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PubMed2002

The gastric biology of Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori is a neutralophilic, gram-negative, ureolytic organism that is able to colonize the human stomach but does not survive in a defined medium with a pH <4.0 unless urea is present. In order to live in the gastric environment, it has developed a repertoire of acid resistance mechanisms that can be classified into time-independent, acute, and chronic responses. Time-independent acid resistance depends on the structure of the organism's inner and outer membrane proteins that have a high isoelectric point, thereby reducing their proton permeability. Acute acid resistance depends on the constitutive synthesis of a neutral pH optimum urease that is an oligomeric Ni(2+)-containing heterodimer of UreA and UreB subunits. Gastric juice urea is able to rapidly access intrabacterial urease when the periplasmic pH falls below approximately 6.2 owing to pH-gating of a urea channel, UreI. This results in the formation of NH3, which then neutralizes the bacterial periplasm to provide a pH of approximately 6.2 and an inner membrane potential of -101 mV, giving a proton motive force of approximately -200 mV. UreI is a six-transmembrane segment protein, with homology to the amiS genes of the amidase gene cluster and to UreI of Helicobacter hepaticus and Streptococcus salivarius. Expression of these UreI proteins in Xenopus oocytes has shown that UreI of H. pylori and H. hepaticus can transport urea only at acidic pH, whereas that of S. salivarius is open at both neutral and acidic pH. Site-directed mutagenesis and chimeric analysis have identified amino acids implicated in maintaining the closed state of the channel at neutral pH and other amino acids that play a structural role in channel function. Deletion of ureI abolishes the ability of the organism to survive in acid and also to colonize the mouse or gerbil stomach. However, if acid secretion is inhibited in gerbils, the deletion mutants do colonize but are eradicated when acid secretion is allowed to return, showing that UreI is essential for gastric survival and that the habitat of H. pylori at the gastric surface must fall to pH 3.5 or below. The chronic response is from increased Ni(2+) insertion into the apo-enzyme, which results in a threefold increase in urease, which is also dependent on expression of UreI. This allows the organism to live in either gastric fundus or gastric antrum depending on the level of acidity at the gastric surface. There are other effects of acid on transcript stability that may alter levels of protein synthesis in acid. Incubation of the organism at acidic pH also results in regulation of expression of a variety of genes, such as some outer membrane proteins, that constitutes an acid tolerance response. Understanding of these acid resistance and tolerance responses should provide novel eradication therapies for this carcinogenic gastric pathogen.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Fibrinogenolytic and fibrinolytic activity of cell-associated plasmin.

Binding of plasmin(ogen) to rat C6 glioma cells is saturable and kringle-domain dependent. This interaction was studied as a model of plasmin(ogen) receptor interactions in nucleated mammalian cells. Apparent 125I-plasmin dissociation from C6 cell binding sites was slow; however, the dissociation rate was increased when the solution contained diisopropyl phosphoryl-plasmin (0.3 microM), fibrinogen (0.16 or 0.8 mg/ml), 1.08 mM D-Val-L-Leu-L-Lys-p-nitroanilide-HCl (S-2251), or epsilon-amino-n-caproic acid (EACA, 5.0 mM). EACA promoted the most rapid dissociation of plasmin. C6 cell-associated plasmin and plasmin in solution demonstrated similar amidase activity. Only specifically bound plasmin (75% of total binding) was active against S-2251. Plasmin that was initially bound to C6 cells digested fibrinogen in a time- and plasmin concentration-dependent manner. alpha 2-Antiplasmin (alpha 2AP, 0.1 microM) completely inhibited fibrinogenolysis by plasmin that was initially C6- or human umbilical vein endothelial-cell associated. Since alpha 2AP reacts selectively with plasmin in solution (minimally with plasmin bound to cells), fibrinogen digestion by cell-associated plasmin probably occurred only after the plasmin dissociated into solution. Crosslinked fibrin clots were formed in uniform layers over C6 cells. If the cells were incubated with plasmin before addition of fibrinogen and thrombin, the clots were rapidly lysed. alpha 2AP incompletely inhibited fibrinolysis when added after fibrin polymerization (44% inhibition with 0.1 microM alpha 2AP). Fibrinolysis was completely inhibited when alpha 2AP was added before fibrin polymerization. These studies suggest that plasmin must first dissociate from cellular binding sites to mediate fibrinogenolysis or fibrinolysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMed1999

Rat renal and plasma prorenin are activated in vitro by different mechanisms.

The aim of the present study was to purify and identify a plasma protein fraction (PreR-Co) involved in renal prorenin activation and to explore its capacity to process plasma prorenin. PreR-Co was obtained from plasma as a single electrophoretic band by (NH(4))(2)SO(4) precipitation, Sephacryl S-200 HR gel filtration, anti-rat albumin immunoaffinity, and ion-exchange chromatography. The amidase, esterase, and kallikrein activities of PreR-Co were studied, as was its N-terminal amino acid sequence. Rat kidney extract or plasma (normal or previously treated with acid to pH 2.8) were incubated with PreR-Co for 15 minutes at 37 degrees C. Renin concentration was measured by incubation with homologous angiotensinogen. The same protocol was repeated with samples activated by trypsin. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was IIGGSMDAKGSFP, which had a homology of 90% with the beta-chain of haptoglobin, 69% with serine-proteases, and 65% with kallikreins. The renin concentration in rat kidney extract was 34+/-4 ng of angiotensin I (Ang I). mg of tissue(-1). h(-1). After PreR-Co or trypsin treatments, renin concentrations were 211+/-7 and 110+/-11 ng of Ang I. mg of tissue(-1). h(-1), respectively. The plasma renin concentration in normal plasma was 67.6+/-13.3 ng of Ang I. mL(-1). h(-1), and no significant difference was observed after PreR-Co treatment. However, a significant increase (202.8+/-7.8 ng of Ang I. mL(-1). h(-1); P<0.01) was found after trypsin treatment. The isolated PreR-Co acts on renal prorenin but not on plasma prorenin. These results suggest that active renin is processed in the kidney by a circulating enzyme that may have a role in the regulation of circulating renin.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Specificity of substrate analogue inhibitors of human urinary kallikrein.

A series of acetyl-peptidyl-amides containing the amino acid sequence around the Arg-Ser kallikrein cleavage site of bovine kininogen were synthesized and tested for their ability to inhibit both the kinin-releasing activity and the amidase activity of purified human urinary kallikrein. The substrate analogues were competitive inhibitors for human urinary kallikrein and the heptapeptides (P4-P3'), hexapeptides (P3-P3'), and pentapeptides (P2-P3') gave Ki values of 140, 64, and 18 microM respectively, while the tetrapeptides (P1-P3'), tripeptides (P1'-P3') and dipeptides (P2'-P3') had little or no inhibitory activity. The effective analogues had neither kinin-like nor kinin-blocking activity on the rat uterus either before or after exposure to human urinary kallikrein. The effective human urinary kallikrein inhibitors were further examined for their effect on other serine proteases, including human plasma kallikrein, plasmin, complement components (C1s, C1r), bovine coagulation factors (IIa, IXa, and Xa), elastase, and trypsin. These peptides showed little inhibition of the circulating serine proteases but yielded a Ki for the nonspecific protease trypsin in the microM range. These results should provide the basis for the development of highly specific tissue kallikrein inhibitors to aid in elucidating the in vivo role(s) of tissue kallikreins.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Ceruloplasmin: plasma inhibitor of the oxidative inactivation of alpha 1-protease inhibitor.

When leukocyte lysosomal extracts are used as a source of elastase and are combined with a fraction of plasma containing sufficient alpha 1-protease inhibitor (alpha 1-Pi) to inhibit all but 30 to 40% of the elastase amidase activity, elastolysis occurs at 69% of the rate of the uninhibited elastase controls (0.125 M NaCl; pH, 6.5). Proteolysis of elastin requires the presence of NaCl. At pH 8.6, elastolysis is decreased to 30 to 40% of free elastase controls by 1.0 M NaCl. At pH 6.5, on the other hand, elastolysis is increased to 83% of the control values by these higher NaCl concentrations. The activity of human leukocyte myeloperoxidase is optimal at pH 6 to 6.5 and at NaCl concentrations between 0.25 and 1.0 M. Purified myeloperoxidase, alpha 1-Pi, and elastase, in the presence of NaCl and hydrogen peroxide, can reproduce this phenomenon at pH 6.5, suggesting that the occurrence of elastolysis in lysosomal extract-plasma mixtures may in part be a result of the oxidative inactivation of alpha 1-Pi by myeloperoxidase present in the lysosomal extract. Human ceruloplasmin, the major antioxidant of plasma, inhibits this myeloperoxidase-dependent reaction, without interfering either with free elastase activity or with the appearance of activity in plasma-lysosomal extract mixtures at pH 8.6. The "antioxidant" activity of ceruloplasmin is inhibited by azide. These results suggest that antioxidants such as ceruloplasmin may be an important determinant of lung defense in persons chronically exposed to oxidants.

Antioxidants↗

PubMed2003

Selective inhibition of large-to-small surfactant aggregate conversion by serine protease inhibitors of the bis-benzamidine type.

Conversion of the biophysically active large surfactant aggregate subtype (LA) of alveolar surfactant into the less surface active small surfactant aggregates (SA) occurs in vivo and is reproduced under conditions of cyclic surface area changes in vitro. A serine-active carboxyl esterase has been suggested as the responsible enzymatic activity, although the exact mechanisms underlying the conversion process are presently unclear. We investigated the influence of exogenous serine proteases and synthetic and natural serine protease inhibitors on the conversion kinetics of natural rabbit surfactant, obtained as bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In vitro cycling of BALF was performed for various time periods in the absence or presence of increasing amounts of several serine proteases (trypsin, plasmin, thrombin, tryptase), and one natural (aprotinin) and 25 synthetic serine protease inhibitors (including regular benzamidines [group A], 3-amidinophenylalanine derivatives [group B], bis-benzamidines [group C], and analogs of naphthylsulfonyl-glycyl-4-amidinophenylalanine piperidide [group D]). LA were separated from SA by 48,000 x g centrifugation. Surface activity of the LA fraction was measured by means of the pulsating bubble surfactometer. None of the "classical" serine proteases forwarded any acceleration of the LA-to-SA conversion kinetics. Some of the serine protease inhibitors caused moderate retardation of conversion, but at the same dose range inhibited the surface tension-lowering properties of the LA fraction, which per se explained their inhibitory effect. In contrast, specific dose-dependent inhibition of the LA-to-SA transition was observed for four derivatives of the bis-benzamidine group: full blockage of conversion over 240 min of cycling was noted at doses that did not interfere with the surface activity of the LA fraction. In addition, the prototype of these bis-benzamidines, 1,4-bis-[beta-naphthylsulfonyl-(3-aminophenylalanine)]-piperazide, was found to inhibit the activity of the rabbit liver carboxylesterase ES-2 in two different synthetic substrate assays reflecting the amidase and esterase properties of carboxylesterases. These findings support the hypothesis that the LA-to-SA conversion is an enzymatically-driven process with serine-active carboxyl esterase(s) being centrally involved. Synthetic bis-benzamidine-type serine protease inhibitors may offer specific inhibition of this event.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Human plasma protein C: isolation, characterization, and mechanism of activation by alpha-thrombin.

Protein C is a vitamin K-dependent protein, which exists in bovine plasma as a precursor of a serine protease. In this study, protein C was isolated to homogeneity from human plasma by barium citrate adsorption and elution, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, dextran sulfate agarose chromatography, and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Human protein C (M(r) = 62,000) contains 23% carbohydrate and is composed of a light chain (M(r) = 21,000) and a heavy chain (M(r) = 41,000) held together by a disulfide bond(s). The light chain has an amino-terminal sequence of Ala-Asn-Ser-Phe-Leu- and the heavy chain has an aminoterminal sequence of Asp-Pro-Glu-Asp-Gln. The residues that are identical to bovine protein C are underlined. Incubation of human protein C with human alpha-thrombin at an enzyme to substrate weight ratio of 1:50 resulted in the formation of activated protein C, an enzyme with serine amidase activity. In the activation reaction, the apparent molecular weight of the heavy chain decreased from 41,000 to 40,000 as determined by gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. No apparent change in the molecular weight of the light chain was observed in the activation process. The heavy chain of human activated protein C also contains the active-site serine residue as evidenced by its ability to react with radiolabeled diisopropyl fluorophosphate. Human activated protein C markedly prolongs the kaolin-cephalin clotting time of human plasma, but not that of bovine plasma. The amidolytic and anticoagulant activities of human activated protein C were completely obviated by prior incubation of the enzyme with diisopropyl fluorophosphate. These results indicate that human protein C, like its bovine counterpart, exists in plasma as a zymogen and is converted to a serine protease by limited proteolysis with attendant anticoagulant activity.

Blood Coagulation↗

PubMed1991

An assessment of 2,4 TDA formation from Surgitek polyurethane foam under simulated physiological conditions.

Samples of polyurethane foam used in the manufacture of mammary prostheses were enzymatically treated for a total of thirty days. Papain (a plant thiol endopeptidase which has similar activity to the human lysosomal enzyme cathepsin B) was our enzyme of choice since it has both amidase as well as esterase activity. The experiment was conducted under physiological conditions closely simulating the microenvironment likely to be found around an implanted mammary prosthesis. In our tests, 2,4 TDA was formed during enzymatic attack of this TDI-based polyurethane foam for the first four (4) days, reaching a maximum of 8.3 parts per million. After the initial burst, no further TDA was observed within the limits of detection of the experiment (10 parts per billion). Based on standard risk assessment, this amount of TDA translates into a risk of developing cancer of one in four hundred million.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Expression of aspartylglucosaminidase in human tissues from normal individuals and aspartylglucosaminuria patients.

Aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA: E.C. 3.5.1.26) is a lysosomal amidase that hydrolyzes the N-acetylglucosamine-asparagine linkage as one of the final steps in the breakdown of glycoproteins. Deficiency of this enzyme results in aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU), an inherited lysosomal storage disease. In an attempt to establish the tissue-specific expression of AGA in normal individuals and in AGU patients, we adapted biochemical and immunohistochemical techniques to analyze AGA polypeptides in human cells and tissues. The biochemical analysis revealed the existence of alpha- and beta-subunit structures of AGA in all tissues. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated a cell specificity in the distribution of AGA: immunoreactivity was strongest in hepatocytes, pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex, and proximal tubule cells in the kidney. In tissues from AGU patients, AGA immunoreactivity could be detected in hepatocytes and in proximal tubule cells but not in the pyramidal cells. The regulation of the expression of AGA was approached by analyzing the transcript levels and the methylation of the AGA gene. Both heavy methylation of the AGA gene and the constant level of AGA mRNA were typical of a "house-hold" type of enzyme that can be found in small quantities in all tissues. This was in contrast to the variability of the amount of AGA polypeptides observed in different cells and tissues, suggesting that the expression of AGA is regulated not at the transcriptional but rather at the translational level.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Peptidoglycan recognition in innate immunity.

The innate immune system recognizes micro-organisms through a series of pattern recognition receptors that are highly conserved in evolution. Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a unique and essential component of the cell wall of virtually all bacteria, is not present in eukaryotes, and is an excellent target for the innate immune system. Indeed, higher eukaryotes, including mammals, have several PGN recognition molecules, including CD14, Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), nucleotide oligomerization domain (Nod)-containing proteins, a family of peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs), and PGN-lytic enzymes (lysozyme and amidase). These molecules induce host responses to micro-organisms, degrade PGN, or have direct antimicrobial effects.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

MDP and other muropeptides--direct and synergistic effects on the immune system.

Muropeptides are breakdown products of peptidoglycan (PGN) of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. They are released during bacterial growth and division, as part of the host response by lysozyme and amidases, or upon antibiotic treatment. After phagocytosis of bacteria or bacterial breakdown products by host immune cells, the muropeptides trigger intracellular signaling cascades, leading to altered gene expression and activation of the immune response. Numerous muropeptides and derivatives have been synthesized chemically to characterize their immunostimulatory effects and adjuvant activity. Muramyl dipeptide, a natural partial structure of PGN, is the minimal structure with adjuvant activity. This review discusses the structure and occurrence of muropeptides and gives a broad overview of their inflammatory and adjuvant activity and the possible involvement of receptors in these responses.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗

PubMed2003

Evolutionary history, structural features and biochemical diversity of the NlpC/P60 superfamily of enzymes.

BACKGROUND: Peptidoglycan is hydrolyzed by a diverse set of enzymes during bacterial growth, development and cell division. The N1pC/P60 proteins define a family of cell-wall peptidases that are widely represented in various bacterial lineages. Currently characterized members are known to hydrolyze D-gamma-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelate or N-acetylmuramate-L-alanine linkages. RESULTS: Detailed analysis of the N1pC/P60 peptidases showed that these proteins define a large superfamily encompassing several diverse groups of proteins. In addition to the well characterized P60-like proteins, this superfamily includes the AcmB/LytN and YaeF/YiiX families of bacterial proteins, the amidase domain of bacterial and kinetoplastid glutathionylspermidine synthases (GSPSs), and several proteins from eukaryotes, phages, poxviruses, positive-strand RNA viruses, and certain archaea. The eukaryotic members include lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), nematode developmental regulator Egl-26, and candidate tumor suppressor H-rev107. These eukaryotic proteins, along with the bacterial YaeF/poxviral G6R family, show a circular permutation of the catalytic domain. We identified three conserved residues, namely a cysteine, a histidine and a polar residue, that are involved in the catalytic activities of this superfamily. Evolutionary analysis of this superfamily shows that it comprises four major families, with diverse domain architectures in each of them. CONCLUSIONS: Several related, but distinct, catalytic activities, such as murein degradation, acyl transfer and amide hydrolysis, have emerged in the N1pC/P60 superfamily. The three conserved catalytic residues of this superfamily are shown to be equivalent to the catalytic triad of the papain-like thiol peptidases. The predicted structural features indicate that the N1pC/P60 enzymes contain a fold similar to the papain-like peptidases, transglutaminases and arylamine acetyltransferases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1988

Differential susceptibility to N-glycanase at the individual glycosylation sites of mouse thyrotropin and free alpha-subunits.

We have studied the differential susceptibility to N-glycanase (peptide-N4-[N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl]asparagine amidase) of oligosaccharides at the individual glycosylation sites of mouse TSH and free alpha-subunits. Mouse thyrotropic tumor tissue or hypothyroid pituitary tissue were incubated with D-[2-3H]mannose for 6 h. [3H]Mannose-labeled TSH or free alpha-subunits were obtained from homogenates using specific antisera and were digested with N-glycanase in their native state or after heat denaturation and reduction in the absence or presence of detergents. Tryptic fragments of the digestion products were then analyzed by reverse phase HPLC so that the effects of N-glycanase at the individual glycosylation sites could be determined. N-Glycanase treatment of native molecules did not cleave oligosaccharides efficiently at Asn56 of alpha-subunits and Asn23 of TSH beta, whereas oligosaccharides at Asn82 of alpha-subunits were more susceptible regardless of whether the alpha-subunits were combined with TSH beta. Heat denaturation, reduction, and the presence of detergents did not substantially increase the cleavage by N-glycanase of the protected oligosaccharides, suggesting that the primary structures of the TSH subunits influenced efficiency at specific sites. Pretreatment of free alpha-subunits with trypsin failed to enable N-glycanase to work fully, as oligosaccharides at Asn56 were cleaved less effectively than those at Asn82. Thus, the susceptibility to N-glycanase differs at the individual glycosylation sites of mouse TSH and free alpha-subunits, and these differences may result from effects of the primary structures of the TSH subunits.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Participation of P450-dependent oxidation of isoniazid in isonicotinic acid formation in rat liver.

By determining the formation amount of isonicotinic acid (INA) from isonicotinic acid hydrazide (isoniazid:INH) in isolated rat hepatocytes, we were able to identify the involvement of the oxidative cleavage of the acid hydrazide. INA formation from INH increased significantly using the isolated hepatocytes prepared from rats pretreated with phenobarbital (PB), 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC), dexamethazone (DEX) and rifampicin (RIF), respectively, in comparison to the control group. On the other hand, a remarkable decrease in INA formation from INH was observed by the addition of such P450 inhibitor as metyrapone or cimetidine as well as an amidase inhibitor bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP) to the isolated hepatocytes prepared from PB-pretreated rats. By further experiments using rat hepatic microsomes, the oxidative pathway of INA formation in INH metabolism was determined to be P450-dependent, since NADPH and oxygen were both essential for the oxidative pathway of INH to INA and the amount of INA formation was also significantly increased by P450 inducers. Regarding acetylisoniazid (AcINH) and isonicotinic acid amide (INAA), however, INA formation by P450 was little observed in the microsomal experiments.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Kaolin-induced writhing response in mice: activation of the plasma kallikrein-kinin system by kaolin.

A mechanism of writhing reaction induced by kaolin, a known activator of factor XII, was studied. Kaolin induced a distinct writhing response, when injected intraperitoneally into mice (2.5 mg/mouse). The response disappeared in 15 min, but it was reproduced by intraperitoneal injection of captopril, 20 micrograms, into mice who had received the injection of kaolin 60 min before. This later response as well as the early one was not produced when mice were pretreated with bromelain (10 mg/kg, intravenously), 30 min before the kaolin administration. Therefore we determined if bromelain, a known depleter of plasma prekallikrein and a high molecular weight (HMW) kininogen, depletes those in mice. Plasma was collected from mice with or without pretreatment of bromelain, and kinin release of these plasma samples was examined by action of kaolin. The bromelain-treated mouse plasma released kinin amount of less than detection limit when activated with kaolin, whereas normal plasma released about 300 ng/ml of kinin of bradykinin equivalent as assessed by rat uterus contraction. Furthermore, activation of prekallikrein by kaolin was observed in mouse plasma as amidase activity to produce fluorescence from the synthetic substrate. It was completely diminished in the presence of soybean trypsin inhibitor. These results suggest that bromelain could deplete the HMW-kininogen in mouse plasma in the same way as in rat plasma. Furthermore, it is assumed that the kinin released from HMW-kininogen by kaolin could be responsible for inducing the writhing response.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Urethane-hydrolyzing enzyme from Citrobacter sp.

Urethane, a cancer-causing chemical, was reported to contaminate alcoholic beverages such as whisky, liquor, wine and sake. Enzymatic removal of urethane would be a possible approach to remove this potentially hazardous chemical from alcoholic beverages. We found that Citrobacter sp. isolated from mouse feces stoichiometrically decomposed urethane to ethanol and ammonia. We named this enzyme "urethanase." Partially purified urethanase could hydrolyze several carbamates and some amides. However, urea, N-alkyl ureas and ethyl esters of organic acids were not hydrolyzed at all. These results suggest that urethanase belongs to the category of amidase. The enzyme was inactive in high concentrations of alcohol and at acidic pH and was practically ineffective for the elimination of urethane from alcoholic beverages.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Isolation and primary structure of the CCI papain-like cysteine proteinases from the latex of Carica candamarcensis hook.

The dried latex of the mountain papaya, Carica candamarcensis, was chromatographed on CM-Sephadex C50, giving rise to three peaks (CCI, CCII and CCIII) with amidase activity on N-alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-4-nitroanilide. The less basic, most active, peak, CCI, was separated into two components, CCIa and CCIb, by reverse-phase HPLC under denaturing conditions. The primary structures of CCIa and CCIb are presented. They were deduced from sequence analysis of the whole proteins and peptides resulting from enzymatic digestions. Both proteinases are made of 213 amino acid residues, CCIb sharing 88-89% similarity with the three subvariants (G90/R212, E90/R212, E90/K212) of CCIa. 139-140 amino acid residues (65.8%) of CCIa and 141 residues (66.5%) of CCIb are common to papain. The seven cysteine residues are aligned with those of papain and the catalytic triad (Cys25, His159, Asn175) of all cysteine peptidases of the papain family is conserved. The similarity with the other cysteine proteases from Carica papaya is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1980

Oligomerisation of boar acrosin.

Boar acrosin, a glycoprotein present in the acrosome of spermatozoa, tends to aggregate in the absence of detergents and lipids. Self-association products were analyzed electrophoretically by the method of Ferguson. Molecular weights ranging from 44 000 up to 237 000 were found, corresponding to acrosin monomer up to hexamer. Involvement of the active site of the serine proteinase in the formation of oligomers was demonstrated by active enzyme staining and determination of amidase activity of aggregated acrosin. Only monomeric acrosin proved to have full activity, while a marked decrease in specific activity was found upon aggregation. Hence, evidence is presented that acrosin has hydrophobic binding sites modulating the proteinase activity.

Acrosin↗