scholarly journals Subcellular organization of neurophysins, oxytocin, [8−lysine]-vasopressin and adenosine triphosphatase in porcine posterior pituitary lobes

1973 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Pickup ◽  
C. I. Johnston ◽  
S. Nakamura ◽  
L. O. Uttenthal ◽  
D. B. Hope

Posterior pituitary lobes from young pigs were fractionated by differential and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. The distributions of oxytocin and [8-lysine]-vasopressin were measured by bioassay and the distributions of neurophysin-I and -II by radioimmunoassays specific for each of these two proteins. Most of the hormone and neurophysin applied to the density gradient was localized in particles with the density expected of neurosecretory granules. However, the neurosecretory granules were separated into two bands (D and E). A close statistical correlation between the distributions of [8-lysine]-vasopressin and neurophysin-I, and of oxytocin and neurophysin-II on the gradients, suggested that in vivo porcine neurophysin-I binds [8-lysine]-vasopressin within one population of granules and porcine neurophysin-II binds oxytocin within another type of granule. However, there was no significant separation of oxytocin and vasopressin in fractions D and E. The molar ratios of hormones and neurophysins indicated that there was insufficient of either neurophysin to bind the [8-lysine]-vasopressin in the granule fractions or in the whole gland. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis showed that only bands corresponding in mobility to porcine neurophysins-I, -II and -III were present in large amounts in the whole gland and in the granule fractions. The component with the mobility of neurophysin-III was, however, relatively enriched in whole young glands and granule fractions compared with adult gland extracts. It is suggested that the vasopressin that cannot be assigned to neurophysin-I may occur in (a) vesicles containing vasopressin but no neurophysin, (b) vesicles containing vasopressin and a protein that cannot be quantified by the radioimmunoassays used, such as porcine neurophysin-III, or (c) normal vasopressin–neurophysin granules which have accumulated extra vasopressin. Band E of the gradient was rich in adenosine triphosphatase activity, whereas band D possessed very little of this enzyme.

1976 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Noguchi ◽  
E Okuno ◽  
Y Minatogawa ◽  
R Kido

1. Histidine-pyruvate aminotransferase (isoenzyme 1) was purified to homogeneity from the mitochondrial and supernatant fractions of rat liver, as judged by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isolectric focusing. Both enzyme preparations were remarkably similar in physical and enzymic properties. Isoenzyme 1 had pI8.0 and a pH optimum of 9.0. The enzyme was active with pyruvate as amino acceptor but not with 2-oxoglutarate, and utilized various aromatic amino acids as amino donors in the following order of activity: phenylalanine greater than tyrosine greater than histidine. Very little activity was found with tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan. The apparent Km values were about 2.6mM for histidine and 2.7 mM for phenylalanine. Km values for pyruvate were about 5.2mM with phenylalanine as amino donor and 1.1mM with histidine. The aminotransferase activity of the enzyme towards phenylalanine was inhibited by the addition of histidine. The mol.wt. determined by gel filtration and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation was approx. 70000. The mitochondrial and supernatant isoenzyme 1 activities increased approximately 25-fold and 3.2-fold respectively in rats repeatedly injected with glucagon for 2 days. 2. An additional histidine-pyruvate aminotransferase (isoenzyme 2) was partially purified from both the mitochondrial and supernatant fractions of rat liver. Nearly identical properties were observed with both preparations. Isoenzyme 2 had pI5.2 and a pH optimum of 9.3. The enzyme was specific for pyruvate and did not function with 2-oxoglutarate. The order of effectiveness of amino donors was tyrosine = phenylalanine greater than histidine greater than tryptophan greater than 5-hydroxytryptophan. The apparent Km values for histidine and phenylalanine were about 0.51 and 1.8 mM respectively. Km values for pyruvate were about 3.5mM with phenylalanine and 4.7mM with histidine as amino donors. Histidine inhibited phenylalanine aminotransferase activity of the enzyme. Gel filtration and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation yielded a mol.wt. of approx. 90000. Neither the mitochondrial nor the supernatant isoenzyme 2 activity was elevated by glucagon injection.


Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
pp. 799-808
Author(s):  
E.K. Shibuya ◽  
Y. Masui

In amphibians, zygotes microinjected with cytosol of unactivated eggs are arrested at metaphase of mitosis. The factor responsible for this effect has been designated ‘cytostatic factor, (CSF)’. CSF is inactivated by Ca2+ addition to cytosols. During storage of the Ca(2+)-containing cytosols, a stable CSF activity develops. Therefore, the first Ca(2+)-sensitive CSF and the second Ca(2+)-insensitive CSF have been referred to as primary CSF (CSF-1) and secondary CSF (CSF-2), respectively. We have partially purified CSF-1, which had been stabilized with NaF and ATP, and CSF-2 from cytosols of Rana pipiens eggs by ammonium sulphate (AmS) precipitation and sucrose density gradient centrifugation or gel filtration, and investigated their molecular characteristics. CSF-1 was sensitive to protease, but resistant to RNAse, and inactivated within 2 h at 25 degrees C. CSF-1 could be sedimented in a sucrose density gradient from a fresh cytosol or its crude fraction precipitated at 20–30% saturation of AmS, showing the sedimentation coefficient 3S. When analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), all the proteins in partially purified CSF-1 samples entered the gel and were separated into numerous peptide bands. In contrast, CSF-2 was an extremely large molecule, being eluted from Sepharose columns as molecules larger than 2 × 10(6), and failed to enter the gel when analyzed by SDS-PAGE. It could be purified 40 times from cytosols. CSF-2 was a highly stable molecule, being neither inactivated nor dissociated at pH 11.5 or by 4M-NaCl and LiCl and 8 M-urea. It was also resistant to RNAse treatment. However, CSF-2 could be broken down into small peptides of variable sizes by trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and papain, but not by S. aureus V8 protease, although it was less sensitive to proteases than CSF-1. The dose-dependency test showed that the activity of CSF-2 is independent of its concentration and that an amount of CSF-2 could cause cleavage arrest earlier when injected into a blastomere in a larger volume.


1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 176-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Desjardins ◽  
David Morse

Scintillons, the bioluminescence organelles of Gonyaulax polyedra, were purified by isopycnic density gradient centrifugation until only low levels of contaminating chloroplasts and mitochondria were detected by fluorescence and electron microscopy. Purified scintillons catalyzed the luminescent reaction with kinetics identical to those observed during the bioluminescence flash in vivo. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate indicated that the organelles appeared to contain only two proteins. These proteins were identified as luciferase (135 kilodaltons) and luciferin-binding protein (75 kilodaltons) based on their size and their known functions in the bioluminescence reaction in vitro. The staining of luciferin-binding protein by Coomassie blue was 2.4 ± 0.3 (n = 19) times greater than the luciferase, suggesting that there are four binding protein monomers for every luciferase monomer. A model is proposed for the close packing of the two proteins inside the scintillons.Key words: luciferase, luciferin-binding protein, density gradient centrifugation, dinoflagellate.


1971 ◽  
Vol 123 (5) ◽  
pp. 967-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Allan ◽  
M. J. Crumpton

The degree of solubilization of pig lymphocyte plasma membrane by sodium deoxycholate was determined at a variety of temperatures and detergent concentrations. Approx. 95% of the membrane protein was soluble in 2% deoxycholate at 23°C. Some of the biological activities of the membrane survived this treatment. The leucine β-naphthylamidase activity was more readily soluble than the 5′-nucleotidase and these enzymes could be separated by extraction with 0.5% deoxycholate at 0°C. Membrane solubilized in 2% deoxycholate at 23°C was fractionated by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation in 1% deoxycholate. The phospholipid was separated from the protein, which formed a fairly symmetrical peak that sedimented slightly slower than ovalbumin; the leucine naphthylamidase and 5′-nucleotidase activities were resolved from each other and from the main protein peak. Similar separations were achieved by elution from Sephadex G-200 and Sepharose 6B in 1% deoxycholate. The main proteins, however, appeared to possess much higher molecular weights than those indicated by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. This disparity suggests that many of the membrane proteins have a rod-like shape, especially since the results of experiments with [14C]deoxycholate revealed that the proteins did not bind significant amounts of deoxycholate. In contrast, 5′-nucleotidase and leucine naphthylamidase appeared to be globular. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of membrane solubilized in sodium dodecyl sulphate gave a similar distribution of protein to that achieved by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. Trace amounts only of polypeptides of molecular weight less than 10000 were detected.


1971 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 635-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. E. Parkhouse

Immunoglobulin M (IgM) biosynthesis was studied with mouse plasma-cell tumour MOPC 104E as a model system. Cell suspensions prepared from solid tumours were incubated in vitro with [3H]leucine; the radioactivity incorporated into intracellular and secreted proteins was analysed by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation and polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The tumour secretes IgM and light chains. ‘Pulse–chase’ experiments indicated average secretion times of 1.5h for light chain and 2.5h for IgM. The order of disulphide-bond assembly within the cell was shown to be heavy chain+light chain → heavy chain–light chain intermediate → IgMs. The 7S subunit (IgMs) was polymerized into IgM just before or at the time of secretion. Measurements of heavy-chain/light-chain radioactivity ratios in intracellular HL and IgMs and secreted IgM demonstrated the existence of a light-chain pool participating in IgM biosynthesis. The size of the light-chain pool, together with analysis of clones isolated in vivo, suggested that the tumour contains cells in which light-chain synthesis is in excess of heavy-chain production.


1983 ◽  
Vol 50 (04) ◽  
pp. 848-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjorie B Zucker ◽  
David Varon ◽  
Nicholas C Masiello ◽  
Simon Karpatkin

SummaryPlatelets deprived of calcium and incubated at 37° C for 10 min lose their ability to bind fibrinogen or aggregate with ADP when adequate concentrations of calcium are restored. Since the calcium complex of glycoproteins (GP) IIb and IIIa is the presumed receptor for fibrinogen, it seemed appropriate to examine the behavior of these glycoproteins in incubated non-aggregable platelets. No differences were noted in the electrophoretic pattern of nonaggregable EDTA-treated and aggregable control CaEDTA-treated platelets when SDS gels of Triton X- 114 fractions were stained with silver. GP IIb and IIIa were extracted from either nonaggregable EDTA-treated platelets or aggregable control platelets with calcium-Tris-Triton buffer and subjected to sucrose density gradient centrifugation or crossed immunoelectrophoresis. With both types of platelets, these glycoproteins formed a complex in the presence of calcium. If the glycoproteins were extracted with EDTA-Tris-Triton buffer, or if Triton-solubilized platelet membranes were incubated with EGTA at 37° C for 30 min, GP IIb and IIIa were unable to form a complex in the presence of calcium. We conclude that inability of extracted GP IIb and IIIa to combine in the presence of calcium is not responsible for the irreversible loss of aggregability that occurs when whole platelets are incubated with EDTA at 37° C.


1974 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. V. Nayudu ◽  
Fraser B. Hercus

Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and Bio-Gel P-300 molecular-sieve chromatography of mouse duodenal alkaline phosphatase demonstrates its molecular heterogeneity, which, in a kinetic sense, is manifest also in the differential relative velocities of the heterogeneous forms of the enzyme with two substrates, phenylphosphate and β-glycerophosphate. Different treatments that eliminate most of the electrophoretic and chromatographic variability of the enzyme also decrease the velocities with both substrates so that the molar ratio of hydrolysis of one substrate relative to the other is also altered to a low but stable value. Concomitant with these changes, lipids and peptides are dissociated from the enzyme. The lipids are tentatively identified as a sterol and phospholipids. The peptides have an average composition of four to six amino acids and appear to be strongly electropositive. The conditions of dissociation suggest that their binding to the enzyme is non-covalent and predominantly based on hydrophobic and ionic bonding. The concept of lipid and peptide association would suggest prima facie differential molecular weights as a factor in the observed electrophoretic and chromatographic heterogeneity. However, the molecular forms of the enzyme with differences in elution volume equivalent to more than one-half the void volume of the Bio-Gel P-300 column, or even enzyme fractions dissociated from the lipids and peptides compared with undissociated portions, do not show any differences in sedimentation on sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. This may be because the alterations in molecular weight owing to binding of small molecules are too small to be detected by this method. Alternatively, since lipids are involved, the binding may alter the partial specific volume in such a way that the buoyant density is not significantly altered.


1985 ◽  
Vol 228 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Davies Jones ◽  
F A Hashim ◽  
Y Kajita ◽  
F M Creagh ◽  
P R Buckland ◽  
...  

Reduction of human thyroid membranes with dithiothreitol caused the release of a water-soluble glycoprotein which neutralized the thyrotropin (TSH) receptor-binding and thyroid-stimulating activities of Graves‘ serum. Analysis of the protein by gel filtration and sucrose density gradient centrifugation allowed estimates of 3.45 nm for the Stokes’ radius, 3.6 S for the s20,w and 47 000 +/- 5000 (mean +/- S.D.; n = 4) for the Mr. The material released by dithiothreitol treatment could be crosslinked to 125I-labelled TSH coupled to N-hydroxysuccinimidyl 4-azidobenzoate (125I-HSAB-TSH), suggesting that it contained a component of the TSH receptor. Furthermore, analysis of the crosslinked material by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis indicated that it contained the TSH receptor A subunit (Mr 50 000). Several factors suggested therefore that the glycoprotein released by dithiothreitol treatment of human thyroid membranes was the TSH receptor A subunit. In particular, (a) both preparations were hydrophilic and were released from membranes by reduction, (b) they had similar Mr values and (c) both preparations crosslinked to 125I-HSAB-TSH. Material similar to the TSH receptor A subunit was released from thyroid membranes by treatment with papain, probably as a result of cleavage of the receptor A subunit at a site close to the interchain disulphide bridge. A similar mechanism, involving thyroid proteinases, was probably involved in release of material with similar properties to the TSH receptor A subunit during freezing and thawing of human thyroid homogenates.


1973 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Giorgini ◽  
F. L. De Lucca

Instability of 28S rRNA of Crotalus durissus terrificus liver was observed during hotphenol extraction: purified 28S rRNA is converted into an 18S RNA component by heat treatment. It was also found that ‘6S’ and ‘8S’ low-molecular-weight RNA species were released during the thermal conversion. This conversion and the release of the low-molecular-weight species were also induced by 8m-urea and 80% (v/v) dimethyl sulphoxide at 0°C. Evidence is presented that this phenomenon is an irreversible process and results from the rupture of hydrogen bonds. The 18S RNA product was shown to be homogeneous by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. The base composition of the 18S RNA products obtained by heat, urea or dimethyl sulphoxide treatments was similar. The C+G content of the 18S RNA product was different from that of the native 18S rRNA, but similar to that of 28S rRNA.


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