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Optimization of porous glass chromatography for size-fractionation of bovine casein micelles.

Permeation chromatography on porous glass was carried out with skim milk at 20 or 30 degrees C using CPG-10 (50 nm) or a dual column system of CPG-10 (50 nm) followed by CPG-10 (300 nm). On columns of CPG-10 (50 nm) casein micelles were eluted at the void volume and were rapidly and efficiently resolved from non-micellar protein without micelle dissociation. The dual column system resulted in the additional resolution of the micelles into different size ranges. Examination of the resolved micelle fractions by electron microscopy showed a gradual decrease of weight average diameter (Dw) from 228.4 nm in the void volume fraction to 86.3 nm in the smallest micelle fraction. The translucent upper layer of a micelle sediment obtained by ultracentrifugation of skim milk at 30 degrees C consisted of casein aggregates intermediate in size between monomeric protein and the bulk micelle fraction as shown by its elution behaviour on CPG-10 (50 nm). These aggregates were enriched more than 2-fold with kappa-casein relative to skim milk, were devoid of alpha S2-casein and had an estimated value of Dw of 33 nm. The ultracentrifugate serum contained approximately 2.5% of total milk casein which had the elution characteristics of monomeric protein on CPG-10 (50 nm). It was concluded that the translucent sediment consisted of the smallest micelle fraction of skim milk and represented the minimum size range for casein polymerization in the natural milk environment. Overall, the results show that porous glass chromatography is an effective and convenient tool for the isolation and study of casein micelles.

Animals↗

Proteolytic activity of two commercial proteinases from Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis on ovine and bovine caseins.

Electrophoretic analysis of the action of two commercial enzymes, Neutrase 0.5 and MKC Fungal Protease, on whole casein and alpha s-, beta- and kappa-caseins from cows' and ewes' milk showed that Neutrase 0.5 chiefly degraded beta-casein, giving rise to peptides soluble at pH 4.6 detectable by PAGE. In contrast, although MKC Fungal Protease caused intense hydrolysis of bovine beta-casein, in ovine casein it resulted in more active degradation of alpha s- than beta-casein. The latter enzyme did not produce peptides soluble at pH 4.6 detectable by PAGE. Both enzymes degraded kappa-casein, yielding a breakdown product that exhibited an electrophoretic mobility similar to that of the breakdown product produced by the action of commercial rennet.

Animals↗

Occurrence of five alpha s1-casein variants in ovine milk.

Five ovine alpha s1-casein variants (A-E) were identified in an Italian population sample using gel electrophoresis at alkaline pH, gel isoelectric focusing, two dimensional gel electrophoresis, and immunoblotting with polyclonal antibodies against alpha s1-casein. Each casein sample produced two peaks by fast reversed-phase HPLC. Gel isoelectric focusing and electrospray mass spectrometry were used to demonstrate that the first HPLC peak contained the 191 residue alpha s1-casein molecular species and the second the 199 residue species, in proportions of approximately 20:80. Only in the case of the sample containing alpha s1-casein CE was the method for the separation of the single short and long forms of each variant unsuccessful. Both two dimensional electrophoresis followed by staining with polyclonal antibodies against alpha s1-casein and electrospray mass spectrometry showed a heterogeneity consistent with that expected from a protein chain with three levels of phosphorylation and two different lengths. However, especially for alpha s1-caseins D and E, a further uncharacterized heterogeneity was detected.

Animals↗

The use of sedimentation field flow fractionation and photon correlation spectroscopy in the characterization of casein micelles.

Sedimentation Field Flow Fractionation (SdFFF) was combined with Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (PCS), to characterize changes in the structure of the colloidal particles of reconstituted skim milk of diameter >50 nm (aggregates of casein and calcium phosphate known as casein micelles) with the changes in partitioning (with the addition of salt) of calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphate (Pi) and casein between the serum and colloidal phases of the milk. The number weighted particle size distributions are determined. These are well represented by a log-normal distribution. Methods are presented for estimating the relative contributions of scattering and absorbance to the SdFFF detector signal and for taking both into account when analysing SdFFF data. The values found for the effective density of the casein micelles were in good agreement with the literature and ranged from (1.06-1.08 g cm(-3)) according to the composition of micelles. The changes in the scattering intensity as determined by PCS correlated with the changes in the particle composition. Although the concentrations of colloidal calcium phosphate (CCP) (1.1-3.5 g/kg milk) and micellar casein (18.1-27.2 g/kg milk) varied considerably only small changes in the size distribution of particles >50 nm diameter were observed except for milk to which 30 mmol Pi+10 mmol Ca/kg milk had been added where the particle size distribution shows a swelling of the particles consistent with a lower than expected value for the particle density. These observations suggest that the micelles have the ability to both lose (depleted micelles) and accommodate (enriched micelles) more casein, calcium and inorganic phosphate in their interior, thus confirming the model of the micelles which postulates an open structure allowing freedom of movement of casein and small ions.

Animals↗

Relationship between degree of casein hydrolysis and phosphopeptide release.

In an approach to develop a commercial-scale process for the production of casein phosphopeptides containing the cluster sequence-SerP-SerP-SerP-Glu-Glu-, we have studied the relationship between casein hydrolysis and phosphopeptide release. The degrees of hydrolysis (DH) of casein using Novo trypsin PTN 3.0 S and pancreatin 4NF independently, at enzyme to substrate (E:S) ratios of 1:50-1:1600 (by weight), were determined using the pH-stat method. Casein phosphopeptides (CPP) were selectively precipitated using Ca2+ and ethanol from the acid-clarified hydrolysates. The precipitates were analysed by high performance capillary electrophoresis to calculate individual phosphopeptide yields based on extinction coefficients of the purified peptides. Individual peptides were purified by reversed-phase HPLC and anion-exchange FPLC and characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and amino acid sequence analysis. For both enzymes, lowering the E:S ratio resulted in reductions in the DH and the release of the CPP, and an increase in peptide chain length. The longer chain length offset the reduction in release such that the gravimetric yields of CPP preparations remained relatively constant. For Novo trypsin the highest yields of the major cluster peptides (beta-casein(CN)f(1-25), alpha s1-CNf(59-79), alpha s2-CNf(1-21), alpha s2-CNf(46-70) and related peptides) in the selective precipitates were obtained at a casein DH of 17%. At lower DH values (9-15%), there was a decrease in yield of the peptides derived from alpha s1-CN and alpha s2-CN while the yield of the beta-CN-derived cluster peptides remained relatively constant. The CPP produced using pancreatin were found to be truncated at all E:S ratios, relative to the tryptic CPP, owing to higher levels of chymotryptic and carboxypeptidase activities in pancreatin. The highest yields of the truncated forms of the major cluster peptides using pancreatin were obtained at a casein DH of 19-23%.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of the catalytic subunit of an oligomeric casein kinase (G type). Affinity labeling of the nucleotide site using 5'-[p-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine.

Identification of the catalytic subunit of a G type [using guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) as well as adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) as phosphate donor], oligomeric, cyclic nucleotide independent casein kinase purified from bovine lung was carried out after reaction with 5'-[p-(fluorosulfonyl)-benzoyl]adenosine (FSBA) and isolation of the subunit components of the enzyme. FSBA exhibited the major characteristics of an affinity label reacting at the nucleotide (ATP, GTP) site of the casein kinase. FSBA acted as a competitive inhibitor of ATP (and GTP), led to complete inactivation of the enzyme in a reaction showing two kinetic steps, and became irreversibly bound to the protein. After being labeled with FSBA, the casein kinase (apparent molecular weight of 140 000) was separated into its two monomeric components of apparent molecular weights 38 000 (alpha) and 27 000 (beta), respectively, after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Use of radioactive FSBA showed that specific affinity labeling was limited to the alpha casein kinase subunit. This result was in agreement with the fact that casein kinase activity was found associated with the alpha monomer after electrophoretic separation of the alpha and beta subunits. It may thus be concluded that the largest (alpha) subunit contains the catalytic site of the casein kinase G. Electrophoretic analysis of purified protein kinase under denaturing conditions suggested an alpha 3 beta 2 combination for an apparent molecular weight of 130 000-140 000. However, a maximum of 2 mol of FSBA could be specifically bound to the alpha subunit per mol of enzyme, with a concomitant complete inactivation. These data would be in agreement with an alpha 2 beta 2 subunit composition for casein kinase G, as proposed by other research groups for a similar type of protein kinase of different sources. These observations suggest that the alpha subunits are functionally similar, each of them containing a nucleotide (ATP, GTP) binding site. The possible role of the beta subunit in the enzyme activity remains to be established.

Adenosine↗

Immunochemical evaluation of bovine beta-casein and its 1-28 phosphopeptide in cheese during ripening.

Polyclonal antibodies raised against the plasmin-released 1-28 phosphopeptide from bovine beta-casein [i.e., beta-CN(f1-28)4P] specifically recognized the tryptic beta-casein 1-25 and 2-25 peptides, whatever the degree of phosphorylation, but were unresponsive to the shortened beta-casein 16-22 phosphopeptide. These antibodies were able to recognize the parent bovine beta-casein as well as the homologous water buffalo protein, but they could not detect the homologous counterparts from ovine and caprine milks. Such antibodies were used in competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to monitor the plasmin-mediated release of the 1-28 phosphopeptide from beta-casein and to evaluate the residual native beta-casein in bovine cheese sampled during ripening. Applications of these polyclonal antibodies are suggested mainly for estimating the age of hard cheeses and, possibly, for tracing the presence of bovine casein in fresh ovine and caprine cheeses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Quantification of beta casein in milk and cheese using an optical immunosensor.

beta-Casein was quantified in milk and cheese, using an optical immunosensor, based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurement. The assay consists of a two-step sandwich strategy, with two anti-beta-casein antibodies directed against each extremity of the casein. This strategy permits only native beta-casein to be quantified and not its degradation products. The calibration curve was obtained with a reference milk powder of known beta-casein concentration. The analysis time per sample was less than 10 minutes. The antibody-coated surface could be used for more than 250 determinations. The detection limit was established at 85 ng x mL(-)(1) and the intra- and inter-assay variation coefficients were 2.6 and 6.2% respectively. The method was applied to raw milk to quantify intact beta-casein, with no pretreatment of the sample. A second application was realized with cheese, to follow the proteolysis of beta-casein during ripening.

Animals↗

Effect of transglutaminase-catalyzed polymerization of beta-casein on its emulsifying properties.

beta-Casein was polymerized to various extents by the transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-linking reaction. Under the reaction conditions used, dimer, trimer, and tetramer of beta-casein were produced as predominant species at short reaction times (20-90 min) and large polymers at longer reaction times (3-24 h). Examination of the emulsifying properties of these cross-linked beta-casein polymers showed that although the emulsifying activity index decreased, the storage stability of the emulsions increased with increasing degree of polymerization. Experiments with mixtures of native and polymerized beta-casein also showed that increasing the fraction of polymerized beta-casein in the mixture increased the emulsion stability. This enhancement of emulsion stability might be due either to an enhancement in steric stabilization, attributable to the branched nature of the trasgutaminase-catalyzed polymers, or to stronger cohesive interactions between polymerized beta-casein molecules than between monomeric beta-casein molecules in the film.

Caseins↗

Heterogeneity of guinea-pig caseins synthesized and sequestered by cell-free protein-synthesizing systems.

1. Individual mRNA species encoding guinea-pigs caseins A, B and C, and alpha-lactalbumin, were purified by hydridization to recombinant milk-protein plasmid DNA immobilized on diazobenzyloxymethyl-paper or diazobenzyloxymethyl-cellulose. Addition of the purified mRNA species to a reticulocyte-lysate cell-free system, in the presence or absence of a dog pancreas microsomal membrane fraction, established a precursor-product relationship between the primary translation products and those sequestered within microsomal vesicles, as determined by polyacrylamide-gel analysis in one and two dimensions. 2. Three sequestered variants of sequestered casein A were identified, but only single forms of sequestered casein B and alpha-lactalbumin. Sequestered variants of casein C proved to be unexpectedly basic, and did not focus on the pH gradient utilized. 3. Comparative analysis of milk proteins synthesized in the reticulocyte-lysate and wheat-germ cell-free systems by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrated both quantitative and qualitative differences. In particular, marked but variable heterogeneity was apparent within the primary translation products of casein A and casein B. Pre-casein C did not focus. Limited N-terminal processing of the primary translation products was also evident. These observations are discussed in relation to (i) unscheduled post-translational modifications by cell-free protein-synthesizing systems and (ii) multiplicity of signal sequences. 4. Overall we demonstrate that complex precursor-product relationships between primary translation products and their sequestered variants, programmed in vitro by a mixed mRNA population, may be readily analysed by using individual mRNA sequences purified by hybridization to immobilized cloned complementary-DNA sequences.

Animals↗

Beryllium toxicity. The selective inhibition of casein kinase 1.

1. Cyclic AMP-independent casein kinase 1 in liver cytoplasm and nuclei was inhibited by Be2+ in vitro (Ki 2.5 microM and 29 microM respectively). Casein kinase 2 (phosvitin kinase) and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase were unaffected. 2. The inhibition of casein kinase 1 by Be2+ was competitive with respect to the protein substrate; at non-saturating concentrations of casein, inhibition was non-competitive with respect to ATP. 3. In rats given LD50 doses of Be2+ 24 h before death, the activities of cytoplasmic and nuclear casein kinase 1 in livers from partially hepatectomized animals were diminished approx. 50%; with intact rats, nuclear casein kinase 1 was inhibited at concentrations of casein less than the Km.

Animals↗

The differential actions of cortisol on the synthesis and turnover of alpha-lactalbumin and casein and on accumulation of their mRNA in mouse mammary gland in organ culture.

Cortisol was previously shown to exert different, concentration-dependent, effects on the accumulation of casein and alpha-lactalbumin in mammary glands from mid-pregnant mice cultured in the presence of insulin and prolactin [Ono & Oka (1980) Cell 19, 473-480]. The present study demonstrated that the addition of 30nM-cortisol to the medium containing insulin and prolactin resulted in a marked enhancement of the rate of synthesis of both alpha-lactalbumin and casein in cultured tissue. The addition of 3 microM-cortisol in combination with insulin and prolactin caused a marked decrease in the rate of alpha-lactalbumin synthesis, but increased casein synthesis substantially. Similar changes were also observed in the amount of translatable mRNA for alpha-lactalbumin and casein in mammary explants cultured with insulin, prolactin and the two concentrations of cortisol. The study of the turnover of the milk proteins in cultured explants showed that virtually all of the casein synthesized remained intact in tissue explants cultured with 3 microM cortisol, whereas about 45% of casein disappeared in 40h from explants cultured with 30nM-cortisol. In contrast, the two concentrations of cortisol did not differentially affect the disappearance of alpha-lactalbumin, which was about 55% in 40h. These results indicate that the concentration-dependent differential actions of cortisol on the accumulation of alpha-lactalbumin and casein are exerted through its effects on the rate of synthesis and turnover of the two proteins as well as on the accumulation of their mRNA species.

Animals↗

Purification and characterization of casein kinase I from broccoli.

Casein kinase I from broccoli was purified approximately 65,000-fold by chromatography on phosphocellulose, phenyl-Sepharose, CM-Sephacel, and affinity chromatography on N-(2-aminoethyl)-5-chloroisoquinolone-8-sulphonamide (CKI-7)-Sepharose. The catalytic subunit of casein kinase I was identified as a 36-38 kDa polypeptide doublet by using the technique of activity gel assay after SDS/PAGE with casein as a gel-incorporated substrate. A silver-stained polypeptide doublet of the same molecular mass constituted at least 95% of the protein in the final preparation, corresponding to a specific activity of approximately 1800 nmol/min per mg of protein. The enzyme was found to be a monomer by gel filtration and glycerol gradient sedimentation; the native molecular mass was calculated to be 34.2 kDa. These characteristics, as well as other essential features of plant casein kinase I activity, such as substrate specificity and sensitivity to inhibitors, were found to be similar to those established for animal casein kinase I. Broccoli casein kinase I showed weak immunological cross-reactivity with antibodies raised against bovine casein kinase I.

Casein Kinases↗

Characterization of three types of human alpha s1-casein mRNA transcripts.

Here we report the molecular cloning and sequencing of three types of human alpha s1-casein transcripts and present evidence indicating that exon skipping is responsible for deleted mRNA transcripts. The largest transcript comprised 981 bp encoding a signal peptide of 15 amino acids followed by the mature alpha s1-casein sequence of 170 amino acids. Human alpha s1-casein has been reported to exist naturally as a multimer in complex with kappa-casein in mature human milk, thereby being unique among alpha s1-caseins [Rasmussen, Due and Petersen (1995) Comp. Biochem. Physiol., in the press]. The present demonstration of three cysteines in the mature protein provides a molecular explanation of the interactions in this complex. Tissue-specific expression of human alpha s1-casein was indicated by Northern-blot analysis. In addition, two cryptic exons were localized in the bovine alpha s1-casein gene.

Alternative Splicing↗

Hydrolysis of caseins and formation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptides by wild Lactococcus lactis strains isolated from raw ewes' milk cheese.

AIMS: To investigate the hydrolysis of alphaS1-, alphaS0-, betaB-, betaA1- and betaA2-caseins by 32 wild lactococci of different randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns, isolated from raw ewes' milk cheese, and the production of hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptides from whole casein by those strains. METHODS AND RESULTS: Most strains hydrolysed all caseins, and degraded beta-caseins to a larger extent than alphaS-caseins, when the proteolytic activity of whole cells was determined by capillary electrophoresis. Higher levels of hydrophilic than of hydrophobic peptides were produced from whole casein by all strains, according to reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Cell envelope proteinases of most lactococci isolated from raw ewes' milk cheese were CEPII, CEPII/III or CEPIII (classification of Exterkate et al. 1993). A negative correlation was found between degraded alphaS- and beta-caseins and a highly positive correlation between hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptides. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Fast acid-producing lactococci from raw ewes' milk cheese have considerable and diverse caseinolytic activities. Their peptide production patterns do not reveal serious risks of bitter-flavour defect in cheeses if used as components of dairy starters.

Animals↗

Complete nucleotide sequence of the bovine beta-casein gene.

The beta-casein gene is a member of a small gene family encoding the calcium-sensitive caseins, which are specifically synthesized and secreted by the mammary gland during lactation in response to both peptide and steroid hormones. The caseins are involved in the transport of calcium phosphate in milk, which is important for bone development in the infant mammal. We report here the organization and complete DNA sequence of the 8.5 kb long bovine beta-casein gene. Comparison with the rat beta-casein gene reveals that the exons of both genes correspond exactly. The 5' flanking sequences of all Ca-sensitive casein genes are conserved within the proximal 200 bp and contain several elements that probably function as cis-acting regulatory elements, including an octamer-like motif, and SV40-type core enhancer and a sequence that appears to be common to all lactoprotein genes. The latter sequence is flanked on either side by 12 bp direct repeats. These direct repeats are themselves each part of sequences that display two-fold symmetry. The first 30 nucleotides of the 3' flanking regions in the bovine and rat beta-caseins are well conserved, indicating that they are likely to be involved in the mechanism of 3' end processing of the primary transcript.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Interaction of mouse mammary epithelial cells with collagen substrata: regulation of casein gene expression and secretion.

Mouse mammary epithelial cells (MMEC) secrete certain milk proteins only when cultured on floating collagen gels. We demonstrate here that modulation of milk proteins by substrata is manifested at several regulatory levels; (i) Cells cultured on floating collagen gels have 3- to 10-fold more casein mRNA than cells cultured on plastic or attached collagen gels. (ii) Cells on the latter two "flat" substrata, nevertheless, synthesize a significant amount of caseins, indicating that the remaining mRNA is functional. (iii) Cells on all substrata are inducible for casein mRNA and casein proteins by prolactin, but the extent of induction is greater on collagen than that on plastic--i.e., the substratum confers an altered degree of inducibility. (iv) Cells on all substrata synthesize casein proteins at rates proportional to the amount of casein mRNA, but the newly synthesized caseins in cells on plastic are degraded intracellularly, whereas those synthesized by cells on floating gels are secreted into the medium. (v) Cells on all substrata examined lose virtually all mRNA for whey acidic protein despite the fact that this mRNA is abundant in the mammary gland itself; we conclude that additional, as-yet-unknown, factors are necessary for synthesis and secretion of whey acidic protein in culture.

Animals↗

Linoleic acid, but not cortisol, stimulates accumulation of casein by mouse mammary epithelial cells in serum-free collagen gel culture.

A two-step culture system has been developed to analyze the role of hormones in casein accumulation by mammary epithelial cells obtained from adrenalectomized and ovariectomized adult virgin mice. In the first step cells are grown inside collagen gel in medium containing insulin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and linoleic acid for 9 days; these conditions stimulate very little casein accumulation. Following this growth phase the gels are released to float in medium containing insulin, prolactin, and linoleic acid. During this second phase the mammary cells will accumulate large amounts of casein, but only in the simultaneous presence of insulin, prolactin, and linoleic acid; in the absence of linoleic acid casein accumulation is greatly reduced. The casein accumulation is not dependent on the presence of the glucocorticoid cortisol and will occur in spite of the presence of the antiglucocorticoid agent RU 38 486. To determine if the response to cortisol observed in organ culture by other investigators might be mediated by stromal cells, epithelial cells were grown in collagen gel under fatty acid-free conditions and then cocultured with explants of mammary fat pads from adult virgin mice with or without mammary parenchyma. The cocultures were performed in fatty acid-free medium containing insulin and prolactin with or without cortisol. In the majority of experiments the mammary epithelial cells in the collagen gel accumulate more casein in the presence of cortisol than in its absence, irrespective of the presence of mammary parenchyma in the explant. Thus, mammary epithelial cells are directly dependent on insulin and prolactin for casein accumulation and indirectly dependent on cortisol by means of its effect on the stromal cells. This cortisol effect may be to cause release into the medium of linoleic acid or a metabolic product of linoleic acid from the stromal cells.

Animals↗