Isolation and characterization of a 1,4-beta-D-glucan glucohydrolase from the yeast, Torulopsis wickerhamii.

1,4-beta-D-Glucan glucohydrolase (exo-1,4-beta-D-glucosidase) (EC 3.2.1.74) was isolated from growth supernatants of Torulopsis wickerhamii and was subjected to hydrodynamic, optical (CD), and kinetic analysis after purification to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, size exclusion chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, and isopycnic banding centrifugation in cesium chloride. The last step was found to separate the enzyme from strongly associating, high molecular weight polysaccharide. Enzyme homogeneity was established by isoelectric focusing, sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, and analytical high performance size exclusion chromatography using dual detection. The native exo-1,4-beta-D-glucosidase was found to be a dimer of 151,000 +/- 21,100 daltons by high performance size exclusion chromatography and 143,600 +/- 1,800 daltons by sedimentation equilibrium. The enzyme has a 12% linked carbohydrate content (mostly mannose) and no essential metal ions. Hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside was found to be optimal at pH 4.25 and 50 degrees C. The enzyme was found to produce beta-D-glucose from cellodextrins (indicating retention of anomeric configuration during hydrolysis) and demonstrated depolymerization from the non-reducing polymer terminus. The enzyme followed competitive type inhibition with p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside as substrate and demonstrated high values of Ki for D-glucose and D-cellobiose inhibition (190 and 230 mM, respectively). The exo-1,4-beta-D-glucosidase was found to hydrolyze cellotetraose more rapidly than D-cellobiose and aryl-beta-D-glycosides more rapidly than all other substrates. Low levels of activity were found for the polymeric substrates beta-glucan (yeast cell walls), Avicel, and Walseth cellulose. Although this enzyme demonstrates broad disaccharide substrate specificity, a characteristic common to beta-D-glucosidases from many sources, the ability to hydrolyze higher cellodextrins more rapidly than cellobiose renders this enzyme the first exo-1,4-beta-D-glucosidase purified from yeast.

HeLa ribosomal protein S6. Insulin and dibutyryl cyclic AMP affect different phosphopeptides.

Tryptic phosphopeptides from HeLa ribosomal protein S6 have been separated by chromatography, followed by electrophoresis. Three phosphopeptides were found in S6 from cells treated in vivo with dibutyryl cAMP and at least four different phosphopeptides were found from cells treated with insulin plus the essential amino acids. Only phosphoserine was found in S6 isolated from insulin-treated cells.

The assembly of ribosomes in HeLa cell nucleoli.

The order in which ribosomal proteins become associated with nucleolar pre-rRNA was studied by measuring the kinetics of label accumulation in ribosomal proteins isolated from the cytoplasmic ribosomes, as well as by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of protein extracted from ribosome precursor particles. Tentative identifications of early-adding and late-adding groups of proteins have been made.

Proposed uniform nomenclature for mammalian ribosomal proteins.

The numbering systems for mammalian ribosomal proteins used in several laboratories have been correlated and a proposal for a standard system is presented.

Phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 in suspension cultured HeLa cells.

HeLa cell ribosomal protein S6, and the increase in its phosphorylation level that occurs after resuspending cells in fresh medium plus serum, were studied using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The maximum level of S6 phosphorylation occurs about 2 h after adding fresh medium and seum to cells that have been allowed to grow to high density; this results in an almost complete shift of the spot representing S6 in two-dimensional polacrylamide gels to a new location. Mixing experiments showed that the differences in the level of phosphorylation occur in vivo and are not an artifact of in vitro sample preparation. This method of stimulating S6 phosphorylation provides a convenient system for studying the functional significance of the phenomenon. Only one other ribosomal protein was detectably phosphorylated using [32P]-labeling and autoradiography of dried two-dimensional gels. The level of phosphorylation of this protein, L14, does not change after serum stimulation.

Exchange and stability of HeLa ribosomal proteins in vivo.

The relative stabilities of individual HeLa ribosomal proteins and their capacity for exchange between ribosome-bound and -free states in the cytoplasm were examined. Most ribosomal proteins on cytoplasmic ribosomes were found to have uniform, high stability as measured by comparing the short term (12-hour) to steady state (3-day) labeling ratios determined for each ribosomal protein. This would be expected if the proteins in ribosomes either were all stable or were all degraded as a unit. The data do not rule out the possibility that individual proteins have different stabilities prior to their assembly into ribosomes. Four proteins labeled atypically. One large subunit protein (L5) had a lower than average ratio. We interpret this low ratio as being due to a large free pool of this protein. Three proteins (L10, L28, S2) had higher than average ratios, interpreted as being due to reduced protein stability. Two of these proteins (L10, L28) with high ratios were also found to exchange in vivo. The exchangeable proteins may be subject to increased degradation during the time that they spend in the exchangeable free pool. The third protein (S2) with an atypically high ratio is thought to be degraded or altered while on the ribosome, or slowly lost as ribosomes age, because exchange of this protein was not detected. These interpretations and some alternate interpretations are explained. The exchange of three large subunit proteins (L10, L19, L28) was detected by labeling of protein after ribosome synthesis had been inhibited with actinomycin D. Autoradiography of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels showed labeling of these spots.