Identification and characterization of three members of the human metallocarboxypeptidase gene family

Amino acid homology searches of the human genome revealed three members of the metallocarboxypeptidase (metallo-CP) family that had not been described in the literature in addition to the 14 known genes. One of these three, named CPA5, is present in a gene cluster with CPA1, CPA2, and CPA4 on chromosome 7. The cDNA encoding a mouse homolog of human CPA5 was isolated from a testis library and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of human CPA5 has highest amino acid sequence identity (60%) to CPA1. Modeling analysis shows the overall structure to be very similar to that of other members of the A/B subfamily of metallocarboxypeptidases. The active site of CPA5 is predicted to cleave substrates with C-terminal hydrophobic residues, as do CPA1, -2, and -3. Using Northern blot analysis, CPA5 mRNA is detected in testis but not in kidney, liver, brain, or lung. In situ hybridization analysis shows that CPA5 is localized to testis germ cells. Mouse pro-CPA5 protein expressed in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus system was retained in the particulate fraction of the cells and was not secreted into the media. Pro-CPA5 was not enzymatically active toward standard CPA substrates, but after incubation with prohormone convertase 4 the resulting protein was able to cleave furylacryloyl-Gly-Leu, with 3-4-fold greater activity at pH 7.4 than at 5.6. Two additional members of the human CP gene family were also studied. Modeling analysis indicates that both contain the necessary amino acids required for enzymatic activity. The CP on chromosome 8 is predicted to have a CPA-like specificity for C-terminal hydrophobic residues and was named CPA6. The CP on chromosome 2 is predicted to cleave substrates with C-terminal acidic residues and was named CPO.     

Purification and characterization of human transcortin.

Human transcortin was purified to apparent homogeneity from plasma by a two-step procedure involving affinity and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The affinity gel incorporated denatured bovine serum albumin as the spacer and cortisol hemisuccinate as the ligand. Although isolated transcortin showed a propensity for spontaneous polymerization according to a geometric progression (1, 3, 9) only one band was observed on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Cortisol-binding activity of the isolated protein gave an apparent association constant of 2.5 X 10(8) M-1 at 4 degree C in equilibrium dialysis. Isoelectric focusing of purified native transcortin showed six discrete bands, five between pH 3.75 and 4.15 and another, possibly desialylated, at pH 6.15. Desialylated transcortin also gave six bands on isoelectric focusing, with pI values ranging from 4.90 to 6.30.     

Purification and characterization of human placental ferredoxin

A ferredoxin-type iron-sulfur protein was isolated from human placenta mitochondria. The properties of the purified protein were very similar to those of adrenal ferredoxin (adrenodoxin), and immunological cross-reactivity with polyclonal antibodies to bovine adrenodoxin was observed. The N-terminal amino acid sequence and the visible absorption spectrum were identical to bovine adrenodoxin. The molecular mass as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Mr approximately 13,500), however, is slightly smaller than that of adrenodoxin, and the C-terminal sequence is different. Human placental ferredoxin can substitute for bovine adrenodoxin in reactions reconstituted with bovine adrenal enzymes which catalyze the side chain cleavage of cholesterol to pregnenolone and the 11 beta-hydroxylation of deoxycorticosterone to corticosterone.     

Purification and characterization of human serum biotinidase

Biotinidase has been purified from human serum to a specific activity of 1900 units/mg protein by a five-step procedure. After ammonium sulfate precipitation (33-55% cut) it was purified by DEAE-Sephacel, hydroxylapatite, octyl-Sepharose CL-4B, and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. The purified enzyme showed a single silver staining band with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing and non-denaturing conditions. Biotinidase is a glycoprotein. The sialic acid residues in the molecule are not required for enzyme activity. The Mr of human serum biotinidase estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Ferguson plot) and by sedimentation analysis was 68,000. Human serum biotinidase showed maximum activity in the pH range 6.0 to 7.5 with N-(d-biotinyl) p-aminobenzoate as substrate. However, with biocytin as substrate, the maximal activity of the enzyme was in the pH range 4.5 to 6.0. Using structural analogs of the substrate we have shown that biotinidase is not a general proteolytic enzyme and has specific structural requirements in the substrate for hydrolysis.     

Purification and characterization of human factor II

Human plasma Factor II has been purified approximately 800-fold by a combination of barium citrate adsorption, ion-exchange chromatography and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The procedure is relatively simple and results in excellent yields of purified Factor II essentially free of Factor X activity. The purified factor behaved as a single component by analytical polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis at pH 8.9. No Factor V, VII or IX activity was detected in the purified Factor II. Its molecular weight was 7200±3000 as determined by analytical ultracentrifugation, electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-200. An apparent molecular weight of 90 000–100 000 was observed on calibrated columns of Sephadex G-100, G-150, and G-200. The specific activity of human factor II was approximately 1300 N.I.H. units/mg as determined by the two-stage assay and 7 Ortho units/mg by the one stage assay. The purified protein contained by weight 2.8% neutral hexose, 2.3% sialic acids and 3.1% hexosamines.     

Purification and characterization of human kidney renin

By means of a new rapid and small scale purification method, human kidney renin has been purified from a single kidney in a homogeneous state, as judged on SDS-PAGE. The kidney which showed unusually high renin activity was from a patient with cardiomyopathy. 8,000-fold purification was attained by means of only pepstatin-aminohexyl-Sepharose chromatography and FPLC on a Mono Q column, and the yield was 34%. The specific activity was 5.63 mg angiotensin I per mg protein per h at 37 degrees C and pH 6.5 with porcine angiotensinogen as the substrate. The molecular weight was estimated to be 37,000 by SDS-PAGE and 38,000 by HPLC on a TSK G-3000 SW column. The preparation showed three bands on isoelectric focusing. The molecular weight and the profile on isoelectric focusing of the purified renin agreed with those found for the extracts of both the patient's kidney and a kidney with the usual low renin activity.     

Purification and characterization of human salivary peroxidase

Human salivary peroxidase (SPO) has been purified to homogeneity by subjecting human parotid saliva to immunoaffinity, cation exchange, and affinity chromatography. These procedures resulted in a 992-fold purification of the enzyme. When purified SPO was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), three Coomassie stainable bands were apparent, all of which stained positive for enzyme activity. The apparent molecular weights of the three bands were 78,000, 80,000, and 280,000 as analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol resulted in a decreased mobility of these bands, and enzyme activity could no longer be detected on the gels. The SPO preparation had the characteristic peroxidase heme spectrum in the range 405-420 nm. The ratio between the absorbance of the Soret band (412 nm) and the absorbance at 280 nm was 0.81. The enzyme activity was inhibited by the classical peroxidase inhibitors cyanide and azide. Salivary peroxidase is similar to bovine lactoperoxidase (LPO) in amino acid composition, in ultraviolet and visible spectrum, in reaction with cyanide, in susceptibility to 2-mercaptoethanol inactivation, and in thermal stability. The two enzymes differ in carbohydrate composition and content. SPO contains 4.6% and LPO 7% total neutral sugars. The ratio of glucosamine to galactosamine is 2:1 in SPO and 3:1 in LPO. SPO contains mannose, fucose, and galactose in a molar ratio of 1.5:1.5:1.0, while the ratio was 14.9:0.5:1.0 in LPO. Glucose was present in both preparations in minor amounts. The concentration of azide required for 50% inhibition of enzyme activity was 20-fold greater for LPO than for SPO.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Purification and characterization of activated human erythrocyte prolidase

Prolidase (E.C. 3.4.13.9) has been purified 7500-fold to homogeneity from human erythrocytes in a Mn2+-activated form using conventional and fast protein liquid chromatography columns. The procedure includes a 1-h incubation of the crude hemolysate at 50 degrees C with 1 mM MnCl2. Following this novel step, prolidase retains full activity, obviating the requirement for preincubation of each enzyme fraction with Mn2+ prior to assay. Preincubation with MnCl2 does not change the isoelectric point of the enzyme. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 58,000 when measured by SDS-PAGE. Western blotting, using rabbit antibody raised to human kidney prolidase, with partially purified erythrocyte enzyme revealed a cross-reacting band at Mr 58,000.     

Purification and characterization of beta-mannosidase from human placenta

Lysosomal beta-mannosidase was purified almost 10,000-fold from human placenta. The final preparation showed several protein bands on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 110 kDa, the optimal pH was 4.5, the Km was 0.56 mM, and the isoelectric point was 4.7. The enzyme was found to bind completely to Con A-Sepharose, and the pI was not changed after neuraminidase treatment. These results indicate that the purified enzyme represents a lysosomal form which contains high mannose type oligosaccharide chains and only a few sialic acids, if any.     

Purification and characterization of human platelet proteoglycan.

Freshly prepared platelets were shown to contain glycosaminoglycans equivalent to 530 micrograms of hexuronate/10(11) platelets. When the platelets were extracted with 4 M-guanidinium chloride containing proteinase inhibitors, and the extract was dialysed extensively against 7 M-urea solution, almost all of proteoglycan was recovered in the urea-soluble fraction. The proteoglycan was purified from the urea-soluble fraction with a yield of 47% by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography, CsCl-density-gradient centrifugation, Bio-Gel A-15m gel filtration and then rechromatography on DEAE-Sephacel. The purified proteoglycan contained 30% glucuronic acid, 32% N-acetylgalactosamine, 14% sulphate and 15% protein. Serine, glutamic acid, glycine, aspartic acid and leucine accounted for 64% of the total amino acids. The Mr of the proteoglycan was assessed to be approx. 136000 by sedimentation-equilibrium methods. The galactosaminoglycan released by alkaline-borohydride treatment of the proteoglycan was converted stoichiometrically into 4-sulphated unsaturated disaccharide by digestion with chondroitinase AC-II, indicating that the galactosaminoglycan was fully sulphated chondroitin 4-sulphate. The apparent Mr of the chondroitin sulphate was assessed to be 28000 by gel filtration on Bio-Gel A-0.5m (KD 0.18). On two-dimensional electrophoresis on a cellulose acetate membrane, the chondroitin sulphate gave a single compact spot co-migrating with a reference chondroitin sulphate, indicating that the chondroitin sulphate chains were homogeneous in both length and charge density. On the basis of these results, the proteoglycan in human platelets was concluded to be a macromolecule of Mr 136000 containing four chondroitin 4-sulphate chains each with the apparent Mr of 28000.     

Purification and characterization of human pancreatic colipase.

Two colipases, named colipase I and colipase II, have been isolated from extracts of human pancreatic gland. The two proteins can be separated by ion-exchange chromatography, isoelectric focusing and slab technique gel electrophoresis. The result of this study indicates that the two colipases, both of which are glycoproteins, have identical amino acid compositions. The pI values were found to be 6.1 for colipase I and 5.8 for colipase II. The different colipases have also been found in human pancreatic juice. The N-terminal amino acid was glycine for both colipase I (gland) and colipase II (juice). Only minor differences were found between the colipases isolated from gland and juice, and colipase I from gland alone was examined in detail.     

Purification and characterization of human T-lymphocyte-derived erythroid-potentiating activity

The human T-lymphoblast cell line, Mo, secretes a number of lymphokines, including erythroid-potentiating activity (EPA), an important early regulator of erythropoiesis. We report purification of EPA to homogeneity, from serum-free Mo-conditioned medium. Purification was accomplished by sequential concentration, ammonium sulfate precipitation, lentil lectin affinity chromatography, gel filtration, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. EPA was assayed by its ability to stimulate the growth of large erythroid colonies (bursts) from normal human peripheral blood. The purified EPA has a molecular weight of 28,000 and appears as a single band when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing or nonreducing conditions. Purified EPA stimulates the growth of both early and late erythroid precursors from human bone marrow, as well as colony formation by the K562 human erythroleukemia cell line. Purified EPA has no colony-stimulating factor activity nor does it appear to be a structural protein of the human T-cell leukemia virus subtype II which infects the Mo cells.     

Purification and characterization of human salivary carbonic anhydrase

A novel carbonic anhydrase was purified from human saliva with inhibitor affinity chromatography followed by ion-exchange chromatography. The molecular weight was determined to be 42,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicating that the human salivary enzyme is larger than the cytosolic isoenzymes CA I, CA II, and CA III (Mr 29,000) from human tissue sources. Each molecule of the salivary enzyme had two N-linked oligosaccharide chains which were cleaved by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase F but not by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, indicating that the oligosaccharides are complex type. The isoelectric point was determined to be 6.4, but significant charge heterogeneity was found in different preparations. The human salivary isozyme has lower specific activity than the rat salivary isozyme and the human red blood cell isozyme II in the CO2 hydratase reaction. The inhibitory properties of the salivary isozyme resemble those of CA II with iodide, sulfanilamide, and bromopyruvic acid, but the salivary enzyme is less sensitive to acetazolamide and methazolamide than CA II. Antiserum raised in a rabbit against the salivary enzyme cross-reacted with CA II from human erythrocytes, indicating that human salivary carbonic anhydrase and CA II must share at least one antigenic site. CA I and CA III did not crossreact with this antiserum. The amount of salivary carbonic anhydrase in the saliva of the CA II-deficient patients was greatly reduced, indicating that the CA II deficiency mutation directly or indirectly affects the expression of the salivary carbonic anhydrase isozyme. From these results we conclude that the salivary carbonic anhydrase is immunologically and genetically related to CA II, but that it is a novel and distinct isozyme which we tentatively designate CA VI.     

Purification and structural characterization of human ERp29

ERp29 is a major resident of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is postulated to play an important molecular chaperone role in most animal cells. Human ERp29 was isolated to homogeneity in high yield by using a bacterial expression system. Its secondary structure was studied by circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy and it was found that human ERp29 comprises significant alpha-helical structure. The details of its temperature-induced conformational changes was studied by CD and FTIR for the first time, revealing that the protein is stable below 50 degrees C and has two distinct structural transitions between 50 degrees C and 70 degrees C. This may shed light on ERp29's inability to protect substrate proteins against thermal aggregation.     

Purification and characterization of a human pancreas-specific antigen

A pancreas-specific antigen was identified by immunologic techniques and purified from saline extract of human pancreas. The purified pancreas-specific antigen was shown to be homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under both denaturing and non-denaturing conditions. It had a molecular weight of 44000 as estimated by gel filtration or sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, and a sedimentation coefficient of 3.4 S as analyzed by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Pancreas-specific antigen possessed an isoelectric point of 4.9 and migrated to alpha-beta region upon immunoelectrophoresis. By colorimetric assay procedures, pancreas-specific antigen exhibited no enzyme activity, such as amylase, protease, esterase, lipase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase peroxidase, deoxyribonuclease or ribonuclease. Immunoreactivity of pancreas-specific antigen was sensitive to proteolytic enzymes, perchloric acid and high temperature (70 degrees C, 10 min); but insensitive to neuraminidase or beta-glucosidase. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that pancreas-specific antigen was located in acinar cells of human pancreas. In addition, a higher concentration of pancreas-specific antigen was detected in pancreatic juice than in the saline extract of pancreas. This newly identified pancreas-specific antigen, therefore, may be a useful marker protein in physiological studies of pancreas and pancreatic secretion.     

Purification and molecular characterization of human transcobalamin II

Transcobalamin II (TCII) has been purified from Cohn fraction III of human plasma by batchwise binding to and then elution from carboxymethyl-Sephadex, affinity chromatography using photo-labile aminopropyl cobalamin coupled to activated Sephacryl S-200, and finally chromatography through carboxymethyl cellulose. The yield was approximately 80%. The addition of protease inhibitors in all steps of the purification procedure and extensive washing of the carboxymethyl-Sephadex prior to eluting the TCII minimized degradation of the protein and the final preparation of holo-TCII contained 1 mol of cobalamin/mol of protein. A single polypeptide of 43,000 daltons was obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The NH2-terminal 19 amino acids have been determined for human TCII. 12 of the amino acids are homologous with rabbit TCII and six are homologous with human R-binder, but there is no homology with human intrinsic factor.     

Purification and characterization of osteopontin from human milk

Osteopontin (OPN) is expressed in many organs and tissues and has different biological properties related to different molecular forms in respect to size and posttranslational modifications. However, a purification procedure for authentic intact OPN as well as fragments of OPN from an accessible biological source is missing. A four-step procedure was used to purify OPN from human milk, based on its crystal growth inhibitory activity, including anion exchange chromatography, the elimination of casein, hydroxyapatite chromatography, and negative affinity chromatography. Purified OPN was further separated into its different molecular forms by means of a two-step procedure, involving size exclusion chromatography and reverse phase chromatography. A rabbit polyclonal antibody was raised to purified intact OPN and high M(r) OPN components; the immunoreactivity of both forms was almost equal when investigated by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The procedures facilitate the purification of intact OPN and OPN fragments for purposes of standardization, preparation of monospecific antibodies, and functional studies.     

Purification and characterization of recombinant human prostacyclin synthase

Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS), which catalyzes the conversion of prostaglandin (PG) H(2) to prostacyclin (PGI(2)), is a member of the cytochrome P-450 (P450) superfamily, CYP8A1. To study the enzymatic and protein characteristics of human PGIS, the enzyme was overexpressed in Spodoptera frugiperda 21 (Sf21) cells using the baculovirus expression system. PGIS was expressed in the microsomes of the infected Sf21 cells after culture in 5 microg/ml hematin-supplemented medium for 72 h. The holoenzyme was isolated from the solubilized microsomal fraction by calcium phosphate gel absorption and purified to homogeneity by DEAE-Sepharose and hydroxyapatite column chromatography. The K(m) and V(max) values of the purified human PGIS for PGH(2) were 30 microM and 15 micromol/min/mg of protein at 24 degrees C, respectively. The optical absorption and EPR spectra of the enzyme revealed the characteristics of a low-spin form of P450 in the oxidized state. The carbon monoxide-reduced difference spectrum, however, exhibited a peak at 418 nm rather than 450 nm. The addition of a PGH(2) analogue, U46619, to the enzyme produced an oxygen-ligand type of the difference spectrum with maximum absorption at 407 nm and minimum absorption at 430 nm. Treatment with another PGH(2) analogue, U44069, produced a peak at 387 nm and a trough at 432 nm in the spectrum (Type I), while treatment with tranylcypromine, a PGIS inhibitor, produced a peak at 434 nm and a trough at 412 nm (Type II). A Cys441His mutant of the enzyme possessed no heme-binding ability or enzyme activity. Thus, we succeeded in obtaining a sufficient amount of the purified recombinant human PGIS from infected insect cells for spectral analyses that has high specific activity and the characteristics of a P450, indicating substrate specificity.