Cathepsin D from pig myometrium. Characterization of the proteinase.

The purification of cathepsin D from pig uterus by two-step affinity chromatography on concanavalin A- and pepstatin-Sepharose was described previously [Afting & Becker (1981) Biochem. J. 197, 519-522]. In this paper, chemical and physical properties of the proteinase are presented. The purified enzyme showed three bands on SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate)/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, one main band corresponding to an Mr of 31 000 and two minor bands with Mr values of 43 000 and 15 000 respectively. Gel filtration on Bio-gel P-150 and sedimentation-diffusion equilibrium studies give an Mr for the main band of about 35 000. The pI of the enzyme was determined to be 7.2. Haemoglobin was the best substrate, with a Km value of 6.4 X 10(-6)M. It was hydrolysed with a pH optimum between 3.0 and 3.3 for a substrate concentration of 100 microM. The proteinase was stable over the pH range of 3.5-6.5. At pH 6 the enzyme showed stability up to a temperature of 50 degrees C; at pH 3 the activity was already decreased below 40 degrees C. Carbohydrate studies resulted in the staining of all three bands on an SDS/polyacrylamide gel by thymol/H2SO4. After treatment with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, all three bands were shifted to a region of lower Mr. Of various inhibitors tested, only pepstatin was strongly inhibiting, with a Ki of 2.1 X 10(-9)M.

Two-step affinity-chromatographic purification of cathepsin D from pig myometrium with high yield.

Cathepsin D was purified by two-step affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-- and pepstatin--Sepharose. The main purification was achieved by washing the enzyme bound to the pepstatin--Sepharose column with buffered 6 M-urea. This step separated cathepsin D from all low- and high-molecular-weight impurities. Although the 1700-fold purified acid proteinase was homogeneous on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, it still showed microheterogeneity.

Isolation and renaturation of alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor from diploid human fibroblasts.

alpha 2-Macroglobulin receptor was extracted from human diploid fibroblasts and purified by affinity chromatography in a single step. The receptor had mol.wt. 125 000 after sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The isolated receptor was separated by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, transferred on to nitrocellulose sheets and subsequently renatured, as shown by a specific binding test, by incubation with Nonidet P40.

A novel alkaline proteinase associated with the actomyosin complex from pig uterine myometrium.

A novel proteolytic activity has been demonstrated an partially characterized in the actomyosin complex isolated from smooth uterine muscle. This proteolytic activity showed an alkaline pH optimum, was inhibited by SH-group-blocking reagents but not by metal-chelating agents and copurified with the actomyosin complex. An important characteristic of this alkaline proteolytic activity was that it seems to hydrolyze the actomyosin by limited proteolysis with a concomitant loss of the myosin adenosinetriphosphatase activity.

Activities of proteinases and of a proteinase B inhibitor in tumors of the human uterus.

The activities of an acid proteinase, of an alkaline proteinase, of a lysine aminopeptidase and of a proteinase B inhibitor were measured in benign and malignant tumors of the human uterus. In carcinomas of the corpus uteri the activity of the acid proteinase (cathepsin D) was increased compared to normal endometrium. This could probably be the result of cell destruction within the tumor. In leiomyomas of the uterus the activities of the alkaline proteinase, of the lysine aminopeptidase, and of the proteinase inhibitor were decreased compared to the normal myometrium. These results suggest that a decrease in the rate of degradation of myofibrillar proteins relative to the rate of protein synthesis may be responsible for the growth of myomas.

Excretion of total and muscular N tau-methylhistidine and creatinine in muscle diseases.

The daily urinary excretions of N tau-methylhistidine and creatinine from 52 adult patients were measured under standardized conditions. The ratio of N tau-methylhistidine to creatinine excretion was calculated on the basis of the total and muscle-specific excretion rates and correlated to the clinical status of the patients. In patients with muscular diseases and in those with diseases of the central nervous system, the total daily excretion of both metabolites was about 30% lower than in controls. The muscle-specific ratio in patients with diseases of the central nervous system and patients with muscular diseases was not different from that observed in controls. Only in patients with neurogenic atrophies was the ratio elevated, so that it was more than twice the control value. The ratio of excreted N tau-methylhistidine/creatinine is only valid as an indicator of myofibrillar protein breakdown after correction for the contribution of nonskeletal muscle tissues to the urinary excretion.

Binding and uptake of rabbit IgG complexes by diploid fibroblasts via plasma membrane Fc receptors.

The existence of IgG receptors on the plasma membrane of diploid human fibroblasts is demonstrated. The receptors specifically bind heat-aggregated rabbit IgG as well as rabbit IgG within antigen-antibody complexes. Monomeric rabbit IgG were only poor ligands of the receptor. Competition experiments with Fab and Fc fragments of IgG revealed that the receptor specifically recognizes the Fc domain of the IgG molecule. Heat-aggregated IgG or antigen-antibody IgG complexes are specifically bound to the receptors, endocytosed and subsequently degraded. The receptors do not seem to be recycled because protein synthesis is a prerequisite for further cycles of endocytosis.

Purification of a neutral proteinase, associated with the actomyosin complex, from uterine myometrium.

We have purified and characterized a neutral proteinase activity from pig uterine myometrium. The proteinase co-purified with the actomyosin complex and could only be separated from it by a high concentration of a chaotropic ion, 3M-NaBr. The proteinase was further purified by gel filtration and affinity chromatography. The purified protein showed a single band on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis corresponding to an Mr of 28 000. Gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 in a buffer containing 3M-NaBr gave an Mr of 27 500. Without the addition of the chaotropic Br- ion, the proteinase aggregates to high-Mr forms of more than 10(6)Da. The proteinase has optimum hydrolytic activity with casein as substrate at pH 7.5-8.0. The thiol-group-blocking reagents p-chloromercuribenzoate, p-chloromercuribenzenesulphonate and Hg2+, as well as soya-bean trypsin inhibitor and 4-aminobenzamidine, inhibited the proteinase. Other bivalent cations, chelating agents and the serine-specific reagents 7-amino-1-chloro-3-tosylamido-L-heptan-2-one and phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride were without any effect on proteinase activity. The proteinase degraded myosin very rapidly at a molar ratio of proteinase to myosin of 1:50, concomitant with the rate of loss of the ATPase activity. Compared with myosin, actin was only a poor substrate and was degraded at a much lower rate, even at a high molar ratio of the proteinase to actin.

Effects of yeast proteinase A, proteinase B and carboxypeptidase Y on yeast phosphofructokinase.

Incubation of a crude yeast extract containing phosphofructokinase with proteinase A, proteinase B or carboxypeptidase Y gave the following results: Proteinase B and carboxypeptidase Y did not change the activity of phosphofructokinase during incubation. On the other hand, incubation with proteinase A resulted in a 40-100% activation; continued incubation, however, led to an inactivation of the enzyme. Addition of allosteric effectors did not change the activation or inactivation process. The activated phosphofructokinase was not changed with respect to pH optimum and ATP inhibition. Molecular weight determination of phosphofructokinase in crude extracts in the presence of inhibitors of proteinase A indicated a molecular weight of 700000. Without inhibitors of proteinase A, the molecular weight was determined to be 600 000, while after 40-100% activation by proteinase A, a molecular weight of 500 000 was obtained. The activity profile of proteinase A in density gradients indicated that this enzyme is bound to variety of cellular proteins.

Molecular weight and hydrodynamic properties of a proteinase A inhibitor from baker's yeast.

The molecular weight of the proteinase A inhibitor IA3 from baker's yeast was determined by different methods. From gel-filtration experiments, a molecular weight of 19 000 was calculated for the native inhibitor, while under denaturing conditions a molecular weight of 7400 was found. From electrophoretic experiments with the native protein, a molecular weight of 9000 was calculated. A similar value was obtained from the analytical ultracentrifuge, even at a protein concentration of 12 mg/ml. The diffusion coefficient and the partial specific volume were measured and from these data the frictional ratio and the Stokes radius were calculated. These parameters indicate that the relatively high apparent molecular weight calculated from the gel-filtration experiments is caused by the assymetric shape of the inhibitor molecule rather than by an aggregation of subunits.

A new inhibitor protein from rat uterus against yeast proteinase B.

An inhibitor of yeast proteinase B has been enriched from uterine smooth muscle (myometrium) of the rat. This inhibitor behaves like a glycoprotein and has a molecular weight of 90 000. It activity can be clearly distinguished from the proteinase inhibitory activity of serum. Proteinase B inhibitory activity has also been demonstrated in liver, lung, heart, skeletal muscle, spleen and brain and these activities, too, are clearly distinguishable from the serum inhibitory activity. The activity in rat uterus decreases during the postpartal period.

Proteinase and proteinase-inhibitor activities of rat uterine myometrium during pregnancy and involution.

A supernatant fraction was prepared from rat uterine myometrium by homogenization, sonication and centrifugation. In this supernatant the protein concentration and the activities of an acid proteinase, an acid phosphatase and a proteinase inhibitor were measured. From the fibrous sediment, after washing with 0.5% Triton X-100 and with water, an actomyosin-containing solution was obtained by extraction with 0.6M-NaCl, and in this extract the protein concentration and a neutral proteinase activity were measured. The myometrial wet weight and the activities of the acid proteinase, acid phosphatase and proteinase inhibitor increased by factors of 3-15 during pregnancy and decreased to the same or a greater extent during involution. The amount of protein extracted with 0.6M-NaCl increased by a factor of only 2.3 and the neutral proteinase activity remained essentially constant during pregnancy and involution. The pH optimum of the neutral proteinase, and its pattern of activity compared with those of the lysosomal enzymes, show that the neutral proteinase is not of lysosomal origin. Actomyosin is degraded by the neutral proteinase activity in vitro. Since actomyosin is rapidly broken down only after parturition, the action of the neutral proteinase activity on actomyosin, if this occurs in vivo, must be regulated in some way. The proteinase-inhibitor activity measured in the first supernatant varied in a manner which suggested that it could be involved in this control.

[Biochemical studies on hypotrophy and hypoplasia in the post partum uterus of the rat (author's transl)]. / Biochemische Untersuchungen zur Frage der Hypotrophie und Hypoplasie im postpartalen Rattenuterus.

In post partum rat uteri, the wet weight, the soluble protein and the DNA content were measured for ten days following delivery. After a lag period of 48 h, the weight and protein content of whole uteri decreased in parallel to one twelfth of the initial values. The DNA content did not change significantly. Hypoplasia contributed not more than 20% to the weight loss, so that at least 80% of the loss was due to hypotrophy. The protein content per cell nucleus (mg protein/mg DNA) decreased by 85% within 10 days. In non-pregnant control animals, uterus weight and protein content per cell nucleus were greater than those of animals measured on the tenth post partum day. In contrast, the protein concentration of the tissue (mg protein/g wet weight) was lower in the control group. It is suggested that this hyperinvolution is caused by the low estrogen levels of the lactating animals.

Controlled intracellular proteolysis during postpartal involution of the uterus: characterization and regulation of an alkaline proteinase.

The postpartal involution of the uterus is predominantly due to cellular hypotrophy. This implies an intracellular proteolytic system which must be carefully controlled pre and post partum. We have characterized and partially purified a proteinase with an alkaline pH-optimum of activity and a proteinase inhibitor protein which inhibits this proteinase very strongly. The alkaline proteinase copurifies with the actomyosin complex of the uterine myometrium and degrades the actomyosin complex with a concomitant loss of its myosin-ATPase activity. The alkaline proteinase is a very labile enzyme, markedly sensitive to SH-group modifying agents and has very high molecular weight at the present state of purification. This proteolytic enzyme could specifically be separated from the main components of the actomyosin complex by extraction with low ionic strength phosphate buffers. The proteinase inhibitor protein may control the activity of this alkaline proteinase during pregnancy and involution. The inhibitor protein raises 15-fold during pregnancy, possibly blocks important steps of intracellular proteolysis and permits organ growth. The dramatic fall of the inhibitor protein activity after parturition, which precedes the loss of weight, could release the proteolytic system, including the alkaline proteinase, and permits controlled intracellular degradation.

Fc gamma-receptor-mediated changes in the plasma membrane potential induce prostaglandin release from human fibroblasts.

Binding of aggregated human immunoglobulin G (IgG) on diploid human fibroblasts leads to a rapid depolarization of the cells within 1-2 min. We resolved this membrane potential change into its plasma membrane and mitochondrial membrane components by measuring the transmembrane distribution of the lipophilic tritium-labelled cation tetraphenylphosphonium, [3H]Ph4P+. The responsibility of the plasma membrane for the membrane potential change, induced by binding of IgGs, is demonstrated. The IgG-induced membrane depolarization leads to the induction of prostaglandin E2 synthesis. Aggregated immunoglobulins (IgG) are specifically bound via the Fc portion because only binding of Fc fragments, in contrast to (Fab')2 fragments, leads to a stimulation of prostaglandin E2 synthesis comparable to that mediated by IgGs. Depolarization of the plasma membrane by short incubation of the fibroblasts in high-K+ buffer (5 min) results in a stimulation of prostaglandin E2 synthesis comparable to that mediated by either aggregated human IgGs or Fc fragments. Our previous results on Fc gamma-receptor-mediated antigen-IgG-antibody complex internalization showed that a maximum uptake of these complexes could be detected 60-90 min after binding. Therefore, we conclude that not internalisation but binding of aggregated IgGs to the Fc gamma receptors on human fibroblasts is the stimulus for plasma membrane depolarization leading to an enhanced prostaglandin E2 release.

Synthesis and secretion of alpha 2-macroglobulin by human lung fibroblasts.

Synthesis and secretion of alpha 2-macroglobulin were studied with the human lung fibroblast cell line GM 1379. After incubation with [3H]leucine the cells secreted radioactively labeled alpha 2-macroglobulin consisting of subunits with a molecular weight of 180,000. When the cells were treated with tunicamycin the unglycosylated alpha 2-macroglobulin subunit exhibited a molecular weight of 160,000. Poly(A) +RNA was isolated from the cultured cells and translated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate. From the translation products an alpha 2-macroglobulin species with a molecular weight of 160,000 was immunoprecipitated. The addition of pancreatic microsoms to the translation mixture resulted in the synthesis of an alpha 2-macroglobulin subunit which had molecular weights of 180,000. Thus, a size of approximately 160,000 for the protein moiety and 20,000 for the carbohydrate portion can be estimated for a subunit of alpha 2-macroglobulin from human lung fibroblasts.

Quantitative importance of non-skeletal-muscle N tau-methylhistidine and creatine in human urine.

The excretion of N tau-methylhistidine and creatinine was determined in a totally paralysed patient wih neither macroscopic nor microscopic detectable skeletal-muscle tissue. In this subject, it was possible for the first time to measure the basal non-skeletal-muscle-dependent excretion of N tau-methylhistidine and creatinine per 24 h and per kg of non-muscular body weight, 1.15 mumol (N tau-methylhistidine) and 35 mumol (creatinine) respectively. For the calculation of myofibrillar protein breakdown and skeletal-muscle mass on the basis of N tau-methylhistidine and creatinine excretion, the values have to be corrected for non-muscular sources. Our data show that skeletal-muscle tissue is the major contributor of N tau-methylhistidine in urine, since it contributes as much as 75% to the urinary excretion.

The effects of lactoyl-pepstatin and the pepsin inhibitor peptide on pig cathepsin D.

Lactoyl-pepstatin (an acylated tetrapeptide) is much more readily soluble in aqueous media than the more common isovaleryl- and acetyl-pepstatins (acylated pentapeptides). However, the K1 value for inhibition of cathepsin D by lactoyl-pepstatin at pH 3.5 is approx. 10(-7) M, some two to three orders of magnitude weaker than has been obtained previously for isovaleryl- or acetyl-pepstatins. One of the peptides released during activation of pig pepsinogen is known to be an effective inhibitor of pig pepsin, but it does not alter the activity of the similar aspartic proteinase, pig cathepsin D.