The two facies of pyrrolizidine alkaloids: the role of the tertiary amine and its N-oxide in chemical defense of insects with acquired plant alkaloids.

Larvae of Creatonotos transiens (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae) and Zonocerus variegatus (Orthoptera, Pyrgomorphidae) ingest 14C-labeled senecionine and its N-oxide with the same efficiency but sequester the two tracers exclusively as N-oxide. Larvae of the non-sequestering Spodoptera littoralis eliminate efficiently the ingested alkaloids. During feeding on the two alkaloidal forms transient levels of senecionine (but not of the N-oxide) are built up in the haemolymph of S. littoralis larvae. Based on these results, senecionine [18O]N-oxide was fed to C. transiens larvae and Z. variegatus adults. The senecionine N-oxide recovered from the haemolymph of the two insects shows an almost complete loss of 18O label, indicating reduction of the orally fed N-oxide in the guts, uptake of the tertiary alkaloid and its re-N-oxidation in the haemolymph. The enzyme responsible for N-oxidation is a soluble mixed function monooxygenase. It was isolated from the haemolymph of the sequestering arctiid Tyria jacobaeae and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The enzyme is a flavoprotein with a native Mr of 200000 and a subunit Mr of 51000. It shows a pH optimum at 7.0, has its maximal activity at a temperature of 40-45 degrees C and an isoelectric point at pH 4.9. The reaction is strictly NADPH-dependent (Km 1.3 microM). From 20 pyrrolizidine alkaloids so far tested as substrates, the enyzme N-oxidizes only alkaloids with structural elements which are essential for hepatotoxic and genotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (i.e. 1,2-double bond, esterification of the allylic hydroxyl group, presence of a second free or esterified hydroxyl group at carbon 7). A great variety of related alkaloids and xenobiotics were tested as substrate, none was accepted. The Km values of senecionine, monocrotaline and heliotrine, representing the three main types of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, are 1.3 microM, 12.5 microM and 290 microM, respectively. The novel enzyme was named senecionine N-oxygenase (SNO). The enzyme was partially purified from two other arctiids. The three SNOs show the same general substrate specificity but differ in their affinities towards the main structural types of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The enzymes from the two generalists (Creatonotos transiens and Arctia caja) display a broader substrate affinity than the enzyme from the specialist (Tyria jacobaeae). The two molecular forms of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, the lipophilic protoxic tertiary amine and its hydrophilic nontoxic N-oxide are discussed in respect to their bioactivation and detoxification in mammals and their role as defensive chemicals in specialized insects. Pyrrolizidine-alkaloid-sequestering insects store the alkaloids as nontoxic N-oxides which are reduced in the guts of any potential insectivore. The lipophilic tertiary alkaloid is absorbed passively and then bioactivated by cytochrome P-450 oxidase.

Physicochemical properties of salt-soluble, unsheared chromatin. Hydrodynamic model calculations supporting a double-fibrillar structure.

Hydrodynamic model calculations of a special, salt-soluble chromatin fraction were performed on the basis of former experimental data. Using the models of an extended helix and of a cylinder fitted to this helix we conclude that in 0.1 M (NH4)2SO4 this chromatin has the conformation of a nucleosome double-fiber helix, i.e. a structure in which two helices share a common axis. Besides this helical structure, a stretched, linear double-fibrillar form can be derived from sedimentation data on the basis of a simple cylinder model. From the kinetic behaviour of experimental sedimentation coefficients which decrease shortly after chromatin extraction a conformational transition of the helical to the fibrillar form is postulated. At 0.2 M (NH4)2SO4 where histone H1 is released, these double-structures are supposed to dissociate into two single molecules with similar dimensions.

Interaction of histone H1 with superhelical DNA. Conformational studies and influence of ionic strength.

The interaction of histone H1 with superhelical SV40 DNA at low ionic strength (approximately 0.02 M NaCl) results in the formation of DNP double-fibers and bundle- and cablelike twisted side-by-side associates of several of these double-fibers. On the basis of simple cylindrical or ellipsoidal models the sedimentation properties of these structures can be calculated in accordance with the experiment allowing a direct assignment of electron microscopical and hydrodynamic results. Sedimentation measurements in dependence on the ionic strength indicate a redistribution of H1 resulting in the formation of associates at 0.04 M NaCl and of aggregates at higher salt concentration. Double-fibers are present up to physiological salt concentrations.

Phosphorylated nonhistone proteins in different fractions of rat liver nuclei obtained by metrizamide gradient centrifugation.

The distribution of nuclear nonhistone proteins (NHPs) labelled in vivo with 32P was investigated in different subnuclear fractions obtained by metrizamide gradient centrifugation of mildly sonicated rat liver nuclei. The bulk chromatin banding at 1.20-1.22 g to cm3 (fraction C) contained only minor amounts both of non-phosphorylated and 32P-labelled NHPs. Nick-translated DNA sequences were found to sediment at a slightly higher density (1.26 g/cm3) in a minor fraction (A). Fraction A also contained a significant portion of the newly synthesized RNA and was enriched additionally with a broad spectrum of NHPs; some of them were highly 32P-labelled. Two hnRNP fractions (R2 and R1) sedimenting at densities greater than 1.28 g/cm3 were analyzed, too. By SDS-PAGE it was shown that the most abundant 32P-NHPs were found in three groups (fraction A, R1, and R2). Two of them, 32-34 KDa, and 37-40 KDa, are components of the major proteins of the hnRNP particles. A group of four moderately labelled 32P-NHPs of approximately 55 K, 64 K, 70 K, and 90 KDa appeared substantially enriched in fraction A. They were found also in RNP fractions R1 and R2, but to a smaller mount. Therefore, we suggest that in fraction A they exist in a complex with hnRNP. Fraction A was also enriched with numerous 32P-NHPs of very high molecular weight found in other types of experiments nearly exclusively in the nuclear residual structures. The 32P-protein pattern of the nucleoli was shown to be different from that of the other subnuclear fractions. Considering our observations on the accumulation of nick-translated DNA sequences, the presence of newly synthesized RNA, the high content of NHPs, and the association of special 32P-NHPs we suggest that fraction A represents transcriptionally active chromatin.

Physicochemical properties of salt-soluble, unsheared chromatin. Molecular weight studies.

A chromatin fraction, which can reproducibly be extracted from rat liver nuclei at moderate salt concentration (0.1 M (NH4)2SO4, 0.1 M Tris-HCl, 2 mM MnCl2, pH 7.9), was analyzed with regard to changes of its molecular weight in the range of (NH4)2SO4 concentrations between 0.1 M and 0.4 M. With the transition from 0.1 M to 0.2 M (NH4)2SO4 histone H1 is released and the molecular weight obtained from both sedimentation-viscosity and light scattering is reduced by approximately one-half. A spatial expansion of the resulting half-molecules is observed with further increasing salt concentration. On the basis of these results a double-fibrillar structure of this chromatin fraction is proposed.

Discrimination of several classes of nonhistone proteins in chromatin fractions from liver and thymus nuclei of rats.

Nonhistone proteins (NHPs) of salt-soluble chromatin (Chromatin S) and of the residual nuclei (Chromatin P) from rat liver and thymus were studied by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The two chromatin fractions of the liver showed significant differences in their NHP patterns with most of the hnRNP and matrix proteins occurring in Chromatin P. In accordance with the low protein content of thymus nuclei, the corresponding thymus fractions exhibited electrophoretic patterns with a markedly lower amount of NHPs than in liver. Chromatin P from thymus, in contrast to the liver fraction, revealed only a very low content of hnRNP-specific proteins of molecular weight 30,000-40,000 (30 K to 40 K) (informosomal proteins) consistent with the significantly lower RNA content of thymus nuclei. In the region of the matrix proteins (60-75 K) Chromatin P showed only two bands of about 64 K and 73 K in thymus, whereas in liver five strong bands at 64 K, 66 K, 69 K, 73 K, and 75 K were found. RNase digestion was employed to discriminate hnRNP-specific protein from "real" chromosomal NHPs. At least about 65% and 25% of the NHPs from Chromatin P and S of liver, respectively, were found to be RNP-specific. The two chromatin fractions were further fractionated by sucrose gradient centrifugation and isopycnic banding in metrizamide. After centrifugation the main peaks, both of Chromatin S and P, contained only minor amounts of NHPs with a predominating protein of 38 K. By the centrifugation procedures described in this paper, a small subfraction of chromatin could be separated which was enriched in newly synthesized RNA, informosomal proteins, matrix- and other high molecular weight proteins. This subfraction might be related to transcriptionally active chromatin.

Physicochemical properties of salt-soluble, unsheared chromatin. The mass per unit length by light scattering.

The mass per unit length of 7 X 10(3) (formula: see text) and the corresponding DNA packing ratio of about 14 for the chromatin soluble at moderate ionic strengths has been determined by light scattering. With the increase in ionic strength and corresponding release of histone H1 the DNA packing ratio has been found to decrease down to 4.4. The data obtained are consistent with the idea suggested previously that the salt-soluble chromatin is organized in double nucleosome chains arranged side-by-side and stabilized by H1. With salt-induced H1 release the double chain dissociates and the nucleosomal DNA partially unravels.

Interaction of histone H1 with superhelical DNA. Sedimentation and electron microscopical studies at low salt concentration.

Complexes of histones H1 with superhelical SV40 DNA obtained by direct mixing were studied in 0.1 SSC buffer corresponding to 0.02 M Na+. Depending on the molar input ratio H1/DNA three classes of sedimenting species were observed: (1) a component sedimenting similar to superhelical DNA with a sedimentation coefficient s2o,w of 25 S observable up to 335 Mol H1/Mol DNA (w/w = 2); (2) a component with s2o,w = 120 S appearing at 135 Mol H1/Mol DNA and (3) growing amounts of heterogeneous aggregates greater than 1000 S. Electron micrographs revealed the 25 S component to consist of double-fibers formed from one DNA molecule and the 120 S component to consist of bundles of several such double-fibers. The aggregates represent cable-like structures. The addition of ethidium bromide to 25 S complexes induces the formation of bundles, if H1 is present in a quantity which alone is not sufficient to bring about this effect. This result indicates that ethidium bromide effects a redistribution of H1 molecules and that H1 is responsible for the bundle formation.

Physicochemical properties of salt-soluble, unsheared chromatin. Salt-dependent structural changes.

Salt-dependent structural changes of rat liver chromatin isolated by an extraction procedure not involving shear and exogenous nucleases were investigated by sedimentation and light scattering methods. The effects observed are complex involving changes in the molecular weight and expansion. Between 0.1 M and 0.2 M (NH4)2SO4 where histone H1 is released, a fragmentation into molecules of half molecular weight is found which is accompanied by an expansion into a more extended conformation gradually increasing to 0.4 M (NH4)2SO2. The H1-free chromatin does not exhibit the reduction in molecular weight but undergoes this expansion. The original conformation is not reversible on re-decreasing the salt concentration to 0.1 M (NH4)2SO4.

Ionic strength dependent structural changes of nucleosomes.

Rat thymus nucleosomes were studied as to their sedimentation behaviour and molecular weight Mr in NaCl and (NH)2SO4 solutions of different ionic strengths. The sedimentation coefficient s20,w decreases in two steps at ionic strengths of about 0.45-0.6 and of 1-1.2 and amounts to 11.0 S in salt-free buffer and to 5.5 S in 2 M NaCl-solution. This decrease in s20,w is paralleled by an analogous decrease in Mr. There is, however, an additional decline in Mr from 233 000 to 200 000 between the ionic strengths of 0.005 and 0.4. These changes are accompanied by conformational changes of nucleosomes as shown by varying molar frictional ratios f/f0. The decrease in Mr could be attributed to the successive release of histones as checked by electrophoretic analysis. Furthermore, nucleosomes in (NH4)SO4-solution proved to be more stable against increasing salt concentration than nucleosomes in NaCl-solution.

Isolation and characterization of salt-soluble, unsheared chromatin.

From rat liver nuclei depending on the extraction time, 10 to 20% of total chromatin has been extracted with a solution containing 0.1 M ammonium sulfate, 2 mM MnCl2, 0.1 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.9. We term this chromatin chromatin S. It has a protein: DNA ratio of 1.3, the full amount of the 5 histones in an undegraded state, and a RNA: DNA ratio of approximately 0.2. Its nonhistone protein pattern, obtained by gel electrophoresis exhibits a rich spectrum of proteins in a broad range of molecular weights. Electrophoretic analysis of the DNA fragments obtained by micrococcus nuclease digestion of chromatin S yields the same digestion pattern as that of nuclei. Thus, chromatin S fulfils an essential criterion of unsheared chromatin. In contrast to other chromatin preparations described so far, this chromatin is soluble at a salt concentration of 0.1 M ammonium sulfate. We have shown previously that it exhibits a compact conformation, low intrinsic viscosity and low radius of gyration obtained by light scattering measurements. Its mean molecular weight was determined to be nearly 10(8).

Characterization of the phenol soluble and insoluble nonhistone proteins of in vivo (32)P-labelled rat liver nuclei by high-resolution gel electrophoresis.

The (32)P-labelling patterns of phenol soluble and insoluble nonhistone proteins of in vivo labelled rat liver nuclei freed of the soluble nuclear proteins have been determined after separation by high-resolution gel electrophoresis. The bulk of the proteins of the nuclear residues was phenol soluble. Seven percent of the proteins of the nuclear residues was obtained with the aqueous phase. As shown in this paper both fractions contain (32)P-labelled proteins but they represent different types of nonhistone proteins.

Salt-and histone H1-induced structural changes of reconstituted minichromosomes.

Structural changes of reconstituted SV 40 minichromosomes have been studied in relation to the salt concentration and addition of histone H1 by sedimentation and electron microscopy. Sedimentation data are represented as functions of the NaCl concentration and the Debye-Hückel electrostatic screening radius 1/alpha. The latter representation which proved to provide more information revealed three structural states of the SV 40 reconstitutes which can be additionally characterized by electron microscopy as follows: Expanded or relaxed conformation including free DNA spacers between the nucleosomes at low salt concentration (approx. 0.001 M-0.05 M NaCl), increasing condensation at moderate salt concentration (approx. 0.05 M-0.3 M NaCl) and expansion of this condensed state above approx. 0.3 M NaCl. The condensation of the reconstitutes at moderate salt concentration does not require the presence of histone H1. H1 seems to stabilize the condensed state against electrostatic expansion. The condensation might be promoted by salt-dependent conformational changes of naked superhelical DNA as revealed by sedimentation measurements.

Complexes of DNA with arginine-rich and slightly lysine-rich histones. Transcription and electron microscopy.

Calf thymus DNA was reconstituted with arginine-rich histones H3 and H4 and slightly lysine-rich histones H2A and H2B respectively. Complexes containing histones H3 and H4 exhibit nucleosome-like structures when examined in the electron microscope and show a restriction of in vitro transcription similar to that obtained for reconstitutes made up from the four histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. One the contrary, complexes of DNA and histones H2A and H2B create different morphological structures of short stretches of bound histones and do not cause a template restriction in vitro.

Transcriptional capacity of rat liver nuclei and of isolated chromatin at different ammonium sulphate concentrations.

The transcription of freshly prepared nuclei and lysates from rat liver is stimulated by exogenous RNA polymerase B from calf thymus to an insignificant extent only. This also holds for chromatin isolated from nuclei lysates by separation on a Sepharose 4 B column. After removal of histone H1 by pretreatment with 0.2 M ammonium sulphate no further stimulation by added RNA polymerase has been found. If, however, the incubation time was extended, or the nuclei had been kept frozen at -20 degrees C for some time before use, a significant increase in RNA synthesis by the added RNA polymerase was obtained. In the freshly prepared nuclei as well as in the undamaged chromatin the template capacity was highly restricted. This can be seen from the fact that after pretreatment of the chromatin with 0.4 M ammonium sulphate the RNA synthesis was stimulated about 13fold.

Altered histone-DNA interactions in rat liver chromatin containing 5-bromodeoxyuridine-substituted DNA.

The extractability of the different histone types from rat liver chromatin was studied following the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrUdR) in liver DNA. This was accomplished by a continuous application of 20 mumol BrUdR/ml/h 17--41 after partial hepatectomy. As a result, thymidine (TdR) replacement by BrUdR of about 80% in the newly-synthesized DNA strand of approx. 30% of total liver DNA was obtained; this causes remarkable changes in the histone--DNA interactions as determined from the release of histones from liver nuclei by ammonium sulfate and ethidium bromide (EB), respectively. In particular, the relative amounts of the two slightly lysine-rich histones H2A and H2B remaining on the BrUdR chromatin proved to be about 3-fold higher than those remaining on the control chromatin of TdR-treated animals. Similarly, histones H1 and H3 tend to bind closer to BrUdR-containing DNA. These results may be of interst with regard to the well-known selective effects of BrUdR on differentiation processes.

An improved method for the preparation of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase B from calf thymus.

A simplified method is described for the large-scale preparation of a highly purified DNA-dependent RNA polymerase B from calf thymus. The method includes homogenization and lysis of the tissue, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, phosphocellulose, hydroxylapatite-Sephadex G-10 and, once again, phosphocellulose. The procedure avoids the preparation of nuclei, the use of sonication, ammonium sulphate precipitations and dialysis steps and needs no ultracentrifugation.

Degradation of phosphorylated chromosomal nonhistone proteins.

In experiments with in vivo 32P-labelled nonhistone proteins of rat liver nuclei it was shown that these components are more sensitive against degradation than the mass of the nonhistone proteins. In the presence of 0.1 mM phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride and 1 mM sodium molybdate, however, they are protected against degradation.

[X-ray small angle scattering and x-ray wide angle scattering of single nucleosomes. Preliminary results]. / Röntgen-Kleinwinkelstreuung und Röntgen-Weitwinkelstreuung von eizelnen Nukleosomen. Vorläufige Ergebnisse.

The X-ray scattering diagram from single chromatin subunit particles is registered within a scattering vector intervall from s = 0 to s = 1 1/A. Preliminary results concerning the dimensions and the structure of the nucleosome core particle are communicated.