Interaction of spermine, spermidine, and putrescine with heparin bound to sepharose beads

Interaction of spermine with polyphosphoinositides containing liposomes and myo-inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate

The interaction of spermine with liposomes containing 2% phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5 biphosphate was inferred from the ability of these liposomes to interfere with spermine binding to the resin heparin-Sepharose. The inositol phospholipids tested showed different affinities for spermine: the order of binding strength appear to be phosphatidylinositol phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate phosphatidylinositol 4,5 biphosphate. The ability of vesicles containing 2% polyphosphoinositides to interact with spermine is comparable to that of either single stranded RNAs or highly negatively charged liposomes. Myo-inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate has a much lower ability to bind spermine.

Intracellular location of polyamines associated to red blood cells

The polyamines associated to human erythrocytes from healthy donors are mainly localized intracellularly. In fact chromatography of the erythrocytes on a resin which has a high affinity and capacity for polyamines does not affect the amount of polyamines associated to the erythrocytes. The low ability of spermine to adsorb to the external surface of erythrocytes at physiological ionic strength is suggested also by studies conducted with sealed ghosts. Also erythrocytes from patients with hematological and dermatological diseases which contain increased levels of polyamines show an intracellular location of these amines.

Determination of the polyamine content of rat heart mitochondria by the use of heparin-sepharose

Heparin-sepharose has been utilized to remove polyamines adsorbed to the cytoplasmic surface of rat heart mitochondria. The results obtained can be summarized as follows: Heparin-sepharose removes 90% of the spermine, 98% of the spermidine, and 98% of the putrescine adsorbed. Polyamine contents of chromatographed mitochondria amount to 2.66 and 0.36 nmol spermine and spermidine, respectively, per mg of mitochondrial protein.

Representative applications of heparin-sepharose in the removal of polyamines from biological materials

Many experimental systems would greatly benefit from the availability of a simple and effective technique to remove polyamines from biological materials. We have examined the possibility of utilizing heparin-sepharose in the removal of polyamines from rat heart mitochondria, DNA-spermine complex, and fetal calf serum. Heparin-sepharose removes 90% of spermine adsorbed to the cytoplasmic surface of rat heart mitochondria. Heparin-sepharose almost totally removes spermine from DNA-spermine complex, leaving less than 0.003 mol spermine/mol DNA phosphorus. Heparin-sepharose is highly effective in removing spermine and spermidine (99.5 and 95% adsorbed, respectively) from fetal calf serum. Under the same experimental conditions only 50% of putrescine is adsorbed. A higher amount of resin corresponding to an increased capacity for putrescine must be used to achieve a satisfactory removal of putrescine.