Production and activation of recombinant papain-like cysteine proteases (original) (raw)

Cysteine Proteases: Modes of Activation and Future Prospects as Pharmacological Targets

Frontiers in pharmacology, 2016

Proteolytic enzymes are crucial for a variety of biological processes in organisms ranging from lower (virus, bacteria, and parasite) to the higher organisms (mammals). Proteases cleave proteins into smaller fragments by catalyzing peptide bonds hydrolysis. Proteases are classified according to their catalytic site, and distributed into four major classes: cysteine proteases, serine proteases, aspartic proteases, and metalloproteases. This review will cover only cysteine proteases, papain family enzymes which are involved in multiple functions such as extracellular matrix turnover, antigen presentation, processing events, digestion, immune invasion, hemoglobin hydrolysis, parasite invasion, parasite egress, and processing surface proteins. Therefore, they are promising drug targets for various diseases. For preventing unwanted digestion, cysteine proteases are synthesized as zymogens, and contain a prodomain (regulatory) and a mature domain (catalytic). The prodomain acts as an endo...

Papain-like lysosomal cysteine proteases and their inhibitors: drug discovery targets?

Biochemical Society Symposia, 2003

Papain-like lysosomal cysteine proteases are processive and digestive enzymes that are expressed in organisms from bacteria to humans. Increasing knowledge about the physiological and pathological roles of cysteine proteases is bringing them into the focus of drug discovery research. These proteases have rather short active-site clefts, comprising three well defined substratebinding subsites (S2, S1 and S1Ј) and additional broad binding areas (S4, S3, S2Ј and S3Ј). The geometry of the active site distinguishes cysteine proteases from other protease classes, such as serine and aspartic proteases, which have six and eight substrate-binding sites respectively. Exopeptidases (cathepsins B, C, H and X), in contrast with endopeptidases (such as cathepsins L, S, V and F), possess structural features that facilitate the binding of N-and C-terminal groups of substrates into the active-site cleft. Other than a clear preference for free chain termini in the case of exopeptidases, the substrate-binding sites exhibit no strict specificities. Instead, their subsite preferences arise more from the specific exclusion of substrate types. This presents a challenge for the design of inhibitors to target a specific cathepsin: only the cumulative effect of an assembly of inhibitor fragments will bring the desired result.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of new fluorogenous substrates for cysteine proteases of the papain family

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2008

A chemoenzymatic syntheses was developed for new highly specific fluorogenic substrates for cysteine proteases of the papain family, Abz-Phe-Ala-pNA ( I ) and Glp-Phe-Ala-Amc ( II ) (Abz, pNA, Glp, and Amc are i -aminobenzoyl, p -nitroanilide, pyroglutamyl, and 4-amino-7-methylcoumaride, respectively). Substrate ( I ) was obtained in an aqueous-organic medium using native chymotrypsin. Substrate ( II ) was synthesized in DMF-MeCN by the treatment with chymotrypsin and subtilisin Carlsberg immobilized on polyvinyl alcohol cryogel. Hydrolysis of substrate ( I ) with papain, ficin, and bromelain was accompanied by a 15-fold increase in fluorescence intensity, and that of substrate ( II ), by a change in the fluorescence spectrum. Unambiguity of enzymatic hydrolysis of the substrates after the Ala residue was shown. The specific activity of the substrate hydrolysis with papain, bromelain, and ficin and was determined. Papain showed the greatest activity for both substrates. The activity of all proteases under study was essentially higher for substrate ( II ), than for substrate ( I ). The lowest detectable papain concentrations were 2.4 × 10 -10 M for ( I ) and 1.2 × 10 -11 M for ( II ). A high selectivity of cysteine proteases for Glp-Phe-Ala-Amc was established.

Binding modes of a new epoxysuccinyl–peptide inhibitor of cysteine proteases. Where and how do cysteine proteases express their selectivity?

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Protein Structure and Molecular Enzymology, 1999

Papain from Carica papaya, an easily available cysteine protease, is the best-studied representative of this family of enzymes. The three dimensional structure of papain is very similar to that of other cysteine proteases of either plant (actinidin, caricain, papaya protease IV) or animal (cathepsins B, K, L, H) origin. As abnormalities in the activities of mammalian cysteine proteases accompany a variety of diseases, there has been a long-lasting interest in the development of potent and selective inhibitors for these enzymes. A covalent inhibitor of cysteine proteases, designed as a combination of epoxysuccinyl and peptide moieties, has been modeled in the catalytic pocket of papain. A number of its configurations have been generated and relaxed by constrained simulated annealing-molecular dynamics in water. A clear conformational variability of this inhibitor is discussed in the context of a conspicuous conformational diversity observed earlier in several solid-state structures of other complexes between cysteine proteases and covalent inhibitors. The catalytic pockets S2 and even more so S3, as defined by the pioneering studies on the papain^ZPACK, papain^E64c and papain^leupeptin complexes, appear elusive in view of the evident flexibility of the present inhibitor and in confrontation with the obvious conformational scatter seen in other examples. This predicts limited chances for the development of selective structure-based inhibitors of thiol proteases, designed to exploit the minute differences in the catalytic pockets of various members of this family. A simultaneous comparison of the three published proenzyme structures suggests the enzyme's prosegment binding loopp rosegment interface as a new potential target for selective inhibitors of papain-related thiol proteases. ß 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Subclassification and Biochemical Analysis of Plant Papain-Like Cysteine Proteases Displays Subfamily-Specific Characteristics

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2012

Papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) are a large class of proteolytic enzymes associated with development, immunity, and senescence. Although many properties have been described for individual proteases, the distribution of these characteristics has not been studied collectively. Here, we analyzed 723 plant PLCPs and classify them into nine subfamilies that are present throughout the plant kingdom. Analysis of these subfamilies revealed previously unreported distinct subfamily-specific functional and structural characteristics. For example, the NPIR and KDEL localization signals are distinctive for subfamilies, and the carboxyl-terminal granulin domain occurs in two PLCP subfamilies, in which some individual members probably evolved by deletion of the granulin domains. We also discovered a conserved double cysteine in the catalytic site of SAG12-like proteases and two subfamily-specific disulfides in RD19A-like proteases. Protease activity profiling of representatives of the PLCP subfamilies using novel fluorescent probes revealed striking polymorphic labeling profiles and remarkably distinct pH dependency. Competition assays with peptide-epoxide scanning libraries revealed common and unique inhibitory fingerprints. Finally, we expand the detection of PLCPs by identifying common and organ-specific protease activities and identify previously undetected proteases upon labeling with cell-penetrating probes in vivo. This study provides the plant protease research community with tools for further functional annotation of plant PLCPs.

Hepatitis E Virus Cysteine Protease Has Papain Like Properties Validated by in silico Modeling and Cell-Free Inhibition Assays

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2020

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has emerged as a global health concern during the last decade. In spite of a high mortality rate in pregnant women with fulminant hepatitis, no antiviral drugs or licensed vaccine is available in India. HEV-protease is a pivotal enzyme responsible for ORF1 polyprotein processing leading to cleavage of the non-structural enzymes involved in virus replication. HEV-protease region encoding 432-592 amino acids of Genotype-1 was amplified, expressed in Sf21 cells and purified in its native form. The recombinant enzyme was biochemically characterized using SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and Immunofluorescence. The enzyme activity and the inhibition studies were conducted using Zymography, FTC-casein based protease assay and ORF1 polyprotein digestion. To conduct ORF1 digestion assay, the polyprotein, natural substrate of HEV-protease, was expressed in E. coli and purified. Cleavage of 186 kDa ORF1 polyprotein by the recombinant HEV-protease lead to appearance of non-structural proteins viz. Methyltransferase, Protease, Helicase and RNA dependent RNA polymerase which were confirmed through immunoblotting using antibodies generated against specific epitopes of the enzymes. FTC-casein substrate was used for kinetic studies to determine Km and Vmax of the enzyme and also the effect of different metal ions and other protease inhibitors. A 95% inhibition was observed with E-64 which was validated through in silico analysis. The correlation coefficient between inhibition and docking score of Inhibitors was found to have a significant value of r 2 = 0.75. The predicted 3D model showed two domain architecture structures similar to Papain like cysteine protease though they differed in arrangements of alpha helices and beta sheets. Hence, we propose that HEV-protease has characteristics of "Papain-like cysteine protease," as determined through structural homology, active site residues and class-specific inhibition. However, conclusive nature of the enzyme remains to be established.

Proteases as therapeutics

Biochemical Journal, 2011

Proteases are an expanding class of drugs that hold great promise. The U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved 12 protease therapies, and a number of next generation or completely new proteases are in clinical development. Although they are a well-recognized class of targets for inhibitors, proteases themselves have not typically been considered as a drug class despite their application in the clinic over the last several decades; initially as plasma fractions and later as purified products. Although the predominant use of proteases has been in treating cardiovascular disease, they are also emerging as useful agents in the treatment of sepsis, digestive disorders, inflammation, cystic fibrosis, retinal disorders, psoriasis and other diseases. In the present review, we outline the history of proteases as therapeutics, provide an overview of their current clinical application, and describe several approaches to improve and expand their clinical application. Undoubtedly, o...

Biotechnological Aspects and Pharmaceutical Applications of Bacterial Proteases

Proteases enzymes are capable of hydrolyzing peptide bonds in proteins. They can be found in all living organisms. Bacterial proteases enzymes have great pharmaceutical importance due to their key role in biological processes and in the life-cycle of many pathogens. New technologies for rationally protein engineering proteases, as well as improved delivery options, will expand greatly the potential pharmaceutical applications of enzymes. Proteases are extensively applied agents in several sectors of pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, numerous research applications predominant use of proteases has been in killing tumor cells, they are also emerging as useful agents in El Enshasy HA et al Der Pharmacia Lettre, 2017, 9(2):9-20 ______________________________________________________________________________ 10 Scholar Research Library the treatment of digestive disorders, inflammation, and other diseases. The aim of this paper is to review the biotechnological aspects of proteases enzymes and summarize their pharmaceutical applications in the life sciences.

Activity Profiling of Papain-Like Cysteine Proteases in Plants

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2004

Transcriptomic and proteomic technologies are generating a wealth of data that are frequently used by scientists to predict the function of proteins based on their expression or presence. However, activity of many proteins, such as transcription factors, kinases, and proteases, depends on posttranslational modifications that frequently are not detected by these technologies. Therefore, to monitor activity of proteases rather than their abundance, we introduce protease activity profiling in plants. This technology is based on the use of biotinylated, irreversible protease inhibitors that react with active proteases in a mechanismbased manner. Using a biotinylated derivative of the Cys protease inhibitor E-64, we display simultaneous activities of many papain-like Cys proteases in extracts from various tissues and from different plant species. Labeling is pH dependent, stimulated with reducing agents, and inhibited specifically by Cys protease inhibitors but not by inhibitors of other protease classes. Using one-step affinity capture of biotinylated proteases followed by sequencing mass spectrometry, we identified proteases that include xylem-specific XCP2, desiccation-induced RD21, and cathepsin B-and aleurain-like proteases. Together, these results demonstrate that this technology can identify differentially activated proteases and/or characterize the activity of a particular protease within complex mixtures.