Fibrinolytic action of an enzyme preparation covalently bound to modified thrombin

Successive thrombin modification by carbodiimide and aliphatic diamines decreases esterase and fibrin-coagulating activity of the enzyme. Modified thrombin causes no platelet aggregation. Water-soluble enzyme conjugates devoid of fibrinogen-coagulating action and possessing increased fibrinolytic affinity to the site of fibrin clot location have been obtained by covalent binding of chymotrypsin to modified thrombin.     

Activation of human prothrombin by a procoagulant fraction from the venom of Echis carinatus. Identification of a high molecular weight intermediate with thrombin activity.

In the presence of a procoagulant fraction (Echis carinatus procoagulant) isolated from the venom of the saw-scaled viper Echis carinatus sochureki, purified human prothrombin (P1) is completely converted to thrombin. The first step is the removal of an NH2-terminal peptide (F1) representing approximately one-third of the prothrombin molecule. The remaining peptide (P2) is then cleaved by the action of E.c. procoagulant to yield a two-chain, disulfide-bridged protein (P'2) which has the same molecular weight as P2. P'2 has enzymic (thrombin) activity, as evidence by incorporation of radiolabeled diisopropylphosphate into its heavy chain (TB), hydrolysis of p-toluenesulfonylarginine methyl ester, and clotting of fibrinogen. Relative to thrombin, its esterolytic activity greatly exceeds its clot-promoting activity. Examination of the polypeptide chains obtained by reducing P'2 has shown that its larger chain (TB) is indistinguishable from the heavy chain of thrombin. Its other chain (F2TA) consists of the light chain (TA) of thrombin bound by peptide linkage to the protion of the prothrombin molecule which had been adjacent to F1. Removal of this portion (F2) is catalyzed by thrombin (and, evidently, by P'2), but not by the E.c. procoagulant. When F2 is removed from P'2, the remaining two-chian protein is indistinguishable from thrombin by any of the criteria applied--molecular weight, subunit chain composition, or enzymic activity. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was carried out in sodium dodecyl sulfate before and after disulfide reduction of samples generated in the presence and in the absence of diisopropylphosphorofluoridate, which inhibits thrombin but not the E.c. procoagulant. Such experiments showed that thrombin (and probably P'2), as well as E.c. procoagulant, catalyzes the release of F1. Furthermore, thrombin brings about the cleavage of F1 to yield a two-chain, disulfidebridged protein (F'1). These observations, particularly those made in the course of characterizine P'2, have led to the conclusion that cleavage of the peptide bond connecting the TA and TB portions of the prothrombin molecule (or its derivatives) produces a serine active center and, hence, a molecule possessing thrombin activity. This cleavage is catalyzed by the E.c. procoagulant but not by thrombon itself.     

Activation of prothrombin as measured by the conversion of Nalpha-benzoylarginine ethyl ester

The activation of prothrombin has been studied by using highly purified preparations of activated factor X1 and activated factor X2, factor V and prothrombin. The rate of prothrombin activation was followed using an esterase assay involving the conversion of N alpha-benzoylarginine ethyl ester (BAEE) by thrombin generated in the course of prothrombin activation. The rate of thrombin generation increased by about 26000-fold when factor V and phospholipid were added to prothrombin, factor Xa and calcium. A comparison of the rates of thrombin formation obtained with activated factor X1 and activated factor X2 showed that activated factor X1 had only 70% of the biological activity of activated factor X2. Attempts to explain the rate of prothrombin activation and the difference between the activity of activated factor X1 and activated factor X2 are discussed.     

Effect of isopropanol on the enzymatic activity and stability of thrombin

Isopropanol is shown to affect considerably the thrombin activity. Its low concentrations (5-15%) activate the hydrolysis reaction of benzoyl-1-arginine ethyl ester (BAEE) by thrombin, whereas incomplete uncompetitive inhibition of the enzyme is observed in the presence of 20% isopropanol. Alcohol in the concentration of 25% results in complete reversible inhibition of the clothing and esterase activity of the enzyme. Isopropanol in the concentration of 25% is able to suppress the thrombin autolysis and therefore it may be used as a reagent which stabilizes thrombin during its storage in the aquatic-salt solutions.     

Affinity chromatography of human gamma-thrombin on fibrin-agarose

gamma-Thrombin was produced during autolysis or limited proteolysis of coagulant gamma-thrombin. This thrombin form loses its ability to coagulate fibrinogen but preserves the esterase and amidase activity on the low-molecular-weight synthetic substrates. This evidences for the integrity of the active site of gamma-thrombin and for the integrity break of the enzyme molecule region responsible for the binding with fibrinogen. gamma-Thrombin with the minimal coagulating activity, possessing high esterase and amidase activity is obtained. Fibrin-agarose possessing affinity to gamma-thrombin and specifically not binding gamma-thrombin was used to remove admixtures of the coagulant gamma-thrombin from the preparations of gamma-thrombin obtained during the enzyme autolysis.     

Inhibition of human thrombin assessed with different substrates and inhibitors. Characterization of fibrinopeptide binding interaction.

The activity of human thrombin has been assessed with fibrinogen, N-alpha-benzoyl-phenylalanyl-valyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide, N-alpha-benzoyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide, N-alpha-carbobenzoxy-tyrosine-p-nitrophenyl ester and p-nitrophenylacetate: increased rates of hydrolysis were found for N-alpha-carbobenzoxy-tyrosine-p-nitrophenyl ester and N-alpha-benzoyl-phenylalanyl-valyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide compared to N-alpha-benzoyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide and p-nitrophenylacetate. Phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride and N-alpha-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone inhibited, to the same degree, the activity toward each substrate. Inclusion of N-alpha-tosyl-arginine methyl ester in the phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride reaction mixtures protected the enzyme from inhibition as shown with N-alpha-benzoyl-phenylalanyl-valyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide and N-alpha-carbobenzoxy-tyrosine-p-nitrophenyl ester. N-Acetylimidazole inhibited the activity towards fibrinogen, N-alphrosine-p-nitrophenyl ester to varying degrees. Inhibition of N-alpha-benzoyl-phenylalanyl-valyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide was completely reversible with neutral hydroxylamine, whereas coagulant activity towards fibrinogen was only partially regained. Human fibrinopeptide A inhibited activity toward N-alpha-benzoyl-phenylalanyl-valyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide and N-alpha-carbobenzoxy-tyrosine-p-nitrophenyl ester. The mode of inhibition of N-alpha-benzoyl-phenylalanyl-valyl-arginine-p-nitroanilide by fibrinopeptide A was non=competitive (K1 = 3.02.10(-5) M), whereas N-alpha-toysyl-arginine methyl ester was a competitive inhibitor of this substrate (K1 = 2.6.10(-5) M). These studies demonstrate more than one binding domain for fibrinogen on human thrombin.     

Diamino benzo[b]thiophene derivatives as a novel class of active site directed thrombin inhibitors: 3. Enhancing activity by imposing conformational restriction in the C-4" side chain

The preparation and biological evaluation of a series of benzo[b]thiophene diamine thrombin inhibitors possessing conformationally restricted C-4" linkers are reported. Compared to the parent compounds 1a/b, the unsaturated derivatives 3a/b exhibited a modest twofold increase in thrombin inhibitory activity, while the more lipophilic carbocyclic ring containing analogs 4a/b affected an eightfold enhancement in potency.     

The modification of tryptophan in bovine thrombin.

2-Hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, at a 100-fold molar excess, was observed to react withthrombin at pH 4.0 to give a modified enzyme which possessed 20% of the fibrinogen clotting activity and 80% of the esterase activity compared to a control preparation. Spectrophotometric analysis of the modified protein indicated that this effect on catalytic activity was associated with the incorporation of 1 mol of reagent per mol of thrombin. Amino acid analysis showed no loss of amino acids other than tryptophan. The reaction of N-bromosuccinimide with thrombin at 2-fold molar excess resulted in the modification of one tryptophan per mol of enzyme with the loss of 80% of the fibrinogen clotting activity with, as above, a considerably smaller loss of esterase activity. Oxidation of thrombin with N-bromosuccinimide decreased the extent of subsequent tryptophan modification with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide. Thrombin modified with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide showed a 3-4 fold increase in Km and a decrease in V for the ester substrate. The reaction of thrombin with 2-acetoxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, a substrate analogue, also resulted in the inactivation of the enzyme. The data are interpreted to show the presence of a tryptophan residue at or near the enzyme's substrate binding site.     

The reaction of bovine alpha-thrombin with tetranitromethane. Characterization of the modified protein

Previous studies from several laboratories have shown that thrombin is inactivated by tetranitromethane with the formation of nitrotyrosine. The inactivation is characterized by an apparently greater loss of fibrinogen-clotting activity than activity toward synthetic ester substrates, suggesting that the residues modified by tetranitromethane are involved in the interaction of thrombin with fibrinogen. This study was designed 1) to determine the effect of solvent conditions on the rate of modification and the stoichiometry of the reaction of tetranitromethane with bovine alpha-thrombin; 2) to identify the residue(s) modified; and 3) to characterize the modified enzyme with respect to its interaction with peptide nitroanilide substrates and fibrinogen. The inactivation of thrombin by tetranitromethane proceeded more rapidly in 50 mM Tris, pH 8.0, than in 50 mM sodium phosphate, 100 mM NaCl, pH 8.0. Approximately 10% fibrinogen-clotting activity remained at maximal inactivation. A study of the effect of tetranitromethane concentration on the rate of inactivation suggested that the loss of activity was the result of the modification of 1 mol of tyrosine/mol of thrombin. A similar result was obtained from the analysis of the extent of inactivation as a function of the extent of protein modification. Structural analysis of the modified protein showed substantial modification at both Tyr71 and Tyr85. Enzyme kinetic studies were performed with the modified protein and a control thrombin with N2-tosylglycylprolylarginine p-nitroanilide. H-D-phenylalanylpipecolylarginine p-nitronailide, and purified bovine fibrinogen. With all three substrates, a substantial decrease in kcat was observed, whereas there was essentially no change in Km. These results suggest that, contrary to previous suggestions, the modification of Tyr71 and Tyr85 in thrombin does not influence the binding of substrates, but rather influences active site reactivity.     

Papain catalyzed synthesis of glyceryl esters of N-protected amino acids and peptides for the use in trypsin catalyzed peptide synthesis

Papain catalyzed synthesis of glyceryl esters of BOC(Z)-protected amino acids and peptides was performed at 40-50 degrees C in a 50 molar excess of glycerol. Equilibrium was achieved in 6-7 h. The maximal yield of esters (50-70%) was obtained at 10% of water and pH 3.2-3.4. A lower water concentration resulted in a sharp decrease of the ester yield. The synthesized glyceryl esters of neutral amino acids are good substrates for trypsin and can be used for peptide synthesis catalyzed for trypsin. Glycerol esters are also good substrates for other enzymes possessing esterase activity. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 54: 287-290, 1997.     

Aspartame and aspartame derivatives effect human thrombin catalytic activity

The study of small Asp-Phe analogs was undertaken since this dipeptide sequence is critical in fibrinogen recognition and catalysis. The inhibition of clotting activity by Asp-Phe-methyl ester (aspartame), formyl-Asp-Phe-methyl ester and acetyl-Asp-Phe was biphasic in all cases, indicating the presence of at least two binding sites. The N-terminally blocked derivatives are stronger inhibitors than aspartame. In contrast, tosyl-Gly-Pro-Arg-p'-nitroanilide hydrolysis was inhibited minimally by Asp-Phe-methyl, ester [Ki(app)=98 mM]. Acetyl-Asp-Phe inhibition of thrombin amidase activity was biphasic, tenfold stronger and appeared to be strongly cooperative. These results are discussed with respect to the inhibition of alpha-thrombin by ATP.     

Peptides and pseudopeptides incorporating D-Phe-Pro-Arg and Arg-Gly-Asp lead sequences as potential antithrombotic agents.

Peptide leads D-Phe-Pro-Arg for thrombin inhibition and Arg-Gly-Asp for antagonistic activity on fibrinogen receptor were combined in one molecule in order to produce compounds capable of acting both as thrombin inhibitors and as fibrinogen receptor antagonists. Peptide conjugate 7 possessing both leads joined by a tetraglycine linker as well as tripeptides and peptidomimetics with highly overlapped D-Phe-Pro-Arg and Arg-Gly-Asp pharmacophore groups were prepared. Conjugate 7 was found to possess antagonistic activity on fibrinogen receptor, but was unexpectedly inactive as thrombin inhibitor. Compound 9 comprising of highly integrated D-Phe-Pro-Arg and Arg-Gly-Asp pharmacophore groups was found to possess a moderate but well balanced thrombin inhibitory and fibrinogen receptor antagonistic activity. Copyright (c) 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Protease-nexin: A cellular component that links thrombin and plasminogen activator and mediates their binding to cells

This report identifies a component of normal human fibroblasts that forms a covalent linkage with thrombin and urokinase (urinary plasminogen activator) and mediates most of the specific cellular binding of these proteases. This component, here named protease-nexin (PN), is both associated with the cell surface and released into the culture medium. In several ways PN resembles antithrombin III (AT3), a prominent inhibitor of thrombin in serum: PN links thrombin, probably via an ester bond; PN does not link thrombin blocked at its catalytic site serine; PN has a high-affinity heparin-binding site; and heparin greatly accelerates the rate of linkage between soluble PN and thrombin. Despite these similarities, PN and AT3 are distinct; they differ in size and are not immunologically cross-reactive. Whereas AT3 regulates the proteolytic activity of thrombin in serum, PN may regulate the activity of serine proteases at and near the cell surface.     

The interaction of alpha-N-(p-toluenesulphonyl)-p-guanidino-L-phenylalanine methyl ester with thrombin and trypsin.

The syntheses are described of p-guanidino-L-phenylalanine and some of its derivatives. alpha-N-(p-Toluenesulphonyl)-p-guanidino-L-phenylalanine methyl ester is an excellent substrate of bovine trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) (Km 57 micron; kcat. 320s-1 at pH 7.4-8.0) and a very poor substrate of human thrombin (EC 3.4.21.5) (Km 190 micron, kcat. 0.2s-1) and bovine chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1). The ester inhibits thrombin clotting activity. It also inhibits the amidase and esterase activities of human thrombin, this inhibition being of the mixed type. The inhibition constant, K1, of the order of 1 micron, increases with increasing inhibitor concentration. This suggests that the enzyme binds the inhibitor at multiple sites. The importance of the residue at the P1 position [notation of Berger & Schechter (1970) Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London Ser. B 257, 249-264] in determining the selectivity of a substrate or quasi-substrate among trypsin-like enzymes is borne out. p-Guanidino-L-phenylalanine may have a use in the synthesis of selective peptide inhibitors of thrombin.     

Effect of heparin modification on its activity in enhancing the inhibition of thrombin by antithrombin III

Studies were conducted to determine the effect of modifying specific functional groups of heparin on its antithrombin III-enhancing activity. The derivatives employed were heparin methyl ester, heparinylglycine and N-desulfated heparin. The carboxyl-modified derivatives increase the rate of inhibition of thrombin by antithrombin III, although not to the same extent as heparin. N-Desulfated heparin is devoid of any activity. Heparin methyl ester is more potent than heparinylglycine in activating antithrombin III, as exhibited by its immediate effect on the thrombin-fibrinogen reaction. However, heparinylglycine is the more effective of the two, in increasing the rate of thrombin deactivation by antithrombin III. The results indicate that although free carboxyl groups of heparin are not crucial for its binding to antithrombin III, they are important for the combination of the latter with thromobin. In contrast, N-sulfates are critical for the interaction of heparin with antithrombin III.     

Phorbol ester and mitogens stimulate human fibroblast secretions of plasmin-activatable plasminogen activator and protease nexin, an antiactivator/antiplasmin

Tumor-promoting phorbol esters have been reported to greatly increase plasminogen activator (PA) activity produced in numerous cell types. Many of these studies have employed a widely used fibrinolysis assay for PA activity that involves large-scale dilution of cell lysates or conditioned medium (CM) into buffer containing plasminogen and the plasmin substrate 125I-fibrin. This assay indicates that phorbol ester and the mitogens epidermal growth factor (EGF) and thrombin all stimulate secretion of PA activity in our human foreskin fibroblast cultures. However, these effects are not observed in a modified fibrinolysis assay employing undiluted conditioned culture medium unless the medium is first treated at pH 3, which inactivates the secreted protease inhibitor, protease nexin (PN). Moreover, a direct assay for plasminogen activator activity based on cleavage of 125I- plasminogen indicates that conditioned culture medium contains little if any active plasminogen activator either before or after treatment of the cultures with phorbol ester or EGF. Phorbol ester and mitogens do stimulate secretion of (a) an inactive PA that can be activated by plasmin and (b) PN, which inhibits both the activated form of the PA and plasmin. Secretions of the inactive PA and PN are further correlated in that release of both is stimulated most by phorbol ester, somewhat less by EGF, and least by thrombin. Significantly, these effects are not accompanied by increases in total protein secretion. We propose that fibroblasts secrete PA in an inactive form in the presence of PN to confine PA activity to an as yet undefined location or event.     

Bacitracin and gramicidin S as biospecific ligands for affinity chromatography of human thrombin

It was shown that the cyclic polypeptide antibiotic bacitracin is a competitive inhibitor of fibrinogen clotting by thrombin. Biospecific adsorbents for isolation of thrombin by gramicidin S and bacitracin attachment to silochrome S-80 modified by gamma-glycido-oxypropyl groups were synthesized. The thrombin yield at pH 7.2 and 8.0 was 76.5-96%, purification--6.2-11.6-fold, specific coagulating activity--940-1750 NIH u./mg protein. At pH 6.1 the enzyme does not practically bind to the adsorbents. In all probability, the differences in thrombin binding are due to conformational changes in the enzyme molecule, when pH changes from 6.1 to 7.2. Possible application of the synthesized adsorbents for obtaining laboratory and commercial preparations of thrombin and their perspective use for purification of other blood plasma serine proteinases possessing a narrow specificity are discussed.     

Acetaldehyde-ethanol exchange in vivo during ethanol oxidation.

Bovine thrombin was immobilized on sepharose 4B through an oxidized sialic acid group on its B chain. The immobilized thrombin was reduced with β-mercaptoethanol in 8 m urea under conditions that were shown to be sufficient to reduce the disulfide bond connecting the A and B chains. The immobilized B chain that remained after the A chain was washed away was allowed to refold, and the disulfide bonds were reoxidized with a mixture of oxidized and reduced glutathione under anaerobic conditions. The refolded immobilized B chain exhibited 15–25% of the tosyl-l-arginine methyl ester esterase activity of the immobilized thrombin and a significant amount of fibrinogen clotting activity. The immobilized B chain behaved qualitatively like immobilized thrombin towards two oligopeptide fibrinogen-like substrates and showed no activity towards lysine or arginine peptide bonds in a fragment of ribonuclease.Since the recovered activity was greater than that computed for a random refolding of seven -SH groups to form three SS bonds, it is concluded that the B chain retains a sufficient number of interacting groups to refold correctly, and it is suggested that prothrombin might fold in localized domains with only weak interactions between domains. The behavior of the B chain towards the substrates tested suggests that the A chain does not play a significant role in determining the catalytic specificity of thrombin or in distinguishing its specificity from that of trypsin.     

Specificity of thrombin: evidence for selectivity in acylation rather than binding for p-nitrophenyl alpha-amino-p-toluate.

The lysyl ester analogue p-nitrophenyl alpha-amino-p-toluate hydrobromide was synthesized, and its reactions with thrombin, trypsin, and plasmin were studied by stopped-flow and conventional methods. Kinetic parameters were compared with those determined for the arginyl ester analogue, p-nitrophenyl p-guanidinobenzoate hydrochloride, with these enzymes. By following nitrophenol release or proflavin absorption changes in the stopped-flow spectrophotometer, the constants Ks (enzyme-substrate binding), k2 (acylation), and k3 (deacylation) were determined. The major findings were: (1) Ks values were similar regardless of the substrate or the enzyme; (2) k3 was approximately the same for the reaction of the lysyl ester analogue with any enzyme; (3) k2 for the lysyl ester analogue was 1100 times greater with trypsin than with thrombin; and (4) k2 with thrombin was 60 times greater for the arginyl than for the lysyl ester analogue. The results suggest that the limited cleavage of lysyl bonds by thrombin is due in part to restricted acylation rather than substrate binding. The active site of thrombin, compared with that of trypsin, appears to have a more stringent requirement for the spatial relationship between the cationic group and the bond cleaved in substrates.     

Protein kinase C is differentially regulated by thrombin, insulin, and epidermal growth factor in human mammary tumor cells

The exposure of serum-deprived mammary tumor cells MCF-7 and T-47D to insulin, thrombin, and epidermal growth factor (EGF) resulted in dramatic modifications in the activity and in the translocation capacity of protein kinase C from cytosol to membrane fractions. Insulin induces a 600% activation of the enzyme after 5 h of exposure to the hormone in MCF-7 cells; thrombin either activates (200% in MCF-7) or down-regulates (in T-47D), and EGF exerts only a moderate effect. Thus, the growth factors studied modulate differentially the protein kinase C activity in human mammary tumor cells. The physiological significance of the results obtained are discussed in terms of the growth response elicited by insulin, thrombin, and EGF.