Aminopeptidases inCaenorhabditis elegansandPanagrellus redivivus: detection using peptide and non-peptide substrates

Abstract

AbstractAminopeptidase activities were detected in extracts of the free-living nematodesCaenorhabditis elegansandPanagrellus redivivususing the aminoacyl substrate L-alanine-4-nitroanilide. The activities exhibited similarities in Km (C.elegans= 2.22 mM;P.REDIVIVUS= 2.09 Mm) and specific activity (C.elegans=1.38±0.43 mAU min-1 μg-1;P. redivivus, 1.23±0.18 mAU min-1 μg-1). Each is inhibited competitively by amastatin (C. elegansIC50=0.46 μm;P. redivivusIC50=15.90 μm) and non-competitively by leuhistin (C. elegansIC50=3.00 μm;P. redivivusIC50=37.35 μm). The bioactive peptides adipokinetic hormone and substance P decrease the apparent aminopeptidase activities of each extract suggesting that the peptides compete with the Ala-pNA as substrates. With each extract, adipokinetic hormone appeared to be the more effective substrate. Digestion of adipokinetic hormone byC. elegansandP. redivivusextracts in the presence and absence of 1 mm amastatin produced distinct chromatographic profiles that suggest different digestion patterns for the two species. However, amastatin had clear effects on chromatographic profiles from each species indicating that an aminopeptidase is involved in the digestion of the peptide substrates. The data presented indicate that extracts of free-living nematodes are capable of metabolizing peptide hormones, and that this metabolism involves substrate-selective aminopeptidases.