Isolation of the Folch-Lees proteolipid apoprotein fraction from bovine brain myelin by a procedure involving rapid water partitioning using Sephadex LH-20

An electrophoretic analysis of proteolipids from different rat brain subcellular fractions

Proteolipid proteins were extracted from adult rat brain subcellular fractions and purified by chromatography on Sephadex LH-60. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the delipidized proteins, in the presence or absence of 8 M urea, was carried out with all fractions. The distribution of the various types of proteolipid proteins was studied and their molecular weight calculated by the Ferguson relationship. Several bands of proteolipid proteins were found in the five membrane fractions analyzed. Some of them, such as the 17.5 K and 37 K components were very prominent in mitochondria and synaptosomes. The 30 K component was found in myelin-derived membranes and in microsomes, while the 20 K and 25 K proteolipid proteins were present in all subcellular fractions. The 30 K component (proteolipid protein (PLP)), typical of the purified myelin membranes, showed a similar distribution to that of 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (EC 3.1.4.37) activity, while the other major proteolipid protein present in all subcellular fractions (25 K) did not show such parallelism, indicating that it might not be an exclusive component of myelin. The electrophoretic pattern of microsomal proteolipid proteins did not show the high molecular weight components (aggregates of PLP) which are found in myelin. Furthermore, the 30 K component showed a smaller Y0 value than that of the 30 K found in myelin. Thus the presence of 30 K proteolipid protein in microsomes should not be considered as being due to myelin contamination.

Interactions of Folch-Lees proteolipid apoprotein with planar lipid bilayers

Water-soluble Folch-Lees proteolipid apoprotein from bovine CNS white matter induces a voltage-dependent conductance in black lipid membranes. Na+ is required for the induced conductance change but the established conductance has very low ionic selectivity. The induced conductance fluctuates with a minimum amplitude of 10(-11)--10(-10) mho. The magnitude of the conductivity change is dependent on protein concentration and on the composition of lipid bilayers. At a fixed voltage the induced conductance of a phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol membrane is proportional to the sixth power of the protein concentration and the first power of Na+ concentration. The interactions between the apoprotein and the lipids are both electrostatic and hydrophobic, but the interaction leading to the conductance increase appears to be mainly hydrophobic. Both the increase in conductance and the current fluctuations remain after extensive washing of the chambers to remove the protein. Furthermore, pronase or glutaraldehyde added to either the cis or trans side of the membrane does not affect the apoprotein-established conductance. However, if the bilayer is formed in the presence of both the apoprotein and pronase or if the apoprotein is treated with pronase prior to its addition to the chamber, no conductance change is observed. The association of the apoprotein with the membrane thus appears to render the protein inaccessible to proteolytic digestion, suggesting that the apoprotein is at least partially imbedded in the membrane interior.

Solubilization and partial characterization of a phosphoprotein phosphatase from human myelin

The phosphoprotein phosphatase (phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.16) solubilized from human central nervous system myelin has been shown to possess a comparatively high degree of specificity towards myelin basic protein, a constituent of the membrane and most likely its natural substrate, rather than the mixed histones. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 7.5. Hydrolysis of both the substrates is stimulated by dithiothreitol and is almost completely dependent upon the presence of divalent metal ions. The maximum rate of dephosphorylation of basic protein is attained in the presence of 125 micrometer Mn2+ whereas a much higher concentration of Mg2+ (50--100 mM) is required for the optimal dephosphorylation of histones. The dephosphorylation of basic protein was also stimulated by Triton X-100 (0.15%, v/v) and was shown to result from a 3-fold increase in the V of the reaction catalyzed by the phosphatase. The apparent Km values for basic protein and histones were unaffected by the presence of Triton X-100 and were found to be approx. 1 and approx. 160 micrometer, respectively. Under optimal conditions of assay, the phosphatase cleaved approx. 32 and approx. 0.7 nmol of orthophosphate.min-1.mg-1 of protein from basic protein and histones, respectively.

A study of Folch-Pi apoprotein. II. Relation between polymerization state and conformation

A comparison of the conformation of Folch-Pi apoprotein in organic solvent and in aqueous solutions has been made by ESR, infrared and circular dichroism spectroscopy studies. Electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation have been carried out in order to correlate molecular weight and charge of the molecule with its conformation. It appears that the protein is monomeric in organic solution. In water, only one component is present but the molecules behave as a polydisperse system of associating molecules. Hydrophobic interacitons seem to be important for this polymerisation which does not appear to be accompanied by the formation of beta-structure. After the transfer of the protein from organic solution to water, the ESR spectra of the protein labelled on the free SH groups show an heterogeneity in the motional environment of the label which permits to assume that different areas of association exist in the polymeric molecule.