Membrane protein phosphorylation and protein kinases in normal and hereditary spherocytosis red cells.

Membrane protein phosphorylation by protein kinases in normal red cells takes place mainly on band 2 at the basal activity, and on bands 1 and 2.1 in the presence of cyclic 3':5'-adenosine monophosphate. Calcium precipitates preferentially bands 1 and 2.1 on extracted membrane proteins, and inhibit the membrane protein phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of endogeneous membrane proteins is diminished in red cells of some patients with hereditary spherocytosis (HS), partly corresponding reciprocally to MCHC, % spherocytes and reticulocytosis in peripheral blood of these patients, although the enzymatic activities of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as a marker of the inner surface of red cell membranes are maintained normally in these red cells. The pattern of membrane protein fractions in HS red cells as endogeneous substrates for phosphorylation reactions is almost identical to that in normal red cells. Activities to phosphorylate casein or histone as exogeneous substrates are normal in HS red cell ghosts.

Altered erythropoiesis and increased hemolysis in hemoglobin M Akita (M Hyde Park beta92 His replaced by Tyr) disease.

Hb M Akita disease is a cyanotic hemoglobinopathy found in Akita Prefecture, Japan. The abnormal hemoglobin was found to be the same as Hb M Hyde Park (beta92 His replaced by Tyr) by chemical analysis in 1967. In this disease signs of accelerated hemolysis (serum bilirubin, 2.4 mg/dl; splenomegaly, 2 finger breadths; Hb, 10.7 g/dl; reticulocyte index, 2.7) were noted, but the causes of its slight anemia were revealed to be fairly complex by ferrokinetic study, RBC life-span measurement, and 99mTc myeloscintigram. The anemia in this disease is caused not only by shortened erythrocyte survival (T 1/2 = 11.5 days by 51Cr-tagging method) and sequestration of red cells in the spleen (Spleen: liver ratio = 2.5 approximately 3.0 by 51Cr-surface counting), but also by slow supply of erythrocytes to the peripheral blood from the bone marrow, presumably, related to the existence of unstable Hb M Akita and its derivative (Hb Akita) in the erythroid cells. Both Carrell's isopropanol test and Heinz body formation test were positive. In spite of maximally increased total erythropoiesis (8 times as high as the normal level; M:E ratio = 0.22:1.0), supply of red cells from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood was significantly decreased. The distribution of hematopoietic sites throughout the body was reasonably uniform.

Gypsophilin, a new type 1 ribosome-inactivating protein from Gypsophila elegans: purification, enzymatic characterization, and subcellular localization.

Gypsophila elegans contains a new type 1 ribosome-inactivating protein, which we named gypsophilin. The protein was purified to apparent homogeneity by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography, and adsorption chromatography. The protein was found to have a molecular mass of 28.0 kDa and a pI of about 10.1. It does not contain glycosidic linkages. The sequence of the N-terminal 22 amino acids of the protein shows a close relationship to other RIPs. The enzyme strongly inhibits protein synthesis in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate and depurinates 28S rRNA in rat liver ribosomes in a manner identical to that of ricin A-chain and other RIPs. Using a direct method for the measurement of the RNA N-glycosidase activity, the substrate specificity of gypsophilin was identified. EC50 of the protein for ribosomes of rat liver, wheat germ, and E. coli was 39.8 pM, 0.24 nM, and 0.82 microM, respectively. Gypsophilin may be one of the most active RNA N-glycosidases among the RIPs known to date. Immunoelectron microscopic localization of gypsophilin in the leaves shows that the protein is accumulated densely in the intercellular spaces and is also distributed within vacuoles in the cytoplasm.

Purification, characterization and subcellular localization of a type-1 ribosome-inactivating protein from the sarcocarp of Cucurbita pepo.

The flesh of the fruit of Cucurbita pepo contains a type-1 ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP), which we named pepocin. Pepocin was purified to apparent homogeneity by acid fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography and adsorption chromatography. The protein was found to have a molecular mass of 26 kDa and a pI of about 9.9. It does not contain glycosidic linkages. The protein inhibits protein synthesis in a rabbit-reticulocyte lysate with an IC50 (concentration causing 50% inhibition) of 15.4 pM, and depurinates 28S rRNA in the ribosomes of the lysate in a manner identical to that of ricin A-chain and other RIP. The enzyme is also active on wheat-germ ribosomes and on Escherichia coli ribosomes. The sequence of the N-terminal 20 amino acids of the protein reveals a close relationship to other RIP. Immunoelectron-microscopic localization of pepocin in the sarcocarp shows that the protein is predominantly localized in intercellular spaces. In addition, the immunolocalized signals are observed in leaf intercellular spaces.