Kanagasabai Vadivel

Engineering Kunitz Domain 1 (KD1) of Human Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor-2 to Selectively Inhibit Fibrinolysis PROPERTIES OF KD1-L17R VARIANT

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) inhibits factor XIa, plasma kallikrein, and factor VIIa/tissue factor; accordingly, it has been proposed for use as an anticoagulant. Full-length TFPI-2 or its isolated first Kunitz domain (KD1) also inhibits plasmin; therefore, it has been proposed for use as an antifibrinolytic agent. However, the anticoagulant properties of TFPI-2 or KD1 would diminish its antifibrinolytic function. In this study, structure-based investigations and analysis of the serine protease profiles revealed that coagulation enzymes prefer a hydrophobic residue at the P2′ position in their substrates/inhibitors, whereas plasmin prefers a positively charged arginine residue at the corresponding position in its substrates/inhibitors. Based upon this observation, we changed the P2′ residue Leu-17 in KD1 to Arg (KD1-L17R) and compared its inhibitory properties with wild-type KD1 (KD1-WT). Both WT and KD1-L17R were expressed in Escherichia coli, folded, and purified to homogeneity. N-terminal sequences and mass spectra confirmed proper expression of KD1-WT and KD1-L17R. Compared with KD1-WT, the KD1-L17R did not inhibit factor XIa, plasma kallikrein, or factor VIIa/tissue factor. Furthermore, KD1-L17R inhibited plasmin with ∼6-fold increased affinity and effectively prevented plasma clot fibrinolysis induced by tissue plasminogen activator. Similarly, in a mouse liver laceration bleeding model, KD1-L17R was ∼8-fold more effective than KD1-WT in preventing blood loss. Importantly, in this bleeding model, KD1-L17R was equally or more effective than aprotinin or tranexamic acid, which have been used as antifibrinolytic agents to prevent blood loss during major surgery/trauma. Furthermore, as compared with aprotinin, renal toxicity was not observed with KD1-L17R.

Structural and Functional Studies of γ-Carboxyglutamic Acid Domains of Factor VIIa and Activated Protein C: Role of Magnesium at Physiological Calcium

Crystal structures of factor (F) VIIa/soluble tissue factor (TF), obtained under high Mg(2+) (50mM Mg(2+)/5mM Ca(2+)), have three of seven Ca(2+) sites in the γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain replaced by Mg(2+) at positions 1, 4, and 7. We now report structures under low Mg(2+) (2.5mM Mg(2+)/5mM Ca(2+)) as well as under high Ca(2+) (5mM Mg(2+)/45 mM Ca(2+)). Under low Mg(2+), four Ca(2+) and three Mg(2+) occupy the same positions as in high-Mg(2+) structures. Conversely, under low Mg(2+), reexamination of the structure of Gla domain of activated Protein C (APC) complexed with soluble endothelial Protein C receptor (sEPCR) has position 4 occupied by Ca(2+) and positions 1 and 7 by Mg(2+). Nonetheless, in direct binding experiments, Mg(2+) replaced three Ca(2+) sites in the unliganded Protein C or APC. Further, the high-Ca(2+) condition was necessary to replace Mg4 in the FVIIa/soluble TF structure. In biological studies, Mg(2+) enhanced phospholipid binding to FVIIa and APC at physiological Ca(2+). Additionally, Mg(2+) potentiated phospholipid-dependent activations of FIX and FX by FVIIa/TF and inactivation of activated factor V by APC. Since APC and FVIIa bind to sEPCR involving similar interactions, we conclude that under the low-Mg(2+) condition, sEPCR binding to APC-Gla (or FVIIa-Gla) replaces Mg4 by Ca4 with an attendant conformational change in the Gla domain ω-loop. Moreover, since phospholipid and sEPCR bind to FVIIa or APC via the ω-loop, we predict that phospholipid binding also induces the functional Ca4 conformation in this loop. Cumulatively, the data illustrate that Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) act in concert to promote coagulation and anticoagulation.

Platelets Contain Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor-2 Derived from Megakaryocytes and Inhibits Fibrinolysis

Background: TFPI-2 inhibits plasma kallikrein, FXIa, and plasmin, but its concentration in normal plasma is insufficient to inhibit clotting or fibrinolysis. Results: Platelets contain TFPI-2 derived from megakaryocytes and binds to platelet FV/Va and circulating FV in late pregnancy when plasma TFPI-2 is ∼7 nm. Conclusion: Platelet-derived TFPI-2 regulates intrinsic coagulation and tPA-induced fibrinolysis. Significance: Platelet-derived TFPI-2 promotes clot stabilization while attenuating intrinsic clotting. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) is a homologue of TFPI-1 and contains three Kunitz-type domains and a basic C terminus region. The N-terminal domain of TFPI-2 is the only inhibitory domain, and it inhibits plasma kallikrein, factor XIa, and plasmin. However, plasma TFPI-2 levels are negligible (≤20 pm) in the context of influencing clotting or fibrinolysis. Here, we report that platelets contain significant amounts of TFPI-2 derived from megakaryocytes. We employed RT-PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy to determine that platelets, MEG-01 megakaryoblastic cells, and bone marrow megakaryocytes contain TFPI-2. ELISA data reveal that TFPI-2 binds factor V (FV) and partially B-domain-deleted FV (FV-1033) with Kd ∼9 nm and binds FVa with Kd ∼100 nm. Steady state analysis of surface plasmon resonance data reveal that TFPI-2 and TFPI-1 bind FV-1033 with Kd ∼36–48 nm and bind FVa with Kd ∼252–456 nm. Further, TFPI-1 (but not TFPI-1161) competes with TFPI-2 in binding to FV. These data indicate that the C-terminal basic region of TFPI-2 is similar to that of TFPI-1 and plays a role in binding to the FV B-domain acidic region. Using pull-down assays and Western blots, we show that TFPI-2 is associated with platelet FV/FVa. TFPI-2 (∼7 nm) in plasma of women at the onset of labor is also, in part, associated with FV. Importantly, TFPI-2 in platelets and in plasma of pregnant women inhibits FXIa and tissue-type plasminogen activator-induced clot fibrinolysis. In conclusion, TFPI-2 in platelets from normal or pregnant subjects and in plasma from pregnant women binds FV/Va and regulates intrinsic coagulation and fibrinolysis.

The heterodimeric structure of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C1/C2 dictates 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-directed transcriptional events in osteoblasts

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) C plays a key role in RNA processing but also exerts a dominant negative effect on responses to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) by functioning as a vitamin D response element-binding protein (VDRE-BP). hnRNPC acts a tetramer of hnRNPC1 (huC1) and hnRNPC2 (huC2), and organization of these subunits is critical to in vivo nucleic acid-binding. Overexpression of either huC1 or huC2 in human osteoblasts is sufficient to confer VDRE-BP suppression of 1,25(OH)2D-mediated transcription. However, huC1 or huC2 alone did not suppress 1,25(OH)2D-induced transcription in mouse osteoblastic cells. By contrast, overexpression of huC1 and huC2 in combination or transfection with a bone-specific polycistronic vector using a “self-cleaving” 2A peptide to co-express huC1/C2 suppressed 1,25D-mediated induction of osteoblast target gene expression. Structural diversity of hnRNPC between human/NWPs and mouse/rat/rabbit/dog was investigated by analysis of sequence variations within the hnRNP CLZ domain. The predicted loss of distal helical function in hnRNPC from lower species provides an explanation for the altered interaction between huC1/C2 and their mouse counterparts. These data provide new evidence of a role for hnRNPC1/C2 in 1,25(OH)2D-driven gene expression, and further suggest that species-specific tetramerization is a crucial determinant of its actions as a regulator of VDR-directed transactivation.

Drug-induced modulation of gp130 signalling prevents articular cartilage degeneration and promotes repair

Objective Human adult articular cartilage (AC) has little capacity for repair, and joint surface injuries often result in osteoarthritis (OA), characterised by loss of matrix, hypertrophy and chondrocyte apoptosis. Inflammation mediated by interleukin (IL)-6 family cytokines has been identified as a critical driver of proarthritic changes in mouse and human joints, resulting in a feed-forward process driving expression of matrix degrading enzymes and IL-6 itself. Here we show that signalling through glycoprotein 130 (gp130), the common receptor for IL-6 family cytokines, can have both context-specific and cytokine-specific effects on articular chondrocytes and that a small molecule gp130 modulator can bias signalling towards anti-inflammatory and antidegenerative outputs. Methods High throughput screening of 170 000 compounds identified a small molecule gp130 modulator termed regulator of cartilage growth and differentiation (RCGD 423) that promotes atypical homodimeric signalling in the absence of cytokine ligands, driving transient increases in MYC and pSTAT3 while suppressing oncostatin M- and IL-6-mediated activation of ERK and NF-κB via direct competition for gp130 occupancy. Results This small molecule increased proliferation while reducing apoptosis and hypertrophic responses in adult chondrocytes in vitro. In a rat partial meniscectomy model, RCGD 423 greatly reduced chondrocyte hypertrophy, loss and degeneration while increasing chondrocyte proliferation beyond that observed in response to injury. Moreover, RCGD 423 improved cartilage healing in a rat full-thickness osteochondral defect model, increasing proliferation of mesenchymal cells in the defect and also inhibiting breakdown of cartilage matrix in de novo generated cartilage. Conclusion These results identify a novel strategy for AC remediation via small molecule-mediated modulation of gp130 signalling.

Decoy plasminogen receptor containing a selective Kunitz-inhibitory domain.

Kunitz domain 1 (KD1) of tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 in which P2′ residue Leu17 (bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor numbering) is mutated to Arg selectively inhibits the active site of plasmin with ∼5-fold improved affinity. Thrombin cleavage (24 h extended incubation at a 1:50 enzyme-to-substrate ratio) of the KD1 mutant (Leu17Arg) yielded a smaller molecule containing the intact Kunitz domain with no detectable change in the active-site inhibitory function. The N-terminal sequencing and MALDI-TOF/ESI data revealed that the starting molecule has a C-terminal valine (KD1L17R-VT), whereas the smaller molecule has a C-terminal lysine (KD1L17R-KT). Because KD1L17R-KT has C-terminal lysine, we examined whether it could serve as a decoy receptor for plasminogen/plasmin. Such a molecule might inhibit plasminogen activation as well as the active site of generated plasmin. In surface plasmon resonance experiments, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and Glu-plasminogen bound to KD1L17R-KT (Kd ∼ 0.2 to 0.3 μM) but not to KD1L17R-VT. Furthermore, KD1L17R-KT inhibited tPA-induced plasma clot fibrinolysis more efficiently than KD1L17R-VT. Additionally, compared to ε-aminocaproic acid KD1L17R-KT was more effective in reducing blood loss in a mouse liver-laceration injury model, where the fibrinolytic system is activated. In further experiments, the micro(μ)-plasmin–KD1L17R-KT complex inhibited urokinase-induced plasminogen activation on phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-stimulated U937 monocyte-like cells, whereas the μ-plasmin–KD1L17R-VT complex failed to inhibit this process. In conclusion, KD1L17R-KT inhibits the active site of plasmin as well as acts as a decoy receptor for the kringle domain(s) of plasminogen/plasmin; hence, it limits both plasmin generation and activity. With its dual function, KD1L17R-KT could serve as a preferred agent for controlling plasminogen activation in pathological processes.

A Small Molecule Mimetic of the Humanin Peptide as a Candidate for Modulating NMDA-Induced Neurotoxicity

Humanin (HN), a 24-amino acid bioactive peptide, has been shown to increase cell survival of neurons after exposure to Aβ and NMDA-induced toxicity and thus could be beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimers disease (AD). The neuroprotection by HN is reported to be primarily through its agonist binding properties to the gp130 receptor. However, the peptidic nature of HN presents challenges in its development as a therapeutic for AD. We report here for the first time the elucidation of the binding site of Humanin (HN) peptide to the gp130 receptor extracellular domain through modeling and the synthesis of small molecule mimetics that interact with the HN binding site on the gp130 receptor and provide protection against NMDA-induced neurotoxicity in primary hippocampal neurons. A brain permeable small molecule mimetic was identified through exploratory medicinal chemistry using microfluidic flow chemistry to facilitate the synthesis of new analogues for screening and SAR optimization.

S2'-subsite variations between human and mouse enzymes (plasmin, factor XIa, kallikrein) elucidate inhibition differences by tissue factor pathway inhibitor -2 domain1-wild-type, Leu17Arg-mutant and aprotinin.

Essentials Current antifibrinolytics – aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid–can cause seizures or renal injury. KD1L17R‐KT, aprotinin and tranexamic acid were tested in a modified mouse tail‐amputation model. S2′‐subsite variations between human and mouse factor XIa result in vastly different inhibition profiles. KD1L17R‐KT reduces blood loss and D‐dimer levels in mouse with unobserved seizures or renal injury.

Quantifying vitamin K-dependent holoprotein compaction caused by differential γ-carboxylation using high-pressure size exclusion chromatography.

This study uses high-pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) to quantify divalent metal ion (X(2+))-induced compaction found in vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins. Multiple X(2+) binding sites formed by the presence of up to 12 γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) residues are present in plasma-derived FIX (pd-FIX) and recombinant FIX (r-FIX). Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) was used to calibrate the Stokes radius (R) measured by HPSEC. A compaction of pd-FIX caused by the filling of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) binding sites resulted in a 5 to 6% decrease in radius of hydration as observed by HPSEC. The filling of Ca(2+) sites resulted in greater compaction than for Mg(2+) alone where this effect was additive or greater when both ions were present at physiological levels. Less X(2+)-induced compaction was observed in r-FIX with lower Gla content populations, which enabled the separation of biologically active r-FIX species from inactive ones by HPSEC. HPSEC was sensitive to R changes of approximately 0.01nm that enabled the detection of FIX compaction that was likely cooperative in nature between lower avidity X(2+) sites of the Gla domain and higher avidity X(2+) sites of the epidermal growth factor 1 (EGF1)-like domain.

Evaluation of an Allosteric BACE Inhibitor Peptide to Identify Mimetics that Can Interact with the Loop F Region of the Enzyme and Prevent APP Cleavage

The aspartyl protease BACE1 (BACE) has emerged as an appealing target for reduction of amyloid-β in Alzheimers disease. The clinical fate of active-site BACE inhibitors may depend on potential side effects related to enzyme and substrate selectivity. One strategy to reduce this risk is through development of allosteric inhibitors that interact with and modulate the Loop F region unique to BACE1. Previously, a BACE-inhibiting antibody (Ab) was shown by co-crystallization to bind and induce conformational changes of Loop F, resulting in backbone perturbations at the distal S6 and S7 subsites, preventing proper binding of a long APP-like substrate to BACE and inhibiting its cleavage. In an effort to discover small Loop F-interacting molecules that mimic the Ab inhibition, we evaluated a peptide series with a YPYF(I/L)P(L/Y) motif that was reported to bind a BACE exosite. Our studies show that the most potent inhibitor from this series, peptide 65007, has a similar substrate cleavage profile to the Ab and reduces sAPPβ levels in cell models and primary neurons. As our modeling indicates, it interacts with the Loop F region causing a conformational shift of the BACE protein backbone near the distal subsites. The peptide-bound enzyme adopts a conformation that closely overlays with the crystal structure (PDB: 3R1G) from Ab binding. Importantly, peptide 65007 appears to be BACE substrate and enzyme selective, showing little inhibition of NRG1, PSGL1, CHL1, or Cat D. Thus, peptide 65007 is a promising lead for discovery of Loop F-interacting small-molecule mimetics as allosteric inhibitors of BACE.