New RNA-mediated reactions by yeast mitochondrial group I introns.

The group I self-splicing reaction is initiated by attack of a guanosine nucleotide at the 5' splice site of intron-containing precursor RNA. When precursor RNA containing a yeast mitochondrial group I intron is incubated in vitro under conditions of self-splicing, guanosine nucleotide attack can also occur at other positions: (i) the 3' splice site, resulting in formation of a 3' exon carrying an extra added guanosine nucleotide at its 5' end; (ii) the first phosphodiester bond in precursor RNA synthesized from the SP6 bacteriophage promoter, leading to substitution of the first 5'-guanosine by a guanosine nucleotide from the reaction mixture; (iii) the first phosphodiester bond in already excised intron RNA, resulting in exchange of the 5' terminal guanosine nucleotide for a guanosine nucleotide from the reaction mixture. An identical sequence motif (5'-GAA-3') occurs at the 3' splice site, the 5' end of SP6 precursor RNA and at the 5' end of excised intron RNA. We propose that the aberrant reactions can be explained by base-pairing of the GAA sequence to the Internal Guide Sequence. We suggest that these reactions are mediated by the same catalytic centre of the intron RNA that governs the normal splicing reactions.     

Neutrophil association and degradation of normal and acute-phase high-density lipoprotein 3.

The interaction of normal and acute-phase high-density lipoproteins of the subclass 3 (N-HDL3 and AP-HDL3) with human neutrophils and the accompanying degradation of HDL3 apolipoproteins have been studied in vitro. The chemical composition of normal and acute-phase HDL3 was similar except that serum amyloid A protein (apo-SAA) was a major apolipoprotein in AP-HDL3 (approx. 30% of total apolipoproteins). 125I-labelled AP-HDL3 was degraded 5-10 times faster than 125I-labelled N-HDL3 during incubation with neutrophils or neutrophil-conditioned medium. Apo-SAA, like apolipoprotein A-II (apo-A-II), was more susceptible than apolipoprotein A-I (apo-A-I) to the action of proteases released from the cells. The amounts of cell-associated AP-HDL3 apolipoproteins at saturation were up to 2.8 times greater than N-HDL3 apolipoproteins; while apo-A-I was the major cell-associated apolipoprotein when N-HDL3 was bound, apo-SAA constituted 80% of the apolipoproteins bound in the case of AP-HDL3. The associated intact apo-SAA was mostly surface-bound as it was accessible to the action of exogenous trypsin. alpha 1-Antitrypsin-resistant (alpha 1-AT-resistant) cellular degradation of AP-HDL3 apolipoproteins also occurred; experiments in which pulse-chase labelling was performed or lysosomotropic agents were used indicated that insignificant intracellular degradation occurred which points to the involvement of cell-surface proteases in this degradation.     

Binding of NAD+ by cholera toxin.

1. The Km for NAD+ of cholera toxin working as an NAD+ glycohydrolase is 4 mM, and this is increased to about 50 mM in the presence of low-Mr ADP-ribose acceptors. Only molecules having both the adenine and nicotinamide moieties of NAD+ with minor alterations in the nicotinamide ring can be competitive inhibitors of this reaction. 2. This high Km for NAD+ is also reflected in the dissociation constant, Kd, which was determined by a variety of methods. 3. Results from equilibrium dialysis were subject to high error, but showed one binding site and a Kd of about 3 mM. 4. The A1 peptide of the toxin is digested by trypsin, and this digestion is completely prevented by concentrations of NAD+ above 50 mM. Measurement (by densitometric scanning of polyacrylamide-gel electrophoretograms) of the rate of tryptic digestion at different concentrations of NAD+ allowed a more accurate determination of Kd = 4.0 +/- 0.4 mM. Some analogues of NAD+ that are competitive inhibitors of the glycohydrolase reaction also prevented digestion.     

Identification of a 64 kDa heparan sulphate proteoglycan core protein from human lung fibroblast plasma membranes with a monoclonal antibody.

Human lung fibroblasts produce heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPG) that are associated with the plasma membrane. A monoclonal-antibody (Mab)-secreting hybridoma, S1, was produced by fusion of SP 2/0-AG 14 mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with partially purified cellular HSPG fractions. The HSPG character of the material carrying the epitope recognized by Mab S1 was demonstrated by: (i) the co-purification of the S1 epitope with the membrane HSPG of human lung fibroblasts; (ii) the decrease in size of the material carrying the S1 epitope upon treatment with heparinase or heparitinase, and the resistance of this material to heparinase treatment after N-desulphation. The S1 epitope appears to be part of the core protein, since it was destroyed by proteinase treatment and by disulphide-bond reduction, but not by treatments that depolymerize the glycosaminoglycan chains and N-linked oligosaccharide chains. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of non-reduced heparitinase-digested membrane HSPG followed by Western blotting and immunostaining with Mab S1 revealed a single band with apparent molecular mass of 64 kDa. Membrane proteoglycans isolated from detergent extracts or from 4 M-guanidinium chloride extracts of the cells yielded similar results. Additional digestion with N-glycanase lowered the apparent molecular mass of the immunoreactive material to 56 kDa, suggesting that the core protein also carries N-linked oligosaccharides. Fractionation of 125I-labelled membrane HSPG by immuno-affinity chromatography on immobilized Mab S1, followed by heparitinase digestion and polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of the bound material, yielded a single labelled band with apparent molecular mass 64 kDa. Treatment with dithiothreitol caused a slight increase in apparent molecular mass, suggesting that the core protein of this membrane proteoglycan of a single subunit containing (an) intrachain disulphide bond(s).     

The interaction in vivo of transferrin and asialotransferrin with liver cells.

Rat transferrin or asialotransferrin doubly radiolabelled with 59Fe and 125I was injected into rats. A determination of extrahepatic and hepatic uptake indicated that asialotransferrin delivers a higher fraction of the injected 59Fe to the liver than does transferrin. In order to determine in vivo the intrahepatic recognition sites for transferrin and asialotransferrin, the liver was subfractionated into parenchymal, endothelial and Kupffer cells by a low-temperature cell isolation procedure. High-affinity recognition of transferrin (competed for by an excess of unlabelled transferrin) is exerted by parenchymal cells as well as endothelial and Kupffer cells with a 10-fold higher association (expressed per mg of cell protein) to the latter cell types. In all three cell types iron delivery occurs, as concluded from the increase in cellular 59Fe/125I ratio at prolonged circulation times of transferrin. It can be calculated that parenchymal cells are responsible for 50-60% of the interaction of transferrin with the liver, 20-30% is associated with endothelial cells and about 20% with Kupffer cells. For asialotransferrin a higher fraction of the injected dose becomes associated with parenchymal cells as well as with endothelial and Kupffer cells. Competition experiments in vivo with various sugars indicated that the increased interaction of asialotransferrin with parenchymal cells is specifically inhibited by N-acetylgalactosamine whereas mannan specifically inhibits the increased interaction of asialotransferrin with endothelial and Kupffer cells. Recognition of asialotransferrin by galactose receptors from parenchymal cells or mannose receptors from endothelial and Kupffer cells is coupled to active 59Fe delivery to the cells. It is concluded that, as well as parenchymal cells, liver endothelial and Kupffer cells are also quantitatively important intrahepatic sites for transferrin and asialotransferrin metabolism, an interaction exerted by multiple recognition sites on the various cell types.     

Influence of N6-methylation of residue A(5) on the conformational behaviour of d(C-C-G-A-A-T-T-C-G-G) in solution studied by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. 2. The hairpin form

The solution conformations of the oligonucleotides d(C-C-G-A-A-T-T-C-G-G) and d(C-C-G-A-m6A-T-T-C-G-G) as a function of temperature and sample concentration were investigated by means of 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The NMR spectra revealed that, at certain combinations of temperature and low sample and salt concentration, both compounds exist as a B-DNA-type duplex slowly (on the 1H-NMR time scale) interconverting with a monomeric species. From chemical shift data and imino-proton spectra, it is concluded that the monomeric species consists of a mixture of a hairpin form in rapid equilibrium with the random-coil form. The double-helical stem of the hairpin is formed by the six terminal cytidine and guanine residues, whereas the four core residues, -A-(m6)A-T-T-, partake in the loop. Thermodynamic analysis of the chemical shift of the resonances of the monomeric species vs temperature profiles of the two decamers and mutual comparison of these profiles indicate the following: the influence of N6-methylation of residue A(5) upon the local structure of the hairpin must be small; methylation decreases the stability of the duplex relative to the monomeric species: the temperature at which the fraction duplex equals 0.5 was found to be 312 K for the parent compound and 305 K for the methylated decamer at 2 mM sample concentration; methylation does not significantly alter the stability of the hairpin form relative to the random coil form: the Tm of the hairp----n equilibrium random-coil equilibrium is 308 K for the parent compound and 306 K for the methylated decamer. A higher fraction hairpin-like structure for the N6-methylated compound is observed under identical conditions of temperature and sample concentration: at 300 K, 2 mM sample concentration, the fraction hairpin form is 0.12 for d(C-C-G-A-A-T-T-C-G-G) and 0.20 for d(C-C-G-A-m6A-T-T-C-G-G). This finding appears to be a consequence of the reduced stability of the methylated dimeric species relative to the monomeric species, and to depend upon the sodium-ion concentration: it becomes more pronounced under low-salt conditions.     

Peroxisomes and peroxisomal functions in muscle. Studies with muscle cells from controls and a patient with the cerebro-hepato-renal (Zellweger) syndrome

In the present study we investigated peroxisomal functions in cultured human muscle cells from control subjects and from a patient with the Zellweger syndrome, a genetic disease characterized by the absence of morphologically distinguishable peroxisomes in liver and kidney. In homogenates of cultured muscle cells from control subjects, catalase is contained within subcellular particles, acyl-CoA:dihydroxyacetonephosphate acyltransferase activity is present and palmitoyl-CoA can be oxidized by a peroxisomal beta-oxidative pathway; these findings are indicative of the presence of peroxisomes in the cells. In homogenates of cultured muscle cells from the patient with the Zellweger syndrome, acyl-CoA:dihydroxyacetonephosphate acyltransferase activity was deficient, peroxisomal beta-oxidation of palmitoyl-CoA was impaired and catalase was not particle-bound. These findings indicate that functional peroxisomes are absent in muscle from patients with the Zellweger syndrome. We conclude that cultured human muscle cells can be used as a model system to study peroxisomal functions in muscle and the consequences for this tissue of a generalized dysfunction of peroxisomes.     

Ca2+ phospholipid-dependent and independent phosphorylation of synthetic peptide substrates by protein kinase C

Several synthetic peptides reproducing fragments of protamines have been used as model substrates for Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C, tested both in the absence of any effector (basal conditions) and upon activation by either Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine (or diacylglycerol) or limited proteolysis. Only the peptide Arg4-Tyr-Gly-Ser-Arg6-Tyr [Ga(52-65)] shares the unique property of protamines of being readily phosphorylated even under basal conditions. Optimal activity in the absence of effectors is observed with Tris/HCl buffer pH 7.5; Pipes and Hepes are less effective at pH 7.5, and at pH 6.5 basal phosphorylation is reduced. Under the best conditions for basal phosphorylation of Ga(52-65), its derivative with ornithine replaced for arginine and those corresponding to its C-terminal fragments Gly-Ser-Arg6-Tyr [Ga(57-65)] and Gly-Ser-Arg3 [Ga(57-61)], as well as the peptides Pro-Arg5-Ser2-Arg-Pro-Val-Arg [Th(1-12)], Arg4-Tyr-Arg2-Ser-Thr-Val-Ala [Th(13-23)] and Arg2-Leu-Ser2-Leu-Arg-Ala are not significantly affected though all of them, like histones, are more or less readily phosphorylated upon activation of protein kinase C by Ca2+/phosphatidylserine. The peptide Ser2-Arg-Pro-Val-Arg [Th(7-12)] however, corresponding to the C-terminal part of Th(1-12), is not phosphorylated even in the presence of activators. Limited proteolysis can roughly mimic the Ca2+/phosphatidylserine effect inducing however different extents of activation depending on the nature of the peptide substrates. Our results support the following two conclusions. Basal phosphorylation by protein kinase C in the absence of any effector requires peptide substrates whose target residue(s) are included between two extended arginyl blocks and is also dependent on pH and nature of the buffer. Peptides having extended clusters of either arginyl or ornithyl residues on the C-terminal side of serine are also readily phosphorylated, but they need activation of protein kinase by either Ca2+/phosphatidylserine or limited proteolysis. The same is true of peptides having basic residues only on the N-terminal side, or even on both sides but in limited number.     

Application of a reference convolution method to tryptophan fluorescence in proteins. A refined description of rotational dynamics

A reference method for the deconvolution of polarized fluorescence decay data is described. Fluorescence lifetime determinations for p-terphenyl, p-bis[2-(5-phenyloxazolyl)]benzene and N-acetyltryptophanamide (AcTrpNH2) show that with this method more reliable fits of the decays can be made than with the scatterer method, which is most frequently used. Analysis of the AcTrpNH2 decay with p-terphenyl as the reference compound yields an excellent fit with lifetimes of 2.985 ns for AcTrpNH2 and 1.099 ns for p-terphenyl (20 degrees C), whereas the AcTrpNH2 decay cannot be satisfactorily fitted when the scatterer method is used. The frequency of the detected photons is varied to determine the conditions where pulse pile-up starts to affect the measured decays. At detection frequencies of 5 kHz and 15 kHz, which corresponds to 1.7% and 5% respectively of the rate of the excitation photons no effects are found. Decays measured at 30 kHz (10%) are distorted, indicating that pile-up effects play a role at this frequency. The fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy decays of the tryptophan residues in the proteins human serum albumin, horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase and lysozyme have been reanalysed with the reference method. The single tryptophan residue of the albumin is shown to be characterized by a triple-exponential fluorescence decay. The anisotropy decay of albumin was found to be mono-exponential with a rotational correlation time of 26 ns (20 degrees C). The alcohol dehydrogenase has two different tryptophan residues to which single lifetimes are assigned. It is found that the rotational correlation time for the dehydrogenase changes with excitation wavelength (33 ns for lambda ex = 295 nm and 36 ns for lambda ex = 300 nm at 20 degrees C), indicating a nonspherical protein molecule. Lysozyme has six tryptophan residues, which give rise to a triple-exponential fluorescence decay. A single-exponential decay with a rotational correlation time of 3.8 ns is found for the anisotropy. This correlation time is significantly shorter than that arising from the overall rotation and probably originates from intramolecular, segmental motion.