Localization of an endogenous lectin in chicken liver, intestine, and pancreas.

Extracts of adult chicken liver, pancreas, and intestine contain high levels of a lectin which appears to be identical to one previously purified from embryonic chick muscle. This lectin is virtually absent from adult muscle, but is highly concentrated in cells lining liver sinusoids, intestinal goblet cells, and the extracellular spaces surrounding pancreatic acini. These findings suggest that the lectin may play different roles in different tissues and at different times in the life of a chicken.

Parallel modulation of brush border myosin conformation and enzyme activity induced by monoclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies binding to distinct epitopes on the tail of brush border myosin were used to modulate the conformation and state of assembly of this myosin. BM1 binds 1:3 of the distance from the tip of the tail to the head and prevents the extended-tail (6S) monomer from folding into the assembly-incompetent folded-tail (10S) state, whereas BM4 binds to the tip of the myosin tail, and induces the myosin to fold into the 10S state. Thus, at physiological ionic strength BM1 promotes and BM4 blocks the assembly of the myosin into filaments. Using BM1 and BM4 together, we were able to prevent both folding and filament assembly, thus locking myosin molecules in the extended-tail 6S monomer conformation at low ionic strength where they normally assemble into filaments. Using these myosin-antibody complexes, we were able to investigate independently the effects of folding of the myosin tail and assembly into filaments on the myosin MgATPase. The enzymatic activities were measured from the fluorescent profiles during the turnover of the ATP analogue formycin triphosphate (FTP). Extended-tail (6S) myosin molecules had an FTPase activity of 1-5 X 10(-3) s-1, either at high ionic strength as a monomer alone or when complexed with antibody, or at low ionic strength as filaments or when maintained as extended-tail monomers by the binding of BM1 and BM4. Folding of the molecules into the 10S state reduced this rate by an order of magnitude, effectively trapping the products of FTP hydrolysis in the active sites.

Detection of complex carbohydrates in the Golgi apparatus of rat cells.

Two methods used for the electron microscopic detection of glycoproteins were applied to a variety of cell types in the rat; one involved successive treatment of sections with periodic acid, chromic acid, and silver methenamine; and the other, a brief treatment with a chromic acid-phosphotungstic acid mixture. The results obtained with the two methods were identical and, whenever the comparison was possible, similar to those obtained with the periodic acid-Schiff technique of light microscopy. In secretory as well as in nonsecretory cells, parts of the Golgi apparatus are stained. The last saccule on one side of each Golgi stack is strongly reactive (mature face), and the last saccule on the other side shows little or no reactivity (immature face); a gradient of reactivity occurs in between these saccules. The more likely explanation of the increase in staining intensity is that carbohydrate is synthesized and accumulates in saccules as they migrate toward the mature face. In many secretory cells, the mature face is associated with strongly stained secretory granules. Other structures stained are: (1) small vesicles, dense and multivesicular bodies, at least some of which are presumed to be lysosomal in nature; (2) cell coat; and (3) basement membrane. The evidence suggests that the Golgi saccules provide glycoproteins not only for secretion, but also for the needs of the lysosomal system as well as for incorporation into the cell coat and perhaps basement membrane.

Lipid synthesis, intracellular transport, storage, and secretion. I. Electron microscopic radioautographic study of liver after injection of tritiated palmitate or glycerol in fasted and ethanol-treated rats.

A time sequence study of intracellular movement of labeled lipid in the liver was carried out on fasted and ethanol-treated rats injected with either palmitate-(3)H or glycerol-(3)H by electron microscopic radioautography. The elimination of water-soluble lipid precursors during specimen preparation was checked and found to be complete. The labeled lipid product in the tissue was identified as mostly triglyceride. A dehydration procedure was adapted to minimize the loss of lipid during specimen preparation. At 2 min after injection, the earliest time interval studied, both precursors were found to have penetrated the liver cells, and the label was found over both rough and smooth elements of the endoplasmic reticulum, which is the site of glyceride esterification. From 5 min on, in fasted and especially in ethanol-treated rats, the label was seen also over lipid droplets 0.5-2.0 micro in diameter, which represent "storage lipid" (slowly turning over compartment). Mitochondria became labeled mostly at later time intervals after injection. From 10 min on, concentration of label was seen over the Golgi apparatus, containing small osmiophilic particles. Association of label with groups of particles in smooth-surfaced vesicles and vacuoles in and near the Golgi apparatus and in the vicinity of the sinusoidal border was seen, both after palmitate-(3)H and glycerol-(3)H. It is proposed that these particles represent lipoproteins which are formed in the endoplasmic reticulum, "processed" in the Golgi apparatus, and transported in vacuoles to the sinusoid surface to be discharged into the circulation.

Molluscan gastrin: concentration and molecular forms.

Blood and gastrointestinal tissues of the sea hare Aplysia californica and the land snail Otala lactea contain immunoreactive gastrin in heterogeneous forms similar to those of mammals. The observation that blood concentrations in terms of porcine gastrin standard are comparable to those of pig, man, and dog suggests significant homology between the structures of molluscan and mammalian gastrins.

Rate-limiting steps in steady-state intestinal absorption of trioctanoin-1-14C. Effect of biliary and pancreatic flow diversion.

During continuous intraduodenal infusion of emulsified fat in rats, a steady state of intestinal absorption is achieved. Maximal steady-state absorption of trioctanoin, a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), by unanesthetized, restrained rats was found to be the same after total bile diversion as in controls (1560 mumoles of fatty acid per hr).After pancreatic and bile diversion, absorption of MCT was still one-third as rapid as in controls, and mucosal uptake apparently occurred in the form of unhydrolyzed triglyceride. Returning bile to the intestinal lumen during pancreatic diversion did not increase the absorption rate.From intestinal tissue lipid-(14)C concentrations measured during steady-state maximal absorption it was possible to calculate turnover times for labeled lipid passing through the mucosal cells. Mucosal turnover times of about 4 min for control and bile-diverted rats, and about 20 min for animals with pancreatic diversion were obtained. The rate-limiting step in octanoic acid absorption in control and bile-diverted rats was probably mucosal penetration. During absorption of unhydrolyzed triglyceride by pancreatic flow-diverted rats, both passage from the lumen into the mucosal cell and intracellular lipolysis were rate-controlling factors.

Isolation of high density lipoproteins from rat intestinal epithelial cells.

Previous studies have defined forms of high density lipoproteins (HDL) in rat mesenteric lymph, suggesting that they have a secretory origin. This study describes the isolation and characterization of intestinal intracellular HDL. Two preparations were made as follows: (a) Rat enterocytes were isolated and a Golgi organelle fraction was prepared. (b) Cell homogenates were subjected to nitrogen cavitation and a cytoplasmic fraction was prepared. Lipoproteins were isolated from both preparations by sequential ultracentrifugation. When the HDL fraction (1.07-1.21 g/ml) was subjected to isopyknic density gradient ultracentrifugation, a peak of apoproteins A-I and B (apoA-I and apoB, respectively) was found at a density of 1.11-1.14 g/ml. Electron microscopy of the fraction showed spherical particles ranging in size from 6 to 13 nm. Immunoelectrophoresis revealed a precipitin arc in the alpha region against apoA-I which extended into the pre-beta region where a precipitin arc against apoB was also seen. ApoB antisera depleted the pre-beta particles whereas the alpha migrating particles remained. Lipid analysis of the whole HDL fraction revealed phospholipid, cholesteryl ester, and triglyceride as the major lipids. [3H]leucine was then administered into the duodenum and a radiolabeled intracellular HDL fraction was isolated. The newly synthesized apoproteins of the HDL fraction, as determined by gel electrophoresis, were apoB, apoA-I, and apolipoprotein A-IV (ApoA-IV). Immunoprecipitation of the apoB particles revealed apoA-I and apoA-IV in the supernatant. These data demonstrate that there are at least two intracellular intestinal forms of HDL particles, one of which contains apoB. The other particle contains apoA-I and apoA-IV, has alpha mobility, is spherical, and resembles a particle found in the lymph.

Nuclear magnetic resonance investigations of human neoplastic and abnormal nonneoplastic tissues.

A large number of samples of human neoplastic and abnormal nonneoplastic tissues were studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry in order to evaluate the possible role of this technique in the diagnosis of cancer. The spin-lattice magnetic relaxation times (T1) of abnormal nonneoplastic tissue were longer, in many instances, than those of malignant tumors from similar sites, preventing recognition of the tumors in this manner. The evidence for the nonspecific nature of the prolongation of T1 in abnormal tissue is reviewed, and additional limitations of this technique in the diagnosis of cancer are indicated.

Topological distribution of aminophospholipid fatty acids in trout intestinal brush-border membrane.

The transbilayer distribution of aminophospholipids in trout intestinal brush-border membrane has been investigated using trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). In the middle intestine, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is symmetrically distributed between the two leaflets while 68% of the phosphatidylserine (PS) are located in the inner membrane leaflet. In the posterior intestine, 64% of the PE and 69% of the PS are located in the inner membrane leaflet. When asymmetrically distributed, the inner species of PE and PS have a higher content of 22:6(n-3) than the outer ones. This asymmetric distribution of docosahexaenoic acid in trout intestinal brush-border membrane might be related to the rod-like shape of the microvillus membrane and to its metabolism to hydroxylated derivatives.

Photochemical changes of fluorescent probes in membranes and their effect on the observed fluorescence anisotropy values.

The fluorescence intensity of diphenylhexatriene (DPH) and of trimethylammonium-diphenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH) is measured when these probes are embedded in vesicles of dipalmitoyl- and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC and DOPC), in mixtures of these vesicles as well as in vesicles of the mixed phospholipids, in trout intestinal brush border membranes and in mitoplasts of rat liver cells. The intensity in DOPC vesicles is found to be significantly higher than in DPPC vesicles. When these systems are irradiated with strong ultraviolet light radiation, a decrease in the fluorescence intensity is observed; this effect is much stronger in DOPC than in DPPC vesicles. The fluorescence anisotropy values in the mixture of vesicles as well as in the membranes show an initial increase with irradiation which is followed by a significant decrease. A transfer of DPH molecules between DPPC and DOPC vesicles is observed. For TMA-DPH this transfer takes place only from DPPC to DOPC vesicles, but not vice-versa. These results are related to intensity and anisotropy measurements of these probes in cell cultures.

The structure of canine intestinal trihexosylceramide.

One of the neutral glycosphingolipids isolated from dog intestine has a mobility on thin-layer chromatography and a carbohydrate composition similar to trihexosylceramides. Structural analysis has shown that it consists largely of isoglobotriaosylceramide, galactosyl(alpha-1-3)galactosyl(beta-1-4)glucosyl(beta 1-1')ceramide.

Molecular species of monoglycosylceramides in embryonic and adult Japanese quail intestine.

Molecular species of monoglycosylceramides from embryonic and adult Japanese quail intestine were separated without derivatization by high performance liquid chromatography and analyzed by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry. The reversed-phase chromatography on an octadecyl silica beads column separated the lipids by the difference in their ceramide moieties which contain considerable amounts of hydroxy fatty acids and 4D-hydroxysphinganine (phytosphingosine). The phytosphingosine and sphingosine in the ceramide moieties of the isolated monoglycosylceramide fraction gave characteristic fragment ions of (M - 162)H+ for the phytosphingosine, and (M - 18)H+ for the sphingosine components. The presence of phytosphingosine and hydroxy fatty acids in the ceramide moieties of the monoglycosylceramide early in the embryonic stage necessarily excludes the possibility of their exogenous origin such as bacterial flora and nutrients.

Calcium binding protein from porcine intestine binds to phosphatidylserine vesicles in the presence of calcium.

Protein II, a 32K cytoskeleton-associated protein isolated from porcine intestinal epithelium, binds to vesicles composed of phosphatidylserine in the presence, but not the absence, of 10 microM Ca2+. Binding was saturable and was specifically inhibited by chelation of free Ca2+ with EGTA. Binding was also inhibited by trifluophenothiazine. Vesicles composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine did not bind protein II, suggesting that interaction with phosphatidylserine was selective. These properties are consistent with a possible role for protein II in Ca-regulated cytoskeleton-cell membrane events.

On the presence of the chromosomal proteins HMG I and HMG Y in rat organs.

Using antiserum raised against HMG I, we have shown that HMG I and HMG Y are present in perchloric acid extracts of kidney, lung, heart, brain, liver and intestine in the rat, suggesting that the expression of these proteins may not be dependent upon proliferative activity. The results also show that the ratio between HMG I and HMG Y varies between different organs.

Rat intestinal glycolipids. III. Fatty acids and long chain bases of glycolipids from villus and crypt cells.

Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated a striking difference in rat intestinal glycolipids between differentiated villus cells and immature crypt cells. Villus cells contained proportionally greater amounts of glucosylceramide and hematoside while crypt cells were deficient in hematoside, but contained proportionally greater amounts of trihexosylceramide. In order to further elucidate possible differences between villus and crypt cell glycolipids, a study of the sphingosine and fatty acids of rat intestinal glycolipids was conducted. Villus and crypt cells were separated from rat intestine and the glycolipids purified. Fatty acids and long chain bases of the three major glycolipids (glucosylceramide, trihexosylceramide, hematoside) extracted from these cells were characterized. Phytosphingosine accounted for 63-73% of the total long chain bases in all glycolipids whether from villus or crypt cells. Hydroxy fatty acids represented 70% of total fatty acids in the glucosylceramide and in the hematoside but accounted for only 30% in the trihexosylceramide. In addition, trihexosylceramide contained a larger percentage of fatty acids with 20-carbon atoms than glucosylceramide and hematoside isolated from villus cells. These fatty acids were more concentrated in crypt cells than in villus cells glycolipids. These results suggest that hematoside and trihexosylceramide, respectively abundant in villus and in crypt cells, may be derived from a different lactosylceramide precursor and further underscore differences in villus and crypt cell glycolipid synthesis.

Secretion of apolipoproteins in the suckling rat. Absence of low-molecular-weight apolipoprotein B of hepatic origin.

Synthesis of apolipoprotein B in the intestine and liver in suckling rats whose duodena had been infused with [3H]lysine was estimated by measuring the radioactivity in the mesenteric lymph and blood serum. Apolipoprotein B synthesized in the suckling rat intestine was an exclusively low-molecular-weight form. In the serum d less than 1.21 g/ml fraction obtained from the lymph-diverted rats, apolipoprotein B of high molecular weight was only labeled with [3H]lysine in suckling rats, whereas both forms of apolipoprotein B were labeled in the adult rats. These results suggest developmental changes in hepatic apolipoprotein B synthesis and secretion.

Radiation inactivation of human intestinal mucin: determination of the size of the functional antigenic unit.

Previously we have shown that the major antigenic determinant of human intestinal mucin is associated with its glycopeptide monomers and not the 118 kDa 'link' component. In the present study, the size and nature of the functional unit containing the antigenic determinant has been assessed by radiation inactivation and immunological assays. Increasing doses of radiation led to a monoexponential decay in antigenic reactivity due to a progressive loss of antigenic determinants. From three independent mucin preparations, a value of 78500 +/- 7000 was determined for the Mr of the functional antigenic unit. Prolonged pronase digestion of native mucin released large degraded glycopeptide monomers containing all the mucin carbohydrate, and low molecular weight peptides. The antigenicity of the glycopeptides decreased with digestion but could not be recovered in the peptide fractions, suggesting that determinants were released and destroyed by the enzyme. Treatment of native mucin with trifluoromethanesulphonic acid caused a major loss of carbohydrate (approx. 70%), but the protein component was unchanged in amino acid profile and remained antigenic. Subsequent thiol reduction, however, abolished the antigenicity of the deglycosylated mucin. We conclude that antigenicity is associated with a non-glycosylated segment of the peptide backbone of the glycopeptides and that a large functional unit of Mr 78500 which is stabilized by disulphide bonds is important for full antigenic activity.

Phospholipid topology and flip-flop in intestinal brush-border membrane.

The topological distribution of the two major phospholipids of brush-border membrane, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), has been investigated using brush-border membrane vesicles from rabbit small intestine. Bee venom phospholipase A2 and phosphatidylcholine exchange protein from bovine liver were used as membrane probes. It is shown that the brush-border membrane retains its integrity under conditions of phospholipase hydrolysis and intermembrane phospholipid exchange. Kinetic analysis of the data of phospholipase hydrolysis and phospholipid exchange at temperatures under 10 degrees C shows that both PC and PE occur in two pools: a minor (about 25%) more readily accessible pool and a major one (about 75%) less readily available. The rate of PC exchange between these two pools is relatively fast. The half-time derived under conditions of phospholipase hydrolysis is of the order of 20 min. Under conditions of phospholipid exchange the exchange rates may be even faster. The difference in exchange kinetics observed with the two methods of probing is probably due to changes in membrane properties such as the bilayer fluidity induced by the probing process itself. It is proposed that the two pools represent the transverse distribution of the phospholipids. The two major phospholipids of brush-border membranes, PC and PE, would be distributed mainly on the inner (cytoplasmic) side of the brush-border membrane. The phospholipid exchange between the brush-border vesicles and unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles in the presence of phosphatidylcholine exchange protein reveals that significant quantities of phospholipid are taken up by brush-border membrane independently, i.e., in a separate process independent of the exchange protein-catalyzed phosphatidylcholine exchange.

Purification and characterization of the antisecretory factor: a protein in the central nervous system and in the gut which inhibits intestinal hypersecretion induced by cholera toxin.

The antisecretory factors (ASF) are hormone-like proteins which inhibit cholera toxin-induced intestinal hypersecretion. Although ASF concentrations in young control rats were low, those in old control rats and toxin-treated rats were high. Toxin-treated rats had 200 ED50 units/g wet weight of ASF in the pituitary gland, while their intestinal mucosa, bile and milk contained 3, 0.5 and 0.5 units/g. In adult man and in 8-9-month-old pig the pituitary level was about 20 units/g. The isoelectric points of ASF from pig and rat were 4.8 and 5.0, respectively, while the molecular size as determined by gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-150 was the same in both cases (Kav 0.43). The molecular weight as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was 60,000 for ASF from porcine pituitary gland. One ED50 unit of the purified porcine ASF corresponded to about 10(-13) mol (1-5 ng) of protein. There were two different ASF from human pituitary gland: pI 5.2, Kav 0.43; and pI 4.5, Kav 0.6. Since antibodies against porcine ASF failed to neutralize the latter protein, it may be unrelated to porcine ASF; the human pI 5.2-protein and rat ASF were both neutralized, but less effectively than was porcine ASF. All the ASF molecules attached to agarose gel, from which they dissociated again in methyl alpha-D-glucose: porcine and rat ASF were eluted at 0.3-0.9 M methyl alpha-D-glucose, human pI 5.2-ASF at 0.1-0.9 M, and human pI 4.5-ASF at 0.1-1.5 M methyl alpha-D-glucose.

A novel vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) from elasmobranch intestine has full affinity for mammalian pancreatic VIP receptors.

A peptide that cross reacted with N-terminal, but not C-terminal, antisera to vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) was isolated from extracts of intestine from the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula. Microsequence analysis gave the structure His-Ser-Asp-Ala-Val-Phe-Thr-Asp-Asn-Tyr-Ser-Arg-Ile-Arg-Lys-Gln-Met-Ala-Val-Lys - Lys-Tyr-Ile-Asn-Ser-Leu-Leu-Ala-NH2. C-terminal amidation was determined by HPLC analysis of phenylthiocarbamyl amino acid derivatives after carboxypeptidase Y digestion. The peptide differs at five positions from the porcine octacosapeptide. Dogfish VIP was equipotent with its porcine counterpart in inhibiting binding of 125I-labelled VIP to guinea pig dispersed pancreatic acini, and in stimulating amylase secretion by the same preparation. The data indicate a strong conservation of VIP during evolution and permit identification of residues crucial for bioactivity.