Biomedical subjects

T A Santa Coloma

Publications and source records attributed to T A Santa Coloma.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1990

Identification of a follicle-stimulating hormone receptor-binding region in hFSH-beta-(81-95) using synthetic peptides.

Pituitary and placental glycoprotein hormones are heterodimers with alpha-subunits of identical primary structure, but dissimilar beta-subunits. Regions of structural similarity between the beta-subunits might be involved in interaction with the homologous alpha-subunits, and regions of structural dissimilarity could, therefore, be candidates for receptor interactions. A restrained matrix dot-plot analysis identified hFSH-beta-(8-32) and hFSH-beta-(55-65) as candidates for interaction with alpha-subunit. Therefore, by subtraction, hFSH-beta-(33-54) and hFSH-beta-(66-111) seemed candidates for regions of interaction with receptor. In a previous report we demonstrated that hFSH-beta-(33-53) represented a receptor-binding region of hFSH-beta. Analysis of structural parameters (flexibility, surface probability, secondary structure prediction, etc.) indicates similarities between hFSH-beta-(33-53) and hFSH-beta-(85-95), suggesting the latter might be the component of hFSH-beta-(61-111) interacting with the receptor. Testing of 11 synthetic peptides, corresponding to the primary structure of hFSH-beta, demonstrated that hFSH-beta-(31-45)-peptide amide, were unique in ability to inhibit 125I-follicle-stimulating hormone binding to receptor. hFSH-beta-(81-95)-peptide amide also stimulated estradiol biosynthesis in Sertoli cell cultures. The correlation between binding inhibition and surface probability, flexibility, and predicted secondary structure (alpha, extended, and turn) was highly significant (R2 = 0.87, p less than 0.0001). Regression significance for these parameters, taken individually, were very poor. Receptor-binding regions, therefore, appear to be characterized by a particular and complex arrangement of secondary structure motifs, surface probability, and flexibility.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

A synthetic peptide corresponding to human FSH beta-subunit 33-53 binds to FSH receptor, stimulates basal estradiol biosynthesis, and is a partial antagonist of FSH.

We have previously shown that hFSH-beta 34-37 (KTCT) and 49-52 (TRDL) inhibit binding of 125I-hFSH to FSH receptor in calf testis membranes and that hFSH-beta 33-53, which encompasses these tetrapeptides, inhibits binding with increased potency. hFSH-beta 33-53 rapidly dimerizes under conditions utilized in the receptor binding assay (pH 7.5) so that the binding inhibition reported earlier was due to the hFSH-beta 33-53 dimer rather than the monomer. At pH 6.5, conversion to dimer does not occur, and binding inhibition could be unequivocally attributed to the monomer. Radioiodinated and alkylated hFSH-beta 33-53 binds to the FSH receptor with a Kd = (5.5 +/- 1.4) X 10(-5) M. The biological activity of hFSH-beta 33-53 was assessed by its ability to affect the conversion of androstenedione to estradiol in rat Sertoli cells cultures. FSH-beta 33-53 behaved as a partial antagonist of the FSH-induced estradiol synthesis. The required incubation medium, however, contains cystine as well as cystine, which rapidly forms a hFSH-beta Cys-(51)-S-S-Cys derivative at the pH of the incubation, 7.4. When hFSH-beta 33-53 was converted either to the hFSH-beta Cys(51)-S-S-Cys or to a carboxymethylated derivative, inhibition of FSH-induced estradiol synthesis still was observed. This result demonstrates that the free R-SH group at Cys51 is not responsible for the inhibition. FSH-beta 33-53 also significantly stimulated basal levels of estradiol synthesis, but not to maximal levels observed with FSH (partial agonist). Neither the carbohydrate content of hFSH-beta nor the alpha subunit of FSH appears to be essential for signal transduction and expression of the hormone effect of FSH-beta 33-53.

Cell Membrane↗

PubMed1984

Biosynthesis of bufadienolides in toads. V. The origin of the cholesterol used by toad parotid glands for biosynthesis of bufadienolides.

Sodium (1-14C)acetate and (5-3H) mevalonate were incubated with Bufo arenarum toad parotid gland and liver tissues. Both labelled compounds were incorporated into cholesterol produced by liver while the incubations with parotid gland produced no labelled cholesterol. Low and high density lipoproteins isolated from toad plasma were iodinated and used for binding studies. Membrane preparations of parotid gland showed high affinity binding sites for 125I-LDL and 125I-HDL. In addition, while colchicine inhibits the in vitro uptake of (3H)cholesteryl linoleate-LDL into parotid gland tissue an opposite effect was seen with (3H)cholesteryl linoleate-HDL. The above mentioned results would support the hypothesis that the cholesterol used by the parotid gland for the biosynthesis of bufadienolides would be produced in the liver, transported by the circulating lipoproteins and incorporated by the glands by a receptor-mediated mechanism.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

A simple computer program for Scatchard plot analysis of hormone receptors including statistical analysis on a low cost desk top calculator.

A simple procedure for the estimations of standard errors in hormone binding parameters derived from Scatchard analysis is proposed by assuming an univariate linear regression statistic model. The complete set of necessary formulae is presented and a practical way for calculation is solved using the binding of human growth hormone to rat adrenal membranes, as a practical example. The comparison between the results obtained by the method proposed and by using a well proved and accepted computer program, shows unequivocally that the differences are practically undistinguishable. The complete program to calculate the Scatchard parameters and their statistical analysis is available on request.

Binding Sites↗