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Identification of the probable inhibitory reactive sites of the cysteine proteinase inhibitors human cystatin C and chicken cystatin

Abrahamson, Magnus LU ; Ritonja, Anka ; Brown, Molly A ; Grubb, Anders LU orcid ; Machleidt, Werner and Barrett, Alan J (1987) In Journal of Biological Chemistry 262(20). p.9688-9694
Abstract
When an excess of human cystatin C or chicken cystatin was mixed with papain, an enzyme-inhibitor complex was formed immediately. The residual free cystatin was then progressively converted to a form with different electrophoretic mobility and chromatographic properties. The modified cystatins were isolated and sequenced, showing that there had been cleavage of a single peptide bond in each molecule: Gly11-Gly12 in cystatin C, and Gly9-Ala10 in chicken cystatin. The residues Gly11 (cystatin C) and Gly9 (chicken cystatin) are among only three residues conserved in all known sequences of inhibitory cystatins. The modified cystatins were at least 1000-fold weaker inhibitors of papain than the native cystatins. An 18-residue synthetic peptide... (More)
When an excess of human cystatin C or chicken cystatin was mixed with papain, an enzyme-inhibitor complex was formed immediately. The residual free cystatin was then progressively converted to a form with different electrophoretic mobility and chromatographic properties. The modified cystatins were isolated and sequenced, showing that there had been cleavage of a single peptide bond in each molecule: Gly11-Gly12 in cystatin C, and Gly9-Ala10 in chicken cystatin. The residues Gly11 (cystatin C) and Gly9 (chicken cystatin) are among only three residues conserved in all known sequences of inhibitory cystatins. The modified cystatins were at least 1000-fold weaker inhibitors of papain than the native cystatins. An 18-residue synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 4-21 of cystatin C did not inhibit papain but was cleaved at the same Gly-Gly bond as cystatin C. When iodoacetate or L-3-carboxy- trans-2,3-epoxypropionyl-leucylamido-(4-guanidin o)butane was added to the mixtures of either cystatin with papain, modification of the excess cystatin was blocked. Papain-cystatin complexes were stable to prolonged incubation, even in the presence of excess papain. We conclude that the peptidyl bond of the conserved glycine residue in human cystatin C and chicken cystatin probably is part of a substrate- like inhibitory reactive site of these cysteine proteinase inhibitors of the cystatin superfamily and that this may be true also for other inhibitors of this superfamily. We also propose that human cystatin C and chicken cystatin, and probably other cystatins as well, inhibit cysteine proteinases by the simultaneous interactions with such proteinases of the inhibitory reactive sites and other, so far not identified, areas of the cystatins. The cleavage of the inhibitory reactive site glycyl bond in mixtures of papain with excess quantities of cystatins is apparently due to the activity of a small percentage of atypical cysteine proteinase molecules in the papain preparation that form only very loose complexes with cystatins under the conditions employed and degrade the free cystatin molecules. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Biological Chemistry
volume
262
issue
20
pages
9688 - 9694
publisher
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
external identifiers
  • scopus:0023189459
ISSN
1083-351X
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6352a6cd-93ba-4ca1-b948-76154629e2bf (old id 1104005)
alternative location
http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/262/20/9688
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:23:47
date last changed
2021-01-03 11:21:00
@article{6352a6cd-93ba-4ca1-b948-76154629e2bf,
  abstract     = {{When an excess of human cystatin C or chicken cystatin was mixed with papain, an enzyme-inhibitor complex was formed immediately. The residual free cystatin was then progressively converted to a form with different electrophoretic mobility and chromatographic properties. The modified cystatins were isolated and sequenced, showing that there had been cleavage of a single peptide bond in each molecule: Gly11-Gly12 in cystatin C, and Gly9-Ala10 in chicken cystatin. The residues Gly11 (cystatin C) and Gly9 (chicken cystatin) are among only three residues conserved in all known sequences of inhibitory cystatins. The modified cystatins were at least 1000-fold weaker inhibitors of papain than the native cystatins. An 18-residue synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 4-21 of cystatin C did not inhibit papain but was cleaved at the same Gly-Gly bond as cystatin C. When iodoacetate or L-3-carboxy- trans-2,3-epoxypropionyl-leucylamido-(4-guanidin o)butane was added to the mixtures of either cystatin with papain, modification of the excess cystatin was blocked. Papain-cystatin complexes were stable to prolonged incubation, even in the presence of excess papain. We conclude that the peptidyl bond of the conserved glycine residue in human cystatin C and chicken cystatin probably is part of a substrate- like inhibitory reactive site of these cysteine proteinase inhibitors of the cystatin superfamily and that this may be true also for other inhibitors of this superfamily. We also propose that human cystatin C and chicken cystatin, and probably other cystatins as well, inhibit cysteine proteinases by the simultaneous interactions with such proteinases of the inhibitory reactive sites and other, so far not identified, areas of the cystatins. The cleavage of the inhibitory reactive site glycyl bond in mixtures of papain with excess quantities of cystatins is apparently due to the activity of a small percentage of atypical cysteine proteinase molecules in the papain preparation that form only very loose complexes with cystatins under the conditions employed and degrade the free cystatin molecules.}},
  author       = {{Abrahamson, Magnus and Ritonja, Anka and Brown, Molly A and Grubb, Anders and Machleidt, Werner and Barrett, Alan J}},
  issn         = {{1083-351X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{20}},
  pages        = {{9688--9694}},
  publisher    = {{American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology}},
  series       = {{Journal of Biological Chemistry}},
  title        = {{Identification of the probable inhibitory reactive sites of the cysteine proteinase inhibitors human cystatin C and chicken cystatin}},
  url          = {{http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/262/20/9688}},
  volume       = {{262}},
  year         = {{1987}},
}