Arginyl Aminopeptidase Research Articles

Cloning and Characterization of a Bifunctional Leukotriene A4 Hydrolase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In mammals, leukotriene A(4) hydrolase is a bifunctional zinc metalloenzyme that catalyzes hydrolysis of leukotriene A(4) into the proinflammatory leukotriene B(4) and also possesses an arginyl aminopeptidase activity. We have cloned, expressed, and characterized a protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is 42% identical to human leukotriene A(4) hydrolase. The purified protein is an anion-activated leucyl aminopeptidase, as assessed by p-nitroanilide substrates, and does not hydrolyze leukotriene A(4) into detectable amounts of leukotriene B(4). However, the S. cerevisiae enzyme can utilize leukotriene A(4) as substrate to produce a compound identified as 5S,6S-dihydroxy-7,9-trans-11, 14-cis-eicosatetraenoic acid. Both catalytic activities are inhibited by 3-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)-2-(R)-amino-1-propanethiol (thioamine), a competitive inhibitor of human leukotriene A(4) hydrolase. Furthermore, the peptide cleaving activity of the S. cerevisiae enzyme was stimulated approximately 10-fold by leukotriene A(4) with kinetics indicating the presence of a lipid binding site. Nonenzymatic hydrolysis products of leukotriene A(4), leukotriene B(4), arachidonic acid, or phosphatidylcholine were without effect. Moreover, leukotriene A(4) could displace the inhibitor thioamine and restore maximal aminopeptidase activity, indicating that the leukotriene A(4) binding site is located at the active center of the enzyme. Hence, the S. cerevisiae leukotriene A(4) hydrolase is a bifunctional enzyme and appears to be an early ancestor to mammalian leukotriene A(4) hydrolases.

Feedback Inhibition of Porcine Muscle Alanyl and Arginyl Aminopeptidases in Cured Meat Products

Alanyl and arginyl aminopeptidases from porcine skeletal muscle were purified, and the effect of free amino acids on their activities was studied. Both aminopeptidases were inhibited by free amino acids via the competitive mode and were more strongly inhibited in the pure form than when they were in the meat extract. Arginyl aminopeptidase (RAP)was less susceptible to inhibition by free amino acids than alanyl aminopeptidase (AAP), as shown especially by the strong inhibitory effect of hydrophobic amino acids on AAP activity in the meat extract. The free amino acid concentration present in meat products such as dry-cured loin and dry-cured ham produced a strong inhibitory effect on AAP and RAP activity. The concentration of free amino acids in cooked ham mainly affected the activity of AAP. These facts can explain the differences obtained in free amino acid concentration depending on the kind of process or product. Keywords: Aminopeptidase; muscle exopeptidases; peptidase inhibitor; amino acid

Comparison of proteolytic enzyme activities in adults of insecticide resistant and susceptible strains of the housefly M. domestica L

Intracellular proteolytic activity in a DDT-resistant and a susceptible strain of M. domestica was determined by assaying a comprehensive range of cytoplasmic and lysosomal enzymes. The resistant strain showed significantly higher protease activities in whole body, head, thorax, abdomen and gut homogenates compared to the susceptible strain. The activity of alanyl- and arginyl aminopeptidase from both strains increased substantially after topical treatment with DDT at 1, 2 and 3 h, suggesting an involvement of proteolytic enzymes in the induction of detoxifying enzymes, thus indicating a possible role of the intracellular proteolytic activities in the resistance mechanism.

Curing agents affect aminopeptidase activity from porcine skeletal muscle

The effect of curing agents (salt, nitrite, nitrate, ascorbic acid, glucose and polyphosphates) on the main pure aminopeptidases involved in the release of amino acids during the processing of cured meat products has been studied. Salt strongly inhibited alanyl aminopeptidase and pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase: about 40–50% of their original activities were recovered in the presence of 4–5% salt, the typical concentration in dry-cured meat products, while leucyl aminopeptidase was not affected. However, arginyl aminopeptidase was activated to 2–3 times its control level. Nitrate and nitrite did not affect aminopeptidase activity. Ascorbic acid (500 mg/l) slightly inhibited arginyl, alanyl and pyroglutamyl aminopeptidases whereas glucose (20 g/l) activated (to almost 5 times its control level) leucyl aminopeptidase activity. Polyphosphates inhibited (25%) alanyl and arginyl aminopeptidases.

Comparison of aminopeptidase inhibition by amino acids in human and porcine skeletal muscle tissues in vitro

We compared the inhibitory action of individual amino acids in vitro on the activities of alanyl-, arginyl-, leucyl- and pyroglutamyl aminopeptidases purified from human and porcine skeletal muscle tissues. The range of susceptibility to inhibition by individual amino acids (<25 mM) for different aminopeptidase types broadly paralleled that for the respective substrate specificities (in terms of relative rates of hydrolysis of amino acyl-AMC derivatives) for these enzymes. Thus, alanyl aminopeptidase (which hydrolyses a broad range of aminoacyl-AMC substrates) was inhibited by a correspondingly broad range of amino acids (although the respective ranking order of amino acids was not identical in each case), whereas pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase (which hydrolyses only pyroglutamyl AMC as substrate) was inhibited by pyroglutamic acid only. The mode of inhibition (competitive/non-competitive) varied for different enzyme types, both within and between each species. For enzymes purified from human muscle, alanyl, arginyl and leucyl aminopeptidases were inhibited by amino acids via the non-competitive mode (pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase via the competitive mode), whereas corresponding enzymes purified from porcine muscle were inhibited via the competitive mode. The data obtained indicate that the same aminopeptidase types are present in human and porcine skeletal muscle tissues, with corresponding enzymes having broadly similar assay characteristics and susceptibilities to inhibition by amino acids (although the mode of inhibition for corresponding enzymes may differ in each species). Such data obtained in vitro may prove of value in devising experimental strategies to manipulate protein turnover/muscle deposition in vivo, via inhibition of aminopeptidase action after administration of an appropriate admixture of amino acids.

Metabolism of angiotensins by head membranes of the leech Theromyzon tessulatum

Angiotensins (angiotensin I, angiotensin II, angiotensin II-amide) have been isolated in leeches and such peptides are involved in diuresis in these animals. To explore possible inactivation mechanisms of these peptides, angiotensins were incubated with head membranes of the leech T. tessulatum. Membranes derived from head parts of this leech are very rich in peptidases. They contain endopeptidase-24.11-like enzyme (NEP-like) associated with a battery of exopeptidase. The way that angiotensins are degraded by the combined attack of these membrane peptidases has been investigated. The contribution of individual peptidases was assessed by adding inhibitors (phosphoramidon, captopril and amastatin) to the membrane fractions, when they were incubated with the peptides. In the case of angiotensin I, the primary attack was performed by a combined action of the NEP-like and the ACE-like enzymes, followed by aminopeptidase attacks. Angiotensin II and III were hydrolyzed by NEP-like enzyme at the same Tyr-Ile bond, whereas the N-terminal arginine residue of angiotensin III was removed by an arginyl aminopeptidase. These results show that angiotensins are efficiently degraded by membranes and that NEP-like enzyme plays a key role in this process.

Effect of clenbuterol on protease activities and protein levels in rat muscle.

To elucidate the biochemical mechanism by which the sympathomimetic agent clenbuterol promotes skeletal muscle growth, we have determined the activity of a range of proteolytic enzyme types (acid, neutral and alkaline proteinases and peptidases), together with the levels of soluble and structural proteins (via SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) in 5 innervated and denervated muscle types from control and drug-treated rats. No gross change in activity was found for any enzyme type in any muscle (innervated or denervated) following clenbuterol treatment; however, one enzyme, arginyl aminopeptidase, showed a small but consistent decrease in activity in all of the innervated muscles investigated. Similar fractionation profiles were obtained for structural or soluble proteins from corresponding muscle types (innervated or denervated) in control or clenbuterol-treated animals, with the exception of cardiac muscle, which showed a 50% increase in staining intensity of one band (subunit molecular mass 18 kD). We conclude that the anabolic action of clenbuterol in promoting skeletal muscle growth does not occur via downregulation of protease activity, or increase in levels of individual muscle proteins.

Characterization of aminopeptidases in human kidney soluble fraction

Fractionation of human kidney soluble extract (with which the majority of cellular aminopeptidase activity is associated) via anion exchange chromatography resolved four types of separable aminopeptidase (relative activity in parenthesis): alanyl aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.14; 50%); arginyl aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.6; 30%); leucyl aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.1; 18%) and pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.19.3; 2%). The further purification (via gel filtration chromatography and preparative electrophoresis) and characterization of each aminopeptidase has been described; the aminopeptidase tissue profile for human kidney was found to be similar to that previously obtained for human skeletal muscle and brain tissue using a similar experimental approach, i.e. the same enzymes, with corresponding similar characteristics, are present in each tissue. These results suggest that soluble aminopeptidases may be of fundamental importance in general cell protein catabolism. Degradation of the following aminoacyl-AMC derivatives via kidney soluble extract has been shown to be due principally to hydrolysis by alanyl aminopeptidase: glutamyl, glycyl, isoleucyl, methionyl, ornithyl, phenylalanyl, prolyl, seryl, tyrosyl and valyl. We would suggest that measurement of the soluble extract-derived aminopeptidases described in this paper in urine may lead to an improvement upon existing assay procedures for early detection of kidney damage.

Rationalization of aminopeptidase activities in human skeletal muscle soluble extract.

Although a wide range of aminoacyl-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin derivatives (which are used to measure aminopeptidase activity) were found to be hydrolysed by human skeletal muscle soluble fraction, fractionation of the latter via anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography resolved only five types of separable aminopeptidase (with activity relative to alanyl aminopeptidase in parentheses): alanyl aminopeptidase (alpha-aminoacyl-peptide hydrolase, EC 3.4.11.14, 100%), arginyl aminopeptidase (two isoenzymes, L-arginyl-L-lysyl)-peptide hydrolase, EC 3.4.11.6, 15%); pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase (5-oxoprolyl-peptide hydrolase, EC 3.4.19.3, 3%); leucyl aminopeptidase (alpha-aminoacyl-peptide hydrolase (cytosol), EC 3.4.11.1, 1.5%) and alpha-glutamyl aminopeptidase (0.2%). Thus over 80% of the total aminopeptidase activity (expressed in relative terms) in human skeletal muscle soluble fraction can be accounted for by a single enzyme, the major aminopeptidase. A single peak of activity, which co-eluted with the major aminopeptidase after anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography, was obtained after assay with the following aminoacyl-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin derivatives: glycyl-, isoleucyl-, lysyl-, methionyl-, ornithyl-, phenylalanyl-, prolyl-, seryl-, tyrosyl- and valyl-. Thus, the hydrolysis of these derivatives by skeletal muscle soluble fraction occurs principally via the major aminopeptidase and not by specific enzymes, as previously suggested (Wada and Aoyagi, 1983). These results illustrate the difficulty in measuring individual aminopeptidase activities in muscle homogenate and soluble fraction, and the danger in ascribing apparent aminopeptidase activity to 'specific' enzymes.

Localization of angiotensin-converting enzyme, prolyl endopeptidase and other peptidases in cultured neuronal or glial cells

To determine the cellular localization of nervous tissue peptidases, 7 peptidases and 2 lysosomal marker enzyme activities were measured in cultured mouse and rat cells. Neuronal cells of both species exhibited higher activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and prolyl endopeptidase (Pro-EP) than glial cells did. In contrast, arginyl endopeptidase and lysosomal enzymes (acid phosphatase, β-glucuronidase) in the neuronal cell lines were lower than those in the glial cell lines. Other peptidases (alanyl aminopeptidase, arginyl aminopeptidase, leucyl aminopeptidase, dipeptidyl aminopeptidase) activities were not specifically localized in either cell lines. The effects of cellular differentiation on these peptidase activities in the PC 12h cell line and rat glioblasts were also examined using nerve growth factor (NGF) and glia maturation factor (GMF), respectively. Neuron specific peptidase (ACE and Pro-EP) activities were decreased in PC12h cells cultured with NGF, and Pro-EP activity was increased in the glioblast cells cultured with GMF. These results support the idea that some of the peptidases are differentially localized in neuronal or glial cells, and play physiological roles in central or peripheral neural tissues.