Extent Of Enzyme Activity Research Articles

Reveal the response of enzyme activities to heavy metals through in situ zymography

Enzymes in the soil are vital for assessing heavy metal soil pollution. Although the presence of heavy metals is thought to change the soil enzyme system, the distribution of enzyme activities in heavy metal polluted-soil is still unknown. For the first time, using soil zymography, we analyzed the distribution of enzyme activities of alfalfa rhizosphere and soil surface in the metal-contaminated soil. The results showed that the growth of alfalfa was significantly inhibited, and an impact that was most pronounced in seedling biomass and chlorophyll content. Catalase activity (CAT) in alfalfa decreased with increasing heavy metal concentrations, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content continually increased. The distribution of enzyme activities showed that both phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities were associated with the roots and were rarely distributed throughout the soil. In addition, the total hotspot areas of enzyme activities were the highest in extremely heavy pollution soil. The hotspot areas of phosphatase were 3.4%, 1.5% and 7.1% under none, moderate and extremely heavy pollution treatment, respectively, but increased from 0.1% to 0.9% for β-glucosidase with the increasing pollution levels. Compared with the traditional method of enzyme activities, zymography can directly and accurately reflect the distribution and extent of enzyme activity in heavy metals polluted soil. The results provide an efficient research method for exploring the interaction between enzyme activities and plant rhizosphere.

Spatial patterns of enzyme activities in the rhizosphere: Effects of root hairs and root radius

The importance of root hairs and root radius for exudation and nutrient acquisition by plants is known mainly from nutrient solution studies. The in situ effects of root hairs and root radius on the spatial distribution of enzyme activity in the rhizosphere of various plants are unknown. Four plants with contrasting root morphology (maize, wheat, lentil and lupine) were chosen to test the effects of root hairs and root radius on the spatial distribution of β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, leucine aminopeptidase and acid phosphatase. We combined zymography with enzyme kinetics to evaluate the effects of root hairs on the rhizosphere extent and on substrate turnover. The extent of enzyme activity in the rhizosphere of four plants ranged from 0.55 to 2 mm. The extent of β-glucosidase was 1.5 times broader (1.2 mm versus 0.8 mm) and the substrate turnover was 2-fold faster around wheat root regions with hairs than hairless locations. The rhizosphere extent relative to root radius and the enzyme activity per root surface area were plant and enzyme specific: the rhizosphere extent was 1.5–2 times broader and the enzyme activity was 2–8-fold higher in wheat (with thin roots and long root hairs) compared to maize, lentil and lupine. The rhizosphere extent of acid phosphatase (1.1–2.0 mm) was 1.5–2-fold broader than that of other enzymes (0.5–1.0 mm). For the first time, we showed that the rhizosphere extent relative to root radius was 20–100% broader and enzyme activity per surface area was 4–7-fold higher around thin roots (wheat) than around thick roots (maize). Moreover, the rhizosphere extent relative to root radius was 10–30% broader and enzyme activity per root area was 2–7 times higher around roots with long and dense hairs (lupine) than around roots with short and sparse hairs (lentil). We conclude that root hairs and root radius shape the rhizosphere: root hairs contributed mainly to the rhizosphere extent, while root radius more strongly affected the enzyme activity per root surface area.

Following the digestion of milk proteins from mother to baby.

Little is known about the digestive process in infants. In particular, the chronological activity of enzymes across the course of digestion in the infant remains largely unknown. To create a temporal picture of how milk proteins are digested, enzyme activity was compared between intact human milk samples from three mothers and the gastric samples from each of their 4–12 day postpartum infants, 2 h after breast milk ingestion. The activities of 7 distinct enzymes are predicted in the infant stomach based on their observed cleavage pattern in peptidomics data. We found that the same patterns of cleavage were evident in both intact human milk and gastric milk samples, demonstrating that the enzyme activities that begin in milk persist in the infant stomach. However, the extent of enzyme activity is found to vary greatly between the intact milk and gastric samples. Overall, we observe that milk-specific proteins are cleaved at higher levels in the stomach compared to human milk. Notably, the enzymes we predict here only explain 78% of the cleavages uniquely observed in the gastric samples, highlighting that further investigation of the specific enzyme activities associated with digestion in infants is warranted.

Thermal, operational, and storage stability of immobilized carbonic anhydrase in membrane lungs.

The significant improvement in CO2 removal rates from blood through membrane lungs with EMCO and ECCO2R is achievable by means of the immobilization of carbonic anhydrase (CA) onto the membrane surface. The practical application of this technology requires that the enzyme be maintained for long periods without loss of activity. Thus, studies were performed to evaluate the thermal, operational, and storage stability of CA in a cellulose nitrate-encapsulated, silicone rubber membrane-immobilized form. Cellulose nitrate microcapsules containing 1000 micrograms/ml CA were prepared using a modified version of the method of Chang, and immobilized onto a 0.06 m2 section of commercial silicone rubber membrane material. The extent of enzyme activity in free solution and in the encapsulated form was determined after long-term storage at 4 degrees C, 37 degrees C, and 50 degrees C. Likewise, in an in vitro test circuit, CO2 removal efficiency in both CA treated and untreated membrane lungs was measured for extended time periods of 10 hr over a 10 day period. The thermal stability tests showed a significantly greater degree of retained enzyme activity in the encapsulated form, over the free enzyme in solution, at all temperatures. This was especially evident at higher temperatures and when the enzyme was stored for extended periods. In the operational stability tests, the CO2 removal efficiency of the treated membrane was not degraded, and stayed significantly higher than the untreated membrane for extended time periods. This further illustrates the potential for the use of the immobilized enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, for improved CO2 removal efficiency.

Increase of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity during differentiation of human K562 cells involves activation by copper of a constantly expressed copper-deficient protein.

Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity, expressed on the basis of cell number, increased by 50% during sodium butyrate-induced differentiation of human K562 erythroleukemia cells. The increased enzyme activity was found to be concomitant with constant Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase mRNA and immunoreactive protein levels and was accompanied by a rise in intracellular copper and glutathione. Incubation of K562 cell homogenates with copper caused an increase of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity which reached the levels observed after differentiation in the presence of sodium butyrate. The same treatment led to no significant activity increase in homogenates derived from differentiated cells. Externally added ceruloplasmin increased both intracellular copper levels and Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity in undifferentiated cells to a level comparable with that observed after induction of differentiation. Both increments were abolished by depletion of cell glutathione. Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase purified from control cells had both a lower kcat and a lower copper content than the enzyme purified from differentiated cells. From these data we conclude that: 1) Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase is present in K562 cells also under the form of a less active copper-deficient enzyme, 2) the extent of enzyme activation is regulated post-translationally by differential delivery of copper as a function of differentiation stage, and 3) glutathione is likely to play a role in delivering copper to the copper-deficient protein in intact K562 cells.

Protein Kinase C-Dependent Phosphorylation of Sarcolemmal Ca2+-ATPase Isolated from Bovine Aortic Smooth Muscle1

We examined the effect of protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent phosphorylation on Ca2+ uptake and ATP hydrolysis by microsomal as well as purified sarcolemmal Ca2(+)-ATPase preparations isolated from bovine aortic smooth muscle. The phosphorylation was performed by treating these preparations with PKC and saturating concentrations of ATP (or ATP-gamma S), Ca2+, and 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) at 37 degrees C for 10 min. In microsomes, treatment with PKC enhanced a portion of the Ca2+ uptake activity inhibitable by 10 microM vanadate, by up to about 30%. On the other hand, Ca2(+)-dependent ATPase activity in the purified Ca2(+)-ATPase preparation was stimulated by up to twofold. Up to twofold stimulation by PKC was also observed for the Ca2+ uptake by proteoliposomes reconstituted from purified sarcolemmal Ca2(+)-ATPase and phospholipids. Since these effects were evident only at Ca2+ concentrations between 0.1 to 1.0 microM, we concluded that it was the affinity of the Ca2(+)-ATPase for Ca2+ that was increased by the PKC treatment. Under conditions in which PKC increased Ca2+ pump activity, the sarcolemmal Ca2(+)-ATPase was phosphorylated to a level of about 1 mol per mol of the enzyme. There was good parallelism between the ATPase phosphorylation and the extent of enzyme activation. These results strongly suggest that the activity of the sarcolemmal Ca2+ pump in vascular smooth muscle is regulated through its direct phosphorylation by PKC.

On the Mechanism of NO Release from Sydnonimines

The vasodilator and antiaggregatory properties of sydnonimines like SIN-1 are thought to be due to their marked stimulatory action on soluble guanylate cyclase. Enzyme activation and consecutive cyclic GMP accumulation is mediated by the liberation of nitric oxide (NO) from the open-ring A forms of sydnonimines. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of NO release from sydnonimines in direct comparison to their stimulatory effect at the target enzyme, soluble guanylate cyclase. All sydnonimines tested were found to spontaneously liberate NO, the rate of which closely correlated with the extent of enzyme activation. NO release occurred nonlinearly with time and became maximal at high sydnonimine concentration. The in vitro stability of the A forms neither correlated with the measured rate of NO release nor with enzyme activation, indicating that a direct stimulation of guanylate cyclase by the A forms is rather unlikely. Besides NO, all sydnonimines generated NO2- and NO3- at a nearly equimolar rate. The addition of cysteine induced a marked shift from NO3- to NO2- with a small reduction in NO release, which is paralleled by a weak rightward shift of the EC50 at the guanylate cyclase. All tested sydnonimines were found to consume molecular oxygen at rates that closely corresponded to the measured rates of NO formation. By a molar comparison, the amounts of consumed oxygen are clearly higher, as would be expected for the oxidative conversion of NO to NO2- and NO3-. Oxygen seems to be additionally involved in the induction of NO formation while being converted to superoxide (O2-). In accordance with an autocatalytic process, O2- further enhances sydnonimine decomposition, since in the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD) the rate of SIN-1C and NO2-/NO3- formation from SIN-1A was reduced, whereas the rate of NO liberation seemingly increased. O2- has, however, no influence on the rate of hydrolysis of SIN-1 to SIN-1A. At the level of guanylate cyclase, the presence of SOD induced a leftward shift of the concentration-response curve to SIN-1, in agreement with an enhancement of efficacy of NO by blocking the NO-scavenging effect of O2-. An additional O2- generation markedly enhanced SIN-1A decomposition to NO2-/NO3- and reduced the apparent rate of NO formation. We conclude from our results that oxygen plays a key role in the decomposition of sydnonimines and thus in the formation of NO as their pharmacodynamically active principle. Oxygen attack most probably occurs by one-electron abstraction from the A form of the respective sydnonimine compound.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Control of CO 2 fixation during the induction period. The role of thiol-mediated enzyme activation in the alga, Dunaliella

(1) Illumination of the unicellular green alga, Dunaliella, produced a 2–3-fold enhancement of ATPase activity in subsequently lysed algae. Using the inhibitor, tentoxin, it was shown that this light-induced activity, but not the light-independent activity, was attributable to the chloroplast coupling factor, CF 1. (1) A 4–5-fold increase in fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity was measured in Dunaliella lysed subsequent to illumination. (3) Experiments with methyl viologen demonstrated that both light-induced CF 1-ATPase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities were due to thiol-modulation of the enzymes by the algal thioredoxin system. (4) The light-induced increase in fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity could be simulated by incubation of intact algae in the dark with dithiothreitol. This thiol-induced increase in enzyme activity was accompanied by a decrease in the induction period of CO 2-dependent O 2 evolution upon subsequent measurement. (5) The kinetics of induction of both enzyme activities were very similar to the kinetics of induction of CO 2-dependent O 2 evolution in Dunaliella. As the light intensity was increased to 180 W · m 2 the steady-state enzyme activities increased in parallel with the rate of CO 2-dependent O 2 evolution. (6) The results are consistent with the imposition of a kinetic restraint on CO 2 fixation by the extent of enzyme activation under certain conditions in Dunaliella.

Correlation between nitric oxide formation during degradation of organic nitrates and activation of guanylate cyclase

Organic nitrates develop their vasodilating potency by stimulating the enzme guanylate cyclase. There are still several theories concerning the molecular mechanism of enzyme activation, the most likely of which sees nitric oxide (NO·) as the true modulator of the soluble guanylate cyclase. We therefore examined the release of nitric oxide from organic nitrates by means of difference-spectrophotometric method and found that our results correlated well with the extent of enzyme activation. The more NO· was liberated from the compounds in question, the higher was the enzyme activation observed. When the examined nitrates were used in a concentration which caused a half-maximal enzyme stimulation, the result was a NO· liberation of striking uniformity. This correlation also applied to SIN-1 for which it has been assumed up to now that the intact molecule itself is able to stimulate the enzyme and not the nitric oxide released from it. We found the reaction between organic nitrates and cysteine to be highly dependent on temperature, while the extent of the observed enhancement increased with the number of nitrate groups per molecule. We also studied the potential effects of certain compounds on non-enzymatic NO· release and found that, in addition to methylene blue, thionine and brilliantcresyl blue, but not ferricyanide were also effective inhibitors. So it seems likely that both an enzymatic and a non-enzymatic mode of inhibition of enzyme activity does exist. Since oxyhemoglobin is an effective scavenger of nitric oxide, its addition can inhibit enzyme activation by nitrovasodilators. Our results stress the important role of the non-enzymatic liberation of NO· from organic nitrates and related compounds as possible, perhaps even as the principal mode of activation of soluble guanylate cyclase by nitrovasditors.

Receptor-mediated activation of spermatozoan guanylate cyclase.

The sea urchin egg peptides speract (Gly-Phe-Asp-Leu-Asn-Gly-Gly-Gly-Val-Gly) and resact (Cys-Val-Thr-Gly-Ala-Pro-Gly-Cys-Val-Gly-Gly-Arg-Leu-NH2) bind to spermatozoa of the homologous species (Lytechinus pictus or Arbacia punctulata, respectively) and cause transient elevations of cyclic GMP concentrations (Hansbrough, J. R., and Garbers, D. L. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 1447-1452). The addition of these peptides to spermatozoan membrane preparations caused a rapid and dramatic (up to 25-fold) activation of guanylate cyclase. The peptide-induced activation of guanylate cyclase was transient, and the subsequent decline in enzyme activity coincided with conversion of a high Mr (phosphorylated) form of guanylate cyclase to a low Mr (dephosphorylated) form. When membranes were incubated at pH 8.0, the high Mr form was converted to the low Mr form without substantial changes in basal enzyme activity. However, the peptide-stimulated activity of the low Mr form of guanylate cyclase was much less than the peptide-stimulated activity of the high Mr form. Activation of the low Mr form by peptide was not transient and persisted for at least 10 min. In addition, the pH 8.0 treatment that caused the Mr conversion of guanylate cyclase also caused an increase in the peptide-binding capacity of the membranes. We propose a model in which activation of the membrane form of guanylate cyclase is receptor-mediated; the extent of enzyme activation is modulated by its phosphorylation state.

Trisomy 8 in the bone marrow associated with high red cell glutathione reductase activity

In a series of 841 patients with hematologic disorders, 10 individuals were found to have an extra C group chromosome in their bone marrow cells. In two the extra chromosome was not identified, but in the remaining eight it was No. 8. Four of these ten patients had leukemia, and the others had cytopenias or other probably preleukemic conditions. The mean value for glutathione reductase activity in the red cells of four patients with trisomy 8 was significantly higher (2980 +/- 940 mumoles/min/liter of erythrocytes) than in normal controls (1930 +/- 360) or in any of five different control groups of patients with hematologic disorders. The extent of enzyme activation as a result of preincubation with exogenous flavin adenine dinucleotide was similar in the erythrocytes of all groups. The reasons for the high values of red cell glutathione reductase activity in patients with trisomy 8 are discussed in the light of the proposed assignment of the gene for that enzyme to chromosome 8.

Trisomy 8 in the Bone Marrow Associated With High Red Cell Glutathione Reductase Activity

Abstract In a series of 841 patients with hematologic disorders, 10 individuals were found to have an extra C group chromosome in their bone marrow cells. In two the extra chromosome was not identified, but in the remaining eight it was No. 8. Four of these ten patients had leukemia, and the others had cytopenias or other probably preleukemic conditions. The mean value for glutathione reductase activity in the red cells of four patients with trisomy 8 was significantly higher (2980 +/- 940 mumoles/min/liter of erythrocytes) than in normal controls (1930 +/- 360) or in any of five different control groups of patients with hematologic disorders. The extent of enzyme activation as a result of preincubation with exogenous flavin adenine dinucleotide was similar in the erythrocytes of all groups. The reasons for the high values of red cell glutathione reductase activity in patients with trisomy 8 are discussed in the light of the proposed assignment of the gene for that enzyme to chromosome 8.

Mechanism of activation of adenylate cyclase by Vibrio cholerae enterotoxin.

The kinetics and properties of the activation of adenylate cyclase by cholera enterotoxin have been examined primarily in toad erythrocytes, but also in avian erythrocytes, rat fat cells and cultured melanoma cells. When cholera toxin is incubated with intact cells it stimulates adenylate cyclase activity, as measured in the subsequently isolated plasma membranes, according to a triphasic time course. This consists of a true lag period of about 30 min, followed by a stage of exponentially increasing adenylate cyclase activity which continues for 110 to 130 min, and finally a period of slow activation which may extend as long as 30 hr in cultured melanoma cells. The progressive activation of adenylate cyclase activity by cholera toxin is interrupted by cell lysis; continued incubation of the isolated membranes under nearly identical conditions does not lead to further activation of the enzyme. The delay in the action of the toxin is not grossly dependent of the number of toxin-receptor (GM1 ganglioside) complexes, and is still seen upon adding a second dose of toxin to partially stimulated cells. Direct measurements indicate negligible intracellular levels of biologically active radioiodinated toxin in either a soluble or a nuclear-bound form. The effects are not prevented by Actinomycin D (20 mug/ml), uromycin (30 mug/ml), cycloheximide (30 mug/ml), sodium fluoride (10 mM) or sodium azide (1 mM); KCN, however, almost completely prevents the action of cholera toxin. The action of the toxin is temperature dependent, occurring at very slow or negligible rates below certain critical temperatures, the values of which depend on the specific animal species. Thetransition for toad erythrocytes occurs at 15 to 17 degrees C, while rat adipocytes and turkey erythrocytes demonstrate a discontinuity at 26 to 30 degrees C. The temperature effects are evident during the lag period as well as during the exponential phase of activation. The rate of decay of the stimulated adenylate cyclase activity of cultured melanoma cells indicates a half-time of about 36 hr. The rate of exponentially increasing activity and extent of enzyme activation are related to the number of bound toxin molecules according to a Langmuir adsorption isotherm and are half-maximal when about 2000 molecules of toxin are bound per cell. It is proposed that initially cholera toxin binds ineffectively, but that it is converted to an active form during the lag phase. This process may involve lateral motion of toxin-GM1 ganglioside complex within the plane of the membrane. The kinetics of adenylate cyclase activation are consistent with the possibility that during the exponential phase a bimolecular association is proceeding between the active form of the cholera toxin and some other membrane component. The possibility is considered that the cholera toxin molecule may bind directly to adenylate cyclase. These considerations may prove useful in understanding the possible interactions of active hormone-receptor complexes with adenylate cyclase in cell membranes.

Optimum pH and iodine absorption of an enzyme molecule.

IN a previous communication it has been shown by Basu and Nandi1 that the extent of inactivation consequent on the unfolding of the protein chain of an enzyme molecule could be detected by iodimetric titration of the SH-groups uncovered by the unfolding of the coiled-up molecules. In this connexion it has been noted that increase in iodine absorption occurs in cases where the enzyme has been partially deactivated, although no denatured, insoluble protein was formed. It may be concluded, therefore, that denaturation leading to insolubilization takes place only when the unfolding of the protein coil has proceeded to an appreciable extent, whereas deactivation makes its appearance much earlier and with a lesser degree of uncoiling. These observations suggest that the variation in the extent of enzyme activity at different pH's may, to some extent, depend on the extent of coiling or uncoiling of the enzyme molecule. In order to test this point, pepsin solution was adjusted to different pH's by the addition of the necessary amount of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide as the case may be, and titrated with N/2,000 iodine solution below 15° C., using starch as indicator. The results are shown in Table 1.