scholarly journals THE MITOTIC APPARATUS

1967 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Stephens

The major 22S protein of the hexylene glycol-isolated mitotic apparatus has been characterized from spindle isolates and extracts of whole eggs and acetone powders of eggs from the sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, and Arbacia punctulata. The protein is free of nucleotide, lipid, and ATPase activity. Essentially identical in amino acid composition, proteins from these species show a relatively high content of glutamic and aspartic acids and are fairly rich in hydrophobic amino acids. Optical rotatory dispersion studies indicate a helical content of about 20%, a value consistent with the proline content of the protein. The purified proteins have sedimentation rates in the range of 22–24S, diffusion constants of 2.4–2.5F, intrinsic viscosities of 3.7–4.3 ml/g, a partial specific volume of 0.74, and an average molecular weight of 880,000. Electron microscopy indicates a globular molecule with dimensions of approximately 150 by 200 A; such size and symmetry are consistent with hydrodynamic measurements. The 22S protein yields 6–7S, 9–10S, and 13–14S subunits below pH 4 or above pH 11. The 13–14S component has an estimated molecular weight of 600,000–700,000. A 5–6S particle is formed in 8 M urea or 5 M guanidine hydrochloride, while at pH 12 the 6–7S subunit is seen; each particle has a molecular weight of 230,000–240,000. In 8 M urea plus 2% mercaptoethanol or at pH 13, the molecular weight becomes 105,000–120,000; under these conditions the particle sediments at 2.5–3S and 4S, respectively. On the basis of these molecular weights, the 6–7S, 9–10S, 13–14S, and the parent 22S particle should be dimer, tetramer, hexamer, and octamer, respectively, of the 105,000–120,000 molecular weight subunit. The various subunits will reform the 22S particle when returned to neutral buffer, with the exception of the mercaptoethanol-treated urea subunit where breakage of disulfide bonds results in a polydisperse aggregate. The 22S particle itself is not susceptible to sulfhydryl reagents, implying either that the disulfide bonds are inaccessible or that they are unnecessary for maintenance of tertiary structure once the 22S particle has formed from subunits.

1973 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry J. Kitchen ◽  
Colin J. Masters ◽  
Donald J. Winzor

A purified arylesterase preparation from bovine plasma was characterized to the extent that it has a partial specific volume of 0.91ml/g and an apparent z-average molecular weight of 440000. The relatively large magnitude of the former reflects the presence of phospholipids, cholesterol, triglycerides and β-carotene, the last-named being responsible for the pronounced yellow colour of the preparation. Removal of the lipid material is accompanied by a decrease in the apparent z-average molecular weight to 120000, the size of the smallest species detected by high-speed sedimentation equilibrium being in the vicinity of 70000 daltons: denaturation of the lipid-free preparation with 6m-guanidine hydrochloride caused essentially complete breakdown into subunits of this size. In kinetic studies on the enzyme the maximal velocity for the hydrolysis of phenyl acetate was found to increase by 60% on addition of 1 mm-Ca2+, with the Km showing a concomitant decrease from 6.6 to 2.1 mm. Removal of lipid had no detectable effect on Vmax. or Km in either the presence or the absence of Ca2+. It is concluded that the bovine plasma arylesterase preparation is either a lipoprotein or an enzyme–lipoprotein complex with properties very similar to those of the α1-lipoprotein or high-density lipoprotein (HDL2) fraction of serum.


1980 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Blagrove ◽  
JM Gillespie ◽  
GG Lilley ◽  
EF Woods

Physicochemical studies are reported for conglutin �, the minor globulin isolated from seeds of L. angustifolius cv. Uniwhite. Isoelectric focusing of the native protein in polyacrylamide gel slabs resolved major and minor broad bands near pH 8.0 and 7.8 respectively. Following reduction of disulfide bonds with β-mercaptoethanol in 8 M urea, the smaller polypeptide chain of known sequence focused near pH 6.9 while the larger chain focused near pH 8.0. Sedimentation equilibrium studies showed that the major component in aqueous buffers at neutral pH is a hexamer of molecular weight 280 000 which dissociates to the monomer of molecular weight 47 000 at pH 4.8. The sequence molecular weight of the small subunit polypeptide is 16 517 [Elleman, T.C. (1977). Aust. J. Biol. Sci. 30, 33-45]. The molecular weights determined for the larger chain by sedimentation equilibrium or column chromatography in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, and by dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were in the range 28 000-30 000. Optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism measurements have been used to establish the approximate proportions of α-helix (15%), β-structure (35%), β-turns (18%) and unordered regions (32%) in the native protein. The denaturation curve for guanidine hydrochloride and the proportions of α-helix (50%), β-turns (18%) and unordered regions (32%) in 80 % trifluoroethanol have been determined.


1964 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 789-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Olins ◽  
G. M. Edelman

Admixture of separated L and H polypeptide chains of 7S γ-globulins under appropriate conditions has been found to result in the reconstitution of 7S molecules. The chains were mixed in 0.5 N propionic acid and when dialyzed into neutral aqueous buffers interacted to form reconstituted material in greater than 30 per cent yield. This material had sedimentation coefficients of 6S to 7S, a weight average molecular weight of 160,000, and its antigenic structure and electrophoretic properties were the same as those of 7S γ-globulin. By the use of I131 and I125 labels on the different types of chains, combined with ultracentrifugation of chain mixtures in sucrose density gradients, the 7S product was found to contain both isotopes in ratios consistent with the presence of two L and two H chains. After hydrolysis with papain, the reconstituted material yielded products resembling S and F fragments. All of the isotope corresponding to L chains was found in the counterpart of the S fragment; the isotope corresponding to the H chain fraction was present in both fragments. The activity reconstituted from chains of a purified guinea pig antibody to f1 phage was found to be associated mainly with the 7S material. Hybrid molecules containing rabbit L chains and human H chains and of human L chains and rabbit H chains were formed by the same techniques of reconstitution. It was found that the interchain disulfide bonds of native 7S γ-globulins could be broken and reoxidized, as could those of reconstituted 7S material. Reduced L and H chains mixed in propionic acid, dialyzed against neutral buffers containing mercaptan, then against neutral buffers in the absence of mercaptan, formed stable 7S molecules of molecular weight 160,000, which were dissociable only after reduction.


1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred H. Wolfe ◽  
Cyril M. Kay

The physical heterogeneity of unfractionated wheat embryo ribsomal proteins, prepared by the glacial acetic acid method of Waller and Harris, has been investigated in 8 M urea −10−3 M dithio-threitol solutions of low pH (4.5). Sedimentation–diffusion measurements resulted in a weight average molecular weight of 29 000 ± 2 500, with no obvious evidence of heterogeneity. High-speed membrane osmometry was employed to establish the number average molecular weight of this system as 24 500 ± 1 000. The disparity in molecular weight averages suggests some size heterogeneity, and statistical analysis based on the two average molecular weights resulted in a calculated range of molecular weights for wheat embryo ribosomal proteins from 15 000 to 34 000 a.m.u. Charge differences, reflecting presumably primary structure differences, also exist among the members of this class, since about 26 different bands were resolved on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The weight intrinsic viscosity of the ribosomal proteins in 8 M urea solutions was established as 0.273 dl/g, a value considerably larger than most globular proteins, suggesting that a major portion of their polypeptide chains are unfolded in this solvent. This conclusion was substantiated by optical rotatory dispersion measurements on this system, which resulted in a dispersion constant, λc, of 213 m μ, a value typical of that of the random coil. Amino acid and N-terminal analyses are also reported for this system, and comparisons of both chemical and physicochemical parameters are made with ribosomal proteins of other sources.


1974 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel J. Ricardo ◽  
John M. Brewer ◽  
Franklin P. Inman

J chain was isolated from sulphonated human immunoglobulin M molecules by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. When determined by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gels, the molecular weight of the protein was about 27000. After suspension in 5m-guanidine hydrochloride solution for 21 days, two groups of three bands appeared on the gels. Most of the protein dissociated to components of molecular weight 15000. The molecular weight of purified J chain was also determined by ultracentrifugation. In borate–saline solution the average weight-average molecular weight was about 29000. The molecular weight slowly decreased upon prolonged exposure to guanidine hydrochloride, and after 14 days the minimum molecular weight was about 15000. Some association between chains still existed. These data suggest that J chain derived from the paraprotein exists in borate–saline solution as dimers held by strong non-covalent forces.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Runar Gjerp Solstad ◽  
Philip James

Abstract There is a large amount of co-product generated by the sea urchin fisheries around the world, as well as a growing interest in removing large quantities of undersize and low value sea urchins from barren areas in the northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The authors believe there is scope to develop a hydrolysate product from this and this study gives preliminary observations on the characteristics of hydrolysate from the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. The biochemical composition for S. droebachiensis were; water 64.1%, protein 3.4%, oil 0.9% and ash 29.8%. Amino acid composition, molecular weight distribution, lipid-class and fatty acid composition are also presented. The authors suggest a sensory-panel mapping be undertaken on future sea urchin hydrolysates. Possible uses for the hydrolysate are unclear at this stage but the combination of amino acids and the relatively high levels of Glycine, Aspartic acid, and Glutamic acid should be further investigated.


1970 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Erickson

The molecular weight of Escherichia coli β-galactosidase was determined in 6m- and 8m-guanidine hydrochloride by meniscus-depletion sedimentation equilibrium, sedimentation velocity and viscosity. Sedimentation equilibrium revealed heterogeneity with the smallest component having a molecular weight of about 50000. At lower speeds, the apparent weight-average molecular weight is about 80000. By use of a calculation based on an empirical correlation for proteins that are random coils in 6m-guanidine hydrochloride, sedimentation velocity gave a molecular weight of 91000, and the intrinsic viscosity indicated a viscosity-average molecular weight of 84000. Heating in 6m-guanidine hydrochloride lowered the viscosity of β-galactosidase in a variable manner.


1968 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Haydon ◽  
A. R. Peacocke

1. The lysine-rich fraction (Ia+Ib, or f1) of calf thymus histones was isolated as the sulphate by acid extraction. 2. Sedimentation-equilibrium measurements with interference optics showed that this fraction was monodisperse with a molecular weight of 19500±2000. 3. The ‘apparent molecular weight’ calculated from the sedimentation-equilibrium studies varied markedly with concentration. The large second virial coefficient implied by such variation was attributed to the very high charge/mass ratio of this relatively small protein. Estimates of the charge were made from the values of this virial coefficient. 4. The very large value of the virial coefficient explains anomalies in the earlier reports of the molecular weight of this histone and also why the z-average molecular weight can appear to be lower than the weight-average molecular weight. 5. The differences of the specific refractive increments, and the partial specific volumes, between dialysed and undialysed solutions of this histone fraction could also be attributed to its high molecular charge, which was estimated from these differences and agreed, within the expected limits, with the value deduced from the second virial coefficient. 6. Sedimentation-velocity measurements combined with the known molecular weight imply that lysine-rich histone has a high frictional ratio and an extended shape. Optical-rotatory-dispersion measurements indicated that it had a low helical content.


Author(s):  
C. E. Cluthe ◽  
G. G. Cocks

Aqueous solutions of a 1 weight-per cent poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) were degassed under vacuum, transferred to a parallel plate viscometer under a nitrogen gas blanket, and exposed to Co60 gamma radiation. The Co60 source was rated at 4000 curies, and the dose ratewas 3.8x105 rads/hr. The poly (ethylene oxide) employed in the irradiations had an initial viscosity average molecular weight of 2.1 x 106.The solutions were gelled by a free radical reaction with dosages ranging from 5x104 rads to 4.8x106 rads.


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