Purification and Characterization of Rice Embryo BAPAase (Benzoyl-L-arginine p-nitroanilide Hydrolase)

Benzoyl-L-arginine p-nitroanilide hydrolase (BAPAase), whichhas both endopeptidase and carboxypeptidase activity towardthe Arg-X or Lys-X bond of small peptides [Shibata and Doi (1984)Plant & Cell Physiol. 25: 1421], was purified from riceembryos by ammonium sulfate and polymin fractionations and byion exchange, gel exclusion and hydrophobic chromatographies.The purified enzyme was homogeneous when analyzed by polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis. It was unstable in the absence of surface-activereagents such as Triton X-100. Maximum activity for benzoyl-Largininep-nitroanilide (L-BAPA) or carboxypeptidase activity towardbutoxycarbonyl-Gly-Lys-Leu was obtained at pH 9.0. L-BAPA athigh concentrations inhibited the enzyme's activity. Di-isopropylphosphofluoridate, N-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone, leupeptinand antipain, which are specific inhibitors of trypsin, inhibitedBAPAase activity, but soybean and rice bran trypsin inhibitorhad no effect on it. Sulfhydryl reagents strongly inhibitedthe BAPAase activity. (Received May 26, 1984; Accepted August 29, 1984)     

Substrate Specificity of Human Carboxypeptidase A6

Carboxypeptidase A6 (CPA6) is an extracellular matrix-bound metallocarboxypeptidase (CP) that has been implicated in Duane syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the lateral rectus extraocular muscle is not properly innervated. Consistent with a role in Duane syndrome, CPA6 is expressed in a number of chondrocytic and nervous tissues during embryogenesis. To better characterize the enzymatic function and specificity of CPA6 and to compare this with other CPs, CPA6 was expressed in HEK293 cells and purified. Kinetic parameters were determined using a panel of synthetic carboxypeptidase substrates, indicating a preference of CPA6 for large hydrophobic C-terminal amino acids and only very weak activity toward small amino acids and histidine. A quantitative peptidomics approach using a mixture of peptides representative of the neuropeptidome allowed the characterization of CPA6 preferences at the P1 substrate position and suggested that small and acidic P1 residues significantly inhibit CPA6 cleavage. Finally, a comparison of available kinetic data for CPA enzymes shows a gradient of specificity across the subfamily, from the very restricted specificity of CPA2 to the very broad activity of CPA4. Structural data and modeling for all CPA/B subfamily members suggests the structural basis for the unique specificities observed for each member of the CPA/B subfamily of metallocarboxypeptidases.     

Characterization of the Substrate Specificity of Human Carboxypeptidase A4 and Implications for a Role in Extracellular Peptide Processing

CPA4 (carboxypeptidase A4) is a member of the metallocarboxypeptidase family. CPA4 was originally found in a screen of mRNAs up-regulated by sodium butyrate-induced differentiation of cancer cells. Further studies suggested a relation between CPA4 and prostate cancer aggressiveness. In the present study, we determined that CPA4 is secreted from cells as a soluble proenzyme (pro-CPA4) that can be activated by endoproteases, such as trypsin. Three complementary approaches were used to study the substrate specificity of CPA4; kinetic analysis was performed using a new series of chromogenic substrates and some biologically relevant peptides, the cleavage of synthetic peptides was tested individually, and the cleavage of a mixture of >100 mouse brain peptides was examined using a quantitative peptidomics mass spectrometry-based approach. CPA4 was able to cleave hydrophobic C-terminal residues with a preference for Phe, Leu, Ile, Met, Tyr, and Val. However, not all peptides with C-terminal hydrophobic residues were cleaved, indicating the importance of additional residues within the peptide. Aliphatic, aromatic, and basic residues in the P1 position have a positive influence on the cleavage specificity. In contrast, acidic residues, Pro, and Gly have a negative influence in the P1 position. Some of the peptides identified as CPA4 substrates (such as neurotensin, granins, and opioid peptides) have been previously shown to function in cell proliferation and differentiation, potentially explaining the link between CPA4 and cancer aggressiveness. Taken together, these studies suggest that CPA4 functions in neuropeptide processing and regulation in the extracellular environment.     

Identification of Amino Acid Residues Required for the Substrate Specificity of Human and Mouse Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrolase (Conventional Hyaluronidase-4)

Human hyaluronidase-4 (hHYAL4), a member of the hyaluronidase family, has no hyaluronidase activity, but is a chondroitin sulfate (CS)-specific endo-β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase. The expression of hHYAL4 is not ubiquitous but restricted to placenta, skeletal muscle, and testis, suggesting that hHYAL4 is not involved in the systemic catabolism of CS, but rather has specific functions in particular organs or tissues. To elucidate the function of hyaluronidase-4 in vivo, mouse hyaluronidase-4 (mHyal4) was characterized. mHyal4 was also demonstrated to be a CS-specific endo-β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase. However, mHyal4 and hHYAL4 differed in the sulfate groups they recognized. Although hHYAL4 strongly preferred GlcUA(2-O-sulfate)-GalNAc(6-O-sulfate)-containing sequences typical in CS-D, where GlcUA represents d-glucuronic acid, mHyal4 depolymerized various CS isoforms to a similar extent, suggesting broad substrate specificity. To identify the amino acid residues responsible for this difference, a series of human/mouse HYAL4 chimeric proteins and HYAL4 point mutants were generated, and their preference for substrates was investigated. A combination of the amino acid residues at 261–265 and glutamine at 305 was demonstrated to be essential for the enzymatic activity as well as substrate specificity of mHyal4.     

Novel Carboxypeptidase A6 (CPA6) Mutations Identified in Patients with Juvenile Myoclonic and Generalized Epilepsy

Carboxypeptidase A6 (CPA6) is a peptidase that removes C-terminal hydrophobic amino acids from peptides and proteins. The CPA6 gene is expressed in the brains of humans and animals, with high levels of expression during development. It is translated with a prodomain (as proCPA6), which is removed before secretion. The active form of CPA6 binds tightly to the extracellular matrix (ECM) where it is thought to function in the processing of peptides and proteins. Mutations in the CPA6 gene have been identified in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and febrile seizures. In the present study, we screened for CPA6 mutations in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and identified two novel missense mutations: Arg36His and Asn271Ser. Patients harboring these mutations also presented with generalized epilepsy. Neither of the novel mutations was found in a control population. Asn271 is highly conserved in CPA6 and other related metallocarboxypeptidases. Arg36 is present in the prodomain and is not highly conserved. To assess structural consequences of the amino acid substitutions, both mutants were modeled within the predicted structure of the enzyme. To examine the effects of these mutations on enzyme expression and activity, we expressed the mutated enzymes in human embryonic kidney 293T cells. These analyses revealed that Asn271Ser abolished enzymatic activity, while Arg36His led to a ~50% reduction in CPA6 levels in the ECM. Pulse-chase using radio-labeled amino acids was performed to follow secretion. Newly-synthesized CPA6 appeared in the ECM with peak levels between 2-8 hours. There was no major difference in time course between wild-type and mutant forms, although the amount of radiolabeled CPA6 in the ECM was lower for the mutants. Our experiments demonstrate that these mutations in CPA6 are deleterious and provide further evidence for the involvement of CPA6 mutations in the predisposition for several types of epilepsy.     

A Novel Arginine Kinase with Substrate Specificity Towards <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-arginine

We determined the cDNA-derived amino acid sequences of two arginine kinases (AK1, AK2) from the annelid Sabellastarte indica, cloned the cDNAs into pMAL plasmid and expressed them in E. coli. The phylogenetic analyses suggested that Sabellastarte AKs have evolved from a CK-related gene, not from the usual AK gene. The recombinant Sabellastarte AK1 showed a broad specificity towards various guanidine compounds, while the Sabellastarte AK2 mainly showed stronger activity for both d- and l-arginine, a very unique substrate specificity not seen before in usual AKs. We isolated guanidino compounds from the body wall musculature of Sabellastarte, and found that the major compound is d-arginine with a concentration of 4.85 ± 0.51 mmol/kg. From these results, we suggest strongly that in Sabellastarte, d-arginine is the major phosphagen substrate and that the AK2 with substrate specificity towards d-arginine, catalyzes the phosphorylation of d-arginine.     

Hydrolyzing Pathway,Substrate Specificity and Inhibition of Tannin Acyl Hydrolase of Asp. oryzae No. 7

Tannin acyl hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.20) of Asp. oryzae No. 7 hydrolyzes tannic acid to glucose and gallic acid. The intermediate hydrolyzates are 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl glucose, 2,3,4,6-tetragalloyl glucose and two kinds of monogalloyl glucose.

The enzyme hydrolyzes ester compounds of gallic acid, but does not hydrolyze any other substrate analogues such as methyl-resorcyrate.

The enzyme reaction is inhibited competitively by substrate analogues which have phenolic hydroxyls with the exception that 2,6-dihydroxy benzoic acid inhibits noncompetitively. Therefore the binding site of the enzyme may be able to react with any kind of phenolic hydroxyl, although the substrate forming a true ES-complex must be an ester compound of gallic acid.     

Crystal Structure of a Bacterial Unsaturated Glucuronyl Hydrolase with Specificity for Heparin

Extracellular matrix molecules such as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are typical targets for some pathogenic bacteria, which allow adherence to host cells. Bacterial polysaccharide lyases depolymerize GAGs in β-elimination reactions, and the resulting unsaturated disaccharides are subsequently degraded to constituent monosaccharides by unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolases (UGLs). UGL substrates are classified as 1,3- and 1,4-types based on the glycoside bonds. Unsaturated chondroitin and heparin disaccharides are typical members of 1,3- and 1,4-types, respectively. Here we show the reaction modes of bacterial UGLs with unsaturated heparin disaccharides by x-ray crystallography, docking simulation, and site-directed mutagenesis. Although streptococcal and Bacillus UGLs were active on unsaturated heparin disaccharides, those preferred 1,3- rather than 1,4-type substrates. The genome of GAG-degrading Pedobacter heparinus encodes 13 UGLs. Of these, Phep_2830 is known to be specific for unsaturated heparin disaccharides. The crystal structure of Phep_2830 was determined at 1.35-Å resolution. In comparison with structures of streptococcal and Bacillus UGLs, a pocket-like structure and lid loop at subsite +1 are characteristic of Phep_2830. Docking simulations of Phep_2830 with unsaturated heparin disaccharides demonstrated that the direction of substrate pyranose rings differs from that in unsaturated chondroitin disaccharides. Acetyl groups of unsaturated heparin disaccharides are well accommodated in the pocket at subsite +1, and aromatic residues of the lid loop are required for stacking interactions with substrates. Thus, site-directed mutations of the pocket and lid loop led to significantly reduced enzyme activity, suggesting that the pocket-like structure and lid loop are involved in the recognition of 1,4-type substrates by UGLs.     

Immunochemical characterization of proteolytic enzymes (BAPAase) from buckwheat and rye seeds

A comparative study of the immunochemical properties of two serine proteolytic enzymes (BAPases) from buckwheat and rye seeds hydrolyzing N alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPA) has been performed. It has been shown that buckwheat and rye seed BAPAases were partially antigenically identical. This was demonstrated using double immunodiffusion in agar and inhibition of one enzyme with an antiserum to the other. At the same time neither of the antisera inhibited trypsin. Thus, buckwheat and rye seed BAPAases have common antigenic determinants and, consequently, common structural features. On the other hand, these enzymes probably have no common structural elements with trypsin.     

Isolation and characteristics of benzoyl-DL-arginl-p-nitroanilide-hydrolysing enzyme (BAPAase) from vetch seedlings]

The enzyme hydrolysing N-benzoyl-D,L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPA). is isolated from vetch seedlings and 1600-fold purified by means of chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, hdroxyapatite and gel filtration through Sephadex G-100. The preparation is chromatographically homogenous, but disc electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel revealed an insignificant contamination by inactive proteins. The data of disc electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecylsulphate have shown that BAPAase has a quaternary structure containing, probably, four subunits identical in their molecular weight. BAPAase has a narrow substrate specificity: it hydrolyses BAPA, benzoyl-D,L,-argininenaphtylamide, benzoyl-L-arginyglycine CBZ-L-arginylglycine histones and protamine, but does not attack L-arginyl-p-nitroanilide benzoyl-L-arginineamide, tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester and casein.     

Specificity Profiling of Dual Specificity Phosphatase Vaccinia VH1-related (VHR) Reveals Two Distinct Substrate Binding Modes

Vaccinia VH1-related (VHR) is a dual specificity phosphatase that consists of only a single catalytic domain. Although several protein substrates have been identified for VHR, the elements that control the in vivo substrate specificity of this enzyme remain unclear. In this work, the in vitro substrate specificity of VHR was systematically profiled by screening combinatorial peptide libraries. VHR exhibits more stringent substrate specificity than classical protein-tyrosine phosphatases and recognizes two distinct classes of Tyr(P) peptides. The class I substrates are similar to the Tyr(P) motifs derived from the VHR protein substrates, having sequences of (D/E/φ)(D/S/N/T/E)(P/I/M/S/A/V)pY(G/A/S/Q) or (D/E/φ)(T/S)(D/E)pY(G/A/S/Q) (where φ is a hydrophobic amino acid and pY is phosphotyrosine). The class II substrates have the consensus sequence of (V/A)P(I/L/M/V/F)X_1–6pY (where X is any amino acid) with V/A preferably at the N terminus of the peptide. Site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modeling studies suggest that the class II peptides bind to VHR in an opposite orientation relative to the canonical binding mode of the class I substrates. In this alternative binding mode, the Tyr(P) side chain binds to the active site pocket, but the N terminus of the peptide interacts with the carboxylate side chain of Asp¹⁶⁴, which normally interacts with the Tyr(P) + 3 residue of a class I substrate. Proteins containing the class II motifs are efficient VHR substrates in vitro, suggesting that VHR may act on a novel class of yet unidentified Tyr(P) proteins in vivo.     

Structure of Transmembrane Domain of Lysosome-associated Membrane Protein Type 2a (LAMP-2A) Reveals Key Features for Substrate Specificity in Chaperone-mediated Autophagy

Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is a highly regulated cellular process that mediates the degradation of a selective subset of cytosolic proteins in lysosomes. Increasing CMA activity is one way for a cell to respond to stress, and it leads to enhanced turnover of non-critical cytosolic proteins into sources of energy or clearance of unwanted or damaged proteins from the cytosol. The lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2a (LAMP-2A) together with a complex of chaperones and co-chaperones are key regulators of CMA. LAMP-2A is a transmembrane protein component for protein translocation to the lysosome. Here we present a study of the structure and dynamics of the transmembrane domain of human LAMP-2A in n-dodecylphosphocholine micelles by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We showed that LAMP-2A exists as a homotrimer in which the membrane-spanning helices wrap around each other to form a parallel coiled coil conformation, whereas its cytosolic tail is flexible and exposed to the cytosol. This cytosolic tail of LAMP-2A interacts with chaperone Hsc70 and a CMA substrate RNase A with comparable affinity but not with Hsp40 and RNase S peptide. Because the substrates and the chaperone complex can bind at the same time, thus creating a bimodal interaction, we propose that substrate recognition by chaperones and targeting to the lysosomal membrane by LAMP-2A are coupled. This can increase substrate affinity and specificity as well as prevent substrate aggregation, assist in the unfolding of the substrate, and promote the formation of the higher order complex of LAMP-2A required for translocation.     

Serine-Type Carboxypeptidase KexA of Aspergillus oryzae Has Broader Substrate Specificity than Saccharomyces cerevisiae Kex1 and Is Required for Normal Hyphal Growth and Conidiation

Aspergillus oryzae has an ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae KEX1, termed kexA. A truncated form of KexA protein showed serine-type carboxypeptidase activity and somewhat broader substrate specificity than Kex1 protease. Furthermore, our results indicated that KexA is required for normal growth of A. oryzae and that it might be involved in hyphal branching.     

Substrate and Donor Specificity of Glycosyl Transferases

It has been shown that all selectins recognize the carbohydrate epitopes sialyl Lewis^x and sialyl Lewis^a. For the establishment of the structure-activity relationship, the efficient synthesis of these tetrasaccharides and derivatives is therefore of vital interest. The glycosyl transferase-mediated approach is summarized with emphasis on the use of modified acceptors and modified sugar-nucleotide donors. A survey of the involved enzymes: (1-3) and (1-4)galactosyl transferases, (2-3)sialyl transferase, FucT III and FucT VI reveals that the enzymatic synthesis is highly efficient for the rapid preparation of sialyl Lewis^x- and sialyl Lewis^a-derivatives.     

Distribution and Substrate Specificity of Benzylpenicillin Acylase

Benzylpenicillin acylase, which hydrolyzes benzylpenicillin to 6-aminopenicillanic acid, was found to be widely distributed among members of the Schizomycetes, particularly in gram-negative bacteria, and in the genus Nocardia. The hydrolysis of a series of biosynthetic and semisynthetic penicillins by freeze-dried cells of a strain of Nocardia and of Proteus was studied. Benzylpenicillin was the preferred substrate; all departures from the benzylpenicillin side-chain structure led to reduction of substrate activity (the greater the departure, the greater the reduction in activity). Penicillin amides and methyl esters were also hydrolyzed, as were suitable N-acyl derivatives of 7-aminocephalosporanic acid. Occurrence of an enzyme activity which hydrolyzes benzylpenicillinamide to benzylpenicillin was detected in certain strains of yeasts.