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Solution structure of discrepin, a new K+-channel blocking peptide from the alpha-KTx15 subfamily.

Discrepin, isolated from the venom of the Venezuelan scorpion Tityus discrepans, blocks preferentially the I(A) currents of the voltage-dependent K+ channel of rat cerebellum granular cells in an irreversible way. It contains 38 amino acid residues with a pyroglutamic acid as the N-terminal residue [D'Suze, G., Batista, C. V., Frau, A., Murgia, A. R., Zamudio, F. Z., Sevcik, C., Possani, L. D., and Prestipino, G. (2004) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 430, 256-63]. It is the most distinctive member of the alpha-KTx15 subfamily of scorpion toxins. Six members of the alpha-KTx15 subfamily have been reported so far to be specific for this subtype of the K+ channel; however, none of them have had their three-dimensional structure determined, and no information for the residues possibly involved in channel recognition and binding is available. Natural discrepin (n-discrepin) was prepared from scorpion venom, and its synthetic analogue (s-discrepin) was obtained by solid-phase synthesis. Analysis of two-dimensional 1H NMR spectra of n- and s-discrepin indicates that both peptides have the same structure. Here we report the solution structure of s-discrepin determined by NMR using 565 meaningful distance constraints derived from the volume integration of the two-dimensional NOESY spectrum, 22 dihedrals, and three hydrogen bonds. Discrepin displays the alpha/beta scaffold, characteristic of scorpion toxins. Some features of the proposed interacting surface between the toxin and channel as well as the opposite "alpha-helix surface" are discussed in comparison with those of other alpha-KTx15 members. Both n- and s-discrepin exhibit similar physiological actions as verified by patch-clamp and binding and displacement experiments.

Animals↗

Amino acid sequence of chymotrypsin inhibitor ECI from the seeds of Erythrina variegata (Linn.) var. Orientalis.

The amino acids of the chymotrypsin inhibitor (ECI) from the Erythrina variegata seeds have been sequenced. The sequence was solved by analysis of peptides derived from the protein by enzymatic digestions with trypsin and Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase, as well as by chemical cleavage with o-iodosobenzoic acid. The ECI consists of 179 amino acid residues with a pyroglutamic acid as the N-terminal residue and has a calculated molecular weight of 19,791. Comparison of this sequence with the sequences of the two trypsin inhibitors, ETIa and ETIb, from the E. variegata seeds shows that about 60% of the residues of ECI are identical to those of ETIa and ETIb and that the reactive sites, Arg63, in ETIa and ETIb change to Leu64 in ECI.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structural characterization of the rat seminal vesicle secretion II protein and gene.

The gene encoding rat seminal vesicle secretion II (SVS II) protein has been cloned from a rat genomic DNA library using a cDNA probe generated from rat dorsal prostate androgen-dependent mRNA. The cloned 7.3-kilobase pair genomic fragment contains approximately 5000 base pairs (bp) of the 5'-flanking region and the entire coding region of the SVS II protein within two exons. A sequence of 4156 bp of the rat SVS II gene has been determined, including 2037 bp of the 5'-flanking region, exon 1 (95 bp), intron 1 (236 bp), exon 2 (1171 bp), and 614 bp of the 3'-flanking region. The 5'-flanking region contains three conserved elements found in other seminal vesicle secretion genes (SVS IV-VI proteins) within 250 bp of the transcription start site as well as a glucocorticoid response element at position -314 in the SVS II gene. The first exon encodes a 22-amino acid leader peptide plus the first 2 amino acids of the secreted protein. The second exon encodes the remaining amino acids in the SVS II protein sequence. The mature protein contains 392 residues and has an Mr of 43,116. Concomitant with the gene analysis, the rat SVS II protein was purified to homogeneity, and 333 residues (85%) of the amino acid sequence were determined by automated Edman degradation. The DNA-deduced sequence and that determined by direct analysis of the protein are in complete agreement. The blocked NH2-terminal amino acid was identified as pyroglutamic acid by mass spectrometry and aminopeptidase digestion. A 13-residue structure with the consensus sequence GSQLKSFGQVKSS is repeated 13 times within the SVS II protein and appears to be involved in the formation of the rat copulatory plug via a transglutaminase reaction cross-linking glutamine and lysine residues. Overall, the SVS II protein sequence exhibits little structural relatedness to any other known protein sequence; however, some similarity can be found between the 13-residue repeat and another repeating structure and apparent transglutaminase substrate in the guinea pig seminal vesicle clotting protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Specificity and inhibition of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in guinea pig intestines.

Gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase activity in guinea pig intestine was tested toward 8 monoglutamyl and 4 diglutamyl substrates. Distinct differences in specificity and activity related to ontogenetic development were noted. A mixture of L-serine and borate inhibited specifically gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity of homogenates and accumulation of naphthylamine and 14C-substances in slices of intestine incubated with gamma-L-14C-glutamyl-alpha-naphthylamide. The same mixture, administered per os together with 14C-gamma-glutamyl substrate, specifically inhibited urinary excretion of 14C-substance, but had no effect on the rate of excretion of glycine, L-glutamic acid or L-pyroglutamic acid.

Age Factors↗

A yeast model of 5-oxoproline accumulation reveals a general toleration to 5-oxoproline.

5-oxoproline (5-OP) or pyroglutamic acid is an intermediate in the degradation arc of the glutathione cycle. It is metabolized into glutamate through the action of the 5-oxoprolinase enzyme, the only enzyme known to act on this metabolite. 5-OP has long been known to be relatively inert with a proposed role as an osomoprotectant. Recent studies on the 5-oxoprolinase enzyme in mammalian cells have, however, shown that knockdown or deletion of 5-oxoprolinase makes mice (and humans) prone to heart failure, an effect ascribed to oxidative stress caused by a twofold increase in 5-OP. To examine the consequences of 5-oxoproline accumulation more rigorously, we created a yeast model for 5-oxoproline accumulation. Using this model, we observed retardation of growth only when intracellular levels of 5-OP were increased 12- to 20-fold over normal levels. Performing an analysis of transcriptomic changes under these conditions, we observed a large number of genes were differentially regulated and while there was no unifying dysregulated pathway, there was an upregulation of various efflux pumps. Ultimately, modulating the expression of these genes by knockout or overexpression highlighted that many of the upregulated genes were involved in the cellular response to 5-OP accumulation. However, our results failed to show any significant oxidative stress response. In conclusion, our study suggests a need to reevaluate previous suppositions of the 5-OP induced oxidative stress response and proposes alternate mechanisms for this effect.

Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid↗

Application of metabolic profiling to study the effects of ethanol on metabolism in rats.

Rat urine was analyzed by both gas chromatography and a combination of gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy in an attempt to apply the technique of metabolic profiling to determine if ethanol consumption produced an alteration in acid excretion products. Rats were fed a liquid diet for seven days then fed ethanol in the same diet. The 24 hr urine for the last day of control and the first day of ethanol differed greatly with respect to four compounds. These were an increase in threonic, glucuronic and an undetermined acid and a decrease in pyroglutamic acid. The biological basis for the alterations was not investigated. Glucuronic acid forms conjugates with many compounds. Possibly an acute dose of ethanol may alter the removal of some compounds from the liver.

Acids↗

Activation and cytotoxicity of 2-alpha-aminoacyl prodrugs of methotrexate.

In an effort to improve the selectivity of the anticancer drug methotrexate (MTX), a series of potential prodrugs in which the 2-amino group was acylated with various alpha-amino acids (as well as L-pyroglutamic acid) was synthesized. Such derivatives are anticipated to be hydrolysed to MTX by appropriate aminopeptidases localized (over-expressed naturally or targeted as anti-tumor antibody conjugates) in the vicinity of the tumor. The L-leucyl, L-valyl, L-isoleucyl, D-alanyl and L-pyroglutamyl derivatives were assessed as to their suitability as prodrugs. Except for the L-pyroglutamyl compound, all derivatives decomposed slowly when incubated in phosphate buffer, pH 7.3; the formation of MTX was minimal. No major differences were observed when serum was included in the incubation medium, except for the L-leucyl compound, which was hydrolysed to MTX. The L-leucyl, L-valyl and L-isoleucyl derivatives were hydrolysed readily to MTX by aminopeptidase M (EC 3.4.11.2), while the L-pyroglutamyl and D-alanyl compounds were activated by pyroglutamate aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.19.3) (from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and D-aminopeptidase (from Ochrobactrum anthropi), respectively. When tested for inhibition of the target enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR; EC 1.5.1.3), 2-L-valyl-MTX showed inhibition two orders of magnitude poorer than that given by MTX, in agreement with the expectation that acylation of the 2-amino group reduces binding to DHFR. After treatment of this derivative with aminopeptidase M, the extent of inhibition correlated with the amount of MTX formed. MTX derivatives alone or in combination with the complementary peptidase were tested for cytotoxicity on murine L1210 cells in culture. The above-listed derivatives were considerably less cytotoxic than MTX, except for the L-leucyl derivative which showed considerable cytotoxicity. When the appropriate exogenous peptidase was included, the cytotoxicity of the activated prodrugs approached that of MTX. These results indicate that 2-L-leucyl-MTX is unsuitable as a prodrug since it is activated prematurely by serum enzymes. Although the L-valyl and L-isoleucyl derivatives do not hydrolyse to MTX in serum and are readily activated, they are not ideal prodrugs since they decompose under physiological conditions; the properties of the decomposition product will have a bearing on the ultimate suitability of these compounds. 2-L-Pyroglutamyl-MTX is the best candidate prodrug, showing stability and ready activation by the appropriate aminopeptidase.

Aminopeptidases↗

Structural characterization by mass spectrometry of native and recombinant human relaxin.

Mass spectrometry has played a key role in characterizing the primary structure of native and recombinant relaxin, a peptide hormone that induces ripening of the cervix prior to childbirth. The peptide is composed of two chains, A and B, and is formed from a single-chain prohormone, as is insulin. Aside from conserved cysteines, though, it has little sequence homology with insulin. Due to the small amounts of native peptide initially available (less than 10 pmol), traditional techniques could not provide information on the blocked A-chain sequence, on the carboxyterminal sequences, nor on other possible post-translational modifications. Mass measurements by fast atom bombardment (FAB) were made on reduced human relaxin isolated from corpora lutea. The detection limit by FAB for reduced relaxin was 500 fmol. The B-chain was four amino acids shorter than expected from comparison of the previously known cDNA sequence with homologous rat and porcine sequences. The A-chain, as predicted, was 24 amino acids in length and had a pyroglutamic acid residue on the amino-terminus. The purified samples were homogeneous with no other post-translational modifications. The recombinant relaxin molecule was also extensively characterized by mass spectrometry. In addition to the intact molecule, all tryptic peptides were characterized by FAB. A capillary high-performance liquid chromatography continuous-flow FAB system, developed for high-sensitivity peptide mapping, aided in these analyses. Finally, the three disulfide bonds were shown by tandem mass spectrometry to match those of insulin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Microsequence analysis of the N-terminally blocked proteins immobilized on polyvinylidene difluoride membrane by western blotting.

A technique has been developed for efficient deblocking and subsequent microsequencing of N-terminally blocked proteins immobilized on a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane at the picomole levels. In this technique, proteins were first separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then transferred onto a PVDF membrane by Western blotting. The electroblotted proteins with N-terminal acetylserine or acetylthreonine could be deblocked on-membrane by treatment with trifluoroacetic acid vapor and sequenced by a gas-phase protein sequencer. Similarly, N-formylated proteins could be deblocked on-membrane in HC1 solution and then directly sequenced from the N-terminal amino acid. Proteins with N-terminal pyroglutamic acid were enzymatically deblocked by in situ pyroglutamyl peptidase digestion, and N-acetylated proteins were also enzymatically deblocked with acylamino acid-releasing enzyme (AARE) after on-membrane digestion with trypsin to generate the N-terminal peptide fragment. This tryptic digestion was required since AARE can remove the acetylamino acid only from a short peptide. Based on these four deblocking methods, we present a strategy for sequential deblocking and subsequent N-terminal sequence analysis of N-blocked protein immobilized on PVDF membrane.

Acetylation↗

Chromatographic separation of nucleosides using a cross-linked xylose isomerase crystal stationary phase.

Cross-linked xylose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.5., from Streptomyces rubiginosus) crystals (CLXIC) packed into a 7.8 x 300 mm steel column showed specific affinity towards uridine (Urd), cytidine (Cyd), adenosine (Ado), guanosine (Guo), and thymidine. These nucleosides eluted out of the CLXIC column in the same order as the corresponding nucleoside bases, indicating that the retention depends mainly on the base component of the molecule. The interaction of nucleosides with the CLXIC material was not based merely on ion exchange or hydrophobic interactions but also on the unique properties of the CLXIC column. Decrease in temperature increased the retention but not the resolution factors of the adjacent nucleosides. The CLXIC column maintained its separation capacity even when 100 mg of ribonucleosides in equimass amounts were injected into the column in a volume of 1 mL corresponding to 10% of the total column volume. Analysis of sugar beet molasses, a side stream from sucrose production, showed it to contain 1-2.5 mg mL(-1) of Urd, Cyd, Ado, and Guo. The CLXIC column was able to separate and enrich these nucleosides also from highly viscous sugar beet molasses. The CLXIC column was especially efficient in the purification of guanosine. Other commercially interesting sugar beet molasses components such as the acidic compounds betaine, gamma-amino butyric acid, and D- and L-pyroglutamic acids or neutral sucrose did not interact with the CLXIC material.

Aldose-Ketose Isomerases↗

Alpha-tocopherol pro-vitamins: synthesis, hydrolysis and accumulation in rabbit ear skin.

We synthesized esters of alpha-tocopherol (VE) with the aim to develop new pro-vitamins, easily reconverted by enzymes in the skin and able to release another active moiety such as an amino acid, in order to obtain a synergic effect. In particular, the attention was dedicated to the amino acids glycine and alanine and to pyroglutamic acid. The sensitivity of pro-vitamins to enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated in vitro using porcine liver esterase. Permeation experiments were performed using rabbit ear skin, for the quantification of pro-vitamins and derived VE in the epidermis and dermis. The new derivatives synthesized, and in particular the glycine and alanine derivatives, accumulated in rabbit skin in a significant extent and originated substantial amounts of alpha-tocopherol. In comparison with the acetate derivative (VEAc), the amounts accumulated are comparable or higher. Moreover, the new derivatives, being more hydrophilic, allow the use of vehicles such as the mixture water/propylene glycol/ethanol widely employed for the preparation of creams and gels. Finally, the enzymatic metabolism of these new derivatives generates not only VE, but also components that can have a further advantageous action on skin.

Alanine↗

Carbapenem biosynthesis: confirmation of stereochemical assignments and the role of CarC in the ring stereoinversion process from L-proline.

(5R)-Carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid is the simplest structurally among the naturally occurring carbapenem beta-lactam antibiotics. It co-occurs with two saturated (3S,5S)- and (3S,5R)-carbapenam carboxylic acids. Confusion persists in the literature about the signs of rotation and absolute configurations of these compounds that is resolved in this paper. (3S,5S)-Carbapenam carboxylic acid was prepared from L-pyroglutamic acid to unambiguously establish its absolute configuration as identical to the natural product isolated from Serratia marcescens and from overexpression of the biosynthetic genes carAB in Escherichia coli. L-Proline labeled with deuterium or tritium at the diastereotopic C-5 methylene loci was shown to incorporate one label at the bridgehead of (3S,5S)-carbapenam carboxylic acid, but not into the "inverted" (3S,5R)-carbapenam carboxylic acid or the final carbapenem product. CarC, the third enzyme of the biosynthetic pathway required to synthesize the carbapenem, was demonstrated in cell-free studies to be dependent on alpha-ketoglutarate and ascorbate in keeping with weak sequence identities with other non-heme iron, alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenases. CarC mediated the stereoinversion of synthetic (3S,5S)-carbapenam carboxylic acid to the (5R)-carbapenem as judged by bioassay. These findings suggest that L-proline is desaturated to pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid prior to uptake into the biosynthetic pathway. The loss of the bridgehead hydrogen from the (3S,5S)-carbapenam during the ring inversion process to form the epimeric (3S,5R)-carbapenam and desaturation to the (5R)-carbapenem are proposed to be coupled by CarC to the reduction of dioxygen to drive the formation of these higher energy products, an unprecedented reaction for this enzyme class.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Design and synthesis of diversely substituted azacyclic inhibitors of endothelin converting enzyme.

A series of azacyclic phosphonic acids were synthesized from L-pyroglutamic acid, 6-oxo-L-pipecolic acid, and their enantiomers. The objective was to study the effect of constraining acyclic inhibitors of endothelin converting enzyme on inhibitory activity. Potential pharmacophoric tethers were introduced by stereocontrolled reactions to give highly substituted pyrrolidine- and piperidine-alpha-phosphonic acids. Weak inhibitory activity was observed for one diastereomer in each series having the same relative orientation of substituents.

Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases↗

L-Glutamic acid as a mediator of sexual morphogenesis in Volvox capensis.

In Volvox capensis the development of sexual individuals is in response to low concentrations (68 nM) of L-glutamic acid rather than to such species-specific glycoproteins as have been isolated in Volvox carteri or are believed to exist in a number of other species. V. capensis grows equally as well in light and in darkness in a medium supplemented with sodium acetate; however, L-glutamic acid is active as an inducer of the sexual form only in populations grown in the light. The site of action of L-glutamic acid and its biochemical role in the sexual response are unknown. Attempts to induce the sexual response by using the other L-amino acids, various analogs of glutamic acid, compounds of similar structure (e.g., gamma-aminobutyric acid), and intermediates of biochemical pathways known to involve L-glutamic acid (e.g., alpha-ketoglutarate or pyroglutamic acid) have been unsuccessful. L-Glutamic acid is produced by V. capensis as a natural product of the digestion of the glycoproteinaceous parental matrix at the time young spheroids escape. As a population increases, so does the level of L-glutamic acid produced at each succeeding generation until the threshold of sensitivity is reached and the induction of sexual forms is effected. This serves as a mechanism for ensuring the production of sexual spheroids and their zygotes, the only phase in the life cycle resistant to drying. Thus, Volvox is especially adapted to an existence in ephemeral pools of water resulting from seasonal rains.

Journal Article↗

Primary structure of H2-proteinase, a non-hemorrhagic metalloproteinase, isolated from the venom of the habu snake, Trimeresurus flavoviridis.

The complete amino acid sequence of and the locations of disulfide bridges in H2-proteinase, a major non-hemorrhagic proteinase isolated from the venom of the habu Trimeresurus flavoviridis, have been determined and compared with those of HR2a, one of the hemorrhagic metalloproteinases in this venom. The strategy involved consisted of structural analysis of peptides in digests with cyanogen bromide, lysyl endopeptidase, trypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease and thermolysin. Peptides were purified by gel filtration followed by reversed-phase HPLC. H2-proteinase is a non-glycosylated single chain polypeptide consisting of 201 amino acids with an amino-terminal pyroglutamic acid, a calculated molecular weight of 22,991 and a net charge of +14 at neutral pH. There was no evidence of heterogeneity of the sequence. H2-proteinase has a typical zinc-chelating sequence and its overall sequence identity with HR2a is 73.6%. The 3 disulfide bridges in H2-proteinase link Cys-117 to Cys-196, Cys-158 to Cys-180, and Cys-160 to Cys-163, in the same manner as in the case of HR2a. In striking contrast to HR2a, it contains en extra free cysteine residue at position 94 which becomes reactive to a sulfhydryl reagent in the presence of a denaturant.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of the circulating form of porcine relaxin: biological activity and terminal amino acids.

Relaxin is structurally related to insulin, and it induces pregnancy-related changes in the reproductive tract of several mammalian species. Relaxin isolated from the ovaries of pregnant sows has been used for primary structure determination, for much of the biological characterization of the hormone, and for the development of RIAs. Immunoreactive (IR) relaxin is found in peripheral blood during pregnancy in pigs and other species, but it has not been established that the substance identified by RIA is structurally or biologically equivalent to the native ovarian hormone. IR relaxin was, therefore, isolated from peripheral plasma of late pregnant gilts (days 112-114) for bioassay and determination of terminal amino acid residues. IR relaxin was monitored by a specific homologous RIA during fractionation of plasma by gel filtration, cation exchange, and hydrophobic binding to octadecysilica. IR relaxin circulates unbound and is equipotent with ovarian relaxin in the mouse pubic ligament bioassay. Amino acids released from IR relaxin by pyroglutamic aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase-Y were converted to their 4-dimethylamino-azo-4'-sulfonyl derivatives for identification by HPLC. The B-chain of IR relaxin had an amino-terminal pyroglutamic acid. Amino acids sequentially released from the carboxy-terminal indicated a chain length of 28-30 amino acids, suggesting a heterogeneity reminiscent of that of ovarian relaxin isolated by other methods. Arginine was released from the free amino-terminal by dimethylaminozaobenzene-isothiocyanate degradation, indicating an intact A-chain of 22 amino acids. Blood immunoreactive relaxin in pigs is, therefore, a secreted biologically active form of relaxin with an amino acid composition similar to that of the form stored in the corpus luteum.

Amino Acids↗

Cloning, sequencing, and heterologous expression of a gene coding for Arthromyces ramosus peroxidase.

To understand the relationship between the structure and functions of the peroxidase of Arthromyces ramosus, a novel taxon of hyphomycete, and the evolutionary relationship of the A.ramosus peroxidase (ARP) with the other peroxidases, we isolated complementary and genomic DNA clones encoding ARP and characterized them. The sequence analyses of the ARP and cDNA coding for ARP showed that a mature ARP consists of 344 amino acids with a N-terminal pyroglutamic acid preceded by a signal peptide of 20 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of ARP was 99% identical to that of the peroxidase of Coprinus cinereus, a basidiomycete, and also had very high similarities (41-43% identity) to those of basidiomycetous lignin peroxidases, although we could find no lignin peroxidase activities for ARP when assayed with lignin model compounds. We could identified His184 and His56 as proximal and distal ligands to heme, respectively, and Arg52 as an essential Arg. Comparison of the sequences of complementary and genomic DNAs found that protein-encoding DNA is interrupted by 14 intervening sequences. The ARP cDNA was expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the promoter of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene, yielding 0.02 units/ml of a secreted active peroxidase.

Base Sequence↗

A novel post-translational modification involving bromination of tryptophan. Identification of the residue, L-6-bromotryptophan, in peptides from Conus imperialis and Conus radiatus venom.

We report a novel post-translational modification involving halogenation of tryptophan in peptides recovered from the venom of carnivorous marine cone snails (Conus). The residue, L-6-bromotryptophan, was identified in the sequence of a heptapeptide, isolated from Conus imperialis, a worm-hunting cone. This peptide does not elicit gross behavioral symptoms when injected centrally or peripherally in mice. L-6-Bromotryptophan was also identified in a 33-amino acid peptide from Conus radiatus; this peptide has been shown to induce a sleep-like state in mice of all ages and is referred to as bromosleeper peptide. The sequences of the two peptides and were determined using a combination of mass spectrometry, amino acid, and chemical sequence analyses, where Pca = pyroglutamic acid, Hyp = hydroxyproline, Gla = gamma-carboxyglutamate, and Trp* = L-6-bromotryptophan. The precise structure and stereochemistry of the modified residue were determined as L-6-bromotryptophan by synthesis, co-elution, and enzymatic hydrolysis experiments. To our knowledge this is the first documentation of tryptophan residues in peptides/proteins being modified in a eukaryotic system and the first report of halogenation of tryptophan in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗