Mechanism of action of serine proteases: tetrahedral intermediate and concerted proton transfer

Stopped-flow spectrophotometry and proton inventory experiments have been used to define the reaction pathway for hydrolysis of a specific peptide substrate, Ac-L-Ala-L-Pro-L-Ala p-nitroanilide, by the serine proteases elastase and α-lytic protease. The stopped-flow studies reveal the existence and buildup of a tetrahedral adduct between the active site serine hydroxyl group and the sensitive carbonyl group of the substrate. The decomposition of this tetrahedral intermediate to the acyl enzyme and p-nitroaniline is the rate-limiting step for the hydrolytic reaction. The proton inventory data suggest the simultaneous transfer of two protons (presumably from the catalytic carboxyl of Asp-102 to Nπ of the catalytic imidazole of His-57 and from Nτ of the imidazole to the anilide NH) in the transition state leading to breakdown of the tetrahedral complex. That these proton transfers occur in a concerted, rather than stepwise, process attests to the ability of enzymes to lower the enthalpy of activation most effectively when the precise alignment of a highly specific substrate and catalytic groups minimizes the entropy of activation

^(13)C NMR studies of the binding of soybean trypsin inhibitor to trypsin

NMR studies of the complex between trypsin and soybean trypsin inhibitor with 1-^(13)C-arginine and modified inhibitor with 1-^(13)C-lysine show that these complexes involve almost exclusively non-covalent binding of the inhibitor to the enzyme for trypsin/^(13)C-Lys-inhibitor at pH 6.5 and 8.1 and for trypsin/^(13)C-Arg-inhibitor at pH 5.0. At pH 7.1 for trypsin/^(13)C-Arg-inhibitor both non-covalent and acyl enzyme forms are observed. Under no conditions did we observe evidence for a tetrahedral adduct between enzyme and inhibitor

Regulated acid-base transport in the collecting duct

The renal collecting system serves the fine-tuning of renal acid-base secretion. Acid-secretory type-A intercalated cells secrete protons via a luminally expressed V-type H(+)-ATPase and generate new bicarbonate released by basolateral chloride/bicarbonate exchangers including the AE1 anion exchanger. Efficient proton secretion depends both on the presence of titratable acids (mainly phosphate) and the concomitant secretion of ammonia being titrated to ammonium. Collecting duct ammonium excretion requires the Rhesus protein RhCG as indicated by recent KO studies. Urinary acid secretion by type-A intercalated cells is strongly regulated by various factors among them acid-base status, angiotensin II and aldosterone, and the Calcium-sensing receptor. Moreover, urinary acidification by H(+)-ATPases is modulated indirectly by the activity of the epithelial sodium channel ENaC. Bicarbonate secretion is achieved by non-type-A intercalated cells characterized by the luminal expression of the chloride/bicarbonate exchanger pendrin. Pendrin activity is driven by H(+)-ATPases and may serve both bicarbonate excretion and chloride reabsorption. The activity and expression of pendrin is regulated by different factors including acid-base status, chloride delivery, and angiotensin II and may play a role in NaCl retention and blood pressure regulation. Finally, the relative abundance of type-A and non-type-A intercalated cells may be tightly regulated. Dysregulation of intercalated cell function or abundance causes various syndromes of distal renal tubular acidosis underlining the importance of these processes for acid-base homeostasis