Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.21.7 (plasmin)
 9,023 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This brief overview discusses the ability of mediators associated with vascular injury, such as interleukin-1 beta and tumour necrosis factor alpha, to activate vascular smooth muscle cells to produce nitric oxide or a related donor of nitric oxide. The cytokines cause the synthesis of nitric oxide synthase(s), which catalyzes the conversion of L-arginine to nitric oxide and L-citrulline. The production of nitric oxide can be modulated by factors produced by vascular cells and formed elements of the blood (e.g. platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor beta), but also by those generated at sites of vascular injury from inactive precursors circulating in the blood (e.g. thrombin, plasmin). The production of nitric oxide by vascular smooth muscle cells may contribute to the homeostasis of blood vessels at sites of injury. In particular, nitric oxide may prevent the local development of vasospasms, unwanted proliferation of smooth muscle cells, and also help to control coagulation and the formation of the thrombus.
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PMID:Role of the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in vascular smooth muscle. 750 37

p-Aminobenzamidine competitively inhibits bovine trypsin, human and bovine thrombin, and human plasmin, all of which act on substrates containing preferentially the L-arginyl side chain at their P1 position. Considering the structural and functional similarity between p-aminobenzamidine and the L-arginyl side chain in trypsin-like serine proteinases, we investigated the interaction of p-aminobenzamidine with mouse brain nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which uses L-arginine as the substrate for generating NO and L-citrulline. p-Aminobenzamidine is a competitive NOS inhibitor (Ki = 1.2 x 10(-4) M, at pH 7.5 and 37.0 degrees C), but not an NO precursor. Therefore, p-aminobenzamidine affects the NO production and the trypsin-like serine proteinase action.
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PMID:Competitive inhibition of nitric oxide synthase by p-aminobenzamidine, a serine proteinase inhibitor. 912 58

Biological functions of proteins are influenced by posttranslational modifications such as on/off switching by phosphorylation and modulation by glycosylation. Proteolytic processing regulates cytokine and chemokine activities. In this study, we report that natural posttranslational citrullination or deimination alters the biological activities of the neutrophil chemoattractant and angiogenic cytokine CXCL8/interleukin-8 (IL-8). Citrullination of arginine in position 5 was discovered on 14% of natural leukocyte-derived CXCL8(1-77), generating CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5). Peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) is known to citrullinate structural proteins, and it may initiate autoimmune diseases. PAD efficiently and site-specifically citrullinated CXCL5, CXCL8, CCL17, CCL26, but not IL-1beta. In comparison with CXCL8(1-77), CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5) had reduced affinity for glycosaminoglycans and induced less CXCR2-dependent calcium signaling and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation. In contrast to CXCL8(1-77), CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5) was resistant to thrombin- or plasmin-dependent potentiation into CXCL8(6-77). Upon intraperitoneal injection, CXCL8(6-77) was a more potent inducer of neutrophil extravasation compared with CXCL8(1-77). Despite its retained chemotactic activity in vitro, CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5) was unable to attract neutrophils to the peritoneum. Finally, in the rabbit cornea angiogenesis assay, the equally potent CXCL8(1-77) and CXCL8(1-77)Cit(5) were less efficient angiogenic molecules than CXCL8(6-77). This study shows that PAD citrullinates the chemokine CXCL8, and thus may dampen neutrophil extravasation during acute or chronic inflammation.
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PMID:Citrullination of CXCL8 by peptidylarginine deiminase alters receptor usage, prevents proteolysis, and dampens tissue inflammation. 1871 Sep 30