A Novel Gelatinase from Marine Flocculibacter collagenilyticus SM1988: Characterization and Potential Application in Collagen Oligopeptide-Rich Hydrolysate Preparation

Although the S8 family in the MEROPS database contains many peptidases, only a few S8 peptidases have been applied in the preparation of bioactive oligopeptides. Bovine bone collagen is a good source for preparing collagen oligopeptides, but has been so far rarely applied in collagen peptide preparation. Here, we characterized a novel S8 gelatinase, Aa2_1884, from marine bacterium Flocculibacter collagenilyticus SM1988^T, and evaluated its potential application in the preparation of collagen oligopeptides from bovine bone collagen. Aa2_1884 is a multimodular S8 peptidase with a distinct domain architecture from other reported peptidases. The recombinant Aa2_1884 over-expressed in Escherichia coli showed high activity toward gelatin and denatured collagens, but no activity toward natural collagens, indicating that Aa2_1884 is a gelatinase. To evaluate the potential of Aa2_1884 in the preparation of collagen oligopeptides from bovine bone collagen, three enzymatic hydrolysis parameters, hydrolysis temperature, hydrolysis time and enzyme-substrate ratio (E/S), were optimized by single factor experiments, and the optimal hydrolysis conditions were determined to be reaction at 60 ℃ for 3 h with an E/S of 400 U/g. Under these conditions, the hydrolysis efficiency of bovine bone collagen by Aa2_1884 reached 95.3%. The resultant hydrolysate contained 97.8% peptides, in which peptides with a molecular weight lower than 1000 Da and 500 Da accounted for 55.1% and 39.5%, respectively, indicating that the hydrolysate was rich in oligopeptides. These results indicate that Aa2_1884 likely has a promising potential application in the preparation of collagen oligopeptide-rich hydrolysate from bovine bone collagen, which may provide a feasible way for the high-value utilization of bovine bone collagen.     

The changes in digestive enzymes and hormones of gilthead seabream larvae (Sparus aurata, L 1758) fed on Artemia nauplii enriched with free methionine

Variations in digestive enzymes and hormones during the larval development of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fed on live prey (Artemia nauplii) enriched with free methionine were investigated for 16 days (from day 24 to day 40). Prior to initiation of the experiment, newly hatched larvae were transferred from incubators to fiber glass tanks (300 l) with black walls and fed with same diets until day 24. Each experiment was performed in triplicate. In the experimental group, the content of the free methionine in the Artemia nauplii was increased by adding a 5.3 mM free methionine solution to the culture water during a 16-h enrichment period. The larvae of both the control and enriched-methionine groups were sampled four times, with 4-day intervals between samplings, during a 16-day period. The larvae in the control group had a significantly lower growth than those of the methionine group at the end of the study (P < 0.05). The highest trypsin activity and leucine aminopeptidase N/leucine–alanine peptidase ratios were observed in the control group. A significant difference between bombesin activities in the treatment groups was not found at 5th minute after the initiation of feeding (P > 0.05), but they were significant at 15th minute post-initiation of feeding (P < 0.05). A significant difference between the cholecystokinin levels of the treatment groups was found (P < 0.05).     

Effects of USP9X down-regulation on apoptosis and invasion ability of gastric carcinoma AGS cells

AIM: To investigate the effects of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 9, X-linked (USP9X) down-regulation on apoptosis and invasion ability in gastric carcinoma cells, and to explore its possible molecular mechanisms. METHODS: USP9X small interfering RNA (siRNA) and control siRNA were used to be transfected into gastric carcinoma AGS cells. The cells were divided into 3 groups, including untreated AGS group, control siRNA group and USP9X siRNA group. The expression of USP9X at mRNA and protein levels in the AGS cells with different treatments was determined by real-time PCR and Western blot. The cell viability was analyzed by CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry and Boyden chamber were employed to examine the apoptosis and invasion ability of the AGS cells. RESULTS: USP9X siRNA significantly down-regulated the expression of USP9X at mRNA and protein levels in the AGS cells. Down-regulation of USP9X markedly induced apoptosis and reduced invasion ability of the gastric carcinoma AGS cells. Notably, down-regulation of USP9X significantly reduced the protein expression of Mcl-1 and MMP-2, but markedly increased the protein level of Bax. CONCLUSION: USP9X may be a key regulator for apoptosis and invasion in gastric carcinoma.     

Changes of urinary exosomal leucine aminopeptidase and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 in diabetic nephropathy

AIM: To investigate the changes of urinary exosomal enzymes and the correlation with diabetic nephropathy.METHODS: Thirty-four healthy volunteers and 127 patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were included in the study. The healthy volunteers served as control. The patients with T2DM were divided into 3 groups based on their 24 h urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR): 50 patients with microalbuminuria in early DN group (DN1), 34 patients with macroalbuminuria in overt DN group (DN2) and 43 patients without albuminuria in DM group. The levels of urine exosomal leucine aminopeptidase(exosome-LAP) and exosomal dipeptidyl peptidase 4(exosome-DPP4) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The following methods were used to determine the biochemical parameters: liquid chromatography for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), chemical modification method for cholesterol (CH), Jaffe-kinetic assay for creatinine (CR) and urease-GLDH method for blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Multiple stepwise linear regressions were used to analyze the relationship of exosome-LAP or exosome-DPP4 with HbA1c, CH, UACR, CR and BUN. RESULTS: The levels of exosome-LAP and exosome-DPP4 in DM, DN1 and DN2 groups were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.01). The exosome-LAP in DN2 group was significantly higher than that in DM group. Correlation analysis showed that the levels of urinary exosome-LAP and exosome-DPP4 were positively correlated with HbA1c, CH, UACR, CR and BUN. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that CH and UACR were independent determinants for exosome-LAP (P<0.01), and UACR and HbA1c were independent determinants for exosome-DPP4 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Urine exosome-LAP and exosome-DPP4 are correlated with the severity of diabetic nephropathy. These parameters may serve as clinical markers for the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of diabetic nephropathy.     

二肽酰肽酶Ⅳ在金华火腿加工过程中的活力变化

 以浙江兰溪长白×金华猪杂交猪后腿为原料，按传统工艺加工金华火腿，分别在腌制前、腌制结束、晒腿结束、成熟中期、成熟结束和后熟结束6个工艺点随机取5条腿的股二头肌，测定了各样品的常规理化指标和二肽酰肽酶Ⅳ（dipeptidyl peptidase Ⅳ, DPPⅣ）在pH7.0和温度37 ℃条件下的潜在活力；借助Design-experts 6.0软件，用响应曲面法研究了温度、食盐含量、硝酸钠含量和pH值对DPPⅣ活力的影响，并用响应曲面回归方程对金华火腿加工各阶段结束后的肌肉DPPⅣ实际活力进行了预测。结果表明，在金华火腿加工过程中，随加工温度和股二头肌pH逐渐升高，食盐含量持续增加，DPPⅣ潜在活力持续下降；DPPⅣ实际活力受加工温度、肌肉pH和食盐含量的显著影响(P<0.05)，DPPⅣ在金华火腿整个加工过程中一直保持较高的潜在活力，但其实际活力一直很低，最高为其潜在活力的3.12%。     

二肽酰肽酶IV在金华火腿加工过程中的活力变化

以浙江兰溪长白×金华猪杂交猪后腿为原料,按传统工艺加工金华火腿,分别在腌制前、腌制结束、晒腿结束、成熟中期、成熟结束和后熟结束6个工艺点随机取5条腿的股二头肌,测定了各样品的常规理化指标和二肽酰肽酶(dipeptidylpeptidaseIV,DPP)在pH7.0和温度37℃条件下的潜在活力;借助Design-experts6.0软件,用响应曲面法研究了温度、食盐含量、硝酸钠含量和pH值对DPPIV活力的影响,并用响应曲面回归方程对金华火腿加工各阶段结束后的肌肉DPPIV实际活力进行了预测。结果表明,在金华火腿加工过程中,随加工温度和股二头肌pH逐渐升高,食盐含量持续增加,DPPIV潜在活力持续下降;DPPIV实际活力受加工温度、肌肉pH和食盐含量的显著影响(P<0.05),DPPⅣ在金华火腿整个加工过程中一直保持较高的潜在活力,但其实际活力一直很低,最高为其潜在活力的3.12%。     

Analysis of a Secreted Aspartic Peptidase Disruption Mutant of Glomerella cingulata

Peptidases have been implicated in the pathogenicity of fungi that cause disease in plants. Expression of the secreted aspartic peptidase gene (gcsap), of a Glomerella cingulata isolate pathogenic on apples, is induced during appressorium formation. To determine whether the secreted aspartic peptidase (GcSAP) is essential to pathogenicity, gcsap was disrupted using a vector containing a 637 bp fragment of genomic DNA that encodes the sequence spanning the two active site aspartic acid (Asp) residues. To ensure that the truncated gcsap gene products could not have residual peptidase activity the codons for the active site residues Asp¹¹² and Asp²⁹⁷ were both mutated to histidine residues. Both PCR and Southern analysis confirmed disruption of gcsap. Neither gcsap mRNA nor GcSAP activity was detected in the disruption mutant. Pathogenicity tests on fruit from three apple cultivars showed that GcSAP was not required for pathogenicity. The disruption mutant grew on medium containing protein as the sole source of nitrogen because G. cingulata secretes a previously undetected peptidase(s). A serine peptidase that had a pH optimum between pH 7.0 and 8.0 and a K _m of 0.25 mM for the synthetic substrate succinyl-Ala–Ala–Pro–Phe-p-nitroanilide was identified.     

Identification of a cell-wall peptidase (NlpC/P60) from Nocardia seriolae which induces apoptosis in fathead minnow cells

Nocardia seriolae, a Gram-positive bacterium, is the main pathogen of fish nocardiosis. Protein NlpC/P60 is a cell-wall peptidase and a potential virulence factor of N. seriolae. Subcellular localization research revealed that both NlpC/P60-GFP and NlpC/P60Δsig-GFP fusion proteins were evenly distributed in the whole cell of fathead minnow (FHM) cells. Furthermore, typical apoptotic features, such as nuclear pyrosis and apoptotic bodies, were observed in the transfected FHM cells and grouper spleen cells by the overexpression of protein NlpC/P60. Then, quantitative assays of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) value, caspase-3 activity and apoptosis-related gene (Bax, BNIP3, TNF1 and TNF6) mRNA expression were conducted. The results showed that ΔΨm was decreased, caspase-3 was significantly activated, and the mRNA expression of pro-apoptotic genes (Bax and BNIP3) and tumour necrosis factors (TNF1 and TNF6) was up-regulated in NlpC/P60-overexpressed cells. Taken together, the results indicated that the protein NlpC/P60 of N. seriolae might involve in apoptosis regulation. This study may lay the foundation for further study on the function of N. seriolae NlpC/P60 and promote the understanding of the virulence factors and pathogenic mechanism of N. seriolae.     

Effect of SerpinE2 on metabolism of extracellular matrix

Serpin peptidase inhibitor clade E member 2 (SerpinE2), a member of serine peptidase inhibitor super family, regulates multiple serine proteases. Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in stem cell differentiation, signal transduction, tumor metastasis, osteoarthritis physiological and pathological processes and so on. SerpinE2 regulates the protein of extracellular matrix by serine protease system and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) system. In this paper, we elaborate the effect of SerpinE2 on metabolism of extracellular matrix, and it will provide new ideas to find new therapeutic targets.     

细胞信号肽酶复合体亚基1与牛病毒性腹泻病毒复制的相关性分析

旨在探明信号肽酶复合体亚基1(signal peptidase complex subunit 1,SPCS1)影响牛病毒性腹泻病毒(bovine viral diarrhea virus,BVDV)复制的作用。使用Benchling和CHOPCHOP等平台设计靶向SPCS1基因的sgRNA,克隆至慢病毒载体lentiCRISPR v2,连同包装质粒pSPAX2和pMD2.G转染至人胚肾细胞HEK-293T中,包装慢病毒并感染MDBK细胞,用嘌呤霉素筛选5代后获得敲低SPCS1蛋白后稳定表达的细胞,用Western blot检测SPCS1蛋白表达的情况;使用荧光定量PCR和免疫荧光分析检测BVDV感染SPCS1蛋白敲低细胞不同时间后5'非翻译区(untranslated region,UTR)mRNA的水平和双链RNA(double-stranded,dsRNA)积累,利用倒置显微镜观察BVDV致细胞病变(cytopathic effect,CPE)情况,根据Reed-Muench方法测定病毒滴度变化情况。结果：Western blot检测SPCS1蛋白表达量明显下降,成功构建SPCS1敲低(knockdown,KD)细胞;BVDV感染SPCS1 KD细胞后与对照Scramble相比,BVDV 5' UTR mRNA水平和dsRNA量均显著性降低(P < 0.01),CPE现象推迟并减弱,子代病毒滴度显著性下降(P < 0.01),最高降低95.8%。SPCS1敲低后显著性影响BVDV复制,为BVDV防控新技术的建立提供理论依据。