Characterization of a nuclear receptor for testosterone in rat bone marrow.

In vitro testosterone binding was studied in a nuclear extract (0.15 M KC1) from rat bone marrow using the charcoal assay. The nuclear extract contains binding sites saturable at low concentration of testosterone (1 times 10-8M). From a Scatchard plot of the data obtained it is concluded that a single class of receptor sites is involved in the binding of testosterone. Studies indicated that the testosterone-nuclear complex has a dissociation constant (Kd) of 5.9 times 10-9 M binding 9 times 10-14 moles/mg nuclear protein. 5alpha- and 5beta-dihydrotestosterone compete poorly with testosterone for binding sites in the nuclear component while estradiol -17beta does not compete at all. The protein nature of the receptor was demonstrated and an isoelectric point (pI) of 4.9 was determined for the complex by the use of isoelectric focusing.     

Microheterogeneity of human kininogen by isoelectric focusing and crossed immunoelectrophoresis.

LMW kininogen was isolated from whole human plasma by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 (Kav 0.34) followed by DEAE-chromatography according to earlier established methods. Further purification was performed with specific Sepharose-antibody columns to remove protein contaminants, avoiding procedures which may denature kininogen. The microheterogeneity was investigated by isoelectric focusing in column in the pH-gradients 3.5-10, 4-6 and 3.5-5. Kininogen components were determined by single radial immunodiffusion against monospecific anti-human kininogen serum, in comparison with focusing of whole plasma. 40% of isolated as well as whole plasma kininogen focused at pI 4.5; the respective focusing ranges were pI 4.4-4.7 (60--80%) and pI 4.3-4.6 (92%). The results were verified by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. The pI 4.5 component is apparently the main native form of human kininogen as shown by focusing of whole human blood bank plasma. Earlier described difficulty of separating kininogen and alpha2HS-glycoprotein was verified by crossed immunoelectrophoresis which showed approximately seven kininogen components after focusing in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pI 4.5-5.0 and four alpha 2HS components at pI 4.2-4.6.     

Cellular localization and substrate specificity of isoelectric forms of human liver neuraminidase activity.

The four major isoelectric forms of human liver neuraminidase (with pI values between 3.4 and 4.8) have been isolated by preparative isoelectric focusing and characterized with regard to their substrate specificity using glycoprotein, glycopeptide, oligosaccharide and ganglioside natural substrates. All forms exhibited a rather broad linkage specificity and were capable of hydrolyzing sialic acid glycosidically linked alpha 2-3, alpha 2-6 and alpha 2-8, although differential rates of hydrolysis of the substrates were found for each form. The most acidic form 1 (pI 3.4) was most active on sialyl-lactose, whereas form 2 (pI 3.9) and 3 (pI 4.4) were most active on the more hydrophobic ganglioside substrates. Form 4 (pI 4.8) was most active on the low-Mr hydrophilic substrates (fetuin glycopeptide, sialyl-lactose). Each form was less active on the glycoprotein fetuin than on a glycopeptide derived from fetuin. Organelle-enriched fractions were prepared from fresh human liver tissue and neuraminidase activity on 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid was recovered in plasma membrane, microsomal, lysosomal and cytosolic preparations. Isoelectric focusing of the neuraminidase activity recovered in each of these preparations resulted in significantly different isoelectric profiles (number, relative amounts and pI values of forms) for each preparation. The differential substrate specificity of the isoelectric forms and the different isoelectric focusing profiles of neuraminidase activity recovered in subcellular-enriched fractions suggest that specific isoelectric forms with broad but defined substrate specificity are enriched at separate sites within the cell.     

Studies on the influence of Trasylol on the partition of trypsin between the human plasma protease inhibitors in vitro.

The distribution of trypsin between the protease inhibitors of human serum with and without Trasylol was studied in vitro. 1) Trypsin was preferentially bound by alpha2-macroglobulin on addition of small amounts of the enzyme to normal serum in both the presence and absence of Trasylol in a molar concentration equal to that of alpha2-macroglobulin. 2) On saturation of alpha2-macroglobulin, a considerable amount of trypsin was bound by Trasylol even when most of the serum alpha1-antitrypsin was in a free form. 3) In reaction mixtures containing small amounts of trypsin, Trasylol was identified in a free form as well as in complex with trypsin-alpha2-macroglobulin complex and to a limited extent with trypsin. 4) With larger amounts of trypsin, sufficient to saturate alpha2-macroglobulin, increasing amounts of Trasylol were bound to trypsin. The relative amount of Trasylol bound to trypsin-alpha2-macroglobulin complexes was now smaller. This was explained by a higher affinity (or binding rate) of Trasylol for trypsin than for trypsin-alpha2-macroglobulin complexes. 5) Trypsin-Trasylol complexes showed no signs of dissociation after 5 h incubation at 37 degrees C in serum.     

Characterization of alpha 2-macroglobulin from plasma of cystic fibrosis patients and controls

The physical, kinetic, and isoelectric focusing properties of native alpha 2-macroglobulin from cystic fibrosis and control plasmas were studied. No differences were found in the esterolytic activity levels of control, obligate heterozygote, and cystic fibrosis plasmas. Stability studies indicated that both control and cystic fibrosis alpha 2-macroglobulin retained full activity for at least 8 months at -20 degrees C, a week at 0-4 degrees C, 11 hr at 50 degrees C, and showed no differences in thermostability at several preincubation temperatures. The microheterogeneity of native alpha 2-macroglobulin was studied by column isoelectric focusing of five control and five cystic fibrosis plasmas. The number and pI values of the isoelectric forms between pH 4.5-8.0 were quite similar for both groups even though consistently less cystic fibrosis alpha 2-macroglobulin activity was recovered after isoelectric focusing.     

Recombinant-derived interleukin-1 alpha stabilized against specific deamidation

Recombinant-derived human interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), purified from Escherichia coli, was resolved by isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gels into two species of isoelectric points (pI) 5.45 and 5.20, which constituted approximately 75% and approximately 25% of the total IL-1 alpha protein respectively. The pI 5.45 and pI 5.20 species were separated by chromatofocusing and subjected to N-terminal sequence analysis. The pI 5.45 species contained the expected Asn residue at position 36 of the mature protein sequence whereas the pI 5.20 species contained an Asp residue at the same position. A mutant protein in which Asn-36 was substituted for a Ser residue was isolated from E. coli and shown to be homogeneous on isoelectric focusing analysis with a pI = 5.45. 1H-n.m.r. and circular dichroism analyses of wild-type and the mutant IL-1 alpha indicated a similar conformation which was also indicated by the identical receptor binding affinities of IL-1 alpha with Asn, Asp or Ser in position 36. The mutant protein was stabilized against specific base-catalysed and temperature-induced deamidation, and may be more suitable than the wild-type position for physical and structural studies.     

Preparative isoelectric focusing in ampholine electrofocusing columns versus immobiline polyacrylamide gel for the purification of biologically active leukoregulin

Preparative vertical and rotating horizontal (Rotofor) ampholine column and immobiline flat bed polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing were evaluated for the isolation of the biologically active acidic form of leukoregulin, a 50,000-Da glycoprotein lymphokine with tumor growth inhibitory activity. Leukoregulin secreted by normal human lymphocytes was concentrated by 10,000 nominal molecular weight size exclusion ultrafiltration and by DEAE anion exchange chromatography using step elution with 0.02 M Tris-HCl: 0.1 M NaCl, pH 7.4. Preparative isoelectric focusing was carried out in a 110-ml vertical column containing 1% ampholines in a pH 4-6 gradient at 15 W constant power for 16-18 h, in a Rotofor 55-ml horizontal column containing 2% ampholines in a pH 4-6 gradient at 12 W constant power for 4-6 h, or in an immobiline pH 4.5-6.5 gradient within a 5% polyacrylamide 120 X 110 X 5-mm flat bed gel at 3 W constant power for 16-18 h. Recovery of biologically active leukoregulin from the vertical and horizontal ampholine columns was similar. The pH 4.9-5.2 fractions from the Rotofor ampholine column contained 4-7% and the fractions from the immobiline gel contained 4% of the leukoregulin activity applied to the electrofocusing column or gel, respectively. Analytical immobiline isoelectric focusing of the leukoregulin in the pH 4.9-5.2 fractions from the Rotofor column demonstrated that a single silver staining band with a pI of 5.1 can be obtained by this rapid method of preparative isoelectric focusing.     

Physical and chemical properties of human plasma alpha2-macroglobulin.

Alpha2-M (alpha2-macroglobulin) was purified from human plasma by two different procedures. As well as having no detectable impurities by the usual criteria for testing the homogeneity of protein preparations, these alpha2M preparations showed a single component, after reduction in urea, of 185000 daltons by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the alpha2M was found to be 718000 by sedimentation equilibrium experiments using the gravimetrically determined -v of 0.731 ml/g. The interaction of several proteinases with alpha2M was studied by using a novel discontinuous polyacrylamide-gel system, which showed clear separation of the enzyme-complexed alpha2M from the free alpha2M. These studies indicated that urokinase, as well as trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin and thrombin forms complexes with alphaM. The cleavage of the 185000-dalton subunit to a 85000-dalton species on interaction of trypsin with alpha2M was demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis after reduction of the alpha2M-trypsin complex in urea. The amino acid composition, carbohydrate content, absorption coefficient at 280 nm, the specific refractive increment and the sedimentation coefficient for these alpha2M preparations were measured. The stability of the trypsin-binding activity of the alpha2M preparations was also studied under several storage situations.     

Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of mature E1 beta subunit of bovine mitochondrial branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex. Mapping of the E1 beta-binding region on E2.

A cDNA encoding the mature E1 beta subunit of the bovine branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex was isolated from a lambda ZAP expression library. The bovine E1 beta cDNA is 1,393 base pairs in length. It encodes the entire mature E1 beta subunit consisting of 342 amino acid residues and a partial mitochondrial targeting presequence of 26 residues. The calculated molecular mass of the mature bovine E1 beta subunit is 37,776 daltons, and the calculated isoelectric point is pI 5.04. The mature bovine E1 beta subunit was expressed in Escherichia coli via the pKK233-2 vector in the presence of isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). When expression was induced by IPTG at 37 degrees C, the soluble recombinant E1 beta subunit existed as a single high molecular weight form (Mr congruent to 3.5 x 10(5)), which sedimented during sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation at 2 x 10(5) x g. However, lowering the induction temperature to 25 degrees C resulted in the occurrence of both high and low molecular weight forms of the recombinant E1 beta protein. The low molecular weight form (Mr congruent to 9.1 x 10(4)) remained soluble after sucrose gradient centrifugation and was utilized in binding studies with a series of truncated recombinant E2 proteins. The results showed that the E1 beta subunit bound to the region between Ala-115 and Lys-150 of the E2 chain, which lay within the putative E3-binding domain. In contrast, the recombinant E1 alpha subunit did not bind the E2 component. The data suggest an apparent binding order of E2-E1 beta-E1 alpha, which supports and extends the model of E2 inner core deduced previously from the data of scanning transmission electron microscopy (Hackert, M.L., Xu, W.-X., Oliver, R.M., Wall, J.S., Hainfeld, J.F., Mullinax, T.R., and Reed, L.J. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 6816-6821). The relatively inaccessible topology of E1 beta may explain the lack of antigenicity and resistance to limited proteolysis of this subunit as it exists in the complex.     

Identification of a nucleotide-binding site on glycoprotein IIb. Relationship to ADP-induced platelet activation

Formalin-fixed platelets have been used to study the binding of adenine nucleotides in order to avoid the complications of nucleotide metabolism and to achieve steady-state binding. Sp-adenosine-5'-(1-thiotriphosphate) (Sp-ATP-alpha-S) binds to platelets at two sites (Kd1 3 nM; 31,000 sites/platelet; Kd2 200 nM; 300,000 sites/platelet) as compared with values for ADP under these conditions (Kd1 30 nM; 25,000 sites/platelet and Kd2 3 microM; 400,000 sites/platelet) (bound/total approximately 0.1). Competition binding experiments showed that both of the ATP-alpha-S sites were accessible to ADP and vice versa. [35S]ATP-alpha-S was photoaffinity cross-linked to unfixed platelets by direct irradiation with ultraviolet light. A single radiolabeled component (120 kDa) was identified and shown to be identical with the alpha subunit of GPIIb based on two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by Western blotting with anti-GPIIb monoclonal antibodies, by isoelectric focusing (pI 4.5-5.5), by immunoaffinity adsorption using monoclonal anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibodies coupled to Sepharose, and by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. Amino-terminal sequencing of a tryptic fragment labeled with [35S]ATP-alpha-S identified an 18-kDa domain beginning at Tyr-198 in the primary sequence of GPIIb alpha. These studies demonstrate the presence of an adenine nucleotide-binding site on GPIIb alpha.     

Calmodulin resolution of multiple peaks of activity by preparative electrofocusing.

When the supernatant fractions from rat brain homogenates were subjected to preparative electrofocusing in a bed of Sephadex G75, several peaks of calmodulin were resolved. A minor peak representing free calmodulin migrated with a pI of 3.8 --4.4. Other peaks of calmodulin activity were observed with isoelectric points at pH 4.8, 5.2, 6.0 and 6.8. The peak of calmodulin activity at 5.2 co-migrated with phosphodiesterase activity which was stimulated 1.8-fold by calcium. A second peak of phosphodiesterase activity detected at pH 8.0 was stimulated 1.2-fold by calcium and occurred in an area where no calmodulin activity could be detected. If isoelectric focusing was done in the presence of 8 M urea only one peak of calmodulin activity was observed with a pI of 4.0--4.4. It is suggested that the multiple peaks of calmodulin resolved by electrofocusing represent calmodulin associated with various proteins which are subject to modulation by calmodulin and calcium.     

Studies on the subunits of Escherichia coli coenzyme A transferase. Reconstitution of an active enzyme.

The alpha and beta subunits of the acetyl-CoA:acetoacetate-CoA transferase were purified by isoelectric focusing of the enzyme in the presence of 6 M urea. The purified beta subunit, in which the active center of the enzyme is located, exhibits low catalytic activity (2% of the specific activity of the native enzyme) which is stimulated 5-6-fold in the presence of an equimolar concentration of alpha subunit. The presence of the substrate,acetoacetyl-CoA, is required to recover the catalytic activity of the beta subunit and mixtures containing purified alpha and beta subunits. When the enzyme is dissociation in the presence of 6 M urea and the subunits are not fractioned, removal of the urea by dialysis results in the recovery of 88-98% of enzymic activity and the native alpha2beta2 subunit structure. However, analysis of this renatured enzyme by immunochemical techniques shows that the enzyme does not refold to a completely native conformation. This renatured enzyme exhibits an immunological reactivity more closely resembling the isolated alpha subunit. The results indicate that the alpha subunit serves as a structural subunit, or possible a maturation subunit, imposing a conformation on the beta subunit that is catalytically more competent.     

Absence of binding of pancreatic and urinary kallikreins to alpha 2-macroglobulin.

Pancreatic and urinary kallikreins failed to form the typical serine proteinase complex with alpha2M (alpha2-macroglobulin). Studies were performed to compare this with the binding of trypsin to alpha2M at various molar binding ratios, with the use of Sephadex G-200 gel filtration to separate free and alpha2M-bound enzyme fractions. The subunit conversion was totally absent with pancreatic kallikrein from lhich traces of a binding proteinase had been removed. The lack of binding is believed to be the result of the restricted specificity of the kallikreins.     

Rates of carbamylation of specific lysyl residues in bovine alpha-crystallins.

Previous investigations indicate that some forms of cataract may be due to the reactions of isocyanate with lens proteins. The present investigation was directed toward identifying the products of these reactions and determining rate constants for their formation. Bovine alpha-crystallins were incubated with isocyanate and separated into alpha A- and alpha B-crystallins by reversed-phase HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). Products of the reaction of isocyanate with alpha-crystallins were analyzed by mass spectrometry and isoelectric focusing. Proteolytic digests of carbamylated alpha A were analyzed by HPLC and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry to determine the extent of reaction of each of the 7 lysyl residues present in alpha A. These results demonstrate that incubation of alpha-crystallins in 0.1 M KNCO leads to partial carbamylation of all 7 lysines of alpha A-crystallin. The extent of modification after 24 h of incubation varied from 7% at Lys 88 to 61% at Lys 11. Rate constants for the reaction of specific lysyl residues with isocyanate ranged from 5 to 54 x 10(-2) M-1 h-1. The distribution of reaction products, as determined by isoelectric focusing, indicates that the physiologically relevant initial stages of carbamylation of the 7 lysyl residues of alpha A proceed in a noncooperative manner.     

Sphingomyelinase activities in cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with Niemann-Pick disease

Summary Sphingomyelinase activity in cultured skin fibroblasts from a fetus affected with infantile-type Niemann-Pick disease was 0.5% of control activity; the activities in cells from two patients with adult-type disease (Cases 2 and 3) were 5.0% and 59.0%.Sphingomyelinase activity was separated into three peaks (I–III) by isoelectric focusing. The isoelectric points were 4.5, 4.9, and 5.2 for peaks I, II, and III, respectively. The three peaks in the Case 2 cells were drastically reduced; only a very small peak could be distinguished (pI of 4.7). On the other hand, three peaks were observed in the Case 3 cells. Peak I had a pI of 4.4, peak II a pI of 4.7, and peak III a pI of 5.2. Peak I was found at near normal level, but both peaks II and III were markedly reduced.Sphingomyelinase in the peak I fraction obtained from isoelectric focusing in Case 3 cells was found to have the same Km value as that in control cells.     

Subunit folding and alpha delta heterodimer formation in the assembly of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Comparison of the mouse and human alpha subunits.

We have used the mouse alpha (alpha M) and human alpha (alpha H) subunits to investigate the molecular mechanisms of assembly of the mammalian acetylcholine receptor (AChR) transiently expressed in COS cells. COS cells expressing hybrid receptors incorporating alpha H along with other mouse subunits exhibited a 2-fold higher level of surface alpha-bungarotoxin (BuTx) binding than cells expressing the wild-type mouse AChR. When expressed either alone or with the delta subunit in COS cells, alpha H acquired the BuTx binding conformation (alpha Tx) more efficiently than did alpha M. By oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis we showed that 2 residues in the amino-terminal domain were responsible for the differences between alpha M and alpha H. Alpha MST, the modified mouse alpha subunit, both folded more efficiently to form alpha Tx and was more effective in forming a stable alpha delta heterodimer than was alpha M. The kinetics of alpha Tx and alpha delta heterodimer formation revealed that the delta subunit increased the conversion of immature forms of the alpha subunit into the BuTx binding form and therefore provides evidence for interaction between the delta subunit and the immature form of the alpha subunit. These results provide evidence of the importance of the amino-terminal domains of the AChR subunits in the assembly process.     

Studies on human pregnancy-associated plasma protein A. Purification by affinity chromatography and structural comparisons with alpha 2-macroglobulin.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) has been purified by a combination of methods including antibody-affinity chromatography. The resultant protein, obtained in 16% yield from maternal serum, appeared as a single major component on non-denaturing polyacrylamide and SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The protein showed a single component when analysed by isoelectric focusing under denaturing conditions in the presence and absence of reduction and had a pI of 4.34 and 4.42 respectively. These pI values were indistinguishable from those of alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M). The molecular weight of the PAPP-A polypeptide as shown by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis was 187000, with a minor component of mol.wt. 82500 that was attributed to proteolysis. Since native PAPP-A had a molecular weight on gel chromatography very similar to that of alpha 2M (620000--820000), it was concluded that PAPP-A was a homotetramer. In the absence of reduction, a high-molecular-weight (420000) protomer of PAPP-A was found. It was deduced that PAPP-A, like alpha 2M, is a dinner, whose protomers are composed of disulphide-linked polypeptide chains. It was found that the molecular weight of the PAPP-A polypeptide exceeded that of alpha 2M by 3.3%, but that the total carbohydrate content of PAPP-A exceeded that of alpha 2M by 10% and that its neutral carbohydrate content exceeded that of alpha 2M by between 7.4 and 9.0%. The significance of the estimated molecular weights of alpha 2M (181000) and its major tryptic fragments is discussed in the light of published values. A tryptic fragment alpha 2M (82500 mol.wt.) was apparently the same size as the major tryptic fragment of PAPP-A.     

Isoelectric focusing of carboxypeptidase N.

Carboxypeptidase N was partially purified on a TEAE-cellulose column and subjected to isoelectric focusing in sucrose gradient columns containing ampholine gradients of pH range 3-10 and 4-8. Activity separated into two major peaks with pI values of pH 3.8 and 4.3. Both peaks were totally converted to an active desialated enzyme with isoelectric point of pH 5.2 to 5.4. These results indicate that carboxypeptidase N is a sialoprotein with at least two forms, differing in sialic acid content, in serum. Catalytic activity is not dependent upon sialic acid but the latter may possibly influence stability since loss of activity occurred in the desialated enzyme with repeat focusing.     

Evidence for the synthesis of thymosin alpha 1 by calf thymocytes and the production of this peptide by natural processing

Thymus and thymocytes from calf were extracted under isotonic conditions in the presence of protease inhibitors or under severe denaturing conditions (after quick freezing and thawing in boiling 0.1 M NaCl). The extracts, as well as the medium in which the thymocytes were obtained from thymus fragments (thymocyte supernatants), were size-fractionated by ultrafiltration. As in whole thymus isotonic extracts, thymosin alpha 1 [A. L. Goldstein, T. L. K. Low, M. McAdoo, J. McClure, G. B. Thurman, J. Rossio, C-Y. Lai, D. Chang, S-S. Wang, C. Harvey, A. H. Ramel, and J. Meienhofer (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 725-729] was contained in isotonic extracts from thymocytes and also in thymocyte supernatants, as determined by isoelectric focusing and reverse-phase HPLC analysis. The extraction under denaturing conditions mainly yielded products with molecular masses over 50,000, showing very similar isoelectric focusing patterns in both thymocytes and whole thymus extracts. As deduced by isoelectric focusing analysis of diverse size-fractionated products, a strong association capacity seems to be responsible for an apparently high molecular mass of the components of these extracts. According to the pI, two of these components were prothymosin alpha [A. A. Haritos, G. J. Goodall, and B. L. Horecker (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 1008-1011] and thymosin alpha 1. Prothymosin alpha was not detected in any isotonic extracts or thymocyte supernatants. These data suggest that calf thymocytes are capable of producing thymosin alpha 1, which would arise by natural processing of its precursor.     

Isoelectric analysis of 3H-pargyline-labelled monoamine oxidase in rat and carp

1. After selective binding of [3H]pargyline to either monoamine oxidase (MAO) A or MAO B in the rat liver, MAO B alone in the rat brain and MAO in carp brain and liver, molecular weight and isoelectric points (pI) of these MAO were determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing and results obtained were compared. 2. For all tissues tested, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of [3H]pargyline-bound samples revealed a labelled protein band of an apparent mol. wt of 60,000 da. 3. Estimation of radioactivity of [3H]pargyline bound after isoelectric focusing revealed a single protein band with acidic pI values of about 5.5 for rat brain and liver MAO B. 4. Moreover, the pI values of about 7.5 were obtained for carp brain and liver MAO. This basic value was also found for MAO A in the rat liver MAO A.