Bestatin,a new specific inhibitor of aminopeptidases,enhances activation of small lymphocytes by concanavalin A

Bestatin, a new competitive aminopeptidase-inhibitor of dipeptide nature, was shown to enhance markedly activation of peripheral blood lymphocytes by concanavalin A (Con A). More than 40 percent stimulation over the control (the culture with Con A only) was observed at 50 μg/ml of bestatin, and this stimulatory effect was most predominant at an early stage of lymphocyte blasto-genesis by Con A: bestatin had most effect when added to the culture simultaneously with Con A and no appreciable effect when added 44 h after Con A. The effect of bestatin on T lymphocyte activation in vitro is discussed in relation to its in vivo enhancing effect on cell-mediated immunity and a role in lymphocyte blastogenesis of some proteolytic activities possibly located at the cell surface is emphasized.     

Acid-base and optical properties of heparin.

Sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) can be removed from protein by gel electrophoresis. This principle is useful for separating protein bands which are close to each other in SDS gel electrophoresis. We accomplished this by “two-stage” gel electrophoresis. In this system, SDS gel electrophoresis was carried out as the first step. Gel electrophoresis was then continued (after replacing the buffer) without SDS. SDS was then eluted from the gel into the lower buffer during the second stage. Separation of the subunits was significantly improved relative to simple SDS gel electrophoresis.