Brigita Lenarčič

The refined 2.4 A X-ray crystal structure of recombinant human stefin B in complex with the cysteine proteinase papain: a novel type of proteinase inhibitor interaction.

A stoichiometric complex of human stefin B and carboxymethylated papain has been crystallized in a trigonal crystal form. Data to 2.37 A resolution were collected using the area detector diffractometer FAST. The crystal structure of the complex has been solved by Patterson search techniques using papain as search model. Starting from the structure of chicken cystatin, the stefin structure was elucidated through cycles of model building and crystallographic refinement. The current crystallographic R factor is 0.19. Like cystatin, the stefin molecule consists of a five stranded beta‐sheet wrapped around a five turn alpha‐helix, but with an additional carboxy terminal strand running along the convex side of the sheet. Topological equivalence of stefin and cystatin reveal the previous sequence alignment to be incorrect in part, through deletion of the intermediate helix. The conserved residues form a tripartite wedge, which slots into the papain active site as proposed through consideration of the tertiary structures of the individual components (Bode et al., 1988). The main interactions are provided by the amino terminal ‘trunk’ (occupying the ‘unprimed’ subsites of the enzyme), and by the first hairpin loop, containing the highly conserved QVVAG sequence, with minor contributions from the second hairpin loop. The carboxyl terminus of stefin provides an additional interaction region with respect to cystatin. The interaction is dominated by hydrophobic contacts. Inhibition by the cysteine proteinase inhibitors is fundamentally different to that observed for the serine proteinase inhibitors.

Participation of cathepsin L on bone resorption

The proteinase responsible for bone collagen degradation in osteo‐resorption was examined. The bone pit formation induced by parathyroid hormone (PTH) was markedly suppressed by leupeptin, E‐64 and cystatin A, while no inhibition was observed by CA‐074, a specific inhibitor of cathepsin B. Pig leucocyte cysteine proteinase inhibitor (PLCPI), a specific inhibitor of cathepsin L, and chymostatin, a selective inhibitor of cathepsin L, completely inhibited the pit formation. Cathepsin L activity in osteoclasts was much higher than the other cathepsin activities. Serum calcium in rats placed on a low calcium diet was decreased by treatment of E‐64 or cystatin A, but not by CA‐074. These findings suggest that cathepsin L is the main proteinase responsible for bone collagen degradation.

Inactivation of human cystatin C and kininogen by human cathepsin D

A papain inhibitor or 22 kDa was isolated from human placenta and shown to be identical to residues Cys246‐Leu373 of the third domain of human kininogen. This kininogen domain and recombinant human cystatin C were inactivated by peptide bond cleavages at hydrophobic amino acid residues due to the action of cathepsin D. These results further support the proposed role cathepsin D in the regulation of cysteine proteinase activity.

Thyroglobulin Type-1 Domains in Equistatin Inhibit Both Papain-like Cysteine Proteinases and Cathepsin D

Equistatin from sea anemone is a protein composed of three thyroglobulin-type 1 domains known to inhibit papain-like cysteine proteinases, papain, and cathepsins B and L. Limited proteolysis was used to dissect equistatin into a first domain, eq d-1, and a combined second and third domain, eq d-2,3. Only the N-terminal domain inhibits papain (K i = 0.61 nm). Remarkably, equistatin also strongly inhibits cathepsin D withK i = 0.3 nm but not other aspartic proteinases such as pepsin, chymosin, and HIV-PR. This activity resides on the eq d-2,3 domains (K i = 0.4 nm). Papain and cathepsin D can be bound and inhibited simultaneously by equistatin at pH 4.5, confirming the physical separation of the two binding sites. Equistatin is the first inhibitor of animal origin known to inhibit cathepsin D. The obtained results demonstrate that the widely distributed thyroglobulin type-1 domains can support a variety of functions.

Inhibition of cruzipain, the major cysteine proteinase of the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, by proteinase inhibitors of the cystatin superfamily.

Cruzipain, the major cysteine proteinase from Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes, purified to a sequentially pure form, exists in multiple forms with pI values between 3.7 and 5.1, and an apparent molecular mass of 41 kDa. The enzyme is stable between pH 4.5–9.5. Cruzipain was found to be rapidly and tightly inhibited by various protein inhibitors of the cystatin superfamily (k ass = 1.7–79 × 106M−1s−1, K d = 1.4–72 pM). These results suggest a possible defensive role for the hosts cystatins after parasite infection, and may be of use for the design of new therapeutic drugs.

The cysteine protease activity of Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) guts, which is insensitive to potato protease inhibitors, is inhibited by thyroglobulin type-1 domain inhibitors

High levels of protease inhibitors are induced in potato leaves by wounding. These inhibitors, when ingested by Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) larvae, induce expression of specific proteolytic activities in the gut. Induced protease activities cannot be inhibited by potato inhibitors and thus enable the insects to overcome this defence mechanism of potato plants. The induced aminopeptidase and endoproteolytic activities both have the characteristics of cysteine proteases. Twenty-one protein inhibitors of different structural types have been examined for their ability to inhibit these activities in vitro. Members of the cystatin superfamily were found to be poor inhibitors of the induced endoproteolytic activities, except for the third domain of human kininogen, which was a fairly strong inhibitor (75% inhibition). The strongest inhibition (85%) of induced endoproteolytic activity was obtained using structurally different thyroglobulin type-1 domain-like inhibitors--equistatin and MHC class II-associated p41 invariant fragment. Experiments performed using three synthetic substrates for endoproteases gave similar results and indicate the existence of at least different endoproteolytic enzymes resistant to potato inhibitors. The induced aminopeptidase activity can be inhibited only by stefin family of inhibitors in cystatin superfamily. In in vivo experiments, Colorado potato beetle larvae fed on equistatin-coated potato leaves were strongly retarded in their growth and almost 50% died after 4 days. This demonstrated the potential of equistatin to protect crops from insect attack.

Interaction between Human Cathepsins K, L, and S and Elastins MECHANISM OF ELASTINOLYSIS AND INHIBITION BY MACROMOLECULAR INHIBITORS

Proteolytic degradation of elastic fibers is associated with a broad spectrum of pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis and pulmonary emphysema. We have studied the interaction between elastins and human cysteine cathepsins K, L, and S, which are known to participate in elastinolytic activity in vivo. The enzymes showed distinctive preferences in degrading elastins from bovine neck ligament, aorta, and lung. Different susceptibility of these elastins to proteolysis was attributed to morphological differences observed by scanning electron microscopy. Kinetics of cathepsin binding to the insoluble substrate showed that the process occurs in two steps. The enzyme is initially adsorbed on the elastin surface in a nonproductive manner and then rearranges to form a catalytically competent complex. In contrast, soluble elastin is bound directly in a catalytically productive manner. Studies of enzyme partitioning between the phases showed that cathepsin K favors adsorption on elastin; cathepsin L prefers the aqueous environment, and cathepsin S is equally distributed among both phases. Our results suggest that elastinolysis by cysteine cathepsins proceeds in cycles of enzyme adsorption, binding of a susceptible peptide moiety, hydrolysis, and desorption. Alternatively, the enzyme may also form a new catalytic complex without prior desorption and re-adsorption. In both cases the active center of the enzymes remains at least partly accessible to inhibitors. Elastinolytic activity was readily abolished by cystatins, indicating that, unlike enzymes such as leukocyte elastase, pathological elastinolytic cysteine cathepsins might represent less problematic drug targets. In contrast, thyropins were relatively inefficient in preventing elastinolysis by cysteine cathepsins.

Cloning a synthetic gene for human stefin B and its expression in E. coli

A gene coding for human stefin B was synthesized by the solid‐phase phosphite method and cloned in the pUC8 cloning vector. The insert with the verified DNA sequence was subcloned into two expression vectors and expressed in E. coli as a fusion protein with β‐galactosidase and as a native protein. The CNBr cleaved fusion protein and the native recombinant stefin B were inhibitory to papain and reacted with antibodies against human stefin B.

Cathepsin K: a unique collagenolytic cysteine peptidase

Abstract Cathepsin K has emerged as a promising target for the treatment of osteoporosis in recent years. Initially identified as a papain-like cysteine peptidase expressed in high levels in osteoclasts, the important role of this enzyme in bone metabolism was highlighted by the finding that mutations in the CTSK gene cause the rare recessive disorder pycnodysostosis, which is characterized by severe bone anomalies. At the molecular level, the physiological role of cathepsin K is reflected by its unique cleavage pattern of type I collagen molecules, which is fundamentally different from that of other endogenous collagenases. Several cathepsin K inhibitors have been developed to reduce the excessive bone matrix degradation associated with osteoporosis, with the frontrunner odanacatib about to successfully conclude Phase 3 clinical trials. Apart from osteoclasts, cathepsin K is expressed in different cell types throughout the body and is involved in processes of adipogenesis, thyroxine liberation and peptide hormone regulation. Elevated activity of cathepsin K has been associated with arthritis, atherosclerosis, obesity, schizophrenia, and tumor metastasis. Accordingly, its activity is tightly regulated via multiple mechanisms, including competitive inhibition by endogenous macromolecular inhibitors and allosteric regulation by glycosaminoglycans. This review provides a state-of-the-art description of the activity of cathepsin K at the molecular level, its biological functions and the mechanisms involved in its regulation.

Differences in specificity for the interactions of stefins A, B and D with cysteine proteinases.

Four different stefin‐type cysteine proteinase inhibitors have been isolated from porcine thymus and skin. Amino acid sequence determination revealed the presence of stefin A and stefin B type inhibitors and two new inhibitors, designated as porcine stefin D1 and stefin D2. Stefin D1 was identified as PLCPI, an inhibitor recently characterized from porcine polymorphonuclear leukocytes [Lenarčič et al. (1993) FEBS Lett. 336, 289–292]. Stefin A is composed of 101 amino acids and has an M r of 11391 while stefin B contains 98 amino acids, has an M r of 11174 and is N‐terminally blocked. All inhibitors were found to be fast‐acting inhibitors of papain, cathepsin L and cathepsin S (K i = 0.009–0.161 nM). Stefins A and B also bind tightly and rapidly to cathepsin H (K i = 0.027 and 0.069 nM, respectively), while stefins D1 and D2 have been shown to be very poor inhibitors of cathepsin H (K i = 102–150 nM). he decreased affinity of these inhibitors toward cathepsin B (K i = 2–1700 nM) was shown to be mainly due to the low second order association rate constants. The presence of a highly negatively charged N‐terminus on stefin D1 constitutes a likely structural determinant of inhibitor specificity.