Studies on ram acrosin. Isolation from spermatozoa, activation by cations and organic solvents, and influence of cations on its reaction with inhibitors

1. A simple method is given for isolating from ram spermatozoa a water-soluble form of acrosin (a trypsin-like enzyme) which is about 25% pure. It is free from an acrosin inhibitor which is located in the spermatozoa. 2. In the hydrolysis of N-alpha-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl ester the degree of activation of acrosin by Ca(2+), and by some other cations, is dependent on the extent of contamination by the inhibitor. In 50mm-Tris-HCl buffer (pH8.2) activation by Ca(2+) did not exceed 40%, but acrosin that is partially inhibited may be activated by up to 300%: this is due to cation-mediated protection of acrosin against the inhibitor. 3. Increasing concentrations of buffers (e.g. Tris) also activate acrosin but at above certain buffer concentrations Ca(2+) no longer exerts an activating effect and may become inhibitory. Ca(2+) is also inhibitory when added to assay systems involving anionic buffers with chelating properties. This is due to a fall in pH. 4. The above results suggest reasons for conflicting conclusions in papers dealing with the effects of Ca(2+) on acrosin activity. 5. Inhibition of acrosin by the Kunitz pancreatic trypsin inhibitor is increased on addition of Ca(2+). Inhibitions of trypsin by the acrosin inhibitor and by the Kunitz inhibitor are insensitive to Ca(2+). 6. Like trypsin, acrosin is activated, up to 60%, by 2-methyl-propan-2-ol, dimethyl sulphoxide, and some other water-miscible solvents. Effects of cations and solvents tend to be additive and a common maximum acrosin activity can be achieved with various concentrations of solvent, salts and buffer in the assay system. Activation by solvents is increased when low concentrations of the acrosin inhibitor are present. 7. Activations of acrosin by salts and by solvents are more pronounced when the substrate is N-alpha-benzoyl-dl-arginine 2-naphthylamide. 8. K(m) values for ram acrosin (about 0.2mm) are much higher than those for trypsin, and k(cat.) values are slightly higher than those for trypsin. Considerations of the influences of ions and dimethyl sulphoxide on the activities and kinetic constants of acrosin and trypsin suggest that conformational changes are the factors mainly responsible for the reported activations of acrosin. 9. The following conclusions are reached. (a) Acrosin plays a role in the penetration of the sperm cell into the egg without becoming detached from the acrosomal membrane. (b) The enzyme is a peripheral membrane protein which may be classed as a cathepsin. (c) The susceptibility of the activity of soluble acrosin to cations and solvents points to a flexible molecule, i.e. one lacking conformational restraints imposed by association (presumably ionic) with the acrosomal membrane.     

Characterization of a high-molecular-weight form of human acrosin. Comparison with human pancreatic trypsin.

A high-molecular-weight form of acrosin (alpha-acrosin, EC 3.4.21.10) was extracted from spermatozoa obtained from frozen semen and purified over 300-fold. Purification was effected by sequential use of Sephadex G-150, CM-cellulose and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Properties of human acrosin were compared with those of human pancreatic trypsin. The molecular weight (Mr) of acrosin (70000) was greater than that of trypsin (Mr 21000). Isoelectric points for acrosin (pI = 9.0) and trypsin (pI = 8.2) were also different. alpha-N-Benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester was hydrolysed 50% more rapidly by acrosin than by trypsin. Acrosin had similar kcat. values for the hydrolysis of esters with different acylating groups (i.e. benzoyl-L-arginine and p-tosyl-L-arginine esters). In contrast, trypsin had dissimilar kcat. values for the hydrolysis of esters with different acylating groups. Kinetic data argue against deacylation as the rate-limiting step in ester hydrolysis by acrosin. Acrosin was less sensitive than trypsin to inhibition by 7-amino-1-chloro-3-L-tosylamidoheptan-2-one ('TLCK'), di-isopropyl fluorophosphate and soya-bean trypsin inhibitor. D-Fructose and D-arabinose inhibited acrosin, but had no effect on trypsin. The data indicate that definite differences exist between human acrosin and trypsin.     

Trypsin/acrosin inhibitor activity of rat and guinea pig caltrin proteins. Structural and functional studies

Dramatic inhibition of trypsin activity by rat caltrin and guinea pig caltrin I was spectrophotometrically demonstrated using the artificial substrate benzoylarginyl ethyl ester. Approximately 6% and 21% of residual proteolytic activity was recorded after preincubating the enzyme with 0.22 and 0.27 microM rat caltrin and guinea pig caltrin I, respectively. Reduction and carboxymethylation of the cysteine residues abolished the inhibitor activity of both caltrin proteins. Rat caltrin and guinea pig caltrin I show structural homology with secretory trypsin/acrosin inhibitor proteins isolated from boar and human seminal plasma and mouse seminal vesicle secretion and share a fragment of 13 amino acids of almost identical sequence (DPVCGTDGH/K/ITYG/AN), which is also present in the structure of Kazal-type trypsin inhibitor proteins from different mammalian tissues. Bovine, mouse, and guinea pig caltrin II, three caltrin proteins that have no structural homology with rat caltrin or guinea pig caltrin I, lack trypsin inhibitor activity. Rat caltrin, guinea pig caltrin I, and the mouse seminal vesicle trypsin inhibitor protein P12, which also inhibits Ca(2+) uptake into epididymal spermatozoa (mouse caltrin I), bound specifically to the sperm head, on the acrosomal region, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence. They also inhibited the acrosin activity in the gelatin film assay. Caltrin I may play an important role in the control of sperm functions such as Ca(2+) influx in the acrosome reaction and activation of acrosin and other serine-proteases at the proper site and proper time to ensure successful fertilization.     

Evidence for the role of a trypsin-like enzyme in the hamster sperm acrosome reaction.

Acrosome reactions occurring in vitro in hamster sperm capacitated by bovine follicular fluid were severly inhibited by four synthetic trypsin inhibitors and by Zn2+. Three polypeptide trypsin inhibitors and a synthetic chymotrypsin inhibitor did not inhibit the acrosome reaction, and Ca2+ overcame the inhibition by Zn2+. These results suggest that a trypsin-like enzyme (possibly acrosin) plays a role in the acrosome reaction.     

Effects of acrosin inhibitors on the soluble and membrane-bound forms of ram acrosin, and a reappraisal of the role of the enzyme in fertilization.

When denuded ram spermatozoa were suspended in weakly buffered 0.25M sucrose, the acrosin remained bound to the acrosomal membranes of the sperm heads. Media containing CaCl2 caused complete solubilization of the enzyme. Effects of acrosin inhibitors on soluble and bound enzyme were studied in Tris HCl(pH 8.2) containing sucrose. Denuded spermatozoa were used as a preparation of bound acrosin. Trasylol (Kunitz basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor) acted more strongly on bound scrosin than on soluble acrosin, but soya-bean trypsin inhibitor acted more strongly on soluble acrosin. At concentrations 0.5 - 2.0muM, the inhibitors isolated from ram acrosomes and from ram seminal plasma inhibited soluble acrosin but had negligible effects on bound acrosin. However, bound acrosin was sensitive to high concentrations of the acrosomal inhibitor. The two forms of acrosin were inhibited to about the same degree by p-aminobenzamidine and also by Tos-Lys-CH2Cl. It is proposed that membrane-bound acrosin is the form that functions in penetration of the zona pellucida, and that a role for acrosin inhibitors is suppression of an antifertility effect of soluble acrosin on mammalian eggs. This hypothesis is supported by 1) the results of work on the impaired fertilizing capacity of rabbit spermatozoa that have been treated with acrosin inhibitors, 2) the anti-fertility effects on hamster eggs of solutions of acrosin and of bovine trypsin, and 3) the results in this paper.     

Determination of the operational molarity of solutions of bovine α-chymotrypsin, trypsin, thrombin and factor Xa by spectrofluorimetric titration

Several esters of 4-methylumbelliferone and 2-naphthol were synthesized and examined as possible spectrofluorimetric titrants for bovine alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin, thrombin, Factor Xa and for subtilisin Novo. 4-Methylumbelliferyl p-guanidinobenzoate hydrochloride (MUGB) is a satisfactory titrant for alpha- and beta-trypsin, thrombin and Factor Xa and 4-methylumbelliferyl p-(NNN-trimethylammonium)cinnamate (MUTMAC) is a good titrant for alpha-chymotrypsin. The amount of enzyme used for spectrofluorimetric titration is 0.02-3.00nmol and the amount of 4-methylumbelliferone liberated is independent of the concentration of titrant and stoicheiometrically equal to the amount of enzyme used. Results obtained with MUGB and MUTMAC have been checked by spectrophotometric titration with p'-nitrophenyl p-guanidinobenzoate hydrochloride and p-nitrophenyl N(2)-acetyl-N(1)-benzylcarbazate respectively. p-Nitrophenyl N(2)-acetyl-N(1)-(9-anthrylmethyl)carbazate has been synthesized; it did not react with alpha-chymotrypsin. A satisfactory spectrofluorimetric titrant for subtilisin Novo was not discovered.     

Purification and characterization of two types of trypsin-like enzymes from sperm of the ascidian (Prochordata) Halocynthia roretzi. Evidence for the presence of spermosin, a novel acrosin-like enzyme

Two types of trypsin-like proteases, spermosin and acrosin, have been highly purified from spermatozoa of the ascidian (Prochordata) Halocynthia roretzi by a procedure including diethylaminoethylcellulose chromatography, Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, and soybean trypsin inhibitor-immobilized Sepharose 4B chromatography. Each purified preparation was judged to be homogeneous on the basis of chromatographic analysis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. The molecular weights of spermosin and acrosin were estimated to be 27,000 and 32,000-34,000, respectively, by gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. The isoelectric point of the former was 6.5, while that of the latter was 5.5. Non-ionic detergents, e.g. Brij 35, showed marked stabilizing effects on the purified enzymes. Both of these enzymes had pH optima between 8.5 and 9.0, and their activities were enhanced by the addition of calcium chloride. The enzymes were inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, leupeptin, antipain, soybean trypsin inhibitor, aprotinin, ovomucoid, valyl-prolyl-arginyl-chloromethane, glycyl-valyl-arginyl-chloromethane, p-aminobenzamidine, benzamidine, zinc chloride, and mercuric chloride. Lima bean trypsin inhibitor and tosyl-lysyl-chloromethane strongly inhibited acrosin, but not spermosin. While the substrate specificity of acrosin was rather broad, that of spermosin was very narrow; the latter enzyme hydrolyzed only t-butyloxycarbonyl-valyl-prolyl-arginine 4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide among 12 peptidyl-arginine (or lysine) 4-methylcoumaryl-7-amides tested. Thus, the ascidian spermatozoa possess at least two proteases, acrosin and spermosin; the former shows the properties closely related to those of mammalian acrosin (EC 3.4.21.10), but the latter is a unique type of acrosin-like enzyme in respect to the substrate specificity and inhibitor susceptibility.     

4-Methylumbelliferyl esters as fluorogenic substrates for proteases

4-Methylumbelliferyl esters of amino acid derivatives have been synthesized using the carbodiimide, disulphite and carbonate methods. Of these, the first was shown capable of preparing 2-naphthyl and 4-methylumbelliferyl esters of benzoylglycine, benzyloxycarbonyl glycine and benzyloxycarbonyl-citrulline but not of benzoyl-N^G-nitroarginine. 2-Naphthyl benzoyl-N^G-nitroargininate was prepared successfully using di(2-naphthyl)sulphite. Bis(4-methylumbelliferyl)sulphite could not be prepared but 4-methylumbelliferyl benzoyl-N^G-nitroargininate was obtained by the use of an equilibrium method using diphenyl sulphite in the presence of 4-methylumbelliferone. A new reagent, phenyl 4-methylumbelliferyl carbonate, was synthesized and used for the preparation of the 4-methylumbelliferyl esters of benzoylglycine, benzyloxycarbonylglycine and benzoyl-N^G-nitroarginine. The 4-methylumbelliferyl esters of benzyloxycarbonylglycine and benzyloxycarbonylcitrulline were shown to be good substrates for the assay of proteases, including chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1) and trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4). Disadvantages of 4-methylumbelliferyl esters are discussed.     

Evidence for multiple catalytic sites of human acrosin from kinetic evaluation of fructose-induced acrosin inhibition

Acrosin (acrosomal proteinase; EC 3.4.21.10) is a sperm-specific serine proteinase implicated in sperm penetration of the mammalian oocyte. Previously, we had shown that human acrosin, unlike human trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4), was inhibited by beta-D-fructose and related carbohydrates. The present study was undertaken to more fully elucidate the mechanism of action of fructose as an acrosin inhibitor, and to further differentiate the kinetic properties of acrosin from those of trypsin. Fructose produced a complex pattern of inhibition. At relatively low concentrations (10-60 mM), fructose acted as a competitive inhibitor with an apparent inhibition constant of 13 mM. In contrast, at high concentrations (80-320 mM), fructose behaved as a noncompetitive inhibitor, with an apparent inhibition constant of 205 mM. A Hill plot of enzyme activity as a function of fructose concentration suggested only a single binding site for fructose (slope = -0.90). The pattern of inhibition is not consistent with an enzyme containing only a single catalytic site, based either upon steady-state or rapid equilibrium assumptions; however, good agreement between observed and simulated data were obtained based upon the assumption of two catalytic sites with equal or similar binding and catalytic constants. The data suggested that fructose interacts with a single binding site (Ki = 8 mM) which alters both catalytic sites to produce an enzyme species having a higher apparent Michaelis constant and lower kcat as compared to the uninhibited enzyme. Fructose had no effect upon the rate of acrosin inactivation by either diisopropylfluorophosphate or tosyl-lysine-chloromethylketone, suggesting that neither substrate binding nor acylation were altered by this agent. The above data indicate substantial differences between the catalytic properties of human acrosin and those of trypsin.     

The behaviour of trypsin towards α-N-methyl-α-N-toluene-p-sulphonyl-l-lysine β-naphthyl ester. A new method for determining the absolute molarity of solutions of trypsin

1. alpha-N-Methyl-alpha-N-toluene-p-sulphonyl-l-lysine beta-naphthyl ester (MTLNE) was synthesized as its hydrobromide and shown to be slowly hydrolysed by bovine pancreatic trypsin. The acylation step, however, is so much faster than deacylation of the acyl-enzyme that spectrophotometric measurement of the ;burst' of beta-naphthol provides a convenient method for determining the absolute molarity of trypsin solutions. 2. By using the same stock solution of trypsin, application of this method at pH4.0 and pH7.0 as well as that of Bender et al. (1966) at pH3.7 gave concordant results. 3. Provided that [S](0)>[E](0), the size of the ;burst' is independent of substrate concentration. 4. In the trypsin-catalysed hydrolysis of alpha-N-toluene-p-sulphonyl-l-arginine methyl ester, MTLNE functions as a powerful non-competitive inhibitor. 5. There is no detectable reaction between MTLNE and either bovine pancreatic alpha-chymotrypsin at pH4.0 or bovine thrombin at pH6.0.     

Synthesis of 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid and detection of skin fibroblast neuraminidase in normal humans and in sialidosis.

A procedure for the synthesis of the fluorogenic substrate analogue 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid for the human acid neuraminidase has been developed. The substrate was employed for the characterization of the enzyme in sonicates of cultured human skin fibroblasts and for enzymatic detection of the neuraminidase deficiency in the neurological storage disorder, sialidosis. Synthesis was accomplished by reacting 2-deoxy-2-chloro-4,7,8,9-tetra-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid methyl ester with the sodium salt of 4-methylumbelliferone in acetonitrile at room temperature. The coupled product was purified on silicic acid chromatography, followed by base-catalyzed removal of the O-acetyl and methoxy blocking groups, and with additional purification of the hydrolyzed product on silicic acid. The overall yield, based on N-acetylneuraminic acid, was 37%. Under linear assay conditions, at pH 4.3, the apparent maximal velocities (nmol (mg of protein)-1 h-1) for normal fibroblasts were 58--115, 0.2--1.8 for sialidosis fibroblasts, and 28--38 for obligate heterozygotes. The apparent Km for normals was 0.13 mM.     

Characterization of the proteinase inhibitors from bull seminal plasma and spermatozoa.

Two acid stable proteinase inhibitors are present in bull seminal plasma and washed ejaculated bull spermatozoa. Inhibitor I with a molecular weight of about 8700 (estimated by gel filtration) is a very strong inhibitor of bull sperm acrosin but also inhibits bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin and porcine plasmin; inhibition of porcine pancreatic and urinary kallikrein was not observed. In this respect inhibitor I resembles the well known cow colostrum trypsin inhibitor. Inhibitor II with a molecular weight near 6800 (estimated by gel filtration) inhibits bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin, porcine plasmin and pancreatic and urinary kallikrein as well as bull acrosin. The inhibition specificity of inhibitor II is thus very similar to that of the basic inhibitor from bovine organs (Kunitz-type). In view of the inhibition strength and other characteristics, however, the acid stable bull seminal inhibitors are not identical with the inhibitor from cow colostrum or bovine lung (organs).     

Activation of a new plasma enzyme by antigen-antibody reaction.

The change of enzyme activity in immunized rabbit plasma after addition of the homologous antigen was examined. The activities of N alpha-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAMe) and N alpha-tosyl-L-lysine methyl ester (TLMe) hydrolysis increased about 15 to 18 days after immunization. This increase was especially marked before the maximal rise of antibody content, and is thought to be related to the IgM antibody not to the IgG antibody. Enzyme activation was strongly inhibited by chelation of Ca2+ with 5 mM disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA), but not by other protease inhibitors, such as epsilon amino-caproic acid (epsilon-ACA), bovine lung kallikrein inhibitor (Trasylol) or soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI).     

An unusual helix-turn-helix protease inhibitory motif in a novel trypsin inhibitor from seeds of Veronica (Veronica hederifolia L.)

The storage tissues of many plants contain protease inhibitors that are believed to play an important role in defending the plant from invasion by pests and pathogens. These proteinaceous inhibitor molecules belong to a number of structurally distinct families. We describe here the isolation, purification, initial inhibitory properties, and three-dimensional structure of a novel trypsin inhibitor from seeds of Veronica hederifolia (VhTI). The VhTI peptide inhibits trypsin with a submicromolar apparent K(i) and is expected to be specific for trypsin-like serine proteases. VhTI differs dramatically in structure from all previously described families of trypsin inhibitors, consisting of a helix-turn-helix motif, with the two alpha helices tightly associated by two disulfide bonds. Unusually, the crystallized complex is in the form of a stabilized acyl-enzyme intermediate with the scissile bond of the VhTI inhibitor cleaved and the resulting N-terminal portion of the inhibitor remaining attached to the trypsin catalytic serine 195 by an ester bond. A synthetic, truncated version of the VhTI peptide has also been produced and co-crystallized with trypsin but, surprisingly, is seen to be uncleaved and consequently forms a noncovalent complex with trypsin. The VhTI peptide shows that effective enzyme inhibitors can be constructed from simple helical motifs and provides a new scaffold on which to base the design of novel serine protease inhibitors.     

Guinea pig testicular proacrosin-acrosin system: further characterization of the active enzyme

In this paper, the characteristics of a highly stable, 34,000 molecular weight form of guinea pig (GP) acrosin are compared with those of acrosins from other mammalian species. GP acrosin, like acrosins from other species, is stable at pH 3.0, has a pH optimum of 8.0, and is inhibited by natural trypsin inhibitors and N-alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone. Its lack of inhibition by tosyl-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone indicates that it has a specificity similar to trypsin but not chymotrypsin. The activity of GP acrosin was stimulated by Ca2+ below 75 mM. The enzyme was markedly inhibited by Hg2+, but only weakly inhibited by other metal cations. The disulfide reductants dithiothreitol and 2-mercaptoethanol both inhibited GP acrosin, as did the sulfhydryl reactant, iodoacetic acid. The Michaelis-Menten constant for GP testicular acrosin-catalyzed hydrolysis of the N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-arginyl amide of 7-amino-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin at pH 8.0 was calculated from Lineweaver-Burk plots to give a value of Km = 2.0 x 10(-5) M with Vmax = 500 mumoles/min/mg protein. The corresponding lysine substrate, the N-benzyloxy-carbonyl L-lysine amide of 7-amino-4-trifluoromethyl-coumarin, had a higher Km = 4.6 x 10(-5) M and lower Vmax = 135 mumoles/min/mg protein, in accord with the substrate preference seen with other mammalian acrosins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The action of cytoplasmic aldehyde dehydrogenase on methyl p-nitrophenyl carbonate and p-nitrophenyl dimethylcarbamate.

Cytoplasmic aldehyde dehydrogenase catalyses the hydrolysis of methyl p-nitrophenyl (PNP) carbonate at an appreciable rate that is markedly stimualted by NAD+ or NADH. The nuleotides accelerate the rate-limiting hydrolysis of the acyl-enzyme intermediate while slowing the observed burst of p-nitrophenoxide production. With PNP dimethylcarbamate the enzyme catalyses the slow release of approx. 1 molecule of p-nitrophenoxide per tetrameric enzyme molecule; during the reaction the enzyme becomes effectively inactivated, as the rate of hydrolysis of the acyl-enzyme is virtually zero. The presence of NAD+, NADH, propionaldehyde, chloral hydrate, diethylstilboestrol or disulfiram slows the reaction of enzyme with PNP dimethylcarbamate. The reaction appears to be dependent on a group of pKa 7.6, possibly a cysteine residue. The effect of PNP dimethylcarbamate on the dehydrogenase activity of the enzyme is consistent with there being a single type of active site for the enzyme's dehydrogenase and esterase activities. Steric and electronic factors that govern reaction of the enzyme with PNP substrates are discussed.     

Comparison of neutral proteinase activities in cock and ram spermatozoa and observations on a proacrosin in cock spermatozoa.

Cock spermatozoa, like trypsin, induced a rapid fall in the viscosity of gelatin solutions but ram spermatozoa and inhibitor-free ram acrosin were ineffective. The gelatin-hydrolysing activity in cock spermatozoa was solubilized at pH 8 in the presence of calcium ions but comparable extracts of ram spermatozoa were inactive. Both extracts showed acrosin activity (assayed with benzoylarginine ethyl ester). The two catalytic activities of cock spermatozoa were each susceptible to the same trypsin inhibitors and during fractionations they were not separable. We deduce that cock acrosin, and probably some other avian acrosins, have the power to degrade dissolved gelatin while ram acrosin does not. The acrosin in cock spermatozoa, unlike that in ram spermatozoa, was inactivated at pH 2-7. Acid extracts of the former contain an inactive precursor of acrosin which undergoes spontaneous re-activation in buffers, pH 8, containing calcium ions. In this respect it resembles the proacrosin of rabbit testis.     

Fluorogenic substrates based on fluorinated umbelliferones for continuous assays of phosphatases and beta-galactosidases.

Fluorogenic substrates based on 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) have been widely used for the detection of phosphatase and glycosidase activities. One disadvantage of these substrates, however, is that maximum fluorescence of the reaction product requires an alkaline pH, since 4-MU has a pK(a) approximately 8. In an initial screening of five phosphatase substrates based on fluorinated derivatives of 4-MU, all with pK(a) values lower than that of 4-MU, we found that one substrate, 6,8-difluoro-4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (DiFMUP), was much improved for the detection of acid phosphatase activity. When measured at the preferred acid phosphatase reaction pH (5.0), DiFMUP yielded fluorescence signals that were more than 10-fold higher than those of 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (MUP). DiFMUP was also superior to MUP for the detection of protein phosphatase 1 activity at pH 7 and was just as sensitive as MUP for the detection of alkaline phosphatase activity at pH 10. A beta-galactosidase substrate was also prepared based on 6, 8-difluoro-4-methylumbelliferone. This substrate, 6, 8-difluoro-4-methylumbelliferyl beta-d-galactopyranoside (DiFMUG), was found to be considerably more sensitive than the commonly used substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-d-galactopyranoside (MUG), for the detection of beta-galactosidase activity at pH 7. DiFMUP and DiFMUG should have great utility for the continuous assay of phosphatase and beta-galactosidase activity, respectively, at neutral and acid pH.     

Hydrolysis of the hen egg vitelline membrane by cock sperm acrosin and other enzymes.

A technique utilizing Pregnant Mare's Serum Gonadotropin and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin treatment of hens (Gallus domesticus), followed by manual ovulation of the excised follicles, was developed to obtain a large number of mature ova. The intact ova were used to test whether acrosin, partially purified from the spermatozoa of the cock (Gallus domesticus), partially purified rabbit testicular acrosin and commercial preparations of several hydrolytic enzymes could dissolve the inner vitelline membrane. Enzymes were applied to pieces of filter paper placed on the ovum. Cock acrosin and endopeptidases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, collagenase and elastase hydrolyzed the membrane whereas exopeptidases such as leucine aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase A did not. Phospholipase A, sulfatase, hyaluronidase, beta-glucuronidase and rabbit testicular acrosin also failed to hydrolyze the membrane. Cock acrosin hydrolysis of the ovum surface was inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor. The surface of the ovum over the germinal disc region was hydrolyzed more quickly by cock acrosin than the surface over other regions of the ovum. Acrosin from cock sperm caused the release of trichloroacetic acid soluble material absorbing at 280 nm from sonicated preparations of inner vitelline membranes. Hydrolysis was greatest at pH 8.0 and was inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor.     

Bis-(4-methylumbelliferyl) phosphate as a substrate for the surface membrane-associated phosphodiesterase activity of pig platelets.

It was found that the newly-available compound, bis-(4-methylumbelliferyl) phosphate, could be used as a substrate for the pig platelet surface membrane-associated phosphodiesterase activity, usually assayed with bis-(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate. This enzyme activity is distinct from the phosphodiesterase activity towards 5'-dTMP-P-nitrophenyl ester, which is probably associated with intracellular membrane structures in platelets. Consequently, the use of the 4-methylumbelliferyl derivative as substrate for the phosphodiesterase activity provides a sensitive, fluorimetric assay for this marker enzyme of the platelet surface membrane.