A Novel Thrombin Fluorogenic Substrate of High Affinity, Catalytic Efficiency and Selectivity.

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1953-1953
Author(s):  
T. Regan Baird ◽  
Margaret Jacobs ◽  
Adam Tinklepaugh ◽  
Peter Gross ◽  
Barbara C. Furie ◽  
...  

Abstract Thrombin is a serine protease with multiple functions, including the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, platelet activation, activation of Factor VIII and Factor V. Although many low molecular weight substrates have been developed for the study of thrombin catalytic activity, our interest in analyzing thrombin activity in the blood of a living mouse required development of a new class of thrombin substrates of high affinity and high selectivity whose product upon hydrolysis could be visualized by intravital fluorescence microscopy. We have developed a novel substrate for thrombin using the fluorochrome Alexa 488 and the quencher QSY35. Alexa 488 is conjugated to the N-terminus of a 12 amino acid peptide based upon the thrombin cleavage site in the α-chain of fibrinogen and the quencher is coupled to the C-terminus of the peptide, yielding Alexa 488-KGGVR-GPRVVEA-QSY35. We term this substrate FBG-12. Through fluorescence energy resonance transfer, the emission from Alexa 488 is absorbed by the quencher QSY 35, thus minimizing fluorescence, since the two moieties have overlapping spectral properties and are separated by a Förster radius less than 44 Å. Thrombin hydrolyzes the peptide yielding the N-terminal fragment, Alexa 488-KGGVR-COOH, which is highly fluorescent, and the C-terminal fragment NH2-GPRVVEA-QSY35 peptide which, being physically separated from the Alexa 488, no longer quenches the fluorochrome. The peptide was synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis, its N-terminus and C-terminus were modified with Alexa 488 and QSY35 respectively, and its identity confirmed by mass spectroscopy and protein sequencing. The kinetic properties of FBG-12 were determined in vitro. Hydrolysis of the substrate by thrombin resulted in a linear increase in fluorescence at 525 nm over time and was dependent on enzyme concentration. The fluorescence of the product of thrombin hydrolysis of FBG-12 was 120-fold greater than that of the substrate. Michaelis-Menten kinetic analysis of thrombin hydrolysis of the fluorogenic substrate FBG-12 revealed a Km of 2 μM, a kcat of 759 s−1, and a kcat/Km of 3795 x 106 M−1 s−1. To determine the selectivity of this substrate, other plasma serine proteases were analyzed for their ability to hydrolyze FBG-12. Factor Xa, Factor VIIa, and activated protein C did not hydrolyze FBG-12. Factor XIa (Km 11 μM, kcat 20s−1, kcat/Km = 20 x 106 M−1 s−1) did hydrolyze FBG-12, although the reaction was inefficient compared to thrombin. Our characterization of FBG-12 suggests that this substrate is hydrolyzed efficiently and selectively by thrombin. Its spectral properties and solubility in a physiologic environment make FBG-12 a suitable substrate for the detection of thrombin activity via intravital imaging during thrombus formation in vivo.

Glycobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 539-549
Author(s):  
Fang Cheng ◽  
Lars-Åke Fransson ◽  
Katrin Mani

Abstract Proinflammatory cytokines stimulate expression of β-secretase, which increases processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP), ultimately leading to the deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ). The N-terminal domain of β-cleaved APP supports Cu/NO-dependent release of heparan sulfate (HS) from the glypican-1 (Gpc-1) proteoglycan. HS is an inhibitor of β-secretase, thereby constituting a regulatory, negative feedback loop. Here, we have investigated the effect of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 on the interplay between APP processing and release of HS from Gpc-1 in neuronal cells. We have used deconvolution immunofluorescence microscopy and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and a panel of monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies recognizing the released HS, the N-terminus of Aβ, Aβ, the C-terminus of APP and the autophagosome marker LC3 as well as the chemical lysosome marker LysoTrackerRed (LTR). We repeatedly found that N2a neuroblastoma cells and human neural stem cells grown in the presence of the cytokines developed large cytoplasmic clusters, which stained positive for HS, the N-terminus of Aβ, Aβ, the C-terminus of APP, LC3 and LTR, indicating accumulation of HS and APP/APP degradation products in enlarged autophagosomes/lysosomes. The SDS-PAGE of immunoisolates obtained from TNF-α-treated N2a cells by using anti-C-terminus of APP revealed the presence of SDS-stable complexes between HS and the C-terminal fragment of β-cleaved APP (βCTF) migrating in the range 10–18 kDa. Clustered accumulation of βCTF disappeared when HS release was prevented and slightly enhanced when HS release was increased. Hence, when proinflammatory cytokines induce increased processing of APP, inhibition of β-secretase by HS is insufficient, which may lead to the impaired autophagosomal degradation.


1999 ◽  
Vol 342 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon DOWLER ◽  
Richard A. CURRIE ◽  
C. Peter DOWNES ◽  
Dario R. ALESSI

We have identified a novel 280 amino acid protein which contains a putative myristoylation site at its N-terminus followed by an Src homology (SH2) domain and a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain at its C-terminus. It has been termed dual adaptor for phosphotyrosine and 3-phosphoinositides (DAPP1). DAPP1 is widely expressed and exhibits high-affinity interactions with PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2, but not with other phospholipids tested. These observations predict that DAPP1 will interact with both tyrosine phosphorylated proteins and 3-phosphoinositides and may therefore play a role in regulating the location and/or activity of such proteins(s) in response to agonists that elevate PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2.


2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 7839-7850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian D. Pullinger ◽  
R. Sowdhamini ◽  
Alistair J. Lax

ABSTRACT The locations of the catalytic and receptor-binding domains of thePasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) were investigated. N- and C-terminal fragments of PMT were cloned and expressed as fusion proteins with affinity tags. Purified fusion proteins were assessed in suitable assays for catalytic activity and cell-binding ability. A C-terminal fragment (amino acids 681 to 1285) was catalytically active. When microinjected into quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells, it induced changes in cell morphology typical of toxin-treated cells and stimulated DNA synthesis. An N-terminal fragment with a His tag at the C terminus (amino acids 1 to 506) competed with full-length toxin for binding to surface receptors and therefore contains the cell-binding domain. The inactive mutant containing a mutation near the C terminus (C1165S) also bound to cells in this assay. Polyclonal antibodies raised to the N-terminal PMT region bound efficiently to full-length native toxin, suggesting that the N terminus is surface located. Antibodies to the C terminus of PMT were microinjected into cells and inhibited the activity of toxin added subsequently to the medium, confirming that the C terminus contains the active site. Analysis of the PMT sequence predicted a putative transmembrane domain with predicted hydrophobic and amphipathic helices near the N terminus over the region of homology to the cytotoxic necrotizing factors. The C-terminal end of PMT was predicted to be a mixed α/β domain, a structure commonly found in catalytic domains. Homology to proteins of known structure and threading calculations supported these assignments.


2012 ◽  
Vol 445 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar H. Martínez-Costa ◽  
Valentina Sánchez ◽  
Antonio Lázaro ◽  
Eloy D. Hernández ◽  
Keith Tornheim ◽  
...  

Eukaryotic PFK (phosphofructokinase), a key regulatory enzyme in glycolysis, has homologous N- and C-terminal domains thought to result from duplication, fusion and divergence of an ancestral prokaryotic gene. It has been suggested that both the active site and the Fru-2,6-P2 (fructose 2,6-bisphosphate) allosteric site are formed by opposing N- and C-termini of subunits orientated antiparallel in a dimer. In contrast, we show in the present study that in fact the N-terminal halves form the active site, since expression of the N-terminal half of the enzymes from Dictyostelium discoideum and human muscle in PFK-deficient yeast restored growth on glucose. However, the N-terminus alone was not stable in vitro. The C-terminus is not catalytic, but is needed for stability of the enzyme, as is the connecting peptide that normally joins the two domains (here included in the N-terminus). Co-expression of homologous, but not heterologous, N- and C-termini yielded stable fully active enzymes in vitro with sizes and kinetic properties similar to those of the wild-type tetrameric enzymes. This indicates that the separately translated domains can fold sufficiently well to bind to each other, that such binding of complementary domains is stable and that the alignment is sufficiently accurate and tight as to preserve metabolite binding sites and allosteric interactions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zenaidee ◽  
Carter Lantz ◽  
Taylor Perkins ◽  
Janine Fu ◽  
Wonhyuek Jung ◽  
...  

Top-down proteomics by mass spectrometry (MS) involves the mass measurement of an intact protein followed by subsequent activation of the protein to generate product ions. Electron-based fragmentation methods like electron capture dissociation (ECD) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD) are widely used for these types of analysis, however these fragmentation methods can be inefficient due to the low energy electrons fragmenting the protein without the dissociation products; that is no detection of fragments formed. Recently, electron ionization dissociation (EID), which utilizes higher energy electrons (> 20 eV) has been shown to be more efficient for top-down protein fragmentation compared to other electron-based dissociation methods. Here we demonstrate that the use of EID enhances protein fragmentation and subsequent detection of protein fragments. Protein product ions can form by either single cleavage events, resulting in terminal fragments containing the C-terminus or N-terminus of the protein, or by multiple cleavage events to give rise to internal fragments that do not contain the C-terminus or N-terminus of the protein. Conventionally, internal fragments have been disregarded as reliable assignments of these fragments were limited. Here, we demonstrate that internal fragments generated by EID can account for ~20-40% of the mass spectral signals detected by top-down EID-MS experiments. By including internal fragments, the extent of the protein sequence that can be explained from a single tandem mass spectrum increases from ~50% to ~99% for 29 kDa carbonic anhydrase II and 8.6 kDa ubiquitin. By including internal fragments in the data analysis, previously unassigned peaks can be readily and accurately assigned to enhance the efficiencies of top-down protein sequencing experiments.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zenaidee ◽  
Carter Lantz ◽  
Taylor Perkins ◽  
Janine Fu ◽  
Wonhyuek Jung ◽  
...  

Top-down proteomics by mass spectrometry (MS) involves the mass measurement of an intact protein followed by subsequent activation of the protein to generate product ions. Electron-based fragmentation methods like electron capture dissociation (ECD) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD) are widely used for these types of analysis, however these fragmentation methods can be inefficient due to the low energy electrons fragmenting the protein without the dissociation products; that is no detection of fragments formed. Recently, electron ionization dissociation (EID), which utilizes higher energy electrons (> 20 eV) has been shown to be more efficient for top-down protein fragmentation compared to other electron-based dissociation methods. Here we demonstrate that the use of EID enhances protein fragmentation and subsequent detection of protein fragments. Protein product ions can form by either single cleavage events, resulting in terminal fragments containing the C-terminus or N-terminus of the protein, or by multiple cleavage events to give rise to internal fragments that do not contain the C-terminus or N-terminus of the protein. Conventionally, internal fragments have been disregarded as reliable assignments of these fragments were limited. Here, we demonstrate that internal fragments generated by EID can account for ~20-40% of the mass spectral signals detected by top-down EID-MS experiments. By including internal fragments, the extent of the protein sequence that can be explained from a single tandem mass spectrum increases from ~50% to ~99% for 29 kDa carbonic anhydrase II and 8.6 kDa ubiquitin. By including internal fragments in the data analysis, previously unassigned peaks can be readily and accurately assigned to enhance the efficiencies of top-down protein sequencing experiments.


Author(s):  
L. Robert Hollingsworth ◽  
Humayun Sharif ◽  
Andrew R. Griswold ◽  
Pietro Fontana ◽  
Julian Mintseris ◽  
...  

AbstractNLRP1 is a cytosolic inflammasome sensor that mediates activation of caspase-1, which in turn induces cytokine maturation and pyroptotic cell death1-6. Gain-of-function NLPR1 mutations cause skin inflammatory diseases including carcinoma, keratosis, and papillomatosis7-14. NLRP1 contains a unique function-to-find domain (FIIND) that autoproteolyzes into noncovalently associated subdomains15-18. Proteasomal degradation of the autoinhibitory N-terminal fragment (NT) activates NLRP1 by releasing the inflammatory C-terminal fragment (CT)19,20. Cytosolic dipeptidyl peptidases 8 and 9 (DPP8/9) interact with NLRP1, and small-molecule DPP8/9 inhibitors activate NLRP1 by poorly characterized mechanisms11,19,21. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of the human NLRP1-DPP9 complex, alone and in complex with the DPP8/9 inhibitor Val-boroPro (VbP). Surprisingly, the NLRP1-DPP9 complex is a ternary complex comprised of DPP9, one intact FIIND of a non-degraded full-length NLRP1 (NLRP1-FL) and one NLRP1-CT freed by NT degradation. The N-terminus of the NLRP1-CT unfolds and inserts into the DPP9 active site but is not cleaved by DPP9, and this binding is disrupted by VbP. Structure-based mutagenesis reveals that the binding of NLRP1-CT to DPP9 requires NLRP1-FL and vice versa, and inflammasome activation by ectopic NLRP1-CT expression is rescued by co-expressing autoproteolysis-deficient NLRP1-FL. Collectively, these data indicate that DPP9 functions as a “bomb-diffuser” to prevent NLRP1-CTs from inducing inflammation during homeostatic protein turnover.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Zenaidee ◽  
Carter Lantz ◽  
Taylor Perkins ◽  
Janine Fu ◽  
Wonhyuek Jung ◽  
...  

Top-down proteomics by mass spectrometry (MS) involves the mass measurement of an intact protein followed by subsequent activation of the protein to generate product ions. Electron-based fragmentation methods like electron capture dissociation (ECD) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD) are widely used for these types of analysis, however these fragmentation methods can be inefficient due to the low energy electrons fragmenting the protein without the dissociation products; that is no detection of fragments formed. Recently, electron ionization dissociation (EID), which utilizes higher energy electrons (> 20 eV) has been shown to be more efficient for top-down protein fragmentation compared to other electron-based dissociation methods. Here we demonstrate that the use of EID enhances protein fragmentation and subsequent detection of protein fragments. Protein product ions can form by either single cleavage events, resulting in terminal fragments containing the C-terminus or N-terminus of the protein, or by multiple cleavage events to give rise to internal fragments that do not contain the C-terminus or N-terminus of the protein. Conventionally, internal fragments have been disregarded as reliable assignments of these fragments were limited. Here, we demonstrate that internal fragments generated by EID can account for ~20-40% of the mass spectral signals detected by top-down EID-MS experiments. By including internal fragments, the extent of the protein sequence that can be explained from a single tandem mass spectrum increases from ~50% to ~99% for 29 kDa carbonic anhydrase II and 8.6 kDa ubiquitin. By including internal fragments in the data analysis, previously unassigned peaks can be readily and accurately assigned to enhance the efficiencies of top-down protein sequencing experiments.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi34-vi34
Author(s):  
Gabriele Stephan ◽  
Joshua Frenster ◽  
Niklas Ravn-Boess ◽  
Devin Bready ◽  
Jordan Wilcox ◽  
...  

Abstract We recently demonstrated that GPR133 (ADGRD1), a member of the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor (aGPCR) family, is necessary for growth of glioblastoma (GBM) and is de novo expressed in GBM relative to normal brain tissue. We therefore postulate that GPR133 represents a novel target in GBM, which merits development of therapeutics. Like most aGPCRs, GPR133 is characterized by an intracellular C-terminus, 7 plasma membrane-spanning α-helices and a large extracellular N-terminus. The N-terminus possesses a conserved GPCR autoproteolysis-inducing (GAIN) domain that catalyzes cleavage at a GPCR proteolysis site (GPS), resulting in a C-terminal fragment (CTF) and an N-terminal fragment (NTF). We showed that dissociation of the cleaved NTF and CTF at the plasma membrane increases canonical signaling of GPR133, which is mediated by coupling to Gs and increase in cytosolic cAMP. Toward characterizing the effect of biologics on GPR133 function, we overexpressed wild-type or mutant forms of GPR133 in HEK293T cells and patient-derived GBM cells lines. Treatment of these cells with antibodies specifically targeting the NTF of GPR133 increased receptor activation in a dose-dependent manner. No effects were elicited with an antibody against the receptor’s intracellular C-terminus. Interestingly, cells overexpressing a cleavage-deficient mutant GPR133 (H543R) did not respond to antibody stimulation, suggesting that the effect is cleavage-dependent. Following antibody treatment, co-purification of the GPR133 NTF and the N-terminal antibody from the cell culture supernatant indicated the formation of antibody-NTF complexes. Analysis of these complexes suggested that antibody binding stimulated the dissociation of the NTF from the CTF. However, the increased flexibility of the GAIN domain and NTF after cleavage, independently of dissociation, may also endow the receptor with responsiveness to the effects of the antibodies. These data constitute a proof-of-concept paradigm of modulation of GPR133 function with antibodies. This work provides rationale for pursuing development of biologics targeting GPR133 in GBM.


2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 277-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan B. Hopkinson ◽  
Jonathan C. R. Jones

In epidermal cells, the keratin cytoskeleton interacts with the elements in the basement membrane via a multimolecular junction called the hemidesmosome. A major component of the hemidesmosome plaque is the 230-kDa bullous pemphigoid autoantigen (BP230/BPAG1), which connects directly to the keratin-containing intermediate filaments of the cytoskeleton via its C terminus. A second bullous pemphigoid antigen of 180 kDa (BP180/BPAG2) is a type II transmembrane component of the hemidesmosome. Using yeast two-hybrid technology and recombinant proteins, we show that an N-terminal fragment of BP230 can bind directly to an N-terminal fragment of BP180. We have also explored the consequences of expression of the BP230 N terminus in 804G cells that assemble hemidesmosomes in vitro. Unexpectedly, this fragment disrupts the distribution of BP180 in transfected cells but has no apparent impact on the organization of endogenous BP230 and α6β4 integrin. We propose that the BP230 N terminus competes with endogenous BP230 protein for BP180 binding and inhibits incorporation of BP180 into the cell surface at the site of the hemidesmosome. These data provide new insight into those interactions of the molecules of the hemidesmosome that are necessary for its function in integrating epithelial and connective tissue types.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document