Isolation and characterization of plasminogen activators from hyperplastic and malignant prostate tissue

Plasminogen activators from prostate tissue were purified to apparent homogeneity by a procedure involving reverse ammonium sulfate gradient solubilization, chromatography on gelatine-Sepharose, gel filtration on Sephadex G-150, and chromatography on Con A-Sepharose as a final step. Two activators were obtained. The predominant one exhibited physicochemical, immunochemical and functional properties indistinguishable from human urinary high molecular weight urokinase. The other one, which amounted to about 20% was immunochemically related to tissue type plasminogen activator and its plasminogen activator activity was enhanced by addition of CNBr-fibrinogen fragments in a similar pattern as for the vascular plasminogen activator. The molecular weight, however, and enzymatic activities on the synthetic low molecular weight paranitroanilide substrates pyro-Glu-Gly-Arg-pNA and H-D-Ile-Pro-Arg-pNA were different to vascular plasminogen activator but similar to high molecular weight urinary urokinase.     

Isolation and characteristics of urokinase-type plasminogen activator from a culture of human embryo lung fibroblasts

Plasminogen activator from conditioned medium of human embryonal lung fibroblasts was purified by phosphocellulose P11 chromatography, followed by p-aminobenzamidine-agarose chromatography. Two forms of plasminogen activators were separated by chromatography on the heparin-sepharose. The high molecular weight form (53 kDa) with specific activity 130 000 IU/mg consists of two polypeptide chains (31 kDa and 20 kDa) and exhibits strong affinity for fibrin-celite, lysine-sepharose and heparin-sepharose. The low molecular weight form (32 kDa, 190 000 IU/mg) also binds to these sorbents, but more weakly, and its properties are very similar to those of low molecular weight urokinase. Activity of both forms of plasminogen activators are inhibited by monoclonal antibodies against urokinase. A number of enzymological chromatographic and immunological properties indicates, that the plasminogen activator from lung fibroblasts is of urokinase type.     

Isolation and characterization of plasminogen activators from hyperlastic and malignant prostate tissue

Plasminogen activators from prostate tissue were purified to apparent homogeneity by a procedure involving reverse ammonium sulfate gradient solubilization, chromatography on gelatine-Sepharose, gel filtration on Sephadex G-150, and chromatography on Con A-Sepharose as a final step. Two activators were obtained. The predominant one exhibited physicochemical, immunochemical and functional properties indistinguishable from human urinary high molecular weight urokinase. The other one, which amounted to about 20% was immunochemically related to tissue type plasminogen activator and its plasminogen activator activity was enhanced by addition of CNBr-fibrinogen framents in a similar pattern as for the vascular plasminogen activator. The molecular weight, however, and enzymatic activities on the synthetic low molecular weight paranitroanilide substrates $\text{pyro-Glu-gly-Arg}\text{-p}\text{NA and H-}\text{D}\text{-Ile-Pro-Arg}\text{-p}\text{NA}$ were different to vascular plasminogen activator but similar to high molecular weight urinary urokinase.     

Purification of plasminogen activators from human seminal plasma.

Two plasminogen activators (1 and 2) were isolated from human seminal plasma by hiigh-speed centrifugation, Sephadex-gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The activators were shown to be homogeneous by polyacrylamide-disc -gel electrophoresis at pH 8.3 and 4.5, and by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The molecular weights of activators 1 and 2 were estimated as 69 000 and 74 000. Their amino acid compositions are very similar, both being high in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, glycine and leucine, and low in methionine, tryptophan, tyrosine, isoleucine and histidine. Activators 1 and 2 each possess 16 cysteine residues. Both activators have isoelectric points of approx. 7.0, are stable over a wide pH range at temperatures up to 60 degrees C, but lose activity at higher temperatures, particularly under very basic or acidic conditions. They are not inhibited by EDTA, Mg2+ and Ca2+ at 10 mM concentrations, but their activity decreases on addition of 10 mM-cysteine or Fe2+ and 6-aminohexanoate or sera from pregnant women. The precipitin band formed between urokinase and its antiserum is continuous with the precipitin bands formed between the seminal plasminogen activators and the urokinase antiserum. Antisera to urokinase inhibit both the activity of urokinase and the seminal plasminogen activators.     

Kinetic studies on novel plasminogen activators. Demonstration of fibrin enhancement for hybrid enzymes comprising the A-chain of plasmin (Lys-78) and B-chain of tissue-type plasminogen activator (Ile-276) or urokinase (Ile-159).

The activation of plasminogen by two novel hybrid enzymes, constructed from the A-chain of plasmin and the B-chains of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) or urokinase, was compared with the activation by the parent enzymes. Basal kinetic constants for 'Lys-plasminogen' (human plasminogen with N-terminal lysine) and 'Glu-plasminogen' (human plasminogen with N-terminal glutamic acid) activation were similar to those of the parent activators. The Km for plasminogen turnover for both hybrid enzymes was considerably decreased in the presence of both soluble fibrin and a mimic, a CNBr digest of fibrinogen. These enhancements and the related apparent negative co-operativity are similar to the behaviour of t-PA itself. The results are discussed with regard to the molecular features involved in the mechanism of fibrin stimulation.     

An inhibitor from placenta specifically binds urokinase and inhibits plasminogen activator released from ovarian carcinoma in tissue culture

An inhibitor present in placenta and released in placental tissue culture forms specific complexes with each of two molecular forms of urokinase. Audoradiography demonstrated that the inhibitor shifted the electrophoretic position of ¹²⁵I-labelled urokinase. It did not change the migration of diisopropyl-fluorophosphate-inactivated ¹²⁵I-labelled urokinase, thereby indicating complex formation dependent on active serine site in urokinase. The inhibitor had a strong neutralizing effect on the plasminogen activators released from human ovarian carcinoma in tissue culture. The placental inhibitor might prove useful in inhibiting the fibrinolytic process necessary for proliferation of tumour vessels.     

Comparative electrophoretic analysis of human and porcine plasminogen activators in SDS-polyacrylamide gels containing plasminogen and casein

Electrophoretic analysis of plasminogen activators from pig heart, human uterus, human plasma and human melanoma cells was performed in SDS-polyacrylamide gradient slab gels containing plasminogen and casein. Direct visualization of activator activity bands in polyacrylamide gels was achieved after removal of SDS, incubation in buffer, and staining with Coomassie brilliant blue. Tissue activator extracted from pig hearts displayed a molecular weight of 72000 and migrated similarly to activator secreted by human melanoma cells and to one activator component present in extracts of human uterus. Immunoadsorption experiments with melanoma cell activator antiserum indicated that these 72-kDa activators are all related immunologically. Human uterus also contained a second activator component with a molecular weight 55000, which migrated similarly to a higher molecular weight component of urokinase and cross-reacted with urokinase antiserum. We conclude that the 72-kDa uterine activator component represents a tissue activator and the 55-kDa component represents a urokinase-like activator. A euglobulin solution from venous occlusion plasma displayed multiple bands of plasmin activity in the Mr range 85000-96000. Two activator components were also present, one of Mr 72000 and another of Mr 62000. The 72-kDa euglobulin activator was adsorbed by MCA antiserum, and we conclude that this component represents vascular activator. The 62000 activator also had weak plasminogen-independent caseinolytic activity and was not affected by either melanoma cell activator or urokinase antisera. Conclusions concerning its identity cannot be made at this time.     

Regulation of extracellular plasminogen activator by human fibroblasts. The role of protease nexin

When the plasminogen activator urokinase was radioiodinated and incubated at 40 ng/ml in medium conditioned by human foreskin (HF) cells, within 30 min over 80% of the added plasminogen activator was complexed to cell-released protease nexin (PN). The urokinase complexed to PN had little if any activity. Incubation of purified PN with urokinase confirmed that PN is an inhibitor of this plasminogen activator. However, a widely used plasminogen-dependent fibrinolysis assay for plasminogen activator indicated that abundant endogenous plasminogen activator activity co-existed with PN in HF cell-conditioned medium. The source of this activity was electrophoretically and immunologically indistinguishable from urokinase. Furthermore, gel exclusion chromatography showed that about 90% of the urokinase antigen detected in conditioned medium had a molecular weight similar to that of free active urokinase. These paradoxical findings are resolved by evidence that this "PN-resistant urokinase-like" plasminogen activator is actually urokinase proenzyme that is activated by plasmin or conditions in the fibrinolysis assay for plasminogen activator. It is shown that the activated form of HF cell plasminogen activator is sensitive to inhibition by PN. PN may thus be an important component in the cellular regulation of endogenous plasminogen activator activity.     

Purification and characterization of human kidney plasminogen activator dissimilar to urokinase

The tissue activator was extracted with 2 M ammonium thiocyanate and purified by L-arginine methyl ester, concanavalin A and ion-exchange chromatographies, and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration in buffers containing Triton X-100 and/or ammonium thiocyanate. The final preparations had specific activities of 25 000-40 000 IU/mg protein and were shown to be a single band with an apparent molecular weight of 54 00 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with or without reducing agent. When subjected to isoelectric focusing, its major component had an isoelectric point of approx. 8.2 with minor components. (7.8-8.6). The purified tissue activator was a serine protease, dissimilar to urokinase in some respects including antigenicity, strong affinity to insoluble fibrin monomer and hydrolytic activities for synthetic substrates. The crude extract contained another plasminogen activator with antigen identity to urokinase, which constituted approx. 15% of the total activity in crude extract. These findings indicated that human kidney would produce at least two plasminogen activators, namely, the tissue activator as a major plasminogen activator and urokinase.     

Enhanced expression of an antibody-targeted plasminogen activator in Escherichia coli by fusion to decorsin

To improve the thrombolytic specificity of plasminogen activators, an antibody-targeted plasminogen activator was constructed consisting of a single-chain variable fragment of a monoclonal antibody SZ-51 raised specifically against human P-selectins on activated platelets and a low molecular weight single-chain urokinase. After fusion to the 3' end of the gene coding for decorsin, originally isolated from the leech Macrobdella decora, expression of the antibody-targeted plasminogen activator gene in E. coli strain Rosetta (DE3) pLysS was greatly enhanced.     

Novel properties of human monocyte plasminogen activator

Human peripheral monocytes stimulated by either muramyl dipeptide [N-acetyl-muramoyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine], bacterial lipopolysaccharide or lymphokine-containing supernatants of human lymphocytes, could be shown to produce and secrete appreciable activities of a 52 000-Mr plasminogen activator. This enzyme was suppressed in control and stimulated cultures by dexamethasone (0.1 microM). Monocyte plasminogen activator could only be assayed under conditions of low ionic strength and had no detectable activity at 0.15 M NaCl. Intracellular enzyme was present as a proenzyme, requiring activation by preincubation with plasminogen containing traces of plasmin, before its activity could be seen on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by a fibrin overlay method. Secreted enzyme was in the active form. Further incubation of lysate or supernatant plasminogen activator with plasminogen did not produce any active enzyme species of Mr 36 000, unlike incubations of urokinase with plasminogen. Moreover, comparisons with other plasminogen activators of Mr 52 000 from transformed cell lines showed that the monocyte activator was unique in its resistance to monocyte minactivin, a specific inactivator of urokinase-type plasminogen activators, and in its sensitivity to human alpha 2-macroglobulin. It was therefore concluded that human monocyte plasminogen activator, although sharing an Mr of 52 000 in common with other such activators, is not identical to the high Mr form of urokinase or the plasminogen activators of transformed cells. On present evidence it is the least likely of these enzymes to be active extracellularly under normal physiological conditions.     

Homology of kringle structures in urokinase and tissue-type plasminogen activator: the phylogeny with the related serine proteases

Twelve amino acid sequences of kringle-forming polypeptides were compiled from the known sequences of urokinase A-chain (human), a tissue-type plasminogen activator (human), prothrombin (human and bovine), and plasminogen (human). Their sequence homologies with maximum match were examined by a computer program. A homology alignment and graphic matrix analyses did show that they had a great degree of homology. All the cysteine residues responsible for the kringle structures of urokinase and the tissue-type plasminogen activator were confidently preserved as well as other proteins. A phylogenetic tree was then reconstructed, and the A- and S-chain of bovine and human prothrombins were accounted for the measurement of the evolutionary time span. It was found that urokinase had a larger time span, as much as 60 million years (MY), than the tissue-type plasminogen activator. A common ancestral element of the kringle-related serine proteases was placed at around 500 MY ago, as old as the diversion of the alpha- and beta-chains of hemoglobin. Thus, the kringle-families have undergone a substantial evolutionary divergence. Moreover, they can be subgrouped into three subfamilies: plasminogen activators, plasminogen, and prothrombin A-chains, the last being the most distantly diverged prothrombin S-chains.     

Plasminogen activation: biochemistry, physiology, and therapeutics

The mammalian serine protease zymogen, plasminogen, can be converted into the active enzyme plasmin by vertebrate plasminogen activators urokinase (uPA), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), factor XII-dependent components, or by bacterial streptokinase. The biochemical properties of the major components of the system, plasminogen/plasmin, plasminogen activators, and inhibitors of the plasminogen activators, are reviewed. The plasmin system has been implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological processes such as fibrinolysis, tissue remodeling, cell migration, inflammation, and tumor invasion and metastasis. A defective plasminogen activator/inhibitor system also has been linked to some thromboembolic complications. Recent studies of the mechanism of fibrinolysis in human plasma suggest that tPA may be the primary initiator and that overall fibrinolytic activity is strongly regulated at the tPA level. A simple model for the initiation and regulation of plasma fibrinolysis based on these studies has been formulated. The plasminogen activators have been used for thrombolytic therapy. Three new thrombolytic agents--tPA, pro-uPA, and acylated streptokinase-plasminogen complex--have been found to possess better properties over their predecessors, urokinase and streptokinase. Further improvements of these molecules using genetic and protein engineering tactics are being pursued.     

Conformation of one- and two-chain high molecular weight urokinase analyzed by small-angle neutron scattering and vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism

The structures of one- and two-chain high molecular weight human urokinase were analyzed by small-angle neutron scattering and vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism. Both one- and two-chain high molecular weight urokinases exhibited a radius of gyration of 31 A and a maximum dimension of 90 A. Neither parameter was affected by the presence of lysine sufficient to saturate all the lysine-binding sites in human plasminogen. These physical parameters are consistent with the sedimentation coefficient of high molecular weight urokinase and indicate that both proteins are highly asymmetric. Neither protein contained much alpha-helix or parallel beta-sheet. Most of the secondary structure was in the form of antiparallel beta-sheet and beta-turns, very similar to the secondary structure of plasminogen. The macroscopic kinetic constants, Km and kcat, for the hydrolysis of (pyroGlu-Gly-Arg-NH)2-rhodamine by two-chain high molecular weight urokinase and low molecular weight urokinase which lacks the epidermal growth factor and kringle domains were similar. These structural and kinetic data are consistent with the domains in both forms of urokinase being independent structural and functional units.     

The production of distinct forms of plasminogen activator by mouse embryonic cells

We have examined cultured parietal endoderm, visceral endoderm, and extraembryonic mesoderm cells from the mouse embryo for production of the protease plasminogen activator. All of these cell types synthesize and secrete the enzyme, but the molecular characteristics of the plasminogen activators differ as defined by the apparent molecular weight in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, the antigenic properties as defined by two antisera to distinct plasminogen activators, and the interaction with an inhibitor present in fetal bovine serum. The parietal endoderm plasminogen activator has a predominant molecular weight of 79,000, is immunoprecipitated and inhibited by an antiserum raised against a human melanoma plasminogen activator, but not by an antiserum against mouse urokinase, and is only partially inhibited by the serum inhibitor. The visceral endoderm and extraembryonic mesoderm plasminogen activators, which are identical by all criteria, have molecular weights of 48,000, are inactivated only by the anti-urokinase antibodies, and are inhibited by an inhibitor in fetal bovine serum. These results establish the presence of at least two different forms of plasminogen activator in the early mouse embryo. The distinctive nature of the enzyme produced by parietal endoderm can be used as a diagnostic marker for this cell type at this stage of development. When F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells are induced to differentiate by retinoic acid and dibutyryl cAMP, they secrete a plasminogen activator of the parietal endoderm type.     

Tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase mediate the binding of Glu-plasminogen to plasma fibrin I. Evidence for new binding sites in plasmin-degraded fibrin I

The effect of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) or urokinase on the specific binding of human Glu-plasminogen to fibrin I formed in plasma by clotting with Reptilase was studied using 125I-plasminogen and 131I-fibrinogen. In the absence of TPA, small amounts of plasminogen were bound to fibrin I. TPA induced binding of plasminogen to plasma fibrin I that was dependent upon the concentrations of TPA and plasminogen as well as upon the time of incubation. Plasminogen binding occurred in association with fibrin clot lysis and the formation in the clot supernatant of alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor-plasmin complexes. Urokinase also induced binding of plasminogen to plasma fibrin I that was concentration- and time-dependent. The molecular form of plasminogen bound to the fibrin I plasma clot was identified as Glu-plasminogen by dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by fast performance liquid chromatography. Further studies demonstrated that fibrin I formed from fibrinogen that had been progressively degraded by plasmin-bound Glu-plasminogen. The mole ratio of plasminogen bound increased with the time of plasmin digestion. Glu-plasminogen did not bind to fibrin I formed from fibrinogen progressively digested by human leukocyte elastase, thereby demonstrating the specificity of plasmin. These studies demonstrate that plasminogen activators regulate the binding of Glu-plasminogen to fibrin I by catalyzing plasmin-mediated modifications in the fibrin substrate.     

Oxygen modulates the release of urokinase and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 by retinal pigment epithelial cells

The aims of this study were to examine the effect of oxygen, in the presence or absence of exogenous growth factors, on the release of plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 by cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Antigen and activity levels of urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor were measured in conditioned media after cells were exposed to three different oxygen environments: hypoxia, normoxia and hyperoxia. Overall proteolytic balance was determined by zymography. The effects of exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta were also examined. it was found that retinal pigment epithelial cells released urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor in measurable quantities. After 48 h, urokinase levels were highest at normoxia, reaching 7.2ng/10(6) cells (+/-2.0 SEM), whereas plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 levels were highest at hyperoxia, reaching 67.5ng/10(6) cells (+/-3.7 SEM). Tissue plasminogen activator levels were minimal (<0.5ng/10(6) cells) and unaffected by both oxygen and growth factors. Overall proteolytic activity was also greatest at normoxia. Fibroblast growth factor stimulated urokinase production dose-dependently, but plasminogen activator inhibitor only minimally. Transforming growth factor-beta stimulated plasminogen activator inhibitor production dose-dependently but urokinase only at higher concentrations. These results suggest that both oxygen tension and growth factors may interact to modulate the proteolytic properties of the human retinal pigment epithelium.     

Fibrin autography of plasminogen activator by electrophoretic transfer into fibrin agar gels

An electrophoretic modification of the conventional fibrin autography that can be used for the detection of plasminogen activators (urokinase type and tissue type) and fibrin-degrading enzymes in complex biological fluids is described. After separation by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the proteins and the substrate plasminogen are transferred electrophoretically into the fibrin indicator gel, resulting in an efficient transfer of proteinases as well as high resolution and contrast of fibrinolytic zones caused by plasminogen activator activity. Picogram amounts of human urokinase type plasminogen activator (about 0.002 International Unit) are still detectable. The technique is also applicable to reversed fibrin autography for plasminogen activator inhibitors.     

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.     

The interaction of streptokinase.plasminogen activator complex, tissue-type plasminogen activator, urokinase and their acylated derivatives with fibrin and cyanogen bromide digest of fibrinogen. Relationship to fibrinolytic potency in vitro.

The effects of purified soluble fibrin and of fibrinogen fragments (fibrin mimic) on the activation of Lys-plasminogen (i.e. plasminogen residues 77-790) to plasmin by streptokinase.plasminogen activator complex and by tissue-type plasminogen activator were studied. Dissociation constants of both activators were estimated to lie in the range 90-160 nM (fibrin) and 16-60 nM (CNBr-cleavage fragments of fibrinogen). The kinetic mechanism for both types of activator comprised non-essential enzyme activation via a Rapid Equilibrium Ordered Bireactant sequence. In order to relate the fibrin affinity of plasminogen activators to their fibrinolytic potency, the rate of lysis of supported human plasma clots formed in the presence of unmodified or active-centre-acylated precursors of plasminogen activators was studied as a function of the concentration of enzyme derivative. The concentrations of unmodified enzyme giving 50% lysis/h in this assay were 0.9, 2.0 and 11.0 nM for tissue-type plasminogen activator, streptokinase.plasmin(ogen) and urokinase respectively. However, the potencies of active-centre-acylated derivatives of these enzymes suggested that acylated-tissue plasminogen activator and streptokinase.plasminogen complexes of comparable hydrolytic stability were of comparable potency. Both types of acyl-enzyme were significantly more potent than acyl-urokinases.