Preparation of cathepsins B and H by covalent chromatography and characterization of their catalytic sites by reaction with a thiol-specific two-protonic-state reactivity probe. Kinetic study of cathepsins B and H extending into alkaline media and a rapid spectroscopic titration of cathepsin H at pH 3-4.

A procedure for the isolation of cathepsin B (EC 3.4.22.1) and of cathepsin H from bovine spleen involving covalent chromatography by thiol-disulphide interchange and ion-exchange chromatography was devised. The stabilities of both cathepsins in alkaline media are markedly temperature-dependent, and reliable kinetic data can be obtained at pH values up to 8 by working at 25 degrees C with a continuous spectrophotometric assay. Both enzyme preparations contain only one type of thiol group as judged by reactivity characteristics towards 2,2'-dipyridyl disulphide at pH values up to 8; in each case this thiol group is essential for catalytic activity. Cathepsin H was characterized by kinetic analysis of the reactions of its thiol group with 2,2'-dipyridyl disulphide in the pH range approx. 2-8 and the analogous study on cathepsin B [Willenbrock & Brocklehurst (1984) Biochem. J. 222, 805-814] was extended to include reaction at pH values up to approx. 8. Cathepsin H, like the other cysteine proteinases, was shown to contain an interactive catalytic-site system in which the nucleophilic character of the sulphur atom is maintained in acidic media. The considerable differences in catalytic site characteristics detected by this two-protonic-state reactivity probe between cathepsin B, cathepsin H, papain (EC 3.4.22.2) and actinidin (EC 3.4.22.14) are discussed. Reaction with 2,2'-dipyridyl disulphide in acidic media, which is known to provide a rapid spectrophotometric active centre titration for many cysteine proteinases, is applicable to cathepsin H. This is useful because other active-centre titrations have proved unsuitable in view of the relatively low reactivity of the thiol group in cathepsin H.     

Bovine spleen cathepsin B1 and collagenolytic cathepsin. A comparative study of the properties of the two enzymes in the degradation of native collagen.

Bovine spleen cathepsin B1 and collagenolytic cathepsin were separated by chromatography on Amberlite IRC-50 and collagenolytic cathepsin was partially purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex (A-50). 2. Collagenolytic cathepsin degraded insoluble tendon collagen maximally at pH 3.5 and 28 degrees C; mainly alpha-chain components were released into solution. At 28 degrees C the telopeptides in soluble skin collagen were also cleaved to yield alpha-chain components. Collagenolytic cathepsin was thus similar to cathepsin B1 in its action against native collagen, but mixtures of these two enzymes exhibited a synergistic effect. 3. The addition of thiol-blocking compounds produced similar inhibition of collagenolytic cathepsin and cathepsin B1. The enzyme responded similarly to all other compounds tested except to 6-aminohexanoic acid, when collagenolytic cathepsin was slightly activated and cathepsin B1 was almost unaffected. 4. Leupeptin, which is a structural analogue of arginine-containing synthetic substrates, inhibited collagenolytic cathepsin as effectively as cathepsin B1. Collagenolytic cathepsin was shown to retain a low residual activity against alpha-N-benzoyl-DL-arginine p-nitroanilide during purification which was equivalent to 0.2% of the activity of cathepsin B1. 5. Cathepsin B1 and collagenolytic cathepsin could not be separated by affinity chromatography on organomercurial-Sepharose 4B. The two enzymes could be resolved on DEAE-Sephadex (A-50) and by isoelectric focusing in an Ampholine pH gradient. The pI of the major cathepsin B1 isoenzyme was 4.9 and the pI of collagenolytic cathepsin was 6.4. 6. From chromatography on Sephadex G-75 (superfine grade) the molecular weights were calculated to be 26000 for cathepsin B1 and 20000 for collagenolytic cathepsin. The difference in molecular weight was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis.     

Preparation of active recombinant cathepsin K expressed in bacteria as inclusion body

Human cathepsin K (EC 3.4.22.38) is a member of the cysteine protease family with high primary sequence homology to cathepsins S, L, and B. It has been shown that cathepsin K plays a major role in the resorption of the bone matrix by osteoclasts. Cathepsin K has a potential as a drug target for the diseases related to bone matrix metabolism such as osteoporosis. We have expressed recombinant human procathepsin K in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies. Purified procathepsin K had size of 38kDa which is in agreement with the predicted mass of the construct. Refolding was done by rapid dilution into 50mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 buffer containing 5mM EDTA, 10 mM GSH, 1mM GSSG, 0.7 M L-arginine, 0.5 M NaCl, and 1% CHAPS and further dialysis against 25 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 containing 0.5 M NaCl. Mature active cathepsin K was prepared from refolded procathepsin K by incubating at 40 degrees C in pH 4.0 buffers with or without pepsin or cysteine. The presence of pepsin or cysteine in autocatalysis buffer did not have effect on the degree of conversion of nascent to mature cathepsin K, but reduced the autocatalysis time slightly. Proteolytic activity was confirmed using synthetic substrate, and Western blotting identified mature cathepsin K. Active cathepsin K had type I and II collagenolytic activities which could be inhibited by E-64.     

Probing the potential of platinum(II) complexes for the inhibition of thiol-dependent enzymatic activity

The synthesis and biological evaluation of platinum(II) amine complexes designed to act as inhibitors of the human cysteine protease cathepsin B, a thiol-dependent enzyme, is described. The complexes, composed of a cathepsin targeting ligand and a platinum(II) moiety with varying degrees of reactivity towards nucleophiles were characterized by physical-analytical methods and a proof of principle was illustrated in a model reaction. In biological tests for inhibitory activity against cathepsin B the presented compounds did not show significant inhibitory activity.     

Potent slow-binding inhibition of cathepsin B by its propeptide.

A peptide (PCB1) corresponding to the proregion of the rat cysteine protease cathepsin B was synthesized and its ability to inhibit cathepsin B activity investigated. PCB1 was found to be a potent inhibitor of mature cathepsin B at pH 6.0, yielding a Ki = 0.4 nM. This inhibition obeyed slow-binding kinetics and occurred as a one-step process with a k1 = 5.2 x 10(5) M-1 s-1 and a k2 = 2.2 x 10(-4) s-1. On dropping from pH 6.0 to 4.7, Ki increased markedly, and whereas k1 remained essentially unchanged, k2 increased to 4.5 x 10(-3) s-1. Thus, the increase in Ki at lower pH is due primarily to an increased dissociation rate for the cathepsin B/PCB1 complex. At pH 4.0, the inhibition was 160-fold weaker (Ki = 64 nM) than at pH 6.0, and the propeptide appeared to behave as a classical competitive inhibitor rather than a slow-binding inhibitor. Incubation of cathepsin B with a 10-fold excess of PCB1 overnight at pH 4.0 resulted in extensive cleavage of the propetide whereas no cleavage occurred at pH 6.0, consistent with the formation of a tight complex between cathepsin B and PCB1 at the higher pH. The synthetic propeptide of cathepsin B was found to be a much weaker inhibitor of papain, a structurally similar cysteine protease, and no pH dependence was observed. Inhibition constants of 2.8 and 5.6 microM were obtained for papain inhibition by PCB1 at pH 4.0 and 6.0, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cathepsin B activity regulation. Heparin-like glycosaminogylcans protect human cathepsin B from alkaline pH-induced inactivation

It has been shown that lysosomal cysteine proteinases, specially cathepsin B, has been implicated in a variety of diseases involving tissue remodeling states, such as inflammation, parasite infection, and tumor metastasis, by degradation of extracellular matrix components. Recently, we have shown that heparin and heparan sulfate bind to papain specifically; this interaction induces an increase of its alpha-helix content and stabilizes the enzyme structure even at alkaline pH (Almeida, P. C., Nantes, I. L., Rizzi, C. C. A., Júdice, W. A. S., Chagas, J. R., Juliano, L., Nader, H. B., and Tersariol, I. L. S. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 30433-30438). In the present work, a combination of circular dichroism analysis, affinity chromatography, cathepsin B mutants, and fluorogenic substrate assays were used to characterize the interaction of human cathepsin B with glycosaminoglycans. The nature of the cathepsin B-glycosaminoglycans interaction was sensitive to the charge and type of polysaccharide. Like papain, heparin and heparan sulfate bind cathepsin B specifically, and this interaction reduces the loss of cathepsin B alpha-helix content at alkaline pH. Our data show that the coupling of cathepsin B with heparin or heparan sulfate can potentiate the endopeptidase activity of the cathepsin B, increasing 5-fold the half-life (t(12)) of the enzyme at alkaline pH. Most of these effects are related to the interaction of heparin and heparan sulfate with His(111) residue of the cathepsin B occluding loop. These results strongly suggest that heparan sulfate may be an important binding site for cathepsin B at cell surface, reporting a novel physiological role for heparan sulfate proteoglycans.     

Fluorogenic peptide substrates for carboxydipeptidase activity of cathepsin B

Cathepsin B is a lysosomal cysteine protease exhibiting mainly dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity, which decreases dramatically above pH 5.5, when the enzyme starts acting as an endopeptidase. Since the common cathepsin B assays are performed at pH 6 and do not distinguish between these activities, we synthesized a series of peptide substrates specifically designed for the carboxydipeptidase activity of cathepsin B. The amino-acid sequences of the P(5)-P(1) part of these substrates were based on the binding fragments of cystatin C and cystatin SA, the natural reversible inhibitors of papain-like cysteine protease. The sequences of the P'(1)-P'(2) dipeptide fragments of the substrates were chosen on the basis of the specificity of the S'(1)-S'(2) sites of the cathepsin B catalytic cleft. The rates of hydrolysis by cathepsin B and papain, the archetypal cysteine protease, were monitored by a continuous fluorescence assay based on internal resonance energy transfer from an Edans to a Dabcyl group. The fluorescence energy donor and acceptor were attached to the C- and the N-terminal amino-acid residues, respectively. The kinetics of hydrolysis followed the Michaelis-Menten model. Out of all the examined peptides Dabcyl-R-L-V-G-F- E(Edans) turned out to be a very good substrate for both papain and cathepsin B at both pH 6 and pH 5. The replacement of Glu by Asp turned this peptide into an exclusive substrate for cathepsin B not hydrolyzed by papain. The substitution of Phe by Nal in the original substrate caused an increase of the specificity constant for cathepsin B at pH 5, and a significant decrease at pH 6. The results of kinetic studies also suggest that Arg in position P(4) is not important for the exopeptidase activity of cathepsin B, and that introducing Glu in place of Val in position P(2) causes an increase of the substrate preference towards this activity.     

The purification of bovine cathepsin B1 and its mode of action on bovine collagens

1. Cathepsin B1 was isolated from bovine spleen by autolysis, (NH(4))(2)SO(4) fractionation and chromatography on Amberlite IRC-50. Two isoenzyme forms were purified to homogeneity by chromatography on CM-cellulose and DEAE-Sephadex. 2. A collagenolytic cathepsin was separated from cathepsin B1 during purification. The remaining collagenolytic activity of the purified cathepsin-B1 isoenzymes was no greater than 0.3 unit/unit of cathepsin B1 compared with about 5.0 unit/unit of cathepsin B1 in the autolysed spleen extracts. 3. The cathepsin B1 isoenzymes lowered the viscosity of gelatin at 37 degrees C. Optimum activity was at pH4-5. 4. At 28 degrees C the interchain cross-links in native tropocollagen were cleaved most effectively at pH4-5. Insoluble tendon collagen was digested at pH3.5 and 28 degrees C to yield mainly alpha-chain components, with the loss of a short N-terminal sequence. 5. Electron-microscope studies of collagen fibrils showed that cathepsin B1 caused longitudinal splitting and dissociation of the protofilaments. The effect was not general but occurred at selected sites. 6. The isoenzymes of cathepsin B1 cleaved the telopeptide region of calf skin tropocollagen between the lysine-derived cross-link and the triple helix. The CB1 peptide fragments obtained from enzyme-degraded alpha1 chains were hydrolysed at Gly(12)-Ile(13) and Ser(14)-Val(15). The residual alpha2 CB1 peptides were hydrolysed at Ala(8)-Asp(9) and Asp(9)-Phe(10).     

Human alpha- to zeta-thrombin cleavage occurs with neutrophil cathepsin G or chymotrypsin while fibrinogen clotting activity is retained

Human neutrophil cathepsin G or bovine chymotrypsin proteolytically cleaved human alpha-thrombin at the B-chain Trp148-Thr149 bond generating a new form, zeta-thrombin. While incubation of alpha-thrombin with cathepsin G at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C resulted in a partial loss of fibrinogen clotting activity, 86 +/- 13% of the clotting activity and 99 +/- 16% of the active sites titratable with p-nitrophenyl p-guanidinobenzoate were retained upon controlled passage of alpha-thrombin through chymotrypsin-Sepharose 4B at pH 6.2 or 7.4 and 24 degrees C (n = 15). Kinetic parameters for H-D-hexahydrotyrosyl-Ala-Arg p-nitroanilide were Km = 1.52 +/- 0.60 vs 1.32 +/- 0.18 microM and kcat = 51.9 +/- 2.9 vs 35.8 +/- 6.4 s-1 with alpha-thrombin vs chymotrypsin-prepared zeta-thrombin (n = 4 vs 3), respectively (I = 0.15 M, pH 7.4, and 24 degrees C). Some 95% of the clotting activity was lost when zeta-thrombin was passed through trypsin-Sepharose 4B under conditions for converting alpha- to nonclotting beta- and subsequently gamma-thrombin. The resulting gamma-like thrombins eluted bimodally with 260 and 310 mM NaCl when applied to Amberlite CG-50 resin [cross-linked poly(methylacrylic acid)] developed with a linear salt gradient in 50 mM Tris at pH 7.4 and 24 degrees C. These elution peaks correspond to 240, 330, and 350 mM NaCl for gamma-, alpha-, and zeta-thrombin, respectfully, implying that the anion-binding exosite is partially destroyed in gamma-like thrombins but is intact in zeta-thrombin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Human kidney cathepsins B and L. Characterization and potential role in degradation of glomerular basement membrane.

Cathepsins B and L were purified from human kidney. SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis demonstrated that cathepsins B and L, Mr 27000-30000, consist of disulphide-linked dimers, subunit Mr values 22000-25000 and 5000-7000. The pH optimum for the hydrolysis of methylcoumarylamide (-NHMec) substrates (see below) is approx. 6.0 for each enzyme. Km and kcat. are 252 microM and 364s-1 and 2.2 microM and 25.8 s-1 for the hydrolysis of Z-Phe-Arg-NHMec (where Z- represents benzyloxycarbonyl-) by cathepsins B and L respectively, and 184 microM and 158 s-1 for the hydrolysis of Z-Arg-Arg-NHMec by cathepsin B. A 10 min preincubation of cathepsin B (40 degrees C) or cathepsin L (30 degrees C) with E-64 (2.5 microM) results in complete inhibition. Under identical conditions Z-Phe-Phe-CHN2 (0.56 microM) completely inhibits cathepsin L but has little effect on cathepsin B. Incubation of glomerular basement membrane (GBM) with purified human kidney cathepsin L resulted in dose-dependent (10-40 nM) GBM degradation. In contrast, little degradation of GBM (less than 4.0%) was observed with cathepsin B. The pH optimum for GBM degradation by cathepsin L was 3.5. Cathepsin L was significantly more active in degrading GBM than was pancreatic elastase, trypsin or bacterial collagenase. These data suggest that cathepsin L may participate in the lysosomal degradation of GBM associated with normal GBM turnover in vivo.     

Peptidyl sulfonium salts. A new class of protease inhibitors

The possibility has been examined that peptidylmethyl sulfonium salts might affinity label proteases by an alkyl transfer from sulfur to an active center residue. The synthesis of a number of agents of this type is described as well as initial results of their effect on cysteinyl proteases, papain and cathepsin B. These are readily inactivated by reagents in which the peptidyl portion contains features that promote binding to the proteases such as a penultimate phenylalanine residue. Irreversible inactivation ensues by transfer of the peptidyl portion, not methyl groups. Peptidylmethyl sulfonium salts lose a proton to form an ylide structure which may be the prevalent form at physiological pH values. The ylide may also be the active affinity labeling form of the reagent since the rate of inactivation of cathepsin B increases with pH. In contrast, the action of another affinity labeling reagent for cathepsin B, benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-AlaCHN2, a diazomethyl ketone, is relatively independent of pH.     

Cathepsin B is a differentiation-resistant target for nitroxyl (HNO) in THP-1 monocyte/macrophages

We previously showed that the one-electron reduction product of nitric oxide (NO), nitroxyl (HNO), irreversibly inhibits the proteolytic activity of the model cysteine protease papain. This result led us to investigate the differential effects of the nitrogen oxides, such as nitroxyl (HNO), NO, and in situ-generated peroxynitrite on cysteine modification-sensitive cellular proteolytic enzymes. We used Angeli's salt, diethylaminenonoate (DEA/NO), and 3-morpholinosydnoniminehydrochloride (SIN-1), as donors of HNO, NO, and peroxynitrite, respectively. In this study we evaluated their inhibitory activities on the lysosomal mammalian papain homologue cathepsin B and on the cytosolic 26S proteasome in THP-1 monocyte/macrophages after LPS activation or TPA differentiation. HNO-generating Angeli's salt caused a concentration-dependent (62 +/- 4% at 316 muM) inhibition of the 26S proteasome activity, resulting in accumulation of protein-bound polyubiquitinylated proteins in LPS-activated cells, whereas neither DEA/NO nor SIN-1 showed any effect. Angeli's salt, but not DEA/NO or SIN-1, also caused (94 +/- 2% at 316 muM) inhibition of lysosomal cathepsin B activity in LPS-activated cells. Induction of macrophage differentiation did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of HNO on lysosomal cathepsin B activity, but protected the proteasome from HNO-induced inhibition. The protection awarded by macrophage differentiation was associated with induction of the GSH synthesis rate-limiting enzyme gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, as well as with increased intracellular GSH. In conclusion, HNO abrogates both lysosomal and cytosolic proteolysis in THP-1 cells. Macrophage differentiation, associated with upregulation of antioxidant defenses such as increased cellular GSH, does not protect the lysosomal cysteine protease cathepsin B from inhibition.     

Chromophoric and fluorophoric peptide substrates cleaved through the dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity of cathepsin B

The action of bovine spleen cathepsin B as a dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase on newly synthesized substrates of the type peptidyl-X-p-nitrophenylalanyl (Phe(NO2))-Y (X,Y = amino acid residue) or 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl (Dns)-peptidyl-X-Phe(NO2)-Y was investigated. The kinetic parameters of hydrolysis of the X-Phe(NO2) bond were determined by difference spectrophotometry (delta epsilon 310 = 1600 M-1 cm-1) or by spectrofluorometry by following the five- to eightfold increase of Dns-group fluorescence with excitation at 350 nm and emission at 535 nm. The substrates were moderately sensitive to cathepsin B; kcat varied from 0.7 to 4 s-1 at pH 5 and 25 degrees C; Km varied from 6 to 240 microM. The very acidic optima of pH 4-5 are characteristic for dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity of cathepsin B. Bovine spleen cathepsins S and H had little and no activity, respectively, when assayed with Pro-Glu-Ala-Phe(NO2)-Gly. These peptides should be a valuable tool for routine assays and for mechanistic studies on cathepsin B.     

Endosomal proteolysis of insulin-like growth factor-I at its C-terminal D-domain by cathepsin B

IGF-I is degraded within the endosomal apparatus as a consequence of receptor-mediated endocytosis. However, the nature of the responsible protease and the position of the cleavage sites in the IGF-I molecule remain undefined. In vitro proteolysis of IGF-I using an endosomal lysate required an acidic pH and was sensitive to CA074, an inhibitor of the cathepsin B enzyme. By nondenaturing immunoprecipitation, the acidic IGF-I-degrading activity was attributed to the luminal species of endosomal cathepsin B with apparent molecular masses of 32- and 28-kDa. The cathepsin B precursor, procathepsin B, was processed in vitro within isolated endosomes at pH 5 or at 7 in the presence of ATP, the substrate of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase. The rate of IGF-I hydrolysis using an endosomal lysate or pure cathepsin B was found to be optimal at pH 5-6 and moderate at pH 4 and 7. Competition studies revealed that EGF and IGF-I share a common binding site on the cathepsin B enzyme, with native IGF-I displaying the lowest affinity for the protease (IC50 approximately 1.5 microM). Hydrolysates of IGF-I generated at low pH by endosomal IGF-I-degrading activity and analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC and mass spectrometry revealed cleavage sites at Lys68-Ser69, Ala67-Lys68, Pro66-Ala67 and Lys65-Pro66 within the C-terminal D-domain of IGF-I. Treatment of human HepG2 hepatoma cells with the cathepsin B proinhibitor CA074-Me reduced, in vivo, the intracellular degradation of internalized [125I]IGF-I and, in vitro, the degradation of exogenous [125I]IGF-I incubated with the cell-lysates at pH 5. Inhibitors of cathepsin B and pro-cathepsin B processing, which abolish endosomal proteolysis of IGF-I and alter tumor cell growth and IGF-I receptor signalling, merit investigation as antimetastatic drugs.     

Schisandrin B enhances the glutathione redox cycling and protects against oxidant injury in different types of cultured cells

Tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBHP) challenge caused an initial depletion of cellular reduced glutathione (GSH), which was followed by a gradual restoration of cellular GSH in AML12, H9c2, and differentiated PC12 cells. The time-dependent changes in cellular GSH induced by tBHP were monitored as a measure of GSH recovery capacity (GRC), of which glutathione reductase (GR)-mediated glutathione redox cycling and γ-glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL)-mediated GSH synthesis were found to play an essential role. While glutathione redox cycling sustained the GSH level during the initial tBHP-induced depletion, GSH synthesis restores the GSH level thereafter. The effects of (-)schisandrin B [(-)Sch B] and its analogs (Sch A and Sch C) on GRC were also examined in the cells. (-)Sch B and Sch C, but not Sch A, ameliorated the extent of tBHP-induced GSH depletion, indicative of enhanced glutathione redox cycling. However, the degree of restoration of GSH post-tBHP challenge was not affected or even decreased. Pretreatment with (-)Sch B and Sch C, but not Sch A, protected against oxidant injury in the cells. The (-)Sch B afforded cytoprotection was abolished by N,N'-bis(chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea pretreatment suggesting the enhancement of glutathione redox cycling is crucially involved in the cytoprotection afforded by (-)Sch B against oxidative stress-induced cell injury.     

Human cathepsin H.

Cathepsin H was purified from human liver by a method involving autolysis and acetone fractionation, and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Ultrogel AcA 54, hydroxyapatite and concanavalin A-Sepharose. The procedure allowed for the simultaneous isolation of cathepsin B and cathepsin D. Cathepsin H was shown to consist of a single polypeptide chain of 28 000 mol.wt., and affinity for concanavalin A-Sepharose indicated that it was a glycoprotein. The enzyme existed in multiple isoelectric forms, the two major forms having pI values of 6.0 and 6.4; it hydrolysed azocasein (pH optimum 5.5), benzoylarginine 2-naphthylamide (Ba-Arg-NNap), leucyl 2-naphthylamide (Arg-NNap), (pH optimum 6.8). Arg-NNap and Arg-NMec, unlike Bz-Arg-NNap-, were not hydrolysed by human cathepsin B. Cathepsin H was similar to cathepsin B in being irreversibly inactivated by exposure to alkaline pH. Sensitivity to chemical inhibitors by 1 microM-leupeptin, which gave essentially complete inhibition of the other lysosomal cysteine proteinases, cathepsins B and L.     

Human cathepsin B1. Purification and some properties of the enzyme

1. Cathepsin B1 was purified from human liver by a method involving autolysis, fractional precipitation with acetone, adsorption on, and stepwise elution from, CM-cellulose and an organomercurial adsorbent, gel chromatography and finally equilibrium chromatography on CM-cellulose. 2. The early stages of the procedure, including the use of the organomercurial adsorbent, were suitable for the simultaneous isolation of cathepsin D. The two cathepsins were sharply separated on the organomercurial column, and particular attention was given to the method for the preparation and use of this adsorbent. 3. A method is described for the staining of analytical isoelectric-focusing gels for cathepsin B1 activity, as well as protein. By this method it was shown that cathepsin B1 was represented by at least six isoenzymes during the greater part of the purification procedure. After the gel-chromatography step this group of isoenzymes was obtained essentially free of other proteins, in good yield. The isoenzymes were resolved from this mixture by chromatography on CM-cellulose. The purified enzyme was stable for several weeks at slightly acid pH values in the absence of thiol compounds; it was unstable above pH7. 4. The pI values of the isoenzymes of cathepsin B1 extended from pH4.5 to 5.5, that of the major isoenzyme tending to increase from 5.0 to 5.2 during the purification procedure. Gel chromatography indicated a molecular weight of 27500 for all of the isoenzymes, whereas polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate gave a value of 24000. 5. An antiserum raised in sheep against the purified enzyme reacted specifically with the alkali-denatured molecule. Purified cathepsin B1 contained no material precipitable by an anti-(human cathepsin D) serum. 6. The enzyme hydrolysed several N-substituted derivatives of l-arginine 2-naphthylamide, as well as haemoglobin, azo-haemoglobin, azo-globin and azo-casein. Greatest activity was obtained near pH6.0. 7. The sensitivity of human cathepsin B1 to chemical inhibitors was generally similar to that of other thiol proteinases. The enzyme was inactivated by the chloromethyl ketones derived from tosylphenylalanine, tosyl-lysine, acetyltetra-alanine and acetyldialanylprolylalanine. 8. The hydrolysis of alpha-N-benzoyl-dl-arginine 2-naphthylamide by extracts of human liver at pH6 was attributable entirely to cathepsin B1.     

Enhanced intracellular glutathione synthesis and excretion capability of Candida utilis by using a low pH-stress strategy

AIMS: To study the effect of low pH stress on glutathione (GSH) synthesis and excretion capability of GSH fermentation production in Candida utilis. METHODS AND RESULTS: When C. utilis WSH 02-08 was cultivated in a glucose-ammonium sulfate medium without pH control, GSH leakage occurred when the pH of the medium decreased to 1.5. However, analysis of the cell viability indicated that the cells were not lysed. To further study the effect of low pH stress on GSH production, pH-controlled batch cultures were conducted, where the pH was switched from 5.5 to 1.2 at 24 h and maintained at 1.2 for 6 h. Nearly all intracellular GSH was leaked into the medium and the cell viability decreased dramatically, conceiving a long-term exposure of strain WSH 02-08 at low pH environment led to a complete cell lysis. A critical point (treated at pH 1.2 for 3 h) was experimentally determined, where most cells were alive but suffering a low pH stress. Low pH-stressed C. utilis cells displayed an increased intracellular GSH synthesis and export capability, which protected the cells against short-term low pH treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Using this knowledge, a low pH-stress strategy was developed and applied in fed-batch production of GSH and 197.3 mg l-1 of GSH was secreted into the medium. The GSH-specific production yield could be increased from 2.11 to 2.67% (w/w), and the total GSH concentration could reach 737.1 mg l-1 and increased by 24.9%. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first report of GSH secretion of C. utilis at low pH. This study demonstrated the importance of the physiology-based fermentation strategy in the production of useful metabolites.     

T-cell hybridomas recognizing the envelope proteins of Semliki forest virus: their sensitivity to endo/lysosomal protease and the antigenicity.

Eight T-cell hybridomas were established from the draining lymph node of C3H mice immunized with Semliki forest virus (SFV). Six of them showed specificity toward viral-structure protein E2, while the remaining two clones included one with specificity to an other structural protein E1 and the other with specificity to C. The production of IL-2 by the E2 protein-specific T-cell hybridomas in the presence of SFV was suppressed by treating the antigen-presenting cells (APC) with ammonium chloride raising pH of the acidic compartments. It was found also that treatment of APC with a thiol protease inhibitor, leupeptin or E64, resulted in a reduced response of some of the E2-specific T-cell hybridomas. The E2 protein of SFV proved to be resistant at pH 7.0, and sensitive at pH 5.0 to in vitro cathepsin B treatment. In contrast, the E1 and C proteins proved to be resistant to both pH values. These results indicate that the thiol protease, probably cathepsin B, works as one of the enzymes group involved in antigen processing.     

The active-site residue Cys-29 is responsible for the neutral-pH inactivation and the refolding barrier of human cathepsin B

Human cathepsin B, the most abundant lysosomal cysteine protease, has been implicated in a variety of important physiological and pathological processes. It has been known for a long time that like other lysosomal cysteine proteases, cathepsin B becomes inactivated and undergoes irreversible denaturation at neutral or alkaline pH. However, the mechanism of this denaturation process remains mostly unknown up to this day. In the present work, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to characterize the molecular origin of the neutral-pH inactivation and the refolding barrier of human cathepsin B. Two forms of human cathepsin B, the native form with Cys-29 at the active site and a mutant with Cys-29 replaced by Ala, were shown to have well-folded structures at the active and slightly acidic condition of pH 5. Surprisingly, while the native cathepsin B irreversibly unfolds at pH 7.5, the C29A mutant was found to maintain a stable three-dimensional structure at neutral pH conditions. In addition, replacement of Cys-29 by Ala renders the process of the urea denaturation of human cathepsin B completely reversible, in contrast to the opposite behavior of the wild-type cathepsin B. These results are very surprising in that replacement of one single residue, the active-site Cys-29, can eliminate the neutral-pH denaturation and the refolding barrier. We speculate that this finding may have important implications in understanding the process of pH-triggered inactivation commonly observed for most lysosomal cysteine proteases.