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Biomedical subjects

K Fujikawa

Publications and source records attributed to K Fujikawa.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Amino acid sequence of human von Willebrand factor.

The complete amino acid sequence of human von Willebrand factor (vWF) is presented. Most of the sequence was determined by analysis of the S-carboxymethylated protein. Some overlaps not provided by the protein sequence analysis were obtained from the sequence predicted by the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone [Sadler, J.E., Shelton-Inloes, B.B., Sorace, J., Harlan, M., Titani, K., & Davie, E.W. (1985) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 6391-6398]. The protein is composed of 2050 amino acid residues containing 12 Asn-linked and 10 Thr/Ser-linked oligosaccharide chains. One of the carbohydrate chains is linked to an Asn residue in the sequence Asn-Ser-Cys rather than the usual Asn-X-Ser/Thr sequence. The sequence of von Willebrand factor includes several regions bearing evidence of internal gene duplication of ancestral sequences. The protein also contains the tetrapeptide sequence Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (at residues 1744-1747), which may be a cell attachment site, as in fibronectin. The amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions of the molecule contain clusters of half-cystinyl residues. The sequence is unique except for some homology to human complement factor B.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Human plasma prekallikrein, a zymogen to a serine protease that contains four tandem repeats.

The amino acid sequence of human plasma prekallikrein was determined by a combination of automated Edman degradation and cDNA sequencing techniques. Human plasma prekallikrein was fragmented with cyanogen bromide, and 13 homogeneous peptides were isolated and sequenced. Cyanogen bromide peptides containing carbohydrate were further digested with trypsin, and the peptides containing carbohydrate were isolated and sequenced. Five asparagine-linked carbohydrate attachment sites were identified. The sequence determined by Edman degradation was aligned with the amino acid sequence predicted from cDNAs isolated from a lambda gt11 expression library. This library contained cDNA inserts prepared from human liver poly(A) RNA. Analysis of the cDNA indicated that human plasma prekallikrein is synthesized as a precursor with a signal peptide of 19 amino acids. The mature form of the protein that circulates in blood is a single-chain polypeptide of 619 amino acids. Plasma prekallikrein is converted to plasma kallikrein by factor XIIa by the cleavage of an internal Arg-Ile bond. Plasma kallikrein is composed of a heavy chain (371 amino acids) and a light chain (248 amino acids), and these 2 chains are held together by a disulfide bond. The heavy chain of plasma kallikrein originates from the amino-terminal end of the zymogen and is composed of 4 tandem repeats that are 90 or 91 amino acid residues in length. These repeat sequences are also homologous to those in human factor XI. The light chain of plasma kallikrein contains the catalytic portion of the enzyme and is homologous to the trypsin family of serine proteases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amino acid sequence of human factor XI, a blood coagulation factor with four tandem repeats that are highly homologous with plasma prekallikrein.

A lambda gtll cDNA library prepared from human liver poly(A) RNA has been screened with affinity-purified antibody to human factor XI, a blood coagulation factor composed of two identical polypeptide chains linked by a disulfide bond(s). A cDNA insert coding for factor XI was isolated and shown to contain 2097 nucleotides, including 54 nucleotides coding for a leader peptide of 18 amino acids and 1821 nucleotides coding for 607 amino acids that are present in each of the 2 chains of the mature protein. The cDNA for factor XI also contained a stop codon (TGA), a potential polyadenylation or processing sequence (AACAAA), and a poly(A) tail at the 3' end. Five potential N-glycosylation sites were found in each of the two chains of factor XI. The cleavage site for the activation of factor XI by factor XIIa was identified as an internal peptide bond between Arg-369 and Ile-370 in each polypeptide chain. This was based upon the amino acid sequence predicted by the cDNA and the amino acid sequence previously reported for the amino-terminal portion of the light chain of factor XI. Each heavy chain of factor XIa (369 amino acids) was found to contain 4 tandem repeats of 90 (or 91) amino acids plus a short connecting peptide. Each repeat probably forms a separate domain containing three internal disulfide bonds. The light chains of factor XIa (each 238 amino acids) contain the catalytic portion of the enzyme with sequences that are typical of the trypsin family of serine proteases. The amino acid sequence of factor XI shows 58% identity with human plasma prekallikrein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The activation of pro-urokinase by plasma kallikrein and its inactivation by thrombin.

Plasma kallikrein was found to be a good activator of pro-urokinase, the inactive zymogen form of urokinase. The complete activation of pro-urokinase by plasma kallikrein was obtained in 2 h with an enzyme/substrate weight ratio of 1/30. The rate of activation of pro-urokinase by plasma kallikrein was comparable to that catalyzed by plasmin and trypsin. The rate of activation of pro-urokinase by factor XIIa was approximately one-seventh of that by plasma kallikrein. The activation of the zymogen was due to the cleavage of a single internal peptide bond, resulting in the conversion of a single chain pro-urokinase (Mr = 55,000) into two-chain urokinase (Mr = 33,000 and 22,000), and these two chains were linked by a disulfide bond(s). These results indicate an important role of plasma kallikrein for the activation of pro-urokinase in the factor XII-dependent intrinsic pathway of fibrinolysis. Thrombin also converted pro-urokinase to a two-chain form that was not activatable by plasmin, plasma kallikrein, and factor XIIa. Thrombin specifically cleaved the Arg 156-Phe 157 bond which is located 2 residues prior to the activation site of Lys 158-Ile 159.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Prognostic factors in giant cell tumor of bone. A modified histological grading system useful as a guide to prognosis.

An analysis of 26 patients with giant cell tumor of bone was carried out to determine the clinical and pathological factors affecting the prognosis of the tumor, with a follow-up program of more than 3 years. The physical characteristics of the pathological features were measured objectively using an image analyzer. A significant correlation between the therapeutic procedures and recurrence of the tumor was found, but no pathological variables were significantly correlated. Excision or resection en bloc should be performed for the initial treatment of the tumor. Local recurrence could not be predicted on the basis of histological grading. Stromal cell atypia was significantly correlated with metastasis, but multinucleated giant cells bore no correlation to either recurrence or metastasis. The use of a modified histological grading system based not on variations of the stroma and giant cells but only on the atypia of mononuclear stromal cells, either malignant or classical, is recommended for the clinical assessment of the tumor.

Adolescent↗

Genetic-molecular basis for a simple Drosophila melanogaster somatic system that detects environmental mutagens.

We have developed a simple, objectively scorable test for the mutagenicity of chemical compounds which can be fed Drosophila melanogaster. The test depends upon the somatic reversion of the X chromosome, recessive eye color mutation, white-ivory (wi) to wild type (w+). Reversions are scored as clones of w+ facets in the wi eyes of eclosing adults. To increase the sensitivity, a tandem quadruplication containing four wi mutations was synthesized. Thus, in homozygous females eight wi mutations are potentially revertible. Six mutagenic compounds, all alkylating agents, all gave positive results at several concentrations tested. Molecular analysis demonstrates that the induced reversions, germinal and somatic, are associated with the loss of 2.9-kilobase DNA duplicated in the wi mutation.

Animals↗

DNA repair dependence of somatic mutagenesis of transposon-caused white alleles in Drosophila melanogaster after treatment with alkylating agents.

DNA repair-defective alleles of the mei-9, mei-41, mus-104 and mus-101 loci of Drosophila melanogaster were introduced into stocks bearing the UZ and SZ marker sets. Males with the UZ marker set, z1 (zeste allele) and w+(TE) (genetically unstable white allele presumably caused by a transposable element), or the SZ marker set, z1 and w+R (semistable white allele caused by partial duplication of the w+ locus plus transposon insert), were exposed to EMS at the first instar. After emergence, adult males bearing red spots on lemon-yellow eyes were scored as flies with somatic reversions of w+(TE) or w+R. The relative mutabilities (relative values of reversion frequency at an equal EMS dose) of either w+(TE) or w+R in a repair-proficient strain and in mei-9, mei-41, mus-104 and mus-101 strains were 1: approximately 1.2:0.3:0.3:0.7, despite the fact that w+(TE) reverted two to three times as frequently as w+R under both the repair-proficient and repair-deficient genetic conditions. Similarly, after treatment with MMS, MNNG and ENNG, w+(TE) was somatically more mutable in the mei-9 strain and less mutable in the mei-41 and mus-104 strains than in the repair-proficient strain. From these results, we propose that mutagenic lesions produced in DNA by treatment with these chemicals are converted to mutant DNA sequences via the error-prone repair mechanisms dependent on the products of the genes mei-41+ (mei-41 and mus-104 being alleles of the same locus) and mus-101+, whereas they are eliminated by mei-9+-dependent excision repair. In contrast to the approximately linear responses of induced reversions of w+(TE) with ENNG in the repair-proficient, mei-9, and mei-41 strains, seemingly there were dosage insensitive ranges for induced reversion with MNNG in the repair-proficient and mei-41 strains, but not for reversion in the mei-9 strain; w+(TE) in the mus-104 strain was virtually nonmutable with MNNG and ENNG. These results suggest that O6-methylguanine (O6MeG) produced in DNA with MNNG, but not O6-ethylguanine produced with ENNG, is almost completely repaired in a low dose range by constitutive activity of DNA O6MeG transmethylase. From the distribution of clone sizes of spontaneous revertant spots and other data, we propose that both w+(TE) and w+R have a similar tendency to spontaneously revert more frequently at early rather than at later developmental stages probably reflecting a common property of their inserted transposons.

Alkylating Agents↗

Localization of the binding site of tissue-type plasminogen activator to fibrin.

Functionally active A and B chains were separated from a two-chain form of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator after mild reduction and alkylation. The A chain was found to be responsible for the binding to lysine-Sepharose or fibrin and the B chain contained the catalytic activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator. An extensive reduction of two-chain tissue-type plasminogen activator, however, destroyed both the binding and catalytic activities. A thermolytic fragment, Fr. 1, of tissue-type plasminogen activator that contained a growth factor and two kringle segments retained its lysine binding activity. Additional thermolytic cleavages in the kringle-2 segment of Fr. 1 caused a total loss of the binding activity. These results indicated that the binding site of tissue-type plasminogen activator to fibrin was located in the kringle-2 segment.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Binding and activation properties of human factor XII, prekallikrein, and derived peptides with acidic lipid vesicles.

The binding of human factor XII and prekallikrein to vesicles of various compositions and the relationship to activation of factor XII were studied. Factor XII, factor XIIa, and the 40-kilodalton binding fragment of factor XII bound tightly to all of the negatively charged lipids investigated, including sulfatide, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylethanolamine, but not to the neutral lipid phosphatidylcholine. Binding could be reversed by high salt, and the dissociation constant for binding to sulfatide vesicles was in the nanomolar range at an ionic strength of 0.15 M. Prekallikrein did not bind significantly to either sulfatide or phosphatidylethanolamine vesicles under the conditions used. Stopped-flow studies showed that the association rate for the factor XII-sulfatide interaction was biphasic and very rapid; the faster rate corresponded to about 30% collisional efficiency. The kinetics of activation of factor XII was investigated and was in agreement with previous studies; sulfatide promoted activation but phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine did not. Autoactivation rates correlated closely with the packing density of factor XII and factor XIIa on the vesicle surface. In contrast, kallikrein activation of factor XII correlated with the amount of sulfatide-bound factor XII and was relatively insensitive to the density of factor XII on the vesicle surface. When the concentration of factor XII was reduced to only several molecules per vesicle, the autoactivation rate dropped very low whereas kallikrein activation held relatively constant. These results indicated that the autoactivation and the kallikrein activation of factor XII were dependent on different properties of the surface component.

Enzyme Activation↗

Amino acid sequence of the heavy chain of human alpha-factor XIIa (activated Hageman factor).

The amino acid sequence of the heavy chain of human alpha-factor XIIa (activated Hageman factor) was determined by automated Edman degradation using the peptides produced by chemical and enzymatic cleavages of intact factor XII and alpha-factor XIIa. Combining this sequence with the previously determined sequence of beta-factor XIIa (Fujikawa, K., and McMullen, B. A. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 10924-10933), the complete amino acid sequence of human factor XII has been established. The heavy chain of alpha-factor XIIa is composed of 353 amino acid residues containing one Asn-linked and six probable O-linked carbohydrate chains. The heavy chain of alpha-factor XIIa appears to contain four different domains including a "kringle," a "growth factor" domain, and the "type I" and "type II" domains of fibronectin. The domain organization of factor XII is analogous to those of several fibrinolytic proteins, including tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase, suggesting that factor XII belongs to the same protease subfamily as these two proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of somatic reversions between the ivory allele and transposon-caused mutant alleles at the white locus of Drosophila melanogaster after larval treatment with X rays and ethyl methanesulfonate.

Somatic reversion of strains with the ivory (wi) allele, a mutation associated with a tandem duplication of a DNA sequence at the white locus, increased with the age of larvae at the time of X-irradiation as expected from the increase in the number of target cells. In contrast, two independently isolated strains with unstable w+ loci associated with insertion of transposable elements showed higher reversion frequencies after treatment with X rays or ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) at early larval stages than at late stages. Nevertheless, both the wi strain and the two unstable w+ strains reverted at nearly equal rates after treatment with X rays or EMS at early larval stages. Possible similarity in "hot spot" structure for the high reversibility of the two types of mutations is discussed in relation to production of presumed "mutator-type" cofactors specific to the transposon-caused mutations at early larval stages.

Alleles↗

Proteolytic activation of tissue plasminogen activator by plasma and tissue enzymes.

Tissue kallikrein and factor Xa were found to activate tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) at a rate comparable with that of plasmin. During the activation reaction, the single-chain molecule was converted into a two-chain form. A slight t-PA activating activity was also found in plasma kallikrein. Other activated coagulation factors, factor XIIa, factor XIa, factor IXa, factor VIIa, thrombin and activated protein C had no effect on t-PA activation. t-PA was also activated by a tissue kallikrein-like enzyme that was isolated from the culture medium of melanoma cells. These results indicate that tissue kallikrein and factor Xa may participate in the extrinsic pathway of human fibrinolysis.

Animals↗

Active-site mapping of bovine and human blood coagulation serine proteases using synthetic peptide 4-nitroanilide and thio ester substrates.

A series of 14 tripeptide 4-nitroanilide substrates of the type Z-AA-Gly-Arg-NA and Z-AA-Phe-Arg-NA where AA = Ala, Asn, Glu, Lys, Phe, Pro, or Ser were used to map the S3 subsite of several serine proteases involved in blood coagulation. The enzymes studied included bovine thrombin, factor IXa, factor Xa, factor XIa, human beta-factor XIIa (factor XIIa fragment), and activated bovine and human protein C. Kinetic constants (kcat, KM, and kcat/KM) for the enzymatic hydrolysis of the substrates by each enzyme were determined and used to compare the relative reactivities of the individual enzymes. Most of the enzymes reacted with all the substrates, although a few showed considerable specificity. Human beta-factor XIIa showed the highest reactivity of all the coagulation proteases studied and was also very substrate specific (kcat/KM ranged over 470-fold). The best substrate was Z-Lys-Phe-Arg-NA with kcat/KM = 140 000 M-1 s-1. Activated bovine protein C (best substrate = Z-Ser-Phe-Arg-NA), factor Xa (best substrate = Z-Glu-Gly-Arg-NA), and thrombin (best substrate = Z-Lys-Gly-Arg-NA) were the group of enzymes that showed next highest reactivity toward the substrates. Activated bovine protein C, thrombin, and factor Xa displayed relatively little substrate specificity. Activated human protein C (best substrate = Z-Ser-Phe-Arg-NA) and factor XIa (best substrate = Z-Glu-Gly-Arg-NA) are moderately reactive enzymes. Activated human protein C is an extremely specific enzyme since it has such a large range of kcat/KM values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗