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Pancreatic acinar cells: effects of lanthanum ions on amylase release and calcium ion fluxes.

1. The effect of La(3+) on amylase release and Ca(2+) fluxes in mouse pancreatic fragments in vitro was studied.2. Amylase release was increased by 0.1 mM-La(3+) and progressively inhibited by 1.0-10 mM-La(3+). Non-stimulated and bethanecol stimulated secretion were altered in an identical manner. Inhibition of amylase release was rapid and reversible.3. Uptake of (45)Ca(2+) was multiphasic with equilibrium with stable Ca(2+) still not complete after 2 hr. La(3+) (10 mM) limited uptake of (45)Ca(2+) to the extracellular space and slightly decreased total Ca(2+) content. Lower concentrations of La(3+) affected (45)Ca(2+) uptake and total Ca(2+) content in a biphasic manner which paralleled effects on amylase release.4. La(3+) restricted washout of (45)Ca(2+) to isotope in the extracellular space and abolished the bethanecol-stimulated increase in (45)Ca(2+) efflux.5. Uptake of (45)Ca(2+) into intracellular space, as measured by the ;lanthanum' method, was not affected by bethanecol.6. Tissue ultrastructure and Na(+) and K(+) content were not affected by La(3+).7. It is concluded that an influx of extracellular Ca(2+) is not important for triggering of secretion and that La(3+) may inhibit amylase release by acting on the release process rather than on Ca(2+) influx.

Amylases↗

Stimulus-secretion coupling in pancreatic acinar cells: inhibitory effects of calcium removal and manganese addition on pancreozymin-induced amylase release.

The role of Ca ions in stimulus-secretion coupling has been analysed in the isolated and perfused rat pancreas. 2. The omission of [Ca2+]O diminished but did not abolish the release of amylase in response to continuous stimulation with 5 m-u. pancreozymin (Pz)/ml. The addition of Mn2+ (1-0 mM) to this Ca-deficient environment abolished the residual release of amylase. This was followed by a complete recovery of amylase output when the control [Ca2+]O was reestablished. 3. The addition of Mn2+ (1-0 mM) to the extracellular environment containing 2-5 mM-Ca2+ reversibly inhibited the Pz-induced release of amylase. 4. A kinetic scheme based on competition of Ca and Mn at a carrier in the acinar cell membrane could quantitatively explain the effects of Ca and Mn upon the Pz-induced amylase release. 5. These results support the view that the Ca2+ influx into the acinar cells is the major contributor to the rise in [Ca2+]i which, in turn, mediates the processes in the stimulus-secretion coupling in the exocrine pancreas, and suggest that the mode of Ca influx is a facilitated diffusion.

Amylases↗

Development of an amylolytic Lactobacillus plantarum silage strain expressing the Lactobacillus amylovorus alpha-amylase gene.

An amylolytic Lactobacillus plantarum silage strain with the starch-degrading ability displayed by Lactobacillus amylovorus was developed. An active fragment of the gene coding for alpha-amylase production in L. amylovorus was cloned and integrated into the chromosome of the competitive inoculant strain L. plantarum Lp80 at the cbh locus. The alpha-amylase gene fragment was also introduced into L. plantarum Lp80 on an autoreplicative plasmid. Both constructions were also performed in the laboratory strain L. plantarum NCIB8826. All four recombinant strains secreted levels of amylase ranging from 23 to 69 U/liter, compared with 47 U/liter for L. amylovorus. Secretion levels were higher in L. plantarum NCIB8826 than in L. plantarum Lp80 derivatives and were higher in recombinant strains containing autoreplicative plasmids than in the corresponding integrants. The L. plantarum Lp80 derivative containing the L. amylovorus alpha-amylase gene fragment integrated into the host chromosome secreted alpha-amylase to a level comparable to that of L. amylovorus and was stable over 50 generations of growth under nonselective conditions. It grew to a higher cell density than either the parent strain or L. amylovorus in MRS medium containing a mixture of starch and glucose as the fermentable carbohydrate source. This recombinant alpha-amylolytic L. plantarum strain would therefore seem to have considerable potential as a silage inoculant for crops such as alfalfa, in which water-soluble carbohydrate levels are frequently low but starch is present as an alternative carbohydrate source.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Induction of a mitosis delay and cell lysis by high-level secretion of mouse alpha-amylase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Some foreign proteins are produced in yeast in a cell cycle-dependent manner, but the cause of the cell cycle dependency is unknown. In this study, we found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells secreting high levels of mouse alpha-amylase have elongated buds and are delayed in cell cycle completion in mitosis. The delayed cell mitosis suggests that critical events during exit from mitosis might be disturbed. We found that the activities of PP2A (protein phosphatase 2A) and MPF (maturation-promoting factor) were reduced in alpha-amylase-oversecreting cells and that these cells showed a reduced level of assembly checkpoint protein Cdc55, compared to the accumulation in wild-type cells. MPF inactivation is due to inhibitory phosphorylation on Cdc28, as a cdc28 mutant which lacks an inhibitory phosphorylation site on Cdc28 prevents MPF inactivation and prevents the defective bud morphology induced by overproduction of alpha-amylase. Our data also suggest that high levels of alpha-amylase may downregulate PPH22, leading to cell lysis. In conclusion, overproduction of heterologous alpha-amylase in S. cerevisiae results in a negative regulation of PP2A, which causes mitotic delay and leads to cell lysis.

Animals↗

Starch-binding domain affects catalysis in two Lactobacillus alpha-amylases.

A new starch-binding domain (SBD) was recently described in alpha-amylases from three lactobacilli (Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus manihotivorans). Usually, the SBD is formed by 100 amino acids, but the SBD sequences of the mentioned lactobacillus alpha-amylases consist of almost 500 amino acids that are organized in tandem repeats. The three lactobacillus amylase genes share more than 98% sequence identity. In spite of this identity, the SBD structures seem to be quite different. To investigate whether the observed differences in the SBDs have an effect on the hydrolytic capability of the enzymes, a kinetic study of L. amylovorus and L. plantarum amylases was developed, with both enzymes acting on several starch sources in granular and gelatinized forms. Results showed that the amylolytic capacities of these enzymes are quite different; the L. amylovorus alpha-amylase is, on average, 10 times more efficient than the L. plantarum enzyme in hydrolyzing all the tested polymeric starches, with only a minor difference in the adsorption capacities.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Properties of thermosensitive extracellular alpha-amylases of Bacillus subtilis.

Enzymological properties of four thermosensitive alpha-amylases (M3, M9, M18, and M20) brought by different mutation sites in alpha-amylase structural gene of Bacillus subtilis were compared with those of the parental alpha-amylase NA64. Two thermosensitive alpha-amylases (M9 and M20) were altered not only in their thermosensitivity but also in their immunological properties, catalytic properties, molecular weights determined by the gel filtration on a Bio-Gel P-100 column, and others. The other two thermosensitive alpha-amylases (M3 and M18) were altered only in their thermosensitivity.

Amylases↗

Stable, inducible thermoacidophilic alpha-amylase from Bacillus acidocaldarius.

Bacillus acidocaldarius Agnano 101 produces an inducible thermoacidophilic alpha-amylase. The enzyme production occurs during the stationary phase of growth in the presence of compounds with alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkages. The enzymatic activity is both present in the culture medium and associated with the cells; the enzymes purified from both sources show identical molecular and catalytic properties. The purified amylase has a single polypeptide chain of molecular weight 68,000 and behaves like an alpha-amylase with affinity constants for starch and related substances of 0.8 to 0.9 mg/ml. The pH and temperature optima for activity are 3.5 and 75degreesC, respectively. The amylase is stable at acidic pH (below 4.5). Its thermal stability is strictly dependent upon protein concentration; the half-life at 60degreesC of the amylase in a 70-mug/ml solution is about 5 days.

Amylases↗

Integrable alpha-amylase plasmid for generating random transcriptional fusions in Bacillus subtilis.

An integrable plasmid, pOK4, which replicated independently in Escherichia coli was constructed for generating transcriptional fusions in vivo in Bacillus DNA. It did not replicate independently in Bacillus subtilis, but it could be made to integrate into the chromosome of B. subtilis if sequences homologous to chromosomal sequences were inserted into it. It had a selectable marker for chloramphenicol resistance and carried unique sites for EcoRI and SmaI just to the 5' side of a promoterless alpha-amylase gene from Bacillus licheniformis. When B. subtilis DNA fragments were ligated into one of these sites and the ligation mixture was used to transform an alpha-amylase-negative B. subtilis strain, chloramphenicol-resistant transformants could be isolated conveniently. Many of these were alpha-amylase positive, owing to the fusion of the plasmid amylase gene to chromosomal operons. In principle, because integration need not be mutagenic, it is possible to obtain fusions to any chromosomal operon. The site of each integration can be mapped, and the flanking sequences can be cloned into E. coli. The alpha-amylase gene can be used to detect regulated genes. We used it as an indicator to detect operons which are DNA-damage-inducible (din), and we identified insertions in both SP beta and PBSX prophages.

Bacillus subtilis↗

Effect of decoyinine on the regulation of alpha-amylase synthesis in Bacillus subtilis.

Decoyinine, an inhibitor of GMP synthetase, allows sporulation in Bacillus subtilis to initiate and proceed under otherwise catabolite-repressing conditions. The effect of decoyinine on alpha-amylase synthesis in B. subtilis, an event which exhibits regulatory features resembling sporulation initiation, was examined. Decoyinine did not overcome catabolite repression of alpha-amylase synthesis in a wild-type strain of B. subtilis but did cause premature and enhanced synthesis in a mutant strain specifically blocked in catabolite repression of alpha-amylase synthesis. Decoyinine had no effect on alpha-amylase enzymatic activity. Thus, it appears that the catabolite control mechanisms governing alpha-amylase synthesis and sporulation in B. subtilis differ in their responses to decoyinine and hence must consist at least partially of separate components.

Adenosine↗

Evidence for movement of the alpha-amylase gene into two phylogenetically distant Bacillus stearothermophilus strains.

The gene for an alpha-amylase cloned from strain DY-5 of Bacillus stearothermophilus was used to examine to what extent the corresponding genes are structurally similar in other B. stearothermophilus strains. The structure of the gene itself was almost identical in DY-5 and a group of strains represented by strain 799. The gene was not detected at all in strain DSM2334, which was phenotypically amylase deficient. Comparison of the structure of 5S rRNA and electrophoretic pattern of the ribosomal proteins indicates that strains DY-5 and DSM2334 are closely related to each other, whereas strain 799 is phylogenetically very distant from the two. We estimate that strain 799 separated from DY-5 and DSM2334 some 420 million years ago. Nucleotide sequencing of the region containing the amylase gene from strains DY-5 and 799 revealed the presence of a 3.4-kilobase stretch that was highly similar in the two strains. Furthermore, comparison of the restriction map surrounding the amylase gene of DY-5 with that of a corresponding region in DSM2334 indicated that the former strain contained an extra segment 5.5 kilobases in length, which included the 3.4-kilobase stretch mentioned above. This segment was missing in DSM2334. It thus appears that the alpha-amylase gene was brought into strains DY-5 and 799 from outside despite a large phylogenetic distance.

Base Sequence↗

Escherichia coli produces a cytoplasmic alpha-amylase, AmyA.

In the gap between two closely linked flagellar gene clusters on the Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium chromosomes (at about 42 to 43 min on the E. coli map), we found an open reading frame whose sequence suggested that it encoded an alpha-amylase; the deduced amino acid sequences in the two species were 87% identical. The strongest similarities to other alpha-amylases were to the excreted liquefying alpha-amylases of bacilli, with > 40% amino acid identity; the N-terminal sequence of the mature bacillar protein (after signal peptide cleavage) aligned with the N-terminal sequence of the E. coli or S. typhimurium protein (without assuming signal peptide cleavage). Minicell experiments identified the product of the E. coli gene as a 56-kDa protein, in agreement with the size predicted from the sequence. The protein was retained by spheroplasts rather than being released with the periplasmic fraction; cells transformed with plasmids containing the gene did not digest extracellular starch unless they were lysed; and the protein, when overproduced, was found in the soluble fraction. We conclude that the protein is cytoplasmic, as predicted by its sequence. The purified protein rapidly digested amylose, starch, amylopectin, and maltodextrins of size G6 or larger; it also digested glycogen, but much more slowly. It was specific for the alpha-anomeric linkage, being unable to digest cellulose. The principal products of starch digestion included maltotriose and maltotetraose as well as maltose, verifying that the protein was an alpha-amylase rather than a beta-amylase. The newly discovered gene has been named amyA. The natural physiological role of the AmyA protein is not yet evident.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structural requirements of Bacillus subtilis alpha-amylase signal peptide for efficient processing: in vivo pulse-chase experiments with mutant signal peptides.

The Bacillus subtilis alpha-amylase signal peptide consists of 33 amino acids from its translation initiation site. To analyze the structural requirements for efficient processing of the signal peptide, single and repeated Ala-X-Ala sequences and their modifications were introduced into B. subtilis alpha-amylase signal peptides of different lengths and the mature thermostable alpha-amylase. Then the cleavage positions and processing rates of the signal peptides were analyzed by the NH2-terminal amino acid sequences of the exported thermostable alpha-amylases and by in vivo pulse-chase experiments. In B. subtilis, the most efficient cleavage site was located at the peptide bond between Ala-33 and amino acid X at position 34, even though Val-X-Ala and six repeating Ala-X-Ala sequences were present around the cleavage site. However, the cleavage site was shifted to the peptide bond between Ala-31 and amino acid X when Ala-33 was deleted, and it was also shifted to Ala-35 and X when Ala-33 was replaced with Val-33. The shorter signal peptide consisting of 31 amino acids reduced the processing rate and alpha-amylase production. In contrast, those signal peptides were cleaved preferentially at the peptide bond between Ala-31 and amino acid X in Escherichia coli. In addition to the presence of an Ala residue at the -1 amino acid position, the length of the signal peptide was another important requirement for efficient processing.

Alanine↗

Isolation of amylolytic strains of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris and production of thermophilic actinomycete amylases.

Kuo, M. J. (Iowa State University, Ames), and P. A. Hartman. Isolation of amylolytic strains of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris and production of thermophilic actinomycete amylases. J. Bacteriol. 92:723-726. 1966.-Of 759 isolates obtained from dung, compost, and soil samples, a culture of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris (strain 5) was selected for further study on the basis of quantities of amylase produced in synthetic and nonsynthetic media, rapid growth and sporulation, culture stability upon prolonged storage at 5 C, and growth temperature range. Inoculum preparation, temperature optimum for amylase formation, and the effects of various kinds and levels of carbon and nitrogen sources on amylase production were studied with T. vulgaris strain 5. An optimal procedure for production of T. vulgaris amylases is proposed.

Amylases↗

The use of the Rapignost strip for estimating urinary amylase levels.

The Rapignost-Amylase urinary test strip (Behringwerke Laboratories) provides an estimation of urine amylase which takes a few minutes and is easy to perform. During a period of 9 months, 84 patients had their urine tested with this strip by casualty officers in the Accident and Emergency Department of St George's Hospital, London. In addition, urine amylase, and plasma amylase and creatinine were measured in the chemical pathology laboratory. In all but one instance, the result of the strip test agreed with the laboratory result. The Rapignost strip should prove useful in screening for acute pancreatitis in situations where there is likely to be a delay in obtaining a laboratory amylase result.

Acute Disease↗

Amylase cis-acting sequences mediate the alleviation of glucose repression by cAMP in Drosophila.

alpha-Amylase gene expression is highly repressed by dietary glucose in Drosophila melanogaster. This glucose effect can be alleviated by exogenous adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). Here, we show that the relief of glucose repression by cAMP occurs at the level of amylase mRNA abundance. Furthermore, exogenous cAMP was shown to alleviate glucose repression of the transient expression of an amylase gene construct in transformed Amynull larvae. This construct contains only 109 base pairs of the promoter region; this is the minimal length of upstream sequence which is necessary for wild-type levels of amylase gene expression. These results indicate that cis-acting promoter elements located close to the transcriptional start site of the Drosophila amylase gene mediate both glucose repression and the cAMP-derepression effects.

Animals↗

Phospholipase A2 activation by melittin causes amylase release from exocrine pancreas.

Phospholipase A2-induced deacylation of membrane phospholipids is associated with changes in membrane fluidity. The importance of this reaction in the pancreatic amylase secretory process was tested using melittin, a phospholipase A2 stimulating peptide. Phospholipase A2 activity (using [3H]arachidonic acid release as an index) and amylase secretion were both increased in a time- and concentration-dependent manner by melittin. Phospholipids prelabelled with [3H]oleic acid or [14C]linoleic acid also released radioactive free fatty acids in response to melittin. Prostaglandin synthesis was not involved in the melittin response, since inhibitors of arachidonic acid oxidation (indomethacin, 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid) did not alter the ability of melittin to release [3H]arachidonic acid or amylase. When melittin was co-applied with carbachol, cholecystokinin octapeptide, or vasoactive intestinal peptide, amylase secretion was additive. The effect of melittin on both fatty acid and amylase release was dependent on extracellular calcium, though melittin's effects were not dependent on the intracellular accumulation of second messengers such as calcium or cAMP. The data suggest that activation of phospholipase A2 by melittin results in the triggering of the secretory process in exocrine pancreas by a different mechanism than that for other pancreatic secretagogues.

Amylases↗

Glutathione depletion inhibits amylase release in guinea pig pancreatic acini.

Isolated guinea pig pancreatic acini were specifically depleted of glutathione by treatment with 2-cyclohexene-1-one (2-CHX-1). Untreated acini contained 4.3 +/- 0.6 micrograms of glutathione per milligram protein. Incubation with 1 mM 2-CHX-1 for 5 min at 37 degrees C depleted glutathione to 17% of control values; 5 mM 2-CHX-1 depleted glutathione to less than 4% of control values. Incubation with 2-CHX-1 also impaired the ability of the isolated acini to secrete amylase in response to stimulation with carbachol and the ionophore A23187. The depletion of glutathione and the inhibition of amylase secretion by 2-CHX-1 were both dose dependent and time dependent. Incubation of acini with 2 mM 2-CHX-1 for 15 min at 37 degrees C reduced glutathione levels to 6.6% of control and reduced carbachol-stimulated amylase release to 63% of control. Higher doses of 2-CHX-1 or longer incubations resulted in greater depletion of glutathione and greater inhibition of carbachol-induced amylase release. These data indicate that specific depletion of glutathione impairs the ability of isolated acini to secrete amylase in response to physiological and pharmacologic stimuli and suggest that glutathione has a role in stimulus-secretion coupling in the exocrine pancreas.

Amylases↗

Secretion of lingual lipase and amylase from rat lingual serous glands.

The effects of various secretagogues on the release of lingual lipase and amylase from rat lingual serous glands was examined in vitro and in vivo. After incubation, the media and tissues were assayed for lingual lipase and amylase activity to determine percent of secretion. In vitro secretion of lingual lipase and amylase stimulated by the cholinergic agonist, carbamylcholine chloride (carbachol), was 28.3 +/- 1.7, 48.0 +/- 3.2, and 55.9 +/- 2.4% and 18.1 +/- 1.7, 26.4 +/- 3.0, and 28.0 +/- 2.5%, respectively, for 30-, 60-, and 90-min incubations. The beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol, and the adenylate cyclase activator, forskolin, elicited very little secretion in vitro; the 90-min values with isoproterenol were 16.8 +/- 7.1% lingual lipase and 6.0 +/- 2.6% amylase. The alpha-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, did not stimulate enzyme secretion. Morphological assessment of incubated tissues revealed that carbachol induced a rapid and extensive degranulation of the acinar cells, while isoproterenol caused only minimal exocytosis. In vivo stimulation by the cholinergic agonist, pilocarpine, caused rapid secretion, with maximal secretion occurring by 1 h. In vivo secretion stimulated by isoproterenol was slow, but by 4 h secretion was comparable to that induced by pilocarpine. In vitro, there was a significant difference between the percentages of lingual lipase and amylase secreted, which could not be accounted for by the presence of proteases or microbial products or the lack of stability of the enzymes during the incubation period. Neurotransmitter regulation of protein secretion by the lingual serous (minor salivary) glands appears to be principally cholinergic in contrast to the beta-adrenergic stimulation of protein secretion by the parotid (major salivary) gland.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗