scholarly journals Properties of cadmium-binding proteins in rat testes. Characteristics unlike metallothionein

1985 ◽  
Vol 231 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
J T Deagen ◽  
P D Whanger

Since the exposure of rats to cadmium causes zinc to accumulate in metallothionein in liver and kidney but not in a similar protein in the testes, the properties of the low-Mr cadmium-binding proteins were investigated in rat testes. Weanling rats that had been given dietary cadmium for 6 weeks were injected with 109CdCl2 and subsequently killed, and the 109Cd-labelled low-Mr proteins from testes were purified. The pooled low-Mr cadmium-containing fractions from the gel-filtration (Sephadex G-75) columns were eluted through DEAE-Sephacel columns, yielding two peaks. Each of the individual peaks from this Sephacel column was further purified by rechromatography on DEAE-Sephacel and on Bio-Gel P-10 columns. Amino acid analysis of the two purified proteins revealed a low cysteine (about 3%) content, with aspartate, glutamate and glycine as the predominant amino acids. Thus these low-Mr cadmium-binding proteins induced by cadmium in rat testes do not appear to be metallothionein.

1984 ◽  
Vol 220 (3) ◽  
pp. 819-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
M P Waalkes ◽  
S B Chernoff ◽  
C D Klaassen

Fractionation of rat testicular cytosolic proteins by gel filtration indicates three major metal-binding proteins, or groups of proteins, termed testicular metal-binding protein (TMBP) 1, 2 and 3 by order of elution. The major heat-stable, metal-binding proteins in testes is TMBP-2, which has an Mr of approx. 25000. In most tissues, metallothionein (MT) is the major heat-stable, metal-binding protein, but it has an Mr of 6000. This testicular protein (TMBP-2) is much larger than MT, and since polymeric forms of MT have been previously reported, further characterization of TMBP-2 was performed. TMBP-2 was separated into two forms by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 anion-exchange chromatography. Amino acid analysis of both forms of TMBP-2 revealed that they differed markedly from MT, having particularly low cysteine contents. However, amino acid analysis showed that TBMP-2 was strikingly similar to TMBP-3, with an approximate stoichiometric relationship of 4:1. Therefore, experiments were conducted to determine if TMBP-3 could be a breakdown product of TMBP-2. Heat treatment of testicular cytosol in room air before gel filtration resulted in a marked increase in TMBP-3 and loss of TMBP-2. Storing intact testes at −20 degrees C for 2 weeks before processing for gel filtration also resulted in an increase in TMBP-3 and a loss of TMBP-2. Addition of a reducing agent (dithiothreitol) or proteinase inhibitor (N-ethylmaleimide) in processing of samples before gel filtration inhibited the appearance of TMBP-3. Results suggest that the low-Mr Cd-binding protein (TMBP-3) of rat testes results from either proteolytic or oxidative breakdown of a higher-Mr species, or from a combination of such factors.


1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 276-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. H. Lin ◽  
W. Chung ◽  
K. P. Strickland ◽  
A. J. Hudson

An isozyme of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase has been purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, and gel filtration on a Sephadex G-200 column. The purified enzyme is very unstable and has a molecular weight of 120 000 consisting of two identical subunits. Amino acid analysis on the purified enzyme showed glycine, glutamate, and aspartate to be the most abundant and the aromatic amino acids to be the least abundant. It possesses tripolyphosphatase activity which can be stimulated five to six times by S-adenosylmethionine (20–40 μM). The findings support the conclusion that an enzyme-bound tripolyphosphate is an obligatory intermediate in the enzymatic synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine from ATP and methionine.


2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Hess ◽  
Philippe Ganier ◽  
Jean-Noel Thibault ◽  
Bernard Sève

The aims of the present study were first to compare the amino acid dilution method performed using labelled animals with that using labelled diets, and second to determine real digestibilities and total ileal endogenous losses of N and amino acids. Two diets containing pea cultivars (Solara and Amino) and a protein-free diet were compared in a 3 × 3 Latin-square experiment. The three pigs were each prepared with an ileo-rectal anastomosis and were continuously infused with [1-13C]leucine. For each cultivar,15N-labelled and unlabelled diets were formulated. The real digestibility and endogenous losses of leucine were higher when obtained by labelling the pig than by labelling the foodstuff. This was due either to the inadequate estimation of the endogenous protein enrichment in the first case or to the importance of dietary N recycling in the second case. However, in both cases the ileal endogenous losses of N and amino acids were higher than the basal losses determined with the protein-free diet. There were significant differences between the two pea cultivars in terms of phenylalanine and leucine when measured with labelled diets. It is suggested that, although ileal endogenous losses may be underestimated, using labelled feedstuffs is of great interest due to the direct estimation of the individual amounts of amino acids.


Author(s):  
M A Edwards ◽  
S Grant ◽  
A Green

We have, in this paper, highlighted some of the common problems in amino acid analysis in our experience and listed the possible causes for increases in specific amino acids in urine—together with guidance on appropriate follow-up investigations.


1985 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghulam Sarwar ◽  
Robert Blair ◽  
Mendel Friedman ◽  
Michael R Gumbmann ◽  
Ross L Hackler ◽  
...  

Abstract Estimates of inter- and intralaboratory variation of protein efficiency ratio (PER), relative PER (RPER), net protein ratio (NPR), relative NPR (RNPR), and nitrogen utilization (NU) were compared with those of amino acid analysis in the same batches of 7 protein sources (ANRC casein, egg white solids, minced beef, soy assay protein, rapeseed protein concentrate, pea flour, and whole wheat flour). Interlaboratory variation (estimated as between-laboratories coefficients of variation, CV) of NPR and RNPR (up to 6.0%) was lower than that of PER (up to 20.2%) and RPER (up to 18.5%). The interlaboratory determination of NPR and RNPR was also more reproducible than that of most essential amino acids (CV up to 10.0%), especially tryptophan (CV up to 23.7%), cystine (CV up to 17.6%), and methionine (CV up to 16.1%). Intralaboratory variation (estimated as within-laboratories CV) of amino acid analysis (up to 4.7%), however, was comparable to that of protein quality indices in most protein sources (up to 6.0%). The significant (P <0.01) positive correlations (r = 0.68-0.74) between amino acid scores and protein quality indices based on rat growth were further improved when amino acid scores were corrected for digestibility of protein (r = 0.73-0.78) or individual amino acids (r = 0.79- 0.82).


1979 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Canfield ◽  
B. Lahiri ◽  
R. D’Alisa ◽  
V. Butler ◽  
H. Nossel ◽  
...  

Factor XIIIa introduces up to six crossllnklng bonds per molecule of fibrin; the bonds between the γ chains on adjacent fibrin molecules form most rapidly. Since cross linking is essential for normal hemostasis and is likely to be important in tests to detect thrombosis, we have attempted to develop a radioimmunoassay that exhibits specificity for the γ chain crosslinks. The immunogen consisted of a 54 amino acid, crosslinked peptide, isolated from purified human γ-γ chains following CNBr cleavage, gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 and ion-exchange chromatography on SP-Sephadex. Amino acid analysis and Edman degradation through step 24 confirmed the sequence of Chen and Doolittle (Biochemistry 10: i486, 1971), and the two degradation steps that failed to liberate the expected PTH-amino acids matched the reported location of the Gin-Lys crosslinks. Antisera were obtained against this immunogen coupled either to bovine thyroglobulin or bovine serum albumin. All antisera elicited bound immunogen that was covalently coupled to ribonuclease radiolabeled with 125I as a tracer. The unlabeled γ-γ, crosslinked peptide effectively inhibited binding (0.03-0.08 picomoles for 50% inhibition), while with some antisera up to 500 times more of the 27 amino acid γ monomer peptide was required for the same degree of inhibition. Fibrinogen and fragment D also were poor Inhibitors. The results Indicate that it is possible by radioimmunoassay to distinguish the COOH-termlnal region of the γ-γ dlmer from that of uncrosslinked molecules.


1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 823-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Triguero ◽  
Teresa Barber ◽  
Concha GarcÍa ◽  
Inmaculada R. Puertes ◽  
Juan Sastre ◽  
...  

To study the fate of l-cysteine and amino acid homeostasis in liver after the inhibition of the trans-sulfuration pathway, rats were treated with propargylglycine (PPG). At 4 h after the administration of PPG, liver cystathionase (EC 4.4.1.1) activity was undetectable, l-cystathionine levels were significantly higher, l-cysteine was unchanged and GSH concentration was significantly lower than values found in livers from control rats injected intraperitoneally with 0.15 M-NaCl. The hepatic levels of amino acids that are intermediates of the urea cycle, l-ornithine, l-citrulline and l-arginine and blood urea were significantly greater. Urea excretion was also higher in PPG-treated rats when compared with control rats. These data suggest a stimulation of ureagenesis in PPG-treated rats. The inhibition of γ-cystathionase was reflected in the blood levels of amino acids, because the L-methionine: l-cyst(e)ine ratio was significantly higher in PPG-treated rats than in control rats; blood concentration of cystathionine was also greater. Histological examination of liver and kidney showed no changes in PPG-treated rats when compared with controls. The administration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to PPG-treated rats reversed the changes in blood urea and in liver GSH. These data suggest that when liver l-cysteine production was impaired by the blockage of the trans-sulfuration pathway, the concentration of this amino acid was maintained mainly by an increase in protein degradation and by a depletion in GSH concentration that may spare l-cysteine.


1968 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. B. M. Reid ◽  
P T Grant ◽  
A. Youngson

1. S-Aminoethylcysteinyl derivatives of the A and B chains of cod insulin were prepared from the individual S-sulpho chains. 2. Studies on small peptides derived from the S-aminoethylated peptide chains by treatment with trypsin allowed the amino acid sequences in the region of the cysteinyl residues of the A and B peptide chains to be defined. 3. The six amide groups in cod insulin were located by complete digestion of small peptides from the A and B chains with aminopeptidase followed by amino acid analyses. 4. The results, together with previous studies on the oxidized A and B chains, define the sequences of the 51 amino acids that constitute cod insulin.


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