Localization of individual lysine-binding regions in human plasminogen and investigations on their complex-forming properties

Lipoprotein(a), fibrin binding, and plasminogen activation

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is a complex plasma lipoprotein in which apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 is covalently linked by a disulfide bridge to a unique apolipoprotein, apo(a). The cDNA of apo(a) has recently been isolated and sequenced, and a remarkable homology to human plasminogen has been noted. In this report, we demonstrate that, like plasminogen, Lp(a) binds to fibrin. In addition, Lp(a) competes with plasminogen and tissue-type plasminogen activator for fibrin binding. As a functional consequence of these binding properties, we show that Lp(a) attenuates the fibrin-dependent enhancement of tissue-type plasminogen activator activity against the native substrate, and does so as an uncompetitive inhibitor (Ki = 15 nM). Finally, we show that in a plasma milieu, Lp(a) attenuates clot lysis induced by tissue-type plasminogen activator. None of these effects was noted with low density lipoprotein free of apo(a). These data suggest that Lp(a) influences the fibrinolytic system and probably does so by virtue of the fibrin binding properties conferred by the kringle repeats of apo(a).

Role of catalytic and lysine-binding sites in plasmin-induced neutrophil adherence to endothelium

Plasmin resulted in increased neutrophil adherence to cultured ovine pulmonary artery endothelial cell monolayers in a concentration-dependent manner (10(-12)-10(-7) M). The adherence response increased fivefold above baseline within 60 min after addition of plasmin (10(-8) M) and the response persisted up to 30 min after removal of plasmin. The neutrophil adherence was mediated by the action of plasmin on neutrophils rather than endothelial cells. The response was the result of an increase in functional activity of CD18 neutrophil cell surface adhesive glycoprotein. Neutrophil adherence was inhibited by pretreatment of neutrophils with MAbs IB4 and 60.3 targeted against the beta chain of the CD18, whereas control isotypic MAb 60.5 against HLA class I antigen had no effect. The plasmin catalytic site was not involved in the response. Lys-plasminogen had reduced adherence-promoting activity relative to plasmin, whereas glu-plasminogen had no effect. Elastase-derived plasminogen fragments corresponding to kringle 1+2+3 and kringle 4 (both of which contained the lysine-binding sites) possessed neutrophil adherence-promoting activities similar to plasmin, whereas miniplasminogen (which contains the catalytic site but no lysine-binding sites) had minimal effect, indicating the involvement of lysine-binding sites in the response. Blocking lysine-binding sites of plasmin and elastase-derived plasminogen fragments with tranexamic acid (IC50 of 5 mM) inhibited neutrophil adherence. A monospecific polyclonal antibody against the lysine-binding sites also reduced the neutrophil adherence-promoting activity of plasmin. The results indicate that plasmin induces neutrophil adherence to the endothelium and that the effect is mediated by lysine-binding sites on plasmin.

Mapping of the human plasmin domain recognized by the unique plasmin receptor of group A streptococci

A high-affinity surface receptor for human plasmin has been reported on certain group A streptococci. To map the region of the plasmin molecule that binds to the bacterial receptor, isolated domains of plasmin were tested for their ability to inhibit the binding of intact radiolabeled plasmin to receptor-positive bacteria. Complete inhibition of binding of labeled plasmin to bacteria by isolated heavy chains was achieved, but this inhibition was not as efficient on a molar basis when compared with that of unlabeled plasmin. By contrast, a conformationally altered form of native plasminogen was found to bind to bacteria and was as efficient a competitive inhibitor as intact plasmin was. The results of this study indicate that the selective binding of human plasmin to a group A streptococcus is dependent on structures present in the conformationally altered form of native plasminogen or plasmin that are not found on the native zymogen, the plasminogen with NH2-terminal glutamic acid.

Plasmin's peptide-binding specificity: characterization of ligand sites in alpha 2-antiplasmin

The basis for specific binding of plasmin to alpha 2-antiplasmin (AP) was analyzed by preparing overlapping synthetic peptides of 11, 17, 18, 19, 26, 33, and 40 amino acid residues corresponding to the carboxy-terminal sequence of AP. Affinities of the peptides for plasmin were estimated by competitive inhibition of the association of AP with plasmin. Dissociation constants with increasing peptide length were: 200, 54, 19, 18, 9.8, 4.7, and 2.8 microM, respectively. Peptides blocked binding sites on plasmin, not the catalytic site, as evidenced by lack of effect on the hydrolysis of chromogenic substrates. Substituting arginine for lysine at the carboxy-terminus or the 17th residue from the carboxy-terminus decreased the affinity of peptides for plasmin 9-fold and 5-fold, respectively, implicating these lysine residues of AP as major ligand sites for plasmin. Several stepwise increases in affinity of peptides for plasmin as peptide length increased up to 40 residues suggest contributions by additional sites, possibly other lysine residues. A potential plasmin binding site in fibrin, analogous to that in AP, is identified by affinity for plasmin of synthetic peptides corresponding to part of the alpha-chain ending with residue 207. To explain these data, we propose that plasmin recognizes physiological ligands by binding two or more lysine residues which are optimally presented to favor simultaneous interaction with separate lysine-binding site in plasmin.

Plasmin-mediated fibrinolysis by variant recombinant tissue plasminogen activators

A rapid and quantitative fibrinolytic assay has been used to measure the overall activity of a recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) preparation for dissolution of a fibrin clot by its ability to activate [Glu1]plasminogen (containing glutamic acid at position 1) to plasmin. A standard curve constructed for wild-type two-chain rTPA that contains, from the amino terminus, the finger (F)-growth factor (E)-kringle 1 (K1)-kringle 2 (K2)-serine protease (P) domains was used to assess the overall fibrin-dissolving abilities of variant recombinant molecules. Two-chain deletion mutants lacking the E domain, the F-E domains, the F-E-K1 domains, and the K1-K2 domains yielded activities ranging from 22% to 35% of the overall activity of wild-type two-chain rTPA, suggesting that both the K2 and F domains are individually responsible for a portion of the function of the molecule. Comparison of variant molecules containing F-K1-K2-P and F-K2-K2-P domains showed that the latter variant possessed a 4-fold higher activity (1.4-fold greater than that of wild-type two-chain rTPA), indicating that, for the activity measured, the presence of K2 leads to a greater effectiveness than that of K1. A plasmin cleavage-resistant mutant (Arg-275----Ser) has been used to assess possible differences in one- and two-chain rTPA in this overall activity, the former displaying 86% of the activity of the latter, suggesting that such differences are indeed small. Finally, the proper covalent attachment of the light and heavy chains of two-chain rTPA are very important to its overall fibrinolytic activity, since replacement of Cys-264 with glycine and concomitant disruption of one of the covalent attachment sites of the two chains provides a variant of rTPA with less than 2% of the activity of the wild-type two-chain molecule. The effector molecule, epsilon-amino hexanoic acid (epsilon Ahx; epsilon-aminocaproic acid), inhibits the overall fibrinolytic effect of rTPA in this system, with an effective Ki of approximately 1.5 mM. Its efficacy, as measured by the Ki, is independent of the presence of the epsilon Ahx binding regions of plasminogen and rTPA and is similar to the efficacy obtained when urokinase was the activator in place of wild-type two-chain rTPA or when activation of plasminogen was bypassed as a result of provision of preformed plasmin to the assay. The results suggest that in the overall clot lysis system, an important epsilon Ahx binding site may exist on fibrin that inhibits its dissolution by plasmin.

Purification and characterization of tissue plasminogen activator kringle-2 domain expressed in Escherichia coli

We have expressed the 174-263 fragment (kringle-2 domain) of human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) in Escherichia coli by secretion into the periplasmic space using the alkaline phosphatase promoter and stII enterotoxin signal sequence. A large portion of the secreted protein is associated with an insoluble cellular fraction. This material can be solubilized by extraction with denaturant and reducing agent and then recovered in active form by refolding in the presence of reduced and oxidized glutathione. Kringle-2 is then easily purified by affinity chromatography on lysine-Sepharose followed by cation-exchange chromatography. The isolated protein has an amino acid composition and N-terminal sequence as expected for the 174-263 fragment of t-PA, indicating that the signal peptide has been properly removed. Circular dichroic spectra suggest that the protein is folded similar to the kringle-4 domain of plasminogen [Castellino et al. (1986) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 247, 312-320]. Equilibrium dialysis experiments indicate a single binding site on kringle-2 for L-lysine having a KD of 100 microM. Using a method based on elution of kringle from lysine-Separose with omega-aminocarboxylic acids [Winn et al. (1980) Eur. J. Biochem. 104, 579-586], we have shown the lysine binding site of t-PA kringle-2 to have a preference for a ligand with 8.8-A separation between amine and carboxylate functions. Charge interactions with the epsilon-amino group of L-lysine are important in binding since the affinities for N epsilon-acetyl-L-lysine, L-arginine, and gamma-guanidinobutyric acid are decreased greater than 2000-fold, 200-fold, and 12-fold, respectively, relative to the affinity for L-lysine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ligand-binding effects on the kringle 4 domain from human plasminogen: a study by laser photo-CIDNP 1H-NMR spectroscopy

Photo-chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) one-dimensional and two-dimensional (2D) 1H-NMR techniques have been applied to the study of the kringle 4 domain of human plasminogen both ligand-free and complexed to the antifibrinolytic drugs epsilon-aminocaproic acid and p-benzylaminesulfonic acid (BASA). A number of aromatic side-chains (His3, Trp72, Tyr41, Tyr50 and Tyr74) appear to be exposed and accessible to 3-N-carboxymethyl-lumiflavin, the photopolarizing flavin dye, both in the presence and in the absence of ligands. A lesser exposure is observed for the Trp25 and Trp62 indole groups in the presence of BASA. The spin-spin (J-coupling) and dipolar (Overhauser) connectivities in the 2D experiments afford absolute assignment of aromatic resonances for the above residues, as well as of those stemming from the Trp72 ring in the presence of BASA. Moreover, a number of H beta resonances can be identified and sorted according to specific types of amino acid residues.

Analysis of ligand binding to kringles 4 and 5 fragments from human plasminogen

The interaction of the isolated kringles 4 and 5 from human plasminogen with 6-aminohexanoic acid, pentylamine, pentanoic acid and arginine has been quantitatively characterized by scanning calorimetry and fluorescent spectroscopy. It has been found that the ligands with the positively charged group have a good binding ability while pentanoic acid in comparison with 6-aminohexanoic acid being devoid of amino group does not interact with the kringles under study. The positively charged group of the ligand is suggested to play a crucial role in ligand binding with the lysine-binding site.

Prediction of the secondary structures of bovine blood coagulation factor IX, factor X, and prothrombin

The secondary structures of bovine blood coagulation factors IX and X, as well as that of bovine prothrombin, were predicted on the basis of a computerized combination of the Chou-Fasman and Burgess algorithms. Refinements in the predictions were made after consideration of the content of various secondary structures, as determined by circular dichroism studies of these same proteins. The final turn assignments were in good agreement with those assigned with use of an algorithm involving pattern matching of beta-turns in proteins of known structure.

Analysis of the aromatic 1H-NMR spectrum of the kringle 5 domain from human plasminogen. Evidence for a conserved kringle fold

A kringle 5 domain fragment from human plasminogen has been investigated by 1H-NMR spectroscopy at 300 MHz and 620 MHz. The study focuses on the kringle 5 aromatic spectrum as aromatic side chains appear to mediate the binding of benzamidine. Spin-echo experiments and acid/base-titration studies in conjunction with two-dimensional double-quantum and chemical-shift-correlated spectroscopies were used to identify individual spin systems. Sequence-specific assignments of aromatic resonances are derived from direct comparison of the kringle 5 spectrum with spectra of the homologous kringle 1 and kringle 4 domains of plasminogen. As previously observed for kringles 1 and 4, the pattern we detect for Tyr9 in kringle 5 reflects a slow conformational exchange between two states in equilibrium, one in which the Tyr9 ring is freely mobile and one in which its flip dynamics are constrained. Proton Overhauser experiments in 1H2O and in 2H2O have been used to probe aromatic ring interactions and to identify residues which are part of the hydrophobic core centered at the Leu46 side chain. Overall, the data indicate a strong structural homology among the three plasminogen kringles.

Analysis of the aromatic 1H NMR spectrum of chicken plasminogen kringle 4

The intact kringle 4 domain of chicken plasminogen has been characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy at 300 and 620 MHz in both the presence and absence of epsilon-aminocaproic acid, an antifibrinolytic drug. The study focuses on the aromatic resonances. Comparisons with spectra from human, porcine and bovine kringle 4 homologs indicates a strict conservancy of conformation, reflecting the underlying primary sequence homology, and leads to an unambiguous assignment of all the aromatic resonances, including those of Phe15 and His40 which are unique to the chicken domain. Conclusive evidence is found that the Tyr9 ring fluctuates between two states, one in which it flips fast and other in which it is severely hindered. Similarly, the Tyr64 side chain finds itself in a structurally constrained locus. The Trp62, Tyr64, and Trp72 aromatic resonances are most sensitive to ligand presence, supporting a previously reported model of the kringle 4 lysine-binding site. His40, Phe41, and Tyr74 are also perturbed by ligand indicating proximity to the site. In contrast, the Phe15 aromatic spectrum indicates a rather mobile phenyl ring which is insensitive to ligand presence, thus confirming the lesser importance of the corresponding segment within the first kringle loop in determining kringle structure and/or function.

Autoradiographic and immunoblotting analyses of the activation pathways of plasminogen by urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator in the plasma or clotted plasma

The activation pathway of Glu-plasminogen (Glu-plg) was analyzed by using immunoblotting and autoradiography. Glu-plg was slowly activated to Glu-plasmin by urokinase (UK) and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in the plasma. Significant amounts of a complex of alpha 2AP with plasmin were found. On the other hand, UK and t-PA rapidly activated Glu-plg in the clotted plasma. The major form of plasmin was Lys-form, and significant amounts of alpha 2M complexed with plasmin were found. A complex of alpha 2AP with plasmin was not so significantly formed in the clot, confirming ineffective inhibition of plasmin by alpha 2AP in the presence of fibrin. Glu-plg was directly activated by UK or t-PA to Glu-plasmin and further to Lys-plasmin in the plasma or clotted plasma.

Lysine/fibrin binding sites of kringles modeled after the structure of kringle 1 of prothrombin

The Lys binding site of kringle 1 and 4 (K1 and K4) of plasminogen (PG) has been modeled on the basis of the three-dimensional structure of kringle 1 of prothrombin and 300- and 600-MHZ proton nuclear magnetic resonance observations. These structures were then compared to the corresponding regions of modeled kringle 1 and 2 of tissue plasminogen activator (PA). The coordinates of the modeled structures have been refined by energy minimization in the presence and absence of epsilon-aminocaproic acid ligand in order basically to remove unacceptable van der Waals contacts. The binding site is characterized by an apparent dipolar surface, the polar parts of which are separated by a hydrophobic region of highly conserved aromatic residues. Zwitterionic ligands such as Lys and epsilon-aminocaproic acid form ion pair interactions with Asp55 and Asp57 located on the dipolar surface; the latter are also conserved in all the Lys binding kringles. The cationic center of the dipolar surface is Arg71, in the case of PGK4, and is composed of Arg34 and Arg71 in PGK1. The doubly charged anionic/cationic interaction centers of the latter might account for the larger binding constants of PGK1 for like-ligands but the modeling suggests that PGK4 might be kinetically faster in binding bulkier ligands. The binding site region of PAK2, which also binds Lys, resembles those of PGK1 and PGK4. Since PAK2 lacks both cationic center Arg residues, ligand carboxylate binding appears to be accomplished though an imidazolium ion of His64, which is located just below the outer surface of the kringle.

Proton magnetic resonance study of lysine-binding to the kringle 4 domain of human plasminogen. The structure of the binding site

The binding of L-Lys, D-Lys and epsilon-aminocaproic acid (epsilon ACA) to the kringle 4 domain of human plasminogen has been investigated via one and two-dimensional 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 300 and 600 MHz. Ligand-kringle association constants (Ka) were determined assuming single site binding. At 295 K, pH 7.2, D-Lys binds to kringle 4 much more weakly (Ka = 1.2 mM-1) than does L-Lys (Ka = 24.4 mM-1). L-Lys binding to kringle 4 causes the appearance of ring current-shifted high-field resonances within the -1 approximately less than delta approximately less than 0 parts per million range. The ligand origin of these signals has been confirmed by examining the spectra of kringle 4 titrated with deuterated L-Lys. A systematic analysis of ligand-induced shifts on the aromatic resonances of kringle 4 has been carried out on the basis of 300 MHz two-dimensional chemical shift correlated (COSY) and double quantum correlated spectroscopies. Significant differences in the effect of L-Lys and D-Lys binding to kringle 4 have been observed in the aromatic COSY spectrum. In particular, the His31 H4 and Trp72 H2 singlets and the Phe64 multiplets appear to be the most sensitive to the particular enantiomers, indicating that these residues are in proximity to the ligand C alpha center. In contrast, the rest of the indole spectrum of Trp72 and the aromatic resonances of Trp62 and Tyr74, which are affected by ligand presence, are insensitive to the optical nature of the ligand isomer. These results, together with two-dimensional proton Overhauser studies and ligand-kringle saturation transfer experiments reported previously, enabled us to generate a model of the kringle 4 ligand-binding site from the crystallographic co-ordinates of the prothrombin kringle 1. The latter, although lacking recognizable lysine-binding capability, is otherwise structurally homologous to the plasminogen kringles.

The genetic relationships between the kringle domains of human plasminogen, prothrombin, tissue plasminogen activator, urokinase, and coagulation factor XII

A computer-based statistical evaluation of the optimal alignments of the kringle domains of human plasminogen, human prothrombin, human tissue plasminogen activator, human urokinase, and human coagulation Factor XIIa, as well as the putative kringle of human haptoglobin, has been performed. A variety of different alignments has been examined and scores calculated in terms of the number of standard deviations (SD) of a given match from randomness. With the exception of human haptoglobin, it was found that very high alignment scores (8.9-23.0 SD from randomness) were obtained between each of the kringles, with the kringle 1 and kringle 5 regions of human plasminogen displaying the highest similarity, and the S kringle of human prothrombin and the human Factor XII kringle showing the least similarity. The relationships obtained were employed to construct an evolutionary tree for the kringles. The predicted alignments have also allowed nucleotide mutations in these regions to be evaluated more accurately. For those regions for which nucleotide sequences are known, we have employed the maximal alignments from the protein sequences to assess nucleotide sequence similarities. It was found that a range of approximately 40-55% of the nucleotide bases were placed at identical positions in the kringles, with the highest number found in the alignment of the two kringles of human tissue plasminogen activator and the lowest number in the alignment of the S kringle of prothrombin with the second kringle of tissue plasminogen activator. From both protein and nucleotide alignments, we conclude that haptoglobin is not statistically homologous to any other kringle. Secondary structural comparisons of the kringle regions have been predicted by a combination of the Burgess and Chou-Fasman methods. In general, the kringles display a very high number of beta-turns, and very low alpha-helical contents. From analysis of the predicted structures in relationship to the functional properties of these domains, it appears as though many of their functional differences can be related to possible conformational alterations resulting from amino acid substitutions in the kringles.

Fibrinogen-sepharose interaction with prothrombin, prethrombin 1, prethrombin 2 and thrombin

Binding of prothrombin, prethrombin 1, prethrombin 2 and thrombin to fibrinogen-Sepharose was studied. Thrombin and prethrombin 2 bound to fibrinogen-Sepharose, while prethrombin 1 and prothrombin did not. Bound thrombin and prethrombin 2 were recovered from the column by eluting with 0.1 M NaCl/0.05 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4). The affinity of thrombin and prethrombin 2 to fibrinogen-Sepharose depended on ionic strength and reached a maximum at 50 mm concentration. Prethrombin 2 interacts with fibrinogen as well as thrombin; and prothrombin fragment 1.2 is not important in the formation of this complex. Thus, prethrombin 2, which is a precursor of thrombin without measurable enzymatic activity and which lacks the single cleavage at Arg-322-Ile-323 present in thrombin, has the same or very similar structural conformation as thrombin and has the same macromolecular substrate recognition site. These results confirm the earlier results that active center is not necessary in fibrinogen-thrombin interaction.

Isolation, purification and 1H-NMR characterization of a kringle 5 domain fragment from human plasminogen

A scheme is proposed for generating the intact Val-448-Phe-545 polypeptide of human plasminogen which contains the fifth kringle domain of the plasmin heavy chain. The procedure is based on a pepsin fragmentation of miniplasminogen and involves the purification of the kringle 5-containing fragment by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The final product is characterized by amino acid analysis, N- and C-terminal analyses, and high-resolution 1H-NMR spectroscopy at both 300 MHz and 611 MHz. We detect a (40:60%) Asp/Asn heterogeneity at site 452 of the Glu-plasminogen molecule. In the conventional kringle numbering system, the kringle 5 domain extends from Cys-1 to Cys-80, which corresponds to Cys-461 to Cys-540 in plasminogen. A preliminary 1H-NMR characterization of kringle 5 focuses on the global conformational features of the polypeptide. Assignments are given for a number of resonances, including the Tyr-72, the His imidazoles' and the Trp indoles' spin systems. Comparison with human plasminogen kringles 1 and 4 shows that the kringle 5 conformation is highly structured and very similar to that of the homologous domains. This conservancy is particularly striking in the environment surrounding Leu-46 and in the overall features of the aromatic spectrum. There are some differences, particularly in the buried His-33 imidazole group, whose H2 resonance is shifted to 9.67 ppm. A preliminary study of benzamidine-binding shows that the ligand interacts weakly (Ka approximately equal to 1.7 mM -1) mainly through the amidino functional group. Trp-62 and Tyr-72 are significantly perturbed by benzamidine, suggesting that these residues are part of the ligand-binding site.

The plasminogen system and cell surfaces: evidence for plasminogen and urokinase receptors on the same cell type

The capacity of cells to interact with the plasminogen activator, urokinase, and the zymogen, plasminogen, was assessed using the promyeloid leukemic U937 cell line and the diploid fetal lung GM1380 fibroblast cell line. Urokinase bound to both cell lines in a time-dependent, specific, and saturable manner (Kd = 0.8-2.0 nM). An active catalytic site was not required for urokinase binding to the cells, and 55,000-mol-wt urokinase was selectively recognized. Plasminogen also bound to the two cell lines in a specific and saturable manner. This interaction occurred with a Kd of 0.8-0.9 microM and was of very high capacity (1.6-3.1 X 10(7) molecules bound/cell). The interaction of plasminogen with both cell types was partially sensitive to trypsinization of the cells and required an unoccupied high affinity lysine-binding site in the ligand. When plasminogen was added to the GM1380 cells, a line with high intrinsic plasminogen activator activity, the bound ligand was comprised of both plasminogen and plasmin. Urokinase, in catalytically active or inactive form, enhanced plasminogen binding to the two cell lines by 1.4-3.3-fold. Plasmin was the predominant form of the bound ligand when active urokinase was added, and preformed plasmin can also bind directly to the cells. Plasmin on the cell surface was also protected from its primary inhibitor, alpha 2-antiplasmin. These results indicate that the two cell lines possess specific binding sites for plasminogen and urokinase, and a family of widely distributed cellular receptors for these components may be considered. Endogenous or exogenous plasminogen activators can generate plasmin on cell surfaces, and such activation may provide a mechanism for arming cell surfaces with the broad proteolytic activity of this enzyme.

Topography of the high-affinity lysine binding site of plasminogen as defined with a specific antibody probe

An antibody population that reacted with the high-affinity lysine binding site of human plasminogen was elicited by immunizing rabbits with an elastase degradation product containing kringles 1-3 (EDP I). This antibody was immunopurified by affinity chromatography on plasminogen-Sepharose and elution with 0.2 M 6-aminohexanoic acid. The eluted antibodies bound [125I]EDP I, [125I]Glu-plasminogen, and [125I]Lys-plasminogen in radioimmunoassays, and binding of each ligand was at least 99% inhibited by 0.2 M 6-aminohexanoic acid. The concentrations for 50% inhibition of [125I]EDP I binding by tranexamic acid, 6-aminohexanoic acid, and lysine were 2.6, 46, and 1730 microM, respectively. Similar values were obtained with plasminogen and suggested that an unoccupied high-affinity lysine binding site was required for antibody recognition. The antiserum reacted exclusively with plasminogen derivatives containing the EDP I region (EDP I, Glu-plasminogen, Lys-plasminogen, and the plasmin heavy chain) and did not react with those lacking an EDP I region [miniplasminogen, the plasmin light chain or EDP II (kringle 4)] or with tissue plasminogen activator or prothrombin, which also contain kringles. By immunoblotting analyses, a chymotryptic degradation product of Mr 20,000 was derived from EDP I that retained reactivity with the antibody. The high-affinity lysine binding site was equally available to the antibody probe in Glu- and Lys-plasminogen and also appeared to be unoccupied in the plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex. alpha 2-Antiplasmin inhibited the binding of radiolabeled EDP I, Glu-plasminogen, or Lys-plasminogen by the antiserum, suggesting that the recognized site is involved in the noncovalent interaction of the inhibitor with plasminogen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The aromatic 1H-NMR spectrum of plasminogen kringle 4. A comparative study of human, porcine and bovine homologs

The isolated kringle 4 domain of human plasminogen has been compared with homologous structures from bovine and porcine sources, both free and in the presence of the ligand 6-aminohexanoic acid, by two-dimensional 1H-NMR spectroscopies at 300 MHz and 600 MHz. The chemical-shift-correlated, spin-echo-correlated, and double-quantum-correlated aromatic spectra of the three proteins reveal that the globular conformation of the fourth kringle is closely maintained throughout the set of homologs. Direct comparison shows that the three conserved Trp residues (at sites 25, 62 and 72) which exhibit highly non-degenerate subspectra, find themselves in similar intramolecular environments. In particular, proton Overhauser experiments reveal that the close steric interaction between the Trp-II (Trp62 or Trp25) indole group and the aromatic ring at site 74 (Tyr74 or Phe74) is strictly preserved. This feature forces the kringle inner loop, closed by the Cys51-Cys75 link, to fold back onto itself so as to place the site 74 residue proximal to the Cys22-Cys63 bridge. Single-residue substitutions enable unambiguous assignments of His-I to His3, Tyr-III to Tyr41 and Tyr-IV to Tyr74. From this direct evidence, comparison with the kringle 1 spectrum, and the previously reported chemical modification of Tyr-II (Tyr50) [Trexler M., Bányai L., Patthy L., Pluck N. D. & Williams R. J. P. (1985) Eur. J. Biochem. 152, 439-446], Tyr-I and Tyr-V (the latter, an immobile ring on the 600-MHz time scale) could be assigned to Tyr2 and Tyr9, respectively. Since Trp-III has previously been assigned to Trp72 at the lysine-binding site, the present study completes the assignment of 10 out of 12 aromatic spin systems in the kringle 4 1H-NMR spectrum; the only ambiguity which remains concerns the Trp-I and Trp-II indole spin systems, which are totally identified but as yet only tentatively assigned to Trp25 and Trp62, respectively.

Localization of the binding site of tissue-type plasminogen activator to fibrin

Functionally active A and B chains were separated from a two-chain form of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator after mild reduction and alkylation. The A chain was found to be responsible for the binding to lysine-Sepharose or fibrin and the B chain contained the catalytic activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator. An extensive reduction of two-chain tissue-type plasminogen activator, however, destroyed both the binding and catalytic activities. A thermolytic fragment, Fr. 1, of tissue-type plasminogen activator that contained a growth factor and two kringle segments retained its lysine binding activity. Additional thermolytic cleavages in the kringle-2 segment of Fr. 1 caused a total loss of the binding activity. These results indicated that the binding site of tissue-type plasminogen activator to fibrin was located in the kringle-2 segment.

Secondary structure predictions of human plasminogen and the bovine prothrombin kringle loops

Secondary structural predictions, based upon the statistical methodology of Chou and Fasman, for the kringle loops of human plasminogen and bovine prothrombin suggest a "winding staircase" pattern of beta-turns, spaced by short regions of ordered and coil structures. Analysis of the predicted structures of the regions containing the two His (113 and 387) and Asp (136 and 410) residues in plasminogen kringles 1 and 4, which have been found to be important in binding the ligand, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, shows that all are localized at the same positions on beta-turns. In addition, both of the two Asp residues occur at the end of homologous nonapeptide regions common to all of the five human plasminogen and two bovine prothrombin kringles, indicating evolutionary conservation to preserve biologically critical conformations. Examination of the protein conformation in the region of Asn288, the residue which is glycosylated in one of the two circulating variants of human plasminogen, shows that it most likely exists in a position which may present topographical hindrance to post-translational attachment of carbohydrate, thus, possibly, explaining the incomplete glycosylation of human plasminogen with complex-type carbohydrate.

Examination of the secondary structure of the kringle 4 domain of human plasminogen

The structure of a small region of human plasminogen (F4), consisting of amino acid residues Val354-Ala439 and containing its kringle 4 (K4) domain (residues Cys357-Cys434), has been predicted from Chou-Fasman calculations and hydropathy profiles, and compared to circular dichroism (CD) measurements on the isolated fragment. Calculations, by the Chou-Fasman method, of the probabilities of various types of secondary structures that exist in this region reveal that no helical structures are present. Of the total of 86 amino acid residues present in this K4-containing peptide region, 37% can adopt conformations of beta-pleated sheets, 48% of the amino acids can exist in beta-turns, and 15% of the residues can be present as coils. The structure of F4 in dilute aqueous solution has been experimentally evaluated by CD measurements. At pH = 7.4, in dilute salt solutions, a total of 64% beta-structures, 30% beta-turns, and 6% coiled structures is estimated to be present in this peptide region. Consideration of the marginal stability of many of the conformational regions of F4, as predicted by Chou-Fasman calculations, suggests that secondary structural flexibility is present in this fragment, which could result in ready adoption of new conformations. The hydropathy profile of F4 has been determined and suggests that this polypeptide is highly hydrophilic, especially in the regions of residues His387-Tyr396 and Cys406-Lys413. Thus, it appears as though a large portion of the surface of F4 can be exposed to solvent in its native conformation.

Fibrin and plasminogen structures essential to stimulation of plasmin formation by tissue-type plasminogen activator

Plasminogen activation catalysed by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) has been examined in the course of concomitant fibrin formation and degradation. Plasmin generation has been measured by the spectrophotometric method of Petersen et al. (Biochem. J. 225 (1985) 149-158), modified so as to allow for light scattering caused by polymerized fibrin. Glu1-, Lys77- and Val442-plasminogen are activated in the presence of fibrinogen, des A- and des AB-fibrin and the rate of plasmin formation is found to be greatly enhanced by both des A- and des AB-fibrin polymer. Plasmin formation from Glu1- and Lys77-plasminogen yields a sigmoidal curve, whereas a linear increase is obtained with Val442-plasminogen. The rate of plasmin formation from Glu1- and Lys77-plasminogen declines in parallel with decreasing turbidity of the fibrin polymer effector. In order to study the effect of polymerization, this has been inhibited by the synthetic polymerization site analogue Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro, by fibrinogen fragment D1 or by prior methylene blue-dependent photooxidation of the fibrinogen used. Inhibition of polymerization by Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro reduces plasmin generation to the low rate observed in the presence of fibrinogen. Antipolymerization with fragment D1 or photooxidation has the same effect on Glu1-plasminogen activation, but only partially reduces and delays the stimulatory effect on Lys77- and Val442-plasminogen activation. The results suggest that protofibril formation (and probably also gelation) of fibrin following fibrinopeptide release is essential to its stimulatory effect. The gradual increase and subsequent decline in the rate of plasmin formation from Glu1- or Lys77-plasminogen during fibrinolysis may be explained by sequential exposure, modification and destruction of different t-PA and plasminogen binding sites in fibrin polymer.

Release of N-terminal peptides from Glu-plasminogen by plasmin in the presence of fibrin

The rate of plasmin-catalyzed Glu-plasminogen to Lys-plasminogen conversion was faster in the presence of fibrin than in its absence when assayed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by quantification of stained bands by densitometer. Experiments with the isozymes Glu-plasminogen I and Glu-plasminogen II showed that plasmin-catalyzed formation of Lys-plasminogen II was especially facilitated in the presence of fibrin.

Effects of fibrin on the enhanced activation of plasminogen by urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator: role of cross-link

When human plasma was activated by urokinase (UK) in the presence of thrombin, thrombin plus Ca++, Ca++ or in their absence and the plasmin activity was measured by the hydrolysis of S-2251, plasmin activity was higher in the presence of cross-linked or non cross-linked plasma clot. The results of similar experiments utilizing plasma after severe exercise indicated that the hydrolysis of S-2251 by plasma containing tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) was also higher in cross-linked or non cross-linked plasma clot. Fibrinolysis was faster in thrombin-induced plasma clot, but was later shown significantly in plasma clot induced by thrombin and Ca++, whereas practically no fibrinogenolysis was shown in plasma. When Glu-plasminogen (Glu-plg) was activated by UK in the presence of cross-linked or non cross-linked fibrin and alpha 2 antiplasmin (alpha 2AP), fibrinolysis was faster in cross-linked fibrin than non cross-linked fibrin in the presence of alpha 2AP. No fibrinogenolysis was shown either. Plasmin activity measured by the hydrolysis of S-2251 was also higher in cross-linked or non cross-linked fibrin than in fibrinogen in the presence of alpha 2AP. These results indicate that enhanced activation of Glu-plg by UK or t-PA in the presence of fibrin was a more significant event than the inactivation of plasmin in the plasma clot or purified clot by alpha 2AP cross-linked to fibrin.

1H-NMR spectroscopic manifestations of ligand binding to the kringle 4 domain of human plasminogen

Structural aspects of the binding of the linear ligands N alpha-acetyl-L-lysine (AcLys) and epsilon-aminocaproic acid (epsilon ACA) and of the cyclic analogs trans-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (AMCHA) and p-benzylaminesulfonic acid (BASA) to the intact plasminogen kringle 4 domain have been investigated by 1H-NMR spectroscopy at 300 and 600 MHz. Ligand binding results in consistent shifts of the His-II (His31), Trp-I (Trp25?), Trp-II (Trp62?), Trp-III (Trp72), Tyr-II (Tyr50), and Phe64 ring signals. BASA tends to induce larger shifts than elicited by the aliphatic ligands, most noticeably on Trp-II and on Trp72, suggesting that the ligand aromatic ring interacts with the two indole groups. Trp-II and, to lesser extent, Trp-I interact with an acidic side chain group, in a manner that is blocked by BASA. BASA binding also perturbs Tyr-II (Tyr50), Tyr-III (Tyr41), and Tyr-IV (Tyr74) over a wide pH range and lowers the pKa* of His31 from approximately 4.8 to approximately 4.6. His-III (His33) responds to BASA and AMCHA but is relatively insensitive to the linear ligands. His33 carries a sterically shielded side chain which, in conjunction with Leu46, Trp-I, Tyr50, and Tyr74, participates in structuring the kringle hydrophobic core, contiguous to the binding site. Pronounced shifts are observed for aliphatic resonances stemming from the kringle-bound molecules of AMCHA, AcLys, and epsilon ACA. It is proposed that the lysine-binding site is mostly supported by the loop that extends from Cys51 through Cys71 and that aromatic residues, which include Trp-II, Trp72, and Phe64, play a major role in interacting with the nonpolar segment of the ligand molecule. The binding site also encompasses Tyr50, Tyr74, His31, and His33 although it is not clear the extent to which these residues interact directly with the ligand.

The fibrinolytic system in man

The fibrinolytic system comprises a proenzyme, plasminogen, which can be activated to the active enzyme plasmin, that will degrade fibrin by different types of plasminogen activators. Inhibition of fibrinolysis may occur at the level of plasmin or at the level of the activators. Fibrinolysis in human blood seems to be regulated by specific molecular interactions between these components. In plasma, normally no systemic plasminogen activation occurs. When fibrin is formed, small amounts of plasminogen activator and plasminogen adsorb to the fibrin, and plasmin is generated in situ. The formed plasmin, which remains transiently complexed to fibrin, is only slowly inactivated by alpha 2-antiplasmin, while plasmin, which is released from digested fibrin, is rapidly and irreversibly neutralized. The fibrinolytic process, thus, seems to be triggered by and confined to fibrin. Thrombus formation may occur as the result of insufficient activation of the fibrinolytic system and (or) the presence of excess inhibitors, while excessive activation and/or deficiency of inhibitors might cause excessive plasmin formation and a bleeding tendency. Evidence obtained in animal models suggests that tissue-type plasminogen activator, obtained by recombinant DNA technology, may constitute a specific clot-selective thrombolytic agent with higher specific activity and fewer side effects than those currently in use.

[Plasminogen activators: general aspects and recent developments]

Considerable interest in plasminogen activators as human thrombolytic drugs has stimulated rapid biotechnologic progresses. These enzymes have been classified in two immunochemically distinct groups: "urokinase-like" activators or u-PA which do not interact with fibrin and "tissue activator-like" activators or t-PA which interact with fibrin. Plasminogen activators are widely distributed in normal and malignant tissues and they are implicated in various physiological and pathological processes. They maintain the functional integrity of the vascular system and their presence may be of importance in tissue remodeling and cell migration. Urokinase and streptokinase are used in human thrombolytic therapy. However, the properties displayed by t-PA suggest that this enzyme may be a superior fibrinolytic agent. The primary structures of urokinase and t-PA are known; both enzymes have been synthesized by DNA technology. In order to produce t-PA in large quantities by gene cloning, intensive studies are conducted by pharmaceutical industries. Clinical trials using t-PA for dissolving thrombi in coronary heart disease, strokes and pulmonary embolism are in progress. This review presents the molecular and structural properties of plasminogen activators, as well as related physiological, pathological and therapeutic aspects.

Effects of tranexamic acid on the conversion of Glu-plasminogen I and II to its Lys-forms

Glu-plasminogen (Glu-plg) was incubated with plasmin. It took more than 2 hr incubation for the conversion of Glu-plg to a modified form (Lys-plg) to take place. Especially the conversion of Glu-plg II to Lys-plg II by plasmin took place very slowly. On the other hand, the conversion of Glu-plg I to Lys-plg I took place faster than that of Glu-plg II. In the presence of 1 mM tranexamic acid, the conversion of both Glu-plg I and II to their Lys-forms by plasmin was accelerated and completed in 30 min incubation. Fifty percent increase in the rate of the conversion of Glu-plg I to Lys-plg I was observed in the presence of 0.18 mM tranexamic acid. For the conversion of Glu-plg II to Lys-plg II, larger concentration of tranexamic acid was needed. Another observation was that tranexamic acid protected the degradation of plasminogen by plasmin, indicating the involvement of the lysine binding sites (LBS) of plasmin in the proteolytic attack against plg.

Macro- and micro-stabilities of the kringle 4 domain from plasminogen. The effect of ligand binding

1H-NMR spectra of kringle 4 from human plasminogen have been recorded over wide pH* and temperature ranges, both in the presence and in the absence of p-benzylaminesulfonic acid (BASA). Several resonances exhibit chemical shift differences between kringle folded and unfolded forms which are sufficiently well resolved to allow for a determination of equilibrium Van't Hoff enthalpies and entropies for unfolding. The interaction with BASA shifts the kringle unfolding temperature from approximately 335 degrees K to approximately 343 degrees K. The pH* range of stability is also wider for the complex than for the free kringle: in the acidic range the pH* of half-unfolding, pHu*, is decreased from 2.8 for the unligated polypeptide to approximately 2.0 in the presence of BASA, while in the basic range pHu*, shifts from approximately 10.8 to 11.5. However, in contrast with what is observed at acidic pH*, unfolding at basic pH* leads to irreversible denaturation and exhibits a sharp, order-disorder transition both in the presence and in the absence of ligand. The structural stabilization conferred by the ligand is accompanied by a drastic reduction of the average rate of 1H-2H exchange in 2H2O under conditions that preclude a major cooperative unfolding. Thus, macro- and micro-stabilities of kringle domains appear to be highly correlated.

Photoaffinity labeling of functionally different lysine-binding sites in human plasminogen and plasmin

Photoaffinity labeling of human plasmin using 4-azidobenzoylglycyl-L-lysine inhibits clot lysis activity, while the activity toward the active-site titrant, p-nitrophenyl-p'-guanidinobenzoate, or alpha-casein are maintained. Photoaffinity labeling of native Glu-plasminogen with the same reagent causes incorporation of approximately 1.5 mol label per mol plasminogen. This labeled plasminogen can be activated to plasmin by either urokinase or streptokinase. The resulting plasmin has full clot lysis activity and can be subsequently photoaffinity labeled with a loss of clot lysis activity. The rate of activation of labeled plasminogen by urokinase is increased relative to that of native plasminogen. epsilon-Aminocaproic acid blocks incorporation of photoaffinity label into both plasminogen and plasmin, indicating that the labeling is specific to the lysine-binding sites. The labels are located in the kringle 1+2+3 fragment in either photoaffinity-labeled plasminogen or plasmin. These results indicate that the specific lysine-binding site blocked in plasmin acts in concert with the active-site in binding and using fibrin as a substrate. This clot lysis regulating site is not available for labeling in plasminogen, but is exposed or changed upon activation to plasmin. The different lysine-binding sites labeled in plasminogen may regulate the conformation of the molecule as evidence by an enhanced rate of activation to plasmin.

Domains in human plasminogen

Calorimetric studies of intramolecular melting of human plasminogen and of its fragments under various solvent conditions show that the intact plasminogen molecule consists of seven compact co-operative subunits, which can be regarded as structural domains. Five of these domains are formed by the homologous regions, the kringles, two domains are formed by the C-terminal part of the polypeptide chain that is split at activation, forming the light chain in plasmin, while the initial 76 amino acid residue peptide does not form any compact co-operative structure. The specific influence of epsilon-aminocaproic acid on the stability of the first, the fourth and, to a lesser extent, on the second kringle domain, provides evidence that these three domains in plasminogen possess lysine-binding ability. The first four kringle domains are almost independent in the molecule, while the fifth interacts with that part of the light chain not included in either of the two domains of this chain. These two domains are of different size and co-operate strongly in plasminogen, but at its activation into plasmin they decooperate and the stability of the smaller domain, which is formed by the N-terminal part of the light chain, decreases significantly. Since the light chain is responsible for the proteolytic activity of plasmin, it becomes clear that the active site of this protein is composed of two domains, as is the case for other serine proteases.

The AH-site of plasminogen and two C-terminal fragments. A weak lysine-binding site preferring ligands not carrying a free carboxylate function

Glu-plasminogen [native plasminogen (Glu-1-Asn-790)], Lys-plasminogen [plasmin-cleaved fragment of plasminogen (Lys-77-Asn-790)] and miniplasminogen [fragment of plasminogen (Val-440-Asn-790)] were all found to interact specifically with immobilized 6-aminohexyl ligands. The interactions apparently are mediated by a single weak lysine-binding site, termed the AH-site, as seen from the patterns of inhibition obtained from frontal-quantitative-affinity-chromatography experiments with 6-aminohexanoic acid and alpha-N-acetyl-L-lysine methyl ester as competing ligands. The AH-site, in contrast with the strong lysine-binding site of Glu-plasminogen and Lys-plasminogen, may prefer ligands not carrying a free carboxylate function and therefore may interact with lysine side chains of proteins. In Glu-plasminogen the AH-site is present, but is apparently only partially free to react. It is suggested that it participates in an intramolecular complex and that an equilibrium state between two Glu-plasminogen forms exists. It is further suggested that binding of the plasminogens to fibrin is mainly determined by the AH-site.

Residues Cys-1 and Cys-79 are not essential for refolding of reduced-denatured kringle 4 fragment of human plasminogen

It was shown previously that the Cys-1-Cys-79 disulphide bond forms in the last step of refolding of kringle 4 and that this bond is not essential for the lysine-Sepharose affinity of the kringle 4 fragment (Trexler, M. and Patthy, L. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80 2457-2461). Here we show that kringle 4, carboxymethylated on Cys-1 and Cys-79, regains its lysine-Sepharose affinity following denaturation and reductive cleavage of its disulphide bonds. The rate of refolding under aerobic conditions or in the presence of oxidized and reduced glutathione was similar to that observed in the case of native kringle 4. Our results suggest that Cys-1 and Cys-79 residues of kringles are not essential for the maintenance or acquisition of the biologically active kringle-fold.

Kringles: modules specialized for protein binding. Homology of the gelatin-binding region of fibronectin with the kringle structures of proteases

Prothrombin, plasminogen, urokinase- and tissue-type plasminogen activators contain homologous structures known as kringles . The kringles correspond to autonomous structural and folding domains which mediate the binding of these multidomain proteins to other proteins. During evolution the different kringles retained the same gross architecture, the kringle -fold, yet diverged to bind different proteins. We show that the amino acid sequences of the type II structures of the gelatin-binding region of fibronectin are homologous with those of the protease- kringles . Prediction of secondary structures revealed a remarkable agreement in the positions of predicted beta-sheets, suggesting that the folding of kringles and type II structures may also be similar. As a corollary of this finding, the disulphide-bridge pattern of type II structures is shown to be homologous to that in kringles . It is noteworthy that protease- kringles and fibronectin type II structures have similar functions inasmuch as they mediate the binding of multidomain proteins to other proteins. It is proposed that the kringles of proteases and type II structures of fibronectin evolved from a common ancestral protein binding module.

Plasmin regulating system from embryonal carcinoma F9 cells: plasminases A, B and embrinogen

Two plasmin inactivators, plasminase A and B, and their inhibitor embrinogen were isolated from embryonal carcinoma F9 cells by preparative two-dimensional electrophoresis. Plasminases A and B have molecular weights of 160,000 and 82,000, respectively. Both are serine proteinases which digest the light chain of plasmin in a time dependent inactivation process. The heavy chain of plasmin is not affected by this action. Plasminases A and B show similar specificity towards synthetic and natural polypeptide inhibitors. The interaction of the two enzymes leads to their inhibition. Embrinogen (m.w. 84,000) inhibits both plasminases A and B as well as urokinase and plasmin. Its activation by trypsin creates embrin, a proteinase directed against plasmin heavy chain.

The binding of antifibrinolytic amino acids to kringle-4-containing fragments of plasminogen

A monoclonal antibody to human plasminogen, 10-F-1, was found to interact with the lysine-binding site (LBS) on the kringle 4 (K 4) region of the molecule. This observation has been employed to measure the binding of various antifibrinolytic amino acid analogs of epsilon-aminocaproic acid (epsilon ACA) to its site on K 4 in appropriate elastolytic-derived fragments of human plasminogen and to other species of plasminogen to which antibody 10-F-1 cross-reacts. By analysis of the concentration dependence of epsilon ACA displacement of [125I]10-F-1 from human Glu1Pg, a KD for epsilon ACA of 7.1 +/- 1.0 mM was calculated. Similar experiments with K 4-containing fragments of Glu1Pg, viz., Lys77Pg, K 4, Lys77H and Val354Pg, yielded KD values of 6.6 +/- 1.0, 7.5 +/- 1.0, 6.6 +/- 1.0, and 12.0 +/- 2.0 mM, respectively. When baboon, goat, monkey, rabbit, and sheep plasminogens were substituted for human plasminogen, the KD values calculated ranged from 2.1 to 7.1 mM. The KD values for several analogs of epsilon ACA, i.e., 4-aminobutyric acid, 5-aminopentanoic acid, 8-aminooctanoic acid, L-lysine, and trans-aminomethyl cyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid, were measured to the K 4 region of Lys77Pg. The values obtained were 11.3 +/- 1.5, 9.0 +/- 1.0, 71.0 +/- 10, 38.0 +/- 5.0, and 1.1 +/- 0.4 mM, respectively. Additionally, the KD of trans-aminomethylcyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid towards the K 4 region of Glu1Pg, Lys77Pg, and isolated K 4 was found to be 2.4 +/- 0.5, 1.1 +/- 0.3, and 2.0 +/- 0.6 mM, respectively. These studies show directly that the LBS on the K 4 domain of plasminogen represents one of its 4-5 weak binding sites and that this site can be specifically probed with the use of monoclonal antibody 10-F-1. Furthermore, it appears as though this site is conserved in several important proteolytic fragments of plasminogen, providing additional evidence that these fragments exist as independent domains in the native molecule. Finally, this weak LBS on the K 4 domain of human plasminogen is also present in other species of plasminogen.

Fluorescence polarization and spectropolarimetric studies on the conformational changes induced by omega-aminoacids in two isozymes of Glu-plasminogen (I and II)

Conformational changes of two isozymes of Glu-plasminogen (Glu-plg I and II) induced by omega-aminoacids were studied by using fluorescence polarization and spectropolarimetry. The rotational relaxation times (Pn) of FITC labeled Glu-Plg I and II decreased in the presence of 6 aminohexanoic acid (6AHA) or tranexamic acid (t-x), which may mean increase in Brownian motion of FITC labeled region (possibly N-terminal region) of Glu-plg I and II when 6AHA or t-x binds with lysine binding sites (LBS) of these plasminogens. Glu-plg II seems to have longer rotational relaxation time compared to that of Glu-plg I, which may mean smaller extent of Brownian motion of FITC labeled region of Glu-plg II in comparison to that of Glu-plg I. The far ultraviolet circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicate that there may be some difference in the polypeptide backbone between Glu-plg I and II, possibly more of beta-structure and less of random coil structure in Glu-plg II in comparison to Glu-plg I. The presence of 6AHA or t-x gave rise to larger change of the negative ellipticity at around 208 nm in Glu-plg I in comparison to its change in Glu-plg II, which may mean the larger extent of conformational change of Glu-plg I induced by 6AHA or t-x than that of Glu-plg II.

The fibrinolytic system in man

The existence of a system in the human body capable of inducing the dissolution of endogenous pathologically formed thrombi was appreciated in ancient times. Considered in detail in this article are the data that have elucidated the physiologic regulation of which plasmin formation is dependent on, the plasma concentration of plasminogen, availability of activators of plasminogen in the plasma and surrounding tissue environment, the concentration of naturally present inhibitors, and the existence of fibrin in the circulation. Important in this rapidly progressive scientific discipline is consideration of the factors which control the synthesis of the components of this proteolytic enzyme system. Recently abundant information has indicated that this plasminogen-plasmin proteolytic enzyme system can be utilized therapeutically. Knowledge of the mechanisms of this system has permitted identification of agents that can be exogenously administered to releave thrombotic obstruction to blood flow in the venous (pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis) and arterial (peripheral and central vessels) circulatory systems. Particularly important is the demonstration that thrombolytic agents can directly attack and alleviate the immediate cause of acute myocardial infarction. As a result of the innovations in the present decade, it is evident that the plasminogen system can be advantageously employed to reverse the pathologic effects of all thrombotic diseases.

A 1H-NMR study of isolated domains from human plasminogen. Structural homology between kringles 1 and 4

Kringles 1 and 4 from human plasminogen are polypeptide domains of Mr approximately equal to 10000 each of which can be isolated by proteolysis of the zymogen. They have been studied by 1H-NMR spectroscopy at 300 MHz and 600 MHz. The spectra, characteristic of globular structures, show striking analogies that point to a close conformational relatedness among the two kringles, consistent with their high degree of amino acid conservancy and homology. The interaction of both kringles with p-benzylaminesulfonic acid (BASA), an antifibrinolytic drug that binds to a lysine-binding site, results in better resolved, narrower lines for both spectra. Aromatic and methyl-region spectra of BASA complexes of kringles 1 and 4 were compared and the latter was studied by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. Analysis of the CH3 multiplets in terms of their resonance patterns, and the amino acid compositions and sequences of the two kringles, leads to the identification of most signals and to some assignments. In particular, a doublet at -1 ppm, exhibited by both kringles and also found in reported proton spectra of homologous bovine prothrombin fragments, has been assigned to Leu46, a residue that is conserved in all of the kringles studied to date by 1H-NMR. Since this resonance is somewhat more sensitive to BASA than other methyl signals, it is likely that Leu46 is proximal to the lysine-binding site. Nuclear Overhauser experiments reveal that Leu46 is surrounded by a cluster of closely interacting hydrophobic and aromatic side chains. Kringle 4 was also compared with a derivative chemically modified at Trp72 with dimethyl(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)sulfonium bromide. As judged from the proton spectra, the modified kringle 4 retains globularity and is perturbed mainly in the aromatic region, in analogy to that which is observed for the unmodified kringle upon BASA binding. Furthermore, although previous studies have indicated no retention of the modified kringle by lysine-Sepharose, the NMR studies point to a definite interaction between BASA and the kringle derivative. The spectroscopic data also suggest that the His31 imidazole is not significantly affected by the ligand and that the lysine-binding site is structured mostly by hydrophobic side chains, including Trp72 in the case of kringle 4, and probably Tyr72 in kringle 1.