Heat-induced inactivation mechanism of soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitors

Due to the complications of the soymilk system, the heat-induced Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) inactivation mechanism is not well known. In this study, two BBI samples with low and high purities were prepared from soymilk. It was confirmed that three groups (A, C, and D) of BBI, which are contained in soybean seeds, were transferred into soymilk during processing. On heating, it was found that 1) the two subdomains of BBI were not equally heat stable, 2) the conformation of BBI gradually changed, 3) some amino acid residues (namely, cystine, serine and lysine) in BBI were degraded, 4) BBI did not tend to form intermolecular cross-links with another BBI, but did slightly with non-BBI proteins. Based on some previous studies, the conformational change of BBI was attributed to β-elimination reactions on the amino acid residues of BBI and the subsequent intramolecular reactions induced by the products yielded by the β-elimination reactions.

A Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor purified, cloned, sequenced and characterized from the seeds of Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneid

A new BBI-type protease inhibitor with remarkable structural characteristics was purified, cloned, and sequenced from seeds of Maclura pomifera , a dicotyledonous plant belonging to the Moraceae family. In this work, we report a Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) isolated, purified, cloned, and characterized from Maclura pomifera seeds (MpBBI), the first of this type from a species belonging to Moraceae family. MpBBI was purified to homogeneity by RP-HPLC, total RNA was extracted from seeds of M. pomifera, and the 3'RACE-PCR method was applied to obtain the cDNA, which was cloned and sequenced. Peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) analysis showed correspondence between the in silico-translated protein and MpBBI, confirming that it corresponds to a new plant protease inhibitor. The obtained cDNA encoded a polypeptide of 65 residues and possesses 10 cysteine residues, with molecular mass of 7379.27, pI 6.10, and extinction molar coefficient of 9105 M^-1 cm^-1. MpBBI inhibits strongly trypsin with K _i in the 10^-10 M range and was stable in a wide array of pH and extreme temperatures. MpBBI comparative modeling was applied to gain insight into its 3D structure and highlighted some distinguishing features: (1) two non-identical loops, (2) loop 1 (CEEESRC) is completely different from any known BBI, and (3) the amount of disulphide bonds is also different from any reported BBI from dicot plants.

Exchange of glutamine-217 to glutamate of Clostridium limosum exoenzyme C3 turns the asparagine-specific ADP-ribosyltransferase into an arginine-modifying enzyme

C3-like ADP-ribosyltransferaseses are produced by Clostridium species, Bacillus cereus, and various Staphylococcus aureus strains. The exoenzymes modify the low-molecular-mass GTPases RhoA, B, and C. In structural studies of C3-like exoenzymes, an ARTT-motif (ADP-ribosylating turn-turn motif) was identified that appears to be involved in substrate specificity and recognition (Han, S., Arvai, A. S., Clancy, S. B., Tainer, J. A. (2001) J. Mol. Biol. 305, 95-107). Exchange of Gln217, which is a key residue of the ARTT-motif, to Glu in C3 from Clostridium limosum results in inhibition of ADP-ribosyltransferase activity toward RhoA. The mutant protein is still capable of NAD-binding and possesses NAD+ glycohydrolase activity. Whereas recombinant wild-type C3 modifies Rho proteins specifically at an asparagine residue (Asn41), Gln217Glu-C3 is capable of ADP-ribosylation of poly-arginine but not poly-asparagine. Soybean trypsin inhibitor, a model substrate for many arginine-specific ADP-ribosyltransferases, is modified by the Gln217Glu-C3 transferase. Also in C3 ADP-ribosyltransferases from Clostridium botulinum and B. cereus, the exchange of the equivalent Gln residue to Glu blocked asparagine modification of RhoA but elicited arginine-specific ADP-ribosylation. Moreover, the Gln217Glu-C3lim transferase was able to ADP-ribosylate recombinant wild-type C3lim at Arg86, resulting in decrease in ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of the wild-type enzyme. The data indicate that the exchange of one amino acid residue in the ARTT-motif turns the asparagine-modifying ADP-ribosyltransferases of the C3 family into arginine-ADP-ribosylating transferases.

A trail of research revisted

The author describes how his interest in the nutritional value of soybeans led to a trail of research that had many ramifications. In an attempt to account for the poor nutritional value of raw soybeans and the beneficial effect of heat treatment, a protein displaying hemagglutinating activity and capable of inhibiting the growth of rats was isolated and characterized. This protein subsequently proved to be an example of a class of proteins that were later referred to as "lectins". Lectins were also isolated from kidney beans and shown to be even more toxic than the soybean lectin. Concurrent studies with the soybean trypsin inhibitors revealed that these proteins inhibited growth by stimulating the secretory activity of the pancreas and could in the long term cause acinar cell adenoma of the pancreas. Acute experiments with human subjects showed that the human pancreas also responded to the stimulatory effects of the so-called Bowman-Birk soybean inhibitor. The studies on soybean trypsin inhibitors were expanded to include a protease inhibitor present in blood, alpha-1-antitrypsin, a deficiency of which leads to emphysema in humans. The mechanism whereby this protein inhibits leucocyte elastase was investigated. On the basis of these results the intratracheal administration of a synthetic peptide inhibitor of elastase attached to albumin microspheres was found to prevent elastase-induced emphysema in hamsters.

Plant serine proteinase inhibitors. Structure and biochemical applications on plasma kallikrein and related enzymes

The action of two Bowman-Birk and several plant Kunitz-type inhibitors were studied on trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasma kallikrein and factor XII. The primary structure of some of them was completely defined. The results showed that the Bowman-Birk type inhibitors, although potent inhibitors for trypsin (Ki in the range of 1-2 nM), are not able to inhibit plasma kallikrein. Factor XII (Ki = 1.4 microM) and chymotrypsin (Ki = 5.0 nM) are inhibited by Torresea cearensis trypsin inhibitor (TcTI) but not by Dioclea glabra trypsin inhibitor (DgTI). Both inhibitors reactive site regions are highly homologous, and the amino acid residues in P1 position are the same, Lys and His; major differences are in the charge of the C-terminal portion of the molecules. The studied Kunitz-type inhibitors were all able to inhibit plasma kallikrein (Ki between 4 and 80 nM), with the exception of Schizolobium parahyba chymotrypsin inhibitor (SpCI), that is specific for chymotrypsin. All Kunitz-type inhibitors inactivate chymotrypsin, but with a dissociation constant in the range of 0.1 to 0.6 microM. Factor XIIf is inhibited with Ki in the range of 0.1 microM. Bauhinia bauhinioides trypsin inhibitor (BbTI) did not promote factor XIIf inhibition. The Kunitz-type inhibitors are a highly homologous, sharing 60% identity in the N-terminal portion of the loop containing the reactive site, and 28.6% identity in the C-terminal portion of the same loop.

Crystallographic refinement of Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitor A-II from peanut (Arachis hypogaea) at 2.3 A resolution

The crystal structure of Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitor A-II from peanut was refined at 2.3 A resolution using a restrained least-squares method. The crystallographic R-factor is 0.196 for 7697 reflections with F > 3 sigma (F) in the range from 6.0 to 2.3 A resolution. Two molecules in an asymmetric unit are independently refined and, their structures are compared with each other. The inhibitor molecule has an elongated shape with two reactive sites, one at both ends of the longest dimension. As a secondary structure, a 4-stranded beta-sheet-like structure is found, in which two water molecules bind two 2-stranded beta-sheets together with six hydrogen bonds. The molecule is constructed by two homologous domains which are related by an intramolecular pseudo 2-fold axis. The structure and atomic B-factors of peptide loops containing a reactive site were compared with that of adzuki bean Bowman-Birk type inhibitor in the complex with bovine beta-trypsin. This comparison shows that no significant structural change occurs in the reactive site of inhibitor at the formation of the inhibitor-protease complex, but structural rigidity around the reactive site seems to increase.

Predigestion of soybean proteins with immobilized trypsin for infant formula

Soybean protein isolates of low soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) residue were prepared by acidic precipitation of soybean flour water extracts (0.8-1.2%) at pH 5.0, followed by acidic washing at this pH and affinity adsorption of residual STI with immobilized trypsin on polystyrene anion-exchange resin GM 201. After heat treatment, soybean protein isolates were subjected to controlled hydrolysis with the immobilized trypsin. Then, the predigested soybean protein was prepared. The predigested soybean protein was free of STI activity, and its solubility at acidic pH range was greatly increased. Sedimentation test showed that it formed a much finer clot at pH 4.5 than that of untreated soybean protein. The pepsin digestibility index at pH 4.0 and chymotrypsin digestibility index at pH 8.0 were obviously improved. These results suggested that the predigested soybean protein prepared by this method may be used in infant formulas.

[A substrate inhibitor analysis of the urinary excretion of tissue and plasma kallikreins in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis]

The usage of substrate inhibitor analysis made it possible to estimate the levels of excretion of plasma proteinases, including plasma kallikrein in the urinary DValLeuArgpNA (S-2266)- and DProPheArgpNA (S-2302)-amidase activity in patients with latent and nephrotic types of chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN). The soya bean trypsin inhibitor, an inhibitor of plasma kallikrein and other plasma proteinases, such as that of the blood coagulative factors XIa and XIIa, and the high selective plasma kallikrein inhibitor DPhePheArgCH2Cl were used as those differentiating kallikreins of tissue and plasma origin. The S-2266 and S-2302-amidase activity of the urine from healthy subjects was shown to be determined by only tissue (renal) kallikrein. The urine from the patients with a latent CGN type displayed the activity of plasma proteinases, but plasma kallikrein made no significant contribution to the urine amidase activity in these patients. With a nephrotic CGN type, great quantities of trypsin-like proteinases were secreted from the plasma through the glomerular filter into the urine, the proportion of plasma kallikrein in the urinary S-2266 and S-2302-amidase activities being approximately 27%. The compensatory and pathogenetic role of plasma kallikrein is discussed if there is lower excretion of tissue (renal) kallikrein in CGN with the nephrotic syndrome.

Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitors: two-dimensional vector representation for their sequences

The degree of structural similarity in the legume Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitors has been examined on the basis of two-dimensional vector representation of the respective amino acid sequences. Amino acid residue size and hydrophobicity are the two dimensions used (Swanson, R. (1984) Bull. Math. Biol., 46: 623-639). For the set of such homologous proteins a consensus sequence is generated. A non-negative real-valued function on the set of compared sequences is proposed as a measure of dissimilarity between compared sequences. In the group of those double-headed protease inhibitors sub-groups are distinguished presenting high structural similarity among their respective members and lower similarity among them.

Crystallization of Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitor (peanut) and its complex with trypsin

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic study of Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitors, A-I, A-II, and B-III from peanut seeds (Arachis hypogaea), and of the A-II + trypsin complex were carried out. A-II, with 70 amino acid residues, crystallizes in a trigonal system, P3(1)21 (or P3(2)21), a = 71.8, c = 65.9 A, Z = 12 or 18. The A-I crystal is isomorphous with that of A-II, indicating that the N-terminal residues are in a disordered state in both crystals. The B-III crystal is monoclinic, C2, a = 119.6, b = 69.6, c = 94.2 A, beta = 115.1 degrees, Z is about 40. The A-II + trypsin complex crystallizes in an orthorhombic system, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 55.5, b = 56.0, c = 182.1 A, Z = 4.

Prediction of the secondary structure of Bowman-Birk soybean protease inhibitor from LTS sequence

The secondary structure of Bowman-Birk soybean inhibitor (BBI) has been predicted from its amino acid sequence (71 residues) using the statistical method of Chou and Fasman (1974) as well as the informational method of Garnier et al. (1978). According to both methods, no alpha-helical region is predicted in BBI. Short beta-strands at 11-15, 39-43, 48-52 and 57-59 are predicted by Chou and Fasman's method, and at 11-14, 39-43, 48-52 and 57-59 by the method of Garnier et al. Predicted beta-turn tetrapeptides are residues at 1-4, 6-9, 14-17, 18-21, 24-27, 30-33, 36-39, 60-63, 63-66 and 68-71, according to the method of Chou and Fasman. These predictive results indicate that BBI consists essentially of beta-turn, beta-strand, and unordered structures, which represent about 56, 25 and 19% (by difference) of its secondary structure, respectively. The predicted reverse turn amount in BBI is very high, in comparison with that found usually in proteins. No fitting of the experimental circular dichroism spectrum (in the 195-240 nm region), which was reported by Kay (1976), has proved satisfactory when using the parameters for helical, beta-sheet, beta-turn and unordered conformations proposed by several authors.

Crystallization of two cubic forms of soybean trypsin inhibitor E-I, a member of the Bowman-Birk inhibitor family

The soybean trypsin inhibitor E-I, known to be relatively rich in methionine and cysteine, has been crystallized at room temperature in the presence of polyethylene glycol 4000, sodium chloride, and ammonium sulfate. A pronounced polymorphism in the crystals has been observed and two distinctly different cubic forms have been identified. Of the two, one form crystallizes in a unit cell of symmetry F432 with parameters a = b = c = 128.0 A, and diffracts at least to 2.6-A resolution. Each of the 96 asymmetric units contains one protein molecule, and has a solvent content of 60% by volume. The other form is of space group P4132 or P4332 with the unit-cell edge 87.1 A, and diffracts barely to 3-A spacings. The unit cell is composed of 24 asymmetric units, each of which probably also contains one molecule and has a solvent content of 69% by volume. The former cubic form appears to be more suitable for x-ray study than the latter in terms of stability and the extent of diffraction.

Complete amino acid sequence of mung bean trypsin inhibitor

The mung bean trypsin inhibitor has been found to be microheterogeneous at N-terminal region due to the presence of several isomers. After treatment with aminopeptidase M it becomes homogeneous and is suitable for sequence determination. Based on the determination of the structures of two active fragments the complete amino acid sequence of mung bean trypsin inhibitor has been elucidated. It consists of 72 amino acid residues with 7 pairs of disulfide bonds. The results show that this inhibitor belongs to the Bowman-Birk inhibitor family.

Formation, crystallization, and preliminary crystallographic data of the ternary complex of alpha-chymotrypsin, beta-trypsin, and the Bowman-Birk inhibitor

The ternary complex of the Bowman-Birk inhibitor with alpha-chymotrypsin and beta-trypsin has been crystallized and preliminary crystallographic information describing the crystals has been obtained. The crystals are triclinic with unit cell dimensions: a = 51.96 A, b = 56.34 A, c = 46.70 A, alpha = 98.83 degrees, beta = 97.29 degrees, and gamma = 97.15 degrees. There is 1 ternary complex/unit cell and the diffraction pattern extends to 2.2 A resolution. The search for heavy atom derivatives based on known derivatives of chymotrypsin and trypsin is underway.

Chemical substitutions of the reactive site leucine residue in soybean Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitor with other amino acids

A method of exchanging amino acid residue (P1 residue) which determines primarily the inhibitory specificity of a proteinase inhibitor is described. Leu43 (P1 residue) at the chymotrypsin reactive site of Bowman-Birk soybean inhibitor was removed by limited proteolysis of Leu43-Ser44 bond followed by carboxypeptidase digestion. An appropriate amino acid methyl ester was introduced into this position by water-soluble carbodiimide. Derivatives having methyl esters of Gly, Ala, Val, Met, Leu, Phe, Trp, or D-Trp at position 43 were prepared and were shown to restore the activity to various extents. This method provides new approach to study structure-function relationship of proteinase inhibitors and to prepare novel inhibitors.

Proteinase inhibitors from a mimosoideae legume, Albizzia julibrissin. Homologues of soybean trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz)

Four proteinase inhibitors, A-II, A-III, B-I, and B-II, were isolated from seeds of Albizzia julibrissin (silk tree) of the subfamily Mimosoideae, which is often regarded as the most primitive group of the Leguminosae plants. They were all of the high-molecular weight type (21,600 for A-II and A-III, and 19,000 for B-I and B-II), and composed of two polypeptide chains, linked together by a disulfide bond. A-II (A-III) inhibited bovine trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin probably at an identical site. B-I (BII) inactivated bovine alpha-chymotrypsin and porcine elastase. Sequence analyses of A-II and B-II revealed a considerable homology with soybean trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) but suggested the presence of an about 20-amino acid insertion in the A-II molecule.

The use of soybean trypsin inhibitors as phosphorylatable substrates for a rat liver protein kinase

Phosphorylation by a cAMP-independent rat liver protein kinase of protein substrates containing the structural feature required by mammary gland casein kinase (-Ser-X-Glu/Asp) has been demonstrated. In particular, the Bowman-Birk Soybean trypsin inhibitor, which is characterized, like other legume protease inhibitors, by clusters of acidic residues near the C-terminal side of seryl residue(s), proved to be a good model substrate for the protein kinase. Its phosphorylation, involving the Ser 65 residue, is apparently hindered by the binding of trypsin, while it is stimulated by unfolding induced by reduction and subsequent carboxy-methylation.

Preliminary crystallographic data for Bowman-Birk inhibitor from soybean seeds

A well characterized soybean protease inhibitor, the Bowman-Birk inhibitor, has been crystallized at room temperature in the presence of polyethylene glycol 4000 by vapor diffusion against an ammonium sulfate solution containing 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol. An x-ray diffraction study reveals that the inhibitor crystallizes in a hexagonal unit cell of symmetry P6122 (or P6522) and dimensions a = b = 91.36(2) A and c = 63.92(2) A. Each of the 12 asymmetric units contains 2 molecules of molecular weight 8000. The crystal, which diffracts barely to 3-A spacings, is fairly stable to x-irradiation and has a solvent content of approximately 52% by volume.

Residual esterase activity of lima bean inhibitor-binding anhydrochymotrypsin preparations

A search for the source of the residual esterase activity of crude lima bean protease inhibitor-binding anhydrochymotrypsin preparations was undertaken. The preparations were found to contain about 40% of protein that possesses 1% (kc/Km) to 12% (kc) of the esterase activity of alpha-chymotrypsin. The active protein was isolated by affinity chromatography on soybean trypsin inhibitor-Sepharose. It appears to be an anhydroenzyme or a mixture of a limited number of anhydroenzymes in which a serine other than the catalytically essential serine-195 of the native enzyme has been converted to dehydroalanine.

A soybean trypsin inhibitor. Crystallization and x-ray crystallographic study

Five trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin inhibitors which have low molecular weights (ranging from 6800 to 8600) and are present in soybean seeds of the Tracy variety have been isolated and purified, and single crystals which give x-ray diffraction data beyond 3-A spacings have been obtained from one of them. The trypsin inhibitor crystallizes in a monoclinic unit cell of symmetry P2(1) and dimensions a = 25.919(7) A, b = 43.23(1) A, c = 19.905(5) A, and beta = 103.63(2) degrees. The assymmetric unit contains 1 molecule of molecular weight 6800. The crystal, which has been found to be unusually stable to x-radiation, has solvent content of approximately 26% by volume.

Physical and chemical properties of soybean proteins

Recent physical and chemical studies are reviewed for Bowman‐Birk and Kunitz trypsin inhibitors, agglutinin, and 7S and 11S globulins of soybeans. Differences between gelation properties of crude 7S and 11S globulin fractions are also discussed.

Origins of circular dichroism bands in Bowman-Birk soybean trypsin inhibitor

The spectral properties of Bowman-Birk soybean trypsin inhibitor (BBI) were investigated by analyzing difference absorption spectra and difference CD spectra and by comparing them with those of tyrosyl model compounds. The O-acetylation of tyrosyl side chains showed that the ultraviolet CD bands of BBI above 225 nm originate from disulfide side chains and tyrosyl phenolic groups; phenylalanyl residues do not give rise to detectable CD in BBI in this wavelength region. The results of the tyrosyl ionization experiment were consistent with this interpretation. A broad negative CD band centered around 280 nm in BBI arises mainly from disulfide bonds (epsilonL - epsilonR = -0.83 M-1 cm-1 per disulfide). Each of 2 tyrosyl residues gives rise to negative CD in this region; together they contribute approximately 10% of the total CD intensity at 277 nm (epsilonL - epsilonR = -0.36 M-1 cm-1 per tyrosyl). Disulfide bonds in BBI also have a broad positive CD band centered around 240 nm (epsilonL- epsilonR = 0.9 M-1 per disulfide(. Tyrosyl side chains give rise to a sharp positive peak at 231 nm, overlapping with the positive disulfide CD. Dimerization of monomeric BBI did not alter the CD profile. One of two tyrosyl phenolic groups is relatively exposed and can be 0-acetylated by 100- to 1500-fold molar excess of N-acetylmidazole. The other is inaccessible to the reagent even in the presence of 8 M urea, but can be acetylated in the presence of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. Fully acetylated BBI has the near-ultraviolet disulfide CD and the far-ultraviolet polypetide CD very similar to those of the native inhibitor, indicating the O-acetylation of two tryosyl side chains did not induce much conformational change in BBI. The near-ultraviolet CD of BBI was altered in the presence of 8 M urea of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, with a greater change brought about by the latter. Dithiothreitol (20 mM) completely abolished the tyrosyl and disulfide CD in this region.

The partial amino acid sequence of trypsin inhibitor II from garden bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, with location of the trypsin and elastase-reactive sites

The amino acid sequences of garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) trypsin inhibitor II and a related molecular species II' have been examined. The entire sequence of II' has been determined with the exception of five internal residues. The garden bean inhibitors are highly homologous to the Bowman-Birk soybean inhibitor and lima bean trypsin inhibitor IV. The trypsin-reactive site has been located in the second half of the molecule, while the first reactive site has been found to be directed against elastase. Garden bean inhibitor II (and II') is thus a double-headed inhibitor, simultaneously inhibiting 1 molecule of trypsin and 1 of elastase.