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Biomedical subjects

A Bennick

Publications and source records attributed to A Bennick.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Soluble, cross-linked fibrin(ogen) hybrid oligomers do not stimulate t-PA conversion of plasminogen.

Cross-linked hybrid oligomers of fibrinogen and fibrin are found in plasma from fibrinaemic patients and normal individuals as well as in preparations of purified human fibrinogen. The present study was undertaken to see if such hybrid oligomers have the same stimulatory effect on tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) conversion of plasminogen as do polymeric and monomeric fibrin. Hybrid oligomeric fibrin(ogen) material was provided by subjecting purified human fibrinogen to gel filtration in urea-containing buffer at pH 5.6. Well separated fractions of hybrid oligomeric material and monomeric fibrinogen were thus obtained. Some of this material was converted to soluble polymeric or monomeric fibrin using insolubilized thrombin. Hybrid polymeric fibrin, polymeric fibrin or monomeric fibrin were then added to citrated, normal plasma to 2.5 or 5 per cent of the plasma fibrinogen concentration. The added material was kept in solution by plasma fibrinogen. The "COA-SET Fibrin Monomer Test" (Kabi,Stocholm,Sweden), based on the ability of fibrin monomers to enhance t-PA mediated plasminogen-plasmin conversion, was used to compare the potential stimulatory effect of the preparations above. The results led to the following conclusions: 1) Cross-linked, soluble fibrin(ogen) hybrid polymers in a concentration of 5 per cent of plasma fibrinogen concentration (w/w) do not stimulate t-PA. 2) Thrombin conversion of the fibrin-fibrinogen hybrid material resulted in an increase in the rate of t-PA mediated plasminogen conversion, corresponding to the one observed with equivalent (w/w) amounts of fibrin monomers. Compared on a mole to mole basis, fibrin oligomers are more powerful than fibrin monomers as stimulators of t-PA activity.

Chromatography, Gel

cDNA for the carboxyl-terminal region of a rat intestinal mucin-like peptide.

When subjected to thiol reduction, purified intestinal mucins have been shown to undergo a decrease in molecular mass and to liberate a 118-kDa glycopeptide (Roberton, A. M., Mantle, M., Fahim, R. E. F., Specian, R., Bennick, A., Kawagishi, S., Sherman, P., and Forstner, J. F. (1989) Biochem. J. 261, 637-647). The latter has been called a putative "link" component because it is assumed to be important for disulfide bond-mediated mucin polymerization. Controversy exists as to whether the putative link is an integral mucin component or a separate mucin-associated glycopeptide. In the present study both NH2-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of the 118-kDa glycopeptide of rat intestinal mucin were used to generate opposing oligonucleotide primers for polymerase chain reaction. A specific 1.2-kilobase (kb) product was obtained, from which a 0.5-kb HindIII fragment was used as a probe to screen a lambda ZAP II cDNA library of rat intestine. A 2.6-kb cDNA (designated MLP 2677) was sequenced and revealed an open reading frame of 2.5 kb encoding 837 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence showed that the putative link peptide is equivalent to the carboxyl-terminal 689 amino acids of a larger peptide. Northern blots revealed a mRNA size of approximately 9 kb. Computer searches revealed no sequence homology with other proteins, but similarities were seen in the alignment of cysteine residues in the link and in several domains of human von Willebrand factor, as well as cysteine-rich areas of bovine and porcine submaxillary mucins and a frog skin mucin designated FIM-B.1. In keeping with earlier demonstrations of the presence of mannose in the 118-kDa glycopeptide, there were several (13) consensus sequences for attachment of N-linked oligosaccharides within the link domain. Further sequencing of MLP 2677 in a direction 5' to the codon specifying the NH2-terminal proline of the link has revealed a coding region for 148 amino acids, including a unique 75-amino acid domain rich in cysteine and proline, and a region containing 4.5-variable tandem repeats (each 11-12 amino acids) rich in serine, threonine, and proline. The presence of mucin-like tandem repeats suggests that the entire cysteine-rich link peptide represents the carboxyl-terminal region (75.5 kDa) of a mucin-like peptide (MLP). The latter is estimated to have a molecular mass of approximately 300 kDa.

Amino Acid Sequence

Early cross-linked fibrin in human plasma contains alpha-polymers with intact fibrinopeptide A.

alpha-polymer formation, as opposed to gamma-chain dimerization has been considered a relatively late event in factor XIII-induced fibrin stabilization. Recently it has been shown, however, that plasma from healthy individuals and from patients with fibrinaemia contains small amounts of soluble fibrin/fibrinogen oligomers interlinked through dimerized gamma-chains as well as cross-linked alpha-chains. The present work was carried out to see if these early alpha-chain polymers also arise during coagulation of plasma in vitro. Plasma samples from healthy individuals, prepared by immediate centrifugation of blood collected without anticoagulant, were allowed to clot spontaneously for varying periods. The plasma clots were solubilized in SDS-urea-mercaptoethanol and samples were subjected to SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using polyclonal antibodies to human fibrinogen, or monoclonal antibodies specific either for A alpha/alpha-chains, for fibrinopeptide A-containing chains, for the N-terminus of the fibrin beta-chain or for the gamma-chains. Fibrin/fibrinogen oligomers were seen to form long before visible gelation of plasma. These oligomers were cross-linked through gamma-chain dimerization, but also through A alpha- or alpha-chain polymerization. The number and amount of alpha-polymers containing A alpha-chains increased immediately after clot formation, but these disappeared about 20 min later, due to complete removal of fibrinopeptide A (FPA) by thrombin. It is concluded that alpha-polymer formation is a very early event during plasma coagulation in vitro, and that both A alpha- and alpha-chains are involved.

Blood Coagulation

Differential expression of proline-rich proteins in rabbit salivary glands.

Salivary glands synthesize and secrete an unusual family of proline-rich proteins (PRPs) that can be broadly divided into acidic and basic PRPs. We studied the tissue-specific expression of these proteins in rabbits, using antibodies to rabbit acidic and basic PRPs as well as antibodies and cDNA probes to human PRPs. By immunoblotting, in vitro translation, and Northern blotting, basic PRPs could be readily detected in the parotid gland but were absent in other salivary glands. In contrast, synthesis in vitro of acidic PRPs was detected in parotid, sublingual, and submandibular glands. Ultrastructural localization with immunogold showed heavy labeling with antibodies to acidic PRPs of secretory granules of parotid acinar cells and sublingual serous demilune cells. Less intense labeling occurred in the seromucous acinar cells of the submandibular gland. With antibodies to basic PRPs, the labeling of the parotid gland was similar to that observed with antibodies to acidic PRPs, but there was only weak labeling of granules of a few sublingual demilune cells, and no labeling of the submandibular gland. These results demonstrate a variable pattern of distribution of acidic and basic PRPs in rabbit salivary glands. These animals are therefore well suited for study of differential tissue expression of PRPs.

Animals

Basic proline-rich proteins from human parotid saliva: relationships of the covalent structures of ten proteins from a single individual.

Eleven basic proline-rich proteins were purified from the parotid saliva of a single individual. The complete amino acid sequences of six of these were determined by conventional protein sequence methodology, bringing to nine the number of known primary structures of nonglycosylated basic proline-rich proteins from the same individual. The partial sequence of one additional protein is also reported. All of the basic proline-rich proteins studied contain segments with identical or very similar sequences, but with two possible exceptions, none of the proteins is derived from another secreted proline-rich protein. The amino acid sequences of nine nonglycosylated basic proline-rich proteins were compared with primary structures deduced from published nucleotide sequences of DNA coding for human parotid proline-rich proteins. The sequences align well, in general, but differences also exist pointing to the complexity of the genetics of these proteins. Seven secretory basic proline-rich proteins appear to be formed from three larger precursors by selective posttranslational proteolyses of arginyl bonds. One of the basic proline-rich proteins appears to derive from human acidic proline-rich proteins. The remaining two proteins studied do not conform to any DNA structure as yet reported. Two of the basic proline-rich proteins studied are phosphoproteins and exhibit abilities to inhibit hydroxyapatite formation in vitro.

Amino Acid Sequence

Purification and characterization of a rabbit salivary protein, a potent inhibitor of crystal growth of calcium phosphate salts.

Human saliva is supersaturated with respect to basic calcium phosphate salts but is stabilized by specific macromolecules that inhibit calcium phosphate precipitation. One of the families of inhibitory proteins in human and monkey saliva is the acidic proline-rich proteins. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize inhibitors of calcium phosphate precipitation from rabbit parotid saliva. Saliva was fractionated by immunoaffinity chromatography and anion exchange chromatography. Individual fractions were assayed for their ability to inhibit calcium phosphate crystal growth and the fraction associated with the inhibition was purified by repeated anion exchange chromatography, preparative gel electrophoresis and electroelution. A major (APRP) and two minor proteins (AM1, AM2) that were inhibitory were purified. APRP is an acidic proline-rich phospho-glycoprotein and a very potent inhibitor of secondary crystal growth of calcium phosphate as it was active at a concentration of 2 x 10(-8) M in a standard assay. The N-terminal sequence of one APRP was EYENLDGSLAATQNDDD?Q and a clostripain fragment of APRP had the following N-terminal sequence PQHRPPRPGGH-????SPPP?GN???PPP. Although the N-terminal segment of APRP does not resemble that of proline-rich proteins, alignment of the clostripain fragment with the repeat region of such proteins from rat, mouse, monkey and man revealed a high degree of similarity, indicating a structural relationship with the proline-rich protein family.

Amino Acid Sequence

Hybridomas can successfully be prepared from frozen/thawn spleen cells.

Spleens from mice immunized with either human von Willebrand factor, albumin or fragment DD from plasminolyzed fibrin were divided into two equal parts. Subsequently, one half of the spleen cells were fused directly with X-63 mouse myeloma cells and the other half fused after freezing and thawing. The results show that hybridomas may successfully be prepared from frozen/thawn spleen cells, but that a higher cell density than with fresh cells is required. The possibility of making use of frozen spleen cell material implies that valuable time and cell material can be saved, and that fusions can be postponed and performed at the time of choice.

Animals

Phosphopeptides derived from human salivary acidic proline-rich proteins. Biological activities and concentration in saliva.

Human saliva contains a large number of phosphopeptides derived by cleavage of acidic proline-rich proteins (APRPs). These peptides were purified by column chromatography and they constituted 0.5% of APRPs in parotid saliva, but 11% of APRPs in saliva expectorated from the mouth (whole saliva), indicating that there is considerable cleavage of APRPs after secretion from the gland. Similarly to APRP, the phosphopeptides bind Ca2+, but they accounted for only 4% of protein-bound Ca2+ in whole saliva. APRPs as well as the phosphopeptides inhibited formation of hydroxyapatite, but, whereas 19-20 micrograms of APRP was needed for 50% inhibition, only 0.7-3.3 micrograms of purified peptides was needed for the same degree of activity, and the phosphopeptides accounted for 18% of total inhibitory activity in whole saliva. All phosphopeptides adsorbed on hydroxyapatite in vitro, and adsorption of phosphopeptides on tooth surfaces in vivo could also be demonstrated, indicating that they would be able to inhibit unwanted mineral formation on the tooth surface in vivo. Degradation of APRPs after secretion therefore does not lead to a loss of their biological activities.

Adsorption

Normal and fibrinaemic patient plasma contain high-molecular weight crosslinked fibrin(ogen) derivatives with intact fibrinopeptide A.

Freshly drawn plasma samples from healthy subjects and from fibrinaemic patients were subjected to electrophoresis on SDS-agarose (unreduced material) or on SDS-PAG (1D and 2D, reduced material) and Westernblotted. The blots were immunovisualized using either polyclonal anti-fibrinogen or a monoclonal antibody (Y18) to fibrinopeptide A-containing molecules. The following results were obtained: 1. Normal plasma as well as plasma from patients with fibrinaemia contained FXIII-crosslinked HMW oligomers, stabilized through gamma gamma-dimerization as well as alpha-polymer formation and these oligomers contained molecules with intact A alpha-chain N-termini. 2. Cross-linked material amounted to less than 0.1% of the fibrinogen pool regardless of the sample studied, and apparently less in fibrinaemic patient plasma than in normal plasma. Thus, since the ratio of crosslinked fibrin(ogen) derivatives to that of fibrinogen was lower for fibrinaemic plasma than for normal plasma, it is suggested that the type of soluble fibrin which gives rise to a positive EGT in fibrinaemia patients is not crosslinked.

Adolescent

Purification and characterization of subunits of a high molecular weight human salivary mucin.

A high molecular-weight mucin was purified from human submandibular-sublingual saliva. The purity of the mucin preparation was demonstrated by the absence of other salivary proteins, by antibody reactivity and by gel electrophoresis. After reduction with mercaptoethanol a putative link component with approximate Mr 150,000 and a glycoprotein component of higher Mr could be detected by gel electrophoresis. These subunits were subsequently purified and they showed distinct differences in their amino acid compositions, demonstrating that the mucin consisted of two different subunits. The link had a number of similarities with the link component of intestinal mucin and a parotid agglutinin and has previously been shown to cross-react with antiserum to link component from intestinal mucin. Salivary and intestinal mucins may therefore have similar subunit structure.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel

Primary structure and possible origin of the non-glycosylated basic proline-rich protein of human submandibular/sublingual saliva.

Human submandibular/sublingual saliva contains one non-glycosylated basic proline-rich protein whereas parotid saliva contains multiple such components. The submandibular protein has a primary structure identical with the C-terminal segment [TZ] of the human parotid acidic proline-rich proteins that contain 150 amino acid residues (Mr 16,000). Northern-blot analyses of human parotid and submandibular glands revealed that mRNAs containing the HaeIII repeat sequence typical for acidic proline-rich proteins are expressed in both of these salivary glands whereas mRNAs for non-glycosylated basic proline-rich proteins containing a typical BstN1 repeat sequence are expressed in the parotid but not in the submandibular gland. Products of translation in vitro of mRNAs from human parotid and submandibular glands were also examined. Two immunoprecipitable bands with Mr 29,000 and 28,000 were obtained by translation of both parotid and submandibular mRNA. In the presence of microsomal membranes these proteins gave rise to proteins electrophoretically identical with the secreted acidic proline-rich proteins of Mr 16,000. These proteins were cleaved by kallikrein, giving rise to proteins with electrophoretic mobilities identical with those of a smaller acidic proline-rich protein with Mr 11,000 and peptide TZ. Additional immunoprecipitable bands with Mr ranging from 35,000 to 46,000 were seen when parotid mRNA was used for translation in vitro, and are believed to be precursors of the basic proline-rich proteins encoded by the BstN1 repeat type mRNA. Neither these bands nor a separate precursor for the basic non-glycosylated proline-rich protein was detected when submandibular mRNA was used for translation in vitro. It is suggested that the non-glycosylated basic proline-rich protein present in human submandibular saliva arises by cleavage of acidic proline-rich proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence

The putative 'link' glycopeptide associated with mucus glycoproteins. Composition and properties of preparations from the gastrointestinal tracts of several mammals.

The existence of a discrete 'link' peptide in epithelial mucins has been debated for many years. There is evidence that at least some mucins contain a specific 'link' peptide (or glycopeptide) that enhances mucin polymerization by forming disulphide bridges to large mucin glycoprotein subunits. A major difficulty has been to know whether the reported differences in putative 'link' components represent artifacts generated by inter-laboratory differences in technical procedures used in mucin purification. The present paper outlines the results of a collaborative study involving five laboratories and 53 samples of purified gastrointestinal mucins (including salivary, gastric, small-intestinal and colonic mucins) prepared by five techniques from four different animal species. An early step in mucin purification in all cases was the addition of proteinase inhibitors. Representative mucins were analysed for their composition, electrophoretic mobility in SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis before and after disulphide-bond reduction, and for their reactivity with monospecific antibodies developed against the 118 kDa putative 'link' glycopeptide isolated from either rat or human small-intestinal mucins. Our results indicate that, despite differences in laboratory techniques, preparative procedures, organs and species, each of the purified mucins contained a 'link' component that was released by disulphide-bond reduction and produced a band on SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis at a position of approx. 118 kDa. After electroelution and analyses, the 118 kDa bands from the different mucins were found to have similar amino acid profiles and to contain carbohydrate. It would appear therefore that a 'link' glycopeptide of molecular mass approx. 118 kDa is common to all of the gastrointestinal mucins studied.

Animals

Isolation and characterization of six proteins from rabbit parotid saliva belonging to a unique family of proline-rich proteins.

Proline-rich proteins are major components of salivary secretion from humans non-human primates, rats, hamsters and rabbits. They are also synthesized in mice in response to chronic stimulation by beta agonists. This study to provide an understanding of the structural and genetic relationships within these families of proteins to determine the possible function of the proline-rich proteins. Rabbit parotid saliva was collected and proline-rich proteins were affinity purified using goat antibodies to human proline-rich proteins. Purification was achieved by repeated cation exchange chromatography on a Mono S column a Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography system. Six basic proline-rich proteins were purified. The apparent molecular weights were between 75,000 and 125,000, based on their mobilities in sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Glycine, glutamine (and glutamate) and proline accounted for 79-87% of total amino acids in all proteins, but proline was present in smaller amounts (17-21%) than in proline-rich proteins from other species. All proteins were glycosylated but not phosphorylated. Circular dichroism of two proline-rich proteins, MS7A and MS5B, indicated the absence of secondary structure. The N-terminal sequences of three proteins electro-eluted after preparative gel electrophoresis were determined. A high degree of similarity was found in various regions of mouse, rat, monkey and human proline-rich proteins. Rabbits thus synthesize constitutively a family of proteins that are immununologically and structurally related to proline-rich proteins other species.

Amino Acid Sequence

Immunovisualization of fibrinogen A alpha-chain heterogeneity in normal plasma and plasma from patients with DIC or on streptokinase therapy.

Purified fibrinogen as well as normal plasma, or plasma from patients with DIC or undergoing streptokinase(SK)-therapy was subjected to 1D- and 2D SDS-electrophoresis under reducing conditions. The pattern was revealed either by Coomassie-staining or immunostaining after Western-blotting and then compared. The use of polyclonal antibodies to fibrinogen as well as two monoclonal anti-bodies reacting with FPA and C-terminal part of the A alpha-chain confirmed immunologically the previously reported molecular weight heterogeneity of the A alpha-chain of the fibrinogen molecule as being a constituent of normal plasma, and lead to the following conclusions: 1. The MW-heterogeneity is observed in the fibrinogen pool of normal plasma as well as in DIC-plasma, SK-plasma and in purified fibrinogen, being the least noticeable in normal plasma and most advanced in SK-plasma. Patterns obtained using immunostaining with monoclonal anti-FPA confirm that the MW-heterogeneity of fibrinogen is mainly due to C-terminal degradation of the A alpha-chain. 2. Numerous A alpha-chain remnants (at least 9), with intact N-terminal ends, are found to be present in normal plasma, with a MW range from 66,200 to 36,000 Da, demonstrating that each of the "classical" HMW, LMW, LMW' subgroups consist of fibrinogen molecules which are very heterogeneous. 3. Two populations of A alpha-chains in purified fibrinogen and in fibrinogen in plasma react with the C-terminal specific Mab G-8. This is in contrast to the findings in plasma from streptokinase-treated patients, where several bands of lower molecular weights than the gamma-chain can be seen, suggesting the presence of free, circulating A-alpha chains split in the N-terminal half of the chain beyond the last inter-chain disulphide bond. 4. 2D electrophoresis disclosed substantial deviations in the patterns obtained with DIC-plasma, SK-plasma and with fibrinogen purified by beta-alanine-precipitation from that observed with normal plasma. The present technique allows selective characterization of fibrinogen independently of the other proteins present in plasma and offers extreme sensitivity.

Blotting, Western

The primary structures of six human salivary acidic proline-rich proteins (PRP-1, PRP-2, PRP-3, PRP-4, PIF-s and PIF-f).

Human glandular salivary secretions contain several acidic proline-rich phosphoproteins (PRPs). These proteins have important biological functions related to providing a protective environment for the teeth, and appear to possess other activities associated with modulation of adhesion of bacteria to oral surfaces. These functions and activities depend on the primary structures of the PRPs. Previously determined amino acid sequences of two 150-residue molecules, PRP-1 and PRP-2, and two related 106-residue proteins, PRP-3 and PRP-4, indicated that residue 4 was Asn in PRP-1 and PRP-3, and Asp in PRP-2 and PRP-4, and position 50 was Asn in all four proteins. Recent data from cDNA sequence studies and further structural studies, however, showed that the previously proposed sequences cannot be completely correct. The present work has shown that the protein previously designated as PRP-1 actually consisted of two positional isomers, PIF-s, which has Asn and Asp at positions 4 and 50 respectively, and authentic PRP-1, which has the reverse arrangement. The same isomerism is present in the smaller proteins, PIF-f and PRP-3. Since the isomeric pairs have identical compositions and charges, their presence was not previously detected. Also, by using a more highly purified preparation, it has been found that position 50 in PRP-2 and PRP-4 is Asp, rather than Asn previously reported. These new findings for the six PRPs define their complete primary structures, which are now consistent with those proposed for PRP-1 and PIF-s from cDNA data, and are also consistent with the chromatographic and electrophoretic behaviours of the six PRPs and their derived peptides. These corrected structures are important for understanding the biological functions and activities of these unusual proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence

The presence and origin of phosphopeptides in human saliva.

The presence of phosphopeptides in whole saliva (saliva expectorated from the mouth) was demonstrated and their origin was evaluated. Whole saliva contained much larger numbers of small phosphopeptides than are found in the glandular secretions. Most of these originated from the acidic proline-rich proteins (PRPs) in the major salivary glands and were formed, after secretion into the oral cavity, as a result of rapid degradation by proteolytic enzymes from extraglandular sources contained in sediment from whole saliva. Some peptides may have been formed by cleavage of basic PRPs, but other phosphoproteins apparently contributed little to the observed phosphopeptides. Most of the enzymes that produced phosphopeptides are serine proteinases. The gel-electrophoretic band patterns of the phosphopeptides obtained from 26 individuals of various acidic-PRP phenotypes were remarkably similar, demonstrating that the enzymes responsible were generally present in the population surveyed and that similar cleavages occur regardless of the nature of the acidic PRPs. Many of these peptides were N-terminal proteolytic cleavage products of acidic PRPs. The N-terminal phosphorylated region of acidic PRPs contains various biological activities, such as inhibition of hydroxyapatite formation, calcium binding and binding to hydroxyapatite, the major mineral of teeth. The demonstration of these phosphopeptides in the saliva that is in contact with the oral surface may therefore be of biological importance.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel

Structural and genetic aspects of proline-rich proteins.

Considerable advances have been made in the genetics of salivary proline-rich proteins (PRP). The genes for acidic, basic, and glycosylated PRP have been cloned. They code for precursor proteins that all have an acidic N-terminal followed by proline-rich repeat sequences. Structural studies on secreted proteins have demonstrated that not only acidic but also some basic PRPs have this general structure. It is possible that mRNA for different PRP may have originated from a single gene by differential mRNA splicing, but post-translational cleavages of the primary translation product apparently also occur. In vitro translation of salivary gland mRNA results in a single precursor protein for acidic PRP. Such in vitro translated protein can be cleaved by salivary kallikrein, giving rise to two commonly secreted acidic PRPs, and kallikrein or kallikrein-like enzymes may be responsible for other post-translational cleavages of PRPs. Acidic as well as some basic PRPs are phosphorylated. A protein kinase has been demonstrated in salivary glands which phosphorylates the PRPs and other secreted salivary proteins in a cAMP and Ca2+-calmodulin-independent manner. Knowledge of the conformation of PRPs is limited. There is no conclusive evidence of polyproline-like structure in the proline-rich part of PRPs. Ca2+ binding studies on acidic PRPs indicate that there is interaction between the Ca2+ binding N-terminal end and the proline-rich C-terminal part. This interaction is relieved by modification of arginine side-chains. 1H, 32P, and 43Ca NMR studies have further elucidated the conformation of acidic PRPs in solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Humans