Purification and characterization of a thiol-protease induced during senescence of unpollinated ovaries of Pisum sativum

A senescence-specific protease has been purified from senescent unpollinated ovaries of Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska by acidic extraction. (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation, ion exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex, and affinity chromatography on ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco)-Sepharose. Characterization of the purified protease indicated that it is a thiol-endoprotease (EC 3. 4. 22 class) active over a wide pH range. Purified antibodies against this protease inhibit the degradation of Rubisco in autodigested extracts of senescent ovaries, suggesting that Rubisco might be a substrate for the protease in senescent pea ovaries. The relative levels of the protease were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) along the processes of ovary senescence and gibberellic acid (GA)-induced fruit development, indicating its induction at the beginning of senescence and the suppression of its synthesis by GA treatment.     

Effect of agitation speed on the synthesis of Mucor miehei acid protease

Different experiments using Mucor miehei CBS 370.65 were carried out to study the effect of agitation speed on the production of the mold acid protease. The experiments were conducted in shake flasks at a fixed substrate concentration of 58 g l⁻¹ of total carbohydrates and at shaker speeds from 80 to 380 rev min⁻¹. Enzyme production was found to be directly proportional to the shaker speeds, with the highest concentration of enzyme of 1,400 Soxhlet Rennet units (SU) ml⁻¹ obtained at 380 rev min⁻¹. The yield of product to substrate at 380 rev min⁻¹ was determined to be 27,081.0 SU g⁻¹ substrate and the productivity of the process was 221 SU g⁻¹ h⁻¹. Enzyme production was partially growth associated, and glucose supported both cell growth and enzyme production. Product formation and cell concentration were directly related to the rate of substrate consumption. The rate of product formation decreased when product started to accumulate, suggesting that the process was affected by feedback repression.     

Fruit developmental regulation of the kiwifruit actinidin promoter is conserved in transgenic petunia plants

We have examined the expression of actinidin, a cysteine protease found in kiwifruit, over the course of fruit development. Protease activity was first seen in fruit that had reached about half their final weight, and rose to high levels at harvest. The 5-flanking region (nucleotides –1301 to +58) of a kiwifruit actinidin gene was fused to the -glucuronidase (GUS)-coding region, and the chimaeric gene was introduced into transgenic petunia plants. Induction of the GUS gene was observed during the later stages of seed pod development, closely resembling the pattern of actinidin induction in fruit tissues of kiwifruit. Some GUS expression was also detected in the vascular system of the receptacle, leaves, stems and roots. A shorter promoter fragment consisting of nucleotides –115 to +58 conferred similar spatial and temporal regulation in some of the transgenic plants.     

S-PI对香菇酸性蛋白酶的抑制机理及其促进出菇的生化解释

S-PI对纯化的香菇酸性蛋白酶具有强烈的抑制作用,10μmol／L的S-PI可使酶活降低77％,这种抑制属于可逆竞争抛物线型抑制。经25μmol／L酸性蛋白酶水解6小时后,香菇胞外酸性磷酸酶的活性从24．6单位降低到20．8单位,同时C1酶和Cx酶的活性分别比对照降低了76％和58％,这表明香菇酸性蛋白酶不仅直接左右着香菇发育的氮代谢,同时也间接地影响着碳代谢及能量转换。     

假菠萝麻蛋白酶分离纯化及特性研究

从假菠萝麻叶汁中用乙醇分部沉淀法得到一种蛋白酶,对酪蛋白有强烈的水解活性,经Ｓｅｐｈａｄｅｘ Ｇ－１００柱层析和ＳＰ－Ｓｅｐｈａｄｅｘ Ｃ－５０离子交换柱层析等步骤纯化,可得到六角形结晶。结晶酶液经ＰＡＧＥ圆盘电泳,每条胶柱上只显示一条蛋白带,其活性在ｐＨ４。５－１０、５５℃范围内较稳定,最适ｐＨ８．５最适温度５０℃,Ｋｍ（酪蛋白）值为０．１８５％（Ｗ／Ｖ）。用ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ和Ｓｅｐｈａｄｅｘ     

缢蛏碱性磷酸酶胍溶液中分子折叠与活力变化研究

报道了缢蛏碱性磷酸酶（简称ＡＬＰ）经不同浓度盐酸胍处理时酶的分子构象所发生的变化以及酶变化和失活的动力学过程。在胍中酶荧光发射峰强度下降,紫外差光谱在２４６ｎｍ和２８５ｎｍ处出现２个负峰,ＣＤ谱中酶的α螺旋度下降,且随浓度增大,变化程度也加大。动力学研究表明,酶在０．５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ、１．０ｍｏｌ／Ｌ、２．０ｍｏｌ／Ｌ３．０ｍｏｌ／Ｌ、４．０ｍｏｌ／Ｌ盐酸胍中的变性速度常数分别为３．２１×１０~（－４）ｓ~（－１）、６．３８×１０~（－４）ｓ~（－１）、２．１７×１０~（－３）ｓ~（－１）、２．３３×１０~（－３）ｓ~９－１）、５．１７×１０~（－３）ｓ~（－１）;而酶在相应盐酸胍中的失活速度常数分别为２．３３×１０~（－４）ｓ~（－１）、３．５７×１０~（－４）ｓ~（－１）、５．８６×１０~（－４）ｓ~（－１）、１．１４×１０~（－３）ｓ~（－１）、３．４５×１０~（－３）ｓ~（－１）;表现为失活与构象伸展变化基本平行。     

南方鲇碱性磷酸酶的分离纯化及部分性质的研究

用正丁醇抽提,硫酸铵分级沉淀,ＤＥＡＥ－纤维素和ＳｅｐｈａｃｒｙｌＳ－２００柱层析,从南方鲇（Ｓｉｌｕｒｕｓ　ｍｅｒｉｄｉｏｎａｌｉｓ　Ｃｈｅｎ）肠粘膜中提取出碱性磷酸酶（ＡＫＰ）。提纯倍数为３９．５０倍,比活为６８．３５μ／ｍｇ蛋白,提取酶液经ＰＡＧＥ和ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ只呈现一条区带。该酶的分子量为１３２１４０,Ｎ末端氨基酸为门冬氨酸,最适ｐＨ为１０．１０,７．５＞ｐＨ＞１１．５时不稳定,最适温度为４０℃左右,对热不很稳定,以磷酸苯二钠为底物其Ｋ_ｍ值为１．７２×１０~（－３）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ。Ｍｇ~（２＋）、Ｍｎ~（２＋）为该酶的激活剂,ＫＨ_２ＰＯ_４、Ｌ－ＣｙＳ、ＭＥ、ＤＦＰ、ＥＤＴＡ－Ｎａ_２为抑制剂。选用ＫＨ_２ＰＯ_４和ＤＦＰ作抑制类型的判断,结果表明,ＫＨ_２ＰＯ_４属竞争性掏剂,其抑制常数为２．３ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ;ＤＦＰ为非竞争性抑制剂,抑制常数为１．０５ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ。     

A family of serine protease genes expressed in adult buffalo fly (Haematobia irritans exigua)

Gene fragments encoding serine proteases expressed in adult buffalo fly (Haematobia irritans exigua) were amplified from cDNA using generic oligonucleotide PCR primers, based on conserved residues surrounding the active-site His and Ser amino acids found in all serine proteases. The PCR product consisted of a broad band extending from about 450 by to 520 bp, which suggested that the PCR product actually consisted of numerous DNA fragments of slightly variable sizes. Seventeen independent clones of these fragments, each with an insert of approximately 480 bp, were digested with HaeIII. Comparison of restriction fragment patterns indicated that 13 of these clones harboured different PCR products. This was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis of 9 clones. Each of the sequenced clones contained an open reading frame which included structurally conserved regions characteristic of the serine protease superfamily. This study reveals the expression of a large and highly variable repertoire of serine proteases in adult buffalo fly. Importantly, these data also demonstrate the utility of such an approach in obtaining DNA probes for use in further investigations of gene family organization and expression, as well as providing recombinant antigens in the form of fusion proteins which may be used as candidates for vaccine production.     

Rapid purification of DesPro(2)-Val15-Leu17-aprotinin from the culture broth of a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A rapid two-step procedure has been developed for the purification of Despro(2)-Val15-Leu17-aprotinin from the culture supernatant of a recombinant yeast by affinity and ion-exchange chromatography. DesPro(2)-Val15-Leu17-aprotinin was purified to homogeneity, as demonstrated by dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis and analysis of the N-terminal amino acid sequence. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of solvent dependence of tyrosyl ring motion in an enzyme

Tyrosyl ring motions in alpha-lytic protease were investigated by solid-state deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in lyophilized enzyme powder, in powder suspended in organic solvents, and in aqueous crystals. Ring flipping rates were determined by examining deuterium quadrupole echo line shapes. Of the four Tyr residues in the enzyme, one was flipping at the slow (< or =10(3) s(-1)) and one at the fast (> or =10(7) s(-1)) exchange limit of the line shape experiment in all the environments tested. Flipping rates of the remaining two Tyr residues depended markedly on the solvent, with the lowest flipping rates (< or =10(3) s(-1) for both residues) observed in the enzyme powder, whether dry or suspended in hydrophobic tert-butyl methyl ether. In hydrophilic dioxane and acetonitrile, the mobility of these residues increased to 10(4) and 10(5) s(-1). The latter rate rose further to 10(6) s(-1) in the hydrated hydrophilic solvents and to > or =10(7) s(-1) in aqueous crystals. The deuterium spectrum of native alpha-lytic protease was compared with that of the enzyme whose active center was covalently modified with an inhibitor, which binds next to Tyr-123, constraining its ring. This experiment revealed that water addition to acetonitrile specifically increased the flipping rate of this active center residue. Librational motions ("wobbling"), estimated by their effect on spin-lattice relaxation times, were slowest in the anhydrous solvents, intermediate in the hydrated solvents, and fastest in the aqueous crystals. Thus, alpha-lytic protease is more rigid in organic solvents than in water, as judged by mobility of its tyrosyl residues. Water stripping by hydrophilic solvents did not increase enzyme rigidity, nor were there clear correlations between mobility and either enzymatic activity or solvent dielectric constant.