Michael Wermann

The Crystal Structure of Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (CD26) Reveals its Functional Regulation and Enzymatic Mechanism

The membrane-bound glycoprotein dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP IV, CD26) is a unique multifunctional protein, acting as receptor, binding and proteolytic molecule. We have determined the sequence and 1.8 Å crystal structure of native DP IV prepared from porcine kidney. The crystal structure reveals a 2-2-2 symmetric tetrameric assembly which depends on the natively glycosylated β-propeller blade IV. The crystal structure indicates that tetramerization of DP IV is a key mechanism to regulate its interaction with other components. Each subunit comprises two structural domains, the N-terminal eight-bladed β-propeller with open Velcro topology and the C-terminal α/β-hydrolase domain. Analogy with the structurally related POP and tricorn protease suggests that substrates access the buried active site through the β-propeller tunnel while products leave the active site through a separate side exit. A dipeptide mimicking inhibitor complexed to the active site discloses key determinants for substrate recognition, including a Glu–Glu motif that distinguishes DP IV as an aminopeptidase and an oxyanion trap that binds and activates the P2-carbonyl oxygen necessary for efficient postproline cleavage. We discuss active and nonactive site-directed inhibition strategies of this pharmaceutical target protein.

Inhibition of glutaminyl cyclase prevents pGlu‐Aβ formation after intracortical/hippocampal microinjection in vivo/in situ

Modified amyloid β (Aβ) peptides represent major constituents of the amyloid deposits in Alzheimer’s disease and Down’s syndrome. In particular, N‐terminal pyroglutamate (pGlu) following truncation renders Aβ more stable, increases hydrophobicity and the aggregation velocity. Recent evidence based on in vitro studies suggests that the cyclization of glutamic acid, leading to pGlu‐Aβ, is catalyzed by the enzyme glutaminyl cyclase (QC) following limited proteolysis of Aβ at the N‐terminus. Here, we studied the pGlu‐formation by rat QC in vitro as well as after microinjection of Aβ(1–40) and Aβ(3–40) into the rat cortex in vivo/in situ with and without pharmacological QC inhibition. Significant pGlu‐Aβ formation was observed following injection of Aβ(3–40) after 24 h, indicating a catalyzed process. The generation of pGlu‐Aβ from Aβ(3–40) was significantly inhibited by intracortical microinjection of a QC inhibitor. The study provides first evidence that generation of pGlu‐Aβ is a QC‐catalyzed process in vivo. The approach per se offers a strategy for a rapid evaluation of compounds targeting a reduction of pGlu formation at the N‐terminus of amyloid peptides.

Identification of Human Glutaminyl Cyclase as a Metalloenzyme POTENT INHIBITION BY IMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVES AND HETEROCYCLIC CHELATORS

Human glutaminyl cyclase (QC) was identified as a metalloenzyme as suggested by the time-dependent inhibition by the heterocyclic chelators 1,10-phenanthroline and dipicolinic acid. The effect of EDTA on QC catalysis was negligible. Inactivated enzyme could be fully restored by the addition of Zn2+ in the presence of equimolar concentrations of EDTA. Little reactivation was observed with Co2+ and Mn2+. Other metal ions such as K+, Ca2+, and Ni2+ were inactive under the same conditions. Additionally, imidazole and imidazole derivatives were identified as competitive inhibitors of QC. An initial structure activity-based inhibitor screening of imidazole-derived compounds revealed potent inhibition of QC by imidazole N-1 derivatives. Subsequent data base screening led to the identification of two highly potent inhibitors, 3-[3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)propyl]-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one and 1,4-bis-(imidazol-1-yl)-methyl-2,5-dimethylbenzene, which exhibited respective Ki values of 818 ± 1 and 295 ± 5 nm. The binding properties of the imidazole derivatives were further analyzed by the pH dependence of QC inhibition. The kinetically obtained pKa values of 6.94 ± 0.02, 6.93 ± 0.03, and 5.60 ± 0.05 for imidazole, methylimidazole, and benzimidazole, respectively, match the values obtained by titrimetric pKa determination, indicating the requirement for an unprotonated nitrogen for binding to QC. Similarly, the pH dependence of the kinetic parameter Km for the QC-catalyzed conversion of H-Gln-7-ami-no-4-methylcoumarin also implies that only N-terminally unprotonated substrate molecules are bound to the active site of the enzyme, whereas turnover is not affected. The results reveal human QC as a metal-dependent transferase, suggesting that the active site-bound metal is a potential site for interaction with novel, highly potent competitive inhibitors.

The isoenzyme of glutaminyl cyclase is an important regulator of monocyte infiltration under inflammatory conditions

Acute and chronic inflammatory disorders are characterized by detrimental cytokine and chemokine expression. Frequently, the chemotactic activity of cytokines depends on a modified N‐terminus of the polypeptide. Among those, the N‐terminus of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (CCL2 and MCP‐1) is modified to a pyroglutamate (pE‐) residue protecting against degradation in vivo. Here, we show that the N‐terminal pE‐formation depends on glutaminyl cyclase activity. The pE‐residue increases stability against N‐terminal degradation by aminopeptidases and improves receptor activation and signal transduction in vitro. Genetic ablation of the glutaminyl cyclase iso‐enzymes QC (QPCT) or isoQC (QPCTL) revealed a major role of isoQC for pE1‐CCL2 formation and monocyte infiltration. Consistently, administration of QC‐inhibitors in inflammatory models, such as thioglycollate‐induced peritonitis reduced monocyte infiltration. The pharmacologic efficacy of QC/isoQC‐inhibition was assessed in accelerated atherosclerosis in ApoE3*Leiden mice, showing attenuated atherosclerotic pathology following chronic oral treatment. Current strategies targeting CCL2 are mainly based on antibodies or spiegelmers. The application of small, orally available inhibitors of glutaminyl cyclases represents an alternative therapeutic strategy to treat CCL2‐driven disorders such as atherosclerosis/restenosis and fibrosis.

Mammalian glutaminyl cyclases and their isoenzymes have identical enzymatic characteristics

Glutaminyl cyclases (QCs) catalyze the formation of pyroglutamate residues at the N‐terminus of several peptides and proteins from plants and animals. Recently, isoenzymes of mammalian QCs have been identified. In order to gain further insight into the biochemical characteristics of isoQCs, the human and murine enzymes were expressed in the secretory pathway of Pichia pastoris. Replacement of the N‐terminal signal anchor by an α‐factor prepropeptide from Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in poor secretion of the protein. Insertion of an N‐terminal glycosylation site and shortening of the N‐terminus improved isoQC secretion 100‐fold. A comparison of different recombinant isoQC proteins did not reveal an influence of mutagenic changes on catalytic activity. An initial characterization showed identical modes of substrate conversion of human isoQC and murine isoQC. Both proteins displayed a broad substrate specificity and preference for hydrophobic substrates, similar to the related QC. Likewise, a determination of the zinc content and reactivation of the apo‐isoQC revealed equimolar zinc present in QC and isoQC. Far‐UV CD spectroscopic analysis of murine QC and isoQC indicated virtually identical structural components. The present investigation provides the first enzymatic characterization of mammalian isoQCs. QC and isoQC represent very similar proteins, which are both present in the secretory pathway of cells. The functions of QCs and isoQC probably complement each other, suggesting a pivotal role of pyroglutamate modification for protein and peptide maturation.

Developmental expression and subcellular localization of glutaminyl cyclase in mouse brain.

Glutaminyl cyclase (QC) converts N‐terminal glutaminyl residues into pyroglutamate (pE), thereby stabilizing these peptides/proteins. Recently, we demonstrated that QC also plays a pathogenic role in Alzheimers disease by generating the disease‐associated pE‐Abeta from N‐terminally truncated Abeta peptides in vivo. This newly identified function makes QC an interesting pharmacological target for Alzheimers disease therapy. However, the expression of QC in brain and peripheral organs, its cell type‐specific and subcellular localization as well as developmental profiles in brain are not known. The present study was performed to address these issues in mice. In brain, QC mRNA expression was highest in hypothalamus, followed by hippocampus and cortex. In liver, QC mRNA concentration was almost as high as in brain while lower QC mRNA levels were detected in lung and heart and very low expression levels were found in kidney and spleen. In the developmental course, stable QC mRNA levels were detected in hypothalamus from postnatal day 5 to 370. On the contrary, in cortex and hippocampus QC mRNA levels were highest after birth and declined during ontogenesis by 20–25%. These results were corroborated by immunocytochemical analysis in mouse brain demonstrating a robust QC expression in a subpopulation of lateral and paraventricular hypothalamic neurons and the labeling of a significant number of small neurons in the hippocampal molecular layer, in the hilus of the dentate gyrus and in all layers of the neocortex. Hippocampal QC‐immunoreactive neurons include subsets of parvalbumin‐, calbindin‐, calretinin‐, cholecystokinin‐ and somatostatin‐positive GABAergic interneurons. The density of QC labeled hippocampal neurons declined during postnatal development matching the decrease in QC mRNA expression levels. Subcellular double immunofluorescent analysis localized QC within the endoplasmatic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and secretory granules, consistent with a function of QC in protein maturation and/or modification. Our results are in compliance with a role of QC in hypothalamic hormone maturation and suggest additional, yet unidentified QC functions in brain regions relevant for learning and memory which are affected in Alzheimers disease.

Structures of Glycosylated Mammalian Glutaminyl Cyclases Reveal Conformational Variability near the Active Center.

Formation of N-terminal pyroglutamate (pGlu or pE) from glutaminyl or glutamyl precursors is catalyzed by glutaminyl cyclases (QC). As the formation of pGlu-amyloid has been linked with Alzheimers disease, inhibitors of QCs are currently the subject of intense development. Here, we report three crystal structures of N-glycosylated mammalian QC from humans (hQC) and mice (mQC). Whereas the overall structures of the enzymes are similar to those reported previously, two surface loops in the neighborhood of the active center exhibit conformational variability. Furthermore, two conserved cysteine residues form a disulfide bond at the base of the active center that was not present in previous reports of hQC structure. Site-directed mutagenesis suggests a structure-stabilizing role of the disulfide bond. At the entrance to the active center, the conserved tryptophan residue, W(207), which displayed multiple orientations in previous structure, shows a single conformation in both glycosylated human and murine QCs. Although mutagenesis of W(207) into leucine or glutamine altered substrate conversion significantly, the binding constants of inhibitors such as the highly potent PQ50 (PBD150) were minimally affected. The crystal structure of PQ50 bound to the active center of murine QC reveals principal binding determinants provided by the catalytic zinc ion and a hydrophobic funnel. This study presents a first comparison of two mammalian QCs containing typical, conserved post-translational modifications.

Isolation and characterization of the glutaminyl cyclases from Solanum tuberosum and Arabidopsis thaliana: implications for physiological functions.

Abstract Glutaminyl cyclases (QCs) catalyze the formation of pyroglutamic acid at the N-terminus of several peptides and proteins. On the basis of the amino acid sequence of Carica papaya QC, we identified cDNAs of the putative counterparts from Solanum tuberosum and Arabidopsis thaliana. Upon expression of the corresponding cDNAs from both plants via the secretory pathway of Pichia pastoris, two active QC proteins were isolated. The specificity of the purified proteins was assessed using various substrates with different amino acid composition and length. Highest specificities were observed with substrates possessing large hydrophobic residues adjacent to the N-terminal glutamine and for fluorogenic dipeptide surrogates. However, compared to Carica papaya QC, the specificity constants were approximately one order of magnitude lower for most of the QC substrates analyzed. The QCs also catalyzed the conversion of N-terminal glutamic acid to pyroglutamic acid, but with approximately 105- to 106-fold lower specificity. The ubiquitous distribution of plant QCs prompted a search for potential substrates in plants. Based on database entries, numerous proteins, e.g., pathogenesis-related proteins, were found that carry a pyroglutamate residue at the N-terminus, suggesting QC involvement. The putative relevance of QCs and pyroglutamic acid for plant defense reactions is discussed.

Characterisation of Human Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV Expressed in Pichia pastoris. A Structural and Mechanistic Comparison between the Recombinant Human and the Purified Porcine Enzyme

Abstract Dipeptidyl peptidase IV/CD26 (DP IV) is a multifunctional serine protease cleaving off dipeptides from the N-terminus of peptides. The enzyme is expressed on the surface of epithelial and endothelial cells as a type II transmembrane protein. However, a soluble form of DPIV is also present in body fluids. Large scale expression of soluble human recombinant His(6)-37-766 DP IV, using the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, yielded 1.7 mg DP IV protein per litre of fermentation supernatant. The characterisation of recombinant DP IV confirmed proper folding and glycosylation similar to DP IV purified from porcine kidney. Kinetic comparison of both proteins using short synthetic substrates and inhibitors revealed similar characteristics. However, interaction analysis of both proteins with the gastrointestinal hormone GLP-17 -36 resulted in significantly different binding constants for the human and the porcine enzyme (Kd=153.0±17.0 M and Kd=33.4± 2.2 uM, respectively). In contrast, the enzyme adenosine deaminase binds stronger to human than to porcine DP IV (Kd=2.15±0.18 nM and Kd=7.38±0.54 nM, respectively). Even though the sequence of porcine DP IV, amplified by RT-PCR, revealed 88% identity between both enzymes, the species-specific variations between amino acids 328 to 341 are likely to be responsible for the differences in ADA-binding.

Does human attractin have DP4 activity

Abstract Mutations in the mouse ATRN gene, which encodes attractin, offer links between this protein and pigmentation, metabolism, immune status and neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms of attractin action are not understood. The protein was first identified in humans in a circulating form in serum. A protease activity was postulated similar to the membrane-bound ectoenzyme DP4/CD26. In the last decade, both DP4/CD26 and attractin were controversially described to be the major source of human serum DP4 activity. We purified attractin from human plasma, and found that the DP4-like activity of the preparation shows nearly identical kinetic properties to that of recombinant human DP4. In contrast, the native electrophoretic behavior of this activity is clearly different from human and porcine DP4, but co-migrates with the protein band identified as attractin by Western blotting and N-terminal sequencing. Nevertheless, a DP4 impurity could be demonstrated in purified plasma attractin and the activity could be removed by ADA affinity chromatography, resulting in a homogenous attractin preparation without DP4 activity. These results are substantiated by expression of different attractin isoforms, in which no DP4 activity was found either. This indicates that the multidomain protein attractin acts as a receptor or adhesion protein rather than a protease.