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K T Preissner

Publications and source records attributed to K T Preissner.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin attack on human platelets promotes assembly of the prothrombinase complex.

alpha-Toxin, the major cytolysin of Staphylococcus aureus, promotes blood coagulation by its attack on human platelets (Bhakdi S., Muhly, M., Mannhardt, U., Hugo, F., Klapettek, K., Mueller-Eckhardt, C., and Roka, L. (1988) J. Exp. Med. 168, 527-542). In the present study we demonstrate that toxin attack on gel-filtered human platelets initiates the assembly of prothrombinase complexes at rates up to 10-fold of controls. Treatment of platelets with 0.1 microgram/ml alpha-toxin resulted in generation of 1.4 units of thrombin/10(8) platelets. A similar rate of thrombin generation was noted when platelets were subjected to three cycles of freezing and thawing. However, the alpha-toxin-induced prothrombinase activity was not due to platelet lysis, since less than 1% of total cellular lactate dehydrogenase was released by this alpha-toxin concentration. Two distinct and dissociable processes contributed to enhanced prothrombinase assembly. First, alpha-toxin promoted the exocytotic release of factor V from alpha-granules, which was accompanied by co-secretion of platelet factor 4. This process was calcium-dependent. Second, toxin-treated platelets exhibited an enhanced capacity to bind external factor V(a), a phenomenon that was not linked to Ca2(+)-dependent factor V secretion. Assembly of prothrombinase complexes via these two mechanisms together accounts for the procoagulant action of S. aureus alpha-toxin.

Aspirin↗
PubMed1990

Alteration of serpin specificity by a protein cofactor. Vitronectin endows plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 with thrombin inhibitory properties.

Serine protease inhibitors ("serpins") are highly homologous proteins which inhibit selected "target" serine proteases by acting as a pseudo-substrate. Their specificity is primarily determined by the amino acid sequence around the carboxyl-terminally located reactive center (P1-P1'). In addition, the association rate constant between a serpin and a serine protease can be dramatically increased by non-protein cofactors, such as heparin in the case of thrombin inhibition by antithrombin III. In an attempt to alter the specificity of PAI-1 from an inhibitor of the fibrinolytic system to an inhibitor of coagulation, we replaced P1-P1' or P3 through P3' of the reactive center of PAI-1 by the corresponding residues of antithrombin III and assessed whether the mutant proteins, purified from lysates of transformed Escherichia coli cells, had acquired thrombin inhibitory properties. The experiments were performed in the presence and absence of vitronectin, a multifunctional protein which has been shown to bind PAI-1 in plasma and in the matrix of endothelial cells. The second-order rate constants for t-PA inhibition of "wild-type" PAI-1 and PAI P1-P1'ATIII, irrespective of the presence of vitronectin, were similar, whereas replacing P3-P3' resulted in a 40-fold decrease of the second-order rate constant towards t-PA, again independent of vitronectin. In the absence of vitronectin, reactivity of PAI-1 and its "antithrombin III-like" variants towards thrombin was slow; however, PAI-1 P3-P3' ATIII had a 10-fold higher k1 than wild-type PAI-1 (1.3 x 10(4) M-1 s-1 versus 1.1 x 10(3) M-1 s-1). In contrast, in the presence of vitronectin, PAI-1 and even more rapidly PAI-1 P3-P3'ATIII were found to be effective thrombin inhibitors, with k1 values of 2.2 x 10(5) M-1s-1 and 1.8 x 10(6) M-1 s-1, respectively. Thus, in the presence of vitronectin, PAI-1 P3-P3'ATIII displays a 3-fold higher k1 with thrombin than with t-PA. It is shown that vitronectin enhances, in a dose-dependent manner, the formation of sodium dodecyl sulfate-resistant complexes between PAI-1 or mutants thereof and thrombin. Therefore, vitronectin is the first protein described to function as a cofactor for serpin specificity. PAI-1 is proposed to be a versatile inhibitor which, in the presence of vitronectin, can modulate both coagulation and fibrinolysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Specific binding of plasminogen to vitronectin. Evidence for a modulatory role of vitronectin on fibrin(ogen)-induced plasmin formation by tissue plasminogen activator.

Vitronectin immobilized onto polystyrene microtiter wells was demonstrated to specifically bind plasminogen in a concentration-dependent manner, yielding an estimated KD = 0.4 microM. Heparin only moderately interfered with the vitronectin-plasminogen interaction, whereas high concentrations of 6-amino-hexanoic acid inhibited binding. Utilizing a ligand-blotting procedure in which plasminogen was reacted with proteolytic fragments of vitronectin, transblotted onto nitrocellulose, the plasminogen-binding site of vitronectin was localized to the heparin-binding domain of the adhesive protein. Moreover, vitronectin was found to inhibit in a dose-dependent fashion the fibrin(ogen)-induced activation of plasminogen by tissue plasminogen activator. These results provide the first evidence for a novel vitronectin-mediated control of plasminogen activation potentially relevant for directional clot-lysis and plasmin-dependent proteolysis in extracellular matrices.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
PubMed1990

Domain structure of the endothelial cell receptor thrombomodulin as deduced from modulation of its anticoagulant functions. Evidence for a glycosaminoglycan-dependent secondary binding site for thrombin.

Rabbit thrombomodulin (TM) influences blood coagulation by serving as a cofactor for thrombin-induced protein C activation (activity a), by directly affecting the procoagulant activity of thrombin (activity b) and by accelerating the inhibition of thrombin by antithrombin III (AT III) (activity c). Although high molecular weight cationic compounds, such as poly-L-lysine and the ionophore-releasate from human platelets, only partly affected activity a in a concentration-dependent manner, activities b and c, however, were almost totally inhibited by these cationic compounds. Likewise, a heparin- and dermatan sulfate-binding peptide which represents a portion of the glycosaminoglycan-binding domain of vitronectin (VN) selectively inhibited activities b and c, indicating the presence of clustered acidic domain(s) in TM responsible for these activities. While heparinase or heparitinase did not affect rabbit TM function at all, digestion of rabbit TM with chondroitin ABC-lyase abolished activities b and c, whereas activity a remained unaffected. Modification of rabbit TM with chondroitin ABC-lyase was associated with a decrease in molecular mass of the receptor by about 10 kDa and a 2- to 3-fold decrease in affinity to thrombin as deduced from direct binding studies. These results suggest that at least two acidic thrombin binding domains are present in rabbit TM, whereby a dermatan sulfate-like glycosaminoglycan moiety constitutes the secondary binding domain for thrombin, eliciting both the direct as well as the AT III-dependent anticoagulant function of rabbit TM (activities b and c) but not protein C activation (activity a). In contrast to rabbit TM, human TM isolated from placenta only showed weak activities b and c. These differences in reactivity of TM from different sources appeared to be due to the masking (or absence) of the proposed secondary thrombin binding site in human TM, since VN could be identified as a major contamination in the human TM preparation as revealed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis. In addition, the major part of human TM could be immunoprecipitated by monospecific antibodies to VN. These findings indicate a possible modulatory function for VN in the human thrombin-TM system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Physiological role of vessel wall related antithrombotic mechanisms: contribution of endogenous and exogenous heparin-like components to the anticoagulant potential of the endothelium.

The intact vessel wall provides diverse anticoagulant mechanisms which, together with circulating components, are actively and dynamically involved in the regulation of the haemostatic system. These mechanisms are able to specifically and co-operatively counteract various procoagulant inducers at localized sites, such that under physiological conditions the endothelium provides a non-thrombogenic surface. Upon activation of the haemostatic system, these different components help to limit the extent of the prothrombotic response of blood coagulation at the site of injury and thereby contribute on different molecular levels to the overall anticoagulant potential of the endothelium. Heparin and possibly vessel wall related glycosaminoglycans may modulate or even enhance some of these anticoagulant mechanisms. A detailed understanding of the molecular architecture of these different processes in vitro may thereby lead to possible new therapeutic regimens.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Role of complement S protein (vitronectin) in adherence of Streptococcus dysgalactiae to bovine epithelial cells.

The binding of bovine complement S protein (vitronectin) to Streptococcus dysgalactiae isolates from cattle with mastitis and the S protein's role in streptococcal adherence to bovine epithelial cells were investigated. All 25 clinical isolates of S dysgalactiae interacted with bovine S protein. None of the other streptococcal species tested bound to bovine S protein. The S protein-binding sites were saturable and highly sensitive to trypsin. The binding of bovine S protein to S dysgalactiae isolates was specific and could not be inhibited by other plasma proteins, such as fibronectin, albumin, fibrinogen, alpha 2-macroglobulin, or IgG. Similarly, streptococcal binding of bovine S protein was not influenced by the synthetic peptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser, which constituted the host cell attachment sequence of S protein. In adherence experiments, prior binding of bovine S protein to S dysgalactiae enhanced streptococcal adherence to bovine epithelial cells. The enhancing effects by bovine S protein were abolished when the respective binding sites on the streptococci were digested by trypsin. Thus, bovine S protein could be an important mediator of adherence of S dysgalactiae to bovine epithelial cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Identification of and partial characterization of platelet vitronectin: evidence for complex formation with platelet-derived plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.

Vitronectin (VN; = complement S-protein), a plasma glycoprotein that is also associated with extracellular sites, was identified in washed human platelets contaminated with less than 0.05% of plasma VN. A specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for VN has been developed and was used to detect and to quantitate VN in detergent extracts of washed platelets with 8.1 +/- 4.6 micrograms/10(9) platelets (n = 10), representing about 0.8% of the plasma VN pool. Platelet and plasma VN were similar by immunochemical criteria using Western-blot analysis, although platelet VN was mainly found as partially proteolyzed polypeptide. Total release of platelet VN occurred at optimal doses of Ca-ionophore 23187 or thrombin, whereas no VN was released by platelet treatment with digitonin or Staphylococcus alpha-toxin. During stimulation of washed platelets with various concentrations of thrombin, the nearly concomitant release of VN and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) together with platelet factor 4 indicated the association of VN with inner-platelet storage granules. Furthermore, platelet VN and PAI-1 in Ca-ionophore releasates comigrated during ultracentrifugation in high mol wt fractions of sucrose density gradients, indicating a possible association of both components. Complex formation of platelet VN and PAI-1 was verified by a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and accounts at least in part for a high molecular form of platelet VN. The identification of platelet VN and its binding to platelet PAI-1 raises the possibility that VN, in contrast to other adhesive proteins, may participate in localized regulatory functions of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in platelet-matrix interactions and the protection of the matrix against proteolysis.

Bacterial Toxins↗
PubMed1989

A novel beta-endorphin binding protein. Complement S protein (= vitronectin) exhibits specific non-opioid binding sites for beta-endorphin upon interaction with heparin or surfaces.

Human beta-endorphin (1-31) (beta H-endorphin) was found to specifically interact with purified complement S protein from human plasma. As found by chemical cross-linking beta H-endorphin bound to both, the 65- and 75-kDa molecular mass forms of S protein. The interaction of S protein with heparin as well as the adsorption of S protein to surfaces led to an almost 10-fold increase of specific binding which was due to the exposure of further beta H-endorphin-binding sites. The interaction of beta H-endorphin with S protein bore characteristics of a ligand-receptor interaction, such as time dependence, reversibility, high affinity, saturability, and structural specificity and was mediated through the non-opioid COOH terminus of the beta H-endorphin molecule. beta H-Endorphin binding to S protein was observed at physiological pH or cation concentrations, indicating that the interaction may well occur in vivo. Our results provide conclusive evidence that interactions of S protein with very different effectors led to similar conformational changes which uniformly resulted in exposure of a highly specific beta H-endorphin binding domain on S protein. With S protein as major beta H-endorphin-binding protein in the periphery, the molecular basis of a widespread system of humoral target sites of the neuroendocrine effector appears to be established. In view of S protein involvement in processes of inflammation and wound repair and beta-endorphin effects on immunocompetent cells, the demonstrated S protein-beta H-endorphin interaction appears to be of considerable functional significance.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1989

The role of vitronectin as multifunctional regulator in the hemostatic and immune systems.

Vitronectin (= complement S-protein) belongs to the group of structurally and functionally homologous adhesive proteins (fibrinogen, fibronectin, von Willebrand factor) which are essential in the procoagulant phase of the hemostatic system, interacting with platelets and the vessel wall. In addition to a structural motif in vitronectin responsible for this interaction (cell attachment domain) other functional domains in the protein molecule exist that contribute to its multifunctional role as regulator in the immune system (complement) as well as in fibrinolysis. These various activities and the ubiquitous distribution of vitronectin in the organism are discussed with regard to structure-function relationships of the protein molecule. Vitronectin may thus provide a conceptual molecular link between cell adhesion, humoral immune response and the hemostatic system, particularly at the blood-vessel wall interphase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Modulation of heparin cofactor II function by S protein (vitronectin) and formation of a ternary S protein-thrombin-heparin cofactor II complex.

The complement inhibitor S protein, which is identical to the adhesive protein vitronectin, functions as heparin-neutralizing factor by protecting thrombin as well as factor Xa against fast inactivation by antithrombin III. The interference of S protein with glycosaminoglycan-catalyzed inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor II was investigated in these studies. S protein significantly counteracted the anticoagulant activity of heparin and pentosan polysulfate but not of dermatan sulfate. In the presence of 0.3 micrograms/ml heparin, 0.5 micrograms/ml pentosan polysulfate, or 2 micrograms/ml dermatan sulfate, S protein induced a concentration-dependent reduction of the inhibition rate of thrombin by heparin cofactor II. This resulted in a decrease of the apparent pseudo first-order rate constants by about 17-fold (heparin), or about 7-fold (pentosan polysulfate), whereas no neutralization of dermatan sulfate was demonstrable at a physiological ratio of S protein to heparin cofactor II. Exposure of the glycosaminoglycan-binding region of S protein by reduction and carboxymethylation of the protein increased the neutralizing activity of S protein towards heparin and pentosan polysulfate. The results of these functional experiments correlated well with the demonstration of direct binding of S protein to both polysaccharides but not to dermatan sulfate. While reduced/carboxymethylated S protein remained also ineffective in neutralizing other dermatan sulfate compounds with varying degree of sulfation, a synthetic highly basic tridecapeptide, representing a portion of the glycosaminoglycan-binding domain of S protein, counteracted their anticoagulant activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antithrombins↗
PubMed1988

Purification and characterization of a plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 binding protein from human plasma. Identification as a multimeric form of S protein (vitronectin).

A binding protein for plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1-BP) was isolated from human plasma by a four-step procedure. 1) The 7 S globulin fraction of plasma was isolated by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300. 2) Human endothelial cell-type plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), pretreated with 12 M urea, was added to this fraction (22 micrograms of PAI-1/ml of plasma), and a PAI-1 antigen peak with apparent mass 450 kDa (representing 65% of PAI-1 antigen and 85% of PAI activity) was isolated by gel filtration of this mixture. 3) The PAI-1.PAI-1-BP complex was further purified by immunoadsorption on an immobilized murine monoclonal antibody directed against PAI-1 (MA-7D4) and by elution with 4 M KSCN. 4) The complex was then dissociated by addition of excess human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), and t-PA and PAI-1 antigen (t-PA.PAI-1 complexes and free t-PA and PAI-1) were removed by immunoadsorption on monoclonal antibodies directed against t-PA (MA-62E8) and against PAI-1 (MA-7D4 and MA-12A4). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis of the purified material under nonreducing conditions revealed two bands with apparent mass approximately equal to 150 kDa and two bands with mass 74 and 68 kDa. Reduced sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis displayed two main bands with apparent masses of 73 and 64 kDa. The PAI-1-BP reacts with urea-treated, but not with inactive PAI-1. t-PA dissociates the complex between PAI-1 and PAI-1-BP. PAI-1 in complex with PAI-1-BP is 2-3-fold more stable at 37 degrees C than purified PAI-1, suggesting that PAI-1-BP may stabilize PAI-1 in blood. The concentration of PAI-1-BP in plasma determined by titration with PAI-1 is approximately 130 mg/liter. The isolated PAI-1-BP was shown to be identical to S protein (vitronectin) both by cross-reactivity with monospecific rabbit antisera and by NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. The gel filtration behavior, mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, and concentration in plasma suggest that PAI-1-BP is a multimer (presumably a dimer) of S protein accounting for approximately 35% of the S protein in plasma.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1988

The heparin binding domain of S-protein/vitronectin binds to complement components C7, C8, and C9 and perforin from cytolytic T-cells and inhibits their lytic activities.

S-Protein/vitronectin is a serum glycoprotein that inhibits the lytic activity of the membrane attack complex of complement, i.e., of the complex including the proteins C5b, C6, C7, C8, and C9n. We show that intact S-protein/vitronectin or its cyanogen bromide generated fragments also inhibit the hemolysis mediated by perforin from cytotoxic T-cells at 45 and 11 microM, respectively. The glycosaminoglycan binding site of S-protein/vitronectin is responsible for the inhibition, since a synthetic peptide corresponding to a part of this highly basic domain (amino acid residues 348-360) inhibits complement- as well as perforin-mediated cytolysis. In the case of C9, the synthetic peptide binds to the acidic residues occurring in its N-terminal cysteine-rich domain (residues 101-111). Antibodies raised against this particular segment react 25-fold better with the polymerized form of C9 as compared with its monomeric form, indicating that this site becomes exposed only upon the hydrophilic-amphiphilic transition of C9. Since the cysteine-rich domain of C9 has been shown to be highly conserved in C6, C7, and C8 as well as in perforin, the inhibition of the lytic activities of these molecules by S-protein/vitronectin or by peptides corresponding to its heparin binding site may be explained by a similar mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Thrombin-induced fibrinopeptide B release from normal and variant fibrinogens: influence of inhibitors of fibrin polymerization.

Thrombin preferentially cleaves fibrinopeptides A (FPA) from fibrinogen resulting in the formation of desAA-fibrin from which most of the fibrinopeptides B (FPB) are then released with an enhanced rate. Kinetics of fibrinopeptide release from normal and dysfunctional fibrinogens were investigated in order to further characterize the mechanism of accelerated FPB release during desAA-fibrin polymerization. Dysfunctional fibrinogens London I and Ashford, exhibiting primary polymerization abnormalities (i.e., an abnormality present when all fibrinopeptides have been cleaved), which in the case of fibrinogen London I is believed to be caused by a defect in the D-domain, were shown to exhibit a decreased rate of FPB release compared with normal fibrinogen. While Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro, an inhibitor of fibrin polymerization, was shown to decrease the rate of FPB release from normal fibrinogen by a factor of 5, normal fragment D1, although inhibiting clot formation of normal fibrinogen, did not influence the acceleration of FPB release. On the other hand, the presence of fragment D1 did not enhance FPB release from fibrinogen London I, suggesting that interaction of D-domains in functional isolation with desAA-fibrin E-domains is not sufficient to enhance FPB release. Although clot formation was inhibited by the concentrations of fragment D1 used, the formation of small desAA-fibrin oligomers was hardly affected. Thus, small fibrin polymers, but not desAA-fibrin monomers, act as optimal substrates for the release of FPB by thrombin.

Blood Coagulation Disorders↗
PubMed1988

Complement inhibitor S protein is associated with membranes of red blood cells from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria.

S protein is a plasma glycoprotein (Mr = 78,000) which binds to nascent C5b-7 complexes upon complement activation in the fluid phase in whole serum. It thereby protects innocent bystander cells from complement mediated lysis. It is unknown whether S protein also functions as complement inhibitor on cell surfaces. We here report that S protein is recognized on red blood cells (RBC) from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH), but not on normal RBC. RBC from eight PNH patients showed 12-48% haemolysis subsequent to complement activation in the fluid phase, while normal RBC did not respond. Preincubation of the PNH cells with affinity-purified antibodies against human S protein resulted in a three- to five-fold increase of haemolysis, while preincubation of these cells with S protein decreased haemolysis by 40%. In contrast, haemolysis remained unaffected by other unrelated antibodies, i.e. IgG anti-Rh(D) and anti-A. If PNH RBC, normal RBC pretreated with 2-amino-ethylisouronium bromide (AET), or untreated normal RBC, respectively, were incubated with purified S protein in vitro, the uptake of antibodies against S protein was significantly enhanced with PNH and with AET-treated, but not with untreated normal RBC. Additionally, while normal RBC did not respond to reactive lysis initiated by purified C5b-6 and C7, PNH as well as AET-RBC showed significant haemolysis that could be inhibited by S protein in a dose-dependent fashion. These findings strengthen the assumption that the increased sensitivity of PNH cells towards reactive complement lysis is either due to the lack of an inhibitor of the terminal complement sequence and/or enhanced insertion of the membrane attack complex. These defects of PNH RBC may partly be overcome by the fluid phase complement inhibitor S protein which binds to PNH RBC and may thereby suppress homologous cytolysis.

Complement Inactivator Proteins↗
PubMed1988

Mediation of adherence of streptococci to human endothelial cells by complement S protein (vitronectin).

The role of S protein in the adherence of group A and G streptococci to human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultivated in 96-well microdilution plates was studied by utilizing fluorescein-labeled streptococci. The assay proved suitable for quantitative determination of bacterial adherence to cultured endothelial cells for all tested strains of streptococci. Only bacterial strains with significant S protein binding but weak fibronectin binding were included in these studies. Fibronectin-mediated adherence to endothelial cells of these streptococci was less than 25% of total and could be blocked by antifibronectin immunoglobulin G. Further treatment of endothelial cell monolayers with anti-S protein immunoglobulin G at concentrations up to 1 mg per well led to an almost complete inhibition of adherence for all tested streptococcal cultures, indicating significant contribution of S protein in the streptococcus-endothelial cell interaction. Blocking of S-protein-binding sites on streptococci by preincubation with exogeneous S protein at a concentration of 10 micrograms per 4 x 10(7) streptococci led to about 75% reduction of S-protein-mediated adherence to endothelial cells. Trypsin pretreatment of group G streptococci and pronase pretreatment of group A and G streptococci, modifications known to destroy the bacterial binding sites of S protein, also inhibited the capacity of the streptococci for S-protein-mediated adherence to endothelial cells by 75 to 80%. These results indicate that S protein plays a mediatory role in adherence of streptococci to endothelial cells and that S-protein-specific binding sites on streptococci are involved in this interaction.

Bacterial Adhesion↗
PubMed1988

Anticoagulant potential of endothelial cell membrane components.

In this communication some of the important regulatory mechanisms involving endothelial cell surface associated anticoagulant reactions as well as endothelial cell surface expressed receptors which directly contribute to the inhibition of coagulation are reviewed. In particular, the mechanism of action of protease inhibitors such as antithrombin III, heparin cofactor II, or protease nexin I and their possible interaction with glycosaminoglycan components of the endothelial cells is critically summarized. Thrombin binding to endothelial cells, in particular to thrombomodulin, is believed to be a major event in the induction of anticoagulatory mechanisms such as the protein C/protein S system which warrant a balanced hemostatic system. Additional components such as vascular anticoagulant or extrinsic pathway inhibitor may also contribute to the anticoagulant potential of the vessel wall. Furthermore, the modulation of these membrane-associated anticoagulant reactions by other components such as heparin-binding proteins is discussed.

Antithrombin III↗
PubMed1988

Attachment of cultured human endothelial cells is promoted by specific association with S protein (vitronectin) as well as with the ternary S protein-thrombin-antithrombin III complex.

The interaction of the multifunctional S protein (vitronectin) with cultured human endothelial cells of macrovascular and microvascular origin was investigated. Purified S protein, coated on polystyrene Petri dishes, induced dose-dependent and time-dependent attachment and spreading of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as well as human omental tissue microvascular endothelial cells (HOTMECs) at 37 degrees C. Not only isolated S protein, but also the ternary S protein-thrombin-antithrombin III (STAT) complex promoted attachment of approximately 90% of the cells within 2 hours at an S protein concentration of 0.13 mumol/L. Inhibition of attachment in these experiments was achieved by the addition of the cell-attachment pentapeptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser and by monospecific antibodies against S protein, whereas nonrelated peptides or antibodies against fibronectin, fibrinogen, or von Willebrand factor (vWF) were ineffective. Direct binding of S protein to HUVECs and HOTMECs was studied with cells in suspension at a density of 1 x 10(6) cells/mL and was maximal after 120 minutes. S protein bound to both cell types in a dose-dependent fashion with an estimated dissociation constant Kd = 0.2 mumol/L. At a 200-fold to 500-fold molar excess of unlabeled S protein, greater than 80% of bound radiolabeled S protein was displaceable, whereas binding was reduced to 30% to 50% by addition of the pentapeptide, the STAT complex, or by physiologic concentrations of fibrinogen or vWF as well as Fab fragments of anti(human S protein)IgG, but not by Fab rabbit IgG. These findings present evidence for the specific association of S protein with endothelial cells ultimately leading to attachment and spreading of cells. Moreover, a novel function for the ternary STAT complex, which induced endothelial cell attachment and spreading virtually identical to free S protein, is described. These data further suggest a possible role for S protein during coagulation as major vessel wall-related adhesive protein at sites of vascular injury.

Antigens, Surface↗