A protein from the marine mollusc Aplysia californica that is hemolytic and stimulates arachidonic acid metabolism in cultured mammalian cells.
Aqueous extracts of the foot muscle of the marine mollusc Aplysia californica contain a proteins(s) that stimulates cytolysis and prostaglandin production in the C-9 rat liver cell line and hemolysis of red blood cells. Partial purification of the protein by ion exchange chromatography and fast protein liquid chromatography resulted in parallel increases in specific activity for prostaglandin production and hemolysis. Prostaglandin release occurred both at cytolytic concentrations of the protein and at lower concentrations that caused no apparent alterations in cell morphology. Differential sensitivity of a variety of cell lines to stimulation of prostaglandin production was observed; one group of cells, including the C-9 rat liver cell line, displayed a 5-fold stimulation of arachidonic acid metabolism with 1-3 micrograms of a partially purified protein preparation, while a second group was insensitive to concentrations as high as 20 micrograms protein of that preparation. Red blood cells also displayed differential sensitivity to hemolysis: rhesus and squirrel monkey red blood cells were 100-fold more sensitive to lysis by the protein than cebus monkey erythrocytes. Both activities were abolished by treatment with pepsin, trypsin or heat and both had a molecular weight of congruent to 45,000, as determined by gel filtration. Stimulation of both prostaglandin synthesis and hemolysis was Ca2+ dependent. These observations suggest, but do not prove, that the protein that causes lysis of red blood cells and the protein that stimulates arachidonic acid metabolism in the C-9 cell line is the same.
D000818:Animals; D001048:Aplysia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D002428:Cebus; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006358:Hot Temperature; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008235:Lyngbya Toxins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009132:Muscles / Q000032:analysis; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D012453:Saimiri; D013045:Species Specificity
D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D008235:Lyngbya Toxins; D011453:Prostaglandins; C006610:aplysiatoxin