A rapid micro-assay method for gelatinolytic activity using tritium-labeled heat-denatured polymeric collagen as a substrate and its application to the detection of enzymes involved in collagen metabolism

A rapid micro-assay method for gelatinolytic activitiy has been developed using 3H-labeled heat-denatured polymeric collagen (gelatin) as a substrate to investigate enzymes involved in the post-collagenase catabolism of collagen. The method is based on the incubation of gelatin with enzyme followed by determination of the enzyme digestion products soluble in 67% dioxane. It is sensitive enough to detect microgram levels of gelatin fragments, and can be employed over wide ranges of pH and ionic strength. By applying the method to an embryonic chick skin culture system, three gelatinolytic enzyme fractions which showed high, limited and no caseinolytic activities were demonstrated to be separable by gel chromatography.     

An activated by cobalt alkaline aminopeptidase from Bacillus mycoides

An intracellular arginine--specific aminopeptidase synthesized by Bacillus mycoides was purified and characterized. The purification procedure for studied aminopeptidase consisted of ammonium sulphate precipitation and three chromatographic steps: anion exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. A molecular weight of -50 kDa was estimated for the aminopeptidase by gel permeation chromatography and SDS-PAGE. The optimal activity of the enzyme on arginyl-beta-naphthylamide as a substrate was at 37 degrees C and pH 9.0. The enzyme showed maximum specificity for basic amino acids: such as Arg and Lys but was also able to hydrolyze aromatic amino acids: Trp, Tyr, and Phe. Co2+ ions activated the enzyme, while Zn2+, Cu2+, Hg2+ and Mn2+ inhibited it. The enzyme is a metalloaminopeptidase whose activity is inhibited by typical metalloaminopeptidase inhibitors: EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline. Analysis of fragments of the amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme demonstrated high similarity to AmpS of Bacillus cereus and AP II of B. thuringensis.     

BsoAI--a new site specific endonuclease from Bacillus coagulans

A new site-specific endonuclease was detected in toluene lysates of Bacillus coagulans AUCM B-732 and designated as BcoAI. The enzyme was purified by fractionation of the cell-free extract in the two-phase PEG/dextran system followed by chromatography on DEAE-sepharose and phosphocellulose and shown to be free of nonspecific nucleases and phosphatases. BcoAI has three cleavage sites on lambda DNA, but does not cleave SV40, pBR322 and pUC19 DNA. BcoAI recognizes the sequence 5' CAC decreases GTG 3' on double-stranded DNA and cleaves it as indicated by the arrow to yield blunt-ended DNA fragments. Thus, BcoAI is a true isoschizomer of PmaCI from Pseudomonas maltophila C.     

Partial amino acid sequence of sheep liver serine hydroxymethyltransferase and comparison of peptide maps of the enzyme from human, ox livers and Escherichia coli.

A comparison of the tryptic peptide maps of serine hydroxymethyltransferase from sheep, human, ox livers and Escherichia coli revealed that the mammalian enzymes were similar, while the bacterial enzyme exhibited differences in the primary structure. N-terminus of the reduced carboxymethylated sheep liver enzyme was acetylated. Serine hydroxymethyltransferase was hydrolyzed with trypsin and fragments of peptides were separated by high performance liquid chromatography using a combination of gel permeation, reverse phase and ion-pair chromatography. The peptides were sequenced manually using the 4-N,N'-dimethyl aminoazobenzene-4'-isothiocyanate/phenyl isothiocyanate double coupling method. The tryptic peptides with 80% homology or above were aligned on the rabbit liver enzyme sequence.     

Molecular weight distribution and structural characteristics of polymers obtained from acid soluble lignin treated by oxidative enzymes

Brown precipitates were obtained by polymerization of low molecular weight lignin fragments contained in a model effluent. Polymerization reactions were initiated by potato-polyphenoloxidase (PPO) or horseradish peroxidase/H(2)O(2) system (HRP/H(2)O(2)). The insolubilization processes occurred after a molecular weight increase of the lignin, as shown by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The effect of reaction time, pH and amount of soluble lignin per unit of enzyme activity on the molecular weight distribution was evaluated for PPO-initiated reactions. For HRP-initiated system the amount of H(2)O(2) per unit of enzyme activity was also evaluated. Chemical characterization of the macromolecules obtained under optimized conditions and the soluble lignin fragments present in the effluent suggests that the polymerization reactions occur by oxidative cleavage of alpha-beta unsaturated bonds of the soluble lignin fragments. Methoxyl group analysis showed that p-hydroxycoumaryl units were preferentially oxidized by PPO. In contrast, HRP oxidized preferentially guaiacyl and siringyl units giving more condensed polymers.     

Purification and properties of a specific collagenase from rabbit synovial fibroblasts.

1. A specific collagenase from the culture medium of rabbit synovial fibroblasts was purified by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. 2. The enzyme was homogenous on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and showed only traces of contaminants when tested in gels with a non-specific antiserum. 3. The rabbit fibroblast collagenase could hydrolyse collagen both in solution and in fibrillar form. Viscometry showed that at 35 degrees C the purified enzyme could hydrolyse greater than 50 nmol of collagen/min per mg of enzyme. 4. The purified collagenase cleaved collagen in solution at either 24 degrees or 35 degrees C into the characteristic 1/4 and 3/4-length fragments. However, as compared with the impure enzyme, the purified enzyme at 35 degrees C had a much decreased capacity to further degrade the initial specific cleavage products. 5. The specific rabbit collagenase had a mol. wt. of approx. 32000 as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, and 35000 by gel filtration.     

鼠肝DNA甲基化酶的纯化及物理化学性质的研究

以Ｗｉｓｔａｒ大鼠肝为材料,确立了一个简便的纯化鼠肝ＤＮＡ甲基化酶的程序,包括：细胞的超声破碎、去内源核酸、硫酸铵盐析、磷酸纤维素亲和层析、ＤＥＡＥ－ＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＡ－５０柱层析及ＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＧ－１５０凝胶过滤。用不同浓度聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和孔梯度凝胶电泳检测,纯化后的酶已达电泳均一,且酶的比活力提高１１２倍。以聚丙烯酰胺孔梯度凝胶电泳测得其天然酶的分子量为３６５ｋＤ,以ＳＤＳ－聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳测得该酶有两种亚基,大亚基为９５ｋＤ,小亚基为８５ｋＤ,推测该酶由两个大亚基和两个小亚基组成。     

Affinity purification of human deoxycytidine kinase: avoidance of structural and kinetic artifacts arising from limited proteolysis

Homogeneous deoxycytidine kinase has been isolated from leukemic human T-lymphoblasts by affinity chromatography based on a multisubstrate analog, deoxycytidine 5'-adenosine 5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (dCp4A). Chromatography of extract treated with protease inhibitors yielded a monomeric polypeptide, inasmuch as the Mr of the native protein, 59,300, is comparable to the value of 52,000 from sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric pH was 6.1. But, enzyme isolated without protease inhibitors exhibited two fragments of Mr = 30,000 and 33,000, suggesting that proteolytic cleavage of the parental polypeptide had occurred during affinity chromatography. Both the parental and proteolyzed enzymes phosphorylated deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine, as well as deoxycytidine. However, the proteolyzed enzyme had an increased apparent Km for deoxycytidine. In consequence of this, a mixture of the two forms produced bimodal kinetic plots, whereas linear kinetics were displayed by each form alone.     

Osteoblast collagenase: collagenase synthesis by clonally derived mouse osteogenic (MC3T3-E1) cells

Latent collagenase was isolated by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography from the culture medium of clonally derived mouse osteogenic (MC3T3-E1) cells. Collagenase synthesis by MC3T3-E1 cells was significantly stimulated by the addition of parathyroid hormone to the serum-containing culture medium. The cellular origin of the isolated collagenase was confirmed by demonstrating the characteristic 3/4 and 1/4 fragments of collagen alpha-chain, as well as inhibition of the enzyme by anti-mouse bone collagenase antibody.     

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Investigation on the regions responsible for self-assembly of subunits

1. In glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (EC 1.2.1.12) the four S-loop form the core of the tetramer. 2. Amino acid sequence of the S-loop of the regions of GAPDH from carp muscle was established through the analysis of tryptic digests of the enzyme treated alternatively with bromocyanate and o-iodosobenzoic acid. 3. Enzyme had been oxidized with performic acid. After treatment with trypsin the peptide mixture was fractionated into fragments. 4. CNBr cleavage of this enzyme was performed after S-carboxymethylation. The respective cyanogen bromide fragments have been isolated and characterized. 5. The procedure of protein fragmentation by o-iodosobenzoic acid used to split tryptophanyl peptide bonds. 6. Each peptide obtained after enzymatic or chemical fragmentation was purified to homogeneity by Bio-Gel or Sephadex chromatography, high voltage electrophoresis and descending paper chromatography and characterized by electrochromatography, N- and C-terminal sequence and amino acid composition. 7. The results are compared with those obtained from studies on GAPDH from other sources.     

Purification and partial amino acid sequences of an esterase from tomato

Screening of 18 suspension plant cell cultures of taxonomically distant species revealed that a methyl jasmonate hydrolysing enzyme activity (0.21-5.67 pkat/mg) occurs in all species so far analysed. The methyl jasmonate hydrolysing esterase was purified from cell cultures of Lycopersicon esculentum using a five-step procedure including anion-exchange chromatography, gel-filtration and chromatography on hydroxylapatite. The esterase was purified 767-fold to give an almost homogenous protein in a yield of 2.2%. The native enzyme exhibited a M(r) of 26 kDa (gel-filtration chromatography), which was similar to the M(r) determined by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis (M(r) of 28547 kDa). Enzyme kinetics revealed a K(m) value of 15 microM and a V(max) value of 7.97 nkat/mg, an pH optimum of 9.0 and a temperature optimum of 40 degrees C. The enzyme also efficiently hydrolyzed methyl esters of abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and fatty acids. In contrast, methyl esters of salicylic acid, benzoic acid and cinnamic acid were only poor substrates for the enzyme. N-Methylmaleimide, iodacetamide, bestatin and pepstatin (inhibitors of thiol-, metal- and carboxyproteases, respectively) did not inactivate the enzyme while a serine protease inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, at a concentration of 5 mM led to irreversible and complete inhibition of enzyme activity. Proteolysis of the pure enzyme with endoproteinase LysC revealed three peptide fragments with 11-14 amino acids. N-Terminal sequencing yielded an additional peptide fragment with 10 amino acids. Sequence alignment of these fragments showed high homologies to certain plant esterases and hydroxynitrile lyases that belong to the alpha/beta hydrolase fold protein superfamily.     

Identification of a domain in cytochrome C that displaces [3H]TCP binding from rat brain membrane receptors: synthesis of beta-neuroprotectin

1. A stereospecific radioreceptor binding assay for the phencyclidine analogue, [3H]TCP, was utilized to screen for inhibition of binding in extracts of rat brain. 2. Extracts were prepared from rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus by methods employing aqueous acid. The extracts were fractionated by reversed phase-HPLC (RP-HPLC) and tested for activity in the radioreceptor assay. Three zones of activity were detected. The middle zone was further purified by high performance-size exclusion chromatography (HP-SEC). 3. Size exclusion chromatography revealed a single zone of activity corresponding to mol. wts of ca 12,000-31,000 daltons. A fraction from this zone was digested with trypsin, and the resulting enzyme fragments, isolated by a combination of HP-SEC and RR-HPLC, were identified as fragments of rat cytochrome C. 4. Horse cytochrome C was digested with trypsin and the fragments were similarly purified on the basis of the [3H]TCP binding displacement assay. The fragments were sequenced and found to be trypsin cleavage products of a single largely invariant domain of the cytochrome C molecule: Lys-Lys-Lys-Asp-Glu-Arg-Ala-Asp-Leu-Ile-Ala-Tyr-Leu-Lys-Lys. 5. beta-neuroprotectin (D)-Ala-Asp-Leu-Ile-Ala-Tyr-Leu-NH2, inhibits [3H]TCP binding and provides protection against NMDA mediated neuronal cell death at low concentrations.     

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-specific glutamate dehydrogenase of Neurospora.

Neurospora NADP-specific glutamate dehydrogenase that was treated with iodoacetate, iodoacetamide, or N-ethylmaleimide to block the thiol groups was cleaved with cyanogen bromide. Of the expected 10 peptides, based on a methionine content of 9 residues, 8 were obtained in pure form and 2 were handled as a mixture. The fragments ranged in size from 9 to 109 residues. In addition, there were isolated 6 peptides, produced by anomalous cleavage at the carboxyl groups of tryptophan residues, and two by hydrolysis of an aspartyl-proline bond. Preliminary separation of these peptides was accomplished by gel filtration followed by either ion-exchange chromatography of the larger peptides or by paper chromatography and paper electrophoresis of the smaller fragments. Ordering of the CNBr fragments in sequence was based upon sequences of tryptic and chymotryptic peptides obtained in another laboratory. The complete sequence of the protein is presented. The amino acid sequences of the bovine and chicken liver glutamate dehydrogenases previously determined show considerable homology with the NADP-specific enzyme of Neurospora in the NH2-terminal half of the molecule; this includes the region of the specifically reactive lysine residue and the portion of the sequence that has been implicated in coenzyme binding. Particularly striking is the fact that most of the residues conserved among the three homologous proteins would be expected to be important for conformational, rather than catalytic, effects. This implies that the conformation of the Neurospora enzyme must be similar in parts of its structure to the vertebrate enzymes but undoubtedly differs in some regards.     

An activated by cobalt alkaline aminopeptidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus mycoides</Emphasis>

An intracellular arginine—specific aminopeptidase synthesized by Bacillus mycoides was purified and characterized. The purification procedure for studied aminopeptidase consisted of ammonium sulphate precipitation and three chromatographic steps: anion exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. A molecular weight of ∼50 kDa was estimated for the aminopeptidase by gel permeation chromatography and SDS-PAGE. The optimal activity of the enzyme on arginyl-β-naphthylamide as a substrate was at 37°C and pH 9.0. The enzyme showed maximum specificity for basic amino acids: such as Arg and Lys but was also able to hydrolyze aromatic amino acids: Trp, Tyr, and Phe. Co²⁺ ions activated the enzyme, while Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Mn²⁺ inhibited it. The enzyme is a metalloaminopeptidase whose activity is inhibited by typical metalloaminopeptidase inhibitors: EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline. Analysis of fragments of the amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme demonstrated high similarity to Amp S of Bacillus cereus and APII of B. thuringensis.     

Purification and properties of the catalytic domain of human 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase expressed in Escherichia coli

Three fragments of the cDNA encoding human 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, all incorporating the majority of the catalytic domain of the protein, were subcloned into Escherichia coli expression vectors containing the pL promoter. The two larger expressed fragments (58 and 52 kDa) were soluble and had enzymatic activity, while the smallest (48 kDa) was insoluble. The two active fragments were purified by a combination of conventional techniques and affinity chromatography. A number of properties of the two enzymes were compared including specific activity, kinetic parameters, relative solubility, and cold lability. The 52-kDa enzyme was observed to change from a dimeric to monomeric form and to lose activity at 4 degrees C. In contrast, the 58-kDa enzyme was found to be much less cold labile, and was dimeric at both 20 and 4 degrees C. In order to resolve the number of subunits required to form an active site, the number of inhibitor binding sites for a known inhibitor was determined to be one per subunit in the 58-kDa enzyme.     

In vivo fragment complementation of a (beta/alpha)(8) barrel protein: generation of variability by recombination

The high representation of the TIM barrel as a scaffold for enzymatic proteins makes it an interesting model for protein engineering. Based on previous reports of folding mechanisms of TIM barrels that suggest an independent folding unit formed by six (beta/alpha) subunits, we interrupted the gene of phosphoribosylanthranilate isomerase (PRAI) from Escherichia coli at three different positions to yield fragments with different combinations of (beta/alpha) subunits. When these constructions were expressed as polycistrons in a TrpF-E. coli strain, complementation of the function only occurred with fragments beta1-alpha4 and beta5-alpha8, demonstrating that (beta/alpha)(4) subunits are stable enough to survive in vivo conditions and to assemble to yield a functional enzyme. The expression of these fragments in a separated plasmid/phagemid system to complement the function gave a slower complementation in the TrpF-E. coli strain; this was overcome by introducing extra secondary elements to the structure that reinforce their interaction.     

Binding of a photoaffinity analogue of pyridoxal to pyridoxal kinase

The binding of pyridoxal analogues to the structural domains of pyridoxal kinase was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy and chromatographic techniques. Two fragments of 24 and 16 kDa, arising from limited proteolysis of the native enzyme, were separated by ion-exchange chromatography and used for binding studies with pyridoxal oxime. Fluorometric titrations yielded dissociation constants of 6 and 12.4 MicroM for pyridoxal oxime bound to the native enzyme and 24-kDa fragment, respectively. 4-(4-Azido-2-nitrophenyl)-pyridoxamine, a new photolabeling reagent, binds irreversibly to the kinase with concomitant loss of catalytic activity. The modified kinase (2.1 mol label/mol dimer) yields two fragments upon limited proteolysis with chymotrypsin. The two fragments were separated by reverse-phase HPLC and SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Radiolabeled ligand was detected only in the 24-kDa fragment. It is postulated that the pyridoxal binding site is located in the 24-kDa structural domain.     

Purification and characterization of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) was purified 12 000-fold to homogeneity from yeast by a three-step procedure including acid precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography, and guanosine 5' -monophosphate affinity chromatography. The enzyme is a dimer consisting of two, probably identical, subunits of Mr 29 500. The enzyme recognized hypoxanthine and guanine, but not adenine or xanthine, as substrates. An antiserum against both native and denatured enzyme has been raised and shown to be specific for the enzyme. The antiserum has no affinity for Chinese hamster or human HPRT but does recognize subunits of yeast HPRT as well as some cyanogen bromide fragments of the enzyme.     

Purification and characterization of osteopontin from human milk

Osteopontin (OPN) is expressed in many organs and tissues and has different biological properties related to different molecular forms in respect to size and posttranslational modifications. However, a purification procedure for authentic intact OPN as well as fragments of OPN from an accessible biological source is missing. A four-step procedure was used to purify OPN from human milk, based on its crystal growth inhibitory activity, including anion exchange chromatography, the elimination of casein, hydroxyapatite chromatography, and negative affinity chromatography. Purified OPN was further separated into its different molecular forms by means of a two-step procedure, involving size exclusion chromatography and reverse phase chromatography. A rabbit polyclonal antibody was raised to purified intact OPN and high M(r) OPN components; the immunoreactivity of both forms was almost equal when investigated by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The procedures facilitate the purification of intact OPN and OPN fragments for purposes of standardization, preparation of monospecific antibodies, and functional studies.     

Hyaluronic acid fragments evoke Kupffer cells via TLR4 signaling pathway

Kupffer cells, expressing toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), play a central role in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Hyaluronic acid (HA) fragments, degradative products of high-molecular-weight HA (HMW-HA), acquire the ability to activate immune cells under inflammatory conditions. Here we investigated whether HA fragments could activate Kupffer cells and analyzed the underlying mechanism. Kupffer cells were isolated from wild-type mice (WT, C3H/HeN) and TLR4 mutant mice (C3H/HeJ) and HA fragments were produced by the methods of enzyme digestion and chromatography. Then Kupffer cells were stimulated by HA fragments or other control stimuli. The activation of Kupffer cells was estimated as the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The activation of p38 MAPK pathway of Kupffer cells was checked and blocking experiments were done as well. The results indicated that HA fragments acquired the ability to activate Kupffer cells in vitro, which was TLR4 dependent and not due to contamination of lipopolysaccharide. Experiments of p38 MAPK kinase inhibition by SB-203580 verified p38 MAPK was required in HA fragments induced Kupffer cells activation. This suggests that HA fragments, degradative products of one of the major glycosaminoglycans of the extracellular matrix, play critical roles in Kupffer cell activation mediated by TLR4 signaling pathway, which is, at least partially, dependent on p38 MAPK activation. These anthors contributed equally to this work Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30500487 and 30700792)