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Electroimmunoassay of a subunit protein in a macromolecular complex (apolipoprotein B in human plasma very low density lipoprotein); implications for other electroimmunoassay systems.

With an electroimmunoassay ("rocket") system for the apolipoprotein B component of the plasma very low density lipoprotein complex we obtained results which were similar to those obtained by a colorimetric tetramethylurea extraction method. Results were up to twice as high as those using radioimmunoassay. Low density lipoprotein containing apolipoprotein B as the only demonstrable protein component was used as the standard for these assays. This protein produced larger and higher rockets at pH 8.6 when the negative particle charge was increased by maleylation. The very low density lipoprotein complex has a higher negative charge at pH 8.6 than low density lipoprotein. These findings suggest that some apolipoprotein B in vary low density lipoprotein is not "recognised" by anti-apolipoprotein B antibodies, hence radioimmunoassay results are lower than those obtained with the tetramethylurea extraction method. The higher negative charge on very low density lipoprotein particles (compared with low density lipoprotein), as a factor tending to increase rocket area and height, is counterbalanced by reduced recognition by antiapolipoprotein B antibodies. The net result of these opposing tendencies is that the rocket electroimmunoassay of apolipoprotein B in very low density lipoprotein fortuitously gives valid results, under the specified assay conditions. We conclude that electroimmunoassays of complex proteins are not necessarily valid if protein subunits are used for standards. This has implications for the electroimmunoassay of other apolipoproteins.

Apolipoproteins

Effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on subunit proteins.

The effects of DMSO are thought to result from the formation of hydrogen bonds with proton-donor groups on biopolymers, which are stronger than those formed with water. Since DMSO contains methyl groups, however, effects on hydrophobic bonding in proteins could be expected at higher DMSO levels. Our studies of the effects of DMSO on model subunit proteins can be interpreted in the above terms. At a concentration of 20% or less, DMSO changed glutamate dehydrogenase into the inactive monomer and the effects were fully reversible with the activator (ADP). Higher DMSO levels resulted in irreversible inactivation. The predominant effect noted on beta-glucuronidase was irreversible inactivation by 20% or more DMSO at 37 degrees C. Purified beta-glucuronidase exhibited an activation in 20% DMSO at high substrate levels; this resulted from an apparent substrate inhibition in the absence of DMSO. DMSO inhibited the clotting of fibrinogen by purified thrombin, but the major effect appeared to be due to competition between thrombin and DMSO for binding sites on fibrinogen. These effects appear to be largely due to interactions between DMSO and hydrophobic bonding in fibrinogen, although DMSO also appears to interfere with the aggregation of fibrin monomers through its effects on hydrophilic groups. These results suggest that reversible alterations in protein structure are the major effect of exposure of subunit proteins to low DMSO levels at low temperatues, while irreversible denaturation of subunit proteins may be an appreciable effect a higher temperatures and higher DMSO concentrations.

Adenosine Diphosphate

A pH-dependent conformational change in the coat protein subunits from potato virus X.

Both the circular dichroism and fluorescence spectra of the dissociated coat protein subunits from potato virus X changed substantially over the pH range 8 to 4, irreversible changes resulted below pH 4, with tyrosyl and tryptophanyl residues affected most. The titration curves show a pKa of about 5.6 and do not require cooperative interactions between the coat protein subunits, thus they are in marked contrast to titrations of tobacco mosaic virus A-protein. The spectra of the intact virus were little changed between pH 8 and 4 and suggested that the coat protein was locked into a conformation similar to that of the subunits in solution at pH 7. It is proposed that the pH induced conformational change is responsible for determining the acidic branch of the pH profile for reconstitution of potato virus X from its dissociated coat protein subunits and RNA.

Circular Dichroism

Production of ferritin by rat hepatoma cells in vitro. Demonstration of protein subunits and ferritin by immunofluorescence.

Using precipitating antibodies to ACI rat liver ferritin and to sodium-dodecyl-sulfate-dissociated protein subunits of ACI rat liver ferritin, we have demonstrated the presence of ferritin-positive sites and subunit-positive sites in situ in several rat hepatoma cell lines by immunofluorescence. Hepatoma cells from three transplantable rat hepatomas (Reuber H-139, Reuber H-35, and Morris 5123) were explanted and propagated. Rabbit antibodies specific for either protein subunits of ferritin or ferritin were prepared by affinity chromatography or by dissociation of antibody-antigen complexes with 0.1 M acetic acid followed by differential ultracentrifugation. Explants of Reuber H-139, Reuber H-35, and Morris 5123 hepatoma cells, grown either in ordinary McCoy's 5a medium or in such medium enriched with iron (0.002% Fe), gave positive immunofluorescence for subunits as well as ferritin. Exposure of a clonal strain of Morris 5123 hepatoma cells to iron-enriched culture medium for varying lengths of time of up to 24 hours resulted in progressive increase in the quantity of ferritin-specific immunofluorescent cytoplasmic material, which was at first present diffusely, and later in clumps. By contrast, during the initial 24-hour period, subunit-specific immunofluorescence remained at relatively low intensity, with diffuse distribution through the cytoplasma. Our findings indicate a) the presence, in the cytoplasm, of the three kinds of hepatoma cells, of unassembled or only partly assembled subunits of fragments of subunits as well as of ferritin, and b) rapid assembly of the protein subunits into apoferritin and ferritin after administration of iron, so that the concentration of subunits in the cytoplasm was not significantly increased.

Animals

Phosphorylation of subunit proteins of intermediate filaments from chicken muscle and nonmuscle cells.

The phosphorylation of the subunit proteins of intermediate (10-nm) filaments has been investigated in chicken muscle and nonmuscle cells by using a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis system. Desmin, the 50,000-dalton subunit protein of the intermediate filaments of muscle, had previously been shown to exist as two major isoelectric variants-alpha and beta-in smooth, skeletal, and cardiac chicken muscle. Incubation of skeletal and smooth muscle tissue with (32)PO(4) (3-) reveals that the acidic variant, alpha-desmin, and three other desmin variants are phosphorylated in vivo and in vitro. Under the same conditions, minor components of alpha- and beta-tropomyosin from skeletal muscle, but not smooth muscle, are also phosphorylated. Both the phosphorylated desmin variants and the nonphosphorylated beta-desmin variant remain insoluble under conditions that solubilize actin and myosin filaments, but leave Z-discs and intermediate filaments insoluble. Primary cultures of embryonic chicken muscle labeled with (32)PO(4) (3-) possess, in addition to the desmin variants described above, a major nonphosphorylated and multiple phosphorylated variants of the 52,000-dalton, fibroblast-type intermediate filament protein (IFP). Filamentous cytoskeletons, prepared from primary myogenic cultures by Triton X-100 extraction, contain actin and all of the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated variants of both desmin and the IFP. Similarly, these proteins are the major components of the caps of aggregated 10-nm filaments isolated from the same cell cultures previously exposed to Colcemid. These results demonstrate that a nonphosphorylated and several phosphorylated variants of desmin and IFP are present in assembled structures in muscle and nonmuscle cells.

Animals

Biosynthesis of ferritin in rat hepatoma cells and rat livers. I. Synthesis and assembly of protein subunits of ferritin.

Cell fractions were prepared from ACI rat livers and from rat hepatoma cell clone M-5123-C1. Radioimmunoassays of ferritin and of its protein subunits in various cell fractions after biosynthetic labeling with [14C]leucine were done by means of ferritin-specific and subunit-specific rabbit antibody. In both ACI rat livers and M-5123-C1 hepatoma cells free polyribosomes synthesized approximately 81% of the protein subunits of ferritin, and membrane-bound polyribosomes synthesized the rest. In both polyribosomal fractions, [14C]leucine-labeled subunits were detected earlier than [14C]leucine-labeled ferritin and apoferritin (5 min as against 30 min after initiation of a pulse). Time sequence studies of the shifts of biosynthetically labeled subunits and ferritin through different cell compartments provided evidence for vectorial transport of subunits and of ferritin, the direction of transport being from the two polyribosomal systems to the smooth membrane compartment and to the cytosol.

Animals

Immunological studies on cytochrome c oxidase: arrangements of protein subunits in the solubilized and membrane-bound enzyme.

Seven protein subunits of cytochrome c oxidase from bovine heart were isolated by gel filtration in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (subunits I, II and III) and guanidine hydrochloride (subunits V, VI and VII), and ion-exchange chromatography in 6 M urea (subunit IV) after the enzyme had been dissociated in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. When analysed by highly cross-linked sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of urea, the apparent molecular weights were = I, 36700; II, 24300; III, 20400; IV, 17300; V, 12300; VI, 8700: and VII, 5100. Monospecific rabbit antisera were obtained against subunits I, IV, V, VI and VII and a mixture of subunits II and III. These subunit-specific antisera with the exception of anti-I serum all cross-reacted with the detergent-solubilized native oxidase. Enzymatic studies on purified oxidase indicated that immunoglobulins against subunits II + III, IV, V, VI and VII respectively caused 25, 65, 20, 30 and 25% inhibition while anti-I immunoglobulin did not inhibit the activity. The subunit-specific antisera were used to examine the arrangements of the subunits in the membrane. Enzymatic studies using bovine heart mitochondria and rat liver mitochondrial digitonin particles showed that anti-(II + III) serum, anti-V serum and anti-VII serum all inhibited the oxidase activity while the other antisera did not. On the other hand, results of using 125I-labelled immunoglobulins showed that anti-IV, anti-V and anti-VII sera were bound to the surface of inverted vesicles (matrix side) while all other antisera were not. These results indicate that cytochrome oxidase subunits II and III are situated on the outer surface, and subunit IV is exclusively on the matrix surface while subunits V and VII are exposed on both surfaces of the mitochondrial membrane. Subunits I and VI are buried within the membrane, not exposed on either side.

Animals

Specific cleavage of Sendai virus nucleocapsid protein subunits during virus storage.

The alteration of whole Sendai virus and especially of its nucleocapsid polypeptides, during storage of the virus at 4 degree C in the allantoic fluids in which it was cultivated, has cultivated, has been studied by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. During virus storage the nucleocapsid protein subunits with a molecular weight of 60,000 and the putative inner envelope protein with a molecular weight of 38,000 were mainly affected. Both virus components were partially degraded to smaller components. Examination of nucleocapsids isolated from "stored" virus showed that, in addition to the 60,000-molecular weight polypetide component, a smaller polypeptide component with a molecular weight of 46,000 appeared. The relative proportion of the small component increased with the storage period: a kind of specific conversion of large to small components occurred during storage. Since viruses kept in the absence of allantoic fluids revealed no similar modifications of their polypeptides, we concluded that a cellular component present in the allantoic fluids - very likely of enzymatic nature - is responsible for the observed cleavage of virus polypeptides.

Body Fluids

Large-scale purification of Na,K-ATPase and its protein subunits from lamb kidney medulla.

Procedures are described for the large-scale isolation of purified Na,K-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) from frozen lamb kidney outer medulla and for the separation of its two protein subunits by hydroxyapatite chromatography in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The methods described permit the routine isolation of up to 800 mg of purified Na,K-ATPase in one week, which can subsequently be separated into 500 mg of mr = 95,000 catalytic subunit and 200 mg of glycoprotein with four SDS-hydroxyapatite column runs.

Animals

Physicochemical and immunological homogeneity of spinin, the subunit-protein of bacterial spinae.

Bacterial spinae from marine bacterium D71 are multi-subunit structures of a single protein. This protein, called spinin, is homogeneous by immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis, amino acid composition, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a number of buffer systems, sedimentation velocity and diffusion boundary analysis. Sedimentation equilibrium gives Mr = 19,000, while phosphate polyacryl-amide gel electrophoresis in presence of dodecyl sulfate gives Mr = 32,000. The lower Mr estimate for spinin is supported by sedimentation equilibrium in 6 M guanidine . HCl, and covalent cross-linking with dimethyl suberimidate or glutaraldehyde. The higher Mr value probably arises from an anomalous spinin-dodecyl sulfate interaction. Isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel gives pI = 3.45; however, the focusing pattern also contains three distinct bands that may arise from hydrolysis of the spinin protomer during anodic migration. This study presents the first extensive physicochemical characterization of spinin and provides the basis for investigating the subunit assembly of spinae.

Amino Acids

Emetine resistance in Chinese hamster cells is linked genetically with an altered 40S ribosomal subunit protein, S20.

Emr-2 is an emetine-resistant (Emr) Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant that contains a single electrophoretically altered ribosomal protein, a component of its 40S ribosomal subunit [Boersma, D., McGill, S., Mollenkamp, J. & Roufa, D.J. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, in press]. This report describes a genetic experiment designed to test linkage between the genes that specify the altered ribosomal protein, S20*, and emetine resistance in Emr clones that segregated from cultures of Emr-2 cells hybridized with emetine-sensitive cells. The data described indicate that Emr and S20* phenotypes are due to mutations linked to the same chromosome in the Chinese hamster genome; most likely they are due to the same mutation. The data also confirm earlier speculations by others that the Emr locus in Chinese hamster cells is hemizygous.

Animals

Oligomycin-dependent ionophoric protein subunit of mitochondrial adenosinetriphosphatase.

A proteolipid isolated from yeast mitochondrial adenosinetriphosphatase (subunit 9) (ATP phosphohydrolase; EC 3.6.1.3) by chloroform/methanol extraction has been shown to discharge photo-induced potentials across a planar phospholipid membrane containing bacteriorhodopsin. Oligomycin, a specific inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation which binds to this protein, allows the potential gradient to be reestablished. When proteolipid was isolated from an oligomycin-resistant strain, ionophoric activity was still obtained but the effect was not reversed by oligomycin. These studies suggest that the hydrophobic subunit-9 polypeptide is the ionophoric component linking ATP synthesis (hydrolysis) with proton translocation.

Adenosine Triphosphatases

Evidence for a dissociable protein subunit required for calmodulin stimulation of brain adenylate cyclase.

An adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphatelyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1] preparation that is not stimulated by NaF,5'-guanylyl imidodiphosphate, or Ca2+.calmodulin has been isolated from bovine cerebral cortex by Affi-Gel Blue chromatography and calmodulin-Sepharose chromatography. Sensitivity to these effectors was restored by incubation of the adenylate cyclase preparation with detergent-solubilized protein from bovine cerebral cortex. Reconstitution of of Ca2+.calmodulin activation required the presence of 5'-guanylyl imidodiphosphate. The factor required for restoration of Ca2+.calmodulin stimulation was sensitive to heat, trypsin digestion, and N-ethylmaleimide. These observations suggest that this adenylate cyclase activity requires the presence of one or more guanyl nucleotide binding subunits for calmodulin sensitivity.

Adenylyl Cyclases

The fate of protein subunits of parainfluenza (Sendai) virus after adsorption to NIL8 hamster embryo cells.

Adsorption of u.v.-inactivated Sendai virus on to NIL8 hamster cells causes fusion of the cells into polykaryocytes within 2 h. "Infected" cells were incubated at 37 degrees C for periods of 10 min to 8 h and their surface proteins iodinated with [125I] catalysed by peroxidase. Structural components of the viral envelope, such as haemagglutin-neuraminidase (HN) and probably also the fusion protein (F) were detected in the cell membrane for periods up to 4 h post infection.

Adsorption