The semisynthesis of portions of hen''s-egg lysozyme by fragment condensation.

1. We have evaluated several methods for coupling protected tryptic peptides and have selected one that is satisfactory in terms of efficiency and degree of racemization. 2. We report the use of the chosen method (which must be slightly modified for each application in the light of the result of micro-scale pilot experiments) for the preparation of five fragments of hen's-egg lysozyme ranging in length from 31 to 51 residues. 3. We report methods for the complete deprotection of these fragments. They have been characterized by end-group determination, amino acid analysis and tryptic digestion.     

Whey protein fractionation: isoelectric precipitation of alpha-lactalbumin under gentle heat treatment

The selective precipitation of alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) at a pH around its isoelectric point (4.2) under heat treatment is the basis for a fractionation process of whey proteins. In these conditions, beta-lactoglobulin remains soluble, whereas bovine serum albumin and immunoglobulins co-precipitate. Knowledge of the mechanism governing the alpha-LA precipitation influences the choice of operating conditions and enables optimization of the fractionation process. alpha-LA is a calcium metallo-protein and its isoelectric precipitation is governed by the protein-calcium complexation equilibrium. Citrate, a sequestrant of calcium, decreases the free calcium concentration and displaces the precipitation phenomenon to a lower temperature range. A study of the effect of citrate on the precipitation phenomena of whey proteins is presented. Whatever the citrate content, precipitation curves for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and alpha-LA intersect at a temperature around 45 degrees C. For a temperature of heat treatment lower than 40 degrees C, a selective enrichment in alpha-LA of the precipitated phase is observed. As addition of citrate leads to high alpha-LA precipitated fractions at a temperature around 35 degrees C, the precipitation step may be performed at this temperature. It results in a reduced heat denaturation of whey proteins and in a higher alpha-LA purity in the precipitated fraction. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 56: 391-397, 1997.     

The iron-binding properties of hen ovotransferrin.

1. The distribution of iron between the two iron-binding sites in partially saturated ovotransferrin was studied by labelling with 55Fe and 59Fe and by gel electrophoresis in a urea-containing buffer. 2. When iron is added in the form of chelate complexes at alkaline pH, binding occurs preferentially at the N-terminal binding site. In acid, binding occurs preferentially at the C-terminal site. 3. When simple iron donors (ferric and ferrous salts) are used the metal is distributed at random between the binding sites, as judged by the gel-electrophoresis method. The double-isotope method shows a preference of ferrous salts for the N-terminal site. 4. Quantitative treatment of the results of double-isotope labelling suggests that in the binding of iron to ovotransferrin at alkaline pH co-operative interactions between the sites occur. These interactions are apparently absent in the displacement of copper and in the binding of iron at acid pH.     

Comprehensive proteomics in yeast using chromatographic fractionation, gas phase fractionation, protein gel electrophoresis, and isoelectric focusing

We have investigated the use of a variety of different techniques to identify as many proteins as possible in a yeast lysate, with the aim of investigating the overlap and complementarity of data from different approaches. A standard lysate was prepared from log phase yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). This was then subjected to analysis via five different approaches aimed at identifying as many proteins as possible using an ion trap mass spectrometer. The total number of non-redundant protein identifications from each experiment was: 524 proteins by 2-D (SCX/C18) nanoflow liquid chromatography-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-LC MS/MS (MudPIT)); 381 proteins by nanoLC-MS/MS with gas phase fractionation by mass range selection; 390 proteins by nanoLC-MS/MS with gas phase fractionation by ion abundance selection; 898 proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) separation of proteins, in-gel digestion, and nanoLC-MS/MS of gel slices; and 422 proteins by isoelectric focusing of proteins, in-gel digestion and nanoLC-MS/MS of gel slices. The total number of non-redundant protein identifications in the five experiments was 1204. Combining only the two best experiments, the SDS-PAGE gel slices and the Mudpit, produces 1024 proteins identified, more than 85% of the total. Clearly, combining a Mudpit analysis with an SDS-PAGE gel slice experiment gives the greatest amount of protein identification information from a limited amount of sample.     

Visualisation tool for peptide fractionation data in proteomics: application to OFFGEL isoelectric focussing

Background  

OFFGEL isoelectric focussing (IEF) has become a popular tool in proteomics to fractionate peptides or proteins. As a consequence there is a need for software solutions supporting data mining, interpretation and characterisation of experimental quality.     

High-sensitivity analysis of human plasma proteome by immobilized isoelectric focusing fractionation coupled to mass spectrometry identification

Immobilized pH gradients isoelectric focusing (IPG-IEF) is the first dimension typically used in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). It can also be used on its own in conjunction with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) for the analysis of proteins. Here, we described a strategy combining isoelectric focusing in immobilized pH gradient strips, and mass spectrometry to create a new high-throughput and sensitive detection method. Protein mixture is separated by in-gel IEF, then the entire strip is cut into a set of gel sections. Proteins in each gel section are digested with trypsin, and the resulted peptides are subjected to reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography followed by electrospray-linear ion-trap tandem mass analysis. Using this optimized strategy, we have identified 744 distinct human proteins from an IPG strip loaded only 300 microg of plasma proteins. When compared with other works in published literatures, this study offered a more convenient and sensitive method from gel to mass spectrometry for the separation and identification proteins of complex biological samples.     

Antiviral activity of ovotransferrin derived peptides

Ovotransferrin and lactoferrin are iron-binding proteins with antiviral and antibacterial activities related to natural immunity, showing marked sequence and structural homologies. The antiviral activity of two hen ovotransferrin fragments DQKDEYELL (hOtrf(219-227)) and KDLLFK (hOtrf(269-301) and hOtrf(633-638)) towards Marek's disease virus infection of chicken embryo fibroblasts is reported here. These fragments have sequence homology with two bovine lactoferrin fragments with antiviral activity towards herpes simplex virus, suggesting that these fragments could have a role for the exploitation of the antiviral activity of the intact proteins towards herpes viruses. NMR analysis showed that these peptides, chemically synthetized, did not possess any favourite conformation in solution, indicating that both the aminoacid sequence and the conformation they display in the intact protein are essential for the antiviral activity.     

Conformations of denatured and renatured ovotransferrin.

Conformational properties of native, denatured, and renatured ovotransferrin were studied. The samples were denatured either in 7.2 M urea or in acidic (pH 3.0) conditions for periods up to a few hours. Combined data from quasielastic light scattering and transient electric birefringence were used to estimate the molecular dimensions under the various conditions. The native ovotransferrin is best described as a prolate ellipsoid with a major axis a = 68 A and a minor axis b = 21 A. Such an ellipsoidal shape is consistent with a globular particle where the solvation factor is approximately 0.28 mg/mg of solute. The urea-denatured sample was more expanded and more globular than the native sample. This observation was supported by a decrease in helical content, which was shown using circular dichroism data. Complete recovery of conformation and capacity to form a colored complex with Fe3+ seemed to occur with the simple dilution of urea or by adjustment of the low pH sample to pH 7.3.     

The constancy of latex isoelectric points

Protoplasma - In view of the similarities found in electrophoretic behavior between the latex particles of closely related plants (5), the constancy of the reaction has been investigated. The...     

The formation of iron-binding fragments of hen ovotransferrin by limited proteolysis

1. Iron was added to hen ovotransferrin to 30% saturation and the protein was digested with trypsin or chymotrypsin. 2. Iron-binding fragments were isolated. They carried one atom of iron/mol (mol.wt. 35000) and consisted of a single polypeptide chain derived from the N-terminal half of the protein. Carbohydrate was not present. 3. The fragments were able to bind a variety of metals and to donate iron to reticulocytes.     

The interaction of hydroxypyridinones with human serum transferrin and ovotransferrin.

The interaction of hydroxypyridinones with human serum transferrin and ovotransferrin has been studied by analyzing the distribution of iron between the chelator and the proteins as a function of both ligand concentration and transferrin saturation. The kinetics of iron removal by 3-hydroxypyridin-4-ones from both transferrins is slow; in ovotransferrin it appears to be monophasic, in contrast to that observed for serum transferrin. After 24 hours incubation at a 40:1 chelator:protein molar ratio, the percentage of iron removed from Fe(III)-ovotransferrin is 50%-60%, and is somewhat higher in the case of serum transferrin, in line with the respective affinity constants for the metal. The 3-hydroxypyridin-2-ones and the 3-hydroxypyran-4-ones, both of which have lower affinities for Fe(III), remove smaller proportions of the metal. The percentage of desaturation obtained with bidentate and hexadentate pyridinones appears to be similar for both transferrin classes at chelator:protein molar ratios from 40:1. The degree of transferrin saturation influences the extent of chelator mediated iron mobilization in the case of serum transferrin, but not of ovotransferrin. 59Fe competition studies demonstrate that bidentate pyridin-4-ones are capable of donating iron to serum apotransferrin; the relative concentrations of ligand and protein influence the distribution of iron because their effective binding constants (at pH 7.4) for Fe(III) are similar.     

Preliminary crystallographic studies on duck ovotransferrin

Crystals of duck ovotransferrin and duck apo-ovotransferrin have been grown from polyethylene glycol solutions. For both crystals, the space group is P2(1)2(1)2(1), the unit cell dimensions for the ovotransferrin are a = 49.6 A, b = 85.6 A, c = 178.7 A and for the apo-ovotransferrin a = 77.6 A, b = 98.8 A, c = 127.0 A, giving four molecules in the unit cell.