A. P. Il’ina

Proteinase inhibitors from the tropical sea anemone Radianthus macrodactylus: Isolation and characteristic

Two new serine proteinase inhibitors (RmIn I and RmIn II) from the tropical sea anemone Radianthus macrodactylus have been isolated and characterized. The purification procedure includes polychrome-1 hydrophobic chromatography, Superdex™ Peptide 10/30 FPLC, and Nucleosil C18 reverse-phase HPLC. The molecular masses of RmIn I, RmIn II, and the complexes RmIn II/trypsin and RmIn I,II/α-chymotrypsin have been determined. The Ki values of RmIn I and RmIn II for trypsin and α-chymotrypsin have been determined. The polypeptides RmIn I and RmIn II are shown to be nontoxic and to exhibit antihistamine activity. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of RmIn I (GICSEPIVVGPCKAG-) and RmIn II (GSTCLEPKVVGPCKA-) have been determined. A high homology of the amino acid sequences is demonstrated for the proteinase inhibitors produced by such evolutionarily distant species as coelenterates, reptiles, and mammals.

Primary Structures of Actinoporins from Sea Anemone Oulactis orientalis

Partial amino acid sequences of the actinoporins Or-A (136 aa) and Or-G (144 aa) isolated from the Sea of Japan sea anemone Oulactis orientalis were determined by sequencing the clones obtained by the amplification of genomic DNA and cDNA with primers specific to the N-terminal regions of the O. orientalis actinoporin sequences and to the C-terminal region, which is highly conservative in all the known actinoporin sequences. The complete structures of Or-A (165 aa) and Or-G (173 aa) were elucidated by sequencing the cDNA clones obtained by the rapid amplification of 3′-ends of cDNA. A comparative analysis of the amino acid sequences of the Oulactis actinoporins with those of actinoporins from tropical species revealed considerable differences in the structures of their N-terminal fragments and their membrane-binding sites. We believe that these differences could explain the lower hemolytic activities of Or-A and Or-G compared to those of actinoporins from the tropical species.

Structural-functional characteristics of a new bioregulator isolated from bovine pigmented epithelium tissue

A new bioregulator operating in ultralow doses corresponding to 10−17 mg/ml has been isolated from tissue of pigmented epithelium of bovine eyes. It has been established that the functional basis of this bioregulator is a complex of a low molecular weight regulatory peptide (4372 Da) and a modulator consisting of a mixture of proteins with molecular weights of 14.980–66.283 kDa. It has been shown that the regulatory peptide is responsible for membranotropic activity of the bioregulator, and the modulator proteins are responsible for biological action in ultralow doses. The data demonstrate an interrelation between nanocondition of the bioregulator and its ability to show activity in ultralow doses.

[Actinoporins from the Sea of Japan anemone Oulactis orientalis: isolation and partial characterization].

Two cytolytic toxins (cytolysins Or-A and Or-G) were isolated from the Sea of Japan anemone Oulactis orientalis and characterized. Their purification scheme involved a hydrophobic chromatography on Polychrom-1, a gel filtration on Akrilex P-4, a cation-exchange chromatography on CM-32 cellulose, and a reverse-phase HPLC on a Nucleosil C18 column. The molecular masses of Or-A and Or-G were determined by SDS-PAGE in 14% PAG to be ca. 18 kDa. The absence of Cys residues and a high content of basic amino acid residues are characteristic of their amino acid compositions. The hemolytic activities of Or-A and Or-G were found to be 295.86 and 322.58 HU/mg, respectively; these are by three orders of magnitude lower than those of sphingomyelin-inhibitable cytolysins from the tropic sea anemones. The amino acid sequences of the N-terminal fragments of Or-A and Or-G were determined to be ATFRVLAK and GAIIAGAA, respectively. Action of the cytolysins on the erythrocyte membrane is inhibited by exogenous sphingomyelin. They form ion channels in bilayer lipid membranes with the conductivity of 16, 32, and 40 pSm in 0.1 M NaCl and 168, 240, and 320 pSm in 1 M NaCl at pH 7.2. Therefore, they were attributed to the group of actinoporins.

Study of a new group of bioregulators isolated from the greater plantain (Plantago major L.)

Proteins with physicochemical properties and biological activity similar to those of membranotropic homeostatic tissue-specific bioregulators that had been found earlier in various animal tissues were discovered in leaves of the common plantain (Plantago major L.). To study the specific activity of these plant proteins, we developed an experimental model for organotypic roller cultivation of newt (Pleurodeles waltl) skin tissue in vitro. We showed that the plant proteins of interest exert the wound-healing effect, which is characteristic of this plant, on the skin of vertebrates both in vitro and in vivo.

Identification of a New Bioregulator Acting in Ultralow Doses in Bulb Onion (Allium cepa L.)

A bioregulator that has physicochemical and biological properties similar to a group of bioregulators isolated from various animal tissues has been found in the bulb onion (Allium cepa L.). It was determined that the biological action of the plant bioregulator is determined by a peptide with molecular weight of 4036 ± 2 Da whose 18-C-terminal amino acid sequence consisted of 18 residues. On models of seed germination of some vegetable cultures, the ability of the bioregulator isolated from supernatant of onion extract in ultralow doses (10−13 mg of protein/ml) to inhibit growth and development was demonstrated.

Biologically active peptides isolated from dill Anethum graveolens L.

Peptide mixtures with molecular weights of 1000–2000 Da and in vivo membrano-trophic activity against mouse hepatocyte culture at very low concentrations were isolated from dill Anethum graveolens L. leaves. It has been found that plant peptides in aqueous solution formed larger nanosized particles of approximately 90 nm with a secondary structure mainly composed of β-structures and random coil structures. We demonstrated that peptides isolated from A. graveolens in vitro at an ultra-low dosage affected the size of the area of pigmented cells of amphibian liver, which are analogous to Kupffer cells of the mammalian liver, using roller organotypic newt liver culture models.

Effect of Bioregulators Isolated from the Liver, Blood Serum, and Bile of Mammals on the State of Newt Liver Tissue in Organotypic Culture

We developed models of in vitro organotypic culturing of newt liver tissue with and without adhesion to the substrate. The effects of bioregulators isolated from mammalian liver, blood serum, and bile were studied on the developed models and their specifi city was demonstrated. The state of the liver was evaluated by the area of clusters of pigmented cells and by the number of mitoses in the connective tissue cells of the cortical layer. These bioregulators exhibited their biological effects only under conditions of roller organotypic culturing of newt liver tissue.

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric identification of novel intercellular space peptides

We performed the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation, time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) analysis of the peptides entering into the composition of not yet explored bioregulators derived from the extracellular matrix of the tissues of the various organs of the mammals, and also plants and fungi. The study included 15 different mammalian tissues, 13 species of plants, and 2 species of fungi. Exploring the bioregulators derived from eye tissues, we demonstrated that their composition includes peptide components with the same values of the molecular weight. The composition of the bioregulators derived from the tissues of various organs of mammals or different species of plants and fungi includes the peptides with different values of molecular weight. Obtained data indicate the growing evidence of the assumptions about the major function of the bioregulators of this group—their involvement in the regulation of tissue-organ homeostasis in the biological systems.

Modulators of activity of regulatory proteins acting at ultra low doses

New, previously unstudied bioregulators active at ultra low doses, 108 to 10−17 mg protein/ml, were isolated from vitreoretinal tissue. It was shown that these bioregulators contained regulatory peptides and modulators, represented by proteins with a molecular weight of 15–70 kDa, including blood serum albumin. The nanosize of the bioregulators correlated with their activity at ultra low doses.