PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Philip J Hogg

Publications and source records attributed to Philip J Hogg.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Evidence for activation of tissue factor by an allosteric disulfide bond.

Tissue Factor (TF) is the mammalian plasma membrane cofactor responsible for initiation of blood coagulation. Binding of blood coagulation factor VIIa to TF activates the serine proteinase zymogens factors IX and X by limited proteolysis leading to the formation of a thrombin and fibrin meshwork that stabilizes the thrombus. TF on the plasma membrane of cells resides mostly in a cryptic configuration, which rapidly transforms into an active configuration in response to certain stimuli. The extracellular part of TF consists of two fibronectin type III domains. The disulfide bond in the membrane proximal domain (Cys186-Cys209) is atypical for domains of this type in that it links adjacent strands in the same beta sheet, what we have called an allosteric bond. Ablation of the allosteric disulfide by mutating both cysteine residues severely impairs procoagulant activity. The thiol-alkylating agents N-ethylmaleimide and methyl methanethiolsulfonate block TF activation by ionomycin, while the thiol-oxidizing agent HgCl2 and dithiol cross-linkers promote activation. TF activation could not be explained by exposure of phosphatidylserine on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. Cryptic TF contained unpaired cysteine thiols that were depleted upon activation, and de-encryption was associated with a change in the conformation of the membrane-proximal domain. These findings imply that the Cys186-Cys209 disulfide bond is reduced in the cryptic form of TF and that activation involves formation of the disulfide. It is likely that formation of this disulfide bond changes the conformation of the domain that facilitates productive binding of factors IX and X.

Blood Coagulation Factors↗

Disulfide isomerization switches tissue factor from coagulation to cell signaling.

Cell-surface tissue factor (TF) binds the serine protease factor VIIa to activate coagulation or, alternatively, to trigger signaling through the G protein-coupled, protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) relevant to inflammation and angiogenesis. Here we demonstrate that TF.VIIa-mediated coagulation and cell signaling involve distinct cellular pools of TF. The surface-accessible, extracellular Cys186-Cys209 disulfide bond of TF is critical for coagulation, and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) disables coagulation by targeting this disulfide. A TF mutant (TF C209A) with an unpaired Cys186 retains TF.VIIa signaling activity, and it has reduced affinity for VIIa, a characteristic of signaling TF on cells with constitutive TF expression. We further show that PDI suppresses TF coagulant activity in a nitric oxide-dependent pathway, linking the regulation of TF thrombogenicity to oxidative stress in the vasculature. Furthermore, a unique monoclonal antibody recognizes only the noncoagulant, cryptic conformation of TF. This antibody inhibits formation of the TF.PAR2 complex and TF.VIIa signaling, but it does not prevent coagulation activation. These experiments delineate an upstream regulatory mechanism that controls TF function, and they provide initial evidence that TF.VIIa signaling can be specifically inhibited with minimal effects on coagulation.

Blood Coagulation↗

Allosteric disulfide bonds.

Disulfide bonds have been generally considered to be either structural or catalytic. Structural bonds stabilize a protein, while catalytic bonds mediate thiol-disulfide interchange reactions in substrate proteins. There is emerging evidence for a third type of disulfide bond that can control protein function by triggering a conformational change when it breaks and/or forms. These bonds can be thought of as allosteric disulfides. To better define the properties of allosteric disulfides, we have analyzed the geometry and dihedral strain of 6874 unique disulfide bonds in 2776 X-ray structures. A total of 20 types of disulfide bonds were identified in the dataset based on the sign of the five chi angles that make up the bond. The known allosteric disulfides were all contained in 1 of the 20 groups, the -RHStaple bonds. This bond group has a high mean potential energy and narrow energy distribution, which is consistent with a functional role. We suggest that the -RHStaple configuration is a hallmark of allosteric disulfides. About 1 in 15 of all structurally determined disulfides is a potential allosteric bond.

Allosteric Site↗

Molecular profiling of signalling proteins for effects induced by the anti-cancer compound GSAO with 400 antibodies.

BACKGROUND: GSAO (4-[N-[S-glutathionylacetyl]amino] phenylarsenoxide) is a hydrophilic derivative of the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor phenylarsine oxide (PAO). It inhibits angiogenesis and tumour growth in mouse models and may be evaluated in a phase I clinical trial in the near future. Initial experiments have implicated GSAO in perturbing mitochondrial function. Other molecular effects of GSAO in human cells, for example on the phosphorylation of proteins, are still largely unknown. METHODS: Peripheral white blood cells (PWBC) from healthy volunteers were isolated and used to profile effects of GSAO vs. a control compound, GSCA. Changes in site-specific phosphorylations, other protein modifications and expression levels of many signalling proteins were analysed using more than 400 different antibodies in Western blots. RESULTS: PWBC were initially cultured in low serum conditions, with the aim to reduce basal protein phosphorylation and to increase detection sensitivity. Under these conditions pleiotropic intracellular signalling protein changes were induced by GSAO. Subsequently, PWBC were cultured in 100% donor serum to reflect more closely in vivo conditions. This eliminated detectable GSAO effects on most, but not all signalling proteins analysed. Activation of the MAP kinase Erk2 was still observed and the paxillin homologue Hic-5 still displayed a major shift in protein mobility upon GSAO-treatment. A GSAO induced change in Hic-5 mobility was also found in endothelial cells, which are thought to be the primary target of GSAO in vivo. CONCLUSION: Serum conditions greatly influence the molecular activity profile of GSAO in vitro. Low serum culture, which is typically used in experiments analysing protein phosphorylation, is not suitable to study GSAO activity in cells. The signalling proteins affected by GSAO under high serum conditions are candidate surrogate markers for GSAO bioactivity in vivo and can be analysed in future clinical trials. GSAO effects on Hic-5 in endothelial cells may point to a new intracellular GSAO target.

Adult↗

Evidence for a domain-swapped CD4 dimer as the coreceptor for binding to class II MHC.

CD4 is a coreceptor for binding of T cells to APC and the primary receptor for HIV. The disulfide bond in the second extracellular domain (D2) of CD4 is reduced on the cell surface, which leads to formation of disulfide-linked homodimers. A large conformational change must take place in D2 to allow for formation of the disulfide-linked dimer. Domain swapping of D2 is the most likely candidate for the conformational change leading to formation of two disulfide-bonds between Cys130 in one monomer and Cys159 in the other one. Mild reduction of the extracellular part of CD4 resulted in formation of disulfide-linked dimers, which supports the domain-swapped model. The functional significance of dimer formation for coreceptor function was tested using cells expressing wild-type or disulfide-bond mutant CD4. Eliminating the D2 disulfide bond markedly impaired CD4's coreceptor function. Modeling of the complex of the TCR and domain-swapped CD4 dimer bound to class II MHC and Ag supports the domain-swapped dimer as the immune coreceptor. The known involvement of D4 residues Lys318 and Gln344 in dimer formation is also accommodated by this model. These findings imply that disulfide-linked dimeric CD4 is the preferred coreceptor for binding to APC.

Animals↗

Para to ortho repositioning of the arsenical moiety of the angiogenesis inhibitor 4-(N-(S-glutathionylacetyl)amino)phenylarsenoxide results in a markedly increased cellular accumulation and antiproliferative activity.

The synthetic tripeptide arsenical 4-(N-(S-glutathionylacetyl)amino)p-phenylarsenoxide (p-GSAO) is an angiogenesis inhibitor that inactivates mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) by cross-linking a pair of matrix-facing cysteine residues. This causes an increase in superoxide levels and proliferation arrest of endothelial cells followed by mitochondrial depolarization and apoptosis. p-GSAO induces proliferation arrest in endothelial cells and is a selective inhibitor of endothelial cells compared with tumor cells. An analogue of p-GSAO has been made in which the arsenical moiety is at the ortho instead of the para position on the phenyl ring. o-GSAO, like p-GSAO, bound to ANT in a dithiol-dependent manner but was approximately 8-fold more efficient than p-GSAO at triggering the mitochondria permeability transition in isolated mitochondria. o-GSAO was an approximately 50-fold more potent inhibitor of endothelial and tumor cell proliferation than p-GSAO. The mechanism of this effect was a consequence of approximately 300-fold faster rate of accumulation of o-GSAO in the cells, which is due, at least in part, to impaired export by the multidrug resistance-associated protein 1. Administration of o-GSAO to tumor-bearing mice delayed tumor growth by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis but there were side effects not observed with p-GSAO administration.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

Mechanism of selectivity of an angiogenesis inhibitor from screening a genome-wide set of Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion strains.

BACKGROUND: The synthetic tripeptide arsenical 4-(N-(S-glutathionylacetyl)amino) phenylarsenoxide (GSAO) is an angiogenesis inhibitor that targets the mitochondria of actively dividing but not quiescent endothelial cells, arresting their proliferation and causing apoptosis. Normal endothelial cells are much more sensitive to GSAO than tumor cells. To elucidate the mechanism of tumor cell resistance, we identified yeast genes that are necessary for resistance to GSAO. METHODS: We screened a genome-wide set of 4546 Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion strains to identify GSAO-sensitive strains. We then examined GSAO accumulation in and proliferation activity of endothelial cells (BAECs) and tumor cells treated with GSAO and modulators of pathways and proteins identified in the yeast screen. We also examined GSAO effects on proliferation of mammalian cells transfected with transporter protein constructs. RESULTS: Eighty-eight deletion strains were sensitive to GSAO. The most sensitive strains had deletions of genes whose products are involved in vacuolar function (corresponding to drug transport in mammalian cells) and glutathione synthesis. BAECs were more sensitive to GSAO than tumor cells, and cell sensitivity to GSAO was approximately proportional to cellular glutathione levels. Treatment of BAECs and tumor cells with MK-571, an inhibitor of multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP), or with buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, increased their sensitivity to GSAO. Mammalian cells transfected with MRP1 or MRP2 were resistant to GSAO, whereas cells transfected with MRP3, MRP4, MRP5, P-glypoprotein, or breast cancer resistance protein were not. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in MRP activity and cellular glutathione levels contribute to the selectivity of GSAO for endothelial versus tumor cells. MRP1 and/or MRP2 may transport GSAO from resistant cells, with glutathione acting as a cotransporter. Genetic screening in yeast is a powerful tool for understanding drug action in mammalian cells.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

Secretion of phosphoglycerate kinase from tumour cells is controlled by oxygen-sensing hydroxylases.

Solid tumour cells employ glycolytic enzymes including phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) to make ATP when their supply of oxygen is limiting. PGK is also secreted by tumour cells and facilitates cleavage of disulfide bonds in plasmin, which triggers proteolytic release of the angiogenesis inhibitor, angiostatin. Although PGK production by tumour cells was enhanced by hypoxia, its secretion was inhibited. Inhibition of secretion correlated with decrease in angiostatin formation by the tumour cells. In contrast, hypoxia did not inhibit the secretion of the angiogenesis activator, vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF). PGK secretion was reversed by normoxia and was under control of the oxygen-sensing protein hydroxylases, as inhibitors of this class of enzymes mimicked the effect of hypoxia on PGK secretion. Direct hydroxylation of PGK was not the mechanism by which the protein hydroxylases controlled its secretion. These findings show that production and secretion of PGK are regulated separately and indicate that oxygen and the protein hydroxylases can control not only gene expression but also protein secretion.

Angiostatins↗

Role of thrombospondin-1 in control of von Willebrand factor multimer size in mice.

Plasma von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a multimeric glycoprotein from endothelial cells and platelets that mediates adhesion of platelets to sites of vascular injury. In the shear force of flowing blood, however, only the very large VWF multimers are effective in capturing platelets. The multimeric size of VWF can be controlled by proteolysis at the Tyr(842)-Met(843) peptide bond by ADAMTS13 or cleavage of the disulfide bonds that hold VWF multimers together by thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). The average multimer size of plasma VWF in TSP-1 null mice was significantly smaller than in wild type mice. In addition, the multimer size of VWF released from endothelium in vivo was reduced more rapidly in TSP-1 null mice than in wild type mice. TSP-1, like ADAMTS13, bound to the VWF A3 domain. TSP-1 in the wild type mice, therefore, may compete with ADAMTS13 for interaction with the A3 domain and slow the rate of VWF proteolysis. TSP-1 is stored in platelet alpha-granules and is released upon platelet activation. Significantly, platelet VWF multimer size was reduced upon lysis or activation of wild type murine platelets but not TSP-1 null platelets. This difference had functional consequences in that there was an increase in collagen- and VWF-mediated aggregation of the TSP-1 null platelets under both static and shear conditions. These findings indicate that TSP-1 influences plasma and platelet VWF multimeric size differently and may be more relevant for control of the VWF released from platelets.

Animals↗

Cross-strand disulphides in cell entry proteins: poised to act.

Cross-strand disulphides (CSDs) are unusual bonds that link adjacent strands in the same beta-sheet. Their peculiarity relates to the high potential energy stored in these bonds, both as torsional energy in the highly strained disulphide linkage and as deformation energy stored in the sheet itself. CSDs are relatively rare in protein structures but are conspicuous by their presence in proteins that are involved in cell entry. The finding that entry of botulinum neurotoxin and HIV into mammalian cells involves cleavage of CSDs suggests that the activity of other cell entry proteins may likewise involve cleavage of these bonds. We examine emerging evidence of the involvement of these unusual disulphides in cell entry events.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Mitochondria as cancer drug targets.

Cancer cells are defined by their unlimited replicative potential and resistance to cell death stimuli. It is generally considered that a point of no return in apoptotic cell death is the permeabilisation of the mitochondrial membranes. For this reason, agents that permeabilise cancer cell mitochondria have the potential to circumvent their resistance to apoptotic cell death. Fortunately, the proliferative and bioenergetic differences between normal and cancerous cells provide an opportunity to selectively target cancer cell mitochondria.

Animals↗

Protein profiles associated with survival in lung adenocarcinoma.

Morphologic assessment of lung tumors is informative but insufficient to adequately predict patient outcome. We previously identified transcriptional profiles that predict patient survival, and here we identify proteins associated with patient survival in lung adenocarcinoma. A total of 682 individual protein spots were quantified in 90 lung adenocarcinomas by using quantitative two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. A leave-one-out cross-validation procedure using the top 20 survival-associated proteins identified by Cox modeling indicated that protein profiles as a whole can predict survival in stage I tumor patients (P = 0.01). Thirty-three of 46 survival-associated proteins were identified by using mass spectrometry. Expression of 12 candidate proteins was confirmed as tumor-derived with immunohistochemical analysis and tissue microarrays. Oligonucleotide microarray results from both the same tumors and from an independent study showed mRNAs associated with survival for 11 of 27 encoded genes. Combined analysis of protein and mRNA data revealed 11 components of the glycolysis pathway as associated with poor survival. Among these candidates, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 was associated with survival in the protein study, in both mRNA studies and in an independent validation set of 117 adenocarcinomas and squamous lung tumors using tissue microarrays. Elevated levels of phosphoglycerate kinase 1 in the serum were also significantly correlated with poor outcome in a validation set of 107 patients with lung adenocarcinomas using ELISA analysis. These studies identify new prognostic biomarkers and indicate that protein expression profiles can predict the outcome of patients with early-stage lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in association with a mutation in the second CUB domain of ADAMTS13.

Severe deficiency of the von Willebrand Factor (VWF)-cleaving proteinase, ADAMTS13, is associated with the development of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Several mutations spread across the ADAMTS13 gene have been identified in association with a deficiency of VWF-cleaving proteinase activity in patients with congenital TTP. The spread of these dysfunctional mutations and the domain structure of ADAMTS13 are suggestive of a complex interaction between the enzyme and its substrate. We have studied a patient with congenital TTP who is a compound heterozygote for the Thr196Ile mutation in the metalloproteinase domain and a frameshift mutation (4143-4144insA) in the second CUB domain that results in loss of the last 49 amino acids of the protein. The VWF-cleaving proteinase activity of the truncated enzyme was comparable to that of the wild-type enzyme but its secretion from transfected COS-7 cells was about 14% of the wild type.

ADAM Proteins↗

Thrombospondin-1 inhibits in vitro megakaryocytopoiesis via CD36.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is an inhibitor of angiogenesis, inducing apoptosis of the endothelial cells via CD36 signaling mechanism. We investigated CD36 expression and the effect of TSP-1 on megakaryocytopoiesis, with and without pegylated recombinant human megakaryocyte growth and development factor (PEG-rHuMGDF), and with and without blocking TSP-1 binding with receptor CD36 on megakaryocytic cells. Our data showed that TSP-1 induced a dose-dependent growth inhibition in both murine and human colony forming unit-megakaryocyte (CFU-MK) assays and significantly counteracted the mitogenic effect from PEG-rHuMGDF. Moreover, the growth suppression induced by TSP-1 was correlated with CD36 expression in megakaryocytic cell lines, where growth inhibition was demonstrated in CD36 positive (Meg-01, Dami and CHRF-288-11) but not in CD36 negative (M-07e) cell lines. More importantly, the inhibitory effect of TSP-1 on both human CFU-MK and Meg-01 cells was partially but significantly reversed by the addition of FA6-152 (anti-CD36), a blocking antibody which blocks the access of TSP-1 to CD36 receptor, suggesting that the TSP-1-induced inhibition of megakaryocytopoiesis is probably mediated in part by the binding of TSP-1 to CD36 expressed on the megakaryocytic progenitors. Thus, our findings represent the first demonstration that TSP-1 inhibits in vitro megakaryocytopoiesis via interaction with CD36.

Animals↗

Disulfide bonds as switches for protein function.

The prevailing view is that disulfide bonds have been added during evolution to enhance the stability of proteins that function in a fluctuating cellular environment. However, recent evidence indicates that disulfide bonds can be more than inert structural motifs. The function of some secreted soluble proteins and cell-surface receptors is controlled by cleavage of one or more of their disulfide bonds; this cleavage is mediated by catalysts or facilitators that are specific for their substrate.

CD4 Antigens↗

A peptide trivalent arsenical inhibits tumor angiogenesis by perturbing mitochondrial function in angiogenic endothelial cells.

Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell and their disruption leads to cell death. We have used a peptide trivalent arsenical, 4-(N-(S-glutathionylacetyl)amino) phenylarsenoxide (GSAO), to inactivate the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) that exchanges matrix ATP for cytosolic ADP across the inner mitochondrial membrane and is the key component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP). GSAO triggered Ca(2+)-dependent MPTP opening by crosslinking Cys(160) and Cys(257) of ANT. GSAO treatment caused a concentration-dependent increase in superoxide levels, ATP depletion, mitochondrial depolarization, and apoptosis in proliferating, but not growth-quiescent, endothelial cells. Endothelial cell proliferation drives new blood vessel formation, or angiogenesis. GSAO inhibited angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane and in solid tumors in mice. Consequently, GSAO inhibited tumor growth in mice with no apparent toxicity at efficacious doses.

Adenine Nucleotide Translocator 1↗

A perspective on the measurement of ADAMTS13 in thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura.

The recent discovery of the von Willebrand Factor (vWF) cleaving protease (ADAMTS13) and the association of its deficiency with thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP) has generated both enormous interest and considerable confusion. Ultra large von Willebrand Factor (UL vWF) multimers are present in the plasmas of patients with chronic relapsing TTP in remission but disappear during an attack. This observation led to the recognition that UL vWF multimers precipitate the thrombotic occlusion of arterioles, a feature that characterizes TTP. Multiple mutations in ADAMTS13 are associated with congenital TTP and neutralizing autoantibodies have been demonstrated in the acquired TTP syndrome. Although a number of functional assays for this enzyme have been described, the more rigorously evaluated assays are difficult to perform outside a research laboratory. There is also an enduring uncertainty about the specificity of ADAMTS13 deficiency for the diagnosis of acquired TTP and a perception that the result does not alter patient management. The cloning of the ADAMTS13 gene has also raised the prospect of recombinant enzyme therapy for the treatment of TTP, and this has heightened the need for a simple assay. In this review, we evaluate the value of measuring this enzyme in the management of TTP.

ADAM Proteins↗