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Query: UNIPROT:P06889 (Mol)
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In surgically excised nasal polyps, most epithelial mast cells were formalin sensitive, chloroacetate esterase (CAE) negative, and chymase negative. Thus, this represents a population of mast cells not identified by staining for CAE. On the other hand, most stromal mast cells were formalin resistant and CAE positive, and although there was some polyp-to-polyp variability in their content of neutral protease, most of these cells were positive for both tryptase and chymase. The percentage of metachromatic cells in the epithelium and the number of metachromatic cells per unit area of polyp tissue did not correlate with an index of allergy skin test reactivity or the serum IgE concentration. The percentage of mast cells surrounded by pericellular tryptase, suggesting activation/degranulation, was significantly higher in the stroma than in the epithelium. The findings demonstrate differences between the stroma and the epithelium in phenotype and state of activation of mast cells; these are postulated to be due to distinct microenvironmental factors that affect mast cells at these sites.
Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 1992 Jan
PMID:Histochemical and immunohistochemical characteristics of mast cells in nasal polyps. 137 Feb

The Kunitz-type protease inhibitor is one of the serine protease inhibitors. It is found in blood, saliva, and all tissues in mammals. Recently, a Kunitz-type sequence was found in the protein sequence of the amyloid beta precursor protein (beta APP). It is known that beta APP accumulates in the neuritic plaques and cerebrovascular deposits of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Collagen type VI in chicken also has an insertion of a Kunitz-type sequence. To elucidate the evolutionary origin of these insertion sequences, we constructed a phylogenetic tree by use of all the available sequences of Kunitz-type inhibitors. The tree shows that the ancestral gene of the Kunitz-type inhibitor appeared about 500 million years ago. Thereafter, this gene duplicated itself many times, and some of the duplicates were inserted into other protein-coding genes. During this process, the Kunitz-type sequence in the present beta APP gene diverged from its ancestral gene about 270 million years ago and was inserted into the gene soon after duplication. Although the function of the insertion sequences is unknown, our molecular evolutionary analysis shows that these insertion sequences in beta APP have an evolutionarily close relationship with the inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor or trypstatin, which inhibits the activity of tryptase, a novel membrane-bound serine protease in human T4+ lymphocytes.
J Mol Evol 1992 Jun
PMID:Evolutionary origin of a Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor domain inserted in the amyloid beta precursor protein of Alzheimer's disease. 159 45

Cytolytic granules purified from natural killer lymphocytes (NK) contain a pore-forming protein (perforin) and a number of serine proteases. When these proteases are inhibited by serine protease-specific isocoumarin reagents the serine proteases are inactivated and the cytolytic activity of the granules is decreased. Paradoxically, it has been found that the general serine protease inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) frequently cannot block killing even though it inhibits many of the serine proteases. At the same time it has been reported that "purified" perforin alone can lyze cells. To address these inconsistencies we first compared the ability of PMSF and four new sulfonyl fluoride serine protease inhibitors to inhibit proteases and cell lysis. We determined the effects on lysis and the second order inhibition rate constants for five granule protease activities: ly-tryptase, ly-chymase, Met-ase (methionine cleaving), Ser-ase (serine cleaving) and Asp-ase (aspartic acid cleaving). One compound, 2-(Z-NH(CH2)2CONH)C6SO2F, was a potent inhibitor of Met-ase activity (k(obsd)/[I] = 162 M-1 s-1), ly-chymase activity (k(obsd)/[I] = 147 M-1 s-1), and granule-mediated as well as perforin-mediated lysis. PMSF was a poor inhibitor of granule proteases (k(obsd)/[I]'s less than 7 M-1 s-1 for four activities and no inhibition of Ser-ase); the lack of reactivity is consistent with the failure of PMSF to block granule lytic activity. We also prepared enriched perforin by anion exchange chromatography and showed that a ly-chymase and a Met-ase associated with perforin. By inhibiting these proteases we also inhibited lytic activity.
Mol Immunol 1992 Jun
PMID:Sulfonyl fluoride serine protease inhibitors inactivate RNK-16 lymphocyte granule proteases and reduce lysis by granule extracts and perforin. 160 92

Several lines of evidence suggest a possible role for mast cell proteases in modulating the biologic effects of neuropeptides. To explore the potential of such interactions in human airway, we examined the activity of human tryptase, the major secretory protease of human lung mast cells, against several neuropeptides with proposed regulatory functions in human airway. Using highly purified tryptase obtained from extracts of human lung, we determined the sites and rats of hydrolysis of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), peptide histidine-methionine (PHM), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and the tachykinins substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA), and neurokinin B (NKB). Tryptase hydrolyzes VIP rapidly at several sites (Arg12, Arg14, Lys20, and Lys21) with an overall kcat/Km of 1.5 x 10(5) M-1 s-1 and hydrolyzes PHM primarily at a single site (Lys20) with a kcat/Km of 1.9 x 10(4) M-1 s-1. Tryptase also rapidly hydrolyzes CGRP at two sites (Arg18 and Lys24) with a kcat/Km of 2.7 x 10(5) M-1 s-1. The tachykinins are not hydrolyzed by tryptase. These observations raise the possibility that tryptase-mediated degradation of the bronchodilators VIP and PHM combined with exaggerated mast cell release of tryptase may contribute to the increase in bronchial responsiveness and the decrease in immunoreactive VIP in airway nerves associated with asthma. The favorable rates of hydrolysis of CGRP suggest that tryptase may also terminate the effects of CGRP on bronchial and vascular smooth muscle tone and permeability.
Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 1990 Jul
PMID:Degradation of airway neuropeptides by human lung tryptase. 169 72

Recent studies have led to a rapid expansion of knowledge concerning the structure and biology of the two major mast cell proteinases, tryptase and chymase. Tryptase is an abundant, trypsin-like enzyme found in the secretory granules of all human lung mast cells. The subunits of the heparin-associated tryptase tetramer appear to be the products of a multigene family whose intron-exon organization is unique and is not closely related to that of other mast cell or leukocyte serine proteinases. In vitro studies suggest that tryptases may participate in lung and airway responses by regulating airway neuropeptide activity, bronchomotor tone, and fibroblast mitogenesis. Mast cell chymases are chymotrypsin-like proteinases related closely to neutrophil cathepsin G and lymphocyte granzymes. The cDNA-derived structures of tryptase and chymase suggest that the two enzymes may differ in modes of activation from proenzyme forms, although the mature enzymes are packaged and released together. Chymase expression appears to be limited to a subset of human lung mast cells most prevalent in the airway submucosa. Possible roles for chymase include inactivation of sensory neuropeptides, regulation of submucosal gland secretion, and potentiation of histamine-induced vascular permeability.
Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 1991 May
PMID:The structure and airway biology of mast cell proteinases. 202 78

We have previously characterized dog mastocytoma cells propagated in nude mice. We have established two of these lines (C1 and C2) in continuous culture. Freshly disaggregated mastocytoma cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DME)-H16 mixed with 50% Ham's F12 and supplemented with histidine and 5% allergic dog serum (ADS). Cells were fed every 3 d and passaged weekly. Growth was assessed by cell count. Cell growth was best supported by culture in 5% ADS. C1 cells grow in suspension in ADS and have been passaged 55 times with a doubling time of 37.4 +/- 18.7 h (mean +/- 1 SD; n = 15). C2 cells adhere to tissue culture plastic in ADS and have been passaged 26 times with a doubling time of 49.3 +/- 12.5 h (n = 13). Morphologic and functional characteristics are unchanged from those described in cells propagated in nude mice. Histamine content for C1 is 0.46 +/- 0.18 pg/cell (n = 12) and 0.07 +/- 0.04 pg/cell (n = 6) for C2. Both lines contain the neutral protease tryptase and C2 contains chymase. Calcium ionophore A23187 or ragweed antigen caused concentration-dependent histamine release from both cell lines. C1 and C2 generate prostaglandin D2 in response to A23187. We conclude that dog mastocytoma cells can be established in continuous culture, thus providing a system for studying mast cell biology, including growth and development.
Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 1990 Nov
PMID:Establishment of two dog mastocytoma cell lines in continuous culture. 212 Nov 70

Granules that are potently cytolytic in vitro can be obtained from cytotoxic lymphocytes that kill virally infected cells and tumor cells. These granules contain pore-forming proteins and several serine proteases. Here we indicate that at least two different proteases participate in the lysis mediated by granule proteins from RNK-16 rat leukemia cells. We report twelve different mechanism-based or "suicide" isocoumarin serine protease inhibitors which have different 3- and 7-substituents that confer selectivity and reactivity towards either the chymotrypsin- ("chymase") or trypsin-like ("tryptase") protease activities of RNK-16 cells. Second order inhibition rates of inactivation (kobsd/[I]) for the RNK-16 granule proteases ranged between 164 and 22,640 M-1s-1. These new, specific and highly reactive isocoumarin serine protease inhibitors also abrogated the cytolysis mediated by lymphocytes granule proteins. The eight inhibitors with large hydrophobic or basic substituents that conferred chymase or tryptase specificities were more effective at inactivating lytic function than the four elastase-directed inhibitors with smaller substituents. All twelve new isocoumarin inhibitors blocked cytolysis at lower concentrations than 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, a potent general mechanism-based serine protease inhibitor that also blocks RNK-16 granule protease activities and lysis.
Mol Immunol 1989 Aug
PMID:Selective isocoumarin serine protease inhibitors block RNK-16 lymphocyte granule-mediated cytolysis. 281 73

Mast cell proteinases are known to be released in response to helminth infection, and are, in particular, characteristic of the immune rejection of intestinal nematode parasites. In intestinal mucosal tissue the relevant enzyme is rat mast cell proteinase II (RMCP II) and that of other tissues, including the lung, is rat mast cell proteinase I (RMCP I). The function of these enzymes is unknown, and we have examined the possibility that they directly attack the parasites. This was done by examining the cleavage patterns produced by both proteinases on 125I-labelled excretory/secretory (ES) products of two intestinal nematodes (the infective larva of Ascaris suum, and adult Nippostrongylus brasiliensis) and one which has a pulmonary migration route (the third/fourth stage larva of A. suum). It was first established that all the labelled molecules were proteinaceous, by their susceptibility to broad spectrum proteinases, and that none were host components carried over into culture, by their antigenicity to infected hosts. All the nematode ES products were found to be remarkably resistant to RMCP I and II, only one major component of the infective larva of A. suum being cleaved by both enzymes. This was not found to reflect a resistance to serine proteinases in general, since selected ES components were cleaved by chymotrypsin and trypsin. This would, therefore, argue that, if the enzymes play any direct role in the immune expulsion of nematodes, it is unlikely to be successfully directed at their secretions.
Mol Biochem Parasitol 1987 Jun
PMID:Resistance of nematode secretory products to cleavage by mast cell proteinases. 330 71

Granzyme B (also termed fragmentin 2) is a prototypic member of a subfamily of serine proteases expressed in the cytoplasmic granules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, and has been implicated in the destruction of targeted cells. Studies on the role of all granzymes in the cytolytic response would be greatly facilitated by the availability of specific anti-granzyme antisera. Three synthetic peptides corresponding to amino acid residues 1-17, 92-109 and 139-157 of human granzyme B were predicted to be immunogenic in the mouse, based on their hydrophilicity, accessibility to solvent, polymorphism with respect to mouse granzyme B and by comparison with X-ray crystallographic models of the rat mast cell protease II. Each peptide was conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and used to produce monoclonal antibodies in BALB/c mice. The monoclonal antibodies produced generally exhibited strong and specific reactivity with the respective immunizing peptide. However, only those antibodies detecting the peptide corresponding to residues 139-157 were able to detect native or denatured granzyme B, in direct binding studies with purified granzyme B or by immunoblotting. As an alternative approach for antiserum production, mice were immunized with whole, proteolytically active granzyme B isolated by immuno-affinity purification from NK tumour cell lysates, using one of the monoclonal antibodies generated. Despite the overall structural similarities between the various human granzymes, these mouse antisera surprisingly reacted only with granzyme B. Indeed, the reactivity of these polyclonal antisera was specifically abrogated by preincubation with the peptide corresponding to amino acid residues 139-157. This peptide stretch therefore represents an immunodominant portion of the granzyme B molecule in the mouse. Given the analogous structures of serine protease families expressed in leukocytes, these findings have implications for the production of monospecific antisera to granzymes and related proteases.
Mol Immunol 1995 Aug
PMID:The peptide loop consisting of amino acids 139-157 of human granzyme B (fragmentin 2) contains an immunodominant epitope recognized by the mouse. 756 17

Hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle cells is present in the airways of asthmatic patients and may contribute to the development of the bronchial hyperresponsiveness that occurs in these patients. Because tryptase is an abundant component of mast cell granules and has demonstrated growth-stimulatory effects in other mesenchymal cells (J. Clin. Invest. 1991; 88:493-499), the goal of our study was to determine whether tryptase is a mitogen for airway smooth muscle cells. The mitogenic effects of tryptase were tested in passages 1 through 5 of dog tracheal smooth muscle cells, either by counting smooth muscle cells or by monitoring uptake of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into cellular DNA during S-phase. With respect to its efficacy, at a near maximal concentration (4 nM), tryptase increased cell numbers 2.1 +/- 0.2- or 2.8 +/- 0.6-fold above controls after 2 or 4 days, respectively, and these increases were approximately the same as those induced by platelet-derived growth factor (50 ng/ml) or 10% calf serum. With respect to potency, tryptase caused concentration-dependent increases in BrdU uptake, as detected in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or by counting BrdU-labeled nuclei, with an EC50 of 2 nM. Pretreatment of tryptase with diisopropylfluorophosphate, to reduce markedly its catalytic as a activity as a proteinase, attenuated its growth-stimulated effects by 58 +/- 16%. Tryptase-induced mitogenesis was not a nonspecific effect of all serine proteinases, because thrombin, another proteinase with mitogenicity for fibroblasts, stimulated neither increases in cell counts nor BrdU uptake in our cells. We conclude that tryptase is a potent mitogen for airway smooth muscle cells in culture.
Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 1995 Aug
PMID:Tryptase, the dominant secretory granular protein in human mast cells, is a potent mitogen for cultured dog tracheal smooth muscle cells. 762 90


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