Faculty Bibliography

The progressive modification of newly synthesized neurofilament proteins (NFPs) during axoplasmic transport in mouse retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons was studied after RGC perikarya were pulse-labeled with 32P-orthophosphate or radiolabeled amino acids. The 3 NFP subunits, H(igh), M(iddle), and L(ow), were among a group of axonally transported proteins that incorporated high levels of 32P. Covalent addition of phosphate slowed the electrophoretic mobility of H and M on SDS polyacrylamide gels and shifted the charge of all 3 subunits toward more acidic pH values, thereby providing an index of the phosphorylation state of this radiolabeled population of NFPs. NFPs were extensively phosphorylated before they entered axons at the optic nerve level, and continued to be modified during transport along RGC axons at the optic nerve and tract level. H and M exhibited charge shifts of 0.2-0.6 units toward a more acidic pH during axoplasmic transport. The charge modifications became more prominent when NFPs reached distal axonal levels, which may indicate regional differences in the activity of this modification process along axons. By contrast, the L subunit became more basic in charge, consistent with decreases in the phosphorylation state during transport. Additional observations (Nixon and Lewis, 1986) that a considerable proportion of phosphate groups initially added to L and M were later removed as neurofilaments advanced along RGC axons support the notion that the changing phosphorylation state of NFP subunits during axoplasmic transport reflects a dynamic equilibrium between phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events. Topographical remodeling of phosphate groups on NFPs during axoplasmic transport is proposed as a possible mechanism for coordinating interactions between neurofilaments and other constituents, as these elements are transported and integrated into the axonal cytoskeleton

The phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of specific proteins was demonstrated directly in the intact vertebrate nervous system in vivo. By exploiting the neurons' ability to segregate a select group of cytoskeletal proteins from most other phosphorylated constituents of the cell by axoplasmic transport, we were able to examine the dynamics of phosphate turnover on neurofilament proteins in mouse retinal ganglion cell neurons simultaneously labeled with [32P]orthophosphate and [3H]proline in vivo. Three [3H]proline-labeled neurofilament protein (NFP) subunits, designated H (160-200 kDa), M (135-145 kDa), and L (68-70 kDa), entered optic axons in a mole:mole ratio similar to that of isolated axonal neurofilaments, supporting the notion that newly synthesized NFPs are transported along axons as assembled neurofilaments. NFP subunits incorporated high levels of 32P before reaching axonal sites at the level of the optic nerve. As neurofilaments were transported along axons, however, many initially incorporated [32P]phosphate groups were removed. Loss of these phosphate groups occurred to a different extent on each subunit. A minimum of 50-60 and 35-40% of the labeled phosphate groups was removed in a 5-day period from the L and M subunits, respectively. By contrast, the H subunit exhibited relatively little or no phosphate turnover during the same period. Dephosphorylation of L in axons is accompanied by a decrease in its net state of phosphorylation; changes in the phosphorylation state of H and M, however, also reflect ongoing addition of phosphates to these polypeptides during axonal transport (Nixon, R.A., Lewis, S.E., and Marotta, C.A. (1986) J. Neurosci., in press). The possibility is raised that dynamic rearrangements of phosphate topography on NFPs represent a mechanism to coordinate interactions of neurofilaments with other proteins as these elements are transported and incorporated into the stationary cytoskeleton along retinal ganglion cell axons

Mean levels of the two hydrolases angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the dopamine metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA), and total protein concentration were examined in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from a group of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type, a group of comparably demented patients with Parkinson's disease, and a neurologically healthy elderly control group. Both pathological groups exhibited a significant decrease in the mean levels of ACE activity and DOPAC per milliliter and were distinguishable from one another based on mean CSH HVA levels. Unlike the Parkinson's disease group, whose mean concentration of HVA was lower than, but not significantly different from that of the control group, the mean HVA concentration of the Alzheimer's disease group was significantly elevated. In contrast, comparisons of the mean CSF AChE activity (expressed per milliliter or per milligram of protein) and CSF total protein concentration did not reveal significant differences for any of the groups. Independent of CSF protein concentration, ACE activity per milliliter exhibited a positive correlation with AChE activity per milliliter within the control and Parkinson's disease groups, whereas a statistically significant correlation for these CSF hydrolases was not observed within the Alzheimer's disease group. Thus, the CSF profiles for patients with mild dementias associated with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease differed by at least two neurochemical criteria. Based on the levels of ACE activity, DOPAC, and HVA per milliliter of CSF, two discriminant functions were derived and resulted in the correct classification of 71% of all subjects (n = 38) into Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and neurologically healthy control groups

Calcium-activated neutral proteinase (CANP) was purified 2,625-fold from postmortem human cerebral cortex by a procedure involving chromatography on diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose, phenyl-Sepharose, Ultrogel AcA-44, and DEAE-Biogel A. The major active form of CANP exhibited a molecular weight of 94-100 kilodaltons (Kd) by gel filtration on Sephacryl 300 and consisted of 78-Kd and 27-Kd subunits. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis resolved the small subunit into two molecular species with different isoelectric points. CANP degraded most human cytoskeletal proteins but was particularly active toward fodrin and the neurofilament protein subunits (145 Kd greater than 200 Kd greater than 70 Kd). The enzyme required 175 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activation and 2 mM Ca2+ for optimal activity toward [methyl-14C]azocasein. Other divalent metal ions were poor activators of the enzyme, and some, including copper, lead, and zinc, strongly inhibited the enzyme. Aluminum, a neurotoxic ion that induces neurofilament accumulations in mammalian brain, inhibited the enzyme 47% at 1 mM and 100% at 5 mM. A second CANP form lacking the 27-Kd subunit was partially resolved from the 100-Kd heterodimer during DEAE-Biogel A chromatography. The 78-Kd monomer exhibited the same specific activity, calcium ion requirement, pH optimum, and specificity for cytoskeletal proteins as the 100-Kd heterodimer, suggesting that the 27-Kd subunit is not essential for the major catalytic properties of the enzyme. The rapid autolysis of the 27-Kd subunit to a 18-Kd intermediate when CANP is exposed to calcium may explain differences between our results and previous reports, which describe brain mCANP in other species as a 76-80-Kd monomer or a heterodimer containing 76-80-Kd and 17-20-Kd subunits. The similarity of the 100-Kd human brain CANP to CANPs in nonneural tissues indicates that the heterodimeric form is relatively conserved among various tissues and species

A rapid and sensitive spot test amenable to visual or spectrophotometric quantitation has been developed for a wide variety of biochemical reagents by utilizing the transition metal salt cupric chloride and its large number of related colored compounds. This assay is potentially a widely applicable multipurpose test for rapidly detecting the presence of unknown substances. Combination of the test sample with the working reagent results in the immediate formation of a distinctive colored product that may be precipitable. Some compounds require the further addition of sodium hydroxide in order to generate the distinctively colored product. Distinctive reactions occur with the following reagents, and their limit of visual detection is indicated in parentheses: ammonium bicarbonate (12.5 mM), ammonium acetate (25 mM), ammonium hydroxide (0.1%), ammonium sulfate (2%), ammonium persulfate (0.02 mM), L-(+)-cysteine (0.07 mM), dithiothreitol (DTT) (1.25 mM), EDTA (0.6 mM), ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N'-tetraacetic acid (5 mM), D-glucose (6 mM), glycerol (0.3%), imidazol (12.5 mM), DL-methionine (100 mM), mercaptoethanol (0.05%), sodium azide (19 mM, 0.1%), sodium dithionite (0.25%), sodium metabisulfite (25 mM), sodium nitrite (6.2 mM), sodium periodate (3.1 mM), sodium sulfite (12.5 mM), sodium thiosulfite (12.5 mM), sucrose (6 mM), and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (0.05%). A distinctive exothermic reaction occurs with hydrogen peroxide, but without color change. Compounds reacting insignificantly include 50 mM Tris buffer, urea, N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide, sodium dodecyl sulfate, isopropyl alcohol, sodium fluoride, trichloroacetic acid, phenol, mannose, K2HPO4, guanidine HCl, chloramine-T, magnesium chloride, and boric acid, where the solids were tested at approximately 10 mg/ml. Spectrophotometric standard curves were developed for DTT and sodium azide utilizing the clear supernatants resulting from these reactions. Combinations of at least four reagents could be discriminated, as demonstrated with mixtures of glucose, sodium azide, EDTA, and DTT. In addition ammonium sulfate could be detected to a limit of 4% in the presence of protein, DTT, and EDTA in a 50 mM Tris buffer. Spot tests were developed which utilized reagent-impregnated filter paper and gave distinctive colored products on addition of 5 microliter of test sample

The activity of calcium-activated neutral proteinases (CANPs) toward endogenous substrates was measured in axons of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons and separately in adjacent optic glia under in vitro conditions that preserved the ultrastructure and anatomic relationships between these cellular elements. RGC neurons and optic glia both expressed CANP activity. In contrast to RGC axons, which contained at least two CANP activities with calcium requirements in the millimolar (CANP A) and micromolar (CANP B) range (Nixon et al., 1985), CANP activity in optic glia was detectable only at millimolar calcium concentrations. When maximally activated, CANP(s) in optic glia exhibited a broad specificity for endogenous proteins but degraded larger proteins at a faster rate. The cytoskeletal protein fodrin (brain spectrin) was among the most susceptible endogenous substrates in RGC axons or glia. The similar properties of fodrin in neurons and glia, including its susceptibility to a purified millimolar calcium-sensitive brain CANP (mCANP), provided the basis for using this protein as a substrate to compare the relative activity of neuronal and glial CANPs in situ. Fodrin degradation mediated by CANPs proceeded at least 6 X more rapidly in intact RGC axons than in optic glia. Comparable differences in the relative degradation rates of the total neuronal and glial protein pools were also observed. These results indicate that the potential activity of CANPs is substantially greater in RGC neurons than in glia. The enormous potential activity and preferential localization of multiple CANP activities in RGC neurons support previously hypothesized roles for CANPs in the processing of axonally transported proteins and in the regulation of neuronal cytoskeletal dynamics and geometry.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Calcium-activated neutral proteinases (CANPs) and their specificities for axonally transported proteins were studied within intact axons of mouse retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons in vitro. Two CANP activities with markedly different properties were identified. CANP B, at endogenous calcium levels, selectively cleaved the 145,000 Da (145 kDa) neurofilament protein subunit to yield 143 and 140 kDa neurofilament proteins that are also major constituents of the axonal cytoskeleton. This process represents a posttranslational modification of the neurofilament protein subunit rather than the initial step in its degradation (Nixon et al., 1982, 1983). A second calcium-activated neutral proteinase activity, CANP A, appeared only when calcium levels in the incubating medium were 100 microM or higher. CANP A degraded most proteins in RGC axons but acted considerably more rapidly on high-molecular-weight species. In particular, a 290-320 kDa protein in the Group IV (SCb) phase of axoplasmic transport was degraded 3 X faster than other major axonal proteins, including neurofilament proteins and fodrin. When maximally expressed, CANP A activity represented an enormous proteolytic potential in RGC axons--more than 50% of the total axonal content of proteins larger than 60 kDa could be hydrolyzed within 5 min. The calcium requirements, inhibitor profile, and substrate specificity of CANP A were similar to those of mCANP, the major CANP of mouse brain purified to homogeneity, suggesting that these enzymes may be the same or highly related proteins. The existence in a single neuron type of two CANP activities with markedly different substrate specificities and enzymatic properties emphasizes the possible functional diversity of calcium-activated neutral proteinases in neurons. These functions include the posttranslational modification, as well as degradation of neuronal proteins

We have studied the fate of neurofilament proteins (NFPs) in mouse retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurons from 1 to 180 d after synthesis and examined the proximal-to-distal distribution of the newly synthesized 70-, 140-, and 200-kD subunits along RGC axons relative to the distribution of neurofilaments. Improved methodology for intravitreal delivery of [3H]proline enabled us to quantitate changes in the accumulation and subsequent decline of radiolabeled NFP subunits at various postinjection intervals and, for the first time, to estimate the steady state levels of NFPs in different pools within axons. Two pools of newly synthesized triplet NFPs were distinguished based on their kinetics of disappearance from a 9-mm 'axonal window' comprising the optic nerve and tract and their temporal-spatial distribution pattern along axons. The first pool disappeared exponentially between 17 and 45 d after injection with a half-life of 20 d. Its radiolabeled wavefront advanced along axons at 0.5-0.7 mm/d before reaching the distal end of the axonal window at 17 d, indicating that this loss represented the exit of neurofilament proteins composing the slowest phase of axoplasmic transport (SCa or group V) from axons. About 32% of the total pool of radiolabeled neurofilament proteins, however, remained in axons after 45 d and disappeared exponentially at a much slower rate (t 1/2 = 55 d). This second NFP pool assumed a nonuniform distribution along axons that was characterized proximally to distally by a 2.5-fold gradient of increasing radioactivity. This distribution pattern did not change between 45 and 180 d indicating that neurofilament proteins in the second pool constitute a relatively stationary structure in axons. Based on the relative radioactivities and residence time (or turnover) of each neurofilament pool in axons, we estimate that, in the steady state, more neurofilament proteins in mouse RGC axons may be stationary than are undergoing continuous slow axoplasmic transport. This conclusion was supported by biochemical analyses of total NFP content and by electron microscopic morphometric studies of neurofilament distribution along RGC axons. The 70-, 140-, and 200-kD subunits displayed a 2.5-fold proximal to distal gradient of increasing content along RGC axons. Neurofilaments were more numerous at distal axonal levels, paralleling the increased content of NFP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)