Glycosaminoglycan-mediated leuserpin-2/thrombin interaction. Structure-function relationships

Identification and characterization of a novel isoform of heparin cofactor II in human liver

Heparin cofactor II (HCII) is predominantly expressed in the liver and inhibits thrombin in blood plasma to influence the blood coagulation cascade. Its deficiency is associated with arterial thrombosis. Its cleavage by neutrophil elastase produces fragment that helps in neutrophil chemotaxis in the acute inflammatory response in human. In the present study, we have identified a novel alternatively spliced transcript of the HCII gene in human liver. This novel transcript includes an additional novel region in continuation with exon 3 called exon 3b. Exon 3b acts like an alternate last exon, and hence its inclusion in the transcript due to alternative splicing removes exon 4 and encodes for a different C-terminal region to give a novel protein, HCII-N. MD simulations of HCII-N and three-dimensional structure showed a unique 51 amino acid sequence at the C-terminal having unique RCL-like structure. The HCII-N protein purified from bacterial culture showed a protein migrating at lower molecular weight (MW 55 kDa) as compared to native HCII (MW 66 kDa). A fluorescence-based analysis revealed a more compact structure of HCII-N that was in a more hydrophilic environment. The HCII-N protein, however, showed no inhibitory activity against thrombin. Due to large conformational variation observed in comparison with native HCII, HCII-N may have alternate protease specificity or a non-inhibitory role. Western blot of HCII purified from large plasma volume showed the presence of a low MW 59 kDa band with no thrombin activity. This study provides the first evidence of alternatively spliced novel isoform of the HCII gene.

Heparin Blocks the Inhibition of Tissue Kallikrein 1 by Kallistatin through Electrostatic Repulsion

Kallistatin, also known as SERPINA4, has been implicated in the regulation of blood pressure and angiogenesis, due to its specific inhibition of tissue kallikrein 1 (KLK1) and/or by its heparin binding ability. The binding of heparin on kallistatin has been shown to block the inhibition of KLK1 by kallistatin but the detailed molecular mechanism underlying this blockade is unclear. Here we solved the crystal structures of human kallistatin and its complex with heparin at 1.9 and 1.8 Å resolution, respectively. The structures show that kallistatin has a conserved serpin fold and undergoes typical stressed-to-relaxed conformational changes upon reactive loop cleavage. Structural analysis and mutagenesis studies show that the heparin binding site of kallistatin is located on a surface with positive electrostatic potential near a unique protruded 310 helix between helix H and strand 2 of β-sheet C. Heparin binding on this site would prevent KLK1 from docking onto kallistatin due to the electrostatic repulsion between heparin and the negatively charged surface of KLK1, thus blocking the inhibition of KLK1 by kallistatin. Replacement of the acidic exosite 1 residues of KLK1 with basic amino acids as in thrombin resulted in accelerated inhibition. Taken together, these data indicate that heparin controls the specificity of kallistatin, such that kinin generation by KLK1 within the microcirculation will be locally protected by the binding of kallistatin to the heparin-like glycosaminoglycans of the endothelium.

Heparin Binds Lamprey Angiotensinogen and Promotes Thrombin Inhibition through a Template Mechanism

Lamprey angiotensinogen (l-ANT) is a hormone carrier in the regulation of blood pressure, but it is also a heparin-dependent thrombin inhibitor in lamprey blood coagulation system. The detailed mechanisms on how angiotensin is carried by l-ANT and how heparin binds l-ANT and mediates thrombin inhibition are unclear. Here we have solved the crystal structure of cleaved l-ANT at 2.7 Å resolution and characterized its properties in heparin binding and protease inhibition. The structure reveals that l-ANT has a conserved serpin fold with a labile N-terminal angiotensin peptide and undergoes a typical stressed-to-relaxed conformational change when the reactive center loop is cleaved. Heparin binds l-ANT tightly with a dissociation constant of ∼10 nm involving ∼8 monosaccharides and ∼6 ionic interactions. The heparin binding site is located in an extensive positively charged surface area around helix D involving residues Lys-148, Lys-151, Arg-155, and Arg-380. Although l-ANT by itself is a poor thrombin inhibitor with a second order rate constant of 500 m^-1 s^-1, its interaction with thrombin is accelerated 90-fold by high molecular weight heparin following a bell-shaped dose-dependent curve. Short heparin chains of 6-20 monosaccharide units are insufficient to promote thrombin inhibition. Furthermore, an l-ANT mutant with the P1 Ile mutated to Arg inhibits thrombin nearly 1500-fold faster than the wild type, which is further accelerated by high molecular weight heparin. Taken together, these results suggest that heparin binds l-ANT at a conserved heparin binding site around helix D and promotes the interaction between l-ANT and thrombin through a template mechanism conserved in vertebrates.

Characterization of the heparin-binding site of the protein z-dependent protease inhibitor

High-molecular weight heparins promote the protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI) inhibition of factors Xa (FXa) and XIa (FXIa) by a template mechanism. To map the heparin-binding site of ZPI, the role of basic residues of the D-helix (residues Lys-113, Lys-116, and Lys-125) in the interaction with heparin was evaluated by either substituting these residues with Ala (ZPI-3A) or replacing the D-helix with the corresponding loop of the non-heparin-binding serpin α(1)-proteinase inhibitor (ZPI-D-helix(α1-PI)). Furthermore, both the C-helix (contains two basic residues, Lys-104 and Arg-105) and the D-helix of ZPI were substituted with the corresponding loops of α(1)-proteinase inhibitor (ZPI-CD-helix(α1-PI)). All mutants exhibited near normal reactivity with FXa and FXIa in the absence of cofactors and in the presence of protein Z and membrane cofactors. By contrast, the mutants interacted with heparin with a lower affinity and the ~48-fold heparin-mediated enhancement in the rate of FXa inhibition by ZPI was reduced to ~30-fold for ZPI-3A, ~15-fold for ZPI-D-helix(α1-PI), and ~8-fold for ZPI-CD-helix(α1-PI). Consistent with a template mechanism for heparin cofactor action, ZPI-CD-helix(α1-PI) inhibition of a FXa mutant containing a mutation in the heparin-binding site (FXa-R240A) was minimally affected by heparin. A significant decrease (~2-5-fold) in the heparin template effect was also observed for the inhibition of FXIa by ZPI mutants. Interestingly, ZPI derivatives exhibited a markedly elevated stoichiometry of inhibition with FXIa in the absence of heparin. These results suggest that basic residues of both helices C and D of ZPI interact with heparin to modulate the inhibitory function of the serpin.

Fluorescent reporters of thrombin, heparin cofactor II, and heparin binding in a ternary complex

Thrombin inactivation by heparin cofactor II (HCII) is accelerated by ternary complex formation with heparin. The novel active-site-labeled thrombins, [4'F]FPR-T and [6F]FFR-T, and the exosite I probe, Hir-(54-65)(SO₃⁻), characterized thrombin exosite I and II interactions with HCII and heparin in the complex. HCII binding to exosite I of heparin-bound [4'F]FPR-T caused a saturable fluorescence increase, absent with antithrombin. Heparin binding to exosite II and a second weaker site caused fluorescence quenching of [6F]-FFR-T, attenuated by simultaneous Hir-(54-65)(SO₃⁻) binding. Stopped-flow analysis demonstrated ordered assembly of HCII and the [6F]FFR-T·heparin complex, in agreement with tighter heparin binding to thrombin than to HCII. Saturating HCII dependences and bell-shaped heparin dependences of the fluorescence change reported ternary complex formation, consistent with a template mechanism in which the thrombin·heparin complex binds HCII and allowing for interaction of thrombin·(heparin)₂ complexes with HCII. Hir-(54-65)(SO₃⁻) displacement in reactions with FPR-blocked and active thrombin indicated a concerted action of the active site and exosite I during ternary complex formation. These studies demonstrate that binding of HCII to the thrombin·heparin complex is dramatically enhanced compared with heparin binding alone and that exosite I is still available for ligand or HCII binding when both heparin binding sites on thrombin are saturated.

Glycosaminoglycan-binding properties and kinetic characterization of human heparin cofactor II expressed in Escherichia coli

Irreversible inactivation of alpha-thrombin (T) by the serpin, heparin cofactor II (HCII), is accelerated by ternary complex formation with the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) heparin and dermatan sulfate (DS). Low expression of human HCII in Escherichia coli was optimized by silent mutation of 27 rare codons and five secondary Shine-Dalgarno sequences in the cDNA. The inhibitory activities of recombinant HCII, and native and deglycosylated plasma HCII, and their affinities for heparin and DS were compared. Recombinant and deglycosylated HCII bound heparin with dissociation constants (K(D)) of 6+/-1 and 7+/-1 microM, respectively, approximately 6-fold tighter than plasma HCII, with K(D) 40+/-4 microM. Binding of recombinant and deglycosylated HCII to DS, both with K(D) 4+/-1 microM, was approximately 4-fold tighter than for plasma HCII, with K(D) 15+/-4 microM. Recombinant HCII, lacking N-glycosylation and tyrosine sulfation, inactivated alpha-thrombin with a 1:1 stoichiometry, similar to plasma HCII. Second-order rate constants for thrombin inactivation by recombinant and deglycosylated HCII were comparable, at optimal GAG concentrations that were lower than those for plasma HCII, consistent with its weaker GAG binding. This weaker binding may be attributed to interference of the Asn(169)N-glycan with the HCII heparin-binding site.

Sucrose octasulfate selectively accelerates thrombin inactivation by heparin cofactor II

Inactivation of thrombin (T) by the serpins heparin cofactor II (HCII) and antithrombin (AT) is accelerated by a heparin template between the serpin and thrombin exosite II. Unlike AT, HCII also uses an allosteric interaction of its NH(2)-terminal segment with exosite I. Sucrose octasulfate (SOS) accelerated thrombin inactivation by HCII but not AT by 2000-fold. SOS bound to two sites on thrombin, with dissociation constants (K(D)) of 10 +/- 4 microm and 400 +/- 300 microm that were not kinetically resolvable, as evidenced by single hyperbolic SOS concentration dependences of the inactivation rate (k(obs)). SOS bound HCII with K(D) 1.45 +/- 0.30 mm, and this binding was tightened in the T.SOS.HCII complex, characterized by K(complex) of approximately 0.20 microm. Inactivation data were incompatible with a model solely depending on HCII.SOS but fit an equilibrium linkage model employing T.SOS binding in the pathway to higher order complex formation. Hirudin-(54-65)(SO(3)(-)) caused a hyperbolic decrease of the inactivation rates, suggesting partial competitive binding of hirudin-(54-65)(SO(3)(-)) and HCII to exosite I. Meizothrombin(des-fragment 1), binding SOS with K(D) = 1600 +/- 300 microm, and thrombin were inactivated at comparable rates, and an exosite II aptamer had no effect on the inactivation, suggesting limited exosite II involvement. SOS accelerated inactivation of meizothrombin 1000-fold, reflecting the contribution of direct exosite I interaction with HCII. Thrombin generation in plasma was suppressed by SOS, both in HCII-dependent and -independent processes. The ex vivo HCII-dependent process may utilize the proposed model and suggests a potential for oversulfated disaccharides in controlling HCII-regulated thrombin generation.

Vascular dermatan sulfate and heparin cofactor II

Heparin cofactor II (HCII) is a plasma protease inhibitor of the serpin family that inactivates thrombin by forming a covalent 1:1 complex. The rate of complex formation increases more than 1000-fold in the presence of dermatan sulfate (DS). Endothelial injury allows circulating HCII to enter the vessel wall, where it binds to DS and presumably becomes activated. Mice that lack HCII develop carotid artery thrombosis more rapidly than wild-type mice after oxidative damage to the endothelium. These mice also have increased arterial neointima formation following mechanical injury and develop more extensive atherosclerotic lesions when made hypercholesterolemic. Similarly, low plasma HCII levels appear to be a risk factor for atherosclerosis and in-stent restenosis in human subjects. These observations suggest that a major function of the HCII-DS system is to regulate the physiologic response to arterial injury.

A computational modeling and molecular dynamics study of the Michaelis complex of human protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI) and factor Xa (FXa)

Protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI) and antithrombin III (AT3) are members of the serpin superfamily of protease inhibitors that inhibit factor Xa (FXa) and other proteases in the coagulation pathway. While experimental structural information is available for the interaction of AT3 with FXa, at present there is no structural data regarding the interaction of ZPI with FXa, and the precise role of this interaction in the blood coagulation pathway is poorly understood. In an effort to gain a structural understanding of this system, we have built a solvent equilibrated three-dimensional structural model of the Michaelis complex of human ZPI/FXa using homology modeling, protein-protein docking and molecular dynamics simulation methods. Preliminary analysis of interactions at the complex interface from our simulations suggests that the interactions of the reactive center loop (RCL) and the exosite surface of ZPI with FXa are similar to those observed from X-ray crystal structure-based simulations of AT3/FXa. However, detailed comparison of our modeled structure of ZPI/FXa with that of AT3/FXa points to differences in interaction specificity at the reactive center and in the stability of the inhibitory complex, due to the presence of a tyrosine residue at the P1 position in ZPI, instead of the P1 arginine residue in AT3. The modeled structure also shows specific structural differences between AT3 and ZPI in the heparin-binding and flexible N-terminal tail regions. Our structural model of ZPI/FXa is also compatible with available experimental information regarding the importance for the inhibitory action of certain basic residues in FXa.

Heparin cofactor II modulates the response to vascular injury

Heparin cofactor II (HCII) has several biochemical properties that distinguish it from other serpins: (1) it specifically inhibits thrombin; (2) the mechanism of inhibition involves binding of an acidic domain in HCII to thrombin exosite I; and (3) the rate of inhibition increases dramatically in the presence of dermatan sulfate molecules having specific structures. Human studies suggest that high plasma HCII levels are protective against in-stent restenosis and atherosclerosis. Studies with HCII knockout mice directly support the hypothesis that HCII interacts with dermatan sulfate in the arterial wall after endothelial injury and thereby exerts an antithrombotic effect. In addition, HCII deficiency appears to promote neointima formation and atherogenesis in mice. These results suggest that HCII plays a unique and important role in vascular homeostasis.

Control of the coagulation system by serpins. Getting by with a little help from glycosaminoglycans

Members of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily play important roles in the inhibition of serine proteases involved in complex systems. This is evident in the regulation of coagulation serine proteases, especially the central enzyme in this system, thrombin. This review focuses on three serpins which are known to be key players in the regulation of thrombin: antithrombin and heparin cofactor II, which inhibit thrombin in its procoagulant role, and protein C inhibitor, which primarily inhibits the thrombin/thrombomodulin complex, where thrombin plays an anticoagulant role. Several structures have been published in the past few years which have given great insight into the mechanism of action of these serpins and have significantly added to a wealth of biochemical and biophysical studies carried out previously. A major feature of these serpins is that they are under the control of glycosaminoglycans, which play a key role in accelerating and localizing their action. While further work is clearly required to understand the mechanism of action of the glycosaminoglycans, the biological mechanisms whereby cognate glycosaminoglycans for each serpin come into contact with the inhibitors also requires much further work in this important field.

Reformable intramolecular cross-linking of the N-terminal domain of heparin cofactor II

The crystal structure of a heparin cofactor II (HCII)-thrombin Michaelis complex has revealed extensive contacts encompassing the N-terminal domain of HCII and exosite I of the proteinase. In contrast, the location of the N-terminal extension in the uncomplexed inhibitor was unclear. Using a disulfide cross-linking strategy, we demonstrate that at least three different sites (positions 52, 54 and 68) within the N terminus may be tethered in a reformable manner to position 195 in the loop region between helix D and strand s2A of the HCII molecule, suggesting that the N-terminal domain may interact with the inhibitor scaffold in a permissive manner. Cross-linking of the N terminus to the HCII body does not strongly affect the inhibition of alpha-chymotrypsin, indicating that the reactive site loop sequences of the engineered inhibitor variants, required for interaction with one of the HCII target enzymes, are normally accessible. In contrast, intramolecular tethering of the N-terminal extension results in a drastic decrease of alpha-thrombin inhibitory activity, both in the presence and in the absence of glycosaminoglycans. Treatment with dithiothreitol and iodoacetamide restores activity towards alpha-thrombin, suggesting that release of the N terminus of HCII is an important component of the multistep interaction between the inhibitor and alpha-thrombin.

Molecular Mapping of the Thrombin-Heparin Cofactor II Complex

We used 55 Ala-scanned recombinant thrombin molecules to define residues important for inhibition by the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) heparin cofactor II (HCII) in the absence and presence of glycosaminoglycans. We verified the importance of numerous basic residues in anion-binding exosite-1 (exosite-1) and found 4 additional residues, Gln24, Lys65, His66, and Tyr71 (using the thrombin numbering system), that were resistant to HCII inhibition with and without glycosaminoglycans. Inhibition rate constants for these exosite-1 (Q24A, K65A, H66A, Y71A) thrombin mutants (0.02-0.38 x 10(8) m(-1) min(-1) for HCII-heparin when compared with 2.36 x 10(8) m(-1) min(-1) with wild-type thrombin and 0.03-0.53 x 10(8) m(-1) min(-1) for HCII-dermatan sulfate when compared with 5.23 x 10(8) m(-1) min(-1) with wild-type thrombin) confirmed that the structural integrity of thrombin exosite-1 is critical for optimal HCII-thrombin interactions in the presence of glycosaminoglycans. However, our results are also consistent for HCII-glycosaminoglycan-thrombin ternary complex formation. Ten residues surrounding the active site of thrombin were implicated in HCII interactions. Four mutants (Asp51, Lys52, Lys145/Thr147/Trp148, Asp234) showed normal increased rates of inhibition by HCII-glycosaminoglycans, whereas four mutants (Trp50, Glu202, Glu229, Arg233) remained resistant to inhibition by HCII with glycosaminoglycans. Using 11 exosite-2 thrombin mutants with 20 different mutated residues, we saw no major perturbations of HCII-glycosaminoglycan inhibition reactions. Collectively, our results support a "double bridge" mechanism for HCII inhibition of thrombin in the presence of glycosaminoglycans, which relies in part on ternary complex formation but is primarily dominated by an allosteric process involving contact of the "hirudin-like" domain of HCII with thrombin exosite-1.

The Preferred Pathway of Glycosaminoglycan-accelerated Inactivation of Thrombin by Heparin Cofactor II

Thrombin (T) inactivation by the serpin, heparin cofactor II (HCII), is accelerated by the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) dermatan sulfate (DS) and heparin (H). Equilibrium binding and thrombin inactivation kinetics at pH 7.8 and ionic strength (I) 0.125 m demonstrated that DS and heparin bound much tighter to thrombin (K(T(DS)) 1-5.8 microm; K(T(H)) 0.02-0.2 microm) than to HCII (K(HCII(DS)) 236-291 microm; K(HCII(H)) 25-35 microm), favoring formation of T.GAG over HCII.GAG complexes as intermediates for T.GAG.HCII complex assembly. At [GAG] << K(HCII(GAG)) the GAG and HCII concentration dependences of the first-order inactivation rate constants (k(app)) were hyperbolic, reflecting saturation of T.GAG complex and formation of the T.GAG.HCII complex from T.GAG and free HCII, respectively. At [GAG] >> K(HCII(GAG)), HCII.GAG complex formation caused a decrease in k(app). The bell-shaped logarithmic GAG dependences fit an obligatory template mechanism in which free HCII binds GAG in the T.GAG complex. DS and heparin bound fluorescently labeled meizothrombin(des-fragment 1) (MzT(-F1)) with K(MzT(-F1)(GAG)) 10 and 20 microm, respectively, demonstrating a binding site outside of exosite II. Exosite II ligands did not attenuate the DS-accelerated thrombin inactivation markedly, but DS displaced thrombin from heparin-Sepharose, suggesting that DS and heparin share a restricted binding site in or nearby exosite II, in addition to binding outside exosite II. Both T.DS and MzT(-F1).DS interactions were saturable at DS concentrations substantially below K(HCII(DS)), consistent with DS bridging T.DS and free HCII. The results suggest that GAG template action facilitates ternary complex formation and accommodates HCII binding to GAG and thrombin exosite I in the ternary complex.

Mechanism of activation of heparin cofactor II by calcium spirulan

Calcium spirulan (Ca-SP), a novel sulfated polysaccharide, increases the rate of thrombin inhibition by heparin cofactor II (HCII) more than 1000-fold through a mechanism not requiring the amino-terminal acidic domain of HCII. Activation of HCII by Ca-SP was molecular-weight dependent. Furthermore, HD22, an aptamer that binds exosite II of thrombin, produced a concentration-dependent, 15-fold reduction at 5 microM in the rate of thrombin inhibition by HCII with Ca-SP, suggesting that Ca-SP interacts with exosite II of thrombin. Mutations of Lys173 to Leu (K173L) and Arg189 to Leu (R189L) in the HCII molecule resulted in large decreases in the rate of thrombin inhibition mediated by Ca-SP and in the NaCl concentration needed for elution from Ca-SP-Toyopearl. Mutations of Lys173 to Arg (K173R) and Arg189 to Lys (R189K) showed inhibition of thrombin similar to wild-type rHCII (wt-rHCII). These results indicate that Ca-SP binds to the positive charges of Lys173 and Arg189 on the HCII molecule. In the thrombin inhibitory process by HCII, Ca-SP appears to play as a template by binding to both thrombin and HCII.

Zinc ions promote the interaction between heparin and heparin cofactor II

The effects of bivalent cations on heparin binding, structure, and thrombin inhibition rates of heparin cofactor II were examined. Zn(2+) - and to a lesser extent Cu(2+) and Ni(2+) - enhanced the interaction between heparin cofactor II and heparin as demonstrated by heparin affinity chromatography and surface plasmon resonance experiments. Metal chelate chromatography and increased intrinsic protein fluorescence in the presence of Zn(2+) indicated that heparin cofactor II has metal ion-binding properties. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that Zn(2+) induces a conformational change in heparin cofactor II that favors its interaction with heparin.

Inhibition of a thrombin anion-binding exosite-2 mutant by the glycosaminoglycan-dependent serpins protein C inhibitor and heparin cofactor II

Antithrombin (ATIII), heparin cofactor II (HCII) and protein C inhibitor (PCI; also named plasminogen activator inhibitor-3) are serine protease inhibitors (serpins) whose thrombin inhibition activity is accelerated in the presence of glycosaminoglycans. We compared the inhibition properties of PCI and HCII to ATIII using R93A/R97A/R101A thrombin, an anion-binding exosite-2 (exosite-2) mutant that has greatly reduced heparin-binding properties. Heparin-enhanced PCI inhibition of R93A/R97A/R101A thrombin was only approximately 2-fold compared to 40-fold enhancement with wild-type recombinant thrombin. Thrombomodulin (TM) (with or without the chondroitin sulfate moiety) accelerated PCI inhibition of both wild-type and R93A/R97A/R101A thrombins. HCII achieved the same maximum activity in the presence of heparin with both wild-type and R93A/R97A/R101A thrombins; however, the optimum heparin concentration was 20 times greater than the reaction with wild-type thrombin, indicative of a decrease in heparin affinity. Dermatan sulfate (DSO4)-catalyzed HCII thrombin inhibition was unchanged in R93A/R97A/R101A thrombin compared to wild-type recombinant thrombin. These results suggest that PCI is similar to ATIII and depends upon ternary complex formation with heparin and these specific thrombin exosite-2 residues to accelerate thrombin inhibition. In contrast, HCII does not require Arg(93), Arg(97) and Arg(101) of thrombin exosite-2 and further supports the hypothesis that HCII uses an allosteric process following glycosaminoglycan binding to inhibit thrombin.

Contribution of basic residues of the A helix of heparin cofactor II to heparin- or dermatan sulfate-mediated thrombin inhibition

Inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor II (HCII) is accelerated 1000-fold by heparin or dermatan sulfate. To investigate the contribution of basic residues of the A helix of HCII to this activation, we constructed amino acid substitutions (K101Q, R103L, and R106L) by site-directed mutagenesis. K101Q greatly reduced heparin cofactor activity and required a more than 10-fold higher concentration of dermatan sulfate to accelerate thrombin inhibition compared with wild-type recombinant HCII. Thrombin inhibition by R106L was not significantly stimulated by dermatan sulfate. These results provide evidence that basic residues of the A helix of HCII (Lys(101) and Arg(106)) are necessary for heparin- or dermatan sulfate-accelerated thrombin inhibition.

Aspartic acid residues 72 and 75 and tyrosine-sulfate 73 of heparin cofactor II promote intramolecular interactions during glycosaminoglycan binding and thrombin inhibition

We used site-directed mutagenesis to investigate the role of Glu(69), Asp(70), Asp(71), Asp(72), Tyr-sulfate(73), and Asp(75) in the second acidic region (AR2) of the serpin heparin cofactor II (HCII) during formation of the thrombin.HCII complex with and without glycosaminoglycans. E69Q/D70N/D71N recombinant (r)HCII, D72N/Y73F/D75N rHCII, and E69Q/D70N/D71N/D72N/Y73F/D75N rHCII were prepared to localize acidic residues important for thrombin inhibition. Interestingly, D72N/Y73F/D75N rHCII had significantly enhanced thrombin inhibition without glycosaminoglycan (4-fold greater) and with heparin (6-fold greater), showing maximal activity at 2 microg/ml heparin compared with wild-type recombinant HCII (wt-rHCII) with maximal activity at 20 microg/ml heparin. The other rHCII mutants had lesser-enhanced activities, but they all eluted from heparin-Sepharose at significantly higher ionic strengths compared with wt-rHCII. Neutralizing and reversing the charge of Asp(72), Tyr-sulfate(73), and Asp(75) were done to characterize their individual contribution to HCII activity. Only Y73K rHCII and D75K rHCII have significantly increased heparin cofactor activity compared with wt-rHCII; however, all of the individual rHCII mutants required substantially less glycosaminoglycan at maximal inhibition than did wt-rHCII. Inhibition of either alpha-thrombin/hirugen or gamma(T)-thrombin (both with an altered anion-binding exosite-1) by the AR2 rHCII mutants was similar to wt-rHCII. D72N/Y73F/D75N rHCII and D75K rHCII were significantly more active than wt-rHCII in a plasma-based thrombin inhibition assay with glycosaminoglycans. These results indicate that improved thrombin inhibition in the AR2 HCII mutants is mediated by enhanced interactions between the acidic domain and anion-binding exosite-1 of thrombin and that AR2 may be a "molecular rheostat" to promote thrombin inhibition in the presence of glycosaminoglycans.

Tyrosine sulfation and N-glycosylation of human heparin cofactor II from plasma and recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells and their effects on heparin binding

The structure of post-translational modifications of human heparin cofactor II isolated from human serum and from recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells and their effects on heparin binding have been characterized. Oligosaccharide chains were found attached to all three potential N-glycosylation sites in both protein preparations. The carbohydrate structures of heparin cofactor II circulating in blood are complex-type diantennary and triantennary chains in a ratio of 6 : 1 with the galactose being > 90% sialylated with alpha 2-->6 linked N-acetylneuraminic acid. About 50% of the triantennary structures contain one sLe(x) motif. Proximal alpha 1-->6 fucosylation of oligosacharides from Chinese hamster ovary cell-derived HCII was detected in > 90% of the diantennary and triantennary glycans, the latter being slightly less sialylated with exclusively alpha 2-->3-linked N-acetylneuraminic acid units. Applying the ESI-MS/ MS-MS technique, we demonstrate that the tryptic peptides comprising tyrosine residues in positions 60 and 73 were almost completely sulfated irrespective of the protein's origin. Treatment of transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells with chlorate or tunicamycin resulted in the production of heparin cofactor II molecules that eluted with higher ionic strength from heparin-Sepharose, indicating that tyrosine sulfation and N-linked glycans may affect the inhibitor's interaction with glycosaminoglycans.

Heparin cofactor II, antithrombin-beta and their complexes with thrombin in human tissues

In the presence of glycosaminoglycans, thrombin is rapidly inactivated by two natural inhibitors secreted from liver: antithrombin (AT) is presumed to be the principal thrombin inhibitor in circulating blood, while for heparin cofactor II (HCII), a role outside circulation has been proposed. In this study, we show that HCII and AT differ with respect to their association with human tissues. Aside from brain, each of these inhibitors was found in sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) soluble extracts of various human organs, with a preponderance of HCII in placenta. AT levels, however, predominated in liver. Compared to plasma, the beta-variant of AT was found to be strongly enriched in human organs, while tissue-resident HCII did not differ in its electrophoretic mobility from the circulating form. In placenta, comparable amounts of HCII/thrombin and AT/thrombin complexes were detected, indicating that HCII may exert a thrombin regulating role in that organ under conditions of tissue or blood vessel damage. Transcripts coding for HCII and AT were detected in all tissues examined. The low levels of their mRNAs suggest that most of the tissue-associated thrombin inhibitor molecules originate from circulation and are retained in organs, possibly by specific receptors. The differential presence of HCII and AT in organs is in accordance with individual physiological roles of these inhibitors.

Activation of heparin cofactor II by calcium spirulan

Heparin cofactor II (HCII) is a plasma serine protease inhibitor whose ability to inhibit alpha-thrombin is accelerated by a variety of sulfated polysaccharides in addition to heparin and dermatan sulfate. Previous investigations have indicated that calcium spirulan (Ca-SP), a novel sulfated polysaccharide, enhanced the rate of inhibition of alpha-thrombin by HCII. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the activation of HCII by Ca-SP. Interestingly, in the presence of Ca-SP, an N-terminal deletion mutant of HCII (rHCII-Delta74) inhibited alpha-thrombin, as native recombinant HCII (native rHCII) did. The second-order rate constant for the inhibition of alpha-thrombin by rHCII-Delta74 was 2.0 x 10(8) M(-1) min(-1) in the presence of 50 microgram/ml Ca-SP and 10, 000-fold higher than in the absence of Ca-SP. The rates of native rHCII and rHCII-Delta74 for the inhibition of gamma-thrombin were increased only 80- and 120-fold, respectively. Our results suggested that the anion-binding exosite I of alpha-thrombin was essential for the rapid inhibition reaction by HCII in the presence of Ca-SP and that the N-terminal acidic domain of HCII was not required. Therefore, we proposed a mechanism by which HCII was activated allosterically by Ca-SP and could interact with the anion-binding exosite I of thrombin not through the N-terminal acidic domain of HCII. The Arg(103) --> Leu mutant bound to Ca-SP-Toyopearl with normal affinity and inhibited alpha-thrombin in a manner similar to native rHCII. These results indicate that Arg(103) in HCII molecule is not critical for the interaction with Ca-SP.

Enhancement of heparin cofactor II anticoagulant activity

Heparin cofactor II (HCII) is a serpin whose thrombin inhibition activity is accelerated by glycosaminoglycans. We describe the novel properties of a carboxyl-terminal histidine-tagged recombinant HCII (rHCII-CHis(6)). Thrombin inhibition by rHCII-CHis(6) was increased >2-fold at approximately 5 microgram/ml heparin compared with wild-type recombinant HCII (wt-rHCII) at 50-100 microgram/ml heparin. Enhanced activity of rHCII-CHis(6) was reversed by treatment with carboxypeptidase A. We assessed the role of the HCII acidic domain by constructing amino-terminal deletion mutants (Delta1-52, Delta1-68, and Delta1-75) in wt-rHCII and rHCII-CHis(6). Without glycosaminoglycan, unlike wt-rHCII deletion mutants, the rHCII-CHis(6) deletion mutants were less active compared with full-length rHCII-CHis(6). With glycosaminoglycans, Delta1-68 and Delta1-75 rHCIIs were all less active. We assessed the character of the tag by comparing rHCII-CHis(6), rHCII-CAla(6), and rHCII-CLys(6) to wt-rHCII. Only rHCII-CHis(6) had increased activity with heparin, whereas all three mutants have increased heparin binding. We generated a carboxyl-terminal histidine-tagged recombinant antithrombin III to study the tag on another serpin. Interestingly, this mutant antithrombin III had reduced heparin cofactor activity compared with wild-type protein. In a plasma-based assay, the glycosaminoglycan-dependent inhibition of thrombin by rHCII-CHis(6) was significantly greater compared with wt-rHCII. Thus, HCII variants with increased function, such as rHCII-CHis(6), may offer novel reagents for clinical application.

Comparison of heparin- and dermatan sulfate-mediated catalysis of thrombin inactivation by heparin cofactor II

Heparin and dermatan sulfate activate heparin cofactor II (HCII) comparably, presumably by liberating the amino terminus of HCII to bind to exosite I of thrombin. To explore this model of activation, we systematically substituted basic residues in the glycosaminoglycan-binding domain of HCII with neutral amino acids and measured the rates of thrombin inactivation by the mutants. Mutant D, with changes at Arg(184), Lys(185), Arg(189), Arg(192), Arg(193), demonstrated a approximately 130-fold increased rate of thrombin inactivation that was unaffected by the presence of glycosaminoglycans. The increased rate reflects displacement of the amino terminus of mutant D because (a) mutant D inactivates gamma-thrombin at a 65-fold slower rate than alpha-thrombin, (b) hirudin-(54-65) decreases the rate of thrombin inactivation, and (c) deletion of the amino terminus of mutant D reduces the rate of thrombin inactivation approximately 100-fold. We also examined the contribution of glycosaminoglycan-mediated bridging of thrombin to HCII to the inhibitory process. Whereas activation of HCII by heparin was chain-length dependent, stimulation by dermatan sulfate was not, suggesting that dermatan sulfate does not utilize a template mechanism to accelerate the inhibitory process. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that dermatan sulfate evokes greater conformational changes in HCII than heparin, suggesting that dermatan sulfate stimulates HCII by producing more effective displacement of the amino terminus.

Amino acid residues of heparin cofactor II required for stimulation of thrombin inhibition by sulphated polyanions

A variety of sulphated polyanions in addition to heparin and dermatan sulphate stimulate the inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor II (HCII). Previous investigations indicated that the binding sites on HCII for heparin and dermatan sulphate overlap but are not identical. In this study we determined the concentrations (IC50) of various polyanions required to stimulate thrombin inhibition by native recombinant HCII in comparison with three recombinant HCII variants having decreased affinity for heparin (Lys-173-->Gln), dermatan sulphate (Arg-189-->His), or both heparin and dermatan sulphate (Lys-185-->Asn). Pentosan polysulphate, sulphated bis-lactobionic acid amide, and sulphated bis-maltobionic acid amide resembled dermatan sulphate, since their IC50 values were increased to a much greater degree (>/=8-fold) by the mutations Arg-189-->His and Lys-185-->Asn than by Lys-173-->Gln (</=1.5-fold). By contrast, the IC50 values for fucosylated chondroitin sulphate, chondroitin sulphate E, dextran sulphate, and fucoidan were minimally affected. Only in the case of heparin was the IC50 increased to a greater degree by both Lys-173-->Gln and Lys-185-->Asn (>/=6-fold) than by Arg-189-->His (</=1.5-fold). None of the polyanions significantly stimulated inhibition of thrombin by an N-terminal deletion mutant of HCII (Delta1-74). These results suggest that, like dermatan sulphate and heparin, other polyanions stimulate HCII primarily by an allosteric mechanism requiring the N-terminal acidic domain.

Intracellular transport, sorting, and proteolytic processing of regulated secretory proteins does not require protein sulfation

The biological significance of protein sulfation is poorly understood. To study a possible role of protein sulfation in the regulated secretory pathway, neurointermediate lobes (NIL) of the pituitary of South-African clawed toads (Xenopus laevis) were treated with chlorate, a potent in vivo inhibitor of protein sulfation. We monitored the fates of newly synthesized proopiomelanocortin (POMC), prohormone convertase (PC2), and secretogranin III (SgIII), which are sulfated and regulated secretory proteins. Inhibition of protein sulfation had no effect on the proteolytic processing of these precursor proteins and the kinetics of release of their cleavage products. The release was sensitive to apomorphine, a drug that blocks the release of proteins via the regulated secretory pathway, indicating that no missorting to the constitutive pathway had occurred. Our results suggest that protein sulfation is not required for the intracellular transport, sorting, and proteolytic processing of regulated secretory proteins.

Inhibition of meizothrombin and meizothrombin(desF1) by heparin cofactor II

Meizothrombin and meizothrombin(desF1) are intermediates formed during the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin by factor Xa, factor Va, phospholipids, and Ca2+ (prothrombinase). These intermediates are active toward synthetic peptide substrates but have limited ability to interact with platelets or macromolecular substrates such as fibrinogen. Meizothrombin and meizothrombin(desF1) activate protein C, however, and may exert primarily an anticoagulant effect. In this study, we investigated the inhibition of meizothrombin and meizothrombin(desF1) by two glycosaminoglycan-dependent protease inhibitors, heparin cofactor II (HCII) and antithrombin (AT). Purified recombinant meizothrombin and meizothrombin(desF1) were inhibited by HCII in the presence of dermatan sulfate with maximal second-order rate constants of 8 x 10(6) M-1.min-1 and 1.8 x 10(7) M-1.min-1, respectively, but were inhibited less than one-tenth as fast by AT in the presence of heparin. Similarly, the products of the prothrombinase reaction were inhibited in situ more effectively by HCII than by AT. When HCII and dermatan sulfate were present continuously during the prothrombinase reaction, meizothrombin was trapped as a sodium dodecyl sulfate-stable complex with HCII and no amidolytic activity could be detected with a thrombin substrate. Our findings indicate that HCII is an effective inhibitor of meizothrombin and meizothrombin(desF1) and, therefore, might regulate the anticoagulant activity of these proteases.

Arginine 200 of heparin cofactor II promotes intramolecular interactions of the acidic domain. Implication for thrombin inhibition

Heparin cofactor II (HCII) is presumed to be a physiological inhibitor of the serine proteinase thrombin. The reaction between HCII and thrombin is quite unique, because it involves an unusual HCII-reactive site loop sequence of Leu444-Ser445, requires the presence of glycosaminoglycans for optimal activity and involves a protein-protein interaction besides the reactive site loop-active site interaction characteristic of serine proteinase inhibitor-serine proteinase pairs. Two mutations at a unique HCII residue, Arg200 --> Ala or Glu, were generated by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutations did not alter either HCII binding to heparin-Sepharose or HCII inhibition of thrombin in the presence of heparin or dermatan sulfate, suggesting that Arg200 is not part of the glycosaminoglycan binding site of HCII. In the absence of glycosaminoglycan, there was a significant increase in alpha-thrombin inhibition by the Arg200 mutants as compared with wild type recombinant HCII (wt-rHCII), whereas inhibition rates with chymotrypsin were identical. Inhibition of gammaT-thrombin, which lacks anion-binding exosite 1 ((ABE-1), the region of alpha-thrombin that interacts with the acidic domain of HCII), was significantly reduced compared with alpha-thrombin, but the reduction was more dramatic for the Arg200-rHCII mutants. Hirugen, which binds to ABE-1 of alpha-thrombin, also diminished inhibition of alpha-thrombin by the Arg200-rHCII mutants to nearly wt-rHCII levels. Both Arg200-rHCII mutants had significantly increased ka values as compared with wt-rHCII, whereas the kd rates were unchanged. Collectively, these results suggest that the improved inhibitory activity of the Arg200-rHCII mutants is mediated by enhanced interactions between the acidic domain and ABE-1, resulting in an increased HCII-thrombin association rate.

Designed polyanionic coiled-coil proteins: acceleration of heparin cofactor II inhibition of thrombin

Novel polyanionic proteins were designed to increase the rate of heparin cofactor II (HC) inhibition of alpha-thrombin, an essential protease in the coagulation cascade. Two alpha-helical coiled-coil proteins, a 62-residue dimer containing 8 Glu residues (E8C) and a 104-residue dimer containing 14 Glu residues (E14C), plus two 31-residue control peptides containing 8 Glu residues each (E8A and E8B), were chemically synthesized, structurally characterized and enzymatically assayed. Circular dichroic spectrophotometry indicated that both E8C and E14C formed stable two-chain alpha-helical coiled coils at pH 7 and 25 degrees C. The control peptides were only partially alpha-helical. E14C remained folded at 90 degrees C but E8C was half unfolded at 49 degrees C. Coiled-coil proteins E8C and E14C maximally accelerated by 35- and 33-fold, respectively, the rate of HC inhibition of alpha-thrombin. None of these compounds accelerated antithrombin inhibition of alpha-thrombin, and neither control peptide accelerated HC inhibition of alpha-thrombin. Acceleration of the HC inhibition of alpha-thrombin showed bimodal dependence on the concentration of the polyanionic protein, which is consistent with formation of a HC-coiled-coil-thrombin ternary complex. The results suggest that antithrombotic polyanionic alpha-helical coiled-coil proteins can be designed and synthesized and that the occurrence of secondary structure can be correlated with biological activity.

The interaction of glycosaminoglycans with heparin cofactor II

The binding sites for dermatan sulfate and heparin in HCII overlap but are not identical. This may explain the observation that HCII binds nonspecifically to heparin oligosaccharides, but preferentially binds to a minor hexasaccharide isolated from dermatan sulfate. The tissue distribution of dermatan sulfate molecules containing the high-affinity HCII binding site may regulate HCII activity in vivo. Finally, in the presence of dermatan sulfate or heparin, the N-terminal acidic region of HCII may interact with the hirudin-binding site of thrombin to produce maximal stimulation of the thrombin-HCII reaction.

Inhibition of pro-cholecystokinin (CCK) sulfation by treatment with sodium chlorate alters its processing and decreases cellular content and secretion of CCK 8

Pro-cholecystokinin (CCK) has three sulfated tyrosine residues. Sulfation of the tyrosine residue in CCK 8 is known to be important for its activity at CCK A receptors. The role of these sulfated tyrosines in the sorting and processing of pro-CCK was examined by treatment of CCK-secreting rat thyroid medullary carcinoma cells with 10 nM sodium chlorate (a non-toxic inhibitor of tyrosine sulfation). This treatment caused a 50% decrease in the cellular content of immunoreactive CCK and an 80% decrease in its secretion. Sephadex G-50 chromatography of cellular extracts and culture media showed a selective depletion of CCK 8. There was a comparative sparing of CCK 33 and larger molecular forms in cellular extracts which was not observed in the media. These results suggest that the sulfation of the tyrosines of pro-CCK is clearly important for the correct sorting and/or processing of pro-CCK. The pattern of immunoreactive CCK peptides seen with chlorate treatment is consistent with the substrate specificity of a recently identified putative CCK cleaving enzyme and suggests that unsulfated pro-CCK is not efficiently processed to CCK 8 in vivo. The large decrease in CCK content and secretion observed with sodium chlorate may also be due to inefficient sorting of unsulfated pro-CCK into secretory vesicles.

Secondary thrombin-binding site, glycosaminoglycan binding domain and reactive center region of leuserpin-2 are strongly conserved in mammalian species

Using a combination of conventional and inverse polymerase chain reaction the cDNA structure coding for the thrombin inhibitor leuserpin-2 from rat has been determined. The rat genome specifies leuserpin-2 mRNAs differing in their 5'-untranslated regions probably due to alternative splicing of the primary transcript. Comparisons of partial sequences from five different mammalian species show that the secondary thrombin binding site, the glycosaminoglycan binding domain and the reactive center region of the inhibitor are strongly conserved.

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

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

A 30 kD sulfated extracellular matrix protein immunologically crossreactive with vitronectin

In this study we describe a human sulfated 30 kD protein (sp30) that is recognized by a monoclonal antibody raised against human vitronectin (mAb 8E6). Another monoclonal antibody raised against human vitronectin, mAb MaSp, and a polyclonal antiserum against vitronectin did not react detectably with sp30. Sp30, unlike vitronectin, is synthesized by a variety of non-hepatic human cell lines in culture, including cells of lymphoid origin. It is synthesized in sulfated form as indicated by metabolic labeling of MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells with 35SO4. Sp30 is an extracellular matrix protein as indicated by its association with the matrix of MG-63 cells after removal of the cells with EDTA and its fibrillar pattern by immunofluorescence of non-permeabilized confluent MG-63 cell monolayers detected with mAb 8E6. This antibody also stained short fibrils in human embryonic tissue. This pattern was distinct from the fainter diffuse staining obtained with mAb MaSp and the polyclonal antiserum to vitronectin, suggesting that the 8E6 staining in embryonic tissues was mostly due to sp30 rather than vitronectin. A polyclonal antiserum against bovine microfibril associated glycoprotein (MAGP) precipitated a [35SO4]-30 kD protein from [35SO4]-labeled MG-63 medium that co-migrated with a band precipitated by mAb 8E6. Double-labeling immunofluorescence studies of embryonic tissues showed an identical distribution of anti-bovine MAGP antiserum and mAb 8E6 staining. These data indicate that sp30 is the human homolog of bovine MAGP. Distinction between sp30 and vitronectin will be important in ascertaining the localization and function of both proteins. The findings that sp30 is sulfated and synthesized and secreted by a variety of cells in culture should aid in defining its role in microfibrillogenesis. That sp30 is secreted by cells of lymphoid origin suggests that it might also have a heretofore unsuspected role in immune responses.

The interaction of glycosaminoglycans with heparin cofactor II: structure and activity of a high-affinity dermatan sulfate hexasaccharide

The binding sites for dermatan sulfate and heparin in HCII overlap but are not identical. This may explain the observation that HCII binds non-specifically to heparin oligosaccharides but preferentially binds to a minor hexasaccharide isolated from dermatan sulfate having the structure shown in Fig. 4B. The tissue distribution of dermatan sulfate molecules containing the high-affinity HCII binding site may regulate HCII activity in vivo. Finally, in the presence of dermatan sulfate or heparin, the N-terminal acidic domain of HCII may interact with the hirudin-binding site of thrombin to produce maximal stimulation of the thrombin-HCII reaction.