Gradient Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-polyacrylamide Gel Research Articles

Purification of phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase from rat liver.

Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) N-methyltransferase catalyzes the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine by the stepwise transfer of methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine to the amino head group of PE. PE N-methyltransferase was solubilized from a microsomal membrane fraction of rat liver using the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 and purified to apparent homogeneity. Specific activities of PE N-methyltransferase with PE, phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine (PMME), and phosphatidyl-N,N-dimethylethanolamine (PDME) as substrates were 0.63, 8.59, and 3.75 mumol/min/mg protein, respectively. The purified enzyme was composed of a single subunit with a molecular mass of 18.3 kDa as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Methylation activities dependent on the presence of PE, PMME, and PDME and the 18.3-kDa protein co-eluted when purified PE N-methyltransferase was subjected to gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300 in the presence of 0.1% Triton X-100. All three methylation activities eluted with a Stokes radius 2.1 A greater than that determined for pure Triton micelles (molecular mass difference of 27.4 kDa). Two-dimensional analysis of PE N-methyltransferase employing nonequilibrium pH gradient gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicates that the enzyme is composed of a single isoform. Analysis of enzyme activity using PE, PMME, and PDME at various Triton X-100 concentrations indicated the enzyme follows the "surface dilution" model proposed for other enzymes that act at the surface of mixed micelle substrates. Initial velocity data for all three lipid substrates (at fixed concentrations of Triton X-100) were highly cooperative in nature. Hill numbers for PMME and PDME ranged from 3 at 0.5 mM Triton to 6 at 2.0 mM Triton. All three methylation activities had a pH optimum of 10. These results provide evidence that a single membrane-bound enzyme catalyzes all three methylation steps for the conversion of PE to phosphatidylcholine.

Haemophilus influenzae type b lipooligosaccharide: stability of expression and association with virulence.

Spontaneous antigenic and phenotypic variations in the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of two strains of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) were previously shown to be associated with changes in virulence (A. Kimura and E.J. Hansen, Infect. Immun. 51:69-79, 1986). The goal of the present study was to define further the stability of LOS expression by this pathogen and the role of Hib LOS in virulence. Variation in LOS antigenic reactivity, as detected with LOS-specific monoclonal antibodies, was observed in 3 of 30 Hib strains after single-colony passage. When large numbers of individual colonies from seven other Hib strains were screened, however, spontaneous LOS antigenic variation was detected in all of the strains. Antigenic variation was not consistently associated with an altered LOS phenotype, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis and silver staining of LOS preparations. Changes in the LOS antigenic phenotype were correlated with altered virulence potential in two strains. In these strains, acquisition of reactivity with certain LOS-directed monoclonal antibodies was associated with the synthesis of a higher-molecular-weight LOS, enhanced virulence, and increased resistance to serum killing involving the classical complement pathway.

Role of disulfide bonds in the oligomeric structure and protease resistance of recombinant and native Treponema pallidum surface antigen 4D.

Recombinant Treponema pallidum surface antigen 4D isolated from Escherichia coli formed a protease-resistant ordered ring structure composed of 19,000-dalton subunits. On gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the higher oligomers of recombinant 4D migrated with molecular masses that were nearly multiples of the 190,000-dalton basic ordered ring. Reduction at room temperature with 2-mercaptoethanol converted the 190,000-dalton ordered ring and the higher oligomers to a 160,000-dalton form and the dissociated monomer. A 190,000-dalton form of 4D was identified in sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized T. pallidum after reduction at room temperature. Disulfide bonds stabilized both native and recombinant 4D oligomers against dissociation by heating in detergent without a reducing agent. Electron microscopy of recombinant 4D revealed that the characteristic ordered ring structure was maintained after reduction. Reduction of 4D under conditions that preserved the ordered ring structure did not affect the resistance of the molecule to digestion with proteinase K. The properties of 4D suggest that it may fulfill an important structural role in the T. pallidum outer membrane.

Identification of multiple tropoelastins secreted by bovine cells.

High resolution gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, cell-free translation, and elastin-specific antibodies were used to identify three tropoelastin isoforms secreted by bovine tissue and cells. Tropoelastin isolated from nuchal ligament and from conditioned culture medium or cell-matrix extracts of ligament fibroblasts and auricular chondrocytes resolved as three distinct bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with molecular weights of approximately 67,500 (tropoelastin I), 65,000 (tropoelastin II), and 62,000 (tropoelastin III). Three tropoelastin polypeptides with molecular mass 2-3 kDa higher than their corresponding tissue forms were also evident in cell-free translation products of ligamentum nuchae RNA, suggesting that each tropoelastin species is encoded by a unique mRNA. The presence of cysteine in all three tropoelastin isoforms was demonstrated by the incorporation of [35S]cysteine into newly synthesized tropoelastin polypeptides and by immunoreactivity with an antibody raised against a synthetic peptide that defines the cysteine-containing carboxyl-terminal region of tropoelastin. Immunological co-localization of the carboxyl-terminal antibody with insoluble elastin in lung vasculature and parenchyma suggests that intact tropoelastin and not a processed form is incorporated into the elastin fiber.

Analysis of storage proteins in normal and aborted seeds from embryo-lethal mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana

The major storage proteins isolated from wild-type seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., strain "Columbia", were studied by sucrose gradient centrifugation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Both the hypocotyl and cotyledons of mature embryos contained abundant 12 S (cruciferin) and 2 S (arabin) proteins that appeared similar in size and subunit composition to the cruciferin (12 S) and napin (1.7 S) seed-storage proteins of Brassica napus. The 12 S protein from Arabidopsis was resolved by SDS-PAGE into two groups of subunits with approximate relative molecular weights of 22-23 kDa (kilodalton) and 30-34 kDa. These polypeptides accumulated late in embryo development, disappeared early in germination, and were not detected in other vegetative or reproductive tissues. Accumulation of the 12 S proteins in aborted seeds from nine embryo-lethal mutants with different patterns of abnormal development was studied to determine the extent of cellular differentiation in arrested embryos from each mutant line. Abundant 12 S proteins were found in arrested embryos from two mutants with late lethal phases, but not in seven other mutants with lethal phases ranging from the globular to the cotyledon stages of embryo development. These results indicate that the accumulation of seed-storage proteins in wild-type embryos of Arabidopsis is closely tied to morphogenetic changes that occur during embryo development. Embryo-lethal mutants may therefore be useful in future studies on the developmental regulation of storage-protein synthesis.

Degradation of soluble laminin and depletion of tissue-associated basement membrane laminin by Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase and alkaline protease.

Purified Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase and alkaline protease rapidly cleaved soluble laminin, with each enzyme yielding different cleavage products. These cleavage fragments were separated from the intact laminin A and B polypeptide chains by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis and detected by their characteristic Coomassie blue staining patterns. Pseudomonas elastase produced rapid and extensive degradation of both A and B chains, including the disulfide-rich regions. Apparently complete degradation to limit digests was obtained after 30 min with a substrate/enzyme ratio of 30:0.5. Under similar conditions, alkaline protease rapidly degraded the A chain while slowly degrading the B chain. In addition, immunoreactive laminin was released from authentic basement membranes after incubation with either enzyme as detected by an enzyme-linked immunoabsorption assay and by immunofluorescence. The results from these studies suggest a direct role for elastase and alkaline protease in both tissue invasion and hemorrhagic tissue necrosis in P. aeruginosa infections.

Purification and characterization of the reconstitutively active phosphate transporter from rat liver mitochondria.

Procedures have been developed for the purification of a nearly homogeneous, highly active phosphate transport system from rat liver mitochondria in either a two-subunit (alpha, beta) or a single subunit (beta) form. Significantly, both forms display a similar high magnitude N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive Pi/Pi exchange activity upon incorporation into phospholipid vesicles. The transport system is extracted from hypotonically shocked mitoplasts with Triton X-114 and purified in the presence of cardiolipin by sequential chromatography on hydroxylapatite, DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, and Affi-Gel 501. Depending on the conditions used to elute the transporter from Affi-Gel 501, preparations are obtained which, when analyzed by high resolution sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis, consist of either a single 33-kDa protein (beta) or a 33-kDa (beta) plus a 35-kDa (alpha) component. In preparations yielding the latter result, both bands display a nearly equivalent Coomassie staining intensity. Furthermore, after alkylation with NEM, the two protein bands co-migrate. Fluorography indicates that the coalesced band contains [3H]NEM. Upon reconstitution of the purified Pi carrier into liposomes, direct measurement of both the initial transport rate and the amount of protein that actually incorporates into the phospholipid vesicles yields a specific transport activity of 22.6 mumol/min/mg of protein. The exchange is characterized by a first order rate constant of 0.85 min-1, a t1/2 of 49 s, and is inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents (i.e., NEM, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and mersalyl). It is also substantially inhibited by diethyl pyrocarbonate, N-acetylimidazole, phenylglyoxal, and 5-dimethylaminoaphthalene-1-sulfonyl chloride. In addition to providing a simple, rapid method for preparing the NEM-sensitive phosphate carrier in nearly homogeneous form, these studies provide new information about the catalytically active species of the carrier, its kinetic properties, and its inhibitor sensitivities.

Production and Use of Monoclonal Antibodies for Identification of Strains of Rhizobium trifolii

We produced a monoclonal antibody against Rhizobium trifolii 162x95. This antibody in cell culture supernatant was used in an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to differentiate strain 162x95 from naturalized strains in the Appalachian region. Nodules crushed in 0.1 to 0.2 ml of phosphate-buffered saline and used to charge enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay plates gave strong absorbance readings. Heat-inactivated and noninactivated portions of 162x95 cultures were strongly reactive, indicating that the antigen is probably a carbohydrate. Of 10 strains from California, where 162x95 was isolated, 6 strongly cross-reacted with the antibody. The cellular protein patterns in a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel of cross-reactive strains were essentially identical. A Western blot analysis indicated that the antibody was against a 19.8-kilodalton band. The Western blot analysis also revealed that the polyvalent antiserum contained other strongly reacting antibodies with molecular weights of approximately 20,000, indicating the possibility that other monoclonal antibodies to detect strain 162x95 may be produced. However, the available antibody has been shown to be useful for short-term experiments. Based upon protein profiles and immunological reactions, there are 4 or 5 California strains rather than 10.

Identification of the immunoglobulin G receptor of human platelets.

The binding site of IgG on human platelets was studied by the use of the cleavable heterobifunctional cross-linking agent N-succinimidyl (4-azidophenyldithio)propionate. Binding characteristics of the derivatized IgG were similar to normal IgG. Periodate-borohydride treatment of platelets also did not significantly alter their ability to bind IgG. N-Succinimidyl (4-azidophenyldithio)propionate was bound to IgG via a succinimidyl ester and then photolyzed in the presence of intact platelets. Their membrane glycoproteins were first tritiated by the periodate-borohydride method. The cross-linked product was analyzed by two dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis. The non-reduced first-dimension gels were subjected to 5% 2-mercaptoethanol prior to separation in the second dimension. Such gels were then evaluated by fluorography, silver staining, and counting the radioactivity of sequential gel strips in the area of cross-linking. The protein complexes at the interface between stacking and running gel were further resolved in isoelectric focusing gels. One IgG-containing band could be identified. After reduction, the constituent proteins of the cross-linked complex were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis and subsequent immunoblotting with an antiserum against platelet membrane glycoproteins. All of these studies gave evidence of glycoprotein IIIa as the receptor of IgG. Based on the results of the different experimental approaches, we conclude that glycoprotein IIIa is the IgG receptor in human platelets.

Properties of the cyanobacterial coupling factor ATPase from Spirulina platensis: I. Electrophoretic characterization and reconstitution of photophosphorylation

The coupling factor ATPase (F 1) from photosynthetic membranes of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis was purified to homogeneity by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The ATPase activity of purified Spirulina F 1 is latent but can be elicited by trypsin treatment, resulting in specific activities (CaATPase) of 27–37 μmol P i min −1 mg protein −1. On denaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gels, Spirulina F 1 is resolved into five subunits with molecular weights of 53,400, 51,600, 36,000, 21,100, and 14,700, similar to the molecular weights of the subunits of spinach chloroplast coupling factor (CF 1). As determined by native polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis, the molecular weight of the Spirulina F 1 holoenzyme was estimated to be 320,000, somewhat smaller than the estimated molecular weight of spinach CF 1 (392,000). Spirulina F 1 was shown to be an active coupling factor by its ability to reconstitute phenazine methosulfate-dependent cyclic photophosphorylation in membrane vesicles which had been depleted of coupling factor content by 2 m NaBr treatment. We estimate the Spirulina F 1 content of membrane vesicles to be 1 F 1 per 830 chlorophylls or 0.12 mol F 1 mol P700 −1, based on the specific ATPase activities of the membrane vesicles and the purified Spirulina F 1, the molecular weight of F 1, and the P700 content of the vesicles.

Lipolysis-induced degradation of apolipoproteins B and E of human very low density lipoproteins.

We have found that in vitro lipolysis of human very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) by purified bovine milk lipoprotein lipase (LpL) promotes degradation of the apolipoprotein (apo) B moiety of VLDL. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis showed that lipolysis of VLDL by purified LpL for 1 h at 37 degrees C induced the selective degradation of the high Mr apo-B (apo-B-100) from most hypertriglyceridemic VLDL and from a few normolipidemic VLDL into several small fragments with molecular weights ranging from 90,000-490,000. No detectable degradation of apo-B occurred in control VLDL when incubated without LpL. The apo-E moiety of VLDL from certain individuals was also degraded following lipolysis of VLDL, and the extent of degradation of apo-B and -E in VLDL was varied among the individual VLDL. The major degradation products of apo-E, identified from the gel, were 31,000- and/or 28,000-Da species. In contrast to the apo-E moiety of VLDL, purified apo-E was not degraded when incubated with LpL. Incubation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) with LpL showed only a minimal effect on the apoproteins of LDL. When high density lipoprotein (HDL) was included in the lipolysis mixture as an acceptor of lipolytic surface remnants, the apoproteins of HDL remained unaltered, while the apo-B moiety of VLDL remnants in the mixture was degraded. Inclusion of protease inhibitors in the lipolysis mixture prevented the degradation of apo-B, but the hydrolysis of VLDL-triglyceride was minimally affected. A selective degradation of apo-B in VLDL also occurred during lipolysis of VLDL when VLDL was perfused through rat hearts. These results suggest that conformational changes in apo-B and apo-E caused by VLDL lipolysis may increase the susceptibility of apo-B and apo-E to degradation by the proteases co-isolated with VLDL. The consequences of the lipolysis-induced degradation of apo-B and apo-E on changes in metabolic properties of VLDL remnants remain to be determined.

Purification of the catalyst of adenylate cyclase.

The catalytic moiety of hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase has been purified from bovine brain. It is isolated largely without its guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein, Gs, by affinity chromatography on 7-O-hemisuccinyldeacetylforskolin-agarose. It appears to be a single polypeptide which migrates on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels with an apparent Mr of approximately 120,000. When subjected to electrophoresis on gradient (5-10%) sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, it displays a larger apparent Mr of 150,000. The adenylate cyclase activity of the preparation can be stimulated by the addition of Gs, forskolin, or calcium-calmodulin. The preparation has been reconstituted with purified beta-adrenergic receptors and Gs to form a hormone-stimulated adenylate cyclase system (May, D., Ross, E.M., Gilman, A.G., and Smigel, M.D. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 15829-15833). In contrast to its stimulation by Gs, inhibition by the alpha subunits of Gi and Go, G proteins known to be coupled to inhibitory receptors (Sternweis, P., and Florio, V. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 3477-3483), is not seen. Preparations of adenylate cyclase show varying degrees of inhibition by added G protein beta . gamma subunit. This inhibition can be explained as reflecting a variable, small (under 5%) contamination of the preparation by Gs alpha which would be deactivated by complexing with the added beta . gamma subunit.

Development and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to Pneumocystis carinii.

Hybridoma-producing monoclonal antibodies against Pneumocystis carinii were produced by the fusion of nonsecreting mouse myeloma cells (P3X63-Ag8.653) with splenocytes from BALB/c mice that had been immunized with partially purified preparations of P. carinii. Of 227 hybridoma clones producing antibodies against P. carinii, as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, 12 monoclonal antibodies showing the highest reactivity in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were further characterized. The majority (11 of 12) of the monoclonal antibodies did not cross-react with Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Histoplasma capsulatum, or Mycobacterium avium as determined by absorption experiments. By using the indirect immunofluorescence assay, serological reactivity was shown for these antibodies with titers ranging from 1:40 to 1:10,240. By using a competitive binding assay, these 12 monoclonal antibodies could be divided into seven groups, each group reacting with a different antigenic determinant of P. carinii. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis of P. carinii, followed by Western immunoblot analysis, allowed the identification of one major antigen with an apparent molecular weight of 110,000 by all 12 monoclonal antibodies. Other minor bands with molecular weights of approximately 116,000, 90,000, 55,000, and 35,000 were recognized by several of the monoclonal antibodies.

A sodium dodecyl sulfate-gradient gel electrophoresis system that separates polypeptides in the molecular weight range of 1500 to 100,000

A sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel system is described. It combines a linear gradient in polyacrylamide from 10.2 to 30.2% in the separating gel and the discontinuous ammediol/glycine buffer system suggested by Bury ( A. F. Bury, 1981, J. Chromatogr. 213, 491–500). This urea-free elctrophoretic system provides high resolution and clean separation patterns of proteins and polypeptides with molecular weights from 1500 to 100,000. It is especially suited for studying complex mixtures of proteins and proteolytic fragments, in particular with regard to immunoelectrotransfer blot techniques.

Isolation, characterization, and amino-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of human neutrophil elastase from normal donors

Human neutrophil elastase from normal donors has been purified using an isolation procedure which included sequential sodium chloride extraction, Aprotinin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, CM-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography, and AcA 44 gel filtration chromatography. The inclusion of this last purification step was crucial for separating inactive lower molecular weight species from the active forms of neutrophil elastase and resulted in a higher specific activity of the final preparation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis of the reduced purified protein demonstrated three polypeptides of M r 31,000, 28,000, and 27,500. Four polypeptides were resolved on acid gel electrophoresis; each of the four possessed amidolytic activity. Furthermore, peptide analysis of Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease digests indicated that these polypeptides are structurally related to aach other and represent microheterogeneity of the purified protein. The apparent isoelectric points of these four forms as determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis range from 6.1 to 6.7. By utilizing microsequencing techniques, the first 40 residues of neutrophil elastase have been determined and compared with the reported sequence of elastase isolated from leukemic myeloid cells. In addition, a high degree of homology was found within the amino-terminal regions of neutrophil elastase and the serine proteinases porcine elastase, bovine chymotrypsin, human factor D, and the β chain of plasmin.

Isolation and reconstitution of the n-butylmalonate-sensitive dicarboxylate transporter from rat liver mitochondria.

The mitochondrial dicarboxylate carrier has been substantially purified from rat liver mitoplasts by extraction with Triton X-114 in the presence of cardiolipin followed by chromatography on hydroxylapatite. Upon incorporation of the hydroxylapatite eluate into phospholipid vesicles, an n-butylmalonate-sensitive malonate/malate exchange has been demonstrated. This exchange activity is enhanced 226-fold relative to the starting material (i.e. detergent-extracted mitoplasts). Silver-stained sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gels verify the high purity of this fraction relative to the starting material. Nonetheless, the banding pattern indicates that several protein species are still present. As isolated, the dicarboxylate transporter is rather unstable but can be stabilized either by the addition of 10% ethylene glycol and subsequent storage at -20 degrees C or by incorporation into phospholipid vesicles in the presence of malate followed by freezing in liquid nitrogen. Such proteoliposomes catalyze a [14C]malonate uptake which is characterized by a first order rate constant of 1.02 min-1 and a t 1/2 of 41 s. This uptake can be inhibited by dicarboxylates (e.g. succinate, malate, unlabeled malonate) but not by either alpha-ketoglutarate or by tricarboxylates (e.g. citrate, threo-Ds-isocitrate). Furthermore, the reconstituted malonate transport is dependent on internal malate and can be inhibited by n-butylmalonate, mersalyl, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and Pi, but not by N-ethylmaleimide. It is concluded that this highly purified fraction contains a reconstitutively active dicarboxylate transporter which, based on its substrate specificity and inhibitor sensitivity, appears to be identical to the native dicarboxylate transport system found in intact rat liver mitochondria.

The microtubule-associated nucleoside diphosphate kinase.

Microtubule protein prepared by cycles of assembly-disassembly contains a nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDP kinase) activity. We have isolated the NDP kinase responsible for this activity from twice-polymerized bovine brain microtubule protein by a five-step chromatographic procedure. The molecular weight of this enzyme was 103,000 +/- 7,000 daltons as determined by sedimentation equilibrium experiments performed with a Beckman Airfuge. A doublet of subunit bands with molecular masses of about 18,000 daltons was detected by silver staining after gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of this preparation. We conclude that the enzyme is a hexamer, although we cannot identify the mix of subunits. We were able to isolate only nanogram quantities of this enzyme, too little for extensive studies, so we isolated the enzyme directly from bovine brain without a preliminary microtubule protein isolation. The whole-brain NDP kinase was isolated by the same chromatographic steps as the enzyme from microtubule protein preparations. Both enzymes had a doublet of subunits at the same molecular weights and both were the same isozyme, chromatofocusing at a pH of 8.0. Both enzymes had similar kinetic properties and similar thermal inactivation profiles. These similar properties of the two enzymes suggest that they are identical. Both subunits of NDP kinase could be reversibly phosphorylated by ATP. Phosphorylation of the native enzyme created multiple, more acidic forms that retained activity. The isolation of this NDP kinase, which can copurify with microtubule protein through cycles of assembly-disassembly, will facilitate future studies on the role of this enzyme in the mechanism and regulation of microtubule assembly.

Microquantitation of insoluble tissue collagen (types I and III) by radiodilution assay

The individual collagen types of the extracellular matrix of small tissue samples have been difficult to quantitate accurately both due to their marked insolubility and their relatively low immunogenicity. Thus no microassay with the sensitivity of a radioimmunoassay is currently available for quantitation of insoluble collagen types I and III in extremely small tissue samples. A radiochemical assay has been developed which allows direct processing of small tissue samples containing as little as 1–3 μg of a given collagen α chain. Unprocessed lyophilized tissues were digested with cyanogen bromide (CNBr) in the presence of a tritiated probe containing a soluble mixture of 3H-α1(I) and 3H-α1(III) collagen previously extracted and purified from tissue minces incubated with [ 3H]leucine. The resulting mix of radiolabeled peptides was separated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gels. Reduction of the specific radioactivity of free leucine in acid hydrolysates of each individual CNBr peptide can be used to quantitate the amount of collagen types I or III in the original sample. Similar radiodilution analysis using a 3H-α2(I) probe indicated a normal 2:1 ratio of alpha chains of type I collagen in the tissues tested. This method is also applicable to cell culture, easily measuring the collagen associated with fibroblast cell layers or medium in individual microtiter wells. When applied to various tissues of known collagen-type composition, it provides reproducible results which compare well with values published in the literature.

Inhibition of Sendai virus-induced hemolysis by long chain fatty acids

A number of fatty acids were found to inhibit Sendai virus-induced hemolysis. cis-Unsaturated fatty acids such as oleate, as well as the methyl-branched isostearate, completely inhibited viral hemolysis at concentrations as low as 5–10 μ/ml, whereas the saturated, normal acids such as palmitate and stearate were comparably inhibitory only at 2–5 times those concentrations. trans-Unsaturated acids, as well as several other amphiphilic compounds, were either not or only weakly inhibitory. In contrast to their disparate effects on viral hemolysis, cis- and trans-unsaturated acids lysed erythrocytes in the same concentration range, which is several times higher than that at which the former compounds inhibited viral hemolysis. The mechanism of inhibition of viral hemolysis by isostearate involves the inactivation of viral hemolytic activity per se, since isostearate neither inhibited viral hemagglutination nor rendered erythrocytes significantly less susceptible to hemolysis. Furthermore, the concentration dependence of hemolysis inhibition by isostearate was biphasic, increasing sharply at the critical micelle concentration from a linear relationship below that concentration. Finally, an inhibitory concentration of isostearate was well below that at which amphiphiles dissolved membranes and did not dissolve Sendai virus, as shown by sucrose gradient centrifugation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was concluded that low concentrations of fatty acids-particularly cis-unsaturated or fluid-phase types—could block the fusion, as opposed to agglutination, step of viral hemolysis by perturbing hydrophobic regions of the Sendai virus membrane.

Effect of Acidity on the Composition of an Indigenous Soil Population of Rhizobium trifolii Found in Nodules of Trifolium subterraneum L

Acidity affected which members of an indigenous soil population of Rhizobium trifolii nodulated Trifolium subterraneum L. cv. Mt. Barker. In three experiments involving plants grown either in mineral salts agar adjusted to pH 4.8 or 6.8 and inoculated with a soil suspension or grown directly in samples of unamended soil (pH 4.8) or soil amended with CaCO(3) (pH 6.4), 121 of 151 isolates of R. trifolii were placed into four serogroups. Seventy-nine of these isolates were placed into two serogroups (6 and 36) whose nodulating ability was affected by the pH of the plant root environment. Representatives of serogroup 6 occupied the greatest percentage of the nodules at the low pH in both mineral salts agar (77%) and in unlimed soil (47 and 57%). The same serogroup was a minor nodule occupant at the higher pH in mineral salts agar (0%) and in limed soil (0 and 10%). In contrast, serogroup 36 was virtually absent in nodules formed at the low pH, whereas it was the dominant serogroup at the higher pH in both mineral salts agar (32%) and in limed soil (35 and 49%). Despite the isolates from within each serogroup being antigenically identical, separation of cellular proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis revealed four and six different gel types within serogroups 6 and 36, respectively. Isolates represented by one or two gel types dominated the contribution of each serogroup to the nodule population. Further evidence for differences between isolates within each gel type were revealed from measurements of symbiotic effectiveness.