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H Neurath

Publications and source records attributed to H Neurath.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Reaction of yeast carboxypeptidase C1 with group-specific reagents.

The reactions between yeast carboxypeptidase C and the group-specific reagents, phenylglyoxal and iodoacetamide, have been studied in detail and the reactions of residue at the active site with N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone and diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate have been confirmed. Modification of the enzyme by either phenylglyoxal or iodoacetamide results in the loss of peptidase activity, while esterase activity remains unchanged. Inactivation by phenylglyoxal appears to be the result of the modification of a single arginine residue, whereas inhibition by iodoacetamide can be correlated with the modification of a single methionine residue. Inactivation of the enzyme by either N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone or diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate is the result of the modification of a single histidine and a single serine residue, respectively. The pattern of inhibition indicates certain analogies in the mechanism of yeast carboxypeptidase C to pancreatic chymotrypsin, on the one hand, and to carboxypeptidase A, on the other.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Carboxypeptidase inhibitor from potatoes. Interaction with derivatives of carboxypeptidase A.

The mechanism of action of a carboxypeptidase inhibitor from potatoes has been probed by studying its interaction with derivatives of carboxypeptidase A containing modified residues at the active site. Arsanilazocarboxypeptidase A, a derivative containing a chromophore attached to tyrosine 248, exhibits a circular dichroism spectrum which is sensitive to the presence of ligands at the active site (Kagan, H.M., and Vallee, B.L. (1969), Biochemistry 8, 4223). Since the spectral change attending binding of the carboxypeptidase inhibitor to arsanilazocarboxypeptidase A is similar to that produced by small substrates and inhibitors, the enzyme-inhibitor interaction also involves the enzyme active site. Catalytic activity is not required for inhibitor binding. Complexes of the inhibitor with apocarboxypeptidase A anc carboxypeptidase A which was inactivated by treatment with the affinity label, N-bromoacetyl-N-methyl-L-phenylalanine, are demonstrated by gel filtration experiments. Morever, competitive binding studies reveal that the latter derivative, in which the binding pocket is presumably blocked by reagent, binds inhibitor nearly as strongly as does the native enzyme, and differences in free energy of association being only 0.4 kcal/mol of a total binding energy of - 11 kcal/mol. A model is proposed to account for both the tight binding of inhibitor to the N-bromoacetyl-N-methyl-L-phenylalanine derivative and the involvement of the active site of arsanilazocarboxypeptidase A. It is suggested that the inhibitor fits into a shallow depression at the active site of the enzyme but does not penetrate into the binding pocket.

Binding Sites↗

Carboxypeptidase inhibitor from potatoes. The effects of chemical modifications on inhibitory activity.

The carboxypeptidase inhibitor from Russet Burbank potatoes was subjected to a variety of chemical modifications and their effects on inhibitory activity toward carboxypeptidases A and B were determined. The importance of the alpha carboxylate of glycine-39 to the enzyme-inhibitor interaction was demonstrated by the observation that a derivative in which all four carboxyls were modified was inactive whereas a derivative in which only the beta carboxylates of aspartic acid residues 5, 16, and 17 were masked retained full inhibitory activity. In addition to these three aspartic acid residues, lysine residues 10 and 13, histidine residues 3 and 15, and arginine-32 were modified and residues 1-5 removed with little effect on inhibitory activity. Tryptophan residues 22 and 28 did not react with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide or o-nitrophenylsulfenyl chloride, and thus are presumed to be buried in the interior of the inhibitor molecule. Although tyrosine-37 was acetylated without affecting binding characteristics, both carboxypeptidases A and B protected against deacetylation by hydroxylamine. These studies indicate that the carboxyl terminal region of the inhibitor is in contact with enzyme in the complex. The parallel effects of modifications on inhibitory activity toward carboxypeptidases A and B support previous evidence that both enzymes utilize the same binding site on the inhibitor [C. A. Ryan (1971), Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 44, 1265].

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Thermal stability of homologous neutral metalloendopeptidases in thermophilic and mesophilic bacteria: structural considerations.

Thermolysin and neutral protease A are neutral metalloendopeptidases having similar specificity, molecular weight, metal content, and amino acid composition. Thermolysin, derived from the thermophilic organism Bacillus thermoproteolyticus, is heat inactivated at about 84 degrees whereas neutral protease A, derived from the mesophilic organism Bacillus subtilis, is inactivated at about 59 degrees. Structural analyses reveal that the two enzymes are homologous. Of the 326 residues of neutral protease A, 171 have been placed in sequence and 49% of these have been found in identical loci in thermolysin. These include many of the residues corresponding to the active site of thermolysin. The sensitivity of both enzymes to thermal inactivation is dependent upon the presence of calcium and neutral protease appears to bind less calcium than thermolysin. Structural data indicate that many of the ligands associated with calcium sites 1 and 2 (double site of thermolysin) are present in neutral protease and that calcium site 4 cannot exist in neutral protease. The structural homology and functional analogy of these two proteins support the concept that they have similar conformations. The known structure of thermolysin is used as a model to discuss structural differences which might be related to thermal stability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Role of proteolytic enzymes in biological regulation (a review).

Many enzymes, hormones, and other physiologically active proteins are synthesized as inactive precursors (zymogens) that are subsequently converted to the active form by the selective enzymatic cleavage (limited proteolysis) of peptide bonds. The ultimate agency of activating enzymatic function is limited proteolysis, either in a single activation step or in a consecutive series (cascade). The specificity of each activation reaction is determined by the complementarity of the zymogen substrate and the active site of the attacking protease. The sequence of consecutive activation reactions is regulated by the specificity of each enzyme, whereas the degree of amplification of the initial stimulus is determined by the efficiency of each activating step. Zymogen activation produces a prompt and irreversible response to a physiological stimulus, and is capable of initiating new physiological functions. Typical examples are the precesses of blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, complement activation, hormone production, metamorphosis, fertilazation, supra-molecular assembly, and digestion. The zymogens of the pancreatic serine proteases, in particular, have served as models for detailed studies of the nature of the molecular changes that are involved in the dramatic increase in enzymatic activity that ensues upon limited proteolysis of the zymogen.

Animals↗

Catalysis by serine proteases and their zymogens. A study of acyl intermediates by circular dichroism.

p-Nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate and methylumbelliferyl p'-guanidinobenzoate, which are active site titrants for trypsin, and p-nitrophenyl p'-dimethylsulfonioacetamidobenzoate and methylumbelliferyl p'-trimethylammoniocinnamate, which are active site titrants for chymotrypsin, are also hydrolyzed by the respective zymogens. Hydrolysis in each case proceeds via the formation of acyl-zymogens. The acylation rates for the zymogens are 10(3)-10(7) times slower than for the enzymes whereas the deacylation rates of acyl-enzymes and acyl-zymogens are comparable. These findings are consistent with the idea that the diminished catalytic activity of these zymogens is due primarily to their distorted substrate binding sites. The circular dichroic spectra of the acyl-enzymes show induced negative ellipticities in the region of absorption of the acyl group, due to binding of the group in an asymmetric environment. The circular dichroic spectra of the acyl-zymogens do not, but conversion of the acyl-zymogens to acyl-enzymes changes the circular dichroic spectra to those characteristic of the acyl-enzymes. alpha-Carbamyl-epsilon-guanidinated trypsin is a derivative which resembles trypsinogen in lacking activity toward specific ester substrates but possessing low activity toward p-nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate. The circular dichroic spectrum of the acyl-enzyme formed during hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate by this derivative resembles that of guanidinobenzoyltrypsinogen, and not that of guanidinobenzoyltrypsin. These circular dichroism studies confirm that the same serine residue is involved in catalysis by both enzymes and zymogens. They demonstrate directly that the acylating group is in a different environment in each and indicate that this specific environment is a determinant in the catalytic activity of each. Thus the circular dichroic spectra of these acyl intermediates provide a sensitive probe of the subtle conformational changes which occur on zymogen activation. The results support the previous conclusion that the major feature of the activation of trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen is the rearrangement of the substrate binding site and that the appearance of a new amino terminus causes this rearrangement.

Animals↗

Amino acid sequence of dogfish trypsin.

The amino acid sequence of pancreatic trypsin from the spiny Pacific dogfish (Squalus acanthias) has been determined and compared with the sequences of bovine and porcine trypsin. Dogfish trypsin contains one less amino acid residue (222) than the other two enzymes. Two-thirds of the residues in corresponding positions in dogfish and bovine trypsin are identical and the sequences ofall three enzymes are homologous. Of the 223 amino acid residues of bovine trypsin, 77 are replaced without significant changes in function. Seven replacements, all conservative, occur in the interior of the protein; the remainder are on the surface. All residues known to be components of the active site of bovine trypsin are present in corresponding positions in dogfish trypsin. Comparison of the three enzymes suggests calcium binding sites in dogfish trypsin. A corrected sequence of bovine trypsin identifies residue 67 as Asn and residues 84-87 as Ser-Asn-Thr-Leu.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The amino acid sequence of a carboxypeptidase inhibitor from potatoes.

The carboxypeptidase inhibitor from Russet Burbank potatoes (C. A. Ryan et al. (1974b), J. Biol. Chem 249, 5495) is a mixture of approximately equal amounts of two polypeptide chains containing 38 and 39 amino acid residues, respectively. The chains differ in their amino terminal sequence only, one beginning with smaller than Glu-His-Ala ... and the other with smaller than Glu-Gln-His-Ala ..... Specific cleavage procedures utilized in determining the complete amino acid sequence of the inhibitor included acid cleavage of the aspartyl-proline bond and tryptic and chymotryptic digestion. Mass spectrometry, automatic Edman degradation, and subtractive Edman degradation were employed in sequencing the resulting peptide fragments.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Bovine factor X1 (Stuart factor). Primary structure of the light chain.

The amino-acid sequence of the light chain of bovine factor X1 is presented. The sequence of 112 of the 140 residues was determined automatically on fragments produced by specific cleavage of arginyl, glutamyl, tryptophanyl, and asparaginyl-glycine bonds. The remainder was determined by conventional procedures. The amino-terminal sequence of the light chain is homologous with the amino-terminal region of bovine prothrombin and, like the latter, appears to contain several residues of a recently discovered unusual amino acid, lambda-carboxy-glutamic acid. The role of this amino acid in the calcium-binding ability of factor X and prothrombin is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Evidence of homologous relationship between thermolysin and neutral protease A of Bacillus subtilis.

A comparison of the partial amino-acid sequence of neutral protease A from Bacillus subtilis with the structure of thermolysin (EC 3.4.24.4) from Bacillus thermoproteolyticus reveals that these two proteins are homologous. Of 171 residues placed in neutral protease (54% of the sequence), 83 residues (49%) occur in identical positions in thermolysin, and include nine of the 13 residues previously identified as components of the active site of thermolysin. This similarity provides support for the hypothesis that the two enzymes have similar three-dimensional structures and a common mechanism of action. Since these enzymes differ markedly in their resistance to heat inactivation, a comparison of their structures may eventually provide a chemical basis for explaining the differences in their thermal stability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amino-acid sequence of parvalbumin from rabbit skeletal muscle.

Determination of the complete amino-acid sequence of rabbit skeletal muscle parvalbumin is described. The sequence of 86 of the 109 total residues was determined automatically by sequenator analyses of peptides obtained after cleavage with CNBr or with trypsin. The positions of the remaining 23 residues were determined by subtractive Edman degradation of tryptic and chymotryptic peptides. The protein has an acetylated amino terminus. Comparison of the rabbit parvalbumin with those from carp, hake, and pike and with the calcium binding subunit of rabbit muscle troponin indicates that these proteins are homologous. Among the parvalbumins a high degree of identity is observed, especially of residues involved in the binding of calcium or in the formation of the hydrophobic core.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amino-acid sequence of bovine carboxypeptidase B.

The amino-acid sequence of bovine carboxypeptidase B [peptidyl-L-lysine(-L-arginine)hydrolase, EC 3.4.12.3] has been determined using the heavy and light chains of the enzyme isolated from spontaneously activated pancreatic juice. Comparison of the sequence with that of carboxypeptidase A shows that the two enzymes are homologous (49% identity) and that all but one of the functional residues identified in carboxypeptidase A occur in corresponding loci in carboxypeptidase B (peptidyl-L-amino acid hydrolase, EC 3.4.12.2). The exception is the replacement of Ile-255 at the bottom of the substrate binding pocket of carboxypeptidase A, by aspartic acid in carboxypeptidase B. This single change can account for the difference in specificity of the two enzymes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Bovine factor X1 (Stuart factor): amino-acid sequence of heavey chain.

The amino-acid sequence of the heavy chain of bovine blood coagulation factor X1 (Stuart factor) isolated before and after activation has been determined. Sequence analysis was performed on fragments obtained by cleavage with cyanogen bromide and by tryptic digestion. Comparison of the complete sequence with those of other hepatic and pancreatic serine proteases demonstrates homology of the heavy chain of activated factor X1 (factor X1a) with the B chain of bovine thrombin as well as with bovine trypsin, chymotrypsins A and B, and porcine elastase. The activation peptide cleaved near the amino terminus by a protease from Russell's viper venom differs in both size and sequence from those of other serine proteases. With three exceptions, all of the residues which are important in the catalytic functions of trypsin and chymotrypsin occur in corresponding loci in the heavy chain of factor Xa. These finding suggest that the three-dimensional structure of the heavy chain is similar to that of the pancreatic serine proteases and that these enzymes have evolved from a common ancestral gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗