High-level secretion of biologically active aprotinin from the yeastPichia pastoris

Summary A synthetic gene encoding aprotinin (bovine pancreatic trypsin, inhibitor) was fused to theSaccharomyces cerevisiae prepro alpha mating factor leader sequence at the dibasic amino acid processing site.Pichia pastoris strains were developed to'express one or multiple copies of a methanol-inducible expression cassette containing the gene fusion.P. pastoris containing a single copy of the vector secreed approximately 150 mg/l of immunoreactive protein. A construct bearing five copies of the expression cassette secreted 930 mg/l of aprotinin. The purified aprotinin molecule was equipoten with the native molecule in a trypsin inhibition assay. Protein sequence analysis showed that the alpha factor-aprotinin fusion was not processed at the basic amino acid residues Lys-Arg. Instead, recombinant aprotinin had additional N-terminal amino acids derived from prepro alpha factor. The N-terminal extension was variably 11 or 4 amino acids. Inclusion of the spacer DNA sequence encoding Glu and Ala between aprotinin and the Lys-Arg processing site led to the secretion of a biologically active aprotinin containing only a Glu-Ala N-terminal extension.     

Purification and characterization of aprotinin from porcine lungs

Aprotinin, the most studied serine proteinase inhibitor, was isolated from porcine lung for the first time. The purified porcine aprotinin had an Mr value of ∼7 kDa. It cross-reacted with polyclonal serum anti-commercial aprotinin. About 1 μg porcine aprotinin inhibited 6 μg trypsin whereas 1 μg commercial soybean inhibitor inhibited only 1 μg trypsin. The aprotinin gene was also isolated from porcine lung: the deduced amino acid sequence showed 74% identity to bovine aprotinin.     

Crystal structures of aprotinin and its complex with sucrose octasulfate reveal multiple modes of interactions with implications for heparin binding

The crystal structures of aprotinin and its complex with sucrose octasulfate (SOS), a polysulfated heparin analog, were determined at 1.7-2.6 Å resolutions. Aprotinin is monomeric in solution, which associates into a decamer at high salt concentrations. Sulfate ions serve to neutralize the basic amino acid residues of aprotinin to stabilize the decameric aprotinin. Whereas SOS interacts with heparin binding proteins at 1:1 molar ratio, SOS was surprisingly found to induce strong agglutination of aprotinins. Five molecules of aprotinin interact with one molecule of the sulfated sugar, which is stabilized by electrostatic interactions between the positively charged residues of aprotinin and sulfate groups of SOS. The multiple binding modes of SOS with five individual aprotinin molecules may represent the diverse patterns of potential heparin binding to aprotinin, reflecting the interactions of densely packed protein molecules along the heparin polymer.     

Preservation of hepatic cell integrity by aprotinin in hypoxia

Perfused cat livers subjected to 2.5 hr of hypoxia exhibited dramatic increases in perfusate cathepsin D and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, amino nitrogen concentrations, and a 60% depression in the clearance rate of carbon particles by the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Addition of aprotinin (250 KIU/ml) to the perfusate prior to hypoxia prevented the increases in circulating cathepsin D, LDH, and amino-nitrogen observed at 150 minutes. In addition, aprotinin prevented the reduction in carbon clearance during severe hypoxia. However, aprotinin had no effect on the percent free cathepsin D activity indicating that this agent did not directly prevent increases in lysosomal fragility occurring in response to hypoxia. Thus, addition of pharmacologic doses of aprotinin to the perfusate protected RES cells, and markedly reduced the release of cytoplasmic and lysosomal enzymes. The prevention of cell membrane dissolution appears to be a critical factor in hepatic preservation, and may be related to the inhibition of proteolysis by aprotinin. These effects may help explain the therapeutic effectiveness of this agent in shock and in myocardial ischemia.     

Chemical semisynthesis of aprotinin homologues and derivatives mutated inp′ positions

An extended concept for the replacement of amino acids in theP' region of aprotinin by chemical semisynthesis is presented. Either fragment condensation with dipeptides protected as tert-butyl ester or stepwise introduction of two single amino acid-tert-butyl esters into a partially esterified aprotinin derivative (with free Lys¹⁵-carboxyl group) lacking the amino acids Ala¹⁶ and Arg¹⁷ leads to aprotinin homologues and derivatives mutated in theP′ ₁ andP′ ₂ position. This method may complement the recently reported enzymatic synthesis by enabling access to aprotinin homologues and derivatives, which cannot be prepared enzymatically. The synthesis of [Ala¹⁷]BPTI and [seco-17/18]BPTI is described in detail.     

Chemical semisynthesis of aprotinin homologues and derivatives mutated inp′ positions

An extended concept for the replacement of amino acids in theP' region of aprotinin by chemical semisynthesis is presented. Either fragment condensation with dipeptides protected as tert-butyl ester or stepwise introduction of two single amino acid-tert-butyl esters into a partially esterified aprotinin derivative (with free Lys¹⁵-carboxyl group) lacking the amino acids Ala¹⁶ and Arg¹⁷ leads to aprotinin homologues and derivatives mutated in theP ₁ andP ₂ position. This method may complement the recently reported enzymatic synthesis by enabling access to aprotinin homologues and derivatives, which cannot be prepared enzymatically. The synthesis of [Ala¹⁷]BPTI and [seco-17/18]BPTI is described in detail.     

Commercial production of aprotinin in transgenic maize seeds

The development of genetic transformation technology for plants has stimulated an interest in using transgenic plants as a novel manufacturing system for producing different classes of proteins of industrial and pharmaceutical value. In this regard, we report the generation and characterization of transgenic maize lines producing recombinant aprotinin. The transgenic aprotinin lines recovered were transformed with the aprotinin gene using the bar gene as a selectable marker. The bar and aprotinin genes were introduced into immature maize embryos via particle bombardment. Aprotinin gene expression was driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter and protein accumulation was targeted to the extracellular matrix. One line that showed a high level of aprotinin expression was characterized in detail. The protein accumulates primarily in the embryo of the seed. Southern blot analysis showed that the line had at least 20 copies of the bar and aprotinin genes. Further genetic analysis revealed that numerous plants derived from this transgenic line had a large range of levels of expression of the aprotinin gene (0–0.069%) of water-soluble protein in T₂ seeds. One plant lineage that showed stable expression after 4 selfing generations was recovered from the parental transgenic line. This line showed an accumulation of the protein in seeds that was comparable to the best T₂ lines, and the recombinant aprotinin could be effectively recovered and purified from seeds. Biochemical analysis of the purified aprotinin from seeds revealed that the recombinant aprotinin had the same molecular weight, N-terminal amino acid sequence, isoelectric point, and trypsin inhibition activity as native aprotinin. The demonstration that the recombinant aprotinin protein purified from transgenic maize seeds has biochemical and functional properties identical to its native counterpart provides a proof-of-concept example for producing new generation products for the pharmaceutical industry.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Spirodela</Emphasis> (duckweed) as an alternative production system for pharmaceuticals: a case study,aprotinin

Aprotinin is a small serine protease inhibitor used in human health. Spirodela were transformed, via Agrobacterium, with a synthetic gene encoding the mature aprotinin sequence and a signal peptide for secretion which was driven by the CaMV 35S promoter. A total of 25 transgenic Spirodela lines were generated and aprotinin production was confirmed by northern and western blot analyses. Expression levels of up to 3.7% of water soluble proteins were detected in the plant and 0.65 mg/l in the growth medium. In addition, immunoaffinity purification of the protein followed by amino acid sequencing confirmed the correct splicing of the aprotinin produced in Spirodela and secreted into the growth medium.     

Aprotinin interacts with substrate-binding site of human dipeptidyl peptidase III

Abstract

Human dipeptidyl peptidase III (hDPP III) is a zinc-exopeptidase of the family M49 involved in final steps of intracellular protein degradation and in cytoprotective pathway Keap1-Nrf2. Biochemical and structural properties of this enzyme have been extensively investigated, but the knowledge on its contacts with other proteins is scarce. Previously, polypeptide aprotinin was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of hDPP III hydrolytic activity. In this study, aprotinin was first investigated as a potential substrate of hDPP III, but no degradation products were demonstrated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Subsequently, molecular details of the protein–protein interaction between aprotinin and hDPP III were studied by molecular modeling. Docking and long molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have shown that aprotinin interacts by its canonical binding epitope with the substrate binding cleft of hDPP III. Thereby, free N-terminus of aprotinin is distant from the active-site zinc. Enzyme-inhibitor complex is stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen bonding network, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions which mostly involve constituent amino acid residues of the hDPP III substrate binding subsites S1, S1', S2, S2' and S3'. This is the first study that gives insight into aprotinin binding to a metallopeptidase.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

The Safety and Efficacy of Antifibrinolytic Therapy in Neonatal Cardiac Surgery

BackgroundNeonates undergoing open-heart surgery are particularly at risk of postoperative bleeding requiring blood transfusion. Aprotinin has attained high efficacy in reducing the requirement for a blood transfusion following a cardiopulmonary bypass, but is seldom studied in the neonatal age group. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and adverse effects of aprotinin and tranexamic acid in neonates undergoing open-heart surgery at a single centre.MethodsBetween October 2003 and March 2008, perioperative data of 552 consecutive neonatal patients undergoing open-heart surgery in Children’s Hospital Boston were reviewed. Among them, 177 did not receive antifibrinolytic therapy (Group A); 100 were treated with tranexamic acid only (Group B); and 275 patients received aprotinin with or without tranexamic acid (Group C). Except for antifibrinolytic therapy, the anaesthesiological and surgical protocols remained identical. Postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality were the primary study endpoints.ResultsBody weight and Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS-1) scores were statistically comparable among the three groups. No statistically significant differences were observed between the duration of hospitalization, chest tube drainage, reexploration for bleeding, and kidney function impairment. In Group C, less blood was transfused within 24 hours than in GroupB. Operative mortality was similar among the three groups.ConclusionNo further risk and kidney injury were observed in the use of aprotinin in neonatal cardiac surgery, aprotinin demonstrated a reduced requirement for blood transfusion compared with tranexamic acid. Our data provide reasonable evidence that aprotinin and tranexamic acid are safe and efficacious as antifibrinolytic modalities in neonatal patients undergoing cardiac surgery.     

Pyroglutamyl-aprotinin, a new aprotinin homologue from bovine lungs--isolation, properties, sequence analysis and characterization using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance in solution

A new Kunitz-inhibitor, which is different from aprotinin was extracted from bovine lungs with methanol, further purified by affinity chromatography on trypsin-Sepharose CL-6B and by repeated cation exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex C-25. The inhibitor, which is less basic than aprotinin was characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and ion-exchange HPLC. The N-terminus is blocked by pyroglutamic acid (Glu-1). After enzymatic removal of this residue with pyroglutamate aminopeptidase, complete identity with the primary structure of aprotinin was established by sequencing the inhibitor, which had been oxidized with performic acid, and by sequencing a tryptic fragment. The occurrence of the inhibitor, which can be denoted as pyroglutamyl-aprotinin or Glu-1-aprotinin, but which cannot be distinguished from aprotinin regarding its inhibitory specificity, is obviously the result of a different proteolytic processing of the bovine aprotinin precursor. By using CD and NMR-techniques it was shown that the N-terminus of the inhibitor is blocked, and that the conformation and the internal mobility correspond with those of aprotinin.     

Aprotinin derivatives with chromophoric leaving groups can be used as highly selective active-site titrants for serine proteinases and permit the determination of kinetic constants of enzyme-inhibitor complexes

This paper reports a novel and valuable approach to active-site titration. The starting substance for the preparation of the active-site titrants is aprotinin (bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor) in which the reactive-site peptide bond, Lys15-Ala16, is split. Two cystine disulfide bonds hold together the two peptide chains. The Lys15 of the reactive site is substituted by arginine-, phenylalanine- and valine-4-nitroanilide or by valine-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin. The different incorporated amino acid residues correspond to different specificities against serine proteinases. Serine proteinases with suitable specificity are able to remove 4-nitroaniline or 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin from these aprotinin derivatives while at the same time resynthesis of the reactive-site peptide bond occurs. The proteinase is then trapped in a stable enzyme-inhibitor complex, which prevents the proteinase from releasing further leaving groups. The quantity of 4-nitroaniline or 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin, which can be assayed spectrophotometrically or fluorometrically is equimolar to the quantity of proteinase used and trapped. The aprotinin derivatives with an incorporated Phe15 or Val15 residue are highly specific for chymotrypsin or for elastase from human leukocytes, respectively. The kinetic constants kon and koff of the enzyme-inhibitor complexes, and hence the equilibrium dissociation constants, can be calculated from the respective titration curves.     

Recombinant aprotinin homologue with new inhibitory specificity for cathepsin G.

The substitution of amino acids in the reactive site of aprotinin, a bovine serine proteinase inhibitor with potent activity against trypsin, plasmin and tissue kallikrein, led to a change in specificity of the inhibitor. Twelve new aprotinin variants prepared by recombinant DNA technology and expressed in Escherichia coli clearly demonstrated that the neighbouring groups of the P1 residue, in particular P'2, contribute to the specificity of the inhibitor, while earlier investigations on semisynthetically prepared variants revealed the importance of the P1 residue in dominating the inhibitory specificity. Recombinant aprotinin variants which act specifically against chymotrypsin-like proteinases, were obtained by substitution of the amino acids in position P1 and P'2 by hydrophobic amino acids like phenylalanine, tyrosine and leucine. Some of these variants, particularly those with phenylalanine or leucine substitutions, were also found to exhibit inhibitory activity against cathepsin G with an equilibrium constant of dissociation Ki of 10(-8) M. Inhibitory specificity against cathepsin G was not found in any semisynthetic variant prepared earlier.     

Conformation and inhibitory properties of peptides based on the tissue kallikrein-aprotinin complex.

A series of peptides encompassing the primary binding segment (residues 12-19) of aprotinin has been synthesized and tested for their ability to inhibit porcine pancreatic kallikrein. A minimum sequence of five amino acids spanning residues 12-16 of aprotinin is necessary for inhibition of porcine pancreatic kallikrein. An octapeptide homologous with the binding segment of aprotinin has a Ki-value of 1.2 x 10(-4) M. The solution structure of the octapeptide was studied by one- and two-dimensional NMR methods for comparison with the known structure of the segment of aprotinin that contacts tissue kallikrein. NMR experiments suggest that the peptide is either a random coil or that it samples several conformations on the NMR time scale. Analysis of the molecular dynamics trajectory of the octapeptide also suggests that the peptide is highly flexible. Thus, inhibition by the octapeptide occurs because of its homology with residues 12-19 of aprotinin. Moreover, the absence of a stable solution conformation similar to that of the binding segment of aprotinin is consistent with the 150,000-fold increase in Ki of the octapeptide compared to intact aprotinin.     

Preparation of chemically 'mutated' aprotinin homologues by semisynthesis. P1 substitutions change inhibitory specificity

The semisynthesis of homologues of aprotinin (BPTI) is described. The P1 amino acid residue of these homologues was substituted by other amino acids using peptide synthetic methods. The reactive-site-modified inhibitor (with the Lys15-Ala16 peptide bond hydrolyzed) was used as starting material. All carboxyl groups of the modified inhibitor were esterified with methanol, then the Lys15 methyl ester group was hydrolyzed selectively. Afterwards, Lys15 itself was split off. A new amino acid residue was incorporated by using water-soluble carbodiimide combined with an acylation catalyst. tert-Butyl-ester-protected amino acids were used for reinsertion. The method was tested by re-insertion of Lys15 to reconstitute the original inhibitor. Thirteen BPTI homologues with coded (Lys, Glu, Gly, Ala, Val, Ile, Leu) or uncoded amino acids (Abu, Ape, aIle, Ahx, tLeu, Neo) in position 15 were synthesized and the specificity of the inhibitors investigated. Amongst these, [Val15]BPTI was shown to be an excellent inhibitor for human polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase having a complex dissociation constant of 0.11 nM. This inhibitor showed no detectable affinity to bovine pancreatic trypsin.     

Characterization and purification of a protease in serum that cleaves proatrial natriuretic factor (ProANF) to its circulating forms

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) is synthesized and stored in atrial cardiocytes as a 17-kilodalton (kDa), 126 amino acid polypeptide, proANF, but circulates as smaller, 24 and 28 amino acid peptide fragments of the carboxy terminus of proANF. It has previously been shown that proANF is secreted intact from cultured atrial cardiocytes and can be cleaved by a serum protease to smaller, 3-kDa peptides believed to be the circulating forms. This report describes the purification and characterization of this proANF-cleaving protease from rat serum. The cleavages both of 35S-labeled proANF derived from rat atrial cell cultures, as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)/autoradiography, and of a synthetic p-nitroanilide-containing substrate were used as assays for the detection of enzyme activity. ProANF-cleaving activity was found in rat serum, with no such activity detectable in rat plasma. Cleavage in serum was not dependent on the presence of platelets or other cellular elements. Complete inhibition of proANF cleavage was obtained with the protease inhibitors benzamidine, leupeptin, phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, and diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) but not with aprotinin, soybean trypsin inhibitor, pepstatin, or hirudin. Unlike the vitamin K dependent plasma proteins, the proANF-cleaving protease did not adsorb to barium sulfate. With the sequential application of ion-exchange, hydroxylapatite, lectin affinity, and gel filtration chromatography, a 5000-6000-fold purification of the enzyme from rat serum was achieved. Fractionation of either whole serum or the purified enzyme by gel filtration chromatography revealed a single peak of activity corresponding to a protein with a Stokes radius of 45 A.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor and homologous polypeptide inhibitors in nephron cells.

Bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI, aprotinin) is a fifty-eight amino acid polypeptide, which is present together with related molecular isoforms in various bovine organs. In the present study these protease inhibitors were isolated from bovine kidney by affinity chromatography on immobilized trypsin and a subsequent FPLC step. Due to their electrophoretic, structural, and inhibitory properties, the inhibitors were strictly similar to the polypeptides identified previously in other bovine organs. Immunohistochemical experiments showed a widespread localization of these polypeptides in nephron epithelial cells (proximal and distal tubules, loop of Henle, collecting tubules).     

Urokinase plasminogen activator induces human smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation via distinct receptor-dependent and proteolysis-dependent mechanisms

In order to define the relative contribution of the proteolytic domain and the receptor-binding domain of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) toward its mitogenic properties we studied the effects of different uPA isoforms on migration and proliferation of human aortic smooth muscle cells (hSMC). The isoforms tested included native human glycosylated uPA, and two recombinant uPA forms, namely a recombinant uPA with wild type structure (r-uPA), and a uPA-mutant in which the first 24 N-terminal amino acid residues of the receptor binding domain were replaced by 13 foreign amino acid residues (r-uPAmut). Cell migration was evaluated using a micro-Boyden chamber assay, and cell proliferation assessed by measurement of [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA. Competition binding studies on hSMC using 125I-r-uPA as ligand demonstrated that r-uPA and r-uPAmut exhibited equivalent displacement profiles. However, migration of hSMC was promoted by r-uPA and not by r-uPAmut. r-uPA-induced migration occurred at concentrations (half-maximally effective concentration of 2 nM) approximating the Kd for uPA-uPAR binding (1 nM). r-uPA-induced migration was not affected by the plasmin inhibitor aprotinin. In contrast to their differential chemotactic properties, uPA, r-uPA and r-uPAmut, which possess similar proteolytic activities, all stimulated [3H]-thymidine incorporation in hSMC. Since the [3H]-thymidine incorporation response to each isoform occurred at concentrations (> 50 nM) much higher than necessary for uPAR saturation by ligand (1 nM), this mitogenic response may be independent of binding to uPAR. [3H]-thymidine incorporation responses to r-uPA and -uPAmut were sensitive to the plasmin inhibitor aprotinin, and uPA stimulated DNA synthesis was inhibited by plasminogen activator inhibitor. We conclude that hSMC migration in response to uPA depends upon on its binding to uPAR, whereas uPA-stimulated DNA synthesis in these cells requires proteolysis and plasmin generation.     

Detection of a novel plasma serine protease during purification of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors.

A novel serine protease (PHBSP) was purified from human plasma by two chromatographic steps with a final yield of 1.6 mg/l plasma. The protease consists of two disulfide-bridged chains of about 50 and 30 kDa with the light chain containing the active site of the enzyme. NH2-terminal sequence analysis revealed identity to the deduced amino acid sequence of HGFA-like mRNA. The activity of PHBSP is strongly dependent on Ca2+ ions and is efficiently inhibited by alpha2-antiplasmin and aprotinin. Possible functions of PHBSP in the hemostatic system are discussed.     

Human proapolipoprotein A-II is cleaved following secretion from Hep G2 cells by a thiol protease

The two principal high-density lipoprotein apolipoproteins A-I and A-II are both initially synthesized as preproproteins. The prosegment of apo-A-I is unusual: it ends with paired glutamine residues and is removed extracellularly. The apo-A-II prosegment resembles the propeptides of prohormones and proalbumin: it ends with paired basic amino acids. We have studied the processing of proapo-A-II in a human hepatoma cell line (Hep G2) which is known to accurately and efficiently remove the prosegment from proalbumin prior to secretion. Pulse-chase experiments were performed in order to determine if the apo-A-II prosegment is removed prior to or after secretion. Apo-A-II was purified from cell lysates and media at various times during the chase and subjected to automated sequential Edman degradation. The results indicate that proteolytic processing of proapo-A-II is largely an extracellular event. These cells secrete the protease responsible for prosegment removal. The converting activity present in media is not blocked by serine protease inhibitors (phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, aprotinin, and furoyl saccharin) or by a metalloprotease inhibitor (o-phenanthroline). It is inhibited by the thiol protease reagents p-chloromercuribenezene-sulfonic acid and leupeptin. Prosegment removal changes the pI of the dominant apo-A-II isoform from 6.61 to 4.95. The presence of the propeptide does not prevent specific in vitro recombination of apo-A-II with high-density lipoprotein3 particles present in normolipemic serum. Extracellular processing after a single basic amino acid has been described for a variety of precursor proteins. Extracellular cleavage of the apo-A-II propeptide after paired COOH-terminal basic residues represents a novel processing pathway.