N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid hydrolase: a metalloendopeptidase of the human intestinal microvillus membrane which degrades biologically active peptides.

Particulate fractions of human small intestinal mucosa contain an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA-peptide), a substrate used for clinical purposes to assess exocrine function of the pancreas (PABA test, pancreas function test). In this paper we describe the purification of PABA-peptide hydrolase (PPH) by immunoaffinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody (Mab), HBB 3/716/36, bound to protein A-Sepharose, and the characterization of the purified enzyme. The final preparation of the enzyme was in the immobilized form, i.e., bound to Mab-protein A-Sepharose, and showed a 765-fold enrichment over the mucosal homogenate. The enrichment factor in purified microvillus membranes was comparable to that of sucrase-isomaltase, a microvillar marker enzyme. This, together with immunoelectron microscopy using protein A-gold, indicated that PPH is located in the apical membrane of intestinal epithelial cells. The enzyme was found to be present throughout the small intestine with the activity in distal ileum being 4.5-fold higher than that in the proximal duodenum. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the immunoaffinity-purified PPH under reducing conditions revealed a polypeptide band with a relative molecular weight (Mr) of 100,000; under nonreducing conditions a major band with Mr 200,000 was observed. This indicates that PPH consists of two subunits with Mr 100,000 each, which are held together by one or more disulfide bonds. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the enzyme showed marked microheterogeneity, with pI's ranging from 6.0 to 6.85, probably due to glycosylation. The Km for PABA-peptide was 16.7 mM, and the pH optimum was 7.5-8.0 PPH activity was not inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride; pepstatin, leupeptin, amastatin, bestatin, puromycin, iodoacetate, or phosphoramidon. Activity was affected by captopril and Zinkov inhibitor, and in particular by thiol and chelating reagents. Chelator-inhibited PPH could be reactivated by bivalent metal ions, Zn2+ being the most effective. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of peptides including insulin B-chain, angiotensins I and II, bradykinin and bradykinin derivatives, oxytocin, and substance P, in each case yielding reproducible peptide fragments. On the basis of amino acid analysis of the products it could be concluded that peptides are hydrolyzed preferentially after an aromatic residue.