Comparison of a carboxypeptidase E-like enzyme in human, bovine, mouse, Xenopus, shark and Aplysia neural tissue

Several diverse species contain an enzyme with many properties in common with those of bovine carboxypeptidase E (CPE), a neuropeptide processing carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme. This enzyme has been designated EC 3.4.17.10, and is also known as enkephalin convertase and carboxypeptidase H. All tissues that are known to contain bioactive peptides also contain CPE-like enzymatic activity. In Xenopus laevis, enzyme activity is highest in the brain and pituitary, lower in the skin, and undetectable in liver and gut. In Aplysia californica, enzyme activity is highest in the atrial gland, but is also present in moderate amounts in the various neural tissue. CPE extracted from human, bovine, mouse, Xenopus, shark, and Aplysia neural tissue is substantially purified using substrate affinity chromatography and concanavalin A sepharose columns. The partially purified enzyme from all species examined possess very similar enzymatic properties. These properties include a pH optimum of 5.6, a stimulation by cobalt chloride, and an inhibition by chelating agents (1,10-phenanthroline). Arginine-derived active site-directed inhibitors show similar inhibition constants (Ki's) towards enzyme from the various species, whereas lysine-derived inhibitors are substantially less potent towards the Aplysia carboxypeptidase than towards enzyme isolated from the other species. The similar properties of the carboxypeptidase isolated from the various species suggests that a CPE-like is involved in the biosynthesis of many peptide neurotransmitters and hormones in a wide range of organisms.     

Enteral absorption of octreotide.

1. The somatostatin octapeptide-analogue, octreotide, is absorbed as intact peptide from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. 2. In situ absorption experiments in rats confirmed our recent intubation studies in human volunteers demonstrating that the peptide has preferential absorption sites in the small intestine. Absorption of octreotide was higher in the jejunum than in the duodenum or the ileum. 3. Experiments with bile-duct cannulated rats demonstrated that the absorption of octreotide decreased in the presence of bile, reflecting a negative influence of biliary components on the absorption of the peptide. 4. Uptake experiments using rat jejunal brush border membranes were performed to analyse the absorption mechanisms. The transport of octreotide into jejunal brush border membranes was significantly higher than the uptake into membrane vesicles isolated from rat ileum. When initial uptake (0-15s) rates into the membrane vesicles were calculated as a function of the peptide concentration, a saturable component could be observed, indicative of transport mechanisms different from simple diffusion.     

Genetic linkage of a novel autosomal dominant restrictive cardiomyopathy locus

Background: In recent years, non-syndromic idiopathic cardiomyopathies have increasingly been characterised as autosomal dominant conditions caused by single gene mutations. Loci have been identified for hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy, and in some cases the same loci are associated with restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). In a kindred with RCM that we previously reported, we ruled out the known cardiomyopathy loci and other candidate genes by linkage analysis and mutation screening. Methods and Results: Here we report a genome-wide analysis in this family that has resulted in linkage to a region on chromosome 10. Conclusions: There are no genes in the interval that are known to cause idiopathic cardiomyopathy, and thus this linkage represents localisation of a new RCM locus.     

Mutation spectrum and genotype-phenotype analyses in Cowden disease and Bannayan-Zonana syndrome, two hamartoma syndromes with germline PTEN mutation

The tumour suppressor gene PTEN , which maps to 10q23.3 and encodes a 403 amino acid dual specificity phosphatase (protein tyrosine phosphatase; PTPase), was shown recently to play a broad role in human malignancy. Somatic PTEN deletions and mutations were observed in sporadic breast, brain, prostate and kidney cancer cell lines and in several primary tumours such as endometrial carcinomas, malignant melanoma and thyroid tumours. In addition, PTEN was identified as the susceptibility gene for two hamartoma syndromes: Cowden disease (CD; MIM 158350) and Bannayan-Zonana (BZS) or Ruvalcaba-Riley-Smith syndrome (MIM 153480). Constitutive DNA from 37 CD families and seven BZS families was screened for germline PTEN mutations. PTEN mutations were identified in 30 of 37 (81%) CD families, including missense and nonsense point mutations, deletions, insertions, a deletion/insertion and splice site mutations. These mutations were scattered over the entire length of PTEN , with the exception of the first, fourth and last exons. A 'hot spot' for PTEN mutation in CD was identified in exon 5 that contains the PTPase core motif, with 13 of 30 (43%) CD mutations identified in this exon. Seven of 30 (23%) were within the core motif, the majority (five of seven) of which were missense mutations, possibly pointing to the functional significance of this region. Germline PTEN mutations were identified in four of seven (57%) BZS families studied. Interestingly, none of these mutations was observed in the PTPase core motif. It is also worthy of note that a single nonsense point mutation, R233X, was observed in the germline DNA from two unrelated CD families and one BZS family. Genotype-phenotype studies were not performed on this small group of BZS families. However, genotype-phenotype analysis inthe group of CD families revealed two possible associations worthy of follow-up in independent analyses. The first was an association noted in the group of CD families with breast disease. A correlation was observed between the presence/absence of a PTEN mutation and the type of breast involvement (unaffected versus benign versus malignant). Specifically and more directly, an association was also observed between the presence of a PTEN mutation and malignant breast disease. Secondly, there appeared to be an interdependent association between mutations upstream and within the PTPase core motif, the core motif containing the majority of missense mutations, and the involvement of all major organ systems (central nervous system, thyroid, breast, skin and gastrointestinal tract). However, these observations would need to be confirmed by studying a larger number of CD families.