Analysis of binding protein for tissue-type plasminogen activator in human endothelial cells

Enhancement of fibrinolytic activity in vascular endothelial cells by heterologous expression of adenine nucleotide translocase-1

The fibrinolytic activity of blood is regulated by expressing tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its specific inhibitor, type-1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), from vascular endothelial cells. Since t-PA is a major plasminogen activator in blood, it is considered that the binding protein for t-PA, which exists on endothelial cell membrane, immobilizes t-PA on the surface of endothelial cells and enhances their antithrombotic property. Recently, we have found a new t-PA binding protein in endothelial cells. Its amino acid sequence has matched that of human adenine nucleotide translocase-1 (ANT1). The aims of this study are to confirm the binding of t-PA to ANT1, and to clarify the effect of ANT1 on fibrinolytic activity around endothelial cells. ANT1 is prepared from recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-ANT1 fusion protein, and reveals t-PA binding activity in a ligand blot assay. In addition, ANT1 is exclusively expressed on endothelial cell membrane by using pDisplay vector. Interaction of t-PA with ANT1, which is expressed on the surface of endothelial cells, is confirmed by IAsys binding analysis and chromogenic assay. The heterologous expression of ANT1 on endothelial cell membrane enhances the t-PA binding ability of endothelial cells and the effect of ANT1 expression on fibrinolytic activity is demonstrated by increasing t-PA-catalyzed plasminogen activation. These results suggest that a novel t-PA-binding protein, ANT1, may concentrate t-PA on the surface of cells and enhance fibrinolytic properties around endothelial cells; therefore, ANT1 can be a powerful tool for regulating the plasminogen activation system in the vessel.

Conversion of Glu-plasminogen to Lys-plasminogen is necessary for optimal stimulation of plasminogen activation on the endothelial cell surface

When Glu-plasminogen is bound to cells, plasmin (Pm) formation by plasminogen (Pg) activators is markedly enhanced compared with the reaction in solution. It is not known whether the direct activation of Glu-Pg by Pg activators is promoted on the cell surface or whether plasminolytic conversion of Glu-Pg to the more readily activated Lys-Pg is necessary for enhanced Pm formation on the cell surface. To distinguish between these potential mechanisms, we tested whether Pm formation on the cell surface could be stimulated in the absence of conversion of Glu-Pg to Lys-Pg. Rates of activation of Glu-Pg, Lys-Pg, and a mutant Glu-Pg, [D646E]Glu-Pg, by either tissue Pg activator (t-PA) or urokinase (u-PA) were compared when these Pg forms were either bound to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) or in solution. ([D646E]Glu-Pg can be cleaved at the Arg(561)-Val(562) bond by Pg activators but does not possess Pm activity subsequent to this cleavage because of the mutation of Asp(646) of the serine protease catalytic triad.) Glu-Pg activation by t-PA was enhanced on HUVEC compared with the solution phase by 13-fold. In contrast, much less enhancement of Pg activation was observed with [D646E]Glu-Pg ( approximately 2-fold). Although the extent of activation of Lys-Pg on cells was similar to that of Glu-Pg, the cells afforded minimal enhancement of Lys-Pg activation compared with the solution phase (1.3-fold). Similar results were obtained when u-PA was used as activator. When Glu-Pg was bound to the cell in the presence of either t-PA or u-PA, conversion to Lys-Pg was observed, but conversion of ([D646E]Glu-Pg to ([D646E]Lys-Pg was not detected, consistent with the conversion of Glu-Pg to Lys-Pg being necessary for optimal enhancement of Pg activation on cell surfaces. Furthermore, we found that conversion of [D646E]Glu-Pg to [D646E]Lys-Pg by exogenous Pm was markedly enhanced ( approximately 20-fold) on the HUVEC surface, suggesting that the stimulation of the conversion of Glu-Pg to Lys-Pg is a key mechanism by which cells enhance Pg activation.

Binding of mutant tissue-type plasminogen activators to human endothelial cells and their extracellular matrix

We previously demonstrated that tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) specifically bound to its receptor (t-PAR) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In addition to analyses of t-PA binding to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to the t-PAR, we further evaluated the binding of three t-PA mutants, deltaFE1X t-PA lacking finger (F), epidermal growth factor-like (E) domains and one sugar chain at Asn177 thus comprising two kringles (K1 and K2) and protease (P) domains, deltaFE3X t-PA with three glycosylation sites deleted at Asn117, 184, and 448, and deltaFEK1 t-PA comprising K2 and P domains without glycosylation. Wild-type t-PA bound to ECM with high affinity, which was completely blocked by anti-PAI-1 IgG. Wild-type t-PA, deltaFE1X t-PA and deltaFEK1 t-PA bound to two classes of binding sites with high and low affinities on monolayer HUVEC. However, all t-PAs bound to a single class of binding site in the presence of anti-PAI-1 IgG. DeltaFEK1 t-PA bound t-PAR maximally among these t-PAs. These results suggested that the high affinity binding of t-PA mainly occurred with PAI-1 on ECM while the low affinity binding was with t-PAR. The deletion of F, E domains and sugar chains had no effect on binding with t-PAR. However, since only K1-missing t-PA (deltaFEK1) exhibited significantly increased binding sites among these t-PAs, it was suggested that the binding to t-PAR was mediated mainly by K2 domain and that the increase of binding was due to direct exposure of K2 domain.

Co-localization of urokinase and its receptor on established human umbilical vein endothelial cell

Vascular endothelial cells possess antithrombotic properties, which are determined by the balance between plasminogen activators (PAs) and PA inhibitors (PAls). A cell line, TKM-33, has been established and cloned from human umbilical vein endothelial cells, was previously reported to produce a large amount of urokinase-type PA (u-PA) and small amounts of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and PA inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Moreover, TKM-33 expressed the u-PA receptor (u-PAR) which plays an important role in the localization of fibrinolytic activity on cell surface. In the present study, we investigated the localization of u-PA, t-PA, PAI-1 and u-PAR in TKM-33 by using immunofluorescence staining technique. The endothelial cells were strongly stained with anti-PAI-1, anti-u-PA and anti-u-PAR IgGs, and slightly with anti-t-PA IgG. The double immunofluorescence staining with mouse anti-u-PA IgG and rabbit anti-u-PAR IgG followed by rhodamine-conjugated anti-mouse IgG and FITC-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG showed the co-localization of u-PA and u-PAR on the same section of endothelial cells. Although u-PA antigen also existed in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells, u-PAR antigen did not. The treatment of endothelial cells with phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA) upregulated the expression of u-PA and u-PAR antigens. In this stimulation, u-PAR antigen was detected not only on the surface of the cells but also in the cytoplasm. Thus, the binding of u-PA to u-PAR was confirmed by double immunofluorescence staining.

Enhancement of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity by purified t-PA receptor expressed in human endothelial cells

We demonstrated previously that tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) bound to its specific receptor (t-PAR) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in suspension and that t-PAR of mol wt. 20 kDa interacted only with t-PA to form 90 kDa complex (Fukao, H., Hagiya, Y., Nonaka, T., Okada, K., and Matsuo, O. (1992) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 187, 956-962). In the present study, 20 kDa t-PAR was purified from HUVEC and the function of the t-PAR was investigated by analyzing its effect on plasminogen activation by t-PA. About 2.2 microg t-PAR protein was purified from cell lysate of 1.0 X 10(9) HUVEC as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) by gel filtration with TSK-3000SW and reversed phase separation with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). 125I-t-PA but not 125I-plasminogen specifically bound to the purified t-PAR in ligand blot assay. Plasminogen activation by t-PA in the presence of purified t-PAR in solution was increased. Furthermore, t-PA bound to immobilized t-PAR efficiently expressed its plasminogen activation activity. Kinetic analysis revealed that t-PA in the presence of soluble t-PAR and t-PA bound to immobilized t-PAR exhibited 34- and 90-fold increase in plasminogen activation, respectively. The t-PAR did not interact with anti-annexin II antibody. These findings indicate that the 20 kDa t-PAR is a novel molecule which immobilizes t-PA and enhances its proteolytic activity on the cell surface of endothelial cells.

Effects of fibrin on the secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 from endothelial cells and on protein kinase C

We previously demonstrated that cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) overlaid with a fibrin clot induced a slight increase in tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) secretion and marked reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) secretion. In this study, the intracellular signal transduction after fibrin stimulation was further investigated by analyzing cyclic AMP (cAMP) and protein kinase C (PK-C). When HUVECs were stimulated by fibrin clots, t-PA mRNA increased to 130% but PAI-1 mRNA decreased to 42%. These changes concurred with the data on the protein levels of t-PA and PAI-1 as previously reported. The effect of fibrin on t-PA production in HUVECs was not significantly altered after the elevation of cAMP by either forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP. Furthermore, an effect of fibrin on t-PA production did not appear when the cells were treated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7). The suppressive effect of fibrin on PAI-1 secretion from HUVECs was not altered by elevation of cAMP. Regarding the activation of PK-C by PMA, PAI-1 secretion was enhanced, but was suppressed by fibrin stimulation. H-7 suppressed PAI-1 secretion and further stimulation by fibrin almost completely abolished PAI-1 secretion. These changes were well associated with mRNA levels of t-PA and PAI-1. These results suggested that fibrin on HUVECs preferably down-regulates PK-C resulting in a decrease of PAI-1 in both the protein and mRNA levels and that effect of fibrin on t-PA secretion is neither involved in PK-C nor cAMP pathway.

Receptors for plasminogen and t-PA: an update

Over the past decade, the existence of cell-surface receptors for components of the plasminogen system, t-PA, u-PA, plasminogen and plasmin, has been demonstrated. Plasminogen receptors have been detected on virtually all cell types tested, and occupancy has also been demonstrated in biological settings. Characteristic features of plasminogen receptors include their relatively low affinity and their extraordinarily high density on many cells. These receptors recognize the lysine binding sites associated with the kringles of plasminogen. Plasminogen receptors include proteins with carboxyl-terminal lysine residues (enolase and annexin II are representatives) and nonproteins, such as gangliosides. Plasminogen binding to cells enhances plasmin activity by augmenting plasminogen activation, increasing the enzymatic activity of plasmin, and protecting plasmin for inactivation by inhibitors. t-PA receptors serve two major functions, clearance and cell-surface localization. The liver is the main organ for t-PA clearance; parenchymal, endothelial and Kupffer cells are all capable of t-PA uptake. Clearance receptors on these cells are heterogeneous and include ones which recognize the carbohydrate side chains of t-PA and ones which take up t-PA: PAI-1 complexes. Receptors which recognize free t-PA also mediate liver clearance, and alpha 2-MR/LRP is a representative of this latter category. Receptors that localize t-PA on cell surfaces serve a profibrinolytic function. Vascular endothelial cells are rich in such receptors, and annexin II is a representative of these t-PA binding sites. Circulating blood cells also bind t-PA, and some of the sites on these cells are shared with plasminogen. Cells of neuronal origin are capable of binding t-PA with high affinity; and amphoterin, a protein involved in neurite outgrowth, may be a neuronal t-PA receptor. Overall, the plasminogen system is one of the most widely distributed and versatile of the cell surface-proteinase systems. By activating bound plasminogen by cell-bound plasminogen activators, the cell harnesses the broad proteolytic activity of plasmin. Cells can then utilize this activity to perform functions such as assisting in cell migration.

The role of an enolase-related molecule in plasminogen binding to cells

The alpha isoform of enolase is a candidate plasminogen receptor on U937 monocytoid cells [Miles, L. A., Dahlberg, C. L., Plescia, J., Felez, J., Kato, K. & Plow, E. F. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 1682-1691]. In the present study, an enolase-related molecule was detected on the surfaces of peripheral blood monocytes and neutrophils by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. A mRNA transcript encoding a unique membrane form of an enolase-related molecule was not detected by Northern-blotting and primer-extension analyses, consistent with the cell-surface protein being authentic alpha-enolase. Both the alpha and beta isoforms of purified enolase, bound plasminogen with an affinity similar to that of the cell surface. Moreover, immunopurified alpha-enolase enhanced plasminogen activation by tissue plasminogen activator and blocked the binding of plasminogen to alpha 2-antiplasmin, mimicking functions arising from the association of plasminogen with cells. The interaction of the enolase isoforms with plasminogen was dependent upon recognition of the C-terminal lysyl residue of the enolases by the lysine-binding sites of plasminogen, as the interaction was blocked by (a) peptides with C-terminal lysine residues and (b) an antibody to the C-terminal aspect of enolase. A monoclonal antibody was developed, characterized and utilized to quantify the enolase molecules present on the surface of U937 cells. A substantial number of molecules, 1.8 x 10(6)/cell, was present, accounting for approximately 10% of the plasminogen-binding capacity of these cells. These studies clearly establish the role of enolase as a cell-surface plasminogen-binding site with profibrinolytic functions.

Binding of tissue plasminogen activator to endothelial cells. The effect on functional properties. Localization of a ligand in the B-chain of tPA

The binding of 125I-labelled tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), the tPA A- or B-chain to endothelial cells (EC) were studied in suspensions of cultured human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC) or immortalized microvascular EC (HMEC). By determinations of the concentration-dependent binding it was shown that both the A-chain and the B-chain, which were isolated after partial reduction of two-chain tPA, contain ligands for binding to EC. The affinity for the B-chain was much higher than for the A-chain according to Scatchard analysis (Kd 24 and 515 nM, respectively), whereas the number of binding sites was higher for the A-chain than for the B-chain (Bmax 8 x 10(5) and 1.2 x 10(5), respectively). There were no cross interactions between the A- and B-chains and their binding sites. The binding of tPA to EC induced an almost 100-fold increase of the activation rate when compared to the same amount of enzyme in free solution, which in contrast to the fibrin-induced stimulation was not inhibited by antibodies against fibrin. The enzymatic activity of the B-chain was much less affected by the association to the cells. Both tPA and the tPA B-chain were largely protected against inhibition by an excess plasminogen activator type-1 (PAI-1) when bound to EC, whereas the same amount of free tPA was totally inactivated. The competition studies strongly indicated that an N-terminal segment in the B-chain, AKHRRSPGER, may be the ligand part of the B-chain. It is interesting to note that this polypeptide segment also participates in a binding site for PAI-1, necessary for effective inhibition. This implies a possible competition between PAI-1 and a tPA-receptor for binding of tPA. High molecular weight urokinase had no quenching effect on the binding of the B-chain to EC.