Characterization of an endogenous quail intestinal lectin

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 471-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rixun Fang ◽  
Howard Ceri

Soluble extracts of quail intestine scrapings contain a lectin activity specific for chicken and rabbit trypsinized, glutaraldehyde-fixed erythrocytes. The lectin displayed a specificity for the simple sugar haptens lactose and galactose and for mucin. Quail lectin was purified by affinity chromatography on either asialofetuin- or mucin-Sepharose, followed by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography, and demonstrated an apparent molecular weight of 14 500 on sodium dodecyl sulfate – polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a pi of 6.2 upon isoelectric focusing. Immunohistochemical localization of this lectin in the intestine was carried out using polyclonal antibody raised in rabbits and tested for specificity in Western blots. Immunoperoxidase staining for quail lectin showed the lectin to be prominent in secretions at the mucosal surface and in goblet cells.Key words: endogenous lectin, intestinal, mucin, goblet cells.

2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-124
Author(s):  
J. H. Oliver ◽  
K. L. Clark ◽  
F. W. Chandler ◽  
L. Tao ◽  
A. M. James ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Twenty-eight Borrelia burgdorferi isolates from the Charleston, S.C., area are described. This represents the first report and characterization of the Lyme disease spirochete from that state. The isolates were obtained from December 1994 through December 1995 from the tick Ixodes scapularis , collected from vegetation, and from the rodents Peromyscus gossypinus (cotton mouse), Neotoma floridana (eastern wood rat), and Sigmodon hispidus (cotton rat). All isolates were screened immunologically by indirect immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies to B. burgdorferi -specific outer surface protein A (OspA) (antibodies H5332 and H3TS) and B. burgdorferi -specific OspB (antibodies H6831 and H614), a Borrelia (genus)-specific antiflagellin antibody (H9724), Borrelia hermsii -specific antibodies (H9826 and H4825), and two polyclonal antibodies (one to Borrelia species and another to B. burgdorferi ). Six of the isolates were analyzed by exposing Western blots to monoclonal antibodies H5332, H3TS, H6831, and H9724. All isolates were also analyzed by PCR with five pairs of primers known to amplify selected DNA target sequences specifically reported to be present in the reference strain, B. burgdorferi B-31. The protein profiles of six of the isolates (two from ticks, one from a cotton mouse, two from wood rats, and one from a cotton rat) also were compared by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We conclude that the 28 Charleston isolates are B. burgdorferi sensu stricto based on their similarities to the B. burgdorferi B-31 reference strain.


1981 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naotika Toki ◽  
Hiroyuki Sumi ◽  
Sumiyoshi Takasugi

1. A kallikrein-like enzyme in plasma of patients with acute pancreatitis was further purified by successive hydroxyapatite/cellulose and Sepharose-4B column chromatography. 2. By these procedures 0.26 mg of purified enzyme with a specific activity of 215 S-2266 chromozyme units/mg of protein was obtained from 10 ml of original plasma. 3. The purified material was homogeneous as ascertained by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and had an apparent molecular weight of 31 000 as measured by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. 4. It was confirmed immunologically that this enzyme was pancreatic kallikrein, which is distinct from plasma kallikrein, and that it could combine with α2-macroglobulin only in the presence of trypsin.


Blood ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59
Author(s):  
GE Davies ◽  
CM Cohen

Human platelets were tested for the presence of proteins immunologically cross-reactive with red cell spectrin and protein 4.1. As assessed by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, platelets were specifically reactive with affinity-purified rabbit antisera against red cell spectrin and protein 4.1. The immunoreactive platelet constituents were further analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by electrophoretic transfer to nitrocellulose paper and immunoperoxidase staining. We found that whole platelets, membranes, and cytoskeletal preparations isolated by Triton X-100 extraction contain small amounts of proteins reacting with anti-spectrin or anti-protein 4.1 antiserum. The immunoreactive spectrin-like platelet protein has an apparent molecular weight of 240,000 and comigrates with the alpha-subunit of red cell spectrin. The major immunoreactive protein 4.1-like constituent has an apparent molecular weight of 78,000, which is slightly less than that of red cell protein 4.1. We conclude that platelets contain a spectrin- like protein which, by analogy with red cell spectrin, may have a role in membrane-cytoskeletal attachment. The properties and function of the platelet protein 4.1-like constituent are not yet known.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (2) ◽  
pp. C411-C417 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. F. Tibbits ◽  
K. D. Philipson ◽  
H. Kashihara

This study compared Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange from the hearts of rainbow trout with that from canines. In several respects, trout cardiac Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange is functionally similar to that from dogs and other mammals. Trout cardiac Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange is stimulated approximately 200% after 30-min incubation with 10 micrograms/ml chymotrypsin at 21 degrees C, similar to mammals. On the other hand, both the temperature and pH dependencies are strikingly different between the trout and canine myocardial Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange. While canine heart Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange exhibits a Q10 of greater than 2 (similar to values observed in other mammals), that from trout is relatively insensitive to temperature with a Q10 of approximately 1.2. The absolute rates of Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange in trout heart are four- to sixfold higher than that in mammals when measured at 7 degrees C. Furthermore, the temperature insensitivity of trout myocardial Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange is retained when the exchanger is reconstituted into an asolectin bilayer, suggesting that this property is intrinsic to the protein and not dependent on species differences in lipid bilayer composition. Trout Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange is not markedly stimulated by alkaline pH, in contrast to mammals, and this characteristic is also maintained after reconstitution. Western blots of trout cardiac sarcolemma run on 7.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis react with antibodies raised against the canine Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger with a similar pattern of bands (70, 120, and 160 kDa). Furthermore, a cDNA probe from canine Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger hybridizes on Northern blots of trout heart mRNA to a 7-kb band, similar to that in mammals. Thus, while important functional differences in Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange exist between trout and mammalian hearts, the molecular basis is not yet known.


Blood ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
GE Davies ◽  
CM Cohen

Abstract Human platelets were tested for the presence of proteins immunologically cross-reactive with red cell spectrin and protein 4.1. As assessed by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, platelets were specifically reactive with affinity-purified rabbit antisera against red cell spectrin and protein 4.1. The immunoreactive platelet constituents were further analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by electrophoretic transfer to nitrocellulose paper and immunoperoxidase staining. We found that whole platelets, membranes, and cytoskeletal preparations isolated by Triton X-100 extraction contain small amounts of proteins reacting with anti-spectrin or anti-protein 4.1 antiserum. The immunoreactive spectrin-like platelet protein has an apparent molecular weight of 240,000 and comigrates with the alpha-subunit of red cell spectrin. The major immunoreactive protein 4.1-like constituent has an apparent molecular weight of 78,000, which is slightly less than that of red cell protein 4.1. We conclude that platelets contain a spectrin- like protein which, by analogy with red cell spectrin, may have a role in membrane-cytoskeletal attachment. The properties and function of the platelet protein 4.1-like constituent are not yet known.


Author(s):  
Preeti Anand ◽  
Jay Prakash Pandey ◽  
Dev Mani Pandey

Abstract Background Cocoonase is a proteolytic enzyme that helps in dissolving the silk cocoon shell and exit of silk moth. Chemicals like anhydrous Na2CO3, Marseille soap, soda, ethylene diamine and tartaric acid-based degumming of silk cocoon shell have been in practice. During this process, solubility of sericin protein increased resulting in the release of sericin from the fibroin protein of the silk. However, this process diminishes natural color and softness of the silk. Cocoonase enzyme digests the sericin protein of silk at the anterior portion of the cocoon without disturbing the silk fibroin. However, no thorough characterization of cocoonase and sericin protein as well as imaging analysis of chemical- and enzyme-treated silk sheets has been carried out so far. Therefore, present study aimed for detailed characterization of cocoonase and sericin proteins, phylogenetic analysis, secondary and tertiary structure prediction, and computational validation as well as their interaction with other proteins. Further, identification of tasar silkworm (Antheraea mylitta) pupa stage for cocoonase collection, its purification and effect on silk sheet degumming, scanning electron microscope (SEM)-based comparison of chemical- and enzyme-treated cocoon sheets, and its optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based imaging analysis have been investigated. Various computational tools like Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) X and Figtree, Iterative Threading Assembly Refinement (I-TASSER), self-optimized predicted method with alignment (SOPMA), PROCHECK, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Chimera, and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) were used for characterization of cocoonase and sericin proteins. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), protein purification using Sephadex G 25-column, degumming of cocoon sheet using cocoonase enzyme and chemical Na2CO3, and SEM and OCT analysis of degummed cocoon sheet were performed. Results Predicted normalized B-factors of cocoonase and sericin with respect to α and β regions showed that these regions are structurally more stable in cocoonase while less stable in sericin. Conserved domain analysis revealed that B. mori cocoonase contains a trypsin-like serine protease with active site range 45 to 180 query sequences while substrate binding site from 175 to 200 query sequences. SDS-PAGE analysis of cocoonase indicated its molecular weight of 25–26 kDa. Na2CO3 treatment showed more degumming effect (i.e., cocoon sheet weight loss) as compared to degumming with cocoonase. However, cocoonase-treated silk cocoon sheet holds the natural color of tasar silk, smoothness, and luster compared with the cocoon sheet treated with Na2CO3. SEM-based analysis showed the noticeable variation on the surface of silk fiber treated with cocoonase and Na2CO3. OCT analysis also exemplified the variations in the cross-sectional view of the cocoonase and Na2CO3-treated silk sheets. Conclusions Present study enlightens on the detailed characteristics of cocoonase and sericin proteins, comparative degumming activity, and image analysis of cocoonase enzyme and Na2CO3 chemical-treated silk sheets. Obtained findings illustrated about use of cocoonase enzyme in the degumming of silk cocoon at larger scale that will be a boon to the silk industry.


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 ).


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