A rapid colorimetric assay for heparinase activity

Quantitative bead assay for hyaluronidase and heparinase I

A novel, simple, and sensitive assay was developed to monitor, quantitatively, the hyaluronidase and heparinase I-catalyzed cleavage of fluoresceinamine-labeled hyaluronic acid and heparin, respectively. The fluoresceinamine-labeled substrates were hydrophobically absorbed onto 4-microm polystyrene beads. In the presence of enzyme, the change in fluorescence output of the substrate-absorbed beads was monitored in a noncontinuous manner using a flow cytometer. Our results show that hyaluronidase and heparinase I can cleave their respective substrates on the beads in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The assay is suitable for detecting the presence of these glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzymes in cell lysates, extracts, or purified fractions, for quantifying their amounts, and for investigating the activity of potential inhibitors.

Development of an assay and determination of kinetic parameters for chondroitin AC lyase using defined synthetic substrates

Many techniques have been developed for the assay of polysaccharide lyases; however, none have allowed the measurement of defined and reproducible k(cat) and K(m) values due to the inhomogeneous nature of the polymeric substrates. We have designed three different substrates for chondroitin AC lyase from Flavobacterium heparinum that can be monitored by three different techniques: UV/Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and use of a fluoride ion-selective electrode. Each is a continuous assay, free from interferences caused by other components present in crude enzyme preparations, and allows meaningful and reproducible kinetic parameters to be determined. The development of these defined synthetic substrates has opened up a wide variety of mechanistic studies that can be performed to elucidate the detailed catalytic mechanism of this, and other, polysaccharide lyases. The application of these techniques, which include kinetic isotope effects and linear free energy analyses, was not possible with the previous polymeric substrates and will allow this relatively poorly understood class of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes to be studied mechanistically.

Glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzymes in the skin of fasted rats

During fasting of animals, there is decreased content of skin glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) accompanied by decrease in their biosynthesis. Since tissue GAG content depends on both synthesis and degradation of these molecules, we asked whether fasting affects the activity of several tissue glycosidases. Therefore we measured the activity of skin neutral and acidic endoglycosidases, some exoglycosidases: beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase [EC 3.2.1.30], beta-galactosidase [EC 2.1.23], beta-glucuronidase [EC 3.2.1.31], alpha-iduronidase [EC 3.2.1.76], and two sulfatases: arylsulfatase B [EC 3.1.6.1] and 6-sulfatase [EC 3.1.6.14] in the skin of control and fasted rats. Although fasting was accompanied by distinct decrease in the activity of most neutral endoglycosidases, no characteristic changes in the activity of exoglycosidases were found. In contrast, we found that fasting is associated with increase in the activity of acidic endoglycosidases (of lysosomal origin) which degraded hyaluronic acid, chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate and heparin. The same GAGs were decreased in the skin of fasted rats. Our data suggest that the phenomenon is a result of increased intracellular degradation of these molecules. Therefore, not only decreased biosynthesis of GAGs during fasting, but also increased their intracellular degradation may contribute to decrease in GAG skin content.

Heparan sulfate, heparin, and heparinase activity detection on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using the fluorochrome tris(2,2'-bipyridine) ruthenium (II)

The paper shows the ability of the fluorochrome tris(2,2'-bipyridine) ruthenium (II) (Rubipy) to detect heparan sulfate, heparin, and heparinase activity of M3 murine mammary adenocarcinoma cells as well as bacterial heparinases I, II, and III in native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The technique is based on the electrophoretic mobility of high molecular weight heparins and subsequent staining with Rubipy (50 micrograms/mL). The minimum content of heparin detected by fluorescence in a UV transilluminator was 25-50 ng. The number of Rubipy molecules bound to heparin, determined in relationship to the number of disaccharide units (DU), showed that two to six heparin disaccharide units are bound by each fluorochrome molecule. Scatchard plot analysis showed one Rubipy-binding site (Kd = (8.56 +/- 2.97) x 10(-5) M). Heparinase activity was determined by densitometric analysis of the fluorescence intensity of the heparin-containing band of the gel. While heparinase I (EC 4.2.2.7.) degraded heparin and, to a lower degree, partially N-desulfated N-acetylated heparin (N-des N-Ac), heparinase II (no EC number) could efficiently degrade heparan sulfate (HS) and partially N-des N-Ac heparin. Finally, heparinase III (EC 4.2.2.8.) degraded HS almost exclusively. Only heparin and N-des N-Ac heparin were substrates for M3 tumor cell heparinases. We describe a qualitative, sensitive and simple method to detect heparinase activity and determine its substrate specificity using Rubipy fluorescence with heparin and heparan sulfate in multiple biological samples tested in parallel.

Autocrine effect of DHT on FGF signaling and cell proliferation in LNCaP cells: role of heparin/heparan-degrading enzymes

BACKGROUND

LNCaP cells are androgen-sensitive human prostate cancer cells. They are characterized by a bell-shaped growth curve in response to increasing doses of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in culture. At a low concentration of DHT (0.1 nM), these cells show an increase in proliferation, but their growth is arrested at a high concentration (100 nM) of DHT. Results of our previous study demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of DHT at a high concentration was mediated through the action of TGF-beta1. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism of the proliferative effect of DHT in LNCaP cells. METHODS AND RESULTS DHT stimulated LNCaP proliferation only when cells were cultured in the presence of serum. In serum-free cultures, the characteristic DHT-induced proliferation was not observed. The addition of neutralizing antibody against FGF-2 (basic fibroblast growth factor) was able to inhibit this DHT-induced proliferation. These results suggest that the proliferative effect of DHT was mediated through the action of FGF-2. However, results of the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction indicated that LNCaP cells did not express FGF-2 message. As a result, the source of FGF-2 in these cultures must be the serum supplemented in the culture media. FGF-2 can bind to heparin sulfate chains within the extracellular matrix (ECM). In cultures treated with exogenous heparin, the proliferative effect of DHT was abolished. These results led to the development of the hypothesis that DHT treatment mediates the release of FGF-2 entrapped in the ECM through increased heparinase activity. The addition of heparinase to cultures of LNCaP cells, in the absence of DHT, was able to stimulate cell proliferation. Moreover, 0.1 nM DHT caused a significant increase in heparinase activity.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide a possible mechanism for DHT action in LNCaP cells. In the absence of DHT, FGF-2 in culture was trapped in the extracellular matrix and was not available to interact with LNCaP cells. However, in the presence of 0.1 nM DHT, heparinase activity in the culture was elevated and, as a result, it liberated the trapped FGF-2 which, in turn, stimulated proliferation in LNCaP cells.

The activities of some glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzymes in the wall of the umbilical cord artery and their alteration in edema, proteinuria, hypertension (EPH)-gestosis

Edema, proteinuria, hypertension (EPH)-gestosis is associated with a premature replacement of hyaluronic acid by sulphated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), both in the umbilical cord arteries (UCAs) and in Wharton's jelly. This phenomenon may be considered as a sign of premature ageing of the umbilical cord tissues. The decrease in hyaluronic acid content in the UCA was found to be the result of reduced biosynthesis of this substance, whereas an increase in sulphated GAGs-content is rather a result of slower degradation of newly synthesised GAGs. In this study the activities of GAGs-degrading enzymes in normal umbilical cord arteries and those taken from newborns delivered by mothers with EPH-gestosis were compared. It was found that EPH-gestosis results in a significant reduction in the activities of neutral endoglycosidases degrading most of the sulphated glycosaminoglycans (with the exception of heparan sulphate). The activities of exoglycosidases also decrease but to a lesser degree. These alterations are thought to be responsible for EPH-gestosis-associated accumulation of sulphated glycosaminoglycans in the extracellular matrix of the arterial wall. Such remodelling of the arterial wall may affect foetal blood circulation. The significance of these phenomena in the pathological mechanism of EPH-gestosis is discussed.

Identification of a heparin-releasable hepatic lipase binding protein from rat liver

Hepatic lipase (HL) plays a key role in the metabolism of several lipoproteins. Metabolically active HL is bound in liver parenchymal cells to specific binding sites. We studied the nature of the HL binding in rat liver. Rat livers were perfused with heparin, which lead to a loss of 80% of the HL binding capacity of the liver. The heparin-containing perfusates possessed HL binding capacity, determined by slot-blot assay. The perfusates were loaded on to a heparin-Sepharose column and eluted with a linear salt gradient (0.2-1 M). HL binding activity, assessed by a slot-blot binding assay, eluted both at 0.3 M and at 0.8 M NaCl. A 0.5 M NaCl eluate was used to further characterize the HL binding activity. In this fraction the major protein had a molecular mass of 70 kDa. The fraction showed saturable HL binding in a solid-phase binding assay. Cross-linking of the 0.5 M NaCl fraction to 125I-labelled HL yielded a complex of 130 kDa, suggesting the cross-linking of the 57 kDa 125I-labelled HL to a protein of about 73 kDa. We concluded that heparin releases a protein of about 73 kDa from rat liver, which associates with HL. This protein may represent the HL binding site in liver.

Lactoferrin binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans and the LDL receptor-related protein. Further evidence supporting the importance of direct binding of remnant lipoproteins to HSPG

Bovine lactoferrin inhibits the clearance of remnant lipoproteins from the plasma and competes with the cell-surface binding of apolipoprotein (apo) E-enriched remnants. We established that lactoferrin inhibits remnant binding and uptake by interacting with both heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) and the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP). The binding of 125I-lactoferrin was inhibited 45% to 60% in HepG2 hepatocytes and wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells treated with heparinase to remove HSPG. In mutant CHO cells (pgsD-677) lacking HSPG, the level of 125I-lactoferrin binding was approximately 50% that seen with wild-type CHO cells; thus, about one half of lactoferrin binding appears to be mediated through cell-surface HSPG. A significant fraction of the residual binding of the lactoferrin appears to be mediated through the LRP. The 39-kd protein known to bind to the LRP and to block ligand interaction inhibited 125I-lactoferrin degradation in wild-type CHO cells by 60% to 65%. The addition of the 39-kd protein plus heparinase treatment reduced the binding by 85% to 90% (this combination blocks direct interaction with both the LRP and HSPG). However, it was also shown that the 39-kd protein bound to HSPG and the LRP. Heparinase treatment of wild-type CHO cells decreased the binding of the 125I-39-kd protein by approximately 40%, and the mutant CHO cells lacking HSPG bound half as much 125I-39-kd protein as wild-type CHO cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)