Changes in proteinase activities during the differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells.

Changes in intracellular proteinase activities were examined during DMSO-induced differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells. Suc-APA-MCA hydrolytic activity was significantly decreased, and apparent ATP-dependent multicatalytic proteinase activity was also decreased with MEL cell differentiation. Cathepsin B and L activity was mainly present in the microsomal fraction of control cells, but a part of this activity had shifted to the lysosomal fraction of differentiated cells.

Antibody against the C-terminal portion of dystrophin crossreacts with the 400 kDa protein in the pia mater of dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse brain.

The mdx mouse is an animal model for X-linked Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A polyclonal antibody against a synthetic peptide IV equivalent to the C-terminal portion (amino acids 3495-3544) of dystrophin crossreacted with a 400 kDa protein in the brain and the spinal cord of mdx mouse, as well as in the control B10 mouse. However, the protein did not crossreact with the polyclonal antibody raised against the N-terminal portion of dystrophin peptide I (amino acids 215-264).

Activity measurement of lysosomal cysteine proteinases, cathepsins B, H and L, in crude tissue extracts, and their relation to the fractional rate of protein degradation.

1. The fractional rate of protein degradation was measured in vivo and compared with the lysosomal enzyme activities of several rat tissues. Good agreement was observed between them.

Molecular and biochemical properties of the ATP-stimulated multicatalytic proteinase, ingensin, from rat liver.

1. A high-molecular-mass multicatalytic proteinase, ingensin, has been purified from rat liver and biochemically characterized. Trypsinization in the presence of ATP prevented the degradation of ingensin subunits.

Putative N-terminal splitting enzyme of amyloid A4 peptides is the multicatalytic proteinase, ingensin, which is widely distributed in mammalian cells.

The main characteristic changes observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and the deposition of amyloid A4 peptides. The most abundant amyloid A4 peptide species in AD (which we tentatively named A4') is composed of 39 amino acids, which is devoid of the 3 N-terminal amino acids, Asp-Ala-Glu, of the originally reported A4 peptide. We synthesized a model peptide substrate, Suc-Ala-Glu-methylcoumarinamide (MCA), to identify the proteinase that splits the A4' peptide.

Addition of ATP increases the apparent molecular mass of the multicatalytic proteinase, ingensin.

A high-molecular mass ATP-dependent proteinase was shown to be identical to a multicatalytic proteinase, ingensin [(1988) Eur. J. Biochem.

RNA degrading activity is tightly associated with the multicatalytic proteinase, ingensin.

The multicatalytic proteinase, ingensin, was purified to homogeneity from chicken liver. rRNA-degrading activity was co-eluted with the purified multicatalytic proteinase from a TSK-3000SW column. This RNA-degrading activity was inactivated by heat treatment and the addition of a low concentration of SDS.

Dystrophin diagnosis: comparison of dystrophin abnormalities by immunofluorescence and immunoblot analyses.

Immunoblot characterization and immunofluorescence localization of dystrophin are presented for 76 human patients with various neuromuscular diseases. Normal dystrophin (shown by immunoblotting) was invariably visualized as a continuous, peripheral membrane immunostaining of myofibers. Biochemical abnormalities of dystrophin (either lower or higher molecular weight dystrophin) resulted in patchy, discontinuous immunostaining, suggesting that the abnormal dystrophin proteins are not capable of creating a complete membrane cytoskeleton network.

Mature 98,000-dalton acid alpha-glucosidase is deficient in Japanese quails with acid maltase deficiency.

We compared acid alpha-glucosidase of acid maltase-deficient Japanese quails, an animal model of human late-onset glycogenosis type II, with that of normal controls. Antibody produced in a rabbit against acid alpha-glucosidase purified from chicken pectoral muscle cross-reacted with that of Japanese quails. The presence of a 110K and 98K form of acid alpha-glucosidase was confirmed in normal controls by immunoblotting.

Mosaic expression of dystrophin in symptomatic carriers of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.

A deficiency of the protein dystrophin is known to be the cause of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. To examine the expression of dystrophin in symptomatic female carriers of this X-linked recessive disorder, we performed immunohistochemical studies on muscle-biopsy specimens from three such carriers, using an antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide fragment of dystrophin. In all three carriers, most individual muscle fibers reacted either strongly or not at all to the antiserum for dystrophin; only 2 to 8 percent of fibers showed partial immunostaining.

Progression in nemaline myopathy.

Four of seven patients with nemaline myopathy had severe, rapidly progressing symptoms. These four showed an increase in acid phosphatase activity in muscle fibers demonstrated by histochemistry and cathepsin B&L activity by biochemical measurement. On electron microscopy, nemaline bodies, occasionally disorganized myofibrils and autophagic vacuoles containing sarcoplasmic debris and glycogen particles were seen.

An ATP-dependent protease and ingensin, the multicatalytic proteinase, in K562 cells.

We investigated and characterized the ATP-dependent protease in human erythroleukemia, K562 cells. The succinyl-leucyl-leucyl-valyl-tyrosine-methylcoumarinamide hydrolytic activity in a K562 lysate at pH 9 rose more than 10-fold with the addition of 1 mM ATP. The effect of ATP on the protease activity was dose-dependent and inhibited by the addition of ADP.

Localization of ingensin in rat central nervous system and skeletal muscle.

A high molecular weight, fatty acid- and SDS-sensitive protease named ingensin was purified from rat brain in this study. The enzyme purified from rat brain has the same biochemical properties as those purified from other tissues, e.g.

Immunostaining of skeletal and cardiac muscle surface membrane with antibody against Duchenne muscular dystrophy peptide.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a debilitating X-linked muscle disease. We have used sequence information from complementary DNA clones, derived from the gene that is deleted in DMD patients, to generate an antiserum that stains the surface membrane of intact human and mouse skeletal muscle, but not that of DMD patients and mdx mice. Here we identify the protein reacting with this antiserum as a single component of relative molecular mass 210,000 (Mr = 210K) that fractionates with a low-ionic strength extract of intact human and mouse skeletal muscle.

Reappearance of embryonic neutral alpha-glucosidase isoenzyme in acid maltase-deficient muscle of Japanese quail.

Two neutral alpha-glucosidase isoenzymes were isolated from the muscle of Japanese quails with late-onset acid maltase deficiency. One isoenzyme is predominantly expressed in embryonic muscle and the other in adult muscle. The time of switching from one to the other of these two neutral alpha-glucosidases was the same as in normal birds.

alpha-Glucosidase isoenzymes in normal and acid maltase-deficient human skeletal muscles.

One acid alpha-glucosidase and two neutral alpha-glucosidases were separated from human skeletal muscle by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The appearance of the two human neutral alpha-glucosidase isoenzymes was found to be age dependent. We called them "fetal" and "adult" neutral alpha-glucosidases.

Effects of heparin and other acid mucopolysaccharides on the activity of a cytolytic pore-forming protein (perforin) from cytotoxic T-lymphocytes.

A cytolytic protein (perforin) was rapidly purified from a cell line of mouse cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) by DEAE-cellulose, heparin-Sepharose, and phenyl-Sepharose chromatographies. The purified perforin was activated by heparin, the half maximal concentration being 3-10 ng/ml, depending on the calcium concentration. Other acid mucopolysaccharides, such as chondroitin sulfates A and C, keratan polysulfate, and heparin sulfate, also enhanced the lysis of erythrocytes by perforin, but the concentrations required for activation were more than 100-fold higher than that of heparin.

Immunohistochemical localization of AMP deaminase in rimmed vacuoles in human skeletal muscle.

High AMP deaminase reactivity was detected in the rimmed vacuoles in skeletal muscles in adult onset acid maltase deficiency and distal myopathy with rimmed vacuole formation histochemically as well as immunohistochemically. Acid phosphatase activity was positive but myosin ATPase activity was negative in the vacuoles. AMP deaminase found in rimmed vacuoles does not seem to be associated with myosin but is possibly bound to lysosomes or other related organelles in accordance with the proliferation of autophagic vacuoles.

Human skeletal muscle contains two major aminopeptidases: an anion-activated aminopeptidase B and an aminopeptidase M-like enzyme.

Two major aminopeptidases, an aminopeptidase B and an aminopeptidase M-like enzyme, were purified from human skeletal muscle by DEAE-cellulose, HPLC gel filtration, and hydroxyapatite column chromatographies. The purified aminopeptidase B exhibits a molecular weight of 76,000 under both native and denaturing conditions. The activity of the aminopeptidase B is regulated by C1 ions and other anions in vitro.

Isolation of a Ca-dependent erythrolytic protein (perforin) from cytotoxic T-lymphocytes.

A Ca-dependent erythrolytic protein (perforin) was isolated from a cytotoxic T-cell line (CTLL2). Cellular extracts were fractionated on DEAE-cellulose and hydrophobic Phenyl-Sepharose columns. Lytic activity was tightly bound to the hydrophobic column and was eluted with 50% ethyleneglycol.

Trial of a cysteine proteinase inhibitor, EST, in experimental chloroquine myopathy in rats.

The administration of 50 mg/kg/day of chloroquine to rats for 8 weeks produced the chloroquine myopathy characterized by autophagic vacuole formation and increases in lysosomal enzymes, especially cathepsins B & L. Coadministration of 10 mg/kg/day of a potent cysteine proteinase inhibitor, EST, and chloroquine prevented the induction of the chloroquine myopathy. Rats already suffering from the chloroquine myopathy were treated with 10 mg/kg/day of EST together with chloroquine injections for 5 weeks and also recovered remarkably from the myopathy.