Human placental chorionic renin: production, purification and characterization

Native human renin, produced from the culture of human chorionic trophoblasts, has been purified to homogeneity on a milligram scale using a five-step purification scheme. The chorion cells secrete 50-200 milliGoldblatt Units of trypsin-activatable prorenin per ml into the medium. The pro-enzyme is partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatographies on QAE-Sephadex and cibracon blue-agarose. Following conversion of prorenin to the active enzyme by porcine trypsin, the renin is purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Chorionic prorenin has a molecular weight of 43,000; the active enzyme 40,000. Both proteins exist as a single polypeptide chain as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. The average specific activity of six different preparations was found to be 1072 Goldblatt Units/mg. The amino acid composition and N-terminal sequence of the active enzyme has been determined and is identical to the human kidney enzyme. Microheterogeneity of chorionic renin was demonstrated by isoelectrofocusing analysis. The physical characterization of chorionic renin is compared with that reported for the human kidney enzyme.     

Horse urinary kallikrein, I. Complete purification and characterization

The isolation procedure for horse urinary kallikrein was considerably improved by the introduction of two new purification steps: a) removal of mucoproteins and concentration of the urine by ultrafiltration and b) affinity chromatography on benzamidine-Sepharose conjugate. The homogeneity of the enzyme preparations, regarding their protein moiety, was demonstrated by: 1) a single symmetric peak on DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, with constant values for A280/A260 ratios, esterolytic and amidolytic specific activities; 2) a single band, although dispersed, on gel-electrophoresis at pH 8.3, also in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 3) a unique sequence for the six amino-terminal residues. The isolated enzyme was shown to be a single chain glycoprotein (alpha-kallikrein), similar to human urinary and porcine-pancreatic kallikreins regarding the protein moiety molecular mass, amino-acid composition, and partial amino-terminal sequence; differences were found in their total sugar content and even more conspicuously in their carbohydrate composition. In contrast to porcine pancreatic beta-kallikrein, horse urinary kallikrein was not substrate-activated and unlike other alpha-kallikreins, did not present the biphasic time-course in benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester hydrolysis. The specificity constants (kcat/Km) for ester and 4-nitroanilide substrates were lower for horse urinary than for pancreatic beta-kallikrein and as observed with the latter enzyme, were affected by NaCl.     

Human kidney alpha-L-iduronidase: purification and characterization.

α-l-Iduronidase has been purified 25,000-fold from the soluble proteins of human kidney by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose, hydroxylapatite, and Bio-Gel P-100. The α-l-iduronidase activity is associated with 80% of the protein in the most purified preparation. It has a molecular weight of 60,000 ± 6500, determined by sedimentation equilibrium, and can be dissociated by reduction into subunits of molecular weight 31,000 ± 6500 determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate in the presence of dithiothreitol. It contains glucosamine and binds to concanavalin A. The pH optimum, K_m and V_max for two substrates, phenyl iduronide and [³H]anhydromannitol iduronide, were found to be 4.0, 1.05 mm, 16 μmol/mg protein/min, and 4·5, 9 mm and 270 μmol/mg protein/min, respectively. The enzyme is of the low uptake, noncorrective form with respect to fibroblasts cultured from the skin of patients with Hurler syndrome. It is inhibited by 10⁶ m p-chloromercuribenzoate and 10^?3 m Cu²⁺, but is not significantly affected by other divalent cations, EDTA, or sulfhydryl compounds. Antibodies to α-l-iduronidase have been raised in goats.     

Rapid and large-scale purification and characterization of renin from mouse submaxillary gland

Little is known about the structural basis for the highly restricted substrate specificity of renin, whose only function known to date is to hydrolyze the unique leucyl peptide bond in the prohormone angiotensinogen to form angiotensin I. Our lack of knowledge is due to our inability to purify this enzyme in a large quantity sufficient for structural studies. A two-step column chromatographic method for rapid and large-scale purification of renin from mouse submaxillary gland has been developed. It allows isolation of the enzyme in a hundreds-of-milligrams quantity at an overall yield of 60%. Single bands obtained by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, and the result of ultracentrifugal studies indicated homogeneity of the product. The moelcular weight of renin was estimated to be 36,000 by sedimentation equilibrium studies in 6 m guanidine · HCl. Sedimentation velocity study gave a single sedimenting boundary with an s_20,w of 2.58 × 10^?13 s. A Stokes radius of 27 Å was obtained by gel filtration. The far ultraviolet-circular dichroism spectrum indicated a high content of β-structure (46%). In contrast to renal renin, submaxillary gland renin does not contain amino sugars or neutral sugars. No renin activity was retained by concanavalin Aagarose gels. Results of amino acid analysis, isoelectric focusing, and determination of amino-terminal residues by the dansylchloride reaction, together indicated that this protein is identical with renin A isolated previously in a much smaller quantity.     

Human eosinophil peroxidase: purification and characterization

Human eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) was isolated from granules from granulocytes of a patient with hypereosinophilia. The granules were extracted by means of 0.2 M NaAc, pH 4.0. The purification steps included gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-75 superfine and ion-exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex G-50. The purified protein showed one band on agarose-electrophoresis, a high peroxidase activity, and a 415-nm/280 nm ratio of 1.15. After reduction, EPO showed two bands on SDS-PAGE of m.w. 52,000 and 15,000, respectively. On gel filtration, the unreduced protein had a m.w. of approximately 77,000. Amino acid analyses showed a high content of arginine and aspartic acid. Monospecific antibodies to EPO were prepared in rabbits, and a specific radioimmunoassay was developed. There was an almost linear correlation between the content of EPO measured by the radioimmunoassay and the number of eosinophils in a mixed cell extract from reference material, indicating the eosinophil origin of EPO. The content of EPO was estimated to be 15.0 micrograms/10(6) eosinophils.     

The purification and characterization of multiple forms of mouse submaxillary gland renin

Five forms of renin, A₀, A, C, D and E, from mouse submaxillary gland were purified by a two-step procedure including chromatography on the immunoaffinity column and CM-cellulose column. Four renin fractions, A₀, A, C and E were purified to homogeneity by the criteria of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, analytical isoelectric focusing and Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion. All these forms of renin have molecular weights of 40 000 as determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 column. No high molecular weight renin could be demonstrated. Individual renin fractions showed similar angiotensin I formation activity, 52–158 ng angiotensin I/ng protein per h. No other protease activity could be detected with hemoglobin or casein as substrate. These purified proteins showed a discrete pattern of migration under polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Under denaturing condition in SDS-gel electrophoresis, all but fraction D showed a protein band with a molecular weight of 30 000. Fraction D showed a major component with molecular weight of 33 000. The isoelectric points of these renin forms varied from 5.46 to 5.76. They all reacted with antibody raised against renin A and showed similar pressor response activity with 20 ng quantities of the purified proteins. The closely related characteristics of these five forms of renin were further demonstrated by their similarity in peptide mapping patterns after limited digestion with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. The data suggest that these proteins are homologous proteins.     

Human tumor necrosis factor. Production, purification, and characterization

Human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was purified to homogeneity from serum-free tissue culture supernatants of the HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cell line induced by 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. The purification scheme consisted of controlled-pore glass and DEAE-cellulose chromatography, Mono Q-fast-protein liquid chromatography, and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The purified protein was homogeneous by the criteria of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and NH2-terminal sequence analysis. The specific activity of purified tumor necrosis factor is approximately 10(8) units/mg. The protein has a molecular weight of approximately 17,000, an isoelectric point of 5.3, and contains two cysteines involved in a disulfide bridge. Approximately 50% homology between TNF and another cytolytic lymphokine, lymphotoxin, exists when the NH2-terminal 34 residues of TNF and internal sequence generated by tryptic, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, and chymotryptic digests of TNF are aligned with the complete amino acid sequence of lymphotoxin.     

Complete purification and general characterization of FAD synthetase from rat liver

Flavin adenine dinucleotide synthetase (ATP:FMN adenylyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.2) was purified about 10,000-fold from the high-speed supernatant of rat liver by a sequence of ammonium sulfate fractionation and column chromatographies on DEAE-Sephadex (A-50), chromatofocusing, FMN-agarose affinity, and Sephadex G-200. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 133 units (nanomoles of FAD formed per min at 37 degrees C)/mg of protein. This preparation was free from contaminating FAD pyrophosphatase. The apparent molecular weight was estimated to be 97,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed an apparent subunit molecular weight of 53,000. Hence, the enzyme is a dimer of approximately 100,000. The enzyme was found most active at pH 7.1, requires Mg2+, and is essentially irreversible in the direction of FAD formation. Kinetic analysis gave Km values of 9.6 microM for FMN and 53 microM for ATP.     

Human placental sialidase: partial purification and characterization

A sialidase [EC 3.2.1.18] has been partially purified from human placenta by means of procedures comprising Con A-Sepharose adsorption, ammonium sulfate precipitation, sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and high-pressure liquid chromatography on a Shim pack Diol 300 column. On high-pressure liquid chromatography, most of the beta-galactosidase that comigrated with the sialidase on sucrose density gradient centrifugation was removed. The sialidase was purified 3,600-fold from the preparation obtained by Con A-Sepharose adsorption. The enzyme liberated the sialic acid residues from (alpha 2-3) and (alpha 2-6) sialyllactose, colomic acid, fetuin, and transferrin, but not from bovine submaxillary mucin. The enzyme also hydrolyzed gangliosides GM3, GD1a, and GD1b in the presence of sodium cholate as a detergent, but GM1 and GM2 were less susceptible to the enzyme. The optimum pHs for 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetylneuraminate, sialyllactose, fetuin, and GM3 lay between 4.0 and 5.0.     

Human placental sialidase: further purification and characterization

An acid sialidase [EC 3.2.1.18] has been purified from human placenta by means of successive procedures including extraction, Con A-Sepharose adsorption, ammonium sulfate precipitation, activation, p-aminophenyl thio-beta-D-galactoside-CH-Sepharose (PATG-Sepharose) affinity chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography on a Shim pack Diol 300 column. The purified enzyme liberated sialic acid residues from sialooligosaccharides, sialoglycoproteins, and gangliosides. In particular, gangliosides GM3, GD1a, and GD1b were hydrolyzed much faster than alpha (2-3) and alpha (2-6)sialyllactoses, and sialoglycoproteins by the enzyme. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the purified enzyme gave five protein bands with molecular weight of 78,000 (78K), 64,000 (64K), 46,000 (46K), 30,000 (30K), and 20,000 (20K). Rabbit antisera were raised against 78K and 46K proteins, and the two antibodies were specifically reactive with the respective component on immunoblot analysis. Both anti-78K protein and anti-46K protein antisera could precipitate sialidase activity. It is likely that the 78K protein and 46K protein are sub-components which are essential for sialidase activity.     

Human lung mast cells: purification and characterization

Detailed studies of the biochemistry and pharmacology of mast cell-mediated inflammatory disorders have been hampered by the inability to purify human mast cells. We now report techniques to purify human lung mast cells to apparent homogeneity. The major purification steps are: 1) dispersion of lung fragments into a single-cell suspension with enzyme combinations (pronase-chymopapain, collagenase-elastase); 2) partial purification by countercurrent centrifugation elutriation (CCE); and 3) affinity column chromatography. Enzymatic dispersion yielded suspensions with congruent to 10(6) mast cells per gram of lung parenchyma in purities of 1.2 to 9.7%. Dispersed mast cells responded comparably to those in parent lung fragments to challenge with anti-human IgG and pharmacologic agonists. Elutriation of lung cell suspensions yielded mast cell-enriched fractions with purities up to 70%. High purity mast cell fractions were combined, passively sensitized with purified human penicillin (BPO)-specific IgE, and purified by a BPO-affinity column chromatography procedure. Post elutriation mast cell purities of 29 +/- 3.5% were increased to 84 +/- 3% (range 65 to 98%) by the affinity column. Short-term (24 hr) culture of column-purified mast cells allowed adherence of non-mast cell contaminants to tissue culture plates, further increasing purity (up to 100%). Purified mast cells were intact and functional as assessed by dye exclusion, survival in short-term culture, IgE-mediated histamine release, and modulation of release by the pharmacologic agonists adenosine, IBMX, prostaglandin E2, and fenoterol.     

Changes of plasma renin and renal renin concentration in HgCl2 induced acute renal failure in rats.

Acute renal failure (ARF) was produced by the single intraperitoneal injection of 3 mg/kg mercuric chloride (HgCl2) in male Wistar rats. Immediately after, and in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 24th and 48th hour after HgCl2 administration the following variables were monitored: plasma renin concentration (PRC), renal renin concentration (RRC) blood-urea nitrogen (BUN), plasma sodium (PNa), plasma creatinine (PCr) concentrations and haematocrit (Ht). Haematocrit and PNa increased during the first hour and returned to the control value in the 3rd hour. Thereafter, their level remained unchanged. Plasma renin concentration increased threefold during the first six hours after the HgCl2 injection, however, by the 48th hour it returned to the control value. In the first 24 hours of ARF, RRC remained unchanged. However, by the 48th hour its level increased four times the control value. After mercury injection BUN and PCr increased progressively. We were not able to establish any significant correlation between the changes of PRC and BUN. A gradual increase of RRC was observed in the course of ARF.     

Human placenta alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase: purification, characterization and demonstration of multiple recognition forms.

alpha-N-Acetylglucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.50) was purified from human placenta by a four-step procedure including ammonium sulfate precipitation, affinity chromatography with immobilized antibodies against urinary alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase, gel chromatography and discontinuous gel electrophoresis with a 30% recovery and 26 300-fold purification. Immunological methods revealed the contamination with about 10% non-alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase protein. Isoelectric focusing led to a distribution of activity between 4.3 and 6.5 with maxima at pH 5.1 and pH 5.7. After treatment with neuraminidase, alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity assembled at pH 5.7. The multiple isoelectric forms were endocytosed with different rates by cultured human skin fibroblasts. Placenta alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase has an apparent molecular weight of 304 000 and contains 23.4% carbohydrate consisting of glucose, galactose, mannose, hexosamines and neuraminic acid. Gel electrophoresis in the presence of 0.1% sodium dodecylsulfate separated placenta alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase into subunits with molecular weights of 86 500 and 81 000. The activity towards various substrates, the kinetics of hydrolysis, the pH optimum and the stability of the catalytic activity were assayed.     

Human plasma kallikrein: purification, enzyme characterization and quantitative determination in plasma.

Human plasma kallikrein was isolated from a plasma fraction related to Cohn fraction IV4 by affinity- and Sephadex G-150 chromotography yielding a material with 17.3 TAME-U/A280 unit. The preparation was characterized by immunological and enzymatic methods. Complex formation with alpha2-macroglobulin, C1-inactivator and aprotinin was demonstrated by immunoelectrophoresis. The bradykinin release from high-molecular weight kininogen and its inhibition by antibodies to kallikrein, AT III and AT III-heparin complex were measured using a biological test system (rat uterus). Time dependent inactivation of kallikrein by AT III, and AT III-heparin complex was shown by means of a synthetic kallikrein substrate: Bz-Pro-Phe-Arg-pNan. The same substrate was used to measure the activation of prekallikrein in plasma by kaolin and F XII a. Antibodies raised against kallikrein were shown to inhibit the reaction specifically. A quantitative determination of plasma prekallikrein by electroimmunodiffusion according to Laurell was developed: the plasma concentration in normal individuals was found to be 1.8 - 2.2 TAME-U/ml related to kallikrein activity; this corresponds approximately to 9 - 11 mg antigen/100 ml plasma.     

Multiple forms of human renin. Purification and characterization.

Human renin was purified from a juxtaglomerular cell tumor with a high renin content, 24.2 Goldblatt units/mg of protein. The purification procedure comprised three steps: gel filtration, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and preparative isoelectric focusing. Five forms of renin amounting to 5.3 mg of enzyme were obtained with isoelectric points of 4.95, 5.10, 5.35, 5.55, and 5.70. They were all glycoproteins. The three major fractions had very similar specific activities, 868, 860, and 809 Goldblatt units/mg of protein. These fractions produced a single band on analytical isoelectric focusing and a single arc on immunoelectrophoresis. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 7.8, each fraction consisted of two renin bands with the same molecular weight, but different net charges. The molecular weight determined by gel filtration and Fergusson plot analysis on polyacrylamide gel was 38,000 to 42,000. The optimum pH determined on N-acetyltetradecapeptide substrate was 6.5, and the Km was 6.8 x 10(-6) M. These parameters were identical with those for standard human kidney renin. Antibodies raised against tumor renin completely inhibited the activity of both tumor and standard renin. Under dissociating conditions (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel electrophoresis in the presence of 6 M urea), part of the purified enzyme dissociated into two smaller fragments (Mr = 20,000 and 25,000) containing renin activity.