Spectrin promotes the association of F-actin with the cytoplasmic surface of the human erythrocyte membrane.

We studied the binding of actin to the erythrocyte membrane by a novel application of falling ball viscometry. Our approach is based on the notion that if membranes have multiple binding sites for F-actin they will be able to cross-link and increase the viscosity of actin. Spectrin- and actin-depleted inside-out vesicles reconstituted with purified spectrin dimer or tetramer induce large increases in the viscosity of actin. Comparable concentrations of spectrin alone, inside-out vesicles alone, inside-out vesicles plus heat-denatured spectrin dimmer or tetramer induce large increases in the viscosity of actin. Comparable concentrations of spectrin alone, inside-out vesicles alone, inside-out plus heat denatured spectrin, ghosts, or ghosts plus spectrin have no effect on the viscosity of actin. Centrifugation experiments show that the amount of actin bound to the inside-out vesicles is enhanced in the presence of spectrin. The interactions detected by low-shear viscometry reflect actin interaction with membrane- bound spectrin because (a) prior removal of band 4.1 and ankyrin (band 2.1, the high- affinity membrane attachment site for spectrin) reduces both spectrin binding to the inside-out vesicles and their capacity to stimulate increase in viscosity of actin in the presence of spectrin + actin are inhibited by the addition of the water-soluble 72,000- dalton fragment of ankyrin, which is known to inhibit spectrin reassociation to the membrane. The increases in viscosity of actin induced by inside-out vesicles reconstituted with purified spectrin dimer or tetramer are not observed when samples are incubated at 0 degrees C. This temperature dependence may be related to the temperature-dependent associations we observe in solution studies with purified proteins: addition of ankyrin inhibits actin cross-linking by spectrin tetramer plus band 4.1 at 0 degrees C, and enhances it at 32 degrees C. We conclude (a) that falling ball viscometry can be used to assay actin binding to membranes and (b) that spectrin is involved in attaching actin filaments or oligomers to the cytoplasmic surface of the erythrocyte membrane.

Stimulation of bone resorption in vitro by synthetic transforming growth factor-alpha.

Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that tumor-derived transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is responsible for the increased bone resorption and hypercalcemia seen in some malignant diseases. Homogeneous synthetic TGF-alpha prepared by the solid-phase synthesis method stimulated bone resorption directly in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. Incubation times of 72 hours or more were required to stimulate resorption, which is similar to the time course of bone resorption by epidermal growth factor.

Liposomes from ionic, single-chain amphiphiles.

In studies of the minimum physiochemical requirements for lipid membrane formation, we have made liposomes from dilute, aqueous dispersions of C(8)-C(18) single-chain amphiphiles. In general, membrane formation from ionic soaps and detergents requires the presence of uncharged amphiphiles. Vesicles were characterized by phase-contrast microscopy, by trapping of ionic dyes, as well as by negativestain and freez-frature electron microscopy. They were typically heterogeneous in size, but the average diameter could be experimentally varied in some cases over the range of 1 to 100 micrometer. Uni-, oligo-, and multilamellar vesicles were observed. Membrane permeability to various solutes was determined in part by a new technique which utilized phase-contract microscopy; when impermeable vesciles exclude added solutes such as sucrose, refractive index differences are created between vesicle contents and surrounding medium, so that the vesicles appear bright in the phase microscope. Permeant solutes do not produce this effect. Spectrophotometric permeability determinations confirmed the results of this technique and provided quantitative measures of permeability. Monoalkyl liposomes have potential uses as models of biomembranes and in drug delivery. They are also relevant to the prebiotic origin of biomembranes.

Purification of two spectrin-binding proteins: biochemical and electron microscopic evidence for site-specific reassociation between spectrin and bands 2.1 and 4.1.

Two peripheral proteins of the human erythrocyte membrane that are capable of forming a stable complex with spectrin have been purified. The proteins, band 2.1 (Mr 210,000) and band 4.1 (Mr 82,000), are water soluble and exist as monomers in solution. Both exhibit strong, specific binding to purified spectrin molecules as determined by cosedimentation in sucrose gradients and both enhance binding to spectrin-depleted, inside-out vesicles that have been stripped of bands 2.1 and 4.1. Rotary replicas of bound material reveal site-specific associations among native, but not heat-denatured, molecules.

Reassociation of ankyrin with band 3 in erythrocyte membranes and in lipid vesicles.

The binding of human erythrocyte ankyrin (band 2.1) to the erythrocyte membrane has been characterized by reassociating purified ankyrin with ankyrin-depleted inside-out vesicles. Ankyrin reassociates at high affinity with a limited number of protease-sensitive sites located only on the cytoplasmic side of the erythrocyte membrane. Depleting the vesicles of band 4.2 does not affect their binding capacity. A 45,000-dalton polypeptide derived from the cytoplasmic portion of band 3 competitively inhibits the binding of ankyrin to inside-out vesicles. Although the bulk of band 3 molecules appear to have the potential for binding ankyrin, nly a fraction of the band 3 molecules in native membranes or in reconstituted liposomes actually provides accessible high affinity ankyrin binding sites.

Detection of larger polypeptides structurally and functionally related to type I transforming growth factor.

Peptides corresponding to various regions of type I rat transforming growth factor (rTGF) have been chemically synthesized, conjugated to carrier protein, and used to immunized rabbits. An antiserum raised against one of these peptides, corresponding to the carboxyl-terminal 17 amino acids of rTGF, has been used to develop a competitive RIA for the immunizing peptide. In this assay, the antiserum reacts only with a restricted region of the immunizing peptide corresponding to the 11 carboxyl-terminal amino acids of the rTGF molecule. Intact rTGF competes as well as the immunizing peptide on a molar basis, indicating that the cognate sequence in rTGF is recognized by this antiserum. Mouse epidermal growth factor (mEGF) was ineffective as a competitor, even at a 10,000-fold greater concentration, showing that the RIA was capable of distinguishing TGF from functionally related proteins. Several immunoreactive species were detected by gel filtration of conditioned medium from cultured retrovirus-transformed rat cells; both a low molecular weight species that corresponds to rTGF, and a higher molecular weight specie(s) copurify with biologic activity in the EGF radioreceptor assay. Immunoblotting analysis of the higher molecular weight peak fractions revealed three polypeptides (MrS, 24,000, 40,000, and 42,000) that reacted specifically with the antiserum. These findings suggest the existence of a family of larger polypeptides containing both structural and functional determinants of rTGF.

Human A673 cells secrete high molecular weight EGF-receptor binding growth factors that appear to be immunologically unrelated to EGF or TGF-alpha.

Extracts of serum-free conditioned medium from human rhabdomyosarcoma A673 cells contain high molecular weight (HMW) transforming growth factors (TGFs) that can be partially purified by Bio-Gel P-100 and carboxymethyl (CM)-cellulose chromatography (Todaro et al: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:5258, 1980). Reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed a principal peak of epidermal growth factor (EGF) radioreceptor assay (RRA) activity and anchorage-independent growth (AIG) activity that coeluted with 25-26% acetonitrile. If a trailing shoulder of EGF RRA activity from the CM-C chromatography was included in the material for HPLC analysis, additional active fractions were observed at 21-22% acetonitrile. Importantly, both active regions from HPLC failed to compete in radioimmunoassays under reduced and denatured conditions for human EGF (hEGF), human TGF-alpha (hTGF-alpha), or rat TGF-alpha (rTGF-alpha) and failed to give positive signals in Western blots under conditions in which TGF-alpha was readily detected when using an antisera raised against the 17 C-terminal amino acids of rTGF-alpha. Nonreducing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed EGF RRA and AIG activities in gel slices corresponding to Mr 15,000 and 22,000 in the 25-26% acetonitrile eluate and Mr 15,000, 20,000, 27,000, and 48,000 in the 21-22% acetonitrile eluate. The presence of multiple forms of EGF-receptor-binding peptides produced in vitro suggest size heterogeneity and possible immunologic diversity among high molecular weight members of the EGF/TGF-alpha family of growth-promoting polypeptides.