Identification of a myofibril-bound serine protease and its endogenous inhibitor in mouse skeletal muscle.

Myofibrillar proteins, like all other intracellular proteins, are in a dynamic state of continual degradation and resynthesis. The proteolytic system responsible for degrading myofibrillar proteins in skeletal muscle is not well defined. A proteolytic activity associated to myofibrils was found in mouse skeletal muscle, as show electrophoretic patterns, and denominated by us, as protease M. During incubation of whole myofibrils at 37 degrees C, myosin heavy chain, alpha actinin, actin and troponin T suffered degradation. These effects were inhibited selectively by serine protease inhibitors (soybean trypsin inhibitor, di-isopropyl phosphofluoridate, phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride). Using myofibrils as protease M source, azocaseinolytic activity was also detected. Endogenous inhibitor and various compounds effects on protease M activity were also quantified by trichloroacetic acid soluble products formation, using radiolabeled myofibrils. An endogenous trypsin inhibitor isolated from the muscle cytoplasmic fraction could inhibit protease M activity on myofibrillar proteins and on azocasein. While K(+) increased protease M activity, the presence of Ca(2+) did not show any effect. Data presented in this study suggest that reported protease M may be implicated in myofibrillar degradation in vivo and isolated endogenous inhibitor may provide a mechanism to control its action in mouse skeletal muscle.

Multicatalytic proteinase in fish muscle.

A partially active and a latent form of multicatalytic protease (MCP) were isolated from fish skeletal muscle. Both forms were inactive against protein substrates, but their activity against peptide substrates differed in one order of magnitude. The chymotrypsin-like activity of the partially active form was moderately stimulated by fatty acids and SDS, whereas its trypsin-like activity was inhibited by the same reagents. In contrast, both activities of the latent form were strongly stimulated by SDS. The chymotrypsin-like activity of the latent form was also stimulated by heating or high urea concentrations, whereas its trypsin-like activity did not change or was inhibited respectively by these treatments. These activation effects were irreversible. Pre-treatment of the latent form with SDS or urea in the absence of substrate led to its irreversible inactivation, whereas activation by pre-heating occurred in the presence or absence of substrate. These results suggest that MCP can exist in several active states with distinct properties. Studies on the distribution of MCP in fish tissues showed a much higher level of the enzyme in gonads than in any other tissue, suggesting a role of MCP in development.

Detection of a trypsin-like serine protease and its endogenous inhibitor in hake skeletal muscle.

When dialyzed extracts from hake (Merluccius hubbsi) skeletal muscle were chromatographed in DEAE-Sephacel, an alkaline protease (37 degrees C, pH 8.5) and a trypsin inhibitor were isolated. The enzyme showed its maximal activity against azocasein in the range of pH between 7 and 9. The protease was able to hydrolyze the trypsin substrates Bz-Arg-OEt and Tos-Arg-OMe and did not cleave the chymotrypsin substrate Bz-Tyr-OEt. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by several serine protease inhibitors, whereas inhibitors of the other types of proteases scarcely affected it. The protease was able to degrade the major contractile and cytoskeletal constituent proteins of myofibrils and to accumulate acid-soluble products. The protease activity was completely suppressed by the addition of the trypsin inhibitor isolated from the same muscle. These results indicate that hake skeletal muscle contains a trypsin-like serine protease which might be involved in the catabolism of myofibrillar proteins, as well as in the proteolytic events that take place during post mortem storage of fish muscle.

Fish skeletal muscle contains a novel serine proteinase with an unusual subunit composition.

Proteinase I, an enzyme previously shown to be able to degrade contractile and cytoskeletal elements of white-croaker (Micropogon opercularis) myofibrils, was purified to apparent homogeneity by chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, octyl-Sepharose CL 4B and arginine-Sepharose 4B. Its Mr was determined to be 269,000 by Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. Under denaturing conditions, the enzyme dissociated into two subunits with Mr 20,000 and 15,500, in a molar ratio of 1.8:1. Proteinase I showed a pH optimum of 8.5. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by several serine proteinase inhibitors, whereas inhibitors of the other types of proteinases did not affect, or only scarcely affected, its activity. Several N-terminal-blocked 4-methyl-7-coumarylamide substrates having either arginine or lysine residues adjacent to the fluorogenic group were efficiently hydrolysed by the enzyme. These results indicate that proteinase I is a trypsin-like serine proteinase. The enzyme appears to be distinct from other proteinases previously described in skeletal muscle, and might be involved in the catabolism of myofibrillar proteins.

Fish muscle cytoskeletal network: its spatial organization and its degradation by an endogenous serine proteinase.

The extraction of white croaker skeletal myofibrils with KI rendered a residue in which a network of longitudinal and transverse filaments could be observed by scanning electron microscopy. A trypsin-like serine proteinase isolated from the same muscle was able to produce a complete and rapid disruption of the network, while major myofibrillar proteins were only slightly modified. This fact suggests that the disassembly of the cytoskeletal network may be an early event in the proteolysis of myofibrils. Desmin was not attacked by the proteinase under the assayed conditions, which indicates that some other unidentified component of the network would be the primary target of the action of the enzyme on myofibrils.

Multicatalytic proteinase in fish muscle.

Proteinase II, a high-molecular-mass proteinase previously identified in white croaker skeletal muscle, was purified to apparent homogeneity by DEAE-Sephacel, phenyl-Sepharose CL 4B, and Sephacryl S-300 chromatographies. Under denaturing conditions, the enzyme dissociated into a cluster of subunits with Mr ranging from 18,000 to 26,000 and a large subunit with a Mr 60,000. The proteinase was able to hydrolyze N-terminal-blocked 4-methyl-7-coumarylamide substrates having either an aromatic amino acid (chymotrypsin-like activity) or an arginine residue (trypsin-like activity) adjacent to the fluorogenic group. The trypsin-like activity of the enzyme was inhibited by fatty acids and sodium dodecyl sulfate, whereas the chymotrypsin-like activity was stimulated by those compounds but inhibited by nonionic and cationic detergents. Several thiol reagents inhibited both proteinase II activities. However, leupeptin and Cu2+ strongly inhibited its trypsin-like activity but only slightly affected its chymotrypsin-like activity. Dithiothreitol stimulated both activities, but at different extents and in different concentration ranges. These results suggest that the enzyme is multicatalytic, having at least two different active sites.

Activation of an alkaline proteinase from fish skeletal muscle by fatty acids and sodium dodecyl sulphate.

1. Fish skeletal muscle contains an alkaline thiol proteinase with a temperature optimum of 60 degrees C and undetectable activity below 50 degrees C. 2. The present study shows that fatty acids and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) shifted the temperature-activity curve of the enzyme toward the lower temperature side. 3. All unsaturated fatty acids tested strongly stimulated proteolytic activity at 37 degrees C, whereas myristic acid was the only saturated fatty acid that produced an important degree of activation. 4. These effects could be observed at millimolar concentrations of the reagents.

Action of a serine proteinase from fish skeletal muscle on myofibrils.

The action of a serine proteinase from fish skeletal muscle on myofibrils was studied. The enzyme was able to destroy the structural integrity of myofibrils, and to degrade both their major contractile and cytoskeletal constituent proteins. Proteolysis could be completely prevented by the addition of a trypsin inhibitor isolated from the same muscle.