Purification and characterization of Bombyx cysteine proteinase specific inhibitors from the hemolymph of Bombyx mori.

Protein inhibitors capable of inhibiting BCP (Bombyx cysteine proteinase) were found in the larval-pupal hemolymph of Bombyx mori. Two forms of the inhibitors, named BCPI (BCP inhibitor) alpha and BCPI beta, were purified from the pupal hemolymph by heat treatment and column chromatographies on CM-cellulose, Toyopearl HW-50, Phenyl-Sepharose, and Mono Q. Purified BCPI beta gave a single protein band with a molecular mass of 10,500 daltons on SDS-PAGE. BCPI alpha is mostly composed of the same molecular mass protein as BCPI beta. Both forms were inhibitory towards other cysteine proteinases such as cathepsins L,B and papain but had no effects on trypsin and pepsin. Both forms inhibited the processing of the enzymatically inactive proform of BCP (pro-BCP) to the activated mature BCP. BCPI alpha and BCPI beta shared many other features such as molecular mass determined by gel filtration, antigenicity, and HPLC profiles. NH(2)-terminal amino acid sequencing of the purified inhibitors revealed that three amino acid residues were different in the BCPI alpha and BCPI beta sequences, all others being identical. The hemolymph BCP inhibitor increased activity approximately four- to fivefold at the time of spinning and maintained this level of activity during pupation.     

The simultaneous release by bone explants in culture and the parallel activation of procollagenase and of a latent neutral proteinase that degrades cartilage proteoglycans and denatured collagen.

1. A latent neutral proteinase was found in culture media of mouse bone explants. Its accumulation during the cultures is closely parallel to that of procollagenase; both require the presence of heparin in the media. 2. Latent neutral proteinase was activated by several treatments of the media known to activate procollagenase, such as limited proteolysis by trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin or kallikrein, dialysis against 3 M-NaSCN at 4 degrees C and prolonged preincubation at 25 degrees C. Its activation often followed that of the procollagenase present in the same media. 3. Activation of neutral proteinase (as does that of procollagenase) by trypsin or plasmin involved two successive steps: the activation of a latent endogenous activator present in the media followed by the activation of neutral proteinase itself by that activator. 4. The proteinase degrades cartilage proteoglycans, denatured collagen (Azocoll) and casein at neutral pH; it is inhibited by EDTA, cysteine or serum. Collagenase is not inhibited by casein or Azocoll and is less resistant to heat or to trypsin than is the proteinase. Partial separation of the two enzymes was achieved by gel filtration of the media but not by fractional (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, by ion exchange or by affinity chromatography on Sepharose-collagen. These fractionations did not activate latent enzymes. 5. Trypsin activation decreases the molecular weight of both latent enzymes (60 000-70 000) by 20 000-30 000, as determined by gel filtration of media after removal of heparin. 6. The latency of both enzymes could be due either to a zymogen or to an enzyme-inhibitor complex. A thermostable inhibitor of both enzymes was found in some media. However, combinations of either enzyme with that inhibitor were not reactivated by trypsin, indicating that this inhibitor is unlikely to be the cause of the latency.     

Serine proteinase activation of latent human skin collagenase

Latent and active collagenase were demonstrated following direct extraction from normal skin homogenates with 0.1M calcium chloride at 60 degrees C. 83% of the collagenase activity was in latent form and could be maximally activated with trypsin. Partial activation of the latent enzyme could also be demonstrated by incubation of the skin extract without added trypsin. This endogenous activation was inhibited by the addition of soya bean trypsin inhibitor, trasylol, di-isopropylphosphofluoridate and phenylmethanesulphonylfluoride, none of which inhibited collagenase directly. This suggests that the skin extracts contain a collagenase activating enzyme with the inhibition profile of a serine proteinase. A chymotryptic proteinase with a similar inhibition profile was extracted from normal human skin and partially purified. This enzyme activated fibroblast procollagenase derived from tissue culture of normal skin. The procollagenase was also partially activated by plasmin and chymotrypsin. This is the first demonstration of a collagenase activating enzyme in human skin and raises the possibility that collagenase activation by this mechanism may be responsible for collagen degradation in some disease processes.     

Purification and characterization of a latent form of multicatalytic proteinase from fish muscle.

1. A latent form of multicatalytic proteinase (MCP) was purified to apparent homogeneity from white croaker muscle by DEAE-Sephacel, Mono-Q, Sephacryl S-300 and second Mono-Q chromatographies. 2. The enzyme preparation was electrophoretically and immunologically similar to MCP purified from the same source by a different method (Folco et al., 1988b, Archs Biochem. Biophys. 267, 599-605) but showed much lower chymotrypsin- and trypsin-like activities. 3. These activities responded to sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), urea and heat treatments in different ways: SDS stimulated both activities, urea stimulated the former and inhibited the latter and heating stimulated the former and did not affect the latter. 4. The stimulation of chymotrypsin-like activity by the three treatments was irreversible. 5. Exposure of MCP to SDS or urea in the absence of substrate rapidly inactivated it, whereas heat activation took place irrespective of the presence of substrate. 6. The stimulating effect of SDS on chymotrypsin-like activity was lost in the presence of urea. 7. These results suggest that the enzyme may be activated by different mechanisms.     

Structure of cruzipain/cruzain inhibitors isolated from Bauhinia bauhinioides seeds

The saline extract of Bauhinia bauhinioides dry seeds was shown to inhibit cruzipain, a cysteine proteinase from Trypanosoma cruzi. The inhibitory activity was assigned to a protein with 164 amino acid residues and molecular mass of 18 034 Da that was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex, trypsin-Sepharose (removal of trypsin inhibitors), Mono Q and a reversed-phase C4 column. The primary structure is homologous to other plant Kunitz-type inhibitors, but it lacks cysteine residues and therefore the disulfide bridges. No methionine residue was identified by amino acid sequencing. The inhibition of cruzipain fits into a slow-tight binding mechanism with a low dissociation constant (Ki 1.2 nM). The studied Bauhinia protein also inhibits cruzain (Ki 0.3 nM), a C-terminally truncated recombinant species of cruzipain. Cathepsin L, a cysteine proteinase with high homology to cruzipain, is also inhibited (Ki 0.22 nM), but not cathepsin B, papain, bromelain or ficin.     

Multicatalytic proteinase in fish muscle

A partially active and a latent form of multicatalytic protease (MCP) were isolated from fish skeletal muscle. Both forms were inactive against protein substrates, but their activity against peptide substrates differed in one order of magnitude. The chymotrypsin-like activity of the partially active form was moderately stimulated by fatty acids and SDS, whereas its trypsin-like activity was inhibited by the same reagents. In contrast, both activities of the latent form were strongly stimulated by SDS. The chymotrypsin-like activity of the latent form was also stimulated by heating or high urea concentrations, whereas its trypsin-like activity did not change or was inhibited respectively by these treatments. These activation effects were irreversible. Pre-treatment of the latent form with SDS or urea in the absence of substrate led to its irreversible inactivation, whereas activation by pre-heating occurred in the presence or absence of substrate. These results suggest that MCP can exist in several active states with distinct properties. Studies on the distribution of MCP in fish tissues showed a much higher level of the enzyme in gonads than in any other tissue, suggesting a role of MCP in development.Abbreviations MCP multicatalytic proteinase - Suc succinyl - Bz benzoyl - Z carbobenzoxy - NMec 4-methyl-7-coumarylamide - CTAB cetyl trimethylammonium bromide     

Latent phosphorylase phosphatases from rat liver: relationship with the heat-stable inhibitory protein

A high-speed supernatant from rat liver contains at least two latent phosphorylase phosphatases the activities of which are revealed by treatment with ethanol, urea, mercaptoethanol or trypsin. This fraction also contains at least one protein which, after heating, inhibits to various degrees the activated form(s) of the two phosphatases. The two latent enzymes can be separated by cellulase-phosphate chromatography and can be differentiated by their preferential activation by ethanol or trypsin and by their different sensitivity to the inhibitory protein after ethanol activation. Activation of the latent phosphorylase phosphatases by ethanol, urea or mercaptoethanol is not accompanied by the destruction of the precursor of the inhibitory protein whereas activation by trypsin is. However, trypsin treatment of fractions previously activated by ethanol decreases their activity and also increases their sensitivity to the inhibitory protein in a way which is unrelated to the destruction of this inhibitor. Furthermore, some protein fractions, almost free of the precursor of the inhibitory protein can be readily activated by trypsin. In is concluded that the activation of the latent phosphorylase phosphorylase phosphatases is unrelated to the destruction of the inhibitory protein.     

Heterologous expression, purification, and properties of a chymotrypsin inhibitor isolated from potatoes

The PKPIJ-B gene encoding a chymotrypsin inhibitor from a subfamily of potato Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitors (PKPI) in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Yubilei Zhukova) was cloned into a pET23a vector and then expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant PKPIJ-B protein obtained in the inclusion bodies was denatured, purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on Mono Q under denaturing conditions, and renaturated. The renaturated protein was additionally purified using HPLC on DEAE-ToyoPearl. The PKPIJ-B protein efficiently suppressed chymotrypsin activity, had a weaker effect on trypsin, and inhibited the growth and development of phytopathogenic microorganisms affecting potato plants.     

Purification and properties of extracellular matrix-degrading metallo-proteinase overproduced by Rous sarcoma virus-transformed rat liver cell line, and its identification as transin

Rous sarcoma virus-transformed rat liver cell line RSV-BRL secreted a neutral proteinase in a latent precursor form with a molecular weight (Mr) of 57,000 (57k) as a major secreted protein. This enzyme was a calcium-dependent metallo-proteinase. The proenzyme was purified from the serum-free conditioned medium of the transformed cells by affinity chromatographies on a zinc chelate Sepharose column and a reactive red agarose column. When activated by treatment with trypsin or p-aminophenylmercuric acetate (APMA) in the presence of Ca2+, the purified enzyme effectively hydrolyzed casein, fibronectin, and laminin. Type IV collagen was hydrolyzed at 37 degrees C but not at 30 degrees C by the enzyme, whereas type I and type III collagens were hardly hydrolyzed even at 37 degrees C. The treatment with trypsin or AMPA in the presence of Ca2+ converted this 57k proenzyme to an active and stable enzyme with Mr 42k. In the absence of Ca2+, however, APMA converted the proenzyme to an intermediate form with Mr 45k, while trypsin digested it to an inactive peptide with Mr 30k. These results demonstrate that calcium ion is essential for the activation, activity expression, and stabilization of this metallo-proteinase. Analysis of its partial amino acid sequence and amino acid composition showed that the 57k proenzyme was identical or closely related to the putative protein transin, a rat homologue of stromelysin.     

Sodium dodecyl sulfate and heat induce two distinct forms of lobster muscle multicatalytic proteinase: the heat-activated form degrades myofibrillar proteins

A multicatalytic proteinase (MCP) purified from lobster claw and abdominal muscles degrades a variety of peptide and protein substrates. The enzyme is activated by low concentrations (0.03%) of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and brief (1 min) heating at 60 degrees C. The lobster MCP can assume three stable and functionally distinct states in vitro; these are classified as the basal, heat-activated, and SDS-activated forms. The basal MCP possessed high trypsin-like peptidase activity and low chymotrypsin-like peptidase, peptidylglutamyl-peptide hydrolase, and caseinolytic activities; incubation of the basal form with SDS stimulated the peptidylglutamyl-hydrolase activity about 30-fold and inhibited the other three activities 80% to 100%. Heating the basal form stimulated caseinolytic activity about 6-fold with little effect on the peptidase activities. The heat-activated enzyme also degraded myosin, tropomyosin, troponin, and actin depolymerizing factor; alpha-actinin was resistant to proteolysis. Incubation of the heat-activated MCP with SDS inhibited the trypsin-like, chymotrypsin-like, and proteinase activities 95 to 100% and stimulated the peptidylglutamyl-hydrolase activity about 16-fold. Incubation of myosin with either the basal or the heat-activated forms in the presence of SDS generated identical proteolytic fragments of the myosin heavy chain, suggesting that SDS induced a third form that can be produced from either the basal or the heat-activated forms. The heat-activated form produced proteolytic fragments of myosin heavy chain different from those generated by either basal or heat-activated enzymes in the presence of SDS. Furthermore, 100 mM KCl stimulated the caseinolytic activity of the heat-activated form 24% and inhibited the trypsin-like and peptidylglutamyl-hydrolase activities 56 and 20%, respectively. These results, though indirect, suggest that heating induced a proteinase activity that was distinct from the three peptidase activities. Activation of the basal form with SDS was reversible, since precipitation of dodecyl sulfate with 100 mM KCl restored trypsin-like activity and inhibited peptidylglutamyl-hydrolase activity. In contrast, removal of dodecyl sulfate from the SDS-activated form that was derived from the heat-activated MCP induced its conversion to the basal form. Thus, although heat-activation was irreversible, the heat-activated form was converted back to the basal form via the SDS-activated form.     

Purification and characterization of a proteinase inhibitor from white croaker skeletal muscle (Micropogon opercularis)

A trypsin proteinase inhibitor has been purified to homogeneity from the skeletal muscle of white croaker (Micropogon opercularis). Previously, we had described the occurrence in fish muscle of a serine protease (proteinase I) which showed a great capacity to degrade whole myofibrils in vitro and an endogenous inhibitor that prevented the action of the protease, both on natural and artificial substrates. In this paper, we report the purification and further biochemical characterization of the endogenous trypsin inhibitor. The purification was carried out by DEAE-Sephacel, Con A-Sepharose, Sephacryl S-300 and Mono Q. Throughout the purification procedure, trypsin inhibitory activity was assayed using azocasein as substrate. The molecular mass of the inhibitor was 65 kDa, as estimated by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. The trypsin inhibitor is a glycoprotein, as deduced by the fact that it binds to Con A-Sepharose and stains with PAS and showed a wide range of pH stability (from 5 to 11). The thermal stability of the inhibitor considerably decreased at temperatures >60 degrees C. Assays of the inhibitor against various proteases indicated that it is highly specific for serine proteases, since it did not inhibit proteases belonging to any other groups. The inhibitor was able to inhibit the endogenous target enzyme (proteinase I) in a dose-dependent manner, with a 50% inhibition at a molar ratio close to 1. The present work contributes to improving our understanding of the physiological role of the proteinase I-inhibitor system in muscle protein breakdown, as well as its influence on post mortem proteolysis.     

Proteinase inhibitors from Vigna unguiculata subsp. cylindrica: I. Occurrence of thiol proteinase inhibitors in plants and purification from Vigna unguiculata subsp. cylindrica

Inhibitors of the thiol proteinase, papain (EC 3.4.22.2), were shown to be present in 11 species of 10 genera of plants. The inhibitor activity was nondialyzable, and precipitated by ammonium sulfate. Tissue cultures from a number of plant genera consisting of rapidly dividing cells contained latent papain inhibitor that could be activated upon heating. Four isoinhibitors of plant thiol proteinases from seeds of the legume Vigna unguiculata subsp. cyclindrica were purified to apparent homogeneity by acrylamide gel electrophoresis with or without sodium dodecyl sulfate. The inhibitors were present in very small amounts compared to the trypsin inhibitors and the degree of purification of the homogeneous isoinhibitors on the assumption that all were present initially in equal amounts was 15,000- to 60,000-fold. The isoinhibitors did not inhibit pepsin, bromelain, and the serine proteinases, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and subtilisin. They were specific for papain, chymopapain, and ficin but their inhibition of the proteinase, esterase, and amidase activities of the three enzymes differed.     

Isolation of a protease from sea urchin eggs before and after fertilization.

Upon fertilization, sea urchin eggs (Stronglyocentrotus pupuratus) release a protease into the surrounding sea water. This protease is in a particulate form which can be solubilized. The soluble form was purified by affinity chromatography on columns of immobilized soybean trypsin inhibitor. The purified enzyme is similar to bovine trypsin both in molecular weight (22500) and in susceptibility to inhibitors such as diisopropyl phosphofluoridate and soybean trypsin inhibitor. In contrast, extracts of unfertilized eggs appear to contain an inactive form of the enzyme which can be activated by dialysis at pH 4.6. The enzyme, as purified from extracts activated in this manner, was similar in its properties to that from fertilized eggs.     

Differential effects of oleic acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and protease inhibitors on the endopeptidase activities of the lobster multicatalytic proteinase.

1. Lobster muscles contain a latent multicatalytic proteinase; heating at 60 degrees C for 1-2 min converts the latent form to a heat-activated form with enhanced proteolytic activity. Both forms have three endopeptidase activities, which are classified as the trypsin-like, chymotrypsin-like, and peptidylglutamylpeptide bond hydrolyzing activities. 2. Sulfhydryl reagents (mersalyl acid, N-ethylmaleimide, hemin, iodoacetamide, and p-chloromercurisulfonic acid), benzamidine, and chloromethyl ketones inhibited all three activities of the heat-activated form. Leupeptin and antipain inhibited only the trypsin-like activity, while the chymotrypsin-like activity was the most sensitive to diisopropyl fluorophosphate, phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, aprotinin, and soybean trypsin inhibitor. Pepstatin and L-trans-epoxysuccinylpeptides had little effect on the peptidase activities. 3. Sodium dodecyl sulfate and oleic acid preferentially activated the peptidylglutamyl-peptide hydrolyzing activity of the latent form, whereas N-ethylmaleimide stimulated both the trypsin-like and peptidylglutamyl-peptide hydrolases. These results suggest that the lobster enzyme is an atypical serine proteinase.     

Biochemical and structural comparative study between bird and mammal pancreatic colipases

Three colipases were purified from pancreas of two birds (ostrich and turkey) and one mammal (dromedary). After acidic and/or heat treatment and precipitation by sulfate ammonium and then ethanol, cofactors were purified by Sephadex G-50 gel filtration followed by ion-exchange chromatography first on Mono S and then on Mono Q. One molecular form was obtained from each species with a molecular mass of approximately 10 kDa. Cofactors were not glycosylated. The N-terminal sequences of the three purified cofactors showed high sequence homology. A 90 amino acid sequence of the ostrich cofactor was established based on peptide sequences from four different digests of the denaturated protein using trypsin, chymotrypsin, thermolysin, or staphylococcal protease. This sequence exhibited a high degree of homology with chicken and mammal cofactors. Bile salt-inhibited pancreatic lipases from five species were activated to variable extents by colipases from bird and mammal origins. The bird pancreatic lipase-colipase system appears to be functionally similar to homologous lipolytic systems from higher mammals. Our comparative study showed that mammal colipase presents a lower activation level toward bird lipases than the bird counterpart. Three-dimensional modeling of ostrich colipase suggested a structural explanation of this fact.     

Purification and properties of a novel latent proteinase showing myosin heavy chain-degrading activity from threadfin-bream muscle

A novel latent proteinase of which activity was induced by heating in the presence of NaCl was purified to homogeneity from threadfin-bream muscle by a combination of DEAE-cellulose, Con A-Sepharose, Arg-Sepharose, and Shim-pack HAC chromatographies. This proteinase was a glycoprotein having a monomeric subunit structure; Mr was estimated to be 77,000 on SDS-PAGE analysis. The proteinase hydrolyzed Boc-Leu-Thr-Arg-MCA as well as myosin heavy chain in the presence of 2-4% NaCl at pH 7.0 and at 60 degrees C, optimally. The proteinase was classified as serine proteinase based on the effects of soybean trypsin inhibitor, leupeptin, and antipain.     

A new type of low-molecular mass cysteine proteinase inhibitor from pig leukocytes

A new low-molecular mass cysteine proteinase inhibitor (CPI) was purified from the cytosol of peripheral pig leukocytes. The isolation procedure included DEAE chromatography, Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and fast-protein liquid chromatography on Mono Q. The procedure resulted in the isolation of a homogeneous protein with a molecular mass of approximately 12 kDa and a pI of 4.8. The amino terminus is blocked. The amino-acid composition and the sequence of the C-terminal part of the molecule are suggestive of a new family of cystatins. The CPI was found to be a tight-binding inhibitor of both papain and cathepsin L, with Ki values of 0.1 nM and 1 nM, respectively.     

Purification and characterization of inhibitor against the cysteine proteinase of Rana catesbeiana

1. Inhibitors of cysteine proteinase were found in tadpole tail of metamorphosing bullfrog. 2. One of the inhibitors was purified by affinity chromatography with CM-papain agarose, gel filtration with Superose 12 and ion exchange chromatography with Mono S. 3. The molecular weight of the inhibitor was 130,000-140,000 and the isoelectric point was pH 9.6. 4. The inhibitor had inhibitory effects on ficin, papain and tadpole tail cysteine proteinase. 5. The inhibitor is possibly involved in the regulation of muscle degradation in tail regression of metamorphosing tadpole.     

Study of Inhibitors of Proteinases in the Midgut Anterior Part of the Cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea

The study of proteinase inhibitors in the midgut of the omnivorous cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea was carried out under conditions excluding their food origin. One trypsin inhibitor of molecular mass of 8.0 kDa and three subtilisin inhibitors of molecular masses of 13.0, 8.0, and 4.5 kDa were found in the protein preparations, using Sephadex G-50 fractionation. 94% of the activity of the both inhibitor types were located in the anterior midgut part. Using a high performance liquid chromatography on Mono Q column, the preparation of trypsin inhibitor was purified 120 times. Its isoelectric point was to 4.3. The inhibitor lost a part of its activity both under acidic and, especially, under alkaline conditions and was completely inactivated at pH 10. The studied inhibitors inhibited effectively activities of trypsin-like and subtilisin-like proteinases from the cockroach posterior midgut part. The possible physiological role of the proteinase inhibitors and, particularly, their participation in regulation of digestion in the midgut of N. cinerea are discussed.     

The release of collagenase as an inactive proenzyme by bone explants in culture

1. A latent collagenase, activated only by limited proteolysis, was found in culture media of mouse bone explants. It could be activated by trypsin or, less efficiently, by chymo-trypsin. Skin explants also released latent collagenase. 2. Bone collagenase attacks native collagen at about neutral pH when it is in solution, in reconstituted fibrils or in insoluble fibres, producing two fragments representing 75 and 25% of the molecule. It requires calcium and is inhibited by EDTA, cysteine or serum. 3. Latent collagenase is not activated by trypsin-activated collagenase but by a distinct unidentified thermolabile agent present in a latent trypsin-activatable state in the culture media, or by purified liver lysosomes between pH5.5 and pH7.4. Trypsin activation decreases the molecular weight of latent collagenase from 105000 to 84000 as determined by gel filtration. 5. The latency of collagenase is unlikely to be due to an enzyme-inhibitor complex. Although some culture media contain a collagenase inhibitor, its presence is not constant and its molecular weight (at least 120000) is not compatible with the decrease in molecular weight accompanying activation; also combinations of collagenase with inhibitor are not reactivated by trypsin. Moreover, the latency remains after gel filtration, or treatment by high dilution, exposure to pH values between 2.5 and 10, or high ionic strength, urea or detergent. 6. It is proposed that latent collagenase represents an inactive precursor of the enzyme, a ;procollagenase', and that the extracellular activity of collagenase is controlled by another protease that activates procollagenase by a limited proteolysis of its molecule.