Serpins of oat (Avena sativa) grain with distinct reactive centres and inhibitory specificity

Most proteinase inhibitors from plant seeds are assumed to contribute to broad-spectrum protection against pests and pathogens. In oat (Avena sativa L.) grain the main serine proteinase inhibitors were found to be serpins, which utilize a unique mechanism of irreversible inhibition. Four distinct inhibitors of the serpin superfamily were detected by native PAGE as major seed albumins and purified by thiophilic adsorption and anion exchange chromatography. The four serpins OSZa-d are the first proteinase inhibitors characterized from this cereal. An amino acid sequence close to the blocked N-terminus, a reactive centre loop sequence, and the second order association rate constant (ka') for irreversible complex formation with pancreas serine proteinases at 24 degrees C were determined for each inhibitor. OSZa and OSZb, both with the reactive centre scissile bond P1-P1' Thr downward arrow Ser, were efficient inhibitors of pancreas elastase (ka' > 105M-1 s-1). Only OSZb was also an inhibitor of chymotrypsin at the same site (ka' = 0.9 x 105M-1 s-1). OSZc was a fast inhibitor of trypsin at P1-P1' Arg downward arrow Ser (ka' = 4 x 106M-1 s-1); however, the OSZc-trypsin complex was short-lived with a first order dissociation rate constant kd = 1.4 x 10-4 s-1. OSZc was also an inhibitor of chymotrypsin (ka' > 106M-1 s-1), presumably at the overlapping site P2-P1 Ala downward arrow Arg, but > 90% of the serpin was cleaved as substrate. OSZd was cleaved by chymotrypsin at the putative reactive centre bond P1-P1' Tyr downward arrow Ser, and no inhibition was detected. Together the oat grain serpins have a broader inhibitory specificity against digestive serine proteinases than represented by the major serpins of wheat, rye or barley grain. Presumably the serpins compensate for the low content of reversible inhibitors of serine proteinases in oats in protection of the grain against pests or pathogens.     

S' subsite mapping of serine proteases based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

A microassay based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer has been developed to determine the S' specificity of serine proteases. The protease-catalyzed acyl transfer from a fluorescing acyl donor ester to a P'1/P'2 variable hexapeptide library of nucleophiles labeled with a fluorescence quencher leads to an internally quenched peptide product and a fluorescent hydrolysis product. The amount of fluorescence quenching allows one to draw conclusions about the interaction of the nucleophile at the S' sites of the protease. o-Aminobenzoic acid and 3-nitrotyrosine were used as an efficient donor-acceptor pair for the resonance energy transfer. The P'1/P'2 variable hexapeptide library with the general structure H-Xaa-Ala-Ala-Ala-Tyr(NO2)-Gly-OH and H-Ala-Xaa-Ala-Ala-Tyr(NO2)-Gly-OH, where Xaa represents Arg, Lys, Met, Phe, Ala, Gly, Ser, Gln and Glu, was prepared by solid-phase synthesis. Investigations of the S' specificity of trypsin, chymotrypsin and trypsin variants show that this assay is a fast and sensitive screening method for S' subsite mapping of serine proteases and is suitable for a high throughput screening. The assay might be useful for the development of restriction proteases and the estimation of yields in enzymatic peptide synthesis.     

Extended binding inhibitors of chymotrypsin that interact with leaving group subsites S1'-S3'

We have synthesized inhibitors of chymotrypsin, based on fluoromethyl ketones, that bind at S and S' subsites. "Small" inhibitors of serine proteases, which have previously been synthesized, only interact with S subsites. The parent compound is Ac-Leu-ambo-Phe-CF2H (1) (Ki = 25 X 10(-6) M). This inhibitor was modified by successively replacing H of the -CF2H group by -CH2CH2CONHCH3, (4), -CH2CH2CONH-Leu-NHMe (5), -CH2CH2CONH-Leu-Val-OEt (6), and -CH2CH2CONH-Leu-Arg-OMe (7). Corresponding Ki values are 7.8 (4), 0.23 (5), 0.21 (6), and 0.014 (7) microM. Extending 5 to 6 by addition of Val-OEt at P3' does not decrease Ki. In contrast, extension of 5 to 7 by incorporating Arg-OMe at P3' decreases Ki approximately 15-fold, suggesting interaction between Arg and the S3' subsite but no corresponding interaction at that subsite with Val. These results are in accordance with results obtained with the homologous family of avian ovomucoid third domain proteins. Proteins with Arg at the P3' position show highly favorable interactions with the protease at the S3' subsite [Park, S. J. (1985) Ph.D. Thesis, Purdue University; M. Laskowski, Jr., personal communication]. These results establish that incorporation of residues which interact with S' subsites significantly increases the efficacy of inhibitors and that valuable information concerning the most effective amino acid composition of small inhibitors can be obtained from the amino acid sequence of protein inhibitors.     

Structure-activity studies of fluoroketone inhibitors of alpha-lytic protease and human leukocyte elastase

We have synthesized a series of peptidyl fluoroketones that reversibly inhibit the serine proteases human leukocyte elastase (HLE) and alpha-lytic protease (alpha-LP). Ac-ambo-AlaCF3 (1) inhibits HLE and alpha-LP with Ki's of 2.4 and 15 mM, respectively. The effects of structural variations on this parent compound on Ki and the kinetics of inhibition were studied. The acetyl group was replaced by the tripeptide Z-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro to yield the tetrapeptide trifluoroketone (TFK) Z-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-ambo-AlaCF3 (2). This extension reduced Ki 3500-fold for HLE and 3000-fold for alpha-LP. Removal of a fluorine atom from a TFK decreases Ki about 15- to 30-fold with both enzymes. Replacement of one fluorine atom of 2 by a residue (-CH2-CH2-COLeuOMe) (6) which can interact with the S'1 and S'2 subsites decreased Ki 30-fold for HLE and 150-fold for alpha-LP compared to Z-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-ambo-AlaCF2H (3). The Ki of 6 for HLE is approximately equal to that of trifluoroketone 2. For alpha-LP Ki of 6 is 10-fold lower than that for the trifluoroketone 2. Inhibitors with Ki values less than 10(-7) M exhibit slow binding kinetics. By analogy to cholinesterases and chymotrypsin, it is likely that these enzymes combine with the keto form of the inhibitor to form the enzyme-inhibitor complex. Therefore, kon and Ki were corrected for the ketone concentration. The corrected kon values for the slow binding inhibitors are in most cases less than diffusion controlled, ranging between 8.2 X 10(4) and 4.68 X 10(6) M-1 s-1. An exception is Z-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-ambo-ValCF3 (8) where kon = 9 X 10(7) M-1 s-1, which is nearly diffusion controlled.     

Comparative study of the properties of serine proteases of lower and higher vertebrates

Results of the comparative study of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like serine proteases from pyloric caeca of salmon fishes and trypsin and chymotrypsin of bulls are presented in the paper. The hydrolytic activity of salmon proteases with respect to methyl ethers of N-benzoyl-L-leucine is 2.4 times higher than that of bull chymotrypsin, but with respect to methyl esters of N-benzoyl-L-tyrosine and N-benzoyl-L-arginine the activity of salmon proteases is 6.5 and 80 times lower than that of bull chymotrypsin and trypsin. Salmon proteases in contrast to bull trypsin and chymotrypsin hydrolyze but slightly N-glutaryl-L-phenylalanine para-nitroanilide. It shown that fish proteases are not absolutely specific to synthetic substrates, which is a result of their less pronounced (than in case of bull trypsin and chymotrypsin) differences in structures of binding centres. The study of the salmon protease interaction with some immobilized ligands has confirmed the higher affinity of enzymes to reagents with two space-separated aromatic rings in their composition. It is supposed that salmon proteases interact with such reagents through two sites: hydrophobic "pockets" and probably additional binding site of the active centre. The salmon protease preparation demonstrates higher resistance to inactivating action of formaldehyde within the range of concentrations 2-16% than bull chymotrypsin does.     

Serine proteinases of lower vertebrates

Recent data on the effect of serine proteinases of lower vertebrates are generalized. Hydrolysis specificity and kinetics of different synthetic substrates, dependence of the activity of enzymes on pH, their irreversible inhibition by chloromethyl ketones of amino acids and peptides as well as high-molecular proteinase inhibitors are considered in detail. The data testify to the fact that chymotrypsins and trypsins of higher vertebrates and serine proteinases of lower vertebrates act as an acid-base catalysis. Enzymes in the pyloric cacca of fishes are in the state of proenzymes and are transformed into an active form with the aid of their own proteolytic factors. The esterase and proteolytic activity of fish proteinases is concentrated in the same active site and reaches the highest values at pH 7,8. New data are presented on particularities of the lower vertebrate proteinases, on the similarity and differences in their specificity. A distinct difference is shown in the nature of the binding site of the active centre in a number of serine proteinases of fishes as compared to chymotrypsin and trypsin of higher vertebrates.     

Chymotrypsin inhibitory activity of normal C1-inhibitor and a P1 Arg to His mutant: evidence for the presence of overlapping reactive centers.

C1-inhibitor is a serine proteinase inhibitor that is active against C1s, C1r, kallikrein, and factor XII. Recently, it has been shown that it also has inhibitory activity against chymotrypsin. We have investigated this activity of normal human C1-inhibitor, normal rabbit C1-inhibitor, and P1 Arg to His mutant human C1-inhibitors and find that all are able to inhibit chymotrypsin and form stable sodium dodecyl sulfate-resistant complexes. The Kass values show that the P1 His mutant is a slightly better inhibitor of chymotrypsin than normal human C1-inhibitor (3.4 x 10(4) compared with 7.3 x 10(3)). The carboxy-terminal peptide of normal human C1-inhibitor, derived from the dissociated protease-inhibitor complex, shows cleavage between the P2 and P1 residues. Therefore, as with alpha 2-antiplasmin, C1-inhibitor possesses two overlapping P1 residues, one for chymotrypsin and the other for Arg-specific proteinases. In contrast, with the P1 His mutant, the peptide generated from the dissociation of its complex with chymotrypsin demonstrated cleavage between the P1 and P'1 residues. Therefore, unlike alpha 2-antiplasmin, chymotrypsin utilizes the P2 residue as its reactive site in normal C1-inhibitor but utilizes the P1 residue as its reactive site in the P1 His mutant protein. This suggests that the reactive center loop allows a degree of induced fit and therefore must be relatively flexible.     

Irreversible inhibition of serine proteases by peptide derivatives of (alpha-aminoalkyl)phosphonate diphenyl esters

Peptidyl derivatives of diphenyl (alpha-aminoalkyl)phosphonates have been synthesized and are effective and specific inhibitors of serine proteases at low concentrations. Z-PheP(OPh)2 irreversibly reacts with chymotrypsin (kobsd/[I] = 1200 M-1 s-1) and does not react with two elastases. The best inhibitor for most chymotrypsin-like enzymes including bovine chymotrypsin, cathepsin G, and rat mast cell protease II is the tripeptide Suc-Val-Pro-PheP(OPh)2 which corresponds to the sequence of an excellent p-nitroanilide substrate for several chymases. The valine derivative Z-ValP(OPh)2 is specific for elastases and reacts with human leukocyte elastase (HLE, 280 M-1 s-1) but not with chymotrypsin. The tripeptide Boc-Val-Pro-ValP(OPh)2, which has a sequence found in a good trifluoromethyl ketone inhibitor of HLE, is the best inhibitor for HLE (kobsd/[I] = 27,000 M-1 s-1) and porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE, kobsd/[I] = 11,000 M-1 s-1). The rates of inactivation of chymotrypsin by MeO-Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-PheP(OPh)2 and PPE and HLE by MeO-Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-ValP(OPh)2 were decreased 2-5-fold in the presence of the corresponding substrate, which demonstrates active site involvement. Only one of two diastereomers of Suc-Val-Pro-PheP(OPh)2 reacts with chymotrypsin (146,000 M-1 s-1), and the enzyme-inhibitor complex had one broad signal at 25.98 ppm in the 31P NMR spectrum corresponding to the Ser-195 phosphonate ester. Phosphonylated serine proteases are extremely stable since the half-time for reactivation was greater than 48 h for the inhibited elastases and 7.5-26 h for chymotrypsin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The unusual catalytic triad of poliovirus protease 3C

Picornaviruses are small pathogen RNA viruses, like poliovirus, hepatitis A virus, rhinovirus, and others. They produce a large polyprotein, which is cleaved by virally encoded cysteine peptidases, picornains 2A and 3C. Picornain 3C represents an intermediate between the serine peptidase chymotrypsin and the cysteine peptidase papain. Its steric structure resembles chymotrypsin, but its nucleophile is a thiol instead of the hydroxyl group. The histidine is a general base catalyst in chymotrypsin but forms a thiolate-imidazolium ion pair in papain. The third member of the catalytic triad is an acid (Glu71) as in chymotrypsin rather than an amide found in papain. Transformation of poliovirus 3C peptidase into a serine peptidase results in lower activity by a factor of 430, but the activity extends toward higher pH with the more basic hydroxyl group. The decrease in activity is caused by the less ordered active site, as supported by the unfavorable entropy of activation. At 25 degrees C the specificity rate constant for the thiol enzyme approaches k(1), the rate constant for the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex, but k(2), the acylation constant, becomes predominant with the increase in temperature. In contrast, for the serine peptidase the specificity constant is less than k(1) over the entire temperature range, and the transition state is controlled by both k(1) and k(2). The acidic component of the catalytic triad is essential for activity, but its negative charge does not influence the ionization of the thiol group.     

NMR and ESR studies on human pregnancy zone protein. Comparison with human alpha 2-macroglobulin.

NMR and ESR spectroscopies have been used to examine the plasma protease inhibitor pregnancy zone protein (PZP) and its complex with chymotrypsin. The 1H NMR spectrum of PZP shows relatively few sharp resonances, which, by analogy with human alpha 2-macroglobulin, probably arise from the proteolytically sensitive bait region. Upon reaction with chymotrypsin to form a 1:1 protease.PZP tetramer complex, there is a large increase in the intensity of sharp resonances due to an increase in mobility of these residues. 35Cl NMR has been used to follow binding of zinc and manganese to apo-PZP. Zinc binding causes a linear broadening of the bulk Cl-, consistent with access of Cl- to PZP-bound zinc. Since zinc in the two highest affinity sites in human alpha 2-macroglobulin causes no broadening of Cl-, it is concluded that these zinc sites are absent from PZP. The mobility of chymotrypsin in the PZP.chymotrypsin complex was examined by covalently attaching a nitroxide spin label at the serine residue in the active site of the enzyme and examining the appearance of the ESR spectrum. The chymotrypsin is rigidly held by the PZP to which it is covalently bound. In an analogous experiment performed previously on alpha 2-macroglobulin, chymotrypsin, bound in the presence of methylamine and therefore largely noncovalently bound, was found to be free to rotate inside the cage formed by the protease inhibitor.     

Inactivation of chymotrypsin by 5-benzyl-6-chloro-2-pyrone: 13C NMR and X-ray diffraction analyses of the inactivator-enzyme complex

The inactivation of chymotrypsin by 5-benzyl-6-chloro-2-pyrone has been studied. Chloride analysis of the inactivated enzyme suggests that chlorine is no longer present in the complex. 13C NMR spectroscopy of chymotrypsin inactivated with 5-benzyl-6-chloro-2-pyrone-2,6-13 C2 shows the presence of two new resonances from the protein-bound inactivator. The chemical shift values of these resonances are consistent with an intact pyrone ring on the enzyme as well as the replacement of the C-6 chlorine by a different heteroatom. X-ray diffraction analysis at 1.5-A resolution of the inactivator-enzyme complex demonstrates that the gamma-oxygen of the active site serine residue (serine 195) is covalently attached to C-6 of the inactivator and that the pyrone ring is intact. The 5-benzyl group of the inactivator is bound to the enzyme in the hydrophobic specificity pocket. The conformational changes that occur in the protein as a result of complexation with the inactivator are discussed.     

Crystal structure of bovine duodenase, a serine protease, with dual trypsin and chymotrypsin-like specificities

The three-dimensional structure of duodenase, a serine protease from bovine duodenum mucosa, has been determined at 2.4A resolution. The enzyme, which has both trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like activities, most closely resembles human cathepsin G with which it shares 57% sequence identity and similar specificity. The catalytic Ser195 in duodenase adopts the energetically favored conformation typical of serine proteinases and unlike the strained state typical of lipase/esterases. Of several waters in the active site of duodenase, the one associated with Ser214 is found in all serine proteinases and most lipase/esterases. The conservation of the Ser214 residue in serine proteinase, its presence in the active site, and participation in a hydrogen water network involving the catalytic triad (His57, Asp107, and Ser195) argues for its having an important role in the mechanism of action. It may be referred to as a fourth member of the catalytic triad. Duodenase is one of a growing family of enzymes that possesses trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like activity. Not long ago, these activities were considered to be mutually exclusive. Computer modeling reveals that the S1 subsite of duodenase has structural features compatible with effective accommodation of P1 residues typical of trypsin (Arg/Lys) and chymotrypsin (Tyr/Phe) substrates. The determination of structural features associated with functional variation in the enzyme family may permit design of enzymes with a specific ratio of trypsin and chymotrypsin activities.     

The purification and properties of yeast proteinase B from Candida albicans.

A serine proteinase (ycaB) from the yeast Candida albicans A.T.C.C. 10261 was purified to near homogeneity. The enzyme was almost indistinguishable from yeast proteinase B (EC 3.4.21.48), and an Mr of 30,000 for the proteinase was determined by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The initial site of hydrolysis of the oxidized B-chain of insulin, by the purified proteinase, was the Leu-Tyr peptide bond. The preferential degradation at this site, analysed further with N-blocked amino acid ester and amide substrates, demonstrated that the specificity of the proteinase is determined by an extended substrate-binding site, consisting of at least three subsites (S1, S2 and S'1). The best p-nitrophenyl ester substrates were benzyloxycarbonyl-Tyr p-nitrophenyl ester (kcat./Km 3,536,000 M-1 X S-1), benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu p-nitrophenyl ester (kcat./Km 2,250,000 M-1 X S-1) and benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe p-nitrophenyl ester (kcat./Km 1,000,000 M-1 X S-1) consistent with a preference for aliphatic or aromatic amino acids at subsite S1. The specificity for benzyloxycarbonyl-Tyr p-nitrophenyl ester probably reflects the binding of the p-nitrophenyl group in subsite S'1. The presence of S2 was demonstrated by comparison of the proteolytic coefficients (kcat./Km) for benzyloxycarbonyl-Ala p-nitrophenyl ester (825,000 M-1 X S-1) and t-butyloxycarbonyl-Ala p-nitrophenyl ester (333,000 M-1 X S-1). Cell-free extracts contain a heat-stable inhibitor of the proteinase.     

Toxicity to the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum of anti-chymotrypsin isoforms and fragments of Bowman-Birk protease inhibitors from pea seeds

Aphids feed on a protein-poor diet and are insensitive to several serine protease inhibitors. However, among the Bowman-Birk family of plant trypsin inhibitors (BBI), some members display significant toxicity to the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. A BBI isoform purified from pea seeds (PsTI-2) displays an IC50 of 41 microM and a LC50 of 48 microM at 7 days. Our data show that the chymotrypsin-directed active site from these bifunctional inhibitors is responsible for this activity, and that artificial cyclic peptides bearing the Bowman-Birk anti-chymotrypsin head induce much greater toxicity and growth inhibition than their anti-trypsin counterparts. The toxic syndrome included a rapid behavioural response of aphids on diets containing the toxic peptides, with induced restlessness after only 1 h of exposure to the chymotrypsin inhibitor. Nevertheless, chymotrypsin activity was not detected in aphid guts, using two chromogenic chymotrypsin substrates, and the physiological target of the chymotrypsin inhibitor remains unknown. These data show for the first time that plant chymotrypsin inhibitors, still widely unexplored, may act as paradoxical toxicants to aphids and serve as defensive metabolites for phloem-feeding insects.     

(p-Amidinophenyl)methanesulfonyl fluoride, an irreversible inhibitor of serine proteases

p-(Amidinophenyl)methanesulfonyl fluoride (p-APMSF) has been synthesized and shown to be a specific, irreversible inhibitor of the class of plasma serine proteases which demonstrate substrate specificity for the positively charged side chains of the amino acid lysine or arginine. In equimolar concentration, this compound causes immediate and complete irreversible inhibition of bovine trypsin and human thrombin. A 5-10-fold molar excess of reagent over enzyme is required to achieve complete irreversible inhibition of bovine Factor Xa, human plasmin, human C1-r, and human C1-s. the Ki of p-APMSF for all of the above-mentioned proteases is between 1 and 2 microM. In contrast, p-APMSF in large molar excess does not inactivate chymotrypsin or acetylcholinesterase. The unique reactivity of p-APMSF has been further shown in comparison with the related compound p-nitrophenyl (p-amidinophenyl)methanesulfonate which is an active-site titrant for thrombin but reacts poorly with Factor Xa, C1-r, and C1-s and is not hydrolyzed by bovine trypsin or human plasmin. Similarly, (p-amidinophenyl)methanesulfonate has a Ki of 30 microM for thrombin but is a poor inhibitor of trypsin, Factor Xa, C1-r, C1-s, and plasmin. Studies with bovine trypsin have demonstrated that the inhibitory activity of p-APMSF is the result of its interaction with the diisopropyl fluorophosphate reactive site. The unique reactivity of this inhibitor classifies it as one of the most effective active site directed reagents for this class of serine proteases. Collectively, these results suggest that the primary substrate binding site of these enzymes, which share a high degree of structural homology, do in fact significantly differ from each other in their ability to interact with low molecular weight inhibitors and synthetic substrates.     

Novel inactivators of serine proteases based on 6-chloro-2-pyrone

The interaction of serine protease (esterases) with 6-chloro-2-pyrones was investigated. Time-dependent inactivation of chymotrypsin, alpha-lytic protease, pig liver elastase, and cholinesterase was found with 3- and 5-benzyl-6-chloro-2-pyrone, as well as 3- and 5-methyl-6-chloro-2-pyrone. No inactivation was observed with the unsubstituted 6-chloro-2-pyrone. The substituted pyrones did not inactivate papain or carboxypeptidase A, as well as a number of other nonproteolytic enzymes. The substituted chloropyrones, therefore, show considerable selectivity toward serine proteases. Analogues in which the 6-chloro substituent is replaced by H or OH do not inactivate. The presence of the halogen is, therefore, essential for inactivation. Chymotrypsin catalyzes the hydrolysis of 3-benzyl-6-chloro-2-pyrone. At pH 7.5, (E)-4-benzyl-2-pentenedioic acid is the major product, and 2-benzyl-2-pentenedioic anhydride is a minor product. The ration of hydrolysis product found to the number of enzyme molecules inactivated varies from 14 to 40. The enzyme inactivated with the 3-benzyl compound does not show a spectrum characteristic of the pyrone ring. This suggests that inactivation by 3-benzyl-6-chloro-2-pyrone occurs in a mechanism-based fashion after enzymatic lactone hydrolysis. When the enzyme is inactivated with the 5-benzyl compound, absorbance due to the pyrone ring is observed. We suggest that inactivation occurs through an active site directed mechanism involving a 1,6-conjugate addition of an active site nucleophile to the pyrone ring.     

Nucleotide sequences at the boundaries between gene and insertion regions in the rDNA of Drosophila melanogaster

Ribosomal RNA genes interrupted by type 1 insertions of 1 kb and 0.5 kb have been sequenced through the insertion region and compared with an uninterrupted gene. The 0.5 kb insertion is flanked by a duplication of a 14 bp segment that is present once in the uninterrupted gene; the 1 kb insertion is flanked by a duplication of 11 of these 14 bp. Short insertions are identical in their entire length to downstream regions of long insertions. No internal repeats occur in the insertion. The presence of target site duplications suggests that type 1 insertions arose by the introduction of transposable elements into rDNA. Short sequence homologies between the upstream ends of the insertions and the 28S' boundaries of the rRNA coding region suggest that short type 1 insertions may have arisen by recombination from longer insertions.We have sequenced both boundaries of two molecules containing type 2 insertions and the upstream boundary of a third; the points of interruption at the upstream boundary (28S' site) differ from each other in steps of 2 bp. Between the boundary in the 0.5 kb type 1 insertion and the type 2 boundaries there are distances of 74, 76, and 78 bp. At the downstream boundary (28S' site) the two sequenced type 2 insertions are identical. The rRNA coding region of one molecule extends across the insertion without deletion or duplication, but a 2 bp deletion in the RNA coding region is present in the second molecule. Stretches of 13 or 22 adenine residues occur at the downstream (28S') end of the two type 2 insertions.     

Synthetic peptides and fluorogenic substrates related to the reactive site sequence of Kunitz-type inhibitors isolated from Bauhinia: interaction with human plasma kallikrein

We have previously described Kunitz-type serine proteinase inhibitors purified from Bauhinia seeds. Human plasma kallikrein shows different susceptibility to those inhibitors. In this communication, we describe the interaction of human plasma kallikrein with fluorogenic and non-fluorogenic peptides based on the Bauhinia inhibitors' reactive site. The hydrolysis of the substrate based on the B. variegata inhibitor reactive site sequence, Abz-VVISALPRSVFIQ-EDDnp (Km 1.42 microM, kcat 0.06 s(-1), and kcat/Km 4.23 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)), is more favorable than that of Abz-VMIAALPRTMFIQ-EDDnp, related to the B. ungulata sequence (Km 0.43 microM, kcat 0.00017 s(-1), and kcat/Km 3.9 x 10(2) M(-1) s(-1)). Human plasma kallikrein does not hydrolyze the substrates Abz-RPGLPVRFESPL-EDDnp and Abz-FESPLRINIIKE-EDDnp based on the B. bauhinioides inhibitor reactive site sequence, the most effective inhibitor of the enzyme. These peptides are competitive inhibitors with Ki values in the nM range. The synthetic peptide containing 19 amino acids based on the B. bauhinioides inhibitor reactive site (RPGLPVRFESPL) is poorly cleaved by kallikrein. The given substrates are highly specific for trypsin and chymotrypsin hydrolysis. Other serine proteinases such as factor Xa, factor XII, thrombin and plasmin do not hydrolyze B. bauhinioides inhibitor related substrates.     

Functional analysis of Toxoplasma gondii protease inhibitor 1

We have characterized a Kazal family serine protease inhibitor, Toxoplasma gondii protease inhibitor 1 (TgPI-1), in the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. TgPI-1 contains four inhibitor domains predicted to inhibit trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase. Antibodies against recombinant TgPI-1 detect two polypeptides, of 43 and 41 kDa, designated TgPI-1(43) and TgPI-1(41), in tachyzoites, bradyzoites, and sporozoites. TgPI-1(43) and TgPI-1(41) are secreted constitutively from dense granules into the excreted/secreted antigen fraction as well as the parasitophorous vacuole that T. gondii occupies during intracellular replication. Recombinant TgPI-1 inhibits trypsin, chymotrypsin, pancreatic elastase, and neutrophil elastase. Immunoprecipitation studies with anti-rTgPI-1 antibodies reveal that recombinant TgPI-1 forms a complex with trypsin that is dependent on interactions with the active site of the protease. TgPI-1 is the first anti-trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitor to be identified in bradyzoites and sporozoites, stages of the parasite that would be exposed to proteolytic enzymes in the digestive tract of the host.     

Crystal structure of cancer chemopreventive Bowman-Birk inhibitor in ternary complex with bovine trypsin at 2.3 A resolution. Structural basis of Janus-faced serine protease inhibitor specificity

Understanding molecular recognition on a structural basis is an objective with broad academic and applied significance. In the complexes of serine proteases and their proteinaceous inhibitors, recognition is governed mainly by residue P1 in accord with primary serine protease specificity. The bifunctional soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitor (sBBI) should, therefore, interact at LysI16 (subdomain 1) with trypsin and at LeuI43 (subdomain 2) with chymotrypsin. In contrast with this prediction, a 2:1 assembly with trypsin was observed in solution and in the crystal structure of sBBI in complex with trypsin, determined at 2.3 A resolution by molecular replacement. Strikingly, P1LeuI43 of sBBI was fully embedded into the S(1) pocket of trypsin in contrast to primary specificity. The triple-stranded beta-hairpin unique to the BBI-family and the surface loops surrounding the active site of the enzyme formed a protein-protein-interface far extended beyond the primary contact region. Polar residues, hydrophilic bridges and weak hydrophobic contacts were predominant in subdomain 1, interacting specifically with trypsin. However, close hydrophobic contacts across the interface were characteristic of subdomain 2 reacting with both trypsin and chymotrypsin. A Met27Ile replacement shifted the ratio with trypsin to the predicted 1:1 ratio. Thus, the buried salt-bridge responsible for trypsin specificity was stabilised in a polar, and destabilized in a hydrophobic, environment. This may be used for adjusting the specificity of protease inhibitors for applications such as insecticides and cancer chemopreventive agents.