Spectrophotometric assay, solubilization and purification of brain 2'':3''-cyclic nucleotide 3''-phosphodiesterase.

1. A spectrophotometric assay of 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.37) based on the use of an acid-base indicator and a buffer having identical pKa values is described. The assay is simple and rapid; it was particularly convenient for monitoring the enzyme activity at various stages of purification. 2. Several proteinases were examined for their ability to solubilize 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase from delipidated brain white matter. Trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) and elastase (EC 3.4.21.11) appeared to be more effective than the other proteinases examined. Trypsin, however, caused inactivation; elastase was therefore chosen to solubilize 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase. When a partially purified preparation of 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase was treated with elastase, 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase was solubilized nearly quantitatively. Elastatinal, a specific inhibitor of elastase, specifically inhibited the solubilization with elastase. 3. 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase was purified from bovine brain white matter by: (i) delipidation; (ii) solubilization with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide; (iii) gel chromatography on Sepharose; (iv) ethanol precipitation and resolubilization by digestion with elastase; (v) chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex; (vi) affinity chromatography on 8-(6-aminohexyl)amino-2'-AMP-Sepharose. 4. The purified enzyme migrated as a single protein band on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis at pH 4.3 and on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis; the estimated mol.wt. in the latter electrophoresis was 27000-31000. Gel filtration of the purified enzyme through Sephadex G-150 indicated a mol.wt. of 31000. Therefore the purified enzyme is a monomer protein with a mol.wt. of approx. 30000.     

Chemical, immunological and catalytic properties of 2'':3''-cyclic nucleotide 3''-phosphodiesterase purified from brain white matter.

The amino acid composition, isoelectric point, specificity of the antibody raised and various catalytic properties were determined for 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.37) purified from bovine brain white matter by a procedure involving solubilization with elastase (EC 3.4.21.11).     

Photoaffinity labelling of central-nervous-system myelin. Evidence for an endogenous type I cyclic AMP-dependent kinase phosphorylating the larger subunit of 2'',3''-cyclic nucleotide 3''-phosphodiesterase.

Endogenous cyclic AMP-stimulated phosphorylation of a 49700-Mr Wolfgram protein component in rabbit central nervous system was investigated by using photoaffinity labelling and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase activity staining after electroblotting on to nitrocellulose paper. Photoaffinity labelling with 8'-azidoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate showed a cyclic AMP-binding protein that appeared to be intrinsic to the myelin membrane and appeared to represent the R-subunit of a type I cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. This photoaffinity-labelled protein was of larger apparent Mr than the protein showing cyclic AMP-stimulated phosphorylation. Blotting of one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoretograms followed by staining for 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase activity showed two activity bands corresponding to the two components of the Wolfgram protein doublet. Cyclic AMP-stimulated protein phosphorylation corresponded to the upper component of this doublet. Electroblotting of two-dimensional non-equilibrium pH-gradient electrophoretograms also showed co-migration of cyclic AMP-stimulated protein phosphorylation with enzyme activity. It is proposed that central-nervous-system myelin contains an endogenous type I cyclic-AMP dependent protein kinase that phosphorylates the larger subunit of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase.     

Ontogenetic study of a myelin-derived fraction with 2'':3''-cyclic nucleotide 3''-phosphodydrolase activity higher than that of myelin.

A membrane fraction (SN 4), prepared from developing and mature rat forebrain by hypo-osmotic treatment of microsome (microsomal-fraction)-free myelin, appears to be closely related to the myelin-like fraction. Fraction SN 4 shows 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase activity higher than that of the parent myelin. Electrophoresis reveals a multitude of bands with the Wolfgram protein as the main component.     

A method for chromatographic separation and fluorometric quantification of 2'',3''-cyclic nucleotide-3''-phosphodiesterase reaction products

Treatment of hydrochloric acid with sodium sulfite prior to the acid hydrolysis of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A has been found to suppress the oxidation of cystine, methionine, and tyrosine without adversely affecting the recoveries of other amino acids. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that the assumption of the independence of the mean and the variance, an assumption commonly used in the evaluation of the effects of various treatments, may not be valid in evaluating antioxidants used in the acid hydrolysis of proteins.     

Isolation of a 5.3-S calmodulin-deficient 3'':5''-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from cardiac muscle.

1. In the presence of Ca2+, a 5.3-S 3':5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.17) from bovine ventricle was isolated and purified by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and DEAE-cellulose and Affi-Gel Blue chromatography. The enzyme activity was enriched 800-fold by these procedures. 2. Sucrose-density gradient centrifugation, gel filtration and non-denaturing polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis resolved a single enzyme species with an Mr of 89 000. 3. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme demonstrated a prominent protein band at Mr 59000 and a minor band of Mr 28000. Calmodulin was not detected. 4. The hydrolysis of micromolar concentrations of 3':5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cyclic GMP) but not 3':5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) was stimulated by calmodulin. 5. Anomalous biphasic kinetics plots were observed for both the catalysis of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP hydrolysis. Kinetic plots became linear in the presence of calmodulin. 6. After several months of storage at -20 degrees C, the 5.3-S enzyme was transformed into a 6.2-S cyclic GMP-specific enzyme and a 4.4-S non-specific form.     

Extraction, purification, identification and metabolism of 3'',5''-cyclic UMP, 3'',5''-cyclic IMP and 3'',5''-cyclic dTMP from rat tissues.

The large-scale extraction and partial purification of endogenous 3',5'-cyclic UMP, 3',5'-cyclic IMP and 3',5'-cyclic dTMP are described. Rat liver, kidney, heart, spleen and lung tissues were subjected to a sequential purification procedure involving freeze-clamping, perchlorate extraction, alumina and Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography and preparative electrophoresis. The samples thus obtained co-chromatographed with authentic cyclic UMP, cyclic IMP and cyclic dTMP on t.l.c. and h.p.l.c. and the u.v. spectra of the extracted samples were identical with those of the standards. Fast atom bombardment of the three cyclic nucleotide standards yielded mass spectra containing a molecular protonated ion in each case; mass-analysed ion kinetic-energy spectrometry ('m.i.k.e.s') of these ions produced a spectrum unique to the parent cyclic nucleotide. The extracted putative cyclic UMP, cyclic IMP and cyclic dTMP each produced a m.i.k.e.s. identical with that obtained with the corresponding cyclic nucleotide standard. Rat liver, heart, kidney, brain, intestine, spleen, testis and lung protein preparations were each found capable of the synthesis of cyclic UMP, cyclic IMP and cyclic dTMP from the corresponding nucleoside triphosphate, of the hydrolysis of these cyclic nucleotides and of their binding, with the exception that cyclic dTMP was not synthesized by the kidney preparation.     

Adenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate in higher plants: Isolation and characterization of adenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate from Kalanchoe and Agave.

The activity of the putative ketogenic beta-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase from mitochondria of rat liver increases with starvation, during neonatal life, and after the injection of glucagon. These changes are associated with alteration in ketonaemia. The changes in activities of this species of thiolase are not associated with significant alterations in the apparent affinity (Km) for the ketogenic substrate, acetyl-CoA. These results support a role for thiolase in the regulation of ketogenesis.     

Effects of glucagon and N6O2''-dibutyryladenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate on calcium transport in isolated rat liver mitochondria.

1. The administration of glucagon to fed rats by intraperitoneal injection, or the perfusion of livers from fed rats with glucagon by the method of Mortimore [Mortimore (1963) Am.J. Physiol. 204, 699--704] was associated with increases of 15- and 5-fold respectively, in the time for which a given load of exogenous Ca2+ is retained by mitochondria subsequently isolated from the liver. This effect of glucagon was (a) also induced by N6O2'-dibutyryl cyclic AMP, (b) completely blocked by cycloheximide, (c) relatively slow in onset (15--60 min) and (d) associated with a stimulation of about 20% in the rates of ADP-stimulated oxygen utilization and Ca2+ transport measured in the presence of succinate. 2. Perfusion of livers with glucagon resulted in the isolation of mitochandria which showed a 50% increase, no significant change and a 40% increase in the concentrations of endogenous Ca, Mg and Pi respectively, when compared with mitochondria isolated from control perfused livers. 3. The administration of insulin or adrenaline to fed rats induced increases of 10- and 8-fold respectively, in the time for which Ca2+ is retained by isolated liver mitochondria. Perfusion of livers with insulin had no effect on mitochondrial Ca2+ retention time. 4. The perfusion of livers from starved rats with glucagon, or the administration of either glucagon or insulin to starved rats, increased by about 2.5- and 15-fold respectively, the time for which isolated mitochondria retain Ca2+. 5. Mechanisms which may be responsible for the observed alterations in Ca2+-retention time are discussed.     

Polyamines and cellular adenosine 3'' :5''-cyclic monophosphate.

The effect of polyamines on the cellular concentrations of cyclic AMP was studied. It was shown that 1 microM-spermine caused a decrease in cyclic AMP in chick-embryo heart cells, chick-embryo fibroblasts, neuroblastoma, glioma and neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells, grown in culture. A similar decrease was observed when polyamines were added to cells in the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor or after stimulating the cells with various hormones. Noradrenaline was used in cultures of heart cells, prostaglandin E1 and adenosine for neuroblastoma and neuroblastoma-glioma hybrids, whereas isoproterenol was used for the stimulation of glioma cells. Polyamines at higher concentrations were either without effect or caused a slight increase in cyclic AMP. Spermidine (10 microM) also caused a decrease in cellular cyclic AMP, as did 0.1 microM-putrescine. It is suggested that the effect of polyamines on cellular cyclic AMP may be explained by the effect of these polycations on the activity of cellular phosphodiesterase.     

Regulation of synthesis of guanosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate in neuroblastoma cells.

The increase in intracellular cyclic GMP concentrations in response to muscarinic-receptor activation in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells is dependent on extracellular Ca2+ ion. The calcium ionophore A23187 can also evoke an increase in cyclic GMP in the presence of Ca2+ ion. Most (about 85%) of the guanylate cyclase activity of broken-cell preparations is found in the soluble fraction. The soluble enzyme can utilize MnGTP (Km = 55 micrometer), MgGTP (Km = 310 micrometer) and CaGTP (Km greater than 500 micrometer) as substrates. Free GTP is a strong competitive inhibitor (Ki approximately 20 micrometer). The enzyme possesses an allosteric binding site for free metal ions (Ca2+, Mg2+ and Mn2+). The membrane-bound guanylate cyclase is qualitatively similar to the soluble form, but has lower affinity for the metal-GTP substrates. Entry of Ca2+ into cells may increase cyclic GMP concentration by activating guanylate cyclase through an indirect mechanism.     

Adenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate-dependence of protein kinase isoenzymes from mouse liver.

Conditions influencing the cyclic AMP-dependence of protein kinase (ATP-protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37) during the phosphorylation of histone were studied. Protein kinase from mouse liver cytosol and the two isoenzymes [PK (protein kinase) I and PK II] isolated from the cytosol by DEAE-cellulose chromatography were tested. A relation between concentration of enzyme and cyclic AMP-dependence was observed for both isoenzymes. Moderate dilution of isoenzyme PK II decreased the stimulation of the enzyme by cyclic AMP. Isoenzyme PK I could be diluted 200 times more than isoenzyme PK II before the same decrease in cyclic AMP-dependence appeared. Long-term incubation with high concentrations of histone increased the activity in the absence of cyclic AMP relative to the activity in the presence of the nucleotide. This was more pronounced for isoenzyme PK II than for isoenzyme PK I. The cyclic AMP concentration needed to give half-maximal binding of the nucleotide was the same as the cyclic AMP concentration (Ka) at which the protein kinase had 50% of its maximal activity. The close correlation between binding and activation is also found in the presence of KCl, which increased the apparent activation constant (Ka) for cyclic AMP. With increasing [KCl], a progressively higher proportion of the histone phosphorylation observed in cytosol was due to cyclic AMP-independent (casein) kinases, leading to an overestimation of the degree of activation of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases present. The relative contributions of cyclic AMP-dependent and -independent kinases to histone phosphorylation at different ionic strengths was determined by use of heat-stable inhibitor and phospho-cellulose chromatography.     

Detergent solubilization of the EGF receptor from A431 cells

Functional reconstitution of purified preparations of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) requires dissociation of the protein from its plasma membrane lipid environment. Solubilization of membrane proteins in this manner requires the use of detergents, which are known to disrupt plasma membrane lipid/protein interactions. We have investigated the ability of three nonionic detergents to solubilize the human EGFR selectively, and have also analyzed the effect of these various treatments on the intrinsic tyrosyl kinase activity of the receptor. The nonionic detergent known as n-octyl glucoside (n-octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside) was found to give the best combination of selectivity, yield, and maintenance of enzymatic activity of the human EGFR.     

The presence of 2'', 3''-cyclic AMP 3''-phosphohydrolase in glial cells in tissue culture

Abstract— T he E nzyme 2', 3'-cyclic AMP 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNP) is regarded as a marker for myelin (KURI- HARA and MANDEL, 1970) on the basis of its regional and subcellular distribution (K urihara and T sukada , 1967), its ontogenetic characteristics (KURIHARA and TSUKADA, 1968), and its behaviour in two strains of myelin-deficient mutant mice (K urihara , N ussbaum and M andel , 1969). However we have isolated highly-purified preparations of neuronal plasma membrane from rat brain synaptosomes which contain this enzyme activity (M organ , W olfe , M andel and G ombos , 1971). Two explanations of this finding are possible. The activity could be due to the presence of myelin, but this explanation is ruled out by electron microscopy and by the low level of cerebrosides in the synaptosomal plasma membrane preparations. Myelin is extremely rich in cerebrosides ( norton and A utilio , 1966). The second possibility is that the enzyme, 2', 3'-cyclic AMP 3'-phosphohyrolase, may also be found in the glial cells from which myelin is derived (B unge , B unge and P appas , 1962). To test our hypothesis that 2', 3'-cyclic AMP 3'-phosphohydrolase is not a specific marker for myelin, but is also found, in glial cells, we have examined a tumoral glial cell line maintained in myelin-free tissue culture.     

Isolation, characterization and distribution of adenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate from Pinus radiata.

Cyclic AMP was extracted in 0.1 M-HCl from tissues of Pinus radiata and purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-10, and chromatography on Dowex AG1 (X2) and polyethyleneimine-cellulose in two separate solvent systems. Presumptive cyclic AMP from 10kg batches of pine needles was characterized by countercurrent distribution in the presence of cyclic [8-3H]AMP. Statistical analysis of the curves for radioactivity and mass (determined by the Gilman competitive-binding assay) showed that the fit of the curves was highly significant for seven degrees of freedom. The distribution of cyclic AMP within P. radiata and various other plant tissues was determined by the Gilman procedure. The results suggest that there is no relationship between variations in cyclic AMP concentrations and the known function of the tissue in which it was measured.     

Adenosine 3'',5''-cyclic monophosphate-dependent release of prolactin from GH3 pituitary tumour cells. A quantitative analysis.

The involvement of cyclic AMP in mediating regulatory peptide-controlled prolactin release from GH3 pituitary tumour cells was investigated. Cholera toxin and forskolin elicited concentration-dependent increases in both GH3 cell cyclic AMP content and prolactin release. The maximum rise in prolactin release with these agents was 2-fold over basal. 8-Bromo-cyclic AMP produced a similar stimulation of prolactin release. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine also produced an increase in prolactin release and GH3 cell cyclic AMP content. However, the magnitude of the stimulated prolactin release exceeded that obtained with any other agent. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (thyroliberin) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide produced a concentration-dependent rise in both cell cyclic AMP content and prolactin release. However, only vasoactive intestinal polypeptide elicited an increase in cell cyclic AMP content at concentrations relevant to the stimulation of prolactin release. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and thyrotropin-releasing hormone, when used in combination, were additive with respect to prolactin release. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and forskolin, at concentrations that were maximal upon prolactin release, were, when used in combination, synergistic upon GH3 cell cyclic AMP content but were not additive upon prolactin release. In conclusion the evidence supports a role for cyclic AMP in the mediation of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide- but not thyrotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated prolactin release from GH3 cells. A quantitative analysis indicates that a 50-100% rise in cyclic AMP suffices to stimulate cyclic AMP-dependent prolactin release fully.     

Turnover of adenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate in chicken erythrocytes.

Turnover of cyclic AMP was studied in intact chicken erythrocytes. Production of cyclic AMP was stimulated by adrenaline and then blocked by propranolol. The decline in the cyclic AMP concentration under these conditions is solely due to its intracellular degradation, whereas efflux of the nucleotide, although existing in these cells, does not contribute significantly to the change in its concentration. Intracellular degradation of cyclic AMP follows a first-order kinetics with a half-life of about 6 min. Similar half-lives were obtained at widely different adrenaline concentrations or when the ration of propranolol to adrenaline was varied by 25-fold. Theoretical equations were applied to calculate the rates of cyclic AMP synthesis and degradation in the intact cells under different experimental conditions. Maximal adrenaline concentrations raise the rate of cyclic AMP synthesis and its steady-state concentration by about 10-fold. The addition of caffeine causes a further 33% increase in intracellular concentration of the nucleotide, which is in good agreement with the theoretical increase computed from its slowed-down degradation.