Hiroyuki Fujiwara

Binding Sites and Binding Properties of Binary and Ternary Complexes of Insulin-like Growth Factor-II (IGF-II), IGF-binding Protein-3, and Acid-labile Subunit

We have examined regions of rat IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) important for complex formations using two kinds of deletion mutants, three kinds of chimera molecules between rat IGFBP-3 and rat IGFBP-2, and a synthetic peptide (41 residues, Glu52-Ala92) derived from rat IGFBP-3. Solid-phase binding assays using 96-well microtiter plates were designed to quantitate the relative binding affinities. It was found that not only the IGFBP-3 derivatives with the amino-terminal, cysteine-rich domain (N domain) but also the synthetic peptide maintained affinity for IGF-II. Ternary complex formation was observed with full-length IGFBP-3 and chimera IGFBP, the carboxyl-terminal cysteine-rich domain (C domain) of which was derived from IGFBP-3, unlike the mutants lacking the C domain and the chimera IGFBPs, the C domain of which was derived from IGFBP-2. These results were confirmed by affinity cross-linking experiments. Furthermore, the IGFBP-3 derivatives that possessed the C domain of IGFBP-3 bound to the acid-labile subunit, even in the absence of IGFs. Finally, we observed sites in IGF-II important for the ternary complex formation using various IGF-II mutants. These IGF-II mutants, which contained a substitution of Tyr27 for Leu, had extremely reduced activity. These results strongly suggest that: 1) the N domain, containing at least Glu52-Ala92, of rat IGFBP-3 is important for binding to IGF-II; 2) the C domain of IGFBP-3 is essential for binding to the acid-labile subunit both in the presence and absence of IGF-II; and 3) Tyr27 of IGF-II is important for the ternary complex formation.

Solution structure of human insulin-like growth factor II; recognition sites for receptors and binding proteins.

The three‐dimensional structure of human insulin‐like growth factor II was determined at high resolution in aqueous solution by NMR and simulated annealing based calculations. The structure is quite similar to those of insulin and insulin‐like growth factor I, which consists of an alpha‐helix followed by a turn and a strand in the B‐region and two antiparallel alpha‐helices in the A‐region. However, the regions of Ala1‐Glu6, Pro31‐Arg40 and Thr62‐Glu67 are not well‐defined for lack of distance constraints, possibly due to motional flexibility. Based on the resultant structure and the results of structure‐activity relationships, we propose the interaction sites of insulin‐like growth factor II with the type 2 insulin‐like growth factor receptor and the insulin‐like growth factor binding proteins. These sites partially overlap with each other at the opposite side of the putative binding surface to the insulin receptor and the type 1 insulin‐like growth factor receptor. We also discuss the interaction modes of insulin‐like growth factor II with the insulin receptor and the type 1 insulin‐like growth factor receptor.

Presence and function of chondroitin-4-sulfate on recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin

We constructed a human soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) expression vector using the RSV promoter. Recombinant sTM (rsTM) was expressed in CHO cells and was recovered from culture medium by ion exchange chromatography. Two active fractions, designated as rsTM alpha (low salt elution) and rsTM beta (high salt elution), were detected and further purified by immunoaffinity chromatography. Purified rsTM beta contained bound chondroitin-4-sulfate as judged by HPLC detection of the chondroitinase ABC and AC I digestion product, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-(beta-D-gluco-4-enepyranosyluronic acid)-4-O-sulfo-D-galactose. The apparent Kd values for thrombin of alpha and beta were 7.4 and 1.4 nM respectively. RsTM beta was more effective at inhibition of thrombin clotting activity and had antithrombin III-dependent anticoagulant activity which was not possessed by rsTM alpha. Both anticoagulant activities were lost after chondroitinase treatment of rsTM beta.

Hyperproduction of Polyhedrin-IGF II Fusion Protein in Silkworm Larvae Infected with Recombinant Bombyx mori Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus

A gene coding for insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) was constructed from 16 oligodeoxynucleotides synthesized chemically and cloned into EcoRI-SalI sites of pBR322. In this gene at ATG codon for methionine was introduced for cleavage by CNBr at the beginning of mature IGF II. For expressing foreign genes, a new host-vector system, with Bombyx mori silkworm larvae as the host and B. mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) as the vector, has been developed. BmNPV genomic DNA codes polyhedrin which is a major protein of inclusion bodies and is mass-produced in infected silkworm larvae. We employed this polyhedrin production system to obtain a large yield of a foreign gene product. The coding region of the carboxy-terminal half of polyhedrin was removed and the remainder was ligated with the IGF II gene in phase to create a fusion protein gene consisting of the coding region of the amino-terminal half of polyhedrin and the IGF II gene. This fusion protein gene was combined in a plasmid with the promoter and 5 and 3 flanking regions of the polyhedrin gene. The resulting plasmid and the wild-type BmNPV genomic DNA were cotransfected into BM-N cells, and a recombinant virus was isolated by the limiting dilution method. The silkworm larvae infected with the recombinant virus produced 3.6 mg of the fusion protein per larva and the infected BM-N cells produced 0.3 mg per ml of culture. IGF II was released from the fusion protein produced by BM-N cells infected with the recombinant virus by CNBr treatment, purified by extraction with guanidine-HCl, column chromatography and HPLC and the correct amino-terminal amino acid sequence confirmed.

Towards Identification of a Binding Site on Insulin-Like Growth Factor-II for IGF-Binding Proteins

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) -I and -II mediate mitogenesis, differentiation and insulin-like metabolic effects.1 Their amino acid sequence is divided into 4 domains designated B-C-A-D beginning from the amino terminus. The B-and A-domains of IGF-I and IGF-II share substantial homology with each other and with the B-and A-chains of insulin.

Monoclonal antibodies against human thrombomodulin whose epitope is located in epidermal growth factor-like domains

Thrombomodulin (TM) on endothelial cells is a glycoprotein that functions as a cofactor for thrombin-catalyzed activation of protein C. The structural requirement for thrombin binding and cofactor activity were investigated using monoclonal antibodies (moAbs) against TM and site-directed mutagenesis of recombinant human soluble TM (rsTM). Results showed that moAb 2A2 inhibited thrombin binding to rsTM and also abolished its functions as a cofactor in thrombin-catalyzed activation of protein C and as an anticoagulant by modifying thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting and platelet aggregation, moAb 1F2 did not affect its activity as an anticoagulant, but inhibited its cofactor activity, and moAb 10A3 did not inhibit either activity. Epitope analysis was carried out by site directed mutagenesis of rsTM expressed in CHO cells. Some proteins with mutations within the second disulfide loop of the fourth EGF-like domain showed reduced affinity for moAb 1F2, but retained cofactor activity. These results suggest that the epitope of moAb 1F2 includes the second disulfide loop of the fourth EGF-like domain, which is close to a region required for cofactor activity. Mutant proteins of the third disulfide loop of the fifth EGF-like domain showed loss of interaction with moAb 2A2. Thus the epitope of moAb 2A2 may include the third disulfide loop of the fifth EGF-like domain. Furthermore, replacement of Asn-439 by Gln decreased the cofactor activity and anticoagulant activity, and resulted in low affinity for either moAb 1F2 or 2A2, suggesting that Asn-439, which is located in the second disulfide loop of the sixth EGF-like domain, is critical for determining the functional conformation of the EGF-like domains 4-6.