Cathepsin D, trypsin

Solanum (potato) Kunitz PEPs inhibit the aspartic protease cathepsin D as well as trypsin [125-134] and potato cysteine protease inhibitor (PCPI) inhibits a variety of cysteine proteases [185-188]. The crystal structures of soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) [362, 368] and of Erythrina trypsin inhibitor (ETI) [350] have been determined. The structure of this type of plant Kunitz serine PIP involves a [3-barrel formed by 6 loop-linked antiparallel [3-strands with a lid formed by 6 further loop-linked antiparallel [3-strands. The scissile bond is located within a loop that extends out from the surface of the [3-barrel [350, 362, 368]. 

Figure 1 5 MALDI spectrum from a 2-D gel spot excised from a human proteomic study in which the corresponding spectrum of the cathepsin D precursor could be identified after using SMEC micropreparation sample preparation followed by elution and spotting onto the MALDI target plate and MALDI analysis. The peptide mass fingerprinting revealed the identity of the protein using the Mascot bioinformatic software and the Swissprot protein database. The ( ) indicates the peptide masses corresponding to the cathepsin D precursor, and (T) the trypsin peptide fragments that were used for internal mass calibration.

Interestingly, there are many such examples of proteases that exist in nature, such as, trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, thrombin, subtilisin, plasmin, pepsin, chymosin, cathepsin D, renin, and HIV-1 protease, etc. To illustrate the direct participation of water in the digestive mechanism we show another example of proteolysis... 

To determine whether the processing could be reproduced in vitro, we labeled purified lamb thymus poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase with [ P]NAD and then treated it with trypsin or cathepsin D alone, in combination, and in the absence or presence of ATP. Trypsin cleaved ADP-ribosylated-poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase to a 62,000 mol. wt. labeled band, whereas cathepsin D had no apparent effect. No further cleavage was produced by combinations of these enzymes with or without added nucleotides. Thus, the in vivo system was partly reconstituted by incubating poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase with trypsin. However, other in vivo associations are required to observe the specific pattern of fragments produced in lymphocytes. 

Inhibitor peptides low molecular mass oligopeptide-fatty acid compounds of microbial origin which irreversibly inactivate plant and animal proteases. The inhibition is stoichiometric, i.e. 1 molecule I.p. inhibits 1 molecule enzyme. Examples are Leupeptin [acetyl-(or propionyl-)L-Leu-L-Leu-arginal the L-leu-cine can also be replaced by L-isovaline or L-valine], from Streptomyces species, inhibits cathepsin B, papain, trypsin, plasmin and cathepsin D, the effectiveness of the inhibition decreasing in that order. Pepsta-tin (isovaleryl-L-Val-L-Val-P-hydroxy-Y-NH2- -CH3-heptanoyl-L-Ala-P-hydroxy-Y-NHj-e-heptanoic acid), from actinomycetes, inhibits pepsin and cathepsin D. Chymostatin inhibits all known chymotrypsin types, cathepsin A, B, and D and papain. Antipain inhibits papain trypsin and plasmin. 

Trypsin, chymotrypsin, and cathepsin C (all from bovine), and the synthetic substrates glycyl-L-phenylalanine p-naphtylamide (GPNA), 4-phenylazo benzyloxy-car-bonyl-pro-leu-gly-pro-D-arg (PZ-peptide), N-benzoyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester (BTEE), and Na-benzoyl-DL-arginine p-nitroanilide (BAPNA), were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co (St. Louis, MO). Fresh bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) and sheephead samples were purchased from a local fish market (Waldman Plus, Montreal, PQ) and kept in iCe until ready for use. 

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