Gelatinization and pasting properties of rice starch modified with 2-octen-1-ylsuccinic anhydride.

Rice starch was modified with various levels of 2-octen-1-ylsuccinic anhydride (OSA). Treatments with OSA at 3, 5, and 10% resulted in starch derivatives with 0.016, 0.033, and 0.070 degrees of substitution (DS), respectively. Thermovisco properties of the derivatives were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rapid visco analysis (RVA). Water content in the sample was found to have a significant effect on the characteristics of the DSC endotherm. Pasting properties of the OSA-starch and the effect of pH and salt on the RVA profiles were also studied. In general, with increased OSA-modification, the starch derivatives swelled and gelatinized at lower temperatures to achieve higher viscosities. Specifically, based on DSC analysis at 80% water, the peak temperature of gelatinization decreased from 68.5 to 63.2 degrees C as the OSA modification increased in DS from 0 (intact starch) to 0.070. On the other hand, RVA results indicate that, for samples undergoing similar increase in OSA modification, the pasting temperature decreased from 88.7 to 51.5 degrees C and the peak viscosity increased from 668 to 6822 cP.

Treatment with succinic anhydride improves the immunogenicity of Shigella flexneri type 2a O-specific polysaccharide-protein conjugates in mice.

Seroepidemiological data and a clinical trial with a Shigella sonnei O-specific polysaccharide (O-SP)-Pseudomonas aeruginosa recombinant exoprotein A (rEPA) conjugate provide evidence that a critical level of immunoglobulin G (IgG) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies in serum confers protection against shigellosis. We evaluated the immunogenicity of conjugates whose carrier proteins and O-SPs were treated with succinic anhydride (SA), which reacts with amino groups at neutral pH to form amide-linked carboxyls (succinylation). Conjugates were synthesized with either of two genetically inactivated medically useful toxins, the diphtheria protein CRM9 or rEPA, bound to the O-SP of Shigella flexneri type 2a. Conjugates composed of the succinylated protein, succinylated O-SP, or both succinylated components were administered to mice by a clinically relevant scheme, and their levels of serum IgG anti-LPS and anti-proteins were assayed 7 days after the second and third injections. CRM9 served as a more immunogenic carrier than rEPA. Conjugates composed of succinylated components were more immunogenic than the conjugates composed of the native components. SA treatment of both the carrier protein and the O-SP did not confer an advantage over the succinylated protein alone. Conjugates prepared with native proteins, in general, elicited slightly higher levels of IgG protein antibodies than conjugates composed of the SA-treated proteins.

[Hemoglobin alpha chain isoelectric point modification under the action of urea, sodium cyanate, succinic anhydride or diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid anhydride]. / Modifications du point isoélectrique de la chaine-alpha de l'hémoglobine sous l'action de l'urée, du cyanate de sodium, de l'anhydride succinique ou de l'anhydride diéthylène triamine pentaacétique.

A monomeric protein, the hemoglobin alpha chain, was used to compare four protocols for conjugation with diethylene triamine pentaacetic (DTPA) anhydride. Carbamylation and succinylation were also performed. The isoelectric point (pI) was 7.7 for the native protein versus only 5.5 to 7.3 for the five carbamylated derivatives and 4.0 to 7.0 for the six succinylated derivatives. With carbamylation or succinylation, increasing the molar ratio (agent/protein) was associated with a gradual downward pI shift producing trains of bands. This phenomenon did not occur with DTPA conjugation, whose results varied with the method used; only one derivate (pI 6.7) was produced by all four methods, and multiple fine bands with pH values in the vicinity of 3.6 were seen. For the protein, the pI shift varied with the number of groups inserted on the primary amine residues. Also, the shift was larger if the inserted groups carried electrically-charged moieties.

[Passive Ca2+ influx into vesicles of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, modified by succinic anhydride]. / Passivnyi vkhod Ca2+ v vezikuly sarkoplazmaticheskogo retikuluma, modifitsirovannye iantarnym angidridom.

Treatment of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles with succinic anhydride in concentration of 1-2 mM modifies about 20% of amino groups. It increases initial rate and changes the pH-dependence of the passive influx of Ca2+ into vesicles and does not affect either Ca(2+)-binding or maximal passive Ca(2+)-loading of the SR vesicles. It is supposed that this effect may be caused by modification of the Ca-channel gating behaviour as a result of replacement of positive surface amino groups by carboxyl groups.

Modification of potassium channel kinetics by amino group reagents.

We have examined the actions of several amino group reagents on delayed rectifier potassium channels in squid giant axons. Three general classes of reagents were used: (1) those that preserved the positive charge of amino groups; (2) those that neutralize the charge; and (3) those that replace the positive with a negative charge. All three types of reagents produced qualitatively similar effects on K channel properties. Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) neutralizes the peptide terminal amino groups and the epsilon-amino group of lysine groups. TNBS (a) slowed the kinetics of macroscopic ionic currents; (b) increased the size of ionic currents at large positive voltages; (c) shifted the voltage-dependent probability of channel opening to more positive potentials but had no effect on the voltage sensitivity; and (d) altered several properties of K channel gating currents. The actions of TNBS on gating currents suggest the presence of multiple gating current components. These effects are not all coupled, suggesting that several amino groups on the external surface of K channels are important for channel gating. A simple kinetic model that considers the channel to be composed of independent heterologous subunits is consistent with most of the modifications produced by amino group reagents.

Avidin acylation prevents the complement-dependent lysis of avidin-carrying erythrocytes.

Non-covalent binding of avidin to biotinylated erythrocytes results in complement-dependent haemolysis. Biotinylated erythrocytes, as well as native cells, are not lysed by complement. Complement activation requires a tight contact between avidin and the erythrocyte membrane, since avidin does not in itself activate complement and does not inhibit lysis of sensitized sheep erythrocytes. The efficiency of haemolysis depends on avidin's surface density. When the avidin concentration in the reaction mixture is less than 15 micrograms/ml, erythrocyte lysis is not induced. However, the attachment of biotinylated antibodies to avidin-carrying erythrocytes decreases dramatically. Acylation of avidin with succinic anhydride strongly decreases its ability to induce complement-dependent haemolysis. However, the ability of avidin to cross-link the biotin-containing structures decreases after acylation. A 50% modification of avidin by succinic anhydride (pI about 7.0) allows preparation of 'immunoerythrocytes', which retain their affinity to antigen and stability in the presence of complement.

Effect of chemical modification of lysine amino groups on redox and protonmotive activity of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase reconstituted in phospholipid membranes.

A study is presented of the effect of chemical modification of lysine amino groups on the redox and protonmotive activity of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase. Treatment of soluble oxidase with succinic acid anhydride resulted in succinylation of lysines in all the subunits of the enzyme. The consequent change of surface charges from positive to negative resulted in inversion of the orientation of the reconstituted enzyme from right-side-out to inside-out. Reconstitution of the oxidase in phospholipid vesicles prevented succinylation of subunits III and Vb and depressed that of other subunits with the exception of subunits II and IV which were predominantly labeled in a concentration-dependent manner by succinic acid anhydride. This modification of lysines produced a decoupling effect on redox-linked proton ejection, which was associated with a decrease of the respiratory control exerted by the delta pH component of PMF. The decoupling effect was directly shown to be exerted at the level of the pH-dependent rate-limiting step in intramolecular electron flow located on the oxygen side of heme a.

Influence of surface charge on the incorporation and orientation of cytochrome c oxidase in liposomes.

Cytochrome c-oxidase is usually oriented 80-90% right-side-out when reconstituted with asolectin by the cholate dialysis method. Transformation of positively charged lysine groups at the matrix domain into negatively charged groups with succinic anhydride results in random orientation. A random orientation is also found after reconstitution in phosphatidylcholine, which can be changed into predominant right-side-out orientation by addition of cardiolipin. It is concluded that electrostatic interaction between positively charged groups of cytochrome c-oxidase with negative groups of phospholipids determines the asymmetric orientation of the enzyme in liposomes.

Chemical modification and composition of tetrameric isozyme K of alkaline phosphatase from harp seal intestinal mucosa.

1. The carbohydrate content of isozyme K of alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) from harp seal intestinal mucosa was examined. The presence of N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine and considerable amounts of mannose residues was shown. 2. The amino acid content of seal alkaline phosphatase was determined. A high extent of homology (85%) between bovine and seal alkaline phosphatases was demonstrated. 3. By chemical modification lysine, dicarboxylic acids, arginine and tyrosine residues of tetrameric seal alkaline phosphatase are located near or at the active site. By contrast, the modification of either thiol or imidazole groups resulted in no alterations of the enzyme activity. 4. It has been demonstrated that inorganic phosphate is an inhibitor of alkaline phosphatase and entirely prevents the enzyme inactivation with succinic anhydride.

[Obtaining immune sera to high-titre thyroxine for immunoassay]. / Poluchenie antisyvorotok k tiroksinu s vysokimi titrami dlia tselei immunologicheskogo analiza.

A method of synthesis of L-thyroxine-protein conjugates was described. It included an additional step of acylation of thyroxine by succinic anhydride. The acylated derivative was activated by carbodiimide to produce a compound which could react with the protein amino-groups. Protein conjugates with a high thyroxine content (over 20 thyroxine residues per molecule) were synthesized with minimal protein cross-linking using this method. The excess of acylated thyroxine was easily dialized against alkaline buffer. The rabbits immunized monthly with such conjugates gave antisera with high titers (1:2000-1:4000 by the ELISA method) in 9-13 weeks after the first injection. The method can be applied to other thyroid hormones and some-molecular-weight antigens.

Chemical modification studies on a lectin from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast).

The effect of chemical modification on a galactose-specific lectin isolated from a fatty acid auxotroph of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated in order to identify the type of amino acids involved in its agglutinating activity. Modification of 50 free amino groups with succinic anhydride or citraconic anhydride led to an almost complete loss of activity. This could not be protected by the inhibitory sugar methyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside. Treatment with N-bromosuccinimide and N-acetylimidazole, for the modification of tryptophan and tyrosine residues, did not affect lectin activity. Modification of carboxy groups with glycine ethyl ester greatly affected lectin activity, although sugars afford partial protection. Modification of four thiol groups with N-ethylmaleimide was accompanied by a loss of 85% of the agglutinating activity, and two thiol groups were found to be present at the sugar-binding site of the lectin. Modification of 18 arginine residues with cyclohexane-1,2-dione and 26 histidine residues with ethoxyformic anhydride led to a loss of lectin activity. However, in these cases, modification was not protected by the abovementioned inhibitory sugar, suggesting the absence of these groups at the sugar-binding site. In all the cases, immunodiffusion studies with modified lectin showed no gross structural changes which could disrupt antigenic sites of the lectin.

Elimination and restoration of voltage dependence in the mitochondrial channel, VDAC, by graded modification with succinic anhydride.

The major permeability pathways of the outer mitochondrial membrane are the voltage-gated channels called VDAC. It is known that the conductance of these channels decreases as the transmembrane voltage is increased in the positive or negative direction. These channels are known to display a preference for anions over cations of similar size and valence. It was proposed (Doring & Colombini, 1985b) that a set of positive charges lining the channel may be responsible for both voltage dependence and selectivity. A prediction of this proposal is that progressive replacement of the positive charges with negative charges should at first diminish, and then restore, voltage dependence. At the same time, the channel's preference for anions over cations should diminish then reverse. Succinic anhydride was used to perform these experiments as it replaces positively charged amino groups with negatively charged carboxyl groups. When channels, which had been inserted into phospholipid membranes, were treated with moderate amounts of the anhydride, they lost their voltage dependence and preference for anions. With further succinylation, voltage dependence was regenerated while the channels became cation selective. The voltage needed to close one-half of the channels increased in those treatments in which voltage dependence was diminished. As voltage dependence was restored, the voltage needed to close half of the channels decreased. The energy difference between the open and closed state in the absence of an applied field changed little with succinylation, indicating that the procedure did not cause large changes in VDAC's structure but specifically altered those charges responsible for voltage gating and selectivity.

Effect of succinylation on images of negatively stained arrays of mitochondrial outer membrane channels.

The voltage-dependent anion-selective channels of the outer membrane of Neurospora mitochondria occur in two-dimensional crystalline arrays. Electron microscopic images of negatively stained arrays have been compared for normal membranes and membranes pretreated with succinic anhydride, which changes the functional characteristics of the channel. Succinic anhydride does not alter the lattice parameters or the long-range order in the arrays. Also, it has no significant effect on correlation averages of channel arrays embedded in uranyl acetate. Thus, functional changes induced in the channel by succinic anhydride are probably not due to large-scale conformational changes. The distribution of the anionic stain phosphotungstate on the mitochondrial channel arrays is significantly altered by succinic anhydride pretreatment. There are loci on the channels of reduced phosphotungstate accumulation following succinylation. Since phosphotungstate selectively stains positively charged amino acids, it is proposed that these loci may represent clusters of functionally important, exposed basic amino acids.

[Peroxidase activity of succinylated catalase]. / Peroksidaznaia aktivnost' suktsinilirovannoi katalazy.

The catalase succinylation by succinic anhydride excess results in an almost complete dissociation of the enzyme into subunits possessing no catalase activity. The catalase subunits show the peroxidatic activity on o-dianisidine oxidation. The oxidation kinetics of this substrate by the succinylated enzyme was studied at various temperatures. The activation energy for this process is 10.1 kcal/mole. Within the temperature range of 31-65.5 degrees, the succinylated enzyme thermostability was studied by monitoring the peroxidatic activity decrease upon o-dianisidine oxidation. The activation energy for the succinylated catalase thermoinactivation equals to 15.5 kcal/mole. The peroxidatic activity of catalase subunits obtained by enzyme succinylation and acidic solution treatment was compared to that of horseradish peroxidase in the oxidation of the same substrate, i.e., o-dianisidine.

Role of lysines in mediating interaction of modified low density lipoproteins with the scavenger receptor of human monocyte macrophages.

The ability of the scavenger receptor of human monocyte macrophages to recognize human low density lipoproteins (LDL) progressively modified by three lysine-specific reagents, malondialdehyde, acetic anhydride, or succinic anhydride, has been investigated. Regardless of the reagent utilized, receptor-mediated uptake was dependent upon modification of greater than 16% of the peptidyl lysines rather than upon the net negative charge of derivatized LDL. Rates of lysosomal hydrolysis of acetyl-LDL and succinyl-LDL increased as a function of progressive modification and reflected the amount of derivatized LDL binding to the receptor. Succinylation or acetylation of greater than 60% of the lysines was necessary to attain maximal ligand binding, internalization, and degradation. In contrast, modification of only 16% of the peptidyl lysines by malondialdehyde resulted in maximal levels of binding, uptake, and hydrolysis. The expression of receptor recognition site(s) appears to depend upon the charge modification of critical lysine residues of the LDL protein rather than the net negative charge of the lipoprotein complex. Malondialdehyde, a bifunctional reactant, may modify surface and sequestered lysines concomitantly and thus promote efficient formation of the recognition site(s).

Alterations in nuclear anatomy by chemical modification of proteins in isolated rat liver nuclei.

Whole rat liver nuclei were treated with citraconic anhydride, a reagent specific for primary amines. Dramatic changes were observed in nuclear morphology and light scattering properties. An analysis for DNA and RNA content suggested that DNA was released from the nuclei with a short half-time, approximately 2-4s demonstrating a biphasic release profile. RNA was similarly released but with a monophasic profile. Analysis of SDS-PAGE gels of modified nuclei demonstrated a progressive enrichment of nuclear matrix (lamins) polypeptides with extent of modification. H1 histone was quantitatively lost as a function of modification reagent concentration, while approx. 50% of the nucleosomal histones cosedimented with DNA- and RNA-free nuclei. Modification in the presence of 2 mM EGTA released all the DNA and RNA [less than or equal to 1% remaining) while retaining structures characteristic of nuclear matrix, nucleoli, and ribonucleoprotein (predominantly hnRNA group A and B). These nucleic acid-deficient structures have been termed nuclear fossils to differentiate them from high salt detergent-prepared empty nuclear sacks, nuclear remnants, or nuclear scaffolds. Modification in the presence of 2% Triton X-100 results in structures similar to the nuclear fossils (EGTA treatment), but missing the double bilayer and a 51K polypeptide that is a major component of the other structures. The use of chemical modification on the nucleus provides an experimental approach for examining the role of ionic interactions in controlling nuclear structure. Citraconylation may thus serve two functions: (a) as a protein-specific perturbant of nuclei capable of simply and rapidly preparing a range of structural variants for the analysis of nuclear interactions; (b) offer a paradigm for control of nucleic acid-polypeptide interactions based on post-translational alterations in protein charge.

Noncovalent interactions of a 26,000-dalton peptide with 19 S human thyroglobulin.

Extensive succinylation of 19 S normal human thyroglobulin having a high iodine content results in the formation of a 26,000-Da peptide. One-half mole of the peptide is obtained from 1 mol of the high molecular weight glycoprotein. The dissociation of the peptide is accompanied by the appearance of an intense absorption band which has a maximum at 264 nm. The absorption band is associated exclusively with the 26,000-Da peptide. The amino acid composition of the peptide differs from 19 S thyroglobulin by having no cysteine and higher contents of serine, alanine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine, glycine, isoleucine, and histidine. The peptide also has a high thyroxine content. There were no detectable carbohydrates in the peptide. The fluorescence spectrum of the 26,000-Da peptide shows an emission maximum at 405 nm which we have recently assigned to iodotyrosine-iodotyrosine interactions (Shifrin, S., Consiglio, E., and Kohn, L. D. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 3780-3786). A 26,000-Da peptide with the same physicochemical properties is found in extracts of normal human thyroid glands.

Reevaluation of the role of the polar groups of collagen in the platelet-collagen interaction.

Chemical modification of collagen is a tool for exploring the platelet-collagen interaction. Since collagen must polymerize prior to the initiation of platelet aggregation and secretion, modification must be shown to affect platelet-collagen interaction and not collagen-collagen interaction. To address this point, the authors carried out the following chemical modifications on soluble monomeric collagen and preformed fibrillar collagen in parallel: 1) N-and O-acetylation, 2) esterification of the carboxyl groups, 3) succinylation of the free amino groups, 4) esterification of succinylated collagen. Intrinsic viscosity studies of the modified soluble collagens were consistent with normal triple helix conformation. Electron microscopy revealed all modified fibrillar collagen to maintain a fibrillar structure. Platelet aggregation and secretion of 14C-serotonin and platelet factor 4 by soluble and fibrillar collagen, respectively, were studied in human platelet-rich plasma. Neutralization of polar groups by 1) totally abolished aggregation and secretion by both collagens, while blocking acidic groups 2) resulted in enhanced aggregation and secretion by both soluble and fibrillar collagen. Blockage of amino groups by 3) abolished aggregation and secretion by both collagens. Esterified succinylated collagen 4) caused aggregation and secretion at relatively high collagen concentrations. These data support the theory that positive groups of collagen are important in platelet-collagen interaction.

Studies on the modification of Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L7/L12 by succinic anhydride.

Lysine modification by increasing quantities of succinic anhydride in the Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L7/L12 produces loss of its ability in reconstitution of elongation-factor-G-dependent GTP hydrolysis and polyphenylalanine synthesis activities, showing lower antigenicity and loss of antigenic determinants.