Near-total glutathione depletion and age-specific cataracts induced by buthionine sulfoximine in mice.

The specific inhibitor of glutathione biosynthesis, L-buthionine sulfoximine (L-BSO), although relatively nontoxic in adult mice, induces severe glutathione depletion and age-specific pathological changes when repeatedly administered to male suckling mice. Dense cataracts developed when mice aged 9 to 12 days were given a series of injections of L-BSO, despite excellent survival and the absence of other significant long-term effects. By contrast, similar treatment of mice aged 14 to 17 days, although slightly less effective in reducing glutathione levels, resulted frequently in death, hind-leg paralysis, or impaired spermatogenesis, but did not produce cataracts. Administration of L-BSO to preweanling mice provides a novel model system for the induction of cataracts by depletion of lens glutathione and may enable the study of critical functions of glutathione in the lens and other growing tissues during early postnatal development.

Comparative analysis of the nuclear basic proteins in rat, human, guinea pig, mouse and rabbit spermatozoa.

Cysteine-rich protamines (Arg = 47-61%, Cys = 8-16%) were isolated from the sperm of an individual guinea pig, human and rabbit and from pooled samples of mouse and rat sperm. Appreciable concentrations of histones were not found in the sperm nuclei of these species. In addition to the protamines, a substance of relatively low molecular weight, which reacted with the Lowry reagent, appeared in crude acid-soluble extracts of sperm nucleoprotein. This unidentified contaminent was resolved from the protamines by chromatography on Bio-Rex 70. Heterogeneity of human and mouse protamines was revealed by electrophoresis at pH 2.7, in the presence of 2.5 M urea, and confirmed by amino acid analysis, which also suggested the presence of 2 or more species of protamine in the rabbit. By contrast, the guinea pig and rat preparations displayed nearly stoichiometric ratios of amino acid residues, approaching homogeneity by this criterion. The functional consequences of crosslinks between cysteine residues of these proteins and the possible species-specific significance of their differing percentages of histidine are discussed. Potentially analogous functions are suggested for phosphorylated serine and threonine, and for ionized cysteine and tyrosine, within the protamines of developing spermatids. Their amino acid compositions indicate that the protamines of eutherian mammals are coded by a C.G-rich genome which has been unusually susceptible to genetic drift. An especially high rate of G leads to A transitions seems to have occurred in the human protamine genes.

Rapid deterioration of lens fibers in GSH-depleted mouse pups.

Lens opacities developed within 48-72 hr in mice that received a series of eight injections of L-buthionine sulfoximine, a specific inhibitor of glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis, on postnatal days 8 and 9. Initial histopathologic features consisted of swollen fibers in the central anterior cortex and displacement of cell nuclei from the bow region to the posterior cortex. These aberrations suggest early fiber cell membrane and/or cytoskeletal dysfunction. A massive wave of fiber cell lysis then engulfed the entire lens cortex and nucleus within 24 hr and left only epithelial cells intact, suggesting a concerted mechanism of cataract generation. The acellular core of the mature cataract seen on postnatal day 16 consisted of a granular matrix in which pycnotic and fragmented cell nuclei were located near the terminus of the lens epithelium. The epithelium displayed increased mitotic activity and meridional row disorganization. During the next two weeks, rapid regeneration of lens fibers, displacement of the acellular necrotic cytoplasm to the center and rear of the lens, and vacuole formation were observed. As new fibers were differentiated, partial regeneration of the bow was seen. However, the cataract was irreversible.

Comparative labelling of rat epididymal spermatozoa by intratesticularly administered 65ZnCl2 and [35S]cysteine.

Spermatozoa of rats injected intratesticularly with 20 muCi65ZnCl2 and 10 muCi [35S]cysteine were collected from the caput and cauda of the epididymis at 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22 and 28 days after injection. The highest specific activities with respect to each isotope were observed in spermatozoa from the caput on Day 10. Maximal levels in spermatozoa from the cauda were obtained on Days 14 and 18 for 35S and Day 18 for 65Zn. Estimation of the relative behaviour of 65Zn and 35S by calculation of 65Zn/35S ratios suggests that: (1) 35S associated with spermatozoa arrived in the epididymis slightly in advance of 65Zn and was therefore probably incorporated more readily into proteins of very late spermatids; (2) approximately 60% of 65Zn was lost from spermatozoa and 75% from isolated sperm heads during transit from caput to cauda, assuming total retention of 35S; and (3) retention of 65Zn by the seminiferous epithelium was superior to that of [35S]cysteine, as indicated by increasing 65Zn/35S ratios following the days of peak specific activity in both caput and cauda epididymidal spermatozoa. Only small percentages of either isotope were recovered in isolated sperm heads, suggesting that the primary sites of labelling were in the sperm tail. Superior retention of 65Zn by testis was confirmed by increasing 65Zn/35S ratios in individual fractions of testicular homogenates between 2 and 10 days after injection. In addition, both isotopes appeared to be transferred from the testis cytosol to particulate material during this period.

Selective incorporation of selenium-75 into a polypeptide of the rat sperm tail (1).

Selenium is necessary for normal sperm tail development in the rat. The biochemical locus of this requirement was investigated by intratesticular administration of (75Se)SeO3-2. Sperm were labeled primarily in tail keratin, a disulfide-stabilized fraction obtained by extracting isolated tails with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). By incubation in 1% SDS-0.2 mM dithiothreitol, followed by sonication and centrifugation, the 75Se was separated from a residue rich in S and Zn, composed of dense fibers and connecting pieces. The extracted 75Se-labeled material was non-dialyzable, sensitive to pronase, retained most of its bound isotope following carboxymethylation, and displayed only one radioactive component, of 17,000 daltons, during SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It is suggested that the labeled moiety is a selenopolypeptide whose function is critical for normal assembly of the sperm tail.

Estimation of glutathione in purified populations of mouse testis germ cells.

Glutathione (GSH), a ubiquitous cysteine-containing tripeptide, is present in high concentration in adult mouse testis (4.3 +/- 0.2 mumol/g). Examination of testis at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 50, and 60 days of age reveals that the level of testicular GSH, only 1.4 +/- 0.1 mumol/g in neonates, increases steadily until 28 days of age, when the adult level is reached. An even steeper increase in GSH concentration, when expressed in mumol/mg DNA, is seen between 0 days (0.19 +/- 0.01) and 42 days (1.19 +/- 0.05), at which time the adult level is attained. Enzymatic dissociation of 4-wk-postnatal seminiferous epithelium, using collagenase and dispase either sequentially or in combination, followed by unit gravity sedimentation, yielded maximal GSH concentrations (mumol/mg DNA) in those cell fractions most enriched in pachytene spermatocytes, followed by a second slightly lower peak of activity in the purest round spermatid fraction, which may have lost a significant percentage of its original GSH content. A relatively high GSH content in condensing spermatids, which are at present not isolable without loss of cytoplasm, is implied by the continually increasing levels of testicular GSH/mg DNA between 28 and 42 days of age. It is proposed that retention of GSH is a sensitive indicator of germ cell viability following cell separation procedures. The functions of GSH during meiotic and postmeiotic germ cell development may include protection against mutagens and reduction of disulfide bonds during the processing of cysteine-containing proteins.

Assessment of sulfhydryl group in individual rat lens protein subunits during galactose cataract development.

A specific reagent DACM [N-(7-Dimethylamino-4-methyl-3-coumarinyl)maleimide] is used to study the -SH groups in lens proteins of normal and galactose cataractous rats. DACM when reacts readily with -SH groups form strong fluorescent adducts. The two -dimensional electrophoresis with DACM pre-labeled proteins is a simple and sensitive method for detecting -SH groups of protein subunit. In the present study, based on IEF/SDS-PAGE electrophoretically characterized soluble crystallins, describes specific changes in -SH groups of protein subunit during the development of galactose cataract. The contents of -SH groups of crystallins are progressively decreased in cataractous (5+) lens, the reduction of -SH content in alpha- and beta- crystallin protein subunits of the normal and cataractous lens proteins is also noticeable.

Depletion of brain glutathione in preweanling mice by L-buthionine sulfoximine.

Previous studies indicated that DL-buthionine sulfoximine (DL-BSO), an agent that inhibits the biosynthesis of GSH in liver and other peripheral organs, fails to suppress levels of GSH in the CNS. In the current study, preweanling mice responded to repeated injections of L-BSO with marked declines (79.6-86.5%) of GSH content in brain and spinal cord. In adult mice, the same treatment schedule produced only modest declines (17.8-29.2%) of GSH content in brain and a 55.9% decline in spinal cord. Pretreatment of preweanling mice with L-BSO represents a tool for studying the role of GSH in the CNS.

A developmental study of rat sperm and testis selenoproteins.

Essentially all of the selenium in the rat spermatozoon is bound to a polypeptide of Mr 15,000-17,000 confined to the capsule that surrounds the sperm mitochondria. Isoelectric focussing of isolated 75Se-labelled, carboxymethylated mitochondrial capsule protein (MCP) reveals the presence of at least four radioactive components, with a predominant charge isomer at pI4.6. The sperm selenoprotein appears to be identical with MCP, as judged by the exact coincidence of radioactivity and protein stain during two-dimensional electrophoresis. The temporal pattern of 75Se-labelling of rat caput epididymal spermatozoa after intratesticular 75Se injection suggests that maximum incorporation of 75Se into MCP occurs in step 7-step 12 spermatids and that 75Se uptake ceases during step 15 of spermiogenesis. The developmental appearance of sperm selenoprotein in rat testis therefore appears to lag several days behind that reported for MCP in mouse testis, suggesting the presence of selenium-free MCP in immature germ cells. SDS gel electrophoretic analysis of testis subcellular fractions 24 h after 75Se injection into rat testis at 21, 28 and 90 days of age indicates that sperm selenoprotein first appears in very low concentration during late meiosis and that its concentration increases sharply during early spermiogenesis. Additional 75Se-labelled polypeptides were detected on the gels, most of them of higher molecular weight than MCP. At least two of these (Mr 47,000 and 54,000) displayed a marked decrease in labelling between 5 and 24 h after injection into adult testis, coincident with a comparable increase in 75Se-labelled MCP, indicating that they may be precursors of MCP.

Progression of mouse buthionine sulfoximine cataracts in vitro is inhibited by thiols or ascorbate.

Mouse lens cultures were employed to study the progression of cataracts initiated by injection of buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis. Culture of lenses removed from untreated mice on postnatal day 7, for 48 hr in the presence of 4 mm BSO, resulted in only limited cataractous changes. To enable substantial progression of cataracts in vitro, it was therefore necessary to pretreat the mice with BSO prior to lens culture. A single injection of BSO (4 nmol mg-1 lens), administered on day 7, resulted in >90% depletion of lens GSH within 3 days, but no visible cataractous changes. The clear lenses were incubated for 29+/-1 hr at 37 degrees C in Medium HL-1, supplemented with EGF, insulin and Ca2+, in the presence or absence of BSO, and were scored for cataract development by previously described criteria. In the absence of BSO, only 4 of 10 lenses developed large opacities. However, in the presence of 4 mm BSO, 40 out of 45 experimental lenses developed opacities affecting at least 50% of the lens visual field and were scored as stages 1C-4, depending upon the extent and density of the cataracts. In addition, three lenses had opacities involving 20-50% of the field (stage 1B). By contrast, less than 10% of lenses from untreated mice incubated in the absence of BSO developed opacities. The cataracts developed in 4 mm BSO were accompanied by reduction of lens glutathione levels to <0.010 nmol mg-1 lens. They were almost completely prevented by 1 mm ascorbate, 2 mm GSH, 2 mm GSH monoethyl ester and 2 mm cysteamine. GSH and GSH ester maintained lens glutathione content between 0.1 and 0.2 nmol mg-1 in the presence of BSO, whereas ascorbate did not prevent near-total GSH depletion. The prevention of cataracts by thiols and ascorbate was confirmed by lens Na/K ratios not significantly different from those in control lenses. The above combination of GSH depletion in vivo by a single injection of BSO, followed 3 days later with lens culture in the presence of BSO, may yield a useful system to elucidate and control the biochemical mechanisms involved in oxidative cataract induction by this GSH-depleting agent.

Modifications in lens protein biosynthesis signal the initiation of cataracts induced by buthionine sulfoximine in mice.

Cataract induction in preweanling mice by L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of glutathione biosynthesis, was correlated with perturbations in vitro protein biosynthesis. These were detected by incubation of late precataract and early cataract lenses with 35S-labeled amino acids, followed by dissection of lenses into capsule-epithelium and decapsulated fiber fractions, further processing of the fibers into water-soluble, urea-soluble and urea-insoluble fractions, and analysis by 2D electrophoresis and fluorography. Most of the protein labeling in control lenses was in the water-soluble fiber and capsule-epithelium fractions (80% and 14% of total cpm, respectively). Labeling in all three fiber fractions was decreased by cataract induction. The urea-insoluble fraction displayed a transient increase in labeled high molecular weight basic protein, as labeling of polypeptide monomers decreased. Densitometric analysis of fluorograms from the water-soluble and urea-soluble fiber fractions revealed a sharp decrease in fiber gamma-crystallin polypeptide labeling preceding and accompanying early cataract development, a delayed decrease in labeling of alpha A-crystallin and increased relative percentage of several labeled beta-crystallin polypeptides, especially in the urea-soluble fraction. By contrast with diminished labeling of the fiber fractions during cataract initiation, protein labeling of the corresponding capsule-epithelium fraction was stimulated dramatically and persisted at reduced levels during early opacification (stage 3), when nearly all of the protein labeling in the lens was found in capsule-epithelium. Capsule-epithelium polypeptides showing increased labeling during cataract initiation included alpha A-crystallin, several acidic polypeptides of M(r) = 40-50 kDa and a group of neutral to mildly acidic polypeptides of M(r) = 20-28 kDa. this transient activation, which was relatively non-specific, may relate to previously reported observations of polyribosome accumulation in lens epithelium during initial development of BSO cataracts. The labeled capsule-epithelium preparations are known to include newly differentiating fibers near the lens equator as well as epithelial cells. Both of these cell populations survive in mature BSO cataracts. It is suggested that modifications of the normal pattern of gene expression in the lens may be involved in initiation of the mouse BSO cataract and its subsequent pattern of development.

Progressive modifications of mouse lens crystallins in cataracts induced by buthionine sulfoximine.

L-buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BSO), a specific inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis, was administered four times daily to mouse pups on post-natal days 7 and 8, inducing initiation of opacification on day 9. The initial progression of the cataract (less than 24 hr) was divided into four stages: (1) developing floriform; (2) mature floriform; (3) degenerate floriform; and (4) amorphous translucent cataract. Following this, dense corticonuclear opacities developed within several days. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of water-soluble whole lens extracts indicated that the most rapid early cataractous changes, occurring mainly during stage 2, were loss of the two major components of the heavy beta-crystallin fraction, a 31-kDa basic polypeptide and an acidic component at 27 kDa, concomitant with the appearance of new species at 30 and 25 kDa. This was followed by more extensive modification of both alpha and beta-crystallins during stages 3 and 4 and the appearance of abnormal species at 26, 19 and 18 kDa, which were slightly more acidic than the major normal alpha A-crystallin polypeptide. The gamma-crystallin components, relatively unaffected at stage 4, were then lost rapidly as dense opacities ensued. By contrast with the water-soluble fraction, the normal day 9 urea-soluble fraction was deficient in gamma-crystallin polypeptides and enriched in anodic components whose relative electrophoretic mobilities were similar to those reported previously for phosphorylated bovine alpha A-crystallin and several cytoskeletal polypeptides. At stage 4 of the cataract, the modifications of normal alpha and beta-crystallin components in the urea-soluble fraction paralleled those in the water-soluble fraction, but the products seen were more numerous. In addition, the cytoskeletal proteins were no longer detectable. Substantial increases in lens Ca2+ that precede all of the above changes in lens polypeptide composition suggest that Ca(2+)-activated proteolysis may play a major role in development of BSO cataracts.

Lens GSH depletion and electrolyte changes preceding cataracts induced by buthionine sulfoximine in suckling mice.

Cataracts were induced in suckling mice by multiple injections of L-buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BSO), a specific inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis, starting on post-natal day 7. The earliest visible lens aberrations began approximately 2 days after t(o), following 99% depletion of lens GSH. Cataract development then proceeded through four stages within less than 24 hr. Elevated Na+ and Ca+ and decreased K+ were first detected in pre-cataractous (stage 0) lenses. During stage 0, lens Na+ and K+ levels displayed a significant inverse correlation; by contrast, Ca2+ levels were poorly correlated with those of Na+. The initial increase in Na+ exceeded the decrease in K+. This suggested the presence of osmotic stress prior to cataract stage 1 (developing floriform). Increased lens hydration was first apparent in stage 1, coincident with a marked elevation of Ca2+, further increase in Na+ and decrease in K+. These trends persisted in the stage 2 cataract (completed floriform). Subsequent changes in lens hydration and cation content during cataract stages 3 (degenerate floriform) and 4 (amorphous translucent) suggested substantial influx of extracellular fluid into the affected lenses. The BSO cataract may represent a useful in vivo model to study the functions of GSH in maintaining normal lens cation balance and transparency.