Induction of ETS-1 and ETS-2 transcription factors is required for thyroid cell transformation.

The proteins of the Ets family are transcription factors involved in signal transduction, cell cycle progression, and differentiation. In this study, we report that thyroid cell neoplastic transformation is associated with a dramatic increase in ETS transcriptional activity, which is dependent on the accumulation of Ets-1, Ets-2, and other Ets-related proteins. Inhibition of ETS transactivation activity by the Ets-dominant negative construct (Ets-Z) induced programmed cell death in human thyroid carcinoma cell lines but not in normal thyroid cells. Apoptotic cell death induced by Ets-Z was dependent on the reduction of c-MYC protein levels, because it was prevented by overexpression of c-myc. Taken together, these data indicate that the induction of Ets-1 and Ets-2 transcription factors plays a pivotal role in thyroid cell neoplastic transformation.

Increase in AP-1 activity is a general event in thyroid cell transformation in vitro and in vivo.

We have recently reported that neoplastic transformation of two rat thyroid epithelial cell lines by retroviruses carrying the v-mos and v-ras Ki oncogenes is associated with a drastic increase of AP-1 activity. The most important effects were represented by the dramatic junB and fra-1 gene induction, which was abolished by the block of the transformation-induced HMGI-C protein synthesis. Here, we have further characterized the transformation-dependent AP-1 activity, by analysing the expression of different jun- and fos-related components, in rat thyroid cell lines transformed by several oncogenes, in human thyroid carcinoma cell lines, and in naturally occurring human thyroid tumours. A significant increase of Fra-1 and JunB protein levels was detected in all oncogene transformed rat thyroid cell lines. Fra-1 gene induction was demonstrated to occur also in human thyroid carcinoma cell lines and tissues. Conversely, c-Jun and JunD proteins, rather than JunB, accumulated in human thyroid carcinoma cell lines. An induction of AP-1 target genes was also detected both in rat and human thyroid transformed cell lines. Therefore, in vivo and in vitro thyroid cell transformation is associated with important compositional changes in the AP-1 complex and an increased transcriptional activity.

Conversion of egg-white lysozyme to a lectin-like protein with agglutinating activity analogous to wheat germ agglutinin.

Oligomers made of Asp-52-esterified lysozyme or native one showed agglutination for human, mouse, rat and chicken erythrocytes, and also for Hep G2 cells (liver carcinoma-derived cell line) [1] not weaker than wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). Oligomers of Asp-52-esterified lysozyme have about 4-fold stronger agglutinating activity than those of the native one. These results indicate that some enzymes can be converted to lectin-like proteins (neolectin) with binding characteristics similar to their substrate specificity.

Determination of lectin-sugar binding constants by microequilibrium dialysis coupled with high performance liquid chromatography.

We used high performance liquid chromatography to determine the concentrations of free ligands after equilibrium dialysis to examine lectin-sugar interactions. The binding of p-nitrophenyl 1-thio-alpha-mannoside, p-nitrophenyl N-acetyl-1-thio-beta-glucosaminide, and the pyridylamino derivative of Man6GlcNAc2 to concanavalin A and Triticum vulgaris lectin was examined. The binding constant, Ka, and the concentration of total binding sites, [L]t, were calculated from the trace amounts of sugars and lectins using the equation, [S]/[LS] = 1/Ka[L]t + [S]/[L]t, where [S] is the concentration of free ligand and [LS] the concentration of bound ligand.

Energy of binding of Aspergillus oryzae beta-glucosidase with the substrate, and the mechanism of its enzymic action.

Several beta-D-glucopyranosides (p-nitrophenyl, phenyl, and ethyl), 1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranosides, and phenyl 2-deoxy, 3-deoxy, 4-deoxy, and 6-deoxy beta-D-glucopyranosides were synthesized and used to study the mechanism of the enzymatic action of Taka-beta-glucosidase [EC 3.2.1.21 Aspergillus oryzae]. Kinetic constants of the enzyme for these glycosides were determined from S/V-S or 1/V-1/S plots, and the hydrolysis rates of these compounds with the enzyme, acid (3 N HCl) and alkali (3 N NaOH) were compared. Inhibition of the enzyme by 1,5-anhydroglucitol, glucal, dihydroglucal, and 1,6-anhydroglucopyranose was also examined. Glucal and 1,5-anhydroglucitol showed strong competitive inhibition. Free energy of binding of each hydroxyl group of glucosidic glucose with the enzyme was estimated from Kms of phenyl beta-glucoside and its deoxy analogues, and also Ki values of some inhibitors. The free energies of binding of 2-OH, 3-OH, 4-OH, and 6-OH were calculated to be 1.1, 2.4, 0.7, and 1.8 kcal/mol, respectively. The free energy of binding of phenoxide at C-1 (0.3 kcal/mol) was calculated from the Km of Ph-beta-Glc and Ki of 1,5-anhydroglucitol. The energy of binding of 5-CH2OH (2.3 kcal/mol) was obtained from the Km of Ph-beta-Glc and that of Ph-beta-Xyl. The sum (6.8 kcal/mol) of each partial binding free energy was close to the value of binding free energy of Ph-beta-Glc (7.0 kcal/mol) calculated by the equation; -delta Gbind = -RT ln Km-T delta Smix, showing that the methods of estimation of each binding energy used in the present study seemed reasonable. Glucal, having a pyranose form distorted slightly, showed strong competitive inhibition and the Ki of this inhibitor was smaller than the Km of Ph-beta-Glc, suggesting that the sugar ring bound to the active site was distored to a half chair form which is labile to acid hydrolysis.

Comparative studies of three exo-beta-glycosidases of Aspergillus oryzae.

beta-Glucosidase [beta-D-glucoside glucohydrolase EC 3.2.1.21] and beta-galactosidase [beta-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.23] of Takadiastase were purified by acetone fractionation, DEAE-cellulose, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. Purity was confirmed by disc electrophoresis, ultracentrifugation and measurement of other glycosidase activities which coexisted in Takadiastase. Molecular weight of the beta-glucosidase was 218,000 by sedimentation equilibrium and 110,000-116,000 by SDS-disc electrophoresis. Molecular weight of the beta-galactosidase was 112,000 by sedimentation and 56,000-59,000 by SDS-disc electrophoresis. These values showed that both enzymes consisted of two subunits. Taka-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase also consisted of two subunits. Both enzymes were glycoproteins containing glucosamine and neutral sugar. Stability, pH optima, isoelectric points, and some specificities were observed.

Affinity chromatography of glycosidases. Preparation and properties of affinity column adsorbents.

A number of adsorbents useful for purifying glycosidases were synthesized and their adsorption and characteristics were examined using partially purified glycosidase mixtures from Takadiastase or soybean. These adsorbents were prepared by coupling di-epsilon-aminocaproyl-p-aminophenyl N-acetyl-1-thio-beta-D-glucosaminide, beta-D-glucoside, beta-D-galactoside or alpha-D-mannoside with CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. Many glycosidases were adsorbed on the four adsorbents at low ionic strength, and increase of the ionic strength caused the enzymes to be eluted. However, the specificity of the adsorbents, contrary to our expection, was very low. All of these adsorbents adsorbed Taka N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase [EC 3.2.1.30], Taka beta-D-glucosidase [EC 3.2.1.21], and Taka beta-D-galactosidase [EC 3.2.1.23] at low ionic strength. The order of elution of these three enzymes by a linear gradient of ionic strength was the same in the four adsorbents, the order being beta-D-galactosidase, beta-D-glucosidase, and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. Soybean glycosidases also showed nearly the same elution pattern, though the ionic strength of the eluate was slightly lower than with Taka glycosidases. Soybean alpha-D-mannosidase [EC 3.2.1.24] was also adsorbed on these adsorbents, and was eluted between beta-D-glucosidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. These adsorption phenomena were not specific as regards the structure of the glycoside moiety, but they were useful for purifying glycosidases, possessing good reproducibility with easy activation and mild operating conditions.

Positions of disulfide bonds in riboflavin-binding protein of hen egg white.

Riboflavin-binding protein of hen egg white (egg-white RBP) comprised 219 amino acid residues and nine disulfide bonds. To identify the locations of these bonds, the native protein was oxidized with cyanogen bromide and digested with trypsin, thermolysin, and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. The cystine-containing peptides were isolated by HPLC. Amino acid analyses and amino acid sequence analyses of the reduced pyridylethylated derivatives of the cystine peptides showed that seven of the disulfide bonds were as follows: Cys(24)-Cys(73), Cys(57)-Cys(138), Cys(64)-Cys(110), Cys(99)-Cys(169), Cys(116)-Cys(134), Cys(103)-Cys(152), Cys(167)-Cys(202). The other two disulfide bonds were either Cys(5)-Cys(32) and Cys(33)-Cys(77) or Cys(5)-Cys(33) and Cys(32)-Cys(77).

Characterization of carbohydrate-binding specificity of concanavalin A by competitive binding of pyridylamino sugar chains.

Carbohydrate-binding specificity of Con A was characterized by competitive binding studies of pyridylamino (PA) sugar chains. PA-derivatives of 17 oligomannose-type sugar chains, Man1-9GlcNAc2-PA, and those of three complex-type sugar chains were used as ligands. The ratios of bound and free sugar concentrations, [LS]/[S], were determined by means of microequilibrium dialysis followed by high performance liquid chromatography as already reported [Mega, T. & Hase, S. (1991) J. Biochem. 109, 600-603]. The association constant, Ka, was calculated from [LS]/[S] of a sugar chain and that of a standard sugar chain by using the equation Ka = Ka0 x ([S0]/[LS0]) x ([LS]/[S]), where Ka0, [S0], and [LS0] are the association constant, and the free and bound ligand concentrations of the standard sugar chain, respectively. This calculation was effective for the determination of Ka of ligands with similar affinities to the standard sugar chain. The carbohydrate structures with highest affinity for Con A among those tested were found to be: [formula: see text]

Detection of Man5GlcNAc and related free oligomannosides in the cytosol fraction of hen oviduct.

The presence of free oligomannosides in cytosol has been demonstrated by metabolic radiolabeling, and Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3(Manalpha1-6)++ +Manbeta1-4GlcNAc was detected as the main free oligomannoside in Chinese hamster ovary cells [Kmiécik, D., Herman, V., Stroop, C.J.M., Michalski, J.C., Mir, A.M., Labiau, O., Verbert, A., and Cacan, R. (1995) Glycobiology, 5, 483-494]. In the present paper, the isomeric structures and amounts of oligomannosides in the cytosol fraction of hen oviduct were analyzed by pyridylamination and exoglycosidase digestion. Hen oviduct was used since our group has already characterized the cytosolic neutral alpha-mannosidase and endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase obtained from the same source. The amounts of Man2GlcNAc, Man3GlcNAc, Man4GlcNAc, and Man5GlcNAc were 0.6, 0.6, 0.5, and 0.8 nmol/g tissue, respectively, but Man6GlcNAc-Man9GlcNAc were not detected. The isomeric structures of the Man3GlcNAc-Man5GlcNAc found were (Manalpha1-2)0-2Manalpha1-3(Manalpha1-6)Manbeta1 -4GlcNAc, which were compatible with the substrate specificities of cytosolic endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and neutral alpha-mannosidase, indicating that these enzymes participate in the formation of the oligomannosides present in the cytosol.

Active-site-directed inactivation of Aspergillus oryzae beta-galactosidase with beta-D-galactopyranosylmethyl-p-nitrophenyltriazene.

beta-D-Galactopyranosylmethyl-p-nitrophenyltriazene (beta-GalMNT), a specific inhibitor of beta-galactosidase, was isolated as crystals by HPLC and its chemical and physicochemical characteristics were examined. Aspergillus oryzae beta-galactosidase was inactivated by the compound. We studied the inhibition mechanism in detail. The inhibitor was hydrolyzed by the enzyme to p-nitroaniline and an active intermediate (beta-galactopyranosylmethyl carbonium or beta-galactopyranosylmethyldiazonium), which inactivated the enzyme. The efficiency of inactivation of the enzyme (the ratio of moles of inactivated enzyme to moles of beta-GalMNT hydrolyzed by the enzyme) was 3%; the efficiency of Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase was 49%. In spite of the low efficiency, the rate of inactivation of A. oryzae enzyme was not very different from that of the E. coli enzyme, because the former hydrolyzed beta-GalMNT faster than the latter did. A. oryzae beta-galactosidase was also inactivated by p-chlorophenyl, p-tolyl, and m-nitrophenyl derivatives of beta-galactopyranosylmethyltriazene. However, E. coli beta-galactosidase was not inactivated by these triazene derivatives. The results showed that the inactivation of A. oryzae and E. coli beta-galactosidases by beta-GalMNT was an enzyme-activated and active-site-directed irreversible inactivation. The possibility of inactivation by intermediates produced nonenzymatically was ruled out for E. coli, but not for the A. oryzae enzyme.

Modifications of substituted seryl and threonyl residues in phosphopeptides and a polysialoglycoprotein by beta-elimination and nucleophile additions.

The beta-elimination and nucleophile addition reactions of the substituted serine and threonine residues were studied using several synthesized fluorescence-labeled phosphopeptides and a salmon egg polysialoglycoprotein (PSGP). The reagents used were 1 M CH3SH-0.43 M NaOH, 1 M NaBH4-0.1 M NaOH, 1 M CH3NH2-0.1 M NaOH, and 1 M Na2SO3-0.1 M NaOH. The beta-elimination reaction of a phosphoserine peptide, Gly-Ser(PO4)-Glu-AEAP, was about 20 times faster than that of the corresponding phosphothreonine peptide. The carboxyl-side amino acid of the phosphoamino acids in peptides greatly affected the beta-elimination rate. The beta-elimination reaction rates of O-glycosyl serine and threonine in the polysialoglycoprotein were similar and were about a half of that of the phosphoserine peptide. The rates of addition of the three nucleophiles and hydrogen to alpha-aminoacrylic acid (beta-elimination product of substituted serine) in the peptide decreased in the order of CH3SH, Na2SO3, CH3NH2, and H2(NaBH4), and the addition to alpha-aminocrotonic acid (beta-elimination product of substituted threonine) in the order of Na2SO3, CH3NH2, CH3SH, and H2. These results indicated that sulfite is the most recommended nucleophile because of its high addition rate. If sulfite addition is carried out in the presence of NaBH4, sugar chains can be released as alditols, converting the sugar-attaching amino acids to beta-sulfoamino acids.

Characterization of hen egg white- and yolk-riboflavin binding proteins and amino acid sequence of egg white-riboflavin binding protein.

White- and Yolk-riboflavin binding proteins were isolated from hen eggs, and characterized as to their chemical properties. White- and Yolk-RBPs had almost same amino acid compositions except for glutamic acid, but their carbohydrate compositions were different from each other. The complete amino acid sequence of White-RBP was determined by conventional methods. White-RBP comprised 219 amino acid residues, and the amino-terminus was pyroglutamic acid (pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid). Two amino acids, lysine and asparagine, were found at the fourteenth residue from the amino-terminus. Carbohydrate chains were linked to asparagine residues at positions 36 and 147. Both White- and Yolk-RBPs were phosphorylated. In White-RBP either six or seven of nine serine residues between Ser(185) and Ser(197) were phosphorylated. The amino acid sequences around phosphoserines showed that phosphorylation might occur at a serine residue in one of the following sequences; Ser-X-Glu or Ser-X-Ser(P).

Purification and characterization of hen oviduct alpha 1,2-mannosidase.

An alpha-mannosidase capable of hydrolyzing three Man alpha 1,2-residues from pyridylamine-(PA-) labeled Man9GlcNAc2 was purified from hen oviduct. The purity of the preparation was analyzed by PAGE; its molecular weight was 42,000 by SDS-PAGE or 50,000 by gel filtration. The pH optimum was 6.5. The enzyme was inactivated with EDTA; enzyme activity was restored by the addition of Ca2+. The enzyme activity was inhibited by 1-deoxymannojirimycin, but not by swainsonine. The substrate specificity of the purified enzyme was analyzed using PA-oligomannose-type sugar chains. When Man9GlcNAc2-PA was digested, Man alpha 1-6(Man alpha 1-2Man alpha 1-3)Man alpha 1-6(Man alpha 1-3)Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-4Glc-NAc-PA was obtained as an end product, and the enzyme was incapable of hydrolyzing p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-mannoside and Man alpha 1,3- or Man alpha 1,6-residues. Judging from these characteristics, the enzyme was classified as a Man9-mannosidase or Golgi mannosidase I and speculated to participate in the processing or catabolism of glycoproteins.

Purification and characterization of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from hen oviduct.

Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from hen oviduct (Endo-HO) was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation and then by column chromatographies on DEAE-Sephacel, hydroxyapatite, Octyl-Sepharose CL-4B, Co2+-chelating Sepharose FF, and YMC-Pack Diol-200G. Partial purification of the enzyme was reported previously [Tarentino, A.L. and Maley, F. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 6537-6543]. The molecular weight was 54,000 by gel filtration and 52,000 by SDS-PAGE in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, indicating that Endo-HO is composed of a single polypeptide chain. The optimum pH was 6.5, and the Km value was 25 microM when pyridylaminated Man6GlcNAc2 was used as a substrate. EDTA and metal cations tested, except Hg2+, had no effects on Endo-HO activity. Substrate specificity results using pyridylaminated N-linked sugar chains revealed that Endo-HO hydrolyzed oligomannose-type sugar chains faster than complex- and hybrid-type chains, and that sugar chains containing the Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3Manbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta1-GlcN Ac structure were good substrates for the enzyme. These findings suggest that in cytosol the enzyme contributes to the production of a free oligosaccharide with one reducing end N-acetylglucosamine residue in cooperation with neutral alpha-mannosidase, an enzyme that specifically hydrolyzes oligosaccharides to Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3(Manalpha1-6)++ +Manbeta1-4GlcNAc.

Quantitation and isomeric structure analysis of free oligosaccharides present in the cytosol fraction of mouse liver: detection of a free disialobiantennary oligosaccharide and glucosylated oligomannosides.

The amounts and isomeric structures of free oligosaccharides derived from N-linked sugar chains present in the cytosol fraction of perfused mouse liver were analyzed by tagging the reducing end with 2-aminopyridine followed by 2-dimensional HPLC mapping with standard sugar chains. Sixteen pyridylaminated (PA-) oligomannosides terminating with a PA-GlcNAc residue (GN1-type), three glucose-containing oligomannosides, and four oligomannosides terminating with a PA-di-N-acetylchitobiose (GN2-type) were detected. The total contents of the GN1- and GN2-type oligomannosides were 3. 4 and 0.5 nmol, respectively, per gram of wet tissue. Maltooligosaccharides (dimer to pentamer) were also detected, the total content of which was 13 nmol per gram of wet tissue. Besides these oligosaccharides, a PA-disialobiantennary sugar chain-the sole complex-type sugar chain-was also detected. All the oligomannosides identified had partial structures of Glc(3)Man(9)GlNAc(2)-p-p-dolichol, revealing that they were metabolic degradation products. Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3(Manalpha1-6)++ +Manbeta1-4GlcNAc (M5B') was the major oligomannoside, suggesting that cytosolic endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and neutral alpha-mannosidase participate in the degradation, because these enzymes have suitable substrate specificities for the production of M5B'. Degradation by these enzymes seems to be the main pathway by which oligomannosides are degraded in mouse cytosol; however, small amounts of Manalpha1-6(Manalpha1-3)Manalpha1-6(Manalpha1-3) Manbeta1-4(GlcNAc)1-2 and related oligomannosides together with parts of their structures were also detected, suggesting that there is another minor route by which cytosolic free oligomannosides are produced.

Structures of sugar chains of hen egg yolk riboflavin-binding protein.

The structures of the sugar chains of hen yolk riboflavin-binding protein (RBP) were established. Asparagine-linked sugar chains of yolk-RBP were liberated by hydrazinolysis. Free amino groups of the sugar chains were acetylated and the reducing-end sugar residues were tagged with 2-aminopyridine. Fluorescent pyridylamino (PA-) derivatives of the sugar chains were purified by gel-filtration and reversed-phase HPLC. Seven PA-sugar chains were isolated, and the structure of each was determined by composition analysis, sequential exoglycosidase digestion, methylation analysis, and 500-mHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy. These analyses showed that the main sugar chains had sialylbiantenna and sialyltriantenna structures. PA-sugar chains of plasma-RBP were also isolated, and the structures of the PA-sugar chains of yolk- and plasma-RBPs were compared as to their elution patterns on anion-exchange chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC. The plasma RBP had almost the same sugar chains as the yolk RBP did, indicating that sugar chains are not modified during incorporation into the oocyte.

Isolation of the alpha and beta subunits of canine (Na+,K+)ATPase by using SDS-PAGE and lectin-Sepharose.

(Na+,K+)ATPase from dog kidney was solubilized and denatured by SDS treatment, then applied to a Con A- and WGA-Sepharose column. While the alpha subunit of the ATPase had no affinity for either of the lectin-Sepharoses, the beta subunit specifically bound to WGA-Sepharose and was eluted with N-acetylglucosamine. This property was utilized for the isolation of the alpha and beta subunits by using lectin-Sepharoses and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino acid composition of the alpha subunit thus isolated was in reasonable agreement with the data reported by Kyte (Kyte, J. (1972) J. Biol. Chem. 247, 7642-7649). The amino acid and carbohydrate compositions of the beta subunit were, however, different from his data. The beta subunit contained little histidine (0.1 mol/100 mol amino acid) and a very large amount of carbohydrates (33%). The antibody raised against alpha or beta subunit reacted specifically with the corresponding subunit and with protease-fragmented alpha subunit and neuraminidase-treated beta subunit, respectively, but no cross-reactivity was observed between the two subunits. These results indicate that our alpha and beta subunits were highly purified.

Purification and characterization of the neutral endopeptidase from human kidney.

The presence of an endopeptidase hydrolyzing succinyl trialanine-p-nitroanilide [Suc(Ala)3-pNA] to Suc(Ala)2 and Ala-pNA in human kidney and its partial characterization have been reported (Ishida et al. (1981) Biochem. Int. 3, 239-246). This neutral metallo-endopeptidase was separated into two fractions (A and B) on Sephacryl S-300 and fraction B was further purified to an electrophoretically pure state. The fraction B enzyme had a molecular weight of 100,000 and was inhibited by metal chelators such as EDTA, o-phenanthroline and phosphoramidon, but not by serine protease inhibitors. The enzyme was found to hydrolyze peptide bonds preferentially at the amino sides of hydrophobic amino acids such as Leu and Phe, when its specificity was studied using insulin B chain and angiotensin I. Fraction A seems to be a tetramer of fraction B, judging from its molecular weight, pI, substrate specificity and immunological properties.

Purification and characterization of chitinase produced by Streptomyces erythraeus.

A chitinase was purified from the culture filtrate of Streptomyces erythraeus (SE). The enzyme (SE chitinase) has a molecular weight of 30,000 and pI 3.7, and shows optimal activity at pH 5.0 with an optimal ionic strength of less than 0.2 M NaCl. SE chitinase could hydrolyze chitin and its derivatives, but could not hydrolyze cell walls of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. The substrate specificity of SE chitinase was compared with those of hen egg white (HEW) and SE lysozymes. The binding mode of the chitinase to substrates was investigated using chitooligosaccharides and their derivatives. The results showed that the binding mode of SE chitinase to the substrate is similar to that of HEW and SE lysozymes.