Pancreatic proteinases from man, trout, rat, pig, cow, chicken, mink and fox. Enzyme activities and inhibition by soybean and lima bean proteinase inhibitors

Snake Venom Hemotoxic Enzymes: Biochemical Comparison between Crotalus Species from Central Mexico

Snakebite envenoming is a serious medical problem in different areas of the world. In Latin America, the major prevalence is due to snakes of the family Viperidae, where rattlesnakes (Crotalus) are included. They produce hemotoxic venom which causes bleeding, tissue degradation and necrosis. Each venom has several enzymatic activities, producing different effects in the envenoming, doing its clinical effects difficult to study. Comparison between venom molecules is also difficult when different techniques are used, and therefore, their identification/characterization using the same methodology is necessary. In this work, a general biochemical characterization in snake venom of serine proteases (SVSP), phospholipases A₂ (PLA₂), metalloproteases (SVMP) and hyaluronidases (SVH) of Crotalus aquilus (Ca), Crotalus polystictus (Cp) and Crotalus molossus nigrescens (Cmn) was done. Differences in protein pattern, enzyme content and enzymatic activities were observed. All the venoms showed high PLA₂ activity, high molecular weight SVSP, and a wide variety of SVMP and SVH forms. Ca and Cp showed the highest enzymatic activities of SVMP and SVSP trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like, whereas Cmn showed the highest SVH and similar PLA₂ activity with Ca. All the venoms showed peptides with similar molecular weight to crotamine-like myotoxins. No previous biochemical characterization of C. aquilus has been reported and there are no previous analyses that include these four protein families in these Crotalus venoms.

Identification of a new soybean kunitz trypsin inhibitor mutation and its effect on bowman-birk protease inhibitor content in soybean seed

Soybean seed contains antinutritional compounds that inactivate digestive proteases, principally corresponding to two families: Kunitz trypsin inhibitors (KTi) and Bowman-Birk inhibitors (BBI). High levels of raw soybean/soybean meal in feed mixtures can cause poor weight gain and pancreatic abnormalities via inactivation of trypsin/chymotrypsin enzymes. Soybean protein meal is routinely heat-treated to inactivate inhibitors, a practice that is energy-intensive and costly and can degrade certain essential amino acids. In this work, we screened seed from 520 soybean accessions, using a combination of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblots with anti-Kunitz trypsin inhibitor antibodies. A soybean germplasm accession was identified with a mutation affecting an isoform annotated as nonfunctional (KTi1), which was determined to be synergistic with a previously identified mutation (KTi3-). We observed significant proteome rebalancing in all KTi mutant lines, resulting in dramatically increased BBI protein levels.

Possible mechanism for the foodweb transfer of covalently bound microcystins

Microcystins (MCs) are cyanobacterial toxins that inhibit protein phosphatases 1 and 2A (PP1, PP2A) within an animal through both reversible and covalent interactions. Only MCs that have accumulated in animal tissue in reversible interactions are currently considered when estimating risk to higher trophic levels and humans through food web exposure. However, the majority of MCs is likely covalently bound to target proteins in tissues and these MCs are not quantified or included in these assessments. These covalently bound MCs may be made bioavailable in the digestive system of a consumer through the digestion of their attached protein phosphatase. Three common digestive enzymes, pepsin, chymotrypsin, and trypsin, did not digest cyclic MC-LR and MC-LY, but were very active against a control peptide with typical linkages and standard amino acids in "L" conformation, supporting the possibility for MC-peptide formation during gut passage. To test if digestion products could be biologically active in the consumer, four predicted MC-peptides were synthesized and assayed for activity against PP1 by the protein phosphatase inhibition assay (PPIA). All four MC-peptides were active against PP1 and comparably half (58%) as inhibitory as the parent toxin. This in vitro study demonstrated that MCs covalently bound to proteins may represent a reservoir of potential toxicity for consumers.

Effect of extrusion on trypsin inhibitor activity and nutrient digestibility of diets based on fish meal, soybean meal and white flakes

The effects of moist extrusion processing of diets containing fish meal (FM) and conventional defatted soybean meal (SBM) or untoasted defatted soybean meal (white flakes [WF]) on amino acid composition, trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), and apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients were studied. Three diets with the nutritional characteristics of feeds for salmonid fish were formulated: one control based on FM as protein source and two others where 40% of total amino acids from FM were substituted by either SBM or WF. Each diet was fed to mink either as an unextruded mixture of the ingredients or as extruded pellets in order to determine the effect of extrusion processing. Extrusion did not change the amino acid composition of the diets significantly, but reduced the TIA of both diets containing soy products by approximately 76%. Intake of the unextruded WF diet was only one-third compared with the other diets. The dry matter concentration in faeces from mink fed diets containing soy products was significantly lower than in mink fed the FM diet. Digestibility of crude protein, all amino acids and fat was lower, but starch higher, in the unextruded WF diet than in the FM and SBM diets, whereas no significant differences were found among the extruded diets. Extrusion of the WF diet increased digestibility of protein and all amino acids. The greatest increase in digestibility after extrusion of the WF diet was observed for cysteine followed by tryptophan. Extrusion of the FM and SBM diets had no significant effect on amino acid digestibility. Digestibility of starch was, in general, increased by extrusion. It is concluded that the heat treatment involved in typical moist extrusion processing used for fish feed may be sufficient to inactivate most of the TIA in unheated soybean meal, and to increase digestibility of the protein in WF to approximately the same level as found for SBM and FM. Still, extrusion is a lenient process with minor effects on nutrient digestibility of diets containing fish meal or toasted soybean meal as major protein sources.

In vitro assessment of intestinal IGF-I stability

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) is a 7648-Da polypeptide consisting of 70 amino acids. Clinically, IGF-I might be used in type II diabetes, which requires a life-long treatment. Therefore, delivery routes other than parenteral injections are highly desirable. For convenience, the peroral route is the most attractive. Therefore, in an attempt to answer the feasibility of oral delivery of IGF-I we examined the metabolism of this polypeptide in the gut in the presence of crude porcine pancreatic enzymes (CPPE) and flushings of the small and large intestine from pig, rat, and dog. Moreover, incubation studies with purified pancreatic enzymes that are present in the intestine were performed to determine the most active enzymes responsible for the intestinal cleavage of IGF-I. IGF-I was mainly degraded by chymotrypsin (t(1/2) = 2.7 min) and trypsin (t(1/2) = 34.6 min), whereas in the presence of aminopeptidase M and carboxypeptidase A IGF-I was stable up to 90 min. IGF-I was degraded in flushings from the jejunum, ileum, and colon. However, there were no significant differences in the stability of IGF-I between the examined intestinal segments. The addition of serine protease inhibitors such as a combination of aprotinin, soybean trypsin inhibitor, and Nalpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), as well as casein profoundly improved the stability. Because we were able to improve the stability of IGF-I in vitro in all species at the same degree we speculate that a similar extension of half-life might also be possible in the human intestinal system.

Implications of antinutritional components in soybean foods

There are a number of components present in soybeans that exert a negative impact on the nutritional quality of the protein. Among those factors that are destroyed by heat treatment are the protease inhibitors and lectins. Protease inhibitors exert their antinutritional effect by causing pancreatic hypertrophy/hyperplasia, which ultimately results in an inhibition of growth. The lectin, by virtue of its ability to bind to glycoprotein receptors on the epithelial cells lining the intestinal mucosa, inhibits growth by interfering with the absorption of nutrients. Of lesser significance are the antinutritional effects produced by relatively heat stable factors, such as goitrogens, tannins, phytoestrogens, flatus-producing oligosaccharides, phytate, and saponins. Other diverse but ill-defined factors appear to increase the requirements for vitamins A, B12, D, and E. The processing of soybeans under severe alkaline conditions leads to the formation of lysinoalanine, which has been shown to damage the kidneys of rats. This is not generally true, however, for edible soy protein that has been produced under milder alkaline conditions. Also meriting consideration is the allergenic response that may sometimes occur in humans, as well as calves and piglets, on dietary exposure to soybeans.

High and low inhibitor soybean meals affect human duodenal proteinase activity differently: in vitro comparison of proteinase inhibition

The purpose of the study was to investigate the in vitro inhibition of the proteolytic activity in samples of duodenal juice obtained during instillation of raw soybeans in humans. The results suggested the presence of an inhibitor-resistant trypsin. Practically no inhibition was obtained with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, aprotinin, human alpha 1-antitrypsin or lima bean trypsin inhibitor. Specificity against synthetic substrates was different from that obtained in the absence of raw soybeans. Duodenal aspirates containing this new trypsin activity were able to further inhibit tryptic and chymotryptic activity of basal aspirates from the duodenum, demonstrating surplus amounts of inhibitors in the duodenal juice. Further incubation of trypsin-inhibitor complexes at 37 degrees C, in the presence of surplus uninhibited (trypsin and chymotrypsin) duodenal juice, restored tryptic activity. This activity was not inhibitor-resistant. The results obtained for trypsin activity based on esterase assays were confirmed by a proteolytic assay. It is concluded that the increase in tryptic activity in human duodenal juice during raw soybean infusion is due to a previously unidentified inhibitor-resistant trypsin and not due to inactivation of the inhibitors in raw soybeans.

High and low inhibitor soybean meals affect human duodenal proteinase activity differently: in vivo comparison with bovine serum albumin

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of high and low inhibitor soybean meals on the duodenal enzyme activities and on the possible regulatory role of gastrointestinal hormones in the pancreatic response. After an overnight fast, 11 healthy volunteers received an intraduodenal infusion of saline for 60 min. This was followed by infusion of either of three test meals: extract of raw soybeans (RS), a low inhibitor soy protein isolate (SPI) or bovine serum albumin (BSA), 10 g/h for 60 min. Then saline was again given intraduodenally for 30 min. Gastric juice was collected continuously and duodenal juice and peripheral blood samples were collected every 10 min. Duodenal chymotryptic activity was severely inhibited by RS, whereas SPI and BSA increased the chymotryptic activity. Tryptic activity showed a transient reduction (55%) during RS infusion, whereas BSA and in particular SPI increased the tryptic activity. No change was seen in amylase activity. The lack of total inhibition of tryptic activity has been studied further and is the subject of the accompanying paper. The peripheral plasma levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) increased significantly during BSA but not during SPI or RS infusions. Thus, CCK levels were not increased by the inhibition of the proteolytic activity by RS in duodenal juice.

Relevance of multiple soybean trypsin inhibitor forms to nutritional quality

Trypsin inhibitors contribute to the antinutritional component of raw soybean meal by inhibiting vertebrate pancreatic serine proteinases in the small intestine, resulting in a range of deleterious physiological effects in the animal. The variation in the nutritional quality of soybean cultivars stems partly from wide-ranging levels of trypsin inhibitor, and from varying proportions of trypsin inhibitors of two classes--the Kunitz and the Bowman-Birk inhibitor classes. The latter class is better able to survive heat processing and digestion in the stomach. Some variation in cultivars also arises from the array of isoinhibitors present in the seed. The three Kunitz isoinhibitors, Ti(a), Ti(b) and Ti(c) differ by as much as 1000-fold in their interaction with bovine trypsin. The Bowman-Birk isoinhibitors differ not only in their extent of interaction with trypsin, but in their spectrum of inhibition of the other pancreatic enzymes, chymotrypsin and elastase. In this chapter, we look at twenty-two Bowman-Birk inhibitors from ten soybean cultivars and find at least twelve which are different enough in amino acid composition and/or inhibitor activity to be distinct protein species. Of these, three pairs are related by proteolytic digestion. Quite ironically, the Bowman-Birk inhibitors, and to some extent the Kunitz inhibitors, contribute to the nutritional quality of soybeans by virtue of their high cystine content which supplements the low or negligible amounts of sulfur-containing amino acids in the storage proteins that comprise the bulk of the protein reserve in the seed.

A novel proteinase from human pancreas

A cholesterol-binding protein was previously isolated from human pancreas [Sziegoleit (1982) Biochem. J. 207, 573-582] and shown to consist of a single polypeptide chain with an apparent Mr of 28 000 and an isoelectric point of pH 4.9. In further investigations, a proteolytic activity was observed to be present in preparations of this protein. The enzyme activity was not dissociable from the cholesterol-binding protein. It decreased in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate or urea parallel to degradation of the protein, indicating autodegradation in the presence of these denaturants. Glucagon digestion studies indicated the carbonyl bond of alanine to be a favoured site of the enzymic cleavage. The proteinase was inactive against chromogenic substrates relatively specific for elastase, trypsin and chymotrypsin, but was found to cleave benzyloxycarbonylalanine p-nitrophenyl ester efficiently. The enzyme was inactivated by phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride and was thus classified as a serine proteinase. Autoradiographic studies demonstrated binding to serum alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-macroglobulin in a similar manner to that observed with other pancreatic endo-proteinases. The collective results indicate that the isolated protein, provisionally named 'cholesterol-binding pancreatic proteinase', is a novel proteinase of the human pancreas. Quantitative measurements indicate that it comprises 4-6% of total protein in pancreatic secretions.