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Possible mechanisms of emphysema in smokers: cigarette smoke condensate suppresses protease inhibition in vitro.

To study the possible role of suppression of antiproteases by cigarette smoke in the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema in smokers, the following experiments were carried out. Elastin-agarose gels were impregnated with cigarette smoke condensate dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide or with the solvent alone. This procedure affected neither local pH of the gel nor subsequent physical behavior (diffusion) of antiprotease. Elastases from various sources were then allowed to diffuse through the impregnated gels toward a counter-diffusing sample of antiprotease. The effectiveness of the antiprotease in blocking the enzyme was determined from the extent of elastolysis. The elastin substrates used included beef ligament elastin and dog lung elastin. The enzymes used were porcine pancreatic elastase and pure human leukocyte elastase. The antiproteases tested included human serum, pure human a1-antitrypsin, human bronchopulmonary lavage fluid, and a synthetic chloromethyl ketone inactivator of elastase. The results showed that whole, unfractionated cigarette smoke condensate suppressed all of the antiproteases tested, except for the chloromethyl ketone. These observations are discussed in terms of the protease-pathogenesis model of pulmonary emphysema.

Humans

Three yeast proteins that specifically inhibit yeast proteases A, B, and C.

Baker's yeast was found to contain inhibitors of yeast proteases A and C. These two proteins were partially purified, characterized, and compared with the previously described inhibitor of protease B. The A and B inhibitors were very thermostable and were extracted from intact yeast cells at 9k C. The A inhibitor appeared to be a protein with a molecular weight of about 22,000 which could be dissociated into two monomers or chains, both of which had a molecular weight of approximately 11,000. The protease C (carboxypeptidase Y)-inhibitor complex was purified and then partially disociated on an ion-exchange column. The free protease C inhibitor was very unstable, possibly because of destruction by a contaminating protease. Each inhibitor was specific for its corresponding protease and each inhibition was competitive. Whereas proteases A, B, and C destroyed the B inhibitor, only protease B had a pronounced destructive effect on the protease A inhibitor. Pepstatin was found to be a selective inhibitor of protease A, whereas chymostatin and antipain specifically inhibited protease B.

Carboxypeptidases

Inhibition by protease inhibitors of binding of adrenal and sex steroid hormones.

Binding of steroid hormones is inhibited by protease inhibitors and substrates. The protease inhibitors phenylmethyl sulphonylfluoride, tosyl-lysine chloromethyl ketone, and tosylamide-phenylethyl-chloromethyl ketone and the protease substrates tosyl arginine methyl ester and tryptophan methyl ester eliminate specific binding of aldosterone, dexamethasone, dihydrotestosterone, estrogen, and progesterone to their respective receptors. These protease inhibitors and substrates also inhibit binding of progesterone to the 20,000 molecular weight mero-receptor formed from the progesterone receptor in chick oviduct. The binding of estradiol to rat alpha-fetoprotein is inhibited by the protease inhibitors and substrates but not by tryptophan or tryptophan amide, indicating the importance of an ester structure in the inhibition of steroid binding. Our results suggest that all steroid hormone receptors have a site with both common structural features and a role in the regulation of steroid hormone binding.

Aldosterone

Inhibition of proteases in coagulation, kinin-forming and complement systems by alpha2-plasmin inhibitor.

Inhibitory activities of alpha2-plasmin inhibitor against various proteases were investigated. The inhibitor promptly inhibited the esterolytic activity of alpha-chymotrypsin and progressively inhibited the esterolytic or amidolytic activities of bovine plasma kallikrein, bovine thrombin and bovine activated factor X. Heparin had no effect on the reaction of the inhibitor with thrombin or activated factor X. However, the inhibitor had no effect on the activities of human C-1-esterase, papain and snake venom kininogenase. On the basis of its rapid inhibition of kallikrein, alpha2-plasmin inhibitor is considered to exert some regulating effect on kallikrein activity in plasma.

Animals

An interbacterial cysteine protease toxin inhibits cell growth by targeting type II DNA topoisomerases GyrB and ParE.

Bacteria deploy a diverse arsenal of toxic effectors to antagonize competitors, profoundly influencing the composition of microbial communities. Previous studies have identified an interbacterial toxin predicted to exhibit proteolytic activity that is broadly distributed among gram-negative bacteria. However, the precise mechanism of intoxication remains unresolved. Here, we demonstrate that one such protease toxin from Escherichia coli, Cpe1, disrupts DNA replication and chromosome segregation by cleaving conserved sequences within the ATPase domain of type II DNA topoisomerases GyrB and ParE. This cleavage effectively inhibits topoisomerase-mediated relaxation of supercoiled DNA, resulting in impaired bacterial growth. Cpe1 belongs to the papain-like cysteine protease family and is associated with toxin delivery pathways, including the type VI secretion system and contact-dependent growth inhibition. The structure of Cpe1 in complex with its immunity protein reveals a neutralization mechanism involving competitive substrate binding rather than active site occlusion, distinguishing it from previously characterized effector-immunity pairs. Our findings unveil a unique mode of interbacterial intoxication and provide insights into how bacteria protect themselves from self-poisoning by protease toxins.

Escherichia coli

Inhibition of protease activity in cultures of rous sarcoma virus-transformed cells: effect on the transformed phenotype.

We have examined the role of proteolytic activity in the genesis and maintenance of the transformed phenotype by growing cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts transfromed by Rous sarcoma virus either in medium containing plasminogen-free serum or in medium to which protease inhibitors were added. Alterations in morphology, adhesiveness, and hexose transport were used as markers for the transformed state. Addition of the trypsin inhibitors NPGB or Soy Bean Trypsin Inhibitor at concentrations which inhibited transformation-associated fibrinolysis restored adhesiveness and morphology to near normal, but did not affect the rate of hexose transport. Growth of Rous-infected cells in plasminogen-free medium blocked the appearance of morphological and adhesive alterations, but allowed the rate of hexose transport to increase to the transformed level. Thus we were able to separate the appearance of transformation-specific changes in morphology and adhesiveness (which apparently require fibrinolytic activity) from the increased rate of hexose transport (which is independent of fibrinolytic activity). Another trypsin inhibitor, TLCK, although it did not inhibit fibrinolysis, was very effective at restoring adhesiveness and morphology as well as hexose transport to normal. This raises the possibility that there is another, perhaps earlier, protease involved in the genesis of the transformed phenotype.

Animals

The structure and function of acid proteases. V. Comparative studies on the specific inhibition of acid proteases by diazoacetyl-DL-norleucine methyl ester, 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy) propane and pepstatin.

Comparative studies have been made on the effects of diazoacetyl-DL-norleucine methyl ester (DAN), 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane (EPNP) and pepstatin on acid proteases, including those from Acrocylindrium sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus saitoi, Mucor pusillus, Paecilomyces varioti, Rhizopus chinensis, and Trametes sanguinea, and also porcine pepsin [EC 3.4.23.1] and calf rennin [EC 3.4.23.4] for comparative purposes. These enzymes were rapidly inactivated at similar rates and in 1:1 stiochiometry by reaction with DAN in the presence of cupric ions. The pH profiles of inactivation of these enzymes were similar and had optima at pH 5.5 to 6. They were also inactivated at similar rates by reaction with EPNP, with concomitant incorporation of nearly 2 EPNP molecules per molecule of enzyme. The pH profiles of inactivation were again similar and maximal inactivation was observed at around pH 3 to 4. Some of the EPNP-inactivated enzymes were treated with DAN and shown still to retain reactivity toward DAN. All these enzymes were inhibited strongly by pepstatin, and the reactions of DAN and EPNP with them were also markedly inhibited by prior treatment with pepstatin. These results indicate that the active sites of these enzymes are quite similar and that they presumably have at least two essential carboxyl groups at the active site in common, one reactive with DAN in the presence of cupric ions and the other reactive with EPNP, as has already been demonstrated for porcine pepsin and calf rennin. Pepstatin appears to bind at least part of the active site of each enzyme in a simmilar manner.

Aminocaproates

Identification and characterization of trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase inhibitors in porcine serum.

Characterization of the trypsin-, chymotrypsin- and elastase-inhibiting properties of porcine serum was carried out by gel filtration on Ultrogel, AcA 44, and agarose gel electrophoresis with subsequent processing for protease-inhibiting activity. Moreover, by allowing the fractions obtained from gel filtration to react with antibodies to porcine serum protease inhibitors, the specific inhibiting properties of these inhibitor molecules were identified. At least six protease inhibitors were identified and partially characterized in porcine serum. Two alpha 2 -macroglobulins (alpha 2 Mf and alpha 2 Ms), homologues to human alpha 2 -macroglobulin, with slightly different electrophoretic mobilities, were both found to exhibit trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase inhibiting activity. Alpha 1 -Protease inhibitor (Mr 51 000), a homologue to human alpha 1 -protease inhibitor (alpha 1 -antitrypsin), also showed trypsin-, chymotrypsin- and elastase-inhibiting properties. Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (Mr 162 000 and 129000), a porcine serum counterpart to human inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, showed trypsin- and chymo-trypsin-inhibiting properties. In addition, a specific trypsin inhibitor, alpha 2 -antigrypsin (Mr 58 000), and a specific elastase inhibitor, beta-elastase inhibitor, were characterized in porcine serum, and these seem to have no counterparts in human serum.

Animals

Growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in normal and burned skin extract: role of extracellular proteases.

Growth curves and mean generation times (MGT) were determined for Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain M-2 (protease +) and strain PA-103 (protease +/-) in burned skin extract (BSE) and in normal skin extract (NSE). Strain M-2 grew on NSE or BSE with an MGT of 30 min. Strain PA-103 grew in NSE at a similar MGT; however, PA-103 in BSE had a MGT of 65 min. When protease was added to BSE, PA-103 grew as rapidly as M-2. When ammonium sulfate was added to inhibit protease production, the MGT of M-2 slowed to that of M2 in both BSE in NSE. The MGT of PA-103 in amino acid-supplemented BSE was similar to that of PA-103 in BSE. The MGT of PA-103 in amino acid-supplemented BSE was similar to that of M-2 in both BSE andNSE. These data suggest that protease may serve as a virulence factor by modifying the available nutrients in burned skin. As a result, nutrients are formed that permit an enhanced growth rate and amore rapid establishment of the infection in the host.

Amino Acids

Regulation of extracellular protease formation by Serratia marcescens.

Heavy cell suspensions of Serratia marcescens, when grown in gelatin-containing media, produce extracellular proteases which increase in specific activity in a linear fashion for 3 to 4h. During partial purification, a single peak of proteolytic activity was demonstrated by Sephadex G-100 chromatography. However, electrophoresis using 5% polyacrylamide gels discloses three proteolytically active bands. Evidence in favor of gelatin acting as an inducer of the 'proteolytic system' was provided by two observations. First, proteolytic activity is only present in media containing gelatin. Secondly, the addition of 10(-4) M rifampicin to cells growing in gelatin-containing medium plus an additional carbon source inhibits protease activity totally, but has no effect on growth. When glycerol is added to a growing cell suspension in gelatin-containing medium, growth increases, but protease specific activity decreases. This 'glycerol effect' is not due to an accumulation of active or inactive enzyme in association with the cell, nor to a decrease in the total number of proteases synthesized. Rather, glycerol, as other utilizable carbohydrates, exerts a repression which can be eliminated by 5 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP.

Culture Media

Granulocyte collagenase, elastase and plasma protease inhibitors in purulent sputum.

Sputum was collected from patients with purulent chronic bronchitis. Immuno-chemical techniques using rabbit antiserum against human granulocyte collagenase and elastase showed the presence of both enzymes. Also the serum protease ingibitors alpha1-antitrypsin and alpha2-macroglobulin were demonstrated. Their protease inhibiting capacity was saturated. Granulocyte elastase and collagenase occurred not only in complexes with the inhibitors, but also as free enzymes. All sputa showed free proteolytic, elastolytic and collagenolytic activity. The concentration of collagenase was equal in the sol phase and in the gel phase of the sputa, but most of the elastase was bound to the gel phase.

Alpha-Globulins

Specificity and inhibition studies of Armillaria mellea protease.

The action of Armillaria mellea protease has been evaluated on a number of polypeptide substrates. It has been shown to split the Pro7-Lys8 bonds in both native and oxidised lysine-vasopressin and the Ser11-Lys12 bond in glucagon. No other splits were detected in these substrates. The enzyme also caused extensive degradation of S-carboxymethyl lysozyme, S-carcoxymethyl pepsinogen and oxidised ribonuclease. A. In each case the only new amino-terminal residue to appear was lysine. A. mellea protease was inhibited by the chelating agents 1,10-phenanthroline, alpha, alpha'-bipyridine and imidazole. The pK1 values (negative log10 of concentration required for 50% inhibition) for these three inhibitors were 3.9, 3.4 and 1.1, respectively. Lysine, S-2-aminoethylcysteine and short chain aliphatic amines also proved to be relatively good inhibitors of A. mellea protease while arginine was a poor inhibitor.

Amines

Purification and properties of two protease inhibitors from rat skin inhibiting papain and other SH-proteases.

Two papain inhibitors, I1 and I2, from rat skin extract were purified by affinity chromatography on KSCN-modified papain-agarose gel and by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. I1 had a molecular weight of 74 000, a pI of 4.6, and it contained 4% of carbohydrates. I1 inhibited papain, ficin, bromelain, rat skin benzoylarginine-2-naphthylamide hydrolase, and to a minor extent, rat skin cathepsin C and bovine trypsin. Bovine chymotrypsin or rat skin cathepsin D were not inhibited and benzoylarginine-2-naphthylamide hydrolase was inhibited only at alkaline pH. An inhibitor corresponding to I1 was present in various rat tissues and also in serum. A similar inhibitor was present in the skin of cat, rabbit, guinea pig, and man. I2 had a molecular weight of 13 400, a pI of 4.9 and it contained no carbohydrates. I2 inhibited all thiol proteases tested, but not trypsin, chymotrypsin, or rat skin cathepsin D. I2 formed an equimolar complex with papain and benzoylarginine-2-naphthylamide hydrolase. I2 was present in rat skin, muscle, lung, and small intestine, but not in kidney, liver, or serum. A similar inhibitor was found in skin extracts of cat, rabbit, guinea pig, and man.

Animals

Genetic polymorphism and close linkage of two alpha 1-protease inhibitors in horse serum.

Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of horse serum proteins was done by a first-dimension separation in agarose gel (pH 5.4) followed by a second-dimension separation in horizontal polyacrylamide gel (pH 9.0). This method resulted in improved and reproducible separation of many alpha-globulins. Two groups of alpha 1-globulins, designated Pi1 and Pi2, were found to be protease inhibitors. Preliminary studies indicated that Pi1 and Pi2 proteins differed from each other in molecular weight and in protease inhibiting spectra. Extensive polymorphism was observed for both these proteins. Family data supported the hypothesis that Pi1 and Pi2 types were controlled by autosomal codominant alleles. For both Pi1 and Pi2 systems, most of the homozygous types showed two fractions each while the heterozygous types had 4 fractions. Six Pi1 and five Pi2 alleles were observed in two breeds of Swedish horses. Complete genetic linkage was observed for Pi1 and Pi2 loci as no recombinant type was observed in 40 informative matings studied.

Alleles