title: Fluorimetric assay of the neurotensin-degrading metalloendopeptidase, endopeptidase 24.16.
abstract: Mcc-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-D-Lys-Dnp (Mcc = 3-carboxy-7-methoxycoumarin; Dnp = dinitrophenyl), a quenched fluorimetric substrate originally designed as a probe to measure Pz-peptidase (also called endopeptidase 24.15), was examined as a putative substrate of the neurotensin-degrading neutral metalloendopeptidase, endopeptidase 24.16. During the purification of endopeptidase 24.16 the neurotensin(1-10) and neurotensin(11-13) formation due to this enzyme was coeluted with Mcc-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-D-Lys-Dnp-hydrolysing activity. By both fluorimetric and h.p.l.c. analyses, we observed that the latter activity was dose-dependently and completely abolished by neurotensin with an IC50 value (2.6 microM) that closely corresponds to the affinity of purified endopeptidase 24.16 for neurotensin (Km = 2.5 microM). Furthermore, Mcc-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-D-Lys-Dnp hydrolysis was inhibited by a series of dipeptides with a rank of order of potencies that parallels that observed in competition experiments of tritiated neurotensin hydrolysis by brain and intestinal endopeptidase 24.16. Altogether, these data clearly demonstrate that, in addition to Pz-peptidase, Mcc-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-D-Lys-Dnp also behaves as a substrate of endopeptidase 24.16, with a Km of about 26 microM. In addition, we show that, even in crude membrane preparations, Mcc-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-D-Lys-Dnp behaves as a useful tool to monitor and accurately quantify endopeptidase 24.16.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, Valbonne, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dauch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barelli
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Checler
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D005470:Fluorometry / Q000379:methods*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007700:Kinetics; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000378:metabolism*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D009842:Oligopeptides; C064546:7-methoxycoumarin-3-carboxylyl-prolyl-leucyl-glycyl-prolyl-lysyl-2,4-dinitrophenyl; D009496:Neurotensin; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C062316:neurolysin