Identification of guanine, guanosine, and inosine for α-amylase inhibitors in the extracts of the earthworm Eisenia fetida and characterization of their inhibitory activities against porcine pancreatic α-amylase.

Earthworms are known as a source of a traditional medicine, and bioactive components have been reported. We have reported that a fraction (U3EE) with molecular mass under 3 kDa from the water extract of Eisenia fetida inhibits porcine pancreatic α-amylase (PPA) activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 73.7 ±â€¯4.0 mg/mL. Here we purified PPA-inhibitory components from U3EE by sequential procedures of 85 %-ethanol (EtOH) extraction, solid-phase extraction (SPE), and RP-HPLC. The water eluate from SPE of the 85 %-EtOH extract was a major inhibitory fraction, from which three components were separated by 2nd RP-HPLC and identified with MS, TLC, and UV spectroscopy as guanine (Gua), inosine (Ino), and guanosine (Guo). Kinetic analysis showed that Gua and Guo were non-competitive inhibitors and Ino a mixed-type one, suggesting a key role of the purine ring in inhibition. The inhibitor constants (Ki) of Gua and Guo were 0.28 ±â€¯0.07 and 1.64 ±â€¯0.14 mM, respectively, and Ki and Ki' of Ino in the EI and ESI complexes were 5.8 ±â€¯1.1 and 59 ±â€¯12 mM, respectively. U3EE might be useful for food supplements to prevent obesity and diabetes.

Exploration of dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPP IV) inhibitors in a low-molecular mass extract of the earthworm Eisenia fetida and identification of the inhibitors as amino acids like methionine, leucine, histidine, and isoleucine.

We have reported previously that the water extract of the earthworm Eisenia fetida has inhibitory effect on human dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPP IV) in vitro. Here we studied to identify DPP IV inhibitors in a low-molecular mass extract (designated U3EE) under 3 kDa prepared from the water extract. U3EE showed 50 % inhibition (IC50) at the concentration of 5.3 ± 0.3 mg/mL. An inhibitory active fraction obtained by solid-phase extraction of U3EE was separated into three parts by reversed-phase HPLC. These parts were shown by GC/MS to be composed of ten (Ala, Gly, Thr, Ser, Asn, Asp, Lys, His, Orn, and cystine), two (Leu and Ile), and one (Met) amino acids, respectively. Among them, Met, Leu, and His showed strong inhibition with IC50 values of 3.4 ± 0.3, 6.1 ± 0.3 and 14.7 ± 1.2 mM, respectively; Ala, Lys, Orn, and Ile showed rather weaker inhibition than those, while the others showed no inhibition. Met, Leu, and Ile were competitive inhibitors and His was a mixed-type one. DPP IV inhibition by U3EE might be due to additive and/or synergistic effects of the inhibitory amino acids, suggesting that it could be useful as pharmaceutical and supplement for diabetes prevention.

Activating effects on trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, and lipase and inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase as provided by low-molecular-weight compounds in the water extract of the earthworm Eisenia fetida.

A fraction (designated as U3EE) with molecular mass under 3 kDa from the water extract of the earthworm Eisenia fetida was prepared and its effects on mammalian digestive enzymes were examined. U3EE itself showed no relevant enzyme activities. However, it increased the activities of trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, and lipase, while decreased those of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The trypsin activation and α-amylase inhibition were analyzed precisely by enzyme kinetics. The former was solely dependent on increase in the molecular activity kcat without any change in the Michaelis constant Km, and the latter was mainly dependent on decrease in Km with a slight change in kcat. Effects of the treatments of U3EE with freezing-and-thawing, heat, acid, and hexane were examined. The treated U3EE showed the effects on the enzymes with the same potencies as those provided by the non-treated one, indicating that U3EE was enough stable toward the harsh treatments to hold the modulating effects on the enzyme activities. U3EE was also shown to be highly hydrophilic. The results obtained in this paper suggested that U3EE could be applicable as a novel constituent for pharmaceuticals and functional foods.

Decrease in the acrylamide content in canned coffee by heat treatment with the addition of cysteine.

Acrylamide (AA) is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Although coffee contains a small amount of AA, it is a popular beverage worldwide. Approximately 10 billion canned coffees are consumed each year in Japan. In this study, we investigated how to decrease AA contained in canned coffee by modifying the heat treatment used for sterilization during the manufacturing process. The AA content of both types of canned coffee (black and milk) was decreased by approximately 95% by heat treatment with adding cysteine at 121 °C for 6 min. The content was also decreased by heat treatment with dithiothreitol, although that with cystine had no effect. Therefore, it is shown that thiol groups in cysteine and dithiothreitol might play an important role in decreasing the AA content.

Effects of salts on the interaction of 8-anilinonaphthalene 1-sulphonate and thermolysin.

Neutral salts activate and stabilize thermolysin. In this study, to explore the mechanism, we analyzed the interaction of 8-anilinonaphthalene 1-sulphonate (ANS) and thermolysin by ANS fluorescence. At pH 7.5, the fluorescence of ANS increased and blue-shifted with increasing concentrations (0-2.0 µM) of thermolysin, indicating that the anilinonaphthalene group of ANS binds with thermolysin through hydrophobic interaction. ANS did not alter thermolysin activity. The dissociation constants (Kd) of the complex between ANS and thermolysin was 33 ± 2 µM at 0 M NaCl at pH 7.5, decreased with increasing NaCl concentrations, and reached 9 ± 3 µM at 4 M NaCl. The Kd values were not varied (31-34 µM) in a pH range of 5.5-8.5. This suggests that at high NaCl concentrations, Na(+) and/or Cl(-) ions bind with thermolysin and affect the binding of ANS with thermolysin. Our results also suggest that the activation and stabilization of thermolysin by NaCl are partially brought about by the binding of Na(+) and/or Cl(-) ions with thermolysin.

Single nucleotide polymorphism typing with a surface plasmon resonance-based sensor using hybridization enhancement blockers.

We constructed a simple method for discrimination of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based sensor by determining the binding volume (BV) between a target SNP allele and a probe complementary to the target. In the method, a novel additive termed "blocker," which is a short single-stranded DNA complementary to the target, was used. The blocker enhanced the BV of the target only to the full-match probe 10-fold or more, so the SNP alleles could be discriminated readily. The effect of the blocker concentration was also examined. The BV to only a full-match probe increased with increasing the blocker concentration and reached a plateau at the concentration of 300-500 nM. To assess the effectiveness of this method, the SNP associated with progressive rod-cone degeneration in dog was determined. The results of genotyping with the method were in good agreement with those obtained by direct sequencing.

Toxicity of parasporin-4 and health effects of pro-parasporin-4 diet in mice.

Parasporin-4 (PS4) is an aerolysin-type ß-pore-forming toxin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis strain A1470. It exhibits specific cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines; therefore, it is expected to be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of particular types of cancer cells. We examined the acute toxicity of PS4 on ICR mice. The LD50 value was 160 µg/kg by a subcutaneous route. Potassium, ammonium, magnesium ion, creatinine, and urea nitrogen decreased in urine by the injection of PS4. Simultaneously, creatinine and urea nitrogen in mice serum increased. These results imply that PS4 impairs kidney function in mice. PS4 is obtained from Pro-parasporin-4 (ProPS4) by processing, and ProPS4 is produced by recombinant Escherichia coli as the inclusion body. The inclusion body of ProPS4 can be solubilized in a weak acid solution and activated by pepsin, implying that it would be solubilized and activated in the stomach of mammals after oral administration. Thus, the influence of the oral administration of it by C57BL/6J mice was examined. Although ProPS4 was activated to PS4 in the mouse digestive tract, any serious health hazard was not observed and there was no significant difference in body weight change.

Effects of heparin and cholesterol sulfate on the activity and stability of human matrix metalloproteinase 7.

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans and sulfated lipids are involved in the biological functions of human matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7). In this study, the effects of heparin and cholesterol sulfate (CS) on the activity and stability of MMP-7 in the hydrolysis of a synthetic substrate, (7-methoxycoumarin-4-yl)acetyl-l-Pro-l-Leu-Gly-l-Leu-[N(3)-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-l-2,3-diaminopropionyl]-l-Ala-l-Arg-NH2, were examined. Heparin increased activity by decreasing Km, and the Km values for 0 and 50 µM heparin were 57 ± 8 and 19 ± 5 µM, respectively. CS decreased activity in a non-competitive inhibitory manner with a Ki value of 11 ± 3 µM. In thermal incubation at 50-70 °C, heparin increased relative activity (the ratio of kcat/Km of MMP-7 with incubation to that without it), while CS decreased relative activity. These results indicate that heparin increases the activity and stability of MMP-7, while CS decreases them.

A recombinant matriptase causes an increase in caspase-3 activity in a small-intestinal epithelial IEC-6 line cultured on fibronectin-coated plates.

Matriptase is an epithelial-derived type-II transmembrane serine protease. This protease is expressed prominently in the villus tip of small-intestinal epithelia at which senescent cells undergo shedding and/or apoptosis. The basement membrane of epithelial cells, including small-intestinal epithelial cells, contains extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins such as fibronectin and laminin. We found previously that high concentrations of a recombinant matriptase catalytic domain (r-MatCD) (e.g. 1 µM) caused an increased detachment of and increases in the activity of apoptotic effector caspase-3 in a rat small-intestinal epithelial IEC-6 line cultured on laminin-coated plates and proposed that at sites with its high level of expression, matriptase contributes to promoting shedding and/or detachment-induced death of epithelial cells through a mechanism mediating loss of cell-ECM adhesion. In this study, we found that even without increasing cell detachment, a high concentration of r-MatCD causes an increase in caspase-3 activity in IEC-6 cells cultured on fibronectin-coated plates, suggesting that the recombinant matriptase can cause apoptosis by a mechanism unrelated to cell detachment. Also, r-MatCD-treated IEC-6 cells on fibronectin were found to display spindle-like morphological changes. We suggest that r-MatCD causes apoptosis of IEC-6 on fibronectin by a mechanism involving the disruption of cell integrity.

Involvement of Val 315 located in the C-terminal region of thermolysin in its expression in Escherichia coli and its thermal stability.

Thermolysin is a thermophilic and halophilic zinc metalloproteinase that consists of ß-rich N-terminal (residues 1-157) and α-rich C-terminal (residues 158-316) domains. Expression of thermolysin variants truncated from the C-terminus was examined in E. coli culture. The C-terminal Lys316 residue was not significant in the expression, but Val315 was critical. Variants in which Val315 was substituted with fourteen amino acids were prepared. The variants substituted with hydrophobic amino acids such as Leu and Ile were almost the same as wild-type thermolysin (WT) in the expression amount, α-helix content, and stability. Variants with charged (Asp, Glu, Lys, and Arg), bulky (Trp), or small (Gly) amino acids were lower in these characteristics than WT. All variants exhibited considerably high activities (50-100% of WT) in hydrolyzing protein and peptide substrates. The expression amount, helix content, and stability of variants showed good correlation with hydropathy indexes of the amino acids substituted for Val315. Crystallographic study of thermolysin has indicated that V315 is a member of the C-terminal hydrophobic cluster. The results obtained in the present study indicate that stabilization of the cluster increases thermolysin stability and that the variants with higher stability are expressed more in the culture. Although thermolysin activity was not severely affected by the variation at position 315, the stability and specificity were modified significantly, suggesting the long-range interaction between the C-terminal region and active site.

Cloning and expression of the cold-adapted endo-1,4-ß-glucanase gene from Eisenia fetida.

Biofuel production from plant-derived lignocellulosic material using fungal cellulases is facing cost-effective challenges related to high temperature requirements. The present study identified a cold-adapted cellulase named endo-1,4-ß-glucanase (EF-EG2) from the earthworm Eisenia fetida. The gene was cloned in the cold-shock expression vector (pCold I) and functionally expressed in Escherichia coli ArcticExpress RT (DE3). The gene consists of 1,368 bp encoding 456 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence shares sequence homology with the endo-1,4-ß-glucanases of Eisenia andrei (98%), Pheretima hilgendorfi (79%), Perineresis brevicirris (63%), and Strongylocentrotus nudus (58%), which all belong to glycoside hydrolase family 9. Purified recombinant EF-EG2 hydrolyzed soluble cellulose (carboxymethyl cellulose), but not insoluble (powdered cellulose) or crystalline (Avicel) cellulose substrates. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the reaction products from 1,4-ß-linked oligosaccharides of various lengths revealed a cleavage mechanism consistent with endoglucanases (not exoglucanases). The enzyme exhibited significant activity at 10°C (38% of the activity at optimal 40°C) and was stable at pH 5.0-9.0, with an optimum pH of 5.5. This new cold-adapted cellulase could potentially improve the cost effectiveness of biofuel production.

Chemical modification of wheat ß-amylase by trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, methoxypolyethylene glycol, and glutaraldehyde to improve its thermal stability and activity.

The amino groups of wheat ß-amylase (WBA) were modified by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS), 2,4-bis (O-methoxypolyethylene glycol)-6-chloro-s-triazine (mPEG), and glutaraldehyde (GA) to improve its thermal stability and activity. Modification of WBA by 5mM TNBS, 4.8µM mPEG and 11 mM GA improved its T50 (the temperature at which 50% of its activity is lost after 30 min of incubation) from 47 ± 1°C to 48 ± 2, 55 ± 2, and 54 ± 2°C, respectively. The catalytic activity of WBA was reduced by 15% and 59% with modification by 5mM TNBS and 11mM GA, respectively. In all cases, the enhancement of thermostability of modified WBA was entropically driven. The activity of WBA modified by 4.8µM mPEG was enhanced by 39% at 25°C. Therefore, the thermal stability of WBA was significantly improved by modification with mPEG, GA and slightly by TNBS and its catalytic activity was enhanced by mPEG.

Effects of conversion of the zinc-binding motif sequence of thermolysin, HEXXH, to that of dipeptidyl peptidase III, HEXXXH, on the activity and stability of thermolysin.

Most zinc metalloproteinases have the consensus zinc-binding motif sequence HEXXH, in which two histidine residues chelate a catalytic zinc ion. The zinc-binding motif sequence of thermolysin, H(142)ELTH(146), belongs to this motif sequence, while that of dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III), H(450)ELLGH(455), belongs to the motif sequence HEXXXH. In this study, we examined effects of conversion of HEXXH to HEXXXH in thermolysin on its activity and stability. Thermolysin variants bearing H(142)ELLGH(146) or H(142)ELTGH(146) (designated T145LG and T145TG respectively) were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and were produced in Escherichia coli cells by co-expressing the mature and pro domains separately. They did not exhibit hydrolyzing activity for casein or N-[3-(2-furyl)acryloyl]-glycyl-L-leucine amide, but exhibited binding ability to a substrate analog glycyl-D-phenylalanine (Gly-D-Phe). The apparent denaturing temperatures based on the ellipticity at 222 nm of T145LG and T145TG were 85 ± 1 °C and 86 ± 1 °C respectively, almost the same as that of wild-type thermolysin (85 ± 1 °C). These results indicate that conversion of HEXXH to HEXXXH abolishes thermolysin activity, but does not affect its binding ability to Gly-D-Phe or its stability. Our results are in contrast to ones reported previously, that DPP III variants bearing H(450)ELGH(455) exhibit activity.

Effects of mutations of thermolysin, as N116 to asp and asp150 to glu, on salt-induced activation and stabilization.

Neutral salts activate and stabilize thermolysin. We previously found that two single mutations, Asn116→Asp and Asp150→Glu, increase the activity of thermolysin. In the present study, we examined their effects on NaCl-induced activation and stabilization. In the hydrolysis of N-[3-(2-furyl)acryloyl]-glycyl-L-leucine amide, the relative activities (the ratios of the specificity constant, kcat/Km, at x M NaCl to that at 0 M NaCl) at 0.5-4.0 M NaCl of D150E and N116D/D150E were lower than those of wild-type thermolysin (WT) and N116D, respectively. In thermal inactivation at 70 °C, the relative stabilities (the ratios of the first-order rate constant, kobs, at 0 M NaCl to that at x M NaCl) at 0.5-4.0 M NaCl of D150E and N116D/D150E were lower than those of WT and N116D, respectively. These results indicate that unlike Asn116→Asp, Asp150→Glu reduced NaCl-induced activation and stabilization, suggesting that the binding of ions with certain residues of thermolysin is involved in the activation and stabilization.

Interaction of wheat ß-amylase with maltose and glucose as examined by fluorescence.

Fluorescence of wheat ß-amylase (WBA) was quenched by the interaction with maltose or glucose, which are competitive inhibitors of WBA, suggesting that the states of tryptophan and tyrosine residues could be changed by the interaction. The fluorescence emitted by excitation at 280 and 295 nm was titrated by changing the concentrations of maltose and glucose. The dissociation constant (Kd) values of the WBA-maltose and WBA-glucose complexes were determined to be 0.20 ± 0.12 M for maltose and 0.36 ± 0.11 M for glucose at 25°C, pH 5.4. Maltose exhibited additional binding mode at higher concentration with a distinct Kd value (1.5 ± 0.4 M). The Kd values at various temperatures and pHs are in agreement with the inhibitor constant (Ki) values previously reported. The negative standard enthalpy changes (ΔH°) of the WBA association with glucose and maltose indicate that the associations are exothermic. The association constant (Ka) and ΔG° values of the maltose and glucose binding to WBA decreased slightly with increasing temperature from 25°C to 45°C but not dependent on pH change (pH 3.0, 5.4 and 9.0). Fluorescence of WBA could be used as a structural probe to examine the inhibitory interaction with the products of starch hydrolysis.

Kinetic and thermodynamic analysis of the inhibitory effects of maltose, glucose, and related carbohydrates on wheat ß-amylase.

Inhibition of wheat ß-amylase (WBA) by glucose and maltose was studied by kinetics and thermodynamics. The inhibitory effects of fructose, difructose, sucrose, trehalose, cellobiose, acarbose, and 1-deoxynojirimycin on WBA were also evaluated. The half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of acarbose, maltose and glucose were 0.06±0.01M, 0.22±0.09M, and 1.41±0.17M, respectively. The inhibitor constant (Ki) and the thermodynamic parameters such as changes in Gibbs energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH), and entropy (ΔS) of the dissociation reactions of the WBA-glucose and WBA-maltose complexes were temperature and pH-dependent. The dissociation reactions were endothermic and enthalpy-driven. Both glucose and maltose behaved as competitive inhibitors at pH 3.0 and 5.4 at a temperature of 25°C with respective Ki values of 0.33±0.02M and 0.12±0.03M. In contrast, both sugars exhibited uncompetitive inhibition at pH 9 at a temperature of 25°C with Ki values of 0.21±0.03M for glucose and 0.11±0.04M for maltose. The pH-dependence of the inhibition type and Ki values indicate that the ionizing groups of WBA influence drastically the interaction with these carbohydrates. This evidence enables us to consider temperature and pH in the WBA-catalyzed hydrolysis to manipulate the inhibition by end-product, maltose, and even by glucose.

Degradation kinetics of chlorogenic acid at various pH values and effects of ascorbic acid and epigallocatechin gallate on its stability under alkaline conditions.

5-Caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA) is generally referred to as chlorogenic acid and exhibits various biological activities such as antioxidant activity and porcine pancreas α-amylase inhibitory activities. 5-CQA may be useful as an antioxidant for food and to prevent diabetes and obesity. The degradation of 5-CQA and caffeic acid (CA) in an aqueous solution at 37 °C and pH 5.0-9.0 was studied. The degradation of 5-CQA and CA, demonstrating time and pH dependence (i.e., the rate constant, k, was higher at higher pH), was satisfactorily described by the Weibull equation. The stability of 5-CQA at pH 7.4 and 9.0 was improved by adding (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and ascorbic acid (AA). Moreover, the degradation of 5-CQA in the presence of EGCG or AA could be described by the Weibull equation. The k value in the presence of EGCG or AA was dependent on their concentration.

Effects of site-directed mutagenesis in the N-terminal domain of thermolysin on its stabilization.

The thermolysin variant G8C/N60C/S65P in which the triple mutation in the N-terminal domain, Gly8→Cys/Asn60→Cys/Ser65→Pro, is undertaken increases stability [Yasukawa, K. and Inouye, K. (2007) Improving the activity and stability of thermolysin by site-directed mutagenesis. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1774, 1281-1288] and its mechanism is examined in this study. The apparent denaturing temperatures based on ellipticity at 222 nm of the wild-type thermolysin (WT), G8C/N60C, S65P and G8C/N60C/S65P were 85, >95, 88 and >95°C, respectively. The first-order rate constants, k(obs), of the thermal inactivation of WT and variants at 10 mM CaCl2 increased with increasing thermal treatment temperatures (70-95°C), and those at 80°C decreased with increasing CaCl2 concentrations (1-100 mM). The k(obs) values were in the order of WT > S65P > G8C/N60C≒G8C/N60C/S65P at all temperatures and CaCl2 concentrations. These results indicate that the mutational combination, Gly8→Cys/Asn60→Cys and Ser65→Pro, increases stability only as high as Gly8→Cys/Asn60→Cys does. Assuming that irreversible inactivation of thermolysin occurs only in the absence of calcium ions, the dissociation constants, K(d), to the calcium ions of WT, G8C/N60C, S65P and G8C/N60C/S65P were 47, 8.9, 17 and 7.2 mM, respectively, suggesting that Gly8→Cys/Asn60→Cys and Ser65→Pro stabilize thermolysin by improving its affinity to calcium ions, most probably the one at the Ca²âº-binding site III in the N-terminal domain.

Roles of CUB and LDL receptor class A domain repeats of a transmembrane serine protease matriptase in its zymogen activation.

Matriptase is a type II transmembrane serine protease containing two complement proteases C1r/C1s-urchin embryonic growth factor-bone morphogenetic protein domains (CUB repeat) and four low-density lipoprotein receptor class A domains (LDLRA repeat). The single-chain zymogen of matriptase has been found to exhibit substantial protease activity, possibly causing its own activation (i.e. conversion to a disulfide-linked two-chain fully active form), although the activation seems to be mediated predominantly by two-chain molecules. Our aim was to assess the roles of CUB and LDLRA repeats in zymogen activation. Transient expression studies of soluble truncated constructs of recombinant matriptase in COS-1 cells showed that the CUB repeat had an inhibitory effect on zymogen activation, possibly because it facilitated the interaction of two-chain molecules with a matriptase inhibitor, hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type-1. By contrast, the LDLRA repeat had a promoting effect on zymogen activation. The effect of the LDLRA repeat seems to reflect its ability to increase zymogen activity. The proteolytic activities were higher in pseudozymogen forms of recombinant matriptase containing the LDLRA repeat than in a pseudozymogen without the repeat. Our findings provide new insights into the roles of these non-catalytic domains in the generation of active matriptase.

High antioxidant activity of coffee silverskin extracts obtained by the treatment of coffee silverskin with subcritical water.

Coffee silverskin (CS) is a thin tegument of the outer layer of green coffee beans and a major by-product of the roasting process to produce roasted coffee beans. CS extracts obtained by the treatment of CS with subcritical water at 25-270°C were investigated for their antioxidant activity using hydrophilic oxygen radical absorption capacity (H-ORAC) and DPPH radical scavenging capacity assays. The antioxidant activity increased with increasing the extraction temperature and the highest activity was observed with the extracts obtained at 270°C. The H-ORAC and DPPH values of the extracts were 2629±193 and 379±36µmol TE/g of CS extract, respectively. High correlation (R=0.999) was observed between H-ORAC and DPPH values for the CS extracts. High correlation of the antioxidant activity was also observed with protein and phenolic contents in the extracts. The CS extracts could be useful as a good source of antioxidative materials.