Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.21.5 (thrombin)
 33,306 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Calpain is distributed ubiquitously in virtually every tissue (Croall, D. E., and DeMartino, G. N. (1991) Physiol. Rev. 71, 813-846), but its physiological role remains to be determined. The identification of its natural endogenous substrates would be of great interest. Since pp60src, a major tyrosine kinase in platelets, is known to be easily cleaved during purification from cells (Feder, D., and Bishop, J. M. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 8205-8211), we examined the possibility that it is an endogenous substrate of calpain. In the whole cell lysate from resting platelets, which was analyzed by Western blotting with monoclonal antibody 327, we found pp60src almost exclusively in a 60-kDa form, with a trace of 52-kDa form. Addition of A23187 (a calcium ionophore) or dibucaine, which are known to be activators of platelet calpain (Croall and DeMartino, 1991; Fox, J. E., Reynolds, C., Morrow, J. S., and Phillips, D. R. (1987) Blood 76, 2510-2519; Fox, J. E., Austin, C. D., Boyles, J. K., and Steffen, P. K. (1990b) J. Cell Biol. 111, 483-493), caused dose- and time-dependent cleavage of actin-binding protein and p235 protein (talin). At the same time, loss of the 60-kDa species of pp60src and generation of the 52-kDa (occasionally seen as doublets) and 47-kDa species were detected by the Western blotting. In platelets aggregated by 1 unit/ml thrombin, apparently identical cleavage products were found. The cleavage of pp60src was inhibited by calpeptin (20 microM), an inhibitor of calpain (Tsujinaka, T., Kajiwara, Y., Kambayashi, J., Sakon, M., Higuchi, N., Tanaka, T., and Mori, T. (1988) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 153, 1201-1208; Tsujinaka, T., Ariyoshi, H., Uemura, Y., Sakon, M., Kambayashi, J., and Mori, T. (1990) Life Sci. 46, 1059-1066; Fox, J. E., Clifford, C. C., and Austin, C. D. (1990) Blood 76, 2510-2519; Fox, J. E., Austin, C. D., Boyles, J. K., and Steffen, P. K. (1990) J. Cell. Biol. 111, 483-493; Fox, J. E., Austin, C. D., Clifford, C. C., and Steffen, P. K. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 13289-13295). Addition of EGTA (3 mM) to the extracellular media completely inhibited the cleavage of actin-binding protein, talin, and pp60src in response to A23187 (1 microM). Intact pp60src was distributed in both cytosolic and particulate (membrane) fractions. Cleaved species were found exclusively in the cytosolic fraction. pp60src-associated enolase kinase activity was reduced. Thus, pp60src is an endogenous substrate for calpain, the cleavage of which may have regulatory effects on the kinase.
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PMID:pp60src is an endogenous substrate for calpain in human blood platelets. 768 44

We previously reported the isolation from Entamoeba histolytica of a novel rac family protein kinase gene, termed Ehrac1, for "related to cAMP-dependent protein kinases and protein kinase Cs". To study the function and properties of this kinase gene further, we fused the full-length coding region and the truncated catalytic domain of the Ehrac1 gene in frame with the gene encoding glutathione S-transferase in the pGEX-KG vector and expressed the fusion in Escherichia coli. The thrombin-cleaved and uncleaved fusion proteins, GST-Ehrac1 and GST-Ehrac1-c (catalytic domain), were purified and found to exhibit similar protein kinase activities. The Ehrac1 fusion kinase was found to phosphorylate serine/threonine residues exclusively in vitro. The preferred substrate for the enzyme was histone H1 with a Km of approx. 14 microM. Histone H3 and kemptide were phosphorylated at about half the rate of histone H1. Protamine, enolase, bovine serum albumin, and poly (Glu:Tyr) were not substrates for the enzyme. The protein kinase activity was higher in the presence of Mn2+ than Mg2+. Neither cAMP, Ca2+, nor Ca2+/calmodulin stimulated enzyme activity. The pH optimum of the enzyme was 7.5. The Ehrac1 kinase can utilize GTP as well as ATP as a phosphate donor with an apparent Km of 80 microM. Enzyme activity was inhibited 30-40% by a crude cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor from rabbit and by thiol reagents. The expression and purification of enzymatically active Ehrac1 protein kinase should allow further analysis of the regulation and signal transduction pathways of E. histolytica.
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PMID:Expression and characterization of a rac family protein kinase of Entamoeba histolytica. 798 73

Identification of Na+ binding sites in protein crystals is complicated by comparable electron density of this monovalent cation and water. Valence calculations can predict the location of metal ion binding sites in proteins with high precision. These calculations were used to screen 332,242 water molecules in 2742 protein structures reported in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), searching for molecules with Na+/- specific valence values V(Na+) > or = 1.0 v.u., as expected for a bound Na ion. Thirty-three water molecules (<0.01% of the total) were found be have V(Na+) > or = 1.0 v.u. and to be located within 3.5 A from at least two protein oxygen atoms. These water molecules, with a high Na+ -specific valence, do not have valences specific for other cations, like Li+, K+, Mg2+ or Ca2+. They belong to nine different proteins (deoxyribonuclease I, enolase, hen egg-white lysozyme, human lysozyme, phospholipase A2, proteinase A, rubredoxin, thrombin and phage T4 lysozyme) and appear with similar coordination geometry, typically octahedral, in the same place in multiple crystal structure determinations of the same protein. In the case of thrombin, the water molecule singled out by valence calculations is, in fact, a bound Na ion as demonstrated by molecular replacement with Rb+. Valence calculations provide an accurate screening of water in protein crystals and may help identify Na+ binding sites of functional importance.
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PMID:Valence screening of water in protein crystals reveals potential Na+ binding sites. 859 92

The current study examines nestin expression after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the role of different blood components in nestin upregulation, and the possibility that low doses of thrombin that induce tolerance to brain injury (thrombin preconditioning) might also induce nestin expression. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received an intracaudate injection of either whole blood, thrombin (1 or 5 U) or red blood cells (RBCs). Animals were sacrificed for single and double labeling immunohistochemistry to identify which cells express nestin, and for Western blotting to quantify nestin expression. By immunohistochemistry, nestin immunoreactivity was present in large numbers of astrocytes, surrounding the hematoma from day 3 to 1 week after ICH. After 2 weeks, nestin immunoreactivity was co-localized with a neuronal marker (neuronal specific enolase). By Western blot analysis, nestin was strongly expressed at day 3 (P<0.01) and 1 week (P<0.01), and expression persisted for at least 1 month (P<0.05). Intracerebral injection of thrombin or lysed RBCs resulted in a marked increase in nestin expression. Interestingly, injection of a low dose of thrombin that induces brain tolerance also upregulated nestin. The ICH-induced nestin expression in astrocytes may reflect an early response of these cells to injury, while the delayed expression in neurons might be a part of the adaptative response to injury perhaps leading to recovery of function. Nestin induction by a low dose of thrombin suggests that specific receptor-mediated pathways are involved in inducing nestin expression and that nestin may play a role in thrombin preconditioning.
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PMID:Nestin expression after experimental intracerebral hemorrhage. 1288 31

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury is partially mediated by thrombin, which causes brain damage through protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1). However, the role and mechanisms underlying the effects of PAR1 activation require further elucidation. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of the PAR1 antagonist SCH79797 in a rabbit model of global cerebral ischemia induced by cardiac arrest. SCH79797 was intravenously administered 10 minutes after the model was established. Forty-eight hours later, compared with those administered saline, rabbits receiving SCH79797 showed markedly decreased neuronal damage as assessed by serum neuron specific enolase levels and less neurological dysfunction as determined using cerebral performance category scores. Additionally, in the hippocampus, cell apoptosis, polymorphonuclear cell infiltration, and c-Jun levels were decreased, whereas extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation levels were increased. All of these changes were inhibited by the intravenous administration of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway inhibitor LY29004 (3 mg/kg) 10 minutes before the SCH79797 intervention. These findings suggest that SCH79797 mitigates brain injury via anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, possibly by modulating the extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase/c-Jun and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathways.
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PMID:A protease-activated receptor 1 antagonist protects against global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury after asphyxial cardiac arrest in rabbits. 2840 Aug 6