Material in a chromatographic fraction from an extract of insulin-treated muscle stimulated pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in addipocyte mitochondria. This action was similar to insulin's activation of the enzyme in a plasma membrane-mitochondria mixture. Neither the chromatographic fraction nor insulin required adenosine triphosphate or magnesium ion (Mg2+), suggesting that both agents acted through a calcium-sensitive phosphatase. This fraction may contain a chemical mediator of insulin action.

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We report the complete structures of the N-linked oligosaccharides and the site-specificity of the N-glycosylation of recombinant gp120 (rgp120) of the HIV-1 BH8 isolate produce by a baculovirus expression system. Glycopeptides derived from the tryptic digests of intact rgp120 or of cyanogen bromide-generated fragments of rgp120 were isolated by their binding to concanavalin A-Sepharose and were purified by reversed-phase HPLC. The isolated glycopeptides were treated with PNGase F, releasing the carbohydrate moiety while converting Asn to Asp, and identified by amino acid analysis and/or peptide sequencing. Our results indicate that all 22 potential N-glycosylation sites in the rgp120 sequence are utilized. We did not detect N-acetylgalactosamine in rgp120, indicating that the glycoprotein lacks typical O-linked oligosaccharides. To investigate the oligosaccharide structures at the sites of glycosylation, we determined the carbohydrate composition for each site and characterized the oligosaccharides by 1H-NMR spectroscopy and by oligosaccharide mapping using high pH anion-exchange chromatography. Mannose and N-acetylglucosamine were the only sugars observed in the intact rgp120 and likewise in individual glycopeptides. All glycopeptides derived from rgp120 contained high mannose-type N-linked oligosaccharides, ranging from GlcNAc2Man5 to GlcNAc2Man9. However, different glycosylation sites showed varied degrees of processing of the high mannose-type oligosaccharides, as characterized by the ratio of GlcNAc2Man8-9 to GlcNAc2Man5-7. These results demonstrate that N-glycosylation of rgp120 in the baculovirus expression system occurs at all potential sites and is site specific in terms of oligosaccharide structures.

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The addition of insulin to a mixture of plasma membrane and mitochondrial fractions from rat adipocytes results in a decrease in the phosphorylation of a mitochondrial protein identified as the a subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase [pyruvate:lipoamide oxidoreductase (decarboxylating and acceptor-acetylating), EC 1.2.4.11 (Seals, J. R., McDonald, J. M. & Jarett, L. (1979) J. BioL Chem. 254,[6991][6992][6993][6994][6995][6996]. This study confirms the prediction that a corresponding increase in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity can be effected by insulin treatment of this preparation. Incubation of the plasma membrane/mitochondria mixture with ATP inhibited pyruvate dehydrogenase activity as measured in a subsequent enzyme assay. The presence of insulin during this incubation with ATP resulted in a 24.5% stimulation of enzyme activity compared to incubation without insulin (n = 9, P < 0.001). The effect was specific for biologically active insulin and was insulin dose-dependent in the physiological range of insulin. Supermaximal doses of insulin produced reduced effects. An insulin effect of similar magnitude could also be observed when the plasma membrane/mitochondria mixture was incubated without ATP. Two insulin mimickers, concanavalin A and antibody to insulin receptor, stimulated pyruvate dehydrogenase by 30.4% (n = 6, P < 0.001) and 28.1% (n = 8, P < 0.001), respectively. Both of these agents also produced reduced effects at supermaximal concentrations. The effects of all three agents required plasma membranes and could not be produced by treatment of mitochondria alone. The results suggest that a mechanism common to all three agents is responsible for transmitting the stimulation from the plasma membrane to the mitochondrial components of the mixture.Analysis of the mechanism of insulin action on its target cells has been hindered by the complex interactions among metabolic and regulatory factors in the intact cell. However, insulin action has recently been demonstrated in a simplified subcellular system consisting of a mixture of purified plasma membrane and mitochondrial fractions from the rat adipocyte (1, 2). Addition of insulin to this subcellular system caused a plasma membrane-mediated decrease in the phosphorylation of a mitochondrial protein, identified as the a subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase [pyruvate:lipoamide oxidoreductase (decarboxylating and acceptor-acetylating), EC 1.2.4.1]. This effect was consistent with the proposed model of insulin action on pyruvate dehydrogenase in the intact cell (3, 4). From these data, it was predicted that the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase should be stimulated by the addition of insulin to the plasma membrane/mitochondria mixture. This study investigates the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase in the plasma membrane/mitochondria mixture and the effect of insulin and other agents on this enzyme. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURESMaterials. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (120 g) were obtained from Eldridge Laboratory Animals (Barnhardt, MO). Collagenase, bovine serum alb...

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Subunit vaccines based on recombinant proteins have proved useful for inducing antibody responses and they are safe for widespread use because they do not contain any live components. Unfortunately, they do not typically induce the types of cell-mediated immune responses required to control viral pathogens; specifically, they do not induce CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. To increase the immunogenicity of recombinant proteins, we have used the QS-21 saponin adjuvant in subunit vaccine formulations. In the current study, experimental subunit vaccine formulations containing recombinant p55gag or gp120env proteins from the mac251 strain of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac251) and the QS-21 adjuvant were used to immunize rhesus macaques. These formulations induced SIV gag- or env-specific cellular immunity that was detectable in vitro and included killer cell activity. The induction of killer cells required prior vaccination and the responses were antigen specific for the immunogens contained in the vaccine formulations. Autologous target cells were required to detect these responses, suggesting genetic restriction, and effector cells appeared to be present in both the CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subpopulations. These data suggest that the vaccine-induced killer cell activity that was detected was mediated by both CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes. Despite the presence of these killer cells, all of the animals became infected with the SIVmac251 on experimental challenge. These findings demonstrated that antigen-specific killer cell responses could be induced by a subunit vaccine formulated with the QS-21 saponin adjuvant. The characteristics of the responses suggested that the effector cells were T lymphocytes, expressing either CD4 or CD8.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)