Biomedical subjects

S R Stone

Publications and source records attributed to S R Stone.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Characterization of the P2' and P3' specificities of thrombin using fluorescence-quenched substrates and mapping of the subsites by mutagenesis.

The importance of substrate residues P2' and P3' on thrombin catalysis has been investigated by comparing the hydrolysis of a series of fluorescence-quenched substrates. Each consisted of a 10-residue peptide, carrying a 2-aminobenzoyl (Abz) group at the N-terminus, and a penultimate 2,4-dinitrophenyl (Dnp) derivatized lysine. Cleavage of such a peptide relieves the intramolecularly-quenched fluorescence, allowing determination of the kinetic parameters. The nature of the P2' residue was found to have a major influence on the rate of cleavage: the Kcat/Km value for the hydrolysis of the Arg-Ser bond in Abz-Val-Gly-Pro-Arg-Ser-Phe-Leu-Leu-Lys(Dnp)-Asp-OH was nearly 3 orders of magnitude higher than that for the hydrolysis of the same substrate with aspartate instead of phenylalanine at the P2' position. Comparatively, the P3' side chain was less important: the kcat/Km value for the substrate with the least effective residue (aspartate) was only 33 times lower than that of the substrate with the most favorable amino acid (lysine). The role of thrombin residues Arg35, Lys36, Glu39 and Lys60f in the putative P2' and P3' binding sites was also examined. Replacement of Lys60f by glutamine improved the rate of cleavage for peptides with P2' lysine or leucine. Compared with thrombin, mutants E39K and E39Q hydrolyzed faster substrates with an acidic residue in P2' or P3', but slightly slower those with a lysine at either position. Mutations R35Q and K36Q only improved the hydrolysis of substrates with an acidic P2' residue. Overall, thrombin prefers bulky hydrophobic side chains in subsite S2' and positively charged residues in S3', whereas acidic residues are markedly antagonistic to both subsites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Thrombin functions as an inflammatory mediator through activation of its receptor.

A rat model of inflammation was used to investigate the biological effects of thrombin. The thrombin-specific inhibitor Hirulog markedly attentuated the carrageenin-induced edema of the paw of the rat. Injection of thrombin into the paw also produced edema. The effect of thrombin was due to activation of its receptor; a thrombin receptor activating peptide (TRAP) reproduced the effects of thrombin in causing edema. TRAP also increased vascular permeability as demonstrated by extravasation of Evans blue and 125I-labeled serum albumin. The release of bioactive amines played an important role in mediating the TRAP-induced edema; the serotonin/histamine antagonist cryproheptadine and the histamine H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine reduced significantly the edema caused by TRAP. Treatment of rats with the mast cell degranulator 48/80 to deplete these cells of their stores of histamine and serotonin abolished completely the ability of TRAP to produce edema. Histochemical examination confirmed that TRAP treatment led to mast cell degranulation. Thus, it has been possible to demonstrate that thrombin acts as an inflammatory mediator in vivo by activating its receptor, which in turn leads to release of vasoactive amines from mast cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Analysis of the platelet-type thrombin receptor in 20 cases of large granular lymphocyte proliferations.

The platelet-type thrombin receptor was expressed by large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) in a variety of proliferative diseases. Twenty patients with LGL proliferative disease were examined, including five T cell clones and a variety of polyclonal proliferations, some secondary to rheumatoid arthritis and Felty's syndrome; 17/20 showed high number of CD3+, CD8+, and CD57+ lymphocytes and 9/20 also had high numbers of CD16+ or CD 56+ positive lymphocytes. The thrombin receptor was present on more than 20% of the LGLs in 13/20 patients. The clonal T cell expansions showed the highest receptor expression with greater than 75% cells positive. Regression analysis of all 20 cases showed striking and highly statistically significant positive Spearman rank correlation between the proportion of thrombin receptor and CD57-positive LGLs (r = 0.56, P = 0.009). A negative correlation with CD56 was also found (r = -0.46, P= 0.043). Dual antibody flow cytometry showed the receptor was more often co-expressed with CD57 (64%) than with CD16 (19%) or CD56 (11%). The expression of the platelet-type thrombin receptor by LGLs of this phenotype raises the possibility of a functional role for thrombin in the pathogenesis of LGL proliferative diseases.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

The contribution of the conserved hinge region residues of alpha1-antitrypsin to its reaction with elastase.

The hinge region of serpins is a conserved sequence of 8 amino acids located 7 residues away from the scissile bond at P8 to P15, on the edge of the protease-binding domain. In the inhibitory serpins the P8 to P12 residues of this motif are usually small side-chain amino acids, most commonly alanine. Each of these residues in alpha1-antitrypsin was mutated to a glutamate, and the effect of a hinge-region glutamic acid substitution was found. While substitutions at positions P10 and P12 affected the inhibitory characteristics of alpha1-antitrypsin, substitutions at positions P7, P8, P9, and P11 had no effect on inhibition. Thus, the conservation of residues with small side chains at the latter positions does not appear to be related to an essential function in the inhibitory mechanism. Following the glutamate substitution at P10, alpha1-antitrypsin remained a rapid inhibitor of elastase, but the elastase--serpin complex slowly broke down to yield active elastase and cleaved alpha1-antitrypsin. The glutamate substitution at P12 caused the resultant molecule (P12 Ala-->Glu) to become a partial substrate of elastase such that four moles of inhibitor were required to inhibit one mole of enzyme, and led to a 12-fold decrease in the association rate constant. The data could be interpreted in terms of the suicide substrate inhibition model for serpin-protease interactions and allowed a further refinement of the role of the hinge region in this process.

Cloning, Molecular↗

PubMed1995

The control of neutrophil chemotaxis by inhibitors of cathepsin G and chymotrypsin.

Neutrophil chemotaxis plays an important role in the inflammatory response and when excessive or persistent may augment tissue damage. The effects of inhibitors indicated the involvement of one or more serine proteinases in human neutrophil migration and shape change in response to a chemoattractant. Monospecific antibodies, chloromethylketone inhibitors, and reactive-site mutants of alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin were used to probe the specificity of the proteinases involved in chemotaxis. Antibodies specific for cathepsin G inhibited chemotaxis. Moreover, rapid inhibitors of cathepsin G and alpha-chymotrypsin suppressed neutrophil chemotaxis to the chemoattractants N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP) and zymosan-activated serum in multiple blind well assays and to fMLP in migration assays under agarose. The concentrations of antichymotrypsin mutants that reduced chemotaxis by 50% would inactivate free cathepsin G with a half-life of 1.5-3 s, whereas the concentrations of chloromethylketones required to produce a similar inhibition of chemotaxis would inactivate cathepsin G with a half-life of 345 s. These data suggest different modes of action for these two classes of inhibitors. Indeed the chloromethylketone inhibitors of cathepsin G (Z-Gly-Leu-Phe-CMK) and to a lesser extent of chymotrypsin (Cbz-Gly-Gly-Phe-CMK) mediated their effect by preventing a shape change in the purified neutrophils exposed to fMLP. Antichymotrypsin did not affect shape change in response to fMLP even at concentrations that were able to reduce neutrophil chemotaxis by 50%. These results support the involvement of cell surface proteinases in the control of cell migration and show that antichymotrypsin and chloromethylketones have differing modes of action. This opens the possibility for the rational design of anti-inflammatory agents targeted at neutrophil membrane enzymes.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones↗

PubMed1995

Identification of thrombin residues that modulate its interactions with antithrombin III and alpha 1-antitrypsin.

The role of thrombin's catalytic groove in the interaction with serpin has been investigated by comparing the association rate constant (kon) of several mutated thrombins with various serpins. The results indicated that Glu192, located three residues prior to the catalytic serine, and the major insertion in the sequence of thrombin compared with trypsin (residues Tyr60A-Trp60D) play an important role in modulating thrombin's interactions with serpins. Replacement of Glu192 by glutamine increased by 3 orders of magnitude the kon value with alpha 1-antitrypsin (which has a P1 methionine) but did not markedly alter the kon value with serpins containing a P1 arginine. The des-PPW thrombin mutant (lacking residues Pro60B, Pro60C, and Trp60D) exhibited a similar kon value as thrombin with protease nexin-1 but a kon value 2 orders of magnitude lower with antithrombin III. Thus, the 60-loop insertion of thrombin appears critical for its interaction with antithrombin III but dispensable for the formation of a complex with protease nexin-1. Heparin increased markedly the kon values for antithrombin III and protease nexin-1 with all thrombin variants tested, but a more dramatic effect was observed with a thrombin mutant (des-ETW) lacking residues Glu146, Thr147, and Trp148 (on the opposite side of the catalytic site relative to the 60-loop insertion). At the optimum concentration, heparin increased the kon value of the des-ETW--antithrombin III interaction by nearly 5 orders of magnitude, considerably more than for thrombin, suggesting that heparin is able to compensate in part for the adverse effects of the des-ETW mutation on the structure of thrombin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Development of a novel recombinant serpin with potential antithrombotic properties.

Recombinant alpha 1-antitrypsin with a P1 arginine residue (Arg-alpha 1-antitrypsin) is a rapid inhibitor of both thrombin and activated protein C (APC). A series of mutants were made in an attempt to increase the specificity of this serpin for thrombin over APC. Initially, P2 and P'1 residues of Arg-alpha 1-antitrypsin were replaced in single and double mutations by the corresponding residues in antithrombin and C1 inhibitor which are very poor inhibitors of APC. No improvement in selectivity was achieved by these mutations. In fact, all P2/P'1 substitutions led to a decrease in selectivity for thrombin over APC. For example, replacement of the P2 proline of Arg-alpha 1-antitrypsin by glycine decreased the association rate constant (kass) with thrombin by 37-fold while the kass value with APC was reduced by only 16-fold. Cooperative effects were observed with the double P2 and P'1 substitutions; the mutational effects were not additive. The decrease in the kass for thrombin caused by the mutation of the P2 proline to alanine or glycine was 3-fold greater when threonine was present in the P'1 position instead of the normal serine. In contrast to the disappointing results with the P2/P'1 mutations, replacement of the P7 to P'3 residues of alpha 1-antitrypsin by those of antithrombin led to a dramatic increase in selectivity. Although this substitution only affected the kass value with thrombin by 10-fold, a 12,500-fold decrease in this value with APC was observed. Substitution of proline for the P2 glycine of this chimeric serpin increased the kass values with thrombin and APC by 7- and 90-fold, respectively. The effect of the P2 substitution was again found to depend on the sequence surrounding the residue; the change in the kass for APC caused by the P2 Pro-->Gly replacement was 6-fold larger in the chimeric serpin. Evaluation of the kass values of the chimeric serpin with a P2 proline in light of the likely rates of inhibition of thrombin and APC during antithrombotic therapy with heparin suggested that this serpin may have kinetic parameters suitable for an antithrombotic agent.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Inhibitory mechanism of serpins. Interaction of thrombin with antithrombin and protease nexin 1.

The mechanism for the inhibition of thrombin by the serpins antithrombin and protease nexin 1 has been investigated using several kinetic techniques at pH 7.9 and 37 degrees C with an ionic strength of 0.3 M. Rapid kinetic studies demonstrated that a two-step mechanism for the formation of the stable thrombin-serpin complex applied to both serpins. The inhibition constant for the initial thrombin-antithrombin complex was 265 microM, and the rate constant for the conversion of this complex to the final one was 3.9 s-1; the corresponding values for PN1 were 3.4 microM and 6.0 s-1. By using slow-binding kinetics, it was possible to obtain estimates of the second-order rate constants for the formation of the stable thrombin-serpin complexes (1.2 x 10(4) and 1.5 x 10(6) M-1 s-1 for antithrombin and protease nexin 1, respectively) and the dissociation constants for these complexes (< 1 nM for both serpins). The influence of viscosity on the reactions indicated that the rate of interaction of both serpins with thrombin was diffusion-controlled. Moreover, the results indicated that the initial complex reacted more rapidly to form the stable complex than it dissociated to free enzyme and inhibitor; i.e., the behavior of the serpins was analogous to that of "sticky" substrates. By using the results from slow-binding, viscosity, and rapid kinetic studies, it was possible to set values for all of the rate constants for the interactions of antithrombin and protease nexin 1 with thrombin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Inhibition of acrosin by serpins. A suicide substrate mechanism.

The serpins antithrombin, protease nexin 1, and alpha 1-antitrypsin with a reactive-center arginine (Arg-alpha 1-antitrypsin) were found to inhibit the sperm protease acrosin with varying efficiency. The serpins were titrated against acrosin to determine their specific activity with respect to this enzyme. While antithrombin was fully active against acrosin, more than one molecule of Arg-alpha 1-antitrypsin and protease nexin 1 was required to inhibit one molecule of acrosin. In particular, only 2.7% of protease nexin 1 molecules interacting with acrosin formed stable complexes with the enzyme at 37 degrees C and this value decreased to 0.03% at 12 degrees C. N-terminal sequence analysis indicated that acrosin had cleaved protease nexin 1 at its reactive-center Arg-Ser bond. The results could be interpreted in terms of protease nexin 1 acting as a suicide substrate for acrosin; after the formation of an initial complex, the serpin partitioned between pathways yielding either inactivated (cleaved) serpin or a stable serpin-enzyme complex. The association rate constant (k(ass)) and inhibition constant (Ki) for the stable complexes were determined for each of the serpins by using slow-binding kinetics. The values of k(ass) were 2 x 10(5), 4 x 10(4), and 5 x 10(3) M-1 s-1 for Arg-alpha 1-antitrypsin, antithrombin, and protease nexin 1, respectively. The Ki values for the serpins were 1 nM or less. Heparin markedly accelerated the inhibition of acrosin by antithrombin and protease nexin 1; at the optimal concentration, the degree of heparin acceleration of the inhibition rate was 250- and 500-fold for antithrombin and protease nexin 1, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acrosin↗

PubMed1995

Identification of a thrombin receptor with factor Xa receptor and tissue factor in human pancreatic carcinoma cells.

Venous thromboembolism is a common feature of pancreatic cancer. The underlying mechanism is unclear, but is likely to involve thrombin generation on the cell surface. Human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (n=8) have been studied immmunohistochemically for the expression of tissue factor, factor Xa receptor, and thrombin receptor. Each antigen had a distinct pattern of immunoreactivity in cell membrane and cytoplasm. Tissue factor was predominantly localised to the membrane, whereas thrombin and factor Xa receptor were largely cytoplasmic in distribution. The results support the hypothesis of a coagulation cascade that starts with tissue factor, leads to thrombin generation, and might confer a biological advantage on tumour cells.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1995

The response to thrombin of human neutrophils: evidence for two novel receptors.

Human alpha-thrombin was a chemoattractant for human neutrophils yielding a maximal response of similar magnitude to that observed with formyl-Met-Leu-Phe. The observed chemotaxis was not due to stimulation of the proteolytically activated thrombin receptor since: (1) this receptor was not detected by flow cytometry; (2) the inactive thrombin mutant Ser195-->Ala elicited a chemotactic response indistinguishable from that caused by wild-type thrombin; (3) antibodies to the cleavage site of the proteolytically activated receptor did not affect thrombin-induced chemotaxis; (4) a thrombin receptor activating peptide (TRAP) failed to stimulate chemotaxis. These data indicate the existence of a thrombin receptor for neutrophil chemotaxis which is not activated by proteolysis. In addition, although wild-type and ser195-->Ala thrombin did not cause an increase in intracellular Ca2+, a Ca2+ response to TRAP was observed with neutrophils from some donors. The TRAP-induced increase in Ca2+ was reproducible, dose dependent and specific. The use of alanine-substituted peptides demonstrated that the Ca2+ response was due to TRAP stimulation of a receptor other than the proteolytically activated thrombin receptor. Thus, it is necessary to re-evaluate the assumption made in previous studies that responses to TRAP are mediated by the proteolytically activated thrombin receptor.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Thrombin inhibitors as antithrombotic agents: the importance of rapid inhibition.

For use as an antithrombotic agent, a thrombin inhibitor must be potent and specific, i.e., it should not significantly inhibit the proteases of the anticoagulation (activated protein C) and fibrinolytic systems (plasminogen activator and plasmin). Previous evaluation of potency and specificity has been based on inhibition constants (Ki values). However, consideration of the kinetic parameters for natural plasma serine protease inhibitors indicates that a low Ki value with thrombin is not sufficient; the inhibited complex must also form rapidly. Moreover, potent inhibition of activated protein C and plasmin could be tolerated providing the inhibited complex only forms slowly. An ideal profile of kinetic parameters with thrombin, activated protein C and plasmin is formulated and discussed in relation to various classes of thrombin inhibitors. Examination of kinetic data for thrombin inhibitors currently in clinical trials (hirudin and hirulog) indicates that they possess this ideal profile of kinetic parameters.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Kinetic mechanism for the interaction of Hirulog with thrombin.

Hirulog (D-FPRPGGGGDGDFEEIPEEYL) is a bivalent inhibitor of thrombin consisting of a moiety (D-FPRP) that binds to the active-site cleft and a hirudin-like C-terminal region (DGDFEEIPEEYL) that binds to the positively charged surface groove of thrombin known as the anion-binding exosite. The formation of the thrombin-Hirulog complex was studied using steady-state and rapid kinetics at 37 degrees C. The inhibition constant for Hirulog was found to be 1.9 nM. Hirulog was slowly degraded by thrombin with a kcat value of 0.01 s-1. The formation of the complex resulted in an enhancement of 44% in the intrinsic fluorescence of thrombin. The kinetics of the increase in thrombin fluorescence were described by a double-exponential decay. The dependence of the rate constant for the fast phase on the concentration of Hirulog could be described by the Michaelis-Menten equation with Km and kmax values of 0.75 +/- 0.12 microM and 325 +/- 17 s-1. The data were consistent with a mechanism in which the C-terminal region of Hirulog binds to the anion-binding exosite with a dissociation constant of 0.75 microM in the first step, followed by two intramolecular steps with rate constants of about 300 and 30 s-1. A C-terminal fragment of hirudin was found to compete in the first step confirming that this process corresponded to the binding of the hirudin-like C-terminus of Hirulog to the anion-binding exosite.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Granzyme A released upon stimulation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes activates the thrombin receptor on neuronal cells and astrocytes.

Granzymes are a family of serine proteases that are harbored in cytoplasmic granules of activated T lymphocytes and are released upon target cell interaction. Immediate and complete neurite retraction was induced in a mouse neuronal cell line when total extracts of granule proteins were added. This activity was isolated and identified as granzyme A. This protease not only induced neurite retraction at nanomolar concentrations but also reversed the stellation of astrocytes. Both effects were critically dependent on the esterolytic activity of granzyme A. As neurite retraction is known to be induced by thrombin, possible cleavage and activation of the thrombin receptor were investigated. A synthetic peptide spanning the N-terminal thrombin receptor activation sequence was cleaved by granzyme A at the authentic thrombin cleavage site Leu-Asp-Pro-Arg-Ser. Antibodies to the thrombin receptor inhibited both thrombin and granzyme A-mediated neurite retraction. Thus, T-cell-released granzyme A induces cellular responses by activation of the thrombin receptor. As brain-infiltrating CD4+ lymphocytes are the effector cells in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, granzyme A released in the brain may contribute to the etiology of autoimmune disorders in the nervous system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Transient hydrogen bonds identified on the surface of the NMR solution structure of Hirudin.

Recombinant desulfatohirudin retains largely the thrombin-inhibitory activity of natural hirudin from Hirudo medicinalis and causes at most minimal immune response in humans. With regard to potential pharmaceutical applications it is of interest to further investigate the structural basis of hirudin functions. In this paper transient hydrogen bonds between backbone amide protons and side-chain carboxylates on the protein surface of desulfatohirudin (variant 1) have been identified using two-dimensional 1H NMR experiments and site-directed mutagenesis. The analysis of pH titration curves measured with NMR enabled the determination of the pK values of all 13 carboxylates, and downfield shifts larger than 0.2 ppm arising from weak bonding interactions with carboxylates were observed for the amide protons of Gly 25, Ser 32, Glu 35, and Cys 39. For these backbone amide protons virtually identical titration parameters were observed in intact desulfatohirudin and the mutant, truncated hirudin(1-51), demonstrating that the hydrogen bond acceptors are located in the N-terminal polypeptide segment 1-51. The hydrogen bonds Gly 25 NH-Glu 43 delta COO-, Ser 32 NH-Glu 35 delta COO-, Glu 35 NH-Asp 33 gamma COO-, Glu 35 NH-Glu 35 delta COO-, and Cys 39 NH-Glu 17 delta COO- were identified by considering spatial proximity in the NMR solution structure of hirudin(1-51), and comparing the pK values for the amide protons and the carboxylates in desulfatohirudin and the mutants hirudin(E43Q), hirudin(E35Q), hirudin(D33N) and hirudin(E17A).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amides↗

PubMed1994

Differences in intracellular calcium signaling after activation of the thrombin receptor by thrombin and agonist peptide in osteoblast-like cells.

Thrombin and the thrombin receptor agonist peptide (TRAP) caused a rise in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the human osteoblast-like cell line Saos-2. Striking differences in the [Ca2+]i signals elicited by these agonists were revealed. In cell populations, thrombin induced a transient increase in [Ca2+]i while TRAP caused a biphasic [Ca2+]i response consisting of an initial peak and a sustained plateau phase. In individual cells, thrombin mainly caused a single [Ca2+]i transient while TRAP induced repetitive [Ca2+]i spikes. Neither tyrosine phosphorylation, cAMP-dependent phosphorylation, nor pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins appeared to be involved in thrombin receptor [Ca2+]i signaling in this cell line. However, the sustained [Ca2+]i response caused by TRAP was converted into a transient, thrombin-like response by pretreatment with serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitors. Pretreatment with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) abrogated thrombin receptor [Ca2+]i signaling, and TRAP-induced Ca2+ entry was inhibited by the acute treatment with PMA. In contrast, Ca2+ entry stimulated by thapsigargin was not sensitive to agents affecting serine/threonine phosphorylation. The observation that thrombin and TRAP, despite being agonists for a common receptor, induce dissimilar [Ca2+]i responses indicates that binding of TRAP alone is insufficient to fully regulate the thrombin receptor in Saos-2 cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Localization of the heparin-binding site of glia-derived nexin/protease nexin-1 by site-directed mutagenesis.

Recombinant rat glia-derived nexin was expressed in insect cells using the baculovirus system. The kinetics for the inhibition of thrombin by this recombinant material were indistinguishable from those observed with natural glia-derived nexin and recombinant nexin expressed in yeast. In addition, the dependence of the rate of inactivation on the concentration of heparin was similar for the three preparations. At the optimal heparin concentration, the association rate constant was 330-fold higher than that observed in the absence of heparin. A putative heparin-binding site is found in glia-derived nexin between residues 71 and 86; heparin-binding sites are found in homologous regions of antithrombin III and heparin cofactor II. Lysines in this region were mutated to glutamates, and the kinetics for the inhibition of thrombin by mutant proteins were determined. Concurrent mutation of all seven lysines in this region (residues 71, 74, 75, 78, 83, 84, and 86) did not affect the rate constant for the association of glia-derived nexin with thrombin in the absence of heparin, but it resulted in complete loss of the heparin acceleration of the rate of association. Mutations of residues 83, 84, and 86 together also caused a marked decrease in the acceleration by heparin of the reaction between glia-derived nexin and thrombin. These results support the hypothesis that the heparin-binding sites of glia-derived nexin, antithrombin III, and heparin cofactor II are found in homologous regions of the molecules. Heparin was also found to potentiate the ability of wild-type glia-derived nexin to inhibit the thrombin-induced retraction of neurites from neuroblastoma NB2a cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Rapid inhibition of the sperm protease acrosin by protein C inhibitor.

Heparin was found to be an allosteric modulator of the amidolytic activity of the protease acrosin. In the presence of saturating concentrations of heparin, there was a 4.9-fold decrease in the value of the Michaelis constant for the substrate D-Ile-Pro-Arg-p-nitroanilide and the value of kcat was 2.5-fold lower. Analysis of the data yielded a dissociation constant of 0.22 +/- 0.04 microM for the heparin-acrosin complex. The presence of relatively high concentrations of protein C inhibitor in seminal plasma [Laurell, M., Christensson, A., Abrahamson, P., Stenflo, J., & Lilja, H. (1992) J. Clin. Invest. 89, 1094-1101] suggests that this serpin may be involved in the control of the activity of acrosin. Acrosin was found to be rapidly inhibited by protein C inhibitor with the association rate constant (kass) for the formation of the complex being (2.41 +/- 0.03) x 10(5) M-1 s-1. The value of kass showed a bell-shaped dependence on the concentration of heparin; it was maximal at concentrations of heparin between 0.08 and 3 microM and decreased at lower and higher concentrations. At the optimal heparin concentration, the value of kass for the acrosin-protein C inhibitor reaction was 230-fold higher ((5.6 +/- 0.1) x 10(7) M-1 s-1) than in the absence of heparin. The results suggest that protein C inhibitor may be important in the physiological control of acrosin activity, particularly where the presence of heparin-like glycosaminoglycans would stimulate the acrosin-protein C inhibitor reaction.

Acrosin↗