Two structural states of complexes of peptide and class II major histocompatibility complex revealed by photoaffinity-labeled peptides.
(41/1923)
The complex of the murine class II histocompatibility molecules I-A(k) with high affinity binding peptides were resistant to denaturation when examined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at various pH levels. In contrast, complexes made with low affinity binding peptides were highly sensitive to denaturation by SDS. This effect was more pronounced at low pH. Placing a photoactivatable probe at the amino terminus of the peptides resulted in their covalent linkage to soluble I-A(k) molecules. We found an inverse relationship between the capacity of peptides to form SDS-stable complexes with I-A(k) and their extent of covalent association with either the alpha or beta chain. The relationship held true for three different peptides in which the main anchor residues were changed so as to affect their binding affinity for I-A(k) molecules. Thus, high affinity peptides generate a complex in which the motion of their amino termini was restricted, whereas complexes of low affinity peptides are more flexible. In agreement with this observation, complexes of I-A(k) with high affinity peptides were highly resistant to proteolysis, in contrast to those formed with weakly binding peptides, which were more likely to be cleaved. Complexes with low affinity peptides generate a structure with enhanced flexibility as compared with complexes with high affinity peptides. (+info)
Antibodies from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) sera define differential release of autoantigens from cell lines undergoing apoptosis.
(42/1923)
SLE is an autoimmune disease characterized by a wide range of anti-cellular and anti-nuclear autoantibodies. Many of these antigens are exposed or altered during apoptosis when the nucleus is dismantled in a controlled manner by caspases. We used Western blotting techniques to demonstrate that autoantibodies in SLE sera recognize antigens released during apoptosis. Reproducible bands, not seen in the untreated cells, with the characteristics of histones were seen when staining apoptotic cell lysates with SLE sera. Normal sera recognized some of these bands but much less strongly. Different triggers of apoptosis did not produce marked differences in the antigens recognized. We also compared different cell lines (Jurkat and U937) and found that the staining differed for one autoantigen in particular. The differential release of autoantigens by apoptotic cells may have relevance to the variety of autoantibodies seen in SLE. (+info)
Solution structure of neuromedin B by (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
(43/1923)
The solution structure of neuromedin B (NMB) was investigated using two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in membrane-mimicking environments. NMB adopts a relaxed helical conformation from Trp(4) to Met(10) in 50% aqueous 2,2, 2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) solution and in 150 mM SDS micelles. Sidechain atoms of the three residues, Trp(4), His(8) and Phe(9) orient toward the same direction and these residues might play a key role on interacting with hydrophobic acyl chains of the phospholipids in the membrane. NOESY experiments performed on NMB in non-deuterated SDS micelle show that aromatic ring protons of Trp(4) and Phe(9) residues are in close contact with methylene protons of SDS micelles. In addition, proton longitudinal relaxation data proved that the interactions between NMB with SDS micelle are characterized as extrinsic interaction. Trp(4) and Phe(9) seem to be important in interaction with receptor and this agrees with the previous studies of structure-activity relationship (Howell, D.C. et al. (1996) Int. J. Pept. Protein Res. 48, 522-531). These conformational features might be helpful in understanding the molecular mechanism of the function of NMB and developing the efficient drugs. (+info)
Distinct molecular structures of nuclear class I, II, and III DNA-dependent RNA polymerases.
(44/1923)
Class III RNA polymerases purified from the murine plasmacytoma MOPC 315 and from Xenopus laevis ovaries were compared. The subunit structures of the chromatographically distinct murine enzymes IIIA and IIIB were indistinguishable and were remarkably similar to that of the amphibian enzyme III. The plasmacytoma class III RNA polymerases were also compared with purified plasmacytoma RNA polymerases I and II. Sedimentation studies indicated that RNA polymerase III si significantly larger than RNA polymerase II, which is slightly larger than RNA polymerase I. Structural analyses showed that the molecular weights of the large subunits present in the class III enzymes (138,000 and 155,000) differ from those of the class II enzymes (140,000 and either 170,000, 205,000, or 240,000) and from those of the class I enzymes (117,000 and 195,000). Some low-molecular-weight subunits are also unique to each enzyme class. These results clearly distinguish the class I, II, and III enzymes on a structural basis. In addition, polypeptides of molecular weight 29,000 and 19,000 were found in all enzyme classes, a polypeptide of molecular weight 52,000 was found only in class I and III enzymes, and a polypeptide of molecular weight 41,000 was found only in class II and III enzymes. These findings are discussed in terms of the function and regulation of the RNA polymerases. (+info)
Studies on the primary structure of the influenza virus hemagglutinin.
(45/1923)
The amino-terminal sequence and composition of the subunits of the hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza virus has been determined. The hemagglutinin has been isolated by two techniques. (1) as the intact hemagglutinin after disruption of the virus in sodium dodecyl sulfate, giving 2 subunits of 58,000 daltons (HA1) and 26,000 daltons (HA2), and (2) after treatment of the virus with bromelain, giving 2 subunits of 58,000 daltons (BHA1) and 21,000 daltons (BHA2). In both preparations these subunits are linked by disulfide bonds. The aminoterminal sequences of HA1 and BHA1, and HA2 and BHA2 are the same. The composition of the 50 residue peptide associated with the membrane, which is removed from the C-terminus of HA2 by bromelain, is deduced and shown to be hydrophobic and contain 50% of the serine residues of HA2. The biosynthetic precursor of the hemagglutinin has been purified from the membranes of abortively infected chick fibroblasts and shown to have the same amino terminus as HA1. Thus the order of biosynthesis is NH2-HA1-HA2-COOH. The amino-terminal sequence of BHA2--at the cleavage site of the precursor--is shown to be a palindrome: NH2-Gly-Leu-Phe-Gly-Ala-Ile-Ala-Gly-Phe-Ile-. This sequence is conserved in representative viruses from each of the major pandemics. A region of homologous sequence is described between the hemagglutinins of influenza type A and B viruses. (+info)
Third component of complement (C3): structural properties in relation to functions.
(46/1923)
The third component of complement (C3) fulfills a pivotal role in the functions of the complement system. We have investigated the topological relationships among its polypeptide chains, physiologic fragments, enzyme attack regions, and functional sites. C3 consists of two chains (alpha and beta) which are linked by disulfide bonds and noncovalent forces and which have molecular weights of, respectively, 120,000 and 75,000. C3 is activated by action of C3 convertase on the alpha-chain. With hydrolysis of one polypeptide bonds, C3a, the 9000 dalton activation peptide is dislocated from the NH2-terminal portion of the alpha-chain. A previously concealed binding region is thereby transiently revealed in the C3b-fragment (181,000 dalton) which displays affinity for apparently nonspecific acceptors present on biological membranes. Binding of nascent C3b membranes occurs through the C3d portion of the fragment because subsequent action of the C3b-inactivator or trypsin on bound C3b causes release of C3c, but not of C3d. Bound C3b and C3d possess stable sites that are capable of binding to specific receptors present on a limited variety of cells. We propose that all known physiologically occurring fragments of C3 arise by enzymatic cleavage of the alpha-chain: C3a, C3b, C3c, and C3d. Whereas C3a (alpha1) and C3e (alpha2) consist of a single chain and C3b consists of two chains (alpha' and beta), C3c is composed of the entire beta-chain and multiple fragments of the alpha-chain, each of which is linked by disulfide bonds to the beta-chain. (+info)
Thylakoid membrane polypeptides of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: wild-type and mutant strains deficient in photosystem II reaction center.
(47/1923)
Unstacked thylakoid membrane vesicles were obtained from a homogenate of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by flotation in a 1.8 M sucrose layer containing 5 mM HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethanesulfonic acid)-10 mM EDTA (pH 7.5). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-gradient gel electrophoresis showed that the wildtype membranes have a total of at least 33 polypeptides ranging in molecular weights from 68,000 to less than 10,000. The wild-type and three non-photosynthetic mutant strains were studied with respect to their photosynthetic electron transport properties, their fluorescence rise kinetics, and their membrane polypeptide compositions. The results showed a strong correlation between the presence of a membrane polypeptide (molecular weight = 47,000) and the activity of the photosystem II reaction center. This polypeptide is missing from F34 (a mendelian mutant lacking Q, the primary electron acceptor of photosystem II), but is partially restored in a suppressed strain of F34 in which there is an incomplete recovery of photosystem II activity. In a thermosensitive mutant, T4, the same polypeptide is present in reduced amount only in cells grown at 35 degrees but not in those grown at 25 degrees. Evidence from fluorescence rise kinetics and partial photochemical reactions show that the cells grown at 25 degree are similar to wild-type cells but the cells grown at 35 degrees are greatly deficient in Q. (+info)
Isolation of rabbit reticulocyte initiation factors by means of heparin bound to sepharose.
(48/1923)
Passage of cell-free extracts of rabbit reticulocytes through heparin-Sepharose affinity columns results in the loss of the ability of the effluent to initiate protein synthesis. This is shown by the loss of response to added rabbit globin mRNA or to inhibitors of initiation of protein synthesis, such as heparin and aurin tricarboxylic acid, and by recovery of initiation activity by addition of protein retained and subsequently eluted from the columns. The effluent retains, however, the ability to elongate protein chains. Only 0.8% of the applied cell extract protein binds to heparin-Sepharose columns. This bound protein, which can be recovered by increasing the salt concentration of the eluting buffer, has initiation factor activity equal to that of a crude initiation factor preparation obtained from rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes by extraction with 0.5 M KCl. The protein patterns on polyacrylamide gels of the initiation factors prepared by either method are very similar and indicate a protein mixture, which may represent a complex. These data confirm that heparin interacts specifically with initiation factos, and indicate that heparin-Sepharose chromatography will simplify procedures for the preparation of initiation factors. (+info)