Lars Baumann

Characterization of the interaction of interleukin-8 with hyaluronan, chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate and their sulfated derivatives by spectroscopy and molecular modeling

The interactions between glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), important components of the extracellular matrix, and proteins such as growth factors and chemokines play critical roles in cellular regulation processes. Therefore, the design of GAG derivatives for the development of innovative materials with bio-like properties in terms of their interaction with regulatory proteins is of great interest for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Previous work on the chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) has focused on its interaction with heparin and heparan sulfate, which regulate chemokine function. However, the extracellular matrix contains other GAGs, such as hyaluronic acid (HA), dermatan sulfate (DS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), which have so far not been characterized in terms of their distinct molecular recognition properties towards IL-8 in relation to their length and sulfation patterns. NMR and molecular modeling have been in great part the methods of choice to study the structural and recognition properties of GAGs and their protein complexes. However, separately these methods have challenges to cope with the high degree of similarity and flexibility that GAGs exhibit. In this work, we combine fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR experiments, docking and molecular dynamics simulations to study the configurational and recognition properties of IL-8 towards a series of HA and CS derivatives and DS. We analyze the effects of GAG length and sulfation patterns in binding strength and specificity, and the influence of GAG binding on IL-8 dimer formation. Our results highlight the importance of combining experimental and theoretical approaches to obtain a better understanding of the molecular recognition properties of GAG–protein systems.

Artificial Chemokines: Combining Chemistry and Molecular Biology for the Elucidation of Interleukin-8 Functionality

How can we understand the contribution of individual parts or segments to complex structures? A typical strategy to answer this question is simulation of a segmental replacement followed by realization and investigation of the resulting effect in structure-activity studies. For proteins, this problem is commonly addressed by site-directed mutagenesis. A more general approach represents the exchange of whole secondary structure elements by rationally designed segments. For a demonstration of this possibility we identified the alpha-helix at the C-terminus of human interleukin-8 (hIL-8). Since this chemokine possesses four conserved cysteine residues, it can easily be altered by ligation strategies. A set of different segments, which are able to form amphiphilic helices, was synthesized to mimic the C-terminal alpha-helix. Beside sequences of alpha-amino acids, oligomers of non-natural beta(3)-amino acids with the side chains of canonical amino acids were introduced. Such beta-peptides form helices, which differ from the alpha-helix in handedness and dipole orientation. Variants of the semisynthetic hIL-8 proteins demonstrated clearly that the exact side chain orientation is of more importance than helix handedness and dipole orientation. The activity of a chimeric protein with a beta-peptide helix that mimics the side chain orientation of the native alpha-helix most perfectly is comparable to that of the native hIL-8. Concepts like this could be a first step toward the synthesis of proteins consisting of large artificial secondary structure elements.

A novel, biased-like SDF-1 derivative acts synergistically with starPEG-based heparin hydrogels and improves eEPC migration in vitro

The CXC chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α, CXCL12) has been proven to recruit CXCR4 positive stem and progenitor cells of different sources to defected heart sites, with significant clinical benefits. However, the rapid proteolytic inactivation by inflammation-related proteases, inaccurate drug delivery or inappropriate local concentrations belong to the largest disadvantages for feasible application. Herein, we present a switchable, biased-like SDF-1α variant, AAV-[S4V]-SDF-1α, whose distinct activity is coupled to the inflammation-associated presence of dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP-4), which cleaves an alanine-alanine dipeptide from the precursor. We decorated starPEG-heparin hydrogels with our novel SDF-1α variant and tested them for immobilization efficiency, time-dependent protein release as well as mobilization of early endothelial progenitor cells (eEPCs) in vitro. We found higher migration rates compared to conventional SDF-1α. In summary, we provide a conceptual work on cooperative effects of enzymatically activatable SDF-1α and starPEG-heparin hydrogels.

Identification of a potential modification site in human stromal cell‐derived factor‐1

Selective modification of proteins is an important tool to study their function. However, it is still challenging to identify the best position to avoid a loss of activity. By using a 6-nitroveratryl (Nvoc)-modification approach, we facilitate the identification of a potential modification site as Nvoc can be removed in situ by UV irradiation and accordingly allows directly the comparison of the biological activity of the modified and the unmodified protein derived from the same precursor. As a test system, we used stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), which is involved in a wide range of physiological functions, mainly hematopoiesis and embryonic organ development. This chemokine is a potential candidate in regenerative medicine because of its capability to attract stem cells to distinct localizations. First, we synthesized the wildtype and the Nvoc-modified C-terminal segments SDF-1(50-68) and studied their secondary structure formation by circular dichroism spectroscopy. By using the intein-mediated purification with a affinity chitin binding tag system, we then expressed the peptide thioester M-[A(49)]-SDF-1(1-49)-MESNA recombinantly, in which the valine at position 49 was replaced by a more suitable alanine residue to allow improved cleavage and ligation. After ligation and refolding, the biological activity was proven in a cell-based inositol phosphate accumulation assay prior and after Nvoc removal, which showed that neither the alanine 49 nor the attached Nvoc group impair the activity of the analog. The study shows that lysine 56 is a potential site to introduce labels site-specifically in SDF-1.

Selective labelling of stromal cell-derived factor 1α with carboxyfluorescein to study receptor internalisation†

SDF1α plays an important role in the regeneration of injured tissue after ischemia or stroke by inducing the migration of progenitor cells. In order to study the function of this therapeutically relevant chemokine site‐specific protein labelling is of great interest. However, modification of SDF1α is complicated because of its complex tertiary structure. Here, we describe the first site‐specific fluorescent modification of SDF1α by EPL. We recombinantly expressed SDF1α (1–49) by intein‐mediated protein expression. The C‐terminal peptide SDF1α (50–68) was synthesised by SPPS and selectively labelled with carboxyfluorescein at Lys56. In a cell migration assay, M‐[K56(CF)]SDF1α showed a clear potency to induce chemotaxis of human T‐cell leukaemia cells. Microscopic analysis on HEK293 cells transfected with the CXCR4 revealed specific binding of the fluorescent ligand. Furthermore, receptor‐induced internalisation of the ligand could be visualised. These results show that site‐specific modification of SDF1α yields in a biologically functional molecule that allows the characterisation of CXCR4 production of cells on a molecular level. Copyright

Short-range cytokine gradients to mimic paracrine cell interactions in vitro

Cell fate decisions in many physiological processes, including embryogenesis, stem cell niche homeostasis and wound healing, are regulated by secretion of small signaling proteins, called cytokines, from source cells to their neighbors or into the environment. Concentration level and steepness of the resulting paracrine gradients elicit different cell responses, including proliferation, differentiation or chemotaxis. For an in-depth analysis of underlying mechanisms, in vitro models are required to mimic in vivo cytokine gradients. We set up a microparticle-based system to establish short-range cytokine gradients in a three-dimensional extracellular matrix context. To provide native binding sites for cytokines, agarose microparticles were functionalized with different glycosaminoglycans (GAG). After protein was loaded onto microparticles, its slow release was quantified by confocal microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Besides the model protein lysozyme, SDF-1 was used as a relevant chemokine for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) chemotaxis. For both proteins we found gradients ranging up to 50μm from the microparticle surface and concentrations in the order of nM to pM in dependence on loading concentration and affinity modulation by the GAG functionalization. Directed chemotactic migration of cells from a hematopoietic cell line (FDCPmix) and primary murine HSPC (Sca-1(+) CD150(+) CD48(-)) toward the SDF-1-laden microparticles proved functional short-range gradients in a two-dimensional and three-dimensional setting over time periods of many hours. The approach has the potential to be applied to other cytokines mimicking paracrine cell-cell interactions in vitro.

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) mediated release of MMP-9 resistant stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α) from surface modified polymer films.

Preparation of smart materials by coatings of established surfaces with biomolecules will lead to the next generation of functionalized biomaterials. Rejection of implants is still a major problem in medical applications but masking the implant material with protein coatings is a promising approach. These layers not only disguise the material but also equip it with a certain biological function. The anti-inflammatory chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α) is well suited to take over this function, because it efficiently attracts stem cells and promotes their differentiation and proliferation. At least the initial stem cell homing requires the formation of a concentration gradient. Thus, a reliable and robust release mechanism of SDF-1α from the material is essential. Several proteases, most notably matrix metalloproteinases, are upregulated during inflammation, which, in principle, can be exploited for a tightly controlled release of SDF-1α. Herein, we present the covalent immobilization of M-[S4V]-SDF-1α on novel biodegradable polymer films, which consist of heterobifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) and oligolactide-based functionalized macromers. A peptidic linker with a trimeric matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) cleavage site (MCS) was used as connection and the linkage between the three components was achieved by combination of expressed protein ligation and Cu(I) catalyzed azide/alkyne cycloaddition. The MCS was used for MMP-9 mediated release of M-[S4V]-SDF-1α from the biomaterial and the released SDF-1α derivative was biologically active and induced strong cell migration, which demonstrates the great potential of this system.

Preparation of C-terminally Modified Chemokines by Expressed Protein Ligation

In order to link structural features on a molecular level to the function of chemokines, site-specific modification strategies are strongly required. These can be used to incorporate fluorescent dyes and/or physical probes to allow investigations in a wide range of biological and physical techniques, e.g., nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), or fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). Only a limited number of functional groups within the 20 canonical amino acids allow ligation strategies that can be helpful to introduce novel functionalities, which in turn expand the scope of chemoselective and orthogonal reactivity of (semi)synthetic chemokines. In the present chapter we mainly focus on the fabulous history of native chemical ligation (NCL) and provide a general protocol for the preparation of C-terminally modified SDF-1α including tips and tricks for practical work. We believe that this protocol can be easily adapted to other chemokines and many proteins in general.

The structural investigation of glycosaminoglycan binding to CXCL12 displays distinct interaction sites

The stromal cell-derived factor 1α (CXCL12) belongs to the CXC chemokine family and plays an important role in tissue regeneration and the recruitment of stem cells. Here, a stable chemotactic gradient is essential that is formed by the interaction of CXCL12 with the extracellular matrix. Binding properties of CXCL12 to naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) as well as to the artificial highly sulfated hyaluronic acid (HA) are investigated by using a combination of NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. Our results demonstrate a preferred protein binding for the sulfated GAGs heparin (HE) and highly sulfated HA. Furthermore, we could demonstrate that the orientation of the sulfate is crucial for binding. All sulfated GAGs interact with the CXCL12 GAG-binding motif (K24-H25-L26-K27-R41-K43-R47), where K27 and R41 represent the anchor points. Furthermore, differences could be observed in the second interaction interface of CXCL12: both HE and highly sulfated HA interfere with the receptor-binding motif, while chondroitin sulfate binds different amino acids in close proximity to this motif. CXCL12 does not interact with HA, which was directly demonstrated by NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling and explained by the lack of sulfate groups of the HA molecule.

The effect of interleukin-8 truncations on its interactions with glycosaminoglycans

The chemokine interleukin‐8 (IL‐8, CXCL8) plays an important role in inflammatory processes and consecutive wound healing. It recruits primarily neutrophils to infection sites and stimulates their degranulation and phagocytosis in effector cells. IL‐8 binds glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), a class of complex linear anionic polysaccharides often organized into diversely sulfated micro‐domains, that enriches the protein concentration locally and so facilitate the formation of stable concentration gradients. In this study, we applied experimental and computational techniques to investigate the binding of wild type and truncated IL‐8 variants to natural and chemically modified GAGs to gain further insight into the IL‐8/GAG interaction. Circular dichroism spectroscopy of IL‐8 variants did not reveal major structural changes upon GAG binding. Heparin affinity chromatography clearly demonstrates that gradual truncation of the C‐terminal helix leads to decreasing affinities. Similarly, surface plasmon resonance indicates participation of both IL‐8 termini in GAG binding, which strength is dependent on GAG sulfation degree. Molecular modeling suggests that C‐terminal truncation of IL‐8 weakens the interaction with GAGs by an alteration of IL‐8 GAG binding site. Our study provides more detailed understanding of the IL‐8/GAG interaction and contributes to the data of potential use for the development of biomedical implications in tissue regeneration.