Studies on the subsite specificity of rat nardilysin (N-arginine dibasic convertase)

The subsite specificity of rat nardilysin was investigated using fluorogenic substrates of the type 2-aminobenzoyl-GGX(1)X(2)RKX(3)GQ-ethylenediamine-2,4- dinitrophenyl, where P(2), P(2)', and P(3) residues were varied. (The nomenclature of Schechter and Berger (Schechter, I., and Berger, A. (1967) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 27, 157-162) is used where cleavage of a peptide occurs between the P(1) and P(1)' residues, and adjacent residues are designated P(2), P(3), P(2)', P(3)', etc.) There was little effect on K(m) among different residues at any of these positions. In contrast, residues at each position affected k(cat), with P(2) residues having the greatest effect. The S(3), S(2), and S(2)' subsites differed in their amino acid preference. Tryptophan and serine, which produced poor substrates at the P(2) position, were among the best P(2)' residues. The specificity at P(3) was generally opposite that of P(2). Residues at P(2), and to a lesser extent at P(3), influenced the cleavage site. At the P(2) position, His, Phe, Tyr, Asn, or Trp produced cleavage at the amino side of the first basic residue. In contrast, a P(2) Ile or Val produced cleavage between the dibasic pair. Other residues produced intermediate effects. The pH dependence for substrate binding showed that the enzyme prefers to bind a protonated histidine. A comparison of the effect of arginine or lysine at the P(1)' or P(1) position showed that there is a tendency to cleave on the amino side of arginine and that this cleavage produces the highest k(cat) values.     

N-arginine dibasic convertase is a specific receptor for heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor that mediates cell migration.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), a mitogen and chemotactic factor, binds to two receptor tyrosine kinases, erbB1 and erbB4. Now we demonstrate that HB-EGF also binds to a novel 140 kDa receptor on MDA-MB 453 cells. Purification of this receptor showed it to be identical to N-arginine dibasic convertase (NRDc), a metalloendopeptidase of the M16 family. Binding to cell surface NRDc and NRDc in solution was highly specific for HB-EGF among EGF family members. When overexpressed in cells, NRDc enhanced their migration in response to HB-EGF but not to EGF. Conversely, inhibition of endogenous NRDc expression in cells by antisense morpholino oligonucleotides inhibited HB-EGF-induced cell migration. Anti-erbB1 neutralizing antibodies completely abrogated the ability of NRDc to enhance HB-EGF-dependent migration, demonstrating that this NRDc activity was dependent on erbB1 signaling. Although NRDc is a metalloproteinase, enzymatic activity was not required for HB-EGF binding or enhancement of cell migration; neither did NRDc cleave HB-EGF. Together, these results suggest that NRDc is a novel specific receptor for HB-EGF that modulates HB-EGF-induced cell migration via erbB1.     

New fluorogenic substrates for renin

A simple and sensitive fluorometric assay was developed to test renin activity within several hours. Two new fluorogenic peptides, Arg-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide (octapeptide-MCA) and a succinyl derivative of the octapeptide-MCA were synthesized and used as a renin substrate. Renin cleaved the substrates at the Leu-Leu bond, releasing Leu-Val-Tyr-MCA. Three amino acids of this product were then successively split off by the auxiliary enzyme, leucine aminopeptidase, to liberate free 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC). The generation of the fluorescent 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin was proportional to renin concentrations up to 100 mGoldblatt U/tube. The optimal pH of renin reaction for both substrates was 6.5 to 7.0. As low as 5 mGoldblatt U of renin could be detected by this method. This method was applied to the assay of renin during its purification.     

New fluorogenic peptide substrates for plasmin

Fluorogenic peptides, peptidyl-4-methylcoumaryl-7-amides (MCA), containing COOH-terminal lysine residues, were newly synthesized and tested as substrates for plasmin. Among six peptidyl-MCA's, Boc-Val-Leu-Lys-MCA and Boc-Glu-Lys-Lys-MCA were found to be useful for the specific and sensitive assay of plasmin. The Km values estimated from Line-weaver-Burk plots for these substrates using human and bovine plasmins were in the region of 10(-4) M. Boc-Glu-Lys-Lys-MCA was slightly hydrolyzed by bovine plasma kallikrein, and Boc-Val-Leu-Lys-MCA was slightly hydrolyzed by human and hog urinary kallikreins and hog pancreatic kallikrein. However, both of the fluorogenic peptides were essentially unaffected by urokinase, alpha-thrombin, Factor Xa, Factor IXa, Factor XIa, and Factor XIIa. It was confirmed that plasmin hydrolyzed Boc-Glu-Lys-Lys-MCA, cleaving the lysyl-MCA bond, but not the lysyl-lysyl bond. These fluorogenic peptides were resistant to human plasmin activated by streptokinase. Boc-Glu-Lys-Lys-MCA was not hydrolyzed by human plasmin or plasminogen in the presence of more than a 5-fold molar excess of streptokinase. The sensitivity of Boc-Val-Leu-Lys- of more than a 5-fold molar excess of streptokinase. The sensitivity of Boc-Val-Leu-Lys-MCA to human plasmin was also reduced, but plasmin retained 35% of the maximum activity even in the presence of a 20-fold molar excess of streptokinase. These results suggest that streptokinase-plasmin complex has essentially no activity towards Boc-Glu-Lys-Lys-MCA.     

New chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates for pyrrolidonyl peptidase.

L-Pyroglutamyl derivatives of p-nitroaniline and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin were synthesized as new sensitive substrates for pyrrolidonyl peptidase (pyrrolidonecarboxylyl peptidase) from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Their hydrolyses could be followed by conventional colorimetric and fluorometric procedures; i.e., in terms of the increase in absorbance at 410 nm caused by the liberation of p-nitroaniline and the emission at 440 nm after excitation at 370 nm depending on the liberation of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin. Values of Km were estimated to be 0.69 mM for anilide substrate and 0.33 mM for methylcoumarin substrate in the pyrrolidonyl peptidase reaction at pH 8.0. The methylcoumarin compound was about one thousand fold more sensitive than the anilide substrate.     

Hydrosoluble fluorogenic substrates for plasmin.

New hydrosoluble fluorogenic substrates for plasmin gluconoylpeptidyl-3-amido-9-ethylcarbazole were synthesized. The substitution of the N-terminal end of the peptides by a gluconoyl group prevents the substrates from aminopeptidase degradation and highly increases their hydrosolubility. The substitution of the peptide C-terminal end by a 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole group leads to substrates suitable for direct fluorometric assay of plasmin present in cell supernatants or in cell lysates. On the basis of the kinetic parameters of the substrate hydrolysis by plasmin, it was found that D amino acids in the P2 position decrease systematically the kinetic constants of the substrates. The L configuration of the P2 amino acid appears therefore as essential in optimum substrates for plasmin.     

New dipeptide fluorogenic substrates of human tissue kallikrein]

Based on 4-methylcoumarinyl-7-amide (Amc) arginine and a series N-alkyloxycarbonyl derivatives of phenylalanine, eleven Amc-derivatives of the type ROCO-Phe-Arg-Amc (R = alkyl) were synthesized; also were n-C3H7OCO-Leu-Arg-Amc and n-C3H7OCO-D-Phe-Arg-Amc synthesized. The enzymatic hydrolysis of these compounds under the action of tissue and plasma human kallikreins were studied. Tissue kallikrein from human urine hydrolyzed the compounds with R = n-propyl and n-butyl and n-C3H7OCO-Leu-Arg-Amc more readily than the known substrates Z-Phe-Arg-Amc and H-Pro-Phe-Arg-Amc. n-C3H7OCO-D-Phe-Arg-Amc is a weak inhibitor of this enzyme (Ki = 1.5.10(-4) M). Human plasma kallikrein hydrolyzed these novel substrates at a lower rate than Z-Phe-Arg-Amc.     

Novel fluorogenic substrates for acid phosphatase.

Fluorinated versions of fluorescein diphosphate (FDP) can provide significantly enhanced fluorescence upon hydrolysis by acid phosphatase, as compared with FDP, when measured at the reaction pH.     

New fluorogenic substrates for alpha-thrombin, factor Xa, kallikreins, and urokinase

Twenty peptide-4-methylcoumarin amides (MCA) were newly synthesized and tested as possible substrates for alpha-thrombin, factor Xa, kallikreins, urokinase, and plasmin. These fluorogenic peptides contained arginine-MCA as the carboxyl-terminus. Release of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin was determined fluorometrically. Of these peptides, the following were found to be specific substrates for individual enzymes: Boc-Val-Pro-Arg-MCA for alpha-thrombin, Boc-Ile-Glu-Gly-Arg-MCA, and Boc-Ser-Gly-Arg-MCA for factor Xa, Z-Phe-Arg-MCA for plasma kallikrein, Pro-Phe-Arg-MCA for pancreatic and urinary kallikreins, and glutaryl-Gly-Arg-MCA for urokinase. Moreover, these peptide-MCA substrates were resistant to plasmin.     

Intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic substrates for hydrolytic enzymes.

The design and application of a recently developed type of fluorogenic substrates for proteolytic enzymes is reviewed. The substrates consist of peptide chains constructed to match the specificity of the particular enzyme and to bear a suitable chromophore at each side of the cleavable bond. One of the chromophores is a fluorescent group and the other is a quencher that causes a great reduction of fluorescence intensity of the fluorophore, either by direct intramolecular encounter or by radiationless resonance energy transfer. Enzymic cleavage of the molecule is followed by release of fluorescence as the result of cancelling the quenching interaction between the chromophores. The properties of such substrates and their possible future applications are discussed.     

4-Methylumbelliferyl esters as fluorogenic substrates for proteases

4-Methylumbelliferyl esters of amino acid derivatives have been synthesized using the carbodiimide, disulphite and carbonate methods. Of these, the first was shown capable of preparing 2-naphthyl and 4-methylumbelliferyl esters of benzoylglycine, benzyloxycarbonyl glycine and benzyloxycarbonyl-citrulline but not of benzoyl-N^G-nitroarginine. 2-Naphthyl benzoyl-N^G-nitroargininate was prepared successfully using di(2-naphthyl)sulphite. Bis(4-methylumbelliferyl)sulphite could not be prepared but 4-methylumbelliferyl benzoyl-N^G-nitroargininate was obtained by the use of an equilibrium method using diphenyl sulphite in the presence of 4-methylumbelliferone. A new reagent, phenyl 4-methylumbelliferyl carbonate, was synthesized and used for the preparation of the 4-methylumbelliferyl esters of benzoylglycine, benzyloxycarbonylglycine and benzoyl-N^G-nitroarginine. The 4-methylumbelliferyl esters of benzyloxycarbonylglycine and benzyloxycarbonylcitrulline were shown to be good substrates for the assay of proteases, including chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1) and trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4). Disadvantages of 4-methylumbelliferyl esters are discussed.     

Designing better coumarin-based fluorogenic substrates for PTP1B

As part of a program to develop better PTP1B fluorogenic substrates that more closely mimic the functionality found in the natural substrate, we have prepared and evaluated nine novel analogs of 4-methylumbelliferone phosphate (MUP) with a variety of additional groups occupying the second phosphate binding pocket.     

Intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptide substrates for human renin.

Six intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptides related to the sequences Phe8 to His13, His6 to His13, and Tyr4 to His13 of the human angiotensinogen, containing o-aminobenzoyl (Abz) and ethylenediamine dinitrophenyl (EDDnp) groups at amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acids residues, were synthesized by classical solution methods. The Leu-Val is the only bond of all obtained peptides that was hydrolyzed by human renin with different degrees of purity and was resistant to hydrolysis by pig renin and cathepsin D. The hydrolysis of Abz-His-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Val-Ile-His-EDDnp by human renin was inhibited by a highly specific transition-state analog of angiotensinogen (IC50 = 7.8 x 10(-9) M), described by K. Iizuka et al. (1990, J. Med. Chem. 33, 2707-2714). Therefore, specific and sensitive substrates for the continuous assay of human renin in which as little as 70 microGU of human renin could be detected by Abz-Phe-His-Leu-Val-Ile-His-EDDnp were described. The optimal pHs of hydrolysis of the substrates were in the range 4 to 6.     

Fluorescein monophosphates as fluorogenic substrates for protein tyrosine phosphatases

A series of novel fluorescein monophosphates aimed as substrates for protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) were synthesized and evaluated against fluorescein diphosphate (FDP), the currently used fluorescent substrate for PTPs. In contrast to FDP, which is dephosphorylated to monophosphate and then to fluorescein in a sequential reaction, these monophosphates are dephosphorylated in a single step. This eliminates the complication in assaying PTPs due to the cleavage of the second phosphate group. The kinetic studies of these substrates with PTPs were performed and Michaelis-Menten parameters were obtained. These designed substrates have Km 0.03-0. 35 mM, kcat/Km of 3-100 mM-1 s-1 with CD45 and PTP1B. The results showed that the substrates with negative charge groups on the fluorescein have higher affinities for PTP1B, which are consistent with other observations. In this series, fluorescein monosulfate monophosphate (FMSP) was the best substrate observed. Since FMSP showed large increases in both absorption and fluorescence upon dephosphorylation by PTPs at pH>6.0, it is one of the most sensitive, stable and high affinity substrates reported for PTPs.     

In-gel protein phosphatase assay using fluorogenic substrates

We developed a method for the detection of phosphatase activity using fluorogenic substrates after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. When phosphatases such as Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase (CaMKP), protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C), protein phosphatase 5 (PP5), and alkaline phosphatase were resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the absence of SDS and the gel was incubated with a fluorogenic substrate such as 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (MUP), all of these phosphatase activities could be detected in situ. Although 6,8-difluoro-4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (DiFMUP) as well as MUP could be used as a fluorogenic substrate for an in-gel assay, MUP exhibited lower background fluorescence. Using this procedure, several fluorescent bands that correspond to endogenous phosphatases were observed after electrophoresis of various crude samples. The in-gel phosphatase assay could also be used to detect protein phosphatases resolved by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In this case, however, the denaturation/renaturation process of resolved proteins was necessary for the detection of phosphatase activity. This procedure could be used for detection of renaturable protein phosphatases such as CaMKP and some other phosphatases expressed in cell extracts. The present fluorescent in-gel phosphatase assay is very useful, since no radioactive compounds or no special apparatus are required.     

Intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic tetrapeptide substrates for tissue and plasma kallikreins

Five intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic substrates for arginyl hydrolases with the sequence Abz-Phe-Arg-X-Y-EDDnp (X = Arg or Ser; Y = Val, Pro, or Arg) were synthesized by classical solution methods. Kinetics of their hydrolysis by tissue and plasma kallikreins, trypsin, and thrombin characterized Abz-Phe-Arg-Ser-Arg-EDDnp as a specific and sensitive substrate for the continuous assay of tissue kallikreins while Abz-Phe-Arg-Arg-Pro-EDDnp was the best substrate for human plasma kallikrein. The five peptides were poor substrates for trypsin and resistant to thrombin.     

New fluorogenic substrates for horseradish peroxidase: Rapid and sensitive assays for hydrogen peroxide and the peroxidase

p-Hydroxyphenyl compounds [3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid, p-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol, hordenine, p-ethylphenol, 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanol, p-n-propylphenol, and p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid] were recently found to be excellent fluorogenic substrates for the horseradish peroxidase-mediated reaction with hydrogen peroxide. A very rapid and sensitive method for the fluorometric assays of hydrogen peroxide and the peroxidase was established by using 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid as the best of these substrates; hydrogen peroxide can be assayed precisely in amounts as small as 0.1 nmol, with peroxidase activity as low as 7.8 μU.     

New intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptide substrates for the study of the kinetic specificity of papain.

A series of new substrates for determining the catalytic activity of cysteine proteinases is described. The rate of hydrolysis by papain was monitored by a fluorescence continuous assay based on internal resonance energy transfer using 5-[(2-aminoethyl)amino]naphtalene-1-sulfonic acid (EDANS) and 4-(4-dimethylaminophenylazo)benzoic acid (DABCYL) as fluorescent donor and quenching acceptor, respectively, in peptides with the general structure: DABCYL-Lys-Phe-Gly-Xxx-Ala-Ala-EDANS. The substrates were used to evaluate the effect of amino acid structure in the S1' position on the kinetic parameters for papain catalyzed hydrolysis.     

The use of fluorogenic substrates for measuring enzyme activity in peatlands

The fluorogenic model substrates, methylumbelliferyl [MUF]-β-D-glucoside, MUF-phosphate and MUF-sulphate, were used to investigate the activities of β-glucosidase, phosphatase and sulphatase, respectively, in Welsh peatland soils. The method was used to investigate depth dependent variations in enzyme activity in a riparian wetland, and flush channel wetland. The highest activities were found at depths of less than 10 cm, thus confirming other studies which suggest this upper depth to be the site of greatest microbial activity. The most serious limitation to the technique was found to be the (fluorescence) quenching effects of the phenolic materials that dominate peatland dissolved organic carbon. The problem necessitates the adoption of a time consuming quench correction procedure with every sample. Fluorogenic substrates have led to a greater understanding of the role of enzymes in other aquatic systems. It seems likely that they will prove of equal value in elucidating their role in nutrient cycling and the biogeochemistry of peatlands.