Purification and characterization of Locusta migratoria chymotrypsin

Insect chymotrypsins: chloromethyl ketone inactivation and substrate specificity relative to possible coevolutional adaptation of insects and plants

Insect digestive chymotrypsins are present in a large variety of insect orders but their substrate specificity still remains unclear. Four insect chymotrypsins from 3 different insect orders (Dictyoptera, Coleoptera, and two Lepidoptera) were isolated using affinity chromatography. Enzymes presented molecular masses in the range of 20 to 31 kDa and pH optima in the range of 7.5 to 10.0. Kinetic characterization using different colorimetric and fluorescent substrates indicated that insect chymotrypsins differ from bovine chymotrypsin in their primary specificity toward small substrates (like N-benzoyl-L-Tyr p-nitroanilide) rather than on their preference for large substrates (exemplified by Succynil-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe p-nitroanilide). Chloromethyl ketones (TPCK, N- alpha-tosyl-L-Phe chloromethyl ketone and Z-GGF-CK, N- carbobenzoxy-Gly-Gly-Phe-CK) inactivated all chymotrypsins tested. Inactivation rates follow apparent first-order kinetics with variable second order rates (TPCK, 42 to 130 M(-1) s(-1); Z-GGF-CK, 150 to 450 M(-1) s(-1)) that may be remarkably low for S. frugiperda chymotrypsin (TPCK, 6 M(-1) s(-1); Z-GGF-CK, 6.1 M(-1) s(-1)). Homology modelling and sequence alignment showed that in lepidopteran chymotrypsins, differences in the amino acid residues in the neighborhood of the catalytic His 57 may affect its pKa value. This is proposed as the cause of the decrease in His 57 reactivity toward chloromethyl ketones. Such amino acid replacement in the active site is proposed to be an adaptation to the presence of dietary ketones.

Subsite substrate specificity of midgut insect chymotrypsins

Insect chymotrypsins are distinctively sensitive to plant protein inhibitors, suggesting that they differ in subsite architecture and hence in substrate specificities. Purified digestive chymotrypsins from insects of three different orders were assayed with internally quenched fluorescent oligopeptides with three different amino acids at P1 (Tyr, Phe, and Leu) and 13 amino acid replacements in positions P1', P2, and P3. The binding energy (DeltaG(s), calculated from K(m) values) and the activation energy (DeltaG(T)++, determined from k(cat)/K(m) values) were calculated. The hydrophobicities of each subsite were calculated from the efficiency of hydrolysis of the different amino acid replacements at that subsite. The results showed that except for S1, the other subsites (S2, S3, and S1') vary among chymotrypsins. This result contrasts with insect trypsin data that revealed a trend along evolution, putatively associated with resistance to plant inhibitors. In spite of those differences, the data suggested that in lepidopteran chymotrypsins S2 and S1' bind the substrate ground state, whereas only S1' binds the transition state, supporting aspects of the present accepted mechanism of catalysis.

Thiol-activated serine proteinases from nymphal hemolymph of the African migratory locust, Locusta migratoria migratorioides

Two unique serine proteinase isoenzymes (LmHP-1 and LmHP-2) were isolated from the hemolymph of African migratory locust (Locusta migratoria migratorioides) nymphs. Both have a molecular mass of about 23 kDa and are activated by thiol-reducing agents. PMSF abolishes enzymes activity only after thiol activation, while the cysteine proteinase inhibitors E-64, iodoacetamide, and heavy metals fail to inhibit the thiol-activated enzymes. The N-terminal sequence was determined for the more-abundant LmHP-2 isoenzyme. It exhibits partial homology to that of other insect serine proteinases and similar substrate specificity and inhibition by the synthetic and protein trypsin inhibitors pABA, TLCK, BBI, and STI. The locust trypsins LmHP-1 and LmHP-2 constitute a new category of serine proteases wherein the active site of the enzyme is exposed by thiol activation without cleavage of peptide bonds.

Cloning of the cDNA encoding Scg-SPRP, an unusual Ser-protease-related protein from vitellogenic female desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria)

The cDNA coding for a Ser-protease-related protein (Scg-SPRP) was cloned from desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) midgut. The derived amino acid sequence consists of 260 residues and shows strong sequence similarity to insect trypsin-like molecules. It is, however, likely that Scg-SPRP is not a proteolytically active enzyme and that it plays another physiologically relevant role, since two out of three residues which are indispensable for catalytic activity of Ser-proteases are replaced. Northern analysis revealed that the Scg-SPRP gene is expressed in midgut tissue and that this expression is strongly induced in adult female locusts. Moreover, the occurrence of the transcript (1.2 kb) fluctuates during the molting cycle and during the female reproductive cycle. Juvenile hormone (JH III) dependence of transcription was investigated by chemical allatectomy (precocene I) of adult females. This resulted in inhibition of vitellogenesis and in disappearance of the Scg-SPRP transcript. Expression of Scg-SPRP in precocene-treated locusts could be reinduced by additional treatment with JH III or with 20-OH-ecdysone.

Isolation, characterization, and properties of a trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor from amaranth seeds

A trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor was isolated from the seeds of amaranth--a highly nutritious protein source. The purification of the inhibitor (AmI) was carried out by affinity chromatography on trypsin-Sepharose and by HPLC. AmI is a single-chain protein of 8 kD, as determined by electrophoresis on SDS-polyacrylamide gels and by gel exclusion on Sephadex G-50 column. It is stable at neutral and alkaline pH and is relatively thermostable. AmI inhibits trypsin and chymotrypsin from the digestive system of insects such as Tribolium castaneum and Locusta migratoria, supporting the hypothesis that inhibitors may have evolved as defense mechanisms of seeds against insects. AmI lost its inhibitory activities when submitted to limited proteolysis with trypsin, while limited proteolysis with chymotrypsin had almost no effect. The partial amino acid sequence of 45 amino acids from the amino terminus of AmI differs significantly from the known sequences of legume-seed and cereal-grain protease inhibitor families. Differences in the chemistry at the inhibitory site(s) and in the amino acid sequence of AmI in comparison to that of other cereal and legume inhibitors suggest that AmI is a member of a new family of serine protease inhibitors. AmI was found to inhibit the anchorage-independent growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells, suggesting that AmI may have anticarcinogenic activity.

Purification and characterization of trypsins from the digestive tract of Locusta migratoria

Two trypsin-like enzymes were isolated from the digestive tract of the African migratory locust Locusta migratoria migratorioides. Primary purification was carried out on a DEAE-cellulose column, from which the two trypsins emerged in the anionic fraction. Further purification was achieved by affinity chromatography on a p-aminobenzamidine (PABA)-Sepharose column, which also separated the two trypsins (TLEAff.1. and TLEAff.2.), or by HPLC on an anion exchange column. The purity and homogeneity of the trypsins were demonstrated by electrophoresis of cellulose acetate strips and in polyacrylamide gels, with and without SDS. The molecular weights of TLEAff.1 and TLEAff.2, as determined by SDS-PAGE, were 17,000 and 24,000 respectively. The amino acid compositions of the locust trypsins were similar to those of trypsins from the digestive systems of other insects, which are characterized by the lack or low content of half cystines. The isoelectric points were 3.2 for TLEAff.1 and 3.5 fold for TLEAff.2. Since most of the locust trypsin comprised TLEAff.2, the latter served as the main object of this study. TLEAff.2 was unstable at low pH, differing in this respect from mammalian trypsins. The optimum activity was at pH 8.5-9.0. The Km and kcat, values were similar to those for bovine trypsin. Activation by substrate, a phenomenon in bovine trypsin, was also observed for TLEAff.2. The locust trypsin was full inhibited by the proteinaceous trypsin inhibitors Bowman-Birk (BBI) and Kunitz from soybeans, CI from chickpeas, chicken ovomucoid (COM), and turkey ovomucoid (TOM). It was inactivated by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), indicating the involvement of serine and histidine in the active site.