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Cloning, characterisation and regulation of an alpha-amylase gene from Streptomyces venezuelae.

The alpha-amylase gene (aml) of Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC15068 was cloned in Streptomyces lividans TK24 using the plasmid vector pIJ702. Sub-cloning and exonuclease III deletion experiments localised the sequences required for alpha-amylase production to a segment of 2.05 kb. Low-resolution nuclease S1 mapping revealed a aml transcript of approx. 1.7 kb, and the extracellular form of alpha-amylase was estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to be 59 kDa, suggesting that aml mRNA is monocistronic. The nucleotide sequence of aml was determined and high-resolution nuclease S1 mapping experiments identified transcripts that appeared to initiate at a promoter identical to that of the alpha-amylase gene of Streptomyces limosus [Long et al., J. Bacteriol. 169 (1987) 5745-5754]. Transcription of aml in S. venezuelae, and of the cloned gene in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), was induced by maltose and repressed by glucose. Glucose repression in S. coelicolor A3(2) depended on a functional glucose kinase gene. The predicted amino acid sequence of the extracellular enzyme was very similar (75% identity) to the alpha-amylase of S. limosus and shared with this enzyme a strong susceptibility to tendamistat, a potent inhibitor of mammalian alpha-amylases. Sequence inspection revealed a putative signal sequence of 28 amino acids that preceded the probable signal peptidase cleavage site.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A novel type of human alpha-amylase produced in lung carcinoid tumor.

A novel type of alpha-amylase was detected in a lung carcinoid tissue after surveying the cDNA library constructed from this tumor mRNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the amylase expressed in this carcinoid tumor has 13 and 6 amino acid substitutions when compared with salivary amylase (Amy1) and pancreatic amylase (Amy2), respectively. The nucleotide sequence homologies of cDNAs between this carcinoid amylase and amy1, amy2 are 97.5% and 98.2%, respectively. The nucleotide sequence comparison strongly suggests that this new amylase is the product of the amy3 gene that has been detected in human genome [Emi et al., Gene 62 (1988) 229-235]

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of a novel alpha-amylase by expression of a newly cloned human amy3 cDNA in yeast.

A novel amylase gene (amy3) that differs in nucleotide sequence from salivary amylase gene (amy1) and pancreatic amylase gene (amy2) has been described [Tomita et al., Gene 76 (1989) 11-18], but whether this gene can ever code for an active enzyme has not been shown. We prepared cDNA of this gene from an mRNA obtained from lung carcinoid tissue, and expressed it in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of an acid phosphatase promoter. The product was secreted into culture media, and showed enzymatic activity, demonstrating that this novel alpha-amylase gene (amy3) can code for a functional isozyme. We purified this enzyme, and compared its biological properties with those of salivary and pancreatic human amylases similarly expressed in yeast. We observed that the novel amylase isozyme is more heat-sensitive than others, and that its substrate specificity is different from the other two isozymes.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Identification of saliva stains by determination of the specific activity of amylase.

The specific activity (enzyme activity/protein concentration) of amylase was determined for the identification of saliva stains. The specific activity of amylase in saliva stains rapidly decreased during the first hour but, from 1 to 28 days, this decrease was much less when the stains were kept at room temperature. Stains of various human biological materials, breast milk, nasal secretion, meconium and vaginal secretion showed comparatively high amylase activity, but the saliva stains could be differentiated by their high specific activity of amylase, over 2 I.U./mg. When saliva stains were contaminated with blood or vaginal secretions at various ratios, the specific activity of amylase decreased with increase in the ratio of contaminant, especially when the contaminant was blood. However, the specific activity of amylase was still higher than 2 I.U./mg even after one fifth volume of blood was added or after five volumes of the extract of the stains of vaginal secretions were added.

Amylases↗

Antiamylase-pullulanase enzyme monoclonals which specifically inhibit amylase or pullulanase activity.

Monoclonal antibodies against amylase-pullulanase enzyme from Bacillus circulans F-2 have been produced to locate and characterize the catalytic sites of the enzyme. The antibodies have been examined for inhibition of both enzyme activities of amylase and pullulanase and then classified into four types: Type I which inhibited amylase activity, Type II which inhibited pullulanase activity, Type III which inhibited both enzyme activities, and Type IV which had no effect on either enzyme activity. Only two monoclonal antibodies (MAP-12 and MAP-17) as Type I and two antibodies (MAP-3 and MAP-5) as Type II were isolated. The inhibitory activities of the antibodies were characterized and compared. In Type II antibodies, the maximal demonstrated inhibition on the pullulanase activity was 88% for MAP-3 with 1 microg of antibody and 90% for MAP-5 with 2 microg of antibody, but did not inhibit the amylase activity. In Type I antibodies, in contrast, the maximal demonstrated inhibition on the amylase activity was 94% for MAP-12 and 97% for MAP-17 with 1 microg of antibody, respectively, but no inhibition of the pullulanase was noted. MAP-12 recognized sequential epitope, while MAP-17 recognized conformation-dependent epitope of amylase activity-related regions. However, both MAP-3 and MAP-5 recognized the conformation-dependent epitope of the pullulanase activity-related region. Furthermore, the antibodies of MAP-3, MAP-5, MAP-12, and MAP-17 did not compete with one another for binding to the enzyme, indicating that they have different target epitopes on the enzyme. Antibody binding of MAP-12 and MAP-17 to the enzyme was not specifically affected by any of the antiamylase compounds tested: (a) nojirimycin; and (b) 1-deoxynojirimycin. Kinetic analysis of their effects provides evidence that both antibodies of MAP-12 and MAP-17 decrease the catalytic rate of enzyme activity and have little or no effect on substrate binding.

Amylases↗

Evidence for the involvement of cAMP-GEF (Epac) pathway in amylase release from the rat parotid gland.

Amylase release from the rat parotid gland is mainly mediated in a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)-dependent manner. In the present study, amylase release mediated in cAMP-dependent and PKA-independent manners was investigated with a cAMP-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factor (cAMP-GEF: Epac)-selective cAMP analogue, 8CPT-2Me-cAMP. The Epac was localized in the intracellular and the plasma membrane fractions. PKA activation by 8CPT-2Me-cAMP was 100-fold lower than that by cAMP. The amylase release (% of the total) from the intact parotid acinar cells was 16 and 3.6% by isoproterenol (1microM) and 8CPT-2Me-cAMP (200microM), respectively, and that from the saponin-permeabilized cells was 15 and 3% by cAMP (100microM) and 8CTP-2Me-cAMP (10microM), respectively. H-89 inhibited cAMP-induced amylase release, but did not inhibit 8CPT-2Me-cAMP-induced amylase release. These results indicated that amylase release by beta-adrenergic stimulation is mediated through both the cAMP/PKA and cAMP/Epac signal pathways.

Amylases↗

Proteinaceous alpha-amylase inhibitors.

Proteins that inhibit alpha-amylases have been isolated from plants and microorganisms. These inhibitors can have natural roles in the control of endogenous alpha-amylase activity or in defence against pathogens and pests; certain inhibitors are reported to be antinutritional factors. The alpha-amylase inhibitors belong to seven different protein structural families, most of which also contain evolutionary related proteins without inhibitory activity. Two families include bifunctional inhibitors acting both on alpha-amylases and proteases. High-resolution structures are available of target alpha-amylases in complex with inhibitors from five families. These structures indicate major diversity but also some similarity in the structural basis of alpha-amylase inhibition. Mutational analysis of the mechanism of inhibition was performed in a few cases and various protein engineering and biotechnological approaches have been outlined for exploitation of the inhibitory function.

Binding Sites↗

De novo design of alpha-amylase inhibitor: a small linear mimetic of macromolecular proteinaceous ligands.

We report a low molecular weight inhibitor of alpha-amylases based on a linear peptidic scaffold designed de novo through the use of combinatorial chemistry. The inhibitory motif denoted PAMI (peptide amylase inhibitor) was selected by using L-peptide libraries and was fine-tuned by the introduction of unnatural modifications. PAMI specifically inhibits glycoside hydrolases of family 13. Its interaction with porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase was characterized by inhibition kinetics, fluorescence competition assays with natural alpha-amylase inhibitors, and isothermal titration calorimetry. We demonstrate that the critical amino acid residues in PAMI are shared with those in the macromolecular proteinaceous inhibitors that, however, bind to alpha-amylases through a spatially scattered set of intermolecular contacts. Thus, natural molecular evolution as well as combinatorial evolution selected the same alpha-amylase binding determinants for completely different spatial frameworks.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

One-step purification of alpha-amylase from the cultivation supernatant of recombinant bacillus subtilis by high-speed counter-current chromatography with aqueous polymer two-phase systems.

Purification of alpha-amylase from the cultivation supernatant of recombinant Bacillus subtilis by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) in polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000-inorganic salt aqueous polymer two-phase systems was studied. The effects of sodium chloride concentration on the partition coefficients of alpha-amylase and total protein were respectively tested in PEG4000-phosphate and PEG4000-citrate aqueous polymer two-phase systems to find the proper range of sodium chloride concentration for the HSCCC purification of alpha-amylase. Alpha-amylase was purified from the cultivation supernatant by HSCCC in PEG4000-phosphate system containing 2% (w/w) sodium chloride, yet with considerable loss of activity. PEG4000-citrate aqueous polymer two-phase system containing 2% (w/w) sodium chloride and supplemented with 0.56% (w/w) CaCl2 as protective agent was then successfully applied to purify alpha-amylase from cultivation supernatant by HSCCC to homogeneity and significantly increased the recovery of alpha-amylase activity from around 30 to 73.1%.

Bacillus subtilis↗

The value of biliary amylase and Hepatocarcinoma-Intestine-Pancreas/Pancreatitis-associated Protein I (HIP/PAP-I) in diagnosing biliary malignancies.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Elevated concentrations of Hepatocarcinoma-Intestine-Pancreas/Pancreatitis-associated Protein I (HIP/PAP-I) in pancreatic juice have been reported in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and have been considered as a promising tumor marker. This study was conducted to investigate whether biliary HIP/PAP-I can be used in the differential diagnosis of the cause of biliary obstruction. METHODS: Bile was obtained from patients with bile duct obstruction on the day of biliary drainage. The etiology of biliary obstruction included gallstones (n = 131), pancreatic cancer (n = 32), cholangiocarcinoma (n = 47), papilla Vater cancer (n = 13), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 4) and metastatic cancer (n = 16). In addition to HIP/PAP-I, the samples were analyzed for amylase to check for the presence of pancreaticobiliary reflux. RESULTS: The biliary concentration of HIP/PAP-I was not statistically different between patients with gallstones (median, 9.70 ng/mL; interquartile range [IQR] 1.80-45.75) and cancers (median, 12.70 ng/mL; IQR, 3.85-36.75), P > 0.05. However, the amylase activity in the bile was markedly elevated in patients with gallstones (median, 228 U/L; IQR, 40-1965), compared to those with cancer (median, 32 U/L; IQR; 30-176), P < 0.001. The area under the ROC curve of amylase was 0.751 (95% CI: 0.69 to 0.81). At a cut-off value of 46 U/L, the biliary amylase distinguished patients with malignant obstruction from those with benign obstruction with a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 74%. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the biliary HIP/PAP-I measurement is not useful for differentiating causes of biliary obstruction. The divergent extent and duration of biliary obstruction caused by neoplasm and gallstones may contribute to the significant difference in the amylase activity in bile. Thus, amylase in bile represents a candidate marker in the differential diagnosis of the cause of biliary obstruction.

Amylases↗

Improvement of the secretion of extracellular proteins and isolation and characterization of the amylase I (amy1) gene from Ophiostoma floccosum.

UV mutagenesis was applied to improve protein secretion in Ophiostoma floccosum. Amylase activity was used as an indicator for enhanced protein production after repeated rounds of mutagenic treatment. The amylase activity in the culture supernatant of the best mutant (MQ.5.1) was increased by more than 240-fold compared to the initial parental strain. At the same time, the increase in total secreted protein was about six times greater than the parental strain. Secreted proteinase and lipase activities of the parental strain and four key mutants were also investigated. N-terminal sequencing of the five dominant protein bands separated by SDS-PAGE from the culture supernatant was conducted. Two of the proteins identified were subtilisin-like proteinases and one was a pepsin-like proteinase. In addition, one protein was identified as an alpha-amylase and one remained unidentified. A 6.5 kb DNA fragment was isolated by Genomic Walking PCR using primers based on the alpha-amylase amino acid sequence. The amplified fragment contained the entire gene encoding alpha-amylase (amy1) and its regulatory sequences. Analysis showed that multiple transcripts were generated from the single alpha-amylase gene locus.

Ascomycota↗

Fishing of beta-amylase with a SAM of alpha-cyclodextrin-poly- (ethylene glycol) conjugate.

Alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) with an amino group was conjugated to an alpha, omega-dicarboxylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The inhibition constant (Ki) of the alpha-CD-PEG conjugate for the catalysis by beta-amylase was larger than that of alpha-CD, due to a steric obstruction of the PEG moiety to the binding of alpha-CD moiety to beta-amylase. alpha-CD-PEG was further modified with cystamine (CD-PEG-Cys) or cysteamine methyl disulfide (CD-PEG-MDS), and the disulfide-carrying alpha-CD-PEG was accumulated on a gold surface as a self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The binding of beta-amylase to the alpha-CD-PEG SAM was followed by a decrease in cathodic peak current in the voltammogram of hydroquinone as a probe using a cyclic voltammetry (CV). The beta-amylase bound to the alpha-CD-PEG SAM was desorbed by the addition of free alpha-CD, and the ratio of desorbed beta-amylase from the SAM of alpha-CD-PEG-Cys to the total amount of the enzyme bound to the SAM was 40% whereas that from the alpha-CD-PEG-MDS SAM was 83-85%. The percentage of desorption was increased to 100% by the treatment of the alpha-CD-PEG-MDS SAM-carrying electrode with 2-hydroxyethyldisulfide prior to the immersion in the enzyme solution. Adsorption and desorption processes of beta-amylase to the surface of alpha-CD-PEG-MDS SAM were clearly observed using localized surface plasmon resonance absorption spectroscopy. The binding constant of the enzyme to the surface-confined alpha-CD-PEG was much larger than that to free alpha-CD, probably due to a large local concentration of the alpha-CD moiety on the gold surface.

Catalysis↗

alpha-Amylase inhibitory activity of some Malaysian plants used to treat diabetes; with particular reference to Phyllanthus amarus.

Extracts of six selected Malaysian plants with a reputation of usefulness in treating diabetes were examined for alpha-amylase inhibition using an in vitro model. Inhibitory activity studied by two different protocols (with and without pre-incubation) showed that Phyllanthus amarus hexane extract had alpha-amylase inhibitory properties. Hexane and dichloromethane extracts of Anacardium occidentale, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Averrhoa bilimbiPithecellobium jiringa and Parkia speciosa were not active when tested without pre-incubation. Extraction and fractionation of Phyllanthus amarus hexane extract led to the isolation of dotriacontanyl docosanoate, triacontanol and a mixture of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. Dotriacontanyl docosanoate and the mixture of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are reported from this plant species for the first time. All compounds were tested in the alpha-amylase inhibition assay and the results revealed that the oleanolic acid and ursolic acid (2:1) mixture was a potent alpha-amylase inhibitor with IC(50)=2.01 microg/ml (4.41 microM) and that it contributes significantly to the alpha-amylase inhibition activity of the extract. Three pure pentacyclic triterpenoids, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and lupeol were shown to inhibit alpha-amylase.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal↗

Cloning and characterization of a thermostable intracellular alpha-amylase gene from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima MSB8.

The gene encoding an intracellular alpha-amylase, AmyB (TM1650), from Thermotoga maritima MSB8, a hyperthermophilic bacterium, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The AmyB enzyme hydrolyzed alpha-1,4 starch linkage. The amyB gene is 1269 bp in length, encoding a protein of 422 amino acids (calculated molecular mass of 50187 Da). The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 50000 Da by SDS-PAGE after starch-nondenaturing-PAGE. The amino acid sequence of AmyB showed less than 12% identity to other amylases, but contained four regions that are highly conserved among alpha-amylases. The AmyB alpha-amylase exhibited maximal enzymatic activity at pH 7.0 and its optimum temperature for activity was 70 degrees C. Like the alpha-amylases of many other organisms, the thermostability of T. maritima MSB8 alpha-amylase, AmyB expressed in E. coli was enhanced in the presence of Ca(2+) (10 mM).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytotoxin stimulates secretion of amylase and protease zymogens with a concomitant decrease of mRNA levels in isolated rat pancreatic acini.

The action of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytotoxin on isolated pancreatic acini was investigated. The release of amylase and serine protease zymogens from the isolated rat pancreatic acini was induced with increasing amounts of cytotoxin in vitro. The stimulated release of amylase reached 30% of total cellular content with 100 micrograms/mL of the purified cytotoxin. The induced release of amylase, trypsinogen, proelastase, and chymotrypsinogen reached the maximum after 75 minutes of incubation while lactate dehydrogenase began to appear after 15 minutes of incubation with a secondary biphasic increase at 75 min of incubation. The concentrations of acinar mRNAs of amylase, trypsinogen, proelastase, and chymotrypsinogen, as measured by dot-blot hybridization with the cloned cDNAs of amylase, trypsinogen I, proelastase II, and chymotrypsinogen B of the rat, decreased with time and were significantly lower than in the untreated acini. It is concluded that cytotoxin stimulates the release of amylase and protease zymogens with a concomitant increase in membrane permeability and a decrease of cellular mRNA levels. The inhibition of gene expression is attributable merely to a generalized toxic effect upon cellular metabolism.

Amylases↗

Study of the inhibition of four alpha amylases by acarbose and its 4IV-alpha-maltohexaosyl and 4IV-alpha-maltododecaosyl analogues.

Acarbose analogues, 4IV-maltohexaosyl acarbose (G6-Aca) and 4IV-maltododecaosyl acarbose (G12-Aca), were prepared by the reaction of cyclomaltodextrin glucanyltransferase with cyclomaltohexaose and acarbose. The inhibition kinetics of acarbose and the two acarbose analogues were studied for four different alpha-amylases: Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, human salivary, and porcine pancreatic alpha-amylases. The three inhibitors showed mixed, noncompetitive inhibition, for all four alpha-amylases. The acarbose inhibition constants, Ki, for the four alpha-amylases were 270, 13, 1.27, and 0.80 microM, respectively; the Ki values for G6-Aca were 33, 37, 14, and 7 nM, respectively; and the G12-Aca Ki constants were 59, 81, 18, and 11 nM, respectively. The G6-Aca and G12-Aca analogues are the most potent alpha-amylase inhibitors observed, with Ki values one to three orders of magnitude more potent than acarbose, which itself was one to three orders of magnitude more potent than other known alpha-amylase inhibitors.

Acarbose↗

Inhibition of amylase secretion from differentiated AR4-2J pancreatic acinar cells by an actin cytoskeleton controlled protein tyrosine phosphatase activity.

Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton in AR4-2J pancreatic acinar cells led to an increase in cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase activity, abolished bombesin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and reduced bombesin-induced amylase secretion by about 45%. Furthermore, both tyrosine phosphorylation and amylase secretion induced by phorbol ester-induced activation of protein kinase C were abolished. An increase in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration by the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 had no effect on tyrosine phosphorylation but induced amylase release. Only when added together with phorbol ester, the same level of amylase secretion as with bombesin was reached. This amylase secretion was inhibited by about 40%, by actin cytoskeleton disruption similar to that induced by bombesin. We conclude that actin cytoskeleton-controlled protein tyrosine phosphatase activity downstream of protein kinase C activity regulates tyrosine phosphorylation which in part is involved in bombesin-stimulated amylase secretion.

Actins↗

Alcoholysis reactions from starch with alpha-amylases.

The ability of alpha-amylases from different sources to carry out reactions of alcoholysis was studied using methanol as substrate. It was found that while the enzymes from Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae, two well-studied saccharifying amylases, are capable of alcoholysis reactions, the classical bacterial liquefying alpha-amylases from Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus stearothermophilus are not. The effect of starch and methanol concentration, temperature and pH on the synthesis of glucosides with alpha-amylase from A. niger was studied. Although methanol may inactivate alpha-amylase, a 90% substrate relative conversion can be obtained in 20% methanol at a high starch concentration (15% w/v) due to a stabilizing effect of starch on the enzyme. As the products of alcoholysis are a series of methyl-oligosaccharides, from methyl-glucoside to methyl-hexomaltoside, alcoholysis was indirectly quantified by high performance liquid chromatography analysis of the total methyl-glucoside produced after the addition of glucoamylase to the alpha-amylase reaction products. More alcoholysis was obtained from intact soluble starch than with maltodextrins or pre-hydrolyzed starch. The biotechnological implications of using starch as substrate for the production of alkyl-glucosides is analyzed in the context of these results.

Aspergillus↗