Disassembly of the cytosolic chaperonin in mammalian cell extracts at intracellular levels of K+ and ATP.

The eukaryotic, cytoplasmic chaperonin, CCT, is essential for the biogenesis of actin- and tubulin-based cytoskeletal structures. CCT purifies as a doubly toroidal particle containing two eight-membered rings of approximately 60-kDa ATPase subunits, each encoded by an essential and highly conserved gene. However, immunofluorescence detection with subunit-specific antibodies has indicated that in cells CCT subunits do not always co-localize. We report here that CCT ATPase activity is highly dependent on K+ ion concentration and that in cell extracts, at physiological levels of K+ and ATP, there is considerable dissociation of CCT to a smaller oligomeric structure and free subunits. This dissociation is consequent to ATP hydrolysis and is readily reversed on removal of ATP. The ranking order for ease with which subunits can exit the chaperonin particle correlates well with the length of a loop structure, identified by homology modeling, in the intermediate domain of CCT subunits. K+-ATP-induced disassembly is not an intrinsic property of purified CCT over a 40-fold concentration range and requires the presence of additional factor(s) present in cell extracts.

Subunits of the eukaryotic cytosolic chaperonin CCT do not always behave as components of a uniform hetero-oligomeric particle.

The chaperonin CCT is an hetero-oligomeric molecular chaperone complex. Studies in yeast suggest each of its eight gene products are required for its major identified functions in producing native tubulins and actins. However, it is unclear whether these eight components always form a single particle, covering all functions, or else can also exist as heterogeneous mixtures and/or free subunits in cells. Using mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma cells, which divide rapidly, yet in retinoic acid adopt a neuronal phenotype, admixed with occasional (approximately 10%) fibroblast-like cells, together with a panel of peptide-specific antibodies raised to 7 of the 8 CCT subunits we show that; (1) adoption of a post mitotic phenotype is accompanied by reduced CCT protein expression, significantly more so for CCTbeta, CCTdelta, CCTepsilon, and CCTtheta than for CCTalpha (TCP-1), CCTgamma and CCTzeta; (2) CCTalpha is detected preferentially over other subunits in neurites of P19 neurons; (3) small amounts of CCTalpha and gamma are localised in nuclei (i.e. are not exclusively cytoplasmic), selectively so compared with other subunits; (4) numerous cytosolic foci exist in the cytoplasm which, when detected by double immunofluorescence can contain only one of the subunits probed for; (5) while a "core" chaperonin particle can be immunoprecipitated under native conditions, epitope access is modified both by nucleotides and by non-CCT co-precipitating proteins. Collectively, these findings indicate that CCT subunits are not only components of the hetero-oligomeric chaperonin particle but exist as significant populations of free subunits or smaller oligomers in cells.

Selected subunits of the cytosolic chaperonin associate with microtubules assembled in vitro.

The molecular chaperone activities of the only known chaperonin in the eukaryotic cytosol (cytosolic chaperonin containing T-complex polypeptide 1 (CCT)) appear to be relatively specialized; the main folding substrates in vivo and in vitro are identified as tubulins and actins. CCT is unique among chaperonins in the complexity of its hetero-oligomeric structure, containing eight different, although related, gene products. In addition to their known ability to bind to and promote correct folding of newly synthesized and denatured tubulins, we show here that CCT subunits alpha, gamma, zeta, and theta also associated with in vitro assembled microtubules, i.e. behaved as microtubule-associated proteins. This nucleotide-dependent association between microtubules and CCT polypeptides (Kd approximately 0.1 microM CCT subunit) did not appear to involve whole oligomeric chaperonin particles, but rather free CCT subunits. Removal of the tubulin COOH termini by subtilisin digestion caused all eight CCT subunits to associate with the microtubule polymer, thus highlighting the non-chaperonin nature of the selective CCT subunit association with normal microtubules.

Utility of serum progesterone and prolactin analysis for assessing reproductive status in the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

Concentrations of serum progesterone and prolactin were assessed during the perioestrous period and throughout gestation in the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) as a means of generating information of potential use to managers. In > 95% of perioestrous periods (n=35), behavioural oestrus (as determined by bull interest, mounting and/or breeding) coincided with the onset of increased serum progesterone concentrations at the beginning of the luteal phase and continued through Day 7 (Day 1 = first significant serum progesterone rise). Within individuals, 1- to 2-day transient decreases (P < 0.05) in serum progesterone occurred between Days 2 and 9. Notably, no sexual behaviour was observed in any female after this transient fall in progesterone. Prolactin concentrations fluctuated randomly throughout the perioestrous period, with no clear pattern. During the study, four females conceived (one conceived twice), and two delivered three viable offspring. Serum progesterone was elevated above baseline throughout gestation, and then declined precipitously 2-3 days before parturition. Serum prolactin concentrations were significantly elevated above baseline (P < 0.05) after 5-6 months of gestation and remained high until after parturition. This study confirms that serum progesterone and prolactin analyses are useful tools for monitoring the reproductive status of Asian elephant females. Specifically, the transition from low to high progesterone secretion during the late interluteal/early luteal phase is predictive of oestrus and can be used to coordinate breeding efforts. Pregnancy can be confirmed by elevated serum prolactin after 6 months postbreeding, whereas the late gestational decrease in progesterone is predictive of impending parturition.

Definition of a sequence unique in beta II spectrin required for its axon-specific interaction with fodaxin (A60).

Spectrin isotypes segregate in neurons and are differentially distributed between axons and somatodendritic compartments. Their functions in those compartments are likely to be mediated by proteins that interact selectively with one or other isotype. Fodaxin (an axon-specific protein previously termed A60) colocalizes in CNS neurons with axonal spectrin and in vitro binds brain spectrin (a mixture of alpha I, beta I, and beta II polypeptides) but not erythrocyte spectrin (alpha I and beta I). Because alpha II and beta II spectrin polypeptides are enriched in axons, we investigated a possible binding of fodaxin to the types of spectrin found in axons. Fodaxin did not bind to isolated brain alpha chains. Bacterially expressed C-terminal segments 18-19 of beta II spectrin bound to fodaxin and inhibited the binding of fodaxin to whole brain spectrin. By contrast, recombinant segments 18-19 of the somatodendritic beta I sigma 2 spectrin showed no interaction with fodaxin. Within beta II, fodaxin binding activity was localized to residues 2,087-2,198, which are unique to beta II and link between the end of segment 18 and the pleckstrin homology domain in segment 19. The divergent regions of sequence in segments 19 of beta II and beta I sigma 2 are candidates to mediate the isotype-specific functions of spectrin. Fodaxin is the first protein to be described that discriminates between the unique regions of beta spectrin isoforms.

Immunological characterization of cytoskeletal proteins associated with the basal body, axoneme and flagellum attachment zone of Trypanosoma brucei.

The monoclonal antibody BS7, raised to bovine sperm flagellum cytoskeletal antigens in a previous study, is here reported to detect flagellum-associated structures in Trypanosoma brucei and Crithidia fasciculata. Immunoblotting showed that BS7 cross-reacts with several cytoskeletal T. brucei proteins but phosphatase treatment did not diminish this complex immunoblot reactivity. To characterize further the cross-reactive proteins recognized in T. brucei-cytoskeletons by BS7 each was excised from preparative gels and used as an immunogen for antiserum production. Two proteins, with apparent sizes around 43 and 47 kDa, produced antisera shown to be monospecific by immunoblotting total T. brucei flagellum preparations. Each of these detected the basal body-associated immunofluorescence in T. brucei. Identification of the smaller, 43 kDa, component as a basal body-associated product was supported by the behaviour of a second monoclonal antibody, BBA4, which was also shown to detect the T. brucei basal body complex by immunofluorescence and immunoblots the 43 kDa polypeptide. These observations reveal new components of the trypanosome cytoskeleton. Also, they provide a further example of an immunological approach for identification of interesting, rare components of the T. brucei cytoskeleton starting from a complex mixture of proteins.

Cytoplasmic chaperonin complexes enter neurites developing in vitro and differ in subunit composition within single cells.

Chaperonins containing t-complex polypeptide-1 (CCT) are cytosolic molecular chaperone particles implicated especially in the biogenesis of cytoskeletal proteins by promoting the correct folding of the major ubiquitous cytoskeletal components, tubulin and actin. We have purified cytosolic chaperonins from the ND7/23 cell line, determined their subunit composition and examined changes in the intracellular locations of their components during differentiation of ND7/23 cells to a neuronal phenotype by using immunocytochemistry and immunoblots. Chaperonins containing the CCT alpha (TCP1) subunit enter neuritic processes and are particularly noticeable at the leading edge of growth cone-like structures where they co-localise with actin. Chaperonins containing three other components (CCT beta, epsilon and gamma), however, remain predominantly restricted to perikaryal cytoplasm. These findings suggest a heterogeneous population of chaperonin particles within single differentiated ND7/23 cells and this may reflect specialisation of chaperonin function in different cytoplasmic compartments of a neurone. Further, since ribosomes do not enter neurites while CCT alpha-containing chaperonins do, the latter may play roles, subsequent to translation, which influence cytoskeletal elaboration during neuritogenesis.

Molecular characterisation of a novel, repetitive protein of the paraflagellar rod in Trypanosoma brucei.

A partial cDNA clone, termed 5.20, was isolated from a lambda-gt11 phage expression library using a complex antiserum to the T. brucei cytoskeleton. Antisera against the fusion protein product of this 5.20 cDNA recognized a closely-spaced polypeptide doublet of high molecular weight (ca. 180-200 kDa) on immunoblots of T. brucei cytoskeletal preparations. Immunogold labelling suggested the 5.20 protein is intracellular and localized along the entire length of the paraflagellar rod. This pattern is similar to that generated with a monoclonal antibody, ROD1, which recognizes a high molecular weight protein doublet indistinguishable from that detected by 5.20-specific antisera. ROD1 recognizes mammalian spectrin, but the use of specific anti-spectrin antibodies for immunoblotting did not support ideas that 5.20 encodes spectrin or that spectrin can be specifically detected in T. brucei by such methods. Moreover, the sequence of the 5.20 cDNA insert bears little similarity, either in its nucleotide or predicted amino acid sequence to other known proteins and appears to be a unique cytoskeletal protein characterized especially by sequential amino acid sequence repetitiveness. The location of this novel protein suggests it may be responsible for providing either paraflagellar rod-membrane links or for organizing the more abundant paraflagellar rod structural proteins.

Loss of the compound action potential: an electrophysiological, biochemical and morphological study of early events in axonal degeneration in the C57BL/Ola mouse.

In the C57BL/Ola (Ola) mouse strain there is a marked slowing of axonal disintegration during Wallerian degeneration. The locus of the mutation controlling this phenomenon (slow Wallerian degeneration--Wlds) has been mapped to chromosome 4, and its protective effect decreases with advancing age. Using biochemical, electrophysiological and histological techniques, the present study was undertaken to determine whether neurofilament phosphorylation and stability are altered or whether calcium-activated proteases are absent in the sciatic nerves of Ola mice. A compound action potential was detectable only when neurofilaments were present and normal axonal architecture was seen. In 1-month-old Ola mice, compound action potentials and neurofilaments were still detectable at 21 days post-transection, whereas both were undetectable by 2 days in BALB/c and C57BL/6J (6J) mice of the same age. Neurofilament levels declined faster with advancing Ola age, confirming previous results, whereas degeneration slowed in ageing BALB/c and 6J mice. In vitro and in vivo degeneration rates were comparable in BALB/c and 6J nerves. Ola nerves, however, showed more rapid decline in vitro than in vivo. Ola and BALB/c nerves frozen and then thawed and incubated in the presence of calcium ions and the ionophore A23187 were not resistant to degradation by intrinsic proteases. Even when a compound action potential could no longer be elicited, however, a majority of nerves still had > 50% of myelinated and unmyelinated axons whose electron microscopic profiles appeared normal. Thus, it appears that the first event in Wallerian degeneration in the Ola mouse is a change at the plasma membrane--a transected nerve becomes unable to conduct a compound action potential.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Identification of chaperonin particles in mammalian brain cytosol and of T-complex polypeptide 1 as one of their components.

An approximately 950-kDa heteromeric particle was purified from guinea-pig and rat brain by sucrose gradient fractionation of post-mitochondrial supernatants. Further purification, by affinity chromatography on ATP-Sepharose and anion exchange FPLC on MonoQ, yielded a particle with typical chaperonin ultrastructure. One of the component polypeptides was recognized by a monoclonal antibody to murine T-complex polypeptide 1. Brain cytosolic chaperonin particles formed a binary complex with unfolded tubulin subunits. The polypeptide compositions of the cytosolic chaperonin particles appeared very similar between brain and testicular tissues of the same animal, but differed subtly between the guinea-pig and rat.

The structure of the largest murine neurofilament protein (NF-H) as revealed by cDNA and genomic sequences.

The complete primary structure of the largest mammalian neurofilament component, NF-H, is predicted from mouse cDNA and genomic clones, revealing a protein of molecular weight ca. 115,000. A central filament-forming domain structurally typical of all intermediate filament proteins is present, but anomalies are noted which may place constraints on the mechanism of NF-H assembly into filaments. The COOH-terminal portion of the protein is extremely long (661 amino acids) by comparison to non-neuronal intermediate filament components and has a remarkably monotonous, highly charged composition (Glu and Lys at 20% each). Its most remarkable feature is a tandem repeat of a 6 amino acid sequence containing the motif Lys-Ser-Pro that extends for more than half the length of the COOH-terminus. The Lys-Ser-Pro motif appears 48 times and since it is now known that the serine therein is a target for in vivo kinases, the massive axonal phosphorylation of NF-H is explained. Comparison of mouse and human NF-H reveals that otherwise conserved proteins have been subjected to evolutionary mutation within their multiphosphorylation repeat domains, although the Lys-Ser-Pro motif has been conserved.

The structure and organization of the human heavy neurofilament subunit (NF-H) and the gene encoding it.

Genomic clones for the largest human neurofilament protein (NF-H) were isolated, the intron/exon boundaries mapped and the entire protein-coding regions (exons) sequenced. The predicted protein contains a central region that obeys the structural criteria identified for alpha-helical 'rod' domains typically present in all IF protein components: it is approximately 310 amino acids long, shares amino acid sequence homology with other IF protein rod domains and displays the characteristic heptad repeats of apolar amino acids which facilitate coiled-coil interaction. Nevertheless, anomalies are noted in the structure of the NF-H rod which could explain observations of its poor homopolymeric assembly in vitro. The protein segment on the carboxy-terminal side of the human NF-H rod is uniquely long (greater than 600 amino acids) compared to other IF proteins and is highly charged (greater than 24% Glu, greater than 25% Lys), rich in proline (greater than 12%) and impoverished in cysteine, methionine and aromatic amino acids. Its most remarkable feature is a repetitive sequence that covers more than half its length and includes the sequence motif, Lys-Ser-Pro (KSP) greater than 40 times. Together with the recent identification of the serine in KSP as the main target for NF-directed protein kinases in vivo, this repetitive character explains the massive phosphorylation of the NF-H subunit that can occur in axons. The human NF-H gene has three introns, two of which interrupt the protein-coding sequence at identical points to introns in the genes for the two smaller NF proteins, NF-M and NF-L.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Identification of the major multiphosphorylation site in mammalian neurofilaments.

The sequence Lys-Ser-Pro-Val-Pro-Lys-Ser-Pro-Val-Glu-Glu-Lys-Gly repeats six times serially in the human midsized neurofilament (NF) protein (NF-M). To establish whether Lys-Ser-Pro-Val(Ala) is the major site for in vivo NF phosphorylation, peptides based on the human NF-M repeat were synthesized and chemically phosphorylated. These synthetic peptides were probed with 515 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that were raised to, and distinguished, several differentially phosphorylated forms of NF proteins. Studies with 95 of those mAbs that recognized the peptides before and after chemical phosphorylation demonstrated that a highly immunogenic epitope shared by the peptides is present in NFs from all species tested, including invertebrates. This suggests the phylogenetic conservation of a major NF phosphorylation site. Lastly, a cross-reactive antigenic determinant shared by the peptides and the major NF phosphorylation site was shown to exist in neurofibrillary tangles of patients with Alzheimer disease as well as in two neuron-specific microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs)--i.e., MAP2 and tau.

Studies of neurofilaments that accumulate in proximal axons of rats intoxicated with beta,beta'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN).

The paradigm of IDPN neuropathy was produced in rats in order to examine the neurofilaments (NFs) that accumulate in the proximal motor and sensory axons of intoxicated animals, and to compare the aggregated NFs with control NFs and with the depleted populations of NFs in the distal portions of the same experimental nerves. NFs were probed biochemically and histochemically, using a large and well-characterized library of monoclonal antibodies that included antibodies that are monospecific for each of the rat NF protein subunits (NF-H, NF-M, and NF-L) as well as antibodies that recognized differential phosphorylated states of rat NF-H and NF-M. All antibodies tested showed enhanced immunostaining of enlarged axons and of large spheroids in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of experimental animals. Biochemical analyses of IDPN-treated animals revealed enrichment of NF-H, NF-M, and NF-L in homogenates of dorsal root ganglia and of proximal motor and sensory nerve roots as well as depletion of the three subunits in distal nerve roots and in sciatic nerves. Immunoblot revealed a uniform enrichment of NF-H, NF-M, and NF-L in NF aggregates as well as the same admixture of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated epitopes of NF-H and NF-M in experimental and in control tissues. The global increase of immunoreactivity in axonal swellings to antibodies that react with phosphorylated, nonphosphorylated, and phosphorylation-independent NF epitopes suggests that IDPN induces an accumulation of NFs in proximal axons without necessarily altering the state of NF phosphorylation.