Identification of dexamethasone-binding sites on male-rat liver plasma membranes by affinity labelling.

Binding studies with [3H]dexamethasone identified two binding sites on plasma membranes prepared from the male rat liver, a low-capacity site with a KD of 7.0 nM and a higher-capacity site with a KD of 90.1 nM. Both sites exhibited glucocorticoid responsiveness and specificity for glucocorticoids and progestins. Triamcinolone acetonide, which competes well for the binding of dexamethasone to the cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor, did not compete well for the binding of [3H]dexamethasone to the plasma-membrane binding sites. The binding sites were sensitive to protease and neuraminidase treatment, and resistant to extraction with NaCl, but were extracted with the detergent Triton X-100. As these experiments indicated the presence of plasma-membrane protein components which bind glucocorticoids at physiological concentrations, affinity-labelling experiments with dexamethasone mesylate were conducted. Two peptides were specifically labelled, one at approx. Mr 66,000 and one at Mr 45,000. The Mr-66,000 peptide was not sensitive to glucocorticoids, and was extracted by NaCl, and so did not correspond to either of the sites identified in the dexamethasone-binding studies. The Mr-45,000 entity, on the other hand, resembled the dexamethasone-binding sites in its response to glucocorticoid manipulation of the animal and in its resistance to salt extraction. This peptide was not present in rat serum. Thus we have identified a plasma-membrane peptide which binds dexamethasone. Whether this peptide is involved in transport of the glucocorticoid across the plasma membrane remains to be determined.     

Antigenic probes locate binding sites for the glycolytic enzymes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, aldolase and phosphofructokinase on the actin monomer in microfilaments.

The topology of the interfaces between actin monomers in microfilaments and three glycolytic enzymes (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, aldolase and phosphofructokinase) was investigated using several specific antibodies directed against precisely located sequences in actin. A major contact area for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was characterized in a region near residue 103. This interaction altered, by long-range conformational changes, the reactivity of antigenic epitopes in the C-terminal part of actin. The interface between actin and aldolase appeared to involve a sequence around residue 299 in the C-terminal region of actin. The interaction of phosphofructokinase, in contrast, modified the reactivity of all antibodies tested. Finally, the phosphagen kinases arginine kinase and creatine kinase showed no interaction with the microfilament.     

Involvement of D-amino acid oxidase in elimination of free D-amino acids in mice.

The physiological role of D-amino acid oxidase was investigated by using mutant ddY/DAO- mice lacking the enzyme. Free D-amino acid concentrations in the mutant mice were significantly higher than those of control ddY/DAO+ mice in kidney, liver, lung, heart, brain, erythrocytes, serum and urine. The results suggest that the enzyme is involved in the catabolism of free D-amino acids in the body, and that free D-amino acids are also excreted into urine.     

Hypoglycaemic effect of metformin in genetically obese (fa/fa) rats results from an increased utilization of blood glucose by intestine.

The insulin-resistant obese fa/fa rat is a convenient model in which to study a potential effect of metformin, a biguanide used in the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes, on insulin-mediated glucose utilization. Female fa/fa rats were given metformin orally for 8 days. Studies were performed on anaesthetized post-absorptive rats 5 h after the last dose of metformin. Glucose production and utilization were enhanced 1.5-fold in metformin-treated rats. The enhanced glucose production was almost entirely due to increased glucose recycling. The digestive tract was the only tissue responsible for the enhanced glucose utilization.     

Subfamily of submaxillary gland-specific Mup genes: chromosomal linkage and sequence comparison with liver-specific Mup genes

Mouse major urinary proteins (MUPs) are encoded by a family of ca. 35 genes that are expressed in a tissue-specific manner in several secretory organs; in the liver, in the submaxillary, sublingual, parotid and lachrymal glands, and in the skin sebaceous glands. In this paper we describe the isolation of a Mup gene, Mup-1.5a, which is expressed predominantly in the submaxillary gland of BALB/c mice. We show that Mup-1.5a is a member of a subfamily consisting of two closely related genes, both of which are closely linked to the Mup-1 locus on mouse chromosome 4. Mup-1 is the locus of a class of Mup genes (Group 1) expressed in the liver. The complete nucleotide sequence of Mup-1.5a has been determined, and was compared to a previously sequenced Group 1 Mup gene. The comparison shows that the differentially expressed Mup genes are uniformly divergent in exons, introns and in their flanking sequences. The regions of homology extend at least 5 kb into the 5' flanking region of Mup genes.     

Purification and characterization of two serine isoacceptor tRNAs from bovine mitochondria by using a hybridization assay method.

For large scale preparation of mitochondrial tRNAs, a new hybridization assay method using synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide probes (16-17mer) complementary to individual tRNA sequences was developed and applied for the purification of two serine isoacceptor tRNAs (tRNASerAGY and tRNASerUCN) from bovine mitochondria. It is about 100 times more sensitive than the conventional aminoacylation assay method. 2-4 A260 units each of both tRNASer isoacceptors were purified from 17.5 kg of bovine liver, and they were characterized by means of nuclease digestion, melting profiles and aminoacylation activity. It is suggested that tRNASerUCN possesses the D loop/T loop interaction like usual L-shaped tRNAs, and that tRNASerAGY lacking almost an entire D arm is aminoacylated with an efficiency not very much lower than that of tRNASerUCN.     

Efficient oligonucleotide-directed construction of mutations in expression vectors by the gapped duplex DNA method using alternating selectable markers.

An efficient method for the construction of multiple mutations in a sequential manner is described. It is based on the gapped duplex DNA approach to oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis (Kramer et al. 1984, Nucl. Acids Res. 12, 9441-9456) and a set of newly constructed phasmid vectors. These are characterized by the following features. Presence of the phage fl replication origin permits ready conversion to the single stranded DNA form. An amber mutation within, alternatively, the bla or cat gene provides a means for ready selection of the strand into which the mutagenic oligonucleotide has been incorporated. By means of the alternating antibiotic resistance markers any number of mutations can be constructed in consecutive rounds of mutagenesis. The optional presence of gene expression signals allows the direct overproduction of structurally altered proteins without re-cloning. Both the mutagenesis and expression aspects were tested using the lacZ gene as a model.