Browsing by Subject "Membranes"
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- ItemOpen AccessMembrane reconstitution studies on the irreversibility of inactivation of sarcoplasmic reticulum of rabbit skeletal muscle(1979) Arendse, Michael Peter; Berman, Mervyn CMild acid treatment or incubation in the presence of Ethylene glycol bis (β-aminoethyl ether) - N,N' - tetraacetic acid inactivates calcium transport by sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes but does not inhibit calcium stimulated ATPase activity. This inactivation is apparently irreversible. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether lipid-protein interactions, imposed by the transmembrane nature of the (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) - ATPase contributed towards the irreversible nature of the inactivation. This was determined by studying the possibility of reactivating calcium transport in acid-inactivated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles by means of membrane reconstitution studies. Calcium transport activity was reconstituted in control and acid-inactivated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles by deoxycholate solubilisation and subsequent slow dialysis at room temperature. Reconstituted control sarcoplasmic reticulum had an average specific activity of 0,38 μmol calcium transported /minute /mg of protein. Acid-inactivated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles, in which calcium transport had been inactivated to 0.2 μmol Calcium transported/minute/mg of protein (10% of the original transport activity) were studied by reconstitution methods. Following reconstitution, the isolated, reformed vesicles regained up to 1,5-fold transport activity when compared with the original acid-inactivated vesicles, indicating that acid-inactivation was partially reversible. Protein composition of reconstituted control and reconstituted acid-inactivated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles was studied by SDS-gel electrophoresis. Both preparations showed that the M55 protein was incorporated into reconstituted vesicles whereas there was a preferential loss of the M45 calcium binding protein (calsequestrin). The removal of deoxycholate into the dialysate was studied by means of (Carboxyl-C¹⁴) -deoxycholate. The kinetics of removal indicate that approximately 0,15 mg DOC remained associated per mg of protein even after exhaustive dialysis. Calcium efflux from reconstituted vesicles was followed by release of calcium into Ethylene glycol bis (β-aminoethyl ether) -N, N' -tetraacetic acid following active uptake in the presence of precipitable phosphate anions. Calcium efflux was slower from reconstituted vesicles than from original sarcoplasmic reticulum. The ability of acid-inactivated sarcoplasmic reticulum to bind Ca²⁺ or adenine nucleotides tightly was investigated. The capacity to bind calcium tightly was decreased from 1.43 nmol Ca²⁺/mg protein in control to 0,96nmol Ca²⁺/mg protein in acid inactivated sarcoplasmic reticulum. Similarly, the capacity to bind adenine nucleotides tightly decreased from 0,20 mol nucleotides/mol ATPase in control vesicles to 0,07 mol nucleotides /mol ATPase in acid inactivated vesicles. Following reconstitution the capacity for tight binding of calcium and adenine nucleotides increased to 2,4 nmol Ca²⁺/mg protein and 0,24 mol nucleotides/mol ATPase respectively indicating that the capacity to bind both calcium and adenine nucleotides tightly is closely related to transport activity but not to calcium dependent ATPase activity. These studies indicate that the protein-lipid interaction restrains the acid-inactivated sarcoplasmic reticulum from returning to its native conformation. Release of these constraints by deoxycholate followed by its removal results in reversal of the conformational change to that of the coupled native sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane.
- ItemOpen AccessRetinoic acid-independent expression of Meis2 during autopod patterning in the developing bat and mouse limb(2015) Mason, Mandy K; Hockman, Dorit; Curry, Lyle; Cunningham, Thomas J; Duester, Gregg; Logan, Malcolm; Jacobs, David S; Illing, NicolaBackgroundThe bat has strikingly divergent forelimbs (long digits supporting wing membranes) and hindlimbs (short, typically free digits) due to the distinct requirements of both aerial and terrestrial locomotion. During embryonic development, the morphology of the bat forelimb deviates dramatically from the mouse and chick, offering an alternative paradigm for identifying genes that play an important role in limb patterning.ResultsUsing transcriptome analysis of developing Natal long-fingered bat (Miniopterus natalensis) fore- and hindlimbs, we demonstrate that the transcription factor Meis2 has a significantly higher expression in bat forelimb autopods compared to hindlimbs. Validation by reverse transcriptase and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and whole mount in situ hybridisation shows that Meis2, conventionally known as a marker of the early proximal limb bud, is upregulated in the bat forelimb autopod from CS16. Meis2 expression is localised to the expanding interdigital webbing and the membranes linking the wing to the hindlimb and tail. In mice, Meis2 is also expressed in the interdigital region prior to tissue regression. This interdigital Meis2 expression is not activated by retinoic acid (RA) signalling as it is present in the retained interdigital tissue of Rdh10trex/trex mice, which lack RA. Additionally, genes encoding RA-synthesising enzymes, Rdh10 and Aldh1a2, and the RA nuclear receptor Rarβ are robustly expressed in bat fore- and hindlimb interdigital tissues indicating that the mechanism that retains interdigital tissue in bats also occurs independently of RA signalling.ConclusionsMammalian interdigital Meis2 expression, and upregulation in the interdigital webbing of bat wings, suggests an important role for Meis2 in autopod development. Interdigital Meis2 expression is RA-independent, and retention of interdigital webbing in bat wings is not due to the suppression of RA-induced cell death. Rather, RA signalling may play a role in the thinning (rather than complete loss) of the interdigital tissue in the bat forelimb, while Meis2 may interact with other factors during both bat and mouse autopod development to maintain a pool of interdigital cells that contribute to digit patterning and growth.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13227-015-0001-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.