月鳢消化器官指数及蛋白酶活性对饥饿的响应

经实验发现饥饿处理对月鳢各消化器官中蛋白酶活性有显著的影响,测定了实验组和对照组中月鳢各消化器官的蛋白酶活性的变化后,经统计分析,结果显示,在饥饿了4、8、12、16、20d后,胃、肠、肝胰脏中蛋白酶的活性与对照组相比较都出现了极显著变化（p〈0.01）;比胃重、比肝胰脏重以及比肠重在饥饿处理了4d和8d后并未出现显著变化（p〉0.05）,但在饥饿处理时间超过8d后,比肠重与对照组相比较出现了显著变化（p〈0.05）。     

Lon protease promotes survival of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> during anaerobic glucose starvation

In Escherichia coli, Lon is an ATP-dependent protease which degrades misfolded proteins and certain rapidly-degraded regulatory proteins. Given that oxidatively damaged proteins are generally degraded rather than repaired, we anticipated that Lon deficient cells would exhibit decreased viability during aerobic, but not anaerobic, carbon starvation. We found that the opposite actually occurs. Wild-type and Lon deficient cells survived equally well under aerobic conditions, but Lon deficient cells died more rapidly than the wild-type under anaerobiosis. Aerobic induction of the Clp family of ATP-dependent proteases could explain these results, but direct quantitation of Clp protein established that its level was not affected by Lon deficiency and overexpression of Clp did not rescue the cells under anaerobic conditions. We conclude that the Lon protease supports survival during anaerobic carbon starvation by a mechanism which does not depend on Clp. Shen Luo and Megan McNeill contributed equally to this research.     

Effect of nitrogen starvation on ammonium-inhibition of nitrogenase activity in Azotobacter chroococcum

When Azotobacter chroococcum cells grown in batch culture under N₂-fixing conditions were transferred to a medium lacking a nitrogen source, the cellular C/N ratio, the amount of alginic acid released into the external medium and the rate of endogenous respiration increased appreciably after 6 h to the exclusion of dinitrogen, whereas nitrogenase activity did not undergo any significant change. Nitrogen deficiency caused a decrease in the ammonium inhibition of nitrogenase activity from 95% inhibition at zero time to 14% after 6 h incubation under dinitrogen starvation, with no difference in the rate of ammonium utilization by N₂-fixing and N₂-starved cells being observed. This suggests that a balance of nitrogen and carbon assimilation is necessary for the ammonium inhibition of nitrogenase activity in A. chroococcum to take place.     

A protease with staphylolytic activity from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAKS I

The supernatant from broth cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAKS I contains two different enzymes with staphylolytic activity. One of them, namely staphylolytic enzyme, seems to be specific for glycine-rich cross-links present in the cell wall of different Gram-positive bacteria and has been previously characterized. In addition to the staphylolytic activity, the second protein which we propose to be a staphylolytic protease, has proteolytic activity against casein. This enzyme is approximately 33 kDa, has an isoelectric point ranging from 7.3 to 8.1 and an optimum pH value of 8.0 for casein hydrolysis. Staphylolytic protease was detected in the extracellular medium after 12 h of cell growth. Immunocytochemical studies suggest that the protease is located within the periplasmic space of P. aeruginosa.     

Purification and characterization of cathepsin B from goat brain

Cathepsin B was purified to an apparent homogeneity from goat brain utilizing the techniques of homogenization, autolysis at pH 4, 30–70% (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation, Sephadex G-100 column chromatography, organomercurial afinity chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex C-50. The enzyme had a pH optima of 6 with α-N-benzoyl-D, L-arginine-β-naphthIylamide, benzyloxycarbonyl-arginine-arginme-4-methoxy -β-naphthylamide and azocasein as substrates. TheKm values for the hydrolysis of α-N-benzoyl-D, L-arginine-β-naphthylamide and benzyloxycarbonyl-arginine-arginine-4-methoxy -β-naphthylamide were 2.36 and 0.29 mM respectively in 2.5% dimethylsulphoxide. However, the correspondingKm values for these substrates in 1 % dimethylsulphoxide were 0.51 and 0.09 mM. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by thiol inhibitors and tetrapeptidyl chloromethylketones. Leupeptin inhibited the enzyme competitively withK _i value of 12.5 × l0⁻⁹M. Dithioerythritol was found to be the most potent activator of this sulfhydryl protease. Molecular weight estimations on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and on analytical Sephadex G-75 column were around 27,000 and 29,000 daltons respectively. Cathepsin B was found to reside in the lysosomes of goat brain. The highest percentage of cathepsin B was in cerebrum. However, the specific activity of the enzyme was maximum in pituitary gland.     

Postnatal changes of cathepsin D activity in rat liver and brain

Total and specific activity of cathepsin D (EC. 3.4.23.5) were measured in rat liver and brain from 1 to 98 days of age. The activity of cathepsin D in the liver of adult and newborn rats was the same while in the rat brain it was higher in adult than in newborn rats. In the liver maximum specific activity of cathepsin D occurred on the 10th postnatal day and minimum on the fourth day of age. In the brain maximum specific activity of the enzyme occurred on the 14th postnatal day. Total activity of cathepsin D increased after birth in rat liver and brain. These results are discussed in relation to the functional role of cathepsin D in the rat liver and the brain.     

Antimicrobial activity studies on a trypsin-chymotrypsin protease inhibitor obtained from potato

A 5.6 kDa trypsin-chymotrypsin protease inhibitor was isolated from the tubers of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L cv. Gogu) by extraction of the water-soluble fraction, dialysis, ultrafiltration, and C18 reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. This inhibitor, which we named potamin-1 (PT-1), was thermostable and possessed antimicrobial activity but lacked hemolytic activity. PT-1 strongly inhibited pathogenic microbial strains, including Candida albicans, Rhizoctonia solani, and Clavibacter michiganense subsp. michiganinse. Automated Edman degradation showed that the N-terminal sequence of PT-1 was NH2-DICTCCAGTKGCNTTSANGAFICEGQSDPKKPKACPLNCDPHIAYA-. The sequence had 62% homology with a serine protease inhibitor belonging to the Kunitz family, and the peptide inhibited chymotrypsin, trypsin, and papain. This protease inhibitor, PT-1, was composed of polypeptide chains joined by disulfide bridge(s). Reduced PT-1 almost completely lost its activity against fungi and proteases indicating that disulfide bridge is essential for its protease inhibitory and antifungal activity. These results suggest that PT-1 is an excellent candidate as a lead compound for the development of novel oral or other anti-infective agents.     

Determination of protease activity in blood and microorganisms

A protease activity may be determined by means of immunoglobulins. Since proteolytic products apparently do not retain antigenic determinants of the initial substrate, the monitoring of enzymatic process may employ ELISA methods. The ELISA determination of functional activity of specific IgA1 protease has been used not only for detection of this enzyme, but also for measurement of its inhibition constants. IgG adsorbed onto a microplate was used for evaluation of total proteolytic activity. Varying pH values of the reaction medium it is possible to measure activity of neutral, alkaline and acid proteases. This approach was used for estimation total proteolytic activity of neutral proteases in blood serum. Due to high sensitivity of this method it was possible to dilute serum up to the level when serum inhibitors had not blocked enzyme activity. Assay of serum enzyme activity at acidic pH results in activation of pepsinogens and determination of pepsin activity. Measurement of a total level of serum pepsinogen activity may have diagnostic importance in gastroenterology, due to decisive contribution of pepsinogen I to the detectable activity.     

Effects of frontal ganglion removal and starvation on activity and distribution of six gut enzymes in Locusta

A study has been made on the effects of frontal ganglion removal and starvation on the activities and distribution of α- and β-glucosidase, α- and β-galactosidase, trehalase, and ‘trypsin’ in various regions of the alimentary canal of adult locusts. Both treatments resulted in a reduction in the amount of enzyme activity. In addition, the distribution of enzyme activity was changed by comparison with the operated control insects; the foregut of starved and operated animals showing a smaller proportion of the overall gut enzyme activity. The results are discussed in relation to the control of enzyme secretion.     

Studies on genes and biochemical events induced by carbon-source starvation in plant cells

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) suspension cells exhibit a number of physiological responses when carbon sources in the medium are depleted (i.e., carbon-source starvation). We previously reported that activities of several phospholipid catabolic enzymes, such as phospholipase D (PLD) and lipolytic acyl hydrolase (LAH), are induced to provide cells with alternative carbon sources. In this study we report sequence of PLD cDNA. When starvation was prolonged over approximately five days, cells started to die. To analyze the initiation of cell death, we examined the degradation of DNA and activity of DNA endonuclease. Preliminary results showed that DNA degradation occurred at the onset of cell death. Our findings suggest that carrot cells exhibit two different phases-acclimation response and cell death-during starvation. In working toward a long-term objective of understanding the whole scope of biochemical events during starvation, we have also catalogued the genes induced by starvation.     

蛋白酶抑制剂对梨小食心虫幼虫中肠蛋白酶活性的影响

【目的】梨小食心虫Grapholitha molesta(Busck)是一种危害极其严重的果树害虫。中肠蛋白酶在昆虫生长发育过程中起着重要作用。本研究测定梨小食心虫幼虫中肠内蛋白酶活性的最适p H、蛋白酶抑制剂和激活剂对蛋白酶活性的作用,为利用蛋白酶抑制剂防治该害虫提供新思路。【方法】提取梨小食心虫3龄幼虫中肠液,利用酶专性底物测定各蛋白酶在3种不同缓冲溶液中的最适p H(dd H2O为对照)、蛋白酶抑制剂和激活剂对中肠蛋白酶活性的影响,同时测定饲喂蛋白酶抑制剂(PMSF,TLCK,TPCL和STI)后梨小食心虫中肠蛋白酶活性的变化。【结果】梨小食心虫幼虫中肠总蛋白酶在Tris-HCl,KH2PO4/Na OH和Glycine/Na OH 3种缓冲液中最适p H分别为10.5,11.0和11.0,强碱性胰蛋白酶的最适p H分别为10.5,11.0和11.0,弱碱性胰蛋白酶的最适p H分别为8.5,9.0和9.0,胰凝乳蛋白酶的最适p H分别为8.5,9.0和9.5。5种蛋白酶抑制剂(DTT,PMSF,TLCK,TPCL和STI)中,除TLCK对凝乳蛋白酶激活外,其他蛋白酶抑制剂对4种蛋白酶均表现为抑制,且浓度越大抑制效应越明显。抑制剂DTT对总蛋白酶和弱碱性胰蛋白酶的抑制效果高于其他抑制剂。4种蛋白酶激活剂(Mg Cl2,Ca Cl2,EDTA和EGTA)中,Mg Cl2抑制总蛋白酶和胰凝乳蛋白酶活性,而激活胰蛋白酶活性;Ca Cl2激活总蛋白酶和弱碱性胰蛋白酶活性,而抑制强碱性胰蛋白酶和胰凝乳蛋白酶,EDTA对4种蛋白酶均表现为抑制,EGTA除对强碱性胰蛋白酶表现为激活外,对另外3种蛋白酶表现抑制。用蛋白酶抑制剂PMSF,TLCK,TPCL和STI饲喂梨小食心虫幼虫,各抑制剂均可抑制4种蛋白酶活性,且在不同取样时间抑制水平不同。其中STI(50μg/m L)对4种蛋白酶的抑制效果高于其他抑制剂,且浓度越大抑制效应越明显。10,20和50μg/m L STI 3种浓度处理组,在取食后4 h时,4种蛋白酶活性升高,且上升程度与STI浓度有关;酶活性在20μg/m L STI处理后48 h,50μg/m L STI处理后60 h时最低,抑制剂STI表现出持效性。【结论】蛋白酶抑制剂对梨小食心虫幼虫中肠蛋白消化酶的活性具有一定的抑制作用,其中大豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂STI在害虫防治中具有极其重要的应用价值。     

Purification and Characterization of Cathepsin D from Normal Human Breast Tissue

The lysosomal aspartyl protease cathepsin D is present in most mammalian cells and is active in the catabolism of intracellular and endocytosed proteins. It appears to be overexpressed and abnormally secreted in breast cancer cells, and may contribute to the process of tumor metastasis. In the present study, cathepsin D was purified 4500-fold from normal human breast tissue using pepstatin-agarose, DEAE Sephadex, and Sephadex G-75 chromatography. The resulting enzyme on SDS-PAGE contained five protein bands (47, 31, 29, 13, and 12kDa) which were all immunoreactive on western blot analysis using anti-cathepsin D polyclonal antibodies. The isoform profile of purified cathepsin D consisted of three major peaks at approximate pI 7.3, 6.8, and 6.3, and a broad area of lower activity between pI of 5.0 and 2.0. The purified enzyme had a broad pH optimum centered around pH 3.3. Lectin blotting indicated that cathepsin D is a glycoprotein which is recognized by Galanthus nivalis agglutinin and concanavalin A, suggesting the presence of mannose residues. However, Sambucus nigra agglutinin, Tetragonolobus purpureas agglutinin, Triticum vulgaris agglutinin, and Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin failed to recognize cathepsin D, suggesting a lack of lectin-available sialic acid, fucose, N-acetylglucosamine, and galactose residues, respectively.     

饥饿及再投喂对日本囊对虾糖代谢的影响

研究了日本囊对虾在饥饿和再投喂下血糖、肝胰脏糖原和肌糖原含量的变化.结果表明：在饥饿状态下,日本囊对虾肝胰脏糖原含量和血糖浓度在饥饿开始时迅速下降,肌糖原含量在饥饿10 d时下降到最低值,在饥饿10~15 d时通过糖原异生作用又恢复至最初水平,但随着饥饿时间的延长,糖原含量持续下降.恢复投喂后,肝胰脏糖原含量和肌糖原含量均能得到较好恢复,饥饿10 d和 15 d组的血糖浓度在恢复投喂10 d后显著高于对照组,但饥饿25 d组的血糖浓度始终显著低于对照.表明饥饿时间过长,对血糖浓度的恢复有较大影响     

Relationship between protease activity and a sialoglycopeptide inhibitor isolated from bovine brain

We have recently described the isolation and purification to homogeneity of a new sialoglycopeptide from bovine brain cell surfaces that reversibly inhibits protein synthesis and DNA synthesis of normal but not transformed cells. Active inhibitory preparations, however, were shown to contain a protease activity that was not lost upon purification. Several experiments were performed to establish the relationship between the proteolytic activity of the sialoglycopeptide and the biological inhibitory activity. Both the protease activity and inhibitory activity were stable at pH 6-8 but were reduced or completely destroyed below pH 4 and above pH 9. Acid inactivation was reversible and upon dialysis, both the biological inhibitory and protease activities were regained. Deglycosylation and CNBr cleavage indicated that the polypeptide backbone, rather than carbohydrate moiety, played an important role in the protease and biological inhibitory activities. Furthermore, chemical modification of amino and tyrosine groups indicated that both residues are essential for both activities. Thus, the biological inhibitory activity and protease activity are very closely related and most likely reside with the same polypeptide sequence.     

饥饿对黄鳝消化酶活性的影响

饥饿是一种主要的环境胁迫因子,会对水产动物的生理生态产生广泛影响.本文探讨了饥饿对黄鳝消化器官主要消化酶活性的影响规律.在水温(20±0.5) ℃条件下,将黄鳝饥饿30 d,并分别测定了饥饿第0、3、5、10、15、20和30天其胃、前肠、后肠和肝脏的蛋白酶、胰蛋白酶、淀粉酶和脂肪酶活性.结果表明：饥饿对黄鳝胃、前肠、后肠和肝脏的蛋白酶、胰蛋白酶、淀粉酶和脂肪酶活性均有一定影响.随着饥饿时间的延长,4种消化酶的活性均不断下降,且在饥饿的第5～10天内活性下降幅度最大;饥饿继续加深,则其活性下降不明显.     

A novel protease activity assay using a protease-responsive chaperone protein

Protease activity assays are important for elucidating protease function and for developing new therapeutic agents. In this study, a novel turbidimetric method for determining the protease activity using a protease-responsive chaperone protein is described. For this purpose, a recombinant small heat-shock protein (sHSP) with an introduced Factor Xa protease recognition site was synthesized in bacteria. This recombinant mutant, FXa-HSP, exhibited chaperone-like activity at high temperatures in cell lysates. However, the chaperone-like activity of FXa-HSP decreased dramatically following treatment with Factor Xa. Protein precipitation was subsequently observed in the cell lysates. The reaction was Factor Xa concentration-dependent and was quantitatively suppressed by a specific inhibitor for Factor Xa. Protein aggregation was detected by a simple method based on turbidimetry. The results clearly demonstrate that this assay is an effective, easy-to-use method for determining protease activities without the requirement of labeling procedures and the use of radioisotopes.     

Screening of antagonistic bacterial strains against Meloidogyne incognita using protease activity

Twenty-six bacterial strains that had demonstrated antagonism to some fungal and bacterial pathogens were evaluated for their ability to inhibit Meloidogyne incognita Kofoid & White. The inhibition rates of egg-hatching and second-stage juveniles (J2) mortality of M. incognita by these strains ranged from ?16.5 to 87.4% and from 1.3 to 77.8%, respectively. The 12 strains causing J2 mortality over 40% were chosen for greenhouse experiments in which their biocontrol efficacy reached 33.3–65.6%. On the other hand, among the 26 strains, 20 demonstrated in vitro protease activity and 14 revealed chitinase activity. Significantly, strains Bacillus sp. AR156 and GJ24 in greenhouse tests showed the strongest protease activities. The analyses of the relationships of the efficacy of the 12 strains with their protease and chitinase activities, respectively, indicated that biocontrol efficacy was highly correlated with protease activity (r=0.92, P<0.001) but barely correlated with chitinase activity. The strong positive correlation between protease activity and efficacy suggests that in vitro protease activity could be used as a parameter for selecting biological control agents (BCAs) against root-knot nematodes. Consistently, the biocontrol efficacy of AR156, GJ24, abamectin reached 74.3, 73.4, and 40.9% in the field in Huai-an, Jiangsu; and 71, 69.9, and 37% in Zao-zhuang, Shandong, respectively. The fact that the strains with high protease activities also had significantly higher biocontrol efficacy than abamectin in the field implies that in vitro protease activity may be adopted as a reliable new parameter for speeding up the process of screening the biological control agents (BCAs).     

Molecular cloning of a multidomain cysteine protease and protease inhibitor precursor gene from the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and functional expression of the cathepsin F-like cysteine protease domain

A Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm) cysteine protease inhibitor, MsCPI, purified from larval hemolymph has an apparent molecular mass of 11.5 kDa, whereas the size of the mRNA is very large (9 kilobases). MsCPI cDNA consists of a 9,273 nucleotides that encode a polypeptide of 2,676 amino acids, which includes nine tandemly repeated MsCPI domains, four cystatin-like domains and one procathepsin F-like domain. The procathepsin F-like domain protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and processed to its active mature form by incubation with pepsin. The mature enzyme hydrolyzed Z-Leu–Arg–MCA, Z-Phe–Arg–MCA and Boc–Val–Leu–Lys–MCA rapidly, whereas hydrolysis of Suc–Leu–Tyr–MCA and Z-Arg–Arg–MCA was very slow. The protease was strongly inhibited by MsCPI, egg-white cystatin and sunflower cystatin with K_i values in the nanomolar range. When the MsCPI tandem protein linked to two MsCPI domains was treated with proteases, it was degraded by the cathepsin F-like protease. However, tryptic digestion converted the MsCPI tandem protein to an active inhibitory form. These data support the hypothesis that the mature MsCPI protein is produced from the MsCPI precursor protein by trypsin-like proteases. The resulting mature MsCPI protein probably plays a role in the regulation of the activity of endogenous cysteine proteases.     

Proteolytic processing of Atg32 by the mitochondrial i-AAA protease Yme1 regulates mitophagy

Mitophagy, the autophagic removal of mitochondria, occurs through a highly selective mechanism. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the mitochondrial outer membrane protein Atg32 confers selectivity for mitochondria sequestration as a cargo by the autophagic machinery through its interaction with Atg11, a scaffold protein for selective types of autophagy. The activity of mitophagy in vivo must be tightly regulated considering that mitochondria are essential organelles that produce most of the cellular energy, but also generate reactive oxygen species that can be harmful to cell physiology. We found that Atg32 was proteolytically processed at its C terminus upon mitophagy induction. Adding an epitope tag to the C terminus of Atg32 interfered with its processing and caused a mitophagy defect, suggesting the processing is required for efficient mitophagy. Furthermore, we determined that the mitochondrial i-AAA protease Yme1 mediated Atg32 processing and was required for mitophagy. Finally, we found that the interaction between Atg32 and Atg11 was significantly weakened in yme1∆ cells. We propose that the processing of Atg32 by Yme1 acts as an important regulatory mechanism of cellular mitophagy activity.