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Characterization of a secretase activity for placental leucine aminopeptidase.

Placental leucine aminopeptidase (P-LAP) is believed to play an important role in the inactivation of small regulatory peptides. P-LAP exists in both membrane-bound and soluble forms and cDNA cloning has demonstrated that P-LAP is a type II membrane protein, which means that its soluble form is released by a specific proteolytic cleavage. In this report, we studied this process in COS7 cells. Inhibitors of serine or aspartic proteases did not affect the secretion of P-LAP, while EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline inhibited it. In addition, we transfected P-LAP expression vectors that have point mutations of the cleavage site or deletion of the juxtamembrane stalk. Point mutations of the cleavage site resulted in significantly lower secretion of P-LAP. On the contrary, the distance to cleavage site showed no relation to P-LAP secretion. These results suggest that P-LAP secretase has a metalloprotease activity which depends on the amino acid sequence of the cleavage site.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Not only fibroblasts but also melanoma cells express "leucine aminopeptidase" activity.

"Leucine aminopeptidase" (LAP, aminopolypeptidase, EC 3.4.11) activity has been recommended and widely used as a histochemical marker for the identification of contaminating LAP-positive fibroblasts in pigment cell cultures. Using a sensitive biochemical assay with L-leucyl-p-nitroanilide as a substrate we demonstrated that in vitro melanoma cells also exhibit LAP activity. Our comparison of four melanoma cell lines with four fibroblast lines showed that the differences in the enzyme activity were not qualitative but only quantitative. For this reason the specific antibodies, karyological analysis and electron microscopy are recommended as more reliable means in distinguishing fibroblasts from poorly differentiated pigment cells than the LAP-cytochemistry.

Cell Line↗

Metal binding stoichiometry and mechanism of metal ion modulation of the activity of porcine kidney leucine aminopeptidase.

Porcine kidney leucine aminopeptidase has been obtained from commercial sources as in inhomogeneous preparation with variable metal content and purified by affinity chromatography over L-leucylglycyl-AH-Sepharose. Treatment with Zn2+ followed by gel filtration restores the Zn2+ content of the native enzyme, which is 6 mol of Zn2+ per hexamer, each of which is located in a single catalytic binding site per subunit. The activity of the native enzyme is modulated by incubation with divalent metal ions; it is activated by Mn2+ and Mg2+ and inhibited by Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Hg2+ and Cd2+. These metals modulate the activity by binding to a separate site on each subunit, referred to as the regulatory site. Binding of these metals at the regulatory site alters the activity of the enzyme by changing kcat, leaving KM unaltered. The number and nature of the metal binding sites of porcine kidney leucine aminopeptidase are very similar to those of the enzyme from bovine lens.

Animals↗

Molecular cloning of adipocyte-derived leucine aminopeptidase highly related to placental leucine aminopeptidase/oxytocinase.

In the current study, we report the cloning and initial characterization of a novel human cytosolic aminopeptidase named adipocyte-derived leucine aminopeptidase (A-LAP). The sequence encodes a 941-amino acid protein with significant homology (43%) to placental leucine aminopeptidase (P-LAP)/oxytocinase. The predicted A-LAP contains the HEXXH(X)18E consensus sequence, which is characteristic of the M1 family of zinc-metallopeptidases. Although the deduced sequence contains a hydrophobic region near the N-terminus, the enzyme localized mainly in cytoplasm when expressed in COS-7 cells. Northern blot analysis revealed that A-LAP was expressed in all the tissues tested, some of which expressed at least three forms of mRNA, suggesting that the regulation of the gene expression is complex. When aminopeptidase activity of A-LAP was measured with various synthetic substrates, the enzyme revealed a preference for leucine, establishing that A-LAP is a novel leucine aminopeptidase with restricted substrate specificity. The identification of A-LAP, which reveals strong homology to P-LAP, might lead to the definition of a new subfamily of zinc-containing aminopeptidases belonging to the M1 family of metallopeptidases.

Adipocytes↗

Localization of angiotensin II, the AT1 receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme, aminopeptidase A, adipocyte-derived leucine aminopeptidase, and vascular endothelial growth factor in the human ovary throughout the menstrual cycle.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the expression and cellular distribution of angiotensin II (Ang II), angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), aminopeptidase A (APA), adipocyte-derived leucine aminopeptidase (A-LAP), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human ovarian tissue during the menstrual cycle. DESIGN: Ovarian tissues (n = 52) and corpora lutea (n = 34) were obtained from patients undergoing hysterectomy/oophorectomy, and tissue sections were immunostained for each antigen. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Patients undergoing hysterectomy or oophorectomy for benign conditions. INTERVENTION(S): Immunostaining of tissue sections using antibodies to each antigen. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Microscopic evaluation to assess the presence, distribution, and cellular localization. RESULT(S): The luteal tissue is the major site of Ang II, ACE, AT1R, and VEGF, with highest staining intensity found during the midluteal phase and at pregnancy. The AT1R was found in theca cells. The APA was strongly immunolocalized in pericytes. Immunolocalization of AT1R was almost similar to that of VEGF including oocytes in the primordial and intermediate follicles. CONCLUSION(S): The expression and distinct pattern of the cellular localization of Ang II and its related proteins in human ovarian tissue during folliculogenesis and in the luteal tissue suggest their roles in the growth and differentiation of theca, granulose, and luteal cells.

Aminopeptidases↗

A Complex Array of Proteins Related to the Multimeric Leucine Aminopeptidase of Tomato.

Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) mRNAs are induced in response to mechanical wounding, pathogen infection, and insect infestation (V. Pautot, F.M. Holzer, B. Reisch, L.L. Walling [1993] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90: 9906-9910). Polyclonal antibodies to a glutathione S-transferase-LAP fusion protein and affinity-purified antibodies recognizing LAP antigenic determinants detected four classes of polypeptides in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) leaves. All four classes had multiple polypeptides in two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblots. Although antigenically related to the wound-induced tomato LAP proteins, the 77- and 66-kD LAP-like proteins accumulated in both healthy and wounded leaves. Two classes of 55-kD polypeptides with distinctive isoelectric points were designated as plant LAPs; only the acidic LAP proteins accumulated to high levels after mechanical wounding or Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato infection of tomato leaves. The temporal accumulation of LAP mRNAs was correlated with the increase in acidic LAP protein subunits. A slow-migrating LAP activity was detected using a native gel assay after wounding. The molecular mass of the native wound-induced LAP enzyme was 353 kD. The 55-kD acidic LAP proteins were associated with induced LAP activity, whereas the neutral LAPs and the LAP-like proteins were not associated with this exopeptidase. A second, fast-migrating aminopeptidase was detected in both healthy and wounded tomato leaves. Cell fractionation experiments revealed that wound-induced LAP is a soluble enzyme.

Journal Article↗