Characterization of the cathepsin B gene and multiple mRNAs in human tissues: evidence for alternative splicing of cathepsin B pre-mRNA.

We have cloned and characterized multiple messages for cathepsin B that differ in their 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) from human kidney and the hepatoma cell line HepG2. A comparison of these messages with the cloned human cathepsin B gene reveals that they arise by alternative splicing of a single gene. Processing at a cryptic intron donor site in exon 11 and splicing to exon 12 produces a 4.0-kb message with an alternate 3' UTR in addition to the 2.3-kb message described previously by Chan et al. (1986). Variable removal of exon 2 produces cathepsin B mRNAs which differ by 88 nucleotides in their 5'-UTRs. The ratio of the 2.3-kb to 4.0-kb transcript is about 2:1 in most of the tissues examined, but the ratio of mRNAs with variant 5' UTRs differs widely. Cathepsin B mRNAs lacking exon 2 are predominant in human tumors. In addition, human breast and colon carcinomas and a human melanoma contain a cathepsin B transcript that is also missing exon 3 encoding the signal peptide and 7 residues of the activation propeptide. An in vitro transcription/translation assay was used to demonstrate that this message could be translated from an internal methionine codon (residue 52), producing a 32-kD product lacking the signal peptide and more than half the propeptide. The transcription/translation assay also demonstrated that the variant messages differ in their rates of translation. The relative rates are about 8:2:1 for mRNA lacking exons 2 and 3 compared to mRNA lacking exon 2 and mRNA containing the full-length 5' end, respectively. These results suggest that the expression of cathepsin B in human tissues may be regulated in part at the level of mRNA processing.

Characterization of multiple cathepsin B mRNAs in murine B16a melanoma.

We have previously shown that the highly metastatic murine B16a melanoma expresses a high level of cathepsin B mRNA which is associated with three transcripts of 2.2, 4.0 and 5.0 kb, while in contrast only a single 2.2 kb cathepsin B RNA was detected in normal murine tissues. Using recombinant DNA techniques, cDNAs corresponding to these three transcripts have been isolated from a B16a melanoma cDNA library. Sequence analysis indicates that all three mRNA transcripts contain identical coding sequences for normal preprocathepsin B. However, the 4.0 and 5.0 kb transcripts contain unusually long extended 3' untranslated regions. These results suggest that the post-transcriptional processing pathway of the cathepsin B gene is modified in B16 melanomas. The results also indicate that the increased extracellular secretion of larger forms of cathepsin B by tumors is most likely due to post-translational mechanisms and does not involve alternative splicing or a coding mutation in the gene.

The expression of cathepsin B and other lysosomal proteinases in normal tissues and in tumors.

The mRNA for the lysosomal proteinases cathepsins B, D, H, L, and S are broadly distributed in normal rodent tissues. Although total cathepsin mRNA levels generally parallel the protein catabolic activity of the tissues, the expressions of the individual enzymes do not appear to be linked. Thus, the relative proportions of the individual messages are found to vary from tissue to tissue. Further evidence for the independent regulation of lysosomal proteinase expression is derived from observations of selective increases in mRNA levels for individual proteinases in rodent tumors. Only cathepsin B mRNA is elevated in a highly metastatic murine B16a melanoma and in a Walker-256 rat carcinosarcoma, while Moloney murine sarcoma virus-transformed fibroblasts express increased mRNA for cathepsins B, D, and L and normal levels for H and S. To address the regulation of cathepsin B expression, the mouse cathepsin B gene and its 5'-upstream region were cloned. The gene has 10 exons and 9 introns spanning about 20 kilobases. The 5'-upstream region and exon 1 are GC-rich with several potential Sp1 binding sites. TATA and CAAT motifs adjacent to the transcription start site are not evident. These properties are characteristic of mammalian "housekeeping" genes. B16 melanoma cells contain three cathepsin B transcripts of 2.2, 4.0 and 5.0 kilobases. The two larger messages, which were not found in normal tissues, contain unusually long 3'-untranslated regions resulting from the alternative cleavage and polyadenylation of the 3' end of the cathepsin B pre-mRNA in B16 melanomas. As all three messages encoded normal preprocathepsin B, cathepsin B secretion by melanoma cells is probably due to posttranslational mechanisms and not to alternative splicing or gene mutation.

Differences in targeting and secretion of cathepsins B and L by BALB/3T3 fibroblasts and Moloney murine sarcoma virus-transformed BALB/3T3 fibroblasts.

BALB/3T3 fibroblasts (3T3) were observed to secrete latent, pepsin-activatable forms of cathepsin B and cathepsin L as well as an active form of beta-glucuronidase when cultured in the absence of serum. The secretion of these proteins was stimulated by the cation ionophore monensin: cathepsin B, 4.3-fold; cathepsin L, 7.2-fold; and beta-glucuronidase, 3.1-fold. These increases were accompanied by a 50% decline in cellular levels of the active forms of these enzymes and by the cellular accumulation of latent forms of cathepsin B and cathepsin L. Latent forms of beta-glucuronidase were not detected. In contrast, Moloney murine sarcoma virus-transformed BALB/3T3 fibroblasts (MMSV) secreted greatly increased amounts of latent cathepsin B (17-fold) and latent cathepsin L (27-fold), and moderately increased amounts of active beta-glucuronidase (2-fold) in a manner which was not further increased by monensin. The increased monensin-insensitive secretion of these lysosomal enzymes by MMSV cells may be due to a transformation-induced decrease in mannose 6-phosphate receptors. Thus, 3T3 cells bound the neoglycoconjugate pentamannosyl 6-phosphate-bovine serum albumin at 4 degrees C in a pentamannosyl 6 phosphate and mannose 6-phosphate-inhibitable manner, whereas MMSV cells showed no measurable cell surface mannose 6-phosphate receptor binding activity.

Expression of five cathepsins in murine melanomas of varying metastatic potential and normal tissues.

The relative levels of mRNAs for cathepsins B, D, H, L, and S in eight normal murine tissues and three murine melanoma variants, B16-F1, B16-F10, and B16a, have been analyzed by RNA dot blot and densitometry. A direct correlation was observed between the levels of cathepsin B mRNA and the metastatic potentials of these three melanoma variants. The relative amount of cathepsin B mRNA in B16a, which is the melanoma variant with the highest metastatic potential, was at least 3 times greater than that found in any of the normal murine tissues surveyed. Similar results were obtained in analyses of either solid tumors or of cultures of tumor cells, confirming that the tumor cells themselves were the source for the elevated expression of cathepsin B mRNA. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of three cathepsin B transcripts of 5.0, 4.0, and 2.2 kilobases in the melanoma variants, while only the 2.2-kilobase transcript was seen in the normal murine tissues. Concurrently with the mRNA analysis, enzyme assays for cathepsin B activity were also performed using synthetic peptide substrates. The assays revealed increased cathepsin B activities in the melanoma variants, corresponding well with the increased cathepsin B mRNA levels, and in addition demonstrated that all three of the melanoma variants secreted a latent form of cathepsin B into conditioned medium, which could be activated by limited proteolysis with pepsin. The levels of the latent enzyme released by the murine melanoma variants correlated well with the levels of cathepsin B mRNA and with the metastatic potentials as determined by spontaneous metastasis form a s.c. site.

Inhibition by human recombinant tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases of human amnion invasion and lung colonization by murine B16-F10 melanoma cells.

The human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 28,000. It appears to be ubiquitous in human mesoderm tissues and has previously been shown to be identical to the collagenase inhibitor isolated from human skin fibroblasts. TIMP inhibits type I- and IV-specific collagenases and other neutral metalloendoproteinases that may be responsible for the degradation of extracellular matrix in tumor cell metastasis. In this work we have utilized recombinant human TIMP (rTIMP) obtained by expression of its cDNA gene (Carmichael et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83:2407, 1986). The rTIMP is shown to have similar inhibition properties as natural TIMP against human skin fibroblast collagenase. In an in vitro amnion invasion assay system, rTIMP inhibited the invasion of B16-F10 murine melanoma cells through the human amniotic membrane at an identical concentration to that reported previously for natural TIMP. The mechanism by which rTIMP inhibits amniotic membrane invasion was compared to the mechanism by which the fibronectin receptor binding peptide RGDS and the aminin receptor binding peptide YIGSR inhibit amnion invasion. RGDS and YIGSR inhibited strong binding of the tumor cells to the amniotic membrane. In contrast rTIMP did not inhibit the cell adhesion step in amnion invasion, but actually increased the number of tumor cells that were tightly bound to the amnion. Thus rTIMP appears to inhibit a later step in the amnion invasion process, following B16-F10 cell adhesion. C57BL/6 mice treated with i.p. injections of rTIMP every 12 h for 6.5 days showed a significant inhibition of metastatic lung colonization by B16-F10 murine melanoma cells. While the rTIMP inhibited the number of metastatic lung tumors formed, it had no significant effect on the size of the lung tumors. Furthermore, tumors grown s.c. in mice receiving 12-h i.p. injections of rTIMP for 6.5 days, as in the in vivo colonization assay, showed no difference in size from controls. Thus the anticolonization effect of rTIMP appears not be due to an effect on tumor growth, but on the invasion step itself. The inhibition of lung colonization in C57BL/6 mice by rTIMP is one of the first examples showing an antimetastatic effect of a selective metalloproteinase inhibitor in a mammalian animal model, and supports an essential role for metalloproteinase(s) in the extravasation and invasion of tumor cells during lung colonization by blood-borne tumor cells.

Purification and characterization of platelet aggregating activity from tumor cells: copurification with procoagulant activity.

The platelet aggregating component from murine 15091A mammary adenocarcinoma cells was purified by solubilization of activity with CHAPS (3-[(3-cholidamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate), fractionation with ammonium sulfate, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE cellulose, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography on dodecyl agarose. A purification of 90-100 fold over the initial cell homogenate was achieved. SDS-PAGE of the purified material resulted in a single major band with a molecular weight of 51,000 +/- 2,000. Procoagulant activity was found to copurify with platelet aggregating activity. Reconstitution with phospholipids was necessary to obtain platelet aggregating activity and procoagulant activity. Trypsin abolished both platelet aggregating and procoagulant activities. The irreversible proteinase inhibitors phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone, iodoacetamide or phenanthroline had no effect on platelet aggregating or procoagulant activities. Platelet aggregation induced by this material was inhibited by low concentrations of the specific irreversible thrombin inhibitors, dansylarginine N-(3-ethyl-1, 5-pentanediyl) amide and D-phenylalanyl-L-prolyl-L-arginine chloromethyl ketone. This is the first report of copurification of tumor cell platelet aggregating and coagulating activities.

Involvement of a cathepsin B-like cysteine proteinase in platelet aggregation induced by tumor cells and their shed membrane vesicles.

Murine 15091A mammary adenocarcinoma cells and membrane vesicles spontaneously shed from these tumor cells in culture can induce aggregation of washed human platelets. A spectrum of proteinase inhibitors was tested for their ability to inhibit 15091A induced platelet aggregation. Of the inhibitors tested the most effective were those selective for cysteine proteinases. The effect of the spectrum of proteinase inhibitors on 15091A induced platelet aggregation was compared to the effect on cathepsin B-like cysteine proteinase activity in homogenates of 15091A tumor cells and their spontaneously shed vesicles. The results suggest that there is a correlation between activity of a cathepsin B-like proteinase in 15091A cells and vesicles and the ability of these cells and vesicles to induce aggregation of washed human platelets.

The pH dependency of bovine spleen cathepsin B-catalyzed transfer of N alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine from p-nitrophenol to water and dipeptide nucleophiles. Comparisons with papain.

Cathepsin B has been shown to catalyze the transfer of the N alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysyl residue from the corresponding p-nitrophenyl ester substrate to water and dipeptide nucleophiles. These reactions occurred through the formation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate. The pH dependency of the acylation and deacylation steps were determined from the increases in the maximum rate of appearance of p-nitrophenol on addition of glycylglycine or L-leucylglycine to the reaction. The second order acylation rate constant, kcat/Km was found to depend on the state of ionization of three groups in the enzyme having pKa values of 4.2, 5.5, and 8.6. Protonation of the group with pKa = 5.5 decreased but did not abolish enzymatic activity, resulting in the appearance of a second, active protonic form of the enzyme between pH 4.2 and pH 5.5. The first order rate constant for the hydrolysis of the acyl-enzyme intermediate was independent of pH between 4.0 and 7.5. In contrast, acyl group transfer from cathepsin B to glycylglycine and L-leucylglycine depended on a group with a pKa of about 4.5. These results are discussed in terms of possible structural and functional homologies between the active sites of cathepsin B and papain.

Steady state kinetic evidence for an acyl-enzyme intermediate in reactions catalyzed by bovine spleen cathepsin B.

Cathepsin B from bovine spleen was shown to catalyze transacylation reactions between esters of N-substituted amino acids and nucleophiles. These reactions appeared to proceed through an intermediate between cathepsin B and the acyl portion of the substrate. Of the various nucleophiles tested, dipeptides were found to be the most effective acyl group acceptors. A method was devised for calculating the acylation and deacylation rate constants from increases in the maximum velocity of disappearance of the substrate with increasing concentrations of the nucleophile. The values for the second order rate constants for the reaction of the acyl-enzyme with the nucleophile, k4, were found to depend on the identity of the dipeptide, while the first order rate constants for formation and hydrolysis of the acyl-enzyme, k2 and k3, were dipeptide-independent. With N alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine p-nitrophenyl ester at pH 6.5, k2 and k3 were found to be 360 s-1 and 6.6 s-1, respectively, indicating that the deacylation step was rate-determining for the hydrolysis of this substrate. In contrast, dipeptide nucleophiles did not significantly accelerate the cathepsin B-catalyzed cleavage of either the p-nitroanilide or the 2-naphthylamide of N alpha-benzoylarginine, suggesting that the hydrolysis of these amide substrates was acylation rate-limiting. These findings support the suggestion that cathepsin B is mechanistically similar to the cysteine proteinase papain.

delta-Aminolevulinic acid formation. Purification and properties of alanine:4,5-dioxovalerate, aminotransferase and isolation of 4,5-dioxovalerate from Clostridium tetanomorphum.

L-Alanine:4,5-dioxovalerate aminotransferase, the enzyme that catalyzes the transamination between alanine and 4,5-dioxovalerate to yield delta-aminolevulinate and pyruvate, has been purified from extracts Clostridium tetanomorphum by acetone precipitation and successive tetanomorphum by acetone precipitation and successive chromatography on Sephadex G-150, hydroxyapatite, Octyl-Sepharose, and SP-Sephadex C-50. The enzyme is pure by the criterion of disc gel electrophoresis with varying polyacrylamide concentrations. It is dimeric, and has an apparent molecular weight of 111,000. Each molecule contains 2 molecules of pyridoxal 5-phosphate. The apparent Km values for 4,5-dioxovalerate and L-alanine are 0.26 and 1.96 mM, respectively. In addition to alanine, glutamate also is an effective amino group donor. The enzyme is inhibited by various keto acids as well as by inhibitors of pyridoxal phosphate-containing enzymes. It was possible to show that 4,5-dioxovalerate is formed by cultures of C. tetanomorphum when grown in the presence of 0.2 M levulinate, an inhibitor of 5-aminolevulinate dehydratase.