A simple and economical strategy for downstream processing of specific antibodies to human transferrin from egg yolk.

A rapid and economical procedure for extraction of antibodies from egg yolk is described. Laying hens were immunized with human transferrin and extracts of egg-yolk were purified with a procedure based on affinity chromatography. The resulting purified antibodies were evaluated in a nephelometric system for the assay of transferrin in human sera. The results agreed closely with those obtained with a commercially available anti-human transferrin serum from rabbits.

Distribution of proline-specific aminopeptidases in human tissues and body fluids.

The proline-specific peptidases, aminopeptidase P (EC 3.4.11.9) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5), were measured in human tissue homogenates and physiological fluids. All tissues examined contained measurable aminopeptidase P and dipeptidyl peptidase IV activities. High specific activities for both enzymes under study were found in benign prostatic hypertrophy. Normal prostate and prostatic adenocarcinoma had a much lower activity. This difference, however, is not reflected in the serum values of the patients. The most striking finding is the extremely high activity of dipeptidyl peptidase IV in prostatosomes, prostate-derived organelles, which occur freely in human seminal plasma, and which are important for enhancement of sperm forward motility.

Human serum carboxypeptidase U: a new kininase?

A carboxypeptidase capable of cleaving basic amino acids from synthetic peptide substrates is present in fresh human serum, and not in human heparinized plasma. Its activity is generated during the process of coagulation. Because of its instability at room temperature and at 37 degrees C, we named it "unstable carboxypeptidase" (carboxypeptidase U, CPU). The enzymatically active subunit of carboxypeptidase U was purified and exhibits a single band at 53 kDa on SDS-PAGE.

Proline-specific aminopeptidases: potential role in bradykinin degradation.

The N-terminus of bradykinin is shown to be sequentially degraded by the human proline-specific aminopeptidases aminopeptidase P (EC 3.4.11.9) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5). Additional evidence is provided for the hypothesis that these proline-specific aminopeptidases play an essential role in the degradation of peptides containing an N-terminal Xaa-Pro sequence.

Aminopeptidase P and dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity in human leukocytes and in stimulated lymphocytes.

Human white blood cells were shown to contain high aminopeptidase P activity. The specific activities found in the high-speed supernatant of the extracts of granulocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes ranged from 30 to 70 units per mg protein. Culturing lymphocytes during 7 days in the presence of phytohaemagglutinin resulted in a 70-200% increase in the specific aminopeptidase P activity and a 200% increase in the specific activity of dipeptidyl peptidase IV. The time-course of the activity of both aminopeptidase P and dipeptidyl peptidase IV during the stimulation of human T-lymphocytes by phytohaemagglutinin indicates an involvement of these two enzymes in the proliferative process of these immunocompetent cells. Due to their substrate specificity their potential substrates must have the N-terminal Xaa-Pro sequence known to be present in several immunologically important polypeptides.

Proteases and their inhibitors: today and tomorrow.

A major incentive in inhibitor research is that control of limited proteolysis constitutes a valuable pharmacological tool. Protease inhibitors have proved to be successful in influencing pathogenesis in many experimental models but a breakthrough to use in human therapy has mainly been restricted to aprotinin and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. However, the success of ACE inhibitors as pharmacological tools in hypertension has proved to be a strong stimulant for new protease inhibitor approaches to drug therapy. While emphasis in the search for next generations of ACE inhibitors may move from the circulation renin-angiotensin system to the local tissue systems, including heart, brain and genital tract, persistent and insightful design of renin inhibitors has already yielded highly specific molecules with potent activities in several in vivo models. The development of orally effective long-acting inhibitors will finally allow an evaluation to be made of their therapeutic profile with regard to the family of ACE inhibitors. The close relationship between renin and HIV-1 protease presents an exceptional opportunity for transfer of the knowledge acquired in renin inhibitor development during the past decade, to an accelerated generation of specific HIV-1 protease inhibitors as effective agents in treatment of AIDS. The self-assembly of 2 identical monomers into a symmetrical structure in HIV-1 protease is not only an elegant way to create an active enzyme while encoding a minimal amount of genetic information, but is also in concordance with the bilobular active-site found in mammalian aspartic proteases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Exopeptidases in human platelets: an indication for proteolytic modulation of biologically active peptides.

The determination in human platelets of four exopeptidases--aminopeptidase P, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, carboxypeptidase N, and angiotensin converting enzyme--by means of fluorometric or liquid chromatography techniques was carried out. The results obtained show that the specific activities of dipeptidyl peptidase IV, carboxypeptidase N, and angiotensin converting enzyme in intact and disrupted platelets are small compared to their specific activities in serum. However, for aminopeptidase P the specific activity of this enzyme is much higher in platelets than in serum. This suggests that circulating platelets may have a significant role as scavengers for circulating peptides containing bonds susceptible for aminopeptidase P.

Purification and characterization of a new arginine carboxypeptidase in human serum.

A carboxypeptidase capable of cleaving basic amino acids from synthetic peptide substrates is present in fresh human serum, and not in human heparinized plasma. Its activity is generated during the process of coagulation. Because of its unstability at room temperature and at 37 degrees C, we named it unstable carboxypeptidase (carboxypeptidase U). Carboxypeptidase U was partially purified from fresh human serum by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Mono-Q sepharose and was found to be a 435 kDa protein. We compared this enzyme with carboxypeptidase N, purified from human serum by a two-step affinity chromatography on arginine-Sepharose 4B, followed by ion-exchange chromatography on Mono-Q sepharose. Carboxypeptidase U cleaves hippuryl-L-arginine and hippuryl-L-lysine, but at a different relative rate than carboxypeptidase N, and has no esterase activity on hippuryl-L-argininic acid. Its activity was inhibited by o-phenanthroline, DL-2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethylthiopropanoic acid, CoCl2, 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol and 4-chloromercuribenzoic acid. These characteristics differentiate carboxypeptidase U from carboxypeptidase N and other known carboxypeptidases.

Characterisation of a carboxypeptidase in human serum distinct from carboxypeptidase N.

Arginine carboxypeptidase activity in human serum, measured with the hippuryl-L-arginine substrate, is about three times higher than in human plasma. This difference is much smaller when hippuryl-L-lysine is used as the substrate. When fresh serum is incubated at 30 degrees C, the arginine and lysine carboxypeptidase activity decreases until a stable activity, close to the plasma activity, is reached. This stable carboxypeptidase activity is attributed to carboxypeptidase N. The unstable carboxypeptidase differs from carboxypeptidase N in pH-optimum, esterase activity, substrate specificity, Co2+-activation and dithiotreitol activation. Blood cells are not responsible for the release of this enzyme during coagulation. No activator of carboxypeptidase N was detectable in human serum. Ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose confirms the presence of two different molecular forms of arginine carboxypeptidase activity.

Assay of dipeptidyl peptidase IV in serum by fluorometry of 4-methoxy-2-naphthylamine.

A new fluorometric assay for determining dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV; EC 3.4.14.5) was developed. The synthetic substrate glycyl-L-proline-4-methoxy-2-naphthylamide (20 mmol/L), Tris buffer (50 mmol/L, pH 8.3), and serum (20 microL) are mixed and incubated. The reaction is stopped with citrate (100 mmol/L, pH 4.0) and the released 4-methoxy-2-naphthylamine is measured fluorometrically. The mean value of DPP IV activity in serum for 64 healthy subjects was 58 (SD 16) mumol of 4-methoxy-2-naphthylamine released per liter of serum per minute. The proposed procedure is sensitive, rapid, and accurate and can easily be automated.

Identification of the carboxypeptidase responsible for the post-synthetic modification of creatine kinase in human serum.

The enzyme responsible for the post-translational modification of creatine kinase-MM isoenzyme was purified from human plasma. The enzymatic activity of this enzyme (modifying protein) on the synthetic substrates hippuryl-L-arginine, hippuryl-L-lysine, 3-(2-furylacryloyl)-L-arginine and 3-(2-furylacryloyl)-L-alanyl-L-lysine and the ratio of activities on these substrates are in good agreement with the enzymatic activity of the human serum carboxypeptidase N. The effect of metal ions, chelating agents, proteolytic inhibitors and carboxypeptidase N inhibitor could not differentiate the modifying protein from human serum carboxypeptidase N. Affinity chromatography on Concanavalin-A-Sepharose demonstrated the glycoprotein nature of the modifying protein. The difference in molecular weight observed between modifying protein and carboxypeptidase N can be explained by known instability characteristics and the influence of proteolytic enzymes during purification. Double immunodiffusion analysis with purified antiserum to human carboxypeptidase N confirmed the identity of the modifying protein and carboxypeptidase N.

Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in prostate and testis of wild animals and some histological remarks.

The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme pattern of prostate and of testis of 27 wild animals showed that in several species more than 5 isoenzymes are detected, with electrophoretic mobilities different to those found in humans. The LDH-X band, found in testis from mature humans is also observed in the testis of wild animals. However, in several species more than one LDH-X is found. The results obtained demonstrate their usefulness in phylogeny. The prostate gland and testis of the chimpanzee show the greatest resemblance to man. Histological examination of the prostate glands seems to correlate with the phylogenetical classification of the mammals studied.

Carboxypeptidase N: colorimetric assay using a new substrate.

A method has been developed for determining carboxypeptidase N (EC 3.4.17.3) activity by a hippuricase (EC 3.5.1.14)-assisted colorimetric assay. The method is based on the absorbance at 506 nm of a quinoneimine dye, produced by the action of carboxypeptidase N on the new substrates p-hydroxybenzoylglycine-L-Arg and p-hydroxybenzoylglycine-L-Lys. The enzyme acts on the substrates producing p-hydroxybenzoylglycine and L-Arg or L-Lys. The former is then hydrolyzed by hippuricase into p-hydroxybenzoic acid and Gly. Subsequently, oxidative coupling of p-hydroxybenzoic acid with 4-aminoantipyrine by sodium periodate forms a quinoneimine dye. The mean value of carboxypeptidase N activities in sera of 50 normal individuals was 30.8 (SD 5.9) nmol of p-hydroxybenzoylglycine released per milliliter of serum for the p-hydroxybenzoylglycine-L-Arg substrate and 137.8 (SD 28.1) for the p-hydroxybenzoylglycine-L-Lys substrate. The sensitivity of the assay is such that as little as 20 microliters of serum provides reliable and precise results (RSD% ranging from 1.8 to 4.9).

Kininase I activity in human fluids and tissues of the urogenital tract.

Kininase I (EC 3.4.17.3) activity has been determined in human fluids and tissues of the urogenital tract. Benzoyl-glycyl-L-arginine and benzoyl-glycyl-L-lysine were used as substrates. The cleaved benzoyl-glycine was measured by means of high performance liquid chromatography. Results obtained showed a high enzymatic activity for kidney cortex. Normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic adenocarcinoma showed similar enzymic values. The activity of kininase I was higher in normal serum than in the tissues studied.

Influence of neuraminidase treatment on the electrophoretic behaviour of angiotensin converting enzyme from human tissues.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase, kininase II; EC 3.4.15.1), is a membrane bound glycoprotein, playing an important role in the renin-aldosterone system. The enzyme contains a carbohydrate moiety, consisting of fucose, mannose, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylneuraminic acid. Treatment with neuraminidase (EC 3.2.1.18) removes sialic acid from the molecule. The influence of this treatment on the electrophoretic mobility of the enzyme was studied in 29 human tissues and body fluids. Results obtained showed differences in the sialic acid content of the enzyme in the tissues examined.

Kininase II of human seminal fluid: kinetics and inhibition.

The activity of kininase II in crude human sperm was measured continuously by measuring the hydrolysis of a blocked tripeptide 3-(2-furylacryloyl)-L- phenylalanyl-glycyl-glycine (1 mmol/l). Mean seminal plasma activity was 335 +/- 61 U/g protein; the Km was 0.7 mmol/l; pH optimum was 8.8 in a 50 mmol/l HEPES buffer and the chloride optimum was 300 mmol/l. This male genital tract enzyme is inhibited by several kininase II inhibitors. Captopril (SQ 14225) showed IC50 = 1.6 X 10(-8) mol/l, with a competitive pattern (Ki = 7.3 X 10(-9)). 3-(Mercaptomethyl)-oxo-piperidineacetic acid showed the same kind of inhibition with an IC50 = 1.8 X 10(-6) mol/l (Ki = 6.8 X 10(-7) mol/l). Enalapril diacid was the most potent inhibitor and had an IC50 of 4.1 X 10(-9) mol/l and showed a mixed competitive and non-competitive inhibition (Ki = 10(-9) mol/Ki' = 9.5 X 10(-10) mol/l). These in vitro inhibition data suggest that, in vivo, such drugs may effect the function of kininase II in the male reproductive system. The observed 50% inhibition constants are comparable to those observed in lung enzyme suggesting similar kinetic properties.