Showing papers on "Cysteine protease published in 1986"

Amyloid fibrils in hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of Icelandic type is a variant of gamma-trace basic protein (cystatin C).

Abstract: A gamma-trace variant protein is the major constituent of the amyloid fibrils in patients from Iceland with hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis. The protein consists of 110 residues and is similar to human urinary gamma-trace basic protein (or cystatin C) beginning at its 11th amino-terminal residue. It has an amino acid substitution (glutamine for leucine) at position 58 (position 68 in gamma-trace numbering), which is near the proposed active site of related proteins--namely, cysteine protease inhibitors and kininogens. It is postulated that a point mutation has occurred, leading to the production of an unusual protein that is abnormally degraded, bound, and/or precipitated. Alternatively, gamma-trace basic protein may be genetically polymorphic, and the variant described here may represent an as-yet-undiscovered isotype or an allelic form that is linked to, but not responsible for, the deposition disease. Our data on the structure of a gamma-trace variant protein suggests that its gene expresses a polyprotein precursor in which active peptides are flanked by basic amino acid residues that permit cleavage to liberate small internal peptides. It is likely that the nucleotide sequence coding for Arg-Xaa and Lys-Xaa repeated several times in the molecule may function as alternative splicing sites for mRNA processing.

Carboxyl-modified amino acids and peptides as protease inhibitors.

Abstract: Several types of carboxyl-modified amino acids and peptides were prepared in forms having N-terminal modifications (carrier fragments) suitable for one of several representative protease enzymes, and their inhibitory action toward those enzymes were evaluated. The carboxyl modifications (inhibitory units) included (b) CONH2, (c) CSNH2, (d) CN, (e) trans-CH = CHCO2Me, and (f) trans-CH = CHSO2Me. The carrier fragments included NH2(PhCH2)CHX (1), AcNH(PhCH2)CHX (2), H2NCH2CONH(PhCH2)CHX (3), and AcNH(PhCH2)CHCONHCH2X (4). Compounds 1b, 1d, 1e, and 1f were competitive inhibitors of both microsomal and cytosolic leucine aminopeptidase (Ki = 14.8, 67, 61, and 3.7 mM with the former and 14.1, 26.4, 27.3, and 8.8 mM with the latter, respectively). Neither compound 1c nor leucine thioamide had any detectable effect on either enzyme. Compounds 2b-f were also competitive inhibitors toward chymotrypsin (Ki = 13.9, 23.0, 5.3, 30.8, and 29.4 mM, respectively). While 4b, 4c, and 4d were competitive inhibitors of papain (Ki = 4.7, 0.095, and 0.0011 mM, respectively), 4e proved to be an irreversible affinity label (Ki = 0.026 mM and k2 = 0.0018 s-1). Inactivation of papain by 4e was retarded in the presence of 4d and could not be reversed by dialysis. Similarly 3b and 3d were competitive inhibitors of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I (DPP-I, EC 3.4.14.1) (Ki = 6.2 and 0.0027 mM, respectively), while 3e and 3f were irreversible affinity labels (Ki = 0.22 and 0.18 mM, and k2 = 0.015 and 0.010 s-1, respectively). Inhibition of DPP-I by 3d provides only the second example of a cysteine protease which is strongly inhibited by a nitrile analogue of a specific substrate. Further studies are needed to determine the generality and potential utility of this finding. Compounds 3e, 3f, and 4e exemplify a new class of specific affinity labels for cysteine proteases whose activity probably derives from irreversible Michael addition of the catalytic cysteine to the activated double bond.

Inhibition of Proteolytic Enzymes in the in Vitro Amnion Model for Basement Membrane Invasion

Abstract: The ability of B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells to cross an amnion basement membrane was determined in the presence of strong inhibitors of both serine and cysteine proteases. The concentrations of inhibitors were at orders of magnitude higher than their K i values to serine and cysteine proteases implicated in metastasis, thus ensuring a complete inhibition for tumor secreted proteases such as cathepsin B-like proteases, plasminogen activators, and plasmin. Under these conditions of high serine and cysteine protease inhibitor concentrations, no significant decrease in B16-F10 melanoma cell invasion through the amnion was observed. Separate experiments showed that the inhibitors were neither toxic to the cells nor degraded. The results show that neither tumor cell secreted cathepsin B-like proteases nor plasminogen activator have a controlling role in basement membrane crossing in this metastatic model. A possible role for tumor cell membrane proteases in basement membrane invasion, in which the substrates of the protease bind to receptor sites near a membrane associated proteolytic activity, is not eliminated.

Selective inhibition of proteolytic enzymes in an in vivo mouse model for experimental metastasis.

Abstract: Peptide aldehyde transition state analogue inhibitors of serine and cysteine proteases have been used to selectively inhibit proteases for which prior evidence supports a role in tumor cell metastasis. These enzymes include cathepsin B, urokinase plasminogen activator (PA), and thrombin. The inhibition constants of the peptidyl aldehyde inhibitors show that they are highly selective for a particular targeted serine or cysteine protease. The inhibitors are introduced by i.p. injection or by miniosmotic pumps into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice also given injections of B16-F10 melanoma cells, and the number of metastatic foci in the lung was determined. While the injection protocol gave an initially high but changing in vivo concentration of inhibitor over time, the minipump implant gave a constant steady state concentration of inhibitor over 5–7 days. Minipump infusion of leupeptin (acetylleucylleucylargininal), a strong inhibitor of cathepsin B at a steady state plasma concentration 1000-fold greater than its K i(cathepsin B), gave no significant decrease in lung colonization by the B16 tumor cells. Ep475, a stoichiometric irreversible peptide inhibitor of cathepsin B-like proteases, also did not significantly inhibit metastatic foci formation. Introduction of selective inhibitors of urokinase PA, tert -butyloxycarbonylglutamylglycylargininal and H-glutamylglycylargininal at concentrations near its K i, produced no significant decrease in mouse lung colonization. The selective thrombin inhibitor d-phenylalanylprolylargininal infused to a steady state concentration 100-fold greater than its K 1 dramatically increased B16 melanoma colonization of mouse lung. The results indicate that neither secreted cathepsin B-like nor urokinase PA have roles in B16 colonization of mouse lung, while thrombin may have a role in preventing metastasis. These experiments do not eliminate roles for a cathepsin B-like enzyme or urokinase PA in the initial steps of the metastatic process.

Partial-purification and characterization of serum protease from tumor-bearing rats which cleaves type-iv collagen

Abstract: Activity of neutral protease was increased in sera of rats bearing ascites hepatoma AH109A compared to those of normal rats. The protease was isolated from serum protein and partially purified approximately 1,150 times in specific activity after sequential column chromatography of hemoglobin affinity, lysine-Sepharose, Ultrogel AcA34 and TSK-gel G2000SW in that order. The protease fraction still seemed to contain at least two kinds of proteases, serine and cysteine protease. It had a molecular weight of 18-21 kilodaltons with broad optimal pH range of 7.0-9.0, maximum at 8.0. Intradermal injection of the crude preparation of the neutral protease fraction induced extravascular emigration of circulating tumor cells in vivo. Moreover, partially purified protease degraded pepsin-treated chains of bovine glomerular type IV collagen in vitro, but such an in vitro action of the protease was inhibited by an addition of soybean trypsin inhibitor or mercuric chloride. It failed to cleave salt-extracted rat skin type I collagen under the same digestive conditions for bovine type IV collagen. The serum neutral proteases of tumor-bearing host may play some cooperative roles during extravascular emigration of tumor cells by destruction of vascular basement membrane.

Disulfide Bond Formation between the Active-Site Thiol and One of the Several Free Thiol Groups of Chymopapain

Abstract: Chymopapain, a cysteine protease of papaya latex, has been purified with the use of fast protein liquid chromatography. Two homogeneous fractions were analyzed for thiol content and thiol reactivity. It was found that peak 1 and peak 2 contained two and three thiol groups, respectively, per mole of enzyme. This result is inconsistent with the general belief that chymopapain contains one essential and one nonessential thiol group and suggests that a significant portion of the thiol groups was oxidized in the previous preparations. Such an oxidation can account for some of the inconsistent results reported in the literature. An irreversibly oxidized nonessential thiol group may modify the catalytic function of chymopapain especially if it is close to the active site. That one thiol group resides indeed in the vicinity of the essential thiol group is clearly demonstrated by the biphasic reactions of chymopapain with disulfide compounds such as 2,2'-dipyridyl disulfide and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate). In the first step of these reactions a mixed disulfide is formed between the enzyme and the reactant, which is followed by a first-order, intramolecular reaction leading to the liberation of the second half of the disulfide compound. Furthermore, on addition of one Hg2+ ion, 2 mol of thiol group, one essential and one nonessential, disappears concomitantly. Formation of a disulfide bond between the catalytically competent thiol group and another free thiol group of chymopapain under physiological conditions may be of regulatory importance.

[Low-molecular cysteine protease inhibitors in the human palatal tonsil].

Abstract: 2 low-molecular cysteine-proteinase inhibitors were purified from human tonsillar tissues: an acid cysteine proteinase inhibitor (ACPI), and a neutral cysteine proteinase inhibitor (NCPI). Their biochemical and immunological characteristics appeared to be identical to those inhibitors which we have identified in other human tissues in previous studies (epidermis and spleen). An immunohistological analysis revealed in tonsillar squamous epithelium a strong and consistent immunoreactivity for both inhibitors. In the tonsillar lymphatic tissue, ACPI-immunoreactivity appeared to be a characteristic mainly of dendritic reticulum cells whereas a prominent NCPI-immunoreactivity was confined mostly for the histiocytic reticulum cells in lymphoid secondary follicles. We also compared the distribution of the 2 immunoreactive inhibitors with the immunohistology as revealed by antisera raised against keratin and muramidase. Limitations of the immunohistochemistry of cysteine proteinase inhibitors are discussed in the light of an extensive trial of various fixation procedures. We deem that proposal of Barrett (1984) for the nomenclature of cysteine proteinase inhibitors is appropriate. According to it the ACPI is the cystatin A, and the NCPI is the cystatin B.

Protein products synthesized by a cloned viral protease gene.

Abstract: A region of the poliovirus genome coding for a cysteine protease was expressed in E. coli. Following separation in isoelectric focussing gels, four new proteins were identified and were shown to be products of the viral cDNA. Although a majority of the protein products is aggregated, the system offers the first practical basis for production of large quantities of a viral protease.