Disassembly and reassembly in vitro of complexes of secretory proteins from Chironomus tentans salivary glands

The secretory proteins of Chironomus tentans larvae form insoluble fibers that are spun into threads used to construct underwater feeding and pupation tubes. We began in vitro studies of the mechanism of assembly into fibers, the structure of the assembled proteins, and the contribution of individual proteins to the assembled structure. From measurements of turbidity and electron micrographs, we observed that the secretory proteins were isolated as complexes. These complexes are most likely at initial stages of assembly; further assembly into insoluble fibers must occur in vivo. Denaturation and reduction disrupted the complexes, and removal of the denaturing and reducing agents resulted in reassembly of the complexes. The circular dichroic spectrum of the complexes indicated that the assembled proteins had the tertiary structure alpha + beta. The largest secretory proteins were purified and shown to have both similar morphology, using electron microscopy, and a similar dichroic spectrum to that of the native complexes. We concluded that the large secretory proteins form the fibrous backbone of the complexes that we observe.     

Structure of the smallest salivary-gland secretory protein gene in Chironomus tentans

The salivary gland secretion in the dipteran Chironomus tentans is composed of approximately 15 different secretory proteins. The most well known of the corresponding genes are the four closely related Balbiani ring (BR) genes, in which the main part of each approximately 40-kb gene is composed of tandemly arranged repetitive units. Six of the seven additional secretory protein genes described share structural similarities with the BR genes and are members of the same BR multigene family. Here we report the identification of a new secretory protein gene, the spl2 gene, encoding the smallest component of the C. tentans salivary gland secretion. The gene has a corresponding mRNA length of approximately 0.7 kb and codes for a protein with a calculated molecular weight of 7,619 Da. The sp12 gene was characterized in seven Chironomus species. Based on a comparison of the orthologous gene sequences, we conclude that the sp12 gene has a repetitive structure consisting of diverged 21-by-long repeats. The repeat structure and the codon composition are similar to the so-called SR regions of the BR genes and the sp 12 gene may represent a diverged member of the BR multigene family. Correspondence to: L. Wieslander     

Correlated changes in steady-state levels of Balbiani ring mRNAs and secretory polypeptides in salivary glands of Chironomus tentans

Balbiani rings (BRs) on polytenized chromosomes in Chironomid salivary glands contain members of a homologous multigene family that encodes a family (the sp-I family) of high M _r secretory polypeptides. Each of these BR genes is comprised largely of tandemly duplicated core repeat sequences consisting of related constant (C) regions and intergenically divergent subrepeat (SR) regions. A set of oligodeoxyribonucleotide probes were synthesized that correspond to the transcribed strand of the SR region of BR1, BR2, BR2/, and BR6 core repeats. Under a defined set of conditions, it was possible to show that each oligonucleotide probe hybridized exclusively to its cognate repeat type without hybridization to other repeat types in cloned DNA templates. These BR probes were then used in dotblot hybridization experiments to simultaneously follow alterations in the steady-state level of BR mRNAs in response to prolonged exposure of larvae to galactose. The results indicated that the relative amounts of these four BR mRNAs may change in a noncoordinate manner. These BR probes were also used in experiments to compare simultaneously the salivary gland content of sp-I components and specific BR mRNAs in larvae that exhibited naturally occurring or induced alterations in BR gene expression. A correlation was found which suggested that sp-Ia is encoded in a gene comprised of BR1 repeats, sp-Ib is encoded by BR2 repeats, sp-Ic is encoded by BR6 repeats and sp-Id is encoded by BR2 repeats.     

Phosphate incorporation into secretory protein of Chironomus salivary glands occurs during translation

The Balbiani rings (BR) in Chironomus salivary gland cells code for giant secretory proteins, the sp-I family. During normal growth conditions the phosphorylated proteins sp-Ia and sp-Ib are formed with most phosphate present as phosphoserine. We can show that most if not all incorporation of ³²P into sp-I occurs in parallel with the incorporation of [³⁵S]-methionine in the giant polysomes that form sp-I and contain BR-derived mRNA. We suggest that the main function of phosphorylation of sp-Ia and sp-Ib is to provide charge neutralization of an excess of lysine and arginine residues and is therefore required during early stages of protein folding. This view is supported by the previous observation that glutamic (and aspartic) acid largely substitute for phosphoserine in a non-phosphorylated member of the sp-I family, sp-Ic, which is produced during phosphate starvation.     

Structural analysis of a developmentally regulated 25-kDa protein gene of Sarcophaga peregrina

In the previous paper, we described the identification of two abundant mRNAs of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh-fly) which are selectively expressed in the fat body of middle third instar larvae. One of these mRNAs was found to encode a protein with a molecular mass of about 25,000 (25-kDa protein) when translated in vitro (Tamura, H., et al. (1983) Dev. Biol. 99, 145-151). Present paper reports the nucleotide sequence of a 2.3 kb DNA containing the entire gene for the 25-kDa protein. This gene consisted of four exons and contained an open reading frame for 184 amino acids. A CAT box and a TATA box were found in the 5'-flanking sequence. A poly A addition signal of AATAAA was assigned to the non-coding region in the fourth exon. A sequence having 75% homology with SV40 enhancer core sequence was identified in the non-coding region of the first exon.     

Balbiani ring 3 in Chironomus tentans encodes a 185-kDa secretory protein which is synthesized throughout the fourth larval instar

We have continued to map and identify genes encoding a family of secretory proteins. These proteins are synthesized in larval salivary glands of the midge, Chironomus tentans, and assemble in vivo into insoluble silk-like threads. The genes for several secretory proteins exist in Balbiani rings (BRs) on salivary-gland polytene chromosomes. A randomly primed cDNA clone, designated pCt185, hybridized in situ to BR3 and was shown on Northern blots to originate from a salivary gland-specific 6-kb poly(A) + RNA. The partial cDNA sequence contained 483 nucleotides including one open reading frame (ORF) encoding 160 amino acids (aa). A striking feature of the ORF was the periodic distribution of cysteine residues (Cys-X-Cys-X-Cys-X6-Cys) which occurred approximately every 22 aa. A cDNA-encoded 18-aa sequence was selected for chemical peptide synthesis. When affinity-purified antipeptide antibodies were incubated with a Western blot containing salivary-gland proteins they reacted specifically with a 185-kDa secretory protein (sp185). Developmental studies showed that sp185 and its mRNA were present in salivary glands throughout the fourth larval instar. Thus sp185 and a family of 1000-kDa secretory proteins are encoded by a class of genes that are expressed throughout the fourth instar. This contrasts with the developmentally regulated expression of the sp140 and sp195 genes whose expression is maximal during the prepupal stages of larval development.     

Correlated changes of Balbiani ring expansion and secretory protein synthesis in larval salivary glands ofChironomus tentans

Salivary glands of various stages of the last larval instar ofChironomus tentans were quantitatively analyzed with respect to the expansion of their Balbiani rings (B1, B2, B3) by a fast green staining procedure as well as to the rate of synthesis of their secretory proteins (S1, S2, S3) by a scintillation counting procedure of electrophoretic fractions. The extent of expansion of B1, B2 and B3 correlates positively with the rate of synthesis of S3, S2 and S1, respectively. With B1 and S3 these parameters undergo a parallel and developmentally specific change being rather depressed in intermolt, and particularly in diapausing animals.The material published in this paper is taken from the unpublished Doctorate Thesis of W. Pankow (1973): Entwicklungsspezifische Balbianiring-Aktivität und Sekretproteinsynthese in Speicheldrüsen von Chironomus tentans. Diss-Nr. 5166. Eidgenöss. Techn. Hochschule, Zürich; pp. 1–60. However, parts of it have been evaluated or presented in a different form     

Identification of Ca2+ release channels in salivary glands secretory cells of Chironomus plumosus L

The presence of two types of well-characterised Ca2+ release channels, namely IP3-receptors (Ins(1,4,5)P3Rs) and ryanodine-receptors (RyRs), was detected in the salivary glands secretory cells of Chironomus plumosus L. For this aim different blockators and activators of these Ca2+ -transport systems were used. The conditions for permeabilization of these cells by saponine were experimentally chosen for their more intensive action. It was shown that IP3 decreased calcium content in saponine-treated gland tissue by (41.14 +/- 11.75)%. The effect of IP3 was not observed under condition of heparin and eosin Y presence in the incubation medium, but heparin alone did not cause any action on calcium content in saponine-treated gland tissue. The observed effects of IP3 are supposed to be the evidences of Ins (1,4,5)P3Rs presence in the intracellular membrane of this object. It was also shown that calcium content in intact gland tissue increased by (67.12 +/- 22.60)% in presence of heparin (500 mkg/ml) in the incubation medium. This effect of heparin was also observed with presence of verapamil (100 mkM) and eosin Y (5, 20 mkM) in incubation medium. So, this effect is not connected with function of voltage-gated Ca2+ -channels and Ca2+ -pumps. Ryanodine in concentration of 5nM decreased calcium content in saponine-treated gland tissue by (35.18 +/- 3.87)% but it caused the increase of calcium content at high concentration (500 nM) by (40.72 +/- 12.52)%. It improved the presence of RyRs in intracellular membrane of secretory cells of this object. Besides, these channels, perhaps, belong to "non-sensitive" to caffeine, because caffeine did not affect calcium content in the gland tissue neither in presence nor with absence of eosin Y.     

Isolation and characterization of the two giant secretory proteins in salivary gland of Chironomus tentans.

The two giant secretory proteins, sp-Ia and sp-Ib, in salivary-gland cells of the larva of the fly Chironomus tentans, were isolated by preparative gel electrophoresis and characterized chemically. Their amino acid compositions are dominated by polar amino acids, with about 30% of basic amino acid residues. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis of sp-Ia and sp-Ib provided evidence that they share antigenic determinants. They also have major methionine-containing tryptic peptides in common. CNBr cleavage of sp-Ib gives a small number of low-Mr fragments, indicating that this protein has a repetitive structure.     

The giant secretory proteins of Chironomus tentans salivary glands: the organization of their primary structure,their amino acid and carbohydrate composition

It is generally accepted that the giant secretory proteins of the larval salivary glands of Chironomus tentans are encoded by genes located in Balbiani rings (1 and 2). The major part of the DNA of these genes consists of tandem repeats of 200–240 base pair (bp). It was investigated whether this repetitive sequence arrangement is also expressed at the level of the gene products, the giant secretory proteins (SPs). These proteins were partially digested by an endogenous protease or by papain. It was found that SP Ia and Ib (nomenclature: Rydlander and Edström 1980) contain a repetitive primary structure over much of their length. The basic repeat unit is 18,000 daltons. Amino acid analysis of SP I (a+b) revealed a biased distribution which is characteristic for structural proteins. Studies of the carbohydrate composition of SP I (a+b) revealed an unexpectedly high total sugar content of 17.4% (w/w). It was composed of N-acetylglucosamine, glucose, mannose, and galactose in a ratio of 3.4∶6.3∶3.2∶1.0.     

Large-sized polysomes in Chironomus tentans salivary glands and their relation to Balbiani ring 75S RNA

Polysomes from the salivary glands of Chironomus tentans were investigated to determine whether Balbiani ring 75S RNA is incorporated into polysomal structures, and thus probably acts as messenger RNA. A new extraction technique for obtaining ribonucleoproteins was applied that gives a high yield of polysomes with only moderate degradation of the cytoplasmic, high molecular weight RNA. The polysomes sedimented in a broad region (200-2,000S) with a peak value of about 700S, which suggested that they were partly of very large sizes. This was confirmed by visualization of the polysomes in the electron microscope: 400S polysomes contained mainly 11-16 ribosomes, and 1,500S polysomes about 60 ribosomes per polysome. However, polysomes containing 100 or more ribosomes were also observed. It was further established that most of the cytoplasmic 75S RNA was located in polysomes, preferentially in the most rapidly sedimenting ones. From the available information on Balbiani ring RNA in cytoplasm and the present demonstration of 75S RNA molecules in polysomes, it was concluded that at least some Balbiani ring RNA, generated as 75S RNA within the Balbiani rings, eventually enters polysomes without being measurably changed in size. The present information on the potential amino acid coding sequences in 75S RNA is discussed in relation to the large size of the polysomes observed.