title: The tail nick augments Aeromonas sobria serine protease (ASP) activity in plasma through retarding inhibition by α2-macroglobulin.
abstract: ASP is a serine protease secreted by Aeromonas sobria, a sepsis-causing bacterium, and induces sepsis-mimicking disorders through plasma protein cleavage. The pathogen also secretes nASP that has a nick in the carboxy-terminal region. Compared with single-chain ASP (sASP), nASP had near-equivalent activity for small peptide substrates but was less proteolytic. Surprisingly, nASP cleaved proteins more in plasma and was inhibited by human α(2)-macroglobulin more slowly than sASP. Retarded inhibition by α(2)-macroglobulin allows nASP to keep proteolytic activity for longer in the host and exacerbate disorders at Aeromonas sobria infection sites. nASP may be an evolutional form to augment ASP virulence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Hidetomo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Keinosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamura
mesh_terms: D000333:Aeromonas / Q000201:enzymology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D059748:Proteolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D057057:Serine Proteases / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D057057:Serine Proteases