Synthesis of the biologically active β-subunit of human nerve growth factor in Escherichia coli

The gene(NGFB) encoding the β subunit of mature human nerve growth factor (hNGFB) was subcloned into the pJLA503 expression vector under the control of bacteriophage promoters p_R and p_L, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein represented approximately 3% of the total cellular protein. Biologically active hNGFB was solubilized (0.2% total NGFB) and purified by cation-exchange chromatography and it yielded two bands on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions, corresponding to the monomeric (14 kDa) and homodimeric (26.5 kDa) forms of the molecule. Both hNGFB forms were immunopositive on Western blots with rabbit anti-NGFB antibodies; however, following additional purification, only the species corresponding to the hNGFB homodimer was biologically active on cultured chicken dorsal root ganglion neurons. These results demonstrate the feasibility of synthesizing the biologically active form of hNGFB in E. coli.     

The complete amino acid sequences of cytosolic and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferases from horse heart,and inferences on evolution of the isoenzymes

Summary We report here the complete amino acid sequences of the cytosolic and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferases from horse heart. The two sequences can be aligned so that 48.1% of the amino acid residues are identical. The sequences have been compared with those of the cytosolic isoenzymes from pig and chicken, the mitochondrial isoenzymes from pig, chicken, rat, and human, and the enzyme fromEscherichia coli. The results suggest that the mammalian cytosolic and mitochondrial isoenzymes have evolved at equal and constant rates whereas the isoenzymes from chicken may have evolved somewhat more slowly. Based on the rate of evolution of the mammalian isoenzymes, the geneduplication event that gave rise to cytosolic and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferases is estimated to have occurred at least 10⁹ years ago. The cytosolic and mitochondrial isoenzymes are equally related to the enzyme fromE. coli; the prokaryotic and eukaryotic enzymes diverged from one another at least 1.3×10⁹ years ago.     

Comparative development of thoracic intervertebral discs and intra-articular ligaments in the human, monkey, mouse, and cat

Developmental features of thoracic intervertrebral discs and their association in the adult with other vertebral structures were investigated in four species. The human anulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus, and intra-articular ligaments were compared to those of the fetal rhesus monkey, mouse, and kitten. Photomicrographs of transverse sections of intervertebral discs document the presence of intra-articular ligaments in fetuses of these four species. Both transverse and sagittal sections of kittens were used to identify the intercapital ligament as it differentiated from the dorsal part of the intra-articular ligament. Relatively frequent dorsal herniation of the thoracic nucleus pulposus in humans may be due to the vestigial nature of the human intra-articular ligament. Quadrupeds have well-developed intra-articular ligaments, which explains anatomically the paucity of dorsal protrusions of the nucleus pulposus into the vertebral canal in the thoracic region of the cat and mouse when compared to the human. The intra-articular ligament was closely associated with the developing prenatal mammalian intervertebral disc in the four species studied, and this relationship and its surgical importance are described.     

Changes in isozyme patterns between monokaryons and dikaryons of a bipolar Coprinus

Proteins and isozymes of several different classes of enzymes in partially purified protein extracts of monokaryons, dikaryons, and monokaryon mixtures of a bipolar Coprinus sp. were separated on polyacrylamide gels by slab electrophoresis. Differences in protein and isozyme spectra were correlated with the operation of the incompatibility factors and with the results of Wang and Raper on Schizophyllum. It was concluded that the shift from monokaryon to dikaryon mediated a major change in the nature, quantity, or distribution of the proteins of this Coprinus sp.     

Kinetic properties of the 5 alpha-reductase of testosterone in the purified myelin, in the subcortical white matter and in the cerebral cortex of the male rat brain

The 5 alpha-reductase, the enzyme which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is present in several CNS structures of the rat. Recent reports from this laboratory indicate that the subcortical white matter and the myelin possess a 5 alpha-reductase activity several times higher than that present in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, previous ontogenetic observations indicate that in all cerebral tissues examined (including the myelin) the 5 alpha-reductase has a higher activity in immature animals. This study was performed in order to verify whether the differences in the 5 alpha-reductase activity on the various brain components might be due to the presence of different concentrations of the same enzyme or to different isoenzymes. To this purpose, the kinetic properties Km and Vmax were measured in the purified myelin as well as in homogenates of the subcortical white matter and of the cerebral cortex, obtained from the brain of adult (60-90-day-old), immature (23-day-old), and aged (greater than 20-month-old) male rats. The results indicate that the enzymes present in the myelin, in the subcortical white matter and in the cerebral cortex of adult male rats possess a very similar apparent Km (1.93 +/- 0.2, 2.72 +/- 0.73 and 3.83 +/- 0.49 microM respectively). On the contrary, the Vmax values obtained in the myelin (34.40 +/- 5.54), in the white matter (19.57 +/- 2.36) and in the cerebral cortex (6.47 +/- 1.03 ng/h/mg protein) of adult animals have been found to be consistently different. Very similar Km values were found in the myelin obtained from the brain of immature and very old rats (2.14 +/- 0.11 and 3.39 +/- 0.75 microM respectively). The Vmax measured in the myelin purified from the immature rat brain (62.25 +/- 4.52) showed a value which was much higher than that found in the myelin of adult animals (34.40 +/- 5.54); a Vmax (34.31 +/- 9.41) almost identical to that of adult animals was found in the myelin prepared from the brain of aged rats.     

Effect of neonatal estrogenization on testosterone metabolism in the prostate and in the epididymis of the rat

The present experiments were performed in order to analyze whether the administration of estrogens (single injection of 500 micrograms of estradiol benzoate s.c.) to neonatal male rats might modify the weight of the ventral prostate and the epididymis as well as the metabolism of testosterone in these two organs. The metabolism of testosterone was evaluated in vitro using 14C-radiolabelled testosterone as the substrate. The metabolites dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol (3 alpha-diol), 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,17 beta-diol (3 beta-diol), androstenedione, 5 alpha-androstane-3,17-dione (5-A-dione) and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstane-17-one (androsterone) were quantified. After neonatal estrogen administration animals were killed on days 22 and 90 of age. The following changes were observed: (1) the body weight, the weight of the testes and of the ventral prostate were lower than in controls on both day 22 and 90; (2) the weight of the epididymides was higher than in controls on day 22 and lower on day 90; (3) in the ventral prostate the in vitro formation of DHT was lower and that of the diols was higher than in control tissue on day 22 of age; (4) the in vitro formation of alpha-reduced metabolites of the 17-keto series (5 alpha-A-dione + androsterone) was higher in ventral prostate of treated animals than in that of controls on day 22; (5) in treated animals, no formation of DHT in the caput epididymis was observed at day 22. On the contrary, at the same age the formation of androstenedione was higher than in controls; on day 90 of age the formation of DHT, androstenedione and the 5 alpha-reduced metabolites of the 17-keto series was identical in caput epididymis of the treated animals and of the controls, while the formation of the diols was higher in the treated than in the controls. The data indicate that neonatal estrogenization may induce important changes in testosterone metabolism in the prostates and in the epididymides of the rat.