The complete genomic organization of the Drosophila troponin T (TnT) gene shows many interesting features, including the presence of a microexon of only 3 nucleotides conserved among Drosophilidae. It is the smallest bona fide exon so far described, placing a new lower limit on the nucleotide number required for correct splicing. Four muscle-type specific transcripts are generated by developmentally regulated alternative splicing. Exons 3, 4, and 5 are absent in the transcript present in jump and flight muscles. A total of 11 exons are present in the adult hypodermic muscles transcript, whereas the microexon is absent in the larval hypodermic musculature. The two isoforms differ in a lysine residue. Post-translational regulation of the flight muscles/tergal depressor of the trochanter-specific isoform is involved in flight and/or jump function. The interaction domains of TnT in the tropomyosin-troponin complex are strongly conserved in the known vertebrate and invertebrate TnT sequences, whereas the terminal regions show an important variability. The COOH-terminal region shows important phylogenetic variations, whereas the NH 2 -terminal domain is associated with specific muscle types in a particular organism, a finding that discloses a selective value for these domains in the functionality of distinct muscles in different organisms.
A major-high-molecular mass proteinase and seven latent minor proteinases were found in cell extracts and in concentrates of culture medium from Frankia sp. strain BR after nondenaturing electrophoresis in mixed gelatin-polyacrylamide gels. All of these complexes showed multicatalytic properties. Their molecular masses and their sedimentation coefficients varied from 1,300 kDa (28S) to 270 kDa (12S). The electroeluted 1,300-kDa proteinase complex dissociated into 11 low-molecular-mass proteinases (40 to 19 kDa) after sodium dodecyl sulfate activation at 30°C and electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. All of these electroeluted proteinases hydrolyzed N-carbobenzoxy-Pro-Ala-Gly-Pro-4-methoxy-1-naphthylamide, D-Val-Leu-Arg-4-methoxy-13-naphthylamide, and Boc-Val-Pro-Arg-4-methyl-7-coumarylamide, whereas Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-4-methyl-7-coumarylamide was cleaved only by the six lower-molecular-mass proteinases (27.5 to 19 kDa).Examination by electron microscopy of uranyl acetate-stained, electroeluted 1,300-and 650-kDa intracellular and extracellular proteinase complexes showed ring-shaped and cylindrical particles (10 to 11 nm in diameter, 15 to 16 nm long) similar to those of eukaryotic prosomes and proteasomes. Polyclonal antibodies raised against rat skeletal muscle proteasomes cross-reacted with all of the high-molecular-mass proteinase complexes and, after denaturation of the electroeluted 1,300-kDa band, with polypeptides of 35 to 38, 65, and 90 kDa. Electrophoresis of the activated cell extracts under denaturing conditions revealed 11 to 17 gelatinases from 40 to 19 kDa, including the 11 proteinases of the 1,300-kDa proteinase complex. The inhibition pattern of these proteinases is complex. Thiol-reactive compounds and 1-10-phenanthroline strongly inhibited all of the proteinases, but inhibitors against serine-type proteinases were also effective for most of them.
To investigate protein secretion by the nitrogen-fixing actinomycete Frunkiu isolate BR, we designed a rapid DEAE adsorption, salt elution and Biogel P6DG desalination method to concentrate protein from the growth medium. Secreted proteins reached a maximum concentration (5.6 mg I-') in the medium at growth arrest. Analysis by SDS-PAGE detected up to 63 extracellular polypeptides when Frunkiu cells were grown under stirred conditions in BAP medium supplemented with phosphatidylcholine and MES buffer and 65 proteins in stirred BAP media alone. The pattern of extracellular polypeptides changed during growth. Several extracellular proteolytic activities were detected and compared with intracellular ones. The substrate specificity of the extracellular and intracellular aminopeptidase activities were the same. Also, the electrophoretic migration patterns of secreted and intracellular aminopeptidases could not be distinguished. Secretion of the proline-specific aminopeptidase FAP 3.BR appeared to be the only one that arrested at the end of the exponential phase of growth. At least 15 proteinases (PF) were secreted: 10 had the same electrophoretic mobility as their intracellular counterparts after SDS-gelatine-PAGE while five (PF-39.5, PF-38.5, PF-36.5, PF-25.5 and PF-20.5 kDa) had a different electrophoretic mobility and, therefore, appeared to be exclusively extracellular. At least seven extracellular proteinases appeared to increase coordinately in activity shortly before growth arrest.
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