Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P00750 (PLA)
 16,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Ammodytoxins (Atxs) are group II phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)s) with presynaptic toxicity from venom of the snake Vipera ammodytes ammodytes. The molecular basis of their neurotoxicity, and that of similar PLA(2) toxins, is still to be explained. To address this problem, a surface-exposed aromatic residue, Phe(24), in the N-terminal region of the most potent Atx, AtxA, was replaced by other aromatic (tyrosine, tryptophan), hydrophobic (alanine) and polar uncharged (serine, asparagine) residues. The mutants were produced in the bacterial expression system, refolded in vitro and purified to homogeneity. All but the Trp(24) mutant, whose activity was similar to that of the wild type, showed a considerable decrease (40-80%) in enzymic activity on a micellar phosphatidylcholine substrate. This result indicates an important role for the aromatic side chains of phenylalanine or tryptophan, but not tyrosine, in PLA(2) activity, very likely at a stage of interfacial adsorption of the enzyme to zwitterionic aggregated substrates. The substitutions of Phe(24) also significantly decreased toxicity in mice, with the most prominent decrease, of 130-fold, observed in the case of the Asn(24) mutant. The results with the mutants show that there is no correlation between enzymic activity, lethality and binding affinity for three AtxA neuronal receptors (R180, R25 and calmodulin). Our results suggest a critical involvement of Phe(24) in the neurotoxicity of AtxA, apparently at a stage which does not involve the interaction with the known Atx-binding neuronal proteins and catalytic activity.
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PMID:Phenylalanine-24 in the N-terminal region of ammodytoxins is important for both enzymic activity and presynaptic toxicity. 1193 65

The plasminogen activator isolated from the venom of the snake Trimeresurus stejnegeri (TSV-PA) triggers plasmin production, along with tissue-type plasminogen activators (t-PA) and urokinase (u-PA). The half-life of TSV-PA in plasma is remarkable. We unveil in this paper two of the molecular mechanisms allowing TSV-PA to escape inhibition by plasma serpins. The first involves a phenylalanine at position 193 (chymotrypsinogen numbering system). Phe(193) distinguishes TSV-PA from nearly all trypsin-like proteinases, having glycine at this position. A mutant of TSV-PA (F193G), in which Phe(193) had been replaced by a glycine, was inactivated by plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and alpha(2)-antiplasmin 100-fold more rapidly than the wild-type enzyme. The second mechanism originates from the 37-loop of TSV-PA. Swapping the 37-loop of TSV-PA for either that of t-PA or that of u-PA also increased dramatically the rate of inactivation by PAI-1. Loop swapping and F193G mutations were additive, resulting in a rate of inactivation by PAI-1 that was 4 orders of magnitude higher than for the wild-type enzyme. The potential role of Phe(193) and of the 37-loop in the immunity of TSV-PA toward alpha(1)-antitrypsin and antithrombin is also discussed.
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PMID:The stratagem utilized by the plasminogen activator from the snake Trimeresurus stejnegeri to escape serpins. 1208 98

Tumor cell migration and metastasis in cancer are facilitated by interaction of the serine protease urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) with its receptor uPAR (CD 87). Overexpression of uPA and uPAR in cancer tissues is associated with a high incidence of disease recurrence and early death. In agreement with these findings, disruption of the protein-protein interaction between uPAR present on tumor cells and its ligand uPA evolved as an attractive intervention strategy to impair tumor growth and metastasis. For this, the uPAR antagonist cyclo[19,31][D-Cys(19)]-uPA(19)(-)(31) was optimized to efficiently interrupt binding of uPA to cellular uPAR. First, the disulfide bridge of this lead compound was shifted and then the modified peptide was shortened from the amino and carboxy terminus to generate cyclo[21,29][Cys(21,29)]-uPA(21)(-)(30). Next, cyclo[21,29][D-Cys(21)Cys(29)]-uPA(21)(-)(30) was yielded by changing the chirality of Cys(21) to D-Cys(21). For analysis of uPAR binding activity, we employed competitive flow cytofluorometric receptor binding assays, using FITC-uPA as the ligand and U937 promyeloid leukemia cells as the cellular source of uPAR. As demonstrated for cyclo[21,29][D-Cys(21)Cys(29)]-uPA(21)(-)(30), the achieved peptide modifications maintained receptor binding activity (IC(50) = 0.04 microM), which is close in order to that of the parent protein ligand, uPA (IC(50) = 0.01 microM). A detailed NMR analysis with restrained and free molecular dynamics calculations in explicit H(2)O exhibits a well-defined structure with characteristic features such as an omega-loop with two betaI-turns about Lys(3), Tyr(4), Ser(6), and Asn(7). Hydrophobic clustering of the side chains of Tyr(4), Phe(5), Ile(8), and Trp(10) is observed. Side chain mobility is analyzed with time-dependent distance restraints. The NMR structure of cyclo[21,29][D-Cys(21)Cys(29)]-uPA(21)(-)(30) is very similar to the previously reported structure of the amino terminal fragment of uPA. Systematic point mutations led to cyclo[21,29][D-Cys(21)Nle(23)Cys(29)]-uPA(21)(-)(30), which still binds to uPAR but is resistant to proteolytic cleavage, e.g., by the tumor-associated serine proteases uPA and plasmin, and is stable in blood serum or plasma. In conclusion, small cyclic peptides were created, which mimic the structure and activity of the binding epitope of uPA to uPAR and which may serve as novel therapeutic agents in cancer metastasis.
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PMID:Synthesis, solution structure, and biological evaluation of urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA)-derived receptor binding domain mimetics. 1240 9

Phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) (E. C. 3.1.1.4) is a common enzyme in the two-way cascade mechanism leading to the production of proinflammatory compounds known as eicosanoids. The binding of phospholipase A(2) to the membrane surface and hydrolysis of phospholipids are thought to involve the formation of a hydrophobic channel into which a single substrate molecule diffuses before its cleavage. To regulate the production of proinflammatory compounds, a specific peptide inhibitor Val-Ala-Phe-Arg-Ser (VAFRS) for the group I PLA(2) enzymes has been designed and synthesized. PLA(2) was isolated from Indian cobra (Naja naja sagittifera) venom and purified to homogeneity. The binding studies indicated the K(i) value of 1.02 +/- 0.10 x 10(-8) M. The purified PLA(2) samples and the designed inhibitor VAFRS were cocrystallized. The crystal structure of the complex was determined and refined to 1.9 A resolution. The peptide binds to PLA(2) at the active site and fills the hydrophobic channel completely. However, its placement with respect to the channel is in the opposite direction as compared to those observed in group II PLA(2)'s. Furthermore, the predominant intermolecular interactions involve strong electrostatic interactions between the side chains of peptide Arg and Asp 49 of PLA(2) together with a number of van der Waals interactions with other residues. A good number of observed interactions between the peptide and the protein indicate the significance of a structure-based drug design approach. The novel factor in the present sequence of the peptide is related to the introduction of a positively charged residue at the C-terminal part of the peptide.
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PMID:Design of specific peptide inhibitors for group I phospholipase A2: structure of a complex formed between phospholipase A2 from Naja naja sagittifera (group I) and a designed peptide inhibitor Val-Ala-Phe-Arg-Ser (VAFRS) at 1.9 A resolution reveals unique features. 1452 80

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a 43 kDa protein involved in the regulation of fibrinolysis. PAI-1 is the principal inhibitor of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), trapping the proteinase as an acyl-enzyme covalent complex (approximately 105 kDa). Four single tryptophan mutants of PAI-1 have been constructed in which three of the four tryptophan residues (Trp86, Trp139, Trp175, and Trp262) were replaced with phenylalanine. Biosynthetic incorporation of 5-fluorotryptophan (5F-Trp) into wild-type PAI-1 (5FW wtPAI-1) and the single tryptophan mutants (5FW86, 5FW139, 5FW175, and 5FW262) was achieved, allowing a (19)F NMR spectroscopic study of PAI-1 in its active and cleaved forms and in complex with t-PA. The (19)F NMR spectrum of active 5FW wtPAI-1 shows four clearly resolved peaks at -39.20, -49.26, -50.74, and -52.57 ppm relative to trifluoroacetic acid at 0 ppm. Unequivocal assignments of these four resonances in the spectrum of 5FW wtPAI-1 to specific tryptophan residues were accomplished by measuring the chemical shifts of the (19)F resonances of the single tryptophan mutants. There was close agreement between the resonances observed in 5FW wtPAI-1 and of those in the mutants for all three protein forms. This would imply little structural perturbation in the local structures of the tryptophan residues resulting from substitution by phenylalanine. The 5FW wtPAI-1 was observed to have lower second-order rate constant (k(app)) for the inhibition of t-PA than the natural tryptophan wtPAI-1, suggesting that the decreased activity may result from a small structural effect of the fluorine substituent of the indole ring. Further alterations in the k(app) and the stoichiometry of inhibition (SI) were observed in each of the mutants indicating an effect of the three tryptophan to phenylalanine mutations. Detailed interpretation of the (19)F NMR spectra of the PAI-1 mutants provides insights into the local segmental structure of the active form of the proteins and the structural changes that occur in the cleaved and t-PA complexed forms.
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PMID:19F NMR studies of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. 1476 27

There is increasing concern about the degradation and metabolisation as well as the biochemical mechanisms of action of organometallic compounds. They are known to be immunotoxic and/or neurotoxic. Because of their different toxic capacities, the development of a reliable correlation between molecular parameters and biochemical effects, which could be helpful in risk assessment, was an aim of this study. The tested organolead and -tin compounds decrease the viability of human cells in culture in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Parabolic QSAR(1)(1) The abbreviations used are: TMT, trimethyltin chloride; TET, triethyltin bromide; TPT, tripropyltin chloride; TBT, tri- n-butyltin chloride; DBT, di- n-butyltin dichloride; TEL, triethyllead chloride; DEL, diethyllead dichloride; TML, trimethyllead chloride; TPhL, triphenyllead chloride; QSAR, quantitative structure-activity relationships; TSA, total surface area; MW(ion), ionic molecular weight; fMLP, N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine; fluo-3, fluo-3 free acid; fluo-3 AM, fluo-3 acetoxymethyl ester; Me(2)SO, dimethyl sulfoxide; PLA(2), phospholipase A(2) (EC 3.1.1.4); FCS, fetal calf serum; HEPES, 4-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid; EGTA, [ethylene-bis(oxyethylenenitrilo)]tetraacetic acid; [Ca(2+)](i), cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration models yield an adequate correlation between toxicity expressed as LC(50) and structural parameters like ionic molecular weight (MW(ion)) or total surface area (TSA). Two main chemical attributes of the organometals are probably responsible for such a parabolic relationship: the hydrophobic side chain and the polar metal atom. Furthermore, all tested organometal compounds evoke a persistent increase of the cytosolic free calcium concentration [Ca(2+)](i). This effect is mainly due to an influx from the extracellular space. Further results suggest that Ca(2+) enters the cell via opened calcium channels. Based on the essential role of Ca(2+) within cellular signalling, the perturbation of calcium homeostasis appears to be an important event in final cell killing by organometals and it is most likely that other biochemical mechanisms, e.g. activation of phospholipase A(2), are possibly mediated by an increase of [Ca(2+)](i).
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PMID:The structure of organometals determines cytotoxicity and alteration of calcium homeostasis in HL-60 cells. 1506 55

Recent studies have suggested that dual inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LO) may be more beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory diseases in which platelet-leukocyte interaction dominates the underlying inflammatory process, than inhibitors of COX or LO alone. In this study, we examined oxygenated xanthones, shown previously to inhibit platelet and neutrophil activation, with respect to the potency of COX inhibition. 1,3,6,7-Tetrahydroxyxanthone (norathyriol) was the most potent. Norathyriol suppressed thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) and leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) formation in calcium ionophore (A23187)- and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-stimulated rat neutrophils. Norathyriol was 3-4 times more active against LTB(4) formation than against TXB(2) formation (IC(50) about 2.8 vs. 10 microM, respectively). Norathyriol also inhibited prostaglandin D(2) (PGD(2)) formation in A23187-stimulated rat mast cells (IC(50) 3.0+/-1.2 microM) and in arachidonic acid (AA)-activated mast cell lysate. Norathyriol was a more effective inhibitor of 5-LO activity than of COX, as shown also by analyses of enzyme activities in a cell-free system, of COX and 5-LO metabolic capacity in neutrophils and of ex vivo TXB(2) and LTB(4) formation in A23187-stimulated neutrophils. Moreover, norathyriol inhibited COX-2 and 12-LO with IC(50) values (19.6+/-1.5 and 1.2+/-0.1 microM, respectively) similar to those required for the inhibition of COX-1 and 5-LO (16.2+/-1.5 and 1.8+/-0.4 microM, respectively). Inhibition of 15-LO by norathyriol was slightly less active. Norathyriol had no effect on A23187-induced AA release from neutrophils and did not affect phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) activity in a cell-free system. These results indicate that norathyriol inhibits the formation of PGs and LTs in neutrophils probably through direct blockade of COX and 5-LO activities. Norathyriol, a single molecule with multiple targets, might provide a potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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PMID:Inhibition of the arachidonic acid cascade by norathyriol via blockade of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase activity in neutrophils. 1508 66

We characterized the tracheal and bronchial relaxation caused by proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) activation in ddY mice and/or in wild-type and PAR-2-knockout mice of C57BL/6 background. Ser-Leu-Ile-Gly-Arg-Leu-amide (SLIGRL-NH(2)) and Thr-Phe-Leu-Leu-Arg-amide, PAR-2- and PAR-1-activating peptides, respectively, caused relaxation in the isolated ddY mouse trachea and main bronchus. The relaxation was abolished by specific inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), and p38 MAP kinase. The MEK and p38 MAP kinase inhibitors did not affect prostaglandin E(2)-induced relaxation. Inhibitors of cytosolic Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipase A(2) (PLA), Ca(2+)-independent PLA(2), diacylglycerol lipase, tyrosine kinase, and protein kinase C exhibited no or only minor inhibitory effects on the PAR-mediated relaxation. Trypsin, a PAR-2 activator, and 2-furoyl-Leu-Ile-Gly-Arg-Leu-amide, a potent PAR-2-activating peptide, in addition to SLIGRL-NH(2), caused airway relaxation in wild-type C57BL/6 mice, as in ddY mice. In PAR-2-knockout mice, the peptide effects were absent and the potency of trypsin decreased. Desensitization of PAR-2 and/or PAR-1 greatly suppressed the relaxant effect of trypsin. The bronchial and tracheal tissues displayed distinct sensitivities toward trypsin and the PAR-2-activating peptides. Our data indicate an involvement of both COX-1 and COX-2, and the MEK-extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 MAP kinase signaling pathways in the PAR-2- and PAR-1-triggered relaxation of mouse airway tissue, and substantiate a role for PAR-2 in regulating both the trachea and bronchial responsiveness in the mouse lung.
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PMID:Proteinase-activated receptor-2-mediated relaxation in mouse tracheal and bronchial smooth muscle: signal transduction mechanisms and distinct agonist sensitivity. 1519 93

Phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2); EC 3.1.1.4) is a key enzyme involved in the production of proinflammatory mediators known as eicosanoids. The binding of the substrate to PLA(2) occurs through a well-formed hydrophobic channel. To determine the viability of PLA(2) as a target molecule for the structure-based drug design against inflammation, arthritis, and rheumatism, the crystal structure of the complex of PLA(2) with a known anti-inflammatory compound oxyphenbutazone (OPB), which has been determined at 1.6 A resolution. The structure has been refined to an R factor of 0.209. The structure contains 1 molecule each of PLA(2) and OPB with 2 sulfate ions and 111 water molecules. The binding studies using surface plasmon resonance show that OPB binds to PLA(2) with a dissociation constant of 6.4 x 10(-8) M. The structure determination has revealed the presence of an OPB molecule at the binding site of PLA(2). It fits well in the binding region, thus displaying a high level of complementarity. The structure also indicates that OPB works as a competitive inhibitor. A large number of hydrophobic interactions between the enzyme and the OPB molecule have been observed. The hydrophobic interactions involving residues Tyr(52) and Lys(69) with OPB are particularly noteworthy. Other residues of the hydrophobic channel such as Leu(3), Phe(5), Met(8), Ile(9), and Ala(18) are also interacting extensively with the inhibitor. The crystal structure clearly reveals that the binding of OPB to PLA(2) is specific in nature and possibly suggests that the basis of its anti-inflammatory effects may be due to its binding to PLA(2) as well.
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PMID:Phospholipase A2 as a target protein for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS): crystal structure of the complex formed between phospholipase A2 and oxyphenbutazone at 1.6 A resolution. 1554 28

This study was designed to determine the responses of muscle protein, serum amino acids, and strength performance to bovine colostrum supplementation in physically active men. The rest (R) group (n = 6) and the exercise (E) group (n = 6) carried out twice a 2-week experiment randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion with either placebo (PLA; consuming daily 20 g maltodextrin) or bovine colostrum (COL; consuming daily 20 g colostrum supplement) treatment with one month between. On the test day after the treatment period the measurements were carried out in fasting conditions and E carried out a strength training session (STS). The methods involved the infusion of ring-(2)H(5)-phenylalanine, femoral arterial and venous blood sampling, and biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle. Serum concentration of essential amino acids during recovery was greater (p < 0.05) in the COL groups compared with the PLA groups. Both muscle protein synthesis and breakdown increased (p < 0.05) with COL. There were no differences in phenylalanine net balance or strength performance between the PLA and COL groups. It was concluded that a 2-week supplementation with bovine colostrum in physically active men increases serum concentration of essential amino acids but has no effect either on strength performance or protein net balance in fasting conditions during recovery after STS.
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PMID:Protein metabolism and strength performance after bovine colostrum supplementation. 1578 41


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