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Biomedical subjects

J W Harper

Publications and source records attributed to J W Harper.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Mutagenesis of aspartic acid-116 enhances the ribonucleolytic activity and angiogenic potency of angiogenin.

Site-specific mutagenesis of the blood vessel-inducing protein angiogenin has been used to further explore both its homology to pancreatic ribonuclease and the functional roles of particular residues. Replacement of Asp-116 in angiogenin by either asparagine (D116N), alanine (D116A), or histidine (D116H) markedly enhances both its ribonucleolytic activity and angiogenic potency. Activity toward tRNA is 8-, 15-, and 18-fold greater than native angiogenin for D116N-, D116A-, and D116H-angiogenin, respectively. The enzymatic specificity of angiogenin, however, has been maintained. Thus, cleavage of 18S and 28S rRNA by the most active His-116 mutant yields the same pattern of polynucleotide products as from angiogenin, whereas there are only minor alterations in activity with cytidylyl(3',5')adenosine and uridylyl(3',5')-adenosine. Extensive biological assays on the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane demonstrate that D116H-angiogenin is one to two orders of magnitude more potent in inducing neovascularization than native angiogenin, which correlates well with enhanced enzymatic action. These results support the proposition that the enzymatic and angiogenic activities on angiogenin are interrelated.

Alanine↗
PubMed1987

Human complement proteins D, C2, and B. Active site mapping with peptide thioester substrates.

The specificity and reactivity of complement serine proteases D, B, Bb, C2, and C2a were determined using a series of peptide thioester substrates. The rates of thioester hydrolysis were measured using assay mixtures containing the thiol reagent 4,4'-dithiodipyridine at pH 7.5. Each substrate contained a P1 arginine residue, and the effect of various groups and amino acids in the P2, P3, P4, and P5 positions was determined using kcat/Km values to compare reactivities. Among peptide thioesters corresponding to the activation site sequence in B, dipeptide thioesters containing a P2 lysine residue were the best substrates for D. Extending the chain to include a P3 or P4 amino acid resulted in loss of activity, and neither the tripeptide nor the tetrapeptide containing the cleavage sequence of B was hydrolyzed. Overall, D cleaved fewer substrates and was 2-3 orders of magnitude less reactive than C1s against some thioester substrates. C2 and fragment C2a had comparable reactivities and hydrolyzed peptides containing Leu-Ala-Arg and Leu-Gly-Arg, which have the same sequence as the cleavage sites of C3 and C5, respectively. The best substrates for C2 and C2a were Z-Gly-Leu-Ala-Arg-SBzl and Z-Leu-Gly-Leu-Ala-Arg-SBzl, respectively, where Bzl is benzyl. B was the least reactive among these complement enzymes. The best substrate for B was Z-Lys-Arg-SBzl with a kcat/Km value of 1370 M-1 s-1. The catalytic fragment of B, Bb, had higher activity toward these peptide thioester substrates. The best substrate for Bb was Z-Gly-Leu-Ala-Arg-SBzl with a kcat/Km similar to C2a and 10 times higher than the value for B. Both C2a and Bb were considerably more reactive against C3-like than C5-like substrates. Bovine trypsin hydrolyzed thioester substrates with kcat/Km approximately 10(3) higher than the complement enzymes. These thioester substrates for D, B, and C2 should be quite useful in kinetic and active site studies of the purified enzymes.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Observation of a chloride-dependent intermediate during catalysis by angiotensin converting enzyme using radiationless energy transfer.

Stopped-flow radiationless energy-transfer kinetics have been used to examine the effects of chloride on the hydrolysis of Dns-Lys-Phe-Ala-Arg by angiotensin converting enzyme. The kinetic constants for hydrolysis at pH 7.5 and 22 degrees C in the presence of 300 mM sodium chloride were KM = 28 microM and kcat = 110 s-1, and in its absence, KM = 240 microM and kcat = 68 s-1. The apparent binding constant for chloride was 4 mM, and the extent of chloride activation in terms of kcat/KM was 14-fold. The effects of chloride on the pre-steady-state were examined at 2 degrees C. In the presence of chloride, two distinct enzyme-substrate complexes were observed, suggesting multiple steps in substrate binding. The initial complex was formed during the mixing period (kobsd greater than 200 s-1) while the second complex was formed much more slowly (kobsd = 40 s-1 when [S] = 5 microM and [NaCl] = 150 mM). Strikingly, in the absence of chloride, only a single, rapidly formed enzyme-substrate complex was observed. These results are consistent with a nonessential activator kinetic mechanism in which the slow step reflects conversion of an initially formed complex, (E X Cl- X S)1, to a more tightly bound complex, (E X Cl- X S)2.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Augmentation of basal forebrain cell populations with fetal tissue transplants.

Grafted fetal basal forebrain, previously labeled by intraperitoneal injection of gestating female rats with tritiated thymidine, was transplanted into the same area (homotopically) of host animals of various ages. Some animals were serially sacrificed up to 60 days after surgery, while others remained intact for the entire 60-day period prior to sacrifice. Transplants were highly (92%) successful. Early (2-10 days) grafted tissue was mainly composed of a gradient of heavily labeled differentiating cell profiles, strikingly similar to primitive subependymal cells reported elsewhere, which proceeded to mature thereafter. Evidence of cell turnover and tissue continuity at the host-graft interface was also obtained during this time. While many cells bearing label were found at the original implantation site in autoradiograms of all experimental animals, some were found in host tissue as early as 5 days following surgery. At later ages, greater numbers of labeled cells were found at considerable distances into host tissue in apparently specific locations. The lateral ventricle overlying the graft site was occupied by donor-derived tissue in 40% of all experimental animals. Islands of apparent germinal matrix persisted throughout the duration of the experiment. Results obtained in these experiments with transplanted tissue accord well with previous studies of neural genesis in intact animals. They further suggest that cell populations of specific nuclei of the host basal forebrain may be selectively augmented by observing critical embryogenetic time constraints when harvesting fetal donor tissue.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Human class 1 heparin-binding growth factor: structure and homology to bovine acidic brain fibroblast growth factor.

The structure of the major class 1 heparin-binding growth factor from human brain has been analyzed. Edman degradation performed on the native mitogen and on fragments generated by chemical and enzymatic cleavage allows the sequence to be described by four nonoverlapping segments. The sum of the amino acids of the four segments is in excellent agreement with the experimentally determined amino acid composition of the mitogen itself, suggesting that, jointly, they account for the entire molecule. The four segments can be aligned into a presumptive complete sequence that shows 92% identity with that of bovine acidic brain fibroblast growth factor. The data indicate that the human mitogen has the following sequence: Phe1-Asn-Leu-Pro-Pro-Gly-Asn-Tyr-Lys-Lys-Pro-Lys-Leu-Leu-Try15+ ++-Cys- Ser-Asn-Gly-Gly-His-Phe-Leu-Arg-Ile-Leu-Pro-Asp-Gly-Thr30-Val-Asp- Gly-Thr-Arg- Asp-Arg-Ser-Asp-Gln-His-Ile-Gln-Leu-Gln45-Leu-Ser-Ala-Glu-Ser-Val- Gly-Glu-Val- Tyr-Ile-Lys-Ser-Thr-Glu60-Thr-Gly-Gln-Tyr-Leu-Ala- Met-Asp-Thr-Asp-Gly-Leu-Leu-Tyr-Gly75-Ser-Gin-Thr-Pro-Asn-Glu-Glu- Cys-Leu-Phe- Leu-Glu-Arg- Leu-Glu90-Glu-Asn-His-Tyr-Asn-Thr-Tyr-Ile-Ser-Lys-Lys-His-Ala-Glu- Lys105-Asn- Trp-Phe-Val-Gly- Leu-Lys-Lys-Asn-Gly-Ser-Cys-Lys-Arg-Gly120-Pro-Arg-Thr-His-Tyr-Gly -Gln-Lys-Ala- Ile-Leu-Phe-Leu- Pro-Leu135-Pro-Val-Ser-Ser-Asp140.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Amino acid sequence of bovine brain derived class 1 heparin-binding growth factor.

The major class 1 heparin-binding growth factor from bovine brain is a single-chain polypeptide of 140 amino acids with a molecular weight of 15 877. It has the amino acid sequence Phe1-Asn-Leu-Pro-Leu-Gly-Asn-Tyr-Lys-Lys-Pro-Lys-Leu-Leu- Tyr15-Cys-Ser- Asn-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Phe-Leu-Arg-Ile-Leu-Pro-Asp-Gly-Thr30-Val-Asp-Gly- Thr-Lys-Asp-Arg- Ser-Asp-Gln-His-Ile-Gln-Leu-Gln45-Leu-Cys-Ala-Glu-Ser-Ile-Gly- Glu-Val-Tyr-Ile- Lys-Ser-Thr-Glu60-Thr-Gly-Gln-Phe-Leu-Ala-Met-Asp-Thr-Asp-Gly- Leu-Leu-Tyr-Gly75- Ser-Gln-Thr-Pro-Asn-Glu-Glu-Cys-Leu-Phe-Leu-Glu-Arg-Leu- Glu90-Glu-Asn-His-Tyr- Asn-Thr-Tyr-Ile-Ser-Lys-Lys-His-Ala-Glu-Lys105-His-Trp-Phe-Val -Gly-Leu-Lys-Lys- Asn-Gly-Arg-Ser-Lys-Leu-Gly120-Pro-Arg-Thr-His-Phe-Gly-Gln-Lys -Ala-Ile-Leu-Phe-Leu-Pro-Leu135-Pro-Val-Ser-Ser-Asp140-OH. The mitogen is homologous to the class 2 heparin-binding growth factor pituitary fibroblast growth factor with about 50% of the amino acids being identical between the two mitogens.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

The catalytic mechanism of angiotensin converting enzyme and related zinc enzymes.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) is one of a class of zinc peptidases that utilize glutamic acid as a catalytic residue. ACE also has important arginine and tyrosine residues that are involved in substrate binding and a lysine that binds chloride. Chloride activation of ACE depends on the particular substrate employed. It is an essential activator of class I substrates and a nonessential activator of class II substrates. Radiationless energy transfer using substrates labeled with the fluorescent dansyl group indicates that chloride promotes a two-step binding process. The second step is a change in protein conformation that can be monitored using fluorescent inhibitors. The chloride binding constant for the ACE-inhibitor complex at pH 7.5 is 2.2 mM.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Reaction of serine proteases with substituted 3-alkoxy-4-chloroisocoumarins and 3-alkoxy-7-amino-4-chloroisocoumarins: new reactive mechanism-based inhibitors.

The time-dependent inactivation of several serine proteases including human leukocyte elastase, cathepsin G, rat mast cell proteases I and II, and human skin chymase by a number of 3-alkoxy-4-chloroisocoumarins, 3-alkoxy-4-chloro-7-nitroisocoumarins, and 3-alkoxy-7-amino-4-chloroisocoumarins at pH 7.5 and the inactivation of several trypsin-like enzymes including human thrombin and factor XIIa by 7-amino-4-chloro-3-ethoxyisocoumarin and 4-chloro-3-ethoxyisocoumarin are reported. The 3-alkoxy substituent of the isocoumarin is likely interacting with the S1 subsite of the enzyme since the most reactive inhibitor for a particular enzyme had a 3-substituent complementary to the enzyme's primary substrate specificity site (S1). Inactivation of several enzymes including human leukocyte elastase by the 3-alkoxy-7-amino-4-chlorisocoumarins is irreversible, and less than 3% activity is regained upon extensive dialysis of the inactivated enzyme. Addition of hydroxylamine to enzymes inactivated by the 3-alkoxy-7-amino-4-chloroisocoumarins results in a slow (t1/2 greater than 6.7 h) and incomplete (32-57%) regain in enzymatic activity at pH 7.5. Inactivation by the 3-alkoxy-4-chloroisocoumarins and 3-alkoxy-4-chloro-7-nitroisocoumarins on the other hand is transient, and full enzyme activity is regained rapidly either upon standing, after dialysis, or upon the addition of buffered hydroxylamine. The rate of inactivation by the substituted isocoumarins is decreased when substrates or reversible inhibitors are present in the incubation mixture, which indicates active site involvement. The inactivation rates are dependent upon the pH of the reaction mixture, the isocoumarin ring system is opened concurrently with inactivation, and the reaction of 3-alkoxy-7-amino-4-chloroisocoumarins with porcine pancreatic elastase is shown to be stoichiometric. The results are consistent with a scheme where 3-alkoxy-7-amino-4-chloroisocoumarins react with the active site serine of a serine protease to give an acyl enzyme in which a reactive quinone imine methide can be released. Irreversible inactivation could then occur upon alkylation of an active site nucleophile (probably histidine-57) by the acyl quinone imine methide. The finding that hydroxylamine slowly catalyzes partial reactivation indicates that several inactivated enzyme species may exist. The 3-alkoxy-substituted 4-chloroisocoumarins and 4-chloro-7-nitroisocoumarins are simple acylating agents and do not give stable inactivated enzyme structures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Reaction of serine proteases with substituted isocoumarins: discovery of 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, a new general mechanism based serine protease inhibitor.

The mechanism-based inactivations of a number of serine proteases, including human leukocyte (HL) elastase, cathepsin G, rat mast cell proteases I and II, several human and bovine blood coagulation proteases, and human factor D by substituted isocoumarins and phthalides which contain masked acyl chloride or anhydride moieties, are reported. 3,4-Dichloroisocoumarin, the most potent inhibitor investigated here, inactivated all the serine proteases tested but did not inhibit papain, leucine aminopeptidase, or beta-lactamase. 3,4-Dichloroisocoumarin was fairly selective toward HL elastase (kobsd/[I] = 8920 M-1 s-1); the inhibited enzyme was quite stable to reactivation (kdeacyl = 2 X 10(-5) s-1), while enzymes inhibited by 3-acetoxyisocoumarin and 3,3-dichlorophthalide regained full activity upon standing. The rate of inactivation was decreased dramatically in the presence of reversible inhibitors or substrates, and ultraviolet spectral measurements indicate that the isocoumarin ring structure is lost upon inactivation. Chymotrypsin A gamma is totally inactivated by 1.2 equiv of 3-chloroisocoumarin or 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, and approximately 1 equiv of protons is released upon inactivation. These results indicate that these compounds react with serine proteases to release a reactive acyl chloride moiety which can acylate another active site residue. These are the first mechanism-based inhibitors reported for many of the enzymes tested, and 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin should find wide applicability as a general serine protease inhibitor.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Inhibition of human leukocyte elastase, cathepsin G, chymotrypsin A alpha, and porcine pancreatic elastase with substituted isobenzofuranones and benzopyrandiones.

Several 3-halo-3-(1-haloalkyl)-1(3H)-isobenzofuranones, 3-(1-haloalkylidene)-1(3H)-isobenzofuranones, and 3-bromomethyl-1H-2-benzopyran-1-ones containing masked halo ketone functional groups were synthesized and tested as inhibitors of several serine proteases including human leukocyte (HL) elastase and cathepsin G. While many of the 3-halo-3-(1-haloalkyl)-1(3H)-isobenzofuranones were quite potent inhibitors of the enzymes tested, the alkylideneisobenzofuranones and benzopyran-1-ones inhibited poorly or not at all. The 3-halo-3-(1-haloalkyl)-1(3H)-isobenzofuranones decomposed rapidly upon addition to buffer to give the corresponding 3-alkyl-1H-2-benzopyran-1,4(3H)-diones. The pure benzopyran-1,4-diones were extremely potent inhibitors of HL elastase and chymotrypsin A alpha but did not inactivate porcine pancreatic elastase or cathepsin G. Enzymes inhibited by the isobenzofuranones and benzopyran-1,4-diones regained activity slowly upon standing or after dialysis (t1/2 = 5-16 h) and more rapidly in the presence of 0.5 M hydroxylamine, which indicated the presence of labile acyl moieties in the inhibited enzyme. These results are consistent with a scheme in which the active site serine of the protease reacts with the lactone carbonyl of these inhibitors to give a stable acyl enzyme and alkylation of another active site residue by the unmasked halo ketone functional group does not occur.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Mammalian chymotrypsin-like enzymes. Comparative reactivities of rat mast cell proteases, human and dog skin chymases, and human cathepsin G with peptide 4-nitroanilide substrates and with peptide chloromethyl ketone and sulfonyl fluoride inhibitors.

The extended substrate binding sites of several chymotrypsin-like serine proteases, including rat mast cell proteases I and II (RMCP I and II, respectively) and human and dog skin chymases, have been investigated by using peptide 4-nitroanilide substrates. In general, these enzymes preferred a P1 Phe residue and hydrophobic amino acid residues in P2 and P3. A P2 Pro residue was also found to be quite acceptable. The S4 subsites of these enzymes are less restrictive than the other subsites investigated. The substrate specificity of these enzymes was also investigated by using substrates which contain model desmosine residues and peptides with amino acid sequences of the physiologically important substrates angiotensin I and angiotensinogen and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, the major plasma inhibitor for chymotrypsin-like enzymes. These substrates were less reactive than the most reactive tripeptide reported here, Suc-Val-Pro-Phe-NA. The thiobenzyl ester Suc-Val-Pro-Phe-SBzl was found to be an extremely reactive substrate for the enzymes tested and was 6-171-fold more reactive than the 4-nitroanilide substrate. The four chymotrypsin-like enzymes were inhibited by chymostatin and N-substituted saccharin derivatives which had KI values in the micromolar range. In addition, several potent peptide chloromethyl ketone and substituted benzenesulfonyl fluoride irreversible inhibitors for these enzymes were discovered. The most potent sulfonyl fluoride inhibitor for RMCP I, RMCP II, and human skin chymase, 2-(Z-NHCH2CONH)C6H4SO2F, had kobsd/[I] values of 2500, 270, and 1800 M-1 s-1, respectively. The substrates and inhibitors reported here should be extremely useful in elucidating the physiological roles of these proteases.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones↗
PubMed1984

Active site mapping of the serine proteases human leukocyte elastase, cathepsin G, porcine pancreatic elastase, rat mast cell proteases I and II. Bovine chymotrypsin A alpha, and Staphylococcus aureus protease V-8 using tripeptide thiobenzyl ester substrates.

The primary subsite specificities of human leukocyte elastase, cathepsin G, porcine pancreatic elastase, rat mast cell proteases I and II, bovine chymotrypsin A alpha, and the protease from strain V-8 of Staphylococcus aureus have been mapped with a series of tripeptide thiobenzyl ester substrates of the general formula Boc-Ala-Ala-AA-SBzl, where AA represents one of 13 amino acids. In addition, the effects of a P2 Pro and P4 methoxysuccinyl and succinyl groups were investigated. In an attempt to introduce specificity and/or reactivity into the substrate Boc-Ala-Ala-Leu-SBzl(X), the 4-chloro-, 4-nitro-, and 4-methoxythiobenzyl ester derivatives were studied. Enzymatic hydrolyses of the substrates were measured in the presence of 4,4'-dithiobis(pyridine) or 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), which provided a highly sensitive assay method for free thiol. The thio esters were excellent substrates for the enzymes tested, and in many cases, the best substrates reported here have kcat/KM values higher than those reported previously. The best substrate for human leukocyte elastase was Boc-Ala-Pro-Nva-SBzl(Cl), which has a kcat/KM of 130 X 10(6) M-1 s-1. A very reactive rat mast cell protease substrate, Boc-Ala-Ala-Leu-SBzl(NO2), was also found. The S. aureus V-8 protease was the most specific enzyme tested since it hydrolyzed only Boc-Ala-Ala-Glu-SBzl. Substituents on the thiobenzyl ester moiety of Boc-Ala-Ala-Leu-SBzl resulted in decreased KM values with human leukocyte elastase and rat mast cell protease I when compared to the unsubstituted derivative.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Effects of Cannabis sativa on ultrastructure of the synapse in monkey brain.

Electron microscopic study of brain tissues of monkeys chronically exposed to psychoactive Cannabis showed widening of the synaptic cleft, electron opaque material in the cleft and in pre- and postsynaptic regions, and some "clumping" of synaptic vesicles. In contrast, tissues of control monkeys showed no ultrastructural changes.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

A macroscopic study of the brain of Bison bison bison, the American plains buffalo.

The macroscopic anatomy of the brain of the American Plains Buffalo (Bison bison bison) is detailed herein for the first time. Many features vary significantly from most previously described ungulate species including its large size, fissural pattern of the cerebral hemispheres and well developed insular cortex. The midbrain, particularly the tectum, is outstanding: the superior colliculi appear to be the largest reported for any mammal and occupy most of the dorsal midbrain by surface area and volume estimates. The cerebellum is small relative to the total brain volume, a peculiarity reported elsewhere for other ungulates. Morphometric criteria further indicate the brain of bison is highly specialized. Drawing from various lines of evidence, it is suggested that the anatomical uniqueness of the present day bison brain may represent a vestige of the past, remaining largely unchanged over a broad expanse of geologic time.

Animals↗