Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Heim

Publications and source records attributed to J Heim.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Recombinant hirustasin: production in yeast, crystallization, and interaction with serine proteases.

A synthetic gene coding for the 55-amino acid protein hirustasin, a novel tissue kallikrein inhibitor from the leech Hirudo medicinalis, was generated by polymerase chain reaction using overlapping oligonucleotides, fused to the yeast alpha-factor leader sequence and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recombinant hirustasin was secreted mainly as incompletely processed fusion protein, but could be processed in vitro using a soluble variant of the yeast yscF protease. The processed hirustasin was purified to better than 97% purity. N-terminal sequence analysis and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry confirmed a correctly processed N-terminus and the expected amino acid sequence and molecular mass. The biological activity of recombinant hirustasin was identical to that of the authentic leech protein. Crystallized hirustasin alone and in complex with tissue kallikrein diffracted beyond 1.4 A and 2.4 A, respectively. In order to define the reactive site of the inhibitor, the interaction of hirustasin with kallikrein, chymotrypsin, and trypsin was investigated by monitoring complex formation in solution as well as proteolytic cleavage of the inhibitor. During incubation with high, nearly equimolar concentration of tissue kallikrein, hirustasin was cleaved mainly at the peptide bond between Arg 30 and Ile 31, the putative reactive site, to yield a modified inhibitor. In the corresponding complex with chymotrypsin, mainly uncleaved hirustasin was found and cleaved hirustasin species accumulated only slowly. Incubation with trypsin led to several proteolytic cleavages in hirustasin with the primary scissile peptide bond located between Arg 30 and Ile 31. Hirustasin appears to fall into the class of protease inhibitors displaying temporary inhibition.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Purification, characterization and biological evaluation of recombinant leech-derived tryptase inhibitor (rLDTI) expressed at high level in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

An efficient expression/purification procedure has been developed which allows the production of pure, biologically active recombinant leech-derived tryptase inhibitor (rLDTI), originally found in the leech Hirudo medicinalis. The gene for LDTI was generated synthetically from three overlapping oligonucleotides by PCR synthesis. LDTI was expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the copper-inducible CUP1 promoter and fused to the invertase signal sequence (SUC2). The entire expression cassette was inserted into the yeast high-copy vector pDP34. Appropriate host strains transformed with the expression plasmid secreted rLDTI into the medium upon copper addition. Proteinchemical analysis of the secreted rLDTI revealed exclusively inhibitor with the correct N-terminal sequence. Up to 60% of the rLDTI, however, appeared to be modified by glycosylation and the unglycosylated material showed heterogeneity at the C-terminus. Besides full-length rLDTI, truncated rLDTI species lacking either the terminal Asn46 or in addition the penultimate Leu45 were isolated. The C-terminally truncated variants were eliminated using a S. cerevisiae host strain disrupted in the structural genes of carboxypeptidases yscY and ysca, thus identifying these proteases as being responsible for the degradation of rLDTI. Mature rLDTI was purified in high yields from the culture supernatant of the carboxypeptidase-deficient yeast strain by cation-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. The recombinant protein is at least 98% pure, based on HPLC and capillary electrophoresis, and is fully biologically active. Structural identity with the authentic leech protein was confirmed by sequence analysis and molecular-mass determination. The purified protein was tested for its ability to inhibit tryptase and trypsin in vitro and to interfere with the tryptase-induced proliferation of human fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Recombinant LDTI appears to be as potent as the authentic leech protein, exhibiting Ki-values of approximately 1.5 nM and approximately 1.6 nM against human tryptase and bovine trypsin, respectively. The tryptase-induced proliferation of human fibroblasts and keratinocytes was inhibited with half-maximum values of approximately 0.1 nM and approximately 1 nM, respectively. The availability of the recombinant material will allow evaluation of the concept of tryptase inhibition in various disease models and to test the therapeutic potential of LDTI in mast-cell-related disorders.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Orphan nuclear receptor HNF-4 binds to the human coagulation factor VII promoter.

The human coagulation protease factor VII plays a pivotal role in the initiation of the coagulation cascade by both the extrinsic and the intrinsic pathway. Although the gene, encoding factor VII, is expressed predominantly in the liver, the mechanisms underlying this tissue-specific expression have not been elucidated. In this study, we have analyzed the contribution of 5 kilobases upstream of the ATG translational initiation codon upon hepatic factor VII gene transcription. Transient transfection assays of a set of nested deletions in both liver and non-liver cell lines, HepG2 and HeLa respectively, indicate that several regions are involved in liver-specific expression. A slight negative effect on factor VII promoter activity in HepG2 cells is mediated by sequences upstream of position -1212. DNase I protection experiments reveal six footprints, FPVII1 through FPVII6, within the proximal 714 base pairs but a minimal promoter of 165 base pairs containing only FPVII3-6 is sufficient to confer liver-specific expression in HepG2 cells. Interestingly, FPVII6, at position -14 to +10 on the sense strand, would indicate that an as yet unknown transcription factor covers the ATG translational initiation codon. Gel retardation experiments show that the liver-enriched transcription factor HNF-4 binds specifically to footprint FPVII4 at position -71 to -49. Furthermore, a T --> A transversion, that in the HNF-4 binding site of factor IX causes a severe bleeding disorder, was introduced into the HNF-4-binding site of factor VII and reduced promoter activity by 20-50%. Coordinate HNF-4-mediated regulation of several blood protease genes as well as genes involved in lipid metabolism might account for the positive correlation of these factors with increased risk of occlusive heart diseases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

2-micron vectors containing the Saccharomyces cerevisiae metallothionein gene as a selectable marker: excellent stability in complex media, and high-level expression of a recombinant protein from a CUP1-promoter-controlled expression cassette in cis.

We have constructed 2-micron-based yeast expression vectors containing a copy of the metallothionein (CUP1) gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a semi-dominant, selectable marker. When used for the expression of the thrombin inhibitor hirudin, originally derived from the leech Hirudo medicinalis, these vectors displayed the following characteristics. (1) In the presence of copper salts, they were mitotically more stable than similarly designed control vectors lacking the CUP1 gene. In copper-sensitive host strains, the apparent plasmid stability was 100%, even in complex media and during fed-batch fermentation for an extended period of time. (2) Use of the CUP1-stabilized plasmids improved the production of hirudin by both copper-sensitive and copper-resistant hosts. The highest hirudin titers were obtained with a delta CUP1 host. (3) Copper selection resulted in a moderate increase in average plasmid copy numbers (up to two-fold) as assessed by measuring hirudin expression from a constitutive promoter (GAPFL). This effect was most noticeable if the vector showed an asymmetric segregation pattern (i.e., high rates of plasmid loss in the absence of copper). (4) The CUP1 marker proved particularly useful in combination with a CUP1-promoter-controlled expression cassette on the same plasmid. In such a set-up, the rates of transcription of the heterologous protein and that of the selectable marker are tightly linked. Therefore, an increase in selective pressure directly provokes an increase in product yields. In a copper-sensitive host strain, this plasmid design allowed for the production of very high amounts of biologically active hirudin. Our results clearly establish the utility of the CUP1 marker in the construction of stable yeast expression vectors.

Carrier Proteins↗
PubMed1994

C-terminal proteolytic degradation of recombinant desulfato-hirudin and its mutants in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The potent thrombin inhibitor hirudin variant 1, originally isolated from the leech Hirudo medicinalis, was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of a truncated glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAP) promoter fragment. Fusion of the yeast acid phosphatase (PHO5) signal sequence to the hirudin gene led to quantitative secretion of recombinant desulfato-hirudin variant 1 (r-hirudin) into the extracellular medium in a growth-dependent manner. In comparison to the genuine molecule, r-hirudin lacks the sulfate group at the Tyr in position 63. Besides the full-length protein of 65 amino acids (hir65), chemical analysis revealed the presence mainly of two derivatives lacking the last amino acid Gln (hir64) or the penultimate Leu (hir63) in addition. When expressing r-hirudin in mutant strains defective in all but one of the three major known carboxypeptidases, it turned out that the vacuolar carboxypeptidase yscY as well as the alpha-factor precursor-processing carboxypeptidase, ysc alpha, participate in the C-terminal degradation of r-hirudin. Direct involvement of yscY and ysc alpha was confirmed by sequential disruption of their structural genes PRC1 and KEX1, respectively. Disruption of PRA1, coding for the yscY-processing proteinase yscA, also abolished yscY-mediated C-terminal r-hirudin degradation, but clearly reduced the overall expression yield. Since ysc alpha is described to be highly specific for basic amino acids which are not present at the C-terminus of r-hirudin, a series of r-hirudin mutants with changes in the C-terminal amino acids were constructed and analysed for ysc alpha-mediated and yscY-mediated degradation. Chromatographic analysis of the expression products confirmed the preference of ysc alpha for basic amino acids, although Tyr, Leu and Gln were also hydrolysed. It could further be concluded that ysc alpha might also be responsible for the C-terminal degradation of recombinant atrial natriuretic factor and epidermal growth factor expressed in yeast.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Isolation and characterization of recombinant annexin V expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The cloning, purification and characterization of full-length annexin V, expressed intracellularly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is detailed. Following homogenization in a glass bead mill, clarification by ultracentrifugation and fractional ammonium sulfate precipitation, the 319 amino acid protein was purified by column chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose and heparin-Sepharose. Annexin V elutes on reverse phase C4 silica as a single peak with greater than 97% homogeneity and is further characterized by a molecular mass of 34 kDa from electrophoresis under reducing conditions on SDS gels. Dynamic light scattering experiments reveal annexin V exists as a monomer in solution. Amino terminal Edman degradation afforded no sequence, therefore the carbamidomethylated protein was chemically cleaved with cyanogen bromide. Separation of the resulting peptide fragments on reverse phase HPLC followed by N-terminal sequencing and electrospray mass spectrometry supported the correct sequence as well as the existence of an acetyl blocking group on the N-terminus. The protein exhibits an isoelectric point of 4.73 by column chromatofocusing. Secondary structure predictions from CD spectroscopy indicate that the molecule is correctly folded. In anticoagulant assays, the purified protein exhibits dose-response effects in activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) prolongation and doubles the clotting time of control human plasma at 70 micrograms ml-1. More specifically, in a factor Xa inhibition assay in which the activation of factor X via the tissue factor-factor VIIa complex is monitored by the cleavage of a factor Xa chromogenic substrate, recombinant annexin V exhibits a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) in the low nanomolar range.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Physiological characterization of the yeast metallothionein (CUP1) promoter, and consequences of overexpressing its transcriptional activator, ACE1.

Using the anticoagulant, hirudin, from the leech Hirudo medicinalis as a secreted reporter protein, the influence of physiological parameters on activity and regulation of the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) metallothionein (CUP1) promoter was studied. Induction of CUP1-directed hirudin expression from 2 mu-based vectors was possible at any time point during diauxic batch growth, even in cells approaching stationary phase. The highest titers of hirudin were obtained when the CUP1 promoter was activated immediately following inoculation of the cultures. If such a pseudo-constitutive fermentation strategy was adopted, the promoter was superior to an optimized variant (GAPFL) of the strong, constitutive GAPDH promoter. This superiority was primarily due to the relative independence of CUP1 promoter activity of the physiological status of host cells: whilst the maximal strength of the CUP1 and GAPFL promoters was comparable, CUP1-directed hirudin expression was high in all phases of diauxic batch growth, whereas hirudin production from the GAPFL promoter declined in post-diauxic cultures. High activity of the CUP1 promoter was observed on both a fermentable (glucose) and a non-fermentable (ethanol) carbon source. Hirudin expression could be adjusted to different levels by varying the amount of inducer (cupric sulphate) added to cultures. The copper concentrations required for maximal promoter induction had no negative effects on host growth and interfered with neither hirudin secretion nor with the biological activity of the peptide. Overexpression of the transcriptional activator, ACE1, resulted in increased levels of hirudin mRNA. Hirudin titers increased in parallel to mRNA concentrations in cultures grown in the presence of low concentrations of copper. In contrast, at high copper doses, elevated levels of the ACE1 protein resulted in inferior hirudin production. Cells overexpressing ACE1 while harbouring a CUP1-drived hirudin expression cassette showed slow growth and poor plasmid maintenance. It was tested whether this might be the result of a block in the secretory pathway; however, measurements of intracellular hirudin did not support this hypothesis. The data rather indicated that hirudin production was limited by a metabolic constraint downstream of transcription but upstream of the secretory pathway.

Actins↗
PubMed1993

Thrombolytic and haemorrhagic effects of bolus doses of tissue-type plasminogen activator and a hybrid plasminogen activator with prolonged plasma half-life (K2tu-PA: CGP 42935).

K2tu-PA is a hybrid plasminogen activator linking the kringle 2 domain of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) to the catalytic protease domain of single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scu-PA). K2tu-PA, as t-PA has high affinity for fibrin and is activated by fibrin but has a longer plasma half-life (over 30 min). The aim of this study was to compare the effects of bolus doses of recombinant t-PA (rt-PA) and K2tu-PA, on: 1) lysis of performed thrombi (fibrinolysis), 2) accretion of new fibrin on pre-existing thrombi during fibrinolysis (thrombus growth), 3) thrombolysis as assessed by reduction of thrombus weight and 4) systemic plasma proteolysis and blood loss from a standard wound. A jugular vein thrombosis model and an ear bleeding model were adopted in rabbits. Saline produced 11 +/- 2% fibrinolysis. rt-PA, 0.2 mg/kg, 0.4 mg and 0.8 mg/kg produced 35 +/- 4%, 54 +/- 4% and 78 +/- 6% fibrinolysis, respectively. K2tu-PA, at the same doses, produced 39 +/- 5%, 57 +/- 6% and 83 +/- 6% fibrinolysis, respectively. Thus, no differences in the fibrinolytic activity of rt-PA and K2tu-PA were observed. Injection of saline was followed by an accretion of 56.4 +/- 5.9 micrograms of radioactive new fibrin on the thrombi. The injection of the three increasing doses of rt-PA was followed by an accretion of 54.9 +/- 5.3 micrograms, 49.1 +/- 6.1 micrograms and 47.2 +/- 4.8 micrograms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Properties of chimeric (tissue-type/urokinase-type) plasminogen activators obtained by fusion at the plasmin cleavage site.

Two hybrid plasminogen activators (K2tu-PA and FK2tu-PA), linking the kringle 2 domain or the finger plus the kringle 2 domains of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) to the catalytic domain of single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scu-PA) were studied. At variance with similar constructs previously reported, they were obtained by fusion of the t-PA and scu-PA derived portions at their plasmin cleavage site (between Arg275 of t-PA and Ile159 of scu-PA), thus eliminating from scu-PA the two peptide bonds (Glu143-Leu144 and Arg156-Phe157) that lead to low molecular weight scu-PA and to thrombin-inactivated tcu-PA. The specific activities of K2tu-PA and FK2tu-PA, as measured by fibrin plate were 2.5 x 10(6) and 1.0 x 10(6) t-PA equivalent units/mg, respectively. Activation of plasminogen by hybrid PAs was stimulated by both CNBr-digested fibrinogen (40- and 80-fold) and Des-A-fibrin monomers (6- and 12-fold). The relatively weak stimulation of chimeric PAs by minimally degraded fibrin monomers was consistent with their reduced fibrin binding capacity. Like scu-PA, the chimeric PAs, in the single-chain form, were insensitive to inhibition, as they retained full activity after prolonged incubation in plasma and did not interact with SDS-reactivated recombinant PAI-1. The concentration producing 50% lysis of blood clots in 3 h was 0.5 microgram/ml for K2tu-PA and 1 microgram/ml for FK2tu-PA, as compared to 0.5 microgram/ml and > 2 micrograms/ml for t-PA and scu-PA, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Drug Design↗
PubMed1993

A hybrid plasminogen activator binds to the u-PA receptor and has a reduced thrombolytic potency in vivo.

Fibrinolytic properties of four hybrids of u-PA and t-PA, all containing the u-PA growth factor domain and binding to recombinant human u-PA receptor expressed in CHO cells, were compared. Highest fibrin stimulation was observed with uK2tPA which when compared to t-PA in the rabbit system, had a considerably prolonged circulatory half-life in vivo. Compared to an equimolar dose of t-PA, 0.4 mg/kg uK2tPA caused a similar consumption of alpha 2-antiplasmin and fibrinogen and a considerably greater prolongation of the ex-vivo blood clotting time. Nevertheless, this dose of uK2tPA was inactive in the jugular vein thrombosis assay. This lack of thrombolytic activity is presumably due to the presence of a functional u-PA growth factor domain, which in binding uK2tPA to cellular blood elements possibly retards its penetration into the blood clot and in this manner could neutralize the potential thrombolytic activity of the t-PA kringle 2 and protease domains in uK2tPA.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Thrombolytic activity of two chimeric recombinant plasminogen activators (FK2tu-PA and K2tu-PA) in rabbits.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the thrombolytic activity of two hybrid plasminogen activators (HPAs) in a rabbit jugular vein thrombosis model. In the two HPAs the kringle-2 domain (K2tu-PA) or the finger and the kringle-2 domains (FK2tu-PA) of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) are linked to the catalytic protease domain of single chain urokinase type plasminogen activator (scu-PA). The two HPAs were compared with rt-PA and scu-PA on a weight/weight basis. K2tu-PA, FK2tu-PA, rt-PA and scu-PA were infused at doses of 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 mg/kg over 3 h. Saline served as control. Saline produced 11 +/- 2% thrombolysis. The three doses of K2tu-PA led to 38 +/- 4%, 66 +/- 5% and 89 +/- 7% thrombolysis, respectively; the three doses of FK2tu-PA: 18 +/- 3%, 29 +/- 5% and 33 +/- 6%, respectively; the three doses of rt-PA 32 +/- 2%, 49 +/- 3% and 68 +/- 6%, respectively; the three doses of scu-PA 16 +/- 2%, 24 +/- 3% and 32 +/- 4%, respectively. K2tu-PA and rt-PA showed a statistically significant higher thrombolytic activity than FK2tu-PA and scu-PA at the three tested doses (p less than 0.01). The thrombolytic activity of K2tu-PA was significantly higher than rt-PA at the two higher doses (p less than 0.01). Both K2tu-PA and rt-PA produced a statistically significant reduction of fibrinogen, alpha 2-antiplasmin and plasminogen 3 h after the start of the infusions of the two higher doses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Biogenesis of the yeast vacuole (lysosome). The precursor forms of the soluble hydrolase carboxypeptidase yscS are associated with the vacuolar membrane.

We have studied the structure, biosynthesis, intracellular routing, and vacuolar localization of carboxypeptidase ysCS in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed two forms of carboxypeptidase yscS with different electrophoretic mobility. Antibodies specific for carboxypeptidase yscS recognized two glycoproteins of 77- and 74-kDa apparent molecular mass which differ by one N-linked carbohydrate residue. Both observations suggest that carboxypeptidase yscS exists in two catalytically active forms. The enzyme was found to be synthesized as two active high molecular mass precursor forms which are converted to the mature forms with a half-time of 20 min. The mature forms of carboxypeptidase yscS appeared soluble in the vacuolar lumen, while the precursor proteins accumulated tightly associated with the vacuolar membrane. The single hydrophobic domain present at the N terminus is believed to be responsible for the membrane association of the precursor molecules. Double mutants defective in proteinase yscA and proteinase yscB synthesize solely the carboxypeptidase yscS precursor forms. Correct proteolytic cleavage of the precursor forms was performed using purified proteinase yscB in vitro. Sec61, sec18, and sec7 mutants, conditionally defective in the secretory pathway, accumulate carboxypeptidase yscS precursor protein. Thus the carboxypeptidase yscS precursor molecules are delivered to the vacuole in a membrane bound form via the secretory pathway. After assembly into the vacuolar membrane, proteinase yscB presumably cleaves the precursor molecules to release soluble carboxypeptidase yscS forms into the lumen of the vacuole. The proposed mechanism is different from the delivery mechanism found for the other soluble vacuolar hydrolases in yeast.

Carboxypeptidases↗
PubMed1992

In-vitro cleavage of a fusion protein bound to cellulose using the soluble yscFs (Kex2) variant.

In order to show site-specific cleavage of fusion proteins with an engineered soluble yscF variant, we have constructed a fusion gene encoding eglinC from Hirudo medicinalis and the cellulose-binding domain from the Cellulomonas fimi exoglucanase (Cex). The two fusion partners were separated by a Lys-Arg-containing recognition sequence for the yeast endoprotease yscF (Kex2). The fusion protein (eglinC-Cex) was expressed intracellularly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After disruption of the cells eglin-C-Cex was shown to bind to cellulose when present in total crude cell lysates. This step efficiently removed the majority of contaminating host proteins. While immobilized on cellulose, eglin-C-Cex could be cleaved into the expected fragments. Upon cleavage the eglinC part was released from the cellulose, while the purification tag, i.e. the cellulose binding domain, stayed bound to the cellulose matrix.

Amino Acid Sequence↗