Hemisphaericin-D, a dialysable and polymerizable protease found in Bromelia hemisphaerica.

Proteolytic activity was detected outside dialysis bag filled with Bromelia hemisphaerica fruit juice. The dialysable protease was concentrated and purified from small molecular weight contaminants on Sephadex G-10 columns. Acrylamide gel electrophoresis of the dialysable protease, in the presence of SDS and 2-mercaptoethanol, demonstrated a single protein band of about 8000 daltons mol. wt. The same single band with identical mobility was shown with Hemisphaericin, the enzyme retained inside the dialysis bag. The small protease, named Hemisphaericin-D was antigenic in rabbits and the antibodies cross-reacted fully with Hemisphaericin. Hemisphaericin-D appears not to be a degradation product of Hemisphaericin.     

Photochemical oxidation of actinidin,a thiol protease fromActinidia chinensis

Summary Actinidin was rapidly inactivated by methylene blue-catalyzed photooxidation at pH 7.9 and 20°C. The rate of inactivation was pH-dependent and became slower at lower pH values, suggesting the involvement of a histidine residue in the inactivation.     

Molecular cloning and characterisation of DESC4, a new transmembrane serine protease

Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) are a growing family of multidomain proteins. Among the TTSPs, a new subfamily of HAT/DESC1-like ( human airway trypsin-like protease/ differentially expressed in squamous cell carcinoma gene 1) proteases is emerging consisting so far of four members: DESC1–3 and HAT. The cDNA of a new member of this subfamily, named DESC4, was isolated from rat tongue tissue and characterised. Analysis of selected tissues by RT-PCR demonstrated expression of DESC4 in brain, colon, heart, liver, lung and tongue. At the cellular level, DESC4 expression is confined to epithelial cells within the cleft of the circumvallate papillae extending into the ducts of minor salivary glands, the respiratory epithelium of the nasal cavity and tear gland ducts of the eyes as analysed by in situ hybridisation of sensory organ tissues. In transfected mammalian cells, DESC4 is localised to the plasma membrane as shown by immunocytochemistry and subcellular fractionation experiments. Our results suggest that we have identified a protease that is an important constituent of sensory systems and other organs.Received 20 June 2004; received after revision 3 September 2004; accepted 17 September 2004     

Plasma kininogen in extracorporal circulation and the influence of a protease inhibitor from bovine lung

Zusammenfassung Beim extrakorporalen Kreislauf mit der Herz-Lungen-Maschine wurden die Veränderungen des Kininogengehalts im Plasma und ihre Beeinflussbarkeit mit einem Proteasen-Inhibitor untersucht. Der beobachtete Abfall des Kininogenspiegels im Plasma während und nach der Perfusion und die Hemmung der Kininogendepletion mit dem Proteasen-Inhibitor sprechen fÜr eine Aktivierung des Kininogen-Kinin-Systems im extrakorporalen Kreislauf. Beziehungen zur Aktivierung des fibrinolytischen Systems werden angenommen.     

On a relation between modular functions and Dirichlet series: found in the estate of Adolf Hurwitz

Archive for History of Exact Sciences - Adolf Hurwitz’s estate contains a note from the early 1880s on the converse to Riemann’s proof of the functional equation for the zeta-function;...     

Studies on aerolysin and a serine protease from Aeromonas trota sp. nov

Hybridization of 257 mesophilic aeromonads revealed that the aerolysin gene is present in virtually all strains irrespective of origin of isolation. A probe comprising the promotor region was specific for a species now defined as Aeromonas trota sp. nov. Finally, isolation of a serine protease that is concomitantly expressed with aerolysin is described.     

Ultrastructure of a mucous gland cell found in the tube feet of the starfishAsterina stellifera

Resumen Es describida la ultraestrutura de un segundo tipo de célula glandular mucosa que es encontrada en el pié ambulacrario de la estrella del marAsterina stellifera. Los gránulos secretores de esta célula tienen en su interior una ultraestrutura en forma de pequeños puntos densos y delicadas fibrillas, mas faltando una organizatión, principalmente comparada con la organizatión del otro tipo de granulo mucoso, también encontrado en el mismo pié ambulacrario.     

The isolation and biosynthesis of highly polar steroids found in placental tissue

Zusammenfassung Es wird nachgewiesen, dass die menschliche Plazenta enzymatisch Cortisol in ein? ⁴-3-Ketosteroid mit Glycerol-Seitenkette, welches mehr polar ist als die 20α- und 20β-Derivate des 6-β-OH-Cortisols, umwandeln kann. Es scheint, dass die Plazenta dieses Steroid das aus dem Urin schwangerer Frauen isoliert wurde, selbst bildet.      

Branchial vascularization in the eel: action of acetylcholine and adrenaline on the distribution of polymerizable resin in the different vascular compartments]

The current findings from gill vascular cast preparations in the eel emphasize the division in each primary lamella of the afferent vasculature into two efferent pathways: an arterial pathway (via the secondary lamellae and the efferent branchial artery to the dorsal aorta), a venous pathway (via the central lamellar compartment and the branchial vein to the sinus venosus). By the same technique two antagonist mechanisms have been shown presumably controlling the blood flow in both pathways. 1. Acetylcholine increases the filling of the central lamellar compartment by constricting the efferent arterial sphincters and therefore increases the venous return. 2. Epinephrine impairs the filling of the central lamellar compartment (by acting on alpha receptors) and dilates the arterial pathway (by acting on beta receptors). Therefore the stimulation of these two synergic receptors by epinephrine increases the systemic blood flow.     

Isolation of a protease from the cell-free medium of in vitro cultured mammary carcinoma

Summary Trypsin-like protease with wide spectrum of enzymatic activities have been isolated from cell-free medium from in vitro cultured human mammary carcinoma cells, and from peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with mammary carcinoma cultured in presence of cell-membrane carcinoma-associated glycoprotein.     

N-terminal acetylation in a third protein family of vertebrate alcohol dehydrogenase/retinal reductase found through a 'proteomics' approach in enzyme characterization

A recent finding of a novel class of retinol-active alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in frog prompted analysis of this activity in other vertebrate forms. Surprisingly, yet another and still more unrelated ADH was identified in chicken tissues. It was found to be a member of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) enzyme family, not previously known as an ADH in vertebrates. Its terminal blocking group and the N-terminal segment, not assigned by protein and cDNA structure analysis, were determined by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry after protein isolation by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The N terminus is Acetyl-Ala- and the N-terminal segment contains two consecutive Asn residues. The results establish the new ADH enzyme of the AKR family and show the usefulness of combined gel separation and mass spectrometry in enzyme-characterization.     

Isolation of a protease from the cell-free medium of in vitro cultured mammary carcinoma.

Trypsin-like protease with wide spectrum of enzymatic activities have been isolated from cell-free medium from in vivo cultured human mammary carcinoma cells, and from peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with mammary carcinoma cultured in presence of cell-membrane carcinoma-associated glycoprotein.     

Distribution of protease activity in the blastula and early gastrula ofDiscoglossus pictus

Riassunto È stata determinata l'attività proteasica nelle differenti regioni della blastula e della gastrula diDiscoglossus pictus. Nella blastula non esiste una differenza di attività fra metà animale e vegetativa, quando si prenda come riferimento l'azoto citoplasmatico. Nella giovane gastrula il territorio presuntivo della corda e del sistema nervoso mostra una attività più elevata della epidermide presuntiva.     

Age correlated changes in midgut protease activity of the honeybee,Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Summary Forager (older) worker honeybees typically have lower midgut activity levels of chymotrypsin and trypsin than do house (younger) worker honeybees. A relation between the age correlated enzymic change and an age correlated decrease in pollen consumption is not clearly demonstrable.     

Partial sequence of the gene for a serine protease from a halophilic archaeumhaloferax mediterranei R4, and nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA encoding genes from several halophilic archaea

A part of the gene coding for a halophilic serine protease from a halophilic archaeumHaloferax mediterranei R4 was amplified by PCR and its 672 nucleotide sequence was determined. Tentative translation to the amino acid sequence suggested that the enzyme was quite similar to halolysin produced by another halophilic archaeum strain 172P1. Nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA encoding genes from 9 halophilic archaea were determined. Alignment of 19 sequences known so far showed that there are more than 20 positions carrying bases or deletions specific for each halobacterial genus:Halobacterium, Haloarcula, Haloferax, andHalococcus.     

Chymotrypsin-like and trypsin-like protease activities in the sea urchin (Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus) egg

Proteolytic activities in extracts of sea urchin eggs were examined using SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate)-polyacrylamide gels. In the unfertilized eggs, proteases were detected as bands corresponding to the molecular weights of 40 kD and 26 kD on the gelatin gel, and 35 kD and 30 kD on the casein gel. Using various protease inhibitors, it was found that 40 kD, 30 kD, and 26 kD are chymotrypsin-like proteases and that 35 kD is a trypsin-like protease. The activity of the 40 kD chymotrypsin-like protease was found to be almost completely lost after insemination.