Physicochemical properties of salt-soluble,unsheared chromatin

A chromatin fraction, which can reproducibly be extracted from rat liver nuclei at moderate salt concentration (0.1 M (NH₄)₂SO₄, 0.1 M Tris-HCl, 2 mM MnCl₂, pH 7.9), was analyzed with regard to changes of its molecular weight in the range of (NH₄)₂SO₄ concentrations between 0.1 M and 0.4 M. With the transition from 0.1 M to 0.2 M (NH₄)₂SO₄ histone H1 is released and the molecular weight obtained from both sedimentation-viscosity and light scattering is reduced by approximately one-half. A spatial expansion of the resulting half-molecules is observed with further increasing salt concentration. On the basis of these results a double-fibrillar structure of this chromatin fraction is proposed.     

Properties of albumins of milled rice

Extraction studies on IR36 milled rice showed that albumins solubilized by 0.1–0.15 M (NH₄)₂SO₄ consisted of about 20% high(～5%) lysine, fast-migrating proteins on electrophoresis at pH 8.3 and about 80% lower ～2%) lysine proteins of slower mobility. The 2%-lysine albumins were insoluble in 1.8 M (NH₄)₂SO₄ while the higher lysine albumins required 4 M (NH₄)₂SO₄ to precipitate. The 2%-lysine albumins were not fractionated by gel filtration and gave only one major fraction with MW 19 000. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis confirmed the major subunit to be of MW 17 000. These albumins were separated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography at pH 8.5 into three fractions of similar aminograms but differing in analytical get electrophoretic and isoelectric focusing patterns.     

Histone-histone interactions as revealed by formaldehyde treatment of chromatin

Histone oligomers produced by formaldehyde treatment of chromatin were studied. It was shown that these histone oligomers could be converted into monomers by boiling in 0.1 NH₂SO₄. Dimers H2B-H4 and H2B-H2A were identified by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.Abbreviations. Histones Nomenclature H1 formerly histone F1 - H2B formerly histone F2b - H2A formerly histone F2a2 - H3 formerly histone F3 - H4 formerly histone F2a1 This nomenclature has been proposed at the recent Symposium on the Structure and Function of Chromatin. Ciba Foundation. London. April 1974.     

Degradation of RNA in rat reticulocytes: I. Purification and properties of rat reticulocyte RNase

A RNase has been partially purified from rat reticulocytes induced by phenylhydrazine. This enzyme has an optimum pH of 7.5 and degrades RNA endonucleolytically as evidenced by the analysis of degradation products. The activity is destroyed by heat treatment (pH 6.5, 80 °, 5 min). Many metal ions are inhibitory for the activity. The enzyme was inactivated almost completely by 0.5 mm HgCl₂. Monovalent ions, including Nad, KCl, NH₄Cl, and (NH₄)₂SO₄, inhibit the enzyme by about 90% at concentrations of 0.1–0.2 m. The molecular weight of this enzyme is about 16,000 as determined by gel filtration. A latent RNase with higher molecular weight is present in the crude extract of the cells.     

On the binding of histone H1 in chromatin

Nucleosomal subunits isolated from rabbit thymus nuclei in 0.04 M K₂SO₄-0.02 M Tris, pH 7.4 were devoid of histone H1, while whole chromatin prepared in the same buffer contained the full complement of histone H1. The question is asked why histone H1 dissociates from the subunits but not from the high molecular weight material. We propose that, at physiological salt concentrations, histone H1 is not bound to linker DNA as depicted in the current models; rather, alternate attachment sites, present only in the polymer, are involved.     

An Apparatus for Concentrating Dilute Protein Solution by Perosmosis Against Polyethylene Glycol

An apparatus is described for the continuous concentration of dilute protein solutions by perosmosis. In this apparatus polyethylene glycol of average molecular weight 20, 000, fractionated with (NH₄)₂SO₄ to eliminate the lower molecular weight entities, is used.     

Crystallographic study of single crystals of mitochondrial coupling factor (BF1) from beef heart

Beef heart mitochondrial coupling factor (BF₁) was crystallized from 0.1 M Tris-PO₄, pH 7.8, containing 1 mM EDTA, 4 mM ATP and 1.85 M (NH₄)₂SO₄, at 22°C. Single crystals were obtained different from those reported by Spitzberg and Haworth (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 492, 237–240, 1977). The X-ray diffraction pattern reveals an orthorhombic lattice with a = 150 Å, b = 132 Å and c = 180 Å and, according to the absence of reflection, a space group of C222₁. The crystal density was determined to 1.19 g·ml^?1 and, assuming a molecular weight of 350,000 for BF₁, there is only one half of the BF₁ molecule in the asymmetric unit cell.     

Formation of delta-Aminolevulinic Acid from Glutamic Acid in Algal Extracts : Separation into an RNA and Three Required Enzyme Components by Serial Affinity Chromatography

Extracts from plant chloroplasts and algae catalyze the conversion of glutamate to δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in the first committed step of the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway leading to chlorophylls, hemes, and bilins. The conversion requires ATP, Mg²⁺, and NADPH as cofactors. Soluble extracts from Chlorella vulgaris have now been resolved into four macromolecular fractions, all of which are required to reconstitute activity. One fraction contains a low molecular weight RNA which can be separated from the protein components in an active high-speed supernatant by treatment with 1 molar NaCl followed by precipitation of the proteins with (NH₄)₂SO₄ at 70% saturation. The proteins recovered from the (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitate are reactivated by addition of a fraction containing tRNAs isolated from Chlorella by phenol-chloroform extraction and DEAE cellulose chromatography. Three required protein fractions were resolved from the RNA-depleted (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitate by serial affinity chromatography on Reactive Blue 2-Sepharose and 2′,5′-ADP-agarose. Glycerol was found to stabilize the enzyme activity during the separation process. The majority of the glutamate:tRNA ligase activity was associated with the fraction which was retained by Blue-Sepharose and not retained by ADP-agarose, in agreement with the reported properties of the affinity ligands. The active material in the fraction not retained by Blue-Sepharose eluted as a single component on gel filtration chromatography, with an apparent molecular weight of 67,000. The active component in the RNA fraction also eluted as a single component on gel filtration chromatography.     

Isolation and characterization of a new bacteriocin,termed enterocin M,produced by environmental isolate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterococcus faecium</Emphasis> AL41

The new bacteriocin, termed enterocin M, produced by Enterococcus faecium AL 41 showed a wide spectrum of inhibitory activity against the indicator organisms from different sources. It was purified by (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitation, cation-exchange chromatography and reverse phase chromatography (FPLC). The purified peptide was sequenced by N-terminal amino acid Edman degradation and a mass spectrometry analysis was performed. By combining the data obtained from amino acid sequence (39 N-terminal amino acid residues was determined) and the molecular weight (determined to be 4 628 Da) it was concluded that the purified enterocin M is a new bacteriocin, which is very similar to enterocin P. However, its molecular weight is different from enterocin P (4 701.25). Of the first 39 N-terminal residues of enterocin M, valine was found in position 20 and a lysine in position 35, while enterocin P has tryptophane residues in these positions.     

Comparison of fractionation of groundnut proteins by two different methods

The salt-soluble proteins of groundnut meal were fractionated by precipitation with (NH₄)₂SO₄ by increasing the (NH₄)₂SO₄ saturation in steps of 10%. The sharp separation into arachin and conarachin claimed by earlier workers was not achieved, as protein was precipitated at each stage from 20 to 100% saturation with (NH₄)₂SO₄. The fractions so obtained were examined by disc electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel and the amino acid compositions were determined by ion-exchange chromatography. Differences in both electrophoretic pattern and amino acid composition were found. The protein precipitated by CaCl₂ solution was similar in yield, nitrogen content, electrophoretic pattern, and amino acid composition to the fraction precipitating at 10–20% (NH₄)₂SO₄ saturation. The main differences in amino acid composition of the various fractions precipitated by (NH₄)₂SO₄ were found in the amino acids cystine, methionine, and lysine, which increased with increase in (NH₄)₂SO₄ saturation. The electrophoretic pattern and amino acid composition of “conarachin” varied according to the method of preparation.     

Effect of ammonium sulfate on the phytotoxicity, foliar uptake, and translocation of imazamethabenz in wild oat

Experiments were conducted in greenhouse, growth chamber, and laboratory conditions to determine the effect of ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄] on the phytotoxicity, foliar uptake, and translocation of imazamethabenz on wild oat. Rates of (NH₄)₂SO₄ up to 5% (w/v) applied with a greenhouse sprayer did not affect the phytotoxicity of the herbicide when the mix was applied at the one- to two-leaf stage. However, inclusion of 1 and 2% (NH₄)₂SO₄ increased the phytotoxicity of the herbicide when the mix was sprayed at the two- to three-leaf, or the three- to four-leaf stage. At 10%, (NH₄)₂SO₄ decreased the phytotoxicity of the sublethal dosage of the herbicide. When the herbicide was applied as individual drops to the growth chamber-grown plants, inclusion of (NH₄)₂SO₄ at 1% did not affect phytotoxicity as measured by shoot growth. The presence of (NH₄)₂SO₄ did not affect the amount of imazamethabenz retained by wild oat foliage, but it decreased [¹⁴C]imazamethabenz absorption, slightly antagonized acropetal translocation, and increased the basipetal translocation of [¹⁴C]imazamethabenz. It was concluded that application methods greatly modify the effect of (NH₄)₂SO₄ on imazamethabenz phytotoxicity. Herbicide absorption and translocation as determined by one method do not necessarily represent the absorption and translocation patterns when different application methods are used. Absorption and translocation were not the factors that were responsible for the observed effect of (NH₄)₂SO₄ on the herbicide phytotoxicity.Abbreviations SC suspension concentrate     

Field assessment of efficacy of nitrogen salts to control the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) on tomato

Influence of different nitrogen salts at electrical conductivity levels (EC2, 4 and 8?mmhos/cm) on tomato and root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) and their interactions was evaluated under field conditions. It was found that both diammonium phosphate ((NH₄)₂HPO₄) and ammonium sulphate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) were more effective than ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) in causing an obvious suppression of M. javanica infection on tomato through reducing root galling and nematode reproduction and improving tomato growth and yield and their suppressive effect was similar to that of oxamyl or ethoprophos. At higher ECs, the tested nitrogen salts did not greatly affect pH, EC and salinity of rhizospheric soil except NH₄Cl at EC8 that caused higher EC and salinity over the untreated control which makes NH₄Cl less suitable candidate. Therefore, the use of (NH₄)₂HPO₄ and (NH₄)₂SO₄ alone or in combination with other control measures could control M. javanica and improve the growth and yield of tomato under field conditions.     

The Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase of Plasmodium lophurae*

SYNOPSIS. Plasmodium lophurae serine hydroxymethyltransferase (EC 2.1.2.1) was partially purified and characterized by (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation and chromatography on Sephadex G-100. The enzyme, precipitated by 3.0–3.3 m (NH₄)₂SO₄, had a molecular weight of 68,300 as estimated by exclusion chromatography on G-100. The pH optimum of the enzyme was 6.8–7.6 in sodium phosphate-citrate buffer. Citrate stabilized the enzyme during storage in phosphate buffer at 4 C. The K_m was 4.3 × 10^?3m for l -serine and 2.5 × 10^?4m for tetrahydrofolate.     

Purification and characterization of a periplasmic laccase produced by Sinorhizobium meliloti

Sinorhizobium meliloti CE52G strain produces a periplasmic laccase that has been purified by a two-step procedure involving heat treatment and immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). The fraction with laccase activity retained its original activity after 24 h of incubation at pH between 4.0 and 8.0 and after 3 h of incubation at 70 °C, pH 7.2 and supplemented with 1.3 M (NH₄)₂SO₄. It proved to be a homodimeric protein with an apparent molecular mass of 45 kDa each subunit and an isoelectric point of 6.2. CE52G laccase was inhibited by halides (NaF and NaCl), ions (Fe³⁺, Mn²⁺, and Cu²⁺), sulfhydryl organic compounds (β-mercaptoethanol and reduced glutathione), and electron flow inhibitors (NaCN and NaF). Laccase activity was strongly enhanced by (NH₄)₂SO₄, Na₂SO₄, and K₂SO₄. The effects of all these agents, as well as the probability of a partially unfolding polypeptide chain to enhance the interaction between the substrate and the active site, are discussed. CE52G laccase is a pH- and thermo-stable protein with promising biotechnological applications.     

Purification and Partial Characterization of a Genetically-Defined Superoxide Dismutase (SOD-1) Associated with Maize Chloroplasts

The chloroplast-associated form of superoxide dismutase from maize (Zea mays L.) (SOD-1) has been purified by a stepwise procedure consisting of (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation, G-100 Sephadex gel filtration, DEAE-Sephacel chromatography, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. This procedure resulted in a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels indicating that the preparation is homogeneous. The holoenzyme molecular weight was estimated at 31,000 to 33,000 by gel filtration. The subunit molecular weight of this dimeric protein was estimated at 14,500 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Studies involving amino acid composition analysis, immunological cross-reactivity, in vitro subunit hybridizations, and H₂O₂ sensitivity indicate that SOD-1 differs significantly from SOD-2 and SOD-4, the other cupro-zinc forms of SOD from maize. The possible physiological role of SOD-1 within the chloroplast is discussed.     

Characterization of 1-phosphofructokinase from halophilic archaebacterium Haloarcula vallismortis

1-Phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.56) (1PFK) was purified and characterized for the first time from an archaebacterial halophile Haloarcula vallismortis. The purification procedure involving (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation, (NH₄)₂SO₄-mediated chromatography on Sepharose 4B, CM-cellulose chromatography, hydrophobic on phenyl Sepharose and adsorption chromatography on hydroxylapatite yielded a preparation with a specific activity of 128 and 100-fold purification. From gel filtration and sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation, the apparent molecular mass of halobacterial 1PFK was found as 76 ± 5 kDa. The halobacterial 1PFK appears to be monomeric and the possibility of an unstable phosphoenzyme intermediate during its catalysis could not be ruled out. As in the case of many halobacterial enzymes, the 1PFK was found to be halophilic and thermostable. Other catalytic features of halobacterial 1PFK were similar to its counterparts from eubacterial sources.     

MOLECULAR WEIGHT AND ELECTROPHORESIS OF CRYSTALLINE RIBONUCLEASE

Electrophoretic studies on purified crystalline ribonuclease showed the absence of any impurities differing in mobility from the bulk of material. The isoelectric point of ribonuclease was found by electrophoresis to be at about pH 7.8. Ultracentrifuge studies indicated fair homogeneity of ribonuclease in solution. Only one moving component has been observed. The molecular weight of ribonuclease was found to be 12,700 from rate of sedimentation (S ²⁵ = 1.85 x 10^–13 in 0.5 M (NH₄)₂SO₄) and diffusion measurement (D = 1.36 x 10_–6 in 0.5 M (NH₄)₂SO₄), in good agreement with the average value of 13,000 found from equilibrium measurements. This low value for the molecular weight of a protein would seem to discredit the value 17,600 as representing a universal unit weight for proteins in general.