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PubMed1992

beta-Amylases in Cereals : A Study of the Maize beta-Amylase System.

beta-Amylase of maize (Zea mays L.) caryopses was studied during development and germination by means of enzymic, electrophoretic, and immunochemical techniques. beta-Amylase activity increased during caryopsis development to a maximum value at the beginning of the water content plateau (at this stage the enzyme was located primarily within the pericarp) and then decreased. Almost no beta-amylase (activity or antigen) was found in either free or bound forms in the mature maize caryopsis. The activity increased again during seedling growth and reached much higher values. Both the aleurone layer (to a major extent) and the scutellum produced and secreted beta-amylase during germination, the secretion being stimulated by Ca(2+). No posttranslational modification of the enzyme was detected during germination. The molecular specific activity of the enzyme remained unchanged during the observed periods, indicating that the regulation of the activity is based essentially on protein turnover. The enzyme from developing and germinating caryopses was found to be identical in terms of antigenicity, isoelectric point, and molecular mass to the beta-amylases extracted from the roots and the leaves of the maize seedling. The maize beta-amylase resembles in all respects the ubiquitous beta-amylase described for rye and wheat, whereas the major beta-amylase of those cereals appears to be lacking in the maize caryopsis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

A quantitative assessment of the importance of barley seed alpha-amylase, beta-amylase, debranching enzyme, and alpha-glucosidase in starch degradation.

Extracts of germinated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds of 41 different genotypes were analyzed for their activities of alpha-amylase, beta-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, and debranching enzyme and for their abilities to hydrolyze boiled soluble starch, nonboiled soluble starch, and starch granules extracted from barley seeds with water. Linear correlation analysis, used to quantitate the interactions between the seven parameters, revealed that boiled soluble starch was not a good substrate for predicting activities of enzymes functioning in in vivo starch hydrolysis as the extracts' abilities to hydrolyze boiled soluble starch was not correlated with their abilities to hydrolyze native starch granules. Activities of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase were positively and significantly correlated with the seed extracts' abilities to hydrolyze all three starches. beta-Amylase was only significantly correlated with hydrolysis of boiled soluble starch. No significant correlations existed between debranching enzyme activity and hydrolysis of any of the three starches. Interactions between the four enzymes as they functioned together to hydrolyze the three types of starch were evaluated by path coefficient analysis. alpha-Amylase contributed to hydrolyses of all three starches primarily by its direct effect (noninteractive component). This direct contribution increased as the substrate progressed from the completely artificial boiled soluble starch, to the most physiologically significant substrate, native starch granules. alpha-Glucosidase contributed to the hydrolysis of boiled soluble starch primarily by its direct effect (noninteractive) yet contributed to starch granule hydrolysis primarily via its interaction with alpha-amylase (indirect effect). The contribution of beta-amylase to hydrolysis of boiled soluble starch was direct and it did not contribute significantly to hydrolysis of native starch granules.

Glucosidases↗
PubMed1989

Single step affinity chromatographic purification of human alpha-amylase from aspirated duodenal juice and its application in the measurement of pancreatic alpha-amylase synthesis rates in man.

Human alpha-amylase was purified from aspirated duodenal juice to electrophoretic homogeneity in a single step by affinity chromatography with the competitive inhibitor acarbose (IC50 = 1.22 mumol/l) as ligand. Duodenal juice was applied to an agarose resin to which acarbose had been coupled covalently via a 1.9 nm spacer group. Pure alpha-amylase, eluted with free acarbose, had a molecular mass of 55,000, and isoelectrofocusing revealed the presence of six isozymes with pI values of 7.3, 6.8, 6.7, 6.5, 6.4 and 6.3, all of which possessed amylase activity based on positive starch/iodine staining. The potential usefulness of this one-step purification procedure in the measurement of pancreatic alpha-amylase synthesis rates was evaluated in two control patients with non-pancreatic disease. Aspirated duodenal juice was obtained during a pulse/continuous intravenous 4 h infusion of [14C]leucine together with secretin and pancreozymin, and alpha-amylase purified using our protocol. Pancreatic alpha-amylase synthesis rates were determined from the rate of incorporation of [14C]leucine into alpha-amylase; values of 4.4 and 5.1 h were obtained for the two control patients.

Acarbose↗
PubMed1985

Complete nucleotide sequence of a gene coding for heat- and pH-stable alpha-amylase of Bacillus licheniformis: comparison of the amino acid sequences of three bacterial liquefying alpha-amylases deduced from the DNA sequences.

The gene coding for the heat-stable and pH-stable alpha-amylase of Bacillus licheniformis 584 (ATCC 27811) was cloned in Escherichia coli and the nucleotide sequence of a DNA fragment of 1,948 base pairs containing the entire amylase gene was determined. As inferred from the DNA sequence, the B. licheniformis alpha-amylase had a signal peptide of 29 amino acid residues and the mature enzyme comprised 483 amino acid residues, giving a molecular weight of 55,200. The amino acid sequence of B. licheniformis alpha-amylase showed 65.4% and 80.3% homology with those of heat-stable Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase and relatively heat-unstable Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase, respectively. Nevertheless, several regions of the alpha-amylases appeared to be clearly distinct from one another when their hydropathy profiles were compared.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Effects of diet on cholecystokinin-stimulated amylase secretion by pancreatic Acini and amylase mRNA levels in rat pancreas.

To investigate the mechanisms by which dietary compositions regulate the exocrine pancreas, we examined the effects of no-fat diet (NFD) and high-fat diet (HFD) on cholecystokinin (CCK)-stimulated amylase secretion from rat pancreatic acini. Rats were maintained for 4 weeks on NFD or HFD, which contained 0 or 45% fat and 58 or 29% carbohydrates, respectively. Pancreatic acini were isolated and stimulated by graded doses of CCK for 30 min. Maximal CCK-stimulated amylase secretion by pancreatic acini from rats on NFD (23.1 +/- 4.3 U/mg protein at 10(-10) M) was significantly higher than that of HFD (5.5 +/- 1.6 U/mg protein at 10(-10) M). In contrast, expressed as a percentage of the initial content, maximal CCK-stimulated amylase secretion by pancreatic acini from rats on NFD (15.0 +/- 0.8%) tended to be lower than that from rats on HFD (28.1 +/- 3.5%). To study further the effects of the diets on amylase mRNA levels, another group of rats was maintained on the respective diets for 4 weeks, sacrificed, and total pancreatic RNA isolated. Amylase mRNA levels in rats on NFD were 2.5 times higher than in rats on HFD. The results suggest that alterations in CCK-stimulated amylase secretion by pancreatic acini, as well as modifications in pancreatic amylase expression, may be involved in the mechanisms by which the exocrine pancreas adapts to diet.

Amylases↗
PubMed1991

alpha-Amylase of Clostridium thermosulfurogenes EM1: nucleotide sequence of the gene, processing of the enzyme, and comparison of other alpha-amylases.

The nucleotide sequence of the alpha-amylase gene (amyA) from Clostridium thermosulfurogenes EM1 cloned in Escherichia coli was determined. The reading frame of the gene consisted of 2,121 bp. Comparison of the DNA sequence data with the amino acid sequence of the N terminus of the purified secreted protein of C. thermosulfurogenes EM1 suggested that the alpha-amylase is translated from mRNA as a secretory precursor with a signal peptide of 27 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of the mature alpha-amylase contained 679 residues, resulting in a protein with a molecular mass of 75,112 Da. In E. coli the enzyme was transported to the periplasmic space and the signal peptide was cleaved at exactly the same site between two alanine residues. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of the C. thermosulfurogenes EM1 alpha-amylase with those from other bacterial and eucaryotic alpha-amylases showed several homologous regions, probably in the enzymatically functioning regions. The tentative Ca(2+)-binding site (consensus region I) of this Ca(2+)-independent enzyme showed only limited homology. The deduced amino acid sequence of a second obviously truncated open reading frame showed significant homology to the malG gene product of E. coli. Comparison of the alpha-amylase gene region of C. thermosulfurogenes EM1 (DSM3896) with the beta-amylase gene region of C. thermosulfurogenes (ATCC 33743) indicated that both genes have been exchanged with each other at identical sites in the chromosomes of these strains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

An alpha-amylase inhibitor from cranberry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): its specificity in inhibition of mammalian pancreatic alpha-amylases and formation of a complex with the porcine enzyme.

A proteinaceous inhibitor that inhibits mammalian alpha-amylases was prepared from cranberry bean and examined for its reactivity with alpha-amylases from various origins. The cranberry bean alpha-amylase inhibitor (CBAI) exhibited inhibitory effects on pancreatic alpha-amylases from the following mammals: pig, dog, cat, horse, sheep, cow, rabbit, guinea pig, rat, and mouse. CBAI showed a maximal inhibition at pH 5.5 against porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase (PPA). It was confirmed by gel filtration that a complex was formed in the 1:1 ratio between CBAI and PPA when they were incubated at 37 degrees C for 30 min at pH 5.5. A similar inhibition pattern was also observed at pH 6.9 that is optimal for the amylase reaction, but much higher concentrations of CABI were required to give 50% inhibition at pH 6.9 than at pH 5.5. Especially, both bovine and rat alpha-amylases were virtually unreactive to CBAI at pH 6.9.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effect of plant a-amylase inhibitors on sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), alpha-amylase activity.

Plant-insect interaction is a dynamic system, subjected to continual variation and change. In order to reduce insect attack, plants developed different defence mechanisms including chemical and physical barriers such as the induction of defensive proteins, volatiles that attract predators of the insect herbivores and secondary metabolites. Proteinaceous inhibitors of alpha-amylase and proteases are widely distributed in cereals, legumes and some other plants. Because of the possible importance of these inhibitors in plant physiology and animal nutrition, extensive research has been conducted on their properties and biological effects. Sunn pest like other insect pests of wheat lives on a polysaccharide-rich diet and depends to a large extent on effectiveness of their alpha-amylases for survival, a-amylase (1-4-alpha-D-glucan glucanohydrolase) hydrolyses starch, and related polysaccharides by randomly cleaving internal alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkages and has a major role in the utilization of polysaccharides. The enzyme inhibitors act on key insect gut digestive hydrolyses, alpha-amylase. Several kinds of a-amylase inhibitors present in seeds and vegetative organs of plant, act to regulate number of phytophagous insects. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to study cereal proteinaceous inhibitors of insect digestive enzymes and their potential use as resistance factors against Sunn pest. The proteinaceous inhibitors from different cereal species including barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were extracted and tested in in vitro condition against Sunn pest alpha-amylase. Extraction was made with NaCl (0.15 M) at room temperature and further purification was done by ammonium sulphate precipitation. It was found that fractions obtained from barley had more inhibitory effect on amylase activity of Sunn pest than fractions obtained from wheat. Knowledge gained through these studies can be used to select resistant plant against insect pest.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Methods compared for determining total amylase activity and amylase isoenzymes in serum.

We evaluated two kinetic methods for determining total amylase activity and isoenzyme composition in serum. Stability studies of reagents for measuring total activity indicate that reagents containing 4-nitrophenyl-alpha-glucosides or enzyme-linked reagents can be stored only for seven days at 4 degrees C. Methods based on 4-nitrophenyl-alpha-glucoside substrates cannot be used if the reagent absorbance at 405 nm exceeds 2. However, in the alpha-amylase EPS method (Boehringer Mannheim) an ethylidene-protected 4-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-maltoheptaoside substrate is stable for up to 28 days after reconstitution. Further studies indicated that the Amylase-DS (Beckman) and the alpha-Amylase EPS standard curves are linear to at least six times the upper limit of the reference interval. Within-batch imprecision (CV less than 1.1%) and between-batch imprecision (CV less than 3.3%) for these two methods are comparable with those for other kinetic methods, and there is excellent correlation (r2 = 0.983) between the two methods. The reference interval, determined by use of samples from 90 healthy blood donors, is 31 to 141 U/L for the amylase-DS method, 22 to 92 U/L for the alpha-Amylase EPS method. We also used these two methods to measure amylase isoenzymes after inhibiting the salivary isoenzyme with either a lectin or a monoclonal antibody. We found the monoclonal antibody method more specific than the lectin inhibition method for determining the isoenzymes.

Amylases↗
PubMed1990

Isolation of a cDNA Clone for alpha-Amylase in Mung Bean Cotyledons : Analysis of alpha-Amylase mRNA Levels in Cotyledons during and following Germination of Mung Bean Seeds.

A cDNA was isolated that codes for alpha-amylase in mung bean (Vigna radiata) cotyledons, and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence (421 amino acid residues) is about 65% homologous with those of barley alpha-amylases. By comparing the deduced sequence with the sequence of the purified alpha-amylase, it was inferred that 23 N-terminal amino acids of a nascent polypeptide represent a signal peptide. Northern blot analysis showed that the levels of alpha-amylase mRNA are in parallel with the activities of alpha-amylase synthesis in cotyledons. Under the conditions where the solute leakage from cotyledons is accelerated during imbibition, a rapid increase in the amount of the alpha-amylase mRNA occurs. We postulate that a factor(s) which regulates in an inhibitory manner the alpha-amylase expression at the transcriptional level may be present in dry cotyledons and be removed by leakage.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1985

Partially purified white bean amylase inhibitor reduces starch digestion in vitro and inactivates intraduodenal amylase in humans.

Whether commercial, bean-derived alpha-amylase inhibitor preparations failed to decrease starch digestion in humans because of insufficient antiamylase activity, destruction by gastrointestinal secretions, or decreased activity in the presence of starch is unknown. We used a simple partial purification procedure to markedly concentrate the inhibitor (sixfold to eightfold by total protein content, and 30-40-fold by dry weight). Compared with a commercial preparation and crude bean extract, this partially purified inhibitor inactivated intraduodenal, intraileal, and salivary amylase in vitro faster and more completely (p less than 0.001); its specific activity was not affected by exposure to gastric juice and was only minimally reduced by duodenal juice. Whereas the rate of amylase inhibition by inhibitor was markedly slowed in the presence of nondietary liquid starch, dietary solid starch had only a minimal effect. Consequently, the partially purified inhibitor had no effect on liquid starch digestion, but decreased in vitro digestion of dietary starch in a dose-dependent manner (p less than 0.001). Perfusion of the partially purified inhibitor (2.0, 3.5, or 5.0 mg/ml at 5 ml/min) into the duodenum of humans rapidly inhibited greater than 94%, greater than 99%, or greater than 99.9% of intraluminal amylase activity. We conclude that commercial amylase inhibitors failed to decrease starch digestion in vivo mainly because they have insufficient antiamylase activity. However, a partially purified inhibitor with increased specific activity is stable in human gastrointestinal secretions, slows dietary starch digestion in vitro, rapidly inactivates amylase in the human intestinal lumen, and, at acceptable oral doses, may decrease intraluminal digestion of starch in humans. Such an inhibitor therefore deserves study.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

The amylase gene-enzyme system of fishes. I. Developmental expression of amylase in the mosquitofish.

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of developmental stage on amylase expression in the mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis holbrooki, Poeciliidae). Expression was characterized in terms of amylase activity and amount of amylase protein in five developmental stages: early, mid, and late embryos, 5-day-old juveniles, and adults. Two measures of activity were used: a starch-iodine assay, which measures the change in substrate, and the dinitrosalicyclic acid (DNSA) assay, which measures the change in product. To measure changes in the amount of amylase, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used. Highest activity and amount was observed in the adult stage. In general, both increased with development. While the two activity measures were positively correlated, these were only weakly correlated with the amount of amylase. Possible reasons for these weak correlations between amylase activity and amount are discussed.

Aging↗
PubMed1981

Clinical evaluation of amylase-creatinine clearance ratio and amylase isoenzyme clearance in chronic renal failure.

Amylase-creatinine clearance ratio (ACCR) and amylase isoenzyme clearance were determined simultaneously in patients with chronic renal failure. ACCR in patients with compensated renal failure (3.5 +/- 0.4%) was not significantly different from normals (2.6 +/- 0.2%), while that in patients with non-compensated renal failure (6.7 +/- 0.4%) was significantly higher than that in normals. Clearance ratio of pancreatic isoamylase (Amylase-1) relative to creatinine clearance (CAmy . 1/Ccr) in patients with both compensated (5.9 +/- 1.0%) and non-compensated (6.8 +/- 0.4%) renal failure was as high as that in patients with acute pancreatitis (6.6 +/- 0.5%). On the other hand, clearance ratio of salivary isoamylase (Amylase-3) relative to creatinine clearance (CAmy . 3/CCr) in patients with compensated renal failure (1.5 +/- 0.3%) was almost the same as that in normals (2.1 +/- 0.1%), while that in patients with non-compensated renal failure was 5.9 +/- 0.7%, which was significantly higher than that in normals. The present study revealed that elevated ACCR in patients with severely impaired renal function was due to the increase of the clearance ratio for both pancreatic and salivary amylase. These facts suggested that glomerular permeability and tubular reabsorption for pancreatic and salivary amylase might play an important role on ACCR in patients with severely impaired renal function.

Amylases↗
PubMed1984

Transport to the bloodstream of amylase following retrograde infusion of amylase into the parotid glands in the rat.

Amylase secretion into parotid saliva was increased more by isoprenaline whereas the secretion rate of parotid saliva was increased more by pilocarpine. Retrograde infusion of parotid-amylase solution into excretory ducts of the parotid gland elevated the activity of the enzyme in the serum. Direct evidence that retrogradely-infused amylase reaches the blood from the parotid gland was obtained using amylase prepared from Bacillus subtilis. Pretreatment with pilocarpine accelerated the release of amylase into the blood. The elevation of intraductal pressure may be the primary mechanism for the release of amylase into the blood from the parotid glands.

Amylases↗
PubMed1987

An amylase gene from Drosophila pseudoobscura is expressed in Escherichia coli. Functional selection and biochemical comparisons of the fly- and clone-produced amylases.

An amylase gene from Drosophila pseudoobscura was isolated from a genomic library constructed in pBR322 and cloned in Escherichia coli by selecting for the ability of its product to hydrolyze starch, a carbon source not normally utilized by E. coli. Hybridization of pAMY17F to D. pseudoobscura polytene chromosomes shows a positive signal at the amylase pseudogene locus (bank 78, chromosome 3). The chimeric plasmid pAMY17F, has been altered in such a way as to increase amylase expression. Southern and Northern hybridizations to the cloned amylase DNA indicate that the source of the gene is from D. pseudoobscura. Biochemical properties such as pH optima, substrate specificities, electrophoretic analyses, inhibitor sensitivities, heat stabilities, temperature responsiveness and molecular weights indicate that the amylases produced by the fly and bacterial clone are similar and have similar properties. It appears that E. coli/pAMY17F is producing an amylase like that found in D. pseudoobscura.

Amylases↗
PubMed2000

Alpha-amylases of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) and their inhibition by two plant amylase inhibitors.

The adult coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari [Coleoptera: Scolytidae]), a major insect pest of coffee, has two major digestive alpha-amylases that can be separated by isoelectric focusing. The alpha-amylase activity has a broad pH optimum between 4.0 and 7.0. Using pH indicators, the pH of the midgut was determined to be between 4.5 and 5.2. At pH 5.0, the coffee berry borer alpha-amylase activity is inhibited substantially (80%) by relatively low levels of the amylase inhibitor (alphaAI-1) from the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., and much less so by the amylase inhibitor from Amaranthus. We used an in-gel zymogram assay to demonstrate that seed extracts can be screened to find suitable inhibitors of amylases. The prospect of using the genes that encode these inhibitors to make coffee resistant to the coffee berry borer via genetic engineering is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Isolation, characterization and inhibition by acarbose of the alpha-amylase from Lactobacillus fermentum: comparison with Lb. manihotivorans and Lb. plantarum amylases.

Extracellular alpha-amylase from Lactobacillus fermentum (FERMENTA) was purified by glycogen precipitation and ion exchange chromatography. The purification was approximately 28-fold with a 27% yield. The FERMENTA molecular mass (106,000 Da) is in the same range as the ones determined for L. amylovorus (AMYLOA), L. plantarum (PLANTAA) and L. manihotivorans (MANIHOA) alpha-amylases. The amino acid composition of FERMENTA differs from the other lactobacilli considered here, but however, indicates that the peptidic sequence contains two equal parts: the N-terminal catalytic part; and the C-terminal repeats. The isoelectric point of FERMENTA, PLANTAA, MANIHOA are approximately the same (3.6). The FERMENTA optimum pH (5.0) is slightly more acidic and the optimum temperature is lower (40 degrees C). Raw starch hydrolysis catalyzed by all three amylases liberates maltotriose and maltotretaose. Maltose is also produced by FERMENTA and MANIHOA. Maltohexaose FERMENTA catalyzed hydrolysis produces maltose and maltotriose. Finally, kinetics of FERMENTA, PLANTAA and MANIHOA using amylose as a substrate and acarbose as an inhibitor, were carried out. Statistical analysis of kinetic data, expressed using a general velocity equation and assuming rapid equilibrium, showed that: (1) in the absence of inhibitor k(cat)/Km are, respectively, 1x10(9), 12.6x10(9) and 3.2x10(9) s(-1) M(-1); and (2) the inhibition of FERMENTA is of the mixed non-competitive type (K(1i)=5.27 microM; L(1i)=1.73 microM) while the inhibition of PLANTAA and MANIHOA is of the uncompetitive type (L(1i)=1.93 microM and 1.52 microM, respectively). Whatever the inhibition type, acarbose is a strong inhibitor of these Lactobacillus amylases. These results indicate that, as found in porcine and barley amylases, Lactobacillus amylases contain in addition to the active site, a soluble carbohydrate (substrate or product) binding site.

Acarbose↗
PubMed2000

Activity of wheat alpha-amylase inhibitors towards bruchid alpha-amylases and structural explanation of observed specificities.

Plant alpha-amylase inhibitors show great potential as tools to engineer resistance of crop plants against pests. Their possible use is, however, complicated by observed variations in specificity of enzyme inhibition, even within closely related families of inhibitors. Five alpha-amylase inhibitors of the structural 0.19 family were isolated from wheat kernels, and assayed against three insect alpha-amylases and porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase, revealing several intriguing differences in inhibition profiles, even between proteins sharing sequence identity of up to 98%. Inhibition of the enzyme from a commercially important pest, the bean weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus, is observed for the first time. Using the crystal structure of an insect alpha-amylase in complex with a structurally related inhibitor, models were constructed and refined of insect and human alpha-amylases bound to 0.19 inhibitor. Four key questions posed by the differences in biochemical behaviour between the five inhibitors were successfully explained using these models. Residue size and charge, loop lengths, and the conformational effects of a Cys to Pro mutation, were among the factors responsible for observed differences in specificity. The improved structural understanding of the bases for the 0.19 structural family inhibitor specificity reported here may prove useful in the future for the rational design of inhibitors possessing altered inhibition characteristics.

Amino Acid Sequence↗