Purification and characterization of protein IIIb, a mammalian brain phosphoprotein

The phosphorylation of a 55,000-dalton protein (Protein IIIb) present in mammalian brain was previously shown to be increased by depolarizing agents in the presence of calcium, by cyclic nucleotides, and by appropriate neurotransmitters. We now report that Protein IIIb has been purified 660-fold to near homogeneity and partially characterized. The hydrodynamic properties of the purified protein indicate that it exists as an elongated monomer. cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalyzes the incorporation of 0.82 mol of phosphate into serine/mol of protein. The protein is heterogeneous in isoelectric focusing, exhibiting multiple forms with isoelectric points ranging in pH from 6.6 to 7.3.     

Purification and characterization of a mammalian endo-exonuclease.

An endo-exonuclease has been purified from cultured monkey (CV-1) cells. The enzyme which was purified to near homogeneity to be a 65 kDa monomeric protein. The single-strand DNase activity is endonucleolytic and nonprocessive, whereas the double-strand DNase activity is exonucleolytic and processive. The enzyme was also found to have RNase activity using poly-rA as substrate. The pH optimum for ss-DNase is 8 and for ds-DNase it is 7.5. Both DNase activities require a divalent metal ion (Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Zn2+) for activity and exhibit the same kinetics of heat inactivation. The purified protein binds to and cleaves a synthetic Holliday junction substrate. The overall enzymatic characteristics of the mammalian protein are very similar to the putative recombination endo-exonucleases purified from Neurospora crassa, Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

Purification and characterization of biotin-binding protein II from chicken oocytes.

BBP-II, the major biotin-binding protein from chicken oocytes, was purified 12,000-fold with a 22% yield. The purification procedure includes butan-1-ol extraction of yolk lipids, phosphocellulose chromatography of the water-soluble proteins, DEAE-cellulose chromatography at pH 7.4 and hydroxyapatite column chromatography. Final purification was obtained by using a second DEAE-cellulose column chromatography at pH 6.0. BBP-I activity separated from BBP-II activity during elution from the first DEAE-cellulose column. Purified BBP-II was homogeneous on both polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis under conditions that would detect a 1% impurity. The subunit Mr determined from SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis was 18,200 (72,600 for tetramer), which compares favourably with an Mr value of 17,300 (69,100) calculated from the amino acid analysis. A single precipitin line formed when rabbit antiserum to the protein was directed against a crude chicken egg-yolk sample. BBP-II purified by this procedure lacked carbohydrate and phosphate, was stable indefinitely when frozen, and was quite stable at room temperature. The N-terminal amino acid sequence showed polymorphism at three positions in the first 23 residues and was about 45% identical with the N-terminal 22 residues of avidin. Antiserum to BBP-II cross-reacted with BBP-I and similar proteins in the yolk of eggs from various birds and alligator as judged by immunodiffusion and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. No cross-reaction was observed with chicken egg-white by either of these methods.     

Purification and partial characterization of a cobalamin-binding protein from chicken egg yolk

Cobalamin-binding protein has been purified from chicken egg yolk by using DEAE-cellulose with a NaCl gradient. The resultant protein fraction was subjected to bioaffinity chromatography. The Mr was 38,000 by SDS-PAGE and 39,000 by gel filtration, and indicated that it was a glycoprotein. The Stokes radius was 4.3 nm and the pI 4.1. The protein bound 57CO.B12 with a molar ratio of 1:1 and a Kd of 0.41 microM. The CBP composed 296 amino acids residues. The protein-ligand interaction was inhibited by Cbl analogues.     

Human angiotensinogen. Purification partial characterization, and a comparison with animal prohormones.

The renin-angiotensin system appears to play a major role in the regulation of sodium excretion and fluid intake in a wide variety of animal species from mammals to teleosts. In mammals the system has evolved further importance in terms of blood pressure homeostasis. This hormonal system in all species appears to involve a serum protein prohormone, angiotensinogen, a proteolytic enzyme, renin, and angiotensin I, the decapeptide product of the reaction between renin and angiotensinogen. The importance of this system to the organism appears to correlate directly with the necessity to conserve sodium while an abnormality of this process may underlie the development of hypertension in man. As the starting point of the system, angiotensinogen assumes special importance as a possible index of evolutionary development. In addition, it has been known for many years that human (viz. primate) angiotensinogen differs from that found in other mammals in its inability to be a substrate for animal renins while animal angiotensinogens readily react with human renin. Thus, the enzymatic specificity appears to reside with the prohormone. The biochemical basis for this difference is unresolved due primarily to the lack of purified human angiotensinogen. In this paper we describe methods for the purification of human angiotensinogen which have direct applicability to animal angiotensinogens. Our approach utilizes ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephadex G-150 chromatography, multiple isoelectric focusing, and concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity chromatography. With the availability of highly purified human angiotensinogen we compared the molecular weights, heterogeneity, isoelectric points, and thermal lability of hog, rabbit, and human angiotensinogen in order to define the biochemical basis of the species variation in renin reactivity...     

Purification and characterization of cMGF, a novel chicken myelomonocytic growth factor.

We describe the purification of a novel hematopoietic growth factor from conditioned medium of a transformed macrophage cell line. The factor, termed chicken myelomonocytic growth factor (cMGF) stimulates the growth of chicken myeloblasts transformed by myb oncogene-containing retroviruses and induces the formation of macrophage colonies in uninfected chick bone marrow cultures. The biological activity of the factor is destroyed by trypsin and by reducing reagents but not by SDS. Analysis of crude conditioned medium on non-reducing SDS gels reveals two active species of cMGF with mol. wts. of 23 and 27 kd. Incubation of radioiodinated partially purified cMGF with myeloblasts demonstrates the specific binding of 23- and 27-kd components under non-reducing, and 25- and 29-kd components under reducing conditions. Glycosylation inhibition experiments indicate that the larger molecules represent glycosylated forms of a single protein moiety. The 27-kd species has been purified to homogeneity (80 000-fold enrichment) and exerts its half maximal activity at 2 X 10(-12) M and its maximal activity at 3 X 10(-11) M. Antibodies prepared to purified cMGF completely neutralize the growth-stimulating activity of the factor.     

Purification and characterization of furin, a Kex2-like processing endoprotease, produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Furin, a mammalian homolog of the yeast Kex2 protease, is associated with Golgi membranes and is involved in cleavage of precursor proteins at sites marked by the Arg-X-Lys/Arg-Arg (RXK/RR) motif. We have recently shown that a furin mutant lacking the transmembrane domain can be secreted from cDNA-transfected cells with proteolytic activity for the fluorogenic peptide t-butoxycarbonyl-Arg-Val-Arg-Arg-4-methylcoumarin-7- amide. In this study, we purified and characterized the recombinant furin from the conditioned medium of these cells. Furin was purified as a mixture of 83- and 81-kDa forms and a 96-kDa form. The differences in molecular mass were not due to differences in molecular mass were not due to differences in glycosylation. Moreover, all forms had the same NH2-terminal sequence beginning at the residue after the Arg-Ala-Lys-Arg sequence. These data suggest that the three different forms may be produced by differential COOH-terminal processing of a furin molecule and that mature furin may be autocatalytically produced. Both enzyme preparations showed a pH optimum at 7.0, required Ca2+ for the activity, and showed essentially the same inhibitor profile. These properties resembled those of the Kex2 protease. Both preparations efficiently cleaved fluorogenic peptides with an RXK/RR sequence and moderately cleaved a peptide with an RXXR sequence, but did not cleave dibasic peptides. The sequence requirements determined in vitro were compatible with those determined by expression studies in cultured cells. These data unequivocally demonstrate that furin is an endogenous cellular protease responsible for cleavage of precursor proteins mainly at RXK/RR sites.     

Purification and characterization of chicken follicle-stimulating hormone.

1. Highly purified chicken follicle-stimulating hormone (cFSH) was isolated from chicken pituitaries by differential extraction, sequential chromatography on HPLC cation and anion exchange columns, and gel filtration chromatography. 2. Purified cFSH (USDA-cFSH-K-1) had a potency of 77.44 units/mg in a chicken testes radioreceptor assay, and was biologically active in stimulating the secretion of progesterone by chicken granulosa cells. 3. Purified cFSH contained negligible luteinizing hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone activity. 4. The apparent molecular weight of cFSH was 38,000 Da and a single band on isoelectric focusing had a pI of 4.65.     

Purification and characterization of chicken erythrocyte ferrochelatase.

Ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1) was purified 2000-fold to apparent homogeneity from isolated chicken erythrocyte mitochondria. The purified enzyme yields a single band on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis with an apparent Mr of 42 000. The enzyme utilizes proto-, meso- and deutero-porphyrin with Km values of 37, 51 and 80 microM respectively. The disubstituted porphyrins 2,4-bisglycol deutero-porphyrin and 2,4-disulphonic deuteroporphyrin were not substrates. Mn2+, Hg2+, Pb2+ and Co2+ were strong inhibitors of the purified enzyme. Palmitic acid and oleic acid stimulated activity, whereas linoleic acid inhibited and phospholipids had variable effects. Chicken ferrochelatase was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide. Inhibition by iodoacetamide was pseudo-first-order, but inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide appeared to be biphasic in nature with an initial high rate followed by a much lower rate of inactivation. The characteristics of the chicken erythrocyte enzyme are compared with those previously reported for mammalian liver ferrochelatase.     

Identification and characterization of a new mammalian mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, MKK2.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are serine/threonine protein kinases activated by dual phosphorylation on threonine and tyrosine residues. A MAP kinase kinase (MKK1 or MEK1) has been identified as a dual-specificity protein kinase that is sufficient to phosphorylate MAP kinases p42mapk and p44mapk on the regulatory threonine and tyrosine residues. Because of the multiplicity of MAP kinase isoforms and the diverse circumstances and agonists leading to their activation, we thought it unlikely that a single MKK could accommodate this complexity. Indeed, two protein bands with MKK activity have previously been identified after renaturation following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We now report the molecular cloning and characterization of a second rat MAP kinase kinase cDNA, MKK2. MKK2 cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding a protein of 400 amino acids, 7 residues longer than MKK1 (MEK1). The amino acid sequence of MKK2 is 81% identical to that of MKK1, but nucleotide sequence differences occur throughout the aligned MKK2 and MKK1 cDNAs, indicating that MKK2 is the product of a distinct gene. MKK1 and MKK2 mRNAs are expressed differently in rat tissues. Both cDNAs when expressed in COS cells displayed the ability to phosphorylate and activate p42mapk and p44mapk, both MKK1 and MKK2 were activated in vivo in response to serum, and both could be phosphorylated and activated by the v-Raf protein in vitro. However, differences between MKK1 and MKK2 in sites of phosphorylation by proline-directed protein kinases predict differences in feedback regulation.     

Purification and characterization of a novel mammalian endoribonuclease

Endonuclease-mediated mRNA decay appears to be a common mode of mRNA degradation in mammalian cells, but yet only a few mRNA endonucleases have been described. Here, we report the existence of a second mammalian endonuclease that is capable of cleaving c-myc mRNA within the coding region in vitro. This study describes the partial purification and biochemical characterization of this enzyme. Five major proteins of approximately 10-35 kDa size co-purified with the endonuclease activity, a finding supported by gel filtration and glycerol gradient centrifugation analysis. The enzyme is an RNA-specific endonuclease that degrades single-stranded RNA, but not double-stranded RNA, DNA or DNA-RNA duplexes. It preferentially cleaves RNA in between the pyrimidine and purine dinucleotides UA, UG, and CA, at the coding region determinant (CRD) of c-myc RNA. The enzyme generates products with a 3'hydroxyl group, and it appears to be a protein-only endonuclease. It does not possess RNase A-like activity. The enzyme is capable of cleaving RNAs other than c-myc CRD RNA in vitro. It is Mg(2+)-independent and is resistant to EDTA. The endonuclease is inactivated at and above 70 degrees C. These properties distinguished the enzyme from other previously described vertebrate endonucleases.     

Initiation of mammalian protein synthesis. I. Purification and characterization of seven initiation factors

We have purified seven protein factors from rabbit reticulocytes, all of which are presumed to be involved in the initiation of mammalian protein synthesis. They are termed eIF-1, eIF-2, eIF-3, eIF4A, eIF-4B, eIF-4C and e-IF-5. The purification from the KCl wash of crude ribosomes involves fractionation with ammonium sulphate, ion-exchange chromatography and separation by size. The operational definition of an initiation factor was its requirement for translation of natural messenger RNA (globin mRNA) in a highly purified and fractionated system using completely defined elongation components, i.e. aminoacyl-tRNA, the two elongation factors EF-1 and EF-2, and GTP. By the same criterion ATP was also shown to be required for initiation. The initiation factors were purified to homogeneity with the exception of eIF-4B, which was 60% to 70% pure. They were characterized physically by sucrose gradient centrifugation and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. With the exception of eIF-2 and eIF-3, they consist of single polypeptide chains ranging in molecular weight from 15,000 (eIF-1) to about 160,000 (eIF-5). The factor eIF-2 has three subunits of about 35,000, 50,000 and 55,000 molecular weight. The factor eIF-3 appears to be homogeneous as judged by gel electrophoresis in non-dissociating conditions and sedimentation analysis. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate, however, reveals at least nine subunits ranging in molecular weight from about 35,000 to 160,000. Initiation complexes (mRNA · Met-tRNA_f · 80 S ribosome), made in the presence of the seven initiation factors, ATP and GTP were isolated on a sucrose gradient and shown to be fully active in polypeptide chain elongation when supplied with aminoacyl-tRNA, the two elongation factors and GTP.     

The purification and characterization of a Thy-1-like glycoprotein from chicken brain.

We have purified from chicken forebrain a membrane glycoprotein that is enriched in purified synaptic membranes and has an apparent mol.wt. of 22 800 in 15% sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels. This molecule was compared with rat and human brain Thy-1 glycoproteins purified by the same procedure in order to determine whether it could be a homologue of Thy-1. Although polyvalent heterologous antisera raised against the rat and chicken molecules showed no immunological cross-reactivity with the other glycoprotein, a great deal of physical and chemical similarity was demonstrated between the chicken glycoprotein and rat Thy-1. Their apparent molecular weights, subcellular localization and amino acid and amino sugar compositions are very similar. C.d. spectra show that both molecules contain predominantly a beta-sheet and structure with no detectable alpha-helix. Electrophoretic analysis of the CNBr-cleaved molecules under reducing and non-reducing conditions shows that both molecules contain intramolecular disulphide bridges. Taken together these results suggest that the chicken brain glycoprotein is an immunologically distinct homologue of the mammalian Thy-1 glycoproteins.     

beta-actinin, a regulatory protein of muscle. Purification, characterization and function.

beta-Actinin, a minor regulatory protein of muscle, was purified from skeletal muscles of rabbit and chicken by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. beta-Actinin consisted of two subunits, beta I and betaII, with chain weights of 37,000 and 34,000 daltons, respectively. The amino acid compositions were similar, though not identical. It appears that each of the two subunits is associated in solution. beta-Actinin had the following effects on actin: (1) inhibition of reassociation of F-actin fragments; (2) inhibition of network formation of F-actin; (3) inhibition of growth of F-actin fragments; (4) retardation of depolymerization of F-actin and (5) acceleration of polymerization of G-actin. All these actions of beta-actinin can be explained in terms of action as an "ending factor". Experimental evidence favored the view that beta-actinin is bound to one end of the F-actin filament, namely to the end opposite to the direction of polymerization. Fluorescence-labeled anti-beta-actinin stained the middle portion of the A band of myofibrils. Based on the finding that the stain was unchanged on removal of myosin, it is suggested that beta-actinin is located at the free ends of the I filaments of myofibrils. Thus is seems likely that beta-actinin functions as an ending factor for actin filaments.     

Purification, characterization, cloning, and expression of the chicken liver ecto-ATP-diphosphohydrolase.

We previously demonstrated that the major ecto-nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase in the chicken liver membranes is an ecto-ATP-diphosphohydrolase (ecto- ATPDase) [Caldwell, C., Davis, M.D. & Knowles, A.F. (1999) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 362, 46-58]. Enzymatic properties of the liver membrane ecto-ATPDase are similar to those of the chicken oviduct ecto-ATPDase that we have previously purified and cloned. Using antibody developed against the latter, we have purified the chicken liver ecto-ATPDase to homogeneity. The purified enzyme is a glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 85 kDa and a specific activity of approximately 1000 U.mg protein-1. Although slightly larger than the 80-kDa oviduct enzyme, the two ecto-ATPDases are nearly identical with respect to their enzymatic properties and mass of the deglycosylated proteins. The primary sequence of the liver ecto-ATPDase deduced from its cDNA obtained by RT-PCR cloning also shows only minor differences from that of the oviduct ecto-ATPDase. Immunochemical staining demonstrates the distribution of the ecto-ATPDase in the bile canaliculi of the chicken liver. HeLa cells transfected with the chicken liver ecto-ATPDase cDNA express an ecto-nucleotidase activity with characteristics similar to the enzyme in its native membranes, most significant of these is stimulation of the ATPDase activity by detergents, which inhibits other members of the ecto- nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase) family. The stimulation of the expressed liver ecto-ATPDase by detergents indicates that this property is intrinsic to the enzyme protein, and cannot be attributed to the lipid environment of the native membranes. The molecular identification and expression of a liver ecto-ATPDase, reported here for the first time, will facilitate future investigations into the differences between structure and function of the different E-NTPDases, existence of liver ecto-ATPDase isoforms in different species, its alteration in pathogenic conditions, and its physiological function.     

Purification, characterization, and structural analysis of a plant low-temperature-induced protein.

We have purified to near homogeneity a recombinant form of the protein BN28 (rBN28), expressed in response to low temperature in Brassica napus plants, and we have determined its solution structure. Antibodies raised against rBN28 were used to characterize the recombinant and native proteins. Similar to many other low-temperature-induced proteins, BN28 is extremely hydrophilic, such that it remains soluble following boiling. Immunoblot analysis of subcellular fractions indicated that BN28 was not strongly associated with cellular membranes and was localized exclusively within the soluble fraction of the cell. Contrary to predicted secondary structure that suggested significant helical content, circular dichroism analysis revealed that rBN28 existed in aqueous solution largely as a random coil. However, the helical propensity of the protein could be demonstrated in the presence of trifluoroethanol. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis further showed that rBN28 was in fact completely unstructured (100% coil) in aqueous solution. Although it had earlier been speculated that BN28-like proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana might possess antifreeze protein activity (S. Kurkela and M. Franck [1990] Plant Mol Biol 15: 137-144), no such activity could be detected in ice recrystallization assays with rBN28.     

Zn2+-dependent acid p-nitrophenylphosphatase from chicken liver. Purification, characterization and subcellular localization

1. Zn2+-dependent acid p-nitrophenylphosphatase from chicken liver was purified to homogeneity. 2. The purified enzyme moves as a single electrophoretic band at pH 8.3 in 7.5% acrylamide and was coincident with the enzyme activity. 3. Gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 gave an apparent molecular weight of 110,000 with two apparent identical subunits of 54,000-56,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate gel electrophoresis. 4. The maximum of enzyme activity was obtained in the presence of 3-5 mM ZnCl2 at pH 6-6.2, however, higher concentrations of metal are inhibitory. The enzyme hydrolyses p-nitrophenylphosphate, o-carboxyphenylphosphate and phenylphosphate, was insensitive to NaF and was inhibited by phosphate and ATP. The Km for p-nitrophenylphosphate was 0.28 x 10(-3)M at pH 6 in 50 mM sodium acetate/100 mM NaCl. 5. Phosphate is a competitive inhibitor (Ki = 0.5 x 10(-3)M) whereas ATP seems to be a non-competitive inhibitor (Ki = 0.35 x 10(-3)M). The isoelectric point determined by isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel is 7.5. 6. Cell fractionation studies indicate that the Zn2+-dependent acid p-nitrophenylphosphatase of chicken liver is a soluble enzyme form.