The influence of pH on the degradation of bovine myelin basic protein by bovine brain cathepsin

[Functional degradation of myelin basic protein. Proteomic approach]

Proteolytic degradation of autoantigens is of prime importance in current biochemistry and immunology. The most fundamental issue in this field is the functional role of peptides produced when the specificity of hydrolysis changes during the shift from health to disease and from normal state to pathology. The identification of specific peptide fragments in many cases proposes the diagnostic and prognostic criterion in the pathology progression. The aim of this work is comparative study of the degradation peculiarities of one of the main neuroantigen, myelin basic protein by proteases, activated during progress of pathological demyelinating process, and by proteasome of different origin. The comparison of specificity of different studied biocatalysts gives reason to discuss the critical change in the set of myelin basic protein fragments capable to be presented by major histocompatibility complex class I during neurodegeneration, which can promote the progress of autoimmune pathological process.

Interactions of the 18.5-kDa isoform of myelin basic protein with Ca(2+)-calmodulin: in vitro studies using fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy

The interactions of the 18.5-kDa isoform of myelin basic protein (MBP) with calmodulin (CaM) in vitro have been investigated using fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy. Two forms of MBP were used: the natural bovine C1 charge isomer (bMBP/C1) and a hexahistidine-tagged recombinant murine product (rmMBP), with only minor differences in behaviour being observed. Fragments of each protein generated by digestion with cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5) were also evaluated. Using fluorescence microscopy, it was shown that MBP and CaM interacted in the presence of Ca2+ under a variety of conditions, including high urea and salt concentrations, indicating that the interaction was specific and not merely electrostatic in nature. Using cathepsin D digestion fragments of MBP, it was further shown that the carboxyl-terminal domain of MBP interacted with Ca(2+)-CaM, consistent with our theoretical prediction. Spectroscopy of the intrinsic fluorescence of the sole Trp residue of MBP showed that binding was cooperative in nature. The dissociation constants for formation of a 1:1 MBP-Ca(2+)-CaM complex were determined to be 2.1 +/- 0.1 and 2.0 +/- 0.2 microM for bMBP/C1 and rmMBP, respectively. Fluorescence spectroscopy using cathepsin D digestion fragments indicated also that the carboxyl-terminal region of each protein interacted with Ca(2+)-CaM, with dissociation constants of 1.8 +/- 0.2 and 2.8 +/- 0.9 microM for the bMBP/C1 and rmMBP fragments, respectively. These values show a roughly 1000-fold lower affinity of MBP for CaM than other CaM-binding peptides, such as myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate, that are involved in signal transduction.

Evidence supporting membrane fusion as the mechanism of myelin basic protein-induced insulin release from rat pancreatic islets

In order to clarify insulinotropic effects of the myelin basic protein (MBP) we studied mode of association and distribution of MBP in the pancreatic islets and tested the insulin-releasing activity of various MBP peptides. Rat pancreatic islets were first stimulated in a static incubation with 10 microM bovine MBP (bMBP) at a substimulatory (3.5 mM) glucose concentration. The islets exposed to MBP released significantly more insulin and glucagon in a second incubation in the absence of added stimulant and in the presence of 11.5 mM arginine than the incubated, non-stimulated islets and islets initially stimulated with 15 mM glucose. Response to stimulation with 15 mM glucose in the second incubation by islets exposed first to MBP was impaired compared to incubated, non-stimulated islets. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that MBP had entered into the islet cells and associated with membranes of intracellular vacuoles, most of which represented enlarged, often fused insulin granules. MBP was also present at the islet edge and in the intercellular spaces. Of the purified MBP peptides of sizes of 4.8-13.6 kDa, produced from the digestion with brain acid proteinase and with pepsin and covering the entire bMBP sequence, only the large peptides (1-88, 9.8 kDa and 43-169, 13.6 kDa) stimulated insulin secretion significantly. Heterogeneous peptide mixtures, obtained from a time-course digestion of bMBP by myelin calcium-activated neutral protease, consisting of peptides of approximate molecular weights of 8-11 kDa and larger, also stimulated insulin release. The glucagon-releasing activity of MBP peptides was low and followed the same pattern as the insulin-releasing activity. The present results suggest that MBP-induced fusion of the membranes of hormone granules is involved in MBP-induced insulin release. The hormone-releasing activity of the large peptides in addition to that of the intact molecule is explained as being due to the ability of these peptides to associate with membranes. MBP-induced hormone release and related effects could be associated with neuropathological conditions such as stroke and multiple sclerosis.

Susceptibility of myelin proteins to a neutral endoproteinase: the degradation of myelin basic protein (MBP) and P2 protein by purified bovine brain multicatalytic proteinase complex (MPC)

Multicatalytic proteinase complex (MPC) was isolated from bovine brain and the susceptibility of myelin basic protein (MBP) and P2 protein of bovine central and peripheral nervous system was examined. SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoretic analysis of purified MPC revealed protein bands of molecular weight ranging from 22-35 kDa. The enzyme is activated by SDS at a concentration less than 0.01%. Upon incubation with MPC, purified MBP and P2 proteins were degraded into smaller fragments. There was a 57% and 100% loss of MBP at 2 and 6 hours of incubation. The P2 protein which is not susceptible to any endogenous non-lysosomal enzyme thus far studied was digested into small peptide fragments only in the presence of SDS (0.01%) and not in its absence. These results indicate that MPC which is active at physiological conditions may have a role in the turnover of myelin proteins and in demyelinating diseases.

The distribution of cathepsin D activity in adult and aging human brain regions

We measured the activity of cathepsin D, the major cerebral protease, in 50 separate areas of the central nervous system of adult and aged humans, using hemoglobin as the substrate. The activity showed significant regional heterogeneity, with average differences of 50-100% between the lower and higher level areas, and a more than threefold difference between the lowest and highest levels. The forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain each had areas of high and low activity; cerebellum and cord areas were among those with low activity. Cathepsin levels tended to increase with age in about half of the areas analyzed, and the increases were significant in 14. Statistically significant decreases with aging were observed in two areas. The increases varied between 30 and 60%, and the decreases were 20%. Enzyme activity in thalamus, hypothalamus, pons, medulla, and cerebellum increased with age. In the ventrolateral medulla, which contains the major portion of the cerebral noradrenergic cells, the cathepsin D levels increased with age; in the dorsal raphe area, which contains the major portion of the cerebral serotonergic cells, the enzyme levels decreased. The change with age in human brain seems to be less than what we observed in rat brain, where activity more than doubled in most areas. The changes in enzyme levels need to be tested at more ages to establish a pattern of changes in activity throughout life.

Proteolysis of microtubule-associated protein 2 and tubulin by cathepsin D

The in vitro degradation of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) and tubulin by the lysosomal aspartyl endopeptidase cathepsin D was studied. MAP-2 was very sensitive to cathepsin D-induced hydrolysis in a relatively broad, acidic pH range (3.0-5.0). However, at a pH value of 5.5, cathepsin D-mediated hydrolysis of MAP-2 was significantly reduced and at pH 6.0 only a small amount of MAP-2 was degraded at 60 min. Interestingly, the two electrophoretic forms of MAP-2 showed different sensitivities to cathepsin D-induced degradation, with MAP-2b being significantly more resistant to hydrolysis than MAP-2a. To our knowledge, this is the first clear demonstration that MAP-2 is a substrate in vitro for cathepsin D. In contrast to MAP-2, tubulin was relatively resistant to cathepsin D-induced hydrolysis. At pH 3.5 and an enzyme-to-substrate ratio of 1: 20, only 35% of the tubulin was degraded by cathepsin D at 60 min. The cathepsin D-mediated hydrolysis of tubulin was optimal only at pH 4.5. These results demonstrate that MAP-2 and tubulin are unequally susceptible to degradation by cathepsin D. These data also imply a potential for rapid degradation of MAP-2 in vivo by cathepsin D either in lysosomes or perhaps autophagic vacuoles of the neuron.

Cleavage of the P0 glycoprotein of the rat peripheral nerve myelin: tentative identification of cleavage site and evidence for the precursor-product relationship

The incubation of sciatic nerve slices in Krebs Ringer bicarbonate (KRB) buffer (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees C, or the incubation of freshly isolated myelin in ammonium bicarbonate buffer (pH 8), resulted in the generation of a 24 kDa protein with a concomitant decrease of P0 protein. The conversion of P0 into 24 kDa protein was blocked by heating isolated myelin at 100 degrees C for 5 min suggesting that the reaction is enzyme mediated. Inclusion of the protease inhibitors and chelating agent to isolated myelin did not prevent the formation of 24 kDa protein. Similarly, addition of CaCl2 to isolated myelin did not accentuate the formation of 24 kDa protein suggesting that the conversion of P0 into 24 kDa protein may not be due to Ca2+ activated protease. It is postulated that the formation of 24 kDa protein may be due to neutral protease and/or metalloproteinase associated with the PNS myelin. 24 kDa protein was purified and characterized. The N-terminal sequence of 1-17 amino acid residues of 24 kDa protein was identical to P0. 24 kDa protein was immunostained and immunoprecipitated with anti-P0 antiserum indicating the immunological similarities between P0 and 24 kDa protein. Labeling of 24 kDa protein with [35S]methionine provided evidence that P0 may be in all probability cleaved between Met-168 and Met-193. Further studies were carried out to demonstrate that 24 kDa protein was phosphorylated, glycosylated and acylated like P0. Phosphorylation of 24 kDa protein in the nerve slices was increased five-fold by phorbol esters and phosphoserine was the only phosphoamino acid identified after partial acid hydrolysis of 24 kDa protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sequential limited proteolysis of myelin basic protein by neutral protease activities of bovine brain

Acid extracts of delipidated white matter of bovine brain were prepared, and their proteolytic activities toward myelin basic protein (MBP) were evaluated at pH 3 and pH 7. This was done by measuring changes in total protein using a selective dye-binding assay, and by evaluating peptide patterns by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and densitometry. At pH 7 greater than 50% of total protein and about 75% of MBP were degraded after 48 h, whereas at pH 3 it was less than 20% altogether. Neutral proteolysis of MBP entailed up to 12 different proteolytic peptide fragments in the molecular weight range of 17.5 to 6 kd. Its enzymatic nature was verified using protease inhibitors, including N-ethylmaleimide, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, o-phenanthroline, and EDTA, as well as pepstatin A and alpha 2-macroglobulin. Both transient changes in percentages of some intermediate peptides and differential effects of individual inhibitors on electrophoretic peptide patterns strongly suggest a sequential type of limited proteolysis. The results also indicate that acid extracts contained several endopeptidases of which a cysteine protease appears to initiate the breakdown of MBP.