Purification and characterization of high Ca2+-requiring neutral proteases from porcine and bovine brains

Porcine and bovine brain high Ca2+-requiring neutral proteases were purified to homogeneity by the same isolation procedures, and their properties were compared. A high degree of similarity existed between the two proteases. The purification procedures included ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, hydrophobic chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B, second DEAE-cellulose chromatography, second phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B chromatography, and gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA 34. Both purified enzymes were composed of Mr 75,000 and 29,000 subunits, as shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Both enzymes required 250 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activity and 700 microM Ca2+ for maximal activity. Sr2+ and Ba2+, but not Mg2+ or Mn2+, also activated both enzymes but not as effectively as Ca2+. Both enzymes displayed maximum activity at pH 7.5-8.0. Leupeptin, antipain, and trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylagmatine inhibited both enzymes. Neurofilament triplet proteins and microtubule-associated proteins were extensively hydrolyzed by both proteases, but tubulin and actin were not hydrolyzed. The amino acid compositions of the two proteases were very similar. Antisera against bovine brain protease cross-reacted with porcine brain protease when examined by immunoelectrotransfer blot techniques.     

One-step affinity purification of Bacillus neutral proteases using bacitracin-silica

A purification procedure for neutral proteases from bacilli is described, in which bacitracin-silica was used as affinity medium. This enabled a one-step purification of the proteases directly from culture supernatant. Since neutral proteases are extremely sensitive towards autodigestion, conditions were chosen such, that autodigestion was largely prevented. Isopropanol appeared to be useful in both eluting the enzymes from the affinity medium, and inhibiting enzymatic activity during this step. The bacitracin-silica medium allowed high flow rates: with columns prepared for use in an FPLC system flow rates up to one column volume per minute were feasible, and still gave satisfactory results. The neutral proteases purified by this method were found to be homogeneous both by SDS-PAGE and analytical gel filtration.     

Preparation and Purification of Microbial Proteases With Special Reference to The Bacilli

Methods for the examination of bacteria for protease production on semisolid media are described. The selection of media for production of small quantities of crude bacterial proteases from pure cultures of selected microorganisms in shake flasks is discussed. The most useful media have been found to be a grain-based medium, a soya fluff-starch-yeast extract medium and a fish meal-enzose-cerelose-cornsteep liquor medium. The alkaline proteases and neutral proteases can be identified and differentiated by specific assays and a purification procedure planned dependent upon the enzymes present in the fermentation beer. Crude enzyme can be precipitated from the fermentation beer by the addition of organic solvents such as acetone or isopropanol or by the addition of salts such as ammonium or sodium sulfate. The alkaline proteases typified by B. subtilis alkaline protease can be extensively purified by chromatography on Duolite C-10 cation exchange resin, whereas the neutral protease of 3 subtilis is best purified by chromatography on hydroxylapatite. Methods for purification of other proteases are discussed and the prechromatography steps for removal of pigment and other gross impurities are described.     

Isolation procedures for thermostable neutral proteinases produced by Bacillus stearothermophilus

Summary Purification procedures for extracting and concentrating thermostable neutral proteinases using vacuum evaporation and ammonium sulfate precipitation, or adsorption chromatography on amberlite XAD-7 resin were compared. Adsorption chromatography proved to be the most effective method to concentrate, extract and partially purify the thermostable neutral proteases produced by Bacillus stearothermophilus NCIB 8924 and NRRL B-3880. Proteases can also be extracted from large volumes of culture media containing only weak proteolytic activity and a low protein concentration. Final purification of the thermostable neutral proteases was performed with an established affinity chromatography method. The method seems to be suitable for scaling up.     

Multiple proteases from Streptomyces moderatus: I. Isolation and purification of five extracellular proteases

The presence of multiple proteases in the culture filtrate of Streptomyces moderatus was detected. After preliminary purification by ammonium sulfate precipitation and decolorization using DEAE-cellulose, the fractionation of various proteases was carried out using CM-trisacryl cation-exchange chromatography. By this procedure, four different protease fractions (Fr.) were separated (Fr. I, II, III, and IV). The first fraction was further separated into two different proteolytically active fractions (Fr. Ia and Fr. Ib) by DEAE-trisacryl anion-exchange chromatography. Fraction Ia was purified further by affinity chromatography on N-carbobenzoxy-d-phenylalanyl triethylenetetramine-Sepharose 4B. The second fraction (Fr. Ib) was purified by gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA 44. For the purification of the other protease fractions (Fr. II, III, and IV) single-step affinity chromatography methods were employed. Protease fractions II and III were purified by ϵ-aminocaproyl-4-(4-aminophenylazo)phenylarsonic acid Sepharose 4B and protease fraction IV was purified on ϵ-aminocaproyl trialanine-Sepharose 4B. All five proteases purified were found to be apparently homogeneous by gel electrophoretic methods.     

Immunochemical characterization of commercial protease products

Total protease activity at pH 7 and 10.3 of 23 commercial grade enzymes was determined. The type and amount of enzymatic activity varied widely among the products. The wide variation in pH 7.0/pH 10.3 proteolytic activity ratios among products indicated that the products studied contained differing levels of alkaline and neutral proteases. Antisera were prepared against the purified enzyme in detergent grade Enzyme AP, neutral protease from B. megaterium, detergent grade ALK Enzyme, and Thermolysin. The commercial (unpurified) products were classified as neutral subtilopeptidase A and subtilopeptidase B from three Bacillus species using these antisera. It was concluded that standard immunochemical techniques provide rapid and sensitive methods for the preliminary identification of sources and types of proteases present in commercial enzyme products.     

枯草芽孢杆菌ZC-7中性蛋白酶的分离纯化及酶学性质研究

枯草芽孢杆菌ZC-7的发酵液,经离心分离得到粗酶液,再经硫酸铵盐析、中空纤维膜除盐浓缩、DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow离子交换层析、Sephadex G-75柱层析等步骤获得电泳纯的中性蛋白酶。SDS-PAGE测得其分子量大约为42KDa。以酪蛋白为底物时,该酶的Km为5×10-3,Vmax为2.5×104ug/min,酶的最适作用pH为7.0,最适反应温度为55℃,在pH6.5～8.0, 40℃以下较稳定,对1mol/L H2O2具有一定的耐受性。EDTA、异丙醇和乙醇对该酶有抑制作用,Ca2+、Mg2+和Li+离子对其具有保护作用。     

Cloning and expression of a novel protease gene encoding an extracellular neutral protease from Bacillus subtilis.

We have cloned from Bacillus subtilis a novel protease gene (nprB) encoding a neutral protease by using a shotgun cloning approach. The gene product was determined to have a molecular mass of 60 kDa. It has a typical signal peptide-like sequence at the N-terminal region. The expression of nprB can be stimulated by using a B. subtilis strain, WB30, carrying a sacU(h)h mutation. Expression of this protease gene results in production of a 37-kDa protease in the culture medium. The first five amino acid residues from the N terminus of the mature protease were determined to be Ala-Ala-Gly-Thr-Gly. This indicates that the protease is synthesized in a preproenzyme form. The purified protease has a pH optimum of around 6.6, and its activity can be inhibited by EDTA, 1,10-phenanthroline (a zinc-specific chelator), and dithiothreitol. It retained 65% of its activity after treatment at 65 degrees C for 20 min. Sequence comparison indicates that the mature form of this protease has 66% homology with the two thermostable neutral proteases from B. thermoproteolyticus and B. stearothermophilus. It also shares 65, 61, and 56% homology with the thermolabile neutral proteases from B. cereus, B. amyloliquefaciens, and B. subtilis, respectively. The zinc-binding site and the catalytic residues are all conserved among these proteases. Sequence homology extends into the "propeptide" region. The nprB gene was mapped between metC and glyB and was not required for growth or sporulation.     

Purification and characterization of a novel extracellular protease from Bacillus cereus KCTC 3674

Bacillus cereus KCTC 3674 excretes several kinds of extracellular proteases into the growth medium. Two proteases with molecular masses of approximately 36-kDa and 38-kDa, as shown by SDS-PAGE, were purified from the culture broth. The 38-kDa protease was purified from B. cereus cultivated at 37 degrees C, and the 36-kDa protease was obtained from the B. cereus cultivated at 20 degrees C. The 38-kDa protease was identified as an extracellular neutral (metallo-) protease and was further characterized. The 36-kDa protease was shown to be a novel enzyme based on its N-terminal amino acid sequence, its identification as a metallo-enzyme that was strongly inhibited by EDTA and o-phenanthroline, its hemolysis properties, and its optimal pH and temperature for activity of 8.0 and 70 degrees C, respectively.     

n-Terminal Amino Acid Sequences of Neutral Proteases from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis: Identification of a Neutral Protease Gene Cloned in Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis 1A20 transformed with a hybrid plasmid, pNP150, to which a DNA fragment from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens F was attached, produced a large amount of a neutral protease. To identify the origin of the gene specifying this neutral protease, neutral proteases from B. amyloliquefaciens F, B. subtilis NP58 (a derivative of Marburg 6160), and B. subtilis 1A20 transformed with pNP150 were purified. We investigated their immunological properties and primary structures.

The proteases from these two species were indistinguishable by chromatography, but they were distinguishable from each other by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and double immunodiffusion. Amino acid sequencing of these two proteases by Edman degradation showed that there were four substitutions in the 20-residue amino acid sequence from the N-termini.

Neutral protease from the transformant had the same immunological characteristics and N-terminal amino acid sequence as that from B. amyloliquefaciens. These results meant that the gene in question was derived from a gene specifying the neutral protease in this bacterium.     

Regulation of Neutral Protease Productivity in Bacillus subtilis: Transformation of High Protease Productivity

A transformable strain of Bacillus subtilis 6160, a derivative of B. subtilis 168, produces three kinds of casein hydrolytic enzymes (alkaline protease, neutral protease, and esterase) in a culture medium. B. natto IAM 1212 produces 15 to 20 times as much total proteolytic activity as does B. subtilis. Extracellular proteases produced by the two strains were separated into each enzyme fraction by diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography. The difference in the total protease activities of extracellular proteases between the two strains was due to the amount of neutral protease. The ratios of neutral protease activity to alkaline protease activity (N/A) were 1.1 in B. subtilis 6160 and 13.0 in B. natto IAM 1212. Enzymological and immunological properties of alkaline protease and neutral protease obtained from the two strains were quite similar or identical, respectively. Specific activities measured by an immunological analysis of the two neutral proteases against casein were also equal. A genetic character of high protease productivity in B. natto IAM 1212 was transferred to B. subtilis 6160 by the deoxyribonucleic acid-mediated transformation. Among 73 transformants that acquired high protease productivity, 69 produced a higher amount of neutral protease and the ratios of N/A were changed to 15 to 60. Three other strains were transformed in the productivity of neutral protease and alpha-amylase simultaneously, and one showed considerable change in the production of alkaline protease and neutral protease. The specific activities (casein hydrolytic activities/enzyme molecules) of neutral proteases from the representative four transformants were equal to those of the two parental strains. These results suggested the presence of a specific gene(s) that participated in the productivity of neutral protease in B. subtilis.     

Purification of several proteolytic enzymes by tosyl- and carbobenzoxy-triethylene-tetramine-sepharoses.

Tosyl-triethylenetetramine-Sepharose (Tos-T-Sepharose) and carbenzoxytriethylenetetramine-Sepharose (Z-T-Sepharose) were found to be adsorbents utilizable in the purification of several microbial and animal proteases. The former Sepharose derivative adsorbed alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin, subtilisin, thermolysin and neutral subtilopeptidase at neutral pH range, and acid proteases such as pepsin and Rhizopus niveus protease at pH 3.5-6.5. alpha-Chymotrypsin and trypsin were eluted with 0.1 N acetic acid and Rhizopus protease with 0.5 N acetic acid, thermolysin with 1 M guanidine-HCl or 33% ethyleneglycol, whilst pepsin was recovered by elution with 2 M guanidine-HCl at pH 3.5. The binding of neutral subtilopeptidase and subtilisin to this adsorbent was comparatively weak and both the enzymes were recovered by elution with 0.5 M NaCl at neutral pH. On the other hand, Z-T-Sepharose was found to bind tightly to these proteolytic enzymes except neutral subtilopeptidase. Trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin were released from the adsorbent column with 1 M p-toluenesulfonate, and subtilisin with 1 M guanidine-HCl or 33% ethyleneglycol at neutral pH region. By these chromatographic procedures, the specific activities of these proteolytic enzymes increased effectively. Comparison of the binding abilities of acetyl-, benzoyl-, tosyl- and carbobenzoxy-T-Sepharoses to these enzymes suggests that hydrophobicity of tosyl and carbobenzoxy groups plays an important role in the enzyme-adsorbent interaction.     

Design of hybrid metalloproteinases from Bacillus]

Possibility of using recombination mechanisms for the construction of hybrids between relative proteins containing highly homologous regions has been demonstrated. In order to design hybrid neutral proteases (NPr) NPr B. amyloliquefaciens--NPr B. brevis genes encoding these enzymes have been cloned into the same plasmid in tandem orientation with subsequent recombination between them. With the help of sequential inactivation we have managed to ensure efficient selection at intermediate stages as well as at the completion stage of construction when the desirable hybrid forms exhibited proteolytic activity. Constructions containing expressed genes of the hybrid neutral proteases NPr B. amyloliquefaciens--NPr B. brevis were obtained. The presence of several regions of high homology between the genes of the two Bacilli neutral proteinases determines the possibility of obtaining of various variants of hybrid proteins with different properties.     

Chemical modification of neutral protease from Bacillus subtilis var. amylosacchariticus with tetranitromethane: assignment of tyrosyl residues nitrated

A neutral protease from Bacillus subtilis var. amylosacchariticus was modified with tetranitromethane (TNM) at pH 8.0 for 1 h at 25 degrees C, by which treatment the proteolytic activity toward casein was markedly reduced, whereas activity changes toward N-blocked peptide substrates were variable depending upon the substrate used. The modified enzyme was digested with a Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease at pH 7.9 and the resultant peptides were separated by HPLC. Two peptides which contain nitrotyrosyl residue(s) were purified. One of the peptides was found to have an amino acid sequence of Thr-Ala-Asn-Leu-Ile-Tyr-Glu, which corresponds to residue Nos. 153-159 of the neutral protease, and Tyr-158 was identified as PTH-nitrotyrosine. The other one was the amino-terminal peptide of residue Nos. 1-22, and Tyr-21 was shown to be nitrated. From a comparison with the active site structure of thermolysin, which is a zinc metalloprotease with a high sequence homology to B. subtilis neutral proteases, nitration of Tyr-158 was inferred to be closely related to the activity changes of the neutral protease from B. subtilis var. amylosacchariticus.     

Single-step method for purification of Shiga toxin-1 B subunit using receptor-mediated affinity chromatography by globotriaosylceramide-conjugated octyl sepharose CL-4B.

A new single-step purification method for Shiga toxin (Stx) was developed using receptor-mediated affinity chromatography, in which Gb3Cer (globotriaosylceramide) was conjugated to octyl Sepharose CL-4B as a carrier. This method achieves high yield and high purity in a small column on which Gb3Cer has been immobilized at high density. Using this affinity column, the Stx1 B subunit was purified with homogeneity by a one-step procedure from a crude extract of recombinant Stx1 B subunit-producing Escherichia coli. The purified Stx1 B subunit conserved a natural pentamer structure confirmed by gel filtration and sedimentation equilibrium analysis. Furthermore, the purified Stx1 B subunit was able to bind specifically to Gb3Cer expressed on Burkitt's lymphoma cells. This versatile purification method can be used to isolate various types of natural as well as recombinant Stx, facilitating fundamental studies of human diseases caused by this toxin.     

人血红素加氧酶-1的原核表达、纯化及其中和抗体的制备

目的确定人血红素加氧酶-1（human heme oxygenase-1,hHO-1）在大肠埃希菌中的表达条件与纯化方法,利用纯化的蛋白制备具有中和活性的hHO—1多克隆抗体。方法将hHO-1原核表达质粒pMW172／hHO-1转人大肠埃希菌菌株BL21,通过改变摇床转速、诱导剂IPTG浓度和培养时间确定hHO-1蛋白的最佳可溶性表达条件;利用超声破碎、高速离心、分级盐析、分子筛层析等方法纯化hHO-1蛋白,建立体外HO-1活性测定方法检测hHO-1蛋白的活性;利用纯化的hHO-1活性蛋白作为抗原免疫新西兰兔,制备多克隆抗体;利用ELISA方法和Western印迹技术分别测定抗体的效价和特异性,通过HO-1活性测定检测抗体的中和活性。结果确定hHO-1最佳可溶性表达条件为：37℃、200r／min培养3h后,0．1 mmoL／LIPTG诱导培养4h。超声破碎菌体,上清经30％～40％盐析纯化及分子筛层析纯化,获得活性hHO-1蛋白,收得率为30．3％,纯化倍数为2．83倍,纯度为90％。制备的抗hHO-1的兔血清效价达到10^6,并能中和掉46％hHO-1的催化活性。结论为hHO-1蛋白的表达和纯化以及多克隆抗体制备确立了可行的技术方案;获得了高纯度活性hHO-1蛋白及hHO-1多克隆抗体,为HO-1功能、结构研究,以及相关疾病研究奠定了基础。     

冬瓜蛋白酶的分离纯化及其部分性质研究(英文)

冬瓜的果肉中发现了丰富的蛋白水解酶.用硫酸铵将冬瓜果肉汁分级盐析,得到粗酶液.再经DEAE-Sepharose FF离子交换层析和Superdex-75柱层析等步骤得到一种电泳纯的冬瓜蛋白酶.SDS-PAGE测得其分子量为64 kDa.以酪蛋白做底物时,该酶的最适反应温度为70℃,最适作用pH为6.5,在pH 4.5～10.5,40～70℃范围内较稳定.PMSF强烈抑制该蛋白酶的活性.另外,Hg~(2+)对该酶有强烈的抑制作用,Mn~(2+)离子对其有保护作用,Zn~(2+)、Ca~(2+)和Cu~(2+)等离子对其活性没有影响.     

Concentration and purification of two small RNA viruses: mycophage PS-1 and bacteriophage phi6

Two small RNA viruses, mycophage PS-1, and bacteriophage φ6 were concentrated and purified by the sequential use of continuous flow zonal centrifugation, high speed continuous flow sedimentation, and combined rate zonal centrifugation and isopycnic banding. The continuous flow centrifugations were done using the K-II and K-XI rotors while the BXXIX rotor was used for batch rate zonal centrifugation and isopycnic banding. The deseribed procedures are useful for the concentration and purification of virus from large volumes of culture fluid.     

米曲霉F-81菌株产中性蛋白酶的分离纯化

对米曲霉菌种F-81所产中性蛋白酶进行分离纯化。经过硫酸铵分级沉淀,DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow阴离子交换层析和Sephacryl-S200凝胶过滤层析后,得到一种电泳纯的中性蛋白酶,纯化倍数为26.3倍,活性回收率为6.7%。经SDS-PAGE电泳测定其相对分子质量约为73.4kD。     

Complete Amino Acid Sequence of Neutral Protease from Bacillus subtilis var. amylosacchariticus

The neutral protease of Bacillus subtilis var. amylosacchariticus was cleaved chemically or digested with proteolytic enzymes, and the resultant peptides were separated and purified by high performance liquid chromatography. The sequence analyses of these peptides by the manual Edman procedure established the complete amino acid sequence of the enzyme. The neutral protease consisted of 300 amino acid residues with Ala and Leu as its amino- and carboxyl-termini, respectively, and the molecular weight was calculated to be 32,633. The sequence was found to be identical to that of B. subtilis 1A72 neutral protease, which was deduced from nucleotide sequencing. Comparison of the sequence with those of other Bacillus proteases revealed that the putative active site amino acid residues, Zn-binding ligands, and two Ca-binding sites were well conserved among them, as compared with those of thermolysin.