ISSN:
0148-7280
Keywords:
ascidian
;
sperm
;
acrosin-like enzyme
;
protease
;
lysin
;
fertilization
;
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
The presence of a protease has been demonstrated in sperm of the solitary ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi, by using t-butyloxycarbonyl-L-Val-L-Pro-L-Arg-4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide (Boc-Val-Pro-Arg-MCA) and other arginyl or lysyl MCA derivatives as substrates. Several properties of the enzyme were investigated in a crude extract. The activity had a pH optimum near 8.0 and was enhanced by the addition of CaCl2. The Km value of 87μM was determined for Boc-Val-Pro-Arg-MCA under the optimal conditions. An apparent molecular weight was estimated to be 35,000 by gel filtration. The enzyme was inhibited with diisopropyl fluorophosphate, leupeptin, antipain, p-aminobenzamidine, Val-Pro-Arg-CH2Cl, and soybean trypsin inhibitor, but scarcely inhibited with chymostatin, elastatinal, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, tosyl-Lys-CH2Cl, and tosyl-Phe-CH2Cl. Boc-Val-Pro-Arg-MCA, the most susceptible of the substrates examined, showed the most effective inhibition against fertilization of ascidian eggs.Thus, this enzyme in ascidian sperm extract has features closely similar to mammalian acrosin [EC 3.4.21.10], and we conclude that the enzyme is involved in fertilization as one of the lysins.
Additional Material:
2 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mrd.1120050309
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