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The histochemical demonstration of aminopeptidase with bromoindolyl leucinamide.

The indigogenic method for aminopeptidase of Pearson et al. (1963) was critically evaluated. The localization obtained with it is not correct due to diffusion artifacts. Ferricyanide cannot be used as an oxidation agent. Based on experiments with other oxidation agents (phenazonium methosulfate, nitro BT, tetranitro BT) a new method was devised. The recommended incubation medium contains 0.9 mM L-N-(5-bromoindol-3-yl) leucinamide hydrobromide (chloride), 0.73 mM tetranitro BT, 0.27 mM phenazonium methosulfate and 0.67 M phosphate buffer pH 7.4. The enzyme activity is indicated by the deposition of tetranitro BT formazan. Results with this method in rat kidney, jejunum, liver, lung, and submaxillary gland, in monkey kidney and jejunum, and in human jejunal biosies are almost identical with those obtained with L-leucyl-4-methoxy-beta-naphthylamide applied in a simultaneous azocoupling procedure. The given principle of the demonstration of aminopeptidase activity with an indolylamine substrate deserves a further exploration in the demonstration of peptidases "in situ" both on optical as well as electronmicroscopical levels.

Aminopeptidases↗

Dependence of histochemical staining of leukocyte aminopeptidase upon its biochemical enzyme activity.

The relationship between histochemical staining and biochemical activity of the enzyme was investigated using leukocytes with different aminopeptidase activities. In guinea-pig neutrophils and macrophages which have a relatively high enzyme activity, the histochemical staining correlated with the biochemical enzyme activity. On the other hand, guinea-pig lymphocytes and mouse neutrophils whose enzyme activities were 8.25 +/- 0.27 mU/10(7) cells and 6.18 +/- 0.87 mU/10(7) cells, respectively, were not stained by histochemical techniques. When guinea-pig neutrophils were modified chemically by diazotized sulfanilic acid at different concentrations, the histochemical staining of neutrophils decreased in proportion to the degree of inhibition of their biochemical enzyme activity and hardly became detectable below 10 mU/10(7) cells. However, guinea-pig neutrophils contained the soluble enzyme, corresponding to 5 mU/10(7) cells, which leaked out rapidly from cells during staining procedure, suggesting that the limit of visualization of the membrane-bound aminopeptidase activity by the histochemical techniques is about 5 mU/10(7) cells. The membrane-bound enzyme activities in guinea-pig lymphocytes and mouse neutrophils were 5 mU and 3 mU per 10(7) cells, respectively, and so it is possible that these leukocytes hardly stained histochemically.

Aminopeptidases↗

beta-Carboline and diazepam effect on the degradation of enkephalin by the human blood aminopeptidase.

An enkephalin-degrading aminopeptidase (alpha-amino-acyl-peptide hydrolase, EC 3.4.11.11) has been purified from human plasma and has been shown to be the principle responsible for the transient half-life of enkephalin in blood. An inhibitory effect of beta-carbolines and of 3,4-dihydro-beta-carbolines on this enzyme 'in vitro' is reported. The best inhibitor is the 3-carboxylic acid (Ki congruent to 10(-4) M), while the ester, amide, and/or peptide derivatives are less potent. Since some beta-carboline derivatives have recently been shown to possess high affinity for benzodiazepine receptors in brain, the action of diazepam on the aminopeptidase activity was tested and a relevant inhibition of the human enzyme could be demonstrated.

Aminopeptidases↗

Evidence for the transit of aminopeptidase N through the basolateral membrane before it reaches the brush border of enterocytes.

In vivo pulse-chase labeling of rabbit jejunum loops was used in conjunction with subcellular fractionation and quantitative immunoprecipitation to determine whether or not the newly synthesized aminopeptidase N transits through the basolateral membrane before it reaches the apical brush border, its final localization. The kinetics of the arrival of the newly synthesized enzyme in the Golgi complex, basolateral and brush border membrane fractions strongly suggest that on leaving the Golgi aminopeptidase N is transiently integrated into the basolateral domain before reaching the brush border.

Aminopeptidases↗

Subcellular fractionation and subcellular localization of aminopeptidase N in the rabbit enterocytes.

A fast and easy procedure is proposed for preparing concomitantly from the same sample of intestinal mucosa of A+ rabbits, four fractions high enriched in the brush-border and basolateral plasma membrane domains, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and smooth endoplasmic reticulum plus Golgi apparatus membranes, respectively. This is the first time the technique of flow fluorometry has been applied to characterize the brush-border and basolateral membrane fractions using polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies against antigens common to or specific for these two plasma membrane domains. This technique definitely proves the presence of aminopeptidase in at least 60% of the basolateral membrane vesicles, where its level is about 4.5% of that in the brush-border membrane vesicles. The endoglycosidase H-sensitive intermediate of glycosylation of aminopeptidase N in the steady state is accumulated in both the rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Although the rough membrane is more extensive it contains only about 40% of this transient form.

Aminopeptidases↗

L: -Stereoselective amino acid amidase with broad substrate specificity from Brevundimonas diminuta: characterization of a new member of the leucine aminopeptidase family.

Brevundimonas diminuta TPU 5720 produces an amidase acting L-stereoselectively on phenylalaninamide. The enzyme (LaaA(Bd)) was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation and four steps of column chromatography. The final preparation gave a single band on SDS-PAGE with a molecular weight of approximately 53,000. The native molecular weight of the enzyme was about 288,000 based on gel filtration chromatography, suggesting that the enzyme is active as a homohexamer. It had maximal activity at 50 degrees C and pH 7.5. LaaA(Bd) lost its activity almost completely on dialysis against potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), and the amidase activity was largely restored by the addition of Co(2+) ions. The enzyme was, however, inactivated in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid even in the presence of Co(2+), suggesting that LaaA(Bd) is a Co(2+)-dependent enzyme. LaaA(Bd) had hydrolyzing activity toward a broad range of L-amino acid amides including L-phenylalaninamide, L-glutaminamide, L-leucinamide, L-methioninamide, L-argininamide, and L-2-aminobutyric acid amide. Using information on the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the enzyme, the gene encoding LaaA(Bd) was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of the strain and sequenced. Analysis of 4,446 bp of the cloned DNA revealed the presence of seven open-reading frames (ORFs), one of which (laaA ( Bd )) encodes the amidase. LaaA(Bd) is composed of 491 amino acid residues (calculated molecular weight 51,127), and the deduced amino acid sequence exhibits significant similarity to that of ORFs encoding hypothetical cytosol aminopeptidases found in the genomes of Caulobacter crescentus, Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Mesorhizobium loti, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and leucine aminopeptidases, PepA, from Rickettsia prowazekii, Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633, and Escherichia coli K-12. The laaA ( Bd ) gene modified in the nucleotide sequence upstream from its start codon was overexpressed in an E. coli transformant. The activity of the recombinant LaaA(Bd) in cell-free extracts of the E. coli transformant was 25.9 units mg(-1) with L-phenylalaninamide as substrate, which was 50 times higher than that of B. diminuta TPU 5720.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification and initial characterization of a putative Mycoplasma gallinarum leucine aminopeptidase gene.

Aminopeptidases (APN) may play a role in host colonization of M. gallinarum. Characterization of endogenous APN activity suggests that the leucine APN (LAP) of M. gallinarum is a metallo-aminopeptidase activated by Mn2+ and is present in the cytosol and possibly associated with the inner leaflet of the membrane. A 1.36-kb open reading frame (ORF) identified from overlapping genomic phage clones showed 68% nucleotide identity and 51% amino acid identity with the M. salivarium LAP gene. This ORF is expressed as a 1.5-kb monocistronic transcript and is present as a single copy in M. gallinarum. This gene sequence was modified to account for codon usage, and expression in E. coli produced a 51-kDa protein, which compares well with the product predicted from the ORF. This ORF is a strong candidate for contributing the LAP activity of M. gallinarum protein extracts.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A thermostable leucine aminopeptidase from Bacillus kaustophilus CCRC 11223.

Two degenerate primers established from the consensus sequences of bacterial leucine aminopeptidases (LAP) were used to amplify a 360-bp gene fragment from the chromosomal DNA of thermophilic Bacillus kaustophilus CCRC 11223 and the amplified fragment was successfully used as a probe to clone a leucine aminopeptidase ( lap) gene from a genomic library of the strain. The gene consists of an open reading frame (ORF) of 1,494 bp and encodes a protein of 497 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 53.7 kDa. The complete amino acid sequence of the cloned enzyme showed greater than 30% identity with prokaryotic and eukaryotic LAPs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that B. kaustophilus LAP is closely related to the enzyme from Bacillus subtilis and is grouped with the M17 family. His6-tagged LAP was generated in Escherichia coli by cloning the coding region into pQE-30 and the recombinant enzyme was purified by nickel-chelate chromatography. The pH and temperature optima for the purified enzyme were 8 and 65 degrees C, respectively, and 50% of its activity remained after incubation at 60 degrees C for 32 min. The enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed L-leucine- p-nitroanilide ( L-Leu- p-NA) followed by Cys derivative.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Aminopeptidase P activity in rat organs and human serum.

The substrate Lys(epsilon-Dnp)-Pro-Pro-NH-CH2-CH2-NH-ABz in which the fluorescent 2-aminobenzoyl (ABz) group (lambda ex = 320, lambda em = 410 nm) is intramolecularly quenched by the 2,4-dinitrophenyl (Dnp) chromophore was synthesized and used for the development of a sensitive assay for aminopeptidase P (EC 3.4.11.9). The emission of the intact compound was 160 times less than that of an equimolar concentration of Pro-Pro-NH-CH2-CH2-NH-ABz under the same conditions. The efficient resonance energy transfer permits an increased assay sensitivity as compared to the previously reported Phe(p-NO2)-Pro-Pro-NH-CH2-CH2-NH-ABz in which the p-nitrophenylalanyl [Phe(p-NO2)] residue caused only a 3.4-fold collisonal quenching. The kinetic constants Km were determined as 100 +/- 3.0 and 38 +/- 1.0 microM (mean of four experiments) for the human serum and the rat-lung enzymes, respectively. Both enzymes were inhibited by metal chelating agents and were not affected by 2.8 microM diisopropyl fluorophosphate. The mean activity in the sera of 53 healthy adults was 37.4 +/- 2.7 (standard error) with a standard deviation of 19.2 units/ml of serum. Only 10 microliters of serum was required for a reliable assay of the enzyme. The specific activity in rat-organ extracts was determined. High aminopeptidase P activity was observed in the testis, lung, kidney, and ovary and lower activity was observed in the serum.

Aminopeptidases↗

Structural requirements for specific inhibition of microsomal aminopeptidase by mercaptoamines.

L-Leucinthiol, a synthetic derivative of mercaptoethylamine with a hydrophobic side chain, was recently reported to be a potent inhibitor of microsomal aminopeptidase. The structural features necessary for interaction of mercaptoamines with this enzyme have now been explored more systematically. Optimal binding requires a primary amine linked to the mercapto group via two carbon atoms. Only a substituent with L-configuration at the 1 position increased the affinity toward the enzyme. The high degree of specificity and other evidence suggest that the mode of binding of these inhibitors is similar to that of substrates. Comparison of leucinthiol with other amino compounds suggest that the mercapto group makes a much greater contribution to the binding than the hydrophobic side chain. L-Leucinthiol is fairly specific for aminopeptidase although some inhibition of thermolysin and carboxypeptidase A is observed.

Aminopeptidases↗

Lyophyllum cinerascens aminopeptidase: purification and enzymatic properties.

An aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.1) was purified from the extract of Lyophyllum cinerascens by ammonium sulfate fractionation and sequential chromatographies on DEAE-Sephadex, Sephadex G-150, HPLC-phenyl-5PW, and HPLC-DEAE-5PW columns, with an activity recovery of 4.6% using Leu-beta-naphthylamide as a substrate. The enzyme was a tetrameric protein of molecular weight 150,000 and was found to be rich in histidine. It exhibited a pH optimum of 7.2 and stability between pH 5.7 and 7.7. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was 4.6. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of amino acid beta-naphthylamides, Phe greater than Leu greater than Met greater than Tyr greater than Ala greater than Glu, and the differences of the measured kcat's ranged over 2-3 orders of magnitude while many of the amino acid beta-naphthylamides were not hydrolyzed at all. Other interesting comparisons include two aliphatics, Ala vs Leu, and the aromatics, Tyr vs Phe, which show a 30-fold difference in the kcat/Km values. The enzyme also hydrolyzed Leu-Gly-Gly and the B chain of oxidized insulin to release N-terminal leucine and phenylalanine, respectively. The release of N-terminal Phe from the oxidized B chain is interesting in view of the fact that the penultimate residue is Val, an unfavorable amino acid in the beta-naphthylamide series. The enzyme seems to be a true aminopeptidase, requiring the free amino groups and hydrolyzing dipeptide and oligopeptide from the N-terminal end. The enzyme was resistant to the action of amastatin. Neither sulfhydryl reagents nor serine protease inhibitors affected the enzyme activity; however, the enzyme was inhibited weakly by EDTA and bestatin and strongly by diethyl pyrocarbonate.

Agaricales↗

On the hydrophobic part of aminopeptidase and maltases which bind the enzyme to the intestinal brush border membrane.

The intestinal brush border aminopeptidase and unfractionated maltases M2+M3 are composed of a hydrophilic, sugar containing and enzymatically active part, and a smaller hydrophobic part presumably binding the catalytic part of the lipid matrix of the membrane. Hydrophobic parts detaced by trypsin from the detergent forms of aminopeptidase and the maltases were purified and shown to have molecular weights ranging from 8000 to 10000. All are rich in hydrophobic residues and contain no disulfide bridges. However, their overall amino acid composition is different. The hydrophobic parts appear to be N-terminal in the detergent forms of the enzymes.

Amino Acids↗

Aminopeptidases in webbing clothes moth larvae. Properties and specificities of the enzymes of intermediate electrophoretic mobility.

The major group of aminopeptidases (EC 3.4.11.-) of intermediate electrophoretic mobility, from Tineola bisselliella larvae, hav been fractionated into six bands by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the properties of these fractions investigated. They resemble each other in their pH optima of 8.2, their molecular weight of 240 000, their responses to various active site inhibitors and metal cations, and their specificities towards seventeen L-amino-acyl-beta-naphthylamide substrates. The derivatives of methionine, leucine, alanine, lysine, arginine and glutamic acid were those most rapidly hydrolysed. They appear to be true aminopeptidases hydrolysing amino acid amides, dipeptides and oligopeptides from the N-terminal end.

Amino Acids↗

Purification and properties of a new aminopeptidase from Escherichia COLI K12.

An aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.-) capmable of hydrolyzing L-alanyl-beta-naphthyl-amide and certain other aminoacyl beta-naphthylamides was purified to homogeneity from extracts of Exherichia coli K-12. The enzyme, designated aminopeptidase II, is a monomeric protein of mol. wt. 100 000. It exhibits a broad pH optimum in the range pH 7.0--9.0. Although Zn2+, Fe3+ and Cr3+ are strong inhibitors of enzyme activity, a metal requirement for catalysis could not be firmly established. Neither sulfhydryl reagents nor serine protease inhibitors affected enzyme activity.

Aminopeptidases↗

Isolation and characterization of an enkephalin-degrading aminopeptidase from rat brain.

An enkephalin-degrading aminopeptidase from rat brain extracts has been purified to apparent homogeneity. This enzyme cleaves the N-terminal tyrosine from Leu-enkephalin and hydrolyzes some beta-naphthylamides and p-nitro-anilides of neutral, basic and aromatic, but not acidic, amino acids. The enzyme requires a free amino group on the substrate and has a neutral pH optimum. After dialysis against EDTA, the enzyme requires a divalent cation (Zn2+, Co2+ greater than Mn2% greater than Mg2+) for activity. The enzyme is inhibited by puromycin, o-phenanthroline, p-chloromercuribenzoate and EDTA, but not by puromycin, methylsulfonyl fluoride or a specific peptide inhibitor of leucine amino-peptidase. The aminopeptidase consists of two subunits and has a molecular weight of about 100 000.

Aminopeptidases↗

Inactivation of pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase by L-pyroglutamyl chloromethyl ketone.

A chloromethyl ketone derivative of pyroglutamic acid was newly synthesized and its reactivity with bacterial pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase (L-pyroglutamyl-peptide hydrolas, EC 3.4.11.8) as an affinity labelling reagent was examined. The compound was found to inactivate the enzyme markedly and rapidly at very low concentrations, though the enzyme was resistant to N-tosyl-phenylalanyl chloromethyl ketone. The rate of the enzyme inactivation by pyroglutamyl chloromethyl ketone was retarded in the presence of a poor substrate, pyroglutamyl valine. The enzyme inactivated by treating with p-chloromercuribenzoate failed to react with pyroglutamyl chloromethyl ketone. These results strongly suggest an active site-directed mechanism for the enzyme inactivation by pyroglutamyl chloromethyl ketone. This compound was shown to be useful as a titrant for the catalytically active protein of pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones↗

ES complexes of Aeromonas aminopeptidase: direct observation by stopped-flow fluorescence.

Intermediates of Aeromonas aminopeptidase are monitored through fluorescence generated by radiationless energy transfer (RET) between enzyme tryptophans and the dansyl group of the bound substrate. Upon binding of the substrate enzyme tryptophan fluorescence is quenched and substrate dansyl fluorescence enhanced. These processes are reversed upon hydrolysis of the Leu-Ala bond and release of Ala-DED from the enzyme. Stopped-flow RET kinetic analysis yields values of kcat = 36 sec-1 and Km = 3.7 microM at pH 7.5 and 20 degrees C. These values represent the highest kcat/Km ratio, 1 X 10(7) M-1 sec-1, of any substrate for Aeromonas aminopeptidase. The excellent binding properties of the peptide permit direct visualization of ES complexes even at enzyme concentrations of 10(-7) M.

Aeromonas↗

Identification and properties of the cell membrane bound leucine aminopeptidase interacting with the potential immunostimulant and chemotherapeutic agent bestatin.

Bestatin was found to be a competitive inhibitor (with respect to the Leu-NA substrate) not only of the isolated microsomal and cytosolic leucine aminopeptidases (Leu-APm and Leu-APc) but also of the aminopeptidases (APs) present in membrane preparations (from mouse liver) and on the cell surface of L5178Y cells. Kinetic parameters indicate that cellular AP is identical to Leu-APm. To rule out the possibility that AP-B is involved in the inhibition reactions, comparable studies with amastatin were performed. Electrophoretical studies revealed the solubilized cell membrane bound AP to co-migrate with Leu-APm in polyacrylamide gels. The activity of the separated membrane AP was inhibited by bestatin in situ. The cell membrane bound AP activity was found to be lowest in lymphocytes, higher in tumor cells and highest in bone marrow cells and macrophages. Using synchronized L5178Y cells, the AP activity changes during the cell division cycle; the lowest activity was determined during the G1-phase and 35% higher values were measured during the S/G2-phase. The fluctuation of the cell surface associated AP activity parallels with changes in the number of binding sites for bestatin.

Animals↗