Multiple cleavage sites of cholecystokinin heptapeptide by "enkephalinase"

Degradation of Boc CCK7 (Boc Tyr1 (SO3H)-Met2-Gly3-Trp4-Met5-Asp6-Phe7-NH2), a fully active analog of CCK8, by purified rabbit kidney neutral metalloendopeptidase (enkephalinase) was studied as a basis for the rational design of potent peptidases-resistant analogs of cholecystokinin. Characterization of the metabolites was performed by HPLC using several elution procedures. Three cleavage sites were evidenced: one major at the Asp6-Phe7 bond and two minor at Gly3-Trp4 and Trp4-Met5 bonds. All cleavages were fully inhibited by thiorphan, a potent inhibitor of enkephalinase. The relative importance of the different cleavages was established using several cholecystokinin analogs. At 25 degrees C the half-disappearance time was 18 min for Boc CCK7, Boc[diNle2,5]CCK7 and 70 min for Boc[diNle2,5 D.Asp6]CCK7. Although, half-life of Boc CCK7 and Boc[diNle2,5]CCK7 were identical, the replacement of Met by Nle, a more hydrophobic aminoacid, greatly favoured the cleavage at the Trp4-Nle5 bond which became the major breakdown. This feature was exemplified by the substitution of L.Asp by D.Asp, preventing the Trp4-Nle5 cleavage, which gave rise to the most enkephalinase-resistant analog in this series.     

Enkephalin dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase (enkephalinase) activity: selective radioassay, properties, and regional distribution in human brain

Abstract: The compound [³H-Tyr¹,D-Ala²,Lcu-OH⁵]enkephalin has been synthesised as a potentially selective substrate for enkephalin dipeptidyl carboxypcptidase ( enkephalinase ) activity in brain. lncubations in the presence of homogenates and particulate fractions from rodent and human brain result in the formation of [³H]Tyr-D-Ala-Gly, which can be conveniently isolated by polystyrene bead column chromatography. The enzyme activity responsible for the hydrolysis of the Gly³-Phe⁴ amide bond of this substrate displays close resemblance to that hydrolysing the natural enkephalins at the same level. In addition, enkephalinase activity characterised in postmortem human brain is closely similar to that in rodent brain, with regard to optimal pH and apparent affinities of various substrates and inhibitors, including the potent compound thiorphan. Enkephalinase activity is distributed in a highly heterogeneous fashion among regions of human brain, the highest levels being found in globus pallidus and pars reticulata of the substantia nigra. This distribution is poorly correlated with that of opiate receptor binding sites but displays some resemblance to that of reported Met5-enkephalin levels.     

Hydrolysis of substance p and neurotensin by converting enzyme and neutral endopeptidase

Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) and neutral endopeptidase ("enkephalinase"; NEP), were purified to homogeneity from human kidney. NEP cleaved substance P (SP) at Gln6-Phe7,-Phe8, and Gly9-Leu10 and neurotensin (NT) at Pro10-Tyr11 and Tyr11-Ile12. NEP hydrolyzed 0.1 mM SP, NT and their C-terminal fragments at the following rates (mumol/min/mg): SP1-11 = 7.8, SP4-11 = 11.7, SP5-11 = 15.4, SP6-11 = 15.6, SP8-11 = 6.7, NT1-13 = 2.9, and NT8-13 = 4.0. Purified ACE rapidly inactivated SP as measured in bioassay. HPLC analysis showed that ACE cleaved SP at Phe8-Gly9 and Gly9-Leu10 to release C-terminal tri- and dipeptide (ratio = 4:1). The hydrolysis was Cl- dependent and inhibited by captopril. ACE released mainly C-terminal tripeptide from SP methyl ester, but only dipeptide from SP free acid. Modification of arginine residues in ACE with cyclohexanedione or butanedione similarly inhibited hydrolysis of SP, bradykinin and Bz-Gly-Phe-Arg (80-93%) indicating an active site arginine is required for hydrolysis of SP. ACE hydrolyzed NT at Tyr11-Ile12 to release Ile12-Leu13. SP, NT and their derivatives (0.1 mM) were cleaved by ACE at the following rates (mumol/min/mg): SP1-11 = 1.2, SP methyl ester = 0.7, SP free acid = 8.5, SP4-11 = 2.4, SP5-11 = 0.9, SP6-11 = 1.4, SP8-11 = 0, NT1-13 = 0.2, and NT8-13 = 1.3. Peptide substrates were used as inhibitors of ACE (substrate = FA-Phe-Gly-Gly) and NEP (substrate = Leu5-enkephalin).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cholecystokinin octa- and tetrapeptide degradation by synaptic membranes. III. Inactivation of CCK-8 by a phosphoramidon-sensitive endopeptidase

Solubilization of rat synaptic membranes by Triton X-100 followed by DEAE-cellulose chromatography allowed the separation of a phosphoramidon-sensitive endopeptidase that cleaved CCK-8. This enzymatic activity revealed similar if not identical to "enkephalinase A." A major cleavage point, at the Trp30-Met31 bond, and a minor one at the Tyr27-Met28 bond were identified in the sequence of CCK-8. Replacements of the Met28 and Met31 residues by Thr and either Leu or Nle respectively, in CCK-9 analogues, did not improve the resistance of these peptides to enzymatic degradation. The regional distribution in rat brain of this CCK-8 cleaving endopeptidase displayed marked variations with the highest activity in striatal membranes; it closely followed that described for "enkephalinase" in mouse brain.     

In vitro degradation of the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin by 'enkephalinase A'

As the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin represents a putative neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, the membrane-bound enzymes involved in its inactivation were investigated. Two aminopeptidases, involved in the cleavage of enkephalins, and a metalloendopeptidase were identified in extracts of solubilized synaptic membranes. The metalloendopeptidase, which cleaves CCK-8 at the Trp30-Met31 bond, appeared to be indistinguishable from 'enkephalinase A1' on the basis of its chromatographic behaviour, sensitivity to inhibitors and relative affinities for Met- and Leu-enkephalins. This finding indicates that CCK-8 is inactivated in vitro by the same peptidases as enkephalins.     

Neurotensin high affinity binding sites and endopeptidase 24.11 are present respectively in the meningothelial and in the fibroblastic components of human meningiomas

The presence of neurotensin receptors and endopeptidase 24.11 (E-24.11) in 16 human meningioma specimens, obtained at surgery, was assessed by measuring the binding of ¹²⁵I-[tyrosyl³]neurotensin(1–13) (¹²⁵I-NT) and the inhibitor ³H-N((2RS)-3-hydroxyaminocarbonyl-2-benzyl-1-oxopropyl)glycine (³H-HACBO-Gly), for the receptor and enzyme, respectively. E-24.11 activity was also measured. Autoradiography, on the 16 meningiomas, showed that specific ¹²⁵I-NT labeling (nonspecific labeling was assessed in the presence of excess NT) was exclusively located in the meningothelial regions. In contrast, specific ³H-HACBO-Gly labeling (nonspecific labeling was assessed in the presence of an excess of the E-24.11 inhibitor thiorphan) was exclusively found in fibroblastic regions. No specific labeling of either ligand was found on collagen or blood vessels. In vitro binding assays were performed on membranes of 10 of the 16 meningiomas. In the 4 meningiomas rich in meningothelial cells, ¹²⁵I-NT specifically bound to one population of sites with B_max ranging from 57 to 405 fmol/mg protein and K_d around 0.3 nM. These sites share common properties with the brain NT receptor, since the carboxy terminal acetyl NT(8–13) fragment bound to the same sites but with a higher affinity. The carboxy terminal analogue of NT, neuromedin N, also bound to the same sites with a 10-fold lower affinity and the sites were bradykinin and levocabastine insensitive. In the 4 meningiomas rich in fibroblastic cells, ³H-HACBO-Gly specifically bound to one population of sites with B_max ranging from 251 to 739 fmol/mg protein and K_d around 2.8 nM. In agreement with the binding data, E-24.11 activity, expressed in fmol ³H-[D-Ala²]leucine enkephalin degraded/min/mg protein, ranged from 102 to 281 and was specifically inhibited by the E-24.11 inhibitor retrothiorphan R, indicating the presence of biologically active E-24.11 in the meningiomas. In the 2 meningiomas poor in tumoral cells and rich in collagen bundles, no specific binding was found with either ligand. The presence, in abundance, of NT receptors and E-24.11 on the meningothelial components and on the fibroblastic components of the meningiomas, respectively, is a new indicator of the duality of the arachnoid cell from which these tumors arise. These markers may be useful for the classification of the histologic phenotypes of the meningiomas, and for clinical diagnosis of small meningiomas using SPECT and for the treatment of surgically inaccessible meningiomas.     

部分镇痛药的分子模拟及其量化计算

采用分子力学和量子化学方法对某些作用于脑啡肽酶的硫乙内酰脲衍生物（YL－2、YL－12、YL－3和YL－11）的化学结构进行了分析模拟和量化计算。优化了各化合物的空间结构,得到了优势构象和优势构象的能量,研究了分子的电荷分布,前线轨道能量等。供助于理论计算可解释脑啡肽酶抑制剂的构效关系,对其活性差异给予较好的分析,可望为合成具有更高药效的无成瘾性镇痛药提供理论指导。     

Dopaminergic Regulation of Enkephalin Release

The effects of dopamine receptor stimulation on enkephalin release were evaluated in vitro and in vivo by measuring the changes in the levels of [Met5]enkephalin (YGGFM) and Tyr-Gly-Gly (YGG), a characteristic extracellular enkephalin metabolite produced under the action of enkephalinase. In rat striatal slices, D1-receptor agonists or antagonists did not modify enkephalin release. By contrast, D2-receptor agonists enhanced the potassium-induced release of YGGFM and YGG without affecting spontaneous release from nondepolarized slices. This response was prevented by the D2-receptor antagonists haloperidol and RIV 2093, the latter compound being more potent, which suggested the involvement of a putative D2-receptor subtype. Acute administration of apomorphine or selective D2-receptor agonists, but not that of a D1-receptor agonist, enhanced the steady-state level of YGG without affecting the YGGFM level in rat striatum. The effect was blocked selectively by D2-receptor antagonists which, administered alone, had no effect. These observations indicate that D2-receptor stimulation in vitro or in vivo facilitates enkephalin release from striatal neurons, but that endogenous dopamine does not exert any tonic influence upon the opioid peptide neuron activity under basal conditions. However, chronic administration of haloperidol resulted in increases in striatal YGGFM and YGG, an effect presumably reflecting a long-term adaptive process.     

Biochemical and Immunological Properties of a Membrane-Bound Brain Metalloendopeptidase: Comparison with Thermolysin-Like Kidney Neutral Metalloendopeptidase

Abstract: Membrane-bound neutral metalloendopeptidase ("enkephalinase") was purified from rabbit brain and compared with a homogeneous preparation of a similar enzyme (EC 3.4.24.11) isolated from rabbit kidney. The two enzymes had the same pH optimum and the same apparent molecular weight. They showed identical specificity toward several synthetic substrates and cleaved both Met- and Leu-enkephalin at the Gly-Phe bond. Minor, but significant, differences were found between the two enzymes in the inhibitory constants determined for phosphoramidon and the N -[1( R,S )-carboxy-2-phenylethyl] derivatives of phenylalanyl and alanyl- p -aminobenzoate. A guinea pig antiserum obtained against the rabbit kidney enzyme showed strong crossreactivity with the rabbit brain enzyme when tested in an anticatalytic immunoinhibition assay. Ouchterlony immunodiffusion experiments gave a pattern of precipitation consistent with partial identity of the two enzymes. The kidney enzyme, however, seemed to contain antigenic determinants not present on the brain enzyme. The data indicate that the two enzymes are identical with respect to specificity, pH optimum, and molecular weight, but show minor, although significant, differences in interaction with active-site-directed inhibitors and specific antisera.     

Purification and Inhibition by Neuropeptides of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme from Rat Brain

Angiotensin-converting enzyme was solubilized with papain from a particulate fraction of rat brain and purified to apparent homogeneity by a procedure including DEAE-cellulose, hydroxylapatite, Sephadex G-200, Cys(Bzl)-Pro-Sepharose, and ricin-Sepharose chromatography. Bradykinin potentiators, SQ 14,225, and Arg-Pro-Pro strongly inhibited the activity of the purified enzyme, whereas Phe-Ala, phosphoramidon, and pentobarbital exerted little inhibitory effect on the activity. Among neuropeptides investigated, substance P, bradykinin, and Leu-enkephalin (Arg6) exerted strong inhibitory actions on the enzyme. Furthermore, the latter two peptides were shown to be good substrates for the enzyme. Thus, angiotensin-converting enzyme of rat brain is distinct from endogenous enkephalinase and may interact with various neuropeptides located in the brain.