title: Heterogeneity of guinea-pig caseins synthesized and sequestered by cell-free protein-synthesizing systems.
abstract: 1. Individual mRNA species encoding guinea-pigs caseins A, B and C, and alpha-lactalbumin, were purified by hydridization to recombinant milk-protein plasmid DNA immobilized on diazobenzyloxymethyl-paper or diazobenzyloxymethyl-cellulose. Addition of the purified mRNA species to a reticulocyte-lysate cell-free system, in the presence or absence of a dog pancreas microsomal membrane fraction, established a precursor-product relationship between the primary translation products and those sequestered within microsomal vesicles, as determined by polyacrylamide-gel analysis in one and two dimensions. 2. Three sequestered variants of sequestered casein A were identified, but only single forms of sequestered casein B and alpha-lactalbumin. Sequestered variants of casein C proved to be unexpectedly basic, and did not focus on the pH gradient utilized. 3. Comparative analysis of milk proteins synthesized in the reticulocyte-lysate and wheat-germ cell-free systems by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrated both quantitative and qualitative differences. In particular, marked but variable heterogeneity was apparent within the primary translation products of casein A and casein B. Pre-casein C did not focus. Limited N-terminal processing of the primary translation products was also evident. These observations are discussed in relation to (i) unscheduled post-translational modifications by cell-free protein-synthesizing systems and (ii) multiplicity of signal sequences. 4. Overall we demonstrate that complex precursor-product relationships between primary translation products and their sequestered variants, programmed in vitro by a mixed mRNA population, may be readily analysed by using individual mRNA sequences purified by hybridization to immobilized cloned complementary-DNA sequences.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007768:Lactalbumin / Q000378:metabolism; D008861:Microsomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D008894:Milk Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007768:Lactalbumin