The exocrine protein rat anionic trypsinogen has been expressed and is secreted from the murine anterior pituitary tumor cell line AtT-20. We examined which secretory pathway trypsinogen takes to the surface of this endocrine-derived cell line. The "constitutive" pathway externalizes proteins rapidly and in the absence of an external stimulus. In the alternate, "regulated" pathway, proteins are stored in secretory granules until the cells are stimulated to secrete with 8-Br-cAMP. On the basis of indirect immunofluorescence localization, stimulation of release, and subcellular fractionation, we find that trypsinogen is targeted into the regulated secretory pathway in AtT-20 cells. In contrast, laminin, an endogenous secretory glycoprotein, is shown to be secreted constitutively. Thus it appears that the transport apparatus for the regulated secretory pathway in endocrine cells can recognize not only endocrine prohormones, but also the exocrine protein trypsinogen, which suggests that a similar sorting mechanism is used by endocrine and exocrine cells.

A comprehensive review of herpes virus drug discovery with an emphasis on the most recent advances in the field and their progression from early discovery to clinical development is presented. Small molecules against multiple herpes viruses with targets th

In neuronal and endocrine cells, peptide hormones are selectively segregated into storage granules, while other proteins are exported continuously without storage. Sorting of hormones by cellular machinery involves the recognition of specific structural domains on prohormone molecules. Since the propeptide of insulin is known to play an important role in its three-dimensional structure, it is reasonable to speculate that targeting of proinsulin to storage granules would require a functional connecting peptide. To test this hypothesis, we constructed two mutations in human proinsulin with different predicted structures. In one mutation, Ins delta C, the entire C peptide was deleted, resulting in an altered insulin in which the B and the A chains are joined contiguously. In the other mutation, Ins/IGF, the C peptide of proinsulin was replaced with the unrelated 12-amino acid connecting peptide of human insulin-like growth factor-I; this substitution should permit correct folding of the B and A chains to form a tertiary structure similar to that of proinsulin. By several biochemical and morphological criteria, we found that Ins/IGF is efficiently targeted to storage granules, suggesting that the C peptide of proinsulin does not contain necessary sorting information. Unexpectedly, Ins delta C, which presumably cannot fold properly, is also targeted to granules at a high efficiency. These results imply that either the targeting machinery can tolerate changes in the tertiary structure of transported proteins, or that the B and A chains of insulin can form a relatively intact three-dimensional structure even in the absence of C peptide.

Affinity maturation of U33, a recombinant Fab inhibitor of uPA, was used to improve the affinity and the inhibitory effect compared to the parental Fab. Arginine scanning of the six CDR loops of U33 was done to identify initial binding determinants since uPA prefers arginine in its primary substrate binding pocket. Two CDR loops were selected to create an engineered affinity maturation library of U33 that was diversified around ArgL91 (CDR L3) and ArgH52 (CDR H2). Biopanning of the randomized U33 library under stringent conditions resulted in eight Fabs with improved binding properties. One of the most potent inhibitors, AB2, exhibited a 13-fold decrease in IC50 when compared to U33 largely due to a decrease in its off rate. To identify contributions of interfacial residues that might undergo structural rearrangement upon interface formation we used X-ray footprinting and mass spectrometry (XFMS). Four residues showed a pronounced decrease in solvent accessibility, and their clustering suggests that AB2 targets the active site and also engages residues in an adjacent pocket unique to human uPA. The 2.9 Å resolution crystal structure of AB2-bound to uPA shows a binding mode in which the CDR L1 loop inserts into the active site cleft and acts as a determinant of inhibition. The selectivity determinant of this binding mode is unlike previously identified inhibitory Fabs against uPA related serine proteases, MTSP-1, HGFA and FXIa. CDRs H2 and L3 loops aid in interface formation and provide critical salt-bridges to remodel loops surrounding the active site of uPA providing specificity and further evidence that antibodies can be potent and selective inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes.

The ability of viruses to subvert host pathways is central in disease pathogenesis. Over the past decade, a critical role for the Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) in counteracting host immune factors during viral infection has emerged. This counteraction

© 2014 American Chemical Society.Caspases are proteases involved in cell death, where caspase-3 is the chief executioner that produces an irreversible cutting event in downstream protein substrates and whose activity is desired in the management of cancer.

© 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.Human kallikrein-related peptidase 2 (KLK2) is a tryptic serine protease predominantly expressed in prostatic tissue and secreted into prostatic fluid, a major component of seminal

Herpesviruses rely on a homodimeric protease for viral capsid maturation. A small molecule, DD2, previously shown to disrupt dimerization of Kaposis sarcoma-associated herpesvirus protease (KSHV Pr) by trapping an inactive monomeric conformation and two an

Subtype-targeted therapies can have a dramatic impact on improving the quality and quantity of life for women suffering from breast cancer. Despite an initial therapeutic response, cancer recurrence and acquired drug-resistance are commonplace. Non-invasiv