Structural Requirements for High-Affinity Heparin Binding:  Alanine Scanning Analysis of Charged Residues in the C-Terminal Domain of Human Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase†

Biochemistry ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 3168-3175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Stenlund ◽  
Mikael J. Lindberg ◽  
Lena A. E. Tibell
1993 ◽  
Vol 290 (2) ◽  
pp. 623-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Karlsson ◽  
A Edlund ◽  
J Sandström ◽  
S L Marklund

The heparin-binding affinity of the tetrameric extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is a result of the cooperative effect of the heparin-binding domains of the subunits, located in the hydrophilic, strongly positively charged C-terminal ends. EC-SOD C, the high-heparin-affinity type, exposed to immobilized trypsin and plasmin was found to rapidly lose its affinity for heparin, without any loss of enzymic activity or major change in molecular mass as judged by size-exclusion chromatography. Heparin and dextran sulphate 5000 inhibited the proteolysis, suggesting that EC-SOD C sequestered by heparan sulphate proteoglycan in vivo is partially protected against proteolysis. The loss of heparin-affinity occurred with the stepwise formation of intermediates, and the pattern upon chromatography on heparin-Sepharose and subsequent immunoblotting was compatible with the notion that the changes are due to sequential truncations of heparin-binding domains from subunits composing the EC-SOD tetramers. A similar pattern with intermediates and apparent truncations has previously been found with EC-SOD of human plasma. The findings show that the unique design of the heparin-binding domain of EC-SOD allows easy modification of the heparin-affinity by means of limited proteolysis, and suggest that such proteolysis is a major contributor to the heterogeneity in heparin-affinity of EC-SOD in mammalian plasma.


1996 ◽  
Vol 317 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim D. OURY ◽  
James D. CRAPO ◽  
Zuzana VALNICKOVA ◽  
Jan J. ENGHILD

Studies examining the biochemical characteristics and pharmacological properties of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC SOD) have been severely limited because of difficulties in purifying the enzyme. Recently EC SOD was found to exist in high concentrations in the arteries of most mammals examined and it is the predominant form of SOD activity in many arteries. We now describe a three-step, high-yield protocol for the purification of EC SOD from human aorta. In the first step, the high affinity of EC SOD for heparin is utilized to obtain a fraction in which EC SOD constitutes roughly 13% of the total protein compared with only 0.3% of that of the starting material. In addition, over 80% of the original EC SOD activity present in the aortic homogenate was retained after the first step of purification. EC SOD was further purified using a combination of cation- and anion-exchange chromatography. The overall yield of EC SOD from this purification procedure was 46%, with over 4 mg of EC SOD obtained from 230 g of aorta. Purified EC SOD was found to exist predominantly as a homotetramer composed of two disulphide-linked dimers. However, EC SOD was also found to form larger multimers when analysed by native PAGE. It was shown by urea denaturation that the formation of multimers increased the thermodynamic stability of the protein. Limited proteolysis of EC SOD suggested that there is one interchain disulphide bond covalently linking two subunits. This disulphide bond involves cysteine-219 and appears to link the heparin-binding domains of the two subunits.


1992 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuo Adachi ◽  
Tsutomu Kodera ◽  
Hideki Ohta ◽  
Kyozo Hayashi ◽  
Kazuyuki Hirano

1993 ◽  
Vol 294 (3) ◽  
pp. 853-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Sandström ◽  
K Karlsson ◽  
T Edlund ◽  
S L Marklund

The tetrameric extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) in human tissues and plasma has previously been found to be heterogenous with regard to heparin affinity and could be divided into at least three classes: A, lacking heparin affinity; B, with weak affinity; and C, with strong affinity. Using rigorous extraction conditions and an extensive set of anti-proteolytic agents, tissue EC-SOD is now shown to be almost exclusively of native homotetrameric C-class. Plasma EC-SOD on the other hand is shown to be mainly composed of a complex mixture of heterotetramers with modifications probably residing in the C-terminal heparin-binding domain. Proteolytic truncations appear to be a major cause of this heterogeneity. The findings suggest that, since 99% of the EC-SOD in the human body exists in the extravascular space of tissue, EC-SOD is primarily synthesized in tissues and secreted as homotetrameric native EC-SOD C. This tissue EC-SOD C should exist almost completely sequestered by heparin sulphate proteoglycans. C-terminal modifications subsequently occurring in the EC-SOD C would weaken the binding to heparan sulphate proteoglycan, facilitate entrance to the vasculature through capillaries and lymph flow, and finally result in the heterogeneous plasma EC-SOD pattern. With the new extraction and analysis procedure, the tissue content of EC-SOD is found to be higher than previously reported. It is found, for example, when compared with Mn-SOD, to be higher in umbilical cord and uterus, about equal in placenta and testis and as high as that of CuZn-SOD in umbilical cord. The findings suggest that the protection level against superoxide radicals provided by EC-SOD in the tissue interstitial space, given the small distribution volume, is not much less prominent than that bestowed on the intracellular space by CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD.


Biochemistry ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aivar Lookene ◽  
Peter Stenlund ◽  
Lena A. E. Tibell

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