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P R Strack

Publications and source records attributed to P R Strack.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Apoptosis mediated by HIV protease is preceded by cleavage of Bcl-2.

Expression of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) protease in cultured cells leads to apoptosis, preceded by cleavage of bcl-2, a key negative regulator of cell death. In contrast, a high level of bcl-2 protects cells in vitro and in vivo from the viral protease and prevents cell death following HIV infection of human lymphocytes, while reducing the yields of viral structural proteins, infectivity, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. We present a model for HIV replication in which the viral protease depletes the infected cells of bcl-2, leading to oxidative stress-dependent activation of NF kappa B, a cellular factor required for HIV transcription, and ultimately to cell death. Purified bcl-2 is cleaved by HIV protease between phenylalanine 112 and alanine 113. The results suggest a new option for HIV gene therapy; bcl-2 muteins that have noncleavable alterations surrounding the HIV protease cleavage site.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Activation of the multicatalytic endopeptidase by oxidants. Effects on enzyme structure.

It is well established that the functional properties of proteins can be compromised by oxidative damage and, in vivo, proteins modified by oxidants are rapidly degraded. It was hypothesized that oxidants may also affect the ability of proteases to hydrolyze peptides and proteins. We therefore examined the effect of oxidants on the endopeptidase activities of the 650 kDa 20S proteasome or multicatalytic endopeptidase (MCP), which is thought to play a central role in nonlysosomal protein breakdown. Treatment of the MCP with the oxidant system, FeSO4-EDTA-ascorbate, stimulated the peptidase activities of the MCP while H2O2 treatment showed little or no stimulation. However, treatment of the MCP with FeSO4-EDTA-ascorbate or H2O2 stimulated proteinase activity by 480% and 730%, respectively. An endogenous activator of the MCP, PA28, stimulated the acidic, basic, and hydrophobic peptidase activities of the MCP, but had no effect on proteolytic activity. Treatment of PA28 with oxidants in the presence of MCP or alone did not greatly affect PA28's ability to activate the peptidase activities of the MCP. Using nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, structural alterations in the enzyme which may be responsible for the activation of peptidase and protease activities following exposure to oxidants were investigated. Treatment of the MCP with reagents that activate proteolysis, including H2O2, as well as the serine protease inhibitor 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin and the cysteine protease inhibitor p-(chloromercuri) benzenesulfonic acid, all caused dissociation of the 650 kDa MCP. However, exposure to FeSO4-EDTA-ascorbate resulted in little or no dissociation of the complex. The MCP complex dissociated by p-(chloromercuri) benzenesulfonic acid could be reassociated upon treatment with the reducing agent dithiothreitol, but dithiothreitol failed to completely reassociate 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin- or H2O2 treated MCP. Therefore, chemical modification of the MCP can cause activation with varying degrees of complex dissociation. These results suggest that metabolites, such as reactive oxygen species, in addition to endogenous proteins, such as PA28, are capable of modulating MCP activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

ATP-stimulated degradation of oxidatively modified superoxide dismutase by cathepsin D in cardiac tissue extracts.

Proteins modified by oxidants are rapidly degraded by intracellular proteases. Oxidatively modified superoxide dismutase (Ox-SOD) was degraded 2-8 times faster at both acidic and alkaline pH than the native protein in bovine cardiac tissue extracts. At acidic pH, Ox-SOD hydrolysis was stimulated by ATP and by non-hydrolyzable ATP analogs by up to 50%, but degradation was not stimulated by ATP at alkaline pH. The aspartic protease inhibitor pepstatin completely inhibited the acid Ox-SOD hydrolyzing activity and its stimulation by ATP. This activity eluted from gel filtration with a molecular size of 34-48 kDa and contained the single chain and two mature forms of cathepsin D. Purified cathepsin D degraded Ox-SOD and ATP enhanced the affinity of cathepsin D for oxidatively modified proteins. Thus cardiac tissue proteins modified by oxidants may be substrates for the lysosomal protease cathepsin D.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of the multicatalytic proteinases isolated from the nucleus and cytoplasm of chicken red blood cells.

1. Two chromatographically distinct multicatalytic proteinases (MCP's) were isolated from the cytoplasm of chicken red blood cells and one MCP was purified from the nuclei. 2. The nuclear and the majority (97-99%) of the cytoplasmic multicatalytic proteolytic activity were chromatographically similar and differed from the minor cytoplasmic activity in their elution from hydroxylapatite, number of subunits on 2D-SDS-PAGE, and in their sensitivity to proteinase inhibitors. 3. Dichloroisocoumarin, a serine proteinase inhibitor, inhibited the hydrolysis of fluorogenic peptides but stimulated the degradation of casein by the multicatalytic proteinases suggesting that this enzyme has distinct active sites for protein and peptide hydrolysis.

Animals↗