Three-dimensional structural studies on fragments of fibrinogen and fibrin

Fibrinogen is a 340 kDa glycoprotein found in the blood plasma of all vertebrates. It is transformed into a fibrin clot by the action of thrombin. Recent X-ray structures of core fragments of both fibrinogen and fibrin have revealed many details about this polymerization event. These include structures of a 30 kDa recombinant γC domain, an 86 kDa fragment D from human fibrinogen and a cross-linked double-D fragment from fibrin.     

Production of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in Aspergillus niger

A protease-deficient strain of Aspergillus niger has been used as a host for the production of human tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). In defined medium, up to 0.07 mg t-PA (g biomass)(-1) was produced in batch and fed-batch cultures and production was increased two- to threefold in two-phase batch cultures in which additional glucose was provided as a single pulse at the end of the first batch growth phase. Production was increased [up to 1.9 mg t-PA (g biomass)(-1)] by the addition of soy peptone to the defined medium. The rate of t-PA production in batch cultures supplemented with soy peptone (0.2 to 0.6 mg t-PA L(-1) h(-1)) was comparable to rates observed previously in high-producing mammalian or insect cell cultures. In glucose-limited chemostat culture supplemented with soy peptone, t-PA was produced at a rate of 0.7 mg t-PA L(-1) h(-1). Expression of t-PA in A. niger resulted in increased expression of genes (bipA, pdiA, and cypB) involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR). However, when cypB was overexpressed in a t-PA-producing strain, t-PA production was not increased. The t-PA produced in A. niger was cleaved into two chains of similar molecular weight to two-chain human melanoma t-PA. The two chains appeared to be stable for at least 16 h in culture supernatant of the host strain. However, in general, <1% of the t-PA produced in A. niger was active, and active t-PA disappeared from the culture supernatant during the stationary phase of batch cultures, suggesting that the two-chain t-PA may have been incorrectly processed or that initial proteolytic cleavage occurred within the proteolytic domain of the protein. Total t-PA (detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay) also eventually disappeared from culture supernatants, confirming significant extracellular proteolytic activity, even though the host strain was protease-deficient.     

T-cell receptor structure and TCR complexes

The first crystal structures of intact T-cell receptors (TCRs) and their complexes with MHC peptide antigens (pMHC) were reported during the past year, along with those of a single-chain TCR Fv fragment and a β-chain complexed with two different bacterial superantigens. These structures have shown the similarities and differences in the architecture of the antigen-binding regions of TCRs and antibodies, and how the TCR interacts with pMHC ligands as well as with superantigens     

The potential improvement of thrombolytic therapy by targeting with bispecific monoclonal antibodies: Why they are used and how they are made

The generation of the proteolytic enzyme plasmin from its inactive precursor plasminogen, mediated by so called plasminogen activators, is the essential step in thrombolytic therapy. Plasmin is responsible for the degradation of the insoluble fibrin, the major component of a thrombus, to soluble fibrin degradation products. So far, the use of the more recently developed thrombolytic agents single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scu-PA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) were disappointing, mainly due to some of their negative propertiesin vivo, i.e., rapid inhibition and/or hepatic clearance. Besides some background information on the haemostatic balance; t-PA and scu-PA structure; and mechanisms of action, we here review some reported attempts to improve on these agents for thrombolytic therapy following various strategies. One of the more potential strategies, antibody-targeted thrombolytic therapy using bispecific monoclonal antibodies, is discussed somewhat more extensively, as are the several procedures that can befollowed for bispecific antibody preparation.     

Structure and function of human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA)

Full-length tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) cDNA served to construct deletion mutants within the N-terminal "heavy" (H)-chain of the t-PA molecule. The H-chain cDNA consists of an array of structural domains homologous to domains present on other plasma proteins ("finger," "epidermal growth factor," "kringles"). These structural domains have been located on an exon or a set of exons. The endpoints of the deletions nearly coincide with exon-intron junctions of the chromosomal t-PA gene. Recombinant t-PA deletion mutant proteins were obtained after transient expression in mouse Ltk- cells, transfected with SV40-pBR322-derived t-PA cDNA plasmids. It is demonstrated that the serine protease moiety of t-PA and its substrate specificity for plasminogen is entirely contained within the C-terminal "light" (L)-chain of the protein. The presence of cDNA, encoding the t-PA signal peptide preceding the remaining portion of t-PA, suffices to achieve secretion of (mutant) t-PA into the medium. The stimulatory effect of fibrin on the plasminogen activator activity of t-PA was shown to be mediated by the kringle K2 domain and, to a lesser extent, by the finger domain. The other domains on the H-chain, kringle K1, and the epidermal growth-factor-like domain, do not contribute to this property of t-PA. These findings correlate well with the fibrin-binding properties of the rt-PA deletion-mutant proteins, indicating that stimulation of the activity is based on aligning of the substrate plasminogen and its enzyme t-PA on the fibrin matrix. The primary target for endothelial plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) is located within the L-chain of t-PA. Deleting specific segments of t-PA H-chain cDNA and subsequent transient expression in mouse Ltk- cells of t-PA deletion-mutant proteins did not affect the formation of a stable complex between mutant t-PA and PAI.     

组织型纤溶酶原活化物的纯化及性质研究

新鲜猪心组织制成丙酮粉后,用0.45mol/L,pH4.2醋酸钾抽提组织型纤溶酶原活化物(t-PA)。抽提液经硫酸铵盐析,Benzamidine和血纤维蛋白亲和层析,Sephadex G-150凝胶过滤,纯化得到t-PA。比活11000IU/mg,经SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳鉴定,分子量为67000。 本文比较了t-PA、高分子量尿激酶(H-UK)和低分子量尿激酶(L-UK)的热稳定性及抑制剂对它们的抑制作用。结果表明,抑制剂对H-UK的抑制作用最强,L-UK次之,t-PA最弱;三者的热稳定性相似。     

人组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)mRNA5′端非翻译区(UTR)对其表达的调控

运用反转录-PCR技术,从黑色素瘤细胞中扩增出t—PA cDNA 5′末端460bp的片段,再经重组获得含完整5′-UTR的t—PA cDNA克隆,在兔网织红细胞裂解物中翻译和COS-7细胞中表达发现,t—PA mRNA 5′—UTR对其表达有明显的抑制作用。将t—PA mRNA 5′—UTR用苜蓿病毒RNA 5′—UTR替换,使t—PA的表达水平提高3-7倍,mRNA翻译起始区二级结构分析结果表明,翻译起始区的二级结构与t-PA的表达水平有关。     

Longistatin, a novel plasminogen activator from vector ticks, is resistant to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1

Thrombo-occlusive diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality, and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is recommended for the treatment of the maladies. However, both t-PA and u-PA are rapidly inactivated by plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Here, we show that longistatin, a novel plasminogen activator isolated from the ixodid tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis is resistant to PAI-1. Longistatin was relatively less susceptible to the inhibitory effect of SDS-treated platelet lysate than physiologic PAs. Platelet lysate inhibited t-PA and tcu-PA with the IC₅₀ of 7.7 and 9.1 μg/ml, respectively, whereas for longistatin inhibition IC₅₀ was 20.1 μg/ml (p < 0.01). Similarly, activated PAI-1 (20 nM) inhibited only 21.47% activity of longistatin but almost completely inhibited t-PA (99.17%) and tcu-PA (96.84%). Interestingly, longistatin retained 76.73% initial activity even after 3 h of incubation with 20 nM of PAI-1. IC₅₀ of PAI-1 during longistatin inhibition was 88.3 nM while it was 3.9 and 3.2 nM in t-PA and tcu-PA inhibition, respectively. Longistatin completely hydrolyzed fibrin clot by activating plasminogen efficiently in the presence of 20 nM of PAI-1. Importantly, unlike t-PA, longistatin did not form complex with PAI-1. Collectively, our results suggest that longistatin is resistant to PAI-1 and maybe an interesting tool for the development of a PAI-1 resistant effective thrombolytic agent.     

Remembrance of things past: maintaining gene expression patterns with altered chromatin

Eukaryotic organisms have evolved mechanisms to stably preserve the gene expression patterns that determine cell fate. Recent advances have been made in understanding the DNA sequences and protein factors required to propagate gene activation or silencing. These studies suggest that, after gene activity states are selected during development, maintenance protein complexes provide a molecular memory of those states by altering a local domain of chromatin structure.     

Kinetics of inhibition of tissue-type and urokinase-type plasminogen activator by plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 1 and type 2

Highly purified plasminogen-activator inhibitors of type 1 (PAI-1) and type 2 (PAI-2), low-Mr form, were compared with respect to their kinetics of inhibition of tissue-type (t-PA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA). The time course of inhibition of plasminogen activator was studied under second-order or pseudo-first-order conditions. Residual enzyme activity was measured by the initial rate of hydrolysis of a chromogenic t-PA or u-PA substrate or by an immunosorbent assay for t-PA activity. PAI-1 rapidly reacted with single-chain t-PA as well as with two-chain forms of t-PA and u-PA. The second-order rate constant k for inhibition of single-chain t-PA (5.5 x 10(6) M-1 s-1) was about three times lower than k for inhibition of the two-chain activators. PAI-2 reacted slowly with single-chain t-PA, k = 4.6 x 10(3) M-1 s-1. The association rate was 26 times higher with two-chain t-PA and 435 times higher with two-chain u-PA. The k values for inhibition of single-chain t-PA, two-chain t-PA and two-chain u-PA were respectively, 1200, 150 and 8.5 times higher with PAI-1 than with PAI-2. The removal of the epidermal growth factor domain and the kringle domain from two-chain u-PA did not affect the kinetics of inhibition of the enzyme, suggesting that the C-terminal proteinase part of u-PA (B chain) is responsible for both the primary and the secondary interactions with PAI-1 and PAI-2. The k values for inhibition of single-chain t-PA and endogenous t-PA in plasma by PAI-1 or PAI-2 were identical indicating that t-PA in blood consists mainly in its single-chain form.     

单链尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活剂Kringle结构域催化功能探讨

 Kringle(K)结构域广泛存在于与凝血和纤溶相关的各种因子中 .虽然 K结构域在一级结构上是一种比较保守的结构域 (与其他结构域相比 ) ,但是 K结构域的功能在各种因子中的作用有很大的区别 .为探讨单链尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活剂 (scu- PA)的 K结构域功能 ,构建了在 scu- PA的 K结构域的 1 1 8位 Gly与 1 1 9位 Leu之间插入 PRGDWR序列的突变体 (称为 insert mutant B,In B) ,并测定了野生型 scu- PA与 In B的纤溶相关反应的动力学常数 . scu- PA与 In B水解 S- 2 4 4 4反应的 Km 值无明显变化 (分别为 60 .4与 56.8μmol·L-1) ,而 In B的 kcat值 (0 .33s-1)比 scu- PA的 kcat值 (7.31 s-1)降低很多 ;In B激活纤溶酶原反应的 Km 值 (0 .397μmol· L-1)比 scu- PA Km 值(0 .648μmol·L-1)降低 40 % ,但 kcat值 (0 .0 1 65s-1)比 scu- PA的 kcat值 (0 .0 62 6s-1)降低 74% .以上结果说明 :K结构域主要与反应活性相关 ,而与酶及底物的亲和性无关 .     

Crystal Structure of the Engineered Neutralizing Antibody M18 Complexed to Domain 4 of the Anthrax Protective Antigen

The virulence of Bacillus anthracis is critically dependent on the cytotoxic components of the anthrax toxin, lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). LF and EF gain entry into host cells through interactions with the protective antigen (PA), which binds to host cellular receptors such as CMG2. Antibodies that neutralize PA have been shown to confer protection in animal models and are undergoing intense clinical development. A murine monoclonal antibody, 14B7, has been reported to interact with domain 4 of PA (PAD4) and block its binding to CMG2. More recently, the 14B7 antibody was used as the platform for the selection of very high affinity, single-chain antibodies that have tremendous potential as a combination anthrax prophylactic and treatment. Here, we report the high-resolution X-ray structures of three high-affinity, single-chain antibodies in the 14B7 family; 14B7 and two high-affinity variants 1H and M18. In addition, we present the first neutralizing antibody-PA structure, M18 in complex with PAD4 at 3.8 Å resolution. These structures provide insights into the mechanism of neutralization, and the effect of various mutations on antibody affinity, and enable a comparison between the binding of the M18 antibody and CMG2 with PAD4.     

Chronobiology of Coronary Risk Markers in Greenland Eskimos: A Comparative Study with Caucasians Residing in the Same Arctic Area

We report a comparison of fibrinolytic variables between 10 Caucasians on a predominantly European diet and 10 Greenland Eskimos on a traditional Inuit diet containing a substantial amount of fish and sea animals. We studied the diurnal variation in tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) antigens and activities during a 24-h period. Blood samples were taken every 4 h. The variations of the sinusoidal curves were evaluated by the Friedman χ² test. t-PA and PAI-1 antigen in plasma fluctuated significantly during the 24 h (Eskimos p < 0.000007 and p < 0.0007; Caucasians p < 0.00003 and p < 0.02), with a peak in the early morning and a nadir in the afternoon. This also held true for PA1 activity (Eskimos p < 0.0008; Caucasians p < O.Ol), whereas t-PA activity showed an inverse but still significant pattern (Eskimos p < 0.006; Caucasians p < 0.0008). Amplitudes, areas underneath, and overall medians of the sinusoidal curves did not deviate between the two groups with respect to t-PA and PAL In contrast to the significant variation of t-PA and PAI, the plasma concentrations of fibrin degradation products (D-Dimer), a measure of effective fibrinolysis, remained constant during the 24 h, and the absolute differences between groups did not reach statistical significance. These findings suggest that circadian variation of fibrinolytic activators and inhibitors is a basic biologic phenomenon, which is not affected by life-style, dietary habits, or ethnic differences. Furthermore, the lack of diurnal variation in D-Dimer raises the question of whether there is a causal relationship between low morning activities of t-PA and the frequent onset of myocardial infarction at that time of day, as suggested by several authors.     

里氏木霉306菌株筛选及其产酶特性的研究

里氏木霉(Trichoderma reesei)306是染色体上整合有组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)cDNA的基因工程菌株。本论文利用筛选平板筛选出产t-PA活力高和产蛋白酶活力高的两种基因工程里氏木霉306菌株,然后对它们发酵过程中的产酶特性进行研究。结果表明:菌株产蛋白酶活力的大小与生物合成t-PA活力大小之间有一定的关系,产蛋白酶活力相对高的菌株产t-PA的活力相对低,而产蛋白酶活力相对低的菌株,产t-PA活力相对就高。     

组织型纤溶酶原激活剂cDNA表达质粒的构建及其在CHO细胞中的表达

人组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)cDNA克隆片段。采用两种方式构建成真核表达质粒。第一:切除t-PA3＇端非编码区序列后插入SR启动子和SV_(40)晚期Poly(A)终止信号之间,形成pMGZ6001质粒;第二:将3＇端部分切除并带有Poly(A)加尾信号的t-PA片段插入由金属硫蛋白MT启动子调控的载体中,分别组建成含大T抗原与不含大T抗原的两个表达质粒pMGZ6002和pMGZ6003。这三种质粒用磷酸钙共沉淀法和电穿孔法转染CHO-dhfr细胞,阳性克隆细胞均能合成并分泌rt-PA。其分子量约68kD,并能与t-PA单克隆抗体特异结合,溶解纤维蛋白。阳性克隆经MTX选择培养扩增基因,培液中rt-PA表达水平可达3000IU/(10~6细胞·48h)。     

人组织型纤溶酶原激活剂-水蛭素融合基因的构建及其在毕赤酵母中的表达

构建并表达兼有溶栓和抗凝活性、减少出血副作用的人组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)和水蛭素(HV2)的融合蛋白。通过提取总RNA和RT-PCR获得t-PA基因,与HV2基因通过活化凝血因子X(Fxa)识别序列（IEGR）的对应碱基序列连接构成融合蛋白基因,融合蛋白基因经pGEM-T、pIC9克隆至表达载体pIC9K上,电转导入毕赤酵母（Pichia pastoris）GS115。转化子摇瓶内甲醇诱导表达。纤维蛋白平板溶圈法和纤维蛋白凝块法分别检测溶栓和抗凝活性。琼脂糖凝胶电泳结果显示克隆的t-PA基因片段大小为1700bp,序列测定结果表明其35位氨基酸由文献报道的精氨酸突变为色氨酸。限制性酶切和PCR鉴定结果均表明融合蛋白基因已克隆入表达载体和宿主菌。甲醇利用实验、G418抗性筛选获得多拷贝甲醇利用快型克隆。甲醇诱导表达产物具有纤溶活性并可被抗t-PA抗体抑制。完整融合蛋白无抗凝活性,但以Fxa裂解后可释放抗凝活性。同时,融合蛋白以单链和双链两种形式存在。融合蛋白在血栓部位特有的Fxa作用下靶向释放抗凝活性,具有溶栓抗凝双功能,有望降低临床出血副作用。     

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.     

Structures of Src-family tyrosine kinases

The crystal structures of three Src-family tyrosine kinases have been determined recently. The structure of the catalytic domain of Lck has been determined in the active autophosphorylated state. The structures of larger constructs of c-Src and Hck, containing the SH3, SH2 and catalytic domains, as well as a C-terminal regulatory tail, have been determined in the down-regulated state, phosphorylated in the C-terminal tail. A comparison of these structures leads to an unanticipated mechanism for the regulation of catalytic activity by cooperative interactions between the SH2, SH3 and catalytic domains.     

Proteolytic activation of tissue plasminogen activator by plasma and tissue enzymes

Tissue kallikrein and factor Xa were found to activate tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) at a rate comparable with that of plasmin. During the activation reaction, the single-chain molecule was converted into a two-chain form. A slight t-PA activating activity was also found in plasma kallikrein. Other activated coagulation factors, factor XIIa, factor XIa, factor IXa, factor VIIa, thrombin and activated protein C had no effect on t-PA activation. t-PA was also activated by a tissue kallikrein-like enzyme that was isolated from the culture medium of melanoma cells. These results indicate that tissue kallikrein and factor Xa may participate in the extrinsic pathway of human fibrinolysis.     

组织型纤溶酶原激活剂工程细胞系遗传特性及成瘤性分析

构建了突变体t-PA,使其在CHO-dhfr细胞中表达。获得t-PA工程细胞系。对该细胞系进行了遗传特性分析,在培养基中加入秋水仙素,通过低张、固定处理并将细胞滴片、染色,进行染色体分析,结果表明,该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、微小体,畸变率为15％,属于正常范围。同时进行成瘤性检测,选用4周龄裸鼠作为试验鼠,以人宫颈癌细胞(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。