Neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (enkephalinase). Biosynthesis and localization in human fibroblasts.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Lorkowski G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1148547 | biostudies-other | 1987 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic peptide which behaves as an antagonist of the pituitary melanotropic hormone alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in fishes. Cloning of the rat MCH cDNA precursor recently revealed the presence of an additional putative peptide named NEI. The present work examined the susceptibility of these novel peptides to hydrolysis by various purified exo- and endo-peptidases including endopeptidases 24.11 (NEP), 24.15, 24.16, angiotensin-converting enzyme, leucine aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase A. NEP attacked MCH at three sites of the molecule with an apparent affinity of about 12 microM and a kcat. of 4 min-1. The first site of cleavage was at Cys-7-Met-8, i.e. within the peptide loop formed by the internal disulphide bridge. NEP could therefore be considered as an MCH-inactivating peptidase since the degradation products generated are probably devoid of biological activity. In contrast, NEI neither inhibited the degradation of the NEP chromogenic substrate glutaryl-Phe-Ala-Phe-p-aminobenzoate nor was susceptible to proteolysis by NEP. Unlike NEP, angiotensin-converting enzyme, endopeptidase 24.15 and endopeptidase 24.16 appeared totally unable to cleave MCH, whereas the peptide was readily degraded by aminopeptidase M and carboxypeptidase A.
| S-EPMC1133042 | biostudies-other
Project description:Neutral endopeptidase (NEP; also known as neprilysin and enkephalinase; EC 3.4.24.11) is a cell-surface metallopeptidase that is present in many mammalian tissues. It is particularly abundant on the brush-border membranes of the kidney proximal tubule. In this paper, the presence of NEP in purified glomeruli from dog kidney was assessed by measuring phosphoramidon- and thiorphan-sensitive [D-Ala2,Leu5]enkephalin-degrading activity. Using this assay, the Km and kcat. of the glomerular enzyme were found to be identical to those of the tubular enzyme. By Western blotting the apparent M(r) of the glomerular enzyme was found to be 104,000, compared with 94,000 for the tubular enzyme. This might be due to a different glycosylation pattern, since endoglycosidase F treatment of NEP obtained from both tissues yielded deglycosylated enzymes with similar electrophoretic mobilities. The glomerular enzyme also appears to be membrane-bound, since it was retained in the detergent-rich phase after phase separation with Triton X-114. Autoradiography experiments performed with RB104, a new highly selective and potent NEP inhibitor, showed that NEP was expressed in both glomeruli and proximal tubules. The presence in glomeruli of NEP and some other brush-border peptidases (dipeptidyl-dipeptidase IV, aminopeptidase N and angiotensin I-converting enzyme) suggests that cell-surface peptidases might play an important role as regulators of plasma-derived peptides in this part of the nephron.
| S-EPMC1132435 | biostudies-other
Project description:Neutral endopeptidase (NEP, EC 3.4.24.11) is a major ectoenzyme of the brush-border membrane. The ectodomain of NEP contains five putative N-glycosylation sites. In order to determine the role of the addition of sugar moieties on the activity and intracellular transport of NEP, we have used site-directed mutagenesis to remove all or some of the five potential sites of sugar addition in membrane-bound and secreted forms of the enzyme. Expression of NEP glycosylation mutants in COS-1 cells showed that all five sites are used for sugar addition. Immunoblotting of NEP in COS-1 cell extracts or culture media indicated that total expression of normal membrane-bound NEP was not affected by mutations at glycosylation sites, whereas this expression level appeared to be strictly dependent on the number of glycosylation sites retained on the soluble form. The transport to the cell surface was also reduced by decreased glycosylation, but again the phenomenon appeared more drastic in the case of the soluble form than for the membrane-bound enzyme. Enzyme activity was decreased by deglycosylation. However, the presence of either of two crucial sites (sites 1 and 5; numbered from the N-terminus of the protein) was sufficient to recover close-to-normal enzymic activities. Transport to the cell surface and enzyme activity of NEP are thus both dependent on sugar residues, probably through different conformational constraints. These constraints seem to be local for enzyme activity but more global for transport to the cell surface.
| S-EPMC1137249 | biostudies-other
Project description:The human colon cancer cell line Caco-2 undergoes spontaneous enterocytic differentiation during growth, and expresses a number of brush-border-membrane-associated hydrolases typical of a differentiated phenotype. Among these are alkaline phosphatase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV and sucrase-isomaltase (sucrase, EC 3.2.1.48). Neutral endopeptidase 24.11 [EC 3.4.24.11, neprilysin (NEP)] is another abundant protease of normal enterocytes but its presence in Caco-2 cells has not been fully documented yet. In this paper, we show that Caco-2 cell extracts hydrolyse tritiated [D-Ala2Leu5]enkephalin with a Km of 180 microM, very close to the value obtained for the NEP present in the rabbit kidney (118 microM). Western-blot analysis of brush-border membranes purified from post-confluent cells revealed a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 94000 Da similar to that of the rabbit kidney NEP. The amount of enzyme in cell extracts increased as a function of the age of the culture, indicating that NEP expression is correlated with the degree of cell differentiation as is also the case for sucrase and dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP-IV). Binding of a radiolabelled antibody to Caco-2 cell monolayers grown on semi-permeable filters indicated that 95% of NEP molecules present at the cell surface are on the apical side. Immunocytochemical and flow cytometric analysis of intact and permeabilized cells were also used to investigate the presence of NEP and DPP-IV at the surface of Caco-2 cells. Whereas DPP-IV staining appeared to be homogeneous throughout the entire cell population, NEP-related fluorescence exhibited a bimodal distribution which indicates an uneven expression of the protein at the cell surface. Permeabilization of monolayers with saponin before staining restored a labelling pattern for NEP similar to the one obtained for DPP-IV. This suggests that although DPP-IV and NEP follow similar patterns of expression when enzymic activities are measured on whole-cell extracts, targeting of these brush-border proteins to the cell surface appears to be regulated in different ways.
| S-EPMC1131978 | biostudies-other
Project description:Neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (EC 3.4.24.11) (NEP) is a transmembrane metallo-endopeptidase that has been shown to be involved in the degradation of several mammalian neuropeptides, including enkephalins. The enzyme has recently been found to be specifically associated with the axonal and synaptic membranes of neurons in the globus pallidus of the pig brain. This result suggests that neurons must possess mechanisms for targeting NEP to particular membrane domains. Study of these mechanisms would greatly benefit from the existence of an established neuron-like cell line capable of expressing and targeting NEP to specific membrane domains. For this reason we have used a retroviral vector containing the cDNA for rabbit kidney NEP to express this enzyme in a mouse neuroblastoma cell line (Neuro2A). Labelling of the cell surface with an antibody coupled to colloidal gold particles and examination of the cells by electron microscopy revealed a non-uniform distribution of NEP at the surface of the cells, the protein being preferentially associated with the membrane of neurites compared with the cell body. This observation suggests that Neuro2A cells possess a mechanism for targeting NEP to specific domains of the plasma membrane. This cell line could thus constitute a good model for studying the mechanisms responsible for targeting this enzyme to specialized regions of the plasma membrane.
| S-EPMC1131309 | biostudies-other
Project description:Endopeptidase-24.11 (EC 3.4.24.11), a widely distributed cell-surface endopeptidase in pig tissues, was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography from its second most abundant source, lymph nodes. The detergent-solubilized enzyme is a glycoprotein with an apparent subunit Mr of 91,000, by electrophoresis in the presence of SDS. This value is intermediate between those observed in preparations from kidney and intestine. The specific activity (125I-labelled insulin B-chain as substrate) was similar to that prepared from other sources. Immuno-peroxidase and immunofluorescent cytochemical methods with either a monoclonal antibody, GK7C2, or an affinity-purified polyclonal antiserum, RP109, were used to establish the distribution and localization of the antigen in lymph nodes. Examination of many nodes confirmed the variability of endopeptidase-24.11 content from node to node. Pig lymph nodes are composed of functionally discrete nodelets and are anatomically inverted, with medulla being located peripheral to the cortex. Endopeptidase-24.11 was present in medulla, paracortex and cortex. The medulla, containing relatively few lymphocytes, stained more intensely than other zones. Lymphocyte-rich areas stained only weakly, but antigen was detectable in the centres of follicles and more strongly in a band surrounding them. The pattern of staining was reticular in appearance in all zones. In primary cell cultures, set up after enzymic disruption of nodes, the immuno-positive cells were found to be adherent to glass or plastic and to exhibit a fibroblastic morphology. Diffuse surface immunofluorescence and brighter intracellular immunofluorescence in granules were observed in these cells in the first few days of culture, but by the fourth day no immuno-positive cells remained and the fibroblasts that grew to confluence were somewhat different in morphology. The cells expressing the endopeptidase-24.11 antigen did not express Ia antigen and were clearly distinct from antigen-presenting dendritic cells. In appearance and properties they belong to the group described as reticular cells.
| S-EPMC1146913 | biostudies-other
Project description:Type II integral membrane proteins are anchored by a signal-peptide/membrane-anchor domain (SA domain) located near their N-terminus, whereas type I membrane proteins are anchored by stop-transfer sequences usually located near the C-terminus. In this study we have attempted to transform neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (EC 3.4.24.11; NEP), a type II membrane protein, into a type I membrane protein. Three type I mutant proteins were constructed by fusion of topogenic sequences to the C-terminus of SecNEP, a soluble form of NEP. The first two type I mutants, SecNEP-TMC and SecNEP-TMIC, were constructed by fusing in frame the cytosolic and SA domains of NEP to the C-terminus of SecNEP. These two fusion proteins differ only in the orientation of the cytosolic tail. The third type I mutant, SecNEP-ACE, was constructed by fusing in frame the stop-transfer and cytosolic domains of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (EC 3.4.15.1; ACE) to the C-terminus of SecNEP. Our results suggest that: (1) the NEP ectodomain can be anchored with a type I topology in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by both NEP and ACE topogenic sequences; (2) SecNEP-TMC and SecNEP-TMIC were transport-incompetent and needed proteolytic cleavage in the C-terminal region to leave the ER, whereas SecNEP-ACE was transported out of the ER as a type I membrane protein. Therefore we concluded that the nature of topogenic sequences determines the transport-competence of topological mutants of neutral endopeptidase-24.11.
| S-EPMC1136232 | biostudies-other
Project description:Neutral endopeptidase (NEP; EC 3.4.24.11) is an integral membrane protein found at the plasma membrane of many cell types. A secreted form of NEP (sec-NEP) was recently obtained by transfection of COS-1 cells with a recombinant expression vector consisting of the cDNA encoding the signal peptide of pro-opiomelanocortin fused in-frame to the cDNA sequence of the complete ectodomain of rabbit NEP [Lemay, Waksman, Roques, Crine & Boileau (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 15620-15623]. In order to produce large quantities of this enzyme for structural studies we have expressed this recombinant soluble form of NEP at high yields using a baculovirus/insect-cell system. A recombinant Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis-virus genome containing the sec-NEP sequence was used to infect host Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells. Infected cells secreted an N-glycosylated soluble form of neutral endopeptidase which was enzymically active. The yield was about 80 nmol of enzyme/litre of culture. The soluble form of the recombinant enzyme purified by immunoaffinity showed the same catalytic properties as the wild-type enzyme extracted from the kidney brush-border membranes. Treatment of the recombinant enzyme with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H showed, however, that invertebrate cells did not glycosylate the enzyme to the same extent as did mammalian cells. Our findings demonstrate that insect cells can be used as hosts for the production of the soluble form of neutral endopeptidase. We also conclude that neither a full complement of carbohydrate side chains nor the membrane anchor appear to be essential for the production and targeting to the cell surface of a fully functional enzyme in this expression system.
| S-EPMC1132696 | biostudies-other
Project description:The common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA) is a 749-amino acid type II integral membrane protein that has been identified recently as the neutral endopeptidase 24.11 [NEP (EC 3.4.24.11)]. Herein, we characterize the organization of the human CALLA/NEP gene and show that it spans more than 80 kilobases (kb) and is composed of 24 exons. Exons 1 and 2 encode 5' untranslated sequences; exon 3 [170 base pairs (bp)] encodes the initiation codon and transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain; 20 short exons (exons 4-23), ranging in size from 36 to 162 bp, encode most of the extracellular portion of the enzyme; and exon 24 (approximately 3400 bp) encodes the COOH-terminal 32 amino acids of the protein and contains the entire 3' untranslated region (UTR). Of note, the pentapeptide sequence (His-Glu-Ile-Thr-His) associated with metalloprotease zinc binding and substrate catalysis is encoded within a single exon (exon 19). Three types of CALLA/NEP cDNAs have been identified: these clones contain 5' UTR sequences differing from one another upstream of exon 3. These human 5' sequences are homologous to those found in rat brain and rabbit kidney NEP cDNAs. The three human CALLA cDNA types result from alternative splicing of exons 1, 2a, or 2b to the common exon 3. Moreover, exons 2a and 2b share the same 5' sequence but differ from each other by the use of two distinct donor splice sites 171 bp apart in the gene. The substantial conservation of 5' untranslated sequences among species and the existence of 5' alternative splicing suggest that CALLA gene expression may be differentially controlled in a tissue-specific and/or developmentally regulated fashion.
| S-EPMC298003 | biostudies-other
Project description:Mycophenolic acid (MPA) appears to have anti-fibrotic effects, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this are unknown. We prospectively studied 35 stable kidney transplant recipients maintained on cyclosporine and azathioprine. We converted 20 patients from azathioprine to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) and continued the remaining 15 patients on azathioprine. Exploratory mRNA expression profiling, performed on five randomly selected EC-MPS patients, revealed significant upregulation of neutral endopeptidase (NEP), which is an enzyme that degrades angiotensin II. We confirmed these microarray data by measuring levels of NEP expression in all subjects; in addition, we found that NEP gene expression correlated inversely with proteinuria. In an additional 33 patients, glomerular and tubular NEP protein levels from renal graft biopsies were significantly higher among the 13 patients receiving cyclosporine + EC-MPS than among the 12 patients receiving cyclosporine + azathioprine or 8 patients receiving cyclosporine alone. Glomerular NEP expression inversely correlated with glomerulosclerosis and proteinuria, and tubular NEP expression inversely correlated with interstitial fibrosis. Incubation of human proximal tubular cells with MPA increased NEP gene expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, MPA reduced angiotensin II-induced expression of the profibrotic factor plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and a specific NEP inhibitor completely reversed this effect. Taken together, our data suggest that MPA directly induces expression of neutral endopeptidase, which may reduce proteinuria and slow the progression of renal damage in kidney transplant recipients.
| S-EPMC3014029 | biostudies-literature