Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “protein complexes”

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 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

0j.py: a software tool for low complexity proteins and protein domains.

Low complexity proteins and protein domains have sequences which appear highly non-random. Over the years, these sequences have been routinely filtered out during sequence similarity searches because interest has been focused on globular proteins, and inclusion of these domains can severely skew search results. However, early work on these proteins and more recent studies of the related area of repeated protein sequences suggests that low complexity protein domains have function and therefore are in need of further investigation. 0j.py is a new tool for demarcating low complexity protein domains more accurately than has been possible to date. The paper describes 0j.py and its use in revealing proteins with repeated and poly-amino-acid peptides. Statistical methods are then employed to to examine the distribution of these proteins across species, while keyword clustering is used to suggest roles performed by proteins through the use of low complexity domains.

Algorithms↗

An improved sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system for the analysis of membrane protein complexes.

Membrane protein complexes such as the reaction center complexes of oxygenic photosynthesis or the complex I of mitochondira are composed of many subunit polypeptides. To analyze their polypeptide compositions by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), a wide range of molecular sizes has to be resolved, especially in the low molecular mass range. We have improved the traditional Tris/HCI buffer systems adopting a Tris/2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer system containing 6 M urea. This gel system was used with an 18-24% acrylamide gradient for the separation of polypeptides with molecular masses from below 5 kDa to over 100 kDa. This buffer system can also be applied to the usual uniform concentration of acrylamide gel and also to minislab gels.

Acrylic Resins↗

Ribosomal protein S1 and NusA protein complexed to recombination protein beta of phage lambda.

The red genes of bacteriophage lambda specify two proteins, exonuclease and beta protein, which are essential for general recombination of lambda in recA cells. Earlier studies suggested that these proteins form an equimolar complex (C. M. Radding, J. Rosenweig, F. Richards, and E. Cassuto, J. Biol. Chem. 246:2510-2512, 1971). A more recent study indicated that beta protein forms a strong complex with an unknown polypeptide of 70 kDa (K. Muniyappa and C. M. Radding, J. Biol. Chem. 261:7472-7478, 1986). In the present study, in addition to the complex of beta and the 70-kDa protein, a new association of beta protein with a 65-kDa protein was observed. N-terminal sequencing identified these proteins as host-encoded ribosomal protein S1 and transcription terminator protein NusA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Purification of RNA and RNA-protein complexes by an R17 coat protein affinity method.

We describe an affinity chromatography method to isolate specific RNAs and RNA-protein complexes formed in vivo or in vitro. It exploits the highly selective binding of the coat protein of bacteriophage R17 to a short hairpin in its genomic RNA. RNA containing that hairpin binds to coat protein that has been covalently bound to a solid support. Bound RNA-protein complexes can be eluted with excess R17 recognition sites. Using purified RNA, we demonstrate that binding to immobilized coat protein is highly specific and enables one to separate an RNA of interest from a large excess of other RNAs in a single step. Surprisingly, binding of an RNA containing non-R17 sequences to the support requires two recognition sites in tandem; a single site is insufficient. We determine optimal conditions for purification of specific RNAs by comparing specific binding (retention of RNAs with recognition sites) to non-specific binding (retention of RNAs without recognition sites) over a range of experimental conditions. These results suggest that binding of immobilized coat protein to RNAs containing two sites is cooperative. We illustrate the potential utility of the approach in purifying RNA-protein complexes by demonstrating that a U1 snRNP formed in vivo on an RNA containing tandem recognition sites is selectively retained by the coat protein support.

Animals↗

Crystallisation of RNA-protein complexes. II. The application of protein engineering for crystallisation of the U1A protein-RNA complex.

The hairpin is one of the most commonly found structural motifs of RNA and is often a binding site for proteins. Crystallisation of U1A spliceosomal protein bound to a RNA hairpin, its natural binding site on U1snRNA, is described. RNA oligonucleotides were synthesised either chemically or by in vitro transcription using T7 RNA polymerase and purified to homogeneity by gel electrophoresis. Crystallisation trials with the wild-type protein sequence and RNA hairpins containing various stem sequences and overhanging nucleotides only resulted in a cubic crystal form which diffracted to 7-8 A resolution. A new crystal form was grown by using a protein variant containing mutations of two surface residues. The N-terminal sequence of the protein was also varied to reduce heterogeneity which was detected by protein mass spectrometry. A further crystallisation search using the double mutant protein and varying the RNA hairpins resulted in crystals diffracting to beyond 1.7 A. The methods and strategy described in this paper may be applicable to crystallisation of other RNA-protein complexes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Photosynthetic Membranes of Porphyridium cruentum: An Analysis of Chlorophyll-Protein Complexes and Heme-Binding Proteins.

Three chlorophyll-protein complexes (CP I, CP III, CP IV) were electrophoretically separated from thylakoids of the eukaryotic red alga Porphyridium cruentum. CP I contained the primary photochemical reaction center of photosystem I as judged by its light-induced reversible absorbance change at 700 nanometers, by its fluorescence emission maximum at 720 nanometers (-196 degrees C), and by the molecular weight of its apoprotein (68,000 daltons). CP III and CP IV appeared to belong with photosystem II as suggested by the absence of light-reversible absorbance at 700 nanometers, by their fluorescence maximum at 690 nanometers (-196 degrees C), and by the presence of a chlorophyll-binding polypeptide with a molecular weight of about 52,000 daltons. CP IV when completely denatured had two additional polypeptides of about 40,000 and 48,000 daltons. All three chlorophyll-protein complexes contained carotenoids: the chlorophyll/carotenoid molar ratio of 15:1 for CP I, and 20:1 for CP III and CP IV. The thylakoid membranes of P. cruentum contained four cytochromes, detected by heme-dependent peroxidase activity, but there was no observed association with the electrophoretically separated chlorophyll-protein complexes.

Journal Article↗

Purification of an adenosine deaminase complexing protein from human plasma.

A protein which specifically complexes with adenosine deaminase (complexing protein) has been purified to homogeneity from human plasma. This protein was compared with complexing protein isolated from human kidney. The two proteins produce electrophoretically different forms of high molecular weight adenosine deaminase when combined with the Mr = 36,000 enzyme monomer from erythrocytes. This difference may, at least in part, be due to the greater sialic acid content of complexing protein from plasma. By other criteria, including amino acid composition, total carbohydrate content, and subunit structure, the two proteins are quite similar. In addition, plasma complexing protein shows complete cross-reactivity with anti-kidney complexing protein serum. These results suggest that plasma and kidney complexing proteins are products of the same gene.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

Identification and characterization of multiple mdm-2 proteins and mdm-2-p53 protein complexes.

A protein product of the mdm-2 oncogene (p90) has been recently shown to associate with the protein encoded by the tumor-suppressor gene p53. The mdm-2 gene was originally identified as a gene amplified in a spontaneously transformed Balb/c 3T3 cell line (3T3DM). This report describes the characterization of mdm-2 gene products and their interactions with the p53 protein. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were generated against murine and human mdm-2 protein. These antibodies detected the mdm-2 p90 protein and at least four additional polypeptides (p85, p76, p74, p58-p57) in cultured cells. These additional proteins may arise from different spliced mRNA forms of the mdm-2 gene or post-translational modifications of the mdm-2 protein. The monoclonal antibodies distinguished at least three sets of mdm-2 proteins with distinct combinations of epitopes (p90 and p85; p76 and p74; p58-57). One or two of these proteins forms a complex with the p53 protein (p90, p58). These mdm-2 proteins were found to be overexpressed in 3T3DM cells and a subset of these proteins were complexed with p53. In 3T3DM cells, p90, like p53, had a short half-life of approximately 20 min and was localized to the cell nucleus. In resting cells stimulated with serum p90 levels and p90/p53 complex levels increased in the late G1 phase of the cell cycle. The p90 mdm-2 protein could regulate p53 activity in the late G1 phase of the cell cycle.

Animals↗

Affinity purification-mass spectrometry. Powerful tools for the characterization of protein complexes.

Multi-protein complexes are emerging as important entities of biological activity inside cells that serve to create functional diversity by contextual combination of gene products and, at the same time, organize the large number of different proteins into functional units. Many a time, when studying protein complexes rather than individual proteins, the biological insight gained has been fundamental, particularly in cases in which proteins with no previous functional annotation could be placed into a functional context derived from their 'molecular environment'. In this minireview, we summarize the current state of the art for the retrieval of multiprotein complexes by affinity purification and their analysis by mass spectrometry. The advances in technology made over the past few years now enable the study of protein complexes on a proteomic scale and it can be anticipated that the knowledge gathered from such projects will fuel drug target discovery and validation pipelines and that the technology is also going to prove valuable in the emerging field of systems biology.

Animals↗

Licensing of DNA replication by a multi-protein complex of MCM/P1 proteins in Xenopus eggs.

In eukaryotes, chromosomal DNA is licensed for a single round of replication in each cell cycle. Xenopus MCM3 protein has been implicated in the licensing of replication in egg extract. We have cloned cDNAs encoding five immunologically distinct proteins associated with Xenopus MCM3 as members of the MCM/P1 family. Six Xenopus MCM proteins formed a physical complex in the egg extract, bound to unreplicated chromatin before the formation of nuclei, and apparently displaced from replicated chromatin. The requirement of six XMCM proteins for the replication activity of the egg extract before nuclear formation suggests that their re-association with replicated chromatin at the end of the mitotic cell cycle is a key step for the licensing of replication.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

High salt- and SDS-stable DNA binding protein complexes with ATPase and protein kinase activity retained in chromatin-depleted nuclei.

Cell lysis in presence of SDS and proteinase K followed by salting-out of residual polypeptides by dehydration and precipitation with saturated sodium chloride solution [Miller, S.A., Dykes, D.D. and Polesky, H.F., Nucleic Acids Res., 16, 1215, 1988] efficiently resolves deproteinized DNA. However, this DNA is still associated with prominent polypeptides which remain stably attached to DNA during further treatments, e.g. during repeated salting-out steps, prolonged incubation of DNA in 1% SDS or 4 M urea at 56 degrees C and ethanol precipitation. The persistent polypeptides (62, 52 and 40 kDa) released from Ehrlich ascites cell DNA were further characterized. Microsequencing indicates that the DNA binding polypeptides are not yet characterized at the sequence level. Nuclease digestion of the DNA releases stable DNA-protein complexes with the shape of globular particles (12.8 +/- 0.8 nm) and their larger aggregates in which DNA remains protected from nuclease digestion. The isolated DNA-polypeptide complexes show ATPase (Km = 7.4 x 10(-4) M) and protein kinase activity. Antibodies reveal a parallel distribution of the complexes with chromatin, however, the complexes are retained in chromatin-depleted nuclei.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Activation of the T-DNA transfer process in Agrobacterium results in the generation of a T-strand-protein complex: Tight association of VirD2 with the 5' ends of T-strands.

The T-DNA transfer process of Agrobacterium is activated following induction of expression of the Ti plasmid virulence (vir) genes. The virD1 and virD2 gene products are required for the production of nicks at the T-DNA borders and for the generation of free linear single-stranded copies of the T-DNA region, T-strands. T-strands are complexed with proteins in vir-induced bacteria, since T-strands partition to the aqueous/phenol interface in non-Pronasetreated total cell extracts. To determine whether the proteins are tightly associated with T-strands, DNA-protein complexes were purified away from bulk proteins by adsorption to glass beads. A 58-kDa protein was specifically released from vir-induced DNA-protein complexes after treatment with S1 nuclease to digest single-stranded DNA. The 58-kDa protein was identified as VirD2 by using VirD2-specific antibodies. The tight association of VirD2 with T-strands was shown directly by using VirD2-specific antibody to isolate T-strands. The 5' side of the border nick sites on the Ti plasmid was also shown to be tightly associated with protein. The data suggest that after VirD1/VirD2-dependent nicking at the T-DNA borders, the VirD2 protein remains bound to the 5' end of the nick, and the VirD2 protein continues to bind tightly to this 5' end during unwinding (or displacement) of the T-strand from the Ti plasmid T-DNA region. The tight binding of VirD2 to T-strands suggests that this protein has additional functions in T-strand generation and potentially in the later steps of T-DNA transfer.

Journal Article↗

Protein disulfide isomerase is a component of the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein complex.

A bovine liver protein which catalyzes the transfer of triglyceride between membranes has previously been isolated from the lumen of the microsomal fraction. When further purified about 100-fold, two polypeptides of molecular mass 58,000 and 88,000 were identified (Wetterau, J. R., and Zilversmit, D. B. (1985) Chem. Phys. Lipids 38, 205-222). We demonstrate here that the two polypeptides (referred to as 58-kDa and 88-kDa, respectively) are associated in a protein-protein complex, and that the triglyceride transfer activity is associated with this complex. Antibodies specific for either polypeptide immunoprecipitated both the 58-kDa and 88-kDa polypeptides as well as the lipid transfer activity. The 58-kDa subunit of the microsomal transfer protein complex was identified as protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI) (EC 5.3.4.1) by 1) a comparison of the amino-terminal sequence of PDI and the 58-kDa subunit of the transfer protein, 2) a comparison of the reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography peptide maps of CNBr digests of PDI and the lipid transfer protein, 3) immunoprecipitation competition experiments in which PDI was found to compete with the lipid transfer protein for immunoprecipitation by the anti-58-kDa polyclonal antibodies, 4) immunological cross-reactivity of the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein complex with polyclonal antibodies raised against PDI, and 5) the appearance of protein disulfide isomerase activity following the dissociation of purified microsomal transfer protein complex with guanidine HCl. In conclusion, the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein has a multi-subunit structure which is unique compared to other intracellular lipid transfer proteins which have been described to be single polypeptides. The unexpected finding that PDI is a component of the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein complex suggests a new previously undescribed role for protein disulfide isomerase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Composition, structure and various properties of DNA-protein complexes located at the sites of DNA loop attachment to the nuclear skeleton].

The intimate structure of the complexes located at the sites of DNA loops attachment to the nuclear skeleton was analysed. It is shown that: there are at least three components of the attachment site complex: DNA, protein, RNA; protein moiety consists of 7-8 species with Mr 70-17 kDa. Their association with DNA is resistant to ionic detergents, high salt and urea treatments. The DNA-protein complex is also resistant to the SDS-pronase-phenol deproteinisation procedure; the buoyant density of the complex is the same as DNA density. RNase digestion at low ionic strength reduces density of the complex while the same treatment at 0,4 M NaCl has no effect; DNA-protein complexes isolated with urea-high salt treatment are visualised as globular particles 25-35 nm in diameter with DNA loops attached. These particles were not observed after detergent treatment although protein composition of the complex remained the same.

Animals↗

Chlorophyll-Protein Complexes of a Photosystem II Mutant of Maize : Evidence that Chlorophyll-Protein a-2 and a Chlorophyll-Protein Complex Derived from a Photosystem I Antennae System Comigrate on Polyacrylamide Gels.

Use of the octyl beta-d-glucopyranoside solubilization procedure of Camm and Green (1980 Plant Physiol 66: 428-432) reveals that thylakoid membranes of a photosystem (PS) II-deficient maize (Zea mays L.) mutant lack two chlorophyll protein (CP) complexes associated with PSII, i.e. CPa-1 and CPa-2. In contrast, when lithium dodecyl sulfate is used to solubilize the membranes of the mutant prior to electrophoretic separation, a CP complex is observed which has a mobility similar to that of CPa-2. Comparison of spectral characteristics and polypeptide composition of the green bands in this region taken from samples of the mutant, normal sibling control plants and from PSII preparations indicate that the CP complex observed in the mutant represents a portion of a light-harvesting complex of PSI (Mullet et al. 1980 Plant Physiol 65: 814-822). The green band observed in normal maize samples can contain both the CPa-2 complex as well as the CP complex derived from the PSI antennae system.

Journal Article↗

Chicken reticulocyte polysomal messenger RNA-protein complex: absence of bound proteins in most of the coding region of beta globin mRNA.

The 15s globin mRNA-protein complex (mRNP) was isolated from chicken reticulocyte polyribosomes dissociated in EDTA. To determine protein binding sites, the mRNP was treated with micrococcal nuclease and the nuclease resistant RNA was mapped to the beta globin gene at the nucleotide level. As far as we can determine there is no bound protein from the Cap site to the poly A addition site of beta globin mRNA in the mRNP except for a short area in the coding region near the translation initiation site.

Animals↗

Purifying protein complexes for mass spectrometry: applications to protein translation.

Proteins control and mediate most of the biological activities in the cell. In most cases, proteins either interact with regulatory proteins or function in large molecular assemblies to carryout biological processes. Understanding the functions of individual proteins requires the identification of these interacting proteins. With its speed and sensitivity, mass spectrometry has become the dominant method for identifying components of protein complexes. This article reviews and discusses various approaches to purify protein complexes and analyze the proteins using mass spectrometry. As examples, methods to isolate and analyze protein complexes responsible for the translation of messenger RNAs into polypeptides are described.

Cell Differentiation↗

Analysis of complex protein mixtures with improved sequence coverage using (CE-MS/MS)n.

Identification of proteins, in a complex protein mixture, using one-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis of its digest, usually suffers from low sequence coverage. There are several reasons for the low coverage including undersampling, wide concentration dynamic range of the proteins in a complex protein mixture, and wide range of electrospray ionization efficiency of peptides under each mobile-phase composition. To address this low sequence coverage, we introduce a novel technique, (CE-MS/MS)n, which utilizes the most significant advantages of CE-MS/MS, including economy of sample size, fast analysis time, and high separation efficiency, to increase the sequence coverage of a complex protein mixture. Based on these characteristics, (CE-MS/MS)n can be performed in which multiple CE-MS/MS subanalyses (injections followed by analyses) are analyzed and experimental variables are manipulated during each CE-MS/MS subanalysis in order to maximize sequence coverage. (CE-MS/MS)n is a practical technique since each CE-MS/MS subanalysis consumes <10 nL, and each CE-MS/MS subanalysis takes approximately 10 min; therefore, several subanalyses can be performed in approximately 1 h consuming only nanoliters of the sample. Two techniques have been introduced to address the undersampling: (1) (CE-MS/MS)n using dynamic exclusion. In this technique, several CE-MS/MS analyses (injection followed by separation) were performed in one run using the dynamic exclusion capability of the mass spectrometer until all peptide peaks were analyzed by MS/MS. (2) Gas-phase fractionation. In this technique, (CE-MS/MS)n is performed by scanning a narrow mass range (every approximately 100 m/z) during each CE-MS/MS subanalysis without using dynamic exclusion. Under this condition, in each subanalysis, the number of peptides available for MS/MS analysis is significantly reduced, and peptides with the same nominal masses are analyzed, thereby increasing sequence coverage. Additionally, to address the lack of detection of low-level peptides in a mixture containing a wide concentration dynamic range, the concentration of the sample was systematically increased in each subanalysis (while utilizing dynamic exclusion) so that low-intensity peptides would rise above the mass spectrometer threshold and, consequently, undergo MS/MS analysis. Moreover, to alter the ionization efficiency of peptides with low electrospray ionization efficiency, and to change the migration behavior of comigrating peptides under a specific liquid composition, the CE background electrolyte was modified in several subanalyses to further improve sequence coverage. The combination of the above-mentioned techniques was applied to the analysis of the tryptic digests of three well-characterized protein mixtures: a six-protein mixture with average MW of approximately 26,000 (standard I), a six-protein mixture with an average MW approximately 49,000 (standard II), and a more complex protein mixture containing 55 proteins (E. coli ribosomal proteins). In approximately 1 h, when the MS/MS of the peptides were manually checked, all peptides that produced peaks under electrospray ionization in the scanned range of the analysis (500-2000 m/z) and within the practical fragmentation capability of the MS (peptides with MW <3500) were identified for standard I by consuming only 200 fmol of each protein. When searched against a Swissprot database, the average sequence coverage for the standard I, II, and E. coli's ribosomal proteins were 57, 34, and 15%, respectively.

Amino Acid Sequence↗