We hypothesize that age-related skeletal muscle dysfunction and physical disability may be partially explained by alterations in the function of the myosin molecule. To test this hypothesis, skeletal muscle function at the whole muscle, single fiber, and molecular levels was measured in young (21-35 yr) and older (65-75 yr) male and female volunteers with similar physical activity levels. After adjusting for muscle size, older adults had similar knee extensor isometric torque values compared with young, but had lower isokinetic power, most notably in women. At the single-fiber and molecular levels, aging was associated with increased isometric tension, slowed myosin actin cross-bridge kinetics (longer myosin attachment times and reduced rates of myosin force production), greater myofilament lattice stiffness, and reduced phosphorylation of the fast myosin regulatory light chain; however, the age effect was driven primarily by women (i.e., age-by-sex interaction effects). In myosin heavy chain IIA fibers, single-fiber isometric tension and molecular level mechanical and kinetic indexes were correlated with whole muscle isokinetic power output. Collectively, considering that contractile dysfunction scales up through various anatomical levels, our results suggest a potential sex-specific molecular mechanism, reduced cross-bridge kinetics, contributes to the reduced physical capacity with aging in women. Thus these results support our hypothesis that age-related alterations in the myosin molecule contribute to skeletal muscle dysfunction and physical disability and indicate that this effect is stronger in women.

The effect of glycosylation on tissue factor (TF) activity was evaluated, and site-specific glycosylation of full-length recombinant TF (rTF) and that of natural TF from human placenta (pTF) were studied by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The amidolytic activity of the TF⅐factor VIIa (FVIIa) complex toward a fluorogenic substrate showed that the catalytic efficiency (V max ) of the complex increased in the order rTF 1-243 (Escherichia coli) < rTF 1-263 (Sf9 insect cells) < pTF for the glycosylated and deglycosylated forms. Substrate hydrolysis was unaltered by deglycosylation. In FXase, the K m of FX for rTF 1-263 -FVIIa remained unchanged after deglycosylation, whereas the k cat decreased slightly. A pronounced decrease, 4-fold, in k cat was observed for pTF⅐FVIIa upon deglycosylation, whereas the K m was minimally altered. The parameters of FX activation by both rTF 1-263D -FVIIa and pTF D -FVIIa were identical and similar to those for rTF 1-243 -FVIIa. In conclusion, carbohydrates significantly influence the activity of TF proteins. Carbohydrate analysis revealed glycosylation on asparagines 11, 124, and 137 in both rTF 1-263 and pTF. The carbohydrates of rTF 1-263 contain high mannose, hybrid, and fucosylated glycans. Natural pTF contains no high mannose glycans but is modified with hybrid, highly fucosylated, and sialylated sugars.

A classic problem in analytical chemistry has been determination of individual components in a mixture without availability of the pure individual components. Measurement of the distribution of isotopomers in a labeled compound or mixture of labeled compounds is an example of this problem that is commonly encountered when stable isotopically labeled metabolites are used to determine in vivo kinetics and metabolism. We present a method that uses the measured mass spectral data of the unlabeled material to represent any and all combinations of isotopomer variations of that material and to determine abundances of these isotopomers. Although examples of the method are presented for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the method is applicable to any type of mass spectrometry data. The method also accounts for errors induced by mass spectrometer ionization and resolution effects. To demonstrate this method, we determined the isotopomer distributions of samples of 13 C-labeled leucine and glucose for both highly enriched isotopomers and labeled isotopomers present in low abundance against a natural isotopic abundance background. The method accurately and precisely determined isotopomer identity and abundance in the labeled materials without adding noise or error that was not inherent in the original mass spectral data. In examples shown here isotopomer uncertainties were calculated with relative standard errors of <1% from good quality mass spectral data.

Background Tissue factor (TF), an in vivo initiator of blood coagulation, is a transmembrane protein and has two disulfides in the extracellular domain. The integrity of one cysteine pair, Cys186–Cys209, has been hypothesized to be essential for an allosteric “decryption” phenomenon, presumably regulating TF procoagulant function, which has been the subject of a lengthy debate. The conclusions of published studies on this subject are based on indirect evidences obtained by the use of reagents with potentially oxidizing/reducing properties. Methods The status of disulfides in recombinant TF1–263 and natural placental TF in their non-reduced native and reduced forms was determined by mass-spectrometry. Functional assays were performed to assess TF cofactor function. Results In native proteins, all four cysteines of the extracellular domain of TF are oxidized. Reduced TF retains factor VIIa binding capacity but completely loses the cofactor function. Conclusion The reduction of TF disulfides (with or without alkylation) eliminates TF regulation of factor VIIa catalytic function in both membrane dependent FX activation and membrane independent synthetic substrate hydrolysis. General significance Results of this study advance our knowledge on TF structure/function relationships.

Tissue factor (TF) is a single polypeptide integral membrane glycoprotein composed of 263 residues and is essential to life in its role as the initiator of blood coagulation. Objective Previously we have shown that the activity of the natural placental TF (pTF) and the recombinant TF (rTF) from Sf9 insect cells is different (Krudysz-Amblo, J. et al(2010) J. Biol. Chem. 285, 3371–3382). In this study, using mass spectrometry, we show by quantitative analysis that the extent of glycosylation varies on each protein. Results Fractional abundance, of each glycan composition at each of the three glycosylation sites, reveals the most pronounced difference to be at asparagine (Asn) 11. This residue is located in the region of extensive TFfactor VIIa (FVIIa) interaction. Carbohydrate fractional abundance at Asn11 revealed that glycosylation in the natural placental TF is much more prevalent (~76%) than in the recombinant protein (~20%). The extent of glycosylation on Asn124 and Asn137 is similar in the two proteins, despite the pronounced differences in the carbohydrate composition. Additionally, 77% of rTF exists as TF des-1, 2 (missing the first two amino acids from the N-terminus). In contrast, only 31% of pTF is found in the des-1, 2 form. Conclusion These observations may attribute to the difference in the ability of TF-FVIIa complex to activate factor X (FX). Structural and functional comparison of the recombinant and natural protein advances our understanding and knowledge on the biological activity of TF.