title: Unique recognition of activin and inhibin by polyclonal antibodies to inhibin subunits.
abstract: Inhibin-A is a glycoprotein composed of an alpha subunit containing a glycosylation site and a beta A subunit, whereas activin-A is a homodimer of two inhibin beta A subunits. We examined the recognition of activin-A and inhibin-A by several antisera to the alpha or beta A subunit, and factors affecting the recognition. A total of six polyclonal antibodies to inhibin subunits, i.e., two antisera to a peptide fragment of the alpha subunit [alpha (1-19) and alpha (1-26)], and four antisera to the beta A subunit [beta A (1-10), beta A (70-79), beta A (87-99), and beta A (94-105)], was generated. On Western blot analysis, the anti-beta A (87-99) and beta A (94-105) sera recognized recombinant human activin-A but not inhibin-A under non-reducing conditions. When inhibin-A was deglycosylated with N-glycosidase-F, inhibin-A could be recognized by the anti-beta A (87-99) and beta A (94-105) sera. In addition, when activin-A bound to a nitrocellulose membrane was pre-incubated with recombinant human follistatin, the recognition of activin-A by the anti- beta A (87-99) and beta A (94-105) sera was decreased. These results suggested that the lower affinity of follistatin to inhibin-A than to activin-A might be likely explained as reflecting a site associated with the glycosylation of inhibin-A. However, the exposure of amino acids 87-105 of the inhibin beta A subunit on the molecular surface through deglycosylation did not increase the affinity of inhibin-A for follistatin but rather resulted in poor binding with follistatin. The present data suggest that (1) amino acids 87-105 of the inhibin/activin beta A subunit are located on the molecular surface, although this region of inhibin-A is concealed by the carbohydrate chain of the alpha subunit, (2) the region responsible for follistatin binding within the activin beta A subunit is spanned by amino acids 87-105, and (3) the mode of binding of inhibin-A to follistatin is quite different from that of activin-A to follistatin, and the former may be influenced by glycosylation.
authors.affiliation: Torii Nutrient-Stasis Project, ERATO, R & D Corp. of Japan, Yokohama.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funaba
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torii
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle; D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006031:Glycosylation; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D007265:Inhibins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D011485:Protein Binding; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D007106:Immune Sera; D010455:Peptides; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C043076:beta-microseminoprotein; C094377:inhibin-alpha subunit; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins