Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.1.6.4 (chondroitinase)
 2,039 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Axon regeneration in vivo is blocked at boundaries between Schwann cells and astrocytes, such as occur at the dorsal root entry zone and around peripheral nerve or Schwann cell grafts. We have created a tissue culture model of these boundaries in Schwann cell - astrocyte monolayer co-cultures. Axon behaviour resembles that in vivo, with axons showing a strong preference for Schwann cells over astrocytes. At boundaries between the two cell types, axons growing on astrocytes cross readily onto Schwann cells, but only 15% of axons growing on Schwann cells are able to cross onto astrocytes. Treatment with chondroitinase or chlorate to reduce inhibition by proteoglycans did not change this behaviour. The neural adhesion molecule L1 is present on Schwann cells and not astrocytes, and manipulation of L1 by application of an antibody, L1-Fc in solution, or adenoviral transduction of L1 into astrocytes increased the proportion of axons able to cross onto astrocytes to 40-50%. Elevating cAMP levels increased crossing from Schwann cells onto astrocytes in live and fixed cultures, and had a co-operative effect with NT-3 but not with NGF. Inactivation of Rho with a cell-permeant form of C3 exoenzyme also increased crossing from Schwann cells to astrocytes. Our experiments indicate that the preference of axons for Schwann cells is largely mediated by the presence of L1 on Schwann cells but not astrocytes, and that manipulation of growth cone signalling pathways can allow axons to disregard boundaries between the two cell types.
Eur J Neurosci 2004 Sep
PMID:Axon behaviour at Schwann cell - astrocyte boundaries: manipulation of axon signalling pathways and the neural adhesion molecule L1 can enable axons to cross. 1535 10

Although cell surface chondroitin sulfate (CS) is regarded as an auxiliary receptor for binding of herpes simplex virus to cells, and purified CS chain types A, B, and C are known to interfere poorly or not at all with the virus infection of cells, we have found that CS type E (CS-E), derived from squid cartilage, exhibited potent antiviral activity. The IC(50) values ranged from 0.06 to 0.2 mug/ml and substantially exceeded the antiviral potency of heparin, the known inhibitor of virus binding to cells. Furthermore, in mutant gro2C cells that express CS but not heparan sulfate, CS-E showed unusually high anti-herpes virus activity with IC(50) values of <1 ng/ml. Enzymatic degradation of CS-E with chondroitinase ABC abolished its antiviral activity. CS-E inhibited the binding to cells of the purified virus attachment protein gC. A direct interaction of gC with immobilized CS-E and inhibition of this binding by CS-E oligosaccharide fragments greater than octasaccharide were demonstrated. Likewise, the gro2C-specific CS chains interfered with the binding of viral gC to these cells and were found to contain a considerable proportion (13%) of the E-disaccharide unit, suggesting that this unit is an essential component of the CS receptor for herpes simplex virus on gro2C cells and that the antiviral activity of CS-E was due to interference with the binding of viral gC to a CS-E-like receptor on the cell surface. Knowledge of the determinants of antiviral properties of CS-E will help in the development of inhibitors of herpes simplex virus infections in humans.
J Biol Chem 2005 Sep 16
PMID:Chondroitin sulfate characterized by the E-disaccharide unit is a potent inhibitor of herpes simplex virus infectivity and provides the virus binding sites on gro2C cells. 1602 59

cABC I (chondroitinase ABC I) from Proteus vulgaris is a GalAG (galactosaminoglycan) depolymerizing lyase that cleaves its substrates at the glycosidic bond via beta-elimination. cABC I cleaves a particularly broad range of GalAG substrates, including CS (chondroitin sulphate), DS (dermatan sulphate) and hyaluronic acid. We recently cloned and recombinantly expressed cABC I in Escherichia coli, and completed a preliminary biochemical characterization of the enzyme. In the present study, we have coupled site-directed mutagenesis of the recombinant cABC I with a structural model of the enzyme-substrate complex in order to investigate in detail the roles of active site amino acids in the catalytic action of the enzyme. The putative catalytic residues His-501, Tyr-508, Arg-560 and Glu-653 were probed systematically via mutagenesis. Assessment of these mutants in kinetic and end-point assays provided direct evidence on the catalytic roles of these active-site residues. The crystal structure of the native enzyme provided a framework for molecular docking of representative CS and DS substrates. This enabled us to construct recombinant enzyme-substrate structural complexes. These studies together provided structural insights into the effects of the mutations on the catalytic mechanism of cABC I and the differences in its processing of CS and DS substrates. All His-501 mutants were essentially inactive and thereby implicating this amino acid to play the critical role of proton abstraction during catalysis. The kinetic data for Glu-653 mutants indicated that it is involved in a hydrogen bonding network in the active site. The proximity of Tyr-508 to the glycosidic oxygen of the substrate at the site of cleavage suggested its potential role in protonating the leaving group. Arg-560 was proximal to the uronic acid C-5 proton, suggesting its possible role in the stabilization of the carbanion intermediate formed during catalysis.
Biochem J 2005 Sep 01
PMID:Biochemical characterization of the chondroitinase ABC I active site. 1610 57

An immunoglobulin superfamily neuronal adhesion molecule, Contactin, has been implicated in axon guidance of spinal sensory neurons in Xenopus embryos. To identify the guidance signaling molecules that Contactin recognizes in tailbud embryos, an in situ binding assay was performed using recombinant Contactin-alkaline phosphatase fusion protein (Contactin-AP) as a probe. In the assay of whole-mount or sectioned embryos, Contactin-AP specifically bound to the notochord and its proximal regions. This binding was completely blocked by either digestion of embryo sections with chondroitinase ABC or pretreatment of Contactin-AP with chondroitin sulfate A. When the spinal cord and the notochord explants were co-cultured in collagen gel, growing Contactin-positive spinal axons were repelled by notochord-derived repulsive activity. This repulsive activity was abolished by the addition of either a monoclonal anti-Contactin antibody, chondroitin sulfate A or chondroitinase ABC to the culture medium. An antibody that recognizes chondroitin sulfate A and C labeled immunohistochemically the notochord in embryo sections and the collagen gel matrix around the cultured notochord explant. Addition of chondroitinase ABC into the culture eliminated the immunoreactivity in the gel matrix. These results suggest that the notochord-derived chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan acts as a repulsive signaling molecule that is recognized by Contactin on spinal sensory axons.
Dev Growth Differ 2005 Sep
PMID:Repulsive guidance of axons of spinal sensory neurons in Xenopus laevis embryos: roles of Contactin and notochord-derived chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. 1617 71

Proteoglycans (PGs) have been suggested to work as receptors in lipoprotein uptake mechanisms. An interaction between apolipoprotein E (apoE) and glucosaminoglycans (GAG), polysaccharides linked to proteoglycans, has been proposed in this pathway. At the same time, proteoglycans, apoE as well as lipoprotein receptors have been reported to be constituents of amyloid plaques, one hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. With this study, we are the first to investigate the interaction between beta very low density lipoprotein (beta-VLDL) and a neuronal highly abundant GAG, chondroitin sulphate (CS), comparing hippocampal neurons, expressing high levels of low density lipoprotein receptor related protein (LRP) and U373 astrocytoma cells, highly positive for the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR). We were able demonstrate that degradation of chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs) with chondroitinase ABC resulted in reduced (125)I-beta-VLDL uptake. We showed that externally added CSs compete with internalization of beta-VLDL. The effect was found to be dose-dependent, but was influenced neither by cell type, nor receptor type. The position of sulphation of added CSs showed only a slight influence. The data generated suggested an interaction between apolipoproteins and soluble CSs; therefore, 3H-cholesterol linked to apoE was coadministered with CSs to the cells. The results revealed that apoE bound, but no unbound cholesterol, was reduced in cellular internalization, suggesting that CSPGs may be involved in lipoprotein uptake in the intact brain, mediated, at least in part, by apoE.
Eur J Neurosci 2005 Sep
PMID:Role of chondroitin sulphate in the uptake of beta-VLDL by brain cells. 1619 Aug 94

CE conditions for monitoring the unsaturated disaccharides of hyaluronic acid (di-HA) and chondroitin sulfate (di-CS) using an alkaline tetraborate buffer, electrokinetic sample injection, and UV absorption detection at 232 nm are reported. Separations were performed in an uncoated fused-silica capillary having reversed polarity and reversed electroosmosis generated with the addition of CTAB to the buffer. The influence of various separation parameters, including the concentration of CTAB, buffer pH, concentration of tetraborate, and applied voltage, on the resolution of the two disaccharides was investigated. Baseline separation was obtained with 25 mM tetraborate at pH 10.0 and having 0.05 mM CTAB. Chloride and phosphate in the sample are beneficial for the stacking of the disaccharides, with di-HA forming a much sharper peak than di-CS. Using samples prepared in 25 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5) and electrokinetic injection at the cathode at -10 kV for 40 s, linear relationships between the corrected peak area and the concentration of the disaccharides have been found in the ranges of 1.0-400.0 and 0.1-1.0 microg/mL (0.2-1.0 microg/mL for di-CS), with correlation coefficients being >0.9933 in all cases. The RSDs of detection times and corrected peak areas were between 1.13-1.24 and 1.57-2.13%, respectively. Applied to human serum samples that were prepared by ethanol precipitation and depolymerization of the two polysaccharides with chondroitinase ABC reveals comigration of endogenous compounds with di-HA and a sample-dependent detection time. The di-HA content in the serum sample can be estimated via subtraction of the blank peak that is obtained without enzymatic hydrolysis.
J Sep Sci 2005 Nov
PMID:Analysis of the disaccharides derived from hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate by capillary electrophoresis with sample stacking. 1634 6

Macromolecular prodrugs of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen, were prepared by the covalent attachment of the drugs onto chondroitin sulfate (ChS) using PEG 1000 as a spacer. Drug-PEG adducts were synthesized using 1,1'-carbonyl diimidazole as a coupling agent in dimethyl sulfoxide, followed by the reaction with ChS in highly dilute aqueous solution at pH 6.8 via N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDAC) as a conjugation agent. The drug-ChS conjugates were confirmed by FTIR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR and the molar percent of drug substitution onto ChS was characterized by 1H NMR using the peak areas of the three protons of -PhiCHCH3 on the drugs to those of -NHCOCH3 on ChS. All drug-ChS conjugates are water-soluble. The release amounts of the free drugs from their corresponding drug-ChS conjugates were evaluated in the presence or absence of either esterase or chondroitinase, and the both enzymes in pH 7.4 Tris-buffer solutions at 37 degrees C by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Keto-ChS conjugates released approximately 100% ketoprofen within 12h in the presence of esterase, but the combination with chondroitinase did not accelerate the release rate. The degradation of Keto-ChS conjugates by chondroitinase was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The Keto-ChS conjugates still retained the enzymatic recognition even at the substitution of ketoprofen as high as 56 mol%. The inhibition percent of carrageenan-induced edema of Keto-ChS-56 was comparable to that of a simple blend of ChS and ketoprofen, suggesting that biologically active ChS and ketoprofen could be liberated from the conjugate.
Eur J Pharm Sci 2006 Sep
PMID:Chondroitin sulfate-based anti-inflammatory macromolecular prodrugs. 1683 35

Tendon is multi-level fibre composite material, responsible for the transmission of forces from muscles to the skeleton. It is composed of a hierarchical arrangement of collagenous units surrounded by a proteoglycan-rich matrix, arranged to support strain transfer, and thus contribute to the mechanical behaviour of tendon. This study examines the effect of swelling and enzymatic degradation on structural integrity at different levels of the tendon hierarchy. Biochemical and microstructural analysis are used to examine the effects of incubation on the composition and swelling of the matrix, prior to a mechanical characterisation of sample integrity. Results indicated significant swelling of tendon fibrils and interfibrillar matrix after incubation in phosphate buffered saline, leading to a reduction in ultimate tensile load, with failure initiated between fibrils and sub-fibrils. In contrast, incubation with the enzyme chondroitinase ABC resulted in a total removal of glycosaminoglycan from the samples, and a subsequent reduction in the extent of swelling. These fascicles also demonstrated an increase in failure loads, with failure predominating between fibres. The findings from this work confirm the importance of the non-collagenous matrix components in controlling strain transfer within tendon structures. It also highlights the necessity to maintain samples within a suitable and controlled environment prior to testing.
Acta Biomater 2006 Sep
PMID:The influence of swelling and matrix degradation on the microstructural integrity of tendon. 1683 28

The existence of specific differentiation markers for arterial smooth muscle (SM) cells is still a matter of debate. A clone named MM1 was isolated from a library of monoclonal antibodies to adult porcine aorta, which in vivo binds to arterial but not venous SM cells, except for the pulmonary vein. MM1 immunoreactivity in Western blotting involved bands in the range of M(r) 33-226 kDa, in both arterial and venous SM tissues. However, immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that MM1 bound to a 100-kDa polypeptide that was present only in the arterial SM extract. By mass spectrometry analysis of tryptic digests from MM1-positive 130- and 120-kDa polypeptides of aorta SM extract, the antigen recognized by the antibody was identified as a decorin precursor. Using a crude decorin preparation from this tissue MM1 reacted strongly with the 33-kDa polypeptide and this pattern did not change after chondroitinase ABC treatment. In vitro, decorin immunoreactivity was found in secreted grainy material produced by confluent arterial SM cells, although lesser amounts were also seen in venous SM cells. Western blotting of extracts from these cultures showed the presence of the 33-kDa band but not of the high-molecular-weight components, except for the 100-kDa monomer. The 100/33-kDa combination was more abundant in arterial SM cells than in the venous counterpart. In the early phase of neointima formation, induced by endothelial injury of the carotid artery or vein-to-artery transposition, the decorin precursor was not expressed, but it was up-regulated in the SM cells of the media underlying the neointima in both models. Collectively, these data suggest a different processing/utilization of the 100-kDa monomer of proteoglycan decorin in arterial and venous SM cells, which is abolished after vein injury.
J Anat 2006 Sep
PMID:Differential availability/processing of decorin precursor in arterial and venous smooth muscle cells. 1692 98

The chondroitinases are bacterial lyases that specifically cleave chondroitin sulfate and/or dermatan sulfate glycosaminoglycans. One of these enzymes, chondroitinase ABC I from Proteus vulgaris, has the broadest substrate specificity and has been widely used to depolymerize these glycosaminoglycans. Biochemical and structural studies to investigate the active site of chondroitinase ABC I have provided important insights into the catalytic amino acids. In this study, we demonstrate that calcium, a divalent ion, preferentially increases the activity of chondroitinase ABC I toward dermatan versus chondroitin substrates in a concentration-dependent manner. Through biochemical and biophysical investigations, we have established that chondroitinase ABC I binds calcium. Experiments using terbium, a fluorescent calcium analogue, confirm the specificity of this interaction. On the basis of theoretical structural models of the enzyme-substrate complexes, specific amino acids that could potentially play a role in calcium coordination were identified. These amino acids were investigated through site-directed mutagenesis studies and kinetic assays to identify possible mechanisms for calcium-mediated processing of the dermatan substrate in the active site of the enzyme.
Biochemistry 2006 Sep 19
PMID:The catalytic machinery of chondroitinase ABC I utilizes a calcium coordination strategy to optimally process dermatan sulfate. 1696 74


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