植物种子的蛋白酶抑制剂及其生理功能

介绍了植物种子蛋白酶抑制剂的分布、性质、作用机理,及其在种子发育和萌发过程中的合成、降解、生理功能和与植物激素的关系。     

组织蛋白酶及其抑制剂研究进展

组织蛋白酶是半胱氨酸蛋白酶家族的主要成员,在生物界已发现20余种,人体中主要存在11种,它们与人类肿瘤、骨质疏松、关节炎等多种重大疾病密切相关,是近年来备受关注的一类靶标蛋白酶。自从20世纪90年代以来,多种组织蛋白酶的晶体结构陆续明确,有关其研究进展较快。本文以人类组织蛋白酶为重点,主要介绍近15年来组织蛋白酶结构、功能和抑制剂研究方面的一些重要进展。     

蛋白酶抑制剂的多聚体化对其生理功能的影响

蛋白酶抑制剂是体内蛋白酶催化活性的主要调节因子,它可以结合蛋白酶分子并抑制其生理活性.蛋白酶抑制剂在消化、凝血、酚氧化酶级联反应、细胞迁移、炎症反应等多种生理过程中发挥重要功能.近年来研究发现,部分蛋白酶抑制剂在生物体内以多聚体的形式存在并行使功能,多聚体化会影响蛋白酶抑制剂的高级结构及生物活性,从而调控其在癌症、血管...     

Kunitz 型丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂结构与功能研究

蛋白酶抑制剂在酶学及蛋白质的结构与功能关系研究中有重要意义,Kunitz型丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂是其中最重要的,也是研究最广泛的蛋白酶抑制剂之一．该类蛋白酶抑制剂三维结构高度保守：由一个明显的疏水核心、三对高度保守的二硫键桥、三链β-折叠和一个N端3 10螺旋及一个C端α-螺旋组成．3对二硫键对分子空间结构的稳定起着非常重要的作用．这一类型抑制剂有5个主要的活性位点：P1、P1’、P3、P3’、P4,它们都位于一个溶剂暴露的环上．P1位点是抑制作用的关键活性位点,抑制剂的专一性由P1位点氨基酸残基的性质决定;P1’位点氨基酸残基的侧链大小对抑制剂．酶的结合常数有很大影响,用大的侧链残基取代会导致结合常数降低;P4位点残基被取代经常产生负效应,会导致活性区域环的构象发生很大改变,从而影响酶与抑制剂的结合．     

野生型和突变型荞麦蛋白酶抑制剂的活性比较及抗肿瘤功能分析

运用定点突变技术研究重组荞麦胰蛋白酶抑制剂(rBTI)的作用位点,先后构建了R45A-aBTI 和R45F-fBTI 两个突变体．抑制活性测定显示,aBTI 和fBTI 均丧失了胰蛋白酶抑制活性,却分别增加了对弹性蛋白酶和胰凝乳蛋白酶的抑制活性,确定Arg⁴⁵为野生型rBTI 的作用位点．稳定性分析表明,rBTI、aBTI 和fBTI 均具有很高的热稳定性及酸碱稳定性．采用MTT 比色法分别检测野生型和突变型抑制剂对肿瘤细胞生长的抑制作用．结果表明,突变前后的3种抑制剂对HL-60 和EC9706 细胞的生长均显示出很强的抑制作用,并且具有明显的浓度依赖性和时间依赖性．通过研究不仅确定了rBTI 的作用位点,而且获得了两种新型蛋白酶抑制剂,且作用位点的改变并不影响其对肿瘤细胞的生长抑制作用．为进一步研究胰蛋白酶抑制剂的结构与功能的关系以及抗肿瘤药物的研制提供了新的思路．     

基质金属蛋白酶及其组织抑制剂研究进展

基质金属蛋白酶家族是细胞外基质降解过程中的重要酶类,组织金属蛋白酶抑制剂是基质金属蛋白酶的天然抑制物。研究证实,细胞外基质中基质金属蛋白酶及其组织抑制剂的失衡与多种病理机制有关,尤其与肿瘤的侵袭和转移密切相关。本就基质金属蛋白酶及其组织抑制剂的性质、结构以及功能进行了综述。     

一种快速检测蛋白酶抑制剂电泳活性的染色方法

根据特异蛋白酶抑制剂抑制靶蛋白酶的作用而阻止水解的原理 ,借助明胶 聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分离样品 ,胶板经蛋白酶水解后 ,以考马斯亮蓝染色 ,建立了一种简便、直观、灵敏的检测蛋白酶 (胰蛋白酶 )抑制剂活性的染色方法 ,可以进行大量样品的筛选工作     

蛋白酶抑制剂抗虫基因工程研究进展

综述了蛋白酶抑制剂分类、作用机理、自身优势以及研究进展。根据当前的研究现状、存在问题 ,提出了解决措施 ,并对蛋白酶抑制剂的研究前景进行了展望     

绢丝昆虫蛋白酶抑制剂研究进展

主要论述了绢丝昆虫体液蛋白酶抑制剂和茧丝蛋白酶抑制剂的分子生物学,遗传规律以及生理意义等,并展望绢丝昆虫蛋白酶抑剂的潜在应用前景。     

Structural requirements for biologically active jasmonates: Induction of protease inhibitors and cotyledon senescence

Methyl jasmonate and jasmonate isomers were resolved for studies in stereoselectivity of biological action. Chemical modifications included fluorination at the chiral C7 carbon, trifluorination at the C12 of the pentenyl sidechain, shortening of this pentenyl to a butenyl moiety, and synthesis of the (+) and (–)-epi-methyl jasmonates. The effects of these modifications and stereospecificity were monitored using three assays: proteinase inhibitor II promoter driving the reporter -glucuronidase; endogenous trypsin proteinase inhibitor induction; and sunflower cotyledon senescence induction. The methyl esters were more active than the corresponding acids, the R absolute configuration at C3 was most effective in all assays, fluorination at C7 abolished activity in the proteinase inhibitor assays, and the trifluorination at C12 or shortening to a butenyl did not alter activity relative to the active (–)- methyl jasmonate, but both of these latter modifications revealed a delayed response in the senescence conductivity measures.     

蛋白酶抑制剂对梨小食心虫幼虫中肠蛋白酶活性的影响

【目的】梨小食心虫Grapholitha molesta(Busck)是一种危害极其严重的果树害虫。中肠蛋白酶在昆虫生长发育过程中起着重要作用。本研究测定梨小食心虫幼虫中肠内蛋白酶活性的最适p H、蛋白酶抑制剂和激活剂对蛋白酶活性的作用,为利用蛋白酶抑制剂防治该害虫提供新思路。【方法】提取梨小食心虫3龄幼虫中肠液,利用酶专性底物测定各蛋白酶在3种不同缓冲溶液中的最适p H(dd H2O为对照)、蛋白酶抑制剂和激活剂对中肠蛋白酶活性的影响,同时测定饲喂蛋白酶抑制剂(PMSF,TLCK,TPCL和STI)后梨小食心虫中肠蛋白酶活性的变化。【结果】梨小食心虫幼虫中肠总蛋白酶在Tris-HCl,KH2PO4/Na OH和Glycine/Na OH 3种缓冲液中最适p H分别为10.5,11.0和11.0,强碱性胰蛋白酶的最适p H分别为10.5,11.0和11.0,弱碱性胰蛋白酶的最适p H分别为8.5,9.0和9.0,胰凝乳蛋白酶的最适p H分别为8.5,9.0和9.5。5种蛋白酶抑制剂(DTT,PMSF,TLCK,TPCL和STI)中,除TLCK对凝乳蛋白酶激活外,其他蛋白酶抑制剂对4种蛋白酶均表现为抑制,且浓度越大抑制效应越明显。抑制剂DTT对总蛋白酶和弱碱性胰蛋白酶的抑制效果高于其他抑制剂。4种蛋白酶激活剂(Mg Cl2,Ca Cl2,EDTA和EGTA)中,Mg Cl2抑制总蛋白酶和胰凝乳蛋白酶活性,而激活胰蛋白酶活性;Ca Cl2激活总蛋白酶和弱碱性胰蛋白酶活性,而抑制强碱性胰蛋白酶和胰凝乳蛋白酶,EDTA对4种蛋白酶均表现为抑制,EGTA除对强碱性胰蛋白酶表现为激活外,对另外3种蛋白酶表现抑制。用蛋白酶抑制剂PMSF,TLCK,TPCL和STI饲喂梨小食心虫幼虫,各抑制剂均可抑制4种蛋白酶活性,且在不同取样时间抑制水平不同。其中STI(50μg/m L)对4种蛋白酶的抑制效果高于其他抑制剂,且浓度越大抑制效应越明显。10,20和50μg/m L STI 3种浓度处理组,在取食后4 h时,4种蛋白酶活性升高,且上升程度与STI浓度有关;酶活性在20μg/m L STI处理后48 h,50μg/m L STI处理后60 h时最低,抑制剂STI表现出持效性。【结论】蛋白酶抑制剂对梨小食心虫幼虫中肠蛋白消化酶的活性具有一定的抑制作用,其中大豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂STI在害虫防治中具有极其重要的应用价值。     

蛋白酶抑制剂对绿豆象幼虫中肠蛋白酶活性的影响

为明确蛋白酶抑制剂对绿豆象幼虫中肠蛋白酶活性的影响,采用室内人工接虫和生化测定的方法,研究了在离体条件和饲喂条件下4种蛋白酶抑制剂对绿豆象幼虫中肠蛋白酶的抑制作用,并测定了绿豆象幼虫取食不同含量的绿豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂(MBTI)的人工绿豆后,其中肠内总蛋白酶、类胰蛋白酶和类胰凝乳蛋白酶活性的变化.结果表明:在离体条件下,供试4种蛋白酶抑制剂对绿豆象幼虫总蛋白酶、类胰蛋白酶和类胰凝乳蛋白酶活性均有明显的抑制作用,且浓度越大,抑制效果越显著,其中以20μg·mL^-1的MBTI对3种酶活性的抑制效果最强,3种酶活性分别比对照降低了62.5%、41.2%和38.7%,而卵粘蛋白抑制剂(OI)抑制效果最弱.绿豆象幼虫取食含不同抑制剂的人工绿豆后,中肠内3种酶活性也均受到一定的抑制作用,取食后随龄期的延长,3种酶活性有所升高但仍显著低于对照,且以MBTI的抑制作用最强.当绿豆象幼虫取食不同含量MBTI的人工绿豆后,随MBTI含量的增加,对总蛋白酶活性和类胰蛋白酶活性的抑制作用均逐渐增强,但对类胰凝乳蛋白酶活性的抑制作用并不显著,只有当MBTI含量达20%时,对类胰凝乳蛋白酶活性才表现出明显的抑制作用.     

SABER: a computational method for identifying active sites for new reactions

A software suite, SABER (Selection of Active/Binding sites for Enzyme Redesign), has been developed for the analysis of atomic geometries in protein structures, using a geometric hashing algorithm (Barker and Thornton, Bioinformatics 2003;19:1644–1649). SABER is used to explore the Protein Data Bank (PDB) to locate proteins with a specific 3D arrangement of catalytic groups to identify active sites that might be redesigned to catalyze new reactions. As a proof‐of‐principle test, SABER was used to identify enzymes that have the same catalytic group arrangement present in o‐succinyl benzoate synthase (OSBS). Among the highest‐scoring scaffolds identified by the SABER search for enzymes with the same catalytic group arrangement as OSBS were L ‐Ala D/L ‐Glu epimerase (AEE) and muconate lactonizing enzyme II (MLE), both of which have been redesigned to become effective OSBS catalysts, demonstrated by experiments. Next, we used SABER to search for naturally existing active sites in the PDB with catalytic groups similar to those present in the designed Kemp elimination enzyme KE07. From over 2000 geometric matches to the KE07 active site, SABER identified 23 matches that corresponded to residues from known active sites. The best of these matches, with a 0.28 Å catalytic atom RMSD to KE07, was then redesigned to be compatible with the Kemp elimination using RosettaDesign. We also used SABER to search for potential Kemp eliminases using a theozyme predicted to provide a greater rate acceleration than the active site of KE07, and used Rosetta to create a design based on the proteins identified.     

Delay of Iris flower senescence by protease inhibitors

Visible senescence of the flag tepals in Iris x hollandica (cv. Blue Magic) was preceded by a large increase in endoprotease activity. Just before visible senescence about half of total endoprotease activity was apparently due to cysteine proteases, somewhat less than half to serine proteases, with a minor role of metalloproteases. Treatment of isolated tepals with the purported serine protease inhibitors AEBSF [4-(2-aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonyl fluoride] or DFP (diisopropyl-fluorophosphate) prevented the increase in endoprotease activity and considerably delayed or prevented the normal senescence symptoms. The specific cysteine protease-specific E-64d reduced maximum endoprotease activity by 30%, but had no effect on the time to visible senescence. Zinc chloride and aprotinin reduced maximum endoprotease activity by c. 50 and 40%, respectively, and slightly delayed visible senescence. A proteasome inhibitor (Z-leu-leu-Nva-H) slightly delayed tepal senescence, which indicates that protein degradation in the proteasome may play a role in induction of the visible senescence symptoms. It is concluded that visible senescence is preceded by large-scale protein degradation, which is apparently mainly due to cysteine- and serine protease activity, and that two (unspecific) inhibitors of serine proteases considerably delay the senescence symptoms.     

Putative structural rearrangements associated with the interaction of macrocyclic inhibitors with norovirus 3CL protease

Human noroviruses are the primary cause of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. The problem is further compounded by the current lack of norovirus-specific antivirals or vaccines. Noroviruses have a single-stranded, positive sense 7 to 8 kb RNA genome which encodes a polyprotein precursor that is processed by a virus-encoded 3C-like cysteine protease (NV 3CLpro) to generate at least six mature nonstructural proteins. Processing of the polyprotein is essential for virus replication, consequently, NV 3CLpro has emerged as an attractive target for the discovery of norovirus therapeutics and prophylactics. We have recently described the structure-based design of macrocyclic transition state inhibitors of NV 3CLpro. In order to gain insight and understanding into the interaction of macrocyclic inhibitors with the enzyme, as well as probe the effect of ring size on pharmacological activity and cellular permeability, additional macrocyclic inhibitors were synthesized and high resolution cocrystal structures determined. The results of our studies tentatively suggest that the macrocyclic scaffold may hamper optimal binding to the active site by impeding concerted cross-talk between the S₂ and S₄ subsites.     

Analysis of catalytic residues in enzyme active sites

We present an analysis of the residues directly involved in catalysis in 178 enzyme active sites. Specific criteria were derived to define a catalytic residue, and used to create a catalytic residue dataset, which was then analysed in terms of properties including secondary structure, solvent accessibility, flexibility, conservation, quaternary structure and function. The results indicate the dominance of a small set of amino acid residues in catalysis and give a picture of a general active site environment. It is hoped that this information will provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in catalysis and a heuristic basis for predicting catalytic residues in enzymes of unknown function.     

Positive selection of digestive proteases in Daphnia: A mechanism for local adaptation to cyanobacterial protease inhibitors

Due to the combined effects of global warming and eutrophication, the frequency of deleterious cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater ecosystems has increased. In line with this, local adaptation of the aquatic keystone herbivore Daphnia to cyanobacteria has received major attention. Besides microcystins, the most frequent cyanobacterial secondary metabolites in such blooms are protease inhibitors (PIs). Recently, it has been shown that a protease gene showed copy number variation between four D. magna populations that differed in tolerance to PIs. From that study, we chose two distinct populations of D. magna which had or had not coexisted with cyanobacteria in the past. By calculating F_ST values, we found that the two populations were genetically more distant in the protease loci than in neutral loci. Population genetic tests applied to the tolerant population revealed that positive selection was most probably acting on the gene loci of the digestive protease CT448 and CT802. We conclude that the selection of digestive proteases and subsequent reduction in copy number is the molecular basis of evolutionary changes leading to local adaptation to PIs.     

The proteases and the protease inhibitor in the midgut of Leucophaea maderae

The caseinolytic enzymes of the midgut lumina and epithelia of Leucophaea were purified through precipitation by 60% saturated (NH₄)₂SO₄, followed by gel permeation on Sephadex G-200 and subsequent DEAE anionexchange chromatography. At least four peaks with enzyme activity were eluted from anionexchange chromatography columns. Gregarines of the midgut lumen apparently do not contribute to the caseinolytic activity within the midgut. Elution profiles of lumen and epithelial enzymes were nearly identical. The same enzymes were identified in the lumina of epithelial microsomal vesicles. This allows the conclusion that these enzymes are produced by the midgut epithelia.Practically all protease activity of the midgut was found in the posterior half, both in the lumen and epithelium. Feeding stimulated protease production primarily in the posterior midgut. The pH optimum of the proteases lay between 9.0 and 9.5 which was closely matched by the observed pH of the posterior midgut where most of the activity is seen. The anterior midgut pH was determined to be around 8.0.The anterior midgut of Leucophaea contained a heatstable protease inhibitor with characteristics of a competitive inhibitor. This inhibitor was precipitable by 60% saturated (NH₄)₂SO₄ and eluted from a Sephadex G-200 column more or less together with the proteases. From a DEAE anionexchange column it was eluted by 0.8 M NaCl, i.e. after the main portion of the proteases. The biological significance of the protease inhibitor in the anterior portion of the midgut is obscure.