Manganese superoxide dismutase as a target of autoantibodies in acute Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Antibodies directed against the autoantigen p26 were detected in sera from 32 patients with acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and clinical symptoms of infectious mononucleosis. P26 has now been identified as the enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) by comparison of the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence. Antibodies against MnSOD belong to the immunoglobulin class M. They are not detectable in sera of patients with other herpesvirus infections. In the 32 patients investigated, the rise and fall of the autoantibodies coincides with the clinical symptoms. In vitro, the autoantibodies were shown to inhibit the dismutation of superoxide radicals by blocking MnSOD. As presented in the discussion this effect may contribute to the pathogenesis of acute EBV infection.

Autoantibodies against triosephosphate isomerase. A possible clue to pathogenesis of hemolytic anemia in infectious mononucleosis.

In sera from patients with acute EBV, infection and the clinical symptoms of infectious mononucleosis antibodies of the Ig class M were found that are directed against two cellular proteins. The molecular mass of these proteins was determined to be 29 (p29) and 26 kD (p26), respectively, in SDS-PAGE. P29 was identified as part of the glycolytic enzyme triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) by comparison of the NH2-terminal amino acid sequences. A purified antibody against TPI induces a 51Cr release from human erythrocytes. Possibly, anti-TPI causes hemolysis, which is an infrequent but serious symptom of infectious mononucleosis.

Immunological comparison of subunits isolated from various hydrogenases of aerobic hydrogen bacteria.

Polyclonal, monospecific antibodies were produced against the two subunits (Mr 62,000, and Mr 31,000), isolated from the membrane-bound hydrogenase of Alcaligenes eutrophus H16. The antibodies (IgG fractions) were purified from crude sera by Protein A-Sepharose CL-4B chromatography. By double immunodiffusion assays and tandem-crossed immunoelectrophoresis the large and the small subunit were demonstrated not to be immunologically related. Immunological comparison of these subunits with the four non-identical subunits (Mr 63,000, 56,000, 30,000 and 26,000) of the NAD-linked, soluble hydrogenase from A. eutrophus H16 showed that the subunits of the membrane-bound hydrogenase did not cross-react with any of the antibodies raised against the four subunits of the NAD-linked enzyme and that, vice versa, none of these four subunits cross-reacted with antibodies raised against the two subunits of the membrane-bound hydrogenase. This means that A. eutrophus H16 contains altogether six non-identical immunologically unrelated hydrogenase polypeptides. The membrane-bound hydrogenases were isolated and purified from various aerobic H2-oxidizing bacteria: A. eutrophus H16, A. eutrophus type strain, A. eutrophus CH34, A. eutrophus Z1, A. hydrogenophilus, Paracoccus denitrificans and strain Cd2/01. All these proteins resembled each other and each consisted of two non-identical polypeptides. A complete separation of these subunits was achieved at high-yield by preparative FPLC gel filtration on three Superose 12 columns connected in series, using SDS and DTT-containing sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). The small subunits of these enzymes turned out to be immunologically closely related to each other; they were either identical or almost identical. The large subunits were also related, but less pronounced. Only the large subunits from Z1 and type strain reacted fully identical with the H16 subunit. Of the two isolated, homogeneous subunits of the membrane-bound hydrogenase from A. eutrophus H16, the amino acid compositions and the NH2-terminal sequences have been determined. The results confirmed the diversity of the large and the small subunit. Furthermore, for comparison also the NH2-terminal sequences of the two subunits from the hydrogenase of A. eutrophus CH34 have been analysed.

The plasma membrane of Xenopus laevis oocytes contains voltage-dependent anion-selective porin channels.

Recent patch-clamp studies have shown that anti-porin antibodies, applied to the external side of excised plasma membrane patches of mammalian astrocytes, close chloride channels that are thought to be engaged in cell volume regulation. Frog oocytes are often used to study this basic cell function. Here we document the localisation of endogenous porin voltage-dependent anion-selective channels in Xenopus laevis oocyte plasma membranes. In confocal laser microscopy images a disjunctive pattern of fluorescing spots appear about 10 microm apart. Labelling was prevented by preabsorption of the antibodies with synthetic peptides comprising the epitope of the antigen. Immuno-gold marking of oocyte surfaces followed by silver enhancement of the gold particles lead to a plasma membrane labelling corresponding to that obtained by the confocal laser approach. The data suggests the presence of voltage-dependent, anion-selective channels in oocyte plasma membranes. This data should be borne in mind when frog oocytes are used to study the characteristics of endogenous or heterologously expressed ion channels or regulatory proteins.

Isolation and characterization of proSS1-32, a peptide derived from the N-terminal region of porcine preprosomatostatin.

A peptide derived from the N-terminal region of porcine prosomatostatin, proSS1-32, has been purified to homogeneity from extracts of porcine upper intestine. Amino acid analysis revealed that the peptide consists of 32 residues. The complete primary structure was determined as: A P S D P R L R Q F L Q K S L A A A A G K Q E L A K Y F L A E L. This sequence obviously comprises residues 1-32 of porcine prosomatostatin since it is identical to the corresponding sequence in human preprosomatostatin. The postulated cleavage site in porcine prosomatostatin is a Leu-Leu bond between residues 32 and 33, thus confirming previous studies of the processing of the somatostatin precursor in the rat and transgenic mouse.

Valosin: isolation and characterization of a novel peptide from porcine intestine.

The isolation and primary structure of a novel gastrointestinal peptide, designated valosin, is described. The peptide was purified from porcine upper gut extracts using an HPLC and N-terminal sequence screening strategy which depends on chromatographic and structural characteristics as isolation criterion. The amino acid sequence of this peptide consists of 25 amino acid residues:

The Alcaligenes eutrophus ldh structural gene encodes a novel type of lactate dehydrogenase.

The lactate dehydrogenase gene, ldh, of Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 was identified on a 14-kbp EcoRI restriction fragment of a genomic library in the cosmid pHC79 by hybridization with a 50-mer synthetic oligonucleotide which was derived from the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme. Recombinant strains of Escherichia coli JM83, which harboured a 2.0-kbp PstI subfragment in pUC9-1, expressed LDH at a high level, if ldh was downstream from and colinear to the E. coli lac promoter. The nucleotide sequence of a region of 4245 bp revealed several open reading frames which might represent coding regions. One represented the ldh gene. The amino acid sequence deduced from ldh exhibited 29% and 36% identity to the L-malate dehydrogenase of Methanothermus fervidus and to the putative translation product of an E. coli sequence of unknown function, respectively. The ldh was separated by short intergenic regions from two other open reading frames: ORF5 was located downstream of and colinear to ldh, and its putative translational product revealed 38 to 56% amino acid identity to penicillin-binding proteins. ORF3 was located upstream of and colinear to ldh, and its putative gene translational product represented a hydrophobic protein. A sequence, which resembled the A. eutrophus alcohol dehydrogenase promoter, was detected upstream of ORF3, which most probably represents the first transcribed gene of an operon consisting of ORF3, ldh and ORF5.

ETA and ETB receptor antagonists synergistically increase extracellular endothelin-1 levels in primary rat astrocyte cultures.

Astrocytes produce and bind endothelins (ETs), suggesting that these cells have ET autoregulatory and eliminatory functions. To further investigate these functions in primary rat astrocytes, ET-1 levels in the cell culture media (RIA/HPLC) and intracellular content of ET-1 mRNA (RT PCR) were measured under basal and stimulated (thrombin, 2.2 U/ml) conditions in the presence and absence of ETA and ETB selective antagonists (BQ123 or LU135252, and BQ788, respectively). Neither basal nor stimulated ET-1 levels in astrocyte media were influenced by ETA or ETB antagonists alone, but were significantly increased by a combination of both. ir ET-3 levels were not affected by antagonist treatment. Exogenous ET-1, added to the cultures, was rapidly cleared from the supernatant; this clearance was markedly inhibited by a combination of BQ123 and BQ788. ET-1 mRNA levels were not altered by any treatment. To conclude, in primary rat astrocyte cultures, extracellular ET-1 is cleared by binding to ET-receptors, apparently involving both, ETA and ETB sites. Thus, a blockade of the astrocytic ET eliminatory function as a consequence of the in vivo application of non-selective ET receptor antagonists may lead to increased extracellular ET levels in the brain.

The immunomodulatory beta-galactoside-specific lectin from mistletoe: partial sequence analysis, cell and tissue binding, and impact on intracellular biosignalling of monocytic leukemia cells.

Nanogram quantities of the beta-galactoside-specific lectin from mistletoe (ML-I) that is composed of two different types of subunits exhibit immunomodulatory potency and enhance cytokine secretion in vitro and in vivo. Partial sequence analysis of the carbohydrate-binding B chain revealed a ragged N-terminus and overall homologies to the B subunit of Ricin D and Ricin E. Two evolutionarily neutral substitutions were apparent in the otherwise identical N-terminal sequences of the two toxic chains within the lectin preparation. On the basis of the influence of chemical modification by group-specific reagents on ligand binding, the lectin was biotinylated with biotinyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester to allow monitoring of cell binding. Monocytic leukemia cells (THP-1) specifically bound the lectin with positive cooperativity at low lectin concentrations. Radiolabelled lectin could be found in several organs and in an experimental solid tumor in biodistribution in mice. Its presence in a notable amount in spleens is especially noteworthy with respect to the already reported immunomodulation. To determine intracellular responses that precede the lectin-dependent augmentation of cytokine secretion, phosphorylation of proteins and phospholipids as well as Ca(2+)-mobilization were assessed in THP-1 cells. Quantitative increases of [32P]-phosphate incorporation were determined for a 28 kDa protein and for phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate. Similarly, the fluorescence activity of the intracellular Ca(2+)-indicator fluo-3 is elevated by approximately 25% after lectin treatment. Apparently, cell binding of the lectin is followed by modulation of biosignalling processes.

[Rule of antibody structure: the primary structure of a human monoclonal IgA1-immunoglobulin (myeloma protein Tro), III. Isolation and characterization of the tryptic peptides of the H-chain (author's transl)]. / Zur Strukturregel der Antikörper. Die Primärstruktur eines monoklonalen IgA1-Immunglobulins (Myelomprotein Tro), III. Isolierung und Charakterisierung der tryptischen Peptide der H-Kette.

The reduced and either aminothylated or carboxymethylated H-chain of the monoclonal IgA1 immunoglobulin Tro was digested with trypsin. The tryptic peptides were isolated by gel and ion-exchange chromatography. Because of different methods of alkylation, the cysteine-containing peptides could be obtained in two forms and showed additional overlaps. Sequence studies performed with these fragments elucidated the primary structure of the protein.

Intra- and interchain disulfide bridges of the human J chain in secretory immunoglobulin A.

All intra J chain disulfide bridges of human sIgA, the disulfide bonds between the J chain and the two IgA monomers, and one inter IgA monomer disulfide bridge were determined. sIgA was isolated from colostrum of healthy women and digested with IgA1-specific protease followed by cyanogen bromide cleavage. This procedure generated fragments of 140 kDa, 60 kDa, and 28 kDa. The 28-kDa polypeptide comprised the complete J chain covalently bound to two alpha 1 chain octapeptides derived from the C-termini of two alpha 1 chains. The 28-kDa fragment was digested with trypsin. The resulting peptides were purified by RP-HPLC, and subsequently characterized by amino-acid analysis, mass spectrometry, and gas phase sequencing. These data unequivocally show that the J chain cysteines C1-C6, C4-C5, and C7-C8 form intra chain disulfide bridges. The second (C2) and the third (C3) J chain cysteines are disulfide linked to two alpha chain cysteines (C17) joining the two IgA monomers of sIgA tail to tail. The remaining two alpha chains of the two monomers are directly bound to each other via their ultimate cysteines (C17-C17). A new model for the J chain in sIgA is presented.

[Rule of antibody structure. Primary structure of a human monoclonal IgA-immunoglobulin (myeloma protein Tro). VII. Purification and characterization of the disulfide bridges]. / Zur Strukturregel der Antikörper. Die Primärstruktur eines monoklonalen IgA 1-Immunglobulins (Myelomprotein Tro). VII. Darstellung, Reinigung und Charakterisierung der Disulfidbrücken.

Myeloma Protein Tro has been isolated from the plasma of a myeloma patient. Monomeric IgA was separated from its polymer (by chromatography on Sephadex G-200). Both the forms were split with pepsin or cyanogen bromide and, if necessary, with thermolysin and subtilisin. The cystin-containing peptides were isolated from the hydrolysates by chromatography on Sephadex, ion-exchange columns, preparative paper chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, electrophoresis or by a combination of these methods. They were characterized by amino acid analyses and by determination of the N-terminal amino acids using the Dansyl-Edman procedure. Thus all the disulfide bridges of an IgA1 immunoglobulin could be established. The monomer has all together 48 cysteins, seven in each L- and seventeen in each H-chain; all these are covalently bonded by SS-bridges. Free SH-groups were not detected. The J-chain could only be identified serologically in the polymeric form of the protein. It is shown that the subunits of the polymers are covalently attached through either Cysl3, Cysl7 or both these residues of the H-chain.

Migration inhibitory factor-binding sarcolectin from human placenta is indistinguishable from a subfraction of human serum albumin.

Human sarcolectin is known as growth promoter and interferon-alpha/beta antagonist. Besides N-acetylneuraminic acid-dependent cell agglutination it also binds to a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Several types of negatively charged carbohydrates interfere with this binding, indicating importance of a negatively charged cluster. Since human serum albumin that has very similar properties in gel electrophoretic analysis can also bind to this factor with a comparatively reduced extent, sarcolectin and albumin are compared biochemically and immunologically. Their peptide maps, generated by cleavage with cyanogen bromide and N-chlorosuccinimide, reveal no differences. The N-terminal sequences are identical up to the fourteenth position that have unequivocally been determined. Reactivities to anti-human serum albumin antibody that inhibits binding of sarcolectin to MIF are similar. Fractionation of human albumin by chromatography on hydroxyapatite yields a subfraction with increased specific activity, measured by extent of inhibition of sarcolectin-MIF interaction. It exhibits the same inhibitory capacity as a similarly derived subfraction from sarcolectin. Interestingly, rabbit and pig serum albumins are as active as human albumin to inhibit binding of sarcolectin to MIF, whereas hamster, mouse, horse and bovine albumin preparations were ineffective up to 2.5 mg/ml. Thus, sarcolectin appears to be a subfraction of human serum albumin whose functionally relevant molecular peculiarities are presently unknown. Neither treatment with organic solvents nor with lipases, but exposure to trypsin, chymotrypsin and pronase can impair sarcolectin's ability to bind MIF.

Comparison of the NH2-terminal amino acid sequences of the four non-identical subunits of the NAD-linked hydrogenases from Nocardia opaca 1b and Alcaligenes eutrophus H16.

The cytoplasmic, NAD-linked hydrogenase of the Gram-positive hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Nocardia opaca 1b was compared with the analogous enzyme isolated from the Gram-negative bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus H16. The hydrogenase of N. opaca 1b was purified by a new procedure applying chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose and DEAE-Sephacel with two columns in series. A homogeneous enzyme preparation with a specific activity of 74 mumol H2 oxidized.min-1.mg protein-1 and a yield of 32% was isolated. The A. eutrophus enzyme was purified as previously published. Both enzymes are tetrameric proteins composed of four non-identical subunits (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). The four subunits of both of these enzymes were separated and isolated as single polypeptides by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Immunological comparison of the four subunits of the Nocardia hydrogenase with those of the Alcaligenes enzyme showed that the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta subunits of one organism were serologically related to the analogous subunits of the other organism. Among themselves, the four subunits do not have any serological relationship. The eight individual polypeptides were also compared with respect to the NH2-terminal amino acid sequences determined by automated Edman degradation and to the amino acid compositions. Strong sequence similarities exist between the analogous subunits isolated from the two bacteria. Within the established N-terminal sequences the similarities between both alpha, beta, gamma and delta subunits amount to 63%, 79%, 80% and 65%, respectively. No similarities exist between the different, non-analogous subunits alpha, beta, gamma and delta.

Origin of the NEFA and Nuc signal sequences.

The human protein NEFA binds calcium, contains a leucine zipper repeat that does not form a homodimer, and is proposed (along with the homologous Nuc protein) to have a common evolutionary history with an EF-hand ancestor. We have isolated and characterized the N-terminal domain of NEFA that contains a signal sequence inferred from both endoproteinase Asp-N (Asp-N) and tryptic digests. Analysis of this N-terminal sequence shows significant similarity to the conserved multiple domains of the mitochondrial carrier family (MCF) proteins. The leader sequence of Nuc is, however, most similar to the signal sequences of membrane and/or secreted proteins (e.g., mouse insulin-like growth factor receptor). We suggest that the divergent NEFA and Nuc N-terminal sequences may have independent origins and that the common high hydrophobicity governs their targeting to the ER. These results provide insights into signal sequence evolution and the multiple origins of protein targeting.