Agarose Column Research Articles

A 45-kDa midgut glycoprotein from Anopheles albimanus mosquito mediates the killing of trypanosomes.

Trypanosomes do not inhabit or grow in anopheles mosquitoes, the vector for the transmission of Plasmodium parasites the causative agent for malaria. The possession of lytic factors by the anopheline mosquito was thus considered. Head and midgut sections prepared in phosphate buffered saline were tested for trypanocidal action against T. congolense. While the head section was inactive towards the trypanosomes, the midgut extract at 0.2 mg ml(-1) diminished the motility of the parasites within 2 min of incubation; killing 50% of the population after 5 min. At 0.5 mg ml(-1) of the extract, about 90% of the parasites were killed within 2 min of incubation. The midgut fraction was subjected to a purification protocol involving successive chromatography on: octyl-sepharose, reactive brown agarose and fetuin-agarose columns. A final trypanocidal active fraction (gp45), which moved homogeneously during electrophoresis as a 45-kDa protein, was recovered from the fetuin-agarose column. The protein reacted positively with thiobarbituric acid, which suggests it is a sialoglycoprotein. Desialylation of the glycoprotein nullified its trypanocidal activity on T. congolense. Similarly, when the saccharides, lactose, methyl-beta-galactoside, lactulose, methyl-umbelliferyl-beta-galactoside (MU-Gal), were included in the culture medium, they inhibited the gp45 trypanocidal activity. Asialo-fetuin and asialo-RBC also inhibited the gp45-induced killing of T. congolense cells. The potential use of anopheline 45 kDa protein in the production of transgenic tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) in the control of trypanosomiasis is discussed.

Allosteric behaviour of 1:5 hybrids of mutant subunits of Clostridium symbiosum glutamate dehydrogenase differing in their amino acid specificity

Hybrid hexamers were made by refolding mixtures of two mutant forms of clostridial glutamate dehydrogenase. Mutant Cys320Ser (C320S) has a similar activity to the wild-type enzyme, but is unreactive with Ellman's reagent, 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB). The triple mutant Lys89Leu/Ala163Gly/Ser380Ala (K89L/A163G/S380A), active with norleucine but not glutamate, is inactivated by DTNB, since the amino acid residue at position 320 is a cysteine residue. The chosen ratio favoured 1:5 hybrids of the triple mutant and C320S. The renatured mixture was treated with DTNB and separated on an NAD+–agarose column to which only C320S subunits bind tightly. Fractions were monitored for glutamate and norleucine activity and for releasable thionitrobenzoate to establish subunit stoichiometry. A fraction highly enriched in the 1:5 hybrid was identified. Homohexamers (C320S with 40mM glutamate and 1mM NAD+ at pH8.8, or K89L/A163G/S380A with 70mM norleucine and 1mM NAD+ at pH8.5) showed allosteric activation; succinate activated C320S approx. 50-fold (EC50 = 70mM, h = 2.4), and glutarate gave approx. 30-fold activation (EC50 = 35mM, h = 2.3). For the triple mutant, corresponding values were 80mM and 2.2 for succinate, and 75mM and 1.7 for glutarate, but maximal activation was only about 2-fold. In the 1:5 hybrid, with only one norleucine-active subunit per hexamer, responses to glutarate and succinate were still co-operative, and activation was more extensive than in the triple mutant homohexamer. A single norleucine-active subunit can thus respond co-operatively to a substrate analogue at the other five inactive sites. On the other hand, similar hyperbolic dependence on the norleucine concentration for the hybrid and the triple mutant homohexamer reflected the inability of C320S subunits to bind norleucine. With glutamate at pH8.8, an h value of 3.6 was obtained for the 1:5 hybrid, in contrast with an h value of 5.2 for the C320S homohexamer. The ‘foreign’ subunit evidently impedes inter-subunit communication to some extent.

Production of a polyclonal antibody against recombinant goldfish prolactin and demonstration of its usefulness in a non-competitive antigen-capture ELISA

The cDNA encoding the goldfish ( Carassius auratus) prolactin was expressed in Escherichia coli using the pRSETA expression vector. The recombinant goldfish prolactin (gfPRL) produced was a fusion protein containing a hexahistidyl sequence, which facilitated its purification on a Ni 2+ column. The fusion protein was overexpressed in the bacteria as inclusion bodies and was successfully purified under denaturing conditions by one-step affinity chromatography. Repeated immunization of rabbits against the purified recombinant gfPRL allowed the production of a high-titer polyclonal antiserum. The IgG fraction of the antiserum was isolated on an immobilized Protein A–agarose column. The antibody recognized recombinant gfPRL, but not recombinant goldfish growth hormone (gfGH) or goldfish somatolactin (gfSL) on Western analyses. The purified antibody was able to recognize gfPRL, but not gfGH or gfSL, in a non-competitive antigen-capture ELISA. The assay was applied in monitoring the purification of native PRL from goldfish pituitaries.

Purification of Cajanus cajan Root Lectin and Its Interaction with Rhizobial Lipopolysaccharide as Studied by Different Spectroscopic Techniques

A lectin present in roots of Cajanus cajan seedlings was isolated and purified by affinity chromatography. Sugar specificity assayed by hemagglutination-inhibition activity indicated that lectin belongs to glucose/mannose-specific group. The root lectin was found to be mannose-specific from the second day onwards as it was reconfirmed by specific elution of different days' sample from mannose agarose matrix. The maximum interaction of lectin with goat IgM was obtained in 10-day-old sample, indicating the highest crude lectin content. Lectin (total amount of eluted protein) from different days soil sample showed a maximum amount in 10-day-old sample. For further studies, the lectin has been isolated from the roots of 10-day C. cajan seedlings and purified on mannose–CL agarose column by affinity chromatography. Lectin was found to be a dimer of 18.5-kDa subunit as revealed by SDS–PAGE. Tryptophan quenching fluorescence was studied for C. cajan root lectin. Secondary structure of C. cajan root lectin as studied by circular dichroism was found to be a typical β-pleated sheet structure. The interaction of purified root lectin with C. cajan-specific rhizobial lipopolysaccharide and its inhibition by specific and nonspecific sugars was demonstrated by fluorescence and circular dichroism. Results discussed in this paper were studied for the first time by different spectroscopic methods, suggesting that C. cajan root lectin–lipopolysaccharide interaction is specific.

Molecular cloning, functional expression and characterization of p15, a novel fungal protein with potent neurite-inducing activity in PC12 cells

p15 is a novel fungal protein which induces neurite outgrowth and neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells. In the present study, we report molecular cloning, functional expression and characterization of the gene encoding p15. The deduced amino acid sequence suggested that p15 is synthesized as a precursor with 31 extra amino-terminal amino acids including a putative signal sequence, and 20 carboxy-terminal amino acids, in addition to the 118 amino acids-long mature region with neurite-inducing activity. From the poly(A) + RNA prepared from the producing fungal strain, a cDNA fragment encoding the mature region of p15 was amplified and His 6-tagged recombinant p15 was produced in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein purified by a single step on Ni 2+ agarose column chromatography exhibited comparable specific activity as native p15 in the PC12 neurite extension assay. The effect of His 6-p15 was blocked by nicardipine, suggesting that Ca 2+ influx through the L-type Ca 2+ channels is essential for its neurite-inducing activity. In addition, mutational analysis of His 6-p15 demonstrated that both intramolecular disulfide bonds are essential for its biological activity.

A Truncation of 2B Subfamily Cytochromes P450 Yields Increased Expression Levels, Increased Solubility, and Decreased Aggregation While Retaining Function

The hydrophobic membrane-spanning domain in four cytochromes P450 2B was removed (Δ3-21) and several positive charges were substituted at the N-terminus to increase expression and solubility. Histidine residues were appended to the C-terminus to simplify purification. The truncated proteins were highly expressed in Escherichia coli, could be released from the membrane using high salt conditions, and were purified from this fraction to specific contents up to 19 nmol P450/mg protein using a single Ni2+-agarose column. Gel filtration revealed that truncated P450 2B1 forms a monodisperse solution of hexamers in the absence of detergent and >95% monomers in 0.25% sodium cholate. All truncated proteins, including human 2B6, were active with 7-ethoxy-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin, and truncated 2B1 was shown to retain the native regio- and stereospecificity of testosterone hydroxylation. These data demonstrate that modification of the N-terminus yields high levels of properly folded P450s 2B with increased solubility, which are suitable for functional and structural analysis.

NC1 Domain of Human Type VIII Collagen (α 1) Inhibits Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cell Proliferation and Causes Cell Apoptosis

Endostatin, a natural angiogenesis inhibitor, had been identified for years. It opened a new approach for cancer therapy. Sequence analysis reveled that endostatin is the NC1 domain (non-triple-helical domain) of collagen XVIII. In this report, the cDNA of NC1 domain of type VIII collagen (α 1) was cloned and expressed as soluble form in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified with Ni-NTA agarose column and named as vastatin. It inhibited the proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cell stimulated by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in a dose-dependent manner. The ED50 of vastatin was 0.6 μg/ml, while the ED50 of endostatin was 0.5 μg/ml. Treatment of BAE cell with vastatin caused G0–G1 arrest and cell apoptosis. It is interesting that sequence analysis showed that there was only about 12% amino acid sequence homology between vastatin and endostatin. The structure–function relationship of these angiogenesis molecules remains to be elucidated.

Purification and characterization of an extracellular beta-xylosidase from a newly isolated Fusarium verticillioides.

An extracellular beta-xylosidase from a newly isolated Fusarium verticillioides (NRRL 26518) was purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant by concentration by ultrafiltration using a 10,000 cut-off membrane, ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE Bio-Gel A agarose column chromatography and SP-Sephadex C-50 column chromatography. The purified beta-xylosidase (specific activity, 57 U/mg protein) had a molecular weight (mol. wt.) of 94,500 and an isoelectric point at pH 7.8. The optimum temperature and pH for action of the enzyme were 65 degrees C and 4.5, respectively. It hydrolyzes xylobiose and higher xylooligosaccharides but is inactive against xylan. The purified beta-xylosidase had a K(m) value of 0.85 mM (p-nitrophenol-beta-D-xyloside, pH 4.5, 50 degrees C) and was competitively inhibited by xylose with a K(i) value of 6 mM. It did not require any metal ion for activity and stability.

Cooperation and competition between the binding of COUP-TFII and NF-Y on human epsilon- and gamma-globin gene promoters.

The nuclear receptor COUP-TFII was recently shown to bind to the promoter of the epsilon- and gamma-globin genes and was identified as the nuclear factor NF-E3. Transgenic experiments and genetic evidence from humans affected with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin suggest that NF-E3 may be a repressor of adult epsilon and gamma expression. We show that, on the epsilon-promoter, recombinant COUP-TFII binds to two sites, the more downstream of which overlaps with an NF-Y binding CCAAT box. Binding occurs efficiently to either the 5' or the 3' COUP-TFII site but not to both sites simultaneously. However, adding recombinant NF-Y induces the formation of a stable COUP-TFII.NF-Y-promoter complex at concentrations of COUP-TFII that would not give significant binding in the absence of NF-Y. Mutations of the promoter indicate that COUP-TFII cooperates with NF-Y when bound to the 5' site, whereas binding at the 3' site is mutually exclusive. Likewise, in the gamma-promoter, COUP-TFII binds to a site overlapping the distal member of a duplicated CCAAT box, competing with NF-Y binding. Transfections in K562 cells show that both the mutation of the 5' COUP-TFII or of the NF-Y site on the epsilon-promoter decrease the activity of a luciferase reporter; the mutation of the 3' COUP-TFII site has little effect. These results, together with transgenic experiments suggesting a repressive activity of COUP-TFII on the epsilon-promoter and the observation that, on the 3' site, COUP-TFII and NF-Y binding is mutually exclusive, suggest that COUP-TFII may exert different effects on epsilon transcription depending on whether it binds to the 5' or to the 3' site. At the 5' site, COUP-TFII might cooperate with NF-Y, forming a stable complex, and stimulate transcription; at the 3' site, COUP-TFII might compete for binding with NF-Y and, directly or indirectly, decrease gene activity.

The Cleavable N-terminal Domain of Plant Endopolygalacturonases from Clade B May Be Involved in a Regulated Secretion Mechanism

Polygalacturonases represent the most abundant carbohydrate hydrolase family in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome, and they are thought to be involved in nearly all of the developmental processes requiring cell wall modifications during the life cycle of the plant. By phylogenetic analysis, plant polygalacturonases fall into at least three groups, one of which is distinguished from the others by the presence of an additional N-terminal domain. We have used RDPG1, the polygalacturonase involved in pod dehiscence in oilseed rape (Brassica napus), as a model to investigate the function of this domain. We have confirmed that this domain is absent in the mature protein by determination of the N-terminal sequence of mature RDPG1 purified from oilseed rape pod. We have furthermore investigated the accumulation and subcellular localization of the precursor containing the N-terminal domain and of the mature protein throughout the development and maturation of the pod. Using recombinant expression in Pichia pastoris, we have produced the RDPG1 precursor, and we present evidence that the N-terminal domain of plant polygalacturonases is not involved in folding or inactivation of the precursor but may play a role in the intracellular transport of this protein family via a novel regulated secretion pathway.

Renaturation and Stabilization of the Telomere-Binding Activity of Saccharomyces Cdc13(451–693)p by [formula omitted]-Arginine

Production of recombinant proteins can be valuable in studying their biological functions. However, recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli sometimes form undesirable insoluble aggregates. Solubilization and renaturation of these aggregates becomes a problem that one needs to solve. Here we used recombinant Cdc13(451–693)p as example to show the presence of l-arginine during renaturation greatly enhanced the renaturation efficiency. Cdc13p is the single-stranded telomere-binding protein of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The telomere-binding domain has been mapped within amino acids 451–693 of Cdc13p, Cdc13(451–693)p. Recombinant Cdc13(451–693)p was expressed in E. coli as insoluble protein aggregates. Purification of insoluble Cdc13(451–693)p was achieved by denaturing the protein with 6 M guanidine–HCl and followed by Ni–nitrilotriacetic acid agarose column chromatography. Renaturation of Cdc13(451–693)p to the active form was achieved by dialyzing denatured protein in the presence of l-arginine. Moreover, the presence of l-arginine was also helped in maintaining the telomere-binding activity of Cdc13(451–693)p. Taking together, l-arginine might have a general application in renaturation of insoluble aggregates.

Heterologous expression and characterization of alternatively spliced glutathione S-transferases from a single Anopheles gene

Three cDNA sequences of glutathione S-transferase (GST), adgst1–2, adgst1–3 and adgst1–4, which are alternatively spliced products of the adgst1AS1 gene, were obtained from fourth instar larvae of Anopheles dirus mosquito by reverse transcriptase PCR reactions. The nucleotide sequences of these three cDNAs share >67% identity and the translated amino acid sequences share 61–64% identity. A comparison of the An. dirus to the An. gambiae enzymes shows that adGST1–2 versus agGST1–4, adGST1–3 versus agGST1–5 and adGST1–4 versus agGST1–3 have 85, 92 and 85% amino acid sequence identity, respectively, which confirms that orthologous isoenzymes occur across anopheline species. These three proteins were expressed at high levels, approximately 15–20 mg from 200 ml of E. coli culture. The recombinant enzymes were purified by affinity chromatography on an S-hexylglutathione agarose column. The subunit sizes of adGST1–2, adGST1–3 and adGST1–4 are 24.3, 23.9 and 25.1 kDa. The recombinant enzymes have high activities with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), detectable activity with 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene but markedly low activity with ethacrynic acid and p-nitrophenethyl bromide. adGST1–3 was shown to be the most active enzyme from the kinetic studies. Permethrin inhibition of CDNB activity, at varying concentrations of CDNB, was significantly different, being uncompetitive for adGST1–2, noncompetitive for adGST1–3 and competitive for adGST1–4. In contrast, permethrin inhibition with varying glutathione concentrations was noncompetitive for all three GSTs. Despite the enzymes being splicing products of the same gene and sharing identical sequence in the N-terminal 45 amino acids, these GSTs show distinct substrate specificities, kinetic properties and inhibition properties modulated by the differences in the C-terminus.

Evidence for a MARCKS–PKCα complex in skeletal muscle

MARCKS (Myristoylated Alanine Rich C Kinase Substrate) is a protein known to cross-link actin filament and consequently, is very important in the stabilization of the cytoskeletal structure. In addition, it has been recently demonstrated that the phosphorylation rate of this protein changes during myogenesis and that this protein is implicated in fusion events. For a better understanding of the biological function of MARCKS during myogenesis, we have undertaken to identify and purify this protein from rabbit skeletal muscle. Three chromatographic steps including an affinity calmodulin–agarose column were performed. The existence of a complex between the two proteins was confirmed by non-denaturing gel electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation. Two complexes were isolated which present an apparent molecular weight of about 600 kDa. Such interactions suggest that MARCKS is either a very good PKCα substrate and/or a regulator of PKC activity. These results are supported by previous studies showing preferential interactions and co-localization of PKC isozyme and MARCKS at focal adhesion sites. This is the first time that MARCKS has been purified from skeletal muscle and our data are consistent with a major role of this actin- and calmodulin-binding protein in cytoskeletal rearrangement or other functions mediated by PKα. Our results provide evidence for a tight and specific association of MARCKS and PKCα (a major conventional PKC isozyme in skeletal muscle) as indicated by the co-purification of the two proteins.

Comparative study of blood group-recognizing lectins toward ABO blood group antigens on neoglycoproteins, glycoproteins and complex-type oligosaccharides

Binding specificities of ABO blood group-recognizing lectins toward blood group antigens on neoglycoproteins, glycoproteins and complex-type oligosaccharides were studied by lectin-blotting analysis, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and lectin-conjugated agarose column chromatography. Human serum albumin conjugated with A- and B-trisaccharides was clearly recognized by Helix pomatia (HPA), Phaseolus lunatus, Dolichos biflorus agglutinins, and Griffonia simplicifolia I agglutinin B 4, respectively. Almost the same results were obtained for human group A and B ovarian cyst and A-active hog gastric mucins, but Glycine max agglutinin only reacted to the group A hog mucin. When human plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF), having Asn-linked blood group antigens, was tested, HPA was highly sensitive to blood group A antigen on the vWF. Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA-I) preferentially bound to the vWF from blood group O plasma. Within the GalNAc-recognizing lectins examined, a biantennary complex-type oligosaccharide having the blood group A structure retarded on an HPA–agarose column, and the affinity was diminished after digestion with α- N-acetylgalactosaminidase. This product bound to UEA-I agarose column. These results indicate that HPA and UEA-I are most sensitive for detection of glycoproteins possessing small amounts of blood group A and H antigens and also useful for fractionation of complex-type oligosaccharides with blood group A and H antigens, respectively.

Sugar Binding Properties of the Two Lectin Domains of the Tandem Repeat-type Galectin LEC-1 (N32) of Caenorhabditis elegans: DETAILED ANALYSIS BY AN IMPROVED FRONTAL AFFINITY CHROMATOGRAPHY METHOD

The 32-kDa galectin (LEC-1 or N32) of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is the first example of a tandem repeat-type galectin and is composed of two domains, each of which is homologous to typical vertebrate 14-kDa-type galectins. To elucidate the biological meaning of this unique structure containing two probable sugar binding sites in one molecule, we analyzed in detail the sugar binding properties of the two domains by using a newly improved frontal affinity chromatography system. The whole molecule (LEC-1), the N-terminal lectin domain (Nh), and the C-terminal lectin domain (Ch) were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and immobilized on HiTrap gel agarose columns, and the extent of retardation of various sugars by the columns was measured. To raise the sensitivity of the system, we used 35 different fluorescence-labeled oligosaccharides (pyridylaminated (PA) sugars). All immobilized proteins showed affinity for N-acetyllactosamine-containing N-linked complex-type sugar chains, and the binding was stronger for more branched sugars. Ch showed 2-5-fold stronger binding toward all complex-type sugars compared with Nh. Both Nh and Ch preferred Galbeta1-3GlcNAc to Galbeta1-4GlcNAc. Because the Fucalpha1-2Galbeta1-3GlcNAc (H antigen) structure was found to interact with all immobilized protein columns significantly, the K(d) value of pentasaccharide Fucalpha1-2Galbeta1-3GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc-PA for each column was determined by analyzing the concentration dependence. Obtained values for immobilized LEC-1, Nh, and Ch were 6.0 x 10(-5), 1.3 x 10(-4), and 6.5 x 10(-5) m, respectively. The most significant difference between Nh and Ch was in their affinity for GalNAcalpha1-3(Fucalpha1-2)Galbeta1-3GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc-PA, which contains the blood group A antigen; the K(d) value for immobilized Nh was 4.8 x 10(-5) m, and that for Ch was 8.1 x 10(-4) m. The present results clearly indicate that the two sugar binding sites of LEC-1 have different sugar binding properties.

Cloning and characterization of a DEAD box RNA helicase from the viable seedlings of aged mung bean.

Seeds stored under adverse conditions will reduce the viability of germination as a result of induced aging. We have established a procedure to induce accelerated aging for studying the process of aging in mung bean (Vigna radiata) seeds at the molecular level. A full-length cDNA was isolated from acceleratedly aged mung bean seedlings. The cDNA, VrRH1 (Vigna radiata RNA helicase 1), contains an open reading frame of 2139 bp encoding a protein of 713 amino acids. VrRHI has seven highly conserved motifs including the DEAD box as in the case of other plant RNA helicases. VrRHI was sub-cloned into an expression vector pET-28b (+), over-expressed in Escherichia coli BL 21 and purified by a Ni2+-agarose column. The expressed protein showed double-stranded RNA unwinding and ATPase activities. Either ATP or dATP is required for the unwinding activity, indicating that VrRHI is an ATP/dATP-dependent RNA helicase. Northern blot analysis showed the presence of mRNAs hybridized with a full-length cDNA fragment of VrRHI (VrRH transcripts) in mung bean seeds that were imbibed for 16 to 32 h after accelerated aging treatment. The amount of these mRNAs reached a maximum in 24 h imbibed seeds after the treatment. The accumulation of VrRH transcripts was shown to lead to the appearance of 25S and 18S rRNAs in the imbibed aging mung bean seeds. The results suggest that VrRHI may play a role in the viability of mung bean seeds.

Isolation of DT-Diaphorase [NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)] from Rat Liver Cytosol: Identification of New Enzyme Substrates, Carcinogenic Aristolochic Acids

Cytosolic fractions isolated from liver and kidney of rats treated with β-naphthoflavone, Sudan I, ellipticine, phenobarbital, ethanol, acetone and natural carcinogenic and nephrotoxic nitroaromatics, aristolochic acids, were tested for the activity of DT-diaphorase [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone), EC 1.6.99.2]. While the most efficient inducers of DT-diaphorase in liver were Sudan I, ellipticine and aristolochic acids, the highest increase in the DT-diaphorase activity in kidney was produced by aristolochic acids. No increase in the enzyme activity was determined after treatment of rats with acetone. DT-Diaphorase was isolated from liver cytosol of Sudan I-treated rats by the procedure consisting of fractionation with ammonium sulfate, gel permeation chromatography on a Sephadex G-150 column, affinity chromatography on an Affi-Gel Blue (Cibracron Blue Agarose) column and re-chromatography on Sephadex G-150. Rat DT-diaphorase catalyzed NAD(P)H-dependent reduction of menadione (vitamin K3), vitamin K1and 4-nitrosophenol as substrates. Moreover, we newly identified two carcinogenic nitroaromatic compounds, aristolochic acids, as other substrates of DT-diaphorase. A selective inhibitor of the human DT-diaphorase, dicoumarol, inhibited the catalytic activity of the rat purified enzyme.

Purification of alpha-amylase isoenzymes from Scytalidium thermophilum on a fluidized bed of alginate beads followed by concanavalin A-agarose column chromatography.

An alpha-amylase has been purified from the thermophilic fungus Scytalidium thermophilum. A ninefold purification was achieved in a single step using fluidized bed chromatography wherein alginate was used as the affinity matrix. There are at least two isoenzymes as shown by concanavalin A (Con A)-agarose column chromatography. The isoenzyme binding to Con A is stable for at least 3 h at 80 degrees C in the presence of calcium ions. The isoenzymes have similar molecular weights of around 45,000 Da as shown by SDS-PAGE analysis. The isoenzymes differ only slightly in their pH optima and temperature optima but the isoenzyme binding to Con A-agarose has slightly higher thermal stability.

Thermodynamic Stability of HLA-B*2705·Peptide Complexes: EFFECT OF PEPTIDE AND MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX PROTEIN MUTATIONS

Thermodynamic Stability of HLA-B*2705·Peptide Complexes: EFFECT OF PEPTIDE AND MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX PROTEIN MUTATIONS

Determinants of NPC1 Expression and Action: Key Promoter Regions, Posttranscriptional Control, and the Importance of a “Cysteine-Rich” Loop

Mutations in the NPC1 gene cause Niemann–Pick type C disease, which is characterized by the accumulation of free cholesterol and other lipids in lysosomes. The NPC1 glycoprotein is located in a late endosomal compartment that transiently interacts with lysosomes. To identify factors regulating NPC1 expression and action, we analyzed the function of the human NPC1 promoter in human-derived ovarian, hepatic, and neuronal cells. A fragment containing the first 208 base pairs upstream from the major transcription initiation site was sufficient to drive near maximal NPC1 promoter activity. Deletion analysis revealed that sequences between base pairs −111 and −37 play an important role in controlling NPC1 transcription. Treatment of proliferating granulosa cells with 30 μM progesterone, which induces a reversible phenocopy of the cholesterol trafficking defect of Niemann–Pick type C disease, increased NPC1 mRNA levels threefold. The protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, also increased NPC1 mRNA levels, augmenting the progesterone-induced increase in NPC1 mRNA abundance. Progesterone treatment was shown to increase the mRNA half-life, but did not affect NPC1 promoter activity. Cysteine residues in a “cysteine-rich” loop predicted to reside in the intralumenal compartment of vesicles containing NPC1 were mutated, resulting in proteins that were incapable of correcting the cholesterol trafficking defect in CT60 cells, a Chinese hamster cell line in which the endogenous NPC1 gene is inactivated. Converting isoleucine 1061, also predicted to lie within the cysteine-rich loop, to a threonine residue inactivated the protein as well. The I1061T mutation is one of the most common mutations in Niemann–Pick type C disease. All of the cysteine-rich loop mutants were localized to cholesterol-engorged lysosomes in a pattern mimicking the distribution of NPC1 in progesterone-treated cells. A recombinant protein representing the cysteine-rich loop was shown to bind to a zinc–NTA agarose column. We conclude: (1) that cis elements residing in the first 111 base pairs upstream from the transcription start site are critical for transcription of the NPC1 gene; (2) that NPC1 expression is subject to posttranscriptional regulation in response to treatments that disrupt NPC1 function; and (3) that an intralumenal cysteine-rich loop with zinc-binding activity is critical to NPC1's ability to unload lysosomal cargo.