Sample records for urinary trypsin inhibitor

  1. Effect of urinary trypsin inhibitor on potassium currents: fetus modulates membrane excitability by production of UTI.

    PubMed

    Takeuchi, Kinya; Fukuda, Atsuo; Kanayama, Naohiro

    2004-01-01

    Amniotic fluid contains a significant level of urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI). Previously, we reported that UTI inhibits calcium influx of myometrium and it is effective in preventing uterine contraction. This study examined the effects of UTI upon potassium channels, which is important for membrane excitability. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed in fibroblasts derived from human fetal skin. Potassium currents were recorded and the effects of exogenous UTI and/or cadmium determined. Tetraethylammonium sensitive potassium currents were elicited by step or ramp stimulations at depolarized membrane potentials (over +30 mV). Administration of 1 micro M UTI significantly increased these potassium currents by 16.9%. When calcium channels were blocked by the administration of cadmium, UTI increased the rest of the potassium currents by 4.8%. This indicates that UTI increased calcium-dependent potassium currents by 94.8% but only increased voltage-dependent potassium currents by 4.8%. Urinary trypsin inhibitor is a physiological substance of fetal origin that modulates calcium-dependent and voltage-dependent potassium channels. These data suggest that UTI is capable of regulating the membrane properties of the fetal and myometrial cells in contact with amniotic fluid.

  2. Effect of urinary trypsin inhibitor on preterm labor with high granulocyte elastase concentration in cervical secretions.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Masako; Oya, Atsuko; Miyake, Hidehiko; Nakai, Akihito; Takeshita, Toshiyuki

    2010-04-01

    To explore whether intravaginal treatment with urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) prevents preterm delivery in patients in preterm labor with increased levels of granulocyte elastase in cervical secretions. The subjects were patients in preterm labor with increased levels of granulocyte elastase in cervical secretions from 16 to 33 weeks gestation. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between patients receiving UTI treatment (UTI group; n=33) and those not receiving UTI treatment (control group; n=40). In patients receiving UTI, the mean gestational age at delivery was greater than that in the control group (37.8 vs. 35.6 weeks, p=0.003), and the rates of premature delivery before 34 and 37 weeks gestation were lower (3% vs. 20%, p=0.028; and 18% vs. 47%, p=0.008, respectively). The percentage of neonates weighing more than 2,500 g was significantly higher in the UTI group, with no neonates weighing less than 1,500 g. The neonatal hospitalization rate was lower in the UTI group (9% vs. 42%, p=0.001). In patients in preterm labor with a high elastase concentration in cervical secretions, treatment with UTI reduced the risk of preterm delivery and improved neonatal outcomes.

  3. Inga laurina trypsin inhibitor (ILTI) obstructs Spodoptera frugiperda trypsins expressed during adaptive mechanisms against plant protease inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Machado, Suzy Wider; de Oliveira, Caio Fernando Ramalho; Zério, Neide Graciano; Parra, José Roberto Postali; Macedo, Maria Lígia Rodrigues

    2017-08-01

    Plant protease inhibitors (PIs) are elements of a common plant defense mechanism induced in response to herbivores. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, a highly polyphagous lepidopteran pest, responds to various PIs in its diet by expressing genes encoding trypsins. This raises the question of whether the PI-induced trypsins are also inhibited by other PIs, which we posed as the hypothesis that Inga laurina trypsin inhibitor (ILTI) inhibits PI-induced trypsins in S. frugiperda. In the process of testing our hypothesis, we compared its properties with those of selected PIs, soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (SKTI), Inga vera trypsin inhibitor (IVTI), Adenanthera pavonina trypsin inhibitor (ApTI), and Entada acaciifolia trypsin inhibitor (EATI). We report that ILTI is more effective in inhibiting the induced S. frugiperda trypsins than SKTI and the other PIs, which supports our hypothesis. ILTI may be more appropriate than SKTI for studies regarding adaptive mechanisms to dietary PIs. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Aggregation of trypsin and trypsin inhibitor by Al cation.

    PubMed

    Chanphai, P; Kreplak, L; Tajmir-Riahi, H A

    2017-04-01

    Al cation may trigger protein structural changes such as aggregation and fibrillation, causing neurodegenerative diseases. We report the effect of Al cation on the solution structures of trypsin (try) and trypsin inhibitor (tryi), using thermodynamic analysis, UV-Visible, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Thermodynamic parameters showed Al-protein bindings occur via H-bonding and van der Waals contacts for trypsin and trypsin inhibitor. AFM showed that Al cations are able to force trypsin into larger or more robust aggregates than trypsin inhibitor, with trypsin 5±1 SE (n=52) proteins per aggregate and for trypsin inhibitor 8.3±0.7 SE (n=118). Thioflavin T test showed no major protein fibrillation in the presence of Al cation. Al complexation induced more alterations of trypsin inhibitor conformation than trypsin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The Protective Effects of Trypsin Inhibitor on Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Liver Graft Survival

    PubMed Central

    Guan, Lianyue; Liu, Hongyu; Fu, Peiyao; Li, Zhuonan; Li, Peidong; Xie, Lijuan; Xin, Mingang; Wang, Zhanpeng

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the protective effects of ulinastatin (urinary trypsin inhibitor, UTI) on liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and graft survival. We employed mouse liver cold IRI and orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) models. UTI was added to lactated Ringer's (LR) solution for liver perfusion and preservation in vitro or combined with UTI injection intraperitoneally to the liver graft recipient. Our results indicated that UTI supplementation protected the liver from cold IRI in a dose-dependent manner and prolonged liver graft survival from extended cold preserved liver donors significantly. The underlying mechanism of UTI on liver IRI may be mediated by inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine release, increasing the expression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 and decreasing the expression of the proapoptosis genes of Caspase-3 and Bax, and further protects hepatocytes from apoptotic death and improves liver function. PMID:26783413

  6. The Protective Effects of Trypsin Inhibitor on Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Liver Graft Survival.

    PubMed

    Guan, Lianyue; Liu, Hongyu; Fu, Peiyao; Li, Zhuonan; Li, Peidong; Xie, Lijuan; Xin, Mingang; Wang, Zhanpeng; Li, Wei

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the protective effects of ulinastatin (urinary trypsin inhibitor, UTI) on liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and graft survival. We employed mouse liver cold IRI and orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) models. UTI was added to lactated Ringer's (LR) solution for liver perfusion and preservation in vitro or combined with UTI injection intraperitoneally to the liver graft recipient. Our results indicated that UTI supplementation protected the liver from cold IRI in a dose-dependent manner and prolonged liver graft survival from extended cold preserved liver donors significantly. The underlying mechanism of UTI on liver IRI may be mediated by inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine release, increasing the expression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 and decreasing the expression of the proapoptosis genes of Caspase-3 and Bax, and further protects hepatocytes from apoptotic death and improves liver function.

  7. Trypsin inhibitor from tamarindus indica L. seeds reduces weight gain and food consumption and increases plasmatic cholecystokinin levels

    PubMed Central

    do Nascimento Campos Ribeiro, Joycellane Alline; Serquiz, Alexandre Coellho; dos Santos Silva, Priscila Fabíola; Barbosa, Patrícia Batista Barra Medeiros; Sampaio, Tarcísio Bruno Montenegro; de Araújo, Raimundo Fernandes; de Oliveira, Adeliana Silva; Machado, Richele Janaina Araújo; Maciel, Bruna Leal Lima; Uchôa, Adriana Ferreira; dos Santos, Elizeu Antunes; de Araújo Morais, Ana Heloneida

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Seeds are excellent sources of proteinase inhibitors, some of which may have satietogenic and slimming actions. We evaluated the effect of a trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus indica L. seeds on weight gain, food consumption and cholecystokinin levels in Wistar rats. METHODS: A trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus was isolated using ammonium sulfate (30–60%) following precipitation with acetone and was further isolated with Trypsin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Analyses were conducted to assess the in vivo digestibility, food intake, body weight evolution and cholecystokinin levels in Wistar rats. Histological analyses of organs and biochemical analyses of sera were performed. RESULTS: The trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus reduced food consumption, thereby reducing weight gain. The in vivo true digestibility was not significantly different between the control and Tamarindus trypsin inhibitor-treated groups. The trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus did not cause alterations in biochemical parameters or liver, stomach, intestine or pancreas histology. Rats treated with the trypsin inhibitor showed significantly elevated cholecystokinin levels compared with animals receiving casein or water. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the isolated trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus reduces weight gain by reducing food consumption, an effect that may be mediated by increased cholecystokinin. Thus, the potential use of this trypsin inhibitor in obesity prevention and/or treatment should be evaluated. PMID:25789523

  8. Trypsin inhibitor from tamarindus indica L. seeds reduces weight gain and food consumption and increases plasmatic cholecystokinin levels.

    PubMed

    Ribeiro, Joycellane Alline do Nascimento Campos; Serquiz, Alexandre Coellho; Silva, Priscila Fabíola dos Santos; Barbosa, Patrícia Batista Barra Medeiros; Sampaio, Tarcísio Bruno Montenegro; Araújo Junior, Raimundo Fernandes de; Oliveira, Adeliana Silva de; Machado, Richele Janaina Araújo; Maciel, Bruna Leal Lima; Uchôa, Adriana Ferreira; Santos, Elizeu Antunes dos; Morais, Ana Heloneida de Araújo

    2015-02-01

    Seeds are excellent sources of proteinase inhibitors, some of which may have satietogenic and slimming actions. We evaluated the effect of a trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus indica L. seeds on weight gain, food consumption and cholecystokinin levels in Wistar rats. A trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus was isolated using ammonium sulfate (30-60%) following precipitation with acetone and was further isolated with Trypsin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Analyses were conducted to assess the in vivo digestibility, food intake, body weight evolution and cholecystokinin levels in Wistar rats. Histological analyses of organs and biochemical analyses of sera were performed. The trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus reduced food consumption, thereby reducing weight gain. The in vivo true digestibility was not significantly different between the control and Tamarindus trypsin inhibitor-treated groups. The trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus did not cause alterations in biochemical parameters or liver, stomach, intestine or pancreas histology. Rats treated with the trypsin inhibitor showed significantly elevated cholecystokinin levels compared with animals receiving casein or water. The results indicate that the isolated trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus reduces weight gain by reducing food consumption, an effect that may be mediated by increased cholecystokinin. Thus, the potential use of this trypsin inhibitor in obesity prevention and/or treatment should be evaluated.

  9. Levels of Urinary Trypsin Inhibitor and Structure of Its Chondroitin Sulphate Moiety in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Ucciferri, Nadia; Idini, Michela; De Muro, Pierina

    2018-01-01

    Background Diabetes mellitus is a global health problem representing the fifth leading cause of mortality and a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In the last years, we reported an association among urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), a small proteoglycan that plays pleiotropic roles in many inflammatory processes, and both type 1 and 2 diabetes and developed a method for its direct quantitation and structural characterization. Methods Urine from 39 patients affected by type 1 diabetes, 32 patients with type 2 diabetes, and 52 controls were analysed. UTI was separated from the main glycosaminoglycans physiologically present in urine by anion exchange chromatography, treated for chondroitin sulphate (CS) chain complete depolymerisation, and analysed for both UTI content and CS structure. UTI identification was performed by nano-LC-MS/MS analysis. Results We evidenced increased UTI levels, as well as reduced sulphation of its CS moiety in association with diabetes, regardless of both age and medium-term glycaemic control. Furthermore, no association between UTI and albumin excretion rate was found. Conclusions Evidences suggest that UTI levels are not directly correlated with renal function or, otherwise, that they may increase before the onset of renal impairment in diabetes, representing a potential marker for the underlying inflammatory condition. PMID:29541644

  10. Trypsin inhibitor screening in traditional Chinese medicine by using an immobilized enzyme microreactor in capillary and molecular docking study.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Mengxia; Chen, Zilin

    2017-08-01

    A trypsin immobilized enzyme microreactor was successfully prepared in capillary for studying enzyme kinetics of trypsin and online screening of trypsin inhibitors from traditional Chinese medicine through capillary electrophoresis. Trypsin was immobilized on the inner wall at the inlet of the capillary treated with polydopamine. The rest of the capillary was used as a separation channel. The parameters including the separation efficiency and the activity of immobilized trypsin were comprehensively evaluated. Under the optimal conditions, online screening of trypsin inhibitors each time can be carried out within 6 min. The Michaelis-Menten constant of immobilized trypsin was calculated to be 0.50 mM, which indicated high affinity of the immobilized trypsin for the substrate. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of known inhibitor of benzamidine hydrochloride hydrate as a model inhibitor was 13.32 mM. The proposed method was successfully applied to screen trypsin inhibitors from 15 compounds of traditional Chinese medicine. It has been found that baicalin showed inhibitory potency. Molecular docking study well supported the experimental result by exhibiting molecular interaction between enzyme and inhibitors. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Practical and theoretical characterization of Inga laurina Kunitz inhibitor on the control of Homalinotus coriaceus.

    PubMed

    Macedo, Maria Lígia Rodrigues; Freire, Maria das Graças Machado; Franco, Octávio Luiz; Migliolo, Ludovico; de Oliveira, Caio Fernando Ramalho

    2011-02-01

    Digestive endoprotease activities of the coconut palm weevil, Homalinotus coriaceus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), were characterized based on the ability of gut extracts to hydrolyze specific synthetic substrates, optimal pH, and hydrolysis sensitivity to protease inhibitors. Trypsin-like proteinases were major enzymes for H. coriaceus, with minor activity by chymotrypsin proteinases. More importantly, gut proteinases of H. coriaceus were inhibited by trypsin inhibitor from Inga laurina seeds. In addition, a serine proteinase inhibitor from I. laurina seeds demonstrated significant reduction of growth of H. coriaceus larvae after feeding on inhibitor incorporated artificial diets. Dietary utilization experiments show that 0.05% I. laurina trypsin inhibitor, incorporated into an artificial diet, decreases the consumption rate and fecal production of H. coriaceus larvae. Dietary utilization experiments show that 0.05% I. laurina trypsin inhibitor, incorporated into an artificial diet, decreases the consumption rate and fecal production of H. coriaceus larvae. We have constructed a three-dimensional model of the trypsin inhibitor complexed with trypsin. The model was built based on its comparative homology with soybean trypsin inhibitor. Trypsin inhibitor of I. laurina shows structural features characteristic of the Kunitz type trypsin inhibitor. In summary, these findings contribute to the development of biotechnological tools such as transgenic plants with enhanced resistance to insect pests. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. A thermostable trypsin inhibitor with antiproliferative activity from small pinto beans.

    PubMed

    Chan, Yau Sang; Zhang, Yanbo; Sze, Stephen Cho Wing; Ng, Tzi Bun

    2014-08-01

    Small pinto bean is a cultivar of Phaseolus vulgaris. It produces a 16-kDa trypsin inhibitor that could be purified using anion exchange and size chromatography. Q-Sepharose, Mono Q and Superdex 75 columns were employed for the isolation process. Small pinto bean trypsin inhibitor demonstrated moderate pH stability (pH 2-10) and marked heat stability, with its trypsin inhibitory activity largely retained after exposure to 100 °C for half an hour. The activity was abolished in the presence of dithiothreitol, in a dose-dependent manner, implying that disulfide bonds in small pinto bean trypsin inhibitor are crucial for the activity. The trypsin inhibitor showed a blocked N-terminus. The trypsin inhibitor only slightly inhibited the viability of breast cancer MCF7 and hepatoma HepG2 cells at 125 μM.

  13. The serine proteinase inhibitory proteins of the chondrodystrophoid (beagle) and non-chondrodystrophoid (greyhound) canine intervertebral disc.

    PubMed

    Melrose, J; Taylor, T K; Ghosh, P

    1997-06-01

    Trypsin inhibitory proteins of low buoyant density (p < or = 1.35 g/mL) fractions were prepared by CsCl density gradient ultracentrifugation of 4 M guanidinium hydrochloride extracts of lumbar beagle and greyhound annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus from animals aged 1 to 6 years. Affinity blotting with biotinylated trypsin was used to identify active trypsin inhibitory protein species; these species were also identified immunologically by Western blotting using antibodies against bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), and human inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (ITI). None of the trypsin inhibitory species evident in Western blots were reactive with anti-human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha-1-PI), alpha2-macroglobulin or secretory leucocyte proteinase inhibitor. The greyhound intervertebral disc samples generally had higher levels of active trypsin inhibitor species per unit weight of tissue extracted, and a more extensive range of inhibitor species. Inhibitor species of 30, 32, 34 kDa were identified in both beagle and greyhound intervertebral disc samples; these species were generally most prominent in the annulus fibrosus samples. In contrast, the nucleus pulposus samples contained relatively large trypsin inhibitor species; the anti-BPTI detected an inhibitor species of approximately 85-90 kDa; anti-ITI detected species of 120-250 kDa; biotinylated trypsin detected species of 60-110 kDa. A small molecular mass trypsin inhibitor species of 6 kDa, which was of similar mobility to BPTI, was also detected in annulus fibrosus samples; however, this species did not react with anti-BPTI.

  14. A trypsin inhibitor from Sapindus saponaria L. seeds: purification, characterization, and activity towards pest insect digestive enzyme.

    PubMed

    Macedo, Maria Lígia R; Diz Filho, Eduardo B S; Freire, Mariadas Graças M; Oliva, Maria Luiza V; Sumikawa, Joana T; Toyama, Marcos H; Marangoni, Sérgio

    2011-01-01

    The present paper describes the purification, characterization and determination of the partial primary structure of the first trypsin inhibitor isolated from the family Sapindaceae. A highly stable, potent trypsin inhibitor (SSTI) was purified to homogeneity. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the protein consists of a two-polypeptide chain with molecular masses of approximately 15 and 3 kDa. The purified inhibitor inhibited bovine trypsin at a 1:1 M ratio. Kinetic analysis revealed that the protein is a competitive inhibitor with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 10⁻⁹ M for trypsin. The partial NH₂- terminal sequence of 36 amino acids in SSTI indicates homology with other members of the trypsin-inhibitor family from different sources. This inhibitor is highly stable in the presence of denaturing agents. SSTI showed significant inhibitory activity against trypsin-like proteases present in the larval midgut on Anagasta kuehniella, Corcyra cephalonica, Diatreae saccharalis and Anticarsia gemmatalis.

  15. Using Trypsin & Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor to Teach Principles of Enzyme Kinetics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howard, David R.; Herr, Julie; Hollister, Rhiannon

    2006-01-01

    Trypsin and soybean trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz inhibitor) can be used in a relatively simple and inexpensive student exercise to demonstrate the usefulness of enzyme kinetics. The study of enzyme kinetics is essential to biology because enzymes play such a crucial role in the biochemical pathways of all living organisms. The data from enzyme…

  16. 21 CFR 866.5890 - Inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunological Test... measure by immunochemical techniques the inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor (a protein) in serum and other body fluids. Measurement of inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor may aid in the diagnosis of acute bacterial...

  17. 21 CFR 866.5890 - Inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunological Test... measure by immunochemical techniques the inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor (a protein) in serum and other body fluids. Measurement of inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor may aid in the diagnosis of acute bacterial...

  18. 21 CFR 866.5890 - Inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunological Test... measure by immunochemical techniques the inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor (a protein) in serum and other body fluids. Measurement of inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor may aid in the diagnosis of acute bacterial...

  19. 21 CFR 866.5890 - Inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunological Test... measure by immunochemical techniques the inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor (a protein) in serum and other body fluids. Measurement of inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor may aid in the diagnosis of acute bacterial...

  20. Trypsin from the pyloric caeca of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix).

    PubMed

    Klomklao, Sappasith; Benjakul, Soottawat; Visessanguan, Wonnop; Kishimura, Hideki; Simpson, Benjamin K

    2007-12-01

    Trypsin was purified from the pyloric caeca of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) by ammonium sulfate precipitation, acetone precipitation and soybean trypsin inhibitor-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. Bluefish trypsin migrated as a single band using both sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and native-PAGE and had a molecular mass of 28 kDa. The optima pH and temperature for the hydrolysis of benzoyl-dl-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) were 9.5 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme was stable over a broad pH range (7 to 12), but was unstable at acidic pH, and at temperatures greater than 40 degrees C. The enzyme was inhibited by specific trypsin inhibitors: soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI), N-p-tosyl-l-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK) and the serine protease inhibitor phenylmethyl sulfonylfluoride (PMSF). CaCl2 partially protected trypsin against activity loss at 40 degrees C, but NaCl (0 to 30%) decreased the activity in a concentration dependent manner. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of trypsin was determined as IVGGYECKPKSAPVQVSLNL and was highly homologous to other known vertebrate trypsins.

  1. 21 CFR 866.5890 - Inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunological Test Systems § 866.5890 Inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor immunological test system. (a) Identification. An inter... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor immunological test...

  2. Purification and characterization of a trypsin inhibitor from the seeds of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.

    PubMed

    Lyu, Junchen; Liu, Yuan; An, Tianchen; Liu, Yujun; Wang, Manchuriga; Song, Yanting; Zheng, Feifei; Wu, Dan; Zhang, Yingxia; Deng, Shiming

    2015-05-01

    A proteinaceous inhibitor against trypsin was isolated from the seeds of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. by successive ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange, and gel-filtration chromatography. The trypsin inhibitor, named as AHLTI (A. heterophyllus Lam. trypsin inhibitor), consisted of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 28.5 kDa, which was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel-filtration chromatography. The N-terminal sequence of AHLTI was DEPPSELDAS, which showed no similarity to other known trypsin inhibitor sequence. AHLTI completely inhibited bovine trypsin at a molar ratio of 1:2 (AHLTI:trypsin) analyzed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, inhibition activity assay, and gel-filtration chromatography. Moreover, kinetic enzymatic studies were carried out to understand the inhibition mechanism of AHLTI against trypsin. Results showed that AHLTI was a competitive inhibitor with an equilibrium dissociation constant (Ki) of 3.7 × 10(-8) M. However, AHLTI showed weak inhibitory activity toward chymotrypsin and elastase. AHLTI was stable over a broad range of pH 4-8 and temperature 20-80°C. The reduction agent, dithiothreitol, had no obvious effect on AHLTI. The trypsin inhibition assays of AHLTI toward digestive enzymes from insect pest guts in vitro demonstrated that AHLTI was effective against enzymes from Locusta migratoria manilensis (Meyen). These results suggested that AHLTI might be a novel trypsin inhibitor from A. heterophyllus Lam. belonging to Kunitz family, and play an important role in protecting from insect pest. © The Author 2015. Published by ABBS Editorial Office in association with Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  3. Development of a method for urine bikunin/urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) quantitation and structural characterization: Application to type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Lepedda, Antonio Junior; Nieddu, Gabriele; Rocchiccioli, Silvia; Fresu, Pietro; De Muro, Pierina; Formato, Marilena

    2013-12-01

    Bikunin is a plasma proteinase inhibitor often associated with inflammatory conditions. It has a half-life of few minutes and it is rapidly excreted into urine as urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI). UTI levels are usually low in healthy individuals but they can increase up to tenfold in both acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. This article describes a sensitive method for both direct UTI quantitation and structural characterization. UTI purification was performed by anion exchange micro-chromatography followed by SDS-PAGE. A calibration curve for protein quantitation was set up by using a purified UTI fraction. UTI identification and structural characterization was performed by Nano-LC-MS/MS analysis. The method was applied on urine samples from 9 patients with type 1 diabetes, 11 patients with type 2 diabetes, and 28 healthy controls, matched for age and sex with patients, evidencing higher UTI levels in both groups of patients with respect to controls (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Spearman's correlation tests highlighted no association between UTI levels and age in each group tested. Owing to the elevated sensitivity and specificity, the described method allows UTI quantitation from very low quantities of specimen. Furthermore, as UTI concentration is normalized for creatinine level, the analysis could be also performed on randomly collected urine samples. Finally, MS/MS analysis prospects the possibility of characterizing PTM sites potentially able to affect UTI localization, function, and pathophysiological activity. Preliminary results suggest that UTI levels could represent a useful marker of chronic inflammatory condition in type 1 and 2 diabetes. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. A crystalline protein-proteinase inhibitor from pinto bean seeds.

    PubMed

    Wang, D

    1975-06-26

    A crystalline protein-proteinase inhibitor has been isolated from seeds of Pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris cultvar. Pinto). It has an average molecular weight of 19 000 as estimated by gel filtration. This crystalline inhibitor is highly active against both bovine pancreatic trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin. Complexes of both trypsin-inhibitor and alpha-chymotrypsin-inhibitor have been isolated. The inhibitor which was derived from the dissociated trypsin-inhibitor complex was only 62% as effective as the original compound against either enzyme. In contrast, the inhibitor obtained from alpha-chymotrypsin-inhibitor complex retained its full original inhibitory activity for trypsin, but only 25% of its original activity against alpha-chymotrypsin. The dissociated inhibitor from alpha-chymotrypsin-inhibitor compex, despite its full inhibitory activity, had been modified to such an extent that it could no longer form any precipitable complex with trypsin. The crystalline protein-proteinase inhibitor is not homogeneous and has been resolved into two distinct inhibitors in terms of their physical and chemical properties. These two inhibitors are designated as Pinto bean proteinase inhibitor I and II and their respective minimum molecular weights are 9100 and 10 000. They differ most strikingly in their amino acid composition in that inhibitor II is void of both valine and methionine.

  5. Mesotrypsin has evolved four unique residues to cleave trypsin inhibitors as substrates [Mesotrypsin has evolved to cleave trypsin inhibitors as substrates using four unique residues

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Alloy, Alexandre P.; Kayode, Olumide; Wang, Ruiying

    Human mesotrypsin is highly homologous to other mammalian trypsins, and yet it is functionally unique in possessing resistance to inhibition by canonical serine protease inhibitors and in cleaving these inhibitors as preferred substrates. Arg-193 and Ser-39 have been identified as contributors to the inhibitor resistance and cleavage capability of mesotrypsin, but it is not known whether these residues fully account for the unusual properties of mesotrypsin. Here, we use human cationic trypsin as a template for engineering a gain of catalytic function, assessing mutants containing mesotrypsin-like mutations for resistance to inhibition by bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and amyloid precursormore » protein Kunitz protease inhibitor (APPI), and for the ability to hydrolyze these inhibitors as substrates. We find that Arg-193 and Ser-39 are sufficient to confer mesotrypsin-like resistance to inhibition; however, compared with mesotrypsin, the trypsin-Y39S/G193R double mutant remains 10-fold slower at hydrolyzing BPTI and 2.5-fold slower at hydrolyzing APPI. We identify two additional residues in mesotrypsin, Lys-74 and Asp-97, which in concert with Arg-193 and Ser-39 confer the full catalytic capability of mesotrypsin for proteolysis of BPTI and APPI. Novel crystal structures of trypsin mutants in complex with BPTI suggest that these four residues function cooperatively to favor conformational dynamics that assist in dissociation of cleaved inhibitors. Our results reveal that efficient inhibitor cleavage is a complex capability to which at least four spatially separated residues of mesotrypsin contribute. As a result, these findings suggest that inhibitor cleavage represents a functional adaptation of mesotrypsin that may have evolved in response to positive selection pressure.« less

  6. Mesotrypsin has evolved four unique residues to cleave trypsin inhibitors as substrates [Mesotrypsin has evolved to cleave trypsin inhibitors as substrates using four unique residues

    DOE PAGES

    Alloy, Alexandre P.; Kayode, Olumide; Wang, Ruiying; ...

    2015-07-14

    Human mesotrypsin is highly homologous to other mammalian trypsins, and yet it is functionally unique in possessing resistance to inhibition by canonical serine protease inhibitors and in cleaving these inhibitors as preferred substrates. Arg-193 and Ser-39 have been identified as contributors to the inhibitor resistance and cleavage capability of mesotrypsin, but it is not known whether these residues fully account for the unusual properties of mesotrypsin. Here, we use human cationic trypsin as a template for engineering a gain of catalytic function, assessing mutants containing mesotrypsin-like mutations for resistance to inhibition by bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and amyloid precursormore » protein Kunitz protease inhibitor (APPI), and for the ability to hydrolyze these inhibitors as substrates. We find that Arg-193 and Ser-39 are sufficient to confer mesotrypsin-like resistance to inhibition; however, compared with mesotrypsin, the trypsin-Y39S/G193R double mutant remains 10-fold slower at hydrolyzing BPTI and 2.5-fold slower at hydrolyzing APPI. We identify two additional residues in mesotrypsin, Lys-74 and Asp-97, which in concert with Arg-193 and Ser-39 confer the full catalytic capability of mesotrypsin for proteolysis of BPTI and APPI. Novel crystal structures of trypsin mutants in complex with BPTI suggest that these four residues function cooperatively to favor conformational dynamics that assist in dissociation of cleaved inhibitors. Our results reveal that efficient inhibitor cleavage is a complex capability to which at least four spatially separated residues of mesotrypsin contribute. As a result, these findings suggest that inhibitor cleavage represents a functional adaptation of mesotrypsin that may have evolved in response to positive selection pressure.« less

  7. Trypsin inhibitors from Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum leaves involved in Pepper yellow mosaic virus resistance.

    PubMed

    Moulin, M M; Rodrigues, R; Ribeiro, S F F; Gonçalves, L S A; Bento, C S; Sudré, C P; Vasconcelos, I M; Gomes, V M

    2014-11-07

    Several plant organs contain proteinase inhibitors, which are produced during normal plant development or are induced upon pathogen attack to suppress the enzymatic activity of phytopathogenic microorganisms. In this study, we examined the presence of proteinase inhibitors, specifically trypsin inhibitors, in the leaf extract of Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum inoculated with PepYMV (Pepper yellow mosaic virus). Leaf extract from plants with the accession number UENF 1624, which is resistant to PepYMV, was collected at 7 different times (0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 h). Seedlings inoculated with PepYMV and control seedlings were grown in a growth chamber. Protein extract from leaf samples was partially purified by reversed-phase chromatography using a C2/C18 column. Residual trypsin activity was assayed to detect inhibitors followed by Tricine-SDS-PAGE analysis to determine the N-terminal peptide sequence. Based on trypsin inhibitor assays, trypsin inhibitors are likely constitutively synthesized in C. baccatum var. pendulum leaf tissue. These inhibitors are likely a defense mechanism for the C. baccatum var. pendulum- PepYMV pathosystem.

  8. Amino acid sequence of a trypsin inhibitor from a Spirometra (Spirometra erinaceieuropaei).

    PubMed

    Sanda, A; Uchida, A; Itagaki, T; Kobayashi, H; Inokuchi, N; Koyama, T; Iwama, M; Ohgi, K; Irie, M

    2001-12-01

    A trypsin inhibitor that is highly homologous with bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) was co-purified along with RNase from Spirometra (Spirometra erinaceieuropaei). The amino acid sequence of this inhibitor (SETI) and the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA encoding this protein were determined by protein chemistry and gene technology. SETI contains 68 amino acid residues and has a molecular mass of 7,798 Da. SETI has 31 amino acid residues that are identical with BPTI's sequence, including 6 half-cystine and 5 aromatic amino acid residues. The active site Lys residue in BPTI is replaced by an Arg residue in SETI. SETI is an effective inhibitor of trypsin and moderately inhibits a-chymotrypsin, but less inhibits elastase or subtilisin. SETI was expressed by E. coli containing a PelB vector carrying the SETI encoding cDNA; an expression yield of 0.68 mg/l was obtained. The phylogenetic relationship of SETI and the other BPTI-like trypsin inhibitors was analyzed using most likelihood inference methods.

  9. A trypsin inhibitor from rambutan seeds with antitumor, anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and nitric oxide-inducing properties.

    PubMed

    Fang, Evandro Fei; Ng, Tzi Bun

    2015-04-01

    Nephelium lappaceum L., commonly known as "rambutan," is a typical tropical tree and is well known for its juicy and sweet fruit which has an exotic flavor. Chemical studies on rambutan have led to the identification of various components such as monoterpene lactones and volatile compounds. Here, a 22.5-kDa trypsin inhibitor (N . lappaceum trypsin inhibitor (NLTI)) was isolated from fresh rambutan seeds using liquid chromatographical techniques. NLTI reduced the proteolytic activities of both trypsin and α-chymotrypsin. Dithiothreitol reduced the trypsin inhibitory activity of NLTI at a concentration of 1 mM, indicating that an intact disulfide bond is essential to the activity. NLTI inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with an IC50 of 0.73 μM. In addition, NLTI manifested a time- and dose-dependent inhibitory effect on growth in many tumor cells. NLTI is one of the few trypsin inhibitors with nitric oxide-inducing activity and may find application in tumor therapy.

  10. Isolation, expression and characterization of a novel dual serine protease inhibitor, OH-TCI, from king cobra venom.

    PubMed

    He, Ying-Ying; Liu, Shu-Bai; Lee, Wen-Hui; Qian, Jin-Qiao; Zhang, Yun

    2008-10-01

    Snake venom Kunitz/BPTI members are good tools for understanding of structure-functional relationship between serine proteases and their inhibitors. A novel dual Kunitz/BPTI serine proteinase inhibitor named OH-TCI (trypsin- and chymotrypsin-dual inhibitor from Ophiophagus hannah) was isolated from king cobra venom by three chromatographic steps of gel filtration, trypsin affinity and reverse phase HPLC. OH-TCI is composed of 58 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 6339Da. Successful expression of OH-TCI was performed as the maltose-binding fusion protein in E. coli DH5alpha. Much different from Oh11-1, the purified native and recombinant OH-TCI both had strong inhibitory activities against trypsin and chymotrypsin although the sequence identity (74.1%) between them is very high. The inhibitor constants (K(i)) of recombinant OH-TCI were 3.91 x 10(-7) and 8.46 x10(-8)M for trypsin and chymotrypsin, respectively. To our knowledge, it was the first report of Kunitz/BPTI serine proteinase inhibitor from snake venom that had equivalent trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activities.

  11. Mesotrypsin Has Evolved Four Unique Residues to Cleave Trypsin Inhibitors as Substrates.

    PubMed

    Alloy, Alexandre P; Kayode, Olumide; Wang, Ruiying; Hockla, Alexandra; Soares, Alexei S; Radisky, Evette S

    2015-08-28

    Human mesotrypsin is highly homologous to other mammalian trypsins, and yet it is functionally unique in possessing resistance to inhibition by canonical serine protease inhibitors and in cleaving these inhibitors as preferred substrates. Arg-193 and Ser-39 have been identified as contributors to the inhibitor resistance and cleavage capability of mesotrypsin, but it is not known whether these residues fully account for the unusual properties of mesotrypsin. Here, we use human cationic trypsin as a template for engineering a gain of catalytic function, assessing mutants containing mesotrypsin-like mutations for resistance to inhibition by bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and amyloid precursor protein Kunitz protease inhibitor (APPI), and for the ability to hydrolyze these inhibitors as substrates. We find that Arg-193 and Ser-39 are sufficient to confer mesotrypsin-like resistance to inhibition; however, compared with mesotrypsin, the trypsin-Y39S/G193R double mutant remains 10-fold slower at hydrolyzing BPTI and 2.5-fold slower at hydrolyzing APPI. We identify two additional residues in mesotrypsin, Lys-74 and Asp-97, which in concert with Arg-193 and Ser-39 confer the full catalytic capability of mesotrypsin for proteolysis of BPTI and APPI. Novel crystal structures of trypsin mutants in complex with BPTI suggest that these four residues function cooperatively to favor conformational dynamics that assist in dissociation of cleaved inhibitors. Our results reveal that efficient inhibitor cleavage is a complex capability to which at least four spatially separated residues of mesotrypsin contribute. These findings suggest that inhibitor cleavage represents a functional adaptation of mesotrypsin that may have evolved in response to positive selection pressure. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Effect of Moringa oleifera flower extract on larval trypsin and acetylcholinesterase activities in Aedes aegypti.

    PubMed

    Pontual, Emmanuel Viana; Napoleão, Thiago Henrique; Dias de Assis, Caio Rodrigo; de Souza Bezerra, Ranilson; Xavier, Haroudo Satiro; Navarro, Daniela Maria do Amaral Ferraz; Coelho, Luana Cassandra Breitenbach Barroso; Paiva, Patrícia Maria Guedes

    2012-03-01

    Aedes aegypti control is crucial to reducing dengue fever. Aedes aegypti larvae have developed resistance to organophosporous insecticides and the use of natural larvicides may help manage larval resistance by increasing elements in insecticide rotation programs. Here, we report on larvicidal activity of Moringa oleifera flower extract against A. aegypti L(1), L(2), L(3), and L(4) as well as the effect of flower extract on gut trypsin and whole-larval acetylcholinesterase from L(4.) In addition, the heated flower extract was investigated for larvicidal activity against L(4) and effect on larval gut trypsin. Moringa oleifera flower extract contains a proteinaceous trypsin inhibitor (M. oleifera flower trypsin inhibitor, MoFTI), triterpene (β-amyrin), sterol (β-sitosterol) as well as flavonoids (kaempferol and quercetin). Larvicidal activity was detected against L(2), L(3), and L(4) (LC(50) of 1.72%, 1.67%, and 0.92%, respectively). Flower extract inhibited L(4) gut trypsin (MoFTI K(i) = 0.6 nM) and did not affect acetylcholinesterase activity. In vivo assay showed that gut trypsin activity from L(4) treated with M. oleifera flower extract decreased over time (0-1,440 min) and was strongly inhibited (98.6%) after 310 min incubation; acetylcholinesterase activity was not affected. Thermal treatment resulted in a loss of trypsin inhibitor and larvicidal activities, supporting the hypothesis that flower extract contains a proteinaceous trypsin inhibitor that may be responsible for the deleterious effects on larval mortality. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Identification of a new soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor mutation and its effect on Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor content in soybean seed

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Soybean seeds possess anti-nutritional compounds which inactivate digestive proteases, principally corresponding to two families: Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitors (KTi) and Bowman-Birk Inhibitors (BBI). High levels of raw soybeans/soybean meal in feed mixtures can cause poor weight gain and pancreatic abno...

  14. Characterization and Pharmacological Properties of a Novel Multifunctional Kunitz Inhibitor from Erythrina velutina Seeds

    PubMed Central

    Machado, Richele J. A.; Monteiro, Norberto K. V.; Migliolo, Ludovico; Silva, Osmar N.; Pinto, Michele F. S.; Oliveira, Adeliana S.; Franco, Octávio L.; Kiyota, Sumika; Bemquerer, Marcelo P.; Uchoa, Adriana F.; Morais, Ana H. A.; Santos, Elizeu A.

    2013-01-01

    Inhibitors of peptidases isolated from leguminous seeds have been studied for their pharmacological properties. The present study focused on purification, biochemical characterization and anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant evaluation of a novel Kunitz trypsin inhibitor from Erythrina velutina seeds (EvTI). Trypsin inhibitors were purified by ammonium sulfate (30–60%), fractionation followed by Trypsin-Sepharose affinity chromatography and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The purified inhibitor showed molecular mass of 19,210.48 Da. Furthermore, a second isoform with 19,228.16 Da was also observed. The inhibitor that showed highest trypsin specificity and enhanced recovery yield was named EvTI (P2) and was selected for further analysis. The EvTI peptide fragments, generated by trypsin and pepsin digestion, were further analyzed by MALDI-ToF-ToF mass spectrometry, allowing a partial primary structure elucidation. EvTI exhibited inhibitory activity against trypsin with IC50 of 2.2×10−8 mol.L−1 and constant inhibition (Ki) of 1.0×10−8 mol.L−1, by a non-competitive mechanism. In addition to inhibit the activity of trypsin, EvTI also inhibited factor Xa and neutrophil elastase, but do not inhibit thrombin, chymotrypsin or peptidase 3. EvTI was investigated for its anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant properties. Firstly, EvTI showed no cytotoxic effect on human peripheral blood cells. Nevertheless, the inhibitor was able to prolong the clotting time in a dose-dependent manner by using in vitro and in vivo models. Due to anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant EvTI properties, two sepsis models were here challenged. EvTI inhibited leukocyte migration and specifically acted by inhibiting TNF-α release and stimulating IFN-α and IL-12 synthesis. The data presented clearly contribute to a better understanding of the use of Kunitz inhibitors in sepsis as a bioactive agent capable of interfering in blood coagulation and inflammation. PMID:23737945

  15. Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor-Trypsin Complex as a Detection System for Recombinant Proteins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borjigin, Jimo; Nathans, Jeremy

    1993-01-01

    Bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) binds to trypsin and anhydrotrypsin (an enzymatically inactive derivative of trypsin) with affinities of 6 x 10-14 and 1.1 x 10-13 M, respectively. We have taken advantage of the high affinity and specificity of this binding reaction to develop a protein tagging system in which biotinylated trypsin or biotinylated anhydrotrypsin is used as the reagent to detect recombinant fusion proteins into which BPTI has been inserted. Two proteins, opsin and growth hormone, were used as targets for insertional mutagenesis with BPTI. In each case, both domains of the fusion protein appear to be correctly folded. The fusion proteins can be specifically and efficiently detected by biotinylated trypsin or biotinylated anhydrotrypsin, as demonstrated by staining of transfected cells, protein blotting, affinity purification, and a mobility shift assay in SDS/polyacrylamide gels.

  16. Kunitz trypsin inhibitor in addition to Bowman-Birk inhibitor influence stability of lunasin against pepsin-pancreatin hydrolysis

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Soybean contains several biologically active components and one of this belongs to the bioactive peptide group. The objectives of this study were to produce different lunasin-enriched preparations (LEP) and determine the effect of Bowman-Birk inhibitor and Kunitz trypsin concentrations on the stabil...

  17. ELISA analysis of soybean trypsin inhibitors in processed foods.

    PubMed

    Brandon, D L; Bates, A H; Friedman, M

    1991-01-01

    Soybean proteins are widely used in human foods in a variety of forms, including infant formulas, flour, protein concentrates, protein isolates, soy sauces, textured soy fibers, and tofu. The presence of inhibitors of digestive enzymes in soy proteins impairs the nutritional quality and possibly the safety of soybeans and other legumes. Processing, based on the use of heat or fractionation of protein isolates, does not completely inactivate or remove these inhibitors, so that residual amounts of inhibitors are consumed by animals and humans. New monoclonal antibody-based immunoassays can measure low levels of the soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) and the Bowman-Birk trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor (BBI) and the Bowman-Birk foods. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the inhibitor content of soy concentrates, isolates, and flours, both heated and unheated; a commercial soy infant formula; KTI and BBI with rearranged disulfide bonds; browning products derived from heat-treatment of KTI with glucose and starch; and KTI exposed to high pH. The results indicate that even low inhibitor isolates contain significant amounts of specific inhibitors. Thus, infants on soy formula consume about 10 mg of KTI plus BBI per day. The immunoassays complement the established enzymatic assays of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors, and have advantages in (a) measuring low levels of inhibitors in processed foods; and (b) differentiating between the Kunitz and Bowman-Birk inhibitors. The significance of our findings for food safety are discussed.

  18. The Difference Quantity of Urinary Peptides between Two Groups of Type 2 Diabetic Patients with or without Coronary Artery Disease

    PubMed Central

    Fu, Guangzhen; Hu, Mei; Chu, Lina; Zhang, Man

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We aim to explore urinary biomarkers that could monitor CAD in type 2 diabetic patients. Materials and Methods. Urine samples from two groups, twenty-eight type 2 diabetic patients with coexisting CAD and thirty type 2 diabetic patients without CAD, were purified by MB-WCX and then analyzed by MALDI-TOF-MS. Subsequently, we compared the urinary peptide signatures of the two groups by use of ClinProTools2.1 and evaluated the potential ability of the differently expressed peptides to distinguish type 2 diabetic patients with coexisting CAD from type 2 diabetic patients without CAD by ROC analysis. Finally, the differently expressed peptides were identified by nanoliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results. There were six differently expressed peptides (m/z 1305.2, 1743.9, 2184.9, 2756.1, 3223.2, and 6196.1) between the two groups of subjects, and they were identified as fragments of isoform 1 of fibrinogen alpha chain precursor, prothrombin precursor, and interalpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4. The diagnostic efficacy of m/z 2756.1 and m/z 3223.2 was better than the other peptides. Area under ROC of the m/z 2756.1, and m/z 3223.2 was 0.98 and 0.93, respectively. Conclusions. These urinary peptides are potential urinary biomarkers for monitoring of type 2 diabetic patients with CAD. PMID:26089891

  19. Purification and Partial Characterization of Trypsin-Specific Proteinase Inhibitors from Pigeonpea Wild Relative Cajanus platycarpus L. (Fabaceae) Active against Gut Proteases of Lepidopteran Pest Helicoverpa armigera

    PubMed Central

    Swathi, Marri; Mishra, Prashant K.; Lokya, Vadthya; Swaroop, Vanka; Mallikarjuna, Nalini; Dutta-Gupta, Aparna; Padmasree, Kollipara

    2016-01-01

    Proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are natural defense proteins of plants found to be active against gut proteases of various insects. A pigeonpea wild relative Cajanus platycarpus was identified as a source of resistance against Helicoverpa armigera, a most devastating pest of several crops including pigeonpea. In the light of earlier studies, trypsin-specific PIs (CpPI 63) were purified from mature dry seeds of C. platycarpus (ICPW-63) and characterized their biochemical properties in contributing to H. armigera resistance. CpPI 63 possessed significant H. armigera gut trypsin-like proteinase inhibitor (HGPI) activity than trypsin inhibitor (TI) activity. Analysis of CpPI 63 using two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry revealed that it contained several isoinhibitors and small oligomers with masses ranging between 6 and 58 kDa. The gelatin activity staining studies suggest that these isoinhibitors and oligomers possessed strong inhibitory activity against H. armigera gut trypsin-like proteases (HGPs). The N-terminal sequence of the isoinhibitors (pI 6.6 and pI 5.6) of CpPI 63 exhibited 80% homology with several Kunitz trypsin inhibitors (KTIs) as well as miraculin-like proteins (MLPs). Further, modification of lysine residue(s) lead to 80% loss in both TI and HGPI activities of CpPI 63. In contrast, the TI and HGPI activities of CpPI 63 were stable over a wide range of temperature and pH conditions. The reported results provide a biochemical basis for pod borer resistance in C. platycarpus. PMID:27656149

  20. Protease-Activated Receptor 2, Dipeptidyl Peptidase I, and Proteases Mediate Clostridium difficile Toxin A Enteritis

    PubMed Central

    COTTRELL, GRAEME S.; AMADESI, SILVIA; PIKIOS, STELLA; CAMERER, ERIC; WILLARDSEN, J. ADAM; MURPHY, BRETT R.; CAUGHEY, GEORGE H.; WOLTERS, PAUL J.; COUGHLIN, SHAUN R.; PETERSON, ANDERS; KNECHT, WOLFGANG; POTHOULAKIS, CHARALABOS; BUNNETT, NIGEL W.; GRADY, EILEEN F.

    2008-01-01

    Background & Aims We studied the role of protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) and its activating enzymes, trypsins and tryptase, in Clostridium difficile toxin A (TxA)-induced enteritis. Methods We injected TxA into ileal loops in PAR2 or dipeptidyl peptidase I (DPPI) knockout mice or in wild-type mice pretreated with tryptase inhibitors (FUT-175 or MPI-0442352) or soybean trypsin inhibitor. We examined the effect of TxA on expression and activity of PAR2 and trypsin IV messenger RNA in the ileum and cultured colonocytes. We injected activating peptide (AP), trypsins, tryptase, and p23 in wild-type mice, some pretreated with the neurokinin 1 receptor antagonist SR140333. Results TxA increased fluid secretion, myeloperoxidase activity in fluid and tissue, and histologic damage. PAR2 deletion decreased TxA-induced ileitis, reduced luminal fluid secretion by 20%, decreased tissue and fluid myeloperoxidase by 50%, and diminished epithelial damage, edema, and neutrophil infiltration. DPPI deletion reduced secretion by 20% and fluid myeloperoxidase by 55%. In wild-type mice, FUT-175 or MPI-0442352 inhibited secretion by 24%−28% and tissue and fluid myeloperoxidase by 31%−71%. Soybean trypsin inhibitor reduced secretion to background levels and tissue myeloperoxidase by up to 50%. TxA increased expression of PAR2 and trypsin IV in enterocytes and colonocytes and caused a 2-fold increase in Ca2+ responses to PAR2 AP. AP, tryptase, and trypsin isozymes (trypsin I/II, trypsin IV, p23) caused ileitis. SR140333 prevented AP-induced ileitis. Conclusions PAR2 and its activators are proinflammatory in TxA-induced enteritis. TxA stimulates existing PAR2 and up-regulates PAR2 and activating proteases, and PAR2 causes inflammation by neurogenic mechanisms. PMID:17570216

  1. Structural Insights into the Role of the Cyclic Backbone in a Squash Trypsin Inhibitor*

    PubMed Central

    Daly, Norelle L.; Thorstholm, Louise; Greenwood, Kathryn P.; King, Gordon J.; Rosengren, K. Johan; Heras, Begoña; Martin, Jennifer L.; Craik, David J.

    2013-01-01

    MCoTI-II is a head-to-tail cyclic peptide with potent trypsin inhibitory activity and, on the basis of its exceptional proteolytic stability, is a valuable template for the design of novel drug leads. Insights into inhibitor dynamics and interactions with biological targets are critical for drug design studies, particularly for protease targets. Here, we show that the cyclization and active site loops of MCoTI-II are flexible in solution, but when bound to trypsin, the active site loop converges to a single well defined conformation. This finding of reduced flexibility on binding is in contrast to a recent study on the homologous peptide MCoTI-I, which suggested that regions of the peptide are more flexible upon binding to trypsin. We provide a possible explanation for this discrepancy based on degradation of the complex over time. Our study also unexpectedly shows that the cyclization loop, not present in acyclic homologues, facilitates potent trypsin inhibitory activity by engaging in direct binding interactions with trypsin. PMID:24169696

  2. Bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor immobilized onto sepharose as a new strategy to purify a thermostable alkaline peptidase from cobia (Rachycentron canadum) processing waste.

    PubMed

    França, Renata Cristina da Penha; Assis, Caio Rodrigo Dias; Santos, Juliana Ferreira; Torquato, Ricardo José Soares; Tanaka, Aparecida Sadae; Hirata, Izaura Yoshico; Assis, Diego Magno; Juliano, Maria Aparecida; Cavalli, Ronaldo Olivera; Carvalho, Luiz Bezerra de; Bezerra, Ranilson Souza

    2016-10-15

    A thermostable alkaline peptidase was purified from the processing waste of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) using bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) immobilized onto Sepharose. The purified enzyme had an apparent molecular mass of 24kDa by both sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and mass spectrometry. Its optimal temperature and pH were 50°C and 8.5, respectively. The enzyme was thermostable until 55°C and its activity was strongly inhibited by the classic trypsin inhibitors N-ρ-tosyl-l-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK) and benzamidine. BPTI column allowed at least 15 assays without loss of efficacy. The purified enzyme was identified as a trypsin and the N-terminal amino acid sequence of this trypsin was IVGGYECTPHSQAHQVSLNSGYHFC, which was highly homologous to trypsin from cold water fish species. Using Nα-benzoyl-dl-arginine ρ-nitroanilide hydrochloride (BApNA) as substrate, the apparent km value of the purified trypsin was 0.38mM, kcat value was 3.14s(-1), and kcat/km was 8.26s(-1)mM(-1). The catalytic proficiency of the purified enzyme was 2.75×10(12)M(-1) showing higher affinity for the substrate at the transition state than other fish trypsin. The activation energy (AE) of the BApNA hydrolysis catalyzed by this enzyme was estimated to be 11.93kcalmol(-1) while the resulting rate enhancement of this reaction was found to be approximately in a range from 10(9) to 10(10)-fold evidencing its efficiency in comparison to other trypsin. This new purification strategy showed to be appropriate to obtain an alkaline peptidase from cobia processing waste with high purification degree. According with N-terminal homology and kinetic parameters, R. canadum trypsin may gathers desirable properties of psychrophilic and thermostable enzymes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Use of microwaves to improve nutritional value of soybeans for future space inhabitants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, G.

    1983-01-01

    Whole soybeans from four different varieties at different moisture contents were microwaved for varying times to determine the conditions for maximum destruction of trypsin inhibitor and lipoxygenase activities, and optimal growth of chicks. Microwaving 150 gm samples of soybeans (at 14 to 28% moisture) for 1.5 min was found optimal for reduction of trypsin inhibitor and lipoxygenase activities. Microwaving 1 kgm samples of soybeans for 9 minutes destroyed 82% of the trypsin inhibitor activity and gave optimal chick growth. It should be pointed out that the microwaving time would vary according to the weight of the sample and the power of the microwave oven. The microwave oven used in the above experiments was rated at 650 watts 2450 MHz.

  4. Bioinsecticidal activity of a novel Kunitz trypsin inhibitor from Catanduva (Piptadenia moniliformis) seeds.

    PubMed

    Cruz, Ana C B; Massena, Fábio S; Migliolo, Ludovico; Macedo, Leonardo L P; Monteiro, Norberto K V; Oliveira, Adeliana S; Macedo, Francisco P; Uchoa, Adriana F; Grossi de Sá, Maria F; Vasconcelos, Ilka M; Murad, Andre M; Franco, Octavio L; Santos, Elizeu A

    2013-09-01

    The present study aims to provide new in vitro and in vivo biochemical information about a novel Kunitz trypsin inhibitor purified from Piptadenia moniliformis seeds. The purification process was performed using TCA precipitation, Trypsin-Sepharose and reversed-phase C18 HPLC chromatography. The inhibitor, named PmTKI, showed an apparent molecular mass of around 19 kDa, visualized by SDS-PAGE, which was confirmed by mass spectrometry MALDI-ToF demonstrating a monoisotopic mass of 19.296 Da. The inhibitor was in vitro active against trypsin, chymotrypsin and papain. Moreover, kinetic enzymatic studies were performed aiming to understand the inhibition mode of PmTKI, which competitively inhibits the target enzyme, presenting Ki values of 1.5 × 10(-8) and 3.0 × 10(-1) M against trypsin and chymotrypsin, respectively. Also, the inhibitory activity was assayed at different pH ranges, temperatures and reduction environments (DTT). The inhibitor was stable in all conditions maintaining an 80% residual activity. N-terminal sequence was obtained by Edman degradation and the primary sequence presented identity with members of Kunitz-type inhibitors from the same subfamily. Finally after biochemical characterization the inhibitory effect was evaluated in vitro on insect digestive enzymes from different orders, PmTKI demonstrated remarkable activity against enzymes from Anthonomus grandis (90%), Plodia interpuncptella (60%), and Ceratitis capitata (70%). Furthermore, in vivo bioinsecticidal assays of C. capitata larvae were also performed and the concentration of PmTKI (w/w) in an artificial diet required to LD50 and ED50 larvae were 0.37 and 0.3% respectively. In summary, data reported here shown the biotechnological potential of PmTKI for insect pest control. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Kinetic characterization of factor Xa binding using a quenched fluorescent substrate based on the reactive site of factor Xa inhibitor from Bauhinia ungulata seeds.

    PubMed

    Oliva, M L V; Andrade, S A; Juliano, M A; Sallai, R C; Torquato, R J; Sampaio, M U; Pott, V J; Sampaio, C A M

    2003-07-01

    The specific Kunitz Bauhinia ungulata factor Xa inhibitor (BuXI) and the Bauhinia variegata trypsin inhibitor (BvTI) blocked the activity of trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin, plasma kallikrein and factor XIIa, and factor Xa inhibition was achieved only by BuXI (K(i) 14 nM). BuXI and BvTI are highly homologous (70%). The major differences are the methionine residues at BuXI reactive site, which are involved in the inhibition, since the oxidized protein no longer inhibits factor Xa but maintains the trypsin inhibition. Quenched fluorescent substrates based on the reactive site sequence of the inhibitors were synthesized and the kinetic parameters of the hydrolysis were determined using factor Xa and trypsin. The catalytic efficiency k(cat)/K(m) 4.3 x 10(7) M(-1)sec(>-1) for Abz-VMIAALPRTMFIQ-EDDnp (lead peptide) hydrolysis by factor Xa was 10(4)-fold higher than that of Boc-Ile-Glu-Gly-Arg-AMC, widely used as factor Xa substrate. Lengthening of the substrate changed its susceptibility to factor Xa hydrolysis. Both methionine residues in the substrate influence the binding to factor Xa. Serine replacement of threonine (P(1)') decreases the catalytic efficiency by four orders of magnitude. Factor Xa did not hydrolyze the substrate containing the reactive site sequence of BvTI, that inhibits trypsin inhibitor but not factor Xa. Abz-VMIAALPRTMFIQ-EDDnp prolonged both the prothrombin time and the activated partial thromboplastin time, and the other modified substrates used in this experiment altered blood-clotting assays.

  6. Kunitz-type protease inhibitors group B from Solanum palustre.

    PubMed

    Speransky, Anna S; Cimaglia, Fabio; Krinitsina, Anastasya A; Poltronieri, Palmiro; Fasano, Pasqua; Bogacheva, Anna M; Valueva, Tatiana A; Halterman, Dennis; Shevelev, Alexei B; Santino, Angelo

    2007-11-01

    Five Kunitz protease inhibitor group B genes were isolated from the genome of the diploid non-tuber-forming potato species Solanum palustre. Three of five new genes share 99% identity to the published KPI-B genes from various cultivated potato accessions, while others exhibit 96% identity. Spls-KPI-B2 and Spls-KPI-B4 proteins contain unique substitutions of the most conserved residues usually involved to trypsin and chymotrypsin-specific binding sites of Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI)-B, respectively. To test the inhibition of trypsin and chymotrypsin by Spls-KPI proteins, five of them were produced in E. coli purified using a Ni-sepharose resin and ion-exchange chromatography. All recombinant Spls-KPI-B inhibited trypsin; K(i) values ranged from 84.8 (Spls-KPI-B4), 345.5 (Spls-KPI-B1), and 1310.6 nM (Spls-KPI-B2) to 3883.5 (Spls-KPI-B5) and 8370 nM (Spls-KPI-B3). In addition, Spls-KPI-B1 and Spls-KPI-B4 inhibited chymotrypsin. These data suggest that regardless of substitutions of key active-center residues both Spls-KPI-B4 and Spls-KPI-B1 are functional trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitors.

  7. Performance of bean bruchids Callosobruchus maculatus and Zabrotes subfasciatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) reared on resistant (IT81D-1045) and susceptible (Epace 10) Vigna unguiculata seeds: relationship with trypsin inhibitor and vicilin excretion.

    PubMed

    Sales, M P; Andrade, L B S; Ary, M B; Miranda, M R A; Teixeira, F M; Oliveira, A S; Fernandes, K V S; Xavier-Filho, J

    2005-12-01

    Callosobruchus maculatus (Cm) and Zabrotes subfasciatus (Zs) were reared on resistant (IT81D-1045) and on susceptible (Epace 10) cowpea seeds. The emergence of adult insects, total developmental period (TDP) and excretion of trypsin inhibitor and vicilin were determined for both bruchid populations. Parameter evaluation showed that the Zs populations emerged from both seeds had no significant differences in emergence and TDP. The Cm population raised from resistant seeds had lower emergence (5.6+/-1.3%) and delayed TDP (46+/-1.25 days) than those emerged from susceptible seeds. The excretion of defense proteins showed that Zs reared in resistant seeds excreted 1.7 times more trypsin inhibitor, but this did not affect emergence or TDP. Furthermore, Cm population emerged from resistant seeds excreted 7 times higher vicilin and 0.4 times less trypsin inhibitor than that emerged from susceptible seeds. These results indicate that vicilins from resistant seeds are involved to significantly longer TDP (46 days) and also drastic reduction of insect emergence ( approximately 5%) of C. maculatus.

  8. Allergenicity, trypsin inhibitor activity and nutritive quality of enzymatically modified soy proteins.

    PubMed

    De La Barca, Ana María Calderón; Wall, Abraham; López-Díaz, José Alberto

    2005-05-01

    Two ultrafiltered soy flour protein fractions were evaluated; the first was obtained by hydrolysis (0.5-3 kDa, F(0.5-3)), and the second was an enzymatically methionine-enriched fraction (1-10 kDa, F(1-10)E). Amino acid profiles, protein quality, allergenicity (against soy-sensitive infant sera) and trypsin inhibitor activity were determined. Fraction F(1-10)E fulfilled amino acid requirements for infants, whereas the F(0.5-3) fraction was methionine deficient. Both fractions were similar in net protein utilization, and F(1-10)E digestibility was comparable with casein and higher (P?

  9. Effects of soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor on the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis).

    PubMed

    Franco, Octávio L; Dias, Simoni C; Magalhães, Claudio P; Monteiro, Ana C S; Bloch, Carlos; Melo, Francislete R; Oliveira-Neto, Osmundo B; Monnerat, Rose G; Grossi-de-Sá, Maria Fátima

    2004-01-01

    The cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, is an economically important pest of cotton in tropical and subtropical areas of several countries in the Americas, causing severe losses due to their damage in cotton floral buds. Enzymatic assays using gut extracts from larval and adult boll weevil have demonstrated the presence of digestive serine proteinase-like activities. Furthermore, in vitro assays showed that soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (SKTI) was able to inhibit these enzymes. Previously, in vivo effects of black-eyed pea trypsin chymotrypsin inhibitor (BTCI) have been demonstrated towards the boll weevil pest. Here, when neonate larvae were reared on an artificial diet containing SKTI at three different concentrations, a reduction of larval weight of up to 64% was observed for highest SKTI concentration 500 microM. The presence of SKTI caused an increase in mortality and severe deformities of larvae, pupae and adult insects. This work therefore represents the first observation of a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor active in vivo and in vitro against A. grandis. Bioassays suggested that SKTI could be used as a tool in engineering crop plants, which might exhibit increased resistance against cotton boll weevil.

  10. BG-4, a novel anticancer peptide from bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), promotes apoptosis in human colon cancer cells

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Momordica charantia is a perennial plant with reported health benefits. BG-4, a novel peptide from Momordica charantia, was isolated, purified and characterized. The trypsin inhibitory activity of BG-4 is 8.6 times higher than purified soybean trypsin inhibitor. The high trypsin inhibitory activity ...

  11. Bauhinia variegata var. variegata trypsin inhibitor: From isolation to potential medicinal applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fang, Evandro Fei; Wong, Jack Ho; Bah, Clara Shui Fern

    Here we report for the first time of a new Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor (termed BvvTI) from seeds of the Camel's foot tree, Bauhinia variegata var. variegata. BvvTI shares the same reactive site residues (Arg, Ser) and exhibits a homology of N-terminal amino acid sequence to other Bauhinia protease inhibitors. The trypsin inhibitory activity (K{sub i}, 0.1 x 10{sup -9} M) of BvvTI ranks the highest among them. Besides anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity, BvvTI could significantly inhibit the proliferation of nasopharyngeal cancer CNE-1 cells in a selective way. This may partially be contributed by its induction of cytokines and apoptotic bodies.more » These results unveil potential medicinal applications of BvvTI.« less

  12. Bauhinia variegata var. variegata trypsin inhibitor: from isolation to potential medicinal applications.

    PubMed

    Fang, Evandro Fei; Wong, Jack Ho; Bah, Clara Shui Fern; Lin, Peng; Tsao, Sai Wah; Ng, Tzi Bun

    2010-06-11

    Here we report for the first time of a new Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor (termed BvvTI) from seeds of the Camel's foot tree, Bauhinia variegata var. variegata. BvvTI shares the same reactive site residues (Arg, Ser) and exhibits a homology of N-terminal amino acid sequence to other Bauhinia protease inhibitors. The trypsin inhibitory activity (K(i), 0.1 x 10(-9)M) of BvvTI ranks the highest among them. Besides anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity, BvvTI could significantly inhibit the proliferation of nasopharyngeal cancer CNE-1 cells in a selective way. This may partially be contributed by its induction of cytokines and apoptotic bodies. These results unveil potential medicinal applications of BvvTI. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Structural basis of trypsin inhibition and entomotoxicity of cospin, serine protease inhibitor involved in defense of Coprinopsis cinerea fruiting bodies.

    PubMed

    Sabotič, Jerica; Bleuler-Martinez, Silvia; Renko, Miha; Avanzo Caglič, Petra; Kallert, Sandra; Štrukelj, Borut; Turk, Dušan; Aebi, Markus; Kos, Janko; Künzler, Markus

    2012-02-03

    Cospin (PIC1) from Coprinopsis cinerea is a serine protease inhibitor with biochemical properties similar to those of the previously characterized fungal serine protease inhibitors, cnispin from Clitocybe nebularis and LeSPI from Lentinus edodes, classified in the family I66 of the MEROPS protease inhibitor classification. In particular, it exhibits a highly specific inhibitory profile as a very strong inhibitor of trypsin with K(i) in the picomolar range. Determination of the crystal structure revealed that the protein has a β-trefoil fold. Site-directed mutagenesis and mass spectrometry results have confirmed Arg-27 as the reactive binding site for trypsin inhibition. The loop containing Arg-27 is positioned between the β2 and β3 strands, distinguishing cospin from other β-trefoil-fold serine protease inhibitors in which β4-β5 or β5-β6 loops are involved in protease inhibition. Biotoxicity assays of cospin on various model organisms revealed a strong and specific entomotoxic activity against Drosophila melanogaster. The inhibitory inactive R27N mutant was not entomotoxic, associating toxicity with inhibitory activity. Along with the abundance of cospin in fruiting bodies of C. cinerea and the lack of trypsin-like proteases in the C. cinerea genome, these results suggest that cospin and its homologs are effectors of a fungal defense mechanism against fungivorous insects that function by specific inhibition of serine proteases in the insect gut.

  14. Properties of a Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor from Delonix regia seeds against digestive proteinases of Anagasta kuehniella (Z.) and Corcyra cephalonica (S.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

    PubMed

    Macedo, M L R; Pando, S C; Chevreuil, L R; Marangoni, S

    2009-01-01

    DrTI was effective against trypsin-like enzymes from A. kuehniella and C. cephalonica, however an artificial diet was insufficient to affect the survival and body weight of either insect. The inhibitor stimulated chymotrypsin-like enzymes and probably induced the synthesis of enzymes insensitive to TLCK in neonate larvae.

  15. Role of Proteases in Extra-Oral Digestion of a Predatory Bug, Andrallus spinidens

    PubMed Central

    Zibaee, Arash; Hoda, Hassan; Mahmoud, Fazeli-Dinan

    2012-01-01

    Roles of salivary proteases in the extra-oral digestion of the predatory bug, Andrallus spinidens Fabricius (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were studied by using 2% azocasein as a general substrate and specific protease substrates, as well as synthetic and endogenous inhibitors. It was found that salivary glands of A. spinidens have two anterior, two lateral, and two posterior lobes. Azocasein was used to measure the activity of general proteases in the salivary glands using different buffer solutions. The enzyme had the highest activity at pH 8. General protease activity was highest at 40 °C and was stable for 6–16 hours. The use of specific substrates showed that trypsin-like, chymotrypsin-like, aminopeptidase, and carboxypeptidase are the active proteases present in salivary glands, by the maximum activity of trypsin-like protease in addition to their optimal pH between 8–9. Ca2+ and Mg2+ increased proteolytic activity about 216%, while other ions decreased it. Specific inhibitors including SBTI, PMSF, TLCK, and TPCK significantly decreased enzyme activity, as well as the specific inhibitors of methalloproteases including phenanthroline, EGTA, and TTHA. Extracted endogenous trypsin inhibitors extracted from potential prey, Chilo suppressalis, Naranga aenescens, Pieris brassicae, Hyphantria cunea, and Ephestia kuhniella, had different effects on trypsin-like protease activity of A. spinidens salivary glands. With the exception of C. suppressalis, the endogenous inhibitors significantly decreased enzyme activity in A. spinidens. PMID:22954419

  16. Comparison of Conventional and Microwave Treatment on Soymilk for Inactivation of Trypsin Inhibitors and In Vitro Protein Digestibility

    PubMed Central

    Vagadia, Brinda Harish; Raghavan, Vijaya

    2018-01-01

    Soymilk is lower in calories compared to cow’s milk, since it is derived from a plant source (no cholesterol) and is an excellent source of protein. Despite the beneficial factors, soymilk is considered as one of the most controversial foods in the world. It contains serine protease inhibitors which lower its nutritional value and digestibility. Processing techniques for the elimination of trypsin inhibitors and lipoxygenase, which have shorter processing time and lower production costs are required for the large-scale manufacturing of soymilk. In this study, the suitable conditions of time and temperature are optimized during microwave processing to obtain soymilk with maximum digestibility with inactivation of trypsin inhibitors, in comparison to the conventional thermal treatment. The microwave processing conditions at a frequency of 2.45 GHz and temperatures of 70 °C, 85 °C and 100 °C for 2, 5 and 8 min were investigated and were compared to conventional thermal treatments at the same temperature for 10, 20 and 30 min. Response surface methodology is used to design and optimize the experimental conditions. Thermal processing was able to increase digestibility by 7% (microwave) and 11% (conventional) compared to control, while trypsin inhibitor activity reduced to 1% in microwave processing and 3% in conventional thermal treatment when compared to 10% in raw soybean. PMID:29316679

  17. Quantifying Protein-Ligand Binding Constants using Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry: A Systematic Binding Affinity Study of a Series of Hydrophobically Modified Trypsin Inhibitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cubrilovic, Dragana; Biela, Adam; Sielaff, Frank; Steinmetzer, Torsten; Klebe, Gerhard; Zenobi, Renato

    2012-10-01

    NanoESI-MS is used for determining binding strengths of trypsin in complex with two different series of five congeneric inhibitors, whose binding affinity in solution depends on the size of the P3 substituent. The ligands of the first series contain a 4-amidinobenzylamide as P1 residue, and form a tight complex with trypsin. The inhibitors of the second series have a 2-aminomethyl-5-chloro-benzylamide as P1 group, and represent a model system for weak binders. The five different inhibitors of each group are based on the same scaffold and differ only in the length of the hydrophobic side chain of their P3 residue, which modulates the interactions in the S3/4 binding pocket of trypsin. The dissociation constants (KD) for high affinity ligands investigated by nanoESI-MS ranges from 15 nM to 450 nM and decreases with larger hydrophobic P3 side chains. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments of five trypsin and benzamidine-based complexes show a correlation between trends in KD and gas-phase stability. For the second inhibitor series we could show that the effect of imidazole, a small stabilizing additive, can avoid the dissociation of the complex ions and as a result increases the relative abundance of weakly bound complexes. Here the KD values ranging from 2.9 to 17.6 μM, some 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the first series. For both ligand series, the dissociation constants (KD) measured via nanoESI-MS were compared with kinetic inhibition constants (Ki) in solution.

  18. Effect of conformational mobility and hydrogen-bonding interactions on the selectivity of some guanidinoaryl-substituted mechanism-based inhibitors of trypsin-like serine proteases.

    PubMed

    Rai, R; Katzenellenbogen, J A

    1992-11-13

    Previously, we have reported that some guanidino-substituted alpha- and beta-aryl enol lactones I and II behaved as selective, mechanism-based inhibitors of some trypsin-like proteases (Rai, R.; Katzenellenbogen, J.A. J. Med. Chem., submitted). In this study, we describe the synthesis and kinetic evaluation of some related, guanidino-substituted enol lactones having greater conformational mobility and affording additional hydrogen-bonding sites at the active site. The alpha-aryl-substituted lactones 1 and 2, which have greater conformational mobility in the guanidinoaryl linkage than I, selectively inhibited the trypsin-like enzymes, and they were relatively poor inactivators of alpha-chymotrypsin and human neutrophil elastase (HNE). The iodo enol lactone 2 permanently inactivated trypsin, urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator, and plasmin, showing exceptionally high specificity in its interaction with trypsin and urokinase. The selectivity pattern exhibited by the closely related, conformationally less mobile alpha-aryl-substituted iodo lactone Ib, which was previously shown to be a selective suicide substrate of urokinase and plasmin, provides an interesting comparison. The alpha-benzamido-substituted lactones 3 and 4, which afford an additional site for active-site hydrogen bonding, were found to be very potent alternate substrate inhibitors of trypsin and urokinase. In addition, the iodo lactone 4 permanently inactivated alpha-chymotrypsin. The importance of secondary interactions in increasing the specificities in the case of alpha-chymotrypsin is discussed.

  19. Bio-potency of a 21 kDa Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus indica seeds on the developmental physiology of H. armigera.

    PubMed

    Pandey, Prabhash K; Jamal, Farrukh

    2014-11-01

    A trypsin inhibitor purified from the seeds of Tamarindus indica by Sephadex G-75, DEAE-Sepharose and Trypsin-Sepharose CL-4B columns was studied for its antifeedant, larvicidal, pupicidal and growth inhibitory activities against Helicoverpa armigera larvae. Tamarindus trypsin inhibitor (TTI) exhibited inhibitory activity towards total gut proteolytic enzymes of H. armigera (~87%) and bovine trypsin (~84%). Lethal doses which caused mortality and weight reduction by 50% were 1% w/w and 0.50% w/w, respectively. IC50 of TTI against Helicoverpa midgut proteases and bovine trypsin were ~2.10 µg/ml and 1.68 µg/ml respectively. In larval feeding studies the 21 kDa Kunitz-type protein was found to retard growth and development, prolonged the larval-pupal development durations along with adversely affecting the fertility and fecundity of H. armigera. In artificial diet at 0.5% w/w TTI, the efficiency of conversion of ingested food as well as of digested food, relative growth rate, growth index declined whereas approximate digestibility, metabolic cost, relative consumption rate, consumption index and total developmental period enhanced for H. armigera larvae. These results suggest that TTI has toxic and adverse effect on the developmental physiology of H. armigera and could be useful in controlling the pest H. armigera. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Trypsin from unicorn leatherjacket (Aluterus monoceros) pyloric caeca: purification and its use for preparation of fish protein hydrolysate with antioxidative activity.

    PubMed

    Zamani, Abbas; Benjakul, Soottawat

    2016-02-01

    Fish proteases, especially trypsin, could be used to prepare fish protein hydrolysates with antioxidative activities. In this study, trypsin from the pyloric caeca of unicorn leatherjacket was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI)-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. Hydrolysate from Indian mackerel protein isolate with different degrees of hydrolysis (20, 30 and 40% DH) was prepared using the purified trypsin, and antioxidative activities (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical-scavenging activities, ferric-reducing antioxidant power and ferrous-chelating activity) of the hydrolysate were determined. Trypsin was purified 26.43-fold with a yield of 13.43%. The purified trypsin had a molecular weight (MW) of 23.5 kDa and optimal activity at pH 8.0 and 55 °C. It displayed high stability in the pH range of 6.0-11.0 and was thermally stable up to 50 °C. Both SBTI (0.05 mmol L(-1)) and N-p-tosyl-L-lysine-chloromethylketone (5 mmol L(-1)) completely inhibited trypsin activity. Antioxidative activities of the hydrolysate from Indian mackerel protein isolate increased with increasing DH up to 40% (P < 0.05). Based on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the hydrolysate with 40% DH had a MW lower than 6.5 kDa. The purified protease from unicorn leatherjacket pyloric caeca was identified as trypsin based on its ability to hydrolyze a specific synthetic substrate and the response to specific trypsin inhibitors. The purified trypsin could hydrolyze Indian mackerel protein isolate, and the resulting hydrolysate exhibited antioxidative activity depending on its DH. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  1. Saponin content and trypsin inhibitor activity in processed and cooked pigeon pea cultivars.

    PubMed

    Duhan, A; Khetarpaul, N; Bishnoi, S

    2001-01-01

    Four high-yielding varieties of pigeon pea namely UPAS-120, Manak, JCPL-151. ICPL-87 had considerable amounts of antinutrients i.e. saponins and trypsin inhibitors. Saponin content of these unprocessed cultivars ranged from 2164 to 3494 mg/100 g. There were significant varietal variations in trypsin inhibitor activity (1007-1082 TIU/g) of these pigeon pea cultivars. Some simple, inexpensive and easy-to-use domestic processing and cooking methods, namely, soaking (6, 12, 18 h), soaking (12 h)-dehulling, ordinary cooking, pressure cooking and germination (24, 36, 48 h) were found to be quite effective in lowering the level of saponins and trypsin inhibitors in all the pigeon pea cultivars. Pressure cooking of soaked and dehulled seeds lowered the content of saponins to a maximum extent (28 to 38%) followed by ordinary cooking of soaked and dehulled seeds (28 to 35%), soaked dehulled raw seeds (22 to 27%) and 48 h germinated seeds (15 to 19%). Loss of TIA was marginal due to soaking but ordinary as well as pressure cooking of unsoaked and soaked-dehulled pigeon pea seeds reduced the TIA drastically. Pressure cooking of pigeon pea seeds completely destroyed the TIA while it was reduced to the extent of 86-88% against the control in 48 h pigeon pea sprouts.

  2. Proteolytic and Trypsin Inhibitor Activity in Germinating Jojoba Seeds (Simmondsia chinensis).

    PubMed

    Samac, D; Storey, R

    1981-12-01

    Changes in proteolytic activity (aminopeptidase, carboxypeptidase, endopeptidase) were followed during germination (imbibition through seedling development) in extracts from cotyledons of jojoba seeds (Simmondsia chinensis). After imbibition, the cotyledons contained high levels of sulfhydryl aminopeptidase activity (APA) but low levels of serine carboxypeptidase activity (CPA). CPA increased with germination through the apparent loss of a CPA inhibitor substance in the seed. Curves showing changes in endopeptidase activity (EPA) assayed at pH 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 during germination were distinctly different. EPA at pH 4, 5, 6, and 7 showed characteristics of sulfhydryl enzymes while activity at pH 8 was probably due to a serine type enzyme. EPA at pH 6 was inhibited early in germination by one or more substances in the seed. Activities at pH 5 and later at pH 6 were the highest of all EPA throughout germination and increases in these activities were associated with a rapid loss of protein from the cotyledons of the developing seedling.Jojoba cotyledonary extracts were found to inhibit the enzymic activity of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pepsin but not the protease from Aspergillus saotoi. The heat-labile trypsin inhibitor substance(s) was found in commercially processed jojoba seed meal and the albumin fraction of seed proteins. Trypsin inhibitor activity decreased with germination.

  3. Proteolytic and Trypsin Inhibitor Activity in Germinating Jojoba Seeds (Simmondsia chinensis) 1

    PubMed Central

    Samac, Deborah; Storey, Richard

    1981-01-01

    Changes in proteolytic activity (aminopeptidase, carboxypeptidase, endopeptidase) were followed during germination (imbibition through seedling development) in extracts from cotyledons of jojoba seeds (Simmondsia chinensis). After imbibition, the cotyledons contained high levels of sulfhydryl aminopeptidase activity (APA) but low levels of serine carboxypeptidase activity (CPA). CPA increased with germination through the apparent loss of a CPA inhibitor substance in the seed. Curves showing changes in endopeptidase activity (EPA) assayed at pH 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 during germination were distinctly different. EPA at pH 4, 5, 6, and 7 showed characteristics of sulfhydryl enzymes while activity at pH 8 was probably due to a serine type enzyme. EPA at pH 6 was inhibited early in germination by one or more substances in the seed. Activities at pH 5 and later at pH 6 were the highest of all EPA throughout germination and increases in these activities were associated with a rapid loss of protein from the cotyledons of the developing seedling. Jojoba cotyledonary extracts were found to inhibit the enzymic activity of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pepsin but not the protease from Aspergillus saotoi. The heat-labile trypsin inhibitor substance(s) was found in commercially processed jojoba seed meal and the albumin fraction of seed proteins. Trypsin inhibitor activity decreased with germination. PMID:16662104

  4. Porphyrin Induced Laser Deactivation of Trypsinogen-Trypsin Conversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perido, Joanna; Brancaleon, Lorenzo

    2015-03-01

    Pancreatitis is caused by the inflammation of the pancreas, where the digestive enzyme trypsin is activated from the precursor enzyme trypsinogen while still in the pancreas. The presence of trypsin in the pancreas causes auto-activation of trypsinogen, resulting in greater inflammation and auto-digestion of the pancreas. In severe cases, this cascade effect can lead to organ failure, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer. Our hypothesis is that if trypsinogen is prevented from auto-activating into trypsin, then this cascade can be stopped. We propose to do this by inducing conformational changes in trypsinogen when bound to a photoactive porphyrin dye. Porphyrins are comprised of four linked heterocyclic groups forming a flat ring, and bind well with proteins such as trypsinogen. In this study we used spectroscopic techniques to probe the binding of meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatephenyl) porphyrin (TSPP) to trypsinogen in vitro, as a preliminary step to then prompt and characterize conformational changes of trypsinogen through irradiation. If conformational changes are detected the trypsinogen will be tested for trypsin inactivation. This investigation may provide promising initial results to the possible use of porphyrins as an inhibitor of the self-activation of trypsinogen into trypsin, and a potential inhibitor of pancreatitis. MARC*U-STAR.

  5. Pancreatic cellular injury after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: frequency, time course and risk factors.

    PubMed

    Nys, Monique; Venneman, Ingrid; Deby-Dupont, Ginette; Preiser, Jean-Charles; Vanbelle, Sophie; Albert, Adelin; Camus, Gérard; Damas, Pierre; Larbuisson, Robert; Lamy, Maurice

    2007-05-01

    Although often clinically silent, pancreatic cellular injury (PCI) is relatively frequent after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass; and its etiology and time course are largely unknown. We defined PCI as the simultaneous presence of abnormal values of pancreatic isoamylase and immunoreactive trypsin (IRT). The frequency and time evolution of PCI were assessed in this condition using assays for specific exocrine pancreatic enzymes. Correlations with inflammatory markers were searched for preoperative risk factors. One hundred ninety-three patients submitted to cardiac surgery were enrolled prospectively. Blood IRT, amylase, pancreatic isoamylase, lipase, and markers of inflammation (alpha1-protease inhibitor, alpha2-macroglobulin, myeloperoxidase) were measured preoperatively and postoperatively until day 8. The postoperative increase in plasma levels of pancreatic enzymes and urinary IRT was biphasic in all patients: early after surgery and later (from day 4 to 8 after surgery). One hundred thirty-three patients (69%) experienced PCI, with mean IRT, isoamylase, and alpha1-protease inhibitor values higher for each sample than that in patients without PCI. By multiple regression analysis, we found preoperative values of plasma IRT >or=40 ng/mL, amylase >or=42 IU/mL, and pancreatic isoamylase >or=20 IU/L associated with a higher incidence of postsurgery PCI (P < 0.005). In the PCI patients, a significant correlation was found between the 4 pancreatic enzymes and urinary IRT, total calcium, myeloperoxidase, alpha1-protease inhibitor, and alpha2-macroglobulin. These data support a high prevalence of postoperative PCI after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, typically biphasic and clinically silent, especially when pancreatic enzymes were elevated preoperatively.

  6. Effects of Mucuna pruriens protease inhibitors on Echis carinatus venom.

    PubMed

    Hope-Onyekwere, Nnadozie Stanley; Ogueli, Godwin Ifeanyi; Cortelazzo, Alessio; Cerutti, Helena; Cito, Annarita; Aguiyi, John C; Guerranti, Roberto

    2012-12-01

    The medicinal plant Mucuna pruriens, with reputed anti-snake venom properties has been reported to contain a kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor. This study was undertaken to further evaluate the protease inhibitory potential of gpMuc, a multiform glycoprotein, and other protein fractions from M. pruriens seeds against trypsin, chymotrypsin, Echis carinatus snake venom, ecarin and thrombin. The results showed that gpMuc inhibited both trypsin and chymotrypsin activities and was thermally stable, maintaining its trypsin inhibitory activity at temperatures of up to 50°C. Its structural conformation was also maintained at pH ranges of 4-7. Immunoreactivity study confirms that it contains protease-recognizing epitope on one of its isoforms. The whole protein extract of M. pruriens seeds inhibited prothrombin activation by ecarin and whole E. carinatus venom, and also thrombin-like activity using chromogenic assay. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jung, D.W.; Laties, G.G.

    Potato mitochondria (Solanum tuberosum var. Russet Burbank), which readily phosphorylate ADP in oxidative phosphorylation, show low levels of ATPase activity which is stimulated neither by Mg/sup 2 +/, 2,4-dinitrophenol, incubation with respiratory substrates, nor disruption by sonication or treatment with Triton X-100, individually or in concert. Treatment of disrupted potato mitochondria with trypsin stimulates Mg/sup 2 +/-dependent, oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity 10- to 15-fold, suggesting the presence of an ATPase inhibitor protein. Trypsin-induced ATPase activity was unaffected by uncoupler. Oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity decreases as exposure to trypsin is increased. Incubation at alkaline pH or heating at 60/sup 0/C for 2 minutesmore » also activates ATPase of sonicated potato mitochondria. Disruption of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea), red sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and carrot (Daucus carota) mitochondria increases ATPase activity, which is further enhanced by treatment with trypsin. The significance of the tight association of the inhibitor protein and ATPase in potato mitochondria is not clear.« less

  8. sup 1 H assignments and secondary structure determination of the soybean trypsin/chymotrypsin Bowman-Birk inhibitor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Werner, M.H.; Wemmer, D.E.

    1991-04-09

    The {sup 1}H resonance assignments and secondary structure of the trypsin/chymotrypsin Bowman-Birk inhibitor from soybeans were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) at 600 MHz in an 18% acetonitrile-d{sub 3}/aqueous cosolvent. Resonances from 69 to 71 amino acids were assigned sequence specifically. Residues Q11-T15 form an antiparallel {beta}-sheet with residues Q21-S25 in the tryptic inhibitory domain and an analogous region of antiparallel sheet forms between residues S38-A42 and Q48-V52 in the chymotryptic inhibitory domain. The inhibitory sites of each fragment (K16-S17 for trypsin, L43-S44 for chymotrypsin) are each part of a type VI like turn at one end ofmore » their respective region of the antiparallel {beta}-sheet. These structural elements are compared to those found in other Bowman-Birk inhibitors.« less

  9. Screening of Caatinga plants as sources of lectins and trypsin inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Arcoverde, José Hélton Vasconcelos; Carvalho, Aline de Souza; Neves, Fernanda Pacífico de Almeida; Dionízio, Bianca Paiva; Pontual, Emmanuel Viana; Paiva, Patrícia Maria Guedes; Napoleão, Thiago Henrique; Correia, Maria Tereza dos Santos; da Silva, Márcia Vanusa; Carneiro-da-Cunha, Maria das Graças

    2014-01-01

    Although it is one of the most threatened areas in the Earth, there are few studies on the biotechnological potential of the Caatinga. This work evaluated 36 extracts from 27 Caatinga plants for lectin and trypsin inhibitor activities. The presence of lectin was detected in 77.7% of samples by haemagglutinating assay. The highest values of specific haemagglutinating activity were found in extracts of leaves from Mimosa lewesii, Bauhinia acuruana and Manilkara rufula and in branches from Myracrodruon urundeuva. Trypsin inhibitor activity was detected in 63.9% of the tested extracts, strong inhibitory effect (>70%) being found in 11 samples. This work demonstrates that Caatinga is a potential source of bioactive plant proteins that can be isolated and studied for several applications. The biochemical prospecting of Caatinga is essential for collection of bioactive principles so as to add conservation value to the region.

  10. Quantitative measurement of negligible trypsin inhibitor activity and nutrient analysis of guar meal fractions.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jason T; Connor-Appleton, Stacey; Haq, Akram U; Bailey, Christopher A; Cartwright, Aubrey L

    2004-10-20

    A complete nutrient characterization of three possible products of guar bean processing does not apparently exist in the literature. Guar meal is a high-protein byproduct produced during extraction of galactomannan gum from the guar bean. During the extraction process, two fractions are produced (germ and hull). Germ and hull fractions are usually combined to form the marketed product, guar meal. Analyses characterized the nutrient, trypsin inhibitor, and galactomannan gum content of the three guar meal byproducts to determine which fraction is more valuable as an ingredient in poultry diets. Analyses indicated that the germ fraction is most appropriate for inclusion in poultry diets. Trypsin inhibitor activity previously reported as an antigrowth factor associated with guar meal was negligible and not considered to be a significant factor limiting its use in poultry feeds. Copyright 2004 American Chemical Society

  11. Transient removal of proflavine inhibition of bovine beta-trypsin by the bovine basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz). A case for "chronosteric effects".

    PubMed

    Antonini, E; Ascenzi, P; Bolognesi, M; Menegatti, E; Guarneri, M

    1983-04-25

    The formation of the bovine beta-trypsin-bovine basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) (BPTI) complex was monitored, making use of three different signals: proflavine displacement, optical density changes in the ultraviolet region, and the loss of the catalytic activity. The rates of the reactions indicated by the three different signals were similar at neutral pH, but diverged at low pH. At pH 3.50, proflavine displacement precedes the optical density changes in the ultraviolet and the loss of enzyme activity by several orders of magnitude in time (Antonini, E., Ascenzi, P., Menegatti, E., and Guarneri, M. (1983) Biopolymers 22, 363-375). These data indicated that the bovine beta-trypsin-BPTI complex formation is a multistage process and led to the prediction that, at pH 3.50, BPTI addition to the bovine beta-trypsin-proflavine complex would remove proflavine inhibition and the enzyme would recover transiently its catalytic activity before being irreversibly inhibited by completion of BPTI binding. The kinetic evidences, by completion of BPTI binding. The kinetic evidences, here shown, verified this prediction, indicating that during the bovine beta-trypsin-BPTI complex formation one transient intermediate occurs, which is not able to bind proflavine but may bind and hydrolyze the substrate. Thus, the observed peculiar catalytic behavior is in line with the proposed reaction mechanism for the bovine beta-trypsin-BPTI complex formation, which postulates a sequence of distinct polar and apolar interactions at the contact area.

  12. A colostrum trypsin inhibitor gene expressed in the Cape fur seal mammary gland during lactation.

    PubMed

    Pharo, Elizabeth A; Cane, Kylie N; McCoey, Julia; Buckle, Ashley M; Oosthuizen, W H; Guinet, Christophe; Arnould, John P Y

    2016-03-01

    The colostrum trypsin inhibitor (CTI) gene and transcript were cloned from the Cape fur seal mammary gland and CTI identified by in silico analysis of the Pacific walrus and polar bear genomes (Order Carnivora), and in marine and terrestrial mammals of the Orders Cetartiodactyla (yak, whales, camel) and Perissodactyla (white rhinoceros). Unexpectedly, Weddell seal CTI was predicted to be a pseudogene. Cape fur seal CTI was expressed in the mammary gland of a pregnant multiparous seal, but not in a seal in its first pregnancy. While bovine CTI is expressed for 24-48 h postpartum (pp) and secreted in colostrum only, Cape fur seal CTI was detected for at least 2-3 months pp while the mother was suckling its young on-shore. Furthermore, CTI was expressed in the mammary gland of only one of the lactating seals that was foraging at-sea. The expression of β-casein (CSN2) and β-lactoglobulin II (LGB2), but not CTI in the second lactating seal foraging at-sea suggested that CTI may be intermittently expressed during lactation. Cape fur seal and walrus CTI encode putative small, secreted, N-glycosylated proteins with a single Kunitz/bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) domain indicative of serine protease inhibition. Mature Cape fur seal CTI shares 92% sequence identity with Pacific walrus CTI, but only 35% identity with BPTI. Structural homology modelling of Cape fur seal CTI and Pacific walrus trypsin based on the model of the second Kunitz domain of human tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and porcine trypsin (Protein Data Bank: 1TFX) confirmed that CTI inhibits trypsin in a canonical fashion. Therefore, pinniped CTI may be critical for preventing the proteolytic degradation of immunoglobulins that are passively transferred from mother to young via colostrum and milk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Bauhinia proteinase inhibitor-based synthetic fluorogenic substrates for enzymes isolated from insect midgut and caterpillar bristles.

    PubMed

    Andrade, Sonia A; Santomauro-Vaz, Eugênio M; Lopes, Adriana R; Chudzinski-Tavassi, Ana M; Juliano, Maria A; Terra, Walter R; Sampaio, Misako U; Sampaio, Claudio A M; Oliva, Maria Luiza V

    2003-03-01

    Bauhinia ungulata factor Xa inhibitor (BuXI) inactivates factor Xa and LOPAP, a prothrombin activator proteinase isolated from the venom of Lonomia obliqua caterpillar bristles. The reactive site of the enzyme-inhibitor interaction was explored to design specific substrates for both enzymes. Methionine is crucial for LOPAP and factor Xa substrate interaction, since the change of both Met residues in the substrates abolished the hydrolysis. Synthetic substrates containing the sequence around the reactive site of BbKI, a plasma kallikrein inhibitor, were shown to be specific for trypsin hydrolysis. Therefore, these substrates may be an alternative in studies aiming at a characterization of trypsin-like enzyme activities, especially non-mammalian enzymes.

  14. A Novel Trypsin Inhibitor-Like Cysteine-Rich Peptide from the Frog Lepidobatrachus laevis Containing Proteinase-Inhibiting Activity.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yu-Wei; Tan, Ji-Min; Du, Can-Wei; Luan, Ning; Yan, Xiu-Wen; Lai, Ren; Lu, Qiu-Min

    2015-08-01

    Various bio-active substances in amphibian skins play important roles in survival of the amphibians. Many protease inhibitor peptides have been identified from amphibian skins, which are supposed to negatively modulate the activity of proteases to avoid premature degradation or release of skin peptides, or to inhibit extracellular proteases produced by invading bacteria. However, there is no information on the proteinase inhibitors from the frog Lepidobatrachus laevis which is unique in South America. In this work, a cDNA encoding a novel trypsin inhibitor-like (TIL) cysteine-rich peptide was identified from the skin cDNA library of L. laevis. The 240-bp coding region encodes an 80-amino acid residue precursor protein containing 10 half-cysteines. By sequence comparison and signal peptide prediction, the precursor was predicted to release a 55-amino acid mature peptide with amino acid sequence, IRCPKDKIYKFCGSPCPPSCKDLTPNCIAVCKKGCFCRDGTVDNNHGKCVKKENC. The mature peptide was named LL-TIL. LL-TIL shares significant domain similarity with the peptides from the TIL supper family. Antimicrobial and trypsin-inhibitory abilities of recombinant LL-TIL were tested. Recombinant LL-TIL showed no antimicrobial activity, while it had trypsin-inhibiting activity with a Ki of 16.5178 μM. These results suggested there was TIL peptide with proteinase-inhibiting activity in the skin of frog L. laevis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of TIL peptide from frog skin.

  15. Dietary protein hydrolysate and trypsin inhibitor effects on digestive capacities and performances during early-stages of spotted wolffish: suggested mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Savoie, A; Le François, N R; Lamarre, S G; Blier, P U; Beaulieu, L; Cahu, C

    2011-04-01

    Growth rate is dependent upon adequate provision of amino acids especially in newly-hatched fish which experience very high growth rate. The replacement of a fraction of protein content by partially hydrolyzed (pre-digested) proteins was carried out and the digestive capacities and performances of larval/juvenile spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor) were measured. The goal of this study was to verify whether the scope for growth is principally dictated by the proteolytic capacity of the digestive system by examining the effect of protein hydrolysates (PH) and trypsin inhibitor dietary inclusion on protein digestion/assimilation capacities, growth and survival. Four experimental diets were examined: C (control) I (supplemented with 750 mg/kg soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI)) H (supplemented with 20% PH) and HI (supplemented with 20% PH and 750 mg/kg SBTI). Protein hydrolysate supplementation gave significantly higher body mass than control at day 15 post-hatching. Unexpectedly, at day 30 and 60, fish administered diet HI (containing trypsin inhibitor) were heavier than the other groups. Suggested mechanisms are presented and discussed. The main conclusions of this study are that wolffish larval stage lasts roughly 15 days and that juvenile growth is linked to proteolytic capacity, but also very likely to absorption capacity of peptides and amino acids. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. A Trypsin Inhibitor from Tamarind Reduces Food Intake and Improves Inflammatory Status in Rats with Metabolic Syndrome Regardless of Weight Loss.

    PubMed

    Carvalho, Fabiana M C; Lima, Vanessa C O; Costa, Izael S; Medeiros, Amanda F; Serquiz, Alexandre C; Lima, Maíra C J S; Serquiz, Raphael P; Maciel, Bruna L L; Uchôa, Adriana F; Santos, Elizeu A; Morais, Ana H A

    2016-09-27

    Trypsin inhibitors are studied in a variety of models for their anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory bioactive properties. Our group has previously demonstrated the satietogenic effect of tamarind seed trypsin inhibitors (TTI) in eutrophic mouse models and anti-inflammatory effects of other trypsin inhibitors. In this study, we evaluated TTI effect upon satiety, biochemical and inflammatory parameters in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Three groups of n = 5 male Wistar rats with obesity-based MetS received for 10 days one of the following: (1) Cafeteria diet; (2) Cafeteria diet + TTI (25 mg/kg); and (3) Standard diet. TTI reduced food intake in animals with MetS. Nevertheless, weight gain was not different between studied groups. Dyslipidemia parameters were not different with the use of TTI, only the group receiving standard diet showed lower very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglycerides (TG) (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) production did not differ between groups. Interestingly, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was lower in animals receiving TTI. Our results corroborate the satietogenic effect of TTI in a MetS model. Furthermore, we showed that TTI added to a cafeteria diet may decrease inflammation regardless of weight loss. This puts TTI as a candidate for studies to test its effectiveness as an adjuvant in MetS treatment.

  17. A Trypsin Inhibitor from Tamarind Reduces Food Intake and Improves Inflammatory Status in Rats with Metabolic Syndrome Regardless of Weight Loss

    PubMed Central

    Carvalho, Fabiana M. C.; Lima, Vanessa C. O.; Costa, Izael S.; Medeiros, Amanda F.; Serquiz, Alexandre C.; Lima, Maíra C. J. S.; Serquiz, Raphael P.; Maciel, Bruna L. L.; Uchôa, Adriana F.; Santos, Elizeu A.; Morais, Ana H. A.

    2016-01-01

    Trypsin inhibitors are studied in a variety of models for their anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory bioactive properties. Our group has previously demonstrated the satietogenic effect of tamarind seed trypsin inhibitors (TTI) in eutrophic mouse models and anti-inflammatory effects of other trypsin inhibitors. In this study, we evaluated TTI effect upon satiety, biochemical and inflammatory parameters in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Three groups of n = 5 male Wistar rats with obesity-based MetS received for 10 days one of the following: (1) Cafeteria diet; (2) Cafeteria diet + TTI (25 mg/kg); and (3) Standard diet. TTI reduced food intake in animals with MetS. Nevertheless, weight gain was not different between studied groups. Dyslipidemia parameters were not different with the use of TTI, only the group receiving standard diet showed lower very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglycerides (TG) (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.05). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) production did not differ between groups. Interestingly, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was lower in animals receiving TTI. Our results corroborate the satietogenic effect of TTI in a MetS model. Furthermore, we showed that TTI added to a cafeteria diet may decrease inflammation regardless of weight loss. This puts TTI as a candidate for studies to test its effectiveness as an adjuvant in MetS treatment. PMID:27690087

  18. QUANTITATIVE STUDIES ON THE TOTAL PLASMIN AND THE TRYPSIN INHIBITOR OF HUMAN BLOOD SERUM

    PubMed Central

    Todd, Edgar W.

    1949-01-01

    The total plasmin and the trypsin inhibitor were titrated separately in samples of serum taken at weekly intervals from three different groups of scarlet fever patients: (a) those who did not develop any complications, (b) those who developed purulent complications, and (c) those who developed rheumatic fever. When these determinations were plotted, it was found that the resulting curves showed characteristic patterns for each of the diseases investigated. The uncomplicated cases had plasmin curves which were considerably higher on the charts than the inhibitor curves. The septic cases had plasmin and inhibitor curves which were closer together on the charts. The rheumatic cases had plasmin and inhibitor curves which were close together and which crossed at the time of rheumatic activity so that the inhibitor curve reached a higher level than the plasmin curve. PMID:18110885

  19. Study on great northern beans (Phaseolus vulgaris): effect of drum drying process on bean flour properties and effect on gamma radiation on bean starch properties

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rayas-Solis, P.

    Great Northern bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) drum dried flours at native pH of 6.54, pH 6 and 7 showed reduced activities of trypsin inhibitor, ..cap alpha..-amylase inhibitor, hemagglutinating titer, and nitrogen solubility. Electrophoretic analyses showed a slight modification of the native bean proteins, and the presence of at least four trypsin inhibitors. The study of the effect of 2.5-20 kGy irradiation doses on Great Northern beans showed essentially no modification of the electrophoretic mobility of the storage proteins or the trypsin inhibitors. Nitrogen solubility and hemagglutinating activity were essentially unchanged. With the 20 kGy dose, decrease in ..cap alpha..-amylase inhibitormore » activity, decrease reactive/available lysine content, and decrease cooking time of the irradiated beans after 11 months of storage were observed. Taste panel results indicated that the control and 20 kGy irradiated bean were significantly different at 5% level. At 20 kGy dose, the beans developed a partially water soluble brown color.« less

  20. Low molecular weight squash trypsin inhibitors from Sechium edule seeds.

    PubMed

    Laure, Hélen J; Faça, Vítor M; Izumi, Clarice; Padovan, Júlio C; Greene, Lewis J

    2006-02-01

    Nine chromatographic components containing trypsin inhibitor activity were isolated from Sechium edule seeds by acetone fractionation, gel filtration, affinity chromatography and RP-HPLC in an overall yield of 46% of activity and 0.05% of protein. The components obtained with highest yield of total activity and highest specific activity were sequenced by Edman degradation and their molecular masses determined by mass spectrometry. The inhibitors contained 31, 32 and 27 residues per molecule and their sequences were: SETI-IIa, EDRKCPKILMRCKRDSDCLAKCTCQESGYCG; SETI-IIb, EEDRKCPKILMRCKRDSDCLAKCTCQESGYCG and SETI-V, CPRILMKCKLDTDCFPTCTCRPSGFCG. SETI-IIa and SETI-IIb, which differed by an amino-terminal E in the IIb form, were not separable under the conditions employed. The sequences are consistent with consensus sequences obtained from 37 other inhibitors: CPriI1meCk_DSDCla_C_C_G_CG, where capital letters are invariant amino acid residues and lower case letters are the most preserved in this position. SETI-II and SETI-V form complexes with trypsin with a 1:1 stoichiometry and have dissociation constants of 5.4x10(-11)M and 1.1x10(-9)M, respectively.

  1. Anti-fibrinolytic and anti-microbial activities of a serine protease inhibitor from honeybee (Apis cerana) venom.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jie; Lee, Kwang Sik; Kim, Bo Yeon; Choi, Yong Soo; Yoon, Hyung Joo; Jia, Jingming; Jin, Byung Rae

    2017-10-01

    Bee venom contains a variety of peptide constituents, including low-molecular-weight protease inhibitors. While the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6 containing a trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain was identified from honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom, no anti-fibrinolytic or anti-microbial roles for this inhibitor have been elucidated. In this study, we identified an Asiatic honeybee (A. cerana) venom serine protease inhibitor (AcVSPI) that was shown to act as a microbial serine protease inhibitor and plasmin inhibitor. AcVSPI was found to consist of a trypsin inhibitor-like domain that displays ten cysteine residues. Interestingly, the AcVSPI peptide sequence exhibited high similarity to the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6, which suggests that AcVSPI is an allergen Api m 6-like peptide. Recombinant AcVSPI was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells, and it demonstrated inhibitory activity against trypsin, but not chymotrypsin. Additionally, AcVSPI has inhibitory effects against plasmin and microbial serine proteases; however, it does not have any detectable inhibitory effects on thrombin or elastase. Consistent with these inhibitory effects, AcVSPI inhibited the plasmin-mediated degradation of fibrin to fibrin degradation products. AcVSPI also bound to bacterial and fungal surfaces and exhibited anti-microbial activity against fungi as well as gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These findings demonstrate the anti-fibrinolytic and anti-microbial roles of AcVSPI as a serine protease inhibitor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Identification by GeLC-MS/MS of trypsin inhibitor in sarcoplasmic proteins of three tropical fish and characterization of their inhibitory properties.

    PubMed

    Siriangkanakun, Siriphon; Li-Chan, Eunice C Y; Yongsawadigul, Jirawat

    2014-07-01

    Sarcoplasmic proteins from 3 fish species were fractionated by 50% to 70% ammonium sulfate precipitation. Lyophilized fractionated sarcoplasmic proteins of threadfin bream (TB-SP), bigeye snapper (BS-SP), and yellow croaker (YC-SP) showed 80% to 92% trypsin inhibitory activity. Trypsin inhibitory activity staining gel electrophoresis revealed bands at 32, 33, 37, 45, 48, and 50 kDa for the 3 species, and a band at 95 kDa was observed for TB-SP and YC-SP. Alpha-1-antitrypsin with molecular mass of 45 to 50 kDa was identified in YC-SP by gel-based liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GeLC-MS/MS). Other major protein bands appeared on trypsin activity staining included phosphorylase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase with molecular mass of 95 and 35 to 40 kDa, respectively. But, these 3 proteins did not show true trypsin inhibitory activity. Trypsin inhibitory activity of fractionated sarcoplasmic proteins showed good stability, with >80% activity retained at 60 °C and up to 0.6 M NaCl. TB-SP showed the highest inhibitory activity against autolysis of washed threadfin bream mince at 65 °C. Addition of 0.5% or 1% TB-SP improved textural properties of threadfin bream surimi gels preincubated at 37 or 65 °C followed by heating at 90 °C. Therefore, TB-SP could be a promising protein ingredient for enhancing surimi gel texture. Threadfin bream, bigeye snapper, and yellow croaker are the main species used as raw material for tropical surimi production. Sarcoplasmic proteins from 3 species contain trypsin inhibitor(s) that can minimize proteolytic activity and improve gel texture of proteinase-laden fish muscle. Therefore, sarcoplasmic proteins that are byproducts from surimi processing of these species could be recovered, fractionated, and utilized as a functional protein ingredient. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

  3. A diverse family of serine proteinase genes expressed in cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis): implications for the design of pest-resistant transgenic cotton plants.

    PubMed

    Oliveira-Neto, Osmundo B; Batista, João A N; Rigden, Daniel J; Fragoso, Rodrigo R; Silva, Rodrigo O; Gomes, Eliane A; Franco, Octávio L; Dias, Simoni C; Cordeiro, Célia M T; Monnerat, Rose G; Grossi-De-Sá, Maria F

    2004-09-01

    Fourteen different cDNA fragments encoding serine proteinases were isolated by reverse transcription-PCR from cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) larvae. A large diversity between the sequences was observed, with a mean pairwise identity of 22% in the amino acid sequence. The cDNAs encompassed 11 trypsin-like sequences classifiable into three families and three chymotrypsin-like sequences belonging to a single family. Using a combination of 5' and 3' RACE, the full-length sequence was obtained for five of the cDNAs, named Agser2, Agser5, Agser6, Agser10 and Agser21. The encoded proteins included amino acid sequence motifs of serine proteinase active sites, conserved cysteine residues, and both zymogen activation and signal peptides. Southern blotting analysis suggested that one or two copies of these serine proteinase genes exist in the A. grandis genome. Northern blotting analysis of Agser2 and Agser5 showed that for both genes, expression is induced upon feeding and is concentrated in the gut of larvae and adult insects. Reverse northern analysis of the 14 cDNA fragments showed that only two trypsin-like and two chymotrypsin-like were expressed at detectable levels. Under the effect of the serine proteinase inhibitors soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and black-eyed pea trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitor, expression of one of the trypsin-like sequences was upregulated while expression of the two chymotrypsin-like sequences was downregulated. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

  4. [Comparative analysis of sensitivity of proteases (chymotrypsin and trypsin) and cholinesterases of different origin to some organophosphorus inhibitors].

    PubMed

    Rozengart, E V

    2009-01-01

    The antichymotrypsin, antitrypsin, and anticholinesterase efficiencies of four homologous series of organophosphorus inhibitors are compared: O-ethyl-S-(n-alkyl)methylthiophosphonates, O-(n-alkyl)-S-(n-butyl)methylthiophosphonates, O-(n-alkyl)-S-beta-(ethylmercaptoethylene)methylthiophosphonates, and their methylsulfomethylates. As sources of a-chymotrypsin and trypsin, commercial compounds of Worthington Biochemical Corporation and Leningrad Myasokombinat were tested. Bimolecular constant of the reaction rate was used as the measure of antienzyme efficiency. In all cases, the antichymotrypsin efficiency was lower, while the antitrypsin--essentially higher than the anticholinesterase activity of the studied inhibitors. These differences were found to much depend both on the inhibitor structure and on nature of the cholinesterase compounds.

  5. Trypsin-dependent production of an antibacterial substance by a human Peptostreptococcus strain in gnotobiotic rats and in vitro.

    PubMed

    Ramare, F; Nicoli, J; Dabard, J; Corring, T; Ladire, M; Gueugneau, A M; Raibaud, P

    1993-09-01

    An antibacterial substance appeared within 1 day in feces of gnotobiotic rats harboring a human intestinal Peptostreptococcus strain. It disappeared when the rat bile-pancreatic duct was ligatured or when the rats ingested a trypsin inhibitor. Anaerobic cultures of the Peptostreptococcus strain in a medium supplemented with trypsin also exhibited an antibacterial activity, which was also inhibited by the trypsin inhibitor. In vitro the antibacterial substance from both feces and culture medium was active against several gram-positive bacteria, including other Peptostreptococcus spp., potentially pathogenic Clostridium spp. such as C. perfringens, C. difficile, C. butyricum, C. septicum, and C. sordellii, Eubacterium spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and Bacillus spp. Whatever the order of inoculation of the strains, a sensitive strain of C. perfringens was eliminated within 1 day from the intestine of rats monoassociated with the Peptostreptococcus strain. These findings demonstrate for the first time that very potent antibacterial substances can be produced through a mechanism involving intestinal bacteria and exocrine pancreatic secretions.

  6. Two variants of the major serine protease inhibitor from the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus, expressed in Pichia pastoris.

    PubMed

    García-Fernández, Rossana; Ziegelmüller, Patrick; González, Lidice; Mansur, Manuel; Machado, Yoan; Redecke, Lars; Hahn, Ulrich; Betzel, Christian; Chávez, María de Los Ángeles

    2016-07-01

    The major protease inhibitor from the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus (ShPI-1) is a non-specific inhibitor that binds trypsin and other trypsin-like enzymes, as well as chymotrypsin, and human neutrophil elastase. We performed site-directed mutagenesis of ShPI-1 to produce two variants (rShPI-1/K13L and rShPI/Y15S) that were expressed in Pichia pastoris, purified, and characterized. After a single purification step, 65 mg and 15 mg of protein per liter of culture supernatant were obtained for rShPI-1/K13L and rShPI/Y15S, respectively. Functional studies demonstrated a 100-fold decreased trypsin inhibitory activity as result of the K13L substitution at the reactive (P1) site. This protein variant has a novel tight-binding inhibitor activity of pancreatic elastase and increased activity toward neutrophil elastase in comparison to rShPI-1A. In contrast, the substitution Y15S at P2' site did not affect the Ki value against trypsin, but did reduce activity 10-fold against chymotrypsin and neutrophil elastase. Our results provide two new ShPI-1 variants with modified inhibitory activities, one of them with increased biomedical potential. This study also offers new insight into the functional impact of the P1 and P2' sites on ShPI-1 specificity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Docking, thermodynamics and molecular dynamics (MD) studies of a non-canonical protease inhibitor, MP-4, from Mucuna pruriens.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Ashish; Kaur, Harmeet; Jain, Abha; Nair, Deepak T; Salunke, Dinakar M

    2018-01-12

    Sequence and structural homology suggests that MP-4 protein from Mucuna pruriens belongs to Kunitz-type protease inhibitor family. However, biochemical assays showed that this protein is a poor inhibitor of trypsin. To understand the basis of observed poor inhibition, thermodynamics and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies on binding of MP-4 to trypsin were carried out. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that temperature influences the spectrum of conformations adopted by the loop regions in the MP-4 structure. At an optimal temperature, MP-4 achieves maximal binding while above and below the optimum temperature, its functional activity is hampered due to unfavourable flexibility and relative rigidity, respectively. The low activity at normal temperature is due to the widening of the conformational spectrum of the Reactive Site Loop (RSL) that reduces the probability of formation of stabilizing contacts with trypsin. The unique sequence of the RSL enhances flexibility at ambient temperature and thus reduces its ability to inhibit trypsin. This study shows that temperature influences the function of a protein through modulation in the structure of functional domain of the protein. Modulation of function through appearance of new sequences that are more sensitive to temperature may be a general strategy for evolution of new proteins.

  8. Effect of atropine and somatostatin on bombesin-stimulated plasma immunoreactive trypsin release in man.

    PubMed

    de Jong, A J; Klamer, M; Lamers, C B

    1987-01-01

    This study was undertaken to determine the effect of atropine and somatostatin, two inhibitors of intraduodenal pancreatic enzyme secretion, on bombesin-stimulated release of plasma immunoreactive trypsin in 6 healthy volunteers. Infusion of 5 ng/kg.min bombesin during 30 min induced significant increases in plasma trypsin from 206 +/- 20 to 334 +/- 44 ng/ml (p less than 0.01). Atropine (15 ng/kg as i.v. bolus followed by 5 ng/kg.h) had no influence on the bombesin-stimulated increase in plasma immunoreactive trypsin (207 +/- 20 to 326 +/- 54 ng/ml). Somatostatin (125 micrograms as i.v. bolus followed by 125 micrograms/h) also failed to inhibit the plasma trypsin response to bombesin (207 +/- 18 to 663 +/- 166 ng/ml). These results point to major differences in the regulation of plasma and intraduodenal trypsin secretion.

  9. A study on trypsin, Aspergillus flavus and Bacillus sp. protease inhibitory activity in Cassia tora (L.) syn Senna tora (L.) Roxb. seed extract.

    PubMed

    Tripathi, Vinayak R; Kumar, Shailendra; Garg, Satyendra K

    2011-07-12

    Proteases play an important role in virulence of many human, plant and insect pathogens. The proteinaceous protease inhibitors of plant origin have been reported widely from many plant species. The inhibitors may potentially be used for multiple therapeutic applications in viral, bacterial, fungal diseases and physiological disorders. In traditional Indian medicine system, Cassia tora (Senna tora) is reportedly effective in treatment of skin and gastrointestinal disorders. The present study explores the protease inhibitory activity of the above plant seeds against trypsin, Aspergillus flavus and Bacillus sp. proteases. The crushed seeds of Cassia tora were washed thoroughly with acetone and hexane for depigmentation and defatting. The proteins were fractionated by ammonium sulphate (0-30, 30-60, 60-90%) followed by dialysis and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The inhibitory potential of crude seed extract and most active dialyzed fraction against trypsin and proteases was established by spot test using unprocessed x-ray film and casein digestion methods, respectively. Electrophoretic analysis of most active fraction (30-60%) and SEC elutes were carried employing Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Gelatin SDS-PAGE. Inhibition of fungal spore germination was studied in the presence of dialyzed active inhibitor fraction. Standard deviation (SD) and ANOVA were employed as statistical tools. The crude seeds' extract displayed strong antitryptic, bacterial and fungal protease inhibitory activity on x-ray film. The seed protein fraction 30-60% was found most active for trypsin inhibition in caseinolytic assay (P < 0.001). The inhibition of caseinolytic activity of the proteases increased with increasing ratio of seed extract. The residual activity of trypsin, Aspergillus flavus and Bacillus sp. proteases remained only 4, 7 and 3.1%, respectively when proteases were incubated with 3 mg ml-1 seed protein extract for 60 min. The inhibitory activity was evident in gelatin SDS-PAGE where a major band (~17-19 kD) of protease inhibitor (PI) was detected in dialyzed and SEC elute. The conidial germination of Aspergillus flavus was moderately inhibited (30%) by the dialyzed seed extract. Cassia tora seed extract has strong protease inhibitory activity against trypsin, Aspergillus flavus and Bacillus sp. proteases. The inhibitor in Cassia tora may attenuate microbial proteases and also might be used as phytoprotecting agent. © 2011 Tripathi et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

  10. A potential human hepatocellular carcinoma inhibitor from Bauhinia purpurea L. seeds: from purification to mechanism exploration.

    PubMed

    Fang, Evandro Fei; Bah, Clara Shui Fern; Wong, Jack Ho; Pan, Wen Liang; Chan, Yau Sang; Ye, Xiu Juan; Ng, Tzi Bun

    2012-02-01

    A 20-kDa Kunitz-type trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor, Bauhinia purpurea trypsin inhibitor (BPLTI), has been isolated from the seeds of B. purpurea L. by using liquid chromatography procedures that involved ion exchange chromatography on Sp-Sepharose and Mono S and gel filtration on Superdex 75. BPLTI demonstrated protease inhibitory activities of 7226 BAEE units/mg and 65 BTEE units/mg toward trypsin and α-chymotrypsin, respectively. BPLTI was relatively thermal (0-60°C) and pH (3-10) stable and its activity could be decreased by dithiothreitol treatment. BPLTI exhibited a wide spectrum of anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities especially on human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep G2 cells. However, it was devoid of a significant antiproliferative effect on immortal human hepatic WRL 68 cells. We show here that BPLTI stimulates apoptosis in Hep G2 cells, including (1) evoking DNA damage including the production of chromatin condensation and apoptotic bodies; (2) induction of cell apoptosis/necrosis; (3) mitochondrial membrane depolarization; and (4) increasing the production of cytokines. Taken together, our findings show for the first time that purified protease inhibitor from B. purpurea L. seeds is a promising candidate for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma.

  11. Biopotency of serine protease inhibitors from cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) seeds on digestive proteases and the development of Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval).

    PubMed

    Abd El-latif, Ashraf Oukasha

    2015-05-01

    Serine protease inhibitors (PIs) have been described in many plant species and are universal throughout the plant kingdom, where trypsin inhibitors is the most common type. In the present study, trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activity was detected in the seed flour extracts of 13 selected cultivars/accessions of cowpea. Two cowpea cultivars, Cream7 and Buff, were found to have higher trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory potential compared to other tested cultivars for which they have been selected for further purification studies using ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column. Cream7-purified proteins showed two bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) corresponding to molecular mass of 17.10 and 14.90 kDa, while the purified protein from Buff cultivar showed a single band corresponding mass of 16.50 kDa. The purified inhibitors were stable at temperature below 60°C and were active at wide range of pH from 2 to 12. The kinetic analysis revealed noncompetitive type of inhibition for both inhibitors against both enzymes. The inhibitor constant (Ki ) values suggested high affinity between inhibitors and enzymes. Purified inhibitors were found to have deep and negative effects on the mean larval weight, larval mortality, pupation, and mean pupal weight of Spodoptera littoralis, where Buff PI was more effective than Cream7 PI. It may be concluded that cowpea PI gene(s) could be potential insect control protein for future studies in developing insect-resistant transgenic plants. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Application and bioactive properties of CaTI, a trypsin inhibitor from Capsicum annuum seeds: membrane permeabilization, oxidative stress and intracellular target in phytopathogenic fungi cells.

    PubMed

    Silva, Marciele S; Ribeiro, Suzanna Ff; Taveira, Gabriel B; Rodrigues, Rosana; Fernandes, Katia Vs; Carvalho, André O; Vasconcelos, Ilka Maria; Mello, Erica Oliveira; Gomes, Valdirene M

    2017-08-01

    During the last few years, a growing number of antimicrobial peptides have been isolated from plants and particularly from seeds. Recent results from our laboratory have shown the purification of a new trypsin inhibitor, named CaTI, from chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds. This study aims to evaluate the antifungal activity and mechanism of action of CaTI on phytopathogenic fungi and detect the presence of protease inhibitors in other species of this genus. Our results show that CaTI can inhibit the growth of the phytopathogenic fungi Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C. lindemuthianum. CaTI can also permeabilize the membrane of all tested fungi. When testing the inhibitor on its ability to induce reactive oxygen species, an induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) particularly in Fusarium species was observed. Using CaTI coupled to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), it was possible to determine the presence of the inhibitor inside the hyphae of the Fusarium oxysporum fungus. The search for protease inhibitors in other Capsicum species revealed their presence in all tested species. This paper shows the antifungal activity of protease inhibitors such as CaTI against phytopathogenic fungi. Antimicrobial peptides, among which the trypsin protease inhibitor family stands out, are present in different species of the genus Capsicum and are part of the chemical arsenal that plants use to defend themselves against pathogens. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  13. Interaction between wheat alpha-amylase/trypsin bi-functional inhibitor and mammalian digestive enzymes: Kinetic, equilibrium and structural characterization of binding.

    PubMed

    Cuccioloni, Massimiliano; Mozzicafreddo, Matteo; Ali, Ishtiaq; Bonfili, Laura; Cecarini, Valentina; Eleuteri, Anna Maria; Angeletti, Mauro

    2016-12-15

    Alpha-amylase/trypsin bi-functional inhibitors (ATIs) are non-gluten protein components of wheat and other cereals that can hypersensitise the human gastrointestinal tract, eventually causing enteropathies in predisposed individuals. These inhibitory proteins can act both directly by targeting specific pro-inflammatory receptors, and indirectly by impairing the activity of digestive enzymes, the latter event causing the accumulation of undigested peptides with potential immunogenic properties. Herein, according to a concerted approach based on in vitro and in silico methods we characterized kinetics, equilibrium parameters and modes of binding of the complexes formed between wheat ATI and two representative mammalian digestive enzymes, namely trypsin and alpha-amylase. Interestingly, we demonstrated ATI to target both enzymes with independent binding sites and with moderately high affinity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The sequence and X-ray structure of the trypsin from Fusarium oxysporum.

    PubMed

    Rypniewski, W R; Hastrup, S; Betzel, C; Dauter, M; Dauter, Z; Papendorf, G; Branner, S; Wilson, K S

    1993-06-01

    The trypsin from Fusarium oxysporum is equally homologous to trypsins from Streptomyces griseus, Streptomyces erythraeus and to bovine trypsin. A DFP (diisopropylfluorophosphate) inhibited form of the enzyme has been crystallized from 1.4 M Na2SO4, buffered with citrate at pH 5.0-5.5. The crystals belong to space group P2(1) with cell parameters a = 33.43 A, b = 67.65 A, c = 39.85 A and beta = 107.6 degrees. There is one protein molecule in the asymmetric unit. X-ray diffraction data to a resolution of 1.8 A were collected on film using synchrotron radiation. The structure was solved by molecular replacement using models of bovine and S. griseus trypsins and refined to an R-factor of 0.141. The overall fold is similar to other trypsins, with some insertions and deletions. There is no evidence of the divalent cation binding sites seen in other trypsins. The covalently bound inhibitor molecule is clearly visible.

  15. Allium sativum Protease Inhibitor: A Novel Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor from Garlic Is a New Comrade of the Serpin Family.

    PubMed

    Shamsi, Tooba Naz; Parveen, Romana; Amir, Mohd; Baig, Mohd Affan; Qureshi, M Irfan; Ali, Sher; Fatima, Sadaf

    2016-01-01

    This study was aimed to purify and characterize the Protease inhibitor (PI) from a plant Allium sativum (garlic) with strong medicinal properties and to explore its phytodrug potentials. Allium sativum Protease Inhibitor (ASPI) was purified using ammonium sulphate fractionation and Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography on anion exchanger Hi-Trap DEAE column. The purified protein was analyzed for its purity and molecular weight by SDS PAGE. The confirmation of presence of trypsin inhibiting PI was performed by MALDI TOF-TOF and analyzed by MASCOT database. The ASPI was further investigated for its kinetic properties and stability under extreme conditions of pH, temperature and chemical denaturants. Secondary structure was determined by Circular Dichorism (CD) spectroscopy. ASPI of ~15 kDa inhibited trypsin and matched "truncated kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor (Glycine max)" in MASCOT database. The purified ASPI showed 30376.1371 U/mg specific activity with a fold purity of 159.92 and yield ~93%. ASPI was quite stable in the range of pH 2-12 showing a decline in the activity around pH 4-5 suggesting that the pI value of the protein as ASPI aggregates in this range. ASPI showed stability to a broad range of temperature (10-80°C) but declined beyond 80°C. Further, detergents, oxidizing agents and reducing agents demonstrated change in ASPI activity under varying concentrations. The kinetic analysis revealed sigmoidal relationship of velocity with substrate concentration with Vmax 240.8 (μM/min) and Km value of 0.12 μM. ASPI showed uncompetitive inhibition with a Ki of 0.08±0.01 nM). The Far UV CD depicted 2.0% α -helices and 51% β -sheets at native pH. To conclude, purified ~15 kDa ASPI exhibited fair stability in wide range of pH and temperature Overall, there was an increase in purification fold with remarkable yield. Chemical modification studies suggested the presence of lysine and tryptophan residues as lead amino acids present in the reactive sites. Therefore, ASPI with trypsin inhibitory property has the potential to be used as a non-cytotoxic clinical agents.

  16. Defense response in non-genomic model species: methyl jasmonate exposure reveals the passion fruit leaves' ability to assemble a cocktail of functionally diversified Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitors and recruit two of them against papain.

    PubMed

    Botelho-Júnior, Sylvio; Machado, Olga L T; Fernandes, Kátia V S; Lemos, Francisco J A; Perdizio, Viviane A; Oliveira, Antônia E A; Monteiro, Leandro R; Filho, Mauri L; Jacinto, Tânia

    2014-08-01

    Multiplicity of protease inhibitors induced by predators may increase the understanding of a plant's intelligent behavior toward environmental challenges. Information about defense mechanisms of non-genomic model plant passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) in response to predator attack is still limited. Here, via biochemical approaches, we showed its flexibility to build-up a broad repertoire of potent Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitors (KTIs) in response to methyl jasmonate. Seven inhibitors (20-25 kDa) were purified from exposed leaves by chromatographic techniques. Interestingly, the KTIs possessed truncated Kunitz motif in their N-terminus and some of them also presented non-consensus residues. Gelatin-Native-PAGE established multiple isoforms for each inhibitor. Significant differences regarding inhibitors' activity toward trypsin and chymotrypsin were observed, indicating functional polymorphism. Despite its rarity, two of them also inhibited papain, and such bifunctionality suggests a recruiting process onto another mechanistic class of target protease (cysteine-type). All inhibitors acted strongly on midgut proteases from sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (a lepidopteran insect) while in vivo assays supported their insecticide properties. Moreover, the bifunctional inhibitors displayed activity toward midgut proteases from cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (a coleopteran insect). Unexpectedly, all inhibitors were highly effective against midgut proteases from Aedes aegypti a dipteran insect (vector of neglected tropical diseases) opening new avenues for plant-derived PIs for vector control-oriented research. Our results reflect the KTIs' complexities in passion fruit which could be wisely exploited by influencing plant defense conditions. Therefore, the potential of passion fruit as source of bioactive compounds with diversified biotechnological application was strengthened.

  17. Molecular characterization of genes encoding trypsin-like enzymes from Aedes aegypti larvae and identification of digestive enzymes.

    PubMed

    Soares, Tatiane S; Watanabe, Renata M O; Lemos, Francisco J A; Tanaka, Aparecida S

    2011-12-10

    Trypsin-like enzymes play an important role in the Aedes aegypti digestive process. The trypsin-like enzymes present in adults were characterized previously, but little is known about trypsins in larvae. In the present work, we identified one of the trypsin enzymes from Ae. aegypti larval midgut using a library of trypsin gene fragments, which was the sequence known as AAEL005607 from the Ae. aegypti genome. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that AAEL005607 was transcribed in all larval instars, but it was not present in adult midgut. In order to confirm transcription data, the trypsin-like enzymes from 4th instar larvae of Ae. aegypti midgut were purified and sequenced. Purified trypsin showed identity with the amino-terminal sequence of AAEL005607, AAEL005609 and AAEL005614. These three trypsins have high amino acids identity, and could all be used as a template for the design of inhibitors. In conclusion, for the first time, digestive enzymes of 4th larval instar of Ae. aegypti were purified and characterized. The knowledge of digestive enzymes present in Ae. aegypti larvae may be helpful in the development of a larvicide. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Sporamin-mediated resistance to beet cyst nematodes (Heterodera schachtii Schm.) is dependent on trypsin inhibitory activity in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) hairy roots.

    PubMed

    Cai, Daguang; Thurau, Tim; Tian, Yanyan; Lange, Tina; Yeh, Kai-Wun; Jung, Christian

    2003-04-01

    Sporamin, a sweet potato tuberous storage protein, is a Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor. Its capability of conferring insect-resistance on transgenic tobacco and cauliflower has been confirmed. To test its potential as an anti-feedant for the beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii Schm.), the sporamin gene SpTI-1 was introduced into sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) by Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation. Twelve different hairy root clones expressing sporamin were selected for studying nematode development. Of these, 8 hairy root clones were found to show significant efficiency in inhibiting the growth and development of the female nematodes whereas 4 root clones did not show any inhibitory effects even though the SpTI-1 gene was regularly expressed in all of the tested hairy roots as revealed by northern and western analyses. Inhibition of nematode development correlated with trypsin inhibitor activity but not with the amount of sporamin expressed in hairy roots. These data demonstrate that the trypsin inhibitor activity is the critical factor for inhibiting growth and development of cyst nematodes in sugar beet hairy roots expressing the sporamin gene. Hence, the sweet potato sporamin can be used as a new and effective anti-feedant for controlling cyst nematodes offering an alternative strategy for establishing nematode resistance in crops.

  19. Characterization of a backbone cleavage product of BMS-196854 (Oncostatin M), a recombinant anti-inflammatory cytokine.

    PubMed

    Zhao, F; Stein, D J; Paborji, M; Cash, P W; Root, B J; Wei, Z; Knupp, C J

    2001-01-01

    BMS-196843 (Oncostatin M) is a therapeutic recombinant protein in development. Scale-up process changes led to unexpected instability of the bulk drug substance solution during storage. A product with an apparent higher MW than the parent protein was observed by the size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). This study was aimed to fully characterize the product and to identify a solution to stabilize the protein. SEC, SDS-PAGE, tryptic mapping, and N-terminal sequencing were performed to characterize the unknown product. The effect of pH, temperature, bulk concentration, and immobilized trypsin inhibitor on the degradation rate was studied to elucidate the mechanism and to identify stabilization strategies. Despite the apparent high MW indicated initially by SEC, the unknown was characterized to be a degradation product resulted from a backbone cleavage between residues Arg145-Gly146. The resulting fragments from the backbone cleavage were, however, still linked through an intramolecular disulfide bond. Thus, the final product had a more open structure with an increased hydrodynamic radius compared to the parent protein, which explains the initial SEC results. The site-specific backbone cleavage was suspected to be catalyzed by trypsin-like protease impurities in the bulk solution. The bulk drug substance solution was subsequently treated with immobilized soybean trypsin inhibitor, and the degradation rate was significantly reduced. Furthermore, increasing the solution pH from 5 to 8 led to an increase in the degradation rate, which was consistent with the expected pH dependency of trypsin activity. In addition, the effect of bulk concentration also supported the involvement of protease impurities rather than a spontaneous peptide bond hydrolysis reaction. Trace trypsin-like protease impurities led to an unusual site-specific backbone cleavage of BMS-196854. The proteolytic degradation can be minimized by treating the bulk solution with immobilized soybean trypsin inhibitor and/or controlling the solution pH and storage temperature.

  20. Toxicity to cotton boll weevil Anthonomus grandis of a trypsin inhibitor from chickpea seeds.

    PubMed

    de P G Gomes, Angélica; Dias, Simoni C; Bloch, Carlos; Melo, Francislete R; Furtado, José R; Monnerat, Rose G; Grossi-de-Sá, Maria F; Franco, Octávio L

    2005-02-01

    Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important agricultural commodity, which is attacked by several pests such as the cotton boll weevil Anthonomus grandis. Adult A. grandis feed on fruits and leaf petioles, reducing drastically the crop production. The predominance of boll weevil digestive serine proteinases has motivated inhibitor screenings in order to discover new ones with the capability to reduce the digestion process. The present study describes a novel proteinase inhibitor from chickpea seeds (Cicer arietinum L.) and its effects against A. grandis. This inhibitor, named CaTI, was purified by using affinity Red-Sepharose Cl-6B chromatography, followed by reversed-phase HPLC (Vydac C18-TP). SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analyses, showed a unique monomeric protein with a mass of 12,877 Da. Purified CaTI showed significant inhibitory activity against larval cotton boll weevil serine proteinases (78%) and against bovine pancreatic trypsin (73%), when analyzed by fluorimetric assays. Although the molecular mass of CaTI corresponded to alpha-amylase/trypsin bifunctional inhibitors masses, no inhibitory activity against insect and mammalian alpha-amylases was observed. In order to observe CaTI in vivo effects, an inhibitor rich fraction was added to an artificial diet at different concentrations. At 1.5% (w/w), CaTI caused severe development delay, several deformities and a mortality rate of approximately 45%. These results suggested that CaTI could be useful in the production of transgenic cotton plants with enhanced resistance toward cotton boll weevil.

  1. Purification of a 6.5 kDa protease inhibitor from Amazon Inga umbratica seeds effective against serine proteases of the boll weevil Anthonomus grandis.

    PubMed

    Calderon, L A; Teles, R C L; Leite, J R S A; Franco, O L; Grossi-de-Sá, M F; Medrano, F J; Bloch, C; Freitas, S M

    2005-08-01

    A 6.5 kDa serine protease inhibitor was purified by anion-exchange chromatography from the crude extract of the Inga umbratica seeds, containing inhibitor isoforms ranging from 6.3 to 6.7 kDa and protease inhibitors of approximately 19 kDa. The purified protein was characterized as a potent inhibitor against trypsin and chymotrypsin and it was named I. umbratica trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor (IUTCI). MALDI-TOF spectra of the IUTCI, in the presence of DTT, showed six disulfide bonds content, suggesting that this inhibitor belongs to Bowman-Birk family. The circular dichroism spectroscopy indicates that IUTCI is predominantly formed by unordered and beta-sheet secondary structure. It was also characterized, by fluorescence spectroscopy, as a stable protein at range of pH from 5.0 to 7.0. Moreover, this inhibitor at concentration of 75 microM presented a remarkable inhibitory activity (60%) against digestive serine proteases from boll weevil Anthonomus grandis, an important economical cotton pest.

  2. New Kunitz-Type HCRG Polypeptides from the Sea Anemone Heteractis crispa

    PubMed Central

    Gladkikh, Irina; Monastyrnaya, Margarita; Zelepuga, Elena; Sintsova, Oksana; Tabakmakher, Valentin; Gnedenko, Oksana; Ivanov, Alexis; Hua, Kuo-Feng; Kozlovskaya, Emma

    2015-01-01

    Sea anemones are a rich source of Kunitz-type polypeptides that possess not only protease inhibitor activity, but also Kv channels toxicity, analgesic, antihistamine, and anti-inflammatory activities. Two Kunitz-type inhibitors belonging to a new Heteractis crispa RG (HCRG) polypeptide subfamily have been isolated from the sea anemone Heteractis crispa. The amino acid sequences of HCRG1 and HCRG2 identified using the Edman degradation method share up to 95% of their identity with the representatives of the HCGS polypeptide multigene subfamily derived from H. crispa cDNA. Polypeptides are characterized by positively charged Arg at the N-terminus as well as P1 Lys residue at their canonical binding loop, identical to those of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). These polypeptides are shown by our current evidence to be more potent inhibitors of trypsin than the known representatives of the HCGS subfamily with P1Thr. The kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of the intermolecular interactions between inhibitors and serine proteases were determined by the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method. Residues functionally important for polypeptide binding to trypsin were revealed using molecular modeling methods. Furthermore, HCRG1 and HCRG2 possess anti-inflammatory activity, reducing tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) secretions, as well as proIL-1β expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages. However, there was no effect on nitric oxide (NO) generation. PMID:26404319

  3. Medullary thyroid carcinoma: ectopic production of peptides with ACTH-like, corticotrophin releasing factor-like and prolactin production-stimulating activities.

    PubMed

    Birkenhäger, J C; Upton, G V; Seldenrath, H J; Krieger, D T; Tashjian, A H

    1976-10-01

    A 45-year-old women had medullary tyroid carcinoma associated with Cushing's syndrome and galactorrhoea. Elevated plasma immunoreactive ACTH and cortisol were partially suppressed by intravenous dexamethasone, appreciably raised by lysine vasopressin, and urinary excretion of 17-oxogenic steroids slightly elevated by metyrapone. A large arterio-venous increase in plasma corticotrophin releasing factor-like activity across the thyroid gland was observed and tumour tissue contained corticotrophin releasing factor-like activity. Biologically active ACTH was not detected in tumour extracts before incubation with trypsin, but after trypsinization a value of 3.2 mU per gram was obtained. Arterial plasma contained biologically active ACTH (1.5 mU/100 ml) prior to trypsinization. Venous effluent from the thyroid gland contained biologically active (9.6 mU/100 ml) and immunoreactive ACTH (970 pg/ml) before trypsinization. Tumour extracts also contained prolactin production-stimulating activity. These findings can explain the Cushing's syndrome and the galactorrhoea both of which disappeared completely after thyroidectomy.

  4. Effect of trypsin inhibitor activity in soya bean on growth performance, protein digestibility and incidence of sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chicken flocks.

    PubMed

    Palliyeguru, M W C D; Rose, S P; Mackenzie, A M

    2011-06-01

    1. The effect of three different levels of dietary trypsin inhibitor activity (achieved by varying the amount of non-toasted full fat soya bean in replacement for toasted full fat soya bean) on the incidence of spontaneously-occurring sub-clinical necrotic enteritis (NE) in broiler chickens was compared. A fourth dietary treatment compared the effect of a diet that used potato protein concentrate as the major protein source. The determined trypsin inhibitor activity increased with the increasing content of non-toasted soya bean: 1·90, 6·21, 8·46 and 3·72 mg/g for the three soya bean diets (0, 100 and 200 g of non-toasted soya bean/kg) and the potato protein diet respectively. 2. Although increasing amounts of the non-toasted full-fat soya bean increased the feed intakes of the birds, there was a marked reduction in protein digestibility, weight gain and feed conversion efficiency. 3. There was a linear increase in sub-clinical NE lesions in the duodenum, jejunum, mid small intestine and ileum with increasing non-toasted soya bean. Caecal Clostridium perfringens counts increased with the increasing dietary content of non-toasted soya bean. Serum α-toxin antibodies were higher in the birds fed the 200 g non-toasted soya bean/kg diet compared with the other diets. 4. The results demonstrated that variation in the amount of non-toasted dietary soya bean not only affects growth performance of broilers but also affects the incidence of sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in the flock. Ensuring the lowest possible trypsin-inhibitor activity in soya bean samples is a valuable tool to improve the health and welfare of birds and in reducing the financial losses from this disease.

  5. Higher Activities of Defense-Associated Enzymes may Contribute to Greater Resistance of Manchurian Ash to Emerald Ash Borer Than A closely Related and Susceptible Congener.

    PubMed

    Rigsby, Chad M; Herms, Daniel A; Bonello, Pierluigi; Cipollini, Don

    2016-08-01

    Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle native to Asia that infests and kills ash (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. Previous experiments indicated that larvae feeding on co-evolved, resistant Manchurian ash (F. mandshurica) have increased antioxidant and quinone-protective enzyme activities compared to larvae feeding on susceptible North American species. Here, we examined mechanisms of host-generated oxidative and quinone-based stress and other putative defenses in Manchurian ash and the closely related and chemically similar, but susceptible, black ash (F. nigra), with and without exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) to induce resistance mechanisms. Peroxidase activities were 4.6-13.3 times higher in Manchurian than black ash, although both species appeared to express the same three peroxidase isozymes. Additionally, peroxidase-mediated protein cross-linking activity was stronger in Manchurian ash. Polyphenol oxidase, β-glucosidase, chitinase, and lipoxygenase activities also were greater in Manchurian ash, but only lipoxygenase activity increased with MeJA application. Phloem H 2 O 2 levels were similar and were increased by MeJA application in both species. Lastly, trypsin inhibitor activity was detected in methanol and water extracts that were not allowed to oxidize, indicating the presence of phenolic-based trypsin inhibitors. However, no proteinaceous trypsin inhibitor activity was detected in either species. In response to MeJA application, Manchurian ash had higher trypsin inhibitor activity than black ash using the unoxidized water extracts, but no treatment effects were detected using methanol extracts. Based on these results we hypothesize that peroxidases, lignin polymerization, and quinone generation contribute to the greater resistance to EAB displayed by Manchurian ash.

  6. Arginine mimetic structures in biologically active antagonists and inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Masic, Lucija Peterlin

    2006-01-01

    Peptidomimetics have found wide application as bioavailable, biostable, and potent mimetics of naturally occurring biologically active peptides. L-Arginine is a guanidino group-containing basic amino acid, which is positively charged at neutral pH and is involved in many important physiological and pathophysiological processes. Many enzymes display a preference for the arginine residue that is found in many natural substrates and in synthetic inhibitors of many trypsin-like serine proteases, e.g. thrombin, factor Xa, factor VIIa, trypsin, and in integrin receptor antagonists, used to treat many blood-coagulation disorders. Nitric oxide (NO), which is produced by oxidation of L-arginine in an NADPH- and O(2)-dependent process catalyzed by isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), exhibits diverse roles in both normal and pathological physiologies and has been postulated to be a contributor to the etiology of various diseases. Development of NOS inhibitors as well as analogs and mimetics of the natural substrate L-arginine, is desirable for potential therapeutic use and for a better understanding of their conformation when bound in the arginine binding site. The guanidino residue of arginine in many substrates, inhibitors, and antagonists forms strong ionic interactions with the carboxylate of an aspartic acid moiety, which provides specificity for the basic amino acid residue in the active side. However, a highly basic guanidino moiety incorporated in enzyme inhibitors or receptor antagonists is often associated with low selectivity and poor bioavailability after peroral application. Thus, significant effort is focused on the design and preparation of arginine mimetics that can confer selective inhibition for specific trypsin-like serine proteases and NOS inhibitors as well as integrin receptor antagonists and possess reduced basicity for enhanced oral bioavailability. This review will describe the survey of arginine mimetics designed to mimic the function of the arginine moiety in numerous peptidomimetic compounds (thrombin inhibitors, factor Xa inhibitors, factor VIIa inhibitors, integrin receptor antagonists, nitric oxide synthase inhibitors), with the aim of obtaining better activity, selectivity and oral bioavailability.

  7. Effects of black-eyed pea trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitor on proteolytic activity and on development of Anthonomus grandis.

    PubMed

    Franco, Octávio L; dos Santos, Roseane C; Batista, João A N; Mendes, Ana Cristina M; de Araújo, Marcus Aurélio M; Monnerat, Rose G; Grossi-de-Sá, Maria Fátima; de Freitas, Sonia M

    2003-06-01

    The cotton boll weevil Anthonomus grandis (Boheman) is one of the major pests of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the New World. This feeds on cotton floral fruits and buds causing severe crop losses. Digestion in the boll weevil is facilitated by high levels of serine proteinases, which are responsible for the almost all proteolytic activity. Aiming to reduce the proteolytic activity, the inhibitory effects of black-eyed pea trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitor (BTCI), towards trypsin and chymotrypsin from bovine pancreas and from midguts of A. grandis larvae and adult insects were analyzed. BTCI, purified from Vigna unguiculata (L.) seeds, was highly active against different trypsin-like proteinases studied and moderately active against the digestive chymotrypsin of adult insects. Nevertheless, no inhibitory activity was observed against chymotrypsin from A. grandis larval guts. To test the BTCI efficiency in vivo, neonate larvae were reared on artificial diet containing BTCI at 10, 50 and 100 microM. A reduction of larval weight of up to approximately 54% at the highest BTCI concentration was observed. At this concentration, the insect mortality was 65%. This work constitutes the first observation of a Bowman-Birk type inhibitor active in vitro and in vivo toward the cotton boll weevil A. grandis. The results of bioassays strongly suggest that BTCI may have potential as a transgene protein for use in engineered crop plants modified for heightened resistance to the cotton boll weevil.

  8. Compositions, Protease Inhibitor and Gelling Property of Duck Egg Albumen as Affected by Salting

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Chemical compositions, trypsin inhibitory activity, and gelling properties of albumen from duck egg during salting of 30 days were studied. As the salting time increased, moisture content decreased, the salt content and surface hydrophobicity increased (p<0.05). Trypsin inhibitory activity and specific activity were continuously decreased throughout the salting time of 30 days (p<0.05). This coincided with the decrease in band intensity of inhibitor with molecular weight of 44 kDa as examined by inhibitory activity staining. Nevertheless, no differences in protein patterns were observed in albumen during the salting of 30 days. Based on texture profile analysis, hardness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience of albumen gel decreased with increasing salting time. Conversely, salted albumen gels exhibited higher cohesiveness and adhesiveness, compared to those of fresh albumen. Scanning electron microscopic study revealed that gel of salted albumen showed the larger voids and less compactness. In general, salting lowered trypsin inhibitory activity and gelling property of albumen from duck egg to some extent. Nevertheless, the salted albumen with the remaining inhibitor could be an alternative additive for surimi or other meat products to prevent proteolysis. PMID:29725221

  9. Allium sativum Protease Inhibitor: A Novel Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor from Garlic Is a New Comrade of the Serpin Family

    PubMed Central

    Shamsi, Tooba Naz; Parveen, Romana; Amir, Mohd.; Baig, Mohd. Affan; Qureshi, M. Irfan; Ali, Sher; Fatima, Sadaf

    2016-01-01

    Purpose This study was aimed to purify and characterize the Protease inhibitor (PI) from a plant Allium sativum (garlic) with strong medicinal properties and to explore its phytodrug potentials. Methods Allium sativum Protease Inhibitor (ASPI) was purified using ammonium sulphate fractionation and Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography on anion exchanger Hi-Trap DEAE column. The purified protein was analyzed for its purity and molecular weight by SDS PAGE. The confirmation of presence of trypsin inhibiting PI was performed by MALDI TOF-TOF and analyzed by MASCOT database. The ASPI was further investigated for its kinetic properties and stability under extreme conditions of pH, temperature and chemical denaturants. Secondary structure was determined by Circular Dichorism (CD) spectroscopy. Results ASPI of ~15 kDa inhibited trypsin and matched "truncated kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor (Glycine max)" in MASCOT database. The purified ASPI showed 30376.1371 U/mg specific activity with a fold purity of 159.92 and yield ~93%. ASPI was quite stable in the range of pH 2–12 showing a decline in the activity around pH 4–5 suggesting that the pI value of the protein as ASPI aggregates in this range. ASPI showed stability to a broad range of temperature (10–80°C) but declined beyond 80°C. Further, detergents, oxidizing agents and reducing agents demonstrated change in ASPI activity under varying concentrations. The kinetic analysis revealed sigmoidal relationship of velocity with substrate concentration with Vmax 240.8 (μM/min) and Km value of 0.12 μM. ASPI showed uncompetitive inhibition with a Ki of 0.08±0.01 nM). The Far UV CD depicted 2.0% α -helices and 51% β -sheets at native pH. Conclusions To conclude, purified ~15 kDa ASPI exhibited fair stability in wide range of pH and temperature Overall, there was an increase in purification fold with remarkable yield. Chemical modification studies suggested the presence of lysine and tryptophan residues as lead amino acids present in the reactive sites. Therefore, ASPI with trypsin inhibitory property has the potential to be used as a non-cytotoxic clinical agents. PMID:27846232

  10. Enzyme-coupled nanoparticles-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry for searching for low-mass inhibitors of enzymes in complex mixtures.

    PubMed

    Salwiński, Aleksander; Da Silva, David; Delépée, Raphaël; Maunit, Benoît

    2014-04-01

    In this report, enzyme-coupled magnetic nanoparticles (EMPs) were shown to be an effective affinity-based tool for finding specific interactions between enzymatic targets and the low-mass molecules in complex mixtures using classic MALDI-TOF apparatus. EMPs used in this work act as nonorganic matrix enabling ionization of small molecules without any interference in the low-mass range (enzyme-coupled nanoparticles-assisted laser desorption ionization MS, ENALDI MS) and simultaneously carry the superficial specific binding sites to capture inhibitors present in a studied mixture. We evaluated ENALDI approach in two complementary variations: 'ion fading' (IF-ENALDI), based on superficial adsorption of inhibitors and 'ion hunting' (IH-ENALDI), based on selective pre-concentration of inhibitors. IF-ENALDI was applied for two sets of enzyme-inhibitor pairs: tyrosinase-glabridin and trypsin-leupeptin and for the real plant sample: Sparrmannia discolor leaf and stem methanol extract. The efficacy of IH-ENALDI was shown for the pair of trypsin-leupeptin. Both ENALDI approaches pose an alternative for bioassay-guided fractionation, the common method for finding inhibitors in the complex mixtures.

  11. 'Click Chemistry' in the preparation of porous polymer-basedparticulate stationary phases for mu-HPLC separation of peptides andproteins

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Slater, Michael; Snauko, Marian; Svec, Frantisek

    With the use of the copper(I)-catalyzed (3 + 2) azide-alkynecycloaddition, an element of "click chemistry," stationary phasescarrying long alkyl chains or soybean trypsin inhibitor have beenprepared for use in HPLC separations in the reversed-phase and affinitymodes, respectively. The ligands were attached via a triazole ring tosize monodisperse porous beads containing either alkyne or azide pendantfunctionalities. Alkyne-containing beads prepared by directcopolymerization of propargyl acrylate with ethylene dimethacrylate wereallowed to react with azidooctadecane to give a reversed-phase sorbent.Azide-functionalized beads were prepared by chemical modification ofglycidyl methacrylate particles. Subsequent reaction with a terminalaliphatic alkyne produced a reversed-phase sorbent similar to thatobtained from themore » alkyne beads. Soybean trypsin inhibitor wasfunctionalized with N-(4-pentynoyloxy) succinimide to carry alkyne groupsand then allowed to react with the azide-containing beads to produce anaffinity sorbent for trypsin. The performance of these stationary phaseswas demonstrated with the HPLC separations of a variety of peptides andproteins.« less

  12. Trypsin from the digestive system of carp Cirrhinus mrigala: purification, characterization and its potential application.

    PubMed

    Khangembam, Bronson Kumar; Chakrabarti, Rina

    2015-05-15

    Trypsin was purified 35.64-fold with 4.97% recovery from the viscera of carp Cirrhinus mrigala (mrigal) by ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange and affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme was active at a wide range of pH (7.0-9.2) and temperature (10-50°C). The purified enzyme exhibited high thermal stability up to 50°C for 1h. The enzyme activity was stabilized by Ca(+2) (2mM) up to 7h at 40°C. The Km and kcat values of purified enzyme were 0.0672 mM and 92.09/s/mM, respectively. Soybean trypsin inhibitor and phenylmethylsulphonylflouride completely inhibited the enzyme activity. The specific inhibitor of trypsin, N-α-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone inhibited 99.67% activity. Na(+), K(+) and Li(+) inhibited 20.99 ± 5.25%, 16.53 ± 4.80% and 18.99 ± 1.42% of enzyme activity, respectively. Divalent ions Mg(+2), Zn(+2), Co(+2), Hg(+2) and Cd(+2) inhibited 21.61 ± 2.22%, 31.62 ± 1.78%, 31.62 ± 1.96%, 85.68 ± 1.51% and 47.95 ± 2.13% enzyme activity, respectively. SDS-PAGE showed that the molecular mass of purified enzyme was 21.7 kDa. MALDI-TOF study showed a peptide sequence of AFCGGSLVNENKMHSAGHCYKSRIQV at the N-Terminal. This sequence recorded 76-84% identity with trypsin from Thunnus thynnus and other fish species. This confirmed that the purified protein was trypsin. The purified enzyme has potential applications in detergent and food industry because of its thermal stability and alkaline nature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Affinity and specificity of serine endopeptidase-protein inhibitor interactions. Empirical free energy calculations based on X-ray crystallographic structures.

    PubMed

    Krystek, S; Stouch, T; Novotny, J

    1993-12-05

    An empirical function was used to calculate free energy change (delta G) of complex formation between the following inhibitors and enzymes: Kunitz inhibitor (BPTI) with trypsin, trypsinogen and kallikrein; turkey ovomucoid 3rd domain (OMTKY3) with alpha-chymotrypsin and the Streptomyces griseus protease B; the potato chymotrypsin inhibitor with the protease B; and the barely chymotrypsin inhibitor and eglin-c with subtilisin and thermitase. Using X-ray coordinates of the nine complexes, we estimated the contributions that hydrophobic effect, electrostatic interactions and side-chain conformational entropy make towards the stability of the complexes. The calculated delta G values showed good agreement with the experimentally measured ones, the only exception being the kallikrein/BPTI complex whose X-ray structure was solved at an exceptionally low pH. In complexes with different enzymes, the same inhibitor residues contributed identically towards complex formation (delta G(residue) Spearman rank correlation coefficient 0.7 to 1.0). The most productive enzyme-contacting residues in OMTKY3, eglin-c, and the chymotrypsin inhibitors were found in analogous positions on their respective binding loops; thus, our calculations identified a functional (energetic) motif that parallels the well-known structural similarity of the binding loops. The delta G values calculated for BPTI complexed with trypsin (-21.7 kcal) and trypsinogen (-23.4 kcal) were similar and close to the experimental delta G value of the trypsin/BPTI complex (-18.1 kcal), lending support to the suggestion that the 10(7) difference in the observed stabilities (KA) of these two complexes reflects the energetic cost of conformational changes induced in trypsinogen during the pre-equilibrium stages of complex formation. In almost all of the complexes studied, the stabilization free energy contributed by the inhibitors was larger than that donated by the enzymes. In the trypsin-BPTI complex, the calculated delta G contribution of the amino group from the BPTI residue Lys15 (9.7 kcal) was somewhat higher than that arrived at in experiments with semisynthetic inhibitor analogs (7.5 kcal). In OMTKY3, different binding loop residues are known to affect differently the binding (delta delta G) to alpha-chymotrypsin and protease B; a good qualitative agreement was found between the calculated delta G(residue) estimates and the experimental delta delta G data (correlation coefficient 0.7). Large variations were observed in local surface complementarity and related interfacial volume in the two OMTKY3 complexes (by 20 to 60% for some side-chains).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

  14. Kunitzins: Prototypes of a new class of protease inhibitor from the skin secretions of European and Asian frogs.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xiaole; Wang, He; Shen, Yue; Wang, Lei; Zhou, Mei; Chen, Tianbao; Shaw, Chris

    2016-08-19

    Amphibian skin secretions contain biologically-active compounds, such as anti-microbial peptides and trypsin inhibitors, which are used by biomedical researchers as a source of potential novel drug leads or pharmacological agents. Here, we report the application of a recently developed technique within our laboratory to "shotgun" clone the cDNAs encoding two novel but structurally-related peptides from the lyophilised skin secretions of one species of European frog, Rana esculenta and one species of Chinese frog, Odorrana schmackeri. Bioanalysis of the peptides established the structure of a 17-mer with an N-terminal Ala (A) residue and a C-terminal Cys (C) residue with a single disulphide bridge between Cys 12 and 17, which is a canonical Kunitz-type protease inhibitor motif (-CKAAFC-). Due to the presence of this structural attribute, these peptides were named kunitzin-RE (AAKIILNPKFRCKAAFC) and kunitzin-OS (AVNIPFKVHLRCKAAFC). Synthetic replicates of these two novel peptides were found to display a potent inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli but were ineffective at inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans at concentrations up to 160 μM, and both showed little haemolytic activity at concentrations up to 120 μM. Subsequently, kunitzin-RE and kunitzin-OS were found to be a potent inhibitor of trypsin with a Ki of 5.56 μM and 7.56 μM that represent prototypes of a novel class of highly-attenuated amphibian skin protease inhibitor. Substitution of Lys-13, the predicted residue occupying the P1 position within the inhibitory loop, with Phe (F) resulted in decrease in trypsin inhibitor effectiveness and antimicrobial activity against Esherichia coli, but exhibits a potential inhibition activity against chymotrypsin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. JcTI-I: a novel trypsin inhibitor from Jatropha curcas seed cake with potential for bacterial infection treatment.

    PubMed

    Costa, Helen P S; Oliveira, Jose T A; Sousa, Daniele O B; Morais, Janne K S; Moreno, Frederico B; Monteiro-Moreira, Ana Cristina O; Viegas, Ricardo A; Vasconcelos, Ilka M

    2014-01-01

    Jatropha curcas seed cake is a low-value by-product resulting from biodiesel production. The seed cake is highly toxic, but it has great potential for biotechnology applications as it is a repository of biomolecules that could be important in agriculture, medicine, and industry. To explore this potential, a novel trypsin inhibitor called JcTI-I was purified by fractionation of the crude extract with trichloroacetic acid (2.5%, v/v) followed by affinity chromatography (Trypsin-Sepharose 4B) and molecular exclusion (Sephacryl S-200). Non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration showed that JcTI-I has approximately 20.0~kDa. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the intact molecular mass of JcTI-I is 10.252~kDa. Moreover, JcTI-I is a glycoprotein with 6.4% (m/m) carbohydrates, pI of 6.6, N-terminal sequence similarity around 60% to plant albumins and high stability to heat, pH, and salinity. JcTI-I presented antibacterial activity against the human pathogenic bacteria Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar choleraesuis and Staphylococcus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentration less than 5~μg/mL. Furthermore, JcTI-I did have inhibitory activity against the serine proteases from the tested bacteria. Otherwise, no hemolytic activity of human erythrocytes and signs of acute toxicity to mice were observed for JcTI-I. The results demonstrate the benefits of J. curcas seed cake as a source of trypsin inhibitor with potential for biotechnological application as a new antimicrobial agent against human pathogenic bacteria.

  16. JcTI-I: a novel trypsin inhibitor from Jatropha curcas seed cake with potential for bacterial infection treatment

    PubMed Central

    Costa, Helen P. S.; Oliveira, Jose T. A.; Sousa, Daniele O. B.; Morais, Janne K. S.; Moreno, Frederico B.; Monteiro-Moreira, Ana Cristina O.; Viegas, Ricardo A.; Vasconcelos, Ilka M.

    2014-01-01

    Jatropha curcas seed cake is a low-value by-product resulting from biodiesel production. The seed cake is highly toxic, but it has great potential for biotechnology applications as it is a repository of biomolecules that could be important in agriculture, medicine, and industry. To explore this potential, a novel trypsin inhibitor called JcTI-I was purified by fractionation of the crude extract with trichloroacetic acid (2.5%, v/v) followed by affinity chromatography (Trypsin-Sepharose 4B) and molecular exclusion (Sephacryl S-200). Non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration showed that JcTI-I has approximately 20.0~kDa. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the intact molecular mass of JcTI-I is 10.252~kDa. Moreover, JcTI-I is a glycoprotein with 6.4% (m/m) carbohydrates, pI of 6.6, N-terminal sequence similarity around 60% to plant albumins and high stability to heat, pH, and salinity. JcTI-I presented antibacterial activity against the human pathogenic bacteria Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar choleraesuis and Staphylococcus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentration less than 5~μg/mL. Furthermore, JcTI-I did have inhibitory activity against the serine proteases from the tested bacteria. Otherwise, no hemolytic activity of human erythrocytes and signs of acute toxicity to mice were observed for JcTI-I. The results demonstrate the benefits of J. curcas seed cake as a source of trypsin inhibitor with potential for biotechnological application as a new antimicrobial agent against human pathogenic bacteria. PMID:24523715

  17. Effect of trypsin inhibitor from Crotalaria pallida seeds on Callosobruchus maculatus (cowpea weevil) and Ceratitis capitata (fruit fly).

    PubMed

    Gomes, Carlos E M; Barbosa, Aulus E A D; Macedo, Leonardo L P; Pitanga, Joelma C M; Moura, Fabiano T; Oliveira, Adeliana S; Moura, Raniere M; Queiroz, Alexandre F S; Macedo, Francisco P; Andrade, Lúcia B S; Vidal, Márcia S; Sales, Mauricio P

    2005-12-01

    A proteinaceous trypsin inhibitor was purified from Crotalaria pallida seeds by ammonium sulfate precipitation, affinity chromatography on immobilized trypsin-Sepharose and TCA precipitation. The trypsin inhibitor, named CpaTI, had M(r) of 32.5 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE and was composed of two subunits with 27.7 and 5.6 kDa linked by disulfide bridges. CpaTI was stable at 50 degrees C and lost 40% of activity at 100 degrees C. CpaTI was also stable from pH 2 to 12 at 37 degrees C. CpaTI weakly inhibited chymotrypsin and elastase and its inhibition of papain, a cysteine proteinase, were indicative of its bi-functionality. CpaTI inhibited, in different degrees, digestive enzymes from Spodoptera frugiperda, Alabama argillacea, Plodiainterpunctella, Anthonomus grandis and Zabrotes subfasciatus guts. In vitro and in vivo susceptibility of Callosobruchus maculatus and Ceratitis capitata to CpaTI was evaluated. C. maculatus and C. capitata enzymes were strongly susceptible, 74.4+/-15.8% and 100.0+/-7.3%, respectively, to CpaTI. When CpaTI was added to artificial diets and offered to both insect larvae, the results showed that C. maculatus was more susceptible to CpaTI with an LD(50) of 3.0 and ED(50) of 2.17%. C. capitata larvae were more resistant to CpaTI, in disagreement with the in vitro effects. The larvae were more affected at lower concentrations, causing 27% mortality and 44.4% mass decrease. The action was constant at 2-4% (w/w) with 15% mortality and 38% mass decrease.

  18. Novel Peptidase Kunitz Inhibitor from Platypodium elegans Seeds Is Active against Spodoptera frugiperda Larvae.

    PubMed

    Ramalho, Suellen Rodrigues; Bezerra, Cézar da Silva; Lourenço de Oliveira, Daniella Gorete; Souza Lima, Letícia; Maria Neto, Simone; Ramalho de Oliveira, Caio Fernando; Valério Verbisck, Newton; Rodrigues Macedo, Maria Lígia

    2018-02-14

    A novel Kunitz-type inhibitor from Platypodium elegans seeds (PeTI) was purified and characterized. The mass spectrometry analyses of PeTI indicated an intact mass of 19 701 Da and a partial sequence homologous to Kunitz inhibitors. PeTI was purified by ion exchange and affinity chromatographies. A complex with a 1:1 ratio was obtained only for bovine trypsin, showing a K i = 0.16 nM. Stability studies showed that PeTI was stable over a wide range of temperature (37-80 °C) and pH (2-10). The inhibitory activity of PeTI was affected by dithiothreitol (DTT). Bioassays of PeTI on Spodoptera frugiperda showed negative effects on larval development and weight gain, besides extending the insect life cycle. The activities of digestive enzymes, trypsin and chymotrypsin, were reduced by feeding larvae with 0.2% PeTI in an artificial diet. In summary, we describe a novel Kunitz inhibitor with promising biotechnological potential for pest control.

  19. On-column trypsinization allows for re-use of matrix in modified multiplexed inhibitor beads assay.

    PubMed

    Petrovic, Voin; Olaisen, Camilla; Sharma, Animesh; Nepal, Anala; Bugge, Steffen; Sundby, Eirik; Hoff, Bård Helge; Slupphaug, Geir; Otterlei, Marit

    2017-04-15

    The Multiplexed Inhibitor Bead (MIB) assay is a previously published quantitative proteomic MS-based approach to study cellular kinomes. A rather extensive procedure, need for multiple custom-made kinase inhibitors and an inability to re-use the MIB-columns, has limited its applicability. Here we present a modified MIB assay in which elution of bound proteins is facilitated by on-column trypsinization. We tested the modified MIB assay by analyzing extract from three human cancer cell lines treated with the cytotoxic drugs cisplatin or docetaxel. Using only three immobilized kinase inhibitors, we were able to detect about 6000 proteins, including ∼40% of the kinome, as well as other signaling, metabolic and structural proteins. The method is reproducible and the MIB-columns are re-usable without loss of performance. This makes the MIB assay a simple, affordable, and rapid assay for monitoring changes in cellular signaling. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Protease inhibitor in scorpion (Mesobuthus eupeus) venom prolongs the biological activities of the crude venom.

    PubMed

    Ma, Hakim; Xiao-Peng, Tang; Yang, Shi-Long; Lu, Qiu-Min; Lai, Ren

    2016-08-01

    It is hypothesized that protease inhibitors play an essential role in survival of venomous animals through protecting peptide/protein toxins from degradation by proteases in their prey or predators. However, the biological function of protease inhibitors in scorpion venoms remains unknown. In the present study, a trypsin inhibitor was purified and characterized from the venom of scorpion Mesobuthus eupeus, which enhanced the biological activities of crude venom components in mice when injected in combination with crude venom. This protease inhibitor, named MeKTT-1, belonged to Kunitz-type toxins subfamily. Native MeKTT-1 selectively inhibited trypsin with a Kivalue of 130 nmol·L(-1). Furthermore, MeKTT-1 was shown to be a thermo-stable peptide. In animal behavioral tests, MeKTT-1 prolonged the pain behavior induced by scorpion crude venom, suggesting that protease inhibitors in scorpion venom inhibited proteases and protect the functionally important peptide/protein toxins from degradation, consequently keeping them active longer. In conclusion, this was the first experimental evidence about the natural existence of serine protease inhibitor in the venom of scorpion Mesobuthus eupeus, which preserved the activity of venom components, suggests that scorpions may use protease inhibitors for survival. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. The involvement of the cysteine proteases of Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae in excystment.

    PubMed

    Li, Shunyu; Chung, Young-Bae; Chung, Byung-Suk; Choi, Min-Ho; Yu, Jae-Ran; Hong, Sung-Tae

    2004-05-01

    The effects of trypsin, bile, trypsin-bile, pepsin, dithiothreitol (DTT) and metacercarial excretory-secretory product (ESP) on the in vitro excystment of Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae were investigated. The majority of metacercariae excysted immediately in trypsin-bile in PBS solution, a process which was complete after 30 min of incubation. When incubated in metacercarial ESP in PBS, excystment was potentiated in the presence of 5 mM DTT, but was inhibited dose-dependently by a cysteine protease inhibitor, iodoacetic acid. Two active protease bands of 28 and 40 kDa were identified in the ESP of metacercariae by gelatin substrate SDS-PAGE. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the larvae in solutions of DTT and ESP migrated through a small hole on the metacercarial wall, whereas larvae were liberated by entire wall disruption in trypsin solution. These results suggest that trypsin is a major extrinsic factor of the rapid excystment of C. sinensis metacercariae, and that endogenous cysteine proteases are also involved in metacercarial excystment. Copyright 2004 Springer-Verlag

  2. Evidence for Ancient Origins of Bowman-Birk Inhibitors from Selaginella moellendorffii

    PubMed Central

    James, Amy M.; Jayasena, Achala S.; Zhang, Jingjing; Secco, David; Knott, Gavin J.; Whelan, James

    2017-01-01

    Bowman-Birk Inhibitors (BBIs) are a well-known family of plant protease inhibitors first described 70 years ago. BBIs are known only in the legume (Fabaceae) and cereal (Poaceae) families, but peptides that mimic their trypsin-inhibitory loops exist in sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and frogs. The disparate biosynthetic origins and distant phylogenetic distribution implies these loops evolved independently, but their structural similarity suggests a common ancestor. Targeted bioinformatic searches for the BBI inhibitory loop discovered highly divergent BBI-like sequences in the seedless, vascular spikemoss Selaginella moellendorffii. Using de novo transcriptomics, we confirmed expression of five transcripts in S. moellendorffii whose encoded proteins share homology with BBI inhibitory loops. The most highly expressed, BBI3, encodes a protein that inhibits trypsin. We needed to mutate two lysine residues to abolish trypsin inhibition, suggesting BBI3’s mechanism of double-headed inhibition is shared with BBIs from angiosperms. As Selaginella belongs to the lycopod plant lineage, which diverged ∼200 to 230 million years before the common ancestor of angiosperms, its BBI-like proteins imply there was a common ancestor for legume and cereal BBIs. Indeed, we discovered BBI sequences in six angiosperm families outside the Fabaceae and Poaceae. These findings provide the evolutionary missing links between the well-known legume and cereal BBI gene families. PMID:28298518

  3. A new family of cystine knot peptides from the seeds of Momordica cochinchinensis.

    PubMed

    Chan, Lai Yue; He, Wenjun; Tan, Ninghua; Zeng, Guangzhi; Craik, David J; Daly, Norelle L

    2013-01-01

    Momordica cochinchinensis, a Cucurbitaceae plant commonly found in Southeast Asia, has the unusual property of containing both acyclic and backbone-cyclized trypsin inhibitors with inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) motifs. In the current study we have shown that M. cochinchinensis also contains another family of acyclic ICK peptides. We recently reported two novel peptides from M. cochinchinensis but have now discovered four additional peptides (MCo-3-MCo-6) with related sequences. Together these peptides form a novel family of M. cochinchinensis ICK peptides (MCo-ICK) that do not have sequence homology with other known peptides and are not potent trypsin inhibitors. Otherwise these new peptides MCo-3 to MCo-6 were evaluated for antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, and cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. But these peptides were not active. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Bio-detoxification of phorbol esters and other anti-nutrients of Jatropha curcas seed cake by fungal cultures using solid-state fermentation.

    PubMed

    Sharath, B S; Mohankumar, B V; Somashekar, D

    2014-03-01

    Jatropha seed cake, a byproduct after biodiesel extraction, has several anti-nutrients and toxins. Solid-state fermentation was carried out for the detoxification of the Jatropha seed cake (JSC) using different fungal cultures. The reduction in the anti-nutritional components such as tannins, phytates, saponins, lectin and protease inhibitor, and phorbol esters on 6th, 9th, and 12th day of fermentation was analyzed. The phorbol ester content in the unfermented JSC was 0.83 mg/g, and the maximum degradation of phorbol esters to the extent of 75% was observed in the case of JSC fermented with Cunninghamella echinulata CJS-90. The phytate degradation in the fermented JSC was in the range of 65-96%. There was a gradual reduction of saponin content in the JSC from 6th to 12th day, and the reduction of saponin was in the range of 55-99% after solid-state fermentation. The trypsin inhibitor activity and lectin were 1,680 trypsin inhibitor units (TIU) per gram and 0.32 hemagglutinating unit in the unfermented JSC, respectively. Trypsin inhibitor activity and lectin could not be detected in JSC after 12th day of solid-state fermentation. Tannins accounted for 0.53% in unfermented JSC, and there was a marginal increase of tannins after solid-state fermentation. The results indicate that biological detoxification could be a promising method to reduce anti-nutritional compounds and toxins in the JSC.

  5. Trypsin Inhibitors from Cajanus cajan and Phaseolus limensis Possess Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antibacterial Activity.

    PubMed

    Shamsi, Tooba Naz; Parveen, Romana; Afreen, Sumbul; Azam, Mudasser; Sen, Priyankar; Sharma, Yamini; Haque, Qazi Mohd Rizwanul; Fatma, Tasneem; Manzoor, Nikhat; Fatima, Sadaf

    2018-01-18

    Protease inhibitors are one of the most promising and investigated subjects for their role in pharmacognostic and pharmacological studies. This study aimed to investigate antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities of trypsin inhibitors (TIs) from two plant sources (Cajanus cajan and Phaseolus limensis). TI was purified from C. cajan (PUSA-992) by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by ion exchange chromatography. TI from Phaseolus limensis (lima bean trypsin inhibitor; LBTI) was procured from Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The antioxidant activity was analyzed by ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The anti-inflammatory property of TIs was determined by inhibition of albumin denaturation assay. Ascorbic acid and aspirin were used as standards for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assays, respectively. These TIs were tested against various bacterial and fungal strains. The TIs showed DPPH radical-scavenging activity in a concentration-dependent manner with IC 50 values comparable to ascorbic acid. The FRAP values were also observed comparable to ascorbic acid and followed the trend of dose-dependent manner. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values of CCTI and LBTI in anti-inflammatory test showed that LBTI is more potent than CCTI. The TIs showed potent antibacterial activity, but apparently no action against fungi. This study has reported the biological properties of CCTI and LBTI for the first time. The results show that TIs possess the ability to inhibit diseases caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, and bacterial infestation.

  6. Molecular glues for manipulating enzymes: trypsin inhibition by benzamidine-conjugated molecular glues† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthesis of TEG–BA, Gluen–BA, mGluen–BA and Gluen–Ph; 1H NMR, 13C NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, electronic absorption, and CD spectra; zeta potential distributions; SLS plots; DLS histograms; and related experimental procedures. See DOI: 10.1039/c5sc00524h Click here for additional data file.

    PubMed Central

    Mogaki, Rina

    2015-01-01

    Water-soluble bioadhesive polymers bearing multiple guanidinium ion (Gu+) pendants at their side-chain termini (Gluen–BA, n = 10 and 29) that were conjugated with benzamidine (BA) as a trypsin inhibitor were developed. The Gluen–BA molecules are supposed to adhere to oxyanionic regions of the trypsin surface, even in buffer, via a multivalent Gu+/oxyanion salt-bridge interaction, such that their BA group properly blocks the substrate-binding site. In fact, Glue10–BA and Glue29–BA exhibited 35- and 200-fold higher affinities for trypsin, respectively, than a BA derivative without the glue moiety (TEG–BA). Most importantly, Glue10–BA inhibited the protease activity of trypsin 13-fold more than TEG–BA. In sharp contrast, mGlue27–BA, which bears 27 Gu+ units along the main chain and has a 5-fold higher affinity than TEG–BA for trypsin, was inferior even to TEG–BA for trypsin inhibition. PMID:28706668

  7. Isolation, cloning and structural characterisation of boophilin, a multifunctional Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor from the cattle tick.

    PubMed

    Macedo-Ribeiro, Sandra; Almeida, Carla; Calisto, Bárbara M; Friedrich, Thomas; Mentele, Reinhard; Stürzebecher, Jörg; Fuentes-Prior, Pablo; Pereira, Pedro José Barbosa

    2008-02-20

    Inhibitors of coagulation factors from blood-feeding animals display a wide variety of structural motifs and inhibition mechanisms. We have isolated a novel inhibitor from the cattle tick Boophilus microplus, one of the most widespread parasites of farm animals. The inhibitor, which we have termed boophilin, has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Mature boophilin is composed of two canonical Kunitz-type domains, and inhibits not only the major procoagulant enzyme, thrombin, but in addition, and by contrast to all other previously characterised natural thrombin inhibitors, significantly interferes with the proteolytic activity of other serine proteinases such as trypsin and plasmin. The crystal structure of the bovine alpha-thrombin.boophilin complex, refined at 2.35 A resolution reveals a non-canonical binding mode to the proteinase. The N-terminal region of the mature inhibitor, Q16-R17-N18, binds in a parallel manner across the active site of the proteinase, with the guanidinium group of R17 anchored in the S(1) pocket, while the C-terminal Kunitz domain is negatively charged and docks into the basic exosite I of thrombin. This binding mode resembles the previously characterised thrombin inhibitor, ornithodorin which, unlike boophilin, is composed of two distorted Kunitz modules. Unexpectedly, both boophilin domains adopt markedly different orientations when compared to those of ornithodorin, in its complex with thrombin. The N-terminal boophilin domain rotates 9 degrees and is displaced by 6 A, while the C-terminal domain rotates almost 6 degrees accompanied by a 3 A displacement. The reactive-site loop of the N-terminal Kunitz domain of boophilin with its P(1) residue, K31, is fully solvent exposed and could thus bind a second trypsin-like proteinase without sterical restraints. This finding explains the formation of a ternary thrombin.boophilin.trypsin complex, and suggests a mechanism for prothrombinase inhibition in vivo.

  8. Short peptides containing L-lysine and epsilon-aminocaproic acid as potential plasmin inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Purwin, M; Bruzgo, I; Markowska, A; Midura-Nowaczek, K

    2009-11-01

    Eight short peptides containing L-lysine and epsilon-aminocaproic acid were obtained and their effect on the amidolytic activities of plasmin, thrombin and trypsin was examined. Tripeptide amide Boc-EACA-L-Lys-EACA-NH2 was the most effective and specific plasmin inhibitor.

  9. Bowman-Birk inhibitor affects pathways associated with energy metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) is toxic when fed to certain insects, including the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Dietary BBI has been demonstrated to slow growth and increase insect mortality by inhibiting the digestive enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin, resulting in a reduced supply of amino acid...

  10. Protease Inhibitors from Marine Venomous Animals and Their Counterparts in Terrestrial Venomous Animals

    PubMed Central

    Mourão, Caroline B.F.; Schwartz, Elisabeth F.

    2013-01-01

    The Kunitz-type protease inhibitors are the best-characterized family of serine protease inhibitors, probably due to their abundance in several organisms. These inhibitors consist of a chain of ~60 amino acid residues stabilized by three disulfide bridges, and was first observed in the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI)-like protease inhibitors, which strongly inhibit trypsin and chymotrypsin. In this review we present the protease inhibitors (PIs) described to date from marine venomous animals, such as from sea anemone extracts and Conus venom, as well as their counterparts in terrestrial venomous animals, such as snakes, scorpions, spiders, Anurans, and Hymenopterans. More emphasis was given to the Kunitz-type inhibitors, once they are found in all these organisms. Their biological sources, specificity against different proteases, and other molecular blanks (being also K+ channel blockers) are presented, followed by their molecular diversity. Whereas sea anemone, snakes and other venomous animals present mainly Kunitz-type inhibitors, PIs from Anurans present the major variety in structure length and number of Cys residues, with at least six distinguishable classes. A representative alignment of PIs from these venomous animals shows that, despite eventual differences in Cys assignment, the key-residues for the protease inhibitory activity in all of them occupy similar positions in primary sequence. The key-residues for the K+ channel blocking activity was also compared. PMID:23771044

  11. Purification and characterization of native and recombinant SaPIN2a, a plant sieve element-localized proteinase inhibitor.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhen-Yu; Ding, Ling-Wen; Ge, Zhi-Juan; Wang, Zhaoyu; Wang, Fanghai; Li, Ning; Xu, Zeng-Fu

    2007-01-01

    SaPIN2a encodes a proteinase inhibitor in nightshade (Solanum americanum), which is specifically localized to the enucleate sieve elements. It has been proposed to play an important role in phloem development by regulating proteolysis in sieve elements. In this study, we purified and characterized native SaPIN2a from nightshade stems and recombinant SaPIN2a expressed in Escherichia coli. Purified native SaPIN2a was found as a charge isomer family of homodimers, and was weakly glycosylated. Native SaPIN2a significantly inhibited serine proteinases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, and subtilisin, with the most potent inhibitory activity on subtilisin. It did not inhibit cysteine proteinase papain and aspartic proteinase cathepsin D. Recombinant SaPIN2a had a strong inhibitory effect on chymotrypsin, but its inhibitory activities toward trypsin and especially toward subtilisin were greatly reduced. In addition, native SaPIN2a can effectively inhibit midgut trypsin-like activities from Trichoplusia ni and Spodoptera litura larvae, suggesting a potential for the production of insect-resistant transgenic plants.

  12. Determination and reoxidation of the disulfide bridges of a squash-type trypsin inhibitor from Sechium edule seeds.

    PubMed

    Faça, Vitor M; Pereira, Sandra R; Laure, Hélen J; Greene, Lewis J

    2004-07-01

    The determination of the disulfide pairings of SETI-II, a trypsin inhibitor isolated from Sechium edule, is described herein. The inhibitor contains 31 amino acid residues per mol, 6 of which are cysteine. Forty-five nmol (160 microg) of SETI-II was hydrolyzed with 20 microg thermolysin for 48 hr at 45 degrees C, and peptides were separated by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The major products were identified by amino acid composition, Edman degradation, and on the basis of the sequence of the inhibitor. The disulfide bridge pairings and (yields) are: Cys1-Cys4 (79%), Cys2-Cys5 (21%) and Cys3-Cys6 (43%). When the reduced inhibitor was reoxidized with glutathione reduced form (GSH)/glutathione oxidized form (GSSG) at pH 8.5 for 3 hr, full activity was recovered. These data show that disulfide bridge pairing and oxidation can be determined at nanomole levels and that sensitive and quantitative Edman degradation can eliminate the final time- and material-consuming step of disulfide determinations by eliminating the need to purify and cleave each peptide containing a disulfide bridge.

  13. Biotechnological traps for the reduction of inflammation due to cardiopulmonary bypass operations.

    PubMed

    Grano, Valentina; Salamino, Franca; Melloni, Edon; Minafra, Roberto; Regola, Eliana; Diano, Nadia; Nicolucci, Carla; Attanasio, Angelina; Nappi, Gianantonio; Cotrufo, Maurizio; Maresca, Lucio; De Santo, Natale Gaspare; Mita, Damiano Gustavo

    2006-07-01

    Cardiopulmonary bypass induces a systemic inflammatory response (SIR), characterized by the activation of cellular and humoral elements, with concomitant release of neutrophil elastase and matrix-metallo proteinases. In the present study, the protease release during extracorporeal circulation in 28 patients undergoing cardiac surgical operations was monitored using casein zymography. A peak in protease activity was found in all patients at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass. Plasma samples of patients were allowed to interact with different traps obtained by immobilizing different protease inhibitors on specific carriers. alpha1-Antitrypsin, Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor, Elastatinal or Leupeptin were used as inhibitors and were covalently immobilized by diazotization or by condensation. A reduction in the proteolytic activity of the plasma samples was observed after interaction with the different traps. The most efficient traps, i.e. the ones displaying greatest power to inhibit protease activity, were those obtained by immobilizing Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor and Leupeptin. The biocompatibility of traps was also tested. Results show that protease activity in blood can be decreased by our protease traps.

  14. Trypsin cleavage of the baculovirus occlusion-derived virus attachment protein P74 is prerequisite in per os infection.

    PubMed

    Slack, Jeffrey M; Lawrence, Susan D; Krell, Peter J; Arif, Basil M

    2008-10-01

    Baculovirus occlusion-derived virions (ODVs) contain a number of infectivity factors essential for the initiation of infection in larval midgut cells. Deletion of any of these factors neutralizes infectivity by the per os route. We have observed that P74 of the group I alphabaculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is N-terminally cleaved when a soluble form of the protein was incubated with insect midgut tissues under alkaline conditions and that cleavage was prevented by soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI). Presently, biological assays were carried out that suggest SBTI inhibits and trypsin enhances baculovirus per os infectivity. We developed a method to rescue per os infectivity of a P74 null virus involving co-transfection of viral DNA with a plasmid that transiently expresses p74. We used this plasmid rescue method to functionally characterize P74. A series of site-directed mutants were generated at the N terminus to evaluate if trypsin cleavage sites were necessary for function. Mutagenesis of R195, R196 and R199 compromised per os infectivity and rendered P74 resistant to midgut trypsin.

  15. Effects of gamma radiation on total phenolics, trypsin and tannin inhibitors in soybean grains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Toledo, T. C. F.; Canniatti-Brazaca, S. G.; Arthur, V.; Piedade, S. M. S.

    2007-10-01

    The objective was determining possible radiation-induced alterations (with doses of 2, 4 and 8 kGy) in raw or cooked grains from five soybean cultivars through the analysis of some antinutrient. Total phenolic ranged from 2.46 to 10.83 mg/g, the trypsin inhibited from 18.19 to 71.64 UTI/g and tannins from 0.01 to 0.39 mg/g. All the antinutrient studied underwent reduction with increases in the doses and cooking process was effective too.

  16. Methacrylate gels with epoxide groups as supports for immobilization of enzymes in pH range 3-12.

    PubMed

    Turková, J; Bláha, K; Malaníková, M; Vancurová, D; Svec, F; Kálal, J

    1978-05-11

    Glycidyl methacrylate gels are carriers suitable for attachment of enzymes and for use in affinity chromatography. Experiments on the coupling of glycyl-L-leucine and acetyl-L-leucine to these gels have shown a high pH-dependence of the bond formation between the support and the alpha-amino group (pH optimum 9.7); the coupling reaction between the epoxide group and the carboxyl group is practically pH-independent. Serum albumin and trypsin were attached to a greater extent in acidic than in alkaline media. The effects of time and temperature were also studied. The catalytic action of immobilized trypsin, as well as its use for affinity chromatography of trypsin inhibitor, were studied.

  17. [Fish ovarian fluid contains protease inhibitors].

    PubMed

    Minin, A A; Ozerova, S G

    2015-01-01

    Studies of the conditions under which fish egg is activated spontaneously without the sperm showed that the egg retains the ability for fertilization in the ovarian (coelomic) fluid, which surrounds it in the gonad cavity after ovulation. Earlier, we showed that, in artificial media, the spontaneous activation is suppressed by protease inhibitors. In this study, we investigated the presence of natural protease inhibitors in the ovarian fluid and showed that the ovarian fluid of zebrafish and loach contains protease inhibitors, in particular, type I serpin a, a protein inhibitor of trypsin proteases.

  18. Loss of second and sixth conserved cysteine residues from trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain-type protease inhibitors in Bombyx mori may induce activity against microbial proteases.

    PubMed

    Li, Youshan; Liu, Huawei; Zhu, Rui; Xia, Qingyou; Zhao, Ping

    2016-12-01

    Previous studies have indicated that most trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain (TIL)-type protease inhibitors, which contain a single TIL domain with ten conserved cysteines, inhibit cathepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, or elastase. Our recent findings suggest that Cys 2nd and Cys 6th were lost from the TIL domain of the fungal-resistance factors in Bombyx mori, BmSPI38 and BmSPI39, which inhibit microbial proteases and the germination of Beauveria bassiana conidia. To reveal the significance of these two missing cysteines in relation to the structure and function of TIL-type protease inhibitors in B. mori, cysteines were introduced at these two positions (D36 and L56 in BmSPI38, D38 and L58 in BmSPI39) by site-directed mutagenesis. The homology structure model of TIL domain of the wild-type and mutated form of BmSPI39 showed that two cysteine mutations may cause incorrect disulfide bond formation of B. mori TIL-type protease inhibitors. The results of Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated that both the wild-type and mutated form of BmSPI39 harbored predominantly random coil structures, and had slightly different secondary structure compositions. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis showed that cysteine mutations affected the multimerization states and electrophoretic mobility of BmSPI38 and BmSPI39. Activity staining and protease inhibition assays showed that the introduction of cysteine mutations dramaticly reduced the activity of inhibitors against microbial proteases, such as subtilisin A from Bacillus licheniformis, protease K from Engyodontium album, protease from Aspergillus melleus. We also systematically analyzed the key residue sites, which may greatly influence the specificity and potency of TIL-type protease inhibitors. We found that the two missing cysteines in B. mori TIL-type protease inhibitors might be crucial for their inhibitory activities against microbial proteases. The genetic engineering of TIL-type protease inhibitors may be applied in both health care and agricultural industries, and could lead to new methods for breeding fungus-resistant transgenic crops and antifungal transgenic silkworm strains. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Discovery of natural mouse serum derived HIV-1 entry inhibitor(s).

    PubMed

    Wei, M; Chen, Y; Xi, J; Ru, S; Ji, M; Zhang, D; Fang, Q; Tang, B

    Among rationally designed human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) inhibitors, diverse natural factors have showed as potent anti-HIV activity in human blood. We have discovered that the boiled supernatant of healthy mouse serum could suppress HIV-1 entry, and exhibited reduced inhibitory activity after trypsin digestion. Further analysis demonstrated that only the fraction containing 10-25 K proteins could inhibit HIV-1 mediated cell-cell fusion. These results suggest that the 10-25 K protein(s) is novel natural HIV-1 entry inhibitor(s). Our findings provide important information about novel natural HIV entry inhibitors in mouse serum.

  20. Oligopeptidase B from Serratia proteamaculans. III. Inhibition analysis. Specific interactions with metalloproteinase inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Mikhailova, A G; Khairullin, R F; Kolomijtseva, G Ya; Rumsh, L D

    2012-03-01

    Inhibition of the novel oligopeptidase B from Serratia proteamaculans (PSP) by basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, Zn2+ ions, and o- and m-phenanthroline was investigated. A pronounced effect of calcium ions on the interaction of PSP with inhibitors was demonstrated. Inversion voltamperometry and atomic absorption spectrometry revealed no zinc ions in the PSP molecule. Hydrophobic nature of the enzyme inhibition by o- and m-phenanthroline was established.

  1. Cathepsin B Activity Initiates Apoptosis via Digestive Protease Activation in Pancreatic Acinar Cells and Experimental Pancreatitis*

    PubMed Central

    Sendler, Matthias; Maertin, Sandrina; John, Daniel; Persike, Maria; Weiss, F. Ulrich; Krüger, Burkhard; Wartmann, Thomas; Wagh, Preshit; Halangk, Walter; Schaschke, Norbert; Mayerle, Julia; Lerch, Markus M.

    2016-01-01

    Pancreatitis is associated with premature activation of digestive proteases in the pancreas. The lysosomal hydrolase cathepsin B (CTSB) is a known activator of trypsinogen, and its deletion reduces disease severity in experimental pancreatitis. Here we studied the activation mechanism and subcellular compartment in which CTSB regulates protease activation and cellular injury. Cholecystokinin (CCK) increased the activity of CTSB, cathepsin L, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and caspase 3 in vivo and in vitro and induced redistribution of CTSB to a secretory vesicle-enriched fraction. Neither CTSB protein nor activity redistributed to the cytosol, where the CTSB inhibitors cystatin-B/C were abundantly present. Deletion of CTSB reduced and deletion of cathepsin L increased intracellular trypsin activation. CTSB deletion also abolished CCK-induced caspase 3 activation, apoptosis-inducing factor, as well as X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein degradation, but these depended on trypsinogen activation via CTSB. Raising the vesicular pH, but not trypsin inhibition, reduced CTSB activity. Trypsin inhibition did not affect apoptosis in hepatocytes. Deletion of CTSB affected apoptotic but not necrotic acinar cell death. In summary, CTSB in pancreatitis undergoes activation in a secretory, vesicular, and acidic compartment where it activates trypsinogen. Its deletion or inhibition regulates acinar cell apoptosis but not necrosis in two models of pancreatitis. Caspase 3-mediated apoptosis depends on intravesicular trypsinogen activation induced by CTSB, not CTSB activity directly, and this mechanism is pancreas-specific. PMID:27226576

  2. Cathepsin B Activity Initiates Apoptosis via Digestive Protease Activation in Pancreatic Acinar Cells and Experimental Pancreatitis.

    PubMed

    Sendler, Matthias; Maertin, Sandrina; John, Daniel; Persike, Maria; Weiss, F Ulrich; Krüger, Burkhard; Wartmann, Thomas; Wagh, Preshit; Halangk, Walter; Schaschke, Norbert; Mayerle, Julia; Lerch, Markus M

    2016-07-08

    Pancreatitis is associated with premature activation of digestive proteases in the pancreas. The lysosomal hydrolase cathepsin B (CTSB) is a known activator of trypsinogen, and its deletion reduces disease severity in experimental pancreatitis. Here we studied the activation mechanism and subcellular compartment in which CTSB regulates protease activation and cellular injury. Cholecystokinin (CCK) increased the activity of CTSB, cathepsin L, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and caspase 3 in vivo and in vitro and induced redistribution of CTSB to a secretory vesicle-enriched fraction. Neither CTSB protein nor activity redistributed to the cytosol, where the CTSB inhibitors cystatin-B/C were abundantly present. Deletion of CTSB reduced and deletion of cathepsin L increased intracellular trypsin activation. CTSB deletion also abolished CCK-induced caspase 3 activation, apoptosis-inducing factor, as well as X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein degradation, but these depended on trypsinogen activation via CTSB. Raising the vesicular pH, but not trypsin inhibition, reduced CTSB activity. Trypsin inhibition did not affect apoptosis in hepatocytes. Deletion of CTSB affected apoptotic but not necrotic acinar cell death. In summary, CTSB in pancreatitis undergoes activation in a secretory, vesicular, and acidic compartment where it activates trypsinogen. Its deletion or inhibition regulates acinar cell apoptosis but not necrosis in two models of pancreatitis. Caspase 3-mediated apoptosis depends on intravesicular trypsinogen activation induced by CTSB, not CTSB activity directly, and this mechanism is pancreas-specific. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  3. Purification and characterization of a newly serine protease inhibitor from Rhamnus frangula with potential for use as therapeutic drug.

    PubMed

    Bacha, Abir Ben; Jemel, Ikram; Moubayed, Nadine M S; Abdelmalek, Imen Ben

    2017-06-01

    Protease inhibitors from plants are well known to be potent inhibitors of the growth of bacteria, fungi, and even certain viruses which make them excellent candidates for use as the lead compounds for the development of novel antimicrobial agents for applications in medicine. In this study, Rhamnus frangula was selected as a protease inhibitor source. The maximum recovery of the protease inhibitor against trypsin was recorded in the crude extract made in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) and isolated from the mature leaves. Then, the protease inhibitor designated as RfIP1 was purified to homogeneity by Sephadex G50 with an apparent molecular mass of 22.5 kDa and its N-terminal sequence exhibited a high degree of homology with known serine protease inhibitor sequences. The RfIP1 displayed maximal activity at pH 7 and 37 °C. It maintained almost 80% of its maximal activity through a large pH range. The thermo-stability of RfIP1 was markedly enhanced by BSA, CaCl 2, and sorbitol, whereas the addition of Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ , NaTDC, SDS, DTT, and β-ME significantly promoted inhibitory activity. The protease inhibitor displayed high inhibitory activity toward some known proteases (cathepsin B, chymotrypsin, collagenase, thrombin, and trypsin) that have more importance in pharmaceutical industry and it acted as potent inhibitor of some commercially proteases from Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus sp, and Bacillus licheniformis. The protease inhibitor also possessed an appreciable antibacterial effect against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

  4. Effect of SQ29,852, a new angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor with a phosphonic acid group, on the activity of angiotensin converting enzyme from human kidney.

    PubMed

    Hiwada, K; Inoue, Y; Kokubu, T

    1990-01-01

    1. An in vitro experiment was carried out to compare the inhibitory effect of SQ29,852 on human renal angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) with those of captopril, enalapril and enalaprilat. 2. SQ29,852 strongly inhibited human renal ACE; its IC50 value was 1.5 x 10(-8) M. In terms of the IC50, SQ29,852's efficacy was about 1/10 of that of captopril and 1/28 of that of enalaprilat, but it was about 14 times more potent than enalapril. 3. SQ29,852 showed no inhibitory effects on cathepsin D, urinary kallikrein, renal renin, pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Its ACE-specificity was higher than that of captopril. 4. ACE inhibition by SQ29,852 was shown to be competitive, as revealed by Lineweaver-Burk plots. The affinity of SQ29,852 to ACE was shown to be high by a Ki value of 1.2 x 10(-8) M.

  5. Effects of different dietary conditions on the expression of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like protease genes in the digestive system of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria.

    PubMed

    Spit, Jornt; Zels, Sven; Dillen, Senne; Holtof, Michiel; Wynant, Niels; Vanden Broeck, Jozef

    2014-05-01

    While technological advancements have recently led to a steep increase in genomic and transcriptomic data, and large numbers of protease sequences are being discovered in diverse insect species, little information is available about the expression of digestive enzymes in Orthoptera. Here we describe the identification of Locusta migratoria serine protease transcripts (cDNAs) involved in digestion, which might serve as possible targets for pest control management. A total of 5 putative trypsin and 15 putative chymotrypsin gene sequences were characterized. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these are distributed among 3 evolutionary conserved clusters. In addition, we have determined the relative gene expression levels of representative members in the gut under different feeding conditions. This study demonstrated that the transcript levels for all measured serine proteases were strongly reduced after starvation. On the other hand, larvae of L. migratoria displayed compensatory effects to the presence of Soybean Bowman Birk (SBBI) and Soybean Trypsin (SBTI) inhibitors in their diet by differential upregulation of multiple proteases. A rapid initial upregulation was observed for all tested serine protease transcripts, while only for members belonging to class I, the transcript levels remained elevated after prolonged exposure. In full agreement with these results, we also observed an increase in proteolytic activity in midgut secretions of locusts that were accustomed to the presence of protease inhibitors in their diet, while no change in sensitivity to these inhibitors was observed. Taken together, this paper is the first comprehensive study on dietary dependent transcript levels of proteolytic enzymes in Orthoptera. Our data suggest that compensatory response mechanisms to protease inhibitor ingestion may have appeared early in insect evolution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Small molecule inhibitors of mesotrypsin from a structure-based docking screen

    DOE PAGES

    Kayode, Olumide; Huang, Zunnan; Soares, Alexei S.; ...

    2017-05-02

    PRSS3/mesotrypsin is an atypical isoform of trypsin, the upregulation of which has been implicated in promoting tumor progression. To date there are no mesotrypsin-selective pharmacological inhibitors which could serve as tools for deciphering the pathological role of this enzyme, and could potentially form the basis for novel therapeutic strategies targeting mesotrypsin. A virtual screen of the Natural Product Database (NPD) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Drug Database was conducted by high-throughput molecular docking utilizing crystal structures of mesotrypsin. Twelve high-scoring compounds were selected for testing based on lowest free energy docking scores, interaction with key mesotrypsin active sitemore » residues, and commercial availability. Diminazene (C1D22956468), along with two similar compounds presenting the bis-benzamidine substructure, was validated as a competitive inhibitor of mesotrypsin and other human trypsin isoforms. Diminazene is the most potent small molecule inhibitor of mesotrypsin reported to date with an inhibitory constant (K i) of 3.6±0.3 pM. Diminazene was subsequently co-crystalized with mesotrypsin and the crystal structure was solved and refined to 1.25 Å resolution. This high resolution crystal structure can now offer a foundation for structure-guided efforts to develop novel and potentially more selective mesotrypsin inhibitors based on similar molecular substructures.« less

  7. Small molecule inhibitors of mesotrypsin from a structure-based docking screen

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kayode, Olumide; Huang, Zunnan; Soares, Alexei S.

    PRSS3/mesotrypsin is an atypical isoform of trypsin, the upregulation of which has been implicated in promoting tumor progression. To date there are no mesotrypsin-selective pharmacological inhibitors which could serve as tools for deciphering the pathological role of this enzyme, and could potentially form the basis for novel therapeutic strategies targeting mesotrypsin. A virtual screen of the Natural Product Database (NPD) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Drug Database was conducted by high-throughput molecular docking utilizing crystal structures of mesotrypsin. Twelve high-scoring compounds were selected for testing based on lowest free energy docking scores, interaction with key mesotrypsin active sitemore » residues, and commercial availability. Diminazene (C1D22956468), along with two similar compounds presenting the bis-benzamidine substructure, was validated as a competitive inhibitor of mesotrypsin and other human trypsin isoforms. Diminazene is the most potent small molecule inhibitor of mesotrypsin reported to date with an inhibitory constant (K i) of 3.6±0.3 pM. Diminazene was subsequently co-crystalized with mesotrypsin and the crystal structure was solved and refined to 1.25 Å resolution. This high resolution crystal structure can now offer a foundation for structure-guided efforts to develop novel and potentially more selective mesotrypsin inhibitors based on similar molecular substructures.« less

  8. Four rice seed cDNA clones belonging to the alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitor gene family encode potential rice allergens.

    PubMed

    Alvarez, A M; Fukuhara, E; Nakase, M; Adachi, T; Aoki, N; Nakamura, R; Matsuda, T

    1995-07-01

    Four rice seed proteins encoded by cDNAs belonging to the alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitor gene family were overexpressed as TrpE-fusion proteins in E. coli. The expressed rice proteins were detected by SDS-PAGE as major proteins in bacterial cell lysates. Western blot analyses showed that all the recombinant proteins were immunologically reactive to rabbit polyclonal antibodies and to a mouse monoclonal antibody (25B9) specific for a previously isolated rice allergen of 16 kDa. Some truncated proteins from deletion mutants of the cDNAs retained their reactivity to the specific antibodies. These results suggest that the cDNAs encode potential rice allergens and that some epitopes of the recombinant proteins are still immunoreactive when they are expressed as their fragments.

  9. Aspergillus oryzae GB-107 fermentation improves nutritional quality of food soybeans and feed soybean meals.

    PubMed

    Hong, Kee-Jong; Lee, Chan-Ho; Kim, Sung Woo

    2004-01-01

    This study evaluated the effect of fermentation on the nutritional quality of food-grade soybeans and feed-grade soybean meals. Soybeans and soybean meals were fermented by Aspergillus oryzae GB-107 in a bed-packed solid fermentor for 48 hours. After fermentation, their nutrient contents as well as trypsin inhibitor were measured and compared with those of raw soybeans and soybean meals. Proteins were extracted from fermented and non-fermented soybeans and soybean meals, and the peptide characteristics were evaluated after electrophoresis. Fermented soybeans and fermented soybean meals contained 10% more (P < .05) crude protein than raw soybeans and soybean meals. The essential amino acid profile was unchanged after fermentation. Fermentation eliminated (P < .05) most of the trypsin inhibitor from both soybeans and soybean meals. Fermentation increased the amount of small-size peptides (<20 kDa) (P < .05) compared with raw soybeans, while significantly decreasing large-size peptides (>60 kDa) (P < .05). Fermented soybean meal contained more (P < .01) small-size peptides (<20 kDa) than soybean meal. Fermented soybean meal did not contain large-size peptides (>60 kDa), whereas 22.1% of peptides in soybean meal were large-size (>60 kDa). Collectively, fermentation increased protein content, eliminated trypsin inhibitors, and reduced peptide size in soybeans and soybean meals. These effects of fermentation might make soy foods more useful in human diets as a functional food and benefit livestock as a novel feed ingredient.

  10. Differences in Grain Ultrastructure, Phytochemical and Proteomic Profiles between the Two Contrasting Grain Cd-Accumulation Barley Genotypes

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Hongyan; Cao, Fangbin; Wang, Nanbo; Zhang, Mian; Mosaddek Ahmed, Imrul; Zhang, Guoping; Wu, Feibo

    2013-01-01

    To reveal grain physio-chemical and proteomic differences between two barley genotypes, Zhenong8 and W6nk2 of high- and low- grain-Cd-accumulation, grain profiles of ultrastructure, amino acid and proteins were compared. Results showed that W6nk2 possesses significantly lower protein content, with hordein depicting the greatest genotypic difference, compared with Zhenong8, and lower amino acid contents with especially lower proportion of Glu, Tyr, Phe and Pro. Both scanning and transmission electron microscopy observation declared that the size of A-type starch molecule in W6nk2 was considerably larger than that of Zhenong8. Grains of Zhenong8 exhibited more protein-rich deposits around starch granules, with some A-type granules having surface pits. Seventeen proteins were identified in grains, using 2-DE coupled with mass spectrometry, with higher expression in Zhenong8 than that in W6nk2; including z-type serpin, serpin-Z7 and alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitor CM, carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis and signal transduction related proteins. Twelve proteins were less expressed in Zhenong8 than that in W6nk2; including barley trypsin inhibitor chloroform/methanol-soluble protein (BTI-CMe2.1, BTI-CMe2.2), trypsin inhibitor, dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), pericentrin, dynein heavy chain and some antiviral related proteins. The data extend our understanding of mechanisms underlying Cd accumulation/tolerance and provides possible utilization of elite genetic resources in developing low-grain-Cd barley cultivars. PMID:24260165

  11. Structural and functional characterization of proteinase inhibitors from seeds of Cajanus cajan (cv. ICP 7118).

    PubMed

    Swathi, Marri; Lokya, Vadthya; Swaroop, Vanka; Mallikarjuna, Nalini; Kannan, Monica; Dutta-Gupta, Aparna; Padmasree, Kollipara

    2014-10-01

    Proteinase inhibitors (C11PI) from mature dry seeds of Cajanus cajan (cv. ICP 7118) were purified by chromatography which resulted in 87-fold purification and 7.9% yield. SDS-PAGE, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) mass spectrum and two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis together resolved that C11PI possessed molecular mass of 8385.682 Da and existed as isoinhibitors. However, several of these isoinhibitors exhibited self association tendency to form small oligomers. All the isoinhibitors resolved in Native-PAGE and 2-D gel electrophoresis showed inhibitory activity against bovine pancreatic trypsin and chymotrypsin as well as Achaea janata midgut trypsin-like proteases (AjPs), a devastating pest of castor plant. Partial sequences of isoinhibitor (pI 6.0) obtained from MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis and N-terminal sequencing showed 100% homology to Bowman-Birk Inhibitors (BBIs) of leguminous plants. C11PI showed non-competitive inhibition against trypsin and chymotrypsin. A marginal loss (<15%) in C11PI activity against trypsin at 80 (°)C and basic pH (12.0) was associated with concurrent changes in its far-UV CD spectra. Further, in vitro assays demonstrated that C11PI possessed significant inhibitory potential (IC50 of 78 ng) against AjPs. On the other hand, in vivo leaf coating assays demonstrated that C11PI caused significant mortality rate with concomitant reduction in body weight of both larvae and pupae, prolonged the duration of transition from larva to pupa along with formation of abnormal larval-pupal and pupal-adult intermediates. Being smaller peptides, it is possible to express C11PI in castor to protect them against its devastating pest A. janata. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Wound and methyl jasmonate induced pigeon pea defensive proteinase inhibitor has potency to inhibit insect digestive proteinases.

    PubMed

    Lomate, Purushottam R; Hivrale, Vandana K

    2012-08-01

    Wounding of plants by chewing insects or other damage induces the synthesis of defensive proteinase inhibitors (PI) in both wounded and distal unwounded leaves. In the present paper we report the characterization of inducible defensive PI from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) and its in vitro interaction with Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases (HGP). We found that PI activity was induced in local as well as systemic leaves of pigeon pea by the wounding and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) application. Consistent induction of PI was observed in two wild cultivars of pigeon pea at various growth stages. The estimated molecular weight of inducible PI was ~16.5 kDa. Electrophoretic analysis and enzyme assays revealed that the induced PI significantly inhibited total gut proteinase as well as trypsin-like activity from the midgut of H. armigera. The induced PI was found to be inhibitor of trypsin as well as chymotrypsin. Study could be important to know the further roles of defensive PIs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  13. Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR(2)) in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cells: effects on signaling and cellular level.

    PubMed

    Kaufmann, Roland; Hascher, Alexander; Mussbach, Franziska; Henklein, Petra; Katenkamp, Kathrin; Westermann, Martin; Settmacher, Utz

    2012-12-01

    In this study, we demonstrate functional expression of the proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR(2)), a member of a G-protein receptor subfamily in primary cholangiocarcinoma (PCCA) cell cultures. Treatment of PCCA cells with the serine proteinase trypsin and the PAR(2)-selective activating peptide, furoyl-LIGRLO-NH(2), increased migration across a collagen membrane barrier. This effect was inhibited by a PAR(2)-selective pepducin antagonist peptide (P2pal-18S) and it was also blocked with the Met receptor tyrosine kinase (Met) inhibitors SU 11274 and PHA 665752, the MAPKinase inhibitors PD 98059 and SL 327, and the Stat3 inhibitor Stattic. The involvement of Met, p42/p44 MAPKinases and Stat3 in PAR(2)-mediated PCCA cell signaling was further supported by the findings that trypsin and the PAR(2)-selective agonist peptide, 2-furoyl-LIGRLO-NH(2), stimulated activating phosphorylation of these signaling molecules in cholangiocarcinoma cells. With our results, we provide a novel signal transduction module in cholangiocarcinoma cell migration involving PAR(2)-driven activation of Met, p42/p44 MAPKinases and Stat3.

  14. Helodermatine, a kallikrein-like, hypotensive enzyme from the venom of Heloderma horridum horridum (Mexican beaded lizard)

    PubMed Central

    1986-01-01

    We have purified and characterized the major N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester hydrolase from the venom of Heloderma horridum horridum. The enzyme belongs to the serine proteinase family, and its activity vs. peptide amide substrates and human high-molecular-weight kininogen suggests a similarity to the family of kallikreins. This interpretation is corroborated by its reactivity with the natural inhibitors soybean trypsin inhibitor and Kunitz-type bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (aprotinin). Injection of the enzyme (2-16 micrograms/kg) into anesthetized rabbits leads to a rapid dose-dependent transient decrease of the arterial blood pressure. Like glandular kallikrein it specifically converts single-chain tissue type plasminogen activator into its double chain form. In contrast to other kallikrein-like enzymes from snake venoms it shows no thrombin-like or plasminogen activator activity. The enzyme is a single-chain glycoprotein (Mr 63,000). The N-terminal sequence revealed significant homology to pig pancreatic kallikrein and to kallikrein like enzymes from Crotalus atrox and Crotalus adamanteus venom. This enzyme, which we name Helodermatine, is the first purified from Sauria with kallikrein-like properties. PMID:3537191

  15. Recombinant Buckwheat Trypsin Inhibitor Induces Mitophagy by Directly Targeting Mitochondria and Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Hep G2 Cells.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhuanhua; Li, Shanshan; Ren, Rong; Li, Jiao; Cui, Xiaodong

    2015-09-09

    Mitochondria are essential targets for cancer chemotherapy and other disease treatments. Recombinant buckwheat trypsin inhibitor (rBTI), a member of the potato type I proteinase inhibitor family, was derived from tartary buckwheat extracts. Our results showed that rBTI directly targeted mitochondria and induced mitochondrial fragmentation and mitophagy. This occurs through enhanced depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation associated with the rise of the superoxide dismutase and catalase activity and glutathione peroxidase (GSH) content, and changes in the GSH/oxidized glutathione ratio. Mild and transient ROS induced by rBTI were shown to be important signaling molecules required to induce Hep G2 mitophagy to remove dysfunctional mitochondria. Furthermore, rBTI could directly induce mitochondrial fragmentation. It was also noted that rBTI highly increased colocalization of mitochondria in treated cells compared to nontreated cells. Tom 20, a subunit of the translocase of the mitochondrial outer membrane complex responsible for recognizing mitochondrial presequences, may be the direct target of rBTI.

  16. Purification of a novel myofibril-bound serine proteinase inhibitor (MBSPI) from the skeletal muscle of lizard fish.

    PubMed

    Cao, M J; Osatomi, K; Hara, K; Ishihara, T

    2001-01-01

    A novel myofibril-bound serine proteinase inhibitor (MBSPI) was purified to homogeneity from the skeletal muscle of lizard fish (Saurida wanieso). Purification was carried out by ammonium sulfate fractionation, followed by column chromatographies on DEAE-Sephacel, SP-Sepharose and Sephadex G-150. MBSPI was purified 7.7-fold starting from the DEAE-Sephacel fraction, with a yield of 0.2%. It is a monomeric protein with the molecular mass of 50 kDa as estimated by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. MBSPI reveals high inhibition specificity toward a myofibril-bound serine proteinase (MBSP) purified from lizard fish muscle. No inhibition is detected toward bovine trypsin, bovine chymotrypsin, two trypsins from carp hepatopancreas and a serine proteinase isolated from the sarcoplasmic fraction of white croaker muscle. It does not exert any inhibitory activity toward a myofibril-bound serine proteinase from carp muscle.

  17. Understanding the Effects of Genotype, Growing Year, and Breeding on Tunisian Durum Wheat Allergenicity. 1. The Baker's Asthma Case.

    PubMed

    Boukid, Fatma; Prandi, Barbara; Sforza, Stefano; Sayar, Rhouma; Seo, Yong Weon; Mejri, Mondher; Yacoubi, Ines

    2017-07-19

    Baker's asthma is a serious airway disease triggered by wheat protein CM3 α-amylase/trypsin inhibitor. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of genotype and crop year on allergen CM3 α-amylase/trypsin inhibitor associated with baker's asthma. A historical series of Tunisian durum wheat (100 accessions), derived from three crop years, was used to compare the amount of CM3 from landraces to advanced cultivars. CM3 protein quantification was assessed after an enzymatic cleavage of the soluble protein extracts on a UPLC/ESI-MS system, using a marker peptide for its quantification. Combined data analysis of variance revealed an important effect of genotype, crop year, and their interaction. The CM3 allergenic proteins were found to significantly vary among studied genotypes, as confirmed by genetic variability, coefficient of variance, heritability, and genetic advance.

  18. The spinal inhibition of N-type voltage-gated calcium channels selectively prevents scratching behavior in mice.

    PubMed

    Maciel, I S; Azevedo, V M; Pereira, T C; Bogo, M R; Souza, A H; Gomez, M V; Campos, M M

    2014-09-26

    The present study investigated the effects of pharmacological spinal inhibition of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) in mouse pruritus. The epidural administration of P/Q-type MVIIC or PhTx3.3, L-type verapamil, T-type NNC 55-0396 or R-type SNX-482 VGCC blockers failed to alter the scratching behavior caused by the proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) activator trypsin, injected into the mouse nape skin. Otherwise, trypsin-elicited pruritus was markedly reduced by the spinal administration of preferential N-type VGCC inhibitors MVIIA and Phα1β. Time-course experiments revealed that Conus magus-derived toxin MVIIA displayed significant effects when dosed from 1h to 4h before trypsin, while the anti-pruritic effects of Phα1β from Phoneutria nigriventer remained significant for up to 12h. In addition to reducing trypsin-evoked itching, MVIIA or Phα1β also prevented the itching elicited by intradermal (i.d.) injection of SLIGRL-NH2, compound 48/80 or chloroquine, although they did not affect H2O2-induced scratching behavior. Furthermore, the co-administration of MVIIA or Phα1β markedly inhibited the pruritus caused by the spinal injection of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), but not morphine. Notably, the epidural administration of MVIIA or Phα1β greatly prevented the chronic pruritus allied to dry skin model. However, either tested toxin failed to alter the edema formation or neutrophil influx caused by trypsin, whereas they significantly reduced the c-Fos activation in laminas I, II and III of the spinal cord. Our data bring novel evidence on itching transmission mechanisms, pointing out the therapeutic relevance of N-type VGCC inhibitors to control refractory pruritus. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Edible provenances of Jatropha curcas from Quintana Roo state of Mexico and effect of roasting on antinutrient and toxic factors in seeds.

    PubMed

    Makkar, H P; Becker, K; Schmook, B

    1998-01-01

    Seven seed samples of J. curcas, both in raw and roasted state, sold in some villages in Quintana Roo state, Mexico for human consumption were analyzed for physical characteristics, nutrients and antinutrients. The average seed weight varied from 0.53 to 0.74 g and kernel weight as proportion of raw seed weight was from 61 to 66%. The contents of crude protein, lipid and ash of kernels from raw seeds were 27-30%, 55-62% and 3.7-5.2% respectively. The levels of antinutrients in meal from the raw seeds were: trypsin inhibitor activity (14.6-28.7 mg trypsin inhibited/g), lectin (25.6-52.2 unit; one unit is the reverse of minimum amount of mg meal/ml assay which produced haemagglutination), saponins (1.9-2.3% as diosgenin equivalent) and phytate (8.4-10%). Phorbol esters in kernels from raw seeds were not detected in four samples and in other three samples it ranged from 0.01 to 0.02 mg/g as phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate equivalent. Roasting of seeds inactivated almost 100% of trypsin inhibitor activity. Although lectin activity reduced on roasting, it was still present in high amounts. Saponins, phytate and phorbol esters were not affected by roasting.

  20. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors in clinical urology.

    PubMed

    Ückert, Stefan; Kuczyk, Markus A; Oelke, Matthias

    2013-05-01

    To date, benign diseases of the male and female lower urinary and genital tract, such as erectile dysfunction, bladder overactivity, lower urinary tract symptomatology secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and symptoms of female sexual dysfunction (including arousal and orgasmic disorders), can be therapeutically approached by influencing the function of the smooth musculature of the respective tissues. The use of isoenzyme-selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors is considered a great opportunity to treat various diseases of the human urogenital tract. PDE inhibitors, in particular the PDE5 (cyclic GMP PDE) inhibitors avanafil, lodenafil, sildenafil, tadalafil, udenafil and vardenafil, are regarded as efficacious, having a fast onset of drug action and an improved effect-to-adverse event ratio, combining a high response rate with the advantage of an on-demand intake. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent as well as potential future indications, namely, erectile dysfunction, Peyronie's disease, overactive bladder, urinary stone disease, lower urinary tract symptomatology secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and premature ejaculation, for the use of PDE inhibitors in clinical urology.

  1. Protective immunity against tick infestation in cattle vaccinated with recombinant trypsin inhibitor of Rhipicephalus microplus.

    PubMed

    Andreotti, Renato; Cunha, Rodrigo Casquero; Soares, Mariana Aparecida; Guerrero, Felix D; Leite, Fábio P Leivas; de León, Adalberto A Pérez

    2012-10-19

    The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is regarded as the most economically important ectoparasite of livestock globally. Control is achieved primarily through the use of acaricides. This approach is hampered by the development of resistance to commercial acaricides among cattle tick populations. Vaccination against R. microplus infestation is another technology that can be integrated for effective cattle tick control. Proteins belonging to the Kunitz-BPTI family are abundant in cattle tick salivary glands, midgut, and ovaries. These organs are attractive targets for the development of a novel cattle tick vaccine. Efficacy assessment against cattle tick infestation in bovines using a vaccine containing the recombinant form of a member of the Kunitz family from R. microplus produced in a yeast expression system is reported for the first time here. The yeast Pichia pastoris was bioengineered to produce the recombinant version of a trypsin inhibitor that is expressed in cattle tick larvae (rRmLTI). Immunization with rRmLTI afforded 32% efficacy against R. microplus. The estimated molecular weight of rRmLTI was 46 kDa. Structural homology to the native form of the larval trypsin inhibitor was documented by recognition of rRmLTI in Western-blots using polyclonal antibodies from mice immunized with cattle tick larval extract or rRmLTI. Bioinformatics analysis of the partial nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences indicated that the rRmLTI closely resembles BmTI-6, which is a three-headed Kunitz protein present in cattle tick ovary and fat tissue. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Manduca sexta recognition and resistance among allopolyploid Nicotiana host plants

    PubMed Central

    Lou, Yonggen; Baldwin, Ian T.

    2003-01-01

    Allopolyploid speciation occurs instantly when the genomes of different species combine to produce self-fertile offspring and has played a central role in the evolution of higher plants, but its consequences for adaptive responses are unknown. We compare herbivore-recognition and -resistance responses of the diploid species and putative ancestral parent Nicotiana attenuata with those of the two derived allopolyploid species Nicotiana clevelandii and Nicotiana bigelovii. Manduca sexta larvae attack all three species, and in N. attenuata attack is recognized when larval oral secretions are introduced to wounds during feeding, resulting in a jasmonate burst, a systemic amplification of trypsin inhibitor accumulation, and a release of volatile organic compounds, which function as a coordinated defense response that slows caterpillar growth and increases the probability of their being attacked. Most aspects of this recognition response are retained with modifications in one allotetraploid (N. bigelovii) but lost in the other (N. clevelandii). Differences between diploid and tetraploid species were apparent in delays (maximum 1 and 0.5 h, respectively) in the jasmonate burst, the elicitation of trypsin inhibitors and release of volatile organic compounds, and the constitutive levels of nicotine, trypsin inhibitors, diterpene glycosides, rutin, and caffeoylputrescine in the leaves. Resistance to M. sexta larvae attack was most strongly associated with diterpene glycosides, which were higher in the diploid than in the two allotetraploid species. Because M. sexta elicitors differentially regulate a large proportion of the N. attenuata transcriptome, we propose that these species are suited for the study of the evolution of adaptive responses requiring trans-activation mechanisms. PMID:14530394

  3. Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitor from Cajanus cajan seeds: purification, characterization, and insecticidal properties.

    PubMed

    Prasad, Elaprolu R; Merzendorfer, H; Madhurarekha, C; Dutta-Gupta, A; Padmasree, K

    2010-03-10

    A red gram proteinase inhibitor (RgPI) was purified from red gram ( Cajanus cajan ) seeds by using ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion-exchange, affinity, and gel filtration chromatography. SDS-PAGE under nonreducing condition revealed two protein bands with molecular masses of approximately 8.5 and approximately 16.5 kDa corresponding to monomeric and dimeric forms of RgPI, respectively. Similarly, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry also confirmed the presence of dimer as well as other oligomeric forms: trimer, tetramer, and pentamer. Reduction of RgPI with dithiothreitol (DTT) led to the dissociation of the dimeric and oligomeric forms. Native-PAGE and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis indicated the existence of isoinhibitors with pI values of 5.95, 6.25, 6.50, 6.90, and 7.15, respectively. The MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrum and N-terminal sequence 'DQHHSSKACC' suggested that the isolated RgPI is a member of the Bowman-Birk inhibitor family. RgPI exhibited noncompetitive type inhibitory activity against bovine pancreatic trypsin and chymotrypsin, with inhibition constants of 292 and 2265 nM, respectively. It was stable up to a temperature of 80 degrees C and was active over a wide pH range between 2 and 12. However, reduction with DTT or 2-mercaptoethanol resulted in loss of inhibitory activity against trypsin and chymotrypsin. It also decreased the activity of larval midgut trypsin-like proteinases in Manduca sexta . Its insecticidal property was further confirmed by reduction in the growth and development of these larvae, when supplemented in the diet.

  4. A bifunctional α-amylase/trypsin inhibitor from pigeonpea seeds: Purification, biochemical characterization and its bio-efficacy against Helicoverpa armigera.

    PubMed

    Gadge, Prafull P; Wagh, Sandip K; Shaikh, Faiyaz K; Tak, Rajesh D; Padul, Manohar V; Kachole, Manvendra S

    2015-11-01

    This paper evaluates α-amylase inhibitor (α-AI) mediated defense of pigeonpea against Helicoverpa armigera. A bifunctional α-amylase/trypsin inhibitor was purified from the seeds of pigeonpea by native liquid phase isoelectric focusing (N-LP-IEF), affinity chromatography and preparative electrophoresis. Its in-vivo and in-vitro interaction with midgut amylases of H. armigera was studied along with growth inhibitory activity. One and two dimensional (2D) zymographic analyses revealed that the purified inhibitor is dimeric glycoprotein (60.2kDa and 56kDa) exist in a multi-isomeric form with five pI variants (pI 5.5 to 6.3). It was found to be heat labile with complete inactivation up to 80°C and stable over a wide range of pH (4-11). The slow binding and competitive type of α-amylase inhibition was observed with 0.08μM of dissociation constant (Ki) for the enzyme-inhibitor complex (EI). The internal protein sequence of two subunits obtained by mass spectrometry matched with cereal-type α-AI, a conserved domain from AAI_LTSS superfamily and sialyltransferase-like protein respectively. In-vivo studies indicated up-regulation of total midgut α-amylase activity with negative effect on growth rate of H. armigera suggesting its suitability for pest control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Intraluminal proteome and peptidome of human urinary extracellular vesicles.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xinyu; Chinello, Clizia; Musante, Luca; Cazzaniga, Marta; Tataruch, Dorota; Calzaferri, Giulio; James Smith, Andrew; De Sio, Gabriele; Magni, Fulvio; Zou, Hequn; Holthofer, Harry

    2015-06-01

    Urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) are a novel source for disease biomarker discovery. However, Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is still a challenge for proteomic analysis since it can inhibit detection of low-abundance proteins. Here, we introduce a new approach that does not involve an ultracentrifugation step to enrich vesicles and that reduces the amount of THP to manageable levels. UEVs were dialyzed and ultrafiltered after reduction and alkylation. The retained fraction was digested with trypsin to reduce the remaining THP and incubated with deoxycholate (DOC). The internal peptidome and internal proteome were analyzed by LC-ESI-MS. A total of 942 different proteins and 3115 unique endogenous peptide fragments deriving from 973 different protein isoforms were identified. Around 82% of the key endosomal sorting complex required for transport components of UEVs generation could be detected from the intraluminal content. Our UEVs preparation protocol provides a simplified way to investigate the intraluminal proteome and peptidome, in particular the subpopulation of UEVs of the trypsin-resistant class of exosomes (positive for tumor susceptibility gene101) and eliminates the majority of interfering proteins such as THP. This method allows the possibility to study endoproteome and endopeptidome of UEVs, thus greatly facilitating biomarker discovery. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Activity-based mass spectrometric characterization of proteases and inhibitors in human saliva

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Xiuli; Salih, Erdjan; Oppenheim, Frank G.; Helmerhorst, Eva J.

    2009-01-01

    Proteases present in oral fluid effectively modulate the structure and function of some salivary proteins and have been implicated in tissue destruction in oral disease. To identify the proteases operating in the oral environment, proteins in pooled whole saliva supernatant were separated by anion-exchange chromatography and individual fractions were analyzed for proteolytic activity by zymography using salivary histatins as the enzyme substrates. Protein bands displaying proteolytic activity were particularly prominent in the 50–75 kDa region. Individual bands were excised, in-gel trypsinized and subjected to LC/ESI-MS/MS. The data obtained were searched against human, oral microbial and protease databases. A total of 13 proteases were identified all of which were of mammalian origin. Proteases detected in multiple fractions with cleavage specificities toward arginine and lysine residues, were lactotransferrin, kallikrein-1, and human airway trypsin-like protease. Unexpectedly, ten protease inhibitors were co-identified suggesting they were associated with the proteases in the same fractions. The inhibitors found most frequently were alpha-2-macroglobulin-like protein 1, alpha-1-antitrypsin, and leukocyte elastase inhibitor. Regulation of oral fluid proteolysis is highly important given that an inbalance in such activities has been correlated to a variety of pathological conditions including oral cancer. PMID:20011683

  7. Effects of an Anticarcinogenic Bowman-Birk Protease Inhibitor on Purified 20S Proteasome and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

    PubMed Central

    Souza, Larissa da Costa; Camargo, Ricardo; Demasi, Marilene; Santana, Jaime Martins; de Freitas, Sonia Maria

    2014-01-01

    Proteasome inhibitors have been described as an important target for cancer therapy due to their potential to regulate the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the degradation pathway of cellular proteins. Here, we reported the effects of a Bowman-Birk-type protease inhibitor, the Black-eyed pea Trypsin/Chymotrypsin Inhibitor (BTCI), on proteasome 20S in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and on catalytic activity of the purified 20S proteasome from horse erythrocytes, as well as the structural analysis of the BTCI-20S proteasome complex. In vitro experiments and confocal microscopy showed that BTCI readily crosses the membrane of the breast cancer cells and co-localizes with the proteasome in cytoplasm and mainly in nucleus. Indeed, as indicated by dynamic light scattering, BTCI and 20S proteasome form a stable complex at temperatures up to 55°C and at neutral and alkaline pHs. In complexed form, BTCI strongly inhibits the proteolytic chymotrypsin-, trypsin- and caspase-like activities of 20S proteasome, indicated by inhibition constants of 10−7 M magnitude order. Besides other mechanisms, this feature can be associated with previously reported cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of BTCI in MCF-7 breast cancer cells by means of apoptosis. PMID:24475156

  8. The protective role of the Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor in soybean lunasin digestion: the effect of released peptides on colon cancer growth.

    PubMed

    Cruz-Huerta, Elvia; Fernández-Tomé, Samuel; Arques, M Carmen; Amigo, Lourdes; Recio, Isidra; Clemente, Alfonso; Hernández-Ledesma, Blanca

    2015-08-01

    Lunasin is a naturally-occurring peptide demonstrating chemopreventive, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To exhibit these activities, orally ingested lunasin needs to survive proteolytic attack of digestive enzymes to reach target tissues in active form/s. Preliminary studies suggested the protective role of protease inhibitors, such as the Bowman-Birk inhibitor and Kunitz-trypsin inhibitor, against lunasin's digestion by both pepsin and pancreatin. This work describes in depth the behaviour of lunasin under conditions simulating the transit through the gastrointestinal tract in the absence or presence of soybean Bowman-Birk isoinhibitor 1 (IBB1) in both active and inactive states. By liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), the remaining lunasin at the end of gastric and gastro-duodenal phases was quantified. Protection against the action of pepsin was independent of the amount of IBB1 present in the analyzed samples, whereas an IBB1 dose-dependent protective effect against trypsin and chymotrypsin was observed. Peptides released from lunasin and inactive IBB1 were identified by MS/MS. The remaining lunasin and IBB1 as well as their derived peptides could be responsible for the anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells observed for the digests obtained at the end of simulated gastrointestinal digestion.

  9. Molecular docking and in vitro studies of soap nut trypsin inhibitor (SNTI) against phospholipase A2 isoforms in therapeutic intervention of inflammatory diseases.

    PubMed

    Sirisha, Gandreddi V D; Vijaya Rachel, K; Zaveri, Kunal; Yarla, Nagendra Sastry; Kiranmayi, P; Ganash, Magdah; Alkreathy, Huda Mohammad; Rajeh, Nisreen; Ashraf, Ghulam Md

    2018-07-15

    Therapeutic value of allelochemicals in inflammatory disorders and the potential drug targets need to be elucidated to alleviate tissue and vascular injury. Natural anti-inflammatory agents are known to cause minimal adverse effects. Presence of different secondary metabolites (allelochemicals), protease inhibitors like soap nut trypsin inhibitor (SNTI) from Sapindus trifoliatus and allied compounds from natural sources cannot be blithely ignored as natural therapeutics. In the present study, SNTI, a prospective protease inhibitor isolated from the seeds of Sapindus trifoliatus were subjected to docking against three isoforms of Phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) molecules of the inflammatory pathways which are localized in the membrane, cytosol and pancreas. Eleven ligand molecules were selected from Sapindus trifoliatus and docked against membrane, cytosolic and pancreatic PLA 2 . Cytosolic PLA 2 showed a strong inhibition by Kampferol, a secondary metabolite from seed endosperm of Sapindus trifoliatus. SNTI showed best interaction with membrane PLA 2 in both in silico as well as in in vitro studies. SNTI showed IC 50 value of 29.02 μM in in vitro assay. Docking interaction profiles and in vitro studies validate selected molecules from Sapindus trifoliatus as immunomodulators and can mollify inflammatory responses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Tri-domain Bifunctional Inhibitor of Metallocarboxypeptidases A and Serine Proteases Isolated from Marine Annelid Sabellastarte magnifica*

    PubMed Central

    Alonso-del-Rivero, Maday; Trejo, Sebastian A.; Reytor, Mey L.; Rodriguez-de-la-Vega, Monica; Delfin, Julieta; Diaz, Joaquin; González-González, Yamile; Canals, Francesc; Chavez, Maria Angeles; Aviles, Francesc X.

    2012-01-01

    This study describes a novel bifunctional metallocarboxypeptidase and serine protease inhibitor (SmCI) isolated from the tentacle crown of the annelid Sabellastarte magnifica. SmCI is a 165-residue glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 19.69 kDa (mass spectrometry) and 18 cysteine residues forming nine disulfide bonds. Its cDNA was cloned and sequenced by RT-PCR and nested PCR using degenerated oligonucleotides. Employing this information along with data derived from automatic Edman degradation of peptide fragments, the SmCI sequence was fully characterized, indicating the presence of three bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor/Kunitz domains and its high homology with other Kunitz serine protease inhibitors. Enzyme kinetics and structural analyses revealed SmCI to be an inhibitor of human and bovine pancreatic metallocarboxypeptidases of the A-type (but not B-type), with nanomolar Ki values. SmCI is also capable of inhibiting bovine pancreatic trypsin, chymotrypsin, and porcine pancreatic elastase in varying measures. When the inhibitor and its nonglycosylated form (SmCI N23A mutant) were overproduced recombinantly in a Pichia pastoris system, they displayed the dual inhibitory properties of the natural form. Similarly, two bi-domain forms of the inhibitor (recombinant rSmCI D1-D2 and rSmCI D2-D3) as well as its C-terminal domain (rSmCI-D3) were also overproduced. Of these fragments, only the rSmCI D1-D2 bi-domain retained inhibition of metallocarboxypeptidase A but only partially, indicating that the whole tri-domain structure is required for such capability in full. SmCI is the first proteinaceous inhibitor of metallocarboxypeptidases able to act as well on another mechanistic class of proteases (serine-type) and is the first of this kind identified in nature. PMID:22411994

  11. Trypsin from the processing waste of the lane snapper (Lutjanus synagris) and its compatibility with oxidants, surfactants and commercial detergents.

    PubMed

    Espósito, Talita S; Marcuschi, Marina; Amaral, Ian P G; Carvalho, Luiz B; Bezerra, Ranilson S

    2010-05-26

    A trypsin from the viscera of the lane snapper (Lutjanus synagris) was purified by heat treatment, fractionation with ammonium sulfate and affinity chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 28.4 kDa (SDS-PAGE). The purified enzyme was capable of hydrolyzing the specific substrate for trypsin benzoyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BApNA) and was inhibited by benzamidine and tosyl lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), synthetic trypsin inhibitors and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), which is a serine-protease inhibitor. The enzyme exhibited maximal activity at pH 9.0 and 45 degrees C and retained 100% of the activity after incubation at the optimal temperature for 30 min. At a concentration of 10 mM, activity was slightly activated by Ca(2+) and inhibited by the following ions in decreasing order: Cd(2+) > Hg(2+) > Cu(2+) > Zn(2+) > Al(3+). The effects of Ba(2+), K(1+) and Li(1+) proved to be less intensive. Using 1% (w/v) azocasein as substrate, the enzyme revealed high resistance (60% residual activity) when incubated with 10% H(2)O(2) for 75 min. The enzyme retained more than 80% activity after 60 min in the presence of different surfactants (Tween 20, Tween 80 and sodium choleate). The alkaline protease demonstrated compatibility with commercial detergents (7 mg/mL), such as Bem-te-vi, Surf and Ala, retaining more than 50% of initial activity after 60 min at 25 degrees C and 30 min at 40 degrees C. The thermostability and compatibility of this enzyme with commercial detergents suggest a good potentiality for application in the detergent industry.

  12. Thesis Abstract Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) lines: chemical composition and protein digestibility.

    PubMed

    Mesquita, F R; Silva, M I A; Corrêa, A D

    2016-05-09

    The bean represents the main source of proteins for the low income populations, although the digestibility of those proteins is relatively low. Consequently, the programs of plant genetic breeding have been working on the search for new lines with higher protein levels. Thus, with the purpose of supplying information to the researchers, in this study, 21 bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) lines were analyzed for the centesimal and mineral composition, protein digestibility, phenolic compounds, and trypsin inhibitor. The entirely randomized experimental design was used with 21 treatments (lines) and three repetitions. All values were within the following ranges: 22.34 to 36.28 g crude protein/100 g dry matter (DM); 7.56 to 20.91 g neutral detergent fiber/100 g DM; 0.53 to 2.55 g fat/100 g DM and 2.97 to 4.87 g ashes/100 g DM. The levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, in g/100 g DM, varied from 0.45 to 0.72; 1.51 to 2.48; 0.03 to 0.28; 0.18 to 0.34 and 0.28 to 0.45, respectively. Regarding copper, manganese, zinc and iron, the levels, in mg/kg DM, varied from 11.37 to 17.73; 14.93 to 28.90; 36.67 to 69.90 and 71.37 to 126.90, respectively. The in vitro protein digestibility varied from 18.03 to 48.32%. The levels of phenolic compounds varied from 0.28 to 1.08 mg acid tanic/100 g DM and the one of trypsin inhibitor from 59.93 to 151.07 trypsin inhibited units/mg DM. Among the lines with higher protein contents, "ESAL 569" (beige with brown stripe) presented the largest protein digestibility and considerable levels of minerals. "P-180" (beige with brown stripe) was one of the lines with higher crude protein contents and digestibilities, and also presented high levels for most of the minerals. No relation between protein digestibility and the contents of phenolic compounds or trypsin inhibitor was observed.

  13. Midgut serine proteases and alternative host plant utilization in Pieris brassicae L.

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Rakesh; Bhardwaj, Usha; Kumar, Pawan; Mazumdar-Leighton, Sudeshna

    2015-01-01

    Pieris brassicae L. is a serious pest of cultivated crucifers in several parts of the world. Larvae of P. brassicae also feed prolifically on garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus L., of the family Tropaeolaceae). Proteolytic digestion was studied in larvae feeding on multiple hosts. Fourth instars were collected from cauliflower fields before transfer onto detached, aerial tissues of selected host plants in the lab. Variable levels of midgut proteases were detected in larvae fed on different hosts using protein substrates (casein and recombinant RBCL cloned from cauliflower) and diagnostic, synthetic substrates. Qualitative changes in midgut trypsin activities and quantitative changes in midgut chymotrypsin activities were implicated in physiological adaptation of larvae transferred to T. majus. Midgut proteolytic activities were inhibited to different extents by serine protease inhibitors, including putative trypsin inhibitors isolated from herbivore-attacked and herbivore-free leaves of cauliflower (CfTI) and T. majus (TpTI). Transfer of larvae to T. majus significantly influenced feeding parameters but not necessarily when transferred to different tissues of the same host. Results obtained are relevant for devising sustainable pest management strategies, including transgenic approaches using genes encoding plant protease inhibitors. PMID:25873901

  14. Biochemical characterisation of a Kunitz-type inhibitor from Tamarindus indica L. seeds and its efficacy in reducing plasma leptin in an experimental model of obesity.

    PubMed

    Medeiros, Amanda Fernandes de; Costa, Izael de Sousa; Carvalho, Fabiana Maria Coimbra de; Kiyota, Sumika; Souza, Beatriz Blenda Pinheiro de; Sifuentes, Daniel Nogoceke; Serquiz, Raphael Paschoal; Maciel, Bruna Leal Lima; Uchôa, Adriana Ferreira; Santos, Elizeu Antunes Dos; Morais, Ana Heloneida de Araújo

    2018-12-01

    A trypsin inhibitor isolated from tamarind seed (TTI) has satietogenic effects in animals, increasing the cholecystokinin (CCK) in eutrophy and reducing leptin in obesity. We purified TTI (pTTI), characterised, and observed its effect upon CCK and leptin in obese Wistar rats. By HPLC, and after amplification of resolution, two protein fractions were observed: Fr1 and Fr2, with average mass of [M + 14H] +  = 19,594,690 Da and [M + 13H] +  = 19,578,266 Da, respectively. The protein fractions showed 54 and 53 amino acid residues with the same sequence. pTTI presented resistance to temperature and pH variations; IC 50 was 2.7 × 10 -10  mol.L -1 and Ki was 2.9 × 10 -11  mol.L -1 . The 2-DE revealed spots with isoelectric points between pH 5 and 6, and one near pH 8. pTTI action on leptin decrease was confirmed. We conclude that pTTI is a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor with possible biotechnological health-related application.

  15. Digestive proteinases of red shrimp Pleoticus muelleri (Decapoda, Penaeoidea): partial characterization and relationship with molting.

    PubMed

    Fernández Gimenez, A V; García-Carreño, F L; Navarrete del Toro, M A; Fenucci, J L

    2001-10-01

    The present study describes the activity and some characteristics of proteinases in the hepatopancreas of red shrimp Pleoticus muelleri during the different stages of the molting cycle. Proteolytic activity was highest between pH 7.5 and 8. The hepatopancreatic protein content in the premolt stage was higher than in the other stages of the molting cycle (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in total proteolytic activity in the hepatopancreas when comparing molting stages. The proteolytic activity of the P. muelleri hepatopancreas enzyme preparations is the main responsibility of serine proteinases. TLCK, a trypsin inhibitor, reduced azocasein hydrolysis between 26% (intermolt) and 37% (premolt). TPCK, a chymotrypsin inhibitor, did not decrease hydrolytic activity, except for in postmolt. Low trypsin and chymotrypsin activities were found during intermolt, and increased in postmolt. The electrophoretogram of the enzyme extracts shows 12 bands of activity during intermolt (from 16.6 to 53.1 kDa). Some fractions were not detected in the postmolt and premolt stages. Three low molecular weight trypsin forms (17.4, 19.1 and 20 kDa) were found in all molting stages. One band of chymotrypsin (21.9 kDa) was observed in all molting stages. High molecular mass active bands (66-205 kDa) could not be characterized with inhibitors. Comparison of the protease-specific activity of the hepatopancreas of some species indicated a relationship between digestive enzyme activity and feeding habits of the shrimp. Omnivorous shrimp, such as Penaeus vannamei (syn: Litopenaeus vannamei) and Penaeus monodon, showed higher protease activity than the carnivorous shrimp, Penaeus californiensis (syn: Farfantepenaeus californiensis) and P. muelleri. In fact, the enzymatic activity in the hepatopancreas of P. muelleri showed variations in relation to feeding habit and molting cycle.

  16. Detoxification and anti-nutrients reduction of Jatropha curcas seed cake by Bacillus fermentation.

    PubMed

    Phengnuam, Thanyarat; Suntornsuk, Worapot

    2013-02-01

    Jatropha curcas seed cake is a by-product generated from oil extraction of J. curcas seed. Although it contains a high amount of protein, it has phorbol esters and anti-nutritional factors such as phytate, trypsin inhibitor, lectin and saponin. It cannot be applied directly in the food or animal feed industries. This investigation was aimed at detoxifying the toxic and anti-nutritional compounds in J. curcas seed cake by fermentation with Bacillus spp. Two GRAS (generally recognized as safe) Bacillus strains used in the study were Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis with solid-state and submerged fermentations. Solid-state fermentation was done on 10 g of seed cake with a moisture content of 70% for 7 days, while submerged fermentation was carried out on 10 g of seed cake in 100 ml distilled water for 5 days. The fermentations were incubated at the optimum condition of each strain. After fermentation, bacterial growth, pH, toxic and anti-nutritional compounds were determined. Results showed that B. licheniformis with submerged fermentation were the most effective method to degrade toxic and anti-nutritional compounds in the seed cake. After fermentation, phorbol esters, phytate and trypsin inhibitor were reduced by 62%, 42% and 75%, respectively, while lectin could not be eliminated. The reduction of phorbol esters, phytate and trypsin inhibitor was related to esterase, phytase and protease activities, respectively. J. curcas seed cake could be mainly detoxified by bacterial fermentation and the high-protein fermented seed cake could be potentially applied to animal feed. Copyright © 2012 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Proteases induce secretion of collagenase and plasminogen activator by fibroblasts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Werb, Z.; Aggeler, J.

    1978-04-01

    We have observed that treatment of rabbit synovial fibroblasts with proteolytic enzymes can induce secretion of collagenase (EC 3.4.24.7) and plasminogen activator (EC 3.4.21.-). Cells treated for 2 to 24 hr with plasmin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, pancreatic elastase, papain, bromelain, thermolysin, or ..cap alpha..-protease but not with thrombin or neuraminidase secreted detectable amounts of collagenase within 16 to 48 hr. Treatment of fibroblasts with trypsin also induced secretion of plasminogen activator. Proteases initiated secretion of collagenase (up to 20 units per 10/sup 6/ cells per 24 hr) only when treatment produced decreased cell adhesion. Collagenase production did not depend on continuedmore » presence of proteolytic activity or on subsequent cell adhesion, spreading, or proliferation. Routine subculturing with crude trypsin also induced collagenase secretion by cells. Secretion of collagenase was prevented and normal spreading was obtained if the trypsinized cells were placed into medium containing fetal calf serum. Soybean trypsin inhibitor, ..cap alpha../sub 1/-antitrypsin, bovine serum albumin, collagen, and fibronectin did not inhibit collagenase production. Although proteases that induced collagenase secretion also removed surface glycoprotein, the kinetics of induction of cell protease secretion were different from those for removal of fibronectin. Physiological inducers of secretion of collagenase and plasminogen activator by cells have not been identified. These results suggest that extracellular proteases in conjunction with plasma proteins may govern protease secretion by cells.« less

  18. Genetic variation of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] and its wild relatives.

    PubMed

    Kollipara, K P; Singh, L; Hymowitz, T

    1994-09-01

    Variation in the trypsin inhibitors (TIs) and the chymotrypsin inhibitors (CIs) among 69 pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] strains from a wide geographical distribution and among 17 accessions representing seven wild Cajanus species was studied by electrophoretic banding pattern comparisons and by spectrophotometric activity assays. The TI and CI electrophoretic migration patterns among the pigeonpea strains were highly uniform but varied in the inhibitor band intensities. The migration patterns of the inhibitors in the wild Cajanus species were highly species specific. The mean TI activity of pigeonpea strains (2279 units) was significantly higher than that of the wild Cajanus species (1407 units). However, the mean CI activity in the pigeonpea strains (62 units) was much lower than that in the wild species (162 units). Kenya 2 and ICP 9151 were the lowest and the highest, respectively, in both the TI and CI activities among all the pigeonpea strains used in this study. A highly-significant positive correlation was observed between the TI and CI activities. The Bowman-Birk type inhibitors with both TI and CI activities were identified in all the pigeonpea strains and also in the accessions of all the wild species except C. volubilis (Blanco) Blanco. The C. volubilis accession ICPW 169 was found to be 'null' for both CI bands and CI activity. Environment, strain, and environment x strain interaction showed highly-significant effects on both the TI and CI activities. Growing the pigeonpea strains at a different environment from their area of adaptation increased TI and CI activities and also altered the maturity period.

  19. Activation of Bt Protoxin Cry1Ac in Resistant and Susceptible Cotton Bollworm.

    PubMed

    Wei, Jizhen; Liang, Gemei; Wang, Bingjie; Zhong, Feng; Chen, Lin; Khaing, Myint Myint; Zhang, Jie; Guo, Yuyuan; Wu, Kongming; Tabashnik, Bruce E

    2016-01-01

    Crystalline (Cry) proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are used extensively for insect control in sprays and transgenic plants, but their efficacy is reduced by evolution of resistance in pests. Here we evaluated reduced activation of Cry1Ac protoxin as a potential mechanism of resistance in the invasive pest Helicoverpa armigera. Based on the concentration killing 50% of larvae (LC50) for a laboratory-selected resistant strain (LF120) divided by the LC50 for its susceptible parent strain (LF), the resistance ratio was 1600 for Cry1Ac protoxin and 1200 for trypsin-activated Cry1Ac toxin. The high level of resistance to activated toxin as well as to protoxin indicates reduced activation of protoxin is not a major mechanism of resistance to Cry1Ac in LF120. For both insect strains, treatment with either the trypsin inhibitor N-a-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK) or the chymotrypsin inhibitor N-a-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) did not significantly affect the LC50 of Cry1Ac protoxin. Enzyme activity was higher for LF than LF120 for trypsin-like proteases, but did not differ between strains for chymotrypsin-like proteases. The results here are consistent with previous reports indicating that reduced activation of protoxin is generally not a major mechanism of resistance to Bt proteins.

  20. Activation of Bt Protoxin Cry1Ac in Resistant and Susceptible Cotton Bollworm

    PubMed Central

    Liang, Gemei; Wang, Bingjie; Zhong, Feng; Chen, Lin; Khaing, Myint Myint; Zhang, Jie; Guo, Yuyuan; Wu, Kongming; Tabashnik, Bruce E.

    2016-01-01

    Crystalline (Cry) proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are used extensively for insect control in sprays and transgenic plants, but their efficacy is reduced by evolution of resistance in pests. Here we evaluated reduced activation of Cry1Ac protoxin as a potential mechanism of resistance in the invasive pest Helicoverpa armigera. Based on the concentration killing 50% of larvae (LC50) for a laboratory-selected resistant strain (LF120) divided by the LC50 for its susceptible parent strain (LF), the resistance ratio was 1600 for Cry1Ac protoxin and 1200 for trypsin-activated Cry1Ac toxin. The high level of resistance to activated toxin as well as to protoxin indicates reduced activation of protoxin is not a major mechanism of resistance to Cry1Ac in LF120. For both insect strains, treatment with either the trypsin inhibitor N-a-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK) or the chymotrypsin inhibitor N-a-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) did not significantly affect the LC50 of Cry1Ac protoxin. Enzyme activity was higher for LF than LF120 for trypsin-like proteases, but did not differ between strains for chymotrypsin-like proteases. The results here are consistent with previous reports indicating that reduced activation of protoxin is generally not a major mechanism of resistance to Bt proteins. PMID:27257885

  1. Tissue Kallikrein Inhibitors Based on the Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor Scaffold – A Potential Therapeutic Intervention for Skin Diseases

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Wenjie; Kinsler, Veronica A.

    2016-01-01

    Tissue kallikreins (KLKs), in particular KLK5, 7 and 14 are the major serine proteases in the skin responsible for skin shedding and activation of inflammatory cell signaling. In the normal skin, their activities are controlled by an endogenous protein protease inhibitor encoded by the SPINK5 gene. Loss-of-function mutations in SPINK5 leads to enhanced skin kallikrein activities and cause the skin disease Netherton Syndrome (NS). We have been developing inhibitors based on the Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1) scaffold, a 14 amino acids head-to-tail bicyclic peptide with a disulfide bond. To optimize a previously reported SFTI-1 analogue (I10H), we made five analogues with additional substitutions, two of which showed improved inhibition. We then combined those substitutions and discovered a variant (Analogue 6) that displayed dual inhibition of KLK5 (tryptic) and KLK7 (chymotryptic). Analogue 6 attained a tenfold increase in KLK5 inhibition potency with an Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) Kd of 20nM. Furthermore, it selectively inhibits KLK5 and KLK14 over seven other serine proteases. Its biological function was ascertained by full suppression of KLK5-induced Protease-Activated Receptor 2 (PAR-2) dependent intracellular calcium mobilization and postponement of Interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion in cell model. Moreover, Analogue 6 permeates through the cornified layer of in vitro organotypic skin equivalent culture and inhibits protease activities therein, providing a potential drug lead for the treatment of NS. PMID:27824929

  2. Framework for Interpretation of Trypsin–antitrypsin Imbalance and Genetic Heterogeneity in Pancreatitis

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Kun; Gao, Feng; Chen, Qingquan; Liu, Qicai; Chen, Shu

    2015-01-01

    Early intracellular premature trypsinogen activation was interpreted as the key initiator of pancreatitis. When the balance in the homeostasis of trypsin and antitrypsin system is disequilibrated, elevated aggressive enzymes directly attack the pancreatic tissue, which leads to pancreatic destruction and inflammation. However, trypsin alone is not enough to cause complications in pancreatitis, which may play a crucial role in modulating signaling events in the initial phase of the disease. NFκB activation is the major inflammatory pathway involved in the occurrence and development of pancreatitis and it can be induced by intrapancreatic activation of trypsinogen. Synthesis of trypsinogen occurs in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and ER stress is an important early acinar cell event. Components of ER stress response are known to be able to trigger cell death as well as NFκB signaling cascade. The strongest evidence supporting the trypsin-centered theory is that gene mutations, which lead to the generation of more trypsin, or reduce the activity of trypsin inhibitors or trypsin degradation, are associated with pancreatitis. Thus, trypsin–antitrypsin imbalance may be the first step leading to pancreatic autodigestion and inducing other pathways. Continued experimental studies are necessary to determine the specific relationships between trypsin–antitrypsin imbalance and genetic heterogeneity in pancreatitis. In this article, we review the latest advances that contributed to the understanding of the basic mechanisms behind the occurrence and development of pancreatitis with a focus on the interpretation of trypsin–antitrypsin imbalance and their relationships with other inflammation pathways. We additionally highlight genetic predispositions to pancreatitis and possible mechanisms associated with them. PMID:26228362

  3. Effect of gamma irradiation on lipoxygenases, trypsin inhibitor, raffinose family oligosaccharides and nutritional factors of different seed coat colored soybean (Glycine max L.)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar Dixit, Amit; Kumar, Vineet; Rani, Anita; Manjaya, J. G.; Bhatnagar, Deepak

    2011-04-01

    Three soybean genotypes Kalitur, Hara soya and NRC37 with black, green and yellow seed coat color, respectively, were gamma irradiated at 0.5, 2.0 and 5.0 kGy and tested for antinutritional and nutritional factors. Gamma irradiation at all doses reduced the level of lipoxygenase isomers, trypsin inhibitor (TI) and ascorbic acid in all the 3 soybean genotypes as compared to the unirradiated control. However, irradiation dose of 5.0 kGy increased the sucrose content of the soybean genotypes. No significant change was observed in oil, protein fatty acids and total tocopherol content of the 3 genotypes at any irradiation dose. It is suggested that inhibition of lipoxygenase, reduction in TI and ascorbic acid may be due to the breakage or oxidation of protein structure by the gamma irradiation. Similarly, gamma irradiation at higher doses may break glycosidic linkages in oligosaccharides to produce more sucrose and decrease the content of flatulence causing oligosaccharides.

  4. Inactivation Methods of Trypsin Inhibitor in Legumes: A Review.

    PubMed

    Avilés-Gaxiola, Sara; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Serna Saldívar, Sergio O

    2018-01-01

    Seed legumes have played a major role as a crop worldwide, being cultivated on about 12% to 15% of Earth's arable land; nevertheless, their use is limited by, among other things, the presence of several antinutritional factors (ANFs - naturally occurring metabolites that the plant produces to protect itself from pest attacks.) Trypsin inhibitors (TIs) are one of the most relevant ANFs because they reduce digestion and absorption of dietary proteins. Several methods have been developed in order to inactivate TIs, and of these, thermal treatments are the most commonly used. They cause loss of nutrients, affect functional properties, and require high amounts of energy. Given the above, new processes have emerged to improve the nutritional quality of legumes while trying to solve the problems caused by the use of thermal treatments. This review examines and discusses the methods developed by researchers to inactivate TI present in legumes and their effects over nutritional and functional properties. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  5. Development, acceptability and nutritional evaluation of 'Doli Ki Roti'--an indigenously fermented bread.

    PubMed

    Bhatia, A; Khetarpaul, N

    2001-01-01

    'Doli Ki Roti'-an indigenously fermented bread popular among the Indian Punjabi community who migrated from Pakistan during partition, is a wheat based product having spiced chickpea as stuffing. It contains a good blend of cereal and legume protein (14.5 to 17.1%), fat (7.3 to 9.2%) and ash (3.8 to 4.7%). It is a good source of dietary essential minerals, i.e. calcium (52.7 to 62.6 mg/100 g), iron (8.7 to 10.6 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (313.8 to 346.7 mg/100 g). The antinutrients like phytic acid and trypsin inhibitors are present in considerable amounts in the unfermented bread but are reduced to the extent of 5 to 18% (phytic acid) and 49 to 70% (trypsin inhibitors) due to the fermentation carried out at 35 and 40 degrees C for varying time periods. The products developed were organoleptically acceptable in terms of colour, taste, texture, flavour, etc.

  6. Peanut Seed Cultivars with Contrasting Resistance to Aspergillus parasiticus Colonization Display Differential Temporal Response of Protease Inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Müller, Virginia; Bonacci, Gustavo; Batthyany, Carlos; Amé, María V; Carrari, Fernando; Gieco, Jorge; Asis, Ramón

    2017-04-01

    Significant efforts are being made to minimize aflatoxin contamination in peanut seeds and one possible strategy is to understand and exploit the mechanisms of plant defense against fungal infection. In this study we have identified and characterized, at biochemical and molecular levels, plant protease inhibitors (PPIs) produced in peanut seeds of the resistant PI 337394 and the susceptible Forman cultivar during Aspergillus parasiticus colonization. With chromatographic methods and 2D-electrophoresis-mass spectrometry we have isolated and identified four variants of Bowman-Birk trypsin inhibitor (BBTI) and a novel Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) produced in response to A. parasiticus colonization. KPI was detected only in the resistant cultivar, while BBTI was produced in the resistant cultivar in a higher concentration than susceptible cultivar and with different isoforms. The kinetic expression of KPI and BBTI genes along with trypsin inhibitory activity was analyzed in both cultivars during infection. In the susceptible cultivar an early PPI activity response was associated with BBTI occurrence. Meanwhile, in the resistant cultivar a later response with a larger increase in PPI activity was associated with BBTI and KPI occurrence. The biological significance of PPI in seed defense against fungal infection was analyzed and linked to inhibitory properties on enzymes released by the fungus during infection, and to the antifungal effect of KPI.

  7. Presence of the acute phase protein, bikunin, in the endometrium of gilts during estrous cycle and early pregnancy.

    PubMed

    Hettinger, A M; Allen, M R; Zhang, B R; Goad, D W; Malayer, J R; Geisert, R D

    2001-08-01

    Noninvasive, epitheliochorial placental attachment in the pig is regulated through endometrial production of protease inhibitors. The objective of the present study was to determine if the light-chain serine protease inhibitor of the inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor family, bikunin, is produced by the porcine endometrium during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of bikunin in uterine flushings of gilts collected during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle and early pregnancy (Days 12-18). However, bikunin unbound to the inter-alpha-trypsin heavy chains was detected only in endometrial explant culture medium obtained from estrus and pregnant (Days 12, 15, and 18) gilts. Endometrial bikunin gene expression was lowest on Day 10 of the estrous cycle and pregnancy, followed by a 30- to 77-fold increase on Day 15 of the estrous cycle and pregnancy. Bikunin gene expression decreased on Day 18 of the estrous cycle, whereas endometrial bikunin gene expression continued to increase in pregnant gilts. Bikunin mRNA was localized to the uterine glands between Days 15 and 18 of the estrous cycle and pregnancy. In addition to its role as a protease inhibitor, bikunin functions in stabilization of the extracellular matrix, which suggests that bikunin could be involved with facilitating placental attachment to the uterine epithelial surface in the pig.

  8. Interspecific differences between D. pulex and D. magna in tolerance to cyanobacteria with protease inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Kuster, Christian J; Von Elert, Eric

    2013-01-01

    It is known that cyanobacteria negatively affect herbivores due to their production of toxins such as protease inhibitors. In the present study we investigated potential interspecific differences between two major herbivores, Daphnia magna and Daphnia pulex, in terms of their tolerance to cyanobacteria with protease inhibitors. Seven clones each of D. magna and of D. pulex were isolated from different habitats in Europe and North America. To test for interspecific differences in the daphnids' tolerance to cyanobacteria, their somatic and population growth rates were determined for each D. magna and D. pulex clone after exposure to varying concentrations of two Microcystis aeruginosa strains. The M. aeruginosa strains NIVA and PCC(-) contained either chymotrypsin or trypsin inhibitors, but no microcystins. Mean somatic and population growth rates on a diet with 20% NIVA were significantly more reduced in D. pulex than in D. magna. On a diet with 10% PCC(-), the population growth of D. pulex was significantly more reduced than that of D. magna. This indicates that D. magna is more tolerant to cyanobacteria with protease inhibitors than D. pulex. The reduction of growth rates was possibly caused by an interference of cyanobacterial inhibitors with proteases in the gut of Daphnia, as many other conceivable factors, which might have been able to explain the reduced growth, could be excluded as causal factors. Protease assays revealed that the sensitivities of chymotrypsins and trypsins to cyanobacterial protease inhibitors did not differ between D. magna and D. pulex. However, D. magna exhibited a 2.3-fold higher specific chymotrypsin activity than D. pulex, which explains the observed higher tolerance to cyanobacterial protease inhibitors of D. magna. The present study suggests that D. magna may control the development of cyanobacterial blooms more efficiently than D. pulex due to differences in their tolerance to cyanobacteria with protease inhibitors.

  9. Separation and purification of enzymes by continuous pH-parametric pumping

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, S.Y.; Lin, C.K.; Juang, L.Y.

    1985-10-01

    Trypsin and chymotrypsin were separated from porcine pancreas extract by continuous pH-parametric pumping. CHOM (chicken ovomucoid) was convalently bound to laboratory-prepared crab chitin with glutaraldehyde to form an affinity adsorbent of trypsin. The pH levels of top and bottom feeds were 8.0 and 2.5, respectively. Similar inhibitor, DKOM (duck ovomucoid), and pH levels 8.0 and 2.0 for top and bottom feeds, respectively, were used for separation and purification of chymotrypsin. e-Amino caproyl-D-tryptophan methyl ester was coupled to chitosan to form an affinity adsorbent for stem bromelain. The pH levels were 8.7 and 3.0. Separation continued fairly well with high yield,more » e.g., 95% recovery of trypsin after continuous pumping of 10 cycles. Optimum operational conditions for concentration and purification of these enzymes were investigated. The results showed that the continuous pH-parametric pumping coupled with affinity chromatography is effective for concentration and purification of enzymes. 19 references.« less

  10. Three sorghum serpin recombinant proteins inhibit midgut trypsin activity and growth of corn earworm

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) genome contains at least 17 putative serpin (serine protease inhibitor) open reading frames, some of which are induced by pathogens. Recent transcriptome studies found that most of the putative serpins are expressed but their roles are unknown. Four sorghum serpins were...

  11. Lectin Activation in Giardia lamblia by Host Protease: A Novel Host-Parasite Interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lev, Boaz; Ward, Honorine; Keusch, Gerald T.; Pereira, Miercio E. A.

    1986-04-01

    A lectin in Giardia lamblia was activated by secretions from the human duodenum, the environment where the parasite lives. Incubation of the secretions with trypsin inhibitors prevented the appearance of lectin activity, implicating proteases as the activating agent. Accordingly, lectin activation was also produced by crystalline trypsin and Pronase; other proteases tested were ineffective. When activated, the lectin agglutinated intestinal cells to which the parasite adheres in vivo. The lectin was most specific to mannose-6-phosphate and apparently was bound to the plasma membrane. Activation of a parasite lectin by a host protease represents a novel mechanism of hostparasite interaction and may contribute to the affinity of Giardia lamblia to the infection site.

  12. Source of a micro-nutrient in a semi-synthetic basal diet as a causative factor in inducing urinary calculi in rats and its inhibition by PSC 833, a potent inhibitor of P-glycoprotein.

    PubMed

    Kankesan, Janarthanan; Vanama, Ramesh; Renlund, Richard; Thiessen, Jake J; Ling, Victor; Rao, Prema M; Rajalakshmi, Srinivasan; Sarma, Dittakavi S R

    2003-08-01

    We report a serendipitous finding of urinary calculi in rats fed a semi-synthetic basal diet. This observation was made during ongoing studies to evaluate the inhibitory effect of PSC 833, a potent inhibitor of P-glycoprotein, on development of tumors in rodent tumor model systems. A large number of specific-pathogen-free (SPF) female Sprague-Dawley and SPF male Fischer 344 rats being fed the diet were euthanized when it became evident clinically that they were uremic. At necropsy, the renal pelvis, ureters, and urinary bladder contained numerous calculi. The presence of urinary calculi was determined to be related to the source of a Food Chemical Codex grade of choline bitartrate. Rats being fed the same basal diet containing the United States Pharmacopia grade of choline bitartrate failed to develop urinary calculi. Interestingly, rats treated with the P-glycoprotein inhibitor were at significantly reduced risk of developing urinary calculi. This finding highlights how something seemingly innocuous as a minor dietary constituent can have a profound impact and, thereby, affect experimental outcome.

  13. Inhibition of influenza virus infection and hemagglutinin cleavage by the protease inhibitor HAI-2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hamilton, Brian S.; Chung, Changik; Cyphers, Soreen Y.

    Highlights: • Biochemical and cell biological analysis of HAI-2 as an inhibitor of influenza HA cleavage activation. • Biochemical and cell biological analysis of HAI-2 as an inhibitor of influenza virus infection. • Comparative analysis of HAI-2 for vesicular stomatitis virus and human parainfluenza virus type-1. • Analysis of the activity of HAI-2 in a mouse model of influenza. - Abstract: Influenza virus remains a significant concern to public health, with the continued potential for a high fatality pandemic. Vaccination and antiviral therapeutics are effective measures to circumvent influenza virus infection, however, multiple strains have emerged that are resistant tomore » the antiviral therapeutics currently on the market. With this considered, investigation of alternative antiviral therapeutics is being conducted. One such approach is to inhibit cleavage activation of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA), which is an essential step in the viral replication cycle that permits viral-endosome fusion. Therefore, targeting trypsin-like, host proteases responsible for HA cleavage in vivo may prove to be an effective therapeutic. Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor 2 (HAI-2) is naturally expressed in the respiratory tract and is a potent inhibitor of trypsin-like serine proteases, some of which have been determined to cleave HA. In this study, we demonstrate that HAI-2 is an effective inhibitor of cleavage of HA from the human-adapted H1 and H3 subtypes. HAI-2 inhibited influenza virus H1N1 infection in cell culture, and HAI-2 administration showed protection in a mouse model of influenza. HAI-2 has the potential to be an effective, alternative antiviral therapeutic for influenza.« less

  14. Improvement of porcine islet isolation by inhibition of trypsin activity during pancreas preservation and digestion using α1-antitrypsin.

    PubMed

    Shimoda, Masayuki; Noguchi, Hirofumi; Fujita, Yasutaka; Takita, Morihito; Ikemoto, Tetsuya; Chujo, Daisuke; Naziruddin, Bashoo; Levy, Marlon F; Kobayashi, Naoya; Grayburn, Paul A; Matsumoto, Shinichi

    2012-01-01

    Porcine islets are considered to be a promising resource for xenotransplantation. However, it is difficult to isolate porcine islets because of the marked fragility and rapid dissociation. Endogenous trypsin is one of the main factors to damage islets during the isolation procedure. Recent studies have suggested that trypsin inhibitors during the preservation of pancreas or the collagenase digestion can improve the result of islet isolation. In this study, we examined whether α1-antitrypsin (Aralast™), which inhibits several endogenous proteases and has immunomodulatory properties, can protect islets from the proteases and improve the results of porcine islet isolation. Twelve porcine pancreata were divided into three groups: without Aralast group (standard, n = 5), preserved with Aralast using the ductal injection (DI) method (DI, n = 3), and with Aralast using the DI method and in the collagenase solution (DI+C, n = 4). Efficacy of islet isolation was assessed by islet yields, purity, and viability. The trypsin activity of the preservation and the digestion solution during the isolation procedure was measured. During islet isolation, the trypsin activity in DI+C group was significantly inhibited compared to the standard group, whereas DI group showed less effect than DI+C group. The average of postpurification islet equivalents (IEQ) per pancreas weight in the DI+C group was significantly higher than the standard group (standard: 3516 ± 497 IEQ/g, DI: 4607 ± 1090 IEQ/g, DI+C: 7097 ± 995 IEQ/g; p = 0.017 between standard and DI+C). In the DI+C group, stimulation index was higher than in other groups, although there was no significant difference. The presence of Aralast in both DI solution and collagenase solution markedly inhibited trypsin activity during pancreas digestion procedure and improved the porcine islet isolation. Inhibition of trypsin activity by Aralast could improve porcine islet isolation.

  15. Relationship between proportion and composition of albumins, and in vitro protein digestibility of raw and cooked pea seeds (Pisum sativum L.).

    PubMed

    Park, Sei Joon; Kim, Tae Wan; Baik, Byung-Kee

    2010-08-15

    Peas provide an excellent plant protein resource for human diets, but their proteins are less readily digestible than animal proteins. To identify the relationship between composition and in vitro digestibility of pea protein, eight pea varieties with a wide range of protein content (157.3-272.7 g kg(-1)) were determined for the proportion of albumins and globulins, their compositions using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) before and after heat treatment using a multi-enzyme (trypsin, chymotrypsin and peptidase) method. The proportion of albumins based on total seed protein content decreased from 229 to 147 g kg(-1) as seed protein content increased from 157.3 to 272.7 g kg(-1), while the proportion of globulins increased from 483 to 590 g kg(-1). The IVPDs of eight raw pea seeds were 79.9-83.5%, with significant varietal variations, and those were improved to 85.9-86.8% by cooking. Albumins, including (pea albumins 2) PA2, trypsin inhibitor, lectin and lipoxygenase, were identified as proteolytic resistant proteins. Globulins were mostly digested by protease treatment after heating. The quantitative ratio of albumins and globulins, and the quantitative variations of albumin protein components, including lipoxygenase, PA2, lectins and trypsin inhibitors, appear to influence the protein digestibility of both raw and cooked pea seeds. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

  16. Role of inhibitors of serine peptidases in protecting Leishmania donovani against the hydrolytic peptidases of sand fly midgut.

    PubMed

    Verma, Sudha; Das, Sushmita; Mandal, Abhishek; Ansari, Md Yousuf; Kumari, Sujata; Mansuri, Rani; Kumar, Ajay; Singh, Ruby; Saini, Savita; Abhishek, Kumar; Kumar, Vijay; Sahoo, Ganesh Chandra; Das, Pradeep

    2017-06-23

    In vector-borne diseases such as leishmaniasis, the sand fly midgut is considered to be an important site for vector-parasite interaction. Digestive enzymes including serine peptidases such as trypsin and chymotrypsin, which are secreted in the midgut are one of the obstacles for Leishmania in establishing a successful infection. The presence of some natural inhibitors of serine peptidases (ISPs) has recently been reported in Leishmania. In the present study, we deciphered the role of these ISPs in the survival of Leishmania donovani in the hostile sand fly midgut environment. In silico and co-immunoprecipitation studies were performed to observe the interaction of L. donovani ISPs with trypsin and chymotrypsin. Zymography and in vitro enzyme assays were carried out to observe the inhibitory effect of purified recombinant ISPs of L. donovani (rLdISPs) on trypsin, chymotrypsin and the sand fly midgut peptidases. The expression of ISPs in the amastigote to promastigote transition stages were studied by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot. The role of LdISP on the survival of ISP overexpressed (OE) and ISP knocked down (KD) Leishmania parasites inside the sand fly gut was investigated by in vitro and in vivo cell viability assays. We identified two ecotin-like genes in L. donovani, LdISP1 and LdISP2. In silico and co-immunoprecipitation results clearly suggest a strong interaction of LdISP molecules with trypsin and chymotrypsin. Zymography and in vitro enzyme assay confirmed the inhibitory effect of rLdISP on trypsin, chymotrypsin and the sand fly midgut peptidases. The expression of LdISP2 was found to be strongly associated with the amastigote to promastigote phase transition. The activities of the digestive enzymes were found to be significantly reduced in the infected sand flies when compared to uninfected. To our knowledge, our study is the first report showing the possible reduction of chymotrypsin activity in L. donovani infected sand flies compared to uninfected. Interestingly, during the early transition stage, substantial killing was observed in ISP2 knocked down (ISP2KD) parasites compared to wild type (WT), whereas ISP1 knocked down (ISP1KD) parasites remained viable. Therefore, our study clearly indicates that LdISP2 is a more effective inhibitor of serine peptidases than LdISP1. Our results suggest that the lack of ISP2 is detrimental to the parasites during the early transition from amastigotes to promastigotes. Moreover, the results of the present study demonstrated for the first time that LdISP2 has an important role in the inhibition of peptidases and promoting L. donovani survival inside the Phlebotomus argentipes midgut.

  17. Aaptamine, an alkaloid from the sponge Aaptos suberitoides, functions as a proteasome inhibitor.

    PubMed

    Tsukamoto, Sachiko; Yamanokuchi, Rumi; Yoshitomi, Makiko; Sato, Kohei; Ikeda, Tsuyoshi; Rotinsulu, Henki; Mangindaan, Remy E P; de Voogd, Nicole J; van Soest, Rob W M; Yokosawa, Hideyoshi

    2010-06-01

    Aaptamine (1), isoaaptamine (2), and demethylaaptamine (3) were isolated from the marine sponge Aaptossuberitoides collected in Indonesia as inhibitors of the proteasome. They inhibited the chymotrypsin-like and caspase-like activities of the proteasome with IC(50) values of 1.6-4.6 microg/mL, while they showed less inhibition of the trypsin-like activity of the proteasome. The three compounds showed cytotoxic activities against HeLa cells, but their cytotoxicity did not correlate with their potency as proteasome inhibitors, strongly suggesting that their proteasomal inhibitory activity is dispensable to their cytotoxicity. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. [The primary structure of the alpha-amylase inhibitor Hoe 467A from Streptomyces tendae 4158. A new class of inhibitors].

    PubMed

    Aschauer, H; Vértesy, L; Nesemann, G; Braunitzer, G

    1983-10-01

    The native or modified alpha-amylase inhibitor Hoe 467A - isolated from the culture medium of Streptomyces tendae 4158 - and overlapping peptides were degraded by the automatic Edman technique. The oxidized or aminoethylated or oxidized and maleoylated inhibitor was digested with trypsin and the native inhibitor with pepsin. Further digestion with Staphylococcus aureus proteinase was also carried out. After peptic digestion two cystin peptides were isolated, which allowed the establishment of the disulfide bonds. The alpha-amylase inhibitor is a polypeptid consisting of 74 amino-acid residues with a molecular mass of 7958 Da. The inhibitor is composed of all naturally occurring amino acids except methionine and phenylalanine and shows no sequence homology to known inhibitors. The clinical and pharmacological importance in respect to the inhibitors ability for inactivation of human salivary and pancreatic alpha-amylase is discussed. Especially the proteinase resistance of the inhibitor enables a clinical application in human (e.g. Diabetes mellitus) per os.

  19. Tuber Storage Proteins

    PubMed Central

    SHEWRY, PETER R.

    2003-01-01

    A wide range of plants are grown for their edible tubers, but five species together account for almost 90 % of the total world production. These are potato (Solanum tuberosum), cassava (Manihot esculenta), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatus), yams (Dioscorea spp.) and taro (Colocasia, Cyrtosperma and Xanthosoma spp.). All of these, except cassava, contain groups of storage proteins, but these differ in the biological properties and evolutionary relationships. Thus, patatin from potato exhibits activity as an acylhydrolase and esterase, sporamin from sweet potato is an inhibitor of trypsin, and dioscorin from yam is a carbonic anhydrase. Both sporamin and dioscorin also exhibit antioxidant and radical scavenging activity. Taro differs from the other three crops in that it contains two major types of storage protein: a trypsin inhibitor related to sporamin and a mannose‐binding lectin. These characteristics indicate that tuber storage proteins have evolved independently in different species, which contrasts with the highly conserved families of storage proteins present in seeds. Furthermore, all exhibit biological activities which could contribute to resistance to pests, pathogens or abiotic stresses, indicating that they may have dual roles in the tubers. PMID:12730067

  20. An endogenous ribonuclease inhibitor regulates the antimicrobial activity of ribonuclease 7 in the human urinary tract

    PubMed Central

    Spencer, John David; Schwaderer, Andrew L.; Eichler, Tad; Wang, Huanyu; Kline, Jennifer; Justice, Sheryl S.; Cohen, Daniel M.; Hains, David S.

    2013-01-01

    Recent studies stress the importance of antimicrobial peptides in protecting the urinary tract from infection. Previously, we have shown that ribonuclease 7 (RNase 7) is a potent antimicrobial peptide that has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against uropathogenic bacteria. The urothelium of the lower urinary tract and intercalated cells of the kidney produce RNase 7 but regulation of its antimicrobial activity has not been well defined. Here we characterize the expression of an endogenous inhibitor, ribonuclease inhibitor (RI), in the urinary tract and evaluate its effect on RNase 7’s antimicrobial activity. Using RNA isolated from non-infected human bladder and kidney tissue, quantitative real-time PCR showed that RNH1, the gene encoding RI, is constitutively expressed throughout the urinary tract. With pyelonephritis, RNH1 expression and RI peptide production significantly decrease. Immunostaining localized RI production to the umbrella cells of the bladder and intercalated cells of the renal collecting tubule. In vitro assays showed that RI bound to RNase 7 and suppressed its antimicrobial activity by blocking its ability to bind the cell wall of uropathogenic bacteria. Thus, these results demonstrate a new immunomodulatory role for RI and identified a unique regulatory pathway that may affect how RNase 7 maintains urinary tract sterility. PMID:24107847

  1. [Physicopharmaceutical characteristics of ulinastatin vaginal suppositories prepared in a hospital].

    PubMed

    Satake, Kiyoshi; Nakajima, Takanori; Iwata, Masanori; Fujikake, Yoshio; Kimura, Masayuki

    2011-01-01

    We studied a locally applied vaginal preparation (vaginal suppositories) of ulinastatin (urinary trypsin inhibitor, UTI), designed to threatened premature delivery and maintain pregnancy. Witepsol S55 was chosen as the basic component of the vaginal suppositories based on the physical pharmaceutical characteristics of three kinds of hard fats. The average particle size of the UTI aqueous injection was approximately 70% as compared with that of the UTI lyophilized product, used as the base material for the preparation of UTI vaginal suppositories. We compared the physical pharmaceutical properties of UTI vaginal suppositories with water contents of 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5%, respectively. Preparation strength negatively correlated with the water content. The coefficient of viscosity positively correlated with the water content of the preparation. UTI vaginal suppositories with a water content of 5.0% had the highest average drug release rate on moment analysis. A comprehensive evaluation of the properties of UTI vaginal suppositories, including high strength due to disintegration resistance, the coefficient of viscosity and its influence on local retention, and drug release and its influence on the duration of effect, indicated that a 5.0% UTI aqueous solution for injection combined with Witepsol S55 as the base was the optimal formulation for the hospital preparation of vaginal suppositories.

  2. Cytometric analysis of retinopathies in retinal trypsin digests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghanian, Zahra; Staniszewski, Kevin; Sorenson, Christine M.; Sheibani, Nader; Ranji, Mahsa

    2014-03-01

    The objective of this work was to design an automated image cytometry tool for determination of various retinal vascular parameters including extraction of features that are relevant to postnatal retinal vascular development, and the progression of diabetic retinopathy. To confirm the utility and accuracy of the software, retinal trypsin digest from TSP1-/- and diabetic Akita/+; TSP1-/- mice were analyzed. TSP1 is a critical inhibitor of development of retinopathies and lack of TSP1 exacerbates progression of early diabetic retinopathies. Loss of vascular cells of and gain more acellular capillaries as two major signs of diabetic retinopathies were used to classify a retina as normal or injured. This software allows quantification and high throughput assessment of retinopathy changes associated with diabetes.

  3. Total Synthesis and Stereochemical Assignment of Nostosin B

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xiaoji; Feng, Junmin; Xu, Zhengshuang; Ye, Tao; Meng, Yi; Zhang, Zhiyu

    2017-01-01

    Nostosins A and B were isolated from a hydrophilic extract of Nostoc sp. strain from Iran, which exhibits excellent trypsin inhibitory activity. Nostosin A was the most potent natural tripeptide aldehyde as trypsin inhibitor up to now. Both r- and s-2-hydroxy-4-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)butanoic acid (Hhpba) were prepared and incorporated into the total synthesis of nostosin B, respectively. Careful comparison of the NMR spectra and optical rotation data of synthetic nostosin B (1a and 1b) with the natural product led to the unambiguous identification of the r-configuration of the Hhpba fragment, which was further confirmed by co-injection with the authentic sample on HPLC using both reversed phase column and the chiral AD-RH column. PMID:28264450

  4. Proteases and protease inhibitors of urinary extracellular vesicles in diabetic nephropathy.

    PubMed

    Musante, Luca; Tataruch, Dorota; Gu, Dongfeng; Liu, Xinyu; Forsblom, Carol; Groop, Per-Henrik; Holthofer, Harry

    2015-01-01

    Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD), and, ultimately, is the main cause for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Beyond urinary albumin, no reliable biomarkers are available for accurate early diagnostics. Urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) have recently emerged as an interesting source of diagnostic and prognostic disease biomarkers. Here we used a protease and respective protease inhibitor array to profile urines of type 1 diabetes patients at different stages of kidney involvement. Urine samples were divided into groups based on the level of albuminuria and UEVs isolated by hydrostatic dialysis and screened for relative changes of 34 different proteases and 32 protease inhibitors, respectively. Interestingly, myeloblastin and its natural inhibitor elafin showed an increase in the normo- and microalbuminuric groups. Similarly, a characteristic pattern was observed in the array of protease inhibitors, with a marked increase of cystatin B, natural inhibitor of cathepsins L, H, and B as well as of neutrophil gelatinase-associated Lipocalin (NGAL) in the normoalbuminuric group. This study shows for the first time the distinctive alterations in comprehensive protease profiles of UEVs in diabetic nephropathy and uncovers intriguing mechanistic, prognostic, and diagnostic features of kidney damage in diabetes.

  5. Nutrition and lower urinary tract disease in cats.

    PubMed

    Bartges, Joseph W; Kirk, Claudia A

    2006-11-01

    Lower urinary tract disease occurs commonly in cats and is often associated with crystal-related disease. Dietary modification is beneficial in managing some of these diseases, including idiopathic cystitis, urolithiasis, and urethral matrix-crystalline plugs. Altering dietary formulation may result in decreasing urinary concentrations of crystallogenic compounds, increasing urinary concentrations fo crystallogenic inhibitors, and diluting urine composition.

  6. Linear Discriminant Analysis for the in Silico Discovery of Mechanism-Based Reversible Covalent Inhibitors of a Serine Protease: Application of Hydration Thermodynamics Analysis and Semi-empirical Molecular Orbital Calculation.

    PubMed

    Masuda, Yosuke; Yoshida, Tomoki; Yamaotsu, Noriyuki; Hirono, Shuichi

    2018-01-01

    We recently reported that the Gibbs free energy of hydrolytic water molecules (ΔG wat ) in acyl-trypsin intermediates calculated by hydration thermodynamics analysis could be a useful metric for estimating the catalytic rate constants (k cat ) of mechanism-based reversible covalent inhibitors. For thorough evaluation, the proposed method was tested with an increased number of covalent ligands that have no corresponding crystal structures. After modeling acyl-trypsin intermediate structures using flexible molecular superposition, ΔG wat values were calculated according to the proposed method. The orbital energies of antibonding π* molecular orbitals (MOs) of carbonyl C=O in covalently modified catalytic serine (E orb ) were also calculated by semi-empirical MO calculations. Then, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was performed to build a model that can discriminate covalent inhibitor candidates from substrate-like ligands using ΔG wat and E orb . The model was built using a training set (10 compounds) and then validated by a test set (4 compounds). As a result, the training set and test set ligands were perfectly discriminated by the model. Hydrolysis was slower when (1) the hydrolytic water molecule has lower ΔG wat ; (2) the covalent ligand presents higher E orb (higher reaction barrier). Results also showed that the entropic term of hydrolytic water molecule (-TΔS wat ) could be used for estimating k cat and for covalent inhibitor optimization; when the rotational freedom of the hydrolytic water molecule is limited, the chance for favorable interaction with the electrophilic acyl group would also be limited. The method proposed in this study would be useful for screening and optimizing the mechanism-based reversible covalent inhibitors.

  7. Managing therapeutic competition in patients with heart failure, lower urinary tract symptoms and incontinence.

    PubMed

    Tannenbaum, Cara; Johnell, Kristina

    2014-02-01

    Up to 50% of heart failure patients suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms. Urinary incontinence has been associated with worse functional status in patients with heart failure, occurring three times more frequently in patients with New York Heart Association Class III and IV symptoms compared with those with milder disease. The association between heart failure and urinary symptoms may be directly attributable to worsening heart failure pathophysiology; however, medications used to treat heart failure may also indirectly provoke or exacerbate urinary symptoms. This type of drug-disease interaction, in which the treatment for heart failure precipitates incontinence, and removal of medications to relieve incontinence worsens heart failure, can be termed therapeutic competition. The mechanisms by which heart failure medication such as diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and β-blockers aggravate lower urinary tract symptoms are discussed. Initiation of a prescribing cascade, whereby antimuscarinic agents or β3-agonists are added to treat symptoms of urinary urgency and incontinence, is best avoided. Recommendations and practical tips are provided that outline more judicious management of heart failure patients with lower urinary tract symptoms. Compelling strategies to improve urinary outcomes include titrating diuretics, switching ACE inhibitors, treating lower urinary tract infections, appropriate fluid management, daily weighing, and uptake of pelvic floor muscle exercises.

  8. The rapidly metabolized 32,000-dalton polypeptide of the chloroplast is the "proteinaceous shield" regulating photosystem II electron transport and mediating diuron herbicide sensitivity.

    PubMed Central

    Mattoo, A K; Pick, U; Hoffman-Falk, H; Edelman, M

    1981-01-01

    Mild trypsin treatment of Spirodela oligorrhiza thylakoid membranes leads to partial digestion of the rapidly metabolized, surface-exposed, 32,000-dalton protein. Under these conditions, photoreduction of ferricyanide becomes insensitive to diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea], an inhibitor of photosystem II electron transport. Preincubation of thylakoids with diuron leads to a conformational change in the 32,000-dalton protein, modifying its trypsin digestion and preventing expression of diuron insensitivity. Finally, light affects the susceptibility of the 32,000-dalton protein to digestion by trypsin. In other experiments, thylakoids specifically depleted in the 32,000-dalton protein were found to be deficient in electron transport at the reducing side of photosystem II but not at the oxidizing side or in photosystem I activities. Thus, the rapidly metabolized 32,000-dalton thylakoid protein in Spirodela chloroplasts fulfills the requirements of the hypothesized "proteinaceous shield" [Renger, G. (1976) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 440, 287-300] regulating electron flow through photosystem II and mediating diuron sensitivity. Images PMID:6940173

  9. [Effects of traditional cooking on antinutritional factors of the black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) of Costa Rica].

    PubMed

    Bonilla, A R; Calzada, C; Cooke, R

    1991-12-01

    Trypsin inhibitors, alfa amylase inhibitors and hemagglutinins were determined in black beans (P. vulgaris) produced in Costa Rica. The effect of the traditional cooking on such antinutritional factors was also studied. The antinutritional factors were analyzed spectrophotometrically in the raw beans, as well as after several cooking periods of time. The results showed that alfa-amylase inhibitors were the most thermoresistant. After 30 min of cooking time there was a 33% of activity left from the initial activity of the raw beans. Approximately 80% of the antitryptic activity was destroyed at 9 min of cooking time. After 10 min of cooking time, only 1% of hemagglutinin activity was present.

  10. Adenanthera pavonina trypsin inhibitor retard growth of Anagasta kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

    PubMed

    Macedo, Maria Lígia Rodrigues; Durigan, Roberta Aparecida; da Silva, Desiree Soares; Marangoni, Sérgio; Freire, Maria das Graças Machado; Parra, José Roberto Postali

    2010-04-01

    Anagasta kuehniella is a polyphagous pest that feeds on a wide variety of stored products. The possible roles suggested for seed proteinase inhibitors include the function as a part of the plant defensive system against pest via inhibition of their proteolytic enzymes. In this study, a trypsin inhibitor (ApTI) was purified from Adenanthera pavonina seed and was tested for insect growth regulatory effect. The chronic ingestion of ApTI did result in a significant reduction in larval survival and weight. Larval and pupal developmental time of larvae fed on ApTI diet at 1% was significantly longer; the larval period was extended by 5 days and pupal period was 10 days longer, therefore delaying by up to 20 days and resulting in a prolonged period of development from larva to adult. As a result, the ApTI diet emergence rate was only 28% while the emergence rate of control larvae was 80%. The percentage of surviving adults (%S) decreased to 62%. The fourth instar larvae reared on a diet containing 1% ApTI showed a decrease in tryptic activity of gut and that no novel proteolytic form resistant to ApTI was induced. In addition, the tryptic activity in ApTI -fed larvae was sensitive to ApTI. These results suggest that ApTI have a potential antimetabolic effect when ingested by A. kuehniella. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Trypsin-protease activated receptor-2 signaling contributes to pancreatic cancer pain

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Jiao; Miao, Xue-Rong; Tao, Kun-Ming; Zhu, Hai; Liu, Zhi-Yun; Yu, Da-Wei; Chen, Qian-Bo; Qiu, Hai-Bo; Lu, Zhi-Jie

    2017-01-01

    Pain treatment is a critical aspect of pancreatic cancer patient clinical care. This study investigated the role of trypsin-protease activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) in pancreatic cancer pain. Pancreatic tissue samples were collected from pancreatic cancer (n=22) and control patients (n=22). Immunofluorescence analyses confirmed colocalization of PAR-2 and neuronal markers in pancreatic cancer tissues. Trypsin levels and protease activities were higher in pancreatic cancer tissue specimens than in the controls. Supernatants from cultured human pancreatic cancer tissues (PC supernatants) induced substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide release in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, and FS-NH2, a selective PAR-2 antagonist, inhibited this effect. A BALB/c nude mouse orthotopic tumor model was used to confirm the role of PAR-2 signaling in pancreatic cancer visceral pain, and male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to assess ambulatory pain. FS-NH2 treatment decreased hunch scores, mechanical hyperalgesia, and visceromotor reflex responses in tumor-bearing mice. In rats, subcutaneous injection of PC supernatant induced pain behavior, which was alleviated by treatment with FS-NH2 or FUT-175, a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor. Our findings suggest that trypsin-PAR-2 signaling contributes to pancreatic cancer pain in vivo. Treatment strategies targeting PAR-2 or its downstream signaling molecules might effectively relieve pancreatic cancer pain. PMID:28977906

  12. Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Urea Transporters

    PubMed Central

    Verkman, Alan S.; Esteva-Font, Cristina; Cil, Onur; Anderson, Marc O.; Li, Fei; Li, Min; Lei, Tianluo; Ren, Huiwen; Yang, Baoxue

    2015-01-01

    Urea transporter (UT) proteins, which include isoforms of UT-A in kidney tubule epithelia and UT-B in vasa recta endothelia and erythrocytes, facilitate urinary concentrating function. Inhibitors of urea transporter function have potential clinical applications as sodium-sparing diuretics, or ‘urearetics,’ in edema from different etiologies, such as congestive heart failure and cirrhosis, as well as in syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). High-throughput screening of drug-like small molecules has identified UT-A and UT-B inhibitors with nanomolar potency. Inhibitors have been identified with different UT-A versus UT-B selectivity profiles and putative binding sites on UT proteins. Studies in rodent models support the utility of UT inhibitors in reducing urinary concentration, though testing in clinically relevant animal models of edema has not yet been done. PMID:25298345

  13. Pre-equilibrium competitive library screening for tuning inhibitor association rate and specificity toward serine proteases.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Itay; Naftaly, Si; Ben-Zeev, Efrat; Hockla, Alexandra; Radisky, Evette S; Papo, Niv

    2018-04-16

    High structural and sequence similarity within protein families can pose significant challenges to the development of selective inhibitors, especially toward proteolytic enzymes. Such enzymes usually belong to large families of closely similar proteases and may also hydrolyze, with different rates, protein- or peptide-based inhibitors. To address this challenge, we employed a combinatorial yeast surface display library approach complemented with a novel pre-equilibrium, competitive screening strategy for facile assessment of the effects of multiple mutations on inhibitor association rates and binding specificity. As a proof of principle for this combined approach, we utilized this strategy to alter inhibitor/protease association rates and to tailor the selectivity of the amyloid β-protein precursor Kunitz protease inhibitor domain (APPI) for inhibition of the oncogenic protease mesotrypsin, in the presence of three competing serine proteases, anionic trypsin, cationic trypsin and kallikrein-6. We generated a variant, designated APPI P13W/M17G/I18F/F34V , with up to 30-fold greater specificity relative to the parental APPI M17G/I18F/F34V protein, and 6500- to 230 000-fold improved specificity relative to the wild-type APPI protein in the presence of the other proteases tested. A series of molecular docking simulations suggested a mechanism of interaction that supported the biochemical results. These simulations predicted that the selectivity and specificity are affected by the interaction of the mutated APPI residues with nonconserved enzyme residues located in or near the binding site. Our strategy will facilitate a better understanding of the binding landscape of multispecific proteins and will pave the way for design of new drugs and diagnostic tools targeting proteases and other proteins. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  14. Trypsin impaired epithelial barrier function and induced IL-8 secretion through basolateral PAR-2: a lesson from a stratified squamous epithelial model.

    PubMed

    Shan, Jing; Oshima, Tadayuki; Chen, Xin; Fukui, Hirokazu; Watari, Jiro; Miwa, Hiroto

    2012-11-15

    Immune-mediated injury by the protease-activated receptor-2-interleukin-8 (PAR-2-IL8) pathway may underlie the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the localization of PAR-2 and the mechanism of PAR-2 activation remain unclear. This study aimed to address these questions on an esophageal stratified squamous epithelial model and in the human esophageal mucosa of GERD patients. Normal human esophageal epithelial cells were cultured with the air-liquid interface system to establish the model. SLIGKV-NH2 (PAR-2 synthetic agonist), trypsin (PAR-2 natural activator), and weak acid (pH 4, 5, and 6) were added to either the apical or basolateral compartment to evaluate their effects on transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and IL-8 production. PAR-2 localization was examined both in the cell model and biopsies from GERD patients by immunohistochemistry. Apical trypsin stimulation induced IL-8 accompanied by decreased TEER in vitro, whereas the effective concentration from the basolateral side was 10 times lower. SLIGKV-NH2 from basolateral but not apical stimulation induced IL-8 production. Apical weak acid stimulation did not influence TEER or IL-8 production. Immunohistochemistry showed intense reactivity of PAR-2 in the basal and suprabasal layers after stimulation with trypsin. A similar PAR-2 reactivity that was mainly located at the basal and suprabasal layers was detected in GERD patients. In conclusion, the activation of the PAR-2-IL-8 pathway probably occurred at the basal and suprabasal layers, while the esophageal epithelial barrier may influence the activation of PAR-2. Under proton pump inhibitor therapy, refluxed trypsin may remain active and be a potential agent in the pathogenesis of refractory GERD.

  15. Proteases and Protease Inhibitors of Urinary Extracellular Vesicles in Diabetic Nephropathy

    PubMed Central

    Tataruch, Dorota; Gu, Dongfeng; Liu, Xinyu; Forsblom, Carol; Groop, Per-Henrik; Holthofer, Harry

    2015-01-01

    Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD), and, ultimately, is the main cause for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Beyond urinary albumin, no reliable biomarkers are available for accurate early diagnostics. Urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) have recently emerged as an interesting source of diagnostic and prognostic disease biomarkers. Here we used a protease and respective protease inhibitor array to profile urines of type 1 diabetes patients at different stages of kidney involvement. Urine samples were divided into groups based on the level of albuminuria and UEVs isolated by hydrostatic dialysis and screened for relative changes of 34 different proteases and 32 protease inhibitors, respectively. Interestingly, myeloblastin and its natural inhibitor elafin showed an increase in the normo- and microalbuminuric groups. Similarly, a characteristic pattern was observed in the array of protease inhibitors, with a marked increase of cystatin B, natural inhibitor of cathepsins L, H, and B as well as of neutrophil gelatinase-associated Lipocalin (NGAL) in the normoalbuminuric group. This study shows for the first time the distinctive alterations in comprehensive protease profiles of UEVs in diabetic nephropathy and uncovers intriguing mechanistic, prognostic, and diagnostic features of kidney damage in diabetes. PMID:25874235

  16. Pharmacology of the lower urinary tract

    PubMed Central

    Hennenberg, Martin; Stief, Christian G.; Gratzke, Christian

    2014-01-01

    Pharmacology of the lower urinary tract provides the basis for medical treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Therapy of LUTS addresses obstructive symptoms (frequently explained by increased prostate smooth muscle tone and prostate enlargement) in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and storage symptoms in patients with overactive bladder (OAB). Targets for medical treatment include G protein-coupled receptors (α1-adrenoceptors, muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, β3-adrenoceptors) or intracellular enzymes (5α-reductase; phosphodiesterase-5, PDE5). Established therapies of obstructive symptoms aim to induce prostate smooth muscle relaxation by α1-blockers or PDE5 inhibitors, or to reduce prostate growth and volume with 5α-reductase inhibitors. Available options for treatment of OAB comprise anitmuscarinics, β3-adrenoceptor agonists, and botulinum toxin A, which improve storage symptoms by inhibition of bladder smooth muscle contraction. With the recent approval of β3-antagonists, PDE inhibitors, and silodosin for therapy of LUTS, progress from basic research of lower urinary tract pharmacology was translated into new clinical applications. Further targets are in preclinical stages of examination, including modulators of the endocannabinoid system and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. PMID:24744518

  17. A stochastic model for correlated protein motions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karain, Wael I.; Qaraeen, Nael I.; Ajarmah, Basem

    2006-06-01

    A one-dimensional Langevin-type stochastic difference equation is used to find the deterministic and Gaussian contributions of time series representing the projections of a Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor (BPTI) protein molecular dynamics simulation along different eigenvector directions determined using principal component analysis. The deterministic part shows a distinct nonlinear behavior only for eigenvectors contributing significantly to the collective protein motion.

  18. Development of Novel Melanocortin Receptor Agonists Based on the Cyclic Peptide Framework of Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor-1.

    PubMed

    Durek, Thomas; Cromm, Philipp M; White, Andrew M; Schroeder, Christina I; Kaas, Quentin; Weidmann, Joachim; Ahmad Fuaad, Abdullah; Cheneval, Olivier; Harvey, Peta J; Daly, Norelle L; Zhou, Yang; Dellsén, Anita; Österlund, Torben; Larsson, Niklas; Knerr, Laurent; Bauer, Udo; Kessler, Horst; Cai, Minying; Hruby, Victor J; Plowright, Alleyn T; Craik, David J

    2018-04-26

    Ultrastable cyclic peptide frameworks offer great potential for drug design due to their improved bioavailability compared to their linear analogues. Using the sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) peptide scaffold in combination with systematic N-methylation of the grafted pharmacophore led to the identification of novel subtype selective melanocortin receptor (MCR) agonists. Multiple bicyclic peptides were synthesized and tested toward their activity at MC1R and MC3-5R. Double N-methylated compound 18 showed a p K i of 8.73 ± 0.08 ( K i = 1.92 ± 0.34 nM) and a pEC 50 of 9.13 ± 0.04 (EC 50 = 0.75 ± 0.08 nM) at the human MC1R and was over 100 times more selective for MC1R. Nuclear magnetic resonance structural analysis of 18 emphasized the role of peptide bond N-methylation in shaping the conformation of the grafted pharmacophore. More broadly, this study highlights the potential of cyclic peptide scaffolds for epitope grafting in combination with N-methylation to introduce receptor subtype selectivity in the context of peptide-based drug discovery.

  19. Transcriptome sequencing and marker development in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus; Leguminosae).

    PubMed

    Vatanparast, Mohammad; Shetty, Prateek; Chopra, Ratan; Doyle, Jeff J; Sathyanarayana, N; Egan, Ashley N

    2016-06-30

    Winged bean, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC., is similar to soybean in yield and nutritional value but more viable in tropical conditions. Here, we strengthen genetic resources for this orphan crop by producing a de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation of two Sri Lankan accessions (denoted herein as CPP34 [PI 491423] and CPP37 [PI 639033]), developing simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, and identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between geographically separated genotypes. A combined assembly based on 804,757 reads from two accessions produced 16,115 contigs with an N50 of 889 bp, over 90% of which has significant sequence similarity to other legumes. Combining contigs with singletons produced 97,241 transcripts. We identified 12,956 SSRs, including 2,594 repeats for which primers were designed and 5,190 high-confidence SNPs between Sri Lankan and Nigerian genotypes. The transcriptomic data sets generated here provide new resources for gene discovery and marker development in this orphan crop, and will be vital for future plant breeding efforts. We also analyzed the soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) gene family, important plant defense genes, in the context of related legumes and found evidence for radiation of the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) gene family within winged bean.

  20. Cyclic Peptides Arising by Evolutionary Parallelism via Asparaginyl-Endopeptidase–Mediated Biosynthesis[C][W

    PubMed Central

    Mylne, Joshua S.; Chan, Lai Yue; Chanson, Aurelie H.; Daly, Norelle L.; Schaefer, Hanno; Bailey, Timothy L.; Nguyencong, Philip; Cascales, Laura; Craik, David J.

    2012-01-01

    The cyclic miniprotein Momordica cochinchinensis Trypsin Inhibitor II (MCoTI-II) (34 amino acids) is a potent trypsin inhibitor (TI) and a favored scaffold for drug design. We have cloned the corresponding genes and determined that each precursor protein contains a tandem series of cyclic TIs terminating with the more commonly known, and potentially ancestral, acyclic TI. Expression of the precursor protein in Arabidopsis thaliana showed that production of the cyclic TIs, but not the terminal acyclic TI, depends on asparaginyl endopeptidase (AEP) for maturation. The nature of their repetitive sequences and the almost identical structures of emerging TIs suggest these cyclic peptides evolved by internal gene amplification associated with recruitment of AEP for processing between domain repeats. This is the third example of similar AEP-mediated processing of a class of cyclic peptides from unrelated precursor proteins in phylogenetically distant plant families. This suggests that production of cyclic peptides in angiosperms has evolved in parallel using AEP as a constraining evolutionary channel. We believe this is evolutionary evidence that, in addition to its known roles in proteolysis, AEP is especially suited to performing protein cyclization. PMID:22822203

  1. Experimental pancreatic hyperplasia and neoplasia: effects of dietary and surgical manipulation.

    PubMed Central

    Watanapa, P.; Williamson, R. C.

    1993-01-01

    Several studies carried out during the past two decades have investigated the effect of dietary and surgical manipulation on pancreatic growth and carcinogenesis. Diets high in trypsin inhibitor stimulate pancreatic growth and increase the formation of preneoplastic lesions and carcinomas in the rat pancreas. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is the key intermediary in this response, since both natural and synthetic trypsin inhibitors increase circulating levels of the hormone and CCK antagonists largely prevent these changes. Fatty acids enhance pancreatic carcinogenesis in both rats and hamsters, whereas protein appears to have a protective role in the rat, but to increase tumour yields in the hamster. Several surgical operations affect the pancreas. Pancreatobiliary diversion and partial gastrectomy stimulate pancreatic growth and enhance carcinogenesis, probably by means of increased CCK release. Complete duodenogastric reflux has similar effects on the pancreas but the gut peptide involved is gastrin. Although massive small bowel resection increases pancreatic growth, the marked reduction in caloric absorption probably explains its failure to enhance carcinogenesis. CCK and enteroglucagon might work in concert to modulate the tropic response of the pancreas to small bowel resection. In the pancreas, as in the large intestine, hyperplasia appears to precede and predispose to neoplasia. PMID:8494719

  2. Nutrients and natural toxic substances in commonly consumed Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) tuber.

    PubMed

    Judprasong, Kunchit; Archeepsudcharit, Nidthida; Chantapiriyapoon, Kedsiri; Tanaviyutpakdee, Pharrunrat; Temviriyanukul, Piya

    2018-01-01

    This study determined nutrients, chemical contaminants, (insecticide residues and heavy metals), and natural toxic substances (nitrate, nitrite, cyanide, oxalate, phytate, and trypsin inhibitor) in tubers of Jerusalem artichokes-Kaentawan in the Thai language-grown in four major provinces in Thailand. They were purchased, prepared, homogenized, and freeze-dried for further analysis using standard methods. All Kaentawan samples contained considerable amounts of fructans and dietary fiber (15.4±0.2gand3.2±0.8g/100gfresh weight [FW], respectively), as well as potassium and iron (339±61and0.32±0.05mg/100gFW, respectively). All samples had very low amounts of insecticide residues (37 compounds), cyanide, and trypsin inhibitor, as well as Pb, Cd, nitrate, and nitrite (0.82±0.09, 0.10±0.02, 1.9-17.5, and 0.01-0.24mgkg -1 FW, respectively), in addition to oxalate and phytate (14±9and0.17±0.02mg/100gFW, respectively). This study's data can be used for food composition databases and for safety consumption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Serine protease activity in m-1 cortical collecting duct cells.

    PubMed

    Liu, Lian; Hering-Smith, Kathleen S; Schiro, Faith R; Hamm, L Lee

    2002-04-01

    An apical serine protease, channel-activating protease 1 (CAP1), augments sodium transport in A6 cells. Prostasin, a novel serine protease originally purified from seminal fluid, has been proposed to be the mammalian ortholog of CAP1. We have recently found functional evidence for a similar protease activity in the M-1 cortical collecting duct cell line. The purposes of the present studies were to determine whether prostasin (or CAP1) is present in collecting duct cells by use of mouse M-1 cells, to sequence mouse prostasin, and to further characterize the identity of the serine protease activity and additional functional features in M-1 cells. Using mouse expressed sequence tag sequences that are highly homologous to the published human prostasin sequence as templates, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) were used to sequence mouse prostasin mRNA, which shows 99% identical to published mouse CAP1 sequence. A single 1800-bp transcript was found by Northern analysis, and this was not altered by aldosterone. Equivalent short-circuit current (I(eq)), which represents sodium transport in these cells, dropped to 59+/-3% of control value within 1 hour of incubation with aprotinin, a serine protease inhibitor. Trypsin increased the I(eq) in aprotinin-treated cells to the value of the control group within 5 minutes. Application of aprotinin not only inhibited amiloride sensitive I(eq) but also reduced transepithelial resistance (R(te)) to 43+/-2%, an effect not expected with simple inhibition of sodium channels. Trypsin partially reversed the effect of aprotinin on R(te). Another serine protease inhibitor, soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI), decreased I(eq) in M-1 cells. STI inhibited I(eq) gradually over 6 hours, and the inhibition of I(eq) by 2 inhibitors was additive. STI decreased transepithelial resistance much less than did aprotinin. Neither aldosterone nor dexamethasone significantly augmented protease activity or prostasin mRNA levels, and in fact, dexamethasone decreased prostasin mRNA expression. In conclusion, although prostasin is present in M-1 cells and probably augments sodium transport in these cells, serine proteases probably have other effects (eg, resistance) in the collecting duct in addition to effects on sodium channels. Steroids do not alter these effects in M-1 cells. Additional proteases are likely also present in mouse collecting duct cells.

  4. Digestive enzymes of the Californian two-spot octopus, Octopus bimaculoides (Pickford and McConnaughey, 1949).

    PubMed

    Ibarra-García, Laura Elizabeth; Tovar-Ramírez, Dariel; Rosas, Carlos; Campa-Córdova, Ángel Isidro; Mazón-Suástegui, José Manuel

    2018-01-01

    Octopus bimaculoides is an important commercially fished species in the California Peninsula with aquaculture potential; however, to date limited information is available regarding its digestive physiology. The objective of this study was focused on biochemically characterizing the main enzymes involved in the digestion of O. bimaculoides. Optimum pH, temperature and thermostability were determined for amylases, lipases, trypsin and chymotrypsin; optimum pH and protease inhibitor effect were assessed for acidic and alkaline proteases, and the effect of divalent ions on trypsin and chymotrypsin activity was evaluated in enzymatic extracts from the digestive (DG) and salivary glands (SG) and crop gastric juices (GJ). High amylase activity was detected in GD and GJ whereas this activity is very low in other cephalopods. Salivary glands had the greatest activity in most of the enzyme groups, showing the importance of this organ in digestion. Optimum pH was different depending on the organ and enzyme analyzed. The optimum pH in DG was 3 showing the predominance of acidic proteases in the digestion process. All enzymes were resistant and stable at high temperatures in contrast with other marine species. Trypsin and chymotrypsin activity were highly incremented with the presence of Mg 2+ , Co 2+ , Cu 2+ and Zn 2+ in some tissues. The inhibitor assay showed the importance of serine proteases, metalloproteases and aspartic proteases in the digestive process of this species. This study is the first in assessing the main digestive enzymes of O. bimaculoides and in remarking the importance of other digestive enzyme groups besides proteases in octopuses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Mesotrypsin Signature Mutation in a Chymotrypsin C (CTRC) Variant Associated with Chronic Pancreatitis.

    PubMed

    Szabó, András; Ludwig, Maren; Hegyi, Eszter; Szépeová, Renata; Witt, Heiko; Sahin-Tóth, Miklós

    2015-07-10

    Human chymotrypsin C (CTRC) protects against pancreatitis by degrading trypsinogen and thereby curtailing harmful intra-pancreatic trypsinogen activation. Loss-of-function mutations in CTRC increase the risk for chronic pancreatitis. Here we describe functional analysis of eight previously uncharacterized natural CTRC variants tested for potential defects in secretion, proteolytic stability, and catalytic activity. We found that all variants were secreted from transfected cells normally, and none suffered proteolytic degradation by trypsin. Five variants had normal enzymatic activity, whereas variant p.R29Q was catalytically inactive due to loss of activation by trypsin and variant p.S239C exhibited impaired activity possibly caused by disulfide mispairing. Surprisingly, variant p.G214R had increased activity on a small chromogenic peptide substrate but was markedly defective in cleaving bovine β-casein or the natural CTRC substrates human cationic trypsinogen and procarboxypeptidase A1. Mutation p.G214R is analogous to the evolutionary mutation in human mesotrypsin, which rendered this trypsin isoform resistant to proteinaceous inhibitors and conferred its ability to cleave these inhibitors. Similarly to the mesotrypsin phenotype, CTRC variant p.G214R was inhibited poorly by eglin C, ecotin, or a CTRC-specific variant of SGPI-2, and it readily cleaved the reactive-site peptide bonds in eglin C and ecotin. We conclude that CTRC variants p.R29Q, p.G214R, and p.S239C are risk factors for chronic pancreatitis. Furthermore, the mesotrypsin-like CTRC variant highlights how the same natural mutation in homologous pancreatic serine proteases can evolve a new physiological role or lead to pathology, determined by the biological context of protease function. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  6. Characterization of the Mamestra configurata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larval midgut protease complement and adaptation to feeding on artificial diet, Brassica species, and protease inhibitor.

    PubMed

    Erlandson, Martin A; Hegedus, Dwayne D; Baldwin, Douglas; Noakes, Amy; Toprak, Umut

    2010-10-01

    The midgut protease profiles from 5th instar Mamestra configurata larvae fed various diets (standard artificial diet, low protein diet, low protein diet with soybean trypsin inhibitor [SBTI], or Brassica napus) were characterized by one-dimensional enzymography in gelatin gels. The gut protease profile of larvae fed B. napus possessed protease activities of molecular masses of approximately 33 and 55 kDa, which were not present in the guts of larvae fed artificial diet. Similarly, larvae fed artificial diet had protease activities of molecular masses of approximately 21, 30, and 100 kDa that were absent in larvae fed B. napus. Protease profiles changed within 12 to 24 h after switching larvae from artificial diet to plant diet and vice versa. The gut protease profiles from larvae fed various other brassicaceous species and lines having different secondary metabolite profiles did not differ despite significant differences in larval growth rates on the different host plants. Genes encoding putative digestive proteolytic enzymes, including four carboxypeptidases, five aminopeptidases, and 48 serine proteases, were identified in cDNA libraries from 4th instar M. configurata midgut tissue. Many of the protease-encoding genes were expressed at similar levels on all diets; however, three chymoptrypsin-like genes (McSP23, McSP27, and McSP37) were expressed at much higher levels on standard artificial diet and diet containing SBTI as was the trypsin-like gene McSP34. The expression of the trypsin-like gene McSP50 was highest on B. napus. The adaptation of M. configurata digestive biochemistry to different diets is discussed in the context of the flexibility of polyphagous insects to changing diet sources.

  7. Identification of a serine protease as a major allergen (Per a 10) of Periplaneta americana.

    PubMed

    Sudha, V T; Arora, N; Gaur, S N; Pasha, S; Singh, B P

    2008-06-01

    Cockroach allergens are associated with the development of asthma, but none of these has been characterized for proteolytic activity. This study was undertaken to isolate and characterize a protease from Periplaneta americana and determine its allergenicity. A serine protease was isolated from P. americana extract using benzamidine sepharose column and characterized by immunobiochemical methods. Allergenicity of the protease was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoblot, intradermal testing, histamine release and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) proliferation. Affinity purified protein of approximately 28 kDa (Per a 10) showed a single band of activity in gelatin zymogram and agarose plate assay. N-terminal sequence (IVGGRPAQI) revealed similarity with mite serine protease allergens and insect trypsins. It demonstrated proteolytic activity with azocollagen > gelatin > defatted-milk > casein including serine protease specific substrate, N-benzoyl-arginine-ethyl-ester-hydrochloride. It was inhibited by serine protease inhibitors, namely aprotinin > pefabloc > AEBSF > PMSF > benzamidine > antipain > leupeptin and trypsin-specific inhibitor (tosyl-lysyl-chloromethyl-ketone) suggesting it to be a trypsin-like serine protease. Per a 10 was recognized as a major allergen, showing IgE reactivity with >80% of cockroach sensitized patients by skin tests and immunoblot. It could induce significant histamine release (P < 0.05) in blood and secretion of interleukin-4 (IL-4) (P < 0.05) and IL-5 (P < 0.05) in culture supernatant of PBMCs from cockroach hypersensitive patients, suggesting a strong allergenic potency. A serine protease isolated from P. americana was demonstrated to be a major allergen (Per a 10). It has a potential for component-based diagnosis of allergy and will be useful in elucidating the mechanism of allergy.

  8. Characterization of a neutral protease from lysosomes of rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes

    PubMed Central

    Davies, Philip; Rita, Giuseppe A.; Krakauer, Kathrin; Weissmann, Gerald

    1971-01-01

    1. The subcellular distribution has been investigated of a protease from rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes, obtained from peritoneal exudates. The enzyme, optimally active between pH7.0 and 7.5, hydrolyses histone but not haemoglobin, sediments almost exclusively with a granule fraction rich in other lysosomal enzymes, and is latent until the granules are disrupted by various means. 2. Enzymic analysis of specific and azurophilic granules separated by zonal centrifugation showed that neutral protease activity was confined to fractions rich in enzymes characteristic of azurophile granules. 3. Recovery of neutral protease activity from subcellular fractions was several times greater than that found in whole cells. This finding was explained by the presence of a potent inhibitor of the enzyme activity in the cytoplasm. 4. The effect of the inhibitor was reversed by increasing ionic strength (up to 2.5m-potassium chloride) and by polyanions such as heparin and dextran sulphate, but not by an uncharged polymer, dextran. 5. The enzyme was also inhibited, to a lesser extent, by 1-chloro-4-phenyl-3-l-toluene-p-sulphonamidobutan-2-one, soya-bean trypsin inhibitor and ∈-aminohexanoate (∈-aminocaproate). 6. The granule fractions failed to hydrolyse artificial substrates for trypsin and chymotrypsin. 7. Partial separation of the enzyme was achieved by Sephadex gel filtration at high ionic strength and by isoelectric focusing. The partially separated, activated enzyme showed an approximately 300-fold increase in specific activity over that in whole cells. PMID:5126908

  9. Kunitz trypsin inhibitor in addition to Bowman-Birk inhibitor influence stability of lunasin against pepsin-pancreatin hydrolysis.

    PubMed

    Price, Samuel J; Pangloli, Philipus; Krishnan, Hari B; Dia, Vermont P

    2016-12-01

    Soybean contains several biologically active components and one of this belongs to the bioactive peptide group. The objectives of this study were to produce different lunasin-enriched preparations (LEP) and determine the effect of Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) concentrations on the stability of lunasin against pepsin-pancreatin hydrolysis (PPH). In addition, the effect of KTI mutation on lunasin stability against PPH was determined. LEP were produced by calcium and pH precipitation methods of 30% aqueous ethanol extract from defatted soybean flour. LEP, lunasin-enriched commercially available products and KTI control and mutant flours underwent PPH and samples were taken after pepsin and pepsin-pancreatin hydrolysis. The concentrations of BBI, KTI, and lunasin all decreased after hydrolysis, but they had varying results. BBI concentration ranged from 167.5 to 655.8μg/g pre-hydrolysis and 171.5 to 250.1μg/g after hydrolysis. KTI concentrations ranged from 0.3 to 122.3μg/g pre-hydrolysis and 9.0 to 18.7μg/g after hydrolysis. Lunasin concentrations ranged from 8.5 to 71.0μg/g pre-hydrolysis and 4.0 to 13.2μg/g after hydrolysis. In all products tested, lunasin concentration after PPH significantly correlated with BBI and KTI concentrations. Mutation in two KTI isoforms led to a lower concentration of lunasin after PPH. This is the first report on the potential role of KTI in lunasin stability against PPH and must be considered in designing lunasin-enriched products that could potentially survive digestion after oral ingestion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Ulinastatin suppresses lipopolysaccharide induced neuro-inflammation through the downregulation of nuclear factor-κB in SD rat hippocampal astrocyte

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Yuting; Zhao, Lei; Fu, Huiqun

    Astrocyte activation plays a pivotal role in neuroinflammation, which contributes to neuronal damage, so the inhibition of astrocyte activation may alleviate the progression of neurodegeneration. Recent studies have proved that urinary trypsin inhibitor ulinastatin could inhibit NF-kB activation. In our study, the inhibitory effects of ulinastatin on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-reduced primary astrocyte. Our results showed that ulinastatin significantly inhibited LPS-induced astrogliosis, which is measured by MTT and BrdU. Ulinastatin decreased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, it significantly decreased both the mRNA and the protein levels of these pro-inflammatorymore » cytokines and also increased the protein levels of IκB-α binded to NF-κB, which blocked NF-κB translocation to the nucleus and prevented its activity. Our results suggest that ulinastatin is able to inhibit neuroinflammation by interfering with NF-κB signaling. The study provides direct evidence of potential therapy methods of ulinastatin for the treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases. - Highlights: • The anti-inflammatory effect of UTI on hippocampal astrocyte. • UTI showed protective effect on neuroinflammation by the downregulation of NF-κB. • UTI led to expression of cytokines decreased in concentration and time dependence.« less

  11. The effect of corn trypsin inhibitor and inhibiting antibodies for FXIa and FXIIa on coagulation of plasma and whole blood.

    PubMed

    Hansson, K M; Nielsen, S; Elg, M; Deinum, J

    2014-10-01

    Corn trypsin inhibitor (CTI), an inhibitor of FXIIa, is used to prevent plasma coagulation by contact activation, to specifically investigate tissue factor (TF)-initiated coagulation. In the present work the specificity of CTI for factor (F) XIIa is questioned. In the commercial available plasma coagulation assays CTI was found to double activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) at a plasma concentration of 7.3 ± 1.5 μm CTI (assay concentration 2.4 μm). No effect was found on the prothrombin time (PT) when high TF concentrations were used. Also, with specific antibodies for FXIIa and for FXIa only APTT was found to be extended but not PT. With specific enzyme assays using chromogenic substrates CTI was shown to be a strong inhibitor of FXIIa and a competitive inhibitor of FXIa with Ki  = 8.1 ± 0.3 μm, without effect on the coagulation factors FVIIa, FIXa, FXa and thrombin. In thrombin generation and coagulation (free oscillation rheometry, FOR) assays, initiated with low TF concentrations, no effect of CTI (plasma concentrations of 4.4 and 13.6 μm CTI, 25 resp. 100 mg L(-1) in blood) was found with ≥ 1 pm TF. At ≤ 0.1 pm TF in the FOR whole blood assay the coagulation time (CT) concentration dependently increased while the plasma CT became longer than the observation time. To avoid inhibition of FXIa and the thrombin feedback loop we recommend that for coagulation assays the concentration of CTI in blood should be below 20 mg L(-1) (1.6 μm) and in plasma below 3 μm. © 2014 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

  12. Glucose dynamics and mechanistic implications of SGLT2 inhibitors in animals and humans.

    PubMed

    List, James F; Whaley, Jean M

    2011-03-01

    Glucose is freely filtered in the glomeruli before being almost entirely reabsorbed into circulation from the proximal renal tubules. The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), present in the S1 segment of the proximal tubule, is responsible for the majority of glucose reabsorption. SGLT2 inhibitors reduce glucose reabsorption and increase urinary glucose excretion. In animal models and humans with type 2 diabetes, this effect is associated with reduced fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels, and reduced hemoglobin A1c. Animal studies suggest that reduction of hyperglycemia with SGLT2 inhibitors may also improve insulin sensitivity and preserve β-cell function. Urinary excretion of excess calories with SGLT2 inhibitors is also associated with reduction in body weight. Modest reductions in blood pressure have been noted with SGLT2 inhibitors, consistent with a mild diuretic action. Some C-glucoside SGLT2 inhibitors, such as dapagliflozin, have pharmacokinetic properties that make them amenable to once-daily dosing.

  13. Methylene blue not ferrocene: Optimal reporters for electrochemical detection of protease activity.

    PubMed

    González-Fernández, Eva; Avlonitis, Nicolaos; Murray, Alan F; Mount, Andrew R; Bradley, Mark

    2016-10-15

    Electrochemical peptide-based biosensors are attracting significant attention for the detection and analysis of proteins. Here we report the optimisation and evaluation of an electrochemical biosensor for the detection of protease activity using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold surfaces, using trypsin as a model protease. The principle of detection was the specific proteolytic cleavage of redox-tagged peptides by trypsin, which causes the release of the redox reporter, resulting in a decrease of the peak current as measured by square wave voltammetry. A systematic enhancement of detection was achieved through optimisation of the properties of the redox-tagged peptide; this included for the first time a side-by-side study of the applicability of two of the most commonly applied redox reporters used for developing electrochemical biosensors, ferrocene and methylene blue, along with the effect of changing both the nature of the spacer and the composition of the SAM. Methylene blue-tagged peptides combined with a polyethylene-glycol (PEG) based spacer were shown to be the best platform for trypsin detection, leading to the highest fidelity signals (characterised by the highest sensitivity (signal gain) and a much more stable background than that registered when using ferrocene as a reporter). A ternary SAM (T-SAM) configuration, which included a PEG-based dithiol, minimised the non-specific adsorption of other proteins and was sensitive towards trypsin in the clinically relevant range, with a Limit of Detection (LoD) of 250pM. Kinetic analysis of the electrochemical response with time showed a good fit to a Michaelis-Menten surface cleavage model, enabling the extraction of values for kcat and KM. Fitting to this model enabled quantitative determination of the solution concentration of trypsin across the entire measurement range. Studies using an enzyme inhibitor and a range of real world possible interferents demonstrated a selective response to trypsin cleavage. This indicates that a PEG-based peptide, employing methylene blue as redox reporter, and deposited on an electrode as a ternary SAM configuration, is a suitable platform to develop clinically-relevant and quantitative electrochemical peptide-based protease biosensing. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Effect of quercetin on tachykinin-induced plasma extravasation in rat urinary bladder.

    PubMed

    Wille, P R; Ribeiro-do-Valle, R M; Simões, C M; Gabilan, N H; Nicolau, M

    2001-08-01

    The effect of quercetin on substance P-induced plasma extravasation in rat urinary bladder and its modulation by endogenous peptidases in conscious rats was studied. Plasma protein extravasation (PE) was assayed by measurement of extravasated Evans blue dye (microg/g dry tissue). Intravenous injection of substance P (SP, 10 nmol/kg) significantly increased PE in the urinary bladder. PE evoked by SP was increased significantly by quercetin (20 mg/kg, p.o.) pretreatment in the urinary bladder (73.5 +/- 4.9 to 152.2 +/- 9.9). Pretreatment with captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (10 nmol/kg, i.v.), or with phosphoramidon, a neutral endopeptidase (NEP) inhibitor (2.5 micromol/kg, i.v.) also potentiated the SP-induced PE in urinary bladder, 286.2 +/- 20.4 and 323.3 +/- 34.0, respectively. Quercetin did not show any effect on neurokinin-A (NKA, 10 nmol/kg, i.v.) -induced plasma extravasation. The present study demonstrates that quercetin potentiates the PE induced by substance P in the urinary bladder. These effects suggest that this flavonoid might cause inhibition of NEP and/or ACE. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor ameliorates early renal injury through its anti-inflammatory action in a rat model of type 1 diabetes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kodera, Ryo, E-mail: kodera@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp; Shikata, Kenichi; Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558

    Highlights: •DPP-4 inhibitor decreased urinary albumin excretion in a rat of type 1 diabetes. •DPP-4 inhibitor ameliorated histlogical changes of diabetic nephropathy. •DPP-4 inhibitor has reno-protective effects through anti-inflammatory action. •DPP-4 inhibitor is beneficial on diabetic nephropathy besides lowering blood glucose. -- Abstract: Introduction: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are incretin-based drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes. In our previous study, we showed that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist has reno-protective effects through anti-inflammatory action. The mechanism of action of DPP-4 inhibitor is different from that of GLP-1 receptor agonists. It is not obvious whether DPP-4 inhibitor prevents the exacerbationmore » of diabetic nephropathy through anti-inflammatory effects besides lowering blood glucose or not. The purpose of this study is to clarify the reno-protective effects of DPP-4 inhibitor through anti-inflammatory actions in the early diabetic nephropathy. Materials and methods: Five-week-old male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups; non-diabetes, diabetes and diabetes treated with DPP-4 inhibitor (PKF275-055; 3 mg/kg/day). PKF275-055 was administered orally for 8 weeks. Results: PKF275-055 increased the serum active GLP-1 concentration and the production of urinary cyclic AMP. PKF275-055 decreased urinary albumin excretion and ameliorated histological change of diabetic nephropathy. Macrophage infiltration was inhibited, and inflammatory molecules were down-regulated by PKF275-055 in the glomeruli. In addition, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity was suppressed in the kidney. Conclusions: These results indicate that DPP-4 inhibitor, PKF275-055, have reno-protective effects through anti-inflammatory action in the early stage of diabetic nephropathy. The endogenous biological active GLP-1 might be beneficial on diabetic nephropathy besides lowering blood glucose.« less

  16. The Roles of TGF-Beta and TGF-Beta Signaling Receptors in Breast Carcinogenesis.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1996-07-01

    hybridization was at 42°C in 45% antipain, aprotinin, leupeptin, and trypsin inhibitor; 0.5 .giml formamide, 5x standard saline phosphate/EDTA ( SSPE ; 0.18...for 16-20 hr at 42°C in 50% formamide. 5x SSPE , 5x Denhardt’s solution, 0.5% SDS, and 100 Mg/ml Cloning of Dwarfin-A and Dwarfin-C. Full-length cDNAs

  17. Urinary serotonin level is associated with serotonin syndrome after moclobemide, sertraline, and citalopram overdose.

    PubMed

    Brvar, Miran; Stajer, Dusan; Kozelj, Gordana; Osredkar, Josko; Mozina, Martin; Bunc, Matjaz

    2007-01-01

    Altered mental status, autonomic dysfunction, and neuromuscular abnormalities are a characteristic triad of serotonin syndrome. No laboratory tests confirm the diagnosis of serotonin syndrome. A 35-year-old woman took moclobemide, sertraline, and citalopram in a suicide attempt. She was conscious with mild tachycardia, hypertension, and tachypnea one hour after ingestion. In the second hour after ingestion diaphoresis, mydriasis, horizontal nystagmus, trismus, hyperreflexia, clonus, and tremor appeared. She became agitated and unresponsive. In the third hour after ingestion she became comatose and hyperthermic. She was anesthetized, paralyzed, intubated, and ventilated for 24 hours. Serum moclobemide, sertraline, and citalopram levels were above therapeutic levels. The serum serotonin level was within normal limits and the urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid:creatinine ratio was below the average daily value. The urinary serotonin:creatinine ratio was increased on arrival (1 mg/g). The urinary serotonin level is increased in serotonin syndrome due to a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors overdose. It is possible that urinary serotonin concentration could be used as a biochemical marker of serotonin syndrome.

  18. Transcriptome sequencing and marker development in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus; Leguminosae)

    PubMed Central

    Vatanparast, Mohammad; Shetty, Prateek; Chopra, Ratan; Doyle, Jeff J.; Sathyanarayana, N.; Egan, Ashley N.

    2016-01-01

    Winged bean, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC., is similar to soybean in yield and nutritional value but more viable in tropical conditions. Here, we strengthen genetic resources for this orphan crop by producing a de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation of two Sri Lankan accessions (denoted herein as CPP34 [PI 491423] and CPP37 [PI 639033]), developing simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, and identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between geographically separated genotypes. A combined assembly based on 804,757 reads from two accessions produced 16,115 contigs with an N50 of 889 bp, over 90% of which has significant sequence similarity to other legumes. Combining contigs with singletons produced 97,241 transcripts. We identified 12,956 SSRs, including 2,594 repeats for which primers were designed and 5,190 high-confidence SNPs between Sri Lankan and Nigerian genotypes. The transcriptomic data sets generated here provide new resources for gene discovery and marker development in this orphan crop, and will be vital for future plant breeding efforts. We also analyzed the soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) gene family, important plant defense genes, in the context of related legumes and found evidence for radiation of the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) gene family within winged bean. PMID:27356763

  19. Targeting immunoproteasome and glutamine supplementation prevent intestinal hyperpermeability.

    PubMed

    Ghouzali, Ibtissem; Lemaitre, Caroline; Bahlouli, Wafa; Azhar, Saïda; Bôle-Feysot, Christine; Meleine, Mathieu; Ducrotté, Philippe; Déchelotte, Pierre; Coëffier, Moïse

    2017-01-01

    Intestinal hyperpermeability has been reported in several intestinal and non-intestinal disorders. We aimed to investigate the role of the ubiquitin proteasome system in gut barrier regulation in two mice models: the water avoidance stress model (WAS) and a post-inflammatory model (post-TNBS). Both models were applied in C57BL/6 male mice (n=7-8/group); Proteasome was targeted by injection of a selective proteasome inhibitor or by using knock-out mice for β2i proteasome subunit. Finally, glutamine supplementation was evaluated. In both models (WAS at day 10, post-TNBS at day 28), we observed an increase in proteasome trypsin-like activity and in inducible β2/constitutive β2 subunit protein expression ratio, associated with an increase in intestinal permeability. Moreover, intestinal hyperpermeability was blunted by intraperitoneal injection of selective proteasome inhibitor in WAS and post-TNBS mice. Of note, knock-out mice for the β2i subunit exhibited a significant decrease in intestinal permeability and fecal pellet output during WAS. Glutamine supplementation also improved colonic permeability in both models. In conclusion, the proteasome system is altered in the colonic mucosa of WAS and post-TNBS mice with increased trypsin-like activity. Associated intestinal hyperpermeability was blunted by immunoproteasome inhibition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Identification of novel serum peptide biomarkers for high-altitude adaptation: a comparative approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Juan; Li, Wenhua; Liu, Siyuan; Yuan, Dongya; Guo, Yijiao; Jia, Cheng; Song, Tusheng; Huang, Chen

    2016-05-01

    We aimed to identify serum biomarkers for screening individuals who could adapt to high-altitude hypoxia at sea level. HHA (high-altitude hypoxia acclimated; n = 48) and HHI (high-altitude hypoxia illness; n = 48) groups were distinguished at high altitude, routine blood tests were performed for both groups at high altitude and at sea level. Serum biomarkers were identified by comparing serum peptidome profiling between HHI and HHA groups collected at sea level. Routine blood tests revealed the concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells were significantly higher in HHI than in HHA at high altitude. Serum peptidome profiling showed that ten significantly differentially expressed peaks between HHA and HHI at sea level. Three potential serum peptide peaks (m/z values: 1061.91, 1088.33, 4057.63) were further sequence identified as regions of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 fragment (ITIH4 347-356), regions of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H1 fragment (ITIH1 205-214), and isoform 1 of fibrinogen α chain precursor (FGA 588-624). Expression of their full proteins was also tested by ELISA in HHA and HHI samples collected at sea level. Our study provided a novel approach for identifying potential biomarkers for screening people at sea level who can adapt to high altitudes.

  1. An Acrobatic Substrate Metamorphosis Reveals a Requirement for Substrate Conformational Dynamics in Trypsin Proteolysis*

    PubMed Central

    Kayode, Olumide; Wang, Ruiying; Pendlebury, Devon F.; Cohen, Itay; Henin, Rachel D.; Hockla, Alexandra; Soares, Alexei S.; Papo, Niv; Caulfield, Thomas R.; Radisky, Evette S.

    2016-01-01

    The molecular basis of enzyme catalytic power and specificity derives from dynamic interactions between enzyme and substrate during catalysis. Although considerable effort has been devoted to understanding how conformational dynamics within enzymes affect catalysis, the role of conformational dynamics within protein substrates has not been addressed. Here, we examine the importance of substrate dynamics in the cleavage of Kunitz-bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor protease inhibitors by mesotrypsin, finding that the varied conformational dynamics of structurally similar substrates can profoundly impact the rate of catalysis. A 1.4-Å crystal structure of a mesotrypsin-product complex formed with a rapidly cleaved substrate reveals a dramatic conformational change in the substrate upon proteolysis. By using long all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of acyl-enzyme intermediates with proteolysis rates spanning 3 orders of magnitude, we identify global and local dynamic features of substrates on the nanosecond-microsecond time scale that correlate with enzymatic rates and explain differential susceptibility to proteolysis. By integrating multiple enhanced sampling methods for molecular dynamics, we model a viable conformational pathway between substrate-like and product-like states, linking substrate dynamics on the nanosecond-microsecond time scale with large collective substrate motions on the much slower time scale of catalysis. Our findings implicate substrate flexibility as a critical determinant of catalysis. PMID:27810896

  2. Different effects of oral administration of synthetic trypsin inhibitor on the pancreas between cholecystokinin-A receptor gene knockout mice and wild type mice.

    PubMed

    Sato, Norikazu; Suzuki, Shinji; Kanai, Setsuko; Ohta, Minoru; Jimi, Atsuo; Noda, Tetsuo; Takiguchi, Souichi; Funakoshi, Akihiro; Miyasaka, Kyoko

    2002-07-01

    The synthetic trypsin inhibitor camostat has been used for the treatment of acute and chronic pancreatitis in Japan based on the evidences obtained from a rat experimental model. However, rats differ from other rodents and from humans in terms of lacking a gallbladder and no response of pancreatic bicarbonate secretion to cholecystokinin (CCK). In the present study, we determined whether oral administration of camostat showed a trophic effect in mice as observed in rats and whether the trophic effect, if substantial, was mediated via the CCK-A receptor, using CCK-A receptor gene targeting mice. The chow containing 0.1% camostat was fed to 8-month-old mice. Three- and seven-day treatments with camostat did not affect pancreatic wet weight in CCK-A receptor (+/-) mice. After 14-day treatment, the ratio of pancreatic wet weight/body weight was significantly lower in CCK-A receptor (-/-) than (+/+) mice. The protein and chymotrypsin contents were lower and amylase content was higher in CCK-A receptor (-/-) mice, compared to (+/+) mice. No pathological findings were observed by histological examination. Camostat has a trophic effect on the pancreas in mice and this effect is mediated via the CCK-A receptor, but is less potent than in rats.

  3. Oligomerization affects the kinetics and thermodynamics of the interaction of a Bowman-Birk inhibitor with proteases.

    PubMed

    Brand, G D; Pires, D A T; Furtado, J R; Cooper, A; Freitas, S M; Bloch, C

    2017-03-15

    The black-eyed pea trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitor (BTCI) forms concentration dependent homomultimers, as previously demonstrated by Light scattering and Atomic Force Microscopy. Considering that these self-aggregates might influence their binding to cognate enzymes, we investigated the interaction of BTCI at picomolar concentrations using surface immobilized Chymotrypsin (α-CT) and Trypsin (T) by Surface Plasmon Resonance. Our results indicate that BTCI has subnanomolar affinity to both immobilized enzymes, which is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than previously reported. Moreover, we probed the influence of temperature on protein binding equilibria in order to investigate their interaction energetics. While the BTCI/T interaction concurs with the canonical entropy-driven mechanism described for BBI interactions with serine proteinases, the BTCI/α-CT interaction does not. Our measurements indicate that bimolecular BTCI/α-CT complexes form with a negative enthalpy change and a moderate entropic increase. Direct calorimetric evaluation is in accord with the van't Hoff approximation obtained by SPR. We demonstrate that as protein concentrations increase to the micromolar range, secondary endothermic events become prevalent and affect both the kinetics and thermodynamics of protein associations. Our study reinforces that BBI interactions with serine proteinases should be studied in dilute solutions to abridge often neglected secondary interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Spatial characterization of proteolytic enzyme activity in the foregut region of the adult necrophagous fly, Protophormia terraenovae.

    PubMed

    Rivers, David B; Acca, Gillian; Fink, Marc; Brogan, Rebecca; Schoeffield, Andrew

    2014-08-01

    The spatial distribution of proteolytic enzymes in the adult foregut of Protophormia terraenovae was studied in the context of protein digestion and regurgitation. Based on substrate specificity, pH optima, and use of specific protease inhibitors, all adults tested displayed enzyme activity in the foregut consistent with pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Chymotrypsin-like and trypsin-like enzyme activity were detected in all gut fluids and tissues tested, with chymotrypsin displaying the highest activity in saliva and salivary gland tissue, whereas maximal trypsin activity was evident in the crop. Pepsin-like activity was only evident in crop fluids and tissues. The activity of all three enzymes was low or undetectable (pepsin) in the fluids and tissue homogenates derived from the esophagus and cardia of any of the adults assayed. Fed adult females displayed higher enzyme activities than fed males, and the activity of all three enzymes were much more prevalent in fed adults than starved. The pH optimum of the trypsin-like enzyme was between pH 7.0 and 8.0; chymotrypsin was near pH 8.0; and maximal pepsin-like activity occurred between pH 1.0 and 2.0. Regurgitate from fed adult females displayed enzyme activity consistent with the proteolytic enzymes detected in crop gut fluids. Enzymes in regurgitate were not derived from food sources based on assays of bovine liver samples. These latter observations suggest that adult flies release fluids from foregut when encountering dry foods, potentially as a means to initiate extra-oral digestion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Analysis of urine composition in type Ⅱ diabetic mice after intervention therapy using holothurian polypeptides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yanyan; Xu, Jiajie; Su, Xiurong

    2017-07-01

    Hydrolysates and peptide fractions (PF) obtained from sea cucumber with commercial enzyme were studied on the hpyerglycemic and renal protective effects on db/db rats using urine metabolomics. Compared with the control group the polypeptides from the two species could significantly reduce the urine glucose and urea. We also tried to address the compositions of highly expressed urinary proteins using a proteomics approach. They were serum albumins, AMBP proteins, negative trypsin, elastase and urinary protein, GAPDH, a receptor of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPAR), and Ig kappa chain C region. We used the electronic nose to quickly detect changes in the volatile substances in mice urine after holothurian polypeptides fed, and the results show it can identify the difference between treatment groups with the control group without overlapping. The protein express mechanism of holothurian polypeptides treating diabetes was discussed, and we suggested these two peptides with the hypoglycemic and renal protective activity might be utilized as nutraceuticals.

  6. Transcripts of sulphur metabolic genes are co-ordinately regulated in developing seeds of common bean lacking phaseolin and major lectins

    PubMed Central

    Marsolais, Frédéric

    2012-01-01

    The lack of phaseolin and phytohaemagglutinin in common bean (dry bean, Phaseolus vulgaris) is associated with an increase in total cysteine and methionine concentrations by 70% and 10%, respectively, mainly at the expense of an abundant non-protein amino acid, S-methyl-cysteine. Transcripts were profiled between two genetically related lines differing for this trait at four stages of seed development using a high density microarray designed for common bean. Transcripts of multiple sulphur-rich proteins were elevated, several previously identified by proteomics, including legumin, basic 7S globulin, albumin-2, defensin, albumin-1, the Bowman–Birk type proteinase inhibitor, the double-headed trypsin inhibitor, and the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor. A co-ordinated regulation of transcripts coding for sulphate transporters, sulphate assimilatory enzymes, serine acetyltransferases, cystathionine β-lyase, homocysteine S-methyltransferase and methionine gamma-lyase was associated with changes in cysteine and methionine concentrations. Differential gene expression of sulphur-rich proteins preceded that of sulphur metabolic enzymes, suggesting a regulation by demand from the protein sink. Up-regulation of SERAT1;1 and -1;2 expression revealed an activation of cytosolic O-acetylserine biosynthesis. Down-regulation of SERAT2;1 suggested that cysteine and S-methyl-cysteine biosynthesis may be spatially separated in different subcellular compartments. Analysis of free amino acid profiles indicated that enhanced cysteine biosynthesis was correlated with a depletion of O-acetylserine. These results contribute to our understanding of the regulation of sulphur metabolism in developing seed in response to a change in the composition of endogenous proteins. PMID:23066144

  7. Transcripts of sulphur metabolic genes are co-ordinately regulated in developing seeds of common bean lacking phaseolin and major lectins.

    PubMed

    Liao, Dengqun; Pajak, Agnieszka; Karcz, Steven R; Chapman, B Patrick; Sharpe, Andrew G; Austin, Ryan S; Datla, Raju; Dhaubhadel, Sangeeta; Marsolais, Frédéric

    2012-10-01

    The lack of phaseolin and phytohaemagglutinin in common bean (dry bean, Phaseolus vulgaris) is associated with an increase in total cysteine and methionine concentrations by 70% and 10%, respectively, mainly at the expense of an abundant non-protein amino acid, S-methyl-cysteine. Transcripts were profiled between two genetically related lines differing for this trait at four stages of seed development using a high density microarray designed for common bean. Transcripts of multiple sulphur-rich proteins were elevated, several previously identified by proteomics, including legumin, basic 7S globulin, albumin-2, defensin, albumin-1, the Bowman-Birk type proteinase inhibitor, the double-headed trypsin inhibitor, and the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor. A co-ordinated regulation of transcripts coding for sulphate transporters, sulphate assimilatory enzymes, serine acetyltransferases, cystathionine β-lyase, homocysteine S-methyltransferase and methionine gamma-lyase was associated with changes in cysteine and methionine concentrations. Differential gene expression of sulphur-rich proteins preceded that of sulphur metabolic enzymes, suggesting a regulation by demand from the protein sink. Up-regulation of SERAT1;1 and -1;2 expression revealed an activation of cytosolic O-acetylserine biosynthesis. Down-regulation of SERAT2;1 suggested that cysteine and S-methyl-cysteine biosynthesis may be spatially separated in different subcellular compartments. Analysis of free amino acid profiles indicated that enhanced cysteine biosynthesis was correlated with a depletion of O-acetylserine. These results contribute to our understanding of the regulation of sulphur metabolism in developing seed in response to a change in the composition of endogenous proteins.

  8. Inhibition of proteases activity in intestine needs a sustainable acidic environment rather than a transient.

    PubMed

    Xing, Chang; Xing, Jin-Feng; Ge, Zhi-Qiang

    2017-10-01

    α-Chymotrypsin (α-CT) and trypsin are important components of the enzymatic barrier. They could degrade the therapeutic proteins and peptides, inhibit their activity consequently, and thereby reduce their oral bioavailability. Acidic agents, as one type of indirect protease inhibitors, have shown proof of concept in clinical trials. We report here the inactivated proteases due to acid influence can be reactivated immediately by environmental pH recovery regardless of how long the inactivation last. To keep the inactivation time of proteases for 4-5 h, we designed and prepared a sustained-release tablet containing citric acid (CA) which can effectively reduce the pH below 5.0 and maintain it for 5 h in the dissolution-reaction medium. The activity of α-CT and trypsin was quantified by analyzing the residual amount of their respective substrates BTEE and TAME. More than 80% of the substrates were survived in 5.0 h of incubation, whereas the common tablet inhibited the proteases activity for only two hours in the same experimental medium. It indicates that the sustained-release tablet loaded with CA can efficiently inhibit the α-CT and trypsin activity longer than the common tablet. The results will be beneficial for designing and formulating the peroral administration of peptide and protein drugs.

  9. Extraction of collagenase from the involuting rat uterus.

    PubMed

    Weeks, J G; Halme, J; Woessner, J F

    1976-08-12

    Collagenase (EC 3.4.24.3) activity can be measured directly in homogenates of the involuting rat uterus. Latent forms of collagenase are activated by a brief exposure to trypsin; trypsin activity is then blocked with soybean trypsin inhibitor. Homogenizing conditions have been developed that permit 90-95% recovery of the total active and latent collagenase activity in a 6000 X g pellet, where it is presumably bound to its collagen substrate. This insoluble activity can then be extracted by heating to 60 degrees C for 4 min in 0.04 M Tris - HCl buffer, pH 7.5, containing 0.1 M CaCl2. Methods are presented for the estimation of the recovery of collagenase in the extracts; this approximates 65-70% of the total. Small amounts of activity can also be extracted from rat liver and kidney. This extraction procedure should be of use in purifying collagenase without culturing the enzyme-producing tissue and in the direct assay of tissue collagenase activity. The activity extracted from rat uterus has been proven to be collagenase by its characteristic pattern of collagen breakdown products on disc electrophoresis and by the split of tropocollagen at interband 41 as shown by electron microscopy of reconstituted fragments. The activity is inhibited by EDTA, and this inhibition is not reversed by calcium or zinc ions.

  10. Gibbs Free Energy of Hydrolytic Water Molecule in Acyl-Enzyme Intermediates of a Serine Protease: A Potential Application for Computer-Aided Discovery of Mechanism-Based Reversible Covalent Inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Masuda, Yosuke; Yamaotsu, Noriyuki; Hirono, Shuichi

    2017-01-01

    In order to predict the potencies of mechanism-based reversible covalent inhibitors, the relationships between calculated Gibbs free energy of hydrolytic water molecule in acyl-trypsin intermediates and experimentally measured catalytic rate constants (k cat ) were investigated. After obtaining representative solution structures by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, hydration thermodynamics analyses using WaterMap™ were conducted. Consequently, we found for the first time that when Gibbs free energy of the hydrolytic water molecule was lower, logarithms of k cat were also lower. The hydrolytic water molecule with favorable Gibbs free energy may hydrolyze acylated serine slowly. Gibbs free energy of hydrolytic water molecule might be a useful descriptor for computer-aided discovery of mechanism-based reversible covalent inhibitors of hydrolytic enzymes.

  11. Assessment of India’s Research Literature

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    promastigotes. • (19) [inhibitor 16.0%, acid 6.4%, amino 3.5%, activ 3.5%, antibacteri 3.1%, trypsin 2.9%, amino.acid 2.0%, chymotrypsin...substitut 2.1%] – Antibacterial and antifungal activity in compounds, particularly screening for such activity • (46) [compound 44.0%, activ 2.9...studies, and its presence in the midst of the high tech top tier countries stands out. The presence of Philippines in this list has strong reasons

  12. The nature of the virus receptors of red cells; evidence on the chemical nature of the virus receptors of red cells and of the existence of a closely analogous substance in normal serum.

    PubMed

    HIRST, G K

    1948-04-01

    THE INFLUENZA VIRUS RECEPTORS OF FOWL RED CELLS AND THE INFLUENZA VIRUS INHIBITOR OF NORMAL RABBIT SERUM HAVE THE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTES IN COMMON: They are stable at high temperatures and in solutions of pH as high as 10.0. They both resist destruction by a number of oxidizing agents but are readily destroyed by sodium periodate, trypsin, and influenza virus. These facts suggest that the red cell receptor and the normal serum inhibitor are either the same or analogous substances and that they may belong to the mucoprotein class of compounds.

  13. Effect of aldosterone breakthrough on albuminuria during treatment with a direct renin inhibitor and combined effect with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist.

    PubMed

    Sato, Atsuhisa; Fukuda, Seiichi

    2013-10-01

    We have reported observing aldosterone breakthrough in the course of relatively long-term treatment with renin-angiotensin (RA) system inhibitors, where the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) increased following an initial decrease. Aldosterone breakthrough has the potential to eliminate the organ-protective effects of RA system inhibitors. We therefore conducted a study in essential hypertensive patients to determine whether aldosterone breakthrough occurred during treatment with the direct renin inhibitor (DRI) aliskiren and to ascertain its clinical significance. The study included 40 essential hypertensive patients (18 men and 22 women) who had been treated for 12 months with aliskiren. Aliskiren significantly decreased blood pressure and plasma renin activity (PRA). The PAC was also decreased significantly at 3 and 6 months; however, the significant difference disappeared after 12 months. Aldosterone breakthrough was observed in 22 of the subjects (55%). Urinary albumin excretion differed depending on whether breakthrough occurred. For the subjects in whom aldosterone breakthrough was observed, eplerenone was added. A significant decrease in urinary albumin excretion was observed after 1 month, independent of changes in blood pressure. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that aldosterone breakthrough occurs in some patients undergoing DRI therapy. Aldosterone breakthrough affects the drug's ability to improve urinary albumin excretion, and combining a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist with the DRI may be useful for decreasing urinary albumin excretion. When the objective is organ protection in hypertensive patients, a two-pronged approach using combination therapy to inhibit both the RA system and aldosterone may be highly effective.

  14. Effects of chlorogenic acid on carbachol-induced contraction of mouse urinary bladder.

    PubMed

    Kaneda, Takeharu; Sasaki, Noriyasu; Urakawa, Norimoto; Shimizu, Kazumasa

    2018-01-01

    Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a polyphenol found in coffee and medicinal herbs such as Lonicera japonica. In this study, the effect of CGA-induced relaxation on carbachol (CCh)-induced contraction of mouse urinary bladder was investigated. CGA (30-300 μg/ml) inhibited CCh- or U46619-induced contraction in a concentration-dependent manner. SQ22536 (adenylyl cyclase inhibitor) recovered CGA-induced relaxation of CCh-induced contraction; however, ODQ (guanylyl cyclase inhibitor) did not have the same effect. In addition, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) enhanced CGA-induced relaxation; however, forskolin or sodium nitroprusside did not have the same effect. Moreover, Ro 20-1724, a selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 inhibitor, enhanced CGA-induced relaxation, but vardenafil, a selective PDE5 inhibitor, did not have the same effect. In the presence of CCh, CGA increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) level, whereas SQ22536 inhibited the increase of cAMP levels. Moreover, higher cAMP levels were obtained with CGA plus IBMX treatment than the total cAMP levels obtained with separate CGA and IBMX treatments. In conclusion, these results suggest that CGA inhibited CCh-induced contraction of mouse urinary bladder by partly increasing cAMP levels via adenylyl cyclase activation. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. STUDIES OF TWO KINDS OF VIRUS PARTICLES WHICH COMPRISE INFLUENZA A2 VIRUS STRAINS

    PubMed Central

    Choppin, Purnell W.; Tamm, Igor

    1960-01-01

    Two kinds of virus particles have been found in varying proportions in influenza A2 strains isolated during the 1957 pandemic. Pure populations of the different particles were obtained, and these substrains were genetically stable on serial passage in the chick embryo. The two virus particles differ markedly in several biological properties though they are antigenically similar. One kind of particle, designated "+," is relatively sensitive to specific antibody, is highly sensitive to inhibition by serum inhibitors and urinary mucoprotein, fails to elute or elutes very slowly from human erythrocytes, and is capable of agglutinating erythrocytes treated extensively with V. cholerae filtrate. The other particle, designated "-," is relatively insensitive to antibodies and urinary mucoprotein, completely insensitive to serum inhibitors, elutes rapidly from erythrocytes, and can agglutinate erythrocytes treated extensively with V. cholerae filtrate. Both "+" and "-" particles destroy virus receptors on urinary mucoprotein. The relative proportions of these two particles determine the characteristics of parent strains in reactions with specific antibody, mucoprotein inhibitors, and erythrocytes. The "+" and "-" particles with several easily identifiable markers are well suited for genetic studies. PMID:19867182

  16. Structures of a bi-functional Kunitz-type STI family inhibitor of serine and aspartic proteases: Could the aspartic protease inhibition have evolved from a canonical serine protease-binding loop?

    PubMed

    Guerra, Yasel; Valiente, Pedro A; Pons, Tirso; Berry, Colin; Rudiño-Piñera, Enrique

    2016-08-01

    Bi-functional inhibitors from the Kunitz-type soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) family are glycosylated proteins able to inhibit serine and aspartic proteases. Here we report six crystal structures of the wild-type and a non-glycosylated mutant of the bifunctional inhibitor E3Ad obtained at different pH values and space groups. The crystal structures show that E3Ad adopts the typical β-trefoil fold of the STI family exhibiting some conformational changes due to pH variations and crystal packing. Despite the high sequence identity with a recently reported potato cathepsin D inhibitor (PDI), three-dimensional structures obtained in this work show a significant conformational change in the protease-binding loop proposed for aspartic protease inhibition. The E3Ad binding loop for serine protease inhibition is also proposed, based on structural similarity with a novel non-canonical conformation described for the double-headed inhibitor API-A from the Kunitz-type STI family. In addition, structural and sequence analyses suggest that bifunctional inhibitors of serine and aspartic proteases from the Kunitz-type STI family are more similar to double-headed inhibitor API-A than other inhibitors with a canonical protease-binding loop. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Ceftazidime-avibactam: novel antimicrobial combination for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections.

    PubMed

    Alidjanov, Jakhongir F; Fritzenwanker, Moritz; Hoffman, Ivan; Wagenlehner, Florian M

    2017-06-01

    Ceftazidime-avibactam is a combination of a third-generation cephalosporin and a novel non-beta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor. This combination was recently recommended for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, including acute pyelonephritis, in adults with limited or no alternative treatment options. The current review is aimed to determine activity, efficacy and safety of ceftazidime-avibactam in the treatment of patients with complicated urinary tract infections.

  18. Endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by cathepsin G in porcine pulmonary arteries

    PubMed Central

    Glusa, Erika; Adam, Christine

    2001-01-01

    Serine proteinases elicit profound cellular effects in various tissues mediated by activation of proteinase-activated receptors (PAR). In the present study, we investigated the vascular effects of cathepsin G, a serine proteinase that is present in the azurophil granules of leukocytes and is known to activate several cells that express PARs. In prostaglandin F2α (3 μM)-precontracted rings from porcine pulmonary arteries with intact endothelium, cathepsin G caused concentration-dependent relaxant responses (pEC50=9.64±0.12). The endothelium-dependent relaxant effect of cathepsin G could also be demonstrated in porcine coronary arteries (pEC50=9.23±0.07). In pulmonary arteries the cathepsin G-induced relaxation was inhibited after blockade of nitric oxide synthesis by L-NAME (200 μM) and was absent in endothelium-denuded vessels. Bradykinin- and cathepsin G-induced relaxant effects were associated with a 5.7 fold and 2.4 fold increase in the concentration of cyclic GMP, respectively. Compared with thrombin and trypsin, which also produced an endothelium-dependent relaxation in pulmonary arteries, cathepsin G was 2.5 and four times more potent, respectively. Cathepsin G caused only small homologous desensitization. In cathepsin G-challenged vessels, thrombin was still able to elicit a relaxant effect. The effects of cathepsin G were blocked by soybean trypsin inhibitor (IC50=0.043 μg ml−1), suggesting that proteolytic activity is essential for induction of relaxation. Recombinant acetyl-eglin C proved to be a potent inhibitor (IC50=0.14 μg ml−1) of the cathepsin G effect, whereas neither indomethacin (3 μM) nor the thrombin inhibitor hirudin (5 ATU ml−1) elicited any inhibitory activity. Due to their polyanionic structure defibrotide (IC50=0.11 μg ml−1), heparin (IC50=0.48 μg ml−1) and suramin (IC50=1.85 μg ml−1) diminished significantly the relaxation in response to the basic protein cathepsin G. In conclusion, like thrombin and trypsin, cathepsin G is able to induce endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation. It can be released from activated leukocytes at sites of vascular injury and inflammation and, therefore, sufficiently high concentrations might be reached locally in the vascular space to induce vasodilatation. PMID:11375259

  19. Secretion of Proteases by an Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum

    PubMed Central

    Kautto, Liisa; Nevalainen, Helena

    2017-01-01

    Scedosporium aurantiacum is an opportunistic filamentous fungus increasingly isolated from the sputum of cystic fibrosis patients, and is especially prevalent in Australia. At the moment, very little is known about the infection mechanism of this fungus. Secreted proteases have been shown to contribute to fungal virulence in several studies with other fungi. Here we have compared the profiles of proteases secreted by a clinical isolate Scedosporium aurantiacum (WM 06.482) and an environmental strain (WM 10.136) grown on a synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum medium supplemented with casein or mucin. Protease activity was assessed using class-specific substrates and inhibitors. Subtilisin-like and trypsin-like serine protease activity was detected in all cultures. The greatest difference in the secretion of proteases between the two strains occurred in mucin-supplemented medium, where the activities of the elastase-like, trypsin-like and aspartic proteases were, overall, 2.5–75 fold higher in the clinical strain compared to the environmental strain. Proteases secreted by the two strains in the mucin-supplemented medium were further analyzed by mass spectrometry. Six homologs of fungal proteases were identified from the clinical strain and five from the environmental strain. Of these, three were common for both strains including a subtilisin peptidase, a putative leucine aminopeptidase and a PA-SaNapH-like protease. Trypsin-like protease was identified by mass spectrometry only in the clinical isolate even though trypsin-like activity was present in all cultures. In contrast, high elastase-like activity was measured in the culture supernatant of the clinical strain but could not be identified by mass spectrometry searching against other fungi in the NCBI database. Future availability of an annotated genome will help finalise identification of the S. aurantiacum proteases. PMID:28060882

  20. Secretion of Proteases by an Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum.

    PubMed

    Han, Zhiping; Kautto, Liisa; Nevalainen, Helena

    2017-01-01

    Scedosporium aurantiacum is an opportunistic filamentous fungus increasingly isolated from the sputum of cystic fibrosis patients, and is especially prevalent in Australia. At the moment, very little is known about the infection mechanism of this fungus. Secreted proteases have been shown to contribute to fungal virulence in several studies with other fungi. Here we have compared the profiles of proteases secreted by a clinical isolate Scedosporium aurantiacum (WM 06.482) and an environmental strain (WM 10.136) grown on a synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum medium supplemented with casein or mucin. Protease activity was assessed using class-specific substrates and inhibitors. Subtilisin-like and trypsin-like serine protease activity was detected in all cultures. The greatest difference in the secretion of proteases between the two strains occurred in mucin-supplemented medium, where the activities of the elastase-like, trypsin-like and aspartic proteases were, overall, 2.5-75 fold higher in the clinical strain compared to the environmental strain. Proteases secreted by the two strains in the mucin-supplemented medium were further analyzed by mass spectrometry. Six homologs of fungal proteases were identified from the clinical strain and five from the environmental strain. Of these, three were common for both strains including a subtilisin peptidase, a putative leucine aminopeptidase and a PA-SaNapH-like protease. Trypsin-like protease was identified by mass spectrometry only in the clinical isolate even though trypsin-like activity was present in all cultures. In contrast, high elastase-like activity was measured in the culture supernatant of the clinical strain but could not be identified by mass spectrometry searching against other fungi in the NCBI database. Future availability of an annotated genome will help finalise identification of the S. aurantiacum proteases.

  1. An alternative approach to depigmentation by soybean extracts via inhibition of the PAR-2 pathway.

    PubMed

    Paine, C; Sharlow, E; Liebel, F; Eisinger, M; Shapiro, S; Seiberg, M

    2001-04-01

    The protease-activated receptor 2, expressed on keratinocytes but not on melanocytes, has been ascribed functional importance in the regulation of pigmentation by phagocytosis of melanosomes. Inhibition of protease-activated receptor 2 activation by synthetic serine protease inhibitors requires keratinocyte-melanocyte contact and results in depigmentation of the dark skinned Yucatan swine, suggesting a new class of depigmenting mechanism and agents. We therefore examined natural agents that could exert their effect via the protease-activated receptor 2 pathway. Here we show that soymilk and the soybean-derived serine protease inhibitors soybean trypsin inhibitor and Bowman-Birk inhibitor inhibit protease-activated receptor 2 cleavage, affect cytoskeletal and cell surface organization, and reduce keratinocyte phagocytosis. The depigmenting activity of these agents and their capability to prevent ultraviolet-induced pigmentation are demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. These results imply that inhibition of the protease-activated receptor 2 pathway by soymilk may be used as a natural alternative to skin lightening.

  2. Inhibitors of peptidases: how they influence the biological activities of substance P, neurokinins, bradykinin and angiotensin in guinea pig, hamster and rat urinary bladders.

    PubMed

    Rouissi, N; Nantel, F; Drapeau, G; Rhaleb, N E; Dion, S; Regoli, D

    1990-01-01

    Neurokinins, bradykinin and angiotensins were tested in isolated urinary bladder of the guinea pig, the hamster and the rat, in the absence and in presence of a variety of peptidase inhibitors in order to establish if peptide degradation interferes with the bladder contractions elicited by the three types of peptides. Indeed, the effects of neurokinins, bradykinin and angiotensin I in the guinea pig bladder were significantly enhanced by captopril (4.6 x 10(-6) mol/l), chymostatin (1 mg/l), phosphoramidon (4.6 x 10(-6) mol/l) and thiorphan (1.0 x 10(-6) mol/l), while only captopril was found to potentiate the effects of the same peptides in the rat bladder. The four peptidase inhibitors, as well as bacitracin were found to modify the responses of the hamster urinary bladder to one or another or to all three groups of peptides and to DiMeC7. The present results suggest that the urinary bladders of various species have different types of active proteolytic enzymes: only the angiotensin-converting enzyme appears to be present in the rat bladder, while the same enzyme and possibly two additional endopeptidases interfere with the myotropic effects of neurokinins, kinins and angiotensins in the guinea pig and the hamster bladder.

  3. Primary structure of the abundant seed albumin of Theobroma cacao by mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Kochhar, S; Gartenmann, K; Juillerat, M A

    2000-11-01

    The most abundant albumin present in seeds of Theobroma cacao was purified to apparent homogeneity as judged by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS), sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and NH(2)-terminal sequence analysis. Tryptic peptide mass fingerprinting of the purified protein by HPLC/ESI-MS showed the presence of 16 masses that matched the expected tryptic peptides corresponding to 95% of the translated amino acid sequence from the cDNA of the 21 kDa cocoa albumin. Collision-induced dissociation MS/MS analysis of the C-terminal peptide isolated from the CNBr cleavage products provided unequivocal evidence that the mature cocoa albumin protein is nine amino acid residues shorter than expected from the reported cDNA of its corresponding gene. The experimentally determined M(r) value of 20234 was in excellent agreement with the truncated version of the amino acid sequence. The purified cocoa albumin inhibited the catalytic activities of bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin. The inhibition was stoichiometric with 1 mol of trypsin or chymotrypsin being inhibited by 1 mol of inhibitor with apparent dissociation constants (K(i)) of 9.5 x 10(-8) and 2. 3 x 10(-6) M, respectively, for inhibitor binding at pH 8.5 and 37 degrees C. No inhibition of the catalytic activities of subtilisin, papain, pepsin, and cocoa endoproteases was detected under their optimal reaction conditions.

  4. Pancreatic polyamine concentrations and cholecystokinin plasma levels in rats after feeding raw or heat-inactivated soybean flour.

    PubMed

    Löser, C; Fölsch, U R; Mustroph, D; Cantor, P; Wunderlich, U; Creutzfeldt, W

    1988-01-01

    We investigated the trophic effect on the pancreas of male Wistar rats fed up to 20 days with either raw soybean flour (RSF) containing an active trypsin inhibitor or heat-inactivated soybean flour (HSF). The concentrations of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in the pancreas as well as cholecystokinin (CCK) concentrations in arterial and portal vein plasma were measured. Plasma CCK concentrations were measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay specific for the sulfated region of CCK, whereas polyamine concentrations are determined by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The levels of CCK in both arterial and portal vein plasma were significantly higher in RSF- compared with HSF-fed rats, the concentration in the portal vein being twice as high compared with the aorta. A significant increase in pancreatic weight and protein content was positively correlated to an increase in putrescine and spermidine in the pancreas of RSF-fed rats compared with HSF-fed controls, whereas the spermine content did not differ between the two groups. The pancreatic DNA content in RSF-fed rats was significantly above control values of day 20 only. These data support the hypothesis that the trophic effect of soybean trypsin inhibitor on the pancreas is mediated by CCK and that polyamines might play an important role in CCK-induced pancreatic growth.

  5. Solar UV-B radiation and ethylene play a key role in modulating effective defenses against Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae in field-grown soybean.

    PubMed

    Dillon, Francisco M; Tejedor, M Daniela; Ilina, Natalia; Chludil, Hugo D; Mithöfer, Axel; Pagano, Eduardo A; Zavala, Jorge A

    2018-02-01

    Solar UV-B radiation has been reported to enhance plant defenses against herbivore insects in many species. However, the mechanism and traits involved in the UV-B mediated increment of plant resistance are unknown in crops species, such as soybean. Here, we studied defense-related responses in undamaged and Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae-damaged leaves of two soybean cultivars grown under attenuated or full solar UV-B radiation. We determined changes in jasmonates, ethylene (ET), salicylic acid, trypsin protease inhibitor activity, flavonoids, and mRNA expression of genes related with defenses. ET emission induced by Anticarsia gemmatalis damage was synergistically increased in plants grown under solar UV-B radiation and was positively correlated with malonyl genistin concentration, trypsin proteinase inhibitor activity and expression of IFS2, and the pathogenesis protein PR2, while was negatively correlated with leaf consumption. The precursor of ET, aminocyclopropane-carboxylic acid, applied exogenously to soybean was sufficient to strongly induce leaf isoflavonoids. Our results showed that in field-grown soybean isoflavonoids were regulated by both herbivory and solar UV-B inducible ET, whereas flavonols were regulated by solar UV-B radiation only and not by herbivory or ET. Our study suggests that, although ET can modulate UV-B-mediated priming of inducible plant defenses, some plant defenses, such as isoflavonoids, are regulated by ET alone. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. The belonging of gpMuc, a glycoprotein from Mucuna pruriens seeds, to the Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor family explains its direct anti-snake venom activity.

    PubMed

    Scirè, Andrea; Tanfani, Fabio; Bertoli, Enrico; Furlani, Emiliano; Nadozie, Hope-Onyekwere N; Cerutti, Helena; Cortelazzo, Alessio; Bini, Luca; Guerranti, Roberto

    2011-07-15

    In Nigeria, Mucuna pruriens seeds are locally prescribed as an oral prophylactic for snake bite and it is claimed that when two seeds are swallowed they protect the individual for a year against snake bites. In order to understand the Mucuna pruriens antisnake properties, the proteins from the acqueous extract of seeds were purified by three chromatographic steps: ConA affinity chromatography, tandem anionic-cationic exchange and gel filtration, obtaining a fraction conventionally called gpMucB. This purified fraction was analysed by SDS-PAGE obtaining 3 bands with apparent masses ranging from 20 to 24 kDa, and by MALDI-TOF which showed two main peaks of 21 and 23 kDa and another small peak of 19 kDa. On the other hand, gel filtration analysis of the native protein indicated a molecular mass of about 70 kDa suggesting that in its native form, gpMucB is most likely an oligomeric multiform protein. Infrared spectroscopy of gpMucB indicated that the protein is particularly thermostable both at neutral and acidic pHs and that it is an all beta protein. All data suggest that gpMucB belongs to the Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor family explaining the direct anti-snake venom activity of Mucuna pruriens seeds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  7. The effects of composting on the nutritional composition of fibrous bio-regenerative life support systems (BLSS) plant waste residues and its impact on the growth of Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonzales, John M.; Lowry, Brett A.; Brown, Paul B.; Beyl, Caula A.; Nyochemberg, Leopold

    2009-04-01

    Utilization of bio-regenerative life support systems (BLSS) plant waste residues as a nutritional source by Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) has proven problematic as a result of high concentrations of fibrous compounds in the plant waste residues. Nutritional improvement of plant waste residues by composting with the oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus), and the effects on growth and nutrient utilization of Nile tilapia fed such residues were evaluated. Five Nile tilapia (mean weight = 70.9 ± 3.1 g) were stocked in triplicate aquaria and fed one of two experimental diets, cowpea (CP) and composted cowpea (CCP), twice daily for a period of 8 weeks. Composting of cowpea residue resulted in reduced concentrations of nitrogen-free extract, hemi-cellulose and trypsin inhibitor activity, though trypsin inhibitor activity remained high. Composting did not reduce crude fiber, lignin, or cellulose concentrations in the diet. No significant differences ( P < 0.05) were observed in weight gain, specific growth rate, survival rate, daily consumption, and food conversion ratio between tilapia fed CP and CCP. These results suggest that P. ostreatus is not a suitable candidate for culture in conjunction with the culture of Nile tilapia. Additional work is needed to determine what, if any, benefit can be obtained from incorporating composted residue as feed for Nile tilapia.

  8. An Acrobatic Substrate Metamorphosis Reveals a Requirement for Substrate Conformational Dynamics in Trypsin Proteolysis.

    PubMed

    Kayode, Olumide; Wang, Ruiying; Pendlebury, Devon F; Cohen, Itay; Henin, Rachel D; Hockla, Alexandra; Soares, Alexei S; Papo, Niv; Caulfield, Thomas R; Radisky, Evette S

    2016-12-16

    The molecular basis of enzyme catalytic power and specificity derives from dynamic interactions between enzyme and substrate during catalysis. Although considerable effort has been devoted to understanding how conformational dynamics within enzymes affect catalysis, the role of conformational dynamics within protein substrates has not been addressed. Here, we examine the importance of substrate dynamics in the cleavage of Kunitz-bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor protease inhibitors by mesotrypsin, finding that the varied conformational dynamics of structurally similar substrates can profoundly impact the rate of catalysis. A 1.4-Å crystal structure of a mesotrypsin-product complex formed with a rapidly cleaved substrate reveals a dramatic conformational change in the substrate upon proteolysis. By using long all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of acyl-enzyme intermediates with proteolysis rates spanning 3 orders of magnitude, we identify global and local dynamic features of substrates on the nanosecond-microsecond time scale that correlate with enzymatic rates and explain differential susceptibility to proteolysis. By integrating multiple enhanced sampling methods for molecular dynamics, we model a viable conformational pathway between substrate-like and product-like states, linking substrate dynamics on the nanosecond-microsecond time scale with large collective substrate motions on the much slower time scale of catalysis. Our findings implicate substrate flexibility as a critical determinant of catalysis. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  9. Identification of novel serum peptide biomarkers for high-altitude adaptation: a comparative approach

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Juan; Li, Wenhua; Liu, Siyuan; Yuan, Dongya; Guo, Yijiao; Jia, Cheng; Song, Tusheng; Huang, Chen

    2016-01-01

    We aimed to identify serum biomarkers for screening individuals who could adapt to high-altitude hypoxia at sea level. HHA (high-altitude hypoxia acclimated; n = 48) and HHI (high-altitude hypoxia illness; n = 48) groups were distinguished at high altitude, routine blood tests were performed for both groups at high altitude and at sea level. Serum biomarkers were identified by comparing serum peptidome profiling between HHI and HHA groups collected at sea level. Routine blood tests revealed the concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells were significantly higher in HHI than in HHA at high altitude. Serum peptidome profiling showed that ten significantly differentially expressed peaks between HHA and HHI at sea level. Three potential serum peptide peaks (m/z values: 1061.91, 1088.33, 4057.63) were further sequence identified as regions of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 fragment (ITIH4 347–356), regions of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H1 fragment (ITIH1 205–214), and isoform 1 of fibrinogen α chain precursor (FGA 588–624). Expression of their full proteins was also tested by ELISA in HHA and HHI samples collected at sea level. Our study provided a novel approach for identifying potential biomarkers for screening people at sea level who can adapt to high altitudes. PMID:27150491

  10. Relationship between carbachol hyperstimulation-induced pancreatic intracellular trypsinogen and NF-kappa B activation in rats in vitro.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Chunfang; Zheng, Hai; Liu, Sunan; Fang, Kaifeng

    2008-02-01

    The relationship between intracellular trypsinogen activation and NF-kappa B activation in rat pancreatic acinar cells induced by M3 cholinergic receptor agonist (carbachol) hyperstimulation was studied. Rat pancreatic acinar cells were isolated, cultured and treated with carbachol, the active protease inhibitor (pefabloc) and NF-kappa B inhibitor (PDTC) in vitro. Intracellular trypsin activity was measured by using a fluorogenic substrate. The activity of NF-kappa B was monitored by using electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The results showed that after pretreatment with 2 mmol/L pefabloc, the activities of trypsin and NF-kappa B in pancreatic acinar cells treated with high concentrations of carbachol (10(-3) mol/L) in vitro was significantly decreased as compared with control group (P<0.01). The addition of 10(-2) mol/L PDTC resulted in a significant decrease of NF-kappa B activities in pancreatic acinar cells after treated with high concentrations of carbachol (10(-3) mol/L) in vitro, but the intracellular trypsinogen activity was not obviously inhibited (P>0.05). It was concluded that intracellular trypsinogen activation is likely involved in the regulation of high concentrations of carbachol-induced NF-kappa B activation in pancreatic acinar cells in vitro. NF-kappa B activation is likely not necessary for high concentrations of carbachol-induced trypsinogen activation in pancreatic acinar cells in vitro.

  11. Serum inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor and matrix hyaluronan promote angiogenesis in fibrotic lung injury.

    PubMed

    Garantziotis, Stavros; Zudaire, Enrique; Trempus, Carol S; Hollingsworth, John W; Jiang, Dianhua; Lancaster, Lisa H; Richardson, Elizabeth; Zhuo, Lisheng; Cuttitta, Frank; Brown, Kevin K; Noble, Paul W; Kimata, Koji; Schwartz, David A

    2008-11-01

    The etiology and pathogenesis of angiogenesis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is poorly understood. Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (IaI) is a serum protein that can bind to hyaluronan (HA) and may contribute to the angiogenic response to tissue injury. To determine whether IaI promotes HA-mediated angiogenesis in tissue injury. An examination was undertaken of angiogenesis in IaI-sufficient and -deficient mice in the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis and in angiogenesis assays in vivo and in vitro. IaI and HA in patients with IPF were examined. IaI significantly enhances the angiogenic response to short-fragment HA in vivo and in vitro. lal deficiency Ieads to decreased angiogenesis in the matrigel model, and decreases lung angiogenesis after bleomycin exposure in mice. IaI is found in fibroblastic foci in IPF, where it colocalizes with HA. The colocalization is particularly strong in vascular areas around fibroblastic foci. Serum levels of IaI and HA are significantly elevated in patients with IPF compared with control subjects. High serum IaI and HA levels are associated with decreased lung diffusing capacity, but not FVC. Our findings indicate that serum IaI interacts with HA, and promotes angiogenesis in lung injury. IaI appears to contribute to the vascular response to lung injury and may lead to aberrant angiogenesis. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00016627).

  12. A catalog for the transcripts from the venomous structures of the caterpillar Lonomia obliqua: identification of the proteins potentially involved in the coagulation disorder and hemorrhagic syndrome

    PubMed Central

    Veiga, Ana B. G.; Ribeiro, José M. C.; Guimarães, Jorge A.; Francischetti, Ivo M.B.

    2010-01-01

    Accidents with the caterpillar Lonomia obliqua are often associated with a coagulation disorder and hemorrhagic syndrome in humans. In the present study, we have constructed cDNA libraries from two venomous structures of the caterpillar, namely the tegument and the bristle. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were performed in parallel. Over one thousand cDNAs were obtained and clustered to produce a database of 538 contigs and singletons (clusters) for the tegument library and 368 for the bristle library. We have thus identified dozens of full-length cDNAs coding for proteins with sequence homology to snake venom prothrombin activator, trypsin-like enzymes, blood coagulation factors and prophenoloxidase cascade activators. We also report cDNA coding for cysteine proteases, Group III phospholipase A2, C-type lectins, lipocalins, in addition to protease inhibitors including serpins, Kazal-type inhibitors, cystatins and trypsin inhibitor-like molecules. Antibacterial proteins and housekeeping genes are also described. A significant number of sequences were devoid of database matches, suggesting that their biologic function remains to be defined. We also report the N-terminus of the most abundant proteins present in the bristle, tegument, hemolymph, and "cryosecretion". Thus, we have created a catalog that contains the predicted molecular weight, isoelectric point, accession number, and putative function for each selected molecule from the venomous structures of L. obliqua. The role of these molecules in the coagulation disorder and hemorrhagic syndrome caused by envenomation with this caterpillar is discussed. All sequence information and the Supplemental Data, including Figures and Tables with hyperlinks to FASTA-formatted files for each contig and the best match to the Databases, are available at http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/projects/omes. PMID:16023793

  13. Synergistic Activity between Two Antifungal Proteins, the Plant Defensin NaD1 and the Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor

    PubMed Central

    Dawson, Charlotte S.; McKenna, James A.; Quimbar, Pedro; Hayes, Brigitte M. E.; van der Weerden, Nicole L.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Defensins are a large family of small, cationic, cysteine-rich proteins that are part of the defense arsenal that plants use for protection against potentially damaging fungal infections. The plant defensin NaD1 from Nicotiana alata is a potent antifungal protein that inhibits growth and kills a variety of fungal pathogens that affect both plant and animal (human) hosts. Some serine protease inhibitors have also been reported to be antifungal molecules, while others have no inhibitory activity against fungi. Here we describe the synergistic activity of the plant defensin NaD1 with a selection of serine protease inhibitors against the plant pathogens Fusarium graminearum and Colletotrichum graminicola and the animal pathogen Candida albicans. The synergistic activity was not related to the protease inhibitory activity of these molecules but may arise from activation of fungal stress response pathways. The bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) displayed the most synergy with NaD1. BPTI also acted synergistically with several other antifungal molecules. The observation that NaD1 acts synergistically with protease inhibitors provides the foundation for the design of transgenic plants with improved resistance to fungal disease. It also supports the possibility of naturally occurring accessory factors that function to enhance the activity of innate immunity peptides in biological systems. IMPORTANCE This work describes the increased activity of a natural antifungal peptide in the presence of another antifungal peptide from a different family. This is termed antifungal synergy. Synergy is important for decreasing the amount of antifungal molecule needed to control the disease. Traditionally, naturally occurring antifungal molecules are assayed in isolation. Identification of synergistic interactions between antifungal peptides means that their activities in a complex biological system are likely to be different from what we observe when examining them individually. This study identified synergy between an antifungal peptide and a group of peptides that do not affect fungal growth in vitro. This provides the foundation for generation of transgenic plants with increased resistance to fungal disease and identification of antifungal accessory factors that enhance the activity of innate immune molecules but do not have an antifungal effect on their own. PMID:29062897

  14. A Serpin Released by an Entomopathogen Impairs Clot Formation in Insect Defense System

    PubMed Central

    Hao, YouJin; Balasubramanian, Natesan; Jing, Yingjun; Montiel, Rafael; Faria, Tiago Q.; Brito, Rui M.; Simões, Nelson

    2013-01-01

    Steinernema carpocapsae is an entomopathogenic nematode widely used for the control of insect pests due to its virulence, which is mainly attributed to the ability the parasitic stage has to overcome insect defences. To identify the mechanisms underlying such a characteristic, we studied a novel serpin-like inhibitor (sc-srp-6) that was detected in a transcriptome analysis. Recombinant Sc-SRP-6 produced in Escherichia coli had a native fold of serpins belonging to the α-1-peptidase family and exhibited inhibitory activity against trypsin and α-chymotrypsin with Ki of 0.42×10−7 M and 1.22×10−7 M, respectively. Functional analysis revealed that Sc-SRP-6 inhibits insect digestive enzymes, thus preventing the hydrolysis of ingested particles. Moreover, Sc-SRP-6 impaired the formation of hard clots at the injury site, a major insect defence mechanism against invasive pathogens. Sc-SRP-6 does not prevent the formation of clot fibres and the activation of prophenoloxidases but impairs the incorporation of the melanin into the clot. Binding assays showed a complex formation between Sc-SRP-6 and three proteins in the hemolymph of lepidopteran required for clotting, apolipophorin, hexamerin and trypsin-like, although the catalytic inhibition occurred exclusively in trypsin-like. This data allowed the conclusion that Sc-SRP-6 promotes nematode virulence by inhibiting insect gut juices and by impairing immune clot reaction. PMID:23874900

  15. Fully human antibodies against the Protease-Activated Receptor-2 (PAR-2) with anti-inflammatory activity.

    PubMed

    Giblin, Patricia; Boxhammer, Rainer; Desai, Sudha; Kroe-Barrett, Rachel; Hansen, Gale; Ksiazek, John; Panzenbeck, Maret; Ralph, Kerry; Schwartz, Racheline; Zimmitti, Clare; Pracht, Catrin; Miller, Sandra; Magram, Jeanne; Litzenburger, Tobias

    2011-01-01

    PAR-2 belongs to a family of G-protein coupled Protease-Activated Receptors (PAR) which are activated by specific proteolytic cleavage in the extracellular N-terminal region. PAR-2 is activated by proteases such as trypsin, tryptase, proteinase 3, factor VIIa, factor Xa and is thought to be a mediator of inflammation and tissue injury, where elevated levels of proteases are found. Utilizing the HuCAL GOLD® phage display library we generated fully human antibodies specifically blocking the protease cleavage site in the N-terminal domain. In vitro affinity optimization resulted in antibodies with up to 1000-fold improved affinities relative to the original parental antibodies with dissociation constants as low as 100 pM. Corresponding increases in potency were observed in a mechanistic protease cleavage assay. The antibodies effectively inhibited PAR-2 mediated intracellular calcium release and cytokine secretion in various cell types stimulated with trypsin. In addition, the antibodies demonstrated potent inhibition of trypsin induced relaxation of isolated rat aortic rings ex vivo. In a short term mouse model of inflammation, the trans vivo DTH model, anti-PAR-2 antibodies showed inhibition of the inflammatory swelling response. In summary, potent inhibitors of PAR-2 were generated which allow further assessment of the role of this receptor in inflammation and evaluation of their potential as therapeutic agents.

  16. Synthetic peptides and fluorogenic substrates related to the reactive site sequence of Kunitz-type inhibitors isolated from Bauhinia: interaction with human plasma kallikrein.

    PubMed

    Oliva, M L; Santomauro-Vaz, E M; Andrade, S A; Juliano, M A; Pott, V J; Sampaio, M U; Sampaio, C A

    2001-01-01

    We have previously described Kunitz-type serine proteinase inhibitors purified from Bauhinia seeds. Human plasma kallikrein shows different susceptibility to those inhibitors. In this communication, we describe the interaction of human plasma kallikrein with fluorogenic and non-fluorogenic peptides based on the Bauhinia inhibitors' reactive site. The hydrolysis of the substrate based on the B. variegata inhibitor reactive site sequence, Abz-VVISALPRSVFIQ-EDDnp (Km 1.42 microM, kcat 0.06 s(-1), and kcat/Km 4.23 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)), is more favorable than that of Abz-VMIAALPRTMFIQ-EDDnp, related to the B. ungulata sequence (Km 0.43 microM, kcat 0.00017 s(-1), and kcat/Km 3.9 x 10(2) M(-1) s(-1)). Human plasma kallikrein does not hydrolyze the substrates Abz-RPGLPVRFESPL-EDDnp and Abz-FESPLRINIIKE-EDDnp based on the B. bauhinioides inhibitor reactive site sequence, the most effective inhibitor of the enzyme. These peptides are competitive inhibitors with Ki values in the nM range. The synthetic peptide containing 19 amino acids based on the B. bauhinioides inhibitor reactive site (RPGLPVRFESPL) is poorly cleaved by kallikrein. The given substrates are highly specific for trypsin and chymotrypsin hydrolysis. Other serine proteinases such as factor Xa, factor XII, thrombin and plasmin do not hydrolyze B. bauhinioides inhibitor related substrates.

  17. Investigating protein-protein interaction surfaces using a reduced stereochemical and electrostatic model.

    PubMed

    Warwicker, J

    1989-03-20

    A method of calculating the electrostatic potential energy between two molecules, using finite difference potential, is presented. A reduced charge set is used so that the interaction energy can be calculated as the two static molecules explore their full six-dimensional configurational space. The energies are contoured over surfaces fixed to each molecule with an interactive computer graphics program. For two crystal structures (trypsin-trypsin inhibitor and anti-lysozyme Fab-lysozyme), it is found that the complex corresponds to highly favourable interacting regions in the contour plots. These matches arise from a small number of protruding basic residues interacting with enhanced negative potential in each case. The redox pair cytochrome c peroxidase-cytochrome c exhibits an extensive favourably interacting surface within which a possible electron transfer complex may be defined by an increased electrostatic complementarity, but a decreased electrostatic energy. A possible substrate transfer configuration for the glycolytic enzyme pair glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase-phosphoglycerate kinase is presented.

  18. GREEN: A program package for docking studies in rational drug design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tomioka, Nobuo; Itai, Akiko

    1994-08-01

    A program package, GREEN, has been developed that enables docking studies between ligand molecules and a protein molecule. Based on the structure of the protein molecule, the physical and chemical environment of the ligand-binding site is expressed as three-dimensional grid-point data. The grid-point data are used for the real-time evaluation of the protein-ligand interaction energy, as well as for the graphical representation of the binding-site environment. The interactive docking operation is facilitated by various built-in functions, such as energy minimization, energy contribution analysis and logging of the manipulation trajectory. Interactive modeling functions are incorporated for designing new ligand molecules while considering the binding-site environment and the protein-ligand interaction. As an example of the application of GREEN, a docking study is presented on the complex between trypsin and a synthetic trypsin inhibitor. The program package will be useful for rational drug design, based on the 3D structure of the target protein.

  19. Biophysical Studies of the Type 1 Repeats of Human Thrombospondin-1 to Characterize the Structural Basis of its Angiostatic Effect

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-08-01

    and the digest proceeded for 25 minutes at room temperature. Column fractions were then collected in tubes containing soy- bean trypsin inhibitor (STI...characterization. C. Task 3: Analysis of Secondary Structure Composition using Circular Dichroism 1. Far-UV Circular Dichroism of P3 and P123 The University of...native protiens to determine functional activity of segments of a large modular protein, since non-native fragments and small peptides can yield

  20. NMR study of complexes between low molecular mass inhibitors and the West Nile virus NS2B-NS3 protease.

    PubMed

    Su, Xun-Cheng; Ozawa, Kiyoshi; Yagi, Hiromasa; Lim, Siew P; Wen, Daying; Ekonomiuk, Dariusz; Huang, Danzhi; Keller, Thomas H; Sonntag, Sebastian; Caflisch, Amedeo; Vasudevan, Subhash G; Otting, Gottfried

    2009-08-01

    The two-component NS2B-NS3 protease of West Nile virus is essential for its replication and presents an attractive target for drug development. Here, we describe protocols for the high-yield expression of stable isotope-labelled samples in vivo and in vitro. We also describe the use of NMR spectroscopy to determine the binding mode of new low molecular mass inhibitors of the West Nile virus NS2B-NS3 protease which were discovered using high-throughput in vitro screening. Binding to the substrate-binding sites S1 and S3 is confirmed by intermolecular NOEs and comparison with the binding mode of a previously identified low molecular mass inhibitor. Our results show that all these inhibitors act by occupying the substrate-binding site of the protease rather than by an allosteric mechanism. In addition, the NS2B polypeptide chain was found to be positioned near the substrate-binding site, as observed previously in crystal structures of the protease in complex with peptide inhibitors or bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor. This indicates that the new low molecular mass compounds, although inhibiting the protease, also promote the proteolytically active conformation of NS2B, which is very different from the crystal structure of the protein without inhibitor.

  1. Measurement of DNA damage in rat urinary bladder transitional cells: improved selective harvest of transitional cells and detailed Comet assay protocols.

    PubMed

    Wang, Amy; Robertson, John L; Holladay, Steven D; Tennant, Alan H; Lengi, Andrea J; Ahmed, S Ansar; Huckle, William R; Kligerman, Andrew D

    2007-12-01

    Urinary bladder transitional epithelium is the main site of bladder cancer, and the use of transitional cells to study carcinogenesis/genotoxicity is recommended over the use of whole bladders. Because the transitional epithelium is only a small fraction of the whole bladder, the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis assay (Comet assay), which requires only a small number of cells per sample, is especially suitable for measuring DNA damage in transitional cells. However, existed procedures of cell collection did not yield transitional cells with a high purity, and pooling of samples was needed for Comet assay. The goal of this study was to develop an optimized protocol to evaluate DNA damage in the urinary bladder transitional epithelium. This was achieved by an enzymatic stripping method (trypsin-EDTA incubation plus gentle scraping) to selectively harvest transitional cells from rat bladders, and the use of the alkaline Comet assay to detect DNA strand breaks, alkaline labile sites, and DNA-protein crosslinks. Step by step procedures are reported here. Cells collected from a single rat bladder were sufficient for multiple Comet assays. With this new protocol, increases in DNA damage were detected in transitional cells after in vitro exposure to the positive control agents, hydrogen peroxide or formaldehyde. Repair of the induced DNA damage occurred within 4h. This indicated the capacity for DNA repair was maintained in the harvested cells. The new protocol provides a simple and inexpensive method to detect various types of DNA damage and to measure DNA damage repair in urinary bladder transitional cells.

  2. Effect of phosphodiesterase inhibitors in the bladder.

    PubMed

    Chughtai, Bilal; Ali, Aizaz; Dunphy, Claire; Kaplan, Steven A

    2015-01-01

    Many aging men will experience lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors have shown promise in treating LUTS in these patients. PDE5 inhibitors mediate their effects through several pathways including cAMP, NO/cGMP, K-channel modulated pathways, and the l -cysteine/H 2 S pathway. PDE5 inhibitors exert their effect in muscle cells, nerve fibers, and interstitial cells (ICs). The use of PDE5 inhibitors led to improvement in LUTS. This included urodynamic parameters. PDE5 inhibitors may play a significant role in LUTS due to their effect on the bladder rather than the prostate.

  3. SGLT2 Inhibitors: Benefit/Risk Balance.

    PubMed

    Scheen, André J

    2016-10-01

    Inhibitors of sodium-glucose cotransporters type 2 (SGLT2) reduce hyperglycemia by increasing urinary glucose excretion. They have been evaluated in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with diet/exercise, metformin, dual oral therapy or insulin. Three agents are available in Europe and the USA (canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin) and others are commercialized in Japan or in clinical development. SGLT2 inhibitors reduce glycated hemoglobin, with a minimal risk of hypoglycemia. They exert favorable effects beyond glucose control with consistent body weight, blood pressure, and serum uric acid reductions. Empagliflozin showed remarkable reductions in cardiovascular/all-cause mortality and in hospitalization for heart failure in patients with previous cardiovascular disease. Positive renal outcomes were also shown with empagliflozin. Mostly reported adverse events are genital mycotic infections, while urinary tract infections and events linked to volume depletion are rather rare. Concern about a risk of ketoacidosis and bone fractures has been recently raised, which deserves caution and further evaluation.

  4. THE KINETICS AND THERMODYNAMICS OF REVERSIBLE DENATURATION OF CRYSTALLINE SOYBEAN TRYPSIN INHIBITOR

    PubMed Central

    Kunitz, M.

    1948-01-01

    Crystalline soybean trypsin inhibitor protein undergoes denaturation on heating which is reversed on cooling. In the range of temperature of 35 to 50°C. a solution of the protein consists of a mixture of native and denatured forms in equilibrium with each other. The equilibrium is only slowly established and its final value at any temperature is the same whether a heated, denatured solution of the protein is cooled to the given temperature or whether a fresh solution is raised to that temperature. The kinetics of reversible denaturation of the soybean protein as well as the reversal of denaturation is that of a reversible unimolecular reaction, each process consisting at a given temperature of the same two simultaneous reactions acting in opposite directions. The experimental data on the effect of temperature on the velocity and the equilibrium constants of the opposing reaction were utilized in evaluating the reaction energies and activation energies. The reaction energies for denaturation were found to be as follows:— Change in total heat of reaction ΔH = 57,000 calories per mole Change in entropy of reaction ΔS = 180 calories per degree per mole The heat of activation ΔH 1 ‡ for denaturation = 55,000 The heat of activation ΔH 2 ‡ for the reversal of denaturation = –1900 The entropy ΔS 1 ‡ for denaturation = 95 The entropy ΔS 2 ‡ for reversal of denaturation = –84 PMID:18891149

  5. Dual origin of gut proteases in Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

    PubMed

    Sethi, Amit; Xue, Qing-Gang; La Peyre, Jerome F; Delatte, Jennifer; Husseneder, Claudia

    2011-07-01

    Cellulose digestion in lower termites, mediated by carbohydrases originating from both termite and endosymbionts, is well characterized. In contrast, limited information exists on gut proteases of lower termites, their origins and roles in termite nutrition. The objective of this study was to characterize gut proteases of the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). The protease activity of extracts from gut tissues (fore-, mid- and hindgut) and protozoa isolated from hindguts of termite workers was quantified using hide powder azure as a substrate and further characterized by zymography with gelatin SDS-PAGE. Midgut extracts showed the highest protease activity followed by the protozoa extracts. High level of protease activity was also detected in protozoa culture supernatants after 24 h incubation. Incubation of gut and protozoa extracts with class-specific protease inhibitors revealed that most of the proteases were serine proteases. All proteolytic bands identified after gelatin SDS-PAGE were also inhibited by serine protease inhibitors. Finally, incubation with chromogenic substrates indicated that extracts from fore- and hindgut tissues possessed proteases with almost exclusively trypsin-like activity while both midgut and protozoa extracts possessed proteases with trypsin-like and subtilisin/chymotrypsin-like activities. However, protozoa proteases were distinct from midgut proteases (with different molecular mass). Our results suggest that the Formosan subterranean termite not only produces endogenous proteases in its gut tissues, but also possesses proteases originating from its protozoan symbionts. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Cigarette smoke-induced differential expression of the genes involved in exocrine function of the rat pancreas.

    PubMed

    Wittel, Uwe A; Singh, Ajay P; Henley, Brandon J; Andrianifahanana, Mahefatiana; Akhter, Mohammed P; Cullen, Diane M; Batra, Surinder K

    2006-11-01

    Little is known about the molecular and biological aspects of the epidemiological association between smoking and pancreatic pathology, such as chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Recently, we reported that tobacco smoke exposure induced morphological alterations in the rat pancreas. Here, we have investigated the alterations in the expression of genes associated with exocrine pancreatic function and cellular differentiation upon exposure to cigarette smoke. Female rats were exposed to environmental smoke inhalation for 2 d/wk (70 min/d) for 12 weeks. The expression profiles of trypsinogen, pancreas-specific trypsin inhibitor, cholecystokinin A receptor, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), carbonic anhydrase, and Muc1 and Muc4 mucins transcripts were analyzed by RNA slot blot analysis. Muc4 expression was also examined by immunohistochemistry. Our data revealed that the ratio of trypsinogen to that of the protective pancreas-specific trypsin inhibitor was elevated upon cigarette smoke exposure. The expression of carbonic anhydrase and CFTR remained unaltered when inflammatory signs were not detected in histological examinations. On the other hand, when pancreatic inflammation was present, the levels of CFTR and carbonic anhydrase were increased, indicating ductal and/or centroacinar cell involvement. No changes in the expression of Muc1 and Muc4 mucins were observed. Our data show that cigarette smoke exposure leads to an increased vulnerability to pancreatic self-digestion. Moreover, the concomitant involvement of pancreatic ducts occurs only when focal pancreatic inflammation is present.

  7. Composition of two Spanish common dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), 'Almonga' and 'Curruquilla', and their postprandial effect in type 2 diabetics.

    PubMed

    Olmedilla-Alonso, Begoña; Pedrosa, Mercedes Martín; Cuadrado, Carmen; Brito, Miguel; Asensio-S-Manzanera, Carmen; Asensio-Vegas, Carmen

    2013-03-30

    Legume consumption has been associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, the type of legume is a modifier of its effect. Two Spanish dry bean varieties-white ('Almonga') and cream ('Curruquilla')-were analyzed and used in a postprandial study in type 2 diabetics to assess glucose, insulin and triacylglycerol in blood. 'Curruquilla' variety had higher total galactoside (stachyose, mainly), trypsin inhibitors and lectin content than 'Almonga'. The canning liquid was discarded prior to the analysis and the bean consumption by the subjects. The canning process reduced the total α-galactoside content (>50%), practically eliminated trypsin inhibitors, and no lectin content was found. After bean consumption, maximum glucose was obtained at 60 min and was three times lower than that in bread. After bean intake, maximum insulin was produced 60 min with 'Almonga' and occurred later (90 min) with 'Curruquilla' and bread. After 'Almonga' intake, the area under the curve response of triglycerides was 14% lower compared to bread (P = 0.013). 'Almonga' and 'Curruquilla' are similar in the content of the nutritional but not in that of the antinutritional components. Both beans showed similar effects on blood glucose and insulin in type 2 diabetics and marked differences compared to those of bread in terms of magnitude and time course, but only 'Almonga' rendered a significant reduction in the triglyceridemic response. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

  8. Serum Inter–α-Trypsin Inhibitor and Matrix Hyaluronan Promote Angiogenesis in Fibrotic Lung Injury

    PubMed Central

    Garantziotis, Stavros; Zudaire, Enrique; Trempus, Carol S.; Hollingsworth, John W.; Jiang, Dianhua; Lancaster, Lisa H.; Richardson, Elizabeth; Zhuo, Lisheng; Cuttitta, Frank; Brown, Kevin K.; Noble, Paul W.; Kimata, Koji; Schwartz, David A.

    2008-01-01

    Rationale: The etiology and pathogenesis of angiogenesis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is poorly understood. Inter-α-trypsin inhibitor (IaI) is a serum protein that can bind to hyaluronan (HA) and may contribute to the angiogenic response to tissue injury. Objectives: To determine whether IaI promotes HA-mediated angiogenesis in tissue injury. Methods: An examination was undertaken of angiogenesis in IaI-sufficient and -deficient mice in the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis and in angiogenesis assays in vivo and in vitro. IaI and HA in patients with IPF were examined. Measurements and Main Results: IaI significantly enhances the angiogenic response to short-fragment HA in vivo and in vitro. lal deficiency Ieads to decreased angiogenesis in the matrigel model, and decreases lung angiogenesis after bleomycin exposure in mice. IaI is found in fibroblastic foci in IPF, where it colocalizes with HA. The colocalization is particularly strong in vascular areas around fibroblastic foci. Serum levels of IaI and HA are significantly elevated in patients with IPF compared with control subjects. High serum IaI and HA levels are associated with decreased lung diffusing capacity, but not FVC. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that serum IaI interacts with HA, and promotes angiogenesis in lung injury. IaI appears to contribute to the vascular response to lung injury and may lead to aberrant angiogenesis. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00016627). PMID:18703791

  9. Silencing brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 impairs herbivory-elicited accumulation of jasmonic acid-isoleucine and diterpene glycosides, but not jasmonic acid and trypsin proteinase inhibitors in Nicotiana attenuata.

    PubMed

    Yang, Da-Hai; Baldwin, Ian T; Wu, Jianqiang

    2013-06-01

    The brassinosteroid (BR) receptor, BR insensitive 1 (BRI1), plays a critical role in plant development, but whether BRI1-mediated BR signaling is involved in plant defense responses to herbivores was largely unknown. Here, we examined the function of BRI1 in the resistance of Nicotiana attenuata (Solanaceae) to its specialist insect herbivore Manduca sexta. Jasmonic acid (JA) and JA-isoleucine conjugate (JA-Ile) are important hormones that mediate resistance to herbivores and we found that after wounding or simulated herbivory NaBRI1 had little effect on JA levels, but was important for the induction of JA-Ile. Further experiments revealed that decreased JAR (the enzyme for JA-Ile production) activity and availability of Ile in NaBRI1-silenced plants were likely responsible for the low JA-Ile levels. Consistently, M. sexta larvae gained more weight on NaBRI1-silenced plants than on the control plants. Quantification of insect feeding-induced secondary metabolites revealed that silencing NaBRI1 resulted in decreased levels of carbon-rich defensive secondary metabolites (hydroxygeranyllinalool diterpene glycosides, chlorogenic acid, and rutin), but had little effect on the nitrogen-rich ones (nicotine and trypsin proteinase inhibitors). Thus, NaBRI1-mediated BR signaling is likely involved in plant defense responses to M. sexta, including maintaining JA-Ile levels and the accumulation of several carbon-rich defensive secondary metabolites. © 2013 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  10. SGLT2 Inhibitors May Predispose to Ketoacidosis.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Simeon I; Blau, Jenny E; Rother, Kristina I

    2015-08-01

    Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are antidiabetic drugs that increase urinary excretion of glucose, thereby improving glycemic control and promoting weight loss. Since approval of the first-in-class drug in 2013, data have emerged suggesting that these drugs increase the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. In May 2015, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that SGLT2 inhibitors may lead to ketoacidosis. Using PubMed and Google, we conducted Boolean searches including terms related to ketone bodies or ketoacidosis with terms for SGLT2 inhibitors or phlorizin. Priority was assigned to publications that shed light on molecular mechanisms whereby SGLT2 inhibitors could affect ketone body metabolism. SGLT2 inhibitors trigger multiple mechanisms that could predispose to diabetic ketoacidosis. When SGLT2 inhibitors are combined with insulin, it is often necessary to decrease the insulin dose to avoid hypoglycemia. The lower dose of insulin may be insufficient to suppress lipolysis and ketogenesis. Furthermore, SGLT2 is expressed in pancreatic α-cells, and SGLT2 inhibitors promote glucagon secretion. Finally, phlorizin, a nonselective inhibitor of SGLT family transporters decreases urinary excretion of ketone bodies. A decrease in the renal clearance of ketone bodies could also increase the plasma ketone body levels. Based on the physiology of SGLT2 and the pharmacology of SGLT2 inhibitors, there are several biologically plausible mechanisms whereby this class of drugs has the potential to increase the risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis. Future research should be directed toward identifying which patients are at greatest risk for this side effect and also to optimizing pharmacotherapy to minimize the risk to patients.

  11. Urinary matrix metalloproteinase 9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 biomarkers for predicting renal scar in children with urinary tract infection

    PubMed Central

    Abedi, Seyed Mohammad; Mohammadjafari, Hamid; Rafiei, Alireza; Bazi, Sara; Yazdani, Pooneh

    2017-01-01

    Objective Urinary tract infection occurs in 1.8–6.6% of children under 6 years old. The aim of this study was to assess the urinary concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1), in children with acute pyelonephritis (APN) and the potential to develop renal scarring. Material and methods Children who had experienced an episode of APN were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 included children with APN who exhibited scarring and group 2 included children with APN who had a normal 99mTechnetium dimercaptosuccinic acid scan. Urinary levels of MMP9 and TIMP1 were measured in the acute phase of infection. A receiver operating characteristic curve was generated to allow calculation of cut-off values. Results Sixty-one children were enrolled across the 2 groups: group 1 contained 16 patients (all female); group 2, 38 children (36 female and 2 male). Urinary levels of MMP9 and TIMP1 were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.037 and 0.022 respectively). For comparison of groups 1 and 2, the cut-off values were measured as 75.5 ng/mL (sensitivity 62.5%, specificity 71.1%, positive predictive value, PPV, 48%, negative predictive value, NPV, 82%), 16.1 ng/mL (sensitivity 75%, specificity 55.3%, PPV 41%, NPV 84%), and 1310.7 ng/mL (sensitivity 75% specificity 60.5%, PPV 44%, NPV 85%) for MMP9, TIMP1, and MMP9×TIMP1 levels, respectively. Conclusion Evaluation of urinary MMP9 and TIMP1 levels may help to identify children with APN who are at risk of developing renal scarring. PMID:29201521

  12. Urinary matrix metalloproteinase 9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 biomarkers for predicting renal scar in children with urinary tract infection.

    PubMed

    Abedi, Seyed Mohammad; Mohammadjafari, Hamid; Rafiei, Alireza; Bazi, Sara; Yazdani, Pooneh

    2017-12-01

    Urinary tract infection occurs in 1.8-6.6% of children under 6 years old. The aim of this study was to assess the urinary concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1), in children with acute pyelonephritis (APN) and the potential to develop renal scarring. Children who had experienced an episode of APN were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 included children with APN who exhibited scarring and group 2 included children with APN who had a normal 99m Technetium dimercaptosuccinic acid scan. Urinary levels of MMP9 and TIMP1 were measured in the acute phase of infection. A receiver operating characteristic curve was generated to allow calculation of cut-off values. Sixty-one children were enrolled across the 2 groups: group 1 contained 16 patients (all female); group 2, 38 children (36 female and 2 male). Urinary levels of MMP9 and TIMP1 were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.037 and 0.022 respectively). For comparison of groups 1 and 2, the cut-off values were measured as 75.5 ng/mL (sensitivity 62.5%, specificity 71.1%, positive predictive value, PPV, 48%, negative predictive value, NPV, 82%), 16.1 ng/mL (sensitivity 75%, specificity 55.3%, PPV 41%, NPV 84%), and 1310.7 ng/mL (sensitivity 75% specificity 60.5%, PPV 44%, NPV 85%) for MMP9, TIMP1, and MMP9×TIMP1 levels, respectively. Evaluation of urinary MMP9 and TIMP1 levels may help to identify children with APN who are at risk of developing renal scarring.

  13. Glycosaminoglycan and transforming growth factor beta1 changes in human plasma and urine during the menstrual cycle, in vitro fertilization treatment, and pregnancy.

    PubMed

    De Muro, Pierina; Capobianco, Giampiero; Formato, Marilena; Lepedda, Antonio Junior; Cherchi, Gian Mario; Gordini, Laila; Dessole, Salvatore

    2009-07-01

    To evaluate transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) and glycosaminoglycans (GAG) changes in human plasma and urine during the menstrual cycle, IVF-ET, and pregnancy. Prospective clinical study. University hospital. Thirteen women with apparently normal menstrual cycle (group 1); 18 women undergoing IVF-ET (group 2); and 14 low-risk pregnant women (group 3). We assayed plasma and urine concentrations of TGF-beta1, urine content, and distribution of GAG. Blood and urine samples were collected during days 2 to 3, 12 to 13, and 23 to 24 in group 1; in group 2, samples were obtained at menstrual phase, oocyte pick-up day, and 15 days after ET; in group 3, samples were obtained during gestational weeks 10-12, 22-24, and 30-32 and 1 month after delivery. Changes in TGF-beta1 and GAG content. The mean value of total urinary trypsin inhibitor/chondroitin sulfate (UTI/CS) showed a distinct peak at day 12 of the menstrual cycle in the fertile women in whom we monitored the ovulatory period. In the IVF-ET group, GAG distribution and TGF-beta1 levels showed significant differences during the cycle. We observed increased levels of plasma TGF-beta1 15 days after ET. A significant increase of total UTI/CS value with increasing gestation was detected. Transforming growth factor beta1 and GAG levels could represent an additional tool to monitor reproductive events and could be useful, noninvasive markers of ovulation and ongoing pregnancy.

  14. Differences in PAR-2 activating potential by king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), salmon (Salmo salar), and bovine (Bos taurus) trypsin.

    PubMed

    Larsen, Anett K; Kristiansen, Kurt; Sylte, Ingebrigt; Seternes, Ole-Morten; Bang, Berit E

    2013-07-20

    Salmon trypsin is shown to increase secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-8 from human airway epithelial cells through activation of PAR-2. Secretion of IL-8 induced by king crab trypsin is observed in a different concentration range compared to salmon trypsin, and seems to be only partially related to PAR-2 activation. This report aim to identify differences in the molecular structure of king crab trypsin (Paralithodes camtschaticus) compared to salmon (Salmo salar) and bovine trypsin (Bos taurus) that might influence the ability to activate protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2). During purification king crab trypsin displayed stronger binding capacity to the anionic column used in fast protein liquid chromatography compared to fish trypsins, and was identified as a slightly bigger molecule. Measurements of enzymatic activity yielded no obvious differences between the trypsins tested. Molecular modelling showed that king crab trypsin has a large area with strong negative electrostatic potential compared to the smaller negative areas in bovine and salmon trypsins. Bovine and salmon trypsins also displayed areas with strong positive electrostatic potential, a feature lacking in the king crab trypsin. Furthermore we have identified 3 divergent positions (Asp196, Arg244, and Tyr247) located near the substrate binding pocket of king crab trypsin that might affect the binding and cleavage of PAR-2. These preliminary results indicate that electrostatic interactions could be of importance in binding, cleavage and subsequent activation of PAR-2.

  15. Update on developments with SGLT2 inhibitors in the management of type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Nauck, Michael A

    2014-01-01

    The importance of the kidney's role in glucose homeostasis has gained wider understanding in recent years. Consequently, the development of a new pharmacological class of anti-diabetes agents targeting the kidney has provided new treatment options for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sodium glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, such as dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, and empagliflozin, decrease renal glucose reabsorption, which results in enhanced urinary glucose excretion and subsequent reductions in plasma glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations. Modest reductions in body weight and blood pressure have also been observed following treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors. SGLT2 inhibitors appear to be generally well tolerated, and have been used safely when given as monotherapy or in combination with other oral anti-diabetes agents and insulin. The risk of hypoglycemia is low with SGLT2 inhibitors. Typical adverse events appear to be related to the presence of glucose in the urine, namely genital mycotic infection and lower urinary tract infection, and are more often observed in women than in men. Data from long-term safety studies with SGLT2 inhibitors and from head-to-head SGLT2 inhibitor comparator studies are needed to fully determine their benefit-risk profile, and to identify any differences between individual agents. However, given current safety and efficacy data, SGLT2 inhibitors may present an attractive option for T2DM patients who are failing with metformin monotherapy, especially if weight is part of the underlying treatment consideration.

  16. Evidence for a regulatory loop between cholecystokinin (CCK) and tryptic enzyme activity in Atlantic cod larvae (Gadus morhua).

    PubMed

    Tillner, Robert; Rønnestad, Ivar; Harboe, Torstein; Ueberschär, Bernd

    2013-11-01

    In order to maximize protein digestion, the release of enzymes into the gut lumen is closely controlled by a regulatory loop. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is among the enteric hormones that play a key role in the control of digestive enzyme secretion, but its role in first-feeding larvae is still unclear and may differ between species. However, in all marine fish larvae that have not developed a stomach by first-feeding, trypsin is the most important proteolytic enzyme. In order to examine the regulation and feedback mechanisms in the gut of larval cod, we therefore studied the interactions between cholecystokinin and tryptic enzyme activity following the administration of solutions containing test substances directly into the gut. We tube-fed a single dose of physiological saline solution containing either CCK, CCK antagonist, trypsin inhibitor, phytohemagglutinin (PHA; a possible trigger for the digestive response) or physiological saline alone, while a further control group was left untreated. We then followed the response in CCK and tryptic enzyme activity for 0.5-8h after the administration. We performed the experiment on larvae at 26day post first-feeding, which is before the stomach has evolved and the size of the larvae allows easier handling. Individual larvae were analyzed for CCK and tryptic enzyme activity using radioimmunoassay and fluorimetric techniques respectively. Both factors varied over time in the untreated control group, possibly due to an endogenous daily rhythm. The higher CCK levels at 4h and 8h in the saline-injected group may be caused by reflexes initiated by distension of the gut. An increase in tryptic enzyme activity after injection of CCK supports the hypothesis that this hormone plays a part in the release of pancreatic enzymes in larval cod at this developmental stage. However, administration of a CCK antagonist and a trypsin inhibitor did not reveal conclusive results, probably due to the relatively low concentrations used. The response in tryptic activity in the PHA group was similar to the administration of CCK, pointing towards a stimulatory effect of PHA on the proteolytic enzyme capacity of cod larvae. © 2013.

  17. Protease inhibitor from Moringa oleifera with potential for use as therapeutic drug and as seafood preservative

    PubMed Central

    Bijina, B.; Chellappan, Sreeja; Krishna, Jissa G.; Basheer, Soorej M.; Elyas, K.K.; Bahkali, Ali H.; Chandrasekaran, M.

    2011-01-01

    Protease inhibitors are well known to have several applications in medicine and biotechnology. Several plant sources are known to return potential protease inhibitors. In this study plants belonging to different families of Leguminosae, Malvaceae, Rutaceae, Graminae and Moringaceae were screened for the protease inhibitor. Among them Moringa oleifera, belonging to the family Moringaceae, recorded high level of protease inhibitor activity after ammonium sulfate fractionation. M. oleifera, which grows throughout most of the tropics and having several industrial and medicinal uses, was selected as a source of protease inhibitor since so far no reports were made on isolation of the protease inhibitor. Among the different parts of M. oleifera tested, the crude extract isolated from the mature leaves and seeds showed the highest level of inhibition against trypsin. Among the various extraction media evaluated, the crude extract prepared in phosphate buffer showed maximum recovery of the protease inhibitor. The protease inhibitor recorded high inhibitory activity toward the serine proteases thrombin, elastase, chymotrypsin and the cysteine proteases cathepsin B and papain which have more importance in pharmaceutical industry. The protease inhibitor also showed complete inhibition of activities of the commercially available proteases of Bacillus licheniformis and Aspergillus oryzae. However, inhibitory activities toward subtilisin, esperase, pronase E and proteinase K were negligible. Further, it was found that the protease inhibitor could prevent proteolysis in a commercially valuable shrimp Penaeus monodon during storage indicating the scope for its application as a seafood preservative. This is the first report on isolation of a protease inhibitor from M. oleifera. PMID:23961135

  18. Assessment of urinary inhibitor or promoter activity in uric acid nephrolithiasis

    PubMed Central

    Doizi, Steeve; Rodgers, Kathy; Poindexter, John; Sakhaee, Khashayar; Maalouf, Naim M.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose To assess the presence of a reduced inhibitor activity or an increased promoter activity in urine of idiopathic uric acid stone formers (IUASF) compared to non-stone formers (NSF) independent of urinary pH. Methods 30 IUASF, 9 obese NSF and 12 lean NSF collected 24-hour urine under metabolic diet. Three urine aliquots per subject were used to assess spontaneous nucleation (SN, de novo crystal formation), crystal growth (CG) using a 0.1 mg/mL seed of anhydrous uric acid (UA) and steady state (SS) of UA solubility using a 5 mg/mL seed of UA (assessing maximum amount of UA dissolvable in urine). All experiments were conducted for 6 hours at a constant pH of 5.0. UA concentration was measured in filtered aliquots at 0, 3 and 6 hours. Results At baseline, 24-hour urinary pH was significantly lower and UA saturation significantly higher in IUASF. No significant SN occurred and a similar SS UA concentration was reached in the three groups. IUASF and lean NSF displayed a similar decrease in UA concentration during CG, while obese NSF started with higher UA concentration and consequently displayed higher magnitude of decrease in UA concentration for CG. Conclusions This study suggests that there is no significant difference between IUASF and NSF in terms of promoter or inhibitor activity in whole urine against UA stone formation when urine pH is maintained constant. The findings suggest that UA stone formation is dictated by a high urinary saturation with respect to UA, driven primarily by a low urine pH. PMID:26723865

  19. [Acidosis without marked hyperglycemia : Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis associated with SGLT2-Inhibitors].

    PubMed

    Valek, R; Von der Mark, J

    2017-03-01

    Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are new antidiabetic drugs that regulate blood glucose levels by increasing urinary glucose excretion. In May 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that SGLT2 inhibitors may lead to ketoacidosis. In this report, we describe a case of life-threatening euglycemic ketoacidosis associated with SGLT2 inhibition and evaluate possible mechanisms and triggers.

  20. Stress inducible proteinase inhibitor diversity in Capsicum annuum

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Wound-inducible Pin-II Proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are one of the important plant serine PIs which have been studied extensively for their structural and functional diversity and relevance in plant defense against insect pests. To explore the functional specialization of an array of Capsicum annuum (L.) proteinase inhibitor (CanPIs) genes, we studied their expression, processing and tissue-specific distribution under steady-state and induced conditions. Inductions were performed by subjecting C. annuum leaves to various treatments, namely aphid infestation or mechanical wounding followed by treatment with either oral secretion (OS) of Helicoverpa armigera or water. Results The elicitation treatments regulated the accumulation of CanPIs corresponding to 4-, 3-, and 2-inhibitory repeat domains (IRDs). Fourty seven different CanPI genes composed of 28 unique IRDs were identified in total along with those reported earlier. The CanPI gene pool either from uninduced or induced leaves was dominated by 3-IRD PIs and trypsin inhibitory domains. Also a major contribution by 4-IRD CanPI genes possessing trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor domains was specifically revealed in wounded leaves treated with OS. Wounding displayed the highest number of unique CanPIs while wounding with OS treatment resulted in the high accumulation of specifically CanPI-4, -7 and −10. Characterization of the PI protein activity through two dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed tissue and induction specific patterns. Consistent with transcript abundance, wound plus OS or water treated C. annuum leaves exhibited significantly higher PI activity and isoform diversity contributed by 3- and 4-IRD CanPIs. CanPI accumulation and activity was weakly elicited by aphid infestation yet resulted in the higher expression of CanPI-26, -41 and −43. Conclusions Plants can differentially perceive various kinds of insect attacks and respond appropriately through activating plant defenses including regulation of PIs at transcriptional and post-translational levels. Based on the differentially elicited CanPI accumulation patterns, it is intriguing to speculate that generating sequence diversity in the form of multi-IRD PIs is a part of elaborative plant defense strategy to obtain a diverse pool of functional units to confine insect attack. PMID:23153298

  1. LECITHINASE AND LYSOLECITHINASE ACTIVITY OF RAT INTESTINAL MUCOSA AFTER WHOLE-BODY X-IRRADIATION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ottolenghi, A.; Bernheim, F.

    1961-11-01

    Twenty-four hours after whole-body x irradiation the lecithinase activity of rat intestinal mucosa has markedly decreased and the lysolecithinase activity has decreasecp to a lesser extent. Addition of normal mucosa or chyi'otrypsin to the irradiated mucosa restores the activity of both enzymes. This indicates that irradiation eithei produces an inhibitor or inactivates a mechanism necessarly to convert pro-enzymes into active enzymes. Since chymo trypsin can increase to some extent the activity of the enzymes in normal mucosa, the second possibility seems more probable. (auth)

  2. Role of Fetuin-A in Breast Tumor Cell Growth

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-01

    UniRef100_Q0IIK2 289 390 1.4 Transferrin UniRef100_Q9GLY6 18 24 1.3 Inter- alpha -trypsin inhibitor heavy chain2 UniRef100_Q3SZ57 25 33 1.3 Alpha - fetoprotein ...the first time that cell attachment is mediated only by fetuin-A and not its major contaminant which is alpha -2-macroglobulin. We also show both...fetuin-A and alpha -2-macroglobulin can activate PI3 kinase/Akt. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Mammary tumors;fetuin-A;Polyoma middle T antigen; genotyping

  3. Lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy and vascular function: Role of the nitric oxide-phosphodiesterase type 5-cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate pathway.

    PubMed

    Higashi, Yukihito

    2017-06-01

    It is well known that there is an association of lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy with cardiovascular disease, suggesting that lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy is a risk factor for cardiovascular events. Vascular function, including endothelial function and vascular smooth muscle function, is involved in the pathogenesis, maintenance and development of atherosclerosis, leading to cardiovascular events. Vascular dysfunction per se should also contribute to lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy. Both lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy and vascular dysfunction have cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, aging, obesity and smoking. Inactivation of the phosphodiesterase type 5-cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate-nitric oxide pathway causes lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy through an enhancement of sympathetic nervous activity, endothelial dysfunction, increase in Rho-associated kinase activity and vasoconstriction, and decrease in blood flow of pelvic viscera. Both endogenous nitric oxide and exogenous nitric oxide act as vasodilators on vascular smooth muscle cells through an increase in the content of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate, which is inactivated by phosphodiesterase type 5. In a clinical setting, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are widely used in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors might have beneficial effects on vascular function through not only inhibition of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate degradation, but also increases in testosterone levels and nitric oxide bioavailability, increase in the number and improvement of the function of endothelial progenitor cells, and decrease in insulin resistance. In the present review, the relationships between lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hypertrophy, the phosphodiesterase type 5-nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate pathway, vascular function and cardiovascular outcomes are examined. © 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.

  4. Potential toxicity of phthalic acid esters plasticizer: interaction of dimethyl phthalate with trypsin in vitro.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yaping; Zhang, Guowen; Wang, Langhong

    2015-01-14

    Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) is widely used as a plasticizer in industrial processes and has been reported to possess potential toxicity to the human body. In this study, the interaction between DMP and trypsin in vitro was investigated. The results of fluorescence, UV–vis, circular dichroism, and Fourier transform infrared spectra along with cyclic voltammetric measurements indicated that the remarkable fluorescence quenching and conformational changes of trypsin resulted from the formation of a DMP–trypsin complex, which was driven mainly by hydrophobic interactions. The molecular docking and trypsin activity assay showed that DMP primarily interacted with the catalytic triad of trypsin and led to the inhibition of trypsin activity. The dimensions of the individual trypsin molecules were found to become larger after binding with DMP by atomic force microscopy imaging. This study offers a comprehensive picture of DMP–trypsin interaction, which is expected to provide insights into the toxicological effect of DMP.

  5. Investigation of trypsin-CdSe quantum dot interactions via spectroscopic methods and effects on enzymatic activity.

    PubMed

    Kaur, Gurvir; Tripathi, S K

    2015-01-05

    The paper presents the interactions between trypsin and water soluble cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots investigated by spectrophotometric methods. CdSe quantum dots have strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of trypsin by a static quenching mechanism. The quenching has been studied at three different temperatures where the results revealed that electrostatic interactions exist between CdSe quantum dots and trypsin and are responsible to stabilize the complex. The Scatchard plot from quenching revealed 1 binding site for quantum dots by trypsin, the same has been confirmed by making isothermal titrations of quantum dots against trypsin. The distance between donor and acceptor for trypsin-CdSe quantum dot complexes is calculated to be 2.8 nm by energy transfer mechanisms. The intrinsic fluorescence of CdSe quantum dots has also been enhanced by the trypsin, and is linear for concentration of trypsin ranging 1-80 μl. All the observations evidence the formation of trypsin-CdSe quantum dot conjugates, where trypsin retains the enzymatic activity which in turn is temperature and pH dependent. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Fluorescent diphenylphosphonate-based probes for detection of serine protease activity during inflammation.

    PubMed

    Edgington-Mitchell, Laura E; Barlow, Nicholas; Aurelio, Luigi; Samha, Aminath; Szabo, Monika; Graham, Bim; Bunnett, Nigel

    2017-01-15

    Activity-based probes are small molecules that covalently bind to the active site of a protease in an activity-dependent manner. We synthesized and characterized two fluorescent activity-based probes that target serine proteases with trypsin-like or elastase-like activity. We assessed the selectivity and potency of these probes against recombinant enzymes and demonstrated that while they are efficacious at labeling active proteases in complex protein mixtures in vitro, they are less valuable for in vivo studies. We used these probes to evaluate serine protease activity in two mouse models of acute inflammation, including pancreatitis and colitis. As anticipated, the activity of trypsin-like proteases was increased during pancreatitis. Levels of elastase-like proteases were low in pancreatic lysates and colonic luminal fluids, whether healthy or inflamed. Exogenously added recombinant neutrophil elastase was inhibited upon incubation with these samples, an effect that was augmented in inflamed samples compared to controls. These data suggest that endogenous inhibitors and elastase-degrading proteases are upregulated during inflammation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Protease inhibitors in various flours and breads: Effect of fermentation, baking and in vitro digestion on trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activities.

    PubMed

    Kostekli, Mine; Karakaya, Sibel

    2017-06-01

    In this study trypsin (TIA) and chymotrypsin inhibitory (CIA) activities were determined in the extracts of wheat, rye mix, mixed cereals and, whole wheat flours and, breads made with these flours. In addition, effects of fermentation, baking and in vitro digestion on TIA and CIA were studied. Whole wheat flour, dough, and bread did not show any TIA. Other flours displayed TIA. Contrary to, all flours, doughs, and breads exhibited CIA. Although TIA was not detected in the protein extracts obtained from wheat and rye mix breads, protein extract of rye mix flour exhibited TIA. Following in vitro digestion process, TIA of wheat bread was found as 5.91units/mL gastric dialysate and 9.17units/mL intestine dialysate. CIA was determined in dialysates obtained from wheat (2.12CI/mL and 3.78CI/mL for gastric and intestinal dialysate respectively) and rye breads (4.16CI/mL and 2.46CI/mL for gastric and intestinal dialysate respectively). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Urinary Isolates in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

    PubMed

    Morrill, Haley J; Morton, Jacob B; Caffrey, Aisling R; Jiang, Lan; Dosa, David; Mermel, Leonard A; LaPlante, Kerry L

    2017-05-01

    We reviewed data for almost 300,000 clinical Escherichia coli urinary isolates (collected in 2009 through 2013) from 127 inpatient and outpatient facilities, to assess antibiotic resistance among Veterans Affairs health care system patients using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network definitions or guidance. Rates of resistance to amoxicillin or ampicillin/β-lactamase inhibitors were approximately 40% and rates of resistance to fluoroquinolones and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole approached 30%. Rates of resistance to nitrofurantoin, antipseudomonal penicillin/β-lactamase inhibitors, and carbapenems remained less than 10%. The percentage of isolates that were considered multidrug resistant varied (4% to 37%), depending on the definitions used. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  9. Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Urinary Isolates in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System

    PubMed Central

    Morton, Jacob B.; Caffrey, Aisling R.; Jiang, Lan; Dosa, David; Mermel, Leonard A.; LaPlante, Kerry L.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT We reviewed data for almost 300,000 clinical Escherichia coli urinary isolates (collected in 2009 through 2013) from 127 inpatient and outpatient facilities, to assess antibiotic resistance among Veterans Affairs health care system patients using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network definitions or guidance. Rates of resistance to amoxicillin or ampicillin/β-lactamase inhibitors were approximately 40% and rates of resistance to fluoroquinolones and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole approached 30%. Rates of resistance to nitrofurantoin, antipseudomonal penicillin/β-lactamase inhibitors, and carbapenems remained less than 10%. The percentage of isolates that were considered multidrug resistant varied (4% to 37%), depending on the definitions used. PMID:28193660

  10. SGLT2 inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Dardi, I; Kouvatsos, T; Jabbour, S A

    2016-02-01

    Diabetes mellitus is a serious health issue and an economic burden, rising in epidemic proportions over the last few decades worldwide. Although several treatment options are available, only half of the global diabetic population achieves the recommended or individualized glycemic targets. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a new class of antidiabetic agents with a novel insulin-independent action. SGLT2 is a transporter found in the proximal renal tubules, responsible for the reabsorption of most of the glucose filtered by the kidney. Inhibition of SGLT2 lowers the blood glucose level by promoting the urinary excretion of excess glucose. Due to their insulin-independent action, SGLT2 inhibitors can be used with any degree of beta-cell dysfunction or insulin resistance, related to a very low risk of hypoglycemia. In addition to improving glycemic control, SGLT2 inhibitors have been associated with a reduction in weight and blood pressure when used as monotherapy or in combination with other antidiabetic agents in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors is usually well tolerated; however, they have been associated with an increased incidence of urinary tract and genital infections, although these infections are usually mild and easy to treat. SGLT2 inhibitors are a promising new option in the armamentarium of drugs for patients with T2DM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor Ipragliflozin Promotes Preferential Loss of Fat Mass in Non-obese Diabetic Goto-Kakizaki Rats.

    PubMed

    Takasu, Toshiyuki; Hayashizaki, Yuka; Hirosumi, Jiro; Minoura, Hideaki; Amino, Nobuaki; Kurosaki, Eiji; Takakura, Shoji

    2017-01-01

    Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors improve hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by increasing urinary glucose excretion. In addition to their antihyperglycemic effect, SGLT2 inhibitors also reduce body weight and fat mass in obese and overweight patients with T2DM. However, whether or not SGLT2 inhibitors similarly affect body composition of non-obese patients with T2DM remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of the SGLT2 inhibitor ipragliflozin on body composition in a Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat model of non-obese T2DM. GK rats were treated with ipragliflozin once daily for 9 weeks, starting at 23 weeks of age. Body composition was then analyzed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Treatment with ipragliflozin increased urinary glucose excretion, reduced hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and suppressed body weight gain as the dose increased. Body composition analysis revealed that body fat mass was lower in the ipragliflozin-treated groups than in the control group, while lean body mass and bone mineral contents were comparable between groups. Thus, an SGLT2 inhibitor ipragliflozin was found to promote preferential loss of fat mass in a rat model of non-obese T2DM. Ipragliflozin might also promote preferential loss of fat in non-obese patients with T2DM.

  12. Stimulatory effects of bombesin on plasma trypsin release and exocrine pancreatic secretion in dogs.

    PubMed

    Kiriyama, S; Hayakawa, T; Kondo, T; Shibata, T; Kitagawa, M; Sakai, Y; Sobajima, H; Ikei, N; Kodaira, T; Hamaoka, T

    1990-01-01

    We examined the effect of bombesin on plasma trypsin release and exocrine pancreatic secretion in dogs. Bombesin significantly increased plasma immunoreactive trypsin (IRT). Atropine significantly inhibited the response of plasma IRT to bombesin. Pancreatic trypsin secretion was also increased by bombesin, as well as bicarbonate and protein outputs. Atropine failed to inhibit pancreatic trypsin secretion. In conclusion, bombesin has a stimulatory effect on plasma trypsin release mediated by a cholinergic mechanism and different from pancreatic secretion.

  13. Drug-Induced Urinary Calculi

    PubMed Central

    Matlaga, Brian R; Shah, Ojas D; Assimos, Dean G

    2003-01-01

    Urinary calculi may be induced by a number of medications used to treat a variety of conditions. These medications may lead to metabolic abnormalities that facilitate the formation of stones. Drugs that induce metabolic calculi include loop diuretics; carbonic anhydrase inhibitors; and laxatives, when abused. Correcting the metabolic abnormality may eliminate or dramatically attenuate stone activity. Urinary calculi can also be induced by medications when the drugs crystallize and become the primary component of the stones. In this case, urinary supersaturation of the agent may promote formation of the calculi. Drugs that induce calculi via this process include magnesium trisilicate; ciprofloxacin; sulfa medications; triamterene; indinavir; and ephedrine, alone or in combination with guaifenesin. When this situation occurs, discontinuation of the medication is usually necessary. PMID:16985842

  14. Proteases in doping control analysis.

    PubMed

    Thevis, M; Maurer, J; Kohler, M; Geyer, H; Schänzer, W

    2007-07-01

    Urine manipulation in sports drug testing has become a serious problem for doping control laboratories, and recent scandals in elite endurance sports have revealed the problem of urine manipulation presumably using proteases, which will impede the detection of drugs such as erythropoietin (EPO) or other peptide hormones. Using commonly accepted analytical strategies, a protocol was developed enabling the determination of elevated protease activities in doping control specimens followed by the visualization of protein degradation and identification of proteases such as chymotrypsin, trypsin and papain. Therefore, protease detection kits based on fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled casein were employed, and protease concentrations greater than 15 microg/mL of urine entailed subsequent 1-dimensional gel electrophoretic visualization of urinary proteins. The presence of 20 microg of proteases per mL of urine caused a complete degradation of proteins usually observed in urinary matrices ("trace of burning"), while respective proteases were still detected in spiked urine samples after 10 days of storage at + 4 and - 20 degrees C. Identification of target proteases at respective molecular weights was accomplished using bottom-up sequencing approaches based on in-gel digestion of separated enzymes followed by capillary liquid chromatography--Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry.

  15. Fish trypsins: potential applications in biomedicine and prospects for production.

    PubMed

    Jesús-de la Cruz, Kristal; Álvarez-González, Carlos Alfonso; Peña, Emyr; Morales-Contreras, José Antonio; Ávila-Fernández, Ángela

    2018-04-01

    In fishes, trypsins are adapted to different environmental conditions, and the biochemical and kinetic properties of a broad variety of native isoforms have been studied. Proteolytic enzymes remain in high demand in the detergent, food, and feed industries; however, our analysis of the literature showed that, in the last decade, some fish trypsins have been studied for the synthesis of industrial peptides and for specific biomedical uses as antipathogenic agents against viruses and bacteria, which have been recently patented. In addition, innovative strategies of trypsin administration have been studied to ensure that trypsins retain their properties until they exert their action. Biomedical uses require the production of high-quality enzymes. In this context, the production of recombinant trypsins is an alternative. For this purpose, E. coli -based systems have been tested for the production of fish trypsins; however, P. pastoris -based systems also seem to show great potential in the production of fish trypsins with higher production quality. On the other hand, there is a lack of information regarding the specific structures, biochemical and kinetic properties, and characteristics of trypsins produced using heterologous systems. This review describes the potential uses of fish trypsins in biomedicine and the enzymatic and structural properties of native and recombinant fish trypsins obtained to date, outlining some prospects for their study.

  16. Keratinocytes in culture accumulate phagocytosed melanosomes in the perinuclear area.

    PubMed

    Ando, Hideya; Niki, Yoko; Yoshida, Masaki; Ito, Masaaki; Akiyama, Kaoru; Kim, Jin-Hwa; Yoon, Tae-Jin; Lee, Jeung-Hoon; Matsui, Mary S; Ichihashi, Masamitsu

    2010-02-01

    There are many techniques for evaluating melanosome transfer to keratinocytes but the spectrophotometric quantification of melanosomes incorporated by keratinocyte phagocytosis has not been previously reported. Here we describe a new method that allows the spectrophotometric visualization of melanosome uptake by normal human keratinocytes in culture. Fontana-Masson staining of keratinocytes incubated with isolated melanosomes showed the accumulation of incorporated melanosomes in the perinuclear areas of keratinocytes within 48 h. Electron microscopic observations of melanosomes ingested by keratinocytes revealed that many phagosomes containing clusters of melanosomes or their fragments were localized in the perinuclear area. A known inhibitor of keratinocyte phagocytosis which inhibits protease-activated receptor-2, i.e., soybean trypsin inhibitor, decreased melanosome uptake by keratinocytes in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that our method is a useful model to quantitate keratinocyte phagocytosis of melanosomes visually in vitro.

  17. Evaluating SGLT2 inhibitors for type 2 diabetes: pharmacokinetic and toxicological considerations.

    PubMed

    Scheen, André J

    2014-05-01

    Inhibitors of sodium-glucose cotransporters type 2 (SGLT2), which increase urinary glucose excretion independently of insulin, are proposed as a novel approach for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). An extensive literature search was performed to analyze the pharmacokinetic characteristics, toxicological issues and safety concerns of SGLT2 inhibitors in humans. This review focuses on three compounds (dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, empagliflozin) with results obtained in healthy volunteers (including drug-drug interactions), patients with T2DM (single dose and multiple doses) and special populations (those with renal or hepatic impairment). The three pharmacological agents share an excellent oral bioavailability, long half-life allowing once-daily administration, low accumulation index and renal clearance, the absence of active metabolites and a limited propensity to drug-drug interactions. No clinically relevant changes in pharmacokinetic parameters were observed in T2DM patients or in patients with mild/moderate renal or hepatic impairment. Adverse events are a slightly increased incidence of mycotic genital and rare benign urinary infections. SGLT2 inhibitors have the potential to reduce several cardiovascular risk factors, and cardiovascular outcome trials are currently ongoing. The best positioning of SGLT2 inhibitors in the armamentarium for treating T2DM is still a matter of debate.

  18. Update on developments with SGLT2 inhibitors in the management of type 2 diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Nauck, Michael A

    2014-01-01

    The importance of the kidney’s role in glucose homeostasis has gained wider understanding in recent years. Consequently, the development of a new pharmacological class of anti-diabetes agents targeting the kidney has provided new treatment options for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sodium glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, such as dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, and empagliflozin, decrease renal glucose reabsorption, which results in enhanced urinary glucose excretion and subsequent reductions in plasma glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations. Modest reductions in body weight and blood pressure have also been observed following treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors. SGLT2 inhibitors appear to be generally well tolerated, and have been used safely when given as monotherapy or in combination with other oral anti-diabetes agents and insulin. The risk of hypoglycemia is low with SGLT2 inhibitors. Typical adverse events appear to be related to the presence of glucose in the urine, namely genital mycotic infection and lower urinary tract infection, and are more often observed in women than in men. Data from long-term safety studies with SGLT2 inhibitors and from head-to-head SGLT2 inhibitor comparator studies are needed to fully determine their benefit–risk profile, and to identify any differences between individual agents. However, given current safety and efficacy data, SGLT2 inhibitors may present an attractive option for T2DM patients who are failing with metformin monotherapy, especially if weight is part of the underlying treatment consideration. PMID:25246775

  19. The serine protease inhibitor TLCK attenuates intrinsic death pathways in neurons upstream of mitochondrial demise.

    PubMed

    Reuther, C; Ganjam, G K; Dolga, A M; Culmsee, C

    2014-11-01

    It is well-established that activation of proteases, such as caspases, calpains and cathepsins are essential components in signaling pathways of programmed cell death (PCD). Although these proteases have also been linked to mechanisms of neuronal cell death, they are dispensable in paradigms of intrinsic death pathways, e.g. induced by oxidative stress. However, emerging evidence implicated a particular role for serine proteases in mechanisms of PCD in neurons. Here, we investigated the role of trypsin-like serine proteases in a model of glutamate toxicity in HT-22 cells. In these cells glutamate induces oxytosis, a form of caspase-independent cell death that involves activation of the pro-apoptotic protein BH3 interacting-domain death agonist (Bid), leading to mitochondrial demise and ensuing cell death. In this model system, the trypsin-like serine protease inhibitor Nα-tosyl-l-lysine chloromethyl ketone hydrochloride (TLCK) inhibited mitochondrial damage and cell death. Mitochondrial morphology alterations, the impairment of the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP depletion were prevented and, moreover, lipid peroxidation induced by glutamate was completely abolished. Strikingly, truncated Bid-induced cell death was not affected by TLCK, suggesting a detrimental activity of serine proteases upstream of Bid activation and mitochondrial demise. In summary, this study demonstrates the protective effect of serine protease inhibition by TLCK against oxytosis-induced mitochondrial damage and cell death. These findings indicate that TLCK-sensitive serine proteases play a crucial role in cell death mechanisms upstream of mitochondrial demise and thus, may serve as therapeutic targets in diseases, where oxidative stress and intrinsic pathways of PCD mediate neuronal cell death.

  20. Harmonic Dynamics of Proteins: Normal Modes and Fluctuations in Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brooks, Bernard; Karplus, Martin

    1983-11-01

    A normal mode analysis making use of an empirical potential function including local and nonlocal (nonbonded) interactions is performed for the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor in the full conformational space of the molecule (1,740 degrees of freedom); that is, all bond lengths and angles, as well as dihedral angles, are included for the 580-atom system consisting of all heavy atoms and polar hydrogens. The heavy-atom frequency spectrum shows a dense distribution between 3 and 1,800 cm-1, with 350 modes below 216 cm-1. Most of the low-frequency modes, of which many have significant anharmonic character, are found to be delocalized over the protein. The root-mean-square amplitudes of the atomic fluctuations are calculated at 300 K from the normal modes and compared with those obtained from a solution molecular dynamics simulation based on the same potential function; very good agreement is obtained for the variation in the main-chain fluctuations as a function of residue number, though larger differences occur for the side chains. The fluctuations are generally, though not always, dominated by frequencies below 30 cm-1, in accord with the results of the dynamics simulation. The vibrational contributions to the thermodynamic properties of the protein are calculated as a function of temperature; the effects of perturbations on the spectrum, suggested for ligand or substrate binding, are examined. The analysis demonstrates that, in spite of the anharmonic contributions to the potential, a normal mode description can provide useful results concerning the internal motions of proteins.

  1. Expression of proteinase inhibitor II proteins during floral development in Solanum americanum.

    PubMed

    Sin, Suk-Fong; Chye, Mee-Len

    2004-10-01

    The heterologous expression of serine proteinase inhibitor II (PIN2) proteins confers insect resistance in transgenic plants, but little is known of their endogenous roles. We have cloned two cDNAs encoding Solanum americanum PIN2 proteins, SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b. SaPIN2a is highly expressed in stem, particularly in the phloem, suggesting it could possibly regulate proteolysis in the sieve elements. When SaPIN2a was expressed in transgenic lettuce, we observed an inhibition of endogenous trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities. Here, we demonstrate that both SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b are expressed in floral tissues that are destined to undergo developmental programmed cell death (PCD), suggesting possible endogenous roles in inhibiting trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities during flower development. Northern and western blot analyses revealed that SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b mRNAs and proteins show highest expression early in floral development. In situ hybridization analysis and immunolocalization on floral sections, localized SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b mRNAs and their proteins to tissues that would apparently undergo PCD: the ovules, the stylar transmitting tissue, the stigma and the vascular bundles. Detection of PCD in floral sections was achieved using terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis. Examination of the mid-style before, and 1 day after, pollination revealed that high expression of SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b in the style was inversely correlated with PCD.

  2. Prevention of Chemically-Induced Urinary Bladder Cancers by Naproxen: Protocols to Reduce Gastric Toxicity in Humans Do Not Alter Preventive Efficacy

    PubMed Central

    Lubet, Ronald A.; Scheiman, James M.; Bode, Ann; White, Jonathan; Minasian, Lori; Juliana, M. Margaret; Boring, Daniel L.; Steele, Vernon E.; Grubbs, Clinton J.

    2015-01-01

    The COX inhibitors (NSAIDs/Coxibs) are a major focus for the chemoprevention of cancer. The COX-2 specific inhibitors have progressed to clinical trials, and have shown preventive efficacy in colon and skin cancers. However, they have significant adverse cardiovascular (CV) effects. Certain NSAIDs (e.g., naproxen (NPX)] have a good cardiac profile, but can cause gastric toxicity. The present studies examined protocols to reduce this toxicity of NPX. Female Fischer-344 rats were treated weekly with the urinary bladder specific carcinogen hydroxybutyl(butyl)nitrosamine (OH-BBN) for 8 weeks. Rats were dosed daily with NPX (40 mg/Kg BW/day, gavage) or with the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole (4.0 mg/Kg BW/day) either singly or in combination beginning 2 weeks after the final OH-BBN. OH-BBN treated rats, 96% developed urinary bladder cancers. While omeprazole alone was ineffective (97% cancers), NPX alone or combined with omeprazole prevented cancers; yielding 27 and 35% cancers, respectively. In a separate study, OH-BBN treated rats were administered NPX: (A) daily, (B) 1 week daily NPX/1wk vehicle, (C) 3 weeks daily NPX/3 week vehicle, or (D) daily vehicle beginning 2 weeks after last OH-BBN treatment. In the intermittent dosing study, protocol A, B, C and D resulted in palpable cancers in 27%, 22%, 19% and 96% of rats (P<0.01). Short-term NPX treatment increased apoptosis, but did not alter proliferation in the urinary bladder cancers. Two different protocols which should decrease the gastric toxicity of NSAIDs in humans did not alter chemopreventive efficacy. This should encourage the use of NSAIDs (e.g. NPX) in clinical prevention trials. PMID:25762530

  3. Prevention of chemically induced urinary bladder cancers by naproxen: protocols to reduce gastric toxicity in humans do not alter preventive efficacy.

    PubMed

    Lubet, Ronald A; Scheiman, James M; Bode, Ann; White, Jonathan; Minasian, Lori; Juliana, M Margaret; Boring, Daniel L; Steele, Vernon E; Grubbs, Clinton J

    2015-04-01

    The COX inhibitors (NSAID/Coxibs) are a major focus for the chemoprevention of cancer. The COX-2-specific inhibitors have progressed to clinical trials and have shown preventive efficacy in colon and skin cancers. However, they have significant adverse cardiovascular effects. Certain NSAIDs (e.g., naproxen) have a good cardiac profile, but can cause gastric toxicity. The present study examined protocols to reduce this toxicity of naproxen. Female Fischer-344 rats were treated weekly with the urinary bladder-specific carcinogen hydroxybutyl(butyl)nitrosamine (OH-BBN) for 8 weeks. Rats were dosed daily with NPX (40 mg/kg body weight/day, gavage) or with the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole (4.0 mg/kg body weight/day) either singly or in combination beginning 2 weeks after the final OH-BBN. OH-BBN-treated rats, 96% developed urinary bladder cancers. While omeprazole alone was ineffective (97% cancers), naproxen alone or combined with omeprazole-prevented cancers, yielding 27 and 35% cancers, respectively. In a separate study, OH-BBN -: treated rats were administered naproxen: (A) daily, (B) 1 week daily naproxen/1week vehicle, (C) 3 weeks daily naproxen/3 week vehicle, or (D) daily vehicle beginning 2 weeks after last OH-BBN treatment. In the intermittent dosing study, protocol A, B, C, and D resulted in palpable cancers in 27%, 22%, 19%, and 96% of rats (P < 0.01). Short-term naproxen treatment increased apoptosis, but did not alter proliferation in the urinary bladder cancers. Two different protocols that should decrease the gastric toxicity of NSAIDs in humans did not alter chemopreventive efficacy. This should encourage the use of NSAIDs (e.g., naproxen) in clinical prevention trials. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  4. Chitosan nanoencapsulated exogenous trypsin biomimics zymogen-like enzyme in fish gastrointestinal tract.

    PubMed

    Kumari, Rakhi; Gupta, Subodh; Singh, Arvind R; Ferosekhan, S; Kothari, Dushyant C; Pal, Asim Kumar; Jadhao, Sanjay Balkrishna

    2013-01-01

    Exogenous proteolytic enzyme supplementation is required in certain disease conditions in humans and animals and due to compelling reasons on use of more plant protein ingredients and profitability in animal feed industry. However, limitations on their utility in diet are imposed by their pH specificity, thermolabile nature, inhibition due to a variety of factors and the possibility of intestinal damage. For enhancing the efficacy and safety of exogenous trypsin, an efficient chitosan (0.04%) nanoencapsulation-based controlled delivery system was developed. An experiment was conducted for 45 days to evaluate nanoencapsulated trypsin (0.01% and 0.02%) along with 0.02% bare trypsin and 0.4% chitosan nanoparticles against a control diet on productive efficiency (growth rate, feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio), organo-somatic indices, nutrient digestibility, tissue enzyme activities, hematic parameters and intestinal histology of the fish Labeo rohita. All the synthesized nanoparticles were of desired characteristics. Enhanced fish productive efficiency using nanoencapsulated trypsin over its bare form was noticed, which corresponded with enhanced (P<0.01) nutrient digestibility, activity of intestinal protease, liver and muscle tissue transaminases (alanine and aspartate) and dehydrogenases (lactate and malate), serum blood urea nitrogen and serum protein profile. Intestinal tissues of fish fed with 0.02% bare trypsin showed broadened, marked foamy cells with lipid vacuoles. However, villi were healthier in appearance with improved morphological features in fish fed with nanoencapsulated trypsin than with bare trypsin, and the villi were longer in fish fed with 0.01% nanoencapsulated trypsin than with 0.02% nanoencapsulated trypsin. The result of this premier experiment shows that nanoencapsulated trypsin mimics zymogen-like proteolytic activity via controlled release, and hence the use of 0.01% nanoencapsulated trypsin (in chitosan nanoparticles) over bare trypsin can be favored as a dietary supplement in animals and humans.

  5. The relationship between serum and urinary Fetuin-A levels and kidney stone formation among kidney stone patients.

    PubMed

    Mehrsai, Abdolrasoul; Guitynavard, Fateme; Nikoobakht, Mohammad Reza; Gooran, Shahram; Ahmadi, Ayat

    2017-01-01

    Mineralization inhibitors are required to prevent the precipitation of minerals and inhibit the formation of kidney stones and other ectopic calcifications. In laboratory studies, Fetuin-A as a glycoprotein has inhibited hydroxyapatite precipitation in calcium and phosphate supersaturated solutions; however, information about patients with kidney stones is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of serum and urinary Fetuin-A levels with calcium oxalate kidney stones. In this case-control study, 30 patients with kidney stones and 30 healthy individuals without any history of urolithiasis who were referred to the urology ward of Sina Hospital of Tehran, Iran, in 2015 were entered into the study. All patients underwent computerized tomography scans. After collecting demographic information, serum and urine levels of Fetuin-A and some other calcification inhibitors and promoters, were measured and compared using T-test, Mann-Whitney and logistic regression between the two study groups. Patients with kidney stones, on average, had lower levels of Serum Fetuin-A (1522.27 ±755.39 vs. 1914.64 ±733.76 μg/ml; P = 0.046) as well as lower levels of Urine Fetuin-A (944.62 ±188.5 vs. 1409.68 ±295.26 μg/ml; P <0.001). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that urinary calcium and serum creatinine are the risk factors and Fetuin-A is a urinary protective factor for kidney stones. PFC Our study showed that patients with kidney stones had lower serum and urinary levels of Fetuin-A. In the logistic regression model, urinary Fetuin-A was reported as a protective factor for kidney stones.

  6. Effects of topiroxostat and febuxostat on urinary albumin excretion and plasma xanthine oxidoreductase activity in db/db mice.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Takashi; Murase, Takayo; Nampei, Mai; Morimoto, Nobutaka; Ashizawa, Naoki; Iwanaga, Takashi; Sakamoto, Ryusuke

    2016-06-05

    Topiroxostat, a xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) inhibitor, has been shown to decrease the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio compared with placebo in hyperuricemic patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. Thus, we aimed to ascertain the albuminuria-lowering effect of topiroxostat in diabetic mouse. Db/db mice were fed standard diets with or without topiroxostat (0.1, 0.3, 1, and 3mg/kg/day) and febuxostat (0.1, 0.3, and 1mg/kg/day) for four weeks. Urinary albumin and purine bodies levels, XOR activities, and drug concentrations in the liver, kidney, and plasma were measured. Moreover, the XOR inhibitory activity of each XOR inhibitor was evaluated with or without an exogenous protein in vitro. Topiroxostat decreased dose-dependently the urinary albumin excretion, but febuxostat did not show such a tendency. Treatment with topiroxostat inhibited plasma XOR activity with dose-dependent increase in plasma purine levels, which was not observed by febuxostat. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis revealed that topiroxostat and febuxostat concentration in each tissue showed a good correlation with both the hypouricemic effect and plasma drug concentration, whereas the change in albuminuria correlated neither with the change in uric acid nor with drug concentration in plasma. However, the change in urinary albumin and plasma XOR activity showed good correlation in topiroxostat group. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50 value) of febuxostat against plasma XOR in vitro was 12-fold higher than that of topiroxostat, and increased by approximately 13-fold by interfering with an exogenous protein. Topiroxostat caused reduced urinary albumin excretion, in which potent inhibition of the plasma XOR activity might be involved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. SALO, a novel classical pathway complement inhibitor from saliva of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis

    PubMed Central

    Ferreira, Viviana P.; Fazito Vale, Vladimir; Pangburn, Michael K.; Abdeladhim, Maha; Ferreira Mendes-Sousa, Antonio; Coutinho-Abreu, Iliano V.; Rasouli, Manoochehr; Brandt, Elizabeth A.; Meneses, Claudio; Lima, Kolyvan Ferreira; Nascimento Araújo, Ricardo; Horácio Pereira, Marcos; Kotsyfakis, Michalis; Oliveira, Fabiano; Kamhawi, Shaden; Ribeiro, Jose M. C.; Gontijo, Nelder F.; Collin, Nicolas; Valenzuela, Jesus G.

    2016-01-01

    Blood-feeding insects inject potent salivary components including complement inhibitors into their host’s skin to acquire a blood meal. Sand fly saliva was shown to inhibit the classical pathway of complement; however, the molecular identity of the inhibitor remains unknown. Here, we identified SALO as the classical pathway complement inhibitor. SALO, an 11 kDa protein, has no homology to proteins of any other organism apart from New World sand flies. rSALO anti-complement activity has the same chromatographic properties as the Lu. longipalpis salivary gland homogenate (SGH)counterparts and anti-rSALO antibodies blocked the classical pathway complement activity of rSALO and SGH. Both rSALO and SGH inhibited C4b deposition and cleavage of C4. rSALO, however, did not inhibit the protease activity of C1s nor the enzymatic activity of factor Xa, uPA, thrombin, kallikrein, trypsin and plasmin. Importantly, rSALO did not inhibit the alternative or the lectin pathway of complement. In conclusion our data shows that SALO is a specific classical pathway complement inhibitor present in the saliva of Lu. longipalpis. Importantly, due to its small size and specificity, SALO may offer a therapeutic alternative for complement classical pathway-mediated pathogenic effects in human diseases. PMID:26758086

  8. Comparative evaluation of bioactivity of crystalline trypsin for drying by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Otsuka, Makoto; Fukui, Yuya; Ozaki, Yukihiro

    2009-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the enzymatic stability of colloidal trypsin powder during heating in a solid-state by using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra with chemoinformatics and generalized two-dimensional (2D) correlation spectroscopy. Colloidal crystalline trypsin powders were heated using differential scanning calorimetry. The enzymatic activity of trypsin was assayed by the kinetic degradation method. Spectra of 10 calibration sample sets were recorded three times with a FT-IR spectrometer. The maximum intensity at 1634cm(-1) of FT-IR spectra and enzymatic activity of trypsin decreased as the temperature increased. The FT-IR spectra of trypsin samples were analyzed by a principal component regression analysis (PCR). A plot of the calibration data obtained was made between the actual and predicted trypsin activity based on a two-component model with gamma(2)=0.962. On the other hand, a 2D method was applied to FT-IR spectra of heat-treated trypsin. The result was consistent with that of the chemoinformetrical method. The results for deactivation of colloidal trypsin powder by heat-treatment indicated that nano-structure of crystalline trypsin changed by heating reflecting that the beta-sheet was mainly transformed, since the peak at 1634cm(-1) decreased with dehydration. The FT-IR chemoinformetrical method allows for a solid-state quantitative analysis of the bioactivity of the bulk powder of trypsin during drying.

  9. BG-4, a novel anticancer peptide from bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), promotes apoptosis in human colon cancer cells.

    PubMed

    Dia, Vermont P; Krishnan, Hari B

    2016-09-15

    Momordica charantia is a perennial plant with reported health benefits. BG-4, a novel peptide from Momordica charantia, was isolated, purified and characterized. The trypsin inhibitory activity of BG-4 is 8.6 times higher than purified soybean trypsin inhibitor. The high trypsin inhibitory activity of BG-4 may be responsible for its capability to cause cytotoxicity to HCT-116 and HT-29 human colon cancer cells with ED50 values of 134.4 and 217.0 μg/mL after 48 h of treatment, respectively. The mechanism involved in the cytotoxic effect may be associated with induction of apoptosis as evidenced by increased percentage of HCT-116 and HT-29 colon cancer cells undergoing apoptosis from 5.4% (untreated) to 24.8% (BG-4 treated, 125 μg/mL for 16 h) and 8.5% (untreated) to 31.9% (BG-4 treated, 125 μg/mL for 16 h), respectively. The molecular mechanistic explanation in the apoptosis inducing property of BG-4 is due to reduced expression of Bcl-2 and increased expression of Bax leading to increased expression of caspase-3 and affecting the expression of cell cycle proteins p21 and CDK2. This is the first report on the anti-cancer potential of a novel bioactive peptide isolated from Momordica charantia in vitro supporting the potential therapeutic property of BG-4 against colon cancer that must be addressed using in vivo models of colon carcinogenesis.

  10. BG-4, a novel anticancer peptide from bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), promotes apoptosis in human colon cancer cells

    PubMed Central

    Dia, Vermont P.; Krishnan, Hari B.

    2016-01-01

    Momordica charantia is a perennial plant with reported health benefits. BG-4, a novel peptide from Momordica charantia, was isolated, purified and characterized. The trypsin inhibitory activity of BG-4 is 8.6 times higher than purified soybean trypsin inhibitor. The high trypsin inhibitory activity of BG-4 may be responsible for its capability to cause cytotoxicity to HCT-116 and HT-29 human colon cancer cells with ED50 values of 134.4 and 217.0 μg/mL after 48 h of treatment, respectively. The mechanism involved in the cytotoxic effect may be associated with induction of apoptosis as evidenced by increased percentage of HCT-116 and HT-29 colon cancer cells undergoing apoptosis from 5.4% (untreated) to 24.8% (BG-4 treated, 125 μg/mL for 16 h) and 8.5% (untreated) to 31.9% (BG-4 treated, 125 μg/mL for 16 h), respectively. The molecular mechanistic explanation in the apoptosis inducing property of BG-4 is due to reduced expression of Bcl-2 and increased expression of Bax leading to increased expression of caspase-3 and affecting the expression of cell cycle proteins p21 and CDK2. This is the first report on the anti-cancer potential of a novel bioactive peptide isolated from Momordica charantia in vitro supporting the potential therapeutic property of BG-4 against colon cancer that must be addressed using in vivo models of colon carcinogenesis. PMID:27628414

  11. Activation of tissue kallikrein-kininogen-kinin system in rabbit skin by a fraction isolated from Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider) venom.

    PubMed

    Antunes, E; Marangoni, R A; Giglio, J R; Brain, S D; de Nucci, G

    1993-11-01

    Phoneutria nigriventer venom was fractionated by gel filtration followed by ion-exchange chromatography from which 16 fractions (I-XVI) were obtained and assayed in rabbit skin in order to identify those responsible for the increased vascular permeability observed with the whole venom. The fractions, and control mediators (tissue kallikrein, bradykinin and histamine) were intradermally injected in male New Zealand white rabbits. Local oedema formation was measured as the local accumulation of i.v. injected 125I-human serum albumin into skin sites. Fraction XIII was the only fraction assayed which significantly induced oedema formation. Fraction XIII-induced oedema was greatly reduced by either the protease inhibitor aprotinin or the bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist D-Arg,[Hyp3,Thi5,8D-Phe7]-Bk, whereas the plasma kallikrein inhibitor soybean trypsin inhibitor failed to significantly affect this oedematogenic response. The kininase II inhibitor captopril markedly potentiated fraction XIII-induced oedema. Our results indicate that the increased vascular permeability induced by fraction XIII is due to local generation of kinins in response to tissue (but not plasma) kallikrein-kinin system activation.

  12. A Plant Proteinase Inhibitor from Enterolobium contortisiliquum Attenuates Pulmonary Mechanics, Inflammation and Remodeling Induced by Elastase in Mice

    PubMed Central

    Theodoro-Júnior, Osmar Aparecido; Righetti, Renato Fraga; Almeida-Reis, Rafael; Martins-Oliveira, Bruno Tadeu; Oliva, Leandro Vilela; Prado, Carla Máximo; Saraiva-Romanholo, Beatriz Mangueira; Leick, Edna Aparecida; Pinheiro, Nathalia Montouro; Lobo, Yara Aparecida; Martins, Mílton de Arruda; Oliva, Maria Luiza Vilela; Tibério, Iolanda de Fátima Lopes Calvo

    2017-01-01

    Proteinase inhibitors have been associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and may represent a potential therapeutic treatment for emphysema. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of a plant Kunitz proteinase inhibitor, Enterolobium contortisiliquum trypsin inhibitor (EcTI), on several aspects of experimental elastase-induced pulmonary inflammation in mice. C57/Bl6 mice were intratracheally administered elastase (ELA) or saline (SAL) and were treated intraperitoneally with EcTI (ELA-EcTI, SAL-EcTI) on days 1, 14 and 21. On day 28, pulmonary mechanics, exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) and number leucocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were evaluated. Subsequently, lung immunohistochemical staining was submitted to morphometry. EcTI treatment reduced responses of the mechanical respiratory system, number of cells in the BALF, and reduced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP-12), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP-1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-positive cells and volume proportion of isoprostane, collagen and elastic fibers in the airways and alveolar walls compared with the ELA group. EcTI treatment reduced elastase induced pulmonary inflammation, remodeling, oxidative stress and mechanical alterations, suggesting that this inhibitor may be a potential therapeutic tool for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management. PMID:28216579

  13. Enterobacteria secrete an inhibitor of Pseudomonas virulence during clinical bacteriuria

    PubMed Central

    Ohlemacher, Shannon I.; Giblin, Daryl E.; d’Avignon, D. André; Stapleton, Ann E.; Trautner, Barbara W.; Henderson, Jeffrey P.

    2017-01-01

    Escherichia coli and other Enterobacteriaceae are among the most common pathogens of the human urinary tract. Among the genetic gains of function associated with urinary E. coli isolates is the Yersinia high pathogenicity island (HPI), which directs the biosynthesis of yersiniabactin (Ybt), a virulence-associated metallophore. Using a metabolomics approach, we found that E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae expressing the Yersinia HPI also secrete escherichelin, a second metallophore whose chemical structure matches a known synthetic inhibitor of the virulence-associated pyochelin siderophore system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We detected escherichelin during clinical E. coli urinary tract infection (UTI) and experimental human colonization with a commensal, potentially probiotic E. coli bacteriuria strain. Escherichelin production by colonizing enterobacteria may help human hosts resist opportunistic infections by Pseudomonas and other pyochelin-expressing bacteria. This siderophore-based mechanism of microbial antagonism may be one of many elements contributing to the protective effects of the human microbiome. Future UTI-preventive probiotic strains may benefit by retaining the escherichelin biosynthetic capacity of the Yersinia HPI while eliminating the Ybt biosynthetic capacity. PMID:28945201

  14. Effects of bisphenol S on the structures and activities of trypsin and pepsin.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yan-Qing; Zhang, Hong-Mei

    2014-11-19

    The effects of bisphenol S on the structures and activities of trypsin and pepsin were investigated by various methods like UV-visible absorbance, fluorescence, circular dichroism, and molecular docking. The secondary and tertiary structures of trypsin and pepsin were altered by bisphenol S binding, which resulted in the loosening of the skeletons of trypsin and pepsin. In addition, bisphenol S induced microenvironmental changes around tyrosine and tryptophan residues of trypsin and pepsin. The activity experimental results showed that the activity of pepsin decreases obviously with the increasing concentration of BPS, while the activity of trypsin does not change remarkably. The binding and thermodynamic parameters obtained by molecular docking and fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the bindings of bisphenol S to trypsin and pepsin were spontaneous processes and hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions played a vital role in stabilizing the bisphenol S-trypsin and bisphenol S-pepsin complexes. The binding constants (K(A)) of bisphenol S with trypsin were 7.42 × 10(4) (298 K) and 5.91 × 10(4) L/mol (310 K), and those of pepsin were 5.78 × 10(4) (298 K) and 4.44 × 10(4) L/mol (310 K). Moreover, there was one main kind of binding site for bisphenol S on trypsin or pepsin.

  15. Urinary renin, but not angiotensinogen or aldosterone, reflects the renal renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity and the efficacy of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade in the kidney.

    PubMed

    van den Heuvel, Mieke; Batenburg, Wendy W; Jainandunsing, Sjaam; Garrelds, Ingrid M; van Gool, Jeanette M G; Feelders, Richard A; van den Meiracker, Anton H; Danser, A H Jan

    2011-11-01

    To study which renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) component best reflects renal RAAS activity. We measured urinary and plasma renin, prorenin, angiotensinogen, aldosterone, albumin and creatinine in 101 diabetic and nondiabetic patients with or without hypertension. Plasma prorenin was elevated in diabetic patients. Urinary prorenin was undetectable. Urinary albumin and renin were higher in diabetic patients. Men had higher plasma renin/prorenin levels, and lower plasma angiotensinogen levels than women. Plasma creatinine and albumin were also higher in men. Urinary RAAS components showed no sexual dimorphism, whereas urinary creatinine and albumin were higher in men. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers increased plasma renin and decreased plasma angiotensinogen, without altering plasma aldosterone. In contrast, in urine, these drugs decreased renin and aldosterone without affecting angiotensinogen. When analyzing all patients together, urinary angiotensinogen excretion closely mimicked that of albumin, whereas urinary angiotensinogen and albumin levels both were 0.05% or less of their concomitant plasma levels. This may reflect the identical glomerular filtration and tubular handling of both proteins, which have a comparable molecular weight. In contrast, urinary renin excretion did not correlate with urinary albumin excretion, and the urinary/plasma concentration ratio of renin was more than 200 times the ratio of albumin, despite its comparable molecular weight. Urinary aldosterone excretion closely followed urinary creatinine excretion. The increased urinary renin levels in diabetes and the decreased urinary renin levels following RAAS blockade, occurring independently of changes in plasma renin, reflect the activated renal RAAS in diabetes and the success of RAAS blockade in the kidney, respectively. Urinary renin, therefore, more closely reflects renal RAAS activity than urinary angiotensinogen or aldosterone.

  16. Impact of antinutritional factors in food proteins on the digestibility of protein and the bioavailability of amino acids and on protein quality.

    PubMed

    Sarwar Gilani, G; Wu Xiao, Chao; Cockell, Kevin A

    2012-08-01

    Dietary antinutritional factors have been reported to adversely affect the digestibility of protein, bioavailability of amino acids and protein quality of foods. Published data on these negative effects of major dietary antinutritional factors are summarized in this manuscript. Digestibility and the quality of mixed diets in developing countries are considerably lower than of those in developed regions. For example, the digestibility of protein in traditional diets from developing countries such as India, Guatemala and Brazil is considerably lower compared to that of protein in typical North American diets (54-78 versus 88-94 %). Poor digestibility of protein in the diets of developing countries, which are based on less refined cereals and grain legumes as major sources of protein, is due to the presence of less digestible protein fractions, high levels of insoluble fibre, and/or high concentrations of antinutritional factors present endogenously or formed during processing. Examples of naturally occurring antinutritional factors include glucosinolates in mustard and canola protein products, trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins in legumes, tannins in legumes and cereals, gossypol in cottonseed protein products, and uricogenic nucleobases in yeast protein products. Heat/alkaline treatments of protein products may yield Maillard reaction compounds, oxidized forms of sulphur amino acids, D-amino acids and lysinoalanine (LAL, an unnatural nephrotoxic amino acid derivative). Among common food and feed protein products, soyabeans are the most concentrated source of trypsin inhibitors. The presence of high levels of dietary trypsin inhibitors from soyabeans, kidney beans or other grain legumes have been reported to cause substantial reductions in protein and amino acid digestibility (up to 50 %) and protein quality (up to 100 %) in rats and/or pigs. Similarly, the presence of high levels of tannins in sorghum and other cereals, fababean and other grain legumes can cause significant reductions (up to 23 %) in protein and amino acid digestibility in rats, poultry, and pigs. Normally encountered levels of phytates in cereals and legumes can reduce protein and amino acid digestibility by up to 10 %. D-amino acids and LAL formed during alkaline/heat treatment of lactalbumin, casein, soya protein or wheat protein are poorly digestible (less than 40 %), and their presence can reduce protein digestibility by up to 28 % in rats and pigs, and can cause a drastic reduction (100 %) in protein quality, as measured by rat growth methods. The adverse effects of antinutritional factors on protein digestibility and protein quality have been reported to be more pronounced in elderly rats (20-months old) compared to young (5-weeks old) rats, suggesting the use of old rats as a model for assessing the protein digestibility of products intended for the elderly.

  17. Chitosan Nanoencapsulated Exogenous Trypsin Biomimics Zymogen-Like Enzyme in Fish Gastrointestinal Tract

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Arvind R.; Ferosekhan, S.; Kothari, Dushyant C.; Pal, Asim Kumar; Jadhao, Sanjay Balkrishna

    2013-01-01

    Exogenous proteolytic enzyme supplementation is required in certain disease conditions in humans and animals and due to compelling reasons on use of more plant protein ingredients and profitability in animal feed industry. However, limitations on their utility in diet are imposed by their pH specificity, thermolabile nature, inhibition due to a variety of factors and the possibility of intestinal damage. For enhancing the efficacy and safety of exogenous trypsin, an efficient chitosan (0.04%) nanoencapsulation-based controlled delivery system was developed. An experiment was conducted for 45 days to evaluate nanoencapsulated trypsin (0.01% and 0.02%) along with 0.02% bare trypsin and 0.4% chitosan nanoparticles against a control diet on productive efficiency (growth rate, feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio), organo-somatic indices, nutrient digestibility, tissue enzyme activities, hematic parameters and intestinal histology of the fish Labeo rohita. All the synthesized nanoparticles were of desired characteristics. Enhanced fish productive efficiency using nanoencapsulated trypsin over its bare form was noticed, which corresponded with enhanced (P<0.01) nutrient digestibility, activity of intestinal protease, liver and muscle tissue transaminases (alanine and aspartate) and dehydrogenases (lactate and malate), serum blood urea nitrogen and serum protein profile. Intestinal tissues of fish fed with 0.02% bare trypsin showed broadened, marked foamy cells with lipid vacuoles. However, villi were healthier in appearance with improved morphological features in fish fed with nanoencapsulated trypsin than with bare trypsin, and the villi were longer in fish fed with 0.01% nanoencapsulated trypsin than with 0.02% nanoencapsulated trypsin. The result of this premier experiment shows that nanoencapsulated trypsin mimics zymogen-like proteolytic activity via controlled release, and hence the use of 0.01% nanoencapsulated trypsin (in chitosan nanoparticles) over bare trypsin can be favored as a dietary supplement in animals and humans. PMID:24040333

  18. Ulinastatin alleviates neurological deficiencies evoked by transient cerebral ischemia via improving autophagy, Nrf-2-ARE and apoptosis signals in hippocampus.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xiao-Ming; Hu, Jing-Hai; Wang, Lu-Lu; Ma, Chi; Wang, Xu; Liu, Xiao-Liang

    2018-05-10

    Ulinastatin [or called as urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI)] plays a role in regulating neurological deficits evoked by transient cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying mechanisms still need to be determined. The present study was to examine the effects of UTI on autophagy, Nrf2-ARE and apoptosis signal pathway in the hippocampus in the process of neurological functions after cerebral ischemia using a rat model of cardiac arrest (CA). CA was induced by asphyxia followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in rats. Western Blot analysis was employed to determine the expression of representative autophagy (namely, Atg5, LC3, Beclin 1), p62 protein (a maker of autophagic flux), and Nrf2-ARE pathways. Neuronal apoptosis was assessed by determining expression levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, and by examining terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). The modified neurological severity score (mNSS) and spatial working memory performance were used to assess neurological deficiencies in CA rats. Our results show that CA amplified autophagy and apoptotic Caspase-3/Caspase-9, and downregulated Nrf2-ARE pathway in the hippocampus CA1 region. Systemic administration of UTI attenuated autophagy and apoptosis, and largely restored Nrf2-ARE signal pathway following cerebral ischemia and thereby alleviated neurological deficits with increasing survival of CA rats. Our data suggest that UTI improves the worsened protein expression of autophagy and apoptosis, and restores Nrf2-ARE signals in the hippocampus and this is linked to inhibition of neurological deficiencies in transient cerebral ischemia. UTI plays a beneficial role in modulating neurological deficits induced by transient cerebral ischemia via central autophagy, apoptosis and Nrf2-ARE mechanisms.

  19. Interaction of methotrexate with trypsin analyzed by spectroscopic and molecular modeling methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yanqing; Zhang, Hongmei; Cao, Jian; Zhou, Qiuhua

    2013-11-01

    Trypsin is one of important digestive enzymes that have intimate correlation with human health and illness. In this work, the interaction of trypsin with methotrexate was investigated by spectroscopic and molecular modeling methods. The results revealed that methotrexate could interact with trypsin with about one binding site. Methotrexate molecule could enter into the primary substrate-binding pocket, resulting in inhibition of trypsin activity. Furthermore, the thermodynamic analysis implied that electrostatic force, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions were the main interactions for stabilizing the trypsin-methotrexate system, which agreed well with the results from the molecular modeling study.

  20. Trypsin coatings on electrospun and alcohol-dispersed polymer nanofibers for trypsin digestion column

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jun, Seung-Hyun; Chang, Mun Seock; Kim, Byoung Chan

    2010-09-15

    The construction of a trypsin reactor in a chromatography column for rapid and efficient protein digestion in proteomics is described. Electrospun and alcohol-dispersed polymer nanofibers were used for the fabrication of highly stable trypsin coating, which was prepared by a two-step process of covalent attachment and enzyme crosslinking. In a comparative study with the trypsin coatings on asspun and non-dispersed nanofibers, it has been observed that a simple step of alcohol dispersion improved not only the enzyme loading but also the performance of protein digestion. In-column digestion of enolase was successfully performed in less than twenty minutes. By applying themore » alcohol dispersion of polymer nanofibers, the bypass of samples was reduced by filling up the column with well-dispersed nanofibers, and subsequently, interactions between the protein and the enzymes were improved yielding more complete and reproducible digestions. Regardless of alcohol-dispersion or not, trypsin coating showed better digestion performance and improved performance stability under recycled uses than covalently-attached trypsin. The combination of highly stable trypsin coating and alcoholdispersion of polymer nanofibers has opened up a new potential to develop a trypsin column for on-line and automated protein digestion.« less

  1. Alpha-1 adrenergic antagonists, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, and phytotherapic compounds in men with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic obstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of urodynamic studies.

    PubMed

    Fusco, Ferdinando; Creta, Massimiliano; De Nunzio, Cosimo; Gacci, Mauro; Li Marzi, Vincenzo; Finazzi Agrò, Enrico

    2018-03-31

    To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the urodynamic outcomes of alpha-1 adrenergic antagonists (ABs), 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5is), and phytotherapic compounds in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic obstruction (LUTS/BPO). A systematic review of PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Scopus databases was performed in June 2017. We included full papers that met the following criteria: original research; English language; human studies; enrolling LUTS/BPO patients; reporting maximum urinary flow (Qmax), and detrusor pressure at maximum urinary flow (PdetQmax). The primary endpoint was variation in bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI). Secondary endpoints were variations in Qmax and PdetQmax. Twenty-three studies involving 1044 patients were included in the final analysis. Eighteen, three, two, and one study evaluated the urodynamic outcomes of ABs, 5-ARIs, PDE5is, and phytotherapic compounds, respectively. BOOI, PdetQmax, and Qmax improved in a statistically significant manner in patients receiving ABs and in those receiving 5-ARIs. The overall pooled data showed a mean BOOI change of -15.40 (P < 0.00001) and of -10.55 (P = 0,004) for ABs and 5-ARIs, respectively. Mean PdetQmax and Qmax changes were:12.30 cm H 2 O (P < 0.00001) and +2.27 ml/s (P < 0.00001) for ABs and -9.63 cm H 2 O (P = 0.05), and +1.18 mL/s (P = 0.04) for 5-ARIs. PDE5is and phytotherapic compounds had no significant effects on urodynamic parameters. ABs and 5-ARIs efficiently improve BOOI in men with LUTS/BPO. Both treatments are associated with a clinically significant decrease in PdetQmax but only marginal improvements in Qmax. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Spray drying from organic solvents to prepare nanoporous/nanoparticulate microparticles of protein: excipient composites designed for oral inhalation.

    PubMed

    Ní Ógáin, Orla; Tajber, Lidia; Corrigan, Owen I; Healy, Anne Marie

    2012-09-01

    The aim of this study was to determine if spray-drying could successfully produce microparticles containing the model protein trypsin in a form suitable for inhalation. Trypsin was spray-dried with raffinose from a methanol : n-butyl acetate solvent system (MeOH : BA). The solvent system was then adjusted to include water, and trypsin was co-spray-dried with raffinose, trehalose or hydroxpropyl-β-cyclodextrin. The spray-dried products were characterised by SEM, XRD, DSC, TGA and FTIR. Protein biological activity and in-vitro deposition of trypsin : excipient nanoporous/nanoparticulate microparticles (NPMPs) was also assessed. The inclusion of water in a MeOH : BA solvent system allowed for the successful production of NPMPs of trypsin : excipient by spray-drying. Trypsin formulated as trypsin : excipient NPMPs retained biological activity on processing and showed no deterioration in activity or morphological characteristics when stored with desiccant at either 4 or 25°C. Hydroxpropyl-β-cyclodextrin showed advantages over the sugars in terms of producing powders with appropriate density and with greater physical stability under high-humidity conditions. Fine particle fractions of between 41 and 45% were determined for trypsin : excipient NPMPs. NPMPs of trypsin : excipient systems can be produced by spray-drying by adjustment of the solvent system to allow for adequate solubility of trypsin. © 2012 The Authors. JPP © 2012 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  3. Efficacy of a soy moisturizer in photoaging: a double-blind, vehicle-controlled, 12-week study.

    PubMed

    Wallo, Warren; Nebus, Judith; Leyden, James J

    2007-09-01

    Serine protease inhibitors (soybean trypsin inhibitor [STI] and Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor [BBI]) found in soybeans have been shown to inhibit melanosome phagocytosis by keratinocytes via protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2). Pre-clinical studies have confirmed the skin lightening potential of these molecules. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a novel soy moisturizer containing nondenaturated STI and BBI for the improvement of skin tone, pigmentation, and other photoaging attributes. Sixty-five women, with moderate facial photodamage, were enrolled in the 12-week, parallel, vehicle-controlled study. Efficacy was monitored through clinical observation, self-assessment, colorimetric evaluations, and digital photography. The results showed that the novel soy moisturizer was significantly more efficacious than the vehicle in improving mottled pigmentation, blotchiness, dullness, fine lines, overall texture, overall skin tone, and overall appearance. Differences were significant from week 2 to week 12 for all above parameters (except dullness which started at week 4). In this study, we found that a moisturizer containing stabilized soy extracts is safe and effective, and can be used to ameliorate overall skin tone and texture attributes of photoaging.

  4. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a protease inhibitor from the latex of Carica papaya

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Azarkan, Mohamed; Garcia-Pino, Abel; Dibiani, Rachid

    2006-12-01

    The Kunitz-type trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitor isolated from C. papaya latex has been crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. Two different crystal forms are observed, diffracting to 2.6 and 1.7 Å. A Kunitz-type protease inhibitor purified from the latex of green papaya (Carica papaya) fruits was crystallized in the presence and absence of divalent metal ions. Crystal form I, which is devoid of divalent cations, diffracts to a resolution of 2.6 Å and belongs to space group P3{sub 1} or P3{sub 2}. This crystal form is a merohedral twin with two molecules in the asymmetric unit and unit-cell parameters a = bmore » = 74.70, c = 78.97 Å. Crystal form II, which was grown in the presence of Co{sup 2+}, diffracts to a resolution of 1.7 Å and belongs to space group P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 44.26, b = 81.99, c = 140.89 Å.« less

  5. Investigation of aldosterone-synthase inhibition in rats.

    PubMed

    Ménard, Joël; Gonzalez, Marie-Françoise; Guyene, Thanh-Tam; Bissery, Alvine

    2006-06-01

    In-vivo investigation of aldosterone-synthase inhibitors requires experimental models to characterize the biological effects of these compounds. Seven successive experiments were performed in groups of 2-month-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats. Urinary free aldosterone was the main end-point measured during two contrasted diets: low sodium-high potassium (LS), inducing high urinary aldosterone (839 pmol/24 h, 95% confidence interval 654-1077), and high sodium-normal potassium (HS), inducing low urinary aldosterone (38.1 pmol/24 h; 95% confidence interval, 32.4-44.9). FAD 286 A (10 and 30 mg/kg) decreased urinary free aldosterone by 53 and 87% on the LS diet, and 50 and 75% on the HS. Plasma renin concentration increased three-fold after a 4-week treatment of 30 mg/kg FAD 286 A on the LS diet and did not change on the HS. The combination of FAD 286 A (30 mg/kg) and spironolactone (30 mg/kg) on the LS diet induced a biological picture of severe hypoaldosteronism and was not tolerated, whereas the HS diet prevented these abnormalities. The combination of FAD 286 A (30 mg/kg) and furosemide (30 mg/kg) on the HS diet corrected the diuretic-induced hypokalemia (4.1 +/- 0.2 versus 3.7 +/- 2.2 mEq/l, P < 0.033). This experimental model will be useful to screen future aldosterone-synthase inhibitors and study their biological effects in various experimental conditions.

  6. Concave Urinary Crystallines: Direct Evidence of Calcium Oxalate Crystals Dissolution by Citrate In Vivo

    PubMed Central

    Shang, Yun-Feng; Xu, Meng; Zhang, Guang-Na; Ouyang, Jian-Ming

    2013-01-01

    The changes in urinary crystal properties in patients with calcium oxalate (CaOx) calculi after oral administration of potassium citrate (K3cit) were investigated via atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), and zeta potential analyzer. The AFM and SEM results showed that the surface of urinary crystals became concave, the edges and corners of crystals became blunt, the average size of urinary crystallines decreased significantly, and aggregation of urinary crystals was reduced. These changes were attributed to the significant increase in concentration of excreted citrate to 492 ± 118 mg/L after K3cit intake from 289 ± 83 mg/L before K3cit intake. After the amount of urinary citrate was increased, it complexed with Ca2+ ions on urinary crystals, which dissolved these crystals. Thus, the appearance of concave urinary crystals was a direct evidence of CaOx dissolution by citrate in vivo. The XRD results showed that the quantities and species of urinary crystals decreased after K3cit intake. The mechanism of inhibition of formation of CaOx stones by K3cit was possibly due to the complexation of Ca2+ with citrate, increase in urine pH, concentration of urinary inhibitor glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and the absolute value of zeta potential after K3cit intake. PMID:24363634

  7. Proteolytic processing and activation of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin by caprine small intestinal contents.

    PubMed

    Freedman, John C; Li, Jihong; Uzal, Francisco A; McClane, Bruce A

    2014-10-21

    Epsilon toxin (ETX), a pore-forming toxin produced by type B and D strains of Clostridium perfringens, mediates severe enterotoxemia in livestock and possibly plays a role in human disease. During enterotoxemia, the nearly inactive ETX prototoxin is produced in the intestines but then must be activated by proteolytic processing. The current study sought to examine ETX prototoxin processing and activation ex vivo using the intestinal contents of a goat, a natural host species for ETX-mediated disease. First, this study showed that the prototoxin has a KEIS N-terminal sequence with a molecular mass of 33,054 Da. When the activation of ETX prototoxin ex vivo by goat small intestinal contents was assessed by SDS-PAGE, the prototoxin was processed in a stepwise fashion into an ~27-kDa band or higher-molecular-mass material that could be toxin oligomers. Purified ETX corresponding to the ~27-kDa band was cytotoxic. When it was biochemically characterized by mass spectrometry, the copresence of three ETX species, each with different C-terminal residues, was identified in the purified ~27-kDa ETX preparation. Cytotoxicity of each of the three ETX species was then demonstrated using recombinant DNA approaches. Serine protease inhibitors blocked the initial proteotoxin processing, while carboxypeptidase inhibitors blocked further processing events. Taken together, this study provides important new insights indicating that, in the intestinal lumen, serine protease (including trypsin and possibly chymotrypsin) initiates the processing of the prototoxin but other proteases, including carboxypeptidases, then process the prototoxin into multiple active and stable species. Importance: Processing and activation by intestinal proteases is a prerequisite for ETX-induced toxicity. Previous studies had characterized the activation of ETX using only arbitrarily chosen amounts of purified trypsin and/or chymotrypsin. Therefore, the current study examined ETX activation ex vivo by natural host intestinal contents. These analyses demonstrated that (i) ETX processing in host intestinal contents occurs in an ordered, stepwise fashion, (ii) processing of prototoxin by host intestinal contents results in higher-molecular-mass material and 3 distinct ~27-kDa ETX species, and (iii) serine proteases, such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, and other proteases, including carboxypeptidases, play a role in the activation of ETX by intestinal contents. These studies provide new insights into the activation and processing of ETX and demonstrate that this process is more complicated than previously appreciated. Copyright © 2014 Freedman et al.

  8. Polymorphism and partial characterization of digestive enzymes in the spiny lobster Panulirus argus.

    PubMed

    Perera, Erick; Moyano, F J; Díaz, M; Perdomo-Morales, R; Montero-Alejo, V; Alonso, E; Carrillo, O; Galich, G S

    2008-07-01

    We characterized major digestive enzymes in Panulirus argus using a combination of biochemical assays and substrate-(SDS or native)-PAGE. Protease and amylase activities were found in the gastric juice while esterase and lipase activities were higher in the digestive gland. Trypsin-like activity was higher than chymotrypsin-like activity in the gastric juice and digestive gland. Stability and optimal conditions for digestive enzyme activities were examined under different pHs, temperature and ionic strength. The use of protease inhibitors showed the prevalence of serine proteases and metalloproteases. Results for serine proteases were corroborated by zymograms where several isotrypsins-like (17-21 kDa) and isochymotrypsin-like enzymes (23-38 kDa) were identified. Amylases (38-47 kDa) were detected in zymograms and a complex array of non-specific esterases isoenzymes was found in the digestive gland. Isoenzyme polymorphism was found for trypsin, amylase, and esterase. This study is the first to evidence the biochemical bases of the plasticity in feeding habits of P. argus. Distribution and properties of enzymes provided some indication on how the digestion takes place and constitute baseline data for further studies on the digestion physiology of spiny lobsters.

  9. Laser scattering method applied to determine the concentration of alfa 1-antitrypsin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riquelme, Bibiana D.; Foresto, Patricia; Valverde, Juana R.; Rasia, Rodolfo J.

    2000-04-01

    An optical method has been developed to find (alpha) 1- antitrypsin unknown concentrations in human serum samples. This method applies light scattering properties exhibited by initially formed enzyme-inhibitor complexes and uses the curves of aggregation kinetics. It is independent of molecular hydrodynamics. Theoretical approaches showed that scattering properties of transient complexes obey the Rayleigh-Debie conditions. Experiments were performed on the Trypsin/(alpha) 1-antitrypsin system. Measurements were performed in newborn, adult and pregnant sera containing (alpha) 1-antitrypsin in the Trypsin excess region. The solution was excite by a He-Ne laser beam. SO, the particles formed during the reaction are scattering centers for the interacting light. The intensity of the scattered light at 90 degrees from incident beam depends on the nature of those scattering centers. Th rate of increase in scattered intensity depends on the variation in size and shape of the scatterers, being independent of its original size. Peak values of the first derivative linearly correlate with the concentration of (alpha) 1-antitrypsin originally present in the sample. Results are displayed 5 minutes after the initiation of the experimental process. Such speed is of great importance in the immuno-biochemistry determinations.

  10. DA-1229, a dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor, protects against renal injury by preventing podocyte damage in an animal model of progressive renal injury.

    PubMed

    Eun Lee, Jee; Kim, Jung Eun; Lee, Mi Hwa; Song, Hye Kyoung; Ghee, Jung Yeon; Kang, Young Sun; Min, Hye Sook; Kim, Hyun Wook; Cha, Jin Joo; Han, Jee Young; Han, Sang Youb; Cha, Dae Ryong

    2016-05-01

    Although dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) inhibitors are known to have renoprotective effects, the mechanism underlying these effects has remained elusive. Here we investigated the effects of DA-1229, a novel DPPIV inhibitor, in two animal models of renal injury including db/db mice and the adriamycin nephropathy rodent model of chronic renal disease characterized by podocyte injury. For both models, DA-1229 was administered at 300 mg/kg/day. DPPIV activity in the kidney was significantly higher in diabetic mice compared with their nondiabetic controls. Although DA-1229 did not affect glycemic control or insulin resistance, DA-1229 did improve lipid profiles, albuminuria and renal fibrosis. Moreover, DA-1229 treatment resulted in decreased urinary excretion of nephrin, decreased circulating and kidney DPPIV activity, and decreased macrophage infiltration in the kidney. In adriamycin-treated mice, DPPIV activity in the kidney and urinary nephrin loss were both increased, whereas glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations were unchanged. Moreover, DA-1229 treatment significantly improved proteinuria, renal fibrosis and inflammation associated with decreased urinary nephrin loss, and kidney DPP4 activity. In cultured podocytes, DA-1229 restored the high glucose/angiotensin II-induced increase of DPPIV activity and preserved the nephrin levels in podocytes. These findings suggest that activation of DPPIV in the kidney has a role in the progression of renal disease, and that DA-1229 may exert its renoprotective effects by preventing podocyte injury.

  11. Prevalence, pathophysiological mechanisms and factors affecting urolithiasis.

    PubMed

    Khan, Aslam

    2018-05-01

    The formation of urinary stone, urolithiasis, is one the oldest known disease affecting human throughout different civilizations and times. The exact pathophysiological mechanism of urolithiasis is not yet clear, as these calculi are of various types and too complex for simple understanding. A single theory cannot explain its formation; therefore, different theories are presented in various times for its explanation like free particle, fixed particle, Randall's plaque theory. In addition, various factors and components are identified that play an important role in the formation of these urinary calculi. In this review, composition of kidney stones, its prevalence/incidence, explanation of pathophysiological mechanisms and role of various factors; urinary pH, uric acid, parathyroid hormone, citrate, oxalate, calcium and macromolecules; osteopontin, matrix Gla protein, kidney injury molecules, urinary prothrombin fragment-1, Tamm-Horsfall protein, inter-α-inhibitors, have been discussed in detail.

  12. Molecular cloning of trypsin cDNAs and trypsin gene expression in the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Copepoda: Caligidae).

    PubMed

    Johnson, S C; Ewart, K V; Osborne, J A; Delage, D; Ross, N W; Murray, H M

    2002-09-01

    The salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, is a marine ectoparasitic copepod that infects salmonid fishes. We are studying the interactions between this parasite and its salmonid hosts, as it is a common cause of disease in both wild and farmed stocks of salmon. In this paper, we report on the cloning and sequencing of seven trypsin-like enzymes from a cDNA library prepared from whole body preadult female and male L. salmonis. The predicted trypsin activation peptides are 23 or 24 residues in length, considerably longer than previously reported activation peptides of other animals. Differences in the putative signal and activation peptide sequences of the trypsin isoforms suggest that these forms differ in their regulation and function. The calculated molecular weights of the trypsins range from 23.6 to 23.7 kDa. There are eight cysteine residues, which suggest the presence of four disulfide bridges. These trypsins are very similar (>or=46% aa identity) to other crustacean trypsins and insect hypodermins. Using in situ hybridization techniques trypsinogen expression could be identified in all three cell types of the midgut.

  13. Plasma trypsin in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

    PubMed

    Adrian, T E; Besterman, H S; Mallinson, C N; Pera, A; Redshaw, M R; Wood, T P; Bloom, S R

    1979-10-01

    We have used a simple and precise radioimmunoassay to measure trypsin in human plasma. Fasting plasma trypsin concentrations were extremely low in patients with chronic pancreatitis with steatorrhoea (5 +/- 2 ng/ml) when compared to healthy controls (86 +/- 7 ng/ml, p less than 0.001). In patients with chronic pancreatitis but no steatorrhoea basal plasma trypsin levels were similar to those of the normal controls (99 +/- 25 ng/ml). A small but significant postprandial rise in plasma trypsin concentrations was observed in normal subjects (mean increment 15 +/- 4%, p less than 0.005, paired t test) but was absent in patients with chronic pancreatitis with steatorrhoea. In contrast to exocrine deficient chronic pancreatitis, other malabsorptive conditions associated with steatorrhoea (active coeliac disease and acute tropical sprue) demonstrated mean fasting trypsin concentrations similar to controls. Patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas had basal trypsin concentrations similar to healthy subjects as did patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach, colon, rectum, brochus, and breast. In some cases measurement of plasma trypsin may be of help in the differential diagnosis of steatorrhoea.

  14. Chitosan nanoparticles-trypsin interactions: Bio-physicochemical and molecular dynamics simulation studies.

    PubMed

    Salar, Safoura; Mehrnejad, Faramarz; Sajedi, Reza H; Arough, Javad Mohammadnejad

    2017-10-01

    Herein, we investigated the effect of the chitosan nanoparticles (CsNP) on the structure, dynamics, and activity of trypsin. The enzyme activity in complex with the nanoparticles slightly increased, which represents the interactions between the nanoparticles and the enzyme. The kinetic parameters of the enzyme, K m and k cat , increased after adding the nanoparticles, resulting in a slight increase in the catalytic efficiency (k cat /K m ). However, the effect of the nanoparticles on the kinetic stability of trypsin has not exhibited significant variations. Fluorescence spectroscopy did not show remarkable changes in the trypsin conformation in the presence of the nanoparticles. The circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy results also revealed the secondary structure of trypsin attached to the nanoparticles slightly changed. Furthermore, we used molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to find more information about the interaction mechanisms between the nanoparticles and trypsin. The root mean square deviation (RMSD) of Cα atoms results have shown that in the presence of the nanoparticles, trypsin was stable. The simulation and the calculation of the binding free energy demonstrate that the nonpolar interactions are the most important forces for the formation of stable nanoparticle-trypsin complex. This study has explicitly elucidated that the nanoparticles have not considerable effect on the trypsin. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Comparison of the effects between animal-derived trypsin and recombinant trypsin on human skin cells proliferation, gene and protein expression.

    PubMed

    Manira, Maarof; Khairul Anuar, Khairoji; Seet, Wan Tai; Ahmad Irfan, Abd Wahab; Ng, Min Hwei; Chua, Kien Hui; Mohd Heikal, Mohd Yunus; Aminuddin, Bin Saim; Ruszymah, Bt Hj Idrus

    2014-03-01

    Animal-derivative free reagents are preferred in skin cell culture for clinical applications. The aim of this study was to compare the performance and effects between animal-derived trypsin and recombinant trypsin for skin cells culture and expansion. Full thickness human skin was digested in 0.6 % collagenase for 6 h to liberate the fibroblasts, followed by treatment with either animal-derived trypsin; Trypsin EDTA (TE) or recombinant trypsin; TrypLE Select (TS) to liberate the keratinocytes. Both keratinocytes and fibroblasts were then culture-expanded until passage 2. Trypsinization for both cell types during culture-expansion was performed using either TE or TS. Total cells yield was determined using a haemocytometer. Expression of collagen type I, collagen type III (Col-III), cytokeratin 10, and cytokeratin 14 genes were quantified via RT-PCR and further confirmed with immunocytochemical staining. The results of our study showed that the total cell yield for both keratinocytes and fibroblasts treated with TE or TS were comparable. RT-PCR showed that expression of skin-specific genes except Col-III was higher in the TS treated group compared to that in the TE group. Expression of proteins specific to the two cell types were confirmed by immunocytochemical staining in both TE and TS groups. In conclusion, the performance of the recombinant trypsin is comparable with the well-established animal-derived trypsin for human skin cell culture expansion in terms of cell yield and expression of specific cellular markers.

  16. Urinary tract infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: review of prevalence, diagnosis, and management

    PubMed Central

    Nitzan, Orna; Elias, Mazen; Chazan, Bibiana; Saliba, Walid

    2015-01-01

    Urinary tract infections are more common, more severe, and carry worse outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. They are also more often caused by resistant pathogens. Various impairments in the immune system, poor metabolic control, and incomplete bladder emptying due to autonomic neuropathy may all contribute to the enhanced risk of urinary tract infections in these patients. The new anti-diabetic sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have not been found to significantly increase the risk of symptomatic urinary tract infections. Symptoms of urinary tract infection are similar to patients without diabetes, though some patients with diabetic neuropathy may have altered clinical signs. Treatment depends on several factors, including: presence of symptoms, severity of systemic symptoms, if infection is localized in the bladder or also involves the kidney, presence of urologic abnormalities, accompanying metabolic alterations, and renal function. There is no indication to treat diabetic patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria. Further studies are needed to improve the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes and urinary tract infections. PMID:25759592

  17. Two proteins for the price of one: Structural studies of the dual-destiny protein preproalbumin with sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1.

    PubMed

    Franke, Bastian; James, Amy M; Mobli, Mehdi; Colgrave, Michelle L; Mylne, Joshua S; Rosengren, K Johan

    2017-07-28

    Seed storage proteins are both an important source of nutrition for humans and essential for seedling establishment. Interestingly, unusual napin-type 2S seed storage albumin precursors in sunflowers contain a sequence that is released as a macrocyclic peptide during post-translational processing. The mechanism by which such peptides emerge from linear precursor proteins has received increased attention; however, the structural characterization of intact precursor proteins has been limited. Here, we report the 3D NMR structure of the Helianthus annuus PawS1 ( p repro a lbumin w ith s unflower trypsin inhibitor- 1 ) and provide new insights into the processing of this remarkable dual-destiny protein. In seeds, PawS1 is matured by asparaginyl endopeptidases (AEPs) into the cyclic peptide SFTI-1 ( s un f lower t rypsin i nhibitor- 1 ) and a heterodimeric 2S albumin. The structure of PawS1 revealed that SFTI-1 and the albumin are independently folded into well-defined domains separated by a flexible linker. PawS1 was cleaved in vitro with recombinant sunflower HaAEP1 and in situ using a sunflower seed extract in a way that resembled the expected in vivo cleavages. Recombinant HaAEP1 cleaved PawS1 at multiple positions, and in situ , its flexible linker was removed, yielding fully mature heterodimeric albumin. Liberation and cyclization of SFTI-1, however, was inefficient, suggesting that specific seed conditions or components may be required for in vivo biosynthesis of SFTI-1. In summary, this study has revealed the 3D structure of a macrocyclic precursor protein and provided important mechanistic insights into the maturation of sunflower proalbumins into an albumin and a macrocyclic peptide. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  18. Evaluation of procoagulant tissue factor expression in canine hemangiosarcoma cell lines.

    PubMed

    Witter, Lauren E; Gruber, Erika J; Lean, Fabian Z X; Stokol, Tracy

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To evaluate expression of procoagulant tissue factor (TF) by canine hemangiosarcoma cells in vitro. SAMPLES 4 canine hemangiosarcoma cell lines (SB-HSA [mouse-passaged cutaneous tumor], Emma [primary metastatic brain tumor], and Frog and Dal-1 [primary splenic tumors]) and 1 nonneoplastic canine endothelial cell line (CnAoEC). PROCEDURES TF mRNA and TF antigen expression were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Thrombin generation was measured in canine plasma and in coagulation factor-replete or specific coagulation factor-deficient human plasma by calibrated automated thrombography. Corn trypsin inhibitor and annexin V were used to examine contributions of contact activation and membrane-bound phosphatidylserine, respectively, to thrombin generation. RESULTS All cell lines expressed TF mRNA and antigen, with significantly greater expression of both products in SB-HSA and Emma cells than in CnAoEC. A greater percentage of SB-HSA cells expressed TF antigen, compared with other hemangiosarcoma cell lines. All hemangiosarcoma cell lines generated significantly more thrombin than did CnAoEC in canine or factor-replete human plasma. Thrombin generation induced by SB-HSA cells was significantly lower in factor VII-deficient plasma than in factor-replete plasma and was abolished in factor X-deficient plasma; residual thrombin generation in factor VII-deficient plasma was abolished by incubation of cells with annexin V. Thrombin generation by SB-HSA cells was unaffected by the addition of corn trypsin inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Hemangiosarcoma cell lines expressed procoagulant TF in vitro. Further research is needed to determine whether TF can be used as a biomarker for hemostatic dysfunction in dogs with hemangiosarcoma.

  19. Evaluation of procoagulant tissue factor expression in canine hemangiosarcoma cell lines

    PubMed Central

    Witter, Lauren E.; Gruber, Erika J.; Lean, Fabian Z. X.; Stokol, Tracy

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To evaluate expression of procoagulant tissue factor (TF) by canine hemangiosarcoma cells in vitro. SAMPLES 4 canine hemangiosarcoma cell lines (SB-HSA [mouse-passaged cutaneous tumor], Emma [primary metastatic brain tumor], and Frog and Dal-1 [primary splenic tumors]) and 1 nonneoplastic canine endothelial cell line (CnAoEC). PROCEDURES TF mRNA and TF antigen expression were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Thrombin generation was measured in canine plasma and in coagulation factor–replete or specific coagulation factor–deficient human plasma by calibrated automated thrombography. Corn trypsin inhibitor and annexin V were used to examine contributions of contact activation and membrane-bound phosphatidylserine, respectively, to thrombin generation. RESULTS All cell lines expressed TF mRNA and antigen, with significantly greater expression of both products in SB-HSA and Emma cells than in CnAoEC. A greater percentage of SB-HSA cells expressed TF antigen, compared with other hemangiosarcoma cell lines. All hemangiosarcoma cell lines generated significantly more thrombin than did CnAoEC in canine or factor-replete human plasma. Thrombin generation induced by SB-HSA cells was significantly lower in factor VII-deficient plasma than in factor-replete plasma and was abolished in factor X–deficient plasma; residual thrombin generation in FVII-deficient plasma was abolished by incubation of cells with annexin V. Thrombin generation by SB-HSA cells was unaffected by the addition of corn trypsin inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Hemangiosarcoma cell lines expressed procoagulant TF in vitro. Further research is needed to determine whether TF can be used as a biomarker for hemostatic dysfunction in dogs with hemangiosarcoma. PMID:28029283

  20. Protein normal-mode dynamics: trypsin inhibitor, crambin, ribonuclease and lysozyme.

    PubMed

    Levitt, M; Sander, C; Stern, P S

    1985-02-05

    We have developed a new method for modelling protein dynamics using normal-mode analysis in internal co-ordinates. This method, normal-mode dynamics, is particularly well suited for modelling collective motion, makes possible direct visualization of biologically interesting modes, and is complementary to the more time-consuming simulation of molecular dynamics trajectories. The essential assumption and limitation of normal-mode analysis is that the molecular potential energy varies quadratically. Our study starts with energy minimization of the X-ray co-ordinates with respect to the single-bond torsion angles. The main technical task is the calculation of second derivative matrices of kinetic and potential energy with respect to the torsion angle co-ordinates. These enter into a generalized eigenvalue problem, and the final eigenvalues and eigenvectors provide a complete description of the motion in the basic 0.1 to 10 picosecond range. Thermodynamic averages of amplitudes, fluctuations and correlations can be calculated efficiently using analytical formulae. The general method presented here is applied to four proteins, trypsin inhibitor, crambin, ribonuclease and lysozyme. When the resulting atomic motion is visualized by computer graphics, it is clear that the motion of each protein is collective with all atoms participating in each mode. The slow modes, with frequencies of below 10 cm-1 (a period of 3 ps), are the most interesting in that the motion in these modes is segmental. The root-mean-square atomic fluctuations, which are dominated by a few slow modes, agree well with experimental temperature factors (B values). The normal-mode dynamics of these four proteins have many features in common, although in the larger molecules, lysozyme and ribonuclease, there is low frequency domain motion about the active site.

  1. The Chloroplast-Localized Phospholipases D α4 and α5 Regulate Herbivore-Induced Direct and Indirect Defenses in Rice1[C][W

    PubMed Central

    Qi, Jinfeng; Zhou, Guoxin; Yang, Lijuan; Erb, Matthias; Lu, Yanhua; Sun, Xiaoling; Cheng, Jiaan; Lou, Yonggen

    2011-01-01

    The oxylipin pathway is of central importance for plant defensive responses. Yet, the first step of the pathway, the liberation of linolenic acid following induction, is poorly understood. Phospholipases D (PLDs) have been hypothesized to mediate this process, but data from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) regarding the role of PLDs in plant resistance have remained controversial. Here, we cloned two chloroplast-localized PLD genes from rice (Oryza sativa), OsPLDα4 and OsPLDα5, both of which were up-regulated in response to feeding by the rice striped stem borer (SSB) Chilo suppressalis, mechanical wounding, and treatment with jasmonic acid (JA). Antisense expression of OsPLDα4 and -α5 (as-pld), which resulted in a 50% reduction of the expression of the two genes, reduced elicited levels of linolenic acid, JA, green leaf volatiles, and ethylene and attenuated the SSB-induced expression of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (OsMPK3), a lipoxygenase (OsHI-LOX), a hydroperoxide lyase (OsHPL3), as well as a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (OsACS2). The impaired oxylipin and ethylene signaling in as-pld plants decreased the levels of herbivore-induced trypsin protease inhibitors and volatiles, improved the performance of SSB and the rice brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, and reduced the attractiveness of plants to a larval parasitoid of SSB, Apanteles chilonis. The production of trypsin protease inhibitors in as-pld plants could be partially restored by JA, while the resistance to rice brown planthopper and SSB was restored by green leaf volatile application. Our results show that phospholipases function as important components of herbivore-induced direct and indirect defenses in rice. PMID:21984727

  2. Discovery of glycyrrhetinic acid as an orally active, direct inhibitor of blood coagulation factor xa.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Lilong; Wang, Qiong; Shen, Shu; Xiao, Tongshu; Li, Youbin

    2014-03-01

    Factor Xa (FXa) plays an important role in blood coagulation. This study investigated glycyrrhetinic acid, a small molecule derived from Chinese herbs, and whether it has a direct inhibitory effect on FXa to display its anticoagulant activity. Enzyme activities of FXa, plasmin, trypsin and thrombin, inhibition of FXa enzyme kinetics and plasma clotting time by glycyrrhentinic acid were performed in vitro. A rat tail-bleeding model and a rat venous stasis model were also used to evaluate in vivo tail-bleeding time and thrombus formation, respectively. Glycyrrhetinic acid in vitro directly inhibited FXa uncompetitivly with IC50 of 32.6 ± 1.24 μmol/L, and displayed 2-, 14- and 20-fold selectivity for FXa when compared to plasmin, thrombin and trypsin, respectively. The plasma clotting time was increased in a dose-dependent manner. The prothrombin time doubled (PT2), when the concentration of glycyrrhetinic acid reached 2.02 mmol/L. During in vivo experiments intragastric administration of glycyrrhetinic acid caused a dose-dependent reduction in thrombus weight on the rat venous stasis model (all P<0.05). 50 mg/kg glycyrrhetinic acid resulted in 34.8% of venous thrombus weight lost, compared to the control. In addition, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg doses of glycyrrhetinic acid caused a moderate hemorrhagic effect in the rat tail-bleeding model by prolonging bleeding time 1.1-, 1.5- and 1.9-fold compared to the control, respectively. Glycyrrhetinic acid is a direct inhibitor of FXa that is effective by oral administration, and with further research could be used to treat blood coagulation disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Distinguishing defensive characteristics in the phloem of ash species resistant and susceptible to emerald ash borer.

    PubMed

    Cipollini, Don; Wang, Qin; Whitehill, Justin G A; Powell, Jeff R; Bonello, Pierluigi; Herms, Daniel A

    2011-05-01

    We examined the extent to which three Fraxinus cultivars and a wild population that vary in their resistance to Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) could be differentiated on the basis of a suite of constitutive chemical defense traits in phloem extracts. The EAB-resistant Manchurian ash (F. mandshurica, cv. Mancana) was characterized by having a rapid rate of wound browning, a high soluble protein concentration, low trypsin inhibitor activities, and intermediate levels of peroxidase activity and total soluble phenolic concentration. The EAB-susceptible white ash (F. americana, cv. Autumn Purple) was characterized by a slow wound browning rate and low levels of peroxidase activity and total soluble phenolic concentrations. An EAB-susceptible green ash cultivar (F. pennsylvanica, cv. Patmore) and a wild accession were similar to each other on the basis of several chemical defense traits, and were characterized by high activities of peroxidase and trypsin inhibitor, a high total soluble phenolic concentration, and an intermediate rate of wound browning. Lignin concentration and polyphenol oxidase activities did not differentiate resistant and susceptible species. Of 33 phenolic compounds separated by HPLC and meeting a minimum criterion for analysis, nine were unique to Manchurian ash, five were shared among all species, and four were found in North American ashes and not in the Manchurian ash. Principal components analysis revealed clear separations between Manchurian, white, and green ashes on the basis of all phenolics, as well as clear separations on the basis of quantities of phenolics that all species shared. Variation in some of these constitutive chemical defense traits may contribute to variation in resistance to EAB in these species.

  4. Antinutritional factors and in vitro protein digestibility of improved haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties grown in Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Admassu Shimelis, Emire; Kumar Rakshit, Sudip

    2005-09-01

    The antinutrient (raffinose oligosaccharides, tannins, phytic acid and trypsin inhibitors) composition and in vitro protein digestibility of eight improved varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris grown in Ethiopia were determined. Stachyose was the predominant alpha-galactosides in all haricot bean samples. Raffinose was also present in significant quantities but verbascose, glucose and fructose were not detected at all in the samples. The concentrations observed for the protein digestibility and antinutritional factors, varied significantly (P<0.05) between varieties investigated in this study. Mean values for protein digestibility ranged from 80.66% (in Roba variety) to 65.64% (in Beshbesh variety). Mean values for raffinose, stachyose, sucrose, trypsin inhibitors, tannins and phytic acid were 3.14 mg/g, 14.86 mg/g, 24.22 mg/g, 20.68 TUIx10(3)/g, 17.44 mg, catechin equivalents/g and 20.54 mg/g respectively. Statistical analyses of data revealed that antinutritional factors and protein digestibility were influenced by variety (genotype). Relationships between antinutritional factors and protein digestibility were also observed. The possibility of selecting varieties to be used for large-scale cultivation in Ethiopia on the basis of these data is discussed. Among the improved varieties studied, Roba, Redwolaita, Mexican and Awash were found to be the best food and export type of haricot beans in the Ethiopian context, because of their higher protein digestibility, lower antinutrtional factors and other beneficial nutritional parameters. Roba variety can be used by local food processors for the production of value-added bean-based products especially to combat the problem of protein energy malnutrition and related diseases which are very common in developing countries.

  5. Cancer cells cause vascular endothelial cell (vEC) retraction via 12(S)HETE secretion; the possible role of cancer cell derived microparticle.

    PubMed

    Uchide, Keiji; Sakon, Masato; Ariyoshi, Hideo; Nakamori, Syouji; Tokunaga, Masaru; Monden, Morito

    2007-02-01

    Cancer cell mediated vascular endothelial cell (vEC) retraction plays a pivotal role in cancer metastasis. The aim of this study is to clarify the biochemical character of vEC retraction factor derived from human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. In order to estimate vEC retracting activity, transwell chamber assay system was employed. We first tested the effects of trypsin digestion as well as lipid extraction of culture medium (CM). Trypsin digestion of CM resulted in approximately 40% loss of vEC retracting activity and lipid extraction of CM by Brigh and Dyer methods recovered approximately 60% of vEC retracting activity, suggesting that approximately 60% of vEC retracting activity in MCF-7 derived CM is due to lipid. Although Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), the specific lipoxygenase inhibitor, suppressed vEC retracting activity in CM, Acetyl salicylic acid (ASA), a specific cyclooxygenase inhibitor, did not affect the activity, suggesting that lipid exerting vEC retracting activity in CM belongs to lipoxygenase mediated arachidonate metabolites. Thin layer chromatography clearly demonstrated that Rf value of lipid vEC retracting factor in CM is identical to 12HETE. Authentic 12(S)HETE, but not 12(R)HETE, showed vEC retracting activity. After the ultracentrifugation of CM, most lipid vEC retracting activity was recovered from the pellet fraction, and flow cytometric analysis using specific antibody against 12(S)HETE clearly showed the association of 12(S)HETE with small particle in CM. These findings suggested the principal involvement of 12(S)HETE in cancer cell derived microparticles in cancer cell mediated vEC retraction.

  6. The chloroplast-localized phospholipases D α4 and α5 regulate herbivore-induced direct and indirect defenses in rice.

    PubMed

    Qi, Jinfeng; Zhou, Guoxin; Yang, Lijuan; Erb, Matthias; Lu, Yanhua; Sun, Xiaoling; Cheng, Jiaan; Lou, Yonggen

    2011-12-01

    The oxylipin pathway is of central importance for plant defensive responses. Yet, the first step of the pathway, the liberation of linolenic acid following induction, is poorly understood. Phospholipases D (PLDs) have been hypothesized to mediate this process, but data from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) regarding the role of PLDs in plant resistance have remained controversial. Here, we cloned two chloroplast-localized PLD genes from rice (Oryza sativa), OsPLDα4 and OsPLDα5, both of which were up-regulated in response to feeding by the rice striped stem borer (SSB) Chilo suppressalis, mechanical wounding, and treatment with jasmonic acid (JA). Antisense expression of OsPLDα4 and -α5 (as-pld), which resulted in a 50% reduction of the expression of the two genes, reduced elicited levels of linolenic acid, JA, green leaf volatiles, and ethylene and attenuated the SSB-induced expression of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (OsMPK3), a lipoxygenase (OsHI-LOX), a hydroperoxide lyase (OsHPL3), as well as a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (OsACS2). The impaired oxylipin and ethylene signaling in as-pld plants decreased the levels of herbivore-induced trypsin protease inhibitors and volatiles, improved the performance of SSB and the rice brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, and reduced the attractiveness of plants to a larval parasitoid of SSB, Apanteles chilonis. The production of trypsin protease inhibitors in as-pld plants could be partially restored by JA, while the resistance to rice brown planthopper and SSB was restored by green leaf volatile application. Our results show that phospholipases function as important components of herbivore-induced direct and indirect defenses in rice.

  7. OsMPK3 positively regulates the JA signaling pathway and plant resistance to a chewing herbivore in rice.

    PubMed

    Wang, Qi; Li, Jiancai; Hu, Lingfei; Zhang, Tongfang; Zhang, Guren; Lou, Yonggen

    2013-07-01

    KEY MESSAGE : Silencing OsMPK3 decreased elicited JA levels, which subsequently reduced levels of herbivore-induced trypsin protease inhibitors (TrypPIs) and improved the performance of SSB larvae, but did not influence BPH. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPKs) are known to play an important role in plant defense by transferring biotic and abiotic signals into programmed cellular responses. However, their functions in the herbivore-induced defense response in rice remain largely unknown. Here, we identified a MPK3 gene from rice, OsMPK3, and found that its expression levels were up-regulated in response to infestation by the larvae of the striped stem borer (SSB) (Chilo suppressalis), to mechanical wounding and to treatment with jasmonic acid (JA), but not to infestation by the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens or to treatment with salicylic acid. Moreover, mechanical wounding and SSB infestation induced the expression of OsMPK3 strongly and quickly, whereas JA treatment induced the gene more weakly and slowly. Silencing OsMPK3 (ir-mpk3) reduced the expression of the gene by 50-70 %, decreased elicited levels of JA and diminished the expression of a lipoxygenase gene OsHI-LOX and an allene oxide synthase gene OsAOS1. The reduced JA signaling in ir-mpk3 plants decreased the levels of herbivore-induced trypsin protease inhibitors (TrypPIs) and improved the performance of SSB larvae, but did not influence BPH. Our findings suggest that the gene OsMPK3 responds early in herbivore-induced defense and can be regulated by rice plants to activate a specific and appropriate defense response to different herbivores.

  8. Genome-wide search and comparative genomic analysis of the trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain-containing peptides.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Xian-Chun; Liu, Yichen; Shi, Wanxia; Zhang, Lei; Luo, Xuesong; Nie, Yao; Yang, Ye

    2014-03-01

    It was shown that peptides containing trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich (TIL) domain are able to inhibit proteinase activities, and thus play important roles in various biological processes, such as immune response and anticoagulation. However, only a limited number of the TIL peptides have been identified and characterized so far; and little has been known about the evolutionary relationships of the genes encoding the TIL peptides. BmKAPi is a TIL domain-containing peptide that was identified from Mesobuthus martensii Karsch. Here, we conducted genome-wide searches for new peptides that are homologous to BmKAPi or possess a cysteine pattern similar to that of BmKAPi. As a result, we identified a total of 80 different TIL peptides from 34 species of arthropods. We found that these peptides can be classified into seven evolutionarily distinct groups. Furthermore, we cloned the genomic sequence of BmKAPi; the genomic sequences of the majority of other TIL peptides were also identified from the GenBank database using bioinformatical approaches. Through phylogenetic and comparative genomic analysis, we found 26 cases of intron gain events occurred in the genes of the TIL peptides; however, no instances of intron loss were observed. Moreover, we found that alternative splicing contributes to the diversification of the TIL peptides. It is interesting to see that four genes of the TIL domain-containing peptides overlap in a DNA region located on the chromosome LG B15 of Bombus terretris. These data suggest that the evolution of the TIL peptide genes are dynamic, which was dominated by intron gain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Functional characterization of a serine protease inhibitor modulated in the infection of the Aedes aegypti with dengue virus.

    PubMed

    Soares, Tatiane Sanches; Rodriguez Gonzalez, Boris Luis; Torquato, Ricardo José Soares; Lemos, Francisco Jose Alves; Costa-da-Silva, André L; Capurro Guimarães, Margareth de Lara; Tanaka, Aparecida Sadae

    2018-01-01

    During feeding with blood meal, female Aedes aegypti can transmit infectious agents, such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika viruses. Dengue virus causes human mortality in tropical regions of the world, and there is no specific treatment or vaccine with maximum efficiency being used for these infections. In the vector-virus interaction, the production of several molecules is modulated by both mosquitoes and invading agents. However, little information is available about these molecules in the Ae. aegypti mosquito during dengue infection. Inhibitors of the pacifastin family have been described to participate in the immune response of insects and Pac2 is the only gene of this family present in Ae. aegypti being then chosen for investigation. Pac2 was expressed in E. coli, purified and analyzed by mass spectrometry and SDS-PAGE. The Pac2 transcript was detected by qPCR, and its protein levels were assessed by Western blotting. The inhibitory activity of Pac2 was measured using its K i , IC 50 and zymography. Mosquito infections with DENV were introduced with the Brazilian ACS-46 DENV-2 strain propagated in C6/36 cells. In the present work, we showed that it is possibly involved in the interaction of the mosquitoes with the dengue virus. The Pac2 transcript was detected in larvae and in both the salivary gland and midgut of Ae. aegypti females, while the native protein was identified in females 3 h post-blood meal. Pac2 is a strong inhibitor of trypsin-like and thrombin-like proteases, which are present in 4th instar larvae midgut and females 24 h after blood meal. During DENV infection, up regulation of Pac2 expression occurs in the salivary gland and midgut. Pac2 is the first Pacifastin inhibitor member described in mosquitoes. Our results suggest that Pac2 acts on mosquito serine proteases, mainly the trypsin-like type, and is under transcriptional control by virus infection signals to allow its survival in the vector or by the mosquito as a defense mechanism against virus infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

  10. Peptidase modulation of vasoactive intestinal peptide pulmonary relaxation in tracheal superfused guinea pig lungs.

    PubMed Central

    Lilly, C M; Martins, M A; Drazen, J M

    1993-01-01

    The effects of enzyme inhibitors on vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-induced decreases in airway opening pressure (PaO) and VIP-like immunoreactivity (VIP-LI) recovery were studied in isolated tracheal superfused guinea pig lungs. In the absence of inhibitors, VIP 0.38 (95% CI 0.33-0.54) nmol/kg animal, resulted in a 50% decrease in PaO and 33% of a 1 nmol/kg VIP dose was recovered as intact VIP. In the presence of two combinations of enzyme inhibitors, SCH 32615 (S, 10 microM) and aprotinin (A, 500 tyrpsin inhibitor units [TIU]/kg) or S and soybean trypsin inhibitor (T, 500 TIU/kg), VIP caused a significantly greater decrease in PaO and greater quantities of VIP were recovered from lung effluent (both P < 0.001). The addition of captopril, (3 microM), leupeptin (4 microM), or bestatin (1 microM) failed to further increase pulmonary relaxation or recovery of VIP-LI. When given singly, A, T, and S did not augment the effects or recovery of VIP. The efficacy of S (a specific inhibitor of neutral endopeptidase [NEP]) and A and T (serine protease inhibitors) thus implicated NEP and at least one serine protease as primary modulators of VIP activity in the guinea pig lung. We sought to corroborate this finding by characterizing the predominant amino acid sites at which VIP is hydrolized in the lung. When [mono(125I)iodo-Tyr10]VIP was offered to the lung, in the presence and absence of the active inhibitors, cleavage products consistent with activity by NEP and a tryptic enzyme were recovered. These data demonstrate that NEP and a peptidase with an inhibitor profile and cleavage pattern compatible with a tryptic enzyme inactivate VIP in a physiologically competitive manner. PMID:7678603

  11. Modulation of serpin reaction through stabilization of transient intermediate by ligands bound to alpha-helix F.

    PubMed

    Komissarov, Andrey A; Zhou, Aiwu; Declerck, Paul J

    2007-09-07

    Mechanism-based inhibition of proteinases by serpins involves enzyme acylation and fast insertion of the reactive center loop (RCL) into the central beta-sheet of the serpin, resulting in mechanical inactivation of the proteinase. We examined the effects of ligands specific to alpha-helix F (alphaHF) of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) on the stoichiometry of inhibition (SI) and limiting rate constant (k(lim)) of RCL insertion for reactions with beta-trypsin, tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), and urokinase. The somatomedin B domain of vitronectin (SMBD) did not affect SI for any proteinase or k(lim) for tPA but decreased the k(lim) for beta-trypsin. In contrast to SMBD, monoclonal antibodies MA-55F4C12 and MA-33H1F7, the epitopes of which are located at the opposite side of alphaHF, decreased k(lim) and increased SI for every enzyme. These effects were enhanced in the presence of SMBD. RCL insertion for beta-trypsin and tPA is limited by different subsequent steps of PAI-1 mechanism as follows: enzyme acylation and formation of a loop-displaced acyl complex (LDA), respectively. Stabilization of LDA through the disruption of the exosite interactions between PAI-1 and tPA induced an increase in the k(lim) but did not affect the SI. Thus it is unlikely that LDA contributes significantly to the outcome of the serpin reaction. These results demonstrate that the rate of RCL insertion is not necessarily correlated with SI and indicate that an intermediate, different from LDA, which forms during the late steps of PAI-1 mechanism, and could be stabilized by ligands specific to alphaHF, controls bifurcation between the inhibitory and the substrate pathways.

  12. Thrombin like activity of Asclepias curassavica L. latex: action of cysteine proteases.

    PubMed

    Shivaprasad, H V; Rajesh, R; Nanda, B L; Dharmappa, K K; Vishwanath, B S

    2009-05-04

    To validate the scientific basis of plant latex to stop bleeding on fresh cuts. Cysteine protease(s) from Asclepias curassavica (Asclepiadaceae) plant latex was assessed for pro-coagulant and thrombin like activities. A waxy material from the latex of Asclepias curassavica latex was removed by freezing and thawing. The resulted latex enzyme fraction was assayed for proteolytic activity using denatured casein as substrate. Its coagulant activity and thrombin like activity were determined using citrated plasma and pure fibrinogen, respectively. Inhibition studies were performed using specific protease inhibitors to know the type of protease. The latex enzyme fraction exhibited strong proteolytic activity when compared to trypsin and exerted pro-coagulant action by reducing plasma clotting time from 195 to 58 s whereas trypsin reduced clotting time marginally from 195 to 155 s. The pro-coagulant activity of this enzyme fraction was exerted by selectively hydrolyzing A alpha and B beta subunits of fibrinogen to form fibrin clot when pure fibrinogen was used as substrate as assessed by fibrinogen-agarose plate method and fibrinogen polymerization assay. Trypsin failed to induce any fibrin clot under similar conditions. The electrophoretic pattern of latex enzyme fraction-induced fibrin clot was very much similar to that of thrombin-induced fibrin clot and mimic thrombin like action. The proteolytic activity including thrombin like activity of Asclepias curassavica latex enzyme fraction was completely inhibited by iodoaceticacid (IAA). Cysteine proteases from Asclepias curassavica latex exhibited strong pro-coagulant action and were found to be specific in its action (Thrombin like). This could be the basis for the use of plant latex in pharmacological applications that justify their use as folk medicine.

  13. The Role of the Kidney and SGLT2 Inhibitors in Type 2 Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Katz, Pamela M; Leiter, Lawrence A

    2015-12-01

    Effective glycemic control reduces the risk for diabetes-related complications. However, the majority of patients with type 2 diabetes still do not achieve glycemic targets. Beyond metformin therapy, current practice guidelines for the management of type 2 diabetes recommend individualized treatment based on patient and agent characteristics. The sodium glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors represent a novel treatment strategy, independent of impaired beta-cell function and insulin resistance. SGLT2 inhibitors decrease renal glucose reabsorption, thereby increasing urinary glucose excretion with subsequent reduction in plasma glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations. Current evidence suggests that they are effective as monotherapy or as add-ons to metformin either alone, or in combination with other oral glucose-lowering agents or insulin. They are generally well tolerated, though rates of lower urinary tract and genital mycotic infections are slightly increased. The advantages of this class include modest reductions in body weight and blood pressure, and low risk for hypoglycemia. Long-term safety data and results of ongoing cardiovascular outcome studies are awaited so we can fully understand the role that SGLT2 inhibitors will play in the comprehensive management of type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Diabetes Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. SGLT2 inhibitors in the management of type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Monica Reddy, R P; Inzucchi, Silvio E

    2016-08-01

    The glucose-lowering pharmacopeia continues to grow for patients with type 2 diabetes. The latest drug category, the SGLT2 inhibitors reduce glycated hemoglobin concentrations by increasing urinary excretion of glucose. They are used mainly in combination with metformin and other antihyperglycemic agents, including insulin. Their glucose-lowering potency is modest. Advantages include lack of hypoglycemia as a side effect, and mild reduction in blood pressure and body weight. Side effects include increased urinary frequency, owing to their mild diuretic action, symptoms of hypovolemia, genitourinary infections. There are also recent reports of rare cases of diabetic ketoacidosis occurring in insulin-treated patients. Recently, a large cardiovascular outcome trial reported that a specific SGLT2 inhibitor, empagliflozin, led to a reduction in the primary endpoint of major cardiovascular events. This effect was mainly the result of a surprising 38 % reduction in cardiovascular death, and the drug was also associated with nearly as large a reduction in heart failure hospitalization. These findings were notable because most drugs used in type 2 diabetes have not been shown to improve cardiovascular outcomes. Accordingly, there is growing interest in empagliflozin and the entire SGLT2 inhibitor class as drugs that could potentially change the manner in which we approach the management of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

  15. Effect of drinking parsley leaf tea on urinary composition and urinary stones' risk factors.

    PubMed

    Alyami, Fahad A; Rabah, Danny M

    2011-05-01

    To investigate the effect of parsley leaf tea on urine composition and the inhibitors of urinary tract stones formation, we studied 20 healthy volunteers who were divided into two groups: the first group of 10 subjects drank daily 1,200 mL of parsley leaf tea for 2 weeks, while the second group drank at least 1,200 mL daily of bottled water for the same period. This was followed by a 2-week "washout" period before the two groups were crossed over for another 2 weeks. During the experimental phase, 24-h urine samples were collected at baseline, on day 14, and at the end of the 6-week period and different urinary parameters were measured and analyzed statistically. We found no significant difference in the urine volume, pH, sodium, potassium, chloride, urea, creatinine, phosphorus, magnesium, uric acid, cystine, or citric acid. Further research is needed to evaluate the effects of parsley leaf tea on urinary parameters in healthy and stone-forming patients.

  16. In vitro assessment of phthalate acid esters-trypsin complex formation.

    PubMed

    Chi, Zhenxing; Zhao, Jing; Li, Weiguo; Araghi, Arash; Tan, Songwen

    2017-10-01

    In this work, interactions of three phthalate acid esters (PAEs), including dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), with trypsin have been studied in vitro, under simulated physiological conditions using multi-spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling. The results show that these PAEs can bind to the trypsin, forming trypsin-PAEs complexes, mainly via hydrophobic interactions, with the affinity order of DMP > DEP > DBP. Binding to the PAEs is found to result in molecular deformation of trypsin. The modeling results suggest that only DBP can bind with the amino acid residues of the catalytic triad and S1 binding pocket of trypsin, leading to potential competitive enzyme inhibition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Exploring the active site binding specificity of kallikrein-related peptidase 5 (KLK5) guides the design of new peptide substrates and inhibitors.

    PubMed

    de Veer, Simon J; Swedberg, Joakim E; Brattsand, Maria; Clements, Judith A; Harris, Jonathan M

    2016-12-01

    Kallikrein-related peptidase 5 (KLK5) is a promising therapeutic target in several skin diseases, including Netherton syndrome, and is emerging as a potential target in various cancers. In this study, we used a sparse matrix library of 125 individually synthesized peptide substrates to characterize the binding specificity of KLK5. The sequences most favored by KLK5 were GRSR, YRSR and GRNR, and we identified sequence-specific interactions involving the peptide N-terminus by analyzing kinetic constants (kcat and KM) and performing molecular dynamics simulations. KLK5 inhibitors were subsequently engineered by substituting substrate sequences into the binding loop (P1, P2 and P4 residues) of sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1). These inhibitors were effective against KLK5 but showed limited selectivity, and performing a further substitution at P2' led to the design of a new variant that displayed improved activity against KLK5 (Ki=4.2±0.2 nm), weak activity against KLK7 and 12-fold selectivity over KLK14. Collectively, these findings provide new insight into the design of highly favored binding sequences for KLK5 and reveal several opportunities for modulating inhibitor selectivity over closely related proteases that will be useful for future studies aiming to develop therapeutic molecules targeting KLK5.

  18. Assessment of renal response with urinary exosomes in patients with AL amyloidosis: A proof of concept.

    PubMed

    Ramirez-Alvarado, Marina; Barnidge, David R; Murray, David L; Dispenzieri, Angela; Marin-Argany, Marta; Dick, Christopher J; Cooper, Shawna A; Nasr, Samih H; Ward, Christopher J; Dasari, Surendra; Jiménez-Zepeda, Víctor H; Leung, Nelson

    2017-06-01

    Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a fatal complication of B-cell proliferation secondary to deposition of amyloid fibrils in various organs. Urinary exosomes (UEX) are the smallest of the microvesicles excreted in the urine. Previously, we found UEX of patients with AL amyloidosis contained immunoglobulin light chain (LC) oligomers that patients with multiple myeloma did not have. To further explore the role of the LC oligomers, UEX was isolated from an AL amyloidosis patient with progressive renal disease despite achieving a complete response. LC oligomers were identified. Mass spectrometry (MS) of the UEX and serum identified two monoclonal lambda LCs. Proteomics of the trypsin digested amyloid fragments in the kidney by laser microdissection and MS analysis identified a λ6 LC. The cDNA from plasma cell clone was from the IGLV- 6-57 family and it matched the amino acid sequences of the amyloid peptides. The predicted mass of the peptide product of the cDNA matched the mass of one of the two LCs identified in the UEX and serum. UEX combined with MS were able to identify 2 monoclonal lambda LCs that current clinical methods could not. It also identified the amyloidogenic LC which holds potential for response assessment in the future. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Expression of two barley proteinase inhibitors in tomato promotes endogenous defensive response and enhances resistance to Tuta absoluta.

    PubMed

    Hamza, Rim; Pérez-Hedo, Meritxell; Urbaneja, Alberto; Rambla, José L; Granell, Antonio; Gaddour, Kamel; Beltrán, José P; Cañas, Luis A

    2018-01-25

    Plants and insects have coexisted for million years and evolved a set of interactions which affect both organisms at different levels. Plants have developed various morphological and biochemical adaptations to cope with herbivores attacks. However, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) has become the major pest threatening tomato crops worldwide and without the appropriated management it can cause production losses between 80 to 100%. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo effect of a serine proteinase inhibitor (BTI-CMe) and a cysteine proteinase inhibitor (Hv-CPI2) from barley on this insect and to examine the effect their expression has on tomato defensive responses. We found that larvae fed on tomato transgenic plants co-expressing both proteinase inhibitors showed a notable reduction in weight. Moreover, only 56% of these larvae reached the adult stage. The emerged adults showed wings deformities and reduced fertility. We also investigated the effect of proteinase inhibitors ingestion on the insect digestive enzymes. Our results showed a decrease in larval trypsin activity. Transgenes expression had no harmful effect on Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Heteroptera: Miridae), a predator of Tuta absoluta, despite transgenic tomato plants attracted the mirid. We also found that barley cystatin expression promoted plant defense by inducing the expression of the tomato endogenous wound inducible Proteinase inhibitor 2 (Pin2) gene, increasing the production of glandular trichomes and altering the emission of volatile organic compounds. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of the co-expression of different proteinase inhibitors for the enhancement of plant resistance to Tuta absoluta.

  20. Wheat Subtilisin/Chymotrypsin Inhibitor (WSCI) as a scaffold for novel serine protease inhibitors with a given specificity.

    PubMed

    Tedeschi, Francesca; Di Maro, Antimo; Facchiano, Angelo; Costantini, Susan; Chambery, Angela; Bruni, Natalia; Capuzzi, Valeria; Ficca, Anna Grazia; Poerio, Elia

    2012-10-30

    WSCI (Wheat Subtilisin/Chymotrypsin Inhibitor) is a small protein belonging to the Potato inhibitor I family exhibiting a high content of essential amino acid. In addition to bacterial subtilisins and mammalian chymotrypsins, WSCI inhibits chymotrypsin-like activities isolated from digestive traits of a number of insect larvae. In vivo, as suggested for many plant proteinase inhibitors, WSCI seems to play a role of natural defence against attacks of pests and pathogens. The functional region of WSCI, containing the inhibitor reactive site (Met48-Glu49), corresponds to an extended flexible loop (Val42-Asp53) whose architecture is somehow stabilized by a number of secondary interactions established with a small β-sheet located underneath. The aim of this study was to employ a WSCI molecule as a stable scaffold to obtain recombinant inhibitors with new acquired anti-proteinase activity or, alternatively, inactive WSCI variants. A gene sequence coding for the native WSCI, along with genes coding for muteins with different specficities, could be exploited to obtain transformed non-food use plants with improved insect resistance. On the other hand, the genetic transformation of cereal plants over-expressing inactive WSCI muteins could represent a possible strategy to improve the nutritional quality of cereal-based foods, without risk of interference with human or animal digestive enzymes. Here, we described the characterization of four muteins containing single/multiple amino acid substitutions at the WSCI reactive site and/or at its proximity. Modalities of interaction of these muteins with proteinases (subtilisin, trypsin and chymotrypsin) were investigated by time course hydrolysis and molecular simulations studies.

  1. DNA-directed trypsin immobilization on a polyamidoamine dendrimer-modified capillary to form a renewable immobilized enzyme microreactor.

    PubMed

    Wu, Nan; Wang, Siming; Yang, Ye; Song, Jiayi; Su, Ping; Yang, Yi

    2018-07-01

    A novel type of trypsin capillary microreactor was developed based on a DNA-directed immobilization (DDI) technique applied to a fused-silica capillary modified with polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. Trypsin binding to the inner wall of the capillary was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The properties of the trypsin-DNA conjugated, PAMAM-modified capillary microreactor were investigated by monitoring hydrolysis of Nα-benzoyl- L -arginine ethyl ester. Through the hybridization and dehybridization of the DNA, the inner wall of the capillary functionalized with trypsin can be regenerated, thus indicating the renewability of this enzyme microreactor. In addition, these results demonstrated that introduction of PAMAM enabled higher amounts of trypsin to be immobilized, markedly improving the enzymolysis efficiency, compared with traditional modified capillaries. The digestion performance of the trypsin capillary microreactor was further evaluated by digesting cytochrome C, and a peptide numbers of 8, and a sequence coverage of 59% were obtained. This renewable and efficient immobilized trypsin capillary microreactor combines advantages of both DDI technology and PAMAM, and is potentially adaptable to high-throughput enzyme assays in biochemical and clinical research. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Development of a rapid high-efficiency scalable process for acetylated Sus scrofa cationic trypsin production from Escherichia coli inclusion bodies.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Mingzhi; Wu, Feilin; Xu, Ping

    2015-12-01

    Trypsin is one of the most important enzymatic tools in proteomics and biopharmaceutical studies. Here, we describe the complete recombinant expression and purification from a trypsinogen expression vector construct. The Sus scrofa cationic trypsin gene with a propeptide sequence was optimized according to Escherichia coli codon-usage bias and chemically synthesized. The gene was inserted into pET-11c plasmid to yield an expression vector. Using high-density E. coli fed-batch fermentation, trypsinogen was expressed in inclusion bodies at 1.47 g/L. The inclusion body was refolded with a high yield of 36%. The purified trypsinogen was then activated to produce trypsin. To address stability problems, the trypsin thus produced was acetylated. The final product was generated upon gel filtration. The final yield of acetylated trypsin was 182 mg/L from a 5-L fermenter. Our acetylated trypsin product demonstrated higher BAEE activity (30,100 BAEE unit/mg) than a commercial product (9500 BAEE unit/mg, Promega). It also demonstrated resistance to autolysis. This is the first report of production of acetylated recombinant trypsin that is stable and suitable for scale-up. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Xanthine crystals induced by topiroxostat, a xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitor, in rats, cause transitional cell tumors.

    PubMed

    Shimo, Takeo; Moto, Mitsuyoshi; Ashizawa, Naoki; Matsumoto, Koji; Iwanaga, Takashi; Saito, Kazuhiro

    2014-04-01

    The present study was performed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of transitional cell tumors found in the carcinogenicity testing of topiroxostat, a xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitor, in which topiroxostat was orally given to F344 rats at 0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg for 2 years. In the urinary bladder, transitional cell papillomas and/or carcinomas were seen in males receiving 0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg (1/49, 3/49, and 10/50, respectively). In the kidney, transitional cell papillomas and/or carcinomas in the pelvis were seen in 2/50 males and 1/50 females receiving 3 mg/kg. In the mechanistic study by 52-week oral treatment with topiroxostat at 3 mg/kg to F344 male rats, with and without citrate, simple and papillary transitional cell hyperplasias of the urinary bladder epithelium were observed in 5/17 in the topiroxostat-alone treatment group, along with xanthine-induced nephropathy, in contrast to neither xanthine crystals nor lesions in urinary organs by co-treatment group with citrate. As for sex differences of urinary bladder tumors, the BrdU labeling index for epithelial cells of the urinary bladder by 5-week oral treatment with topiroxostat at 10 mg/kg to F344 rats was increased in males only, showing consistency with histopathological findings. Therefore, the present study indicates that transitional cell tumors induced by topiroxostat in rats were due to physical stimulation to transitional cells of xanthine crystals/calculi and provides that other factors were not implicated in this tumorigenesis. Furthermore, the present study suggests that such tumors do not predict for humans since topiroxostat-induced xanthine deposition is a rodent-specific event.

  4. Biomarker and Drug Target Discovery Using Proteomics in a New Rat Model of Sepsis-Induced Acute Renal Failure

    PubMed Central

    Holly, Mikaela K.; Dear, James W.; Hu, Xuzhen; Schechter, Alan N.; Gladwin, Mark T.; Hewitt, Stephen M.; Yuen, Peter S.T.; Star, Robert A.

    2008-01-01

    Background Sepsis is one of the common causes of acute renal failure (ARF). The objective of this study was to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We present a new rat model of sepsis-induced ARF based on cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). We used this model to find urinary proteins which may be potential biomarkers and/or drug targets. Methods Aged rats were treated with fluids and antibiotics after CLP. Urinary proteins from septic rats without ARF and urinary proteins from septic rats with ARF were compared by difference in-gel electrophoresis (DIGE). Results CLP surgery elevated IL-6 and IL-10 serum cytokines and blood nitrite compared with sham-operated rats. However there was a range of serum creatinine values at 24 hrs (0.4–2.3 mg/dL) and only 24% developed ARF. Histology confirmed renal injury in these rats. 49% of rats did not develop ARF. Rats without ARF also had less liver injury. The mortality rate at 24 hrs was 27% but was increased by housing the post-surgery rats in metabolic cages. Creatinine clearance and urine output 2–8 hours after CLP was significantly reduced in rats which died within 24 hours. Using DIGE we identified changes in a number of urinary proteins including albumin, brush-border enzymes (eg., meprin-1-alpha) and serine protease inhibitors. The meprin-1-alpha inhibitor actinonin prevented ARF in aged mice. Conclusion In summary we describe a new rat model of sepsis-induced ARF which has a heterogeneous response similar to humans. This model allowed us to use DIGE to find changes in urinary proteins and this approach identified a potential biomarker and drug target – meprin-1-alpha. PMID:16760904

  5. Concentration and Separation of Active Proteins from Potato Industry Waste Based on Low-Temperature Evaporation and Ethanol Precipitation

    PubMed Central

    Ahokas, Mikko; Järvinen, Juho; Toivanen, Juho; Tanskanen, Juha P.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose. Potato fruit juice, a residue of starch industry, contains up to 2.5% [w/w] of proteins that are potentially valuable raw-materials of food, cosmetic, and pharma industries. The recovery of protein from the potato fruit juice is limited by the lack of industrially feasible concentration and separation technologies. The present research thus aimed at development of such process for the separation of active protease inhibitors from potato fruit juice. Methods. Low temperature mechanical vapor recompression evaporation was applied for concentration of potato fruit juice followed by ethanol precipitation for recovery of active proteins. The effects of precipitation temperature and precipitative agents were investigated employing response surface modeling methodology. Results. Concentration of potato fruit juice by evaporation was successful without loss of trypsin inhibition activity. Precipitation using 6.5 M ethanol at low temperature (0–+4°C) was found suitable for the recovery of active protease inhibitors from the concentrate. Piloting at starch industry yielded 50% of total proteins, with a high quantity of active protease inhibitors and a minor inclusion of other proteins. Conclusion. Concentration by low-temperature evaporation, followed by ethanol precipitation of protease inhibitors at optimized temperature, is an attractive option for valorization of potato fruit juice. PMID:28299232

  6. Dysregulation of Protease and Protease Inhibitors in a Mouse Model of Human Pelvic Organ Prolapse

    PubMed Central

    Budatha, Madhusudhan; Silva, Simone; Montoya, Teodoro Ignacio; Suzuki, Ayako; Shah-Simpson, Sheena; Wieslander, Cecilia Karin; Yanagisawa, Masashi; Word, Ruth Ann; Yanagisawa, Hiromi

    2013-01-01

    Mice deficient for the fibulin-5 gene (Fbln5−/−) develop pelvic organ prolapse (POP) due to compromised elastic fibers and upregulation of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-9. Here, we used casein zymography, inhibitor profiling, affinity pull-down, and mass spectrometry to discover additional protease upregulated in the vaginal wall of Fbln5−/− mice, herein named V1 (25 kDa). V1 was a serine protease with trypsin-like activity similar to protease, serine (PRSS) 3, a major extrapancreatic trypsinogen, was optimum at pH 8.0, and predominantly detected in estrogenized vaginal epithelium of Fbln5−/− mice. PRSS3 was (a) localized in epithelial secretions, (b) detected in media of vaginal organ culture from both Fbln5−/− and wild type mice, and (c) cleaved fibulin-5 in vitro. Expression of two serine protease inhibitors [Serpina1a (α1-antitrypsin) and Elafin] was dysregulated in Fbln5−/− epithelium. Finally, we confirmed that PRSS3 was expressed in human vaginal epithelium and that SERPINA1 and Elafin were downregulated in vaginal tissues from women with POP. These data collectively suggest that the balance between proteases and their inhibitors contributes to support of the pelvic organs in humans and mice. PMID:23437119

  7. The properties of B-form monoamine oxidase in mitochondria from monkey platelet.

    PubMed

    Obata, Toshio; Aomine, Masahiro

    The present study was examined the effect of the properties of monkey platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) based on inhibitor sensitivity. Monkey platelet showed a high MAO activity with beta-phenylethylamine (beta-PEA) as substrate and a very low A-form MAO activity with 5 hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) as substrate. Moreover, monkey platelet MAO was sensitive to the drugs deprenyl as B-form MAO inhibitor and less sensitive to clorgyline and harmaline as A form MAO inhibitor with beta-PEA as the B-form MAO substrate. B-form MAO from monkey platelet was more stable against heat treatment at 55 degrees C than B-form MAO in brain. After digestion with trypsin at 37 degrees C for 4 hrs, it was found that MAO from platelet was inhibited about 70% with beta-PEA as substrate with brain. The tricyclic antidepressant imipramine and nortriptyline inhibited B-form MAO activity more potency than B-form MAO in brain. However, when the noncyclic antidepressant nomifensine was used, monkey platelet B-form MAO activities were less potently inhibited. All these reagents were noncompetitive inhibitors of B form MAO in monkey platelet. The present studies demonstrated that monkey platelet MAO is a single of B-form MAO and sensitive to tricyclic antidepressants.

  8. Increased Klk9 Urinary Excretion Is Associated to Hypertension-Induced Cardiovascular Damage and Renal Alterations.

    PubMed

    Blázquez-Medela, Ana M; García-Sánchez, Omar; Quirós, Yaremi; Blanco-Gozalo, Victor; Prieto-García, Laura; Sancho-Martínez, Sandra M; Romero, Miguel; Duarte, Juan M; López-Hernández, Francisco J; López-Novoa, José M; Martínez-Salgado, Carlos

    2015-10-01

    Early detection of hypertensive end-organ damage and secondary diseases are key determinants of cardiovascular prognosis in patients suffering from arterial hypertension. Presently, there are no biomarkers for the detection of hypertensive target organ damage, most outstandingly including blood vessels, the heart, and the kidneys.We aimed to validate the usefulness of the urinary excretion of the serine protease kallikrein-related peptidase 9 (KLK9) as a biomarker of hypertension-induced target organ damage.Urinary, plasma, and renal tissue levels of KLK9 were measured by the Western blot in different rat models of hypertension, including angiotensin-II infusion, DOCA-salt, L-NAME administration, and spontaneous hypertension. Urinary levels were associated to cardiovascular and renal injury, assessed by histopathology. The origin of urinary KLK9 was investigated through in situ renal perfusion experiments.The urinary excretion of KLK9 is increased in different experimental models of hypertension in rats. The ACE inhibitor trandolapril significantly reduced arterial pressure and the urinary level of KLK9. Hypertension did not increase kidney, heart, liver, lung, or plasma KLK9 levels. Hypertension-induced increased urinary excretion of KLK9 results from specific alterations in its tubular reabsorption, even in the absence of overt nephropathy. KLK9 urinary excretion strongly correlates with cardiac hypertrophy and aortic wall thickening.KLK9 appears in the urine in the presence of hypertension as a result of subtle renal handling alterations. Urinary KLK9 might be potentially used as an indicator of hypertensive cardiac and vascular damage.

  9. Mechanism of cinnamic acid-induced trypsin inhibition: A multi-technique approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hongmei; Zhou, Qiuhua; Cao, Jian; Wang, Yanqing

    2013-12-01

    In order to investigate the association of the protease trypsin with cinnamic acid, the interaction was characterized by using fluorescence, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, molecular modeling and an enzymatic inhibition assay. The binding process may be outlined as follows: cinnamic acid can interact with trypsin with one binding site to form cinnamic acid-trypsin complex, resulting in inhibition of trypsin activity; the spectroscopic data show that the interaction is a spontaneous process with the estimated enthalpy and entropy changes being -8.95 kJ mol-1 and 50.70 J mol-1 K-1, respectively. Noncovalent interactions make the main contribution to stabilize the trypsin-cinnamic acid complex; cinnamic acid can enter into the primary substrate-binding pocket and alter the environment around Trp and Tyr residues.

  10. Enantioselective syntheses and biological studies of aeruginosin 298-A and its analogs: Application of catalytic asymmetric phase-transfer reaction

    PubMed Central

    Fukuta, Yuhei; Ohshima, Takashi; Gnanadesikan, Vijay; Shibuguchi, Tomoyuki; Nemoto, Tetsuhiro; Kisugi, Takaya; Okino, Tatsufumi; Shibasaki, Masakatsu

    2004-01-01

    Aeruginosin 298-A was isolated from the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (NIES-298) and is an equipotent thrombin and trypsin inhibitor. A variety of analogs were synthesized to gain insight into the structure–activity relations. We developed a versatile synthetic process for aeruginosin 298-A as well as several attractive analogs, in which all stereocenters were controlled by catalytic asymmetric phase-transfer reaction promoted by two-center asymmetric catalysts and catalytic asymmetric epoxidation promoted by a lanthanide–BINOL complex. Furthermore, serine protease inhibitory activities of aeruginosin 298-A and its analogs were examined. PMID:15004282

  11. Enantioselective syntheses and biological studies of aeruginosin 298-A and its analogs: application of catalytic asymmetric phase-transfer reaction.

    PubMed

    Fukuta, Yuhei; Ohshima, Takashi; Gnanadesikan, Vijay; Shibuguchi, Tomoyuki; Nemoto, Tetsuhiro; Kisugi, Takaya; Okino, Tatsufumi; Shibasaki, Masakatsu

    2004-04-13

    Aeruginosin 298-A was isolated from the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (NIES-298) and is an equipotent thrombin and trypsin inhibitor. A variety of analogs were synthesized to gain insight into the structure-activity relations. We developed a versatile synthetic process for aeruginosin 298-A as well as several attractive analogs, in which all stereocenters were controlled by catalytic asymmetric phase-transfer reaction promoted by two-center asymmetric catalysts and catalytic asymmetric epoxidation promoted by a lanthanide-BINOL complex. Furthermore, serine protease inhibitory activities of aeruginosin 298-A and its analogs were examined.

  12. Benefits/Risks of Sodium–Glucose Co-Transporter 2 Inhibitor Canagliflozin in Women for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, such as canagliflozin, are used in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In clinical studies, canagliflozin significantly reduced A1C, bodyweight and blood pressure, and was generally well tolerated with no increased risk of hypoglycemia. Most common adverse effects observed were genital mycotic infections and urinary tract infections, and increased urination. Approximately 10% of women treated with canagliflozin experienced a genital mycotic infection compared with 3% treated with placebo; those with a prior history were at greater risk. Approximately 9% of women treated with canagliflozin reported a urinary tract infection compared with 7% treated with placebo. Most adverse events were considered mild to moderate in intensity and responded to standard therapy. Treatment with canagliflozin was effective and generally well tolerated in both women (and men) with T2DM. PMID:26928259

  13. Effects of NADPH oxidase inhibitor on diabetic nephropathy in OLETF rats: the role of reducing oxidative stress in its protective property.

    PubMed

    Nam, Soo Min; Lee, Mi Young; Koh, Jang Hyun; Park, Jun Ho; Shin, Jang Yel; Shin, Young Goo; Koh, Sang Baek; Lee, Eun Young; Chung, Choon Hee

    2009-02-01

    Diabetic nephropathy is the most serious complication in diabetes mellitus. Oxidative stress via nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway play critical roles in the development of diabetic nephropathy. We evaluated the effects of apocynin, NADPH oxidase inhibitor on diabetic nephropathy in a type 2 diabetic rat model. Sixteen Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats and 9 Long Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) were divided into the following three groups: LETO rats (n=9), control OLETF rats (n=7) and apocynin-treated OLETF rats (n=9). We examined body weights, plasma glucose levels, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) and protein-creatinine ratio (PCR). At 50 weeks, experimental rats were sacrificed and their kidneys were extracted for hematoxylin eosin stain, immunohistochemical VEGF stain and VEGF mRNA real-time RT-PCR. To examine oxidative stress, we checked 24h urinary 8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine) and MDA (malondialdehyde). Urinary protein and albumin excretions were reduced after apocynin treatment, though apocynin could not significantly decrease serum glucose levels. There were improvements of glomerular and mesangial expansion in the apocynin-treated OLETF rats. Apocynin significantly decreased optical density of glomerular VEGF expression in immunohistochemical stain and reduced the concentration of 24h urinary 8-OHdG and MDA. From these results, it was suggested that apocynin may have the potential to protect against diabetic nephropathy via amelioration of oxidative stress.

  14. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) management in the primary care setting.

    PubMed

    Kapoor, Anil

    2012-10-01

    Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) occurs in up to 50% of men by age 50, and the incidence increases with age. This common clinical problem is diagnosed by history, including the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire, and physical examination by digital rectal examination (DRE). Initial management for BPH includes lifestyle modification, and smooth muscle relaxant alpha blocker therapy. Alpha blockers usually take effect quickly within 3-5 days, and have minimal side effects. Current commonly used alpha blockers include the selective alpha blockers tamsulosin (Flomax), alfusosin (Xatral), and silodosin (Rapaflo). For patients with larger prostates, the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor class (finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart)) work effectively to shrink prostate stroma resulting in improved voiding. The 5-ARI class of drugs, in addition to reducing prostate size, also reduce the need for future BPH-related surgery, and reduce the risk of future urinary retention. Drugs from the phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor class may now be considered for treating BPH. Once daily 5 mg tadalafil has been shown to improve BPH-related symptoms and is currently approved to treat patients with BPH. Referral to a urologist can be considered for patients with a rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA), especially while on 5-ARI, failure of urinary symptom control despite maximal medical therapy, suspicion of prostate cancer, hematuria, recurrent urinary infections, urinary retention, or renal failure. Currently the primary care physician is armed with multiple treatment options to effectively treat men with symptomatic BPH.

  15. Mechanism of cinnamic acid-induced trypsin inhibition: a multi-technique approach.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Hongmei; Zhou, Qiuhua; Cao, Jian; Wang, Yanqing

    2013-12-01

    In order to investigate the association of the protease trypsin with cinnamic acid, the interaction was characterized by using fluorescence, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, molecular modeling and an enzymatic inhibition assay. The binding process may be outlined as follows: cinnamic acid can interact with trypsin with one binding site to form cinnamic acid-trypsin complex, resulting in inhibition of trypsin activity; the spectroscopic data show that the interaction is a spontaneous process with the estimated enthalpy and entropy changes being -8.95 kJ mol(-1) and 50.70 J mol(-1) K(-1), respectively. Noncovalent interactions make the main contribution to stabilize the trypsin-cinnamic acid complex; cinnamic acid can enter into the primary substrate-binding pocket and alter the environment around Trp and Tyr residues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Modifications in trypsin digestion protocol for increasing the efficiency and coverage.

    PubMed

    Syal, Kirtimaan; Tadala, Raghu

    2015-01-01

    Standard trypsin digestion protocol of proteins followed by MALDI-MS analysis has been realized as an important tool for the identification and characterization of proteins. In this article, we proposed the elimination of the step of 'staining/de-staining of gel pieces' in in-gel digestion protocol in order to improve the efficiency of trypsin digestion. Coomassie dye is known to interfere with digestion of proteins by trypsin and the procedure of staining-de-staining could result in loss of photoaffinity probe, post translational modifications and catalytic activities of enzymes. Further, we studied parameters like hydrophobicity and isoelectric point, and attempted to quantitatively relate it to the efficiency of trypsin digestion. We suggest that properties of proteins should be considered and trypsin digestion protocol should be appropriately modified as per sequence and other information.

  17. Vesico-ureteric reflux: occurrence and long-term risks.

    PubMed

    Jacobson, S H; Hansson, S; Jakobsson, B

    1999-11-01

    The prevalence of vesico-ureteric reflux in the general population is unknown, but it is increased in risk groups, such as children with symptomatic urinary tract infection, schoolgirls with asymptomatic bacteriuria, first-degree relatives of patients with reflux and children with prenatal dilatation of their upper urinary tract. Children and adults with pyelonephritic renal scarring are at risk of serious long-term complications, e.g. hypertension and renal failure. Modern paediatric care, with early detection and treatment of urinary tract infections and reflux during childhood and adolescence, may improve long-term prognosis. In the adult patient with established pyelonephritic renal scarring, careful control of hypertension may retard the rate of progression, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors may have renal protective properties.

  18. Spontaneously released substance P and bradykinin from isolated guinea-pig bladder.

    PubMed

    Saban, R; Franz, J; Bjorling, D E

    1997-04-01

    To investigate whether the isolated urinary bladder spontaneously releases substance P (SP) or bradykinin (BK), which can act as potent mediators of pain and inflammation of the urinary bladder, and whether peptidase inhibitors enhance peptide release. Urinary bladder segments (2 x 10 x 0.8-1 mm) were isolated from guinea pigs and studied in vitro; tissue contraction was assessed using force-displacement transducers and the release of peptides by specific enzyme immunoassays. In the absence of any exogenous agonists, the inhibition of neutral endopeptidase and angiotensin-converting enzyme by phosphoramidon and captopril, respectively, increased the frequency and magnitude of spontaneous motility of isolated bladder strips. Phosphoramidon increased the net release of SP-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI) and captopril increased the net release of SP-LI and BK-LI, concomitant with contraction. Peptide-LI was recovered primarily from bladder mucosa and to a lesser degree from detrusor smooth muscle. Similarly, peptidase inhibitors primarily affected the bladder mucosa; phosphoramidon induced a fourfold increase in SP-LI and captopril induced a significant increase of SP-LI and BK-LI from the mucosa. Tissues contracted in response to peptidase inhibitors in the presence of atropine and indomethacin, but contraction was reduced significantly by in vitro capsaicin desensitization or removal of bladder mucosa. BK stimulated SP-LI release from mucosa but not detrusor. SP stimulated increased BK-LI release from mucosa and detrusor. These findings indicate the basal release of peptide-like immunoreactivity by isolated bladder and further support the concept that peptidases located in the bladder mucosa are important in terminating the effects of endogenous peptides.

  19. Pears and renal stones: possible weapon for prevention? A comprehensive narrative review.

    PubMed

    Manfredini, R; De Giorgi, A; Storari, A; Fabbian, F

    2016-01-01

    Urinary stones have been recognized as a human disease since dawn of history and treatment of this condition is reported by Egyptian medical writings. Also, pears have a very long history, being one of the earliest cultivated fruit trees and also known for medicinal use. Urinary tract stone formation represents a common condition and also a significant burden for health care service, due also to possible frequent relapses. Furthermore, urinary stones have been reported to have relationship with different metabolic derangements, and appropriate diet could contribute to avoid or reduce urinary stone formation. Citrate is an inhibitor of crystal growth in the urinary system, and hypocitraturia represents a main therapeutical target in stone formers. Pears contain a significant amount of malic acid, a precursor of citrate, and have antioxidant activity as well. A diet supplemented with pears, and associated with low consumption of meat and salt could impact positively cardiometabolic risk and urinary tract stone formation. However, very few studies evaluated the impact of pears utilization on health, and none on urinary tract stone formation in particular. High content in malate could warrant protection against stone formation, avoiding patients at high risk to be compelled to assume a considerable and expensive amount of pills.

  20. Renal and Cardiovascular Effects of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition in combination with loop Diuretics in diabetic patients with Chronic Heart Failure (RECEDE-CHF): protocol for a randomised controlled double-blind cross-over trial

    PubMed Central

    Mordi, Natalie A; Mordi, Ify R; Singh, Jagdeep S; Baig, Fatima; Choy, Anna-Maria; McCrimmon, Rory J; Struthers, Allan D; Lang, Chim C

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and heart failure (HF) are a frequent combination, where treatment options remain limited. There has been increasing interest around the sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and their use in patients with HF. Data on the effect of SGLT2 inhibitor use with diuretics are limited. We hypothesise that SGLT2 inhibition may augment the effects of loop diuretics and the benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors may extend beyond those of their metabolic (glycaemic parameters and weight loss) and haemodynamic parameters. The effects of SGLT2 inhibitors as an osmotic diuretic and on natriuresis may underlie the cardiovascular and renal benefits demonstrated in the recent EMPA-REG study. Methods and analysis To assess the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors when used in combination with a loop diuretic, the RECEDE-CHF (Renal and Cardiovascular Effects of SGLT2 inhibition in combination with loop Diuretics in diabetic patients with Chronic Heart Failure) trial is a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial conducted in a secondary care setting within NHS Tayside, Scotland. 34 eligible participants, aged between 18 and 80 years, with stable T2D and CHF will be recruited. Renal physiological testing will be performed at two points (week 1 and week 6) on each arm to assess the effect of 25 mg empagliflozin, on the primary and secondary outcomes. Participants will be enrolled in the trial for a total period between 14 and 16 weeks. The primary outcome will assess the effect of empagliflozin versus placebo on urine output. The secondary outcomes are to assess the effect of empagliflozin on glomerular filtration rate, cystatin C, urinary sodium excretion, urinary protein/creatinine ratio and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio when compared with placebo. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained by the East of Scotland Research Ethics Service. Results of the trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number NCT03226457; Pre-results. PMID:29042392

  1. Dissection of the binding of hydrogen peroxide to trypsin using spectroscopic methods and molecular modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Wei; Yu, Zehua; Hu, Xinxin; Liu, Rutao

    2015-02-01

    Studies on the effects of environmental pollutants to protein in vitro has become a global attention. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used as an effective food preservative and bleacher in industrial production. The toxicity of H2O2 to trypsin was investigated by multiple spectroscopic techniques and the molecular docking method at the molecular level. The intrinsic fluorescence of trypsin was proved to be quenched in a static process based on the results of fluorescence lifetime experiment. Hydrogen bonds interaction and van der Waals forces were the main force to generate the trypsin-H2O2 complex on account of the negative ΔH0 and ΔS0. The binding of H2O2 changed the conformational structures and internal microenvironment of trypsin illustrated by UV-vis absorption, fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) results. However, the binding site was far away from the active site of trypsin and the trypsin activity was only slightly affected by H2O2, which was further explained by molecular docking investigations.

  2. Investigation on potential enzyme toxicity of clenbuterol to trypsin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chai, Jun; Xu, Qifei; Dai, Jinping; Liu, Rutao

    2013-03-01

    Clenbuterol (CLB) is a kind of β2-adrenergic agonists which was illegally used as feed additives nowadays. The toxic interaction of CLB with trypsin, an important digestive enzyme, was studied in vitro using multi-spectroscopic methods and molecular modeling methods. CLB was proved to bind with trypsin in S1 pocket, forming a complex driven by the dominant force of H-bond. The binding constant was calculated to be 1.79887 × 105 L mol-1 at 289 K and 0.32584 × 105 L mol-1 at 310 K, respectively. The skeleton of trypsin became loosened and unfolded with the amino residues microenvironment changed. The secondary and tertiary structure of trypsin also varied. Molecular modeling studies illustrated specific display of the binding information and explained most of the experiment phenomena. The binding site of CLB induced the fluorescence quenching as well as inhibition of enzyme activity of trypsin. The study confirmed that CLB had potential toxicity on both the structure and function of trypsin and the effects enhanced with the increasing concentration of CLB.

  3. [Urinary tract infections and their prevention].

    PubMed

    González-Chamorro, F; Palacios, R; Alcover, J; Campos, J; Borrego, F; Dámaso, D

    2012-01-01

    This article reviews diverse aspects of the prevention of urinary tract infections, including confirmation of the diagnosis, application of hygiene and dietary measures, antibacterial prophylaxis (preferably consisting of a single nocturnal oral dose per day of an antibiotic or drug with high urinary excretion and good tolerance), and administration of vaccines made with Escherichia coli and other Gram-negative bacilli, consisting of immunostimulating fractions of E. coli strains or E. coli type-1 fimbriae administered through the parenteral or oral route. We aimed to review the new preventive measures against urinary tract infections. ACQUISITION AND SYNTHESIS OF EVIDENCE: We reviewed various microbiological aspects, as well as the physiopathology and virulence factors of uropathogenic E. coli strains expressing type-1 and P fimbriae. The association between blood groups and urinary tract infections in blood group antigen-secretors and nonsecretors was analyzed. New preventive measures against urinary tract infection consist of the use of phenol-inactivated vaccines administered via the mucosal route, inhibitors of bacterial adherence and biofilm formation and cyclic adenosine monophosphate stimulators, especially in women aged between puberty and menopause, who show the highest incidence of these infections. Copyright © 2011 AEU. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  4. Renal-Stone Risk Assessment During Space Shuttle Flights

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whitson, Peggy A.; Pietrzyk, Robert A.; Pak, Charles Y. C.

    1996-01-01

    The metabolic and environmental factors influencing renal stone formation before, during, and after Space Shuttle flights were assessed. We established the contributing roles of dietary factors in relationship to the urinary risk factors associated with renal stone formation. 24-hr urine samples were collected prior to, during space flight, and following landing. Urinary factors associated with renal stone formation were analyzed and the relative urinary supersaturation ratios of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate (brushite), sodium urate, struvite and uric acid were calculated. Food and fluid consumption was recorded for a 48-hr period ending with the urine collection. Urinary composition changed during flight to favor the crystallization of stone-forming salts. Factors that contributed to increased potential for stone formation during space flight were significant reductions in urinary pH and increases in urinary calcium. Urinary output and citrate, a potent inhibitor of calcium-containing stones, were slightly reduced during space flight. Dietary intakes were significantly reduced for a number of variables, including fluid, energy, protein, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. This is the first in-flight characterization of the renal stone forming potential in astronauts. With the examination of urinary components and nutritional factors, it was possible to determine the factors that contributed to increased risk or protected from risk. In spite of the protective components, the negative contributions to renal stone risk predominated and resulted in a urinary environment that favored the supersaturation of stone-forming salts. The importance of the hypercalciuria was noted since renal excretion was high relative to the intake.

  5. Renal stone risk assessment during Space Shuttle flights

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whitson, P. A.; Pietrzyk, R. A.; Pak, C. Y.

    1997-01-01

    PURPOSE: The metabolic and environmental factors influencing renal stone formation before, during, and after Space Shuttle flights were assessed. We established the contributing roles of dietary factors in relationship to the urinary risk factors associated with renal stone formation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 24-hr. urine samples were collected prior to, during space flight, and following landing. Urinary and dietary factors associated with renal stone formation were analyzed and the relative urinary supersaturation of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate (brushite), sodium urate, struvite and uric acid were calculated. RESULTS: Urinary composition changed during flight to favor the crystallization of calcium-forming salts. Factors that contributed to increased potential for stone formation during space flight were significant reductions in urinary pH and increases in urinary calcium. Urinary output and citrate, a potent inhibitor of calcium-containing stones, were slightly reduced during space flight. Dietary intakes were significantly reduced for a number of variables, including fluid, energy, protein, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first in-flight characterization of the renal stone forming potential in astronauts. With the examination of urinary components and nutritional factors, it was possible to determine the factors that contributed to increased risk or protected from risk. In spite of the protective components, the negative contributions to renal stone risk predominated and resulted in a urinary environment that favored the supersaturation of stone-forming salts. Dietary and pharmacologic therapies need to be assessed to minimize the potential for renal stone formation in astronauts during/after space flight.

  6. Engineering Protein Allostery: 1.05 Å Resolution Structure and Enzymatic Properties of a Na[superscript +]-activated Trypsin

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Page, Michael J.; Carrell, Christopher J.; Di Cera, Enrico

    2008-05-28

    Some trypsin-like proteases are endowed with Na{sup +}-dependent allosteric enhancement of catalytic activity, but this important mechanism has been difficult to engineer in other members of the family. Replacement of 19 amino acids in Streptomyces griseus trypsin targeting the active site and the Na{sup +}-binding site were found necessary to generate efficient Na{sup +} activation. Remarkably, this property was linked to the acquisition of a new substrate selectivity profile similar to that of factor Xa, a Na{sup -} activated protease involved in blood coagulation. The X-ray crystal structure of the mutant trypsin solved to 1.05 {angstrom} resolution defines the engineeredmore » Na{sup +} site and active site loops in unprecedented detail. The results demonstrate that trypsin can be engineered into an efficient allosteric protease, and that Na+ activation is interwoven with substrate selectivity in the trypsin scaffold.« less

  7. Flow Cytometry Method Analysis of Apoptosis: No Significant Difference Between EDTA and EDTA-free Trypsin Treatment Procedure.

    PubMed

    Xu, Xiao-yan; Nie, Xiao-cui; Ma, Hai-ying; Song, Guo-qing; Zhang, Xiao-tong; Jin, Yu-nan; Yu, Yan-qiu

    2015-04-01

    Flow cytometry method (FCM) is a generally accepted tool to analyze apoptosis. Although apoptosis assay kit was applied by many companies, the manufacturers were not consistent with whether using Trypsin with EDTA to collect the adherent cells. In another words, the influence of EDTA on apoptotic ratio is not clear. In this work, we compared the proportion of apoptotic cells with EDTA or EDTA-free Trypsin treatment by FCM. We concluded that Trypsin with or without EDTA has little influence on the proportion of apoptotic cells. In addition, we found that the ratio of necrosis and apoptosis was different in cells collected by scraping. WAVE2 protein was analyzed as a typical example for movement related protein. WAVE2 expression is elevated in the EDTA Trypsin treated group, compared with EDTA-free Trypsin treatment and scrapping group. © The Author(s) 2014.

  8. Novel Inhibitor Cystine Knot Peptides from Momordica charantia

    PubMed Central

    Clark, Richard J.; Tang, Jun; Zeng, Guang-Zhi; Franco, Octavio L.; Cantacessi, Cinzia; Craik, David J.; Daly, Norelle L.; Tan, Ning-Hua

    2013-01-01

    Two new peptides, MCh-1 and MCh-2, along with three known trypsin inhibitors (MCTI-I, MCTI-II and MCTI-III), were isolated from the seeds of the tropical vine Momordica charantia. The sequences of the peptides were determined using mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Using a strategy involving partial reduction and stepwise alkylation of the peptides, followed by enzymatic digestion and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing, the disulfide connectivity of MCh-1 was elucidated to be CysI-CysIV, CysII-CysV and CysIII-CysVI. The three-dimensional structures of MCh-1 and MCh-2 were determined using NMR spectroscopy and found to contain the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) motif. The sequences of the novel peptides differ significantly from peptides previously isolated from this plant. Therefore, this study expands the known peptide diversity in M. charantia and the range of sequences that can be accommodated by the ICK motif. Furthermore, we show that a stable two-disulfide intermediate is involved in the oxidative folding of MCh-1. This disulfide intermediate is structurally homologous to the proposed ancestral fold of ICK peptides, and provides a possible pathway for the evolution of this structural motif, which is highly prevalent in nature. PMID:24116036

  9. Differential antibiosis against Helicoverpa armigera exerted by distinct inhibitory repeat domains of Capsicum annuum proteinase inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Joshi, Rakesh S; Gupta, Vidya S; Giri, Ashok P

    2014-05-01

    Plant defensive serine proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are known to have negative impact on digestive physiology of herbivore insects and thus have a crucial role in plant protection. Here, we have assessed the efficacy and specificity of three previously characterized inhibitory repeat domain (IRD) variants from Capsicum annuum PIs viz., IRD-7, -9 and -12 against gut proteinases from Helicoverpa armigera. Comparative study of in silico binding energy revealed that IRD-9 possesses higher affinity towards H. armigera serine proteinases as compared to IRD-7 and -12. H. armigera fed on artificial diet containing 5 TIU/g of recombinant IRD proteins exhibited differential effects on larval growth, survival rate and other nutritional parameters. Major digestive gut trypsin and chymotrypsin genes were down regulated in the IRD fed larvae, while few of them were up-regulated, this indicate alterations in insect digestive physiology. The results corroborated with proteinase activity assays and zymography. These findings suggest that the sequence variations among PIs reflect in their efficacy against proteinases in vitro and in vivo, which also could be used for developing tailor-made multi-domain inhibitor gene(s). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. 3-Nitropropionic Acid is a Suicide Inhibitor of MitochondrialRespiration that, Upon Oxidation by Complex II, Forms a Covalent AdductWith a Catalytic Base Arginine in the Active Site of the Enzyme

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, Li-shar; Sun, Gang; Cobessi, David

    We report three new structures of mitochondrial respiratory Complex II (succinate ubiquinone oxidoreductase, E.C. 1.3.5.1) at up to 2.1 {angstrom} resolution, with various inhibitors. The structures define the conformation of the bound inhibitors and suggest the residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis at the dicarboxylate site. In particular they support the role of Arg297 as a general base catalyst accepting a proton in the dehydrogenation of succinate. The dicarboxylate ligand in oxaloacetate-containing crystals appears to be the same as that reported for Shewanella flavocytochrome c treated with fumarate. The plant and fungal toxin 3-nitropropionic acid, an irreversible inactivator ofmore » succinate dehydrogenase, forms a covalent adduct with the side chain of Arg297. The modification eliminates a trypsin cleavage site in the flavoprotein, and tandem mass spectroscopic analysis of the new fragment shows the mass of Arg 297 to be increased by 83 Da and to have potential of losing 44 Da, consistent with decarboxylation, during fragmentation.« less

  11. Development of a protease activity assay using heat-sensitive Tus-GFP fusion protein substrates.

    PubMed

    Askin, Samuel P; Morin, Isabelle; Schaeffer, Patrick M

    2011-08-15

    Proteases are implicated in various diseases and several have been identified as potential drug targets or biomarkers. As a result, protease activity assays that can be performed in high throughput are essential for the screening of inhibitors in drug discovery programs. Here we describe the development of a simple, general method for the characterization of protease activity and its use for inhibitor screening. GFP was genetically fused to a comparatively unstable Tus protein through an interdomain linker containing a specially designed protease site, which can be proteolyzed. When this Tus-GFP fusion protein substrate is proteolyzed it releases GFP, which remains in solution after a short heat denaturation and centrifugation step used to eliminate uncleaved Tus-GFP. Thus, the increase in GFP fluorescence is directly proportional to protease activity. We validated the protease activity assay with three different proteases, i.e., trypsin, caspase 3, and neutrophil elastase, and demonstrated that it can be used to determine protease activity and the effect of inhibitors with small sample volumes in just a few simple steps using a fluorescence plate reader. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. The Kallikrein-Kinin System in Bartter's Syndrome and Its Response to Prostaglandin Synthetase Inhibition

    PubMed Central

    Vinci, Joseph M.; Gill, John R.; Bowden, Robert E.; Pisano, John J.; Izzo, Joseph L.; Radfar, Nazam; Taylor, Addison A.; Zusman, Randall M.; Bartter, Frederic C.; Keiser, Harry R.

    1978-01-01

    The kallikrein-kinin system was characterized in seven patients with Bartter's syndrome on constant metabolic regimens before, during, and after treatment with prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors. Patients with Bartter's syndrome had high values for plasma bradykinin, plasma renin activity (PRA), urinary kallikrein, urinary immunoreactive prostaglandin E excretion, and urinary aldosterone; urinary kinins were subnormal and plasma prekallikrein was normal. Treatment with indomethacin or ibuprofen which decreased urinary immunoreactive prostaglandin E excretion by 67%, decreased mean PRA (patients recumbent) from 17.3±5.3 (S.E.M.) ng/ml per h to 3.3±1.1 ng/ml per h, mean plasma bradykinin (patients recumbent) from 15.4±4.4 ng/ml to 3.9±0.9 ng/ml, mean urinary kallikrein excretion from 24.8±3.2 tosyl-arginine-methyl ester units (TU)/day to 12.4±2.0 TU/day, but increased mean urinary kinin excretion from 3.8±1.3 μg/day to 8.5±2.5 μg/day. Plasma prekallikrein remained unchanged at 1.4 TU/ml. Thus, with prostaglandin synthetase inhibition, values for urinary kallikrein and kinin and plasma bradykinin returned to normal pari passu with changes in PRA, in aldosterone, and in prostaglandin E. The results suggest that, in Bartter's syndrome, prostaglandins mediate the low urinary kinins and the high plasma bradykinin, and that urinary kallikrein, which is aldosterone dependent, does not control kinin excretion. The high plasma bradykinin may be a cause of the pressor hyporesponsiveness to angiotensin II which characterizes the syndrome. PMID:96139

  13. Increased Klk9 Urinary Excretion Is Associated to Hypertension-Induced Cardiovascular Damage and Renal Alterations

    PubMed Central

    Blázquez-Medela, Ana M.; García-Sánchez, Omar; Quirós, Yaremi; Blanco-Gozalo, Victor; Prieto-García, Laura; Sancho-Martínez, Sandra M.; Romero, Miguel; Duarte, Juan M.; López-Hernández, Francisco J.; López-Novoa, José M.; Martínez-Salgado, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Early detection of hypertensive end-organ damage and secondary diseases are key determinants of cardiovascular prognosis in patients suffering from arterial hypertension. Presently, there are no biomarkers for the detection of hypertensive target organ damage, most outstandingly including blood vessels, the heart, and the kidneys. We aimed to validate the usefulness of the urinary excretion of the serine protease kallikrein-related peptidase 9 (KLK9) as a biomarker of hypertension-induced target organ damage. Urinary, plasma, and renal tissue levels of KLK9 were measured by the Western blot in different rat models of hypertension, including angiotensin-II infusion, DOCA-salt, L-NAME administration, and spontaneous hypertension. Urinary levels were associated to cardiovascular and renal injury, assessed by histopathology. The origin of urinary KLK9 was investigated through in situ renal perfusion experiments. The urinary excretion of KLK9 is increased in different experimental models of hypertension in rats. The ACE inhibitor trandolapril significantly reduced arterial pressure and the urinary level of KLK9. Hypertension did not increase kidney, heart, liver, lung, or plasma KLK9 levels. Hypertension-induced increased urinary excretion of KLK9 results from specific alterations in its tubular reabsorption, even in the absence of overt nephropathy. KLK9 urinary excretion strongly correlates with cardiac hypertrophy and aortic wall thickening. KLK9 appears in the urine in the presence of hypertension as a result of subtle renal handling alterations. Urinary KLK9 might be potentially used as an indicator of hypertensive cardiac and vascular damage. PMID:26469898

  14. Analysis of fast boundary-integral approximations for modeling electrostatic contributions of molecular binding

    PubMed Central

    Kreienkamp, Amelia B.; Liu, Lucy Y.; Minkara, Mona S.; Knepley, Matthew G.; Bardhan, Jaydeep P.; Radhakrishnan, Mala L.

    2013-01-01

    We analyze and suggest improvements to a recently developed approximate continuum-electrostatic model for proteins. The model, called BIBEE/I (boundary-integral based electrostatics estimation with interpolation), was able to estimate electrostatic solvation free energies to within a mean unsigned error of 4% on a test set of more than 600 proteins—a significant improvement over previous BIBEE models. In this work, we tested the BIBEE/I model for its capability to predict residue-by-residue interactions in protein–protein binding, using the widely studied model system of trypsin and bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). Finding that the BIBEE/I model performs surprisingly less well in this task than simpler BIBEE models, we seek to explain this behavior in terms of the models’ differing spectral approximations of the exact boundary-integral operator. Calculations of analytically solvable systems (spheres and tri-axial ellipsoids) suggest two possibilities for improvement. The first is a modified BIBEE/I approach that captures the asymptotic eigenvalue limit correctly, and the second involves the dipole and quadrupole modes for ellipsoidal approximations of protein geometries. Our analysis suggests that fast, rigorous approximate models derived from reduced-basis approximation of boundary-integral equations might reach unprecedented accuracy, if the dipole and quadrupole modes can be captured quickly for general shapes. PMID:24466561

  15. A small molecule fusion inhibitor of dengue virus.

    PubMed

    Poh, Mee Kian; Yip, Andy; Zhang, Summer; Priestle, John P; Ma, Ngai Ling; Smit, Jolanda M; Wilschut, Jan; Shi, Pei-Yong; Wenk, Markus R; Schul, Wouter

    2009-12-01

    The dengue virus envelope protein plays an essential role in viral entry by mediating fusion between the viral and host membranes. The crystal structure of the envelope protein shows a pocket (located at a "hinge" between Domains I and II) that can be occupied by ligand n-octyl-beta-D-glucoside (betaOG). Compounds blocking the betaOG pocket are thought to interfere with conformational changes in the envelope protein that are essential for fusion. Two fusion assays were developed to examine the anti-fusion activities of compounds. The first assay measures the cellular internalization of propidium iodide upon membrane fusion. The second assay measures the protease activity of trypsin upon fusion between dengue virions and trypsin-containing liposomes. We performed an in silico virtual screening for small molecules that can potentially bind to the betaOG pocket and tested these candidate molecules in the two fusion assays. We identified one compound that inhibits dengue fusion in both assays with an IC(50) of 6.8 microM and reduces viral titers with an EC(50) of 9.8 microM. Time-of-addition experiments showed that the compound was only active when present during viral infection but not when added 1h later, in agreement with a mechanism of action through fusion inhibition.

  16. Proteinases during Early Development of the Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp Penaeus vannamei.

    PubMed

    Hernandez-Cortes, Patricia; Rivera-Pérez, Crisalejandra; García-Carreño, Fernando; Martínez-Alarcón, Diana

    2017-02-01

    During shrimp larval development, changes occur in molecular components. Enzyme activity and mRNA expression of proteinases were assayed in Penaeus vannamei during larval development, which consists of 5 nauplius stages, 3 protozoeal stages, 3 mysis stages, and 12 postlarval stages. Trypsin activity reached a maximum at the beginning of postlarval stages 1 and 2, and significantly decreased in subsequent postlarval stages. Chymotrypsin activity increased at the third protozoeal stage, then significantly decreased in subsequent stages. Identification of proteinase by mass spectrometry and inhibitors allowed us to track their appearance in zymograms and to distinguish between isoenzymes. Chymotrypsin BI and BII had a distinguishing pattern of appearance during larval development, which could compensate for the reduction in trypsin activity. The mRNA content of isotrypsin 21, chymotrypsin 1, and zinc proteinase was differentially expressed in larvae. Zinc proteinase and chymotrypsin 1 mRNA were expressed at a basal content at the beginning of the protozoeal stages, increased by the end of the mysis stages and onward, while isotrypsin 21 mRNA had a peak at mysis stage 3. Transcript changes reflect transcriptional regulation of the proteinases tested. Proteinase mRNA in tissues, other than the digestive gland, suggests potentially different roles besides digestion during ontogeny.

  17. Cloned cytolytic T-effector cells and their malignant variants produce an extracellular matrix degrading trypsin-like serine proteinase.

    PubMed Central

    Simon, M M; Simon, H G; Fruth, U; Epplen, J; Müller-Hermelink, H K; Kramer, M D

    1987-01-01

    This report describes the distribution of a trypsin-like proteinase in defined homogeneous cytolytic T-cell lines (CTLL) and their in vitro and in vivo derived malignant T-lymphoma variants. By means of chromogenic peptide substrates, we found the enzyme to attack preferentially at the carboxy terminus of arginine, in particular when non-polar amino acids were present in the amino terminal neighbouring position. The enzyme was identified by means of various inhibitors as a serine type proteinase having a pH optimum around 8 X 5. Affinity chromatography in connection with molecular sieving resulted in a 200-fold purification and indicated a molecular weight (MW) of about 50,000 for the proteinase. The enzyme was found to be highly expressed in antigen-specific CTLL as well as in their tumorigenic variants. Both intact lymphocytes of all CTLL tested and Triton X-100 lysates or enriched proteinase preparations thereof were able to degrade a high molecular weight protein (casein) and to release high molecular weight split products from the sulphated proteoglycans in subendothelial extracellular matrix. The results are discussed with respect to the invasiveness of normal and malignant T lymphocytes and the proteinase is suggested to be crucially involved in the process of cellular migration in vivo. Images Figure 1 PMID:3546101

  18. Human Erythrocyte Glucose Transporter: Normal Asymmetric Orientation and Function in Liposomes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Chia-Chen; Kurokawa, Tomonori; Shaw, Shyh-Yu; Tillotson, Loyal G.; Kalled, Susan; Isselbacher, Kurt J.

    1986-04-01

    The transport function and orientation of the reconstituted human erythrocyte glucose transporter was studied with liposomes made with bovine brain lipid or Escherichia coli lipid. Reconstitution was achieved by a simple octyl glucoside dilution method. The reconstituted transporters with either lipid showed identical counterflow transport activity, the same response to various inhibitors, and characteristic cytochalasin B (CB) labeling. Functional location and purification of the glucose transporter was performed by using gel-permeation high-performance liquid chromatography with octyl glucoside-containing buffer. The reconstituted transport activity was associated only with band 4.5 protein (preactin) and not with band 3 protein. Both CB binding and transport function of the reconstituted transporters were resistant to trypsin but susceptible to chymotrypsin digestion. However, both trypsin and chymotrypsin treatment of unsealed ghosts completely eliminated the CB labeling and transport function of the glucose transporter. In our reconstitution system the glucose transporters maintained a normal asymmetrical (rightside-out) orientation and good transport function. A specific monoclonal antibody against the glucose transporter inhibited CB labeling of the transporters on unsealed ghosts. This was not found with the reconstituted system; however, after freeze-thawing there was a significant inhibition of CB binding by the antibody. These findings suggest that the CB-binding site of the reconstituted transporter is on the inner side of the proteoliposomes.

  19. Nutritional quality of extruded kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Pinto) and its effects on growth and skeletal muscle nitrogen fractions in rats.

    PubMed

    Marzo, F; Alonso, R; Urdaneta, E; Arricibita, F J; Ibáñez, F

    2002-04-01

    The influence of extrusion cooking on the protein content, amino acid profile, and concentration of antinutritive compounds (phytic acid, condensed tannins, polyphenols, trypsin, chymotrypsin, alpha-amylase inhibitors, and hemagglutinating activity) in kidney bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Pinto) was investigated. Growing male rats were fed diets based on casein containing raw or extruded kidney beans with or without methionine supplementation for 8 or 15 d. Rates of growth, food intake, and protein efficiency ratio were measured and the weight of the gastrocnemius muscle and the composition of its nitrogenous fraction was determined. Extrusion cooking reduced (P < 0.01) phytic acid, condensed tannins, and trypsin, chymotrypsin, and (alpha-amylase inhibitory activities. Furthermore, hemagglutinating activity was abolished by extrusion treatment. Protein content was not affected by this thermal treatment. Rats fed raw kidney bean lost BW rapidly and the majority died by 9 d. Pretreatment of the beans by extrusion cooking improved food intake and utilization by the rats and they gained BW. Supplementation of extruded kidney bean with methionine further enhanced (P < 0.01) food conversion efficiency and growth. However, BW gains and muscle composition still differed (P < 0.01) from those of rats fed a high-quality protein.

  20. Hydrophobic photolabeling identifies BHA2 as the subunit mediating the interaction of bromelain-solubilized influenza virus hemagglutinin with liposomes at low pH

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harter, C.; Baechi, T.S.; Semenza, G.

    1988-03-22

    To investigate the molecular basis of the low-pH-mediated interaction of the bromelain-solubilized ectodomain of influenza virus hemagglutinin (BHA) with membranes, we have photolabeled BHA in the presence of liposomes with the two carbene-generating, membrane-directed reagents 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(m-(/sup 125/I)iodophenyl)diazirine ((/sup 125/I)TID) and a new analogue of a phospholipid, 1-palmitoyl-2-(11-(4-(3-(trifluoromethyl)diazirinyl)phenyl)(2-/sup 3/H) undecanoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine ((/sup 3/H)-PTPC/11). With the latter reagent, BHA was labeled in a strictly pH-dependent manner, i.e., at pH 5 only, whereas with (/sup 125/I)TID, labeling was seen also at pH 7. In all experiments, the label was selectively incorporated into the BHA2 polypeptide, demonstrating that the interaction of BHA with membranes ismore » mediated through this subunit, possibly via its hydrophobic N-terminal segment. Similar experiments with a number of other water-soluble proteins (ovalbumin, carbonic anhydrase, alpha-lactalbumin, trypsin, and soybean trypsin inhibitor) indicate that the ability to interact with liposomes at low pH is not a property specific for BHA but is observed with other, perhaps most, proteins.« less

  1. Immobilization of Trypsin in Lignocellulosic Waste Material to Produce Peptides with Bioactive Potential from Whey Protein

    PubMed Central

    Bassan, Juliana Cristina; de Souza Bezerra, Thaís Milena; Peixoto, Guilherme; da Cruz, Clariana Zanutto Paulino; Galán, Julián Paul Martínez; Vaz, Aline Buda dos Santos; Garrido, Saulo Santesso; Filice, Marco; Monti, Rubens

    2016-01-01

    In this study, trypsin (Enzyme Comission 3.4.21.4) was immobilized in a low cost, lignocellulosic support (corn cob powder—CCP) with the goal of obtaining peptides with bioactive potential from cheese whey. The pretreated support was activated with glyoxyl groups, glutaraldehyde and IDA-glyoxyl. The immobilization yields of the derivatives were higher than 83%, and the retention of catalytic activity was higher than 74%. The trypsin-glyoxyl-CCP derivative was thermally stable at 65 °C, a value that was 1090-fold higher than that obtained with the free enzyme. The trypsin-IDA-glyoxyl-CCP and trypsin-glutaraldehyde-CCP derivatives had thermal stabilities that were 883- and five-fold higher, respectively, then those obtained with the free enzyme. In the batch experiments, trypsin-IDA-glyoxyl-CCP retained 91% of its activity and had a degree of hydrolysis of 12.49%, while the values for trypsin-glyoxyl-CCP were 87% and 15.46%, respectively. The stabilized derivative trypsin-glyoxyl-CCP was also tested in an upflow packed-bed reactor. The hydrodynamic characterization of this reactor was a plug flow pattern, and the kinetics of this system provided a relative activity of 3.04 ± 0.01 U·g−1 and an average degree of hydrolysis of 23%, which were suitable for the production of potentially bioactive peptides. PMID:28773482

  2. Polyphenol fatty acid esters as serine protease inhibitors: a quantum-chemical QSAR analysis.

    PubMed

    Viskupicova, Jana; Danihelova, Martina; Majekova, Magdalena; Liptaj, Tibor; Sturdik, Ernest

    2012-12-01

    We investigated the ability of polyphenol fatty acid esters to inhibit the activity of serine proteases trypsin, thrombin, elastase and urokinase. Potent protease inhibition in micromolar range was displayed by rutin and rutin derivatives esterified with medium and long chain, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (1e-m), followed by phloridzin and esculin esters with medium and long fatty acid chain length (2a-d, 3a-d), while unmodified compounds showed only little or no effect. QSAR study of the compounds tested provided the most significant parameters for individual inhibition activities, i.e. number of hydrogen bond donors for urokinase, molecular volume for thrombin, and solvation energy for elastase. According to the statistical analysis, the action of elastase inhibitors is opposed to those of urokinase and thrombin. Cluster analysis showed two groups of compounds: original polyphenols together with rutin esters with short fatty acid chain length and rutin esters with long fatty acid chain length.

  3. Multifunctional Cinnamic Acid Derivatives.

    PubMed

    Peperidou, Aikaterini; Pontiki, Eleni; Hadjipavlou-Litina, Dimitra; Voulgari, Efstathia; Avgoustakis, Konstantinos

    2017-07-25

    Our research to discover potential new multitarget agents led to the synthesis of 10 novel derivatives of cinnamic acids and propranolol, atenolol, 1-adamantanol, naphth-1-ol, and (benzylamino) ethan-1-ol. The synthesized molecules were evaluated as trypsin, lipoxygenase and lipid peroxidation inhibitors and for their cytotoxicity. Compound 2b derived from phenoxyphenyl cinnamic acid and propranolol showed the highest lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition (IC 50 = 6 μΜ) and antiproteolytic activity (IC 50 = 0.425 μΜ). The conjugate 1a of simple cinnamic acid with propranolol showed the higher antiproteolytic activity (IC 50 = 0.315 μΜ) and good LOX inhibitory activity (IC 50 = 66 μΜ). Compounds 3a and 3b , derived from methoxylated caffeic acid present a promising combination of in vitro inhibitory and antioxidative activities. The S isomer of 2b also presented an interesting multitarget biological profile in vitro . Molecular docking studies point to the fact that the theoretical results for LOX-inhibitor binding are identical to those from preliminary in vitro study.

  4. Nematode sperm maturation triggered by protease involves sperm-secreted serine protease inhibitor (Serpin)

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Yanmei; Sun, Wei; Zhang, Pan; Chi, Hao; Zhang, Mei-Jun; Song, Chun-Qing; Ma, Xuan; Shang, Yunlong; Wang, Bin; Hu, Youqiao; Hao, Zhiqi; Hühmer, Andreas F.; Meng, Fanxia; L'Hernault, Steven W.; He, Si-Min; Dong, Meng-Qiu; Miao, Long

    2012-01-01

    Spermiogenesis is a series of poorly understood morphological, physiological and biochemical processes that occur during the transition of immotile spermatids into motile, fertilization-competent spermatozoa. Here, we identified a Serpin (serine protease inhibitor) family protein (As_SRP-1) that is secreted from spermatids during nematode Ascaris suum spermiogenesis (also called sperm activation) and we showed that As_SRP-1 has two major functions. First, As_SRP-1 functions in cis to support major sperm protein (MSP)-based cytoskeletal assembly in the spermatid that releases it, thereby facilitating sperm motility acquisition. Second, As_SRP-1 released from an activated sperm inhibits, in trans, the activation of surrounding spermatids by inhibiting vas deferens-derived As_TRY-5, a trypsin-like serine protease necessary for sperm activation. Because vesicular exocytosis is necessary to create fertilization-competent sperm in many animal species, components released during this process might be more important modulators of the physiology and behavior of surrounding sperm than was previously appreciated. PMID:22307610

  5. Protease inhibitors from several classes work synergistically against Callosobruchus maculatus.

    PubMed

    Amirhusin, Bahagiawati; Shade, Richard E; Koiwa, Hisashi; Hasegawa, Paul M; Bressan, Ray A; Murdock, Larry L; Zhu-Salzman, Keyan

    2007-07-01

    Targeting multiple digestive proteases may be more effective in insect pest control than inhibition of a single enzyme class. We therefore explored possible interactions of three antimetabolic protease inhibitors fed to cowpea bruchids in artificial diets, using a recombinant soybean cysteine protease inhibitor scN, an aspartic protease inhibitor pepstatin A, and soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor KI. scN and pepstatin, inhibiting major digestive cysteine and aspartic proteases, respectively, significantly prolonged the developmental time of cowpea bruchids individually. When combined, the anti-insect effect was synergistic, i.e., the toxicity of the mixture was markedly greater than that of scN or pepstatin alone. KI alone did not impact insect development even at relatively high concentrations, but its anti-insect properties became apparent when acting jointly with scN or scN plus pepstatin. Incubating KI with bruchid midgut extract showed that it was partially degraded. This instability may explain its lack of anti-insect activity. However, this proteolytic degradation was inhibited by scN and/or pepstatin. Protection of KI from proteolysis in the insect digestive tract thus could be the basis for the synergistic effect. These observations support the concept that cowpea bruchid gut proteases play a dual role; digesting protein for nutrient needs and protecting insects by inactivating dietary proteins that may otherwise be toxic. Our results also suggest that transgenic resistance strategies that involve multigene products are likely to have enhanced efficacy and durability.

  6. Heterologous expression of Cenchritis muricatus protease inhibitor II (CmPI-II) in Pichia pastoris system: Purification, isotopic labeling and preliminary characterization.

    PubMed

    Cabrera-Muñoz, Aymara; Rojas, Laritza; Gil, Dayrom F; González-González, Yamile; Mansur, Manuel; Camejo, Ayamey; Pires, José R; Alonso-Del-Rivero Antigua, Maday

    2016-10-01

    Cenchritis muricatus protease inhibitor II (CmPI-II) is a tight-binding serine protease inhibitor of the Kazal family with an atypical broad specificity, being active against several proteases such as bovine pancreatic trypsin, human neutrophil elastase and subtilisin A. CmPI-II 3D structures are necessary for understanding the molecular basis of its activity. In the present work, we describe an efficient and straightforward recombinant expression strategy, as well as a cost-effective procedure for isotope labeling for NMR structure determination purposes. The vector pCM101 containing the CmPI-II gene, under the control of Pichia pastoris AOX1 promoter was constructed. Methylotrophic Pichia pastoris strain KM71H was then transformed with the plasmid and the recombinant protein (rCmPI-II) was expressed in benchtop fermenter in unlabeled or (15)N-labeled forms using ammonium chloride ((15)N, 99%) as the sole nitrogen source. Protein purification was accomplished by sequential cation exchange chromatography in STREAMLINE DirectHST, anion exchange chromatography on Hitrap Q-Sepharose FF and gel filtration on Superdex 75 10/30, yielding high quantities of pure rCmPI-II and (15)N rCmPI-II. Recombinant proteins displayed similar functional features as compared to the natural inhibitor and NMR spectra indicated folded and homogeneously labeled samples, suitable for further studies of structure and protease-inhibitor interactions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A serine peptidase responsible for the inactivation of endogenous cholecystokinin in brain.

    PubMed

    Rose, C; Camus, A; Schwartz, J C

    1988-11-01

    A serine endopeptidase was characterized as a major inactivating enzyme for endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) in brain. CCK-8 released by depolarization of slices of rat cerebral cortex, as measured by its immunoreactivity (CCK-ir), undergoes extensive degradation (approximately 85% of the amount released) before reaching the incubation medium. However, recovery of CCK-ir is enhanced up to 3-fold in the presence of serine-alkylating reagents (i.e., phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride) as well as selected active site-directed inactivators (i.e., peptide chloromethyl ketones) or transition-state inhibitors (i.e., peptide boronic acids) of serine peptidases. Among these compounds, elastase inhibitors were the most potent protecting agents, whereas trypsin or chymotrypsin inhibitors were ineffective. HPLC analysis of endogenous CCK-ir recovered in media of depolarized slices indicated that endogenous CCK-5 [CCK-(29-33)-pentapeptide] was the most abundant fragment and that its formation was strongly decreased in the presence of an elastase inhibitor. HPLC analysis of fragments formed upon incubation of exogenous CCK-8 [CCK-(26-33)-octapeptide] with brain slices showed CCK-5, Gly-Trp-Met, and Trp-Met to be major metabolites of CCK-8 whose formation was prevented or at least diminished in the presence of the elastase inhibitor. It is concluded that there is an elastase-like serine endopeptidase in brain that cleaves the two peptide bonds of CCK-8 where the carboxyl group is donated by a methionine residue and constitutes a major inactivation ectoenzyme for the neuropeptide.

  8. A serine peptidase responsible for the inactivation of endogenous cholecystokinin in brain.

    PubMed Central

    Rose, C; Camus, A; Schwartz, J C

    1988-01-01

    A serine endopeptidase was characterized as a major inactivating enzyme for endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) in brain. CCK-8 released by depolarization of slices of rat cerebral cortex, as measured by its immunoreactivity (CCK-ir), undergoes extensive degradation (approximately 85% of the amount released) before reaching the incubation medium. However, recovery of CCK-ir is enhanced up to 3-fold in the presence of serine-alkylating reagents (i.e., phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride) as well as selected active site-directed inactivators (i.e., peptide chloromethyl ketones) or transition-state inhibitors (i.e., peptide boronic acids) of serine peptidases. Among these compounds, elastase inhibitors were the most potent protecting agents, whereas trypsin or chymotrypsin inhibitors were ineffective. HPLC analysis of endogenous CCK-ir recovered in media of depolarized slices indicated that endogenous CCK-5 [CCK-(29-33)-pentapeptide] was the most abundant fragment and that its formation was strongly decreased in the presence of an elastase inhibitor. HPLC analysis of fragments formed upon incubation of exogenous CCK-8 [CCK-(26-33)-octapeptide] with brain slices showed CCK-5, Gly-Trp-Met, and Trp-Met to be major metabolites of CCK-8 whose formation was prevented or at least diminished in the presence of the elastase inhibitor. It is concluded that there is an elastase-like serine endopeptidase in brain that cleaves the two peptide bonds of CCK-8 where the carboxyl group is donated by a methionine residue and constitutes a major inactivation ectoenzyme for the neuropeptide. PMID:3186727

  9. SGLT2-inhibitors: a novel class for the treatment of type 2 diabetes introduction of SGLT2-inhibitors in clinical practice.

    PubMed

    Cuypers, J; Mathieu, C; Benhalima, K

    2013-01-01

    Treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) continues to present challenges, with significant proportion of patients failing to achieve and maintain glycemic targets. Despite the availability of many oral antidiabetic agents, therapeutic efficacy is offset by side effects such as weight gain and hypoglycemia. Therefore, the search for novel therapeutic agents with an improved benefit-risk profile continues. Recent research has focused on the kidney as a potential therapeutic target, especially because maximal renal glucose reabsorption is increased in T2DM. Under normal physiological conditions, nearly all filtered glucose is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule of the nephron, principally via the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2). SGLT2-inhibitors are a new class of oral antidiabetics, which reduce hyperglycemia by increasing urinary glucose excretion independently of insulin secretion or action. Clinical results are promising with significant lowering of HbA1c without increased risk of hypoglycemia, reduction of body weight and reduction of systolic blood pressure. Dapagliflozin is the first highly selective SGLT2-inhibitor approved by the European Medecine Agency. Canagliflozin and empagliflozin are undergoing phase III trials. Actual safety issues are an increased risk for genital- and urinary tract infections and a possible increased risk for bladder and breast cancer. This led to refusal of dapagliflozin by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A large randomized control trial is therefore warranted by the FDA. This review provides an overview of the current evidence available so far on the therapeutic potential of the SGLT2-inhibitors for the treatment of T2DM.

  10. Flow Cytometry of Human Primary Epidermal and Follicular Keratinocytes

    PubMed Central

    Gragnani, Alfredo; Ipolito, Michelle Zampieri; Sobral, Christiane S; Brunialti, Milena Karina Coló; Salomão, Reinaldo; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

    2008-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize using flow cytometry cultured human primary keratinocytes isolated from the epidermis and hair follicles by different methods. Methods: Human keratinocytes derived from discarded fragments of total skin and scalp hair follicles from patients who underwent plastic surgery in the Plastic Surgery Division at UNIFESP were used. The epidermal keratinocytes were isolated by using 3 different methods: the standard method, upon exposure to trypsin for 30 minutes; the second, by treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes; and the third, by treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 30 minutes. Follicular keratinocytes were isolated using the standard method. Results: On comparing the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 30 minutes, it was observed that the first group presented the largest number of viable cells, the smallest number of cells in late apoptosis and necrosis with statistical significance, and no difference in apoptosis. When we compared the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the group treated with trypsin, the first group presented the largest number of viable cells, the smallest number of cells in apoptosis with statistical significance, and no difference in late apoptosis and necrosis. When we compared the results of the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the results for follical isolation, there was a statistical difference in apoptosis and viable cells. Conclusion: The isolation method of treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes produced the largest number of viable cells and the smallest number of cells in apoptosis/necrosis. PMID:18350110

  11. Flow cytometry of human primary epidermal and follicular keratinocytes.

    PubMed

    Gragnani, Alfredo; Ipolito, Michelle Zampieri; Sobral, Christiane S; Brunialti, Milena Karina Coló; Salomão, Reinaldo; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

    2008-02-19

    The aim of this study was to characterize using flow cytometry cultured human primary keratinocytes isolated from the epidermis and hair follicles by different methods. Human keratinocytes derived from discarded fragments of total skin and scalp hair follicles from patients who underwent plastic surgery in the Plastic Surgery Division at UNIFESP were used. The epidermal keratinocytes were isolated by using 3 different methods: the standard method, upon exposure to trypsin for 30 minutes; the second, by treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes; and the third, by treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 30 minutes. Follicular keratinocytes were isolated using the standard method. On comparing the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 30 minutes, it was observed that the first group presented the largest number of viable cells, the smallest number of cells in late apoptosis and necrosis with statistical significance, and no difference in apoptosis. When we compared the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the group treated with trypsin, the first group presented the largest number of viable cells, the smallest number of cells in apoptosis with statistical significance, and no difference in late apoptosis and necrosis. When we compared the results of the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the results for follical isolation, there was a statistical difference in apoptosis and viable cells. The isolation method of treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes produced the largest number of viable cells and the smallest number of cells in apoptosis/necrosis.

  12. Characterization of the Interaction Between Pancreatic Trypsin and an Enteric Copolymer as a Tool for Several Biotechnological Applications.

    PubMed

    Braia, Mauricio Javier; Loureiro, Dana Belén; Tubio, Gisela; Romanini, Diana

    2015-12-01

    Protein-polyelectrolyte complexes are very interesting systems since they can be applied in many long-established and emerging areas of biotechnology. From nanotechnology to industrial processing, these complexes are used for many purposes: to build multilayer particles for biosensors; to entrap and deliver proteins for pharmaceutical applications; to isolate and immobilize proteins. The enteric copolymer poly(methacrylic acid-co-methyl methacrylate) 1:2 (MMA) has been designed for drug delivery although its chemical properties allow to use it for other applications. Understanding the interaction between trypsin and this polymer is very important in order to optimize the mechanism of formation of this complex for different biotechnological applications.The formation of the trypsin-MMA complex was studied by spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. Structural analysis of trypsin was carried out by catalytic activity assays, circular dichroism and differential scanning calorimetry. Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments showed that the insoluble complex contains 12 trypsin molecules per MMA molecule at pH 5 and they interact with high affinity to form insoluble complexes. Both electrostatic and hydrophobic forces are involved in the formation of the complex. The structure of trypsin is not affected by the presence of MMA, although it interacts with some domains of trypsin affecting its thermal denaturation as seen in the differential scanning calorimetry experiments. Its catalytic activity is not altered. Dynamic light scattering demonstrated the presence of a soluble trypsin-copolymer complex at pH 5 and 8. Turbidimetric assays show that the insoluble complex can be dissolved by low ionic strength and/or pH in order to obtain free native trypsin. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Measuring peptide translocation into large unilamellar vesicles.

    PubMed

    Spinella, Sara A; Nelson, Rachel B; Elmore, Donald E

    2012-01-27

    There is an active interest in peptides that readily cross cell membranes without the assistance of cell membrane receptors(1). Many of these are referred to as cell-penetrating peptides, which are frequently noted for their potential as drug delivery vectors(1-3). Moreover, there is increasing interest in antimicrobial peptides that operate via non-membrane lytic mechanisms(4,5), particularly those that cross bacterial membranes without causing cell lysis and kill cells by interfering with intracellular processes(6,7). In fact, authors have increasingly pointed out the relationship between cell-penetrating and antimicrobial peptides(1,8). A firm understanding of the process of membrane translocation and the relationship between peptide structure and its ability to translocate requires effective, reproducible assays for translocation. Several groups have proposed methods to measure translocation into large unilamellar lipid vesicles (LUVs)(9-13). LUVs serve as useful models for bacterial and eukaryotic cell membranes and are frequently used in peptide fluorescent studies(14,15). Here, we describe our application of the method first developed by Matsuzaki and co-workers to consider antimicrobial peptides, such as magainin and buforin II(16,17). In addition to providing our protocol for this method, we also present a straightforward approach to data analysis that quantifies translocation ability using this assay. The advantages of this translocation assay compared to others are that it has the potential to provide information about the rate of membrane translocation and does not require the addition of a fluorescent label, which can alter peptide properties(18), to tryptophan-containing peptides. Briefly, translocation ability into lipid vesicles is measured as a function of the Foster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) between native tryptophan residues and dansyl phosphatidylethanolamine when proteins are associated with the external LUV membrane (Figure 1). Cell-penetrating peptides are cleaved as they encounter uninhibited trypsin encapsulated with the LUVs, leading to disassociation from the LUV membrane and a drop in FRET signal. The drop in FRET signal observed for a translocating peptide is significantly greater than that observed for the same peptide when the LUVs contain both trypsin and trypsin inhibitor, or when a peptide that does not spontaneously cross lipid membranes is exposed to trypsin-containing LUVs. This change in fluorescence provides a direct quantification of peptide translocation over time.

  14. Interaction of sodium benzoate with trypsin by spectroscopic techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mu, Yue; Lin, Jing; Liu, Rutao

    2011-12-01

    The toxicity of sodium benzoate to trypsin was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy under mimic physiological conditions. Sodium benzoate could unfold trypsin by decreasing the β-sheet structure, which leads to more exposure of internal amino acid groups and the obvious intrinsic fluorescence quenching with the rising concentration of sodium benzoate. The results of spectroscopic measurements indicated that sodium benzoate changed the internal microenvironment of trypsin and induced the alteration of the whole molecule, which were performed toxic effects on the organism. Trypsin and sodium benzoate interacted with each other to produce a substance by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bond, the model of which was shown by AutoDock software.

  15. Trypsin-like Proteins of the Fungi as Possible Markers of Phytopathogenicity

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Sequences of peptidases with conserved motifs around the active site residues that are characteristic of trypsins (similar to trypsin peptidases, STP) were obtained from publicly available fungal genomes and related databases. Among the 74 fungal genomes, 30 species of parasitic Ascomycota contained...

  16. Action of trypsin on structural changes of collagen fibres from sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus).

    PubMed

    Liu, Zi-Qiang; Tuo, Feng-Yan; Song, Liang; Liu, Yu-Xin; Dong, Xiu-Ping; Li, Dong-Mei; Zhou, Da-Yong; Shahidi, Fereidoon

    2018-08-01

    Trypsin, a representative serine proteinase, was used to hydrolyse the collagen fibres from sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) to highlight the role of serine proteinase in the autolysis of sea cucumber. Partial disaggregation of collagen fibres into collagen fibrils upon trypsin treatment occurred. The trypsin treatment also caused a time-dependent release of water-soluble glycosaminoglycans and proteins. Therefore, the degradation of the proteoglycan bridges between collagen fibrils might account for the disaggregation of collagen fibrils. For trypsin-treated collagen fibres (72 h), the collagen fibrils still kept their structural integrity and showed characteristic D-banding pattern, and the dissolution rate of hydroxyproline was just 0.21%. Meanwhile, Fourier transform infrared analysis showed the collagen within trypsin-treated collagen fibres (72 h) still retaining their triple-helical conformation. These results suggested that serine proteinase participated in the autolysis of S. japonicus body wall by damaging the proteoglycan bridges between collagen fibrils and disintegrating the latter. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Activation by Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider) venom of tissue kallikrein-kininogen-kinin system in rabbit skin in vivo.

    PubMed

    Marangoni, R A; Antunes, E; Brain, S D; de Nucci, G

    1993-06-01

    1. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms by which venom from Phoneutria nigriventer spider induces increases in vascular permeability in rabbit skin. 2. Local oedema formation, in response to intradermally-injected agents, was measured in male New Zealand white rabbits as the local accumulation of i.v. injected 125I-labelled human serum albumin into skin sites. 3. Phoneutria nigriventer venom (10-30 micrograms/site) increased vascular permeability, which was inhibited by trasylol (10 micrograms/site) and the bradykinin B2 receptor antagonists D-Arg,[Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]-BK (3 nmol/site) and Hoe 140 (0.3 nmol/site). In addition, the oedema induced by the venom was potentiated by the kinase II inhibitor, captopril (1 nmol/site). The lipoxygenase inhibitor, BWA4C (10 nmol/site) and the PAF antagonist, WEB 2086 (100 nmol/site) had no effect on the venom-induced increase in vascular permeability. 4. Incubation of rabbit plasma with Phoneutria nigriventer venom in vitro did not cause bradykinin formation. Further, the plasma kallikrein inhibitor, soybean trypsin inhibitor (10 micrograms/site), had no effect on the venom-induced increase in vascular permeability in rabbit skin. 5. These results indicate that the oedema produced by Phoneutria nigriventer venom is dependent on the activation of the tissue kallikrein-kinin system.

  18. Activation by Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider) venom of tissue kallikrein-kininogen-kinin system in rabbit skin in vivo.

    PubMed Central

    Marangoni, R. A.; Antunes, E.; Brain, S. D.; de Nucci, G.

    1993-01-01

    1. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms by which venom from Phoneutria nigriventer spider induces increases in vascular permeability in rabbit skin. 2. Local oedema formation, in response to intradermally-injected agents, was measured in male New Zealand white rabbits as the local accumulation of i.v. injected 125I-labelled human serum albumin into skin sites. 3. Phoneutria nigriventer venom (10-30 micrograms/site) increased vascular permeability, which was inhibited by trasylol (10 micrograms/site) and the bradykinin B2 receptor antagonists D-Arg,[Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]-BK (3 nmol/site) and Hoe 140 (0.3 nmol/site). In addition, the oedema induced by the venom was potentiated by the kinase II inhibitor, captopril (1 nmol/site). The lipoxygenase inhibitor, BWA4C (10 nmol/site) and the PAF antagonist, WEB 2086 (100 nmol/site) had no effect on the venom-induced increase in vascular permeability. 4. Incubation of rabbit plasma with Phoneutria nigriventer venom in vitro did not cause bradykinin formation. Further, the plasma kallikrein inhibitor, soybean trypsin inhibitor (10 micrograms/site), had no effect on the venom-induced increase in vascular permeability in rabbit skin. 5. These results indicate that the oedema produced by Phoneutria nigriventer venom is dependent on the activation of the tissue kallikrein-kinin system. PMID:8395291

  19. Proliferation of smooth muscle cells stimulated by Porphyromonas gingivalis is inhibited by apple polyphenol.

    PubMed

    Inaba, Hiroaki; Tagashira, Motoyuki; Kanda, Tomomasa; Amano, Atsuo

    2011-11-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is thought to be involved in the progression of occlusive arterial lesions, whereas vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is considered to be involved in occlusive arterial disease. We previously showed that bacteremia caused by Pg infection induced proliferation of mouse aortic SMCs. Furthermore, human SMCs stimulated with human plasma incubated with Pg showed a marked transformation from the contractile to proliferative phenotype. In the present study, we examine the involvement of Pg gingipains and fimbriae in induction of the SMC transformation and proliferation, and effective inhibitors. Pg strains including gingipain- and fimbria-null mutants were incubated in human plasma, after which the bacteria were removed and the supernatants were added to cultured SMCs. To evaluate the effects of inhibitors, Pg organisms were incubated in plasma in the presence of apple polyphenol (AP), epigallocatechin gallate, KYT-1 (Arg-gingipain inhibitor), and KYT-36 (Lys-gingipain inhibitor). Plasma supernatants from wild-type and fimbria-mutant cultures markedly stimulated cellular proliferation, whereas those containing gingipain-null mutants showed negligible effects. SMC proliferation was also induced by plasma treated with trypsin. Furthermore, plasma supernatants cultured in the presence of KYT-1/KYT-36 and AP showed significant inhibitory effects on SMC proliferation, whereas cultures with epigallocatechin gallate did not. Our results suggest that Pg gingipains are involved in the induction of SMC transformation and proliferation, whereas this was inhibited by AP.

  20. Induction of ornithine decarboxylase activity in weanling rat pancreas by an orally administered soy protein isolate.

    PubMed

    Caldwell, K A

    1987-03-15

    The induction of ornithine decarboxylase activity in weanling rat pancreas by a trypsin inhibitor-containing soy protein isolate has been studied. Oral administration of the isolate at 0.8, 1.6, 4.0, 6.0, and 8.0 mg/g body wt produced marked elevations in enzyme activity, a response which was proportional to the amount of isolate administered. Ornithine decarboxylase activity was measured at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hr after the isolate was given. A statistically significant increase in enzyme activity was evident as early as 2 hr after treatment; maximal activity occurred at 6 hr and was approximately 140 times greater than the

  1. Antinutritional factors in anasazi and other pinto beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

    PubMed

    Weder, J K; Telek, L; Vozári-Hampe, M; Saini, H S

    1997-01-01

    Antinutritional factors of anasazi bean were compared to traditional pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Anasazi beans contained less (p<0.001) soluble and bound condensed tannins compared to pinto beans. No differences (p>0.05) in stachyose and raffinose content were found between the two bean types; verbascose was not detected at all. Significant (p<0.05) differences in lectin content were observed between anasazi and pinto bean. The lectins of anasazi beans were classified as non toxic and those of the pinto beans as toxic types. No differences (p>0.05) in inhibitor activity against human and bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin were found between the two bean types.

  2. A giant protease with potential to substitute for some functions of the proteasome.

    PubMed

    Geier, E; Pfeifer, G; Wilm, M; Lucchiari-Hartz, M; Baumeister, W; Eichmann, K; Niedermann, G

    1999-02-12

    An alanyl-alanyl-phenylalanyl-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin-hydrolyzing protease particle copurifying with 26S proteasomes was isolated and identified as tripeptidyl peptidase II (TPPII), a cytosolic subtilisin-like peptidase of unknown function. The particle is larger than the 26S proteasome and has a rod-shaped, dynamic supramolecular structure. TPPII exhibits enhanced activity in proteasome inhibitor-adapted cells and degrades polypeptides by exo- as well as predominantly trypsin-like endoproteolytic cleavage. TPPII may thus participate in extralysosomal polypeptide degradation and may in part account for nonproteasomal epitope generation as postulated for certain major histocompatibility complex class I alleles. In addition, TPPII may be able to substitute for some metabolic functions of the proteasome.

  3. Primary lymphangiectasia in a dingo (Canis familiaris dingo).

    PubMed

    Suedmeyer, Wm Kirk; Ludlow, Chris; Layton, Candace; Dennis, Jeff; Miller, Margaret

    2004-12-01

    A 3-yr-old intact male dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) presented with a 3-mo history of diarrhea. The diarrhea did not resolve with antibiotics or intestinal protectants. Fecal examination for parasites, fecal cultures, physical examination, and radiographs were unremarkable. Enteroscopic duodenal biopsies showed dilated lacteals without inflammation. Results of serum folate, cobalamin, and trypsin-like immunoreactivity were normal. Low serum total protein and albumin combined with increased fecal levels of alpha-1 protease inhibitor suggested the diagnosis of lymphangiectasia. Full-thickness intestinal biopsies of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum revealed dilated mucosal and submucosal lacteals without associated inflammation, confirming the diagnosis of primary lymphangiectasia. Currently, the dingo is being maintained with nutritional management.

  4. Salmon trypsin stimulates the expression of interleukin-8 via protease-activated receptor-2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Larsen, Anett K.; Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromso, Tromso; Seternes, Ole-Morten

    2008-08-01

    In this study, we focus on salmon trypsin as an activator of inflammatory responses in airway cells in vitro. The rationale behind the investigation is that salmon industry workers are exposed to aerosols containing enzymes, which are generated during industrial processing of the fish. Knowing that serine proteases such as trypsin are highly active mediators with diverse biological activities, the stimulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-{kappa}B) and interleukin (IL)-8 and the role of protease-activated receptors (PAR) in inflammatory signal mediation were investigated. Protease-activated receptors are considered important under pathological situations in the human airways, and a thorough understanding of PAR-inducedmore » cellular events and their consequences in airway inflammation is necessary. Human airway epithelial cells (A549) were exposed to trypsin isolated from fish (Salmo salar), and we observed that purified salmon trypsin could generate secretion of IL-8 in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PAR-2 activation by salmon trypsin is coupled to an induction of NF-{kappa}B-mediated transcription using a PAR-2 transfected HeLa cell model. Finally, we show that the release of IL-8 from A549 following stimulation with purified salmon trypsin is mediated through activation of PAR-2 using specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). The results presented suggest that salmon trypsin, via activation of PAR-2, might influence inflammation processes in the airways if inhaled in sufficient amounts.« less

  5. Optimization of trypsins for influenza A/H1N1 virus replication in MDCK SI-6 cells, a novel MDCK cell line.

    PubMed

    Iskandar, Viska I; Sasaki, Yutaka; Yoshino, Naoto; Abubakar, Raden Z R; Sato, Shigehiro; Muraki, Yasushi

    2018-02-01

    A cell-based vaccine production method for influenza virus may be an effective and more rapid alternative to egg-based systems. For high-yield virus production, the effect of bovine, porcine, fungal, and recombinant trypsins on influenza A/H1N1 virus replication in MDCK SI-6 cells (SI-6 cells), a novel MDCK cell line developed by our research group, was examined. SI-6 cells infected with influenza A/H1N1 virus were incubated in the presence of four trypsin types at various concentrations, and virus yields in the culture medium were evaluated by a hemagglutination (HA) assay. Virus growth was most efficient in the presence of bovine and porcine trypsins. An analysis of the optimized concentration and definitive HA titer of each trypsin by Gaussian distribution revealed that comparable high virus yields (166.1 and 164.2 HAU/50μl) were obtained at the optimized concentrations of bovine (0.4μg/ml) and porcine (2.1μg/ml) trypsins, respectively, the yields of which were significantly higher than that of fungal and recombinant trypsins. We conclude that bovine and porcine trypsins are suitable for influenza A/H1N1 virus replication in SI-6 cells. This result complements our previous study and suggests the possible application of SI-6 cells to the development of cell-based influenza vaccines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Infectious rotavirus enters cells by direct cell membrane penetration, not by endocytosis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kaljot, K.T.; Shaw, R.D.; Greenberg, H.B.

    1988-04-01

    Rotaviruses are icosahedral viruses with a segmented, double-stranded RNA genome. They are the major cause of severe infantile infectious diarrhea. Rotavirus growth in tissue culture is markedly enhanced by pretreatment of virus with trypsin. Trypsin activation is associated with cleavage of the viral hemagglutinin (viral protein 3 (VP3); 88 kilodaltons) into two fragments (60 and 28 kilodaltons). The mechanism by which proteolytic cleavage leads to enhanced growth is unknown. To determine whether trypsin treatment affected rotavirus internalization, the authors studied the kinetics of entry of infectious rhesus rotavirus (RRV) into MA104 cells. Trypsin-activated RRV was internalized with a half-time ofmore » 3 to 5 min, while nonactivated virus disappeared from the cell surface with a half-time of 30 to 50 min. In contrast to trypsin-activated RRV, loss of nonactivated RRV from the cell surface did not result in the appearance of infection, as measured by plaque formation. Purified trypsin-activated RRV added to cell monolayers at pH 7.4 mediated {sup 51}Cr, ({sup 14}C)choline, and ({sup 3}H)inositol released from prelabeled MA104 cells. This release could be specifically blocked by neutralizing antibodies to VP3. These results suggest that MA104 cell infection follows the rapid entry of trypsin-activated RRV by direct cell membrane penetration. Cell membrane penetration of infectious RRV is initiated by trypsin cleavage of VP3. Neutralizing antibodies can inhibit this direct membrane penetration.« less

  7. Maternally derived trypsin may have multiple functions in the early development of turbot (Scopthalmus maximus).

    PubMed

    Chi, Liang; Liu, Qinghua; Xu, Shihong; Xiao, Zhizhong; Ma, Daoyuan; Li, Jun

    2015-10-01

    Trypsin is an important serine protease that is considered to be involved in digestion of protein in teleost fish. Nevertheless, studies on trypsin/trypsinogen in fish embryos are very limited. In this study, the trypsinogen of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) (tTG) was identified and the expression patterns and activity of trypsinogen/trypsin were investigated. The results showed that the tTG mRNA was evenly distributed in the oocytes and was also expressed along the yolk periphery in early embryos. At later embryo stages and 1 days after hatching (dph), the tTG mRNA concentrated at the alimentary tract and head. Quantitative expression analysis showed that the tTG transcripts decreased after fertilization until the gastrula stage, then increased with the embryo and larvae development. This result was also confirmed by the specific activity analysis of trypsin and in-situ-hybridization (ISH). All of the results indicated that tTG in early embryo stages was maternally derived and expressed by itself after gastrula stages. Additionally, location of tTG mRNA in embryos and larvae was investigated; we considered that trypsin may have multiple functions during the embryo development process. Based on our results regarding trypsinogen in embryos and early development, we concluded that the trypsin/trypsinogen in turbot embryos was inherited from a maternal source and we suggested that trypsin in early development has multiple functions in the process of development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Characterization of the tachykinin neurokinin-2 receptor in the human urinary bladder by means of selective receptor antagonists and peptidase inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Giuliani, S; Patacchini, R; Barbanti, G; Turini, D; Rovero, P; Quartara, L; Giachetti, A; Maggi, C A

    1993-11-01

    The tachykinin (NK2) receptor-mediating contraction of the human isolated bladder to NKA was investigated by studying the affinities of eight structurally different receptor-selective antagonists (linear peptides, cyclic peptides and pseudopeptides, nonpeptide NK2 receptor antagonists). The affinities of the antagonists were compared to those measured for the same ligands at the NK2 receptors previously characterized in the rabbit pulmonary artery and hamster trachea. In the presence of a cocktail of peptidase inhibitors (bestatin captopril and thiorphan, 1 microM each) no significant correlation was found between pA2 values measured in the human bladder vs. those measured in the other two NK2 receptor-bearing preparation. In the presence of the aminopeptidase inhibitor amastatin, however, pA2 values of linear antagonists bearing an N-terminal Asp residue MEN 10,207 and MEN 10,376 were significantly enhanced and these pA2 values were used for analysis; a significant correlation was found between pA2 values measured in the human urinary bladder and rabbit pulmonary artery. The pseudopeptide analog of NKA (4-10), MDL 28,564 which also bears a N-terminal Asp residue behaved as an agonist and its action was enhanced by amastatin. We conclude that the NK2 receptor-mediating contraction of the human urinary bladder smooth muscle is similar to that previously characterized in the rabbit pulmonary artery (NK2A receptor category); in the human bladder smooth muscle an amastatin-sensitive peptidase (possibly aminopeptidase A) limits biological activity of linear peptide derivatives of NKA bearing a N-terminal Asp residue.

  9. SGLT2 inhibitor lowers serum uric acid through alteration of uric acid transport activity in renal tubule by increased glycosuria

    PubMed Central

    Chino, Yukihiro; Samukawa, Yoshishige; Sakai, Soichi; Nakai, Yasuhiro; Yamaguchi, Jun-ichi; Nakanishi, Takeo; Tamai, Ikumi

    2014-01-01

    Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been reported to lower the serum uric acid (SUA) level. To elucidate the mechanism responsible for this reduction, SUA and the urinary excretion rate of uric acid (UEUA) were analysed after the oral administration of luseogliflozin, a SGLT2 inhibitor, to healthy subjects. After dosing, SUA decreased, and a negative correlation was observed between the SUA level and the UEUA, suggesting that SUA decreased as a result of the increase in the UEUA. The increase in UEUA was correlated with an increase in urinary d-glucose excretion, but not with the plasma luseogliflozin concentration. Additionally, in vitro transport experiments showed that luseogliflozin had no direct effect on the transporters involved in renal UA reabsorption. To explain that the increase in UEUA is likely due to glycosuria, the study focused on the facilitative glucose transporter 9 isoform 2 (GLUT9ΔN, SLC2A9b), which is expressed at the apical membrane of the kidney tubular cells and transports both UA and d-glucose. It was observed that the efflux of [14C]UA in Xenopus oocytes expressing the GLUT9 isoform 2 was trans-stimulated by 10 mm d-glucose, a high concentration of glucose that existed under SGLT2 inhibition. On the other hand, the uptake of [14C]UA by oocytes was cis-inhibited by 100 mm d-glucose, a concentration assumed to exist in collecting ducts. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the UEUA could potentially be increased by luseogliflozin-induced glycosuria, with alterations of UA transport activity because of urinary glucose. PMID:25044127

  10. Inhibitors of serine proteases decrease sperm penetration during porcine fertilization in vitro by inhibiting sperm binding to the zona pellucida and acrosome reaction.

    PubMed

    Beek, J; Nauwynck, H; Appeltant, R; Maes, D; Van Soom, A

    2015-11-01

    Serine proteases are involved in mammalian fertilization. Inhibitors of serine proteases can be applied to investigate at which point these enzymes exert their action. We selected two serine protease inhibitors, 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride (AEBSF, 100 μM) and soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI, 5 μM) from Glycine max, via previous dose-response IVF experiments and sperm toxicity tests. In the present study, we evaluated how these inhibitors affect porcine fertilization in vitro as calculated on total fertilization rate, polyspermy rate, and the sperm number per fertilized oocyte of cumulus-intact, cumulus-free, and zona-free oocytes. In the control group (no inhibitor), these parameters were 86%, 49%, and 2.2 for cumulus-intact oocytes and 77%, 43%, and 2.2 for cumulus-free oocytes (6-hour gamete incubation period, 1.25 × 10(5) spermatozoa/mL). 4-(2-Aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride and STI significantly reduced total fertilization and polyspermy rate in cumulus-intact and cumulus-free oocytes (P < 0.05). Total fertilization rates were respectively 65% and 53% (AEBSF) and 36% and 17% (STI). Inhibition rates were higher in cumulus-free oocytes than in cumulus-intact oocytes, indicating that inhibitors exerted their action after sperm passage through the cumulus. 4-(2-Aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride but not STI reduced sperm binding to the ZP. The acrosome reaction was significantly inhibited by both inhibitors. Only 40.4% (AEBSF) and 11.4% (STI) of spermatozoa completed a calcium-induced acrosome reaction compared to 86.7% of spermatozoa in the control group. There was no effect on sperm binding or fertilization parameters in zona-free oocytes. In conclusion, sperm-zona binding and acrosome reaction were inhibited by serine protease inhibitors during porcine IVF. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. [Urinary calculi and infection].

    PubMed

    Trinchieri, Alberto

    2014-01-01

    Infection urinary stones resulting from urease-producing bacteria are composed by struvite and/or carbonate apatite. Bacterial urease splits urea and promotes the formation of ammonia and carbon dioxide leading to urine alkalinization and formation of phosphate salts. Proteus species are urease-producers, whereas a limited number of strains of other Gram negative and positive species may produce urease. Ureaplasma urealyticum and Corynebacterium urealyticum are urease-producers that are not isolated by conventional urine cultures, but require specific tests for identification. Primary treatment requires surgical removal of stones as complete as possible. Extracorporeal and endoscopic treatments are usually preferred, while open surgery is actually limited to few selected cases. Residual stones or fragments should be treated by chemolysis via ureteral catheter or nephrostomy or administration of citrate salts in order to achieve a stone-free renal unit. Postoperatively, recurrent urinary tract infection should be treated with appropriate antibiotic treatment although long-term antibiotic prophylaxis can cause resistance. Urinary acidification has been proposed for the prophylaxis of infection stones, but long-term acidification is difficult to achieve in urine infected by urease-producing bacteria. Urease inhibitors lead to prevention and/or dissolution of stones and encrustations in patients with infection by urea-splitting bacteria, but their use is limited by their toxicity. The administration of citrate salts involves an increase of the value of nucleation pH (pHn), that is the pH value at which calcium and magnesium phosphate crystallization occurs, in a greater way than the corresponding increase in the urinary pH due to its alkalinizing effect and resulting in a reduction of the risk of struvite crystallization. In conclusion prevention of the recurrence of infection stones can be achieved by an integrated approach tailored on the single patient. Complete clearance of the stone must be achieved by primary surgical procedure and residual fragments should be extensively treated. In the case of persistent infection, conservative measures, such as acidification and urease inhibitors or citrate administration, should be adopted to minimize its effect on urinary saturation with respect to struvite.

  12. Urinary retention during combined treatment of postpsychotic depression with duloxetine and olanzapine.

    PubMed

    Englisch, Susanne; Fritzinger, Michael; Zink, Mathias

    2008-01-01

    Duloxetine, a dual-reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine, has been approved for the treatment of major depressive episodes and for female stress urinary incontinence. At present, only sparse experiences are available regarding antidepressive treatment in patients with a psychotic lifetime diagnose, whereas this group of patients often suffer from major depressive episodes. Here, we describe the first case of a male patient with postpsychotic depression who developed the severe side effect of urinary retention during antidepressive treatment with duloxetine combined with olanzapine. After remission of his psychotic episode, the patient presented with depressed mood, psychomotor inhibition, sleep disturbance, and suicidal ideas. Without changing the antipsychotic therapy, we implemented duloxetine (60 mg/d) and the patient significantly improved. However, he increasingly suffered from obstructive voiding difficulties and complained about a weak urinary stream and incomplete voiding leading to unacceptable dribbling. The urinary retention disappeared completely within 1 week after discontinuation of duloxetine. We switched to venlafaxine (150 mg/d) and were able to keep the depression in remission. This case report demonstrates for the first time the onset of urinary retention in postpsychotic depression and during combined treatment with duloxetine and olanzapine. We therefore suggest increased attention on voiding function in particular if several pharmacological agents are combined.

  13. THE INACTIVATION OF DILUTE SOLUTIONS OF CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN BY X-RADIATION

    PubMed Central

    McDonald, Margaret R.

    1954-01-01

    The activity of dilute solutions of crystalline trypsin is destroyed by x-rays. The inactivation is an exponential function of the radiation dose. The reaction yield of inactivation is independent of the intensity at which the radiation is delivered or the quality of the x-rays. The reaction yield increases with increasing concentration of trypsin, varying from 0.06 to 0.7 micromoles per liter per 1000 r for trypsin solutions ranging from 1 x 10–7 to 2 x 10–4 M. PMID:13192318

  14. Interaction of sodium benzoate with trypsin by spectroscopic techniques.

    PubMed

    Mu, Yue; Lin, Jing; Liu, Rutao

    2011-12-01

    The toxicity of sodium benzoate to trypsin was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy under mimic physiological conditions. Sodium benzoate could unfold trypsin by decreasing the β-sheet structure, which leads to more exposure of internal amino acid groups and the obvious intrinsic fluorescence quenching with the rising concentration of sodium benzoate. The results of spectroscopic measurements indicated that sodium benzoate changed the internal microenvironment of trypsin and induced the alteration of the whole molecule, which were performed toxic effects on the organism. Trypsin and sodium benzoate interacted with each other to produce a substance by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bond, the model of which was shown by AutoDock software. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Direct stimulation of immediate-early genes by intranuclear insulin in trypsin-treated H35 hepatoma cells.

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Y J; Harada, S; Loten, E G; Smith, R M; Jarett, L

    1992-01-01

    H35 hepatoma cells were treated with trypsin to abolish insulin binding and insulin-stimulated receptor kinase activity. Insulin was, however, internalized by fluid-phase endocytosis in trypsin-treated cells. Furthermore, nuclear accumulation of insulin was similar in control and trypsin-treated hepatoma cells. Northern blot analysis revealed insulin increased g33 and c-fos mRNA concentrations identically in control and trypsin-treated cells but had no effect on beta 2-microglobulin mRNA. Actinomycin D treatment prior to or after insulin addition demonstrated that insulin increased gene transcription and had no effect on mRNA degradation. These studies suggest that the accumulation of intact insulin in cell nuclei may be directly involved in the increased transcription of immediate-early genes. Images PMID:1409684

  16. Vinyl functionalized silica hybrid monolith-based trypsin microreactor for on line digestion and separation via thiol-ene "click" strategy.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yingzhuang; Wu, Minghuo; Wang, Keyi; Chen, Bo; Yao, Shouzhuo; Zou, Hanfa; Nie, Lihua

    2011-11-04

    A novel thiol-ene "click" strategy for the preparation of monolithic trypsin microreactor was proposed. The hybrid organic-inorganic monolithic capillary column with ene-functionality was fabricated by sol-gel process using tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MAPS) as precursors. The disulfide bonds of trypsin were reduced to form free thiol groups. Then the trypsin containing free thiol groups was attached on the γ-MAPS hybrid monolithic column with ene-functionality via thiol-ene click chemistry to form a trypsin microreactor. The activity of the trypsin microreactor was characterized by detecting the substrate (Nα-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, TAME) and the product (Nα-p-tosyl-L-arginine, TA) with on-line capillary zone electrophoresis. After investigating various synthesizing conditions, it was found that the microreactor with poly(N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide) as spacer can deliver the highest activity, yielding a rapid reaction rate. After repeatedly sampling and analyzing for 100 times, the monolithic trypsin microreactor still remained 87.5% of its initial activity. It was demonstrated that thiol-ene "click" strategy for the construction of enzyme microreactor is a promising method for the highly selective immobilization of proteins under mild conditions, especially enzymes with free thiol radicals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. In vitro excystation of Echinostoma paraensei (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) metacercariae assessed by light microscopy, morphometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

    PubMed

    Souza, Joyce; Garcia, Juberlan; Neves, Renata H; Machado-Silva, José Roberto; Maldonado, Arnaldo

    2013-12-01

    Trypsin and bile salts have been identified as important triggers for excystation of Echinostoma metacercariae. Although excystation in trematodes is a well-known phenomenon, some morphological developmental changes remain to be elucidated. In order to gain further insight into the in vitro development of metacercariae, we assayed different cultivating conditions: 0.5% trypsin and 0.5% bile salts; 1% trypsin and 1% bile salts; 1% trypsin and 0.5% bile salts; 0.5% bile salts; or 0.5% trypsin. By means of light microscopy and confocal microscopy, we characterized each encysted, activated, breached and excysted stage based on the morphological features. However, breached and excysted stages were not revealed in both bile salts and trypsin-free medium. Excretory concretions (25 ± 3.9) were visualized within excretory tubules, close to the ventral sucker and genital anlage. The oral sucker armed with spines and digestive system was similar to those of adult worms. The reproductive system is composed of a genital anlage and the cirrus sac primordium. In short, trypsin and bile salts associated were fundamental for the in vitro metacercariae excystation of Echinostoma paraensei. This article presents the first detailed information of all stages of metacercariae excystation obtained through light and confocal microscopy. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Engineering of Yersinia Phytases to Improve Pepsin and Trypsin Resistance and Thermostability and Application Potential in the Food and Feed Industry.

    PubMed

    Niu, Canfang; Yang, Peilong; Luo, Huiying; Huang, Huoqing; Wang, Yaru; Yao, Bin

    2017-08-30

    Susceptibility to proteases usually limits the application of phytase. We sought to improve the pepsin and trypsin resistance of YeAPPA from Yersinia enterocolitica and YkAPPA from Y. kristensenii by optimizing amino acid polarity and charge. The predicted pepsin/trypsin cleavage sites F89/K226 in pepsin/trypsin-sensitive YeAPPA and the corresponding sites (F89/E226) in pepsin-sensitive but trypsin-resistant YkAPPA were substituted with S and H, respectively. Six variants were produced in Pichia pastoris for catalytic and biochemical characterization. F89S, E226H, and F89S/E226H elevated pepsin resistance and thermostability and K226H and F89S/K226H improved pepsin and trypsin resistance and stability at 60 °C and low pH. All the variants increased the ability of the proteins to hydrolyze phytate in corn meal by 2.6-14.9-fold in the presence of pepsin at 37 °C and low pH. This study developed a genetic manipulation strategy specific for pepsin/trypsin-sensitive phytases that can improve enzyme tolerance against proteases and heat and benefit the food and feed industry in a cost-effective way.

  19. Behaviour of the vitelline envelope in Bufo arenarum oocytes matured in vitro in blockade to polyspermy.

    PubMed

    Oterino, J; Sánchez Toranzo, G; Zelarayán, L; Ajmat, M T; Bonilla, F; Bühler, M I

    2006-05-01

    During activation of amphibian eggs, cortical granule exocytosis causes elaborate ultrastructural changes in the vitelline envelope. These changes involve modifications in the structure of the vitelline envelope and formation of a fertilization envelope (FE) that can no longer be penetrated by sperm. In Bufo arenarum, as the egg traverses the oviduct, the vitelline envelope is altered by a trypsin-like protease secreted by the oviduct, which induces an increased susceptibility of the vitelline envelope to sperm lysins. Full-grown oocytes of B. arenarum, matured in vitro by progesterone, are polyspermic, although cortical granule exocytosis seems to occur within a normal chronological sequence. These oocytes can be fertilized with or without trypsin treatment, suggesting that the vitelline envelope is totally sperm-permeable. Vitelline envelopes without trypsin treatment cannot retain either gp90 or gp96. This suggests that these glycoproteins are involved in the block to polyspermy and that trypsin treatment of matured in vitro oocytes before insemination is necessary to enable vitelline envelopes to block polyspermy. The loss of the binding capacity in vitelline envelopes isolated from B. arenarum oocytes matured in vitro with trypsin treatment and activated by electric shock suggests that previous trypsin treatment is a necessary step for sperm block to occur. When in vitro matured oocytes were incubated with the product of cortical granules obtained from in vitro matured oocytes (vCGP), vitelline envelopes with trypsin treatment were able to block sperm entry. These oocytes exhibited the characteristic signs of activation. These results support the idea that B. arenarum oocytes can be activated by external stimuli and suggest the presence of unknown oocyte surface receptors linked to the activation machinery in response to fertilization. Electrophoretic profiles obtained by SDS-PAGE of solubilized vitelline envelopes from oocytes matured in vitro revealed the conversion of gp40 (in vitro matured oocytes, without trypsin treatment) to gp38 (ascribable to trypsin activity or cortical granule product activity, CGP) and the conversion of gp70 to gp68 (ascribable to trypsin activity plus CGP activity). Taking into account that only the vitelline envelopes of in vitro matured oocytes with trypsin treatment and activated can block sperm entry, we may suggest that the conversion of gp70 to gp68 is related to the changes associated with sperm binding.

  20. Ureases as a target for the treatment of gastric and urinary infections.

    PubMed

    Follmer, C

    2010-05-01

    Urease is known to be a major contributor to pathologies induced by Helicobacter pylori and Proteus species. In H pylori, urease allows the bacteria to survive in an acidic gastric environment during colonisation, playing an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric and peptic ulcers. Ureolytic activity also results in the production of ammonia in close proximity to the gastric epithelium, causing cell damage and inflammation. In the case of Proteus species (notably Proteus mirabilis) infection, stones are formed due to the presence of ammonia and carbon dioxide released by urease action. In addition, the ammonia released is able to damage the glycosaminoglycan layer, which protects the urothelial surface against bacterial infection. In this context, the administration of urease inhibitors may be an effective therapy for urease-dependent pathogenic bacteria. This is a review of the role of ureases in H pylori and Proteus species infections, focussing on the biochemical and clinical aspects of the most promising and/or potent urease inhibitors for the treatment of gastric and urinary tract infections.

  1. Inhibition of urease activity in the urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus.

    PubMed

    Loes, A N; Ruyle, L; Arvizu, M; Gresko, K E; Wilson, A L; Deutch, C E

    2014-01-01

    Urease is a virulence factor for the Gram-positive urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus. The susceptibility of this enzyme to chemical inhibition was determined using soluble extracts of Staph. saprophyticus strain ATCC 15305. Acetohydroxamic acid (Ki = 8.2 μg ml(-1) = 0.106 mmol l(-1) ) and DL-phenylalanine hydroxamic acid (Ki = 21 μg ml(-1) = 0.116 mmol l(-1) ) inhibited urease activity competitively. The phosphorodiamidate fluorofamide also caused competitive inhibition (Ki = 0.12 μg ml(-1) = 0.553 μmol l(-1) = 0.000553 mmol l(-1) ), but the imidazole omeprazole had no effect. Two flavonoids found in green tea extract [(+)-catechin hydrate (Ki = 357 μg ml(-1) = 1.23 mmol l(-1) ) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (Ki = 210 μg ml(-1) = 0.460 mmol l(-1) )] gave mixed inhibition. Acetohydroxamic acid, DL-phenylalanine hydroxamic acid, fluorofamide, (+)-catechin hydrate and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate also inhibited urease activity in whole cells of strains ATCC 15305, ATCC 35552 and ATCC 49907 grown in a rich medium or an artificial urine medium. Addition of acetohydroxamic acid or fluorofamide to cultures of Staph. saprophyticus in an artificial urine medium delayed the increase in pH that normally occurs during growth. These results suggest that urease inhibitors may be useful for treating urinary tract infections caused by Staph. saprophyticus. The enzyme urease is a virulence factor for the Gram-positive urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus. We have shown that urease activity in cell-free extracts and whole bacterial cells is susceptible to inhibition by hydroxamates, phosphorodiamidates and flavonoids, but not by imidazoles. Acetohydroxamic acid and fluorofamide in particular can temporarily delay the increase in pH that occurs when Staph. saprophyticus is grown in an artificial urine medium. These results suggest that urease inhibitors may be useful as chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of urinary tract infections caused by this micro-organism. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  2. Calcineurin inhibitors block sodium-chloride cotransporter dephosphorylation in response to high potassium intake.

    PubMed

    Shoda, Wakana; Nomura, Naohiro; Ando, Fumiaki; Mori, Yutaro; Mori, Takayasu; Sohara, Eisei; Rai, Tatemitsu; Uchida, Shinichi

    2017-02-01

    Dietary potassium intake is inversely related to blood pressure and mortality. Moreover, the sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) plays an important role in blood pressure regulation and urinary potassium excretion in response to potassium intake. Previously, it was shown that NCC is activated by the WNK4-SPAK cascade and dephosphorylated by protein phosphatase. However, the mechanism of NCC regulation with acute potassium intake is still unclear. To identify the molecular mechanism of NCC regulation in response to potassium intake, we used adult C57BL/6 mice fed a 1.7% potassium solution by oral gavage. We confirmed that acute potassium load rapidly dephosphorylated NCC, which was not dependent on the accompanying anions. Mice were treated with tacrolimus (calcineurin inhibitor) and W7 (calmodulin inhibitor) before the oral potassium loads. Dephosphorylation of NCC induced by potassium was significantly inhibited by both tacrolimus and W7 treatment. There was no significant difference in WNK4, OSR1, and SPAK expression after high potassium intake, even after tacrolimus and W7 treatment. Another phosphatase, protein phosphatase 1, and its endogenous inhibitor I-1 did not show a significant change after potassium intake. Hyperkaliuria, induced by high potassium intake, was significantly suppressed by tacrolimus treatment. Thus, calcineurin is activated by an acute potassium load, which rapidly dephosphorylates NCC, leading to increased urinary potassium excretion. Copyright © 2016 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Urinary retention and post-void residual urine in men: separating truth from tradition.

    PubMed

    Kaplan, Steven A; Wein, Alan J; Staskin, David R; Roehrborn, Claus G; Steers, William D

    2008-07-01

    The definitions of acute and chronic urinary retention remain empirical and subject to wide interpretation. Standardized criteria have not been established and many questions remain unanswered. Moreover, the definition of significant post-void residual urine is unclear. We reviewed several aspects of urinary retention that require clarification with the objective of stimulating discussion among urologists to establish an accurate and coherent definition of urinary retention and significant post-void residual urine, and clarify risk factors. A MEDLINE search for articles written in English and published before April 2007 was done using a list of terms related to urinary retention. Articles not directly relevant to urinary retention or post-void residual urine were excluded. The term urinary retention lacks precise clinical or urodynamic meaning. Use of this term to describe a symptom, a sign, and a condition further complicates the issue. Many factors can contribute to the development of retention, including bladder outlet obstruction, detrusor underactivity, and neurogenic bladder conditions. Community based studies and clinical trials in patients with benign prostatic enlargement and/or lower urinary tract symptoms yield different estimates of the incidence of retention and only provide information on the epidemiology of acute urinary retention. However, age, previous retention episodes, lower urinary tract symptoms, chronic inflammation, serum prostate specific antigen level, prostate size, and urodynamic variables appear to be predictors of acute urinary retention. Alpha-receptor antagonists and 5alpha-reductase inhibitors may be useful in preventing urinary retention episodes and progressive benign prostatic enlargement. Clinical trials on the short-term use of antimuscarinics have not provided evidence that these agents increase the risk of retention; data on longer term administration are needed. Clinicians are adopting less invasive approaches (eg pharmacology or catheterization) to treating patients who present with the symptoms, sign, and condition of urinary retention. Faced with an abundance of new data on acute urinary retention, urologists need to reach a consensus about the risks of urinary retention; this may promote movement toward patient centered prevention strategies with tailored treatment options.

  4. Trypsin treatment of reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides in the dark and under illumination: protein structural changes follow charge separation.

    PubMed

    Brzezinski, P; Andréasson, L E

    1995-06-06

    Reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 were treated with trypsin in the dark and during illumination (in the charge-separated state). Trypsination resulted in a time-dependent modification of the reaction centers, reflected in changes in the charge recombination rate, in the inhibition of QA- to QB electron transfer, and eventually to inhibition of charge separation. Comparisons of centers with ubiquinone or anthraquinone in the QA site, in which the charge recombination pathways are different, indicate that trypsination affects charges close to the QA(-)-binding site. Studies of light-induced voltage changes from moving charges in reaction centers incorporated in lipid layers on a Teflon film, a technique which allows the discrimination of effects on donor and acceptor sides, indicate that the acceptor side is preferentially degraded by trypsin in the dark. Tryptic digestion during illumination generally resulted in a marked strengthening and acceleration of the effects seen already during dark treatment, but new effects were also detected in gel electrophoretic peptide patterns, in optical spectra, and in the kinetic measurements. Optical kinetic measurements revealed that the donor side of the reaction centers became susceptible to modification by trypsin during illumination as seen in the value of the binding constant for soluble cytochrome c2 which increased by a factor of 2, whereas it was much less affected after trypsination of reaction centers in the dark. The influence of illumination on the rate and mode by which trypsin acts on reaction centers indicates that changes in the protein conformation follow charge separation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  5. The on-bead digestion of protein corona on nanoparticles by trypsin immobilized on the magnetic nanoparticle.

    PubMed

    Hu, Zhengyan; Zhao, Liang; Zhang, Hongyan; Zhang, Yi; Wu, Ren'an; Zou, Hanfa

    2014-03-21

    Proteins interacting with nanoparticles would form the protein coronas on the surface of nanoparticles in biological systems, which would critically impact the biological identities of nanoparticles and/or result in the physiological and pathological consequences. The enzymatic digestion of protein corona was the primary step to achieve the identification of protein components of the protein corona for the bottom-up proteomic approaches. In this study, the investigation on the tryptic digestion of protein corona by the immobilized trypsin on a magnetic nanoparticle was carried out for the first time. As a comparison with the usual overnight long-time digestion and the severe self-digestion of free trypsin, the on-bead digestion of protein corona by the immobilized trypsin could be accomplished within 1h, along with the significantly reduced self-digestion of trypsin and the improved reproducibility on the identification of proteins by the mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach. It showed that the number of identified bovine serum (BS) proteins on the commercial Fe3O4 nanoparticles was increased by 13% for the immobilized trypsin with 1h digestion as compared to that of using free trypsin with even overnight digestion. In addition, the on-bead digestion of using the immobilized trypsin was further applied on the identification of human plasma protein corona on the commercial Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which leads the efficient digestion of the human plasma proteins and the identification of 149 human plasma proteins corresponding to putative critical pathways and biological processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. High-level production of recombinant trypsin in transgenic rice cell culture through utilization of an alternative carbon source and recycling system.

    PubMed

    Kim, Nan-Sun; Yu, Hwa-Young; Chung, Nguyen-Duc; Kwon, Tae-Ho; Yang, Moon-Sik

    2014-09-01

    Productivity of recombinant bovine trypsin using a rice amylase 3D promoter has been studied in transgenic rice suspension culture. Alternative carbon sources were added to rice cell suspension cultures in order to improve the production of recombinant bovine trypsin. It was demonstrated that addition of alternative carbon sources such as succinic acid, fumaric acid and malic acid in the culture medium could increase the productivity of recombinant bovine trypsin 3.8-4.3-fold compared to those in the control medium without carbon sources. The highest accumulated trypsin reached 68.2 mg/L on day 5 in the culture medium with 40 mM fumaric acid. The feasibility of repeated use of the cells for recombinant trypsin production was tested in transgenic rice cell suspension culture with the culture medium containing the combination of variable sucrose concentration and 40 mM fumaric acid. Among the used combinations, the combination of 1% sucrose and 40 mM fumaric acid resulted in a yield of up to 53 mg/L five days after incubation. It also increased 31% (W/W) of dry cell weight and improved 43% of cell viability compared to that in control medium without sucrose. Based on these data, recycling of the trypsin production process with repeated 1% sucrose and 40 mM fumaric acid supplying-harvesting cycles was developed in flask scale culture. Recombinant bovine trypsin could be stably produced with a yield of up to 53-39 mg/L per cycle during five recycling cycles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. 21 CFR 184.1914 - Trypsin.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1914 Trypsin. (a) Trypsin (CAS Reg. No. 9002-07-7) is an enzyme preparation... characterizing enzyme activity is that of a peptide hydrolase (EC 3.4.21.4). (b) The ingredient meets the general requirements and additional requirements for enzyme preparations in the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. (1981), p...

  8. α-Blockers, 5-α-Reductase Inhibitors, Acetylcholine, β3 Agonists, and Phosphodiesterase-5s in Medical Management of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: How Much Do the Different Formulations Actually Matter in the Classes?

    PubMed

    Chughtai, Bilal; Thomas, Dominique; Kaplan, Steven

    2016-08-01

    Many monotherapies are currently available to clinically treat and alleviate symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia: α-blockers, 5ARIs, PDE5Is, β-3-andrenoceptor agonists, and anticholinergic agents. Current studies have evaluated the effective of these treatments in comparison to other groups or in combination therapies. The current review evaluates the effectiveness of class formulations. Based on the findings, α-blockers, specifically doxazosin and terazosin, were most effective in reducing IPSS scores and peak urinary flow rate, while being most cost-effective. However, further clinical investigations are required to evaluate the clinical implications of different formulations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Nutritional Wheat Amylase-Trypsin Inhibitors Promote Intestinal Inflammation via Activation of Myeloid Cells.

    PubMed

    Zevallos, Victor F; Raker, Verena; Tenzer, Stefan; Jimenez-Calvente, Carolina; Ashfaq-Khan, Muhammad; Rüssel, Nina; Pickert, Geethanjali; Schild, Hansjörg; Steinbrink, Kerstin; Schuppan, Detlef

    2017-04-01

    Wheat amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are nutritional activators of innate immunity, via activation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on myeloid cells. We aimed to characterize the biologic activity of ATIs in various foods and their effect on intestinal inflammation. We selected 38 different gluten-containing and gluten-free products, either unprocessed (such as wheat, rye, barley, quinoa, amaranth, soya, lentils, and rice) or processed (such as pizza, pasta, bread, and biscuits). ATIs were extracted and their biological activities determined in TLR4-responsive mouse and human cell lines. Effects of oral ATIs on intestinal inflammation were determined in healthy C57BL/6 mice on a gluten-free or ATI-free diet and in mice given low-level polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid or dextran sodium sulfate to induce colitis. Parameters of innate and adaptive immune activation were determined in duodenum, ileum, colon, and mesenteric lymph nodes. Modern gluten-containing staples had levels of TLR4-activating ATIs that were as much as 100-fold higher than in most gluten-free foods. Processed or baked foods retained ATI bioactivity. Most older wheat variants (such as Emmer or Einkorn) had lower bioactivity than modern (hexaploid) wheat. ATI species CM3 and 0.19 were the most prevalent activators of TLR4 in modern wheat and were highly resistant to intestinal proteolysis. Their ingestion induced modest intestinal myeloid cell infiltration and activation, and release of inflammatory mediators-mostly in the colon, then in the ileum, and then in the duodenum. Dendritic cells became prominently activated in mesenteric lymph nodes. Concentrations of ATIs found in a normal daily gluten-containing diet increased low-level intestinal inflammation. Gluten-containing cereals have by far the highest concentrations of ATIs that activate TLR4. Orally ingested ATIs are largely resistant to proteases and heat, and increase intestinal inflammation by activating gut and mesenteric lymph node myeloid cells. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Display of Passenger Proteins on the Surface of Escherichia coli K-12 by the Enterohemorrhagic E. coli Intimin EaeA

    PubMed Central

    Wentzel, Alexander; Christmann, Andreas; Adams, Thorsten; Kolmar, Harald

    2001-01-01

    Intimins are members of a family of bacterial adhesins from pathogenic Escherichia coli which specifically interact with diverse eukaryotic cell surface receptors. The EaeA intimin from enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 contains an N-terminal transporter domain, which resides in the bacterial outer membrane and promotes the translocation of four C-terminally attached passenger domains across the bacterial cell envelope. We investigated whether truncated EaeA intimin lacking two carboxy-terminal domains could be used as a translocator for heterologous passenger proteins. We found that a variant of the trypsin inhibitor Ecballium elaterium trypsin inhibitor II (EETI-II), interleukin 4, and the Bence-Jones protein REIv were displayed on the surface of E. coli K-12 via fusion to truncated intimin. Fusion protein net accumulation in the outer membrane could be regulated over a broad range by varying the cellular amount of suppressor tRNA that is necessary for translational readthrough at an amber codon residing within the truncated eaeA gene. Intimin-mediated adhesion of the bacterial cells to eukaryotic target cells could be mimicked by surface display of a short fibrinogen receptor binding peptide containing an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid sequence motif, which promoted binding of E. coli K-12 to human platelets. Cells displaying a particular epitope sequence fused to truncated intimin could be enriched 200,000-fold by immunofluorescence staining and fluorescence-activated cell sorting in three sorting rounds. These results demonstrate that truncated intimin can be used as an anchor protein that mediates the translocation of various passenger proteins through the cytoplasmic and outer membranes of E. coli and their exposure on the cell surface. Intimin display may prove a useful tool for future protein translocation studies with interesting biological and biotechnological ramifications. PMID:11717287

  11. Does transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton pollen affect hypopharyngeal gland development and midgut proteolytic enzyme activity in the honey bee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)?

    PubMed

    Han, Peng; Niu, Chang-Ying; Biondi, Antonio; Desneux, Nicolas

    2012-11-01

    The transgenic Cry1Ac (Bt toxin) + CpTI (Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor) cotton cultivar CCRI41 is increasingly used in China and potential side effects on the honey bee Apis mellifera L. have been documented recently. Two studies have assessed potential lethal and sublethal effects in young bees fed with CCRI41 cotton pollen but no effect was observed on learning capacities, although lower feeding activity in exposed honey bees was noted (antifeedant effect). The present study aimed at providing further insights into potential side effects of CCRI41 cotton on honey bees. Emerging honey bees were exposed to different pollen diets using no-choice feeding protocols (chronic exposure) in controlled laboratory conditions and we aimed at documenting potential mechanisms underneath the CCRI41 antifeedant effect previously reported. Activity of midgut proteolytic enzyme of young adult honey bees fed on CCRI41 cotton pollen were not significantly affected, i.e. previously observed antifeedant effect was not linked to disturbed activity of the proteolytic enzymes in bees' midgut. Hypopharyngeal gland development was assessed by quantifying total extractable proteins from the glands. Results suggested that CCRI41 cotton pollen carries no risk to hypopharyngeal gland development of young adult honey bees. In the two bioassays, honey bees exposed to 1 % soybean trypsin inhibitor were used as positive controls for both midgut proteolytic enzymes and hypopharyngeal gland proteins quantification, and bees exposed to 48 ppb (part per billion) (i.e. 48 ng g(-1)) imidacloprid were used as controls for exposure to a sublethal concentration of toxic product. The results show that the previously reported antifeedant effect of CCRI41 cotton pollen on honey bees is not linked to effects on their midgut proteolytic enzymes or on the development of their hypopharyngeal glands. The results of the study are discussed in the framework of risk assessment of transgenic crops on honey bees.

  12. Effect of heat treatment on the proximate composition, energy values, and levels of some toxicants in African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) seed varieties.

    PubMed

    Onyeike, Eugene N; Omubo-Dede, Tina T

    2002-01-01

    The effects of heat treatments on the proximate composition, energy content, and levels of some antinutritional factors in brown and marble-colored African yam bean (AYB) seed flours were investigated. In raw brown and marble-colored AYB seed flours; moisture content, dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, ash, total carbohydrate and caloric value did not differ significantly at the 5% level. Autoclaving and cooking slightly increased the moisture level. Crude protein, crude fat, and ash contents were decreased by autoclaving and were further decreased by cooking. The decrease was not, however, considerable for the AYB that is not eaten raw and whose full nutritional potential as a legume can be derived only when heat treated, as previous reports have indicated for legume seeds. The levels of the toxicants were generally higher in the raw brown AYB compared to the marble-colored, and were generally reduced by both autoclaving and cooking. In the most commonly available and consumed marble-colored AYB, autoclaving at 121 degrees C, 15 psi for 20 min decreased cyanogenic glycosides by 46%, oxalate by 48.9%, tannin by 15.0%, saponin by 14.8% and trypsin inhibitors by 61.3% while cooking for 3.5 hours in tap water decreased these toxic factors by 66.5%, 70.3%, 72.2%, 48.7%, and 86.0%, respectively. The results indicate that for raw samples, varietal difference did not significantly affect nutrient composition though the toxicants were generally higher in the brown AYB than the marble-colored. Autoclaving decreased both nutrient value and the level of toxicants in the two seed types; values were further reduced by cooking. Of the toxicants, trypsin inhibitor was found to be the most heat-labile and of the heat treatment methods, cooking to tenderness is recommendable.

  13. Nutritional composition and antinutritional properties of maize ogi cofermented with pigeon pea.

    PubMed

    Okafor, Uchechukwu I; Omemu, Adebunkola M; Obadina, Adewale O; Bankole, Mobolaji O; Adeyeye, Samuel A O

    2018-03-01

    Maize was cofermented with pigeon pea for ogi production and evaluated for nutritional (proximate composition, minerals, vitamins, and amino acid profile analyses) and antinutritional (phytate, tannin, and trypsin inhibitor activity analyses) qualities. White maize and pigeon pea were mixed at ratios of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50, respectively, with 100:0 serving as the control. Mixtures were cofermented for 96 hr at 27°C ± 2°C and nutritional, mineral, and antinutritional qualities were analyzed using analysis of variance. Results of proximate analysis showed that the values were significantly difference at p  ≤   .05. Maize cofermented with pigeon pea at a ratio of 60:40 had the highest protein (22.79 mg/100 g), fat (19.27 mg/100 g), ash (2.98 mg/100 g), crude fiber (0.73 mg/100 g), and lowest moisture (1.98 mg/100 g) content, and was significantly ( p  ≤   .05) different from the other ratios. Of all the mixtures analyzed, 60:40 was significantly ( p  ≤   .05) different and had the highest Vitamin B 1 , B 2 , and B 3 contents. Amino acid profile results showed that maize cofermented with pigeon pea at a ratio of 60:40 showed the highest contents of lysine (93.95 mg/g), tryptophan (20.38 mg/g), isoleucine (54.78 mg/g), phenylalanine (86.23 mg/g), leucine (109.55 mg/g), and valine (68.29 mg/g), respectively, and was significantly ( p  ≤   .05) different from the other ratios. Results of antinutritional analysis showed low phytate, tannin, and trypsin inhibitor values in maize cofermented with pigeon pea at a ratio of 60:40 when compared with other ratios. The cofermented maize-pigeon pea product 60:40 had high amino acid profile than the others.

  14. Effects of RU486 and indomethacin on meiotic maturation, formation of extracellular matrix, and progesterone production by porcine oocyte-cumulus complexes.

    PubMed

    Nagyova, E; Scsukova, S; Kalous, J; Mlynarcikova, A

    2014-07-01

    This study was designed to determine whether inhibition of either cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) by indomethacin or progesterone receptor (PR) by PR antagonist, RU486, affects oocyte maturation, progesterone production, and covalent binding between hyaluronan (HA) and heavy chains of inter-α trypsin inhibitor, as well as expression of cumulus expansion-associated proteins (HA-binding protein, tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 6, pentraxin 3) in oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCCs). The experiments were based on freshly isolated porcine OCC cultures in which the consequences of PR and COX-2 inhibition on the final processes of oocyte maturation were determined. Granulosa cells (GCs) and OCCs were cultured in medium supplemented with FSH/LH (both 100 ng/mL) in the presence/absence of RU486 or indomethacin. Western blot analysis, (3)H-glucosamine hydrochloride assay, immunofluorescence, and radioimmunoassay were performed. Only treatment with RU486 (25 μM) caused a decrease in the number of oocytes that reached germinal vesicle breakdown and metaphase II stage compared with indomethacin (100 μM) or FSH/LH treatment alone after 44 h. All treated OCCs synthesized an almost equal amount of HA. Heavy chains (of inter-α trypsin inhibitor)-HA covalent complexes were formed during in vitro FSH/LH-stimulated expansion in RU486- or indomethacin-treated OCCs. Follicle-stimulating hormone/LH-induced progesterone production by OCCs was increased in the presence of RU486 after 44 h. In contrast, a decrease of FSH/LH-stimulated progesterone production by GCs was detected in the presence of either RU486 or indomethacin after 72 h. We suggest that the PR-dependent pathway may be involved in the regulation of oocyte maturation. Both PR and COX-2 regulate FSH/LH-stimulated progesterone production by OCCs and GCs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Effect of bombesin on serum immunoreactive trypsin in healthy subjects and in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

    PubMed

    Labò, G; Vezzadini, P; Gullo, L; Sternini, C; Bonora, G

    1983-08-01

    We studied the effect of bombesin (9 ng/kg X min for 30 min by intravenous infusion) on serum immunoreactive trypsin in healthy subjects and in chronic pancreatitis patients. Bombesin administration caused a marked and significant increase of serum immunoreactive trypsin concentration in healthy subjects. The increase occurred in the first 15 min after the beginning of bombesin infusion and persisted for the duration of the study (2 h). In patients with chronic pancreatitis, the increase was much less pronounced. In these patients, the integrated immunoreactive trypsin response to bombesin was significantly correlated with bicarbonate, lipase, and chymotrypsin outputs into the duodenum. The response of serum immunoreactive trypsin to bombesin stimulation seems to vary according to the degree of pancreatic exocrine dysfunction and to reflect the functional capacity of acinar cell mass.

  16. Stepwise Evolution of a Buried Inhibitor Peptide over 45 My.

    PubMed

    Jayasena, Achala S; Fisher, Mark F; Panero, Jose L; Secco, David; Bernath-Levin, Kalia; Berkowitz, Oliver; Taylor, Nicolas L; Schilling, Edward E; Whelan, James; Mylne, Joshua S

    2017-06-01

    The de novo evolution of genes and the novel proteins they encode has stimulated much interest in the contribution such innovations make to the diversity of life. Most research on this de novo evolution focuses on transcripts, so studies on the biochemical steps that can enable completely new proteins to evolve and the time required to do so have been lacking. Sunflower Preproalbumin with SFTI-1 (PawS1) is an unusual albumin precursor because in addition to producing albumin it also yields a potent, bicyclic protease-inhibitor called SunFlower Trypsin Inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1). Here, we show how this inhibitor peptide evolved stepwise over tens of millions of years. To trace the origin of the inhibitor peptide SFTI-1, we assembled seed transcriptomes for 110 sunflower relatives whose evolution could be resolved by a chronogram, which allowed dates to be estimated for the various stages of molecular evolution. A genetic insertion event in an albumin precursor gene ∼45 Ma introduced two additional cleavage sites for protein maturation and conferred duality upon PawS1-Like genes such that they also encode a small buried macrocycle. Expansion of this region, including two Cys residues, enlarged the peptide ∼34 Ma and made the buried peptides bicyclic. Functional specialization into a protease inhibitor occurred ∼23 Ma. These findings document the evolution of a novel peptide inside a benign region of a pre-existing protein. We illustrate how a novel peptide can evolve without de novo gene evolution and, critically, without affecting the function of what becomes the protein host. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Autocrine Extra-Pancreatic Trypsin 3 Secretion Promotes Cell Proliferation and Survival in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

    PubMed Central

    Han, Song; Lee, Constance W.; Trevino, Jose G.; Hughes, Steven J.; Sarosi, George A.

    2013-01-01

    Trypsin or Tumor associated trypsin (TAT) activation of Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) promotes tumor cell proliferation in gastrointestinal cancers. The role of the trypsin/PAR-2 network in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) development has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of trypsin/PAR-2 activation in EA tumorogenesis and therapy. We found that esophageal adenocarcinoma cells (EACs) and Barrett’s Metaplasia (BART) expressed high levels of type 3 extra-pancreatic trypsinogen (PRSS3), a novel type of TAT. Activity of secreted trypsin was detected in cultured media from EA OE19 and OE33 cultures but not from BART culture. Surface PAR-2 expression in BART and EACs was confirmed by both flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. Trypsin induced cell proliferation (∼ 2 fold; P<0.01) in all tested cell lines at a concentration of 10 nM. Inhibition of PAR-2 activity in EACs via the PAR-2 antagonist ENMD (500 µM), anti-PAR2 antibody SAM-11 (2 µg/ml), or siRNA PAR-2 knockdown, reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis by up to 4 fold (P<0.01). Trypsin stimulation led to phosphorylation of ERK1/2, suggesting involvement of MAPK pathway in PAR-2 signal transduction. Inhibition of PAR-2 activation or siRNA PAR-2 knockdown in EACs prior to treatment with 5 FU reduced cell viability of EACs by an additional 30% (P<0.01) compared to chemotherapy alone. Our data suggest that extra-pancreatic trypsinogen 3 is produced by EACs and activates PAR-2 in an autocrine manner. PAR-2 activation increases cancer cell proliferation, and promotes cancer cell survival. Targeting the trypsin activated PAR-2 pathway in conjunction with current chemotherapeutic agents may be a viable therapeutic strategy in EA. PMID:24146905

  18. Digestive peptidase evolution in holometabolous insects led to a divergent group of enzymes in Lepidoptera.

    PubMed

    Dias, Renata O; Via, Allegra; Brandão, Marcelo M; Tramontano, Anna; Silva-Filho, Marcio C

    2015-03-01

    Trypsins and chymotrypsins are well-studied serine peptidases that cleave peptide bonds at the carboxyl side of basic and hydrophobic L-amino acids, respectively. These enzymes are largely responsible for the digestion of proteins. Three primary processes regulate the activity of these peptidases: secretion, precursor (zymogen) activation and substrate-binding site recognition. Here, we present a detailed phylogenetic analysis of trypsins and chymotrypsins in three orders of holometabolous insects and reveal divergent characteristics of Lepidoptera enzymes in comparison with those of Coleoptera and Diptera. In particular, trypsin subsite S1 was more hydrophilic in Lepidoptera than in Coleoptera and Diptera, whereas subsites S2-S4 were more hydrophobic, suggesting different substrate preferences. Furthermore, Lepidoptera displayed a lineage-specific trypsin group belonging only to the Noctuidae family. Evidence for facilitated trypsin auto-activation events were also observed in all the insect orders studied, with the characteristic zymogen activation motif complementary to the trypsin active site. In contrast, insect chymotrypsins did not seem to have a peculiar evolutionary history with respect to their mammal counterparts. Overall, our findings suggest that the need for fast digestion allowed holometabolous insects to evolve divergent groups of peptidases with high auto-activation rates, and highlight that the evolution of trypsins led to a most diverse group of enzymes in Lepidoptera. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Atomic-scale investigation of the interactions between tetrabromobisphenol A, tetrabromobisphenol S and bovine trypsin by spectroscopies and molecular dynamics simulations.

    PubMed

    Ding, Keke; Zhang, Huanxin; Wang, Haifei; Lv, Xuan; Pan, Liumeng; Zhang, Wenjing; Zhuang, Shulin

    2015-12-15

    Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and its replacement alternative tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) are used widely as brominated flame retardants (BFRs). However, the potential risk of their effects on bovine trypsin remains largely unknown. We investigated the effects of TBBPA and TBBPS to bovine trypsin by the fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. They statically quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of bovine trypsin in a concentration-dependent mode and caused slight red-shifted fluorescence. The short and long fluorescence lifetime decay components of bovine trypsin were both affected, partly due to the disturbed microenvironmental changes of Trp215. The β-sheet content of bovine trypsin was significantly reduced from 82.4% to 75.7% and 76.6% by TBBPA and TBBPS, respectively, possibly impairing the physiological function of bovine trypsin. TBBPA and TBBPS bind at the 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate (ANS) binding site with an association constant of 1.09×10(4) M(-1) and 2.41×10(4) M(-1) at 298 K, respectively. MD simulations revealed that van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bond interactions are dominant for TBBPA, whereas electrostatic interactions are critical for TBBPS. Our in vitro and in silico studies are beneficial to the understanding of risk assessment and future design of environmental benign BFRs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Thermostable trypsin conjugates immobilized to biogenic magnetite show a high operational stability and remarkable reusability for protein digestion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pečová, M.; Šebela, M.; Marková, Z.; Poláková, K.; Čuda, J.; Šafářová, K.; Zbořil, R.

    2013-03-01

    In this work, magnetosomes produced by microorganisms were chosen as a suitable magnetic carrier for covalent immobilization of thermostable trypsin conjugates with an expected applicability for efficient and rapid digestion of proteins at elevated temperatures. First, a biogenic magnetite was isolated from Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense and its free surface was coated with the natural polysaccharide chitosan containing free amino and hydroxy groups. Prior to covalent immobilization, bovine trypsin was modified by conjugating with α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrin. Modified trypsin was bound to the magnetic carriers via amino groups using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide as coupling reagents. The magnetic biomaterial was characterized by magnetometric analysis and electron microscopy. With regard to their biochemical properties, the immobilized trypsin conjugates showed an increased resistance to elevated temperatures, eliminated autolysis, had an unchanged pH optimum and a significant storage stability and reusability. Considering these parameters, the presented enzymatic system exhibits properties that are superior to those of trypsin forms obtained by other frequently used approaches. The proteolytic performance was demonstrated during in-solution digestion of model proteins (horseradish peroxidase, bovine serum albumin and hen egg white lysozyme) followed by mass spectrometry. It is shown that both magnetic immobilization and chemical modification enhance the characteristics of trypsin making it a promising tool for protein digestion.

  1. Levels of prostaglandin E metabolite and leukotriene E(4) are increased in the urine of smokers: evidence that celecoxib shunts arachidonic acid into the 5-lipoxygenase pathway.

    PubMed

    Duffield-Lillico, Anna J; Boyle, Jay O; Zhou, Xi Kathy; Ghosh, Aradhana; Butala, Geera S; Subbaramaiah, Kotha; Newman, Robert A; Morrow, Jason D; Milne, Ginger L; Dannenberg, Andrew J

    2009-04-01

    Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) play a role in inflammation and carcinogenesis. Biomarkers that reflect tobacco smoke-induced tissue injury are needed. In this study, levels of urinary prostaglandin E metabolite (PGE-M) and leukotriene E(4) (LTE(4)), biomarkers of the COX and 5-LO pathways, were compared in never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers. The effects of celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, on levels of PGE-M and LTE(4) were determined. Baseline levels of PGE-M and LTE(4) were positively associated with smoking status; levels of PGE-M and LTE(4) were higher in current versus never smokers. Treatment with 200 mg celecoxib twice daily for 6 +/- 1 days led to a reduction in urinary PGE-M levels in all groups but exhibited the greatest effect among subjects with high baseline PGE-M levels. Thus, high baseline PGE-M levels in smokers reflected increased COX-2 activity. In individuals with high baseline PGE-M levels, treatment with celecoxib led to a significant increase in levels of urinary LTE(4), an effect that was not found in individuals with low baseline PGE-M levels. In conclusion, increased levels of urinary PGE-M and LTE(4) were found in human smokers, a result that may reflect subclinical lung inflammation. In individuals with high baseline levels of PGE-M (elevated COX-2 activity), celecoxib administration shunted arachidonic acid into the proinflammatory 5-LO pathway. Because 5-LO activity and LTE(4) have been suggested to play a role in cardiovascular disease, these results may help to explain the link between use of COX-2 inhibitors and cardiovascular complications.

  2. Current medical treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms/BPH: do we have a standard?

    PubMed

    Silva, João; Silva, Carlos Martins; Cruz, Francisco

    2014-01-01

    The pharmacological treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is based on alpha-blockers and 5α-reductase inhibitors isolated or in combination. Silodosin, an alpha-1A specific alpha-blocker is the only innovation in these groups of agents. This classical paradigm is being challenged by antimuscarinics, 5-phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE5i) and β3-adrenoreceptor agonists. Silodosin is effective in reducing BPH/LUTS, including nocturia and shows little cardiovascular adverse events. Antimuscarinic drugs isolated or in combination with alpha-blockers improve storage symptoms without any harmful effect to the voiding function. PDE5i alone improve BPH/LUTS. Combination of PDE5i with alpha-blockers provides better symptomatic control than alpha-blockers alone. A recent head-to-head comparison of tadalafil 5 mg/day with tamsulosin 0.4 mg/day showed that these agents provided the same improvement in BPH/LUTS and, surprisingly, the same improvement in the urinary flow. In fact, previous studies with tadalafil had not shown any effect of tadalafil on flow. In addition, tadalafil but not tamsulosin improved sexual function. Mirabegron, the first β3-adrenoreceptor agonist, while improving BPH/LUTS in men with bladder outlet obstruction, do not decrease urinary flow or detrusor pressure. The standard medical treatment for BPH/LUTS is still based on alpha-blockers, 5ARIs or its combination. In the future, it is expected that BPH/LUTS treatment will become individualized, according to the type of symptoms, presence of sexual dysfunction and risk of BPH progression. This will challenge our concept of standard treatment for BPH/LUTS.

  3. A combination of a dairy product fermented by lactobacilli and galactooligosaccharides shows additive effects on mineral balances in growing rats with hypochlorhydria induced by a proton pump inhibitor.

    PubMed

    Takasugi, Satoshi; Ashida, Kinya; Maruyama, Suyaka; Matsukiyo, Yukari; Kaneko, Tetsuo; Yamaji, Taketo

    2013-06-01

    This study aimed to investigate the effects of a combination of a dairy product fermented by lactobacilli (DFL) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) on mineral balances in growing rats with hypochlorhydria induced by a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Three-week-old male rats were assigned to receive one of six diets: a control diet, control diets containing 1.6 or 5.0 % GOS, a DFL diet and DFL diets containing 1.6 or 5.0 % GOS for 9 days. From day 5 of the feeding period, half of the rats fed with control diets were subcutaneously administered with saline, whereas the remaining rats were administered with PPI for 5 days. Calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) balances were determined from days 6 to 9. PPI administration significantly decreased the apparent absorption of Ca and Fe and increased urinary P excretion, resulting in decreased Ca, Fe and P retention. GOS dose-dependently increased the apparent absorption of Ca, Mg and Fe and urinary Mg excretion and decreased urinary P excretion. DFL significantly increased the apparent absorption of Ca and Mg and urinary Mg excretion. The combination of DFL and GOS additively affected these parameters, resulting in increased Ca, P and Fe retention, and it further increased the apparent absorption and retention of Zn at 5.0 % GOS. In conclusion, the combination of DFL and GOS improves Ca, P and Fe retention in an additive manner and increases the Zn retention in growing rats with hypochlorhydria induced by PPI.

  4. Tadalafil - a therapeutic option in the management of BPH-LUTS.

    PubMed

    Carson, C C; Rosenberg, M; Kissel, J; Wong, D G

    2014-01-01

    Men with signs of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may experience lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) such as urinary frequency, urgency, intermittence, nocturia, straining, incomplete emptying or a weak urinary stream. The effective management of LUTS suggestive of BPH (BPH-LUTS) requires careful consideration of several factors, including the severity of a patient's symptoms, concurrent or other coexisting medical conditions, the ability to improve symptoms and impact quality of life (QOL), as well as the potential side effects of available treatment options. Several clinical studies have assessed phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors in reducing LUTS; however, tadalafil is the only PDE5 inhibitor approved for the treatment of signs and symptoms of BPH, as well as in men with both erectile dysfunction (ED) and the signs and symptoms of BPH. This review examined articles that assessed tadalafil in patients with signs and symptoms of BPH, with or without erectile dysfunction (ED), which led to regulatory approval in the United States and Europe. In dose-ranging and confirmatory studies, results demonstrate that tadalafil significantly improved total International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) following 12 weeks of treatment with once daily tadalafil 5 mg. Statistically significant improvements in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index (BII), IPSS subscores, IPSS QOL and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) were also observed. Improvement in urinary symptoms occurred regardless of age, previous treatment with an α1 -adrenergic blocker, BPH-LUTS severity at baseline or ED status. While tadalafil is most frequently recognised as a standard treatment option for men with ED, it also represents a well-tolerated and effective treatment option in men with moderate to severe BPH-LUTS. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Identification and biochemical characterization of small-molecule inhibitors of west nile virus serine protease by a high-throughput screen.

    PubMed

    Mueller, Niklaus H; Pattabiraman, Nagarajan; Ansarah-Sobrinho, Camilo; Viswanathan, Prasanth; Pierson, Theodore C; Padmanabhan, R

    2008-09-01

    West Nile virus and dengue virus are mosquito-borne flaviviruses that cause a large number of human infections each year. No vaccines or chemotherapeutics are currently available. These viruses encode a serine protease that is essential for polyprotein processing, a required step in the viral replication cycle. In this study, a high-throughput screening assay for the West Nile virus protease was employed to screen approximately 32,000 small-molecule compounds for identification of inhibitors. Lead inhibitor compounds with three distinct core chemical structures (1 to 3) were identified. In a secondary screening of selected compounds, two compounds, belonging to the 8-hydroxyquinoline family (compounds A and B) and containing core structure 1, were identified as potent inhibitors of the West Nile virus protease, with K(i) values of 3.2 +/- 0.3 microM and 3.4 +/- 0.6 microM, respectively. These compounds inhibited the dengue virus type 2 protease with K(i) values of 28.6 +/- 5.1 microM and 30.2 +/- 8.6 microM, respectively, showing some selectivity in the inhibition of these viral proteases. However, the compounds show no inhibition of cellular serine proteases, trypsin, or factor Xa. Kinetic analysis and molecular docking of compound B onto the known crystal structure of the West Nile virus protease indicate that the inhibitor binds in the substrate-binding cleft. Furthermore, compound B was capable of inhibiting West Nile virus RNA replication in cultured Vero cells (50% effective concentration, 1.4 +/- 0.4 microM; selectivity index, 100), presumably by inhibition of polyprotein processing.

  6. ERK activation is required for CCK-mediated pancreatic adaptive growth in mice

    PubMed Central

    Holtz, Bryan J.; Lodewyk, Kevin B.; Sebolt-Leopold, Judith S.; Ernst, Stephen A.

    2014-01-01

    High levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) can stimulate pancreatic adaptive growth in which mature acinar cells divide, leading to enhanced pancreatic mass with parallel increases in protein, DNA, RNA, and digestive enzyme content. Prolonged release of CCK can be induced by feeding trypsin inhibitor (TI) to disrupt normal feedback control. This leads to exocrine growth in a CCK-dependent manner. The extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway regulates many proliferative processes in various tissues and disease models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ERK signaling in pancreatic adaptive growth using the MEK inhibitors PD-0325901 and trametinib (GSK-1120212). It was determined that PD-0325901 given two times daily by gavage or mixed into powdered chow was an effective and specific inhibitor of ERK signaling in vivo. TI-containing chow led to a robust increase in pancreatic mass, protein, DNA, and RNA content. This pancreatic adaptive growth was blocked in mice fed chow containing the MEK inhibitors. PD-0325901 blocked TI-induced ERK-regulated early response genes, cell-cycle proteins, and mitogenesis by acinar cells. It was determined that ERK signaling is necessary for the initiation of pancreatic adaptive growth but not necessary to maintain it. PD-0325901 blocked adaptive growth when given before cell-cycle initiation but not after mitogenesis had been established. Furthermore, GSK-1120212, a chemically distinct inhibitor of the ERK pathway that is now approved for clinical use, inhibited growth similar to PD-0325901. These data demonstrate that the ERK pathway is required for CCK-stimulated pancreatic adaptive growth. PMID:25104499

  7. The spectrum of low molecular weight alpha-amylase/protease inhibitor genes expressed in the US bread wheat cultivar Butte 86

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Wheat grains accumulate a variety of low molecular weight proteins that are inhibitors of alpha-amylases and proteases and play an important protective role in the grain. These proteins have more balanced amino acid compositions than the major wheat gluten proteins and contribute important reserves for both seedling growth and human nutrition. The alpha-amylase/protease inhibitors also are of interest because they cause IgE-mediated occupational and food allergies and thereby impact human health. Results The complement of genes encoding alpha-amylase/protease inhibitors expressed in the US bread wheat Butte 86 was characterized by analysis of expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Coding sequences for 19 distinct proteins were identified. These included two monomeric (WMAI), four dimeric (WDAI), and six tetrameric (WTAI) inhibitors of exogenous alpha-amylases, two inhibitors of endogenous alpha-amylases (WASI), four putative trypsin inhibitors (CMx and WTI), and one putative chymotrypsin inhibitor (WCI). A number of the encoded proteins were identical or very similar to proteins in the NCBI database. Sequences not reported previously included variants of WTAI-CM3, three CMx inhibitors and WTI. Within the WDAI group, two different genes encoded the same mature protein. Based on numbers of ESTs, transcripts for WTAI-CM3 Bu-1, WMAI Bu-1 and WTAI-CM16 Bu-1 were most abundant in Butte 86 developing grain. Coding sequences for 16 of the inhibitors were unequivocally associated with specific proteins identified by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in a previous proteomic analysis of milled white flour from Butte 86. Proteins corresponding to WDAI Bu-1/Bu-2, WMAI Bu-1 and the WTAI subunits CM2 Bu-1, CM3 Bu-1 and CM16 Bu-1 were accumulated to the highest levels in flour. Conclusions Information on the spectrum of alpha-amylase/protease inhibitor genes and proteins expressed in a single wheat cultivar is central to understanding the importance of these proteins in both plant defense mechanisms and human allergies and facilitates both breeding and biotechnology approaches for manipulating the composition of these proteins in plants. PMID:21774824

  8. 21 CFR 524.2620 - Liquid crystalline trypsin, Peru balsam, castor oil.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ...) Conditions of use. The drug is used as an aid in the treatment of external wounds and assists healing by... delivered to the wound site contains 0.12 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 87.0 milligrams of Peru balsam... gram delivered to the wound site contains 0.1 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 72.5 milligrams of Peru...

  9. 21 CFR 524.2620 - Liquid crystalline trypsin, Peru balsam, castor oil.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ...) Conditions of use. The drug is used as an aid in the treatment of external wounds and assists healing by... delivered to the wound site contains 0.12 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 87.0 milligrams of Peru balsam... gram delivered to the wound site contains 0.1 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 72.5 milligrams of Peru...

  10. 21 CFR 524.2620 - Liquid crystalline trypsin, Peru balsam, castor oil.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... delivered to the wound site contains 0.12 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 87.0 milligrams of Peru balsam... gram delivered to the wound site contains 0.1 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 72.5 milligrams of Peru...) Conditions of use. The drug is used as an aid in the treatment of external wounds and assists healing by...

  11. 21 CFR 524.2620 - Liquid crystalline trypsin, Peru balsam, castor oil.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...) Conditions of use. The drug is used as an aid in the treatment of external wounds and assists healing by... delivered to the wound site contains 0.12 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 87.0 milligrams of Peru balsam... gram delivered to the wound site contains 0.1 milligram of crystalline trypsin, 72.5 milligrams of Peru...

  12. Higher accumulation of proteinase inhibitors in flowers than leaves and fruits as a possible basis for differential feeding preference of Helicoverpa armigera on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, Cv. Dhanashree).

    PubMed

    Damle, Mrunal S; Giri, Ashok P; Sainani, Mohini N; Gupta, Vidya S

    2005-11-01

    Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill; cultivar- Dhanashree) proteinase inhibitors (PIs) were tested for their trypsin inhibitory (TI) and Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases inhibitory (HGPI) activity in different organs of the tomato plants. Analysis of TI and HGPI distribution in various parts of the plant showed that flowers accumulated about 300 and 1000 times higher levels of TI while 700 and 400 times higher levels of HGPI as compared to those in leaves and fruits, respectively. Field observation that H. armigera larvae infest leaves and fruits but not the flowers could be at least partially attributed to the protective role-played by the higher levels of PIs in the flower tissue. Tomato PIs inhibited about 50-80% HGP activity of H. armigera larvae feeding on various host plants including tomato, of larvae exposed to non-host plant PIs and of various larval instars. Tomato PIs were found to be highly stable to insect proteinases wherein incubation of inhibitor with HGP even for 3h at optimum conditions did not affect inhibitory activity. Bioassay using H. armigera larvae fed on artificial diet containing tomato PIs revealed adverse effect on larval growth, pupae development, adult formation and fecundity.

  13. Serine Protease Inhibitors Specifically Defend Solanum nigrum against Generalist Herbivores but Do Not Influence Plant Growth and Development[C][W

    PubMed Central

    Hartl, Markus; Giri, Ashok P.; Kaur, Harleen; Baldwin, Ian T.

    2010-01-01

    Solanaceaeous taxa produce diverse peptide serine proteinase inhibitors (SPIs), known antidigestive defenses that might also control endogenous plant proteases. If and how a plant coordinates and combines its different SPIs for the defense against herbivores and if these SPIs simultaneously serve developmental functions is unknown. We examine Solanum nigrum’s SPI profile, comprising four different active inhibitors, of which the most abundant proved to be novel, to understand their functional specialization in an ecological context. Transcript and activity characterization revealed tissue-specific and insect-elicited accumulation patterns. Stable and transient gene silencing of all four SPIs revealed different specificities for target proteinases: the novel SPI2c displayed high specificity for trypsin and chymotrypsin, while two other SPI2 homologs were highly active against subtilisin. In field and lab experiments, we found all four SPIs to display herbivore- and gene-specific defensive properties, with dissimilar effects on closely related species. However, we did not observe any clear developmental phenotype in SPI-silenced plants, suggesting that SPIs do not play a major role in regulating endogenous proteases under the conditions studied. In summary, specific single SPIs or their combinations defend S. nigrum against generalist herbivores, while the defense against herbivores specialized on SPI-rich diets requires other unknown defense mechanisms. PMID:21177479

  14. Vibrational spectroscopic analysis of a chymotrypsin inhibitor isolated from Schizolobium parahyba (Vell) Toledo seeds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teles, Rozeni C. L.; Freitas, Sonia M.; Kawano, Yoshio; de Souza, Elizabeth M. T.; Arêas, Elizabeth P. G.

    1999-06-01

    Laser Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies were applied in the investigation of conformational features of a chymotrypsin inhibitor (SPC), inactive on trypsin, isolated from Schizolobium parahyba, a Leguminosae of the Cesalpinoidae family, found in tropical and subtropical regions. As a serine protease inhibitor, its importance is related to the control of proteolytic activity, which in turn is involved in a wide range of critically important biotechnological issues, such as blood coagulation, tumour cell growth, and plant natural defences against predators. SPC is a 20 kDa molecular mass monomeric protein, with two disulfide bonds. Its complete aminoacid primary sequence has not yet been determined. We analysed protein backbone conformation for the lyophylized solid and for an evaporated film, through Raman scattering and FTIR, respectively. The presence of significant amounts of disordered structures and of non-negligible contributions from α-helical and β-sheet structures were reckoned in both cases. The geometries of the disulfide bonds were defined: a gauche-gauche-gauche geometry was verified for one of the two bridges and a transient gauche-gauche-trans/trans-gauche-trans geometry has been indicated for the second one.Two out of the three tyrosine residues were shown to be in external location in the solid protein, as well as the only tryptophan residue.

  15. Increasing transcriptome response of serpins during the ontogenetic stages in the salmon louse Caligus rogercresseyi (Copepoda: Caligidae).

    PubMed

    Maldonado-Aguayo, W; Gallardo-Escárate, C

    2014-06-01

    Serine protease inhibitors, or serpins, target serine proteases, and are important regulators of intra- and extracellular proteolysis. For parasite survival, parasite-derived protease inhibitors have been suggested to play essential roles in evading the host's immune system and protecting against exogenous host proteases. The aim of this work was to identify serpins via high throughput transcriptome sequencing and elucidate their potential functions during the lifecycle of the salmon louse Caligus rogercresseyi. Eleven putative, partial serpin sequences in the C. rogercresseyi transcriptome were identified and denoted as Cr-serpins 1 to 11. Comparative analysis of the deduced serpin-like amino acid sequences revealed a highly conserved reactive center loop region. Interestingly, P1 residues suggest putative functions involved with the trypsin/subtilisin, elastase, or subtilisin inhibitors, which evidenced increasing gene expression profiles from the copepodid to adult stage in C. rogercresseyi. Concerning this, Cr-serpin 10 was mainly expressed in the copepodid stage, while Cr-serpins 3, 4, 5, and 11 were mostly expressed in chalimus and adult stages. These results suggest that serpins could be involved in evading the immune response of the host fish. The identification of these serpins furthers the understanding of the immune system in this important ectoparasite species. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. The biochemical and functional food properties of the bowman-birk inhibitor.

    PubMed

    Losso, Jack N

    2008-01-01

    The Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) is a small water-soluble protein present in soybean and almost all monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous seeds. The molecular size of BBI ranges from 1,513 Da to about 20,000 Da. BBI is to seeds what alpha(1)-antitrypsin is to humans. Soy-based food products rich in BBI include soybean grits, soymilk, oilcake, soybean isolate, and soybean protein concentrate. BBI is stable within the pH range encountered in most foods, can withstand boiling water temperature for 10 min, resistant to the pH range and proteolytic enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract, bioavailable, and not allergenic. BBI reduces the proteolytic activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, cathepsin G, and chymase, serine protease-dependent matrix metalloproteinases, urokinase protein activator, mitogen activated protein kinase, and PI3 kinase, and upregulates connexin 43 (Cx43) expression. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of BBI against tumor cells in vitro, animal models, and human phase IIa clinical trials. FDA considers BBI as a drug. In 1999, FDA allowed a health claim on food labels stating that a daily diet containing 25 grams of soy protein, also low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease [corrected] This review highlights the biochemical and functional food properties of the Bowman-Birk inhibitor.

  17. Trypsin activation pathway of rotavirus infectivity.

    PubMed Central

    Arias, C F; Romero, P; Alvarez, V; López, S

    1996-01-01

    The infectivity of rotaviruses is increased by and most probably is dependent on trypsin treatment of the virus. This proteolytic treatment specifically cleaves VP4, the protein that forms the spikes on the surface of the virions, to polypeptides VP5 and VP8. This cleavage has been reported to occur in rotavirus SA114fM at two conserved, closely spaced arginine residues located at VP4 amino acids 241 and 247. In this work, we have characterized the VP4 cleavage products of rotavirus SA114S generated by in vitro treatment of the virus with increasing concentrations of trypsin and with proteases AspN and alpha-chymotrypsin. The VP8 and VP5 polypeptides were analyzed by gel electrophoresis and by Western blotting (immunoblotting) with antibodies raised to synthetic peptides that mimic the terminal regions of VP4 generated by the trypsin cleavage. It was shown that in addition to arginine residues 241 and 247, VP4 is cleaved at arginine residue 231. These three sites were found to have different susceptibilities to trypsin, Arg-241 > Arg-231 > Arg-247, with the enhancement of infectivity correlating with cleavage at Arg-247 rather than at Arg-231 or Arg-241. Proteases AspN and alpha-chymotrypsin cleaved VP4 at Asp-242 and Tyr-246, respectively, with no significant enhancement of infectivity, although this enhancement could be achieved by further treatment of the virus with trypsin. The VP4 end products of trypsin treatment were a homogeneous VP8 polypeptide comprising VP4 amino acids 1 to 231 and a heterogeneous VP5, which is formed by two polypeptide species (present at a ratio of approximately 1:5) as a result of cleavage at either Arg-241 or Arg-247. A pathway for the trypsin activation of rotavirus infectivity is proposed. PMID:8709201

  18. Extraction of gelatin from salmon (Salmo salar) fish skin using trypsin-aided process: optimization by Plackett-Burman and response surface methodological approaches.

    PubMed

    Fan, HuiYin; Dumont, Marie-Josée; Simpson, Benjamin K

    2017-11-01

    Gelatin from salmon ( Salmo salar ) skin with high molecular weight protein chains ( α -chains) was extracted using trypsin-aided process. Response surface methodology was used to optimise the extraction parameters. Yield, hydroxyproline content and protein electrophoretic profile via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of gelatin were used as responses in the optimization study. The optimum conditions were determined as: trypsin concentration at 1.49 U/g; extraction temperature at 45 °C; and extraction time at 6 h 16 min. This response surface optimized model was significant and produced an experimental value (202.04 ± 8.64%) in good agreement with the predicted value (204.19%). Twofold higher yields of gelatin with high molecular weight protein chains were achieved in the optimized process with trypsin treatment when compared to the process without trypsin.

  19. [Genetically modified food--great unknown].

    PubMed

    Cichosz, G; Wiackowski, S K

    2012-08-01

    Genetically modified food (GMF) creates evident threat to consumers' health. In spite of assurances of biotechnologists, DNA of transgenic plants is instable, so, synthesis of foreign, allergenic proteins is possible. Due to high trypsin inhibitor content the GMF is digested much more slowly what, alike Bt toxin presence, increases probability of alimentary canal diseases. Next threats are bound to the presence of fitoestrogens and residues of Roundup pesticide, that can diminish reproductiveness; and even lead to cancerogenic transformation through disturbance of human hormonal metabolism. In spite of food producers and distributors assurances that food made of GMF raw materials is marked, de facto consumers have no choice. Moreover, along the food law products containing less than 0.9% of GMF protein are not included into genetically modified food.

  20. Jojoba seed meal proteins associated with proteolytic and protease inhibitory activities.

    PubMed

    Shrestha, Madan K; Peri, Irena; Smirnoff, Patricia; Birk, Yehudith; Golan-Goldhirsh, Avi

    2002-09-25

    The jojoba, Simmondsia chinensis, is a characteristic desert plant native to the Sonoran desert. The jojoba meal after oil extraction is rich in protein. The major jojoba proteins were albumins (79%) and globulins (21%), which have similar amino acid compositions and also showed a labile thrombin-inhibitory activity. SDS-PAGE showed two major proteins at 50 kDa and 25 kDa both in the albumins and in the globulins. The 25 kDa protein has trypsin- and chymotrypsin-inhibitory activities. In vitro digestibility of the globulins and albumins resembled that of casein and soybean protein concentrates and was increased after heat treatment. The increased digestibility achieved by boiling may be attributed to inactivation of the protease inhibitors and denaturation of proteins.

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