Identification of a breast tumor-associated orosomucoid by concanavalin A affinity chromatography.

Con A-Sepharose affinity chromatography was utilized to examine the glycoproteins in phosphosaline extracts of normal and breast tumor tissues and breast patient sera. In extracts of normal breast tissue, normal sera and patient sera, all glycoproteins were eluted from the Con A-Sepharose with a linear gradient of 0.0-0.5 M alpha-methylmannose. Using breast tumor extracts, a glycoprotein peak which could not be eluted as with normal tissue extracts was observed. This tightly-binding peak could be eluted from the Con A-Sepharose with acetate buffer containing 1.0 M KCl. Polyacrylamide electrophoresis of this tightly-binding glycoprotein peak revealed one major glycoprotein and four minor glycoproteins. The major glycoprotein obtained from electrophoresis represented about 60% of the Con A-Sepharose tightly-binding protein and reacted with antiserum to human orosomucoid (alpha 1-acid glycoprotein). All glycoproteins isolated from tumor tissue extracts appeared to represent normal serum constituents as they were retained on an immunoadsorbent containing antibodies to normal serum proteins. The possible significance of the isolated tumor-associated orosomucoid is discussed.     

Binding of bacterial lipopolysaccharide to histocompatibility-2-complex proteins of mouse lymphocytes.

The membrane binding sites for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were isolated by affinity chromatography of the solubilized membranes prepared from 125I-labeled mouse B-cells and T-cells on an affinity adsorbent prepared by coupling Salmonella minnesota R595 LPS to activated Sepharose 4B. The membrane proteins bound to the affinity adsorbent and eluted with 1.0% Triton X-100 were analyzed according to their mobility on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulphate. These membrane proteins were further identified by immunoprecipitation with specific antisera. Immunoglobulins, possibly immunoglobulins M and D, were identified in the eluate from the B-cell membranes. The histocompatibility-2-complex proteins (H-2D, H-2K and Ia antigens) were also found to be binding sites for LPS on both B-cells and T-cells.     

A rapid and convenient preparation of [4-3H]NADP and stereospecifically tritiated NADP3H

The glass-binding properties of a number of purified glycoproteins capable of promoting attachment and spreading of a variety of types of animal cells in culture have been examined. Two such factors in human serum, fibronectin and serum spreading factor, exhibited strong affinities for glass beads and could be eluted from glass-bead columns under similar conditions. A number of other glycoproteins of human serum that do not promote cell adhesion did not bind to glass beads under conditions that resulted in binding of serum spreading factor or fibronectin. At a sufficiently low ratio of serum volume to glass-bead volume, human serum could be simultaneously depleted of serum spreading factor, fibronectin, and cell spreading-promoting activity by glass-bead affinity chromatography. Laminin, another cell spreading-promoting glycoprotein, possessed glass-binding properties similar to those of serum spreading factor and fibronectin while chondronectin, a fourth cell spreading-promoting factor of more limited specificity of biological activity and distribution in vivo, did not exhibit a strong interaction with glass beads under the same conditions. These observations suggest that glass-bead column affinity chromatography may prove useful as a general method for isolation and study of glycoprotein factors promoting attachment and spreading of cells in culture.     

Serum inhibitors of desialylated glycoprotein binding to hepatocyte membranes.

Identification of the material present in human serum which is responsible for inhibition of binding of desialylated glycoproteins to rat hepatocyte membranes was accomplished by means of affinity chromatography using Sephadex to which the galactose-specific lectin, Ricinus Communis Agglutinin (RCAI) was covalently bound. RCAI-Sephadex was capable of extraction of virtually all of the inhibitory activity from cirrhotic serum. The RCA I-bound inhibitory activity could be eluted with 0.05 M D-galactose. The D-galactose eluate when subjected to radioimmunoelectrophoresis against a number of specific antibodies to human serum glycoproteins produced arcs corresponding to alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, alpha2-macroglobulin, IgG, IgA, and IgM. In another experiment putative terminal galactosyl groups of desialylated glycoproteins in the D-galactose eluate from cirrhotic serum exposed to RCAI-Sephadex were labelled with tritiated borohydride after treatment with galactose oxidase. Subsequent gel electrophoresis showed peaks of radioactivity throughout the area of the gel corresponding to protein molecular weights of the 19 S, 7 S, and 4 S classes. It thus appears that a heterogeneous population of desialylated serum glycoproteins accounts for the inhibition of binding of desialylated glycoprotein to the hepatocyte membrane and that these desialylated glycoproteins are present in small amounts in normal human serum and in greatly increased quantities in serum from patients with cirrhosis.     

Lectin affinity chromatography of cell surface proteins of novikoff tumor cells

Novikoff hepatocellular carcinoma cells were radioiodinated by a cell surface-specific method using lactoperoxid ase/¹²⁵I. The iodinated proteins were solubilized in 0.5% Nonidet P-40 and subjected to affinity chromatography on Sepharose-conjugated lectins (Ricinus communis agglutinins I or II, soybean agglutinin, concanavalin A, or wheat germ agglutinin) and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Almost all the iodinated proteins bound to one or more of the Sepharose-conjugated lectins, presumptive evidence that these peptides are glycosylated. Lectin affinity chromatography resolved defined subsets of iodinated glycoproteins and suggested that certain glycoproteins could be fractionated on the basis of heterogeneity of their heterosaccharide moieties. Incubation of the iodinated cells with neuraminidase resulted in increased binding of iodinated proteins to Sepharose-conjugated Ricinus communis agglutinins I and II and soybean agglutinin and decreased binding to Sepharose-conjugated wheat germ agglutinin. Binding of iodinated proteins to concanavalin A was unaffected by neuraminidase treatment of the cells. These studies demonstrate the utility of lectins for the multicomponent analysis of plasma membrane proteins.     

Purification and immunohistochemical localization of the auxin binding site i protein from maize coleoptiles

An auxin binding protein fraction prepared by means of affinity chromatography on 2-OH-3,5-diiodobenzoic acid-Sepharose and gel filtration was used as antigen. The obtained rabbit antisera contained antibodies against the auxin, binding protein (ABP) and several contaminating proteins (nonABP). The nonABP could be separated on an appropriate affinity matrix omitting the TIBA analogue. After their immobilization on Sepharose antibodies directed towards contaminating, the proteins were isolated and immobilized, too. This IgGanti nonABP-Sepharose retains almost all contaminating proteins present in the specific eluates of the auxin affinity matrix. In a final affinity chromatography step on IgG-Sepharose a highly purified ABP could be eluted. This ABP was immobilized on Sepharose for the separation of monospecific antibodies against ABP (IgGanti abp). Using these antibodies the ABP could be localized within the outer epidermal cells of the coleoptile by immunofluorescence microscopy. From the inhibition of auxin induced elongation of coleoptile tissue by IgGanti abp it is concluded that the ABP is localized at the plasmalemma of the epidermal cells and that the ABP is involved in auxin action as a true hormone receptor. Presented at the International Symposium “Plant Growth Regulators” held on June 18–22, 1984 at Liblice, Czechoslovakia.     

Isolation and characterization of membrane receptors for pokeweed mitogens from mouse lymphocytes.

The major glycoproteins that bind pokeweek B-cell mitogen (Pa-1) and pokeweed T-cell mitogen (Pa-2) were isolated and identified from bone-marrow-derived lymphocytes (B-cells) and thymus-derived lymphocytes (T-cells) of C3H/He mice. The surfaces of the cells were 125I-labelled by using the enzyme lactoperoxidase, and the plasma membranes were isolated from the 125I-labelled cells. These membranes were solubilized with Triton X-100 and subjected to affinity chromatography on the affinity adsorbent prepared by coupling mitogen Pa-1 or Pa-2 to activated Sepharose 4B. The glycoproteins specifically eluted with di-N-acetylchitobiose from the affinity adsorbents were analysed according to their mobility on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate. These glycoproteins were further identified by immunoprecipitation with specific antisera. Immunoglobulins, possibly immunoglobulins M and D, were identified in the eluate from the B-cell membranes, but they were not detected in the eluate from the T-cell membranes. The histocompatibility-2-complex proteins (H-2D, H-2K and Ia antigens) were found to be major receptor sites for the pokeweed mitogens on both B-cells and T-cells. However, mitogen Pa-1 (B-cell) has a stronger affinity to Ia antigens than does mitogen Pa-2 (T-cell).     

N-(2-Aminoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide, a newly synthesized protein kinase inhibitor, functions as a ligand in affinity chromatography. Purification of Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent and other protein kinases

We designed a simple procedure for the purification of Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) from rabbit brain, using affinity chromatography with a new affinity adsorbent. The adsorbent was synthesized by attaching the amino residue of N-(2-aminoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H-9) to cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose. H-9 is a potent competitive inhibitor of protein kinase C, cGMP-, and cAMP-dependent protein kinase with respect to ATP and exhibits inhibition constants of 18, 0.87, and 1.9 microM, respectively (Hidaka, H., Inagaki, M., Kawamoto, S., and Sasaki, Y. (1984) Biochemistry, 23, 5036). A 960-fold purification was achieved in the two-step procedure, which entailed DEAE-cellulose and the affinity chromatography. The resultant preparation was essentially homogeneous, as indicated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under conditions of denaturation with sodium dodecyl sulfate. The affinity of protein kinase C for the H-9-Sepharose was high, and the enzyme could not be eluted either by a high concentration of sodium chloride or by 40% glycerol. The protein kinase C could be eluted from H-9-Sepharose by the buffer containing both 0.2 M NaCl and 20% glycerol, thereby suggesting that the binding between protein kinase C and H-9-Sepharose was due to both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. H-9 coupled to Sepharose retained both cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases and protein kinase C, and these enzymes could be eluted separately by the buffer containing L-arginine, a potent inhibitor of these three kinases. The novel aspects of these three multifunctional protein kinases can thus be investigated using isoquinolinesulfonamide derivatives.     

Calmodulin interacts with cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and calcineurin by binding to a metal ion-independent hydrophobic region on these proteins

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography is employed to determine if calmodulin might associate with its target enzymes such as cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and calcineurin through its Ca2+-induced hydrophobic binding region. The majority of protein in a bovine brain extract that binds to a calmodulin-Sepharose affinity column also is observed to bind in a metal ion-independent manner to phenyl-Sepharose through hydrophobic interactions. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity that is bound to phenyl-Sepharose can be resolved into two activity peaks; one peak of activity is eluted with low ionic strength buffer, while the second peak eluted with an ethylene glycol gradient. Calcineurin bound tightly to the phenyl-Sepharose column and could only be eluted with 8 M urea. Increasing ethylene glycol concentrations in the reaction mixture selectively inhibited the ability of calmodulin to stimulate phosphodiesterase activity, suggesting that hydrophobic interaction is required for activation. Comparison of the proteins which are bound to and eluted from phenyl- and calmodulin-Sepharose affinity columns indicates that chromatography involving calmodulin-Sepharose resembles hydrophobic interaction chromatography with charged ligands. In this type of interaction, hydrophobic binding either is reinforced by electrostatic attractions or opposed by electrostatic repulsions to create a degree of specificity in the binding of calmodulin to certain proteins with accessible hydrophobic regions.     

Synthesis of a disulfide affinity adsorbent for purification of estrogen receptor

Synthesis of an estrogen affinity adsorbent containing a disulfide linkage between the steroid and stationary matrix permitted facile purification of high affinity estrogen binding proteins. Following affinity chromatography of either antibody directed against estrone 17-carboxymethyloxime — bovine serum albumin or immature calf uterine cytoplasmic estrogen receptor proteins, the specifically bound protein was recovered by incubating the adsorbent with 2-mercaptoethanol. Crude antibody and uterine cytosol was prepared for affinity chromatography in buffer containing 10^?3 to 10^?2M cystamine (S-S) to block SH-containing proteins, in order to protect the adsorbent against protein-mediated S-S ag SH exchange. Cystamine was found to markedly stabilize crude cytosol receptor protein by 200–300% compared with preparations obtained under ordinary conditions. Disulfide affinity adsorbents are versatile in that they can be used either under conventional conditions of specific protein recovery, or with 2-mercaptoethanol which removes the ligand and bound protein from the stationary matrix quantitatively.     

Synthesis and secretion of colonic glycoproteins: Evidence for shedding in vivo of low molecular weight membrane components

In vivo glycoprotein synthesis and secretion was studied in rat colonic epithelial cells using precursor labelling with radiolabelled glucosamine. Sepharose 4B gel filtration of radiolabelled glycoproteins obtained from isolated colonic epithelial cells revealed two major fractions: (1) high molecular weight mucus in the excluded fraction and (2) lower molecular weight glycoproteins in the included volume. These glycoproteins were further fractionated by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose. The low molecular weight [³H]glucosamine-labelled glycoproteins contained a major subfraction which specifically adhered to concanavalin A, and could be eluted with 0.2 M α-methylmannoside. Fractionation of the concanavalin A-reactive glycoproteins on Sephadex G-100 revealed a major peak with a molecular weight of 15 000. In contrast, high molecular weight mucus glycoprotein did not adhere appreciably to concanavalin A-Sepharose. Perfusion experiments indicated that colonic secretions contained both mucus and concanavalin A-reactive glycoproteins. The major concanavalin A-reactive glycoprotein in the colonic perfusate was not derived from serum, but was released directly from the colonic membrane into the lumen.     

There are two forms of androgen binding protein in human testes. Comparison of their protomeric variants with serum testosterone-estradiol binding globulin

To determine how the androgen binding protein in human testes (hABP) is related to the serum protein, testosterone-estradiol binding globulin (hTeBG), both proteins were isolated and compared. The hABP in extracts of human testes was composed of two molecular species based on concanavalin A (ConA)-Sepharose chromatography. Form I hABP did not interact with ConA while Form II hABP bound to ConA and eluted with alpha-methylmannoside. Form I and Form II hABP from five batches of testes were then purified approximately 30,500- and 30,000-fold to apparent homogeneity by high-performance liquid chromatography and compared with hTeBG isolated from human pregnancy serum. Fractionation of both forms of hABP and hTeBG by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate suggested that the native forms of these proteins were indistinguishable. However, analysis of the purified proteins on sodium dodecyl sulfate-containing polyacrylamide gels indicated that all three were dimers and that each was composed of monomers of at least two sizes which were not present in equimolar concentrations. Two distinctive monomers or protomers of each protein were designated as heavy (H) and light (L) according to their electrophoretic mobilities on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. The H and L protomers of Form I hABP showed apparent molecular weights of 55,000 and 52,000, respectively, in all preparations and were usually present in a 4:5 ratio (H:L). The two components of Form II hABP had apparent molecular weights of 53,000 and 48,000, respectively, and existed in a ratio of approximately 20:1. These two components could not be distinguished in some preparations where Form II hABP migrated as a broad band rather than as distinct protomers. By contrast, hTeBG, which was similar to Form II hABP with respect to ConA binding, always exhibited discrete H and L protomers in a 10:1 ratio. Photolysis of these highly purified proteins with delta 6-[3H]testosterone resulted in specific covalent labeling of their binding sites, confirming that the products identified by silver staining and immunoblotting were indeed steroid binding proteins. The H and L protomers of Form I hABP and hTeBG were separated and examined by peptide mapping using Staphylococcus aureus protease V8 and chymotrypsin. The comparison of the respective fragmentation patterns of protomers indicated that Form I hABP and hTeBG contained distinctive peptides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Endogenous ligands of rat lung beta-galactoside-binding protein (galaptin) isolated by affinity chromatography on carboxyamidomethylated-galaptin-Sepharose.

Rat lung beta-galactoside-binding protein (galaptin) is developmentally regulated during postnatal lung development. In common with other vertebrate galaptins, it is very labile when purified and dependent on the presence of exogenous thiol reagents. Reaction of rat lung galaptin with iodoacetamide resulted in a stable active carboxyamidomethylated galaptin that could be coupled to Sepharose. The resultant affinity matrix bound asialoglycoproteins, and these could be quantitatively eluted with disaccharide haptens. The carboxyamidomethylated-galaptin-Sepharose affinity matrix was used to search for endogenous ligands in 13-day-rat lung. Cytosolic fractions of developing rat lung contained no moieties that could be specifically eluted with disaccharide hapten. Only when membranous fractions were extracted with 1% Triton were glycoproteins solubilized that bound to the affinity matrix and could be specifically eluted with disaccharide hapten. The eluted glycoproteins were potent inhibitors of galaptin binding to asialo-orosomucoid. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis identified these glycoproteins as being of high Mr, with three components of Mr 160000-200000 and a smaller component of Mr 75000. This is the first evidence for specific membrane-associated glycoproteins being the ligands of rat lung galaptin.     

Glycoconjugates of human sperm surface. A study with fluorescent lectin conjugates and lens culinaris agglutinin affinity chromatography

Distribution of glycocompounds in human spermatozoa was studied by using fluorescent lectin-conjugates. Con A bound predominantly to acrosomal and posterior head regions whereas RCA I bound to the acrosomal region of intact spermatozoa, stained in suspension. Other lectins used (LCA, WGA, SBA, PNA) stained the the entire sperm surface. In airdried sperm smears binding of both Con A and RCA I were identical with the staining pattern obtained with living cells whereas LCA, WGA, SBA and PNA now bound heavily into acrosomal region. As a similar staining pattern was obtained with permeabilized sperm cells, this staining is apparently due to binding to intracellular structures. The efficiency of Lens culinaris agglutinin affinity chromatography in purification of human sperm glycoproteins was tested after their external radiolabelling with the neuraminidase/galactose oxidase/sodium borohydride method. 22% of applicated radioactivity could be eluted from the column with the specific inhibitory saccharide, and most of the radiolabelled surface glycoproteins of the whole sperm lysate, were also present in the LCA affinity column eluate. LCA affinity chromatography seems thus be an effective method to enrich membrane glycoproteins of human spermatozoa.     

Isolation from human chronic-lymphocytic-leukaemia cells of membrane glycoproteins associated with Fc-receptor functions. Physical parameters and production of polyclonal antibodies.

Two membrane glycoproteins that bound immune complexes and inhibited Fc-receptor- (FcR-)mediated functions in vitro were purified from human FcR+ chronic-lymphocytic-leukaemia cells. A multi-step purification was developed, consisting essentially in: (i) Tween 40 extraction of crude cell membranes; (ii) solubilization of membrane fragments by Renex-30; (iii) isolation of glycoproteins by affinity chromatography on Lens culinaris haemagglutinin-Sepharose; (iv) papain treatment of the eluted glycoproteins followed by gel-filtration chromatography; (v) purification by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of two molecular species from the protein-size fraction enriched for immune-complex-binding activity. The two electrophoretically isolated components displayed apparent molecular masses of 70 and 45 kDa by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and restricted charge heterogeneity by two-dimensional analysis. Two-dimensional peptide mapping revealed the presence of many peptides in common between the two proteins and the absence of a number of peptides in the 45 kDa component. These two polypeptides were used as immunogens to produce polyclonal antibodies that cross-reacted with both proteins and specifically inhibited FcR-mediated reactions in vitro. Furthermore, FcR-related components from detergent-extracted lysates of the human K562 and U937 cell lines or human placental membranes were revealed by the putative anti-FcR antibodies adsorbed on Protein A-Sepharose.     

Association of fibronectin with carboxy-group-modified proteins in vitro

Treatment of human immunoglobulin G, albumin and fibronectin with water-soluble carbodi-imide at pH4.75 in the presence of glycine ethyl ester resulted in an avid binding of ¹²⁵I-labelled native fibrinectin to the modified proteins. Succinoylation, reduction and alkylation or heat-denaturation had no such effect. In affinity chromatography under physiological conditions, serum was depleted of fibronectin when run through columns of the carbodi-imide-treated proteins coupled to agarose. Fractions eluted from such columns with urea were enriched in fibronectin. The binding of radiolabelled fibronectin to the carbodi-imide-treated proteins was inhibited by unlabelled fibronectin in relatively low concentrations, but also by albumin in higher concentrations. Heat-denatured albumin inhibited at concentrations approx. 10–30 times lower than native albumin. The binding reaction had a pH optimum of 6–8. It was inhibited at high ionic strength and in the presence of urea. Anionic detergents inhibited at millimolar concentrations, but non-ionic detergents did not inhibit the binding reaction. The results were interpreted as showing that: (1) fibronectin is capable of binding to itself, to immunoglobulin G and to albumin after a reduction of the negative surface charge of these proteins, and may have a general ability to bind such modified proteins; (2) this binding can take place under physiological conditions; (3) carboxy-group-modified proteins selectively bind fibronectin from serum. This novel binding phenomenon could be important in terms of the opsonin function of circulatory fibronectin. We propose that fibronectin may recognize modified (denatured) proteins and mediate their uptake by the reticuloendothelial system.     

Derivatized nanoparticle coated capillaries for purification and micro-extraction of proteins and peptides

Various methods are used to enrich or purify a protein of interest from other proteins and components in a crude cell lysate or other sample. One of the most powerful methods is affinity purification, also called affinity chromatography, whereby the proteins of interest are purified by virtue of their specific binding properties to an immobilized ligand. Affinity purification is becoming more widely used for exploring post-translation modifications and protein-protein interactions, especially with a view toward developing new general tag systems and strategies of chemical derivatization on peptides for affinity selection. Our work was aimed to immobilize proteins or ligands for affinity purification of antibodies, fusion-tagged proteins and other proteins and peptides. Selected proteins or peptides are efficiently extracted and enriched using chemically derivatized walls of a fused silica capillary column. In this paper, we present an open tubular capillary, where the inner wall of a fused silica capillary was derivatized by covalent binding of modified polystyrene latex particles. The capillaries were derivatized with iminodiacetic acid and loaded with Fe3+ or Ni2+ for the purification and enrichment of phosphopeptides or His-tagged proteins, respectively. The latex coated capillaries have been successfully applied to enrich phosphopeptides from beta-casein tryptic digest and ovalbumin tryptic digest at a micro volume scale with recoveries ranging from 92 to 95%. The capillaries have been eluted under conditions compatible with MALDI-MS without any prior desalting step. In another approach, concanavalin A (Con A) or Protein G were immobilized on the epoxy modified latex on the inner wall of the fused silica capillary for the purification of glycoproteins and immunoglobulin, respectively. The design of the capillary and the protocols used for purification permits the direct detection of eluted proteins and peptides with gel electrophoresis or with mass spectrometry. The elution volumes are passed as discrete segments of few microliters over the inner surface of the open-tube capillary, achieving enrichment factors of more than 20-fold from starting samples.     

An agarose derivative containing an arsenical for affinity chromatography of thiol compounds

An adsorbent for affinity chromatography of thiol compounds was prepared by covalently linking p-aminophenylarsine oxide to CNBr-activated Sepharose 6B. The adsorbent retained mono- and dithiols from acid and neutral solutions. Monothiols and 1,4-dithiols were eluted at pH 12, whereas more alkaline conditions were necessary for elution of 1,2- and 1,3-dithiols. The latter could also be eluted at pH 12 by 0.01 m phenylarsine oxide. Alternatively, thiol compounds may be eluted at neutral or acid conditions by other thiol compounds. Monothiols and 1,4-dithiols were thus eluted by cysteine, whereas 1,2- and 1,3-dithiols required dithiopropylamine for elution.     

Analysis of plasma proteins that bind to glycosaminoglycans

Glycosaminoglycan-binding proteins, with specific emphasis on dermatan sulfate, have been investigated in human plasma by affinity chromatography, mass spectrometry and Western blotting. Diluted plasma was applied to affinity columns and bound protein was eluted with 500 mM NaCl. Dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate bound 7% of the total protein. Heparin bound 22% of the total protein, but chondroitin sulfate A bound only 0.23%. Mass spectrometric analysis identified 20 proteins as dermatan-sulfate-binding proteins, most of which were confirmed by Western blotting. Some of these binding proteins, such as fibrinogen, fibronectin, apolipoprotein B, LMW kininogen, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, and factor H, were degraded to various extents during the chromatography step, but this degradation could be prevented by the inclusion of a serine protease inhibitor. The protein fraction binding to the dermatan sulfate column showed amidase activity, whereas that binding to the heparan sulfate and heparin columns showed 1/2 and 1/20, respectively, of the activity of the dermatan sulfate binding fraction. Dermatan sulfate was similar to heparan sulfate with respect to its capacity to bind plasma proteins and its activation of protease, but differed from chondroitin sulfate and heparin in these properties.     

Solubilisation of a Glutamate Binding Protein from Rat Brain

Rat brain synaptic plasma membranes were solubilised in either 1% Triton X-100 or potassium cholate and subjected to batch affinity adsorption on L-glutamate/bovine serum albumin reticulated glass fibre. The fibre was extensively washed, and bound proteins eluted with 0.1 mM L-glutamate in 0.1% detergent, followed by repeated dialysis to remove the glutamate from the eluted proteins. Aliquots of the dialysed extracts were assayed for L-[3H]glutamate binding activity in the presence or absence of 0.1 mM unlabelled L-glutamate (to define displaceable binding). Incubations were conducted at room temperature and terminated by rapid filtration through nitrocellulose membranes. Binding to solubilised fractions could be detected only following affinity chromatography. Binding was saturable and of relatively low affinity: KD = 1.0 and 1.8 microM for Triton X-100 and cholate extracts, respectively. The density of binding sites was remarkably high: approximately 18 nmol/mg protein for Triton X-100-solubilised preparations, and usually double this when cholate was employed. Analysis of structural requirements for inhibition of binding revealed that only a very restricted number of compounds were effective, i.e., L-glutamate, L-aspartate, and sulphur-containing amino acids. Binding was not inhibited significantly by any of the selective excitatory amino acid receptor agonists--quisqualate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, or kainate. The implication from this study is that the glutamate binding protein is similar if not identical to one previously isolated and probably is not related to the pharmacologically defined postsynaptic receptor subtypes, unless solubilisation of synaptic membranes resulted in major alterations to binding site characteristics. Since solubilisation with Triton X-100 is known to preserve synaptic junctional complexes, it seems likely that the origin of the glutamate binding protein may be extrajunctional, although its functional role is unknown.