Plasminogen activators: general aspects and recent developments

Considerable interest in plasminogen activators as human thrombolytic drugs has stimulated rapid biotechnologic progresses. These enzymes have been classified in two immunochemically distinct groups: "urokinase-like" activators or u-PA which do not interact with fibrin and "tissue activator-like" activators or t-PA which interact with fibrin. Plasminogen activators are widely distributed in normal and malignant tissues and they are implicated in various physiological and pathological processes. They maintain the functional integrity of the vascular system and their presence may be of importance in tissue remodeling and cell migration. Urokinase and streptokinase are used in human thrombolytic therapy. However, the properties displayed by t-PA suggest that this enzyme may be a superior fibrinolytic agent. The primary structures of urokinase and t-PA are known; both enzymes have been synthesized by DNA technology. In order to produce t-PA in large quantities by gene cloning, intensive studies are conducted by pharmaceutical industries. Clinical trials using t-PA for dissolving thrombi in coronary heart disease, strokes and pulmonary embolism are in progress. This review presents the molecular and structural properties of plasminogen activators, as well as related physiological, pathological and therapeutic aspects.     

组织型纤溶酶原激活剂（t—PA）工程细胞系遗传特性及成瘤性分析

组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)因其在防止血栓形成中起重要作用而受到人们的重视。但由于t-PA在血液中半衰期很短,作为溶栓药,一时难于推广。为了延长半衰期、增强其特异活性,本组构建了t-PA突变体并在CHO-dhfr~-细胞中获得了高效表达。我们在细胞培养基中加入秋水仙素,通过低张、固定、染色,进行染色体分析,结果表明,t-PA工程细胞系染色体条数为20条,畸变类型有异着丝粒。四倍体、裂隙、断片,畸变率为15％,属于正常范围。同时我们对该细胞系进行成瘤性试验,选用4周龄裸鼠作为试验鼠,以Hela细胞为阳性对照,CHO-dhfr~-细胞为阴性对照,试验表明:t-PA工程细胞及表达产物对裸鼠均无成瘤性。     

t-PA cDNA在CHO细胞中的高效稳定表达

我们曾报道t-PA mRNA非翻译区序列对其表达有明显的抑制作用,在此基础上,通过对5′-UTR及3′-UTR的改造,使t-PA在COS-7细胞中的表达水平提高30倍左右。将t-PA表达质粒用电击法转染中国仓鼠卵巢细胞二氢叶酸还原酶缺陷株(CHO-dhfr),经过混合加压及筛选,在CHO细胞中高效表达了t-PA,表达水平达到5000～6000 IU/10~6细胞/24hr。重组t-PA具有与天然t-PA相同的分子量及酶活性。经过8个月连续传代,表达水平未下降,表明细胞株是稳定的,其主要指标均符合工程细胞株的要求。     

Observations on the influence of glutamine,asparagine and peptone on growth and t-PA production of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells

When a transfected CHO cell, that produces tissue-type Plasminogen Activator, t-PA, was transferred from a medium based on 5% Fetal Calf Serum, FCS, to a medium based on 0.8% casein peptone with variable glutamine and asparagine content, it was observed, that the growth of the cells changed from anchorage dependant to suspension culture giving more reproducible cultivations. In the FCS culture t-PA was unstable, observed as a decline in t-PA concentration after 250 h. This decline in t-PA concentration was not observed in the serum free culture, although there was a decline in productivity after 200 h. This change in production profile may be attributed to either no proteolytic attack from serum or by scavenging of proteolytic activities produced by the cells from the peptone peptides. Increasing amounts of glutamine/asparagine gave higher production of t-PA in synchrony with an increasing production of ammonia/ammonium ions. Ammonia inhibition does not seem to be a key factor for this cell line as seen with many others.     

组织型纤溶酶原激活剂突变体细胞t—PA基因拷贝数测定及分析

组织型纤溶酶原激活剂（t—PA）溶栓特异性高,但半衰期短。本组构建了增强纤维蛋白亲合力和延长半衰期的t—PA突变体表达细胞株。测定工程细胞株基因拷贝数是细胞生物学特性鉴定的一个方面。我们采用狭缝杂交法和SouthernBlot法对该细胞株t—PA基因进行了拷贝数测定,结果为30—60个拷贝。     

转人t-PA指形区缺失基因的山羊体细胞核移植及其继代核移植

为了探索转基因体细胞核经连续核移植后的发育潜力,以转人组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)指形区缺失基因的山羊胎儿成纤维细胞为核供体,MII期的卵母细胞质为核受体,利用胞质内注射法构建原代核移胚胎(G0),并进行了原代核移植胚胎的继代核移植研究。比较原代和继代核移植胚胎在体外发育能力上的差异;在G1、G2代核移植试验过程中,比较了供体胚胎细胞的发育阶段对核移植胚胎体外发育的影响。结果表明,原代核移植胚胎的卵裂率(76.45%±1.17%)与继代核移植胚胎的卵裂率(72.18%±1.97%,76.05%±2.38%,75.99%±2.84%)无显著性差异(P>0.05)。但原代核移植胚胎的桑葚胚率(47.20%±2.93%)、囊胚率(11.00%±1.42%)显著高于G1、G2、G3代核核移植胚胎的桑葚胚率(34.99%±2.66%,28.23%±2.00%,23.34%±1.99%)、囊胚率(3.87%±0.67%,2.08%±1.66%,0);在G1、G2中,当用16-细胞期核移植胚胎作为核供体时的桑葚胚率(29.57%±1.53%,24.43%±1.87%)、囊胚率(1.96%±1.31%,2.01%±1.34%)低于用32~64-细胞时期的核移植胚胎的桑葚胚率(34.32%±1.31%,29.76%±1.66%)、囊胚率(3.86%±1.03%,3.48%±0.34%),但无显著性差异(P>0.05)。由此得出结论:转基因体细胞核移植胚胎不宜进行多代克隆;胞质内注射法构建核移植胚胎,用32~64-细胞期的胚胎作为核供体构建的核移植胚胎的体外发育率高于用16-细胞期的胚胎作为核供体构建的核移植胚胎的体外发育率。     

Hepsin activates pro-hepatocyte growth factor and is inhibited by hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor-1B (HAI-1B) and HAI-2

Hepsin, a type II transmembrane serine protease, is highly upregulated in prostate cancer and promotes tumor progression and metastasis. We generated a soluble form of hepsin comprising the entire extracellular domain to show that it efficiently converts single-chain hepatocyte growth factor (pro-HGF) into biologically active two-chain HGF. Hepsin activity was potently inhibited by soluble forms of the bi-Kunitz domain inhibitors HAI-1B (IC(50) 21.1+/-2.7 nM) and HAI-2 (IC(50) 1.3+/-0.3 nM). Enzymatic assays with HAI-1B Kunitz domain mutants (R260A and K401A) further demonstrated that inhibition was due to Kunitz domain-1. The results suggest a functional link between hepsin and the HGF/Met pathway, which may contribute to tumor progression.     

tPA突变体在哺乳动物细胞中的表达

利用携带有二氢叶酸还原酶(dhfr)基因的pCI载体,实现tPA突变体(FrGGI)在CHO-dhfr^-细胞中的高效表达,获得高表达细胞株。采用分子克隆常规技术,将去除3’端非蛋白编码区的tPA突变体cDNA与pCI载体连接,构建真核表达载体pCI—tPA;采用阳离子脂质体转染法转染CHO-dhfr^-胞。经酶切及测序鉴定,证明所构建的质粒正确,转染CHO—dhfr细胞后,经过MTX加压筛选,得到了10株表达水平较高的细胞株,其活性可达每106细胞4000U／24h。以上结果为进行tPA突变体工程细胞株的筛选奠定了基础。     

人t-PA溶栓突变体的研究进展

人t-PA在机体循环中的纤溶系统中起重要作用,是一种内源性溶血栓因子,t-PA蛋白分子可直接用于溶栓治疗,但天然的t-PA分子在体内半衰期短,极最被清除,因而限制其广泛应用,根据它的结构特点而改造的一系列t-PA变体分子将成为新一代溶栓药物,在溶栓治疗中广泛应用。     

Human endothelial cells produce a plasminogen activator inhibitor and a tissue-type plasminogen activator-inhibitor complex

Serum-free conditioned media and cell extracts from cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were analyzed for plasminogen activator by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and enzymography on fibrin-indicator gels. Active bands of free and complexed tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) or urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) were identified by the incorporation of specific antibodies against, respectively, t-PA or u-PA in the indicator gel. The endothelial cells predominantly released a high-molecular-weight t-PA (95000–135000). This t-PA form was converted to M_r-72000 t-PA by 1.5 M NH₄OH/39 mM SDS. A component with high affinity for both t-PA and u-PA could be demonstrated in serum-free conditioned medium and endothelial cell extract. The complex between this component and M_r-72000 t-PA comigrated with high-molecular-weight t-PA. From the increase in M_r of t-PA or u-PA upon complex formation, the M_r of the endothelial cell component was estimated to be 50000–70000. The reaction between t-PA or u-PA and the plasminogen activator-binding component was blocked by 5 mM p-aminobenzamidine, while the complexes, once formed, could be cleaved by 1.5 M NH₄OH/39 mM SDS. These observations indicated that the active center of plasminogen activator was involed in the complex formation. It was further noted that serum-free conditioned medium of endothelial cell extract inhibited plasminogen activator activity when assayed by the fibrin-plate method. Evidence is provided that the plasminogen activator-binding component was different from a number of the known plasma serine proteinase inhibitors, the placenta inhibitor and the fibroblast surface protein, proteinase-nexin. We conclude that cultured endothelial cells produce a rapid inhibitor of u-PA and t-PA as well as a t-PA-inhibitor complex.