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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Evidence that the glucoamylases and alpha-amylase secreted by Aspergillus niger are proteolytically processed products of a precursor enzyme.

A 125-kDa starch hydrolysing enzyme of Aspergillus niger characterised by its ability to dextrinise and saccharify starch [Suresh et al. (1999) Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 51, 673-675] was also found to possess activity towards raw starch. Segregation of these activities in the 71-kDa glucoamylase and a 53-kDa alpha-amylase-like enzyme supported by antibody cross-reactivity studies and the isolation of mutants based on assay screens for the secretion of particular enzyme forms revealed the 125-kDa starch hydrolysing enzyme as their precursor. N-terminal sequence analysis further revealed that the 71-kDa glucoamylase was the N-terminal product of the precursor enzyme. Immunological cross reactivity of the 53-kDa amylase with antibodies raised against the precursor enzyme but not with the 71- and 61-kDa glucoamylase antibodies suggested that this enzyme activity is represented by the C-terminal fragment of the precursor. The N-terminal sequence of the 53-kDa protein showed similarity to the reported Taka amylase of Aspergillus oryzae. Antibody cross-reactivity to a 10-kDa non-enzymic peptide and a 61-kDa glucoamylase described these proteins as products of the 71-kDa glucoamylase. Identification of only the precursor starch hydrolysing enzyme in the protein extracts of fungal protoplasts suggested proteolytic processing in the cellular periplasmic space as the cause for the secretion of multiple forms of amylases by A. niger.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Synthetic partial extension peptides of P-450(SCC) and adrenodoxin precursors: effects on the import of mitochondrial enzyme precursors.

Various portions of the extension peptides of P-450(SCC) precursor were chemically synthesized. The effects of these peptides on the import of enzyme precursors into mitochondria were examined. Peptides SEP1-15 and SEP1-20, corresponding to the amino terminal portion of the extension peptides, strongly inhibited the import of P-450(SCC) precursor into mitochondria. These peptides were effective at concentrations above 30 microM, and complete inhibition was observed at 100 microM. SEP1-11, which is shorter than SEP1-15 and SEP1-20, showed very weak inhibition. SEP25-39, which corresponds to the carboxy terminal portion of the extension peptide, did not affect the import of the precursor. The import of P-450(11 beta) and adrenodoxin precursors were also inhibited by SEP1-15. Another peptide, AEP1-14, which corresponds to the amino terminal portion of the extension peptide of adrenodoxin precursor, was also synthesized. The peptide inhibited the import of both adrenodoxin and P-450(SCC) precursors into mitochondria. The import of malate dehydrogenase was also inhibited by SEP1-15 and AEP1-14. The rate of the internalization of the precursor into mitochondria was decreased by the peptides. The amount of the precursor bound to the surface of mitochondria and the processing of adrenodoxin precursor were not affected. The respiratory activities of isolated mitochondria were not influenced by SEP1-15 even at 100 microM. We conclude that the inhibitory activities of the synthetic partial extension peptides on the import of enzyme precursors into mitochondria require the presence of about fifteen amino acid residues in the amino terminal portion of the extension peptides, and the inhibition of the import by the peptides was dependent on the blockage of the internalization of the precursors into mitochondria.

Adrenodoxin↗

A molluscan peptide alpha-amidating enzyme precursor that generates five distinct enzymes.

Mechanisms underlying the specificity and efficiency of enzymes, which modify peptide messengers, especially with the variable requirements of synthesis in the neuronal secretory pathway, are poorly understood. Here, we examine the process of peptide alpha-amidation in individually identifiable Lymnaea neurons that synthesize multiple proproteins, yielding complex mixtures of structurally diverse peptide substrates. The alpha-amidation of these peptide substrates is efficiently controlled by a multifunctional Lymnaea peptidyl glycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (LPAM), which contains four different copies of the rate-limiting Lymnaea peptidyl glycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (LPHM) and a single Lymnaea peptidyl alpha-hydroxyglycine alpha-amidating lyase. Endogenously, this zymogen is converted to yield a mixture of monofunctional isoenzymes. In vitro, each LPHM displays a unique combination of substrate affinity and reaction velocity, depending on the penultimate residue of the substrate. This suggests that the different isoenzymes are generated in order to efficiently amidate the many peptide substrates that are present in molluscan neurons. The cellular expression of the LPAM gene is restricted to neurons that synthesize amidated peptides, which underscores the critical importance of regulation of peptide alpha-amidation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Energy-dependent activation of spore-lytic enzyme precursor by germinated spores of Clostridium perfringens.

A precursor of the spore-lytic enzyme of Clostridium perfringens was extracted with alkali from dormant spores of the organism. The enzyme precursor was activated by incubating it with germinated spores which had been treated with alkali. The activation was greatly enhanced by the addition of 3-phosphoglycerate, suggesting that the conversion of precursor to active enzyme depends on endogenous energy-producing metabolism during germination.

Clostridium perfringens↗

alpha-Mannosidase-1 mutants of Dictyostelium discoideum: early aggregation-essential genes regulate enzyme precursor synthesis, modification, and processing.

The lysosomal enzyme alpha-mannosidase-1 is one of the earliest developmentally controlled gene products in Dictyostelium discoideum. Although this enzyme is synthesized throughout the first 20 h of development, it is not required for complete morphogenesis, since structural gene (manA) mutants lacking activity develop normally. We isolated six strains deficient in alpha-mannosidase-1 activity which, unlike structural gene mutants, fail to aggregate. Fruiting revertants of these strains accumulate wild-type levels of alpha-mannosidase-1 activity, suggesting that both the enzymatic and morphological defects are caused by single mutations in nonstructural genes essential for early development. Direct genetic evidence for mutations outside of the structural gene was obtained by complementation analysis. We used alpha-mannosidase-1-specific monoclonal antibodies to analyze the biochemical defects in these mad (alpha-mannosidase-1-deficient) mutants. All mad mutants show a significantly reduced relative rate of enzyme precursor biosynthesis. The mad-404 mutation results in a complete lack of precursor biosynthesis, as well as a lack of functional alpha-mannosidase-1 mRNA. In some cases, however, the enzymatic defect results from improper post-translational modification which affects precursor processing. We conclude that a small number of aggregation-essential genes are involved in regulating the synthesis, modification, and processing of alpha-mannosidase-1 during development.

Dictyostelium↗

Effects of synthetic model peptides resembling the extension peptides of mitochondrial enzyme precursors on import of the precursors into mitochondria.

One common and characteristic feature of the extension peptides of mitochondrial enzyme precursors is the presence of repeating short stretches of uncharged amino acids linked by basic amino acids. We synthesized several model peptides having this particular feature of the extension peptides. The peptides contained arginine or lysine as a basic amino acid residue linking sequences of two to four residues of leucine and alanine. We examined the effects of the peptides on the import of the precursors of two mitochondrial enzymes, cytochrome P-450(SCC) and adrenodoxin, and found that the peptides were generally inhibitory to the import of the precursors into mitochondria. The effective concentrations of some of the inhibitory peptides were as low as a few microM. The peptides containing lysine instead of arginine had an essentially similar inhibitory effect on the import. The peptides did not inhibit the binding of pre-P450(SCC) to the surface of mitochondria. The synthetic model peptides uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria prepared from either rat liver or bovine adrenal cortex, and induced leakage of enzymes from the inner compartments of mitochondria. However, the synthetic model peptides did not solubilize membrane-bound enzymes from mitochondria, suggesting that their effect on the membranes is different from that of detergents. The synthetic model peptides seem to bind to the membranes causing significant perturbation in the membrane structure, which is possibly related to the functions of the particular common sequence found in the extension peptides of mitochondrial enzyme precursors.

Adrenodoxin↗

Cell contact induces the synthesis of a lysosomal enzyme precursor in lymphocytes and its direct transfer to fibroblasts.

The activity of a lysosomal enzyme, alpha-D-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24), increased markedly in normal lymphocytes when they were cultured together with fibroblasts from a patient with an inherited deficiency of this enzyme. Cell-to-cell contact was obligatory for this increase in activity, which also required new protein synthesis. The enzyme induced in the co-cultured lymphocytes was a high molecular weight form of alpha-D-mannosidase that was not detected in lymphocytes cultured alone, which had only the low molecular weight mature enzyme. It was this precursor form alone that was directly transferred to the mannosidosis fibroblasts, where it was present initially in organelles of low density. When the culture period was extended the lymphocyte precursor enzyme was transported to the heavy lysosomes in the recipient cells, and correctly processed to the functionally effective mature enzyme.

Animals↗

mRNA expression of pancreatic enzyme precursors and estimation of protein digestibility in first feeding larvae of the Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus.

An understanding of digestibility in marine fish larvae is required to formulate a diet to replace zooplankton. Using flounder, this study was aimed at determining which digestive enzymes are synthesized in the larval pancreas, and how the proteins are cleaved in the digestive canal. Whole mount in situ hybridization indicated that the mRNA of all digestive enzyme precursors examined, including trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, carboxypeptidase A and B, and lipase, was expressed in the pancreas of first feeding larvae at 3 days post-fertilization. In the larvae before differentiation of the stomach, protein digestion in the digestive canal mainly depends on pancreatic proteases. So, to evaluate protein digestibility in the larval digestive canal, the digestion of proteins by pancreatic extract was monitored by gel electrophoresis. It was indicated that thyroglobulin, albumin and lactate dehydrogenase were rapidly cleaved to polypeptide fragments, but ferritin and catalase exerted resistance to proteolysis, suggesting that digestibility in the larval digestive canal differs depending on protein species.

Animals↗

Monovalent carboxylic ionophores inhibit transport of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase I into mitochondria in Reuber hepatoma H-35 cells and cause accumulation of enzyme precursor.

Transport of the precursor for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase I into mitochondria in Reuber hepatoma H-35 cells was inhibited by adding monensin or nigericin to the culture medium at a concentration of 0.5 microM, and the enzyme precursor accumulated, mainly in the cytosolic fraction. Accumulated precursor was degraded slowly with a half-life of more than 16 min. Valinomycin, nonactin, A23187, X-537A (lasalocid), bromo-lasalocid, and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone did not exhibit these effects at concentrations at which they did not inhibit protein synthesis of the cells.

Animals↗

UDP-N-acetylglucosamine: lysosomal enzyme precursor N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase activities in human ovarian tumor tissue and some transformed cell lines.

Uridine diphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine: lysosomal enzyme precursor N-acetyl-glucosamine-1-phosphate transferase, is a key enzyme involved in the intracellular targeting of lysosomal enzymes. This enzyme is elevated fourfold in primary ovarian tumor microsomes with respect to normal ovarian microsomes. This elevation is associated with significant increases in the specific activity of multiple lysosomal hydrolases, including beta-D-hexasaminidase, alpha-L-fucosidase, and beta-D-galactosidase. The activity of the phosphotransferase was also documented in several cell lines derived from human tumors. The possible role of this enzyme in tumor-associated phosphorylation is discussed.

Female↗

Covalently bound FAD in d-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase. Immunological studies of D- and L-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase: evidence for a D-enzyme precursor.

Antersera prepared against both enantiozymes, D- and L-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase, formed precipitins in double diffusion tests with their respective antigens only. A mixture of the two antisera caused spur formation of the two precipitin lines obtained with the pure enzymes. Antiserum to L-apoprotein reacted with native L-enzyme and L-apoprotein but not with the D-sspecific enzyme. D-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase activity was inhibited by the anti-D-antiserum, leaving the L-enzyme fully active, while anti-L-antiserum inhibited the L- but not the D-specific activity. The delayed induction of D-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase as compared to the other activities of the nicotine-degrading sequence and the differential immunochemical behavior of the enantiozymes allowed the search for a D-enzyme precursor. In cells harvested 3 hours after the addition of DL-nicotine, the L-enzyme activity was present, whereas no D-enzyme activity could be detected. However, an extract of these cells did form an immunoprecipitin line with anti-D-antiserum. L-6-Hydroxynicotine oxidase, but no D-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase activity, could also be induced in Arthrobacter oxidans grown in a medium with a high glucose content and DL-nicotine as the sole nitrogen source. An extract of these L-induced cells produced the specific immunoprecipitation with anti-D-antiserum. A pulse-chase experiment with cells grown first on glucose and DL-nicotine in the presence of [14C]leucine and then in an unlabeled medium which induces D-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase activity resulted in a radioactive D-enzyme-immunoprecipitin line. From these experiments it is concluded that a precursor of the active D-enzyme is induced simultaneously with the other nicotine-degrading enzymes.

Arthrobacter↗

Expression, refolding, and autocatalytic proteolytic processing of the interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme precursor.

The interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme is a heterodimeric cysteine protease that is produced as a 45-kDa precursor. The full-length precursor form of the enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli as insoluble inclusion bodies. Following solubilization and refolding of the 45-kDa protein, autoproteolytic conversion to a heterodimeric form containing 10- and 20-kDa subunits was observed. This enzyme had catalytic activity against both natural (interleukin-1 beta precursor) and synthetic peptide substrates. The inclusion of a specific inhibitor (SDZ 223-941) of the converting enzyme in the refolding mixture prevented proteolytic processing to the 10-/20-kDa form. Similarly, refolding under nonreducing conditions also prevented processing. Time course experiments showed that the 10-kDa subunit was released from the 45-kDa precursor before the 20-kDa subunit, implying that the N-terminal portion of the precursor is released last and may play a regulatory role.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Catalytically inactive sucrase antigen of rabbit small intestine: the enzyme precursor.

By immunofluorescence microscopy using a specific antibody to the active rabbit sucrase-isomaltase complex, a catalytically inactive sucrase antigen was discovered on the small intestinal mucosa of young rabbits still lacking sucrase activity. In adult rabbits, the same antigen was demonstrated on enterocytes of mucosal crypts devoid of sucrase. Catalytically inactive antigen was isolated by means of immobilized antibody to active sucrase, and it was compared with the active sucrase-isomaltase complex. From structural similarities between the 2 proteins and from the fact that active sucrase succeeds the inactive antigen in both the maturing and the mature rabbit, it is concluded that the inactive antigen is the enzyme precursor. In some patients with hereditary sucrase-isomaltase deficiency, abnormal persistence of sucrase precurosr due to a faulty activation mechanism may be the underlying defect.

Age Factors↗

Beta-galactosidase-deficient human fibroblasts: uptake and processing of the exogenous precursor enzyme expressed by stable transformant COS cells.

COS-1 cells were transfected by electroporation with a cDNA for human acid beta-galactosidase cloned in our laboratory and stable transformants expressing the enzyme activity were selected. The precursor form of the enzyme was secreted in large quantities into the culture medium. The fibroblasts from patients with GM1-gangliosidosis or Morquio B disease showed a remarkable increase of enzyme activity, up to the normal level, after culture in this medium for 2 days; the amount of uptake was essentially the same as that for the precursor form in human fibroblasts. After endocytosis, the precursor molecules were processed normally to the mature form and remained as stable as those produced by human fibroblasts. On the other hand, cells from galactosialidosis patients did not show any increase of enzyme activity in a similar experiment. It was concluded that the transformants are useful as the source of precursor proteins for the study of intracellular turnover of enzyme molecules in mutant cells.

Animals↗

Transport of carbamyl phosphate synthetase I and ornithine transcarbamylase into mitochondria. Inhibition by rhodamine 123 and accumulation of enzyme precursors in isolated hepatocytes.

Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (ammonia) (EC 6.3.4.16) and ornithine carbamoyltransferase (EC 2.1.3.3) are matrix enzymes synthesized outside the mitochondria in the form of larger precursors and are transported rapidly into mitochondria, in association with post-translational proteolytic processing to the mature enzymes. Treatment of isolated rat hepatocytes with 40 micrograms/ml of rhodamine 123, a laser dye which specifically stains mitochondria, resulted both in a strong inhibition of the processing of the enzyme precursors and in accumulation. Rhodamine 123 did not specifically inhibit the synthesis of the synthetase and the transcarbamylase precursors in a reticulocyte lysate cell-free system programmed with rat liver free polysomes. The dye strongly inhibited the uptake and processing of the ornithine transcarbamylase precursor by isolated rat liver mitochondria. When the mitochondria and the medium were separated by centrifugation, the unprocessed precursor was recovered almost exclusively in the medium. These results indicate that rhodamine 123 inhibits either the binding of the enzyme precursors to the mitochondria or their transport into the organelle.

Animals↗

Lysosomal enzyme precursors in coated vesicles derived from the exocytic and endocytic pathways.

The molecular forms of two lysosomal enzymes, cathepsin C and cathepsin D, have been examined in lysosomes and coated vesicles (CVs) of rat liver. In addition, the relative proportion of these lysosomal enzymes residing in functionally distinct CV subpopulations was quantitated. CVs contained newly synthesized precursor forms of the enzymes in contrast to lysosomes where only the mature forms were detected. Exocytic and endocytic CV subpopulations were prepared by two completely different protocols. One procedure, a density shift method, uses cholinesterase to alter the density of CVs derived from exocytic or endocytic pathways. The other relies on electrophoretic heterogeneity to accomplish the CV subfractionation. Subpopulations of CVs prepared by either procedure showed similar results, when examined for their relative proportion of cathepsin C and cathepsin D precursors. Within the starting CV preparation, exocytic CVs contained approximately 80-90% of the total steady-state levels of these enzymes while the level in the endocytic population was approximately 10-13%. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to lysosome trafficking.

Animals↗

Expression of amplified DNA sequences for ornithine transcarbamylase in HeLa cells: arginine residues may be required for mitochondrial import of enzyme precursor.

Expression of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), a nuclear-coded mitochondrial enzyme, was programmed in HeLa cells by the use of a strategy of gene co-amplification. HeLa cells, ordinarily devoid of OTC activity, were transfected with a plasmid containing viral regulatory elements joined with two cDNA sequences, one encoding the human OTC precursor and a second encoding a mutant mouse dihydrofolate reductase. After transfection and selection in increasing concentrations of methotrexate, several hundred copies per cell of the sequence encoding OTC were detected by blot analysis. Immunoprecipitation of extracts of radiolabeled cells with anti-OTC antiserum revealed newly synthesized mature OTC subunits. Furthermore, OTC enzymatic activity in cell extracts was comparable to that of control human liver, and mitochondrial localization of OTC was demonstrated by immunofluorescence. When we incubated transfected HeLa cells with dinitrophenol, a known inhibitor of mitochondrial import, the only form of newly synthesized OTC detected was the precursor. We estimated the rate of import of precursor by performing an inhibitor-free chase; precursor was converted to mature subunit with a half-life of less than two minutes. When a HeLa transformant was incubated with the arginine analogue canavanine, the major form of newly synthesized OTC detected was a species migrating slightly more slowly than the normal precursor; little mature-sized subunit was recovered. This indicates that substitution of the analogue for arginine in the OTC precursor interferes with mitochondrial import and processing. Thus, arginine residues in the OTC precursor--most likely the four residues contained in its NH2-terminal leader sequence--probably play an important role in mitochondrial import and/or processing.

Amino Acid Sequence↗