Purification and characterization of zinc-binding protein from the liver of the partially hepatectomized rat.

Zn-binding protein in liver of the partially hepatectomized rat was purified by column chromatography on Sephadex G-75 and DEAE-cellulose. Homogeneity was judged by polyacrylamide-disc-gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight determined by gel-permeation chromatography in 6 M-guanidine hydrochloride was 6700. This value is in good agreement with the molecular weight calculated from the amino acid composition, which was 6073. Zn-binding protein was composed of 61 amino acid residues, and the distinctive features include an extremely high content of cysteine, which accounted for one-third of the total amino acid residues, and an absolute absence of aromatic amino acids as well as of histidine, leucine and arginine. The amino acid composition was similar to that of the metallothioneins previously isolated from rat liver and mouse liver. These observations suggest that the Zn-binding protein can be classified as a type of metallothionein. Zn-binding protein contained 8.2g-atoms of zinc per mol and traces of copper, but no cadmium. The molar ratio of thiol groups to zinc was calculated to be 2.5:1. Possible roles of this Zn-binding protein in the transport and storage of zinc in the liver are discussed.     

Antioxidant Properties of the Peptides Isolated From Ganoderma lucidum Fruiting Body

Ganoderma lucidum is widely used as traditional medicine for centuries particularly in China, Japan and Korea. Many bioactive metabolites isolated from G. lucidum were therapeutically active against various diseases. The peptide isolated from water extract of G. lucidum was purified by employing Sephadex G-25, Sephadex G-50 and reverse phase HPLC column chromatography. The antioxidant property of the peptide fractions was determined by various in vitro methods. All fractions obtained from Sephadex G-25 and fraction G from Sephadex G-50 are effective antioxidants and comparably fraction C has the highest antioxidant activity. The molecular weight of purified peptide determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, gel filtration chromatography and Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometer was found to be 2.8, 3.34 and 3.35?kDa respectively. The amino acid composition of the peptide was rich in phenylalanine, aspartic acid, proline, histidine and isoleucine. Peptide isolated in the present investigation suggests that has beneficial antioxidant properties may be due to its low molecular weight and specific amino acid composition.     

Respiratory behaviour of sea-urchin spermatozoa. II. Sperm-activating substance obtained from jelly coat of sea-urchin eggs.

A sperm-activating substance (SAS) was obtained from the jelly coat of sea-urchin ova and its chemical properties were investigated in three sea-urchin species. The SAS was partially purified from the jelly coat of Pseudocentrotus eggs through several steps of purification by procedures consisting of charcoal adsorption, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column, and gel-filtration on Sephadex G-15 columns. The partially purified SAS was found to contain a ninhydrin-positive material and is inactivated by pronase digestion. The molecular weight of SAS was estimated as about 630 by gel-filtration through Sephadex G-25 and the isoelectric-point of SAS is located at about pH 5.3 by isoelectrofocusing method. The SAS is non-volatile, alcohol-soluble, and labile in a diluted alkaline or acid solution. The origin of SAS is discussed.     

Isolation of a (copper,zinc)-thionein from the small intestine of neonatal rats

A Cu- and Zn-binding protein was isolated from the small intestine of 5-day-old rats whose only source of these metals was maternal milk. Elution behavior on Sephadex G-75 indicated that the molecular weight of this protein was about 9,000 daltons. Furthermore, the protein exhibited low absorbance at 280 nm, was separated into two subfractions by DEAE Sephadex chromatography and had low aromatic amino acid and high cysteine content. The protein, therefore, meets the criteria for classification as a metallothionein. Evidence suggested that the metallothionein is located primarily in the distal portion of the small intestine.     

Possible existence of high molecular precursor proteins for substance P biosynthesis in rabbit spinal ganglia

The presence of precursor protein for substance P (SP) was examined. Sephadex G-75 chromatography of extracts from rabbit spinal ganglia incubated with [³⁵S]methionine gave two radioactive peaks. In the lower molecular weight peak SP was identified by radioimmunoassay, Sephadex G-15 and TLC. When higher molecular weight proteins were incubated with spinal ganglia microsomal preparation and applied to Sephadex G-75, G-15, TLC and HPLC, ³⁵S-labeled SP was identified and characterized as authentic by immunoprecipitation followed by Sephadex G-15. The amount of ³⁵S-labeled SP was reduced by prior heating of ganglia homogenates, addition of N-ethylmaleimide or p-chloromercuribenzoic acid but not by cycloheximide. Characterization of higher molecular weight proteins by Sephadex G-200, gel-permeation chromatography and chromatofocusing revealed that the proteins were of approx. 100,000 and 7000 dalton with isoelectric points of 9.0, 8.4 and 7.8. These results suggest that the processing from a precursor protein to SP may involve several steps and our high molecular weight protein of 7000 dalton may be one of these intermediate precursor peptides for SP.     

Proteinase inhibitors in aggregated forms of boar seminal plasma proteins

Boar seminal plasma proteins were separated by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-75 into five fractions (I–V). Serine proteinase inhibitors were found mainly in the protein fraction with relative molecular weight 5–25 kDa. Small amounts of these inhibitors were also found in the high molecular weight protein fraction (M_r>100 kDa). The protein fraction containing most of the proteinase inhibitory activity was further separated by RP HPLC. Isolated proteins were characterized by SDS electrophoresis and immunoblotting, N-terminal amino acid sequencing and by determination of the proteinase inhibitory activity. In the fraction containing proteinase inhibitors, also β-microseminoprotein (β-MSP), AQN 1 and lactoferrin were identified. The possible existence of complexes of protein components in the fraction with relative molecular weight 5–25 kDa was studied in detail using gel chromatographic separation on Sephadex G-50. A part of proteinase inhibitors with M_r 8 kDa was eluted together with AQN 1 spermadhesin. An interaction of isolated spermadhesin AQN 1 and proteinase inhibitor was shown.     

Purification and characterization of a low molecular weight zinc binding protein from human placenta

A low molecular weight, native zinc binding, cytosolic protein (LMZP) has been isolated, purified and characterized from human normal term placenta. Gel filtration of heat treated placental cytosol after sequential acetone precipitation (80% ppt) revealed a major zinc binding protein in the range of low molecular weight. This partially purified zinc binding fraction was further fractionated on DEAE-Sephadex A-25. The zinc was eluted in one of the three peak fractions. Further, the purity of zinc binding protein was confirmed on fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The purified placental LMZP was homogenous on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a single band. Ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of LMZP showed an absorption maximum at 257 nm which disappeared at pH 2. Molecular weight of LMZP as determined by gel chromatography, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino acid analysis was 6 kDa. It was calculated that 1 g atom of zinc was bound to 1 mole of the LMZP. Unlike in classical metallothionein, the amino acid composition of placental LMZP revealed the presence of aromatic amino acids, lower content of cysteine and higher content of histidine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid (10, 9 and 5 residues/mole, respectively).     

Maternal Exogastrula-Inducing Peptides (EGIPs) and Their Changes during Development in the Sea Urchin Anthocidaris crassispina

Exogastrula-inducing activity was examined in eggs and embryos of the sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina at various stages. During fractionation on a column of DEAE-cellulose, the exogastrula-inducing activity was found in the flow-through fraction at all developmental stages. In particular, the activity present in the flow-through fraction of unfertilized eggs represents the presence of maternal exogastrula-inducing peptides (EGIPs). The flow-through fractions from the column of DEAE-cellulose were applied to a column of Sephadex G-100 and the activities in the eluate were assayed. The active low-molecular-weight fraction was obtained in all cases with the exception of pluteus larvae, extracts of which contained another active fraction. Immunoblots of protein samples from eggs and embryos probed with antiserum against EGIP-D indicated that there is a major immunoreactive protein that migrates with an apparent molecular weight of about 6 kDa in all cases with the exception of pluteus larvae, and that there are two major immunoreactive proteins that migrate with apparent molecular weights of 6 kDa and 35 kDa, respectively, in pluteus larvae.     

IUB commission of editors of biochemical journals the citation of bibliographic references in biochemical journals recommendations (1971)

A pentose-rich acidic glycoprotein was isolated from protease digested bovine vitreous humor by fractionation on an AG1-X2 column using NaCl solution gradient.The material eluted at 0.35 M NaCl (glycoprotein) was electrophoretically heterogeneous at pH 8.6 after partial purification on Sephadex G-25. Gel filtration on G-100 resolved the glycoprotein into two fractions. These fractions differ in molecular weight; mol. wt approx. 95 000 material consisted of two components on electrophoresis and mol. wt approx. 28 000 material showed only a single component on electrophoresis. The lower molecular weight component was re-chromatographed on Sephadex G-100 yielding a single orcinol positive component which gave a homogeneous band on gel electrophoresis.Quantitative analysis of this material gave 30% protein, 7.0% pentose, 18.7% glucosamine, 9.2% galactosamine, 10.9% hexuronic acid and 16.1% hexose.Treatment with 0.5 M NaOH at 20°C for 24 h resulted in a 50% decrease in the threonine content suggesting the possible involvement of this amino acid in the protein-carbohydrate linkage group.Paper chromatography of the fraction hydrolysate demonstrated the presence of glucurone, xylose, arabinose, glucose and galactose.     

Purification and some physicochemical properties of staphylococcal enterotoxin D.

A method was developed for the isolation of staphylococcal enterotoxin D in highly purified form from cultures of Staphylococcus aureus strain 1151m. The method involves removal of the toxin from the culture supernatant fluid with the ion-exchange resin CG-50 followed by chromatography on carboxymethylcellulose (twice) and by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 (twice). The purified toxin is homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and double gel diffusion tests. It is a simple, colorless, antigenic protein with an isoelectric point of 7.4 as determined by isoelectric focusing. Its molecular weight was determined to be 27 300 +/- 700 by molecular sieve chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Its serological activity is stable over a wide range of pH values (1.2--10.7). The enterotoxin consists of 236 amino acid residues and contains no free sulfhydryl groups. End-group analysis showed serine to be the NH2-terminal amino acid and lysine to be the COOH-terminal amino acid.     

A new vasopeptide formed by the action of a Murphy-Sturm lymphosarcoma acid protease on rat plasma kininogen

A new vasoactive peptide, formed by the action of a Murphy-Sturm lymphosarcoma acid protease on rat plasma kininogen was purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 (fine) and fractions assayed on the isolated rat uterus for smooth muscle stimulating activity. The most active fraction was purified further by CM-cellulose chromatography. High voltage electrophoresis showed the peptide to be one component (Mgly 2.49) with an electrophoretic mobility different from bradykinin, lysyl-bradykinin and methionyl-lysyl-bradykinin. The molecular weight of the peptide was estimated on Sephadex G-25 column to be 1460. The amino acid composition was determined and the carboxyl terminal sequence identified by carboxypeptidase Y treatment to be Pro-Phe-Arg-Leu. Dansyl-Edman procedure yielded an amino terminal sequence of Ile-Ser-Arg-Pro. The peptide produced a dose-dependent contraction of the isolated guinea pig anterior mesenteric vein and relaxed the rabbit superior mesenteric artery contracted by phenylephrine.     

小鼠肝脏金属硫蛋白Metallothioneins的分离纯化与鉴定

由健康小鼠通过皮下注射一定量的氯化镉,取肝脏匀浆,离心,经SephadexG-50和DEAE-Sephadex A-50柱层析分离,即可获得MT-Ⅰ和MT-Ⅱ两种金属硫蛋白。经鉴定:两个分子各含18个巯基,结合4个Cd原子和3个Zn原子,无金属蛋白质Thionein的分子量约为6kD,半胱氨酸含量约占氨基酸总量的28％,所提取到的MT-Ⅰ和MT-Ⅱ经氨基酸组成,HPLC和PAGE分析皆证明为高度均一的,且与有关文献报道基本相符。其中MT-Ⅱ已获得晶体。     

Purification and characterization of a new lectin from the hard roe of skipjack tuna,Katsuwonus pelamis

Fish eggs are known as a rich source of lectins. In this study we purified and characterized a lectin from unfertilized Katsuwonus pelamis hard roe. K. pelamis lectin (KPL) was purified by separation into two fractions above and below the molecular weight of 10kDa using ultramembrane, gel filtration on a Sephadex G-100, and affinity chromatography on an asialofetuin-Sepharose 4B. KPL is a glycoprotein of 140kDa, composed mainly of aspartic acid, glycine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, threonine and serine residues. Analysis of the carbohydrate composition by gas-liquid chromatography indicated that carbohydrates constituted 14% of the total weight and this 14% is comprised of mannose, galactose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, fucose, arabinose and sialic acid. The lectin is comprised of four subunits. These subunits have a molecular mass corresponding to 35kDa. KPL specifically agglutinated human blood type A erythrocytes and, in a hemagglutination inhibitory test, the potent inhibitors were D-galactose, lactose, lactosamine, asialofetuin, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, O-serinyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside and O-serinyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-galactopyranoside (O-serinyl-beta-D-GalNAc). The first 10 residues of the N-terminal region were determined as PVELCDAKCT. Furthermore it was determined that the hemagglutinating activity of KPL was dependent on divalent metal cations and that the optimum activity of KPL was exhibited at 40 degrees C and pH 6.0-8.5 in the presence of Ca2+.     

蛹虫草金属硫蛋白分离纯化及性质研究

研究探讨锌离子胁迫下蛹虫草Cordyceps militaris金属硫蛋白的产生及性质。蛹虫草菌丝体以15g/L Zn2+在10L发酵罐中诱导培养56h后收集,产率为每升发酵液收集12.021g菌丝体（干重）,细胞破碎取上清液通过两次凝胶柱层析,冷冻干燥得到蛹虫草金属硫蛋白纯品。利用Bradford法进行蛋白质含量测定,用银饱和分析法结合原子吸收光谱（AAS）测定MT含量,发酵终点处金属硫蛋白含量为12.876mg/g菌丝体（湿重）。用电喷雾质谱法测得金属硫蛋白的分子量为7 390Da,用Ellman’s方法和火焰原子吸收法分别测得每分子蛋白质含有14个巯基、结合5个Zn原子。氨基酸组成分析结果显示,每分子蛋白质共含57个氨基酸,其中含有13个半胱氨酸,疏水氨基酸占29.8%,且含有组氨酸。以上表明,研究中的蛹虫草金属硫蛋白与哺乳动物金属硫蛋白结构差异较大,但与酵母菌金属硫蛋白结构组成类似。     

Purification and characterization of human plasma Zn-alpha 2-glycoprotein

Zn-alpha 2-glycoprotein (Zn alpha 2gp) was purified from fresh human plasma approximately 670-fold in a yield of 18% over the fractions from DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography. The purified protein was a glycoprotein with molecular weights of 56,000 and 57,000 on Superose and Sephadex G-150 column chromatographies and of 41,000 and 42,000 on nonreduced SDS-PAGE. Characterization, which included a determination of molecular weight, amino acid composition, amino terminus, and antigenicity, correlated well with known values previously reported for human Zn alpha 2gp.     

Beta-endorphin-like and adrenocorticotropin-like materials in heart tissues of the rat, gerbil, hamster and guinea pig

1. Heart tissues of several rodent species including the rat, gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) and guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) were extracted with an acetone-water-HCl mixture. An acid acetone powder was obtained by adding a copious volume of acetone to the extract. 2. Rat heart acid acetone powder was subjected to ion exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose. Gerbil heart acid acetone powder was subjected to salt fractionation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-10 and then ion exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose. Hamster and guinea pig heart acid acetone powders were subjected to gel filtration on Sephadex G-25. 3. The fractions were assayed for the ability to stimulate corticosterone production in isolated rat adrenal decapsular (zona fasciculata, zona reticularis and medulla) cells, to displace D-ala2-D-leu5-(tyrosyl-3,5-3H) enkephalin from binding to rat brain membranes, and to inhibit 125I-human beta-endorphin from binding to its antibodies. 4. The widespread occurrence of beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity among the rat heart CM-cellulose fractions may reflect different species of beta-endorphin. The fraction with the highest beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity and opiate receptor binding activity was strongly adsorbed on CM-cellulose. 5. In hamster and guinea pig hearts, beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity and opiate receptor binding activity were distributed among high molecular weight and low molecular weight fractions. 6. In gerbil hearts, opiate receptor binding activity was present in fractions unretarded on Sephadex G-10 (i.e. with a molecular weight greater than 700) as well as in the retarded fractions (i.e. with a molecular weight smaller than 700).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Purification and characterization of fish surface mucin

Fish surface mucin from Pampus argenteus was extracted with different organic solvents and the residue passed through Sephadex G-200. The major peak was purified by DEAE-Cellulose chromatography and five fractions were obtained. Carbohydrate and protein contents showed that major peak is a glycoprotein. Rechromatography of this component on the Sephadex G-200 column gave a single peak, with an estimated minimal molecular weight of 6.9 X 10(5). Analysis of individual sugar components revealed the presence of galactose, glucose, mannose, arabinose, N-acetyl glucosamine, N-acetyl galactosamine and sialic acid. The most represented amino acids are threonine, serine, proline, glutamic acid and glycine. The N-terminal amino acid end was blocked. Nearly 47% of sulphate was acid labile. Sialic acid and fucose were released rapidly by mild acid hydrolysis. The presence of blood group-A activity suggests that some kind of terminal alpha-Gal-NAC may be present.     

Isolation of a non-thionein copper-binding protein from liver of copper-injected rats

1. The characterization of a low molecular weight, non-thionein, Cubinding protein isolated from rat liver is reported. The protein was isolated following chronic administration of Cu(NO₃)₂ using a combination of Sephadex G-75 and Sephadex DEAE A-25 chromatography. The protein did not bind to fully equilibrated Sephadex DEAE which formed the basis of the isolation procedure. 2. The final protein pereparation was found to be homogeneous by a variety of electrophoretic techniques and was distinguished from metallothionein on the basis of its behaviour on ion exchange and electrophoretic systems, spectral properties, and amino acid composition and metal content. It contains 6.8% cysteine and was found to bind Cu in a ratio of 1.5:1 based on a molecular weight of 11 000. 3. These results confirm the necessity to use techniques other than gel filtration alone to obtain adequate separation of low molecular weight metal-binding protein fractions.     

Isolation and some properties of a new fiber-forming protein from Tetrahymena pyriformis

Isolation and characterization of a fibrous protein component which might be associated with contractile ring of a dividing Tetrahymena cell were attempted by making use of coprecipitation of the protein with rabbit skeletal muscle myosin. The protein was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation between 40--70% saturation and column chromatography of Sephadex G-200, starting from KCl-extract of Tetrahymena acetone powder. Its molecular weight was calculated to be 38,000, based on the electrophoretic mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel, whereas molecular weight of its native state was determined to be 140,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, and its sedimentation coefficient was about 9S as estimated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The latter was a particle of 7.7 nm in diameter under an electron microscope and supposed to be a tetramer of the 38,000-dalton protein. The protein is considered to be a new, unique protein, since it is definitely different from the ubiquitous non-muscle actin in molecular weight, polymerizability in KCl solution and amino acid composition, and it also different from tropomyosin and tubulin in immunological characteristics and amino acid composition.