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R Ménard

Publications and source records attributed to R Ménard.

68 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Epoxysuccinyl dipeptides as selective inhibitors of cathepsin B.

Epoxysuccinyl dipeptide analogs of E-64 (R-EpsLeuPro-R') (Figure 1) have been synthesized with the carboxylate group on the epoxide ring either free (R = OH) or converted to an ester or an amide (R = EtO or i-BuNH) and with the C-terminal amino acid proline either blocked (R' = OBzl) or free (R' = OH). These compounds were used to investigate the recently reported selectivity of this type of inhibitor for the lysosomal cysteine protease cathepsin B. It was shown that derivatization of the carboxylate on the epoxide ring confers selectivity for cathepsin B over papain only when it is combined to a dipeptidyl moiety with a free negatively charged C-terminal residue. It is proposed that this selectivity reflects interactions with histidine residues on a loop located in the primed subsites of cathepsin B which provides a positively charged anchor for the C-terminal carboxylate group of the inhibitor. The primed subsite loop of cathepsin B is not found in other cysteine proteases of the papain family and offers a unique template for designing selectivity in cysteine protease inhibitors.

Cathepsin B↗
PubMed1993

Characterization of the Shigella flexneri ipgD and ipgF genes, which are located in the proximal part of the mxi locus.

The Shigella flexneri invasion process requires the synthesis of the Ipa proteins and their secretion by specific factors encoded by the mxi and spa genes, which are clustered upstream from the ipa operon. We report here the characterization of the ipgD, ipgE, and ipgF genes, which are located in the 5' end of the mxi locus. Analysis of IpgF-PhoA fusions endowed with high levels of alkaline phosphatase activity confirmed the functionality of a classical signal sequence detected in the sequence of IpgF. The ipgD and ipgF genes were each inactivated on the large virulence plasmid by insertion of a nonpolar cassette; each of the ipgD and ipgF mutants thus constructed showed the same invasive phenotype as the wild-type strain and was able to provoke keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs. It thus appears that two genes located at the ipa-proximal part of the mxi locus are not directly involved in invasion. Analysis of concentrated culture supernatants of the wild-type and ipgD strains indicated that secretion of one polypeptide, whose size was consistent with that predicted for the IpgD protein (60 kDa), was abolished in the ipgD mutant.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Nonpolar mutagenesis of the ipa genes defines IpaB, IpaC, and IpaD as effectors of Shigella flexneri entry into epithelial cells.

A 31-kb fragment of the large virulence plasmid of Shigella flexneri is necessary for bacterial entry into epithelial cells in vitro. One locus of this fragment encodes the IpaA, -B, -C, and -D proteins, which are the dominant antigens of the humoral immune response during shigellosis. To address the role of the ipa genes, which are clustered in an operon, we constructed a selectable cassette that does not affect transcription of downstream genes and used this cassette to inactivate the ipaB, ipaC, and ipaD genes. Each of these nonpolar mutants was defective in entry and lysis of the phagocytic vacuole but was not impaired in adhesion to the cells. We showed that, like IpaB and IpaC, IpaD is secreted into the culture supernatant and that none of these proteins is necessary for secretion of the other two. This result differentiates the Ipa proteins, which direct the entry process, from the Mxi and Spa proteins, which direct secretion of the Ipa proteins. Moreover, lack of either IpaB or IpaD resulted in the release of larger amounts of the other Ipa polypeptides into the culture medium, which indicates that, in addition to their role in invasion, IpaB and IpaD are each involved in the maintenance of the association of the Ipa proteins with the bacterium.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1991

Nature of papain products resulting from inactivation by a peptidyl O-acyl hydroxamate.

Mass spectrometry has been used to provide insights into the mechanism of inhibition of cysteine proteases by a hydroxylamine derivative, CBZ-Phe-Gly-NH-O-CO-(2,4,6-Me3)Ph. An oxidized form of papain resulting from the incubation of the enzyme with the peptidyl hydroxamate in the absence of a reducing agent has been identified as a sulfinic acid. The presence of a covalent enzyme-inhibitor complex of molecular mass consistent with a sulfenamide adduct of papain could also be detected by this method. Implications on the mechanism of inactivation of cysteine proteases by peptidyl hydroxamates are discussed.

Dithiothreitol↗
PubMed1991

Contribution of the glutamine 19 side chain to transition-state stabilization in the oxyanion hole of papain.

The existence of an oxyanion hole in cysteine proteases able to stabilize a transition-state complex in a manner analogous to that found with serine proteases has been the object of controversy for many years. In papain, the side chain of Gln19 forms one of the hydrogen-bond donors in the putative oxyanion hole, and its contribution to transition-state stabilization has been evaluated by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutation of Gln19 to Ala caused a decrease in kcat/KM for hydrolysis of CBZ-Phe-Arg-MCA, which is 7700 M-1 s-1 in the mutant enzyme as compared to 464,000 M-1 s-1 in wild-type papain. With a Gln19Ser variant, the activity is even lower, with a kcat/KM value of 760 M-1 s-1. The 60- and 600-fold decreases in kcat/KM correspond to changes in free energy of catalysis of 2.4 and 3.8 kcal/mol for Gln19Ala and Gln19Ser, respectively. In both cases, the decrease in activity is in large part attributable to a decrease in kcat, while KM values are only slightly affected. These results indicate that the oxyanion hole is operational in the papain-catalyzed hydrolysis of CBZ-Phe-Arg-MCA and constitute the first direct evidence of a mechanistic requirement for oxyanion stabilization in the transition state of reactions catalyzed by cysteine proteases. The equilibrium constants Ki for inhibition of the papain mutants by the aldehyde Ac-Phe-Gly-CHO have also been determined. Contrary to the results with the substrate, mutation at position 19 of papain has a very small effect on binding of the inhibitor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Engineering of papain: selective alteration of substrate specificity by site-directed mutagenesis.

The S2 subsite specificity of the plant protease papain has been altered to resemble that of mammalian cathepsin B by site-directed mutagenesis. On the basis of amino acid sequence alignments for papain and cathepsin B, a double mutant (Val133Ala/Ser205Glu) was produced where Val133 and Ser205 are replaced by Ala and Glu, respectively, as well as a triple mutant (Val133Ala/Val157Gly/Ser205Glu), where Val157 is also replaced by Gly. Three synthetic substrates were used for the kinetic characterization of the mutants, as well as wild-type papain and cathepsin B: CBZ-Phe-Arg-MCA, CBZ-Arg-Arg-MCA, and CBZ-Cit-Arg-MCA. The ratio of kcat/KM obtained by using CBZ-Phe-Arg-MCA as substrate over that obtained with CBZ-Arg-Arg-MCA is 8.0 for the Val133Ala/Ser205Glu variant, while the equivalent values for wild-type papain and cathepsin B are 904 and 3.6, respectively. This change in specificity has been achieved by replacing only two amino acids out of a total of 212 in papain and with little loss in overall enzyme activity. However, further replacement of Val157 by Gly as in Val133Ala/Val157Gly/Ser205Glu causes an important decrease in activity, although the enzyme still displays a cathepsin B like substrate specificity. In addition, the pH dependence of activity for the Val133Ala/Ser205Glu variant compares well with that of cathepsin B. In particular, the activity toward CBZ-Arg-Arg-MCA is modulated by a group with a pKa of 5.51, a behavior that is also encountered in the case of cathepsin B but is absent with papain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Importance of hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the side chain of Asp158 in the catalytic mechanism of papain.

In a previous study, it was shown that replacing Asp158 in papain by Asn had little effect on activity and that the negatively charged carboxylate of Asp158 does not significantly stabilize the active site thiolate-imidazolium ion pair of papain (Ménard et al., 1990). In this paper, we report the kinetic characterization of three more mutants at this position: Asp158Gly, Asp158Ala, and Asp158Glu. From the pH-activity profiles of these and other mutants of papain, it has been possible to develop a model that enables us to dissect out the contribution of the various mutations toward (i) intrinsic activity, (ii) ion pair stability, and (iii) the electrostatic potential at the active site. Results obtained with mutants that place either Gly or Ala at position 158 indicate that the hydrogen bonds involving the side chain of Asp158 in wild-type papain are indirectly important for enzyme activity. When CBZ-Phe-Arg-MCA is used as a substrate, the (kcat/KM)obs values at pH 6.5 are 3650 and 494 M-1 s-1 for Asp158Gly and Asp158Ala, respectively, as compared to 119,000 M-1 s-1 for papain. Results with the Asp158Glu mutant suggest that the side chain of Glu moves closer to the active site and cannot form hydrogen bonds similar to those involving Asp158 in papain. From the four mutations introduced at position 158 in papain, we can conclude that it is not the charge but the hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the side chain of Asp158 that contribute the most to the stabilization of the thiolate-imidazolium ion pair in papain. However, the charge and the hydrogen bonds of Asp158 both contribute to the intrinsic activity of the enzyme.

Aspartic Acid↗
PubMed1991

A model to explain the pH-dependent specificity of cathepsin B-catalysed hydrolyses.

1. Three synthetic substrates of cathepsin B (EC 3.4.22.1) with various amino acid residues at the P2 position (Cbz-Phe-Arg-NH-Mec, Cbz-Arg-Arg-NH-Mec and Cbz-Cit-Arg-NH-Mec, where Cbz represents benzyloxycarbonyl and NH-Mec represents 4-methylcoumarin-7-ylamide) were used to investigate the pH-dependency of cathepsin B-catalysed hydrolyses and to obtain information on the nature of enzyme-substrate interactions. 2. Non-linear-regression analysis of pH-activity profiles for these substrates indicates that at least four ionizable groups on cathepsin B with pKa values of 3.3, 4.55, 5.46 and greater than 7.3 can affect the rate of substrate hydrolysis. 3. Ionization of the residue with a pKa of 5.46 has a strong effect on activity towards the substrate with an arginine in P2 (8.4-fold increase in activity) but has only a moderate effect on the rate of hydrolysis with Cbz-Cit-Arg-NH-Mec (2.3-fold increase in activity) and virtually no effect with Cbz-Phe-Arg-NH-Mec. The kinetic data are consistent with this group being an acid residue with a side chain able to interact with the side chains of an arginine or a citrulline in the P2 position of a substrate. Amino acid sequence alignment and model building with the related enzyme papain (EC 3.4.22.2) suggest that Glu-245 of cathepsin B is a likely candidate. The relative importance of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions in the S2 subsite of cathepsin B is discussed. 4. For all three substrates, activity appears after ionization of a group with a pKa of 3.3, believed to be the active-site Cys-29 of cathepsin B. The identity of the groups with pKa values of 4.55 and greater than 7.3 remains unknown.

Cathepsin B↗
PubMed1991

Removal of an inter-domain hydrogen bond through site-directed mutagenesis: role of serine 176 in the mechanism of papain.

A mutant of papain, where an inter-domain hydrogen bond between the side chain hydroxyl group of a serine residue at position 176 and the side chain carbonyl oxygen of a glutamine residue at position 19 has been removed by site-directed mutagenesis, has been produced and characterized kinetically. The mutation of Ser176 to an alanine has only a small effect on the kinetic parameters, the kcat/Km for hydrolysis of CBZ-Phe-Arg-MCA by the Ser176Ala enzyme being of 8.1 x 10(4) /M/s compared with 1.2 x 10(5) /M/s for papain. Serine 176 is therefore not essential for the catalytic functioning of papain, even though this residue is conserved in all cysteine proteases sequenced. The pH-activity profiles were shown to be narrower in the mutant enzyme by up to 1 pH unit at high ionic strength. This result is interpreted to indicate that replacing Ser176 by an alanine destabilizes the thiolate-imidazolium form of the catalytic site Cys25-His159 residues of papain. Possible explanations for that effect are given and the role of a serine residue at position 176 in papain is discussed.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1990

A protein engineering study of the role of aspartate 158 in the catalytic mechanism of papain.

The controversy concerning the various suggested roles for the side chain of Asp158 in the active site of papain has been clarified by using site-directed mutagenesis. Both wild-type papain and an Asp158 Asn variant were produced in a baculovirus-insect cell expression system, purified to homogeneity from the culture, and characterized kinetically. With CBZ-Phe-Arg-MCA as substrate, the kcat/KM and kcat values obtained for the Asp158Asn papain are 20,000 M-1.s-1 and 34 s-1, respectively, as compared with values of 120,000 M-1.s-1 and 51 s-1 obtained for the wild-type papain. In addition, the pH-(kcat/KM) profile for the Asp158Asn enzyme is shifted relative to that for the wild-type enzyme to lower values by approximately 0.3 pH unit. This shows clearly that Asp158 is not, as previously postulated, an essential catalytic residue. In addition, the pH dependency data are interpreted to indicate that, contrary to earlier suggestions, the negatively charged side chain of Asp158 does not significantly stabilize the active-site thiolate-imidazolium ion pair. However, its presence does influence the pKa's associated with ion-pair formation in a manner compatible with electrostatic considerations.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Kinetic and thermodynamic investigation of the (dien)Pd(II)-polycytidylic acid system.

The reaction between (dien)PdCl+ and polycytidylic acid was studied using spectroscopic and stopped-flow methods. In neutral solution, the palladium complex binds at the N3 site of the cytosine base and causes a noncooperative disruption of the ordered helical structure of poly(C). Interaction at the phosphate group of the polynucleotide was also demonstrated by using the dye acridine orange as an indicator. The results of this study show that the mechanism previously proposed for cytidine and CMP can be applied to poly(C), taking into account particular features of the polymer (polyelectrolytic nature, structure, etc.). In particular, electrostatic effects seem to play a major role in the interaction with metal ion complexes like (dien)Pd(II).

Acridine Orange↗
PubMed1984

Interaction of (dien)Pd(II) with cytidine and cytidine 5'-monophosphate. Influence of the phosphate group on the kinetics and mechanism.

The kinetics and the equilibrium of (dien)PdCl+ interaction with cytidine (C) and cytidine 5'-monophosphate (CMP) were studied by spectrophotometry and by stopped-flow methods. In both cases, the mechanism implies a (dien)Pd(H2O)2+ intermediate with a significant contribution of the solvent path at low chloride concentrations. With CMP, the rate is affected due to the addition of a mechanistic path via an intermediate formed between (dien)Pd(II) and the phosphate group of CMP. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters have been determined and reflect the favorable electrostatic interactions due to the presence of the phosphate group of CMP. Furthermore, these parameters are in agreement with a transient (dien)Pd(II)-phosphate complex of CMP leading to the formation of the thermodynamically favored (dien)Pd(II)-N3 complex as final product.

Journal Article↗