Two types of rat gastric mucus glycoprotein subunits

Gastric mucus glycoproteins were extracted with 2% Triton X-100 from rat gastric corpus and antrum and purified by CsCl equilibrium centrifugation. Corpus mucus glycoproteins were degraded into what appeared to be two "subunits" (Mw 4.4 x 10(5) and 6 x 10(6)) by the reduction of disulfide bonds. Papain digestion of the latter produced glycopeptides with a molecular weight of approximately 4.4 x 10(5). This type of subunit had carbohydrate chains with about 9 sugars attached to every 2 amino acid residues. Papain digestion of the former type of subunit revealed no change in the elution profile on Bio-Gel A-15m. This type of subunit had carbohydrate chains with 17-19 sugars attached to every 3 amino acid residues. The subunit of antral mucus glycoproteins was essentially the same as the former type of corpus subunits in molecular weight (Mw 4.4 x 10(5)) and average oligosaccharide chain length. These results suggest that there are two distinct types of mucus glycoprotein subunits in rat stomach.     

Isolation and characterization of cyanogen bromide fragments and a glycopeptide from the Dolichos biflorus lectin.

The 110000 molecular weight Dolichos biflorus lectin is a glycoprotein composed of four subunits of approximately 27000 molecular weight with one methionine residue per subunit (Carter and Etzler, 1975b). Cyanogen bromide cleavage of the lectin yielded two fragments with approximate molecular weights of 15000 and 12000 as determined by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels. Only the 15000 molecular weight fragment stained for carbohydrate with the periodic acid-Schiff stain. The two fragments were isolated, and their amino acid compositions were determined. The 15000 molecular weight fragment was identified as the amino terminal segment of the lectin subunits by NH2-terminal amino acid analysis. A glycopeptide with a minimum molecular weight of 1100 was isolated from the lectin by exhaustive Pronase digestion. Complete acid hydrolysis of the glycopeptide yielded aspartic acid, mannose, and N-acetylglucosamine in the ratio of 1:4-5:1-2. Partial acid hydrolysis of the glycopeptide produced a component which had an identical mobility with commercial N-acetylglucosaminylasparagine in high voltage paper electrophoresis. The data indicate that the carbohydrate unit of the lectin is bound to the amino terminal half of the subunits by a glycosylamine linkage between N-acetylglucosamine and asparagine.     

Beta-conglycinin from soybean proteins. Isolation and immunological and physicochemical properties of the monomeric forms

Beta-conglycinin consisting of six major isomers (designated B1- to B6-conglycinin) was dissociated and fractionated on columns of DEAE- and CM-Sephadex in buffers containing 6 M urea. Three major (alpha, alpha' and beta) and one minor (gamma) subunits were isolated and further characterized by gel electrophoresis and gel electrofocusing. Gel electrophoresis in urea and in sodium dodecyl sulfate, and gel filtration in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride gave a molecular weight of 57 000 for alpha, alpha' subunits; and 42 000 for beta and gamma subunits. The isoelectric points of the isolated subunits, measured by disc gel electrofocusing, were as follows: alpha, 4.90; alpha', 5.18; beta, 5.66-6.00. On gel electrofocusing, beta subunit showed four microheterogeneous components; three of them comprised 95% of the total beta subunit. Leucine and valine were the N-terminal amino acids of beta and alpha alpha' subunits, respectively. The isolated subunits contained mannose and glucosamine in varying quantities. Two carbohydrate moieties were calculated for one mole of alpha, alpha' subunits; and one carbohydrate moiety for the beta subunit. Considerable similarity in the amino acid composition of alpha and alpha' subunits was observed. The beta subunit was devoid of cysteine and methionine; and in comparison with alpha, alpha' subunits, had a higher content of hydrophobic amino acids. The isolated subunits exhibited antigen-antibody reaction with antisera to the native beta-conglycinin. Each of them was partglycinins. The alpha and alpha' subunits were in addition identical with each other and with B5-, B6-conglycinins. They were immunologically unrelated with beta subunit. The recovery of immuno-properties from the individual subunits may be attributed to the reconstruction of the three-dimensional structure upon removal of denaturing reagents.     

Comparison between avian and human prolyl 4-hydroxylases: studies on the holomeric enzymes and their constituent subunits.

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in collagen biosynthesis, catalyzes the conversion of selected prolyl residues to trans-hydroxyproline in nascent or completed pro-alpha chains of procollagen. The enzyme is a tetramer composed of two nonidentical subunits, designated alpha and beta. To compare the enzyme and its subunits from different sources, the chick embryo and human placental prolyl 4-hydroxylases were purified to homogeneity and their physicochemical and immunological properties were determined. Both enzymes were glycoproteins with estimated apparent molecular weights ranging between 400 and 600 kDa. Amino acid and carbohydrate analyses showed slight differences between the two holomeric enzymes, consistent with their deduced amino acid sequences from their respective cDNAs. Human placental prolyl 4-hydroxylase contained more tightly bound iron than the chick embryo enzyme. Immunodiffusion of the human placental enzyme with antibodies raised against the purified chick embryo prolyl 4-hydroxylase demonstrated partial identity, indicating different antigenic determinants in their tertiary structures. The enzymes could be separated by high-resolution capillary electrophoresis, indicating differential charge densities for the native chick embryo and human placental proteins. Electrophoretic studies revealed that the human prolyl 4-hydroxylase is a tetrameric enzyme containing two nonidentical subunits of about 64 and 62 kDa, in a ratio of approximately 1 to 2, designated alpha and beta, respectively. In contrast, the chick embryo alpha and beta subunit ratio was 1 to 1. Notably, the human alpha subunit was partially degraded when subjected to electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Analogously, when the chick embryo enzyme was subjected to limited proteolysis, selective degradation of the alpha subunit was observed. Finally, only the alpha subunit was bound to Concanavalin A demonstrating that the alpha subunits of prolyl 4-hydroxylase in both species were glycosylated. Using biochemical techniques, these results demonstrated that the 4-trans-hydroxy-L-proline residues in human placental collagens are synthesized by an enzyme whose primary structure and immunological properties differ from those of the previously well-characterized chick embryo enzyme, consistent with their recently deduced primary structures from cDNA sequences.     

The microheterogeneity of androgen-binding protein in rat serum and epididymis is due to differences in glycosylation of their subunits

The microheterogeneity of androgen-binding protein (ABP) from rat serum and epididymis was examined by subjecting purified native or deglycosylated preparations to analysis by one- or two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by electrophoretic transfer to nitrocellulose and immunochemical localization. Analysis of native ABP by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE confirmed earlier observations that it is composed of subunits and that the subunits of serum ABP had higher apparent molecular weights than those of epididymal ABP. Treatment with neuraminidase, N-glycanase, or O-glycanase, alone or in combination, resulted in decreases in the apparent molecular weight of the subunits. These analyses indicated that terminal sialic acid residues and Asn-linked oligosaccharides were present on both subunits of ABP from the two sources. The fact that the greatest reduction in the Mr of the heavy subunit occurred following treatment with all three enzymes provides evidence that O-linked sugars are present on it. While enzyme treatment did not result in the appearance of a single subunit, chemical deglycosylation did (Mr 39,600). The carbohydrate composition of the heavy and light subunits of intact serum and epididymal ABP was 22 and 9% and 19 and 8%, respectively. Analysis by two-dimensional PAGE indicated that both subunits of the ABPs were composed of isoelectric variants. Although ABP from the two sources had several variants in common, differences were also observed. Treatment of the ABPs with the enzymes resulted in a shift of the pI values to a more basic pH range, indicating that carbohydrate removal also removed charged moieties. The most dramatic shift in the pI values of the isoforms occurred when O-glycanase was present in the enzyme mixture, providing further evidence for the presence of O-linked oligosaccharides on ABP. Isoelectric variants were present even after chemical deglycosylation of ABP.     

Dopamine β-Hydroxylase and Other Glycoproteins from the Soluble Content and the Membranes of Adrenal Chromaffin Granules: Isolation and Carbohydrate Analysis

Abstract: Chromogranin A and two other proteins (A₁ and A₂) of the soluble proteins of bovine chromaffin granules were isolated by extraction from polyacrylamide gels after electrophoresis. The carbohydrate content of these proteins was 5%, with galactose, N -acetylgalactosamine, and sialic acid as the main sugars. Membranes of chromaffin granules were solubilized with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and three glycoproteins were isolated by sequential affinity chromatography on Concanavalin A (Con A) and wheat germ lectin (WGL) Sepharose columns. Two glycoproteins, designated GP II and III, were found to have a high carbohydrate content of about 30%. Mannose, galactose, N -acetylgalactosamine, and sialic acid were the main sugars. In addition membrane-bound dopamine β-hydroxylase was isolated by this procedure. No significant differences between the carbohydrate composition of the membrane-bound and the soluble enzyme were revealed. It was shown that all four subunits of dopamine β-hydroxylase possess carbohydrate chains with an affinity for Con A. The isolation methods established in this study will be useful for immunological studies on these glycoproteins.     

The voltage-sensitive sodium channel from rabbit skeletal muscle. Chemical characterization of subunits

The alpha and beta subunits of the rabbit skeletal muscle sodium channel have been separated and isolated preparatively under denaturing conditions. In this sodium channel, the beta subunit is not linked covalently to the alpha subunit. The isolated subunits have been subjected to amino acid and carbohydrate analysis. Both subunits are heavily glycosylated (alpha = 26.5%, beta = 29.7% carbohydrate by weight) with N-acetylneuraminic acid and N-acetylhexosamines representing the predominant monosaccharides in each. Enzymatic deglycosylation with neuraminidase and endoglycosidase F yielded single core peptides of approximately 209 kDa for the alpha subunit and 26.5 kDa for the beta subunit. Based on the known carbohydrate composition, the molecular masses for the glycosylated subunits are, therefore, 285 and 37.5 kDa for alpha and beta, respectively. Using the isolated subunits, we calibrated our protein-labeling system on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and determined the subunit stoichiometry for the rabbit skeletal muscle channel; in the native preparation, the molar ratio of alpha:beta is 1 : 1.     

Subunit structure of biodegradative threonine deaminase.

The molecule weight of the biodegradative threonine deaminase from Escherichia coli was determined to be approximately 147,000 by sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation. Similar experiments using 5 M guanidinium chloride gave a value of 39,000 for the molecular weight of the enzyme subunit. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis the enzyme also dissociated into a single subunit with an estimated molecular weight of 38,000. The NH2 terminus of the enzyme was determined to be methionine by the dinitrophenylation procedure. Quantitative analysis revealed that 3.6 mol of methionine were detected per 147,000 g of enzyme. The selective tritium labeling method established alanine as the COOH-terminal residue. The sequence of residues at the NH2 terminus, determined using an automated sequence analyzer, was: (formula: see text). The fact that a single amino acid was released at each degradation step in the above experiment strongly suggests that the subunits in the enzyme contain the same amino acid sequence. Therefore, the native enzyme with a molecular weight of 147,000 appears to be composed of four identical polypeptide subunits.     

Amino sugars in the glycoprotein toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis.

The carbohydrate content of purified Bacillus thuriniensis subsp. israelensis crystal toxin was determined by six biochemical tests, column chromatography on an amino acid analyzer, and the binding of 11 fluorescent lectins. The crystals contained approximately 1.0% neutral sugars and 1.7% amino sugars. The amino sugars consisted of 70% glucosamine and 30% galactosamine. No N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) was detected. The presence of amino sugars was confirmed by the strong binding of fluorescent wheat germ agglutinin and the weak binding of fluorescent soybean agglutinin. These lectins recognize N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, respectively. The lectin-binding sites appeared evenly distributed among the protein subunits of the crystal. The sugars were covalently attached to the crystal toxin because wheat germ agglutinin still bound alkali-solubilized toxin which had been boiled in sodium dodecyl sulfate, separate by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes. This study demonstrates the covalent attachment of amino sugars and indicates that the B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis protein toxins should be viewed as glycoprotein toxins. The crystals used in the present study were purified on sodium bromide density gradients. Studies employing crystals purified on Renografin density gradients can give artificially high values for the anthrone test for neutral sugars.     

Regulatory Properties of Sucrose Synthetase in Sweet Potato Roots

The molecular weight of the yeast tannase [E.C. 3.1.1.20, tannin acyl-hydrolase] of Candida sp. was determined to be 250,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G–200. The enzyme was dissociable into two identical subunits with molecular weight of 120,000 on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino acid analysis revealed that the enzyme consisted of 786 amino acid residues per protein molecule. The polypeptide moiety of the enzyme was 38 % by the Lowry-Folin reaction and 35% by the amino acid analysis. The enzyme contained 62% neutral sugars, which were identified as mannose and galactose on cellulose thin-layer chromatogram and 2.2 % hexosamines.     

Immunological and chemical characterization of rat liver cytochrome c oxidase

Rat liver cytochrome c oxidase (ferrocytochrome c: oxygen oxidoreductase; EC 1.9.3.1) was separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis into 12 different polypeptide chains. Specific antisera against the holoenzyme and against purified subunits IV and VIII were used to characterize the enzyme complex. The antiserum against subunit IV precipitates from sodium dodecyl sulfate-dissociated mitochondria only subunit IV and from Triton X-100-dissolved mitochondria all 12 polypeptide chains, indicating their integral location within the enzyme complex. Different antisera against the holoenzyme only precipitate subunits IV, V and VIb from sodium dodecyl sulfate-dissociated mitochondria, suggesting the location of these subunits on the surface layer of the complex. Subunit VIII is thought to be located within the complex, since a specific antiserum does not precipitate the complex. The amino acid composition of all 12 protein subunits is different, thus excluding their origin from proteolytic degradation. The proteolytic degradation of subunit IV into IV during isolation of the enzyme was corroborated by the very similar amino acid composition of both proteins.     

Studies on pituitary follitropin. II. Isolation and characterization of the subunits of the ovine hormone.

The α and β subunits of highly potent ovine follitropin have been isolated by dissociation in 8 m urea, pH 7.5, and chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A25. The isolated subunits display microheterogeneity on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and have very low activity in follitropin-specific radioreceptor and radioimmunoassays. The tryptophan fluorescence spectra of native follitropin and the isolated β subunit are different. The recombinant of follitropin α + β subunit had the same activity as the native hormone in the radioimmunoassay, but its activity in the radioreceptor and in vivo bioassay was about 65% of the intact hormone. Substitution of the follitropin α by ovine lutropin α subunit (prepared by a method not involving urea) to form the recombinant restored full activity in all the three assays investigated. The formation of recombined hormone proceeds at a rapid rate and is almost complete by 6 h. The α and β subunits of ovine follitropin differ from each other in amino acid composition. No significant differences were apparent in their carbohydrate composition. The amino acid composition of the ovine follitropin α and lutropin α subunits are very similar. The oxidized α subunit has phenylalanine at its NH₂-terminus while aspartic acid is present at this position in the oxidized β subunit.     

Purification and characterization of ribulose-5-phosphate kinase from spinach

An efficient purification procedure utilizing affinity chromatography is described for spinach ribulose-5-phosphate kinase, a light-regulated chloroplastic enzyme. Gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme reveal a dimeric structure of 44,000 Mr subunits. Chemical crosslinking with dimethyl suberimidate confirms the presence of two subunits per molecule of native kinase, which are shown to be identical by partial NH2-terminal sequencing. Based on sulfhydryl titrations and on amino acid analyses, each subunit contains four to five cysteinyl residues. The observed slow loss of activity during spontaneous oxidation in air-saturated buffer correlates with the intramolecular oxidation of two sulfhydryl groups, presumably those involved in thioredoxin-mediated regulation.     

Further characterization of human eosinophil peroxidase.

The large and the small subunits (Mr 50 000 and 10 500 respectively) of human eosinophil peroxidase were isolated by gel filtration under reducing conditions. The subunits were very strongly associated but not apparently cross-linked by disulphide bridges. During storage, the large subunit tended to form aggregates, which required reduction to dissociate them. Amino acid analysis of the performic acid-treated large subunit showed the presence of 19 cysteic acid residues. The small subunit of eosinophil peroxidase had the same Mr value as the small subunit of myeloperoxidase. However, although these subunits have very similar amino acid compositions, they showed different patterns of peptide fragmentation after CNBr treatment. The carbohydrate of eosinophil peroxidase seemed associated exclusively with the large subunit and comprised mannose (4.5%, w/w) and N-acetylglucosamine (0.8%, w/w). The far-u.v.c.d. spectrum of the enzyme indicated the presence of relatively little ordered secondary structure.     

Purification and characterization of aldehyde dehydrogenase from rat liver mitochondria

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide- and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent dehydrogenase activities from rat liver mitochondria have been copurified to homogeneity using combined DEAE, Sepharose, and affinity chromatographic procedures. The enzyme has a native molecular weight of 240,000 and subunit molecular weight of 60,000. The enzyme is tetrameric consisting of four identical subunits as revealed by electrophoresis and terminal analyses. A partial summary of physical properties is provided. The amino acid composition by acid hydrolysis is reported. Specific activities for various NAD(P)+ analogs and alkanal substrates were compared. The action of the effectors chloral hydrate, disulfiram, diethylstilbestrol, and Mg2+ and K+ ions were also investigated.     

Bovine liver monoamine oxidase: A modified purification procedure and preliminary evidence for two subunits and one FAD

Bovine liver mitochondrial monoamine oxidase was isolated in a more active state and in higher yields by an improved purification method which utilized β-mercaptoethanol and which contained several other important modifications. The subunit structure of the purified enzyme components was investigated by chemical and enzymatic methods. The subunit molecular weight of the three enzyme components isolated was estimated to be 52,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate disc electrophoresis and by exclusion-diffusion chromatography on Biogel A-5m with 6 m guanidine HCl as the solvent. The number of peptides observed in the peptide map of the tryptic digest of the S-β-carboxymethylcysteine derivative of the enzyme also showed that the subunit molecular weight was about 52,000. Since it was previously reported that the monomer molecular weight of the enzyme was about 110,000, the active enzyme is made up of two subunits. The NH₂-terminus of the enzyme of both subunits is blocked since Edman degradation and aminopeptidase failed to release an NH₂-terminal amino acid. The COOH-terminal amino acid of both subunits was shown to be leucine by carboxypeptidase digestion of the enzyme since it was liberated quantitatively. From the FAD content of the enzyme and the subunit data, it is proposed that the enzyme probably consists of two subunits which differ possibly in that only one subunit contains 8-α-cysteinyl FAD.     

Isolation and partial amino acid sequence of three subunit species of porcine spleen ferritin: evidence of multiple H subunits

A partial amino acid sequence for three different subunits of the iron storage protein, ferritin, has been determined. Ferritin (Mr approximately 480,000) was isolated from porcine spleen and dissociated into its component subunits (Mr approximately 20,000). The subunits, in turn, were separated into three fractions by reversed-phase HPLC. The fractions appeared to be of equal size by sedimentation velocity, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and size-exclusion chromatography in 6 M guanidinium chloride. All three fractions were shown to be monomeric and to have no covalently attached carbohydrate (J. F. Collawn et al. (1984) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 233, 260-266). Determination of the amino acid sequence of the C-terminal 70-80 residues from each of the fractions demonstrated three different sequences. Comparison with human liver H and L subunit sequences indicates that two of the porcine ferritin subunits are H-type subunits and one is an L-type subunit. Application of the Chou-Fasman algorithm on the three partial sequences suggests that these respective regions from each of the three subunits would probably adopt the same conformation.     

Relationships among the subunits of the high molecular weight proteinase,macropain (proteasome)

An analysis of the subunits of the high molecular weight proteinase, macropain (multicatalytic proteinase or proteasome) from human erythrocytes has been conducted using N-terminal amino acid sequencing, gel electrophoresis and reverse-phase peptide mapping. This analysis provided evidence for the existence of 13 subunits of different primary structure. Five subunits were susceptible to the Edman degradation and yielded unique N-terminal sequences. Similarities among these sequences, however, indicated that the subunits are homologues. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis discriminated 10 major components, which included two of the subunits for which N-terminal sequences had been determined and eight N-terminally blocked subunits. Tryptic peptide mapping indicated that all 10 of these components have a different amino acid sequence. Tryptic peptides from some of the subunits were subjected to amino acid sequence analysis, and the data indicated that all the subunits tested in this way are related by common ancestry. The data suggest that at least nine of the total of 13 subunits are encoded by members of the same gene family; the remaining four subunits have not yet been investigated in sufficient detail to establish their relationships. No evidence for a close relationship with any previously investigated proteinase family has been found. Finally, through a comparison of the ‘latent’ and ‘active’ forms of macropain, the study established a close similarity in the subunit composition of these catalytically very different species, although proteolytic degradation of selected subunits appears in the active form of the enzyme.     

Cloning and the nucleotide sequence of rat glutathione S-transferase P cDNA.

A cDNA library prepared from poly(A)+ RNA of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) induced rat hepatocellular carcinoma was screened by synthetic DNA probes deduced from a partial amino acid sequence of glutathione S-transferase P subunit that had been isolated from the tumor by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. One of the four clones analyzed contained an mRNA region encoding the total amino acid sequence of this enzyme subunit and the complete 3'-noncoding region. The nucleotide sequence indicates that this enzyme subunit has 209 amino acids (calculated Mr=23,307) distinct from other glutathione S-transferase subunits such as Ya and Yc. Comparison of the amino acid sequences between these proteins indicates that glutathione S-transferase P subunit gene has been evolved from the ancestral gene at an earlier stage than the separation of Ya and Yc and that there are at least three domains having a considerable homology with each other in these enzymes. The very large increase of this mRNA in chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma suggests a characteristic derepression of this gene during hepatocarcinogenesis.     

Purification and chemical properities of mouse liver lysosomal (L form) beta-glucuronidase.

The lysosomal form (L form) of beta-glucuronidase was purified 6,500-fold from the liver of C57BL/6J mice with high yield. Purified enzyme was homogeneous as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence or absence of sodium dodetcyl sulfate. The microsomal forms of beta-glucuronidase were spontaneously converted to the L form. The purified L form is a tetramer of molecular weight of 280,000 to 300,000, composedd of four identical subunits of 75,000 molecular weight. The enzyme contains a high content of arginine and glutamic acid and a very low content of sulfur-containing amino acids. Approximately 7% of the enzyme molecule is compose of carbohydrate. Sugars in the L form are glucosamine, mannose, galactose, and glucose. Sialic acid and fucose are absent in the enzyme.