Functional significance of interaction of H-FABP with sulfated and nonsulfated taurine-conjugated bile salts in rat liver.

To identify the cytosolic proteins of rat hepatocytes involved in transcellular transport of sulfated and taurine-conjugated bile salts in comparison with only taurine-conjugated bile salts, photoaffinity labeling studies were performed with [3H]-7,7-ASLCT (7,7-azi-3 alpha-sulfatolithocholyl[2'-3H(N)]taurine), [3H]-7,7-ACT ((7,7-azi-3 alpha,12 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholan-24-oyl)- 2'-[2'-3H(N)]aminoethanesulfonate), and [3H]-7,7-ALCT (7,7-azilithocholyl[2'-3H(N)]taurine) using isolated hepatocytes and intact liver tissue. Photoaffinity labeling of isolated hepatocytes with [3H]-7,7-ASLCT on the one hand and with [3H]-7,7-ACT and [3H]-7,7-ALCT on the other resulted in a different labeling pattern of cytosolic polypeptides, without a relevant incorporation of radioactivity into subunits of glutathione transferases. This suggests that glutathione transferases play no role in the transport of dianionic or of monoanionic bile salts. With [3H]-7,7-ACT and [3H]-7,7-ALCT a moderate incorporation of radioactivity was found in polypeptides with apparent M(r)s of 33,000, 38,000, and 54,000, whereas with [3H]-7,7-ASLCT, a polypeptide with an apparent M(r) of 14,000, identified as H-FABP, was markedly and almost exclusively labeled. Photoaffinity labeling of specimens of intact liver tissue resulted in a labeling pattern of cytosolic polypeptides comparable to that obtained from photolabeled isolated hepatocytes. All results suggest that transcellular transport of dianionic sulfated as well as taurine-conjugated bile salts and of monoanionic taurine-conjugated bile salts follows different pathways. In intracellular transport of taurine-conjugated bile salts, several cytosolic polypeptides may have a function, whereas, in transport of taurine-conjugated 3 alpha-sulfato bile salts, only H-FABP appears to be involved.

Isolation of the adherence protein of Mycoplasma pneumoniae by fractionated solubilization and size exclusion chromatography.

The 168-kDa adherence protein of M. pneumoniae was solubilized and purified to homogeneity. Optimal yield was obtained by pretreatment of whole M. pneumoniae cells with buffer containing 1% Chaps and subsequent extraction with octylglucosid at a detergent to protein ratio of 5 and at octylglycoside concentrations between 1.5 and 2%. Contaminating membrane proteins with high molecular masses were removed by pretreatment with 1% Chaps and proteins of low molecular masses by size exclusion chromatography.

Amino acid sequence and antigenicity of the amino-terminus of the 168 kDa adherence protein of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

The amino-terminal end of the 168 kDa adherence protein from the membrane of Mycoplasma pneumoniae was sequenced up to 12 amino acids. A synthetic peptide containing nine amino acids of this sequence was used to study the antigenicity of the amino-terminus of the 168 kDa protein and the involvement of the homologous sequence of the protein in the adherence process. The synthetic peptide when coupled to ovalbumin was immunogenic in rabbits. Antibodies against this peptide epitope could be demonstrated in sera taken during natural M. pneumoniae infection in humans. The structural domain of the 168 kDa protein homologous with the synthetic peptide did not appear to be involved in adherence, as the synthetic peptide or its homologous antibody failed to inhibit adherence of M. pneumoniae.

A 168-kilodalton protein of Mycoplasma pneumoniae used as antigen in a dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The attachment protein of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (molecular weight 168 kd) was used as antigen in a special enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot ELISA) and compared with a sonicate of the whole organism. In control sera the intensity of the 168-kd band on immunoblots correlated well with the ELISA IgG values derived from isolated protein. The diagnostic significance of the 168-kd antigen was tested on paired sera from 33 patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (24 children, 9 adults). The ELISA values with the isolated protein were slightly lower than with cell antigen, but the protein also showed a lower basic activity in controls. In first sera of specimens of children collected within the first week of infection the 168-kd IgM response was more distinct than that to the whole cell antigen. Similarly the IgG response to the purified protein antigen differed significantly from the controls already in the first serum. In sera of adult patients the increased levels of IgG antibody were more evident with the 168-kd protein antigen. Use of the protein 168 kd as antigen increased the sensitivity of the ELISA for detecting early stages of disease, especially in children.