A light-scattering study of the effect of calcium chloride on the molecular weight of Busycon hemocyanin.

Solutions of Busycon canaliculatum have been studied by light scattering. In 0.05 M Trizma buffer +0.1 M NaCl at pH 7.0 at 14 degrees, the weight-average molecular weight is 8.9 X 10(6). In the presence of added CaCl2 (0.02 M), the molecular weight of the protein increases to 10.7 X 10(6), and the second virial coefficient is reduced. At pH 9.95, the molecular weights with and without 0.02 M CaCl2, are 3.7 X 10(6) and 1.3 X 10(6), respectively; and the effect of Ca++ in reducing the second virial coefficient is much greater than at pH 7.0. These results can be understood on the basis that at pH 7.0, ca++ increases the association of hemocyanin, by binding and intermolecular linkage through the carboxyl groups of protein side chains. At pH 9.95, amino groups are deprotonated and therefore also become available for Ca++ binding. The relative effect of Ca++ in enhancing the association of hemocyanin therefore becomes greater at the higher pH.     

The self-association of human spectrin at high concentration.

The self-association of purified human spectrin has been studied at sedimentation equilibrium over a wide range of concentration (0-20 g/L) at 30 degrees C and pH 7.5. Coincidence of apparent weight average molecular weight and omega (r) plots as a function of total spectrin concentration indicated that equilibrium was attained and that no significant concentration of solute was incapable of participating in the self-association reaction. Under these conditions, no significant dissociation of the heterodimer to component polypeptide chains could be detected. The behavior of spectrin between 0 and 20 g/L can be described reasonably well by a cooperative isodesmic model, in which the protomer for association is the alpha beta heterodimer. With this model, the equilibrium constant for the heterodimer-tetramer step, K24, is 2 x 10(6) M-1, and K(iso), the equilibrium constant describing all other steps, is approximately 0.2 x 10(6) M-1. The returned value of the second virial coefficient for this model, 1.0 x 10(-7) L mol g-2, is consistent with the lower limit of values calculated for the heterodimer from the charge and Stokes radius of spectrin. On the other hand, the attenuated indefinite association model fails to describe the self-association of spectrin adequately over the range 0-20 g/L. Systematic decreases in the estimates of the second virial coefficient and the equilibrium constants for association beyond the tetramer suggest that the assumption of a single value of the second virial coefficient may not be appropriate for spectrin, and that non-ideality would best be taken into account by consideration of the detailed solution composition.     

Molecular origins of osmotic second virial coefficients of proteins.

The thermodynamic properties of protein solutions are determined by the molecular interactions involving both solvent and solute molecules. A quantitative understanding of the relationship would facilitate more systematic procedures for manipulating the properties in a process environment. In this work the molecular basis for the osmotic second virial coefficient, B22, is studied; osmotic effects are critical in membrane transport, and the value of B22 has also been shown to correlate with protein crystallization behavior. The calculations here account for steric, electrostatic, and short-range interactions, with the structural and functional anisotropy of the protein molecules explicitly accounted for. The orientational dependence of the protein interactions is seen to have a pronounced effect on the calculations; in particular, the relatively few protein-protein configurations in which the apposing surfaces display geometric complementarity contribute disproportionately strongly to B22. The importance of electrostatic interactions is also amplified in these high-complementarity configurations. The significance of molecular recognition in determining B22 can explain the correlation with crystallization behavior, and it suggests that alteration of local molecular geometry can help in manipulating protein solution behavior. The results also have implications for the role of protein interactions in biological self-organization.     

Evaluation of second osmotic virial coefficients from molecular simulation following scaled-particle theory

ABSTRACT

We report a scaled particle theory-based method for evaluation of second osmotic virial coefficients from molecular simulations of dilute species in solution. In this method, we evaluate the work associated with growing a cavity in solution that is perfectly permeable to the solvent but is completely impermeable to the solutes, thereby establishing an osmotic stress between the cavity interior and exterior. Extrapolating our results to determine the solute concentration in contact with a cavity with an infinite radius, we are able to evaluate the solute osmotic pressure and second osmotic virial coefficient. A finite size correction is introduced to account for the impact of effectively concentrating the solutes in the periphery of the simulation box with increasing cavity size. We demonstrate the utility of the proposed method by evaluating second osmotic virial coefficients for methane in water as a function of temperature. The approach proposed here provides a physically transparent route for calculation of second osmotic virial coefficients by direct interrogation of simulation configurations without having to explicitly evaluate the long-range integral over solute-solute correlations required following McMillan-Mayer theory.     

Correlation of diafiltration sieving behavior of lysozyme-BSA mixtures with osmotic second virial cross-coefficients

The role of protein-protein interactions in membrane separations of protein mixtures remains incompletely understood, largely due to the difficulty of characterizing protein self- and, especially, cross-association. Recently, a novel technique, cross-interaction chromatography, has been developed to measure weak protein cross-association in terms of the osmotic second virial cross-coefficient. In this work the relationship between protein cross-association and the sieving behavior of lysozyme in the presence of BSA has been investigated. Sieving coefficients were measured using a stirred diafiltration cell over a range of pH and ionic strength, and a striking correlation between the lysozyme sieving and second virial cross-coefficients for BSA/lysozyme mixtures has been found: when the protein cross-interactions are most attractive (negative second virial cross-coefficient), the lysozyme sieving coefficients are lowest, and vice versa. The correlation between the sieving and second virial cross-coefficients may be due to the physically similar environments in the chromatography and filtration experiments since one protein is passed through a concentrated region of the second protein either immobilized on the column or accumulated at the membrane surface, and the migration rate of the mobile protein in both cases is influenced by protein cross-association. This study represents the first time that molecular interactions in binary mixtures have been related directly to filtration behavior, and may provide a useful approach to optimize the separation of other binary protein mixtures.     

Laser light scattering measurements on vitreous and rooster comb hyaluronic acids

Molecular weights and translational diffusion coefficients have been measured for rooster comb and vitreous hyaluronic acid (HA) at pH 7.2 and 11. The results indicate that the molecular weight, second virial coefficient and translational diffusion coefficient for vitreous HA can be reversibly decreased by increasing the solution pH from 7.2 to 11, whereas the physical properties of rooster comb HA are independent of pH studied. In addition, it is reported that the second virial coefficient for vitreous HA is negative, suggesting intermolecular interactions exist in solution at both neutral and alkaline pH as opposed to rooster comb HA which exhibits a positive second vitrial coefficient associated with decreasing molecular weights may be related to the accessibility and number of hydrogen bond forming groups. Differences in the dependence of molecular weight on pH between vitreous and rooster comb HA may be due to differences in the number of intramolecular interactions per molecule. These studies indicate that molecules of low molecular weight HA are able to form higher molecular weight complexes and differences in the organization of the polysaccharide chains may contribute to the differences in molecular weight of HAs isolated from various tissues.     

Plasma protein osmotic pressure equations and nomogram for sheep

The equations developed by Landis and Pappenheimer (Handbook of Physiology. Circulation, 1963, p. 961-1034) for calculating the protein osmotic pressure of human plasma proteins have been frequently used for other animal species without regard to the fractional albumin concentration or correction for protein-protein interaction. Using an electronic osmometer, we remeasured the protein osmotic pressure of purified sheep albumin and sheep plasma partially depleted of albumin. We measured protein osmotic pressures of serial dilutions over the concentration range 0-180 g/l for albumin and 0-100 g/l for the albumin-depleted proteins at room temperature (26 degrees C). Using a nonlinear least squares parameter-fitting computer program, we obtained the equation of best fit for purified albumin, and then we used that equation together with the measured albumin fraction to obtain the best-fit equation for the nonalbumin proteins. The equation for albumin is IIcmH2O,39 degrees C = 0.382C + 0.0028C2 + 0.000013C3, where C is albumin concentration in g/l. The equation for the nonalbumin fraction is IIcmH2O,39 degrees C = 0.119C + 0.0016C2. Up to 200- and 100-g/l protein concentration, respectively, these equations give the least standard error of the estimate for each of the virial coefficients. The computed number-average molecular weight for the nonalbumin proteins is 222,000. Using the new equations, we constructed a nomogram, based on the one of Nitta and co-workers (Tohoku J. Exp. Med. 135: 43-49, 1981). We tested the nomogram using 144 random samples of sheep plasma and lymph from 31 sheep. We obtained a correlation coefficient of 0.99 between the measured and nomogram estimates of protein osmotic pressure.     

Physicochemical and Light Scattering Studies on Ribosome Particles

The light scattering technique has been used to measure the molecular weight of Escherichia coli ribosomes. The 30S, 50S, and 70S components have been isolated and purified. The refractive index increment dn/dc was found to have the same value, (0.20 ±0.01) cm³/g, for the three species. The molecular weights are (1.0 ±0.1)·10⁶, (1.7 ±0.1)·10⁶, and (2.9 ±0.3)·10⁶ daltons respectively. Some information about the dimensions in solution (radius of gyration) and the interaction constant (second virial coefficient) have been obtained, and their significance is discussed.     

Immunolocalization and enzymatic functional characterization of the thioredoxin system in Entamoeba histolytica

The components of the redox metabolism in Entamoeba histolytica have been recently revisited by Arias et al. (Free Radic. Biol. Med. 42:1496-1505; 2007), after the identification and characterization of a thioredoxin-linked system. The present work deals with studies performed for a better understanding of the localization and identification of different components of the redox machinery present in the parasite. The gene encoding for amoebic thioredoxin 8 was cloned and the recombinant protein typified as having properties similar to those of thioredoxin 41. The ability of these thioredoxins and the specific reductase to assemble a system utilizing NADPH to metabolize hydroperoxides in association with a peroxiredoxin has been kinetically characterized. The peroxiredoxin behaved as a typical 2 cysteine enzyme, exhibiting a ping-pong mechanism with hyperbolic saturation kinetics for thioredoxin 8 (K(m)=3.8 microM), thioredoxin 41 (K(m)=3.1 microM), and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (K(m) about 35 microM). Moreover, the tandem system involving thioredoxin reductase and either thioredoxin proved to be operative for reducing low molecular weight disulfides, including putative physiological substrates as cystine and oxidized trypanothione. Thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin 41 (by association also the functional redox system) have been immunolocalized underlying the plasma membrane in Entamoeba histolytica cells. These findings suggest an important role for the metabolic pathway involving thioredoxin as a redox interchanger, which could be critical for the maintenance and virulence of the parasite when exposed to highly toxic reactive oxygen species.     

Wheat germ phosphoglycerate mutase: purification, polymorphism, and inhibition

An improved method for purifying the bisphosphoglycerate-independent phosphoglycerate mutase from wheat germ has been devised. The method yields enzyme with a specific activity of 2,300 units/mg in 0.1 M Tris-C1 at pH 8.7 and 30 degrees C. Electrophoresis on electrofocusing and analytical polyacrylamide gels reveals only one protein band (pI = 7.3); however, under denaturing conditions (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), two prominent enzyme forms, with molecular masses of 63 and 74 kDa, manifest themselves along with several minor, high molecular mass components (126-141 kDa). Non-denaturing exclusion chromatography shows that both major species are catalytically active, and suggests that each species is capable of participating in reversible monomer/dimer association. Wheat germ mutase is inhibited by time-dependent reactions involving either polydentate chelators or sulfhydryl reagents.     

Association between competition and obligate mutualism in a chemostat

In this paper, we consider a simple chemostat model involving two obligate mutualistic species feeding on a limiting substrate. Systems of differential equations are proposed as models of this association. A detailed qualitative analysis is carried out. We show the existence of a domain of coexistence, which is a set of initial conditions in which both species survive. We demonstrate, under certain supplementary assumptions, the uniqueness of the stable equilibrium point which corresponds to the coexistence of the two species.     

Association between competition and obligate mutualism in a chemostat

In this paper, we consider a simple chemostat model involving two obligate mutualistic species feeding on a limiting substrate. Systems of differential equations are proposed as models of this association. A detailed qualitative analysis is carried out. We show the existence of a domain of coexistence, which is a set of initial conditions in which both species survive. We demonstrate, under certain supplementary assumptions, the uniqueness of the stable equilibrium point which corresponds to the coexistence of the two species.     

A molecular phylogenetic investigation of zoothamnium (ciliophora, peritrichia, sessilida)

The gene coding for 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA (ssu rRNA) was sequenced in seven free-living, marine species of the sessiline peritrich genus Zoothamnium. These were Zoothamnium niveum, Zoothamnium alternans, Zoothamnium pelagicum, and four unidentified species. The ssu rRNA gene also was sequenced in Vorticella convallaria, Vorticella microstoma, and in an unidentified, freshwater species of Vorticella. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using these new sequences to test a previously published phylogenetic association between Zoothamnium arbuscula, currently in the family Zoothamniidae, and peritrichs in the family Vorticellidae. Trees constructed by means of neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference methods all had similar topologies. The seven new sequences of Zoothamnium species grouped into three well-supported clades, each of which contained a diversity of morphological types. The three clades formed a poorly supported, larger clade that was deeply divergent from Z. arbuscula, which remained more closely associated with vorticellid peritrichs. It is apparent that Zoothamnium is a richly diverse genus and that a much more intensive investigation, involving both morphological and molecular data and a wider selection of species, will be necessary to resolve its phylogeny. A greater amount of molecular diversity than is predicted by morphological data exists within all major clades of sessiline peritrichs that have been included in molecular phylogenies, indicating that characteristics of stalk and peristomial structure traditionally used to differentiate taxa at the generic level and above may not be uniformly reliable.     

Direct measurement of protein osmotic second virial cross coefficients by cross-interaction chromatography

The importance of weak protein interactions, such as protein self-association, is widely recognized in a variety of biological and technological processes. Although protein self-association has been studied extensively, much less attention has been devoted to weak protein cross-association, mainly due to the difficulties in measuring weak interactions between different proteins in solution. Here a framework is presented for quantifying the osmotic second virial cross coefficient directly using a modified form of self-interaction chromatography called cross-interaction chromatography. A theoretical relationship is developed between the virial cross coefficient and the chromatographic retention using statistical mechanics. Measurements of bovine serum albumin (BSA)/lysozyme cross-association using cross-interaction chromatography agree well with the few osmometry measurements available in the literature. Lysozyme/alpha-chymotrypsinogen interactions were also measured over a wide range of solution conditions, and some counterintuitive trends were observed that may provide new insight into the molecular origins of weak protein interactions. The virial cross coefficients presented in this work may also provide insight into separation processes that are influenced by protein cross-interactions, such as crystallization, precipitation, and ultrafiltration.     

Association behaviour of human erythrocyte phosphofructokinase. Dependence of molecular weight on enzyme concentration as analyzed by frontal gel chromatography.

Self-association of human erythrocyte phosphofructokinase has been studied at pH 8.0 and at 4 degrees C in the presence of 2 mM fructose 6-phosphate by means of frontal gel chromatography. Under these conditions the basic associating catalytically active species is the tetramer of the enzyme with a molecular weight of about 330000, the monomers of which having a molecular weight of 83000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate electrophoresis. The experimental data have been compared with various models describing the enzyme association. The mode of association can sufficiently be described by assuming a weakly negative cooperative process in which the association constant of the nucleation step (association of two tetramers to an octamer) is larger than that of the following propagation steps. The geometry of association appears to be approximately spherical.     

Sedimentation-equilibrium and other physicochemical studies on the lysine-rich fraction of calf thymus histones

1. The lysine-rich fraction (Ia+Ib, or f1) of calf thymus histones was isolated as the sulphate by acid extraction. 2. Sedimentation-equilibrium measurements with interference optics showed that this fraction was monodisperse with a molecular weight of 19500±2000. 3. The `apparent molecular weight' calculated from the sedimentation-equilibrium studies varied markedly with concentration. The large second virial coefficient implied by such variation was attributed to the very high charge/mass ratio of this relatively small protein. Estimates of the charge were made from the values of this virial coefficient. 4. The very large value of the virial coefficient explains anomalies in the earlier reports of the molecular weight of this histone and also why the z-average molecular weight can appear to be lower than the weight-average molecular weight. 5. The differences of the specific refractive increments, and the partial specific volumes, between dialysed and undialysed solutions of this histone fraction could also be attributed to its high molecular charge, which was estimated from these differences and agreed, within the expected limits, with the value deduced from the second virial coefficient. 6. Sedimentation-velocity measurements combined with the known molecular weight imply that lysine-rich histone has a high frictional ratio and an extended shape. Optical-rotatory-dispersion measurements indicated that it had a low helical content.     

Specific, non-nutritional association between an ascomycete fungus and Allomerus plant-ants

Ant-fungus associations are well known from attine ants, whose nutrition is based on a symbiosis with basidiomycete fungi. Otherwise, only a few non-nutritional ant-fungus associations have been recorded to date. Here we focus on one of these associations involving Allomerus plant-ants that build galleried structures on their myrmecophytic hosts in order to ambush prey. We show that this association is not opportunistic because the ants select from a monophyletic group of closely related fungal haplotypes of an ascomycete species from the order Chaetothyriales that consistently grows on and has been isolated from the galleries. Both the ants' behaviour and an analysis of the genetic population structure of the ants and the fungus argue for host specificity in this interaction. The ants' behaviour reveals a major investment in manipulating, growing and cleaning the fungus. A molecular analysis of the fungus demonstrates the widespread occurrence of one haplotype and many other haplotypes with a lower occurrence, as well as significant variation in the presence of these fungal haplotypes between areas and ant species. Altogether, these results suggest that such an interaction might represent an as-yet undescribed type of specific association between ants and fungus in which the ants cultivate fungal mycelia to strengthen their hunting galleries.     

Cardiovascular outcomes of CPAP therapy in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Considerable evidence is now available of an independent association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and cardiovascular disease. The association is particularly strong for systemic arterial hypertension, but there is growing evidence of an association with ischemic heart disease and stroke. The mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease in patients with OSAS are still poorly understood. However, the pathogenesis is likely to be a multifactorial process involving a diverse range of mechanisms, including sympathetic overactivity, selective activation of inflammatory molecular pathways, endothelial dysfunction, abnormal coagulation, and metabolic dysregulation, the latter particularly involving insulin resistance and disordered lipid metabolism. Therapy with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been associated with significant benefits to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, both in short-term studies addressing specific aspects of morbidity, such as hypertension, and more recently in long-term studies that have evaluated major outcomes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, there is a clear need for further studies evaluating the impact of CPAP therapy on cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, studies on the impact of CPAP therapy have provided useful information concerning the role of basic cell and molecular mechanisms in the pathophysiology of OSAS.     

Graphical analysis of nonideal monomer N-mer, isodesmic, and type II indefinite self-associating systems by equilibrium ultracentrifugation.

A graphical procedure is described by which one can obtain in principle the monomer molecular weight, stoichiometry, equilibrium constant, and second virial coefficient of nonideal monomer N-mer, isodesmic, and type II indefinite self-associating systems. In addition, a method is presented for obtaining both the equilibrium constant and the second virial coefficient from the maximum in a plot of apparent molecular weight vs. concentration if the monomer molecular weight and stoichiometry are known. The usefulness and limitations of the methods are discussed, as well as the quality and range of data required for determination of the relevant parameters. The techniques described are applicable to analysis of self-associating systems by osmotic pressure and light scattering, as well as equilibrium ultracentrifugation measurements.     

Genes Belonging to the Insulin and Ecdysone Signaling Pathways Can Contribute to Developmental Time,Lifespan and Abdominal Size Variation in Drosophila americana

Even within a single genus, such as Drosophila, cases of lineage-specific adaptive evolution have been found. Therefore, the molecular basis of phenotypic variation must be addressed in more than one species group, in order to infer general patterns. In this work, we used D. americana, a species distantly-related to D. melanogaster, to perform an F2 association study for developmental time (DT), chill-coma recovery time (CRT), abdominal size (AS) and lifespan (LS) involving the two strains (H5 and W11) whose genomes have been previously sequenced. Significant associations were found between the 43 large indel markers developed here and DT, AS and LS but not with CRT. Significant correlations are also found between DT and LS, and between AS and LS, that might be explained by variation at genes belonging to the insulin and ecdysone signaling pathways. Since, in this F2 association study a single marker, located close to the Ecdysone receptor (EcR) gene, explained as much as 32.6% of the total variation in DT, we performed a second F2 association study, to determine whether large differences in DT are always due to variation in this genome region. No overlapping signal was observed between the two F2 association studies. Overall, these results illustrate that, in D. americana, pleiotropic genes involved in the highly-conserved insulin and ecdysone signaling pathways are likely responsible for variation observed in ecologically relevant phenotypic traits, although other genes are also involved.