Wolf-Dieter Schleuning

Facultative polypeptide translocation allows a single mRNA to encode the secreted and cytosolic forms of plasminogen activators inhibitor 2

Two forms of plasminogen activators inhibitor 2 (PAI‐2) are synthesized by human and murine monocytes/macrophages: one accumulates in the cytosol, while the other is translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum, glycosylated and secreted. We show here that a single mRNA encodes both forms of PAI‐2. Firstly, a single PIA‐2 mRNA was detected by Northern blot hybridization and by RNase protection. Secondly, transfection of a PAI‐2 cDNA led to the synthesis of both forms of PAI‐2. Finally, in vitro translation of an mRNA transcript of the PAI‐2 cDNA in the presence of microsomal membranes generated two topologically distinct forms of PAI‐2. The cytosolic and secreted forms of PAI‐2 do not result from the use of two translation start sites, since their synthesis initiates at the same AUG, in a sequence context that is conserved between the human and murine genes. Thus, the accumulation of one polypeptide into two topologically distinct cellular compartments can be achieved by facultative translocation.

Both lysine-clusters of the NH2-terminal prion-protein fragment PrP23-110 are essential for t-PA mediated plasminogen activation.

We have recently shown that the NH(2)-terminal fragment (PrP23-110) of the human cellular prion protein (PrP(c) ) stimulates t-PA mediated plasminogen activation. PrP23-110 contains an N-terminal lysine cluster (LC1; K(23),K(24), K(27)) and a C-terminal one (LC2; K(101),K(104),K(106),K(110)). To study their biological function we have substituted all lysine residues of each cluster by alanine and generated the recombinant PrP proteins PrP23-110sLC1 and PrP23-110sLC2. The ability of the mutant proteins to stimulate plasminogen activation was assayed. We found that both lysine clusters are essential for t-PA mediated plasminogen activation. We further studied the binding of soluble PrP23-110 to immobilized t-PA or plasminogen using surface plasmon resonance. The recorded binding curves could not be modeled by classical 1:1 binding kinetics suggesting oligomerisation of PrP23-110. Further plasmon resonance studies show that indeed PrP23-110 binds to itself and that glycosaminoglycans modify this interaction. Binding of t-PA or plasminogen to PrP23-110 was no longer influenced by glycosaminoglycans when PrP23-110 was immobilized on the chip surface. Thus a possible role of heparin as a cofactor in the stimulation of plasminogen activation by t-PA could be the generation of a PrP23-110 form with both lysine clusters accessible for binding of t-PA and plasminogen.

A comparative study of amyloid-beta (1-42) as a cofactor for plasminogen activation by vampire bat plasminogen activator and recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator

The activity of both human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and the PA from the saliva of the vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, (DSPA) is critically dependent on the presence of a cofactor. The most efficient cofactor for both PAs is fibrin, but fibrinogen and amyloid beta peptides also have cofactor activities for human t-PA. Compared to t-PA, DSPA has a more stringent requirement for fibrin as a cofactor. The present study was undertaken to compare cofactor activities of amyloid beta 1-42 (Abeta1-42) for plasminogen activation by DSPA-alpha1 or by t-PA. The two PAs were incubated with different concentrations of glu-plasminogen, a chromogenic substrate for plasmin and 100 micro g mL (-1) of Abeta1-42, fibrinogen or fibrin as cofactor. Using the kinetic parameters directly determined from the chromogenic substrate conversion curves, we derived the relative efficacies of DSPA or t-PA in the presence of cofactor at the physiological plasminogen concentration of 2 micro M. In the presence of fibrin, the activity of DSPA was comparable to that of t-PA and 23,270-fold higher than its activity without cofactor, whereas fibrin induced only a 248-fold increase in t-PA activity. The activity of DSPA with Abeta1-42 or fibrinogen as cofactor was 485-fold lower than its activity in the presence of fibrin, while for t-PA this difference was only 26-fold. The much lower activity of DSPA as compared to t-PA with Abeta1-42 or fibrinogen might lead to fewer side effects when used for the thrombolytic therapy of stroke.

Monoclonal antibodies directed against human tissue-type plasminogen activator: a characterization of their species specificity, affinity and heavy-chain binding

Six monoclonal antibodies (mIgG) and a polyclonal antibody (pIgG) directed against human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) were tested for their species specificity towards human or murine t-PA. Whereas pIgG as well as several mIgGs discriminated poorly between these two t-PA species, one mIgG (clone E3) was highly specific for human t-PA. Inhibition and binding studies of human t-PA by mIgGs revealed high affinity-high inhibitory (E3) as well as high affinity-poor inhibitory (B1) mIgGs. The relative affinity of two mIgGs for human t-PA was found to be equal or even superior to that of pIgG. Immunoblotting of reduced two-chain t-PA and of an isolated heavy chain of t-PA prepared by recombinant DNA technology, showed that the E3 antibody was directed against the heavy chain of t-PA.

Signal Transduction Chains Involved in the Control of the Fibrinolytic Enzyme Cascade

The fibrinolytic enzyme cascade is a summary term for several regulatory serine proteases and serine protease inhibitors, which cooperate in the digestion of extracellular matrix protein in processes of tissue repair, growth, and remodelling. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urinary-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) activate the proenzyme plasminogen by the cleavage of a single peptide bond, converting it into plasmin, a proteolytic enzyme with a specificity similar to the pancreatic digestive enzyme trypsin. Plasminogen is synthesized in the liver and secreted into the bloodstream where it circulates in relatively large amounts (80160 mg/l). Blood plasma plasminogen provides a reservoir of proteolytic activity which is recruited for the removal of fibrin deposits or for the digestion of extracellular matrix proteins during morphogenesis, wound healing or malignant growth. t-PA and u-PA are structurally and enzymatically related. Both proteins display a characteristic mosaic molecular architecture: they consist of a series of structural motifs homologous to other proteins. Thus, starting from the amino terminus, t-PA is composed of a “finger” domain, which is found tandemly arranged in fibronectin; an epidermal growth factor (EGF) like motif, found likewise in various blood clotting factors, receptor proteins and developmentally regulatory proteins; two “kringle” regions, present in u-PA, plasminogen, prothrombin, clotting factor XII and apolipoprotein (a) and finally a sequence homologous to the pancreatic proteases trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase and kallikrein. The “finger”- and one of the two “kringle”-domains are absent in u-PA.