Localization of Z-protein in isolated Z-disk sheets of chicken leg muscle.

Immunoblotting studies with antisera against Z-protein, desmin, and alpha-actinin showed that Z-protein is clearly distinguishable from desmin and alpha-actinin. Z-protein is not a proteolytic product of another protein but is an intrinsic component of chicken breast muscle myofibrils. In these experiments, an SDS extract of intact muscle was first electrophoresed in a polyacrylamide gel, and then proteins were transferred to a nitrocellulose paper sheet. Detection of each protein on the sheet was made possible by the application of the indirect immunofluorescence technique with the respective antiserum. Immunofluorescence microscope studies using these antisera revealed that Z-protein has the same distribution as alpha-actinin in isolated Z-disk sheets. Anti-Z-protein antiserum and anti-alpha-actinin antiserum stained the interior of Z-disks. On the other hand, antiserum against desmin stained the periphery of Z-disks in isolated Z-disk sheets.

The major myosin-binding domain of skeletal muscle MyBP-C (C protein) resides in the COOH-terminal, immunoglobulin C2 motif.

A common feature shared by myosin-binding proteins from a wide variety of species is the presence of a variable number of related internal motifs homologous to either the Ig C2 or the fibronectin (Fn) type III repeats. Despite interest in the potential function of these motifs, no group has clearly demonstrated a function for these sequences in muscle, either intra- or extracellularly. We have completed the nucleotide sequence of the fast type isoform of MyBP-C (C protein) from chicken skeletal muscle. The deduced amino acid sequence reveals seven Ig C2 sets and three Fn type III motifs in MyBP-C. alpha-chymotryptic digestion of purified MyBP-C gives rise to four peptides. NH2-terminal sequencing of these peptides allowed us to map the position of each along the primary structure of the protein. The 28-kD peptide contains the NH2-terminal sequence of MyBP-C, including the first C2 repeat. It is followed by two internal peptides, one of 5 kD containing exclusively spacer sequences between the first and second C2 motifs, and a 95-kD fragment containing five C2 domains and three fibronectin type III motifs. The C-terminal sequence of MyBP-C is present in a 14-kD peptide which contains only the last C2 repeat. We examined the binding properties of these fragments to reconstituted (synthetic) myosin filaments. Only the COOH-terminal 14-kD peptide is capable of binding myosin with high affinity. The NH2-terminal 28-kD fragment has no myosin-binding, while the long internal 100-kD peptide shows very weak binding to myosin. We have expressed and purified the 14-kD peptide in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein exhibits saturable binding to myosin with an affinity comparable to that of the 14-kD fragment obtained by proteolytic digestion (1/2 max binding at approximately 0.5 microM). These results indicate that the binding to myosin filaments is mainly restricted to the last 102 amino acids of MyBP-C. The remainder of the molecule (1,032 amino acids) could interact with titin, MyBP-H (H protein) or thin filament components. A comparison of the highly conserved Ig C2 domains present at the COOH-terminus of five MyBPs thus far sequenced (human slow and fast MyBP-C, human and chicken MyBP-H, and chicken MyBP-C) was used to identify residues unique to these myosin-binding Ig C2 repeats.

Trk C signaling is required for retinal progenitor cell proliferation.

Although neurotrophin actions in the survival of specific retinal cell types have been identified, the biological functions for neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in early retinal development remain unclear. Having localized NT-3 and trk C expression at early developmental stages when retinal neuroepithelial progenitor cells predominate, we sought to modulate NT-3 signaling in these cells by overexpressing a truncated isoform of the NT-3 receptor, trk C. We have demonstrated that this non-catalytic receptor can inhibit NT-3 signaling when coexpressed with the full-length kinase-active trk C receptor. Using a replication-deficient retrovirus to ectopically express the truncated trk C receptor to limited numbers of progenitor cells in ovo, we examined the effects of disrupted trk C signaling on the proliferation or differentiation of retinal cells. Clones expressing truncated trk C exhibited a 70% reduction in clone size, compared with clones infected with a control virus, indicating that inhibition of trk C signaling decreased the clonal expansion of cells derived from a single retinal progenitor cell. Additionally, impaired NT-3 signaling resulted in a reduction of all retinal cell types, suggesting that NT-3 targets retinal precursor cells rather than differentiated cell types. BrdU labeling studies performed at E6 indicate that this reduction in cell number occurs through a decrease in cell proliferation. These studies suggest that NT-3 is an important mitogen early in retinal development and serves to establish the size of the progenitor pool from which all future differentiated cells arise.

N-terminal 33 amino acid residues of Escherichia coli RecA protein contribute to its self-assembly.

To identify the functional domains in the RecA protein, we prepared the truncated RecA protein lacking its N-terminal 33 amino acid residues by limited tryptic digestion and found that this truncated protein was inefficient at self-assembly. To investigate the function of the N-terminal region further, we constructed the N-terminal truncated recA gene lacking the portion corresponding to the N-terminal 33 residues and prepared a large amount of its gene product. This truncated protein could bind to ATP, but it was defective in self-assembly, binding to single-stranded (ss)DNA and hydrolysis of ATP under normal conditions, although no significant alteration in its stability in comparison with the wild-type protein was observed. In the presence of MgCl2, however, this truncated protein could self-assemble, although a higher protein concentration and longer time than for the wild-type protein were required to complete the process. This truncated protein inhibited the ssDNA-dependent ATPase and ssDNA-binding activities of the wild-type protein. Furthermore, gel filtration chromatography showed that this truncated protein interacted with the wild-type protein and reduced the apparent size of its aggregates. These results suggest that this truncated protein interfered with polymerization of the wild-type protein via a direct protein-protein interaction, which resulted in inhibition of ssDNA-binding and ssDNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis. On the basis of these observations, we concluded that the N-terminal 33 amino acid residues of the RecA protein play an important role not only in protein-protein interaction but also in regulation of the self-assembly process.

Complete primary structure of vertebrate smooth muscle myosin heavy chain deduced from its complementary DNA sequence. Implications on topography and function of myosin.

The 1979 amino acid sequence of embryonic chicken gizzard smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC) have been determined by cloning and sequencing its cDNA. Genomic Southern analysis and Northern analysis with the cDNA sequence show that gizzard MHC is encoded by a single-copy gene, and this gene is expressed in the gizzard and aorta. The encoded protein has a calculated Mr of 229 X 10(3), and can be divided into a long alpha-helical rod and a globular head. Only 32 to 33% of the amino acid residues in the rod and 48 to 49% in the head are conserved when compared with nematode or vertebrate sarcomeric MHC sequences. However, the seven residue hydrophobic periodicity, together with the 28 and 196 residue repeat of charge distribution previously described in nematode myosin rod, are all present in the gizzard myosin rod. Two of the trypsin-sensitive sites in gizzard light meromyosin have been mapped by partial peptide sequencing to 99 nm and 60 nm from the tip of the myosin tail, where these sites coincide with the two "hinges" for the 6 S/10 S transition. In the head sequence, several polypeptide segments, including the regions around the putative ATP-binding site and the reactive thiol groups, are highly conserved. These areas presumably reflect conserved structural elements important for the function of myosin. A multi-domain folding model of myosin head is proposed on the basis of the conserved sequences, information on the topography of myosin in the literature, and the predicted secondary structures. In this model, Mg2+ ATP is bound to a pocket between two opposing alpha/beta domains, while actin undergoes electrostatic interactions with lysine-rich surface loops on two other domains. The actin-myosin interactions are thought to be modulated through relative movements of the domains induced by the binding of ATP.

Identification of chick rax/rx genes with overlapping patterns of expression during early eye and brain development.

We have isolated chick rax/rx cDNAs, cRaxL (chick Rax/Rx-like) and cRax, (chick Rax) and examined their expression patterns during early eye and brain development. The cRaxL cDNA encodes a 228 amino acid protein that is most closely related to the zebrafish Rx1 and Rx2. The cRax cDNA encodes a 317 amino acid protein, which shares higher homology with the Xenopus Rx. In addition to the homeodomain, the octapeptide and paired tail domains are conserved between the cRax and other vertebrate Rax/Rx, while cRaxL lacks the octapeptide containing N-terminal region which is conserved among all other members of the rax/rx gene family identified so far. The chick rax/rx genes are expressed in overlapping domains in the anterior neural ectoderm which corresponds to the forebrain and retina field, and later in the optic vesicle. cRax mRNA can be detected earlier than cRaxL prior to the formation of the notochord and its expression domain appears broader than that of cRaxL.

Retroviral vectors to study cardiovascular development.

The functioning of the vertebrate heart depends upon the proper organization of its complex structure: atrial and ventricular myocytes, the conduction system, the fibrous skeleton that forms the chambers and valves of the heart, the coronary vessels, and neural elements. Cell-type specific transgenic models for addressing molecular mechanisms regulating heart development necessitate controllable gene insertions into the precursors of each cell type forming the heart. The unique properties of retrovirus-based shuttle vectors provide a powerful tool for (a) identifying the origin and lineage relationships of all cell types forming the heart; and (b) gene targeting to the selected cell type and time point during heart development.

Conducting the embryonic heart: orchestrating development of specialized cardiac tissues.

The heterogeneous tissues of the pacemaking and conduction system comprise the "smart components" of the heart, responsible for setting, maintaining, and coordinating the rhythmic pumping of cardiac muscle. Over the last few years, a wealth of new information has been collected about the unique genetic and phenotypic characteristics expressed by these tissues during cardiac morphogenesis. More recently, genetically modified viruses, mutational analysis, and targeted transgenesis have enabled even more precise resolution of the relationships between cell fate, gene expression, and differentiation of specialized function within developing myocardium. While some information provided by these newer approaches has supported conventional wisdom, some fresh and unexpected perspectives have also emerged. In particular, there is mounting evidence that extracardiac populations of cells migrating into the tubular heart have important morphogenetic roles in the inductive pattering and functional integration of the developing conduction system.

Observation of RecA protein monomer by small angle X-ray scattering with synchrotron radiation.

RecA protein is capable of forming homo-oligomers in solution. The oligomeric and monomeric states of Thermus thermophilus RecA protein were studied by small angle X-ray scattering, a direct method used to measure the overall dimensions of a macromolecule. In the presence of 3 M urea or 0.2 M lithium perchlorate, RecA dissociates from higher oligomeric states to form a hexamer with a radius of gyration (R(g)) of 52 A. The value of R(g) decreased to 36 A at a higher lithium perchlorate concentration (1.0 M). The zero angle intensity, I(0), was consistent with the identification of the former state as a hexamer and the latter as a monomer.

Range of ventricular ectopic complexes in healthy subjects studied with repeated ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings.

The incidence and forms of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) in apparently healthy subjects were studied to determine long-term reproducibility of day to day variation on Holter electrocardiogram. The study included 152 men and 68 women ranging in age from 20 to 78 years who were having routine check-ups that revealed no cardiovascular abnormalities. In addition to routine measurements, Holter electrocardiography was recorded during daily life, and the total number of VPCs occurring during 24 hours was visually calculated on replayed electrocardiographic tracings. Forms of VPCs and incidence of VPCs in 10-year age groups of the subjects were also recorded. No VPCs were observed in 56% of the subjects; 93% showed less than 50 VPCs and the other 7% of the 220 subjects had greater than or equal to 50 VPCs. Forty-one of the 220 subjects returned for routine follow-up 1 year later. Repeated Holter electrocardiograms at this time showed high reproducibility of less than 50 VPCs. A small number of multiform VPCs were reproducible but paired VPCs were not. Physiologic definition of VPCs in healthy subjects appears to be clinically significant.

'Freezing' of the calcium-regulated structures of gizzard thin filaments by glutaraldehyde.

Reconstituted thin filaments (the actin-tropomyosin-leiotonin complex) of chicken gizzard were cross-linked with glutaraldehyde either in the presence or absence of Ca2+. The ability of resultant thin filaments to activate myosin ATPase was 'frozen' in the activated or inactivated state, respectively. This result clearly indicates the existence of actin-linked regulation in smooth muscle.

Detection of calcium binding proteins by 45Ca autoradiography on nitrocellulose membrane after sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis.

A new simple method of detecting calcium binding proteins in a protein mixture is described. A sample which might include calcium binding proteins was subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then electrophoretically transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane. The membrane was then incubated with 45Ca to detect calcium binding proteins as radioactive bands by autoradiography. Purified troponin-C, calmodulin, myosin DTNB light chain, and parvalbumin were clearly identified by this method. In the whole homogenate of chicken skeletal muscle, myosin DTNB light chain, troponin-C, and 55K calcium binding protein were found to be radioactive. In the frog skeletal muscle, small molecular weight proteins of approximately 13-15K and 70K protein appeared to be the calcium binding proteins. In the case of the carp skeletal muscle, small molecular weight proteins including parvalbumin and two proteins of about 80K seemed to bind calcium ion. Two high molecular weight calcium binding proteins were present in the scallop striated muscle. The procedure described can be completed within 24 h and can detect as little as 2 micrograms of calcium binding protein in the starting sample. Under appropriate conditions it was possible to detect only high affinity calcium binding proteins.

RecA protein has extremely high cooperativity for substrate in its ATPase activity.

The single-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase activity of Escherichia coli RecA protein, especially its cooperativity for ATP, was investigated. To measure the ATPase activity in detail, the methods and reaction conditions for the ATPase assay were reexamined. Under conditions where RecA protein always showed a maximal rate of ATP hydrolysis, its poly(dT)-dependent ATPase activity was measured. At 25 degrees C, increasing the concentration of RecA protein from 0.3 to 1.0 microM increased the turnover number (kcat) from 0.16 to 0.19 s-1 and the Hill coefficient (nH) for ATP from 9.3 to 11.6. At 0.5 microM RecA protein, increasing the temperature from 25 to 37 degrees C increased kcat from 0.18 to 0.35 s-1 but decreased nH from 9.8 to 6.6. Interestingly, the ATPase activity of RecA protein measured in this study showed much higher cooperativity for ATP than those reported to date. Furthermore, the nH value of 11.6 for ATP obtained here was the highest of any ATPase reported so far. These results suggest that the binding of an ATP molecule to a RecA molecule within a nucleoprotein helical filament causes structural change of many other neighboring RecA molecules. This implies that ATP binding induces structural change of the whole nucleoprotein helical filament. Finally, we demonstrated that analysis of cooperativity is useful for revealing how a protein composed of many subunits functions as a whole.

Identification of calcium binding proteins in two-dimensional gel electrophoretic pattern of Drosophila thorax and their distribution in two types of muscles.

Ten Drosophila thorax proteins (six myosin light chains and four proteins called a, b, c, d) were found to have high affinities with Ca2+. This was proved after subjecting the total Drosophila thorax proteins to two-dimensional (2D) transblot, followed by 45Ca2+ autoradiography. Three proteins (a, c, d) showed Ca2+ dependent electrophoretic mobility changes. To know their tissue-specific localization, fibrillar and tubular type muscle fibers were individually dissected from freeze-dried flies and separately subjected to 2D gel electrophoresis. Fibrillar type muscle had protein b and a small amount of protein a. Tubular type muscle had proteins c, d and a very large amount of protein a. Protein d was characterized to be calmodulin.

Separation and identification of Drosophila myosin light chains.

Myosin was extracted from the larvae and adult flies of Drosophila melanogaster, and purified by column chromatography in the presence of KI. Myosin light chains were separated from heavy chains by column chromatography after treatment of the myosin with urea, and they were identified by 2D-gel electrophoresis. Tubular muscles and fibrillar muscles have different light chains. Lt1 (Mw = 31,000), Lt2 (Mw = 30,000), Lt2' (Mw = 30,000), and Lt3 (Mw = 20,000) exist in the tubular myosin of both larvae and adult flies; Lf1 (Mw = 34,000), Lf2 (Mw = 30,000), Lf2' (Mw = 30,000), and Lf3 (Mw = 20,000) exist in the fibrillar myosin. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of myosin under nondissociating conditions revealed that there was one major myosin isozyme in each type of adult muscle, and the re-electrophoresis of each isozyme on SDS gel confirmed our identification of the light chains.

Gene expression of myofibrillar proteins in single muscle fibers of adult chicken: micro two dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis.

Using a micro two dimensional gel electrophoretic system and silver stain method, we examined the isoform patterns of myofibrillar proteins in single muscle fibers of adult chicken. Several isoforms of myosin light chains, tropomyosin, troponin T, troponin I, and troponin C were identified. Analysis of pectoral, anterior latissimus dorsi, sartorius and soleus muscle revealed that single fibers contained either fast or slow form of each of the troponin subunits, indicating that troponin exists as a 'homocomplex.' The form of troponin in a given cell was associated with that of myosin light chains. The form of tropomyosin, however, was not associated with those of myosin light chains and troponin, but was tissue specific. Overall, we found four combinations of isoforms of myosin light chains, troponin subunits and tropomyosin subunits. In adult dystrophic chicken the isoform patterns of tropomyosin and troponin T in single fibers of pectoral muscle markedly deviated from the normal patterns.

Ca2+ regulation in vascular smooth muscle.

Regulation of aorta smooth muscle contraction by Ca ion requires the collaboration of the 80,000 dalton factor and tropomyosin. A method for preparing pure actin from aorta smooth muscle is described.

Random mutagenesis of pullulanase from Klebsiella aerogenes for studies of the structure and function of the enzyme.

To study the structure and function of pullulanase from Klebsiella aerogenes, a method involving random mutagenesis of the entire gene for pullulanase was used. Out of 50,000 clones screened at high temperature, seven genes for mutant proteins were identified by DNA sequencing. The amino acid substitutions in the seven mutant proteins were clustered on the NH2-terminal side of the four conserved regions found in alpha-amylases. These mutant pullulanases were classified into two types: those whose catalytic activity was altered and those whose thermal stability was increased. The results presented here and in previous reports suggest that pullulanase from K. aerogenes has similar active sites to those of alpha-amylases with the four conserved regions, as well as another substrate-binding site closer to the NH2-terminus. The plate assay method used for isolation of thermostable variants may be applicable to the generation of useful variants of other enzymes.

Changes in myosin isozymes during development of chicken gizzard muscle.

The distribution of myosin isozymes in embryonic and adult chicken gizzard muscle were examined by electrophoresis in a non-denaturing gel system (pyrophosphate acrylamide gel electrophoresis), and both light and heavy chains of embryonic and adult myosin isozymes were compared. In pyrophosphate acrylamide gel electrophoresis, there were three isozyme components in embryonic gizzard myosin, but only one isozyme in adult gizzard myosin. The mobility of the fastest migrating embryonic isozyme was similar to that of the adult isozyme. The three embryonic isozymes differ from each other in the light chain distribution. Two of them contain an embryo-specific myosin light chain, which is characterized by its molecular weight and isoelectric point, whereas the other embryonic myosin isozyme contained the same light chains as the adult myosin. The pattern of peptide fragments of embryonic heavy chain produced by digestion with alpha-chymotrypsin in the presence of SDS was not distinguishable from that of adult myosin heavy chain. Thus there are myosin isozymes specific to embryonic gizzard muscle which exhibit embryo-specific light chain compositions, but are similar to adult gizzard myosin in their heavy chain structure.

Involvement of an acidic protein in regulation of smooth muscle contraction by the tropomyosin-leiotonin system.

An acidic Ca-binding protein of about 18,000 dalton, different from both modulator protein and troponin C, was found to be involved in the regulatory mechanism of smooth muscle contraction by the tropomyosin-leiotonin system.