An evolutionary comparison of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus trpF with trpF genes of several organisms

The deduced amino acid sequence of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus N-(5'-phosphoribosyl) anthranilate isomerase (PRAI), which is coded by trpF, was compared with TrpF of Caulobacter crescentus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Neurospora crassa, and Aspergillus nidulans. Sixty percent of identical or similar amino acids were located in alpha/beta TIM (triose-phosphate isomerase) barrels and in residues important in substrate binding and catalysis. In addition, the analysis of trpF genes presented here supports a model by which fusion between separate trpC and trpF genes arose in some cases by in-frame deletions.     

The circadian rhythm of the N-terminus and C-terminus of the atrial natriuretic factor prohormone

Circadian variation in the circulating concentrations of the N-terminal and C-terminal portions of the atrial natriuretic factor prohormone (pro ANF) was evaluated in 8 men, ages 41-47, who have been followed for 19 years with respect to circadian variation in physiological variables including blood pressure and clinical chemistries. The N-terminus of the ANF prohormone contains two peptides consisting of amino acids 1-30 and 31-67 while the C-terminus contains 1 peptide (amino acids 99-126) of this 126 amino acid prohormone which lower blood pressure and have natriuretic properties. To determine if either the N-terminus and/or the C-terminus of the prohormone have a circadian variation in their circulating plasma concentrations these 8 men had blood samples obtained for radiommunoassay every 3 hr during a 24-hr period. Three radiommunoassays which immunologically recognize (1) the whole N-terminus (i.e. amino acids 1-98), (2) the midportion of the N-terminus (amino acids 31-67) and (3) the C-terminus (amino acids 99-126) of the ANF prohormone were utilized. The whole N-terminus, the midportion of the N-terminus which circulates after being proteolytically cleaved from the rest of the N-terminus, and the C-terminus each had a peak circulating concentration between 0400 and 0700 which were significantly (P less than 0.001) higher than their concentrations at any other time throughout the 24-hr period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Modulation of lymphocyte nuclear matrix organization in vivo by 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl benzimidazole: an autoradiographic and immunofluorescence study

Assembly of active nuclei in lymphocytes stimulated by mitogen is paralleled by the elaboration of a structurally and biochemically complex nuclear matrix (NM). To examine the dynamics of individual NM polypeptide components during blastogenesis, we have applied immunofluorescence labelling with anti-NM antibodies to concanavalin A-stimulated mouse splenocytes. Whereas peripherin and PI2 antigens did not reorganize during stimulation, labelling of PI1 and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) antigens increased markedly in intensity and redistributed in concert with the previously reported NM restructuring. Double-labelling showed, furthermore, that snRNPs and the internal staining component of PI1 were largely co-localized. As an approach to studying the role of RNA and RNA synthesis in NM organization, we have further examined the effects of the inhibitor of RNA synthesis, 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl benzimidazole (DRB), on NM antigen distribution. The rapid inhibition of 3H-uridine incorporation by DRB was accompanied by coordinate aggregation of snRNPs and of the internal PI1 component into large, brightly stained patches. Both 3H-uridine incorporation levels and antigen localization were readily reversed upon removal of DRB. We conclude that NM antigens behave independently during nuclear and NM assembly and that NM organization, as reflected by NM antigen distribution, is modulated by con A- and DRB-induced alterations in RNA synthesis. We propose, furthermore, that the PI1 antigen plays a role in RNA metabolism, and is possibly involved in RNA transport to the nuclear periphery.     

Cellular proteins that associate with the middle and small T antigens of polyomavirus.

We have used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to analyze in more detail the cellular proteins which associate with the middle and small tumor antigens (MT and ST, respectively) of polyomavirus. Proteins with molecular masses of 27, 29, 36, 51, 61, 63, and 85 kilodaltons (kDa) that specifically coimmunoprecipitated with MT were identified on these gels. The 36-, 51-, 61-, 63-, and 85-kDa proteins are probably the same as the proteins of similar sizes previously reported by a number of groups, whereas the 27- and 29-kDa proteins represent proteins that are heretofore undescribed. The 27- and 29-kDa proteins were abundant cellular proteins, whereas the others were minor cellular constituents. The association of each of these proteins with MT was sensitive to one or more mutations in MT that rendered it transformation defective. The association of the 85-kDa protein was the most sensitive indicator of the transformation competence of MT mutants. In addition, the 85-kDa protein was the only associated protein whose association with MT changed consistently in parallel with MT-associated phosphatidylinositol kinase activity. Furthermore, the fraction of the 85-kDa protein which was found associated with the MT complex contained 15 to 20% of its phosphate content on tyrosine. The 36- and 63-kDa proteins complexed with both polyomavirus MT and ST and comigrated on two-dimensional gels with two simian virus 40 ST-associated proteins originally described by Rundell and coworkers (K. Rundell, E. O. Major, and M. Lampert, J. Virol. 37:1090-1093, 1981). None of the other MT-associated proteins associated significantly with ST.     

Mutational analysis of upstream AUG codons of poliovirus RNA.

The 5' untranslated region of poliovirus type 2 Lansing RNA consists of 744 nucleotides containing seven AUG codons which are followed by in-frame termination codons, thus forming short open reading frames (ORFs). To determine the biological significance of these small ORFs, all of the upstream AUG codons were mutated to UUG. The point mutations were introduced into an infectious poliovirus cDNA clone, and RNA transcribed in vitro from the altered cDNA was transfected into HeLa cells to recover the virus. Mutation of AUG 7 resulted in a virus (called R2-5NC-14) with a small-plaque phenotype, whereas mutation of the other six AUG codons produced virus with a wild-type plaque morphology. To determine whether the small-plaque phenotype of R2-5NC-14 was due to altered translational efficiency of the viral mRNA, we constructed chimeric mRNAs containing the 5' noncoding region of poliovirus mRNA fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) coding sequence. mRNA containing a mutated AUG 7 codon showed decreased translational efficiency in vitro. The results indicate that the upstream ORFs of poliovirus RNA are not essential for viral replication and do not act as barriers to the translation of poliovirus mRNA. AUG 7 and flanking sequences may play a positive acting role in poliovirus RNA translation.     

Characterization of rat skeletal muscle sarcolemmal insulin receptors and a sarcolemmal insulin binding inhibitor

When insulin receptors of rat skeletal muscle sarcolemmal vesicles were solubilized with Triton X-100, the specific binding of 125I-labeled insulin increased by more than 10-fold over that seen in the intact vesicles. Partial purification of the skeletal muscle insulin receptors on wheat germ agglutinin affinity columns increased the total insulin binding activity by 7-fold and reduced the Kd for insulin binding from 1.92 to 0.20 nM, suggesting that an inhibitor of insulin binding was removed by this purification step. This was confirmed when the unbound fractions of the affinity column were dialyzed and reconstituted with the insulin receptors. The inhibitory activity in the sarcolemmal extract could not be accounted for by the presence of Triton X-100. The skeletal muscle inhibitor was more potent in inhibiting insulin binding to skeletal muscle insulin receptors than to liver or adipose receptors. The inhibitor was very effective in inhibiting insulin binding to wheat germ agglutinin-purified IM-9 receptors, but had negligible effects on insulin binding to intact IM-9 cells. The properties of the alpha and beta subunits of the skeletal muscle insulin receptors appear to be the same as those of insulin receptors of other tissues: cross-linking of 125I-labeled insulin to the receptor revealed a band of 130,000 daltons, and insulin stimulated the phosphorylation of bands of 90,000 and 95,000 daltons in the receptor preparation. The skeletal muscle insulin binding inhibitor elutes from molecular sieves in a major 160,000-dalton peak and minor 75,000-dalton peak. The binding inhibitor is not inactivated by heat, by mercaptoethanol, or by trypsin, pepsin, or proteinase K. Collectively, these data suggest that the inhibitor may be a small molecule that aggregates with itself, with larger proteins, or with detergent micelles.     

Rat lens gamma-crystallins. Characterization of the six gene products and their spatial and temporal distribution resulting from differential synthesis

We have isolated, purified and characterized six individual gamma-crystallin polypeptides present in the rat lens. Comparison of their amino acid compositions with the known structure of the six gamma-crystallin genes permits a one-to-one correspondence to be made between each protein synthesized and the encoding gene. This demonstrates that each of the six genes is actually expressed in vivo. Two classes of three gamma-crystallins each, which we have designated classes gamma ABC and gamma DEF, are known to exist, on the basis of internal sequence homology. We have measured the temperature-dependent phase-separation characteristics of solutions of the six purified gamma-crystallins, and find that the three members of the gamma DEF class (gamma 2-2, gamma 3-1 and gamma 4-1) are all cryo-proteins with relatively high phase-separation temperatures, whereas the three gamma ABC crystallins (gamma 1-1, gamma 1-2 and gamma 2-1) do not show phase separation above -7 degrees C. We have measured the spatial distribution in rat lens of each of the alpha-, beta- and gamma-crystallins as a function of age from 1 to 420 days, using size-exclusion and ion-exchange high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Our findings in the cortical layer permit us to establish the differential synthesis of each of the crystallins during lens development. Particular attention has been devoted to the spatial and temporal distribution of the six individual gamma-crystallins. Up to birth, synthesis of the three components of the gamma DEF class predominates, and in particular that of gamma 2-2. In subsequent development the three components of the gamma ABC class assume a greater proportion of monomeric crystallins synthesized, while beta s-crystallin synthesis predominates in late development. Our analysis of different layers within single lenses provides novel information on spatial gradients of the water-soluble and water-insoluble protein fractions as a function of age. We consider the consequences of these findings for lens transparency and opacity in both rat and mouse lens. We show that the high concentrations of gamma DEF-crystallins appear to be responsible for the opacity known to occur in young rat lenses. We conclude from these observations that close control of the differential synthesis of gamma-crystallins plays an important role in maintaining lens transparency during development.     

Persistent sympathetic nervous system arousal associated with tethering in cynomolgus macaques

The swivel-tether system has been used extensively in biomedical research involving nonhuman primates, yet there has been little or no investigation into potential adverse influences of this form of restraint on research results. In the study described here, a portable electrocardiographic telemetry system was used for continuous monitoring of the heart rate of 26 cynomolgus monkeys while: (a) pair-caged, 8 weeks prior to tethering; (b) singly-caged, tethered; (c) singly-caged, tethered, administered propranolol (30 mg/kg/day) in the diet; (d) group-housed (five monkeys per group), 1 week after group formation; and (e) group-housed (five monkeys per group), 4 weeks after group formation. Tethering resulted in persistent elevations in heart rate relative to the other conditions. Administration of propranolol, a beta-adrenergic antagonist, resulted in an abrupt, sustained decrease in heart rate indicating that the increase in heart rate associated with tethering was due to persistent stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Since multiple aspects of cardiovascular function are influenced by the sympathetic nervous system, and other organs and systems (e.g., pituitary-gonadal) also may be affected, investigators using the swivel-tether system should be cognizant of these potential effects when designing experiments and interpreting the results.     

Ten-Year-Replicated Circadian Profiles for 36 Physiological, Serological and Urinary Variables in Healthy Men

At 3-hr intervals over a 24-hr span, 36 systemic, serologic and urinary variables were examined in 7 men in their mid 20's in the Spring of 1969, and again in the same 7 men in the Spring of 1979 under a similar chronobiologic protocol, using the same chemical and numerical analytical procedures. The variables examined for rhythms by cosinor were: vital signs--blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure), heart rate, intraocular pressure (left and right), oral temperature; serum components--albumin, albumin/globulin ratio, total bilirubin, calcium, carbon dioxide, chlorides, bilirubin, cholesterol, globulin, glucose, potassium, sodium, sodium/potassium ratio, transaminase, triglycerides, total protein, urea nitrogen; and urine components--calcium, calcium/magnesium ratio, creatinine, magnesium, pH, potassium, sodium, sodium/potassium ratio, urea clearance, urea nitrogen, volume and zinc. Although all subjects appeared clinically healthy in 1969 and in 1979, certain inter-study differences were observed in a number of rhythm parameters of different variables. Statistically significant increases in mesor for the group as a whole were observed for serum Ca, cholesterol, Cl, CO2, K, Na, and while statistically significant mesor decreases for a group as a whole were noted in serum glucose and transaminase. Statistically significant increases in amplitude for the group as a whole were observed in serum chloride and urinary Na/K ratio, while statistically significant decreases were observed in amplitude for blood pressure, heart rate, serum albumin, A/G ratio, globulin, glucose, protein, sodium and transaminase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)