Topic:Protein
Proteins are essential macromolecules that play diverse roles in the physiology and health of horses. They are composed of amino acids and are involved in various biological processes, including tissue growth, repair, and the synthesis of enzymes and hormones. Dietary proteins are a key component of equine nutrition, influencing muscle development, immune function, and overall performance. Horses require a balanced intake of essential amino acids, which must be obtained through their diet, as they cannot be synthesized endogenously. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the types, functions, and dietary requirements of proteins in horses, as well as their impact on equine health and performance.
Difference in sizes of human compared to murine alpha-subunits of the glycoprotein hormones arises by four-codon gene deletion or insertion. The sizes of the human and subhuman alpha-subunits of the glycoprotein hormones differ by four amino acids (hCG alpha, 92 amino acids; murine, equine, bovine, and ovine alpha, 96 amino acids). The shortening of the human alpha-subunit has been attributed to posttranslational proteolysis. We have recently determined the nucleotide sequences of the mRNAs encoding the precursors of the alpha-subunit of mouse TSH and rat gonadotropins using recombinant DNA techniques. In this report, we have compared these nucleotide sequences and their deduced amino acid sequences with those of the pre- alpha-sub...
Effects of common radioiodination procedures on the binding of glycoproteins to immobilized lectins. Representative glycoproteins including fetuin, protein A, ovalbumin, alpha 1 acid glycoprotein, and the major glycoprotein of equine infectious anemia virus were labelled with 125I by the chloramine-T or Bolton-Hunter procedure and their binding to immobilized Con A or lentil lectin compared to untreated samples of each glycoprotein. Glycoprotein modification was no greater than one substituted residue per protein molecule. Yet the radioiodinated glycoproteins typically displayed only 0-50% of the lectin binding observed with untreated samples. These results indicate that lectin glycoprotein b...
Identification of the second alpha-2-antiprotease of equine serum as antithrombin III. The alpha-2-protease inhibitor, of 65,000 daltons molecular weight, described by several authors in horse plasma and also present as a contaminant in alpha-1-isoinhibitor isolates previously described by us (Pellegrini & von Fellenberg (1980) Biochim. biophys. Acta 616, 351-361) has now been isolated to purity and identified as antithrombin III. The inhibitor is composed of a single polypeptide chain as judged by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The inhibitor was effective only against trypsin and thrombin. Serological cross-reaction existed between the inhibitor and the antiserum t...
Immunochemical demonstration of a new pregnancy protein in the mare. An antiserum against the serum of a pregnant mare was absorbed with stallion serum. This antiserum then gave two precipitates in crossed immunoelectrophoresis with serum from pregnant mares as the antigen. The two precipitates exhibited beta-1 and alpha-2 electrophoretic mobility. Identity was demonstrated between the alpha-2 mobile protein and PMSG. The absorbed antiserum inhibited the biological action of the PMSG preparation when tested in mouse ovarian weight assays. The beta-1 mobile protein was not detected in the serum from non-pregnant mares, stallions or geldings and was detected earl...
Studies on prolactin 48: isolation and properties of the hormone from horse pituitary glands. Isolation of prolactin from equine pituitary glands has been described. It has a potency of 42 IU/mg in the pigeon crop-sac test and consists of 199 amino acids. The hormone has only four half-cystine residues in contrast to other mammalian prolactins which have six residues. From NH2-terminal sequence analysis and amino acid composition of cyanogen bromide fragments, the NH2-terminal disulfide loop is missing in the equine prolactin molecule. Circular dichroism spectra indicate that the alpha-helical content of equine prolactin appears to be lower (50%) than that found in the ovine hormone (6...
Characterisation of the alpha 1-protease inhibitor system in Thoroughbred horse plasma by horizontal two-dimensional (ISO-DALT) electrophoresis. 1. Protein staining. The isoelectric points and the molecular weights of the major components of the eight Thoroughbred protease inhibitor (Pi) types have been determined by polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing and polyacrylamide gel pore gradient (ISO-DALT) electrophoresis respectively. The major Pi proteins focus in the range pH 3.74-4.43 and have molecular weights ranging from 55 000-72 000 daltons. Using the ISO-DALT method of electrophoresis, protein maps for the eight Thoroughbred Pi types have been presented for the first time. None of the homozygous Pi types are identical except for the types S1 and S2 ...
The effect of exercise on blood parameters in standardbred and Finnish-bred horses. Serum enzyme activities, albumin, protein, urea, cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, glucose and lactate concentrations as well as hematocrit values were measured in standardbred and Finnish-bred horses at rest and after (i) a short controlled exercise and (ii) a trotting competition. There were no breed differences in the enzyme activities at rest and the 2 breeds responded in the same manner to the exercise. Only after the race proper significant increases in the enzyme activities were found. The activities rose more in the standardbred horses than in the Finnish-bred horses. Urea an...
Isolation and characterization of horse alpha 2-macroglobulin protease inhibitor. Several publications have described in the past properties of partly purified horse alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) which are strikingly different from the human alpha 2M. Horse alpha 2M was therefore isolated to purity by classical procedures, i.e. affinity chromatography, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration, and its properties are compared with those of its human counterpart. The molecular weight of the native protein and its subunits, the isoelectrofocusing pattern and the change in electrophoretic mobility caused by interaction with protease were similar to those of human alpha...
Kinetic and structural relationships of transition monomeric and oligomeric carboxyl- and choline-esterases. The kinetic and structural relationships of eight electrophoretically pure mammalian serum and liver serine carboxylesterases (CE) and cholinesterases (ChE) have been studied. Eight CE's and ChE's, which were fully resolved but only partially purified, provided additional information. Five of the electrophoretically pure esterases were monomeric, and of these, four belonged to a new and widely distributed class. These four monomeric esterases hydrolyzed choline esters, but at widely differing rates. Thus two were termed monomeric butyrylcholinesterases, mBuChE I and II, and two were monomeric ...
Antibody moieties within circulating immune complexes in heart transplant recipients. Circulating immune complexes were isolated from the sera of cardiac allograft recipients by bovine conglutinin/anti-conglutinin co-precipitation, or by gel filtration and protein A-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The antibody moieties within these isolated immune complexes were tested for specificity against heterologous anti-thymocyte globulins by solid phase radioimmunoassay, and bacterial and viral antigens by indirect immunofluorescence. The results showed that in addition to possessing specific anti-equine anti-thymocyte globulin antibodies, immune complexes also contained cross-reacti...
Structural and functional properties of the non-muscle tropomyosins. The non-muscle tropomyosins (TMs), isolated from such tissues as platelets, brain and thyroid, are structurally very similar to the muscle TMs, being composed of two highly alpha-helical subunits wound around each other to form a rod-like molecule. The non-muscle TMs are shorter than the muscle TMs; sequence analysis demonstrates that each subunit of equine platelet TM consists of 247 amino acids, 37 fewer than for skeletal muscle TM. The major differences in sequence between platelet and skeletal muscle TM are found near the amino and carboxyl terminal ends of the proteins. Probably as the re...
Streptokinase-dependent delayed activation of horse plasminogen. Complete activation of purified horse plasminogen to plasmin was obtained with a 1:10 molar ratio of streptokinase to plasminogen after 5 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. At a 1:1 molar ratio, maximal activity did not appear until 15-30 min, while at a ratio of 6:1 complete activation was delayed for 120-180 min. Gel filtration studies of isotopically labeled streptokinase and horse plasminogen suggest that the delay was due to impaired formation of a streptokinase-plasminogen complex. The predominant streptokinase moiety within the streptokinase-plasmin complex which forms from the streptok...
Correlation of parvalbumin concentration with relaxation speed in mammalian muscles. The physiological role of the Ca2+-binding protein parvalbumin in skeletal muscle has been investigated by measuring the parvalbumin content by HPLC in a variety of mammalian muscles, including man, and comparing the results with the respective muscle relaxation properties and fiber type compositions. The parvalbumin concentrations were highest in the skeletal muscles of the smallest animal investigated (mouse, gastrocnemius: 4.9 g/kg), which has the highest relaxation speed, and lowest in the larger animals (horse, deep gluteal muscle: less than or equal to 0.001 g/kg) and man (vastus, tricep...
Characterization of the major antigens of Haemophilus equigenitalis (contagious equine metritis organism). Immunoelectrophoresis of ultrasonically disrupted Haemophilus equigenitalis (contagious equine metritis organism) cells against rabbit and equine antisera disclosed at least 11 precipitating antigens. Two of these, a polysaccharide and a lipopolysaccharide-protein complex, were of high molecular weight and located on the cell surface. The remaining antigens were intracellular and were small- to medium-sized proteins. The surface antigens were the most significant in relation to the serological response in infected horses. They also reacted with sera from apparently healthy cattle, but the reas...
Serum protein electrophoresis in horses and ponies. A method of electrophoresis of horse serum on agarose gels (pH 8.6) is described, together with a system for interpreting changes in the electrophoretic zones based upon the relative distribution of the major serum proteins. Differences in the protein composition of the individual electrophoretic zones of horses and ponies were recorded, although this variation probably reflects differences in management and the presence of subclinical disease.
Enzyme activities and protein concentration in the intraocular fluids of ten mammals. An attempt was made to establish normal values for the total protein concentrations and the enzyme activities of LDH, MDH and PGI in the intraocular fluids of rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs, sheep, cattle, pigs, horses and humans. Remarkably little species differences were noted in 9 of the 10 mammals with vitreal enzyme activities falling into a narrow range between 8.4 U/l (PGI, horse) and 92.4 U/l (MDH, guinea pig). All species obeyed the sequence aqueous less than vitreous less than serum with exception of the rat, where vitreous activities surpassed serum at least two-fold. The ve...
A comparison of chemical and electrophoretic methods of serum protein determinations in clinically normal domestic animals of various ages. The biuret total protein method and a bromcresol green (BCG) albumin method were used on the Abbott ABA-100 chemistry analyzer to assay serum proteins in clinically normal cattle, sheep, ponies, pigs, and ducks. Total proteins were also read on a refractometer and mylar supported cellulose acetate electrophoresis was performed. Globulins and A/G ratios were calculated from the chemical method and the results compared with the electrophoretic method. Total protein, albumin and A/G ratios in the ponies, sheep and older cattle were in agreement between the two methods. The younger cattle and all ...
[Some physicochemical properties of native and polymerized glutaraldehyde-treated horse heart cytochrome c]. Glutaraldehyde treatment does not change the absorption of cytochrome c either in the visible or in UV spectra. It brings about the formation of dimers, trimers and high-polymeric forms of cytochrome c and shifts the pI of all cytochrome c isoelectric fractions to more acid pH. Polymerization also results in changes of kinetic parameters of cytochrome c benzidine reaction increasing its affinity to 3,3-diaminobenzidine with a simultaneous decrease in the effectiveness of H2O2 binding. These biochemical changes can be related to immunochemical differences of native and glutaraldehyde-treated cy...
Purification and identification of horse serum IgA. ウマ分泌型IgA (初乳, 涙) の分離精製については, すでに報告されているが, ウマ血清IgAの分離精製に関する明確な手法を示した報告は見あたらない. われわれは, ウマ血清を脱塩, 硫安塩析し, ついでDEAEセルロース, 免疫吸着体のカラム操作により, 抗原性および分子サイズにおいて, IgG, IgG(T), IgM とは明らかに区別される免疫グロブリンを分離精製した. この免疫グロブリンは抗イヌIgAとの交差反応性により, IgAと同定された. さらに作製した抗分泌型...
An electrophoretic investigation of mammalian spermatid-specific nuclear proteins. Using standardized methods for protein extraction and analysis, the testes of rams, bulls, goats, boars, stallions, rats, cats, hedgehogs, European mink and ferrets were examined for basic spermatid nucleoproteins by electrophoresis. The results suggest that differences exist in the total number of these proteins as well as in the number and amount of the cross-linked cystein-containing proteins. These differences appear to be more family-specific than species-specific.
A comparison of the serum protein electrophoretic patterns of young and adult animals. Samples of serum from both young and adult normal cattle, sheep and horses were subjected to protein electrophoresis on agarose gel films. After processing, the stained electrophoretic patterns and densitometric traces of each species exhibited certain specific characteristics. The separations also revealed differences between young and adult animals of the same species. These age-related differences are described here.
Resonance-enhanced Raman identification of a ternary chemical intermediate during the equine liver alcohol dehydrogenase reduction of p-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde. The nature of the binding of aromatic aldehyde and aromatic alcohol substrates to the catalytic zinc of equine liver alcohol dehydrogenase has been studied by using resonance-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. When an excess of both enzyme and coenzyme to substrate is used, a stable ternary chemical intermediate is formed between liver alcohol dehydrogenase and the reduced coenzyme, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and the aldehyde, p-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde, in the pH range 8.5-0.6. Resonance-enhanced Raman spectra clearly show that this same intermediate is formed between the excess enzyme, ...
The conformational transition of horse heart porphyrin c. The heme iron of horse heart cytochrome c was selectively removed using anhydrous HF. The product, porphyrin c, exhibits the viscosity, far ultraviolet circular dichroic, and fluorescence properties characteristic for native cytochrome c. However, porphyrin c is more susceptible to denaturation by guanidine hydrochloride and by heat than is the parent cytochrome. All of the conformational parameters of porphyrin c exhibit a common reversible transition centered at 0.95 m guanidine hydrochloride at 23 degrees C and pH 7.0. Guanidine denatured porphyrin c refolds in two kinetic phases having tim...
Pancreatic colipase: crystallographic and biochemical aspects. A detailed study of the crystallization of hog and horse colipases has been undertaken. Several crystallographic varieties have been obtained and a 0.3-nm resolution structure determination is actually in progress. The sequence of the A form of horse colipase (one methionine) is given. From spectrophotometric experiments and sequence comparisons, the involvement of the aromatic residue in position 52 in the micelle binding site has been demonstrated.
Protein utilisation in response to caecal corn starch in ponies. The influence of administering caecal corn starch (0.0, 0.2, 0.4 or 0.6 g/kg body weight/day) on protein utilisation in 4 ponies was analysed with a latin square experimental design. The basal diet was dehydrated alfalfa pellets. Determinations were made of nitrogen retention, protein and dry matter digestions, total plasma protein, plasma urea nitrogen, plasma ammonia and plasma-free amino acids. Twice daily administration of corn starch into the caecum resulted in an increased nitrogen retention (P less than 0.01). Maximum nitrogen retention was observed with the caecal administration of 0.4...
Effect of intra-articular injection of orgotein and saline solution on equine synovia. Orgotein was injected into the right intercarpal joint of each of 8 horses; the corresponding left joint was left alone (not injected) or was given an injection of normal saline solution. Injection with orgotein caused a transient, marked inflammatory response, evidenced by clinical signs and by increased leukocytes and total protein in the synovia (synovial fluid). Leukocyte numbers and total protein concentration were increased (P less than 0.010) in the orgotein-injected joints within 24 hours. However, saline solution alone also elicited a marked inflammatory response, manifested by increa...