Direct identification of the calcium-binding amino acid, gamma-carboxyglutamate, in mineralized tissue

The presence of protein-bound gamma-carboxyglutamic acid in calcium-containing renal calculi

The amino acid gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) is found in four blood-clotting proteins, in a bone protein, in kidney protein, and in the protein present in various ectopic calcifications. This paper reports the presence of Gla in the EDTA-soluble, nondialyzable proteins of calcium-containing renal calculi including calcium oxalate, hydroxyapatite, and mixed stores of apatite and struvite (MgNH4PO4). Calculi composed of pure struvite and those composed of only uric acid or cystine do not contain Gla. From calcium oxalate and hydroxyapatite stontes, a protein of about 17,000 daltons was obtained which contained about 40 residues of Gla per 1,000 amino acids. The amino acid composition of this protein had no apparent relationship to the Gla-containing bone protein or to the similarly-sized F1 fragment of prothrombin which contains about 64 residues of Gla per 1,000 amino acid residues. The Gla-rich protein in calcium-containing renal stones thus may be a different Gla-containing protein. These data as well as other studies demonstrating the presence of Gla in pathologically calcified tissues not normally containing Gla suggest that the Gla-containing proteins may be of considerable pathophysiological significance.

The structure and enzymic activities of the C1r and C1s subcomponents of C1, the first component of human serum complement

The subcomponents C1r and C1s and their activated forms C-1r and C-1s were each found to have mol.wts. in dissociating solvents of about 83000. The amino acid compositions of each were similar, but there were significant differences in the monosaccharide analyses of subcomponents C1r and C1s, whether activated or not. Subcomponents C1r and C1s have only one polypeptide chain, but subcomponents C-1r and C-1s each contain two peptide chains of approx. mol.wts. 56000 ("a" chain) and 27000 ("b" chain). The amino acid analyses of the "a" chains from each activated subcomponent are similar, as are those of the "b" chains. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 29 residues of the C-1s "a" chain was determined, but the C-1r "a" chain has blocked N-terminal amino acid. The 20 N-terminal residues of both "b" chains are similar, but not identical, and both show obvious homology with other serine proteinases. The difference in polysaccharide content of the subcomponents C-1r and C-1s is most marked in the 'b' chains. When tested on synthetic amino acid esters, subcomponent C-1r hydrolysed both lysine and tyrosine ester bonds, but subcomponent C-1r did not hydrolyse any amino acid esters tested nor any protein substrate except subcomponent C1s. The lysine esterase activity of subcomponent C1s provides a rapid and sensitive assay of the subcomponent.

The apparent absence of involvement of biotin in the vitamin K-dependent carboxylation of glutamic acid residues of proteins

The mechanism of the vitamin K-dependent post-translational carboxylation of the gamma-carbon atom of glutamic acid residues in proteins remains obscure. Experiments were performed in vivo and in vitro in an attempt to establish a role for biotin in the transfer of the carboxyl group. Weanling male rats were fed on a biotin-deficient diet until severe biotin deficiency was induced. Their degree of biotin deficiency was documented by assaying for liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity, which was about 15% of normal. However, one-stage and two-stage prothrombin times measured on the plasmas were normal. In addition, the liver microsomal fraction did not contain any more prothrombin precursor than did that of normal rat liver. Experiments were done in vitro in which vitamin K-dependent fixing of 14CO2 was measured in the liver microsomal fraction from vitamin K-deficient male rats in the presence or absence of avidin. No evidence for an avidin-sensitive critical biotin-containing site was obtained. Thus neither series of experiments suggests a role for biotin; the data are compatible with carboxyl transfer occurring either through a carboxylated vitamin K intermediate; or via a yet to be identified intermediate, or perhaps via CO2 itself.

A bone matrix calcification-initiator noncollagenous protein

When completely demineralized, the densely packed structure of bone matrix does not recalcify, neither in physiologic solutions in vitro nor in implants in vivo. Even when inorganic and organic calcification inhibitors (which normally are stored in bone matrix) are removed first by autolytic digestion in neutral buffers at 37C and then by sequential chemical extraction, implants of the EDTA insoluble residue will not recalcify after as long as 4 wk in a muscle pouch. However, if first demineralized in cold dilute HCl, second, extracted and autodigested in buffers solution at 37C, and then further extracted in EDTA and other solutions at 2C, a calcification initiator protein (Cp) is unmasked, and the residue will invariable recalcify. CIP, isolated by gel filtration and column chromatography, is a disulfide-bonded glycoprotein aggregate composed of subunites of a moleclar mass of 55,000. CIP is composed of a large proportion of acidic amino acids and has a calcium binding capacity of about 1.8 times greater than albumin. The affinity constant CaCIP, calculated by ultrafiltration of physiologic solutions of Ca2+, is log K, 2.9. Observations on implants of residues that containe a) CIP but not a bone morphogenetic property (BMP), B) BMP accompanied by CIP activity, or c) neither BMP nor CIP activity suggested that BMP covers CIP and that the two are attached to bone collagen in tandem. Whether CIP plays a part in calcification of the normal skeleton requires further investigation.

Primary structure of the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein from bovine bone

The amino-acid sequence of the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein of bovine bone is presented. The sequence of 43 of the 49 residues was determined automatically on the intact protein and on a tryptic peptide. The remainder was determined by conventional procedures on tryptic and chymotrytic peptides. Residue 9 in the sequence has been identified as 4-hydroxyproline. The protein contains three gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues, which are located at positions 17, 21, and 24. The role of these unusual amino acids in the binding interaction between the protein and hydroxyapatite crystals is discussed.

Characterization of a gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein from bone

A gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein has been purified from the calcified tissues of several vertebrates. The presence of three-gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues in the bovine protein was established by alkaline hydrolysis and amino acid analysis, a method based upon studies with synthetic gamma-carboxyglutamic acid. The identity of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid in the bovine protein was established by mass spectroscopy on the unknown amino acid isolated from alkaline hydrolysates.