Prothrombin cleavage by human vascular smooth muscle cells: A potential alternative pathway to the coagulation cascade

Thrombin is a potent mitogen for human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMC) and its enzymatic activity is required for this function. The present study demonstrates that prothrombin is also mitogenic for HVSMC due to the generation of enzymatically active thrombin which occurs upon incubation of prothrombin with the cells. Analysis by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, and amino acid sequencing revealed that prothrombin incubated with HVSMC undergoes limited proteolysis. Prethrombin 1 was formed through cleavage at R¹⁵⁵-S¹⁵⁶. Cleavage at R²⁷¹-T²⁷² generated fragment 1.2 and prethrombin 2 whilst cleavage at R²⁸⁴-T²⁸⁵ yielded truncated prothrombin 2 (prethrombin 2′). However, cleavage at R³²⁰-I³²¹ which, during prothrombin activation produces two-chain α-thrombin, was not detectable. Studies on HVSMC-conditioned medium revealed that a similar pattern of prothrombin cleavage occurred by a cell-secreted factor(s). Amidolytic activity analysis indicated that 1–3% catalytically active thrombin-like activity was generated upon incubation of prothrombin with HVSMC-conditioned medium. By treating conditioned medium with various classes of proteinase inhibitors or hirudin, it was determined that prothrombin is cleaved by a cell-derived serine proteinase-like factor(s) at R²⁷¹-S²⁷² and by α-thrombin at R¹⁵⁵-S¹⁵⁶ and R²⁸⁴-T²⁸⁵. Antibodies neutralising the activity of either urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator, or factor Xa failed to alter the prothrombin cleaving activity of conditioned medium. This activity which may catalyse an alternative pathway for the generation of thrombin, was eluted from a gel filtration column as a single peak with apparent molecular mass of 30–40 kDa. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Characterization of midgut proteinase activities of white grubs: Lepidiota noxia,Lepidiota negatoria,and Antitrogus consanguineus (scarabaeidae,melolonthini)

The proteinases in the midguts of three scarab white grub species, Lepidiota noxia, L. negatoria, and Antitrogus consanguineus, were investigated to classify the proteinases present and to determine the most effective proteinase inhibitor for potential use as an insect control agent. pH activity profiles indicated the presence of serine proteinases and the absence of cysteine proteinases. This was confirmed by the lack of inhibition by specific cysteine proteinase inhibitors. Trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, and leucine aminopeptidase activities were detected by using specific synthetic substrates. A screen of 32 proteinase inhibitors produced 9 inhibitors of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase which reduced proteolytic activity by greater than 75%. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Catalytic components of proteasomes and the regulation of proteinase activity

The proteasome (multicatalytic proteinase complex) is a large multimeric complex which is found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. It plays a major role in both ubiquitin-dependent and ubiquitin-independent nonlysosomal pathways of protein degradation. Proteasome subunits are encoded by members of the same gene family and can be divided into two groups based on their similarity to the and subunits of the simpler proteasome isolated fromThermoplasma acidophilum. Proteasomes have a cylindrical structure composed of four rings of seven subunits. The 26S form of the proteasome, which is responsible for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis, contains additional regulatory complexes. Eukaryotic proteasomes have multiple catalytic activities which are catalysed at distinct sites. Since proteasomes are unrelated to other known proteases, there are no clues as to which are the catalytic components from sequence alignments. It has been assumed from studies with yeast mutants that -type subunits play a catalytic role. Using a radiolabelled peptidyl chloromethane inhibitor of rat liver proteasomes we have directly identified RC7 as a catalytic component. Interestingly, mutants in Prel, the yeast homologue of RC7, have already been reported to have defective chymotrypsin-like activity. These results taken together confirm a direct catalytic role for these -type subunits. Proteasome activities are sensitive to conformational changes and there are several ways in which proteasome function may be modulatedin vivo. Our recent studies have shown that in animal cells at least two proteasome subunits can undergo phosphorylation, the level of which is likely to be important for determining proteasome localization, activity or ability to form larger complexes. In addition, we have isolated two isoforms of the 26S proteinase.     

Water molecules participate in proteinase-inhibitor interactions: crystal structures of Leu18, Ala18, and Gly18 variants of turkey ovomucoid inhibitor third domain complexed with Streptomyces griseus proteinase B.

Crystal structures of the complexes of Streptomyces griseus proteinase B (SGPB) with three P1 variants of turkey ovomucoid inhibitor third domain (OMTKY3), Leu18, Ala18, and Gly18, have been determined and refined to high resolution. Comparisons among these structures and of each with native, uncomplexed SGPB reveal that each complex features a unique solvent structure in the S1 binding pocket. The number and relative positions of water molecules bound in the S1 binding pocket vary according to the size of the side chain of the P1 residue. Water molecules in the S1 binding pocket of SGPB are redistributed in response to the complex formation, probably to optimize hydrogen bonds between the enzyme and the inhibitor. There are extensive water-mediated hydrogen bonds in the interfaces of the complexes. In all complexes, Asn 36 of OMTKY3 participates in forming hydrogen bonds, via water molecules, with residues lining the S1 binding pocket of SGPB. For a homologous series of aliphatic straight side chains, Gly18, Ala18, Abu18, Ape18, and Ahp18 variants, the binding free energy is a linear function of the hydrophobic surface area buried in the interface of the corresponding complexes. The resulting constant of proportionality is 34.1 cal mol-1 A-2. These structures confirm that the binding of OMTKY3 to the preformed S1 pocket in SGPB involves no substantial structural disturbances that commonly occur in the site-directed mutagenesis studies of interior residues in other proteins, thus providing one of the most reliable assessments of the contribution of the hydrophobic effect to protein-complex stability.     

Crystal structure of human pepsin and its complex with pepstatin.

The three-dimensional crystal structure of human pepsin and that of its complex with pepstatin have been solved by X-ray crystallographic methods. The native pepsin structure has been refined with data collected to 2.2 A resolution to an R-factor of 19.7%. The pepsin:pepstatin structure has been refined with data to 2.0 A resolution to an R-factor of 18.5%. The hydrogen bonding interactions and the conformation adopted by pepstatin are very similar to those found in complexes of pepstatin with other aspartic proteinases. The enzyme undergoes a conformational change upon inhibitor binding to enclose the inhibitor more tightly. The analysis of the binding sites indicates that they form an extended tube without distinct binding pockets. By comparing the residues on the binding surface with those of the other human aspartic proteinases, it has been possible to rationalize some of the experimental data concerning the different specificities. At the S1 site, valine at position 120 in renin instead of isoleucine, as in the other enzymes, allows for binding of larger hydrophobic residues. The possibility of multiple conformations for the P2 residue makes the analysis of the S2 site difficult. However, it is possible to see that the specific interactions that renin makes with histidine at P2 would not be possible in the case of the other enzymes. At the S3 site, the smaller volume that is accessible in pepsin compared to the other enzymes is consistent with its preference for smaller residues at the P3 position.     

Limited proteolysis of native proteins: the interaction between avidin and proteinase K.

Avidin is a tetramer of 16-kDa subunits that have a high affinity for biotin. Proteolysis of native apoavidin by proteinase K results in a limited attack at the loop between beta-strands 3 and 4, involving amino acids 38-43. Specifically, sites of proteolysis are at Thr 40-Ser 41 and Asn 42-Glu 43. The limited proteolysis results in an avidin product that remains otherwise intact and which has enhanced binding for 4'-hydroxyazobenzene-2-benzoic acid (HABA), a chromogenic reporter that can occupy the biotin-binding site. Saturation of the biotin-binding site with the natural ligand protects avidin from proteolysis, but saturation with HABA enhances the rate of proteolysis of the same site. Analysis of the three-dimensional structures of apoavidin and holoavidin reveals that the 3-4 loop is accessible to solvent and scores highly in an algorithm developed to identify sites of proteolytic attack. The structure of holoavidin is almost identical to the apoprotein. In particular, the 3-4 loop has the same structure in the apo and holo forms, yet there are marked differences in proteolytic susceptibility of this region. Evidence suggests that the 3-4 loop is rather mobile and flexible in the apoprotein, and that it becomes constrained upon ligand binding. In one crystal structure of the apoprotein, this loop appears constrained by contacts with symmetry-related molecules. Structural analyses suggest that the "lid" to the biotin-binding site, formed by the 3-4 loop, is displaced and made more accessible by HABA binding, thereby enhancing its proteolytic susceptibility.     

Engineering the substrate specificity of rhizopuspepsin: the role of Asp 77 of fungal aspartic proteinases in facilitating the cleavage of oligopeptide substrates with lysine in P1.

Rhizopuspepsin and other fungal aspartic proteinases are distinct from the mammalian enzymes in that they are able to cleave substrates with lysine in the P1 position. Sequence and structural comparisons suggest that two aspartic acid residues, Asp 30 and Asp 77 (pig pepsin numbering), may be responsible for generating this unique specificity. Asp 30 and Asp 77 were changed to the corresponding residues in porcine pepsin, Ile 30 and Thr 77, to create single and double mutants. The zymogen forms of the wild-type and mutant enzymes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies. Following solubilization, denaturation, refolding, activation, and purification to homogeneity, structural and kinetic comparisons were made. The mutant enzymes exhibited a high degree of structural similarity to the wild-type recombinant protein and a native isozyme. The catalytic activities of the recombinant proteins were analyzed with chromogenic substrates containing lysine in the P1, P2, or P3 positions. Mutation of Asp 77 resulted in a loss of 7 kcal mol-1 of transition-state stabilization energy in the hydrolysis of the substrate containing lysine in P1. An inhibitor containing the positively charged P1-lysine side chain inhibited only the enzymes containing Asp 77. Inhibition of the Asp 77 mutants of rhizopuspepsin and several mammalian enzymes was restored upon acetylation of the lysine side chain. These results suggest that an exploitation of the specific electrostatic interaction of Asp 77 in the active site of fungal enzymes may lead to the design of compounds that preferentially inhibit a variety of related Candida proteinases in immunocompromised patients.     

荧光探针在大鼠胃粘膜表面疏水性研究中的应用

采用１－萘胺－８－磺酸（ＡＮＳ）为疏水探针,对大鼠胃粘膜表面疏水性作了研究,结果表明：以ＡＮＳ（２５μｍｏｌ／Ｌ）与胃粘膜表面刮取物（胃粘液凝胶层）混合后的萤光强度（正常为１．２３±０．１９ＲＦＵ／胃）可代表该粘液层的疏水性;以不同浓度ＡＮＳ与胃粘液混合后的萤光强度呈饱和趋势,可用Ｓｃａｔｃｈａｒｄ作图法求得粘液中ＡＮＳ的最大萤光强度（２．４６７±０．６３８ＲＦＵ／胃）和相对亲和系数（０．０３２±０．０１６）,它们可分别代表胃粘液中疏水基团的总量和单个基团的疏水性,从而可阐明胃粘膜被盐酸损伤后凝胶层粘液的ＡＮＳ萤光减弱,系其疏水基团总量减少,而非单个基团的疏水性改变所致。     

Characterization of neurotensin binding to rat gastric smooth muscle receptor sites

The binding of monoiodo 125I-Trp11-neurotensin to purified rat gastric fundus smooth muscle plasma membranes was characterized. Specific binding of ligand in subcellular fractions from rat fundus smooth muscle showed a distribution that paralleled that of several plasma membrane marker enzymes. 125I-Trp11-neurotensin binding to smooth muscle plasma membranes at 25 degrees C was maximal at 30 min, reversible and saturable. Scatchard analysis of equilibrium data indicated the existence of two classes of binding sites with dissociation constants (Kd) of 56 pmol and 1.92 nM, and corresponding binding capacities (Bmax) of 6.6 fmol/mg and 11.4 fmol/mg of membrane protein. Analogues and fragments of neurotensin competed for 125I-Trp11-neurotensin binding with a rank order of potency similar to that previously reported for their contracting effect in rat fundus strips. Na+ decreased in a concentration dependent manner the binding of labelled ligand to the high affinity site. At 100 mM, Na+ induced a 6-fold increase in the IC50 of neurotensin for inhibition of 125I-Trp11-neurotensin binding. At this concentration of Na+, the IC50 for neurotensin was 1 nM, a value close to the Kd of the low affinity site.     

Intrinsic factor secretion from isolated human gastric mucosal cells

Human gastric mucosal cells were isolated from the resected fundic mucosa of peptic ulcer patients. The intracellular content and secretion of intrinsic factor were estimated by binding to cyano[⁵⁷Co]cobalamin. The content was maximal in the enriched parietal cell fraction which also displayed the highest H⁺ production as measured by amino[¹⁴C]pyrine uptake. Secretagogues evoked full response after 15 min of incubation: pentagastrin (181% of basal secretion), carbachol (208%), histamine (250%) and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (304%). The phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine was slightly more effective even than dibutyryl cAMP. The response to histamine was abolished by ranitidine, indicating activation of adenylate cyclase via histamine H₂ receptors, but remained unaffected by atropine, which in turn blocked the carbachol effect, whereas ranitidine was ineffective. The mean formation rate was 8.4 fmol intrinsic factor/10⁶ cells per h under basal conditions and 14.3 fmol in response to histamine.