scholarly journals Subunit composition and structure of subcomponent C1q of the first component of human complement

1976 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
K B M Reid ◽  
R R Porter

1. Unreduced human subcomponent C1q was shown by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels run in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate to be composed of two types of non-covalently linked subunits of apparent mol.wts. 69 000 and 54 000. The ratio of the two subunits was markedly affected by the ionic strength of the applied sample. At a low ionic strength of applied sample, which gave the optimum value for the 54 000-apparent mol.wt. subunit, a ratio of 1.99:1.00 was obtained for the ratio of the 69 000-apparent mol.wt. subunit to the 5400-apparent-mol.wt. subunit. The amount of the 54 000-apparent-mol.wt. subunit detected in the expected position on the gel was found to be inversely proportional to increases in the ionic strength of the applled sample. 2. Human subcomponent C1q on reduction and alkylation, or oxidation, yields equimolar amounts of three chains designated A, B and C [Reid et al. (1972) Biochem. J. 130, 749-763]. The results obtained by Yonemasu & Stroud [(1972) Immunochemistry 9, 545-554], which showed that the 69 000-apparent-mol.wt. subunit was a disulphide-linked dimer of the A and B chains and that the 54 000-apparent-mol.wt. subunit was a disulphide-linked dimer of the C chain, were confirmed. 3. Gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 in 6.0M-guanidinium chloride showed that both types of unreduced subunit were eluted together as a single symmetrical peak of apparent mol.wt. 49 000-50 000 when globular proteins were used as markers. The molecular weights of the oxidized or reduced A, B and C chains have been shown previously to be very similar all being in the range 23 000-24 000 [Reid et al. (1972) Biochem. J. 130, 749-763; Reid (1974) Biochem. J. 141, 189-203]. 4. It is proposed that subcomponent C1q (mol.wt. 410000) is composed of nine non-covalently linked subunits, i.e. six A-B dimers and three C-C dimers. 5. A structure for subcomponent C1q is proposed and is based on the assumption that the collagen-like regions of 78 residues in each of the A, B and C chains are combined to form a triple-helical structure of the same type as is found in collagens.

1980 ◽  
Vol 189 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Prigent ◽  
R Bourrillon

The subunit of the Vicia graminea lectin with blood-group-N specificity was examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and gel filtration in 6M-guanidinium chloride, and its molecular weights was found to be 25 000. The unique N-terminal sequence fof the first nine residues of the lectin confirmed that Vicia lectin consists of four identical chains non-covalently linked. Finally the microheterogeneity of the lectin shown by analytical isoelectric focusing is discussed.


1980 ◽  
Vol 185 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antony W. Burgess ◽  
Donald Metcalf ◽  
Sue H. M. Russell ◽  
Nicos A. Nicola

The formation of mature haemopoietic cells is controlled by hormones that specifically stimulate the progenitor cells of the granulocyte/macrophage, eosinophil, megakaryocyte and erythroid pathways. PWMSC medium (pokeweed-mitogen-stimulated spleen-cell-conditioned medium) is known to contain the biological activities that control the clonal proliferation of these four progenitor cells in vitro in semi-solid agar cultures. In this study the molecular properties of these biological activities were characterized, and all four colony-stimulating factors appear to be associated with glycoproteins. These factors were precipitated between 50 and 80%-satd. (NH4)2SO4 and could be concentrated by ultrafiltration over a 10000-mol.wt.-cut-off hollow-fibre membrane. Megakaryocyte- and erythroid-colony-stimulating factors were lost when the conditioned medium was dialysed at low ionic strength (<0.03m). Neither asialo- nor sialo-erythropoietin was detectable in concentrated PWMSC medium or in the fractions purified from it by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150. The factors bound to concanavalin A–Sepharose were eluted with α-methyl-d-glucopyranoside (0.10m). Analysis by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150 indicated that the apparent molecular-weight distributions of all colony-stimulating factors were identical (37000). Treatment with neuraminidase did not alter the biological activities of any of these factors, but when the molecular weights were analysed, after neuraminidase treatment, on Sepharose CL-6B in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride (6m) all were eluted with a mol.wt. of 24000. Although the apparent molecular weights of the different factors were identical, charge differences were detectable by isoelectric focusing on thin-layer granulated gels. There appeared to be considerable charge heterogeneity associated with each factor, as all were focused over 2–4 pH units. The maximum activity of the granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor on isoelectric focusing was at pH4.8, whereas the maximum activity for the eosinophil-colony-stimulating factor was at pH5.8. The erythroid- and megakaryocyte-colony-stimulating activities were detected in the pH ranges 4.8–5.8 and 4.6–7.1 respectively. Chromatographic differences between the granulocyte/macrophage- and eosinophil-colony-stimulating factors were also detected by hydrophobic chromatography at low ionic strength (0.15m-NaCl) on Cibacron Blue–Sepharose and at high ionic strength [2m-(NH4)2SO4] on phenyl-Sepharose. Eosinophil-colony-stimulating factor bound more strongly than the other factors to both matrices. The megakaryocyte- and erythroid-colony-stimulating activities were always associated with those for granulocytes/macrophages and eosinophils. Preparations highly enriched for eosinophil-colony-stimulating factor were also obtained by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. An overall purification of 100-fold for all of the factors was achieved with the present techniques, and, although differences were observed, only granulocyte/macrophage-stimulating factors and a small proportion of the eosinophil-stimulating factors could be completely separated from the others. Our results are consistent with the existence of separable factors for granulocyte/macrophage and eosinophil stimulation, but the megakaryocyte- and erythroid-stimulating activities were always associated with the granulocyte/macrophage- and eosinophil-stimulating activities. Thus there may be one molecule that is able to stimulate all four colony types or four very similar molecules that are difficult to separate.


1975 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
GB Ralston

Aggregated states of spectrin from bovine erythrocyte membranes can be detected in sedimentation velocity experiments. These aggregates have been isolated by means of gel filtration on columns of 4 % agarose. They appear to be stable over a wide range of pH and ionic strength, although they are dissociated by sodium dodecyl sulphate. Sedimentation equilibrium measurements yielded values of 960000 and 480000 for the molecular weights of the major aggregates, corresponding to a tetramer and dimer, respectively. The presence of different aggregated states in spectrin preparations may explain the wide variation in the reported physica~ properties of spectrin.


2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 252-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuichi Saito ◽  
Kazuya Kondo ◽  
Ichiro Kojima ◽  
Atsushi Yokota ◽  
Fusao Tomita

ABSTRACT Streptomyces exfoliatus F3-2 produced an extracellular enzyme that converted levan, a β-2,6-linked fructan, into levanbiose. The enzyme was purified 50-fold from culture supernatant to give a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The molecular weights of this enzyme were 54,000 by SDS-PAGE and 60,000 by gel filtration, suggesting the monomeric structure of the enzyme. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was determined to be 4.7. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme for levan degradation were pH 5.5 and 60°C, respectively. The enzyme was stable in the pH range 3.5 to 8.0 and also up to 50°C. The enzyme gave levanbiose as a major degradation product from levan in an exo-acting manner. It was also found that this enzyme catalyzed hydrolysis of such fructooligosaccharides as 1-kestose, nystose, and 1-fructosylnystose by liberating fructose. Thus, this enzyme appeared to hydrolyze not only β-2,6-linkage of levan, but also β-2,1-linkage of fructooligosaccharides. From these data, the enzyme from S. exfoliatus F3-2 was identified as a novel 2,6-β-d-fructan 6-levanbiohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.64 ).


1983 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Crossley ◽  
D.V. Holberton

Proteins from the axonemes and disc cytoskeleton of Giardia lamblia have been examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In addition to tubulin and the 30 X 10(3) molecular weight disc protein, at least 18 minor components copurify with the two major proteins in Triton-insoluble structures. The most prominent minor bands have the apparent molecular weights of 110 X 10(3), 95 X 10(3) and 81 X 10(3). Protein of 30 X 10(3) molecular weight accounts for about 20% of organelle protein on gels. In continuous 25 mM-Tris-glycine buffer it migrates mostly as a close-spaced doublet of polypeptides, which are here given the name giardins. Giardia tubulin and giardin have been purified by gel filtration chromatography in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Well-separated fractions were obtained that could be further characterized. Both proteins are heterogeneous when examined by isoelectric focusing. Five tubulin chains were detected by PAGE Blue 83 dye-binding after focusing in a broad-range ampholyte gel. Giardin is slightly less acidic than tubulin. On gels it splits into four major and four minor chains with isoelectric points in the pI range from 5.8 to 6.2. The amino acid composition of the giardin fraction has been determined, and compared to Giardia tubulin and a rat brain tubulin standard. Giardins are rich in helix-forming residues, particularly leucine. They have a low content of proline and glycine; therefore they may have extensive alpha-helical regions and be rod-shaped. As integral proteins of disc microribbons, giardins in vivo associate closely with tubulin. The properties of giardins indicate that in a number of respects - molecular size, charge, stoichiometry - their structural interaction with tubulin assemblies will be different from other tubulin-accessory protein copolymers studied in vitro.


1996 ◽  
Vol 51 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 342-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beate Nicolaus ◽  
Yukiharu Sato ◽  
Ko Wakabayashi ◽  
Peter Böger

Abstract Thiadiazolidine-converting activity (isomerase), detected in a 45-75% ammonium sulfate precipitate from corn seedlings extracts, was purified by chromatography on hydroxyapatite and by anion exchange on Mono Q Sepharose. Two fractions 1 and 2 with isomerase activity were separated on Mono Q by combination of a stepwise elution and continuous salt gradient; fraction 2 eluting at higher salt concentrations was found the most active. Total activity could be enhanced by treatment of seedlings with naphthalic anhydride. Both fractions containing isomerase activity were further purified by glutathione-(GSH) agarose affinity chromatography and characterized by their specificity for different thiadiazolidines. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration revealed that the isomerase of fraction 2 consists either of a homodimer or a heterodimer of two proteins with apparent molecular weights of 28 and 31 kDa, respectively. The protein pattern as well as the strict dependence of activity on thiol groups (GSH or dithiothreitol) suggested a glutathione Stransferase (GST) catalyzing the thiadiazolidine conversion. Further evidence was obtained by measuring reactions specific for GSTs in both purified fractions, namely the conjugating activity for l-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB ). atrazine and metazachlor. While no atrazine turnover was found, metazachlor and CDNB conjugation occurred rapidly. Both fractions differed in their activities to several GST substrates with fraction 2 being more effective in metazachlor but less active in C DN B conjugation. Inhibitors specific for GST-catalyzed reactions also inhibited thiadiazolidine conversion confirming that isomerizing activity is attributed to a GST form. We conclude that GST isoforms with different affinities towards thiadiazolidines have been isolated. CDNB activity, molecular weight, the protein pattern on SDS-PAGE as well as the amino acid sequence of one of its polypeptides suggest that fraction 1, less active in thiadiazolidine isomerization, is identical to GST I. The second peptide of this fraction was resistant to Edman degradation probably due to N-terminal blockage. The properties of the high isomerase activity found in fraction 2 are in agreement with characteristics of a GST previously termed as isoform II.


1970 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 944-946 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Griffiths

The stability, in solutions of low ionic strength, of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from the extremely halophilic bacterium Halobacterium cutirubrum was studied as a preliminary to their fractionation. The enzymes differed considerably in their sensitivity to such solutions. Conditions were found where reactivation from the salt-free and inactive state could be achieved. Removal of both K+ and Mg2+ together generally resulted in better stability than the removal of K+ alone. A low temperature (4°) was also important for stability in buffers of low ionic strength. In some cases the L-amino acid substrates afforded protection against inactivation in the salt-free state. Gel filtration in low ionic strength medium was found to work well as a fractionation procedure; a partial purification of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase was effected in this way. The use of other conventional protein fractionation procedures is now possible.


1974 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. T. Nachmias

Myosin has been purified free of actin from Physarum actomyosin by a two step adaptation of the classical potassium iodide method for depolymerizing actin. On 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gels, the single major slowly moving protein band present in the calcium activated adenosine triphosphatase peak (90% pure) is associated with two fast moving bands of molecular weights of approximately 17,000 and 21,000 daltons, respectively. Densitometry shows the molar ratio of heavy chains to the 21,000 and 17,000 dalton chains on the gels to be 1:2:1. The highly purified myosin forms filaments up to 2.5 µm long in the presence of 5 mM magnesium and 0.05 M KCl. Calcium ions were not required for the formation of long filaments from this highly purified myosin. At low ionic strength (0.05 M KCl) the magnesium ATPase of the highly purified myosin is activated four- to tenfold by muscle actin. The extent of activation is a function of the actin concentration and levels off at high levels of actin. In 0.1 mM calcium salts the ATPase activity is approximately 60% of that in 1 mM EGTA. In summary, Physarum myosin is similar to a number of muscle myosins as well as to platelet and fibroblast myosin, which all possess light chains of two different molecular weights associated with the heavy chains. Under ionic conditions close to those in vivo, highly purified Physarum myosin aggregates into long filaments.


1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (7) ◽  
pp. 797-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryanne Vahey ◽  
Stylianos P. Scordilis

Proteins exhibiting all of the basic structural and biochemical characteristics of actin and myosin have been isolated from the parenchymal cells of the fruit of the tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. Crude cytoplasmic extracts of these cells contain filaments that can be decorated by rabbit skeletal muscle myosin subfragment-1 (S-1). Polymerized tomato actin activates the Mg2+–ATPase of both skeletal and tomato myosin at physiological ionic strength. Tomato actin comigrates with skeletal actin on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels (SDS-PAGE) indicating an apparent molecular weight of 45 000. High ionic strength extracts of tomato contain a myosin whose ATPase activity in 0.5 M KCl is maximal in the presence of K+-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (K+-EDTA) and is inhibited by Mg2+. Tomato myosin interacts with skeletal F-actin to form an actomyosin complex that can be dissociated by ATP. At low ionic strength the Mg2+–ATPase of the myosin can be activated by actin.


1988 ◽  
Vol 252 (3) ◽  
pp. 865-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
R A Harrison

A study was made of hyaluronidase in ram semen. The end-group assay conditions used to determine activity quantitatively were chosen to ensure reliability as well as sensitivity [Gacesa, Savitsky, Dodgson & Olavesen (1981) Anal. Biochem. 118, 76-84]; they led to 1 W.H.O. Standard International Hyaluronidase Unit displaying 0.1263 EC munit (1 EC unit of activity releases 1 mumol equivalent of N-acetylglucosamine end groups/min at 37 degrees C). All the activity in the semen was shown to be sperm-derived, and intact spermatozoa were estimated to contain 1.23 EC units per 10(9) cells. In a low-ionic-strength medium, only some 20% of the hyaluronidase was extractable, although up to 80% of the activity could be extracted as the ionic strength was increased; further addition of detergent extracted the remainder. During purification of the enzyme, it was found that inclusion of poly(vinyl alcohol) in the media stabilized the activity; detergent inclusion also improved the yield, especially during early stages. As a consequence both of reliable quantitative determination and of stabilization, a number of forms of hyaluronidase could be isolated in high yield, by using anion-exchange chromatography, cation-exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography and gel filtration. The existence of all these forms was confirmed by electrophoresis and immunoblotting with the use of a monoclonal anti-(ram hyaluronidase) antibody, and their presence in very freshly prepared sperm extracts was demonstrated. The specific activity of the isolated major hyaluronidase form was 15.0 EC units/mg; this was equivalent to 119,000 W.H.O. units/mg, higher than any other previously reported values.


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