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Yamamoto Y, Kajiura H, Fukuchi H, Nishibu T, Fujiyama K, Kitagawa T. Reconstitution of (1→3)-β-D-glucans measurement system using recombinant Limulus polyphemus Factor G. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:7463-7473. [PMID: 37882851 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12808-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Horseshoe crab Factor G is a heterodimeric serine protease zymogen that is activated by (1→3)-β-D-glucans (BDG) from fungal cell walls. This reaction is used in diagnostic agents for deep-seated mycosis. At present, functional analysis using Factor G from Tachypleus tridentatus has been performed, and genetic information has been published, but reconstitution using recombinant proteins has not yet been achieved. In this study, we cloned the genes for Factor G α and β from Limulus polyphemus; two gene sequences were obtained for Factor G α and seven for β. The obtained L. polyphemus Factor G α was used to specifically remove BDG from the culture medium for eliminating the activator BDG. The optimal combination for each sequence was examined with BDG removal medium, and a combination was found that featured BDG-dependent activity. These results indicate that a BDG assay system using recombinant Factor G is feasible in reconstitution. This research will support future reagent development that does not require natural horseshoe crab resources. KEY POINTS: • Cloned novel Factor G α subunit and β subunit genes from L. polyphemus • Proposed a method of removing BDG without reducing culture medium performance • Identified combination of recombinant α and β subunits for BDG-dependent activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yotaro Yamamoto
- R & D Marketing Operations Biotechnology Center, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation, 6-1 Takata-cho, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, 661-0963, Japan
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kajiura
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroki Fukuchi
- R & D Marketing Operations Biotechnology Center, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation, 6-1 Takata-cho, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, 661-0963, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nishibu
- R & D Marketing Operations Biotechnology Center, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation, 6-1 Takata-cho, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, 661-0963, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Fujiyama
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kitagawa
- R & D Marketing Operations Biotechnology Center, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation, 6-1 Takata-cho, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, 661-0963, Japan.
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2
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Fux AC, Casonato Melo C, Michelini S, Swartzwelter BJ, Neusch A, Italiani P, Himly M. Heterogeneity of Lipopolysaccharide as Source of Variability in Bioassays and LPS-Binding Proteins as Remedy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098395. [PMID: 37176105 PMCID: PMC10179214 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also referred to as endotoxin, is the major component of Gram-negative bacteria's outer cell wall. It is one of the main types of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are known to elicit severe immune reactions in the event of a pathogen trespassing the epithelial barrier and reaching the bloodstream. Associated symptoms include fever and septic shock, which in severe cases, might even lead to death. Thus, the detection of LPS in medical devices and injectable pharmaceuticals is of utmost importance. However, the term LPS does not describe one single molecule but a diverse class of molecules sharing one common feature: their characteristic chemical structure. Each bacterial species has its own pool of LPS molecules varying in their chemical composition and enabling the aggregation into different supramolecular structures upon release from the bacterial cell wall. As this heterogeneity has consequences for bioassays, we aim to examine the great variability of LPS molecules and their potential to form various supramolecular structures. Furthermore, we describe current LPS quantification methods and the LPS-dependent inflammatory pathway and show how LPS heterogeneity can affect them. With the intent of overcoming these challenges and moving towards a universal approach for targeting LPS, we review current studies concerning LPS-specific binders. Finally, we give perspectives for LPS research and the use of LPS-binding molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C Fux
- Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Biosciences & Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Cristiane Casonato Melo
- Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Biosciences & Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Sara Michelini
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Benjamin J Swartzwelter
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, 1601 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Andreas Neusch
- Experimental Medical Physics, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Paola Italiani
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Martin Himly
- Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Biosciences & Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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Biomolecules of the Horseshoe Crab’s Hemolymph: Components of an Ancient Defensive Mechanism and Its Impact on the Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Industry. Cell Microbiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/3381162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Without adaptive immunity, invertebrates have evolved innate immune systems that react to antigens on the surfaces of pathogens. These defense mechanisms are included in horseshoe crab hemocytes’ cellular responses to pathogens. Secretory granules, large (L) and small (S), are found on hemocytes. Once the invasion of pathogens is present, these granules release their contents through exocytosis. Recent data in biochemistry and immunology on the granular constituents of granule-specific proteins are stored in large and small granules which are involved in the cell-mediated immune response. L-granules contain most clotting proteins, which are necessary for hemolymph coagulation. They also include tachylectins; protease inhibitors, such as cystatin and serpins; and anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) factors, which bind to LPS and agglutinate bacteria. Big defensin, tachycitin, tachystatin, and tachyplesins are some of the essential cysteine-rich proteins in S-granules. These granules also contain tachycitin and tachystatins, which can agglutinate bacteria. These proteins in granules and hemolymph act synergistically to fight infections. These biomolecules are antimicrobial and antibacterial, enabling them to be drug resistant. This review is aimed at explaining the biomolecules identified in the horseshoe crab’s hemolymph and their application scopes in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
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Kawabata SI, Shibata T. New insights into the hemolymph coagulation cascade of horseshoe crabs initiated by autocatalytic activation of a lipopolysaccharide-sensitive zymogen. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 135:104491. [PMID: 35850280 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The concept of a chain reaction of proteolytic activation of multiple protease zymogens was first proposed to explain the blood clotting system in mammals as an enzyme cascade. In multicellular organisms, similar enzyme cascades are widely present in signal transduction and amplification systems. The initiation step of the blood coagulation cascade often consists of autocatalytic activation of the corresponding zymogens located on the surfaces of host- or foreign-derived substances at injured sites. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the concept of autocatalytic activation remains speculative. In this review, we will focus on the autocatalytic activation of prochelicerase C on the surface of lipopolysaccharide as a potential initiator of hemolymph coagulation in horseshoe crabs. Prochelicerase C is presumed to have evolved from a common complement factor in Chelicerata; thus, evolutionary insights into the hemolymph coagulation and complement systems in horseshoe crabs will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun-Ichiro Kawabata
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Toshio Shibata
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
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The Important Distinction Between Peer-Reviewed and Predatory Journals: A Bacterial Endotoxin Test Case. PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12109-021-09818-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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6
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Yamashita K, Takeshita N, Arita A, Shibata T, Kobayashi Y, Kawabata SI. A mutant equipped with a regenerated disulfide for the missing his loop of a serine protease zymogen in the horseshoe crab coagulation cascade. J Biochem 2021; 170:489-500. [PMID: 34037771 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvab064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The lipopolysaccharide-triggered coagulation cascade in horseshoe crabs is composed of three zymogens belonging to the trypsinogen family: prochelicerase C, prochelicerase B (proB), and the proclotting enzyme (proCE). Trypsinogen-family members contain three conserved disulfides located around the active site. While it is known that proB evolutionarily lost one of the disulfides, the His-loop disulfide, the roles of the missing His-loop disulfide in proB remain unknown. Here we prepared a proB mutant, named proB-murasame, equipped with a regenerated His-loop disulfide. The activation rate by upstream α-chelicerase C for proB-murasame was indistinguishable from that for wild-type (WT) proB. The resulting protease chelicerase B-murasame exhibited an 8-fold higher kcat value for downstream proCE than WT chelicerase B, whereas the Km value of chelicerase B-murasame was equivalent to that of WT chelicerase B. WT serpins-1, -2, and -3, identified as scavengers for the cascade, had no reactivity against WT chelicerase B, whereas chelicerase B-murasame was inhibited by WT serpin-2, suggesting that WT chelicerae B may trigger as-yet-unsolved phenomena after performing its duty in the cascade. The reconstituted lipopolysaccharide-triggered cascade containing proB-murasame exhibited ∼5-fold higher CE production than that containing WT proB. ProB-murasame might be used as a high value-adding reagent for lipopolysaccharide detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Yamashita
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Naoki Takeshita
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Aina Arita
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Toshio Shibata
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yuki Kobayashi
- LAL Research, Central Research Laboratory, Seikagaku Corporation, Higashiyamato, Tokyo, 207-0021, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichiro Kawabata
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
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7
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Wang WF, Xie XY, Chen K, Chen XL, Zhu WL, Wang HL. Immune Responses to Gram-Negative Bacteria in Hemolymph of the Chinese Horseshoe Crab, Tachypleus tridentatus. Front Immunol 2021; 11:584808. [PMID: 33584649 PMCID: PMC7878551 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.584808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chinese horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus, is an ancient marine arthropod with a long evolutionary history. As a kind of living fossil species, the pathogen defenses of horseshoe crabs entirely depend on the innate immune system. Although, there are abundant immune molecules found in the horseshoe crab hemolymph, the biological mechanisms underlying their abilities of distinguishing and defending against invading microbes are still unclear. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing at mRNA and protein levels and bioinformatics analysis methods to systematically analyze the innate immune response to Gram-negative bacteria in hemolymph of Chinese horseshoe crab. These results showed that many genes in the complement and coagulation cascades, Toll, NF-κB, C-type lectin receptor, JAK-STAT, and MAPK signaling pathways, and antimicrobial substances were activated at 12 and 24 h post-infection, suggesting that Gram-negative bacteria could activate the hemolymph coagulation cascade and antibacterial substances release via the above pathways. In addition, we conjectured that Toll and NF-κB signaling pathway were most likely to participate in the immune response to Gram-negative bacteria in hemolymph of horseshoe crab through an integral signal cascade. These findings will provide a useful reference for exploring the ancient original innate immune mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Feng Wang
- Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Xie
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kang Chen
- Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiu-Li Chen
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Wei-Lin Zhu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Huan-Ling Wang
- Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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8
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Yamashita K, Shibata T, Takahashi T, Kobayashi Y, Kawabata SI. Roles of the clip domains of two protease zymogens in the coagulation cascade in horseshoe crabs. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:8857-8866. [PMID: 32409575 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.012452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-triggered coagulation cascade in horseshoe crabs comprises three protease zymogens: prochelicerase C (proC), prochelicerase B (proB), and the proclotting enzyme (proCE). The presence of LPS results in autocatalytic activation of proC to α-chelicerase C, which, in turn, activates proB to chelicerase B, converting proCE to the clotting enzyme (CE). ProB and proCE contain an N-terminal clip domain, but the roles of these domains in this coagulation cascade remain unknown. Here, using recombinant proteins and kinetics and binding assays, we found that five basic residues in the clip domain of proB are required to maintain its LPS-binding activity and activation by α-chelicerase C. Moreover, an amino acid substitution at a potential hydrophobic cavity in proB's clip domain (V55A-proB) reduced both its LPS-binding activity and activation rate. WT proCE exhibited no LPS-binding activity, and the WT chelicerase B-mediated activation of a proCE variant with a substitution at a potential hydrophobic cavity (V53A-proCE) was ∼4-fold slower than that of WT proCE. The k cat/Km value of the interaction of WT chelicerase B with V53A-proCE was 7-fold lower than that of the WT chelicerase B-WT proCE interaction. The enzymatic activities of V55A-chelicerase B and V53A-CE against specific peptide substrates were indistinguishable from those of the corresponding WT proteases. In conclusion, the clip domain of proB recruits it to a reaction center composed of α-chelicerase C and LPS, where α-chelicerase C is ready to activate proB, leading to chelicerase B-mediated activation of proCE via its clip domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Yamashita
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Toshio Shibata
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Takahashi
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuki Kobayashi
- LAL Research, Central Research Laboratory, Seikagaku Corporation, Higashiyamato, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichiro Kawabata
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
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Muroi M, Ogura N, Mizumura H, Aketagawa J, Oda T, Tanamoto KI. Application of a Recombinant Three-Factor Chromogenic Reagent, PyroSmart, for Bacterial Endotoxins Test Filed in the Pharmacopeias. Biol Pharm Bull 2019; 42:2024-2037. [PMID: 31588055 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b19-00517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Assays using lysate reagents prepared from horseshoe crab hemocyte extract (limulus amoebocyte lysate, LAL) are commonly and widely used to detect and measure endotoxin in parenteral drugs and medical devices. However, lysate reagents suffer from lot-to-lot variations leading to possible fluctuations in testing. Also, this continued usage of lysate reagents leads to the possible decline of the horseshoe crab population. Recently, a new recombinant chromogenic reagent, PyroSmart, consisting of three recombinant factors was introduced to the market. There are now three recombinant products; two with recombinant factor C reagents and PyroSmart with the complete recombinant LAL system. We evaluated the applicability of the reagent to the harmonized bacterial endotoxins test in the United States, European and Japanese pharmacopeias. The recombinant product showed equivalent potency of thirteen endotoxins from different bacterial strains to conventional chromogenic lysate reagents as long as their assay modes are identical. All analytical characteristics or assay parameters of the reagent satisfied the acceptance criteria which are set for the use for the bacterial endotoxins test filed in the pharmacopeias. All of 109 parenteral drugs tested can be measured with PyroSmart within respective maximum allowable dilutions. The lot-to-lot variation in recovery of endotoxin added in the parenteral drugs for PyroSmart was equal to or less than those of six limulus lysate reagents. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the recombinant reagent, PyroSmart, provide a good alternative to the LAL reagents with better lot-to-lot variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Muroi
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Musashino University
| | - Norihiko Ogura
- LAL Research, Central Research Laboratory, Seikagaku Corporation
| | - Hikaru Mizumura
- LAL Research, Central Research Laboratory, Seikagaku Corporation
| | - Jun Aketagawa
- Global Business Development & Marketing, Seikagaku Corporation
| | - Toshio Oda
- LAL Research, Central Research Laboratory, Seikagaku Corporation
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10
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Shibata T, Kobayashi Y, Ikeda Y, Kawabata SI. Intermolecular autocatalytic activation of serine protease zymogen factor C through an active transition state responding to lipopolysaccharide. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:11589-11599. [PMID: 29866883 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.002311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Horseshoe crab hemolymph coagulation is believed to be triggered by the autocatalytic activation of serine protease zymogen factor C to the active form, α-factor C, belonging to the trypsin family, through an active transition state of factor C responding to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), designated factor C*. However, the existence of factor C* is only speculative, and its proteolytic activity has not been validated. In addition, it remains unclear whether the proteolytic cleavage of the Phe737-Ile738 bond (Phe737 site) of factor C required for the conversion to α-factor C occurs intramolecularly or intermolecularly between the factor C molecules. Here we show that the Phe737 site of a catalytic Ser-deficient mutant of factor C is LPS-dependently hydrolyzed by a Phe737 site-uncleavable mutant, clearly indicating the existence of the active transition state of factor C without cleavage of the Phe737 site. Moreover, we found the following facts using several mutants of factor C: the autocatalytic cleavage of factor C occurs intermolecularly between factor C* molecules on the LPS surface; factor C* does not exhibit intrinsic chymotryptic activity against the Phe737 site, but it may recognize a three-dimensional structure around the cleavage site; and LPS is required not only to complete the substrate-binding site and oxyanion hole of factor C* by interacting with the N-terminal region but also to allow the Phe737 site to be cleaved by inducing a conformational change around the Phe737 site or by acting as a scaffold to induce specific protein-protein interactions between factor C* molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshio Shibata
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yuki Kobayashi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yuto Ikeda
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichiro Kawabata
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
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11
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Scudder J, Ye JY. Limulus amoebocyte lysate test via an open-microcavity optical biosensor. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2018; 23:1-6. [PMID: 29411562 PMCID: PMC5800461 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.23.2.027001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Almost since its discovery, Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) testing has been an important part of the pharmaceutical quality control toolkit. It allows for in vitro endotoxin testing, which has replaced tests using animals, such as using rabbits' thermal response to judge pyrogenicity of test samples, thus leading to a less expensive and faster test of parenteral pharmaceuticals and medical devices that contact blood or cerebrospinal fluid. However, limited by the detection mechanisms of the LAL assays currently used in industry, further improvement in their performance is challenging. To address the growing demand on optimizing LAL assays for increased test sensitivity and reduced assay time, we have developed an LAL assay approach based on a detection mechanism that is different from those being used in industry, namely, gel-clot, turbidimetric, and chromogenic detection. Using a unique open-microcavity photonic-crystal biosensor to monitor the change in the refractive index due to the reaction between LAL regents and endotoxins, we have demonstrated that this approach has improved the LAL assay sensitivity by 200 times compared with the commercial standard methods, reduced the time needed for the assay by more than half, and eliminated the necessity to incubate the test samples. This study opens up the possibility of using the significantly improved LAL assays for a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Scudder
- The University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Biomedical Engineering, San Antonio, Texas, United States
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States
| | - Jing Yong Ye
- The University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Biomedical Engineering, San Antonio, Texas, United States
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12
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Mizumura H, Ogura N, Aketagawa J, Aizawa M, Kobayashi Y, Kawabata SI, Oda T. Genetic engineering approach to develop next-generation reagents for endotoxin quantification. Innate Immun 2016; 23:136-146. [PMID: 27913792 PMCID: PMC5302069 DOI: 10.1177/1753425916681074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial endotoxin test, which uses amebocyte lysate reagents of horseshoe crab origin, is a sensitive, reproducible and simple assay to measure endotoxin concentration. To develop sustainable raw materials for lysate reagents that do not require horseshoe crabs, three recombinant protease zymogens (factor C, derived from mammalian cells; factor B; and the proclotting enzyme derived from insect cells) were prepared using a genetic engineering technique. Recombinant cascade reagents (RCRs) were then prepared to reconstruct the reaction cascade in the amebocyte lysate reagent. The protease activity of the RCR containing recombinant factor C was much greater than that of recombinant factor C alone, indicating the efficiency of signal amplification in the cascade. Compared with the RCR containing the insect cell-derived factor C, those containing mammalian cell-derived factor C, which features different glycosylation patterns, were less susceptible to interference by the injectable drug components. The standard curve of the RCR containing mammalian cell-derived recombinant factor C had a steeper slope than the curves for those containing natural lysate reagents, suggesting a greater sensitivity to endotoxin. The present study supports the future production of recombinant reagents that do not require the use of natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hikaru Mizumura
- 1 LAL Research and Development Department, Seikagaku Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihiko Ogura
- 1 LAL Research and Development Department, Seikagaku Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun Aketagawa
- 2 LAL Marketing Group, Seikagaku Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maki Aizawa
- 2 LAL Marketing Group, Seikagaku Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Kobayashi
- 1 LAL Research and Development Department, Seikagaku Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Toshio Oda
- 1 LAL Research and Development Department, Seikagaku Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
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