Structural proteins of the mammalian lens: a review with emphasis on changes in development, aging and cataract.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The concept that a direct interaction between Ca2+ and phospholipids is a major factor in membrane fusion reactions is questioned. Attention is drawn to a number of findings on associations between fusion and the proteolysis of membrane proteins. It is proposed that hydrophobic polypeptides, which are functionally comparable to the fusogenic proteins of certain viruses but which are produced in cells by the endogenous proteolysis of membrane and cellular proteins, may induce membrane fusion reactions in vivo.
The degradation of haemoglobin and haemoglobin-derived peptide fragments by homogenates of MRC5 fibroblasts has been investigated. Results show that the smaller fragments were degraded more rapidly than larger substrates at both pH 5.5 and pH 7.5. Only the smallest of the soluble cyanogen bromide peptides (Mr 3500) was degraded at pH 7.5. Degradation at pH 5.5 proceeded more rapidly than that at pH 7.5 for all substrates tested but was more marked with the larger substrates. Homogenates prepared from aged cells degraded puromycin peptides and, to a lesser extent, cyanogen bromide peptides at a slower rate, at pH 7.5, than those prepared from younger cells. We suggest that cytosolic degradation is less selective and at least one cytosolic proteolytic activity decreases as cells age.
Human red cells of various Rh phenotypes were surface-labelled with 125I and the Rh-specific labelled polypeptides were isolated by preparative SDS-PAGE. The polypeptides were subjected to limited proteolysis and the resulting fragments were analysed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. Chymotryptic peptide maps of proteins obtained from Rh(D)-positive and -negative types appeared completely identical, whereas tryptic peptide maps revealed a difference: a fragment of Mr 17,500 was associated with the Rh(D) antigen, and one of Mr 19,000 with the Rh(C/c,E/e) antigens. Treatment of Rh polypeptides with carboxypeptidase Y prior to tryptic digestion resulted in a shift of nearly all tryptic fragments, including a fragment of Mr 8,000, indicating that the surface label was incorporated into the C-terminal part of the molecule.
By a combination of 1D and 2D 1H- and 13C-NMR, FAB-MS, and chemical and enzymatic reactions carried out at the milligram level, it has been demonstrated that syringomycin E, the major phytotoxic antibiotic produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, is a new lipodepsipeptide. Its amino acid sequence is Ser-Ser-Dab-Dab-Arg-Phe-Dhb-4(Cl)Thr-3(OH)Asp with the beta-carboxy group of the C-terminal residue closing a macrocyclic ring on the OH group of the N-terminal Ser, which in turn is N-acylated by 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid. Syringomycins A1 and G, two other metabolites of the same bacterium, differ from syringomycin E only in their fatty acid moieties corresponding, respectively, to 3-hydroxydecanoic and 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid.
Proteasomes were purified from human hepatoma tissues, and their sensitivities to Na+ and K+ were examined. At concentrations of 10 mM or more, these cations were found to inhibit completely polylysine-activated casein degradation by the purified proteasomes. They also strongly inhibited the hydrolyses of peptides, although to a lesser extent. On the other hand, they reversed the inhibitory and stimulatory effects of polylysine on the hydrolyses of Suc-Leu-Tyr-AMC and Cbz-Ala-Arg-Arg-MNA, respectively. These results suggest that Na+ and/or K+ may be involved in the regulation of intracellular protein breakdown by controlling the multicatalytic activity of proteasomes.
Recently we reported there were at least four types of G0 or G0-like proteins in bovine brain membranes based on their elution profiles from Mono Q columns and their immunological reactivities; one of the proteins was purified as an alpha-monomeric form, and the others as alpha beta gamma-trimers. The four proteins, of which alpha-subunits were confirmed to be a family of G0-type by an immunoblot analysis, were thus referred to as alpha (0)1, G(0)2, G(0)3 and G(0)4, respectively, in order of their elutions from the column. Immunostained peptide mappings arising from proteolytic digestions of the four alpha-subunits, together with their fragmentation patterns containing radiolabeled ADP-ribose that had been incorporated by pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation, suggested that the four G0-alpha were classified into either of two groups such as alpha (0)1 and G(0)2-alpha, or G(0)3-alpha and G(0)4-alpha. The kinetic parameters of their GTPase activities, however, revealed that there were different properties between alpha (0)1 and G(0)2-alpha or G(0)3-alpha and G(0)4-alpha. Thus, the four G0-type proteins appeared to be different entities from one another.
Endopeptidase-24.18 (endopeptidase-2, EC 3.4.24.18, E-24.18) is a Zn-ectoenzyme of rat renal and intestinal microvillar membranes exhibiting an oligomeric structure, alpha 2-beta 2. The primary structure of the alpha-subunit of E-24.18 has been defined by molecular cloning and its expression mapped in rat kidney by in situ hybridization. A 2.9-kb cDNA coding for the alpha-subunit was isolated and sequenced. It had an open reading frame of 2,244 base pairs coding for a type I membrane protein of 748 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 87% identity with that of meprin A, a mouse metallo-endopeptidase, sharing common properties with the rat enzyme, and 85% identity with the human intestinal enzyme, 'PABA-peptide hydrolase'. Northern blot analysis revealed the alpha-subunit to be encoded by a single mRNA species of 3.2-kb. In situ hybridization performed on rat kidney showed a co-localization of E-24.18 with endopeptidase-24.11 in proximal tubules of juxtamedullary nephrons, suggesting that the two enzymes have similar or complementary physiological functions in kidney.
Gallbladder mucin may promote cholesterol gallstone formation by accelerating cholesterol monohydrate crystal nucleation in supersaturated bile. In this study, peptides were isolated from the mucin protein core by protease digestion and molecular-sieve high-performance liquid chromatography. Tryptic peptides were purified by anion exchange or reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and amino acid compositions were determined. Tryptic peptides were (a) nonglycosylated, (b) selectively enriched in serine, glutamic acid plus glutamine, and glycine, and (c) depleted in threonine and proline compared with native gallbladder mucin. Bilirubin derivatized with Woodward's reagent K covalently bound to purified mucin. Tryptic digestion of the mucin-bilirubin complex yielded low-molecular-weight nonglycosylated peptides with covalently bound bilirubin. These data indicate that the mucin protein core contains at least two distinct domains. One domain is rich in threonine and proline and contains the majority of covalently bound carbohydrate. A second domain, possibly internally located, is nonglycosylated, enriched in serine, glutamic acid plus glutamine, and glycine, and binds hydrophobic ligands such as bilirubin and 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate. Hydrophobic domains on the mucin protein core may contribute to the pathogenesis of cholesterol cholelithiasis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Resumption of meiosis in starfish oocytes is induced by 1-methyladenine (1-MeAde) produced by ovarian follicle cells under the influence of a gonad-stimulating substance (GSS). It has also been reported that concanavalin A (Con A) and two serine proteolytic enzymes (trypsin and Pronase) can stimulate 1-MeAde production. This study was undertaken to determine if 1-MeAde production induced by these compounds is mediated through elevation of cAMP in starfish (Asterina pectinifera) follicle cells. GSS at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml significantly stimulated 1-MeAde accumulation in extracellular medium after 1-2 hr of follicle cell incubations. GSS also caused a four- to fivefold increase in intracellular levels of cAMP. The continuous presence of GSS was required for the maintenance of elevated levels of cAMP and 1-MeAde. Basal levels of intracellular cGMP were only about 20% of those of cAMP and were not influenced by treatment with GSS. At 1 mM, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), a potent phosphodiesterase inhibitor, stimulated both 1-MeAde and cAMP production in a concentration-dependent manner. Con A and two serine proteases also raised both cAMP and 1-MeAde production. Con A-induced (1.0 mg/ml) increases in cAMP and 1-MeAde were greater than the response to GSS (0.1 mg/ml) and were completely suppressed by treatment with alpha-methyl-D-mannoside (10 mM), a competitive inhibitor of Con A. These results strongly suggest that cAMP is a second messenger in the production of 1-MeAde by starfish ovarian follicle cells.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.