Conformational studies on wheat embryo 5S RNA using nuclease S1 as a probe

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calvin Barber ◽  
J. L. Nichols

Ribosomal 5S 32P-labelled RNA was isolated from imbibing wheat embryos and digested with nuclease S1, a single-strand specific nuclease. The products of enzymic digestion were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identified by fingerprint analysis of their RNase T1 digestion products. The results indicate that the most sensitive portion of the molecule, and hence, the region containing the least helical structure, is close to the 5′-terminus. Similarly, the most resistant portion of the molecule is close to, but does not include, the 3′-terminus. These findings are discussed in relation to proposed models for the secondary structure of 5S RNA.

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 365-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Cuming ◽  
B. G. Lane

It has been found that bulk poiy(A)-rich RNA from dry wheat embryos is broadly hetero-disperse when examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The poly(A)-rich RNA from dry wheat embryos has been translated in a cell-free protein-synthesizing system from the same commerically supplied, roller-milled wheat embryos. Compatible with the electrophoretic heterodispersity observed for poly(A)-rich RNA, the radioactive products of its cell-free translation, when examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, have mobilities that are broadly coincident with the many dye-stained (nonradioactive) proteins present in wheat extracts. With due allowance for the limitations of the cell-free system, which is known to translate, selectively, lower molecular-weight species of mRNA, it has been concluded that the conserved poly(A)-rich mRNA in dry wheat embryos probably has the translational capacity required to account for the highly eclectic protein synthesis that we have observed during early (40-min) imbibition of viable wheat embryos.


1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 1039-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
William C. McCubbin ◽  
Cyril M. Kay ◽  
Theresa D. Kennedy ◽  
Byron G. Lane

The size and structure of germin, the homooligomeric glycoprotein which marks the onset of growth in germinating wheat embryos, has been examined by gel filtration, ultracentrifugation, electron microscopy, chemical cross-linking, and optical techniques (circular dichroism). Germin has a sedimentation coefficient (S20,w) of 7.3S, and a Stokes' radius (RS) of 4.5 nm, the latter value being compatible with the dimensions of the particle observed by negative staining in the electron microscope. By three methods (sedimentation equilibrium, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) – polyacrylamide electrophoresis, S20,w/RS), the mean particle mass of the two closely related forms of germin (G and G′) is ca. 130 kilodaltons (kDa). Cross-linking with dimethyl suberimidate indicates that the oligomer is homopentameric, compatible with the molecular mass of the protomer (ca. 26 kDa) as determined by SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Using the Provencher and Glockner analysis to interpret circular dichroism measurements (in the far ultraviolet), both forms of germin contain about 10–20% α-helical structure, 50–60% β-sheet/turn structure, and 20–30% random coil. In a structure-inducing environment (45% trifluoroethanol), the α-helical structure increases to a value (35–40%) similar to that predicted by Chou–Fasman analysis of the protein sequence deduced by cDNA sequencing.


1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 1170-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Cuming ◽  
T. D. Kennedy ◽  
B. G. Lane

Commercially milled wheat germ is shown to be a convenient source material for facile recovery of mass (milligram) quantities of highly purified poly(A)-rich RNA. This poly(A)-rich RNA is efficiently translated in a nuclease-treated extract of rabbit reticulocytes. By sucrose density gradient fractionation of bulk poly(A)-rich RNA from wheat germ, it has been possible to show that there is a direct relationship between the molecular weights of the polypeptide products of cell-free synthesis and the molecular weights of the wheat mRNA molecules which program their synthesis. As assessed by SDS – polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the same array of polypeptides is synthesized when nuclease-treated reticulocyte extract is programmed by poly(A)-rich RNA from either commercially supplied or laboratory-prepared wheat embryos. Significantly, there are gross quantitative if not qualitative differences between the translational capacities of poly(A)-rich RNA from dry and imbibing wheat embryos, and the possible importance of these differences for interpreting a changing pattern of polypeptide synthesis in imbibing wheat embryos is the subject of a brief discussion.


1979 ◽  
Vol 177 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
L D Lee ◽  
J Kubilus ◽  
H P Baden

The alpha-keratins, the principal components of the tonafilaments, were extracted, characterized and compared in bovine hoof and snout epidermis. The alpha-fibrous proteins of these tissues are similar with respect to their molecular weights, amino acid composition and percentage of helical structure. However, distinct differences in the polypeptides comprising these proteins were observed. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of these proteins consistently showed that the polypeptide chain in snout, designated as band B (mol.wt. 67,000), was completely absent from hoof preparations. This was confirmed with several alternative preparative procedures. The peptides produced by digestion of the intact keratins from hoof and snout with CNBr were distinctly different. Finally, digestion of keratins from hoof and snout with trypsin yielded products that differed in size and resistance to further digestion. Thus, in addition to the interspecies polypeptide heterogeneity documented in the literature, this report establishes the intraspecies heterogeneity of keratins and suggests that these differences are due to either the expression of different gene products or differences in post-translational modifications in these two tissues.


Author(s):  
G. L. Brown

Bismuth (Bi) stains nucleoproteins (NPs) by interacting with available amino and primary phosphate groups. These two staining mechanisms are distinguishable by glutaraldehyde crosslinking (Fig. 1,2).Isolated mouse liver nuclei, extracted with salt and acid solutions, fixed in either formaldehyde (form.) or gl utaraldehyde (glut.) and stained with Bi, were viewed to determine the effect of the extractions on Bi stainina. Solubilized NPs were analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.Extraction with 0.14 M salt does not change the Bi staining characteristics (Fig. 3). 0.34 M salt reduces nucleolar (Nu) staining but has no effect on interchromatinic (IC) staining (Fig. 4). Proteins responsible for Nu and glut.- insensitive IC staining are removed when nuclei are extracted with 0.6 M salt (Fig. 5, 6). Low salt and acid extraction prevents Bi-Nu staining but has no effect on IC staining (Fig. 7). When nuclei are extracted with 0.6 M salt followed by low salt and acid, all Bi-staining components are removed (Fig. 8).


1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (03) ◽  
pp. 439-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Kuyas ◽  
A Haeberli ◽  
P Walder ◽  
P W Straub

SummaryWith an immobilized synthetic pentapeptide GlyProArgProLys comprising the N-terminal sequence GlyProArg of the α-chain of fibrin, a new affinity method for the quantitative isolation of fibrinogen out of anticoagulated plasma was developed. The method proved to be superior to all known isolation methods in respect to ease of use and yield, since fibrinogen could be isolated in one step out of plasma with a recovery of more than 95% when compared to the immunologically measurable amounts of fibrinogen. Moreover the amounts of contaminating proteins such as fibronectin, factor XIII or plasminogen were negligible and the purity of the isolated fibrinogen was higher than 95% as measured by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The clottability was 90% and more. Another advantage of this affinity purification method is the possibility to isolate fibrinogen quantitatively out of small plasma samples (<5 ml). Further, abnormal fibrinogen molecules, provided their complementary binding site for GlyProArg is preserved, may also be quantitatively isolated independent of any solubility differences as compared to normal fibrinogen. In addition fibrin(ogcn) fragments originating from plasmic digestion can be separated on the basis of their affinity to GlyProArg. The described affinity gel can be used more than 50 times without any loss of capacity.


1992 ◽  
Vol 68 (05) ◽  
pp. 534-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuhiko Yoshida ◽  
Shingi Imaoka ◽  
Hajime Hirata ◽  
Michio Matsuda ◽  
Shinji Asakura

SummaryCongenitally abnormal fibrinogen Osaka III with the replacement of γ Arg-275 by His was found in a 38-year-old female with no bleeding or thrombotic tendency. Release of fibrinopeptide(s) by thrombin or reptilase was normal, but her thrombin or reptilase time in the absence of calcium was markedly prolonged and the polymerization of preformed fibrin monomer which was prepared by the treatment of fibrinogen with thrombin or reptilase was also markedly defective. Propositus' fibrinogen had normal crosslinking abilities of α- and γ-chains. Analysis of fibrinogen chains on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in the system of Laemmli only revealed the presence of abnormal γ-chain with an apparently higher molecular weight, the presence of which was more clearly detected with SDS-PAGE of fibrin monomer obtained by thrombin treatment. Purified fragment D1 of fibrinogen Osaka III also seemed to contain an apparently higher molecular weight fragment D1 γ remnant on Laemmli gels, which was digested faster than the normal control by plasmin in the presence of [ethy-lenebis(oxyethylenenitrilo)]tetraacetic acid (EGTA).


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