Protein-carbohydrate complexes

Linkage of carbohydrate to hydroxyamino acids in mucopolysaccharides and mucoproteins

1. Glycosidic linkage of carbohydrate to the primary hydroxyl groups of threonine and serine has been established in human blood-group A and Le(a) substances, bovine submaxillary-gland mucin and human pseudomyxomatous mucin. 2. Treatment of these substances in 0.09n-lithium hydroxide at 100 degrees for 1hr. led to beta-elimination at these glycosidic linkages with the resultant formation of alpha-oxobutyric acid and glycine from threonine linkages, and pyruvic acid from serine linkages. Though most of the threonine was destroyed in every case, about one-third to one-half of the serine residues resisted alkaline cleavage. Such results, indicative of the presence of unbound serine residues, allow, in submaxillary mucin, for a close correlation between the remaining serine, threonine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid and the available sialyl-(2-->6)-N-acetylgalactosamine prosthetic groups. 3. The stoichiometry of the beta-eliminations has been demonstrated for pseudomyxomatous mucin. The alpha-oxo acids were separated and determined as their quinoxalinol derivatives by thin-layer chromatography on silica gel. Reaction at the threonine centres favoured alpha-oxobutyric acid formation (70%, via the intermediary dehydropeptide) over the alternative pathway to glycine (30%). 4. 100% of the hexosamine was destroyed in submaxillary-gland mucin, 85% in pseudomyxomatous mucin and about 60% in the blood-group substances. In the latter cases, the glucosamine/galactosamine ratio was increased from about 4:1 to 8-10:1, suggesting a preferential destruction of galactosamine. Evidence was obtained, however, for a further destruction of hexosamine, in addition to that which could be theoretically attached to peptide at possible known binding sites. 5. The major part of the alkali-resistant hexosamine in the blood-group substances was non-diffusible and was accompanied by the constituent carbohydrates in similar molar proportions to the native materials.

MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDES PRODUCED BY A STRAIN OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS

Izumi, Kunihiko (Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan). Mucopolysaccharides produced by a strain of Clostridium perfringens. J. Bacteriol. 83:956-959. 1962.-A new series of mucopolysaccharides was isolated from the culture medium of Clostridium perfringens and partially purified by the use of a column of anion-exchange resin. A large part of the substance was composed of neutral sugars, amino sugars, uronic acids, and oligopeptides, suggesting a structure analogous to that of bacterial cell walls. Acidic amino acids, especially aspartic acid, were the main constituents of the oligopeptides. The substance exhibited high viscosity when dissolved in water. The degree of viscosity in each fraction seemed to depend on the content of amino sugars and the chain length of the oligopeptides.

Serum albumin-alginate coated beads: mechanical properties and stability

According to a previously described method, alginate beads were prepared from a Na-alginate solution containing propylene glycol alginate (PGA) and human serum albumin (HSA). The solution was added dropwise to a CaCl2 solution. The beads were treated with NaOH, which started the formation of amide bonds between HSA and PGA at the periphery, giving a membrane. Batches of beads with increasingly thick membranes were prepared using growing concentrations of NaOH, and studied with a texture analyser. When raising NaOH concentration, the rupture strength progressively increased, and the resistance strength to a deformation of 50% of total height also increased before slightly decreasing for the highest NaOH concentration. Variations of bead elasticity were also observed. When the beads were prepared with saline reducing gelation time from 10 to 5 min, and reaction time from 15 to 5 min, mechanical properties varied more progressively with the NaOH concentration, while the results became more reproducible. A series of assays conducted with 0.01 M NaOH confirmed the importance of using a short gelation time, and saline rather than water. Stability assays were also performed. The results were compared to those of alginate-polylysine coated beads and showed the interest of the transacylation method.

THE ENVELOPE SURROUNDING POLYMORPHUS MINUTUS (GOEZE, 1782) (ACANTHOCEPHALA) DURING ITS DEVELOPMENT IN THE INTERMEDIATE HOST, GAMMARUS PULEX

1. The envelope surrounding Polymorphus minutus during its development in Gammarus pulex has been found to be a capsule produced by a wound healing haemocytic reaction of the host. The haemocytic reaction is stimulated when the parasite stretches the connective tissue serosa of the host's gut.

2. The capsule is a thin, acellular structure, consisting of a protein-carbohydrate complex like that constituting host connective tissue. This material is produced and deposited by the haemocytes.

3. The ability of the haemocytes to produce this protein-carbohydrate material is considered to be the mechanism which ensures the growth of the capsule during the subsequent development of the parasite in the haemocoel.

4. A second layer appears within the capsule just before the parasite reaches the cystacanth stage. This layer is believed to be produced by the parasite.

5. The relevant literature is reviewed, and it appears that the envelopes surrounding all developing Acanthocephala, which have been studied to date, are probably capsules originating in the manner described above.

I am very grateful to Dr P. Tate for advice and encouragement during this work, and to Dr George Salt, F.R.S., for helpful discussions and criticism of the manuscript.

Immune reactions in polysaccharide media. Investigation on complex-formation between some polysaccharides, albumin and immunoglobulin G

Serum albumin and immunoglobulin G were chromatographed on columns of dextran, hyaluronate and chondroitin 4-sulphate. The partition of the two proteins between hyaluronate and buffer was also measured by equilibrium dialysis. The results accord with the view that there is no complex-formation between the polysaccharides and the proteins in 0.05m-phosphate buffer, pH7.4, containing sodium chloride (0.1m). The observations support the hypothesis that the previously described polysaccharide enhancement of the precipitin reaction is due to exclusion and not to non-specific complex-formation.

The transport of salt and water across isolated rat ileum. Evidence for at least two distinct pathways

The flows of sodium, potassium, and chloride under electrical and chemical gradients and of salt and water in the presence of osmotic pressure gradients are described by phenomenological equations based on the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The aim was to give the simplest possible description, that is to postulate the least number of active transport processes and the least number of separate pathways across the intestine. On this basis, the results were consistent with the following picture of the intestine: Two channels exist across this tissue, one allowing only passive transport of ions and the other only active. In the passive channel, the predominant resistance to ion flow is friction with the water in the channel. The electroosmotic flow indicates that the passive channel is lined with negative fixed charged groups having a surface charge density of 3000 esu cm-2. The values of the ion-water frictional coefficients, and the relationship between ionic concentrations and flows indicate that the passive channel is extracellular. The active channel behaves as two membranes in series, the first membrane being semipermeable but allowing active transport of sodium, and the second membrane being similar to the passive channel. Friction with the ions in the second "membrane" is the predominant resistance to water flow.

The hypobranchial mucin of the whelk Buccinum undatum L. The polysaccharide sulphate component

1. A polysaccharide sulphate has been isolated from the hypobranchial mucin of the whelk Buccinum undatum. 2. The molecular weight of this polysaccharide, which is a glucan carrying one ester sulphate group per monosaccharide residue, is 1.7x10(5). 3. Some investigations bearing on the location of the ester sulphate groups are reported. 4. The viscosity of the whole mucin has been shown to depend mainly on the glucan sulphate.

A re-valuation of Glass's method of fractional precipitation of gastric secretion

The work of Glass has suggested that glandular mucoprotein and mucoproteose can be isolated by a fractional precipitation method from gastric secretion. These studies have failed to confirm this hypothesis and point out a fallacy of the original technique used.