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I Svendsen

Publications and source records attributed to I Svendsen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

The fabJ-encoded beta-ketoacyl-[acyl carrier protein] synthase IV from Escherichia coli is sensitive to cerulenin and specific for short-chain substrates.

A fourth fatty acid condensing enzyme was isolated from Escherichia coli by its ability to restore elongating activity to a protein extract which had been treated with cerulenin, a condensing enzyme-specific inhibitor. The purified beta-ketoacyl-[acyl carrier protein] (ACP) synthase IV [3-oxoacyl-ACP synthase; acyl-ACP:malonyl-ACP C-acyltransferase (decarboxylating), EC 2.3.1.41] (KAS IV) is specific for short-chain acyl-ACP substrates. The enzyme is stable at 43 degrees C and very sensitive to cerulenin (50% inhibition at 3 microM), which binds covalently. A condensing enzyme-specific antibody raised to an expressed open reading frame from barley was used to identify KAS IV protein in Western blots, and the sequence obtained for 30 amino-terminal residues. This led to the isolation of the fabJ gene located in the fab cluster at 24.8 min of the E. coli chromosome. The fabJ gene encodes a polypeptide of 413 amino acids and molecular mass 43 kDa that shows 38% identity and 64% similarity to the fabB-encoded KAS I. The amino acid sequence of KAS IV, however, is more similar to all other published condensing enzyme sequences than the KAS I sequence is. A specialized putative function for this enzyme is to supply the octanoic substrates for lipoic acid biosynthesis. We predict that an analogue of KAS IV with the same function will be found in plant mitochondria. The described complementation assay can be used to detect condensing enzymes with other substrate specificities by supplementing the cerulenin-treated extract with appropriate purified KAS enzymes.

3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl-Carrier-Protein) Synthase↗
PubMed1994

Portion-mixing peptide libraries of quenched fluorogenic substrates for complete subsite mapping of endoprotease specificity.

A solid-phase assay for the complete subsite mapping of the active site of endoproteases has been developed. A library of resin-bound protease substrates was synthesized both on kieselguhr-supported polyamide resin and on a polyethylene glycol-poly-(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) copolymer type of resin that allows proteases to diffuse into the interior and perform their catalytic activity. Anthranilic acid and 3-nitrotyrosine were used as an efficient donor-acceptor pair for the resonance energy transfer. The synthesis was performed in a manual library generator that allows simple wet mixing of the beads and parallel washing procedures. After treatment with subtilisin Carlsberg, fluorescing beads were collected and subjected to peptide sequencing, affording the preferred sequences, their cleavage bond, and a semiquantitative estimation of the turnover. A statistical distribution of preferred amino acids was obtained for each subsite. The result was compared with data from kinetic studies in solution.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Immunoneutralization of endogenous glucagon with monoclonal glucagon antibody normalizes hyperglycaemia in moderately streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

The role of glucagon in diabetic hyperglycaemia has been a matter of controversy because of difficulties in the production of selective glucagon deficiency. We developed a high-capacity (40 nmol/ml), high-affinity (0.6 x 10(11) l/mol) monoclonal glucagon antibody (Glu-mAb) and gave i.v. injections (4 ml/kg) to rats in order to study the effect of selective glucagon deficiency on blood glucose. Controls received a mAb against trinitrophenyl. Glu-mAb completely abolished the hyperglycaemic effect of 2.86 nmol/kg glucagon in normal rats (p < 0.05, n = 6). In moderately hyperglycaemic rats injected with streptozotocin as neonates (N-STZ), Glu-mAb abolished a postprandial increase in blood glucose (from 11.2 +/- 0.7 mmol/l to 17.3 +/- 1.8 mmol/l in controls vs 10.5 +/- 0.9 mmol/l to 9.3 +/- 1.0 mmol/l; cross-over: n = 6, p < 0.05). No significant effect of Glu-mAb treatment was observed in more hyperglycaemic N-STZ rats (cross-over, n = 4) and in severely hyperglycaemic rats injected with STZ as adults (n = 6), but after insulin treatment of the latter, at doses partially restoring blood glucose levels (12.7 +/- 4.3 mmol/l), Glu-mAb administration almost normalized blood glucose (maximal difference: 6.0 +/- 3.8 mmol/l; cross-over: n = 5, p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results provide strong additional evidence for the hypothesis that glucagon is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes. The hormone plays an important role in the development of STZ-diabetic hyperglycaemia, but glucagon neutralization only leads to normoglycaemia in the presence of insulin.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Different effects of N-glycosylation on the thermostability of highly homologous bacterial (1,3-1,4)-beta-glucanases secreted from yeast.

Genes encoding Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (1,3-1,4)-beta-glucanase (AMY), B. macerans (1,3-1,4)-beta-glucanase (MAC), and a series of hybrid enzymes containing N-terminal sequence segments of different length derived from AMY with the remaining C-terminal segment derived from MAC, were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The cells secreted active enzyme into the medium. While the quantity of N-glycan linked to the different enzymes was similar, pronounced differences in thermotolerance were observed when the glycosylated enzymes were compared with the unglycosylated counterparts produced in Escherichia coli. Glycosylated AMY and hybrid enzyme H(A16-M), consisting of 16 N-terminal amino acids derived from AMY with the remaining C-terminal segment from MAC, exhibited a 7.5- and 1.6-fold increase in half-life at 70 degrees C, pH 6.0. N-terminal sequencing established that only two out of three sites for potential N-glycosylation of H(A16-M) secreted from yeast were actually glycosylated. Removal of N-glycans by endoglycosidase H and peptide:N-glycosidase F from H(A16-M) resulted in a 16- and 133-fold decrease of thermostability, demonstrating that N-glycans are a major determinant for the resistance of this enzyme to thermal inactivation. Glycosylated MAC and hybrid enzymes H(A36-M), H(A107-M) and H(A152-M) had increased thermostability but hybrid enzyme H(A78-M) was less thermostable. N-Glycosylation thus changes thermostability of (1,3-1,4)-beta-glucanases with similar primary structure in a variable, so far unpredictable way.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Primary structure, spectroscopic and inhibitory properties of a two-chain trypsin inhibitor from the seeds of charlock (Sinapis arvensis L), a member of the napin protein family.

A protein with inhibitory activity toward trypsin has been isolated from Sinapis arvensis L (charlock). It has a molecular weight of 15,500 and consists of two chains connected by disulfide bonds. The amino acid sequence was determined and showed that it belongs to the napin family of storage proteins. CD studies showed an alpha-helix content of 12% and a beta-structure of about 50%.

2S Albumins, Plant↗
PubMed1994

MHC class II-bound self-peptides can be effectively separated by isoelectric focusing and bind optimally to their MHC class II restriction elements around pH 5.0.

More than 90% of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules on antigen-presenting cells (APC) have in their binding site a peptide derived from an extracellular protein ingested by the APC or from a protein of the APC itself. These self-peptides can be eluted from affinity-purified MHC class II molecules by acid elution, and have been studied with a variety of techniques. We show here that the self-peptides eluted from the mouse MHC class II molecules Ad, Ed and Ek bind specifically to MHC class II molecules of the allelic type from which they were derived. The pH optimum for binding is around 5.0, i.e. the same optimum at which synthetic peptides representing sequences of foreign antigens bind to MHC class II molecules. This suggests that the physiological compartment where MHC class II molecules bind self-peptides may be very late in the endocytic pathway. The chemical properties of the eluted and labelled MHC class II peptides were studied by isoelectric focusing. This method was able to separate the peptides very efficiently, and enabled a rapid comparison of peptides eluted from different MHC molecules. The 125I-labelled peptides displayed a broad range of isoelectric points with values predominantly below neutral. This suggests that such peptides bind to MHC in a predominantly non-charged state.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

The primary structure of carboxypeptidase S1 from Penicillium janthinellum.

The complete amino acid sequence of carboxypeptidase S1 from Penicillium janthinellium has been determined by N-terminal sequencing of the reduced and vinylpyridinated protein and of peptides obtained by cleaved with cyanogen bromide, iodosobenzoic acid, hydroxylamine, endoproteinase LysC, endoproteinase AspN and Glu-specific proteinase from B. licheniformis. The enzyme consists of a single peptide chain of 433 amino acid residues and contains 9 half-cystine residues and one glycosylated asparagine residue. A comparison to other carboxypeptidases shows that the enzyme is homologous to carboxypeptidase-Y and carboxypeptidase-MIII from malt. Specificity and binding of substrates are discussed from a three-dimensional model based on the known structure of carboxypeptidase-Y from Saccharomyces cereviciae and carboxypeptidase II from wheat.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Efficient method for constructing comprehensive murine Fab antibody libraries displayed on phage.

We have developed efficient methodologies for construction and expression of comprehensive phage display libraries of murine Fab antibody fragments in E. coli cells. Our methods optimize several critical steps of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of transcripts of the re-arranged immunoglobulin genes and of their subsequent assembly and expression: Firstly, we have designed exhaustive sets of PCR primers of low degeneracy for the amplification of transcripts of the Fab region of the heavy and light-chain genes. These primers proved effective in amplification of Fab gene fragments from a large panel of hybridoma cell lines of different specificity and family sub-type. Secondly, we have developed a 'jumping PCR' technique that effectively assembled and recombined the amplified heavy and light-chain gene fragments into a bi-cistronic operon. Thirdly, we have constructed expression vectors for insertion of the combinatorial Fab gene-cassette in fusion with a truncated version of the phage surface protein, gIIIp. The heavy chain and the light chain-gIII fusion are transcribed as a polycistronic mRNA from the lacZ promoter and efficient transcriptional control is provided by wildtype lacI present on the vector. The utility of the system was demonstrated by isolating several antigen-binding clones from hybridomas and libraries made from immunized mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Production, purification and characterization of the catalytic domain of glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger.

The catalytic domain of glucoamylases G1 and G2 from Aspergillus niger is produced in vitro in high yield by limited proteolysis using either subtilisin Novo or subtilisin Carlsberg. Purification by affinity chromatography on an acarbose-Sepharose column followed by ion-exchange chromatography on HiLoad Q-Sepharose leads to separation of a number of structurally closely related forms of domain. The cleavage occurs primarily between Val-470 and Ala-471 as indicated by C-terminal sequencing, whereas the N-terminus is intact. Subtilisin Carlsberg, in addition, produces a type of domain which is hydrolysed before Ser-444, an O-glycosylated residue. This leaves the fragment Ser-444-Val-470 disulphide-bonded to the large N-terminal part of the catalytic domain. Subtilisin Novo, in contrast, tends to yield a minor fraction of forms extending approx. 30-40 amino-acid residues beyond Val-470. The thermostability is essentially the same for the single-chain catalytic domain and the original glucoamylases G1 and G2, whereas the catalytic domain cut between Ser-443 and Ser-444 is less thermostable. For both types of domain the kinetic parameters, Km and kcat., for hydrolysis of maltose are very close to the values found for glucoamylases G1 and G2.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Cloning of proline-specific endopeptidase gene from Flavobacterium meningosepticum: expression in Escherichia coli and purification of the heterologous protein.

Proline-specific endopeptidase (PSE) (EC 3.4.21.26) from Flavobacterium meningosepticum was subjected to partial amino acid sequencing. According to the peptide sequences obtained, oligonucleotides were used to amplify a PSE-specific DNA fragment of 930 bp from F. meningosepticum genomic DNA, employing the polymerase chain reaction technique. This fragment served as a molecular probe to isolate the respective gene. DNA sequencing revealed that the PSE gene consists of 2118 bp coding for a 78,634 Da protein of 705 amino acids. The coding region was cloned in different expression vectors of Escherichia coli. Transformed E. coli cells overproduce an active prolyl endopeptidase of 75,000 relative molecular mass, which is delivered to the bacterial periplasmic space. Up to 1.6 units of active prolyl endopeptidase were obtained from 1 mg E. coli cells. Furthermore, the efficient purification of active prolyl endopeptidase from the periplasm of recombinant E. coli cells is described.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Structural properties of Rapana thomasiana grosse hemocyanin: isolation, characterization and N-terminal amino acid sequence of two different dissociation products.

1. The native Rapana thomasiana grosse hemocyanin is dissociated under mild conditions and fractionated into two dissociation products, RHSS1 and RHSS2, with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 250 and approximately 450 kDa, respectively. The two species are present in approximately equivalent amounts. SDS-PAGE analysis reveals that the latter component is a dimer of approximately 250 kDa polypeptide chains. 2. The amino acid compositions, as well as some spectroscopic properties of RHSS1, are very similar to those of RHSS2. After dissociation under mild conditions of the native hemocyanin both species preserve their capability of binding reversibly molecular oxygen. 3. RHSS1 and RHSS2 are sequenced directly from the amino-terminus for 15 and 20 steps, respectively. These parts of the two polypeptide chains are highly homologous but with microheterogeneity associated with some positions. They also exhibit high homology with the N-terminal region of subunits or functional domains of other gastropod Hcs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

A role for gamma 3 hordein in the transport and targeting of prolamin polypeptides to the vacuole of developing barley endosperm.

Hordein synthesis, transport and deposition was analysed by immunocytochemistry in developing endosperm cells of wild-type (Carlsberg II) and mutant varieties deficient in B hordein (hor2ca), gamma 1 hordein (Donetsky), gamma 2 hordein and minor B hordein polypeptides (Haisa), or gamma 3 hordein (Nevsky). In all varieties, hordein polypeptides were detected both in the cytoplasm as globules, ranging in diameter from 50 nm to 1.24 microns, and in the vacuole as protein bodies. In the cytoplasmic globules B and C hordein polypeptides are assembled as a core and are surrounded by an outer layer of gamma 1 and gamma 2 hordein. The globules apparently fuse several times in the cytoplasm before entering the vacuole. Absence of gamma 3 hordein in the mutant Nevsky leads to a dramatic change in hordein polypeptide targeting, the hordein storage proteins being largely deposited in the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. gamma 3 Hordein is unique among the sulphur-rich hordein polypeptides, being monomeric and forming only intramolecular disulphide bridges, while the other B and gamma hordein polypeptides are aggregated by intermolecular disulphide bridges. Retention of hordein in the rough endoplasmatic reticulum in the absence of gamma 3 hordein suggests that gamma 3 hordein may maintain the prolamin storage polypeptides in a transport competent state. The sequence of the mature gamma 3 hordein polypeptide was deduced from a cDNA clone, and compared with gamma 2 hordein. The epitope recognized by the gamma 1 + gamma 2 hordein-specific BX monoclonal antibody used for immunocytochemistry was mapped to include E190 and K193, by synthesizing overlapping oligopeptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

A membrane-bound monoheme cytochrome c551 of a novel type is the immediate electron donor to P840 of the Chlorobium vibrioforme photosynthetic reaction center complex.

A photosynthetic reaction center complex has been isolated from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium vibrioforme. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reveals polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 80, 40, 18, 15, 9, and 6 kDa. Only the 18-kDa polypeptide is stained with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine, a heme-specific reagent. Oxidized minus reduced difference spectra show the presence of approximately one heme/P840 and the presence of a cytochrome c551. Flash photolysis of P840 was followed by rereduction of P840+ and oxidation of cytochrome c551, both with a biphasic kinetic with t1/2 values of 7 and 50 microseconds. Using oligonucleotide probes derived from an N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 18-kDa polypeptide, a genomic clone was isolated. The sequence of the gene, which we designate cycA, predicts a single heme binding site (Cys-Asn-Lys-Cys-His). The 621-base pair open reading frame encodes an apoprotein of 22,858 Da with three predicted membrane-spanning alpha-helices. No extensive sequence similarity is found to other cytochromes. Northern blotting indicates that the cycA gene is transcribed as a monocistronic mRNA. Southern blotting shows the presence of only one cycA gene in the C. vibrioforme and Chlorobium tepidum genomes. The unique membrane-bound monoheme cytochrome c551 of C. vibriforme is assigned to a new class of c-type cytochromes. The implications for the current view of evolution of photosynthetic reaction center complexes are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Primary structure of barwin: a barley seed protein closely related to the C-terminal domain of proteins encoded by wound-induced plant genes.

Barwin is a basic protein with pI above 10 and molecular mass 13.7 kDa isolated from aqueous extracts of barley seed. The complete amino acid sequence of 125 residues has been determined by a combination of conventional protein sequencing, plasma desorption mass spectrometry, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Three disulfide bridges have been localized as Cys31-Cys63, Cys52-Cys86, and Cys66-Cys123 both by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and by plasma desorption mass spectrometry. The N-terminal residue was identified as pyroglutamate. Barwin is closely related to a peptide segment of 122 residues at the C-terminal region of the proteins encoded by two wound-induced genes in potato plants, win1 and win2, and a protein encoded by the hevein gene of rubber tree. In 77 sequence positions of 125 the barwin, win1, win2, and hevein protein sequences have amino acid sequence identity, when two gaps--one of two residues allowing for the insert of Gly23 and Ala24 and one allowing for the insert of Thr97 in the barwin sequence--are introduced in the latter three. The close sequence similarity with the proteins encoded by the wound-induced potato and rubber tree genes and the ability of the protein to bind saccharides suggest that barwin might belong to a group of proteins involved in a common defense mechanism in plants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Identification of the photosystem I antenna polypeptides in barley. Isolation of three pigment-binding antenna complexes.

The light-harvesting antenna of barley photosystem I (LHCI) was isolated from native photosystem I (PSI) complexes and fractionated into three pigment-protein subcomplexes using two consecutive rounds of green gel electrophoresis. Each complex showed a characteristic polypeptide composition and low-temperature fluorescence emission spectrum; they were designated as LHCI-730, LHCI-680A and LHCI-680B. Their four apoproteins of 21, 22, 23 and 25 kDa were purified and NH2-terminal sequences were determined; in the case of the NH2-terminally blocked 25-kDa protein, an internal sequence was obtained after cleavage with endoproteinase Lys-C. This made possible an assignment of the four proteins to the four types (I-IV) of genes coding for chlorophyll a/b proteins of PSI (cab or lha genes). The LHCI-730 complex was isolated as a heterodimer composed of the 21-kDa (LHCI type IV) and the 22-kDa (LHCI type I) polypeptides. Each LHCI-680 complex had a single apoprotein. LHCI-680A consisted of the 25-kDa (LHCI type III) and LHCI-680B of the 23-kDa (LHCI type II) polypeptides. LHCI-680B was associated with the non-pigmented PSI-E subunit, indicating that this protein may function in the binding of this antenna to the reaction centre.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Isolation and amino acid sequence of a glutamic acid specific endopeptidase from Bacillus licheniformis.

An endopeptidase cleaving specifically at the carboxyl side of acidic amino acid residues, preferentially at glutamic acid, has been isolated from a commercial extract obtained by fermentation with Bacillus licheniformis. Using ion-exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography on bacitracin-Sepharose, it was possible, from 100 ml commercial extract, to isolate 100 mg homogeneous enzyme in a yield of 50%. It is the first description of a large-scale isolation of a Glu/Asp-specific enzyme. The preparation was essentially free of contaminating activities. The isolated enzyme consists of one peptide chain of 222 amino acid residues and has a calculated molecular mass of 23,589 Da. The determined amino acid sequence shows similarity to the Glu/Asp-specific enzymes previously isolated from Staphylococcus aureus V8, Actinomyces sp. and Streptomyces thermovulgaris. The substrate preference of the enzyme has been investigated. Although non-specific cleavages were observed after prolonged hydrolysis at high enzyme concentrations the enzyme appears to be essentially specific for Glu-Xaa and Asp-Xaa, with strong preference for the former. The isolated enzyme exhibits a bell-shaped pH/activity profile with an optimum at pH 7.5-8.0. The activity is adversely affected by high ionic strength and beneficially affected by the inclusion of calcium ions in the assay medium. The enzyme is completely inhibited by diisopropylfluorophosphate, suggesting that it is a serine endopeptidase. It is partially inhibited by EDTA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Fluorescence properties of native and photooxidised proteinase K: the X-ray model in the region of the two tryptophans.

The fluorescence properties of proteinase K are described and related to the X-ray model refined at 1.48 A resolution. Upon excitation of proteinase K at 295 nm the fluorescence is determined by the two tryptophan residues, Trp-8 and Trp-212. The tryptophans are partly buried just below the surface of the molecule. Neither Trp is in a highly hydrophobic environment, suggesting that this cannot be the explanation for the fluorescence at 330 nm: formation of exiplexes with adjacent peptide bonds would seem to be the more likely cause. Trp-8 is located in a 'cavity', close to an internal cluster of water molecules. The contribution of Trp-8 to the total indole emission is 60% and that of Trp-212 is 40%. The tryptophan fluorescence quantum yield is constant in the pH range 3-9. The fluorescence spectrum resulting from the simultaneous excitation of the tyrosyl and tryptophyl residues at 280 nm is dominated by the indole fluorophores: 61% of the light absorbed by the tyrosyl side chains is transferred to the two indole rings. Iodide and caesium are not efficient quenchers of the proteinase K tryptophan fluorescence, which is explained by restricted access of the ions to the somewhat buried Trp side chains and by electrostatic repulsion of caesium ions. Acrylamide quenching proceeds via both a dynamic and a static process and the data show homogeneity of the indole fluorescence arising from fluorophores in similar environments. The activation energy for the thermal deactivation of the excited tryptophans is 54 kJ mol-1. This value is substantially higher than those found for other proteinases from microorganisms and arises from the thermostability of proteinase K. Photooxidation of proteinase K in the presence of proflavine follows the kinetics of a first order reaction. The two tryptophans differ in their photoreactivity, Trp-212 being considerably more reactive.

Circular Dichroism↗