Ureases as multifunctional toxic proteins: A review.

Ureases are metalloenzymes that hydrolyze urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. They were the first enzymes to be crystallized and, with them, the notion that enzymes are proteins became accepted. Novel toxic properties of ureases that are independent of their enzyme activity have been discovered in the last three decades. Since our first description of the neurotoxic properties of canatoxin, an isoform of the jack bean urease, which appeared in Toxicon in 1981, about one hundred articles have been published on "new" properties of plant and microbial ureases. Here we review the present knowledge on the non-enzymatic properties of ureases. Plant ureases and microbial ureases are fungitoxic to filamentous fungi and yeasts by a mechanism involving fungal membrane permeabilization. Plant and at least some bacterial ureases have potent insecticidal effects. This entomotoxicity relies partly on an internal peptide released upon proteolysis of ingested urease by insect digestive enzymes. The intact protein and its derived peptide(s) are neurotoxic to insects and affect a number of other physiological functions, such as diuresis, muscle contraction and immunity. In mammal models some ureases are acutely neurotoxic upon injection, at least partially by enzyme-independent effects. For a long time bacterial ureases have been recognized as important virulence factors of diseases by urease-producing microorganisms. Ureases activate exocytosis in different mammalian cells recruiting eicosanoids and Ca(2+)-dependent pathways, even when their ureolytic activity is blocked by an irreversible inhibitor. Ureases are chemotactic factors recognized by neutrophils (and some bacteria), activating them and also platelets into a pro-inflammatory "status". Secretion-induction by ureases may play a role in fungal and bacterial diseases in humans and other animals. The now recognized "moonlighting" properties of these proteins have renewed interest in ureases for their biotechnological potential to improve plant defense against pests and as potential targets to ameliorate diseases due to pathogenic urease-producing microorganisms.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha transcription in transferrin-stimulated human blood mononuclear cells: is transferrin receptor involved in the signalling mechanism?

Transferrin (Tf) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) participate in immune response regulation. We studied the capacity of Tf to modulate 'in vitro' TNF-alpha secretion, membrane expression and transcription by human blood mononuclear cells (BMNC). Women 25-45 years of age with normal iron status (n = 20) or with iron deficiency (ID, n = 20) due to gynaecological bleeding were studied. BMNC were incubated with different proportions of Fe-exempt and Fe-saturated Tf (apo-Tf:holo-Tf). Apo-Tf or holo-Tf uniformly induced TNF-alpha secretion in the cell supernatants from both groups. Nevertheless, cytokine levels were significantly lower in ID subjects. For all Tf-Fe saturations assayed, mean TNF-alpha levels varied between 1.4-1.6 ng/ml and 0.4-0.7 ng/ml for normal and ID women respectively (P < 0.001). The addition of apo-Tf enhanced TNF-alpha secretion in a dose-dependent manner, but the cytokine levels were lower in ID group. Tf did not induce pro-TNF-alpha expression in monocytes and lymphocytes from either group. Tf-treated cells from normal individuals expressed approximately two to three times more TNF-alpha mRNA than cells from ID subjects. Mean values ranged 96-110 atmol/ml in normal women and 24-31 atmol/ml in ID women for all Tf-Fe saturation levels tested (P < 0.001). These results show that Tf-induced TNF-alpha secretion is transcriptionally regulated. The impaired TNF-alpha transcription in cells from ID subjects indicates that the quality of the immune response is linked to the Fe status of mononuclear cells.

Comparison of the protective effects by human and bovine superoxide dismutase against ischemia- and reperfusion-induced impairment of kidney function in anesthetized rats.

In a rat model of ischemia- and reperfusion-induced kidney damage, the protective effects of human superoxide dismutase produced by genetic technology (hum-SOD) were compared to those of bovine superoxide dismutase (bov-SOD). The intravenous infusion of hum-SOD and bov-SOD, started concomitantly with the kidney reperfusion after a 60-min (or 30-min) period of ischemia, significantly improved the renal function (inulin and p-amino-hippuric acid clearance rates) as compared to the vehicle-treated control group. In contrast, inactive apoenzyme of superoxide dismutase (Apo-SOD) did not improve the impaired renal function after the kidney reperfusion. Therefore, the kidney protection by hum-SOD and bov-SOD may reasonably be ascribed to their specific enzymatic function--scavenging of oxygen radicals. In this respect, hum-SOD proved to be as effective as bov-SOD. To our knowledge this is the first report on a direct pharmacologic comparison of superoxide dismutases from natural and recombinant origin.

Trypsin-modified alkaline phosphatase. Formation of apoenzyme monomer and hybrid dimer.

The cleavage of an amino-terminal decapeptide from Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase has been previously described (Roberts, C. H., and Chlebowski, J. F. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 729-733) by this laboratory. The modest reduction in specific activity of the modified enzyme is paralleled by an apparent alteration in the Zn(II) affinity at one of the three active center metal ion binding sites. In contrast to the behavior of the native enzyme, formation of the metal-free apoprotein results in an irreversible loss of catalytic activity; phosphohydrolase activity is not restored on addition of Zn(II) and Mg(II). Differential scanning calorimetry and velocity sedimentation data indicate that the apo form of the modified enzyme exists as a monomer form which, while capable of binding Zn(II) does not readily reassociate to active dimer. Processive cleavage of the amino termini of the dimer by trypsin results in the transient formation of a hybrid dimer consisting of cleaved and uncleaved subunits. This species can be directly observed and isolated by taking advantage of the differential chromatographic mobility of the native "isozymes" and the resulting products. Coupled with improved procedures for the preparation of the modified protein, these data indicate that the amino-terminal modification results in alterations in the subunit interface domain and provides a species (the hybrid dimer) for the investigation of the propagation of these effects.

Effect of pyridoxal 5-phosphate on carbidopa and decarboxylation of levodopa.

To study the interaction between enzymes and coenzymes and carbidopa and levodopa, a paired-ion high-pressure liquid chromatographic method was developed to separate carbidopa, dopamine, levodopa, and pyridoxal 5-phosphate. Carbidopa strongly reacted with pyridoxal 5-phosphate, contrary to a previous report. Tyrosine decarboxylase and tyrosine decarboxylase apoenzyme had some activity against levodopa, which could be increased by adding pyridoxal 5-phosphate to the mixture. This activity was inhibited by hydroxylamine hydrochloride.

Purification and characterization of lipoprotein lipase from human heart.

Human heart lipoprotein lipase was purified by affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose 4B. When crude extracts of heart acetone powder were applied to columsn, about 40% of total lipase activity was bound to the gel and then eluted with 1.5 M NaCl. At this stage the eluted enzyme was purified 1900-fold. Disc gel electrophoresis yielded a single protein band corresponding with lipolytic activity. Minimum molecular weight of the protein was 60,000 as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The purified enzyme was highly unstable; however, its activity could be partially stabilized at --20C by bovine serum albumin, glycerol, or ethylene glycol. The activity of the purified enzyme (i) had a pH optimum between 7.8 and 8.0; (ii) required serum for full enzymatic activity; apoC-II could be substituted for serum; (iii) was inhibited by by apoC-I in the presence of activated substrate; (iv) was markedly inhibited by NaCl; and (v) was stimulated by heparin.

[Interaction of aspartate transaminase from chicken heart cytosol with pyridoxal phosphate analogs]. / Vzaimodeistvie aspartat-transaminazy iz tsitozolia serdtsa kur s analogami piridoksal'fosfata

The interactions were studied of the apoenzyme of aspartate aminotransferase from chicken heart cytosol with a variety of pyridoxal-P analogues. 2-Norpyridoxal-P, 2'-n-propylpyridoxal-P, 2'-isopropylpyridoxal-P, 6-methylpyridoxal-P, and 5'-methylpyridoxal-P were shown to display coenzyme activity. Estimated relative Vmax values of the complexes of apoenzyme with the above--mentioned analogues amounted respectively to 0.8; 0,2; 0,1; 0.1 and 0.1 (taking the Vmax value of the native holoenzyme as equal 1.0). The pH-dependence of reactivation rates of the apoenzyme with pyridoxal-P and pyridoxamine-P was evaluated. 3-Deoxypyridoxal-P, 3-0-methylpyridoxal-P, 2'-phenylpyridoxal-P, 5-nor-5-beta-carboxyvinylpyridoxal and 5-nor-5-beta-carboxyethylpyridoxal fail to activate the apoenzyme, but inhibit competitively the binding of pyridoxal-P to the protein; the estimated Ki values for these analoges were 2.4-10- minus 6; 3.1-10- minus 6; 3.5-10- minus 6; 7.2-10- minus 6 and 8.3-10- minus 6 M, respectively. It is of interest to compare reactivation effects of pyridoxal-P analogues for the apoenzymes of aspartate aminotransferases from chicken and from pig heart cytosol. Although the observed effects were fairly similar, it should be noted that the relative catalytic efficiencies of complexes of the chicken apoenzyme with pyridoxal-P analogues were much lower than those of complexes formed with the pig heart apoenzyme. It thus appears that of the two enzymes tested, the chicken heart aminotransferase makes more stringent demands with respect to structure of the coenzyme.