Structure-function relationship of serine protease-protein inhibitor interaction.

We report our progress in understanding the structure-function relationship of the interaction between protein inhibitors and several serine proteases. Recently, we have determined high resolution solution structures of two inhibitors Apis mellifera chymotrypsin inhibitor-1 (AMCI-I) and Linum usitatissimum trypsin inhibitor (LUTI) in the free state and an ultra high resolution X-ray structure of BPTI. All three inhibitors, despite totally different scaffolds, contain a solvent exposed loop of similar conformation which is highly complementary to the enzyme active site. Isothermal calo- rimetry data show that the interaction between wild type BPTI and chymotrypsin is entropy driven and that the enthalpy component opposes complex formation. Our research is focused on extensive mutagenesis of the four positions from the protease binding loop of BPTI: P1, P1', P3, and P4. We mutated these residues to different amino acids and the variants were characterized by determination of the association constants, stability parameters and crystal structures of protease-inhibitor complexes. Accommodation of the P1 residue in the S1 pocket of four proteases: chymotrypsin, trypsin, neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G was probed with 18 P1 variants. High resolution X-ray structures of ten complexes between bovine trypsin and P1 variants of BPTI have been determined and compared with the cognate P1 Lys side chain. Mutations of the wild type Ala16 (P1') to larger side chains always caused a drop of the association constant. According to the crystal structure of the Leu16 BPTI-trypsin complex, introduction of the larger residue at the P1' position leads to steric conflicts in the vicinity of the mutation. Finally, mutations at the P4 site allowed an improvement of the association with several serine proteases involved in blood clotting. Conversely, introduction of Ser, Val, and Phe in place of Gly12 (P4) had invariably a destabilizing effect on the complex with these proteases.

Primary structure and properties of the cathepsin G/chymotrypsin inhibitor from the larval hemolymph of Apis mellifera.

A member of the Ascaris inhibitor family exhibiting anti-cathepsin G and anti-chymotrypsin activity was purified from the larval hemolymph of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Three forms of the inhibitor, designated AMCI 1-3, were isolated using gel filtration and anion-exchange chromatographies followed by reverse-phase HPLC. The amino-acid analyses indicated that AMCI-1 and AMCI-2 have an identical composition whereas AMCI-3 is shorter by two residues (Thr, Arg). All three forms contain as many as 10 cysteine residues and lack tryptophan, tyrosine, and histidine. The sequence of the isoinhibitors showed that the major form (AMCI-1) consisting of 56 amino-acid residues was a single-chain protein of molecular mass 5972 Da, whereas the other two forms were two-chain proteins with a very high residue identity. The AMCI-2 appeared to be derived from AMCI-1, as a result of the Lys24-Thr25 peptide bond splitting, while AMCI-3 was truncated at its N-terminus by the dipeptide Thr25-Arg26. The association constants for the binding of bovine alpha-chymotrypsin to all purified forms of the inhibitor were high and nearly identical, ranging from 4.8 x 10(10) M-1 for AMCI-1 to 2.7 x 10(9) M-1 for AMCI-3. The sensitivity of cathepsin G to inhibition by each inhibitor was different. Only the association constant for the interaction of this enzyme with AMCI-1 was high (2 x 10(8) M-1) whereas those for AMCI-2 and AMCI-3 were significantly lower, and appeared to be 3.7 x 10(7) M-1 and 4.5 x 10(6) M-1, respectively. The reactive site of the inhibitor, as identified by cathepsin G degradation and chemical modification, was found to be at Met30-Gln31. A search in the Protein Sequence Swiss-Prot databank revealed a significant degree of identity (44%) between the primary structure of AMCI and the trypsin isoinhibitor from Ascaris sp (ATI). On the basis of the cysteine residues alignment, the position of the reactive site as well as some sequence homology, the cathepsin G/chymotrypsin inhibitor from larval hemolymph of the honey bee may be considered to be a member of the Ascaris inhibitor family.

Antiproteolytic activity of goose pancreas: purification, inhibitory properties and amino-acid sequence of a Kazal type trypsin inhibitor.

A trypsin inhibitor of Kazal type has been isolated from goose pancreas by affinity chromatography on immobilized anhydrotrypsin, anion exchange and reverse phase HPLC. It inhibits bovine beta-trypsin with the association constant (Ka) of 5.99 x 10(8) M-1. The complete amino-acid sequence was determined following CNBr treatment. The protein comprised a total of 69 amino-acid residues, corresponding to a molecular mass of 7.7 kDa. The P1-P'1 reactive site bond of the inhibitor was localized at position Lys25-Met26. The amino-acid sequence of GPTI shows extremely high homology to that of other inhibitors isolated from pancreas of birds.

Isolation and amino-acid sequence of two inhibitors of serine proteinases, members of the squash inhibitor family, from Echinocystis lobata seeds.

Two serine proteinase inhibitors (ELTI I and ELTI II) have been isolated from mature seeds of Echinocystis lobata by ammonium sulfate fractionation, methanol precipitation, ion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography on immobilized anhydrotrypsin and HPLC. ELTI I and ELTI II consist of 33 and 29 amino-acid residues, respectively. The primary structures of these inhibitors are as follows: ELTI I KEEQRVCPRILMRCKRDSDCLAQCTCQQSGFCG ELTI II RVCPRILMRCKRDSDCLAQCTCQQSGFCG The inhibitors show sequence similarity with the squash inhibitor family. ELTI I differs from ELTI II only by the presence of the NH2-terminal tetrapeptide Lys-Glu-Glu-Gln. The association constants (Ka) of ELTI I and ELTI II with bovine-trypsin were determined to be 6.6 x 10(10) M-1, and 3.1 x 10(11) M-1, whereas the association constants of these inhibitors with cathepsin G were 1.2 x 10(7) M-1, and 1.1 x 10(7) M-1, respectively.

Aspartic proteinase from Penicillium camemberti: purification, properties, and substrate specificity.

An acid proteinase from the culture filtrate of Penicillium camemberti was isolated in a two-step purification procedure by cation exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The enzyme is an aspartic proteinase inhibited by pepstatin, DAN, and EPNP, with a molecular mass determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of 33.5 kDa. The optimum activity for hydrolysis of denatured hemoglobin is around pH 3.4. The enzyme is highly specific for the aromatic and hydrophobic amino acid residue in insulin B-chain and, like pepsin, selectively splits only one Leu7-Met8 peptide bond in the squash trypsin inhibitor CMTI 1. The hydrolyzed bond can be resynthesized by P. camemberti proteinase at neutral pH.