Microwave-stimulated recovery of myosin-V immunoreactivity from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human CNS

The lability of brain myosin-V (BM-V) to aldehyde-fixation has hindered immunohistochemical (IH) studies of this actin-based motor. We show here that BM-V immunoreactivity (IR) can be retrieved from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human tissue. BM-V IR was optimally retrieved by boiling 5 microm cerebellar tissue sections in 10 mM sodium citrate buffer, pH 6, for 15 min, using a microwave oven set at 900 W and 2.45 GHz. A polyclonal, affinity purified anti-BM-V antibody, raised in rabbits against the tail domain of chicken BM-V, was shown here to recognize a single band in Western blots of human cortical homogenates. The combined use of this monospecific antibody and of the antigen retrieval (AR) method above allowed us to verify that BM-V IR is strongly expressed in human Purkinje cell bodies and dendrites, and in granule cells. The same pattern of BM-V IR expression was consistently and maximally detected in tissues stored in 10% formalin from 1 week to 2.5 months. The AR protocol for BM-V described here permits its IH study in formaldehyde-fixed tissues. It is a valuable tool to study BM-V in well fixed tissues, as occurs with the large collection of human archival tissue available.

Effect of bradykinin on isolated mesenteric arteries of the rat

Bradykinin is a potent vasodilator peptide; however, its half-life in vivo is very short because of various plasma and tissue peptidases that hydrolyze bradykinin to inactive fragments. We studied the role of kininase II (angiotensin converting enzyme) and neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (enkephalinase) in the catabolism of bradykinin in vascular tissue by determining the effect of inhibitors of kininase II (captopril) and of endopeptidase 24.11 (phosphoramidon) on the action of bradykinin on rat isolated mesenteric arteries. Because bradykinin may induce prostaglandin formation and release, we also studied the effect of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, on the action of bradykinin. The mesenteric bed was isolated from rats (250-300 g) with rats under either anesthesia and was perfused with Krebs' solution (4 ml/min) containing phenylephrine (0.5-1.0 microgram/ml) to produce a mean perfusion pressure of 120-130 mm Hg. Bradykinin (2.5-40.0 ng), injected as a bolus, produced a dose-dependent decrease in perfusion pressure. In the presence of indomethacin (1.0 microgram/ml), the amplitude of the vasodilator responses to bradykinin was not significantly affected, although the duration of the responses was increased approximately two to four times. In the presence of captopril (1.0 microgram/ml), bradykinin elicited either a vasodilator or a biphasic effect. The vasodilator effect was greatly potentiated by captopril, whereas the duration of the response was unchanged when compared with control experiments. When present, the pressor responses were also dose related. In the presence of indomethacin plus captopril, bradykinin produced only a fall in perfusion pressure that lasted five to six times longer than without any treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Degradation of neurotensin by rabbit brain endo-oligopeptidase A and endo-oligopeptidase B (proline-endopeptidase)

The degradation of neurotensin and D-Tyr11 neurotensin by apparently homogeneous preparations of rabbit brain endo-oligopeptidase A and endo-oligopeptidase B (Proline-endopeptidase) was studied. Peptide fragments were isolated by high performance liquid chromatography and identified by amino acid analysis. Endo-oligopeptidase A cleaved neurotensin at the Arg8-Arg9 bond whereas D-Tyr11 neurotensin was not significantly hydrolysed. Endo-oligopeptidase B cleaved at the carboxyl side of Pro7, Pro10 in neurotensin and at Pro7 in D-Tyr11 neurotensin. The concentration dependent inhibition of neurotensin degradation by bradykinin and vice-versa represents additional evidence that endo-oligopeptidase A cleaves both Phe5-Ser6 bond of bradykinin and the Arg8-Arg9 bond of neurotensin.

Influence of the carboxyl terminus of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and bradykinin on hydrolysis by brain endo-oligopeptidases

A homogeneous preparation of endo-oligopeptidase A from rabbit brain cleaves luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (less than Glu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH2) at the Tyr-Gly bond only after the removal of Gly-NH2 from the COOH-terminal position of the molecule. The influence of the carboxyl terminus on hydrolysis by brain endo-oligopeptidases was studied using bradykinin as a model substrate. The substitution of the carboxyl group of bradykinin by the amide reduces by 2.5-fold the rate of Phe-Ser bond hydrolysis by endo-oligopeptidase A but has no effect on the rate of hydrolysis of the Pro-Phe bond by endo-oligopeptidase B. On the other hand, the deletion of Phe-Arg from the COOH-terminal portion of bradykinin makes the peptide resistant to hydrolysis by endo-oligopeptidase A whereas it increases by 5-fold the rate of hydrolysis of the Pro-Gly bond by endo-oligopeptidase B.

Screening for rabbit brain neuropeptide-metabolizing peptidases. Inhibition of endopeptidase B by bradykinin potentiating peptide 9a (SQ 20881)

Neutral thiol-activated peptidases present in the pH 5-soluble fraction of rabbit brain (separated by step-elution chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose) were screened for the hydrolysis of bradykinin. Lys-bradykinin, Met-Lys-bradykinin, angiotensin I, angiotensin II, substance P, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH), and neurotensin by bioassay. The column effluent was monitored for bradykinin inactivation and arylamidase activity and combined in six pools on the basis of bradykinin inactivation. The pools were characterized by determining the peptide fragments and amino acids released from bradykinin with an amino acid analyzer. Pools 1 through 3 contained 80% of the kininase activity and essentially all of the endopeptidase A and B activity, whereas pools 4 through 6 accounted for 98% of the recovered arylamidase activity. Bradykinin, angiotensin I, angiotensin II, and substance P were inactivated by all the pools, whereas LH-RH and neurotensin were inactivated by pools 3 and 4, and pools 3, 4, and 5, respectively. These data show that rabbit brain contains peptidases having some selectivity for the inactivation of neuropeptides. Endopeptidase B purified from pool 3 is inhibited by bradykinin-potentiating peptide 9a (BPP9a, SQ 20881) (< Glu-Trp-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gln-Ile-Pro-Pro), a competitive inhibitor of the hydrolysis of bradykinin (Km = 3.5 X 10(-5) M, Ki = 3 X 10(-6) M) which also completely inhibits the inactivation of LH-RH.

Susceptibility of a peptide derived from bradykinin to hydrolysis by brain endo-oligopeptidases and pancreatic proteinases

The property of brain endopeptidases of attacking small biologically active polypeptides but not denatured proteins led us to compare them with pancreatic proteolytic enzymes with respect to hydrolysis of a synthetic peptide derived from bradykinin (Gly-Gly-Gly-Arg-bradykinin), free, bound to Affi-Gel 10, or bound to succinylated polylysine of 3,000 and 180,000 daltons, respectively. The data show that brain endopeptidases A and B only hydrolyze bradykinin in its free form, whereas trypsin, chymotrypsin, and carboxypeptidase B hydrolyze the polypeptide both free and covalently bound to a high molecular weight carrier. These results suggest that brain endopeptidases selectively hydrolyze low molecular weight polypeptides.

Rabbit tissue peptidases that hydrolyse the peptide hormone bradykinin. Differences in enzymic properties and concentration in rabbit tissues

The distribution and properties of neutral peptidases acting on the peptide hormone bradykinin (Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe-Ser-Pro-Phe-Arg) were determined in several rabbit tissues. The supernatant and particulate fractions prepared from tissue homogenates (25000g for 60min) were studied. Bradykinin inactivation (kininase activity) was measured by bioassay with the isolated guinea-pig ileum. The sites of peptide-bond cleavage were determined in the amino acid analyser, which permits detection and measurement of amino acids and peptides derived from bradykinin. The results indicate that kininases are present in a wide range of concentrations in different tissues, kidney and lung having the most activity. Kininases present in different tissues were distinguished on the basis of sensitivity to the effects of EDTA, dithiothreitol and ZnCl2 and by the site of peptide-bond hydrolysis in bradykinin.