Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K B Reid

Publications and source records attributed to K B Reid.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Importance of the integrity of the inter-heavy-chain disulphide bond of rabbit IgG in the activation of the alternative pathway of human complement by the F(ab')2 region of rabbit IgG antibody in immune aggregates.

Immune aggregates formed from either rabbit IgG antibody or F(ab')2 antibody, and antigen, caused exactly the same extent of incubated with human serum under conditions when incubated with human serum under conditions allowing only alternative pathway activation. These observations confirm that the F(ab')2 region of the antibody molecule can cause alternative pathway activation and that this activation is not affected by the presence of the Fc region of the molecule when only alternative pathway activation is permitted. Under conditions allowing activation of both the classical and alternative pathways, increased alternative pathway activation was obtained with IgG antibody aggregates compared to that obtained with F(ab')2 antibody aggregates. On reduction and alkylation of principally he inter-heavy-chain disulphide bond in the IgG antibody, prior to aggregate formation, it was found that no activation of the alternative pathway by IgG aggregates took place under conditions allowing only alternative pathway activation. Treatment of the IgG antibody with reducing agent alone, or alkylating reagent alone, followed by dialysis and aggregate formation, yielded aggregates which caused alternative pathway activation values close to those obtained for untreated IgG aggregates. These results indicate that the integrity of the inter-heavy-chain disulphide bond of rabbit IgG antibody in immune aggregates is necessary to allow the F(ab')2 region of the IgG molecule to activate the alternative pathway of human complement.

Animals↗

Factor D of the alternative pathway of human complement. Purification, alignment and N-terminal amino acid sequences of the major cyanogen bromide fragments, and localization of the serine residue at the active site.

The serine esterase factor D of the complement system was purified from outdated human plasma with a yield of 20% of the initial haemolytic activity found in serum. This represented an approx. 60 000-fold purification. The final product was homogeneous as judged by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (with an apparent mol.wt. of 24 000), its migration as a single component in a variety of fractionation procedures based on size and charge, and its N-terminal amino-acid-sequence analysis. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the first 36 residues of the intact molecule was found to be homologous with the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the catalytic chains of other serine esterases. Factor D showed an especially strong homology (greater than 60% identity) with rat 'group-specific protease' [Woodbury, Katunuma, Kobayashi, Titani, & Neurath (1978) Biochemistry 17, 811-819] over the first 16 amino acid residues. This similarity is of interest since it is considered that both enzymes may be synthesized in their active, rather than zymogen, forms. The three major CNBr fragments of factor D, which had apparent mol.wts. of 15 800, 6600 and 1700, were purified and then aligned by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis and amino acid analysis. By using factor D labelled with di-[1,3-14C]isopropylphosphofluoridate it was shown that the CNBr fragment of apparent mol.wt. 6600, which is located in the C-terminal region of factor D, contained the active serine residue. The amino acid sequence around this residue was determined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amino acid sequences around the sites of phosphorylation in the pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

1. When pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was phosphorylated to completion with [gamma-32P]ATP by its intrinsic kinase, three phosphorylation sites were observed. The amino acid sequences around these sites were: sequence 1, Tyr-Gly-Met-Gly-Thr-Ser(P)-Val-Glu-Arg; and sequence 2, Tyr-His-Gly-His-Ser(P)-Met-Ser-Asp-Pro-Gly-Val-Ser(P)-Tyr-Arg. 2. When phosphorylated to inactivation by repetitive additions of limiting quantities of [gamma-32P]ATP, phosphate was incorporated mainly (more than 90%) into Ser-5 of sequence 2. Phosphorylation of this site thus results in activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase. 3. If Ser-5 is phosphorylated with ATP and the enzyme then incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP, phosphorylation of the remaining sites occurred. Ser-12 of sequence 2 is phosphorylated about twice as rapidly as Ser-6 of sequence 1. 4. Incubation of pyruvate dehydrogenase with excess [gamma-32P]ATP with termination of phosphorylation at about 50% complete inactivation showed that Ser-5 of sequence 2 was phosphorylated most rapidly, but also that Ser-12 of sequence 2 was significantly (15% of total) phosphorylated. Ser-6 sequence 1 contained about 1% total P. 5. These results suggest that addition of limiting amounts of ATP produces primarily phosphorylation of Ser-5 of sequence 2 (inactivating site). This also occurs during incubation with excess ATP before complete inactivation occurs, but a greater occupancy of other sites also occurs during this treatment.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Complete amino acid sequences of the three collagen-like regions present in subcomponent C1q of the first component of human complement.

The sequences of amino acid residues 38--51 of the A-chain, and residues 42--90 of the C-chain, of human subcomponent C1q are given. These results, along with previously published sequence data [Reid (1974) Biochem.J. 141, 189--203; Reid (1977) Biochem.J. 161, 247--251; Reid & Thompson (1978) Biochem.J. 173, 863--868] allow the presentation, and comparison with each other, of the complete amino acid sequences of the collagen-like regions found in the A-, B- and C-chains of human subcomponent C1q. Each chain has the continuity of its collagen-like Gly-X-Y repeating triplet amino acid sequence broken. The B- and C-chains have alanine residues at positions B-9 and C-36 where glycine might be expected. The A-chain has a threonine residue at position A-39, which is located between two Gly-X-Y triplets.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The biochemistry of complement.

Current biochemical studies of the complement system are illustrated by description of the activation of complement by the classical pathway after interaction with antibody aggregates. This is described in terms of the structures of the components involved, their assembly and the mechanism of activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amino acid sequence of the N-terminal 108 amino acid residues of the B chain of subcomponent C1q of the first component of human complement.

The amino acid sequence of the N-terminal 108 residues of the B chain of subcomponent C1q of the first component of human complement was determined. The B chain has a blocked N-terminal amino acid, which was judged to be 5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid. A collagen-like region of 84 residues was found, which started at position B-6, and all of the six hydroxylysine residues and 12 hydroxyproline residues present in the chain were found in this region. Four of the six hydroxylysine residues may be glycosylated. The repeating nature of the collagen-like region is broken at position B-9, where alanine is found in a position where glycine would be expected. The exact position of the interchain disulphide bond joining the A and B chains of human subcomponent C1q was shown to be between residues A4 and B4.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Biosynthesis of the first component of complement by human fibroblasts.

1. Haemolytic activity corresponding to that of the first component of complement (C1) was synthesized and secreted by all nine human fibroblast cell lines examined. No activity was found in the culture media of a variety of other human cell lines. 2. The component-C1 haemolytic activity secreted by the fibroblast lines behaved in an identical manner, in most respects, with that of the component-C1 haemolytic activity of human serum. The component-C1 haemolytic activity secreted by fibroblasts, however, was less susceptible to inhibition by rabbit fragment F(ab')(2) anti-(human subcomponent C1q) than was the component-C1 haemolytic activity of human serum. 3. Biosynthesis of fibroblast component-C1 haemolytic activity was inhibited by the presence of cycloheximide and regained on its removal. 4. Incorporation of radioactivity into proteins secreted by the fibroblasts and release of component-C1 haemolytic activity by the fibroblasts both increased in a linear manner until several days after the cultures had reached a state of confluent growth. 5. Radioactivity was incorporated into subcomponents C1q, C1r and C1s, as judged by the formation of specific immunoprecipitates and by absorption with immune aggregates. 6. The immunoprecipitates formed by using antisera against subcomponents C1r and C1s were run on polyacrylamide gels in sodium dodecyl sulphate, and this provided convincing physiochemical evidence for the biosynthesis of these subcomponents de novo. 7. The results obtained with immunoprecipitates formed by using anti-(subcomponent C1q) suggest that subcomponent C1q may be synthesized and secreted by fibroblast cell lines in vitro, in a form with a higher molecular weight than that of subcomponent C1q which is isolated by conventional techniques of protein fractionation from fresh serum.

Cell Line↗

The structure and enzymic activities of the C1r and C1s subcomponents of C1, the first component of human serum complement.

The subcomponents C1r and C1s and their activated forms C-1r and C-1s were each found to have mol.wts. in dissociating solvents of about 83000. The amino acid compositions of each were similar, but there were significant differences in the monosaccharide analyses of subcomponents C1r and C1s, whether activated or not. Subcomponents C1r and C1s have only one polypeptide chain, but subcomponents C-1r and C-1s each contain two peptide chains of approx. mol.wts. 56000 ("a" chain) and 27000 ("b" chain). The amino acid analyses of the "a" chains from each activated subcomponent are similar, as are those of the "b" chains. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 29 residues of the C-1s "a" chain was determined, but the C-1r "a" chain has blocked N-terminal amino acid. The 20 N-terminal residues of both "b" chains are similar, but not identical, and both show obvious homology with other serine proteinases. The difference in polysaccharide content of the subcomponents C-1r and C-1s is most marked in the 'b' chains. When tested on synthetic amino acid esters, subcomponent C-1r hydrolysed both lysine and tyrosine ester bonds, but subcomponent C-1r did not hydrolyse any amino acid esters tested nor any protein substrate except subcomponent C1s. The lysine esterase activity of subcomponent C1s provides a rapid and sensitive assay of the subcomponent.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Inhibition of the reconstitution of the haemolytic activity of the first component of human complement by a pepsin-derived fragment of subcomponent C1q.

1. A fragment of subcomponent C1q, which contained all the collagen-like features present in the intact molecule, was isolated by pepsin digestion as described by Reid [Biochem. J. (1976) 155, 5-17]. 2. The pepsin-derived fragment of subcomponent C1q did not bind to antibody-coated erythrocytes under conditions where complete binding of sub-component C1q took place. 3. The peptic fragment blocked the reconstitution of C1 haemolytic activity by competing with intact subcomponent C1q in the utilization of a mixture of the other two subcomponents, C1r and C1s. 4. Reduction and alkylation of the interchain disulphide bonds in the pepsin fragment did not markedly affect its inhibitory effect, whereas heating at 56 degrees C for 30min completely abolished the effect. 5. Lathyritic rat skin collagen and CNBr-derived peptides of pig type II collagen showed no ability to mimic the inhibitory effect of the pepsin fragment when tested over the same concentration range as used for the peptic fragment. 6. The peptic fragment was unable to block efficiently the reconstitution of C1 haemolytic activity unless it was added to the mixture of subcomponents C1r and C1s before the attempt to reconstitute C1 haemolytic activity, in solution, or on the surface of antibody-coated erythrocytes. 7. Evidence was obtained that suggested that subcomponent C1q bound the subcomponent C1r-C1s complex more efficiently when the subcomponent C1q was bound to antibody than when it was free in solution.

Binding Sites, Antibody↗

Amino acid sequence of the N-terminal forty-two amino acid residues of the C chain of subcomponent C1q of the first component of human complement.

1. The sequence of the N-terminal 42 amino acid residues and the identity of residue 45 of the C chain of subcomponent C1q were established by the use of the automatic protein sequencer. 2. A comparison of the amino acid sequences of the A and C chains of subcomponent C1q shows that they are identical at 18 positions out of the first 45. However, 12 of the amino acid residues in the positions of identity are glycine residues occurring in the repeating triplet sequence Gly-X-Y. 3. Position 36 in the C chain was found to be alanine, which was unexpected since the residue in this position would have to be glycine if the repeating triplet sequence Gly-X-Y were to extend, uniformly, throughout the entire length of the C-chain collagen-like region. This break in the repeating triplet sequence would prevent residue 36 in the C chain from taking part in collagen-like triple-helix formation. 4. The sequence information presented here therefore indicates that there should be a break, or distortion, located approximately half-way along each of the six collagen-like triple-helical regions proposed to be present in subcomponent C1q [Reid & Porter (1976) Biochem. J. 155, 19-23] and this is consistent with what is seen in electron micrographs of intact and pepsin-digested subcomponent C1q.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Isolation, by partial pepsin digestion, of the three collagen-like regions present in subcomponent Clq of the first component of human complement.

1. Digestion of human subcomponent C1q with pepsin at pH4.45 for 20h at 37 degrees C fragmented most of the non-collagen-like amino acid sequences in the molecule to small peptides, whereas the entire regions of collagen-like sequence that comprised 38% by weight of the subcomponent C1q were left intact. 2. The collagen-like fraction of the digest was eluted in the void volume of a Sephadex G-200 column, was was showm to be composed of two major fragments when examined by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels run in buffers containing sodium dodecyl sulphate. These fragments were separated on CM-cellulose at pH4.9 in buffers containing 7.5M-urea. 3. Human subcomponent C1q on reduction and alkylation yields equimolar amounnts of three chains, which have been designated A, B and C [Reid et al. (1972) Biochem. J. 130, 749-763]. One of the pepsin fragments was shown to be composed of the N-terminal 95 residues of the A chain linked, via residue A4, by a single disulphide bond to a residue in the sequence B2-B6 in the N-terminal 91 residues of the B chain. The second pepsin fragment was shown to be composed of a disulphide-linked dimer of the N-terminal 94 residues of the C chain, the only disulphide bond being located at residue C4.4. The mol. wts. of the unoxidized and oxidized pepsin fragments were estimated from their amino acid compositions to be 20 000 and 18 200 for the A-B and C-C dimers and 11 400, 8800 and 9600 for the collagen-like fragments of the A, B and C chains respectively. Estimation of the molecular weights of the peptic fragments by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis run in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate gave values that were approx. 50% higher than expected from the amino acid sequence data. This is probably due to the high collagen-like sequence content of these fragments.

Alkylation↗

Subunit composition and structure of subcomponent C1q of the first component of human complement.

1. Unreduced human subcomponent C1q was shown by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels run in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate to be composed of two types of non-covalently linked subunits of apparent mol.wts. 69 000 and 54 000. The ratio of the two subunits was markedly affected by the ionic strength of the applied sample. At a low ionic strength of applied sample, which gave the optimum value for the 54 000-apparent mol.wt. subunit, a ratio of 1.99:1.00 was obtained for the ratio of the 69 000-apparent mol.wt. subunit to the 5400-apparent-mol.wt. subunit. The amount of the 54 000-apparent-mol.wt. subunit detected in the expected position on the gel was found to be inversely proportional to increases in the ionic strength of the applled sample. 2. Human subcomponent C1q on reduction and alkylation, or oxidation, yields equimolar amounts of three chains designated A, B and C [Reid et al. (1972) Biochem. J. 130, 749-763]. The results obtained by Yonemasu & Stroud [(1972) Immunochemistry 9, 545-554], which showed that the 69 000-apparent-mol.wt. subunit was a disulphide-linked dimer of the A and B chains and that the 54 000-apparent-mol.wt. subunit was a disulphide-linked dimer of the C chain, were confirmed. 3. Gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 in 6.0M-guanidinium chloride showed that both types of unreduced subunit were eluted together as a single symmetrical peak of apparent mol.wt. 49 000-50 000 when globular proteins were used as markers. The molecular weights of the oxidized or reduced A, B and C chains have been shown previously to be very similar all being in the range 23 000-24 000 [Reid et al. (1972) Biochem. J. 130, 749-763; Reid (1974) Biochem. J. 141, 189-203]. 4. It is proposed that subcomponent C1q (mol.wt. 410000) is composed of nine non-covalently linked subunits, i.e. six A-B dimers and three C-C dimers. 5. A structure for subcomponent C1q is proposed and is based on the assumption that the collagen-like regions of 78 residues in each of the A, B and C chains are combined to form a triple-helical structure of the same type as is found in collagens.

Chromatography, Gel↗

Circular-dichroism and electron-microscopy studies of human subcomponent C1q before and after limited proteolysis by pepsin.

1. A fragment of human subcomponent C1q was prepared by limited proteolysis with pepsin at 37 degrees C for 20 h, and at pH4.4, followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. This fragment was shown to contain all the collagen-like features known to be present in the intact molecule [Reid (1976) Biochem. J. 155, 5-17]. 2. Circular-dichroism studies showed the presence of positive bands at 230 and 223 nm in the intact subcomponent C1q and pepsin fragment respectively, compared with a positive band at 220 nm obtained for lathyritic rat skin collagen. These bands were abolished by collagenase treatment, which suggested that there may some collagen-like triple-helical structure in subcomponent C1q and that this structure resides in the pepsin-resistant portion of the molecule. However, the 230 and 223 nm bands had a substantially lower magnitude than that obtained for the unaggregated single fibres of totally triple-helical collagen. 3. Thermal-transition temperatures obtained for subcomponent C1q, the pepsin fragment and the reduced and alkylated pepsin fragment were 48 degrees, 48 degrees and 39 degrees C respectively, compared with a value of 38 degrees C obtained for lathyritic rat skin collagen. 4. Only the unreduced pepsin fragment regained significant amounts (up to 60%) of collagen-like structure, after heat denaturation and cooling, as estimated by circular-dichroism measurements. 5. Electron-microscopy studies of subcomponent C1q and the collagen-like pepsin-resistant fragment of subcomponent C1q showed that the six peripheral globular regions of the molecule were fragmented by pepsin leaving the six collagen-like connecting strands and fibril-like central portion intact.

Animals↗