Identification of a Chymotrypsin-Like Mast Cell Protease in Rat Brain Capable of Generating the N-Terminus of the Alzheimer Amyloid β-Protein

Abstract: Cleavage after Met⁵⁹⁶ of the β-amyloid precursor protein to generate the N-terminus of β-protein indicates the activity of a protease having chymotrypsin-like specificity. A chymotrypsin-like protease is further implicated in Alzheimer's disease by the increased synthesis of the protease inhibitor α₁-antichymotrypsin in pathologically affected brain regions and by the presence in the amyloid deposits of inactivated forms of α₁-antichymotrypsin (indicating irreversible binding to a target chymotrypsin-like protease). In the present report, we have purified from rat brain a chymotrypsin-like protease that (a) binds with high affinity to human α₁-antichymotrypsin, (b) proteolytically generates a β-protein-containing C-terminal fragment from full-length recombinant human β-amyloid precursor protein, and (c) selectively cleaves methoxysuccinyl-Glu-Val-Lys-Met-p-nitroanilide (a substrate modeling the protease recognition domain for the β-protein N-terminal cleavage site). Amino acid sequences of tryptic fragments of the purified rat brain chymotrypsin-like protease indicate an identity with rat mast cell protease I. Moreover, the ontogeny and compartmentalization of rat brain chymotrypsin-like protease are consistent with those of connective tissue-type mast cells in the meningeal and intracortical perivasculature. Because these areas in human brain form extensive β-amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, and hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of Dutch origin, the present findings suggest that a brain mast cell chymotrypsin-like protease may participate in generating perivascular β-protein, which ultimately aggregates into β-amyloid deposits.     

A1 adenosine receptor of rat testis membranes. Purification and partial characterization

Purification of an A1 adenosine receptor of rat testes was performed using a newly developed affinity chromatography system (Nakata, H. (1989) Mol. Pharmacol. 35, 780-786). The A1 adenosine receptor was solubilized with digitonin from rat testicular membranes and then purified more than 25,000-fold by sequential use of affinity chromatography on xanthine amine congener-immobilized agarose, hydroxylapatite chromatography, re-affinity chromatography on xanthine amine congener-agarose, and finally gel permeation chromatography on TSK-3000SW. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the final preparation showed a single broad band of Mr 41,000 by autoradiography after radioiodination. This Mr 41,000 peptide was also specifically labeled with an A1 adenosine receptor affinity labeling reagent. A high affinity A1 adenosine receptor antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-[3H]dipropylxanthine, bound saturably to the purified receptor with a KD of approximately 1.4 nM. The purified receptor also showed essentially the same specificity for adenosine agonists and antagonists as the unpurified receptor preparations, although the affinities of the purified adenosine receptor for agonists were significantly low compared to those of unpurified receptor preparations indicating that the purified A1 adenosine receptor exists as a low agonist-high antagonist affinity state. Deglycosylation of the purified testis adenosine A1 receptors with endoglycosidase F produced an increase in the mobility of the receptor protein to an apparent Mr 30,000 in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, similar to that of deglycosylated A1 adenosine receptors of rat brain membranes. Peptide maps of the purified testis and brain A1 adenosine receptors using trypsin and V8 protease suggest that these receptors show some structural homologies.     

Amyloid Angiopathy of Alzheimer''s Disease: Amino Acid Composition and Partial Sequence of a 4,200-Dalton Peptide Isolated from Cortical Microvessels

The cardinal lesions of Alzheimer's disease are neurofibrillary tangles, senile neuritic plaques, and vascular amyloid, the latter generally involving cortical arteries and small arterioles. All three lesions are composed of amyloid-like, beta-pleated sheet fibrils. Recently, a 4,200-dalton peptide has been isolated from extraparenchymal meningeal vessels, neuritic plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. The assumption of N-terminal homogeneity in vascular amyloid has been used as an argument for a neuronal (versus blood) origin of the peptide. However, intracortical microvessels from Alzheimer's disease have not been previously isolated. The present studies describe the isolation of a microvessel fraction from Alzheimer's disease and control fresh autopsy human brain. Alzheimer's disease isolated brain microvessels that were extensively laden with amyloid and control microvessels were solubilized in 90% formic acid and analyzed by urea sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The arteriole fraction from the Alzheimer's subject with extensive amyloid angiopathy contained a unique 4,200-dalton peptide, whereas the arterioles or capillaries isolated from two controls and two Alzheimer's disease subjects without angiopathy did not. This peptide was purified by HPLC and amino acid composition analysis showed the peptide is nearly identical to the 4,200-dalton peptide recently isolated from neuritic plaques or from neurofibrillary tangles. Sequence analysis revealed N-terminal heterogeneity. The N-terminal sequence was: Asp-Ala-Glu-Phe-Arg-His-Asp-Ser-Gly-Tyr, which is identical to the N-terminal sequence of the 4,200-dalton peptide isolated previously from extraparenchymal meningeal vessels and neuritic plaques.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Expression of beta-amyloid precursor protein in reactive astrocytes following neuronal damage

Although the beta-amyloid peptide is an established core component of neuritic plaques that accumulate in Alzheimer's disease, the mechanisms responsible for its deposition are not well understood. We now report that lesions of rat hippocampal neurons cause a time-dependent, long-lasting elevation of immunoreactivity for the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) in neighboring astrocytes, a cell type not normally containing the protein. The increase represents astroglial expression of the protein rather than a scavenging of APP released by damaged neurons. Immunoelectron microscopy confirmed that APP-containing cells are reactive astroglia, both surrounding capillaries and within the neuropil. These results demonstrate that neuronal damage stimulates APP expression in adult brain and suggest that reactive astrocytes may be a source of the beta-amyloid that forms neuropathological plaques in Alzheimer's disease.     

Overexpression of the neuritotrophic cytokine S100beta precedes the appearance of neuritic beta-amyloid plaques in APPV717F mice

Homozygous APPV717F transgenic mice overexpress a human beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP) minigene encoding a familial Alzheimer's disease mutation. These mice develop Alzheimer-type neuritic beta-amyloid plaques surrounded by astrocytes. S100beta is an astrocyte-derived cytokine that promotes neurite growth and promotes excessive expression of betaAPP. S100beta overexpression in Alzheimer's disease correlates with the proliferation of betaAPP-immunoreactive neurites in beta-amyloid plaques. We found age-related increases in tissue levels of both betaAPP and S100beta mRNA in transgenic mice. Neuronal betaAPP overexpression was found in cell somas in young mice, whereas older mice showed betaAPP overexpression in dystrophic neurites in plaques. These age-related changes were accompanied by progressive increases in S100beta expression, as determined by S100beta load (percent immunoreactive area). These increases were evident as early as 1 and 2 months of age, months before the appearance of beta-amyloid deposits in these mice. Such precocious astrocyte activation and S100beta overexpression are similar to our earlier findings in Down's syndrome. Accelerated age-related overexpression of S100beta may interact with age-associated overexpression of mutant betaAPP in transgenic mice to promote development of Alzheimer-like neuropathological changes.     

Expression of the human beta-amyloid protein of Alzheimer's disease specifically in the brains of transgenic mice

The human beta-amyloid protein is deposited in senile plaques and in the cerebro-vasculature of people with Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome. The precise role of beta-amyloid in Alzheimer's disease pathology is presently unknown. To study the properties of beta-amyloid in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that harbor the gene for the carboxyl-terminal 100 amino acids of the human amyloid precursor protein, beginning with the beta-amyloid region, under control of the JC viral early region promoter. The mRNA is expressed exclusively in brain tissue. Further, we demonstrate increased levels of beta-amyloid immunoreactivity on fixed brain tissue. These animals will be useful as a model to study beta-amyloid deposition and its consequences.     

Serum concentration of alpha-2-macroglobulin, alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-2-antichymotrypsin in patients with lung carcinoma

Serum concentration of alpha-2-macroglobulin, alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-2-antichymotrypsin was evaluated in 26 patients with lung carcinoma. We observed an evident decrease in alpha-2-M and alpha-1-antitrypsin level and no differences between tested and control groups in alpha-1-antichymotrypsin concentration. The deficiency of protease inhibitors may be due to the increased level of protease activity in malignant cells. Infiltration of granulocytes near tumor and released enzymes from them may exhaust proteolytic inhibitory capacity, too. Increased protease activity is associated with transformation and uncontrolled proliferation, therefore antiproteases may be accepted as anticancerogenic factors. Further investigations are needed to bring us closer to understanding this question.     

Beta-amyloid: Alzheimer's disease and brain beta-amyloidoses.

This review considers some aspects of the biochemistry of beta-amyloid, a protein which produces insoluble deposits in the brain. These deposits are a specific morphological feature of Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, and senile dementia. Our contribution to the concept of a soluble form of beta-amyloid as of a normal human protein is presented.     

Immunochemical identification of the serine protease inhibitor alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in the brain amyloid deposits of Alzheimer's disease

Two approaches--molecular cloning and immunochemical analysis--have identified one of the components of Alzheimer's disease amyloid deposits as the serine protease inhibitor alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. An antiserum against isolated Alzheimer amyloid deposits detected immunoreactivity in normal liver. The antiserum was then used to screen a liver cDNA expression library, yielding three related clones. DNA sequence analysis showed that these clones code for alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. Antisera against purified alpha 1-antichymotrypsin stained Alzheimer amyloid deposits, both in situ and after detergent extraction from brain. The anti-amyloid antiserum recognizes at least two distinct epitopes in alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, further supporting the presence of this protein in Alzheimer amyloid deposits. In addition to being produced in the liver and released into the serum, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is expressed in Alzheimer brain, particularly in areas that develop amyloid lesions. Models by which alpha 1-antichymotrypsin could contribute to the development of Alzheimer amyloid deposits are discussed.     

Muscarinic cholinergic receptor of rat brain. Factors influencing migration in electrophoresis and gel filtration in sodium dodecyl sulphate

The muscarinic cholinergic receptor present in synaptosomal membranes of rat brain was covalently labelled with the alkylating muscarinic antagonist, tritiated propylbenzilylcholine mustard. The labelled receptor was then solubilized in sodium deoxycholate and sodium dodecyl sulphate, and its migration in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate analysed. Provided both proteolysis and inter-chain disulphide bond formation were vigorously prevented, the receptor from rat forebrain (cerebral cortex plus caudate putamen) migrated, in sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, as a broad band of apparent Mr 66000-76000. Two dominantly labelled polypeptides, of apparent Mr 68000 and 73000, could be distinguished as the major components of this band. These multiple species seen in electrophoresis may reflect a structural diversity related to the different binding properties, and modes of action, of this receptor. In electrophoresis using discontinuous buffer systems the labelled receptor readily formed intermolecular disulphide bonds and so aggregated. In particular, if solubilized membranes were reduced with 2-mercaptoethanol, and reformation of disulphide bonds during electrophoresis not prevented, then formation of a dimeric species (apparent Mr 119000-128000) occurred. This probably explains previous reports in the literature of larger-Mr species seen in electrophoresis. During gel filtration, the receptor formed intra-chain disulphide bonds which produced conformational heterogeneity, leading to polydisperse migration. In addition, extensive proteolytic degradation of the receptor occurred due to a protease migrating slightly ahead of the receptor. Both effects were eliminated by alkylation of the solubilized membranes with iodoacetamide before gel filtration. Alkylated receptor migrated on Sephacryl S-300 in 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulphate with an equivalent Stokes' radius of 6.1 nm. This is identical to that of reduced ovalbumin, a molecule with an apparent Mr in gel electrophoresis of 43000. On a different gel matrix, TSK HW 55(S), the receptor migrated with a somewhat larger Stokes' radius, eluting just behind reduced bovine serum albumin (Stokes' radius 8.5 nm; apparent Mr in electrophoresis 67000). Thus the receptor appears to adsorb to the Sephacryl matrix, although even on the TSK gel the receptor eluted as a somewhat smaller protein than expected from its behaviour in gel electrophoresis. Solubilized, alkylated receptor, partly purified by gel filtration so that it was not degraded by endogenous proteases, was not cleaved by mild hydroxylamine treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Covalent labelling of the lutropin binding site. Evidence for a single Mr 90000 sialoglycopolypeptide.

Membrane-associated sialoglycopolypeptides of rat ovaries were oxidized with NaIO4, reduced with NaB3H4 and solubilized with Triton X-100. The solubilized proteins carrying the 3H label were subjected to affinity chromatography on human choriogonadotropin coupled to agarose. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate followed by fluorography revealed a single component of apparent Mr 90000. This component was abolished when ovaries saturated with choriogonadotropin were used as starting material. The above result is identical to that obtained previously by conventional detection methods [ Metsikk ö & Rajaniemi (1982) Biochem. J. 208, 309-316] and indicates that the 3H-labelled lutropin/choriogonadotropin sialoglycopolypeptide was observed. The affinity-purified 3H-labelled protein co-eluted with the choriogonadotropin-binding activity solubilized with Triton X-100 from rat ovarian particles, showed a Stokes' radius of 6.2 nm and sedimented as a single band with a sedimentation coefficient of 5.1 S. The sedimentation coefficient of this 3H-labelled protein was not significantly altered when boiled in 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate, indicating that non-covalently associated subunits were not present. The 3H-labelled protein cosedimented with the choriogonadotropin-binding activity solubilized with Triton X-100 from rat ovary. When 125I-choriogonadotropin-receptor complex was covalently crosslinked with glutaraldehyde, an Mr 130000 component was produced as detected by sodium dodecyl sulphate gel electrophoresis. This component was extracted from the polyacrylamide gel and subjected to sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation in 0.1% Triton X-100. A single band sedimenting at the position of the 125I-choriogonadotropin-receptor complex solubilized from a prelabelled ovary was observed, exhibiting a sedimentation coefficient of 6.5S. These data suggest that the lutropin-binding site is a single sialoglycopolypeptide of Mr 90000, which binds one molecule of hormone resulting in an apparent Mr 130000 complex. The large Stokes' radius (6.2 nm) of the binding site is accounted for by bound detergent.     

alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin in lung secretions is not an effective proteinase inhibitor

This paper presents evidence that alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in lung secretions is not effective as an inhibitor of chymotrypsin-like enzymes. First, lung secretion samples inhibited more cathepsin G on a one-to-one molar basis than could be accounted for by the alpha 1-antichymotrypsin present. Second, the major cathepsin G inhibitory capacity of sputum was in gel filtration fractions that corresponded to a low molecular weight (10,000-15,000) and contained immunoreactive antileucoprotease. Third, although alpha 1-antichymotrypsin purified from plasma was almost fully active against cathepsin G, that purified from lung lavage retained less than 15% of its inhibitory function. Immunoblotting following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in plasma and lung secretions are of similar molecular size and no enzyme-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin complexes could be detected in sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluids. However, in contrast to the alpha 1-antichymotrypsin purified from plasma, the lavage protein gave a broad elution profile following anion-exchange chromatography.     

Characterization of the Serpin, α1-Antichymotrypsin, in Normal Human Cerebrospinal Fluid

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 20 male patients with nonneurologic disease (age 64.5 +/- 2.8 SEM) was analyzed for the presence of the serpin alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1-ACT). A chymotrypsin-specific chromogenic substrate (succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide) was used to examine the CSF samples. All CSF samples showed inhibitory activity ranging from 45 to 80% inhibition. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the samples revealed the presence of a 68-kDa protein migrating identical to authentic human plasma alpha 1-ACT. Complex formation was performed with iodinated bovine chymotrypsin for several representative CSF samples having the highest chymotrypsin inhibitory activity. Comparison was made with complex formation performed with commercially available authentic human plasma alpha 1-ACT. These studies showed the formation of complexes at 37 degrees C, regardless of whether the sample was subsequently boiled or not. In the case of CSF, two complex bands, mass smaller than with plasma alpha 1-ACT, were formed at the lower temperature whereas a single higher Mr band was formed when the samples were boiled. To determine whether cleavage of the serpin occurred, these studies were repeated using human neutrophil cathepsin G as target protease. A complex of approximately 90 kDa was formed with human alpha 1-ACT under these same conditions. alpha 1-ACT has been detected in senile amyloid plaques in brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, the only plasma serine protease inhibitor localized to these structures. Another serpin, protease nexin I, is also found in these plaques, but this inhibitor does not circulate in plasma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Alzheimer''s β-Amyloid Protein Is Covalently Modified when Dissolved in Formic Acid

beta-Amyloid protein is a major protein component of neuritic plaques in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. A major advance in understanding the molecular biology of Alzheimer's disease came with the purification and sequencing of this protein. Because beta-amyloid protein is very insoluble, extreme conditions such as 88% formic acid were commonly used to dissolve its fibrils. We now report that 88% formic acid covalently modifies beta-amyloid protein fragments, probably by the formation of a formate ester to a serine in the protein. The t1/2 of the formylation is approximately 3.5 h, and the t1/2 for hydrolysis of the formylated peptide is much longer, being 9.9 h in water and 66 h in HPLC eluant. This suggests that if formic acid is used in the purification of beta-amyloid protein or peptide fragments of this protein, it is likely that some formylated peptide will be present in subsequent studies. Although unrecognized modification of a protein is inherently undesirable, it is uncertain what effects this formylation will have on ensuing studies. Certainly, investigations into the immunologic, physical, and physiologic properties of beta-amyloid protein could be influenced.     

Human serum alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is an inhibitor of pancreatic elastases

Incubation of human serum alpha 1-antichymotrypsin with human pancreatic elastase 2 or porcine pancreatic elastase results in the complete inhibition of each enzyme as determined by spectrophotometric assays. alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin reacts much more rapidly with the human than with the porcine enzyme. The inhibitor: enzyme molar ratio, required to obtain full inhibition of enzymatic activity, is equal to 1.25/1 when alpha 1-antichymotrypsin reacts with human pancreatic elastase 2 while it is markedly higher with porcine pancreatic elastase (5.5/1). Patterns obtained by SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the reaction products show the formation with both enzymes of an equimolar complex (Mr near 77 000) and the release of a fragment migrating as a peptide of Mr near 5000. Moreover a free proteolytically modified form of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, electrophoretically identical with that obtained in the reaction with cathepsin G or bovine chymotrypsin, is produced in the reaction with each elastase but in a much greater amount when alpha 1-antichymotrypsin reacts with porcine elastase than with human elastase. As a consequence of our findings, the specificity of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, so far limited to the inhibition of chymotrypsin-like enzymes from pancreas and leukocyte origin, has to be extended to the two pancreatic elastases investigated in this work. A contribution of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin to the regulatory balance between plasma inhibitors and human pancreatic elastase 2 in pancreatic diseases is suggested.     

Detection of soluble forms of the beta-amyloid precursor protein in human plasma

A approximately 40-residue fragment of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) is progressively deposited in the extracellular spaces of brain and blood vessels in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Down's syndrome and aged normal subjects. Soluble, truncated forms of APP lacking the carboxyl terminus are normally secreted from cultured cells expressing this protein and are found in cerebrospinal fluid. Here, we report the detection of a similar soluble APP isoform in human plasma. This approximately 125 kDa protein, which was isolated from plasma by Affi-Gel Blue chromatography or dialysis-induced precipitation, comigrates with the larger of the two major soluble APP forms present in spinal fluid and contains the Kunitz protease inhibitor insert. It thus derives from the APP751 and APP770 precursors; a soluble form of APP695 has not yet been detected in plasma. The approximately 125 kDa plasma form lacks the C-terminal region and is unlikely to serve as a precursor for the beta-protein that forms the amyloid in AD.     

The presence of astrocytes enhances beta amyloid-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal cell cultures.

A characteristic feature of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease is represented by the presence of activated astrocytes, surrounding dystrophic neurons and beta-amyloid deposition. To explore the role of astrocytes in in vitro beta-amyloid neurotoxicity, we studied the effect of beta-amyloid treatment in hippocampal neurons in two different cell models: pure cultures, where neurons were grown in absence of astrocytes and mixed cultures, where neurons were seeded on a confluent layer of astrocytes. We evaluated two characteristic aspects of in vitro beta-amyloid neurotoxicity: reduction of cell viability and degeneration of the neuritic tree. We demonstrated that neurons growing on astrocytes were more prone to the detrimental effect of the amyloid peptide, with respect to neurons grown in absence of the glial component. Our results support the hypothesis that beta-amyloid-astrocyte interaction can adversely condition neurons and contribute to neuronal damage in Alzheimer's disease.     

Granular cell tumors: evidence for heterogeneous tumor cell differentiation

Eighteen granular cell tumors from various sites were examined with antisera directed against protein S-100, neuron specific enolase (NSE), alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, and alpha-1-antitrypsin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), lysozyme, factor VIII-related antigen, myoglobin and vimentin, as well as with a monoclonal antibody (lu-5) directed against a panepithelial marker. The immunocytochemical reaction pattern of the tumors was heterogeneous. The brain and pituitary tumors and one thyroid tumor reacted for alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and alpha-1-antitrypsin, but not for S-100 protein and NSE. However, tumors from other sites showed immunoreactions for S-100 protein and NSE and some also for vimentin. Reactions for alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and alpha-1-antitrypsin were not observed. All other reactions were similarly negative. We conclude that the morphologically homogeneous group of granular cell tumors is biologically heterogeneous.     

Effect of cytokines, dexamethazone and the A/T-signal peptide polymorphism on the expression of alpha1-antichymotrypsin in astrocytes: significance for Alzheimer's disease

Proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins, such as α₁-antichymotrypsin, are over expressed in microglia and astrocytes in brain regions with abundant mature amyloid plaques, suggesting a glial cell-led brain acute phase response in the Alzheimer neuropathology. In this paper, we show that α₁-antichymotrypsin gene expression in human astrocytes is elevated by interleukin-1 and interleukin-6, and further enhanced by glucocorticoid, while the homologous contrapsin gene in rat astrocytes is unaffected by these cytokines. These distinct gene regulation mechanisms might help to explain the differential susceptibility of humans and rodents to amyloid formation of the Alzheimer's type. In addition, we demonstrate that the α₁-antichymotrypsin A-allele that encodes a different signal peptide and is a suggested risk factor for Alzheimer's disease gives rise to a reduced level of immature α₁-antichymotrypsin in transfected cells. The physiological result would be an enhanced ability of the A-encoded α₁-antichymotrypsin protein to become secreted and promote extracellular amyloid formation. We discuss our findings in terms of a model in which cytokine-induced α₁-antichymotrypsin synthesis in astrocytes constitutes a specific inflammatory pathway that accelerates the development of Alzheimer's disease and could at least partly underlie the regional specificity and species restriction of the neuropathology.