Lipopolysaccharide interaction with lysozyme. Binding of lipopolysaccharide to lysozyme and inhibition of lysozyme enzymatic activity

Experiments have been carried out to characterize the binding of lysozyme (LZM) to bacteriol lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The formation of LPS.LZM complexes can be readily demonstrated using either physical-chemical separation techniques or a radiolabeled photoaffinity LPS probe. The binding affinity of LZM for LPS has been estimated to be approximately 10(8) liters/mol. Binding of LPS results in loss of LZM enzymatic activity by a noncompetitive inhibition, as assessed by either particulate or soluble substrates. This interaction of LPS with LZM is dictated primarily by hydrophobic interactions and appears to be a general property of both constituents. Binding can be demonstrated with LZM of both human and avian sources, as well as with LPS isolated from a variety of Gram-negative organisms. The addition of LPS to biologically relevant fluids containing LZM results in dose-dependent inhibition of LZM enzymatic activity suggesting that such interactions may have relevance in Gram-negative infections. Finally LZM has been shown to reduce the endotoxic activity of LPS as assessed by gelation of Limulus amoebocyte lysates.     

A novel anti-inflammatory activity of lysozyme: modulation of serum complement activation.

Lysozyme is an ubiquitous enzyme found in most biological secretions and leukocytes. This study was aimed at investigating its interaction with other inflammatory mediators on mucosa surfaces, particularly the complement system. Lysozyme has been shown in our present study, to inhibit the haemolytic activity of serum complement in a dose-dependent fashion, when tested within the levels present in normal and inflamed breast-milk samples, and other mucosal secretions. This represents a new anti-inflammatory action of lysozyme in relation to the serum complement, and the exact mode of the interaction need further studies.     

In vitro modulation of macrophage tumoricidal activity

Summary NaIO₄ treatment of mouse adherent peritoneal cells or lymphocyte-free cloned macrophages enhances their cytotoxic and tumoricidal activity. 5×10^–3 M NaIO₄ treatment of nontumoricidal BCG-activated macrophages renders them completely tumoricidal, whereas the same treatment of stimulated (peptone-normal) macrophages renders them weakly tumoricidal. Addition of LPS in nanogram quantities too low to enhance tumor cell killing by untreated peptone-normal macrophages causes NaIO₄-treated peptone-normal macrophages to be maximally tumoricidal. The activating action of NaIO₄, MAF, or LPS can be potently, but inconsistently, blocked or reversed by the reducing agent NaBH₄ or the aldehyde-reacting agent dimedone. NaIO₄ treatment of lymphocyte-free macrophage colonies does not make them cytotoxic, but NaIO₄-treated colony macrophages are cytotoxic for tumor cells when cultured in 10 ng/ml LPS (an amount of LPS inadequate to render untreated colony macrophages cytotoxic). Supernatants of NaIO₄-treated adherent peritoneal cells contain MAF activity. Thus, the NaIO₄-induced enhancement of peritoneal cell tumoricidal activity may result from both direct NaIO₄ activating effects on macrophages and indirect NaIO₄ effects through NaIO₄-induced MAF production.     

Variation in chicken populations may affect the enzymatic activity of lysozyme

The chicken lysozyme gene encodes a hydrolase that has a key role in defence, especially in ovo. This gene was resequenced in global chicken populations [red, grey, Ceylon and green jungle fowl (JF)] and related bird species. Networks, summary statistics and tests of neutrality indicate that although there is extensive variation at the gene, little is present at coding sites, with the exception of one non‐synonymous site. This segregating site and a further fixed non‐synonymous change between red JF and domestic chicken populations are spatially close to the catalytic sites of the enzyme and so might affect its activity.     

Down-regulation of macrophage lysozyme by lipopolysaccharide and interferon

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment of resident mouse peritoneal macrophages (M phi) was found to suppress intracellular as well as secreted lysozyme (LZM). Interferon (IFN) had a similar effect. LZM was identified by the capacity of cell lysates or medium to lyse Micrococcus lysodeikticus, and by the presence of a 14.5 Kd protein band which co-migrated with human LZM in SDS-PAGE and which reacted positively in Western blots with antiserum to human LZM. The size of the 14.5 Kd band decreased sequentially with increasing concentrations of LPS to which the cells were exposed. Although the LPS influence on LZM levels was dose-dependent, the intracellular LZM pool responded more readily than secreted LZM. Maximal intracellular LZM suppression of 80% was obtained with 10 micrograms LPS, whereas secreted LZM was reduced by only 66%. An IFN concentration of 100 U reduced secreted LZM by 24%, whereas 10,000 U of IFN decreased the amount of LZM secreted by 71%. Thioglycolate-elicited M phi had 75% less intracellular LZM than untreated resident M phi. Moreover, thioglycolate-elicited M phi were hyporesponsive to the suppressive effects of LPS added in vitro. Because both LPS and IFN have been shown to stimulate numerous M phi functions, the data are of interest because they support the concept, based on other studies, that agents which are capable of enhancing some M phi activities may concomitantly down-regulate other functions.     

Cytokine modulation of immune activation associated suppression of macrophage cyclooxygenase activity in vivo.

Intraperitoneal infection with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) results in activation of the peritoneal macrophage population which displays increased surface expression of major histocompatibility (MHC) Class II (Ia) antigen and markedly suppressed prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. We demonstrate here that this decrease in PG production is also seen after treatment by mitogen (Con A) and endotoxin (LPS), and can be explained by reduced cyclooxygenase activity in these cell populations. We show that, whereas Ia expression was augmented at all doses of LM and Con A tested, it displayed a biphasic response to LPS in vivo: increase at the lowest dose and inhibition at higher doses. In order to identify possible endogenous mediators of these responses, we used highly purified preparations of recombinant murine (rMu) cytokines and neutralizing cytokine specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to examine whether interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and/or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) down-regulate macrophage cyclooxygenase activity in vivo. We found that IFN-gamma induced Ia expression but had no effect on PG secretion. In contrast, TNF-alpha suppressed PG synthesis and inhibited Ia surface expression. Similarly, in our model of Con A-induced peritoneal macrophage activation, pretreatment of animals with a neutralizing MAb to rMuIFN-gamma completely blocked the induction of Ia positive macrophages by Con A but did not affect Con A-dependent suppression of PG synthesis. Pretreatment with MAb to TNF had no effect on Con A-induced Ia levels, but significantly inhibited suppressed PG synthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of oxidation of lysozyme by hypohalous acids and haloamines on enzymatic activity and aggregation

Hen egg white lysozyme (HEL), an antibacterial enzyme, is a prototype protein for studying the physical and chemical events that underlie the formation of amyloid fibril aggregates. Here, we studied alterations in enzymatic activity and aggregation provoked by oxidation of HEL by hypochlorous acid (HOCl), hypobromous acid (HOBr), taurine chloramine (Tau-NHCl), taurine monobromamine (Tau-NHBr), and taurine dibromamine (Tau-NBr(2)). Addition of only 4-fold molar excess of Tau-NHBr or Tau-NBr(2) to HEL caused complete depletion of its intrinsic fluorescence, whereas HOCl and HOBr caused 40%-50% bleaching. Tau-NHCl was unable to oxidize lysozyme. The selective effect of bromamines on tryptophan residues had a direct effect on enzymatic activity; bromamines were about two-fold more effective as inhibitors of lysozyme than the acid precursors. The oxidation of HEL by HOCl and HOBr was more effective regarding the aggregation of the protein, which was evidenced by increased turbidity, Rayleigh scattering, and anisotropy. The aggregates presented spectroscopic properties that suggested the formation of amyloid fibrils, as measured by the thioflavin assay. In conclusion, the capacity of Tau-NHBr and Tau-NBr(2) as inhibitors of the bactericidal activity of HEL could represent a role in the exacerbation of pulmonary infection, since leukocytes are rich sources of both taurine and HOBr. Moreover, the oxidation of HEL by just a small excess of hypohalous acids, a condition that could be found in inflammatory sites, may represent a new pathway for initiation of aggregation.     

Transglycosidase activity of chitotriosidase: improved enzymatic assay for the human macrophage chitinase

Chitotriosidase is a chitinase that is massively expressed by lipid-laden tissue macrophages in man. Its enzymatic activity is markedly elevated in serum of patients suffering from lysosomal lipid storage disorders, sarcoidosis, thalassemia, and visceral Leishmaniasis. Monitoring of serum chitotriosidase activity in Gaucher disease patients during progression and therapeutic correction of their disease is useful to obtain insight in changes in body burden on pathological macrophages. However, accurate quantification of chitotriosidase levels by enzyme assay is complicated by apparent substrate inhibition, which prohibits the use of saturating substrate concentrations. We have therefore studied the catalytic features of chitotriosidase in more detail. It is demonstrated that the inhibition of enzyme activity at excess substrate concentration can be fully explained by transglycosylation of substrate molecules. The potential physiological consequences of the ability of chitotriosidase to hydrolyze as well as transglycosylate are discussed. The novel insight in transglycosidase activity of chitotriosidase has led to the design of a new substrate molecule, 4-methylumbelliferyl-(4-deoxy)chitobiose. With this substrate, which is no acceptor for transglycosylation, chitotriosidase shows normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics, resulting in major improvements in sensitivity and reproducibility of enzymatic activity measurements. The novel convenient chitotriosidase enzyme assay should facilitate the accurate monitoring of Gaucher disease patients receiving costly enzyme replacement therapy.     

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide discontinuous gel electrophoresis: Mr-based separation of proteins with retention of enzymatic activity.

A discontinuous polyacrylamide and agarose gel electrophoresis system is presented here which allows the fine separation of proteins based on molecular weight with the concomitant retention of native enzymatic activity. This system, referred to as the CAT gel, uses the cationic detergent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and includes a stacking gel based on the zwitterion arginine and the buffer N-tris(hydroxymethyl)-methylglycine. The CAT gel system allows specific enzyme histochemical detection and localization of proteins after gel electrophoresis. We present evidence that the CAT system stacked and separated a broad range of proteins into discrete bands which migrate as a linear function of log Mr. We have also assessed the effect of CTAB solubilization on the activity of several proteins and showed that some proteins separated by CAT electrophoresis maintain high levels of native enzymatic activity and may be detected histochemically in situ.     

Regulation of enzyme secretion by mononuclear phagocytes: studies with macrophage plasminogen activator and lysozyme.

Lysozyme and plasminogen activator (PA) are independently regulated secretion products of the macrophage. Lysozyme is released constitutively by all types of macrophage, whereas PA is induced during macrophage activation by nonspecific stimuli or by an immunologically specific pathway under control of sensitized T lymphocytes and antigen. Production of PA is closely related to the ability of the macrophage to proliferate in the presence of colony stimulating factor (CSF). Production of lysozyme is often extinguished after hybridization of macrophages with other cells, but may persist and serve as a useful marker for expression of the differentiated macrophage phenotype in somatic cell hybrids.     

Sarcoid macrophage giant cells. Ultrastructure and lysozyme content

Examination of the sarcoid granuloma by electron microscopic and electron microscopic immunocytochemical techniques shows that the sarcoid macrophage giant cell is rich in lysozyme, present within the centre of the syncytium in dense granules approximately 200 nm in diameter. The ultrastructure of the syncytium is that of an actively secretory cell, suggesting that the sarcoid macrophage giant cell actively produces as well as stores lysozyme, rather than being a fusion product of mononuclear cells which produce lysozyme, or being a site of storage of ingested lysozyme.     

Ketone bodies affect the enzymatic activity of macrophage migration inhibitory factor

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a long known proinflammatory cytokine exhibits perplexing enzymatic activities: tautomeric conversion of D-dopachrome and phenylpyruvate. Whether these catalytic activities bear functional relevance regarding MIF's multifaceted roles is under current scrutiny. Nevertheless, intense search has already started for pharmacological agents that target MIF's tautomerase activity. We have probed several antiinflammatory compounds against keto--enol (enolase) and enol--keto (ketonase) conversion of phenylpyruvate by MIF with spectrophotometry. We have identified acidic CH groups as markers of inhibitor potency toward MIF phenylpyruvate tautomerase. Among simple model molecules with strong acidic CH groups we found acetylacetone the best inhibitor particularly against the ketonase activity. Ketones of physiological importance - ketone bodies - also feature acidic CH groups and have been reported to exert certain anti-inflammatory effects. In this paper we report that ketone bodies inhibit preferentially the ketonase activity of MIF in vitro. Future studies should address whether such an interaction might operate in vivo and delineate its possible relevance concerning cytokine and non-cytokine roles of MIF.     

Monitoring of enzymatic activity in situ by EPR.

A novel approach using an EPR method for the determination of activity of enzymes, whose substrates or products are low molecular weight compounds containing SH-groups, is proposed. The approach is based on thiol-disulfide exchange of stable nitroxyl biradical containing a sulfur-sulfur bond with low molecular weight thiol. The method is applied to determine activity of acetylcholinesterase in a larvae bollworm (from the formation of thiocholine from acetylthiocholine). The method is characterized by high sensitivity (up to 2 x 10(-12)m thiocholine) and makes possible measurements in optically unclear (scattering and coloured) media and determination of enzymatic activity (ca. 1 min) directly in the homogenate obtained from the heads of individual larvae. Thus, the method can be recommended for the fast monitoring of many enzymatic systems (including glutathione-dependent) directly in biological tissues of warm-blooded animals and insects.     

Separation of enzymatic activities in Dictyostelium discoideum by high-pressure gel permeation chromatography.

High-pressure gel permeation chromatography was used to separate the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and ATP pyrophosphohydrolase activities of Dictyostelium discoideum. Two types of column packings, with different functional groups on the silica-bonded carbon side chains, were used to separate the two activities in approximately the same amount of time and with the same elution pattern. Recovery of both activities was enhanced when acetate, rather than sulfate, was the mobile phase. This recovery of activity following chromatography at high pressure demonstrates that high-pressure gel permeation chromatography can be used for the purification of enzymes.