Epidermal nucleases. III. The ribonucleases of human epidermis.

Sodium acetate and sulphuric acid extracts of human epidermis can each be separated by chromatographic techniques into three or more fractions with ribonuclease activity. Eight of these fractions were compared with respect to molecular weight, pH activity profile, polyribonucleotide hydrolysis, and activity in the presence of low levels of spermidine. Sodium acetate and sulphuric acid extracts were also prepared from callus and from psoriatic lesions and compared with extracts from normal epidermis for their response to exogenous spermidine. All eight human epidermal ribonuclease fractions studied had an apparent molecular weight of 15,000 daltons. Seven of the ribonuclease fractions were optimally active at alkaline pHs (pH 7.3-7.6 in sodium phosphate and pH 8.I in Tris-HCl) while the eighth ribonuclease was most active at pH 5.6 in a citrate-phosphate buffer. All enzymes hydrolyzed polycytidylic acid and five also hydrolyzed polyuridylic acid. None hydrolyzed polyadenylic acid. Seven of the eight ribonucleases studied exhibited greater activity in the presence of added spermidine. The extracts from psoriatic scales showed markedly elevated ribonuclease levels which could not be raised further by the addition of spermidine.

Epidermal nucleases. II. The multiplicity of ribonucleases in guinea-pig epidermis.

Ribonuclease activity has been extracted from adult guinea-pig epidermis by sequential homogenization in dilute sodium acetate and sulfuric acid. The extracts were subjected to ammonium sulfate fractionation and to affinity and ion exchange chromatography. Three ribonucleases (I, II, III) were separated from the sodium acetate extract and 6(A, B1, B2, B3, C, D) were isolated from the sulfuric acid extract. The degree of purification varies from 65-fold to 8,700-fold and the apparent molecular weights of the active forms of 8 of the 9 ribonucleases range from 10,000 to 36,500. No phosphodiesterase activity is present in any of the 9 fractions, but there is alkaline phosphatase activity in one (I) and deoxyribonuclease activity in a second (B3). Two of the ribonucleases have acid pH optima (a1, B3), while the others are most active between PHs 6.8 and 7.8. The activity of 4 of the fractions is sensitive to added EDTA (III, A, B2, B3,), but no stimulatory metal ions were found. Low concentrations of the polyamine spermidine enhanced the activity of 3-fractions (III, C, D). Yeast ribonucleic acid is degraded exonucleolytically by 2 fractions (I, A) and endonucleolytically by the remaining 7. In experiments with homopolyribonucleotide substrates, poly U was generally the preferred substrate. Substantial hydrolysis of poly A occurred with 2 fractions (A, B3) and slight hydrolysis of poly G with 2 other fractions (B2, C).

Epidermal nucleases: purification and characterization of ribonuclease from mammalian epidermis.

The major ribonuclease of adult guinea pig epidermis has been isolated and purfied over 1000-fold by a combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation, affinity and ion-exchange chromatography, and electrophoresis. The purified enzyme is free from phosphodiesterase and phosphatase activities. The ribonuclease is optimally active near neutrality in phosphate buffer, with a Km of 3mu g/ml toward [14-C]RNA from Erhlich ascites tumor cells. (here are no metal requirements for activity. The enzyme catalyzes the endonucleolytic hydrolysis of high molecular weight yeast RNA and it also hydrolyzes polycytidylic and polyuridylic acids, but not polyadenylic, polyguanylic, and polyinosinic acids. The apparent molecular weight of the active enzyme is 28 500.