Factors affecting polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electroblotting of high-molecular-weight myofibrillar proteins myofibrillar proteins

Electrophoresis of the high-molecular-mass proteins (>500 kDa) of muscle myofibrils is difficult using conventional procedures. The mobility of these proteins was influenced by the heating time in sample buffer, the use of 2-mercaptoethanol in the upper reservoir buffer, and the pH of the resolving gel in a stacking sodium dodecyl sulfate gel system. Heating samples for 4 min (versus shorter times), addition of 2-mercaptoethanol to the upper reservoir buffer, and reducing the pH of the resolving gel to 8.6 all enhanced the mobility and resolution of the high-molecular-weight proteins on polyacrylamide gels. The sulfhydryl reducing agents commonly used in protein sample buffers (2-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol) were found to migrate at the electrophoresic dye front. Inclusion of 10 mm 2-mercaptoethanol in the upper reservoir buffer or blocking free sulfhydryl groups with N-ethylmaleimide prevented intermolecular disulfide bond formation during electrophoresis. The addition of 10 mm 2-mercaptoethanol to the buffer used for electroblotting also improved efficiency of protein transfer to nitrocellulose.     

Factors affecting polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electroblotting of high-molecular-weight myofibrillar proteins

Electrophoresis of the high-molecular-mass proteins (greater than 500 kDa) of muscle myofibrils is difficult using conventional procedures. The mobility of these proteins was influenced by the heating time in sample buffer, the use of 2-mercaptoethanol in the upper reservoir buffer, and the pH of the resolving gel in a stacking sodium dodecyl sulfate gel system. Heating samples for 4 min (versus shorter times), addition of 2-mercaptoethanol to the upper reservoir buffer, and reducing the pH of the resolving gel to 8.6 all enhanced the mobility and resolution of the high-molecular-weight proteins on polyacrylamide gels. The sulfhydryl reducing agents commonly used in protein sample buffers (2-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol) were found to migrate at the electrophoretic dye front. Inclusion of 10 mM 2-mercaptoethanol in the upper reservoir buffer or blocking free sulfhydryl groups with N-ethylmaleimide prevented intermolecular disulfide bond formation during electrophoresis. The addition of 10 mM 2-mercaptoethanol to the buffer used for electroblotting also improved efficiency of protein transfer to nitrocellulose.     

Histochemical conditions influencing metachromatic staining. A comparative study by means of a model system of polyacrylamide films

Synopsis The influence of different histochemical conditions on some metachromatic staining reactions has been studied using polyacrylamide films containing pure glycosaminoglycans. The films were incubated in fixatives without staining, and in glycerol, diethylene glycol and other glycols, formamide,N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulphoxide and ethanol (of several concentrations) after staining and their absorption (metachromatic) spectra recorded. In the case of heparin and heparan sulphate the metachromasy was disturbed when the films were immersed before staining in some fixative solutions containing formaldehyde and acid. After equilibration of stained films in organic solvents, changes in the absorption peaks were found to depend on the type and concentration of solvent, the type of glycosaminoglycan and the type of dye.Films containing glycosaminoglycan plus protein were used to investigate the blocking of the metachromatic reaction as the result of ionic interactions with proteins. The parameters that influence this phenomenon (e.g type of protein, glycosaminoglycan and dye, pH of staining) are discussed and a three-dimensional picture is introduced which can explain some of the results obtained in these experiments.     

Evaluation of zero-length cross-linking procedure for immuno-magnetic separation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptospira</Emphasis>

Leptospirosis constitutes a major health problem in tropical and subtropical countries and is caused by pathogenic Leptospira. Immuno-magnetic separation (IMS) is considered to be an effective pre-enrichment method to isolate Leptospira from liquid specimen. We applied an inexpensive and simple IMS protocol using zero-length cross-linkers to immobilize polyclonal anti-leptospiral antibodies onto magnetic particles. The IMS-system has been optimized and evaluated by the assessment of the capture efficiency (CE). Main parameters that influence the conjugation procedure were optimized, including the amount of protein per milligram of magnetic particles, the pH and ionic strength of the conjugation buffer. The bead-bound leptospiral fraction was identified by using acridine orange fluorescence dye. The highest value for CE occurred when using high molar phosphate saline buffer at a pH around the isoelectric point of the antibodies. Finally, up to 3×10⁸ leptospiral cells per mL could have been captured with approximately 50 μg of antibody-labelled particles. Strong particle agglutination could be observed during incubation for leptospiral concentrations in the range of 10⁷–10⁸ cells per mL. Despite covalent binding, we show that the physical adsorption parameters pH and ionic strength of the conjugation buffer greatly affect the entire immobilization process with regard to the CE, thus being able to increase the reactivity of the particles. We therefore conclude that a well-adjusted conjugation buffer for the used chemistry could possibly replace expensive and more complicated antibody immobilization methods.     

Reactive blue 19 decolouration by laccase immobilized on silica beads

Laccase (31.5 U of activity/g or 4.39 μg of protein/m²) from Trametes versicolor was immobilized on controlled-porosity-carrier silica beads and evaluated for the decolouration of Reactive blue 19, an anthraquinone dye. Although there was an initial, rapid adsorption of the dye to the packed bed in a recirculating reactor, about 97.5% of Reactive blue 19 removal was due to enzymatic degradation. The free enzyme lost 52% of its activity in 48 h. However, the activity of the immobilized laccase was unchanged after 4 months of storage in phosphate buffer under ambient conditions followed by three successive decolourations over 120 h. Treating the laccase immobilized beads with ethanolamine reduced dye adsorption by 40%.     

An improved enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay protocol for the detection of small lytic peptides in transgenic grapevines (Vitis vinifera)

An enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) protocol was developed for the detection of small lytic peptides in transgenic grapevines (V. vinifera). The protocol requires a high concentration of protease inhibitor in the extraction buffer; the use of antiserum cross-absorbed with control tissue, an increased concentration of blocking reagents in the antiserum buffer, and performing all coating and/or binding processes at 37°C while reducing the time period for each step to 1 h. The procedure greatly reduced protein degradation, increased the signal-to-noise ratio, and it allowed the effective detection of the Shiva-1 lytic peptide (5 kDa) at concentrations as low as 0.1 μM. This procedure made it possible for routine analysis of transgene expression in Shiva-1 gene-containing transgenic grape plants.     

High-throughput system for determining dissolution kinetics of inclusion bodies

Efficient solubilization is a crucial step during inclusion body processing and dissolving conditions were usually empirically established. Here we describe a new methodology for rapid screening of solubilization conditions and evaluation of dissolution kinetics in microtiter plates. Increase of protein in solution over time was directly related to decrease of turbidity measured by absorbance at 600 nm. Dissolution kinetics of inclusion bodies were described by a first-order reaction kinetics, which was used for drug dissolution modeling. Reaction constants were in the range of 0.01–0.03 s^–1 for buffer conditions providing sufficient solubilization power. This method is not limited to the screening of optimal buffer conditions for solubilization and can be applied for studying other parameters involved in the solubility of IBs, such as pI of the protein, influence of fermentation conditions, influence of initial protein concentration, and more.     

The Determination of Apparent Isoelectric Points of Cell Structures by Staining at Controlled Reactions

The staining reactions at controlled pH-values of various dyes with the nucleus and cytoplasm of Trichonympha collaris under different conditions were investigated. When staining intensity was plotted against pH, it was found that with each dye a different curve was obtained. “Isoelectric points” obtained by superposition of acid and basic dye curves varied for the same material with the dyes employed. It was found that, with the same dye, the curves of staining intensity plotted against pH varied with the buffer system utilized. Moreover, the intensity of staining at any pH was found to vary directly with the concentration of dye and inversely with the concentration of buffer. Various factors modifying staining intensity were studied. In the staining of a protein in buffered solution, it was shown that staining intensity (the index of the concentration of the dye-protein compound) at a given pH-value is dependent upon the interaction of the dye-protein, buffer-protein and dye-buffer systems, and that as the dye or buffer or their concentrations were varied, the resultant “isoelectric points” which were obtained also varied. In view of these facts and of the present lack of knowledge of dyes and dye-protein combinations it would be impossible to determine a true isoelectric point by staining at controlled pH-values without further extensive work on the subject. It follows that no true isoelectric points have hitherto been obtained for nucleus, cytoplasm or other tissue elements by staining at controlled pH.     

COUNTERACTION OF THE INHIBITING EFFECTS OF VARIOUS SUBSTANCES ON NITELLA

When living cells of Nitella are first exposed to (1) phosphate buffer mixture, or (2) phosphoric acid, or (3) hydrochloric acid, or (4) sodium chloride, or (5) sodium borate, and are then placed in a solution of brilliant cresyl blue made up with a borate buffer mixture at pH 7.85, the rate of penetration of the dye into the vacuole is decreased as compared with the rate in the case of cells transferred directly from tap water to the same dye solution. When cells exposed to any one of these solutions are placed in the dye solution made up with phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.85, the rate of penetration of dye into the vacuole is the same as the rate in the case of cells transferred from the tap water to the same dye solution. It is probable that this removal of the inhibiting effect is due primarily to the presence of certain concentration of sodium and potassium ions in the phosphate buffer solution. If a sufficient concentration of sodium ions is added to the dye made up with a borate buffer mixture the inhibiting effect is removed just as it is in the case of the dye made up with the phosphate buffer mixture. The inhibiting effect of some of these substances is found to be removed by the dye containing a sufficient concentration of bivalent cations, or by washing the cells with salts of bivalent cations. The inhibiting effect and its removal are discussed from a theoretical standpoint.     

Interaction of Cibacron Blue F3G-A and Procion Red HE-3B with sheep liver 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase

Cibacron Blue F3G-A, a probe used to monitor nucleotide binding domains in enzymes, inhibited sheep liver 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase competitively with respect to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and NADPH. TheK _i values obtained by kinetic methods and theK _d value for the binding of the dye to the enzyme estimated by protein fluorescence quenching were in the range 0.9–1.2 μM. Another triazine dye, Procion Red HE-3B interacted with the enzyme in an essentially similar manner to that observed with Cibacron Blue F3G-A. These results as well as the interaction of the dye with the enzyme monitored by difference spectroscopy and intrinsic protein fluorescence quenching methods indicated that the dye was probably interacting at the active site of the enzyme by binding at a hydrophobic region.     

Comparative studies of four protein preparation methods for proteomic study of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium sp. using two-dimensional electrophoresis

Alexandrium is a wide-spread genus of dinoflagellate causing harmful algal blooms and paralytic shellfish poisoning around the world. Proteomics has been introduced to the study of Alexandrium, but the protein preparation method is still unsatisfactory with respect to protein spot number, separation and resolution, and this has limited the application of a proteomic approach to the study of dinoflagellates. In this study we compared four protein preparation methods for the two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) analysis of A. tamarense: (1) urea/Triton X-100 buffer extraction with trichloroacetic acid (TCA)/acetone precipitation; (2) direct precipitation with TCA/acetone; (3) 40 mM Tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (Tris) buffer extraction; and (4) 50 mM Tris/5% glycerol buffer extraction. The results showed that, among the four protein preparation methods, the method combining the urea/Triton X-100 buffer extraction and TCA/acetone precipitation allowed detection of the highest number and quality of protein spots with a clear background. Although the direct TCA/acetone precipitation method also detected a high number of protein spots with a clear background, the spot number, separation and intensity were not as good as those obtained from the urea/Triton X-100 buffer extraction with TCA/acetone precipitation method. The 40 mM Tris buffer and 50 mM Tris/5% glycerol buffer methods allowed the detection of fewer protein spots and a pH range only from 4 to 7. Subsequently, the urea/Triton X-100 buffer extraction with TCA/acetone precipitation method was successfully applied to profiling protein expression in A. catenella under light stress conditions and the differential expression proteins were identified using MALDI TOF–TOF mass spectrometry. The method developed here appears to be promising for further proteomic studies of this organism and related species.     

Soymilk: an effective and inexpensive blocking agent for immunoblotting

Blocking efficacy of whole soymilk, nonfat soymilk, SuperBlock, and nonfat milk was evaluated by performing standard protein immunoblotting procedures on both purified protein and crude nuclear extracts from HEK 293 cells. Nonfat soymilk was found to have superior blocking efficacy compared with other blocking agents in terms of high signal-to-noise ratio with the shortest blocking times. In addition, the presence of low concentrations of the detergent Tween 20 (0.05-0.1%, v/v) in the wash buffer as well as antibody incubations significantly lessened the background compared with including only the detergent during wash steps.     

Thermodynamics of mucopolysaccharide–dye binding. III. Thermodynamic and cooperativity parameters of acridine orange–heparin system

Binding isotherms for acridine orange (AO)–heparin systems can be evaluated solely on the basis of quantitative fluorescence spectroscopic measurements. The evaluation of thermodynamic parameters indicates that the interactions of AO with heparins from several animal sources are similar to each other in magnitude. Binding is highly exothermic (ΔH = ?6 kcal mol^?1) and is stabilized by dye–polymer and dye–dye (coopertive) interactions, as well as by entropic factors (ΔS = +7 e.u.). The predominant stabilizing factor appears to be the electrostatic attraction between the AO cation and the heparin polyanion, although the other factors are important as well. At 24°C the value of the cooperative binding constants for the various heparins range from 8.8 to 11.3 × 10⁵M^?1, corresponding to a free energy of ?8 kcal mol^?1. The degree of cooperativity, which is a direct measure of dye–dye interaction, varies with polymer:dye ratio; the theoretical basis for this variation remains to be elucidated. Electrophoretic data indicate that each heparin sample consists of a mixture of species, each with its own charge density. This precludes definitive interpretation of observed small differences in the values of the thermodynamic parameters among the various samples until each sample can be resolved into its components.     

Differentiation of Staphylococcal and Micrococcal Proteinases by Electrophoresis

The electrophoretic separation of the proteinases produced by staphylococci and micrococci was studied in four buffers. The duration of electrophoresis was based on the migration of a marker dye for a predetermined distance. The migration distances of the enzymes and dye were measured, and enzyme-dye values were calculated. A comparison of enzyme-dye values showed that complete separation of eight serologically different proteinases did not occur in any one buffer; however, in most instances, their relative order of migration was the same in all buffers. Certain strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis produced two proteinases that were different serologically as well as electrophoretically. Staphylococcus aureus strains, on the other hand, produced up to four proteinases that were serologically the same. The proteinases of staphylococci and micrococci can be best characterized by both electrophoretic and serological methods.     

Interaction of vitamin D-binding protein with immobilized cibacron blue F3-GA.

An interaction of vitamin D-binding protein to immobilized Cibacron Blue F3-GA was studied under urea containing buffers. In these buffers, this protein was adsorbed to the immobilized dye and was eluted with salt gradients as in the same buffer without urea. The protein was also adsorbed to immobilized diethylaminoethyl but not to immobilized carboxymethyl. It is implicated that a combination of pseudo-ligand affinity and/or hydrogen bonding interaction plays a large role whereas ionic, hydrophobic and lipophilic interactions act little between the protein and the immobilized blue dye.     

伯氏疟原虫Pb22截短蛋白免疫血清的传播阻断能力的研究

为探讨伯氏疟原虫(Plasmodium berghei)Pb22蛋白免疫血清的传播阻断能力,应用原核表达系统高效表达Pb22截短蛋白免疫小鼠后获得免疫血清。IFA实验证明Pb22截短蛋白免疫血清均可与疟原虫天然抗原结合。通过传播阻断实验,比较了Pb22截短蛋白和全长蛋白免疫血清的传播阻断效果,证明截短蛋白和全长蛋白对雄配子体出丝均有抑制作用,结果表明全长蛋白免疫小鼠的雄配子体出丝与对照组相比显著下降,截短蛋白免疫小鼠的雄性配子体出丝具有下降趋势但无统计学差异。全长蛋白和截短蛋白免疫小鼠的动合子形成数量较对照组均显著下降。以上结果表明抗Pb22截短蛋白免疫血清具有传播阻断能力,但阻断效果不如全长蛋白免疫血清。     

Interaction of the fluorescent dye 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine with Escherichia coli cells during heat stress and recovery from heat stress

The fluorescent dye 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine permeated Escherichia coli cells after exposure to a heat stress at 55 degrees C in Tris/Mg2+ buffer, pH 8.0. The rate of dye permeation increased with time during heat treatment and decreased gradually during subsequent incubation at 37 degrees C in a minimal medium. The initial level of rapid adsorption of the dye also increased with heating time, although it remained roughly constant during post-heating incubation. The results obtained suggest that the permeability barrier to the dye in the outer membrane was damaged by heat stress and was repaired after sublethal heating. RNA, protein and lipid syntheses, as well as an energy-yielding process, appeared to be necessary for the repair of impermeability to the dye.     

Effects of brefeldin A on the endomembrane system and germ tube formation of the tetraspore of Gelidium floridanum (Rhodophyta,Florideophyceae)

Gelidium floridanum W.R. Taylor tetraspores are units of dispersal and are responsible for substrate attachment. This study aimed to examine evidence of direct interaction between germ tube formation and Golgi activity during tetraspore germination of G. floridanum. After release, the tetraspores were incubated with brefeldin A (BFA) in concentrations of 4 and 8 μM over a 6 h period. The controls and treatments were analyzed with light, fluorescence (FM4‐64 dye) and transmission electron microscopy. In the control samples, the Golgi bodies were responsible for germ tube formation. In contrast, BFA‐treated samples were observed to inhibit spore adhesion and germ tube formation. These tetraspores also showed an increase in volume (≥30 μm width). BFA treatment also resulted in the disassembly of Golgi cisternae and the formation of vesiculated areas of the cytoplasm, blocking the secretion of protein and amorphous matrix polysaccharides. When stained with FM4‐64, the control samples showed fluorescence in the apical region of the germ tube, but the treated samples showed an intense fluorescence throughout the cytoplasm. From these results, we can conclude that the germ tube is formed by the incorporation of vesicles derived from Golgi. Thus, vesicle secretion and Golgi organization are basic processes and essential in adhesion and tube formation. By blocking the secretion of protein and amorphous matrix polysaccharides, BFA treatment precluded tetraspore germination.     

Thermodynamics of mucopolysaccharide–dye binding. II. Binding constant and cooperativity parameters of acridine orange–dermatan sulfate system

In the acridine orange–dermatan sulfate system, free and bound dye can be distinguished from each other spectroscopically. This permits the use of fluorometric methods to study the binding of acridine orange to the acid mucopolysaccharide dermatan sulfate. Experiments were conducted at 24°C in 10^?3 M citrate/phosphate buffer at pH = 7.0. The binding of the dye is highly cooperative, as evidenced by considerable interaction between adjacent bound dye molecules. Analysis of the data indicates that dermatan sulfate binds 2.3 ± 0.3 mol of acridine orange per dermatan sulfate uronic acid residue with a cooperative binding constant, K_q ranging from 4.9 to 6.0 × 10⁵ M^?1 which corresponds to a free energy of 7.74 ? ΔG° ? 7.86. The cooperativity parameter q apparently increases with increasing polymer-to-dye ratio.     

Role of Respiration in the Germination Process of the Pathogenic Mold <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus fumigatus</Emphasis>

Inhalation of resting conidia is usually the first step of a systemic infection caused by the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. In the lung, the inhaled spores encounter an environment that permits germination. However, the relative importance of certain environmental conditions for conidial activation and subsequent hyphae formation has so far not been analyzed in detail. In this study, we studied the role of oxygen during germination. We found that inhibitors of the respiratory chain were nearly as efficient in blocking germination as cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, which is already known to prevent germination of Aspergillus nidulans. We also found that A. fumigatus is unable to grow or germinate under anaerobic conditions, and using the fluorescent mitotracker dye we detected active mitochondria already at the stage of swollen conidia, which indicates that respiration is an early event during germination. In line with these data, we found that significant oxygen consumption was detectable early during germination, whereas no oxygen consumption was measurable in suspensions of resting conidia. In summary, the present study provides evidence that respiration is absolutely required for the germination of A. fumigatus conidia. Anela Taubitz and Bettina Bauer contributed equally.