Localization of the factor IX propeptide binding site on recombinant vitamin K dependent carboxylase using benzoylphenylalanine photoaffinity peptide inactivators

Structural and functional insights into enzymes of the vitamin K cycle

Vitamin K-dependent proteins require carboxylation of certain glutamates for their biological functions. The enzymes involved in the vitamin K-dependent carboxylation include: gamma-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX), vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) and an as-yet-unidentified vitamin K reductase (VKR). Due to the hydrophobicity of vitamin K, these enzymes are likely to be integral membrane proteins that reside in the endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore, structure-function studies on these enzymes have been challenging, and some of the results are notably controversial. Patients with naturally occurring mutations in these enzymes, who mainly exhibit bleeding disorders or are resistant to oral anticoagulant treatment, provide valuable information for the functional study of the vitamin K cycle enzymes. In this review, we discuss: (i) the discovery of the enzymatic activities and gene identifications of the vitamin K cycle enzymes; (ii) the identification of their functionally important regions and their active site residues; (iii) the membrane topology studies of GGCX and VKOR; and (iv) the controversial issues regarding the structure and function studies of these enzymes, particularly, the membrane topology, the role of the conserved cysteines and the mechanism of active site regeneration of VKOR. We also discuss the possibility that a paralogous protein of VKOR, VKOR-like 1 (VKORL1), is involved in the vitamin K cycle, and the importance of and possible approaches for identifying the unknown VKR. Overall, we describe the accomplishments and the remaining questions in regard to the structure and function studies of the enzymes in the vitamin K cycle.

Bleeding and non-bleeding phenotypes in patients with GGCX gene mutations

Functional limitations for the vitamin K cycle, caused either by mutations in gamma-glutamyl carboxylase or vitamin K epoxide reductase genes, result in hereditary deficiency of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors (VKCFD1 and VKCFD2, respectively). Patients suffering from VKCFD often share several other anatomical irregularities which are not related to haemostasis. Here we report on nine patients, eight of them previously unreported, who presented with VKCFD1. All were examined with special attention to vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors as well as to bone and heart development and to other anatomical signs of embryonal vitamin K deficiency. In total, we detected ten mutations in the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase gene of which seven have not been previously reported. Most interestingly, additional non-bleeding phenotypes were observed in all patients including midfacial hypoplasia, premature osteoporosis, cochlear hearing loss, heart valve defects, pulmonary stenosis, or pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like phenotype. Undercarboxylated matrix Gla protein, osteocalcin, and periostin appear to be responsible for these defects which are also observed in cases of fetal warfarin syndrome.

Methylation of γ-carboxylated Glu (Gla) allows detection by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and the identification of Gla residues in the γ-glutamyl carboxylase

γ-Carboxylated Glu (Gla) is a post-translational modification required for the activity of vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins that has been difficult to study by mass spectrometry due to the properties of this negatively charged residue. Gla is generated by a single enzyme, the γ-glutamyl carboxylase, which has broad biological impact because VKD proteins have diverse functions that include hemostasis, apoptosis, and growth control. The carboxylase also contains Glas, of unknown function, and is an integral membrane protein with poor sequence coverage. To locate these Glas, we first established methods that resulted in high coverage (92%) of uncarboxylated carboxylase. Subsequent analysis of carboxylated carboxylase identified a Gla peptide (729-758) and a missing region (625-647) that was detected in uncarboxylated carboxylase. We therefore developed an approach to methylate Gla, which efficiently neutralized Gla and improved mass spectrometric analysis. Methylation eliminated CO2 loss from Gla, increased the ionization of Gla-containing peptide, and appeared to facilitate trypsin digestion. Methylation of a carboxylated carboxylase tryptic digest identified Glas in the 625-647 peptide. These studies provide valuable information for testing the function of carboxylase carboxylation. The methylation approach for studying Gla by mass spectrometry is an important advance that will be broadly applicable to analyzing other VKD proteins.

Mutations in the GGCX and ABCC6 genes in a family with pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like phenotypes

A characteristic feature of classic pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene, is aberrant mineralization of connective tissues, particularly the elastic fibers. Here, we report a family with PXE-like cutaneous features in association with multiple coagulation factor deficiency, an autosomal recessive disorder associated with GGCX mutations. The proband and her sister, both with severe skin findings with extensive mineralization, were compound heterozygotes for missense mutations in the GGCX gene, which were shown to result in reduced gamma-glutamyl carboxylase activity and in undercarboxylation of matrix gla protein. The proband's mother and aunt, also manifesting with PXE-like skin changes, were heterozygous carriers of a missense mutation (p.V255M) in GGCX and a null mutation (p.R1141X) in the ABCC6 gene, suggesting digenic nature of their skin findings. Thus, reduced gamma-glutamyl carboxylase activity in individuals either compound heterozygous for a missense mutation in GGCX or with haploinsufficiency in GGCX in combination with heterozygosity for ABCC6 gene expression results in aberrant mineralization of skin leading to PXE-like phenotype. These findings expand the molecular basis of PXE-like phenotypes, and suggest a role for multiple genetic factors in pathologic tissue mineralization in general.

Transmembrane domain interactions and residue proline 378 are essential for proper structure, especially disulfide bond formation, in the human vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase

We used recombinant techniques to create a two-chain form (residues 1-345 and residues 346-758) of the vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase, a glycoprotein located in the endoplasmic reticulum containing five transmembrane domains. The two-chain carboxylase had carboxylase and epoxidase activities similar to those of one-chain carboxylase. In addition, it had normal affinity for the propeptide of factor IX. We employed this molecule to investigate formation of the one disulfide bond in carboxylase, the transmembrane structure of carboxylase, and the potential interactions among the carboxylase's transmembrane domains. Our results indicate that the two peptides of the two-chain carboxylase are joined by a disulfide bond. Proline 378 is important for the structure necessary for disulfide formation. Results with the P378L carboxylase indicate that noncovalent bonds maintain the two-chain structure even when the disulfide bond is disrupted. As we had previously proposed, the fifth transmembrane domain of carboxylase is the last and only transmembrane domain in the C-terminal peptide of the two-chain carboxylase. We show that the noncovalent association between the two chains of carboxylase involves an interaction between the fifth transmembrane domain and the second transmembrane domain. Results of a homology model of transmembrane domains 2 and 5 suggest that not only do these two domains associate but that transmembrane domain 2 may interact with another transmembrane domain. This latter interaction may be mediated at least in part by a motif of glycine residues in the second transmembrane domain.

Vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamylcarboxylation: an ancient posttranslational modification

The vitamin K-dependent carboxylase carries out the posttranslational modification of specific glutamate residues in proteins to gamma-carboxy glutamic acid (Gla) in the presence of reduced vitamin K, molecular oxygen, and carbon dioxide. In the process, reduced vitamin K is converted to vitamin K epoxide, which is subsequently reduced to vitamin K, by vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) for use in the carboxylation reaction. The modification has a wide range of physiological implications, including hemostasis, bone calcification, and signal transduction. The enzyme interacts with a high affinity gamma-carboxylation recognition sequence (gamma-CRS) of the substrate and carries out multiple modifications of the substrate before the product is released. This mechanism ensures complete carboxylation of the Gla domain of the coagulation factors, which is essential for their biological activity. gamma-Carboxylation, originally discovered in mammals, is widely distributed in the animal kingdom. It has been characterized in sea squirt (Ciona intestinalis), in flies (Drosophila melanogaster), and in marine snails (Conus textile), none of which have a blood coagulation system similar to mammals. The cone snails express a large array of gamma-carboxylated peptides that modulate the activity of ion channels. These findings have led to the suggestion that gamma-carboxylation is an extracellular posttranslational modification that antedates the divergence of molluscs, arthropods, and chordates. I will first summarize recent understanding of gamma-carboxylase and gamma-carboxylation gleaned from experiments using the mammalian enzyme, and then I will briefly describe the available information on gamma-carboxylation in D. melanogaster and C. textile.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like phenotype with cutis laxa and multiple coagulation factor deficiency represents a separate genetic entity

Data on six patients with a Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (PXE)-like phenotype, characterized by excessive skin folding (resembling cutis laxa) and a deficiency of the vitamin K-dependent clotting factors (II, VII, IX, and X) are presented. A comparison is made between the clinical, ultrastructural, and molecular findings in these patients and those seen in classic PXE and cutis laxa, respectively. Clinical overlap with PXE is obvious from the skin manifestations of yellowish papules or leathery plaques with dot-like depressions at presentation, angioid streaks and/or ocular peau d'orange, and fragmentation and calcification of elastic fibers in the dermis. Important phenotypic differences with PXE include much more severe skin laxity with spreading toward the trunk and limbs with thick, leathery skin folds rather than confinement to flexural areas, and no decrease in visual acuity. Moreover, detailed electron microscopic analyses revealed that alterations of elastic fibers as well as their mineralization were slightly different from those in classic PXE. Molecular analysis revealed neither causal mutations in the ABCC6 gene (ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 6), which is responsible for PXE, nor in VKORC1 (vitamin K 2,3 epoxide reductase), known to be involved in vitamin K-dependent factor deficiency. However, the GGCX gene (gamma-glutamyl carboxylase), encoding an enzyme important for gamma-carboxylation of gla-proteins, harbored mutations in six out of seven patients analyzed. These findings all support the hypothesis that the disorder indeed represents a separate clinical and genetic entity, the molecular background of which remains to be unraveled.

Compound heterozygosity of novel missense mutations in the gamma-glutamyl-carboxylase gene causes hereditary combined vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor deficiency

Hereditary combined vitamin K-dependent (VKD) coagulation factor deficiency is an autosomal recessive bleeding disorder associated with defects in either the gamma-carboxylase, which carboxylates VKD proteins to render them active, or the vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKORC1), which supplies the reduced vitamin K cofactor required for carboxylation. Such deficiencies are rare, and we report the fourth case resulting from mutations in the carboxylase gene, identified in a Tunisian girl who exhibited impaired function in hemostatic VKD factors that was not restored by vitamin K administration. Sequence analysis of the proposita did not identify any mutations in the VKORC1 gene but, remarkably, revealed 3 heterozygous mutations in the carboxylase gene that caused the substitutions Asp31Asn, Trp157Arg, and Thr591Lys. None of these mutations have previously been reported. Family analysis showed that Asp31Asn and Thr591Lys were coallelic and maternally transmitted while Trp157Arg was transmitted by the father, and a genomic screen of 100 healthy individuals ruled out frequent polymorphisms. Mutational analysis indicated wild-type activity for the Asp31Asn carboxylase. In contrast, the respective Trp157Arg and Thr591Lys activities were 8% and 0% that of wild-type carboxylase, and their compound heterozygosity can therefore account for functional VKD factor deficiency. The implications for carboxylase mechanism are discussed.

The vitamin K-dependent carboxylase

The vitamin K-dependent (VKD) carboxylase uses the oxygenation of vitamin K to convert glutamyl residues (Glus) to carboxylated Glus (Glas) in VKD proteins, rendering them active in a broad range of physiologies that include hemostasis, apoptosis, bone development, arterial calcification, signal transduction, and growth control. The carboxylase has a high-affinity site that selectively binds VKD proteins, usually through their propeptide, and also has a second low-affinity site of VKD protein interaction. Propeptide binding increases carboxylase affinity for the Glu substrate, and the coordinated binding of the VKD propeptide and Glu substrate increases carboxylase affinity for vitamin K and activity, possibly through a mechanism of substrate-assisted catalysis. Tethering of VKD proteins to the carboxylase allows clusters of Glus to be modified to Glas by a processive mechanism that becomes disrupted during warfarin therapy. Warfarin inhibits a vitamin K oxidoreductase that generates the reduced vitamin K cofactor required for continuous carboxylation and causes decreased carboxylase catalysis and increased dissociation of partially carboxylated, inactive VKD proteins. The availability of reduced vitamin K may also control carboxylation in r-VKD protein-expressing cells, where the amounts of reduced vitamin K are sufficient for full carboxylation of low, but not high, expression levels of VKD proteins, and where carboxylation is not improved by overexpression of r-carboxylase. This review discusses these recent advances in understanding the mechanism of carboxylation. Also covered is the identification of functional carboxylase residues, a brief description of the role of VKD proteins in mammalian and lower organisms, and the potential impact of quality control components on carboxylation, which occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum during the secretion of VKD proteins.

Compound heterozygous mutations in the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase gene cause combined deficiency of all vitamin K-dependent blood coagulation factors

Hereditary combined deficiency of the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors II, VII, IX, X, protein C, S and protein Z (VKCFD) is a very rare autosomal recessive inherited bleeding disorder. The phenotype may result from functional deficiency of either the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX) or the vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) complex. We report on the third case of VKCFD1 with mutations in the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase gene, which is remarkable because of compound heterozygosity. Two mutations were identified: a splice site mutation of exon 3 and a point mutation in exon 11, resulting in the replacement of arginine 485 by proline. Screening of 100 unrelated normal chromosomes by restriction fragment length polymorphism and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography analysis excluded either mutation as a frequent polymorphism. Substitution of vitamin K could only partially normalize the levels of coagulation factors. It is suggested that the missense mutation affects either the propeptide binding site or the vitamin K binding site of GGCX.

Characteristics of recombinant W501S mutated human gamma-glutamyl carboxylase

A mutation (W501S) in the vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase (VKC) that leads to a congenital bleeding disorder was recently discovered in two patients. To characterize the enzyme defect, recombinant VKC-W501S was expressed in and purified from insect cells. The major effect of the mutation appears to be to decrease the affinity of the carboxylase for the propeptide of its substrates. This observation agrees with recent data that place part of the propeptide binding site within residues 495-513 of VKC. Additionally, we demonstrate that the affinity between descarboxy osteocalcin (d-OC) and VKC remains unaffected by the W501S mutation. This confirms earlier data that the high-affinity site for d-OC is not located on the propeptide binding domain of VKC. Two properties of the enzyme suggest an explanation for the observation that vitamin K supplementation ameliorates the effects of the mutation: (i) since full carboxylation requires the propeptide to remain bound to the enzyme sufficiently long for full carboxylation, a reduced affinity can cause its premature release before carboxylation is complete; (ii) propeptide binding results in a decrease of the KM for vitamin K hydroquinone in wild-type, but not in mutant carboxylase, resulting in increased vitamin K requirement of affected subjects.

Carboxylase overexpression effects full carboxylation but poor release and secretion of factor IX: implications for the release of vitamin K-dependent proteins

Vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins are modified by the VKD carboxylase as they transit through the endoplasmic reticulum. In a reaction required for their activity, clusters of Glu's are converted to Gla's, and fully carboxylated VKD proteins are normally secreted. In mammalian cell lines expressing high levels of r-VKD proteins, however, under- and uncarboxylated VKD forms are observed. Overexpression of r-carboxylase does not improve carboxylation, but the lack of effect is not understood, and the intracellular events that occur during VKD protein carboxylation have not been investigated. We analyzed carboxylation in 293- and BHK cell lines expressing r-factor IX (fIX) and endogenous carboxylase or overexpressed r-carboxylase. The fIX secreted from the four cell lines was highly carboxylated, indicating fIX-carboxylase engagement during intracellular trafficking. The r-carboxylase was functional for carboxylation: overexpression resulted in a proportional increase in fIX-carboxylase complexes that yielded full fIX carboxylation. Interestingly, the carboxylated fIX product was not efficiently released from the carboxylase in r-fIX/r-carboxylase cells, resulting in decreased fIX secretion. r-Carboxylase overexpression changed the ratios of intracellular fIX to carboxylase, and we therefore developed an in vitro assay to test whether fIX levels affect release. FIX-carboxylase complexes were in vitro carboxylated with or without excess VKD substrate or propeptide. These analyses are the first to dissect the rates of release versus carboxylation and showed that release was much slower than carboxylation. In the absence of excess VKD substrate/propeptide, fIX in the fIX-carboxylase complex was fully carboxylated by 10 min, but 95% was still complexed with carboxylase after 30 min. The presence of excess VKD substrate/propeptide, however, led to a significant increase in VKD product release, possibly through a second propeptide binding site in the carboxylase. The intracellular analyses also showed that the fIX carboxylation rate was slow in vivo and was similar in r-fIX versus r-fIX/r-carboxylase cells, despite the large differences in carboxylase levels. The results suggest that the vitamin K cofactor may be limiting for carboxylation in the cell lines.

Expression and characterization of recombinant vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase from an invertebrate, Conus textile

The marine snail Conus is the sole invertebrate wherein both the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase and its product, gamma-carboxyglutamic acid, have been identified. To examine its biosynthesis of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid, we studied the carboxylase from Conus venom ducts. The carboxylase cDNA from Conus textile has an ORF that encodes a 811-amino-acid protein which exhibits sequence similarity to the vertebrate carboxylases, with 41% identity and approximately 60% sequence similarity to the bovine carboxylase. Expression of this cDNA in COS cells or insect cells yielded vitamin K-dependent carboxylase activity and vitamin K-dependent epoxidase activity. The recombinant carboxylase has a molecular mass of approximately 130 kDa. The recombinant Conus carboxylase carboxylated Phe-Leu-Glu-Glu-Leu and the 28-residue peptides based on residues -18 to +10 of human proprothrombin and proFactor IX with Km values of 420 micro m, 1.7 micro m and 6 micro m, respectively; the Km for vitamin K is 52 micro m. The Km values for peptides based on the sequence of the conotoxin epsilon-TxIX and two precursor analogs containing 12 or 29 amino acids of the propeptide region are 565 micro m, 75 micro m and 74 micro m, respectively. The recombinant Conus carboxylase, in the absence of endogenous substrates, is stimulated up to fivefold by vertebrate propeptides but not by Conus propeptides. These results suggest two propeptide-binding sites in the carboxylase, one that binds the Conus and vertebrate propeptides and is required for substrate binding, and the other that binds only the vertebrate propeptide and is required for enzyme stimulation. The marked functional and structural similarities between the Conus carboxylase and vertebrate vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxylases argue for conservation of a vitamin K-dependent carboxylase across animal species and the importance of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid synthesis in diverse biological systems.

gamma -Glutamyl carboxylation: An extracellular posttranslational modification that antedates the divergence of molluscs, arthropods, and chordates

The posttranslational gamma-carboxylation of glutamate residues in secreted proteins to gamma-carboxyglutamate is carried out by the vitamin K-dependent enzyme gamma-glutamyl carboxylase. gamma-Carboxylation has long been thought to be a biochemical specialization of vertebrates, essential for blood clotting. Recently, a gamma-carboxylase was shown to be expressed in Drosophila, although its function remains undefined in this organism. We have characterized both cDNA and genomic clones for the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase from the marine mollusc, Conus, the only nonvertebrate organism for which gamma-carboxyglutamate-containing proteins have been biochemically and physiologically characterized. The predicted amino acid sequence has a high degree of sequence similarity to the Drosophila and vertebrate enzymes. Although gamma-carboxylases are highly conserved, the Conus and mammalian enzymes have divergent substrate specificity. There are striking parallels in the gene organization of Conus and human gamma-carboxylases. Of the 10 Conus introns identified, 8 are in precisely the same position as the corresponding introns in the human enzyme. This remarkable conservation of intron/exon boundaries reveals that an intron-rich gamma-carboxylase was present early in the evolution of the animal phyla; although specialized adaptations in mammals and molluscs that require this extracellular modification have been identified, the ancestral function(s) and wider biological roles of gamma-carboxylation still need to be defined. The data raise the possibility that most introns in the genes of both mammals and molluscs antedate the divergence of these phyla.

Identification of sequences within the gamma-carboxylase that represent a novel contact site with vitamin K-dependent proteins and that are required for activity

The vitamin K-dependent (VKD) carboxylase converts clusters of Glu residues to gamma-carboxylated Glu residues (Glas) in VKD proteins, which is required for their activity. VKD precursors are targeted to the carboxylase by their carboxylase recognition site, which in most cases is a propeptide. We have identified a second tethering site for carboxylase and VKD proteins that is required for carboxylase activity, called the vitamin K-dependent protein site of interaction (VKS). Several VKD proteins specifically bound an immobilized peptide comprising amino acids 343-355 of the human carboxylase (CVYKRSRGKSGQK) but not a scrambled peptide containing the same residues in a different order. Association with the 343-355 peptide was independent of propeptide binding, because the VKD proteins lacked the propeptide and because the 343-355 peptide did not disrupt association of a propeptide factor IX-carboxylase complex. Analysis with peptides that overlapped amino acids 343-355 indicated that the 343-345 CVY residues were necessary but not sufficient for prothrombin binding. Ionic interactions were also suggested because peptide-VKD protein binding could be disrupted by changes in ionic strength or pH. Mutagenesis of Cys(343) to Ser and Tyr(345) to Phe resulted in 7-11-fold decreases in vitamin K epoxidation and peptide (EEL) substrate and carboxylase carboxylation, and kinetic analysis showed 5-6-fold increases in K(m) values for the Glu substrate. These results suggest that Cys(343) and Tyr(345) are near the catalytic center and affect the active site conformation required for correct positioning of the Glu substrate. The 343-355 VKS peptide had a higher affinity for carboxylated prothrombin (K(d) = 5 microm) than uncarboxylated prothrombin (K(d) = 60 microm), and the basic VKS region may also facilitate exiting of the Gla product from the catalytic center by ionic attraction. Tethering of VKD proteins to the carboxylase via the propeptide-binding site and the VKS region has important implications for the mechanism of VKD protein carboxylation, and a model is proposed for how the carboxylase VKS region may be required for efficient and processive VKD protein carboxylation.

Identification of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase active site: Cys-99 and Cys-450 are required for both epoxidation and carboxylation

The vitamin K-dependent carboxylase modifies and renders active vitamin K-dependent proteins involved in hemostasis, cell growth control, and calcium homeostasis. Using a novel mechanism, the carboxylase transduces the free energy of vitamin K hydroquinone (KH(2)) oxygenation to convert glutamate into a carbanion intermediate, which subsequently attacks CO(2), generating the gamma-carboxylated glutamate product. How the carboxylase effects this conversion is poorly understood because the active site has not been identified. Dowd and colleagues [Dowd, P., Hershline, R., Ham, S. W. & Naganathan, S. (1995) Science 269, 1684-1691] have proposed that a weak base (cysteine) produces a strong base (oxygenated KH(2)) capable of generating the carbanion. To define the active site and test this model, we identified the amino acids that participate in these reactions. N-ethyl maleimide inhibited epoxidation and carboxylation, and both activities were equally protected by KH(2) preincubation. Amino acid analysis of (14)C- N-ethyl maleimide-modified human carboxylase revealed 1.8-2.3 reactive residues and a specific activity of 7 x 10(8) cpm/hr per mg. Tryptic digestion and liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry identified Cys-99 and Cys-450 as active site residues. Mutation to serine reduced both epoxidation and carboxylation, to 0. 2% (Cys-99) or 1% (Cys-450), and increased the K(m)s for a glutamyl substrate 6- to 8-fold. Retention of some activity indicates a mechanism for enhancing cysteine/serine nucleophilicity, a property shared by many active site thiol enzymes. These studies, which represent a breakthrough in defining the carboxylase active site, suggest a revised model in which the glutamyl substrate indirectly coordinates at least one thiol, forming a catalytic complex that ionizes a thiol to initiate KH(2) oxygenation.

A topological study of the human γ-glutamyl carboxylase

γ-Glutamyl carboxylase (GC), a polytopic membrane protein found in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), catalyzes vitamin K–dependent posttranslational modification of glutamate to γ-carboxyl glutamate. In an attempt to delineate the structure of this important enzyme, in vitro translation and in vivo mapping were used to study its membrane topology. Using terminus-tagged full-length carboxylase, expressed in 293 cells, it was demonstrated that the amino-terminus of the GC is on the cytoplasmic side of the ER, while the carboxyl-terminus is on the lumenal side. In addition, a series of fusions were made to encode each predicted transmembrane domain (TMD) followed by a leader peptidase (Lep) reporter tag, as analyzed by the computer algorithm TOPPRED II. Following in vitro translation of each fusion in the presence of canine microsomes, the topological orientation of the Lep tag was determined by proteinase K digestion and endoglycosidase H (Endo H) cleavage. From the topological orientation of the Lep tag in each fusion, the GC spans the ER membrane at least 5 times, with its N-terminus in the cytoplasm and its C-terminus in the lumen.

A topological study of the human γ-glutamyl carboxylase

γ-Glutamyl carboxylase (GC), a polytopic membrane protein found in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), catalyzes vitamin K–dependent posttranslational modification of glutamate to γ-carboxyl glutamate. In an attempt to delineate the structure of this important enzyme, in vitro translation and in vivo mapping were used to study its membrane topology. Using terminus-tagged full-length carboxylase, expressed in 293 cells, it was demonstrated that the amino-terminus of the GC is on the cytoplasmic side of the ER, while the carboxyl-terminus is on the lumenal side. In addition, a series of fusions were made to encode each predicted transmembrane domain (TMD) followed by a leader peptidase (Lep) reporter tag, as analyzed by the computer algorithm TOPPRED II. Following in vitro translation of each fusion in the presence of canine microsomes, the topological orientation of the Lep tag was determined by proteinase K digestion and endoglycosidase H (Endo H) cleavage. From the topological orientation of the Lep tag in each fusion, the GC spans the ER membrane at least 5 times, with its N-terminus in the cytoplasm and its C-terminus in the lumen.

The vitamin K-dependent carboxylase

The carboxylase is an integral membrane glycoprotein that uses vitamin K to modify clusters of glutamyl residues (glu's) to gamma-carboxylated glutamyl residues (gla's) post-translationally in vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins as they pass through the endoplasmic reticulum. Carboxylation is required for VKD protein functions in hemostasis, bone metabolism, growth control and signal transduction. Carboxylation of multiple glu residues is accomplished via a processive mechanism, which occurs with at least some order and involves carboxylation of the carboxylase. The carboxylase has a high affinity binding site for VKD proteins, which in most cases is a VKD propeptide sequence; it also appears to have a low affinity site for those glu's undergoing catalysis. The propeptide activates binding of the glu's; together, the two contact points between the carboxylase and VKD protein increase the affinity of the carboxylase for vitamin K. Biochemical mapping to identify where these events occur in the carboxylase remains a challenge, despite the availability of recombinant protein. The affinity of the carboxylase for the propeptide of several VKD proteins that are coexpressed in liver varies over a 100-fold range. Treatment with anticoagulants such as warfarin that indirectly block carboxylation likely decreases the rate of VKD protein catalysis and increases the accumulation of VKD precursors, leading to a competitive state among these proteins, which results in the premature dissociation of undercarboxylated, inactive protein.

Glutamyl substrate-induced exposure of a free cysteine residue in the vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase is critical for vitamin K epoxidation

The vitamin K-dependent carboxylase catalyzes the posttranslational modification of glutamic acid to gamma-carboxyglutamic acid in the vitamin K-dependent proteins of blood and bone. The vitamin K-dependent carboxylase also catalyzes the epoxidation of vitamin K hydroquinone, an obligatory step in gamma-carboxylation. Using recombinant vitamin K-dependent carboxylase, purified in the absence of propeptide and glutamic acid-containing substrate using a FLAG epitope tag, the role of free cysteine residues in these reactions was examined. Incubation of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase with the sulfhydryl-reactive reagent N-ethylmaleimide inhibited both the carboxylase and epoxidase activities of the enzyme. This inhibition was proportional to the incorporation of radiolabeled N-ethylmaleimide. Stoichiometric analyses using [(3)H]-N-ethylmaleimide indicated that the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase contains two or three free cysteine residues. Incubation with propeptide, glutamic acid-containing substrate, and vitamin K hydroquinone, alone or in combination, indicated that the binding of a glutamic acid-containing substrate to the carboxylase makes accessible a free cysteine residue that is important for interaction with vitamin K hydroquinone. This is consistent with our previous observation that binding of a glutamic acid-containing substrate activates vitamin K epoxidation and supports the hypothesis that binding of the carboxylatable substrate to the enzyme results in a conformational change which renders the enzyme catalytically competent.

Identification of the five hydrophilic residues (Lys-217, Lys-218, Arg-359, His-360, and Arg-513) essential for the structure and activity of vitamin K-dependent carboxylase

Vitamin K-dependent carboxylase catalyzes the posttranslational conversion of glutamic acid to gamma-carboxyglutamic acid in vitamin K-dependent proteins. The clustered charged-to-alanine scanning mutagenesis of bovine carboxylase has identified five distinct candidate regions (I. Sugiura et al., J. Biol. Chem. 271, 17837-17844, 1996) with significant loss-of-function phenotype. To further specify the residues essential for the structure and function of the enzyme, Lys-217, Lys-218, Arg-359, His-360, Lys-361, Arg-513, and Lys-515 were analyzed by substituting to alanine individually. All the mutants except for K217A were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The carboxylase activities of R359A, H360A, and R513A decreased in parallel with the vitamin K epoxidase activities. Both carboxylations by R359A and H360A were stimulated saturatively at 1 microM factor IX propeptide (proFIX18) concentration, but that by R513A was not at a concentration up to 128 microM. K218A completely lost the enzyme activities but it cross-linked to the propeptide, suggesting that Lys-218 is critical for enzyme activity without affecting propeptide binding. We conclude that Lys-218, Arg-359, and His-360 are involved in the catalytic event, and Arg-513 participates in propeptide binding.

Cloning of rat vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase and developmentally regulated gene expression in postimplantation embryos

Vitamin K-dependent carboxylase catalyzes the posttranslational modification of glutamate to gamma-carboxyglutamate (Gla) in its substrates, the vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs). This modification is required for the activities of the VKDPs. Recent evidence demonstrates previously unrecognized roles for VKDPs as signaling molecules important in the regulation of cell growth, adhesion, and apoptosis, suggesting developmental functions for VKDPs and hence the carboxylase. The tissue distribution and functions of carboxylase in development are unknown. In this study, we isolated and characterized the full-length cDNA encoding the rat carboxylase and analyzed, at the cellular level, the expression of this gene in rat embryos by in situ hybridization. We demonstrate that the expression of this gene is highly regulated in a developmental and tissue-specific manner. Hepatocytes, the major site of synthesis of VKDPs of blood coagulation, express carboxylase mRNA late in gestation, in contrast to the central nervous system, mesenchymal, and skeletal tissues which express carboxylase mRNA early during rat embryogenesis. The tissue-specific temporal expression of the carboxylase gene during embryogenesis indicates that vitamin K-dependent carboxylation and the formation of Gla is developmentally regulated. These studies suggest that vitamin K-dependent carboxylation is an important modulator of embryonic VKDP function.

The gamma-carboxylation recognition site is sufficient to direct vitamin K-dependent carboxylation on an adjacent glutamate-rich region of thrombin in a propeptide-thrombin chimera

The propeptides of the vitamin K-dependent proteins contain a gamma-carboxylation recognition site that is required for gamma-glutamyl carboxylation. To determine whether the propeptide is sufficient to direct carboxylation, two mutant prothrombin species were expressed and characterized with regard to posttranslational gamma-carboxylation. A double point mutant, in which serine substituted for cysteines 17 and 22 disrupted a conserved loop formed by a disulfide bond, was fully carboxylated when expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. A propeptide/thrombin chimeric protein, constructed by deleting the Gla, aromatic amino acid stack, and kringle domains of prothrombin, has the signal peptide and propeptide juxtaposed to a glutamate-rich COOH-terminal region of prothrombin, residues 249-530. Of the 8 glutamic acid residues contained within the first 40 residues of the NH2 terminus adjacent to the propeptide, at least seven were fully carboxylated as demonstrated by direct gamma-carboxyglutamic acid analysis of the alkaline hydrolysate and by NH2-terminal sequence analysis. These results indicate that the gamma-carboxylation recognition site within the prothrombin propeptide in a prothrombin propeptide-thrombin chimeric protein is sufficient to direct gamma-carboxylase-catalyzed carboxylation of adjacent glutamic acid residues in a glutamate-rich region of thrombin that is not normally gamma-carboxylated. Furthermore, the disulfide loop in the Gla domain of prothrombin is not required for complete carboxylation.

The active site region of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase includes both the amino-terminal hydrophobic and carboxy-terminal hydrophilic domains of the protein

In order to localize the active site of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase, we developed an affinity probe containing the propeptide and the first two carboxylatable glutamate residues conserved in many native substrates. This probe crosslinked to both the hydrophobic amino-terminal and hydrophilic carboxy-terminal domains of the carboxylase, in contrast with previous work which localized both the catalytic and the propeptide binding site within the amino-terminal hydrophobic domain. Amino acid analysis revealed that the mass of an amino-terminal fragment is seriously underestimated by SDS-PAGE. Reanalysis of the published data in light of this information suggests that a portion of the propeptide binding site resides within the carboxy-terminal hydrophilic domain.

The propeptide of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase substrate accelerates formation of the gamma-glutamyl carbanion intermediate

Vitamin K-dependent carboxylase catalyzes the post-translational gamma-carboxylation of 9-12 glutamyl residues of several blood coagulation proteins. Carboxylase purified from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells as a recombinant FLAG-carboxylase fusion protein [Sugiura, I., et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 17837-17844] was utilized with pentapeptide substrate FL[3H-R,S]EAL with high specific radioactivity to probe the timing of glutamyl Cgamma-3H cleavage relative to Cgamma-COO- bond formation by 14CO2 incorporation rates. Studies were conducted over a range of NaH14CO3 concentrations to assess uncoupling of gamma-glutamyl carbanion formation and over a range of concentrations of ProPT18, the 18-residue peptide corresponding to the -18 to -1 propeptide region of prothrombin known to affect the catalytic efficiency of carboxylase. At saturation, ProPT18 accelerates Cgamma-3H cleavage 11-13-fold and Cgamma-14CO2- formation 6-7-fold, converting a Cgamma-3H cleavage/Cgamma-14CO2- formation ratio of 1.2-1.4 in the absence of ProPT18 to 2.3-2.8 in its presence, a relative increase in and uncoupling of Cgamma-3H cleavage from C-C bond formation. When the HCO3- concentration was varied, the V/K3H+/V/K14CO2 ratios rose as HCO3- fractional saturation dropped to a ratio of 9.3-10.8/l at low bicarbonate, indicating an uncoupling of nine out of ten gamma-glutamyl carbanion formations from carboxylative capture, consistent with prior reports on microsomal enzyme [Larson, A. E., et al. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 11032-11035]. These results with pentapeptide substrate FLEAL validate reversible gamma-glutamyl carbanion formation by pure carboxylase and indicate the ProPT18 increase in catalytic efficiency is in selective lowering of an energy barrier preceding the gamma-glutamyl carbanion intermediate.

The propeptide binding site of the bovine gamma-glutamyl carboxylase

gamma-Glutamyl carboxylase is an integral membrane protein required for the posttranslational modification of vitamin K-dependent proteins. The main recognition between the enzyme and its substrates is through an 18-amino acid propeptide. It has been reported that this binding site resides in the amino-terminal third of the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase molecule (Yamada, M., Kuliopulos, A., Nelson, N. P., Roth, D. A., Furie, B., Furie, B. C., and Walsh, C. T. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 481-489). In contrast, we found the binding site in the carboxyl half of the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase. We show that the carboxylase may be cleaved by trypsin into an amino-terminal 30-kDa and a carboxyl-terminal 60-kDa fragment joined by a disulfide bond(s), and the propeptide binds to the 60-kDa fragment. The sequence of the amino terminus of the 60-kDa fragment reveals that the primary trypsin-sensitive sites are at residues 349 and 351. Furthermore, the tryptic fragment that cross-links to the propeptide also reacts with an antibody specific to the carboxyl portion of the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase. In addition, cyanogen bromide cleavage of bovine gamma-glutamyl carboxylase cross-linked to the peptide comprising residues TVFLDHENANKILNRPKRY of human factor IX yields a cross-linked fragment of 16 kDa from the carboxyl half of the molecule, the amino-terminal sequence of which begins at residue 438. Thus, the propeptide binding site lies carboxyl-terminal to residue 438 and is predicted to be in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum.

p-(4-Hydroxybenzoyl)phenylalanine: a photoreactive amino acid analog amenable to radioiodination for elucidation of peptide-protein interaction. Application to substance P receptor

Benzoylphenylalanine, a photoreactive phenylalanine analog that can be incorporated into a peptide during solid-phase synthesis, is a useful probe for investigating the interactions of bioactive peptides with their receptors. This probe, however, lacks versatility because it is not detectable by Edman sequencing and because it cannot be labeled with radioiodine, requiring radiolabeling of the peptide ligand at a site distal to the photoreactive amino acid. The separation of the radioisotope and photoaffinity labels along the primary sequence limits identification of the photoinsertion site to a peptide fragment rather than a specific amino acid of the receptor protein. We have now synthesized p-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)phenylalanine by a synthetic route involving reaction of 4-(chloromethyl)benzoic anhydride with phenol in polyphosphoric acid to give the 4-(chloromethyl)benzoyl ester of 4-(chloromethyl)-4'-hydroxybenzophenone followed by reaction of the benzophenone derivative with ethyl acetamidocyanoacetate and subsequent hydrolysis of the product to give p-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)phenylalanine. The novel photolabile amino acid was incorporated into substance P (replacing Phe8 or Lys3) to give 11-mer peptides that bind with high (nM) affinity and specificity to the substance P receptor. Radioiodination of the substance P analogs resulted in the incorporation of 125I at the photoreactive amino acid residue, yielding probes of high (approximately 2000 Ci/mmol) specific activity. Subsequent photolysis of the radiolabeled peptides in the presence of substance P receptor caused covalent attachment of the peptide to the receptor with high photoinsertion yield (approximately 30%); photolabeling was abolished in the presence of excess unlabeled SP. p-(4-Hydroxybenzoyl)phenylalanine retains p-benzoylphenylalanine's high insertion yield and low reactivity with water, but in contrast allows placement of radioiodine and the photoactive moieties within the same residue, providing the ability to identify the specific site(s) of interaction, and identification of the residue by Edman sequencing. This novel amino acid may be useful in the elucidation of the interaction of a variety of peptides with their receptors.

Benzophenone photoprobes for phosphoinositides, peptides and drugs

Benzophenones (BP) and related aryl ketone photophores have become established as the photoactivatable group of choice for high-efficiency covalent modification of hydrophobic regions of binding proteins, including enzymes and receptors that recognize peptide hormones, (oligo) nucleotides and nucleosides, phosphoinositides, inositol polyphosphates and a wide variety of therapeutic molecules. This review presents the advantages of BP as photoaffinity labels and provides specific examples from the last 3 years of applications of BP-containing ligands used in biochemistry.

Profactor IX propeptide and glutamate substrate binding sites on the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase identified by site-directed mutagenesis

The vitamin K-dependent carboxylase, a constituent of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, catalyzes the conversion of reduced vitamin K to vitamin K epoxide and the concomitant conversion of glutamic acid to gamma-carboxyglutamic acid. To study structure-function relationships in the enzyme, seventeen clusters of charged residues of the bovine gamma-glutamyl carboxylase were substituted with alanines using site-specific mutagenesis. Wild-type and mutant carboxylase species were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells with an immunodetectable octapeptide inserted at their amino-terminal ends. Out of 17 mutant carboxylase species that contain a total of 41 charged residue to alanine substitutions, K217A/K218A (CBX217/218), R234A/H235A (CBX234/235), R359A/H360A/K361A (CBX359/360/361), R406A/H408A (CBX406/408), and R513A/K515A (CBX513/515) had impaired carboxylase activity compared with the wild-type enzyme. The vitamin K epoxidase activities of these mutants were reduced in parallel with the carboxylase activities. CBX217/218 appears to be inactive. High propeptide concentrations were required for stimulation of carboxylation of FLEEL by CBX234/235, CBX406/408, and CBX513/515, suggesting defects in the propeptide binding site. CBX359/360/361 showed normal affinity for the propeptide, FLEEL, proPT28, and vitamin K hydroquinone but exhibited a low catalytic rate for carboxylation. These results suggest that residue 217, residue 218, or both are either critical for catalysis or for maintaining the structure of a catalytically active enzyme. Regions around residues 234, 406, and 513 define in part the propeptide binding site, while the regions around residue 359 are involved in catalysis.

Identification of the phospholipid binding site in the vitamin K-dependent blood coagulation protein factor IX

The blood coagulation and regulatory proteins that contain gamma-carboxyglutamic acid are a part of a unique class of membrane binding proteins that require calcium for their interaction with cell membranes. Following protein biosynthesis, glutamic acids on these proteins are converted to gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) in a reaction that requires vitamin K as a cofactor. The vitamin K-dependent proteins undergo a conformational transition upon metal ion binding, but only calcium ions mediate protein-phospholipid interaction. To identify the site on Factor IX that is required for phospholipid binding, we have determined the three-dimensional structure of the Factor IX Gla domain bound to magnesium ions by NMR spectroscopy. By comparison of this structure to that of the Gla domain bound to calcium ions, we localize the membrane binding site to a highly ordered structure including residues 1-11 of the Gla domain. In the presence of Ca2+, Factor IX Gla domain peptides that contain the photoactivatable amino acid p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine at positions 6 or 9 cross-link to phospholipid following irradiation, while peptides lacking this amino acid analog or with this analog at position 46 did not cross-link. These results indicate that the NH2 terminus of the Gla domain, specifically including leucine 6 and phenylalanine 9 in the hydrophobic patch, is the contact surface on Factor IX that interacts with the phospholipid bilayer.

Platelet activation by 2-(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutylthio)adenosine 5'-diphosphate is mediated by its binding to a putative ADP receptor, aggregin

Platelet responses induced by ADP are mediated by a unique P21-purinergic receptor. Although a variety of ADP analogs, substituted at C2, have been used to delineate pharmacological properties of the ADP-binding site(s), the identity of the receptor protein has not been firmly established. 2-(4-Bromo-2,3-dioxobutylthio)- ADP [2-BrCH2(CO)2CH2-S-ADP], a well-characterized ADP analog, has been previously used as an affinity label to examine the structure/function relationship of ADP-requiring enzymes [Kapetanovic, E., Bailey, J.B. & Colman, R.F. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 7586-7593]. We found that it induced platelet shape change, aggregation, exposure of fibrinogen binding sites, secretion and mobilization of intracellular calcium, but was less potent than ADP. Under non-stirring conditions, incubation of platelets with this analog for longer time periods blocked ADP-induced shape change, aggregation, and the ability to ADP to antagonize the rise in intracellular levels of cAMP induced by iloprost (a prostaglandin I2 analog). Of a variety of agonists examined, only ADP-induced aggregation was almost completely inhibited in platelets irreversibly modified by the analog. An autoradiogram of the gel obtained by SDS/PAGE of solubilized platelets modified by the ADP analog followed by reduction of the dioxo group by NaB[3H], showed the presence of a single radiolabeled protein band at 100 kDa. Platelets incubated first with either ADP, ATP, or 2-methylthio-ADP were not labeled by 2-BrCH2(CO)2CH2S-ADP and NaB[3H]4-8-BrCH2(CO)2CH2-S-ADP was previously shown by us to irreversibly antagonize ADP-induced platelet responses by selectively modifying aggregin. Incubation of platelets with 2-BrCH2(CO)2CH2S-ADP completely blocked labeling of aggregin in platelets by 8-BrCH2(CO)2CH2S-[32P]ADP. These results show that 2-BrCH2(CO)2CH2S-ADP initially interacts reversibly with aggregin (100kDa), a putative ADP receptor, and induces platelet shape change and aggregation, and at longer periods of incubation reacts irreversibly to block the ability of ADP to antagonize stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. In contrast, 6-BrCH2(CO)2CH2S-ADP was found to be a weak and reversible inhibitor of ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Prior incubation of platelets with the latter analog reduced labeling of aggregin by 8-BrCH2(CO)2CH2S-[32P]ADP. Taken together, the results further show that substitution by the BrCH2(CO)2CH2 group at the C2 and C8 positions is tolerated, while the presence of a free amino function at the C6 position is essential for its interaction with aggregin.

Inhibition of ADP-induced platelet responses by covalent modification of aggregin, a putative ADP receptor, by 8-(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutylthio)ADP

ADP is an important platelet agonist which initiates platelet shape change, aggregation, exposure of fibrinogen receptors, and calcium mobilization. Because of the limitations of previously used affinity analogs and photo-labeling studies as well as controversies surrounding the identity of an ADP receptor on platelets, we have used an affinity label capable of alkylating a putative exofacial receptor on platelets. We now report that 8-(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutylthio)adenosine-5'-diphosphate (8-BDB-TADP), which is an analog of the natural ligand ADP, blocked ADP-induced platelet shape change, aggregation, exposure of fibrinogen-binding sites, secretion, and calcium mobilization. Following modification by 8-BDB-TADP, the rates of aggregation of platelets induced by thrombin, a calcium ionophore (A23187) or a stimulator of protein kinase C (phorbol myristate acetate) were minimally affected. However, the 8-BDB-TADP-modified platelets exhibited decreased rates of aggregation in response to ADP, as well as collagen and a thromboxane mimetic (U46619), both of which partially require ADP. Autoradiograms of the gels obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of solubilized platelets modified by either [beta-32P]8-BDB-TADP, or 8-BDB-TADP and NaB[3H]4 showed the presence of a single radiolabeled protein band at 100 kDa. The intensity of this band was reduced when platelets were preincubated with ADP, ATP, and 8-bromo-ADP prior to labeling by the radioactive 8-BDB-TADP. The results show that 8-BDB-TADP selectively and covalently labeled aggregin (100 kDa), a putative ADP receptor, resulting in a loss of ADP-induced platelet responses.

Mutagenesis of vitamin K-dependent carboxylase demonstrates a carboxyl terminus-mediated interaction with vitamin K hydroquinone

The gamma-glutamyl carboxylase and vitamin K epoxidase activities of a series of mutants of bovine vitamin K-dependent carboxylase with progressively larger COOH-terminal deletions have been analyzed. The recombinant wild-type (residues 1-758) and mutant protein carboxylases, Cbx 711, Cbx 676, and Cbx 572, representing residues 1-711, 1-676, and 1-572, respectively, were expressed in baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells. Wild-type carboxylase had a Km for the substrate Phe-Leu-Glu-Glu-Leu (FLEEL) of 0.87 mM; the carboxylation of FLEEL was stimulated 2.5-fold by proPT18, the propeptide of prothrombin. Its Km for vitamin K hydroquinone was 23 microM and the specific epoxidase activity of the carboxylase was 938 pmol vitamin KO/30 min/pmol of carboxylase. Cbx 711, which was also stimulated by proPT18, had a Km for FLEEL, a Km for vitamin K hydroquinone, and a specific epoxidase activity that was comparable to the wild-type carboxylase. In contrast Cbx 572 lacked both carboxylase and epoxidase activities. Although Cbx 676 had a normal carboxylase active site in terms of the Km for FLEEL and its stimulation by proPT18, the Km for vitamin K hydroquinone was 540 microM, and the specific epoxidase activity was 97 pmol KO/30 min/pmol of Cbx 676. The catalytic efficiencies of Cbx 676 for glutamate carboxylation and vitamin K epoxidation were decreased 15- and 400-fold, respectively, from wild-type enzyme reflecting the requirement for formation of an activated vitamin K species for carboxylation to occur. These data indicate that the truncation of COOH-terminal segments of the carboxylase had no effect on FLEEL or propeptide recognition, but in the case of Cbx 676, selectively affected the interaction with vitamin K hydroquinone and the generation of epoxidase activity. These data suggest that a vitamin K epoxidase activity domain may reside near the COOH terminus while the carboxylase active site domain resides toward the NH2 terminus.