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PubMed1985

Glutamine metabolism in isolated perfused rat liver. The transamination pathway.

In isolated perfused rat liver, added 4-methyl-thio-2-oxobutyrate and phenylpyruvate are rapidly transaminated to the corresponding amino acids with glutamine, the latter being supplied via the portal vein or by endogenous synthesis. With portal glutamine concentrations below 5mM and in the presence of a oxo-acid acceptor, the flux through glutamine transaminases exceeded the ammonium ion-stimulated glutaminase flux. 4-Methylthio-2-oxobutyrate-induced extra glutamine uptake was not dependent on the perfusate pH in the range of pH 7 to 8. During glutamine/4-methylthio-2-oxobutyrate transamination, the amide nitrogen of glutamine is fully recovered as glutamate, ammonia, urea and alanine. Oxoglutarate formed by omega-amidase activity is released as glutamate or oxidized by oxoglutarate dehydrogenase. alpha-Cyanocinnamate, the inhibitor of the monocarboxylate translocator in the mitochondrial membrane inhibited 4-methylthio-2-oxobutyrate-induced glutamine uptake and methionine release by about 30%. This might indicate that about 2/3 of glutamine transaminase flux is cytosolic. alpha-Cyanocinnamate inhibited 4-methylthio-2-oxobutyrate-induced glutamate efflux by about 90%. Stimulation of flux through glutamine transaminases is accompanied by a 70-80% inhibition of glutaminase flux. This is not explained by a direct inhibition of glutaminase by 4-methylthio-2-oxobutyrate but by a substrate competition between glutaminase and glutamine transaminases. 4-Methylthio-2-oxobutyrate decreases glutamine release by the liver due to withdrawal by transamination. The oxo acid itself is without effect on glutamine synthetase flux. With respect to hepatocyte heterogeneity there is no evidence for a zonal distribution of glutamine transaminase activities, as it has been shown for glutamine synthetase and glutaminase activities.

Alanine↗

PubMed1992

Cloning and sequence analyses of cDNAs encoding aminoacylase I from porcine kidney.

cDNAs encoding L-aminoacylase (EC 3.5.1.14) were isolated from a lambda gt10 cDNA library derived from porcine kidney mRNA. The clones were identified by hybridization with a synthetic oligonucleotide probe based on partial peptide sequences, or with a DNA probe encoding human aminoacylase I. Several cDNA clones isolated from the library had a length of about 1.3 kbp. They contained an open reading frame of 1218 bp encoding a polypeptide of 406 amino acids. The deduced amino-acid sequence contains the known peptide sequences; in addition, M(r) (45.3 kDa) and amino-acid composition of the predicted polypeptide match those of purified aminoacylase I. Data base searches did not reveal significant sequence homologies of aminoacylase I with other well-known amidases.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMed1993

A note on the identity of porcine liver carboxylesterase and prolyl-beta-naphthylamidase.

Prolyl-beta-naphthylamidase from porcine liver is compared with the two prevalent isoenzymes of pig liver carboxylesterase by isoelectrofocusing experiments and by inhibition studies with phenyl-methyl-sulfonyl fluoride. The results suggest that prolyl-beta-naphthylamidase is identical with the amide-cleaving isoenzyme of carboxylesterase, not with the usually predominant methyl butyrate-hydrolysing isoenzyme. It is questionable whether the recently published sequence of prolyl-beta-naphthylamidase does belong to this enzyme or to the predominant carboxylesterase without amidase activity. Surprisingly, the amide-cleaving carboxylesterase isoenzymes from rat liver have almost no activity with prolyl-beta-naphthylamide.

2-Naphthylamine↗

PubMed1980

Further studies on the inactivation of thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) by enzymes in the rat hypothalamus.

Thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) is known to be inactivated by enzymes present in the rat hypothalamus. To make a further study of the enzymes' action on the tripeptide, synthetic TRH was incubated with two hypothalamic subcellular fractions. By using a direct radioimmunoassay for TRH, the tripeptide was shown to be rapidly degraded by both supernatant and particulate fractions, with higher enzyme activity in the particulate fraction. Of several biologically-active peptides tested, only luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone was found to inhibit TRH inactivation; bacitracin, a polypeptide antibiotic, was also effective in inhibiting inactivation. Enzyme activity was highest in the middle hypothalamic area and lowest in the posterior hypothalamic area. Thin layer chromatography of the products of enzyme cleavage revealed the formation of only deamidated TRH in the supernatant fraction and the constitutent amino acids (pyroGlu, His, ProNH2) and histidylproline-diketopiperazine by the particular fraction, suggesting the presence of an amidase in the supernatant and two peptidases in the particulate fractions. These properties of the enzymes inactivating TRH may indicate that the enzymes could be of importance in regulating the endocrine and other functions attributed to this hypothalamic regulatory hormone.

Animals↗

PubMed1980

Stimulation of rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) proacrosin activation by oviduct fluid.

Pronase-resistant low molecular weight stimulators for the activation of proacrosin to acrosin were found in rhesus monkey oviduct fluid collected before, during and after ovulation, but the presence of high concentrations of acrosin inhibitors before and after ovulation partly masked the stimulation in unfractionated fluid. This low molecular weight fraction of oviduct fluid had no detectable esterase or amidase activity by itself, and the stimulating factors were sensitive to digestion by hyaluronidase and chondroitin ABC lyase and were presumed to be glycosaminoglycans. Heparin and hyaluronic acid had similar effects. The presence of soluble glycosaminoglycans at the site of fertilization suggests that they may have a role in capacitation and fertilization.

Acrosin↗

PubMed1994

Some effects of zona pellucida glycoproteins and sulfated polymers on the autoactivation of boar sperm proacrosin and activity of beta-acrosin.

The effects of zona pellucida glycoproteins, sulfated polymers and non-sulfated polymers on the activation kinetics of boar sperm proacrosin to beta-acrosin have been investigated. The aim has been to understand more about the behaviour and function of this protein after it has been released from the acrosome at the time of fertilization. Purified proacrosin was allowed to autoactivate at pH 8.0 in the presence of different concentrations of homologous zona glycoproteins, sulfated polymers (fucoidan, chondroitin sulfates A, B and C, dextran sulfate, polyvinylsulfate and heparin) and non-sulfated polymers (dextran, polyvinylphosphate and hyaluronic acid). Enzyme activity was measured against N-benzoyl-L-arginine p-nitroanalide substrate and changes in molecular mass of the protein monitored by SDS-PAGE. Results show that zona pellucida glycoproteins, fucoidan, dextran sulfate and polyvinylsulfate all potentiate the conversion of proacrosin to beta-acrosin but subsequently inhibit its amidase activity. Dextran, polyvinylphosphate, chondroitin sulfates A, B and C and glucose-6-sulfate, on the other hand, either have no effect on autoactivation and beta-acrosin activity, or enhance it slightly. SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed these observations and further indicated that binding of sulfated polymers to proacrosin inhibited staining by Coomassie Blue. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that binding of zona pellucida glycoproteins and sulfated compounds to proacrosin/acrosin is stereospecific and that contact activation onto soluble 'surfaces' causes conformational changes that are responsible for potentiation or inhibition of activation. The implications of these findings for sperm binding and penetration of the zona pellucida are discussed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acrosin↗

PubMed1994

Serine protease activity in boar seminal vesicles and its immunological similarity to sperm acrosin.

A mouse monoclonal antibody against boar acrosin and antiserum prepared to highly purified acrosin in female rabbits were used to detect the antigen in various fluids and tissues of boars using an indirect immunofluorescence technique. A strong reaction was found in fluid and epithelial tissue of the seminal vesicles as well as in the germinal cells in the testis. No immunoreactivity was detected in tissues of the epididymides and other organs of the boar. The antigens present in seminal vesicle fluid of boars were partially purified by column chromatography. It was demonstrated that two antigens differing in molecular mass were present and both possessed protease and amidase activity. The higher molecular mass antigen eluted from a gel filtration column in a volume identical to that of proacrosin. The same result was obtained in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE). The low molecular mass antigen was eluted from Sephadex G-75 column together with natural protease inhibitors corresponding in molecular mass to less than 20 kDa. The mobility of the antigen in SDS-PAGE was greater than that of chymotrypsin. It is assumed that the protease from seminal vesicle epithelial resembled acrosin in structure and function. Acrosin may therefore not be specific for spermatozoa.

Acrosin↗

PubMed2004

Detection of bacterial endotoxin in human tissues.

Detection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the absence of overt infection is a challenging problem in tissue homogenates and other complex samples. We found that conventional Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assays are not suitable for this purpose due to interference from beta-glucan-like molecules. In contrast, a modified LAL assay that is unaffected by beta-glucan-like molecules was able to detect LPS in infected tissue and in a subset of clinically aseptic tissues. A two-step LAL assay was used to exclude the possibility of false positives due to nonspecific amidases. False positives due to sample color were also excluded, as were false negatives due to assay inhibition. This is the first report to successfully detect LPS in tissue in the absence of overt infection. This approach may be extremely useful in assessing recent hypotheses that subclinical levels of bacteria contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMed2005

Endocannabinoid-related enzymes as drug targets with special reference to N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D.

Anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine) is the first discovered endocannabinoid (endogenous ligand of cannabinoid receptors). In animal tissues, anandamide is principally formed together with other bioactive long-chain N-acylethanolamines from membrane glycerophospholipid by two enzyme reactions. The first reaction is the transfer of a fatty acyl chain from the sn-1 position of glycerophospholipid to phosphatidylethanolamine by calcium-dependent N-acyltransferase, resulting in the generation of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE). The second reaction is catalyzed by a phosphodiesterase of the phospholipase D (PLD)-type, which releases N-acylethanolamines from their corresponding NAPEs. The produced N-acylethanolamines are hydrolyzed to fatty acids and ethanolamine by fatty acid amide hydrolase or an amidase acting exclusively at acidic pH. Our recent cDNA cloning of the NAPE-hydrolyzing PLD (NAPE-PLD) from mouse, rat and human revealed that NAPE-PLD is a novel enzyme which has no homology with any known PLD enzymes, but belongs to the zinc metallo-hydrolase family of the beta-lactamase fold. The recombinant enzyme hydrolyzed various NAPEs, including the anandamide precursor N-arachidonoylphosphatidylethanolamine at similar rates, but was inactive with phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Considering cannabimimetic activities of anandamide, the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of anandamide, including NAPE-PLD, may be promising targets for therapeutic agents.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Focus on the three key enzymes hydrolysing endocannabinoids as new drug targets.

The family of endocannabinoids (i.e., the endogenous agonists of cannabinoid receptors) contains several polyunsaturated fatty acid amides such as anandamide (AEA) and oleamide but also esters such as 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). These compounds are the subject of growing interest in pharmacology for their multiple therapeutic potentials. Unfortunately, they are rapidly inactivated by enzymatic hydrolysis, which prevents their effective medical use. Inhibitors of endocannabinoid degradation seem to be necessary tools for the development of endocannabinoid therapeutics. But hitting this target is inconceivable without good knowledge of the enzymes. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is the oldest and the best characterised enzyme involved in the degradation of endocannabinoids. Cloning, distribution in the body and crystal structure of FAAH have been described. A large number of FAAH inhibitors have also been synthesised and tested. For a long time, FAAH was considered as the only key enzyme hydrolysing endocannabinoids. But recent findings indicate that at least two other enzymes have critical role in the endocannabinoids degradation. Monoglyceride lipase participates in 2-AG degradation and some data indicate that it is the primary mechanism for 2-AG inactivation in intact neurons. N-palmitoylethanolamine-selective acid amidase (NPAA) is a second fatty acid amide hydrolase more active with N-palmitoylethanolamine, an anti-inflammatory substance. The purpose of this review is to collect and compare the catalytic properties of these 3 key enzymes hydrolysing endocannabinoids.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMed2005

Molecular biology of the enzymes that degrade endocannabinoids.

Endocannabinoid circuits have been shown to regulate a number of important pathways including pain, feeding, memory and motor coordination. Direct manipulation of endocannabinoid tone, therefore, may relieve disease symptoms related to analgesia, obesity, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in humans. The endocannabinoid circuit involves two cloned receptors: CB1 in the CNS and CB2 in the periphery; endogenously produced ligands including anandamide, 2-arachidonylglycerol and palmitoylethanolamide; and enzymes that degrade endocannabinoid ligands to terminate signaling. Currently, three enzymes have been characterized with the ability to hydrolyze endocannabinoids: fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), monoglyceride lipase (MGL) and N-acylethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase (NAAA). The purpose of this review is to examine the molecular biology for the enzymes that hydrolyze endocannabinoids covering the protein activity and expression, mRNA characterization, genomic locus organization, promoter analysis and knockout phenotypes.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMed1999

Utilization of nitriles by yeasts isolated from a Brazilian gold mine.

Yeast strains from the genera Candida, Debaryomyces, Aureobasidium, Geotrichum, Pichia, Rhodotorula, Tremella, Hanseniaspora, and Cryptococcus were isolated from samples of a gold mine from liquid extraction circuit. These strains were tested for their ability to utilize acetonitrile at 12 mM as the sole nitrogen source. The yeasts that grew using acetonitrile at 12 mM were tested in the presence of acetonitrile, isobutyronitrile, methacrylnitrile, and propionitrile at concentrations of 12, 24, 48, 97, and 120 mM. One strain was selected for each nitrile and the concentration of nitrile in which the best growth occurred. Cryptococcus sp. strain UFMG-Y28 had a better growth on 120 mM propionitrile and 97 mM acetonitrile, Rhodotorula glutinis strain UFMG-Y5 on 48 mM methacrylnitrile, and Cryptococcus flavus strain UFMG-Y61 on 120 mM isobutyronitrile. The utilization of different nitriles and amides by yeast strains involves hydrolysis in a two-step reaction mediated by both inducible and intracellular nitrile hydratase and amidase.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1994

Enhancement of fibrinolytic activity of human plasma in the presence of acetone.

The fibrinolytic system was studied in normal human plasma containing increasing concentrations of acetone up to 23.4 mmol l-1. Fibrinolytic activity measured as euglobulin clot lysis time [ECLT] and amidase activities toward chromogenic peptide substrates H-D-Valyl-L-Leucyl-L-Lysine-p-nitroanilide 2 HCl [S-2251], designed for plasmin determination, H-D-Valyl-L-Phenylalanyl-L-Lysine-p-nitroanilide 2 HCl [S-2390], designed for the determination of t-PA in plasma via plasminogen activation and H-D-Prolyl-L-Phenyl-Alanyl-L-Arginine-p-nitro-anilide 2 HCl [S-2302], designed for the determination of kallikrein and activated Hageman factor, increased when 15.7 mmol l-1 concentration of acetone was reached. A parallel increase of esterolytic [substrate: naphthol-AS-acetate] activity was observed in euglobulin fractions. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis [CIE] revealed changes in fibrinogen profiles of plasma enriched with acetone as compared to native plasma. These findings suggest that acetone present in plasma in concentrations comparable to those found in some pathological states might activate fibrinolytic system.

Acetone↗

PubMed1994

N-phenyllinoleamide metabolism by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

1. N-phenyllinoleamide (NPLA), the anilide of linoleic acid, has been associated with the epidemiology of Toxic Oil Syndrome, but so far data available on its metabolism are scarce. On account of the similarities in chemical structure between linoleic acid and NPLA, the objective here has been to investigate the oxidative metabolism of this xenobiotic by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. 2. Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes were incubated with 0.1 mM NPLA spiked with NPLA labelled either on the aniline or the fatty acid moieties. The metabolites were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and individually collected prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. 3. Identification of the metabolites as N-phenyl-9-hydroxy- and N-phenyl-13-hydroxy-10,12-octadecenamide (9-HNPLA and 13-HNPLA) and their corresponding non-amidated metabolites, the 9-hydroxy- and 13-hydroxyoctadecenoic acids (9-HODE and 13-HODE), suggests that NPLA can be metabolized via the same hydroperoxidative processes acting upon linoleic acid. 4. Identification of free aniline as a NPLA metabolite suggests an amidase-like activity with liberation of aniline and the free fatty acid moieties.

Anilides↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Basic arginine esterase from human seminal plasma: purification and some properties.

Basic arginine esterase (amidase) with a specific activity of 3.2 mumol N-alpha-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (Tos-Arg-Me) esterolysis per A280 was purified about 230-fold from a CM-cellulose absorbed preparation of human seminal plasma. The purified enzyme was a single band with an apparent molecular weight of 3.4-4.1 x 10(4). The amidolytic activity of this enzyme was suppressed by aprotinin, soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI), leupeptin, and antipain, while alpha 1-antitrypsin, ovomucoid trypsin inhibitor (OTI), EDTA, and chymostatin had no or weak effect. This enzyme hydrolyzed synthetic basic amino acid derivatives and N-alpha-tosyl-glycyl-L-prolyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide (Tos-Gly-Pro-Arg-pNA) and N-alpha-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-L-leucyl-L-prolyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilid e (Boc-Leu-Pro-Arg-pNA) were the best substrates. The enzymatic characteristics of present enzyme were clearly different from tissue kallikrein, acrosin, and seminin in human semen.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Effects of extender and insemination dose on postthaw quality and fertility of bovine sperm.

Quality and fertility of sperm extended in egg yolk-Tes-Tris were compared with those of sperm in egg yolk-citrate and homogenized milk extenders. Extended semen was frozen in .5-ml plastic straws at 11, 15, 17, or 22 X 10(6) sperm per insemination dose. Laboratory evaluations at 0, 1, 2, and 4 h after thawing semen utilized four tests of spermatozoal quality. Use of egg-yolk citrate extender resulted in a higher percentage of progressively motile sperm as determined visually at 0 h after thawing than use of egg yolk-Tes-Tris or homogenized milk extenders. Sperm extended in egg yolk-citrate had 18% lower activity of bound amidase at 0 h than sperm extended in egg yolk-Tes-Tris. The 75-d nonreturn rates were affected by insemination dose but not be extender or the interaction of extender and insemination dose. Fertility was lower after insemination of 11 X 10(6) sperm than for pooled data for the three higher insemination doses (64 vs. 68%). Based on all data, postthaw quality of sperm processed in the one-step egg yolk-Tes-Tris extender was similar to that for sperm extended in egg yolk-citrate or homogenized milk.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Research note: kinetic and inhibition studies with turkey acrosin.

Acrosin was extracted from turkey spermatozoa and partially purified by chromatofocusing. Enzyme activity was tested over a pH range with three different substrates. In each case, the pH optimum was between pH 8 and 9. When N-alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide.HCl (BAPNA) was used as a substrate, the Km and Vmax were 1.17 +/- .05 x 10(-3) M and 1.50 +/- .07 x 10(4) mumol/min.milligram, respectively. Turkey acrosin amidase activity was inhibited by aprotinin, ovomucoid, soybean trypsin inhibitor, benzamidine, p-aminobenzamidine, and zinc.

Acrosin↗

PubMed2026

Prophage landscapes in clinical MRSA: safety profiling and discovery of Lys81, a broad-spectrum bacteriolytic enzyme.

INTRODUCTION: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a significant threat to global healthcare, requiring novel therapeutic strategies. Prophages, latent phage genomes integrated into bacterial chromosomes, are important resources for antimicrobial development due to their genomic stability and genetic engineering potential. METHODS: In this study, we performed genomewide sequencing on 329 MRSA isolates to predict prophage sequences, followed by analyses of these prophages-including examinations of virulence genes, antibiotic resistance genes, homologous proteins of pathogenic MRSA phages, and functional predictions of these homologous proteins-to evaluate their safety and value as genetic engineering scaffolds and to screen for novel broadspectrum bacteriolytic enzymes. RESULTS: Our data indicate that 85.7% (282/329) of strains carried complete prophage sequences; 64 strains lacked virulence factors or genes, meeting the core criteria for safe vectors. Resistance screening found only 6 prophages carried msrA, confirming the biosafety of the remaining strains. A significant correlation existed between prophage virulence gene capacity and genomic structure (R2 = 0.99986684, p = 3.64e-69). High-virulence clusters (>10 factors) showed high structural similarity; 10 characteristic sequences linked to S. aureus phages and their prevalence patterns were identified via conserved motif analysis. Collinearity analysis with reference to virulent MRSA phages and 3D structural predictions of orthologous proteins identified two lysozymes and a host-recognition device. Notably, Lys81, an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase ortholog, was prioritized and characterized as a broad-spectrum lytic enzyme. Our data show Lys81 has key properties: (1) Broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, lysing 52.3% (23/44) of clinical S. aureus strains and cross-acting against Gram-positive bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Listeria; (2) Excellent environmental adaptability, maintaining activity at pH 5.0 and 0°C, with 25 mM Na+ and Ca2 + enhancing function; (3) Potent biofilm clearance, achieving 83% MRSA biofilm reduction at 50 μg/mL; and (4) Favorable in vivo safety/efficacy, eradicating MRSA infections in lung organoid models with minimal cytotoxicity. DISCUSSION: This study establishes a theoretical foundation for the clinical translation of MRSA prophages, positioning Lys81 as a novel candidate for treating drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Lys81↗