Calmodulin interacts with angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) and inhibits shedding of its ectodomain

Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) is a regulatory protein of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and a receptor for the causative agent of severe-acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the SARS-coronavirus. We have previously shown that ACE2 can be shed from the cell surface in response to phorbol esters by a process involving TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE; ADAM17). In this study, we demonstrate that inhibitors of calmodulin also stimulate shedding of the ACE2 ectodomain, a process at least partially mediated by a metalloproteinase. We also show that calmodulin associates with ACE2 and that this interaction is decreased by calmodulin inhibitors.     

An <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-acyl homolog of mycothiol is produced in marine actinomycetes

Marine actinomycetes have generated much recent interest as a potentially valuable source of novel antibiotics. Like terrestrial actinomycetes the marine actinomycetes are shown here to produce mycothiol as their protective thiol. However, a novel thiol, U25, was produced by MAR2 strain CNQ703 upon progression into stationary phase when secondary metabolite production occurred and became the dominant thiol. MSH and U25 were maintained in a reduced state during early stationary phase, but become significantly oxidized after 10 days in culture. Isolation and structural analysis of the monobromobimane derivative identified U25 as a homolog of mycothiol in which the acetyl group attached to the nitrogen of cysteine is replaced by a propionyl residue. This N-propionyl-desacetyl-mycothiol was present in 13 of the 17 strains of marine actinomycetes examined, including five strains of Salinispora and representatives of the MAR2, MAR3, MAR4 and MAR6 groups. Mycothiol and its precursor, the pseudodisaccharide 1-O-(2-amino-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl)-d-myo-inositol, were found in all strains. High levels of mycothiol S-conjugate amidase activity, a key enzyme in mycothiol-dependent detoxification, were found in most strains. The results demonstrate that major thiol/disulfide changes accompany secondary metabolite production and suggest that mycothiol-dependent detoxification is important at this developmental stage.     

Purification and characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 1D-myo-inosityl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase, MshB, a mycothiol biosynthetic enzyme

Mycothiol (MSH, AcCys-GlcN-Ins) is the major low molecular weight thiol in actinomycetes and is essential for growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. MshB, the GlcNAc-Ins deacetylase, is a key enzyme in MSH biosynthesis. MshB from M. tuberculosis was cloned, expressed, purified, and its properties characterized. Values of k(cat) and K(m) for MshB were determined for the biological substrate, GlcNAc-Ins, and several other good substrates. The substrate specificity of MshB was compared to that of M. tuberculosis mycothiol S-conjugate amidase (Mca), a homologous enzyme having weak GlcNAc-Ins deacetylase activity. Both enzymes are metalloamidases with overlapping amidase activity toward mycothiol S-conjugates (AcCySR-GlcN-Ins). The Ins residue and hydrophobic R groups enhance the activity with both MshB and Mca, but changes in the acyl group attached to GlcN have opposite effects on the two enzymes.     

Selective detection of Cathepsin E proteolytic activity

Background

Aspartic proteases Cathepsin (Cath) E and D are two different proteases, but they share many common characteristics, including molecular weight, catalytic mechanism, substrate preferences, proteolytic conditions and inhibition susceptibility. To define the biological roles of these proteases, it is necessary to elucidate their substrate specificity. In the present study, we report a new peptide–substrate that is only sensitive to Cath E but not Cath D.

Methods

Substrate e, Mca-Ala-Gly-Phe-Ser-Leu-Pro-Ala-Lys(Dnp)-DArg-CONH₂, designed in such a way that due to the close proximity of a Mca-donor and a Dnp-acceptor, near complete intramolecular quenching effect was achieved in its intact state. After the proteolytic cleavage of the hydrophobic motif of peptide substrate, both Mca and Dnp would be further apart, resulting in bright fluorescence.

Results

Substrate e showed a 265 fold difference in the net fluorescence signals between Cath E and D. This Cath E selectivity was established by having -Leu**Pro- residues at the scissile peptide bond. The confined cleavage site of substrate e was confirmed by LC-MS. The catalytic efficiency (K_cat/K_M) of Cath E for substrate e was 16.7 μM⁻¹ S⁻¹. No measurable catalytic efficiency was observed using Cath D and no detectable fluorescent changes when incubated with Cath S and Cath B.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the promise of using the developed fluorogenic substrate e as a selective probe for Cath E proteolytic activity measurement.

General significance

This study forms the foundation of Cath E specific inhibitor development in further studies.     

采用TEV酶法进行整合膜蛋白拓扑学分析

为了研究膜蛋白的跨膜结构,进行拓扑学分析是十分重要的.有许多分析膜蛋白拓扑结构的方法,本文采用烟草蚀斑病毒（TEV）酶特异性切割测试蛋白中跨膜片段的前段或后端所插入的tev识别序列EXXYXQ(S/G),如果TEV酶能够切割,表明该序列位于目标蛋白的细胞 质外.将Tev识别序列ENLYFQG 分别插入到拟南芥整合膜蛋白的的跨膜区域,然后转化进入酿酒酵母中. 消解酶(zymolyase)酶破除酵母的细胞壁后,TEV酶消化球状体,最后通过Western免疫印迹法来分析结果.有关该方法的注意事项在结果中进行了讨论.     

Characterization of the first angiotensin-converting like enzyme in bacteria: Ancestor ACE is already active

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a metallopeptidase that converts angiotensin I into angiotensin II. ACE is crucial in the control of cardiovascular and renal homeostasis and fertility in mammals. In vertebrates, both transmembrane and soluble ACE, containing one or two active sites, have been characterized. So far, only soluble, single domain ACEs from invertebrates have been cloned, and these have been implicated in reproduction in insects. Furthermore, an ACE-related carboxypeptidase was recently characterized in Leishmania, a unicellular eukaryote, suggesting the existence of ACE in more distant organisms. Interestingly, in silico databank analysis revealed that bacterial DNA sequences could encode putative ACE-like proteins, strikingly similar to vertebrates' enzymes. To gain more insight into the bacterial enzymes, we cloned the putative ACE from the phytopathogenic bacterium, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, named XcACE. The 2 kb open reading frame encodes a 672-amino-acid soluble protein containing a single active site. In vitro expression and biochemical characterization revealed that XcACE is a functional 72 kDa dipeptidyl-carboxypeptidase. As in mammals, this metalloprotease hydrolyses angiotensin I into angiotensin II. XcACE is sensitive to ACE inhibitors and chloride ions concentration. Variations in the active site residues, highlighted by structural modelling, can account for the different substrate selectivity and inhibition profile compared to human ACE. XcACE characterization demonstrates that ACE is an ancestral enzyme, provoking questions about its appearance and structure/activity specialisation during the course of evolution.