Elastase inhibitors in sputum from bronchitic patients with and without α1-proteinase inhibitor deficiency: partial characterization of a hitherto unquantified inhibitor of neutrophil elastase

1987 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Morrison ◽  
J. A. Kramps ◽  
S. C. Afford ◽  
D. Burnett ◽  
J. H. Dijkman ◽  
...  

1. Anti-elastase function in sputum sol-phase from patients with α1-proteinase inhibitor (α1PI) deficiency was compared with sol-phase from patients with cigarette smoke-induced bronchitis and emphysema. 2. Both α1PI (2P < 0.01) and anti-leucoprotease (ALP) (2P < 0.01) concentrations were lower in sol-phase from the α1PI-deficient group, although α2-macroglobulin (α2M) levels were similar. 3. There was no difference in α1PI function between the two groups, but the inhibitor was only ≃ 30% active. 4. The absolute neutrophil elastase (NE) inhibitory capacity was similar in both groups (median 185 μg of NE inhibited/ml of sputum, range 80–480, for the α1PI-deficient group; median 175, range 80–300, for the bronchitic group). A substantial proportion of NE inhibition in secretions could not be accounted for by the amount of α1PI, ALP and α2M present (median 74.8%, range 43.2–97.4, for α1PI-deficient sol-phase; median 50.0%, range 0–80.8, for bronchitic sol-phase). 5. Gel filtration of sol-phase demonstrated the presence of NE inhibition in the low molecular weight fractions which was markedly sensitive to changes in substrate concentration and ionic strength, in contrast to purified α1PI and ALP. 6. Sputum sol-phase from both groups failed to prevent hydrolysis of elastin–fluorescein or succinyltrialanyl-p-nitroanilide by NE completely during prolonged incubation in the presence of an excess of functional inhibitors. This was more apparent in secretions from subjects with α1PI deficiency and may explain why such patients have a more rapidly progressive form of emphysema.

1971 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Spector ◽  
Lu-Ku Li ◽  
Robert C. Augusteyn ◽  
Arthur Schneider ◽  
Thomas Freund

α-Crystallin was isolated from calf lens periphery by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration. Three distinct populations of macromolecules have been isolated with molecular weights in the ranges approx. 6×105−9×105, 0.9×106−4×106and greater than 10×106. The concentration of macromolecules at the molecular-weight limits of a population are very low. The members of the different populations do not appear to be in equilibrium with each other. Further, in those molecular-weight fractions investigated, no equilibrium between members of the same population was observed. The population of lowest molecular weight comprises 65–75% of the total material. The amino acid and subunit composition of the different-sized fractions appear very similar, if not identical. The only chemical difference observed between the fractions is the presence of significant amounts of sugar in the higher-molecular-weight fractions. Subunit molecular weights of approx. 19.5×103and 22.5×103were observed for all α-crystallin fractions.


1969 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 555-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. Fardy ◽  
B. H. Matheson ◽  
R. W. Reed

Additional studies were undertaken on the nature of a nephrotoxic agent found in the culture filtrates of certain group A streptococci. A commercially available dehydrated medium proved satisfactory for the production of the active material. Gel filtration was used to divide polypeptide extracts, prepared from the dialyzable portion of culture filtrates, into two major fractions. One of these, representing the higher molecular weight components, contained most of the nephrotoxic activity as evidenced by the development of hypertension and acute glomerulonephritis in rabbits injected with this fraction.Physical and chemical studies indicated that the active fraction consisted of at least four polypeptide components separable by high voltage electrophoresis on paper. Automatic amino acid analysis of an acid hydrolysate of this fraction revealed 17 different amino acids. Carbohydrate was not detected by anthrone and orcinol tests.No relationship was established between this streptococcal nephrotoxic agent and other streptococcal constituents which have been implicated in acute glomerulonephritis.


2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 252-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuichi Saito ◽  
Kazuya Kondo ◽  
Ichiro Kojima ◽  
Atsushi Yokota ◽  
Fusao Tomita

ABSTRACT Streptomyces exfoliatus F3-2 produced an extracellular enzyme that converted levan, a β-2,6-linked fructan, into levanbiose. The enzyme was purified 50-fold from culture supernatant to give a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The molecular weights of this enzyme were 54,000 by SDS-PAGE and 60,000 by gel filtration, suggesting the monomeric structure of the enzyme. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was determined to be 4.7. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme for levan degradation were pH 5.5 and 60°C, respectively. The enzyme was stable in the pH range 3.5 to 8.0 and also up to 50°C. The enzyme gave levanbiose as a major degradation product from levan in an exo-acting manner. It was also found that this enzyme catalyzed hydrolysis of such fructooligosaccharides as 1-kestose, nystose, and 1-fructosylnystose by liberating fructose. Thus, this enzyme appeared to hydrolyze not only β-2,6-linkage of levan, but also β-2,1-linkage of fructooligosaccharides. From these data, the enzyme from S. exfoliatus F3-2 was identified as a novel 2,6-β-d-fructan 6-levanbiohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.64 ).


1979 ◽  
Vol 177 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
T G Villa ◽  
V Notario ◽  
J R Villanueva

The endo-1,3-beta-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.6) secreted into the culture medium by cells of Candida utilis was isolated and purified to homogeneity on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and in ultracentrifugation studies (s20,w = 1.97S). The purified enzyme represented only 0.001% of the total 1,3-beta-glucanase activity, the remainder being due to an exo-1,3-beta-glucanase enzyme, and behaved as an acidic glycoprotein (pI 3.3) in isoelectric-focusing experiments. The mol.wt. was estimated to be 21 000 by gel filtration and polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Studies on the hydrolysis of different substrates showed that the enzyme was only able to break down (1 leads to 3)-beta-linkages, by an endo-splitting mechanism. Glucono-delta-lactone, D-glucoronolactone and heavy metal ions such as Hg2+ were inhibitors of the enzyme activity. The function of this endo-beta-glucanase in C. utilis is discussed.


1981 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naotika Toki ◽  
Hiroyuki Sumi ◽  
Sumiyoshi Takasugi

1. A kallikrein-like enzyme in plasma of patients with acute pancreatitis was further purified by successive hydroxyapatite/cellulose and Sepharose-4B column chromatography. 2. By these procedures 0.26 mg of purified enzyme with a specific activity of 215 S-2266 chromozyme units/mg of protein was obtained from 10 ml of original plasma. 3. The purified material was homogeneous as ascertained by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and had an apparent molecular weight of 31 000 as measured by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. 4. It was confirmed immunologically that this enzyme was pancreatic kallikrein, which is distinct from plasma kallikrein, and that it could combine with α2-macroglobulin only in the presence of trypsin.


1993 ◽  
Vol 290 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
D S Rubenstein ◽  
I B Thøgersen ◽  
S V Pizzo ◽  
J J Enghild

The alpha-macroglobulins are classified as broad-spectrum inhibitors because of their ability to entrap proteinases of different specificities and catalytic class. Tetrameric and dimeric alpha-macroglobulins have been identified in a wide variety of organisms including those as primitive as the mollusc Octopus vulgaris; however, monomeric alpha-macroglobulin proteinase inhibitors have been previously identified only in rodents. The monomeric alpha-macroglobulin proteinase inhibitors are believed to be analogous to the evolutionary precursor of the multimeric members of this family exemplified by the tetrameric human alpha 2-macroglobulin. Until now, monomeric alpha-macroglobulin proteinase inhibitors have only been identified in rodents and have therefore been considered an evolutionary anomaly. However, in this report we have utilized several sensitive assays to screen various plasmas and sera for the presence of monomeric alpha-macroglobulins, and our results suggest that monomeric alpha-macroglobulin proteinase inhibitors are present in organisms belonging to the avian, reptilian, amphibian and mammalian classes of the chordate phylum. This indicates that these proteins are more widespread than previously recognized and that their presence in rodents is not an anomaly. To demonstrate further that the identified proteins were indeed monomeric alpha-macroglobulin proteinase inhibitors, we purified the monomeric alpha-macroglobulin from the American bullfrog Rana catesbeiana. We conclude that this protein is a monomer of 180 kDa on the basis of its behaviour on (i) pore-limit gel electrophoresis, (ii) non-reducing and reducing SDS/PAGE and (iii) gel-filtration chromatography. In addition, we demonstrate that this protein is an alpha-macroglobulin proteinase inhibitor by virtue of (i) its ability to inhibit proteinases of different catalytic class, (ii) the presence of a putative internal beta-cysteinyl-gamma-glutamyl thioester and (iii) an inhibitory mechanism characterized by steric protection of the proteinase active site and by sensitivity to small primary amines. The frog monomeric alpha-macroglobulin is structurally and functionally similar to the well-characterized monomeric alpha-macroglobulin proteinase inhibitor rat alpha 1-inhibitor-3.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. P. Flower

A lectin detected in haemolymph from the Australian spiny lobster Panulirus cygnus agglutinated human ABO Group A cells to a higher titre than Group O or B. The lectin also agglutinated rat and sheep erythrocytes, with reactivity with rat erythrocytes strongly enhanced by treatment with the proteolytic enzyme papain, an observation consistent with reactivity via a glycolipid. The lectin, purified by affinity chromatography on fixed rat-erythrocyte stroma, was inhibited equally by N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine. Comparison of data from gel filtration of haemolymph (behaving as a 1,800,000 Da macromolecule), and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified lectin (a single 67,000 Da band), suggested that in haemolymph the lecin was a multimer. The purified anti-A lectin autoprecipitated unless the storage solution contained chaotropic inhibitors (125 mmol/L sucrose: 500 mmol/L urea). The properties of this anti-A lectin and other similar lectins are consistent with a role in innate immunity in these invertebrates.


1996 ◽  
Vol 316 (3) ◽  
pp. 841-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart M. PITSON ◽  
Robert J. SEVIOUR ◽  
Barbara M. McDOUGALL ◽  
Bruce A. STONE ◽  
Maruse SADEK

An endo-(1 → 6)-β-glucanase has been isolated from the culture filtrates of the filamentous fungus Acremonium persicinum and purified by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation followed by anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. SDS/PAGE of the purified enzyme gave a single band with an apparent molecular mass of 42.7 kDa. The enzyme is a non-glycosylated, monomeric protein with a pI of 4.9 and pH optimum of 5.0. It hydrolysed (1 → 6)-β-glucans (pustulan and lutean), initially yielding a series of (1 → 6)-β-linked oligoglucosides, consistent with endo-hydrolytic action. Final hydrolysis products from these substrates were gentiobiose and gentiotriose, with all products released as β-anomers, indicating that the enzyme acts with retention of configuration. The purified enzyme also hydrolysed Eisenia bicyclis laminarin, liberating glucose, gentiobiose, and a range of larger oligoglucosides, through the apparent hydrolysis of (1 → 6)-β- and some (1 → 3)-β-linkages in this substrate. Km values for pustulan, lutean and laminarin were 1.28, 1.38, and 1.67 mg/ml respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by N-acetylimidazole, N-bromosuccinimide, dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide, Woodward's Regent K, 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, KMnO4 and some metal ions, whereas D-glucono-1,5-lactone and EDTA had no effect.


1988 ◽  
Vol 255 (3) ◽  
pp. 801-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
H G Hergenhahn ◽  
M Hall ◽  
K Söderhäll

An alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M)-like proteinase inhibitor from plasma of the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus was purified to apparent homogeneity by acid precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose and anion-exchange chromatography. The subunit Mr is about 190,000. Pore-size-limit electrophoresis proved the native protein to be a dimer. The purified protein resembled vertebrate alpha 2 Ms in that it protected trypsin from inhibition by soyabean trypsin inhibitor, and in its sensitivity to methylamine treatment. Methylamine also prevented the protein from being autolytically cleaved into Mr 60,000 and 140,000 fragments when subjected to heat treatment. The amino acid composition showed similarities with both human alpha 2 M and an alpha 2 M-like protein from the arthropod Limulus polyphemus. These data indicate that this Pacifastacus alpha 2M-like protein (P alpha 2M) may be a distantly related homologue of vertebrate alpha 2Ms.


1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 1139-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Hauzer ◽  
Linda Servítová ◽  
Tomislav Barth ◽  
Karel Jošt

Post-proline endopeptidase was isolated from pig kidneys and partially purified. The procedure consisted of fractionation with ammonium sulphate, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50, gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 and rechromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50. The preparation had 55 times higher specific activity than the crude extract and did not contain any contaminating enzymic activities. The enzyme cleaved a number of proline-containing peptides and was strictly specific in catalyzing the hydrolysis of the peptide bond on the carboxyl side of the proline residue. The optimum pH for the hydrolysis of the synthetic peptides benzyl-oxycarbonylglycyl-prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide and benzyloxycarbonyl-glycyl-proline β-naphtylamide was 7.8-8.0 and, in the case of benzyloxycarbonylglycyl-proline p-nitroanilide, 7.2 to 7.5. For the hydrolysis of the tetrapeptide benzyloxycarbonylglycyl-prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide, the Km value of 75 μ mol l-1 was obtained.


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