Mixture Of Isoenzymes Research Articles

Enzyme prodrug therapy: cytotoxic potential of paracetamol turnover with recombinant horseradish peroxidase

Targeted cancer treatment is a promising, less invasive alternative to chemotherapy as it is precisely directed against tumor cells whilst leaving healthy tissue unaffected. The plant-derived enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) can be used for enzyme prodrug cancer therapy with indole-3-acetic acid or the analgesic paracetamol (acetaminophen). Oxidation of paracetamol by HRP in the presence of hydrogen peroxide leads to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine and polymer formation via a radical reaction mechanism. N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine binds to DNA and proteins, resulting in severe cytotoxicity. However, plant HRP is not suitable for this application since the foreign glycosylation pattern is recognized by the human immune system, causing rapid clearance from the body. Furthermore, plant-derived HRP is a mixture of isoenzymes with a heterogeneous composition. Here, we investigated the reaction of paracetamol with defined recombinant HRP variants produced in E. coli, as well as plant HRP, and found that they are equally effective in paracetamol oxidation at a concentration ≥ 400 µM. At low paracetamol concentrations, however, recombinant HRP seems to be more efficient in paracetamol oxidation. Yet upon treatment of HCT-116 colon carcinoma and FaDu squamous carcinoma cells with HRP–paracetamol no cytotoxic effect was observed, neither in the presence nor absence of hydrogen peroxide.Graphic abstract

Arcopilus aureus MaC7A as a New Source of Resveratrol: Assessment of Amino Acid Precursors, Volatiles, and Fungal Enzymes for Boosting Resveratrol Production in Batch Cultures

The chemical factors that regulate the synthesis of resveratrol (RV) in filamentous fungi are still unknown. This work reports on the RV production by Arcopilus aureus MaC7A under controlled conditions and the effect of amino acid precursors (PHE and TYR), monoterpenes (limonone, camphor, citral, thymol, menthol), and mixtures of hydrolytic enzymes (Glucanex) as elicitors for boosting fungal RV. Batch cultures with variable concentrations of PHE and TYR (50–500 mg L−1) stimulated RV production from 127.9 ± 4.6 to 221.8 ± 5.2 mg L−1 in basic cultures developed in PDB (pH 7) added with 10 g L−1 peptone at 30 °C. Maximum levels of RV and biomass were maintained during days 6–8 under these conditions, whereas a dramatic RV decrease was observed from days 10–12 without any loss of biomass. Among the tested volatiles, citral (50 mg L−1) enhanced RV production until 187.8 ± 2.2 mg L−1 in basic cultures, but better results were obtained with Glucanex (100 mg L−1; 198.3 ± 7.6 mg L−1 RV). Optimized batch cultures containing TYR (200 mg L−1), citral (50 mg L−1), thymol (50 mg L−1), and Glucanex (100 mg L−1) produced up to 237.6 ± 4.7 mg L−1 of RV. Our results suggest that low concentrations of volatiles and mixtures of isoenzymes with β-1, 3 glucanase activity increase the biosynthesis of fungal RV produced by A. aureus MaC7A in batch cultures.

Scalable High-Performance Production of Recombinant Horseradish Peroxidase from E. coli Inclusion Bodies.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP), an enzyme omnipresent in biotechnology, is still produced from hairy root cultures, although this procedure is time-consuming and only gives low yields. In addition, the plant-derived enzyme preparation consists of a variable mixture of isoenzymes with high batch-to-batch variation preventing its use in therapeutic applications. In this study, we present a novel and scalable recombinant HRP production process in Escherichia coli that yields a highly pure, active and homogeneous single isoenzyme. We successfully developed a multi-step inclusion body process giving a final yield of 960 mg active HRP/L culture medium with a purity of ≥99% determined by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (SEC-HPLC). The Reinheitszahl, as well as the activity with 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as reducing substrates, are comparable to commercially available plant HRP. Thus, our preparation of recombinant, unglycosylated HRP from E. coli is a viable alternative to the enzyme from plant and highly interesting for therapeutic applications.

Transient Expression and Purification of Horseradish Peroxidase C in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is a commercially important reagent enzyme used in molecular biology and in the diagnostic product industry. It is typically purified from the roots of the horseradish (Armoracia rusticana); however, this crop is only available seasonally, yields are variable and often low, and the product is a mixture of isoenzymes. Engineering high-level expression in transiently transformed tobacco may offer a solution to these problems. In this study, a synthetic Nicotiana benthamiana codon-adapted full-length HRP isoenzyme gene as well as C-terminally truncated and both N- and C-terminally truncated versions of the HRP C gene were synthesized, and their expression in N. benthamiana was evaluated using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression system. The influence on HRP C expression levels of co-infiltration with a silencing suppressor (NSs) construct was also evaluated. Highest HRP C levels were consistently obtained using either the full length or C-terminally truncated HRP C constructs. HRP C purification by ion exchange chromatography gave an overall yield of 54% with a Reinheitszahl value of >3 and a specific activity of 458 U/mg. The high level of HRP C production in N. benthamiana in just five days offers an alternative, viable, and scalable system for production of this commercially significant enzyme.

Heterologous expression and characterization of functional mushroom tyrosinase (AbPPO4)

Tyrosinases are an ubiquitous group of copper containing metalloenzymes that hydroxylate and oxidize phenolic molecules. In an application context the term ‘tyrosinase’ usually refers to ‘mushroom tyrosinase’ consisting of a mixture of isoenzymes and containing a number of enzymatic side-activities. We describe a protocol for the efficient heterologous production of tyrosinase 4 from Agaricus bisporus in Escherichia coli. Applying this procedure a pure preparation of a single isoform of latent tyrosinase can be achieved at a yield of 140 mg per liter of autoinducing culture medium. This recombinant protein possesses the same fold as the enzyme purified from the natural source as evidenced by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The latent enzyme can be activated by limited proteolysis with proteinase K which cleaves the polypeptide chain after K382, only one The latent enzyme can amino acid before the main in-vivo activation site. Latent tyrosinase can be used as obtained and enzymatic activity may be induced in the reaction mixture by the addition of an ionic detergent (e.g. 2 mM SDS). The proteolytically activated mushroom tyrosinase shows >50% of its maximal activity in the range of pH 5 to 10 and accepts a wide range of substrates including mono- and diphenols, flavonols and chalcones.

Recombinant horseradish peroxidase variants for targeted cancer treatment.

Cancer is a major cause of death. Common chemo‐ and radiation‐therapies damage healthy tissue and cause painful side effects. The enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has been shown to activate the plant hormone indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) to a powerful anticancer agent in in vitro studies, but gene directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) studies showed ambivalent results. Thus, HRP/IAA in antibody directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) was investigated as an alternative. However, this approach has not been intensively studied, since the enzyme preparation from plant describes an undefined mixture of isoenzymes with a heterogenic glycosylation pattern incompatible with the human system. Here, we describe the recombinant production of the two HRP isoenzymes C1A and A2A in a Pichia pastoris benchmark strain and a glyco‐engineered strain with a knockout of the α‐1,6‐mannosyltransferase (OCH1) responsible for hypermannosylation. We biochemically characterized the enzyme variants, tested them with IAA and applied them on cancer cells. In the absence of H2O2, HRP C1A turned out to be highly active with IAA, independent of its surface glycosylation. Subsequent in vitro cytotoxicity studies with human T24 bladder carcinoma and MDA‐MB‐231 breast carcinoma cells underlined the applicability of recombinant HRP C1A with reduced surface glycoslyation for targeted cancer treatment. Summarizing, this is the first study describing the successful use of recombinantly produced HRP for targeted cancer treatment. Our findings might pave the way for an increased use of the powerful isoenzyme HRP C1A in cancer research in the future.

Peroxidase gene discovery from the horseradish transcriptome.

BackgroundHorseradish peroxidases (HRPs) from Armoracia rusticana have long been utilized as reporters in various diagnostic assays and histochemical stainings. Regardless of their increasing importance in the field of life sciences and suggested uses in medical applications, chemical synthesis and other industrial applications, the HRP isoenzymes, their substrate specificities and enzymatic properties are poorly characterized. Due to lacking sequence information of natural isoenzymes and the low levels of HRP expression in heterologous hosts, commercially available HRP is still extracted as a mixture of isoenzymes from the roots of A. rusticana.ResultsIn this study, a normalized, size-selected A. rusticana transcriptome library was sequenced using 454 Titanium technology. The resulting reads were assembled into 14871 isotigs with an average length of 1133 bp. Sequence databases, ORF finding and ORF characterization were utilized to identify peroxidase genes from the 14871 isotigs generated by de novo assembly. The sequences were manually reviewed and verified with Sanger sequencing of PCR amplified genomic fragments, resulting in the discovery of 28 secretory peroxidases, 23 of them previously unknown. A total of 22 isoenzymes including allelic variants were successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris and showed peroxidase activity with at least one of the substrates tested, thus enabling their development into commercial pure isoenzymes.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that transcriptome sequencing combined with sequence motif search is a powerful concept for the discovery and quick supply of new enzymes and isoenzymes from any plant or other eukaryotic organisms. Identification and manual verification of the sequences of 28 HRP isoenzymes do not only contribute a set of peroxidases for industrial, biological and biomedical applications, but also provide valuable information on the reliability of the approach in identifying and characterizing a large group of isoenzymes.

The Structural Dynamics of Actin during Active Interaction with Myosin Depends on the Isoform of the Essential Light Chain

We have used time-resolved phosphorescence anisotropy to investigate the effects of essential light chain (ELC) isoforms (A1 and A2) on the interaction of skeletal muscle myosin with actin, to relate structural dynamics to previously reported functional effects. Actin was labeled with a phosphorescent probe at C374, and the myosin head (S1) was separated into isoenzymes S1A1 and S1A2 by ion-exchange chromatography. As previously reported, S1A1 exhibited substantially lower ATPase activity at saturating actin concentrations but substantially higher apparent actin affinity, resulting in a higher catalytic efficiency. In the absence of ATP, each isoenzyme increased actin's final anisotropy cooperatively and to a similar extent, indicating a similar restriction of the amplitude of intrafilament rotational motions in the strong-binding (S) state of actomyosin. In contrast, in the presence of a saturating level of ATP, S1A1 increased actin anisotropy much more than S1A2 and with greater cooperativity, indicating that S1A1 was more effective in restricting actin dynamics during the active interaction of actin and myosin. We conclude that during the active interaction of actin and ATP with myosin, S1A1 is more effective at stabilizing the S state (probably the force-generating state) of actomyosin, while S1A2 tends to stabilize the weak-binding (non-force-generating) W state. When a mixture of isoenzymes is present, S1A1 is dominant in its effects on actin dynamics. We conclude that ELC of skeletal muscle myosin modulates strong-to-weak structural transitions during the actomyosin ATPase cycle in an isoform-dependent manner, with significant implications for the contractile function of actomyosin.

Atypical protein-kinase Czeta, but neither conventional Ca2+ -dependent protein-kinase C isoenzymes nor Ca2+ -calmodulin, participates in regulation of telomerase activity in Burkitt's lymphoma cells.

To clarify the role of the pathways dependent on protein-kinase C (PK-C) and Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) in the regulation of telomerase activity in Burkitt's lymphoma cells. Burkitt's lymphoma cells (Raji and Daudi) were treated with the PK-C inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide (BIM), or the CaM inhibitor, trifluoperazine (TFPZ), in a dose-dependent manner and in a time-dependent manner. The activities of PK-C isoenzymes were analyzed fluorimetrically using POLARIS assay kits. CaM-kinase II activity was analyzed radiographically, using CaMK-II immunoprecipitation kinase assay kits. Telomerase activity was detected by a conventional telomeric repeat amplification protocol and Stretch PCR. The level of catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) in drug-treated and nontreated cells was analyzed by flow cytometry using anti-hTERT antibody labeled with ZenonAlexa Fluor-488 IgG. Apoptosis was estimated in terms of phosphatidylserine exposure on the cell surface and DNA fragmentation. It was found that BIM inhibited telomerase activity and this process preceded apoptosis. The subsequent addition of exogenous PK-C (mixture of isoenzymes) to the cell lysates restored telomerase activity if incubation of cells with BIM was up to 24 h. Using PK-C isoenzymes, it was established that atypical PK-Czeta, but not conventional Ca2+ -dependent PK-Calpha, PK-Cbeta or PK-Cgamma, is responsible for the reactivation of telomerase in BIM-treated cells. BIM also showed a well-expressed cytotoxicity against intact leukemia cells. In contrast, the CaM inhibitor TFPZ showed the same cytotoxic effect without any influence on telomerase activity during incubation for 24 h with leukemia cells. After incubation for 48 h, TFPZ markedly suppressed telomerase activity. However, the effect followed apoptosis and appeared to be a result of cell death. The addition of exogenous CaMK-II to the cell lysates obtained from TFPZ-treated cells did not reactivate telomerase. The present study confirmed the participation of atypical PK-Czeta, but not conventional Ca2+ -dependent PK-C isoenzymes (alpha, beta, gamma) nor the Ca2+/CaM-dependent pathway, in the regulation of telomerase activity in Burkitt's lymphoma cells.

Characterization of manganese-dependent peroxidase isoenzymes from the ligninolytic fungus Phanerochaete flavido-alba

Phanerochaete flavido-alba is able to decolorize and detoxify olive oil wastewater (OMW) in a process in which simple and polymeric phenols are removed. An unusual acidic MnP is accumulated during the degradation course. This microorganism produces two families of MnPs. MnP1 has an apparent molecular weight of 45 kDa and is secreted as a mixture of isoenzymes with pI ranging from 5.6 to 4.75. MnP2, which is produced as an unique isoenzyme, has an apparent molecular weight of 55.6 Mr and an unusual acidic pI lower than 2.8. The higher specific peroxidase activity for purified MnP2 was for Mn 2+ oxidation. Hydroquinone and methylhydroquinone oxidation by MnP2 was Mn 2+ dependent, in reaction mixtures without exogenous H 2O 2. Conversely, ABTS oxidation was Mn 2+ independent. Two different DNA fragments ( mnpA and mnpB), amplified by PCR, using MnP2 N-terminal sequence and oligonucleotides deduced from two conserved sequences of other MnPs, code for MnPs that belong to the P. chrysosporium mnp2 subfamily on the basis of intron position. The structure of mnpA and mnpB seems to be related to known manganese peroxidase genes, but mnpA encodes an Alanine instead of a Serine (Ser168) regarded as invariant within typical MnPs.

Induction of different chitinase andΒ-1,3-glucanase isoenzymes in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seedlings in response to infection byPlasmopara halstedii

Chitinase andΒ-1,3-glucanase activities were assayed in roots, hypocotyls and cotyledons of downy mildewsusceptible and -resistant sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivars. While the highestΒ-1,3-glucanase activity was in roots, that of chitinase activity was in hypocotyls. Inoculation of both sunflower cultivars withPlasmopara halstedii resulted in a marked increase of chitinase andΒ-1,3-glucanase activities. The increase was observed earlier in incompatible than in compatible reactions. Both enzymes occurred in root tissue as a complex mixture of isoenzymes. At least three different peaks with chitinase activity and three with glucanase activity could be resolved by gel filtration chromatography on Sephacryl S-100 and chromatofocusing on PBE 94 (pH 7-4). Following ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion-exchange on CM- and DEAE-Trisacryl, three glucanase and chitinase fractions, referred to as basic, neutral and acidic, were separated on the basis of their Chromatographic behaviour. A different pattern of distribution of chitinase andΒ-1,3-glucanase fractions was observed between inoculated and non-inoculated plants in both resistant (cv. RS-105) and susceptible (cv. Peredovik) cultivars. In healthy plantsΒ-1,3-glucanase was mainly found in the basic (cv. Peredovik) and neutral (cv. RS-105) fractions, whereas chitinase was in the basic fraction for both cultivars. The neutral and acidic fractions of chitinases were induced in the compatible and incompatible reactions. Inoculation of the plants induced the neutralΒ-1,3-glucanase fraction in resistant and susceptible cultivars and the acidic only in the susceptible one. Induction of the basic fraction of both activities was not observed in any case.

Different Insecticides Select Multiple Carboxylesterase Isoenzymes and Different Resistance Levels from a Single Population ofCulex quinquefasciatus

Amplification of two carboxylesterases, Estα21and Estβ21, is the major insecticide resistance mechanism in the field-collected Pel strain of the mosquitoCulex quinquefasciatus.Three colonies were selected from the Pel strain with three different insecticides. Both esterases Estα21and Estβ21were partially purified from each colony and their bimolecular rate constants (ka's) for the interaction with insecticides were measured. Significant intercolony differences were observed for thekavalues suggesting that different esterase isoenzymes or mixtures of isoenzymes occur within each colony. This may be due to different proportions of the nonamplified carboxylesterases Estα3 and Estβ13being present in the predominantly Estα21and Estβ21preparations. An altered acetylcholinesterase mechanism, which was present at a very low initial frequency in the parental colony, was also differentially selected and contributed to the differences in resistance in the colonies. Neither glutathioneS-transferases nor monooxygenases appear to be involved in this resistance.

Chitinase and β‐1,3‐glucanase activities in chickpea (Cicer arietinum). Induction of different isoenzymes in response to wounding and ethephon

Chitinase and β‐1,3‐glucanase activities were assayed in roots, stems and leaves of 12‐day‐old chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants. While glucanase activity was higher in roots than in the aerial parts of the plant, leaves had higher Chitinase activity. Both glucanase and chitinase activities were induced in roots and stems in response to wounding (excision into 1‐cm pieces), with activity increasing 6 h after treatment, reaching a maximum between 24 and 48 h, and thereafter remaining nearly constant up to 72 h. Ethephon treatment also induced β‐1,3‐glucanase and chitinase activities in stems but not in roots. Both enzymes occurred in root and stem tissues as a complex mixture of isoenzymes. At least four different peaks with glucanase and chitinase activities could be resolved by gel filtration chromatography on Sephacryl S‐200 and chromatofocusing on PBE 94 (pH 4–7). Following ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion exchange on CM‐ and DEAE‐Trisacryl, three β‐1,3‐glucanase and chitinase fractions, referred to as basic, neutral and acidic, were separated on the basis of their chromatographic behaviour. Most of the total protein (75%) of stem extracts was found in the acidic fraction, whereas the major glucanase (53%) and chitinase (62%) activities were in the basic and neutral fractions, respectively. While wounding resulted in an increase in the neutral glucanase and chitinase activities, the activities of the acidic fractions were promoted by ethephon.

Simultaneous Determinations of Liver- and Bone-Type Alkaline Phosphatase by Curve-Fitting of Inhibition Kinetic Data. I. Development and Evaluation of an Absorbance-Based Method

We describe an approach for the simultaneous determination of isoenzymes of alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) based on the kinetic behavior of inhibition reactions. Data for absorbance vs time, collected while enzymes are being inhibited, are fitted with suitable models to obtain results related to activities of the individual isoenzymes. The primary focus is on two-component mixtures of the bone and liver isoenzymes of alkaline phosphatase, but some results are reported for three- and four-component mixtures. Factors studied include choices of inhibitors, buffers, pH, ionic strength, substrate concentration, kinetic models, data ranges, data densities, and data-processing approaches and programs. Criteria used to select optimal conditions include measurement times, detection limits, useful range, and agreement between expected and computed results for mixtures of isoenzymes. For two-component mixtures, a linear least-squares fit of isoenzyme content computed with the curve-fitting method (y) v a comparison method (x) gave y = 0.96 (+/- 0.05)x + 3.8 (+/- 3)% with r = 0.97 and standard error of the estimate of 9.4% for a range from 15 to 300 U/L. The pooled relative standard deviation (CV) for results was about 5%. Results were degraded for three- and four-component samples.

Uncoating of coated vesicles by yeast hsp70 proteins.

The ability of hsp70 isoenzymes from wild-type and mutant yeast strains to uncoat bovine brain coated vesicles was analyzed and compared with that of the brain uncoating ATPase. Results show that, among the four major cytoplasmic isoenzymes produced in wild-type yeast, almost all of the activity is associated with the SSA1 and SSA2 isoenzymes. The SSB1 and SSB2 isoenzymes have almost no uncoating activity and are not found in the clathrin-hsp70 complexes formed during the uncoating reaction. Using hsp70 mutant yeast strains we find a marked difference in uncoating activity between the SSA1 and SSA2 isoenzymes, although there is only a 3% difference between their amino acid sequences. The SSA4 isoenzyme, which is produced only under stress conditions, has an uncoating activity intermediate between SSA1 and SSA2. These results suggest that the ability of hsp70 isoenzymes to uncoat clathrin-coated vesicles is restricted to certain members of the hsp70 family and can be affected by subtle changes in amino acid sequence. We also investigated the uncoating activity of mixtures of isoenzymes and find that the isoenzyme with lower uncoating activity reduces the activity of the isoenzyme with higher uncoating activity possibly by occupying binding sites on coated vesicles.

Zinc increases the affinity of phorbol ester receptor in T lymphocytes

In the primary structure of the major phorbol ester receptor, protein kinase C the presence of putative metal (zinc) binding sites has been suggested. We have demonstrated earlier that zinc activates protein kinase C and contributes to its binding to plasma membranes in T lymphocytes. Here we report that zinc increases the phorbol ester binding affinity of cytosolic protein kinase C. The effect of zinc on the membrane-bound enzyme is much less pronounced. Our results raise the possibility that cytosolic protein kinase C is a mixture of isoenzymes with different sensitivity towards zinc ions.

Coagulant proteinase from [formula omitted][formula omitted] venom

The venom of Bothrops colombiensis, like other Crotalidae venoms, contains thrombin-like activity. We purified a mixture of isoenzymes by chromatography of the crude venom on DEAE-Sephacel where coagulant proteinases were separated from other proteolytic enzymes. By subsequent chromatography on Sephadex G-100 we obtained coagulant proteinase as a single band on acrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 7.5 which showed 4 major protein bands when subjected to flat gel isoelectric focusing. This heterogeneity is presumably due to carbohydrates present in this glycoprotein. The native molecular weight of the coagulant proteinase was found to be over 90 000 by gel filtration. SDS electrophoresis showed, however, that the monomer molecular weight is around 67 000. The specific coagulant activity of the purified enzyme was increased 13 fold by purification and was 231 NIH units/mg. The optimal pH for coagulation of bovine fibrinogen was at pH 7.0. The enzyme shows maximal stability in the pH range 5–6 when incubated for 1 hr at 37 °C. The intraperitoneal LD 50 for white mice was 4.0 mg/kg. The enzyme is similar to other known coagulant proteinases from snake venoms and thus potentially useful as a therapeutic agent.

Ethanol, the liver, and the gastrointestinal tract.

Ethanol is easily absorbed from the intestine and diffuses quickly throughout body water. The bulk of ethanol is metabolized in the liver, where alcohol dehydrogenase, a complex mixture of isoenzymes, oxidizes ethanol to acetaldehyde. Ethanol abuse produces functional and structural changes in the gastrointestinal tract, such as in the stomach, small intestine, liver, and pancreas. Accumulating evidence suggests direct toxicity of ethanol and possibly of acetaldehyde. Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, acute and chronic gastritis, deranged structure and function of the small intestine, acute and chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic lithiasis are some of the sequelae of ethanol abuse. Recent investigations have enhanced our understanding of the functional and structural changes of the gastrointestinal tract produced by the abuse of ethanol.

An improved large scale procedure for the purification of porcine pancreatic lipase

A modified procedure for purifying porcine pancreatic lipase (triacylglycerol acyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3) is described. In comparison to the previous procedure reported by Verger, R., de Haas, G.H.; Sarda, L. and Desnuelle, P. (1969) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 188, 272–282) it is more rapid, more reproducible and results in a purer enzyme preparation. No colipase could be detected in the mixture of isoenzymes and, naturally, in the different separated lipases. In this process, butanol treatment is omitted. After pancreas powder extraction, a batch procedure was used for adsorption of DEAE-cellulose. Sephadex filtration (pH 8.0) was made in a large size column. Finally the isoenzymes were separated on CM-cellulose as in the Verger procedure, but under slightly modified conditions. Lipase L B was fully homogeneous as judged by end group determination, gel electrophoresis (in the presence or absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate) and sedimentation equilibrium.

Proteolytic and peroxidatic reactions of commercial horseradish peroxidase with myelin basic protein.

Degradation of myelin basic protein during incubations with high concentrations of horseradish peroxidase has been demonstrated [Johnson & Cammer (1977) J. Histochem. Cytochem.25, 329-336]. Possible mechanisms for the interaction of the basic protein with peroxidase were investigated in the present study. Because the peroxidase samples previously observed to degrade basic protein were mixtures of isoenzymes, commercial preparations of the separated isoenzymes were tested, and all three degraded basic protein, but to various extents. Three other basic proteins, P(2) protein from peripheral nerve myelin, lysozyme and cytochrome c, were not degraded by horseradish peroxidase under the same conditions. Inhibitor studies suggested a minor peroxidatic component in the reaction. Therefore the peroxidatic reaction with basic protein was studied by using low concentrations of peroxidase along with H(2)O(2). Horseradish peroxidase plus H(2)O(2) caused the destruction of basic protein, a reaction inhibited by cyanide, azide, ferrocyanide, tyrosine, di-iodotyrosine and catalase. Lactoperoxidase plus H(2)O(2) and myoglobin plus H(2)O(2) were also effective in destroying the myelin basic protein. Low concentrations of horseradish peroxidase plus H(2)O(2) were not active against other basic proteins, but did destroy casein and fibrinogen. Although high concentrations of peroxidase alone degraded basic protein to low-molecular-weight products, suggesting the operation of a proteolytic enzyme contaminant in the absence of H(2)O(2), incubations with catalytic concentrations of peroxidase in the presence of H(2)O(2) converted basic protein into products with high molecular weights. Our data suggest a mechanism for the latter, peroxidatic, reaction where polymers would form by linking the tyrosine side chains in basic-protein molecules. These data show that the myelin basic protein is unusually susceptible to peroxidatic reactions.