Inhibition of Trypsin-Like Enzymes on Cells with Rhodamine-Aprotinin

Abstract

Aprotinin, a polypeptide inhibitor of trypsin-like enzymes, has been labelled with rhodamine. Rhodamine-aprotinin inhibits trypsin in free solution in an identical manner to aprotinin. Rhodamine-aprotinin binds to trypsin-like enzymes on cells in formaldehyde fixed wax embedded sections. This technique has been used to locate cells possessing trypsin-like enzymes by means of fluorescent microscopy. In the present study we have used this technique to locate tumour cells.     

Outstanding Characteristics of Thrombokinase Isolated from Bovine Plasma

Thrombokinase has been isolated from bovine plasma by a procedure which begins with the highly purified product of a previously described method, chromatographs it on DEAE-cellulose, and then fractionates it by continuous flow electrophoresis, yielding 0.2 mg per liter of oxalated plasma. The electrophoretic fraction has shown a single boundary in the ultracentrifuge; and its esterase activity on toluenesulfonylarginine methyl ester has been about the same as that of thrombokinase previously isolated by repeated electrophoretic fractionations. Thrombokinase is a euglobulin with minimum solubility near pH 5.0. It is most stable within the pH range 7.5 to 9.5; but there is also a peak in the stability curve near pH 1.8. A few micrograms of thrombokinase per milliliter can activate prothrombin in the presence of EDTA. A few thousandths of a microgram causes rapid production of thrombin in the system: prothrombin, thrombokinase, calcium chloride, phosphatide, "accelerator." But, thrombokinase has less than 1/175 the proteolytic activity of crystallized trypsin.     

Trypsin-Like Proteinases and Trypsin Inhibitors in Fruiting Bodies of Higher Fungi

The activity of trypsin-like proteinases and trypsin inhibitors was measured in fruiting bodies of various species of basidial fungi (Basidiomycetes). Fruiting bodies of all fungi contained these enzymes, with the exceptions of polypore (Coriolus versicolor (Fr.) Karst) and hedgehog fungus (Hericium erinaceus (Fr.) Quel), belonging to the families Polyporaceae and Hericiaceae, respectively, in which the enzyme activities were barely detectable. The activity of trypsin-like proteinases was the highest in fruiting bodies of Boletaceae and Agaricaceae. Fruiting bodies of all fungi contained trypsin inhibitors. The highest activity of trypsin inhibitors was detected in basidiomycetes of the families Boletaceae, Agaricaceae, and Pleurotaceae, including Boletus castanus (Fr.) Karst, orange-cap boletus (Leccinum aurantiacum (Fr.) Sing), and brown-cap boletus (Leccinum melanum (Fr.) Karst).     

Identification of the Components of a Glycolytic Enzyme Metabolon on the Human Red Blood Cell Membrane

Glycolytic enzymes (GEs) have been shown to exist in multienzyme complexes on the inner surface of the human erythrocyte membrane. Because no protein other than band 3 has been found to interact with GEs, and because several GEs do not bind band 3, we decided to identify the additional membrane proteins that serve as docking sites for GE on the membrane. For this purpose, a method known as “label transfer” that employs a photoactivatable trifunctional cross-linking reagent to deliver a biotin from a derivatized GE to its binding partner on the membrane was used. Mass spectrometry analysis of membrane proteins that were biotinylated following rebinding and photoactivation of labeled GAPDH, aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase, and pyruvate kinase revealed not only the anticipated binding partner, band 3, but also the association of GEs with specific peptides in α- and β-spectrin, ankyrin, actin, p55, and protein 4.2. More importantly, the labeled GEs were also found to transfer biotin to other GEs in the complex, demonstrating for the first time that GEs also associate with each other in their membrane complexes. Surprisingly, a new GE binding site was repeatedly identified near the junction of the membrane-spanning and cytoplasmic domains of band 3, and this binding site was confirmed by direct binding studies. These results not only identify new components of the membrane-associated GE complexes but also provide molecular details on the specific peptides that form the interfacial contacts within each interaction.     

A Secondary Metabolic Enzyme Functioned as an Evolutionary Seed of a Primary Metabolic Enzyme

The antibiotic alaremycin has a structure that resembles that of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a universal precursor of porphyrins, and inhibits porphyrin biosynthesis. Genome sequencing of the alaremycin-producing bacterial strain and enzymatic analysis revealed that the first step of alaremcyin biosynthesis is catalysed by the enzyme, AlmA, which exhibits a high degree of similarity to 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS) expressed by animals, protozoa, fungi, and α-proteobacteria. Site-directed mutagenesis of AlmA revealed that the substitution of two amino acids residues around the substrate binding pocket transformed its substrate specificity from that of alaremycin precursor synthesis to ALA synthesis. To estimate the evolutionary trajectory of AlmA and ALAS, we performed an ancestral sequence reconstitution analysis based on a phylogenetic tree of AlmA and ALAS. The reconstructed common ancestral enzyme of AlmA and ALAS exhibited alaremycin precursor synthetic activity, rather than ALA synthetic activity. These results suggest that ALAS evolved from an AlmA-like enzyme. We propose a new evolutionary hypothesis in which a non-essential secondary metabolic enzyme acts as an ‘evolutionary seed’ to generate an essential primary metabolic enzyme.     

西藏牦牛血液酶活性与生产性能的相关性研究

测定了 2 8头西藏牦牛血液中 6种酶的活性 ,探讨了 6种酶活性与生产性能的关系。相关分析表明 ,LDH活性与产奶量、CAT活性与腹毛长呈极显著的正相关 (P <0 .0 1 ) ,AKP活性与体重、Amy活性与体重呈显著正相关 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,SOD活性与体重呈显著负相关 (P <0 .0 5 )。逐步回归分析表明 ,可以用LDH活性预测牦牛产奶量 ,用AKP、CAT、Amy 3种酶活性预测牦牛体重 ,用CAT、Amy活性预测牦牛腹毛长。因此 ,有望将LDH、AKP、CAT和Amy等酶活性作为生化遗传标记应用于牦牛产奶量、体重、腹毛长的选择中     

Properties of the Folate-hydrolyzing Enzyme of Crithidia fasciculate as a Carboxypeptidase

N-Acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are used as quorum-sensing signal molecules by many gram-negative bacteria. We have reported that Shewanella sp. strain MIB015 degrades AHLs. In the present study, we cloned the aac gene from MIB015 by PCR with specific primers based on the aac gene in Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, which showed high homology with the known AHL-acylases. Escherichia coli expressing Aac showed high degrading activity of AHLs with long acyl chains. HPLC analysis revealed that Aac worked as AHL-acylase, which hydrolyzed the amide bond of AHL. In addition, expression of Aac in fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum markedly reduced AHL production and biofilm formation. In conclusion, this study indicates that Aac might be effective in quenching quorum sensing of fish pathogens.     

A Study of the Structure of Trypsin-Like Serine Proteinases: 1. Study of Mini-Plasminogen Activation Using Tryptophan Fluorescence

Biophysics - Abstract—It has been shown that the curve of the time dependence of tryptophan fluorescence during plasminogen activation by urokinase is well correlated with kinetic curves of...     

Surfactants as Stimulants of Enzyme Production by Microorganisms

The addition of Tween 80 and sucrose monopalmitate, nonionic surfactants, to fungal cultures resulted in marked increases in yields of the enzymes cellulase, amylase, sucrase, beta-1 --> 3 glucanase, xylanase, purine nucleosidase, and benzoyl esterase. The action appears to be an effect of the surfactant on cell permeability.     

尖吻蝮蛇毒类凝血酶促凝作用的研究

探讨尖吻蝮蛇毒类凝血酶（ＤＡＴＬＥ）的促凝作用特点及影响其药效的有关因素。方法测定ＤＡＴＬＥ诱导的体外全血浆及吸咐血浆凝固时间,不同实验条件对ＤＡＴＬＥ及凝血酶诱导体外全血浆凝固时间（ＴＴ）、白陶土部分凝血活酶时间（ＫＰＴＴ）和凝血酶原时间（ＰＴ）的影响。结果在体外,ＤＡＴＬＥ能直接使人全血浆及吸咐血浆凝固,并呈剂量相关性,该促凝作用不受ＡＴ－Ⅲ和肝素的影响,Ｎａ＋离子抑制,而Ｃａ２＋离子能增强其促凝作用;ＤＡＴＬＥ促凝作用的最适ｐＨ值在５．０～８．５之间;ＤＡＴＬＥ在体内能增强内源性和外源性凝血作用,在０．０５～０．１ｍｇ／ｋｇ的促凝剂量下,ＤＡＴＬＥ略使血浆纤原含量减少。结论ＤＡＴＬＥ为一类凝血酶,在一定剂量范围内,主要表现为促凝作用,有不同于凝血酶的特点。     

酶固定化的新型载体──PF凝胶应用研究

用对苯二酚和甲醛在酸催化下制得新一类凝胶,此凝胶价廉,易于制备,多孔、无毒、亲水性强;能选择性吸附多糖,而用于多糖与低聚糖及单糖的分离;可作为载体对多种酶及蛋白质给予固定,与蛋白质的最大结合量为558mg/g,固定糖化酶时的活力回收达84%;此固化酶对淀粉的转化率达93%,当加入一定量的间苯二酚,可得改性的PF凝胶,其性能又有提高,可见PF凝胶为新型的酶的固定化优良载体.     

嘉黎牦牛和荷斯坦牛4项红细胞酶活性的测定

测定了西藏嘉黎牦牛和南京荷斯坦牛血液红细胞中乳酸脱氢酶 (LDH)、碱性磷酸酶 (AKP)、过氧化氢酶 (CAT)、超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD)等 4项酶的活性 ,结果分别为LDH 2 5 5 2 3 1 6± 71 4 0 3和 2 1 2 74 96± 6638 1 6(nmol s) ,AKP 4 4 4 4± 1 2 81和 36 5 3± 1 1 31 (nmol s) ,CAT 1 0 2 73± 32 2 2和 63 0 8± 1 2 4 7(U gHb) ,SOD 1 3979 1 6± 2 873 84和 92 85 37± 2 880 60 (U gHb)。西藏嘉黎牦牛的CAT和SOD极显著高于荷斯坦牛 (P <0 0 1 ) ;而LDH和AKP显著高于荷斯坦牛 (P <0 0 5 )。     

Bile Acids as Modulators of Enzyme Activity and Stability

Bile acids deactivate certain enzymes, such as prolyl endopeptidases (PEPs), which are investigated as candidates for protease-based therapy for celiac sprue. Deactivation by bile acids presents a problem for therapeutic enzymes targetted to function in the upper intestine. However, enzyme deactivation by bile acids is not a general phenomenon. Trypsin and chymotrypsin are not deactivated by bile acids. In fact, these pancreatic enzymes are more efficient at cleaving large dietary substrates in the presence of bile acids. We targeted the origin of the apparently different effect of bile acids on prolyl endopeptidases and pancreatic enzymes by examining the effect of bile acids on the kinetics of cleavage of small substrates, and by determining the effect of bile acids on the thermodynamic stabilities of these enzymes. Physiological amounts (5 mM) of cholic acid decrease the thermodynamic stability of Flavobacterium meningosepticum PEP from 18.5 ± 2 kcal/mol to 10.5 ± 1 kcal/mol, while thermostability of trypsin and chymotrypsin is unchanged. Trypsin and chymotrypsin activation by bile and PEP deactivation can both be explained in terms of a common mechanism: bile acid-mediated protein destabilization. Bile acids, usually considered non-denaturing surfactants, in this case act as a destabilizing agent on PEP thus deactivating the enzyme. However, this level of global thermodynamic destabilization does not account for a more than 50% decrease in enzyme activity, suggesting that bile acids most likely modulate enzyme activity through specific local interactions.     

自发NIDDM中国地鼠血液相关酶及蛋白的变化研究

本研究测定了自发NIDDM 近交系中国地鼠的血液相关酶的六项指标及蛋白变化的2项指标,并于正常对照近交系进行了对比,结果显示:血液相关酶的五项指标及总蛋白的变化明显高于正常对照近交系。(P< 0-01) 。提示:自发NIDDM 近交系中国地鼠发病以后,糖代谢、蛋白代谢出现异常。     

Correlation between Polymorphism of the Genes for Transferrin and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme and Antioxidant Activity of Blood Plasma

In 75 male and 46 female subjects of an urban population (93% Russians) and in 38 males and 40 females of a rural population (87% Russians), the antioxidant activity (AOA) of blood plasma was determined from the plasma ability to reduce the yield of products interacting with thiobarbituric acid in the model lecithin–Fe²⁺ ion system. In the urban population, the loci TF(AvaI in exon5) and ACE (I/D polymorphism of the Alu repeat in intron16) were studied in 130 and 141 subjects, respectively. Of them, 102 and 111 subjects, respectively, were examined for AOA. In the rural population, the corresponding sample sizes were 75 and 76 (73 and 74 subjects were examined for AOA). The polymorphic loci of the urban and rural populations did not differ in the allele frequencies. In both populations Hardy–Weinberg and gametic equilibria were observed. The contributions of the TF and ACE genes to AOA variation in the combined sample from the urban and rural populations were 0.6 and 0.5%, respectively.     

Transgenic Rice as a Vehicle for the Production of the Industrial Enzyme Transglutaminase

Transglutaminases have a range of catalytic activities, most of which concern the post-translational modification of proteins. The most important of these activities is the cross-linking of proteins into large supramolecular networks. The widespread use of transglutaminases has increased the demand for an inexpensive, efficient and safe source of recombinant enzyme. We explored the use of plant-based systems for the production of this important industrial enzyme. Transgenic rice plants engineered with a rat prostate transglutaminase (rTGp), driven by the strong constitutive maize-1 ubiquitin promoter and its first intron, were shown to express the recombinant enzyme at the mRNA and protein levels. The Ca2+ dependence of the recombinant enzyme was confirmed by the biotin-labelled cadaverine-incorporation assay. In this communication we report the molecular and biochemical characterisation of transgenic plants expressing rTGp and this sets the stage for establishing a bioreactor system for the production of transglutaminases in plants.     

Enzyme localization as a mechanism of apparent active transport

A model based on enzyme localization is developed which gives rise to an apparent active transport of a metabolite into or out of cells. The model is applied to three simple situations, using Fick's equation and the Rashevsky approximation. It is shown that the apparent efficiency can be made as large as desired if, for constant reaction, the outer cell region is made sufficiently small, or, for autocatalytic reaction, if the metabolite concentration in the outer region is sufficiently small. The physical limitations imposed by this mechanism are developed for all three situations.