Summary
Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins from the separated ribosomal subunits of rabbit reticulocytes, rabbit liver, mouse liver, rat liver, chicken liver, and toad liver was performed using the “pH 4.5/SDS” system previously described (Martini and Gould, 1975), with internal standards to measure the molecular weight distributions. With few exceptions, the patterns were remarkably similar, indicating a high degree of conservation during evolution of both net charge (largely determining mobility in the first dimension) and size (determining mobility in the second dimension). The aggregate mass (sum of molecular weights) of both small and large subunit proteins, about 0.65×106 and 0.9×106 daltons respectively, were invariant. These figures are significantly smaller than the hydrodynamically determined mass of protein in the subunits. The implications of this discrepancy, which is opposite that found in the prokaryotes, is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bickle, T. A., Traut, R. R.: Differences in size and number of 80 S and 70 S ribosomal proteins by dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. J. biol. Chem. 246, 6828–6834 (1971)
Blobel, G., Sabatini, D.: Dissociation of mammalian polyribosomes into subunits by puromycin. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 68, 390–394 (1971)
Cammarano, P., Romeo, A., Gentile, M., Felsani, A., Gualerzi, C.: Size heterogeneity of the large ribosomal subunits and conservation of the small subunits in eukaryote evolution. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 281, 597–624 (1972)
Chao, F. C., Schachman, H. K.: The isolation and characterisation of a macromolecular ribonucleoprotein from yeast. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 61, 220–230 (1956)
Cox, R. A., Huvos, P., Godwin, E. A.: Unusual features of the structure of the major RNA component of the larger subribosomal particle of the rabbit reticulocyte. Israel. J. Chem. 11, 407–422 (1973)
Delaunay, J., Mathieu, J. D., Schapira, G.: Eukaroytic ribosomal proteins. Interspecific and intraspecific comparisons by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Europ. J. Biochem. 31, 561–564 (1972)
Delaunay, J., Creusot, F., Schapira, G.: Evolution of ribosomal proteins. Europ. J. Biochem. 39, 305–312 (1973)
Dunker, A. K., Rueckert, R. R.: Observations on molecular weight determinations on polyacrylamide gel. J. biol. Chem. 244, 5074–5080 (1969)
Dzionara, M., Kaltschmidt, E., Wittmann, H. G.: Ribosomal proteins XIII. Molecular weights of isolated ribosomal proteins of Escherichia coli. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 67, 1909–1913 (1970)
Fazekas de St. Groth, S., Webster, R. G., Datyner, A.: Two new staining procedures for quantitative estimation of proteins on electrophoretic strips. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 71, 377–391 (1963)
Hamilton, M. G.: The molecular weight of the 30 S RNA of Jensen sarcoma vibosomes as determined by equilibrium centrifugation. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 134, 473–475 (1967)
Hamilton, M. G., Pavlovec, A., Petermann, M. L.: Molecular weight, buoyant density, and composition of active subunits of rat liver ribosomes. Biochem. 10, 3424–3427 (1971)
Hill, W. E., Rossetti, G. P., Van Holde, K. E.: Physical studies of ribosomes from Escherichia coli. J. molec. Biol. 44, 263–277 (1969)
Howard, G. A., Traugh, J. A., Croser, E. A., Traut, R. R.: Ribosomal proteins from rabbit reticulocytes: Number and molecular weights of proteins from ribosomal subunits. J. mol. Biol. 93, 391–404 (1975)
Hultin, T., Sjöqvist, A.: Analogies in protein patterns and conformation among ribosomes from different classes of vertebrates. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 40B, 1011–1027 (1971)
King, H. W. S., Gould, H. J., Shearman, J. J.: Molecular weight distribution of proteins in rabbit reticulocyte ribosomal subunits. J. molec. Biol. 61, 143–156 (1971)
Klucis, E. S., Gould, H. J.: Zonal ultracentrifuge for the separation of ribosomal subunits. Science 152, 378 (1966)
Kurland, C. G., Voynow, P., Hardy, S. J. S., Randall, L., Lutter, L.: Physical and functional heterogeneity of E. coli ribosomes. Cold. Spr. Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 34, 17–24 (1969)
Lin, A., Wool, I. G.: The molecular weights of rat liver ribosomal proteins determined by “three-dimensional” polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Molec. gen. Genet. 134, 1–6 (1974)
Maeda, A.: Some properties of ribonucleic acid from yeast 80 S particle. Effect of Magnesium ions. J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 50, 377–385 (1961)
Martini, O. H. W.: Eukaryotic ribosomal proteins, Ph. D. Thesis London University, 1974
Martini, O. H. W., Gould, H. J.: Enumeration of rabbit reticulocyte ribosomal proteins. J. molec. Biol. 62, 403–405 (1971)
Martini, O. H. W., Gould, H. J.: Characterisation of eukaryotic ribosomal proteins. Molec. gen. Genet. 142, 299–316 (1975)
Martini, O. H. W., Gould, H. J., King, H. W. S.: 80 S ribosomal proteins, in The structure and function of eukaryotic ribosomes. Biochem. Soc. Symp. 37, 51–68 (1973)
Martini, O. H. W., Temkin, R., Jones, A., Riley, K., Gould, H. J.: Quantitation of eukaryotic ribosomal proteins separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, FEBS Lett. 56, 205–211 (1975)
McConkey, E. H., Hopkins, J. W.: Molecular weights of some HeLa ribosomal RNA's. J. mol. Biol. 39, 545–550 (1969)
Noll, F., Bielka, H.: Studies on proteins of animal ribosomes. III Immunochemical analysis of ribosomes from different tissues and species of animals. Molec. gen. Genet. 106, 106–113 (1970)
Petermann, M. L.: The physical and chemical properties of ribosomes. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1964
Shapiro, A. L., Vinuela, E., Maizel, J. V., Jr.: Molecular weight estimation of polypeptide chains by electrophoresis in SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 28, 815–820 (1967)
Tashiro, Y., Yphantis, D. A.: Molecular weights of hepatic ribosomes and ribosomal subunits. J. molec. Biol. 11, 174–168 (1965)
Warner, J. R.: The assembly of ribosomes in yeast. J. biol. Chem. 246, 447–454 (1971)
Weber, K., Osborn, M.: The reliability of molecular weight determinations by dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. J. biol. Chem. 244, 4406–4412 (1969)
Wikman-Coffelt, J., Howard, G. A., Traut, R. R.: Comparison of antigenic properties of ribosomal proteins from Novikoff hepatoma and normal liver. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 277, 671–676 (1972)
Williams, J. G., Gratzer, W. B.: Limitations of the detergent polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method for molecular weight determination of proteins. J. Chrom. 57, 121–125 (1971)
Zimmermann, R. A.: RNA-protein interactions in ribosomes. In Ribosomes (M. Nomura, A. Tissieres and P. Lengyel, eds.), p. 225, Cold Spring Harbour Press 1974
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by H. G. Wittmann
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Martini, O.H.W., Gould, H.J. Molecular weight distribution of ribosomal proteins from several vertebrate species. Molec. Gen. Genet. 142, 317–331 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271255
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271255