Band In SDS-PAGE Research Articles

Tarantula (Eurypelma californicum) venom, a multicomponent system.

The venom of the tarantula Eurypelma californicum was analysed biochemically, the components were isolated and characterized. The pH value of the crude venom is 5.3 +/- 0.3. After dilution with distilled water, UV-absorption spectra showed a single maximum at 258 nm (pH ca. 7.0). A second maximum at 328 nm emerged above pH 8.0. Protein concentration of the venom is ca. 65 mg/ml. After Coomassie staining SDS-PAGE patterns show three major bands with apparent molecular masses around 40 kDa, 4.3 kDa and 1.3 kDa besides some weak high molecular protein bands. The following low-molecular mass constituents were determined in the crude venom: ATP, ADP, AMP, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glucose and the ions potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride; the osmolality was 361 micro0smol/ml. The LD50 value for female cockroaches was 0.15 microliters venom per g body weight and for male cockroaches 0.4 microliters venom per g body weight. Separation of the crude venom by gel chromatography yielded four elution peaks. Peak I contains the enzyme hyaluronidase. The activity is 200-900 U/microliters. Peak II contains a mixture of toxic peptides. Peak III contains the 1.3-kDa components of SDS-PAGE and peak IV mainly contains ATP. Venom proteins including the enzyme hyaluronidase were precipitated by 5% trichloroacetic acid. The supernatant was separated by HPLC into 13 fractions. Fraction 1 contains glutamic acid, aspartic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid and ATP; fraction 2 contains ATP, ADP and AMP as well as a component 2' visible in SDS-PAGE as 1.3-kDa band and consisting of spermine and tryptophan; fraction 3 contains ATP and an unknown component 3'; fractions 4-6 also show a 1.3-kDa band in SDS-PAGE, fraction 4 being tyrosylspermine and fractions 5 and 6 containing compounds of spermine and aromatic molecules; fraction 7 contains a peptide which lacks aromatic amino acids, it was sequenced from the N-terminus; fractions 8-13 contain very similar toxic peptides. The peptides in fractions 11 and 12, labeled ESTX for Eurypelma spider toxin, were cleaved with different enzymes and sequenced. They differ in one amino acid in position 26. Homologies with scorpion toxins and with a toxin of the spider Segestria florentina were found.

Two toxins from the venom of Trimeresurus tokarensis

1. 1. Two toxins, Tokaratoxin-1 (TT-1) and Tokaratoxin-2 (TT-2), were isolated from the venom of Trimeresurus tokarensis using gel nitration on a Sephedex G-100 column, followed by chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel and carboxymethyl-cellulose. TT-1 possessed both hemorrhagic and proteolytic activities. However, TT-2 did not show hemorrhagic activity. 2. 2. Homogeneity was established by the formation of a single band in acrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing and SDS-PAGE. 3. 3. Molecular weights of TT-1 and TT-2 were 71,000 and 25,400, respectively. Although TT-2 is a basic protein, TT-1 is an acidic protein. 4. 4. Biological activities of TT-1 and TT-2 were inhibited by EDTA, EGTA and o-phenanthroline, suggesting that the toxins are metalloproteins. Atomic absorption analyses indicated that TT-1 contains 2.79 mol Ca/mol protein and TT-2 contains 1.04 mol Ca/mol protein and 1.07 mol Zn/mol protein, respectively. 5. 5. The two toxins degraded the Aα and Bβ chains of fibrinogen. 6. 6. TT-1 induced necrosis in addition to its hemorrhagic activity while TT-2 induced necrosis only.

Purification and characterization of a 36 kDa antigen of Mycobacterium leprae.

A 36 kDa antigen of Mycobacterium leprae was purified by phenol biphasic partition followed by preparative SDS-PAGE. The purified antigen appeared as a single band in SDS-PAGE and eluted as a single peak in ion-exchange chromatography. The antigen comprised epitopes which were cross-reactive with M. tuberculosis, as well as a species-specific epitope (recognized by MAb F47-9). Different treatments of the 36 kDa antigen suggested it to be largely protein in nature; the amino acid composition of 81% of the antigen was determined. A majority of sera from leprosy patients contained antibodies recognizing the 36 kDa antigen.

Induction of Extracellular Polygalacturonase and Its mRNA in the Phytopathogenic Fungus Fusarium moniliforme

SUMMARY: The activity of extracellular polygalacturonase (PG) was strongly induced in Fusarium moniliforme by growing the fungus in a minimal medium containing pectin as sole carbon source. PG was the major protein component of the extracellular fluid whereas no detectable PG activity was found in culture filtrates of the fungus grown in a medium containing glucose as carbon source. F. moniliforme PG was purified to homogeneity by a procedure involving ammonium sulphate precipitation, carboxymethyl cellulose chromatography and preparative isoelectric focusing. The purified protein showed one protein band in non-denaturating PAGE and two major bands (molecular mass 41.5 and 45.kDa) plus two minor bands (38.0 and 48.5 kDa) in SDS-PAGE. The bands consisted of glycosylated polypeptide chains. Poly(A)-containing RNA, purified from total RNA extracted from F. moniliforme grown in PG-inducing conditions and translated in vitro in a reticulocyte cell-free translation system, produced two polypeptide chains (47 and 51 kDa) which were not present in the translation products of the non-induced poly(A)-containing RNA. The two polypeptide chains were immunoprecipitated with an IgG against F. moniliforme homogeneous PG.

Tyrosine sulfation, a post-translational modification of microvillar enzymes in the small intestinal enterocyte.

Protein sulfation in small intestinal epithelial cells was studied by labelling of organ cultured mucosal explants with [35S]-sulfate. Six bands in SDS-PAGE became selectively labelled; four, of 250, 200, 166 and 130 kd, were membrane-bound and two, of 75 and 60 kd, were soluble. The sulfated membrane-bound components were all enriched in the microvillar fraction but either absent or barely detectable in intracellular or basolateral membranes. Immunopurification of sucrase-isomaltase, maltase-glucoamylase, aminopeptidase N and aminopeptidase A showed that these microvillar enzymes become sulfated. Most if not all the sulfate was bound to tyrosine residues rather than to the carbohydrate of the microvillar enzymes, showing that this type of modification can occur on plasma membrane proteins as well as on secretory proteins.

Glycoprotein allergens in pollen of timothy. III. Immunochemical and biological properties of a basic glycoprotein.

Crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) and tandem CIE indicated that a basic glycoprotein allergen isolated from pollen of timothy is immunochemically identical to the allergen formerly denoted as antigen 30. The glycoprotein gave one band in SDS-PAGE and agarose isoelectric focusing. After transfer to nitrocellulose by electroblotting or by capillary blotting, the allergen specifically bound IgE from persons allergic to timothy pollen. The single allergen inhibited about 15% of the IgE binding to radioallergosorbent test discs of whole timothy pollen extract. Sera from patients investigated also contained detectable amounts of IgG towards the allergen. In quantitative skin prick tests, the mean activity of 2 micrograms/ml purified allergen in 7 patients was equivalent to that of a timothy pollen extract containing 10,000 BU/ml (assayed relatively to histamine in skin prick test). The ability of the allergen to form a precipitate in rocket immunoelectrophoresis was lost when it was heated to 80 degrees C or incubated with 4 M guanidine hydrochloride.

Features of glycogen phosphorylase from the body wall musculature of the lugworm Arenicola marina and the mode of activation during anoxia.

The activities of glycogen phosphorylases a and b from the body wall musculature of the marine worm Arenicola marina (Annelida, Polychaeta) were determined after various periods of anoxia. Already under normoxic conditions one third of the total activity was produced from the a form. During anoxia the ratio of both forms as well as the total activity did not change. The activity of soluble phosphorylase kinase was comparatively low in this tissue 4.3 +/- 1.2 nmol . min-1 . (g wet wt.)-1; the fast twitching tail muscle of shrimps, e.g., had a 10-fold higher phosphorylase kinase activity, whereas phosphorylase activities in both tissues were about the same 2.3 +/- 0.5 mumol . min-1 . (g wet wt.)-1. Glycogen phosphorylase b was purified from the body wall tissue of the marine worm in one step by 5'-AMP-Sepharose resulting in a single protein band in SDS-PAGE. This preparation was accepted as substrate by the phosphorylase kinase from rabbit muscle but a complete phosphorylation could not be achieved. The molecular mass of native phosphorylase was approximately 216 kDa, that of subunits 95 kDa indicating that the enzyme exists as a dimer. There were no isozymes in this preparation, the RF-value (0.17) of the single band in PAGE ranged between those of the isozymes from mice hearts. The activities of phosphorylases b and a were similarly dependent on pH and temperature but differed drastically in the affinities to phosphate and AMP. In presence of 1 mM AMP the app. Km of phosphorylase a for phosphate was 16 mM, that of phosphorylase b above 100 mM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Differential labeling of the subunits of respiratory complex III with [3H]succinic anhydride, [14C]succinic anhydride, and p-diazobenzene-[35S]sulfonate.

Exposure of antimycin-treated Complex III (ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase) purified from bovine heart mitochondria to [3H]succinic anhydride plus [35S]p-diazobenzenesulfonate (DABS) resulted in somewhat uniform relative labeling of the eight measured subunits of the complex by [3H]succinic anhydride. In contrast, relative labeling by [35S]DABS was similar to [3H]succinic anhydride for the subunits of high molecular mass, i.e., core proteins, cytochromes, and the iron-sulfur protein, but greatly reduced for the polypeptides of molecular mass below 15 kDa. With Complex II depleted in the iron-sulfur protein the relative labeling of core protein I by exposure of the complex to [3H]succinic anhydride was significantly enhanced, whereas labeling of the polypeptides represented by SDS-PAGE bands 7 and 8 was significantly inhibited. Dual labeling of the subunits of Complex III by 14C- and 3H-labeled succinic anhydride before and after dissociation of the complex by sodium dodecyl sulfate, respectively, was measured with the complex in its oxidized, reduced, and antimycin-inhibited states. Subunits observed to be most accessible or reactive to succinic anhydride were core protein II, the iron-sulfur protein, and polypeptides of SDS-PAGE bands 7,8, and 9. Two additional polypeptides of molecular masses 23 and 12kDa, not normally resolved by gel-electrophoresis, were detected. Reduction of the complex resulted in a significant change of 14C/3H labeling ratio of core protein only, whereas treatment of the complex with antimycin resulted in decreases in 14C/3H labeling ratios of core proteins I and II, cytochrome c1, and a polypeptide of molecular mass 13kDa identified as an antimycin-binding protein.

Detection of antimycin-binding subunits of complex III by photoaffinity-labeling with an azido derivative of antimycin.

Deformamidoazidoantimycin A (DAA), a photoactive derivative of antimycin A containing an azido group substituting for the formamido group attached to the phenyl ring, was synthesized. The ultraviolet spectrum of DAA was almost identical to that of antimycin A, indicating little alteration of the electronic structure of the substituted phenyl ring by the azido substitution. However, the inhibitory effectiveness of DAA toward ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase (Complex III) purified from bovine heart (Ki = ca. 0.5 microM) was considerably less than that of antimycin (Ki less than or equal to 3 pM), indicating a direct rather than a supporting role of the formamido group in the inhibitory activity of antimycin. Exposure of purified Complex III to [3H]DAA plus ultraviolet light caused a major labeling by tritium of SDS-PAGE band 7 (m = 13 kDa by SDS-PAGE) and lesser but significant labeling of bands 3, 6, 8, and 9. Pretreatment of Complex III with antimycin greatly suppressed the labeling of bands 5, 6, and 7 but caused an apparent increased labeling of bands 8 and 9 by [3H]DAA, respectively. The labeling of band 7 by [3H]DAA also was strongly suppressed by reduction of Complex III by either sodium borohydride or ascorbate. Based on magnitude of labeling by [3H]DAA and the degree of suppression of labeling by antimycin, the protein of band 7 qualified as the principal component for specific binding of antimycin with the protein of band 6 (m = 16 kDa) showing a lesser but significant amount of specific binding.

TWO CEA AND THREE NCA SPECIES, ALTHOUGH DISTINGUISHABLE BY MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES, HAVE NEARLY IDENTICAL PEPTIDE PATTERNS

In perchloric acid extracts of normal lung and colonic tumors, 3 NCA molecules were identified by monoclonal antibodies that cross-reacted with CEA, which itself gave 2 bands in SDS-PAGE. The proteins had molecular weights of 50, 75 and 97 kd, while the 2 CEA molecules banded at 180 and 160 kd in SDS-PAGE. No MAb recognized only one molecule, with the exception of MAb 3/13 which precipitated solely the upper CEA band. Analysis of the biochemical relationship of the cross-reactive antigens showed that none of them contained any internal methionine. Furthermore, after digestion by thermolysin, the peptide maps of the immunoprecipitated molecules showed very close similarities, if not identity. When the cross-reactive and the CEA were compared, the only differences found were in the upper CEA band, which apparently lacked one hydrophobic peptide, while the 97 kd cross-reacting protein showed one extra peptide. We conclude from our results that CEA and the cross-reacting molecules are composed of nearly identical, small (i.e. less than 50 kd) polypeptide chains.

Melanosome proteins duringBufo bufo development

Changes in melanosome protein composition duringBufo bufo development have been investigated. The number of bands in SDS-PAGE varies from stage 7 (sixth cleavage) to stage 19 (heart beat), with a minimum at stages 17 (tail bud) and 19 (heart beat). At least eleven bands appear to be present throughout stages examined. The most relevant difference observed is that three protein bands of 40, 66 and 115 Kdal are expressed only at pre-neurular stages, when only maternal melanosomes are present in the embryo. Moreover, 5,6-dihydroxyindole oxidase activity has been evidenced in the gels, by specific staining. The activity appears to comigrate with tyrosinase.

Inability of Rat Anaphylatoxin to Induce Histamine Release in Rats

-The role of rat anaphylatoxin in histamine release and increased vascular permeability during the first thirty minute period in zymosan-air-pouch inflammation, an experimental model of inflammation induced by zymosan in an air-pouch prepared on the back of rats, was investigated. Complement depletion by cobra venom factor did not affect the histamine release nor the increased vascular permeability in the inflammation of this type. In spite of apparent anaphylatoxin activity, zymosan activated serum (ZAS) failed to cause any significant release of histamine when infused in the air-pouch on the back. Anaphylatoxin purified from rat serum activated with zymosan in the presence of an inhibitor (ε-aminocaproic acid) of anaphylatoxin inactivator gave a single band in both polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and SDS-PAGE. The molecular weight estimated by SDS-PAGE was approx. 7,000. The purified rat anaphylatoxin failed to induce histamine release nor increased vascular permeability even at 50 μg/ml, although it caused contraction of guinea pig ileum at 0.8 μg/ml. These results suggest that rat anaphylatoxin does not participate in histamine release and increased vascular permeability in the zymosan-air-pouch inflammation.

Isolation of trypsin isozymes from the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.)

Trypsin has been isolated from midgut homogenates of blood-fed females of Aedes aegypti by a simple two-step purification procedure: ion-exchange chromatography followed by affinity chromatography. The resulting mosquito trypsin contains a number of isozymes, among which 5 major SDS-PAGE bands are recognized with molecular weights of 26.7, 28.5, 29.7, 31.0 and 32.0 kdaltons, as are some minor bands above and below this range. The isozymic pattern is comparable to that in crude homogenates. Isoelectric focussing of purified trypsin however, revealed over 20 tryptic isozymes, demonstrating that several isozymes segregate into subforms. A high correlation between TAME-active fractions and their DFP equivalent was demonstrated by using 3H-labelled DFP as a marker for trypsin on native acrylamide gels. The purification factor and the specific activities are discussed with respect to the unusual amounts of protein of dietary origin present in the midgut homogenates. Interference of blood-borne coagulation factors of a tryptic nature is unlikely.

NADPH-cytochrome [formula omitted] reductases of [formula omitted

NADPH-dependent reduction of cytochrome c is catalyzed both by microsomes and the cytosolic fraction isolated from Trypanosoma cruzi homogenates. About one-third of the activity is microsomal and two-thirds is cytosolic. The microsomal activity is increased by Lubrol and sodium cholate, but pretreatment with phenobarbital has negligible effect. On the other hand, detergents do not affect the cytosolic activity but it is increased by phenobarbital. From these observations, it is concluded that the NADPH-dependent reduction of cytochrome c by microsomes and the cytosol corresponds to two distinct enzymes. The cytosolic enzyme has been purified to a single SDS-PAGE band of about 53,000 da and partially characterized.

Immunologically reactive multiple species of mitochondrial coupling factor B.

Earlier work had indicated that mitochondrial coupling factor B (FB) could be obtained with differing molecular weights, a highly active 13,000 form, a 29,200 form with low activity, and a partially purified 46,000 form with activity higher than the 29,200 form. We have analyzed FB preparations of different purity and after different types of treatment on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE), followed by silver staining or immunostaining either with rabbit anti-FB serum or monoclonal FB antibody. Highly purified preparations which appear as single bands in SDS-PAGE develop additional higher molecular weight bands (silver staining), including a 48,000 and a 68,000 band, after lyophilization or repeated freezing and thawing or if subjected to SDS-PAGE in the absence of thiol compounds. FB prepared without addition of dithiothreitol and glycerol for stabilization also shows high molecular weight forms, although the active fractions are obtained consistently in the final gel filtration step of purification at a position corresponding to Mr = 13,000. When FB preparations are analyzed by immunoblots of SDS-PAGE using a monoclonal antibody to FB, fresh preparations of purified FB show a single band, while multiple bands are seen in samples which have been frozen and thawed repeatedly. Preparations made in the absence of dithiothreitol and glycerol also show cross-reactive forms of high molecular weight. Similar immunoblots using rabbit antiserum with mitochondria, its extracts, and partially purified FB preparations, all show the presence of several higher molecular weight forms. It is concluded that FB is probably a monomer in mitochondria, and it appears to undergo oligomerization after extraction and during purification.

Preparative two-step purification of human IL-2 by HPLC and hydrophobic affinity chromatography

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) has been purified by a protocol using gel filtration high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and hydrophobic affinity chromatography with blue-trisacryl M. Peripheral blood lymphocytes or tonsillar lymphocytes were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Serum free conditioned medium (CM) containing IL-2, other lymphokines and residual PHA molecules was analyzed after 3 variations of ammonium sulfate (AS) precipitation: (1) precipitation of CM with 50% AS yielded a precipitate containing most of the residual PHA but also a fraction of IL-2. (2) Precipitation with direct 80% AS of crude CM yielded both IL-2 and residual PHA. (3) A double step procedure (50% AS followed by 80% AS) yielded a precipitate containing IL-2 but free of residual lectin. HPLC purification of these various AS-precipitated materials or of lyophilized crude CM yielded 2 peaks with mitogenic activity as assayed with the CTLL2 murine clone or IL-2-dependent human Con A-stimulated lymphoblasts. IFN was easily separated from IL-2 and PHA, but BCGF still copurified with IL-2. Peak I (25 kDa) was enriched 400-fold for IL-2 while peak II (68 kDa) contained the residual PHA. The IL-2-containing fractions eluted from HPLC were further purified by blue-trisacryl M chromatography. The IL-2 eluted with 0.4 M NaCl. The entire protocol (HPLC followed by blue-trisacryl) led routinely to 8000-fold IL-2 enrichment. Preparative HPLC directly applied to lyophilized crude (CM) enriched IL-2 activity 400-fold with yield averaging 60% of the IL-2 input. The final material was free from interferon and IL-1, but BCGF still copurified with IL-2. The 2-step purified material (HPLC and blue-trisacryl) gave 2 bands in SDS-PAGE both of which contained IL-2.

Characterization of ligand-binding activity of isolated murine Fc gamma receptor.

Fc gamma-binding macromolecules were isolated from 2 murine macrophage-like cell lines by affinity chromatography using various immunoglobulins coupled to Sepharose. P388D1 and J744.2 cells were radiolabeled with 125I using a modified lactoperoxidase method, washed cells were solubilized using NP-40, and the solubilized cell lysates were incubated at 4 degrees C with immunoadsorbents. Fc gamma receptor-like material was obtained from the IgG-Sepharose columns by elution at 4 degrees C with 0.5 N acetic acid containing 1% NP-40 into buffer for neutralization. Purified material thus obtained retained its ligand-binding activity, since approximately 30 to 60% rebound to IgG-Sepharose. Upon analysis by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, putative Fc gamma receptor had an apparent m.w. of 50 to 65,000. Neither a comparable SDS-PAGE band nor receptor activity was isolated from a 3rd murine cell line, which lacks the Fc gamma receptor. Putative receptor obtained by elution from IgG2a-Sepharose rebound equally well to IgG2a-, IgG1- and IgG2b-Sepharose, but did not rebind to IgG3-, F(ab')2-, or BSA-Sepharose. Similarly, Fc gamma-binding macromolecules eluted from IgG2b-Sepharose rebound only to IgG2b-, IgG2a- and IgG1-Sepharose rebound only to IgG2b-, IgG2a- and IgG1-Sepharose. The rebinding of either receptor preparation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by both monomeric IgG2a and monomeric IgG2b, and myeloma protein from each subclass inhibited to the same extent. Therefore, the mouse Fc gamma receptor in its isolated state does not appear to discriminate between monomeric IgG2a and IgG2b.

Metabolic impairment and membrane abnormality in red cells from Huntington's disease

The following aspects have been investigated in 10 patients affected by Huntington's disease (HD): • - extensive haematological investigations; • - red cell enzyme activities and level of the most important glycolytic intermediate compounds; • - protein, lipid and carbohydrate composition of the erythrocyte membrane and membrane polarity; • - effects of in vitro aging on red cell membranes. Lack of 4.5 protein band in SDS-PAGE and 14-fold decrease in membrane-bound catalase were found in the in vitro aged red cells from the 10 HD patients examined. Na + + K + ATPase was slightly higher than normal in all the patients. Red cells from 5 out of 8 patients showed a decrease in reduced glutathione and phosphoenolpyruvate levels and/or an increase in hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase and glutathione reductase activities. The haematological investigations, the protein lipid and carbohydrate composition of the fresh red cells, the membrane polypeptide aggregates and the membrane polarity evaluated by microspectrofluorometric analysis were normal.

Production and characterization of antisera against human macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF)

Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated by insoluble Con A-Sepharose in serumfree medium were used as the source of human lymphokines. Purification by gel filtration revealed MIF-active fractions to be heterogeneous in terms of molecular weight, reminiscent of the aggregating polymeric system based on a 15,000 dalton subunit recently described for guinea pig MIF. Immunization of rabbits with an isolated SDS-PAGE band of 25,000 dalton yielded an antiserum capable of absorbing MIF activity from active supernatants and of precipitating 3H-leucine-labelled supernatant components of 25,000 and 12,500 daltons. The 12,500 dalton MIF-active molecule appears in supernatants only when the cells are cultured in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. Although some of the antisera obtained possess antibodies which neutralize MIF activity, they appear to contain additional antibodies which cross-react with serum components and which are also present in the supernatants of non-stimulated control cultures.

Stoichiometric trapping of a covalent phosphoryl-enzyme intermediate occurring in reactions catalyzed by an acid phosphatase

A non-specific acid phosphatase (APase) hydrolysing l-tyrosine-O-phosphate and 3′-AMP was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from mature lentil seeds with apparent native molecular mass of 100 kDa and subunit molecular mass of 24 kDa. These activities appear to reside on the same protein which shows a single band in native and SDS-PAGE. The pH optimum is 5.5, while the Km (mM) and Vmax (μmoles/min/mg protein) for p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) are 0.7 and 9.2 and for l-tyrosine-O-phosphate 1.4 and 10.1, respectively, at 30°C and for 3′-AMP, 2 and 4.4 at 37°C. The protein also hydrolyses other phosphomonoesters to a lesser extent. l-Tyrosine-O-phosphate, 3′-AMP and pNPP hydrolysis is potently inhibited by micromolar orthovanadate and also to nearly the same extent by sodium fluoride, potassium tartrate and metal ions. Histidine and cysteine are likely to be involved in the catalysis. Thermal inactivation studies indicate that the active site conformations for pNPP and 3′-AMP hydrolytic activities are different. The enzyme shows the characteristics of the animal protein tyrosine phosphatase.