Purification of bovine liver histidyl-tRNA synthetase, the Jo-1 antigen of polymyositis: size of the whole enzyme and its characteristic proteolytic fragments

We have recently reported the marked increase in frequency which can be achieved in the detection of the anti-Jo-1 antibody of polymyositis in serum samples by replacing commercial mixtures of cytoplasmic and nuclear antigens with the purified antigen, histidyl-tRNA synthetase. The present paper describes a method for purifying this antigen and an investigation of its size. Molecular masses previously reported for the enzyme have varied from 85-154 kDa and subunit molecular masses varying from 40-77 kDa have been observed. Several of these fragments are of sizes similar to those of a number of other autoantigens commonly observed in connective tissue diseases. Since the clinical identification of these autoantigens often relies exclusively on size determination by Western blotting, we have characterized the commonly occurring fragments of histidyl-tRNA synthetase lest they confuse such identification. It is concluded that histidyl-tRNA synthetase, like many other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, is subject to severe proteolysis during extraction procedures. Several characteristic fragments (Mr = 80, 75, 61, 55, 50 and 45 kDa) result, a finding that provides a satisfactory explanation of the various values previously reported. The intact bovine enzyme is a dimer of molecular mass close to 160 kDa.     

Elimination of the non-specific binding of avidin to tissue sections

Summary A simple procedure is described for eliminating non-specific staining with avidin—peroxidase conjugates. Murine ovaries were embedded in either paraffin wax or epoxy resin and, after blocking endogenous peroxidase activity, were treated with 10 µg/ml biotinylatedPisum sativum agglutinin. Avidin—peroxidase conjugates (5 µg/ml), diluted in standard 0.05m tris-buffered saline, pH 7.6, containing 0.139m NaCl, produced considerable background coloration and intense mast cell staining in controls without the lectin. This background diminished as the ionic strength of the buffer was raised. At 0.125m Tris-buffered saline (containing 0.347m NaCl) the background was completely unstained, with elimination of all binding to mast cells and only minimal loss of specific lectin binding.     

Inhibition of gastric H+,K+-ATPase and acid secretion by SCH 28080, a substituted pyridyl(1,2a)imidazole

A hydrophobic amine, SCH 28080, 2-methyl-8-(phenylmethoxy)imidazo(1,2a)pyridine-3-acetonitrile, previously shown to inhibit gastric acid secretion in vivo and in vitro, was also shown to inhibit basal and stimulated aminopyrine accumulation in isolated gastric glands when histamine, high K+ concentrations, or dibutyryl cAMP were used as secretagogues. Stimulated, but not basal, oxygen consumption was also inhibited. Neutralization of the acid space of the parietal cell by high concentrations of the weak base, imidazole, reduced the potency of the drug, suggesting that SCH 28080 was active when protonated. Studies on the isolated H+,K+-ATPase showed that the compound inhibited the enzyme competitively with K+, whether ATP or p-nitrophenyl phosphate were used as substrates. In contrast, the inhibition was mixed with respect to p-nitrophenyl phosphate and uncompetitive with respect to ATP. The drug reduced the steady state level of the phosphoenzyme but not the observed rate constant for phosphoenzyme formation in the absence of K+ nor the quantity of phosphoenzyme reacting with K+. The drug quenched the fluorescence of fluorescein isothiocyanate-modified enzyme and also inhibited the ATP-independent K+ exchange reaction of the H+,K+-ATPase. Its action on gastric acid secretion can be explained by inhibition of the H+,K+-ATPase by reversible complexation of the enzyme. This class of compound, therefore, acts as a reversible inhibitor of gastric acid secretion.     

Properties of the reaction center of the thermophilic purple photosynthetic bacterium Chromatium tepidum

Reaction centers were purified from the thermophilic purple sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Chromatium tepidum. The reaction center consists of four polypeptides L, M, H and C, whose apparent molecular masses were determined to be 25, 30, 34 and 44 kDa, respectively, by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The heaviest peptide corresponds to tightly bound cytochrome. The tightly bound cytochrome c contains two types of heme, high-potential c-556 and low-potential c-553. The low-potential heme is able to be photooxidized at 77 K. The reaction center exhibits laser-flash-induced absorption changes and circular dichroism spectra similar to those observed in other purple photosynthetic bacteria. Whole cells contain both ubiquinone and menaquinone. Reaction centers contain only a single active quinone; chemical analysis showed this to be menaquinone. Reaction center complexes without the tightly bound cytochrome were also prepared. The near-infrared pigment absorption bands are red-shifted in reaction centers with cytochrome compared to those without cytochrome.     

Construction of an Unstable Ring-X Chromosome Bearing the Autosomal Dopa Decarboxylase Gene in Drosophila melanogaster and Analysis of Ddc Mosaics

An unstable Ring-X chromosome, Ddc⁺- Ring-X carrying a cloned Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) encoding segment was constructed. The construction involved a double recombination event between the unstable Ring-X, R(1)w^vC and a Rod-X chromosome which contained a P-element mediated Ddc ⁺ insert. The resulting Ddc⁺-Ring-X chromosome behaves similarly to the parent chromosome with respect to somatic instability. The Ddc⁺-Ring-X chromosome was used to generate Ddc mosaics. Analyses of Ddc mosaics revealed that while there was no absolute requirement for the Ddc ⁺ expression in either the epidermis or the nervous system, very large mutant clones did affect the viability of the mosaic.     

DNA structures associated with autonomously replicating sequences from plants

DNA fragments capable of conferring autonomous replicating ability to plasmids inSaccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated from four different plant genomes and from the Ti plasmid ofAgrobacterium tumefaciens. The DNA structure of these autonomously replicating sequences (ARSs) as well as two from yeast were studied using retardation during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and computer analysis as measures of sequence-dependent DNA structures. Bent DNA was found to be associated with the ARS elements. An 11 bp ARS consensus sequence required for ARS function was also identified in the elements examined and was flanked by unusually straight structures which were rich in A+T content. These results show that the ARS elements from genomes of higher plants have structural and sequence features in common with ARS elements from yeast and higher animals.Supported by Grant 1RO1-GM41708-O1 from the National Institute of Health.     

The lyotropic liquid crystal properties of n-octyl 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and related n-alkyl pyranosides

X-ray diffraction patterns have been obtained for the lyotropic phases of n-octyl 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and the related n-heptyl, n-nonyl and n-decyl compounds with water. The octyl compound exhibits all three liquid crystal phases and forms a micellar solution with increasing solvation, when the crystal come into contact with water at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction patterns show a one-dimensional lamellar phase with [dx] = 28.4 A, a three-dimensional face-centered cubic phase with [a] = 51.2 A, and a two-dimensional hexagonal phase with [a] = [b] = 36.7 A. The micellar solution has a distribution pattern with a maximum at [dx] = 33.8 A. Crystals of the heptyl, nonyl and decyl derivatives form only the lamellar phases and the micellar solution on contact with water at room temperature.     

Turnover of Extracellular DNA in Eutrophic and Oligotrophic Freshwater Environments of Southwest Florida

The turnover of extracellular DNA was investigated in oligotrophic springs of the Crystal River and the eutrophic Medard Reservoir of southwest Florida. The Medard Reservoir possessed large populations of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton (6.8 × 10⁹ cells per liter and 28.6 μg of chlorophyll a per liter, respectively), while the Crystal River springs only contained a fraction of the microbial biomass found in the Medard Reservoir. Although dissolved DNA values were greater in the Medard Reservoir, higher rates of DNA removal resulted in similar extracellular DNA turnover times in both environments (9.62 ± 3.6 h in the Crystal River and 10.5 ± 2.1 h in the Medard Reservoir). These results indicate that regardless of trophic status or microbial standing stock, extracellular DNA turns over rapidly in subtropical planktonic freshwater environments. Therefore, recombinant DNA sequences from released genetically engineered microorganisms might not be expected to survive for long periods of time in freshwater planktonic environments.