Inhibition of factor XIII activation by an anti-peptide monoclonal antibody.

As the final enzyme in the coagulation cascade, activated fibrin stabilizing factor or factor XIII catalyzes the intermolecular cross-linking of fibrin chains. To study this enzyme in plasma, we derived a monoclonal antibody (MAb 309) against a peptide sequence (NH2-G-V-N-L-Q-E-F-C-COOH) in the thrombin activation site of factor XIII. Radioimmunoassays indicate that MAb 309 binds specifically to both platelet and plasma factor XIII. Peptide inhibition studies demonstrate that the MAb binds equally well to the factor XIII (FXIII) zymogen and the active form of FXIII (FXIIIa). In immunoblots of whole platelet lysates, MAb 309 binds only to FXIII and does not cross-react with other proteins. In saturation binding studies, the antibody shows a binding avidity of (1.75 +/- 0.35) x 10(9) M-1. MAb 309 also inhibited 99% of apparent FXIIIa activity in a standard transglutaminase assay. SDS-PAGE analysis of fibrin clots showed that MAb 309 inhibited fibrin gamma-gamma cross-linking. Moreover, MAb 309 accelerated the lysis of plasma clots, consistent with inhibition of fibrin-fibrin and fibrin-alpha 2-antiplasmin cross-linking. Immunoblotting experiments revealed that MAb 309 affected apparent FXIIIa activity by inhibiting the thrombin activation of the FXIII zymogen. In addition to its utility as a specific probe for the FXIII a-subunit, the strategy used to obtain MAb 309 may be used to generate MAbs that inhibit the activation of other coagulation factor zymogens.     

Ubiquitin fusion expression and tissue-dependent targeting of hG-CSF in transgenic tobacco

Background

The transglutaminase activated factor XIII (FXIIIa) acts to strengthen pathological fibrin clots and to slow their dissolution, in part by crosslinking active α₂-antiplasmin (α₂AP) to fibrin. We previously reported that a yeast-derived recombinant fusion protein comprising α₂AP residues 13-42 linked to human serum albumin (HSA) weakened in vitro clots but failed to become specifically incorporated into in vivo clots. In this study, our aims were to improve both the stability and clot localization of the HSA fusion protein by replacing α₂AP residues 13-42 with shorter sequences recognized more effectively by FXIIIa.

Results

Expression plasmids were prepared encoding recombinant HSA with the following N-terminal 23 residue extensions: H₆NQEQVSPLTLLAG₄Y (designated XL1); H₆DQMMLPWAVTLG₄Y (XL2); H₆WQHKIDLPYNGAG₄Y (XL3); and their 17 residue non-His-tagged equivalents (XL4, XL5, and XL6). The HSA moiety of XL4- to XL6-HSA proteins was C-terminally His-tagged. All chimerae were efficiently secreted from transformed Pichia pastoris yeast except XL3-HSA, and following nickel chelate affinity purification were found to be intact by amino acid sequencing, as was an N-terminally His-tagged version of α₂AP(13-42)-HSA. Of the proteins tested, XL5-HSA was cross-linked to biotin pentylamine (BPA) most rapidly by FXIIIa, and was the most effective competitor of α₂AP crosslinking not only to BPA but also to plasma fibrin clots. In the mouse ferric chloride vena cava thrombosis model, radiolabeled XL5-HSA was retained in the clot to a greater extent than recombinant HSA. In the rabbit jugular vein stasis thrombosis model, XL5-HSA was also retained in the clot, in a urea-insensitive manner indicative of crosslinking to fibrin, to a greater extent than recombinant HSA.

Conclusions

Fusion protein XL5-HSA (DQMMLPWAVTLG₄Y-HSAH₆) was found to be more active as a substrate for FXIIIa-mediated transamidation than seven other candidate fusion proteins in vitro. The improved stability and reactivity of this chimeric protein was further evidenced by its incorporation into in vivo clots formed in thrombosis models in both mice and rabbits.     

Characterization of plasmin-mediated activation of plasma procarboxypeptidase B. Modulation by glycosaminoglycans

Plasma carboxypeptidase B (PCB) is an exopeptidase that exerts an antifibrinolytic effect by releasing C-terminal Lys and Arg residues from partially degraded fibrin. PCB is produced in plasma via limited proteolysis of the zymogen, pro-PCB. In this report, we show that the K(m) (55 nM) for plasmin-catalyzed activation of pro-PCB is similar to the plasma concentration of pro-PCB (50-70 nM), whereas the K(m) for the thrombin- or thrombin:thrombomodulin-catalyzed reaction is 10-40-fold higher than the pro-PCB level in plasma. Additionally, tissue-type plasminogen activator triggers activation of pro-PCB in blood plasma in a reaction that is stimulated by a neutralizing antibody versus alpha(2)-antiplasmin. Together, these results show that plasmin-mediated activation of pro-PCB can occur in blood plasma. Heparin (UH) and other anionic glycosaminoglycans stimulate pro-PCB activation by plasmin but not by thrombin or thrombin:thrombomodulin. Pro-PCB is a more favorable substrate for plasmin in the presence of UH (16-fold increase in k(cat)/K(m)). UH also stabilizes PCB against spontaneous inactivation. The presence of UH in clots prepared with prothrombin-deficient plasma delays tissue-type plasminogen activator-triggered lysis; this effect of UH on clot lysis is blocked by a PCB inhibitor from potato tubers. These results show that UH accelerates plasmin-catalyzed activation of pro-PCB in plasma and PCB, in turn, stabilizes fibrin against fibrinolysis. We propose that glycosaminoglycans in the subendothelial extracellular matrix serve to augment the levels of PCB activity thereby stabilizing blood clots at sites where there is a breach in the integrity of the vasculature.     

Coagulation Factor XIIIa Substrates in Human Plasma: IDENTIFICATION AND INCORPORATION INTO THE CLOT

Coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) is a transglutaminase with a well defined role in the final stages of blood coagulation. Active FXIII (FXIIIa) catalyzes the formation of ϵ-(γ-glutamyl)lysine isopeptide bonds between specific Gln and Lys residues. The primary physiological outcome of this catalytic activity is stabilization of the fibrin clot during coagulation. The stabilization is achieved through the introduction of cross-links between fibrin monomers and through cross-linking of proteins with anti-fibrinolytic activity to fibrin. FXIIIa additionally cross-links several proteins with other functionalities to the clot. Cross-linking of proteins to the clot is generally believed to modify clot characteristics such as proteolytic susceptibility and hereby affect the outcome of tissue damage. In the present study, we use a proteomic approach in combination with transglutaminase-specific labeling to identify FXIIIa plasma protein substrates and their reactive residues. The results revealed a total of 147 FXIIIa substrates, of which 132 have not previously been described. We confirm that 48 of the FXIIIa substrates were indeed incorporated into the insoluble fibrin clot during the coagulation of plasma. The identified substrates are involved in, among other activities, complement activation, coagulation, inflammatory and immune responses, and extracellular matrix organization.     

Evaluating factor XIII specificity for glutamine-containing substrates using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry assay

Activated factor XIII (FXIIIa) catalyzes the formation of γ-glutamyl-ε-lysyl cross-links within the fibrin blood clot network. Although several cross-linking targets have been identified, the characteristic features that define FXIIIa substrate specificity are not well understood. To learn more about how FXIIIa selects its targets, a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI–TOF MS)-based assay was developed that could directly follow the consumption of a glutamine-containing substrate and the formation of a cross-linked product with glycine ethylester. This FXIIIa kinetic assay is no longer reliant on a secondary coupled reaction, on substrate labeling, or on detecting only the final deacylation portion of the transglutaminase reaction. With the MALDI–TOF MS assay, glutamine-containing peptides derived from α₂-antiplasmin, Staphylococcus aureus fibronectin binding protein A, and thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor were examined directly. Results suggest that the FXIIIa active site surface responds to changes in substrate residues following the reactive glutamine. The P₋₁ substrate position is sensitive to charge character, and the P₋₂ and P₋₃ substrate positions are sensitive to the broad FXIIIa substrate specificity pockets. The more distant P₋₈ to P₋₁₁ region serves as a secondary substrate anchoring point. New knowledge on FXIIIa specificity may be used to design better substrates or inhibitors of this transglutaminase.     

FXIII polymorphisms, fibrin clot structure and thrombotic risk

Fibrin clot structure is highly dependent on factor XIII activity. Activated FXIII catalyzes the formation of the peptide bonds between the gamma and alpha chains in noncovalently bound fibrin polymers and incorporates various adhesive and antifibrinolytic proteins into the final fibrin clot. In the absence of activated FXIII, clots are unstable and susceptible to fibrinolysis. Several studies have examined the effects of FXIII polymorphisms on final fibrin clot structure and clinical thrombotic risk. The Val34Leu FXIII polymorphism is associated with increased activation by thrombin. In the presence of saturating thrombin concentrations, however, FXIIIa specific enzyme activity is not affected by genetic polymorphisms. Fibrin clots formed in the presence of the FXIII 34Leu polymorphisms do tend to be thinner and less porous, however. The effects of prothrombin concentrations on clot structure have suggested that thinner clots are more resistant to fibrinolysis and associated with increased thrombotic risk. Most clinical studies of 34Leu FXIII carriers, however, have demonstrated a lower incidence of both venous and arterial thrombosis in carriers of the mutant allele compared to Val/Val carriers. One recent study has suggested that the interactions between FXIII phenotype and plasma fibrinogen concentrations significantly influence clinical thrombotic risk.     

Evidence that αC region is origin of low modulus, high extensibility, and strain stiffening in fibrin fibers

Fibrin fibers form the structural scaffold of blood clots and perform the mechanical task of stemming blood flow. Several decades of investigation of fibrin fiber networks using macroscopic techniques have revealed remarkable mechanical properties. More recently, the microscopic origins of fibrin's mechanics have been probed through direct measurements on single fibrin fibers and individual fibrinogen molecules. Using a nanomanipulation system, we investigated the mechanical properties of individual fibrin fibers. The fibers were stretched with the atomic force microscope, and stress-versus-strain data was collected for fibers formed with and without ligation by the activated transglutaminase factor XIII (FXIIIa). We observed that ligation with FXIIIa nearly doubled the stiffness of the fibers. The stress-versus-strain behavior indicates that fibrin fibers exhibit properties similar to other elastomeric biopolymers. We propose a mechanical model that fits our observed force extension data, is consistent with the results of the ligation data, and suggests that the large observed extensibility in fibrin fibers is mediated by the natively unfolded regions of the molecule. Although some models attribute fibrin's force-versus-extension behavior to unfolding of structured regions within the monomer, our analysis argues that these models are inconsistent with the measured extensibility and elastic modulus.     

Influence of cysteine proteinase inhibitors on platelet and plasma components of blood coagulation system

Factor XIIIa plays an important role in stabilization of formed fibrin clot during blood coagulation. Recent studies proved that factor XIIIa affects formation of coated platelets, which are highly procoagulant and characterized by a high level of alpha-granular proteins on their surface and expose surface phosphatidylserine after platelet activation. The ability of newly found cysteine proteinase inhibitors (CPIs) from plants to affect thiol group of the factor XIIIa active centre was recently discovered. Here, the effect of CPIs on the formation of coated platelets and activity of plasma components during blood coagulation process was investigated. It was found that CPIs dose-dependently decreased the fraction of coated platelets in the total platelet population during platelet activation and decreased endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) by 40% for thrombin generation in platelet-rich as well as in platelet-poor plasma. Such decrease of ETP could not be explained by the CPIs influence on factor XIIIa. Investigation of the effects of these inhibitors on factor Xa and thrombin activity has shown that CPIs dose-dependently inhibited their activity and might cause an ETP decrease. Thus, the obtained data indicated that CPIs affected both platelet and plasma components of blood coagulation system.     

Investigating thrombin-loaded fibrin in whole blood clot microfluidic assay via fluorogenic peptide

During clotting under flow, thrombin rapidly generates fibrin, whereas fibrin potently sequesters thrombin. This co-regulation was studied using microfluidic whole blood clotting on collagen/tissue factor, followed by buffer wash, and a start/stop cycling flow assay using the thrombin fluorogenic substrate, Boc-Val-Pro-Arg-AMC. After 3 min of clotting (100 s^?1) and 5 min of buffer wash, non-elutable thrombin activity was easily detected during cycles of flow cessation. Non-elutable thrombin was similarly detected in plasma clots or arterial whole blood clots (1000 s^?1). This thrombin activity was ablated by Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethylketone (PPACK), apixaban, or Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro to inhibit fibrin. Reaction-diffusion simulations predicted 108 nM thrombin within the clot. Heparin addition to the start/stop assay had little effect on fibrin-bound thrombin, whereas addition of heparin-antithrombin (AT) required over 6 min to inhibit the thrombin, indicating a substantial diffusion limitation. In contrast, heparin-AT rapidly inhibited thrombin within microfluidic plasma clots, indicating marked differences in fibrin structure and functionality between plasma clots and whole blood clots. Addition of GPVI-Fab to blood before venous or arterial clotting (200 or 1000 s^?1) markedly reduced fibrin-bound thrombin, whereas GPVI-Fab addition after 90 s of clotting had no effect. Perfusion of AF647-fibrinogen over washed fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-fibrin clots resulted in an intense red layer around, but not within, the original FITC-fibrin. Similarly, introduction of plasma/AF647-fibrinogen generated substantial red fibrin masses that did not penetrate the original green clots, demonstrating that fibrin cannot be re-clotted with fibrinogen. Overall, thrombin within fibrin is non-elutable, easily accessed by peptides, slowly accessed by average-sized proteins (heparin/AT), and not accessible to fresh fibrinogen.     

Effects of free fatty acids on fibrinolytic activity.

A novel method for the estimation of fibrinolytic activity is proposed. In this method, a fibrin clot suspension is used as a substrate (fibrin is known to be a physiological substrate of plasmin). The fibrin clot suspension was prepared by homogenization of human fibrin clots. With this method, we found that free fatty acids inhibited the plasmin activity, and long-chain, unsaturated free fatty acids had a particularly strong inhibitory action on plasmin. As regards the mechanism of the inhibitory action, free fatty acids may not inhibit complex formation between plasmin and fibirin, but may make it impossible for plasmin to act on fibrin due to deformation of the surface of the fibrin clot.     

Sucrose Phosphate Synthetase from Various Plant Origins

Some properties of sucrose-P synthetases obtained from various plant tissues, including sweet potato roots, potato tubers and leaves of barley, rape and ladino clover were studied. The specific enzyme activity of the sucrose-P synthetase from sweet potato roots was much lower than that of the sucrose synthetase of the other tissues. The enzyme activity decreased gradually as the roots developed. The optimum pH did not differ between enzyme preparations from sweet potato roots and barley leaves. Manganese chloride exhibited a marked stimulative effect on the sucrose-P synthetase from sweet potato roots and potato tubers, whereas it was inhibited the barley leaf enzyme.

Kinetic studies of sucrose-P synthetase showed that the behavior of the enzyme to the substrates did not differ in the enzyme sources examined. The substrate saturation curve of the enzyme with respect to fructose-6-P was sigmodal in shape, giving a straight line with a slope of 1.35~1.5 (n value) in a plot of the data using the empirical Hill equation. On the other hand, enzymes from all the various tissues exhibited a hyperbolic substrate saturation curve for UDP-glucose, obeying the ordinary Michaelis-Menten type reaction. Manganese chloride had no effect on the Km for UDP-glucose, the S_0.5 for fructose-6-P and the n value of the enzyme from potato tuber tissues.     

Cross-linking of wild-type and mutant alpha 2-antiplasmins to fibrin by activated factor XIII and by a tissue transglutaminase

Human alpha(2)-antiplasmin (alpha(2)AP), the main inhibitor of plasmin-mediated fibrinolysis, is a substrate for plasma transglutaminase, also termed activated factor XIII (FXIIIa). Of 452 amino acids in alpha(2)AP, only Gln(2) is believed to be a fibrin-cross-linking (or FXIIIa-reactive) site. Kinetic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m)((app))) of FXIIIa and the guinea pig liver tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and reactivities of Gln substrate sites were compared for recombinant wild-type alpha(2)AP (WT-alpha(2)AP) and Q2A mutant alpha(2)AP (Q2A-alpha(2)AP). [(14)C]Methylamine incorporation showed the k(cat)/K(m)((app)) of FXIIIa to be 3-fold greater than that of tTG for WT-alpha(2)AP. With FXIIIa or tTG catalysis, [(14)C]methylamine was incorporated into Q2A-alpha(2)AP, indicating that WT-alpha(2)AP has more than one Gln cross-linking site. To identify transglutaminase-reactive sites in WT-alpha(2)AP or Q2A-alpha(2)AP, each was labeled with 5-(biotinamido)pentylamine by FXIIIa or tTG catalysis. After each labeled alpha(2)AP was digested by trypsin, sequence and mass analyses of each labeled peptide showed that 4 of 35 Gln residues were labeled with the following reactivities: Gln(2) > Gln(21) > Gln(419) > Gln(447). Q(2)A-alpha(2)AP was also labeled at Gln(21) > Gln(419) > Gln(447), but became cross-linked to fibrin by FXIIIa or tTG at approximately one-tenth the rate for WT-alpha(2)AP. These results show that alpha(2)AP is a better substrate for FXIIIa than for this particular tTG, but that either enzyme involves the same Gln substrate sites in alpha(2)AP and yields the same order of reactivities.     

Effect of FXIII on monocyte and fibroblast function.

Factor XIII is a plasma transglutaminase that participates in the final stage of the coagulation cascade. Thrombin-activated FXIII (FXIIIa) catalyzes the formation of covalent crosslinks between gamma-glutamyl and epsilon-lysyl residues on fibrin molecules to yield the mature clot. In addition to its role in hemostasis, FXIIIa was previously shown by us to stimulate endothelial cells to exhibit pro-angiogenic activity. In this work, we studied the effect of FXIIIa on other cells that participate in angiogenesis and tissue repair, such as monocytes and fibroblasts. FXIIIa significantly enhanced migration and proliferation, and inhibited apoptosis of monocytes and fibroblasts. Similar to our previous observations with endothelial cells, the stimulating effect of FXIIIa on monocytes and fibroblasts was elicited via its binding to alpha (v)beta (3) integrin leading to cJun upregulation and TSP-1 downregulation. Since monocytes and fibroblasts are essential components of the tissue repair process, the results of this study, together with the proangiogenic activity of FXIIIa, further substantiate a significant role of FXIII in tissue repair.     

Starch synthesis in transgenic potato tubers with increased 3-phosphoglyceric acid content as a consequence of increased 6-phosphofructokinase activity

The aim of this work was to test the hypothesis that changes in cytosolic 3-phosphoglyceric acid (3-PGA) content can regulate the rate of starch synthesis in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers. The amount of 3-PGA was increased by expressing bacterial phosphofructokinase (PFK; EC 2.7.1.11) in transgenic potato tubers. The resultant 3-fold increase in PFK activity was accompanied by an increase in metabolites downstream of PFK, including a 3-fold increase in 3-PGA. There was also a decrease in metabolites upstream of PFK, most notably of glucose-6-phosphate. The increase in 3-PGA did not affect the amount of starch that accumulated in developing tubers, nor its rate of synthesis in tuber discs cut from developing tubers. This suggests that changes in cytosolic 3-PGA may not affect the rate of starch synthesis under all circumstances. We propose that in this case, a decrease in glucose-6-phosphate (which is transported into the amyloplast as a substrate for starch synthesis) may be sufficient to counteract the effect of increased 3-PGA.     

RNA interference-mediated repression of sucrose-phosphatase in transgenic potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum) strongly affects the hexose-to-sucrose ratio upon cold storage with only minor effects on total soluble carbohydrate accumulation

Storage of potato tubers at low temperatures leads to the accumulation of glucose and fructose in a process called 'cold sweetening'. The aim of this work was to investigate the role of sucrose-phosphatase (SPP) in potato tuber carbohydrate metabolism at low temperature (4 degrees C). To this end, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to reduce SPP expression in transgenic potato tubers. Analysis of SPP specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), SPP protein accumulation and enzyme activity indicated that SPP silencing in transgenic tubers was stable during the cold treatment. Analysis of soluble carbohydrates showed that in transgenic tubers, cold-induced hexogenesis was inhibited while, despite strongly reduced SPP activity, sucrose levels exceeded wild-type (WT) values four- to fivefold after 34 d of cold treatment. This led to a drastic change in the hexose-to-sucrose ratio from 1.9 in WT tubers to 0.15 to 0.11 in transgenic tubers, while the total amount of soluble sugars was largely unchanged in both genotypes. Sucrose-6(F)-phosphate (Suc6P), the substrate of SPP, accumulated in transgenic tubers in the cold which most likely enables the residual enzyme to operate with maximal catalytic activity in vivo and thus, in the long term, counterbalances reduced SPP activity in the transformants. Northern analysis revealed that cold-induced expression of vacuolar invertase (VI) was blocked in SPP-silenced tubers explaining a reduced sucrose-to-hexose conversion. Suc6P levels were found to negatively correlate with VI expression. A possible role of Suc6P in regulating VI expression is discussed.     

Pyrophosphorylases in Solanum tuberosum (IV. Purification,Tissue Localization,and Physicochemical Properties of UDP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase)

The enzyme UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) from potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv Norchip) tubers was purified 177-fold to near homogeneity and to a specific activity of 1099 international units/mg of protein. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 53 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. Immunological and activity assays detected UGPase at similar levels in potato stems, stolons, and tubers. Leaves and roots contained lower levels of UGPase activity and protein. Lineweaver-Burk plots for substrates inorganic pyrophosphate and UDP-glucose were linear in the pyrophosphorolytic direction, yielding Km values of 0.13 and 0.14 mM, respectively. However, Lineweaver-Burk plots for the substrates glucose-1-P and UTP were biphasic in nature when UGPase was assayed in the direction of UDP-glucose synthesis. At physiological substrate concentrations (i.e. from 0.05-0.20 mM), Km values of 0.08 mM (glucose-1-P) and 0.12mM (UTP) were obtained. When substrate concentrations increased above 0.20 mM, Km values increased to 0.68 mM (glucose-1-P) and 0.53 mM (UTP). These kinetic patterns of potato UGPase suggest a "negative cooperative effect" (A. Conway, D.E. Koshland, Jr. [1968] Biochemistry 7: 4011-4022) with respect to the substrates glucose-1-P and UTP. The biphasic substrate saturation curves were similar to the kinetics of the dimeric form of UGPase purified from Salmonella typhimurium (T. Nakae [1971] J Biol Chem 246: 4404-4411). The in vivo significance of the enzyme's "negative cooperativity" in the direction of UDP-glucose synthesis and potato sweetening is discussed.     

Type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor binds to fibrin via vitronectin

Type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), the primary inhibitor of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), circulates as a complex with the abundant plasma glycoprotein, vitronectin. This interaction stabilizes the inhibitor in its active conformation In this report, the effects of vitronectin on the interactions of PAI-1 with fibrin clots were studied. Confocal microscopic imaging of platelet-poor plasma clots reveals that essentially all fibrin-associated PAI-1 colocalizes with fibrin-bound vitronectin. Moreover, formation of platelet-poor plasma clots in the presence of polyclonal antibodies specific for vitronectin attenuated the inhibitory effects of PAI-1 on t-PA-mediated fibrinolysis. Addition of vitronectin during clot formation markedly potentiates PAI-1-mediated inhibition of lysis of (125)I-labeled fibrin clots by t-PA. This effect is dependent on direct binding interactions of vitronectin with fibrin. There is no significant effect of fibrin-associated vitronectin on fibrinolysis in the absence of PAI-1. The binding of PAI-1 to fibrin clots formed in the absence of vitronectin was characterized by a low affinity (K(d) approximately 3.5 micrometer) and rapid loss of PAI-1 inhibitory activity over time. In contrast, a high affinity and stabilization of PAI-1 activity characterized the cooperative binding of PAI-1 to fibrin formed in the presence of vitronectin. These findings indicate that plasma PAI-1.vitronectin complexes can be localized to the surface of fibrin clots; by this localization, they may modulate fibrinolysis and clot reorganization.     

Influence of a natural and a synthetic inhibitor of factor XIIIa on fibrin clot rheology

We investigated the origins of greater clot rigidity associated with FXIIIa-dependent cross-linking. Fibrin clots were examined in which cross-linking was controlled through the use of two inhibitors: a highly specific active-center-directed synthetic inhibitor of FXIIIa, 1,3-dimethyl-4,5-diphenyl-2[2(oxopropyl)thio]imidazolium trifluoromethylsulfonate, and a patient-derived immunoglobulin directed mainly against the thrombin-activated catalytic A subunits of thrombin-activated FXIII. Cross-linked fibrin chains were identified and quantified by one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunostaining with antibodies specific for the alpha- and gamma-chains of fibrin. Gamma-dimers, gamma-multimers, alpha(n)-polymers, and alpha(p)gamma(q)-hybrids were detected. The synthetic inhibitor was highly effective in preventing the production of all cross-linked species. In contrast, the autoimmune antibody of the patient caused primarily an inhibition of alpha-chain cross-linking. Clot rigidities (storage moduli, G') were measured with a cone and plate rheometer and correlated with the distributions of the various cross-linked species found in the clots. Our findings indicate that the FXIIIa-induced dimeric cross-linking of gamma-chains by itself is not sufficient to stiffen the fibrin networks. Instead, the augmentation of clot rigidity was more strongly correlated with the formation of gamma-multimers, alpha(n)-polymers, and alpha(p)gamma(q)-hybrid cross-links. A mechanism is proposed to explain how these cross-linked species may enhance clot rigidity.     

Characterizing the specificity of activated Factor XIII for glutamine-containing substrate peptides

Activated Factor XIII (FXIIIa) is a transglutaminase that catalyzes the formation of gamma-glutamyl-varepsilon-lysine crosslinks in the fibrin network. To better understand the source of FXIIIa substrate specificity, Q-containing substrates based on beta-casein, K9-peptide, and alpha(2)-antiplasmin were characterized. alpha(2)AP (1-15, Q2, Q4) and alpha(2)AP (1-15, Q2, Q4N, K12R) are highly promising peptide models since they exhibited k(cat)/K(m) values comparable to intact beta-casein. In the absence of a lysine-like donor, FXIIIa could promote deamidation of a reactive Q to an E and solution NMR served as an effective strategy for monitoring this reaction. A tendency toward deamidation allowed greater investigations of the alpha(2)-antiplasmin based peptides. FXIIIa preferentially selects the Q2 residue for carrying out crosslinking processes. The E3 and Q4 provide supporting roles in binding. When a crosslinking reaction occurs at Q2, the Q4 position is sterically blocked from reactivity. By contrast, deamidation of Q2 to E2 allows, for the first time, observation of reactivity at Q4. The K12 position provides an additional favorable site of interaction with the FXIIIa surface. The sensitivity of alpha(2)AP (1-15, Q2, Q4) to amino acid changes at Q2, Q4, and K12 suggests the importance of individual FXIIIa subsites that are controlled by chemical environment and sterics.     

Increased fatty acid production in potato by engineering of acetyl-CoA carboxylase

In contrast to oil seeds, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is characterized by a high amount of starch stored in the tubers. To assess the capacity for oil synthesis in potato tubers, the changes in lipid content and flux into lipid synthesis were explored in transgenic potatoes altered in carbohydrate or lipid metabolism. A strong decrease in the amount of starch observed in antisense lines for ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase or plastidic phosphoglucomutase had no effect on storage-lipid content. Similarly, potato lines over-expressing the Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. plastidic ATP/ADP transporter that contained an increased amount of starch were not altered in oil content, indicating that the plastidic ATP level is not limiting fatty acid synthesis in potato tubers. However, over-expression of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase from Arabidopsis in the amyloplasts of potato tubers led to an increase in fatty acid synthesis and a more than 5-fold increase in the amount of triacylglycerol. Taken together, these data demonstrate that potato tubers have the capacity for storage-lipid synthesis and that malonyl-CoA, the substrate for elongation during fatty acid synthesis, represents one of the limiting factors for oil accumulation.Abbreviations AATP Plastidic ADP/ATP transporter - ACCase Acetyl-CoA:carboxylase - DGAT Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase - FW Fresh weight - TLC Thin-layer chromatography - WT Wild typeSource for transgenic plant material. Upon request, transgenic potato lines altered in ACCase activity can be obtained from Peter Dörmann. For potato lines with alterations in AATP transporter activity, please refer to H. Ekkehard Neuhaus. Transgenic AGP and PGM lines are available from A. Fernie (Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Golm, Germany).