Green fluorescent protein as a signal for protein-protein interactions.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is autofluorescent. This property has made GFP useful in monitoring in vivo activities such as gene expression and protein localization. We find that GFP can be used in vitro to reveal and characterize protein-protein interactions. The interaction between the S-peptide and S-protein fragments of ribonuclease A was chosen as a model system. GFP-tagged S-peptide was produced, and the interaction of this fusion protein with S-protein was analyzed by two distinct methods: fluorescence gel retardation and fluorescence polarization. The fluorescence gel retardation assay is a rapid method to demonstrate the existence of a protein-protein interaction and to estimate the dissociation constant (Kd) of the resulting complex. The fluorescence polarization assay is an accurate method to evaluate Kd in a specified homogeneous solution and can be adapted for the high-throughput screening of protein or peptide libraries. These two methods are powerful new tools to probe protein-protein interactions.     

Direct sequence analysis of proteins by in-source fragmentation during delayed ion extraction.

Continuous segments of amino acid sequence information as long as 41 residues have been deduced by interpretation of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-generated ion signals dominated by Cn fragmentation within the ion source of a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer utilizing delayed ion extraction. The technique has been applied successively to five proteins of mass 12.2 kDa to 18.3 kDa, yielding segments of continuous sequence as long as 41 residues without the need for prior proteolytic fragmentation. Intact crosslinks such as disulfides or heme linkages interrupt the generation of these data.     

Structural heterogeneity of the various forms of apomyoglobin: implications for protein folding.

Temperature-induced denaturation transitions of different structural forms of apomyoglobin were studied monitoring intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. It was found that the tryptophans are effectively screened from solvent both in native and acid forms throughout most of the temperature range tested. Thus, the tryptophans' surrounding do not show a considerable change in structure where major protein conformational transitions have been found in apomyoglobin using other techniques. At high temperatures and under strong destabilizing conditions, the tryptophans' fluorescence parameters show sigmoidal thermal denaturation. These results, combined with previous studies, show that the structure of this protein is heterogeneous, including native-like (tightly packed) and molten globule-like substructures that exhibit conformation (denaturation) transitions under different conditions of pH and temperature (and denaturants). The results suggest that the folding of this protein proceeds via two "nucleation" events whereby native-like contacts are formed. One of these events, which involves AGH "core" formation, appears to occur very early in the folding process, even before significant hydrophobic collapse in the rest of the protein molecule. From the current studies and other results, a rather detailed picture of the folding of myoglobin is presented, on the level of specific structures and their thermodynamical properties as well as formation kinetics.     

SINGLE-CELL PIGMENTATION OF PORPHYRA LINEARIS ANALYZED BY FOURIER TRANSFORM MULTI-PIXEL SPECTROSCOPY AND IMAGE ANALYSIS1

The novel method of Fourier transform multi-pixel spectroscopy was used for the nondestructive analysis of and comparison of pigmentation in different regions of live thalli of the red alga Porphyra linearis. Because the thallus in this alga consists of a monolayer of nonoverlapping cells, we were able to analyze the pigmentation of single cells by combining light absorbance with natural fluorescence data. From the image of each cell in the vegetative male and female reproductive and holdfast regions, more than 4 ± 10⁴ fluorescence and absorbance spectra were obtained. Specific pigments in the different regions were localized by the use of a software program of similarity mapping followed by image construction. The reconstructed images revealed subcellular localization of each pigment according to specific spectroscopic fingerprints. The results showed that the vegetative and female reproductive cell types had a significantly higher content of phycoerythrin than of phycocyanin, and quite similar chlorophyll a levels. Most of the holdfast cells were poorly pigmented, but had more chlorophyll a than phycoerythrin or phycocyanin. The male reproductive cells contained only traces of pigments. Thus, by using Fourier transform multipixel spectroscopy, we were able to characterize the pigmentation of different regions of the thallus and follow the distribution patterns of the different pigments on the subcellular level along the differentiation gradient of the alga.     

REPRODUCTION IN THE FEMALE SUBANTARCTIC FUR SEAL, ARCTOCEPHALUS TROPICALIS

The reproductive tracts of 89 female subantarctic fur seals, taken at Gough Island between November 1977 and October 1978, were examined. Females started ovulating at age 4 yr and all 6-yr-old females were sexually mature. They are mono-ovulatory, alternating between ovaries, and only single embryos were found. Females older than 13 yr ( n = 11) showed poor follicular development and some failed to ovulate. The gestation period (first recorded ovulation to first recorded birth) was 360 d, while delayed implantation (first recorded ovulation to first recorded implantation) lasted for 139 days. Follicle numbers in the functional ovary declined sharply after ovulation while the corpus luteum increased in size until at least 1 mo prior to parturition. The number of follicles in the contralateral ovary increased after midwinter (June/July), and the mean size of the largest follicles peaked prior to ovulation in December. The mean size of the largest follicles increased in both ovaries near implantation time, after reaching a low subsequent to, ovulation. The regressing corpus albicans, conspicuous for approximately 3 mo after parturition, could not be detected macroscopically within one year postpartum. Subantarctic fur seals at Gough Island have a distinct postreproductive class of older females. The pregnancy rate for all females ≥4 yr of age was 79%, and it was 84.5% for the sexually mature group of ≥6 yr of age, while the mean age at puberty was 4.80 yr.     

Post-ischemic administration of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor ENA-713 prevents delayed neuronal death in the gerbil hippocampus

We examined by morphological methodology the effect of (S)-N-ethyl-3-[(1-dimethyl-amino)ethyl]-N-methyl-phenylcarbamate hydrogentartrate (ENA-713), an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, on ischemia-induced neuronal death in the gerbil hippocampus due to a 5-min ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries after light ether anesthesia. Pyramidal cells had been decreased to 27% of sham-operated controls and the number of hypertrophic astrocytes expressing glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) markedly increased in the hippocampal CA1 subfield 14 days after ischemia. However, post-ischemic administration of ENA-713 (three times 0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly ameliorated this ischemia-induced decrease in the number of pyramidal cells by 47% of sham-operated controls, furthermore, it reduced the ischemia-induced accumulation of GFAP-positive astrocyte in the CA1 region. Together with previous results showing that ENA-713 protected against the ischemia-induced cholinergic abnormalities in the gerbil brain and improved cholinergic dysfunctions in the senescent rat brain, our present findings suggest that ENA-713 prove to be useful for treatment with senile dementia such as cerebrovascular dementia.     

The cytologic diagnosis of Mycobacterium kansasi tuberculosis by fluorescence microscopy of Papanicolaou-stained specimens

The cytologic diagnosis of Mycobacterium kansasi tuberculosis by fluorescence microscopy of Papanicolaou-stained specimens
The sensitivities of (i) Papanicolaou fluorescence, (ii) auramine rhodamine fluorescence, and (iii) Ziehl-Neelsen staining were compared for their ability to detect the atypical mycobacterium Myco. kansasi in cytological samples. Ninety-two cases were investigated, and the sensitivities of the three methods of detection were found to be 36.9%, 12.0%, and 20.7%, respectively. The control groups consisted of 30 specimens from cases of bronchial carcinoma and 30 of pneumonia. All cases were proved by microbiology. No false-positive results were recorded using Papanicolaou fluorescence. An important but coincidental finding arising from this study was that infection by the atypical mycobacterium Myco. kansasi causes cytological patterns corresponding to those normally associated with acute pneumonia and not to tuberculosis.     

Two steps in the transition between the native and acid states of bovine α-lactalbumin detected by circular polarization of luminescence: Evidence for a premolten globule state?

A few studies indirectly support the existence of an intermediate in the transition of Ca(2+)-saturated bovine alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) from the native (N) to the acidic (A) state, known as the molten globule state. However, direct experimental evidence for the appearance of this intermediate has not been obtained. The signal of circular polarization of luminescence (CPL) is sensitive to fine conformational transitions because of its susceptibility to changes in the environmental asymmetry of fluorescent chromophores in their excited electronic states. In the present study, CPL measurements were applied using the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of alpha-LA as well as the fluorescence of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) bound to alpha-LA. CPL of tryptophan and ANS was measured in the pH range of 2.5-6 in order to find direct experimental evidence for the proposed intermediate. CPL (characterized by the emission anisotropy factor, g(em)) depends on the asymmetry of the protein molecular structure in the environment of the tryptophan and the ANS chromophores in the excited electronic state. The pH dependence of both the gab, absorption anisotropy factor determined by CD, and the ANS steady state fluorescence, showed a single transition at pH 3-3.7 as already reported elsewhere. This transition was interpreted as being a result of a change of the alpha-LA tertiary structure, which resulted in a loss of asymmetry of the environment of both the tryptophan residues and the ANS hydrophobic binding sites. The pH dependence of the tryptophan and ANS g(em) showed an additional conformational transition at pH 4-5, which coincided with the pKa of Ca2+ dissociation (pKa 5), as predicted by Permyakov et al. (1981, Biochem Biophys Res Commun 100:191-197). The titration curve showed that there is a pH range between 3.7 and 4.1 in which alpha-LA exists in an intermediate state between the N- and A-state. We suggest that the intermediate is the premolten globule state characterized by a reduced Ca2+ binding to the alpha-LA, native-like tertiary structure, and reduced asymmetric fluctuation of the tertiary structure on the nanosecond time scale. This intermediate resembles the "critical activated state" theoretically deduced by Kuwajima et al. (1989, J Mol Biol 206:547-561). The present study demonstrates the power of CPL measurements for the investigation of folding/unfolding transitions in proteins.     

磷脂模型膜的时间分辨纳秒荧光光谱的研究

叙述了用时间分辨率纳秒荧光技术研究大豆磷脂或合成磷脂模型膜（脂质体）的物理状态变化与荧光寿命以及时间分辨各向异性测量参数变化相关性的实验结果。用荧光探剂ＭＣ５４０标记模型膜的结果表明,荧光寿命（τ）的变化与脂质／探剂比例、磷脂组成、磷脂的极性头部、脂肪酸酰链长度等有关。用ＤＰＨ（１,６－ｄｉｐｈｅｎｙｌ－１,３,５－ｈｅｘａｔｒｉｅｎｅ）标记磷脂模型膜的时间分辨各向异性分析结果表明,序参数（Ｓ）、