Differential metabolism of diradyl glycerol molecular subclasses and molecular species by rabbit brain diglyceride kinase

Elevations in the mass of ether-linked diglycerides (i.e. 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-acyl-sn-glycerol (AAG) and 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycerol (Alkyl AG)) during cellular activation are prolonged in comparison to their 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol (DAG) counterparts. Since the metabolic removal of DAG is determined, in large part, by the rate of its phosphorylation by diglyceride kinase, we quantified differences in the activity of diglyceride kinase utilizing individual subclasses of diradyl glycerols as substrate. Rabbit brain microsomal diglyceride kinase activity was over 30-fold greater utilizing DAG as substrate (25.8 nmol.mg-1.min-1) in comparison to AAG (0.8 nmol.mg-1.min-1). No alterations in the affinity of microsomal diglyceride kinase for ATP were present (Km approximately 0.5 mM) utilizing each diradyl glycerol subclass. Similar subclass specificities for diglyceride kinase (i.e. DAG greater than Alkyl AG much greater than AAG) were present in brain and liver cytosol as well as in liver microsomes utilizing multiple assay conditions. In sharp contrast, Escherichia coli diglyceride kinase phosphorylated DAG, Alkyl AG, or AAG diradyl glycerol molecular subclasses at identical rates. Furthermore, although DAG was rapidly hydrolyzed by diglyceride lipase, catabolism of AAG or Alkyl AG by plasmalogenase, alkyl ether hydrolase, or diglyceride/monoglyceride lipase was undetectable. Collectively, these results demonstrate the importance of the differential catabolism of each diradyl glycerol molecular subclass as a primary determinant of their biologic half-lives. Since individual subclasses of diglycerides have distinct physical properties and physiologic functions, these results underscore the importance of lipid subclass specific metabolism in tailoring individual cellular responses during activation.     

Recovery of a charged-fusion protein from cell extracts by polyelectrolyte precipitation

Beta-galactosidase served as a model system to explore the feasibility of enhancing the selectivity of a low-cost, easily scaled separation method-precipitation. Enhanced selectivity was sought by fusing the enzyme with polypeptide tails including 5 and 11 aspartates. The unfused protein could not be selectively removed from the Escherichia coli cell extract by precipitation with polyethylenimine (PEI), but the longest fusion could be selectively removed. The presence of nucleic acids limited the purification attainable. Pretreatment with nuclease followed by diafiltration resulted in an extract from which the same fusion could be precipitated with greater than fivefold enrichment, while the untailed enzyme remained unenriched by the same precipitation step. Selectivity is attributed to the binding strength of the polyanionic tails to the polycationic PEI.     

Isolation of the major subcellular organelles from mouse liver using Nycodenz gradients without the use of an ultracentrifuge

Commonly, subcellular organelles such as nuclei, mitochondria, lysosomes, and Golgi membranes are isolated first by differential centrifugation in low-speed or high-speed centrifuges and then purified by gradient centrifugation in ultracentrifuges. We have prepared these organelles using a new high-speed centrifuge (28,000 rpm max) which allows the generation of higher radial centrifugal forces (rcfs) than are available in standard machines. We have shown that most subcellular organelles can be purified by using low-viscosity Nycodenz gradients at rcfs lower than those normally used in ultracentrifuges, without increasing the time of centrifugation. Use of Nycodenz also allows rapid harvesting of material from gradients and we have adapted a number of enzyme assays to facilitate gradient analysis.     

The influence of magnesium on calcium-activated, vascular smooth muscle actomyosin ATPase activity

Histamine activation of adenylyl cyclase activity in sonicated enriched rat gastric parietal cells showed a time, temperature, and concentration dependence upon guanine diphosphoimide (Gpp(NH)p). Enzyme activation was first order with Gpp(NH)p alone or Gpp(NH)p plus histamine. The K_a for Gpp(NH)p was ~2 μm and was not influenced by histamine. GTP and GDP were inactive alone or with histamine and were competitive with Gpp(NH)p, showing apparent K_i's of near 0.4 and 0.3 μm, respectively. In the presence of Gpp(NH)p, parietal cell adenylyl cyclase was activated by histamine with an EC₅₀ of 24 μm, the most potent in a series of histamine analogs, further substantiating an H₂-receptor classification for this response. H₂-Receptor antagonists were competitive inhibitors with submicromolar K_i's. Preincubation of parietal cells with histamine and Gpp(NH)p resulted in adenylyl cyclase activity up to 15 times the basal level. The activated state was retained after washing the cells free of histamine and Gpp(NH)p and was not reversed by the subsequent addition of either histamine, cimetidine, or GTP. The other gastric acid secretagogues, pentagastrin and carbamylcholine, were without effect upon histamine activation or the activated state of adenylyl cyclase. These results describe a level of control of histamine-sensitive adenylyl cyclase that requires consideration in the activation of the parietal cell H₂-receptor system by histamine to modulate acid secretion.     

A systems-theory approach to the analysis of multiexponential fluorescence decay.

A mathematical model of the fluorescence decay experiment based on linear systems theory is presented. The model suggests an experimental technique that increases the probability of correctly determining the decay constants of a multicomponent system. The use of moment methods for data analysis improves accuracy by combining information obtained from several discrete experiments. Examples are presented to show that the analysis of a three component system composed of known standards is improved as the number of experimental determinations is increased from one to four. The discrete measurements are made by changing the excitation and emission wavelengths.     

The migration of lymphocytes across specialized vascular endothelium. I. The entry of lymphocytes into the isolated mesenteric lymph-node of the rat.

The chain of lymph-nodes in the rat mesentery was isolated and the preparation was perfused via cannulae in the superior mesenteric vessels. The perfusate consisted of serum to which labelled lymphocytes had usually been added. The entry of radioactively labelled lymphocytes from the blood vessels into the lymph-nodes was studied by scintillation counting and autoradiography. It was observed that: (1) In the perfused node labelled lymphocytes localized in and around post-capillary venules in the paracortex as they do early after i.v. injection. (2) The number of lymphocytes which entered the node was directly proportional to the concentration in the perfusate over the range studied. The proportion of cells retained in the node varied considerably around a mean of 11% of lymphocytes reaching it. (3) The isolated lymph-node released few if any lymphocytes into the effluent (venous) perfusate. (4) Large lymphocytes migrated into isolated lymph-nodes slightly more readliy than did small lymphocytes. (5) Unlike intact cells isolated lymphocyte membranes did not adhere to specialized vascular endothelium.     

THE MIGRATION OF LYMPHOCYTES ACROSS SPECIALIZED VASCULAR ENDOTHELIUM

Lymphocytes were exposed in vitro to either trypsin or neuraminidase. The ability of the treated cells to migrate into tissues was measured (a) by i.v. injection into intact recipients and (b) by vascular perfusion through an isolated lymph-node preparation. The localization of trypsinized cells in the lymph-nodes of recipients was deficient when compared to untreated lymphocytes and there was a surplus of trypsinized cells in the blood. Trypsinized cells migrated into the isolated nodes in reduced numbers. By contrast, neuraminidase treated lymphocytes were markedly deficient in the blood of recipients early after injection; their localization in the spleen and lymph-nodes was also deficient but they were in surplus in the liver. Moreover they migrated into the isolated nodes in slightly increased numbers. By 24 hr after injection the perturbed localization pattern produced by either enzyme was partly restored to normal. In conclusion, trypsin interfered with the capacity of lymphocytes to migrate into lymph-nodes but neuraminidase did not; the latter promoted the hepatic sequestration of cells and the reduced localization in the blood and tissues was a consequence of this. The hypothesis that lymphocytes adhere to specialized endothelia in lymph-nodes because of specific glycoside sequences on their surface lacks experimental support.     

A comparison of the structures of apo dogfish M4 lactate dehydrogenase and its ternary complexes

Details are recorded of the X-ray diffraction data collection, heavy atom refinement and preliminary structure refinement for two different dogfish M₄ lactate dehydrogenase structures. One of these is the 2.0 Å resolution apoenzyme structure; the other is a 3.0 Å resolution abortive ternary complex. Two other ternary substrate inhibitory complexes (LDHase²: NAD: oxalate and LDHase: NADH: oxamate), isomorphous with the abortive ternary complex (LDHase: NAD-pyruvate), have also been examined. The apo-LDHase and LDHase: NAD-pyruvate structures are systematically compared to determine significant differences in their conformation. These are related to differences in structure amongst the three studied ternary complexes. These differences all occur in regions of the protein around the active site, particularly the flexible loop covering the active center pocket and the C-terminal helix αH. The changes are suggestive of a domino effect whereby the closing of the loop on binding coenzyme and substrate triggers the critical reactive residues into assuming their catalytically active positions.