Affinity purification and subunit structures of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases A and B from boar epididymis.

beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase from boar epididymis was separated into two forms, A and B, on DEAE-cellulose. Both these forms were excluded from Sepharose S-200 and had apparent Mr values of 510 000 on gradient gel electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions. Affinity chromatography on 2-acetamido-N-(6-aminohexanoyl)-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosylam ine coupled to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B was used to separate and purify beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases A and B that had specific activities of 115 and 380 mumol/min per mg of protein respectively. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of denatured beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase A gave a single major component of Mr 67 000. beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase B also had this component, and in addition had polypeptides of Mr 29 000 and 26 000. All these polypeptides were glycosylated. Antiserum to the B form precipitated form A from solution and reacted with the 67 000-Mr component or form A after electrophoretic transfer from sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets. The 67 000-Mr components of forms A and B yielded identical peptide maps when digested with Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase, and the 29 000-Mr and 26 000-Mr components in form B may be related to the 67 000-Mr polypeptide.     

Ascorbic acid accumulation by cultured rat adrenocortical cells

The influence of adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) on radiolabeled ascorbic acid (AA) accumulation by adrenocortical cells was examined in primary cultures of collagenase dissociated glands from adult male rats. The cells were ACTH responsive by morphological and steroidogenic criteria. After 5 d in AA-free medium, cells pretreated with 100 mU/ml ACTH for 3 d took up two to three times more AA over a 2 h period than did untreated controls (4.0 to 10.0 nmol versus 1.7 to 3.4 nmol AA/micrograms DNA). In contrast, ACTH administered on Day 6 concurrently with AA inhibited AA accumulation compared to cultures exposed to AA alone. This acute inhibitory effect of ACTH was in the order of 30% in cultures pretreated with ACTH for 3 d but was not significant (7%) without ACTH pretreatment. The results show that ACTH has distinct long term stimulatory and acute inhibitory effects on AA accumulation by adrenocortical cells and suggest that both maximal AA accumulation and the responsiveness to acute inhibition of AA accumulation by ACTH may depend on the maintenance of the differentiated state of the adrenal cortex.     

Comparative hemodynamic actions of ANF-related peptides in conscious sheep

The rapid hemodynamic effects of several N- and C-terminal deleted fragments of ANF, a potent ANF analogue and the recently characterised brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were investigated in conscious sheep, and compared to the rapid hemodynamic actions of ANF 1-28. The hypotensive potency of all peptides studied was as follows: ANF 1-28 = PLO58 greater than 5-27 = ANF 5-28 = BNP greater than ANF 7-28 greater than ANF 13-28 = ANF 5-25. All peptides reduced blood pressure via a decrease in total peripheral resistance, excluding ANF 5-25 and 13-28 which were without effect on any parameter measured. These changes were associated with reflex increases in both heart rate and cardiac output, and a slight reduction in stroke volume. The duration of hypotensive/vasodilator action of ANF 1-28, 5-27, 5-28, 7-28 and BNP was approximately 3-4 minutes, whereas that of PLO58 was 7-8 minutes. In conclusion, amino acid deletions from the C- and N-terminal of the ANF molecule reduced the hypotensive/vasodilator potency of the peptide in conscious sheep. BNP produced similar rapid hemodynamic changes to ANF 1-28, suggesting that the two peptides may co-regulate blood pressure and possibly body fluids to promote fluid and cardiovascular homeostasis.     

Almitrine inhibits breathing movements in fetal sheep in utero

Whilst hypoxia stimulates fetal peripheral chemoreceptors, fetal breathing movements do not increase as hypoxia also has central effects. We wondered whether specific stimulation of the arterial chemoreceptors by almitrine would produce a stimulation of fetal breathing movements. When almitrine was given to 5 intact and 3 peripherally-chemodenervated fetal sheep in utero, fetal breathing movements rapidly ceased for 1-12 h. There was also a decrease in the amount of time spent in low voltage electrocortical activity. The effects of almitrine are therefore similar to those of hypoxia, and are independent of the peripheral chemoreceptors. Thus it may be a valuable tool in the study of the control of fetal breathing.     

The incidence of breathing movements of fetal sheep in normoxia and hypoxia after peripheral chemodenervation and brain-stem transection

The incidence of fetal breathing movements and low voltage electrocortical activity was measured in three groups of fetal sheep, at 123-137 days gestation. The first group (transected & denervated) had the brainstem transected at the level of the colliculi and also had peripheral arterial chemodenervation. The second group (denervated) had a sham brain-stem transection and peripheral arterial chemodenervation. The third group (sham-operated) had sham brain-stem transection and sham peripheral chemodenervation. No differences were observed in the incidence of fetal breathing movements or low voltage electrocortical activity between the sham-operated and the denervated groups in normoxia, or in hypoxia when all these fetuses became apnoeic. There were however differences between these 2 groups and the transected & denervated group, in which fetal breathing movements where dissociated from electrocortical activity and which in some fetuses were continuous. During isocapnic hypoxia 3 of 8 transected & denervated fetuses made fetal breathing movements. We discuss the problems of interpreting data from brain-stem transected fetuses, but conclude that the evidence reveals no tonic influence of the peripheral arterial chemoreceptors on fetal breathing movements.     

Effect of alcohol on lipoprotein metabolism. II. Lipolytic activities and mixed function oxidases

The mechanism by which alcohol increases plasma total high density lipoproteins (HDLs) and HDL-cholesterol is unknown, but it may involve modulation of the lipolytic enzymes, hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL) and/or lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues. The modulation of HDL metabolism by alcohol may also be related to its potential to induce mixed function oxidases in liver microsomes. These possibilities were examined by a pair-feeding protocol in which rats were fed diets with 35% of the caloric content as ethanol; control groups received a diet with an isocaloric amount of sucrose or were fed chow ad libitum. Alcohol caused a significant decrease in HTGL activity of liver microsomes, but there was no significant effect of alcohol upon the activities of LPL in adipose tissue and heart muscle. The relative rates of mixed function oxidases, assayed in control liver microsomes using ethoxy-,pentoxy- and benzyloxy-resorufin as substrates, were benzyloxy greater than ethoxy greater than pentoxy. This order was not affected by alcohol, but the oxidation of ethoxy- and pentoxyresorufin was reduced in liver microsomes from the ethanol-fed group. HTGL synthesis and secretion were also measured using primary rat hepatocyte cultures isolated from animals on the above dietary regimes and maintained for up to 3 days in basal medium alone or supplemented with 10 mmol/l ethanol. In basal media the order of activity of extracellular HTGL, released by the addition of heparin, was sucrose-fed greater than chow-fed greater than ethanol-fed. The rate of HTGL secretion from hepatocytes was stimulated in ethanol-containing medium, and was greater in hepatocytes from the sucrose-fed controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The effect of GDP on rod outer segment G-protein interactions

The role of GDP has heretofore been little studied in the analysis of visual receptor G-protein (G) interactions. Here we use kinetically resolved absorption and light scattering spectroscopy, centrifugation, porous membrane filtration, and enzyme assay to compare the effectiveness of GDP with that of GTP or gamma-thio-guanosine-5'-triphosphate in the modulation of G-protein binding to rod disc membranes and activated receptor (R*). We also compare effectiveness of GDP with that of GTP in the separation of G alpha and G beta gamma subunits and in activation of effector, cGMP phosphodiesterase. We find that when different nucleotide affinities are taken into account, actions such as the release of G from R* binding, earlier ascribed to GTP alone, are also typical of GDP. The principal specific actions of GTP that occur only weakly or undetectably for GDP are, respectively, the release of G-protein subunits from the membrane into solution and activation of phosphodiesterase. While GDP, like GTP, releases G-protein binding to receptor, we argue that GDP cannot mediate G-protein subunit separation, even on the membrane surface. GDP retained on G-protein after GTP hydrolysis may function to prevent tight binding to quiescent receptors in a manner analogous to its action on G-protein binding to activated receptors. Weak binding of G.GDP may function to accelerate receptor catalyzed amplification during transduction.     

Mannitol sensitivity

The addition of mannitol to cultures of Salmonella typhimurium mutants missing mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase causes stasis or lysis. Mannitol-1-phosphate accumulates intracellularly to concentrations of 20 mm. The incorporation of acetate into lipid is inhibited before cell wall, protein, or nucleic acid synthesis.     

Calpain inhibition by peptide epoxides.

The protein activator of phosphorylated branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex was purified greater than 1000-fold from extracts of rat liver mitochondria; the specific activity was greater than 1000 units/mg of protein (1 unit gives half-maximum re-activation of 10 munits of phosphorylated complex). Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis gave two bands (Mr 47700 and 35300) indistinguishable from the alpha- and beta-subunits of the branched-chain dehydrogenase component of the complex. On gel filtration (Sephacryl S-300), apparent Mr was 190000. This and other evidence suggests that activator protein is free branched-chain dehydrogenase; this conclusion is provisional until identical amino acid composition of the subunits has been demonstrated. Activator protein (i.e. free branched-chain dehydrogenase) was inhibited (up to 30%) by NaF, whereas branched-chain complex was not inhibited. There was no convincing evidence for interconvertible active and inactive forms of activator protein in rat liver mitochondria. Activator protein was detected in mitochondria from liver (ox, rabbit and rat) and kidney (ox and rat), but not in rat heart or skeletal-muscle mitochondria. In rat liver mitochondrial extracts, branched-chain complex sedimented with the mitochondrial membranes, whereas activator protein remained in the supernatant. Activator protein re-activated phosphorylated (inactive) particulate complex from rat liver mitochondria, but it did not activate dephosphorylated complex. Liver and kidney, but not muscle, mitochondria apparently contain surplus free branched-chain dehydrogenase, which is bound by the complex with lower affinity than is the branched-chain dehydrogenase intrinsic to the complex. It is suggested that this functions as a buffering mechanism to maintain branched-chain complex activity in liver and kidney mitochondria.