Peptides and hydrolysates from casein and soy protein modulate the release of vasoactive substances from human aortic endothelial cells.

Food proteins were shown to affect atherogenic risk factors, which is supposed to be related to specific peptide sequences encrypted within their primary sequence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of peptides and hydrolysates from two food proteins, casein and soy protein, on endothelial cell functions (cell proliferation and release of vasoactive substances). Cell proliferation was not influenced by dipeptides and most of the tripeptides, whereas several total hydrolysates from casein and soy protein inhibited cell proliferation at higher concentrations (>0.25 mg/mL; P<0.05). The release of one or more of the vasoactive substances, thromboxan B2 (stable marker of thromboxan A2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (stable marker of prostaglandin I2), endothelin-1, and nitric oxide, was significantly influenced by the incubation with various peptides compared with control cells (P<0.05). Various hydrolysate fractions from casein and soy protein influenced the release of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha and nitric oxide (P<0.05) but did not influence the release of thromboxan B2 and endothelin-1. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that peptides and hydrolysate fractions from casein and soy protein influence endothelial cell function as evidenced by the modulation of endothelial cell proliferation and alterations in the release of vasoactive substances.

The interfacial pressure is an important parameter for the rate of phospholipase D catalyzed reactions in emulsion systems.

Phospholipase D (PLD) is widely used for the transformation of phospholipids, which is preferably performed in aqueous-organic emulsion systems. The influence of the organic solvent on the reaction rates has been studied on the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and its transesterification with glycerol by two types of PLD (cabbage and Streptomyces sp.). The initial rates determined by quantitative HPTLC show great differences in dependence on the solvent used with a similar tendency for both reactions and both PLDs. Since the polymorphism of the PC aggregates was assumed to be responsible for these effects, the critical concentration of micelle formation, the size of the aggregates, the water content of the organic phase, and the interfacial tension were determined in the different reaction systems. As result the interfacial pressure in the reaction systems influencing the package density of the PC aggregates is suggested to regulate the enzymatic activity.

Hexadecylphosphocholine and 2-modified 1,3-diacylglycerols as effectors of phospholipase D.

The kinetic behaviour of phospholipase D (PLD) from cabbage has been studied in the presence of several substrate-like compounds such as hexadecylphosphocholine (HPC) and 1,3-didodecanoylglycero-2-phosphatides. 1,3-Didodecanoyl- glycero-2-phosphocholine (1,3-DiC12PC) was found being not cleft by PLD, whereas HPC is hydrolyzed by PLD with small rate. The plot of initial velocity vs. substrate concentration for HPC is more sigmoidal than those for the common substrate phosphatidylcholine (PC)/sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) (1:0.5) or the short-chain 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DiC6PC). The anionic amphiphiles 1,3-didodecanoylglycero-2-sulfate and 1,3-didodecanoylglycero-2-phosphate act as activators of PLD towards PC similar to SDS. In contrast, 1,3-DiC12PC shows inhibitory properties with an increase in the sigmoidicity of the initial velocity as a function of substrate concentration in the PC/SDS assay. Also HPC inhibits the hydrolysis of PC/SDS, whereas it acts as activator or inhibitor in the hydrolysis of DiC6PC. The results suggest that PLD possesses two substrate-binding sites, where one binds substrate in function of an effector without catalytic activity while the other is the catalytic site. HPC and 1,3-DiC12PC are assumed to compete with the substrate for both binding sites with effects depending on the ratio of concentrations and affinities of substrates and effectors.

1,3-Diacylglycero-2-phosphocholines--synthesis, aggregation behaviour and properties as inhibitors of phospholipase D.

A series of 1,3-diacylglycero-2-phosphocholines (1,3-PCs) with acyl chain lengths of C8-C18 were synthesised by chemical introduction of the phosphocholine moiety into the regioisomerically pure 1,3-diacylglycerols, which were obtained from glycerol and the vinyl esters of fatty acid by means of lipase from Rhizomucor mihei. The 1,3-PCs being regioisomers of the natural glycerophospholipids were studied with respect to their aggregation behaviour in the absence and in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) as well as their properties as substrates and inhibitors of phospholipase D (PLD) from cabbage. While the main structures of the pure 1,3-PCs were micelles (C8), liposomes (C10, C12) or planar bilayers (C14, C16, C18), the addition of SDS resulted in the formation of mixed micelles (C8, C10) and mixed liposomes (C12, C14, C16, C18). None of the 1,3-PCs was found to be hydrolysed by PLD, whereas all of them showed inhibitory properties in the standard assay for PLD. The inhibitory power was strongest with 1,3-didecanoylglycero-2-phosphocholine (IC50 = 43 microM).

2-modified 1,3-diacylglycerols as new surfactants for the formation of reverse micelles.

New 2-modified 1,3-diacylglycerols such as 1,3-dilauroylglycerol 2-disodiumphosphate and analogues were characterized with respect to their tendency to form reverse micelles in isooctane and isooctane/1-hexanol. The water content of the reverse micelles was determined by Karl-Fischer titration. The critical micelle concentration of the compounds was estimated by fluorescence measurements using rhodamine B as indicator. The concentration regions where reverse micelles are observed were characterized by pseudoternary phase diagrams. The ability of the surfactants to extract proteins into the organic phase was examined for cytochrome c. The properties of the new compounds were compared with the behaviour of the corresponding regioisomeric 3-modified 1,2-diacylglycerols as well as lecithin and the surfactant AOT, which is preferably used for the formation of reverse micelles. The results suggest that the position of the head group in the modified diacylglycerols is of low importance for the phase behaviour whereas the ability to form reverse micelles decisively depends on the kind of the head group.

[Detection of secretion of beta-galactosidase by plant cells]. / Prezentácia sekrécie beta-galaktozidázy rastlinnými bunkami.

A simple, sensitive and reproducible method of detection of extracellular beta-galactosidase was worked out. beta-Galactosidase secreted by the callus culture, or the roots of sprouting plants, hydrolyzes the substrate (6-bromo-2-naphthyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside) to produce beta-D-galactose and 6-bromo-2-naphthol, which after simultaneous azocoupling with hexazotized p-rosaniline, or basic fuchsine, produce a reddish brown compound, nearly insoluble in water (a diazonium salt). The colouring under the callus culture and around it, as well as the colouring of the roots of the sprouting plants, is a manifestation of the activity of extracellular beta-galactosidase by the objects under study. The intensity of the colouring is a measure of their enzymatic activity. The share of intracellularly localized enzyme represents the majority and the share of extracellular beta-galactosidase the minority.

Head group specificity of phospholipase D isoenzymes from poppy seedlings (Papaver somniferum L.).

The biocatalytical potential of two new phospholipase D (PLD) isoenzymes from poppy seedlings (Papaver somniferum L.), PLD-A and PLD-B, was examined by comparing their activities in phospholipid transformation. Both enzymes showed the same ratio in rates of hydrolysis [phosphatidylcholine (PC):phosphatidylglycerol (PG):phosphatidylserine:phosphatidylinositol = 1:0.5:0.3:0.1] and were inactive towards phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). PLD-A did not catalyze head group exchange whereas PLD-B showed a high transphosphatidylation potential in the conversion of PC into PG and PE. This enzyme also catalyzed the transesterification of octadecylphosphocholine into octadecylphosphoglycerol or octadecylphosphoethanolamine.

The adsorptive immobilization of phospholipids D mediated by calcium ions.

Immobilization of phospholipase D from cabbage was studied with the aim of stabilizing the enzyme for its use in synthesis of phospholipids. It was shown that phospholipase D can be immobilized by adsorption to polymeric carriers containing long chain anchor groups such as octadecyl, octyl, or other alkyl residues. Starting from the crude enzyme, phospholipase D activity is preferentially bound (up to 100%) in competition with contaminating proteins. A prerequisite of high binding rates is the presence of calcium ions, which play a mediating role in the adsorption process. The maximum activity of the carrier-enzyme complexes depends upon the calcium concentration in the immobilization process and the carrier material (> or = 10 mM CaCl(2) with octadecyl-Si40, > or = 40 mM CaCl(2) with octyl-sepharose and butyl-fractogel). Immobilization of phospholipase D to octyl-sepharose was shown to result in a distinctly increased storage stability and an enlarged pH-optimum range for the catalytic activity. Operational stability of different phospholipase D-carrier complexes was compared.

A facile purification procedure of phospholipase D from cabbage and its characterization.

Phospholipase D (PLD), an enzyme predestined for the preparation of new phospholipids, was isolated from cabbage and purified in a highly efficient way by using a combination of hydrophobic chromatography and a specific calcium effect. In the presence of calcium ions (50mM), PLD is bound from the crude enzyme solution to Octyl-Sepharose and subsequently selectively eluted by removing the calcium ions. The obtained enzyme is electrophoretically pure (95%), its molecular mass and isoelectric point were determined to be 87,000 Da and 4.7, respectively. The purified enzyme was kinetically characterized by use of mixed phosphatidylcholine-SDS micelles as well as the short-chain lecithins 1,2-dihexanoyl- and 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as substrates. A hyperbolic upsilon/[S]-characteristic was obtained for the mixed micellar system, whereas the upsilon/[S] curves of the short-chain lecithins reflect the dependence of velocity on the physical state of the substrate. A small velocity increase was observed up to a critical substrate concentration near the critical micelle concentration, from where the velocity increases hyperbolically.

Proteolytic degradation of ribonuclease A in the pretransition region of thermally and urea-induced unfolding.

The method of limited proteolysis has proven to be appropriate for the determination of unfolding rate constants (k(U)) of ribonuclease A in the transition region of thermal denaturation [Arnold, U. & Ulbrich-Hofmann, R. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 2166-2172]. The aim of the present paper was to extend this procedure to the pretransition region of thermally and urea-induced denaturation where spectroscopic methods do not allow direct measurement of k(U). The results show that the approach can be applied successfully to denaturing (free energy of unfolding Delta G < 10 kJ.mol(-1)) and to marginally native conditions (Delta G = 10-25 kJ.mol(-1)). Under moderately (Delta G = 25-30 kJ.mol(-1)) and strongly native conditions (Delta G > 30 kJ.mol(-1)), however, the determination of kU was not possible in this way as the proteolytic degradation of ribonuclease A by thermolysin or trypsin was no longer determined by global unfolding. Here, proteolysis proceeds via the native RNase A. In the presence of low concentrations of urea, the rate constants of proteolysis were, surprisingly, smaller than in the absence of urea. As the protease activity has been taken into account, this result points to a local stabilization of the RNase A molecule.

Site-specific and random immobilization of thermolysin-like proteases reflected in the thermal inactivation kinetics.

Immobilization of proteins usually leads to random orientation of the molecules on the surface of the carrier material, whereby mechanistic interpretations of changes in properties, such as thermal stability, become very difficult. Recently, we have prepared several mutant enzymes of the thermolysin-like neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus, containing cysteine residues in different positions on the surface of the protein molecule. These enzymes allowed site-specific immobilization to Activated Thiol-Sepharose and showed that stabilization effects strongly depend on the position of attachment [Mansfeld, Vriend, Van den Burg, Eijsink and Ulbrich-Hofmann (1999) Biochemistry 38, 8240-8245]. The greatest stabilization was achieved after immobilization of the mutant enzymes S65C and T56C/S65C within the structural region (positions 56-69) where unfolding is initiated. In this study thermal inactivation kinetics of these two mutant enzymes, as well as those of the pseudo-wild-type enzyme and thermolysin, were compared for different types of immobilization. Besides site-specific immobilization via thiol groups, the enzymes were bound randomly via their amino groups or by mixed-type binding. The basic matrix was Sepharose 4B in all carriers. Whereas the enzymes bound site-specifically to Activated Thiol-Sepharose showed clear first-order inactivation kinetics like the soluble enzymes, the other immobilized enzyme preparations were characterized by distinct biphasic inactivation kinetics reflecting the heterogeneity of enzyme molecules on the carrier with respect to thermal unfolding. Site-specific binding resulted in stronger stabilization than the mixed binding type. However, immobilization to a highly functionalized carrier via amino groups increased stability further, suggesting that multiple fixation outside of the unfolding region 56-65 is able to increase stability of the enzyme molecules additionally.

Differences in the denaturation behavior of ribonuclease A induced by temperature and guanidine hydrochloride.

Moderate temperatures or low concentrations of denaturants diminish the catalytic activity of some enzymes before spectroscopic methods indicate protein unfolding. To discriminate between possible reasons for the inactivation of ribonuclease A, we investigated the influence of temperature and guanidine hydrochloride on its proteolytic susceptibility to proteinase K by determining the proteolytic rate constants and fragment patterns. The results were related to changes of activity and spectroscopic properties of ribonuclease A. With thermal denaturation, the changes in activity and in the rate constants of proteolytic degradation coincide and occur slightly before the spectroscopically observable transition. In the case of guanidine hydrochloride-induced denaturation, however, proteolytic resistance of ribonuclease A initially increases accompanied by a drastic activity decrease far before unfolding of the protein is detected by spectroscopy or proteolysis. In addition to ionic effects, a tightening of the protein structure at low guanidine hydrochloride concentrations is suggested to be responsible for ribonuclease A inactivation.

Kinetic and thermodynamic thermal stabilities of ribonuclease A and ribonuclease B.

The thermal stabilities of ribonuclease A (RNase A) and ribonuclease B (RNase B), which possess identical protein structures but differ by the presence of a carbohydrate chain attached to Asn34 in RNase B, were studied by proteolysis and UV spectroscopy at pH 8.0. Proteolysis was quantified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and densitometry. Increasing protease concentrations led to a hyperbolic increase of the rate constants of proteolysis. With thermolysin, which attacks the unfolded molecules only, the thermal unfolding constants were determined by extrapolating the rate constants of proteolysis to infinite concentration of protease. With trypsin, the unfolding constants of RNase A could be confirmed. Subtilisin attacked even the native RNases, where RNase B was more stable toward proteolytic degradation. Kinetic stabilities (deltaG++) calculated from the unfolding constants for temperatures between 52.5 and 65 degrees C revealed a higher kinetic stability of RNase B, which results from enthalpic effects only, whereas entropic effects counteract stabilization. delta deltaG++ at the transition temperature of RNase A (60.4 degrees C) was 2.2 +/- 0.3 kJ mol(-1). Thermodynamic stabilities (deltaG) were estimated from the thermal transition curves at 287 nm for the temperature range from 55 to 70 degrees C. For 17.5-25 degrees C, deltaG values were determined from transition curves of unfolding induced by guanidine hydrochloride and extrapolation of the free energy values to those in the absence of denaturant. At all temperatures, RNase B proved to be more stable than RNase A with essentially the same enthalpy and entropy of unfolding. delta deltaG was 2.5 +/- 0.2 kJ mol(-1) at 60.4 degrees C and 2.3 kJ mol(-1) at 25 degrees C.

Transphosphatidylation by immobilized phospholipase D in aqueous media.

Phospholipase D (PLD) from Streptomyces sp. was immobilized by covalent binding to aminopropyl-glass activated by glutardialdehyde and to the macroporous synthetic polymer VA-Epoxy Biosynth (from Riedel-de Häen, Seelze, Germany) pre-activated by epoxy groups. The immobilized PLDs were examined for the synthesis of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) from soybean (Glycine max) phosphatidylcholine (PC) in purely aqueous solutions in comparison with commonly used diethyl ether/buffer systems. In contrast with general assumptions, the transphosphatidylation was shown to yield a high percentage of PG, even in pure buffer. With PLD immobilized to VA-Epoxy Biosynth, the formation of phosphatidic acid (PA) is insignificant, while the yield of PG amounts to 60%. With PLD immobilized to porous glass (average pore diameter 17 nm), higher yields of PG (72%) are reached, but the formation of PA also increases (up to 10%). In comparison with the reaction in the diethyl ether/buffer system, however, the conversion of PC into PG proceeds much more slowly. Detergents such as Triton X-100 accelerate the reaction.

Detection and characterization of phospholipase D by flow injection analysis.

A precisely working automated system for the investigation of phospholipases D (PLDs, EC 3.1.4.4) from plant and microbial sources with flow injection analysis (FIA) has been developed. The two versions of the FIA setup described are based on the oxidation of choline liberated from phosphatidylcholine by PLD action and catalyzed by choline oxidase and the chemiluminescence detection of hydrogen peroxide produced by this reaction. The correlation between this chemiluminescence signal and the PLD activity was linear in the range between 1 and 100 mU/ml PLD. The sampling frequency was 12 samples per hour. This method was used to compare three different PLDs from cabbage and microbial sources with respect to their pH optima, temperature stability, effectors, and v/[S]-characteristics.

Differentiation between conformational and autoproteolytic stability of the neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus containing an engineered disulfide bond.

The introduction of a disulfide bond into the neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus by the double mutation G8C/N60C had resulted in an extremely thermostable enzyme with a half-life of 35.9 min at 92.5 degrees C [Mansfeld, J., Vriend, G., Dijkstra, B.W., Veltman, O.R., van den Burg, B., Venema, G., Ulbrich-Hofmann, R. & Eijsink, V.G. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 11152-11156]. The study in guanidine hydrochloride of this enzyme and the respective wild-type enzyme allowed us to distinguish between the stability toward global unfolding and autoproteolysis. At low protease concentrations (20 microg.mL-1) and short periods of incubation with guanidine hydrochloride (5 min), transition curves without the interference by autoproteolysis could be derived from fluorescence emission measurements. The effect of the disulfide bond on the global unfolding of the protein proved to be smaller than expected. In contrast, the measurement of autoproteolysis at higher protein concentrations (100 microg.mL-1) by quantitative evaluation of the bands of intact protein on SDS/PAGE revealed a strong stabilization toward autoproteolytic degradation by the disulfide bond. The rate of autoproteolysis in guanidine hydrochloride was found to be much lower than that of thermal denaturation, which can be attributed to the inhibition of the proteases by this denaturant. The results suggest that the disulfide bond stabilizes the protease against autoproteolysis more than against global unfolding. Autoproteolysis starts as soon as the cleavage sites in flexible external structural regions become accessible. It is suggested that the stabilizing effect of the disulfide bond is caused by the fixation of the crucial loop region 56-69 or by hindrance of the primary cleavage in this region by the amino acid exchanges.

Alkylphosphate esters as inhibitors of phospholipase D.

Alkylphosphate esters were shown to be potent inhibitors of phospholipase D. Using phosphatidyl choline/sodium dodecylsulfate (2:1) as substrate, IC50 values were determined for alkylphosphocholines of different chain length (C10-C18) and for various octadecylphosphate esters with different polar head groups. The inhibitory potency strongly increased with increasing chain length of the alkyl chain. The substitution of choline for heterocyclic nitrogen compounds or for 2-trimethylarsonio-ethanol also affected the inhibition of phospholipase D. Octadecylphosphocholine proved to be the most efficient inhibitor (IC50 = 6.4 microM).

The effect of hexadecylphosphocholine on the degradation of mitochondrial phospholipids.

Hexadecylphosphocholine (HePC) is known as antitumor agent but the mechanism has not yet been understood. In rat liver mitochondria its effect on phospholipid transformation has been studied by quantitative HPTLC and phosphorus determination. From the results it can be concluded that HePC influences the activities of phospholipase A2, phospholipase C, phospholipase D, and lysophospholipase A. The phospholipid transformation as well as the influence of HePC are affected by exogenous calcium ions. In the presence of calcium HePC has been found to inhibit enzyme activities, whereas in the absence of exogenous calcium ions enzymatic phospholipid transformations are activated or inhibited depending on HePC concentrations.

Influence of the carbohydrate moiety on the proteolytic cleavage sites in ribonuclease B.

The influence of glycosylation on proteolytic degradation was studied by comparing cleavage sites in ribonuclease A (RNase A) and ribonuclease B (RNase B), which only differ by a carbohydrate chain attached to Asn34 in RNase B. Primary cleavage sites in RNase B were determined by identifying complementary fragments using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and compared with those in RNase A [Arnold et al. (1996), Eur. J. Biochem. 237, 862-869]. RNase B was cleaved by subtilisin even at 25 degrees C at Ala2-Ser21 as known for RNase A. Under thermal unfolding, the peptide bonds Asn34-Leu35 and Thr45-Phe46 were identified as primary cleavage sites for thermolysin and Lys31-Ser32 for trypsin. These sites are widely identical with those in RNase A. Treatment of reduced and carbamidomethylated RNase A and RNase B with trypsin led to a fast degradation and revealed new primary cleavage sites. Therefore, the state of unfolding seems to determine the sequence of degradation steps more than steric hindrance by the carbohydrate moiety does.

The determination of phospholipase D activity in emulsion systems.

Although phospholipase D (PLD) is often used in emulsion systems consisting of buffer and a nonpolar organic solvent, most activity assays have been designed to work in purely aqueous milieu. Here a method is described for the determination of PLD activity in emulsion systems. The assay is based on the transphosphatidylation of phosphatidylcholine with 1-butanol in dichloromethane/buffer with the subsequent densitometric quantification of the products after their separation by HPTLC and staining with a CuSO4/H3PO4 reagent. The method is particularly appropriate for the determination of enzymes such as PLD from Streptomyces sp. that prefer the exchange of the head group in glycerophospholipids to their hydrolysis. Since the application of an organic solvent in the PLD assay allows the determination of the enzyme in analytes insoluble in aqueous media, the method can also be used to determine PLD activity in the presence of high concentrations of phospholipids.