Brush-border membrane enzymes

Aminopeptidase A is another brush border membrane enzyme which has been the subject of various studies [79,81,83-86], It has been found in the intestinal brush border membrane of humans, rabbits, rats, and pigs and is active against peptides with acidic amino acids at the amino terminus. Its activity against dipeptides is more limited. Shoaf et al., isolated three rat brush border aminopeptidases with distinct but somewhat overlapping substrate specificities. These enzymes had preference for dipeptides containing methionine, arginine, or aspartic acid and glycine. The optimal pH for activity of aminopeptidase was reported to be 7-8. 

Hydrolysis of a-limit dextrin to glucose by brush border membrane enzymes. 

The complex polymers in feedstuffs are broken down to the constituent building blocks by a sequential process. Hydrolysis of the polymers is initiated in the lumen of the GIT by enzymes and other secretions produced by the pancreas, stomach, intestine, liver and gall bladder, and other GIT tissues, and completed by another suite of enzymes associated with the brush border membrane (BBM) or intracellular organelles. Anti-nutrient phytochemicals can decrease the hydrolysis of feedstuffs, and thereby reduce nutrient availability, either by increasing the inherent resistance of the polymers to hydrolysis or by decreasing the activities or amounts of enzymes and other secretions produced by the GIT. 

Potential enzymes involved in anthocyanin metabolism — The lactase phlorizin hydrolase (LPH EC 3.2.1.108) present only in the small intestine on the outside of the brush border membrane and the cytosolic P-glucosidase (CBG EC 3.2.1.1) found in many tissues, particularly in liver, can catalyze the deglycosylation (or hydrolysis) of polyphenols. LPH may play a major role in polyphenol metabolism... 

The intestinal mucosal peptidases are distributed in the brush border and cytosol of the absorptive cell. There are, however, distinct differences between the brush border and cytosolic peptidases [75], The tetrapeptidase activity is associated exclusively with the brush border enzyme. Furthermore, brush border peptidases exhibit more activity against tripeptides than dipeptides, whereas the cytosolic enzymes show greater activity against dipeptides. Studies have demonstrated that more than 50% of dipeptidase activity was detected in the cytosol [76] and just 10% in the brush border membrane [77]. The brush border enzymes include... 

EE Strechi, JF Woodley. Peptide hydrolases of the human small intestinal mucosa Identification of six distinct enzymes in the brush border membrane. Clin Chim Acta 102 57-65, 1980. 

M Yoshioka, RH Erikson, JF Woodly, R Gulb, D Guam, YS Kim. Role of rat intestinal brush-border membrane angiotensin-converting enzyme in dietary protein digestion. Am J Physiol 253 G-781-G-786, 1987. 

Kitagawa, S., J. Takeda, and S. Sato. pH-dependent inhibitory effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on cefroxadine uptake by rabbit small intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles and their relationship with hydrophobicity and the ratio of zwitterionic species. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 1999, 22, 721-724. 

Drugs may also undergo hydrolysis by intestinal esterases (hydrolases), more specifically carboxylesterases (EC 3.1.1.1) in the intestinal lumen and at the brush border membrane [58, 59]. It has been shown that intestinal hydrolase activity in humans was closer to that of the rat than the dog or Caco-2 cells [60]. In these studies, six propranolol ester prodrugs and p-nitrophenylacetate were used as substrates, and the hydrolase activity found was ranked in the order human > rat Caco-2 cells > dog for intestinal microsomes. The rank order in hydrolase activity for the intestinal cytosolic fraction was rat > Caco-2 cells = human > dog. The hydrolase activity towards p-nitrophenylacetate and tenofovir disoproxil has also been reported in various intestinal segments from rats, pigs and humans. The enzyme activity in intestinal homogenates was found to be both site-specific (duodenum > jejunum > ileum > colon) and species-dependent (rat > man > Pig)-... 

There have been sustained efforts in recent years to use the carrier systems of the brush-border membrane of intestinal mucosa to increase absorption of orally administered drugs [29] [30]. One system of particular interest is the intestinal peptide carrier (hPEPTl) whose physiological function is the absorption of di- and tripeptides and whose xenobiotic substrates include /3-lactam antibiotics, renin inhibitors, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors [31]. 

In addition, renal tubular cells contain various proteases for the degradation of proteins and oligopeptides. These enzymes are located predominantly in the lysosomes and micro-somes of these cells, but some have been reported on the brush-border membranes [16]. Degradative enzymes include various endopeptidases, exopeptidases and esterases [17]. 

Mahmood. Dietary fat effects on brush border membrane composition and enzyme activities in rat intestine. Ann NutrMetab 1996 40(5) 269-276. 

Source and kinds of disaccharidases The final digestive processes occur at the mucosal lining of the small intestine. Several disaccharidases [for example, lactase (p-galactosidase), sucrase, maltase, and isomal-tase] produce monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, and fructose). These enzymes are secreted by and remain associated with the luminal side of the brush border membranes of intestinal mucosal cells. Absorption of the monosaccharides requires specific trans porters. 

In Vitro Test Models for Brush Border Membrane-Bound Enzymes. .. 97... 

Mucoadhesive polymers exhibiting strong complexing properties are capable of inhibiting intestinal brush border membrane-bound proteases through a far distance inhibitory effect [65]. In vivo, the mucoadhesive polymer is separated from the brush border membrane by a mucus layer [30]. Although there is no direct contact between polymer- and membrane-bound enzymes, it could be shown that inhibition takes place. The exploitation of this far distance effect seems to be a very promising alternative to small molecular mass inhibitors, which are currently used as inhibitors of brush border membrane-bound proteases. 

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