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Biomedical subjects

G S Blank

Publications and source records attributed to G S Blank.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Quantification of monoclonal antibodies in complex mixtures by protein G high-performance liquid affinity chromatography.

High-performance liquid affinity chromatography (HPLAC) utilizing Protein G as a ligand has been evaluated for rapid quantification of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) in various solutions. The results obtained by HPLAC agreed to within 10% of a standard enzyme-linked immunospecific assay (ELISA). A standard curve was prepared by injection of known amounts of a purified murine IgG1 with the elution peak area analyzed by computer integration software. Accuracy of quantification was independent of the injection volume, solution compositions, or mouse IgG subclass. A method is described for using Protein G HPLAC to determine murine IgG levels in various complex mixtures within 15 min, compared to the ELISA which required 5 h.

Animals

Inhibition of endocytosis by anti-clathrin antibodies.

We examined the function of clathrin, a cytoplasmic protein associated with coated pits and vesicles, by introducing monoclonal antibodies into living cells and determining their effects on membrane transport. When anti-clathrin heavy chain antibodies were used, the following effects were observed: clathrin became aggregated in the cytoplasm, the number of coated pits on the plasma membrane was reduced, and adsorbtive endocytosis of Semliki Forest virus and fluid-phase endocytosis were decreased by 40%-50%. No change in transport of newly synthesized influenza hemagglutinin to the plasma membrane was observed. The results indicated that clathrin in CV-1 cells is involved in fluid-phase uptake and receptor-mediated endocytosis, but not in constitutive transport within the secretory pathway.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Clathrin assembly involves a light chain-binding region.

Two regions on the clathrin heavy chain that are involved in triskelion interactions during assembly have been localized on the triskelion structure. These regions were previously identified with anti-heavy chain monoclonal antibodies X19 and X35, which disrupt clathrin assembly (Blank, G. S., and F. M. Brodsky, 1986, EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J., 5:2087-2095). Antibody-binding sites were determined based on their reactivity with truncated triskelions, and were mapped to an 8-kD region in the middle of the proximal portion of the triskelion arm (X19) and a 6-kD region at the triskelion elbow (X35). The elbow site implicated in triskelion assembly was also shown to be included within a heavy chain region involved in binding the light chains and to constitute part of the light chain-binding site. We postulate that this region of the heavy chain binds to the interaction site identified on the light chains that has homology to intermediate filament proteins (Brodsky, F. M., C. J. Galloway, G. S. Blank, A. P. Jackson, H.-F. Seow, K. Drickamer, and P. Parham, 1987, Nature (Lond.), 326:203-205). These findings suggest the existence of a heavy chain site, near the triskelion elbow, which is involved in both intramolecular and intermolecular interactions during clathrin assembly.

Animals

Microtubule assembly is dependent on a cluster of basic residues in alpha-tubulin.

Previous studies have shown that tubulin, a major protein component of the microtubule, is rendered assembly incompetent when a highly reactive lysine residue (HRL) in the alpha polypeptide of tubulin dimer is reductively methylated [cf. Sherman, G., Rosenberry, T. L., & Sternlicht, H. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 2148-2156]. In this study we demonstrate that the HRL in bovine brain tubulin is Lys-394, a residue proximal in the alpha-tubulin sequence to the highly negatively charged carboxy-terminus region (residues 412-450) previously implicated in assembly. pH studies were undertaken to probe the local environment of Lys-394. These studies indicated that Lys-394 reactivity toward HCHO is sensitive to the titration of a pKa 6.3 group presumed to be a histidine residue. This assignment is supported by our finding that histidine modification via diethyl pyrocarbonate strongly affects Lys-394 reactivity toward HCHO as well as microtubule assembly. We propose on the basis of secondary structure considerations and published sequence data for a variety of tubulins that Lys-394 is part of an evolutionarily conserved cluster of basic residues (effective charge: 2+ to 2.5+ at neutral pH) composed of Lys-394, His-393, and Arg-390, which is important for tubulin function and which renders Lys-394 reactive as a nucleophile.

Amino Acid Sequence

Site-specific disruption of clathrin assembly produces novel structures.

Clathrin assembly in vitro produces a highly ordered polyhedral structure (basket). This resembles clathrin assembled in situ on coated pits and vesicles which form during receptor-mediated endocytosis. Sites on clathrin involved in assembly were identified by assembling clathrin in the presence of anti-clathrin monoclonal antibodies. Three of the antibodies, as IgG, prevented the assembly of normal baskets, and their Fab fragments induced formation of two types of novel clathrin structures. Antibody effects on assembly and competitive binding data indicate these antibodies bind to two sites, critical for clathrin interactions, located in the same region of the clathrin heavy chain. Analysis of novel structures formed, suggested that nucleation but not further assembly was occurring, implying an ordered sequence of clathrin interactions during assembly.

Animals

Localization of clathrin light-chain sequences mediating heavy-chain binding and coated vesicle diversity.

At least four distinct forms of clathrin light chains are found in mammalian cells. This molecular variability derives from tissue-specific patterns of expression of LCa and LCb genes. Sequence analysis shows an overall homology of 60% between LCa and LCb and the presence of brain-specific insertion sequences. These findings suggest that the different light chains have both shared and specialized functions. To address this question we have used a panel of monoclonal antibodies to identify two structurally and functionally distinct regions in the clathrin light-chain sequences. One region (residues 158-208) is exposed in native clathrin structures (triskelions and coated vesicles) and includes the brain-specific insertion sequences. The second region (residues 93-157), which is cryptic in native clathrin structures, is involved in binding the clathrin heavy chain and contains the region of strongest homology with intermediate filament proteins.

Adrenal Glands