Studies on NADPH-cytochrome c reductase I: Isolation and several properties of the crystalline enzyme from ale yeast.

NADPH-cytochrome c reductase has been isolated from a top-fermenting ale yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Narragansett strain), after ca. a 240-fold purification over the initial extract of an acetone powder, with a final specific activity (at pH 7.6, 30 °C) of ca. 150 μmol cytochrome c reduced min^?1mg^?1 protein. The preparation appears to be homogeneous by the criteria of: sedimentation velocity; electrophoresis on cellulose acetate in buffers above neutrality; and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Although the reductase appeared to partially separate into species “A” and “B” on DEAE-cellulose at pH 8.8, the two species have proven to be indistinguishable electrophoretically (above pH 8) and by sedimentation. By sedimentation equilibrium at 20 °C, a molecular weight of ca. 6.8 (± 0.4) × 10⁴ was obtained with use of a $\text{V}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{20\; °}}\text{= 0.741}$ calculated from its amino acid composition. After disruption in 4 m guanidinium chloride- 10 mm dithioerythritol- 1 mm EDTA, pH 6.4 at 20 °C, an $\text{M}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>r</mtext>}}$ of 3.4 (± 0.1) × 10⁴ resulted, which points to a subunit structure of two polypeptide chains per mole. Confirmatory evidence of the two-subunit structure with similar, if not identical, polypeptide chains was obtained by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in dodecyl-sulfate, after disruption in 4 m urea and 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate, and yielded a subunit molecular weight of ca. 4 × 10⁴. Sulfhydryl group titration with 4,4′-dithiodipyridine under acidic conditions revealed one sulfhydryl group per monomer, which apparently is necessary for the catalytic reduction of cytochrome c. NADPH, as well as FAD, protects this-SH group from reaction with 5,5′-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoate). The visible absorption spectrum of the oxidized enzyme (as prepared) has absorption maxima at 383 and 455 nm, typical of a flavoprotein. Flavin analysis (after dissociation by thermal denaturation of the “A” protein) conducted fluorometrically, revealed the presence of 2.0 mol of FAD per 70,000 g, in confirmation of the deduced subunit structure. The identity of the FAD dissociated from either “A” or “B” protein was confirmed by recombination with apo-d-amino acid oxidase and by thin-layer chromatography. A kinetic approach was used to estimate the dissociation constant for either FAD or FMN (which also yields a catalytically active enzyme) to the apoprotein reductase at 30 °C and pH 7.6 (0.05 m phosphate) and yielded values of 4.7 × 10^?8m for FAD and 4.4 × 10^?8m for FMN.     

Canine erythrocyte pyruvate kinase. I. Properties of the normal enzyme

We have compared the kinetic, immunological, and electrophoretic properties of human and canine erythrocyte pyruvate kinase. Both enzymes are allosteric and subject to positive and negative regulation. The allosteric properties of the canine enzyme are more pronounced than those of the human enzyme; however, the properties of both enzymes are consistent with a regulatory function in the glycolytic pathway of their respective erythrocytes. Antiserum against the human enzyme gives precipitin lines of partial identity between the human and canine enzymes on immunodiffusion. The anti-human serum inactivates the enzymatic activity of both enzymes, although it is more effective against the human enzyme than the canine. The two enzymes have slightly different mobilities on starch gel electrophoresis. While we have demonstrated differences between erythrocyte pyruvate kinase from dogs and that from humans, we conclude that the enzymes are sufficiently similar in properties and function to allow use of the dog as a model for human erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency.     

Studies on the coagulant enzyme from Agkistrodon rhodostoma venom. Isolation and some properties of the enzyme

1. Arvin, a commercial preparation of the coagulant activity from the venom of Agkistrodon rhodostoma, is shown to contain a non-coagulant caseinolytic fraction. 2. A method is described for the purification of the coagulant enzyme free from any detectable contaminating protein. 3. The coagulant enzyme is identified as a glycoprotein which probably consists of a single polypeptide chain containing approx. 29% by weight of carbohydrate. Amino acid and carbohydrate analyses are reported and the N- and C-terminal amino acid residues identified. 4. Electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel reveals the polymorphic nature of the glycoprotein. Five forms of the enzyme are observed. 5. The coagulant action is correlated with an arginine esterase activity and kinetic properties are studied with both arginine and lysine esters as substrates. The inhibitory nature of guanidine and arginine toward the esterase activity is reported.     

Studies on blood serum beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases from several mammalian species--separation of different enzyme forms.

1. The beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases studied from peripheral blood sera have the following activities: 55.6 mU/ml in Bos taurus L. (bull, "Morucha" race), 31.3 mU/ml in Sus scropha var. domestica L. (pig) and 3.7 mU/ml in Capra hircus L. (goat). 2. The pH optima of the enzymes are 4.5 for Bos taurus L. and Sus scropha L., and 5.0 for Capra hircus L. 3. Two enzyme forms, A and B, have been separated from Bos taurus L. and Capra hircus L. sera by DEAE-cellulose chromatography; and three forms, A, B and S, from Sus scropha L. serum. 4. The B forms are more heat-stable than the A and the S forms. The S form has intermediate heat-stability between the A and the B forms.     

Isolation and properties of lipoproteins from normal rat serum

Three major classes of lipoproteins (VLDL, d <1.006; LDL, d 1.006-1.040; HDL, d 1.063-1.21) were isolated by ultracentrifugal flotation from the serum of normal male Sprague-Dawley rats. Their physical, chemical, and immunological properties were analyzed and compared with those of their water-soluble, essentially lipid-free derivatives. Studies were also carried out on the d > 1.21 fractions. Each product was found to have distinct characteristics, and this was also indicated by spectral analyses carried out by the techniques of circular dichroism and UV absorption spectroscopy. The results provided evidence for the mutual role of the protein and lipids in determining the structure, and perhaps the immunological specificity, of serum lipoproteins.     

Studies on the stability of creatine kinase isozymes.

Research on the stabilizing properties of creatine kinase isozymes CK-BB, CK-MB, and CK-MM showed that minor alteration of their sequence and structure influenced their stability significantly. An analysis of the stability of the isozymes in storage after freeze drying indicates that creatine kinase isozymes are all in monomer form because of the loss of subunit interactions. Freeze-drying leads to the oxidization of CK-BB and rearrangement of CK-MB. There are also differences in the unfolding of the isozymes in urea. CK-BB and CK-MB are unfolded in lower urea concentrations than CK-MM. Differences in the thermal unfolding were also examined by differential scanning calorimetry. This paper discusses the potential biological significance of these results.     

Studies on adenosine triphosphate transphosphorylases. XVII. A physicochemical comparison of the ATP-creatine transphosphorylase (creatine kinase) isozymes from man,calf, and rabbit

All of the creatine kinase isozymes from human, calf, and rabbit brain and muscle are composed of two noncovalently linked polypeptide chains, based upon sedimentation equilibrium analyses in the presence and absence of disruptive agents. The brain-type isozymes of man, calf, and rabbit proved to be slightly heavier than the muscle types. Various physicochemical properties of the isozymes are recorded. Each group of isozymes, i.e., the muscle, hybrid (muscle-brain), and brain isozymes from man, calf, and rabbit, showed similar electrophoretic behavior, although isoelectric points were not precisely identical for the muscle and hybrid types. Theoretical titration curves constructed from amino acid compositions of the calf isozymes showed reasonable agreement between their calculated and measuredpI ₀ values (isoelectric point extrapolated to zero ionic strength). The three native muscle isozymes and brain isozymes all contain two reactive sulfhydryl groups per mole or one per polypeptide chain of their two-chain proteins, which may be titrated with 5,5′-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid); and under acidic conditions, quantitative titrations with 4,4′-dithiodipyridine yield a total of ten- SH groups per mole of each brain-type and eight- SH groups per mole of muscle-type isozyme in the case of man, calf, and rabbit. A comparison of their amino acid compositions and tryptic peptide maps shows that there is only a slightly greater degree of homology between the individual isozymes of the same type (muscle type or brain type) than between the muscle- and brain-type isozymes of the same species.     

Skeletal-muscle sarcolemma from normal and dystrophic mice. Isolation, characterization and lipid composition.

1. Mouse skeletal-muscle sarcolemma was isolated, and the preparations obtained from normal mouse muscle and from muscle of mice with hereditary muscular dystrophy were characterized with respect to appearance under the optical and electron microscopes, distribution of marker enzymes, histochemical properties and biochemical composition. 2. The sarcolemmal membranes from normal and dystrophic muscle were subjected to detailed lipied analysis. Total lipid content was shown to increase in sarcolemma from dystrophic mice as a result of a large increase in neutral lipid and a smaller increase in total phospholipids. Further analysis of the neutral-lipid fraction showed that total acylglycerols increased 6-fold, non-esterified fatty acid 4-fold and cholesterol esters 2-fold, whereas the amount of free cholesterol remained unchanged in sarcolemma from dystrophic muscle. Significant increases were found in lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in dystrophic-muscle sarcolemma; however, the relative composition of the phospholipid fraction remained essentially the same as in the normal case. 3. The overall result of alterations in lipid composition of the sarcolemma in mouse muscular dystrophy was an increase in neutral lipid compared with total phospholipid, and a 4-fold decrease in the relative amount of free cholesterol in the membrane. The possible impact of these changes on membrane function is discussed.     

Studies on the properties and tissue distribution of the isozymes of guanylate kinase in man.

The isozyme patterns of guanylate kinase were examined in fetal and adult tissues, in cultured cells and also in red cells separated by density gradient fractionation. Results from fetal and cultured cells inidcated that there are three primary isozymes a, c, and e among the seven isozymes of guanylate kinase in man. Serial secondary isozyme production in red cells in vivo showed that isozyme a produces b, c produces d, and e produces f and g. The three sets of isozymes were found to differ in the following properties: activation/inhibition by EDTA; thermostability, and molecular weights. Isoelectric points of several of the isozymes were estimated by isoelectric focusing. It was concluded that the isozymes of guanylate kinase are determined by three separate gene loci.     

Adenylate kinase of human erythrocyte. Isolation and properties of the predominant inherited form.

Adenylate kinase exists in the human erythrocyte in a number of molecular forms with two allels at a single polymorphic locus coding for most of the enzyme forms. The predominant enzyme form, AK a, was purified to constant specific activity in excess of 3000 and appeared homogeneous by chromatography, electrophoresis, and ultracentrifugation. Sedimentation velocity and partial specific volume measurments of AK a yielded values of s20,w = 2.1 S and 0.722 cm-3per g. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was estimated to be 22,500 by sedimentation equilibrium and gel filtration analyses. The molecular weight of the denatured enzyme did not differ, indicating an absence of subunit structure in confirmation of genetic evidence of a single locus coding for the enzyme. The isolated enzyme demonstrated remarkable stability to denaturants (heat, guanidine HCl, urea) in the presence of appropriate stabilizing agents and could not be distinguished from rabbit muscle enzyme on this basis (as well as by a number of other kinetic and physicochemical parameters). The erythrocyte adenylate kinases have a common molecular size but differ in their charge properties. They demonstrate anomalous electrophoretic behavior, migrating anionic to hemoglobin in starch gel, yet exhibit isoelectric points considerably alkaline to hemoglobin (e.g. AK a, pI = 9.0) by isoelectric focusing.     

A physicochemical comparison of the isozymes of creatine kinase from rabbit brain and muscle

A comparison of specific structural features of creatine kinase from rabbit muscle and brain was undertaken to determine if the observed isozyme specific differences in catalytic cooperativity are related to conformational differences, particularly differences in packing density. The intrinsic fluorescence of the brain isozyme is 2-fold higher than the muscle isozyme. In the denatured state, both proteins display the characteristic red shift in emission maximum; however, the emission intensity of the brain isozyme increases only 5% upon denaturation compared to nearly 100% increase for the muscle protein. The fluorescence lifetimes are 2.65 ns (67%) and 0.48 ns for native muscle enzyme and 4.38 ns (65%) and 0.80 ns for brain enzyme. Upon denaturation, the lifetimes are 3.98 ns (77%) and 0.99 ns for muscle protein and 3.82 ns (79%) and 0.86 ns for brain protein. Stern-Volmer plots of quenching by acrylamide are essentially the same for both native isozymes indicating that the differences of the intrinsic fluorescence of the native proteins are not due to differences in solvent accessibility. The spectral and lifetime differences in the isozymes in the native state and changes accompanying denaturation are consistent with the occurrence of energy transfer in native muscle isozyme. The rotational correlation times of 5-[2-(iodoacetyl)aminoethyl]aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate conjugated proteins, derivatized at the active site reactive thiol, are best described by two term decay laws. The slower rotations, 45.1 ns (75%) and 40.6 ns (71%) reflect overall macromolecular rotation for the muscle and brain isozymes, respectively. The faster motions, 2.4 ns for muscle isozyme and 0.4 ns for the brain isozyme, are attributed to the probe or probe associated segmental motions and indicate these motions are more restricted in the muscle protein. Reactivity of creatine kinase (2.5-10 microM) with the amino-specific reagent trinitrobenzene sulfonate (0.4-2 mM) was analyzed by pseudo-first-order and second order models, neither of which was adequate for the entire range of data. However, in every case, the rate constants were faster for brain creatine kinase but the extent of reaction was greater for muscle creatine kinase. The faster initial reactivity of the brain isozyme is consistent with greater accessibility for lysine derivatization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)