Identifying natural substrates for dipeptidyl peptidases 8 and 9 using terminal amine isotopic labeling of substrates (TAILS) reveals in vivo roles in cellular homeostasis and energy metabolism.

Dipeptidyl peptidases (DP) 8 and 9 are homologous, cytoplasmic N-terminal post-proline-cleaving enzymes that are anti-targets for the development of DP4 (DPPIV/CD26) inhibitors for treating type II diabetes. To date, DP8 and DP9 have been implicated in immune responses and cancer biology, but their pathophysiological functions and substrate repertoire remain unknown. This study utilizes terminal amine isotopic labeling of substrates (TAILS), an N-terminal positional proteomic approach, for the discovery of in vivo DP8 and DP9 substrates. In vivo roles for DP8 and DP9 in cellular metabolism and homeostasis were revealed via the identification of more than 29 candidate natural substrates and pathways affected by DP8/DP9 overexpression. Cleavage of 14 substrates was investigated in vitro; 9/14 substrates for both DP8 and DP9 were confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS, including two of high confidence, calreticulin and adenylate kinase 2. Adenylate kinase 2 plays key roles in cellular energy and nucleotide homeostasis. These results demonstrate remarkable in vivo substrate overlap between DP8/DP9, suggesting compensatory roles for these enzymes. This work provides the first global investigation into DP8 and DP9 substrates, providing a number of leads for future investigations into the biological roles and significance of DP8 and DP9 in human health and disease.

An autoactive mutant of the M flax rust resistance protein has a preference for binding ATP, whereas wild-type M protein binds ADP.

Resistance (R) proteins are key regulators of the plant innate immune system and are capable of pathogen detection and activation of the hypersensitive cell death immune response. To understand the molecular mechanism of R protein activation, we undertook a phenotypic and biochemical study of the flax nucleotide binding (NB)-ARC leucine-rich repeat protein, M. Using Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression in flax cotyledons, site-directed mutations of key residues within the P-loop, kinase 2, and MHD motifs within the NB-ARC domain of M were shown to affect R protein function. When purified using a yeast expression system and assayed for ATP and ADP, these mutated proteins exhibited marked differences in the quantity and identity of the bound nucleotide. ADP was bound to recombinant wild-type M protein, while the nonfunctional P-loop mutant did not have any nucleotides bound. In contrast, ATP was bound to an autoactive M protein mutated in the highly conserved MHD motif. These data provide direct evidence supporting a model of R protein function in which the "off" R protein binds ADP and activation of R protein defense signaling involves the exchange of ADP for ATP.

Hydrophilic residues surrounding the S1 and S2 pockets contribute to dimerisation and catalysis in human dipeptidyl peptidase 8 (DP8).

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DP) 8 belongs to the dipeptidyl peptidase IV gene family. DP8 has been implicated in immune function and asthma, although its biological function is yet unknown. Structures of the homologs, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and DPIV, are known but the DP8 structure is yet to be resolved. To help characterise the DP8 substrate pocket, mutants of residues lining the pocket were produced at DP8(D772), DP8(Y315), DP8(H434) and DP8(D435) and assessed by substrate kinetics and size-exclusion chromatography. Mutations of DP8(D772A/E/S/V) affected catalysis but did not confer endopeptidase activity. Mutations of DP8(H434F), DP8(D435F) and DP8(Y315F) reduced catalytic activity. Furthermore, mutations to DP8(D772A/E/S/V), DP8(H434F), DP8(D435F) and DP8(Y315F) affected dimer stabilisation. Homology modelling of DP8 using DPIV and FAP crystal structures suggested that DP8(D772), DP8(H434) and DP8(D435) were located at the edge of the S2 catalytic pocket, contributing to the junction between the alpha-beta hydrolase and beta-propeller domains. This study provides insights into how the DP8 substrate pocket and dimer interface differ from DPIV and FAP which could be utilised for designing more selective DP8 inhibitors.

Developmental stages and molecular phylogeny of Hepatozoon tuatarae, a parasite infecting the New Zealand tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus and the tick, Amblyomma sphenodonti.

The developmental stages of Hepatozoon tuatarae were elucidated in both the tuatara host, Sphenodon punctatus and the tick, Amblyomma sphenodonti. PCR amplicons from A. sphenodonti samples identified DNA matching H. tuatarae. Dissection of tick samples showed oogenesis and sporogony occurring in the haemocoel of A. sphenodonti with the average mature oocyst size being 236 x 228 microm. Partial sequence data of the parasite's small subunit ribosomal gene, obtained by PCR, was used for phylogenetic comparison. Characterisation of the H. tuatarae lifecycle will help in conservation management of the tuatara.

Cloning and functional characterization of a typical 2-Cys peroxiredoxin from southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii).

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs, EC: 1.11.1.15) are cysteine-dependent peroxidases proposed to function as antioxidant enzymes and also in H2O2-mediated cell signaling. They have been well characterized in yeast, mammals, protists and bacteria but not yet in fish. Here we describe the cloning and functional characterization of a Prx 2 cDNA from southern bluefin tuna (SBT, Thunnus maccoyii), an important aquaculture species in South Australia. The SBT Prx sequence was closely related (76-92% identical) to Prx 1 and 2 sequences from other fish and mammals and phylogenetic analyses showed that it was most likely a Prx 2. The deduced amino acid sequence contained the peroxidatic and resolving Cys residues characteristic of typical 2-Cys Prx proteins from all kingdoms of life. It also contained the GGLG motif associated with the sensitivity of eukaryotic typical 2-Cys Prx proteins to overoxidation and consequent inactivation by H2O2. When the SBT Prx 2 was expressed in E. coli, it showed thioredoxin (Trx)-dependent peroxidase activity with H2O2, cumene hydroperoxide (CuOOH) and t-butyl hydroperoxide (t-bOOH). The SBT Prx displayed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Trx but sigmoidal kinetics with H2O2 and CuOOH. The K(m)(Trx) was 12 microM and the S(0.5) values for H2O2 and CuOOH were 29 and 25 microM, respectively. At mM concentrations of H2O2, SBT Prx progressively lost its peroxidase activity as has been observed for other eukaryotic typical 2-Cys Prx proteins. The native SBT Prx enzyme existed as a mixture of dimers, tetramers, decamers and a higher order aggregate.

Two-step purification of pathogenesis-related proteins from grape juice and crystallization of thaumatin-like proteins.

Grape thaumatin-like (TL) proteins and chitinases play roles in plant-pathogen interactions and can cause protein haze in white wine unless removed prior to bottling. A two-step method is described that highly purified hundreds of milligrams of TL proteins and chitinases from two juices by strong cation exchange (SCX) and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). The method was fast and separated isoforms of TL proteins and chitinases from within the same juice, in most cases to >97% purity. The isolated proteins were identified by peptide nanoLC-MS/MS and crystallized using a high-throughput screening method. Crystals from three protein fractions produced high-resolution X-ray crystallography data.

Stromal cell-derived factors 1alpha and 1beta, inflammatory protein-10 and interferon-inducible T cell chemo-attractant are novel substrates of dipeptidyl peptidase 8.

N-terminal truncation of chemokines by proteases including dipeptidyl peptidase (DP) IV significantly alters their biological activity; generally ablating cognate G-protein coupled receptor engagement and often generating potent receptor antagonists. DP8 is a recently recognised member of the prolyl oligopeptidase gene family that includes DPIV. Since DPIV is known to process chemokines we surveyed 27 chemokines for cleavage by DP8. We report DP8 cleavage of the N-terminal two residues of IP10 (CXCL10), ITAC (CXCL11) and SDF-1 (CXCL12). This has implications for DP8 substrate specificity. Chemokine cleavage and inactivation may occur in vivo upon cell lysis and release of DP8 or in the inactivation of internalized chemokine/receptor complexes.

Thermodynamic analysis of catalysis by the dihydroorotases from hamster and Bacillus caldolyticus, as compared with the uncatalyzed reaction.

Dihydroorotase (DHOase, EC 3.5.2.3) from the extreme thermophile Bacillus caldolyticus has been subcloned, sequenced, expressed, and purified as a monomer. The catalytic properties of this thermophilic DHOase have been compared with another type I enzyme, the DHOase domain from hamster, to investigate how the thermophilic enzyme is adapted to higher temperatures. B. caldolyticus DHOase has higher Vmax and Ks values than hamster DHOase at the same temperature. The thermodynamic parameters for the binding of L-dihydroorotate were determined at 25 degrees C for hamster DHOase (deltaG = -6.9 kcal/mol, deltaH = -11.5 kcal/mol, TdeltaS = -4.6 kcal/mol) and B. caldolyticus DHOase (deltaG = -5.6 kcal/mol, deltaH = -4.2 kcal/mol, TdeltaS = +1.4 kcal/mol). The smaller enthalpy release and positive entropy for thermophilic DHOase are indicative of a weakly interacting Michaelis complex. Hamster DHOase has an enthalpy of activation of 12.3 kcal/mol, similar to the release of enthalpy upon substrate binding, rendering the kcat/Ks value almost temperature independent. B. caldolyticus DHOase shows a decrease in the enthalpy of activation from 12.2 kcal/mol at temperatures from 30 to 50 degrees C to 5.3 kcal/mol for temperatures of 50-70 degrees C. Vibrational energy at higher temperatures may facilitate the transition ES --> ES(double dagger), making kcat/Ks almost temperature independent. The pseudo-first-order rate constant for water attack on L-dihydroorotate, based on experiments at elevated temperature, is 3.2 x 10(-11) s(-1) at 25 degrees C, with deltaH(double dagger) = 24.7 kcal/mol and TdeltaS(double dagger) = -6.9 kcal/mol. Thus, hamster DHOase enhances the rate of substrate hydrolysis by a factor of 1.6 x 10(14), achieving this rate enhancement almost entirely by lowering the enthalpy of activation (delta deltaH(double dagger) = -19.5 kcal/mol). Both the rate enhancement and transition state affinity of hamster DHOase increase steeply with decreasing temperature, consistent with the development of H-bonds and electrostatic interactions in the transition state that were not present in the enzyme-substrate complex in the ground state.