Breakthrough Fraction Research Articles

Peptide elongation factor 1 from yeasts: purification and biochemical characterization of peptide elongation factors 1 alpha and 1 beta (gamma) from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis and Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Cytoplasmic elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1 alpha) [corrected] was purified to homogeneity in high yield from the two different yeasts Saccharomyces carlsbergensis (S. carls.) and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe). The purification was easily achieved by CM-Sephadex column chromatography of the breakthrough fractions from DEAE-Sephadex chromatography of cell-free extracts. The basic proteins have a molecular weight of 47,000 for the S. carls. factor and of 49,000 for the S. pombe factor. While the purified yeast EF-1 alpha s function analogously to other eukaryotic factors and the E. coli EF-Tu in Phe-tRNA binding and polyphenylalanine synthesis, the yeast factor unusually hydrolyzed GTP on yeast ribosomes upon addition of Phe-tRNA in the absence of poly(U) as mRNA. This novelty is probably owing to the yeast ribosomes, which are assumed to lack elongation factor 3-equivalent component(s). Trypsin and chymotrypsin selectively cleaved the two yeast factors to generate resistant fragments with the same molecular weight of 43,000 (by trypsin) and of 44,000 (by chymotrypsin), respectively. Those cleavage sites were characteristically protected by the presence of several ligands bound to EF-1 alpha such as GDP, GTP, and aminoacyl-tRNA. Based on the sequence analysis of the fragments generated by the two proteases, the partial amino acid sequence of the S. carls. EF-1 alpha was deduced to be in accordance with the N-terminal region covering positions (1) to 94 and two Lys residues at the C-terminal end of the predicted total sequence of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerev.) factor derived from DNA analysis, except for a few N-terminal residues, confirming the predicted S. cerev. sequence at the protein level. EF-1 beta and EF-1 beta gamma were isolated and highly purified as biologically active entities from the two yeasts. EF-1 beta s from the two yeasts have the same molecular weight of 27,000, whereas component gamma of the S. carls. EF-1 beta gamma showed a higher molecular weight (47,000) than that of the S. pombe factor (40,000). It was also shown that a stoichiometric complex was formed between EF-1 alpha and EF-1 beta gamma from S. pombe. Furthermore, a considerable amount of Phe-tRNA binding activity was distributed in the EF-1H (probably EF-1 alpha beta gamma) fraction from freshly prepared cell-free extracts of yeast.

Large-Scale Production and Properties of a Solvent-Detergent-Treated Factor IX Concentrate from Human Plasma

A human solvent-detergent (SD)-treated factor IX concentrate has been produced from cryoprecipitatepoor plasma using DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and heparin-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography. The DEAE eluate was incubated with an SD mixture [0.3% tri(n-butyl) phosphate-1% Tween 80, 6-h at 24°C] which was found to inactivate, in less than 1 h, more than 3.8 log(10) of vesicular stomatitis virus and more than 4.8 log(10) of Sindbis virus; the SD was removed by a subsequent heparin adsorption step. The specific activity of the concentrate was 10.9 ± 1.3 IU factor IX: c/mg protein (n= 15). The factor IX coagulant to antigen ratio was 0.7 ± 0.1. The concentrate was essentially free of factors II, VII and X, and protein C. The usual major contaminants of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) were absent: the concentrate contained about 94% alpha-1 proteins, and only 4 major proteins were resolved by SDS-PAGE (respective apparent molecular weight: 130, 86, 76 and 69 kilodaltons), and by crossed immunoelectrophoresis against an anti-PCC serum. The nonactivated partial thromboplastin time was equivalent to that of PCC; the product was devoid of factor IXa, of other activated procoagulant factors and of coagulant-active phospholipids (removed with SD in the heparin breakthrough fraction). Animal studies using the Wessler test and acute-toxicity test in rabbits revealed no adverse side effects. SD treatment could thus be used to inactivate viruses in factor IX concentrate and improve the safety of replacement therapy in hemophilia B.

Affinity chromatography on immobilized anhydrotrypsin: general utility for selective isolation of C-terminal peptides from protease digests of proteins.

Recently we have succeeded in the efficient isolation of the C-terminal peptides from tryptic digests of the tail sheath protein (with C-terminal Gly) and the tube protein (with C-terminal Glu) of bacteriophage T4, by taking advantage of a unique property of immobilized anhydrotrypsin, that is, a strong specific affinity for peptides containing Arg or Lys residues at their C-termini. In this study, the utility of affinity chromatography on immobilized anhydrotrypsin was further demonstrated in the cases of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (as a reduced and S-carboxymethylated form, with C-terminal Phe) and alpha 1-antitrypsin (with C-terminal Lys). By subjecting a tryptic digest of the former protein and a chymotryptic digest of the latter protein to the affinity chromatography, the C-terminal peptides were specifically recovered in the breakthrough fraction and in the adsorbed fraction, respectively. It was further shown that immobilized anhydrotrypsin can also adsorb peptides with C-terminal S-aminoethyl-Cys residues and exerts adsorptive ability even toward the peptides in solution containing urea at a high concentration if appropriate precautions are taken. These findings suggest the general utility of this simple method for C-terminal peptide isolation, which is extremely helpful for studies to confirm amino acid sequences deduced from nucleotide sequences of the cDNA (or genomic DNA) of proteins.

Purification and characterization of a protein tyrosine kinase from bovine spleen.

Protein tyrosine kinase was purified extensively from a 30,000 X g particulate fraction of bovine spleen by a procedure involving four column chromatographies: DEAE-Sepharose, polyamino acids affinity, hydroxylapatite, and Sephacryl S-200 molecular sieving. The purification resulted in more than 3,000-fold enrichment in [Val5]angiotensin II phosphorylation activity (specific activity 202 nmol/min/mg). All column chromatography profiles showed single protein tyrosine kinase activity peaks with the exception of that of affinity chromatography, where about 50% of the enzyme activity appeared with the breakthrough fraction; only the bound enzyme was further purified. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography of a purified sample phosphorylated in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP revealed the presence of a single phosphorylated polypeptide of molecular weight 50,000 which represents about 40% of total protein. Analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions showed that protein tyrosine kinase activity co-migrated with the phosphoprotein. Stoichiometry of the phosphorylation of the 50-kDa polypeptide was found to be 1.0 mol/mol. The purified sample did not appear to contain phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase activity. Both casein and histone could be phosphorylated by the purified sample, and the phosphorylation occurred only at tyrosine residue, suggesting that there was no protein serine and threonine kinase contamination.

Purification of the two forms of the high-molecular-weight neutral proteinase ingensin from rat liver

Two forms of a high-molecular-weight proteinase were isolated from rat liver. The purification procedure involved homogenization of the tissue, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC: TSK 3000 SWG) and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The breakthrough fraction from the hydroxyapatite column contained the sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)- and linoleic acid-activated proteinase, ingensin A, but the other form, ingensin B, which was also activated by SDS and linoleic acid, was bound to the hydroxyapatite and eluted at 200 mM phosphate. A distinct feature of ingensin A was its activation by a brief sonication procedure. The optimum pH of the two forms was 7.5–9.5, and both of them were activated by monovalent cations. Although both enzymes show similar molecular weights of 700 000 on gel filtration, ingensins A and B were separated into a major subunit of 120 000 and subunits of 25 000–35 000, respectively, under the denaturing conditions.

A novel method for selective isolation of C-terminal peptides from tryptic digests of proteins by immobilized anhydrotrypsin: application to structural analyses of the tail sheath and tube proteins from bacteriophage T4.

A novel method useful for selective isolation of the C-terminal peptide from a tryptic digestion mixture of a protein has been developed by taking advantage of a unique property of anhydrotrypsin, which has a strong specific affinity for the peptides containing arginine or lysine at their C-termini. Briefly, peptides produced by tryptic digestion of a protein are fractionated by affinity chromatography on a column of immobilized anhydrotrypsin. The C-terminal peptide is recovered in a breakthrough fraction, while the remainders are adsorbed on the column (unless the protein ends in arginine or lysine). The breakthrough fraction is then subjected to reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in order to purify the C-terminal peptide. Using this method, we have successfully isolated the C-terminal peptides from tryptic digests of the sheath protein (gp 18) and the tube protein (gp 19) of bacteriophage T4. The analytical results on these peptides, together with the information on the N-terminal structures of the original proteins and on the nucleotide sequences of genes 18 and 19, allowed us to establish the complete primary structures of the two proteins.

Renin granules isolated from rat kidney cortex by continuous colloidal silica (Percoll) density gradient centrifugation.

Renin granules were isolated from rat kidney cortex by a continuous polyvinyl-pyrrolidone-coated colloidal silica (Percoll) density gradient centrifugation. A major peak of renin activity was found at a density of 1.12-1.13 g/ml, and the specific activity of renin in the peak fraction was increased by approximately 70-fold, as compared with that in the kidney cortex homogenate. On the other hand, activities of other reference enzymes, such as succinate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase, were not detectable in the peak fraction. When the extract of the peak fraction was applied to a pepstatin column, trypsin-activated renin could not be detected in the breakthrough fractions. These results indicate that renin granules of the rat kidney cortex contain only active renin.

Low molecular weight C1q in systemic lupus erythematosus.

In sera of patients suffering from an exacerbation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), increased amounts of abnormal C1q were detected, contrasting with decreased or even undetectable levels of normal C1q in these sera. When analyzed immunochemically by double immunodiffusion, this low m.w. C1q (LMW-C1q) appeared to be identical with the defective C1q in serum of individuals with an inherited, homozygous inability to produce functional plasma C1q. These persons show a tendency to develop SLE-like syndromes. Like the genetically defective C1q, the abnormal C1q molecule in SLE sera was hemolytically inactive, did not incorporate in C1, was found in the supernatant of euglobulin-precipitated serum, and appeared in the break-through fraction of a cation-exchange column. Sucrose gradients and gel filtration analyses supported the putative identity of the molecules. SDS-PAGE and immunoblots revealed the presence of subunits that reacted with antibodies against C1q and confirmed the C1q-like nature of LMW-C1q. Low levels of LMW-C1q were also detected in serum and plasma of normal individuals. A radial immunodiffusion technique was used to measure LMW-C1q in the serum of 54 patients. Although these patients were not selected for parameters of disease activity, their levels of LMW-C1q were significantly higher than those of normal individuals and children with decreased C3 levels due to acute glomerulonephritis.

An Analysis of the Influence of Fracture Geometry on Mass Transport in Fractured Media

A stochastic modeling technique has been developed to investigate mass transport within a network of discrete fractures. The fracture network is composed of two orthogonal fracture sets, with fracture length, location, and aperture characterized by appropriate probability distributions. Emphasis is placed on understanding how fracture geometry influences mass transport within a network of discontinuous fractures. The network is aligned in such a manner that one fracture set (set one) forms the dominant pathway for transport. The primary role of the second fracture set is to provide connecting pathways between the discontinuous fractures of set one. Results suggest that mass transport can be described in terms of the directness of the connection between the upstream and downstream boundaries. Variations in fracture geometry which have the effect of increasing the probability that a relatively indirect or circuitous pathway exists through the network generally lead to an increase in both the mean and the standard deviation in the arrival time of various breakthrough fractions. Examples include a reduction in the number of fractures forming the set aligned with the direction of the hydraulic gradient or a decrease in the average length of fractures forming that set. Variations in fracture geometry which have the effect of increasing the probability that a relatively direct pathway will exist through the network have the opposite effect. Transport is sensitive to the variability in fracture aperture. The connectivity of the fracture network is also shown to influence the magnitude of dispersive effects.

The Existence of Inactive (Trypsin-Activated) Renin in Dog Plasma and Renin Granules from the Kidney

Trypsin-activated renin (inactive renin) was detected in the break-through fraction when dog plasma or renin extracted from renin granules (stored renin) was applied to a pepstatin column, respectively. The appearance of the renin activity by trypsin treatment was not due to acid protease. Production of angiotensin I from homologous renin substrate by the trypsin-activated renin was proportional to the time of incubation. The trypsin-activated renin had an affinity for the pepstatin column. The maximum amount of trypsin-activated renin was obtained with incubation for 15 min at 37 degrees C at 1000 micrograms/ml in plasma or at 100 micrograms/ml in case of stored renin. The ratio of inactive to active renin was calculated to be 1.6 or 0.002 in plasma or stored renin, respectively, under conditions of a standard sodium diet.

The inactive to active renin ratio in the kidneys and the plasma in diabetic nephropathy.

We examined the inactive to active renin ratio in the renin granules of the cadaver kidneys and the plasma in patients with diabetic nephropathy. The inactive renin in the break-through fraction when the plasma or the renin from the renin granules was put into a pepstatin column was determined. The inactive renin in this fraction was activated by trypsin. Concerning plasma, the inactive to active renin ratio was 90 in the patients and 9 in the normal subjects. On the other hand, this ratio was 0.29 in the patients' kidneys and 0.28 in the control kidneys. These results suggest that the increase of the inactive to active renin ratio in plasma of diabetic nephropathy does not result from the change of the renin storage in the kidneys.

Triazine dye binding of human α-fetoprotein and albumin

Column chromatography was used to investigate the interaction of human α-fetoprotein and albumin with different immobilized dyes. Binding of α-fetoprotein to the dye conjugates was studied at pH 7.0. Between 56 and 93% of the total α-fetoprotein applied to the column was recovered in the break-through fractions of the respective runs. Of all the dyes, Cibacron Blue F3G-A adsorbs α-fetoprotein most strongly. This interaction clearly depends on the degree of dye substitution of the gel. A relatively weak interaction exists between α-fetoprotein and immobilized Procion Red HE-3B. This is used in the purification of α-fetoprotein by negative chromatography resulting in a 16.6-fold enrichment of this protein. Human albumin binds tightly to immobilized Cibacron Blue F3G-A as well as to Cibacron Brilliant Blue FBR-P and shows a lower affinity to Procion Blue MX-R. Procion Red dyes, which are structurally different from Cibacron Blue F3G-A are also capable of interacting with serum albumin. The results obtained are discussed in terms of the present theoretical conceptions about dye-protein interactions.

Application of dye-ligand chromatography to the isolation of α-1-proteinase inhibitor and α-1-acid glycoprotein

Various Cibacron blue F3G-A substituted Sephadex G-100 gels which differ in the density of the bound dye were investigated for their applicability in the affinity chromatography of human serum proteins. Protein adsorption was found to depend strongly on the density of the covalently attached dye and on the pH of the applied buffer. A high degree of dye substitution of the gel caused binding of most of the serum proteins. Only a small number of proteins were found to appear in the breakthrough fraction. On this basis a simple and relatively mild procedure for the isolation of homogenous α-1-proteinase inhibitor and α-1-acid glycoprotein from human serum was developed. Isolation of α-1-acid glycoprotein succeeded in only a single step, whereas that of α-1-proteinase inhibitor required two additional steps: a prior ammonium sulphate precipitation and a chromatographic step on DEAE-cellulose at pH 6.5.

Isolation and characterization of the basic proline-rich proteins from rat parotid saliva

Five fractions of basic proline-rich proteins were isolated from rat parotid saliva, obtained by surgical cannulation of the ducts. The purification procedures employed DEAE-Sephadex to isolate a heterogeneous break-through fraction containing the basic proline-rich proteins, followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 to separate the high molecular weight glycoprotein, fraction A, from the other basic proline-rich proteins which were resolved into four additional fractions, SP-1 to SP-4, by ion exchange chromatography on SP-Sephadex. The proteins differed in their amino acid composition and content of neutral and amino sugars. All the proteins were characterized by a high proportion of proline (approx. 40 mol per cent) and glycine (11–23 mol per cent). Four of the fractions were also enriched in glutamic acid glutamine (19–26 mol per cent). The exception was fraction SP-4, which contained lower levels of glutamic acid glutamine and has no counterpart in human basic proline-rich proteins. Fraction A, the basic glycoprotein, was heavily glycosylated (59 mol per cent), whereas SP-2 and SP-4 were less glycosylated. Fractions SP-1 and SP-3 contained low levels of neutral and amino sugars. Basic proline-rich proteins constitute a smaller percentage of the total protein in rat parotid saliva than they do in human parotid saliva (10.5 versus 40 per cent). Rat basic glycoprotein fraction constitutes less than 1 per cent whereas the human glycoprotein fraction constitutes 17 per cent. Rat basic proline-rich proteins appear to be larger and less basic than most of the human basic proteins, and they resolve into fewer protein fractions (4 versus 9) with SP-Sephadex chromatography.

Long-term in vitro culture of murine mast cells. II. Purification of a mast cell growth factor and its dissociation from TCGF.

Procedures are described for the isolation of a mast cell growth factor (MCGF) from medium conditioned by mitogen-activated splenic leukocytes (CM). Although optimal conditions for the production of MCGF in CM are identical to those for the production of T cell growth factor (TCGF), MCGF can be dissociated from TCGF after the first stage of purification on a DEAE-cellulose column. MCGF elutes from the column in the breakthrough fraction, whereas TCGF binds avidly to DEAE and is eluted only at high salt concentration. MCGF also differs from TCGF with respect to m.w. (as estimated by Sephadex G-150 chromatography) and sensitivity to trypsin. In addition, MCGF is produced by the murine myelomonocytic leukemia WEHI-3 and the radiation induced thymic lymphoma LBRM-33 cells, whereas TCGF is produced only by the latter in the presence of a mitogen. Another hemopoietically active factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) present in media conditioned by WEHI-3 and LBRM-33 cells, however, shares a number of properties with MCGF. Although studies with purified or partially purified MCGF have thus far failed to reveal a correlation between MCGF and G-CSF, further biochemical analyses are necessary to dissociate MCGF from G-CSF.

Affinity chromatography of primary human amnion interferon.

The chromatographic behavior of human amniotic interferon on various affinity chromatography ligands was studied. Most of this interferon bound strongly to bovine plasma albumin-agarose, cibacron blue F3GA-agarose, concanavalin A-agarose and L-tryptophyl-L-tyrosine-omega-carboxyl-pentyl-agarose. After binding most of the interferon activity was eluted only with 50 percent ethylene glycol, showing the high hydrophobicity of this interferon. Smaller quantities could be recovered after phosphate-buffered saline elution or with increased salt concentration. On BPA-omega-carboxy-pentyl-agarose and omega-amino-hexyl-agarose, the majority of the biological activity was found in the break-through fraction (eluted with phosphate buffered saline) while some interferon was displaced with high salt or ethylene glycol. Increasing the salt concentration and lowering the pH was necessary to elute interferon from zinc chelate-agarose. These patterns indicate that human amniotic interferon is similar to human fibroblast (beta) interferon but different from human leukocyte (alpha) interferon. However, the heterogeneity displayed by amniotic interferon on bovine plasma albumin-agarose requires further investigation.

Glycosylation of interferons. Effects of tunicamycin on human immune interferon

Human immune interferon, induced in leukocytes by phytohemagglutinin, was prepared in the absence and presence of tunicamycin, an antibiotic which selectively inhibits the glycosylation of newly synthesized glycoproteins. Interferon preparations, produced in the absence of the antibiotic, displayed a considerable chromatographic heterogeneity on: (a) concanavalin A-agarose, (b) phenyl-agarose, (c) Cibacron Blue F3GA-agarose, and (d) polyuridylic acid-agarose. This heterogeneity was completely eliminated when tunicamycin (2 microgram/ml) was present during induction of interferon; all activity was then recovered in the breakthrough fractions from all sorbents. The level of interferon activity in leukocyte culture fluid was not affected by tunicamycin within the range of concentration 0.05 to 2.0 microgram/ml. These data indicate that (a) human immune interferon undergoes glycosylation, and tunicamycin is an effective inhibitor of this process. Thus, it appears that (b) at least some of the carbohydrates of human immune interferon are N-glycosidically linked. Moreover, it seems that (c) glycosylation is not necessary for an interferon molecule to either be secreted by the cell or (d) to express its antiviral function. Such properties of human immune interferon as (e) the apparent hydrophobicity and (f) an affinity for a polyribonucleotide are conferred only when its glycosylation is unimpaired.

Differentiation of Mouse Bone Marrow Precursor Cells into Neutrophil Granulocytes by an Activity Separation from WEHI-3 Cell-Conditioned Medium

Colonies comprised exclusively of neutrophil granulocytes have been obtained by growing mouse bone marrow cells in nutrient semisolid agar cultures. A stimulator of predominantly granulocyte colony formation was present in the breakthrough fraction of preparations of colony-stimulating activity separated on DEAE-Sephadex A. The source of colony-stimulating activity was concentrated conditioned medium of a murine myelomonocytic cell line (WEHI-3), which unfractionated stimulated the growth of colonies of granulocytes, macrophages, megakaryocytes, as well as mixed colony types. After stepwise column chromatography of the conditioned medium, the breakthrough fraction was shown to stimulate predominantly granulocyte colony formation, and the fraction eluted with 1 M NaCl was found to induce primarily macrophage colony growth. Colony morphology was independent of the concentration of eluate used. The morphology of colonies varied with increasing concentrations of the breakthrough fraction. At low concentrations, granulocyte colony formation was almost exclusively observed. With increasing concentrations of this fraction, an increasing proportion of the colonies were found to contain macrophages. The effect of concentration of this activity was in marked contrast to previous findings where the incidence of granulocyte colony formation was inversely related to the concentration of colony-stimulating activity. This differential responsiveness of cell to stimulus has previously been interpreted as low concentrations of a growth and differentiation factor being required for macrophage production and high concentrations of the same factor required for granulocyte formation. Separation of these activities by DEAE Sephadex chromatography, and alteration of the dose-response curve, such that granulocyte colony formation varies directly with the amount of stimulator, indicates that the differentiation of these two cell blood lineages may be controlled by separate entities.

Triglyceride (TG) 代謝に関する研究 (第3報)

Hepatic triglyceride lipase (TGL) was extracted from acetone-ether dried powder of rat liver with 0.05M NH4Cl-NH4OH buffer (pH 8.5) containing 0.5U/ml of heparin for 60min at 0°C. The crude enzyme extracts thus obtained were partially purified on a heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. This gave a 78-fold purification over crude enzyme extracts. A purified enzyme did not require serum for substrate activation and was not inhibited by 1M sodium chloride, being differed from lipoprotein lipase in rat postheparin plasma.A purified enzyme had a single pH optimum at 9.0, whereas crude enzyme extracts had lipolytic activities over a wide range of pH values with two maxima at pH9.0 and 4.0. The lipolytic activities in crude enzyme extracts were separated on heparin-Sepharose column into two fractions, a breakthrough fraction and a purified hepatic TGL. In an attempt to define the location of these lipolytic activities, NaCl-noninhibitable hepatic TGL in postheparin plasma and crude enzyme extracts of postheparin liver were assayed for their activities at different pH values. The lipolytic activities of crude extracts of postheparin liver had a pH optimum at 4.0 with a marked decrease at 9.0, being the same with that of the break-through fraction of the column. Heparin-released hepatic TGL in plasma, on the other hand, had a similar pH dependence to that of a purified hepatic TGL.These results indicate that TGL activity in the liver is heterogeneous. This enzyme activity can be separated into two forms. One, having a high affinity for heparin bound to Sepharose, is in the hepatic plasma membrane and released by heparin into the circulation. The other, having no affinity for heparin, might be present intracellularly. The functional importance of the former form of enzyme was discussed.

A Low Molecular Weight Protein in Bovine Serum with Similar Electrophoretic Mobility to IgG2

The breakthrough fraction obtained from bovine serum and DEAE anion exchangers equilibrated with low molarity alkaline buffers contains IgG2 and another protein designated here, the low molecular weight fraction (LMW), Both the proteins have a similar electrophoretic mobility but they differ in molecular weight. LMW is in low concentration compared to IgG2. It is not antigenically related to the immunoglobulin classes and an estimation of its molecular weight from gel filtration experiments is 66,000. LMW can be separated from lgG2 by gel filtration on Sephadex G200 or by precipitation with ammonium sulphate.