Ontogenic and adult whole body distribution of aminopeptidase N in rat investigated by in vitro autoradiography

Aminopeptidase N (APN), which is widely distributed in mammalian tissues, is able to cleave numerous regulatory peptides. The selective inhibitor of APN, [(125)I] RB129, has been used to study the distribution of this exopeptidase during rat prenatal development and adult life by in vitro whole-body autoradiography. In the central nervous system, APN shows a weak labeling compared to the major part of the non-nervous tissues in the embryo and in the adult. APN is progressively expressed in kidney, intestine, heart, lung, sensory organs, eye, and thymus. In organs such as the liver, the cartilages and the bones, altered levels of APN expression are observed during the development, or in the embryo compared to the adult, suggesting a role of APN during the liver haematopoiesis and bone growth. At this time, all the physiological functions of APN are still incompletely known, however its developmental pattern of expression strongly suggests a function of modulation of this enzyme during the development, next in physiological and/or pathological situations in adult. In this way, APN could represent a new therapeutic target in pathological processes, such as tumoral proliferation and/or angiogenesis associated with cancer development, where an increase in the level of this enzyme has been observed.

Functional expression of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus Na+/galactose (vSGLT) cotransporter in Xenopus laevis oocytes

We have successfully expressed a bacterial cotransporter in a functional form in the Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system. The goals were to compare the kinetics and selectivity of the cotransporter expressed in oocytes with those obtained in bacteria and in proteoliposomes, and to determine if it is possible to measure the electrical properties of the bacterial cotransporter expressed in oocytes. The Vibrio parahaemolyticus Na+/galactose cotransporter (vSGLT) expressed in oocytes has functional properties that are similar to those expressed in bacteria and those of the purified cotransporter reconstituted into liposomes. vSGLT is a Na+-dependent transporter that is saturable with Na+ (K(0.5)=17 mM) and D-galactose (K(0.5)=237 microM) and is sensitive to both D-fucose and phlorizin. In addition, vSGLT in oocytes shows a sugar specificity in the order of D-galactose >D-fucose > D-glucose, distinguishing it from the animal members of the Na+/glucose cotransporter family. The level of transport by vSGLT in oocytes is lower overall (V(max) approximately 10 pmol/oocyte/hour) compared to other plant and animal cotransporters (V(max) approximately 1000 pmol/oocyte/hour). The low level of expression does not permit us to carry out electrophysiological studies of the bacterial cotransporter. This study shows the potential and unique advantages of utilizing a eukaryotic oocyte expression system to study bacterial cotransporters.

First discrete autoradiographic distribution of aminopeptidase N in various structures of rat brain and spinal cord using the selective iodinated inhibitor [125I]RB 129

The selective and potent aminopeptidase N inhibitor [125I]RB 129 has been used for the radioautographic localization of this enzyme in rat brain, spinal cord and intestine. Brain microvessels and intestine brush-border cells were shown to present a high concentration of aminopeptidase N. Moreover, a labeling of various brain structures was observed. A very high level of binding occurred in the meninges, choroid plexus, pineal gland, paraventricular nucleus and pituitary gland. Moderate to high labeling was also observed in the cortex, caudate-putamen, subthalamic nucleus, central periaqueductal gray, thalamus, as well as in the dorsal and ventral horn of the spinal cord, which are known to contain a high concentration of enkephalins, opioid receptors and neutral endopeptidase. This co-localization confirms the physiological implication of aminopeptidase N in the inactivation of enkephalins accounting for the requirement of dual inhibition of neutral endopeptidase and aminopeptidase N to observe highly significant morphine-like effects induced by the protected endogenous opioid peptides. Aminopeptidase N was also visualized in moderate to high levels in other brain structures such as the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, substantia nigra, hypothalamus (dorsomedial and ventromedial nuclei), raphe nucleus, pontine nucleus, inferior olive, and in high concentration in the granular layer of cerebellum. In summary, aminopeptidase N has been visualized for the first time in numerous brain areas using the selective inhibitor [125I]RB 129. This iodinated probe could allow the ex vivo and in vivo localization of aminopeptidase N in various tissues to be investigated and may also be used to evaluate quantitative changes in aminopeptidase N expression in pathological situations. Aminopeptidase N, which preferably removes NH2-terminal neutral amino acids from peptides, has probably a host of substrates. Nevertheless, a certain in vivo selectivity could be achieved by the presence of the enzyme in structures where the peptide effector and its receptors are also co-localized.

Helix packing in the lactose permease of Escherichia coli: distances between site-directed nitroxides and a lanthanide

By exploiting substrate protection of Cys148 in lactose permease, a methanethiosulfonate nitroxide spin-label was directed specifically to one of two Cys residues in a double-Cys mutant, followed by labeling of Cys148 with a thiol-reactive chelator that binds Gd(III) quantitatively. Distances between bound Gd(III) and the nitroxide spin-label were then studied by electron paramagnetic resonance. The results demonstrate that the Gd(III)-induced relaxation effects on nitroxides at positions 228, 226 (helix VII), and 275 (helix VIII) agree qualitatively with results obtained by studying spin-spin interactions [Wu, J., Voss, J., et al. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93, 10123-10127]. Thus, a nitroxide attached to position 228 (helix VII) is closest to the lanthanide at position 148 (helix V), a nitroxide at position 275 (helix VIII) is further away, and the distance between positions 226 (helix VII) and 148 is too long to measure. However, the Gd(III)-spin-label distances are significantly longer than those estimated from nitroxide-nitroxide interactions between the same pairs due to the nature of the chelator. Although the results provide strong confirmation for the contention that helix V lies close to both helices VII and VIII in the tertiary structure of lactose permease, other methods for binding rare earth metals are discussed which do not involve the use of bulky chelators with long linkers.

Binding properties of a highly potent and selective iodinated aminopeptidase N inhibitor appropriate for radioautography

Aminopeptidase N (APN) is a zinc metallopeptidase involved in the inactivation of biologically active peptides. The knowledge of its precise distribution is crucial to investigate its physiological role. This requires the use of appropriate probes such as the recently developed highly potent and selective radiolabeled APN inhibitor 2(S)-benzyl-3-[hydroxy(1'(R)-aminoethyl)phosphinyl]propanoyl-L-3-[ (12 5)I]iodotyrosine ([(125)I]RB 129). Its binding properties were investigated using rat brain homogenates (K(d)=3.4 nM) or APN expressed in COS-7 cells (K(d)=0.9 nM). The specific binding was 95% at [K(d)], and preliminary autoradiography in intestine is promising. The decreased affinity of [(125)I]RB 129 (=10(-6) M) for the E(350)D APN mutant, supports the critical role of E(350) in the amino-exopeptidase action of APN.

General method to identify and enrich vicinal thiol proteins present in intact cells in the oxidized, disulfide state

Some 5% of the soluble proteins of L1210 murine leukemia lymphoblasts contain surface vicinal thiols (Kalef, E., Walfish, P. G., and Gitler, C. (1993) Anal. Biochem. 212, 325-334). Redox dithiol to intraprotein disulfide conversion could regulate the cellular function of these proteins. A general method is presented to identify and enrich vicinal thiol proteins existing in cells in their oxidized, disulfide state. The method is based on the in situ blockage by cell permeable N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) of readily accessible cellular protein sulfhydryls. Following removal of the excess NEM, disulfide-containing proteins were identified by reduction with DTT and specific labeling with N-iodoacetyl-[125I]-3-iodotyrosine. The vicinal thiol proteins formed could also be enriched, prior to labeling with [125I]IAIT, by their selective binding to Sepha-rose-aminohexanoyl-4-aminophenylarsine oxide. Exponentially growing L1210 lymphoblasts contain more than 20 proteins with thiols in the oxidized, disulfide state. The majority derive from vicinal thiol proteins. The fraction oxidized, in some proteins, represents almost the totality of the protein present in the cell. Exposure of lymphoblasts to diamide increases the number and concentration of proteins with intraprotein disulfides. This method allows sensitive direct identification of vicinal thiol proteins that participate in redox regulation and those that are targets to oxidative stress conditions.

Use of the thiol-specific derivatizing agent N-iodoacetyl-3-[125I]iodotyrosine to demonstrate conformational differences between the unbound and hsp90-bound glucocorticoid receptor hormone binding domain

The hormone binding domain (HBD) of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) contains five cysteine residues, with three of them being spaced close to one another in the steroid binding pocket. The HBD also contains the contact region for the chaperone protein hsp90, which must be bound to the GR for it to have a steroid binding conformation. Binding of hsp90 to the receptor through its HBD inactivates the DNA binding domain (DBD). The DBD contains a number of cysteines essential to its DNA binding activity. Here, we assess the effects of hsp90 binding on the accessibility of cysteine residues in both the HBD and DBD to derivatization by a thiol-specific reagent. We report that N-iodoacetyltyrosine (IAT) inactivates steroid binding activity of the immunopurified, untransformed GR.hsp90 complex in a manner that is prevented by the sulfhydryl reagents cysteine and dithiothreitol but is not reversed by them. The 125I-labeled IAT derivative N-iodoacetyl-3-[125I]iodotyrosine ([125I]IAIT) covalently labels the immunopurified, hsp90-bound receptor in a thiol-specific manner. Dissociation of hsp90 leads to an approximately 2-fold increase in [125I]IAIT labeling of the full-length, 100-kDa GR. The increase in thiol labeling is related to the presence of hsp90 because it is blocked by molybdate, which prevents hsp90 dissociation. Cleavage of the [125I]IAIT-labeled receptor with trypsin yields a 15-kDa labeled fragment containing the DBD and a 30-kDa labeled fragment containing all of the cysteines in the HBD and the contact region for hsp90. Dissociation of hsp90 from the GR results in a 2.3-fold increase in [125I]IAIT labeling of the 15-kDa fragment and a 50% decrease in labeling of the 30-kDa fragment. These data are consistent with the proposal that dissociation of hsp90 from the GR produces a conformational change in the HBD such that some of the thiols that are exposed in the GR*hsp90 complex become buried and are no longer accessible to the [125I]IAIT probe. In contrast, binding of the GR to hsp90 restricts access of cysteines in the DBD to this small thiol-derivatizing agent, a restriction that is relieved as a result of unmasking or conformational change accompanying hsp90 dissociation.

A simple and sensitive radioimmunoassay for adenosine

We developed a simple and sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for adenosine. The RIA is based on the double antibody method with adenosine 2', 3'-0-disuccinyl-3-[125I]-iodotyrosine methyl ester (diSc-adenosine-[125I]-TME) as a tracer. Anti-adenosine antiserum for the RIA was raised in rabbits immunized with diSc-adenosine conjugated to human serum albumin (diSc-adenosine-HSA). All samples and standards were succinylated prior to assay. The present immunoassay allows detection of 6.25-400 pmol/ml of adenosine in sample. Values obtained by the RIA and by a HPLC analysis showed a high correlation with correlation coefficient of 0.997. In order to determine adenosine in plasmas, blood cells must be separated in the presence of 6 mM EDTA, 0.006% dipyridamole (Dip) and 23 microM 2'-deoxycoformycin (dCF) at 2 degrees C. Adenosine in plasma could be accurately determined by the proposed method even without any pretreatments by deproteinizing. The adenosine levels with or without EDTA-treated normal human plasmas determined were 26.2 +/- 7.26 and 100 +/- 3.62 pmol/ml (mean +/- SEM), respectively.

Synthesis and properties of sulfhydryl-group-specific reagents containing 125I

125I-containing compounds that react specifically with sulfhydryl groups were prepared in yields of 30 to 40% on the basis of starting 125I quantity. The synthetic precursors were commercially available heterobifunctional crosslinkers and the peptide L-arginyl-L-tyrosine. Two types of sulfhydryl specific reagents were prepared: 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionylarginyl-[125I]-monoiodotyrosine, which permits reversible incorporation of 125I at sulfhydryl sites, and 3-maleimidopropionylarginyl- [125I]monoiodotyrosine, an irreversible labeling reagent. These products were isolated in a highly radiochemically pure form by C18 HPLC. The second-order rate constants for the reaction of 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionylarginylmonoiodotyrosine and 3-maleimidopropionylarginylmonoiodotyrosine with N-acetylcysteine were 28 +/- 3 M-1 s-1 and 154 +/- 4 M-1 s-1, respectively, at pH 7.3. Storage of carrier-free 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionylarginyl-[125I]monoiodotyrosine and 3-maleimidopropionylarginyl-[125I]monoiodotyrosine at -80 degrees C at a radioactive concentration of 0.4 mCi/ml resulted in conversion of 125I to species that did not react covalently with sulfhydryl groups. This process occurred with first-order kinetics and a t1/2 of 5.7 days for the pyridyldithio compound and 7.5 days for the maleimido compound. No conversion was observed during storage at -80 degrees C at radioactive concentrations of 0.02 mCi/ml or less. The labeling properties of these compounds were examined using red blood cell proteins as a test system. 3-(2-Pyridyldithio)propionylarginyl- [125I]monoiodotyrosine and maleimidopropionylarginyl-[125I]monoiodotyrosine reacted preferentially with membrane - associated sulfhydryl groups when incubated with intact red blood cells.

Haloperidol-succinylglycyl[125I]iodotyrosine, a novel iodinated ligand for dopamine D2 receptors

A novel radioiodinated ligand of the butyrophenone type has been synthesized for the quantification and characterization of dopamine D2 receptors. This haloperidol-derived ligand, haloperidol-succinylglycyl[125I]iodotyrosine ([125I]HSGTI), binds rapidly (equilibrium is reached within 30 min, at 10 pM and 37 degrees C) and with high affinity (Kd = 0.3 nM) to bovine striatal membranes. Its pharmacology, determined by competitive displacement with dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic drugs, is characteristic of binding to dopamine D2 receptors.

Intracellular bile acid transport in rat liver as visualized by electron microscope autoradiography using a bile acid analogue

The role of hepatocyte organelles in the intracellular transport and secretion of conjugated bile acids has not been defined. Therefore we studied the transport and observed the subcellular localization of the bile acid analogue 125I-cholylglycyltyrosine by electron microscope autoradiography to further understand the possible compartmentation of bile acids within the hepatocyte. 125I-cholylglycyltyrosine, which retains a net negative charge, exhibited transport properties similar to native bile acids. After portal vein injection, the compound was recovered intact from bile, and the pattern of excretion paralleled that of [14C]cholylglycine. In addition, cholylglycyltyrosine uptake by isolated hepatocytes was sodium dependent. For autoradiography the analogue was injected into the portal vein, and the liver was perfusion fixed after 30 or 300 s. Light microscope autoradiography performed 30 s after isotope injection demonstrated a steep periportal-to-centrilobular gradient for 125I-cholylglycyltyrosine uptake. At 30 s quantitative grain analysis of electron microscope autoradiographs showed predominant labeling of the plasma membrane and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). The grain distribution over the region of the plasma membrane decreased from 15% at 30 s to 7% by 300 s and was associated with a sevenfold increase in labeling of the Golgi apparatus and a sixfold increase in labeling of the pericanalicular region. Grain distribution over the SER at 300 s was the same as that noted at 30 s. The hypothesis is presented that bile acids move from the sinusoidal plasma membrane to bile via a pathway that includes the SER and Golgi apparatus.

Development of a RIA for clonidine and its comparison with the reference methods

A radioimmunoassay for clonidine was optimized by introducing, as a tracer ligand, an iodinized clonidine derivative specifically labeled with more than 500 Ci/mMol. The detection limit of clonidine was 10 pg/ml. The high assay specificity was demonstrated by a double isotope technique. The intraassay coefficient of variance (VK) was less than 4% for any concentration, the interassay VK did not exceed 8.3%. The assay reliability was increased when the plasma samples were diluted 1:5, prior to analysis, in normal human blood plasma, which was also used for the preparation of the calibration samples. In a comparative manner, this assay system was subjected to double-blind accuracy control tests, including all other reference methods so far described for clonidine analysis in blood plasma samples. The RIA technique presented here turned out to be the most sensitive and most reliable method, requiring, moreover, the smallest volumes of blood plasma (0.05 ml). This procedure was appropriate for routine tests, since one technician could perform 500 sample analyses a day. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed.

Estimation of hormonal and non-hormonal iodine uptake from maternal milk in suckling rats

Maternal milk may carry hormonal iodine and thus contribute to a high thyroxine secretion level in suckling rats. In order to evaluate this possibility, milk iodo-compounds were estimated in rats equilibrated with 125I. On day-10 post partum, the milk contained 195±65 ng/ml iodine composed of 43 ng/ml iodide, 148 ng/ml non-hormonal organic iodine and only 3 ng/ml hormonal iodine. The stomachs of the sucklings contained 0.70 ± 0.05 and 1.2 ± 0.3 μg iodine/organ on days 10 and 20, respectively. The quantity of hormonal iodine was negligible compared with the amount of iodide and non-hormonal organic iodine. After enzymic proteolysis of the milk and stomach contents of the sucklings, 80–90 per cent of the non-hormonal organic iodine found was monoiodoryrosine (MIT), while the rest was diiodotyrosine (DIT).

Sixteen hours after injecting [131I]iodide and [125I]thyroxine into the mothers not equilibrated with 125I, on day-10 0.87 ± 0.10 per cent dose/ml of [125I]T4 was found in maternal plasma, 0.2–0.4 per cent dose/ml in milk, while only 0.05 ± 0.01 per cent dose/organ and 0.008 ± 0.002 per cent dose/ml was found in the stomachs of the sucklings and in plasma, respectively. By contrast, 131I rapidly disappeared from the maternal plasma and appeared in relatively high levels in the serum of the young. These results indicate that milk thyroxine is partially destroyed in the gut of the suckling. Maternal milk is a source of iodide and non-hormonal protein bound iodine in sucklings and does not contain any hormonal iodine.

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of mono- and diiodotyrosines in serum

A sensitivie, reliable gas-chromatographic assay for monoiodotyrosine and diiodotyrosine in human serum is reported. The oxazolidinone-heptafluorobutyric anhydride derivatives allow the quantitation of both compounds in the linear range of 0.2 to 7.6 mg/L of serum. Analytical recovery averaged 88%, and mean accuracy and within-run precision were 98 and 2%, respectively. Concentrations of monoiodotyrosine in serum as low as 20 microgram/L and of diiodotyrosine as low as 100 microgram/L can be detected. Normal serum contains no detectable concentration of either compound, but the method is applicable as a diagnostic tool in the early prediction of thyroid disease. Both compounds were detected in the serum of a hypothyroid subject whose normal thyroid hormone concentrations were being maintained by therapy with desiccated thyroid extract.

Chemical determination of iodinated compounds in human thyroid

As a tool with which to detect iodinated compounds in human thyroid specimens, we have reevaluated a nonincineration technique which has so far been employed in the determination of thyroxine-iodine in peripheral blood. The catalytic action of iodoamino acids in the Ce-As reaction was enhanced by a small amount of Cl2. On the contrary, a large amount of Cl2 inhibited the reaction unexpectedly. Among iodide, iodotyrosine and iodothyronine, iodide was the most effective catalyst in the Ce-As reaction and iodothyronine was the least effective one. Protein seemed to inhibit this reaction of thyroglobulin. But the result of iodine content in thyroglobulin by this technique agreed well with that by incineration when measured 127I was corrected by percent activity of dializable part of the total activity of 131I-thyroglobulin with the same protein concentration, after the NaClO treatment. The results of human thyroid specimens were as follows: the thyroglobulin content of five normal subjects was 8.0 +/- 1.5% of wet thyroid weight. That of Hashimoto's disease was significantly decreased which seemed compatible with the decrease in iodine content of thyroglobulin, whereas thyroglobulin content of Graves disease treated with 1-methyl, 2-mercaptoimidazole followed by a large dose of iodide was well preserved in spite of a lower degree of iodination of thyroglobulin. As for the distribution of iodoamino acids-iodine in normal thyroid, T4 was 20.5 +/- 0.7%. This technique ultimately looks promising as a tool with which to study intrathyroidal iodine metabolism in human.

Effect of experimental chronic renal failure upon the synthesis of thyroid hormones in rats

The authors utilized two groups of adult male rats to study the effect of chronic-uremic toxemia on the synthesis of thyroid hormones. The control group was sham operated, while the other group had about 70--80% of the left kidney tissue surgically excised and a total right nephrectomy performed 10 days later. At the 90th day after the second operation, 8 muCi of 131I were injected intraperitoneally and 24 h later the thyroid was excised and hydrolyzed enzymatically for a period of 14 h at 37 degrees C. The percentages of iodinated components were then calculated after radiochromatographic separation on paper. The group of experimental rats by this time showed significant increases of plasma urea and creatinine, and an absence of acidosis. The results suggest that monoidotyrosine concentration is increased and diiodothyronine decreased in the experimental group of rats with renal failure. This might indicate a toxic metabolic blockage in the transformation of monoiodotyrosine to diiodothyronine.

Induction of a coupling defect in rats during inhibition of tyrosine dehalogenase

We have reported earlier that administration of 3-nitro-L-tyrosine (MNT), 8 mM in drinking water, to rats receiving a low iodine diet (LID) results in greater TSH secretion, larger goiters, and more rapid uptake and release of radioiodine than LID alone, and ultimately may produce hypothyroidism. These findings have been confirmed, and hypothyroidism documented by demonstrating depressed levels of hepatic mitochondrial alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase. Also, prolonged treatment with MNT + LID produced a depression in labeled iodothyronine (ITh) synthesis, as judged by chromatographic analysis of thyroid digests from rats killed 4 or 24 hours after ip injection of radioiodine, or two weeks after adding radioiodine to drinking fluid. Low thyroidal ITh levels were accompanied by low levels of ITh in serum, despite the presence of various other labeled organic iodine compounds. Cessation of MNT treatment, or ip injection of small amounts (0.5-1.0 mug) of Na 127I together with radioiodine 4 h before sacrifice reversed the defect, and large amounts of ITh were found in both thyroid and serum. Labeled thyroprotein from MNT-treated rats showed increased susceptibility to disaggregation during freezing at pH 8.5; this abnormality was also reversed by stable iodine treatment. In glands labeled with radioiodine 24 h before sacrifice, stable iodine injection 20 h later was followed by increased thyroidal ITh. It is concluded that profound iodine deficiency, induced by MNT + LID, can lead to diminished ITh synthesis, or a "coupling defect". The results provide an explanation for the finding of low thyroidal ITh in patients with hereditary deficiency of tyrosine dehalogenase. The findings confirm an important role for iodine supply in ITh synthesis and thyroglobulin stability, and suggest that rats treated with MNT + LID provide a model for study of the effects of extreme iodine deficiency.

[In vitro biosynthesis of iodothyronines from diiodo-3,5-L-tyrosyl-diiodo-3,5-L-tyrosine (author's transl)]

A comparative study of two types of in vitro synthesis of iodothyronines has been done from 3,5-diiodotyrosine and from diiodo-3,5-L-tyrosyl-diiodo-3,5-L-tyrosine (Tyr(I)2-Tyr(I)2) (equimolecular in tyrosyl rings). Incubations are made with rat thyroid gland minces in Eagle's medium or with thyroid microsomal fraction. Synthesis of thyroid hormones from Tyr(I)2-Tyr(I)2 is faster and more important than from diiodo-3,5-L-tyrosine (Tyr(I)2). A mechanism of iodothyronine formation via Tyr(I)2-Tyr(I)2 and different from the one occuring for Tyr(I)2 is suggested.

Triiodothyronine binding to liver nuclear solubilized proteins in vitro

Nuclear proteins extracted from purified nuclei with 0.4M KCl at pH 7.4 OR 8.5 are able to bind L-triiodothyronine (T3) giving rise to nuclear thyroid hormone binding protein-T3 (NTBP-T3) complexes. Binding is maximum in 3 h at 20 C. It is thermolabile even at 36 C, inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and markedly enhanced by dithiothreitol. Optimum pH is between 7.8 and 8.5. Divalent cations are not necessary. The NTBP-T3 complex exhibits similar anodal electrophoretic migration in polyacrylamide gel at pH 8.5, whether formed in vivo or in vitro. Scatchard plots obtained with various amounts of T3 from 0.15 nM TO 0.15 MUM and either unlabeled nuclear proteins or in vivo formed NTBP-[125I]-T3 complexes, give apparent association constants K-a of 0.2 X 10-10 M minus at pH 7.4 and 0.8 X 10-10 M minus 1 at pH 8.5. Capacity is about 0.5 pmol T3 per mg protein or 800 pg/g liver. The presence of dithiothreitol markedly enhances the Ka. The nuclear binding sites are not highly specific for L-T3 since they are able to bind D-T3 with almost equal affinity and triiodothyroacetic acid with a higher affinity. L-thyroxine (T4) can also displace L-T3 but with about 10-fold lesser effectiveness. Nuclear binding proteins of low capacity and high affinity have been demonstrated in vitro. The NTBP-T3 complexes formed in vivo, with whole nuclei, or in vitro are indistinguishable.

Thyroid activity and (Hemidactylus flaviviridis Rüppell) in relation to sex hormones

Orchidectomy in Hemidactylus flaviviridis led to significant reduction of thyroidal 131I uptake, thyroidal content of thyroxine, plasma protein-bound iodine and oxygen consumption of isolated liver and skeletal muscle (at 30 °C). Administration of testosterone to orchidectomized lizards restored these parameters to normal levels. Dependence of thyroid function and oxidative metabolism on male hormone may be a general feature in reptiles. This hormone may, therefore, be of greater physiological importance in these animals than in other vertebrates. Since reptiles occupy a crucial phylogenetic position in the animal kingdom these findings are important from the point of view of evolution of the functional aspects of hormones in vertebrates.

The results also show that thyroid function is inhibited by oestrogen(s) in this lizard. This may be an adaptive compensatory measure to control (through effects of the thyroid on metabolic activities) the extra expenditure of energy usually associated with such energy-consuming functions as ovulation and egg-laying.