Multiplicity of molecular forms and thermostability of Torula thermophila UzPT-1 protease]

Alkaline protease preparations with different ratio of molecular forms are isolated from cultural medium of thermophilic fungi Torula thermophila UzPT-1 by means of protein fractionation with (NJ/)2SO4 and gel filtration through Sephadex G-75. The enzyme preparations differ in their thermostability in water at 60 degrees C. High molecular weight oligomeric enzyme forms dissociate in water (at 2-4 degrees C) forming dimeric and monomeric forms. Disaggregation is accompanied by the change in the thermostability of the enzyme preparations. It is concluded that protease thermostability depends on the ratio of dimeric and monomeric forms of the preparation, and it is associated with the conformational state of the enzyme molecules, and it is associated with the conformational state of the enzyme molecules. Oligomeric forms do not dissociate in 1% sodium dodecylsulphate and in 6 M urea. Ca2+ produces dissociation of high molecular weight enzyme forms and the conformational transition into the thermostable state.     

Biodistribution, kinetics, and efficacy of highly phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated beta-glucuronidase in the murine model of mucopolysaccharidosis VII

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has been shown to be effective at reducing the accumulation of undegraded substrates in lysosomal storage diseases. Most ERT studies have been performed with recombinant proteins that are mixtures of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated enzyme. Because different cell types use different receptors to take up phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated enzyme, it is difficult to determine which form of enzyme contributed to the clinical response. Here we compare the uptake, distribution, and efficacy of highly phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated beta-glucuronidase (GUSB) in the MPS VII mouse. Highly phosphorylated murine GUSB was efficiently taken up by a wide range of tissues. In contrast, non-phosphorylated murine GUSB was taken up primarily by tissues of the reticuloendothelial (RE) system. Although the tissue distribution was different, the half-lives of both enzymes in any particular tissue were similar. Both preparations of enzyme were capable of preventing the accumulation of lysosomal storage in cell types they targeted. An important difference in clinical efficacy emerged in that phosphorylated GUSB was more efficient than non-phosphorylated enzyme at preventing the hearing loss associated with this disease. These data suggest that both forms of enzyme contribute to the clinical responses of ERT in MPS VII mice but that enzyme preparations containing phosphorylated GUSB are more broadly effective than non-phosphorylated enzyme.     

Modulation of cardiac glycoside inhibition of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase by membrane lipids. Difference between species

The role of lipids in the modulation of the ouabain-sensitivity of membrane (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from different species has been studied using a reconstitution procedure which promotes lipid exchange during detergent depletion by Sephadex chromatography. Hybrid reconstitution of delipidated (Na+ + K+)-ATPase preparations from bovine brain into the lipids obtained from crab nerve enzyme preparations significantly reduces the sensitivity of the brain enzyme to inhibition by ouabain. Conversely, reconstitution of crab nerve enzyme into the lipids from bovine brain enzyme preparations increases the sensitivity of the crab enzyme to ouabain inhibition. These opposing effects demonstrate the role of membrane lipids in modulating the enzyme-inhibition relationship in preparations from these different species.     

Testing for diffusion limitations in salt-activated enzyme catalysts operating in organic solvents

The dramatic activation of serine proteases in nonaqueous media resulting from lyophilization in the presence of KCl is shown to be unrelated to relaxation of potential substrate diffusional limitations. Specifically, lyophilizing subtilisin Carlsberg in the presence of KCl and phosphate buffer in different proportions, ranging from 99% (w/w) enzyme to 1% (w/w) enzyme in the final lyophilized solids, resulted in biocatalyst preparations that were not influenced by substrate diffusion. This result was made evident through use of a classical analysis whereby initial catalytic rates, normalized per weight of total enzyme in the catalyst material, were measured as a function of active enzyme for biocatalyst preparations containing different ratios of active to inactive enzyme. The active enzyme content of a given biocatalyst preparation was controlled by mixing native subtilisin with subtilisin preinactivated with PMSF, a serine protease inhibitor, and lyophilizing the enzyme mixture in the presence of different fractions of KCl and phosphate buffer. Plots of initial reaction rates as a function of percent active subtilisin in the biocatalyst were linear for all biocatalyst preparations. Thus, enzyme activation (reported elsewhere to be as high as 3750-fold in hexane for the transesterification of N-Ac-L-Phe-OEt with n-PrOH) is a manifestation of intrinsic enzyme activation and not relaxation of diffusional limitations resulting from diluted enzyme preparations. Similar activation is reported herein for thermolysin, a nonserine protease, thereby demonstrating that enzyme activation due to lyophilization in the presence of KCl may be a general phenomenon for proteolytic enzymes.     

Comparative analysis of the HBsAg level in human blood preparations

A total of 218 batches of blood preparations produced from different raw materials have been studied by means of enzyme immunoassay kits (Abbott Laboratories, USA). The assays have revealed that the preparations under study are nonstandard with respect to the content and isolation rate of HBsAg, the marker of hepatitis B virus. These data necessitate search for the ways of improving the quality of blood preparations.     

tRNA METHYLTRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN NEONATAL AND MATURE MAMMALIAN NEURAL TISSUE

Abstract— The activity and kinetic characteristics of tRNA methyltransferases were measured with enzyme preparations obtained from neonatal and adult mouse brain tissue. Both neonatal and mature brain enzyme preparations were shown to contain a considerable amount of protein methylase activity which could interfere with the measurement of the tRNA methyltransferases. When increasing amounts of the unfractionated enzymes from young and adult neural tissue were added to reaction mixtures, the saturation kinetics were found to be considerably different. However, fractionation of the samples by precipitation at pH 5 resulted in an increase in the enzyme activity of preparations obtained from adult brain. Although the precipitation at pH 5 allowed a quantitative recovery of the enzyme activity of immature brain samples, this partial purification step led to an apparent activation of the tRNA methyltransferases in adult preparations. This activation was shown to be independent of differential changes in the thermolability of the enzymes but rather to be associated with an increase in the sites methylated and the measured affinity of the adult enzyme preparations with the tRNA substrate. Nicotinamide, a potent inhibitor of tRNA methyltransferase activity in other tissues, was shown to be ineffective in modulating brain tRNA methyltransferase activity. The results are discussed in light of the possible modulation of the activity of specific enzyme species and the alterations in the synthesis of nucleic acid precursors during neural development.     

The l - and d-threonine dehydratases accompanying l-tyrosine phenol-lyase: selective decomposition of d-threonine in racemic mixture

Low-purity preparations from Escherichia intermedia A-21 and Citrobacter freundii 62 cells producing tyrosine phenol-lyase [l-tyrosine phenol-lyase (deaminating), EC 4.1.99.2] catalyse the decomposition of both threonine enantiomers to α-ketobutyric acid. Reactions with l-threonine and d-threonine are effected by two independent enzymes different from tyrosine phenol-lyase. The enzyme which acts on l-threonine has properties characteristic of biosynthetic threonine dehydratase [l-threonine hydro-lyase (deaminating), EC 4.2.1.16]. l-Isoleucine and dl-allothreonine are inhibitors of this enzyme, permitting a selective inhibition of biosynthetic threonine dehydratase and use of the preparations to act selectively on d-threonine in the racemate.     

Subunit heterogeneity of acetylcholinesterase

Several different preparations of purified 11 S acetylcholinesterase have been examined for structural heterogeneity. While no contaminant protein was observed in any of the preparations, minor isozymic forms with catalytic activity were observed in addition to the major component both in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and in isoelectric focusing. Major differences in the relative composition of the disulfide-reduced polypeptides among the preparations were found by gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Several characteristics of these differences strongly suggest that they derive from a proteolytic fragmentation of a single subunit species. In particular, the apparent fragmentation in the crude enzyme solution is inhibited by benzethonium chloride, an inhibitor of proteolysis which also prevents the conversion of 18, 14, and 8 S acetylcholinesterase species to the 11 S form in fresh electric tissue extracts. No significant differences in the enzyme specific activity are observed among the preparations, an observation which indicates that fully active native enzyme molecules are composed of subunits which are heterogeneous with respect to discrete points of polypeptide cleavage.     

Purification and properties of human placental acid lipase

Two peaks of lysosomal acid lipase activity were purified from normal human placenta. Acid lipase I, with an estimated molecular weight of 102 500, was purified 1016-fold while acid lipase II, with an estimated molecular weight of 30 600, was purified 3031-fold. The final yields of enzyme activity for acid lipase I and II were 0.9% and 2.2% respectively. The purity of the final preparations was documented by demonstration of a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Both preparations of the purified enzyme demonstrated activity towards triolein, cholesteryl oleate and the artificial substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate. Examination of Km values, thermal stability, pH optima, and electrophoretic mobility revealed similar properties for the two enzyme peaks. The response of the two enzyme preparations to inhibitors was similar with both being significantly inhibited by 0.2 M NaCl, 0.2 M KCl, 5 mM HgCl2 and 5 mM p-chloromercuribenzoate. The activity of the two preparations as assayed with either triolein or cholesterol oleate was not significantly affected by the addition of bovine serum albumin. In contrast, the 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate activity of both preparations was significantly inhibitred by albumin. These findings support the hypothesis that the same enzyme or enzymes are responsible for the intralysosomal hydrolysis of triacylglycerols and cholesterol esters in human tissues.     

Variation in sensitivity of the cardiac glycoside receptor characteristics of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase to lipolysis and temperature.

1. The rate of binding of [3H]ouabain to untreated membrane preparations of [Na+ +K+]-ATPase is a timperature--dependent process displaying a thermal transition close to 25degreesC. The apparent energies of activation which can be calculated above and below this transition are similar to, but not identical with, those previously reported for activation of the enzyme by cations. 2. Treatment of the enzyme preparation with detergents or lipolysis with phospholipase A eliminates the thermal transition resulting in linear Arrhenius plots. 3. The number of sites available for [3H]ouabain binding is not temperature dependent as the amount of [3H]ouabain bound at equillbrium is not changed between 10 and 37 degrees C. 4. Treatment of the enzyme with phospholipase A results in time-dependent changes in the number of binding sites for [3H]ouabain at equilibrium. 5. Treatment of the membrane enzyme preparations with detergents reveals additional [3H]ouabain binding sites which are extremely sensitive to lipolysis with phospholipase A. 6. There are a number of [3H]ouabain binding sites which remain resistant to lipolysis by phospholipase A in either untreated or detergent-treated membrane preparations. 7. It is suggested that [3H]ouabain binding sites exist in the membrane in at least two different environments, one of which is resistant the other sensitive to attack by phopholipase A.     

Phosphorylation and inhibition of gamma-glutamyl transferase activity by cAMP-dependent protein kinase

It was shown that preparations of bovine kidney gamma-glutamyl transferase with different degree of purity are phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Phosphorylation is accompanied by a simultaneous decrease of both transferase and hydrolase activities of the enzyme. Hence, gamma-glutamyltransferase may serve as a substrate and target of regulation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.     

Differences in catalytic properties between cerebral cytoplasmic and mitochondrial hexokinases.

1. Clear kinetic differences between cytoplasmic and mitochondrial forms of type-I cerebral hexokinase were demonstrated from experiments performed under identical conditions on three (cytoplasmic, bound mitochondrial and solubilized mitochondrial) preparations of the enzyme. 2. Whereas the Michaelis constant for glucose (KmGlc) was consistent, that for MgATP2- (KmATP) was lower in the cytoplasmic than in the two mitochondrial preparations. The substrate dissociation constants (KsGlc and KsATP) were both higher in the cytoplasmic than in the mitochondrial preparations. A further difference in the substrate kinetic patterns was that KmATP=KmATP for the cytoplasmic enzyme, in contrast with the mitochondrial enzyme, where KmATP was clearly not equal to KsATP [Bachelard et al. (1971) Biochem. J. 123, 707-715]. 3. Dead-end inhibition produced by N-acetyl-glucosamine and by AMP also exhibited different quantitative kinetic patterns for the two enzyme sources. Both inhibitions gave Ki values similar or equal to those of Ki' for the cytoplasmic activity, whereas Ki was clearly not equal to Ki' for the mitochondrial activity. 4. All of these studies demonstrated the similarity of the two mitochondrial activities (particulate and solubilized), which were both clearly different from the cytoplasmic activity. 5. The analysis gives a practical example of our previous theoretical treatment on the derivation of true inhibition constants. 6. The results are discussed in terms of the function of cerebral hexokinases.     

Phosphorylation states of the (Na+ + K+)-transporting ATPase in preparations from lamb kidney and electric-eel (Electophorus electricus) electric organ.

Phosphorylation states of the (Na+ + K+)-transporting ATPase were studied in highly purified preparations isolated from electric-eel electric organ and from lamb kidney. The steady-state level of phosphorylated lamb kidney enzyme, obtained by reaction with [gamma-32P]ATP, was not appreciably reduced in the presence of ADP unless oligomycin was present. The phosphorylated form of the electric-eel electric-organ enzyme was reduced by at least 95% under the same conditions, suggesting that the E1P state in the kidney enzyme is more transitory than that in electric organ. The level of phosphorylation from [32P]Pi was higher in the lamb kidney preparation than in the electric-organ preparation, and the difference in stimulation of phosphorylation by ouabain in the two preparations was striking. Ouabain increased the level of phosphorylation by 35% in the kidney preparation and 734% in the electric-organ preparation. The E2P state seems to be stabilized by ouabain in the latter preparation. These findings, as well as the different reactivities of the thiol groups to blocking reagents in these preparations, suggest that the tertiary structure in the enzyme isolated from these two sources is different.     

Purification and immunochemical characterization of monoamine oxidase from rat and human liver.

1. Monoamine oxidase from rat and human liver was purified to homogeneity by the criterion of polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. 2. The enzyme activity was extracted from mitochondrial preparations by Triton X-100. The enzyme was purified by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation followed by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Sepharose 6B, spheroidal hydroxyapatite, and finally chromatography on diazo-coupled tyramine-Sepharose. 3. Distinct differences occur in the chromatographic behaviour of the two enzymes on both DEAE-cellulose and spheroidal hydroxyapatite. 4. It is unlikely that the purification of the enzymes on tyramine-Sepharose is due to affinity chromatography and reasons for this are discussed. 5. The purified enzymes did not oxidize-5-hydroxytryptamine and the relative activities of the enzymes with benzylamine were increased approx. 1.25-fold compared with the enzyme activities of mitochondrial preparations. 6. Immunotitration of enzyme activity in extracts of mitochondrial preparations from rat liver was carried out with 5-hydroxytryptamine, tyramine and benzylamine. The enzyme activities were completely immunoprecipitated by the same volume of antiserum. Similar results were obtained with the antiserum to the enzyme from human liver.     

A rat liver lysosomal membrane flavin-adenine dinucleotide phosphohydrolase: purification and characterization

An enzyme hydrolyzing flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) to flavin mononucleotide and AMP was identified and purified from rat liver lysosomal (Tritosomal) membranes. The purified enzyme showed a single band on silver-stained denaturing gels with an apparent Mr 70,000. Periodate-Schiff staining after denaturing gel electrophoresis of whole membrane preparations revealed that this enzyme is one of the major glycoproteins in lysosomal membranes. FAD appeared to be the preferred substrate for the purified enzyme; equivalent concentrations of NAD or CoA were hydrolyzed at about one-half of the FAD rate. Negligible activity (less than or equal to 16%) was noted with ATP, TTP, ADP, AMP, FMN, pyrophosphate, or p-nitrophenylphosphate. The enzyme was inhibited by EDTA or dithiothreitol. It was stimulated by Zn, and was not affected by Ca or Mg ions, nor by p-chloromercuribenzoate. The pH optimum for FAD hydrolysis was 8.5-9 with an apparent Km of 0.125 mM. Antibodies prepared against the purified enzyme partially (50%) inhibited FAD phosphohydrolase activity in lysosomal membrane preparations but had no effect on the soluble lysosomal acid pyrophosphatase known to hydrolyze FAD. This enzyme could not be detected immunochemically in preparations of microsomes, Golgi, plasma membranes, mitochondrial membranes, or the soluble lysosomal fraction, suggesting that the enzyme is different from either soluble lysosomal acid pyrophosphatase or other FAD hydrolyzing activities in the liver cell.     

Ox glutamate dehydrogenase. Comparison of the kinetic properties of native and proteolysed preparations.

Kinetic constants were determined for commercially available samples of ox liver glutamate dehydrogenase, which had previously been shown to have suffered limited proteolysis during preparation, with a range of substrates and effectors. These were compared with the values obtained with enzyme preparations purified in such a way as to prevent this proteolysis from occurring [McCarthy, Walker & Tipton (1980) Biochem. J. 191, 605-611]. The Km values and maximum velocities determined with different substrates revealed little difference between the two preparations although the proteolysed enzyme had lower Km values for NH4+ and glutamate when the activities were determined with NADPH and NADP+ respectively. This preparation was more sensitive to inhibition by Cl- ions but less sensitive to inhibition by high concentrations of the substrate NADH. The two preparations also differed in their sensitivities to allosteric effectors, with the proteolysed enzyme being the less sensitive to inhibition by GTP. At high concentrations of NADH, this preparation was also more sensitive to activation by ADP and ATP.     

Coenzyme binding capacity of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase.

Commercial lyophilized preparations of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase from Boehringer G.m.b.H. (Mannheim, Germany) bind 2 mols of reduced coenzyme/144000 g of enzyme (1). After the purification by a DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography, the coenzyme binding capacity is raised to 4 mols of NADH/mol of enzyme. Commercial preparations and ionexchange-purified preparations are homogeneous on the ionexchange column chromatography and the disc gel electrophoresis, after reduction with thioglycolic acid. Ionexchange chromatography does not increase the -SH titer, zinc content and the specific activity of enzyme. It is suggested that ionexchange chromatography raises the NADH-binding capacity by removing some impurities present in commercial enzyme preparations.     

Comparison of the properties of L-threonine dehydratase isolated from the livers of intact, adrenalectomized or cortisol-treated rats]

L-Threonine dehydratase preparations were isolated from liver of intact, treated with hydrocortisone and adrenalectomized rats. These preparations had different properties in stability, sensitivity to proteases and kinetic patterns. The preparations possessed also serine dehydratase activity, and the ratio threonine: serine activities was modified during the procedure of enzyme purification. It appears that the hormones affect not only the amount of enzyme proteins, but the qualitative properties of these proteins.     

Purification, properties and comparative specificities of the enzyme prolyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase from Phaseolus aureus and Polygonatum multiflorum

1. A prolyl-s-RNA synthetase (prolyl-transfer RNA synthetase) has been purified about 250-fold from seed of Phaseolus aureus (mung bean), a species not producing azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, and more than 10-fold from rhizome apices of Polygonatum multiflorum, a liliaceous species containing azetidine-2-carboxylic acid. The latter enzyme was unstable during ammonium sulphate fractionation. 2. The enzymes exhibited different substrate specificities towards the analogue. That from Phaseolus, when assayed by the ATP-PP(i) exchange, showed azetidine-2-carboxylic acid activation at about one-third the rate with proline. Both labelled imino acids gave rise to a labelled aminoacyl-s-RNA. The enzyme from Polygonatum, however, activated only proline. 3. The enzyme from Polygonatum also formed a labelled prolyl-s-RNA with Phaseolus s-RNA but at a lower rate than when the Phaseolus enzyme was used. No reaction occurred when the Phaseolus enzyme was coupled with Polygonatum s-RNA, and only a very slight one was observed when both enzyme and s-RNA came from Polygonatum. 4. Protein preparations from seeds of Pisum sativum, another species not producing azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, also activated the analogue in addition to proline, whereas those from rhizome and seeds of Convallaria, the species from which the analogue was originally isolated, failed to activate it. However, a liliaceous species not producing the analogue, Asparagus officinalis, activated it. 5. Of the other proline analogues investigated, only 3,4-dehydro-dl-proline and l-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid were active with the enzyme preparation from Phaseolus. 6. pH optima of 7.9 and 8.4 were established for the enzymes from Phaseolus and Polygonatum respectively. 7. The Phaseolus enzyme was specific for ATP and PP(i). Mn(2+) partially replaced the requirement for Mg(2+) as cofactor. Preincubation with p-chloromercuribenzoate at a concentration of 0.5mm or higher produced over 99% inhibition of the Phaseolus enzyme. One-half the enzymic activity was destroyed by preheating for 5min. at 62 degrees in tris-hydrochloric acid buffer, pH7.9. 8. All experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that azetidine-2-carboxylic acid and proline are activated by the same enzyme in Phaseolus preparations, whereas the analogue was inactive in all Polygonatum preparations. The possible nature of this different substrate behaviour is discussed.