Hydrogen-dependent growth of Escherichia coli in anaerobic respiration and the presence of hydrogenases with different functions.

E. coli K10 was found to grow anaerobically on molecular hydrogen by reducing nitrate, fumarate, and trimethylamine N-oxide when peptone was added to the culture medium. Molar growth yields based on consumed hydrogen estimated from the amounts of reduction products were all 7.8 g cells/mol, suggesting that 1 mol of ATP was produced in the oxidation of 1 mol of hydrogen. Hydrogenase activity measured in terms of hydrogen evolution was several times higher in cells grown on glucose than in cells grown on hydrogen in the presence of fumarate and trimethylamine N-oxide, while hydrogenase activity measured in terms of hydrogen uptake was unchanged in both cases. The ratio of hydrogenase activities measured in terms of hydrogen uptake and evolution was also high in the extract and centrifugal fractions from cells grown in hydrogen. The soluble fraction and trypsin digest of the precipitate at 100,000 X g were subjected to polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis and hydrogenase bands were stained by reduction of benzyl viologen with hydrogen and by oxidation of reduced methyl viologen. The resulting patterns suggest that multiple forms of hydrogenase are present and that the amounts of forms functioning in hydrogen evolution were greatly decresed in cells grown on hydrogen in the presence of acceptors.     

Low molecular weight serine proteinase inhibitors of the human intervertebral disc

Human lumbar disc tissue when extracted with 4M GuHCl and subjected to dissociative CsCl density gradient ultracentrifugation yielded trypsin inhibitor activity in the low bouyant density fractions (rho less than or equal to 1.38 g/ml). Disc proteoglycans sedimented in the high bouyant density fractions (rho greater than or equal to 1.5 g/ml). Sephadex G75F gel filtration of the low bouyant density protein fractions afforded a major low molecular weight (Kav = 0.5) trypsin inhibitor pool which was further purified by trypsin affinity chromatography. This latter step facilitated separation of the trypsin inhibitors from neutral proteinase activity also present. The trypsin inhibitor fraction so isolated was shown to possess potent inhibitory activity against a range of human serine proteinases including leukocyte elastase and cathepsin G, urokinase, kallikrein, plasmin and thrombin. Significantly this serine proteinase inhibitor preparation effectively prevented degradation of proteoglycans by a neutral proteinase also isolated from the human intervertebral disc.     

Characterization of plasminogen activator from two human renal carcinoma cell lines

Plasminogen activator (PA) activity was identified in the conditioned medium of two human renal carcinoma cell lines, Cur and Caki-1. PA activity of medium, following chromatography on Con A-Sepharose, was divided into effluent and eluate fractions, the latter obtained after elution with methyl mannoside. The ratio of PA activity in effluent:eluate was 90:10 for Caki-1 and 60:40 for Cur. The PA of both effluent fractions and the Caki-1 eluate fraction was of the urokinase (UK) type. Identification rested on molecular weight determination by zymography (major component with Mr 52,000 and a less prominent component of 93,000), lack of binding to fibrin, inhibition by anti-UK antibodies, and lack of inhibitory effect of anti-tissue type PA (TPA) antibodies or the Erythrina trypsin inhibitor, which inhibits TPA but not UK. PA of the Cur eluate fraction gave a more complex pattern in that it bound significantly to fibrin (like TPA), was completely inhibited by both anti-UK and anti-TPA antibodies, but was unaffected by Erythrina trypsin inhibitor. These results raise the possibility of an unusual PA-like enzyme that immunologically cross reacts with anti-UK and anti-TPA. Most of the PA of both cell lines was secreted in a latent form that could be activated by trypsin treatment. The latency appears to result largely from secretion of urokinase proenzyme, which is consistent with the Mr 52,000 of the major PA species and the insensitivity to diisopropyl fluorophosphate inhibition prior to trypsin activation. However, in addition, a UK binding component was found in the conditioned medium, which produced an Mr 93,000 component by reaction with UK.     

Effects of proteolytic enzymes on steroid release from rat adrenal zona glomerulosa tissue: Evidence for novel steroid-protein complexes

Trypsin (2mg/ml) added to conventional incubations of rat adrenal capsules (largely glomerulosa) reproducibly increases the amount of free extractable aldosterone (aldo) and 18-hydroxycorticosterone (18-OH-B) in incubation media, but has no effect on capsule cell suspensions formed by collagenase incubation. The effect is abolished by the addition of a trypsin inhibitor, but is still seen in the absence of $\text{de novo}$ steroidogenesis. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with capsule homogenates and high speed supernatant fractions, and chromatography of the high speed supernatant protein fraction on Sephadex G-50 gave a number of minor fractions and one major fraction which yielded free aldo on incubation with trypsin. The results indicate the existence of storage forms of aldo and 18-OH-B which are extremely tightly bound to protein. Such steroid-protein complexes appear to be of an entirely novel kind, and are quite distinct from the familiar receptor type complexes. The findings support previously proposed mechanisms for aldo synthesis and secretion.     

Substances with alpha-melanotropin-like immunoreactivity in bovine brains.

1. Bovine cerebral hemispheres were extracted with an acidic medium (acetone-water-hydrochloric acid mixture, 40:5:1 by volume, pH 1.8). The precipitate which formed upon addition of a copious volume of cold acetone to the extract was designated acid acetone powder (AAP). 2. The AAP was then subjected to ion exchange chromatography on carboxymethyl (CM)-cellulose, gel filtration on Sephadex G100 and Sephadex G25, second ion exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose and high performance liquid chromatography. The absorbance of all fractions was measured at 280 nm and their alpha-melanotropin-(alpha-MSH)-like immunoreactivity was monitored with radioimmunoassay. 3. It was found that alpha-MSH-like immunoreactivity and bioactivity (lipolytic activity) was due to low molecular weight materials as evidenced by their retardation on Sephadex G-100 and Sephadex G-25. The immunoreactivity was distributed among fractions adsorbed and fractions unadsorbed on CM-cellulose and also among high performance liquid chromatographic fractions signifying the presence of multiple alpha-MSH-like molecules.     

Bifunctional inhibitor of alpha-amylase/trypsin from wheat grain

A trypsin inhibitor, isolated from whole-wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) by the method of bio-specific chromatography on trypsin-Sepharose, was potent in inhibiting human salivary alpha-amylase. The bi-functional alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitor was characterized by a narrow specificity for other alpha-amylases and proteinases. The high thermostability of the inhibitor was lost in the presence of SH group-reducing agents. The inhibitor-trypsin complex retained its activity against alpha-amylase. The inhibitor-alpha-amylase complex was active against trypsin. Studies of the enzyme kinetics demonstrated that the inhibition of alpha-amylase and trypsin was noncompetitive. Our results suggest the existence of two independent active sites responsible for the interaction with the enzymes.     

Studies on starch-degrading enzymes Part XIV. The multiple forms of porcine, pancreatic alpha-amylase

Crystalline, porcine, pancreatic alpha-amylase has been fractionated into four distinct fractions by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Each fraction hydrolyses amylose in a manner identical to that of the parent enzyme, i.e., at optimal pH, the reaction pattern corresponds to multiple attack, whereas in the presence of glycerol, or at high pH, it changes to multichain attack. Ultracentrifugation and gel exclusion-chromatography showed that the molecular weights of the fractions are similar to one another and to the parent enzyme, suggesting that the fractions are isoenzymes. However, determination of the amino-acid content of the multiple forms failed to reveal any reason for their different migratory rates through DEAE-cellulose. It is suggested that the multiple forms are artefacts, arising during the isolation of the enzyme.     

Identification and characterization of digestive serine proteases from inhibitor-resistant Helicoverpa zea larval midgut

Protease inhibitors mediate a natural form of plant defence against insects, by interfering with the digestive system of the insect. In this paper, affinity chromatography was used to isolate trypsins and chymotrypsins from Helicoverpa zea larvae, which had been raised on inhibitor-containing diet. Sensitivity of the fractions to inhibition by plant proteinase inhibitors was tested, and compared to the sensitivity of proteinases found in insects raised on diet to which no inhibitor had been added. The isolated chymotrypsin activity was found to be less sensitive to plant protease inhibitors. The sensitivity of the isolated trypsin activity was found to be intermediate between completely sensitive trypsins and completely insensitive forms that have been previously described. Mass spectrometry was used to identify one trypsin and two chymotrypsins in the partially purified protease fraction. The sequence features of these proteases are discussed in relation to their sensitivity to inhibitors. The results provide insight in the enzymes deployed by Helicoverpa larvae to overcome plant defence.     

Effect of serum fractions from cancer patients on leukocyte migration out of capillary tubes]

Blood serum of patients suffering from cancer of the stomach and urinary bladder inhibited in vitro migration of autologous leukocytes, leukocytes of donors and control patients, and also guinea pig macrophages in over half of cases. In chromatography of these sera on Sephadex G-100 the activity inhibiting the leukocyte migration was revealed in fraction I (Mol. wt. over 100000) and in fractions IV and V (Mol. wt under 30 000). The blood serum and its fractions from cancer patients failed to eliminate the leukocyte migration inhibition caused by the tumour antigens in comparison with the leukocyte migration in the medium with control serum without any antigens. As suggested, the activity of fraction I inhibiting the leukocyte migration was due to the antigen-antibody complex, and of fraction IV and V--to a factor similar by its properties to the factor produced in vitro by lymphocytes stimulated by the antigens or mitogens.     

The existence of an inactive form of transglutaminase within metastasising tumours

Separation by anion exchange chromatography of detergent extracts from a poorly metastatic HSV-2-induced hamster fibrosarcoma, its highly metastatic variant and a highly metastatic rat fibrosarcoma indicated the presence of an inactive form of transglutaminase antigen, when eluent fractions were assayed for transglutaminase activity and antigen. This inactive antigenic transglutaminase was clearly separable from the particulate and cytosolic forms of the transglutaminase enzyme. Unlike tumours, its presence could not be demonstrated in extracts from normal rat liver. Measurement of activity levels during tumour growth indicated that the progression of the two highly metastatic tumours was accompanied by a decrease in cytosolic transglutaminase activity, whilst the activity of this enzyme form remained constant in the poorly metastatic tumour. Measurement of antigen levels indicated an inverse relationship between the level of inactive transglutaminase and the level of cytosolic transglutaminase activity, suggesting that the two forms are inter-related. Gel filtration indicated the molecular weight of the inactive form to be greater than both the particulate and cytosolic forms, and it was estimated to be 120,000. Partial proteolysis of the semi-purified inactive form, by either trypsin or thrombin, led to its activation and to the appearance of a transglutaminase similar in molecular weight and ionic mobility, both by anion-exchange chromatography and electrophoresis, to the cytosolic transglutaminase.     

Antigenicity of proteinases from Streptomyces griseus (pronase)

The five pronase fractions, A(1), A(2), B, C (trypsin-like), and D (elastolytic), obtained by ion-exchange chromatography, were found to be antigenically distinct. Antibodies to pronase inhibited the enzymic activity of each of the enzyme fractions. Pronase trypsin and bovine trypsin, although resembling each other in enzymic activity and in amino acid sequence around their active sites, did not cross-react antigenically with, nor was their enzymic activity inhibited by, the respective homologous antibodies. Inactivation of pronase trypsin by complexing with soya-bean inhibitor AA, was not associated with a decrease in capacity to precipitate with its antibody. It is assumed that the antigenic sites are located far enough from the catalytic site of the enzyme to allow it to precipitate immunologically even when the catalytic site was blocked.     

Detection of multiple forms of rat liver ornithine decarboxylase.

Rat liver ornithine decarboxylase induced by injection of thioacetamide has been separated into at least two fractions by covalent chromatography on an activated thiol-Sepharose 4B column. The two major fractions could be distinguished by ion exchange chromatography and electrophoresis on acrylamide gels. In addition, the two forms displayed different Km values for ornithine. Although the two forms are separable, they display identical antigenic properties, pH optima, and they appear to be the same molecular size. The biological significance or the relationship between multiple forms of ornithine decarboxylase is not understood.     

Preparative isolation of the two forms of pig pancreatic pro-(carboxypeptidase A) and their monomeric carboxypeptidases A.

A method is reported for the preparative isolation of the two forms of pro-(carboxypeptidase A) from pig pancreas: the monomer and the binary complex with pro-(proteinase E). This method, which is mainly based on chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose at pH 5.7, allows these proenzymes to be prepared more quickly and in safer conditions than with other reported methods. Undegraded and homogeneous carboxypeptidase A1 and A2 species (peptidyl-L-amino acid hydrolase, EC 3.4.17.1), in monomeric forms with high specific activity, are also obtained in high yield by controlled trypsin activation of either of the pro-(carboxypeptidases A) followed by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose at pH 5.8 under dissociating conditions (7 M-urea).     

Isolation and biological activity of the proteases released by sea urchin eggs following fertilization.

The protease activity released from sea urchin egg cortical granules into the surrounding seawater at fertilization is involved in vitelline layer elevation and the block to polyspermy. The cortical granule protease components were isolated by isoelectric precipitation and affinity chromatography on p-aminobenzamidine-Sepharose columns. Elution profiles from affinity columns suggested heterogeneity of the proteases, and polyacrylamide-gel electrofocusing of affinity-purified preparations established the presence of two proteins. Dramatically different biological activities were resolved by affinity chromatography. Early-eluting fractions of low specific activity delaminated the vitelline layer from the egg plasma membrane; this activity is termed vitelline delaminase. Late-eluting fractions of high specific activity modified the egg vitelline layer surface such that sperm could not bind or fertilize them; this activity is referred to as sperm receptor hydrolase. The biological activities of the sea urchin proteases are apparently the result of limited action on the vitelline layer, unlike bovine trypsin which simply digests the vitelline layer. The cortical granule proteases lost biological specificity when stored at 0°C at pH 8.0. Esterase activity increased, and the preparation acquired the ability to digest the vitelline layer. Increase of the esterase activity in protease preparations was prevented by storage at low pH.The molecular weight of both enzymes was estimated by sucrose gradient centrifugation to be 47,000, whereas multiple components with molecular weights between 10⁵ and 10⁶ were demonstrated by gel filtration.     

Evidence for precursors of calcitonin/PDN 21 in human milk

Large amounts of immunoreactive PDN-21 (iPDN -21) were found in human milk in concentrations similar to those of immunoreactive calcitonin (iCT): 187 +/- 73 pM (mean +/- S.D.) vs 210 +/- 83 pM. (n = 17). Calcitonin (CT) was immunoextracted from milk by means of CT antibodies coupled to Sepharose 4B, and the extracts were gel-chromatographed on Sephadex G-75 after treatment with 6 M guanidine HCl. iCT and iPDN-21 in the fractions were determined with radioimmunoassay. The main part of iCT eluted as high molecular weight forms and these fractions also contained iPDN-21. Enzymatic cleavage of immunoextracted milk CT by trypsin demonstrated that iPDN-21 could be split apart from the high molecular weight forms and be recovered at the position of synthetic human PDN-21 on gel chromatography. iCT was eluted in the region of monomeric CT and as larger forms. Since PDN-21 constitutes the carboxyterminal of preprocalcitonin, our results indicate that human milk contains precursors of calcitonin.     

The elucidation of the microheterogeneity of highly purified p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase from Pseudomonas fluorescens by various biochemical techniques

Highly purified p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase from Pseudomonas fluorescens can be separated into at least five fractions by anion-exchange chromatography. All fractions exhibit the same specific activity and the enzyme exists mainly in the dimeric form in solution. Sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of a mixture of the different fractions reveals two apparent forms of enzyme molecules, while isoelectric focusing experiments, on the other hand, reveal six apparently different forms of enzyme molecules. It is shown that the different forms of enzyme molecules are due to the (partial) oxidation of Cys-116 in the sequence of the enzyme. This interpretation of the data is supported by kinetic measurements of the formation of hybrid dimeric molecules monitored by fast protein liquid chromatography, using purified enzyme containing Cys-116 either in the native and or the fully oxidized (sulfonic acid) state. By chemical modification studies using maleimide derivatives, 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) and H2O2, it is shown that sulfenic, sulfinic and sulfonic acid derivatives of Cys-116 are products of oxidation. The results are briefly discussed with respect to the possibility that this isolation artifact might also be partially responsible for the appearance of multiple forms of enzyme molecules in other biochemical preparations.     

Inhibition and promotion of cholesterol crystallization by protein fractions from normal human gallbladder bile

Pooled, normal human gallbladder biles were initially separated on a molecular sieving chromatography column to remove soluble mucin glycoproteins as well as high molecular weight proteins (greater than 200,000). The remaining lower molecular weight proteins and other bile components were then examined by lectin affinity chromatography with four different types of lectin. The separated bound fractions were compared for inhibiting and promoting activities with a newly devised sensitive cholesterol crystal growth assay and for differences in electrophoretic patterns on SDS-gels. Protein factors (presumably glycoproteins) were found to have both inhibiting and promoting activities, even in the absence of cholesterol gallstone disease. The promoting effect was indicated by shortened crystal detection times and increases in crystal growth rate; whereas the inhibiting effect was indicated by decreases in crystal growth rate and reductions in the final crystal concentration as determined by the growth assay. Affinity chromatography mitigated the major problems of removing both lipids and pigment from the glycoproteins. In addition, partial purification of bound fractions with potent cholesterol crystal nucleation-altering activity can be obtained by this technique.     

Human skin collagenase: isolation of precursor and active forms from both fibroblast and organ cultures.

Human skin procollagenase has been isolated, in pure form, from the medium of fibroblasts cultured in the presence or absence of added serum. Purification was achieved using a combination of cation-exchange (phosphocellulose or carboxymethylcellulose) and gel-filtration chromatography. Two forms (60 000 and 55 000 daltons) of the procollagenase were detected by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gels and could be separated by chromatography on Ultrogel AcA-44. Each form was converted to active enzyme by trypsin, producing species of 50 000 and 45 000 daltons, respectively. An autoactivation process also occurred, which yielded active enzyme without a detectable change in molecular weight. Procollagenase also was found in organ cultures of human skin but only when serum was added to the medium. This suggests that a serum-inhibitable proteolytic system is present in these cultures which, like trypsin, converts procollagenase to the active enzyme forms that can be isolated from serum-free organ culture medium. The collagenase species obtained from either fibroblast or organ culture medium were chromatographically and electrophoretically identical.     

Multiple forms of ribonuclease II in mouse liver: relative sizes, subcellular distributions, and pH-activity profiles

Multiple forms of ribonuclease II (EC 3.1.27.5) have been resolved from extracts of crude fractions of mouse liver by ion-exchange chromatography on phosphocellulose and gel permeation chromatography. The forms are designated 6S, 6L, 5S, 5L, 4S, 4L, 3S, 3L, 2, and 1 in increasing order of apparent cationic character. The forms fall into two series of apparent molecular weight. The small series increases from molecular weight equal to 9000 for form 1 to 14,000 for form 6S. The large series increases from molecular weight equal to 22,000 for form 2 to 44,000 for form 6L. All forms have pH-activity profiles with maxima near pH 7. Activity falls to no less than 30% of this maximum at pHs 5 and 8.5. Relative to the other forms, form 1 has a higher ratio of activity in the alkaline compared with acid pH range. Form 1 is found in the cytosolic, "light" particle, and "heavy" particle fractions. The other forms are largely restricted to the heavy particle fraction. In this fraction the proportion of total activity attributable to each form generally decreases in order from form 1 down to form 6. The results are accommodated by models in which one or more gene products give rise to multiple forms of ribonuclease II by processes involving dimerization and glycosylation.     

Bifunctional inhibitor of α-amylase/trypsin from wheat grain

A trypsin inhibitor, isolated from whole-wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) by the method of biospecific chromatography on trypsin-Sepharose, was potent in inhibiting human salivary α-amylase. The bifunctional α-amylase/trypsin inhibitor was characterized by a narrow specificity for other α-amylases and proteinases. The high thermostability of the inhibitor was lost in the presence of SH group-reducing agents. The inhibitor-trypsin complex retained its activity against α-amylase. The inhibitor—α-amylase complex was active against trypsin. Studies of the enzyme kinetics demonstrated that the inhibition of α-amylase and trypsin was noncompetitive. Our results suggest the existence of two independent active sites responsible for the interaction with the enzymes.