Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D E Markel.
Mouse L1210 leukemia cells killed by ara-C, an anti-tumor agent widely used against leukemia, were demonstrated to be in the S phase of the cell cycle by flow microfluorometry. The point in S phase at which the L1210 cells died was shown to be dose dependent. At higher concentrations of ara-C cells died earlier in the S phase.
Chemical modification of intact cholera toxin or its B subunit by either partial nitration or reduction and alkylation did not result in significant loss of biological activity as determined by measurement of cyclic AMP in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Complete nitration or succinylation in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride resulted in complete loss of biological activity and significantly affected the immunoreactivity of the toxin and B subunit. Compositional analyses of both the isolated alpha and gamma chains of the toxin were typical of globular proteins and did not reveal significant hydrophobicity. Analysis of antigenic relationships by radioimmunoassay indicated a partial crossreactivity between the alpha chain and the B subunit of cholera toxin. Since previous structural studies of the beta chain of cholera toxin indicated chemical similarity with the glycoprotein hormones [Kurosky et al. Science 195:299 (1977)], radioimmunoassay procedures were employed to investigate for possible crossreactivity. No evidence of crossreactivity between cholera toxin subunits and subunits of ovine luteinizing hormone was found.
Selected rabbit antisera to cholera toxin antigens and convalescent cholera patient sera were analyzed using the permeability factor neutralization test and two sensitive in vitro serological assays specific for cholera toxin, cholera toxin A subunit, and cholera toxin B subunit. The results indicated that antisera to cholera toxin contained toxin-neutralizing activity as well as antibodies specific for both the A subunit and B subunit. It was clearly established that antisera to B subunit, devoid of significant anti-A subunit activity, neutralized the vascular permeability activity of cholera toxin. Antisera to A subunit contained neutralizing antibodies and antibodies to both A and B subunits. Absorption with B subunit removed both the toxin-neutralizing and anti-B subunit activities, while the anti-A activity was unaffected. Neutralizing antibody titers of rabbits immunized with B subunit were also observed to be significantly higher than neutralizing antibody titers of sera from A subunit-immunized rabbits, despite the overall similarity in anti-B subunit titers as determined by passive hemagglutination and radioimmunoassay of sera from the two groups of rabbits. Anti-alpha chain sera neither neutralized cholera toxin nor possessed significant antitoxin or anti-B subunit titers as determined by passive hemagglutination and radioimmunoassay. The anti-alpha chain sera contained high levels of antibody specific for A subunit, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the alpha chain is part of the A subunit structure. In contrast, the gamma chain was not shown to be antigenic. Sera from convalescent cholera patients possessed toxin-neutralizing antibody as well as passive hemagglutination and radioimmunoassay antibody against both A and B subunits.
The antigenic specificity of purified preparations of A subunit, B subunit, alpha chain, and gamma chain of cholera toxin was studied by double immunodiffusion and radioimmunoassay with antisera produced in rabbits and mice. Rabbits immunized with A subunit produced serum antibodies which were capable of binding radiolabeled A subunit, alpha chain, and B subunit. Rabbits immunized with alpha chain produced serum antibodies that would bind radiolabeled alpha chain and A subunit. Rabbits immunized with the B subunit produced serum antibodies monospecific for the B subunit. The gamma chain did not elicit measurable antibodies in rabbits or mice as evidenced by radioimmunoassay or double immunodiffusion. A sensitive competitive radioimmunoassay was developed in which the B subunit could inhibit binding of radiolabeled A subunit and alpha chain with either antisera prepared against A subunit or alpha chain. Neither the A subunit nor the alpha chain could inhibit binding of B subunit with the antiserum prepared against B subunit. In addition, selected elution fractions obtained during A- and B-subunit purification were used to immunize groups of mice. Mice responded to immunization with the elution fractions of A subunit by producing anti-A-subunit and anti-B-subunit serum antibody responses, whereas mice immunized with elution fractions of B subunit produced only antibodies specific for the B subunit. An equimolar amount of the two resulting protein peaks was used to immunize two groups of rabbits. Rabbits immunized with A subunit, produced a serum anti-B subunit response equal to that of rabbits immunized with the B subunit. Rabbits immunized with equimolar concentrations of A and B subunits were observed to be equally protected against intestinal loop challenge with Vibrio cholerae Inaba V86. The A subunit, not the B subunit, was biologically active when tested by the S49 mouse lymphosarcoma cell test. These studies provide additional evidence supporting the hypothesis that the A subunit, specifically of alpha chain, of cholera toxin contains antigenic determinants in common with the B subunit.
The complete amino acid sequence of the beta chain of cholera enterotoxin was determined: NH2-Thr-Pro-Gln-Asn-Ile-Thr-Asp-Leu-Cys-Ala-Glu-Tyr-His-Asn-Thr-Gln-Ile-His-Thr-Leu-Asn-Asn-Lys-Ile-Phe-Ser-Tyr-Thr-Glu-Ser-Leu-Ala-Gly-Lys-Arg-Glu-Met-Ala-Ile-Ile-Thr-Phe-Lys-Asn-Gly-Ala-Thr-Phe-Gln-Val-Glu-Val-Pro-Gly-Ser-Gln-His-Ile-Asp-Ser-Gln-Lys-Lys-Ala-Ile-Glu-Arg-Met-Lys-Asn-Thr-Leu-Arg-Ile-Ala-Tyr-Leu-Thr-Glu-Ala-Lys-Val-Glu-Lys-Leu-Cys-Val-Trp-Asn-Asn-Lys-Thr-Pro-His-Ala-Ile-Ala-Ala-Ile-Ser-Met- Ala-Asn-COOH. The sequence was obtained from automated sequence analysis of intact beta chain, cyanogen bromide fragments, and a fragment generated by cleavage at a single tryptophan with 2-(2-nitrophenylsulfenyl)-3-methyl-3-bromoindolenine as well as from manual sequence analysis of tryptic peptides using 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl-monitored Edman methodology. The tryptic peptides accounted for all 103 residues established for the complete primary structure.
The completed sequence of the beta-chain of cholera toxin (103 amino acid residues) was compared to the beta-chains of chorionic gonadotropin, thyrotropin, luteinizing, and follicle stimulating hormones. The overall chemical similarity of the toxin beta-chain to the hormones was not statistically different from random; however, a comparison of the first 40 residues of the toxin beta-chain to the glycoprotein hormones revealed a segment of the hormones which was significantly chemically similar. The probability was less than .003 that the similarity was due to chance.
A radioimmunoassay procedure is described for the detection of cholera toxin and its component polypeptide chains. Cholera toxin, A subunit, B subunit, alpha chain, and gamma chain were iodinated by the chloramine T procedure. Radiolabeling did not significantly alter the polyacrylamide electrophoretic migration patterns of the toxin or its components. Moreover, radiolabeled toxin, B subunit, and alpha chain preparations retained substantial ability to bind to intestinal mucosal homogenates. The minimal amount of antitoxin detectable with radiolabeled toxin was 0.04 antitoxin units/ml. Substitution of radiolabeled B subunit, A subunit, and alpha chain for radiolabeled toxin decreased the sensitivity of the test. Radiolabeled gamma chain did not bind to the antitoxin preparation. Competitive inhibition studies, with titrated anti-choleragen serum and radiolabeled toxin or components, indicated that the minimum concentration of toxin detectable was 7.0 x 10(-8) mumol/ml at a 90% inhibition level. The A subunit and alpha chain preparations inhibited the binding of the radiolabeled B subunit to antitoxin sites. Conversely, B subunit inhibited the binding of radiolabeled A subunit and alpha chain to antitoxin. The gamma chain did not show any reaction with antitoxin or cross-reaction with either whole toxin or its components. These results strongly suggest that the A subunit and the alpha chain contain antigenic determinant(s) that are common to the B subunit. The B subunit (beta chain) and the alpha chain of cholera toxin may therefore contain region(s) of chemical similarity.
Acrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the toxin of Vibrio cholerae is comprised of three polypeptide chains, alpha, beta, and gamma, of molecular weights 24,000, 9,700, and 9,700 daltons, respectively. Amino acid sequence analysis of intact toxin indicated a molecular composition of alpha gamma beta4. Acrylamide gel electrophoresis and sequence analysis confirmed that the natural toxoid (choleragenoid) is identical to the toxin beta-chain. The alpha- and gamma-chains of the toxin are disulfide-linked (fragment A) but are noncovalently bound to the beta-chains. About 50% of the primary structure of the N-terminal portion of the beta-chain has been identified and a small segment of the D-terminus has also been characterized. Twenty residues of the N-terminal portions of the alpha- and gamma-chains have been tentativly identified. The amino acid composition of the beta-chain was determined and compared to that of the natural toxoid.
Flow cytometry, a technique which allows rapid quantitation of the percentages of a cell population in the various cell cycle phases, closely duplicated the previously reported circadian rhythm for mouse bone marrow DNA synthesis. The effect of ara-C, an S phase specific anti-neoplastic drug, on this rhythm was investigated. Ara-C was shown to suppress this rhythm to a much greater degree when injected at the peak of the bone marrow DNA synthesis as compared to the low. Thus, damage to the bone marrow during treatment with ara-C may be reduced if the circadian rhythm of bone marrow DNA synthesis is taken into account.