Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “complexity”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

Circulating immune complexes in rats with autologous immune complex nephritis.

Autologous immune complex nephritis (Heymann nephritis) was actively induced in rats by immunization with high (10 mg.) and low (1 mg.) doses of renal tubular epithelial antigen in complete Freund's adjuvant. The development of proteinuria and granular capillary wall deposition of IgG confirmed the previously well described membranous nephropathy which characterizes this experimental disease. Circulating immune complexes were demonstrated by both the fluid phase and solid phase C1q binding assays in both high and low dose experimental groups. The prevalence of such immune complexes was significantly greater in the experimental than in the control groups immunized with adjuvant alone or liver homogenate in adjuvant. The circulating immune complexes bound to C1q were 16 to 23 S in size and were proven to contain a renal tubular antigen. These data, in combination with the previous demonstration of renal tubular antigen and its antibody in kidneys from rats with autologous immune complex nephritis, are consistent with a circulating immune complex pathogenesis of this model of the actively induced autologous immune complex nephritis in rats.

Animals↗

Interactions between thylakoid electron transfer complexes. I. In vitro kinetic studies with isolated photosystem II and cytochrome b6-f complexes.

The cytochrome b6-f complex from spinach thylakoids has been reconstituted with an oxygen-evolving Photosystem II (PSII) preparation isolated from the same source to give oxygenic plastocyanin reductase activity. We observe that (i) mixing of the two complexes in concentrated form prior to dilution with the assay medium is necessary for optimal reconstitution of activity; (ii) incubation for longer times after dilution can also give substantial reconstitution if the two complexes are added separately to the assay mixture; (iii) either monovalent or divalent cations are required for optimum activity in the reconstituted system; (iv) titration of the cytochrome complex with varying amounts of the PSII complex gave a saturation of the plastocyanin reduction activity at a cytochrome complex/PSII ratio of 3-4; (v) kinetic analysis of plastocyanin photoreduction by Photosystem II shows nonlinearity, while first-order reduction kinetics are observed with duroquinol as electron donor; and (vi) as the concentration of plastocyanin is increased, the half-time of the reduction increases. These observations are considered in terms of a functional association between PSII and the cytochrome b6-f complex in this reconstituted system, and the relevance of these observations to the situation in vivo is discussed.

Chlorophyll↗

Differential detergent-solubilization of integral thylakoid membrane complexes in spinach chloroplasts. Localization of photosystem II, cytochrome b6-f complex and photosystem I.

Progressive solubilization of spinach chloroplast thylakoids by Triton X-100 was employed to investigate the domain organization of the electron transport complexes in the thylakoid membrane. Triton/chlorophyll ratios of 1:1 were sufficient to disrupt fully the continuity of the thylakoid membrane network, but not sufficient to solubilize either photosystem I (PSI), photosystem II (PSII) or the cytochrome b6-f(Cyt b6-f) complex. Progressive with the Triton concentration increase (Triton/Chl greater than 1:1), a differential solubilization of the three electron transport complexes was observed. Solubilization of the Cyt b6-f complex from the thylakoid membrane preceded that of PSI and apparently occurred early in the solubilization of stroma-exposed segments of the chloroplast lamellae. The initial removal of chlorophyll (up to 40% of the total) occurred upon solubilization of PSI from the stroma-exposed lamella regions in which PSI is localized. The tightly appressed membrane of the grana partition regions was markedly resistant to solubilization by Triton X-100. Thus, solubilization of PSII from this membrane region was initiated only after all Cyt b6-f and PSI complexes were removed from the chloroplast lamellae. The results support the notion of extreme lateral heterogeneity in the organization of the electron transport complexes in higher plant chloroplasts and suggest a Cyt b6-f localization in the membrane of the narrow fret regions which serve as a continuum between the grana and stroma lamellae.

Binding Sites↗

Coordination between manganese and nitrogen within the ligands in the manganese complexes facilitates the reconstitution of the water-oxidizing complex in manganese-depleted photosystem II preparations.

The water-oxidizing complex (WOC) within photosystem II (PSII) can be reconstituted with synthetic manganese complexes by a process called photoactivation; however, the key factors affecting the efficiency of synthetic manganese complexes in reconstitution of electron transport and oxygen evolution activity in manganese-depleted PSII remain unclear. In the present study, four complexes with different manganese coordination environments were used to reconstitute the WOC, and an interesting relationship was found between the coordination environment of the manganese atom in the complexes and their efficiency in restoring electron transport and oxygen evolution. If Mn(II) is coordinated to nitrogen atoms within the ligand, it can restore significant rates of electron transport and oxygen evolution; however, if the manganese atom is coordinated only to oxygen atoms instead of nitrogen atoms, it has no capability to restore electron transport and oxygen evolution. So, our results demonstrate that the capability of manganese complexes to reconstitute the WOC is mainly determined by the coordination between nitrogen atoms from ligands and the manganese atom. It is suggested from our results that the ligation between the nitrogen atom and the manganese atom within the manganese complex facilitates the photoligation of the manganese atom to histidyl residues on the apo-protein in manganese-depleted PSII during photoactivation.

Fluorescence↗

Structure of the cytochrome b6f complex: new prosthetic groups, Q-space, and the 'hors d'oeuvres hypothesis' for assembly of the complex.

3-A crystal structures of the cytochrome b6f complex have provided a structural framework for the photosynthetic electron transport chain. The structures of the 220,000 molecular weight dimeric cytochrome b6f complex from the thermophilic cyanobacterium, Mastigocladis laminosus (Kurisu et al. 2003, Science 302: 1009-1014), and the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Stroebel et al. 2003, Nature 426: 413-418), are very similar. The latter is the first structure of a integral membrane photosynthetic electron transport complex from a eukaryotic source. The M. laminosus and C. reinhardtii structures have provided structural information and experimental insights to the properties and functions of three native and novel prosthetic groups, a chlorophyll a, a beta-carotene, and a unique heme x, one copy of which is found in each monomer of the cytochrome b6f complex, but not the cytochrome bc1 complex from the mitochondrial respiratory chain of animals and yeast. Several functional insights have emerged from the structures including the function of the dimer; the properties of heme x; the function of the inter-monomer quinone-exchange cavity; a quinone diffusion pathway through relatively narrow crevices or portals; a modified reaction scheme for n-side quinone redox reactions; a necessarily novel mechanism for quenching of the bound chlorophyll triplet state; a possible role for the bound chlorophyll a in activation of the LHC kinase; and a structural and assembly role for the four small PetG, L, M, and N subunits. An 'hors d'oeuvres hypothesis' for assembly of the complex is proposed for the small 'hydrophobic stick' or 'picket fence' polypeptides at the periphery of the complex, based on the cis-positive orientation of the small hydrophobic subunits and the 'toothpick' binding mode of the beta-carotene.

Animals↗

Purification and properties of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Salmonella typhimurium and formation of hybrids with the enzyme complex from Escherichia coli.

The pyruvate dehydrogenase (Pyruvate:lipoamide oxidoreductase (decarboxylating and acceptor acetylating), EC 1.2.4.1) complex from Salmonella typhimurium was purified, characterized and compared to the enzyme complex from Escherichia coli. No difference could be found in the molecular weights of the native enzyme complexes or in the single polypeptide chains of the enzymes of the two organisms. Values of 100 000, 87 000 and 56 000 were obtained for the polypeptide chains of the pyruvate dehydrogenase, the dihydrolipoamide transacetylase (acetyl-CoA:dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase, EC 2.3.1.12) and the dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (NADH:lipoamide oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.4.3) components, respectively. Complete cross-reactivity was found with antibodies directed against the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from E. coli and electron micrographs of both enzyme complexes reveal identical structures. A high Michaelis constant for pyruvate with a Km = 6 . 10(-4) M and a somewhat weaker cooperativity as compared to the enzyme from E. coli reflect some minor differences, while the binding of the cofactor thiamine diphosphate (Km = 1 . 10(-6) M) is identical for both enzyme complexes. Reassociation to a fully active complex molecule works with equal facility between the pyruvate dehydrogenase component and a dihydrolipoamide transacetylase: dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase subcomplex from either organism in all possible combinations.

Acetyltransferases↗

Analysis of the mitochondrial encoded subunits of complex I in 20 patients with a complex I deficiency.

NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase or complex I deficiency is a frequently diagnosed enzyme defect of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system in humans. However, in many patients, with complex I deficiency and clinical symptoms suggestive of mitochondrial disease, often no genetic defect can be found after investigation of the most common mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations. In this study, 20 patients were selected with a biochemically documented complex I defect and no common mtDNA mutation. We used the Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) method with primers encompassing all mitochondrial encoded fragments, to search in a systematic manner for mutations in the mitochondrial genome of complex I. In our group of patients, we were able to detect a total of 96 nucleotide changes. We were not able to find any disease causing mutation in the mitochondrial encoded subunits of complex I. These results suggested that the complex I deficiency in this group of patients is most probably caused by a defect in one of the nuclear encoded structural genes of complex I, or in one of the genes involved in proper assembly of the enzyme.

Age of Onset↗

Tracing the evolution of a large protein complex in the eukaryotes, NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Complex I).

The increasing availability of sequenced genomes enables the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of large protein complexes. Here, we trace the evolution of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Complex I), which has increased in size, by so-called supernumary subunits, from 14 subunits in the bacteria to 30 in the plants and algae, 37 in the fungi and 46 in the mammals. Using a combination of pair-wise and profile-based sequence comparisons at the levels of proteins and the DNA of the sequenced eukaryotic genomes, combined with phylogenetic analyses to establish orthology relationships, we were able to (1) trace the origin of six of the supernumerary subunits to the alpha-proteobacterial ancestor of the mitochondria, (2) detect previously unidentified homology relations between subunits from fungi and mammals, (3) detect previously unidentified subunits in the genomes of several species and (4) document several cases of gene duplications among supernumerary subunits in the eukaryotes. One of these, a duplication of N7BM (B17.2), is particularly interesting as it has been lost from genomes that have also lost Complex I proteins, making it a candidate for a Complex I interacting protein. A parsimonious reconstruction of eukaryotic Complex I evolution shows an initial increase in size that predates the separation of plants, fungi and metazoa, followed by a gradual adding and incidental losses of subunits in the various evolutionary lineages. This evolutionary scenario is in contrast to that for Complex I in the prokaryotes, for which the combination of several separate, and previously independently functioning modules into a single complex has been proposed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The cleaved presequence is not required for import of subunit 6 of the cytochrome bc1 complex into yeast mitochondria or assembly into the complex.

Subunit 6 of the yeast cytochrome bc1 complex contains a 25 amino acid presequence that is not present in the mature form of the protein in the bc1 complex. The presequence of subunit 6 is atypical of presequences responsible for targeting proteins to mitochondria. Whereas mitochondrial targeting sequences rarely contain acidic residues and typically contain basic residues that can potentially form an amphiphilic structure, the presequence of subunit 6 contains only one basic amino acid and is enriched in acidic amino acids. If the 25 amino acid presequence is deleted, subunit 6 is imported into mitochondria and assembled into the cytochrome bc1 complex and the activity of the bc1 complex is identical to that from a wild-type yeast strain. However, if the C-terminal 45 amino acids are truncated from the protein, subunit 6 is not present in the mitochondria and the activity of the bc1 complex is diminished by half, identical to that of the bc1 complex from a yeast strain in which the QCR6 gene is deleted. These results indicate that the presequence of subunit 6 is not required for targeting to mitochondria or assembly of the subunit into the bc1 complex and that information necessary for targeting and import into mitochondria may be present in the C-terminus of the protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Conformational distributions of protease-serpin complexes: a partially translocated complex.

Serpins regulate serine proteases by forming metastable covalent complexes with their targets. The protease docks with the serpin and cleaves the serpin's reactive center loop (RCL) forming an acylenzyme intermediate. Cleavage triggers insertion of the RCL into beta sheet A, translocating the attached protease approximately 70 A and disrupting the protease active site, trapping the acylenzyme intermediate. Using single-pair Förster resonance energy transfer (spFRET), we have measured the conformational distributions of trypsin and alpha(1)-proteinase inhibitor (alpha(1)PI) covalent complexes. Bovine trypsin (BTryp) complexes display a single set of conformations consistent with the full translocation of BTryp (E(full)I*). However, the range of spFRET efficiencies is large, suggesting that the region around the trypsin label is mobile. Most complexes between alpha(1)PI variants and the more stable rat trypsin (RTryp) also show a single set of conformations, but the conformational distribution is narrower, indicating less disruption of RTryp. Surprisingly, RTryp complexes containing alpha(1)PI labeled at Cys232 with a cationic fluorophore display two equally populated conformations, E(full)I* and a conformation in which RTryp is only partially translocated (E(part)I*). Destabilizing the RTryp active site, by substituting Ala for Ile16, increases the E(full)I* population. Thus, interactions between anionic RTryp and cationic dyes likely exert a restraining force on alpha(1)PI, increasing the energy needed to translocate trypsin, and this force can be counteracted by active site destabilization. These results highlight the role of protease stability in determining the conformational distributions of protease-serpin covalent complexes and show that full translocation is not required for the formation of metastable complexes.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Selective proteolysis of the protein X subunit of the bovine heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Effects on dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3) affinity and enzymic properties of the complex.

Selective proteolysis of the protein X subunit of native bovine heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex may be accomplished without loss of overall complex activity. Partial loss of function occurs if Mg2+ and thiamin pyrophosphate are not present during proteinase arg C treatment as these cofactors are necessary to prevent cleavage of the E1 alpha subunit. Specific degradation of component X leads to marked alterations in the general enzymic properties of the complex. Lipoamide dehydrogenase (E3) exhibits a decreased affinity for the core assembly and the complex is much more susceptible to inactivation at high ionic strength. The inactive form of the complex is not readily re-activated by removal of salt. It appears that intact protein X and specifically the presence of its cleaved lipoyl domain is not essential for maintenance of an enzymically active pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. However, this protein has an important structural role in promoting the correct association of E3 with the E2 core assembly, an interaction that is required for optimal catalytic efficiency of the complex.

Animals↗

Suppressive effect of insulin on the synthesis of sucrase-isomaltase complex in small intestinal epithelial cells, and abnormal increase in the complex under diabetic conditions.

An abnormally high level of the sucrase-isomaltase (SI) complex in the small intestine of rats with streptozotocin-induced insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was normalized in 11 h by the administration of insulin, in addition to normalization of the blood glucose level. Phlorizin, an inhibitor of renal glucose reabsorption, also caused normalization of the blood glucose level in the IDDM rats; however, the level of the SI complex was barely changed. When mucosa explants were cultured in a medium, the SI complex synthesized during the cultivation was accumulated as its precursor protein without maturation, owing to the absence of pancreatic proteases, and the amount of the precursor protein that accumulated in the explants was decreased by the addition of insulin into the medium. Further, the mRNA level of the SI complex in the explants incubated with insulin was obviously lower than that in the absence of insulin. These results indicate that insulin has a suppressive effect on the synthesis of the SI complex, presumably by decreasing the transcriptional level of the gene encoding the complex, in small-intestinal epithelial cells. Thus the synthesis of the SI complex might exceed normal levels in the epithelial cells as a direct result of the depletion of insulin under IDDM conditions.

Animals↗

Modulation of RGD sequence motifs regulates disintegrin recognition of alphaIIb beta3 and alpha5 beta1 integrin complexes. Replacement of elegantin alanine-50 with proline, N-terminal to the RGD sequence, diminishes recognition of the alpha5 beta1 complex with restoration induced by Mn2+ cation.

Several recent studies have demonstrated that the amino acid residues flanking the RGD sequence of high-affinity ligands modulate their specificity of interaction with integrin complexes. The present study has addressed the role of the residues flanking the RGD sequence in regulating the recognition by disintegrin of the alphaIIb beta3 and alpha5beta1 complexes by construction of a panel of recombinant molecules of Elegantin (the platelet aggregation inhibitor from the venom of Trimerasurus elegans) expressing specific RGD sequence motifs. Wild-type Elegantin (ARGDNP) and several variants including Eleg. AM (ARGDMP), Eleg. PM (PRGDMP) and Eleg. PN (PRGDNP) were expressed as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. The inhibitory efficacies of the panel of Elegantin variants were analysed in platelet adhesion assays with substrates immobilized with fibrinogen and fibronectin. Elegantin molecules containing an Ala residue N-terminal to the RGD sequence (wild-type Elegantin and Eleg. AM) showed strong inhibitory activity towards alphaIIbbeta3-dependent platelet adhesion on fibronectin, whereas a Pro residue in this position (Eleg. PM and Kistrin, the inhibitor from the venom of Calloselasma rhodostoma) engendered lower activity. The decreased activity could not be attributed to a decrease in the affinity of the disintegrin for the alphaIIb beta3 complex because both Eleg. AM and Eleg. PM had similar Kd (app) values. In contrast, Elegantin molecules into which a Met residue was introduced in place of the Asn residue C-terminal to the RGD sequence showed 10-13-fold elevated inhibitory activity towards platelet adhesion on fibrinogen and this was maintained with either a Pro or Ala residue N-terminal to the RGD sequence. In experiments with the alpha5 beta1 complex on K562 cells, the inhibitory efficacies of the panel of Elegantin molecules were analysed under two different cation conditions. First, in the presence of Ca2+/Mg2+, K562 cell adhesion on fibronectin was inhibited equally well by Elegantin and Eleg. AM but inhibited poorly by Eleg. PM and Kistrin. In contrast with platelets, the decreased inhibitory efficacy of the PRGDMP disintegrins was due to poor recognition of the alpha5 beta1 complex. In the presence of Mn2+ cation, K562 cell adhesion on fibrinogen was observed in an alpha5 beta1-dependent manner. Under these conditions both PRGD and ARGD containing disintegrins were strong inhibitors of K562 cell adhesion on fibrinogen and this was due to a markedly improved recognition of the alpha5 beta1 complex by the PRGD molecules. These observations demonstrate the pivotal role of the amino acids flanking the RGD sequence for disintegrin recognition of integrin complexes and highlight the subtle nature by which integrin-ligand binding specificity can be modulated by both cation and adhesive motif.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Ultrastructure of the membrane attack complex of complement: detection of the tetramolecular C9-polymerizing complex C5b-8.

The ultrastructure of the membrane attack complex (MAC) of complement had been described as representing a hollow cylinder of defined dimensions that is composed of the proteins C5b, C6, C7, C8, and C9. After the characteristic cylindrical structure was identified as polymerized C9 [poly(C9)], the question arose as to the ultrastructural identity and topology of the C9-polymerizing complex C5b-8. An electron microscopic analysis of isolated MAC revealed an asymmetry of individual complexes with respect to their length. Whereas the length of one boundary (+/- SEM) was always 16 +/- 1 nm, the length of the other varied between 16 and 32 nm. In contrast, poly(C9), formed spontaneously from isolated C9, had a uniform tubule length (+/- SEM) of 16 +/- 1 nm. On examination of MAC-phospholipid vesicle complexes, an elongated structure was detected that was closely associated with the poly(C9) tubule and that extended 16-18 nm beyond the torus of the tubule and 28-30 nm above the membrane surface. The width of this structure varied depending on its two-dimensional projection in the electron microscope. By using biotinyl C5b-6 in the formation of the MAC and avidin-coated colloidal gold particles for the ultrastructural analysis, this heretofore unrecognized subunit of the MAC could be identified as the tetramolecular C5b-8 complex. Identification also was achieved by using anti-C5 Fab-coated colloidal gold particles. A similar elongated structure of 25 nm length (above the surface of the membrane) was observed on single C5b-8-vesicle complexes. It is concluded that the C5b-8 complex, which catalyzes poly(C9) formation, constitutes a structure of discrete morphology that remains as such identifiable in the fully assembled MAC, in which it is closely associated with the poly(C9) tubule.

Complement C9↗

Crystal structure of the wild-type von Willebrand factor A1-glycoprotein Ibalpha complex reveals conformation differences with a complex bearing von Willebrand disease mutations.

The adhesion of platelets to the subendothelium of blood vessels at sites of vascular injury under high shear conditions is mediated by a direct interaction between the platelet receptor glycoprotein Ibalpha (GpIbalpha) and the A1 domain of the von Willebrand factor (VWF). Here we report the 2.6-A crystal structure of a complex comprised of the extracellular domain of GpIbalpha and the wild-type A1 domain of VWF. A direct comparison of this structure to a GpIbalpha-A1 complex containing "gain-of-function" mutations, A1-R543Q and GpIbalpha-M239V, reveals specific structural differences between these complexes at sites near the two GpIbalpha-A1 binding interfaces. At the smaller interface, differences in interaction show that the alpha1-beta2 loop of A1 serves as a conformational switch, alternating between an open alpha1-beta2 isomer that allows faster dissociation of GpIbalpha-A1, as observed in the wild-type complex, and an extended isomer that favors tight association as seen in the complex containing A1 with a type 2B von Willebrand Disease (VWD) mutation associated with spontaneous binding to GpIbalpha. At the larger interface, differences in interaction associated with the GpIbalpha-M239V platelet-type VWD mutation are minor and localized but feature discrete gamma-turn conformers at the loop end of the beta-hairpin structure. The beta-hairpin, stabilized by a strong classic gamma-turn as seen in the mutant complex, relates to the increased affinity of A1 binding, and the beta-hairpin with a weak inverse gamma-turn observed in the wild-type complex corresponds to the lower affinity state of GpIbalpha. These findings provide important details that add to our understanding of how both type 2B and platelet-type VWD mutations affect GpIbalpha-A1 binding affinity.

Binding Sites↗

Liposomes comprising anionic but not neutral phospholipids cause dissociation of Rac(1 or 2) x RhoGDI complexes and support amphiphile-independent NADPH oxidase activation by such complexes.

Activation of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase involves the assembly of a membrane-localized cytochrome b559 with the cytosolic components p47(phox), p67(phox), p40(phox), and the GTPase Rac (1 or 2). In resting phagocytes, Rac is found in the cytosol as a prenylated protein in the GDP-bound form, associated with the Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor (RhoGDI). In the process of NADPH oxidase activation, Rac is dissociated from RhoGDI and translocates to the membrane, in concert with the other cytosolic components. The mechanism responsible for dissociation of Rac from RhoGDI is poorly understood. We generated Rac(1 or 2) x RhoGDI complexes in vitro from recombinant Rac(1 or 2), prenylated enzymatically, and recombinant RhoGDI, and purified these by anion exchange chromatography. Exposing Rac(1 or 2)(GDP) x RhoGDI complexes to liposomes containing four different anionic phospholipids caused the dissociation of Rac(1 or 2)(GDP) from RhoGDI and its binding to the anionic liposomes. Rac2(GDP) x RhoGDI complexes were more resistant to dissociation, reflecting the lesser positive charge of Rac2. Liposomes consisting of neutral phospholipid did not cause dissociation of Rac(1 or 2) x RhoGDI complexes. Rac1 exchanged to the hydrolysis-resistant GTP analogue, GMPPNP, associated with RhoGDI with lower affinity than Rac1(GDP) and Rac1(GMPPNP) x RhoGDI complexes were more readily dissociated by anionic liposomes. Rac1(GMPPNP) x RhoGDI complexes elicited NADPH oxidase activation in native phagocyte membrane liposomes in the presence of p67(phox), without the need for an anionic amphiphile, as activator. Both Rac1(GDP) x RhoGDI and Rac1(GMPPNP) x RhoGDI complexes elicited amphiphile-independent, p67(phox)-dependent NADPH oxidase activation in phagocyte membrane liposomes enriched in anionic phospholipids but not in membrane liposomes enriched in neutral phospholipids.

Animals↗

Bovine complex I is a complex of 45 different subunits.

Mammalian mitochondrial complex I is a multisubunit membrane-bound assembly with a molecular mass approaching 1 MDa. By comprehensive analyses of the bovine complex and its constituent subcomplexes, 45 different subunits have been characterized previously. The presence of a 46th subunit was suspected from the consistent detection of a molecular mass of 10,566 by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of subunits fractionated by reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography. The component was found associated with both the intact complex and subcomplex Ibeta, which represents most of the membrane arm of the complex, and it could not be resolved chromatographically from subunit SGDH (the subunit of bovine complex I with the N-terminal sequence Ser-Gly-Asp-His). It has now been characterized by tandem mass spectrometry of intact protein ions and shown to be a C-terminal fragment of subunit SGDH arising from a specific peptide bond cleavage between Ile-55 and Pro-56 during the electrospray ionization process. Thus, the subunit composition of bovine complex I has been established. It is a complex of 45 different proteins plus non-covalently bound FMN and eight iron-sulfur clusters.

Animals↗

A simple enzyme immunoassay for measurement of immune complex solubilization utilizing preformed peroxidase-antiperoxidase complexes.

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for measurement of complement-mediated solubilization of immune complexes. Preformed complexes consisting of horseradish peroxidase (Pe) and anti-Pe antibodies were incubated in diluted serum. After centrifugation the soluble complexes in the supernatant were quantitated by adding peroxidase substrate followed by measurement of absorbance. Kinetic analysis of revealed significant difference between normal and EDTA-treated serum similarly to a standard assay utilising immune complexes containing radiolabelled bovine serum albumin. The difference was most pronounced after incubation of immune complexes with serum for 40 minutes. Immune complex solubilization measured by EIA was reduced in sera from 10 patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In serially followed patients, flares of SLE were preceded by reduction of solubilization capacity. The EIA is a simple method for determining serum capacity to solubilize preformed immune complexes and might be considered as a routine test for assessment of complement function in diseases such as SLE.

Adult↗