scholarly journals Surface glycoproteins of human spermatozoa

1986 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-22
Author(s):  
M. Kallajoki ◽  
I. Virtanen ◽  
J. Suominen

The surface membrane glycoprotein composition of human spermatozoa has been studied by introducing radioactive label into galactosyl (Gal) and N-acetylgalactosaminyl (GalNAc) residues by using the galactose oxidase/NaB3H4 method. Triton X-100 extracts and Triton X-100-resistant cytoskeletal residues were subjected to analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The distribution of the radiolabel in sperm cells was studied by light-microscopic auto-radiography. The grains were evenly distributed on the cells by the labelling methods used. The Triton X-100 treatment did not affect sperm morphology at the light-microscopic level, but in transmission electron microscopy the plasma membrane covering the acrosome was removed totally, together with most of the acrosomal membranes and acrosomal contents. Plasma membrane residues were, however, always found in the postacrosomal region. Borohydride alone without oxidative pretreatment labelled two polypeptides of molecular weights (Mr) 48,000 and 43,000 in the Triton X-100-soluble fraction. When the Gal/GalNAc residues were labelled by galactose oxidase pretreatment 120,000, 105,000, 78,000 and 68,000 Mr glycoproteins were revealed. When additional neuraminidase treatment was used to remove terminal sialic acid residues, the total labelling intensity was increased two- to fivefold and additional 36,000 and 20,000 Mr glycoproteins were revealed. The Triton X-100-resistant cytoskeletal residue contained 53–75% of the total radioactivity bound in sperm cells. When these components were analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, all the major bands found in the Triton X-100-soluble fraction were detected and also some radioactivity was incorporated into the major bands visualized by protein staining. In the present study we describe several human sperm glycoproteins, which seem to be distributed evenly on the sperm cells. Detergent extraction, producing cytoskeletal models, appeared to leave most of the glycoproteins detectable in the extraction residues also with the apparent enrichment of a single 68,000 Mr glycoprotein.

1986 ◽  
Vol 237 (2) ◽  
pp. 519-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
G P R Roberts ◽  
J Brunt

Human keratinocytes were cultured in media in which the Ca2+ concentration controlled the stage of differentiation. In media containing less than 0.1 mM-Ca2+ keratinocytes grew as a monolayer, but in the presence of 2mM-Ca2+ the cells differentiated and formed stratified colonies. Glycoproteins of both stratified and unstratified cells were radiolabelled by metabolic incorporation of radioactive precursors and by cell-surface labelling using galactose oxidase/NaB3H4. The radiolabelled keratinocytes were extracted with 0.5% Triton X-100, and the glycoproteins in both the Triton X-100-soluble and Triton X-100-insoluble fractions were analysed by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS. Two Triton X-100-soluble glycoproteins with high Mr values (greater than 200,000) were major glycoproteins in stratified keratinocytes, but were present in only trace amounts in unstratified keratinocytes. Characterization of these glycoproteins by examination of the effect of tunicamycin on their synthesis and the effect of neuraminidase on their migration characteristics showed that they were cell-surface sialoglycoproteins containing O-glycosidically linked oligosaccharides. Analysis of the adherent cytoskeletons left after Triton X-100 extraction of stratified and unstratified keratinocytes revealed that a glycoprotein of Mr 184,000 was decreased in stratified keratinocytes. Incubation of unstratified keratinocytes in high-Ca2+ medium resulted in a rapid modification of the glycoprotein of Mr 184,000, and it is suggested that this event may be related to desmosome formation and stratification.


1970 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 709-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Adamcic ◽  
D. S. Clark

A study of the collagenolytic activity of two strains of pigmented Pseudomonas showed that both organisms rapidly produced ninhydrin-positive materials from soluble collagen at 20 °C after a lag period of 2–6 days. When cells previously adapted to utilizing collagen were used as the inoculum, the lag period was eliminated, indicating that the enzyme(s) involved is adaptive in nature. Analysis of extracts of inoculated chicken skin by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis showed that the alpha, beta, and gamma components of the neutral-salt-soluble fraction of collagen were attacked.


1981 ◽  
Vol 198 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A. King ◽  
Anne Tabiowo

1. When pig ear skin slices were cultured for 18h in the presence of 1mug of tunicamycin/ml the incorporation of d-[3H]glucosamine into the epidermis, solubilized with 8m-urea/5% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulphate, was inhibited by 45–55%. This degree of inhibition was not increased by using up to 5mug of tunicamycin/ml or by treating the skin slices with tunicamycin for up to 8 days. The incorporation of (U-14C)-labelled l-amino acids under these conditions was not affected by tunicamycin. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis indicated that the labelling of the major glycosaminoglycan peak with d-[3H]glucosamine was unaffected, whereas that of the faster migrating glycoprotein components was considerably decreased in the presence of tunicamycin. 2. Subcellular fractionation indicated that tunicamycin specifically inhibited the incorporation of d-[3H]glucosamine but not of (U-14C)-labelled l-amino acids into particulate (mainly plasma-membrane) glycoproteins by about 70%. The labelling of soluble glycoproteins was hardly affected. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of the plasma-membrane fraction showed decreased d-[3H]glucosamine incorporation into all glycoprotein components, indicating that the plasma-membrane glycoproteins contained mainly N-asparagine-linked oligosaccharides. 3. Cellulose acetate electrophoresis of both cellular and extracellular glycosaminoglycans showed that tunicamycin had no significant effect on the synthesis of the major component, hyaluronic acid. However, the incorporation of both d-[3H]glucosamine and 35SO42− into sulphated glycosaminoglycans was inhibited by about 50%. This inhibition was partially overcome, at least in the cellular fraction, by 2mm-p-nitrophenyl β-d-xyloside indicating that tunicamycin-treated epidermis retained the ability to synthesize sulphated glycosaminoglycan chains. Tunicamycin may affect the synthesis and/or degradation of proteoglycan core proteins or the xylosyltransferase. 4. Electron-microscopic examination of epidermis treated with tunicamycin for up to 4 days revealed no significant changes in cell-surface morphology or in epidermal-cell adhesion. Either N-asparagine-linked carbohydrates play little role in epidermal-cell adhesion or more probably there is little turnover of these components in epidermal adhesive structures such as desmosomes and hemidesmosomes during organ culture.


1977 ◽  
Vol 164 (2) ◽  
pp. 465-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
D A W Grant ◽  
S Hjertén

Solubilization of the human erythrocyte membrane by seven detergents is described. Components released into the supernatant or retained in the residue were identified by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Two non-ionic detergents exhibiting little u.v. absorption were more efficient than u.v.-absorbing Triton X-100. Evidence is presented of an interchange between protein PAS 1 and protein PAS 2.


1983 ◽  
Vol 212 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
G P Roberts ◽  
L Jenner

Glycoproteins and proteoglycans synthesized by human keratinocytes in medium containing D-[1-14C]glucosamine were extracted and analysed by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Extraction of the labelled keratinocytes with 0.5% Triton X-100 removed most of the glycoconjugates and left the cytoskeleton and nuclear residue adherent to the substratum. In addition to the cytoskeletal proteins, there was a relatively simple profile of glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans associated with this adherent cytoskeleton. These consisted of eight glycoproteins in the mol.wt. range 99000-232000, five proteins in the keratin region (mol.wt. 42000-61000), hyaluronic acid and a sulphated glycosaminoglycan. Surface labelling of the keratinocytes with galactose oxidase (with or without neuraminidase)/KB3H4 revealed that many of the glycoproteins were exposed on the cell surface. The importance of the glycoproteins and proteoglycans in attaching the keratinocytes to the substratum was examined by studying their expression after incubation in medium containing tunicamycin and their degradation after digestion with trypsin and hyaluronidase. These studies, together with an examination of the glycoconjugates released by sequential extraction with 0.5% Triton X-100 followed by 0.2% sodium dodecyl sulphate, revealed that the glycoprotein of mol.wt. 232000 has an important role in mediating the attachment of keratinocytes to the substratum.


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