scholarly journals ULTRASTRUCTURAL AND BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE PRECURSOR RIBOSOMAL PARTICLES ISOLATED FROM RAT LIVER NUCLEOLI

1974 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 629-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Matsuura ◽  
T. Morimoto ◽  
Y. Tashiro ◽  
T. Higashinakagawa ◽  
M. Muramatsu

Sucrose density gradient analyses of pH 5.5 and pH 7.4 extracts from rat liver nucleoli revealed the presence of two broad peaks of approximately 60S and 80S, and 60S and 80–100S, respectively. Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles containing precursor ribosomal RNA in these peaks have been characterized by electron microscopy and RNA analyses. Spherical particles only were found in the 60S peak of the pH 5.5 extract, from which 28S RNA and smaller RNA (23S and 18S RNA) exclusively were extracted. In the broad 80S peak of the pH 5.5 extract, about 60% of the particles were spherical while 30% were rodlike. In the RNA species present there were 28S plus smaller RNA (80%) and 35S RNA (20%). The 60Speak of the pH 7.4 extract contained mainly spherical particles (84%), and the RNA species present was mostly 28S plus smaller RNA (89%). In addition to spherical particles (43%), a number of rodlike (31%) and filamentous molecules (26%) were observed in the heavier side of the 80–100S peak of the pH 7.4 extract, from which 45S (14%), 35S (26%), and 28S and smaller RNA (60%) were extracted. Thus the precursor ribosomal particles containing 45S RNA and 35S RNA appear to be filamentous and rodlike molecules, respectively. Folding of loose ribonucleoprotein filaments into compact, spherical, large subparticles may be part of the maturation process of ribosomal large subparticles, in addition to the so-called sequential cleavage of RNA.

1969 ◽  
Vol 115 (5) ◽  
pp. 1063-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Scott-Burden ◽  
A. O. Hawtrey

1. Treatment of washed rat liver microsomes in a medium containing 0·12m-sucrose, 12·5mm-potassium chloride, 2·5mm-magnesium chloride and 25mm-tris–hydrochloric acid buffer, pH7·6, with 2m-lithium chloride at 5° for 16hr. leads to the formation of membranes free of ribosomes and ribosomal subunits. 2. Confirmation of the absence of ribosomes from lithium chloride-prepared membranes was obtained by treatment of the membranes with sodium deoxycholate, followed by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation, which showed the complete absence of ribosomes. 3. Treatment of membranes with phenol, followed by sucrose-density-gradient analysis of the isolated RNA, showed the presence of a small amount of 4s material. Repetition of the phenol extraction procedure in the presence of liver cell sap as a ribonuclease inhibitor again showed the presence of only 4s material. The 4s RNA was shown to be transfer RNA by the fact that it had the same capacity for accepting 14C-labelled amino acids as isolated transfer RNA from rat liver pH5 enzyme. 4. Analysis showed that microsomes and membranes possessed similar glucose 6-phosphatase, NADH–2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol reductase, NADH–neo-tetrazolium reductase, NADH–cytochrome c reductase and ribonuclease activities. 5. 3H-labelled ribosomal RNA binds to membranes. However, isolation of the bound RNA by the phenol extraction procedure, followed by sucrose-density-gradient analysis, shows the RNA to be degraded to 7s material. Very little breakdown of 3H-labelled ribosomal RNA bound to membranes occurs if the binding and isolation are carried out in the presence of liver cell sap.


Author(s):  
Robert R. Cardell

Hypophysectomy of the rat renders this animal deficient in the hormones of the anterior pituitary gland, thus causing many primary and secondary hormonal effects on basic liver functions. Biochemical studies of these alterations in the rat liver cell are quite extensive; however, relatively few morphological observations on such cells have been recorded. Because the available biochemical information was derived mostly from disrupted and fractionated liver cells, it seemed desirable to examine the problem with the techniques of electron microscopy in order to see what changes are apparent in the intact liver cell after hypophysectomy. Accordingly, liver cells from rats which had been hypophysectomized 5-120 days before sacrifice were studied. Sham-operated rats served as controls and both hypophysectomized and control rats were fasted 15 hours before sacrifice.


1972 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-94
Author(s):  
Ada Sacchi ◽  
Gianni Chinali ◽  
Susetta Pons ◽  
Michela Galdieri ◽  
Piero Cammarano

The size distribution of cytoplasmic messenger RNAs (m-RNA) has been studied in rat liver and in monodifferentiated cells (mouse reticulocytes and myelomas). It has been found that the RNA which exhibits a « rapid turnover » and a polydisperse profile of radioactivity is refractory to phenol extraction. This property has been exploited to selectively isolate m–RNA from the phenol residue by means of an extraction at an alkaline pH. The sucrose density gradient profiles of m–RNA isolated from monodifferentiated cells show monodisperse peaks having the sedimentation coefficients expected on the basis of the molecular weights of monocistronic messages for α and β chains of hemoglobin (reticulocytes) and L and H chains of immunoglobulin (myelomas). The sedimentation profile of cytoplasmic m–RNA associated with rat liver polysomes shows a much broader distribution, with sedimentation coefficients ranging from 8 S to 28 S.


1971 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-NP ◽  
Author(s):  
I. D. HERRIMAN ◽  
G. D. BAIRD ◽  
JUDY M. BRUCE

SUMMARY Whole-ribosome and polysome-enriched fractions were prepared from the mammary glands of rabbits during late pregnancy and lactation. The composition of the fractions was determined by sucrose density gradient analysis and electron microscopy. The range of size of polysomal aggregates was similar in the late-pregnant and lactating gland, with aggregates containing five to nine ribosomal units predominating. However, the amount of polysomes relative to monosomes was invariably found to increase after parturition. The greater portion of this increase was accounted for by the increased abundance of aggregates containing five to nine units.


1970 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Mulder

1. The detergent Triton X-100 activates UDP glucuronyltransferase from rat liver in vitro six- to seven-fold with p-nitrophenol as substrate. The enzyme activity when measured in the presence of Triton X-100 is increased significantly by pretreatment of male rats with phenobarbital for 4 days (90mg/kg each day intraperitoneally). If no Triton X-100 is applied in vitro such an increase could not be shown. In all further experiments the enzyme activity was measured after activation by Triton X-100. 2. The Km of the enzyme for the substrate p-nitrophenol does not change on phenobarbital pretreatment. 3. When the microsomal fraction from the liver of untreated rats is subfractionated on a sucrose density gradient, 47% of the enzyme activity is recovered in the rough-surfaced microsomal fraction, which also has a higher specific activity than the smooth-surfaced fraction. 4. Of the increase in activity after the phenobarbital pretreatment 50% occurs in the smooth-surfaced fraction, 19% in the rough-surfaced fraction and 31% in the fraction located between the smooth- and rough-surfaced microsomal fractions on the sucrose density gradient. 5. The latency of the enzyme in vitro, as shown by the effect of the detergent Triton X-100, is discussed in relation to the proposed heterogeneity of UDP glucuronyltransferase.


1999 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 3305-3308 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Eiserling ◽  
A. Pushkin ◽  
M. Gingery ◽  
G. Bertani

The methanogenic archaeobacterium Methanococcus voltae (strain PS) is known to produce a filterable, DNase-resistant agent (called VTA, for voltae transfer agent), which carries very small fragments (4400 bp) of bacterial DNA and is able to transduce bacterial genes between derivatives of the strain. Examination by electron microscopy of two preparations of VTA that were concentrated and partially purified by different methods showed virus-like particles with isometric heads, about 40 nm in diameter, and with 61 nm long tails. These particles co-sedimented with the minute bacteriophage ϕX174 in a sucrose density gradient.


1976 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Noguchi ◽  
E Okuno ◽  
Y Minatogawa ◽  
R Kido

1. Histidine-pyruvate aminotransferase (isoenzyme 1) was purified to homogeneity from the mitochondrial and supernatant fractions of rat liver, as judged by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isolectric focusing. Both enzyme preparations were remarkably similar in physical and enzymic properties. Isoenzyme 1 had pI8.0 and a pH optimum of 9.0. The enzyme was active with pyruvate as amino acceptor but not with 2-oxoglutarate, and utilized various aromatic amino acids as amino donors in the following order of activity: phenylalanine greater than tyrosine greater than histidine. Very little activity was found with tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan. The apparent Km values were about 2.6mM for histidine and 2.7 mM for phenylalanine. Km values for pyruvate were about 5.2mM with phenylalanine as amino donor and 1.1mM with histidine. The aminotransferase activity of the enzyme towards phenylalanine was inhibited by the addition of histidine. The mol.wt. determined by gel filtration and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation was approx. 70000. The mitochondrial and supernatant isoenzyme 1 activities increased approximately 25-fold and 3.2-fold respectively in rats repeatedly injected with glucagon for 2 days. 2. An additional histidine-pyruvate aminotransferase (isoenzyme 2) was partially purified from both the mitochondrial and supernatant fractions of rat liver. Nearly identical properties were observed with both preparations. Isoenzyme 2 had pI5.2 and a pH optimum of 9.3. The enzyme was specific for pyruvate and did not function with 2-oxoglutarate. The order of effectiveness of amino donors was tyrosine = phenylalanine greater than histidine greater than tryptophan greater than 5-hydroxytryptophan. The apparent Km values for histidine and phenylalanine were about 0.51 and 1.8 mM respectively. Km values for pyruvate were about 3.5mM with phenylalanine and 4.7mM with histidine as amino donors. Histidine inhibited phenylalanine aminotransferase activity of the enzyme. Gel filtration and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation yielded a mol.wt. of approx. 90000. Neither the mitochondrial nor the supernatant isoenzyme 2 activity was elevated by glucagon injection.


1974 ◽  
Vol 13 (01) ◽  
pp. 72-84
Author(s):  
K. Hierholzer ◽  
K. zum Winkel ◽  
U. Haubold ◽  
E. Aulbert

SummarySubcellular 67Gallium distribution was investigated in normal rat liver after intravenous injection. By differential centrifugation and density gradient centrifugation 67Gallium accumulating bodies were isolated and identified as lysosomes by enzyme determination and electron microscopy. 67Gallium enrichment in this fraction was 23-fold. Using the isolated 67Gallium accumulating lysosomes the binding state of the isotope inside the lysosomes was studied. 67Gallium was found to be associated with the soluble fraction of lysosomes.


1963 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Fisher ◽  
David J. Holbrook ◽  
J. Logan Irvin

Rat liver nuclei, after preliminary isolation in 2.2 molar sucrose solution, were separated into density classes by centrifugation at 95,000 g for 45 to 85 minutes in a sucrose density gradient (density range, 1.28 to 1.33). Nuclei from normal liver separated into three bands with average DNA phosphorus content per nucleus of 0.67, 0.84, and 0.93 picogram for top, middle, and bottom bands, respectively. Nuclei from regenerating liver (26 hours after one-third hepatectomy) yielded three bands and a pellet fraction with average DNA phosphorus content per nucleus of 0.76, 1.02, 1.38, and 1.51 picograms (top to bottom of tube). This method appears capable of yielding nuclei which have increased their DNA content prior to mitosis, and this procedure should be valuable in studies of biochemical changes which occur in nuclei preparing for mitosis.


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