Kaoru Omichi

Introduction of a new scale into reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of pyridylamino sugar chains for structural assignment

Addition of a monosaccharide residue to a pyridylaminated (PA)-N-linked sugar chain results in an increment or decrement in the elution time on reversed-phase HPLC, the difference being defined as the partial elution time of the residue. Based on this principle, an empirical rule was deduced, which states that the elution time is roughly equal to the sum of the partial elution times of the component sugar residues [Anal. Biochem., 167 (1987) 321-326]. In practice, however, some partial elution times obtained from different pairs of mother PA-sugar chains are found to deviate, and consequently the closeness of the elution times of PA-sugar chains calculated therefrom to the observed times is reduced in such cases. To improve the reliability of the additivity rule and to generalize elution times so that they are less dependent on minor alterations in the elution conditions, we have devised a new scale for elution time, which we have named a reversed-phase scale. The elution times on the reversed-phase scale (the R values) are read from a conversion curve constructed using the elution times of eight selected standard PA-sugar chains. The partial elution times on the reversed-phase scale of 22 monosaccharide residues were calculated from the R values of 93 PA-sugar chains. The R values obtained by summing the partial elution times of all the component monosaccharide residues became much closer to the R values obtained from the reversed-phase scale, compared to the results obtained using the previous method. In addition, the R values were less influenced by minor change in the elution conditions. These features of the new scale allow more accurate structural assignment of sugar chains.

Immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and biochemical studies of an amylase-producing breast carcinoma.

We describe a breast cancer with ectopic production of amylase, found in the patients serum, urine and in the tumour. Clinically, serum amylase levels reflected both the progression of the disease and regression induced by various therapies. Using agarose gel electrophoresis and a wheat protein inhibitor assay, the predominant serum amylase appeared to be identical to pancreatic-type isoenzyme. However, the action mode analysis using a new fluorogenic substrate revealed that the serum contained non-salivary, non-pancreatic amylase. The tumour had microscopic features of invasive ductal carcinoma with some argyrophilic differentiation. The component cells stained positively for amylase, and ultrastructurally numerous secretory granules were seen.

Synthesis of p-nitrophenyl 65-O-benzyl-α-maltopentaoside, a substrate for alpha amylases

Abstract p -Nitrophenyl α-maltopentaoside, having a benzyl group on O-6 of the terminal (nonreducing) d -glucosyl group was prepared by use of a reductive ring-opening reaction. Highly regioselective reduction of p -nitrophenyl O -(2,3-di- O -benzoyl-4,6- O -benzylidene-α- d -glucopyranosyl)-(1→4)-tris[ O -(2,3,6-tri- O -benzoyl-α- d -glucopyranosyl)- (1→4)]-2,3,6-tri- O -benzoyl-α- d -glucopyranoside by dimethylamineborane and p -toluenesulfonic acid, followed by debenzoylation, gave p -nitrophenyl O -(6- O -benzyl-α- d -glucopyranosyl)-(1→4)-tris[ O -α- d -glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-α- d -glucopyranoside. An experiment was done on the mode of action of human pancreatic and salivary alpha amylases on this derivative. The compound is suitable as a substrate for the assay of alpha amylase when used with glucoamylase and α- d -glucosidase as coupling enzymes.

Identification of a novel α-amylase by expression of a newly cloned human amy3 cDNA in yeast

Abstract A novel amylase gene (amy3) that differs in nucleotide sequence from salivary amylase gene (amyl) and pancreatic amylase gene (amy2) has been described [Tomita et al., Gene 76 (1989) 11–18], but whether this gene can ever code for an active enzyme has not been shown. We prepared cDNA of this gene from an mRNA obtained from lung carcinoid tissue, and expressed it in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of an acid phosphatase promoter. The product was secreted into culture media, and showed enzymatic activity, demonstrating that this novel α-amylase gene (amy3) can code for a functional isozyme. We purified this enzyme, and compared its biological properties with those of salivary and pancreatic human amylases similarly expressed in yeast. We observed that the novel amylase isozyme is more heat-sensitive than others, and that its substrate specificity is different from the other two isozymes.

α-Amylase assay with use of a benzyl derivative of P-nitrophenyl α-maltopentaoside, BG5P

p-Nitrophenyl O-(6-O-benzyl)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl- (1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-- --4)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (BG5P) is hydrolyzed by both human salivary alpha-amylase (HSA) and human pancreatic alpha-amylase (HPA) to O-(6-O-benzyl)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl- (1----4)-alpha-D-glucopyranose (BG3) and p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltoside (G2P). Glucoamylase and alpha-glucosidase cannot hydrolyze BG5P because of the modification of the OH group of the 6-position of the non-reducing-end glucose residue with the benzyl group. Taking advantage of these characteristics of the substrate, BG5P, we developed a method to assay the total alpha-amylase activity in human fluids using glucoamylase and alpha-glucosidase as the coupled enzymes. This method is simple and can be used as the standard method for routine clinical assays of alpha-amylase activity.

Preparation of carboxymethyl derivatives of p-nitrophenyl α-maltopentaoside as substrate of α-amylases

Abstract p -Nitrophenyl α-maltotetraosides and α-maltopentaosides having a carboxymethyl group at the nonreducing-end glucosyl group were prepared by the action of Bacillus macerans cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase on a mixture of monocarboxymethyl-substituted cyclomaltoheptaose and p -nitrophenyl α- d -glucopyranoside, followed by digestion with glucoamylase, and purification by chromatography. The modes of actions of human pancreatic and salivary α-amylases on these derivatives were studied. The maltopentaoside derivatives were suitable as substrates for assays of α-amylases coupled with glucoamylase and α- d -glucosidase.

Donor Substrate Specificity of 4-α-Glucanotransferase of Porcine Liver Glycogen Debranching Enzyme and Complementary Action to Glycogen Phosphorylase on Debranching

Glycogen debranching enzyme (GDE) has both 4-alpha-glucanotransferase and amylo-alpha-1,6-glucosidase activities. Here, we examined 4-alpha-glucanotransferase action of porcine liver GDE on four 6(4)-O-alpha-maltooligosyl-pyridylamino(PA)-maltooctaoses, in the presence or absence of an acceptor, maltohexaose. HPLC analysis of digested fluorogenic branched dextrins revealed that in the presence or absence of acceptor, 6(4)-O-alpha-glucosyl-PA-maltooctaose (B4/81) was liberated from 6(4)-O-alpha-maltopentaosyl-PA-maltooctaose (B4/85), 6(4)-O-alpha-maltotetraosyl-PA-maltooctaose (B4/84) and 6(4)-O-alpha-maltotriosyl-PA-maltooctaose (B4/83), whereas 6(4)-O-alpha-maltosyl-PA-maltooctaose (B4/82) was resistant to the enzyme. The fluorogenic product was further hydrolyzed by amylo-alpha-1,6-glucosidase to PA-maltooctaose (G8PA) and glucose. The ratio of the rates of 4-alpha-glucanotransferase actions on B4/85, B4/84 and B4/83 in the absence of the acceptor was 0.15, 0.42 and 1.00, respectively. The rates increased with increasing amounts of acceptor, changing the ratio of the rates to 0.09, 1.00 and 0.60 (with 0.5 mM maltohexaose) and 0.10, 1.00 and 0.58 (with 1.0 mM maltohexaose), respectively. Donor substrate specificity of GDE 4-alpha-glucanotransferase suggests complementary action of GDE and glycogen phosphorylase on glycogen degradation in the porcine liver. Glycogen phosphorylase degrades the maltooligosaccharide branches of glycogen by phosphorolysis to form maltotetraosyl branches, and phosphorolysis does not proceed further. GDE 4-alpha-glucanotransferase removes a maltotriosyl residue from the maltotetraosyl branch such that the alpha-1,6-linked glucosyl residue is retained.

Separation of human salivary α-amylase isozymes by high-performance liquid chromatography with a continuous monitor system of the activity

Human salivary alpha-amylase isozymes were rapidly separated from each other by high-performance liquid chromatography with a postcolumn assay. The eluate from the HPLC column was mixed continuously with an intramolecularly quenched fluorescent substrate, p-nitro-phenyl O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside delivered by a pump. The mixture was incubated in a reaction coil, and the fluorescence intensity was continuously measured by a fluorescence detector. The assay was based on the marked increase in fluorescence with the enzymatic cleavage of the glycosidic bond of the substrate that links the fluorogenic and quenching moieties.

Identification of the characteristic amino-acid sequence for human α-amylase encoded by the AMY2B gene

Human salivary and pancreatic alpha-amylases (HSA and HPA) are the respective gene products of the AMY1 and AMY2A genes. AMY2B is a newly found human alpha-amylase gene. The presence of the AMY2B gene product (HXA) in the urine of healthy humans was examined. A mixture of alpha-amylases that seemed to contain HXA, judging from the substrate specificity, was purified from urine of healthy volunteers by affinity adsorption on starch and then by ion-exchange chromatography. The mixture was reduced and S-alkylated, and the product was digested with trypsin. The digest was separated by reversed-phase HPLC. LVGLLDLALEKDYVR and LVGLLDLALEK, which were found in the digest, are peptides of HXA, but not of HSA and HPA. The detection of these characteristic peptides of HXA demonstrates the presence of HXA in the urine of healthy humans.

Measurement of cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase activity by high-performance liquid chromatography using a fluorogenic substrate

A mixture of p-nitrophenyl O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranoside (FG5P) and p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-glucoside (GP) was incubated with cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) [EC 2.4.1.19]. Analysis of the digest by HPLC showed that the products were p-nitrophenyl O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (FG4P) and p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-maltoside (G2P), and no other product could be detected. Based on the reaction, a sensitive method to assay for CGTase was developed.