Growth factors in bone matrix. Isolation of multiple types by affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose

The mineralized matrix of osseous tissue harbors abundant mitogenic activity which is extractable by demineralizing solvents. In bovine bone powder free of blood and cartilage contamination, the volume concentration of mitogens is up to 20 times greater than in serum. Growth factor activity in bone extracts was quantitated on quiescent mouse BALB/c/3T3 fibroblasts, where [3H]thymidine incorporation for 48 h was stimulated up to 200-fold in a linear, dose-dependent manner. Six distinct bone-derived growth factors (BDGFs) have been resolved and partially purified (up to 44,000-fold) on heparin-Sepharose using NaCl gradient elution. Provisionally named by the NaCl molarity at which they elute, these BDGFs include BDGF-0.45 (25% of total activity). This factor is heat-stable and sensitive to dithiothreitol, and displaces 125I-labelled bovine platelet-derived growth factor in a radioreceptor assay. BDGF-0.45 (approximately 50 ng/g of bone) is closely related or identical to bovine platelet-derived growth factor. BDGF-1.1 (10%) has a pI of 5.2 and shows a 16,600-dalton doublet on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis Western blots stained with antiserum to bovine anionic fibroblast growth factor. Two activities with high heparin affinity resemble cationic forms of fibroblast growth factor. BDGF-1.5 is the dominant factor in fetal membranous bone (50%), but is less abundant in adult bone (20%). BDGF-1.7, a 17,500-18,400-dalton triplet, is virtually absent in fetal bone (7%) but abundant (30%) in adult bone and may be related to cartilage derived growth factor. Two minor activities, BDGF-0.1 (10%) and BDGF-2.0 (7%) have not been characterized. Proliferation of bovine capillary endothelial cells was strongly supported by BDGFs 1.1, 1.5, and 1.7, but not by 0.45. These four purified BDGFs and the crude bone extract were also strongly mitogenic for rat osteoblasts while depressing alkaline phosphatase specific activity by 2-3-fold. Bone exhibits the most complex spectrum of growth factor activities of any tissue yet described. Bone cells and other indigenous cell types must be considered as possible sources of the BDGFs, in addition to sequestration from blood. Mechanisms for unmasking or release of BDGFs from the mineralized matrix resulting in local action on target cells are undoubtedly important for the development and maintenance of bone tissue.     

Affinity chromatography of aminopeptidases

The recent data are generalized concerning a series of synthetic oligopeptides which are competitive inhibitors of aminopeptidases of animal, plant and microbic origin. A method for biospecific chromatography of these enzymes is developed, using as ligands such inhibitors as diazo derivatives of p-aminophenyl-, chloromethyl- and methylketones of L-amino acids and peptides, amino acids, aliphatic acid amides. It is established that the most effective inhibitors of aminopeptidases contain L-amino group in the uncharged form in the N-end position, hydrophobic lateral chain of L-configuration and a carbonyl group analogous to position of these groups in the substrate. Methods for synthesis of certain peptides are developed with respect to the above requirements. It is shown that peptides with a space-inaccessible peptide link and antibiotics are often used as ligands for affinity chromatography of aminopeptidases. At present a nonspecific (ion-exchange, hydrophobic) interaction of sorbent and aminopeptidases is observed, which necessitates to increase the specificity at the stage of the enzyme desorption in the further studies.     

Affinity chromatography of transaminases

It is shown that glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase from pig heart can be selectively and reversibly bound to a Sepharose column substituted with N′-alkyl derivatives of pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate. A simple procedure is described which includes formation of apotransaminase, its binding to the substituted Sepharose, and its elution under the same conditions that were used to prepare the apoenzyme. There is no binding of the transaminase to Sepharose substituted with unmodified pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate, indicating the importance of a certain “length” of the substituent for binding.     

Affinity chromatography of nucleases

The review concerns isolation and purification of nucleases by affinity chromatography. Different stationary ligands and the methods for their immobilization on supports are described, along with diverse eluents and various procedures for a nuclease detachment from the affinity sorbents. The data on the affinity chromatography application for measuring the dissociation constants of the enzyme complexes with either immobilized or soluble ligands are compiled.     

Mesoderm induction and blood island formation by angiogenic growth factors and embryonic inducing factors

Factors which induce mesoderm, including endothelium lined cavities and primitive blood cells in omnipotent amphibian ectoderm, have been isolated from different sources. Recently it was shown that angiogenic factors, which belong to the protein families of the heparin binding growth factors (acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor) and the transforming growth factors (TGF-beta 1 and -beta 2), also induce mesodermal tissues in amphibian ectoderm. In triturus ectoderm, capillary like endothelial networks are induced preferentially by the transforming growth factors. The relationship between growth factors and inducing factors is discussed.     

Role of fibroblast growth factors as inducing agents in early embryonic development

To assess the potential role of a molecule in development we need to know three things: 1) what are the biological activities of the molecule, 2) what is its expression pattern, and 3) what are the consequences of removing it from the embryo? In the case of the FGF family in Xenopus embryos we have quite a lot of information about all three questions. Most members of the family can induce mesoderm from isolated animal caps, thus mimicking the natural “ventral vegetal” inducing signal operative in the blastula. This activity can be exerted on isolated, disaggregated cells and does not involve a change in division rate. When overexpressed from injected mRNA, the activity of FGFs depends largely on whether or not they possess a signal sequence, showing the importance of secretion in the inductive process. In addition to the mesoderm-inducing activity, there are effects of overexpression on whole embryos which lead to a suppression of anterior structures. Three types of FGF have so far been cloned from Xenopus: direct homologs of each of the mammalian types FGF-2 and FGF-3, and eFGF (“embryonic FGF”), which is equidistant in sequence from mammalian FGF-4 and FGF-6. Attempts to find homologs of mammalian FGF-5 and FGF-7 in Xenopus have proved unsuccessful. All three types of Xenopus FGF are expressed in early development. FGF-2 and eFGF are present in the oocyte and fertilized egg, and are thus both available at the time of mesoderm induction. FGF-3 and eFGF are both expressed from the embryonic genome during gastrulation and concentrated in the forming mesoderm. FGF-2 is expressed from the embryonic genome during neurulation in the brain, and a little later in the branchial arch mesenchyme and in the forming myotomes. These expression patterns suggest that there are several functions for the FGFs. The most successful strategy for inhibition of the FGF system has been the use of a dominant negative receptor construct introduced by Kirschner and colleagues. Overexpression of this construct can abolish the FGF responsiveness of animal caps. In whole embryos, the absence of FGF signaling causes a reduction, although not a total ablation, of mesoderm formation. There is also a severe effect on axis formation in which formation of the posterior parts is reduced consequent on an inhibition of invagination and elongation of the dorsal mesoderm. Thus, the present evidence suggests that the FGF system contributes to, although is not solely responsible for, mesoderm induction in vivo. It is also necessary for normal gastrulation movements, particularly in the dorsal mesoderm, and is likely to have several later functions, particularly in development of the central nervous system and the myotomes. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Affinity chromatography of arabinogalactan-proteins

Arabino-(1→3), (1→6)-β-d-galactan-proteins (AGPs) and related compounds from Lolium multiflorum (ryegrass) endosperm cell suspension culture, wheat endosperm, larchwood and Gladiolus stigma extract were shown to bind selectively at neutral pH to a column of Sepharose to which the anti-galactan myeloma protein J539 had been covalently linked, Elution was achieved with buffer at pH 3 or with a pulse of p-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside at neutral pH. These observations formed the basis for an affinity chromatographic purification of AGPs from natural sources. Some heterogeneity in a ryegrass AGP preparation was indicated by its incomplete elution by d-galactose.     

Affinity chromatography of neoglycoproteins

Glycoproteins, as a class of biomolecules, exhibit much more heterogeneous structures than non-glycosylated proteins. They present a challenging area of research. Model glycoproteins with well-defined protein and carbohydrate structures are helpful in the search for high-resolution methods for the separation of glycoproteins. Neoglycoproteins, maltose-modified chymotrypsin and lactose-modified chymotrypsin, were synthesised by modifying chymotrypsin with maltose and lactose, respectively, using the reductive amination method. Boronate chromatography was applied to isolate the neoglycoproteins from non-glycosylated substances. The use of Tris–HCl as a shielding reagent during the boronate chromatography proved to be efficient in eliminating unwanted interactions between the boronate ligand and the peptide backbone of chymotrypsin. The retention time of neoglycoproteins on the boronate column was increased with increasing the degree of modification.     

An embryonic inducing factor: isolation by high performance liquid chromatography and chemical properties

A protein (vegetalizing factor) which induces amphibian gastrula ectoderm to tissues which in normal development are derived from endoderm and mesoderm has been isolated from chicken embryo trunks by a combination of size exclusion and reversed phase HPLC. An amount of 0.5 ng factor per gastrula evokes inductions in 80-100% of the cases. The protein (apparent Mr approximately 13 000) is split by NaBH4 to polypeptide chains of about half the size under conditions in which disulfide bridges are reduced. The biological activity is lost.     

Affinity chromatography of estrogen receptors on diethylstilbestrol-agarose

Diethylstilbestrol was coupled to epoxy-activated agarose yielding an affinity resin which is highly efficient for the isolation of estrogen receptors. This resin, diethylstilbestrol-agarose (DES-agarose), bound two proteins (Mr = 50,000 and 65,000) from rabbit uterine cytosol that show a specific interaction with estradiol. A two step procedure--adsorption on DES-agarose followed by a selective elution with p-sec-amylphenol and NaSCN, yielded highly purified estrogen receptors which can be used in the studies of estradiol-receptor interactions with other cell constituents.     

Affinity chromatography of human gamma-thrombin on fibrin-agarose

gamma-Thrombin was produced during autolysis or limited proteolysis of coagulant gamma-thrombin. This thrombin form loses its ability to coagulate fibrinogen but preserves the esterase and amidase activity on the low-molecular-weight synthetic substrates. This evidences for the integrity of the active site of gamma-thrombin and for the integrity break of the enzyme molecule region responsible for the binding with fibrinogen. gamma-Thrombin with the minimal coagulating activity, possessing high esterase and amidase activity is obtained. Fibrin-agarose possessing affinity to gamma-thrombin and specifically not binding gamma-thrombin was used to remove admixtures of the coagulant gamma-thrombin from the preparations of gamma-thrombin obtained during the enzyme autolysis.     

Affinity chromatography of dihydrofolate reductase

1. Dihydrofolate reductase was purified from Lactobacillus casei MTX/R, and studied on affinity columns containing folic acid and methotrexate. Two forms of the enzyme were interconverted by incubation with substrates. 2. Affinity columns were prepared from agarose activated with cyanogen bromide and coupled with 1,6-diaminohexane. Stable folate derivatives were covalently attached by using a carbodi-imide condensation. 3. Columns containing folic acid retarded but did not retain the enzyme. 4. Methotrexate at pH 6.0 was particularly effective for retention of the enzyme. 5. There is selective loss of one form of the enzyme during affinity chromatography in the absence of added NADPH. This loss is due to conversion into a single enzyme form on the column. 6. NADPH has a dual effect in stabilizing the enzyme and in sensitizing it to inactivation by methotrexate, particularly in the presence of glycine. 7. Protein with affinity for methotrexate, but without dihydrofolate reductase activity, may also be eluted from the columns. 8. In a single-step procedure the enzyme was purified nearly 4000-fold from mammalian skin.     

Affinity chromatography of lipoxygenases.

A number of aminohexyl agarose derivatives of unsaturated fatty acids have been prepared and evaluated as materials for the affinity chromatography of soybean and pea lipoxygenases. A practical method for a one-stage purification of soybean lipoxygenase-1, with a purification factor of 16, is described, using either linolenate or docosa-4,7,10,13,16,19-hexaenoate as ligands. Results show that alleged competitive inhibitors do not cause sharp elution from the affinity column, and that there is an increasing specificity of binding and sharpness of elution as the proportion of unsaturation in the ligand is increased. These results are discussed in terms of the relative importance of the types of bonding involved in enzyme-substrate binding.     

Affinity chromatography of carbonic anhydrase

An insoluble support for affinity chromatography of carbonic anhydrase has been prepared by coupling Sulfamylon (p-aminomethylbenzene sulfonamide) to Sepharose 4B. Carbonic anhydrase binds to Sulfamylon-Sepharose very strongly and can be eluted under mild conditions by the addition of enzyme inhibitors. The gel was used to purify carbonic anhydrase from human erythrocytes and to separate isozymes B and C. It was also employed to separate native enzyme from modified carbonic anhydrases. The apoenzyme and the carboxymethyl enzyme of human carbonic anhydrase B were both isolated by this method.