Pleiotropic insulin signals are engaged by multisite phosphorylation of IRS-1.

IRS-1 (insulin receptor substrate 1) is a principal insulin receptor substrate that undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation during insulin stimulation. It contains over 20 potential tyrosine phosphorylation sites, and we suspect that multiple insulin signals are enabled when the activated insulin receptor kinase phosphorylates several of them. Tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS-1 binds specifically to various cellular proteins containing Src homology 2 (SH2) domains (SH2 proteins). We identified some of the tyrosine residues of IRS-1 that undergo insulin-stimulated phosphorylation by the purified insulin receptor and in intact cells during insulin stimulation. Automated sequencing and manual radiosequencing revealed the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues 460, 608, 628, 895, 939, 987, 1172, and 1222; additional sites remain to be identified. Immobilized SH2 domains from the 85-kDa regulatory subunit (p85 alpha) of the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase bind preferentially to tryptic phosphopeptides containing Tyr(P)-608 and Tyr(P)-939. By contrast, the SH2 domain in GRB2 and the amino-terminal SH2 domain in SHPTP2 (Syp) specifically bind to Tyr(P)-895 and Tyr(P)-1172, respectively. These results confirm the p85 alpha recognizes YMXM motifs and suggest that GRB2 prefers a phosphorylated YVNI motif, whereas SHPTP2 (Syp) binds to a phosphorylated YIDL motif. These results extend the notion that IRS-1 is a multisite docking protein that engages various downstream regulatory elements during insulin signal transmission.

Beta beta homodimers exist in native rabbit skeletal muscle tropomyosin and increase after denaturation-renaturation.

Native tropomyosin from rabbit skeletal muscle (RSTm) consists mainly of alpha alpha and alpha beta coiled coils (alpha/beta approximately 3-4/1). In some extant studies, no beta beta molecules have been found. In this study, RSTm from several different preparations was disulfide cross-linked, both preparation and cross-linking being done under nondenaturing conditions. The cross-linked product was assayed for the presence of beta beta molecules cross-linked at both C36 and C190 (beta = beta). In such cross-linked RSTm, 3-8% beta = beta is detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, C4 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and a free-solution capillary electrophoresis experiment. This percentage becomes approximately 4-10% beta beta when corrected for incomplete double cross-linking and is independent of protein concentration (0.1-10.0 mg/mL), indicating that the observed beta beta species are not artifacts due to intermolecular cross-linking. Upon denaturation and subsequent renaturation either by heating to 55 degrees C or by incubating at 45 degrees C followed by quenching to room temperature, or by guanidine hydrochloride exposure followed by phased renaturation by dialysis, the fraction of beta beta increases, indicating that the reassociation favors homodimer formation somewhat over random association. This result differs from the random association observed when the sulfhydryl on one of the chains is carboxyamidomethylated (Holtzer, M.E., Breiner, T., & Holtzer, A., 1984, Biopolymers 23, 1811-1833), and from the overwhelming heterodimer preferences reported for tropomyosins from other organisms (Lehrer, S.S., Qian, Y., & Hvidt, S., 1989, Science 246, 926-928; Lehrer, S.S. & Qian, Y., 1990, J. Biol. Chem. 265, 1134-1138).

Analysis of disulfide-linked homo- and hetero-peptide dimers with a strong cation-exchange sulfoethyl aspartamide column.

A strong cation-exchange sulfoethyl aspartamide column was used to analyze and purify disulfide-linked homo-/hetero-peptide dimers. Monomeric peptides elute from this column in a monotonic fashion according to their net nominal positive charge at pH 3.0. Disulfide-linked peptide dimers are expected to possess an increased net positive charge at pH 3.0 and therefore should elute later and be well resolved from their monomeric constituents. Five distinct synthetic peptides (7 to 14 residues in length) ranging in net nominal charge at pH 3.0 from +1 to +4, with cysteine located at the N-terminus, C-terminus, or at an internal position, were used to produce disulfide-linked homo/hetero-peptide dimers as follows: The peptide was first reacted with 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) to form the mixed-disulfide, peptide:2-nitro-5-thiobenzoic acid adduct which is easily monitored at 325 nm. Then, the second cysteine-containing peptide was added and the desired disulfide-linked homo-/hetero-peptide dimer was produced via a thiol-disulfide interchange reaction. The entire reaction mixture was subsequently chromatographed on the sulfoethyl aspartamide column to isolate the disulfide-bonded species and also, to identify other reaction products. In addition, the same reaction mixture was analyzed by standard C18 reverse-phase chromatography to compare the capabilities of these two distinct chromatographic modes to identify disulfide-linked homo-/hetero- peptide dimers. It is shown that each chromatographic system successfully resolved all five homo-peptide dimers from their respective monomer counterparts, with separation being slightly better on the sulfoethyl aspartamide column.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Automated phenylthiocarbamyl amino acid analysis of carboxypeptidase/aminopeptidase digests and acid hydrolysates.

A fully automated exopeptidase digestion procedure for the partial determination of N- and C-terminal peptide/protein sequence is described. The digestion of various substrates with aminopeptidase M, carboxypeptidase A, P or Y was accomplished with the Varian 9090 autosampler's robotic automix routines. The released free amino acids, in addition to free amino acids from acid hydrolysates, were derivatized with phenylisothiocyanate in an automated fashion and subsequently chromatographed on a C18 column for separation and quantitation. The advantages of automating this precolumn phenylisothiocyanate derivatization are the virtual elimination of sample manipulation errors and very reproducible data due to the precise control of the reaction conditions both of which, facilitate the interpretation of the exopeptidase reaction kinetic data.

Chromatographic and physical studies of tropomyosin in aqueous-organic media at low pH.

Non-cross-linked and disulfide-cross-linked two-chain molecules comprising the alpha and/or beta chains of rabbit skeletal tropomyosin were studied by electrophoretic, chromatographic and physical methods. Elution order on C4 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography depends markedly on the number and position of the cross-links. In the C4 reversed-phase elution medium, cross-linked and non-cross-linked species are greater than 85% helical by circular dichroism, but the non-cross-linked elute later from high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (G4000) and have molecular mass of 31,000-41,000 dalton by equilibrium ultracentrifugation. The data suggest that in the C4 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography elution medium non-cross-linked tropomyosin exists as amphipathic single-chain alpha-helices.

Semi-automated chromatographic procedure for the isolation of acetylated N-terminal fragments from protein digests.

Several published procedures have been combined to develop a general strategy for the specific identification and isolation of the acetylated-N-terminal fragment from all other proteolytic fragments. This ruse can be divided into four steps: (i) succinylation of the substrate to block lysine NH2 groups; (ii) enzymatic digestion of the modified protein; (iii) automated phenylisothiocyanate derivatization of the protease derived fragments to block newly generated "free" N-termini; and (iv) reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with on-line photodiode array spectroscopy. The individual phenylthiocarbamyl-peptide species exhibit an increased reversed-phase retention time and a greater UV (210-297 nm) profile compared to the corresponding control (-phenylisothiocyanate) digest. The N-terminal acetylated fragment shows neither a retention time shift nor an augmented UV profile. To validate each process step, synthetic peptides and acetylated-N-terminal proteins of known sequence were used as test samples. The desired fragment was isolated from three proteins and positively identified by electrospray mass spectrometry and amino acid composition. Proteins with other N-terminal blocking groups should be amenable to this procedure.

Chromatographic analysis of tropomyosins from rabbit skeletal, chicken gizzard and earthworm muscle.

Tropomyosins from rabbit skeletal, chicken gizzard and earthworm muscle all exist as dimeric, ca. 100% alpha-helical coiled-coil species in benign media. Two major tropomyosin isoforms from each muscle source have been identified and can be conveniently designated alpha (fast) and beta (slow) based on electrophoretic mobility under denaturing conditions. The ratio of alpha to beta chains is ca. 3-4:1 for rabbit skeletal and ca. 1:1 for chicken gizzard and earthworm tropomyosins. Each chain from the former two muscle sources has been sequenced, thus providing a molecular basis for interpreting the in vivo population of homo- and hetero-dimers. The characteristics of each purified tropomyosin in weak-anion exchange, strong-cation exchange and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography are described. Binding to and/or elution from the reversed-phase matrix results in dissociation into highly helical monomeric chains. This mode of chromatography separates the alpha and beta chains of earthworm and chicken gizzard tropomyosins, but not those of the rabbit protein. Both anion- and cation-exchange chromatography use mild (benign) elution conditions under which the native, in vivo dimer population should be preserved. Only the rabbit protein exhibited peak separation on the anion-exchange resin, with peak assignment corresponding to the known molecular organization of homo- and hetero-dimers. In strong cation-exchange analysis, all three tropomyosins exhibit a chromatographic transition near pH 6.5, possibly the result of histidine(s) titration. Collectively, the chromatographic data confirm the present understanding of the in vivo mixture of dimers for tropomyosin from rabbit skeletal and chicken gizzard. It is concluded that native earthworm tropomyosin exists predominantly as an alpha beta hetero-dimer.

Physical properties of the glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus measured by intrinsic fluorescence and aggregation.

We have studied the denaturation and renaturation of the purified glycoprotein (G) of vesicular stomatitis virus by using intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy and an aggregation assay. Our studies were carried out with G containing two complex oligosaccharide chains, with the asialo form of the protein, and for some experiments with G containing altered oligosaccharide structures. Fluorescence quenching using acrylamide showed no differences between the native and denatured states of G due to sialic acid content. Denaturation by guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) at 25 degrees C was reversible for the major transition region. The data analyzed by a two-state denaturation model gave a free energy of unfolding in the absence of denaturant of approximately 1.4 kcal/mol. For renaturation, two types of dialysis protocols were employed. The first (direct dialysis) involved dialysis against standard buffer [140 mM NaCl, 10 mM sodium phosphate, 1 mM disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, and 0.2% (w/v) poly(oxyethylene) 10-tridecyl ether, pH 7.4]. Recovery of the native emission maximum did not occur for any of the G proteins by using this procedure. The second (annealing dialysis) involved slow removal of GdmCl against decreasing concentrations of GdmCl in standard buffer over a period of 2-3 days. Only in this case was recovery of the native emission maximum and fluorescence intensity obtained. For those G proteins in which the oligosaccharide chains were decreased in size, this protocol led to extensive aggregation.

Structural stability of short subsequences of the tropomyosin chain.

The native tropomyosin molecule is a parallel, registered, alpha-helical coiled coil made from two 284-residue chains. Long excised subsequences (> or = 95 residues) form the same structure with comparable thermal stability. Here, we investigate local stability using shorter subsequences (20-50 residues) that are chemically synthesized or excised from various regions along the protein chain. Thermal unfolding studies of such shorter peptides by CD in the same solvent medium used in extant studies of the parent protein indicate very low helix content, almost no coiled-coil formation, and high thermal lability of such secondary structure as does form. This behavior is in stark contrast to extant data on leucine-zipper peptides and short "designed" synthetic peptides, many of which have high alpha-helix content and form highly stable coiled coils. The existence of short coiled coils calls into question the older idea that short subsequences of a protein have little structure. The present study supports the older view, at least in its application to tropomyosin. The intrinsic local alpha-helical propensity and helix-helix interaction in this prototypical alpha-helical protein is sufficiently weak as to require not only dimerization, but macro-molecular amplification in order to attain its native conformation in common benign media near neutral pH.

Facile analysis and purification of deblocked N-terminal pyroglutamyl peptides with a strong cation-exchange sulfoethyl aspartamide column.

A high-performance strong cation-exchange Sulfoethyl Aspartamide column was used to analyze and purify five N-terminal pyroglutamyl peptides after treatment with Pyroglutamate Aminopeptidase. The resulting deblocked N-1 peptides possess an increased positive charge and are therefore retained to a greater extent by the column. Salt gradient elution in a pH 3 mobile phase was then used to recover the desired peptides and the purified deblocked peptides were directly subjected to N-terminal sequence analysis. The same digests were also chromatographed on a C18 reversed-phase column using standard trifluoroacetic acid-acetonitrile gradient elution. The elution order for the parent peptide and the N-1 peptide on the reversed-phase column was reversed from that on the Sulfoethyl Aspartamide column and the resolution of the two peptides obtained on the reversed-phase column was less than that observed on the cation-exchange column. In addition, the Sulfoethyl Aspartamide column was shown to be useful to monitor the extent of N-terminal glutamine cyclization formed during peptide purification and storage.

Physical properties of a soluble form of the glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus at neutral and acidic pH.

We have analyzed a soluble form of the glycoprotein (G) obtained from vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) by treatment of intact virions with cathepsin D. This form lacks the carboxy-terminal and membrane-spanning domains and thus is analogous to the previously described secreted form of G, Gs. The molecular weight of the cathepsin D produced G, G(Cath D), measured by sedimentation equilibrium in the analytical ultracentrifuge is 57 600, indicating that it is a monomer. Intact G protein extracted from virions by octyl beta-D-glucoside also is monomeric, based on sedimentation equilibrium analysis. These results suggest that G may be monomeric in virions. The Stokes radii (Rs) of the two forms of G were obtained from their migration in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gradient gels. The Rs of G(Cath D) in the absence of nonionic detergent was 37 A; in the presence of nonionic detergent, it increased to 55 A. The Rs of detergent-extracted intact G was 63 A in nonionic detergent. From the molecular weight and Rs of G(Cath D), we calculated a sedimentation coefficient of 3.8 S; the value determined by centrifugation in a sucrose gradient was 3.7 S. Viruses such as VSV fuse with cell membranes at low pH [White, J., Matlin, K., & Helenius, A. (1981) J. Cell Biol. 89, 674-679]. We have used the fluorescent probe cis,trans,trans,cis-9,11,13,15-parinaric acid (cis-PnA) to detect a reversible conformational change in G(Cath D) when the protein was exposed to an acidic environment close to pH 5. cis-PnA binds to hydrophobic regions of protein, causing a quenching of the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and an increase in the fluorescence of the probe.

High glucose inhibits nitric oxide production in cultured rat mesangial cells.

Hyperglycemia directly contributes to the development of diabetic nephropathy. A high-serum glucose concentration alters intraglomerular hemodynamics and promotes deposition of extracellular matrix in the kidney. Nitric oxide (NO) is a short-lived messenger molecule that participates in the regulation of renal blood flow, GFR, and mesangial matrix accumulation. Therefore, in this study it was tested whether high glucose directly modulates NO synthesis by rat mesangial cells in vitro by measuring the accumulation of nitrite, the stable metabolite of NO, in the incubation media. Raising the external glucose concentration to 33.3 mM for 24 to 72 h reduced nitrite levels in cell supernatants in a time-dependent manner to a nadir of 14 +/- 3% of the amount in normal glucose media (5.6 mM) (P < 0.01). The decline in NO synthesis in high glucose media was paralleled by decreased cyclic guanosine monophosphate generation; however, there was no alteration in rat mesangial cell expression of inducible NO synthase protein. The suppressive effect of high glucose on NO production by mesangial cells was not modified by inhibition of protein kinase C (H-7), the addition of antioxidants (vitamin E or superoxide dismutase), or a pan-specific anti-transforming growth factor-beta antibody. An elevated ambient glucose caused a time-dependent reduction in mesangial cell L-arginine content. Addition of L-arginine (10 to 20 mM) to external media partially reversed the inhibitory effect of high glucose on mesangial cell NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The highest dose of L-arginine (20 mM) increased mesangial cell L-arginine content to comparable levels in normal and high glucose media. These results indicate that high glucose causes depletion of L-arginine in mesangial cells and compromises NO synthesis. Limitation in the metabolic precursor and other, as yet unidentified, factors act to reduce NO production by mesangial cells in the presence of an elevated ambient glucose level, a change that may play a role in the development of diabetic glomerulosclerosis.

The effect of sulfhydryl blocking groups on the thermal unfolding of alpha alpha tropomyosin coiled coils.

Equilibrium thermal unfolding curves from circular dichroism are given for alpha alpha tropomyosin and for alpha alpha tropomyosin blocked at C190 by a) carboxyamidomethylation; b) carboxymethylation. Although commonly assumed to be benign, these blocks in fact produce some weakening. All three substances are virtually completely alpha-helical at low T. Fraction helix vs T for parent protein is apparently monophasic (single inflection point). The curve for carboxyamidomethylated protein is very close to that of the parent, but is biphasic, with a small "pretransition". The curve for carboxymethylated protein is prominently biphasic, with a much larger pretransition. Some implications for the molecular model of these equilibria are discussed.

Chemical cleavage of proteins on membranes.

Described in this unit are five basic protocols that are widely used for specific and efficient chemical cleavage of proteins bound to membranes. Cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleaves at methionine (Met) residues; BNPS-skatole cleaves at tryptophan (Trp) residues; formic acid cleaves at aspartic acid-proline (Asp-Pro) peptide bonds; hydroxylamine cleaves at asparagine-glycine (Asn-Gly) peptide bonds, and 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid (NTCB) cleaves at cysteine (Cys) residues. Because the above loci are at relatively low abundance in most proteins, digestion with these agents will yield relatively long peptides. In addition, Alternate Protocol an describes CNBr cleavage of PVDF-bound protein previously analyzed by Edman degradation. Finally, a Support Protocol discusses preferred methods of separating and analyzing peptide fragments generated by the chemical cleavage reactions described in the basic protocols.

Facile, in situ matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry analysis and assignment of disulfide pairings in heteropeptide molecules.

During a routine analysis of disulfide-linked synthetic heterodipeptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry with linear detection we observed not only the expected mass of the dipeptide, but also the mass of the individual constituent monomer peptides. This was surprising because the peptide was purified as an intact dipeptide and no overt attempt was made to reduce the disulfide linkage before mass analysis. In contrast, analysis of the same sample by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry gave the mass of the dipeptide only. To investigate this further, two additional model heterodipeptides were prepared and all three were used to systematically study several matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry parameters. These parameters were three different matrices (alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and sinapinic acid), both positive and negative modes of detection, and varying the acceleration voltage from 5 to 20 kV. Except for the sinapinic acid matrix where poor-quality spectra were obtained, all three model heterodipeptides fragmented under the tested conditions in a manner consistent with the cleavage of disulfide bonds, although the absolute level was sample dependent. The precise mechanism of disulfide cleavage during analysis is unknown, but the cleavage we observed appears to originate during the initial ionization event. Because the MALDI process involves irradiating samples with a laser, the fragmentation of disulfide-linked peptides that we observe bears some resemblance to light-induced homolytic cleavage of aqueous solutions of the amino acid cystine, although other mechanisms for fragmentation are also possible.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A 43-kilodalton pneumococcal surface protein, PspA: isolation, protective abilities, and structural analysis of the amino-terminal sequence.

PspA is an antigenically variable surface protein of Streptococcus pneumoniae that appears to be essential for full pneumococcal virulence. In addition, monoclonal antibodies to PspA protect mice against infection with specific strains of pneumococci virulent for mice. In this study, we have isolated the 43-kDa N-terminal half of the native 84-kDa PspA and determined the sequence of the first 45 amino acids. This sequence, the first obtained for a pneumococcal surface protein, is consistent with that of an amphiphatic coiled-coil alpha helix with a 7-residue periodicity common to fibrous proteins such as tropomyosin and streptococcal M protein. The 7-residue periodicity begins with residue 8 and extends throughout the remaining sequence for nearly 11 turns of the helix. Mice immunized with this purified PspA segment were protected from fatal pneumococcal challenge, thus demonstrating that those PspA epitopes eliciting protection were present in the N-terminal half of the molecule.

Peptide characterization with a sulfoethyl aspartamide column.

A strong cation-exchange (SCX) high-performance liquid chromatography column (sulfoethyl aspartamide, 200 x 4.6 mm) was used to analyze more than 50 peptides, ranging in length from 5 to 20 residues. These data show that the elution positions of the peptides increase monotonically with the number of positively charged residues. [A 60-min linear gradient of 0 to 100% eluent B at 1 ml/min was used, where eluent A is 5 mM phosphate (pH 3.0)-acetonitrile (75:25) and eluent B is eluent A + 0.5 M sodium chloride.] A comparison of SCX with a standard C18 reversed-phase (RP) column [60-min linear gradient of 0 to 60% B at 1 ml/min, where eluent A is 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), and eluent B is 0.095% TFA-acetonitrile (10:90)] further demonstrates the utility of SCX in peptide characterization. SCX separated an (Arg)3-containing peptide from the Arg-deleted peptide while RP could not. In addition, SCX and RP resolved the methionine oxidation products of ACTH (4-10) (RP: Met [O] less than Met [O2] less than Met; SCX; Met [O] less than Met less than Met [O2]), suggesting a mixed-mode mechanism for the ion-exchange system. Finally, SCX separated the sulfated and non-sulfated forms of cholecystokinin (26-33) and Leu-enkephalin as well as the N-terminal acetylated forms of neurotensin (8-13) and angiotensinogen (1-14) from the respective unmodified peptides.

Casein kinase II-catalysed phosphorylation of calmodulin is altered by amino acid deletions in the central helix of calmodulin.

Calmodulin is phosphorylated by casein kinase II on Thr-79, Ser-81, Ser-101 and Thr-117. To determine the consensus sequences for casein kinase II in intact calmodulin, we examined casein kinase II-mediated phosphorylation of engineered calmodulins with 1-4 deletions in the central helical region (positions 81-84). Total casein kinase II-catalyzed phosphate incorporation into all deleted calmodulins was similar to control calmodulin. Neither CaM delta 84 (Glu-84 deleted) nor CaM delta 81-84 (Ser-81 to Glu-84 deleted) has phosphate incorporated into Thr-79 or Ser-81, but both exhibit increased phosphorylation of residues Ser-101 and Thr-117. These data suggest that phosphoserine in the +2 position may be a specificity determinant for casein kinase II in intact proteins and/or secondary structures are important in substrate recognition by casein kinase II.

Insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of calmodulin.

Calmodulin is phosphorylated in vitro by the insulin-receptor tyrosine kinase and a variety of serine/threonine kinases. Here we report that insulin stimulates the phosphorylation of calmodulin on average 3-fold in intact rat hepatocytes. Although calmodulin is constitutively phosphorylated, insulin increases phosphate incorporation into serine, threonine and tyrosine residues. We demonstrate that casein kinase II, an insulin-sensitive kinase, phosphorylates calmodulin in vitro on serine/thyronine residues (Thr-79, Ser-81, Ser-101 and Thr-117). The ability of the insulin receptor to phosphorylate calmodulin that has been pre-phosphorylated by casein kinase II is enhanced up to 35-fold, and the sites of phosphorylation on calmodulin are shifted from tyrosine to threonine and serine. These observations, obtained with a new specific monoclonal antibody to calmodulin, confirm that insulin stimulates calmodulin phosphorylation in intact cells. The observation that calmodulin is phosphorylated in vivo, coupled with the recent demonstration that phosphocalmodulin exhibits altered biological activity, strongly suggests that phosphorylation of calmodulin is a critical component of intracellular signalling.