Cartilage fucoproteins with sites for cross-linking by transglutaminase

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 280-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Bowness

Slices of various types of cartilage were incubated with either L-[6-3H]fucose or [1,4-3H(N)]putrescine. Homogenization of the slices and fractionation of the homogenates showed for both labels that an insoluble collagenase-resistant fraction had the highest specific activity (dpm/mg dry weight). Examination of an exhaustive proteolytic digest of this insoluble fraction by ion-exchange high performance liquid chromatography showed the presence of γ-glutamyl[3H]putrescine. Chromatography of solubilized [3H]fucoprotein fractions showed the presence of several low molecular weight peaks, as well as high molecular weight material. Incubation of [3H]fucoprotein extracts with transglutaminase increased the high molecular weight peaks and decreased the low molecular weight ones. Incubation of the cartilage slices with L-[3H]fucose plus 0.5 mM dansylcadaverine, an inhibitor of transglutaminase, caused a decrease in the insoluble and high molecular weight fraction relative to the low molecular weight peaks. It is hypothesized that this is due to inhibition of cross-link formation between fucoprotein components of the cartilage which are transglutaminase substrates. One major low molecular weight peak, which labels with both fucose and putrescine, corresponds in size with the 15 000 subunit of collagen III aminopropeptide, which is known to be a substrate for transglutaminase.

1974 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER M. DEHNEL ◽  
P. D. McCONAGHEY ◽  
M. J. O. FRANCIS

SUMMARY Plasma somatomedin is the intermediary through which growth hormone (GH) exerts its effects on the growing skeleton. Somatomedin activity may be produced in vitro by perfusion of the liver and kidneys of rats with Waymouth's medium containing GH. The relationship between the activity of plasma somatomedin and somatomedin of hepatic and renal origin has yet to be clarified. Somatomedin from plasma can be separated into active fractions of both high and low molecular weight. Similarly, ultrafiltration of medium containing somatomedin of hepatic origin indicates the existence of two active fractions, one of high molecular weight (greater than 50000) and one of low molecular weight (less than 1000). The latter can be attributed to the release of amino acids, such as serine and glutamine, by the perfused tissue. The high molecular weight fraction is believed to represent GH-dependent somatomedin. Fractions that inhibit production of cartilage matrix are present in liver perfusates as well as in plasma. These results provide further evidence that the liver is a source of GH-dependent somatomedin in vivo. Furthermore, cartilage growth may be controlled not only by the GH-stimulated release of somatomedin by the liver, but also by its release of acid-labile somatomedin inhibitors.


2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1934578X0800300
Author(s):  
Asmita V. Patel ◽  
David C. Wright ◽  
Maricela Adrian Romero ◽  
Gerald Blunden ◽  
Michael D. Guiry

The aqueous fractions of the dry methanol extracts (500 ppm) of sixty marine algal species were screened for molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria glabrata, which is an important host of the bilharzia-causing Schistosoma species. The majority of the extracts tested were inactive at the concentration used, but those of Fucus serratus, F. vesiculosus, Pelvetia canaliculata, Ascophyllum nodosum, Halidrys siliquosa, Bifurcaria bifurcata, Dictyota dichotoma and Halopithys incurva all showed significant molluscicidal activity. Treatment with polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) either removed or drastically reduced the activity of the extracts of F. serratus, F. vesiculosus, P. canaliculata, A. nodosum, Halidrys siliquosa and Halopithys incurva, which suggested that the active compounds in the extracts of these species were polyphenolic in nature. The active extracts of the other two seaweed species did not appear to be affected by treatment with PVPP. Dialysis of the active extracts against distilled water separated them into high and low molecular weight fractions. In the case of the two Fucus species, P. canaliculata and A. nodosum, the activity resided in the high molecular weight fraction, whereas with all the other species, the activity was found in the low molecular weight fraction. 1H NMR spectroscopic examination of the active extracts confirmed that the molluscicidal components of the extracts of the Fucus species, P. canaliculata and A. nodosum were high molecular weight polyphenols.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Lee ◽  
N. H. Tan ◽  
S. Y. Fung ◽  
C. S. Tan ◽  
S. T. Ng

Lignosus rhinocerus, the tiger milk mushroom, is one of the most important medicinal mushrooms used by the indigenous people of Southeast Asia and China. It has been used to treat breast cancer. A cold water extract (LR-CW) prepared from the sclerotia ofL. rhinoceruscultivar was found to exhibit antiproliferative activity against human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) and human lung carcinoma (A549), withIC50of 96.7 μg/mL and 466.7 μg/mL, respectively. In comparison, LR-CW did not show significant cytotoxicity against the two corresponding human normal cells, 184B5 (human breast cell) and NL 20 (human lung cell). DNA fragmentation studies suggested that the cytotoxic action of LR-CW against cancer cells is mediated by apoptosis. Sephadex G-50 gel filtration fractionation of LR-CW yielded a high-molecular-weight and a low-molecular-weight fraction. The high-molecular-weight fraction contains mainly carbohydrate (68.7%) and small amount of protein (3.6%), whereas the low-molecular-weight fraction contains 31% carbohydrate and was devoid of protein. Only the high-molecular-weight fraction exhibited antiproliferative activity against cancer cells, withIC50of 70.0 μg/mL and 76.7 μg/mL, respectively. Thus, the cytotoxic action of the LR-CW is due to the high-molecular-weight fraction, either the proteins or protein-carbohydrate complex.


1984 ◽  
Vol 23 (02) ◽  
pp. 59-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Crone ◽  
P. Thouvenot ◽  
F. Brunotte ◽  
C. Marchai ◽  
J. Robert ◽  
...  

SummaryBlood plasma from tumor-bearing rats was incubated with 67Ga-citrate, and two fractions of high molecular weight (proteins) and low molecular weight were isolated by dialysis and by gel-filtration chromatography. Both fractions showed a different in vivo uptake by DS-sarcoma-bearing animals, the high molecular weight fraction being accumulated to a lesser extent. Compared to 67Ga-citrate the low molecular weight fraction showed a different uptake which for most tissues was significatively higher. This behavior suggests the presence of 67Ga in chemical forms other than citrate in the low molecular weight fraction. The lower uptake of the blood protein fraction is discussed.


IAWA Journal ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-310
Author(s):  
Fengping Jia ◽  
Jiayan Luo ◽  
Ryosuke Takahashi ◽  
Chie Uehira ◽  
Shinichi Kitamura ◽  
...  

Mucilage is extruded from the bark of Pseudolarix amabilis and Abies nephrolepis upon injury. The aim of this study was to characterize the structure and chemical contents of mucilage extruded from mucilage cells (MCs) in the bark of these species. A large number of MCs containing translucent or dark materials in their lumina were observed in the secondary phloem of P. amabilis and A. nephrolepis. The translucent or dark materials in MCs stained positive with ruthenium red and PAS, indicating the presence of polysaccharides. The average length and diameter of MC in P. amabilis were 1500 μm and 254 μm, respectively, and the corresponding values for A. nephrolepis were 419 μm and 166 μm. Chemical analysis of low molecular weight fractions prepared from mucilage by HPAEC-PAD showed sucrose, glucose and fructose peaks, and in addition galacturonic acid and fucose peaks. Furthermore, 1H NMR spectra for the high molecular weight fraction showed the signals characteristic of pectin. This demonstrates that the mucilage consists mainly of low molecular weight carbohydrates and high molecular weight polysaccharide pectin.


1993 ◽  
Vol 70 (06) ◽  
pp. 0978-0983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edelmiro Regano ◽  
Virtudes Vila ◽  
Justo Aznar ◽  
Victoria Lacueva ◽  
Vicenta Martinez ◽  
...  

SummaryIn 15 patients with acute myocardial infarction who received 1,500,000 U of streptokinase, the gradual appearance of newly synthesized fibrinogen and the fibrinopeptide release during the first 35 h after SK treatment were evaluated. At 5 h the fibrinogen circulating in plasma was observed as the high molecular weight fraction (HMW-Fg). The concentration of HMW-Fg increased continuously, and at 20 h reached values higher than those obtained from normal plasma. HMW-Fg represented about 95% of the total fibrinogen during the first 35 h. The degree of phosphorylation of patient fibrinogen increased from 30% before treatment to 65% during the first 5 h, and then slowly declined to 50% at 35 h.The early rates of fibrinopeptide A (FPA) and phosphorylated fibrinopeptide A (FPAp) release are higher in patient fibrinogen than in isolated normal HMW-Fg and normal fibrinogen after thrombin addition. The early rate of fibrinopeptide B (FPB) release is the same for the three fibrinogen groups. However, the late rate of FPB release is higher in patient fibrinogen than in normal HMW-Fg and normal fibrinogen. Therefore, the newly synthesized fibrinogen clots faster than fibrinogen in the normal steady state.In two of the 15 patients who had occluded coronary arteries after SK treatment the HMW-Fg and FPAp levels increased as compared with the 13 patients who had patent coronary arteries.These results provide some support for the idea that an increased synthesis of fibrinogen in circulation may result in a procoagulant tendency. If this is so, the HMW-Fg and FPAp content may serve as a risk index for thrombosis.


1981 ◽  
Vol 46 (03) ◽  
pp. 612-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
U Schmitz-Huebner ◽  
L Balleisen ◽  
F Asbeck ◽  
J van de Loo

SummaryHigh and low molecular weight heparin fractions obtained by gel filtration chromatography of sodium mucosal heparin were injected subcutaneously into six healthy volunteers and compared with the unfractionated substance in a cross-over trial. Equal doses of 5,000 U were administered twice daily over a period of three days and heparin activity was repeatedly controlled before and 2, 4, 8 hrs after injection by means of the APTT, the anti-Xa clotting test and a chromogenic substrate assay. In addition, the in vivo effect of subcutaneously administered fractionated heparin on platelet function was examined on three of the volunteers. The results show that s.c. injections of the low molecular weight fraction induced markedly higher anti-Xa activity than injections of the other preparations. At the same time, APTT results did not significantly differ. Unfractionated heparin and the high molecular weight fraction enhanced ADP-induced platelet aggregation and collagen-mediated MDA production, while the low molecular weight fraction hardly affected these assays, but potently inhibited thrombin-induced MDA production. All heparin preparations stimulated the release of platelet Factor 4 in plasma. During the three-day treatment periods, no side-effects and no significant changes in the response to heparin injections were detected.


1968 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 641-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Polson ◽  
W. Katz

1. The preparation of tanned gelatin spheres and granules from high-molecular-weight gelatin is described. This material is comparatively hard, giving high flow rates, is insoluble in water at temperatures between 0° and 100° and is resistant to digestion by trypsin and chymotrypsin. The high-molecular-weight fraction of gelatin was prepared by precipitation with polyethylene glycol, and the spheres and granules prepared from this fraction were hardened and insolubilized by tanning with either formalin or chromium salts or both. 2. The spheres and granules were used successfully for the separation of protein molecules and other protein-aceous materials ranging in molecular weight from 200 to greater than 6000000. This gel exclusion material has several properties superior to those of other products used for similar purposes. Further, it was noticed that the porosity of the spheres differed considerably from that of the granules.


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