Molecular Cloning of a Preprohormone from Hydra magnipapillata Containing Multiple Copies of Hydra-LWamide (Leu-Trp-NH2) Neuropeptides: Evidence for Processing at Ser and Asn Residues

Abstract: The simple, freshwater polyp Hydra is often used as a model to study development in cnidarians. Recently, a neuropeptide, 2, has been isolated from sea anemones that induces metamorphosis in a hydroid planula larva to become a polyp. Here, we have cloned a preprohormone from Hydra magnipapillata containing 11 (eight different) immature neuropeptide sequences that are structurally related to the metamorphosis-inducing neuropeptide from sea anemones. During the final phase of our cloning experiments, another research team independently isolated and sequenced five of the neuropeptides originally found on the preprohormone. Comparison of these mature neuropeptide structures with the immature neuropeptide sequences on the preprohormone shows that most immature neuropeptide sequences are preceded by Ser or Asn residues, indicating that these residues must be novel processing sites. Thus, the structure of the Hydra prepro-hormone confirms our earlier findings that cnidarian pre-prohormones contain unusual or novel processing sites. Nearly all neuropeptide copies located on the Hydra preprohormone will give rise to mature neuropeptides with a C-terminal Gly-Leu-Trp-NH₂ sequence (the most frequent one being Gly-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Leu-Trp-NH₂; Hydra-LWamide I; three copies). Based on their structural similarities with the metamorphosis-inducing neuropeptide from sea anemones, the mature peptides derived from the Hydra-LWamide preprohormone are potential candidates for being developmentally active neurohormones in Hydra .     

Comparison of bovine serum transferrin A and D2. I. Amino acid residue differences

A comparison is made of single components of the homozygous variants A and D₂ of bovine serum transferrin by tryptic, chymotryptic and cyanogen bromide digestion. It is concluded that there are three substitutions A:D₂ - Glu:Asp, Lys: Arg and Asp:Gly. In the light of the recent work of Brocket al. (1980) it is concluded that all three substitutions occur in the C-terminal sequence of the chain. By homology with the sequence of human serum transferrin (MacGillivray et al., 1982) the Lys:Arg and Asp:Gly substitutions probably occur at residues 527 and 446, respectively, from the N -terminus. The Asp:Gly substitution is considered more likely than our earlier conclusion (Maeda, McKenzie & Shaw, 1977) that there is a deletion in the chain of D₂ (A:D₂, Asp: —). The location of the Glu:Asp substitution is not known.     

The N-terminal nucleophile serine of cephalosporin acylase executes the second autoproteolytic cleavage and acylpeptide hydrolysis

Cephalosporin acylase (CA) precursor is translated as a single polypeptide chain and folds into a self-activating pre-protein. Activation requires two peptide bond cleavages that excise an internal spacer to form the mature αβ heterodimer. Using Q-TOF LC-MS, we located the second cleavage site between Glu(159) and Gly(160), and detected the corresponding 10-aa spacer (160)GDPPDLADQG(169) of CA mutants. The site of the second cleavage depended on Glu(159): moving Glu into the spacer or removing 5-10 residues from the spacer sequence resulted in shorter spacers with the cleavage at the carboxylic side of Glu. The mutant E159D was cleaved more slowly than the wild-type, as were mutants G160A and G160L. This allowed kinetic measurements showing that the second cleavage reaction was a first-order, intra-molecular process. Glutaryl-7-aminocephalosporanic acid is the classic substrate of CA, in which the N-terminal Ser(170) of the β-subunit, is the nucleophile. Glu and Asp resemble glutaryl, suggesting that CA might also remove N-terminal Glu or Asp from peptides. This was indeed the case, suggesting that the N-terminal nucleophile also performed the second proteolytic cleavage. We also found that CA is an acylpeptide hydrolase rather than a previously expected acylamino acid acylase. It only exhibited exopeptidase activity for the hydrolysis of an externally added peptide, supporting the intra-molecular interaction. We propose that the final CA activation is an intra-molecular process performed by an N-terminal nucleophile, during which large conformational changes in the α-subunit C-terminal region are required to bridge the gap between Glu(159) and Ser(170).     

Nucleotide sequence of the G6-amylase gene from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. H-167

The nucleotide sequence of the G₆-amylase gene from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. H-167 was determined. The open reading frame of the gene consisted of 2865 base pairs, encoding 955 amino acids. The NH₂-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the G₆-amylase indicated that the enzyme had a single peptide of 33 amino acid residues and the mature enzyme was composed of 922 amino acids, giving a molecular mass of 102598. Identity of the NH₂-terminal amino acid sequences among each component of the multiform G₆-amylase suggested the proteolytic processing of the COOH-terminal side of the enzyme. The DNA sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence of the G₆-amylase gene showed no homology with those of other bacterial α-amylases although the consensus amino acid sequences of the active center were well conserved.     

Coelenterate Neuropeptides: Structure, Action and Biosynthesis

Evolutionary "old" nervous systems such as those of coelenteratesare peptidergic: Using various radioimmunoassays we have nowisolated 13 novel neuropeptides from sea anemones and severalothers from hydrozoan polyps and medusae. These peptides areall structurally related and contain the C-terminal sequenceArg-X-NH₂ or Lys-X-NH₂, where X is Ala, Asn, Ile, Phe, Pro orTrp. Three neuropeptides have a novel N-terminal L-3-phenyllactylresidue, which protects against degradation by nonspecific aminopeptidases.The neuropeptides from sea anemones are produced by differentsets of neurones and have excitatory or inhibitory actions onisolated muscle preparations, suggesting that they are neurotransmittersor neuromodulators. We have also cloned the precursor proteinfor the sea-anemone neuropeptide Antho-RFamide (<Glu-Gly-Arg-Phe-NH₂).In Calliactis parasitica this precursor harbours 19 copies ofimmature Antho-RFamide (Gln-Gly-Arg-Phe-Gly) together with 7other, putative neuropeptide sequences. The precursor of Anthopleuraelegantissima contains 14 copies of Antho-RFamide and 19 other,putative neuropeptides. This shows that the biosynthetic machineryfor neuropeptides in coelenterates, the lowest animal grouphaving a nervous system, is already very efficient and similarto that of higher invertebrates, such as molluscs and insects,and vertebrates.     

Acyl-coenzyme A: isopenicillin N acyltransferase from Penicillium chrysogenum: effect of amino acid substitutions at Ser227, Ser230 and Ser309 on proenzyme cleavage and activity

Abstract Using a high level Escherichia coli expression system for the Penicillium chrysogenum penDE gene, we have produced acyl-coenzyme A: isopenicillin N acyltransferase (AT) enzymes containing amino acid substitutions at three conserved Ser residues. Chosen for study based on amino acid sequence homologies to other proteins, Ser²²⁷, Ser²³⁰ and Ser³⁰⁹ were changed to Cys or Ala to assess amino acid side chain involvement in proenzyme cleavage and AT enzyme mechanism. Substitutions at Ser²³⁰ had no effect on proenzyme cleavage, acyl-coenzyme A: IPN acyltransferase (IAT) or acyl-coenzyme A: 6-aminopenicillanic acid acyltransferase (AAT) activities. While Ser²²⁷→Cys had no effect, Ser²²⁷→Ala produced uncleaved proenzyme lacking both AAT and IAT activities, suggesting that the presence of a nucleophilic side chain at this residue is required for proenzyme cleavage and AT activity. Substitution of Ser³⁰⁹→Cys did not appreciably prevent proenzyme cleavage, IAT or AAT activity. Recombinant AT (recAT) proenzyme containing Ser³⁰⁹→Ala was cleaved; however, IAT and AAT activities were not observed. This separation of proenzyme cleavage from IAT and AAT activities has not been previously observed, and suggests that Ser³⁰⁹ is involved in substrate acylation.     

Evidence that flavivirus NS1-NS2A cleavage is mediated by a membrane-bound host protease in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Previous deletion mutagenesis studies have shown that the flavivirus NS1-NS2A clevage requires the eight C-terminal residues of NS1, constituting the cleavage recognition sequence, and sequences in NS2A far downstream of the cleavage site. We now demonstrate that replacement of all of NS1 upstream of the cleavage recognition sequence with prM sequences still allows cleavage in vivo. Thus, other than the eight C-terminal residues, NS1 is dispensable for NS1-NS2A cleavage. However, deletion of the N-terminal signal sequence abrogated cleavage, suggesting that entry into the exocytic pathway is required. Cleavage in vivo was not blocked by brefeldin A, and cleavage could occur in vitro in the presence of dog pancreas microsomes, indicating that NS1-NS2A cleavage occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. Four in-frame deletions in NS2A were cleavage defective in vitro, as were two mutants in which NS4A-NS4B sequences were substituted for NS2A, suggesting that most of NS2A is required. A series of substitution mutants were constructed in which all Asp, Cys, Glu, His, and Ser residues in NS2A were collectively replaced; all standard proteases require at least one of these residues in their active sites. No single mutant was cleavage defective, suggesting that NS2A is not a protease. Fractionation of the microsomes indicated that the lumenal contents were not required for NS1-NS2A cleavage. It seems most likely that NS1-NS2A cleavage is effected by a host membrane-bound endoplasmic reticulum-resident protease, quite possibly signalase, and that NS2A is required to present the cleavage recognition sequence in the correct conformation to the host enzyme for cleavage.     

Proteolytic processing sites producing the mature form of human cathepsin D.

1. The proteolytic processing sites of human lysosomal aspartic protease cathepsin D at which the intermediate single-chain form was converted into the mature two-chain form were determined. 2. The two chains were isolated by reversed-phase HPLC in order to investigate the cleavage sites of the enzyme. 3. Protein sequencing of the heavy chain, which was presumed to be derived from the C-terminal side in the single-chain enzyme, gave an N-terminal Leu 105. In addition, it revealed that there were also minor sequences, which commenced with Gly 106 and Gly 107. 4. A small C-terminal peptide was isolated from the light chain, which had been digested with two kinds of exogenous proteases. Sequence determination of this peptide, which was characterized as a nonapeptide by mass spectrometry, suggested that the C-terminus of the light chain was Ser 98. 5. These results indicate that a Ser 98-Ala 99 bond and an Ala 104-Leu 105 bond are cleaved to release 6 amino acid residues between the two chains.     

Evidence for the presence of a secondary structure at the dibasic processing site of prohormone: the pro-ocytocin model.

Bioactivation of pro-proteins by limited proteolysis is a general mechanism in the biosynthesis of hormones, receptors and viral protein precursors. This proceeds by cleavage of peptide bonds at the level of single or pairs of basic residues in the proforms. Examination of a number of cleavage loci in various precursors failed to reveal any consensus primary sequence around the dibasic cleavage sites. Thus it has been proposed, on the basis of secondary structure predictions [Rholam, M., Nicolas, P. and Cohen, P. (1986) FEBS Lett., 207, 1-6], that those basic residues which operate as signal loci for the proteolytic enzyme machinery are situated in, or next to, privileged precursor regions most often constituted by flexible and exposed motifs, e.g. beta-turns and/or loops. Peptides reproducing the N-terminal processing domain of the hormone precursor, pro-ocytocin-neurophysin, were examined by a combination of spectroscopical techniques including circular dichroism, infrared Fourier transform and one- and two-dimensional proton NMR. The results indicate that: (i) the region situated on the N terminus of the Lys-Arg doublet is organized as a beta-turn in solution; (ii) the sequential organization of the residues participating in the beta-turn determines the privileged relative orientation of the basic amino acid side chains and the subtype of turn; (iii) the peptide segment situated on the C-terminal side of the dibasic, corresponding to the N-terminal octapeptide of neurophysin, is organized as an alpha-helix.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Structural Motifs Encoded by Individual Exons of the Human Neurokinin-1 Receptor Gene Interact Differentially with Selective Agonists and Antagonists

Abstract: Three chimeric receptors were constructed by exchanging exons between human neurokinin NK₁ and NK₃ receptor genes. The N-terminal sequences of these chimeric receptors are encoded by exon 1, exon 1–2, or exon 1–3 of the NK₁ receptor gene, whereas the remaining C-terminal sequences of these chimeric receptors are encoded by corresponding exons of the human NK₃ receptor gene. Substance P bound with high affinities to all three chimeric receptors, suggesting that in addition to the common structures composed of conserved amino acid residues among neurokinin receptors, structural elements encoded by the first exon of the human NK₁ receptor gene may also play an important role for substance P binding. On the contrary, potent NK₁ antagonists L703,606 and SR140,333 did not show any detectable binding to these chimeric receptors. In accordance, sequences encoded by exon 4, and possibly exon 5, are likely to contain important structural motifs that may directly or indirectly influence the binding of these antagonists. Further comparison of the binding affinities of highly selective NK₁ agonists, [Sar⁹,Met(O₂)¹¹]substance P, substance P methyl ester, and septide, revealed that each agonist may interact differently with the human NK₁ receptor. These results show that the exon-exchanging technique can be a useful tool for studying structure-function relationships of receptors in which exon-intron junctions are fully conserved among receptor subtypes.     

Active site specificity of plasmepsin II.

Members of the aspartic proteinase family of enzymes have very similar three-dimensional structures and catalytic mechanisms. Each, however, has unique substrate specificity. These distinctions arise from variations in amino acid residues that line the active site subsites and interact with the side chains of the amino acids of the peptides that bind to the active site. To understand the unique binding preferences of plasmepsin II, an enzyme of the aspartic proteinase class from the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, chromogenic octapeptides having systematic substitutions at various positions in the sequence were analyzed. This enabled the design of new, improved substrates for this enzyme (Lys-Pro-Ile-Leu-Phe*Nph-Ala/Glu-Leu-Lys, where * indicates the cleavage point). Additionally, the crystal structure of plasmepsin II was analyzed to explain the binding characteristics. Specific amino acids (Met13, Ser77, and Ile287) that were suspected of contributing to active site binding and specificity were chosen for site-directed mutagenesis experiments. The Met13Glu and Ile287Glu single mutants and the Met13Glu/Ile287Glu double mutant gain the ability to cleave substrates containing Lys residues.     

Site-directed mutagenesis, proteolytic cleavage, and activation of human proheparanase

Heparanase is an endo-beta-D-glucuronidase that degrades heparan sulfate in the extracellular matrix and cell surfaces. Human proheparanase is produced as a latent 65-kDa polypeptide undergoing processing at two potential proteolytic cleavage sites, located at Glu109-Ser110 (site 1) and Gln157-Lys158 (site 2). Cleavage of proheparanase yields 8- and 50-kDa subunits that heterodimerize to form the active enzyme. The fate of the linker segment (Ser110-Gln157) residing between the two subunits, the mode of processing, and the protease(s) engaged in proheparanase processing are currently unknown. We applied multiple site-directed mutagenesis and deletions to study the nature of the potential cleavage sites and amino acids essential for processing of proheparanase in transfected human choriocarcinoma cells devoid of endogenous heparanase but possessing the enzymatic machinery for proper processing and activation of the proenzyme. Although mutagenesis at site 1 and its flanking sequences failed to identify critical residues for proteolytic cleavage, processing at site 2 required a bulky hydrophobic amino acid at position 156 (i.e. P2 of the cleavage site). Substitution of Tyr156 by Ala or Glu, but not Val, resulted in cleavage at an upstream site in the linker segment, yielding an improperly processed inactive enzyme. Processing of the latent 65-kDa proheparanase in transfected Jar cells was inhibited by a cell-permeable inhibitor of cathepsin L. Moreover, recombinant 65-kDa proheparanase was processed and activated by cathepsin L in a cell-free system. Altogether, these results suggest that proheparanase processing at site 2 is brought about by cathepsin L-like proteases. The involvement of other members of the cathepsin family with specificity to bulky hydrophobic residues cannot be excluded. Our results and a three-dimensional model of the enzyme are expected to accelerate the design of inhibitory molecules capable of suppressing heparanase-mediated enhancement of tumor angiogenesis and metastasis.     

Myelin P0 Glycoprotein: Identification of the Site Phosphorylated In Vitro and In Vivo by Endogenous Protein Kinases

Abstract: Myelin membrane prepared from mouse sciatic nerve possesses both kinase and substrates to incorporate [³²P]PO₄³⁻ from [γ-³²P]ATP into protein constituents. Among these, P₀ glycoprotein is the major phosphorylated species. To identify the phosphorylated sites, P₀ protein was in vitro phosphorylated, purified, and cleaved by CNBr. Two ³²P-phosphopeptides were isolated by HPLC. The exact localization of the sequences around the phosphorylated sites was determined. The comparison with rat P₀ sequence revealed, besides a Lys¹⁷² to Arg substitution, that in the first peptide, two serine residues (Ser¹⁷⁶ and Ser¹⁸¹) were phosphorylated, Ser¹⁷⁶ appearing to be modified subsequently to Ser¹⁸¹. In the second peptide, Ser¹⁹⁷, Ser¹⁹⁹, and Ser²⁰⁴ were phosphorylated. All these serines are clustered in the C-terminal region of P₀ protein. This in vitro study served as the basis for the identification of the in vivo phosphorylation sites of the C terminal region of P₀. We found that, in vivo, Ser¹⁸¹ and Ser¹⁷⁶ are not phosphorylated, whereas Ser¹⁹⁷, Ser¹⁹⁹, Ser²⁰⁴, Ser²⁰⁸, and Ser²¹⁴ are modified to various extents. Our results strongly suggest that the phosphorylation of these serine residues alters the secondary structure of this domain. Such a structural perturbation could play an important role in myelin compaction at the dense line level.     

Evidence for the Existence of Differential O-Glycosylated α5-Subunits of the γ-Aminobutyric AcidA Receptor in the Rat Brain

Abstract: Polyclonal antibodies were raised to synthetic peptides having amino acid sequences corresponding with the N- or C-terminal part of the γ-aminobutyric acid_A (GABA_A) receptor α₅-subunit. These anti-peptide α₅(2–10) or anti-peptide α₅(427–433) antibodies reacted specifically with GABA_A receptors purified from the brains of 5–10-day-old rats in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and were able to dose-dependently immunoprecipitate up to 6.3 or 13.1% of the GABA_A receptors present in the incubation, respectively. In immunoblots, each of these antibodies reacted with the same two protein bands with apparent molecular mass of 53 or 57 kDa. After exhaustive treatment of purified GABA_A receptors with N -Glycanase, each of these antibodies identified two proteins with apparent molecular masses of 46 and 48 kDa. Additional treatment of GABA_A receptors with neuraminidase and O -Glycanase resulted in an apparently single protein with molecular mass of 47 kDa, which again was identified by both the anti-peptide α₅(2–10) and the anti-peptide α₅(427–433) antibody. These results indicate the existence of at least two different α₅-sub-units of the GABA_A receptor that differ in their carbohydrate content. In contrast to other α- or β-subunits of GABA_A receptors so far investigated, at least one of these two α₅-subunits contains O-linked carbohydrates.     

Identification of Endogenously Phosphorylated KSP Sites in the High-Molecular-Weight Rat Neurofilament Protein

Abstract: The high-molecular-weight neurofilament protein (NF-H) is highly phosphorylated in vivo, with estimates as high as 16–51 mol of P_i/mol of protein. Most of the phosphorylation sites are thought to be located on Ser residues in multiple KSP repeats, in the carboxy-terminal tail region of the molecule. Because the extent and site-specific patterns of tail domain phosphorylation are believed to modulate neurofilament structure and function, it becomes essential to identify the endogenous sites of phosphorylation. In this study, we have used selective proteolytic cleavage procedures, P_i determinations, microsequencing, and mass-spectral analysis to determine the endogenously phosphorylated sites in the NF-H tail isolated from rat spinal cord. Twenty Ser residues in NF-H carboxy-terminal tail were analyzed; nine of these, all located in KSP repeats, were phosphorylated. No detectable phosphorylation could be identified in any of the 11 "non-KSP" Ser residues that were examined. KSPXKX, KSPXXX, and KSPXXK motifs were found to be phosphorylated. In addition, a 27-kDa KSP-rich domain, containing 43 virtually uninterrupted KSPXXX repeats, was isolated from the tail domain and found to contain between 30 and 35 mol of P_i/mol of protein. This domain appeared to be highly resistant to endoproteinase Glu-C digestion, although it contains a large number of glutamate residues. It could be proteolyzed, however, after dephosphorylation. This suggests that phosphorylation of the tail domain may contribute to neurofilament stability in vivo. A neuronal-derived protein kinase that specifically phosphorylates only KSPXKX motifs in neurofilaments has been reported. The presence of extensively phosphorylated KSPXXX repeats in NF-H in vivo suggests the existence of yet another, unidentified kinase(s) with specificity for KSPXXX motifs.     

Carbon metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes growing inside macrophages

The intracellular metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes was studied by ¹³C-isotopologue profiling using murine J774A.1 macrophages as host cells. Six hours after infection, bacteria were separated from the macrophages and hydrolyzed. Amino acids were converted into tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl derivatives and subjected to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. When the macrophages were supplied with [U-¹³C₆]glucose prior to infection, but not during infection, label was detected only in Ala, Asp and Glu of the macrophage and bacterial protein with equal isotope distribution. When [U-¹³C₆]glucose was provided during the infection period, ¹³C label was found again in Ala, Asp and Glu from host and bacterial protein, but also in Ser, Gly, Thr and Val from the bacterial fraction. Mutants of L. monocytogenes defective in the uptake and catabolism of the C₃-metabolites, glycerol and/or dihydroxyacetone, showed reduced incorporation of [U-¹³C₆]glucose into bacterial amino acids under the same experimental settings. The ¹³C pattern suggests that (i) significant fractions (50–100%) of bacterial amino acids were provided by the host cell, (ii) a C₃-metabolite can serve as carbon source for L. monocytogenes under intracellular conditions and (iii) bacterial biosynthesis of Asp, Thr and Glu proceeds via oxaloacetate by carboxylation of pyruvate.     

Isolation and functional properties of an arginine-selective endoprotease from rat intestinal mucosa. A putative prosomatostatin convertase.

The endoproteolytic activity previously detected in rat intestinal mucosal extracts (Beinfeld M., Bourdais, J., Kuks, P., Morel, A., and Cohen, P. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 4460-4465), was purified to homogeneity as a 65-kDa molecular species. This putative proprotein-processing enzyme cleaves the peptide bond on the carboxyl side of a single arginine residue in hepta-[Leu62-Gln-Arg-Ser-Ala-Asn-Ser68] or trideca-[Asp56-Glu-Met-Arg-Leu-Glu-Leu-Gln-Arg-Ser-Ala-Asn-+ ++Ser68] peptides, reproducing the prosomatostatin sequence around Arg64, the locus for endoproteolytic release of either somatostatin-28 or its NH2-terminal fragment, somatostatin-28-(1-12), from their common precursor. This enzyme exhibits a strict selectivity for arginyl residues, as demonstrated with related substrates, and did not cleave at lysyl residues. Moreover, only arginyl residues belonging to peptides of the prosomatostatin family were cleaved, since no hydrolysis of peptides from other prohormones was detected. In addition, the arginine residue situated at position -5 on the NH2-terminal side of Arg64 not only did not function as a cleavage locus, but had no effect on the overall cleavage kinetics of the prosomatostatin-(56-68) peptide substrate. This enzyme also cleaved, but with much less efficiency, the peptide bond on the carboxyl side of an arginine in peptides containing either an Arg-Lys or a Lys-Arg doublet corresponding to prohormone cleavage sites. This enzyme was insensitive to divalent cation chelators, was completely inhibited by aprotinin and leupeptin, and was somewhat inhibited by other serine-protease inhibitors. It is concluded that this endoprotease is a serine protease and could be involved in prohormone or proprotein post-translational processing at single arginine cleavage sites.