Effects of a series of alcohols on the binding of a fluorescent dye to erythrocyte membranes

1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Roth ◽  
L. Spero

1. The effects of a series of aliphatic alcohols (methanol to octanol) on membrane proteins of erythrocytes were studied by monitoring the fluorescence of a dye (1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS)) that adsorbs to erythrocyte ghost membranes. Low concentrations of all the alcohols reduced the ANS fluorescence of the membrane–ANS suspensions; lent to those which protect against hypotonic hemolysis on intact erythrocytes; higher concentrations markedly increased the fluorescence. Ethanol and methanol decreased ANS fluorescence at all concentrations.2. Lytic concentrations of saponin did not increase ANS fluorescence and did not modify the membrane action of the alcohols.3. None of these effects were observed in liposomes prepared from lipid extracts of the erythrocyte membrane.4. Since the apparent dissociation constant for the ANS–membrane interaction was unchanged in the presence of the alcohols, it was assumed that the fluorescence changes reflected alterations in the number of ANS binding sites. One conclusion is that low anesthetic concentration of the alcohols alter the conformation of membrane proteins, as indicated by the decreased number of ANS binding sites.

1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 942-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob A. Verpoorte

Both the sialoglycoprotein of human erythrocyte membranes, glycophorin, and the sialic acid free protein, obtained by treatment of glycophorin with neuraminidase (EC 3.2.1.18), increase the fluorescence of 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS). Binding of ANS to glycophorin is weak compared with the binding to bovine serum albumin (BSA). Equilibrium dialysis gives an apparent binding constant of about 4 × 103 M−1 at neutral pH, but Ka increases 1.75 times when NaCl or CaCl2 are added and 10-fold when the pH is lowered to 3.0. Sialic acid groups do not significantly affect ANS binding, although they have some effect at low ionic strength and neutral pH.Fluorescence studies indicate only one to two binding sites for ANS, with apparent pK = 3.8 ± 0.2. and located close to aromatic residues in glycophorin.Polarization and quantum efficiency of the fluorescence of ANS associated with glycophorin fail to indicate changes in the vicinity of the binding site when the pH is lowered.


1975 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1039-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge Jothy ◽  
Jean-Louis Bilodeau ◽  
Henry Simpkins

Hydrolysis of the membrane proteins and phospholipid headgroups of rat liver rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes showed that the ribosomal binding sites involve membrane proteins susceptible to low concentrations of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and papain. Three membrane proteins having molecular weights of 120 000, 93 000 and 36 000 are found to be altered by trypsin and chymotrypsin treatment. Also the polar headgroup of phosphatidylinositol appears to play a role in the binding process.


1992 ◽  
Vol 281 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Nishimura ◽  
H Kuzuya ◽  
A Kosaki ◽  
M Okamoto ◽  
M Okamoto ◽  
...  

Two monoclonal antibodies (MAG17 and MAG20) were raised against the human erythrocyte glucose transporter, which was purified on an immunoaffinity column using a polyclonal antibody to the C-terminal peptide (residues 477-492) of the glucose transporter of HepG2 cells. To obtain antibodies which recognize the native glucose transporter integrated in the membrane, hybridomas were screened both by e.l.i.s.a. with purified glucose transporter and by dot-blotting with erythrocyte membranes. The antibodies immunoprecipitated D-glucose-inhibitable [3H]cytochalasin B-photoaffinity-labelled glucose transporters, but did not recognize the transporter on Western blotting. The presence of the C-terminal peptide did not inhibit the binding of these antibodies to the glucose transporter, suggesting that the antibodies recognized sites different from the transporter C-terminus. D-Glucose (0.1-100 microM) inhibited the binding of MAG17 and MAG20 to the transporter by 50%, indicating that the conformation of the epitopes was altered allosterically by D-glucose. Cytochalasin B inhibited the binding of MAG17 to the transporter, but enhanced the binding of MAG20 at low concentrations (less than 0.02 microM). These data suggest that the glucose transporter has high- and low-affinity binding sites for D-glucose and cytochalasin B, and that binding of D-glucose and cytochalasin B induces conformational changes in the transporter. Monoclonal antibodies which recognize the tertiary structure of the glucose transporter can be used for investigating its function and structure when integrated in the membrane.


1986 ◽  
Vol 55 (01) ◽  
pp. 136-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
K J Kao ◽  
David M Shaut ◽  
Paul A Klein

SummaryThrombospondin (TSP) is a major platelet secretory glycoprotein. Earlier studies of various investigators demonstrated that TSP is the endogenous platelet lectin and is responsible for the hemagglutinating activity expressed on formaldehyde-fixed thrombin-treated platelets. The direct effect of highly purified TSP on thrombin-induced platelet aggregation was studied. It was observed that aggregation of gel-filtered platelets induced by low concentrations of thrombin (≤0.05 U/ml) was progressively inhibited by increasing concentrations of exogenous TSP (≥60 μg/ml). However, inhibition of platelet aggregation by TSP was not observed when higher than 0.1 U/ml thrombin was used to activate platelets. To exclude the possibility that TSP inhibits platelet aggregation by affecting thrombin activation of platelets, three different approaches were utilized. First, by using a chromogenic substrate assay it was shown that TSP does not inhibit the proteolytic activity of thrombin. Second, thromboxane B2 synthesis by thrombin-stimulated platelets was not affected by exogenous TSP. Finally, electron microscopy of thrombin-induced platelet aggregates showed that platelets were activated by thrombin regardless of the presence or absence of exogenous TSP. The results indicate that high concentrations of exogenous TSP (≥60 μg/ml) directly interfere with interplatelet recognition among thrombin-activated platelets. This inhibitory effect of TSP can be neutralized by anti-TSP Fab. In addition, anti-TSP Fab directly inhibits platelet aggregation induced by a low (0.02 U/ml) but not by a high (0.1 U/ml) concentration of thrombin. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that TSP is functionally important for platelet aggregation induced by low (≤0.05 U/ml) but not high (≥0.1 U/ml) concentrations of thrombin. High concentrations of exogenous TSP may univalently saturate all its platelet binding sites consequently interfering with TSP-crosslinking of thrombin-activated platelets.


1984 ◽  
Vol 220 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Yamada ◽  
D B Donner

Human somatotropin competed for 125I-human somatotropin binding to hepatocytes from female or male rats. Bovine somatotropin and prolactin each inhibited part, but not all, of the uptake of 125I-human somatotropin. The binding of 125I-prolactin was inhibited by human somatotropin and prolactin, but not by bovine somatotropin. Bovine somatotropin and human somatotropin, but not prolactin, competed for 125I-bovine somatotropin binding sites. 125I-labelled hormones were covalently coupled to membrane receptors with higher efficiency on hepatocytes from female than from male rats, allowing structural descriptions of lactogenic and somatogenic binding sites that had not been possible previously. Disuccinimidyl suberate covalently coupled 125I-human somatotropin into saturable complexes of Mr 300 000, 220 000, 130 000, 65 000 and 50 000. Bovine somatotropin inhibited the incorporation of 125I-human somatotropin into complexes of Mr 300 000, 220 000 and 130 000, whereas low concentrations of prolactin competed for incorporation into the 65 000- and 50 000-Mr species. 125I-bovine somatotropin was incorporated into complexes of Mr 300 000, 220 000 and 130 000. Human somatotropin and bovine somatotropin, but not prolactin, inhibited the production of these complexes. 125I-prolactin binding produced complexes of Mr 65 000 and 50 000. Native prolactin and human somatotropin, but not bovine somatotropin, inhibited uptake of 125I-prolactin into these species. Thus direct affinity labelling, as well as competition for covalent coupling, suggests that the 300 000-, 220 000- and 130 000-Mr species are components of the somatotropin receptor and that the 65 000- and 50 000-Mr complexes result from hormone binding to the prolactin receptor. By subtracting the Mr of prolactin, it was calculated that the hormone was bound to species of Mr 43 000 and 28 000. These Mr values were not affected by reduction of solubilized membranes, suggesting that the structure of the prolactin receptor is not stabilized by interchain disulphide bonds between subunits. Subtracting the Mr of somatotropin from somatogenic complexes indicated that the hormone had bound to species of Mr 280 000, 200 000 and 100 000. The 300 000- and 220 000-Mr complexes were not isolated from reduced membranes, whereas the amount of the 130 000-Mr species was augmented. These observations could suggest that a major component of the somatotropin receptor is a trimeric aggregate in which some subunits are retained in a larger complex by interchain disulphide bonds.


1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 937-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
David V. Godin ◽  
Peter McGinn

The membrane perturbational actions of pentobarbital, methohexital, and phenobarbital were analyzed in terms of their effects on the incorporation of group-specific chemical probes into protein and phospholipid structural components and on the activity of various functionally distinct ATPases in erythrocyte and brain synaptosomal membranes. When compared at concentrations producing similar degrees of antihemolysis in red cells, the three analogues differed most markedly in the nature and degree of the structural and functional alterations induced in membrane proteins, with the most highly lipophilic agent, methohexital, being frequently, although not invariably, the most potent. Comparison of the effects of pentobarbital on characteristics of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid and 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) incorporation into erythrocyte membranes with results previously obtained using other anaesthetics at concentrations producing 50% antihemolysis showed that pentobarbital behaves similarly to neutral general anaesthetics but differently from cationic local anaesthetics. Our findings suggest that the membrane perturbational characteristics of barbiturates may contribute to their diverse and complex actions on excitable tissues.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (5) ◽  
pp. H1514-H1521 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Katz ◽  
M. L. La Marche

Albumin reduces capillary hydraulic conductance (Lp) even at low concentrations. To determine if part of this barrier protective effect might be extracellular, we studied the effects of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on Lp of self-assembled basement membrane (Matrigel). Lp with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) buffer superfusate was stable at 1.77 +/- 0.22 x 10(-5) (SE) cm.s-1.cmH2O-1 over several hours. At 0.1 g/dl BSA, experimental/control (Tris) Lp fell to 83.1 +/- 6.0% (2P < 0.025), with decreases to 72.4 +/- 3.7% at 1 g/dl (2P < 0.005), 45.3 +/- 5.1% at 2.5 g/dl (2P < 0.001), and 45.0 +/- 4.8% at 4.0 g/dl (2P < 0.001). In separate experiments, BSA arginine groups were neutralized by 1,2-cyclohexanedione (CHD), and experimental/control Lp values were measured. At 2.5 g/dl, CHD-BSA depressed Lp to 54.4 +/- 4.8%, while unmodified BSA reduced Lp to 40.8 +/- 3.5% of Tris control (2P = 0.05). Finally, soluble arginine at three- and sixfold the arginine in BSA was added to BSA superfusate. For threefold, Lp rose to 120 +/- 8% of BSA level and for sixfold to 129 +/- 9% (2P < 0.05). We conclude that some part of the albumin protective effect is very likely due to consequences on extracellular matrix and that at least 18-22% of this effect is related to arginine groups on albumin when computed from Lp, and up to 34% when viscosity is taken into account. Membrane-saturable arginine-binding sites can be unbound with arginine, thus nullifying part of the barrier protective effect of BSA.


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