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Neurones were extracellularly recorded in the magnocellular red nucleus (RNm) of decerebrated cats and identified by their monosynaptic responses to stimulation of the contralateral brachium conjunctivum (BC), and by their antidromic responses after stimulation of the rubrospinal tract in the cord. After each cell was isolated, noxious stimulation was applied to the skin, by touch-free radiant heat. The large majority of the cells (91.5%) responded to noxious stimulation of the skin, even after the RNm was deprived of cerebellar input by sectioning the contralateral BC. About half of this cell group was activated by noxious stimulation and the other half was inhibited. To obtain responses in RNm cells, the stimulus had to be above the thermal pain threshold, and the stimulation area had to be inside the somatic receptive field of the cell for low-threshold afferents. Thus, the receptive fields for nociceptive and low-threshold afferents are similarly organized somatotopically. Noxious stimulation sometimes induced a rhythmic pattern of spike bursts in RNm cells, which could be a reflection of the locomotor-like activity generated in the spinal cord. The results indicate that nociceptive information participates in sensorimotor control via the spinorubrospinal loop, which may also transmit low-threshold cutaneous input and corollary discharge of the activity in spinal motor centres to the RNm.

Somaesthetic input to rubrospinal cells, bypassing the cerebellum and cerebral cortex, has been demonstrated in the cat. The detailed organization of this somatic afferent system was studied using electrophysiological methods on multiple-lesion, chloralose-anaesthetized preparations. Stimulation of the dorsal column (DC) at upper cervical cord segments induced significant responses in magnocellular red nucleus (RNm) cells in cats without a cerebellum and with ablation of the frontal cortex. As classic descriptions state that primary afferent fibres have ascending and descending branches in the DC, with many collaterals arborizing in the grey matter at the segmental level of the cord, this procedure is equivalent to stimulating the somatic fibres coming from a large portion of the body, leading to the simultaneous activation of most ascending spinal pathways. To show that the pathway responsible for the rubral responses ascends in the ventral spinal cord, and that the synaptic relays are located at the segmental level, the stimulation was applied to the DC, caudally to the sectioned dorsal spinal half. Various tests confirmed that the activation was conducted to rubral cells through antidromically activated primary afferents. Their multiple collaterals relay the messages to cells located caudal to the spinal lesion, with fibres ascending in the ventral cord. Any relay of the somatic rubral responses in the DC's nuclei was excluded. When the DC was sectioned and its rostral end was dissected free and lifted onto two hook electrodes for stimulation, no response was obtained in the rubral cells. This dissection indeed sectioned all DC fibre collaterals entering the grey matter, thus excluding the possibility of segmental relay. Single shocks applied to the ventral quadrant of the cord or in the medial lemniscus (LM) in the medulla oblongata induced monosynaptic excitatory post-synaptic potentials (EPSPs) in most rubrospinal cells. The spinal EPSPs could be collided by stimulation in the LM, thus demonstrating the existence of direct connections from the cord to the RNm. This somaesthetic pathway to the RNm could be involved in on-line correction of movements and in learning new motor strategies.

A somaesthetic pathway to the magnocellular red nucleus (RNm) via relays other than cortico- or cerebello-rubral relays was previously found to exist in the cat. At the brainstem level, the ascending spinorubral fibres follow the medial lemniscus (LM). The present paper aims at describing in detail and evaluating the quantitative importance of the short-latency responses in RNm cells after microstimulation performed in the LM through a monopolar electrode. The RNm cells, tested intracellularly in cats anaesthetized with alpha-choralose and placed in a stereotaxic device, were identified by their antidromic activation to stimulation of the rubrospinal tract in the cervical cord. It was established that single-shock stimulation below 100 miroA current delivered to the LM induced short-lantency postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) in 87% of all the rubrospinal cells tested. The responses were indeed due to activation of LM fibres, as demonstrated by different tests: the location of the electrode tip in the LM was verified by recording, with the same electrode, the potentials evoked by stimulating the dorsal columns of the cord. The site was later confirmed histologically. The absence of stimulus spread from the LM to the underlying pyramidal tract was systematically checked by simultaneously recording the responses evoked in RNm cells and in the motor cortex. Monosynaptic excitatory responses (EPSPs) were evoked in RNm cells with a minimum stimulating current of less than 20 microA in the LM and a mean threshold of 42 microA. Disynaptic inhibitory potentials (IPSPs) were evoked in 23% of these cells with single-pulse stimulation. These latter responses showed a temporal facilitation with short trains of three pulses, which indicated that they were transmitted through inhibitory interneurones. Recordings were also performed from presumed LM fibre terminals running inside the RNm. The results therefore confirm the existence of strong lemniscal projections to RNm and demonstrate that they transmit both excitatory and inhibitory messages to rubrospinal cells. As the somaesthetic pathway to the RNm was previously found to come from the spinal cord, where it is located in the ventral portion, the present results also confirm that the LM is composed of fibres originating not only from neurones in the dorsal column nuclei, but also from cells placed at the segmental levels of the cord. The presumed sensorimotor function of this ascending pathway is discussed.

In view to study the possible participation of the sequence portions of colipase including or close to the free carboxyl groups at positions 15 and/or 72 to the binding with pancreatic lipase, we have used three synthetic peptides matching portions 8-16, 59-67 and 67-72 of the amino acid sequence. Polyclonal rabbit anticolipase immune serum, which cross-reacts with peptides in ELISA, was fractionated on columns of peptide coupled to Sepharose. Of the three fractions of antibodies, only that interacting with peptide 8-16 had the capacity to inhibit colipase-dependent lipase activity by specifically preventing the association of lipase with its protein cofactor previously bound to lipid. We conclude that the region spanning residues 8-16 of colipase is of importance for colipase-lipase interaction in the active complex formed at interface.

The rate of hydrolysis of long chain triglycerides by pure bovine pancreatic lipase has been determined in the presence of variable amounts of bile salts and colipase. Cofactor-free lipase is strongly inhibited by sodium taurodesoxycholate and by mixed bovine bile salts at concentrations higher than the critical micellar concentration. Bile salt inhibited lipase is reactivated by the addition of bovine colipase. Gel filtration of pancreatic juice from several species (Cow, dog, pig) on Sephadex G 100 allows the separation of lipase from colipase. It is found that the enzyme catalyzed hydrolysis of long chain triglycerides by pancreatic lipase from one species is activated by the addition of colipase from other species. Studies on the activation of pancreatic lipase by colipase in the presence of bile salts allowed the re-evaluation of optimal conditions for the determination of lipase and the development of a procedure to assay colipase.

Three molecular forms of colipase (colipases A, B and C) with the same specific activity have been isolated from an acid extract of bovine pancreas. Purification includes ammonium sulfate precipitation, ethanol treatment, chromatography on SP-Sephadex, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and chromatography on QAE-Sephadex. The most basic form of bovine colipase (colipase A) has a molecular weight of 11,000-12,000 daltons and contains 104 residues. Its aminoacid composition is very similar to that of the intact form of porcine colipase isolated by Borgström et al. Colipases from both species have the same N-terminal residue (valine). It is likely that bovine colipases B and C represent partially degraded forms of colipase A. Their cofactor activity, however, is the same.

Strong perturbation of the ultraviolet spectrum of the tyrosines of porcine pancreatic colipase A is observed in the presence of Triton X-100 at concentration above the critical micellar concentration. Spectrophotometric titration of the phenolic groups of the protein shows that the apparent pKa value for two tyrosines is about 10.3, while the third tyrosine has a higher pKa value above 11.6. This residue is still protonated at pH 13 in the presence of Triton X-100. All perturbations induced by the nonionic detergent can be interpreted as resulting from interactions between colipase and Triton X-100 molecules at a hydrophobic site of the protein that includes the tyrosine residues. Results obtained in studies with Triton X-100 are similar to those already reported by Sari et al. (Eur. J. Biochem. 58:561 (1975) on the interaction of colipase with taurodeoxycholate. It is likely that the binding of both types of detergent occurs at the same specific site on the protein molecule. Data presented in this communication give further support to the hypothesis that a hydrophobic domain (residues 49-57), including all three tyrosines of the colipase molecule, participate to the well characterized interaction of the lipase cofactor with triglycerides at lipid-water interfaces.

Horse pancreatic lipase has been purified from tissue homogenates. Molecular and catalytic properties of horse lipase are comparable to those of the pancreatic lipases previously isolated. Kinetic studies of the inhibition of horse lipase activity by bile salts and of reactivation by pure colipase from three species (horse, ox and pig) allowed to calculate the apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of the lipase-colipase complex in the presence of the substrate (triolein). Identical values of Kd were found in all three cases (Kd = 1.1 10(-9) M). These values are lower by several orders of magnitude than that published for the binding between lipase and colipase in the absence of substrate. Qualitative experiments show that the activation of horse lipase can be accomplished by rat, dog and chicken colipase as well. The interaction between lipase and colipase is enhanced when the complex is adsorbed at the lipid-water interface. This specific protein-protein interaction is preserved in heterologous mixtures using colipases from other animal species.

Colipase has been isolated from acidic extracts of chicken pancreatic tissue homogenized with Triton X-100. The cofactor fully activates bile salt inhibited mammalian lipases. The amino terminal sequence of the avian protein has been determined up to position 39 and compared to the homologous region of the mammalian colipases (pig, horse, man) previously studied. From this comparison, it appears that a high degree of homology exists between the proteins.

Four monoclonal antibodies directed against porcine colipase have been generated by hybridization of myeloma cells with spleen cells of BALB/c immunized mice. Antibodies were screened by binding to immobilized colipase in a solid-phase assay. Monoclonal antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography on colipase coupled to Sepharose. All monoclonal antibodies are of the IgG1 class with high affinity for the antigen. The dissociation constant of the complex formed in solution between porcine colipase and antibody varied from 1.1 X 10(-10) M to 1.8 X 10(-8) M. Epitope specificity was studied for each antibody and in pairs with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results indicate that the four monoclonal antibodies react with at least three different antigenic regions of colipase. Finally, three monoclonal antibodies were found to be potent inhibitors of colipase activity. Antiporcine monoclonal antibodies appear to be suitable probes for studying the lipid affinity site of the protein cofactor of pancreatic lipase.

Lipase and colipase have been purified to homogeneity from chicken pancreatic tissue. The enzyme has a molecular weight (48 000) and catalytic properties similar to those of pancreatic lipase from higher mammals. Hydrolysis of triolein by chicken lipase is strongly inhibited by various bile salts, including sodium taurochenodeoxycholate, which is present in large proportion in chicken bile. Inhibition is reversed by colipase. With triolein as enzyme substrate, in the presence of sodium deoxycholate, no difference was observed in the ability of pure colipase from chicken, horse or pig to fully activate bile-salt-inhibited lipase from the same species. However, kinetic studies of the hydrolysis of a lecithin-stabilized emulsion of triacylglycerol (Intralipid) by chicken lipase show that the lag period is much longer in the presence of porcine colipase than with the chicken cofactor. This might reflect the higher ability of the avian enzyme to associate with colipase from the same species than with mammalian cofactors when the triacylglycerol substrate surface is covered with amphiphilic lecithin. From our study, the chicken pancreatic lipase/colipase system appears to be functionally similar to homologous lipolytic systems from higher mammals. It is then likely that they are of comparable physiological significance in fat digestion in avian and mammalian species.

Colipase was isolated from porcine pancreas homogenate prepared in the presence of detergent (Triton X 100). After precipitation by ammonium sulfate and ethanol, the cofactor was purified by chromatography on SP-Sephadex in the presence of Triton X 100 and on DEAE-cellulose in the absence of detergent. Two molecular forms of porcine colipase were obtained. They represent 80 per cent (colipase A) and 20 per cent (colipase B), respectively, of the total colipase. Valine is the N-terminal residue of both proteins. Their aminoacid composition is similar to that found by Borgstrom for the two forms of porcine colipase. Determination of the sequence of the first sixteen residues at the N-terminal end of colipase A indicates that the cofactor undergoes no proteolytic degradation in this region of the molecule when extraction is carried out in the presence of detergent. The recovery of colipase is about 30 per cent.