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Biomedical subjects

F C Church

Publications and source records attributed to F C Church.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Heparin binding to protein C inhibitor.

Protein C inhibitor is a plasma protein whose ability to inhibit activated protein C, thrombin, and other enzymes is stimulated by heparin. These studies were undertaken to further understand how heparin binds to protein C inhibitor and how it accelerates proteinase inhibition. The region of protein C inhibitor from residues 264-283 was identified as the heparin-binding site. This differs from the putative heparin-binding site in the related proteins antithrombin and heparin cofactor. The glycosaminoglycan specificity of protein C inhibitor was relatively broad, including heparin and heparan sulfate, but not dermatan sulfate. Non-sulfated and non-carboxylated polyanions also enhanced proteinase inhibition by protein C inhibitor. Heparin accelerated inhibition of alpha-thrombin, gamma T-thrombin, activated protein C, factor Xa, urokinase, and chymotrypsin, but not plasma kallikrein. The ability of glycosaminoglycans to accelerate proteinase inhibition appeared to depend on the formation of a ternary complex of inhibitor, proteinase, and glycosaminoglycan. The optimum heparin concentration for maximal rate stimulation varied from 10 to 100 micrograms/ml and was related to the apparent affinity of the proteinase for heparin. There was no obvious relationship between heparin affinity and maximum inhibition rate or degree of rate enhancement. The affinity of the resultant protein C inhibitor-proteinase complex was also not related to inhibition rate enhancement, and the results showed that decreased heparin affinity of the complex is not an important part of the catalytic mechanism of heparin. The importance of protein C inhibitor as a regulator of the protein C system may depend on the relatively large increase in heparin-enhanced inhibition rate for activated protein C compared to other proteinases.

Amino Acid Sequence

A comparison of three heparin-binding serine proteinase inhibitors.

The purpose of this study was to compare three heparin-binding plasma proteinase inhibitors in order to identify common and unique features of heparin binding and heparin-enhanced proteinase inhibition. Experiments with antithrombin, heparin cofactor, and protein C inhibitor were performed under identical conditions in order to facilitate comparisons. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the putative heparin binding regions of antithrombin, heparin cofactor, and protein C inhibitor bound to heparin directly and interfered in heparin-enhanced proteinase inhibition assays. All three inhibitors obeyed a ternary complex mechanism for heparin-enhanced thrombin inhibition, and the optimum heparin concentration was related to the apparent heparin affinity of the inhibitor. The maximum inhibition rate and rate enhancement due to heparin appeared to be unique properties of each inhibitor. In assays with heparin oligosaccharides of known size, only the antithrombin-thrombin reaction exhibited a sharp threshold for rate enhancement at 14-16 saccharide units. Acceleration of antithrombin inhibition of factor Xa, heparin cofactor inhibition of thrombin, and protein C inhibitor inhibition of thrombin, activated protein C, and factor Xa did not require a minimum saccharide size. The differences in heparin size dependence and rate enhancement of proteinase inhibition by these inhibitors might reflect differences in the importance of the ternary complex mechanism and other mechanisms, alterations in inhibitor reactivity, and orientation effects in heparin-enhanced proteinase inhibition.

Amino Acid Sequence

Role of thrombin exosites in inhibition by heparin cofactor II.

We determined the role of specific thrombin "exosites" in the mechanism of inhibition by the plasma serine proteinase inhibitors heparin cofactor II (HC) and antithrombin (AT) in the absence and presence of a glycosaminoglycan by comparing the inhibition of alpha-thrombin to epsilon- and gamma T-thrombin (produced by partial proteolysis of alpha-thrombin by elastase and trypsin, respectively). All of the thrombin derivatives were inhibited in a similar manner by AT, either in the absence or presence of heparin, which confirmed the integrity of both heparin binding abilities and serpin reactivities of epsilon- and gamma T-thrombin compared to alpha-thrombin. Antithrombin activities of HC in the absence of a glycosaminoglycan with alpha-, epsilon, and gamma T-thrombin were similar with rate constants of 3.5, 2.4, and 1.2 x 10(4) M-1 min-1, respectively. Interestingly, in the presence of glycosaminoglycans the maximal inhibition rate constants by HC with heparin and dermatan sulfate, respectively, were as follows: 30.0 x 10(7) and 60.5 x 10(7) for alpha-thrombin, 14.6 x 10(7) and 24.3 x 10(7) for epsilon-thrombin, and 0.017 x 10(7) and 0.034 x 10(7) M-1 min-1 for gamma T-thrombin. A hirudin carboxyl-terminal peptide, which binds to anion-binding exosite-I of alpha-thrombin, dramatically reduced alpha-thrombin inhibition by HC in the presence of heparin but not in its absence. We analyzed our results in relation to the recently determined x-ray structure of D-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethyl ketone-alpha-thrombin (Bode, W., Mayr, I., Baumann, U., Huber, R., Stone, S. R., and Hofsteenge, J. (1989) EMBO J. 8, 3467-3475). Our results suggest that the beta-loop region of anion-binding exosite-I in alpha-thrombin, which is not present in gamma T-thrombin, is essential for the rapid inhibition reaction by HC in the presence of a glycosaminoglycan. Therefore, alpha-thrombin and its derivatives would be recognized and inhibited differently by HC and AT in the presence of a glycosaminoglycan.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones

The effects of heparin cofactor II-derived chemotaxins on neutrophil actin conformation and cyclic AMP levels.

The serine proteinase inhibitor heparin cofactor II (HC) can be cleaved by polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) elastase (LE) to yield potent chemotactic activity for PMN and monocytes. In contrast to the bacterially-derived chemotaxin formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP), the HC-derived chemotaxin does not stimulate PMN degranulation or oxidative burst activity. We compared the effects of HC-derived chemotaxins to the effects of fMLP on PMN actin conformation and on the cAMP levels. Both the HC chemotaxins and fMLP rapidly induced an increase in F-actin which was similar in magnitude and time-course. However, in contrast to fMLP, HC-derived chemotaxins did not elevate cAMP levels. HC-derived chemotaxins may be useful probes of chemotactic responses, since they do not have the mixed biological activities of fMLP.

Actins

Chimeric antithrombin peptide. Characterization of an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)- and hirudin carboxyl terminus-containing synthetic peptides.

We investigated the properties of an artificial chimeric peptide that contains an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-tripeptide, the versatile cell recognition signal of extracellular matrix protein components, coupled to a carboxyl-terminal fragment of the highly specific alpha-thrombin inhibitor, hirudin (residues 53-64): WGRGDSANGDFEEIPEEYL (RGD-hirudin53-64). Hirudin53-64 and RGD-hirudin53-64 inhibited the fibrinogen clotting activity of alpha-thrombin and prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time of human plasma. In addition, both peptides afforded total protection to thrombin from trypsionolysis. Neither hirudin53-64 nor RGD-hirudin53-64 dramatically interfered with the thrombin-antithrombin inhibition reaction either in the absence or presence of added heparin. alpha-Thrombin-induced platelet aggregation was effectively inhibited by hirudin53-64 and RGD-hirudin53-64. Unlike hirudin53-64, RGD-hirudin53-64 in solution inhibited integrin-mediated endothelial cell and fibroblast cell attachment to polystyrene wells in the presence of fetal bovine serum. Collectively, our results demonstrate that RGD-hirudin53-64 has anticoagulant/antiplatelet aggregation activity attributable to its hirudin sequence and integrin-directed cell attachment activity due to its RGD site. Our results suggest that this chimeric motif may serve as a prototype for a new class of anticoagulants where an integrin-specific sequence "targets" the peptide to a cell (ultimately through the platelet integrin alpha IIb beta 3) trapped amid a thrombus with ensuing proteinase inhibition.

Amino Acid Sequence

Role of lysine 173 in heparin binding to heparin cofactor II.

Heparin cofactor II (HC) is a plasma serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) that inhibits alpha-thrombin in a reaction that is dramatically enhanced by heparin and other glycosaminoglycans/polyanions. We investigated the glycosaminoglycan binding site in HC by: (i) chemical modification with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) in the absence and presence of heparin and dermatan sulfate; (ii) molecular modeling; and (iii) site-directed oligonucleotide mutagenesis. Four lysyl residues (173, 252, 343, and 348) were protected from modification by heparin and to a lesser extent by dermatan sulfate. Heparin-protected PLPHC retained both heparin cofactor and dermatan sulfate cofactor activity while dermatan sulfate-protected PLPHC retained some dermatan sulfate cofactor activity and little heparin cofactor activity. Molecular modeling studies revealed that Lys173 and Lys252 are within a region previously shown to contain residues involved in glycosaminoglycan binding. Lys343 and Lys348 are distant from this region, but protection by heparin and dermatan sulfate might result from a conformational change following glycosaminoglycan binding to the inhibitor. Site-directed mutagenesis of Lys173 and Lys343 was performed to further dissect the role of these two regions during HC-heparin and HC-dermatan sulfate interactions. The Lys343----Asn or Thr mutants had normal or only slightly reduced heparin or dermatan sulfate cofactor activity and eluted from heparin-Sepharose at the same ionic strength as native recombinant HC. However, the Lys173----Gln or Leu mutants had greatly reduced heparin cofactor activity and eluted from heparin-Sepharose at a significantly lower ionic strength than native recombinant HC but retained normal dermatan sulfate cofactor activity. Our results demonstrate that Lys173 is involved in the interaction of HC with heparin but not with dermatan sulfate, whereas Lys343 is not critical for HC binding to either glycosaminoglycan. These data provide further evidence for the determinants required for glycosaminoglycan binding to HC.

Amino Acid Sequence

Leukocyte chemoattractant peptides from the serpin heparin cofactor II.

Heparin cofactor II (HC) is a plasma serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) that inhibits the coagulant proteinase alpha-thrombin. We have recently demonstrated that proteolysis of HC by catalytic amounts of polymorphonuclear leukocyte proteinases (elastase or cathepsin G) generates leukocyte chemotaxins (Hoffman, M., Pratt, C. W., Brown, R. L., and Church, F. C. (1989) Blood 73, 1682-1685). One of four peptides produced when HC is degraded by neutrophil elastase has chemotactic activity for both monocytes and neutrophils with maximal migration comparable to formyl-Met-Leu-Phe, the "gold standard" bacterially derived chemotaxin. The amino-terminal sequence of this HC peptide is Asp-Phe-His-Lys-Glu-Asn-Thr-Val-... and the peptide corresponds to Asp-39 to Ile-66 of HC. A variety of synthetic peptides derived from this sequence were evaluated for leukocyte migration activity, and a dodecapeptide from Asp-49 to Tyr-60 (Asp-Trp-Ile-Pro-Glu-Gly-Glu-Glu-Asp-Asp-Asp-Tyr) was identified as the active site for leukocyte chemotactic action. The 12-mer synthetic peptide possesses significant neutrophil chemotactic action at 1 nM (60% of the maximal activity of formyl-Met-Leu-Phe), while a peptide with the reverse sequence has essentially no chemotactic activity. Cross-desensitization experiments also show that pretreatment of neutrophils with a 19-mer peptide (Asn-48 to Ile-66) greatly reduces subsequent chemotaxis to HC-neutrophil elastase proteolysis reaction products. When injected intraperitoneally in mice, the HC-neutrophil elastase digest elicits neutrophil migration. Our results demonstrate that not only does HC function as a thrombin inhibitor, but that limited proteolysis of HC near the amino terminus yields biologically active peptide(s) which might participate in inflammation and in wound healing and tissue repair processes.

Amino Acid Sequence

Interaction of heparin cofactor II with neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G.

We investigated the interaction of the human plasma proteinase inhibitor heparin cofactor II (HC) with human neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G in order to examine 1) proteinase inhibition by HC, 2) inactivation of HC, and 3) the effect of glycosaminoglycans on inhibition and inactivation. We found that HC inhibited cathepsin G, but not elastase, with a rate constant of 6.0 x 10(6) M-1 min-1. Inhibition was stable, with a dissociation rate constant of 1.0 x 10(-3) min-1. Heparin and dermatan sulfate diminished inhibition slightly. Both neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G at catalytic concentrations destroyed the thrombin inhibition activity of HC. Inactivation was accompanied by a dramatic increase in heat stability, as occurs with other serine proteinase inhibitors. Proteolysis of HC (Mr 66,000) produced a species (Mr 58,000) that retained thrombin inhibition activity, and an inactive species of Mr 48,000. Amino acid sequence analysis led to the conclusion that both neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G cleave HC at Ile66, which does not affect HC activity, and at Val439, near the reactive site Leu444, which inactivates HC. Since cathepsin G is inhibited by HC and also inactivates HC, we conclude that cathepsin G participates in both reactions simultaneously so that small amounts of cathepsin G can inactivate a molar excess of HC. High concentrations of heparin and dermatan sulfate accelerated inactivation of HC by neutrophil proteinases, with heparin having a greater effect. Heparin and dermatan sulfate appeared to alter the pattern, and not just the rate, of proteolysis of HC. We conclude that while HC is an effective inhibitor of cathepsin G, it can be proteolyzed by neutrophil proteinases to generate first an active inhibitor and then an inactive molecule. This two-step mechanism might be important in the generation of chemotactic activity from the amino-terminal region of HC.

Amino Acid Sequence

Production of chemotactic peptides by neutrophil degradation of heparin cofactor II.

This study investigated the reaction of heparin cofactor II (HCII) with stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). We have expanded upon previous studies showing that HCII can be degraded by stimulated PMN (Sie, P., Dupouy, D., Dol, F., and Boneu, B., Thromb. Res. 47, 657-664, 1987), and that chemotactic activity is produced when HCII is partially proteolyzed with purified leukocyte elastase or cathepsin G (Hoffman, M., Pratt, C.W., Brown, R.L., and Church, F.C., Blood, 73, 1682-1695, 1989). We found that HCII was proteolyzed by stimulated PMN, generating peptides with chemotactic activity. Both proteolysis and generation of chemotactic activity were inhibited by a specific leukocyte elastase inhibitor and by more general proteinase inhibitors. Leukocyte elastase activity was lost upon addition of either inhibitor. Heparin and dermatan sulfate altered the pattern of proteolysis. Our results suggest that HCII may be involved not only in functions related to thrombin inhibition but also in regulating acute inflammation.

Chemotaxis

Characteristics of the chemotactic activity of heparin cofactor II proteolysis products.

The physiological function of the serpin (serine proteinase inhibitor) heparin cofactor II (HCII) is not well understood. A role for HCII as an inhibitor of thrombin in the presence of dermatan sulfate and heparin has been proposed. Neutrophils (PMN) are the major cellular component of acute inflammation. HCII can be proteolytically inactivated by cathepsin G (CG) and elastase (LE), which are released by stimulated PMN. We have recently shown that reaction products of HCII with CG and LE are potent chemotaxins for PMN. Monocytes (monos) appear later in the course of inflammation than do PMN. They differentiate into macrophages in the tissues and participate in healing of damaged tissue and initiating immune responses. We found that the proteolysis products of HCII were chemotactic for monocytes in a fashion similar to their effects on PMN. At 10(-8) to 10(-9) M, the chemotactic activity of HCII proteolysis products was comparable to that of 10(-8) M N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP). The chemotactic activity of HCII-proteinase reaction products is mediated by a different mechanism than that of alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1 PI)-LE complexes or fMLP. Our data suggest that chemotactic activity generated by proteolysis of HCII is not due to the conformational change induced by cleavage of the exposed loop near the reactive site nor by release of the reactive site peptide. We also compared the effects of HCII reaction products and fMLP on expression of Mac-1 and p150,95 adhesive proteins. Mac-1 has been implicated in mono adhesion and chemotaxis and as a potential initiator of coagulation. The surface expression of Mac-1 was not increased above control levels by incubation of leukocytes with HCII digests, even though fMLP did increase surface Mac-1. Proteolysis products of HCII could play a role in the initial influx of PMN into a thrombus, and in the transition from acute to chronic inflammation, or to granulation and healing.

Antigens, Differentiation

Structural and functional properties of human alpha-thrombin, phosphopyridoxylated alpha-thrombin, and gamma T-thrombin. Identification of lysyl residues in alpha-thrombin that are critical for heparin and fibrin(ogen) interactions.

alpha-Thrombin derivatives obtained either by site-specific modification at lysyl residues (phosphopyridoxylated) or by limited trypsinolysis (gamma T-thrombin) were compared to correlate structural modifications with the functional reactivity toward fibrin(ogen) and heparin. alpha-Thrombin phosphopyridoxylated in the absence of heparin (unprotected) showed approximately 2 mol of label incorporated/mol of thrombin, but only 1 mol of label incorporated/mol of proteinase when modified in the presence of added heparin (protected). In contrast to native alpha-thrombin, both phosphopyridoxylated alpha-thrombin derivatives failed to interact with a fibrin monomer-agarose column and had reduced fibrinogen clotting activity, which is very similar to gamma T-thrombin. Heparin accelerated the rate of antithrombin III inhibition of alpha-thrombin, heparin-protected modified-alpha-thrombin, and gamma T-thrombin in a manner consistent with a template mechanism but was without effect on unprotected modified alpha-thrombin. In a heparin-catalyzed antithrombin III inhibition assay of alpha-thrombin, we found that D-Phe-Pro-Arg chloromethyl ketone-active site-inactivated gamma T-thrombin competed for heparin binding. It has been shown that limited proteolysis/autolysis of the B-chain of alpha-thrombin in the area around Arg-B73 (in beta T/beta- and gamma T/gamma-thrombin), but not that around Lys-B154 (in gamma T/gamma-thrombin), diminishes specific interactions with fibrinogen (Hofsteenge, J., Braun, P. J., and Stone , S. R. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 2144-2151). In unprotected modified alpha-thrombin, lysyl residues B21, B65, B174, and B252 were phosphopyridoxylated. In heparin-protected modified alpha-thrombin, only lysyl residues B21 and B65 were phosphopyridoxylated. These observations suggest that lysyl residues 21/65 of the B-chain of alpha-thrombin are involved in fibrin(ogen) interactions, and lysyl residues 174/252 of the B-chain are important in heparin interactions.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Heparin cofactor II-proteinase reaction products exhibit neutrophil chemoattractant activity.

The physiologic function of the plasma glycoprotein heparin cofactor II (HCII) is not well understood. An in vivo role for thrombin (IIa) inhibition by HCII in the presence of certain glycosaminoglycans (dermatan sulfate and heparin) can be proposed. Many proteins, such as complement components, can be proteolyzed to generate secondary bioactive molecules. HCII is a substrate for the human neutrophil (PMN) proteinases cathepsin G (CG) and elastase (LE). We found that degradation of HCII by CG or LE generated products with potent PMN chemotactic activity, which did not stimulate the PMN oxidative burst. Our results suggest that HCII may be a physiologic regulator of the acute inflammatory response.

Cathepsin G

Protein C inhibitor: purification and proteinase reactivity.

Protein C inhibitor was purified from human plasma by a modification of a published procedure (Suzuki, K., Nishioka, J., and Hashimoto, S. J. Biol. Chem. 258, 163-168, 1983). Approximately 1 mg of pure protein was obtained from 1 L plasma, a yield of about 17%. The protein C inhibitor preparation did not lose activity over 4 weeks at 4 degrees C. Second order rate constants were measured for the inhibition of activated protein C, thrombin, and urokinase, and bimolecular complexes of protein C inhibitor with activated protein C and thrombin were visualized by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Heparin accelerated the inhibition of the three proteinases in a manner consistent with a template mechanism. Plasma or pure protein C inhibitor (at the same concentration) showed the same effect of heparin on activated protein C inhibition, indicating that protein C inhibitor accounts for all the heparin-dependent inhibition of activated protein C in vivo.

Blood Proteins

Antithrombin activity of fucoidan. The interaction of fucoidan with heparin cofactor II, antithrombin III, and thrombin.

Fucoidan, poly(L-fucopyranose) linked primarily alpha 1----2 with either a C3- or a C4-sulfate, is an effective anticoagulant in vitro and in vivo (Springer, G. F., Wurzel, H. A., McNeal, G. M., Jr., Ansell, N. J., and Doughty, M. F. (1957) Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 94, 404-409). We have determined the antithrombin effects of fucoidan on the glycosaminoglycan-binding plasma proteinase inhibitors antithrombin III and heparin cofactor II. Fucoidan enhances the heparin cofactor II-thrombin reaction more than 3500-fold. The apparent second-order rate constant of thrombin inhibition by heparin cofactor II increases from 4 x 10(4) (in the absence of fucoidan) to 1.5 x 10(8) M-1 min-1 as the fucoidan concentration increases from 0.1 to 10 micrograms/ml and then decreases as fucoidan is increased above 10 micrograms/ml. The fucoidan reaction with heparin cofactor II-thrombin is kinetically equivalent to a "template model." Apparent fucoidan-heparin cofactor II and fucoidan-thrombin dissociation constants are 370 and 1 nM, respectively. The enhancement of thrombin inhibition by fucoidan, like heparin and dermatan sulfate, is eliminated by selective chemical modification of lysyl residues either of heparin cofactor II or of thrombin. The fucoidan-antithrombin III reactions with thrombin and factor Xa are accelerated maximally 285- and 35-fold at fucoidan concentrations of 30 and 500 micrograms/ml, respectively. Using human plasma and 125I-labeled thrombin in an ex vivo system, the heparin cofactor II-thrombin complex is formed preferentially over the antithrombin III-thrombin complex in the presence of 10 micrograms/ml fucoidan. Our results indicate that heparin cofactor II is activated by fucoidan in vitro and in an ex vivo plasma system and suggest that the major antithrombin activity of fucoidan in vivo is mediated by heparin cofactor II and not by antithrombin III.

Antithrombin III

Calcium enhances factor Xa activity independent of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues.

We investigated the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) independent effect of calcium on the activity of human factor Xa. The effect of calcium on the reaction rate of factor Xa was compared using native and Gla-modified forms of human factor Xa [chemically decarboxylated (Gla-modified, 10 Gla residues modified/mol) and Gla-domainless (chymotrypsin-treated)]. Factor Xa activity was assessed by hydrolysis of a synthetic tripeptide nitroanilide substrate, by p-aminobenzamidine binding to the active site and by inhibition with antithrombin III. Calcium (1 mM) increased, by 25-35%, the amidolytic hydrolysis rates of all three factor Xa derivatives. Calcium had an apparent Kd of approximately 200 uM with both native and modified forms of factor Xa. However, there was no change in binding of p-aminobenzamidine, a small fluorescent probe, to factor Xa in the presence of calcium. Calcium (1 mM) increased the inhibition reaction rates of native and modified forms of factor Xa with antithrombin III by 20-30%. Magnesium (1 mM) showed greatly reduced effects on factor Xa activity relative to activities with calcium. We conclude that Gla-independent calcium interactions with factor Xa are important for some catalytic activities of this blood coagulation protease.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid

Antithrombin action of phosvitin and other phosphate-containing polyanions is mediated by heparin cofactor II.

We have examined the antithrombin effects of various phosphate-containing polyanions (including linear polyphosphates, polynucleotides and the phosphoserine glycoprotein, phosvitin) on the glycosaminoglycan-binding plasma proteinase inhibitors, antithrombin III (ATIII) and heparin cofactor II (HCII). These phosphate-containing polyanions accelerate the HCII-thrombin reaction, as much as 1600-fold in the case of phosvitin. The HCII-thrombin reaction with both phosvitin and polynucleotides appears to follow the ternary complex mechanism. The HCII-thrombin complex is rapidly formed in the presence of these phosphate polyanions (each at 10 micrograms/ml) when 125I-labeled thrombin is incubated with human plasma (ex vivo). None of these phosphate polyanions accelerate the ATIII-thrombin reaction. Our results suggest that the antithrombotic effect of these phosphate-containing polyanions is mediated by HCII activation and not by ATIII.

Antithrombin III