Cloning and characterization of human guanine deaminase. Purification and partial amino acid sequence of the mouse protein.

Mouse erythrocyte guanine deaminase has been purified to homogeneity. The native enzyme was dimeric, being comprised of two identical subunits of approximately 50,000 Da. The protein sequence was obtained from five cyanogen bromide cleavage products giving sequences ranging from 12 to 25 amino acids in length and corresponding to 99 residues. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis of expressed sequence databases enabled the retrieval of a human expressed sequence tag cDNA clone highly homologous to one of the mouse peptide sequences. The presumed coding region of this clone was used to screen a human kidney cDNA library and secondarily to polymerase chain reaction-amplify the full-length coding sequence of the human brain cDNA corresponding to an open reading frame of 1365 nucleotides and encoding a protein of 51,040 Da. Comparison of the mouse peptide sequences with the inferred human protein sequence revealed 88 of 99 residues to be identical. The human coding sequence of the putative enzyme was subcloned into the bacterial expression vector pMAL-c2, expressed, purified, and characterized as having guanine deaminase activity with a Km for guanine of 9.5 +/- 1.7 microM. The protein shares a 9-residue motif with other aminohydrolases and amidohydrolases (PGX[VI]DXH[TVI]H) that has been shown to be ligated with heavy metal ions, commonly zinc. The purified recombinant guanine deaminase was found to contain approximately 1 atom of zinc per 51-kDa monomer.

Creatine kinase in trout male germ cells: purification, gene expression, and localization in the testis.

High creatine kinase (CK) activity (16.5 +/- 7.6 IU/mg) is present in trout spermatozoa. In order to partly characterize the CK isozyme predominantly present in sperm and to study the expression of this protein in spermatogenesis, we purified to homogeneity a CK (s-CK) from trout sperm, by nitrogen cavitation followed by two chromatography steps (DEAE-Trisacryl and Blue Sepharose). Specific antisera to 5-CK were developed. A cDNA encoding for a CK named TCK1, and whose transcript shows enhanced testicular expression, was previously isolated from trout testis (Garber et al., 1990: Biochim Biophys Acta 1087:256-258). A CK subunit expressed in vitro by this cDNA cross-reacts with anti-s-CK. A 21-amino-acid residue sequence near the N-terminus of s-CK is identical to the cDNA-derived sequence of TCK1, which is unlike any previously reported CK sequence. Using in situ hybridization, the TCK1 mRNA was detectable in primary and secondary spermatocytes and in early spermatids. Immunohistochemical staining of testis and various organs revealed that s-CK was confined to testis and, in this organ, to late spermatids and spermatozoa. In gill, some cells exhibited a positive signal, but another study rules out the presence of s-CK in this organ (Garber et al., 1990: Biochim Biophys Acta 1087:256-258). These results demonstrate that s-CK/TCK1 is a germ cell-specific protein, the transcription of which starts in meiotic germ cells, while translation starts in late spermatids.

Phosphorylation of caldesmon by smooth-muscle casein kinase II.

A caldesmon kinase activity was partially purified from an extract of chicken gizzard smooth muscle by sequential chromatography on columns of DEAE-Sephacel, MonoQ and Superose 12. This kinase was identified as casein kinase II by Western blotting using peptide-directed antibodies raised against the alpha, alpha' and beta subunits of human casein kinase II; the smooth muscle enzyme consisted of similar subunits of M(r) 43,000 (alpha), 39,000 (alpha'), and 27,000 (beta). Phosphorylation of caldesmon and casein by smooth muscle casein kinase II was optimal at approximately 0.1 M NaCl, did not require second messengers, and was inhibited by heparin. The kinase utilized either GTP or ATP as a substrate. Caldesmon was phosphorylated to approximately 1 mol Pi mol-1 caldesmon by smooth muscle casein kinase II with a Km for caldesmon of 4.9 microM. Two-dimensional thin-layer electrophoresis indicated phosphate incorporation into both serine and threonine. All the incorporated phosphate was recovered in the N-terminal peptide (residues 1-152) generated by cleavage at cysteine 153 with 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid. Purification of tryptic phosphopeptides and N-terminal sequencing revealed two principal sites of phosphorylation: serine 73 and threonine 83. The following four synthetic peptides corresponding to this domain of caldesmon were examined as substrates of casein kinase II: A = RRREVNAQNSVAEEE; B = AQNSVAEEE; C = RSTDDEAA; D = SVAEEETKRSTDDE. Interestingly, only peptides C and D were phosphorylated and both only at threonine. Phosphorylation of intact caldesmon did not affect the pattern of chymotryptic digestion suggesting that it does not induce a significant conformational change in the protein substrate. Phosphorylation also had no effect on the binding of caldesmon to actin or on the caldesmon-mediated inhibition of actomyosin MgATPase activity. However, phosphorylation completely abolished the interaction of caldesmon with immobilized smooth muscle myosin. These results are consistent with the localization of the myosin-binding domain near the N-terminus of caldesmon and of the actin-binding domain near the opposite end of the elongated molecule. Casein kinase II may therefore play a role in regulating caldesmon-myosin interaction and the ability of caldesmon to cross-link actin and myosin filaments in smooth muscle.

Increased activity, amount, and altered kinetic properties of IMP dehydrogenase from mycophenolic acid-resistant neuroblastoma cells.

Mouse wild-type neuroblastoma cells (NB cells) were stepwise selected for 10,000-fold increased resistance to mycophenolic acid (NB-Myco cells), an inhibitor of IMP dehydrogenase (IMP:NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.205). IMP dehydrogenase activity was increased 25-fold, from 3.1 to 75 nmol/min.mg of protein; and a 56.7-kDa peptide was increased in abundance 200-500-fold in NB-Myco as compared to NB cells. Purification and sequence analysis confirmed that the abundant protein was IMP dehydrogenase. The stepwise selection, increased activity and protein abundance, and unstable phenotype are indirect evidence for a process of gene amplification. Kinetic findings consistent with an Ordered Bi Bi mechanism were indicative of IMP dehydrogenase having undergone mutation. The Michaelis constants were unchanged for IMP (14 and 13 microM) and increased 4-fold for NAD from 25 to 94 microM for NB and NB-Myco cells, respectively. The Ki for mycophenolic acid was increased 2400-fold from 1.4 nM to 3.4 microM for the enzyme from NB versus NB-Myco cells, and the Ki for XMP was increased 4-fold from 78 to 336 microM. Mycophenolic acid exhibited uncompetitive inhibition with IMP, consistent with the formation of a dead end E-XMP-inhibitor complex. The cellular GTP concentration was increased 2-fold in resistant cells and, upon removal of mycophenolic acid, further increased to 4.5-fold that of NB cells.

Purification and characterization of mouse protamines P1 and P2. Amino acid sequence of P2.

Two mouse protamines, denoted as P1 and P2, have been purified directly from mature sperm nuclei and characterized as distinct polypeptide species. The complete primary structure of P2 was determined by peptide sequencing analyses. P1 and P2 were purified by a sequence of cation-exchange chromatography on Bio-Rex 70 and permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel P10, both in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride. Biochemical analyses demonstrate P1 has a molecular weight of 7400 and is characterized by the presence of arginine, cysteine, lysine, and tyrosine. By contrast, P2 is unusual in containing an abundance of arginine, histidine, lysine, and cysteine, but no tyrosine. The primary structure of P2 was determined from the sequencing of overlapping, high-pressure liquid chromatography purified peptides generated by thermolysin and endoproteinase Lys-C digestions and by chemical cleavage at each of four serine residues. Sequence analyses have demonstrated that P2, with a molecular weight of 8841, contains 62 amino acids, in the sequence NH2-Arg-Gly-His-His-His-His-Arg-His-Arg-Arg-Cys- Ser-Arg-Lys-Arg- Leu-His-Arg-Ile-His-Lys-Arg-Arg-Arg-Ser-Cys-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-His-Ser- Cys-Arg - His-Arg-Arg- Arg-His-Arg-Arg-Gly-Cys-Arg-Arg-Ser-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-Cys-Arg-Cys-Arg- Lys-Cys - Arg-Arg- His-His-COOH. Thus, the primary structure includes six clusters of arginine and histidine, distributed throughout the polypeptide, each ranging from five to eight amino acids in length. Sequence comparisons of mouse and human protamines by the Dayhoff program have revealed greater homology exists between human P2 and mouse P2 than within the P1 family from the two mammalian species.

Rainbow trout protamines. Amino acid sequences of six distinct proteins from a single testis.

All the protamines present in detectable amounts in a single mature testis from rainbow trout have been purified to homogeneity using acid extraction, gel filtration chromatography on Bio-Gel P-10, ion-exchange chromatography on carboxymethylcellulose and reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. Each of the six purified protamines was completely sequenced using automated gas-phase Edman degradation. Each protamine is two-thirds arginine and also contains proline, serine, valine and glycine. Three protamines also contain alanine while two contain isoleucine. Four of the protamines have 32 amino acids while the remaining two have 30. The six protamines have been classified into three families on the basis of their amino acid sequences.

Human sperm protamines. Amino-acid sequences of two forms of protamine P2.

Human protamine P2 was purified to homogeneity by solubilizing whole spermatozoa in guanidinium X HCl containing 2-mercaptoethanol, alkylating the resulting protamine thiols with vinylpyridine, removing acid-insoluble material by acid dialysis and using CM-cellulose chromatography to remove non-protamine basic proteins and separate protamines P1 and P2. The P2 preparation contained two components, P2a and P2b, which were sequenced completely without being separated. The peptides obtained from thermolysin and endoproteinase Lys-C digestions were purified by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography and sequenced using a gas-phase sequencer. P2a contains 57 amino acids and has a relative molecular mass of 7636 while P2b contains 54 amino acids, which are identical to residues 4-57 of P2a, and has a relative molecular mass of 7242. Protamine P2a is approximately 50% homologous with human protamine P1. The amino acid sequence of P2a is: (sequence; see text)

Standards for Clostridium chauvoei vaccine--the relationship between the response of guinea pigs and sheep following vaccination and challenge with virulent C. chauvoei.

Twelve commercial 5-component clostridial vaccines with known variations in potency of the blackleg (Clostridium chauvoei) component, were simultaneously tested in sheep and guinea pigs. Controlled challenge experiments provided evidence of a highly significant correlation in the response of the 2 species. The guinea pig laboratory model is considered to be a valid indicator of field performance for vaccines containing blackleg antigen.

The amino acid sequence of human sperm protamine P1.

Human sperm protamines have been extracted from spermatozoa pooled from several donors, converted to their S-pyridylethylated derivatives and resolved into two major components, P1 and P2, by Bio-Rex 70 chromatography. Protamine P1 was further purified by Bio-Gel P-10 chromatography and sequenced directly on a gas phase protein sequencer for 43 residues. To complete the sequence, P1 was cleaved at methionine 36 and the C-terminal tetradecapeptide was purified by h.p.l.c. and sequenced completely. The 50 residue sequence is: (sequence see text) This sequence has a calculated molecular weight of 6674 and is homologous with four other published mammalian protamine sequences.

Endogenous amino acid pool sizes in mouse eggs and preimplantation embryos.

The endogenous pool sizes of 17 amino acids were measured directly in samples of mouse eggs, 8-cell embryos and blastocysts by estimation of the fluorescent product of the reaction of o-phthalaldehyde and primary amines. Taurine, glycine, alanine, glutamate and aspartate were detected at high levels. During the transition to the blastocyst, most amino acid pools increased 2-3-fold, but the taurine and glycine pools decreased to about 50 and 10%, respectively, of the egg value. The amino acid distribution in cumulus masses was similar to that of the egg and embryo samples but different from that of serum.

Lipoamide dehydrogenase from Malbranchea pulchella: isolation and characterization.

Lipoamide dehydrogenase (EC 1.6.4.3) has been isolated from a total homogenate of frozen mycelium of the thermophilic fungus Malbranchea pulchella var. sulfurea by a three-step procedure involving ammonium sulfate fractionation, Procion Brilliant Blue M-R--Sepharose 4B chromatography, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. The second step is the key purification step with the Procion Brilliant Blue M-R dye acting as an affinity ligand for the enzyme. The purified enzyme gave a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme is a dimer of molecular weight 102 000, and each monomer of 51 000 molecular weight binds one molecule of flavin adenine dinucleotide. Other properties determined include a pH optimum of 8.2, a strong specificity for the substrates dihydrolipoamide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, the apparent lack of multiple enzymic forms, the presence of diaphorase activity, and resistance to temperature denaturation up to 60 degrees C. The amino acid composition and absorption spectrum of the enzyme were also determined. The properties of lipoamide dehydrogenase from this source are very similar to those reported for the enzyme from serveral other sources.

Studies on phosphoglyceromutase from chicken breast muscle: number and reactivity of sulfhydryl groups.

Phosphoglyceromutase (PGM) from chicken breast muscle was titrated with p-mercuribenzoate (PMB), 5,5'-dithiobisnitrobenzoate (Nbs2), N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), iodoacetate and iodoacetamide. The effect of all of the sulfhydryl reagents, with the exception of NEM was to cause a loss in enzymatic activity. Addition of KCN following reaction with Nbs2 resulted in the recovery of a small amount of enzymatic activity. In the absence of substrate (3-phosphoglyceric acid) or cofactor (2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid) and in the presence or absence of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, six sulfhydryl groups per mole of enzyme were titrated with PMB.