Chemical modification of Vibrio vulnificus metalloprotease with activated polyethylene glycol

Abstract Vibrio vulnificus , an opportunistic human pathogen causing septicemia, produces a metalloprotease which is suspected to be a virulence determinant, but which is labile in vivo due to inactivation by α -macroglobulin. To obtain a derivative which is stable in vivo, the metalloprotease was modified with activated monomethoxy polyethylene glycol. The modified protease retained full activity to a peptide substrate and 10–20% activity to protein substrates, and was resistant to entrapment by α -macroglobulin because of the increased molecular size (approx. 90 kDa). These findings suggest that the modified protease is stable in vivo and may be used to investigate the pathological actions of the protease in the bloodstream.     

Modification of E. coli L-asparaginase with polyethylene glycol: disappearance of binding ability to anti-asparaginase serum.

L-Asparaginase from Escherichia coli A-1-3 was modified with activated polyethylene glycols (2-0-methoxypolyethylene glycol-4,6-dichloro-s-triazine) with molecular weights of 750, 1900 and 5000. The modification of asparaginase to 73 amino groups out of the total 92 amino groups in the molecule with polyethylene glycol of 5000 daltons gave rise to a complete loss of the binding ability towards anti-asparaginase serum from rabbit. This modified asparaginase retained the enzymic activity (7%) and had a resistivity against trypsin. Asparaginases modified with polyethylene glycols of 750 and 1900 daltons did not show a substantial change of the immunogenic properties.     

Arginine-specific modification of proteins with polyethylene glycol

In this study, the residue-selective modification of proteins with polymers at arginine residues is reported. The difficulty in modifying arginine residues lies in the fact that they are less reactive than lysine residues. Consequently, typical chemo-selective reactions which employ "kinetic" selectivity (active esters, Michael addition, etc.) cannot be used to target these residues. The chemistry exploited herein relies on "thermodynamic" selectivity to achieve selective modification of arginine residues. ω-Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) bearing an α-oxo-aldehyde group was synthesized and used to demonstrate the selective modification of lysozyme at arginine residues. In addition, the optimization of reaction conditions for coupling as well as the stability of the formed adduct toward dilution, toward a nucleophilic buffer, and toward acidification are reported. It was concluded that this approach is a convenient, mild, selective, and catalyst-free method for protein modification.     

Chemical modification of L-asparaginase with a comb-shaped copolymer of polyethylene glycol derivative and maleic anhydride.

L-Asparaginase from Escherichia coli, an anti-tumor enzyme, was chemically modified with two types of maleic anhydride copolymers with a comb-shaped form, the one composed of polyoxyethylene allyl methyl diether with the molecular weight of 13,000 (activated PM13) and the other of polyoxyethylene 2-methyl-2-propenyl methyl diether with 100,000 (activated PM100). The modified asparaginases (PM13- and PM100-asparaginases) exhibited the complete loss of immunoreactivity towards anti-asparaginase serum. The enzymic activity of PM100-asparaginase without immunoreactivity was well retained by 85% of non-modified one, while that of PM13-asparaginase was retained 46%. These results were discussed in relation to the chemical structure of modifying reagents including chain shaped-polyethylene glycol derivatives.     

Chemical modification of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor by polyethylene glycol increases its biological activity in vivo.

Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rHuG-CSF) produced in Escherichia coli was chemically modified by polyethylene glycol (PEG) of molecular weights 4,500 or 10,000. The neutrophils observed at 32 hours after intravenous injection of the rHuG-CSF modified with PEG (4,500) or PEG (10,000) to mice were, respectively, 2.5 times and 5 times more than that observed after the injection of the unmodified rHuG-CSF. These results show that the covalent attachment of PEG to rHuG-CSF enhanced its pharmacological activity in vivo and that the modification with the larger PEG molecule is more effective to enhance the in vivo activity of rHuG-CSF.     

Reduction of immunoreactivity of bovine serum albumin conjugated with polyethylene glycol(PEG) in relation to its esterase activity.

Bovine serum albumin was modified with activated PEG2, 2,4-bis[O-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)]-6-chloro-s-triazine. The PEG-modified albumin, in which 15 out of the total 60 amino groups in the albumin molecule were coupled with activated PEG2, lost immunoreactivity towards anti-albumin serum and retained 63% of the esterase activity of native albumin.     

聚乙二醇修饰重组人生长激素的初步研究

目的 探讨聚乙二醇(MW20kD)修饰重组人生长激素(rhGH)的反应条件以及修饰产物的纯化方法。方法在不同条件下,将聚乙二醇活性酯与rhGH反应,以单个PEG-GH的比例为指标,用SDS-PACE和薄层扫描方法,确定其在反应产物中所占的比例;采用CM-Sepharose FF离子交换和Sephacry 1S-200分子筛凝胶层析法对修饰产物进行分离纯化。结果聚乙二醇修饰rhGH的反应条件为pH8．0、rhGH与聚乙二醇的比例1：2(mg：mg)、反应时间2．0h;反应产物经两步纯化,所得的单个PEG-GH纯度大于95％。结论 初步确定了聚乙二醇修饰rhGH的反应条件和修饰产物的纯化方法。     

Stimulation of intermolecular ligation with E. coli DNA ligase by high concentrations of monovalent cations in polyethylene glycol solutions.

In the presence of high concentrations of the nonspecific polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG), intermolecular cohesive-end ligation with the DNA ligase from Escherichia coli was stimulated by high salt concentrations: 200 mM NaCl or 300 mM KCl in 10% (w/v) PEG 6000 solutions, and 100-200 mM NaCl or 150-300 mM KCl in 15% PEG 6000 solutions. Intermolecular blunt-end ligation with this ligase was also stimulated at 100-150 mM NaCl or 150-250 mM KCl in 15% PEG 6000 solutions. The extent of such intermolecular ligation increased and the salt concentrations at which ligation was stimulated extended to lower concentrations when we raised the temperature from 10 to 37 degrees C.     

Improvement of proteolytic resistance of immunoadsorbents by chemical modification with polyethylene glycol

Immunoadsorbents were modified with monomethoxy-polyethylene glycol (PEG; average molecular weights of 5000 (PEG-5000) and 1900 (PEG-1900)) activated with cyanuric acid (activated PEG) by four different methods. In the two methods, anti-BSA antibodies were modified with activated PEG with and without protection of antigen binding sites with BSA and then were coupled to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. In the other two methods, Immunoadsorbents, which were prepared by coupling anti-BSA antibodies to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B, were modified with activated PEG with and without the protection. The effects of PEG modification by these four methods on the binding ratio (the ratio of the numbers of moles of antigen adsorbed to the numbers of moles of binding sites of antibody coupled), the antigen binding property and the resistance to proteolytic digestion of immunoadsorbents were studied. The decrease in the binding ratio by the modification with activated PEG was small enough to use modified immunoadsorbents for industrial purification processes. The resistance to proteolytic digestion of immunoadsorbents was improved by modification with activated PEG. The modification without protection of antigen binding sites gave higher resistance to proteolytic digestion than that with protection, while the former caused larger decrease in the binding ratio of modification. The immunoadsorbents modified with activated PEG-5000 showed higher resistance to proteolytic digestion than those modified with activated PEG-1900.     

Mutations in Escherichia coli that relieve catabolite repression of tryptophanase synthesis. Mutations distant from the tryptophanase gene.

Two mutants are described in which the synthesis of tryptophanase is unusually insensitive to catabolite repression. Neither mutation is linked by transduction to the tryptophane structural gene, neither mutation renders the synthesis of beta-galactosidase insensitive to catabolite repression, and the mutations do not permit tryptophanase to be synthesized in strains deficient in adenyl cyclase. During growth in glucose-minimal medium the mutants maintained a similar intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP to their wild-type parent; but since in the wild type the concentration of cyclic AMP was the same in glycerol-minimal medium as in glucose-minimal medium, it is doubtful whether catabolite repression is mediated by measurable changes in the concentration of this nucleotide.     

Purification and crystallization of NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli using polyethylene glycol.

A simple and rapid method is presented for purifying the NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (threo-DS-isocitrate:NADP+ oxidoreductase (decarboxylating), from Escherichia coli, which relies on fractionation of the enzyme with polyethylene glycol. The shortened preparation results in a 32% relative recovery of purified enzyme at a specific activity of 127 micronmol/min per mg of protein. The Km values for threo-DS-isocitrate, NADP+, NAD+, Mg2+ and Mn2+ are 6.4, 36, 3000, 19.7 and 2.0 micronM, respectively. The stability of the enzyme as a function of dilution and temperature are also reported. Recrystallization of the purified enzyme under different conditions readily produces a variety of single crystals. Crystals grown from ammonium sulfate solutions belong to monoclinic space group C2 with a = 125 A, b = 111 A, c = 83.5 A and beta = 108degrees 45'. Density measurements of these crystals indicate there are two 80 000-dalton dimers per asymmetric unit.     

Genetic modification of photosynthesis with E. coli genes for trehalose synthesis

Improvement in photosynthesis per unit leaf area has been difficult to alter by breeding or genetic modification. We report large changes in photosynthesis in Nicotiana tabacum transformed with E. coli genes for the trehalose pathway. Significantly, photosynthetic capacity (CO2 assimilation at varying light and CO2, and quantum yield of PSII electron transport) per unit leaf area and per leaf dry weight were increased in lines of N. tabacum transformed with the E. coli gene otsA, which encodes trehalose phosphate synthase. In contrast, transformation with otsB, which encodes trehalose phosphate phosphatase or Trec, encoding trehalose phosphate hydrolase, produced the opposite effect. Changes in CO2 assimilation per unit leaf area were closely related to the amount and activity of Rubisco, but not to the maximum activities of other Calvin cycle enzymes. Alterations in photosynthesis were associated with trehalose 6-phosphate content rather than trehalose. When growth parameters were determined, a greater photosynthetic capacity did not translate into greater relative growth rate or biomass. This was because photosynthetic capacity was negatively related to leaf area and leaf area ratio. In contrast, relative growth rate and biomass were positively related to leaf area. These results demonstrate a novel means of modifying Rubisco content and photosynthesis, and the complexities of regulation of photosynthesis at the whole plant level, with potential benefits to biomass production through improved leaf area.