Suc-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl

A new efficient substrate, Suc-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl, was proposed for studying the function of the Escherichia coli ATP-dependent Lon protease and its modified forms. The kinetic parameters of hydrolysis of the substrate were determined. The esterase activity of protease Lon was found to be nucleotide-regulated.

We identified a chymotrypsin-like activity in the granules of IL-2 lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and a NK cell line (YT) that reacted preferentially with the oligopeptide substrate succinyl-Phe-Leu-Phe-thiobenzyl ester (Suc-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl). The enzyme was isolated by detergent extraction of sedimented cytotoxic granules and then by a sequence of sieve, hydrophobic, and anion exchange chromatography. On SDS-PAGE, the protein migrated at 42 kDa in nonreduced form and became two bands (31 and 19 kDa, respectively) after reduction. Amino-terminal sequencing of the reduced protein bands revealed 100% homology with cathepsin A-like protective protein (CAPP), a lysosomal enzyme that expresses serine carboxypeptidase and deamidase activities. The carboxypeptidase activity of lymphocyte CAPP was verified by showing that the protease preferred hydrophobic amino acids in the penultimate position of the C terminus (i.e., cleaved arginine from dansyl-Phe-Leu-Arg). The presence of lymphocyte CAPP in secretory lysosomes was demonstrated by showing that Suc-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl activity co-migrated with tryptase and Asp-ase activities on Percoll density gradients and that 95% of the Suc-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl activity in granule fractions of cavitated YT cells could be immunoprecipitated with an anti-CAPP antiserum. In addition, calcium ionophore-stimulated YT cells were shown to secrete immunoprecipitable CAPP. As proposed for platelets, lymphocyte CAPP may be secreted to function extracellularly by inactivating bioactive peptides.

The active site structures of human Q31 granzyme A, murine granzymes (A, B, C, D, E, and F), and human granzymes (A, B, and 3) isolated from cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were studied with peptide thioester substrates, peptide chloromethyl ketone, and isocoumarin inhibitors. Human Q31, murine, and human granzyme A hydrolyzed Arg- or Lys-containing thioesters very efficiently with kcat/KM of 10(4)-10(5) M-1 s-1. Murine granzyme B was found to have Asp-ase activity and hydrolyzed Boc-Ala-Ala-Asp-SBzl with a kcat/KM value of 2.3 X 10(5) M-1 s-1. The rate was accelerated 1.4-fold when the 0.05 M NaCl in the assay was replaced with CaCl2. The preparation of granzyme B also had significant activity toward Boc-Ala-Ala-AA-SBzl substrates, where AA was Asn, Met, or Ser [kcat/KM = (4-5) X 10(4) M-1 s-1]. Murine granzymes C, D, and E did not hydrolyze any thioester substrate but contained minor contaminating activity toward Arg- or Lys-containing thioesters. Murine granzyme F had small activity toward Suc-Phe-Leu-Phe-SBzl, along with some contaminating trypsin-like activity. Human Q31 granzyme A, murine, and human granzyme A were inhibited quite efficiently by mechanism-based isocoumarin inhibitors substituted with basic groups (guanidino or isothiureidopropoxy). Although the general serine protease inhibitor 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin (DCI) inactivated these tryptases poorly, it was the best isocoumarin inhibitor for murine granzyme B (kobs/[I] = 3700-4200 M-1 s-1). Murine and human granzyme B were also inhibited by Boc-Ala-Ala-Asp-CH2Cl; however, the inhibition was less potent than that with DCI. DCI, 3-(3-amino-propoxy)-4-chloroisocoumarin, 4-chloro-3-(3-isothiureidopropoxy)isocoumarin, and 7-amino-4-chloro-3-(3-isothiureidopropoxy)isocoumarin inhibited Q31 cytotoxic T lymphocyte mediated lysis of human JY lymphoblasts (ED50 = 0.5-5.0 microM).