Substrate specificity of 'elastomucoproteinase': an enzyme which can degrade cartilage aggrecan.

The substrate specificity of elastomucoproteinase (EMP), an enzyme which was first isolated from crude pancreatic elastase and described as a proteoglycan-degrading enzyme, determined on tripeptide-p-nitroanilide substrates indicates the existence of a 'new' chymotrypsin-like enzyme. EMP, however, did not cleave any glycosaminoglycans, i.e.

Synthesis and functional evaluation of a peptide derivative of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine.

We have synthesized a peptidyl prodrug derivative of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (1) designed to be a selective substrate of plasmin. D-Val-Leu-Lys-ara-C (2) was obtained by coupling the protected peptide Cbz-D-Val-Leu-(N6-Cbz)Lys-OH and ara-C (1) by a water-soluble carbodiimide (EDCI), followed by the removal of the Cbz groups by using catalytic hydrogenolysis over Pd/C. The kinetic constant of hydrolysis of 2 in the presence of plasmin demonstrated effective release of 1.

The enzyme capable to cleave trypsin active site titrant as substrate is a carboxylesterase with electrophoretic mobility similar to albumin.

An enzyme isolated from Ehrlich ascites plasma and capable of cleaving trypsin active site titrant 4-nitrophenyl-p-guanidinobenzoate (Steven, F.S. and Al-Achmad, R.

Plasminogen activator and plasmin-like activities in experimental rat tumours.

Plasminogen activator activity and plasmin-like amidolytic activity were investigated in two experimental rat tumours, using human plasminogen and chromogenic peptide substrate, S-2251. The invasive hepatocarcinoma and non-invasive nephroma were induced with the same chemical carcinogen, dimethylnitrosamine, in F-344 rats and they were continuously transplanted under the renal capsule. While there was no difference in plasmin-like activities of the tumours, the plasminogen activator activity was very low in the nephroma, but high in the hepatocarcinoma.

Effect of polyamines on the carbamoyl-phosphate synthase activity of CAD protein.

The effects of polyamines were studied on carbamoyl-phosphate synthase II (EC 6.3.5.