0000000000470631
AUTHOR
Wolfgang Voelter
Field Desorption Mass Spectra of Gastrine Peptides and Glutathione Derivatives
Oligopeptides comprising the sequence of the C-terminal tetrapeptide of gastrine, Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, and several derivatives of glutathione, γ-Glu-Cys(SR)-Gly, were characterized by field desorption mass spectrometry. The field desorption mass spectra obtained at various field ion emitter temperatures reveal abundant molecular ions and fragmentation reactions that yield partial sequence information. In the series of glutathione derivatives investigated, characteristic ions formed by cleavage of the γ-Glu-Cys peptide bond determine the substituent at the Cys residue and can therefore be used to identify corresponding conjugation products of drug metabolites with glutathione.
Presentation of insulin and insulin A chain peptides to mouse T cells: involvement of cysteine residues.
The requirements for insulin presentation and recognition by A alpha b A beta b- and A alpha b A beta k-restricted mouse T cells were studied using a variety of derivatives of the insulin A chain. It was found that A chain peptides with irreversibly blocked Cys residues are non-stimulatory for the T cells. This suggests that at least one of the Cys residues is essential for recognition. On the other hand, all A chain peptides containing Cys residues modified in a way reversible by reaction with thiols are stimulatory yet differ in antigenic potency. All these A chain derivatives including a 14 amino acid fragment require uptake by antigen presenting cells (APC) for efficient presentation. D…
Hemocyanin subunit organization of the gastropod Rapana thomasiana
Abstract RtH1 and RtH2, the two hemocyanin isoforms of the prosobranch gastropod Rapana thomasiana, have been purified by anion-exchange chromatography and studied by SDS–PAGE and immunoelectrophoresis. Both subunit types are built up of eight functional units (FUs). Under reducing conditions subunit RtH2 splits into two fragments, RtH2- a – f and RtH2- gh, suggesting the presence of a disulfide bridge between FU2- f and FU2- g. By proteolytic cleavage of the subunits into three-, two-, and single-FU fragments, purification of fragments by HPLC, N-terminal sequencing of the peptides, and crossed-line immunoelectrophoresis, FUs- a – h of RtH2 and FU- a, FU- d, FU- e, and FU- f of RtH1 were i…
Primary structure and unusual carbohydrate moiety of functional unit 2-c of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)
Abstract The complete amino acid sequence of the Megathura crenulata hemocyanin functional unit KLH2-c was determined by direct sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry of the protein, and of peptides obtained by cleavage with EndoLysC proteinase, chymotrypsin and cyanogen bromide. This is the first complete primary structure of a functional unit c from a gastropod hemocyanin. KLH2-c consists of 420 amino acid residues. Circular dichroism spectra indicated approx. 31% β-sheet and 29% α-helix contents. A multiple sequence alignment with other molluscan hemocyanin functional units revealed average identities between 41 and 49%, but 55% in case of Octopus he…