Quantitative analysis of relative protein contents by Western blotting: comparison of three members of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex in slow and fast rat skeletal muscle

We have developed a method for accurate quantitative analysis and statistical comparison of the relative contents of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) in skeletal muscle. This method was applied to compare DGC contents in slow (soleus) and in fast (extensor digitorum longus, EDL) rat skeletal muscles. The quantitative analysis combines a modified bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay with Western blotting and enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL). This combination allows the use of high levels of detergents and reducing reagents essential for extracting DGC. In addition, the evaluation of the total amount of proteins in each sample makes it possible to have a reference and to accurately compare relative protein levels without using a specific standard. With a large gradient gel, we could concomitantly compare two groups (n = 9) and quantify all protein contents differing highly in their molecular masses (from 35 kDa to 427 kDa). Each experiment was triplicated and normalized; the two muscles were compared using the Mann-Whitney test (P<0.001) to establish their protein content. The DGC relative levels for the slow muscle soleus and the fast muscle EDL differed significantly: dystrophin, beta-dystroglycan, and gamma-sarcoglycan levels were 130%, 110% and 120% higher in the soleus, respectively. The differences observed in the expression level of cytoskeletal associated protein (dystrophin) and transmembranous anchorage components may correspond to a physiological response of the muscle fibers to duration, magnitude, and frequency of the imposed mechanical loading.     

Electrophoretic and immunochemical evidence showing that marsupial limb muscles express the same fast and slow myosin heavy chains as eutherians

Limb muscles of eutherian (placental) mammals express a slow and three fast isoforms of myosin heavy chain (MyHC), but little is known about marsupial MyHCs. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of limb MyHCs from seven marsupial species, spanning two orders, revealed four components, each of which specifically cross-reacted in Western blots with a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against a corresponding eutherian MyHC. For all seven species, the relative mobility of the band identified by each mAb matched that in the rat, suggesting that the four are homologous to eutherian slow, 2B, 2X and 2A MyHCs, respectively, in the order of decreasing mobility. Immunohistochemical analysis of fast marsupial limb muscles identitied four different fiber populations whose relative fiber size spectra (IIA相似文献   

An approximate method in using molecular mechanics simulations to study slow protein conformational changes

The broad range of characteristic motions in proteins has limited the applicability of molecular dynamics simulations in studying large-scale conformational transitions. We present an approximate method, making use of standard MD simulations and using a much larger integration time step, to obtain the structural changes for slow systematic motions of large complex systems. We show the applicability of this method by simulating the open to closed Calmodulin calcium binding domain conformational changes. Starting with the Ca2+-bound X-ray structure, and after the removal of the Ca2+ ions, our calculation yielded intermediate conformations during the rearrangement of helices in each Ca2+ binding pocket, leading to a structure with a lowest rmsd of 1.56 A compared to the NMR apo-calmodulin structure.     

An unusually slow self-assembly of inorganic ions in dilute aqueous solution

A combination of static and dynamic laser light-scattering techniques was used to monitor an unusual slow self-assembly of giant polyoxomolybdate-based molecules into vesicle structures in dilute aqueous solution. Contrary to the behavior of common inorganic ions, these giant molecules need months to reach an equilibrium state. The process is an endothermic process and roughly follows the rule of a first-order reaction. The possible reasons for such a slow solution process are also discussed.     

Separation of rat pancreatic secretory proteins by cation-exchange fast protein liquid chromatography.

Rat pancreatic secretory proteins were separated by an automated liquid chromatography system utilizing a Mono S cation-exchange column. Optimal resolution was obtained with a multistep salt and pH gradient (0.01-2 M LiCl, pH 5.3-63). A total of fourteen well-separated peaks, as well as several minor peaks, were detected by UV absorption. The main pancreatic enzymes were resolved (two amylases, two chymotrypsinogens, two trypsinogens, proelastase, lipase, prophospholipase A2, procarboxypeptidase A, procarboxypeptidase B, and ribonuclease). In addition, proteins without enzymic activity, such as lithostathine and pancreatitis-associated protein, were identified. Activation of proenzymes did not occur during the separation. At a flow-rate of 0.5 ml/min, ca. 250 micrograms to 5 mg of protein could be applied with equal resolution. The reproducibility of retention volumes and peak areas was high (less than 1% or 5% variation, respectively). When radiolabeled proteins were separated, a comparable pattern of peaks was obtained. The technique described is, therefore, not only useful for analytical and preparative separation of pancreatic proteins but can additionally serve for quantitative determination of the pancreatic isoenzyme pattern.     

An application of fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) in the purification of retinol binding protein from rat serum

Summary Retinol Binding Protein (RBP) is the specific plasma protein for the transport of retinol from liver to peripheral tissues. It is a single polypeptide chain of approximately 21 KDa, and circulates as a 11 molar complex with transthyretin (TTR). The relative low concentration in plasma (40–50 g/ml and its chromatographic behaviour on ionic exchangers render the purification of rat RBP particularly laborious. In this paper we report a simple and semi-automatic method for the preparative purification to homogeneity of rat serum RBP. The method includes: (1) Selective removal of albumin by affinity chromatography on a Blue Sepharose column; (2) Chromatography on a Mono Q strong anion exchange column; (3) Dissociation of the RBP-TTR complex by 3 M urea; (4) Concentration, desalting and freeze drying. The purified RBP has been used for the production in rabbit of antirat RBP specific antibodies for studies on nutritional control of RBP synthesis and metabolism.     

Comparison of human blood serum DSC profiles in aqueous and PBS buffer solutions

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The results of studies of physiological fluids by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the purpose of diagnosis and monitoring of diseases are...     

Observation of kinetic and structural scalings during slow coalescence of nanobubbles in an aqueous solution

The addition of salt can induce the slow coalescence of nanobubbles (approximately 100 nm) in an aqueous solution of alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD). A combination of static and dynamic laser light scattering was used to follow the coalescence. Our results reveal that its kinetic and structural properties follow some scaling laws; namely, the average size () of the nanobubbles is related to their average mass () and the coalescence time (t) as approximately (d(f)) and approximately t(gamma) with two salt-concentration-dependent scaling exponents (d(f) and gamma). For a lower sodium chloride concentration (C(NaCl) = 40 mM), gamma = 0.13 +/- 0.01 and d(f) = 1.71 +/- 0.02. The increase of C(NaCl) to 80 mM results in gamma = 0.32 +/- 0.01 and d(f) = 1.99 +/- 0.01. The whole process has two main stages: the aggregation and the coalescence. At the lower C(NaCl), the process essentially stops in the aggregation stage with some limited coalescence. At higher C(NaCl), coalescence occurs after the aggregation and results in large bubbles.     

Pressure-induced structural and hydration changes of proteins in aqueous solutions

The effects of elevated hydrostatic pressure on four representative proteins, lysozyme, human serum albumin, ubiquitin and RNase A, were investigated by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, by principal component analysis (PCA) and by moving-window two-dimensional (MW2D) correlation analysis. In addition, we revealed the pressure-induced changes of secondary structure elements using curve fitting. With pressure increase, the amide I band shifted to lower wavenumbers, with a transition at 200 MPa, which was indicative of hydration enhancement. Moreover, the pressure-induced behavior of pure water was studied, similar transition pressure was observed with protein in aqueous solution, suggesting that structure change of water around 200 MPa caused a hydration enhancement of protein. Under pressure higher than 200 MPa, the structural changes of the four proteins were obviously different except for the common features shifting to lower wavenumbers with pressure, basically due to the distinct structural differences among them.     

Recent developments in thermal analysis of polymers: Calorimetry in the limit of slow and fast heating rates

This review focuses on new insights into the crystal melting transition and the amorphous glass transition of polymers that have been gained through recent advances in thermoanalytical methods. The specific heat capacity can now be studied under two extreme limits, that is, under quasi‐isothermal conditions (limit of zero heating rate) and, at the other end of the scale, under rapid heating conditions (heating rates on the order of thousands of degrees per second), made possible through nanocalorimetry. The reversible melting, and multiple reversible melting, of semicrystalline polymers is explored using quasi‐isothermal temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry, TMDSC. The excess reversing heat capacity, above the baseline, measured under nearly isothermal conditions is attributed to locally reversible surface melting and crystallization processes that do not require molecular nucleation. Observations of double reversible melting endotherms in isotactic polystyrene suggest existence of two distinct populations of crystals, each showing locally reversible surface melting. The second subject of the review, nanocalorimetry, is utilized to study samples of small mass under conditions of very fast heating and cooling. The glass transition properties of thin amorphous polymer films are observed under adiabatic conditions. The glass transition temperature appears to be independent of film thickness, and is observed even in ultra‐thin films. Recrystallization and reorganization during rapid heating are studied by nanocalorimetry of semicrystalline polymers. The uppermost endotherm seen under normal DSC scanning of poly(ethylene terephthalate) is caused by reorganization, and vanishes under the rapid heating conditions (3000K/s) provided by nanocalorimetry. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 629–636, 2005     

酸化沉淀蛋白-超快速液相色谱-串联质谱法测定肝损伤大鼠血浆中的头孢呋辛

为了研究二代头孢类新药头孢呋辛赖氨酸在肝损伤大鼠体内的药代动力学过程,建立了采用超快速液相色谱-串联质谱(UFLC-MS/MS)快速测定肝损伤模型大鼠血浆中头孢呋辛含量的方法。血浆样品在酸性条件下用乙腈沉淀蛋白,采用Shim-pack XR-ODS色谱柱(75 mm×3.0 mm, 2.2 μm)为分析柱、乙腈-0.1%甲酸水溶液(40:60, v/v)为流动相、流速为400 μL/min进行色谱分离,采用电喷雾负离子(ESI~)模式电离、多反应监测(MRM)模式进行质谱检测,用于定量分析的离子对分别为m/z 423.2→206.8 (头孢呋辛)和m/z 454.1→238.4 (内标头孢噻肟)。结果表明,大鼠血浆中头孢呋辛的质量浓度在0.01～1 mg/L和1～400 mg/L范围内线性关系良好(r＞0.99),定量限为0.01 mg/L,日内和日间精密度(以相对标准偏差(RSD)计)均小于11.5%,准确度(RE)为~7.1%～2.2%,平均萃取回收率大于83.5%,样品运行时间仅为3.0 min,能够满足生物样品的测定需求。该法简便、快速,已用于肝损伤大鼠静脉注射头孢呋辛赖氨酸的药代动力学预实验研究。     

Influence of pressure on the slow and fast fractional relaxation dynamics in lysozyme: a simulation study

The article reports on a molecular dynamics simulation study of the influence of moderate, nondenaturing pressure on the slow and fast internal relaxation dynamics of lysozyme. The model parameters of the fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process are used to quantify the changes. We find that the nonexponential character for diffusive motions on time scales above 10 ps is enhanced and that the diffusion processes are slowed down. The diffusive motions on the subpicosecond time scale appear, in contrast, accelerated, whereas the nonexponential character is not altered by pressure. We attribute these findings to the different natures of slow and fast relaxation processes, which are characterized by structural rearrangements and collisions, respectively. The analyses are facilitated by the use of spatially resolved relaxation rate spectra.     

Operando discrimination of fast and slow active grains within a cycling electrode for lithium battery

The impact of the formation of an electrolyte based decomposition layer on the distribution of the active grain kinetics has been investigated operando within a cycling electrode for lithium battery. It is demonstrated, from fitting procedure of the electrochemical responses and from operando XRD experiments, that as the passive film forms, slow reacting grains appear within the working electrode and operate simultaneously with faster grains. Slow grains are macroscopically distributed, presumably at the electrolyte side of the electrode. Discrimination of the electrochemical response pertaining to each type of grains allows rationalizing their contribution to the capacity fading dynamics.     

Thujone corrects cholesterol and triglyceride profiles in diabetic rat model

Thujone, which is the major constituent in Salvia sp. (Lamiaceae), was found to correct the lipid profile (cholesterol and triglycerides) in diabetic rats. Oral treatment with thujone (5 mg kg?1 body weight dose) significantly adjusted cholesterol and triglyceride levels in diabetic rats (p ≤ 0.05) to normal levels compared to diabetic untreated rats. This provides a premise in the field of finding new agents to treat diabetic complications.     

Poly-N-vinylamides,complexation and conformational changes in aqueous solution

Interaction between small molecules (iodine and 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulphonate) and poly-N-methylacetamide (PVMA), poly-N-vinylcaprolactam (PVCL), poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and copolymers of N-vinyleaprolactam with N-vinylpyrrolidone (CP VCL-VP) and with N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide (VMA) were studied. All the polymers formed complexes with the small molecules. The stability constant for the complexes with the probe increases in the series PVMA < PVP < copolymer < PVCL indicating the essential role of hydrophobic interactions in the complex formation. With increasing temperature of aqueous solution from 18 to 33°, the constant decreased for PVP, PVMA and copolymers with low VCL content and increased for PVCL. A folding of PVC coils was observed over the temperature range, demonstrating a relationship between the conformational changes of macromolecules and the polymer complex formation. Addition of PVCL, PVMA and PVP to aqueous I₃^? solution brings about a shift of λ_max from 350 nm for free triiodide ions to 372, 367 and 364 nm respectively. It is explained by different dipole moments of the side substituents. The stability constant for the polymers and I₃^? was estimated as approx. 10⁵ M. The ability of the polymers to form complexes depends on chainlength. The greatest loss of the ability was observed for PVCL with $\text{M}{}_{\mathrm{n}}$ changing from 6 × 10³ to 2 × 10³. Interaction of the polymers with I₃^? is accompanied by a conformational shrinking of coils. In the case of the probe, forces of electrostatic repulsion between negative charges of sulphonate groups result in an unfolding of polimer coils.     

Temperature changes of dielectric permittivity and relaxation in aqueous lithium iodide solutions

The complex permittivity of aqueous LiI solutions is studied over a wide range of concentrations at temperatures of 288–323 K in the water permittivity dispersion region at seven frequencies in the range of 7.5–25 GHz. One relaxation region describable by the Debye or Cole-Cole equation is observed in these solutions. Dielectric relaxation time τ and static permittivity ?_s are studied as dependent on temperature and concentration. The time and enthalpy of activation of dielectric relaxation decrease in going from water to solutions, which corresponds to the distortion of the initial water structure and the increasing mobility of water molecules in hydration shells of ions. In the initial concentration range, the water activity is a linear function of 1/?_s. The negative temperature dependence of ?_s disappears in going to concentrated solutions. At high concentrations, the static dielectric constant increases in response to increasing temperature. The new trends in ?_s and τ at elevated temperatures of 313–323 K are due to the formation of ion pairs and other ion-water groups having high dipole moments.