The role of complexes between the 40-S ribosomal subunit and Met-tRNA-Met-f in the initiation of protein synthesis in the wheat-germ system.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R J Jackson.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Plasma membrane fractions from normal colon cells and a transplantable colon adenocarcinoma were isolated and purified by differential and zonal density centrifugation. Enrichment of normal and adenocarcinoma plasma membranes was found in zonal fractions I and II (ZI and ZII) following centrifugation in an 18--50% sucrose gradient. The distribution of various marker enzymes in normal colon preparations suggested an apical origin for the membranes obtained in zonal fraction I while zonal fraction II appeared to contain basal-lateral membrane fragments. Enzymatic analysis of the plasma membrane derived from the colon tumor indicated that these fractions possess a more uniform distribution of Na-K+ ATPase perhaps reflecting a dedifferentiated state. The plasma membrane fractions isolated should prove useful for investigation of transport and other properties of vesicles derived from malignant and normal colon cells.
When rabbit reticulocyte lysates are incubated in the absence of hemin or in the presence of low concentrations of double-stranded RNA, the rate of initiation of protein synthesis is severely reduced after a lag period in which control rates are observed. This reduced initiation rate is due to inhibition of the binding of Methionyl-tRNAf to native 40S ribosomal subunits and is caused by a macromolecular inhibitor which is activated under these conditions. This paper shows that the inhibitors activated in these two situations appear to be different entities, but that in both cases, the inhibitor has an associated protein kinase activity which is highly selective for the small subunit of elF-2, the initiation factor which catalyzes binding of Methionyl-tRNAf to 40S subunits. We present several lines of evidence in support of the hypothesis that the phosphorylation of elF-2 by these kinases is basis of the control of initiation in lysates incubated under these conditions.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A simple method is described for converting a standard rabbit reticulocyte cell-free extract (lysate) into an mRNA-dependent protein synthesis system. The lysate is preincubated with CaCl2 and micrococcal nuclease, and then excess ethyleneglycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid is added to chelate the Ca2+ and inactivate the nuclease. Lysates treated in this way have neglibible endogenous amino acid incorporation activity, but 75% of the activity of the original lysate can be recovered by the addition of globin mRNA. The efficiency of utilisation of added mRNA and the sensitivity of the system are both very high. No residual nuclease activity could be detected, and the tRNA is functionally unimpaired. Several different species of mRNA have been shown to be translated efficiently into full-sized products of the expected molecular weight up to about 200000, and there is no detectable accumulation of incomplete protein products. The efficient translation of RNA from two plant viruses (tobacco mosaic virus and cowpea mosaic virus) required heterologous tRNA.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A detailed examination of the kinetics of protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes in the presence of the iron chelating agent 2,2'-dipyridyl showed that between 30 degrees C and 42 degrees C there were characteristically two distinct phases of protein synthesis. An initial phase (I), in which no inhibition of protein synthesis was apparent, was followed by a gradual decline in the rate of protein synthesis leading to the second phase (II) in which protein synthesis occurred at a linear but inhibited rate for extended periods. In contrast, below 30 degrees C, incubation in the presence of dipyridyl caused no inhibition of protein synthesis. Between 30 degrees C and 42 degrees C the duration and amount of protein synthesis occurring in phase I before the onset of inhibition were inversely related of the inhibition as was the final rate of incorporation in phase II. During phase II, a partial reversal of the inhibition caused by dipyridyl was obtained by lowering the incubation temperature. This resulted in a burst of protein synthesis at the uninhibited rate until the amount of protein synthesis reached the same level as that in reticulocytes maintained continuously with dipyridyl at the lower incubation temperature. This burst of synthesis was observed in reticulocytes which had been held in phase II for as long as 90 min. It was also possible to reverse the inhibition by addition of haemin to cells in phase II. At any particular incubation temperature, a fixed number of rounds of protein synthesis had to occur before the onset of phase II became apparent. By the use of puromycin we showed that this was not a requirement for the synthesis of globin or of any other protein. We believe that this critical amount of protein synthesis reflects the residual ability of reticulocytes to initiate new protein chains in the absence of concurrent haem synthesis. Reticulocytes preincubated in the presence of cobaltous ions showed almost no inhibition of protein synthesis upon subsequent incubation with dipyridyl. The results are compared to those obtained in reticulocyte lysates and are discussed in terms of current theories to account for control of protein chain initiation by haemin.
1. Three forms of the Lactobacillus plantarum enzyme D-erythro-dihydroneopterin triphosphate synthetase, the first enzyme in folate biosynthesis, have been demonstrated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme forms designated the alpha prime, alpha and beta forms have been shown to be conformers with molecular weights of approx. 200 000. Study of the subunit structure of the beta enzyme species by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a single protein with an estimated molecular weight of 20 000 which suggests that the enzyme molecule may be composed of ten polypeptide chains. 2. Of the three conformers only one form, the beta form, appears to be enzymatically active. The two other conformers must undergo conformational changes to the beta species before enzymatic activity can be demonstrated in reaction mixtures containing these enzyme forms. 3. The three enzyme species are interconvertible. The removal of phosphate ions from the enzymatically active beta form results in the formation of two inactive species which suggests that the conformation of the active enzyme is stabilized by non-covalently bound phosphate ions. Conversion of the inactive species to the beta enzyme form may be effected by the readdition of phosphate, substrate or certain nucleotides.
All types of double-stranded RNA (DSRNA) tested inhibit protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. The inhibition is characterized by its strongly biphasic kinetics, and can be enhanced by preincubation of the lysate with dsRNA in the absence of protein synthesis. Only properly and extensively matched dsRNA (greater than about 50 base pairs) has this property; no form of DNA, single-stranded RNA or even RNA-DNA hybrids act as inhibitors in this way. The cause of the inhibition appears to be a failure of initiator tRNA to associate with native ribosomal subunits in the initiation process (Darnbrough, C., Hunt, T., and Jackson, R. J. (1973) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 48, 1556-1564). We have shown that this block is not accompanied by stable association of dsRNA with the ribosomes. There are several reasons to believe that the mechanism of action of dsRNA may be complex with the possible involvement of at least one catalytic step. First, the lysate is inhibited by levels of dsRNA at which ribosomes are present in 100-fold excess over base pairs of dsRNA present. Second, high concentrations of dsRNA (greater than 10 mug per ml) are not inhibitory, but can in some, but not all experiments, reverse the inhibition caused by lower levels of dsRNA. Third, a lysate which has been inhibited by dsRNA, when mixed with a fresh lysate will inhibit synthesis in the mixture much more severely than would be expected from the concentration of dsRNA now present. These results indicate that low levels of dsRNA promote the formation of an inhibitor which may exist in two forms: one that is reversible by high levels of dsRNA and one that is irreversible.
A diabetic survey was conducted among 4048 subjects well enough to report for work, using a questionnaire covering past, present, family and obstetric history, and a capillary blood glucose determination at least 1(1/2) hours after eating. A "positive screen" was obtained in 267 individuals, in 67 on the basis of elevated blood glucose value alone, in 179 on the basis of questionnaire responses alone, and in 21 by both criteria. Glucose tolerance tests were performed on 130 subjects (49% of eligible individuals) and yielded diabetic curves in 18, 6 and 33% respectively for the three categories of positive screening tests.It is suggested that the magnitude of the group with positive history only is such that future natural history studies must take this subsample into consideration.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.