The mechanism of carbohydrate-mediated complement activation by the serum mannan-binding protein

Serum mannan-binding protein (S-MBP), a lectin specific for mannose and N-acetylglucosamine, was documented to activate complement through the classical pathway. In this study, we examined the mechanism that initiates this activation. By a passive hemolysis test using sheep erythrocytes coated with yeast mannan, the activation of complement by human S-MBP was shown to proceed in the absence of C1q. The following binding studies using 125I-labeled C1r2s2 and C1s indicated that the activated form of C1r2s2 bound to S-MBP located on the surface of the cells with high affinity. The binding of C1s to the cell-bound S-MBP require the presence of C1r, suggesting that C1r2s2 binds to S-MBP through C1r. The activation of C1s from a proenzyme to a protease was mediated by cell-bound S-MBP in the presence of C1r and the activated protease remained associated with the cells and was not released into the medium. The activation of complement with S-MBP was a solid phase event and did not proceed in a fluid phase. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that S-MBP is responsible for the initiation of carbohydrate-mediated complement activation as C1q does in immune complex-mediated complement activation.     

Two distinct cDNAs for human IMP dehydrogenase

IMP dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.205), the rate-limiting enzyme of de novo GTP biosynthesis, is a promising target in antileukemic chemotherapy. We have isolated two distinct cDNA clones (types I and II) encoding IMP dehydrogenase from a human spleen cDNA library. Both clones encode closely related proteins of 514 residues showing 84% sequence identity. Northern hybridization analyses of poly(A)+ RNA from human normal leukocytes and human ovarian tumors demonstrated a striking contrast in mRNA expression in that type I mRNA is the main species in normal leukocytes and type II predominates over type I in the tumor. This is the first report suggesting the existence of two distinct types of human IMP dehydrogenase molecular species which may have different sensitivities to the drugs targeted against IMP dehydrogenase.     

Analysis of the ratio of alpha- to beta-globin and globin messenger ribonucleic acid content of fractionated rabbit erythroid bone-marrow cells.

The ratio of alpha- to beta-globin mRNA was measured by hybridization of a constant amount of highly purified alpha- or beta-globin cDNA (complementary DNA) with increasing amounts of RNA in the range up to 20% cDNA hybridization, where an essentially linear reaction is obtained. Statistical analysis indicates that the ratio of alpha- to beta-globin can be measured within a maximal error of +/- 0.3 and in most cases is better than +/- 0.15. Under these conditions there is no significant deviation from the ratio of 1.3 in the alpha- to beta-globin mRNA ratio of RNA isolated from erythroid cells rich in pronormoblasts through to reticulocytes. If the ratio of alpha- to beta-globin mRNA exceeded 1.7 or was less than 0.9 in pronormoblasts, it would be detected in these experiments. The overall globin mRNA content increases to a maximal value in the fractions rich in basophilic normoblasts of 30,000--50,000 molecules/cell. However, the accuracy of these determinations is not as great as for the ratio determinations, and no significant deviations were seen except in the cells rich in pronormoblasts, which contained less globin mRNA than the later stages.     

A change in membrane microviscosity of mouse neuroblastoma cells in association with morphological differentiation

Changes in membrane microviscosity as well as in membrane constituents of mouse neuroblastoma clone N-18 were studied in association with neurite formation. The membrane microviscosity studied by fluorescence technique increased with the formation of neurites. The concomitant increase increase in the ratio of cholesterol to phospholipids was also observed.     

Kinetic study of denaturation and subsequent reduction of disulfide bonds of lysozyme by the rapid ultrasonic absorption measurement

A New technique for the rapid measurement of ultrasonic absorption with a sampling interval of 5 msec has been developed and applied to the kinetic study of denaturation and subsequant redution of hen egg-white lysozyme. The lysozyme is denatured by guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) orLiBr, and afetr denaturation by GuHCl, its disulfide bonds are reduced by dithiothreitol (DTT). The ultrasonic adsorption coefficient at 9 MHz increases with denaturation but decreases with reduction. The rate constant of denaturation by GuHCl obtained from the rime variance of ultasonic agrees well with that from uv absorption and optical rotation. The time variance if absorption after GuHCl and Dtt have been simultaneously added exhibits two rate constants. Analysis of the constants as functions of regeant concentrations indicates that the intermediates state between native and reduced states is not necessarily the completely denatured state but depends on the concentartions of GuHCl and DTT.     

Studies on a phospholipase B from Penicillium notatum. Purification, properties, and mode of action.

1. Phospholipase B which hydrolyzes both the acyl ester bonds of diacylphospholipids (diacyl-hydrolase) and the acyl ester bond of monoacylphospholipids or lysophospholipids, [monoacyl-hydrolase or lysophospholipase, EC 3.1.1.5] was purified from Penicillium notatum about 2000-fold over the crude extract. The final preparation was homogeneous on disc electrophoresis. The apparent molecular weight, determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, was about 116,000. The isoelectric point was pH 4.0. 2. The purified enzyme was a glycoprotein. The carbohydrate content was approximately 30%, consisting of mannose, glucose, and glucosamine. The amino acid composition was also determined. 3. The ratio of monoacyl-hydrolase to diacyl-hydrolase activities was influenced by the physical state of the substrate in the assay system. It was about 1 : 1 or 100 : 1 in the presence of absence of Triton X-100, respectively, and the latter value remained constant throughout the purification procedures. 4. Both enzyme activities had the same pH optimum, 4.0, and were heat-labile. None of the metals tested had any effect on either activity except for Fe2+ and Fe3+. Diisopropyl fluorophosphate at relatively high concentrations completely inhibited both enzyme activities. 5. The Michaelis-Menten constants (Km) of the enzyme for egg lecithin were about 1.5 and 25 mM in the absence and presence of Triton X-100, respectively. The Km value for dicaproyllecithin was 9.8 mM in the absence of Triton X-100. 6. Using a mixture of 1-[14C]stearoyl-lecithin and 2-[14C]oleoyl-lecithin in the presence of Triton X-100 as a substrate, it was found that the P. notatum phospholipase B attacked the acyl ester bonds sequentially, first the 2-acyl and then 1-acyl groups.