Development of a rapid high-efficiency scalable process for acetylated Sus scrofa cationic trypsin production from Escherichia coli inclusion bodies.

Trypsin is one of the most important enzymatic tools in proteomics and biopharmaceutical studies. Here, we describe the complete recombinant expression and purification from a trypsinogen expression vector construct. The Sus scrofa cationic trypsin gene with a propeptide sequence was optimized according to Escherichia coli codon-usage bias and chemically synthesized. The gene was inserted into pET-11c plasmid to yield an expression vector. Using high-density E. coli fed-batch fermentation, trypsinogen was expressed in inclusion bodies at 1.47 g/L. The inclusion body was refolded with a high yield of 36%. The purified trypsinogen was then activated to produce trypsin. To address stability problems, the trypsin thus produced was acetylated. The final product was generated upon gel filtration. The final yield of acetylated trypsin was 182 mg/L from a 5-L fermenter. Our acetylated trypsin product demonstrated higher BAEE activity (30,100 BAEE unit/mg) than a commercial product (9500 BAEE unit/mg, Promega). It also demonstrated resistance to autolysis. This is the first report of production of acetylated recombinant trypsin that is stable and suitable for scale-up.

Role of polymer-protein interaction on partitioning pattern of bovine pancreatic trypsinogen and alpha-chymotrypsinogen in polyethyleneglycol/sodium tartrate aqueous two-phase systems.

The partitioning pattern of bovine trypsinogen (TRPz) and alpha-chymotrypsinogen (ChTRPz) was investigated in a low impact aqueous two-phase system formed by polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and sodium tartrate (NaTart) pH 5.00. ChTRPz exhibited higher partition coefficients than TRPz did in all the assayed systems. The decrease in PEG molecular weight and the increase in tie line length were observed to displace the partitioning equilibrium of both proteins to the top phase, while phase volume ratios in the range 0.5-1.5 showed not to affect protein partitioning behaviour. Systems formed by PEG of molecular weight 600 with composition corresponding to a high tie line length (PEG 12.93%, w/w and NaTart 21.20%, w/w) are able to recover most of both zymogens in the polymer-enriched phase. A crucial role of PEG-protein interaction in the partitioning mechanism was evidenced by isothermal calorimetric titrations. The major content of highly exposed tryptophan rests, present in ChTRPz molecule, could be considered to be determinant of its higher partition coefficient due to a selective charge transfer interaction with PEG molecule. A satisfactory correlation between partition coefficient and protein surface hydrophobicity was observed in systems formed with PEGs of molecular weight above 4000, this finding being relevant in the design of an extraction process employing aqueous two-phase systems.

The guinea pig pancreas secretes a single trypsinogen isoform, which is defective in autoactivation.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to purify and clone the trypsinogen isoforms from the guinea pig pancreas and characterize their activation properties. METHODS: Trypsinogens from pancreatic homogenates were isolated by ecotin-affinity chromatography, followed by cation-exchange chromatography. Activation of trypsinogens was tested with enteropeptidase, cathepsin B, and trypsin. Complementary DNAs for pretrypsinogens were cloned from total RNA after reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification. RESULTS: Purification of trypsinogens yielded a single peak with an N-terminal amino-acid sequence of LPIDD. Cloning of pretrypsinogen cDNAs revealed 2 distinct but nearly identical isoforms. At the amino acid level, the only difference between the 2 isoforms is an Ala/Ser change at position 15 within the signal peptide. Thus, both cDNA variants give rise to the same mature trypsinogen upon secretion. Guinea pig trypsinogen is readily activated by enteropeptidase and cathepsin B but exhibits essentially no autoactivation, under conditions where human cationic and anionic trypsinogens rapidly autoactivate. CONCLUSIONS: The observations suggest that multiple trypsinogen isoforms and their ability to autoactivate are not required universally for normal digestive physiology in mammals. Furthermore, the inability of guinea pig trypsinogen to undergo autoactivation suggests that this species might be more resistant to pancreatitis than humans, where increased autoactivation of cationic trypsinogen mutants has been linked to hereditary pancreatitis.

Features of partitioning pattern of two pancreatic enzymatic precursors: trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen in polyethyleneglycol-sodium citrate aqueous biphasic systems.

The partitioning behaviour of bovine trypsinogen and alpha-chymotrypsinogen, enzymatic precursors with similar physicochemical properties, was investigated in different polyethyleneglycol/sodium citrate aqueous two-phase systems. The effect of different factors such as polyethyleneglycol molecular weight, pH, tie line length and temperature was also examined. The increase of pH and the decrease of polyethyleneglycol molecular weight displaced the partitioning equilibrium of both proteins to the top phase. An enthalpy-entropy compensation pattern was observed, indicating the participation of water molecules in the partitioning mechanism. TRPz phase equilibrium showed to be more displaced to the citrate-rich phase than ChTRPz for most of the assayed systems. From a practical view, the aqueous two-phase system formed by polyethylenglycol of molecular weight 1450 and sodium citrate pH 8.20 showed the best capability for separating both proteins. When a mixture formed by equal quantities of both zymogens was partitioned in this system, significant recoveries (about 60%) were obtained. Purity values were improved significantly (84-89%) by either developing a second extractive step or increasing the top-bottom volume ratio.

Expression of human cationic trypsinogen with an authentic N terminus using intein-mediated splicing in aminopeptidase P deficient Escherichia coli.

High-level expression of human trypsinogens as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli requires deletion of the secretory signal sequence and placement of an initiator methionine at the N terminus. Trypsinogen preparations obtained this way contain a mixture of abnormal N termini, as a result of processing by cytoplasmic aminopeptidases. Here, we describe an expression system that produces recombinant human cationic trypsinogen with a native, intact N terminus, using intein-mediated protein splicing and an aminopeptidase P (pepP) deficient E. coli strain. As a first application of this system, the effect of the pancreatitis-associated mutation A16V on the autoactivation of human cationic trypsinogen was characterized. The use of the novel pepP knock-out E. coli strain should be generally applicable to the expression of recombinant proteins, which undergo unwanted N-terminal trimming by aminopeptidase P.

Trypsin-2 degrades human type II collagen and is expressed and activated in mesenchymally transformed rheumatoid arthritis synovitis tissue.

It has traditionally been believed that only the human collagenases (matrix metalloproteinase-1, -8, and -13) are capable of initiating the degradation of collagens. Here, we show that human trypsin-2 is also capable of cleaving the triple helix of human cartilage collagen type II. We purified human trypsin-2 and tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor by affinity chromatography whereas collagen type II was purified from cartilage extracts using pepsin digestion and salt precipitation. Degradation of type II collagen and gelatin by trypsin-2 was demonstrated with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, zymography, and mass spectrometry, and tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor specifically inhibited this degradation. Although human trypsin-2 efficiently digested type II collagen, bovine trypsin did not. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining detected trypsin-2 in the fibroblast-like synovial lining and in stromal cells of human rheumatoid arthritis synovial membrane. These findings were confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing. Trypsin-2 alone and complexed with alpha(1)-proteinase inhibitor were also detected in the synovial fluid of affected joints by time-resolved immunofluorometric assay, suggesting that trypsin-2 is activated locally. These results are the first to assess the ability of human trypsin to cleave human type II collagen. Thus, trypsin-2 and its regulators should be further studied for use as markers of prognosis and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

High-efficiency protein extraction from polyacrylamide gels for molecular mass measurement by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry.

A simple and fast method of protein extraction from Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB)-stained polyacrylamide gels suited for molecular mass measurement of proteins by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) is reported. Proteins in CBB-stained gel pieces were extracted by a 10-min soaking in 0.1 M NaOH at 25 degrees C. The recovery of this one-step extraction method was 34-73% for proteins <67 kDa. CBB adduction to proteins during mass spectrometric analysis was avoided by a destaining step before the alkaline extraction. The molecular mass values of the extracted proteins coincided with those of purified proteins within +/-0.01-0.10% deviation for all the proteins <36 kDa. Because of the high extraction recovery, mass measurement was possible for the proteins extracted from CBB-stained gels with loaded protein quantities as little as 34 ng for cytochrome c, alpha-lactalbumin, myoglobin, beta-lactoglobulin, trypsinogen, and carbonic anhydrase (12.4-29.0 kDa), 340 ng for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (35.6 kDa) and albumin (66.3 kDa). This method provides a highly efficient approach to utilize CBB-stained one- or two-dimensional gels for whole protein analysis using MALDI-TOF-MS.

Differential increases in syntheses of newly identified trypsinogen 2 isoforms by dietary protein in rat pancreas.

We have found that dietary protein markedly induced pancreatic serine protease activity via a mechanism independent of luminal trypsin activity in pancreaticobiliary-diverted (PBD) rats. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of dietary protein on the synthesis of trypsinogen isoforms by comparing in vivo incorporation of [35S] L-methionine into isoform proteins in PBD and sham-operated rats. A small duodenal segment including the ampulla of Vater was sectioned and transposed to the upper ileum with end-to-side anastomosis (PBD) or duodenal transection was followed by reanastomosis (sham) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. After recovery, PBD and sham rats were fed a 25% or 60% casein-sucrose-based diet (NC or HC) for 14 days. Rats were then intravenously injected with [35S] L-methionine (15 MBq/kg body weight) 30 mins before being sacrificed for analysis of pancreatic enzymes by two-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. By using electrophoresis with narrow range of isoelectric focusing (pI 4.5-5.5), five trypsinogen 2 (2-x) isoform spots were identified using both [35S] incorporation and Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB) staining in PBD rats, but not in sham rats. N-terminal sequences of these trypsinogen 2-x spots were identical to known rat trypsinogen 2 with the exception that the third valine was changed to isoleucine in one isoform. In PBD rats, feeding of HC specifically increased the [35S] and CBB intensities of these trypsinogen 2-x isoforms and trypsinogen 3. The degree of induction of the five trypsinogen 2-x molecules by HC varied greatly. Trypsinogen 1 and 4, which are the major trypsinogens in normal rats, showed no changes. We conclude that increases in synthesis of a few newly identified trypsinogen 2-x isoforms mainly contribute to the induction of trypsin activity in the pancreas by HC in PBD rats.

Cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) as permanent hydrophilic column coating for capillary electrophoresis.

A fast method for the generation of permanent hydrophilic capillary coatings for capillary electrophoresis (CE) is presented. Such interior coating is effected by treating the surface to be coated with a solution of glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent followed by a solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which results in an immobilization of the polymer on the capillary surface. Applied for capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) such capillaries coated with cross-linked PVA exhibit excellent separation performance of adsorptive analytes like basic proteins due to the reduction of analyte-wall interactions. The long-term stability of cross-linked PVA coatings could be proved in very long series of CZE separations. More than 1000 repetitive CE separations of basic proteins were performed with stable absolute migration times relative standard deviation (RSD > 1.2%) and without loss of separation efficiency. Cross-linked PVA coatings exhibit a suppressed electroosmotic flow and excellent stability over a wide pH range.

Trypsinogen-1, -2 and tumour-associated trypsin-inhibitor in bile and biliary tract tissues from patients with biliary tract diseases and pancreatic carcinomas.

The bile concentrations of trypsinogen-1, -2 and tumour-associated trypsin-inhibitor (TATI) were determined in 23 patients with benign biliary tract disease, two with biliary tract cancer, and in 15 with pancreatic cancer. We also examined the trypsinogen and TATI expression by immunohistochemistry in tissue specimens from biliary tract cancer and non-neoplastic extrahepatic biliary tract. High levels of trypsinogen-1, trypsinogen-2, and TATI occur in bile of most patients. In contrast to the trypsinogens, the levels of TATI were significantly higher in patients with malignant disease than in those with benign diseases (p=0.04). There was no significant correlation between trypsinogen-2 and amylase (r=0.13, p=0.40), indicating that the occurrence of trypsinogen in bile is not a result of reflux of pancreatic fluid into the bile duct. Immunohistochemically, trypsinogen-2 was detected in five and TATI in 12 out of 15 non-neoplastic biliary tract specimens, and in four and seven out of 11 cholangiocarcinomas, respectively. High concentrations of trypsinogen-1, trypsinogen-2 and TATI occur in the bile of patients with non-neoplastic and malignant biliary tract disease and in patients with pancreatic cancer. At least part of the trypsinogen-2 and TATI found in bile appears to be derived from the biliary epithelium itself.

Expression and characterization of trypsinogen produced in the human male genital tract.

Trypsinogen is a serine proteinase produced mainly by the pancreas, but it has recently been found to be expressed also in several cancers such as ovarian and colon cancer and in vascular endothelial cells. In this study, we found that trypsinogen-1 and -2 are present at high concentrations (median levels, 0.4 and 0.5 mg/L, respectively) in human seminal fluid and purified them to homogeneity by immunoaffinity and anion exchange chromatography. Purified trypsinogen isoenzymes displayed a M(r) of 25 to 28 kd in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. Most of the trypsinogen-1 purified from seminal fluid was enzymatically active whereas trypsinogen-2 occurred as the proform, which could be activated by enteropeptidase in vitro. Immunohistochemically, trypsinogen protein was detected in the human prostate, urethra, utriculus, ejaculatory duct, seminal vesicles, deferent duct, epididymal glands, and testis. Expression of trypsinogen mRNA in the same organs was demonstrated by in situ hybridization. Trypsinogen mRNA was also detected in the prostate and seminal vesicles by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Northern blotting. Isolated trypsin was shown to activate the proenzyme form of prostate-specific antigen. These results suggest that trypsinogen isoenzymes found in seminal fluid are produced locally in the male genital tract and that they may play a physiological role in the semen.

Affinity purification of recombinant trypsinogen using immobilized ecotin.

Affinity purification of inactive precursors (zymogens) of serine proteases on protease inhibitor columns is not feasible, due to the weak interaction between canonical protease inhibitors and protease zymogens. In this study we demonstrate that immobilized ecotin, a unique protease inhibitor from Escherichia coli, provides a superior affinity matrix for the purification of trypsinogen and possibly other serine protease zymogens as well.

Optimization of the capillary zone electrophoresis loading limit and resolution of proteins, using triethylamine, ammonium formate and acidic pH.

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) of five model proteins (lysozyme, myoglobin, ribonuclease A, alpha-lactalbumin, and trypsinogen), using ammonium formate as the electrophoretic buffer and triethylamine (TEA) as a buffer additive at pH 2.5, was used for protein separation. The electrophoretic behavior of these proteins was examined with respect to various concentrations (10-40 mM) of TEA and of ammonium formate. Based on the experimental parameters of electrophoretic resolution, current, and peak separation time, an electrolyte (30 mM each of TEA and ammonium formate) was empirically derived as the optimum for scale-up separation. The loading limit for proteins, covering a wide range of injection volumes (60-990 nl) and amount of protein (1-21 pmol of each protein), was investigated on 75 and 100 microns I.D. untreated fused-silica capillaries. Protein adsorption (average < 15%) was experimentally determined using this volatile buffer system.

Ostrich trypsinogen: purification, kinetic properties and characterization of the pancreatic enzyme.

Trypsinogen is a serine protease zymogen (EC.3.4.21.4) which has proved to be of key significance in a family of about 20 structurally and functionally related pancreatic digestive enzymes. This study was an endeavour to isolate, purify and characterize a stable form of ostrich trypsinogen, which has thus far not yet been accomplished. Trypsinogen (anionic) was isolated and purified by alkaline extraction of pancreatic acetone powder, followed by Toyopearl DEAE 650M, hydroxylapatite and LBTI-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The enzyme was chemically physically and kinetically characterized, using amidase and esterase activity and spectrofluorometric determinations. Effects of CaCl2 and pH, among others, were examined. Purification of homogeneous anionic ostrich trypsinogen was achieved. Immunochemical analysis and spectrofluorometric reaction with sulphonyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Arg-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin indicated trypsin-free ostrich trypsinogen, with an average Mr of 23,016 and a pI of 4.93. N-terminal sequence data revealed an unique activation peptide sequence, VPGDADDDK. Certain concentrations of Ca2+ enhanced trypsinogen activation, whilst others appeared to have the opposite effect. The kcat/Km values obtained at different pHs, using N alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide, p-toluenesulphonyl-arginine-methylester and p-toluenesulphonyl-lysine-methylester, followed the pH profile activity trend closely, with maximum catalytic activity at about pH 8 for both ostrich and bovine activated trypsinogen. Ostrich trypsin has significantly higher amidase activity than bovine trypsin, while esterase activities of the two enzymes have an inverse ratio. Kinetic pKa values were 7.2 and 7.4 for ostrich and bovine activated trypsinogens, respectively. The existence of ostrich trypsinogen in a now homogeneous stable form, free of autocatalytic inducing impurities, together with its characterization scenario will hopefully make a significant contribution to the field of comparative biochemistry. This study also confirms that ostrich trypsinogen is closely related to its serine protease counterparts.

Pancreatic digestive enzyme secretion in the rabbit: rapid cyclic variations in enzyme composition.

The role and mechanism of nonparallel pancreatic secretion of digestive enzymes, in which enzyme proportions change in rapidly regulated fashion, remain controversial. Secretion was collected from male 2.2-kg New Zealand rabbits in 5-min intervals for 3 h under basal conditions or constant stimulation with cholecystokinin (CCK; 0.1 microgram per kg per h i.v.) or methacholine chloride (MCh; 40 micrograms per kg per h i.v.). Both CCK and MCh produced an 8-fold stimulation of protein output. Enzymes were separated by SDS/PAGE and quantitated by densitometry of Coomassie blue-stained gels. Under both basal conditions and constant MCh infusion, rapid neurosecretory-like 12-min cyclic changes occurred in the proportions of amylase, lipase I, chymotrypsinogen, and trypsinogen. During constant infusion their percentages changed as much as 10-fold, and their ratios cycled by as much as 30-fold. The mean percentage for the entire infusion period for lipase I declined > 25% with CCK or MCh, for amylase it rose approximately 30%, and for chymotrypsinogen and trypsinogen it doubled (for all, P < 0.05). CCK and MCh elicited subtly but significantly different mean enzyme percentages and enzyme ratios (P < 0.05) for amylase, chymotrypsinogen, and trypsinogen; these differences were also confirmed by regression and correlation analyses. The changes in enzyme percentages and ratios were explicitly consistent with secretagogue-caused shifts in the intrapancreatic enzyme secretory sources. Nonparallel secretion of digestive enzymes occurs routinely, even during constant stimulation, and is due to cyclic neurosecretory-like secretion from heterogeneous intrapancreatic sources.

Identification of one- and two-chain forms of trypsinogen 1 produced by a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line.

It has previously been reported that two kinds of human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines (STKM-1 and MKN28) secrete a trypsin-like enzyme. In this study, four molecular forms of the enzyme (26, 25, 24 and 23 kDa on non-reducing SDS/PAGE) were purified from the serum-free conditioned medium of STKM-1 cells. Analysis of N-terminal amino acid sequences showed that the 26 kDa protein was a two-chain form of trypsinogen 1 which had been produced by proteolytic cleavage of the Arg107-Val108 bond of trypsinogen 1, and the 24 kDa protein was the one-chain form of trypsinogen 1. The 25 and 23 kDa proteins were the activated forms of the two-chain and one-chain trypsinogen 1 respectively. Isoelectric focusing gave pI values of 6.3 and 6.6 for the 26 kDa two-chain form and the 24 kDa one-chain form of trypsinogen 1 respectively. Comparison of the proteolytic activities indicated that the one-chain trypsin 1 had amidolytic activity about four times higher than that of the two-chain enzyme.

Separation of canine pancreatic juice proteins by hydrophobic interaction chromatography preserves enzyme activity.

To measure the synthesis of pancreatic enzymes requires the separation of pancreatic juice proteins. The aim of the present study was to separate amylase, lipase, and trypsinogen present in dog pancreatic juice by using a hydrophobic interaction high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). During a 40-min, four-stage gradient of decreasing sodium sulfate concentration, dog pancreatic juice proteins were separated into 10 peaks based on hydrophobicity. Amylase, lipase, and trypsinogen were identified in HPLC fractions by measuring enzyme activity and molecular weight. Amylase and lipase were present in separate peaks. By sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis, peak 10, the only peak with amylase activity had a single protein, but peak 3, containing lipase, and peak 9, containing trypsinogen, had two or more proteins. Trypsinogen activity was also detected as a main protein in peak 5 and the molecular weight of this protein, 26 kDa corresponds to that of dog trypsinogen. Trypsinogen was not identified in peak 9 by SDS gel electrophoresis because other proteins were close to this location on the gel. In summary, the proteins and activities of amylase, lipase, and two trypsinogens secreted by the dog pancreas can be separated rapidly by hydrophobic interaction liquid chromatography. Also, this one step procedure recovers 87% of amylase from dog pancreatic juice as a single protein.

The role of freezing in trypsin activity oscillations.

The importance of the frozen phase in the formation of cryooscillations of trypsin activity has been shown in experiments conducted at -10 degrees C under frozen and supercooled conditions, respectively. A solution containing trypsin obtained by trypsinogen activation and 0.1 M MnCl2 was distributed in test tubes with or without previous freezing and kept at -10 degrees C and pH 8.4. At given time intervals the frozen and supercooled samples were tested simultaneously for tryptic activity. Although a temporal motion of trypsin activity was produced by the frozen samples, the activity of the supercooled samples began to oscillate only after spontaneous freezing of the solutions. This phenomenon suggests the importance of compartmentalization of the frozen heterogeneous system, which results in an increase in concentration vs a decrease in diffusion rate of the components.

The isolation and partial characterization of trypsinogen, pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor and multiple forms of chymotrypsinogen and trypsin from the pancreas of the ostrich (Struthio camelus).

1. PSTI, two chymotrypsinogens and two trypsins were purified to homogeneity by acid extraction, salt fractionation, SP-Sephadex C-50 chromatography and RP-HPLC. 2. A third chymotrypsinogen, a trypsinogen and another trypsin were purified using an alkaline extraction procedure, followed by Trasylol- and Benzamidine-Sepharose affinity chromatography and hydroxylapatite chromatography. 3. The enzymes differed in amino acid composition as well as in specific activities towards synthetic amidase and esterase substrates. 4. N-terminal amino acid sequences were determined for one chymotrypsinogen and one trypsin.

Preparation of heparin-glyceryl controlled-pore glass affinity media for the separation of alpha- and beta-lipoproteins.

The preparation of a stable affinity medium with heparin as the affinity ligand has been investigated. Glyceryl controlled-pore glass (CPG) was activated with 1-cyano-4-dimethylaminopyridinium tetrafluoroborate and coupled with heparin. This affinity medium was used to separate some simple proteins, trypsinogen and lysozyme, in a high-performance liquid chromatographic configuration. The heparin-glyceryl-CPG was also used to separate alpha- and beta-lipoproteins in human serum. The effectiveness of the separation is confirmed by radial immunodiffusion and the determination of the cholesterol content of each of the separated fractions.