Biochemical characterization of phosphorylated beta-adrenergic receptors from catecholamine-desensitized turkey erythrocytes

Isoproterenol-induced desensitization of turkey erythrocyte adenylate cyclase is accompanied (1) by a decrease in the mobility of beta-adrenergic receptor proteins, specifically photoaffinity labeled with 125I-(p-azidobenzyl)carazolol (125I-PABC), on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels and (2) by a 2-3-fold increase in phosphate incorporation into the beta receptor [Stadel, J.M., Nambi, P., Shorr, R. G. L., Sawyer, D. F., Caron, M. G., & Lefkowitz, R. J. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 3173]. Analysis of 32P-labeled beta receptors partially purified by affinity chromatography and subsequently hydrolyzed in 6 N HCl revealed that the beta receptor from control erythrocytes contained only phosphoserine and that agonist-promoted phosphorylation of the receptor in desensitized cells occurred on serine residues. Comparison of limited-digest peptide maps of 125I-PABC-labeled beta receptors from control and desensitized erythrocytes reveals distinctly different sensitivities of the two beta receptors to cleavage by chymotrypsin and Staphylococcus aureus protease. The altered mobility of the 125I-PABC-labeled beta receptor from desensitized erythrocytes was eliminated when 5 M urea was included in the SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Limited-digest peptide mapping of 32P-labeled beta receptors from control and desensitized cells with the protease papain identified a unique phosphorylated peptide in desensitized preparations. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the altered mobility of beta-receptor proteins on SDS gels following desensitization is due to changes in conformation promoted by prolonged exposure to agonists.     

Purification and characterization of ADP-ribosylarginine hydrolase from turkey erythrocytes

ADP-ribosylation of arginine appears to be a reversible modification of proteins with NAD: arginine ADP-ribosyltransferases and ADP-ribosylarginine hydrolases catalyzing the opposing arms of the ADP-ribosylation cycle. ADP-ribosylarginine hydrolases have been purified extensively (greater than 90%) (150,000-250,000-fold) from the soluble fraction of turkey erythrocytes by DE-52, phenyl-Sepharose, hydroxylapatite, Ultrogel AcA 54, and Mono Q chromatography. Mobilities of the hydrolase on gel permeation columns and on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions are consistent with an active monomeric species of approximately 39 kDa. Insertion of an organomercurial agarose chromatographic step prior to Ultrogel AcA 54 resulted in the isolation of a hydrolase exhibiting approximately 35-fold greater sensitivity to dithiothreitol (Ka,sensitive = 41 +/- 16.7 microM, n = 4; Ka,resistant = 1.44 +/- 0.12 mM, n = 3). A similar dithiothreitol-sensitive hydrolase was generated by exposure of the purified resistant enzyme to HgCl2. At 30 degrees C, both thiol-sensitive (HS) and thiol-resistant (HR) hydrolases were relatively resistant to N-ethylmaleimide (NEM); incubation with dithiothreitol prior to NEM resulted in complete inactivation. Both HS and HR required Mg2+ and thiol for enzymatic activity. Mg2+ stabilized both HS and HR against thermal inactivation in the absence and presence of thiol. A purified NAD:arginine ADP-ribosyltransferase, in the presence of NAD, inactivated both HS and HR; Mg2+ and to a greater extent Mg2+ plus dithiothreitol protected both HS and HR from NAD- and transferase-dependent inactivation. Thus, activation of the hydrolase enhanced its resistance to inactivation by transferase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Purification and properties of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase from turkey erythrocytes

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) was purified from turkey erythrocytes by ammonium sulphate precipitation and followed by ADP Sepharose affinity gel chromatography. The yield was 49.71% and specific activity of the enzyme was found to be 44.16 EU/mg protein. By gel filtration the molecular mass was found to be 75 kDa. The enzyme had an optimum pH at 9.0, and optimum temperature at 50 degrees C. Km and Vmax for NADP(+) and glucose 6- phosphate (G6-P) as substrates were also determined and effects of inhibitors such as ATP, NADH and NADPH were examined.     

Biochemical characterization of topoisomerase I purified from avian erythrocytes.

A type I topoisomerase has been purified from avian erythrocyte nuclei. The most pure fraction contains one major polypeptide of Mr = 105,000 (80% of total) and several minor ones of lower molecular weight. Active forms of the topoisomerase were identified by covalently binding the enzyme to 32P-DNA, digesting with nuclease and detecting 32P labeled peptides by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Topoisomerase activity, as measured by the ability to covalently bind DNA, is associated with the following peptides: Mr = 105, 83, 54 and 30,000. The similar chromatographic properties of the various forms of topoisomerase suggests a common structural identity as previously proposed for the HeLa topoisomerase I (Liu, L.F. and Miller, K.G. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78, 3487-3491). The avian enzyme is similar to other eucaryotic type I DNA topoisomerases in that it covalently binds double and single stranded DNA forming an enzyme linked to the 3'-phosphoryl end and after binding to single stranded DNA it can transfer the single stranded donor DNA to an acceptor DNA possessing 5'-OH end groups. The binding site size of topoisomerase on DNA has also been determined using micrococcal nuclease to digest unprotected DNA in the native enzyme/DNA complex. The enzyme blocks access to the helix over a span of 25 bp. These findings are discussed in light of the distribution and function of topoisomerase I in chromatin.     

Hydrodynamic properties of adenosine Ri receptors solubilized from rat cerebral-cortical membranes.

Adenosine Ri receptors and inhibitory guanine-nucleotide-regulatory components were solubilized from rat cerebral-cortical membranes with sodium cholate. (-)-N6-Phenylisopropyl[2,8-3H]adenosine [( 3H]PIA) binds with high affinity to the soluble receptors, which retain the pharmacological specificity of adenosine Ri receptors observed in membranes. The binding is regulated by bivalent cations and guanine nucleotides. Bivalent cations increase [3H]PIA binding by increasing both the affinity and the apparent number of receptors. Guanine nucleotides decrease agonist binding by increasing the dissociation of the ligand-receptor complex. Adenosine agonists stabilize the high-affinity form of the soluble receptor. The hydrodynamic properties of the adenosine receptor were determined with cholate extracts of membranes that were treated with [3H]PIA. Sucrose-gradient-centrifugation analysis indicates that the receptor has a sedimentation coefficient of 7.7 S. The receptor is eluted from Sepharose 6B columns with an apparent Stokes radius of 7.2 nm. Labelling of either sucrose-gradient or gel-filtration-column fractions with pertussis toxin and [32P]-NAD+ reveals that both the 41,000- and 39,000-Mr substrates overlap with the receptor activity. These studies suggest that the high-affinity adenosine-receptor-binding activity in the cholate extract represents a stable R1-N complex.     

Isolation and properties of an NAD- and guanidine-dependent ADP-ribosyltransferase from turkey erythrocytes

An NAD- and guanidine-dependent ADP-ribosyltransferase has been purified more than 500,000-fold from turkey erythrocytes with an 18% yield. The enzyme in the 100,000 X g supernatant fraction was bound to phenyl-Sepharose, eluted with 50% propylene glycol, and further purified by sequential chromatographic steps on carboxymethylcellulose, NAD-agarose and concanavalin A-agarose. The transferase was specifically eluted from concanavalin A-agarose with alpha-methylmannoside. The enzymatic activity was extremely labile following the first purification step. Both propylene glycol and NaCl stabilized the transferase; significant increases in enzyme recovery were obtained by conducting the NAD- and concanavalin A-agarose chromatography in buffer containing propylene glycol. The purified protein exhibits one predominant protein band on SDS-polyacrylamide gels with an estimated molecular weight of 28,300. On Ultrogel AcA54 chromatography, single coincident peaks of ADP-ribosyltransferase activity and protein were observed. Enzyme activity was independent of DNA; the highly purified transferase was inhibited by thymidine, nicotinamide, and theophylline. The specific activity of the purified enzyme (350 mumol of ADP-ribose transferred from NAD to arginine methyl estermin-1mg-1) is comparable to that reported for purified NAD glycohydrolases and poly(ADP-ribosyl)transferases.     

Hydrodynamic properties of macromolecular complexes. I. Translation

We have developed an improved theory for calculating the translational frictional coefficients of rigid macromolecular complexes composed of unequal spherical subunits. The Yamakawa hydrodynamic interaction tensor, which improves on the Oseen tensor by taking account of the finite sizes of the frictional subunits, has been generalized to accomodate nonidentical subunits. Iterative numerical methods are described for solving the set of simultaneous hydrodynamic interaction equations, thus avoiding preaveraging. The theory is applied to prolate ellipsoids of revolution, to lollipops, and to dumbbells, and comparison is made with earlier, more approximate theories.     

Desensitization of beta-adrenergic stimulated adenylate cyclase in turkey erythrocytes.

Desensitization of catecholamine stimulated adenylate cyclase (AC) activity is demonstrated in membranes derived from turkey erythrocytes pre-treated with isoproterenol. Membranes from desensitized cells had a loss in maximal catecholamine stimulated adenylate cyclase activity of 104 +/- 13 (pmols/mg protein/10', p less than .001) compared with controls. When adenylate cyclase was maximally stimulated with NaF or Gpp(NH)p, the decrements were 84 +/- 19 (p less than .005) and 92 +/- 32 (p less than .05) pmol/mg protein/10' respectively. There was no change in beta-adrenergic receptor number in membranes derived from treated cells. While the molecular mechanism accounting for the desensitization is uncertain, the data is consistent with the hypothesis that there is a lesion distal to the beta-adrenergic receptor, possibly involving the nucleotide site or the catalytic subunit of adenylate cyclase, causing the desensitization in the isoproterenol treated cells.     

Structural and functional studies on insulin receptors from alligator brain and liver

Insulin receptors are present in membranes prepared from Alligator mississippiensis brain and liver. The apparent molecular weight (MW) of the alpha subunits are 132 kDa and 118 kDa in liver and brain respectively. Apparent MW of the beta subunit is 92 kDa in both brain and liver receptors. Despite the structural differences between brain and liver alpha subunits, brain insulin receptors demonstrate the normal coupling between alpha and beta subunits, i.e. following binding of insulin to the alpha subunit the beta subunit undergoes autophophorylation and stimulates tyrosine specific phosphorylation of exogenously added substrates. These findings suggest that functional insulin receptors are evolutionarily well conserved.     

Structural analysis of normal and mutant insulin receptors in fibroblasts cultured from families with leprechaunism.

Leprechaunism is an inherited disorder characterized by insulin resistance and intrauterine growth restriction. In this study we analyze insulin binding and subunit structure of the insulin receptor in dermal fibroblasts cultured from three unrelated families whose probands (Ark-1, Atl, and Minn) were affected by leprechaunism. Cells cultured from all three probands had markedly reduced insulin binding at equilibrium. Fibroblasts cultured from the parents of Ark-1 and Atl had partial and differing degrees of impairment in insulin binding. The structure of the alpha subunit of insulin receptors was analyzed by cross-linking 125I-insulin to plasma membranes. A major band of 350 kilodaltons (kD) (corresponding to the heterotetrameric insulin receptor alpha 2 beta 2) was observed in control and leprechaun fibroblasts. The relative amount of radioactivity cross-linked to plasma membranes reflected the genetic variations seen in insulin binding to intact cells. In reducing gels, 125I-insulin was cross-linked equally to a 250-kD (alpha-alpha dimer) and a 125-kD (alpha monomer) protein in cells from controls, the parents of Ark-1 and Atl, and probands Atl and Minn. By contrast, cells from the Ark-1 proband had diminished cross-linking of alpha-alpha dimers. The ratio of dimer to monomer in cells from controls was 0.93 +/- 0.06, and that in cells from Ark-1 was 0.31 +/- 0.19 (P less than .01). Beta-subunit structure and function was analyzed by studying insulin-enhanced autophosphorylation. Although maximal stimulation of beta-subunit phosphorylation was reduced to 30% in proband Ark-1 fibroblasts, this reduction was quantitatively related to reduced insulin binding. These results indicate that mutations causing severe insulin resistance and defective insulin binding are transmitted with autosomal recessive patterns of inheritance and that heterogeneity exists for these mutations. The mutation in pedigree Ark-1 most likely produces conformational changes in alpha-subunit interaction.     

Immunological relationships between receptors for insulin and insulin-like growth factor I. Evidence for structural heterogeneity of insulin-like growth factor I receptors involving hybrids with insulin receptors.

The receptors for insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are closely related in primary sequence and overall structure. We have examined the immunological relationships between these receptors by testing the reactivity of anti-(insulin receptor) monoclonal antibodies with IGF-I receptors in various tissues and cell lines. Antibodies for six distinct epitopes reacted with a subfraction of IGF-I receptors, as shown by inhibition of 125I-IGF-I binding, precipitation of 125I-IGF-I-receptor complexes or immunodepletion of receptor from tissue extracts before binding assays. Both immunoreactive and non-immunoreactive subfractions displayed the expected properties of 'classical' IGF-I receptors, in terms of relative affinities for IGF-I and insulin. The proportion of total IGF-I receptors which was immunoreactive varied in different cell types, being approx. 40% in Hep G2 cells, 35-40% in placental membranes and 75-85% in IM-9 cells. The immunoreactive fraction was somewhat higher in solubilized receptors than in the corresponding intact cells or membranes. A previously described monoclonal antibody, alpha-IR-3, specific for IGF-I receptors, inhibited IGF-I binding by more than 80% in all preparations. When solubilized placental receptors were pretreated with dithiothreitol (DTT) under conditions reported to reduce intramolecular (class I) disulphide bonds, the immunoreactivity of IGF-I receptors was abolished although total IGF-I binding was little affected. Under the same conditions insulin receptors remained fully immunoreactive. When solubilized receptor preparations were fractionated by gel filtration, both IGF-I and insulin receptors ran as symmetrical peaks of identical mobility. After DTT treatment, the IGF-I receptor was partially converted to a lower molecular mass form which was not immunoreactive. The insulin receptor peak showed a much less pronounced skewing and remained fully immunoreactive in all fractions. It is concluded that the anti- (insulin receptor) antibodies do not react directly with IGF-I receptor polypeptide, and that the apparent immunoreactivity of a subfraction of IGF-I receptors reflects their physical association with insulin receptors, both in cell extracts and in intact cells. The most likely basis for this association appears to be a 'hybrid' receptor containing one half (alpha beta) of insulin receptor polypeptide and the other (alpha' beta') of IGF-I receptor polypeptide within the native (alpha beta beta' alpha') heterotetrameric structure.     

The absence of desensitization in the beta adrenergic receptors of turkey reticulocytes and erythrocytes and its possible origin.

β-adrenergic receptors on turkey erythrocytes and on turkey reticulocytes do not undergo desensitization subsequent to the exposure of the cells to the β-agonist, l-isoproterenol. The increase in the membrane fluidity of the turkey reticulocytes by depleting it of cholesterol does not modify this property of the cells. However, exposure of intact turkey reticulocytes, but not of mature erythrocytes, to dl-propranolol induced a 100% increase in the number of β-adrenergic receptors on the cell surface. This increase is not inhibited by the protein biosynthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. The possible origin of the lack of desensitization in turkey red cells to β-agonists and of the propranolol induced exposure of cryptic receptors is discussed.