title: Fluorescence labeling of the palmitoylation sites of rhodopsin.
abstract: Two tandem cysteine residues in the carboxyl-terminal region of rhodopsin have been shown to be covalently linked to palmitate via thioester bonds (Ovchinnikov, Y. A., et al. (1988) FEBS Lett. 230, 1-5). We have synthesized a fluorescent analogue of palmitoyl coenzyme A (16-(9-anthroyloxy)hexadecanoyl coenzyme A ester) and incorporated the fluorescent derivative of palmitate into the protein in high yield (> 40%) through pretreatment of bovine rod outer segments with 1 M hydroxylamine and subsequent incubation with the fluorescent label. Covalent incorporation of label into protein was demonstrated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Proteolytic digestion of labeled rhodopsin in the disc membrane with papain and thermolysin verified the C-terminal location of the label. Treatment of SDS-solubilized, labeled rod outer segments with 10% beta-mercaptoethanol provided evidence that partial depalmitoylation may induce the formation of rhodopsin aggregates. Labeled, unbleached rhodopsin was purified by chromatography over hydroxyapatite and concanavalin A-agarose and reconstituted into dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles. SDS gels of the rhodopsin vesicle preparation verified that all unbound fluorescent label had been removed and that the thioester bond linking probe to protein was not labile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Denver, Colorado 80208.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Moench
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Dewey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006868:Hydrolysis; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010171:Palmitoyl Coenzyme A / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012374:Rod Cell Outer Segment / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010169:Palmitic Acids; C064844:16-(9-anthroyloxy)palmitoyl-coenzyme A; D010171:Palmitoyl Coenzyme A; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D012243:Rhodopsin