[Defense peptides of plant immune system].

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural antibiotics produced by all living organisms to combat pathogens. They are important effector molecules of the immune system both in animals and plants. AMPs are diverse in structure and mode of action. Based on homology of amino acid sequences and 3D structures several AMP families have been distinguished. They are defensins, thionins, lipid transfer proteins, hevein- and knottin-like peptides, and cyclotides. AMPs display broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and thus show promise for the development of disease- resistant crops by genetic engineering and for the production of new-generation drugs. In this paper, the properties of the main AMP families (defensins and hevein-like peptides) and of a new 4-Cys plant AMP family are reviewed.

Discovery of novel antimicrobial peptides with unusual cysteine motifs in dandelion Taraxacum officinale Wigg. flowers.

Three novel antimicrobial peptides designated ToAMP1, ToAMP2 and ToAMP3 were purified from Taraxacum officinale flowers. Their amino acid sequences were determined. The peptides are cationic and cysteine-rich and consist of 38, 44 and 42 amino acid residues for ToAMP1, ToAMP2 and ToAMP3, respectively. Importantly, according to cysteine motifs, the peptides are representatives of two novel previously unknown families of plant antimicrobial peptides. ToAMP1 and ToAMP2 share high sequence identity and belong to 6-Cys-containing antimicrobial peptides, while ToAMP3 is a member of a distinct 8-Cys family. The peptides were shown to display high antimicrobial activity both against fungal and bacterial pathogens, and therefore represent new promising molecules for biotechnological and medicinal applications.

[Heterologous expression of a synthetic gene encoding a novel hevein-type antimicrobial peptide of Leymus arenarius in Escherichia coli cells].

A novel antifungal peptide, LAMP-Ia, was isolated from sand-elymus (Leymus arenarius) seeds. Expression of a synthetic gene encoding this peptide in Escherichia coli cells was obtained. The target peptide was expressed as a fusion with thioredoxin. Identity of the recombinant peptide to native LAMP-Ia was confirmed by chromatography, mass spectrometry, and amino acid sequencing. LAMP-Ia displayed a high inhibitory activity in respect of a number of phytopathogenic fungi in in vitro assays, which opens up possibilities for the gene encoding it to be used for genetic transformation of plants and for engineering pathogen-resistant crops.

[The purification and characterization of a novel lipid transfer protein from caryopsis of barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli)].

A novel lipid transfer protein called Ec-LTP was isolated from resting caryopsis of weed barnyard grass Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv.; its molecular weight, amino acid content and N-terminal amino acid sequence were determined. Ec-LTP was a 9150 Da protein, containing eight cysteine residues, which formed four disulfide bonds. The isolated protein could significantly inhibit the development of pathogenic fungi Phytophthora infestans and Helminthosporium sativum, causing the late blight of potato and tomato and the root rot of herbs, respectively.

[Isolation of the lipid-transporting protein Ns-LTP1 from seeds of the garden fennel flower (Nigella sativa)].

A novel lipid-transporting protein (Ns-LTP1) has been isolated from seeds of the garden fennel flower Nigella sativa. The molecular mass, N-terminal amino acid sequence, and amino acid composition of the protein have been determined. Ns-LTP1 has a molecular mass of 9602 Da and contains eight cysteine residues which form four disulfide bridges. The protein is capable of suppressing the development of some phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes.

[Actinoporins from the Sea of Japan anemone Oulactis orientalis: isolation and partial characterization].

Two cytolytic toxins (cytolysins Or-A and Or-G) were isolated from the Sea of Japan anemone Oulactis orientalis and characterized. Their purification scheme involved a hydrophobic chromatography on Polychrom 1, a gel filtration on Akrilex P-4, a cation-exchange chromatography on CM-32 cellulose, and a reversed-phase HPLC on a Nucleosil C18 column. The molecular masses of Or-A and Or-G were determined by SDS-PAGE in 14% PAG to be ca. 18 kDa. The absence of Cys residues and a high content of basic amino acid residues are characteristic of their amino acid compositions. The hemolytic activities of Or-A and Or-G were found to be 295.86 and 322.58 HU/mg, respectively; these are by three orders of magnitude lower than those of sphingomyelin-inhibitable cytolysins from the tropic sea anemones. The amino acid sequences of the N-terminal fragments of Or-A and Or-G were determined to be ATFRVLAK and GAIIAGAA, respectively. Action of the cytolysins on the erythrocyte membrane is inhibited by exogenous sphingomyelin. They form ion channels in bilayer lipid membranes with the conductivity of 16, 32, and 40 pSm in 0.1 M NaCl and 168, 240, and 320 pSm in 1 M NaCl at pH 7.2. Therefore, they were attributed to the group of actinoporins.

Multiple forms of medicinal leech destabilase-lysozyme.

Earlier, three genes Ds1, Ds2, and Ds3 encoding corresponding destabilase-lysozyme isoforms were identified. However only one form of the enzyme encoded by Ds3 gene coincided with the protein CNBr fragments [Mol. Gen. Genet. 253 (1996) 20]. In this work we found by ESI-TOF mass spectrometry that the enzyme preparation consists of at least three forms with molecular masses of 12677.6, 12839.7, and 12938.2Da, each of which contains seven disulfide bridges. Only one mass (12839.7Da) fits to the calculated mass for the protein encoded by Ds3 gene. Further analysis of the CNBr fragments of the enzyme showed the heterogeneity of large 5.5 kDa peptide at positions 64 (threonine or arginine) and 67 (histidine or arginine) in the wild-type amino acid sequence. One CNBr peptide, with Arg and His at positions 64 and 67, respectively, correlates in the molecular mass with the protein encoded by Ds3. In addition, we have found a new acid form of destabilase-lysozyme, P-Ac, which differs from all known destabilase-lysozyme structures by its N-terminal amino acid sequence.

[Primary structure of a short toxin from the venom of a vietnamese scorpion (Buthus sp.)]. / Pervichnaia struktura korotkogo toksina iz iada v'etnamskogo skorpiona Buthus sp.

The complete amino acid sequence of an important toxin (toxin 14) from the venom of a Vietnamese scorpion (Buthus occitanus sp.) has been determined, which includes 35 amino acid residues and three disulfide bridges (molecular weight, 3843 Da). The comparison of the sequence with sequences of short scorpion toxins led us to conclude that toxin 14 belongs to a novel group of toxins affecting the excitability of myelinated nerves.

[Identification of a fragment of ceruloplasmin, interacting with copper-transporting Menkes ATPase]. / Identifikatsiia uchastka tseruloplazmina, vzaimodeistvuiushchego s med'transportnoi ATP-azoi Menkesa.

The interaction was studied of ceruloplasmin (Cp, EC 1.16.3.1), a copper-containing plasma protein, with two synthetic peptides P15 and P16 whose structures correlate with those of the noncytosolic regions of the copper transfer P1 type ATPase (ATP7A), apparently encoded by the Menkes disease gene (Atp7a). Pentadecapeptide P15 and hexadecapeptide P16 were synthesized using the solid phase method. They correspond to fragments of two extracellular loops ATP7A, of which one loop is apparently involved in the copper ion transfer (P16) whereas the other is not (P15). The protein footprinting showed that P16 binds to a fragment of the ceruloplasmin domain 6. Kinetics of the ceruloplasmin-P16 binding was studied by affinity chromatography on P16 immobilized on a macroporous disk, and the Kd value (1.5 x 10(-6) M) of this interaction was determined. The ATP7A involvement in the copper ion transfer to nonhepatocyte cells is discussed.

[Amino acid sequence of anionic protease inhibitors from buckwheat seeds]. / Aminokislotnye posledovatel'nosti anionnykh ingibitorov proteaz iz semian grechikhi.

Complete amino acid sequence of IT1 protease inhibitor and partial amino acid sequences of IT2 and IT4 protease inhibitors from buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum Moench seeds were determined by automatic Edman degradation and mass spectrometry. IT1 inhibitor comprises 69 amino acid residues and its molecular mass is 7743.8 D. N-terminal 48 amino acid residues of IT2 inhibitor are identical to similar sequence of IT1 inhibitor. The sequence of 10 amino acid residues of IT4 inhibitor is completely identical to a part of the sequence of IT1 inhibitor C-terminally adjacent to its active site. Analysis of amino acid sequences of IT1, IT2 and IT4 inhibitors suggests that the proteins are the members of the potato proteinase inhibitor 1 family and include Arg-Asp residues in their active site.

[Search for new products of gene expression in human cardiac muscle. Microsequencing of proteins after two-dimensional electrophoresis]. / Poisk novykh produktov gennoi ékspressii v serdechnoi myshtse cheloveka. Mikrosekvenirovanie belkov posle dvumernogo élektroforeza.

Proteins of the human heart muscle were studied using modified two-dimensional electrophoresis. After separation, proteins were electroblotted onto Immobilon P membranes and several protein spots were used for microsequencing analysis. In most cases the proteins analyzed have blocked N-terminal amino acids. In order to study the primary structure of these proteins, hydrolysis in situ by trypsin followed by reversed-phase HPLC and microsequencing of the resulting peptides were performed. Four protein were identified in 8 analyzed fractions, specifically myosin light chain 1 (MLCl-V/sB), fatty-acid binding protein (heart isoform), alpha (B)-crystallin and alpha-tropomyosin. Amino acid sequences of two proteins were not found among human amino acid sequences collected in SWISSPROT bank (v. 21).

[Identification of the N-terminal peptide of bovine tryptophanyl-tRNA-synthetase]. / Identifikatsiia N-kontsevogo peptida bych'ei triptofanil-tRNK-sintetazy.

By means of covalent chromatography on thiopropyl-sepharose 6B the N-terminal, as well as other tryptic cysteine-containing peptides of the bovine tryptophanyl-tRNA-synthetase (EC 6.1.1.2) were purified and characterized, their structures being determined by a combination of plasma desorption mass spectrometry and peptide sequencing. In total, six different peptides containing seven cysteine residues were analysed. The N-terminal amino acid (presumably, alanine) was shown to be acetylated in the nature enzyme amino acid sequences of some cysteine-containing peptides proved to differ from those deduced from the cDNA structure, thus indicating the presence of the enzyme's isoforms. The purification does not affect the peptides' sulfhydryl groups. The number of cysteine residues in the peptides could be determined with a high accuracy by measuring their masses before and after alkylation with 4-vinylpyridine.

[Functionally important residues of glutamic acid in E. coli pyrophosphatase. I. Chemical modification and localization in the primary structure]. / Funktsional'no vazhnyi ostatok glutaminovoi kisloty v pirofosfataze E. coli. I. Khimicheskaia modifikatsiia i lokalizatsiia v pervichnoi strukture.

Inorganic pyrophosphatase of E. coli is rapidly and irreversibly inactivated by 5-ethyl-5-phenylisoxazolium-3'-sulfonate (Woodward's reagent K). The appearance in the absorption spectrum of a maximum at 340 nm testifies to the formation of an enzyme enol ester with the inhibitor. The non-hydrolyzable substrate analog CaPP1 partly protects the enzyme from inactivation. A peptide has been isolated from a tryptic hydrolysate of inactivated enzyme which contains an amino acid residue whose modification is critical for the enzyme activity. This peptide corresponds to residues 95-104 of pyrophosphatase and contains four dicarboxylic acid residues. A peptide containing a modified glutamic acid residue was isolated from modified pyrophosphatase hydrolyzed by protease v8. This peptide represents a fragment of a tryptic modified peptide and has a Glu-Ala-Gly-Glu (residues 98-1C1) structure. It is concluded that inactivation of E. coli pyrophosphatase by Woodward's reagent K is a result of selective modification of Glu98, apparently by the most reactive dicarboxylic amino acid within the enzyme active center.

[Functionally important tyrosine residues in Saccharomyces cerevisiae pyrophosphatase. I. Chemical modification and localization in the primary structure]. / Funktsional'no vazhnyi ostatok tirozina v pirofosfataze S. cerevisiae. I. Khimicheskaia modifikatsiia i lokalizatsiia v pervichnoi strukure.

Inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) of S. cerevisiae is effectively inactivated by 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzofuran; the CaPP1 substrate analog has a protective effect. The modified enzyme separated from low molecular weight contaminants has an adsorption maximum at 345 nm. Preliminary modification of PPase SH-groups does not influence the enzyme binding to the inhibitor. The PPase activity is reconstituted by beta-mercapto-ethanol; hence, the inhibiting effect of the reagent is due to modification of tyrosine residues. A single reagent-containing peptide was isolated by specific adsorption from the tryptic hydrolysate of modified PPase. Within the primary structure of PPase, this peptide occupies positions 82-111 and contains two tyrosine residues. Hydrolysis of the isolated peptide by chymotrypsin and determination of the structure of fragments obtained by mass spectrometry and automated sequencing revealed that inactivation of PPase is due to selective modification of Tyr89.

[Isolation and characteristics of insulin-binding proteins from soybeans]. / Vydelenie i kharkteristika insulinsviazyvaiushchikh belkov iz soevykh bobov.

Two soybean insulin-binding proteins were isolated using affinity chromatography on insulin-Sepharose. Both proteins have molecular mass about 39 kDa and consist of two subunits linked by disulphide bonds. According to the amino acid composition and N-terminal sequences of the subunits, these proteins, characterized by the absence of free thiol groups and sugar residues, are variants of the previously described soybean basic 7S globulin. The blotted proteins as well as their subunits were shown to bind 125I-labelled bovine insulin. For one of the proteins and insulin, dissociation constant of 4.10(-9) M was measured. The existence of plant insulin-binding proteins suggests the insulin-like regulation in the plant metabolism.

[Identification of alpha-tropomyosin of the human myocardium by two-dimensional electrophoresis, and sequencing]. / Identifikatsiia alpha-tropomiozina serdechnoi myshtsy cheloveka dvumernym élektroforezom i sekvenirovaniem.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis of total cardiac muscle extracts allows the detection of about 200 protein fractions. In preliminary studies the fraction D-10 protein was characterized in terms of relative molecular mass, isoelectric point and quantitative composition as alpha-tropomyosin. The similarity of the protein to human alpha-tropomyosin was confirmed by the results of analysis of the N-terminal sequence of the D-10 protein eluate in a gas-phase sequencer.