Superoxide dismutase isoenzymes in bovine and human milk

The presence of superoxide dismutase in bovine and human milk was investigated by ultrafiltration, gel filtration, and isoelectric focusing. Conclusive evidence for the presence of this enzyme in both milks is presented. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 to be 30,000, which is consistent with reported values for the copper, zinc form of superoxide dismutase. In addition, enzyme activity was inhibited by cyanide, thus eliminating the possibility that the enzyme was present in the manganese form. Several isoenzymes were detected by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel, and the isoenzyme pattern in bovine milk was the same as that found for bovine plasma, suggesting that milk superoxide dismutase originates from plasma. It may be that the presence of copper, zinc superoxide dismutase in milk is important for the maintenance of its oxidative stability.     

Improved analysis of hemagglutination assays for quantitation of lectin activity

A method to quantitate lectin activity based on hemagglutination assay in microtiter plates is described. In addition to the normal method of visual titer evaluation an electronic particle counter is used for counting of nonagglutinated cells in the microtiter wells; this allows a rapid, quantitative determination of the amount of lectin required to agglutinate 50% of the countable single cells. It is also recommended that counting results should be related to a standard curve of concanavalin A to improve the reproducibility of the assay.     

35Cl nuclear magnetic resonance studies of anion binding to halophilic proteins: Ferredoxin from Halobacterium of the Dead Sea

The anion-binding characteristics of ferredoxin from Halobacterium of the Dead Sea have been studied by ³⁵Cl^? NMR. It is found that the binding constant of Cl^? to halophilic ferredoxin is ca. 0.09 at 28 °C and that the binding enthalpy is positive. It is also found that the correlation time for chloride ions bound to halophilic ferredoxin is about 10 ns. The effect on the ³⁵Cl^?1 NMR signal of adding competing anions is also studied. Halophilic proteins like ferredoxin which have a high negative charge bind anions with low affinity but the ³⁵Cl^? quadrupole relaxation technique can conveniently monitor such weak binding.     

Radioiodinated antibodies,a tool in studies on the presence and role of inactive enzyme forms: Regulation of chalcone synthase in parsley cell suspension cultures

A new technique, the quantitative determination of total enzyme concentrations by specific immunoprecipitation with purified, radioiodinated antibodies, was used to investigate the presence and possible roles of inactive enzyme in the regulation of chalcone synthase. Dark-grown cell suspension cultures from parsley (Petroselinum hortense) contained neither catalytically active nor detectable amounts of immunoprecipitable chalcone synthase. Irradiation induced large increases and subsequent decreases of both. Significant differences in the peak positions and in the half-lives of active and total chalcone synthase indicated that induced cells contained inactive as well as active enzyme forms. The presence of inactive enzyme could be explained by two different modes of regulation, (i) simultaneous de novo synthesis of active and inactive enzyme (“Simultaneous Model”), or (ii) de novo synthesis of active enzyme only, with sequential steps of inactivation and degradation (“Sequential Model”). Both models were compatible with experimental results, as analyzed mathematically by investigating the relations between curves for rate of enzyme synthesis, enzyme activity, total enzyme, and half-lives of active and total enzyme. However, the “Simultaneous Model” postulated that de novo synthesis of inactive enzyme represented always the vast majority of total enzyme synthesis, while the Sequential Model integrated inactive enzyme with facility in a sequence of irreversible inactivation and degradation of active enzyme. Experiments with repeated induction indicated that cells containing large amounts of inactive enzyme increased enzyme activity by de novo synthesis rather than by activation of preexisting inactive enzyme.     

Neural crest cell migration in relation to extracellular matrix organization in the embryonic axolotl trunk

Temporal and regional aspects of early neural crest cell migration in relation to extracellular matrix (ECM) organization and distribution in the embryonic axolotl trunk were studied by light microscopy, TEM, and SEM. The dominating structure of the interstitial ECM is a complex network of fibrils, which are indicated by ruthenium red staining to consist of collagen in association with ruthenium red-positive components, probably including glycosaminoglycans. The ECM fibrils, which are largely used as substratum for locomotion by the crest cells, have a temporally and regionally specific organization and distribution. Increase in ECM fibrils on the neural tube, ahead of the crest cell front, is correlated with initiation of crest cell emigration, and it is suggested that the fibrils may stimulate this process by providing a suitable substratum for cell locomotion. An increase in ECM fibrils in extracellular spaces surrounding the crest cell population is correlated with an expansion of these spaces and with progressing crest cell migration into them. It is proposed that the spatial organization of the ECM fibrils influences crest cell shape and orientation during early migration.     

Characterization of human blood platelet membrane proteins and glycoproteins by their isoelectric point (pI) and apparent molecular weight using two-dimensional electrophoresis and surface-labelling techniques

Intact human blood platelets were radioactively labelled at the surface by techniques specific for proteins or glycoproteins. Labelled platelet samples were analyzed by a high-resolution two-dimensional separation system involving isoelectric focusing in the first dimension and discontinuous sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the second. The major platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) bands (Ib, IIb, IIIa and IIIb) were found to be highly heterogeneous even after removal of terminal sialic acid residues. Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination of platelets showed that the major labelled proteins (Ib, IIb, IIIa and IIIb) had altered isoelectric points ($\text{p}\text{I}$) and molecular weights after neuraminidase treatment. A number of membrane glycoproteins previously undetected by one-dimensional gel electrophoresis were demonstrated and good evidence provided that the major platelet surface proteins are glycosylated.     

Benzo(a)pyrene metabolism by purified forms of rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5 and epoxide hydrase in reconstituted phospholipid vesicles

The roles of rabbit liver cytochrome b₅, epoxide hydrase and various forms of cytochrome P-450 in the NADPH-dependent metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene were examined. After incorporation of the purified enzymes into phospholipid vesicles, using the cholate gel filtration technique, the various types of cytochrome P-450 did exhibit different stereospecificities in the oxygenation of the substrate. Cytochrome P-450_LM2 was found to efficiently convert benzo(a)pyrene in the presence of epoxide hydrase to 4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydrobenzo(a)pyrene whereas cytochrome P-450_LM4 primarily participated in the formation of 9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydrobenzo(a)pyrene. By contrast, benzo(a)pyrene was not metabolized by cytochrome P-450_LM3. Cytochrome b₅ enhanced cytochrome P-450_LM2-catalyzed oxygenations 5-fold, whereas cytochrome P-450_LM4-dependent oxygenations proceeded at a 3 times higher rate when cytochrome b₅ was present in the membrane.     

11-Trans leukotriene C: A naturally occurring slow reacting substance

A slow reacting substance, produced by murine mastocytoma cells, has been shown to have the structure 5(S)-hydroxy-6(R)-$\text{S}$-glutathionyl-7,9,11-$\text{trans}\text{-14-}\text{cis}\text{-eicosatetraenoic acid (11-}\text{trans}$ leukotriene C, previously referred to as leukotriene C-2) by ultraviolet spectroscopy, amino acid analyses, lipoxygenase conversion and comparisions with a synthetic compound of known structure and stereochemistry.     

Identification of a component of rat mononuclear cell SRS as leukotriene D

Slow reacting substance (SRS), produced by rat peritoneal mononuclear cells after stimulation with ionophore A23187, consists of two main components (Bach, M.K. et al. (1979) J. Immunol. 122, 160–165). One of these components was recently identified as leukotriene C-1. The other component has now been identified as leukotriene D.