The proteins of the content of the secretory granules of the rat parotid gland.
The proteins of the secretory granules of the rat parotid gland were characterized by sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis, by chromatography of [3-H]proline-labeled proteins on DEAE-cellulose and by amino acid analysis. Sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis of the secretory granule content showed five principal proteins and a limited number of minor components. Only two of the principal bands could be identified as known secretory enzymes of the parotid gland. One was identified as the alpha-amylase and one as deoxyribonuclease. Peroxidase and ribonuclease form minor portions of the secretory proteins. The other three major proteins constitute, together, about 60% by weight, of the secretory granule content proteins. Of these, one which represents more than 30% of the total granule protein was found to contain uniquely high amounts of leucine residues (21 mole%). Another one of these principal proteins was relatively rich in cysteine residues (7 mole%). The fifth principal protein was found to contain high amounts of proline (28 mole%) glutamic acid (17 mole%) and glycine (18 mole%) residues. Its amino acid composition was very similar to that of the proline-se granules. This protein, however, differed from the "membranous" proline-rich proteins by several criteria. Two minor glycoproteins of the secretory granule content were also found to be rich in proline residues (37 mole%). As with the other proline-rich proteins of the granule, they contained no sulphur-containing amino acids, stained faintly pink with Coomassie Blue and were underestimated by the Lowry method. They differ however, from all the other proline-rich proteins of the granule by having a significantly higher content of threonine, less glycine (9 mole%) and much less glutamic acid (3 mole%). Of the principal proteins, only the deoxyribonuclease and the half-cystine-rich proteins were positively stained by periodic acid Schiff staining. The possible functions of the leucine-rich, the half cystine-rich and the various proline-rich proteins are discussed.
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity
D000596:Amino Acids; D011506:Proteins; D011392:Proline