Carboxylesterases (EC 3.1.1.1) from human liver were purified using Q-Sepharose, Sephadex G-150, isoelectrofocusing and Con A-Sepharose. The calculated molecular mass of the pI 5.3 enzyme was 120 kDa and 61 kDa from the results of Sephadex G-150 gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), respectively, suggesting that this enzyme is a dimer. On the other hand, carboxylesterase pI 4.5, with a molecular mass of 64 kDa, was a monomer. The activities of both enzymes were inhibited by typical serine enzyme inhibitors. Amino acid sequence analysis of the purified enzymes pI 5.3 and 4.5 showed high homology with rabbit carboxylesterase form 1 and 2, respectively. The results also suggested that carboxylesterase pI 5.3 is identical to the deduced amino acid sequence from cDNA for HU1, and that carboxylesterase pI 4.5 is identical to the deduced amino acid sequence from the cDNA registered as human carboxylesterase (hCE-2) in GenBank. We first purified carboxylesterase pI 4.5 and investigated its hydrolytic activity upon various drugs. The two enzymes differed in substrate specificity. Prodrugs of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, such as delapril and imidapril, were converted to active metabolites by carboxylesterase pI 5.3, but not by carboxylesterase pI 4.5. The hydrolysis velocity of temocapril by carboxylesterase pI 5.3 was 12-fold faster than by carboxylesterase pI 4.5. In contrast, aspirin, oxybutynin and procaine were hydrolyzed by only carboxylesterase pI 4.5. We also found that an amide-linkage in drugs, except for that in aniracetam, was not a good substrate for the two enzymes. Consequently, carboxylesterases pI 5.3 and 4.5 may be involved in the metabolism of various drugs containing an ester-linkage.
人类肝脏中的
羧酸酯酶(
EC 3.1.1.1)通过Q-Sepharose、Sephadex G-150、等电聚焦和Con A-Sepharose进行纯化。pI 5.3酶的计算分子量为120 kDa,而通过Sephadex G-150凝胶滤过和
SDS-聚
丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(PAGE)得到的结果分别为61 kDa,这表明该酶是二聚体。另一方面,pI 4.5的
羧酸酯酶,分子量为64 kDa,是单体。这两种酶的活性均受到典型的
丝氨酸酶
抑制剂的抑制。纯化的pI 5.3和pI 4.5酶的
氨基酸序列分析显示与兔
羧酸酯酶1型和2型具有高度同源性。结果还表明,pI 5.3的
羧酸酯酶与从cDNA中推导出的HU1的
氨基酸序列相同,而pI 4.5的
羧酸酯酶与在GenBank中注册的人类
羧酸酯酶(hCE-2)的推导
氨基酸序列相同。我们首先纯化了pI 4.5的
羧酸酯酶,并研究了其对各种药物的
水解活性。这两种酶在底物特异性上有所不同。
血管紧张素转化酶抑制剂的前药,如德拉普利和伊米达普利,被pI 5.3
羧酸酯酶转化为活性代谢物,而pI 4.5
羧酸酯酶则无法转化。pI 5.3对肽环的
水解速率是pI 4.5的12倍。相反,只有pI 4.5
羧酸酯酶能
水解
阿司匹林、
奥昔布宁和
普鲁卡因。我们还发现,除阿尼拉西坦外,药物中的酰胺键对这两种酶并不是良好的底物。因此,pI 5.3和pI 4.5的
羧酸酯酶可能参与
水解含酯键的各种药物的代谢过程。