Assessment of membrane-bound mammal mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase topography by experimental antibodies.

To gain insight into the immunogenicity of mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT), we raised antibodies against purified bovine heart ANT by induction of ascitic fluid in male Balb/c mice. We identified the antigenic determinants detected by these antibodies by (1) immunodetection of GST-ANT fusion proteins and selected partial constructs of ANT, (2) immunodetection of chemically synthesized overlapping peptides on solid support, and (3) back-titration ELISA. Results revealed a short epitope spreading of the antibodies, resulting in a small number of antigenic determinants. Thus, each antibody detects one or two major epitopes located in the putative hydrophilic loops M2 and M3. No evidence for the antigenicity of the first 133 amino acids of ANT was obtained. These well-characterized antibodies were used to study the topography of the membrane-bound ANT by back-titration ELISA with mitochondrial membranes. We demonstrated that amino acids 145-150 and 230-237 are fully accessible to the antibodies in native ANT, whereas regions 133-140 and 244-251 are not. Furthermore, we used mitochondria devoid of the outer membrane (mitoplasts) and inside-out submitochondrial particles (SMP) to establish the matrix or cytosolic orientation of loops M2 and M3. The results clearly show that these loops have a matrix orientation and thus support the six transmembrane segment model of ANT topography in the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Anti-inflammatory sesquiterpene lactones from Lourteigia ballotaefolia.

Three sesquiterpene lactones were isolated from Lourteigia ballotaefolia (H. B. K.). 9beta-hydroxy-atripliciolide-8- O-tiglate ( 1) was isolated for the first time from this plant and was previously reported in Conocliniopsis prasiifolia (DC) K. et R., 9beta-hydroxy-atripliciolide-8- O-(5'-acetoxytiglate) ( 2) had been already reported in this species. The minor component, 9beta-(tigloyloxy)-atripliciolide, is a new compound. The anti-inflammatory activity of compounds 1 and 2 was evaluated using the croton oil ear test in mice.

Epitope mapping of mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase-1 in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) is a specific target for the autoantibody response in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM). We have undertaken an epitope analysis of ANT in IDCM by immunoblot with recombinant GST-ANT fusion proteins and with cellulose-bound decapeptides of human ANT1. Forty-five patients with IDCM, 17 patients with ischemic left ventricle dysfunction (LVD) and 20 controls were analyzed for circulating antibodies against ANT (AAb-ANT). Sixteen of the 45 (36%) IDCM patients showed AAb-ANT above controls. In immunoblots, AAb-ANT detected purified bovine heart ANT and GST-ANT1 and GST-ANT2 isoforms and, less frequently, the GST-ANT3 isoform. A construct lacking the last 146 amino acids did not react with AAb-ANT, indicating that the main epitopes are in the C-terminal 146 amino acids. Immunodetection of decapeptides covering this region shows that AAb-ANT detects at least three epitopes, demonstrating that ANT is the primary target of AAb-ANT. The most significant epitopes belong to the M2 and M3 hydrophilic loops of ANT suggesting that apart from being essential for its activity, these loops are highly immunogenic.