Purification of P26h: a hamster sperm protein

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Coutu ◽  
Pascal Des Rosiers ◽  
Robert Sullivan

P26h is a 26 kDa glycoprotein, located on the acrosome cap of hamster spermatozoa, involved in the species specificity of gamete interaction. We have purified this protein from hamster spermatozoa collected from the distal cauda region of the epididymis. Its purification was realized following a three-step procedure: detergent extraction, ion-exchange chromatography, and chromatofocusing. Protein partitioning using Triton X-114 (the first step) showed a ratio of 5:1 between the resulting aqueous and detergent phase. P26h was found almost exclusively in the aqueous phase where it represented about 10–12% of the total protein content. When the desalted aqueous phase was loaded on a carboxymethyl column for cation-exchange chromatography, about 80% of the proteins did not bind to the matrix and were eliminated. P26h was eluted from the column with a linear gradient of salt. At this point, P26h had a rate of purification estimated at 45–55%; three other major proteins of <21, 45, and 63 kDa remained in the sample. These undesired proteins were eliminated by submitting these samples to chromatofocusing using a PBE 94 polybuffer exchanger column. Indeed, P26h was collected almost in the dead volume of the column while the other proteins were eluted much later. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and Western blotting were performed to determine the purity of P26h. Only one major spot was detected, confirming the purity of P26h. Usefulness of this purified sperm antigen in the understanding of the physiology of mammalian fertilization is discussed.Key words: sperm protein, epididymis, purification.

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rex K. M. Wong ◽  
Christine P. Nichol ◽  
M. Chandra Sekar ◽  
Basil D. Roufogalis

The efficiency of several nonionic detergents and a homologous series of zwitterionic detergents for the extraction of acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7) from bovine erythrocyte membranes was examined. Of the nonionic detergents examined, the polyoxyethylene-based Tweens were the least effective solubilizing agents. Within this series, increasing the length of the saturated fatty acid chain progressively decreased the efficiency of enzyme recovery, while unsaturation in the side chain reversed this trend. In the Lubrol detergents, where the chain length of the alcohol group is variable, an increase in the length of the polyoxyethylene glycol group decreased the recovery of acetylcholinesterase in the solubilized state, without affecting the efficiency of extraction of total erythrocyte protein. As with the other nonionic detergents examined, Triton X-100 and octy1 β-D-glucoside were maximally effective in solubilizing acetylcholinesterase activity at concentrations greater than their respective critical micelle concentrations. In the sulfobetaine (N-alkyldimethylaminopropane sulphonate) zwitterionic detergent series, the longer alkyl chain zwittergents Z 316 and Z 314 were more efficient than the shorter chain length members of the series (Z 310 and Z 312). In contrast to the higher chain length compounds, short chain analogs were maximally effective at or below their critical micelle concentrations. After purification by ion-exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography, the enzyme extracted with the various detergents gave sedimentation coefficients between 6.8S and 7.6S, consistent with a dimeric structure. Acetylcholinesterase could also be efficiently released by 0.2 mM EDTA or 0.5 M NaCl from bovine erythrocyte membranes previously depleted of 70–80% of the membrane lipids by butanol. Nonlinear Arrhenius plots of enzyme activity were found whether acetylcholinesterase was solubilized with Tween 20, Lubrol PX, or Triton X-100. The present work confirms that bovine erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase requires detergents to solubilize it from membranes and that its activity depends on the structure of the amphiphiles used to solubilize the enzyme.


1991 ◽  
Vol 280 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
N M Hooper ◽  
A Bashir

Treatment of kidney microvillar membranes with the non-ionic detergent Triton X-114 at 0 degrees C, followed by low-speed centrifugation, generated a detergent-insoluble pellet and a detergent-soluble supernatant. The supernatant was further fractionated by phase separation at 30 degrees C into a detergent-rich phase and a detergent-depleted or aqueous phase. Those ectoenzymes with a covalently attached glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (G-PI) membrane anchor were recovered predominantly (greater than 73%) in the detergent-insoluble pellet. In contrast, those ectoenzymes anchored by a single membrane-spanning polypeptide were recovered predominantly (greater than 62%) in the detergent-rich phase. Removal of the hydrophobic membrane-anchoring domain from either class of ectoenzyme resulted in the proteins being recovered predominantly (greater than 70%) in the aqueous phase. This technique was also applied to other membrane types, including pig and human erythrocyte ghosts, where, in both cases, the G-PI-anchored acetylcholinesterase partitioned predominantly (greater than 69%) into the detergent-insoluble pellet. When the microvillar membranes were subjected only to differential solubilization with Triton X-114 at 0 degrees C, the G-PI-anchored ectoenzymes were recovered predominantly (greater than 63%) in the detergent-insoluble pellet, whereas the transmembrane-polypeptide-anchored ectoenzymes were recovered predominantly (greater than 95%) in the detergent-solubilized supernatant. Thus differential solubilization and temperature-induced phase separation in Triton X-114 distinguished between G-PI-anchored membrane proteins, transmembrane-polypeptide-anchored proteins and soluble, hydrophilic proteins. This technique may be more useful and reliable than susceptibility to release by phospholipases as a means of identifying a G-PI anchor on an unpurified membrane protein.


1973 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-367
Author(s):  
R. W. LINCK

Gill cilia and sperm flagella from the lamellibranch mollusc Aequipecten irradians were compared with respect to their ultrastructures and adenosinetriphosphatase activities. Cilia were isolated from excised gills using 3 different solutions: twice-concentrated seawater, 10 % ethanol-10 mM CaCl2 and 60% glycerol. In each case deciliation occurs by the severance of the cilium at the junction of the transition zone and the basal body, and in each case the ciliary ultrastructure is maintained. Sperm flagella were purified by mechanical decapitation. Cilia and sperm flagella have similar fine structures, except that the matrix of the cilia contains substantially more electron-dense material than that of flagella. The ATPase activity of purified cilia is approximately 0.09,µmol P1/min/mg protein; that of flagella is 0.13. Ciliary and flagellar axonemes were prepared by repeated extraction of the membranes with 1% Triton X-100. Ciliary axonemes maintain their 9 + 2 cylindrical orientation, whereas flagellar axonemes often appear as opened or fragmented arrays of the 9 + 2 structure, due to the partial breakdown of the flagellar nexin fibres. A-subfibre arms which were obvious in whole organelles are rarely seen in axoneme preparations. Again the ciliary matrix is considerably more amorphous than in flagellar axonemes. The ATPase activities of ciliary and flagellar axonemes are 0.13 and 0.12 µmol P1/min/mg protein respectively; however, activities of ciliary axonemes may vary by a factor of 2, depending on the method of isolation. The difficulty in observing A-subfibre arms in cross-sections of ciliary and flagellar axonemes is discussed in terms of random, non-reinforcing arrangements of the dynein arms.


Development ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-288
Author(s):  
J. Bohrmann ◽  
H. Gutzeit

Charged cell constituents in polytrophic insect follicles are thought to be transported in the nurse cell-oocyte syncytium by way of electrophoresis. This concept, proposed by Woodruff & Telfer (1980) was based on electrophysiological data and microinjection of heterologous proteins using Hyalophora follicles. By microinjecting fluorescently labelled acidic and basic proteins into the nurse cells or oocyte of vitellogenic Drosophila follicles, we failed to obtain evidence for charge-dependent migration of these molecules. We have also analyzed the proteins of nurse cells and oocyte on isoelectric focusing gels, by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and by ion exchange chromatography to see if basic or acidic proteins accumulate in vivo in nurse cells and oocyte, respectively. For the bulk of the follicular proteins we found no accumulation. Further evidence against an electrophoretic transport system in Drosophila was obtained by estimating the intracellular pH from the colour of indicator dyes microinjected into the follicles; the results indicate that the pH in the nurse cell cytoplasm is lower than that in the ooplasm. According to the model developed for Hyalophora, electrophoretic transport would be favoured by high pH in the nurse cell cytoplasm.


1993 ◽  
Vol 290 (3) ◽  
pp. 791-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Klewes ◽  
E A Turley ◽  
P Prehm

The hyaluronate synthase complex was identified in plasma membranes from B6 cells. It contained two subunits of molecular masses 52 kDa and 60 kDa which bound the precursor UDP-GlcA in digitonin solution and partitioned into the aqueous phase, together with nascent hyaluronate upon Triton X-114 phase separation. The 52 kDa protein cross-reacted with poly- and monoclonal antibodies raised against the streptococcal hyaluronate synthase and the 60 kDa protein was recognized by monoclonal antibodies raised against a hyaluronate receptor. The 52 kDa protein was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography with monoclonal anti-hyaluronate synthase.


Blood ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 720-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Bienz ◽  
W Schnippering ◽  
KJ Clemetson

Thrombin activation of platelets involves two receptors: glycoprotein Ib (GPIb), which affects the kinetics of the response; and, as a strong candidate for the second, essential receptor, GPV, a hydrophobic, 82-kd glycoprotein with an isoelectric point (pI) of pH 5.85 to 6.55. Whole platelets were treated with endogenous platelets calcium-activated proteases, yielding a major fragment, GPV8, with molecular weight (mol wt) of 79 kilodaltons (kd). The fragment was purified by affinity chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin followed by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel using first a 0 to 0.7-mol/L and then a 0 to 0.3-mol/L NaCl gradient. A rabbit was immunized with the purified GPV8 for preparation of polyclonal antibodies. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) electrophoretic blotting with the separate phases of a Triton X-114 phase partition of human platelets showed the characteristic pattern of GPV in the hydrophobic phase. During thrombin- induced platelet aggregation GPV is hydrolysed, releasing a fragment, GPVf1, to the supernatant. The fragment GPVf1 still contains a thrombin- binding site. Anti-GPV antibodies blocked GPV proteolysis, but did not inhibit platelet activation induced by thrombin. We conclude that proteolysis of GPV by thrombin is not essential for platelet activation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Herberg ◽  
Yoshitaka Fujihara ◽  
Andreas Blaha ◽  
Karin Panser ◽  
Kiyonari Kobayashi ◽  
...  

Fertilization is the fundamental process that initiates the development of a new individual in all sexually reproducing species. Despite its importance, our understanding of the molecular players that govern mammalian sperm-egg interaction is incomplete, partly because many of the essential factors found in non-mammalian species do not have obvious mammalian homologs. We have recently identified the Ly6/uPAR protein Bouncer as a new, essential fertilization factor in zebrafish (Herberg et al., 2018). Here, we show that Bouncer's homolog in mammals, SPACA4, is also required for efficient fertilization in mice. In contrast to fish, where Bouncer is expressed specifically in the egg, SPACA4 is expressed exclusively in the testis. Male knockout mice are severely sub-fertile, and sperm lacking SPACA4 fail to fertilize wild-type eggs in vitro. Interestingly, removal of the zona pellucida rescues the fertilization defect of Spaca4-deficient sperm in vitro, indicating that SPACA4 is not required for the interaction of sperm and the oolemma but rather of sperm and zona pellucida. Our work identifies SPACA4 as an important sperm protein necessary for zona pellucida penetration during mammalian fertilization.


1996 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 875-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Moudjou ◽  
N. Bordes ◽  
M. Paintrand ◽  
M. Bornens

The centrosome is one of the cellular organelles for which the mechanism by which it operates still remains to be unlavelled. The finding of the association with the centrosome of gamma-tubulin, a protein which belongs to the tubulin superfamily, has provided a long sought after biochemical tool with which to address centrosome function. We have generated a specific anti-gamma-tubulin polyclonal antibody to study the biochemical properties and the cellular distribution of the human lymphoblastic gamma-tubulin. Using cell fractionation and mass isolation of centrosomes, we observed that in contrast to the figures suggested by immunofluorescence, a minimum figure of 80% of total gamma-tubulin exists as a cytosolic form. The centrosomal form, for which at least half is not strongly associated with the centrosome, behaves in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis identically to the soluble form (as at least two spots of a pI of around 6). Post-embedding immunolocalization reveals that gamma-tubulin is distributed in the pericentriolar matrix but is also closely associated with centrioles. Using a combination of gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, equilibrium sucrose gradient centrifugation and immunoprecipitation, we show that the major part of cytosolic gamma-tubulin might be involved in complexes heavier than the Tcp1 particle. We further demonstrate, by co-immunoprecipitation of gamma-tubulin and Tcp1 with either anti-Tcp1 or anti-gamma-tubulin antibodies, that a small part of gamma-tubulin participates in Tcp1-gamma-tubulin particles. Interestingly, the soluble form of gamma-tubulin co-purifies with taxol-stabilized microtubules and its association with microtubules resisted salt, ATP and GTP treatments. The existence of a centrosomal form and a large pool of cytosolic gamma-tubulin-containing complexes in somatic cells suggests that the overall gamma-tubulin cellular distribution does not seem to be as straightforward as it was drawn earlier.


1980 ◽  
Vol 192 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
I R Cottingham ◽  
C I Ragan

L-3-Glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.99.5) was purified from pig brain mitochondria by extraction with deoxycholate, ion-exchange chromatography and (NH4)2SO4 fractionation in cholate, and preparative isoelectric focusing in Triton X-100. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that the purified enzyme consists of a single subunit of mol.wt. 75 000. The enzyme contains non-covalently bound FAD and low concentrations of iron and acid labile sulphide. No substrate reducible e.p.r. signals were detected. The conditions of purification, particularly the isoelectric focusing step, lead to considerable loss of FAD and possibly iron-sulphur centres. It is therefore not possible to decide with certainty whether the enzyme is a flavoprotein or a ferroflavoprotein. The enzyme catalyses the oxidation of L-3-glycerophosphate by a variety of electron acceptors, including ubiquinone analogues. A number if compounds known to inhibit ubiquinone oxidoreduction by other enzymes of the respiratory chain failed to inhibit L-3-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, except at very high concentrations.


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