Hypothesis: butyrate is not an HDAC inhibitor, but a product inhibitor of deacetylation

The short-chain fatty acid butyrate is classically referred to as an inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACi), however evidence from direct assays is both sparse and contradictory. This paper assesses the strength of the historical evidence, potential gaps, inadequacies and simplifications in the butyrate-as-HDACi hypothesis. An alternate model to explain the action of butyrate is proposed wherein butyrate acts as a product inhibitor of deacetylation. The model makes testable predictions which may enable future determination of the mode of action of this and other SCFAs.     

Actin is a noncompetitive plasmin inhibitor.

Actin, one of the most abundant cellular proteins, circulates at micromolar concentrations in peripheral blood. Because actin released from dying cells may be trapped in fibrin clots that form at sites of tissue injury, we examined the effects of actin upon lysis of fibrin clots in vitro. Incorporation of native rabbit skeletal muscle actin into fibrin clots slowed their rates of lysis for periods of up to 24 h, an effect not seen when comparable concentrations of human IgG or bovine serum albumin were added instead. Actins isolated from a variety of sources inhibited plasmin's hydrolysis of the synthetic substrate S-2251 in a noncompetitive manner, with a Ki of a 0.6-3.1 microM. Inhibition was rapid, but covalent actin-plasmin complexes were not formed. Both epsilon-aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid prevented actin's inhibition of plasmin, suggesting that accessible lysine residues of actin interact with the kringle (lysine-binding) regions of plasmin. Neither of the high-affinity actin-binding proteins of plasma (plasma gelsolin and vitamin D-binding protein) prevented actin from inhibiting plasmin. These findings suggest that actin released into the extracellular space following cell death may modulate plasmin action, and hence a number of plasmin-dependent biological responses, at sites of inflammation and tissue injury.     

Kinetics of the reactions between streptokinase, plasmin and alpha 2-antiplasmin.

Streptokinase reacts very rapidly with human plasmin (rate constant 5.4 S 10(7) M-1 s-1) forming a 1:1 stoichiometric complex which has a dissociation constant of 5 X 10(-11) M. This plasmin-streptokinase complex is 10(5) times less reactive towards alpha 2-antiplasmin than plasmin, the inhibition rate constant being 1.4 X 10(2) M-1 s-1. The loss of reactivity of the streptokinase-plasmin complex towards alpha 2-antiplasmin is independent of the lysine binding sites in plasmin since low-Mr plasmin, which lacks these sites, and plasmin in which the sites have been blocked by 6-aminohexanoic acid, are both equally unreactive towards alpha 2-antiplasmin on reaction with streptokinase. The plasmin-streptokinase complex binds to Sepharose-lysine and Sepharose-fibrin monomer in the same fashion as free plasmin, showing that the lysine binding sites are fully exposed in the complex. Bovine plasmin is rapidly inhibited by human alpha 2-antiplasmin (k1 = 1.6 X 10(6) M-1 s-1) and similarly loses reactivity towards the inhibitor on complex formation with streptokinase (50% binding at 0.4 microM streptokinase).     

Thrombospondin is a slow tight-binding inhibitor of plasmin.

Thrombospondin is a multifunctional glycoprotein of platelet alpha-granules and a variety of growing cells. We demonstrate that thrombospondin is a slow tight-binding inhibitor of plasmin as determined by loss of amidolytic activity, loss of ability to cleave fibrinogen, and decreased lysis zones in fibrin plate assays. Stoichiometric titrations indicate that approximately 1 mol of plasmin interacts with 1 mol of thrombospondin, an unexpected result considering the trimeric nature of thrombospondin. Plasmin in a complex with streptokinase or bound to epsilon-aminocaproic acid is protected from inhibition by thrombospondin, thereby implicating the lysine-binding kringle domains of plasmin in the inhibition process. Thrombospondin also inhibits urokinase plasminogen activator, but more slowly than plasmin, stimulates the amidolytic activity of tissue plasminogen activator, and has no effect on the amidolytic activity of alpha-thrombin or factor Xa. These results, therefore, identify thrombospondin as a new type of serine proteinase inhibitor and potentially important regulator of fibrinolysis.     

Alpha2-macroglobulin is a novel substrate for ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 and represents an endogenous inhibitor of these enzymes

Osteoarthritis is characterized by the loss of aggrecan and collagen from the cartilage extracellular matrix. The proteinases responsible for the breakdown of cartilage aggrecan include ADAMTS-4 (aggrecanase 1) and ADAMTS-5 (aggrecanase 2). Post-translational inhibition of ADAMTS-4/-5 activity may be important for maintaining normal homeostasis of aggrecan metabolism, and thus, any disruption to this inhibition could lead to accelerated aggrecan breakdown. To date TIMP-3 (tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-3) is the only endogenous inhibitor of ADAMTS-4/-5 that has been identified. In the present studies we identify alpha(2)-macroglobulin (alpha(2)M) as an additional endogenous inhibitor of ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5. alpha(2)M inhibited the activity of both ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 in a concentration-dependent manner, demonstrating 1:1 stoichiometry with second-order rate constants on the order of 10(6) and 10(5) m(-1) s(-1), respectively. Inhibition of the aggrecanases was mediated by proteolysis of the bait region within alpha(2)M, resulting in physical entrapment of these proteinases. Both ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 cleaved alpha(2)M at Met(690)/Gly(691), representing a novel proteinase cleavage site within alpha(2)M and a novel site of cleavage for ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5. Finally, the use of the anti-neoepitope antibodies to detect aggrecanase-generated alpha(2)M-fragments in synovial fluid was investigated and found to be uninformative.     

Alpha 2-antiplasmin's carboxy-terminal lysine residue is a major site of interaction with plasmin

alpha 2-Antiplasmin (AP) inhibits plasmin in a two-step reaction in which AP reversibly binds to lysine-binding sites of plasmin and, then, more slowly complexes covalently with the enzyme's active site. Here, we show that the C-terminal lysine residue of AP has a key role in binding of the inhibitor to plasmin. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the C-terminal 26 amino acid residues of AP blocked association of AP with plasmin, but this activity of the peptide was lost when its C-terminal lysine residue was removed with carboxypeptidase B. The essential role of this lysine residue was shown more directly by treating AP with carboxypeptidase B and observing that AP lost its ability to inhibit plasmin rapidly.     

Spinally-mediated antinociception is induced in mice by an adenosine kinase-, but not by an adenosine deaminase-, inhibitor.

Relative involvement of adenosine deaminase and adenosine kinase in antinociception induced by endogenous adenosine was investigated. Antinociception induced by 5'-amino 5'-deoxyadenosine (5'-ADAdo; an adenosine kinase inhibitor) and deoxycoformycin (dCF; an adenosine deaminase inhibitor) administered i.t. was determined using the mouse tail-flick assay. Dose- and time-dependent antinociception was observed following i.t. administration of 5'-ADAdo, but not dCF. Antinociception induced by 5'-ADAdo was reversed by coadministration i.t. of theophylline, an adenosine receptor antagonist, in a dose-dependent manner. These data provide preliminary evidence that adenosine kinase plays a more significant physiological role than adenosine deaminase in the regulation of adenosine involved in spinally-mediated antinociception.     

Inhibition of cell surface receptor-bound plasmin by alpha 2-antiplasmin and alpha 2-macroglobulin.

The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the reaction of alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2AP) and alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) with human plasmin bound to rat C6 glioma cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Binding of plasmin (0.1 microM) to C6 cells at 4 degrees C did not cause cell detachment, decrease viability or change cell morphology. The KD and Bmax for the binding of diisopropyl phosphoryl plasmin (DIP-plasmin) to C6 cells were 0.9 microM and 2.6 x 10(6) sites/cell. The dissociation rate constants (koff) for 125I-plasmin were 9.7 x 10(-4) and 4.0 x 10(-4) s-1 at 4 degrees C in the presence and absence of 0.3 microM DIP-plasmin, respectively. Similar constants were determined for 125I-plasminogen and 125I-DIP-plasmin. Neither alpha 2AP nor alpha 2M affected the dissociation of DIP-plasmin. C6 cell-associated 125I-plasmin reacted slowly with alpha 2AP; however, the inhibition rate constants exceeded the koff. alpha 2AP-plasmin complex formed after the plasmin dissociated into solution (reaction pathway 1) and by direct reaction of alpha 2AP with cell-associated enzyme (reaction pathway 2). High concentrations of alpha 2AP favored pathway 2. C6 cell-associated plasmin was also protected from inhibition by alpha 2M. While the same pathways were probably involved in this reaction, alpha 2M was less effective than alpha 2AP as an inhibitor of nondissociated plasmin (pathway 2). When C6 cell-bound plasmin reacted with alpha 2AP, alpha 2AP-plasmin complex was recovered primarily in the medium, suggesting dissociation of complexes formed on the cell surface. Plasmin-receptor dissociation and inhibition experiments were performed at 22 degrees and 37 degrees C, confirming the conclusions of the 4 degrees C studies. Comparable results were also obtained using HUVEC cultures. These studies demonstrate that cell-associated plasmin is protected from inhibition by alpha 2M as well as alpha 2AP. At least two reaction pathways may be demonstrated for the inhibition of plasmin that is initially receptor-bound; however, neither pathway is highly effective, accounting for the "plasmin-protective" activity of the cell surface.     

Alpha 2-macroglobulin is the primary inhibitor of miniplasmin in vitro and in vivo in the mouse. Comparison with alpha 2-antiplasmin in simultaneous reaction experiments.

Miniplasmin reacted rapidly with purified human alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M). More than 98% of the complexes were stabilized by at least one covalent bond. The second-order rate constant for the reaction of alpha 2M with miniplasmin at 4 degrees C was 5.1 x 10(5) M-1.s-1. This value was determined by measuring the formation of covalent alpha 2M-125I-miniplasmin complex; however, the rate constant most likely reflects the bait-region cleavage step in the reaction mechanism. Miniplasmin bound primarily to alpha 2M when incubated at 37 degrees C with various mixtures of alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2AP) and alpha 2M. A 2.4-fold molar excess of alpha 2AP was required to yield an equal distribution of proteinase between the two inhibitors. alpha 2M was the primary miniplasmin inhibitor in human and murine plasma (4 degrees C and 37 degrees C). The extent of covalent-bond formation with murine alpha 2M was approx. 96%. Intravenously injected miniplasmin cleared rapidly from the circulation of mice and was recovered principally in the liver. The catabolic pathway was distinctly different from that of miniplasminogen, which was sequestered mainly in the kidneys. The rate of miniplasmin clearance was much faster than that of purified alpha 2AP-miniplasmin complex, suggesting reaction with alpha 2M in vivo. This was confirmed in clearance competition experiments with alpha 2M-methylamine.     

3-Aminotriazole is a substrate for lactoperoxidase but not for catalase

Rapid scan spectrophotometry has been applied to investigate the reaction of 3-aminotriazole with mammalian heme enzymes, represented by lactoperoxidase and bovine liver catalase. The results clearly indicate that 3-aminotriazole is a substrate for lactoperoxidase compounds I, II and III, but it does not convert catalase compound I to II under conditions favoring peroxidatic activity of the enzyme. The possible physiological significance of these findings is discussed.     

Features of the interaction between alpha2-antiplasmin and plasminogen/plasmin

The kinetic of plasmin, Va1442-plasmin, Lys530-plasmin inhibition reaction by alpha 2-antiplasmin as well as interaction of the inhibitor with different derivatives of the plasminogen and its fragments were studied. It was shown that plasmin, mini- and micro-plasmin activity decreased by 97, 88 and 85%, respectively, for equimolar ratio 1:1 of the inhibitor. The value of the inhibition reached its maximum in 1-2, 5-10 and 10-15 min, respectively. The constants of the complex formation rate were 1.4 x 10(6); 1.7 x 10(5) and 6.2 x 10(4) M-1s-1 for the plasmin, mini- and micro-plasmin with alpha 2-antiplasmin, respectively. Both 10(-2) M 6-aminohexanoic acid and 10(-1) M arginine reduced the complex formation rate between plasmin, mini-plasmin and alpha 2-antiplasmin to the value of the rate reaction between micro-plasmin and inhibitor. alpha 2-Antiplasmin bound with all investigated derivatives and fragments of plasminogen. The amount of inhibitor decreased in the series: plasmin, kringle 1-3, kringle 4, mini-plasminogen, micro-plasminogen. The kringle 1-4 and kringle 5 were determined to control the rate of reaction between enzyme and inhibitor, being not necessary for the inhibition. The comparison of the inhibitor interaction with DPP-plasmin, mini-plasminogen and micro-plasminogen displayed the possibility of the additional region existence in catalytic domain. This region participated in the complex with alpha 2-antiplasmin formation. It is supposed that the multisite interaction between plasmin and alpha 2-antiplasmin provides for the specificity and efficiency the inhibitor action.     

Association of fibrinogen and plasmin inhibitor,but not coagulation factor XIII gene polymorphisms with coronary artery disease

BackgroundIn the final phase of clot formation, fibrinogen constitutes frame, whereas factor XIII (FXIII) active form is responsible for the covalent cross-linking of fibrin fibres and plasmin inhibitor (PI), thus contributing to clot stability. It could be expected that any change of coagulation factors'' structure affects the clot formation and modulates the atherothrombotic risk. The aim was to determine the frequency of four single nucleotide polymorphisms: (i) A > G in codon 312 of the fibrinogen α-chain gene (rs6050, Thr312AlaFGA), (ii) C > T at position 10034 of the 3 - untranslated region in the fibrinogen γ-chain gene (rs2066865, 10034C > T FGG), (iii) C > T in codon 564 of the FXIII-A subunit gene (rs5982, Pro564LeuFXIII-A), and (iv) C > T in codon 6 of the plasmin inhibitor gene (rs2070863, Arg6TrpPI) in Croatian patients and their association with coronary artery disease (CAD).MethodsWe performed the unrelated case-control association study on the consecutive sample of patients 18 years old, who had undergone coronary angiography for investigation of chest pain and suspected CAD. The cases were patients with confirmed CAD (N=201), and the controls were the subjects with no CAD (N=119). Samples were genotyped using PCR-RFLP analysis.ResultsObserved frequencies of the rare alleles of Thr312Ala FGA, 10034C > T FGG, Leu564Pro FXIII-A and Arg6Trp PI polymorphisms were 21%, 17%, 14%, 20%, respectively. Patients with 10034C > T FGG CC genotype had 3.5 times (95% CI 1.02-12.03) higher adjusted odds for CAD than patients with 10034C > T FGG TT genotype. Patients with Arg6Trp PI CC genotype had 3.86 times (95% CI 1.23-12.12) higher odds for CAD than patients with Arg6Trp PI TT genotype. It seems that those genotype-related higher odds are also male-gender related. No difference was observed regarding any other investigated polymorphism.ConclusionsOur finding suggests that 10034C > T FGG and Arg6Trp PI are associated with CAD.     

Serpin-serine protease binding kinetics: alpha 2-antiplasmin as a model inhibitor.

We have examined in detail the kinetics of binding of the serpin alpha 2-antiplasmin to the serine proteases alpha-chymotrypsin and plasmin. These represent model systems for serpin binding. We find, in contrast to earlier published results with alpha 2-antiplasmin and plasmin, that binding is reversible, and slow binding kinetics can be observed, under appropriate conditions. Binding follows a two-step process with both enzymes, with the formation of an initial loose complex which then proceeds to a tightly bound complex. In the absence of lysine and analogues, equilibrium between alpha 2-antiplasmin and plasmin is achieved rapidly, with an overall inhibition constant (Ki') of 0.3 pM. In the presence of tranexamic acid or 6-aminohexanoic acid, lysine analogues that mimic the effects of fibrin, plasmin binding kinetics are changed such that equilibrium is reached slowly following a lag phase after mixing of enzyme and inhibitor. The Ki' is also affected, rising to 2 pM in the presence of 6-aminohexanoic acid concentrations above 15 mM. Thus extrapolation to the in vivo situation indicates that complex formation in the presence of fibrin will be delayed, allowing a burst of enzyme activity following plasmin generation, but a tight, pseudoirreversible complex will result eventually. Chymotrypsin is more weakly inhibited by alpha 2-antiplasmin, exhibiting an overall Ki' of 0.1 nM, after two-stage complex formation. The inhibition constant for the initial loose complex (Ki) is very similar for both enzymes. The difference in binding strength between the two enzymes is accounted for by the dissociation rate constant of the second step of complex formation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

On the structure of the stable complex between plasmin and alpha-2-antiplasmin

Rabbits were immunized with a conjugate of leukotriene (LT) C₄ and bovine serum albumin prepared by coupling the single free amino group of the hapten to the protein using gluteraldehyde. Binding of [³H]LTC₄ to the antibodies obtained is inhibited by 50% with 1.5 ng LTC₄. The relative cross-reaction of LTD₄ is 16% and of LTC₄-methyl ester 3.6%. The validity of the radioimmunoassay was demonstrated by comparison with bioassay using the isolated guinea pig ileum. Using the radioimmunoassay it could be shown that endogenous LTC₄ is released in a dose-dependent manner by human polymorphonuclear leucocytes stimulated with the divalent cation ionophore A23187.     

Sublancin is not a lantibiotic but an S-linked glycopeptide

Sublancin is shown to be an S-linked glycopeptide containing a glucose attached to a cysteine residue, establishing a new post-translational modification. The activity of the S-glycosyl transferase was reconstituted in vitro, and the enzyme is shown to have relaxed substrate specificity, allowing the preparation of analogs of sublancin. Glycosylation is essential for its antimicrobial activity.     

Human ornithine decarboxylase paralogue (ODCp) is an antizyme inhibitor but not an arginine decarboxylase

ODC (ornithine decarboxylase), the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, is regulated by specific inhibitors, AZs (antizymes), which in turn are inhibited by AZI (AZ inhibitor). We originally identified and cloned the cDNA for a novel human ODC-like protein called ODCp (ODC paralogue). Since ODCp was devoid of ODC catalytic activity, we proposed that ODCp is a novel form of AZI. ODCp has subsequently been suggested to function either as mammalian ADC (arginine decarboxylase) or as AZI in mice. Here, we report that human ODCp is a novel AZI (AZIN2). By using yeast two-hybrid screening and in vitro binding assay, we show that ODCp binds AZ1-3. Measurements of the ODC activity and ODC degradation assay reveal that ODCp inhibits AZ1 function as efficiently as AZI both in vitro and in vivo. We further demonstrate that the degradation of ODCp is ubiquitin-dependent and AZ1-independent similar to the degradation of AZI. We also show that human ODCp has no intrinsic ADC activity.     

Primary structure of human alpha 2-antiplasmin, a serine protease inhibitor (serpin)

The plasma protein alpha 2-antiplasmin is the main physiological inhibitor of the serine protease plasmin, which is responsible for the dissolution of fibrin clots. We have determined the primary structure of mature human alpha 2-antiplasmin by DNA sequencing of overlapping cDNA fragments prepared from human liver mRNA. cDNA clones were identified by hybridization with a 48-base pair deoxyoligonucleotide probe deduced from the sequence of a 16-amino acid peptide of alpha 2-antiplasmin. Mature human alpha 2-antiplasmin contains 452 amino acids. It is homologous (23-28%) with five other proteins belonging to the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily. Its reactive site, i.e. the peptide bond cleaved by reaction with its primary target enzyme, plasmin, consists of Arg364-Met365. This dipeptide corresponds to the reactive site Met358-Ser359 of the archetypal serpin, alpha 1-antitrypsin.