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N A Carrell

Publications and source records attributed to N A Carrell.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Electron microscopy and hydrodynamic properties of factor XIII subunits.

Factor XIII is a transglutaminase important in blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. Its function is to catalyze peptide bond formation between the gamma-carboxamide group of glutamines in one protein and the epsilon-amino group of lysine in another. There are two zymogenic forms of factor XIII: one is a noncovalent, intracellular dimer (A2); the other is a noncovalent, extracellular tetramer (A2B2). The catalytic function resides in the activated A chain (A2.). Purified forms of factor XIII (A2B2, A2, A2.B2, B) were prepared and analyzed by electron microscopy, gel filtration, and gradient centrifugation. Hydrodynamic constants were derived. Electron microscopy of rotary-shadowed molecules showed A2 to consist of two globular particles each about 6 x 9 nm in size. The A2 dimer is significantly elongated, 18 nm long and 6 nm in diameter. Sedimentation and gel filtration of the A2 dimer are consistent with this asymmetric structure. B protein is a filamentous, flexible strand with kinks, with a contour length of 30 nm and a diameter of approximately 2-3 nm. The sedimentation and gel filtration behavior of the B subunit are characteristic of a highly asymmetric molecule. The observed structure of the B subunit, combined with data for its amino acid sequence, suggests a modular structure. The B subunit is a member of a family of proteins composed of tandem, repeating structures (referred to as GP-I domains); the structure seen by electron microscopy for B subunit is probably applicable to all proteins in this family. Plasma and platelet factor XIII zymogens are tetrameric and dimeric, but B protein, in the absence of A protein, appears to be monomeric. Our model for the A2B2 zymogen has the elongated A2 dimer forming the core and the two B strands wrapping around the outside.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗
PubMed1985

Structure of human platelet membrane glycoproteins IIb and IIIa as determined by electron microscopy.

The glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa complex was isolated from human platelet membranes and examined for glycoprotein stoichiometry and morphology. To determine the ratio of glycoproteins in the complex, the isolated glycoproteins were solubilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate and separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. Quantitative amino acid analysis of individual glycoproteins showed that the ratio of GP IIb to GP IIIa in the Ca2+-dependent complex was 0.93:1. Morphology was determined by electron microscopy of rotary-shadowed and negatively stained specimens. Individual complexes consisted of two domains: an oblong head of approximately 8 X 10 nm with two rodlike tails extending approximately 14-17 nm from one side of the head. Treatment of the isolated complex with EDTA resulted in the appearance of a mixture of oblong and filamentous structures, which could be separated by a sucrose gradient sedimentation in Triton X-100. As seen by rotary and unidirectional shadowing, GP IIb was a compact structure, approximately 8 X 10 nm in size. Isolated GP IIIa was more heterogeneous but was most often observed in an elongated form, varying in length from 20 to 30 nm and in width from 2 to 3 nm. By comparing these structures to that of the heterodimer complex, it was determined that the oblong domain was GP IIb and the rodlike tails were GP IIIa. Each milligram of isolated GP IIb-IIIa complex bound 0.30 mg of [3H]Triton X-100, indicating that the glycoprotein complex contained limited hydrophobic domains. Upon removal of detergent, GP IIb-IIIa complexes formed aggregates that sedimented in sucrose gradients as a diffuse peak ranging from 14 to 32 s. Examination of these aggregates by electron microscopy showed that they were composed of clusters or "rosettes" of 2 to 20 or more of the GP IIb-IIIa complexes. The orientation of these rosettes was such that the tails were joined in the center, with the head portions directed away from the interacting tails. It thus appears that the primary hydrophobic domains of the GP IIb-IIIa complex exist at the tips of the GP IIIa tails. Because the GP IIb-IIIa complex is an intrinsic membrane glycoprotein, these findings indicate a potential membrane attachment site for the GP IIb-IIIa complexes.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1983

Fibronectin in extended and compact conformations. Electron microscopy and sedimentation analysis.

We have studied the ionic strength-dependent change in conformation of fibronectin, half-molecules of fibronectin produced by reduction and carboxyamidomethylation, and proteolytic fragments. In zone sedimentation through glycerol gradients, intact fibronectin sedimented at 13.5 and 10 S in 0.02 and 0.2 M NaCl, respectively, in agreement with previous studies. Half-molecules sedimented at 11.5 and 7.5 S in the two salt concentrations, demonstrating that the change in conformation occurs independently within each half-molecule. Gelatin-binding plasmic fragments of 165-215 kDa showed a similar large shift in sedimentation coefficient, and one of 60 kDa showed a small shift. We conclude that the change in conformation is effected by short range electrostatic interactions along the strand, rather than by attraction of distant segments of the molecule. Electron microscopy showed that both intact fibronectin and half-molecules exist as extended strands at high ionic strength. At low ionic strength the strands are more strongly curved or bent to produce an irregularly coiled compact structure. No regular points of folding or crossover were seen, suggesting that the compact conformation is produced by increased bending over most or all of the strand.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗
PubMed1983

High resolution electrophoretic analysis of human fibrinogen and its crosslinked intermediates.

Heterogeneity in human fibrinogen was examined using an improved two-dimensional isoelectric focusing-SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic procedure. Four different preparations of fibrinogen were compared: single donor fibrinogen prepared from plasma by precipitation with ammonium sulfate or by affinity chromatography on fibrin-monomer Sepharose, fraction 1-4 prepared from Cohn fraction I paste, and Kabi grade L. The subunit A alpha, B beta, and gamma chains in all preparations had marked charge heterogeneity. The three chains were clearly separated from each other and a range of isoelectric points for each chain could be assigned. Minor variations in the subunit heterogeneity of the different preparations were found. Intermediates in the transition from fibrinogen to crosslinked fibrin were also examined. A striking increase in the heterogeneity of the beta chain was observed during crosslinking.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1981

A naturally occurring antibody that inhibits fibrin polymerization.

A 13-year-old girl with chronic aggressive hepatitis, postnecrotic cirrhosis, ulcerative colitis, and a coagulation defect acquired an antibody that specifically interfered with fibrin formation. We sought to characterize the antibody and determine the mechanism of its inhibitory activity. The patient's purified fibrinogen was functionally normal; however, the antibody inhibited the self-assembly of fibrin and prolonged the clotting times of the patient's plasma. This antibody, which belonged to the IgG class of immunoglobulins, acted early in the polymerization process to inhibit the association of fibrin monomers, as indicated by a prolonged lag time and a decreased slope in the polymerization curves. It did not inhibit fibrinopeptide cleavage or fibrin cross-linking. Affinity chromatography indicated that the antibody bound strongly to both fibrinogen and fibrin monomer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Fibrinogen Chapel Hill: hypodysfibrinogenemia with a tertiary polymerization defect.

A patient with a functionally defective fibrinogen (fibrinogen Chapel Hill) has been investigated. Fibrinogen Chapel Hill is characterized by hypofibrinogenemia, with a plasma concentration about one third of normal, as measured both functionally and immunochemically. Fibrinogen survival is normal; so also is fibrinopeptide release. A polymerization defect in this fibrinogen results in the delay of fibrin fibrils in solution to form a normal three-dimensional gel. This defect is not associated with end-to-end aggregation or with lateral associations in solution. Delayed gelation results from an abnormality in a tertiary contact site involved in network branching, which is associated with the hydrophilic, carboxy-terminal segment of the alpha chain. Fibrinogen Chapel Hill exhibits two additional abnormal responses, which are also associated with the same region. The early plasmin cleavages of fibrinogen and fragment X are delayed, and there is a concomitant delay in the appearance of fragments Y, D, and E. This fibrinogen also has an unusual sensitivity to Ancrod proteolysis, whereby Ancrod cleaves a large carboxy-terminal segment of the alpha chain more rapidly than in normal fibrinogen. The abnormalities in fibrinogen Chapel Hill can be explained by a structural abnormality which is functionally related to an alpha chain associated polymerization domain.

Adult↗