Fluorometric assay for ADP-ribosylarginine cleavage enzymes

A continuous fluorometric assay for enzyme activities which remove ADP-ribose linked to proteins at arginine was developed. The substrate analog, N alpha-dansyl-N omega-(1,N6-etheno-ADP-ribosyl)arginine methyl ester, was used to assay the catalytic activities of dinitrogenase reductase activating glycohydrolase from Rhodospirillum rubrum and nucleotide pyrophosphatase from Crotalus adamanteus. The assay is based on the increase in fluorescent emission by ethenoadenine accompanying the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of the substrate. The assay has been used to detect activities of 10 fmol substrate cleaved per minute. The substrate anomerizes to give a 40:60 equilibrium of alpha:beta ribosylguanidinium anomers, allowing the determination of enzyme stereospecificity. The substrate was used to determine the kinetic parameters and products of the N-glycohydrolase and the pyrophosphatase.     

NAD-, NMN-, and NADP-dependent modification of dinitrogenase reductases from Rhodospirillum rubrum and Azotobacter vinelandii

Nitrogenase activity in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum is reversibly regulated by ADP-ribosylation of a specific arginine residue of dinitrogenase reductase based on the cellular nitrogen or energy status. In this paper, we have investigated the ability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD (the physiological ADP-ribose donor), and its analogs to support covalent modification of dinitrogenase reductase in vitro. R. rubrum dinitrogenase reductase can be modified by DRAT in the presence of 2 mM NAD, but not with 2 mM nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP). We also found that the apo- and the all-ferrous forms of R. rubrum dinitrogenase reductase are not substrates for covalent modification. In contrast, Azotobacter vinelandii dinitrogenase reductase can be modified by the dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyl transferase (DRAT) in vitro in the presence of either 2 mM NAD, NMN or NADP as nucleotide donors. We found that: (1) a simple ribose sugar in the modification site of the A. vinelandii dinitrogenase reductase is sufficient to inactivate the enzyme, (2) phosphoADP-ribose is the modifying unit in the NADP-modified enzyme, and (3) the NMN-modified enzyme carries two ribose-phosphate units in one modification site. This is the first report of NADP- or NMN-dependent modification of a target protein by an ADP-ribosyl transferase.     

Purification and properties of dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyltransferase from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum

The enzyme that catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation and concomitant inactivation of dinitrogenase reductase in Rhodospirillum rubrum has been purified greater than 19,000-fold to near homogeneity. We propose dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyltransferase (DRAT) as the working name for the enzyme. DRAT activity is stabilized by NaCl and ADP. The enzyme is a monomer with a molecular mass of 30 kDa and is a different polypeptide than dinitrogenase reductase activating glycohydrolase. NAD (Km = 2 mM), etheno-NAD, nicotinamide hypoxanthine dinucleotide, and nicotinamide guanine dinucleotide will serve as donor molecules in DRAT-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation reaction, and dinitrogenase reductases from R. rubrum, Azotobacter vinelandii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Clostridium pasteurianium will serve as acceptors. No other proteins or small molecules, including water, have been found to be effective as acceptors. Nicotinamide is released stoichiometrically with formation of the ADP-ribosylated product. DRAT is inhibited by NaCl and has maximal activity at a pH of 7.0.     

Effect of nucleotides on the activity of dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyltransferase from Rhodospirillum rubrum

The mechanism by which MgADP stimulates the activity of dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyltransferase (DRAT) has been examined by using dinitrogenase reductases from Rhodospirillum rubrum, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Azotobacter vinelandii as acceptor substrates. In the presence of 0.2 mM NAD, maximal rates of ADP-ribosylation of all three acceptors were observed at an ADP concentration of 150 microM; in the absence of added ADP, DRAT activity with the dinitrogenase reductases from R. rubrum and K. pneumoniae was less than 5% of the maximal rate, but the A. vinelandii protein was ADP-ribosylated at 40% of the maximal rate. Of eight dinucleotides tested, only ADP, 2'-deoxy-ADP, and ADP-beta S served as activators of the DRAT reaction; ADP, 2'-deoxy-ADP, and ADP-beta S were also the only dinucleotides found which inhibited acetylene reduction activity by dinitrogenase reductase. The dinucleotide specificities for both DRAT activation and acetylene reduction inhibition were the same for all three dinitrogenase reductases. In the DRAT reaction with the dinitrogenase reductases from K. pneumoniae and A. vinelandii, the Km for NAD was 30-fold higher in the absence of ADP than in its presence; the Km for NAD with the R. rubrum acceptor was not measurable. In the presence of saturating ADP, ADP-ribosylation of dinitrogenase reductase from R. rubrum was inhibited 63% by 1.5 mM ATP. It is concluded that MgADP stimulates DRAT activity by lowering the Km for NAD and that MgADP exerts its effect by binding to dinitrogenase reductase. MgATP inhibits DRAT activity by competing with MgADP for binding to dinitrogenase reductase.     

Comparison studies of dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyl transferase/dinitrogenase reductase activating glycohydrolase regulatory systems in Rhodospirillum rubrum and Azospirillum brasilense.

Reversible ADP ribosylation of dinitrogenase reductase, catalyzed by the dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyl transferase (DRAT)/dinitrogenase reductase activating glycohydrolase (DRAG) regulatory system, has been characterized in both Rhodospirillum rubrum and Azospirillum brasilense. Although the general functions of DRAT and DRAG are very similar in these two organisms, there are a number of interesting differences, e.g., in the timing and extent of the regulatory response to different stimuli. In this work, the basis of these differences has been studied by the heterologous expression of either draTG or nifH from A. brasilense in R. rubrum mutants that lack these genes, as well as the expression of draTG from R. rubrum in an A. brasilense draTG mutant. In general, these hybrid strains respond to stimuli in a manner similar to that of the wild-type parent of the recipient strain rather than the wild-type source of the introduced genes. These results suggest that the differences seen in the regulatory response in these organisms are not primarily a result of different properties of DRAT, DRAG, or dinitrogenase reductase. Instead, the differences are likely the result of different signal pathways that regulate DRAG and DRAT activities in these two organisms. Our results also suggest that draT and draG are cotranscribed in A. brasilense.     

Enzymes hydrolyzing ApppA and/or AppppA in higher plants. Purification and some properties of diadenosine triphosphatase, diadenosine tetraphosphatase, and phosphodiesterase from yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus) seeds

Three distinct enzymes hydrolyzing either ApppA or AppppA, or both, were separated and purified from yellow lupin seed extracts. Two of the enzymes were purified to homogeneity. These enzymes differ greatly in their catalytic and physical properties. One hydrolase, with a native molecular weight of 41,000, exhibits broad pH (from 5-8) optimum for activity, requires Mg2+ for activity, is inhibited by zinc ions (I0.5 = 25 microM) and hydrolyses ApppA (V = 1), ApppC (V = 0.38), ApppG (V = 0.2), and ribose(5')pppA (V = 0.2). The enzyme exhibits much lower activity with AppppA (V = 0.1), and ApppppA, AppppppA, ppppA, and ATP are hydrolyzed 25- to 100-fold slower then ApppA. ADP was always one of the products of the reactions catalyzed by the enzyme. AppA, NAD, NADP, FAD, cAMP, and p-nitrophenyl-thymidine 5'-phosphate were not hydrolyzed by the enzyme. The enzyme is diadenosine 5',5"'-P1, P3-triphosphatase. The second hydrolase, composed of one polypeptide chain of a molecular weight 18,000-18,500, exhibits optimal activity in the pH range from 7.5-9, requires Mg2+ for activity, is inhibited by calcium ions (I0.5 for calcium depends on the concentration of Mg2+ and is 35-180 microM in the presence of 0.5-10 mM Mg2+, respectively), and hydrolyzes AppppA (V = 1, Km = 1 microM), ApppppA (V = 0.42, Km = 1.8 microM), AppppppA (V = 0.34), AppppU (V = 0.73), AppppC (V = 0.67), AppppG (V = 0.27), and ppppA. ATP was always one of the products of the reactions catalyzed by the enzyme. Dinucleoside di- and triphosphates, ATP, cAMP, and p-nitrophenylthymidine 5'-phosphate were not hydrolyzed by the enzyme. This enzyme is diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.17). The third hydrolase, composed of one polypeptide chain of a molecular weight of 56,000, exhibits maximal activity at pH 9-10.5, does not require Mg2+ ions for activity, is inhibited neither by divalent cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Mn2+, or Ni2+) nor by EDTA, and uses as substrates all compounds which are substrates for the diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P3-triphosphatase and diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphatase. In addition, the enzyme hydrolyzes p-nitrophenyl-thymidine 5'-phosphate, p-nitrophenylthymidine 3'-phosphate, bis-p-nitrophenylphosphate, ADP, AppA, NAD, NADP, and FAD, but not cAMP. With the exception of p-nitrophenylphosphate derivatives all other substrates of the enzyme yield AMP as one of the products of hydrolysis. This enzyme has a specificity similar to that of phosphodiesterases (EC 3.1.4.1) from other sources. With the lupin phosphodiesterase, ApppA (V = 1, Km = 2.2 microM) and AppppA (V = 1, Km = 2.0 microM) are better substrates than NAD (V = 0.8, Km = 9.6 microM), AppA (V = 0.4), ApppppA (V = 0.6), and AppppppA (V = 0.34).     

红纹黄单胞菌α-氨基酸酯水解酶的分离纯化及酶学性质

【目的】从红纹黄单胞菌中分离纯化了胞内α-氨基酸酯水解酶(AEH),并进行了酶学性质研究。【方法】采用乙酸丁酯破碎细胞,并相继用磷酸钙凝胶沉淀、硫酸铵分级沉淀、DEAE Sephadex A-50阴离子交换处理、CM Cellulose 52离子交换层析和Sephadex G-200凝胶过滤层析纯化得到了电泳纯α-氨基酸酯水解酶,并研究了此酶的酶学性质。【结果】SDS-PAGE显示α-氨基酸酯水解酶的亚基分子量为70 kDa。酶促合成头孢克洛的最适pH为6.8,最适温度为42℃,在pH5.0-8.0和35℃以下,酶保持了良好的稳定性。Mn2+和Ca2+对酶活有一定的促进作用,Cu2+、Fe2+及高浓度的丙酮对酶活有强的抑制作用。AEH催化D-苯甘氨酸甲酯、D-对羟基苯甘氨酸甲酯和头孢克洛水解反应的kcat/Km分别为123.7±3.7 mmol-1.s-1.L、2.9±0.6 mmol-1.s-1.L和101.3±2.1 mmol-1.s-1.L,AEH对D-苯甘氨酸甲酯的催化效率最高。AEH催化双底物反应的机制为乒乓机制,催化合成头孢克洛的kcat为547.3±38.2 s-1。【结论】有关红纹黄单胞菌α-氨基酸酯水解酶的酶学性质研究相对较少,本文的研究将为该酶催化合成β-内酰胺类抗生素的工业化应用提供重要参数。     

Conformation aspects of peptide interaction with proteolytic enzymes. Alpha-chymotrypsin catalyzed hydrolysis of the cyclopeptides containing leucyltyrosyl fragments]

The studies were made on the interaction of alpha-chymotrypsin with a series of cyclopeptides cyclo(-L-leucyl-L-tyrosyl-glycyln-), n=4, 6 and 8 (I, II and III respectively), and cyclo(-L-leucyl-L-tryosyl-beta-aminovalero-yl2-) (IV). Compounds I and IV are resistant to enzyme action whereas cyclopeptides II and III proved to be the substrates, their kinetic constants being Km=15.4 and 13.2 mM and kcat=0.54 and 9.53 sec-1 respectively. The binding capacity of cyclopeptides I-IV is evaluated by their competitive inhibition of alpha-chymotrypsin catalyzed hydrolysis of N-acetyl-L-tyrosine methyl ester.     

3-Oxoacyl-[ACP] reductase from oilseed rape (Brassica napus).

3-Oxoacyl-[ACP] reductase (E.C. 1.1.1.100, alternatively known as beta-ketoacyl-[ACP] reductase), a component of fatty acid synthetase has been purified from seeds of rape by ammonium sulphate fractionation, Procion Red H-E3B chromatography, FPLC gel filtration and high performance hydroxyapatite chromatography. The purified enzyme appears on SDS-PAGE as a number of 20-30 kDa components and has a strong tendency to exist in a dimeric form, particularly when dithiothreitol is not present to reduce disulphide bonds. Cleveland mapping and cross-reactivity with antiserum raised against avocado 3-oxoacyl-[ACP] reductase both indicate that the multiple components have similar primary structures. On gel filtration the enzyme appears to have a molecular mass of 120 kDa suggesting that the native structure is tetrameric. The enzyme has a strong preference for the acetoacetyl ester of acyl carrier protein (Km = 3 microM) over the corresponding esters of the model substrates N-acetyl cysteamine (Km = 35 mM) and CoA (Km = 261 microM). It is inactivated by dilution but this can be partly prevented by the inclusion of NADPH. Using an antiserum prepared against avocado 3-oxoacyl-[ACP] reductase, the enzyme has been visualised inside the plastids of rape embryo and leaf tissues by immunoelectron microscopy. Amino acid sequencing of two peptides prepared by digestion of the purified enzyme with trypsin showed strong similarities with 3-oxoacyl-[ACP] reductase from avocado pear and the Nod G gene product from Rhizobium meliloti.     

Selective probing of ADP-ribosylation reactions with oxidized 2'-deoxy-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

A homogeneous preparation of an arginine-specific mono(ADP-ribosyl)transferase from turkey erythrocytes effectively utilized 2'-deoxy-NAD+ for the 2'-deoxy(ADP-ribose) modification of arginine methyl ester with an apparent Km of 27.2 microM and a Vmax of 36.4 mumol min-1 (mg of protein)-1. The adduct formed was also used as a substrate by an avian erythrocyte arginine(ADP-ribose)-specific hydrolase that generated free 2'-deoxy(ADP-ribose). In contrast, 2'-deoxy-NAD+ was not a substrate in the initiation or elongation reaction catalyzed by highly purified poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase from calf thymus. However, 2'-deoxy-NAD+ was a potent noncompetitive inhibitor of NAD+ in the elongation reaction catalyzed by the polymerase, with an apparent Ki of 32 microM. These results indicate that 2'-deoxy-NAD+ may be utilized to specifically identify protein acceptors for endogenous mono(ADP-ribosyl)transferases in complex biological systems that may contain a high activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, i.e., cell nuclei preparations.     

Purification and partial characterization of an aldo-keto reductase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A cytosolic aldo-keto reductase was purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 26602 to homogeneity by affinity chromatography, chromatofocusing, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. The relative molecular weights of the aldo-keto reductase as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and size exclusion chromatography were 36,800 and 35,000, respectively, indicating that the enzyme is monomeric. Amino acid composition and N-terminal sequence analysis revealed that the enzyme is closely related to the aldose reductases of xylose-fermenting yeasts and mammalian tissues. The enzyme was apparently immunologically unrelated to the aldose reductases of other xylose-fermenting yeasts. The aldo-keto reductase is NADPH specific and catalyzes the reduction of a variety of aldehydes. The best substrate for the enzyme is the aromatic aldehyde p-nitrobenzaldehyde (Km = 46 microM; kcat/Km = 52,100 s-1 M-1), whereas among the aldoses, DL-glyceraldehyde was the preferred substrate (Km = 1.44 mM; kcat/Km = 1,790 s-1 M-1). The enzyme failed to catalyze the reduction of menadione and p-benzoquinone, substrates for carbonyl reductase. The enzyme was inhibited only slightly by 2 mM sodium valproate and was activated by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. The optimum pH of the enzyme is 5. These data indicate that the S. cerevisiae aldo-keto reductase is a monomeric NADPH-specific reductase with strong similarities to the aldose reductases.     

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase catalyzes the reduction of 7-ethoxyresorufin.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS: EC 1.14.13.39) catalyzes L-arginine oxidation to generate nitric oxide (NO) and L-citrulline. Recently, 7-ethoxyresorufin (7-ER), a specific substrate of cytochrome P-4501A1, was used as a cytochrome P-450 inhibitor to study the mechanism underlying the vasodilatation caused by some drugs, and was suggested to inhibit nitric oxide-mediated relaxation. Herein we demonstrate that 7-ER inhibits NO synthesis by uncoupling neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). 7-ER is a noncompetitive inhibitor of nNOS with respect to L-arginine with a Ki value of 0.76 +/- 0.06 microM. The decrease in NO formation is inversely correlated with an increase in NADPH oxidation. 7-ER binds to nNOS with a Km value of 0.68 +/- 0.07 microM, as calculated from the nNOS-dependent NADPH oxidation in the absence of L-arginine. nNOS catalyzes the reduction of 7-ER at the expense of NADPH. The flavoprotein inhibitor, diphenyleneiodonium chloride (100 microM), completely inhibited nNOS-dependent 7-ER reduction. While nitro-L-arginine (1 mM) and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (1 mM), specific inhibitors of nNOS, and phenylisocyanide (0.1 mM), a specific heme iron ligand, did not affect the reduction of 7-ER. These results indicate that the reductase domain, but not the oxygenase domain, of nNOS is involved in the reduction of 7-ER. 7-ER uncouples nNOS, shunting electrons from the reductase domain to the oxygenase domain of the enzyme. As a consequence, NO synthesis is inhibited.     

A sensitive colorimetric assay for various proteases using naphthyl ester derivatives as substrates

A convenient and highly sensitive colorimetric assay for various proteases, such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin, thrombin, and urokinase is described. The substrates used are alpha-naphthyl ester derivatives of N alpha-tosyl-L-lysine, N alpha-acetylglycyl-L-ination of alpha-naphthol released from them. Use of these alpha-naphthyl ester derivatives made the method more sensitive than the use of the corresponding methyl or ethyl ester derivatives. The minimum detectable concentrations of trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin, thrombin and urokinase in this method were about 0.002 micrograms, 0.01 microgram, 0.002 CU, 0.01 IU, and 2 IU, respectively. The Km values of trypsin and thrombin for TLNE were 0.11 mM and 0.15 mM while those for TLME were 2.5 mM and 6.7 mM, respectively; the Km values of chymotrypsin for ATNE and ATEE were 0.18 mM and 0.7 mM, respectively; and the Km values of urokinase for AGLNE and AGLME were 0.17 mM and 4 mM, respectively. Zymograms of various proteases were easy to prepare using these alpha-naphthyl ester substrates, and zymograms of trypsin and chymotrypsin were made with TLNE and ATNE, respectively, as substrates.     

Identification and characterization of a novel UDP-GalNAc:GlcAbeta-R alpha1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase from a human sarcoma cell line.

We recently discovered a novel alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase in fetal bovine serum (Kitagawa et al., J. Biol. Chem., 270, 22190-22195, 1995) and also in mouse mast cytoma cells (Lidholt et al., Glycoconjugate J., 14, 737-742, 1997), which catalyzed the transfer of an alpha-GalNAc residue to the linkage tetrasaccharide-serine, GlcAbeta1-3Galbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Xylbeta1-O-Ser, derived from proteoglycans. In this study, we characterized this enzyme using a preparation obtained from the serum-free culture medium of a human sarcoma (malignant fibrous histiocytoma) cell line by phenyl-Sepharose chromatography. Structural characterization by1H NMR spectroscopy of the reaction product using the linkage tetrasaccharide-serine, GlcAbeta1-3Galbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Xylbeta1-O-Ser, as a substrate demonstrated that the enzyme was a UDP-GalNAc:GlcAbeta1-R alpha1,4-N -acetylgalactosaminyltransferase. This is the first identification of an alpha1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase. Using N -acetylchondrosine GlcAbeta1-3GalNAc as an alternative substrate, the enzyme required divalent cations for the transferase reaction, with maximal activity at 20 mM Mn2+and exhibited a dual optimum at pH 6.5 and pH 7.4 depending upon the buffers used, with the highest activity in a 50 mM 2-( N -morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid buffer at pH 6.5. The apparent Km values obtained for N -acetylchondrosine, the linkage tetrasaccharide-serine, and UDP-GalNAc were 1060 microM, 188 microM, and 27 microM, respectively. This suggested that the linkage tetrasaccharide-serine was a good acceptor substrate for the enzyme. In addition, the enzyme utilized glucuronylneolactotetraosylceramide GlcAbeta1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4G lcbeta1-1Cer but not sulfoglucuronylneolactotetraosylceramide GlcA(3-O -sulfate)beta1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Gl cbeta1-1Cer as acceptor substrates. The possibility of involvement of this enzyme in the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan as well as other GlcA-containing glycoconjugates is discussed.     

Calcineurin-catalyzed reaction with phosphite and phosphate esters of tyrosine.

A convenient synthesis is reported for the preparation of the phosphite ester of tyrosine methyl ester. By use of calcineurin, at 30 degrees C, a phosphite ester was hydrolyzed with a VM value [119 nmol/(min.micrograms of E)] approximately 500 times greater than that obtained with tyrosine phosphate [0.23 nmol/(min.microgram of E)] as substrate, but with similar KM values (12 mM for Tyr-PH ME, 11 mM for Tyr-P). Acid phosphatase, on the other hand, hydrolyzed the phosphite ester with a VM and KM value lower than those obtained with tyrosyl phosphate. The temperature dependence of the kinetic parameters (KM and VM) was evaluated, and the activation parameters were obtained with both substrates. The entropy of activation associated with the enzymatic hydrolysis of tyrosine phosphate agrees with the entrophy change for the hydrolysis of the monoanion of phosphate monoesters. The energy of activation for both substrates was in agreement with the energy change for hydrolysis of the oxygen-phosphorous linkage of phosphate monoester monoanions and phosphite esters. These results are consistent with a scheme of general acid catalysis in the action of calcineurin.     

Identification of a C-terminal protein carboxyl methyltransferase in rat liver membranes utilizing a synthetic farnesyl cysteine-containing peptide substrate

Polypeptides synthesized in eucaryotic cells with a C-terminal -Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Xaa (-CXXX) sequence are candidates for post-translational modifications that include the removal of the last 3 amino acids and the lipidation and methyl esterification of the cysteinyl residue. To characterize the methylation reaction in vitro, the peptide Leu-Ala-Arg-Tyr-Lys-Cys (LARYKC) and its S-isoprenylated and S-alkylated derivatives were synthesized and assayed as methyl-accepting substrates with subcellular fractions of rat tissues including liver microsomal membranes. While little or no peptide-specific methyltransferase activity was detected in the latter preparation using the unmodified hexapeptide, the C10, C15, and C20 isoprenylated derivatives were substrates with Km values of 389 microM for S-geranyl-LARYKC, 2.2 microM for S-farnesyl-LARYKC, and approximately 10.9 microM for S-geranylgeranyl-LARYKC. The methyl-acceptor activities of a variety of n-alkyl S-derivatives of LARYKC (C8, C10, C13, C15) were also tested; all of these compounds were poorer substrates than the S-geranyl derivative. This enzyme activity uses S-adenosyl-L-methionine as the methyl donor (Km = 2.1 microM) and can be inhibited by S-adenosylhomocysteine (Ki = 9.2 microM), a product of the methylation reaction. The S-farnesyl-LARYKC peptide can inhibit the carboxyl methylation of bovine retinal rod outer segment membrane proteins that was previously shown to occur at the alpha-carboxyl group of C-terminal cysteine residues, demonstrating that the same enzyme can methylate both peptides and proteins. These results suggest that the methyl esterification of proteins containing a C-terminal -CXXX sequence requires not only the removal of the 3 terminal amino acids, but the isoprenylation of the sulfhydryl group as well.     

The predominant protein of canine seminal plasma is an enzyme

One protein in canine seminal plasma accounts for over 90% of the total protein and is present at the high concentration of approximately 10 mg/ml. We demonstrate that this predominant protein is a proteolytic enzyme. The enzyme has been purified and migrates as a single symmetrical peak of apparent molecular mass of 29,000 daltons on a column of Sephadex G-75 and as a single band of approximately 30,000 daltons when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions. Under reducing conditions, the enzyme dissociates into subunits of 15,000 and 12,000-14,000 daltons. The 15,000-dalton subunit contains the enzyme active site as determined by labeling with [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate. The enzyme hydrolyzed the synthetic ester substrates N alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester and N alpha-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester with maximum specific activities at 25 degrees C of 105 mumol/min/mg and 33 mumol/min/mg, and Km values of 7.4 and 9.1 mM, respectively. The enzyme exhibited a pH optimum of 8.0. The metal ions, Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, and Co2+ were reversible inhibitors and diisopropyl fluorophosphate and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride irreversible inhibitors of enzymatic activity. By immunofluorescence, the enzyme can be detected on the tail and postacrosomal regions of washed ejaculated canine sperm, but it is absent from epididymal sperm.     

A metabolite of aspartame inhibits angiotensin converting enzyme

Aspartame (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester, is a widely used artificIal sweetener. In humans and other animals aspartame is initially hydrolyzed to L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine by intestinal esterases. L-Aspartyl-L-phenylalanine inhibits angiotensin converting enzyme purified from rabbit lungs with a Ki of 11 +/- 2 microM, equipotent to the IC50 of 12 microM for 2-D-methyl-succinyl-L-proline which has been reported to be an orally active antihypertensive agent in rats. Thus the possibility exists that L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine inhibits angiotensin converting enzyme in humans consuming large quantities of aspartame. Both aspartame itself and the diketopiperazine formed from it, 3-carboxymethyl-6-benzyl-2,5-diketopiperazine, are weak inhibitors with Ki's greater than 1 mM.     

Activation of mercuric reductase by the substrate NADPH

Preincubation of the oxidized form of the flavoenzyme mercuric reductase with the reducing substrate, NADPH, or with a high concentration of cysteine (30 mM) results in a substantial increase of the catalytic activity as measured in a standard spectrophotometric assay. Also NADH has some activating effect but NADP+ or EDTA have no effect. In the presence of 1 mM cysteine only one equivalent of NADPH per FAD seems to be required for full activation which occurs after an incubation time of about 10 min. Activated mercuric reductase appears to be stable under anaerobic conditions but eventually returns to the original level of activity in the presence of oxygen. The activated state seems to be stabilized by 1 mM cysteine. Activation of mercuric reductase does not seem to be correlated with a change in the number of reactive thiol groups. The chemical nature of the activation process is not yet understood. Stopped-flow studies have shown that the nonactivated enzyme is practically inactive prior to contact with the substrates. The enzyme is gradually activated during the assay. The kinetics of activation of the 'native' enzyme is biphasic but 'clipped' enzyme, lacking an 85-residue N-terminal domain, is activated in a single first-order process. The progress curves obtained with preactivated enzyme are approximately exponential even at saturating concentrations of NADPH (Km = 0.4 microM at 25 degrees C, pH 7.3) and Hg2+ (Km = 3.2 microM in the presence of 1 mM cysteine). The initial rates yield kcat values of about 13 s-1 per FAD molecule (25 degrees C, pH 7.3). We find no evidence for a thiol-dependent change from a rapid to a slow kinetic phase. The shape of the progress curves presumably depends on product inhibition, but NADP+ is not a sufficiently effective inhibitor to explain the effect fully.     

Isolation and molecular kinetic properties of the angiotensin-converting enzyme from the human heart

An angiotensin-converting enzyme was isolated from human heart using N[-1(S)-carboxy-5-aminopentyl]glycyl-glycine as an affinity adsorbent. The isolation procedure resulted in an enzyme purified 1650-fold. The enzyme specific activity was 38.0 u./mg protein, Mr = 150 kD. The pH optimum for the angiotensin-converting enzyme towards Hip-His-Leu lies at 7.8, Km = 1.2 mM. The enzyme was inhibited by the substrate (Ks' = 14 mM). The enzyme effectively catalyzed the hydrolysis of angiotensin I (Km = 10 microM; kcat = 250 s-1). NaCl, CaCl2 as well as Na2SO4 in the absence of Cl- activated the enzyme, whereas CH3COONa and NaNO3 did not influence the enzyme activity. It was found that the bradykinin-potentiating factor inhibited the cardiac angiotensin-converting enzyme with IC50 = 4.0 X 10(-8) M.