Transport to cell surface of intestinal sucrase-isomaltase is blocked in the Golgi apparatus in a patient with congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency

Immunoblotting with monoclonal antibodies: importance of the blocking solution

Four commonly used blocking agents, i.e., fetal calf serum, mammalian gelatin-Nonidet-P40, fish gelatin-Nonidet-P40, and defatted powdered milk were compared with respect to their efficiency to block the nonspecific background and to promote maximal immunoreactivity of monoclonal antibodies against human intestinal sucrase-isomaltase during immunoblotting. Two of five monoclonal antibodies were found to react with the electroblotted enzyme. However, one of the reacting antibodies gave optimal results with fish gelatin-Nonidet-P40 and the other with defatted powdered milk, while fetal calf serum lead to unacceptably high backgrounds. The results suggest that some of the difficulties encountered with monoclonal antibodies in immunoblotting may be due to inappropriate blocking conditions.

Post-embedding cytochemistry with gold-labelled reagents: a review

The detection of antigens and glycoconjugates with the protein A-gold and the lectin-gold techniques, respectively, is reviewed. Special attention is directed to the necessary conditions for fixation and embedding as well as to the staining procedures of tissue sections for light and electron microscopy.

Evidence for a possible regulatory gene (Suc-1) controlling sucrase expression in mouse intestine

Assays for sucrase carried out on intestinal sonicates prepared from 18 different strains of mice revealed a threefold variation in specific activity, the values for CBA/Ca mice being significantly less than for any other strain. Further comparison of the CBA/Ca versus the C57BL/6J mouse showed this deficiency, which became established 2-4 weeks after birth, to apply to isomaltase as well as sucrase but not to maltase or trehalase. Backcross experiments indicated that this deficiency in sucrase activity was inherited as a single codominantly expressed genetic factor. The ability of the CBA/Ca mouse to regulate sucrase activity in response to changes in diet was also reduced compared to that of the C57BL/6J mouse. No difference could be detected in the affinity of sucrase for its substrate or in the ability of heat to denature sucrase prepared from CBA/Ca and C57BL/6J mice. It is suggested that part of the regulatory region of the gene coding for sucrase-isomaltase is modified in the CBA/Ca mouse and that this locus should be given the notation Suc-1 for future reference.

Human biochemical genetics of enzyme proteins in the new age of molecular genetics

Advances in protein biochemistry and immunology have had a major impact on the biochemical and genetical analysis of human proteins and have had applications in the analysis of the primary defects in metabolic disorders, as well as in cDNA cloning. The development and expansion of somatic cell genetic techniques has complemented conventional population and family study genetic methods. A large number of mammalian proteins undergo complex processing to achieve the synthesis of the biologically active protein. Much of this processing is under genetic control. Elucidation of these complexities requires a combination of biochemical, immunological and genetical approaches to determine the nature of the events involved.