Suicide inactivation of porcine leukocyte 12-lipoxygenase associated with its incorporation of 15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid derivative.

Two isozymes of arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase, platelet-type and leukocyte-type, which were distinguished by their substrate specificities and primary structures, were investigated with reference to 'suicide' inactivation. Upon reaction with arachidonic acid the leukocyte-type enzyme was inactivated rapidly during the catalysis, whereas the platelet-type enzyme did not show such a rapid inactivation. The two 12-lipoxygenase isozymes were incubated with various hydroperoxy and hydroxy products from arachidonic acid. (15S)-Hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HPETE) was found to be a unique substrate of the leukocyte-type 12-lipoxygenase as follows. (1) 15-HPETE was an active substrate for porcine leukocyte 12-lipoxygenase, and converted anaerobically to a 14,15-epoxy compound (14,15-leukotriene A4). (2) A rapid inactivation of the enzyme was observed within 2 min upon aerobic and anaerobic incubations with 15-HPETE. (3) 15-HPETE was rapidly incorporated into the enzyme in a nearly equimolar amount under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. (4) Several findings suggested a covalent binding of 15-HPETE or its derivative to the enzyme. (5) Such a rapid and stoichiometric incorporation of 15-HPETE was not observed with the platelet-type 12-lipoxygenase. On the basis of these findings we presumed that 15-HPETE was transformed to 14,15-leukotriene A4, which was covalently bound to the leukocyte-type 12-lipoxygenase leading to the suicide inactivation of the enzyme.

Role of the prosequence of guanylin.

Guanylin is a guanylyl cyclase (GC)-activating peptide that is mainly secreted as the corresponding prohormone of 94 amino acid residues. In this study, we show that the originally isolated 15-residue guanylin, representing the COOH-terminal part of the prohormone, is released from the prohormone by cleavage of an Asp-Pro amide bond under conditions applied during the isolation procedures. Thus, the 15-residue guanylin is probably a non-native, chemically induced GC-activating peptide. This guanylin molecule contains two disulfide bonds that are absolutely necessary for receptor activation. We demonstrate that the folding of the reduced 15-residue guanylin results almost completely in the formation of the two inactive disulfide isomers. In contrast, the reduced form of proguanylin containing the entire prosequence folds to a product with the native cysteine connectivity. Because proguanylin lacking the 31 NH2-terminal residues of the prosequence folds only to a minor extent to guanylin with the native disulfide bonds, it is evident that this NH2-terminal region contributes significantly to the correct disulfide-coupled folding. Structural studies using CD and NMR spectroscopy show that native proguanylin contains a considerable amount of alpha-helical and, to a lesser extent, beta-sheet structural elements. In addition, a close proximity of the NH2- and the COOH-terminal regions was found by NOESY. It appears that this interaction is important for the constitution of the correct conformation and provides an explanation of the minor guanylyl cyclase activity of proguanylin by shielding the bioactive COOH-terminal domain from the receptor.

Expression of random peptide fused to invasin on bacterial cell surface for selection of cell-targeting peptides.

The protein invasin expressed on the cell surface of the pathogenic bacteria Yersinia pseudotuberculosis mediates the entry of this bacterium into cultured mammalian cells. We have developed a system for expression of random peptides on the cell surface of Escherichia coli (E. coli) by creation of a fusion hybrid between a peptide and the invasin protein. The fusion protein constructs consist of part of the outer membrane domain of the invasin protein, six proline spacers, and a decamer of random peptides flanked by cysteine residues (CX(10)C). Peptides were constitutively expressed on the cell surface in the resulting random decamer peptide library, which we designated as ESPEL (E. coli Surface Peptide Expression Library). The ESPEL was systematically screened for its binding affinity toward human cultured cells. Several bacterial clones were identified whose binding to human cells was mediated by peptides expressed on the bacterial cell surface. Flow cytometric analysis showed that both the identified bacterial clones and these corresponding chemically synthesized peptides bound to human cells specifically. The techniques described provide a new method that uses E. coli random peptide library to select targeting peptides for mammalian cells without any knowledge of the human cellular receptors.

Determination of the amino acid sequence of an intramolecular disulfide linkage-containing sperm-activating peptide by tandem mass spectrometry.

A sperm-activating peptide (SAP) was isolated from the egg jelly of the sea urchin Stomopneustes variolaris. The presence of an intramolecular disulfide linkage in the peptide was demonstrated by fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry with the intact and reduced peptides. The amino acid sequence of the reduced peptide was determined to be Lys-Phe-Cys-Pro-Glu-Gly-Lys-Cys-Val by tandem mass spectrometry from the spectrum produced by a collision-induced decomposition method. Furthermore, it was also demonstrated that SAPs obtained from sea urchins Arbacia punctulata and Glyptocidaris crenularis are cyclic peptides containing one cystine residue by FAB mass spectrometry.

Characterization of a highly toxic, large molecular size heat-stable enterotoxin produced by a clinical isolate of Yersinia enterocolitica.

A novel heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) designated as Y-STc was purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant of a pathogenic strain of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O3 and its amino acid sequence was determined. The mature Y-STc was found to consist of 53 amino acid residues, which includes the putative pro-sequence. The molecular weight of Y-STc was 5638 and constituted the largest molecular size in the family of currently known STs. The minimum effective dose of purified Y-STc in the suckling mouse assay was 0.6 ng (0.0 pmol), indicating that, despite the long sequence, Y-STc is the most toxic in the ST family.

Purification and characterization of a novel superantigen produced by a clinical isolate of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

A superantigen designated as Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen (YPM) was purified in an equal manner from both the culture supernatant and cell lysate of a clinical isolate (KUR-1) of Y. pseudotuberculosis serotype 4b. A significant proliferative response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to purified YPM was detectable even at a concentration of 1 pg/ml. The N-terminal sequence of YPM which included 23 amino acid residues was determined, by automated Edman degradation, as Thr-Asp-Tyr-Asp-Asn-Thr-Leu-Asn-Ser-Ile-Pro-Ser-Leu-Arg-Ile-Pro-Asn-Il e-Ala-Thr-Tyr-Thr-Gly-. This sequence differed from not only all the, hitherto, reported superantigens but also known proteins. While molecular weights of known bacterial superantigens are more than 22,000, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry showed that the molecular weight of YPM was 14524.4. These results indicate that YPM comprises a novel superantigen with substantial structural differences from other bacterial superantigens produced by Gram-positive cocci.

Mode of disulfide bond formation of a heat-stable enterotoxin (STh) produced by a human strain of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

To determine the modes of three disulfide linkages in the heat-stable enterotoxin (STh) produced by a human strain of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, we synthesized STh(6-18), which consists of 13 amino acid residues and has the same intramolecular disulfide linkages as native STh [(1985) FEBS Lett. 181, 138-142], by stepwise and selective formation of disulfide bonds using different types of removable protecting groups for the Cys residues. Synthesis of the peptide with different modes of disulfide bond formation provided three peptides consistent with standard STh(6-18) in their physicochemical and biological properties, thereby indicating that the disulfide bonds in STh(6-18) are Cys-Cys-Glu-Leu-Cys-Cys-Asn-Pro-Ala-Cys-Thr-Gly-Cys.

A new type of mitogenic factor produced by Streptococcus pyogenes.

A new type of mitogenic factor (protein) was purified from the culture supernatant of a strain of Streptococcus pyogenes by SP-Sephadex C-25 column chromatography, preparative isoelectric focusing and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The purified factor, showing marked mitogenic activity in rabbit peripheral blood lymphocytes, gave a single-band staining for protein on SDS-PAGE. The molecular weight of the purified mitogenic factor was determined to be 25,370, which was different from those calculated from reported amino acid sequences deduced from 4 different nucleotide sequences of 3 kinds of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins (two SPEAs, SPEB and SPEC). The amino acid sequence of the N-terminal region of the purified mitogenic factor was determined to be Gln-Thr-Gln-Val-Ser-Asn-Asp-Val-Val-Leu-Asn-Asp-Gly-Ala-Ser-Lys-Tyr-Leu- Asn-Glu - Ala-, which was also different from the reported N-terminal sequences deduced from the 4 different nucleotide sequences. These data indicate that this mitogenic factor is distinct from the already described streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins.

Amino acid sequence of a heat-stable enterotoxin isolated from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain 18D.

A heat-stable enterotoxin produced by a strain of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli 18D was purified by ion-exchange and reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The amino acid sequence of the purified toxin was determined by Edman-degradation and a combination of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and carboxypeptidase digestion to be Asn-Thr-Phe-Tyr-Cys-Cys-Glu-Leu-Cys-Cys-Asn-Pro-Ala-Cys-Ala-Gly-Cys-Tyr.

Identification of the functional region on the superantigen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen responsible for induction of lymphocyte proliferation by using synthetic peptides.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen (YPM) is the unique Gram-negative bacillary superantigen known. In order to identify the regions on the YPM molecule involved in its superantigenic activity, seven overlapping peptides of the entire YPM molecule were synthesized and tested to evaluate their effects on the YPM-induced proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. A peptide corresponding to the N-terminal amino acid sequence (1-23) was found to inhibit YPM-induced lymphocyte proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. The N-terminal peptide was found to show no inhibition of the proliferation induced by the other superantigen (staphylococcal enterotoxin B) or the other T-cell mitogen pertussis toxin, indicating that the inhibition is specific to YPM-induced proliferation. Thus, we have identified the N-terminal region (1-23) of the YPM as one of the functional regions responsible for its superantigenic activity.

The NH2-terminal residues of rat liver proteasome (multicatalytic proteinase complex) subunits, C2, C3 and C8, are N alpha-acetylated.

Rat liver proteasome (multicatalytic proteinase complex) is a 20S-ring shaped particle having a molecular mass of 750 kDa, and is composed of at least 13 non-identical components ranging from 21 to 31 kDa in size. We found here that the NH2-terminal residues of all the known 13 components, except for C5, are not reactive to phenylisothiocyanate. Among them, components C2, C3 and C8 are blocked in their NH2-termini with N alpha-acetyl-Met, N alpha-acetyl-Ala, and N alpha-acetyl-Ser, respectively. The NH2-terminal portions of C2, C3, and C8 exhibit sequence similarity to one another, but that of the non-blocked component C5 differs from those of C2, C3, and C8.

Disulfide pairings in geographutoxin I, a peptide neurotoxin from Conus geographus.

The three intramolecular disulfide linkages of geographutoxin I, a peptide neurotoxin isolated from the venom of the marine snail Conus geographus, were examined by a novel method for determination of the positions of disulfide linkages in peptides [(1989) Bull. Chem. Soc. Jp. 62, 1986-1994]. The disulfide bridges were found to be between Cys3 and Cys15, Cys4 and Cys20, and Cys21, indicating that geographutoxin I has a rigid conformation consisting of three loops stabilized by these three disulfide linkages.

Amino acid sequence of heat-stable enterotoxin produced by Vibrio cholerae non-01.

The amino acid sequence of heat-stable enterotoxin, produced by Vibrio cholerae non-01 and isolated from its culture supernatant, was determined by both Edman degradation of native and reductively carboxymethylated enterotoxin and also a combination of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and carboxypeptidase Y digestion of native enterotoxin to be as follows: Ile-Asp-Cys-Cys-Glu-Ile-Cys-Cys-Asn-Pro-Ala-Cys-Phe-Gly-Cys-Leu-Asn. This sequence is very similar, but not identical, to those of heat-stable enterotoxins produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Yersinia enterocolitica.

Purification and sequence determination of heat-stable enterotoxin elaborated by a cholera toxin-producing strain of Vibrio cholerae O1.

Four molecular species of heat-stable enterotoxins elaborated by a cholera toxin-producing strain of Vibrio cholerae O1 were isolated from its culture supernatant. The amino acid sequence of one of the enterotoxins was determined to be Phe-Ile-Lys-Gln-Val-Asp-Glu-Asn-Gly-Asn-Leu-Ile-Asp-Cys-Cys-Glu-Ile-Cys- Cys-Asn-Pro-Ala-Cys-Phe-Gly-Cys-Leu-Asn with three intramolecular disulfide linkages. The other enterotoxins had shorter amino acid sequences in the N-terminal regions, but possessed the same sequence in their C-terminal regions including the three disulfide linkages. The enterotoxins with the shorter N-terminal sequences showed more potent toxicities, and the minimum effective dose of the longest one with 28 amino acid residues was 10-folds of that of the shortest one.

The nuclear pore-targeting complex binds to nuclear pores after association with a karyophile.

We recently showed that a karyophilic protein forms a stable complex, termed nuclear pore-targeting complex (PTAC), with cytoplasmic components prior to nuclear pore-binding. In this study, we cloned a cDNA encoding a 97 kDa of PTAC (PTAC97). Recombinant PTAC97 completely reconstitutes the nuclear binding-step in conjunction with a 58 kDa component of PTAC (PTAC58) in the semi-intact cell-free transport assay. Biochemical analysis reveals that PTAC58 binds to a karyophilic protein, and PTAC97 is associated with PTAC58 in a 1:1 molar ratio. A complex of PTAC97 and PTAC58 targets nuclear pores, depending on the presence of a karyophile. These in vitro results suggest that the first step in nuclear import occurs through the targeting-complex formation of a karyophile with PTAC58 bound to PTAC97.

The significance of Ser1029 of the heat-stable enterotoxin receptor (STaR): relation of STa-mediated guanylyl cyclase activation and signaling by phorbol myristate acetate.

To characterize Ser1029 in STaR at a consensus sequence of phosphorylation site by PKC, two mutants of mS1029A with replacement of Ser1029 to Ala1029 and C delta 1029 lacking 22 amino acids including Ser1029 were prepared. Preincubation of the wild type-STaR (wt-STaR) transfectant with 1 microM PMA caused additional STa-mediated guanylyl cyclase (GC) activation compared to control, whereas the mS1029A- and C delta 1029-transfected cells did not show a similar enhanced GC activation by PMA. After metabolic labeling with [32P]phosphate, transfected cells with wt-STaR and mutants were incubated with 1 microM PMA. Subsequent 32P-radiolabeled proteins were immunoprecipitated using anti-STaR antibody, and analyzed by autoradiography after separation on SDS-PAGE. The immunoprecipitated wt-STaR but not mS1029A and C delta 1029 had a significant radioactivity. These results suggest that the effect of PMA on wt-STaR transfectants may be caused by phosphorylation of Ser1029. The C delta 1012 mutant, with further truncation (Gln1012-Phe1050) of the carboxy terminus, did not show STa-mediated GC activation. Based on these data, these 17 amino acids (Gln1012-Ala1028), essential for signaling of GC activation by STa, have an abundance of basic amino acids which might be functionally influenced by phosphorylation of Ser1029.

Essential structure for full enterotoxigenic activity of heat-stable enterotoxin produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Several analogues of heat-stable enterotoxins (STh and STp) produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli were synthesized. Peptides (STh[6-18] and STp[5-17]) consisting of 13 amino acid residues from the Cys residue near the N-terminus to the Cys residue near the C-terminus and linked by three disulfide bonds had the same biological and immunological properties as native STh and STp, respectively. The results indicated that the sequence with the 13 amino acid residues and three disulfide linkages is essential for full biological activity of ST.

Novel rearranged ions observed for protonated peptides via metastable decomposition in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

C-terminal rearrangement ions [b(n-1) + H2O] (where n refers to the total number of residues of peptides) are frequently observed for peptides which contain basic amino acid(s), especially arginine, at or near their N termini in low- and high-energy collision-induced dissociation or post-source decay (PSD) spectra. Here we report a novel rearrangement, associated with PSD for serine- or threonine-containing peptides that are susceptible to C-terminal rearrangement. Based on PSD analyses of serine- or threonine-containing bradykinin and its analogs, which have been ethyl-esterified or 18O labeled at their C termini, the [b(k) + H2O] (where k denotes the position adjacent to the left of the Ser/Thr residue) ion is generally thought to be formed by the transfer of the hydroxyl moiety of a serine or threonine residue to the carbonyl group of the residue to its left accompanied by the loss of the remaining C-terminal portion of the peptide. When the Ser/Thr is at or near the C terminus, the present [b(k) + H2O] ion could be formed via two pathways, i.e., the Ser/Thr-related rearrangement and the conventional C-terminal rearrangement, which has been clearly verified by 18O labeling at the C terminus. In addition, the ions which are formally designated as [y(m)b(l) + H2O], where y(m)b(l) denotes a b-type internal ion, are also briefly described.

Subtilosin A, a new antibiotic peptide produced by Bacillus subtilis 168: isolation, structural analysis, and biogenesis.

Subtilosin A, a new antibiotic produced by Bacillus subtilis 168, was extracted from culture medium with n-butanol and purified to homogeneity by a combination of gel filtration and thin-layer chromatography. The yield was 5.5 mg from a liter of culture. It had bacteriocidal activity against some gram-positive bacteria. Amino acid analysis and mass spectrometry showed that it was a peptide with a molecular weight of 3398.9, consisting of 32 usual amino acid and some non-amino acid residues. Its amino- and carboxyl-termini were blocked. By analysis of the fragments obtained by partial acid hydrolysis, as well as by chymotryptic and thermolysin digestions of reduced and S-carboxymethylated samples and Achromobacter protease I digestion of performic acid-oxidized samples, the amino acid sequence was determined to be as follows: X-Gly-Leu-Gly-Leu-Trp-Gly-Asn-Lys-Gly-Cys-Ala-Thr-Cys-Ser-(sequence; see text) Ile-Gly-Ala-Ala-Cys-Leu-Val-Asp-Gly-Pro-Ile-Pro-Asp-Glx-Ile-Ala-Gly-Ala. The analyses of cross-linking structures revealed that there were linkages between the amino- and carboxyl-termini and between the Cys-19 and the Glx-28 residues through an unknown residue with a residue weight of 163. Consequently, subtilosin A was deduced to be a cyclic peptide antibiotic with a novel cross-linking structure. The production of subtilosin A begins at the end of vegetative growth and finishes before spore formation. Studies on the correlation between the production of subtilosin A and spore formation with decoyinine in the original strain and in asporogenous mutants of B. subtilis 168 suggested that there was no close correlation between the two phenomena. The production of subtilosin A was repressed by inhibitors of protein and RNA synthesis in contrast to that of many other antibiotic peptides, suggesting that it is synthesized by the mechanism of usual protein synthesis.

Antimicrobial peptides, isolated from horseshoe crab hemocytes, tachyplesin II, and polyphemusins I and II: chemical structures and biological activity.

Tachyplesin is an antimicrobial peptide recently found in the acid extract of hemocytes from the Japanese horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) [Nakamura, T. et al. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 16709-16713]. In our continuing studies on the peptide, we have found an isopeptide, tachyplesin II, and also polyphemusins I and II in hemocytes of the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). The complete primary structures of these peptides, which are very similar to that of the previously isolated peptide, now named tachyplesin I, were determined to be as follows: (Table: see text). The isopeptide, tachyplesin II, consists of 17 residues with a COOH-terminal arginine alpha-amide. On the other hand, both polyphemusins I and II were found to contain 18 residues due to an additional Arg residue at the NH2-terminal end as well as a COOH-terminal arginine alpha-amide. The disulfide linkages for polyphemusin I consisted of two bridges between Cys-4 and Cys-17 and between Cys-8 and Cys-13, which was identical to in the case of tachyplesin I. Moreover, all of these peptides inhibited the growth of not only Gram-negative and -positive bacteria but also fungi, such as Candida albicans M9. Furthermore, complex formation between these peptides and bacterial lipopolysaccharides was also observed in a double diffusion test. These results suggest that tachyplesins and polyphemusins are probably located in the hemocyte membrane, where they act on antimicrobial peptides as a self-defense mechanism in the horseshoe crab against invading microorganisms.