title: Myofibrillar and nonmyofibrillar myocardial proteins of copper-deficient rats.
abstract: Myofibrillar and nonmyofibrillar proteins from hearts of copper-adequate (n = 9) and copper-deficient (n = 10) rats were compared. Male weanling Long-Evans rats were fed copper-deficient or copper-adequate diets for 9 wk. Twelve additional rats were fed similar diets and cardiac tissue was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Ventricular myocytes were glycerinated and homogenized in 0.1 M KCl and 1.5% Triton X-100, and suspensions were centrifuged at 1100 x g. The supernatant was removed and designated Triton X-100-soluble non-myofibrillar protein, and the pellet was resuspended and recentrifuged several times to obtain myofibrillar protein. Sodium dodecyl sulfate--polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis was conducted on both protein fractions. Densitometer scans of SDS-PAGE pherograms of myofibrillar protein revealed no significant difference between copper-adequate and copper-deficient groups. Similar analysis of nonmyofibrillar protein revealed a consistent decrease or diminished level of a 23-kDa polypeptide among copper-deficient rat hearts. These results may be consistent with the findings that demonstrated fragementation of mitochondrial cristae and an increased area occupied by mitochondria in copper-deficient rat hearts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Ovecka
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Medeiros
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003300:Copper / Q000172:deficiency*; D003720:Densitometry; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000378:metabolism; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D009124:Muscle Proteins; D003300:Copper; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV