Serine protease inhibitor activity of recombinant squamous cell carcinoma antigen towards chymotrypsin, as demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen was tested, by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, for its ability to inhibit the activity of serine proteases, i.e., trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase. We demonstrated that the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) of SCC antigen is specific for chymotrypsin. Preincubation of chymotrypsin with recombinant SCC antigen inhibited chymotryptic digestion of gelatin and ovalbumin through the formation of sodium dodecyl sulfate-stable complexes. These findings promote understanding of the biological functions of SCC antigen as serpin in the stratification of the normal squamous cells and in the malignant behavior of the tumor cells.

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen suppresses radiation-induced cell death

“…While most serpins are secreted and work extracellulary, ov-serpins are intracellular proteinase inhibitors, which are secreted only occasionally, without a signal sequence, by unknown mechanisms (Belin et al, 1989). Recombinant SCCA1 actually has the inhibitory activities of serine proteinase such as chymotrypsin and cysteine proteinases such as cathepsin L, K, S and papain, while SCCA2 is able to inhibit serine proteinases such as cathepsin G and mast cell chymase in vitro (Nawata et al, 1995(Nawata et al, , 1997Sehick et al, 1997Sehick et al, , 1998. Therefore, it was speculated that SCCA1 and SCCA2 might have some different biological functions.…”

Involvement of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen in Invasion and Metastasis of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Uterine Cervix

“…chymotrypsin and cysteine proteinases, e.g. cathepsin K, L, S and papain, whereas SCCA2 inhibits serine proteinases such as cathepsin G and chymase in vitro [9][10][11][12] (Table 1). For these reasons, SCCA1 and SCCA2 are thought to have different biological functions.…”

“…Both SCCA1 and SCCA2 belong to the ov-serpin family, and some of the ov-serpins have been reported to inhibit apoptosis [5]. In fact, SCCA1 inhibits both serine proteinases and cysteine proteinases, and SCCA2 inhibits serine proteinases [9][10][11][12]. Although the target proteinases are different, both SCCA1 and SCCA2 inhibit apoptosis.…”

Tumor-related protein, the squamous cell carcinoma antigen binds to the intracellular protein carbonyl reductase

“…Interestingly, both SCCA1 and SCCA2 belong to the serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) family (5,7). SCCA1 inhibits both serine proteinase and cysteine proteinase, while SCCA2 inhibits serine proteinase, chymase and cathepsin G (8)(9)(10)(11). These facts made us speculate that SCCAs may have important biological functions in squamous cell carcinoma.…”