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Biomedical subjects

J C Su

Publications and source records attributed to J C Su.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Presence of three rice sucrose synthase genes as revealed by cloning and sequencing of cDNA.

By sequencing cDNA clones, we have concluded that three distinct sucrose genes are expressed in rice (Oryza sativa cv. Tainong 67). When the amino acid sequences deduced from these cDNAs as well as those of known sucrose synthase are compared, the highest divergence is found in the C-termini. The most suitable DNA sequences for use as specific for the mRNA derived from these genes have been suggested.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Primary structure of sweet potato starch phosphorylase deduced from its cDNA sequence.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) starch phosphorylase cDNA clones were isolated by screening an expression library prepared from the young root poly(A)(+) RNA successively with an antiserum, a monoclonal antibody, and a specific oligonucleotide probe. One cDNA clone had 3292 nucleotide residues in which was contained an open reading frame coding for 955 amino acids. This sequence was compared with those of potato (916 residues plus 50-residue putative transit peptide) and rabbit muscle (841 residues) phosphorylases. The sweet potato phosphorylase has an overall structural feature highly homologous to that reported for potato phosphorylase, in conformity with the finding that they belong to the same class of plant phosphorylase. High divergencies of the two enzymes are found in the about 70 residue N-termini each including a putative transit peptide, and the midchain 78 residue insert typical of type I plant phosphorylase. We consider that the very high dissimilarity found in the midchain inserts is related to the difference in proteolytic lability of the two plant phosphorylases. Some structural features of the cDNA clone were also discussed.

Journal Article↗

Sucrose synthase in rice plants : growth-associated changes in tissue specific distributions.

Different parts of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant at different growth stages were analyzed for sucrose synthase (SS) by enzyme activity assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay directly on the extracts or on the eluates from a gel filtration column. On a dry matter basis, the amount of soluble protein and SS activity decreased significantly, but the amount of enzyme protein changed little in growing leaves. In the grain, the SS activity was the highest at the early ripening stage and decreased later, but the amount of SS protein increased with the increase in maturity. In the root, a low activity of SS was detectable only in the tillering but not in other stages. Immunoblotting of SS protein extracted from different parts of rice showed two bands. Elution patterns of crude extracts from a gel filtration column showed the presence of several types of SS protein. Among them, two to three types with larger elution volumes had the SS activity but others with smaller elution volumes (considered as the aggregated forms) had no activity. The SS purified from different parts of the plant showed similar but distinctly different electrophoretic mobilities in a native gel. It has been concluded that different isozymes are expressed in different tissues at different growth stages.

Journal Article↗

Starch Phosphorylase Inhibitor Is beta-Amylase.

The proteinaceous noncompetitive inhibitor of starch phosphorylase isolated from the root of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) (TC Chang, JC Su 1986 Plant Physiol 80: 534-538) has been identified as a beta-amylase. The starch phosphorylase inhibitor and beta-amylase activities copurified to give a protein indistinguishable from commercial beta-amylase by electrophoretic and immunological methods, and the two activities showed parallel responses in pH, temperature, and inhibitor sensitivity tests. The amylolytic pattern of the inhibitor corresponded to that of beta-amylase and its inhibitory effect toward starch phosphorylase was due to neither deprivation of starch, the primer for the phosphorylase assay, nor the inhibitory effect of amylolytic products.

Journal Article↗

Starch phosphorylase inhibitor from sweet potato.

A protein, starch phosphorylase inhibitor, was purified from the root of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam. cv Tainon 65). It had a molecular weight of 250,000 and could be composed of five identical subunits. The isoelectric point of the inhibitor was 4.63. It was a noncompetitive inhibitor toward the sweet potato enzyme with a K(i) value of 1.3 x 10(-6) molar when glucose-1-P was the variable substrate. Because cross-reacting materials of rabbit antiphosphorylase inhibitor of sweet potato were found in three arbitrarily selected plant materials, viz. potato tuber, spinach leaf, and rice grain, the occurrence of this protein seemed universal in higher plants. By an immunofluorescence technique, the inhibitor was located in the amyloplast and cell wall where phosphorylase was also found. This implies that they may interact in vivo, and the inhibitor may play an unknown regulatory role against the plant enzyme.

Journal Article↗

Preparation of pancreatin and purification of lipase from hog pancreas.

Pancreatin containing high activities of proteolytic enzymes, amylase and lipase was prepared from optimally autolyzed hog pancreas. About one hundred grams of pancreatin were obtained from one kilogram of hog pancreas. Lipase was purified from the pancreatin preparation through steps of mild alkaline solution extraction, removing proteolytic enzymes by affinity adsorption, first ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration, and secondary ammonium sulfate fractionation. By these steps, the purity of the enzyme increased 14 fold and the recovery of the enzyme activity was 33%. The purified lipase was not homogeneous and contained several contaminating proteins when examined by disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Amylases↗

Oven-drying method for polyacrylamide gel slab packed in cellophane sandwich.

Polyacrylamide gel slabs can be dried quickly without elaborate tools and the results are similar or even better than those obtained with a commercial drying apparatus. The discontinuous, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and gradient polyacrylamide gel slabs yielded similar results regardless of the staining methods, e.g., Coomassie blue, periodate-Schiff's reagent, or ammoniacal silver.

Acrylic Resins↗

A simplified radioimmunoassay for plasma 11-deoxycortisol.

A simple, specific, accurate, precise and sensitive radioimmunoassay procedure developed for plasma 11-deoxycortisol is described. 1. The assay employs an anti-11-deoxycortisol serum generated against 11-deoxycortisol-3-(0-carboxymethyl) oxime coupled to bovine serum albumin, crystalline 11-deoxycortisol as standard, and [3H] 11-deoxycortisol as the radioactive ligand. 2. Cross-reactivity studies performed with structurally related steroids indicated cross reactivities with 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, deoxycorticosterone and progesterone of 2.0%, 1.3% and 0.4% respectively; cortisone, corticosterone, cortisol, testosterone, less than 0.1%; and estrone, 17-beta-estradiol, estriol, and metyrapone less than 0.001%. Due to the high specificity of the anti-11-deoxycortisol serum, the method is simplified by the lack of need for chromatographic purification of the organic solvent extract of the plasma prior to the radioimmunoassay. The procedure was validated by comparing values for plasma 11-deoxycortisol with and without preliminary purification by chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 columns (y = 0.99 R/-x + 4.0, r = .98). Pretreatment of the plasma with n-hexane was found to eliminate interferences from high concentrations of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone or progesterone. 3. Parallel dose-response curves were demonstrated between dilutions of plasma with elevated 11-deoxycortisol concentrations and the standard reference preparation. A non-specific binding less than 4% of the total [3H] 11-deoxycortisol was routinely observed. The detection limit of the assay was approximately 10 pg of 11-deoxycortisol which corresponds to a plasma concentration of approximately 0.7 micrograms/L 4. The analytical recovery of 11-deoxycortisol added to human plasma varied from 88 to 108%, with a mean recovery of 100%. The inter-assay variation was determined by assaying (n = 30) three different quality control pools. The following data were obtained: x 1 = 3.8 +/- 0.6 micrograms/L (CV = 15.8%); x 2 = 18.5 +/- 2.0 micrograms/L (CV = 10.8%); x 3 = 43.0 +/- 3.7 micrograms/dl (CV = 8.6%).

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids↗

Purification and properties of sucrose synthase from maize kernels.

Sucrose synthase was purified from 22-day-old maize (Zea mays L.) kernels to homogeneity by the successive steps of ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration through a Sephadex G-200 column, and affinity chromatography on a UDP-hexanol-amino-agarose column. The degree of purification is 42-fold and the yield is over 80%. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic techniques, sedimentation velocity, and gel filtration studies revealed that the enzyme has identical subunits and could assume tetrameric, octameric, and other higher aggregated forms which are dependent on the ionic species and ionic strength of the solution. All of the enzyme forms exhibit catalytic activity but show differences in their specific activities. In most cases, the tetramer is the predominant form and has the highest specific activity. It is thus concluded that the tetramer could be the native form of the enzyme. The subunit protein has a molecular weight of 88,000 and a blocked NH(2) terminus which is not available to Edman degradation. Some general properties and the amino acid composition of the enzyme are also reported.

Journal Article↗

Purification and Characterization of Sucrose Synthetase from the Shoot of Bamboo Leleba oldhami.

A 108-fold purification of the sucrose synthetase from the extract of the shoot of bamboo Lelaba oldhami was achieved by ammonium sulfate fractionation, calcium phosphate gel adsorption, and chromatographic separations on Sephadex G-100 and diethylaminoethyl-cellulose columns. Some properties of this enzyme, namely thermal and pH stabilities, stabilization by aqueous glycerol, pH optimum, substrate specificities, effects of metallic ions, effects of sulfhydryl reagents, molecular weight, sedimentation constants, isoelectric point, and substrate saturation kinetics had been investigated.The substrate saturation kinetics indicated that the enzyme could be an allosteric enzyme with the saccharide substrates (sucrose and fructose) serving as the homotropic allosteric effectors in regulating the biosynthesis and degradation of sucrose.

Journal Article↗