Radial spokes of Chlamydomonas flagella: polypeptide composition and phosphorylation of stalk components

Polypeptides from flagella or axonemes of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were analyzed by labeling cellular proteins by prolonged growth on 35S- containing media and using one- and two-dimensional electrophoretic techniques which can resolve greater than 170 axonemal components. By this approach, a paralyzed mutant that lacks axonemal radial spokes, pf14, has been shown to lack 17 polypeptides in the molecular weight range of 20,000 to 124,000 and in the isoelectric point range of 4.8- 7.1. Five of those polypeptides are also missing in the mutant pf-1 which lacks only radial spokeheads. The identification of the 17 polypeptides missing in pf-14 as components of radial spoke structures and the localization of the polypeptides lacking in pf-1 within the spokehead, are supported by experiments of chemical dissection of wild- type axonemes. Extraction procedures that solubilize outer and inner dynein arms preserve the structure of the radial spokes along with the 17 polypeptides in question. Six radial spoke polypeptides are solubilized in conditions that cause disassembly of radial spokeheads from the stalks and those components include the five polypeptides missing in pf-1. No Ca++- or Mg++-activated ATPase activities were found to be associated with solubilized preparations of wild-type radial spokeheads. In vivo pulse 32P incorporation experiments provide evidence that greater than 80 axonemal components are labeled by 32P and that five of the radial spoke stalk polypeptides are modified to different extents.     

(Na+ + K+)-ATPase : phosphorylation-dependent cross-linking of the alpha-subunits in the presence of Ca2+ and o-phenanthroline

In previous studies we had demonstrated that in the presence of 0.25 mM Cu2+ and 1.25 mM o-phenanthroline, cross-linking of the alpha-subunits of Na+ + K+)-dependent adenosine triphosphatase was induced by the addition of Na+ + ATP, and that the formation of the alpha,alpha-dimer was preceded by that of phosphoenzyme. The purpose of the present studies was the further evaluation of the role of phosphoenzyme in the process of cross-linking. Na+ + UTP did not induce cross-linking unless Mg2+ was also added. In contrast, Na+ + ATP-induced cross-linking did not require the addition of Mg2+. The different effects of ATP and UTP in the absence of added Mg2+ could be accounted for by the presence in the enzyme preparation of bound Mg2+ which supported enzyme phosphorylation by ATP but not by UTP. When the enzyme was phosphorylated by Pi, in the presence of Mg2 and ouabain, and the exposed to Cu2+ and o-phenanthroline, the alpha,alpha-dimer was obtained. Under these conditions, Na+ blocked both phosphorylation and cross-linking. These results indicate that it is the formation of phosphoenzyme per se that leads to conformational transitions favorable to cross-linking. They also suggest that Cu2+ and o-phenanthroline participate in the cross-linking reaction, but not in the phosphorylation reactions. In the digitonin-treated enzyme, Na+ and ATP induced the formation of phosphoenzyme, but not that of alpha,alpha-dimer. These findings indicate that in addition to phosphorylation, a proper orientation o alpha-subunits in an oligomer is also necessary for cross-linking.     

A radioimmunoassay method for the rapid detection of Candida antibodies in experimental systemic candidiasis

Rabbits were employed as experimental models to evaluate a solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) method for the diagnosis of systemic candidiasis. Ten rabbits were inoculated subcutaneously to mimic superficial candidiasis and were found to produce no antibodies to Candida as determined by both immunodiffusion and RIA procedures. However, 94 per cent of 18 rabbits systemically infected by intravenous injection of Candida cells were observed to produce antibody as assessed by the RIA technique. These data encourage further tests with human sera and the continued development of this RIA procedure as a useful tool in the early serodiagnosis of systemic candidiasis.     

Na+,K+-ATPase: on the nature of the "cross-linked" subunits obtained in the presence of o-phenanthroline and cupric ion.

In previous studies on the quaternary structure of Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase, cupric-phenanthroline complex (CP) has been used for the cross-linking of the enzyme subunits. Here we show that the same products obtained in the presence of CP (α,α-dimer, α,β-dimer, and products of higher molecular weight) are also obtained when the enzyme is exposed to Cu²⁺ without o-phenanthroline. The α,β-dimer (but not the α,α-dimer) is dissociated in the presence of EDTA; indicating that this product is not the result of the covalent cross-linking of the subunits through a disulfide bond. The nature of the α,α-dimer remains to be determined. The findings suggest that the results of “cross-linking” experiments with CP should be interpreted with caution until the products are more clearly identified.     

Calcium-binding protein of bovine intestine. The complete amino acid sequence.

The amino acid sequence for vitamin D-dependent bovine intestinal calcium binding protein has been established. It contains 85 amino acids in a single chain and lacks cysteine, tryptophan, methionine, histidine, and arginine. The NH2-terminal lysine is blocked by an N-acetyl group. Enzymatic digestion with trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pepsin yielded a number of peptides which were purified by two-dimensional high voltage paper electrophoresis. These peptides were examined by end group analysis and sequenced by the dansyl procedure. The absence of tryptophan permitted by a single cleavage of the molecule by N-bromosuccinimide at the tyrosine residue at position 8 and the larger fragment was subjected to automated Edman degradation. By these means, the following sequence was established: N-Ac-Lys-Gln-Ser-Pro-Leu-Glu-Tyr-Ala-Ala-Glu-Lys-Ser-Ile-Gln-Lys-Glu-Ile-Glu-Lys-Gly-Phe-Phe-Lys-Gln-Leu-Leu-Val-Ser-Val-Gln-Lys-Ala-Gly-Asp-Lys-Glu-Ser-Leu-Gln-Pro-Leu-Phe-Thr-Leu-Leu-Lys-Ser-Gly-Pro-Glu-Glu-Asn-Leu-Lys-Glu-Ser-Gln-Asn-Gly-Pro-Asp-Leu-Ls7-Ser-Gly-Pro-Gly-Asn-Asp-Leu-Glu-Glu-Lys-Gly-Thr-Asp-Val-Phe-Ser-Leu-Lys-Gln. Microheterogeneity may exist in the molecule at residue 76 in which position threonine may be replaced by serine. Comparison of the sequence of calcium-binding protein to the "test" sequence of Tufty and Kretsinger ((1975) Science 187, 167-169) proposed to identify E-F hands in muscle proteins suggests that intestinal calcium-binding protein may likewise contain one or possibly two E-F hands which could account for calcium-binding property. Dayhoff alignment scores, however, calculated for calcium-binding protein against nine E-F hands in muscle proteins parvalbumin, troponin and alkali light chains do not indicate that intestinal calcium-binding protein is homologous to these muscle protein chains.     

Mechanism of intramolecular activation of pepsinogen. Evidence for an intermediate delta and the involvement of the active site of pepsin in the intramolecular activation of pepsinogen.

Intramolecular pepsinogen activation is inhibited either by pepstatin, a potent pepsin inhibitor, or by purified globin from hemoglobin, a good pepsin substrate. Also, pepsinogen at pH 2 can be bound to a pepstatin-Sepharose column and recovered as native zymogen upon elution in pH 8 buffer. Kinetic studies of the globin inhibition of pepsinogen activation show that globin binds to a pepsinogen intermediate. This interaction gives rise to competitive inhibition of intramolecular pepsinogen activation. The evidence presented in this paper suggests that pepsinogen is converted rapidly upon acidification to the pepsinogen intermediate delta. In the absence of an inhibitor, the intermediate undergoes conformational change to bind the activation peptide portion of this same pepsinogen molecule in the active center to form an intramolecular enzyme-substrate complex (intermediate theta). This is followed by the intramolecular hydrolysis of the peptide bond between residues 44 and 45 of the pepsinogen molecule and the dissociation of the activation peptide from the pepsin. Intermediate delta apparently does not activate another pepsinogen molecule via an intermolecular process. Neither does intermediate delta hydrolyze globin substrate.     

Acetylene reduction (nitrogen fixation) and metabolic activities of soybean having various leaf and nodule water potentials

An apparatus was designed that permitted acetylene reduction (N₂ fixation) by root nodules to be measured in situ simultaneously with net photosynthesis, dark respiration, and transpiration of the shoot in soybean plants (Glycine max [L.] Merr. var. Beeson). Tests showed that acetylene reduction was linear with time for at least 5 hours, except for the first 30 to 60 minutes. Endogenous ethylene production did not affect the measurements. Successive determinations of acetylene reduction could be made without apparent aftereffects on the plant.