Effect of neurotoxic metal ions in vitro on proteolytic enzyme activities in human cerebral cortex

Abstract

In order to develop a clearer understanding of the role of aberrant protein turnover in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, the effect of a series of potentially neurotoxic metal ions on a wide range of proteases (lysosomal and cytoplasmic proteinases and peptidases) from human cerebral cortex was determined in vitro. The response of lysosomal and cytoplasmic proteases to inhibition by metal ion species (0.05–5 mmol/1) was broadly similar; Sr 2+, M.g 2+, Ba 2+ or Ca 2+ showed little inhibitory effect at any concentration for most protease types, whilst Cu 2+, Cd 2+, Pb 2+, Mg 2+ or Zn 2+ showed a substantial degree of inhibition, depending on metal ion concentration and enzyme type. Ca 2+ activated neutral proteinases were no more susceptible to general metal ion inhibition than most other protease types. Some proteases showed marked activation of activity in the presence of several metal ion species. Both lysosomal and cytoplasmic proteases were relatively insensitive to inhibition by Al 3+, compared with that obtained with other metal ion species. It is of note that cathepsin D was particularly resistant to inhibition by most metal ion species, whilst pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase was particularly susceptible to inhibition by low concentrations of many metal ions. The above data suggest that in considering the potential role of neurotoxic metal ions in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders of the CNS (via protease inhibition in the intracellular protein degradation pathway), attention should be focused on the interactions between a wide range of metal ion species and protease types, rather than be restricted to the Al 3+/calpain system (as is presently the case in Alzheimer's disease research). In particular, the potential role of pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase in intracellular protein degradation (in addition to more specialized functions such as neurotransmitter processing) and the pathological consequences of the susceptibility of this enzyme to inhibition by neurotoxic metal ions requires further investigation.