Robert P. Carty

Enzymatic Characterization of the Matrix Vesicle Alkaline Phosphatase Isolated from Bovine Fetal Epiphyseal Cartilage

SummaryPurified matrix vesicle alkaline phosphatase from bovine fetal epiphyseal cartilage hydrolyzes a variety of phosphate esters as well as ATP and PPi. Optimal activities forp-nitrophenyl phosphate, ATP, and PPi are found at pH 10.5, 10.0, and 8.5, respectively. The latter two substrates exhibit substrate inhibition at high concentrations.p-Nitrophenyl phosphate demonstrates decreasing pH optima with decreasing substrate concentration. Heat inactivation studies indicate that both phosphorohydrolytic and pyrophosphorolytic cleavage occur at the same site on the enzyme. Mg2+ and Hg2+ ions inhibit thep-nitrophenyl phosphatase activity at pH 10.5 while Mn2+ ions show no effect. Pi, levamisole, CN−, Zn2+, Ca2+ ions, and L-phenylalanine are reversible inhibitors of the phosphomonoesterase activity. Pi is a linear noncompetitive inhibitor with a Ki of 8.0 mM. Levamisole and L-phenylalanine are uncompetitive inhibitors with inhibition constants of 0.02 and 39.4 mM, respectively. Ca2+ ions inhibit noncompetitively with a Ki of 9.3 mM. Zn2+ ion is a potent noncompetitive inhibitor with an inhibition constant of 0.026 mM. The enzyme is inhibited irreversibly by Be2+ ion, EDTA, EGTA, ethane-l-hydroxydiphosphonate, dichloromethanediphosphonate, L-cysteine, and N-ethylmaleimide. NaCl, KCl, and Na2SO4 at 0.5–1.0 M inhibit the enzyme.At pH 8.5, the cleavage of PPi by the matrix vesicle enzyme is inhibited by Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions at concentrations greater than 0.5 mM. Mg2+ ions in the range of 0.1–4 mM stimulate the matrix vesicle ATPase whereas higher concentrations produce inhibition. Ca2+ ion does not affect the ATPase activity between 0.1 and 10 mM at either pH 7.5 or 10.0. With 5′-AMP as substrate, the 3.5-fold decrease in the maximum velocity of the matrix vesicle relative to the chondrocyte enzyme may be accounted for in terms of a small excess enthalpy of activation (1160 cal/mole) partially compensated by an increased entropy of activation.

Enzymatic characterization of the chondrocytic alkaline phosphatase isolated from bovine fetal epiphyseal cartilage.

Purified chondrocytic alkaline phosphatase (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum), EC 3.1.3.1) from bovine fetal epiphyseal cartilage hydrolyzes a variety of phosphate esters as well as ATP and inorganic pyrophosphate. Optimal activities for p-nitrophenyl phosphate, ATP and inorganic pyrophosphate are found at pH 10.5, 10.0 and 8.5, respectively. The latter two substrates exhibit substrate inhibition at high concentrations. p-Nitrophenyl phosphate demonstrates decreasing pH optima with decreasng substrate concentration. Heat inactivation studies indicate that both phosphorolytic and pyrophosphorolytic cleavage occur at the same site on the enzyme. Mg2+ (0.1-10.0 mM) and Mn2+ (0.01-0.1 mM) show a small stimulation of p-nitrophenyl phosphate-splitting activity at pH 10.5. Levamisole, Pi, CN-, Zn2+ and L-phenylalanine are all reversible inhibitors of the phosphomonoesterase activity. Pi is a competitive inhibitor with a Ki of 10.0 mM. Levamisole and Zn2+ are potent non-competitive inhibitors with inhibition constants of 0.05 and 0.04 mM, respectively. The chondrocytic alkaline phosphatase is inhibited irreversibly by Be2+, EDTA, EGTA, ethane-1-hydroxydiphosphonate, dichloromethane diphosphonate, L-cysteine, phenyl-methylsulfonyl fluoride, N-ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide. NaCL, KCL and Na2SO4 at 0.5-1.0 M inhibit the enzyme. At pH 8.5, the cleavage of inorganic pyrophosphate (pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.1) by the chondrocytic enzyme is slightly enhanced by low levels of Mg2+ and depressed by concentrations higher than 1mM. Ca2+ show only inhibition. Similar effects of Mg2+ and Ca2+ on the associated ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.3) activity were observed. Arrhenius studies using p-nitrophenyl phosphate and AMP as substrates have accounted for the ten-fold difference in V in terms of small differences in both the enthalpies and entropies of activation which are 700 cal/mol and 2.3 cal/degree per mol, respectively.

The purification and molecular characterization of alkaline phosphatases from chondrocytes and matrix vesicles of bovine fetal epiphyseal cartilage

Abstract Intact matrix vesicles and chondrocytes were obtained from a crude coilagenase digest of bovine fetal epiphyseal cartilage. Alkaline phosphatase activity from the chondrocytes was purified 1800-fold to homogeneity. This was accomplished by solubilizing the chondrocytes in sodium deoxycholate, followed by subsequent gel filtration on Sepharose 6B and DE-52 cellulose chromatography. A 30-fold purification of the matrix vesicle alkaline phosphatase was obtained by solubilization of vesicles with sodium deoxycholate, extraction with n-butanol and gel filtration on Sepharose 6B. The purified chondrocyte alkaline phosphatase possessed a specific activity of 900 μmoles p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolyzed/minute/mg purified protein at pH 10.5, while the matrix vesicle alkaline phosphatase has a specific activity of 300 μmoles p-nitrophenyi phosphate hydrolyzed/minute/mg purified enzyme. The native molecular weight of the chondrocytic alkaline phosphatase and the matrix vesicle alkaline phosphatase were determined to be 141,000 and 310,00, respectively, by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. A functional subunit of the matrix vesicle alkaline phosphatase, identical to the isolated chondrocyte alkaline phosphatase, could be derived from the intact matrix vesicle enzyme by chromatography on DE-52 cellulose in the presence of 1 mM β-mercaptoethanol SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the chondrocytic alkaline phosphatase had one protein band of approximately 18,000 molecular weight and the matrix vesicle alkaline phosphatase had two bands, one of 18,000 and the other of 45,000 molecular weight.

A strong homology exists between the active T-cell binding gp120 octapeptide of human immunodeficiency virus and the subtilisin cleavage peptide of bovine ribonuclease A

A homology has been found between an octapeptide involved in attachment of the human immunodeficiency virus to helper/inducer T cells and an octapeptide segment of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A. This segment (residues 19-26) contains the sites for subtilisin cleavage of this enzyme into the S-peptide and S-protein. From the X-ray crystal structure of ribonuclease, this sequence is known to be exposed to solvent and interacts little with the rest of the protein. A structure for the human immunodeficiency virus attachment peptide can be deduced from this homology, as a well-defined structure has been determined for this sequence in ribonuclease. This can be readily accomplished using previously developed computer methods based upon conformational energy calculations. The calculated structure for human immunodeficiency virus peptide is identical to the ribonuclease segment (19-26) in backbone conformation. It is stabilized by internal interactions of nonpolar residues, and by exposure of polar hydroxyl groups. The results suggest that the T-cell human immunodeficiency virus receptor may be hydrophilic in nature and that conservation of the sequence in two presumably functionally unrelated proteins is related to the need for conservation of exposed structure.

Structural effects of amino acid substitutions on the P21 proteins: Evidence for a malignant conformation

The conformational effects of different amino acid substitutions for Gly at position 12 in theras-oncogene-encoded P21 proteins have been investigated using conformational energy calculations. Mutations that cause amino acid substitutions for Gly 12 result in a protein that produces malignant transformation of cells. It had previously been shown that substitution of Val, Lys, or Ser for Gly at position 12 results in a major conformational change, and that the preferred lowest energy structure for each of the substituted peptides is identical. It is now found that substitution for Gly 12 of other amino acids that have widely disparate helix-nucleating potentials and completely different side chains (Asp, Asn, Cys, Phe, Tle, Leu, and Ala) all produce this identical lowest energy conformation. This finding is consistent with the recent results of site-specific mutagenesis experiments showing that P21 proteins containing these amino acids at position 12 all promote malignant transformation of cells and suggests the existence of a “malignancy-causing” conformation for the P21 proteins.

Comparative X-ray crystallographic evidence for a β-bend conformation as the active structure for peptide T in T4 receptor recognition

A sequence similarity has been found between two segments of endothiapepsin (acid proteinase, 2APE), bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A, and peptide T, a segment of the gp120 protein of human inmmune deficiency virus (HIV), which has been implicated in blocking viral attachment to the T4 receptor. The two similar sequences of the acid proteinase enzyme are Leu-Ile-Asp-Ser-Ser-Ala-Tyr-Thr (residues 169–176) and Tyr-Thr-Gly-Ser-Leu-Asn-Tyr-Thr (residues 175–182). Since the X-ray crystallographic structures of the acid proteinase and ribonuclease are known, it has been possible to determine whether the three-dimensional structures of the segments are similar. Portions of both of the segments of acid proteinase are directly superimposable on the structure of the RNase A 19–26 segment. The fact that the three similar sequences from two completely unrelated proteins give rise to almost identical structures raises the possibility that these segments may be involved in nucleating the folding of these proteins. In addition, this provides further support for the concept that the octapeptide sequence of peptide T of HIV, which is also similar in sequence to the 19–26 sequence of RNase A, is also structurally similar to these residues, which adopt a β-bend conformation. Furthermore, comparison of similarities and differences in the structure of these similar sequences provides an explanation for alterations in the biological activity of various truncated or substituted derivatives of peptide T and additional confirmation of the structural requirements for peptide T in T4-receptor recognition.

Conformational analysis of possible biologically active (receptor-bound) conformations of peptides derived from cholecystokinin, cerulein and little gastrin and the opiate peptide, Met-enkephalin

Possible biologically active (receptor-bound) conformations of peptides derived from cholecystokinin (CCK) have been deduced using conformational analysis combined with comparative studies of their biological specificities. Two peptides, the completely active carboxyl terminal heptapeptide from CCK (CCK-7), whose sequence is Tyr-Met-Gly-Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, and the carboxyl terminal heptapeptide from cerulein (CER-7) which has the same sequence as for CCK-7 except for replacement of Met 2 with a Thr 2, both stimulate peripheral receptors in gall bladder, pancreas, and pylorus in the gastrointestinal system. In contrast, two other very similar peptides, the last four residues of CCK (CCK-4) whose sequence is Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, and the carboxyl terminal hexapeptide of little gastrin (LGA-6, Tyr-Gly-Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, i.e., residue 2 deleted relative to CCK-7 and CER-7 sequences), interact specifically with gastrin receptors and not at all or very weakly with peripheral receptors. All of these peptides react with CCK receptors in the central nervous system, especially in forebrain. The results in the GI tract suggest that the peptides active on peripheral receptors adopt structures that are significantly different from those of the peptides that interact with gastrin receptors. We have generated all of the many low energy conformations for each of these peptides. By retaining only the conformations that are the same for peptides within the same group and then rejecting those resulting conformations that are the same for the peptides in the two different groups, we can greatly reduce the possible active conformations for the peptides within each class.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Conformation of the metastasis-inhibiting laminin pentapeptide

The binding of cancer cells to the basement membrane glycoprotein laminin appears to be a critical step in the metastatic process. This binding can be inhibited competitively by a specific pentapeptide sequence (Tyr-Ile-Gly-Ser-Arg) of the laminin B1 chain, and this peptide can prevent metastasis formationin vivo. However, other similar pentapeptide sequences (e.g., Tyr-Ile-Gly-Ser-Glu) have been found to be much less active in metastasis inhibition, raising the possibility that such amino acid substitutions produce structural changes responsible for altering binding to the laminin receptor. In this study, conformational energy analysis has been used to determine the three-dimensional structures of these peptides. The results indicate that the substitution of Glu for the terminal Arg produces a significant conformational change in the peptide backbone at the middle Gly residue. These results have important implications for the design of drugs that may be useful in preventing metastasis formation and tumor spread.

Correlation of structure with transforming activity of the P21 proteins with substitutions of L-amino acids for Gly at position 13

The effects of amino acid substitutions for Gly 13 on the structure of the transforming region (Leu 6-Gly 15) of the P21 proteins have been explored using conformational energy calculations. It has been found that the substitution of Asp for Gly at this position results in a protein capable of transforming cells into malignant ones. Proteins that contain Ser at position 13 (but no other substitutions), however, transform cells with a greatly reduced activity. The transforming peptide with Asp 13 adopts a conformation that is different from the one for the peptide from the normal protein (with Gly 12 and Gly 13) and that may result in expression of a higher energy malignancy-producing form. The Ser-containing peptide adopts as its lowest energy conformation one that is identical to that of the peptide from the normal protein, thus explaining its lack of transforming activity. From analysis of the interactions preventing the Asp 13-containing peptide from adopting the “normal” conformation, it is predicted that substitutions of amino acids with branched side chains atCβ, such as Val, Ile, and Thr, should promote cell transformation. This prediction with Val has recently been confirmed in genetic experiments.

The synthesis of 2′-bromoacetamido-2′-deoxyuridine and its reaction with ribonuclease A

Abstract Bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A reacts with 2′-bromoacetamido-2′-deoxyuridine at pH 5.5 and 25°C rapidly and with absolute specificity. The single product formed has been tentatively identified as N-3-(2′-carboxamidomethyl-2′-deoxyuridinyl)-histidine-12-ribonuclease A. The reaction exhibits binding kinetics, Km being equal to 0.11 M for the nucleoside derivative and k3 equal to 57 × 10−4 sec−1. The reaction of 2′-bromoacetamido-2′-deoxyuridine with ribonuclease A occurs at a rate which is approximately 4000 times faster than its corresponding reaction with L-histidine.