Purification and chemical characterization of the major neurotoxin from the venom of Pelamis plautrus.

A major toxin was isolated from the venom of the sea snake Pelamis platurus (yellow-bellied sea snake) by Sephadex G-50 and carboxymethylcellulose column chromatography. The LD50 of the pure toxin (Pelamis toxin a) was 0.044 mug/g in mice representing a tenfold increase in toxicity after purification. The toxin was homogeneous in acrylamide disc gel electrophoresis and eluted as a single peak after isoelectric focusing in a sucrose density gradient column. The isoelectric point was 9.69; thus it is a highly basic protein. The toxin contained 55 amino acid residues with four disulfide linkages. When all disulfide linkages were reduced and alkylated, the toxic action of the pure toxin disappeared leading to the conclusion that the disulfide bonds of the neurotoxin were essential for toxic action.     

Purification and characterization of the larvicidal toxin of Bacillus sphaericus 1593M

We present here a procedure for purifying the larvicidal toxin from sporulating cells of Bacillus sphaericus 1593M and describe some of the biochemical and biophysical properties of this toxin. The procedure involves solubilization of the cell-wall/membrane bound toxin by sonication of cells followed by repeated rounds of freezing and thawing at 50 degrees C. Further purification involved Sephadex G-100 and DEAE Sephacel chromatography. We show by Sephadex G-100 chromatography that at pH 7.5 the smallest active form of the toxin has an Mr of 38,000 and that this toxin can reversibly aggregate to molecular forms of a size higher than 2 X 10(5) Mr. By shifting the pH from 7.5 to 8.5 only the aggregated forms can be observed.     

Staphylococcal toxic shock exotoxin (its isolation and characteristics)

The method for obtaining the preparation of toxic shock exotoxin (TSE) has been developed. This method comprises the following operations: the sorption of the toxin from the culture fluid on Amberlite CG-50, elution, dialysis, gel chromatography in a column with biogel P-2, isoelectric focusing, and gel chromatography in a column with Sephadex G-75. TSE is a relatively thermostable protein with a molecular weight of 24,000. Its isoelectric point is 7.2. Monospecific antiserum to TSE with precipitating antibody titer equal to 1:16, identical to the reference serum (M. S. Bergdoll), has been prepared. This antiserum has shown no cross reactions with the homogeneous preparations of staphylococcal enterotoxins.     

Studies of an acidic cardiotoxin isolated from the venom of Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus).

A major lethal protein was isolated from the venom of Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) by successive purification in DEAE column chromatography and isoelectric focusing. This homogeneous and monomeric form of toxin is designated as "Mojave toxin". Unlike basic neurotoxins or cytotoxins isolated from venoms of cobras, kraits and sea snakes, the Mojave toxin is an acidic protein with an isoelectric point of 4.7. The toxin is also different from crotoxin (from Crotalus durissus terrificus) which consists of both acidic and basic components. The molecular weight determined by Sephadex G-75 column chromatography resulted in a value of about 22 000. A singel protein band with a molecular weight of about 12 000, was observed after sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of the reduced Mojave toxin. Isoelectric focusing gel in the presence of 8 M urea also showed a single protein band, suggesting that the toxin is composed of subunits. Unlike the neurotoxic nature of the basic proteins from the venoms of Elapidae and sea snakes (Hydrophiidae) and crotoxin, Mojave toxin is cardiotoxic rather than neurotoxic. It is very likely that venoms of all rattlesnakes from North and Central America contain Mojave toxin as the common toxin.     

Introduction of Additional Charges as an Aid in Protein Purification: Isolation of Elongation Factor 2 from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius by Preparative Isoelectric Focusing Before and After ADP-Ribosylation

Diphtheria toxin catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation of elongation factor 2 (EF-2) in eukaryotes and archaebacteria. As the reaction is strictly EF-2 specific and introduces two negative charges into the molecule, the resulting shift in the isoelectric point (pI) by 0.2 pH units was used to establish a new purification method for EF-2 from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. The cells were lysed with dithiothreitol at pH 9 and EF-2 was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, and three isoelectric focusing steps. The EF-2-containing fractions from the first isoelectric focusing step at pH 4-9 were refocused in a more narrow pH-gradient (pH 5-7). The EF-2 peak from the second step was eluted, collecting only the fractions above the pH region where ADP-ribosylated EF-2 would focus. The EF-2 was then ADP-ribosylated with diphtheria toxin and NAD and subjected to further isoelectric focusing (pH 5-7). The EF-2 was almost homogeneous since ADP-ribosylation had shifted it into a region of the pH gradient free of contaminating proteins. Diphtheria toxin was immobilized on CNBr-activated Sepharose to prevent a possible contamination by proteins from the diphtheria toxin preparation which might have the same pI as ADP-ribosylated EF-2. Finally, the ADP-ribosyl group was removed by equilibrium dialysis using diphtheria toxin and nicotinamide at pH 6.3. The obtained EF-2 was active in protein synthesis.     

Studies on κ-Casein of Bovine Milk

κ-Caseins were prepared by the calciurn-ethanol method, the Sephadex method and the urea-sulfuric acid method. Some important properties of κ-caseins were investigated using isoelectric focusing, starch gel electrophoresis, ultracentrifugation, chemical analysis, stabilization test of α_s-casein, and rennin treatment. Isoelectric focusing established that κ-casein had its isoelectric point near pH 6.0 in 6 m urea, usually accompanied by a second peak around pH 5.6. Ultracentrifugation, however, showed a single peak having a s_20,w value of 2.6 ~ 3.8 in the presence of 6 m urea and of 14.4 in the absence of such dispersing reagents. Normal contents of hexose, sialic acid, phosphorus, and nitrogen were about 1.5, 0.8, 0.2, and 14%, respectively. Relative patterns of amino acid composition were similar in all of the κ-caseins. In addition, amino acid composition in intact κ-casein and in the further purified κ-casein which formed the second peak in DEAE cellulose chromatography were almost identical, indicating that the κ-casein of the first peak is not an impurity but is one of the components which formed the original κ-casein complexes. The ability of κ-caseins to stabilize α_s-casein in the presence of calcium increased when purified by DEAE cellulose chromatography.     

Purification and some physicochemical properties of staphylococcal enterotoxin D.

A method was developed for the isolation of staphylococcal enterotoxin D in highly purified form from cultures of Staphylococcus aureus strain 1151m. The method involves removal of the toxin from the culture supernatant fluid with the ion-exchange resin CG-50 followed by chromatography on carboxymethylcellulose (twice) and by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 (twice). The purified toxin is homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and double gel diffusion tests. It is a simple, colorless, antigenic protein with an isoelectric point of 7.4 as determined by isoelectric focusing. Its molecular weight was determined to be 27 300 +/- 700 by molecular sieve chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Its serological activity is stable over a wide range of pH values (1.2--10.7). The enterotoxin consists of 236 amino acid residues and contains no free sulfhydryl groups. End-group analysis showed serine to be the NH2-terminal amino acid and lysine to be the COOH-terminal amino acid.     

Purification and properties of a presynaptically acting neurotoxin, mandaratoxin, from hornet (Vespa mandarinia)

A hornet (Vespa mandarinia) neurotoxin, mandaratoxin (MDTX), was purified by simple procedures with column chromatography made on Sephadex G-50 and CM-Sephadex by using an acetate buffer. The molecular weight of homogeneous MDTX was calculated to be approximately 20000 by gel filtration, NaDodSO4 disc gel electrophoresis, and amino acid analysis. MDTX is a single-chain polypeptide. MDTX did not migrate electrophoretically in a basic buffer at pH 8.3 but did so when the buffer was acidic, at pH 4.3. The isoelectric point of the toxin was determined at 9.1 by isoelectric focusing. A relatively high amount of lysine was found in the amino acid analysis. A280nm1% was 15.1. Glucosamine and galactosamine were not detectable by amino acid analysis. MDTX had neither hemolytic nor enzymatic activity. The toxin was heat labile. By use of neuromuscular junctions of a lobster walking leg, it was found that the nanomole range of MDTX irreversibly blocked the excitatory postsynaptic potential without appreciable change in the resting conductance of the postsynaptic membrane. Intracellular recording from the presynaptic nerve fiber showed that MDTX blocked the action potential mainly by reducing the sodium current.     

Purification and properties of chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydratase and prephenate dehydrogenase from Alcaligenes eutrophus.

Chorismate mutase and prephenate dehydratase from Alcaligenes autophus H16 were purified 470-fold with a yield of 24%. During the course of purification, including chromatography on diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose, phenylalanine-substituted Sepharose, Sephadex G-200 and hydrogyapatite, both enzymes appeared in association. The ratio of their specific activities remained almost constant. The molecular weight of chorismate mutase-prephenast dehydratase varied from 144,000 to 187,000 due to the three different determination methods used. Treatment of electrophoretically homogeneous mutase-dehydratase with sodium dodecyl sulfate dissociated the enzyme into a single component of molecular weight 47,000, indicating a tetramer of identical subunits. The isoelectric point of the bifunctional enzyme was 5.8. Prephenate dehydrogenase was not associated with other enzyme activities; it was separated from mutasedehydratase by DEAE-cellulose chromatgraphy. Chromatography on DEAE Sephadex, Sephadex G-200, and hydroxyapatite resulted in a 740-fold purification with a yield of 10%. The molecular weight of the enzyme was 55,000 as determined by sucrose gradient centrifugation and 65,000 as determined by gel filtration or electrophoresis. Its isoelectric point was pH 6.6. In the overall conversion of chorismate to phenylpyruvate, free prephenate was formed which accumulated in the reaction mixture. The dissociation of prephenate allowed prephenate dehydrogenase to compete with prephenate dehydratase for the substrate.     

Isolation and properties of highly purified C1. botulinum toxin type E]

A new method of isolation of highly purified Cl. botulinum toxin of E type from the cultural fluid of strain 188 centrifugates was developed. The method allows to isolate the toxin both in a precursor and in activated forms with a yield of 10--15%. The method includes fractionation by ammonium sulfate, ultrafiltration and subsequent column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Sephadex G-200 and DEAE-Sephadex A-50. The preparations were found homogeneous during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation in agar with antitoxic horse serum. The potential specific toxicity of the preparations is 1--1,2.10(7) DLM/mg of protein. The molecular weight of the toxin is about 160 000; the molar extinction coefficient is equal to 278 nm. The isoelectric point lies around pH 6.0. The highly purified Cl. botulinum toxin of E type was found stable upon storage.     

Dog renal kallikrein: purification and some properties.

The contents of kallikrein [EC 3.4.21.8] in the kidneys of various animals were estimated and the activity was found to be most potent in dogs. The dog renal kallikrein (DRK) was located mainly in the kidney cortex. Following the activation of a dog kidney cortex homogenate with acetone, kallikrein was purified about 2,000-fold with an overall yield of 18% by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose adsorption, acetone fractionation, and chromatography on Sephadex G-75 and DEAE-Sephadex A-50. The final purified preparation of dog renal kallikrein had a vasodilator activity of 65.5 KU per A280, and appeared to be homogeneous both in disc electrophoresis and ultracentrifugal analysis. Its molecular weight was estimated to be approximately 3.8 X 10(4) from the sedimentation coefficient obtained by ultracentrifugation, and by Sephadex gel filtration. However, isoelectric fractionation of the purified DRK preparation gave three isoelectric point, 3.9, 4.1, and 4.3. The DRK had an optimum pH of about 8.6 and was stable at pH 8. This enzyme was hardly inhibited by Trasylol, soybean trypsin inhibitor, ovomucoid trypsin inhibitor or potato kallikrein inhibitors. These properties were compared with those of kallikrein from other sources; DRK appeared to be similar to urinary kallikrein.     

A selective extraction of growth hormone from bovine pituitary gland and its further purification and crystallization

A highly efficient method for the isolation of bovine growth hormone (GH) is described. The method is based on selective extraction of GH from 15,000 g subcellular sediment of anterior pituitary gland with 130-150 mM NH4HCO3, 1 mM EGTA, pH 7.2-7.4, at 2-6 degrees C for 60 min, purification of the extracted GH by ammonium sulfate fractionation, one-step ion-exchange column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose (or CM-cellulose), and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. This 2-3 day procedure provides a highly pure hormone in high yield (up to 70-80 mg per 35-40 g of the whole pituitary gland), which can be crystallized by the batch method at a low ionic strength and isoelectric pH.     

杂色云芝组成型漆酶Ⅰ的纯化和底物专一性

采用合成培养基培养杂色云芝As5 4 8,从发酵液中纯化出一种组成型漆酶同功酶Ⅰ .经超滤浓缩 ,DEAE SephadexA 5 0离子交换层析 ,Bio gelP 10 0凝胶过滤纯化了该酶 .SDS PAGE分析发现 ,该酶分子量为 6 8kD ,薄层等电聚焦测得等电点为 3 5 .漆酶Ⅰ的底物范围较宽 ,以O2 为电子受体 ,可以氧化多种木素单体模型物 ,包括 2 ,6 二甲氧基酚 ,2 ,2′ 联氮 二 (3 乙基 苯并噻唑 6 磺酸 )(ABTS) ,愈创木酚 ,咖啡酸 ,阿魏酸和邻联茴香胺 .结果表明 ,该酶在木质素的生物降解中可能有重要的作用和应用价值 .     

Production and purification ofStaphylococcus aureus toxic-shock toxin

Staphylococcus aureus strain 5761, isolated from a patient with toxic-shock syndrome, was used for the production of toxic-shock toxin. The medium used contained 4% bio-Trypcase and 1% yeast extract adjusted to pH 7. Production of 50 μg of toxic-shock toxin/ml of culture supernatant was obtained. The purification method involves removal of the toxin from the culture supernatant with Biorex 70 resin and purification by isoelectric focusing, on 2% (pH 3–10) ampholine-sucrose gradients, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. Three antigenically similar entities were isolated after electrofocusing, with a major component at isoionic point pH 7.4. The purified toxin migrated as a homogeneous protein with a molecular weight of 23,700 when tested by gel electrophoresis. Specific antibodies to toxic-shock toxin in rabbits were obtained after one subcutaneous injection of 5 μg enterotoxin.     

Purification and characterization of Enterobacter sakazakii enterotoxin

Enterobacter sakazakii has recently been recognized as an often fatal neonatal pathogen that rarely infects adults. Although not much is known about factors involved in its pathogenicity, the organism has been reported to produce enterotoxin. Currently, no information is available in the literature about the production and characterization of the enterotoxin. This report is the first attempt regarding purification and biochemical characterization of the enterotoxin produced from E. sakazakii. The toxin was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, followed by DEAE cellulose ion exchange and desalting by Sephadex G-100. The 66 kDa toxin was most active at pH 6 and was stable at 90 degrees C for 30 min. This stability combined with the potent activity of the toxin (LD50 = 56 pg) emphasizes the potential risk to neonates fed infant milk formula contaminated with E. sakazakii. Further detailed molecular biological studies on the toxin are warranted in view of its stability and activity.     

An improved procedure for the isolation of glia maturation factor

A procedure for the bulk isolation of glia maturation factor (GMF) in high yield and high purity from bovine brains is outlined. The method involves extraction by homogenization and centrifugation, followed by ammonium sulfate precipitation and column chromatography with diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) Sephacel, Sephadex G-75, and hydroxylapatite. The method results in a 10,000-fold purification, a purity exceeding that of previously published procedures, and enables us to handle as much as 2.8 kg brain tissue or eight brains/week. The ability to mass-produce GMF with this method greatly facilitates its biological studies, further purification, and chemical characterization. The isolated GMF shows a molecular weight of 13,000 on Bio-gel P-30 column and an isoelectric point of about 5.4 on isoelectric focusing. The isolated GMF is heat labile and susceptible to papain and ficin but relatively resistant to trypsin, neuraminidase, and endoglycosidase.     

层析法纯化破伤风毒素的试验研究

为了获得高纯度的破伤风毒素,用疏水层析和离子交换层析纯化破伤风毒素。破伤风毒素培养滤液经Phenyl Sepharose疏水层析除去大部分杂质,再经DEAE Sephadex离子交换层析进一步纯化。经两步层析纯化后,毒素纯度达到2000Lf/mg PN以上,回收率为52%~73%。用此方法,连续纯化五批毒素,均获得高纯度的破伤风毒素。试验证明破伤风毒素经疏水层析和离子交换层析可得到有效纯化。     

Purification and characterization of two extracellular beta-glucosidases from Trichoderma reesei.

A major beta-glucosidase I and a minor beta-glucosidase II were purified from culture filtrates of the fungus Trichoderma reesei grown on wheat straw. The enzymes were purified using CM-Sepharose CL-6B cation-exchange and DEAE Bio-Gel A anion-exchange chromatography steps, followed by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. The isolated enzymes were homogeneous in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. beta-Glucosidase I (71 kDa) was isoelectric at pH 8.7 and contained 0.12% carbohydrate; beta-glucosidase II (114 kDa) was isoelectric at pH 4.8 and contained 9.0% carbohydrate. Both enzymes catalyzed the hydrolysis of cellobiose and p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside (pNPG). The Km and kcat/Km values for cellobiose were 2.10 mM, 2.45.10(4) s-1 M-1 (beta-glucosidase I) and 11.1 mM, 1.68.10(3) s-1 M-1 (beta-glucosidase II). With pNPG as substrate the Km and kcat/Km values were 182 microM, 7.93.10(5) s-1 M-1 (beta-glucosidase I) and 135 microM, 1.02.10(6) s-1 M-1 (beta-glucosidase II). The temperature optimum was 65-70 degrees C for beta-glucosidase I and 60 degrees C for beta-glucosidase II, the pH optimum was 4.6 and 4.0, respectively. Several inhibitors were tested for their action on both enzymes. beta-Glucosidase I and II were competitively inhibited by desoxynojirimycin, gluconolactone and glucose.     

Purification and Properties of Clostridium botulinum Type F Toxin

Clostridium botulinum type F toxin of proteolytic Langeland strain was purified. Toxin in whole cultures was precipitated with (NH₄)₂SO₄. Extract of the precipitate was successively chromatographed on diethylaminoethyl-cellulose at pH 6.0, O-(carboxymethyl) cellulose at pH 4.9, Sephadex G-200 at pH 8.1, quaternary aminoethyl-Sephadex at pH 4.9, and finally diethylaminoethyl-cellulose at pH 8.1. The procedure recovered 14% of the toxin assayed in the starting culture. The toxin was homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, double gel diffusion serology, and isoelectric focusing. Purified toxin had a molecular weight of 150,000 by gel filtration and 155,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Specific toxicity was 9.6 × 10⁶ mean lethal doses per absorbancy (278 nm) unit. Sub-units of 105,000 and 56,000 molecular weight are found when purified toxin is treated with a disulfide reducing agent and electrophoresed on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Reciprocal cross neutralizations were demonstrated when purified type F and E toxins were reacted with antitoxins which were obtained with immunizing toxoids prepared with purified toxins.     

Hypolipidemic effects of orally administered dextran and cellulose anion exchangers in cockerels and dogs

Various cellulose and dextran anion exchangers bind bile salts in vitro under conditions of pH and ionic strength resembling those in the lumen of the small intestine. Of these substances, diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose, guanidoethyl cellulose, and DEAE Sephadex reduced hypercholesterolemia when added to the diet of cholesterol-fed cockerels. In addition, DEAE Sephadex reduced serum sterols in normocholesterolemic cockerels and dogs, lowered serum phospholipids and triglycerides in cholesterol-fed hypercholesterolemic cockerels and in normocholesterolemic dogs, and increased fecal excretion of bile acids in hypercholesterolemic cockerels. The data indicate that these insoluble cationic polymers exert their hypocholesterolemic effects by interrupting the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids.