Preparation and analysis of mass amounts of germin: demonstration that the protein which signals the onset of growth in germinating wheat is a glycoprotein

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byron Lane ◽  
Zbyszko Grzelczak ◽  
Theresa Kennedy ◽  
Choy Hew ◽  
Shashikant Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Aspartic Acid ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Wheat Embryo ◽  
Acid Hydrolysate

(1) A rapid method (2–3 weeks) is described for preparing milligram amounts of germin, in high yield, from kilogram quantities of germinated wheat embryos. An ammonium-sulphate fraction of proteins in the low-speed supernatant from an embryo homogenate is suspended in buffer for pepsin digestion, and the resulting digest is filtered through Ultrogel AcA34 to obtain germin, virtually free of contamination (<1%) by other proteins.(2) An acid hydrolysate of germin contains a full complement of the 20 different amino acids. The proportions of half-cystine, tyrosine, and tryptophan are conspicuously low (<1.5%), the proportions of aspartic acid and glycine (each ca. 11%) as well as proline (ca. 8%) are relatively high, and the cumulative proportion of hydrophobic amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine) is also high (ca. 25%). The N-terminal sequence of germin, as determined by Edman degradation, is enriched with respect to aspartic acid, which occupies 5 of the first 15 positions.(3) There are two forms of germin, one (G) being the dominant species in the soluble fraction of homogenates of germinated embryos and the other (G′) being the dominant species in a fraction obtained by rinsing growing embryos. Consistent differences between the amino-acid compositions of G and G′ were not observed. Similarly, wherever identification was possible, the N-terminal amino-acid sequences (residues 1–22) of G and G′ were not different.(4) The polymeric and monomeric forms of germin (G or G′) give a positive Schiff reaction, characteristic of glycoproteins, when electrophoretically separated in sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) – poly aerylamide. Treatment with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid affirmed the glycoprotein character of germin, as did labeling, in vivo, from exogeneously supplied tritiated sugars.(5) The G and G′ forms of germin were among the most heavily labeled proteins seen in SDS–polyacrylamide separations if wheat-embryo proteins were labeled, in vivo, from exogenous supplies of tritiated mannose, glucosamine, or fucose. Differences between the patterns of glucosamine labeling and fucose labeling of G and G′ suggest the possibility that the two forms differ with respect to their carbohydrate components.

scholarly journals Phosphorylation in vivo of four basic proteins of rat brain myelin

1982 ◽  
Vol 201 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harish C. Agrawal ◽  
Keith O'Connell ◽  
Charlotte L. Randle ◽  
Daya Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Rat Brain ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate ◽  
Basic Protein ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Intracerebral Injection ◽  
Partial Acid Hydrolysis ◽  
Basic Proteins

When rat brain myelin was examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamideslab-gel electrophoresis followed by fluorography of the stained gel, it was found that a host of proteins of rat brain myelin were labelled 2, 4 and 24h after the intracerebral injection of H332PO4. Among those labelled were proteins migrating to the positions of myelin-associated glycoprotein, Wolfgram proteins, proteolipid protein, DM-20 and basic proteins. The four basic proteins with mol.wts. 21000, 18000 (large basic protein), 17000 and 14000 (small basic protein) were shown to be phosphorylated after electrophoresis in both acid-urea- and sodium dodecyl sulphate-containing gel systems followed by fluorography. The four basic proteins imparted bluish-green colour, after staining with Amido Black, which is characteristic of myelin basic proteins. The four basic proteins were purified to homogeneity. Fluorography of the purified basic proteins after re-electrophoresis revealed the presence of phosphorylated high-molecular-weight ‘polymers’ associated with each basic protein. The amino acid compositions of the phosphorylated large basic protein and small basic proteins are compatible with the amino acid sequences. Proteins with mol.wts. 21000 and 17000 gave the expected amino acid composition of myelin basic proteins. Radiolabelled phosphoserine and phosphothreonine were identified after partial acid hydrolysis of the four purified basic proteins. The [32P]phosphate–protein bond in the basic protein was stable at an acidic pH but was readily hydrolysed at alkaline pH, as would be expected of phosphoester bonds involving both serine and threonine residues. Double-immunodiffusion analysis demonstrated that the four phosphorylated proteins showed complete homology when diffused against antiserum to a mixture of small and large basic proteins. Since the four basic proteins of rat brain myelin were phosphorylated both in vivo and in vitro it is postulated that the same protein kinase is responsible for their phosphorylation in both conditions.

scholarly journals Enzymatic Properties of a Novel Liquefying α-Amylase from an Alkaliphilic Bacillus Isolate and Entire Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequences

1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 3282-3289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuaki Igarashi ◽  
Yuji Hatada ◽  
Hiroshi Hagihara ◽  
Katsuhisa Saeki ◽  
Mikio Takaiwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Molecular Mass ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Maximum Activity ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Ph Optimum ◽  
Calculated Molecular Mass

ABSTRACT A novel liquefying α-amylase (LAMY) was found in cultures of an alkaliphilic Bacillus isolate, KSM-1378. The specific activity of purified LAMY was approximately 5,000 U mg of protein−1, a value two- to fivefold greater between pH 5 and 10 than that of an industrial, thermostable Bacillus licheniformis enzyme. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 8.0 to 8.5 and displayed maximum activity at 55°C. The molecular mass deduced from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was approximately 53 kDa, and the apparent isoelectric point was around pH 9. This enzyme efficiently hydrolyzed various carbohydrates to yield maltotriose, maltopentaose, maltohexaose, and maltose as major end products after completion of the reaction. Maltooligosaccharides in the maltose-to-maltopentaose range were unhydrolyzable by the enzyme. The structural gene for LAMY contained a single open reading frame 1,548 bp in length, corresponding to 516 amino acids that included a signal peptide of 31 amino acids. The calculated molecular mass of the extracellular mature enzyme was 55,391 Da. LAMY exhibited relatively low amino acid identity to other liquefying amylases, such as the enzymes from B. licheniformis (68.9%), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (66.7%), and Bacillus stearothermophilus (68.6%). The four conserved regions, designated I, II, III, and IV, and the putative catalytic triad were found in the deduced amino acid sequence of LAMY. Essentially, the sequence of LAMY was consistent with the tertiary structures of reported amylolytic enzymes, which are composed of domains A, B, and C and which include the well-known (α/β)8 barrel motif in domain A.

scholarly journals Small Mass but Strong Information: Diagnostic Ions Provide Crucial Clues to Correctly Identify Histone Lysine Modifications

Proteomes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Alaa Hseiky ◽  
Marion Crespo ◽  
Sylvie Kieffer-Jaquinod ◽  
François Fenaille ◽  
Delphine Pflieger
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Small Mass ◽  
Mass Region ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Lysine Modification ◽  
Lysine Residues ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Diagnostic Ions

(1) Background: The proteomic analysis of histones constitutes a delicate task due to the combination of two factors: slight variations in the amino acid sequences of variants and the multiplicity of post-translational modifications (PTMs), particularly those occurring on lysine residues. (2) Methods: To dissect the relationship between both aspects, we carefully evaluated PTM identification on lysine 27 from histone H3 (H3K27) and the artefactual chemical modifications that may lead to erroneous PTM determination. H3K27 is a particularly interesting example because it can bear a range of PTMs and it sits nearby residues 29 and 31 that vary between H3 sequence variants. We discuss how the retention times, neutral losses and immonium/diagnostic ions observed in the MS/MS spectra of peptides bearing modified lysines detectable in the low-mass region might help validate the identification of modified sequences. (3) Results: Diagnostic ions carry key information, thereby avoiding potential mis-identifications due to either isobaric PTM combinations or isobaric amino acid-PTM combinations. This also includes cases where chemical formylation or acetylation of peptide N-termini artefactually occurs during sample processing or simply in the timeframe of LC-MS/MS analysis. Finally, in the very subtle case of positional isomers possibly corresponding to a given mass of lysine modification, the immonium and diagnostic ions may allow the identification of the in vivo structure.

scholarly journals Roles of the C-Terminal Amino Acids of Non-Hexameric Helicases: Insights from Escherichia coli UvrD

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1018
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Yokota
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
E Coli ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Terminal Amino

Helicases are nucleic acid-unwinding enzymes that are involved in the maintenance of genome integrity. Several parts of the amino acid sequences of helicases are very similar, and these quite well-conserved amino acid sequences are termed “helicase motifs”. Previous studies by X-ray crystallography and single-molecule measurements have suggested a common underlying mechanism for their function. These studies indicate the role of the helicase motifs in unwinding nucleic acids. In contrast, the sequence and length of the C-terminal amino acids of helicases are highly variable. In this paper, I review past and recent studies that proposed helicase mechanisms and studies that investigated the roles of the C-terminal amino acids on helicase and dimerization activities, primarily on the non-hexermeric Escherichia coli (E. coli) UvrD helicase. Then, I center on my recent study of single-molecule direct visualization of a UvrD mutant lacking the C-terminal 40 amino acids (UvrDΔ40C) used in studies proposing the monomer helicase model. The study demonstrated that multiple UvrDΔ40C molecules jointly participated in DNA unwinding, presumably by forming an oligomer. Thus, the single-molecule observation addressed how the C-terminal amino acids affect the number of helicases bound to DNA, oligomerization, and unwinding activity, which can be applied to other helicases.

scholarly journals Primary structure requirements for correct sorting of the yeast mitochondrial protein ADH III to the yeast mitochondrial matrix space.

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 294-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Pilgrim ◽  
E T Young
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Proteolytic Processing ◽  
Mitochondrial Matrix ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mature Form ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
The Matrix

Alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme III (ADH III) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the product of the ADH3 gene, is located in the mitochondrial matrix. The ADH III protein was synthesized as a larger precursor in vitro when the gene was transcribed with the SP6 promoter and translated with a reticulocyte lysate. A precursor of the same size was detected when radioactively pulse-labeled proteins were immunoprecipitated with anti-ADH antibody. This precursor was rapidly processed to the mature form in vivo with a half-time of less than 3 min. The processing was blocked if the mitochondria were uncoupled with carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. Mutant enzymes in which only the amino-terminal 14 or 16 amino acids of the presequence were retained were correctly targeted and imported into the matrix. A mutant enzyme that was missing the amino-terminal 17 amino acids of the presequence produced an active enzyme, but the majority of the enzyme activity remained in the cytoplasmic compartment on cellular fractionation. Random amino acid changes were produced in the wild-type presequence by bisulfite mutagenesis of the ADH3 gene. The resulting ADH III protein was targeted to the mitochondria and imported into the matrix in all of the mutants tested, as judged by enzyme activity. Mutants containing amino acid changes in the carboxyl-proximal half of the ADH3 presequence were imported and processed to the mature form at a slower rate than the wild type, as judged by pulse-chase studies in vivo. The unprocessed precursor appeared to be unstable in vivo. It was concluded that only a small portion of the presequence contains the necessary information for correct targeting and import. Furthermore, the information for correct proteolytic processing of the presequence appears to be distinct from the targeting information and may involve secondary structure information in the presequence.

scholarly journals Transforming growth factor alpha: mutation of aspartic acid 47 and leucine 48 results in different biological activities.

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1247-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Lazar ◽  
S Watanabe ◽  
S Dalton ◽  
M B Sporn
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Biological Activity ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Aspartic Acid ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Alpha ◽  
Factor Alpha

To study the relationship between the primary structure of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) and some of its functional properties (competition with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for binding to the EGF receptor and induction of anchorage-independent growth), we introduced single amino acid mutations into the sequence for the fully processed, 50-amino-acid human TGF-alpha. The wild-type and mutant proteins were expressed in a vector by using a yeast alpha mating pheromone promoter. Mutations of two amino acids that are conserved in the family of the EGF-like peptides and are located in the carboxy-terminal part of TGF-alpha resulted in different biological effects. When aspartic acid 47 was mutated to alanine or asparagine, biological activity was retained; in contrast, substitutions of this residue with serine or glutamic acid generated mutants with reduced binding and colony-forming capacities. When leucine 48 was mutated to alanine, a complete loss of binding and colony-forming abilities resulted; mutation of leucine 48 to isoleucine or methionine resulted in very low activities. Our data suggest that these two adjacent conserved amino acids in positions 47 and 48 play different roles in defining the structure and/or biological activity of TGF-alpha and that the carboxy terminus of TGF-alpha is involved in interactions with cellular TGF-alpha receptors. The side chain of leucine 48 appears to be crucial either indirectly in determining the biologically active conformation of TGF-alpha or directly in the molecular recognition of TGF-alpha by its receptor.

scholarly journals BIOSYNTHESIS IN ISOLATED ACETABULARIA CHLOROPLASTS

1972 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Shephard ◽  
Wendy B. Levin
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Hydrolyzed Protein ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid Labeling ◽  
Labeling Pattern

The ability of chloroplasts isolated from Acetabulana mediterranea to synthesize the protein amino acids has been investigated. When this chloroplast isolate was presented with 14CO2 for periods of 6–8 hr, tracer was found in essentially all amino acid species of their hydrolyzed protein Phenylalanine labeling was not detected, probably due to technical problems, and hydroxyproline labeling was not tested for The incorporation of 14CO2 into the amino acids is driven by light and, as indicated by the amount of radioactivity lost during ninhydrin decarboxylation on the chromatograms, the amino acids appear to be uniformly labeled. The amino acid labeling pattern of the isolate is similar to that found in plastids labeled with 14CO2 in vivo. The chloroplast isolate did not utilize detectable amounts of externally supplied amino acids in light or, with added adenosine triphosphate (ATP), in darkness. It is concluded that these chloroplasts are a tight cytoplasmic compartment that is independent in supplying the amino acids used for its own protein synthesis. These results are discussed in terms of the role of contaminants in the observed synthesis, the "normalcy" of Acetabularia chloroplasts, the synthetic pathways for amino acids in plastids, and the implications of these observations for cell compartmentation and chloroplast autonomy.

scholarly journals The amino acid sequence of cytochromes c-551 from three species of Pseudomonas

1973 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Ambler ◽  
Margaret Wynn
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Mitochondrial Cytochrome ◽  
Cytochromes C ◽  
Lending Library ◽  
Single Peptide

The amino acid sequences of the cytochromes c-551 from three species of Pseudomonas have been determined. Each resembles the protein from Pseudomonas strain P6009 (now known to be Pseudomonas aeruginosa, not Pseudomonas fluorescens) in containing 82 amino acids in a single peptide chain, with a haem group covalently attached to cysteine residues 12 and 15. In all four sequences 43 residues are identical. Although by bacteriological criteria the organisms are closely related, the differences between pairs of sequences range from 22% to 39%. These values should be compared with the differences in the sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome c between mammals and amphibians (about 18%) or between mammals and insects (about 33%). Detailed evidence for the amino acid sequences of the proteins has been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50015 at the National Lending Library for Science and Technology, Boston Spa, Yorks. LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1973), 131, 5.

scholarly journals Regulation of rat magnocellular neurosecretory system by D-aspartate: evidence for biological role(s) of a naturally occurring free D-amino acid in mammals

2000 ◽  
Vol 167 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Wang ◽  
H Wolosker ◽  
J Pevsner ◽  
SH Snyder ◽  
DJ Selkoe
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Physiological Function ◽  
Neurosecretory System ◽  
Milk Ejection ◽  
Magnocellular Neurons ◽  
Rat Hypothalamus ◽  
Naturally Occurring

Little evidence is available for the physiological function of D-amino acids in species other than bacteria. Here we demonstrate that naturally occurring freed -aspartate (D-Asp) is present in all magnocellular neurons of rat hypothalamus. The levels of this naturally occurring D-amino acid were elevated during lactation and returned to normal thereafter in the magnocellular neurosecretory system, which produces oxytocin, a hormone responsible for milk ejection during lactation. Intraperitoneal injections of D-Asp reproducibly increased oxytocin gene expression and decreased the concentration of circulating oxytocin in vivo. Similar changes were observed in the vasopressin system. These results provide evidence for the role(s) of naturally occurring free D-Asp in mammalian physiology. The findings argue against the conventional concept that only L-stereoisomers of amino acids are functional in higher species.

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