• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.458-461
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• 2011

Enteropeptidase is a serine protease secreted by the pancreas and converts inactive trypsinogen to active trypsin. Enteropeptidase cleaves the C-terminal end of the substrate recognition sequence Asp-Asp-Asp-Asp-Lys ($D_4K$). The assay for enteropeptidase has utilized $GD_4K$-conjugated 2-naphthylamine ($GD_4K$-NA) as a fluorogenic probe over the last 30 years. However, no other $D_4K$-conjugated fluorogenic substrates of enteropeptidase have been reported. Furthermore, naphthalene is known as carcinogenic to humans. In this study, we used shift in the emission spectrum of $GD_4K$-conjugated 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin ($GD_4K$-AMC) as a fluorogenic method to measure enteropeptidase activity. The kinetic analysis revealed that enteropeptidase has a $K_M$ of 0.025 mM and a $k_{cat}$ of 65 $sec^{-1}$ for $GD_4K$-AMC, whereas it has a $K_M$ of 0.5 to 0.6 mM and a $k_{cat}$ of 25 $sec^{-1}$ for $GD_4K$-NA. The optimum pH of $GD_4K$-AMC hydrolysis was pH 8.0. Our data indicate that $GD_4K$-AMC is more suitable as a substrate for enteropeptidase than $GD_4K$-NA.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.28.1-28.11
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• 2022

The 26S proteasome irreversibly hydrolyzes polyubiquitylated substrates to maintain protein homeostasis; it also regulates immune responses by generating antigenic peptides. An alternative form of the 26S proteasome is the immunoproteasome, which contains substituted catalytic subunits (β1i/PSMB9, β2i/PSMB10, and β5i/PSMB8) instead of constitutively expressed counterparts (β1/PSMB6, β2/PSMB7, and β5/PSMB5). The immunoproteasome expands the peptide repertoire presented on MHC class I molecules. However, how its activity changes in this context is largely elusive, possibly due to the lack of a standardized methodology to evaluate its specific activity. Here, we describe an assay protocol that measures the immunoproteasome activity of whole-cell lysates using commercially available fluorogenic peptide substrates. Our results showed that the most accurate assessment of immunoproteasome activity could be achieved by combining β5i-targeting substrate Ac-ANW-AMC and immunoproteasome inhibitor ONX-0914. This simple and reliable protocol may contribute to future studies of immunoproteasomes and their pathophysiological roles during viral infection, inflammation, and tumorigenesis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.438-444
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• 2012

N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) including endocannabinoids, anadamide, are long chain fatty acid ethanolamines and express ubiquitously in animal and plant tissues. NAEs have several pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anorexic effects. The levels of NAEs in tissues are strictly regulated by synthesizing and hydrolyzing enzymes because NAEs are not stored in the cell but rather made on demand. NAEs are hydrolyzed to free fatty acids and ethanolamines by fatty acid amide hydrolase and N-acylethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase (NAAA). Here, we suggest the fluorescence-based assay system for NAAA. We developed N-(4-methy-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl)palmitamide (PAAC) as a fluorogenic substrate for NAAA and we also generated NAAA stably expressing COSM6 cell line. When extracts of cells expressing NAAA were incubated with PAAC, NAAA specifically hydrolyzed PAAC to palmitic acids and fluorogenic dye, coumarin. Release of coumarin was monitored by using fluorometer. NAAA hydrolyzed PAAC with an apparent Km of $20.05{\mu}M$ and Vmax of 32.18 pmol/mg protein/min. This assay system can be used to develop inhibitors or activators of NAAA.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 1990

A rapid and sensitive method to detect the extracellular enzymatic activity of bacteria colonies grown on agar plates is described. Selective agar media supplemented with protein, starch, chitin, Tween-80, etc. are conventionally used to detect biochemical properties of bacteria. It has been experimentally demonstrated with bacteria pure cultures that fluorogenic Methylumbelliferyl (MUF)-substrates are excellent substrate analogues for normally occurring polymers. Based on MUF-substrate hydrolysis the new method provides reliable qualitative estimates of extracellular enzymatic properties of bacteria within minutes using pure cultures as well as agar p;ates prepared for colony counts. Extracellular enzyme activities of heterotrophic bacteria from freshwater ecosystems and marine sediment using this method are discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1627-1635
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• 2013

Mitochondria often play central roles in apoptotic pathways, and disruption of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (${\Delta}{\psi}m$) has been observed in various cells undergoing apoptosis. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection induces apoptosis in permissive cells; however, investigations of mitochondria-targeted apoptosis in HCMV-infected human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells have been limited. Here, we investigated the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in HCMV-infected HFF cells. Flow cytometry analysis using JC-1 revealed that HCMV infection induces disruption of ${\Delta}{\psi}m$ in HFF cells when administered 24 h post-infection (hpi), and this disruption was maximized at 48 hpi. Moreover, cytochrome c, normally a mitochondrial inner membrane protein, was detected in cytoplasmic extracts of HCMV-infected cells, but not mock-infected cells, by western blot analysis at 24 hpi. A caspase activity assay based on fluorescence spectrophotometry using a fluorogenic substrate revealed an increase in caspase-3 activity at 48 hpi in HCMV-infected cells. Caspase-8 activity was increased at 72 hpi in HCMV-infected cells. These results imply that HCMV infection induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in HFF cells.

• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.590-600
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• 2003

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of enzymes responsible for degrading connective tissue. MMPs catalyze the breakdown of collagen from the extracellular matrix, leading to wrinkle formation and accelerated skin aging. Furthermore, ultraviolet irradiation causes increased expression of certain MMPs. In the extracellular matrix turnover, MMPs are interacting with endogenous regulators named tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Using peptide substrate assays, it has been demonstrated that TIMP-MMP complexes interact highly specifically with $K_{i}$ values of 10$^{-9}$ -10$^{-16}$ M. Therefore applications for TIMP as inhibitor of collagen degradation are suggested for cosmetic anti-aging products to prevent wrinkle formation and loss of elasticity. To date four TIMP proteins (TIMP-1, TIMP-2, TIMP-3 and TIMP-4) have been identified which show a high degree in sequence similarity. The production of human TIMP-2, a 194-residue nonglycosylated protein, was performed by fed-batch culture of Escherichia coli. TIMP-2 accumulated in the bacterial cells in an insoluble form as inclusion bodies. The inclusion bodies were solubilized and the protein refolded to yield the native TIMP-2 in the active form. The integrity of the protein was confirmed by mass analysis, Edman sequencing and gel shift experiments with authentic samples. The inhibitory activity of the refolded and purified TIMP-2 was demonstrated with MMP-1 and MMP-2 assays using synthetic fluorogenic peptide substrates.s.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 2010

Endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) display various pharmacological effects including pain control, anti-inflammation, and neuroprotection. The synthesis and release of endocannabinoids are regulated under both physiological and pathological conditions. The main degrading enzyme of endocannabinoid is fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Therefore we have developed the fluorescence-based assay system for FAAH. We established stable CosM6 cell lines expressing human FAAH. We also synthesized 2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl decanoate (DAEC) as a fluorogenic substrate for FAAH. When crude membrane extracts stably expressing FAAH was incubated with DAEC at $25^{\circ}C$, FAAH reacted specifically to DAEC and catalyzes the hydrolysis of DAEC into decanoic acid and highly fluorescent coumarin. Furthermore, the serin hydrolase inhibitor, phenylmethanesulfonylfluoride, inhibited the coumarin release to the reaction buffer in concentration dependent manner. This assay system is suitable for high-throughput screening since this system has simple experimental procedure and measurement method.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.1001-1004
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• 2006

The m-calpain activity hydrolyzing a fluorogenic substrate of N-Succinyl-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-7-amino-4-methylcourmarin (LLVY-AMC) was significantly stimulated by more than two-fold in the presence of 5$\mu$M $\alpha$synuclein at $15{^{\circ}C}$. The stimulation was also confirmed with azocasein. The stimulation of the peptide hydrolyzing activity required structural intactness of $\alpha$-synuclein since the C-terminally or N-terminally modified proteins such as $\beta$-synuclein, $\alpha$-syn1-97, and $\alpha$-syn61-140 did not increase the proteolytic activity. Instead, however, the N-terminally truncated $\alpha$-syn61-140 was shown to drastically suppress the calpain activity. Since the N-terminal truncation was known to be the primary cleaving event of calpain-mediated proteolysis of $\alpha$-synuclein and the $\alpha$-syn61-140 has been demonstrated to be resistant against the calpain digestion, it has been proposed that the intracellular calpain activity could be regulated in a reciprocal manner by $\alpha$-synuclein and its proteolyzed C-terminal fragment. Based on the results, a possible physiological function of $\alpha$-synuclein has been suggested as a calpain regulator which contains both stimulatory and inhibitory activities.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 1993

Total genomic DNA library of Serratia marcescens was prepared by inserting Sau3AI partial digesting fragments(above 5 kb) into the dephosphorylated BamHl site of pUC19. In primary screening, two colonies were selected by observing the halo around E. coli transformants grown on the swollen colloidal chitin media. Secondary screening was performed by soaking two colonies with a few drops of 4-methylumbelleliferryl N-acetyl-$\beta$-D-glucocosaminide(4-MuNGlcNAc). As 4-MuNGlcNAc is a specific, fluorogenic substrate for chitinase, the positive clones produce light fluorescence by the exposure under the long wave U.V. light(360 nm). From genomic DNA library derived from pUC19, we have isolated two different chitinase clones, pCH1(11.0Kb) and pCH2(7.5Kb), which show completely different restriction map to each other. The cross-hybridization of pCH1EA and pCH2 have not revealed any hybridization signals to each other.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.905-912
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• 2007

A novel ${\beta}-glucosidase$ gene, bglA, was isolated from uncultured soil bacteria and characterized. Using genomic libraries constructed from soil DNA, a gene encoding a protein that hydrolyzes a fluorogenic analog of cellulose, 4-methylumbelliferyl ${\beta}-D-cellobioside$ (MUC), was isolated using a microtiter plate assay. The gene, bglA, was sequenced using a shotgun approach, and expressed in E. coli. The deduced 55-kDa amino acid sequence for bglA showed a 56% identity with the family 1 glycosyl hydrolase Chloroflexus aurantiacus. BglA included two conserved family 1 glycosyl hydrolase regions. When using $p-nitrophenyl-{\beta}-D-glucoside$ (pNPG) as the substrate, the maximum activity of the purified ${\beta}-glucosidase$ exhibited at pH 6.5 and $55^{\circ}C$, and was enhanced in the presence of $Mn^{2+}$. The $K_m\;and\;V_{max}$ values for the purified enzyme with pNPG were 0.16 mM and $19.10{\mu}mol/min$, respectively. The purified BglA enzyme hydrolyzed both pNPG and $p-nitrophenyl-{\beta}-D-fucoside$. The enzyme also exhibited substantial glycosyl hydrolase activities with natural glycosyl substrates, such as sophorose, cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, and cellopentaose, yet low hydrolytic activities with gentiobiose, salicin, and arbutin. Moreover, BglA was able to convert the major ginsenoside $Rb_1$ into the pharmaceutically active minor ginsenoside Rd within 24 h.