A novel antimicrobial peptide from salivary glands of the hard tick, Ixodes sinensis

A novel antimicrobial peptide named as ixosin was isolated from the salivary glands of the hard tick, Ixodes sinensis, by gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Its amino acid sequen

An immunoregulatory peptide from salivary glands of the horsefly, Hybomitra atriperoides

Horseflies are economically important blood-feeding arthropods and also a nuisance for humans, and vectors for filariasis. They rely heavily on the pharmacological propriety of their saliva to get blood meat and suppress immune reactions of hosts. Little information is available on horsefly immune suppressants. By high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification coupling with pharmacological testing, an immunoregulatory peptide named immunoregulin HA has been identified and characterized from salivary glands of the horsefly of Hybomitra atriperoides (Diptera, Tabanidae). Immunoregulin HA could inhibit the secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and increase the secretion of interteukin-10 (IL-10) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LIPS) in rat splenocytes. IL-10 is a suppressor cytokine of T-cell proliferative and cytokine responses. IL-10 can inhibit the elaboration of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Immunoregulin HA possibly unregulated the IL-10 production to inhibit IFN-gamma and MCP-1 secretion in the current experiments. This immunosuppression may facilitate the blood feeding of this horsefly. The current works will facilitate to understand the molecular mechanisms of the ectoparasite-host relationship. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward an understanding of the molecular mechanism for successful blood feeding by coupling proteomics analysis with pharmacological testing of horsefly salivary glands

Horseflies are economically important blood-feeding arthropods and also a nuisance for humans and vectors for filariasis. They rely heavily on the pharmacological properties of their saliva to get a blood meal and suppress immune reactions of hosts. Little information is available on antihemostatic substances in horsefly salivary glands; especially no horsefly immune suppressants have been reported. By proteomics or peptidomics and coupling transcriptome analysis with pharmacological testing, several families of proteins or peptides, which act mainly on the hemostatic system or immune system of the host, were identified and characterized from 30,000 pairs salivary glands of the horsefly Tabanus yao (Diptera, Tabanidae). They are: (i) a novel family of inhibitors of platelet aggregation including two members, which possibly inhibit platelet aggregation by a novel mechanism and act on platelet membrane, (ii) a novel family of immunosuppressant peptides including 12 members, which can inhibit interferon-gamma production and increase interleukin-10 secretion, (iii) a serine protease inhibitor with 56 amino acid residues containing anticoagulant activity, (iv) a serine protease with anticoagulant activity, (v) a protease with fibrinogenolytic activity, (vi) three families of antimicrobial peptides including six members, (vii) a hyaluronidase, (viii) a vasodilator peptide, which is an isoform of vasotab identified from Hybomitra bimaculata, and interestingly (ix) two metallothioneins, which are the first metallothioneins reported from invertebrate salivary glands. The current work will facilitate the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the ectoparasite-host relationship and help in identifying novel vaccine targets and novel leading pharmacological compounds.

Anti-thrombosis Repertoire of Blood-feeding Horsefly Salivary Glands

Blood-feeding arthropods rely heavily on the pharmacological properties of their saliva to get a blood meal and suppress immune reactions of hosts. Little information is available on antihemostatic substances in horsefly salivary glands although their sal

Two Immunoregulatory Peptides with Antioxidant Activity from Tick Salivary Glands

Ticks are blood-feeding arthropods that may secrete immunosuppressant molecules, which inhibit host inflammatory and immune responses and provide survival advantages to pathogens at tick bleeding sites in hosts. In the current work, two families of immunoregulatory peptides, hyalomin-A and -B, were first identified from salivary glands of hard tick Hyalomma asiaticum asiaticum. Three copies of hyalomin-A are encoded by an identical gene and released from the same protein precursor. Both hyalomin-A and -B can exert significant anti-inflammatory functions, either by directly inhibiting host secretion of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte chemotectic protein-1, and interferon-gamma or by indirectly increasing the secretion of immunosuppressant cytokine of interleukin-10. Hyalomin-A and -B were both found to potently scavenge free radical in vitro in a rapid manner and inhibited adjuvant-induced inflammation in mouse models in vivo. The JNK/SAPK subgroup of the MAPK signaling pathway was involved in such immunoregulatory functions of hyalomin-A and -B. These results showed that immunoregulatory peptides of tick salivary glands suppress host inflammatory response by modulating cytokine secretion and detoxifying reactive oxygen species.

A horsefly saliva antigen 5-like protein containing RTS motif is an angiogenesis inhibitor

The Ag5 proteins are the most abundant and immunogenic proteins in the venom secretory ducts of stinging insects. An antigen 5-like protein (named tabRTS) composed of 221 amino acid residues was purified and characterized from the salivary glands of the horsefly, Tabanus yao (Diptera, Tabanidae). Its cDNA was cloned from the cDNA library of the horsefly's salivary gland. TabRTS containing the SCP domain (Sc7 family of extracellular protein domain) was found in insect antigen 5 proteins. More interestingly, there is an Arg-Thr-Ser (RTS) disintegrin motif at the C-terminus of tabRTS. The RTS motif is positioned in a loop bracketed by cysteine residues as those found in RTS-disintegrins of Crotalidae and Viperidae snake venoms, which act as angiogenesis inhibitors. Endothelial Cell Tube formation assay in vitro and chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis assay in vivo were performed as to investigate the effect of tabRTS on angiogenesis. It was found that tabRTS could significantly inhibit angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Anti-alpha(1)beta(1) monoclonal antibody could dose-dependently inhibit the anti-angiogenic activity of tabRTS. This result indicated that tabRTS possibly targets the alpha(1)beta(1) integrin to exert the anti-angiogenic activity as snake venom RTS-/KTS-disintegrins do. The current work revealed the first angiogenesis inhibitor protein containing RTS motif from invertebrates, a possible novel type of RTS-disintegrin. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

姚虻唾液腺三类抗血栓活性蛋白的结构和功能研究

血栓栓塞性疾病严重影响人类的健康，是导致死亡率最高的病因之一。在过去 的几十年中，已经开发了针对血液凝固、血小板激活和聚集、血栓溶解的不同步骤而 起作用的基础和临床药物，但是许多抗血栓药物经常被包括低血压、出血等系统性的 副作用所限制，因此，需要开发新型的更具潜力和特异性的抗血栓药物。 吸血节肢动物与宿主相互作用的分子机制研究是目前国际研究的热点之一，通过 该类研究可以发现大量的具有药用前景的先导分子和提供节肢动物控制策略。我们通 过生物化学、分子生物学以及药理学研究手段首次从中国特有的姚虻（Tabanus yao Macquart）唾液腺发现了同时具有水解纤维蛋白原和抑制血小板聚集的双功能的 丝氨酸蛋白酶Tablysin、纤维蛋白水解酶TY6和腺苷三磷酸双磷酸酶Tabapy等3个家 族的抗血栓活性成分。并研究了这3类因子在牛虻唾液腺中的分子多样性、它们的结 构基础及发挥抗血栓功能的作用机制，通过实验动物模型研究体内外抗血栓能力，深 入解析了牛虻作为传统抗血栓中药的物质基础，为发掘具有良好抗血栓功能的新型候 选药物分子，为传统活血化瘀中药牛虻的现代化开发提供了广阔的思路和打下了坚实 的基础。 研究表明，姚虻纤维蛋白原水解酶Tablysin为一种单链蛋白。其表观分子量为 27kDa。此酶为一种丝氨酸蛋白酶家族的新成员，其活性不受金属离子螯合剂EDTA 和还原剂DTT的影响。血浆蛋白酶抑制剂Aprotinin，α-macroglobulin能部分抑制该 酶活性。此酶适应的pH范围较广（pH 2.4-10.0），但对热变化不具很好的耐受性。 Edman降解法进行氨基酸测序分析发现，此酶的N-末端有封闭现象，后经Q-TOF质 谱分析，确定此酶的部分氨基酸序列。此外，我们成功构建了具有完整性的姚虻唾液 腺cDNA文库，获得2×106 pfu个重组子，进一步的筛选了Tablysin的编码基因。 对此酶的溶栓机制进行分析发现，其具有直接水解纤维蛋白原的活性，不具有纤 溶酶原激活剂的活性。此酶能明显地水解纤维蛋白原的α-链，而对β-链的水解活性较 低，不能水解γ链（α > β > γ）。此酶不能有效地水解纤维蛋白，不会水解层粘连蛋白 （Laminin）和纤维粘连蛋白（Fibronectin）等基质蛋白。不具有出血活性。进 一步探讨此酶的作用机制，发现其能以剂量依赖的方式抑制ADP诱导的血小板聚 集。利用流式细胞仪检测到该酶能与血小板膜糖蛋白受体GPIIb / IIIa结合，因此推测其可能是通过抑制血小板和纤维蛋白原结合的作用机制来抑制血小板 的聚集。 我们通过将目的基因连接到pET-32a+载体，并在大肠杆菌表达体系中得到 了高效表达。体外活性检测表明重组蛋白质与天然产物活性相当，用其检测了 其对角叉菜胶致小鼠尾静脉血栓模型体内血栓形成的影响， 实验结果表明 Tablysin具有明显的抗静脉血栓作用。该工作对有潜力开发成为新型单组分抗血栓 药物的姚虻活性蛋白进行了较为系统的理化性质研究，为该分子的进一步开发和研究 奠定了基础。 我们从姚虻唾液腺中分离纯化到一组具有水解纤维蛋白原α-链活性的酶， 命名为TY6家族。对TY6的生化性质进行研究，表明此酶为一种单链的丝氨酸蛋白 酶，其表观分子量为27 kDa，其活性不受金属离子螯合剂EDTA的影响，但能被PMSF 所抑制。Molish反应显示为阴性，说明此酶不是一种糖蛋白。从姚虻唾液腺cDNA 文库中克隆得到其编码序列，发现该酶家族的编码基因在一级结构上表现出丰 富的多样性。通过Western blotting检测到其能与牛虻叮咬后过敏患者血清特异性IgE 结合。推测该基因的多样性是吸血昆虫适应吸血寄生生活而采取的进化策略。 该工作为牛虻唾液腺抗血栓功能基因的继续筛选和分析奠定了基础，并为牛虻的生物 防治提供了思路和对策。 我们从姚虻唾液腺中分离纯化到一个具有水解ADP活性的酶（Apyrase）， 命名为Tabapy。活性检测发现Tabapy具有明显的水解ADP的活性，并能以剂量 依赖的方式抑制ADP诱导的血小板聚集。通过Western blotting检测到Tabapy能与 牛虻叮咬后过敏患者血清特异性IgE结合。用PCR方法从姚虻唾液腺cDNA文库中 克隆得到编码序列，经BLAST分析表明，该酶与来源于斑虻唾液腺的血小板聚 集抑制剂Chrysoptin具有90％的序列相似性，并经过Q-TOF分析确证，有5个肽段 的氨基酸残基与该cDNA序列推导的多肽链匹配。该工作为研究吸血节肢动物 吸血生理及进一步研究Apyrase的结构和功能打下了基础。

A NOVEL PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR FROM SNAKE-VENOM - PURIFICATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND MOLECULAR-CLONING

A novel plasminogen activator from Trimeresurus stejnegeri venom (TSV-PA) has been identified and purified to homogeneity. It is a single chain glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 33,000 and an isoelectric point of pH 5.2. It specifically activates plasminogen through an enzymatic reaction. The activation of human native GIu-plasminogen by TSV-PA is due to a single cleavage of the molecule at the peptide bond Arg(561)-Val-(562). Purified TSV-PA, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of several tripeptide p-nitroanilide substrates, does not activate nor degrade prothrombin, factor X, or protein C and does not clot fibrinogen nor show fibrino(geno)lytic activity in the absence of plasminogen. The activity of TSV-PA was readily inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride and by p-nitrophenyl-p-guanidinobenzoate. Oligonucleotide primers designed on the basis of the N-terminal and the internal peptide sequences of TSV-PA were used for the amplification of cDNA fragments by polymerase chain reaction. This allowed the cloning of a full-length cDNA encoding TSV-PA from a cDNA library prepared from the venom glands. The deduced complete amino acid sequence of TSV-PA indicates that the mature TSV-PA protein is composed of 234 amino acids and contains a single potential N-gIycosylation site at Asn(1G1). The sequence of TSV-PA exhibits a high degree of sequence identity with other snake venom proteases: 66% with the protein C activator from Aghistrodon contortrix contortrix venom, 63% with batroxobin, and 60% with the factor V activator from Russell's viper venom. On the other hand, TSV-PA shows only 21-23% sequence similarity with the catalytic domains of u-PA and t-PA. Furthermore, TSV-PA lacks the sequence site that has been demonstrated to be responsible for the interaction of t-PA (KHRR) and u-PA (RRHR) with plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1.

Antihemostatic molecules from saliva of blood-feeding arthropods

The ability to feed on vertebrate blood has evolved many times in various arthropod clades. Consequently, saliva of blood-feeding arthropods has proven to be a rich source of antihemostatic molecules. A variety of platelet aggregation inhibitors antagonize platelet responses to wound-generated signals, including ADP, thrombin, and collagen. Anticoagulants disrupt elements of both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Vasodilators include nitrophorins (nitric oxide storage and transport heme proteins), a variety of peptides that mimic endogenous vasodilatory neuropeptides, and proteins that catabolize or sequester endogenous vasoconstrictors. Multiple salivary proteins may be directed against each component of hemostasis, resulting in both redundancy and in some cases cooperative interactions between antihemostatic proteins. The complexity and redundancy of saliva ensures an efficient blood meal for the arthropod, but it also provides a diverse array of novel antihemostatic molecules for the pharmacologist.

A unique group of inactive serine protease homologues from snake venom

A number of inactive serine protease homologues (SPHs), which have poorly understood functions, have been identified in invertebrates and vertebrates. Recently, several SPH transcripts have been reported from snake venom glands, which provide potential ne

A novel serine protease inhibitor from Bungarus fasciatus venom

By Sephadex G-50 gel filtration, cation-exchange CM-Sephadex C-25 chromatography and reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), a novel serine protease inhibitor named bungaruskunin was purified and characterized from venom of Bungarus fasciatus. Its cDNA was also cloned from the cDNA library of B. fasciatus venomous glands. The predicted precursor is composed of 83 amino acid (aa) residues including a 24-aa signal peptide and a 59-aa mature bungaruskunin. Bungaruskunin showed maximal similarity (64%) with the predicted serine protease inhibitor blackelin deduced from the cDNA sequence of the red-bellied black snake Pseudechis porphyriacus. Bungaruskunin is a Kunitz protease inhibitor with a conserved Kunitz domain and could exert inhibitory activity against trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase. By screening the cDNA library, two new B chains of beta-bungarotoxin are also identified. The overall structures of bungaruskunin and beta -bungarotoxin B chains are similar; especially they have highly conserved signal peptide sequences. These findings strongly suggest that snake Kunitz/BPTI protease inhibitors and neurotoxic homologs may have originated from a common ancestor. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) which belongs to the secretin/glucagon/ VIP family has been originally isolated from the sheep hypothalamus on the basis of its ability to stimulate cAMP formation in culture rat anterior pituitary cells. Post-translational processing of the PACAP precursor generates two biologically active molecular forms, PACAP-38 and PACAP-27. The primary structure of PACAP has been remarkably conserved during evolution. The sequence of PACAP-27 exhibits substantial similarities with those of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), glucagon and secretin. The gene encoding the PACAP precursor is widely expressed in brain and various peripheral organs, notably in endocrine glands, gastro-intestinal, urogenital tracts and respiratory system. In vivo, and in vitro studies have shown that PACAP exhibits multiple activities especially a trophic activity during ontogenesis, notably in the adrenal medulla and the central nervous system. The biological effects of PACAP are mediated through three distinct receptor subtypes which exhibit differential affinities for PACAP and VIP. The PAC1 receptor, which shows high selectivity for PACAP, is coupled to several transduction systems. In contrast, VPAC1 and VPAC2, which bind with the same affinity for PACAP and VIP, are mainly coupled to the adenylyl cyclase pathway. In conclusion, PACAP is neuropeptide, and it functions as a hypothalamic hormone, neurohormone, neuromodulator, vasodilator, neurotransmitter or trophic factor in the brain and the various organs.