Porcine luteinizing hormone and its subunits. Isolation and characterization

Highly-Sensitive In Vitro Bioassays for FSH, TSH, PTH, Kp, and OT in Addition to LH in Mouse Leydig Tumor Cell

We demonstrate here that highly sensitive in vitro bioassays for FSH, TSH, and PTH can be set up in mouse Leydig Tumor Cells (mLTC), in addition to the normal LH/CG bioassay, after they were transfected with expression vectors encoding the corresponding Gs Protein-Coupled Receptors (GsPCR), such as FSHR, TSHR, or PTHR. Although the β2 adrenergic receptor is also a GsPCR, its expression in mLTC led to a significant but very low cAMP response compared to those observed with FSH, TSH, or PTH. Similarly, after transfection of the GiPCR MT1 melatonin receptor, we did not observe any inhibitory effect by melatonin of the LH or hCG stimulation. Interestingly, after transfection of mLTC with the human kisspeptin receptor (hKpR), which is a GqPCR, we observed a dose-dependent synergy of 10-12-10-7 M kisspeptin variants with a fixed concentration of 0.3 nM LH or hCG. Without any exogenous receptor transfection, a 2 h preincubation with OT or AVP led to a dose-dependent cAMP response to a fixed dose of LH or hCG. Therefore, highly sensitive in vitro bioassays for various hormones and other GPCR ligands can be set up in mLTC to measure circulating concentrations in only 3-10 µL of blood or other body fluids. Nevertheless, the development of an LHRKO mLTC cell line will be mandatory to obtain strict specificity for these bioassays to eliminate potential cross-reaction with LH or CG.

Low reversibility of intracellular cAMP accumulation in mouse Leydig tumor cells (MLTC-1) stimulated by human Luteinizing Hormone (hLH) and Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)

In order to study the intracellular cAMP response kinetics of Leydig cells to hormones with LH activity, we used MLTC-1 cells transiently expressing a chimeric cAMP-responsive luciferase so that real-time variations of intracellular cAMP concentration could be followed using oxiluciferin luminescence produced from catalyzed luciferin oxidation. The potencies of the different LHs and CGs were evaluated using areas under the curves (AUC) of their kinetics over 60 min stimulation. All mammalian LHs and CGs tested were found to stimulate cAMP accumulation in these cells. The reversibility of this stimulation was studied by removing the hormone from the culture medium after 10 min of incubation. The ratios of kinetics AUC after removing or not the hormone were used to evaluate the stimulation reversibility of each hormone. Natural and recombinant hLHs and hCGs were found to exhibit slowly reversible activation compared to pituitary rat, ovine, porcine, camel and equine LHs, serum-derived eCG (PMSG) and recombinant eLH/CGs. Carbohydrate side chains are not involved in this phenomenon since natural and recombinant homologous hormones exhibit the same reversibility rates. It is still unknown whether only one human subunit, α or β, is responsible for this behaviour or whether it is due to a particular feature of the hLH and hCG quaternary structure.

Use of the immature rat uterotrophic assay for specific measurements of chorionic gonadotropins and follicle-stimulating hormones in vivo bioactivities

The uterine weight growth stimulation by equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG/PMSG) was found to occur at much lower eCG concentrations than ovarian growth. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) which has only LH activity, was found to be as active as eCG in the uterotrophic assay whereas equine Luteinizing Hormone (eLH) which has dual LH+FSH activities like eCG, exhibited a much lower potency. In contrast to hCG, porcine and ovine LH as well as pFSH and oFSH exhibited no uterotrophic activity indicating that only gonadotropins with both LH activity and long half-lives are active alone in this assay. The FSH preparations were nevertheless found to trigger a dose-dependent response, but only in the presence of a subactive dose of hCG. The uterotrophic activity of hCG was found to be suppressed in ovariectomized immature rats and to be diminished after injection of GnRH antagonist suggesting an indirect pathway implicating the hypothalamo-pituitary complex. The data in this report together with the analysis of literature suggest that choriogonadotropins exert their stimulatory role on uterine growth by an indirect mechanism involving an increase in ovarian FSH receptors and FSH release by the pituitary. At the lowest concentrations of hCG, the increase in ovarian FSH receptors without endogenous FSH release is thought to be responsible for the sensitivity of the uterotrophic assay to exogenous FSHs. In conclusion, the immature rat uterotrophic assay is a sensitive and convenient assay for eCG and hCG as well as for FSHs in the presence of a sub-active dose of hCG.

Chemical study of the topography of porcine lutropin (LH) using dinitrofluorobenzene and dansyl chloride

Treatment of porcine lutropin beta-subunit by increasing amounts of dansyl chloride shows that only one fluorescent group can be bound to the free subunit, namely on tyrosine beta-37. This modification prevents reassociation with native chi-subunit. In contrast to dansyl chloride, dinitrofluorobenzene reacts preferentially with tyrosine beta-59. This substitution does not interfere with the reassociation with the native chi-subunit. By using equimolar ratio of dansyl chloride and porcine lutropin chi-subunit it is possible to modify this subunit on a single site, which is found to be a tyrosine residue. The monodansylated X-subunit is still able to recombine with native B-subunit but its fluorescence is found to be markedly quenched upon binding. In addition, the O-dansyl-tyrosyl fluorescence quenching by potassium iodide is more effective on the recombined dimer than on the free chi-subunit. Both reconstituted dimers (native xhi chi dinitrophenylated beta and dansylated chi chi native beta) are without biological activity. It is not clear whether the substituted phenolic groups are essential or whether the added groups prevent the chi beta dimer from taking the active conformation. This alternative is discussed in the light of recent data from this laboratory and others.

Nitro-thiocyanobenzoic acid (NTCB) reactivity of cysteines beta100 and beta110 in porcine luteinizing hormone: metastability and hypothetical isomerization of the two disulfide bridges of its beta-subunit seatbelt

Luteinizing hormone (LH) like all other glycoprotein hormones is composed of two dissimilar subunits, alpha and beta, that are non-covalently associated. The heterodimer is stabilized by a region of the beta-subunit called the "seatbelt" because it wraps around the alpha-subunit and it is fastened by a disulfide bridge between cysteines beta26 and beta110. Although all 22 cysteines of porcine LH (pLH) are engaged in disulfide bridges, we previously showed that the free cysteine-specific reagent NTCB could react with pLH: it slowly cyanylated two cysteines in pLH and there was a close relationship between NTCB reaction with pLH and association/dissociation kinetics of its subunits. Therefore, cysteines beta26 and beta110 were considered as the best candidates for NTCB reaction. In order to identify the NTCB-reactive cysteines in pLH we have performed a mass spectroscopic analysis of the peptides released after mild basic hydrolysis of S-cyanylated pLH and its subunits. Only cysteines beta100 and beta110 were found to react with NTCB. Since these residues are not linked by a disulfide bridge in the crystallographic 3D structure of gonadotropins, it is proposed that their respective counterparts (Cysbeta93 and beta26) do not react with NTCB either because they are shielded from solvent or because they form a transient bridge. In the first hypothesis, both seatbelt bridges would be independently metastable; in the second one, a fast reversible isomerization between bridges beta26-beta110 and beta93-beta100 would occur. Such a reaction could be catalyzed by the previously recognized intrinsic protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) activity of gonadotropins.

Association/dissociation of gonadotropin subunits involves disulfide bridge disruption which is influenced by carbohydrate moiety

The association and dissociation rates of pituitary porcine luteinizing hormone (pLH) and equine LH (eLH) at oxidizing potential were slow and those of equine choriogonadotropin (eCG) were even much slower. At reducing potential mimicking endoplasmic reticulum condition, association of pLH subunits was observed in less than 5 min instead of 24 h at oxidizing potential. At neutral pH and 37 degrees C, DTNB and 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid (NTCB) were found to react with two cysteine residues (i.e., one S-S bridge) in pLH. The temperature dependence of the NTCB reaction on pLH was found to be similar to that of the dissociation of the hormone (Tm approximately 75 degrees C). The tight correlation between the reaction of two cysteines and dissociation of the subunits of pLH and eLH strongly suggests that transient opening of one fragile disulfide bridge is required for heterodimer assembly. Moreover, the absence of cysteine reaction with eCG indicates that its bulky carbohydrate chains exert a negative influence on the opening of this bridge leading to considerably diminished association-dissociation rates of its subunits.

Conformational stability and in vitro bioactivity of porcine luteinizing hormone

Temperature-dependent dissociation of porcine luteinizing hormone (pLH) and of two of its glycoforms was studied by a combination of SDS-PAGE and micro-scale size-exclusion HPLC in parallel with the study of co-operative folding by high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (HS-DSC). The transition temperature of dissociation of pLH at pH 7.0 as quantified by SDS-PAGE, HPLC and residual activity in radioreceptor assay was found to match exactly the transition temperature of its unfolding as measured by HS-DSC. Free alpha- and beta-subunits did not exhibit any unfolding transition in the same conditions. The microcalorimetric data for two pLH isoforms exhibiting different glycosylations were identical to those of a preparation of non-separated isoforms. It is concluded that: (a) free subunits exhibit no co-operative folding (i.e. no stable three-dimensional structure) and co-operative folding occurs only in alphabeta heterodimers; (b) the co-operative folding is responsible for the stability of the association of subunits; and (c) the heterogeneity of carbohydrate chains does not affect the stability of folding and association of subunits. The fastening of the "seat-belt" of the beta-subunit embracing the alpha-subunit by the Cysbeta26-beta110 disulfide bridge had been postulated to play a role in the preservation of the dimeric structure of gonadotropins. The present work shows that dissociation of subunits is directly related to their loss of common co-operative folding.

The cysteine-rich domain of the macrophage mannose receptor is a multispecific lectin that recognizes chondroitin sulfates A and B and sulfated oligosaccharides of blood group Lewis(a) and Lewis(x) types in addition to the sulfated N-glycans of lutropin

The mannose receptor (MR) is an endocytic protein on macrophages and dendritic cells, as well as on hepatic endothelial, kidney mesangial, tracheal smooth muscle, and retinal pigment epithelial cells. The extracellular portion contains two types of carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD): eight membrane-proximal C-type CRDs and a membrane-distal cysteine-rich domain (Cys-MR). The former bind mannose-, N-acetylglucosamine-, and fucose-terminating oligosaccharides, and may be important in innate immunity towards microbial pathogens, and in antigen trapping for processing and presentation in adaptive immunity. Cys-MR binds to the sulfated carbohydrate chains of pituitary hormones and may have a role in hormonal clearance. A second feature of Cys-MR is binding to macrophages in marginal zones of the spleen, and to B cell areas in germinal centers which may help direct MR-bearing cells toward germinal centers during the immune response. Here we describe two novel classes of carbohydrate ligand for Cys-MR: chondroitin-4 sulfate chains of the type found on proteoglycans produced by cells of the immune system, and sulfated blood group chains. We further demonstrate that Cys-MR interacts with cells in the spleen via the binding site for sulfated carbohydrates. Our data suggest that the three classes of sulfated carbohydrate ligands may variously regulate the trafficking and function of MR-bearing cells.

Molecular cloning of cDNAs for precursors of porcine pituitary glycoprotein hormone common alpha-subunit and of thyroid stimulating hormone beta-subunit

cDNA clones encoding precursors of glycoprotein hormone common alpha-subunit (pre-alpha) and of thyroid stimulating hormone beta-subunit (pre-TSH beta) were isolated from a porcine anterior pituitary cDNA library using DNA probes, and the nucleotide sequences were determined. The nucleotide sequence of pre-alpha cDNA contained an entire coding region (360 bases) including 5' and 3' untranslated regions. The pre-alpha mRNA was about 900 bases long. The predicted amino acid sequence consisted of a signal peptide of 24 amino acid residues and a mature alpha-subunit protein of 96 residues. Six amino acid residues at the amino terminus of the predicted mature protein had not been found by direct amino acid sequencing of the purified protein. The nucleotide sequence of pre-TSH beta cDNA contained an entire coding region and a 3' untranslated region which has two polyadenylation signals. The length of the pre-TSH beta mRNA was about 500 bases long. The predicted amino acid sequence consisted of a signal peptide of 20 amino acid residues, a mature protein of 112 residues and an additional extension of six amino acid residues at the carboxyl terminus, which had not been found in the amino acid sequence of the purified protein. The coding sequences of the cDNAs showed high homologies with those of other mammalian species (84-93% for pre-alpha and 81-94% for pre-TSH beta). Comprehensive data of our serial molecular cloning for porcine glycoprotein hormones revealed low but significant homologies (34-40%) among three beta-subunits. Upon comparison of frequency of (U)n A sequence in 3' untranslated region, porcine pre-alpha and pre-TSH beta mRNAs were grouped into a moderate class of mRNA stability whereas porcine pre-FSH beta and pre-LH beta were grouped into unstable and stable classes, respectively.

Purification and characterization of luteinizing hormone from the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius)

Luteinizing hormone (LH) has been purified from 150 dromedary pituitaries and its partial physicochemical, biological and immunological characterization has been achieved. Purification of the hormone was monitored by a porcine LH radioreceptor assay (RRA). In this system, the final camLH preparation exhibited an activity 0.6-fold that of highly purified porcine LH. The acid half-dissociation of camLH at equilibrium was observed at pH 4.2. A homologous camLH RRA was developed using the testicular plasma membrane fraction from prepubertal camels and radioiodinated, highly-purified camLH. Pituitary and chorionic gonadotropins (CG) from several mammalian species were compared to camLH in this system. The equine gonadotropins eLH and eCG were shown to be 6 times less potent in the camel RRA than in the porcine RRA, whereas the LH from other species exhibited similar activities in both systems. This particularity of camel LH receptors offers a new tool for the study of structural features of gonatropin interactions with their receptors.

Primary structure of sperm whale luteinizing hormone

Luteinizing hormone was extracted from sperm whale pituitaries and separated into alpha- and beta-subunits. These subunits were cleaved with cyanogen bromide, and digested with trypsin and chymotrypsin. The fragments obtained were separated and purified by gel filtration on Sephadex and by ion exchange chromatography, reversed phase chromatography and chromatoelectrophoresis. The amino acid sequence of peptides obtained was studied by dansyl-Edman's method and Edman's modification of Chang et al. The study made it possible to establish the complete amino acid sequence of sperm whale LH alpha- and beta-subunits.

Rapid in vitro desensitization of the testosterone response in rat Leydig cells by sub-active concentrations of porcine luteinizing hormone

We have studied in rat Leydig cells, the effect of sub-active concentrations of porcine LH on the subsequent stimulation of the cAMP and testosterone production by a sub-maximal concentration of pLH or hCG. We found that extremely low concentrations of pLH (0.01-2.0 ng/ml) were able to induce rapidly a partial but highly significative desensitization of the testosterone response without affecting the cyclic AMP response. These data indicate that desensitization of the steroidogenic response might be due to some lesion beyond cAMP formation or at the level of one discrete compartment of cyclic AMP, directly involved in the control of steroidogenesis. Moreover, our data strongly suggest that the basal circulating concentrations of LH can exert an inhibitory control on the testosterone response to LH pulses in vivo.

The ontogeny of hypothalamic pituitary function in the pig. I. Pituitary LH and FSH in the fetus and neonate

Pituitaries were collected from fetal and postnatal pigs from day 55 p.c. until 6 weeks after birth at closely spaced intervals. LH and FSH in individual pituitaries were quantified by both homologous RIA and homologous RRA. No significant difference was found between results obtained by RIA and RRA. Both LH and FSH are first detected by RIA and RRA in the porcine fetal pituitary at 75 days p.c. Thereafter both LH and FSH pituitary content rises until term. LH pituitary concentration in both male and female fetuses and FSH pituitary concentration in males exhibit a peak just before birth. FSH pituitary concentration in females rises until birth and thereafter remains elevated. A statistically significant sex difference was found postnatally with regard to FSH content and concentration but not for LH.

Induction of pituitary lactotrope differentiation by luteinizing hormone alpha subunit

Addition of gonadotropin releasing hormone to cultures of fetal rat pituitary induced differentiation of lactotropes as revealed by immunocytochemistry. Antiserum to luteinizing hormone (LH) (recognizing native LH), but not antiserum to LH-beta (recognizing both native LH and its beta subunit), inhibited this induction. Further addition of highly purified LH-alpha subunit in culture medium also induced lactotrope differentiation. Thus, the alpha subunit may have a specific biological activity of its own with probable practical use in clinical investigations.

Further characterization of the porcine LH subunits precursors in the translation products of pituitary RNAs

We have shown that the precursors of porcine LH alpha and beta subunits have similar apparent molecular weights (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 1984, 118, 254). The aim of the present study was to characterize physiochemical features which permit to distinguish these precursors from each other. We report here that these precursors can be clearly distinguished by both their tryptic digests analyzed by one-dimension electrophoresis and their behavior in two-dimension electrophoresis whose first dimension was made in a non equilibrium pH gradient (2D-NEPHGE). The 2D-NEPHGE method developed in this study appears also useful to estimate simultaneously the translation activities of pituitary hormone mRNAs without a previous immunoprecipitation.

Isolation and characterization of the subunits of porcine follicle-stimulating hormone

The alpha and beta subunits of porcine FSH were isolated and purified to homogeneity as judged by SDS disc gel electrophoresis. The isolated subunits had less than 1% of the biological activity of the native hormone but were capable of recombining to generate at least 23% of the activity of the native hormone. The molecular weights calculated from hydrodynamic properties were 12,600 for pFSH alpha and 17,200 for pFSH beta. Total carbohydrate (g/100 g) was 18.9 for alpha and 15.1 for beta. The sialic acid content of alpha (3.8 g/100 g) exceeded that of beta (0.2 g/100 g). The alpha subunit contained significantly more lysine, alanine phenylalanine and methionine and significantly less aspartic acid, threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine and tryptophan than the beta subunit. Evidence was found for N-terminal heterogeneity and an internal cleavage in the isolated alpha subunit.

1H nuclear-magnetic-resonance studies of porcine lutropin and its alpha and beta subunits

The titration curves of the histidine residues of porcine lutropin and its isolated alpha and beta subunits have been determined by following the pH-dependence of the imidazole C-2 proton resonances. The isolated alpha subunit contains a buried histidine, whose C-2 proton does not exchange with solvent, and which has the unusually low pK of 3.3. In the native hormone all the histidine residues have relatively normal pK values (between 5.7 and 6.2). The four histidine C-2 proton resonances have been assigned to specific residues in the amino-acid sequence, by means of deuterium and tritium exchange experiments on the alpha subunit and its des(92-96) derivative. The histidine with a pK of 3.3 is identified as His-alpha87. The effects of pH on tyrosine and methyl proton resonances show that the titration of His-87 in the isolated alpha subunit is accompanied by a significant conformational change which involves loosening of the protein structure but which is not a normal unfolding transition. The role of conformational changes in the generation of biological activity by subunit association in the glycoprotein hormones is discussed.

Study of follitropin receptors in testis using a homologous system. Binding of porcine follitropin to plasma membranes from immature porcine testis and correlation with adenylate cyclase stimulation

The properties of follitropin receptors in immature porcine testis were determined using highly purified porcine follitropin. 1. The characteristics of follitropin binding to a subcellular fraction rich in plasma membranes were studied using a 125I-labelled follitropin with high specific activity (75-100 Ci/g) and high binding activity. The binding is dependent on time, temperature and pH. It is specific to follitropin as demonstrated by the very low binding activity of the follitropin alpha and beta subunits and of the other glycoprotein hormones. Scatchard analysis of binding data indicated an equilibrium association constant of 2 x 10(10) M-1 and a concentration of high affinity binding sites of 500 fmol/mg membrane proteins. 2. A sensitive radio-ligand receptor assay was developed. Fifty percent inhibition of binding was obtained with as little as 2 ng of porcine follitropin. Ovine and bovine follitropins and pregnant mare serum gonadotropin gave binding inhibition curves parallel to that given by porcine follitropin. With equine and human follitropin, significantly different slopes were recorded. 3. Kinetics of dissociation of labelled follitropin from its testis receptors showed the presence of at least two compartments with fast and slow dissociation rate constants. The ratio between the sizes of the slow and fast compartments appeared dependent upon preincubation time. 4. A temporal correlation was observed between binding of follitropin to testis receptors and activation of membrane bound adenylate cyclase.

Porcine follitropin. Isolation and characterization of the native hormone and its alpha and beta subunits

The properties of porcine follitropin and its subunits which have not yet been characterized are presented. The porcine follitropin obtained has a biological potency of 81 times the National Institutes of Health Porcine Follitropin P-1 preparation. Its contamination by lutropin and thyrotropin amounted to 1 and 0.5 percent by weight respectively, as measured by radioimmunoassay. The alpha and beta subunits of porcine follitropin were obtained by incubation in an acidic urea solution followed by anion exchange chromatography. The amino acid composition of porcine follitropin alpha subunit was found to be identical to that of alpha chain of porcine lutropin and thyrotropin. These porcine alpha chains differ, nevertheless, markedly in their carbohydrate composition particularly with respect to their mannose and galactose contents. The amino-terminal residue of the follitropin alpha subunit is threonyl. The carboxy-terminal end of the alpha chain is of variable length. Cysteyl residue was detected at the aminoterminal end of the follitropin beta chain with glutamic acid at its carboxy-terminal end. Cross-contamination of the alpha and beta subunit preparations was measured by specific radioimmunoassay and amounted to 0.5 and 0.1 percent by weight respectively.

Differentiation of the contribution of the two subunits of lutropin to its in vivo activity

Porcine and ovine lutropins were acetimidated at amino groups to various degrees and the effects of the modification on the induction of ovarian ornithine decarboxylase activity were examined. A drastic (84%) loss of biological activity was observed upon modification of two amino groups in porcine lutropin. The results with ovine lutropin derivatives were quite similar. Circular dichroism measurements showed no conformational changes and dissociation into subunits was not observed in the derivatives. Accordingly, the loss of biological activity was not a by-product of conformational changes. It was concluded that lutropin carries a single binding site which is constructed by surface residues or regions located on both the alpha- and beta-subunits of the hormone.

Human luteinizing hormone. Isolation and characterization of the native hormone and its alpha and beta subunits

A new procedure is described for the isolation of the alpha and beta chains of the hormone. In this method, thenative hormone is incubated in acidic urea and the chains are then separated by ion-exchange chromatography. The amino-terminal residue of the alpha subunit is valine. The carboxy-terminal end of the alpha subunit is of variable length. No amino-terminal residue was detected for the beta chain; glycine was found at its carboxy-terminal end by the selective titration method. The amino acid and carbohydrate compositions of the hormone and both subunits are presented. The beta chain contains sialic acid and is devoid of galactosamine in contrast to the beta subunits of other species. Contamination of our human lutenizing hormone preparation by other pituitary glycoprotein hormones such as thyroid-stimulating hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone amounted to 0.5 and 0.25 percent by weight respectively. Cross-contamination of the initial alpha and beta subunit preparations was measured by specific radioimmunoassays and amounted to 4.1 and 2 percent by weight respecitively. Further extensive purification of these subunit preparations was then performed by means of affinity chromatography using immunosorbants. The final preparations exhibited a residual cross-contamination amounting to 0.2 and 0.02 percent by weight for the alpha and beta subunits respectively.

Guanidination of ovine luteinizing hormone and effects on activity

The free amino groups in oLH, oLHalpha and oLHbeta were guanidinated by O-methylisourea. The epsilon-NH2 groups of lysine residues reacted bo substitute these positions in the sequence with the more basic homoarginine residue. The alpha-NH2 groups did not react under the conditions used. Guanidinated oLH or the products of guanidinated oLHalpha + native oLHbeta or guanidinated oLHalpha + guanidinated oLHbeta were inactive in two bioassay systems. Native oLHalpha + guanidinated oLHbeta, however, showed potencies of 39% to 55% of that observed with the native subunit recombinant or native oLH. Possible structural implications for hormone-receptor site interactions are discussed.