Inactivation of proteolytic enzymes by cestodes

Inhibitor activity of cestodes from intestines of different hosts (sea birds, salt-water fish, and freshwater fish) was investigated. Alcataenia larina, Arctotaenia tetrabothrioides, Tetrabothrius erostris, T. minor, Wardium cirrosa, Bothriocephalus scorpii, Eubothrium rugosum, and Triaenophorus nodulosus were able to inhibit the activity of the commercial trypsin and activity of proteinase homogenates of the intestinal mucosa of the hosts. It was suggested that the inhibitor produced by the cestodes is specific for trypsin and protects them from the digestive enzymes of the host.     

Assay of proteolytic enzymes by the fluorescence polarization technique.

Neuraminidase substrates of high specific activity (>300 μCi/μmol) were prepared by reduction of sialyllactose with NaB³H₄, followed by separation of the 2 → 3 and 2 → 6 isomers of [³H]sialyllactitol by paper chromatography. Hydrolysis of sialyllactitol by neuraminidase was monitored by measuring the radioactivity in the neutral reaction product, which was separated from the charged substrate by passage over a small anion exchange column. The assay was applied to the neuraminidase activity of cultured human skin fibroblasts. The K_m was found to be 1.1 mm for both substrates; the pH optimum, 4.0; the 2 → 3 isomer was hydrolyzed twice as fast as the 2 → 6. In several genetic disorders associated with neuraminidase deficiency, the activity toward both isomers was reduced almost completely (mucolipidoses I and II; Goldberg syndrome), or only partially (mucolipidosis III; adult myoclonus syndrome); however, the relative activity towards the two isomers remained approximately the same in all cases.     

Purification of several proteolytic enzymes by tosyl- and carbobenzoxy-triethylene-tetramine-sepharoses.

Tosyl-triethylenetetramine-Sepharose (Tos-T-Sepharose) and carbenzoxytriethylenetetramine-Sepharose (Z-T-Sepharose) were found to be adsorbents utilizable in the purification of several microbial and animal proteases. The former Sepharose derivative adsorbed alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin, subtilisin, thermolysin and neutral subtilopeptidase at neutral pH range, and acid proteases such as pepsin and Rhizopus niveus protease at pH 3.5-6.5. alpha-Chymotrypsin and trypsin were eluted with 0.1 N acetic acid and Rhizopus protease with 0.5 N acetic acid, thermolysin with 1 M guanidine-HCl or 33% ethyleneglycol, whilst pepsin was recovered by elution with 2 M guanidine-HCl at pH 3.5. The binding of neutral subtilopeptidase and subtilisin to this adsorbent was comparatively weak and both the enzymes were recovered by elution with 0.5 M NaCl at neutral pH. On the other hand, Z-T-Sepharose was found to bind tightly to these proteolytic enzymes except neutral subtilopeptidase. Trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin were released from the adsorbent column with 1 M p-toluenesulfonate, and subtilisin with 1 M guanidine-HCl or 33% ethyleneglycol at neutral pH region. By these chromatographic procedures, the specific activities of these proteolytic enzymes increased effectively. Comparison of the binding abilities of acetyl-, benzoyl-, tosyl- and carbobenzoxy-T-Sepharoses to these enzymes suggests that hydrophobicity of tosyl and carbobenzoxy groups plays an important role in the enzyme-adsorbent interaction.     

Determination of proteolytic enzymes by flow-injection analysis

Quantitation of proteolytic enzymes using N-succinyl-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-L-Phe-p-nitroanilide has been adapted to flow-injection analysis. This procedure has been developed using two different proteases: subtilisin and chymotrypsin. For both enzymes the influence of substrate concentration on spectrophotometric response has been studied. The assay is based on the merging zones technique combined with a washing step. Results are obtained in less than 15 s and samples may be run at a rate of 90/h with good reproducibility. A linear relation between peak heights and enzyme concentrations was observed for 0-0.15 Anson unit/liter of subtilisin and for 0-30 mg/liter of a commercial preparation of chymotrypsin. The method requires only small sample volumes, and the consumption of the chromogenic substrate is reduced to a minimum by using intermittent pumping.     

Secretion of proteolytic enzymes by three phytopathogenic microorganisms

Serine proteinases from three phytopathogenic microorganisms that belong to different fungal families and cause diseases in potatoes were studied and characterized. The oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary and the fungi Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium culmorum were shown to secrete serine proteinases. An analysis of the substrate specificity of these enzymes and their sensitivity to synthetic and protein inhibitors allowed us to refer them to trypsin- and subtilisin-like proteinases. The correlation between the trypsin- and subtilisin-like proteinases depended on the composition of the culture medium, particularly on the form of the nitrogen source. A phylogenetic analysis was carried out. In contrast to basidiomycetes R. solani, ascomycetes F. culmorum and oomycetes P. infestans produced a similar set of exoproteinases, although they had more distant phylogenetic positions. This indicated that the secretion of serine proteinases by various phytopathogenic microorganisms also depended on their phylogenetic position. These results allowed us to suggest that exoproteinases from phytopathogenic fungi play a different role in pathogenesis. They may promote the adaptation of fungi if the range of hosts is enlarged. On the other hand, they may play an important role in the survival of microorganisms in hostile environements outside their hosts.     

Excretion of proteolytic enzymes by Aedes aegypti after a blood meal.

Excretion of active proteolytic enzymes during the period of blood digestion in a mosquito has been demonstrated for the first time. The rate of excretion has been determined for both proteases and uric acid; each appears in a distinct peak. During the first half of the digestion period, when protease activity in the midgut is increasing, uric acid excretion predominates. During the second half of the digestion period, after the protease has reached its maximum in the midgut, there is considerable excretion of active protease, mainly trypsin.By sealing the anus after feeding (blood enema), it has been demonstrated that secretion of the proteolytic enzymes in the midgut actually stops when maximum activity is reached. Sealing the anus did not interfere with egg development.A model for protease secretion is suggested in which the proteolytic enzymes are induced by their substrate (globular proteins), and secretion stops when 80 per cent of the protein is digested, or the inducer is removed.