Implications of the three-dimensional structure of alpha 1-antitrypsin for structure and function of serpins

Cleaved intracellular plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 in human myeloleukaemia cells is a marker of apoptosis

The proteolytic modification of plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 (PAI-2) was studied during apoptosis in the human promyelocytic leukaemic NB4 cell line during treatment with the phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid and calyculin A as well as the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. The apoptic type of cell death was ascertained by morphological and biochemical criteria. In cell homogenates PAI-2 was probed by [125I]urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and detected as a sodium dodecyl sulphate-stable M(r) 80,000 complex after reducing sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. During apoptosis a smaller (M(r) 70,000) uPA-PAI-2 complex was consistently detected. The modification was in the PAI-2 moiety, as the [125I]uPA tracer could be extracted in its intact form from the complex. Thus the cleaved PAI-2 isoform is a biochemical marker of apoptosis in the promyelocytic NB4 cell line. The modified PAI-2 isoform was also detected in homogenates made from purified human mononuclear leukaemic cells aspirated from the bone marrow of patients suffering from acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Determination of the vitronectin binding site on plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1)

Vitronectin is the carrier protein of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1). We used a well-characterized panel of anti-human PAI-1 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to localize the vitronectin-binding site on PAI-1. By employing a direct vitronectin/PAI-1 binding assay and two vitronectin-dependent inhibition assays, we demonstrate that the anti-PAI-1 MoAbs CLB-5, CLB-10, CLB-2C8 and I1, directed against different epitopes in the region between amino acids 110 and 145, prevent the interaction of PAI-1 with vitronectin. We conclude that the region between amino acids 110 and 145 of PAI-1 harbours an important determinant for the interaction with vitronectin.

The molecular genetics of familial venous thrombosis

This study of naturally occurring mutations predisposing to venous thrombosis has led to a number of important advances in our understanding of protein structure and function relationships and the molecular basis of gene mutation. It has also potentiated the accurate and reliable presymptomatic and antenatal detection of predisposing gene lesions. Perhaps the major challenge facing us is the probabilistic nature of thromboembolism; only a certain proportion of patients with recognized gene defects predisposing to thrombosis will actually suffer from thrombotic episodes. Environmental insults of various kinds, and perhaps epistatic effects resulting from the influence of other loci, are likely to be contributory factors and will help to determine whether a thrombotic event occurs in individuals already compromised by a defect in a gene whose malfunction is known to predispose to thrombosis. Since molecular genetic techniques allow us to dissect the allelioheterogeneity of the different deficiency states by characterizing the wide spectrum of gene mutations giving rise to thrombosis, it may eventually prove possible to relate specific gene lesions to the probability of thromboembolism as well as to the severity and frequency of thrombotic episodes. The multifactorial nature of thrombosis demands a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of its causation, early detection, treatment and prevention. The application of the new and powerful techniques of molecular genetics promises to make a substantial contribution to all aspects of thrombosis research.

Amino acid substitutions of the P2 residue of human antithrombin that either enhance or impair function

Recombinant forms of human antithrombin (AT) were expressed in COS-1 cells, and their interaction with human thrombin characterized by comparing the reactivity of two engineered mutant forms of AT with the wild-type recombinant. Both mutant forms contained single amino acid substitutions of Asp (G392D) or Pro (G392P) for the wild-type Gly, at residue 392, termed the P2 position with reference to the adjacent reactive centre bond. All three forms of AT co-migrated on Western blots, with an apparent molecular weight of 58 kD, with endoglycosidase F treatment reducing their mobility to 47 kD. The two mutant forms of AT reacted with thrombin differently from the wild-type molecule, in that the G392D substitution abrogated the thrombin inhibitory capacity of the protein, while the G392P substitution enhanced the reactivity of the recombinant mutant AT with thrombin. Under pseudo-first order conditions, the second order rate constants for the reaction of the recombinant wild-type and G392P mutant AT were determined to be 1.4 x 10(4) L-mol-1 sec-1 and 3.0 x 10(4) L-mol-1 sec-1, respectively, a difference of 210%. In contrast, in the presence of heparin, the reaction rates of the G392P and wild-type AT forms with thrombin, differed by less than 25%. We conclude that the P2 position of AT is an important residue for AT to express its inhibitory activity, alterations to which can either enhance or impair the inhibition of thrombin by AT.

Proteolytically cleaved mutant antithrombin-Hamilton has high stability to denaturation characteristic of wild type inhibitor serpins

The serpin family of proteins consists primarily of proteinase inhibitors which form tight complexes with target proteinases. Inhibitor serpins are cleaved by proteinase and undergo a large conformational change in which the polypeptide segment terminating at the target reactive site, at which cleavage takes place, inserts itself as an additional strand, s4A, in the center of a preexisting beta-sheet. This change in conformation increases the stability towards denaturation of the cleaved serpin relative to the native uncleaved form. Mutant serpins with single amino acid changes in the s4A strand have been identified, and in most cases these are proteinase substrates but not inhibitors. We have measured the stability to denaturation of one of these non-inhibitor substrate mutants, antithrombin-Hamilton, which has an Ala-->Thr change at position P12 in strand s4A. We find that it undergoes the transformation to the more stable form which is observed for inhibitor serpins, from which we conclude that the Ala-->Thr change in antithrombin-Hamilton does not prevent insertion of s4A into beta-sheet A in the cleaved form.

Localization of the heparin-binding site of glia-derived nexin/protease nexin-1 by site-directed mutagenesis

Recombinant rat glia-derived nexin was expressed in insect cells using the baculovirus system. The kinetics for the inhibition of thrombin by this recombinant material were indistinguishable from those observed with natural glia-derived nexin and recombinant nexin expressed in yeast. In addition, the dependence of the rate of inactivation on the concentration of heparin was similar for the three preparations. At the optimal heparin concentration, the association rate constant was 330-fold higher than that observed in the absence of heparin. A putative heparin-binding site is found in glia-derived nexin between residues 71 and 86; heparin-binding sites are found in homologous regions of antithrombin III and heparin cofactor II. Lysines in this region were mutated to glutamates, and the kinetics for the inhibition of thrombin by mutant proteins were determined. Concurrent mutation of all seven lysines in this region (residues 71, 74, 75, 78, 83, 84, and 86) did not affect the rate constant for the association of glia-derived nexin with thrombin in the absence of heparin, but it resulted in complete loss of the heparin acceleration of the rate of association. Mutations of residues 83, 84, and 86 together also caused a marked decrease in the acceleration by heparin of the reaction between glia-derived nexin and thrombin. These results support the hypothesis that the heparin-binding sites of glia-derived nexin, antithrombin III, and heparin cofactor II are found in homologous regions of the molecules. Heparin was also found to potentiate the ability of wild-type glia-derived nexin to inhibit the thrombin-induced retraction of neurites from neuroblastoma NB2a cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Substitutions of tryptophan residues in human corticosteroid-binding globulin: impact on steroid binding and glycosylation

Human corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) contains four tryptophan residues at positions 141, 185, 266 and 371; one of which is thought to be located in the steroid-binding site. These residues were substituted by site-directed mutagenesis and expression of mutant CBG cDNAs in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Analyses of the resulting mutants indicate that Trp371 is most likely located in the steroid-binding site, and that hydrophobic interactions between Trp141 and the steroid molecule or other amino-acids in the CBG polypeptide may also contribute to high-affinity interactions between CBG and its steroid ligands. In addition, substitution of Trp266 resulted in altered glycosylation of CBG, and this supports the concept that it participates in intra-molecular carbohydrate-polypeptide interactions which may influence the conformation and secretion of this glycoprotein.

Structural aspects of serpin inhibition

The essential roles of proteins of the serpin family in many physiological processes, along with new discoveries of their unique folding properties, have attracted intense interest in recent years. Many serpins display unusual mobile behavior attributed to rearrangements of alpha-helical or beta-sheet domains, whereby large scale transitions accompany a variety of functions, including inactivation. This unusual behavior was first recognized with the X-ray structure of modified alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor. Subsequent experiments, including new X-ray structures, have revealed a surprising variety of conformations which are functionally important but only partially understood. We review here experimental evidence for conformations relevant to the serpin inhibitory mechanism.

Primary structure of bovine alpha 2-antiplasmin

The primary structure of bovine alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2AP) has been determined from cDNA and partial peptide sequencing. Mature bovine alpha 2AP contains 470 residues and is 6 residues longer than human alpha 2AP. Alignment of the two protein sequences show that 81% of their amino acid residues are identically located. Bovine alpha 2AP has 5 N-linked carbohydrate groups, of which four are found in human alpha 2AP (Asn105, 274, 288 and 295). Asn227 is the fifth carbohydrate attachement site in bovine alpha 2AP. The 3 Cys residues of bovine alpha 2AP are present as an unpaired residue (Cys131) and as a pair in a disulfide bridge (Cys49-Cys122). The assignment of the bridge in bovine alpha 2AP is at variance with the previous assignment of the two disulfide bridges in human alpha 2AP [Lijnen, H.R. et al. (1987) Eur. J. Biochem. 166, 565-574].

Problems with serum-free production of antithrombin III regarding proteolytic activity and product quality

Human antithrombin III (AT-III) was produced using a recombinant BHK-21 cell line with a microcarrier culture in spinner flasks. Cells were cultivated for the first 4 days in a medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). Afterwards, the medium was exchanged and production of AT-III occurred at high cell numbers in a serum-free medium. The product was determined by an immunoassay and further analysed after isolation from the culture medium. During cultivation, high proteolytic activity was detected which caused a considerable product decomposition. Furthermore, a higher level of non-glycosylated AT-III was found after serum-free production.

Serpins from wheat grain

Wheat serpin genes have been identified by Southern blot hybridization with three distinct barley protein Z probes. Immunoblot analysis with a monoclonal antibody towards barley protein Z confirmed expression of related M(r) approximately 40 kDa proteins in wheat grain. The wheat serpins were extracted under reducing conditions and separated from beta-amylase and other seed proteins by thiophilic adsorption and anion-exchange chromatography. One molecular form possessing chymotrypsin inhibitory activity was isolated in a reactive site cleaved form on a chymotrypsin affinity column. N-terminal amino acid sequences of a CNBr fragment and of the C-terminal peptide from the cleaved inhibitor (M(r) 4574 +/- 4 Da) verified homology with barley protein Z and mammalian serpins. The native inhibitory serpin was demonstrated to form an SDS-stable complex with alpha-chymotrypsin.

Biological implications of a 3 A structure of dimeric antithrombin

BACKGROUND

Antithrombin, a member of the serpin family of inhibitors, controls coagulation in human plasma by forming complexes with thrombin and other coagulation proteases in a process greatly accelerated by heparin. The structures of several serpins have been determined but not in their active conformations. We have determined the structure of intact antithrombin in order to study its mechanism of activation, particularly with respect to heparin, and the dysfunctions of this mechanism that predispose individuals to thrombotic disease.

RESULTS

The crystal structure of a dimer of one active and one inactive molecule of antithrombin has been determined at 3 A. The first molecule has its reactive-centre loop in a predicted active conformation compatible with initial entry of two residues into the main beta-sheet of the molecule. The inactive molecule has a totally incorporated loop as in latent plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. The two molecules are linked by the reactive loop of the active molecule which has replaced a strand from another beta-sheet in the latent molecule.

CONCLUSION

The structure, together with identified mutations affecting its heparin affinity, allows the placement of the heparin-binding site on the molecule. The conformation of the two forms of antithrombin demonstrates the extraordinary mobility of the reactive loop in the serpins and provides insights into the folding of the loop required for inhibitory activity together with the potential modification of this by heparin. The mechanism of dimerization is relevant to the polymerization that is observed in diseases associated with variant serpins.

Conformational change in antithrombin induced by heparin probed with a monoclonal antibody against the 1C/4B region

A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) raised against a covalent antithrombin-heparin complex was used to probe the conformational change resulting when the serpin antithrombin binds to heparin. This MAb completely inhibited the progressive activity of antithrombin against thrombin. However, although the MAb remained bound to antithrombin in the presence of heparin, it did not significantly inhibit heparin cofactor activity against thrombin, and increasing concentrations of the antithrombin-binding pentasaccharide progressively unblocked the inhibitory action of the MAb. The MAb bound to antithrombin without affecting either heparin-binding affinity or heparin-induced fluorescence enhancement, and it did not convert antithrombin from inhibitor to substrate. The MAb failed to interact with reduced and S-carboxymethylated antithrombin, indicating the conformational nature of its epitope. Antithrombin variants with N-terminal substitutions (Arg47-->Cys or His, Leu99-->Phe, Arg129-->Gln) modifying heparin binding, and C-terminal substitutions affecting the reactive site (Arg393-->Cys) or resulting in substrate-variant antithrombin (Ala384-->Pro), were all recognized normally, as were normal reactive site cleaved antithrombin and the thrombin-antithrombin complex. However, interaction of the MAb with antithrombin was reduced by several substitution mutations (Phe402-->Cys, Phe402-->Ser, Phe402-->Leu, Ala404-->Thr, Pro407-->Thr) in the 402-407 sequence which codes for amino acid residues of strand 1C and the polypeptide leading to strand 4B. Pro429-->Leu also blocks recognition [Olds et al. (1992) Blood 79, 1206-1212], and this residue is believed to be spatially approximated to strand 1C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Heparin binding domain peptides of antithrombin III: analysis by isothermal titration calorimetry and circular dichroism spectroscopy

The serine proteinase inhibitor antithrombin III (ATIII) is a key regulatory protein of intrinsic blood coagulation. ATIII attains its full biological activity only upon binding polysulfated oligosaccharides, such as heparin. A series of synthetic peptides have been prepared based on the proposed heparin binding regions of ATIII and their ability to bind heparin has been assessed by CD spectrometry, by isothermal titration calorimetry, and by the ability of the peptides to compete with ATIII for binding heparin in a factor Xa procoagulant enzyme assay. Peptide F123-G148, which encompasses both the purported high-affinity pentasaccharide binding region and an adjacent, C-terminally directed segment of ATIII, was found to bind heparin with good affinity, but amino-terminal truncations of this sequence, including L130-G148 and K136-G148 displayed attenuated heparin binding activities. In fact, K136-G148 appears to encompass only a low-affinity heparin binding site. In contrast, peptides based solely on the high-affinity binding site (K121-A134) displayed much higher affinities for heparin. By CD spectrometry, these high-affinity peptides are chiefly random coil in nature, but low microM concentrations of heparin induce significant alpha-helix conformation. K121-A134 also effectively competes with ATIII for binding heparin. Thus, through the use of synthetic peptides that encompass part, if not all, of the heparin binding site(s) within ATIII, we have further elucidated the structure-function relations of heparin-ATIII interactions.

Common prevalence of alanine and glycine in mobile reactive centre loops of serpins and viral fusion peptides: do prions possess a fusion peptide?

Serpin reactive centre loops and fusion peptides released by proteolytic cleavage are particularly mobile. Their amino acid compositions reveal a common and unusual abundance of alanine, accompanied by high levels of glycine. These two small residues, which are not simultaneously abundant in stable helices (standard or transmembrane), probably play an important role in mobility. Threonine and valine (also relatively small amino acids) are also abundant in these two kinds of peptides. Moreover, the known 3D structures of an uncleaved serpin reactive centre and a fusion peptide are strikingly similar. Such sequences possess many small residues and are found in several signal peptides and in PrP, a protein associated with spongiform encephalopathies and resembling virus envelope proteins. These properties may be related to the infection mechanisms of these diseases.

Inhibition of human secretory class II phospholipase A2 by heparin

By means of kinetic analyses using Triton X-100/deoxycholic acid/dilauroylglycerophosphoethanolamine (4:2:1, molar ratio) mixed micelles we examined the effects of heparin on the activity of several phospholipases A2 (PLA2). Heparin avidly bound cationic PLA2s including human secretory class II PLA2 and thereby inhibited their hydrolysis of phospholipids in the mixed micelles. Initial velocity measurements indicated that heparin behaved as a competitive inhibitor for human secretory class II PLA2 and closely related A.h. blomhoffii PLA2 and A.p. piscivorus PLA2. In particular, heparin showed the highest specificity for human secretory class II PLA2. In the absence of deoxycholic acid in mixed micelles, A.h. blomhoffii PLA2 was also strongly inhibited by heparin. The observed inhibition was not due to the interaction of heparin with the active site of PLA2 because heparin did not inhibit the hydrolysis of monomeric substrates by PLA2s. Both kinetic measurements and fluorescence measurements of PLA2-bound 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate in the presence of varying amounts of heparin showed that a heparin molecule bound about seven molecules of PLA2. When positive charges of four lysines in the amino-terminal region of A.h. blomhoffii PLA2 were neutralized by limited carbamoylation, heparin neither bound the carbamoylated A.h. blomhoffii PLA2 nor inhibited the hydrolysis of Triton X-100/dilauroylglycerophosphocholine mixed micelles by the carbamoylated A.h. blomhoffii PLA2 that retained 50% activity of native A.h. blomhoffii PLA2. Also, heparin did not inhibit the hydrolysis of mixed micelles by 7,10-bis(octanoyl)ated A.p. piscivorus PLA2 in which two lysines in the amino-terminal alpha-helix are acylated. These results indicate that the inhibition of human secretory class II PLA2 and related cationic PLA2s by heparin originates from the interaction of heparin with cationic residues in the amino-terminal region that forms a part of interfacial binding site. In addition, unique structural features of human secretory class II PLA2, together with its unique mode of interaction with heparin, suggest that this PLA2 might have an additional heparin-binding site. Although the heparin-PLA2 binding diminished as the ionic strength of reaction medium increased, the inhibition of human secretory class II PLA2 by heparin remained significant at the physiological ionic strength. An estimated value of inhibition constant (Ki) was 0.1 microM under physiological conditions, which suggests that a normal pharmaceutical dose of heparin might inhibit human secretory class II PLA2 and regulate its biological effects.

Crystal structure of an uncleaved serpin reveals the conformation of an inhibitory reactive loop

The three-dimensional structure of an uncleaved serpin, a variant of human antichymotrypsin engineered to be an inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase, has been determined by X-ray crystallographic methods and is currently being refined at 2.5 A resolution. It contains an intact reactive loop in a distorted helical conformation. A comparison of the current model with that of its cleaved counterpart suggests that the conformational 'stress' of the serpin in its uncleaved and uncomplexed state may not be confined solely to the reactive loop or beta-sheet A. It is intriguing that strand s4A is not pre-inserted into beta-sheet A of the native serpin, and this has profound implications for the mechanism of serpin function.

Antithrombin and its inherited deficiencies

Human antithrombin is the major inhibitor of the coagulation serine proteases accounting for approximately 80% of the thrombin inhibitory activity of plasma. It is a member of the serpin family of serine protease inhibitors and in common with some other members of this family it undergoes a dramatic increase in its inhibitory activity in the presence of heparin and other sulphated glycosaminoglycans. Two functional domains in antithrombin are recognised, the reactive site domain which interacts with the active site serine residue of the protease and the heparin binding domain. The gene for antithrombin has been cloned and its entire nucleotide sequence determined. A deficiency or functional abnormality of antithrombin may result in an increased risk of thromboembolic disease. Such deficiencies are estimated to affect as many as 1:300 of the general population and 3 to 5% of patients with thrombotic disease. On the basis of functional and immunological antithrombin assays, antithrombin deficiency may be subdivided into Types I and II. Type I disease is due to a wide variety of heterogeneous DNA mutations whilst in Type II disease missense mutations leading to single amino acid substitutions have been identified in all cases. Clinically, Type I antithrombin deficiency is associated with recurrent thromboembolic disease whereas in Type II deficiency the risk of thrombosis is closely related to the position of the mutation within the protein. Thus, heterozygotes with mutations within the heparin binding domain of antithrombin have a relatively low risk of thrombosis compared to those with mutations at or close to the reactive site of the molecule.

Expression of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor in Escherichia coli: effects of single amino acid substitutions in the active site loop on aggregate formation

Overproduction of eukaryotic proteins in microorganisms often leads to the formation of insoluble protein aggregates which accumulate as intracellular inclusion bodies. alpha 1-Proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-PI) when produced as a cytoplasmic protein in Escherichia coli (E. coli) forms inclusion bodies containing the majority of the inhibitor in an inactive form. Several variants of alpha 1-PI with single amino acid substitutions within their active site loop (amino acids 345-358) were produced in a bioreactor showing that substitution of Met351 with Glu resulted in significantly reduced aggregate formation compared to the other variants and to wild-type protein. In addition, this variant proved to be fully functional as a proteinase inhibitor. Based on these findings and on results of previous structural studies a mechanism for aggregate formation during expression of alpha 1-PI is suggested.

Site-directed mutagenesis of the P2 residue of human antithrombin

Antithrombin (AT) is the principal inhibitor of thrombin in human plasma, and a member of the serine proteinase (serpin) family of proteins. Previously, we have described a point mutation in the human AT gene that converted amino acid 392 from glycine to aspartic acid which was associated with thrombotic disease in a Swedish family [(1992) Blood 79, 1428-1434]. This observation prompted us to investigate the consequences of other substitutions at this position, termed P2 with respect to the reactive centre. Site-directed mutagenesis was employed to generate seven mutants (Pro, Met, Gln, Val, Lys, Glu, and Asp), whose properties were compared with wild-type recombinant AT, following in vitro transcription and cell-free expression in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. With only one exception, the variant forms were less active than the wild-type in forming complexes with either alpha-thrombin, factor Xa, or trypsin. Hydrophobic (Val) or negatively charged (Asp or Glu) substitutions were particularly disruptive, in that these variants exhibited less than 10% wild-type antithrombin or antitrypsin activity. In contrast, the formation of complexes with the various proteases of the Pro variant was essentially unimpaired. We conclude that the P2 residue of AT plays a role in optimal presentation of the reactive centre to its cognate protease, and propose that the observed requirement of Gly or Pro at this position is suggestive of a bend in the polypeptide backbone that aids in this presentation.

Evolution of murine alpha 1-proteinase inhibitors: gene amplification and reactive center divergence

The organization and sequence of genes encoding the alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1PI), a major serine proteinase inhibitor of the mammalian bloodstream, have been compared in several species, including murine rodents (genus Mus). Analysis of gene copy number indicates that amplification of alpha 1PI genes occurred at some time during evolution of the Mus genus, leading to fixation of a family of about three to five genes in several existing species (e.g., M. domesticus and M. saxicola), and only a single gene in others (e.g., M. caroli). A phylogeny for the various mammalian alpha 1PI mRNAs was constructed based upon synonymous substitutions within coding regions. The mRNAs in different murine species diverged from a common ancestor before the formation of the first species lineages of the Mus genus, i.e., about 10-13 million years ago. Thus, alpha 1PI gene amplification must have occurred prior to Mus speciation; gene families were retained in some, but not all, murine species. The reactive center region of the alpha 1PI polypeptide, which determines target protease specificity, has diverged rapidly during evolution of the Mus species, but not during evolution of other mammalian species included in the analysis. It is likely that this accelerated evolution of the reactive center, which has been noted previously for serine proteinase inhibitors, was driven by some sort of a positive Darwinian selection that was exerted in a taxon-specific manner. We suggest that evolution of alpha 1PI genes of murine rodents has been characterized by both modification of gene copy number and rapid reactive center divergence. These processes may have resulted in a broadened repertoire of proteinase inhibitors that was evolutionarily advantageous during Mus speciation.

Proteolysis and invasiveness of brain tumors: role of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor

The cellular receptor for urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPAR) in glioblastoma cell lines has been identified and found to be similar to the uPAR expressed by other tumor cell lines. Increased levels of uPAR have been found in primary malignant brain tumor tissues, especially highly malignant glioblastoma, and, to a lesser degree, in malignant astrocytomas, suggesting that this receptor might be involved in efficient activation of pro-uPA and confinement of uPA activity on the cell surface of invading brain tumors. The cell surface uPARs in gliomas could constitute an optimum environment for the generation and activity of plasmin, which is known to play a crucial role in the dissolution of the extracellular matrix during tumor cell invasion. In situ hybridization studies have shown that uPAR mRNA is expressed abundantly in tumor cells and is consistently present at the invasive edges of malignant gliomas. These results imply that uPAR is involved in plasmin-catalyzed proteolysis during glioma invasion and that interference with the uPA:uPAR interactions could constitute a novel approach for developing therapeutic strategies to counteract invasion of brain tumors.

Regulation of proteolytic activity in tissues

Degradation of tissue proteins is controlled by multiple means. These include regulation of the synthesis of proteinases, activation of the zymogen forms, the activity of the mature proteinase, and the degradation of these enzymes and the substrates. Mature proteinases can be controlled by pH, calcium ions, ATP, lipids and the formation of complexes with other proteinases, proteoglycans, and inhibitors.

Interaction of thrombin with antithrombin, heparin cofactor II, and protein C inhibitor

alpha-Thrombin is a trypsin-like serine proteinase involved in blood coagulation and wound repair processes. Thrombin interacts with many macromolecular substrates, cofactors, cell-surface receptors, and blood plasma inhibitors. The three-dimensional structure of human alpha-thrombin shows multiple surface "exosites" for interactions with these macromolecules. We used these coordinates to probe the interaction of thrombin's active site and two exosites, anion-binding exosite-I and -II, with the blood plasma serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins) antithrombin (AT), heparin cofactor II (HC), and protein C inhibitor (PCI). Heparin, a widely used anticoagulant drug, accelerates the rate of thrombin inhibition by AT, PCI, and HC. Thrombin Quick II is a dysfunctional thrombin mutant with a Gly 226-->Val substitution in the substrate specificity pocket. We found that thrombin Quick II was inhibited by HC, but not by AT or PCI. Molecular modeling studies suggest that the larger Val side chain protrudes into the specificity pocket, allowing room for the smaller P1 side chain of HC (Leu) but not the larger P1 side chain of AT and PCI (both with Arg). gamma T-Thrombin and thrombin Quick I (Arg 67-->Cys) are both altered in anion-binding exosite-I, yet bind to heparin-Sepharose and can be inhibited by AT, HC, and PCI in an essentially normal manner in the absence of heparin. In the presence of heparin, inhibition of these altered thrombins by HC is greatly reduced compared to both AT and PCI. alpha-Thrombin with chemically modified lysines in both anion-binding exosite-I and -II has no heparin accelerated thrombin inhibition by either AT or HC. Thrombin lysine-modified in the presence of heparin has protected residues in anion-binding exosite-II and the loss of heparin-accelerated inhibition by HC is greater than that by AT. Collectively, these results suggest differences in serpin reactive site recognition by thrombin and a more complicated mechanism for heparin-accelerated inhibition by HC compared to either AT or PCI.