scholarly journals Proteolytic conversion of proinsulin into insulin. Identification of a Ca2+-dependent acidic endopeptidase in isolated insulin-secretory granules

1987 ◽  
Vol 246 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
H W Davidson ◽  
M Peshavaria ◽  
J C Hutton

The nature of the endoproteolytic activity involved in the post-translational processing of proinsulin has been investigated in rat insulinoma tissue. 125I-proinsulin was converted by lysed insulin-secretory granules into insulin via an intermediate form identified as des-dibasic-proinsulin. This activity co-localized with immunoreactive (endogenous) insulin and carboxypeptidase H upon subcellular fractionation of the tissue, indicating a secretory-granular location. Under optimized conditions, conversion was quantitative. Inhibitor studies demonstrated that processing occurred by a reaction sequence involving cleavage on the C-terminal side of the pairs of basic amino acids, with subsequent removal of the newly exposed basic residues by carboxypeptidase H. Endoproteolytic activity was abolished by EDTA and CDTA (1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetra-acetic acid), but not by 1,10-phenanthroline or by group-specific inhibitors of serine, thiol or acidic proteinases. Inhibition by EDTA and CDTA could be reversed by both Ca2+ and Zn2+, although the former appeared to be the ion of physiological importance. Addition of Ca2+ in the absence of chelators stimulated endoproteinase activity, with a maximal effect at 5 mM, a concentration consistent with the intragranular environment. Similarly the pH optimum of 5.5 coincides with the prevailing intragranular pH. Together these properties suggest that the Ca2+-dependent endopeptidase described here is involved in vivo in the proteolytic processing of proinsulin.

1987 ◽  
Vol 244 (2) ◽  
pp. 457-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
J C Hutton ◽  
H W Davidson ◽  
M Peshavaria

The nature and subcellular localization of the enzymic activities responsible for the production of the 20 kDa protein betagranin from its 100 kDa chromogranin-A-like precursor was investigated in transplantable insulinoma tissue. [35S]Methionine-labelled precursor was converted by lysed insulin-secretory granules into betagranin and one or more proteins of 47 kDa, via intermediates in the 60-65 kDa range. Lysosome-enriched fractions also processed the precursor, but not into the peptides found in vivo; other fractions, including those enriched in Golgi, were inactive. Conversion of the precursor by granules was quantitative and the products were stable. Inhibitor studies showed that processing occurred by initial endoproteolytic cleavage at sites marked by pairs of basic amino acids, followed by removal of these by carboxypeptidase H. The endopeptidase activity appeared to be a novel metalloenzyme, with a markedly acidic pH optimum (4.8-5). It was inhibited by alanyl-L-lysyl-L-arginyl chloromethane (K0.5 = 1.3 microM), but to a much lesser extent by inhibitor analogues of processing sites defined by single or unpaired basic amino acid residues, e.g. alanyl-L-norleucyl-L-arginylchloromethane (K0.5 greater than 100 microM), leupeptin (K0.5 = 150 microM) and antipain (K0.5 = 40 microM). p-Chloromercuribenzoate (K0.5 = 13 microM), Hg2+ (K0.5 = 16 microM), Zn2+ (K0.5 = 0.8 mM) and vanadate (K0.5 = 7 microM) also abolished activity, as did various anions (SCN- greater than I- greater than Cl- greater than SO4(2-). Group-specific inhibitors of serine, thiol and acidic endopeptidases were without effect. EDTA and CDTA (1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetra-acetic acid), but not 1,10-phenanthroline, abolished endoproteolytic activity. Several bivalent cations could restore activity after EDTA or CDTA inhibition, including Ca2+, Zn2+, Mn2+ and Sr2+; however, the ion of physiological importance appeared to be Ca2+ (K0.5 = 8 microM). The properties of the granule endopeptidase and its subcellular localization suggested that it is of importance in processing chromogranin A in the pancreatic beta-cell.


1984 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 418-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
B D Noe ◽  
M N Moran

Results from recent studies have indicated that pancreatic islet prohormone converting enzymes are membrane-associated in islet microsomes and secretory granules. This observation, along with the demonstration that proglucagon is topologically segregated to the periphery within alpha cell secretory granules in several species, led us to investigate the possibility that newly synthesized islet prohormones might be associated with intracellular membranes. Anglerfish islets were incubated with [3H]tryptophan and [14C]isoleucine for 3 h, then fractionated by differential and density gradient centrifugation. Microsome (M) and secretory granule (SG) fractions were halved, sedimented, and resuspended in the presence or absence of dissociative reagents. After membrane lysis by repeated freezing and thawing, the membranous and soluble components were separated by centrifugation. Extracts of supernatants and pellets were chromatographed by gel filtration; fractions were collected and counted. A high proportion (77-79%) of the newly synthesized proinsulin and insulin was associated with both M and SG membranes. Most of the newly synthesized proglucagons and prosomatostatins (12,000-mol-wt precursors) were also membrane-associated (86-88%) in M and SG. In contrast, glucagon- and somatostatin-related peptides exhibited much less membrane-association in SG (24-31%). Bacitracin, bovine serum albumin EDTA, RNAse, alpha-methylmannoside, N-acetylglucosamine, and dithiodipyridine had no effect on prohormone association with membranes. However, high salt (1 M KCl) significantly reduced membrane-association of prohormones. Binding of labeled prohormones to SG membranes from unlabeled tissue increased with incubation time and was inhibited by unlabeled prohormones. The pH optimum for prohormone binding to both M and SG membranes was 5.2. It is suggested that association of newly synthesized prohormones with intracellular membranes could be related to the facilitation of proteolytic processing of prohormones and/or transport from their site of synthesis to the secretory granules.


2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald F. Steiner

The C-peptide links the insulin A and B chains in proinsulin, providing thereby a means to promote their efficient folding and assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum during insulin biosynthesis. It then facilitates the intracellular transport, sorting, and proteolytic processing of proinsulin into biologically active insulin in the maturing secretory granules of theβcells. These manifold functions impose significant constraints on the C-peptide structure that are conserved in evolution. After cleavage of proinsulin, the intact C-peptide is stored with insulin in the soluble phase of the secretory granules and is subsequently released in equimolar amounts with insulin, providing a useful independent indicator of insulin secretion. This brief review highlights many aspects of its roles in biosynthesis, as a prelude to consideration of its possible additional role(s) as a physiologically active peptide after its release with insulin into the circulation in vivo.


1990 ◽  
Vol 270 (2) ◽  
pp. 541-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Takaoka ◽  
Y Miyata ◽  
Y Takenobu ◽  
R Ikegawa ◽  
Y Matsumura ◽  
...  

Pig endothelin-1 [ET-1-(1-21)] seems to be produced via proteolytic processing between Trp-21 and Val-22 of an intermediate form consisting of 39 amino acid residues, termed big ET-1-(1-39), by a chymotrypsin-like proteinase. We examined the chymotryptic-cleavage sites of big ET-1-(1-39) by reverse-phase h.p.l.c. and sequence analysis, and found that chymotrypsin cleaved initially the Tyr-31-Gly-32 bond of big ET-1-(1-39), followed by cleavage between Trp-21 and Val-22. Furthermore, chymotrypsin hydrolysed the generated ET-1-(1-21), producing a single major product that had the same amino acid sequence as ET-1-(1-21) with a cleavage between Tyr-13 and Phe-14. The disulphide bridge between Cys-1 and Cys-15 remained intact. These results indicate that the conversion of big ET-1-(1-39) into ET-1-(1-21) catalysed by chymotrypsin requires hydrolysis of the Tyr-31-Gly-32 bond before that of the Trp-21-Val-22 bond, an event followed by cleavage between Tyr-13 and Phe-14 within the loop of ET-1-(1-21). Thus a chymotrypsin-like proteinase might be involved not only in the production but also in the degradation of ET-1-(1-21) in vivo.


1987 ◽  
Vol 245 (2) ◽  
pp. 575-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
H W Davidson ◽  
J C Hutton

A carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme was detected in the soluble fraction of purified insulin secretory granules, and implicated in insulin biosynthesis. To investigate the role of this activity further, we purified the enzyme from rat insulinoma tissue by gel-filtration chromatography and affinity elution from p-aminobenzoyl-arginine. A yield of 42%, with a purification factor of 674 over the homogenate, was achieved. Analysis of the purified carboxypeptidase by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis under either reducing or non-reducing conditions showed it to be a monomeric protein of apparent Mr 55,000. The preparation was also homogeneous by high-performance gel-filtration chromatography. The enzyme bound to concanavalin A, showing it to be a glycoprotein. Amino acid analysis or chemical deglycosylation and SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis indicated a protein Mr of 50,000, suggesting a carbohydrate content of approx. 9% by weight. The purified enzyme was able to remove basic amino acids from the C-terminus of proinsulin tryptic peptides to generate insulin, but did not further degrade the mature hormone. It was inhibited by EDTA, 1,10-phenanthroline and guanidinoethylmercaptosuccinic acid, and stimulated 5-fold by CoCl2. The pH optimum of the conversion of diarginyl-insulin into insulin was in the range 5-6, with little activity above pH 6.5. Activity was also expressed towards a dansylated tripeptide substrate (dansyl-phenylalanyl-leucyl-arginine; Km = 17.5 microM), and had a pH optimum of 5.5. These properties are indistinguishable from those of the activity located in secretory granules, and are compatible with the intragranular environment. The insulin-secretory-granule carboxypeptidase shared several properties of carboxypeptidase H from bovine adrenal medulla and pituitary. We propose that the carboxypeptidase that we purified is the pancreatic isoenzyme of carboxypeptidase H (crino carboxypeptidase B; EC 3.4.17.10), and is involved in the biosynthesis of insulin in the pancreatic beta-cell.


1994 ◽  
Vol 299 (1) ◽  
pp. 247-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Hecker ◽  
A Mülsch ◽  
E Bassenge ◽  
U Förstermann ◽  
R Busse

Endothelial cells (EC) contain a constitutive Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent nitric oxide (NO) synthase (cNOS) which plays an important role in the local control of vascular tone. We compared the subcellular distribution of this enzyme in cultured and freshly isolated pig EC by determination of specific cNOS activity and immunoblot analysis. Similar studies were also performed with cultured and freshly isolated bovine and cultured human EC. Enzyme activity was predominantly (> 70%) associated with the particulate fraction of all EC types tested and was highest in freshly isolated porcine EC. Both specific cNOS activity and immunoreactivity were substantially higher (> 3-fold) in the microsomal as compared with the soluble fraction of all EC types tested. In freshly isolated pig EC, these two fractions also differed in terms of their Ca(2+)-dependency, pH optimum and inhibitor specificity. EC may thus contain either two different cNOS isoenzymes or a single enzyme, the conformation of which differs between the soluble and membrane-bound state. Moreover, detailed subcellular fractionation of freshly isolated pig EC revealed that the distribution of cNOS activity closely resembled that of the plasma membrane marker 5′-nucleotidase, suggesting that most, if not all, of the cNOS activity in these cells is associated with the plasma membrane. This localization might render the enzyme more susceptible to activation by physical stimuli, such as a shear stress-induced change in the fluidity of the plasma membrane. Moreover, the continuous exposure to shear stress in vivo may also upregulate cNOS expression in EC, since specific enzyme activity, immunoreactivity and basal NO release were significantly higher in freshly isolated EC as compared with cultured EC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eisuke Okugawa ◽  
Himari Ogino ◽  
Tomofumi Shigenobu ◽  
Yuko Yamakage ◽  
Hitomi Tsuiji ◽  
...  

Reelin is a secreted protein that plays versatile roles in neuronal development and function, and hypoactivity of Reelin is implicated in many neuropsychiatric disorders. The strength of Reelin signaling is regulated by proteolytic processing, but its importance in vivo is not yet fully understood. Here, we generated Reelin knock-in (PA-DV KI) mice in which the key cleavage site of Reelin was abolished by mutation. As expected, the cleavage of Reelin was severely abrogated in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of PA-DV KI mice. The amount of Dab1, whose degradation is induced by Reelin signaling, decreased in these tissues, indicating that the signaling strength of Reelin was augmented. The brains of PA-DV KI mice were largely structurally normal, but unexpectedly, the hippocampal layer was disturbed. This phenotype was ameliorated in hemizygote PA-DV KI mice, indicating that excess Reelin signaling is detrimental to hippocampal layer formation. The neuronal dendrites of PA-DV KI mice had more branches and were elongated compared to wild-type mice. These results present the first direct evidence of the physiological importance of Reelin cleavage and suggest that inhibition of Reelin cleavage would counteract neuropsychiatric disorders without causing severe systemic side effects.


1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 2171-2185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos J. Fernandez ◽  
Michael Haugwitz ◽  
Benjamin Eaton ◽  
Hsiao-Ping H. Moore

The biogenesis of peptide hormone secretory granules involves a series of sorting, modification, and trafficking steps that initiate in the trans-Golgi andtrans-Golgi network (TGN). To investigate their temporal order and interrelationships, we have developed a pulse–chase protocol that follows the synthesis and packaging of a sulfated hormone, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). In AtT-20 cells, sulfate is incorporated into POMC predominantly on N-linked endoglycosidase H-resistant oligosaccharides. Subcellular fractionation and pharmacological studies confirm that this sulfation occurs at thetrans-Golgi/TGN. Subsequent to sulfation, POMC undergoes a number of molecular events before final storage in dense-core granules. The first step involves the transfer of POMC from the sulfation compartment to a processing compartment (immature secretory granules, ISGs): Inhibiting export of pulse-labeled POMC by brefeldin A (BFA) or a 20°C block prevents its proteolytic conversion to mature adrenocorticotropic hormone. Proteolytic cleavage products were found in vesicular fractions corresponding to ISGs, suggesting that the processing machinery is not appreciably activated until POMC exits the sulfation compartment. A large portion of the labeled hormone is secreted from ISGs as incompletely processed intermediates. This unregulated secretory process occurs only during a limited time window: Granules that have matured for 2 to 3 h exhibit very little unregulated release, as evidenced by the efficient storage of the 15-kDa N-terminal fragment that is generated by a relatively late cleavage event within the maturing granule. The second step of granule biogenesis thus involves two maturation events: proteolytic activation of POMC in ISGs and a transition of the organelle from a state of high unregulated release to one that favors intracellular storage. By using BFA, we show that the two processes occurring in ISGs may be uncoupled: although the unregulated secretion from ISGs is impaired by BFA, proteolytic processing of POMC within this organelle proceeds unaffected. The finding that BFA impairs constitutive secretion from both the TGN and ISGs also suggests that these secretory processes may be related in mechanism. Finally, our data indicate that the unusually high levels of unregulated secretion often associated with endocrine tumors may result, at least in part, from inefficient storage of secretory products at the level of ISGs.


Author(s):  
Sylvie Polak-Charcon ◽  
Mehrdad Hekmati ◽  
Yehuda Ben Shaul

The epithelium of normal human colon mucosa “in vivo” exhibits a gradual pattern of differentiation as undifferentiated stem cells from the base of the crypt of “lieberkuhn” rapidly divide, differentiate and migrate toward the free surface. The major differentiated cell type of the intestine observed are: absorptive cells displaying brush border, goblet cells containing mucous granules, Paneth and endocrine cells containing dense secretory granules. These different cell types are also found in the intestine of the 13-14 week old embryo.We present here morphological evidence showing that HT29, an adenocarcinoma of the human colon cell line, can differentiate into various cell types by changing the growth and culture conditions and mimic morphological changes found during development of the intestine in the human embryo.HT29 cells grown in tissue-culture dishes in DMEM and 10% FCS form at late confluence a multilayer of morphologically undifferentiated cell culture covered with irregular microvilli, and devoid of tight junctions (Figs 1-3).


2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Y. Y. Chen ◽  
C. L. Hehr ◽  
K. Atkinson-Leadbeater ◽  
J. C. Hocking ◽  
S. McFarlane

Background: The growth cone interprets cues in its environment in order to reach its target. We want to identify molecules that regulate growth cone behaviour in the developing embryo. We investigated the role of A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) in axon guidance in the developing visual system of African frog, Xenopus laevis. Methods: We first examined the expression patterns of adam10 mRNA by in situ hybridization. We then exposed the developing optic tract to an ADAM10 inhibitor, GI254023X, in vivo. Lastly, we inhibited ADAM10 function in diencephalic neuroepithelial cells (through which retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons extend) or RGCs by electroporating or transfecting an ADAM10 dominant negative (dn-adam10). Results: We show that adam10 mRNA is expressed in the dorsal neuroepithelium over the time RGC axons extend towards their target, the optic tectum. Second, pharmacological inhibition of ADAM10 in an in vivo exposed brain preparation causes the failure of RGC axons to recognize their target at low concentrations (0.5, 1 μM), and the failure of the axons to make a caudal turn in the mid-diencephalon at higher concentration (5 μM). Thus, ADAM10 function is required for RGC axon guidance at two key guidance decisions. Finally, molecular inhibition of ADAM10 function by electroporating dn-adam10 in the brain neuroepithelium causes defects in RGC axon target recognition (57%) and/or defects in caudal turn (12%), as seen with the pharmacological inhibitor. In contrast, molecular inhibition of ADAM10 within the RGC axons has no effect. Conclusions: These data argue strongly that ADAM10 acts cell non-autonomously within the neuroepithelium to regulate the guidance of RGC axons. This study shows for the first time that a metalloproteinase acts in a cell non-autonomous fashion to direct vertebrate axon growth. It will provide important insights into candidate molecules that could be used to reform nerve connections if destroyed because of injury or disease. References Hattori M, Osterfield M, Flanagan JG. Regulated cleavage of a contact-mediated axon repellent. Science 2000; 289(5483):1360-5. Janes PW, Saha N, Barton WA, Kolev MV, Wimmer-Kleikamp SH, Nievergall E, Blobel CP, Himanen JP, Lackmann M, Nikolov DB. Adam meets Eph: an ADAM substrate recognition module acts as a molecular switch for ephrin cleavage in trans. Cell 2005; 123(2):291-304. Pan D, Rubin GM. Kuzbanian controls proteolytic processing of Notch and mediates lateral inhibition during Drosophila and vertebrate neurogenesis. Cell 1997; 90(2):271-80.


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