissue culture cells. The polypeptide can also be labeled by growing cells in the presence of labeled amino acids, but is not labeled by growth in labeled sugars. The purified protein does not react with the periodate-Schiff reagent. Hence, it does not appear to be a glycoprotein that contains mannose, fucose, glucosamine, or sialic acids.     

The phosphohydrolase component of the hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase system is a 36.5-kilodalton polypeptide

The phosphohydrolase component of the microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase system has been identified as a 36.5-kDa polypeptide by 32P-labeling of the phosphoryl-enzyme intermediate formed during steady-state hydrolysis. A 36.5-kDa polypeptide was labeled when disrupted rat hepatic microsomes were incubated with three different 32P-labeled substrates for the enzyme (glucose-6-P, mannose-6-P, and PPi) and the reaction terminated with trichloroacetic acid. Labeling of the phosphoryl-enzyme intermediate with [32P]glucose-6-P was blocked by several well-characterized competitive inhibitors of glucose-6-phosphatase activity (e.g. Al(F)-4 and Pi) and by thermal inactivation, and labeling was not seen following incubations with 32Pi and [U-14C]glucose-6-P. In agreement with steady-state dictates, the amount of [32P]phosphoryl intermediate was directly and quantitatively proportional to the steady-state glucose-6-phosphatase activity measured under a variety of conditions in both intact and disrupted hepatic microsomes. The labeled 36.5-kDa polypeptide was specifically immunostained by antiserum raised in sheep against the partially purified rat hepatic enzyme, and the antiserum quantitatively immunoprecipitated glucose-6-phosphatase activity from cholate-solubilized rat hepatic microsomes. [32P]Glucose-6-P also labeled a similar-sized polypeptide in hepatic microsomes from sheep, rabbit, guinea pig, and mouse and rat renal microsomes. The glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme appears to be a minor protein of the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum, comprising about 0.1% of the total microsomal membrane proteins. The centrifugation of sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized membrane proteins was found to be a crucial step in the resolution of radiolabeled microsomal proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Evidence for protein-tyrosine-phosphatase catalysis proceeding via a cysteine-phosphate intermediate.

A recombinant protein-tyrosine-phosphatase has been expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to a single band by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using affinity chromatography. When the phosphatase was allowed to react with 32P-labeled substrates and then rapidly denaturated, a 32P-labeled phosphoprotein could be visualized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Transient formation of a 32P-labeled phosphoprotein was observed, and the 32P-labeled protein disappeared as substrate was consumed. In the presence of 32P-labeled p-nitrophenyl phosphate, 0.27 mol of phosphate was incorporated per mol of protein-tyrosine-phosphatase. Site-directed mutagenesis of a catalytically essential cystine residue (position 215) in the recombinant protein resulted in an inactive enzyme, and no phosphoprotein was formed. The 32P-labeled phosphoprotein showed a maximum lability between pH 2.5 and 3.5 and was rapidly decomposed in the presence of iodine. These properties, along with additional site-directed mutations, suggest that the protein-tyrosine-phosphatase forms a covalent thiol phosphate linkage between Cys215 and phosphate.     

Endogenous phosphorylation of soluble enzymes in human red cells. Cyclic 3',5'-AMP-dependent phosphorylation of phosphofructokinase without detectable regulatory effect

ATP-depleted human red cells have been incubated in a glucose-containing medium with [32P]orthophosphate in the presence and in the absence of cyclic 3',5'-AMP and dibutyril cyclic 3',5'-AMP. Spectrin, pyruvate kinase, phosphofructokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and hemoglobin A1 have been purified and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein-bound radioactivity has been measured from the sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels and the trichloroacetic acid-precipitated proteins. In the cytosol, the most intense phosphorylation was found for pyruvate kinase whose, in the presence of cyclic AMP, specific radioactivity was comparable to that of the membrane protein and spectrin. In the absence of cyclic nucleotides it was five times less phosphorylated. Phosphofructokinase was only phosphorylated when the red cells were incubated with cyclic nucleotides; the extent of phosphorylation was four times less than for pyruvate kinase. Hemoglobin, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and a contaminant protein copurified with phosphofructokinase were not phosphorylated: the 'background' of the radioactivity found for these proteins was 100 times less than for pyruvate kinase and spectrin, and 20 times less than for phosphofructokinase (+cyclic AMP).     

Diacylglycerol kinase from pig brain. Purification and phospholipid dependencies

Diacylglycerol kinase (EC 2.7.1.-) was purified 1,650-fold from pig brain cytosol. The purified enzyme showed a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The molecular weight of the kinase was estimated to be 78,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A similar value (76,000) was obtained by Sephadex G-150 gel filtration. The activity of the purified enzyme was markedly enhanced by either deoxycholate or phospholipids. The extent of activation by phospholipids was in the order of phosphatidylcholine greater than lysophosphatidylcholine greater than phosphatidylethanolamine approximately equal to phosphatidylserine greater than sphingomyelin. Other phospholipids and unsaturated fatty acids were ineffective. Phosphatidylcholines from egg yolk and pig brain, and dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine were similarly effective. Saturated phosphatidylcholines with acyl chain lengths shorter than palmitate also gave a considerable activation. The activity with phosphatidylcholine was from 1.5- to 2.5-fold higher than that measured with deoxycholate. A very small amount of phosphatidylinositol or phosphatidylglycerol potently inhibited the phosphatidylcholine-dependent (but not deoxycholate-dependent) kinase activity. The inhibition by phosphatidylinositol was varied according to its molar ratio to phosphatidylcholine. As little as about 2.5 mol per cent of phosphatidylinositol resulted in 50% inhibition of the phosphatidylcholine-dependent kinase activity. The deoxycholate- and phosphatidylcholine-dependent kinase activities showed almost the same Km values for the substrates. In both cases, the apparent Km values for ATP and diacylglycerol were 300 microM and about 60 microM, respectively. The kinase required Mg2+ for its activity. When compared to deoxycholate, phosphatidylcholine was more effective at higher Mg2+ concentrations. The deoxycholate-dependent activity showed a broad pH optimum at around 8.0, whereas the phosphatidylcholine-dependent activity formed a clear peak at pH 7.4.     

Isolation of a 32P-labeled polypeptide of low molecular weight from phosphorylated human erythrocyte membranes.

The incorporation of 32P into well washed human erythrocyte membranes was studied in a medium containing [gamma-32P]ATP, Mg2+, and EGTA. Following phosphorylation, the membranes were completely solubilized in 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and subjected to gel electrophoresis in dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide. A large incorporation of radioactivity was observed in a band which migrated faster than component 7 (nomenclature of T. L. Steck, (1972), J. Mol. Biol. 66, 295) but slower than the bromophenol blue tracking dye, and did not stain with Coomassie Blue. Isolation of this band by preparative gel electrophoresis revealed that 41% of the radioactivity was associated with a 32P-labeled polypeptide. This polypeptide was further purified by gel chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 in chloroform-methanol-HCl, and Bio-Gel A 1.5m in dodecyl sulfate. Its amino acid composition is characterized by a high content of acidic residues. The calculated minimal molecular weight is 15084. Based upon the recovery of amino acids, the polypeptide fraction comprises at least 1.8% by weight of the total erythrocyte membrane proteins. An apparent molecular weight of 15000 was estimated by gel chromatography in dodecyl sulfate, while a range of 14000-16000 was estimated by electrophoresis in dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide. The state of phosphorylation of this peptide may reflect a physiological function in the intact red cell.     

Separation of Neurospora crassa myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by affinity chromatography

The purification of Neurospora crassa myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (EC 5.5.1.4) was studied by affinity chromatography using the substrate (glucose-6-phosphate), the inhibitor (pyrophosphate), the coenzyme (NAD+) and the coenzyme analogues (5'AMP and Cibacron Blue F3G-A) of the enzyme as adsorbents attached to agarose gel. Myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase could be separated completely from the contaminating substance, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49), on Blue Sepharose CL-6B and on pyrophosphate-Sepharose. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 16 400 U/mg. The sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the 60 micrograms of this purified enzyme gave a homogenous band. The enzyme was found to be composed of four identical subunits having a molecular weight of 65 000.     

Platelet lipoproteins. A comparative study with serum lipoproteins.

The nature of human platelet lipoproteins was studied in two series of experiments. In the first series, whole platelets were utilized for extraction of lipoproteins by three different methods: chloroform/methanol/phenol; saline; or sucrose-gradient ultracentrifugation of platelet homogenates. By polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis we were able to demonstrate the existence of lipoprotein in the extracts obtained by the last two methods. These lipoproteins were found not to share antigenic determinants with alpha and beta serum lipoproteins. The second series of experiments utilized platelets solubilized either in sodium deoxycholate or sodium dodecyl sulfate. The solubilized product was characterized by double immunodiffusion and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The nonidentity between plasma and platelet lipoproteins previously demonstrated in the first series of experiments was confirmed. This nonidentity was also supported by a comparison between the apoproteins of purified serum lipoproteins and platelet proteins released after solubilization with sodium dodecyl sulfate. No identical protein fractions were found. Our results suggest that, unlike erythrocyte membrane lipoproteins, the platelet lipoproteins are structurally different from plasma lipoproteins.     

Purification and properties of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Escherichia coli.

beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30) has been purified from Escherichia coli K-12 to near homogeneity based on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in both 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate and in 6 M urea at pH 8.5. The purified enzyme shows a pH optimum of 7.7 and the Km for p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-2-acetamido-2-deoxyglucopyranoside is 0.43 mM. The molecular weight of this enzyme, determined by both Sephadex gel filtration and by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, is equivalent to 36,000. It is shown to be a soluble cytoplasmic enzyme. Studies on the substrate specificites of the purified enzyme indicate that this enzyme is an exo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase.     

Gramicidin S-synthetase. Electrophoretic characterization of the multienzyme.

1. A method characterizing the fully active gramicidin S-synthetase (EC. 6.3.2.-) multienzyme in protein mixtures by a combination of sedimentation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic mobility data has been described. 2. The molecular weight of 280000 has been reevaluated by gradient centrifugation, gel filtration, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The size of the multienzyme is not changed by sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment. 3. In polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis dimerisation occurs in Tris, while two bands, which may represent monomer and dimer, are observed in phosphate. 4. Reliability of molecular weight determinations of sodium dodecyl sulfate-protein complexes of sizes up to 300000 daltons has been determined, correlating either mobilities or retardation coefficients.     

Self-phosphorylation of cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase from bovine lung. Effect of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate, cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate and histone.

Incubation of purified cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophospate-dependent protein kinase with [gamma-32P]ATP and Mg2+ led to formation of one 32P-labeled protein, Mr = 75,000, which corresponded to the single protein band detected after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. When electrophoresis was performed without detergent, the labeled protein coincided with the position of cGMP-dependent protein kinase activity. Phosphorylation was enhanced severalfold by either histone or cAMP and was inhibited by the addition of cGMP. Low concentrations of cGMP blocked the stimulatory effects of cAMP or histone (or both). Since neither cAMP-dependent protein kinase nor cGMP-dependent phosphoprotein phosphatase activities were detected in the purified enzyme, we concluded that the cGMP-dependent protein kinase is a substrate for its own phosphotransferase activity and that other protein substrates (histone) and cyclic nucleotides modulate the process of self-phosphorylation.     

Properties of acid phosphatase from scutella of germinating maize seeds

One acid phosphatase (optimum pH at 5.4) was purified from maize scutellum after 96 hr of germination. The purified enzyme was homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) with or without sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The enzyme has a MW of 65 000 ± 4000 as determined by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and SDS-PAGE. The enzyme contained 16% neutral sugars, and cations are not required for activity. The purified enzyme was not inactivated by DTNB at pH 8. The hydrolysis of glucose-6-phosphate in the presence of 4 mM fluoride and 4 mm EDTA, at pH 6.7 (optimum pH), seems to be catalysed by this acid phosphatase.     

Continuous production of glucose-6-phosphate by immobilized Achromobacter butyri cells

Summary Whole cells of Achromobacter butyri OUT 8004 having polyphosphate glucokinase activity were immobilized in polyacrylamide gel. The immobilized cells were activated by organic solvents, especially acetone. The immobilization resulted in increased stability of polyphosphate glucokinase. Continuous high yield production of G-6-P from glucose and metaphosphate was performed with an immobilized cell column, which had a half-life of approximately 20 days.Abbreviations G-6-P glucose-6-phosphate - G-1-P glucose-1-phosphate - Cation-S stearyl trimethyl ammonium chloride - SDS sodium dodecyl sulfate - Tris tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane; p-NPP, p-nitrophenyl phosphate - S.V. space velocity     

Separation of Neurospora Crassa Myo-Inositol-1-Phosphate Synthase from Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase by Affinity Chromatography

The purification of Neurospora crassa myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (EC 5.5.1.4) was studied by affinity chromatography using the substrate (glucose-6-phosphate), the inhibitor (pyrophosphate), the coenzyme (NAD⁺) and the coenzyme analogues (5′AMP and Cibacron Blue F3G-A) of the enzyme as adsorbents attached to agarose gel. Myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase could be separated completely from the contaminating substance, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49), on Blue Sepharose CL-6B and on pyrophosphate-Sepharose. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 16 400 U/mg. The sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of 60 μq of this purified enzyme gave a homogenous band. The enzyme was found to be composed of four identical subunits having a molecular weight of 65 000.     

Properties of the reaction of GDP-mannose with endogenous polyisoprenylphosphates of liver membranes.

The similarity of yeast microtubular protein to the tubulins purified from other eukaryotic organisms has been open to question. This work involves the identification of two yeast proteins that resemble α and β tubulin prepared from other eukaryots in their ability to copolymerize with purified rat brain tubulin and co-migrate with α and β brain tubulin on a sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide slab gel.     

Endogenous proteolytic activity and constituent polypeptide chains of sheep and pig 19 S thyroglobulin.

Porcine and ovine 19-S thyroglobulins prepared from frozen glands in several buffers using slice extraction or homogenization, ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography or Sepharose 6B gel filtration were contaminated with protease activity of pH optima 4.5 and 8.6, as shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Optimum temperatures of autodigestion were 37 degrees C at pH 4.5 and 25 degrees C at pH 8.6. Thyroglobulins prepared from unfrozen glands pH 7.2 in 0.1 M sodium phosphate using slice extraction, ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sepharose 6B gel filtration were devoid of acid proteolytic activity but still underwent autodigestion at pH 8.6. Diisopropylfluorophosphate was a potent inhibitor of the alkaline protease activity of ovine thyroglobulin preparations. In contrast to thyroglobulin obtained from frozen glands the proteins purified from fresh unfrozen glands at pH 7.2 only showed the 19-S and the 12-S species by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels. Very few bands migrating faster than 12-S were visible. After full reduction and S-alkylation of porcine and ovine thyroglobulins, no qualitative changes were observed in the gel electrophoresis pattern as compared to the unmodified proteins. Species of apparent mol. wt. corresponding to the native 12 S were the major component, strongly suggesting a mol. wt. of about 330 000 for the elementary peptide chains of pig and sheep thyroglobulins.     

Subunit structure of Mycobacterium smegmatis fatty acid synthetase. Evidence for identical multifunctional polypeptide chains

Fatty acid synthetase from Mycobacterium smegmatis has been purified to near homogeneity as judged by a variety of electrophoretic criteria under both native and dissociating conditions. A single protein band was obtained on gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate or 8 M urea at various pH values and on isoelectric focusing in 8 M urea. A subunit molecular weight of about 290,000 was found by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate or by sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation in 6 M guanidine HCl. Quantitative Quantitative determination of pantetheine, of flavin, and of the number of fatty acids synthesized during a single enzyme turnover all yield values corresponding to a stoichiometry of about 1 mol per mol of subunit, providing strong evidence that M. smegmatis fatty acid synthetase is an oligomer of identical, multifunctional polypeptide chains.     

Differences between glycogen synthases from rat and rabbit skeletal muscle as indicated by phosphopeptide maps

Glycogen synthase I was purified from rat skeletal muscle. On sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the enzyme migrated as a major band with a subunit Mr of 85,000. The specific activity (24 units/mg protein), activity ratio (the activity in the absence of glucose-6-P divided by the activity in the presence of glucose-6-P X 100) (92 +/- 2) and phosphate content (0.6 mol/mol subunit) were similar to the enzyme from rabbit skeletal muscle. Phosphorylation and inactivation of rat muscle glycogen synthase by casein kinase I, casein kinase II (glycogen synthase kinase 5), glycogen synthase kinase 3 (kinase FA), glycogen synthase kinase 4, phosphorylase b kinase, and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase were similar to those reported for rabbit muscle synthase. The greatest decrease in rat muscle glycogen synthase activity was seen after phosphorylation of the synthase by casein kinase I. Phosphopeptide maps of glycogen synthase were obtained by digesting the different 32P-labeled forms of glycogen synthase by CNBr, trypsin, or chymotrypsin. The CNBr peptides were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the tryptic and chymotryptic peptides were separated by reversed-phase HPLC. Although the rat and rabbit forms of synthase gave similar peptide maps, there were significant differences between the phosphopeptides derived from the N-terminal region of rabbit glycogen synthase and the corresponding peptides presumably derived from the N-terminal region of rat glycogen synthase. For CNBr peptides, the apparent Mr was 12,500 for rat and 12,000 for the rabbit. The tryptic peptides obtained from the two species had different retention times. A single chymotryptic peptide was produced from rat skeletal muscle glycogen synthase after phosphorylation by phosphorylase kinase whereas two peptides were obtained with the rabbit enzyme. These results indicate that the N-terminus of rabbit glycogen synthase, which contains four phosphorylatable residues (Kuret et al. (1985) Eur. J. Biochem. 151, 39-48), is different from the N-terminus of rat glycogen synthase.     

In vitro phosphorylation of bovine adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase by adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase.

We have studied the effects of adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase on the phosphorylative and functional modification of bovine adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase. Incubation of partially purified tyrosine hydroxylase with cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the presence of [gamma32P]ATP and 5 micron cAMP led to a 3- to 5-fold activation of tyrosine hydroxylase and to incorporation of [32P]phosphate into protein. When tyrosine hydroxylase preparations activated by exposure to enzymatic phosphorylating conditions were analyzed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and gel electrofocusing, the radioactivity of 32P was coincident with the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase, suggesting incorporation of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP into tyrosine hydroxylase. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the phosphorylated tyrosine hydroxylase preparation in the presence of 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed that the 60,000-dalton polypeptide subunit of tyrosine hydroxylase served as the phosphate acceptor.     

Phosphorylation in vivo and in vitro of the arginine-ornithine periplasmic transport protein of Escherichia coli

The arginine-ornithine periplasmic binding protein, an essential component of the arginine-ornithine transport system of Escherichia coli, was isolated in a phosphorylated form and in a non-phosphorylated form from the periplasmic fluid, after incubation of intact cells with (32P)orthophosphate under conditions similar to those used for arginine transport studies. The binding protein could also be labeled with 32Pi by incubation in vitro of the periplasmic fluid with [gamma-32P]ATP, or by incubation in vitro of the purified binding protein with radioactive ATP, Mg2+ and a phosphokinase enzyme released by osmotic-shock treatment. The two forms of the protein were separated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. By several different criteria, which included binding studies, analyses of the amino acid composition of the two forms of the protein, analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and testing for other components of the periplasmic space with affinities for inorganic phosphate, it was concluded that the 32P-labeled protein corresponds to a phosphorylated form of the arginine-ornithine-binding protein. The phosphorylation reaction required Mg2+ and a phosphokinase from the periplasmic fluid. The dissociation constant of the phosphorylated protein for arginine was 5.0 microM (dissociation constant of the unmodified protein equals 0.1 microM), suggesting that the chemically modified protein is the active form of the molecule which releases the ligand for its translocation through the cytoplasmic membrane. The pH-stability profile of the phosphoprotein has a 'U'-shape characteristic of acyl phosphates. Reaction of the phosphorylated binding protein with hydroxylamine at pH 5.4, also released Pi from the phosphoprotein. These properties suggest that the phosphoryl group of the phosphoprotein is linked covalently to a carboxyl function of the protein. This information indicates that ATP is a direct energy donor for the active transport of arginine and ornithine in E. coli, and a step of phosphorylation of the arginine-ornithine-binding protein appears to be involved in the utilization of the phosphate bond energy by the arginine-ornithine transport system.