石菖蒲醇提物对番茄幼苗防御酶影响

为了探讨石菖蒲醇提物作为一种中药杀菌剂对病菌寄主植物本身防御酶体系的影响,该研究以番茄欧粉贝幼苗和川产道地中药石菖蒲为材料,采用冷浸法制备石菖蒲醇提物,经不同浓度石菖蒲醇提物对番茄幼苗进行处理,用比色法测定多酚氧化酶(PPO)、苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)和过氧化物酶(POD)的活性,并利用GC-MS联用技术,对石菖蒲醇提物的主要化学成分进行定性分析。结果表明:第1天,醇提物浓度在0.04~0.08 g·mL~(-1)时,PAL活性显著高于对照;随后PAL活性随浓度升高降低;当浓度在0.04~0.16 g·mL~(-1)时,POD活性与对照无显著差异;浓度为0.32 g·mL~(-1)时,POD活性显著高于对照;浓度为0.64 g·mL~(-1)时,POD活性显著低于对照;当浓度在0.04~0.32 g·mL~(-1)时,PPO活性显著高于对照;浓度为0.64 g·mL~(-1)时,PPO活性与对照无显著差异;随着时间的延长,三种酶各处理组之间的差异逐步减少。第4天时,各处理组之间PAI,的活性无显著差异;当浓度为0.04 g·mL~(-1)和0.64 g·mL~(-1)时,PPO活性与对照无显著差异,其余范围均显著高于对照;当浓度在0.08~0.32 g·mL~(-1)时,POD活性数值上均高于对照。以上表明在一定浓度范围内醇提物可以增强防御酶活性,未破坏植物的防御酶体系。因此,该醇提物作为一种新型的中药杀菌剂有巨大的开发和利用潜力。利用GC-MS联用技术,可从醇提物中鉴定出30种化学成分,这些物质中多为苯丙素类物质,如β-细辛醚、α-(细辛醚和顺式甲基异丁香油酚等,其中含量最高的物质为β-细辛醚(42.48%)。这提示在后续的研究中,可针对β-细辛醚等醇提物的主要化学成分进行。     

转Bt基因抗虫玉米对亚洲玉米螟幼虫几种主要酶系活性的影响

研究了表达Cry1Ab杀虫蛋白的转Bt基因抗虫玉米对亚洲玉米螟Ostrinia furnacalis (uenée) 幼虫解毒酶、保护酶和中肠蛋白酶活性的影响,测定比较了取食转Bt基因玉米后幼虫体内α-乙酸萘酯酶、乙酰胆碱酯酶、谷胱甘肽S-转移酶、过氧化氢酶、超氧化物歧化酶、中肠总蛋白酶、类胰蛋白酶和类胰凝乳蛋白酶的活力。结果表明,取食转Bt基因玉米48 h后亚洲玉米螟幼虫体内的α-乙酸萘酯酶、谷胱甘肽S转移酶活力明显低于对照;而乙酰胆碱酯酶活力显著高于对照,在取食48 h、60 h和72 h的活力分别是对照的2.00、1.50和2.50倍。保护酶系、中肠总蛋白酶、弱碱性类胰蛋白酶和类胰凝乳蛋白酶的活性在取食48 h后明显受到抑制;但强碱性类胰蛋白酶的活性显著高于对照,取食48 h、60 h和72 h的活力分别是对照的4.00、1.67和1.33倍。乙酰胆碱酯酶和强碱性类胰蛋白酶可能与亚洲玉米螟对Bt的抗性有关。     

Chymotrypsin inhibitor from potatoes: interaction with target enzymes

The interactions of chymotrypsin, subtilisin and trypsin with a low MW proteinase inhibitor from potatoes were investigated. The K_i value calculated for the binding of inhibitor to chymotrypsin was 1.6 ± 0.9 × 10^?10M, while the second-order rate constant for association was 6 × 10⁵ M^?1/sec. Although binding was not observed to chymotrypsin which had been treated with diisopropyl fluorophosphate or with l-tosylamide-2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone, the 3-methylhistidine-57 derivative bound inhibitor with a K_i value of 9.6 × 10^?9 M. The inhibitor also exhibited a tight association with subtilisin (K_i < 4 × 10^?9 M). In contrast, little inhibition of trypsin was observed, and this was believed to be due to low levels of a contaminant in our preparations. No evidence for reactive site cleavage was observed after incubation of the inhibitor with catalytic amounts of chymotrypsin or subtilisin at acid pH.     

Novel kinetic analysis of enzymatic dipeptide synthesis: effect of pH and substrates on thermolysin catalysis.

The point of maximum activity is specific to a particular substrate-enzyme system but may vary with different substrates and the same enzyme. The specificity of enzymes has, however, been generally reported only at their "optimal" pH. In this article, we introduce the Michaelis-Menten equation taking pH into account, and apply it to the pH-activity profile of the thermolysin-catalyzed dipeptide synthesis. It has been reported to date that the pH-activity profile of thermolysin follows a bell-shaped curve with a maximal activity at or near pH 7.0. The profiles obtained in this study, however, indicated that the optimal pH varied from 5.8 (for F-AspPheOMe) to 7.3 (for Z-ArgPheOMe), and the order of thermolysin activity was greatly dependent on the pH of reaction media. We have succeeded in evaluating the substrates-induced change of the dissociation states of the active site of thermolysin using the hydrophobicity of substrates. We have obtained apparent kinetic parameters which are independent of the pH of reaction media. The apparent specificity of thermolysin which were independent of pH of the reaction media was in order L-Leu > L-Asp > L-Arg > L-Ala > L-Gly > L-Val and Z > Boc = F at P1 and P2 positions, respectively.     

Posttranslational modifications of serine protease TMPRSS13 regulate zymogen activation,proteolytic activity,and cell surface localization

TMPRSS13, a member of the type II transmembrane serine protease (TTSP) family, harbors four N-linked glycosylation sites in its extracellular domain. Two of the glycosylated residues are located in the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) protein domain, while the remaining two sites are in the catalytic serine protease (SP) domain. In this study, we examined the role of N-linked glycosylation in the proteolytic activity, autoactivation, and cellular localization of TMPRSS13. Individual and combinatory site-directed mutagenesis of the glycosylated asparagine residues indicated that glycosylation of the SP domain is critical for TMPRSS13 autoactivation and catalytic activity toward one of its protein substrates, the prostasin zymogen. Additionally, SP domain glycosylation-deficient TMPRSS13 displayed impaired trafficking of TMPRSS13 to the cell surface, which correlated with increased retention in the endoplasmic reticulum. Importantly, we showed that N-linked glycosylation was a critical determinant for subsequent phosphorylation of endogenous TMPRSS13. Taken together, we conclude that glycosylation plays an important role in regulating TMPRSS13 activation and activity, phosphorylation, and cell surface localization.     

Molecular basis for ATPase-powered substrate translocation by the Lon AAA+ protease

The Lon AAA+ (adenosine triphosphatases associated with diverse cellular activities) protease (LonA) converts ATP-fuelled conformational changes into sufficient mechanical force to drive translocation of a substrate into a hexameric proteolytic chamber. To understand the structural basis for the substrate translocation process, we determined the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of Meiothermus taiwanensis LonA (MtaLonA) in a substrate-engaged state at 3.6 Å resolution. Our data indicate that substrate interactions are mediated by the dual pore loops of the ATPase domains, organized in spiral staircase arrangement from four consecutive protomers in different ATP-binding and hydrolysis states. However, a closed AAA+ ring is maintained by two disengaged ADP-bound protomers transiting between the lowest and highest position. This structure reveals a processive rotary translocation mechanism mediated by LonA-specific nucleotide-dependent allosteric coordination among the ATPase domains, which is induced by substrate binding.     

Alterations in chemical shifts and exchange broadening upon peptide boronic acid inhibitor binding to α-lytic protease

-Lytic protease, a bacterial serine protease of 198 aminoacids (19800 Da), has been used as a model system for studies of catalyticmechanism, structure–function relationships, and more recently forstudies of pro region-assisted protein folding. We have assigned thebackbones of the enzyme alone, and of its complex with the tetrahedraltransition state mimic N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-Ala-Pro-boroVal, usingdouble- and triple-resonance 3D NMR spectroscopy on uniformly¹⁵N- and ¹³C/¹⁵N-labeled protein.Changes in backbone chemical shifts between the uncomplexed and inhibitedform of the protein are correlated with distance from the inhibitor, thedisplacement of backbone nitrogens, and change in hydrogen bond strengthupon inhibitor binding (derived from previously solved crystal structures).A comparison of the solution secondary structure of the uninhibited enzymewith that of the X-ray structure reveals no significant differences.Significant line broadening, indicating intermediate chemical exchange, wasobserved in many of the active site amides (including three broadened toinvisibility), and in a majority of cases the broadening was reversed uponaddition of the inhibitor. Implications and possible mechanisms of this linebroadening are discussed.