Change of enzyme activities during the early stage of influenza virus infection

Further investigation on the mode of entry of human rotavirus into cells

Entry of the KUN strain of human rotavirus into MA 104 cells was studied by electron microscopy. Double-shelled rotavirus particles attached to the cell membrane, and in the presence of trypsin their nucleic acids were expelled from the virus core into the cytoplasm through radial spaces between the capsomeres and the cell membrane pores formed after their attachment. This mechanism was considered to be analogous to those of phages.

Enzymatic changes in dystrophic mice and their age dependency

The activities of 14 different aminopeptidases, 5 endopeptidases, 4 glycosidases, phosphatase, esterase, and ribonuclease (RNase) were measured in the muscle and bone of 12 normal controls and 12 dystrophic mice. In most cases the activity of these enzymes was significantly elevated in the muscle of the dystrophic mice. In the muscle of the controls the activity of aminopeptidase A (AP-A), Leu-AP, Trp-AP, Gly-Pro-AP, and RNase tended to decrease with the increasing age of the animal, whereas that of AP-B and Pro-AP tended to increase. This mode of age-related regression was entirely different in dystrophic muscle. The enzymatic changes in the bone of the dystrophic mice were milder but more or less analogous to those in muscle. These findings should be important in further elucidating the mode of protein degradation in dystrophic muscle and in aiding in the selection of appropriate therapeutic agents including the low-molecular-weight inhibitors.

Various enzyme activities in muscle and other organs of dystrophic mice

To elucidate the metabolic abnormality of musclar dystrophy, 27 kinds of enzyme activity in various organs of control and dystrophic mice were examined. The organs examined included muscle, bone, heart, testis, uterus, spleen, thymus, submaxillary gland, stomach, pancreas, liver, kidney, brain, and lung. The activities of 14 different aminopeptidases, 5 endopeptidases, 4 glycosidases, phosphatase, esterase, and ribonuclease were measured. Most of the enzyme activities were significantly elevated in muscles and bones of dystrophic mice. These organs were similar in their patterns of enzyme abnormality. Among the 14 kinds of aminopeptidase activity studied, the degree of increased activity was greater for the aminopeptidases (AP):Ala-AP, Leu-AP, Met-AP, Phe-AP, Trp-AP, Gly-Pro-Leu-AP. In addition to aminopeptidases, there were significant increases in activities of chymotrypsinlike enzyme, cathepsin C, cathepsin D, several glycosidases and neutral ribonuclease in the muscles of dystrophic mice. Similarly increased enzyme activity was also observed in organs other than muscle and bone. Furthermore, protein content in most organs was higher in dystrophic mice than in those of control mice. These abnormalities were seen in both males and females. The present results suggest that there are extensive abnormalities in the protein metabolism in dystrophic mice. It seems therefore that the therapeutic approach to muscular dystrophy should be studies not only from the well-known abnormality of intramuscular endopeptidases, but from other aspects as well.

Aminopeptidase activities on the surface of mammalian cells

Activities of hydrolytic enzymes on the surface of monkey kidney, canine kidney, L. FM3A and various tumor cells were determined and compared with those in the cell homogenate. Although aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.-) activities were always detected on the surface membrane in mammalian cells, trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase activities were not detected while slight glycosidase activity was detected in a suspension of cultured cells. The activities of alanine-, leucine-, methionine- and phenylalanine-aminopeptidases were rather high but aminopeptidase A, proline-, valine-, glycyl propline dipeptidyl-and glycyl propyl leucine-tripeptidyl-aminopeptidases showed relatively low activities. Aminopeptidase activity was also demonstrated in the isolated membrane fractions. The specific activities of enzymes in these membrane fractions were not significantly greater than in cell homogenate so it was concluded that these enzyme activities were rather loosely bound to the cell membrane. Further evidence for the localization of the aminopeptidase activities on the cell surface was obtained by using glass-bead-bound substrate and detecting the release of the terminal residues. When bestatin, a specific inhibitor against aminopeptidase B and leucine aminopeptidase, was included in the assay system for the enzyme activities on the cell surface, the enzymes were commonly inhibited in all types of cells.