Thiophosphorylated proteins in chromaffin cells are chromaffin vesicle matrix proteins

Bovine adrenal chromaffin cells were incubated with inorganic thiophosphate, using a protocol similar to experiments with inorganic phosphate, in order to determine the source of previously observed thiophosphoproteins. Incubation of cultured cells with [³⁵S]thiophosphate resulted in its incorporation into cell constituents within 2 min. SDS PAGE of the treated cells showed incorporation of label into a broad 97–121 kDa band that was evident after 5 min of treatment and increased progressively to the 40 min exposure limit. Monolayers of chronically treated cells were fractionated into subcellular constituents. The only particulate fraction containing radiolabelled proteins was the chromaffin vesicle fraction. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of the treated cells and isolated chromaffin vesicles showed a majority of proteins in the acidic region of the first dimension gel. A fluorogram of the gel revealed two regions of radiolabelled proteins at acidic and neutral regions of the 2-D gel. These were within the boundaries of the 97–121 kDa band. The thiophosphorylated proteins were released as soluble proteins upon osmotic or freeze-thaw lysis of the vesicles. Chromaffin vesicles isolated from either cultured cells or adrenal medulla tissue were energized by 2 mM ATP but not by the analog adenosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate). The 97–121 kDa proteins in intact or lysed vesicles prepared from adrenal medulla tissue were not thiophosphorylated by either inorganic thiophosphate or adenosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) in the presence or absence of energization by ATP. Nearly complete loss of radiolabel from matrix proteins treated with chondroitinase ABC suggests that it is a component of vesicle proteoglycans.

The results demonstrate that chromaffin vesicle matrix proteins are rapidly and intensely thiophosphorylated in cultured chromaffin cells but not in isolated vesicles. The data suggest that phosphorylation must play an important role in the normal function of these vesicle proteins.     

Immunotargeting of daunomycin to localized and metastatic human colon adenocarcinoma in athymic mice

Summary A monoclonal antibody (designated SF25), which recognizes a protein antigen expressed on a large number of human colon carcinomas, was used for drug targeting. Daunomycin-antibody conjugates were prepared by two previously described procedures. In one, the drug was bound to the antibody through a spacer of small molecular mass (cis-aconitic acid), while in the other a dextran bridge served as the link between drug and antibody. High substitution rates of drug to antibody were obtained using the latter binding procedure. Both conjugates were tested in vitro against two human colon carcinoma cell lines, LS180 and KM-12. The efficacy of a daunomycin-dextran-SF25 antibody conjugate was tested against colon carcinoma LS180 tumors transplanted at different sites into athymic mice. The specific conjugate was significantly more inhibitory to a subcutaneous tumor growth than its components or their mixture. SF25 antibody alone showed antitumoral effects against all three forms of transplanted tumor tested, namely, local, metastatic or intrahepatic, whereas daunomycin, on its own, was effective only against the subcutaneous tumor. Binding of daunomycin to dextran partially improved its inhibitory activity against the metastatic tumor. The conjugate, daunomycin-dextran-SF25 antibody reduced the number of metastatic foci, increased the survival rate and delayed death. Yet against lymph node metastases it was not significantly better than a mixture of both constituents. However, results obtained with an intrahepatic tumor, a model that mimics the natural progression of the disease, resembled those described with the subcutaneous tumor. Daunomycin-dextran-SF25 antibody was significantly more effective than all components separately and than a mixture of drug and antibody, provided a highly drug-substituted conjugate was used.     

Elevated temperature alters the ionic dependence of amine-induced pacemaker activity in a conditional burster neuron

Summary The anterior burster neuron of the lobster (Panulirus interruptus) stomatogastric ganglion is a conditional burster that functions as the primary pacemaker for the pyloric motor network. When modulatory inputs to this cell are blocked, it loses its bursting properties and becomes quiescent. Applications of the monoamines, dopamine, octopamine or serotonin restore rhythmic bursting in this cell (Flamm and Harris-Warrick 1986). At 15 °C, serotonin- and octopamine-induced oscillations depend critically upon sodium entry (blocked by low sodium saline or tetrodotoxin); dopamine-induced oscillations depend upon calcium entry (blocked by reduced extracellular calcium; Harris-Warrick and Flamm 1987). We show here that the ionic dependence of amine-induced oscillations in the anterior burster cell differs at 15 and 21 °C. At 21 °C, all amines have the potential to induce rhythmic oscillations in saline containing tetrodotoxin. At the elevated temperature and in tetrodotoxin, both calcium and sodium currents are essential for the maintenance of dopamine-induced oscillaions; serotonin-induced oscillations do not depend upon either calcium or sodium alone; octopamine-induced oscillations do not depend upon calcium and show a variable dependence upon sodium. Thus, multiple ionic mechanisms, which vary with both the modulator and the ambient temperature, can be recruited to support rhythmic activity in a conditional burster neuron.Abbreviations AB anterior burster - PD pyloric dilator - PY pyloric constrictor - DA dopamine - 5HT serotonin - Oct octopamine - STG stomatogastric ganglion - TTX tetrodotoxin - GSP graded synaptic potential     

4-methyleneglutamine amidohydrolase from peanut leaves : preparation, catalytic properties, and immunological responses of a highly purified form of the enzyme

4-Methyleneglutamine amidohydrolase has been extracted and purified over 1000-fold from 14-day-old peanut (Arachis hypogaea) leaves by modification of methods described previously. The purified enzyme shows two bands of activity and three to four bands of protein after electrophoresis on nondenaturing gels. Each of the active bands is readily eluted from gel slices and migrates to its original position on subsequent electrophoresis. Although they are electrophoretically distinct, the two forms of the enzyme are immunologically identical by Ouchterlony double-diffusion techniques and have similar catalytic properties. Activity toward glutamine that has a threefold lower V_max and a four-fold higher K_m value copurifies with MeGln aminohydrolase activity. 4-Methyleneglutamine and 4-methyleneglutamic acid inhibit the hydrolysis of glutamine while glutamine inhibits 4-methyleneglutamine hydrolysis, further indicating the identity of the activity toward both substrates. Amidohydrolase activity is stimulated up to threefold by preincubation with either ionic or non-ionic detergents (0.1%) and also by added proteins (0.5% bovine serum albumin or whole rabbit serum); it is inhibited 50% by 1 millimolar borate or the glutamine analog, albizziin (10 millimolar). Rabbit antiserum to the purified peanut enzyme cross-reacts with one or more proteins in extracts of some plants but not others; in no instance, however, was 4-methyleneglutamine amidohydrolase activity detected in other species. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that 4-methyleneglutamine supplies N, via its hydrolysis by the amidohydrolase, to the growing shoots of peanut plants, whereas glutamine hydrolysis is prevented by the prepon-derance of the preferred substrate. Some results also suggest that this amidohydrolase activity may be regulated by metabolites and/or by association with other cellular components.     

Association of polymorphisms in the HLA-B region with extended haplotypes

Genomic probes from the HLA-B region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) were used to study the association of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) with various MHC alleles, complotypes, and extended haplotypes. The two DNA probes, M20A and R5A, were derived from previously cloned cosmids and are located 38 and 110 kilobases (kb) centromeric to HLa-B, respectively. Five different RFLP variants occuring in five different haplotypic combinations were detected within a panel of 40 homozygous-typing cells and cells from 21 families using Bst EII. In two informative families with HLA-B/DR recombinations the inheritance of the RFLP variants was consistent with their mapping between HLA-B and complotypes. The R5A/M20A haplotypic pattern 6.5 kb/3.0 kb (A) had a normal Caucasian frequency of approximately 0.43 and was found in all independent examples of the extended haplotypes [HLA-B8,SC01,DR3], [HLA-B18,F1C30, DR3], [HLa-Bw62,SC33,Dr4], [HLa-B44,SC30,Dr4], and [HLA-Bw47,FC91,0DR7]. The patterns of 6.9 kb/ 3.0 kb (B), 6.5 kb/4.7 kb (C), 1.45 kb/3.0 kb (D), and 6.9 kb/4.7 kb (E) had normal Caucasian frequencies of approximately 0.23, 0.15, 0.15, and 0.04 and were found on all independent examples of [HLA-B38,SC21, DR4], [HLA-Bw57,SC61,DR7], [HLA-B7,SC31,DR2], and [HLA-B44,FC31,DR7], respectively. Individual complotypes or HLA-B alleles which were markers of extended haplotypes showed variable associations. For example, HLA-B7 and the complotype SC31 were associated with all R5A/M20A RFLP haplotypes except haplotype E, although [HLA-B7,SC31,DR7] was associated exclusively with haplotype D. HLA-B27, not known to be part of an extended haplotype, was suprisingly exclusively associated with the 6.5 kb/4.7 kb or C haplotypic pattern in all five instances tested. These findings support the concept of regional conservation of DNA on independent examples of extended haplotypes. The results also further characterize these haplotypes.     

Rapid and simple isolation of pure photosystem II core and reaction center particles from spinach

Pure and active oxygen-evolving PS II core particles containing 35 Chl per reaction center were isolated with 75% yield from spinach PS II membrane fragments by incubation with n-dodecyl--D-maltoside and a rapid one step anion-exchange separation. By Triton X-100 treatment on the column these particles could be converted with 55% yield to pure and active PS II reaction center particles, which contained 6 Chl per reaction center.Abbreviations Bis-Tris bis[2-hydroxyethyl]imino-tris[hydroxymethyl]methane - Chl chlorophyll - CP29 Chl a/b protein of 29 kDa - Cyt b ₅₅₉ cytochrome b ₅₅₉ - DCBQ 2,5-dichloro-p-benzo-quinone - LHC II light-harvesting complex II, predominant Chl a/b protein - MES 2-[N-Morpholino]ethanesulfonic acid - Pheo pheophytin - PS H photosystem II - Q_A bound plastoquinone, serving as the secondary electron acceptor in PS II (after Pheo) - SDS sodiumdodecylsulfate     

Respiratory activity of alginate-encapsulated Pseudomonas fluorescens cells introduced into soil

Summary Alginate-entrapped cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens were introduced into soil microcosms to evaluate their respiratory activity (O₂ consumption and CO₂ evolution) and survival during a 14-day incubation period at 20°C. Alginate-entrapped cells and cells resuspended in sterile distilled water and introduced into sterile soil exhibited relatively similar O₂ consumption/CO₂ evolution and survival over the 14-day period. The same treatments in non-sterile soil exhibited lower respiratory activity and a population density decrease of about 2.0 Log. cfu/g after 14 days. Alginate-entrapped bacterial cells may be a useful method for introducing genetically-engineered and non-engineered bacterial strains into the soil environment.     

Localization of the cellular retinoic acid binding protein (CRABP) gene relative to the acute promyelocytic leukemia-associated breakpoint on human chromosome 15

Summary A human genomic fragment comprising the cellular retinoic acid binding protein (CRABP) gene was isolated. By using a panel of somatic cell hybrids, this gene could be assigned to human chromosome 15. Subsequently, a possible involvement of the CRABP gene in translocation (15;17) (q22;q11) positive acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) was investigated. Although transposition of the CRABP gene could be demonstrated, we did not observe any gross CRABP rearrangement in a series of primary APL patients, nor in the acute myeloblastic leukemia cell line HL-60. Thus, the observed lack of CRABP expression in these leukemic cells may not be caused by disruption of its gene. CRABP maps to the region 15q22-qter.     

Human heart cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIII. Purification and determination of the complete amino acid sequence

Subunit VIII was purified from a preparation of the human heart cytochrome c oxidase and its complete amino acid sequence was determined. The sequence proved to be much more related to that of the bovine liver oxidase subunit VIII than to that found in bovine heart. Our finding of a ‘liver-type’ subunit VIII in the human heart enzyme suggests that either there are no isoforms of human subunit VIII or the human oxidase does not show the type of tissue specificity that has been reported for the oxidase in other mammals.