PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

S Müllertz

Publications and source records attributed to S Müllertz.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Identification of molecular forms of plasminogen and plasmin-inhibitor complexes in urokinase-activated human plasma.

Urokinase-activated human plasma was analysed by acetic acid/urea/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The bands representing plasminogen, the plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor and plasmin-alpha 2-macroglobulin complexes were identified by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies and by comparison with purified components. Plasminogen and the plasmin-inhibitor complexes were isolated from plasma or thrombin-clotted plasma containing 125I-labelled Glu-plasminogen (residues 1-790) and urokinase. The plasma was kept at 37 degrees C for 0.5 and 10 times the lysis time of the clotted plasma, the clotted plasma until lysis. The plasmin heavy chain from the plasmin-inhibitor complexes was subsequently prepared. Only in one case could a low-grade proteolytic conversion of Glu- forms into Lys/Met/Val-forms (residues 77-790, 68-790 and 78-790 respectively) during the preparations be detected. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and N-terminal sequence analysis of the purified plasminogen and plasmin heavy chain showed the following. The plasminogen in plasma was on the Glu- form. Glu-plasmin constituted 0.74 and 0.58 of the plasmin bound to the alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor in plasma after brief and prolonged activation respectively. The rest was Lys/Met/Val-plasmin. The clotted plasma contained about equal amounts of Glu-plasminogen and Lys/Met/Val-plasminogen, and predominantly Lys/Met/Val-plasmin complexed to alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor and alpha 2-macroglobulin. The results of the analysis of the purified material substantiated the identity of radioactive protein bands in the gel after acetic acid/urea/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis.

Amino Acid Sequence

Sequence of formation of molecular forms of plasminogen and plasmin-inhibitor complexes in plasma activated by urokinase or tissue-type plasminogen activator.

The pathway of plasminogen transformation was studied in plasma, particularly in relation to fibrin formation and the subsequent stimulation of plasminogen activation. Plasminogen was activated by urokinase (low fibrin-affinity) or tissue-type plasminogen activator (high fibrin-affinity). Formation of 125I-labelled free and inhibitor-bound plasminogen derivatives was quantified after their separation by acetic acid/urea/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. In plasma activator converted Glu-plasminogen (residues 1-790) into Glu-plasmin, which was complexed to alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor. When this inhibitor was saturated, Glu-plasmin was autocatalytically converted into Lys-plasmin (residues 77-790). No plasmin-catalysed Lys-plasminogen formation was observed. Upon fibrin formation, activation initially followed the same Glu-plasminogen-into-Glu-plasmin conversion pathway, and stimulation of plasminogen activation was only observed with tissue-type plasminogen activator. In agreement with the emergence of novel effector function, on early plasmin cleavage of fibrin [Suenson, Lützen & Thorsen (1984) Eur. J. Biochem. 140, 513-522] the fibrin-binding of Glu-plasminogen increased when solid-phase fibrin showed evident signs of degradation. This was associated with the formation of considerable amounts of the more easily activatable Lys-plasminogen, most of which was fibrin-bound. At the same time the rate of plasmin formation with urokinase increased over that in unclotted plasma and the rate of plasmin formation with tissue-type plasminogen activator accelerated. Altogether these processes favoured enhanced fibrin degradation. The rates of Lys-plasminogen and plasmin formation abruptly decreased after lysis of fibrin, probably owing to a compromised effector function on further fibrin degradation.

Antifibrinolytic Agents

Kinetic studies of the urokinase catalysed conversion of NH2-terminal lysine plasminogen to plasmin.

A method for determining initial velocities of the urokinase (EC 3.4.99.26) catalysed converstion of NH2-terminal lysine plasminogen to plasmin (EC 3.4.21.7) is presented. This reaction has been coupled with the hydrolysis of alpha-N-benzyoly-L-arginine ethyl ester, which is catalysed by plasmin, and its rate has been determined from the time course of the overall reaction. The proenzyme-enzyme conversion was found to obey the Michaelis-Menten rate equation. The following values of the kinetic parameters were obtained: the apparent Michaelis constant, Km = 40.7 +/- 6.2 muM; the catalytic constant, kc = 2.59+/-0.31 s(-1), and kc/Km = 6.36-10(4) +/- 0.24-10(4) M(-1)-s(-1).

Endopeptidases

The primary inhibitor of plasmin in human plasma.

A complex between plasmin and an inhibitor was isolated by affinity chromatography from urokinase-activated human plasma. The complex did not react with antibodies against any of the known proteinase inhibitors in plasma. A rabbit antiserum against the complex was produced. It contained antibodies agianst plasminogen+plasmin and an alpha2 protein. By crossed immunoelectrophoresis the alpha2 protein was shown to form a complex with plasmin, when generated by urokinase in plasma, and with purified plasmin. The alpha2 protein was eluted by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration with KD approx. 0.35, different from the other inhibitors of plasmin in plasma, and corresponding to an apparent relative molecular mass (Mr) of about 75000. By sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, the Mr of the complex was found to be approx. 130000. After reduction of the complex two main bands of protein were observed, with Mr, about 72000 and 66000, probably representing an acyl-enzyme complex of plasmin-light chain and inhibitor-heavy chain, and a plasmin-heavy chain. A weak band with Mr 9000 was possibly an inhibitor-light chain. The inhibitor was partially purified and used to titrate purified plasmin of known active-site concentration. The inhibitor bound plasmin rapidly and strongly. Assuming an equimolar combining ratio, the concentration of active inhibitor in normal human plasma was estimated to be 1.1 mumol/1. A fraction about 0.3 of the antigenic inhibitor protein appeared to be functionally inactive. In plasma, plasmin is primarily bound to the inhibitor. Only after its saturation does lysis of fibrinogen and fibrin occur and a complex between plasmin and alpha2 macroglobulin appear.

Antibodies

Purification of a plasminogen activator inhibitor indistinguishable from alpha1-antitrypsin and an urokinase inhibitor in pregnancy plasma.

An inhibitor of urokinase present in increased concentrations in plasma during pregnancy was purified. The inhibitor was identified by its pronounced effect on urokinase-induced fibrinolysis as opposed to the absence of effect on fibrinolysis induced by a tissue plasminogen activator. The inhibitor progressively inactivated urokinase upon incubation and was found to be indistinguishable from alpha1-antitrypsin.

Antithrombins

Different molecular forms of plasminogen and plasmin produced by urokinase in human plasma and their relation to protease inhibitors and lysis of fibrinogen and fibrin.

Urokinase-activated human plasma was studied by gel electrophoresis, gel filtration, crossed immunoelectrophoresis and electroimmunoassay with specific antibodies and by assay of esterase and protease activity of isolated fractions. Urokinase induced the formation of different components with plasminogen+plasmin antigenicity. At low concentrations of urokinase, a component with a K(D) value of 0.18 by gel filtration and post beta(1) mobility by gel electrophoresis was detected. The isolated component had no enzyme or plasminogen activity. In this plasma sample fibrinogen was not degraded for 10h, but when fibrin was formed, by addition of thrombin, fibrin was quickly lysed, and simultaneously a component with a K(D) value of 0 and alpha(2) mobility appeared, which was probably plasmin in a complex with alpha(2) macroglobulin. This complex showed both esterase and protease activity. After gel filtration with lysine buffer of the clotted and lysed plasma another two components were observed with about the same K(D) value by gel filtration as plasminogen (0.35), but beta(1) and gamma mobilities by gel electrophoresis. They appeared to be modified plasminogen molecules, and possibly plasmin with gamma mobility. Similar processes occurred without fibrin at higher urokinase concentrations. Here a relatively slow degradation of fibrinogen was correlated to the appearance of the plasmin-alpha(2) macroglobulin complex. The fibrin surface appeared to catalyse the ultimate production of active plasmin with a subsequent preferential degradation of fibrin and the formation of a plasmin-alpha(2) macroglobulin complex. The gel filtration and electrophoresis of the plasma protease inhibitors, alpha(1) antitrypsin, inter-alpha-inhibitor, antithrombin III, and C(1)-esterase inhibitor indicated that any complex between plasmin and these inhibitors was completely dissociated. The beta(1) and post beta(1) components appear to lack correlates among components occurring in purified preparations of plasminogen and plasmin.

Animals