Extraction of an erythrotropin-like factor from bovine serum albumin (cohn fraction V)

Summary Different batches of commercially available bovine serum albumin (Cohn fraction V) were tested in a serum-free medium for their ability to stimulate thymidine incorporation in erythroid cells of fetal bovine liver. All preparations stimulated thymidine incorporation. Crystallized, charcoal-treated, or fatty acid-free albumin had substantially lower thymidine incorporation-stimulating activities than the crude preparations. The albumin preparations also had a synergistic effect with respect to erythropoietin on erythroid cells from rat liver, a typical property of erythrotropins. One gram of one of the batches of Cohn fraction V was fractionated by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The fraction with thymidine incorporation-stimulating activity had a similar elution position as erythrotropin isolated from fetal bovine serum. Further purification using reversed-phase HPLC in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid and heptafluorobutyric acid and gel permeation HPLC resulted, in the isolation of a factor that is very similar to fetal bovine serum erythrotropin. It has practically the same specific activity as the purified fetal peptide in the rat liver bioassay. These results suggest that many of the beneficial effects of the albumin preparations added as supplement of serum-free tissue culture media may be due to the presence of erythrotropin-like factors. The work was supported by grants MT-6072 and ME-9031 from the Medical Research Council of Canada. The author is a Chercheur-Boursier of the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Quebec.     

A heparin-binding erythroid cell stimulating factor from fetal bovine serum has the N-terminal sequence of insulin-like growth factor II

An 8 kd heparin-binding peptide which stimulates thymidine incorporation in cultures of fetal calf liver erythroid cells was isolated from fetal bovine serum by affinity chromatography on Heparin-Sepharose, ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and reversed-phase HPLC. The N-terminal sequence of the isolated peptide was identical to the N-terminal sequence of bovine erythrotropin or insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II). The potential heparin-binding site of IGF II is probably situated in the arginine-rich C-peptide region. The affinities of human recombinant IGF I and II were compared with those of apolipoprotein H (a plasma heparin-binding protein) and bovine insulin in a heparin-affinity column. The retention times were in the order: Apolipoprotein H greater than hrIGF II greater than hrIGF I greater than insulin (no retention). This unusual property of IGF II suggests that it may be captured in the extracellular matrix in a similar way to fibroblast growth factor, interleukin 3 or granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor.     

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein from human plasma. Purification and characterization

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein (BP) has been purified from Cohn fraction IV of human plasma by acidification, ion exchange to remove endogenous ligands, and affinity chromatography on agarose-IGF-II. The pure protein appeared as a single peak by high performance reverse-phase and gel permeation chromatography (molecular mass, 45-50 kDa), but on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gave a major band at 53 kDa and a minor band at 47 kDa, unreduced, or 43 and 40 kDa, respectively, reduced. The two bands stained for both protein and carbohydrate. After storage at 2 degrees C for 5 months at pH 3, two additional bands, at 26 and 22 kDa on unreduced gels, were also present. Autoradiography after affinity labeling with IGF-I or IGF-II tracer revealed a single labeled band of 61 kDa. BP, quantitated using a specific radioimmunoassay, was retained by agarose-immobilized IGF-I, IGF-II, concanavalin A, and wheat germ lectin, but not Helix pomatia lectin. Competitive binding curves using pure BP and human IGF-I and IGF-II as both labeled and unlabeled ligands indicated association constants of 2-3 X 10(10) liters/mol for both peptides, with a slightly higher affinity for IGF-II than IGF-I, and 0.9 binding sites for either peptide per 53-kDa protein. The exact relationship of this acid-stable IGF BP to the 150-kDa complex from which it is derived remains to be determined.     

Method for the isolation of biologically active monomeric immunoglobulin A from a plasma fraction

A purification method for immunoglobulin A (IgA) yielding monomeric IgA with a purity of over 97% has been developed. This procedure uses ethanol-precipitated plasma (Cohn fraction III precipitate) as the starting material and includes heparin-Sepharose adsorption, dextran sulfate and ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydroxyapatite chromatography, batch adsorption by an anion-exchange matrix and gel permeation. Additional protein G Sepharose treatment leads to an IgA preparation of greater than 99% purity. The isolated IgA presented with an IgA subclass distribution, equivalent to IgA in unfractionated plasma, and was biologically active, as was shown by its ability to down-modulate Haemophilus influenzae-b-induced IL-6 secretion of human monocytes.     

An improved method for large scale purification of human holo-transcobalamin II

25 mg of human holo-transcobalamin II with a specific cobalamin-binding capacity of 0.95 mol cobalamin/mol TC II was purified from 122 kg Cohn fraction III with a yield of 73% and a purification factor of 9.34 · 10⁵. Consecutive purification steps comprised CM-Sephadex batchwise ion-exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, using cyanocobalamin as a ligand, thermolabilly attached to 3.3′-diaminodipropylamine-substituted CH-Sepharose, and gel filtration. The high yield of the purification procedure was achieved by improving the stability of apo-transcobalamin II in the eluate of the CM-Sephadex, and by a few other modifications of a former procedure. In the latter, rapid denaturation of apo-transcobalamin II prohibited the use of long term affinity chromatography, which is obligatory for processing large amounts of Cohn fraction. In addition, subfractionation of transcobalamin II into smaller fragments which occurred in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in previous studies, was now reduced, indicating that proteolysis in the CM-Sephadex eluate had been prevented effectively.     

Insulin-like growth factor characteristics of an acidic non-suppressible insulin-like activity.

The biological activities of an acidic form of non-suppressible insulin-like activity (ILA pI 4.8) have been studied. ILA pI 4.8 was isolated from Cohn fraction IV-1 of human serum by pH 5.5 ion-exchange chromatography on SP-Sephadex. Carrier-bound ILA was eluted at pH 9.7 and then sequentially gel chromatographed in 1% formic acid on Sephadex G-75 and Bio-Gel P-30. The low-Mr (7000) active material was subjected to flat bed isoelectric focusing. Overall recovery was 87 munit of insulin equivalents/100 g of Cohn fraction IV-1, with a specific activity in the range 4-10 munit/mg of protein, representing a purity of 1-6%. This material has been tested in a variety of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)/somatomedin assay systems. It stimulated, in a dose-related manner, [14C]glucose conversion into lipid by isolated rat adipocytes, 35SO4(2-) incorporation into weanling rat costal cartilage and [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of cultured human fibroblasts. Like IGF-I and -II, ILA pI 4.8 was able to inhibit degradation of 125I-insulin by crude homogenates of rat liver. In addition, the biological activity of ILA pI 4.8 was completely suppressible by a recently described inhibitor of IGF-I and IGF-II. ILA pI 4.8 was able to compete, in a parallel manner, with 125I-IGF-I and 125I-IGF-II and, at higher doses, with 125I-insulin in a placental radioreceptor assay. No cross-reactivity was seen in a radioimmunoassay for IGF-I and -II C-peptides, but at higher concentrations parallel displacement was observed in a somatomedin C/IGF-I radioimmunoassay using two different antisera. These data indicate that ILA pI 4.8 does possess many of the biological activities previously reported for the IGFs. Since ILA pI 4.8 does occur naturally in serum, it would appear reasonable to tentatively include it as one of the IGF/somatomedin family.     

Purification and characterization of 1-nitropyrene nitroreductases from Bacteroides fragilis

We isolated four nitroreductases from Bacteroides fragilis GAI0624 and examined their physicochemical and functional properties. Two major enzyme activities were found in the adsorbed and unadsorbed fractions from DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The adsorbed fraction was subjected to Sephadex G-200 column chromatography, and two further activities were separated. One has high nitroreductase activity (nitroreductase I), and the other has low activity and relatively high molecular weight (nitroreductase III). The nitroreductase I fraction was subjected to hydroxylapatite and chromatofocusing column chromatography, and nitroreductase I was purified about 416-fold with a yield of 6.77%. The unadsorbed fraction from DEAE-cellulose column chromatography was subjected to Sepharose 2B and Sepharose 6B column chromatography. Two enzyme activities were obtained by the Sepharose 6B column chromatography. One has high activity (nitroreductase II), and the other has low activity (nitroreductase IV). Nitroreductase II was rechromatographed by Sepharose 6B gel filtration and purified about 178-fold with a yield of 9.65%. The four enzymes (nitroreductases I, II, III, and IV) were shown to be different by several criteria. Their molecular weights, determined by gel filtration, were 52,000, 320,000, 180,000, and 680,000, respectively. The substrate specificity, the effect on mutagenicity of mutagenic nitro compounds, of nitroreductases I, III, and IV was relatively high for 1-nitropyrene, dinitropyrenes, and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, respectively, but nitroreductase II had broad specificity. Nitroreductase activity required a coenzyme; nitroreductases II, III, and IV were NADPH linked, but nitroreductase I was NADH linked. All enzyme activity was enhanced by addition of flavin mononucleotide and inhibited significantly by dicumarol, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, o-iodosobenzoic acid, sodium azide, and Cu2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Purification of human transcobalamin II-cyanocobalamin by affinity chromatography using thermolabile immobilization of cyanocobalamin.

Transcobalamin II-cyanocobalamin was isolated from Cohn fraction III of pooled human plasma by affinity chromatography on cyanocobalamin-Sepharose and some conventional separation methods. The affinity ligand cyanocobalamin was coupled to AH-Sepharose by a thermolabile linkage. The unsaturated binding protein was absorbed at 4 degrees C and eluted from the column at 37 degrees C as transcobalamin II-cyanocobalamin complex. The final preparation had a specific cyanocobalamin-binding capacity of 0.98 mol cyanocobalamin/mol transcobalamin II, the yield was 55% and the purification index amounted to 1.1 . 10(6). In dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis one major protein band was observed at a molecular weight of 37 000 and a faint band at a molecular weight of 29 000. In polyacrylamide gel isolectric focusing the pure preparation turned out to be heterogeneous with isoelectric points ranging from pH 6.2 to 6.8, possibly by the occurrence of isoproteins.     

Insulin-like growth factors in sheep thyroid cells: action, receptors and production

Sheep thyroid cells cultured in serum-free medium were used to study the biologic activity, binding, and production of the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). IGF-I, IGF-II, and insulin stimulated thyroid cell division. Abundant, specific IGF receptors on sheep thyroid cell membranes were identified by binding displacement studies. Maximal specific binding of [125I]-labeled IGF-I and IGF-II to 25 micrograms of membrane protein averaged 21% and 27% respectively. The presence of type I and type II IGF receptors was confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of [125I]IGFs covalently cross-linked to cell membranes. Under reducing conditions, [125I]IGF-I bound to a moiety of approximate Mr = 135,000 and [125I]IGF-II to a moiety of approximate Mr = 260,000. Cross-linking of [125I]IGF-I to medium conditioned by thyroid cells indicated the presence of four IGF binding proteins with apparent Mr = 34,000, 26,000, 19,000 and 14,000. Thyroid cells also secreted IGF-I and II into the medium. IGF synthesis was enhanced consistently by recombinant growth hormone. These data indicate that sheep thyroid cells are a site for IGF action, binding, and production and provide further evidence that IGFs may modulate thyroid gland growth in an autocrine or paracrine manner.     

Purification and characterization of 1-nitropyrene nitroreductases from Bacteroides fragilis.

We isolated four nitroreductases from Bacteroides fragilis GAI0624 and examined their physicochemical and functional properties. Two major enzyme activities were found in the adsorbed and unadsorbed fractions from DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The adsorbed fraction was subjected to Sephadex G-200 column chromatography, and two further activities were separated. One has high nitroreductase activity (nitroreductase I), and the other has low activity and relatively high molecular weight (nitroreductase III). The nitroreductase I fraction was subjected to hydroxylapatite and chromatofocusing column chromatography, and nitroreductase I was purified about 416-fold with a yield of 6.77%. The unadsorbed fraction from DEAE-cellulose column chromatography was subjected to Sepharose 2B and Sepharose 6B column chromatography. Two enzyme activities were obtained by the Sepharose 6B column chromatography. One has high activity (nitroreductase II), and the other has low activity (nitroreductase IV). Nitroreductase II was rechromatographed by Sepharose 6B gel filtration and purified about 178-fold with a yield of 9.65%. The four enzymes (nitroreductases I, II, III, and IV) were shown to be different by several criteria. Their molecular weights, determined by gel filtration, were 52,000, 320,000, 180,000, and 680,000, respectively. The substrate specificity, the effect on mutagenicity of mutagenic nitro compounds, of nitroreductases I, III, and IV was relatively high for 1-nitropyrene, dinitropyrenes, and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, respectively, but nitroreductase II had broad specificity. Nitroreductase activity required a coenzyme; nitroreductases II, III, and IV were NADPH linked, but nitroreductase I was NADH linked. All enzyme activity was enhanced by addition of flavin mononucleotide and inhibited significantly by dicumarol, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, o-iodosobenzoic acid, sodium azide, and Cu2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Detection of protein-protein interactions and a group of immunoglobulin G-associated minor proteins in human plasma by nondenaturing and denaturing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

The dissociation of noncovalently associated protein-protein complexes in human plasma was examined by comparing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) patterns obtained in two different electrophoretic conditions. A type I 2-DE pattern was obtained running nondenaturing isoelectric focusing (IEF) followed by nondenaturing gel electrophoresis and a type II 2-DE pattern was nondenaturing IEF followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Micro-sized gels (internal diameter(id) 1.3 x 35 mm polyacrylamide IEF gels and 38 x 38 x 1 mm polyacryamide slab gels) were used to follow the dissociation processes of major plasma proteins. Larger gel sizes (id 3.4 x 160 mm agarose IEF gels and 160 x 120 x 2.8 mm polyacrylamide slab gels) were used to detect minor plasma proteins dissociated from major proteins. About 110 spots, which have not been detected on type I (nondenaturing) 2-D gels, newly appeared on type II large-sized 2-D gels at molecular masses smaller than 67 kDa. Some of these spots had been analyzed and identified, but about 70 minor spots (isoelectric point 5.5-7.5 and relative molecular mass 8-45 kDa) were detected for the first time by applying large volumes of human plasma samples to the large type II 2-D gels. These minor spots could be concentrated on type II 2-D gels by enriching the immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction under nondenaturing conditions, and they disappeared when IgG was removed from the fraction. These results strongly suggest that many of the minor spots newly detected were bound to IgG in physiological conditions.     

Isolation from bovine brain of 155 kDa component exhibiting myosin light chain kinase activity

1) Taking myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) activity as the index, bovine extract was fractionated by the use of anion-exchange chromatography, cation-exchange chromatography, and calmodulin affinity chromatography. The kinase activity of the fraction thus obtained was elevated up to about 12,400 times over that of the original crude extract. 2) The fraction mentioned above was subjected again to anion exchange chromatography. The kinase activities were divided into two parts, i.e., part I which contained the 155 kDa component and part II which was virtually free of 155 kDa component. The MLCK activity of part I was considerably lower than that of part II. 3) Part I was subjected to gel filtration using AcA 34 gel and the 155 kDa component was isolated. The fraction contained the 155 kDa component in a homogeneous state and showed myosin specific kinase activity, which was about 2 X 10(5) times that of the original crude extract. 4) The high kinase activity of part II seemed to be ascribable to the 130 kDa component, in accord with the report of Hathaway, Adelstein, and Klee (J. Biol. Chem. 256, 8183-8189, 1981).     

Purification and characterization of an insulin-like growth factor II variant from human plasma

An insulin-like growth factor II variant (IGF-II variant) was purified from Cohn fraction IV1 of human plasma by ion exchange, gel filtration, and reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography. The amino-terminal sequence of the first 35 amino acid residues showed a replacement of Ser-29 of IGF-II with the tetrapeptide Arg-Leu-Pro-Gly of IGF-II variant. Peptides isolated and sequenced after digestion with endoproteinase Asp-N and endoproteinase Glu-C disclosed no differences with the sequence predicted from an IGF-II variant cDNA clone isolated by Jansen, M., van Shaik, F. M. A., van Tol, H., Van den Brande, J. L., and Sussenbach, J. S. (1985) FEBS Lett., 179, 243-246. The molecular ion of intact IGF-II variant was 7809.4 mass units, as measured by plasma desorption mass spectrometry. This is in close agreement with the molecular ion of 7812.8 mass units calculated from the determined sequence and indicates the entire amino acid sequence had been accounted for. Binding of IGF-II variant to purified insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptors demonstrated a 2-3-fold lower affinity for this receptor compared with IGF-I or IGF-II. The dissociation constants for IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGF-II variant are 0.23, 0.38, and 0.80 nM, respectively. In a growth assay, the concentration of IGF-II and IGF-II variant required to stimulate the half-maximal growth of MCF-7 cells was 4 and 13 nM, respectively. Finally, the amount of IGF-II variant that can be purified by this method constitutes approximately 25% of the total IGF-II isolated from Cohn fraction IV1 of human plasma.     

Purification and characterization of human factor II

Human plasma Factor II has been purified approximately 800-fold by a combination of barium citrate adsorption, ion-exchange chromatography and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The procedure is relatively simple and results in excellent yields of purified Factor II essentially free of Factor X activity. The purified factor behaved as a single component by analytical polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis at pH 8.9. No Factor V, VII or IX activity was detected in the purified Factor II. Its molecular weight was 7200±3000 as determined by analytical ultracentrifugation, electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-200. An apparent molecular weight of 90 000–100 000 was observed on calibrated columns of Sephadex G-100, G-150, and G-200. The specific activity of human factor II was approximately 1300 N.I.H. units/mg as determined by the two-stage assay and 7 Ortho units/mg by the one stage assay. The purified protein contained by weight 2.8% neutral hexose, 2.3% sialic acids and 3.1% hexosamines.     

Receptor-mediated binding and degradation of subfractions of human plasma low-density lipoprotein by cultured fibroblasts

The receptor-mediated metabolism of human plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions was studied. LDL was isolated from healthy donors and further fractionated by density gradient ultracentrifugation into three subfractions: (I) d = 1.031-1.037, (II) d = 1.037-1.041 and (III) d = 1.041-1.047 g/ml, comprising 24 +/- 7%, 46 +/- 8% and 30 +/- 9% of the total LDL protein, respectively. As assessed by electron microscopy and gradient gel electrophoresis, the LDL particle size decreased and the relative protein content increased from fraction I towards fraction III. Fraction II had the highest (Kd 2.6 micrograms/ml) and fraction I the lowest (Kd 5.8 micrograms/ml) binding affinity to LDL receptors of human fibroblasts at 4 degrees C. The rate of receptor-mediated degradation of fraction II was also higher than that of the other two fractions at 37 degrees C. These results suggest that LDL subfractions have different rates of receptor-mediated catabolism depending on particle size or composition, and therefore their metabolic fate and atherogenic properties may also differ.     

Induction of apoptosis in a human lymphoma cell line by hydrophobic peptide fraction separated from anchovy sauce

Peptide fractions showing anticancer activity were isolated from anchovy sauce, and their abilities to induce apoptosis in a human lymphoma cell (U937) were determined by biochemical and flow cytometric methods. The butanol extract (fraction Aob) from the desalted hydrophobic peptide fraction (Ao) separated from anchovy sauce by HP-20 adsorption chromatography was found to possess strong antiproliferative activity against U937 by inducing apoptosis. Treatment of U937 with Aob resulted in sub-G1 peak representing apoptosis in the cell cycle analysis, and apoptotic DNA fragmentation. Antiproliferative activity of the peptide fraction further purified successively by silica gel chromatography, TLC, and reversed-phase HPLC increased proportionally with the purification fold. The peptide fraction having antiproliferative activity was found to be composed of Ala and Phe, and its molecular weight was estimated to be 440.9 Da.     

Partial purification of a calcium ionophore from human uremic plasma and normal urine

A fraction is isolated from human uremic plasma and normal urine using a three step chromatographic separation :gel permeation on Sephadex G15, then chromatography on hydroxyapatite and finally desalting operation on Sephadex G15. The fraction thus separated is ninhydrine positive and uncouples mitochondria principally releasing the resting respiration. Calcium potentiates the uncoupling, while red ruthenium and magnesium inhibit it. These results are in good agreement with a ionophorous activity of the isolated fraction. An hypothetic physiological role of this compound is there being discussed.     

Serum contains a macromolecular effector promoting the synthesis of nerve growth factor (NGF) in L cells

Addition of serum to the culture medium of murine L cells increased both the cellular level of NGF mRNA and the secretion of mature factor. Stimulation of NGF production by the serum was dose-dependent and appeared mediated by some specific factor(s). After gel filtration chromatography of serum, most of the biological activity formed a major peak with an apparent MW of about 160 kDa. This promoting factor was sensitive to heat at neutral pH, but resisted after heating at pH4. An activity inducing NGF synthesis, and displaying a comparable thermal sensitivity was also detected in Cohn fraction IV of human or bovine plasma.     

竹叶青蛇毒血小板聚集剂的分离纯化及生化特性

经ＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＧ－７５凝胶过滤和ＦＰＬＣＭｏｎｏＱ阴离子交换柱层析及Ｓｕｐｅｒｏｓｅ－１２凝胶过滤,从竹叶青蛇的蛇毒中纯化到一个能诱导人血小板聚集的均一组分．经ＳＤＳ－聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳测定其分子量为６８０００左右．等电点为４．３．测定了它的氨基酸组成,对它活化血小板的作用机理进行了初步研究,结果表明它是一种强的血小板激动剂．     

Isolation of L-dynurenine 3-hydroxylase from the mitochondrial outer membrane of rat liver.

Outer membrane preparations of rat liver mitochondria were isolated, after the mitochondria had been prepared by mild digitonin treatment under isotonic conditions. L-Kynurenine 3-hydroxylase [EC 1.14.13.9] was solubilized on a large scale from outer membrane by mixing with 1% digitonin or 1% Triton X-100, followed by fractionation into a minor fraction I and a major fraction II by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The distribution of total L-Dynurenine 3-hydroxylase was roughly 20 and 80% in fraction I and II, respectively. Fraction I consisted of crude enzyme loosely bound to anion exchanger. In the present investigation, fraction I was not used because of its low activity and rapid inactivation. In contrast, fraction II consisted of crude enzyme with high activity, excluded from DEAE-cellulose column chromatography in the presence of 1 M KC1. In addition, fraction II was purified by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography with linear gradient elution, adding 1 M KC1 and 1% Triton X-100 to 0.05 M Tris-acetate buffer, pH 8.1. After isoelectric focusing, the purified enzyme preparation was proved to be homogeneous, since the L-kynurenine 3-hydroxylase fraction gave a single band on disc gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of this enzyme was estimated to be approximately 200,000 or more by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and from the elution pattern on Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. A 16-Fold increase of the enzyme activity was obtained compared with that of the mitochondrial outer membrane. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was determined to be pH 5.4 by Ampholine isoelectric focusing.