scholarly journals Solubilization, molecular forms, purification and substrate specificity of two acetylcholinesterases in the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis)

1995 ◽  
Vol 306 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Talesa ◽  
M Grauso ◽  
E Giovannini ◽  
G Rosi ◽  
J P Toutant

Two acetylcholinesterases (AChE) differing in substrate and inhibitor specificities have been characterized in the medical leech (Hirudo medicinalis). A ‘spontaneously-soluble’ portion of AChE activity (SS-AChE) was recovered from haemolymph and from tissues dilacerated in low-salt buffer. A second portion of AChE activity was obtained after extraction of tissues in low-salt buffer alone or containing 1% Triton X-100 [detergent-soluble (DS-) AChE). Both enzymes were purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography on edrophonium- and concanavalin A-Sepharose columns. Denaturing SDS/PAGE under reducing conditions gave one band at 30 kDa for purified SS-AChE and 66 kDa for DS-AChE. Sephadex G-200 chromatography indicated a molecular mass of 66 kDa for native SS-AChE and of 130 kDa for DS-AChE. SS-AChE showed a single peak sedimenting at 5.0 S in sucrose gradients with or without Triton X-100, suggesting that it was a hydrophylic monomer (G1). DS-AChE sedimented as a single 6.1-6.5 S peak in the presence of Triton X-100 and aggregated in the absence of detergent. A treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C suppressed aggregation and gave a 7 S peak. DS-AChE was thus an amphiphilic glycolipid-anchored dimer. Substrate specificities were studied using p-nitrophenyl esters (acetate, propionate and butyrate) and corresponding thiocholine esters as substrates. SS-AChE displayed only limited variations in Km values with charged and uncharged substrates, suggesting a reduced influence of electrostatic interactions in the enzyme substrate affinity. By contrast, DS-AChE displayed higher Km values with uncharged than with charged substrates. SS-AChE was more sensitive to eserine and di-isopropyl fluorophosphate (IC50 5 x 10(-8) and 10(-8) M respectively) than DS-AChE (5 x 10(-7) and 5 x 10(-5) M.

1988 ◽  
Vol 255 (2) ◽  
pp. 463-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
L P Belzunces ◽  
J P Toutant ◽  
M Bounias

The polymorphism of bee acetylcholinesterase was studied by sucrose-gradient-sedimentation analysis and non-denaturing electrophoretic analysis of fresh extracts. Lubrol-containing extracts exhibited only one form, which sedimented at 5 S when analysed on high-salt Lubrol-containing gradients and 6 S when analysed on low-salt Lubrol-containing gradients. The 5 S/6 S form aggregated upon removal of the detergent when sedimented on detergent-free gradients and was recovered in the detergent phase after Triton X-114 phase separation. Thus the 5 S/6 S enzyme corresponds to an amphiphilic acetylcholinesterase form. In detergent-free extracts three forms, whose apparent sedimentation coefficients are 14 S, 11 S and 7 S, were observed when sedimentations were performed on detergent-free gradients. Sedimentation analyses on detergent-containing gradients showed only a 5 S peak in high-salt detergent-free extracts and a 6 S peak, with a shoulder at about 7 S, in low-salt detergent-free extracts. Electrophoretic analysis in the presence of detergent demonstrated that the 14 S and 11 S peaks corresponded to aggregates of the 5 S/6 S form, whereas the 7 S peak corresponded to a hydrophilic acetylcholinesterase form which was recovered in the aqueous phase following Triton X-114 phase separation. The 5 S/6 S amphiphilic form could be converted into a 7.1 S hydrophilic form by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C digestion.


1994 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Anglister ◽  
B Haesaert ◽  
U J McMahan

The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) associated with the synaptic basal lamina at the neuromuscular junction. The observations were made on the neuromuscular junctions of cutaneous pectoris muscles of frog, Rana pipiens, which are similar to junctions of most other vertebrates including mammals, but are especially convenient for experimentation. By measuring relative AChE activity in junctional and extrajunctional regions of muscles after selective inactivation of extracellular AChE with echothiophate, or of intracellular AChE with DFP and 2-PAM, we found that > 66% of the total AChE activity in the muscle was junction-specific, and that > 50% of the junction-specific AChE was on the cell surface. More than 80% of the cell surface AChE was solubilized in high ionic strength detergent-free buffer, indicating that most, if not all, was a component of the synaptic basal lamina. Sedimentation analysis of that fraction indicated that while asymmetric forms (A12, A8) were abundant, globular forms sedimenting at 4-6 S (G1 and G2), composed > 50% of the AChE. It was also found that when muscles were damaged in various ways that caused degeneration of axons and muscle fibers but left intact the basal lamina sheaths, the small globular forms persisted at the synaptic site for weeks after phagocytosis of cellular components; under certain damage conditions, the proportion of globular to asymmetric forms in the vacated basal lamina sheaths was as in normal junctions. While the asymmetric forms required high ionic strength for solubilization, the extracellular globular AChE could be extracted from the junctional regions of normal and damaged muscles by isotonic buffer. Some of the globular AChE appeared to be amphiphilic when examined in detergents, suggesting that it may form hydrophobic interactions, but most was non-amphiphilic consistent with the possibility that it forms weak electrostatic interactions. We conclude that the major form of AChE in frog synaptic basal lamina is globular and that its mode of association with the basal lamina differs from that of the asymmetric forms.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (4) ◽  
pp. C856-C862 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sveistrup ◽  
R. Y. Chan ◽  
B. J. Jasmin

We determined levels of mRNA encoding acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in muscles of rats subjected to chronic enhancement of neuromuscular activation. After 8 wk of voluntary wheel running, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles displayed a 72% increase in total AChE activity as a result of a selective threefold increase in the G4 content. Soleus muscles, on the other hand, exhibited a 30% decrease in A12 while displaying a small (33%) increase in total AChE activity. These enzymatic adaptations were paralleled by increases in the levels of AChE mRNAs in both EDL (32%; P < 0.03) and soleus (42%; P < 0.02) muscles. In addition, compensatory hypertrophy of the plantaris muscle increased total AChE activity by 75%. This change was reflected by an elevation in all AChE molecular forms with A12 (89%) and A8 (179%) showing the most prominent increases. Similar to exercise-trained muscles, hypertrophied plantaris muscles displayed an increase in AChE transcripts (25%; P < 0.04). These results indicate that increases in neuromuscular activity modulate expression of the AChE gene in vivo and suggest the involvement of pretranslational regulatory mechanisms in the adaptive response of AChE to enhanced neuromuscular activation.


1986 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 762-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Nicolet ◽  
M Pinçon-Raymond ◽  
F Rieger

After denervation in vivo, the frog cutaneus pectoris muscle can be led to degenerate by sectioning the muscle fibers on both sides of the region rich in motor endplate, leaving, 2 wk later, a muscle bridge containing the basal lamina (BL) sheaths of the muscle fibers (28). This preparation still contains various tissue remnants and some acetylcholine receptor-containing membranes. A further mild extraction by Triton X-100, a nonionic detergent, gives a pure BL sheath preparation, devoid of acetylcholine receptors. At the electron microscope level, this latter preparation is essentially composed of the muscle BL with no attached plasmic membrane and cellular component originating from Schwann cells or macrophages. Acetylcholinesterase is still present in high amounts in this BL sheath preparation. In both preparations, five major molecular forms (18, 14, 11, 6, and 3.5 S) can be identified that have either an asymmetric or a globular character. Their relative amount is found to be very similar in the BL and in the motor endplate-rich region of control muscle. Thus, observations show that all acetylcholinesterase forms can be accumulated in frog muscle BL.


1992 ◽  
Vol 285 (2) ◽  
pp. 577-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Sugumaran ◽  
J E Silbert

The effects of the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 on 6-sulphation of two species of endogenous nascent proteochondroitin by a chick-embryo cartilage microsomal system was examined. Sulphation of the larger (Type I) species with adenosine 3′-phosphate 5′-phosphosulphate was slightly diminished when Triton X-100 was present, whereas sulphation of the smaller (Type II) species was slightly enhanced. An ordered rather than random pattern of sulphation was obtained for the smaller proteoglycan, but with a considerably lower degree of sulphation than that of the larger proteochondroitin. These differences were consistent with other differences between these two species as described previously. Sulphation of exogenous [14C]chondroitin and exogenous proteo[3H]chondroitin by the microsomal system with Triton X-100 present produced ordered rather than random sulphation patterns. When a 100,000 g supernatant fraction was utilized for sulphation of [14C]chondroitin or proteo[3H]chondroitin, Triton X-100 was not needed, and ordered sulphation was still obtained. When hexasaccharide was used, sulphation of multiple N-acetylgalactosamine residues of the individual hexasaccharides resulted. This was relatively independent of Triton X-100 or the concentration of the hexasaccharide acceptors. With soluble enzyme, sulphation of multiple N-acetylgalactosamine residues on the individual hexasaccharide molecules was even greater, so that tri-sulphated products were found. This suggests that ordered rather than random sulphation of chondroitin with these enzyme preparations is due to enzyme-substrate interaction rather than to membrane organization.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Qin ◽  
Fredj Ben Bdira ◽  
Yann G. J. Sterckx ◽  
Alexander N. Volkov ◽  
Jocelyne Vreede ◽  
...  

AbstractH-NS proteins act as osmotic sensors translating changes in osmolarity into altered DNA binding properties, thus, regulating enterobacterial genome organization and genes transcription. The molecular mechanism underlying the switching process and its conservation among H-NS family members remains elusive.Here, we focus on the H-NS family protein MvaT from P. aeruginosa and demonstrate experimentally that its protomer exists in two different conformations, corresponding to two different functional states. In the half-opened state (dominant at low salt) the protein forms filaments along DNA, in the fully opened state (dominant at high salt) the protein bridges DNA. This switching is a direct effect of ionic strengths on electrostatic interactions between the appositively charged DNA binding and N-terminal domains of MvaT. The asymmetric charge distribution and intramolecular interactions are conserved among the H-NS family of proteins. Therefore, our study establishes a general paradigm for the molecular mechanistic basis of the osmosensitivity of H-NS proteins.


1991 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 2485-2489 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Jasmin ◽  
P. F. Gardiner ◽  
V. Gisiger

We have investigated the impact of compensatory overload on the content of acetylcholinesterase (AChe) molecular forms in the rat fast-twitch medial gastrocnemius (MG). Overload was induced by way of a bilateral tenotomy of the MG's functional synergists coupled to a daily walking training program (15 m/min, 30% incline, up to 60 min per session, 12-18 wks). This latter condition ensured that the MG were used on a regular basis. In comparison to control values, overloaded MG showed 25 and 19% increases (P less than 0.05) in muscle wet weight and protein concentration, respectively. The content in AChe (activity per muscle) was also increased in these MG (28%, P less than 0.05). Sedimentation analyses revealed a general elevation in the content of AChe molecular forms, with A8, G2, and G1 displaying significant changes (35-42%, P less than 0.05). In a second group of rats, daily running training (27 m/min, 30% incline, using the same timetable) was supplemented to the compensatory overload. In this group, the additional running training led to a greater hypertrophic response as attested to by increases (P less than 0.05) in the MG wet weight (41%) and protein concentration (35%) in comparison to controls. However, total AChe content of these muscles was increased to an extent similar to that observed in the MG subjected only to compensatory overload (24%, P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1973 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Wright ◽  
David T. Plummer

1. Acetylcholinesterase from human erythrocytes was solubilized with Triton X-100 in strong salt solution and partially purified by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation. This preparation showed three main bands of enzyme activity after electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel and incubation with either α-naphthyl acetate or acetylthiocholine as enzyme substrate. Two of the multiple forms were completely inhibited by 10μm-eserine and one only partially. Treatment with neuraminidase had no effect on the electrophoretic pattern; therefore sialic acid does not appear to determine or affect the ratios of the acetylcholinesterase multiple forms, unlike those of the serum cholinesterase. 2. Chromatography of the preparation on Sephadex G-200 revealed one major peak of enzyme activity and a suggestion of two minor zones of mol.wt. 546000, 184000 and 93000 (i.e. in the proportion 6:2:1). The main peak was almost completely separated from the Triton X-100 and the overall purification was about 600-fold. Further attempts to purify the enzyme by absorption on calcium phosphate gels were unsuccessful. 3. Electrophoresis of the enzyme preparation on a polyacrylamide gradient for 24h revealed three main bands that corresponded to the three values for molecular weights obtained by column chromatography. After 70h of electrophoresis a further three zones of activity developed making six molecular entities, the molecular weights of which were simple multiples of a monomer, thus resembling the cholinesterase found in serum.


2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 2137-2149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hege Lynum Pedersen ◽  
Kenneth A. Johnson ◽  
Colin E. McVey ◽  
Ingar Leiros ◽  
Elin Moe

Uracil-DNAN-glycosylase (UNG) is a DNA-repair enzyme in the base-excision repair (BER) pathway which removes uracil from DNA. Here, the crystal structure of UNG from the extremophilic bacteriumDeinococcus radiodurans(DrUNG) in complex with DNA is reported at a resolution of 1.35 Å. Prior to the crystallization experiments, the affinity betweenDrUNG and different DNA oligonucleotides was tested by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs). As a result of this analysis, two 16 nt double-stranded DNAs were chosen for the co-crystallization experiments, one of which (16 nt AU) resulted in well diffracting crystals. The DNA in the co-crystal structure contained an abasic site (substrate product) flipped into the active site of the enzyme, with no uracil in the active-site pocket. Despite the high resolution, it was not possible to fit all of the terminal nucleotides of the DNA complex into electron density owing to disorder caused by a lack of stabilizing interactions. However, the DNA which was in contact with the enzyme, close to the active site, was well ordered and allowed detailed analysis of the enzyme–DNA interaction. The complex revealed that the interaction betweenDrUNG and DNA is similar to that in the previously determined crystal structure of human UNG (hUNG) in complex with DNA [Slupphauget al.(1996).Nature (London),384, 87–92]. Substitutions in a (here defined) variable part of the leucine loop result in a shorter loop (eight residues instead of nine) inDrUNG compared with hUNG; regardless of this, it seems to fulfil its role and generate a stabilizing force with the minor groove upon flipping out of the damaged base into the active site. The structure also provides a rationale for the previously observed high catalytic efficiency ofDrUNG caused by high substrate affinity by demonstrating an increased number of long-range electrostatic interactions between the enzyme and the DNA. Interestingly, specific interactions between residues in the N-terminus of a symmetry-related molecule and the complementary DNA strand facing away from the active site were also observed which seem to stabilize the enzyme–DNA complex. However, the significance of this observation remains to be investigated. The results provide new insights into the current knowledge about DNA damage recognition and repair by uracil-DNA glycosylases.


1994 ◽  
Vol 299 (3) ◽  
pp. 659-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
G P Roberts

Two monoclonal antibodies, GR3 and GR4, reactive with the basal-layer keratinocytes of human epidermis, were derived by immunization of Balb/c mice with glycoproteins isolated from cultured keratinocytes by lectin-affinity chromatography. Immunoprecipitation of Triton X-100 extracts from human keratinocytes metabolically labelled with D-[1-14C]glucosamine revealed that GR3 recognized a major glycoprotein with migration properties identical with those of a glycoprotein (reduced form M(r) 126,000) which was previously shown to be implicated in intercellular adhesion [Roberts and Brunt (1985) Biochem J. 232, 67-70]. In their unreduced forms the antigens recognized by GR3 and GR4 both migrated as two bands with M(r) values of 118,000 and 147,000. Comparison of 125I-labelled glycoproteins immunoprecipitated by GR3, GR4 and integrin antibodies revealed that, under reducing conditions, the major band immunoprecipitated by both GR3 and GR4 co-migrated with the alpha 3 and beta 1 integrin chains. In addition the immunoprecipitate obtained with GR4 contained an additional band co-migrating with the alpha 2 integrin chain. Sequential immunoprecipitation studies with GR3, GR4 and integrin antibodies confirmed that GR3 is directed against the alpha 3 integrin chain, whereas GR4 is directed against the beta 1 chain. These studies also indicate that some of the alpha 2 integrin chains on keratinocytes may be associated with a beta-chain not recognized by the antisera against the beta 1 integrin chain used in this study.


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