A single EGF-like motif of laminin is responsible for high affinity nidogen binding.

A major nidogen binding site of mouse laminin was previously localized to about three EGF-like repeats (Nos 3-5) of its B2 chain domain III [M. Gerl et al. (1991) Eur. J. Biochem., 202, 167]. The corresponding cDNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and inserted into a eukaryotic expression vector tagged with a signal peptide. Stably transfected human kidney cell clones were shown to process and secrete the resulting fragment B2III3-5 in substantial quantities. It possessed high binding activity for recombinant nidogen in ligand assays, with an affinity comparable with that of authentic laminin fragments. In addition, complexes of B2III3-5 and nidogen could be efficiently converted into a covalent complex by cross-linking reagents. Proteolytic degradation of the covalent complex demonstrated the association of B2III3-5 with a approximately 80 residue segment of nidogen domain G3 to which laminin binding has previously been attributed. The correct formation of most of the 12 disulfide bridges in B2III3-5 was indicated from its protease resistance and the complete loss of cross-reacting epitopes as well as of nidogen-binding activity after reduction and alkylation. Smaller fragments were prepared by the same recombinant procedure and showed that combinations of EGF-like repeats 3-4 and 4-5 and the single repeat 4 but not repeats 3 or 5 possess full nidogen-binding activity. This identifies repeat 4 as the only binding structure. The sequence of repeat 4 is well conserved in the human and in part in the Drosophila laminin B2 chain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Characterization of proteolytic fragments of the laminin-nidogen complex and their activity in ligand-binding assays

Some 12 new nidogen and laminin fragments were purified from elastase, thrombin and trypsin digests and characterized by their sizes (22 kDa to greater than 300 kDa), subunit patterns on electrophoresis, partial amino acid sequences, content of specific epitopes and their binding to laminin or nidogen structures in radioligand assays. This permitted the various fragments to be ordered along the dumbbell-shaped structure of nidogen and to compare them with previously described nidogen fragments arising by endogenous proteolysis. Two nidogen fragments (E-50, E-90; 50 kDa and 90 kDa) remain associated with a large laminin fragment in elastase digests of the complex and could be dissociated with 2 M guanidine.HCl. Recombination studies demonstrated Kd = 10-20 nM for this interaction. Nidogen fragments devoid of binding activity included the tryptic peptide T-40 (40 kDa) corresponding to the rod-like domain and several larger fragments extending more to the N-terminus of nidogen. An N-terminal thrombin fragment of about 50 kDa was also inactive. Together the data show a lack of laminin binding to the N-terminal globule and rod of nidogen and provide indirect evidence that this activity is located within or close to its C-terminal globular domain. Nidogen-binding structures of laminin were obtained as two large fragments (greater than 300 kDa), P1X and E1X. They correspond to the short arm structure of laminin with one (E1X) or two (P1X) arms decreased in size to the inner rod-like segment. Shortening in E1X is mainly due to the B1 chain segment including the central globular domain which was identified as a new laminin fragment E10. Binding of E1X and P1X to nidogen was comparable to that of laminin while much lower activity was found for other laminin fragments. A 10-fold lower binding potential was also observed for the laminin-nidogen complex whose structure can now be defined in more precise molecular terms.     

Basement membrane deposition of nidogen 1 but not nidogen 2 requires the nidogen binding module of the laminin gamma1 chain

The nidogen-laminin interaction is proposed to play a key role in basement membrane (BM) assembly. However, though there are similarities, the phenotypes in mice lacking nidogen 1 and 2 (nidogen double null) differ to those of mice lacking the nidogen binding module (γ1III4) of the laminin γ1 chain. This indicates different cell- and tissue-specific functions for nidogens and their interaction with laminin and poses the question of whether the phenotypes in nidogen double null mice are caused by the loss of the laminin-nidogen interaction or rather by other unknown nidogen functions. To investigate this, we analyzed BMs, in particular those in the skin of mice lacking the nidogen binding module. In contrast to nidogen double null mice, all skin BMs in γ1III4-deficient mice appeared normal. Furthermore, although nidogen 1 deposition was strongly reduced, nidogen 2 appeared unchanged. Mice with additional deletion of the laminin γ3 chain, which contains a γ1-like nidogen binding module, showed a further reduction of nidogen 1 in the dermoepidermal BM; however, this again did not affect nidogen 2. This demonstrates that in vivo only nidogen 1 deposition is critically dependent on the nidogen binding modules of the laminin γ1 and γ3 chains, whereas nidogen 2 is independently recruited either by binding to an alternative site on laminin or to other BM proteins.     

Recombinant nidogen consists of three globular domains and mediates binding of laminin to collagen type IV.

Recombinant mouse nidogen and two fragments were produced in mammalian cells and purified from culture medium without resorting to denaturing conditions. The truncated products were fragments Nd-I (positions 1-905) comprising the N-terminal globule and rod-like domain and Nd-II corresponding mainly to the C-terminal globule (position 906-1217). Recombinant nidogen was indistinguishable from authentic nidogen obtained by guanidine dissociation from tumor tissue with respect to size, N-terminal sequence, CD spectra and immunochemical properties. They differed in protease stability and shape indicating that the N-terminal domain of the more native, recombinant protein consists of two globules connected by a flexible segment. This established a new model for the shape of nidogen consisting of three globes of variable mass (31-56 kDa) connected by either a rod-like or a thin segment. Recombinant nidogen formed stable complexes (Kd less than or equal to 1 nM) with laminin and collagen IV in binding assays with soluble and immobilized ligands and as shown by electron microscopy. Inhibition assays demonstrated different binding sites on nidogen for both ligands with different specificities. This was confirmed in studies with fragment Nd-I binding to collagen IV and fragment Nd-II binding to laminin fragment P1. In addition, recombinant nidogen but not Nd-I was able to bridge between laminin or P1 and collagen IV. Formation of such ternary complexes implicates a similar role for nidogen in the supramolecular organization of basement membranes.     

Basement-membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan binds to laminin by its heparan sulfate chains and to nidogen by sites in the protein core.

A large, low-density form of heparan sulfate proteoglycan was isolated from the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumor and demonstrated to bind in immobilized-ligand assays to laminin fragment E3, collagen type IV, fibronectin and nidogen. The first three ligands mainly recognize the heparan sulfate chains, as shown by inhibition with heparin and heparan sulfate and by the failure to bind to the proteoglycan protein core. Nidogen, obtained from the EHS tumor or in recombinant form, binds exclusively to the protein core in a heparin-insensitive manner. Studies with other laminin fragments indicate that the fragment E3 possesses a unique binding site of laminin for the proteoglycan. A major binding site of nidogen was localized to its central globular domain G2 by using overlapping fragments. This allows for the formation of ternary complexes between laminin, nidogen and proteoglycan, suggesting a key role for nidogen in basement-membrane assembly. Evidence is provided for a second proteoglycan-binding site in the C-terminal globule G3 of nidogen, but this interaction prevents the formation of such ternary complexes. Therefore, the G3-mediated nidogen binding to laminin and proteoglycan are mutually exclusive.     

Site-directed mutagenesis and structural interpretation of the nidogen binding site of the laminin gamma1 chain.

A precise molecular map of the nidogen binding site of laminins was obtained by site-directed mutagenesis and structural analysis of the 56 residue LE module gamma1III4 of their gamma1 chain. This demonstrated the crucial importance of the sequence DPNAV (position 800-804) in the disulfide-bonded loop a, with major contributions made by all residues except P801. Different substitutions of these residues emphasized the essential role of the negative charge (D800) and carboxamide group (N802) as well as their spacings and hydrophobic contacts (V804) for interaction, and predict direct contacts of these three residues with a complementary binding region of nidogen. An inactivating A803-V substitution, however, may lead to a distorted loop structure. A lower but still significant contribution originates from the non-contiguous link/loop c sequence LKCIY (positions 815-819) which is spatially close to the loop a sequence. The link residues (L815 and K816) provide main chain hydrogen bonds to N806 and a side chain hydrogen bond to the V804 carbonyl and thus stabilize the conformation of loop a. The side chains of I818 and Y819 together with P842 from loop d form hydrophobic contacts that provide further stability but could possibly also participate in direct ligation. The nidogen binding epitope is therefore localized on a narrow ridge and has a length of approximately 17 angstroms. The data also indicate a strong conservation of the epitope in the laminin gamma1 chains of several invertebrates.     

Merosin promotes cell attachment and neurite outgrowth and is a component of the neurite-promoting factor of RN22 schwannoma cells.

The laminin-like protein merosin was purified from human placenta in intact form and as pepsin fragments and compared to laminin in heparin affinity chromatography and cell binding assays. Intact merosin and a small fragment of merosin comprising the last two repeats of the heavy chain g domain bind to heparin. Intact merosin and large pepsin fragments of merosin, but not the small C-terminal fragment, mediate the attachment and spreading of several types of cells and promote neurite outgrowth from neuronal cells similar to laminin and its corresponding fragments. Cells with various integrin-type receptors for laminin attached equally well to merosin and laminin, suggesting that several of the known laminin binding receptors also bind to merosin. Antibodies to the beta 1 subunit of integrins inhibited neurite outgrowth on merosin as well as on laminin, confirming the involvement of integrin-mediated interaction of cells with both merosin and laminin. Schwannoma cells, which have previously been shown to produce a laminin-like, neurite-promoting factor, synthesize merosin in vivo and in vitro as shown by protein and mRNA analysis. The results suggest that merosin, which is the more abundant basement membrane protein in the laminin family, has properties very similar to laminin despite differences in the structure of the heavy chain. Furthermore, merosin may be identical to or a component of the neurite-promoting factors previously reported from heart, muscle, and Schwann cells.     

Structure and function of laminin: anatomy of a multidomain glycoprotein

Laminin is a large (900 kDa) mosaic protein composed of many distinct domains with different structures and functions. Globular and rodlike domains are arranged in an extended four-armed, cruciform shape that is well suited for mediating between distant sites on cells and other components of the extracellular matrix. The alpha-helical coiled-coil domain of the long arm is involved in the specific assembly of the three chains (A, B1, B2, and possible variants) of laminin and is the only domain composed of multiple chains. It is terminated by a large globular domain composed of five homologous subdomains formed by the COOH-terminal part of the A chain. Sites for receptor-mediated cell attachment and promotion of neurite outgrowth reside in the terminal region of the long arm. A second cell attachment site, a cell signaling site with mitogenic action, binding sites for the closely associated glycoprotein nidogen/entactin, and regions involved in calcium-dependent aggregation are localized in the short arms. These domains, which to a large extent are composed of Cys-rich repeats with limited homology to EGF, are the most highly conserved regions in laminins of different origin. At present, most structural and functional data have been collected for a laminin expressed by a mouse tumor, which can be readily isolated in native form and dissected into functional fragments by limited proteolysis. Increasing information on laminins from different species and tissues demonstrates considerable variations of structure. Isoforms of laminin assembled from different chains are focally and transiently expressed and may serve distinct functions at early stages of development even before being laid down as major components of basement membranes.     

Two non-contiguous regions contribute to nidogen binding to a single EGF-like motif of the laminin gamma 1 chain.

High affinity binding of nidogen to laminin is mediated by an EGF-like repeat gamma 1III4 of the mouse laminin gamma 1 chain and has now been restricted to two short noncontiguous regions of its 56 residue sequence by use of synthetic peptides and recombinant mutants. Disulfide loop a,b of the repeat and a modified loop a,c could completely inhibit binding, with a 5000-fold or 300-fold reduced affinity respectively. Synthetic loops c and d lacked inhibitory activity. Some binding contribution of Tyr819 in loop c was, however, shown by mutation and side chain modification. Together with studies of loop chimeras, this indicated a distinct cooperativity between the two binding sites. The major binding site of loop a was localized to the heptapeptide NIDPNAV (position 798-804). A change of Asp800 to Asn or Ala803 to Val caused a strong reduction in binding activity, while only small effects were observed for the changes Pro801 to Gln and Ile799 to Val. The latter replacement corresponds to the single substitution found in the same region of the Drosophila laminin gamma 1 chain. However, the changes Asn802 to Ser or Val804 to Ser, both known to exist in the laminin gamma 2 chain, were deleterious mutations. This demonstrated conservation of binding structures in laminins of distantly related species, but not between homologous chains of laminin isoforms.     

Laminin, a multidomain protein. The A chain has a unique globular domain and homology with the basement membrane proteoglycan and the laminin B chains

Laminin (Mr = 800,000) is a glycoprotein consisting of three chains, A, B1, and B2, and has diverse biological activities. Previously we reported the complete primary structure of the B1 and B2 chains of mouse laminin deduced from cDNA sequence (Sasaki, M., Kohno, K., Kato, S., Martin, G. R., and Yamada, Y. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 935-939; Sasaki, M., and Yamada, Y. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 17111-17117). Here we describe the isolation, characterization, and sequence of cDNA clones spanning 9,520 bases which encode the entire A chain of mouse laminin. The nucleotide sequence of the clones contains an open reading frame of 3,084 amino acids including 24 amino acids of a signal peptide. The A chain contains some eight distinct domains including alpha-helices, cysteine-rich repeats and globules. There is considerable sequence and structural homology between the A chain and the B1 and B2 chains. However, the A chain has a unique globular structure containing homologous repeats at the carboxyl terminus and constituting one third of the molecular mass of the chain. Furthermore, the A chain contains three globules and three cysteine-rich domains at the amino terminus, whereas the B1 and B2 chains have only two each of such domains. The A chain shows homology to the basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan core protein and the extracellular domain of the Drosophila neurogenic protein Notch. There is an RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) sequence in one of the cysteine-rich domains of the A chain. This potential cell binding sequence could be active as another adhesion signal in addition to the previously identified cell binding sequence YIGSR (Tyr-Ile-Gly-Ser-Arg) of the B1 chain.     

Isolation and characterization of pepsin fragments of laminin from human placental and renal basement membranes.

The presence of laminin in authentic basement membranes was examined at the level of a large pepsin-resistant fragment P1. This strongly antigenic fragment has been recently isolated from a mouse tumour basement membrane. By using antibodies to mouse laminin P1 for identification it was possible to isolate a homologous fragment P1 (Mr about 250 000) and a related component Pa (Mr about 70 000--90 000) from pepsin digests of human placenta and kidney. The fragments were in half-cystine (90--130 residues/1000) and carbohydrate and showed strong binding to concanavalin A. Reduction of disulphide bonds produced several smaller peptide chains, indicating a complex pepsin cleavage. Immunological assays demonstrated partial antigenic identity between laminin fragments obtained from mouse and human tissue, and suggested that fragment Pa may originate from a protein not completely identical with laminin. The results showed that laminin is an abundant component of tissue rich in basement membranes, which has been previously suggested by immunohistological studies.     

Terminal short arm domains of basement membrane laminin are critical for its self-assembly

Laminin self-assembles into large polymers by a cooperative two-step calcium-dependent mechanism (Yurchenco, P. D., E. C. Tsilibary, A. S. Charonis, and H. Furthmayr. 1985. J. Biol. Chem. 260:7636-7644). The domain specificity of this process was investigated using defined proteolytically generated fragments corresponding to the NH2-terminal globule and adjacent stem of the short arm of the B1 chain (E4), a complex of the two short arms of the A and B2 chains attached to the proximal stem of a third short arm (E1'), a similar complex lacking the globular domains (P1'), and the distal half of the long arm attached to the adjacent portion of the large globule (E8). Polymerization, followed by an increase of turbidity at 360 nm in neutral isotonic TBS containing CaCl2 at 35 degrees C, was quantitatively inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner with laminin fragments E4 and E1' but not with fragments E8 and P1'. Affinity retardation chromatography was used for further characterization of the binding of laminin domains. The migration of fragment E4, but not of fragments E8 and P1', was retarded in a temperature- and calcium-dependent fashion on a laminin affinity column but not on a similar BSA column. These data are evidence that laminin fragments E4 and E1' possess essential terminal binding domains for the self-aggregation of laminin, while fragments E8 and P1' do not. Furthermore, the individual domain-specific interactions that contribute to assembly are calcium dependent and of low affinity.     

Binding of nidogen and the laminin-nidogen complex to basement membrane collagen type IV

The laminin-nidogen complex and purified nidogen both bind collagen IV but not other collagens, as shown by solid-state ligand-binding and inhibition assays. Laminin purified from the dissociated complex and a variety of laminin proteolytic fragments failed to bind collagen IV. Complexes formed in solution between nidogen or laminin-nidogen and collagen IV were visualized by rotary shadowing which identified one major binding site about 80 nm away from the C-terminus of the collagen triple helix. A second, weaker binding site may exist closer to its N-terminus. Binding sites of nidogen were assigned to its C-terminal globular domain which also possesses laminin-binding structures. A more diverse collagen-IV-binding pattern was observed for the laminin nidogen complex, whereby interactions may involve both nidogen and short-arm structures of laminin.     

Drosophila laminin A chain sequence, interspecies comparison, and domain structure of a major carboxyl portion.

Recent studies ascribed some biological actions of cell adhesion and cell outgrowth to the carboxyl-most 1200 amino acids of vertebrate laminin A chains. Here we report a 6.1-kilobase pair nucleotide cDNA sequence encoding 1951 amino acids and the carboxyl end of a Drosophila laminin A chain. It corresponds to the mouse laminin A domains G, I, II, and III, but may represent a different type of laminin A chain. The arrangement of the cysteine-rich repeats of domain III resembles that of B2 chains. However, it has more amino acid identity with a portion of the mouse laminin A chain domain IIIb than with other laminin repeats. Domains I and II are consistent with an interrupted coiled-coil alpha-helical model of the long arm of laminin but are poorly conserved. The G domain contains five subdomains which are individually related to subdomains of vertebrate laminin A chains. The results indicate that laminin G subdomains should be considered individually, rather than merely as parts of a G-globule. A sequence of hydroxyamino acids contributes to a spacer between two of the subdomains. Stretches of hydroxyamino acids may be indicative of junctions between domains of extracellular Drosophila proteins.     

Amino acid sequence of mouse nidogen, a multidomain basement membrane protein with binding activity for laminin, collagen IV and cells.

The whole amino acid sequence of nidogen was deduced from cDNA clones isolated from expression libraries and confirmed to approximately 50% by Edman degradation of peptides. The protein consists of some 1217 amino acid residues and a 28-residue signal peptide. The data support a previously proposed dumb-bell model of nidogen by demonstrating a large N-terminal globular domain (641 residues), five EGF-like repeats constituting the rod-like domain (248 residues) and a smaller C-terminal globule (328 residues). Two more EGF-like repeats interrupt the N-terminal and terminate the C-terminal sequences. Weak sequence homologies (25%) were detected between some regions of nidogen, the LDL receptor, thyroglobulin and the EGF precursor. Nidogen contains two consensus sequences for tyrosine sulfation and for asparagine beta-hydroxylation, two N-linked carbohydrate acceptor sites and, within one of the EGF-like repeats an Arg-Gly-Asp sequence. The latter was shown to be functional in cell attachment to nidogen. Binding sites for laminin and collagen IV are present on the C-terminal globule but not yet precisely localized.     

Molecular cloning and tissue-specific expression of a novel murine laminin gamma3 chain.

A novel laminin gamma3 chain was identified from the expressed sequence tag data base at the National Center for Biotechnology Information. A complete cDNAderived peptide sequence reveals a 1592-amino acid-long primary translation product, including a tentative 33-amino acid-long signal peptide. Comparison with the laminin gamma1 chain predicts that the two polypeptides have equal spatial dimensions. In addition, the well conserved domains VI and III(LE4) predict that gamma3 containing laminins are able to integrate to the laminin network and also via nidogen connect to other protein networks in the basement membranes. Combination of Northern analysis and in situ hybridization experiments indicate that expression of the gamma3 chain is highly tissue- and cell-specific, being significantly strong in capillaries and arterioles of kidney as well as in interstitial Leydig cells of testis.     

Structure of the human laminin B2 chain gene reveals extensive divergence from the laminin B1 chain gene

The exon-intron structure of the human laminin B2 chain gene was elucidated from genomic lambda phage clones spanning 2 kilobase pairs (kb) of the 5'-flanking region, 58 kb of the structural gene and 10 kb of the 3'-flanking region. The entire gene was shown to contain 28 exons. The promoter region has no TATA or CAAT boxes whereas it contains five GC boxes and three AP-2-like binding sites. Comparison with the promoter region of the mouse gene revealed six highly conserved sequences of 14 to 42 base pairs in length. Sequencing of the last exon of the gene showed that the 3'-untranslated region of the mRNA can be up to 2797 nucleotides with five AATAAA potential polyadenylation signals. The similarity of the human 3'-untranslated sequence with that of mouse was shown to be 68.8%. The exon-intron structure of the laminin B2 chain gene demonstrated extensive divergence from the human laminin B1 chain gene, which has 34 exons. Only three intron locations are conserved in these two genes. The overall exon profile of the laminin B2 chain gene correlates only marginally with the pattern of structural domains and internal cysteine-rich repeats in the laminin B2 polypeptide chain.     

Isolation, by partial pepsin digestion, of the three collagen-like regions present in subcomponent Clq of the first component of human complement.

1. Digestion of human subcomponent C1q with pepsin at pH4.45 for 20h at 37 degrees C fragmented most of the non-collagen-like amino acid sequences in the molecule to small peptides, whereas the entire regions of collagen-like sequence that comprised 38% by weight of the subcomponent C1q were left intact. 2. The collagen-like fraction of the digest was eluted in the void volume of a Sephadex G-200 column, was was showm to be composed of two major fragments when examined by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels run in buffers containing sodium dodecyl sulphate. These fragments were separated on CM-cellulose at pH4.9 in buffers containing 7.5M-urea. 3. Human subcomponent C1q on reduction and alkylation yields equimolar amounnts of three chains, which have been designated A, B and C [Reid et al. (1972) Biochem. J. 130, 749-763]. One of the pepsin fragments was shown to be composed of the N-terminal 95 residues of the A chain linked, via residue A4, by a single disulphide bond to a residue in the sequence B2-B6 in the N-terminal 91 residues of the B chain. The second pepsin fragment was shown to be composed of a disulphide-linked dimer of the N-terminal 94 residues of the C chain, the only disulphide bond being located at residue C4.4. The mol. wts. of the unoxidized and oxidized pepsin fragments were estimated from their amino acid compositions to be 20 000 and 18 200 for the A-B and C-C dimers and 11 400, 8800 and 9600 for the collagen-like fragments of the A, B and C chains respectively. Estimation of the molecular weights of the peptic fragments by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis run in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate gave values that were approx. 50% higher than expected from the amino acid sequence data. This is probably due to the high collagen-like sequence content of these fragments.