Subcellular structure of bovine thyroid gland. VII. A study on the distribution of bovine thyroid plasma membranes by density gradient centrifugation in zonal rotors.

In order to obtain plasma membrane-rich fractions two methods were tried. Approach A was based on differential pelleting followed by discontinous gradient centrifugation in a B-XIV zonal rotor. In approach B homogeneization was performed in buffered water (NaHCO3, pH 7.4). The 73 300 X g pellet from this homogenate was subjected to buoyant density equilibrium in a HS zonal rotor (continuous sucrose gradient). Using approach A, the highest relative specific activity for plasma membrane markers was found at the 30-37% sucrose interphase. However, an increase for glucose 6-phosphatase (endoplasmic reticulum marker) was also found at that interphase. Using approach B marker profiles different from approach A were found. Approach B results in a subdivision of membrane material in four distinct regions. These regions do not contain completely pure membrane species, although region I seems to be essentially derived from plasma membranes. It is also concluded from approach A that plasma membranes from bovine thyroid tissue are heterogeneous.     

A study of nucleated erythrocytes by density-gradient centrifugation in a zonal rotor

1. Several substances of high molecular weight were examined for their suitability as suspension media in the formation of density gradients for the zonal centrifugation of avian erythrocytes. None proved satisfactory. 2. The behaviour of pigeon erythrocytes in rate-sedimentation experiments in a type A zonal rotor with density gradients of sucrose was examined. The mature cells sediment more rapidly than the younger cells and have a lower RNA/DNA ratio. Maturation is accompanied by a greater loss of RNA from the nucleus than from the cytoplasm. 3. The base composition of the nuclear RNA and of the two species of cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA is reported. 4. The RNA of erythrocytes may be labelled in vivo by injection of inorganic [(32)P]phosphate. The cells most active in the synthesis of RNA sediment less rapidly than the bulk of the cells. 5. Reticulocyte nuclei sediment more slowly than those from erythrocytes. Reticulocyte nuclei have a mean volume of 35mu(3) and are isopycnic with sucrose of density 1.2871 (measured at 20 degrees ). Maturation of the nuclei causes them to shrink to a volume of 25mu(3) and the density to increase to 1.2944.     

Subcellular structure of bovine thyroid gland. The localization of the peroxidase activity in bovine thyroid.

1. After differential pelleting of bovine thyroid tissue the highest relative specific activities for plasma membrane markers are found in the L fraction whereas those for peroxidase activities (p-phenylenediamine, guaiacol and 3,3'-diaminobenizidine tetrachloride peroxidases) are found in the M fraction. 2. When M + L fractions were subjected to buoyant-density equilibration in a HS zonal rotor all peroxidases show different profiles. The guaiacol peroxidase activity always follows the distribution of glucose 6-phosphatase. 3. When a Sb fraction is subjected to Sepharose 2B chromatography three major peaks are obtained. The first, eluted at the void volume, consists of membranous material and contains most of the guaiacol peroxidase activity. Most of the protein (probably thyroglobulin) is eluted with the second peak. Solubilized enzymes are recovered in the third peak. 4. p-Phenylenediamine peroxidase activity penetrates into the gel on polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis, whereas guaiacol peroxidase activity remains at the sample zone. 5. DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography resolves the peroxidase activities into two peaks, displaying different relative amounts of the different enzymic activities in each peak. 6. The peroxidase activities may be due to the presence of different proteins. A localization of guaiacol peroxidase in rough-endoplasmic-reticulum membranes (or in membranes related to them) seems very likely.     

Subcellular fractionation by zonal centrifugation of glucose-repressed anaerobically grown Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

1. Homogenates were prepared from sphaeroplasts of anaerobically grown, glucoserepressed Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, and the distributions of marker enzymes investigated after zonal centrifugation on sucrose gradients containing 2mm-MgCl(2). 2. These homogenates contained no detectable cytochrome c oxidase, succinate-cytochrome c oxidoreductase, succinate-ferricyanide oxidoreductase, l(+)-lactate-cytochrome c oxidoreductase or catalase. Cytochromes a+a(3) and c were not detected. 3. Zonal centrifugation of whole homogenates indicated complex density distributions of the sedimentable portions of NADH- and NADPH-cytochrome c oxidoreductases, adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases), adenosine pyrophosphatase (ADPase), pyrophosphatase and acid p-nitrophenyl phosphatase. Several different ATPases were distinguished on the basis of their sensitivities to oligomycin and ouabain. 4. Differential centrifugation of whole homogenates at 10(5)g-min left 80-90% of the protein, dithionite-reducible cytochrome b, acid hydrolases and pyrophosphatase in a supernatant (S(1)) together with 65 and 56% of the NADH- and NADPH-cytochrome c oxidoreductases respectively, 25% of the ATPases and 71% of the adenosine monophosphatase. 5. Further analysis of supernatant S(1) revealed the presence of a class of small particles containing NADPH-cytochrome c oxidoreductases and ATPases. 6. At least four different populations of large particles were distinguished. 7. Electron microscopy indicated that one of these corresponded to ;promitochondria' as described by other workers.     

Fractionation of liver plasma membranes prepared by zonal centrifugation

1. Plasma membranes were isolated from crude nuclear sediments from mouse and rat liver by a rate-dependent centrifugation through a sucrose density gradient contained in the ;A' type zonal rotor. 2. The membranes were further purified by isopycnic centrifugation, and characterized enzymically, chemically and morphologically. 3. When the plasma-membrane fraction of sucrose density 1.17g/cm(3) was dispersed in a tight-fitting homogenizer, two subfractions of densities 1.12 and 1.18 were obtained by isopycnic centrifugation. 4. The light subfraction contained 5'-nucleotidase, nucleoside diphosphatase, leucine naphthylamidase and Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activities at higher specific activities than unfractionated membranes. The heavy subfraction was deficient in the above enzymes but contained higher Na(+)+K(+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity. 5. The light subfraction contained twice as much phospholipid and cholesterol, and three times as much N-acetylneuraminic acid relative to unit protein weight as the heavy subfraction. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis indicated differences in protein composition. 6. Electron microscopy showed the light subfraction to be vesicular. The heavy subfraction contained membrane strips with junctional complexes in addition to vesicles.     

Preparation of peroxisomes from carp liver by zonal rotor censity gradient centrifugation

Synopsis Peroxisomes from carp liver can be separated by isopycnic density gradient centrifugation in sucrose. Without reaching complete sedimentation equilibrium, the purification by this method is quite successful. There is a 40-fold enrichment of catalase, the peroxisomal marker, with a total yield of 27%. No pretreatment of animals is necessary for separation from lysosomes, which, besides high fragility, show lower buoyant densities than peroxisomes. The enzyme content of carp liver peroxisomes is similar to that of rat liver, with the exception of -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, which in this tissue is a completely soluble cytoplasmic enzyme. Total activities are much lower than in the rat, for the characteristic peroxisomal oxidases the difference being in the range of one order of magnitude.     

Subcellular fractionation by differential and zonal centrifugation of aerobically grown glucose-de-repressed Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

1. Homogenates were prepared from sphaeroplasts of aerobically grown glucose-de-repressed Saccharomyces carlsbergensis and the distributions of marker enzymes were investigated after differential centrifugation. Cytochrome c oxidase and cytochrome c were sedimented almost completely at 10(5)g-min, and this fraction also contained 37% of the catalase, 27% of the acid p-nitrophenyl phosphatase, 53 and 54% respectively of the NADH- and NADPH-cytochrome c oxidoreductases. 2. Zonal centrifugation indicated complex density distributions of the sedimentable portions of these enzymes and of adenosine triphosphatases and suggested the presence of two mitochondrial populations, as well as a bimodal distribution of peroxisomes and heterogeneity of the acid p-nitrophenyl phosphatase-containing particles. 3. Several different adenosine triphosphatases were distinguished in a post-mitochondrial supernatant that contained no mitochondrial fragments; these enzymes varied in their sensitivities to oligomycin and ouabain and their distributions were different from those of pyrophosphatase, adenosine phosphatase and adenosine pyrophosphatase. 4. The distribution of NADPH-cytochrome c oxidoreductase demonstrated that it cannot be used in S. carlsbergensis as a specific marker enzyme for the microsomal fraction. Glucose 6-phosphatase, inosine pyrophosphatase, cytochrome P-450 and five other enzymes frequently assigned to microsomal fractions of mammalian origin were not detected in yeast under these growth conditions.     

The characterization of rat kidney plasma membranes prepared by zonal centrifugation

1. Plasma membranes were isolated from a 10000g-min pellet prepared from a renal cortical homogenate in 20mm-NaHCO(3) by isopycnic centrifugation in a linear sucrose gradient in an ;A'-type zonal rotor. 2. The preparation was characterized by electron microscopy, and alkaline phosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase, l-leucine beta-naphthylamidase and l-leucine p-nitroanilidase activities were found to be selectively associated with the renal plasma membrane. 3. The preparation had a high degree of purity, as indicated by the presence of low activities of marker enzymes associated with subcellular organelles. A preliminary chemical analysis indicated that the chemical composition resembled that of plasma membranes of other tissues. 4. Plasma membranes were also prepared from tubular fragments and their enzyme contents were found to be similar to those of plasma membranes prepared from cortical homogenates. 5. l-Leucine beta-naphthylamidase, l-leucine p-nitroanilidase and 5'-nucleotidase were not enriched to the same extent as alkaline phosphatase in the preparation of plasma membranes from tubular fragments. A possible explanation for this finding is discussed.     

Fractionation of iodinated particles and mitochondria from thyroid by zonal centrifugation and a study of their heterogeneity

1. The subcellular particles of horse and rat thyroids were fractionated in a B XIV zonal rotor on a non-linear gradient of Ficoll after labelling with radioactive iodine in vitro (horse) or in vivo (rat). In the horse, the resulting fractions were analysed for radioactive iodine, protein and enzymes representative of certain subcellular particles. In the rat, iodine turnover and thyrotrophin stimulation were studied. 2. The population of iodinated particles could be subdivided into three main classes, characterized by differences in beta-galactosidase and acid phosphatase content and position in the gradient. The presence of a fourth class of particles is suggested. 3. It is concluded that iodinated particles isolated from the thyroid are essentially secondary lysosomes. Their heterogeneity is established with respect to their position in the gradient, their content of acid hydrolases and their iodine turnover. 4. The iodine pools of these secondary lysosomes are increased by thyrotrophin without any change in their number. 5. Their functional significance is discussed. 6. The distribution of mitochondria as judged by succinate dehydrogenase was also studied. The succinate dehydrogenase was spread throughout the gradient with a maximum of activity (40%) in the upper layer of the gradient. Separation of mitochondria from lysosomes by this method was not successful.