Association of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the SH2D1A intronic region with systemic lupus erythematosus.

SH2D1A, also known as signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM)-associated protein (SAP), is an adaptor protein. Recently, it was reported that SAP deficient mice were protected from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, we postulated SH2D1A gene to be a candidate susceptibility gene for SLE and analyzed its association with SLE. A case-control association study was conducted on 5 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SH2D1A region in 506 Japanese female SLE patients and 330 healthy female controls. The luciferase assay was performed to determine the functional role of the SNP associated with SLE. One SNP in the intron 2, rs2049995, showed association with SLE (p=0.0110, odds ratio (OR) 1.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16-3.34, under the dominant model). The association of rs2049995 seemed to be stronger in the subset with the age of onset less than 20 years (p=0.0067, OR 2.65, 95% CI 1.28-5.46). Functional evaluation of rs2049995 showed that reporter gene activity was increased 1.9-fold for the susceptible allele compared with the resistant allele. An intronic SNP of SH2D1A is associated with SLE.

alpha-Fetoprotein as a carrier protein in plasma and its bilirubin-binding ability.

The bilirubin-binding ability of human alpha-fetoproteins, which were purified from fetal cord serum and from ascites fluid of a hepatoma-bearing patient, was examined by the difference spectrum and the Jacobsen peroxidase methods. The difference spectrum observed as a result of the specific binding of bilirubin to alpha-fetoprotein had a maximum at 482 nm, and this pattern was quite similar to that observed for serum albumin. The result obtained by the difference spectrum method showed that 1 mol of each alpha-fetoprotein bound 1 mol of bilirubin at pH 8.3 and that the dissociation constants of the complexes of bilirubin with fetal alpha-fetoprotein and hepatoma-derived alpha-fetoprotein were 2.6 x 10(-7) and 5.0 x 10(-7) M, respectively. The Jacobsen enzymatic method using horseradish peroxidase gave the same values for molar binding ratios and similar dissociation constants, 7.1 x 10(-7) M for fetal alpha-fetoprotein and 7.4 x 10(-7) M for hepatoma-derived alpha-fetoprotein. These results indicate that alpha-fetoprotein may function as a carrier protein for bilirubin as has been shown for serum albumin.

Comparative chemical structures of human alpha-fetoproteins from fetal serum and from ascites fluid of a patient with hepatoma.

Human alpha-fetoproteins were purified from umbilical cord serum and from ascites fluid of a patient with hepatoma by affinity chromatography, and their chemical compositions and terminal sequences were compared. The amino acid compositions of these alpha-fetoproteins were similar and in good agreement with the values reported by other investigators. The COOH-terminal 5-amino acid sequence determined by carboxypeptidase digestion and the NH2-terminal 20-amino acid sequence determined by an automated sequence analyzer revealed that both alpha-fetoproteins had the same terminal sequences of amino acids. The sequence analysis showed that a part of each of the proteins lacked its NH2-terminal residues for one or three amino acids. A small difference in the carbohydrate composition of each alpha-fetoprotein was observed. It was concluded that alpha-fetoproteins from fetal serum and from ascites fluid of a patient with hepatoma had very similar structures.

Copper(II)-binding ability of human alpha-fetoprotein.

The copper(II)-binding ability of human alpha-fetoproteins, which were purified from umbilical cord serum and from ascites fluid of a hepatoma-bearing patient, was examined by equilibrium dialysis and gel filtration methods. The pH dependence of the copper(II)-binding ability of alpha-fetoprotein was quite similar to that of albumin. Alpha-fetoprotein bound 1 mol of copper(II) ion per mol of protein above pH 6.0 and 0.5 mol of copper(II) ion at pH 5.4, which is close to the pK value of the imidazole group of histidine. Photooxidation of alpha-fetoprotein in the presence of methylene blue resulted in the loss of the copper(II)-binding ability of the protein in parallel with the destruction of the histidyl residues. A synthetic amino-terminal undecapeptide of alpha-fetoprotein also bound copper(II) ion. These results indicate that the histidyl residue at the amino-terminal region of alpha-fetoprotein plays an important role in the copper(II)-binding ability of the protein.

Beta-Elimination and sulfite addition reaction of chondroitin sulfate peptidoglycan and the peptide structure of the linkage region.

Pronase digestion of bovine tracheal cartilage yielded acid mucopolysaccharide - peptide complexes which were fractionated by chromatography on Dowex 1(C1-). A major fraction was eluted with 1.5 M NaC1 and presumed to by chondroitin sulfate A-peptidoglycan by cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Alkaline beta-elimination and sulfite addition reaction of this fraction yielded cysteic acid-containing peptides, two of which were obtained in an homogeneous state. The sequence determination of these two made it possible to remodel their original structures as Leu-Pro-Ser-Gly-Glu-Gly-Pro-Glu and Leu-Pro-Ser-Gly-Glu, where the serine residues carried polysaccharide chains. Together with the reported data on the polysaccharide-protein linkage region, the present result suggests that the -Ser-Gly- sequence is a minimum requisite for the glycosylation of serine residues in the protein core of various proteoglycans.

1H-NMR analysis of the sugar structures of glycoproteins as their pyridylamino derivatives.

The 1H-NMR spectra of a series of pyridylamino (PA-) derivatives of oligosaccharides were obtained and compared with those of the corresponding asparagine-linked sugar chains in order to elucidate the effect of the PA-group on the chemical shifts of structural-reporter signals. The effects were found to be localized within the two residues from the end group. Thus, the data for asparagine-linked chains in the literature are applicable to PA-derivatives, so the combination of pyridylamination and NMR measurements greatly reduces the time required for structure analysis of sugar chains of glycoproteins, because the isolation and purification of the chains as PA-derivatives are easy and efficient.

The amino acid sequences of two soybean double headed proteinase inhibitors and evolutionary consideration on the legume proteinase inhibitors.

Two proteinase inhibitors, C-II and D-II, were isolated from soybeans. C-II was shown to be an inhibitor of bovine trypsin [EC 3.4.21.4], bovine alpha-chymotrypsin [EC 3.4.21.1], and porcine elastase [EC 3.4.21.11], whereas D-II inhibited only trypsin. The complete amino acid sequences of the two inhibitors establishors. On the basis of the specificities of the inhibitors and their homologies with other double-headed inhibitors, the reactive sites of C-II seems to be alanine-22 for elastase and arginine-49 for trypsin (and probably also for chymotrypsin). D-II was quite unique because its both reactive sites are arginine residues and it only inhibits trypsin. It is suggested that D-II might be a primitive form of double-headed inhibitor and that the prototype single-headed inhibitor was a trypsin inhibitor with an arginine residue as the reactive site.

Inspection of human salivary alpha-amylase action by its transglycosylation action.

The course of the action of human salivary alpha-amylase (HSA) on a substrate was examined taking advantage of its transglycosylation action. IG5 phi (IG-G-G-G-G-phi), IG4 phi (IG-G-G-G-phi), and GIG4 phi (G-IG-G-G-G-phi) were used as the substrates and p-nitrophenyl alpha-glucoside (GP, G-P) as the acceptor. HSA hydrolyzes IG5 phi, IG4 phi, and GIG4 phi to IG3 (IG-G-G) and G2 phi (G-G-phi), to IG3 and G phi (G-phi), and to GIG3 (G-IG-G-G) and G phi, respectively. In the presence of GP, a part of the glycon residues, IG3 and GIG3, were transferred to the acceptor to give IG4P (IG-G-G-G-P) and GIG4P (G-IG-G-G-G-P), respectively. Whenever the enzyme attacks the substrate, G phi or G2 phi is liberated in both transglycosylation and hydrolysis. The extent of transglycosylation can be, therefore, estimated from the molar ratio of the transfer product to the liberated aglycon, G phi or G2 phi. HPLC analysis of the reaction mixtures revealed that the value of IG4P/G phi in the digest of IG4 phi was nearly equal to that of GIG4P/G phi in the digest of GIG4 phi and these values were ten times larger than that of IG4P/G2 phi in the digest of IG5 phi. These data suggested that G phi residue would fall away from aglycon binding site more rapidly than G2 phi residue after the cleavage of the alpha-1,4-glycosidic linkage to offer GP more chance to attack to the activated glycon and also indicated that the space of the glycon binding site corresponds to three glucose residues.

Differential rate assay of human pancreatic and salivary alpha-amylases in serum using two coupled enzymes.

p-Nitrophenyl O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha- D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (FG5P) is hydrolyzed by human pancreatic a-amylase (HPA) or salivary alpha-amylase (HSA) to O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-D-glucose (FG3) and p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltoside or to O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha- D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-D-glucose (FG4) and p-nitrophenyl alpha-glucoside. The use of alpha-D-glucosidase (maltase) [EC 3.2.1.20] of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis and oligo-1,6-glucosidase (isomaltase) [EC 3.2.1.10] of bakers' yeast as coupled enzymes differentiates between the two reactions, because alpha-D-glucosidase liberates p-nitrophenol from both p-nitrophenyl alpha-glucoside and p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltoside, but oligo-1,6-glucosidase liberates it only from p-nitrophenyl alpha-glucoside. HPA produces more FG4 and p-nitrophenyl alpha-glucoside than HSA. Taking advantage of the differences in the action of the two amylases and in the substrate specificity of the coupled enzymes, we have developed a new colorimetric differential rate assay of alpha-amylases in human serum.

Inspection of active sites of human salivary alpha-amylase isozymes by means of non-reducing-end substituted maltooligosaccharides with 2-pyridylamino residue.

The modes of action of four alpha-amylase isozymes, which were purified from human saliva, on p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltopentaoside (G5P), maltohexaitol (G6R), and their 2-pyridylamino derivatives, p-nitrophenyl O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha- D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (FG5P) and O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)- O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O- alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-D- glucitol (FG6R) were examined at various pH values. No differences in their modes of action on the substrates was found. Irrespective of which enzyme was used, the molar ratio of the hydrolysis products of G5P or G6R was almost constant at any pH examined. On the other hand, those of FG5P and FG6R varied with pH such that predominantly O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl- (1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-D-glucose (FG3) was formed at high pH ranges, while the formation of O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)- O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-D-gl ucose (FG4) increased at lower pH. The result indicates that the binding mode of FG5P or FG6R to the active sites of the enzymes changed with pH; namely, interactions between the 2-pyridylamino residue of the substrates and some amino acid residue(s) located in the active sites were influenced by pH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fluorometric rate assay of alpha-amylase using an intramolecularly-quenched fluorescent substrate (FG5P).

The complete hydrolysis of a fluorogenic derivative of rho-nitrophenyl alpha-maltopentaoside, FG5P, by human salivary alpha-amylase, resulted in a 5-fold increase in fluorescence. This is due to disruption of the intramolecular quenching of the fluorescence of the 2-pyridylamino residue by the rho-nitrophenyl residue by separation of the two residues. This change of fluorescence accompanying the cleavage of the glucosidic bond was exploited to develop a fluorometric rate assay of alpha-amylase in human serum.

Studies on soybean trypsin inhibitors. X. Isolation and partial characterization of four soybean double-headed proteinase inhibitors.

Four Bowman-Birk type double-headed inhibitors (B, C-II, D-II, and E-I) were isolated from soybeans. Inhibitor B was different from Bowman-Birk inhibitor only in chromatographic behavior. One mole of C-II inhibited one mole each of bovine trypsin and bovine alpha-chymotrypsin, probably at the same site, and porcine elastase at another reactive site. In the ordinary assay system D-II and E-I inhibited only trypsin activity at a non-stoichiometric inhibitor-enzyme ratio of 1:1.4, and the complexes had rather high dissociation constants. These inhibitors were all inactive toward subtilisin BPN'.

Studies on soybean trypsin inhibitors. XI. Complete amino acid sequence of a soybean trypsin-chymotrypsin-elastase inhibitor, C-II.

Soybean inhibitor C-II, which inhibits trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and elastase, was reduced and S-carboxymethylated, and digested with trypsin. The amino acid sequences of the resulting tryptic peptides were determined by conventional methods, establishing the complete 76-amino acid sequence of the inhibitor. Inhibitor C-II was found to be homologous with soybean (Glycine max) Bowman-Birk inhibitor and more closely related to an inhibitor from garden beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). The homology with these inhibitors and the limited proteolysis of C-II indicated the reactive sites of C-II for elastase and trypsin to be alanine-22 and arginine-49, respectively. Arginine-49 was also identified as a reactive site for alpha-chymotrypsin. It was found that only a few replacements of one or two amino acid residues around the reactive sites resulted in considerable alteration of the inhibitory specificity.

Fragmentation of rat serum albumin by cyanogen bromide cleavage and the amino acid sequences of four fragments.

Rat serum albumin was cleaved into seven peptides by cyanogen bromide treatment followed by reduction and carboxymethylation. The amino acid composition and the N-terminus of each peptide and the amino acid sequences of four peptides were determined by conventional methods. An alignment of these peptides in the original protein was proposed in the light of the established sequences of bovine and human plasma albumin.

Studies on soybean trypsin inhibitors. XIII. Preparation and characterization of active fragments from Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitor.

Soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitor, a double-headed inhibitor of trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin, was treated with cyanogen bromide and then pepsin to yield two inhibitory active fragments. Structural investigation showed that one of the fragments was derived from the trypsin inhibitory domain and the other from the chymotrypsin inhibitory domain of the inhibitor. In contrast to the unusual stability of the native inhibitor, the separated domains were less stable and could be inactivated with excess proteinases. These results suggest that the legume double-headed inhibitors acquired their unusual stability by duplicating an ancestral single-headed structure.

Preparation of non-reducing-end substituted p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltopentaoside (FG5P) as a substrate for a coupled enzymatic assay for alpha-amylases.

p-Nitrophenyl O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D - glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, FG5P, was prepared, taking advantage of the action of Bacillus macerans cyclodextrin glucanotransferase on a mixture of O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)-amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha- D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-D-glucose and p-nitrophenyl alpha-glucoside. The maltopentaose derivative is resistant to alpha-glucosidase and is suitable as a substrate for the alpha-amylase assay coupled with alpha-glucosidase in which the activity of alpha-amylase is determined by measuring the amount of p-nitrophenol liberated by alpha-glucosidase from p-nitrophenyl alpha-glucoside and p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltoside produced by the action of alpha-amylase. This alpha-amylase assay method was applied for determination of alpha-amylases in human serum.

Amino acid sequence of a trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor, B-III, of peanut (Arachis hypogaea).

The amino acid sequence of peanut trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor, B-III, was determined by conventional methods. The limited proteolysis of B-III with trypsin indicated the reactive sites of B-III for trypsin to be Arg(10)-Arg(11) and Arg(38)-Ser(39). Comparison of the established sequence of B-III with those of other Bowman-Birk type double-headed protease inhibitors indicated that B-III has four amino acid insertions and one amino acid deletion. It is especially interesting that the amino acid residue in the P1' position (No. 11) of the first reactive site for trypsin is arginine instead of serine, which seems to be conserved at the P1' position of the reactive sites of all Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitors.

Preparation of a new fluorogenic substrate of alpha-amylases and a simple alpha-amylase assay by HPLC.

A new substrate of alpha-amylases, O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-D-glucopyranose, was prepared using dextrin as a starting material. Compared with other substrates so far reported, the fluorogenic substrate is unique in that it is resistant to exo-alpha-glucosidases due to the blocking group introduced into the non-reducing end glucose residue. The product of alpha-amylase digestion was rapidly separated from the substrate and was detected very sensitively by HPLC and a fluorescence detector. This method for alpha-amylase assay was also applied for determination of alpha-amylase in human serum.

Amino acid sequences of fragments I and II obtained by cyanogen bromide cleavage of rat serum albumin.

The amino acid sequences of fragment I, the N-terminal cyanogen bromide fragment, and fragment II, a fragment between the first and second methionine residues, of rat serum albumin were determined by conventional methods in consideration of the sequences of human and bovine serum albumin. These sequences were compared with those of human and bovine serum albumin.