Stimulation of bull sperm hyaluronidase by polycations.

The activity of bull sperm hyaluronidase (hyaluronate 3-glycanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.36) is increased by the inclusion of polycations in the assay mixture. At pH 3.8, bovine serum albumin and histone give the greatest stimulation, while protamine sulfate, spermine, spermidine and hyamine 2389 stimulate to a lesser extent. Enzyme activity increases with serum albumin concentration to a nearly constant, high level at serum albumin concentrations greater than 1 mg/ml. Other stimulatory compounds show a similar concentration dependence except that inhibition of enzyme activity occurs at high concentrations of stimulator. The degree of stimulation depends on the pH, sample concentration and substrate concentration. Enzyme preparations with a low protein content give the greatest stimulation, while preparations with a high protein content show little stimulation. The concentration of serum albumin required for maximum stimulation increases with increased hyaluronic acid concentration. The results suggest that the stimulation of sperm hyaluronidase is nonspecific and results from an interaction of the polycation with hyaluronic acid. Since protein in the enzyme preparation substitutes for exogenous stimulator to a varying degree, serum albumin should be included in the assay mixture for sperm and testicular hyaluronidase to assure measurement of maximum enzyme activity.     

Unsuitability of indoxyl acetate as a substrate for the assay of testicular hyaluronidase

The most recently published method for the assay of testicular hyaluronidase preparations was based on the premise that the enzyme also exhibited carboxylesterase activity towards indoxyl acetate. Studies on the relative enzyme activities of various hyaluronidase preparations towards hyaluronate and indoxyl acetate, the relative stabilities towards pH, temperature and mechanical shaking and the behaviour towards a variety of inhibitors, showed that the activities towards the two substrates reflected the presence of at least two different enzyme systems in the preparations. Gel chromatography and polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoresis experiments confirmed these conclusions and the collective findings clearly establish that methods based on the use of indoxyl acetate cannot be employed to measure testicular hyaluronidase activity.     

Hyaluronidase assay using fluorogenic hyaluronate as a substrate

The reducing terminal of hyaluronate was labeled with a fluorogenic reagent, 2-aminopyridine. The pyridylaminohyaluronate was incubated with testicular hyaluronidase for 1 h. After incubation, 4 vol of ethanol was added to the incubation mixture, followed by centrifugation. The fluorescence of the supernatant containing the degradation products of hyaluronidase digestion was then determined by fluorospectrophotometry (excitation wavelength, 320 nm; emission wavelength, 400 nm). It was found that the increase of the pyridylamino products was linearly correlated with enzyme concentration (up to 0.1 national formulary unit), incubation time (up to 60 min), and substrate concentration (up to 2.5 microM). The fluorogenic substrate was also applicable for the determination of crude hyaluronidase. This simple, rapid, and sensitive hyaluronidase assay was made possible by the use of pyridylaminohyaluronate as a substrate.     

Further evidence for hyaluronidase activity of Treponema pallidum

The presence of hyaluronidase in preparations of Treponema pallidum was previously shown using acidified bovine serum albumin reactions and Ouchterlony immunodiffusion. To expand on these preliminary findings more sensitive techniques of viscometry, additional immunologic reactions, and altered capillary permeability were used to characterize treponemal-associated hyaluronidase. The pathogens T. pallidum and T. pertenue degraded hyaluronic acid, whereas the nonpathogens T. denticola and T. vincentii did not. As syphilitic infection progressed, hyaluronidase activity decreased; organisms harvested from 14-day testicular infections degraded hyaluronic acid less rapidly than organisms from 4-day infections. Uninfected rabbit testicular extract also exhibited significant enzyme activity. The neutralizing activity of immune sera was decreased by prior adsorption with bovine hyaluronidase, suggesting that some of the neutralizing factors are associated with this enzyme. Radioimmunoassay was used to quantitate antibodies to hyaluronidase in immune sera. Antihyaluronidase sera were isolated from rabbits immunized with bovine hyaluronidase. Treponema pallidum, as well as uninfected rabbit testicular extract, cross-reacted with these antisera. Immunofluorescence indicated that the hyaluronidase was uniformly distributed along the treponemal surface. As a final indicator of hyaluronidase activity, alterations in capillary permeability were detected 1 h after intradermal injection of T. pallidum.     

A recommended procedure for the estimation of bovine testicular hyaluronidase in the presence of human serum

A procedure is described for the assay of bovine testicular hyaluronidase in human blood following intravenous administration of the enzyme. Inhibition of hyaluronidase by the reported nonspecific serum inhibitor is minimal. However, the presence of human serum does alter the pH profile of hyaluronidase and enhances the activity of the enzyme at low pH values. Preliminary data indicates that the effects caused by serum on the pH optimum and activity of the enzyme are largely associated with the albumin fraction and are not due to the presence of endogenous serum hyaluronidase. The activation effect is not specific for any particular blood type and is independent of whether serum or citrated plasma is used. A similar effect to that of serum on hyaluronidase activity is produced by different buffer mixtures or increased NaCl concentration. It is recommended that bovine testicular hyaluronidase be measured at pH 4.0 in 0.1 m sodium citrate buffer containing 0.15 m NaCl as under these conditions the addition of human serum or citrated plasma does not alter the pH optimum of the enzyme. These recommendations necessitate certain modifications of the reducing N-acetylhexosamine assay method of Reissig et al. (J. L. Reissig, J. L. Strominger, and L. F. Leloir, 1955, J. Biol. Chem.217, 959–966).     

Detection of acyl esterase activity on electrophoresis membranes and separation from hyaluronidase.

A method is described for the detection of acyl esterase activity on cellulose acetate membranes following electrophoresis of the enzyme. It uses the indigogenic substrate, indoxyl acetate, which directly forms the colored product visualized in the test. This substrate also detects activity of acetyl cholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase. With this method, bovine testicular hyaluronidase is shown to contain acyl esterase activity. By electrophoresis of hyaluronidase preparations at pH 6.8, esterase and hyaluronidase activities are separated, further assuring the specificity of the method for hyaluronidase.     

Quantitative bead assay for hyaluronidase and heparinase I

A novel, simple, and sensitive assay was developed to monitor, quantitatively, the hyaluronidase and heparinase I-catalyzed cleavage of fluoresceinamine-labeled hyaluronic acid and heparin, respectively. The fluoresceinamine-labeled substrates were hydrophobically absorbed onto 4-microm polystyrene beads. In the presence of enzyme, the change in fluorescence output of the substrate-absorbed beads was monitored in a noncontinuous manner using a flow cytometer. Our results show that hyaluronidase and heparinase I can cleave their respective substrates on the beads in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The assay is suitable for detecting the presence of these glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzymes in cell lysates, extracts, or purified fractions, for quantifying their amounts, and for investigating the activity of potential inhibitors.     

The action of venom and proteolytic enzymes on the non-specific inhibitor of hyaluronidase

1. It has been shown that a number of proteolytic enzymes and snake venom, in relatively small amounts, and within a wide range of pH variation, will restore hyaluronidase activity after its inhibition by serum. 2. The known properties of the venom protease are found to be identical with those of Haas' "proinvasin I." It is concluded that the protease of the venom offers adequate explanation for the effects previously attributed to "proinvasin I." 3. Proteolytic activity is found in hyaluronidase preparations of bovine origin and is considered to be responsible for the reversal of inhibition of hyaluronidase by serum.     

Isoenzyme-specific differences in the degradation of hyaluronic acid by mammalian-type hyaluronidases

Bovine testicular hyaluronidase (BTH) has been used as a spreading factor for many years and was primarily characterized by its enzymatic activity. As recombinant human hyaluronidases are now available the bovine preparations can be replaced by the human enzymes. However, data on the pH-dependent activity of hyaluronidases reported in literature are inconsistent in part or even contradictory. Detection of the pH-dependent activity of PH-20 type hyaluronidases, i.e. recombinant human PH-20 (rhPH-20) and BTH, showed a shift of the pH optimum from acidic pH values in a colorimetric activity assay to higher pH values in a turbidimetric activity assay. Contrarily, recombinant human Hyal-1 (rhHyal-1) and bee venom hyaluronidase (BVH) exhibited nearly identical pH profiles in both commonly used types of activity assays. Analysis of the hyaluronic acid (HA) degradation products by capillary zone electrophoresis showed that hyaluronan was catabolized by rhHyal-1 continuously into HA oligosaccharides. BTH and, to a less extent, rhPH-20 exhibited a different mode of action: at acidic pH (pH 4.5) HA was degraded as described for rhHyal-1, while at elevated pH (pH 5.5) small oligosaccharides were produced in addition to HA fragments of medium molecular weight, thus explaining the pH-dependent discrepancies in the activity assays. Our results suggest a sub-classification of mammalian-type hyaluronidases into a PH-20/BTH and a Hyal-1/BVH subtype. As the biological effects of HA fragments are reported to depend on the size of the molecules it can be speculated that different pH values at the site of hyaluronan degradation may result in different biological responses.     

Inhibition of hyaluronidase by fully O-sulfonated glycosaminoglycans.

We report a new flow injection assay (FIA) method for determining hyaluronidase activity and the inhibitory effects of chemical fully O-sulfonated glycosaminoglycans on this enzyme. The products of enzymatic action on hyaluronidase can be detected by FIA using fluorometric detection with the fluorogenic reagent 2-cyanoacetamide. The major products derived from hyaluronan by the action of mammalian testicular hyaluronidase (a hydrolyase) were confirmed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and capillary electrophoresis. The FIA method was next applied to the assay of hyman urinary hyaluronidase activity and the screening of hyaluronidase inhibitors. The human urinary hyaluronidase activity measured ranged from 46 to 59 turbidity reducing units/mg protein. Among the glycosaminoglycans only heparin showed hyaluronidase inhibition. Chemically O-sulfonated glycosaminoglycans showed IC(50) values of hyaluronidase inhibition that correlated with the degree of O-sulfonation. Heparin was found to inhibit hyaluronidase activity noncompetitively, while chemically O-sulfonated HA strongly inhibited hyaluronidase through both competitive and noncompetitive effects.     

An improved method for measuring angiotensin I converting enzyme activity using a highly sensitive angiotensin II radioimmunoassay

A highly sensitive assay for angiotensin I converting enzyme has been developed by using angiotensin I as a substrate. Angiotensin II generated in the reaction mixture was measured by a newly developed specific radioimmunoassay. To protect against angiotensin II destruction, bestatin, an inhibitor of renin, was also used to inhibit plasma renin activity. The reaction was stopped by adding EDTA and MK-521, inhibitors of angiotensin I converting enzyme. The specificity of the antiserum used for the angiotensin II radioimmunoassay was very high. The cross reactivity with angiotensin I was less than 0.5% and none of the proteolytic enzyme inhibitors crossreacted in the assay. The inhibitory effect of pepstatin on plasma renin activity was very high (more than 80%) under the standard assay conditions employed. Serum angiotensinase activity was completely inhibited by the addition of bestatin. An excellent correlation was obtained between this new method and the spectrophotometric method using a synthetic substrate, Hip-His-Leu. The generation of as little as 12 pM of Angiotensin II can be detected. Such low concentration have not been measurable with the usual spectrophotometric method. This new method will facilitate clinical and experimental studies on this unique enzyme, since very low levels of activity can be determined by this highly sensitive radioimmunoassay for angiotensin II.     

In vitro correction of Hurler fibroblasts with bovine testicular hyaluronidase.

Bovine testicular hyaluronidase (endo-beta-N-acetyl hexosaminidase) has a significant corrective effect on cultured Hurler fibroblasts. Nonspecificity of this effect is indicated by its equally strong corrective effect on Hunter fibroblasts. Although all specimens of hyaluronidase also possessed iduronidase activity, a separate corrective effect could be attributed to the endo-N-acetyl hexosaminidase activity of at least one hyaluronidase (Wyeth M-151) for four reasons: (i) its very low content of iduronidase activity; (ii) a decrease in intracellular macromolecular mucopolysaccharides (believed to be largely dermatan sulfate) with a corresponding increase in intracellular and extracellular oligosaccharides; (iii) no measurable increase in iduronidase activity of hyaluronidase-treated cells despite near maximal correction; (iv) direct correlation between Hurler cell correction and hyaluronidase activity when enzymes of different strength were used at less than maximal correction.     

Binding of hyaluronate to the surface of cultured cells

The binding of hyaluronate to SV-3T3 cells was measured by incubating a suspension of cells (released from the substratum with EDTA) with 3H-labeled hyaluronate and then applying the suspension to glass fiber filters which retained the cells and the bound hyaluronate. The extent of binding was a function of both the concentration of labeled hyaluronate and the cell number. Most of the binding took place within the first 2 min of the incubation and was not influenced by the presence or absence of divalent cations. The binding of labeled hyaluronate to SV-3T3 cells could be prevented by the addition of an excess of unlabeled hyaluronate. High molecular weight preparations of hyaluronate were more effective in preventing binding than low molecular weight preparations. The binding of [3H]hyaluronate was inhibited by high concentrations of oligosaccharide fragments of hyaluronate consisting of six sugars or more, and by chondroitin. The sulfated glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate, dermatan sulfate, heparin, and heparan sulfate) had little or no effect on the binding. The labeled hyaluronate bound to the cells could be totally removed by incubating the cells with testicular hyaluronidase, streptomyces hyaluronidase, or trypsin, indicating that the hyaluronate-binding sites are located on the cell surface.     

Proteases from actinomycetes interfere in solid media plate assays of hyaluronidase activity

Four hundred and fifteen actinomycete strains were screened for hyaluronidase activity in two plate assays media. In the first one, using hyaluronic acid as substrate and bovine serum albumin (BSA) to help precipitation of the nondegraded substrate, only strain 594 and hyaluronidase control were positive. In the second assay, plates with hyaluronic acid, but not BSA, gave the same results. For plates containing only BSA, proteinase activity was detected in strain 594. When hyaluronic acid was treated with pronase, the only clear zones, in the second assay without BSA, were those around hyaluronidase controls. Protease activity, commonly found in actinomycetes, was detected only in strain 594, among the 415 studied, when tested in hyaluronidase assay using hyaluronate plus BSA. This may be due to the composition of the growth medium, since media with different composition gave different results for protease activity in each of the 15 strains analyzed. These data suggest that proteases can affect an accurate detection of hyaluronidase in media containing proteins, not only from hyaluronate preparations, but also from other medium ingredients. Thus, for a correct interpretation of the method, they must be excluded. Commercial Hyaluronidase used as controls must be also tested for the presence of protease contamination.     

Effect of specific FSH or LH deprivation on testicular function of the adult rat.

While the need for FSH in initiating spermatogenesis in the immature rat is well accepted, its requirement for maintenance of spermatogenesis in adulthood is questioned. In the current study, using gonadotropin antisera to neutralize specifically either endogenous FSH or LH, we have investigated the effect of either FSH or LH deprivation for a 10-day period on (i) testicular macromolecular synthesis in vitro, (ii) the activities of testicular germ cell specific LDH-X and hyaluronidase enzymes, and finally (iii) on the concentration of sulphated glycoprotein (SGP-2), one of the Sertoli cell marker proteins. Both immature (35-day-old) and adult (100-day-old) rats have been used in this study. Since LH deprivation leads to a near total blockade of testosterone production, the ability of exogenous testosterone supplementation to override the effects of LH deficiency has also been evaluated. Deprivation of either of the gonadotropins significantly affected in vitro RNA and protein synthesis by both testicular minces as well as single cell preparations. Fractionation of dispersed testicular cells preincubated with labelled precursors of RNA and protein on Percoll density gradient revealed that FSH deprivation affected specifically the rate of RNA and protein synthesis of germ cell and not Leydig cell fraction. LH but not FSH deprivation inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. The inhibitory effect of LH could mostly be overriden by testosterone supplementation. LDH-X and hyaluronidase activities of testicular homogenates of adult rats showed significant reduction (50%; P less than .05) following either FSH or LH deprivation. Again testosterone supplementation was able to reverse the LH inhibitory effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of hyaluronidase, trypsin, and EDTA on surface composition and topography during detachment of cells in culture

Cultured human embryo fibroblasts (HLM18) were labeled with [3H]glucosamine and Na35SO4, and then treated with testicular hyaluronidase, trypsin, or EDTA. Macromolecular material from the surface of these cells was characterized by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and cetylpyridinium chloride precipitation while the associated morphology of cell detachment was studied by phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy. Release of surface glycosaminoglycans by testicular hyaluronidase did not cause cell rounding or detachment. EDTA did not release cell-surface components, but caused cell contraction and detachment morphologically similar to that caused by trypsin. Large amounts of cell-surface glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans were released by trypsin. From these observations it is concluded that hyaluronic acid is not a principal adhesive agent in the attachment of cells to a substrate. It is suggested that both EDTA and trypsin may have their primary effect upon the cytoskeleton.     

Lysis of tumor cells by antibody and complement. VI. Enhanced killing of enzyme-pretreated tumor cells.

The ascites form of a chemically induced guinea pig hepatoma, line-10, was resistant to killing in vitro by xenogeneic antibody and guinea pig complement. Pretreatment of line-10 cells with certain proteolytic enzymes rendered tham susceptible to the killing action of antibody and guinea pig complement. The effects of enzyme pretreatment were dependent on enzyme concentration, temperature, and could be blocked by addition of competitive or non-competitive inhibitors. The effect of the enzyme treatment could reversed by incubating the treated cells at 37 degrees C (but not at 0 degrees C), in the absence of the enzyme. Effective enzymes included ficin, bromelain, pronase, elastase, papain, trypsin, collagenase, lipases type I and type VI, and the neuraminidase preparation isolated from Clostridium perfringens. The activity of the lipase preparations and the neuraminidase preparation isolated from Clostridium perfringens appeared to be caused by proteolytic enzyme contamination. Enzyme preparations that proved ineffecitve in rendering the line-10 cells sensitive to killing by antibody and guinea pig complement included DNase, RNase, beta-glucuronidase type 6A or type B10, hyaluronidase type V or type VI, and pectinesterase.     

Application of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) diffusion assay to transgenic plant tissues.

Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity was quantified in crude extracts from tobacco callus tissues using a modification of a previously reported diffusion assay. We describe here the alterations necessary in applying this rapid and simple assay procedure to plant materials. Due to the high concentration of nonspecific oxidases present in most plant tissues, some type of protective agent is required to maintain enzyme activity. We have tested beta-mercaptoethanol, cysteine, dithiothreitol, ascorbic acid and polyvinyl pyrrolidone as protective agents within the initial extraction buffer. We also investigated the effect of heat (60 degrees C, 10 min) and 5 mM EDTA on CAT activity. The highest CAT activity was obtained using 5 mM cysteine plus 5 mM EDTA in 40 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.8) as the initial extraction buffer followed by a heat treatment. Using this buffer, CAT activity was stable on ice for more than two hours. In our hands, total acetyl-coenzyme A concentration within the assay mixture was found to be saturating at 250 microM and the Km determined to be 100 microM. Assays performed using the same crude plant extract indicate that 1) duplicate assays show less than 1.5% variation in activities and 2) CAT activity increases linearly with respect to volume of extract used.     

Inhibition of hyaluronan hydrolysis catalysed by hyaluronidase at high substrate concentration and low ionic strength.

Hyaluronidase and high levels of hyaluronan are found together in tumours. It is highly likely that hyaluronidase activity controls the balance between high molecular mass hyaluronan and oligosaccharides, and thus plays an important role in cancer development. The hyaluronan hydrolysis catalysed by bovine testicular hyaluronidase was studied as a model. The kinetics was investigated at pH 5 and 37 degrees C using the colorimetric N-acetyl-d-glucosamine reducing end assay method. While the substrate dependence obtained in the presence of 0.15 mol L(-1) ionic strength exhibited a Michaelis-Menten behaviour, an atypical behaviour was observed under low ionic strength: for increasing hyaluronan concentrations, the initial reaction rate increased, reached a maximum and then decreased to a very low level, close to zero at high substrate concentrations. One of the various hypotheses examined to explain this atypical behaviour is the formation of non-specific complexes between hyaluronan and hyaluronidase based on electrostatic interactions. This hypothesis is the only one that can explain all the experimental results including the variation of the reaction medium turbidity as a function of time and the influence on the initial reaction rate of the hyaluronan concentration over hyaluronidase concentration. However, phenomena such as the high viscosity of highly concentrated hyaluronan solutions or the steric exclusion of hyaluronidase from hyaluronan solutions may contribute to the atypical behaviour. Finally, the biological implications of the non-linear and non-monotonous shape of the hyaluronan-hyaluronidase substrate dependence in the regulation of the hyaluronan chain molecular mass are discussed, in particular in the case of cancer development.     

A convenient automated method for the determination of proteolytic enzymes

An automated method for the assay of proteolytic enzymes is described. The insoluble dye-protein complex, Remazolbrilliant Blue-hide powder, is used as the substrate and is readily digested by trypsin, elastase, subtilisin, thermolysin, chymotrypsin, and to a lesser extent pronase, pepsin, and bacterial collagenase. The proteolytic activity of crude microbial culture preparations is expressed in terms of an equivalent concentration of crystalline trypsin, which itself can be readily determined within the concentration range 0.25–5.0 μg/ml.