A comparative study of two kinds of cathepsin D-type proteinases from rat gastric mucosa

The localization of cathepsin D-like acid proteinase in the rat stomach and other tissues was studied, and its biochemical properties were compared with those of rat gastric cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5). Cathepsin D-like acid proteinase existed overwhelmingly in the mucosal layer and was hardly detected in the gastric juice. Its subcellular distribution profile was very similar to that of acid phosphatase, but not to that of pepsinogen. This proteinase-like enzyme activity was also found in rat splenic extract. These results strongly suggest that the proteinase is a lysosomal enzyme. In addition, cathepsin D-like acid proteinase demonstrated an in vitro transition of molecular species during storage at -30 degrees C. Although this molecular change was distinctive in ion-exchange column chromatography and susceptibility to some enzyme inhibitors, it was not accompanied by a significant decrease in molecular weight. To compare cathepsin D-like acid proteinase with ordinary cathepsin D, gastric cathepsin D was newly purified to apparent homogeneity in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Its biochemical properties demonstrate that this is a true cathepsin D in rat gastric mucosa. Moreover, this cathepsin D activity was not abolished by treatment with antiserum specific to cathepsin D-like acid proteinase or pepsinogen. From these results, we can conclude that the proteinase is a lysosomal acid proteinase different from newly purified gastric cathepsin D.     

Immunochemical similarity between a gastric mucosa non-pepsin acid proteinase and neutrophil cathepsin E of the rat

Antiserum against a rat gastric mucosa non-pepsin acid proteinase precipitates rat neutrophil cathepsin E, with a precipitation curve essentially similar to that of the gastric enzyme. Taken together that the antiserum precipitates a cathepsin E-like acid proteinase from rat spleen (Muto, N., Yamamoto, M. and Tani, S. (1987) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) in press), the data indicate that the non-cathepsin D acid proteinases in rat neutrophils, gastric mucosa and spleen are immunochemically closely related. In contrast with the earlier data, cathepsin E from rabbit neutrophils exhibited a maximal activity at around pH 3.0-3.2 and preferred hemoglobin to albumin as substrate, which supports that the non-cathepsin D acid proteinases in the rat tissues are relevantly classified as cathepsin E.     

Characteristic distribution of cathepsin E which immunologically cross-reacts with the 86-kDa acid proteinase from rat gastric mucosa

The antiserum raised against the high-molecular-weight acid proteinase from rat gastric mucosa, termed 86-kDa acid proteinase, has been shown to recognize rat cathepsin E, but not cathepsin D (Muto, N. et al. (1987) J. Biochem. 101, 1069-1075). Using this specific antiserum, characteristic distribution of cathepsin E in rats was demonstrated. The enzyme was detected in a limited number of tissues, such as stomach, thymus, spleen, bladder, and erythrocyte membranes. Among them, the highest activity was observed in the stomach. In contrast, cathepsin D immunoreactive with the antiserum specific to rat gastric cathepsin D was demonstrated in all the tissues examined. Cathepsin E-type enzymes partially purified from these five tissues were precipitated in the same manner by the specific antiserum, and they had the same molecular weight, electrophoretic mobility, and resistance against denaturation by 4 M urea. These results indicate that they could be exactly classified as cathepsin E. This type of enzyme was also detectable in mice and guinea pigs, but they showed relatively weak immunoreactivities with the antiserum. Thus, it is concluded that the distribution of cathepsin E is intrinsically different from ordinary cathepsin D, suggesting that it has a different physiological role from cathepsin D.     

Cathepsin E from rat neutrophils: its properties and possible relations to cathepsin D-like and cathepsin E-like acid proteinases

An extract of rat neutrophils was found to contain a high hemoglobin-hydrolyzing activity at pH 3.2, about 70% of which does not cross-react with anti-rat liver cathepsin D antibody. A neutrophil non-cathepsin D acid proteinase was successfully isolated from cathepsin D and characterized in comparison with the properties of rat liver cathepsin D. The neutrophil enzyme differed from cathepsin D in chromatographic and electrophoretic behaviors as well as immunological cross-reactivity, and its molecular weight was estimated to be 98,000 by gel filtration on Toyopearl HW 55. These findings strongly suggest that the neutrophil enzyme could be classified as cathepsin E. The enzyme, now designated rat cathepsin E, had an optimal pH at 3.0-3.2, preferred hemoglobin to albumin as substrate, and was markedly resistant to urea denaturation. Rat cathepsins D and E cleaved the insulin B-chain at six and eight sites, respectively; five sites were common for both enzymes. Possible relations among cathepsin E and cathepsin D-like or E-like acid proteinases reported so far were discussed.     

Isolation, and catalytic and immunochemical properties of cathepsin D-like acid proteinase from rat erythrocytes

An erythrocyte membrane-associated cathepsin D-like acid proteinase, termed "EMAP," was purified to homogeneity from freshly collected rat blood in a yield of 60-65%. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined to be 80,000-82,000 by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The enzyme was inhibited strongly by pepstatin and partially by HgCl2, Pb(NO3)2, and iodoacetic acid. The preferred substrate for the enzyme was hemoglobin. The enzyme also hydrolyzed serum albumin and casein, but to lesser extents, with an optimum pH of 3.5-4.0. However, it could not hydrolyze leucyl-2-naphthylamide, benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-Arg-4-methyl-7-coumarylamide or other synthetic substrates at pH values ranging from 3.5 to 9.5. The enzyme was very similar to human EMAP in a number of enzymatic properties, whereas it differed from rat cathepsin D in several respects, such as pH stability, molecular weight, isoelectric point, and chromatographic properties. Immunologically, the enzyme cross-reacted with the rabbit antibody prepared against human EMAP. The patterns of immunoelectrophoresis, immunoblotting, and immunoprecipitation of the enzyme were remarkably similar, if not identical, to those of human EMAP. In contrast, rat EMAP showed no reaction with the rabbit antibody raised to rat spleen cathepsin D. These results indicate that EMAP is a unique cathepsin D-like acid proteinase different from ordinary cathepsin D.     

Unique cathepsin D-type proteases in rat thoracic duct lymphocytes and in rat lymphoid tissues.

Two unique cathepsin D-type proteases apparently present only in rat thoracic duct lymphocytes and in rat lymphoid tissues are described. One, termed H enzyme, has an apparent molecular weight of similar to95,000; the other, termed L enzyme, has an apparent molecular weight of similar to45,000, in common with that of most cathepsins D from other tissues and species. Both enzymes differ from cathepsin D, however, by a considerably greater sensitivity to inhibition by pepstatin and by a smaller degree of inhibition by an antiserum which inhibits rat liver cathepsin D. H enzyme is converted to L enzyme by treatment with beta-mercaptoethanol; the relationship between the two enzymes remains unknown. H and L enzyme have been detected in rat lymphoid tissues and in mouse spleen, but they are not present in other rat tissues (liver, kidney, adrenals), rabbit tissues, calf thymus, bovine spleen, or human tonsils. As measured on acid-denatured bovine hemoglobin as substrate, both enzymes have pH activity curves identical with that of rat liver cathepsin D, with optimal activity at pH 3.6. Activity on human serum albumin is much less and also shows an optimum at pH 3.6; hence, neither enzyme has the properties of cathepsin E. Thiol-reactive inhibitiors have no effect on the activity of H and L enzyme; thus they do not belong to the B group of cathepsins. Additional information, discussed in this paper, leads us to conclude that partially purified H and L enzymes are cathepsin D-type proteases.     

Deoxyribonuclease II purified from the isolated lysosomes of porcine spleen and from porcine liver homogenates. Comparison with deoxyribonuclease II purified from porcine spleen homogenates

Porcine spleen DNase II (EC 3.1.22.1), one of the best-characterized DNases II, is subcellularly located in lysosomes because the enzyme is co-sedimented with two of the lysosomal marker enzymes, cathepsin D and acid phosphatase. The physicochemical properties, including the subunit structure, sensitivity to iodoacetate inactivation, native molecular weight and chromatographic behavior, of the DNase II purified from the isolated lysosomes of porcine spleen are indistinguishable from those of the same enzyme purified from the whole porcine spleen homogenate. DNase II can also be extracted from porcine liver with 0.05 M H2SO4 or 0.1 M NaCl and purified from either extract by a series of column chromatographies. The purified liver DNase II from either extract has the same subunit structure (alpha-chain, Mr 35,000 and beta-chain, Mr 10,000) as the purified DNase II of porcine spleen. The two liver extracts as well as the extracts of spleen and gastric mucosa contain DNase II with very similar properties on Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, on acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions, and on isoelectric focusing. The data strongly suggest that, for the same species of animal, the DNase II activities in various tissues are associated with protein molecules of identical structure.     

The role of a cathepsin D-like activity in the release of Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc alpha 2-6-sialyltransferase from rat liver Golgi membranes during the acute-phase response.

Golgi-membrane-bound Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc alpha 2-6-sialyltransferase (CMP-N-acetylneuraminate:beta-galactoside alpha 2-6-sialyltransferase, EC 2.4.99.1) behaves as an acute-phase reactant increasing about 5-fold in serum in rats suffering from inflammation. The mechanism of release from the Golgi membrane is not understood. In the present study it was found that sialyltransferase could be released from the membrane by treatment with ultrasonic vibration (sonication) followed by incubation at reduced pH. Maximum release occurred at pH 5.6, and membranes from inflamed rats released more enzyme than did membranes from controls. Galactosyltransferase (UDP-galactose:N-acetylglucosamine galactosyltransferase; EC 2.4.1.38), another Golgi-located enzyme, which does not behave as an acute-phase reactant, remained bound to the membranes under the same conditions. Release of the alpha 2-6-sialyltransferase from Golgi membranes was substantially inhibited by pepstatin A, a potent inhibitor of cathepsin D-like proteinases. Inhibition of release of the sialyltransferase also occurred after preincubation of sonicated Golgi membranes with antiserum raised against rat liver lysosomal cathepsin D. Addition of bovine spleen cathepsin D to incubation mixtures of sonicated Golgi membranes caused enhanced release of the sialyltransferase. Intact Golgi membranes were incubated at lowered pH in presence of pepstatin A to inhibit any proteinase activity at the cytosolic face; subsequent sonication showed that the sialyltransferase had been released, suggesting that the proteinase was active at the luminal face of the Golgi. Golgi membranes contained a low level of cathepsin D activity (EC 3.4.23.5); the enzyme was mainly membrane-bound, since it could only be released by extraction with Triton X-100 or incubation of sonicated Golgi membranes with 5 mM-mannose 6-phosphate. Immunoblot analysis showed that the transferase released from sonicated Golgi membranes at lowered pH had an apparent Mr of about 42,000 compared with one of about 49,000 for the membrane-bound enzyme. Values of Km for the bound and released enzyme activities were comparable and were similar to values reported previously for liver and serum enzymes. The work suggests that a major portion of sialyltransferase containing the catalytic site is released from a membrane anchor by a cathepsin D-like proteinase located at the luminal face of the Golgi and that this explains the acute-phase behaviour of this enzyme.     

Identification of the aspartic proteinases from human erythrocyte membranes and gastric mucosa (slow-moving proteinase) as catalytically equivalent to cathepsin E.

Three aspartic proteinases with similar Mr values (approx. 80,000) but from distinct sources (human gastric mucosa, human erythrocyte membranes and rat spleen) were shown to have immunological cross-reactivity and comparable mobilities when subjected to polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions. Kinetic parameters (kcat, Km and Ki) were determined for the interactions of the three enzymes with two synthetic chromogenic substrates and five inhibitors (naturally occurring and synthetic). On this basis it would appear that all of the enzymes should be considered equivalent to cathepsin E. pH-activity measurements indicated that the aspartic proteinase that originated from the erythrocyte membranes retained activity at a higher pH value than either of its readily soluble counterparts.     

Biochemical and immunochemical similarity between erythrocyte membrane aspartic proteinase and cathepsin E

An aspartic proteinase previously thought to be unique to erythrocyte membranes, termed "EMAP", has been shown to be closely related to cathepsin E. Enzymic comparison revealed that these two enzymes resembled each other in molecular weight, susceptibility to pepstatin and chromatographic behaviors on DEAE-Sephacel and Mono P chromatofocusing columns. They were immunoprecipitated by antiserum against human EMAP in a similar way. Immunochemical similarity between the two enzymes was also substantiated by immunoblot analysis.     

Molecular forms of acid proteinases of the brain]

Molecular forms of cathepsin D bound with subcellular structures were studied in the grey matter of the large hemispheres. Free and bound forms of the enzymes exposed to solubilization with detergent triton X-100 were fractionated by passage through a Sephadex G-100 column. Gel chromatographic analysis demonstrated three peaks of acid proteinase activity. Different areas of solubilization curves of acid proteinases corresponded to different molecular forms of cathepsins. The initial S-shape areas of solubilization curve corresponded to the first high molecular weight peak of the enzyme activity in the grey matter, whereas the subsequent linear ones -- to the second peak; the activity of free forms of the enzyme corresponded to the third peak.     

An aspartic proteinase from human erythrocytes is immunochemically indistinguishable from a non-pepsin, electrophoretically slow moving proteinase from gastric mucosa

Antiserum raised against an erythrocyte membrane-attached aspartic proteinase precipitates a non-pepsin gastric proteinase. With a monospecific antiserum raised against the non-pepsin gastric proteinase the two enzymes show immunochemical identity. The isoelectric points of both are between 4.5 and 4.6. By SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the two proteinases behave the same way. Under non-reducing conditions the main components show molecular weights around 90 000 and after reduction about 58 000. The proteinase may tentatively be classified as cathepsin E.     

T-kinin is released from T-kininogen by consecutive cleavage by cathepsin E-like proteinase and 72 kDa proteinase

Using highly purified T-kininogen and cathepsin E-like proteinase and 72 kDa proteinase in rat spleen, the release of T-kinin from T-kininogen was found to occur by consecutive cleavage by cathepsin E-like proteinase and 72 kDa proteinase. 72 kDa proteinase seems to be serine proteinase, because it was completely inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate but not by pepstatin, leupeptin and bestatin.     

Sequence and function of lysosomal and digestive cathepsin D-like proteinases of Musca domestica midgut

Musca domestica larvae display in anterior and middle midgut contents, a proteolytic activity with pH optimum of 3.0–3.5 and kinetic properties like cathepsin D. Three cDNAs coding for preprocathepsin D-like proteinases (ppCAD 1, ppCAD 2, ppCAD 3) were cloned from a M. domestica midgut cDNA library. The coded protein sequences included the signal peptide, propeptide and mature enzyme that has all conserved catalytic and substrate binding residues found in bovine lysosomal cathepsin D. Nevertheless, ppCAD 2 and ppCAD 3 lack the characteristic proline loop and glycosylation sites. A comparison among the sequences of cathepsin D-like enzymes from some vertebrates and those found in M. domestica and in the genomes of Aedes aegypti, Drosophila melanogaster, Tribolium castaneum, and Bombyx mori showed that only flies have enzymes lacking the proline loop (as defined by the motif: DxPxPx(G/A)P), thus resembling vertebrate pepsin. ppCAD 3 should correspond to the digestive cathepsin D-like proteinase (CAD) found in enzyme assays because: (1) it seems to be the most expressed CAD, based on the frequency of ESTs found. (2) The mRNA for CAD 3 is expressed only in the anterior and proximal middle midgut. (3) Recombinant procathepsin D-like proteinase (pCAD 3), after auto-activation has a pH optimum of 2.5–3.0 that is close to the luminal pH of M. domestica midgut. (4) Immunoblots of proteins from different tissues revealed with anti-pCAD 3 serum were positive only in samples of anterior and middle midgut tissue and contents. (5) CAD 3 is localized with immunogold inside secretory vesicles and around microvilli in anterior and middle midgut cells. The data support the view that on adapting to deal with a bacteria-rich food in an acid midgut region, M. domestica digestive CAD resulted from the same archetypical gene as the intracellular cathepsin D, paralleling what happened with vertebrates. The lack of the proline loop may be somehow associated with the extracellular role of both pepsin and digestive CAD 3.     

Characterization of two acid proteinases found in rabbit skin homografts.

Two types of acid proteinase activity found in rabbit skin homografts were characterized by studying the effect of temperature, pH and polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Their chromatographic behaviour was characterized on DEAE-cellulose, Sephadex G-75, G-100 and G-200, and their molecular weights were estimated by gel filtration. One of the acid proteinases in the homograft resembled cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5) of normal skin. The other acid proteinase differed from cathepsin D with respect to heat inactivation, pH optimum and molecular weight; it was not inactivated on heating at 60 degrees C for 60 min, its pH optimum was 2.5 and its molecular weight measured by Sephadex G-100 chromatography was 100 000. In all these respects, the heat-stable proteinase resembles cathepsin E (EC 3.4.23.5) of rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes.     

T-kinin is released from T-kininogen by consecutive cleavage by cathespin E-like proteinase and 72 kDa proteinase

Using highly purified T-kininogen and cathepsin E-like proteinase and 72 kDa proteinase in rat spleen, the release of T-kinin from T-kininogen was found to occur by consecutive cleavage by cathespin E-like proteinase and 72 kDa proteinase. 72 kDa proteinase seems to be serine proteinase, because it was completely inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate but not by pepstatin, leupeptin and bestatin.     

Cathepsin D of rat spleen. Affinity purification and properties of two types of cathepsin D.

Two types of cathepsin D were purified from rat spleen by a rapid procedure involving an acid precipitation of tissue extract, affinity chromatography with pepstatin--Sepharose 4B and concanavalin-A--Sepharose 4B, and chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and DEAE-Sephacel. The purified major enzyme (85% of the cathepsin D activity after DEAE-Sephacel chromatography), termed cathepsin D-I, represented about a 1000-fold purification over the homogenate and about a 20% recovery. The purified minor enzyme (15%), termed cathepsin D-II, represented about a 900-fold purification and about a 3% recovery. Both enzymes showed four (pI: 4.2, 4.9, 6.1 and 6.5) and three (pI: 4.6, 5.6 and 5.8) multiple forms after isoelectric focusing, respectively. The purified enzymes appeared homogeneous on electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel and had a molecular weight of about 44000. In sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis both enzymes showed a single protein band corresponding to a molecular weight of 44000. The enzymes had similar amino acid compositions except for serine, proline and methionine. Cathepsin D-I contained 6.6% carbohydrate, consisting of mannose, glucose, galactose, fucose and glucosamine in a ratio of 8:2:1:1:5 with a trace of sialic acid. The properties of purified enzymes were also compared.     

Intestinal aspartate proteases TiCatD and TiCatD2 of the haematophagous bug Triatoma infestans (Reduviidae): sequence characterisation, expression pattern and characterisation of proteolytic activity

Two aspartate protease encoding complementary deoxyribonucleic acids (cDNA) were characterised from the small intestine (posterior midgut) of Triatoma infestans and the corresponding genes were named TiCatD and TiCatD2. The deduced 390 and 393 amino acid sequences of both enzymes contain two regions characteristic for cathepsin D proteases and the conserved catalytic aspartate residues forming the catalytic dyad, but only TiCatD2 possesses an entire C-terminal proline loop. The amino acid sequences of TiCatD and TiCatD2 show 51-58% similarity to other insect cathepsin D-like proteases and, respectively, 88 and 58% similarity to the aspartate protease ASP25 from T. infestans available in the GenBank database. In phylogenetic analysis, TiCatD and ASP25 clearly separate from cathepsin D-like sequences of other insects, TiCatD2 groups with cathepsin D-like proteases with proline loop. The activity of purified TiCatD and TiCatD2 was highest between pH 2 and 4, respectively, and hence, deviate from the pH values of the lumen of the small intestine, which varied in correlation with the time after feeding between pH 5.2 and 6.7 as determined by means of micro pH electrodes. Both cathepsins, TiCatD and TiCatD2, were purified from the lumen of the small intestine using pepstatin affinity chromatography and identified by nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis as those encoded by the cDNAs. The proteolytic activity of the purified enzymes is highest at pH 3 and the respective genes are expressed in the both regions of the midgut, stomach (anterior midgut) and small intestine, not in the rectum, salivary glands, Malpighian tubules or haemocytes. The temporal expression pattern of both genes in the small intestine after feeding revealed a feeding dependent regulation for TiCatD but not for TiCatD2.     

The isolation and properties of a non-pepsin proteinase from human gastric mucosa.

1. A non-pepsin proteinase, proteinase 2, was successfully isolated free from pepsinogen (by repetitive chromatography on DEAE- and CM-celluloses) from the gastric mucosa of a patient with a duodenal ulcer and the uninvaded mucosa of a patient with a gastric adenocarcinoma. 2. Proteinases 1a and 1b, found in gastric adenocarcinoma, were not found in the gastic mucosa of these patients. 3. Proteinase 2 was shown to have an asymmetrical broad pH-activity curve with a maximum over the pH range 3.0-3.7. 4. Proteolytic activity of proteinase 2 was inhibited by pepstatin; the concentration of pepstatin giving 50% inhibition is of the order of 3nm. 5. Inhibition of proteolytic activity by carbenoxolone and related triterpenoids indicated that at pH 4.0 proteinase 2 possesses structural characteristics relating it to the pepsins and at pH 7.4 to the pepsinogens. 6. The sites of cleavage of the B-chain of oxidized insulin for proteinase 2 at pH 1.7 and pH 3.5 were shown to be similar to those previously established for human pepsin 3 and for the cathepsin E of rabbit bone marrow. 7. The non-pepsin proteinase 2 (cathepsin) of human gastric mucosa has properties more similar to cathepsin E than to the cathepsins D.     

Properties and intracellular distribution of a cathepsin D-like proteinase active at the acid region of Musca domestica midgut

Musca domestica larval midgut display in cells and luminal contents a proteolytic activity with a pH optimum of 3.0–3.5. This activity is abolished by pepstatin and is insensitive to soybean trypsin inhibitor and to sulfhydryl proteinase inhibitors. The acid proteinase occurs in multiple forms with M_r values in the range 40,000–80,000 and with pI values of about 5.5. The proteinase inactivates at 60°C according to apparent first-order kinetics and Lineweaver-Burk plots of its activity against albumin concentration are rectilinear, suggesting that the multiple forms have similar properties. The proteinase reacts slowly with diazoacetylnorleucine plus CuSO₄, is stable in alkaline media, is inhibited by dithiothreitol, hydrolyses hemoglobin better than albumin and is virtually not active upon synthetic substrates for pepsin. These properties are similar to those of cathepsin D. The specific activity of the acid proteinase determined by titration with pepstatin is 680 units/mg of proteinase and the K_D of the pepstatin-proteinase complex is 1.5 nM at 30°C. The acid proteinase occurs mainly in midgut subcellular fractions characterized by a high specific activity of molybdate-inhibited acid phosphatase and a large number of secretory-like vesicles. It is proposed that the M. domestica midgut acid proteinase is a cathepsin D-like proteinase evolved to function in luminal contents. The lack of ATP activation of the midgut enzyme supports this hypothesis, since ATP is thought to regulate cathepsin D-proteolysis inside lysosomes.