Solubilization of the active vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor from human colonic adenocarcinoma cells

The non-ionic detergent n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside was used to solubilize the VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) receptor from human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line HT29-D4. The binding of monoiodinated 125I-VIP to the solubilized receptor was specific, time-dependent, and reversible. Scatchard analysis of data obtained from competitive displacement of monoiodinated 125I-VIP by native VIP suggested the presence of two classes of VIP binding sites with Kd values of 0.32 and 46.7 nM. The binding capacities of these two classes were 1.7 x 10(10) and 30.2 x 10(10) sites/mg of proteins, respectively. The solubilized receptor retained the specificity of the human VIP receptor towards the peptides of the VIP/secretin/glucagon family. The order of potency in inhibiting monoiodinated 125I-VIP binding was VIP (IC50 = 1.0 x 10(-9) M) much greater than peptide histidine methionine amide (IC50 = 10(-7) M) greater than growth hormone-releasing factor (IC50 = 3 x 10(-7) M) greater than secretin (IC50 greater than 10(-6) M); glucagon had no effect on VIP binding. The reducing agent dithiothreitol inhibited in a dose-dependent manner the binding of 125I-VIP. Covalent cross-linking experiments between the solubilized receptor and 125I-VIP showed that after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography two major and one minor polypeptides of Mr 67,000, 72,000, and 83,000 were specifically labeled. When analyzed by gel filtration, the n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside-solubilized 125I-VIP-receptor complex was resolved into two major peaks with molecular mass in the range of 60-70 and 270-300 kDa. Thus, the soluble form of the VIP receptor was probably a multimeric complex in which disulfide bonds may play an important role to hold the receptor in an active configuration.     

Isolation and Characterization of an Fe(III)-Chelating Compound Produced by Pseudomonas syringae

The phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae produces a fluorescent pigment when it is grown in iron-deficient media. This pigment forms a very stable Fe(III) complex that was purified in this form by using a novel procedure based on ultrafiltration and column chromatography. The Fe(III) complex has a molecular weight of 1,100 and contains 1 mol of Fe(III). The pigment is composed of an amino acid moiety with three threonines, three serines, one lysine, δ-N-hydroxyornithine, and a quinoline-type fluorescent chromophore. These features and its stability constant (in the range of 10³²) suggest that the fluorescent pigment of P. syringae is related to the siderophores produced by another Pseudomonas species.     

Covalent cross-linking of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) to its receptor in intact colonic adenocarcinoma cells in culture (HT 29)

[125I]Monoiodinated vasoactive intestinal peptide (125I-VIP) was cross-linked with human colonic adenocarcinoma cells (HT29 cells) grown as a monolayer using dithiobis(succinimidylpropionate) as cross-linking reagent. The cross-linked polypeptides were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. A major polypeptide of Mr = 67 000 was characterized and it behaved like a high-affinity binding site for VIP according to the following data. The concentration of native VIP (0.5 nM) giving half-maximum inhibition of 125I-VIP covalent cross-linking with this polypeptide was very similar to that giving half-maximum displacement of 125I-VIP on HT 29 cells (0.6 nM). Glucagon or insulin was unable to inhibit the labelling of the Mr-67 000 component. In our experimental conditions neither specific 125I-VIP binding nor covalent labelling was observed with monolayers of Madin Darby canine kidney epithelial cells (MDCK cells) or African green monkey kidney fibroblasts (Vero cells) while the Mr-67 000 polypeptide was also characterized with human rectal adenocarcinoma cells (HRT 18 cells), known to possess the VIP receptor. Preincubation of HT 29 cells with native VIP at 37 degrees C, before 125I-VIP binding and subsequent cross-linking reaction, decreased the labelling of the Mr-67 000 polypeptide up to 80%. Assuming one molecule of 125I-VIP cross-linked per polypeptide, we have characterized, for the first time, a major polypeptide of Mr = 64 000, which belongs to the high-affinity VIP binding site of an intestinal human cell line.     

Internalization of the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in a human adenocarcinoma cell line (HT29)

The time course of internalization of radioiodinated vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in HT29 cells was obtained using the technique of acetic acid removal of cell-surface-bound peptide. Even after 10 min incubation at 37 degrees C, 125I-VIP, initially bound on the HT29 cell surface, was compartmentalized within the cells. During the same time, degraded radioactive material was released by cells in the incubation medium. Localization of internalized 125I-VIP was investigated using two different subcellular fractionation techniques. 10 min after the onset of internalization, 125I-VIP labelling was found in intermediate structures and 10 min later the bulk of the radioactivity was detected in a low-density fraction containing very large lysosomes with a multivesicular aspect. The lysosomotropic agent NH4Cl appeared to inhibit 125I-VIP internalization, degradation and appearance of radiolabelled peptide in the large lysosomes in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, the effect of NH4Cl resulted in an accumulation of radioactive material in fractions containing microsomal structures. On the other hand, bacitracin, together with methylamine, highly enhanced 125I-VIP labelling in a membrane fraction, suggesting that these agents possibly act on a cell surface component of HT29 cells. These results support the conclusion that in HT29 cells, prelysosomal structures and large secondary lysosomes are probably part of the intracellular pathway of internalized VIP.     

The antenna system of Rhodospirillum rubrum. Detection of macromolecular constituents not stainable by Coomassie brilliant blue in solubilized preparations of the B880 complex

A solubilized preparation of the major Rhodospirillum rubrum antenna complex (B880) was obtained by a described procedure and its polypeptide composition was analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Only two polypeptides of molecular weights close to 7000 were detected after staining the gels with Coomassie brilliant blue. However, several other constituents could be visualized by silver staining or by an immunochemical method. When the preparation was chromatographed on Sephacryl, some of the resulting fractions exhibited the characteristic B880 absorption spectrum and contained only the two proteins that were detectable with Coomassie brilliant blue. In those fractions the A ₂₈₀/A ₈₈₀ratio was 0.4, which indicated a significant improvement of the bacteriochlorophyll to protein ratio over the unchromatographed preparation (A ₂₈₀/A ₈₈₀=0.7). Other chromatography fractions lacked bacteriochlorophyll and contained a carotenoid which seemed to be bound to protein. The macromolecular constituents present in these latter fractions differed from those associated to the purified B880 complex in their electrophoretic moblities and/or in their staining properties. That suggested the possible existence of a carotenoprotein that did not result from the B880 complex upon loss of bacteriochlorophyll.     

Reaction of ethyl 2-amino-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-d-gluconate with acetylenic esters

Ethyl 2-amino-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-d-gluconate adds to acetylenic esters to give sugar enaminones. The following acetylene derivatives have been employed: methyl propiolate, ethyl phenylpropiolate, and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (6). With compound 6, the reaction leads to a mixture of the expected enaminone and the isomeric oxazolidine derivative. The structures and configurations of the new compounds were studied by spectroscopic and chemical methods.     

Short term regulation by lysine of ornithine decarboxylase activity in Dictyostelium discoideum

A transitory increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity has been observed soon after food removal from Dictyostelium discoideum amoeba. This increase can be prevented by supplementation of the differentiation buffer with the 11 amino acids known for their ability to retard the development of this slime mold. Lysine can replace the amino acid mixture with an apparent inhibition constant of 50 micromolar. This inhibition by lysine, which was only observed in vivo, took place within 5 min and was readily reversed upon lysine removal.