scholarly journals Link protein as a monitor in situ of endogenous proteolysis in adult human articular cartilage

1991 ◽  
Vol 278 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q Nguyen ◽  
J Liu ◽  
P J Roughley ◽  
J S Mort
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Proteolytic Processing ◽  
Cathepsin G ◽  
Human Articular Cartilage ◽  
Link Protein ◽  
Adult Human ◽  
Protein Components

The link protein components of proteoglycan aggregates in adult human articular cartilage show heterogeneity due to proteolysis. Cleavages near the N-terminus of the intact link proteins, before residues 17, 19 and 24, generate three proteins of slightly diminished size (LP3). Cleavages within the N-terminal disulphide-bonded loop, before residues 66 and 73 of the intact link proteins, generate proteins that yield smaller degradation products upon reduction (LP fragments). In vitro, modified link protein components of a similar size to LP3 can be generated by a variety of proteinases, but of the physiologically relevant enzymes only stromelysin, cathepsin B and cathepsin G have the ability to yield modified link proteins with N-termini identical with those observed in situ. None of the proteolytic agents tested was able to produce LP fragments with N-termini identical with those observed in situ, and the majority of proteinases were not able to cleave within the disulphide-bonded loops. Cathepsin L and hydroxyl radicals can cleave within the N-terminal disulphide-bonded loop, and have the potential of initially opening the loop to allow further proteolytic processing by other agents to generate the native cleavage sites.

scholarly journals The action of human articular-cartilage metalloproteinase on proteoglycan and link protein. Similarities between products of degradation in situ and in vitro

1986 ◽  
Vol 237 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
I K Campbell ◽  
P J Roughley ◽  
J S Mort
Keyword(s):  
Hyaluronic Acid ◽  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Human Articular Cartilage ◽  
Link Protein ◽  
Protein Components ◽  
Stimulation Of ◽  
Hyaluronic Acid Binding

Interleukin 1 stimulation of human articular cartilage in organ culture produced the concomitant release of proteoglycan fragments and latent metalloproteinase. The released fragments ranged in size from that of almost intact proteoglycan subunits to the product of limiting digestion generated by the activated metalloproteinase. None of the fragments possessed the ability to interact with hyaluronic acid. Analysis of proteoglycan aggregate digested with the activated metalloproteinase showed that isolated hyaluronic acid-binding regions were produced from the proteoglycan subunits, and that the two higher-Mr link-protein components (Mr 48,000 and 44,000) were converted into the lowest-Mr component (Mr 41,000). Link protein extracted from cartilage under stimulation with interleukin 1 showed a similar conversion. These results suggest that interleukin 1 stimulates the release of latent metalloproteinase from chondrocytes and that a proportion of the enzyme is activated in situ in the cartilage matrix. The mode of action of the activated enzyme is compatible with a role in the changes in proteoglycan structure seen in aging.

scholarly journals The synthesis of dermatan sulphate proteoglycans by fetal and adult human articular cartilage

1989 ◽  
Vol 261 (2) ◽  
pp. 501-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
L I Melching ◽  
P J Roughley
Keyword(s):  
Hyaluronic Acid ◽  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Uronic Acid ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Chondroitin Sulphate ◽  
Human Articular Cartilage ◽  
Dermatan Sulphate ◽  
Sulphate Proteoglycan ◽  
Adult Human

Non-aggregating dermatan sulphate proteoglycans can be extracted from both fetal and adult human articular cartilage. The dermatan sulphate proteoglycans appear to be smaller in the adult, this presumably being due to shorter glycosaminoglycan chains, and these chains contain a greater proportion of their uronic acid residues as iduronate. Both the adult and fetal dermatan sulphate proteoglycans contain a greater amount of 4-sulphation than 6-sulphation of the N-acetylgalactosamine residues, in contrast with the aggregating proteoglycans, which always show more 6-sulphation on their chondroitin sulphate chains. In the fetus the major dermatan sulphate proteoglycan to be synthesized is DS-PGI, though DS-PGII is synthesized in reasonable amounts. In the adult, however, DS-PGI synthesis is barely detectable relative to DS-PGII, which is still synthesized in substantial amounts. Purification of the dermatan sulphate proteoglycans from adult cartilage is hampered by the presence of degradation products derived from the large aggregating proteoglycans, which possess similar charge, size and density properties, but which can be distinguished by their ability to interact with hyaluronic acid.

scholarly journals Matrix metalloproteinases cleave at two distinct sites on human cartilage link protein

1993 ◽  
Vol 295 (2) ◽  
pp. 595-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q Nguyen ◽  
G Murphy ◽  
C E Hughes ◽  
J S Mort ◽  
P J Roughley
Keyword(s):  
Matrix Metalloproteinases ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Limited Proteolysis ◽  
Human Cartilage ◽  
Link Protein ◽  
Sequencing Studies ◽  
Proteoglycan Aggregates ◽  
Protein Components ◽  
Gelatinases A And B

The actions of human recombinant stromelysins-1 and -2, collagenase, gelatinases A and B and matrilysin on neonatal human proteoglycan aggregates were examined. With the exception of gelatinase B, aggrecan was degraded extensively by most metalloproteinases studied, whereas link protein showed only limited proteolysis. Sequencing studies of modified link protein components revealed that stromelysins-1 and -2, gelatinases A and B and collagenase cleaved specifically between His16 and Ile17, and matrilysin, stromelysin-2 and gelatinase A cleaved between Leu25 and Leu26. Cleavage at the former bond generated a link protein component with the same N-terminus as that isolated from newborn human cartilage. Based on previously determined in situ cleavage sites it is evident that matrix metalloproteinases are not solely responsible for the accumulation of link protein degradation products in adult human cartilage, indicating that additional proteolytic agents are involved in the normal catabolism of human cartilage matrix.

scholarly journals Aggrecanase versus matrix metalloproteinases in the catabolism of the interglobular domain of aggrecan in vitro

1999 ◽  
Vol 344 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris B. LITTLE ◽  
Carl R. FLANNERY ◽  
Clare E. HUGHES ◽  
John S. MORT ◽  
Peter J. ROUGHLEY ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Late Stage ◽  
Core Protein ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Colorimetric Assay ◽  
Late Time ◽  
Human Articular Cartilage ◽  
Primary Cleavage

The importance of aggrecanase versus matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzymic activities in the degradation of aggrecan in normal and osteoarthritic (OA) articular cartilage in vitro was studied in order to further our understanding of the potential role of these two enzyme activities in aggrecan catabolism during the pathogenesis of cartilage degeneration. Porcine and bovine articular cartilage was maintained in explant culture for up to 20 days in the presence or absence of the catabolic stimuli retinoic acid, interleukin-1 or tumour necrosis factor-α. Release of proteoglycan from cartilage was measured as glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release using a colorimetric assay. Analysis of proteoglycan degradation products, both released into culture media and retained within the cartilage matrix, was performed by Western blotting using antibodies specific for the N- and C-terminal neoepitopes generated by aggrecanase- and MMP-related catabolism of the interglobular domain of the aggrecan core protein (IGD). In addition, studies determining the mRNA expression for MMP-3 and MMP-13 in these same cultures were undertaken. These analyses indicated that all three catabolic agents stimulated the release of > 80% of the GAG from the articular cartilage over 4 days. The degree of GAG release corresponded to an increase in aggrecanase-generated aggrecan catabolites released into the media and retained within the cartilage. Importantly, there was no evidence for the release of MMP-generated aggrecan metabolites into the medium, nor the accumulation of MMP-generated catabolites within the tissue in these same cultures. Expression of the mRNAs for two MMPs known to be capable of degrading the aggrecan IGD, MMP-3 and MMP-13, was detected. However, increased expression of these MMPs was not correlated with aggrecan degradation. Analyses using porcine cartilage, cultured with or without catabolic stimulation for 12 h to 20 days, indicated that primary cleavage of the IGD by aggrecanase was responsible for release of aggrecan metabolites at both the early and late time points of culture. Cultures of late-stage OA human articular cartilage samples indicated that aggrecanase activity was upregulated in the absence of catabolic stimulation when compared with normal porcine or bovine cartilage. In addition, even in this late-stage degenerate cartilage, aggrecanase and not MMP activity was responsible for the release of the majority of aggrecan from the cartilage. This study demonstrates that the release of aggrecan from both normal and OA cartilage in response to catabolic stimulation in vitro involves a primary cleavage by aggrecanase and not MMPs.

scholarly journals Versican gene expression in human articular cartilage and comparison of mRNA splicing variation with aggrecan

1993 ◽  
Vol 291 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Grover ◽  
P J Roughley
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Mrna Splicing ◽  
Human Articular Cartilage ◽  
Complement Regulatory Protein ◽  
Mature Adult ◽  
Epidermal Growth ◽  
Egf Domain

The chondrocytes in human articular cartilage from subjects of all ages express mRNAs for both of the aggregating proteoglycans aggrecan and versican, although the level of expression of versican mRNA is much lower than that of aggrecan mRNA. Aggrecan shows alternative splicing of the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain within its C-terminal globular region, but there is no evidence for a major difference in situ in the relative expression of this domain with age. At all ages studied from birth to the mature adult, a greater proportion of transcripts lacked the EGF domain. The relative proportions of the two transcripts did not change upon culture and passage of isolated chondrocytes. In contrast, the neighbouring complement regulatory protein (CRP)-like domain was predominantly expressed irrespective of age, but cell culture did result in variation of the splicing of this domain. Versican possesses two EGF-like domains and one CRP-like domain, but at all ages the three domains were predominantly present in all transcripts. This situation persisted upon culture and passage of the chondrocytes. Thus, unlike aggrecan, the versican expressed by human articular cartilage does not appear to undergo alternative splicing of its C-terminal globular region, either in cartilage in situ or in chondrocytes in culture.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document