Regulation of plasminogen-activator in mastocytoma cells by lymphokines.

Culture supernatants from mitogen-stimulated splenocytes were found to stimulate protease production in P815Y mastocytoma cells. Such supernatants increased cell-associated plasminogen activator levels in a dose-dependent fashion, and under serum-free conditions. In contrast to peritoneal exudate cells, tumor-cell plasminogen activator was not enhanced by the mitogen ConA alone. The tumor cell line P815Y may, thus, be used as a homogeneous cell source for the quantitation of lymphocyte factors which activate or inhibit plasminogen activator activity.

Construction of biosensors using a gold-binding polypeptide and a miniature integrated surface plasmon resonance sensor.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors were constructed on miniature integrated sensors. Recognition elements were attached to the sensor surface using a gold-binding repeating polypeptide. Biosensors with fluorescyl groups attached to their surfaces were functional for at least 1 month of daily use with little decrease in response to the binding of an anti-fluorescyl monoclonal antibody. The coupling of protein A to the gold-binding polypeptide on the sensor surface enabled the biosensor to detect the binding of antibodies to the protein A and provided a sensor with convertible specificity. The system described herein provides a simple and rapid approach for the fabrication of highly specific, durable, portable and low cost SPR-based biosensors.

Early retirement in the United States.

Despite improvements in health and longevity, many workers in the United States retire young. By age 62, only 44 percent of men and 24 percent of women are still working full-time. The combination of younger retirement and increasing longevity means that Americans are spending more years in retirement than at any time in history. The widespread availability of post-retirement benefits is an important aspect of this national trend. Eligibility for employer-provided retirement benefits can begin as young as age 50 and occurs quite frequently at age 55. Eligibility for Social Security benefits begins at age 62. Eligibility for Medicare begins at age 65. As the population ages, the implementation of cost-saving reforms in retirement programs has become an increasing policy concern. To sustain the major public entitlement programs, proposals have been made to raise the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare, or to reduce benefit levels, or to target benefits to those most in need. Other cost-saving changes have been considered, and in many cases implemented, in employer-provided retirement benefits. These policy changes will have implications for the retirement decisions of working Americans in the future. This report, drawing on research sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, reviews the trend in the United States toward earlier retirement as well as some recent research findings on how retirement decisions relate to public and private retirement policies. With the changing age demographics of the population, the implementation of cost-saving reforms to retirement policies and other changes in the economic circumstances of individuals as they age, the work and retirement decisions of older workers will continue to evolve over the coming decades.

Quantitative analysis of mucosal mast cell protease in the intestines of Nippostrongylus-infected rats.

Following infection with the intestinal nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, mucosal mast cell (MMC) proliferated in the jejunum and the peak of this response was associated with a nine-fold increase in the level of mucosal mast cell protease (RMCPII) in the mucosa. At this stage the protease constituted 10%-15% of the soluble protein from gut homogenates. Concomitant immunoperoxidase studies showed that during the early proliferation of the MMC, only a proportion of the cells in lamina propria and none of the MMC within the epithelium contained detectable RMCPII. Fourteen and 20 days post infection and following a secondary challenge, staining for RMCPII in lamina propria MMC was much stronger and a few intraepithelial mast cells also contained RMCPII. With time after infection an increasing proportion of intestinal goblet cells were specifically labelled, indicating an accumulation either of RMCPII or of an antigenically similar enzyme within mucous glycoproteins. The significance of the high levels of protease in parasitized gut and of its apparent cellular distribution is discussed in relation to the protective response against the parasite.

Immunofluorescent localization of a serine protease in rat small intestine.

An intracellular serine protease, which is believed to initiate the degradation of several intracellular pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes, was localized by immunofluorescence in atypical mast cells of the lamina propria and in intraepithelial cells of the rat small intestine. Some mucus-secreting goblet cells also contained the protease antigen. Atypical mast cells containing the enzyme were present in large numbers beneath the epithelium of bronchioles. All atypical mast cells also contained low levels of the chymotrypsin-like protease of normal mast cells. Both enzymes were consistently present in normal connective tissue mast cells. Amino acid content, molecular weight, and lack of immunologic crossreactivity indicate that the two enzymes are similar but not identical. The cell-specific localization of the intestinal serine protease makes it unlikely that the enzyme has any general role in the degradation of pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes. The function of the enzyme in mast cells, atypical mast cells, and intestinal goblet cells is not known.

Substrate specificity of the chymotrypsin-like protease in secretory granules isolated from rat mast cells.

The substrate specificity of rat mast cell protease I (RMCP I), a chymotrypsin-like serine protease localized in the secretory granules of mast cells, was compared to that of bovine alpha-chymotrypsin by using several peptide and protein substrates of known amino acid sequences. Although the overall specificities of the two proteases appeared similar, subtle but significant differences were observed. RMCP I was more prone than chymotrypsin to hydrolyze peptide bonds consisting of Leu-Xaa or two hydrophobic residues--e.g., Phe-Phe. Additionally, the hydrolysis of angiotensin I catalyzed by chymotrypsin, but not by RMCP I, resulted in the generation of angiotensin II as an intermediate product. In contrast to the solubilized enzyme, the RMCP I activity within the insoluble granules was completely stable for at least 2 months in suitable buffers at pH 8.0 or pH 7.2, at 4 degrees C. Carboxypeptidase A activity associated with isolated mast cell granules was completely inhibited by 10 mM o-phenanthroline. Polypeptides smaller than apomyoglobin (17,199 Da) were rapidly hydrolyzed by granule-bound RMCP I, whereas apomyoglobin and other larger proteins were not hydrolyzed. In contrast, the free protease readily hydrolyzed the larger proteins. Neither normal rat serum nor alpha 1-antitrypsin, both of which inhibited the activity of free RMCP I, was effective in inhibiting granule-associated RMCP I. The results indicate that granule-bound RMCP I is not released into solution from isolated secretory granules under physiological conditions of ionic strength and pH and that the granule structure limits the size of proteins that can be hydrolyzed by the protease.

Gut mucosal mast cells in Nippostrongylus-primed rats are the major source of secreted rat mast cell protease II following systemic anaphylaxis.

The distribution of the predominant chymotrypsin-like enzyme of mucosal mast cells (rat mast cell protease II: RMCP II) was examined in naive and Nippostrongylus-primed rats both before and after the induction of systemic anaphylaxis. Anaphylactic secretion of RMCP II following i.v. challenge of primed rats with worm antigen was accompanied by significant depletion of this enzyme from the jejunal and gastric mucosae; the concentrations were not altered in the ileum and colon. Despite significant increases in the levels of RMCP II in lung and mesenteric lymph node following infection with N. brasiliensis there was no anaphylactic depletion of this enzyme from these sites. No RMCP II was detected in liver, spleen, kidney or bone marrow either before or after systemic anaphylaxis. Mucosal mast cells were depleted from the jejunal, gastric and colonic mucosae following antigen challenge of primed rats. These data provide further evidence that gastrointestinal mucosal mast cells are the major source of secreted RMCP II following systemic anaphylaxis in the rat.

Systemic release of mucosal mast-cell protease in primed rats challenged with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.

The systemic secretion of a serine protease, rat mast-cell protease II (RMCPII), a major product of rat mucosal mast cells (MMC), was measured by a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the sera of naive and primed rats challenged with the nematode N. brasiliensis. The systemic secretion of RMCPII was both time- and dose-dependent in primed rats (1-3 micrograms RMCPII/ml serum, 1 hr after challenge). Systemic release of RMCPII was slower and less pronounced in naive rats following intraduodenal challenge with 5-day-old worms. No RMCPII was detected in the sera of naive rats challenged with 4-day-old N. brasiliensis. Soluble worm antigen had no effect in naive rats, but when it was given intraduodenally or intravenously to primed rats, the serum levels of RMCPII 1 hr later were 10.5 micrograms/ml and 122 micrograms/ml, respectively. Few morphological changes were detected in MMC following worm challenge and the jejunal content of RMCPII was unaltered. A substantial reduction in the number of MMC occurred following intravenous injection of worm antigen, and the remaining cells were vacuolated and pale-staining, although granule exocytosis was not observed. Significant reduction in the jejunal content of RMCPII was also evident. These results demonstrate, unequivocally, that MMC are activated in response to N. brasiliensis challenge infection or to parasite antigens. In addition, the ability to detect secreted RMCPII in the sera of test animals provides a highly sensitive and uniquely selective assay to determine the participation of MMC in pathological reactions at mucosal surfaces.

Depletion of mucosal mast cell protease by corticosteroids: effect on intestinal anaphylaxis in the rat.

Rats primed by infection with the intestinal nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and challenged intravenously with soluble whole-worm antigen undergo systemic anaphylactic shock. The primary lesions are in the gut and include increased permeability of the mucosa together with release, into enteric secretions, of a mucosal mast cell (MMC)-specific serine proteinase, rat mast cell protease II (RMCP-II). This enzyme is also released into the blood of shocked rats. These manifestations of anaphylaxis were abolished in rats previously treated with corticosteroids (methylprednisolone acetate, 25 mg per kg of body weight, 48 and 24 hr before i.v. challenge with antigen). Suppression of the response was associated with depletion of RMCP-II and of MMC from the intestinal mucosa. Depletion occurred 4-24 hr after treatment with as little as 1 mg of methylprednisolone per kg. By contrast, neither connective tissue mast cells nor serum levels of parasite-specific IgE were depleted in rats given 2 X 25 mg of methylprednisolone per kg. The capacity of unprimed treated rats to mount passive cutaneous anaphylaxis was, however, impaired.

The structure of rat mast cell protease II at 1.9-A resolution.

The structure of rat mast cell protease II (RMCP II), a serine protease with chymotrypsin-like primary specificity, has been determined to a nominal resolution of 1.9 A by single isomorphous replacement, molecular replacement, and restrained crystallographic refinement to a final R-factor of 0.191. There are two independent molecules of RMCP II in the asymmetric unit of the crystal. The rms deviation from ideal bond lengths is 0.016 A and from ideal bond angles is 2.7 degrees. The overall structure of RMCP II is extremely similar to that of chymotrypsin, but the largest differences between the two structures are clustered around the active-site region in a manner which suggests that the unusual substrate specificity of RMCP II is due to these changes. Unlike chymotrypsin, RMCP II has a deep cleft around the active site. An insertion of three residues between residues 35 and 41 of chymotrypsin, combined with concerted changes in sequence and a deletion near residue 61, allows residues 35-41 of RMCP II to adopt a conformation not seen in any other serine protease. Additionally, the loss of the disulfide bridge between residues 191 and 220 of chymotrypsin leads to the formation of an additional substrate binding pocket that we propose to interact with the P3 side chain of bound substrate. RMCP II is a member of a homologous subclass of serine proteases that are expressed by mast cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and cytotoxic T-cells. Thus, the structure of RMCP II forms a basis for an explanation of the unusual properties of other members of this class.

A major serine protease in rat skeletal muscle: evidence for its mast cell origin.

The physical, chemical, and immunologic properties of a protease from rat skeletal muscle, proposed to function in the degradation of certain intracellular enzymes, are identical to those of a chymotrypsin-like serine protease isolated from peritoneal mast cells. The results of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and 8 M urea indicate that the two rat proteases have identical mobilities corresponding to a molecular weight of 26,000. The relative amino acid compositions of the proteases are nearly identical. Immunodiffusion tests for crossreaction between the muscle protease and antisera directed toward mast cell protease indicate that the former is immunologically identical to mast cell protease. The first 35 amino-terminal residues of the two enzymes are identical and indicate homology of these proteins to other mammalian serine proteases. The sequence analysis of the protease from muscle was extended for an additional 16 positions, and comparison of this amino-terminal sequence with that of a similar enzyme from small intestine showed approximately 75% sequence identity. In contrast, only 40% of the residues in this region of bovine chymotrypsin A were found at corresponding loci in rat muscle protease. It is concluded that the protease from muscle or mast cells is closely related to the enzyme from small intestine which recently was localized in the "atypical" mast cells of gut mucosa [Woodbury, R. G., Gruzenski, G. M. & Lagunoff, D. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 75, 2785-2789].

Quantitative analysis of melanoma-associated antigen p97 in normal and neoplastic tissues.

We have used two highly sensitive assays to quantitate p97, a protein associated with human melanoma, in cultured cells and normal adult, fetal, and neoplastic tissues. To measure p97 at the surface of intact cells, radiolabeled Fab fragments of a monoclonal antibody specific for p97 were used in a binding assay. To measure p97 in detergent-solubilized membrane preparations, we used a novel double-determinant immunoassay that uses two monoclonal antibodies to two distinct antigenic determinants of p97. These assays revealed that although p97 is present in small amounts in normal adult tissues, it is present in much larger amounts in most melanomas, in some other tumors (both benign and malignant), and in certain fetal tissues. We conclude that monoclonal antibodies to p97 may prove to be of value for the diagnosis and therapy of melanoma.

Identification of a cell surface protein, p97, in human melanomas and certain other neoplasms.

BALB/c mice were immunized with a human melanoma cell line, SK-MEL 28, and their spleen cells were fused with mouse NS-1 myeloma cells. Hybrid cells were tested in an indirect 125I-labeled protein A assay for production of antibodies that bound to surface antigens of SK-MEL 28 melanoma cells but not to autologous skin fibroblasts. One hybridoma, designated 4.1, had the required specificity. It was cloned and grown in mice as an ascites tumor. The monoclonal IgG1 antibody produced by the hybridoma was purified from the ascites fluid and labeled with 125I. The labeled antibody bound, at significant levels, to approximately 90% of the melanomas tested and to approximately 55% of other tumor cells, but not to three B-lymphoblastoid cell lines or to cultivated fibroblasts from 15 donors. Immunoprecipitation and sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis were used to detect the target antigen in 125I-labeled cell membranes of both cultivated cells and tumor biopsy samples. A protein with a molecular weight of 97,000 was identified. This protein, designated p97, was present in both cultured cells and biopsy material from melanomas and certain other tumors, but it was not detected in eight different samples of normal adult epithelial or mesenchymal tissues obtained from five donors.

Analysis of normal neoplastic human tissues for the tumor-associated protein p97.

We have used immunoprecipitation to test tumor biopsies and normal adult and fetal human tissues for p97, a tumor-associated protein. Five of nine melanoma biopsies contained p97 in low to very high levels. Three of seven non-melanoma tumors contained p97, but in smaller amounts. No p97 was detected in any of the normal adult tissues examined. The protein was, however, observed in samples of fetal colon and umbilical cord, and in one sample of fetal lung. One of two benign nevi contained high levels of p97, whole on benign angiofibroma was negative. We conclude that the presence of p97, in levels detectable by our method, appears to be characteristic of certain neoplastic and fetal tissues.

Amino acid sequence of rat mast cell protease I (chymase).

The amino acid sequence has been determined for rat mast cell protease I (RMCP I), a product of peritoneal mast cells. The active enzyme contains 227 residues, including three corresponding to the catalytic triad characteristic of serine protease (His-57, Asp-102, and Ser-195 in chymotrypsin). A computer search for homology indicates 73% and 33% sequence identity of RMCP I with rat mast cell protease II from mucosal mast cells and bovine chymotrypsin A, respectively. When the structure of RMCP I is compared to those of cathepsin G from human neutrophils and two proteases expressed in activated lymphocytes, 48-49% of the sequences are identical in each case. RMCP I has six half-cystine residues at the same positions as in RMCP II, cathepsin G, and the two lymphocyte proteases, suggesting disulfide pairs identical with those reported for RMCP II. A disulfide bond near the active site seryl residue and substrate binding site, present in pancreatic and plasma serine proteases, is not found in RMCP I or in the other cellular proteases. These results indicate that RMCP I and other chymotrypsin-like proteases of granulocyte and lymphocyte origin are more closely related to each other than to the pancreatic or plasma serine proteases.

Mucosal mast cells are functionally active during spontaneous expulsion of intestinal nematode infections in rat.

Infestation of the gastrointestinal tract by parasitic nematodes is invariably associated with mucosal mastocytosis, which is a thymus-dependent phenomenon in parasitized rats, and is adoptively transferable with a T cell-enriched population of thoracic duct lymphocytes. When derived by in vitro culture, mucosal mast cells (MMC) arise from a bone marrow precursor after stimulation by T cell-derived factors. In rats infected with the nematode Trichinella spiralis, mucosal mastocytosis is temporally associated with the immune expulsion of the adult worms whereas in the case of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, mastocytosis is frequently observed to occur after worm expulsion has been completed. Consequently, there has been doubt as to whether MMC are active and serve a functional role in the expulsion of rat intestinal nematodes. MMC contain and secrete a neutral proteinase, rat mast cell protease II (RMCP II); detection and assay of secreted RMCP II therefore provides a direct measurement of MMC activity. Here we describe the release of this enzyme into the blood of rats infected with N. brasiliensis or T. spiralis. Our results show that the systemic secretion of RMCP II coincides with the immune expulsion of these nematodes, demonstrating clearly for the first time that rat MMC are functionally active during the immune elimination of primary nematode infections.

Amino acid sequence of crayfish (Astacus fluviatilis) trypsin If.

The complete amino acid sequence of trypsin from the crayfish Astacus fluviatilis has been determined. The protein was fragmented with cyanogen bromide after S-carboxymethylation of the reduced disulfide bonds and by trypsin after S-carboxymethylation as well as after succinylation of lysine residues and aminoethylation of the reduced disulfide bonds. Peptides were purified by gel filtration and by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Stepwise degradation was performed in a spinning cup sequencer. The enzyme contains 237 amino acid residues and has a molecular weight of 25 030. In contrast to bovine trypsin, it contains three rather than six disulfide bonds which are paired in the same fashion as those in trypsin from Streptomyces griseus. The constituents of the active site of bovine trypsin are present in corresponding positions in the crayfish enzyme. Crayfish trypsin shows 43.6% sequence identity with the bovine enzyme as compared to 40.0% identity with the S. griseus enzyme. The present analysis affords the first detailed view into the evolution of trypsins at the invertebrate level.