Structural subunits of chondroitin sulfate isomers isolated from different aged human kidneys

Acidic glycosaminoglycans (AGAG) were extracted from whole human kidney tissues of different aged subjects and were purified by precipitation with cetylpyridinium chloride and by an ion exchange resin column chromatography. The prepared AGAG were individually digested with chondroitinase-AC and they were further digested with chondroitinase-ABC. The resulting unsaturated disaccharides and the undigested AGAG were identified by paper chromatography, electrophoresis, and other chemical analyses. The AGAG, which were resistant to chondroitinase-AC, were mainly heparan sulfates and their proportion to total AGAG appeared to decrease with the advance of age. Dermatan sulfate plus oversulfated dermatan sulfate were composed of one-fifth to one-third of the AGAG resistant to chondroitinase-AC, and their proportion tended to increase with the advance of age.     

Headspace solid-phase microextraction with 1-pyrenyldiazomethane on-fibre derivatisation for analysis of fluoroacetic acid in biological samples

Four molecular forms of transferrins with different iron-binding states were separated by HPLC using a pyridinium polymer column. The elution order was monoferric transferrin bound to the C-site, holotransferrin, apotransferrin and monoferric transferrin bound to the N-site. Human sera were also analyzed with the column, and ICP-MS combined with HPLC was used to detect iron in each peak. Transferrin peaks separated by HPLC were also confirmed by an immunological method. The percentages of iron saturation in transferrins obtained by the HPLC method were compared with the values calculated from clinical data.     

十六种鸟类二级抗体的制备和辣根过氧化物酶标记

目的制备兔抗16种鸟类的二级抗体,并进行辣根过氧化物酶标记,为鸟类血清学检测系统的建立提供工具。方法采用水稀释法粗纯抗体后,再利用改良的饱和硫酸铵分级沉淀法,或亲和层析结合饱和硫酸铵沉淀法,或饱和硫酸铵沉淀法结合SDS-PAGE凝胶切胶纯化的方法进一步纯化鸟类的IgY,利用纯化的IgY免疫大耳白兔制备抗血清,用免疫双扩散来检测抗血清的效价,并用Protein A亲和层析的方法来纯化兔抗鸟类的二级抗体,采用简易过碘酸钠法对纯化的兔抗鸟类的二级抗体进行辣根过氧化物酶标记,通过ELISA方法测定标记抗体的效价,并利用Western blots考察标记抗体的特异性。结果纯化了灰雁、鸬鹚、鸵鸟、小鹈、鸽子、鹅、孔雀、鹌鹑、贵妃鸡、草鹭、夜鹭、赤嘴潜鸭、燕鸥、长脚鹬、虎皮鹦鹉、翘鼻麻鸭等16种鸟类的IgY,免疫双扩散法测定兔抗这16种鸟类的抗血清效价均达到1∶32,并对纯化的兔抗灰雁IgY、兔抗鸬鹚IgY、兔抗鸵鸟IgY、兔抗小鹈IgY、兔抗鸽子IgY、兔抗鹅IgY、兔抗孔雀IgY、兔抗鹌鹑IgY、兔抗贵妃鸡IgY、兔抗草鹭IgY、兔抗夜鹭IgY、兔抗赤嘴潜鸭IgY、兔抗燕鸥IgY、兔抗长脚鹬IgY、兔抗虎皮鹦鹉IgY、兔抗翘鼻麻鸭IgY等16种兔抗鸟类IgY的二级抗体进行了辣根过氧化物酶标记,ELISA测定标记抗体的效价达到1∶800～80000左右,Western blots显示标记抗体具有很好的特异性。结论成功制备了辣根过氧化物酶标记的兔抗16种鸟类的二级抗体,为鸟类血清学检测体系的建立提供了工具。     

Characterization of proteins associated with nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Rat liver nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles were prepared by two different methods and defined as 40S ribonucleoprotein (40S RNP) and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (HnRNP) particles. The RNP particles were either solubilized in 8 M urea--6 mM 2-mercaptoethanol--20 mM glycine--20 mM Tris--HCl (pH 8.4) or subjected to removal of RNA by phenol extraction prior to solubilizing the proteins in the urea buffer. The proteins associated with 40S RNP and HnRNP were heterogeneous and very similar in their electrophoretic patterns when analyzed by two-dimensional PAGE, except a protein with molecular weight of 62 000 and an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.2 was present only in HnRNP particles. At least 12 major and 22 minor components could be identified in both preparations. The major proteins were found at pI values varying from 6.0 to 8.5 and with molecular weights from 32 000 to 42 000, and a group of proteins with molecular weight approximately 65 000 were more prominent in HnRNP than in 40S RNP. The other components were found mainly at pI ranges from 5.0 to 6.5 with molecular weights from 43 000 to 65 000. The phenol method extracted essentially all proteins associated with either 40S RNP and HnRNP, but was less effective in extracting a group of proteins with pI values from 5.0 to 5.5 and more efficient for proteins with pI values from 7.5 to 8.5. When chromatin proteins isolated by phenol extraction were compared with HnRNP particle proteins isolated by the same method, the electrophoretic mobilities of the HnRNP particle proteins were found to be identical with a fraction nonhistone chromatin proteins. The 40S RNP particles were further purified by metrizamide isopycnic density gradient centrifugation. The electrophoretic patterns of these proteins were very similar to those prepared by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Therefore, we concluded that the proteins of RNP particles constituted part of the chromatin proteins.     

兔抗五种鱼免疫球蛋白抗体的制备和HRP标记

目的制备兔抗鱼类免疫球蛋白抗体并进行辣根过氧化酶标记,为鱼类血清学检测系统的建立提供工具。方法利用proteinA亲和层析的方法纯化鱼血清免疫球蛋白,免疫大耳白兔制备抗血清,利用免疫双扩散来检测抗血清的效价,并用Protein A亲和层析的方法来纯化兔抗鱼免疫球蛋白的抗体,采用简易过碘酸钠法对纯化的兔抗鱼免疫球蛋白的抗体进行HRP标记,通过ELISA方法测定标记抗体的效价,并利用Western blotting来考察标记抗体与其他常见鱼类血清蛋白间的交叉反应。结果纯化了鳙、鲤、乌鳢、黄鳝、鲈五种鱼血清免疫球蛋白,免疫双扩散法测定兔抗这五种鱼免疫球蛋白的抗血清效价均达到1∶32,并对纯化的兔抗鳙、鲤、乌鳢、黄鳝、鲈五种鱼类免疫球蛋白的抗体进行了HRP标记,ELISA测定标记抗体的效价达到1∶10000左右,Western blots显示标记抗体与部分其他鱼类免疫球蛋白之间存在不同程度的交叉反应。结论成功制备了HRP标记的兔抗鱼类免疫球蛋白抗体,为鱼类血清学检测体系的建立提供了工具。     

七种常见宠物二级抗体的制备和HRP标记

目的制备兔抗7种中国家庭中常见宠物的二级抗体,并进行辣根过氧化酶标记,为宠物血清学检测系统的建立提供工具。方法利用饱和硫酸铵沉淀法粗纯抗体后,再利用protein A 或protein G亲和层析的方法进一步纯化宠物的IgG,免疫大耳白兔制备抗血清,利用免疫双扩散来检测抗血清的效价,并用Protein A亲和层析的方法来纯化兔抗宠物的二级抗体,采用简易过碘酸钠法对纯化的兔抗宠物的二级抗体进行HRP标记,通过ELISA方法测定标记抗体的效价,并利用Western blotting考察标记抗体的特异性。结果纯化了狗、家猫、豚鼠、金仓鼠、松鼠、花鼠和龙猫7种宠物的血清IgG,免疫双扩散法测定兔抗这7种宠物的抗血清效价均达到1：32,并对纯化的兔抗7种宠物的二级抗体进行了HRP标记,ELISA测定标记抗体的效价达到1：（2000～15000）左右,Western blots显示标记抗体具有很好的特异性。结论成功制备了HRP标记的兔抗7种中国家庭中常见宠物的二级抗体,为宠物血清学检测体系的建立提供了工具。     

Degradation products of insulin generated by hepatocytes and by insulin protease

The enzymatic mechanisms for insulin breakdown by hepatocytes have not been established, nor have the degradation products been identified. Several lines of evidence have suggested that the enzyme insulin protease is involved in insulin degradation by hepatocytes. To identify the products of insulin generated by insulin protease and to compare them with those produced by hepatocytes, we have incubated insulin specifically iodinated at either the B-16 or the B-26 tyrosines with insulin protease and with isolated hepatocytes, separated the products on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and identified the B-chain cleavages. Insulin-sized products were obtained by Sephadex G-50 filtration. These insulin-sized products were injected on reverse-phase HPLC, and the peaks of radioactivity were identified. The product patterns generated by the enzyme and by hepatocytes were essentially identical with both isomers. The products were also sulfitolized to prepare the S-sulfonate derivatives of the B-chain and B-chain peptides. Again, the patterns on HPLC generated by the enzyme and by hepatocytes with both isomers were identical. Each of the original product peaks was also sulfitolized and injected separately on HPLC to relate B-chain peptides with product peaks. Again, the peptide compositions of the product peaks for both enzyme and hepatocytes were essentially identical. To identify the cleavage sites in the B-chain of insulin produced by insulin protease, the peptides from the degradation of [125I]iodo(B-26)insulin were purified and submitted to automated Edman degradation to identify the cycle in which radioactivity appeared. Seven peptides with cleavages on the amino side of the B26 residue were identified, and the cleavage sites were determined. Cleavages were found between B-9 and B-10 (Ser-His), B-10 and B-11 (His-Leu), B-14 and B-15 (Ala-Leu), B-13 and B-14 (Glu-Ala), B-16 and B-17 (Tyr-Leu), B-24 and B-25 (Phe-Phe), and B-25 and B-26 (Phe-Tyr). Peptides were also isolated from [125I]iodoinsulin incubated with isolated hepatocytes, and the cleavage sites in several of these were determined. These agreed exactly with the cleavage sites identified generated by the enzyme. The major peptides generated by the degradation of [125I]iodo(B-16)insulin were also isolated and sequenced, again showing identical cleavage sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Effect of dextran and dextran modifications on the thermal and proteolytic stability of conjugated bovine testis beta-galactosidase and human serum albumin

In order to study carbohydrate-induced protein stabilization bovine testis beta-galactosidase and human serum albumin were conjugated with dextran, partially acetylated dextran and partially methylated dextran. The conjugates and the free proteins were compared with respect to thermal stability at 50 degrees C and resistance to proteolytic digestion by subtilopeptidase A. Both beta-galactosidase and serum albumin were stabilized by conjugation with polysaccharide. However, higher stability was achieved by conjugating the proteins with the hydrophilic polysaccharides, dextran and acetylated dextran, than by conjugation with the hydrophobic polysaccharide, methylated dextran. The results are discussed in relation to possible explanations of carbohydrate-induced protein stabilization.     

Vectorial discharge of nascent polypeptides attached to chloroplast thylakoid membranes.

Chloroplast thylakoids with attached ribosomes were isolated from Chlamydomonas reinhardti. They were allowed to incorporate labeled amino acids into polypeptides. Labeled membranes were recovered from the reaction mixture, and a portion was treated with puromycin. The amount of labeled polypeptides released to the medium, and to the membranes by puromycin was determined by comparing radioactivity in soluble protein before, and after untreated, and puromycin-treated membranes were solubilized with the detergent Nonidet P-40. About 20% of the radioactive protein associated with the membranes was in nascent chains which were terminated by puromycin. Essentially all of terminated nascent chains remained with the membranes, and thus, were vectorially released. The results support the hypothesis that polypeptides which are synthesized by thylakoid-bound ribosomes are being incorporated into the membranes as they are synthesized.     

十七种哺乳动物二级抗体的制备和辣根过氧化物酶标记

目的制备兔抗17种哺乳动物的二级抗体,并进行辣根过氧化物酶标记,为哺乳血清学检测系统的建立提供工具。方法利用饱和硫酸铵沉淀法粗纯抗体后,再利用protein A或protein G亲和层析的方法进一步纯化哺乳动物的IgG,免疫大耳白兔制备抗血清,利用免疫双扩散来检测抗血清的效价,并用Protein A亲和层析的方法来纯化兔抗哺乳动物的二级抗体,采用简易过碘酸钠法对纯化的兔抗哺乳动物的二级抗体进行辣根过氧化物酶标记,通过ELISA方法测定标记抗体的效价,并利用Western blot方法考察标记抗体的特异性。结果纯化了恒河猴、东北虎、布氏田鼠、黑线姬鼠、斑羚、原驼、果子狸、食蟹猴、梅花鹿、长爪沙鼠、马鹿、骆驼、大仓鼠、豚鹿、熊猴、大耳羊和雪貂等17种哺乳动物的血清IgG,分别免疫大耳白兔制备了这17种哺乳动物的兔抗血清,免疫双扩散法测定兔抗这17种哺乳动物的抗血清效价均达到1∶32,并对纯化的兔抗恒河猴IgG、兔抗东北虎IgG、兔抗布氏田鼠IgG、兔抗黑线姬鼠IgG、兔抗斑羚IgG、兔抗原驼IgG、兔抗果子狸IgG、兔抗食蟹猴IgG、兔抗梅花鹿IgG、兔抗长爪沙鼠IgG、兔抗马鹿IgG、兔抗骆驼IgG、兔抗大仓鼠IgG、兔抗豚鹿IgG、兔抗熊猴IgG、兔抗大耳羊IgG和兔抗雪貂IgG等17种哺乳动物的二级抗体进行了辣根过氧化物酶标记,ELISA测定标记抗体的效价达到1∶（2000～60000）左右,Western blots显示标记抗体具有很好的特异性。结论成功制备了HRP标记的兔抗17种哺乳动物的二级抗体,为哺乳动物血清学检测体系的建立提供了工具。     

Immunoadsorption of specific chicken oviduct polysomes. Isolation of ovalbumin, ovomucoid, and lysozyme messenger RNA.

The messenger RNA coding for the egg white proteins ovalbumin, ovomucoid, and lysozyme were isolated by immunoadsorption of polysomes synthesizing these proteins. Monospecific antibodies against ovalbumin, ovomucoid, and lysozyme, raised in rabbits, were reacted with chicken oviduct polysomes. The antibody-polysome complexes were isolated by immunoadsorption onto sheep anti-rabbit antibodies coupled to an insoluble matrix. The specifically bound polysomes were eluted and the mRNA was obtained by poly(U)-Sepharose chromatography. The three specific RNAs were further purified by preparative gel electrophoresis. The purity of the mRNA preparations was demonstrated by analytical gel electrophoresis, the capability to direct the synthesis of specific protein products in a wheat germ cell-free system, and by hybridization to cDNA transcribed from mRNAoa and mRNAomu. Purified mRNAoa was shown to contain less than 0.1% mRNAomu and purified mRNAomu was about 99% pure with respect to mRNAoa. Purified mRNAly was contaminated with mRNAoa to 0.34% and with mRNAomu to 2.9%.     

Study of the sugar chains of recombinant human amyloid precursor protein produced by Chinese hamster ovary cells

The N- and O-glycans of recombinant amyloid precursor protein (APP), purified from Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with the human 695-amino acid form of APP, were separately released by hydrazinolysis under different conditions. The reducing ends of the released N- and O-glycans were reduced with NaB3H4 and derivatized with 2-aminobenzamide (2AB), respectively. After acidic N-glycans were obtained by anion-exchange column chromatography, these were converted to neutral oligosaccharides by sialidase digestion, demonstrating that their acidic nature was entirely due to sialylation. The sialidase-treated N-glycans were then fractionated by lectin column chromatography and their structures were determined by linkage-specific sequential exoglycosidase digestion. These results demonstrated that recombinant APP has bi- and triantennary complex type N-glycans with fucosylated and nonfucosylated trimannosyl cores. In a similar fashion, the 2AB-labeled O-glycans derived from APP were determined to be mono- and disialylated core type 1 structures. Taken together, these results indicate that recombinant APP has sialylated bi- and triantennary N-glycans with fucosylated and nonfucosylated cores and sialylated O-glycans with core type 1 structures.     

九种重要经济动物二级抗体的制备和HRP标记

目的制备兔抗9种重要经济动物的二级抗体,并进行辣根过氧化酶标记,为经济动物血清学检测系统的建立提供工具。方法利用饱和硫酸铵沉淀粗纯抗体后,再利用protein A或protein G亲和层析的方法进一步纯化动物血清IgG,免疫大耳白兔制备抗血清,利用免疫双扩散来检测抗血清的效价,并用Protein A亲和层析的方法纯化兔抗经济动物的二级抗体,采用简易过碘酸钠法对纯化的二级抗体进行HRP标记,通过ELISA方法测定标记抗体的效价,并利用Western blotting考察标记抗体的特异性。结果纯化了家猪,绵羊、山羊、牛、马、驴、狐狸、貉和黑貂9种重要经济动物的血清IgG,免疫双扩散法测定兔抗血清效价均达到1：32,并对纯化的兔抗家猪,绵羊、山羊、牛、马、驴、狐狸、貉和黑貂9种重要经济动物二级抗体进行了HRP标记,ELISA测定标记抗体的效价达到1：（2000～15000）左右,Western blots显示标记抗体具有很好的特异性。结论成功制备了HRP标记的兔抗9种重要经济动物的二级抗体,为经济动物血清学检测体系的建立提供了工具。     

基于表达谱芯片和下一代测序技术筛选先天性心脏病胎儿心肌组织差异表达的miRNA

目的 联合采用表达谱芯片和下一代测序技术同时高通量筛选先天性心脏病胎儿心肌组织表达差异的miRNA.方法 实验组为孕中期先天性畸形胎儿,对照组为同胎龄无心脏畸形的难免流产的胎儿,取胎儿心室心肌组织,联合采用Agilent Human 2.0 microRNAs表达谱芯片和SOLiD下一代测序技术同时观察心肌组织microRNA的表达变化,数据采用生物信息学方法进行分析,并用实时PCR方法验证芯片结果.结果 通过差异miRNA筛选,发现先天性心脏畸形组在表达谱芯片和下一代测序中共同差异的24个miRNA,生物信息学预测到1 606个靶基因,靶基因Gene Ontology分析表明其中与细胞进程、代谢过程、生物调控相关的靶基因为主,Pathway显著性分析表明,部分靶基因为生物信号通路中的关键因子;随机挑选共同表达差异的4个miRNA进行验证,结果表明定量PCR检测结果与芯片与下一代测序共同筛选结果基本相符.结论 这些在先天性心脏病中异常表达的miRNA为研究先天性心脏病分子水平上的发病机制提供了重要的线索,将有可能为心脏相关疾病的诊断和治疗提供新的靶点和研发新的药物.     

HBV─C基因探针的制备及应用

应用ＰＣＲ技术扩增出ＨＢＶＤＮＡＣ基因片段并与ｐＡＴ１５３质粒重组,转化到Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉＲＲＩ中,经体内扩增,提纯,用光生物素标记,制备了Ｃ基因的重组质粒探针。该探针检测灵敏度在Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ印迹中达１ｐｇ,在点印迹中为５ｐｇ。用此探针以Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ印迹方式配合ＰＣＲ技术检测乙肝病人血清中的ＨＢＶＤＮＡ,在５３例ＰＣＲ产物电泳检测阴性的样品中,Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交又检出１８例阳性。     

Approaches to a markedly increased sensitivity of the radioimmunoassay for thyrotropin-releasing hormone by derivatization

Antisera to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (pGlu-His-Pro-NH2, TRH) have previously been produced in rabbits by immunization with a conjugate having TRH linked to a carrier protein by means of dinitrophenylene (Dnp) moiety. Studies on the specificity of the antisera obtained suggested that the sensitivity of the radioimmunoassay for TRH may be increased substantially by prior conversion of the hormone in to dinitrophenylene derivatives. To test this possibility, several TRH-Dno derivatives were prepared by reaction of TRH with equimolar amounts of 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene yielding Nim-(5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl)TRH. This intermediate was reacted with ammonia, histamine, tyramine or N alpha-acetyl-lysine methyl ester (N alpha Ac-Lys-OMe) to yield the respective unsubstituted and N-substituted Nim-(5-amino-2,4-dinitrophenyl)TRH derivatives: TRH-Dnp-NH2, TRH-Dnp-histamine, TRH-Dnp-tyramine and TRH-Dnp-N alpha Ac-Lys-OMe. Nim-(2,4-Dinitrophenyl)TRH was prepared similarly by reaction of TRH with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. The products were isolated by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and were found to be pure by HPLC and thin-layer chromatography using several solvent systems. TRH-Dnp-histamine and TRH-Dnp-tyramine were labelled with 125I using the chloramine-T method. The labelled products were purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography on SP-Sephadex and adsorption chromatography on Sephadex LH-20, respectively, and were found by HPLC to be pure.     

The mechanism of polyribosome disaggregation in brain tissue by phenylalanine.

The injection of neonatal mice with phenylalanine resulted in a rapid decrease in brain polyribosomes and a concomitant increase in monomeric ribosomes. Animals of 1-16 days of age were equally affected by phenylalanine, although the brain polyribosomes of 60-day-old mice were relatively resistant to the effects of phenylalanine. The population of free polyribosomes appeared to be more sensitive to phenylalanine treatment than bound polyribosomes, which were somewhat more resistant to disruption by high concentrations of the amino acid. The effects of phenylalanine were more pronounced with polyribosomes in the cerebral cortex than with those in the cerebellar tissue. The mechanism of polyribosome disruption was shown to be independent of hydrolysis mediated by ribonuclease. Virtually all of the monomeric ribosomes that resulted from phenylalanine treatment were shown to be inactive with regard to endogenous protein synthesis and were present in the cell cytoplasm as vacant couples. These ribosomes were readily dissociated by treatment with 0.5 M-KCl and subsequent ultracentrifugation. These results are discussed in the light of the possibility that high concentrations of phenylalanine disrupt brain protein synthesis by a molecular mechanism that is associated with initiation events.     

不明原因男性不育人群中睾丸特异性乳酸脱氢酶基因突变的发现及其意义

为了研究睾丸特异性乳酸脱氢酶,即乳酸脱氢酶C4(LDH-C4)基因突变在男性不育发病中的作用,利用LDH-C4特异性底物对100名不明原因男性不育症患者的精子LDH-C4进行活性显色,用变性高效液相色谱(DHPLC)技术对LDH-C4活性低下的患者进行LDHC基因PCR产物的突变筛查,对DHPLC峰形异常的PCR产物进行序列测定.筛选到一组精子LDH-C4活性明显下降的患者,其中1名患者的LDHC基因PCR产物在DHPLC中呈异常洗脱峰.对这一PCR产物进行序列测定,发现患者LDHC基因第5外显子的115位碱基发生了T→A的杂合改变(GenBank登录号GU479375),该突变使LDHC基因的178位密码子由原来的TTG(编码亮氨酸)变为TAG(终止密码子),形成截短的C亚基.T克隆-测序进一步证实了该无义突变的杂合状态.这是在人类LDHC基因上发现的第一个突变,提示LDHC基因突变可能是男性不育发病的原因之一.     

cAMP-dependent protein kinase isozymes with preference for histone H2B as substrate in mitochondria of bovine heart

Mitochondria from bovine hearts were fractionated by three different procedures and the fractions were characterized by marker enzymes. Highly purified outer membranes, membrane vesicles, and inner membranes, as well as two high-speed soluble fractions, were obtained. Azide (or oligomycin) resistant ATPase was not found to be a marker for outer membranes. The data were consistent with the association of the protein kinase activity with the soluble matrix of the mitochondria. Activity was highest with histone H2B as the substrate, with histone H1 next in preference. In contrast to the mitochondrial protein kinases studied previously, protamine, casein, and phosvitin were very poor substrates and there was no detectable phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase. Activity was stimulated by cAMP but not by cGMP, calmodulin, or phosphatidylserine--diolein, with or without Ca2+. Two cAMP-dependent isozymes were separated from the soluble fraction of the mitochondria by chromatography on DE-52 columns. Phosphorylation of histone H2B by the isozymes was inhibited by 98% by Kemptide.     

Identification of Ki (Ku, p70/p80) autoantigens and analysis of anti-Ki autoantibody reactivity

Anti-Ki (Ku, p70/p80) autoantibodies, named after the prototype patient Kikuta by Tojo et al., occur in approximately 10% of patients with SLE, often in association with anti-Sm autoantibodies. The immunofluorescent staining pattern characteristic of anti-Ki antibodies is diffuse speckled nuclear, although some substrates show nucleolar staining as well. Anti-Ki sera specifically immunoprecipitated two protein antigens, Ki86 (Mr 86,000) and Ki66 (Mr 66,000), from radiolabeled cell extracts. The Ki system was found to be immunologically identical to the Ku system described by Mimori et al. and the p70/p80 system described by Reeves. The Ki primary in vitro translation products were identified and proved similar in size to the cellular antigens. The Ki antigens were purified from human spleen by immunoaffinity chromatography followed by SDS-PAGE. The purified Ki antigens proved to be closely related by amino acid composition, and did not appear to be phosphorylated, glycosylated, or associated with RNA. The Ki antigens were found to bind to DNA, in agreement with the observations on the Ku and p70/p80 antigens. They were found to be widely conserved in mammals and were coordinately expressed in all tissues tested. Anti-Ki autoantibodies were purified by antigen-affinity chromatography and were tested by immunoblotting. The antibodies were classified as class I, II, or III, depending on their reactivity with the Ki antigens in immunoblots. Class I antibodies cross-reacted with both Ki antigens, class II antibodies reacted solely with Ki66, and class III antibodies reacted solely with Ki86. These results suggest that at least three different epitopes are present on the Ki autoantigens and that patients differ in their autoantibody response to each epitope.