Synthetic C3a analogs as specific inhibitors of C3a activity

Cyclic disulfide analogues of the complement component C3a. Synthesis and conformational investigations

The flexible C-terminal region of the anaphylatoxic peptide C3a was reported to contain the receptor binding site. To elucidate the receptor binding conformation of the C-terminus, as well as to examine a synthetic approach to potential C3a-antagonists, 26 cyclic disulfide bridged C3a analogues were synthesized. Solid phase peptide synthesis was performed on different polymeric supports by individual peptide synthesis, with Fmoc strategy, and simultaneous multiple peptide synthesis, using Boc and Fmoc strategies. Both strategies gave open-chain peptides in comparable yields. Syntheses using the Boc strategy employed the HF-labile 4(methoxy)benzyl group (Mob) for beta-thiol protection of cysteine; in contrast, the TFA-stable protecting groups, acetamidomethyl (Acm) and trityl (Trt), were chosen for syntheses employing Fmoc strategy. Ring closure reactions by iodine oxidation were carried out starting from protected (Acm/Acm, Trt/Acm) or unprotected dithiols. The resulting cyclic C3a analogues were characterized by HPLC, amino acid analysis, and FAB-MS. Conformational investigations using CD spectroscopy and theoretical structural investigations by means of molecular dynamics calculations revealed that slight variations in sequence result in pronounced conformational consequences. The potential of cyclic C3a analogues to activate or to desensitize guinea pig platelets, a standard test system for biological activities of anaphylatoxic peptides like C3a, revealed relatively low activities for cyclic peptides (< 0.1% C3a activity). N-terminal acylation with cationic, arginine-rich sequences like YRRGR- led to amplified biological effects. Three of the synthesized peptides, namely CAALCLAR (P1), YRRGRCGGLCLAR (P5) and YRRGRAhxCGGLCLAR (P8), point in the direction of C3a antagonists.

Synthetic peptides as antagonists of the anaphylatoxin C3a

Peptide compounds resembling the receptor-binding C-terminal domain of the anaphylatoxic peptide C3a were synthesized to examine two kinds of C3a antagonism: (a) specific desensitization of C3a-sensitive cells and (b) competitive binding to the C3a receptor. We used guinea-pig platelets, which express a C3a receptor and specifically release ATP upon stimulation, to evaluate the actions of the C3a analogues. The ATP liberation can be inhibited by pretreatment (i.e. desensitization) of the guinea-pig platelets with substimulatory concentrations of C3a or its analogues. Compared to C3a, several peptides were found with at least a tenfold greater difference between the required concentrations for C3a-specific half-maximal desensitization (DD50) and half-maximal platelet activation (ED50). The most potent compounds were YAAALKLAR and Fmoc-EAALKLAR (Fmoc: 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl) with an ED50/DD50 of 140 +/- 28 and 80 +/- 17, respectively (mean +/- standard deviation). The ED50/DD50 of human C3a was found to be only 6 +/- 2. Some C3a derivatives were also tested in competitive binding studies for their ability to compete with C3a for receptor sites on guinea-pig platelets. Three of them were considered partial antagonists [YRRGRCGGLCLAR, YRRGRXCGGLCLAR and YRRGRXCGALCLAR (X = 6-aminohexanoyl)] because their Ki were smaller than their ED50 (Ki/ED50 = 0.6 +/- 0.3, 0.5 +/- 0.1 and 0.4 +/- 0.2, respectively). Interestingly, the last two compounds also had ED50/DD50 values greater than 60. Common to all three peptides are N-terminal arginine-rich sequences and intramolecular disulfide bridges which introduce conformational constraint.

A recombinant hybrid anaphylatoxin with dual C3a/C5a activity

By site-directed mutagenesis of a human complement factor C5a cDNA clone, we have designed a hybrid anaphylatoxin in which three amino acid residues in the C-terminal sequence of human C5a were exchanged to create the native C-terminal human C3a (hC3a) sequence Leu-Gly-Leu-Ala-Arg. This hybrid anaphylatoxin rC5a-(1-69)-LGLAR exhibited true C3a and C5a activity when tested in the guinea pig ileum contraction assay. Quantitative measurements of ATP release from guinea pig platelets revealed about 1% intrinsic C3a activity for this hybrid, while the C5a activity was essentially unchanged. Competitive binding assays confirmed that the rC5a-(1-69)-LGLAR mutant was able to displace radioiodinated rhC5a with a KI of approx. 40 nM and hC3a with a KI of approx. 3.7 microM from guinea pig platelets. Since the C-termini of both human C3a and C5a anaphylatoxins are known to interact with their respective receptors, we conclude that the same peptidic sequence, LGLAR, is able to bind to and activate two different receptors, the C3a receptor as well as the C5a receptor. This clone provides a novel tool for the identification of further receptor-binding residues in both anaphylatoxins, since any mutants may be tested for altered C3a and C5a activity simultaneously.

Characterization of C3a receptor-proteins on guinea pig platelets and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The expression of specific membrane receptors for C3a was determined on guinea pig C3a-sensitive (gp R+) platelets and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (hu PMNL). Binding studies with 125I-labeled C3a from gp or hu sources and Scatchard analysis applied to the binding data revealed the existence of two receptor classes on gp R+ platelets; a high-affinity class with about 200 binding sites/cell and Kd = 1.7 x 10(-9) M, and a relatively low-affinity class with Kd = 10(-8) M and about 500 sites/cell. Hu PMNL express a homogeneous receptor class with Kd = 3 x 10(-8) M and 40,000 sites/cell. Molecular characterization of the C3a receptor on gp R+ platelets was achieved by (a) cross-linking photoaffinity-labeled receptors to bound 125I-labeled C3a; (b) photoaffinity labeling receptors with a 13-amino acid residue C3a analogue 125I-Nap-Ahx-13; and (c) use of chemical cross-linkers like disuccinimidylsuberate to cross-link receptors with 125I-C3a. All three techniques gave rise to very similar labeling patterns. With the photoaffinity labeling methods, a diffuse band pattern was observed with an apparent molecular mass of 95-123 kDa with 125I-C3a as label, and 85-105 kDa with 125I-Nap-Ahx-13 as label. Chemical cross-linking of 125I-C3a revealed three distinct bands with molecular masses of approximately 123, 108 and 95 kDa. Subtracting the contribution of the cross-linked ligands, the C3a receptor on gp R+ platelets appears to be a protein complex, consisting of one to three components with estimated molecular masses between 83-114 kDa.

Role of the N-terminal regions of hog C3a, C5a and C5a-desArg in their biological activities

The N-terminal regions of the complement peptides C3a, C5a and C5a-desArg (purified from yeast-activated hog serum) were gradually shortened by incubation with leucine amino peptidase. This treatment led to the following changes in the biological activities of these peptides: the potencies of C5a and C5a-desArg in aggregation of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and of guinea-pig platelets, and their ability to deactivate these cells were gradually diminished; the chemotactic effect of C5a-desArg on human leukocytes was similarly lowered, while the chemotactic potency of C5a was even increased up to the loss of the first 12 N-terminal amino acids. However, after removal of the whole N-terminal region (i.e. 20 amino acids distal of the first disulfide bridge) the potency of both peptides was decreased to a few percent. In contrast, C3a totally lost its platelet-aggregating as well as deactivating activity already after cleavage of 10-15 N-terminal amino acids by LAP. On leukocytes, on the other hand, C3a retained some activity even after the loss of the whole N-terminal region. These results indicate that the N-terminal regions play an important role for biological activities of the three complement peptides, possibly by stabilizing the optimal conformation of their C-terminal regions which contain the receptor-activating domains.

Low zone desensitization: a stimulus-specific control mechanism of cell response. Investigations on anaphylatoxin-induced platelet secretion

The biologic activity of the anaphylatoxic peptides C5a and C3a is regulated efficiently at the target-cell level by the phenomenon of desensitization. Desensitization of platelets is stimulus specific and can be induced by low concentrations of anaphylatoxins without any preceding secretory event. In contrast to activation to secretion, desensitization is Ca++ independent but much more time consuming, especially at lower temperatures where both processes differ markedly in reaction velocity. This low zone desensitization insures that secretion from platelets only occurs when high amounts of anaphylatoxins are rapidly generated in the vicinity of the target-cell. Consequently, stimulus-specific unresponsiveness of the target cells can be induced by slowly increasing the concentration of the respective stimuli in their vicinity. Cellular control seems to act as a first-line mechanism of regulation, whereas the role of fluid-phase control is considered as preventing longer persistence and systemic accumulation of active anaphylatoxins.