Reaction of peptide thiobenzyl esters with mammalian chymotrypsinlike enzymes: a sensitive assay method

Enhanced Serine Protease Activities in the Sulfur Mustard-Exposed Homogenates of Hairless Guinea Pig Skin

Skin homogenates of hairless guinea pigs exposed percutaneously to sulfur mustard (SM) were investigated by measuring four serine protease activities (elastase, tryptase, chymase, and Asp-ase) using sensitive chromogenic substrates. The homogenate samples from skin area directly exposed to S M showed enhanced elastase activities. The tryptase (trypsin-like enzyme) activity also increased slightly; however, the chymase (chymotrypsin-like enzyme) and Aspase (cleave after aspartic acid) activities did not show any increase. The enhanced elastase activities after SM exposure indicate that inflammation is present in the SM lesions. The inhibitory potency of MeO-Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-CH2Cl (an elastase inhibitor) and two amidine derivatives (inhibitors of trypsin-like enzyme) was tested against the activities present in samples from both exposed and control tissues. The elastase inhibitor decreased the hydrolysis of elastase substrate in the samples from SM-exposed skin to a greater extent than the samples from control tissues. The two trypsin inhibitors decreased the activity in samples from exposed and control tissues equally well. These substrate and inhibitor studies facilitate the characterization of various proteases affected by SM and may be useful for elucidating the mechanism of SM-induced vesication.

High-performance liquid chromatographic-fluorimetric assay of chymotrypsin-like esterase activity

A sensitive and reproducible assay for the determination of chymotrypsin-like esterase activity is reported. This method is based on fluorimetric detection of a dansylated amino acid, 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl-L-phenylalanine, enzymatically formed from the substrate 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl-L-phenylalanine ethyl ester, after separation by high-performance liquid chromatography using a C18 reversed-phase column and isocratic elution. This method is sensitive enough to measure 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl-L-phenylalanine at concentrations as low as 40 pmol/ml, yields highly reproducible results and requires less than 9.5 min per sample for quantitation. The optimum pH for chymotrypsin-like esterase activity was 7.7-8.3. The Km and Vmax values were, respectively 25 microM and 0.241 pmol/microg protein/h with the use of enzyme extract obtained from mouse kidney. The approximate molecular mass of this enzyme was estimated to be 67000 by gel filtration. Chymotrypsin-like esterase activity was strongly inhibited by N-tosyl-L-phenylalaline chloromethyl ketone. Among the mouse organs examined, the highest specific activity of the enzyme was found in lung. This new method would be useful for clarification of the physiological role of this enzyme.

Cutaneous protease activity in the mouse ear vesicant model

Tissue homogenates from mouse ear skin exposed to sulfur mustard (HD, which is a military designation and probably originated from a World War I slang term 'Hun Stuff') were assayed for serine and cysteine protease activities. Enzyme activity was measured using synthetic chromogenic thioester and fluorogenic 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC) substrates. The tissue samples were obtained from animals (n = 6) at 3, 6, 12 and 24 h post-exposure from the right ear (HD exposed), whereas control samples were obtained from the left ear (treated only with dichloromethane vehicle). The samples of naive control (left and right ear) were obtained from animals that received no HD treatment (n = 3). Elastase activity was assayed with t-butyloxycarbonyl-Ala-Ala-Ala-thiobenzylester, tryptase activity with benzyloxycarbonyl-Arg-AMC and benzyloxycarbonyl-Arg-thiobenzylester, chymase activity with succinylAla-Ala-Pro-Phe-thiobenzylester and succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-AMC, cathepsin B activity with benzyloxycarbonyl-Arg-Arg-AMC, cathepsin H activity with Arg-AMC and calpain activity with succinyl-Leu-Tyr-AMC. The HD-exposed skin homogenates obtained at 12 and 24 h post-exposure had higher elastase activity (670% and 1900% increase) than control samples. For tryptase and calpain activities, only HD-exposed skin homogenates at 24h post-exposure showed higher activities (220% and 170% increase) when compared to the control. No differences from control were observed for HD-exposed skin obtained at 3 and 6 h post-exposure for elastase, tryptase and calpain activities. Generally, both unexposed and HD-exposed skin had distinct cathepsin B and cathepsin H enzyme activities and small chymase activity. Enzymatic assays were also performed for other serine, cysteine and metalloproteases. These data document that proteases are involved in HD skin injury and continued assessment of proteolytic activity should be useful for identifying effective antiproteases with therapeutic use in reducing or eliminating tissue injury caused by HD cutaneous exposure.

New, sensitive fluorogenic substrates for human cathepsin G based on the sequence of serpin-reactive site loops

Cathepsin G has both trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activity, but studies on its enzymatic properties have been limited by a lack of sensitive synthetic substrates. Cathepsin G activity is physiologically controlled by the fast acting serpin inhibitors alpha1-antichymotrypsin and alpha1-proteinase inhibitor, in which the reactive site loops are cleaved during interaction with their target enzymes. We therefore synthesized a series of intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptides based on the sequence of various serpin loops. Those peptides were assayed as substrates for cathepsin G and other chymotrypsin-like enzymes including chymotrypsin and chymase. Peptide substrates derived from the alpha1-antichymotrypsin loop were the most sensitive for cathepsin G with kcat/Km values of 5-20 mM-1 s-1. Substitutions were introduced at positions P1 and P2 in alpha1-antichymotrypsin-derived substrates to tentatively improve their sensitivity. Replacement of Leu-Leu in ortho-aminobenzoyl (Abz)-Thr-Leu-Leu-Ser-Ala-Leu-Gln-N-(2, 4-dinitrophenyl)ethylenediamine (EDDnp) by Pro-Phe in Abz-Thr-Pro-Phe-Ser-Ala-Leu-Gln-EDDnp produced the most sensitive substrate of cathepsin G ever reported. It was cleaved with a specificity constant kcat/Km of 150 mM-1 s-1. Analysis by molecular modeling of a peptide substrate bound into the cathepsin G active site revealed that, in addition to the protease S1 subsite, subsites S1' and S2' significantly contribute to the definition of the substrate specificity of cathepsin G.

Peptide thioester substrates for serine peptidases and metalloendopeptidases

Peptide thioesters are sensitive substrates of various serine peptidases and metalloendopeptidases. Thioester substrates generally have high enzymatic hydrolysis rates and low background hydrolysis rates, and the hydrolysis rates can be easily monitored in the presence of thiol reagents such as 4,4'-dithiodipyridine or 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid). Peptide thioester substrates have been invaluable for the study of enzyme specificity and enzyme inhibitors, especially in cases where no other practical synthetic substrates are available. Tripeptide substrates of the type Boc-Ala-Ala-AA-SBzl, where AA is nearly all of the 20 common amino acids, have now been synthesized and should be useful for the subsite mapping of new serine peptidases and the study of crude cell preparations containing serine peptidases.

Side reactions in enzymatic peptide synthesis in organic media: effects of enzyme, solvent, and substrate concentrations

The progress of enzymatic peptide synthesis catalyzed by alpha-chymotrypsin and subtilisin from Bacillus subtilis strain 72 (subtilisin 72) in low-water systems was studied. The initial reaction mixture consisted of the solvent, the acyl-group donor (MalAlaAlaPheOMe or ZAlaAlaPheOMe, Mal, maleyl, Z, benzyloxycarbonyl), the nucleophile XaaNH2 (Xaa = Phe, Leu or Ala), and the enzyme adsorbed on porous silica material. All amino acid residues were of the L-configuration. The solvent consisted of acetonitrile, dimethylformamide (DMF), and 4% (v/v) of water. The DMF/acetonitrile ratio was varied between 0 and 1/1. At high concentration of the acyl-group donor and approximately equimolar ratio of the nucleophile and the acyl-group donor, quantitative formation of MalAlaAlaPheXaaNH2 or ZAlaAlaPheXaaNH2 occurred. As a result, a method for the synthesis of polypeptide amides was developed. At low concentration of the acyl-group donor and excess of the nucleophile, the condensation by-products with two and three nucleophile molecules were found in the reaction mixtures. The data obtained provided evidence that organic solvents affected the S'1-specificity of alpha-chymotrypsin and the S1-specificity of subtilisin 72, while the S1-specificity of alpha-chymotrypsin and the S'1-specificity of subtilisin 72 were not affected. When the DMF content was increased, the rate of the alpha-chymotrypsin-catalyzed reactions decreased. In contrast to this, an increase in DMF content accelerated the subtilisin 72-catalyzed reactions. Hydrolysis of the acyl-group donor did not occur in the alpha-chymotrypsin-catalyzed reactions. Significant (up to 50%) formation of MalAlaAlaPheOH was observed at the early stage of the subtilisin 72-catalyzed reactions. Later MalAlaAlaPheOH underwent synthesis.

The second nucleophile molecule binds to the acyl-enzyme-nucleophile complex in alpha-chymotrypsin catalysis. Kinetic evidence for the interaction

alpha-Chymotrypsin-catalyzed acyl transfer was studied using three acyl-group donors (Mal-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-PheOMe, Bz-L-TyrOEt and Ac-L-TrpOEt; Mal, maleyl; Bz, benzoyl; OMe, methyl ester; OEt, ethyl ester) and a series of amino-acid amides. Most of the reactions studied can be described by the simplest kinetic model without the nucleophile binding to the acyl-enzyme. The alpha-chymotrypsin-catalyzed transfer of the Mal-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Phe group to the amides of L-Phe and L-Tyr showed a linear dependence of the partition constant, p, on the nucleophile concentration which can be interpreted by the hydrolysis of the acyl-enzyme-nucleophile complex. The alpha-chymotrypsin-catalyzed transfer of the Bz-L-Tyr and Ac-L-Trp groups to several amino-acid amides showed unusual behavior which can be interpreted by the kinetic model involving formation of a complex of the acyl-enzyme with two nucleophile molecules. These observations can explain the conflicting conclusions concerning the kinetics of alpha-chymotrypsin-catalyzed acyl transfer evident in previous studies.

Converting trypsin to chymotrypsin: the role of surface loops

Trypsin (Tr) and chymotrypsin (Ch) have similar tertiary structures, yet Tr cleaves peptides at arginine and lysine residues and Ch prefers large hydrophobic residues. Although replacement of the S1 binding site of Tr with the analogous residues of Ch is sufficient to transfer Ch specificity for ester hydrolysis, specificity for amide hydrolysis is not transferred. Trypsin is converted to a Ch-like protease when the binding pocket alterations are further modified by exchange of the Ch surface loops 185 through 188 and 221 through 225 for the analogous Tr loops. These loops are not structural components of either the S1 binding site or the extended substrate binding sites. This mutant enzyme is equivalent to Ch in its catalytic rate, but its substrate binding is impaired. Like Ch, this mutant utilizes extended substrate binding to accelerate catalysis, and substrate discrimination occurs during the acylation step rather than in substrate binding.

Human and murine cytotoxic T lymphocyte serine proteases: subsite mapping with peptide thioester substrates and inhibition of enzyme activity and cytolysis by isocoumarins

The active site structures of human Q31 granzyme A, murine granzymes (A, B, C, D, E, and F), and human granzymes (A, B, and 3) isolated from cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were studied with peptide thioester substrates, peptide chloromethyl ketone, and isocoumarin inhibitors. Human Q31, murine, and human granzyme A hydrolyzed Arg- or Lys-containing thioesters very efficiently with kcat/KM of 10(4)-10(5) M-1 s-1. Murine granzyme B was found to have Asp-ase activity and hydrolyzed Boc-Ala-Ala-Asp-SBzl with a kcat/KM value of 2.3 X 10(5) M-1 s-1. The rate was accelerated 1.4-fold when the 0.05 M NaCl in the assay was replaced with CaCl2. The preparation of granzyme B also had significant activity toward Boc-Ala-Ala-AA-SBzl substrates, where AA was Asn, Met, or Ser [kcat/KM = (4-5) X 10(4) M-1 s-1]. Murine granzymes C, D, and E did not hydrolyze any thioester substrate but contained minor contaminating activity toward Arg- or Lys-containing thioesters. Murine granzyme F had small activity toward Suc-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl, along with some contaminating trypsin-like activity. Human Q31 granzyme A, murine, and human granzyme A were inhibited quite efficiently by mechanism-based isocoumarin inhibitors substituted with basic groups (guanidino or isothiureidopropoxy). Although the general serine protease inhibitor 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin (DCI) inactivated these tryptases poorly, it was the best isocoumarin inhibitor for murine granzyme B (kobs/[I] = 3700-4200 M-1 s-1). Murine and human granzyme B were also inhibited by Boc-Ala-Ala-Asp-CH2Cl; however, the inhibition was less potent than that with DCI. DCI, 3-(3-amino-propoxy)-4-chloroisocoumarin, 4-chloro-3-(3-isothiureidopropoxy)isocoumarin, and 7-amino-4-chloro-3-(3-isothiureidopropoxy)isocoumarin inhibited Q31 cytotoxic T lymphocyte mediated lysis of human JY lymphoblasts (ED50 = 0.5-5.0 microM).

Fluorometric determination of bacterial protease activity using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled proteins as substrates

Intact fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled proteins have relatively low background fluorescence at excitation and emission wavelengths of 495 and 525 nm, respectively. Degradation of these substrates leads to exposure of covalently linked fluorescein isothiocyanate molecules and to a concomitant increase in relative fluorescence at these wavelengths. The increase in relative fluorescence is proportional to the degree of protein degradation. This phenomenon provides the basis for a sensitive assay for bacterial protease activity. There is no requirement for the removal of undegraded substrate from the assay mixture prior to the measurement of fluorescence. Assays can be performed in 96-well microtiter trays, enabling a large number of samples and their respective controls to be processed simultaneously and repeated determinations of fluorescence values may be made on the same assay.

Skin-derived antileucoproteases (SKALPs): characterization of two new elastase inhibitors from psoriatic epidermis

Elastase inhibiting activity (EIA) was demonstrated in the epidermis from lesions and in psoriatic scale, whereas normal epidermis did not contain significant EIA. Two new elastase inhibitors were partially purified and characterized using psoriatic scale as a source. The two species (approximate molecular weights 10 and 20 kDa) were shown to be stable, and high-affinity inhibitors of human leucocyte elastase (Ki less than 10(-10) M). No activity against human cathepsin G could be demonstrated. Cultured human keratinocytes were shown to contain EIA activity similar to that found in psoriatic scale. EIA could also be demonstrated in human epidermis following the induction of an experimental inflammatory response by sellotape-stripping. We propose the acronym SKALP (skin-derived antileucoprotease) as a name for these new proteinase inhibitors.

Localization, implications for function, and gene expression of chymotrypsin-like proteinases of cytotoxic RNK-16 lymphocytes

Rat RNK-16 leukemia cells kill YAC-1, which are the cells lysed by rodent natural killer lymphocytes. We found chymotrypsin-like proteinase ('chymase') activity in the RNK-16 dense granules that also contain cytolytic activity. The chymase activity hydrolyzed the thiobenzyl peptide substrate Suc-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl and, in comparison to RNK-16 tryptase activity, was selectively inhibited by three different types of serine proteinase inhibitors. The selective inhibitors were the fungal aldehyde chymostatin, the chloromethylketone Z-Gly-Leu-Phe-CH2Cl, and the mechanism-based or 'suicide' inhibitor 7-amino-4-chloro-3-(2-phenylethoxy)isocoumarin. These proteinase inhibitors also blocked RNK-16 granule-mediated cytolysis. Chymostatin, a reversible inhibitor, delayed granule-mediated cytolysis, whereas the irreversible chloromethylketone and isocoumarin proteinase inhibitors completely abrogated granule-mediated cytolysis. The two irreversible inhibitors displayed biphasic inhibition of the chymase activity, indicating that at least two chymases are present in the granules. By Northern blot analysis, we found that RNK-16 mRNA hybridized strongly with a cDNA probe of CCPI, a mouse cytotoxic T lymphocyte serine proteinase gene. These data imply that chymase activity in the cytotoxic granules is important for cytolytic function and is likely to belong to a new subfamily of serine proteinases.

Experimental arthritis in C57black/6 normal and beige (Chediak-Higashi) mice: in vivo and in vitro observations on cartilage degradation

Mice with the beige mutation are known to be deficient for polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) elastase and cathepsin G and can therefore be used as a model for protease dependence of tissue destruction in inflammatory conditions. The in vitro and in vivo effect of PMN activation on cartilage damage in C57black/6 normal and beige mice was measured. In vitro it was found that stimulation of normal PMNs with chemotactic peptide caused degradation of articular cartilage matrix owing to an elastase dependent mechanism; PMNs of beige mice did not induce degradation of cartilage. In vivo, using zymosan induced arthritis, which is a model characterised by a PMN-rich infiltrate and exudate, no significant differences were found between the two strains with respect to (a) joint oedema formation as measured by technetium-99m uptake; (b) matrix degradation as measured quantitatively and with histology; (c) chondrocyte proteoglycan synthesis as measured by radiosulphate uptake. At day 28 after induction of arthritis, when inflammation is waning, no differences in end stage irreversible damage to joint tissues were found. The relevance of these observations to the supposed role of PMN derived neutral proteases in joint inflammation is discussed.

Lymphocyte granule-mediated cytolysis requires serine protease activity

We show that chymotrypsin-like, as well as trypsin-like, proteases are in granules isolated from cytolytic lymphocytes by the capacity of the granules to hydrolyze the peptide substrates Z-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl and Z-Ala-Gly-Arg-SBzl, respectively. We report protease inhibitors that can abrogate or delay granule-mediated cytolysis. Two mechanism-based isocoumarin serine protease inhibitors and Z-Gly-Leu-Phe-CH2Cl completely abrogated granule cytolysis. Lima bean and soybean trypsin inhibitors and chymostatin delayed but did not prevent this cytolysis. These data represent the first use of the powerful isocoumarin inhibitors as biological probes and indicate that lymphocyte serine proteases participate in the granule cytolytic process.

Mammalian chymotrypsin-like enzymes. Comparative reactivities of rat mast cell proteases, human and dog skin chymases, and human cathepsin G with peptide 4-nitroanilide substrates and with peptide chloromethyl ketone and sulfonyl fluoride inhibitors

The extended substrate binding sites of several chymotrypsin-like serine proteases, including rat mast cell proteases I and II (RMCP I and II, respectively) and human and dog skin chymases, have been investigated by using peptide 4-nitroanilide substrates. In general, these enzymes preferred a P1 Phe residue and hydrophobic amino acid residues in P2 and P3. A P2 Pro residue was also found to be quite acceptable. The S4 subsites of these enzymes are less restrictive than the other subsites investigated. The substrate specificity of these enzymes was also investigated by using substrates which contain model desmosine residues and peptides with amino acid sequences of the physiologically important substrates angiotensin I and angiotensinogen and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, the major plasma inhibitor for chymotrypsin-like enzymes. These substrates were less reactive than the most reactive tripeptide reported here, Suc-Val-Pro-Phe-NA. The thiobenzyl ester Suc-Val-Pro-Phe-SBzl was found to be an extremely reactive substrate for the enzymes tested and was 6-171-fold more reactive than the 4-nitroanilide substrate. The four chymotrypsin-like enzymes were inhibited by chymostatin and N-substituted saccharin derivatives which had KI values in the micromolar range. In addition, several potent peptide chloromethyl ketone and substituted benzenesulfonyl fluoride irreversible inhibitors for these enzymes were discovered. The most potent sulfonyl fluoride inhibitor for RMCP I, RMCP II, and human skin chymase, 2-(Z-NHCH2CONH)C6H4SO2F, had kobsd/[I] values of 2500, 270, and 1800 M-1 s-1, respectively. The substrates and inhibitors reported here should be extremely useful in elucidating the physiological roles of these proteases.

Human leukocyte cathepsin G. Subsite mapping with 4-nitroanilides, chemical modification, and effect of possible cofactors

The extended substrate binding site of cathepsin G from human leukocytes has been mapped by using a series of peptide 4-nitroanilide substrates. The enzyme has a significant preference for substrates with a P1 Phe over those with the other aromatic amino acids Tyr and Trp. The S2 subsite was mapped with the substrates Suc-Phe-AA-Phe-NA where AA was 13 of the 20 amino acid residues commonly found in proteins. The best residues were Pro and Met. The S3 subsite was mapped with the sequence Suc-AA-Pro-Phe-NA by using 14 different amino acid residues for AA. The two best residues were the isosteric Val and Thr. No significant improvement in reactivity was obtained by extending the substrate to include seven different P4 residues. The kinetic parameters for cathepsin G are significantly slower than those for many other serine proteases. Changes in the reaction conditions and addition of possible cofactors or ligands were in general found to have little effect on the enzymatic activity, while chemical modifications and proteolysis destroyed the activity of cathepsin G. Cathepsin G hydrolyzed peptides containing model desmosine residues and prefers the hydrophobic picolinoyllysine derivative over lysine by substantial margins at both the S4 and S2 subsites but will not tolerate it at S3. Substrates with sequences related to the cathepsin G cleavage site in angiotensin I and angiotensinogen, and the reactive site of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, were hydrolyzed effectively by enzyme, but with unexceptional rates. Our results indicate that the natural substrate(s) and function(s) of cathepsin G still remain to be discovered.

Reaction of serine proteases with substituted isocoumarins: discovery of 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, a new general mechanism based serine protease inhibitor

The mechanism-based inactivations of a number of serine proteases, including human leukocyte (HL) elastase, cathepsin G, rat mast cell proteases I and II, several human and bovine blood coagulation proteases, and human factor D by substituted isocoumarins and phthalides which contain masked acyl chloride or anhydride moieties, are reported. 3,4-Dichloroisocoumarin, the most potent inhibitor investigated here, inactivated all the serine proteases tested but did not inhibit papain, leucine aminopeptidase, or beta-lactamase. 3,4-Dichloroisocoumarin was fairly selective toward HL elastase (kobsd/[I] = 8920 M-1 s-1); the inhibited enzyme was quite stable to reactivation (kdeacyl = 2 X 10(-5) s-1), while enzymes inhibited by 3-acetoxyisocoumarin and 3,3-dichlorophthalide regained full activity upon standing. The rate of inactivation was decreased dramatically in the presence of reversible inhibitors or substrates, and ultraviolet spectral measurements indicate that the isocoumarin ring structure is lost upon inactivation. Chymotrypsin A gamma is totally inactivated by 1.2 equiv of 3-chloroisocoumarin or 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, and approximately 1 equiv of protons is released upon inactivation. These results indicate that these compounds react with serine proteases to release a reactive acyl chloride moiety which can acylate another active site residue. These are the first mechanism-based inhibitors reported for many of the enzymes tested, and 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin should find wide applicability as a general serine protease inhibitor.

Inactivation of bradykinin and kallidin by cathepsin G and mast cell chymase

Human neutrophil cathepsin G and human skin chymase can inactivate bradykinin by cleavage at the carboxy terminal phenylalanyl-arginyl peptide bond of this polypeptide. The mast cell enzyme is far more effective than cathepsin G, the rates of hydrolysis being comparable to that found for angiotensin I to angiotensin II conversion (C.F. Reilly, D. Tewksbury, N. Schechter, and J. Travis, J. Biological Chemistry 257:8619-8622). This ability to both inactivate bradykinin and accelerate the production of angiotensin II may be of significance in the development of biochemical events associated with inflammation.