Inactivation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) by Porphyromonas gingivalis

In response to periodontal inflammation, host cells release matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that contribute to periodontal tissue breakdown unless the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) neutralize their activity. In this study, the capacity of Porphyromonas gingivalis to inactivate TIMP-1 was investigated. Proteolytic digestion of TIMP-1 was monitored by SDS-PAGE and Western immunoblotting. Planktonic cells and biofilms of P. gingivalis degraded TIMP-1 with production of several lower molecular mass fragments. Incorporation of human serum in the assay mixture had no effect on the degradation of TIMP-1 by P. gingivalis, whereas a cysteine proteinase inhibitor caused a complete inhibition. Using a fluorogenic assay, it was found that TIMP-1 treated with P. gingivalis lost its capacity to inhibit MMP-9 activity. This study revealed the potential of P. gingivalis to inactivate TIMP-1 through proteolytic degradation. This phenomenon may contribute to increasing significantly the level of active MMPs in affected periodontal sites and subsequently favor tissue destruction.     

Cleavage of C3 by a neutral cysteine proteinase of Entamoeba histolytica

The major secreted proteinase of Entamoeba histolytica, a 56-kDa neutral cysteine proteinase, activates C by cleaving C3. The action of the proteinase is similar to C-derived C3 convertases because it produces a single cleavage of the alpha-chain in a dose- and time-dependent manner and cleaves C3 between residues 78 and 79, only one amino acid residue distal to the natural site acted on by the C3 convertases. C3a generation was detected by RIA. The 105-kDa fragment produced by the cleavage of the alpha-chain was structurally and functionally equivalent to the alpha'-chain of C3b, as demonstrated by susceptibility to the action of factors I and H and participation in the activation of the alternative pathway of C. Activation of C by the 56-kDa neutral cysteine proteinase may play a role in the early inflammatory response in amebic lesions and thus contribute to the pathogenesis of invasive amebiasis.     

Purification and characterization of a novel cysteine proteinase (periodontain) from Porphyromonas gingivalis. Evidence for a role in the inactivation of human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor

Periodontal disease is characterized by inflammation of the periodontium manifested by recruitment of neutrophils, which can degranulate, releasing powerful proteinases responsible for destruction of connective tissues, and eventual loss of tooth attachment. Although the presence of host proteinase inhibitors (serpins) should minimize tissue damage by endogenous proteinases, this is not seen clinically, and it has been speculated that proteolytic inactivation of serpins may contribute to progression of the disease. A major pathogen associated with periodontal disease is the Gram-negative anaerobe Porphyromonas gingivalis, and in this report, we describe a novel proteinase that has been isolated from culture supernatants of this organism that is capable of inactivating the human serpin, alpha1-proteinase inhibitor, the primary endogenous regulator of human neutrophil elastase. This new enzyme, referred to as periodontain, belongs to the cysteine proteinase family based on inhibition studies and exists as a 75-kDa heterodimer. Furthermore, periodontain shares significant homology to streptopain, a proteinase from Streptococcus pyogenes, and prtT, a putative proteinase from P. gingivalis. Clearly, the presence of this enzyme, which rapidly inactivates alpha1-proteinase inhibitor, could result in elevated levels of human neutrophil elastase clinically detected in periodontal disease and should be considered as a potential virulence factor for P. gingivalis.     

Involvement of arginine-specific cysteine proteinase (Arg-gingipain) in fimbriation of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Arginine-specific cysteine proteinase (Arg-gingipain [RGP], a major proteinase secreted from the oral anaerobic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis, is encoded by two separate genes (rgpA and rgpB) on the P. gingivalis chromosome and widely implicated as an important virulence factor in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease (K. Nakayama, T. Kadowaki, K. Okamoto, and K. Yamamoto, J. Biol. Chem. 270:23619-23626, 1995). In this study, we investigated the role of RGP in the formation of P. gingivalis fimbriae which are thought to mediate adhesion of the organism to the oral surface by use of the rgp mutants. Electron microscopic observation revealed that the rgpA rgpB double (RGP-null) mutant possessed very few fimbriae on the cell surface, whereas the number of fimbriae of the rgpA or rgpB mutant was similar to that of the wild-type parent strain. The rgpB+ revertants that were isolated from the double mutant and recovered 20 to 40% of RGP activity of the wild-type parent possessed as many fimbriae as the wild-type parent, indicating that RGP significantly contributes to the fimbriation of P. gingivalis as well as to the degradation of various host proteins, disturbance of host defense mechanisms, and hemagglutination. Immunoblot analysis of cell extracts of these mutants with antifimbrilin antiserum revealed that the rgpA rgpB double mutant produced small amounts of two immunoreactive proteins with molecular masses of 45 and 43 kDa, corresponding to those of the precursor and mature forms of fimbrilin, respectively. The result suggests that RGP may function as a processing proteinase for fimbrilin maturation. In addition, a precursor form of the 75-kDa protein, one of the major outer membrane proteins of P. gingivalis, was accumulated in the rgpA rgpB double mutant but not in the single mutants and the revertants, suggesting an extensive role for RGP in the maturation of some of the cell surface proteins.     

Degradation of Host Heme Proteins by Lysine- and Arginine-Specific Cysteine Proteinases (Gingipains) of Porphyromonas gingivalis

Porphyromonas gingivalis can use hemoglobin bound to haptoglobin and heme complexed to hemopexin as heme sources; however, the mechanism by which hemin is released from these proteins has not been defined. In the present study, using a variety of analytical methods, we demonstrate that lysine-specific cysteine proteinase of P. gingivalis (gingipain K, Kgp) can efficiently cleave hemoglobin, hemopexin, haptoglobin, and transferrin. Degradation of hemopexin and transferrin in human serum by Kgp was also detected; however, we did not observe extensive degradation of hemoglobin in serum by Kgp. Likewise the beta-chain of haptoglobin was partially protected from degradation by Kgp in a haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex. Arginine-specific gingipains (gingipains R) were also found to degrade hemopexin and transferrin in serum; however, this was observed only at relatively high concentrations of these enzymes. Growth of P. gingivalis strain A7436 in a minimal media with normal human serum as a source of heme correlated not only with the ability of the organism to degrade hemoglobin, haptoglobin, hemopexin, and transferrin but also with an increase in gingipain K and gingipain R activity. The ability of gingipain K to cleave hemoglobin, haptoglobin, and hemopexin may provide P. gingivalis with a usable source of heme for growth and may contribute to the proliferation of P. gingivalis within periodontal pockets in which erythrocytes are abundant.     

Isolation and characterization of a novel and potent inhibitor of Arg-gingipain from Streptomyces sp. strain FA-70

Arg-gingipain (Rgp) is a major cysteine proteinase produced by the oral bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is a major pathogen of advanced periodontal diseases. This enzyme is important for the bacterium both to exhibit its virulence and to survive in periodontal pockets. The development of Rgp inhibitors thus provides new therapeutic approaches to periodontal diseases. In this study, we first isolated and purified a novel and potent inhibitor of Rgp from the culture supernatant of Streptomyces species strain FA-70, now designated as FA-70C1. This compound was found to be an antipain analog composed of phenylalanyl-ureido-citrullinyl-valinyl-cycloarginal (C27H43N9O7). The Ki value was calculated to be 4.5x10(-9) M when benzyloxycarbonyl-phenylalanyl-arginine-4-methly-coumaryl-7-amide was used as a substrate. This compound also inhibited cathepsins B, L, and H, though their Ki values were much higher than that of Rgp. FA-70C1 had little or no inhibitory activity on Lys-gingipain, another cysteine proteinase of P. gingivalis. The Rgp-induced degradation of various human proteins was completely blocked by this inhibitor. Disruption of both the bactericidal activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and the viability of human fibroblasts and umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by the culture supernatant of P. gingivalis was suppressed by the inhibitor in a dose-dependent manner. The enhancement of vascular permeability induced by in vivo administration of the culture supernatant of P. gingivalis was strongly inhibited by the inhibitor. Furthermore, the growth of P. gingivalis was suppressed by FA-70C1 in a dose-dependent manner. These results strongly suggest that FA-70C1 is a useful tool to prevent the virulence of P. gingivalis.     

Purification and characterization of two forms of a high-molecular-weight cysteine proteinase (porphypain) from Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, and organism implicated in the etiology and pathogenesis of human periodontal diseases, produces a variety of potent proteolytic enzymes, and it has been suggested that these enzymes play a direct role in the destruction of periodontal tissues. We now report that two cell-associated cysteine proteinases of P. gingivalis W12, with molecular masses of approximately 150 kDa (porphypain-1) and 120 kDa (porphypain-2), as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, have been separated and purified to apparent homogeneity. These proteinases appear to be SDS-stable conformational variants of a 180-kDa enzyme, and they are the largest cysteine proteinases yet purified from P. gingivalis. The purified proteinases hydrolyze fibrinogen, tosyl-Gly-L-Pro-L-Arg p-nitroanilide, and tosyl-Gly-L-Pro-L-Lys p-nitroanilide. While hydrolysis of both synthetic substrates by porphypain-1 and -2 requires activation by reducing agents, is inhibited by EDTA, and is stimulated in the presence of derivatives of glycine, the Arg-amidolytic activity is sensitive to leupeptin and H-D-tyrosyl-L-prolyl-L-arginyl chloromethyl ketone, whereas the Lys-amidolytic activity is sensitive to tosyl-L-lysyl chloromethyl ketone and insensitive to leupeptin. These data suggest that porphypains contain two types of active sites. These cell-associated P. gingivalis proteinases may contribute significantly and directly to periodontal tissue destruction.     

Heat shock protein 60 (GroEL) from Porphyromonas gingivalis: Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of its gene and purification of the recombinant protein

Abstract Porphyromonas gingivalis is associated with human periodontal disease. We cloned and sequenced the gene for heat shock protein 60 (GroEL, HSP60) from P. gingivalis FDC381. The identified clone carried a 2.6 kb DNA fragment which contained two open reading frames (ORFs) encoding a 9.6- and a 58.4-kDa protein. The translated amino acid sequence of these ORFs showed a high degree of homology with known sequences for GroES and GroEL from several bacterial species and humans. Escherichia coli carrying this clone expressed a 65-kDa protein which was recognized by anti- Mycobacterium leprae HSP60 monoclonal antibody. We purified the 65-kDa protein by DEAE-sepharose chromatography and hydroxyapatite chromatography. This protein was immunogenic and was recognized by sera from a number of patients with periodontal disease. This immunological reactivity and the existence of molecular mimicry between the P. gingivalis GroEL and other HSP homologs may indicate an important role for this molecule in periodontal lesion.     

Hemoglobinase Activity of the Lysine Gingipain Protease (Kgp) of Porphyromonas gingivalis W83

Porphyromonas gingivalis, an important periodontal disease pathogen, forms black-pigmented colonies on blood agar. Pigmentation is believed to result from accumulation of iron protoporphyrin IX (FePPIX) derived from erythrocytic hemoglobin. The Lys-X (Lys-gingipain) and Arg-X (Arg-gingipain) cysteine proteases of P. gingivalis bind and degrade erythrocytes. We have observed that mutations abolishing activity of the Lys-X-specific cysteine protease, Kgp, resulted in loss of black pigmentation of P. gingivalis W83. Because the hemagglutinating and hemolytic potentials of mutant strains were reduced but not eliminated, we hypothesized that this protease played a role in acquisition of FePPIX from hemoglobin. In contrast to Arg-gingipain, Lys-gingipain was not inhibited by hemin, suggesting that this protease played a role near the cell surface where high concentrations of hemin confer the black pigmentation. Human hemoglobin contains 11 Lys residues in the alpha chain and 10 Lys residues in the beta chain. In contrast, there are only three Arg residues in each of the alpha and beta chains. These observations are consistent with human hemoglobin being a preferred substrate for Lys-gingipain but not Arg-gingipain. The ability of the Lys-gingipain to cleave human hemoglobin at Lys residues was confirmed by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry of hemoglobin fragments resulting from digestion with the purified protease. We were able to detect several of the predicted hemoglobin fragments rendered by digestion with purified Lys-gingipain. Thus, we postulate that the Lys-gingipain of P. gingivalis is a hemoglobinase which plays a role in heme and iron uptake by effecting the accumulation of FePPIX on the bacterial cell surface.     

Phylogeny of regulatory proteins of the complement system. Isolation and characterization of a C4b/C3b inhibitor and a cofactor from sand bass plasma

We have previously demonstrated that the alpha'-chain of human activated form of the fourth (C4b) and third (C3b) component of C are cleaved by plasma or serum from vertebrate species spanning through 300,000,000 yr of evolution yielding fragments identical with those obtained with human plasma. In this study, we investigated the molecular basis of this reaction. We chose barred sand bass plasma because this is the most primitive species analyzed possessing these activities. Barred sand bass plasma proteins were separated on a Sephadex G-200 column and the eluted samples analyzed for C4b and C3b cleavage. Individual fractions were inactive, but degradation was obtained when proteins of 380 and 155 kDa were combined. In contrast to the human regulatory proteins, the sand bass proteins require Ca2+ ions. K76COOH, an inhibitor of human factor I, inhibited the function of the 155-kDa but not of the 380 kDa-fraction. Thus it appears that the 155-kDa fraction functions as the C4b/C3b cleaving enzyme (I) and the 380-kDa material as its cofactor. Further purification of the 380-kDa fraction yielded a protein that by SDS-PAGE consisted of two noncovalently linked subunits of 110 and 42 kDa at a molecular ratio of 2:1. These two chains were antigenically distinct, and constitute domains of the same protein. The 110-kDa peptide binds C4b and not C3b but it fully expresses the cofactor function for the 155-kDa fraction on the cleavage of both C4b and C3b. Limited tryptic digestion of the 110-kDa domain demonstrated C4b binding activity in fragments of 34, 25, and 23 kDa. The activity of the 34-kDa fragment was the same as that of the undigested protein. Comparison of the amino acid composition of the barred sand bass cofactor and of human C4bp shows similar high content of cysteine and proline but not of tryptophan. It differs from human factor H in cysteine, serine, proline, and tryptophan. These studies indicate that regulatory proteins for the C4b and C3b C fragments may have appeared very early phylogenetically.     

Cleavage of human C5 by trypsin: characterization of the digestion products by gel electrophoresis.

Human C5 is composed of two nonidentical polypeptide chains, alpha and beta (m.w. 130,000 and 80,000, respectively) linked together by disulfide bonds and noncovalent forces. Cleavage of C5 by trypsin fragments with increased anodic mobilities. Limited digestion of C5 by trypsin (substrate to enzyme ratio 10:1 w/w at 37 degrees C for 1 min) resulted in the release of a small terminal alpha-chain peptide (alpha1, m.w. 15,000) probably analogous to C5a, from a large fragment, C5b (m.w. 195,000) composed of an intact beta-chain disulfide linked to an alpha-chain that has a lower m.w. (alpha' 115,000). Further digestion (37 degrees C, 5 min) resulted in cleavage of the alpha-chain at multiple sites with the production of three peptides from the alpha'-chain (alpha2I, 23,500; alpha2II 15,700 and alpha2III 10,200) and a residual fragment, C5c (m.w. 144,000). The alpha1 and alpha2 peptides are not covalently linked to the beta-chain nor to one another. The C5c fragment on the other hand is composed of small peptides of the alpha'c chain (alpha3 14,000; alpha4I 9,000; ALPHA 4II 11,000; alpha 5 23,000 to 30,000) which are linked to the beta-chain and also probably to one another by covalent bonds. Secondary cleavage occurred upon prolonged digestion with trypsin (37 degrees C, 20 min), and this resulted in the progressive erosion of the alpha'c peptides and the conversion of C5c to smaller C5c-like species.     

Degradation of lactoferrin by periodontitis-associated bacteria

Abstract The degradation of human lactoferrin by putative periodontopathogenic bacteria was examined. Fragments of lactoferrin were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and measured by densitometry. The degradation of lactoferrin was more extensive by Porphyromonas gingivalis and Capnocytophaga sputigena , slow by Capnocytophaga ochracea , Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Prevotella intermedia , and very slow or absent by Prevotella nigrescens , Campylobacter rectus, Campylobacter sputorum, Fusobacterium nucleatum ssp. nucleatum, Capnocytophaga gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus and Peptostreptococcus micros . All strains of P. gingivalis tested degraded lactoferrin. The degradation was sensitive to protease inhibitors, cystatin C and albumin. The degradation by C. sputigena was not affected by the protease inhibitors and the detected lactoferrin fragments exhibited electrophoretic mobilities similar to those ascribed to deglycosylated forms of lactoferrin. Furthermore a weak or absent reactivity of these fragments with sialic acid-specific lectin suggested that they are desialylated. The present data indicate that certain bacteria colonizing the periodontal pocket can degrade lactoferrin. The presence of other human proteins as specific inhibitors and/or as substrate competitors may counteract this degradation process.     

Production of C5a by ASP, a serine protease released from Aeromonas sobria

Aeromonas sobria causes pus and edema at sites of infection. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects have not been elucidated. C5a, the amino-terminal fragment of the complement 5th component (C5), mimics these events. To investigate the involvement of C5a in the pathophysiology of A. sobria infection, we examined release of C5a from human C5 by a serine protease (ASP), a putative virulence factor secreted by this bacterium. C5 incubated with enzymatically active ASP induced neutrophil migration in a dose-dependent manner from an ASP concentration of 3 nM and in an incubation time-dependent manner in as little as 7 min, with neutrophil accumulation in guinea pigs at intradermal injection sites and neutrophil superoxide release. These effects on neutrophils were inhibited by a C5a-receptor antagonist. The ASP incubation mixture with C5 but not C3 elicited vascular leakage in a dose- and incubation time-dependent manner, which was inhibited by a histamine H(1)-receptor antagonist. Together with these C5a-like activities, ASP cleaved C5 to release only one C5a Ag, the m.w. of which was similar to that of C5a. Immunoblotting using an anti-C5a Ab revealed generation of a C5a-like fragment from human plasma incubated with ASP. These results suggest that ASP-elicited neutrophil migration and vascular leakage via C5a production from C5 could occur in vivo, which was supported by that ASP did not affect functions of C5a and neutrophil C5a receptor. Through C5a generation, ASP could be associated with the induction of pus and edema caused by infection with this bacterium.     

Autoproteolysis of the Extracellular Serine Proteinase of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris Wg2

The molecular masses of purified extracellular serine proteinase of a number of Lactococcus lactis strains vary significantly, and these molecular mass values do not correspond to the values estimated on the basis of genetic data. The discrepancies can only partially be explained by N-terminal processing during maturation of the precursor enzyme and by C-terminal cleaving during the release from the cell envelope. With a monoclonal antibody that binds in the active site region of the L. lactis proteinase, the processing of the released proteinase was followed. At 30°C the proteinase was degraded with a concomitant loss of β-casein hydrolytic activity. In the presence of CaCl₂, proteinase degradation was inhibited, and new degradation products were detected. The specific serine proteinase inhibitors phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropylfluorophosphate also inhibited proteinase degradation. Two major high-molecular-mass proteinase fragments (165 and 90 kDa) were found to have the same N-terminal amino acid sequence as the mature proteinase, i.e., [Asp-1-Ala-2-Lys-3-Ala-4-Asn-5-Ser-6, indicating that both fragments were formed by cleavage at the C terminus. The N terminus of a proteinase fragment with low molecular mass (58 kDa) started with Gln-215. In this fragment part of the active site region was eliminated, suggesting that it is proteolytically inactive. Unlike larger fragments, this 58-kDa fragment remained intact after prolonged incubations. These results indicate that autoproteolysis of the L. lactis subsp. cremoris Wg2 proteinase ultimately leads to inactivation of the proteinase by deletion of the active site region.     

Purification and characterization of a 50-kDa cysteine proteinase (gingipain) from Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic rod, has been closely associated with the initiation and progression of periodontal disease. This organism has been shown to produce a large number of proteolytic enzymes which can degrade a variety of tissue proteins, and these are considered to be major virulence factors. One of the proteinases produced by this organism, referred to as gingipain-1, has been purified to homogeneity from P. gingivalis culture medium by a combination of gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The enzyme was found to have a molecular mass near 50 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a pH optimum in the neutral to alkaline range, and a requirement for cysteine for activation and Ca2+ for stabilization. Amino-terminal sequence analysis indicated that gingipain belongs to a new, so far unknown, subfamily of cysteine proteinases. Three unusual features of this proteinase are: (a) the stimulation of amidolytic activity by glycine-containing dipeptides; (b) a narrow specificity which is limited to peptide bonds containing arginine residues; and (c) resistance to inhibition by proteinase inhibitors in human plasma.     

Extensive digestion of Na+,K(+)-ATPase by specific and nonspecific proteases with preservation of cation occlusion sites.

This paper extends our recent report that renal Na+,K(+)-ATPase is digested by trypsin in the absence of Ca2+ and presence of Rb+ ions to a stable 19-kDa fragment and smaller membrane-embedded fragments of the alpha chain and essentially intact beta chain. These are referred to as "19-kDa membranes." Occlusion of both Rb+ (K+) or Na+ ions is preserved, but ATP-dependent functions are lost (Karlish, S. J. D., Goldshleger, R., and Stein, W. D. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 4566-4570). We now show that extensive digestion with nonselective fungal proteases (Pronase and proteinase K) alone, in combination, or after tryptic digestion can remove up to 70% of membrane protein without destroying Rb+ occlusion. In the most heavily digested membranes, the 19-kDa fragment or a slightly shorter 18.5-kDa fragment and smaller fragments of the alpha chain remain, whereas the beta chain is largely digested, leaving smaller membrane-embedded fragments (13-15 kDa). For either trypsin or Pronase digestion, preservation of Rb+ occlusion and the specific fragmentation pattern is observed only in the absence of divalent metal ions (Mg2+ or Ca2+) and presence of either Rb+ or Na+ or congener ions. Tryptic digestion at pH 7.0 can split the beta chain into two fragments of approximately 50 and 16 kDa joined by an S-S bridge. The 16-kDa fragment is protected against further digestion by the presence of Rb+ ions, but probably is not directly involved in occluding cations. Tryptic 19-kDa membranes show a clear and reproducible fragmentation pattern in which all predicted membrane segments are identifiable. Families of fragments from 19-kDa membranes, including seven peptides of 7.6-11.7 kDa, have been separated by size-exclusion high performance liquid chromatography, concentrated, and resolved on 16.5% Tricine gels. N-terminal sequences of the different fragments have been determined after transfer to polyvinylidene difluoride paper. The most interesting findings are as follows. (a) Whereas the 19-kDa tryptic fragment begins at Asn831 as reported previously, the 18.5-kDa Pronase fragment begins at Thr834. (b) Fragments in tryptic 19-kDa membranes of 7.6-11.7 kDa begin at Asp68, Ile263, and Gln737, respectively. These include all putative transmembrane segments other than those in the 19-kDa fragment. (c) A Pronase fragment of 7.8 kDa begins at Thr834, i.e. apparently the 19-kDa fragment has been partially cut, without loss of Rb+ occlusion. (d) Tryptic 16- and approximately 50-kDa fragments of the beta chain begin at Ala5 and Gly143, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Identification of a spectrally stable proteolytic fragment of human neutrophil flavocytochrome b composed of the NH2-terminal regions of gp91(phox) and p22(phox)

A heme-bearing polypeptide core of human neutrophil flavocytochrome b(558) was isolated by applying high performance, size exclusion, liquid chromatography to partially purified Triton X-100-solubilized flavocytochrome b that had been exposed to endoproteinase Glu-C for 1 h. The fragment was composed of two polypeptides of 60-66 and 17 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and retained a native heme absorbance spectrum that was stable for several days when stored at 4 degrees C in detergent-containing buffer. These properties suggested that the majority of the flavocytochrome b heme environment remained intact. Continued digestion up to 4.5 h yielded several heme-associated fragments that were variable in composition between experiments. Digestion beyond 4.5 h resulted in a gradual loss of recoverable heme. N-Linked deglycosylation and reduction and alkylation of the 1-h digestion fragment did not affect the electrophoretic mobility of the 17-kDa fragment but reduced the 60-66-kDa fragment to 39 kDa. Sequence and immunoblot analyses identified the fragments as the NH(2)-terminal 320-363 amino acid residues of gp91(phox) and the NH(2)-terminal 169-171 amino acid residues of p22(phox). These findings provide direct evidence that the primarily hydrophobic NH(2)-terminal regions of flavocytochrome b are responsible for heme ligation.     

Conformational transitions in the myosin head induced by temperature, nucleotide and actin. Studies on subfragment-1 of myosins from rabbit and frog fast skeletal muscle with a limited proteolysis method

Tryptic digestion patterns reveal a close similarity of the substructure of frog subfragment-1 (S1) to that established for rabbit S1. The 97-kDa heavy chain of chymotryptic S1 of frog myosin is preferentially cleaved into three fragments with apparent molecular masses of 29 kDa, 49 kDa and 20 kDa. These fragments correspond to the 27-kDa, 50-kDa and 20-kDa fragments of rabbit S1, respectively; this is indicated by the sequence of their appearance during digestion, by the suppression by actin of the generation of the 49-kDa and 20-kDa peptides, and by a nucleotide-promoted cleavage of the 29-kDa peptide to a 24-kDa fragment and the 49-kDa peptide to a 44-kDa fragment, analogous to the nucleotide-promoted cleavage of the 27-kDa and 50-kDa fragments of rabbit S1 to the 22-kDa and 45-kDa peptides. The same changes in the digestion patterns as those produced by the presence of nucleotide (ATP or its beta,gamma-imido analog AdoP P[NH]P) at 25 degrees C were observed when the digestion was carried out at 0 degrees C in the absence of nucleotide. The low-temperature-induced changes were particularly well seen in the preparations from frog myosin. The presence of ATP or AdoP P[NH]P at 0 degrees C enhanced, whereas the complex formation with actin prevented, the low-temperature-induced changes. The results are consistent with there being two fundamental conformational states of the myosin head in an equilibrium that is dependent on the temperature, the nucleotide bound at the active site, and the presence or absence of actin.     

The nature of the 5''-linked 5'' nucleotide sequence at the 5'' end of rabbit globin messenger ribonucleic acid.

Poly(A)-containing messenger RNA isolated from rabbit reticulocytes as estimated by periodate oxidation and condensation with [3H]isoniazid has two oxidizable end groups per molecule of mol. wt. 220000. When the mRNA is subjected to stepwise degradation by beta-elimination, only one oxidizable end-group is found. This indicates that one of the 2',3' hydroxyl end-groups is linked through the normal 3'--5' phosphodiester bond, but that the other is linked in such a way that after stepwise degradation no new 2',3 hydroxyl group is revealed. This structure could be a 5'-linked 5'-phospho di- or tri-ester. On digestion with ribonuclease the isoniazid-labelled RNA produced oligonucleotide hydrazones consistent with a poly(A) sequence at the 3' end plus fragments that are not found after stepwise degradation. These fragments have a charge of --6 and --8 from pancreatic ribonuclease or --7 from ribonuclease T1 digestion. These charges are changed to --3.4 and --4.1 after pancreatic ribonuclease, ribonuclease T2 and alkaline phosphatase digestion. methyl-3H-labelled-poly(A)-containing RNA isolated from late erythroid cells contain a methyl-labelled fragment resistant to endonuclease and phosphodiesterase II digestion. After digestion with phosphodiesterase I this fragment produces methyl-3 H-labelled nucleotides with the electrophoretic mobility of pm7G and pAm. It is concluded that globin mRNA has the 5' sequences m7G(5')ppp'AmpYpGp ... and m7G(5')pppAmpApGpYp.     

Identification of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of epithelial cells as a second molecule that binds to Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae

Binding of Porphyromonas gingivalis to the host cells is an essential step in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. P. gingivalis binds to and invades epithelial cells, and fimbriae are thought to be involved in this process. In our earlier studies, two major epithelial cell components of 40 and 50 kDa were identified as potential fimbrial receptors. Sequencing of a cyanogen bromide digestion fragment of the 50-kDa component resulted in an internal sequence identical to keratin I molecules, and hence this cytokeratin represents one of the epithelial cell receptors for P. gingivalis fimbriae. In this study, the 40-kDa component of KB cells was isolated and its amino-terminal sequence determined. The N-terminal amino sequence was found to be GKVKVGVNGF and showed perfect homology with human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Furthermore, purified P. gingivalis fimbriae were found to bind to rabbit muscle GAPDH. Antibodies directed against internal peptide 49-68 and 69-90 of fimbrillin were shown to inhibit the binding of P. gingivalis and of fimbriae to epithelial cells. Antibodies against these peptides also inhibited the binding of fimbriae to GAPDH. Our results confirmed that the amino-terminal domain corresponding to amino residues 49-68 of the fimbrillin protein is the major GAPDH binding domain. These studies point to GAPDH as a major receptor for P. gingivalis major fimbriae and, as such, GAPDH likely plays a role in P. gingivalis adherence and colonization of the oral cavity, as well as triggering host cell processes involved in the pathogenesis of P. gingivalis infections.