Characterization of the collagen synthesized by cultured human smooth muscle cells from fetal and adult aorta.

Smooth muscle cells were grown from explants of the tunica media of fetal and adult human aorta. Collagen was isolated after incubation with [14C]glycine and was characterized by ion-exchange chromatography. All cells investigated synthesized two types of collagen: Type I (chain composition [alpha1(I)]2alpha2) and type III (chain composition [alpha1(III)]3). The collagen made by cells from adult donors contained approximately 70% type I and 30% type III collagen. This corresponds to the collagen composition in teh original tissue. No age-relate change in the type I/type III ratio was found with cells from donors between 9 and 67 years of age. On the other hand, the type III portion of the collagen made by fetal cells was markedly less (about 15-20% of total collagen).     

Identification, characterization, and quantitative measurement of cyclic AMP receptor proteins in cytosol of various tissues using a photoaffinity ligand.

Two protein bands, present in cytosol fractions from each of seven rat tissues examined, specifically incorporated 32P-labeled 8-azidoadenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (8-N3-[32P]cAMP), a photoaffinity label for cAMP-binding sites. These proteins had apparent molecular weights of 47,000 and 54,000 on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system. These two proteins were characterized in three of the tissues, namely, heart, uterus, and liver, by the total amount of 8-N3-[32P]cAMP incorporation, by the dissociation constant (Kd) for 8-N3-[32P]cAMP, and by the nucleotide specific inhibition of 8-N3-[32P]cAMP incorporation. Several lines of evidence were obtained that the protein with an apparent molecular weight of 47,000 represents the regulatory subunit of a type I cAMP-dependent protein kinase, while the protein with an apparent molecular weight of 54,000 represents the regulatory subunit of a type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Almost all of the cAMP receptor protein found in the cytosol of these tissues, as measured by 8-N3-[32P]cAMP incorporation, was associated with these two protein kinases, in agreement with the idea that most effects of cAMP are mediated through protein kinases. The photoaffinity labeling with 8-N3-[32P]cAMP can be used to estimate quantitatively the amounts of regulatory subunit of type I and type II cAMP-dependent protein kinases in various tissues.     

Purification and properties of a T4 bacteriophage factor that modifies valyl-tRNA synthetase of Escherichia coli.

After T4 bacteriophage infects Escherichia coli, a peptide tau, produced under the control of a phage gene, binds to the host valyl transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase (EC 6.1.1.9) and thereby changes several of its physicochemical properties. The interaction of tau with the host enzyme was investigated in vitro after extensively purifying the factor from T4-infected E. coli using a rapid purification procedure. The tau preparation migrated as a single, protein-staining band with a molecular weight of 11,000 during sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. The purified peptide completely converted partially purified valyl-tRNA synthetase from uninfected E. coli into the form present in cell-free extracts prepared from virus-infected bacteria. The enzyme modified in vitro also exhibited the enhanced affinity for tRNA characteristic of the viral form of valyl-tRNA synthetase. The addition of bulk tRNA from E. coli B, tRNAVal, or tRNA1Val to enzyme modified in vitro increased its sedimentation rate to that of enzyme prepared from phage-infected cells. Amino acid analysis of the purified tau peptide revealed a relatively high concentration of the amino acids lysine and alanine, and a lack of detectable proline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and methionine.     

Analysis of the structure of T4 bacteriophage-modified valyl-tRNA synthetase by limited proteolysis and isoelectric focusing.

The new form of valyl-tRNA synthetase (EC 6.1.1.9) that appears immediately after infection of Escherichia coli with bacteriophage T4 was purified and subjected to mild proteolysis using five different proteases. The inactivation of aminoacylation activity was both more extensive and rapid than that obtained with valyl-tRNA synthetase purified from uninfected E. coli. The addition of bulk tRNA from E. coli B protected the phage-specific form of valyl-tRNA synthetase from proteolysis, but ATP and valine did not exhibit a similar protective effect. The characteristic property of phage-modified valyl-tRNA synthetase, resistance to denaturation by 4 M urea, remained unaffected during treatment with trypsin. This suggested that the phage-specific factor tau, known to be associated with the synthetase in phage-infected cells, was protected from proteolysis in the synthetase-tau complex. Comparison by isoelectric focusing of normal valyl-tRNA synthetase, the phage-specific form of this enzyme, and phage enzyme from which tau had been removed, revealed no differences in the isoelectric points of these three molecules. Based on these results a model was drawn for the structural changes occurring in valyl-tRNA synthetase after association with the phage factor tau.     

Codon-acticodon recognition in the valine codon family.

An in vitro protein-synthesizing system completely dependent on added valine tRNA (valyl-tRNAval) and programmed with RNA from the phage MS2 has been used to investigate the incorporation into MS2 coat protein of valine from isoaccepting valyl-tRNAsval with the anticodons U AC (U represents 5-oxyacetic acid uridine monophosphate), GAC, and IAC in response to the four valine codons GUU, GUC, GUA, and GUG. By examining the incorporation of valine into NH2-terminal and internal positions of three tryptic peptides from the MS2 coat protein it has been established that these anticodons each recognize all four valine codons. We therefore conclude that under our conditions of in vitro protein synthesis the genetic code, as far as the valine codons are concerned, is operationally a two letter code, i.e. the third codon nucleotide has no absolute discriminating function.     

Ala-1: murine alloantigen of activated lymphocytes. II. T and B effector cells express ala-1.

Ala-1 (activated lymphocyte antigen-1) is a murine alloantigen expressed only on activated peripheral T and B lymphocytes. The presence or absence of Ala-1 on specific functional lymphocyte subsets was determined by treating the relevant cell population with anti-Ala-1 and complement, and assaying for residual functional activity. By this method, Ala-1 was shown to be on in vivo primed killer T cells cytotoxic for allogeneic tumor cells. It was also found on helper T cells generated in vivo to sheep red blood cells, and on IgM and IgG plaque-forming cells (PFC) to sheep red blood cells. In contrast, splenic precursors of helper cells and of IgM PFC to sheep red blood cells were completely resistant to treatment with anti-Ala-1 and complement. These findings indicate that effector cells can be distinguished from their nonactivated precursors by their expression of Ala-1.