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Elucidation of the substrate specificity of the C1s protease of the classical complement pathway.

The complement system is a central component of host defense but can also contribute to the inflammation seen in pathological conditions. The C1s protease of the first complement component, the C1 complex, initiates the pathway. In this study we have elucidated the full specificity of the enzyme for the first time using a randomized phage display library. It was found that, aside from the crucial P(1) position, the S(3) and S(2) subsites (in that order) played the greatest role in determining specificity. C1s prefers Leu or Val at P(3) and Gly or Ala residues at P(2). Apart from the S(2)' position, which showed specificity for Leu, prime subsites did not greatly affect specificity. It was evident, however, that together they significantly contributed to the efficiency of cleavage of a peptide. A peptide substrate based on the top sequence obtained in the phage display validated these results and produced the best kinetics of any C1s substrate to date. The results allow an understanding of the active site specificity of the C1s protease for the first time and provide a basis for the development of specific inhibitors aimed at controlling inflammation associated with complement activation in adverse pathological situations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Analysis of the N-linked oligosaccharides of human C1s using electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.

Information on the structures of the oligosaccharides linked to Asn residues 159 and 391 of the human complement protease C1s was obtained using mass spectrometric and monosaccharide analyses. Asn159 is linked to a complex-type biantennary, bisialylated oligosaccharide NeuAc2 Gal2 GlcNAc4 Man3 (molecular mass = 2206 +/- 1). Asn391 is occupied by either a biantennary, bisialylated oligosaccharide, or a triantennary, trisialylated species NeuAc3 Gal3 GlcNAc5 Man3 (molecular mass = 2861 +/- 1), or a fucosylated triatennary, trisialylated species NeuAc3 Gal3 GlcNAc5 Man3 Fuc1 (molecular mass = 3007 +/- 1), in relative proportions of approximately 1:1:1. The carbohydrate heterogeneity at Asn391 gives rise to three major types of C1s molecules of molecular masses 79,318 +/- 8 (A), 79,971 +/- 8 (B), and 80,131 +/- 8 (C), with an average mass of 79,807 +/- 8. A minor modification, yielding an extra mass of 132 +/- 2, is also detected within positions 1-153.

Asparagine↗

Importance of the prime subsites of the C1s protease of the classical complement pathway for recognition of substrates.

The classical complement pathway, which plays a vital role in preventing infection, is initiated by the action of the serine proteases C1r and C1s. We have examined the hydrolysis of substrates representing cleavage sequences in the physiological substrates for C1s, C2 and C4. These studies showed that the P(1)'-P(4)' substrate residues of C2 and C4 conferred greater affinity of substrate for enzyme and also induced a sigmoidal dependence of enzyme velocity on substrate concentration. This indicates that the substrate gave rise to homotropic positive cooperative behavior in the enzyme. When C1s was in complex with C1q and C1r, as would occur under physiological conditions, the same behavior was observed, indicating that this mechanism is relevant in the complement pathway in vivo. We further investigated the requirements of C1s for prime side amino acids by examining a substrate library in which each of the P(1)'-P(4)' positions had been substituted by different classes of amino acids. This revealed that the P(1)' position was a major determinant of the selectivity of the enzyme, while certain substitutions at the P(1)'-P(4)' positions abolished the allosteric behavior, indicating that contact residues at these positions in the C1s enzyme must mediate the cooperativity. The studies reported here highlight the importance of prime subsites in C1s for interaction with its cognate substrates in the complement pathway and therefore yield greater understanding of the mechanism of interaction between this vital protease and its physiological substrates.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Expression of functional human C1 inhibitor in COS cells.

Full length human C1 inhibitor cDNA was cloned into a vector suitable for transient expression in COS-1 cells. Transfected COS cells secreted an immunoreactive protein of Mr approximately 110,000 that appeared to be functionally equivalent to the plasma-derived protein as established by the following criteria: 1) ability to form sodium dodecyl sulfate-stable complexes with C1s, factor XIIa, and kallikrein; 2) inhibition of C1s-mediated C4 consumption; and 3) susceptibility to inactivation by the nontarget proteinase elastase. Quantitation of secreted recombinant C1 inhibitor by radioimmunoassay indicated that 72 h after transfection the level was approximately 2.2 micrograms/ml. Treatment of transfected cells with tunicamycin resulted in secretion of a protein of Mr approximately 90,000 that was also capable of complex formation with C1s.

Animals↗

In vitro stimulation of C1s proteolytic activities by C1s-presenting autoantibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Anti-C1s autoantibodies (IgG forms), which recognize the conjunction of C1s heavy chain and light chain (C1s-presenting autoantibodies) from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), have been found to stimulate C1s enzymatic activities. This is due to acceleration of the proteolytic hydrolysis of the synthetic substrate C1-1 by C1s, enhancement of the complex formation of C1s with its natural pseudosubstrate, C1 inhibitor (C1 inh), and promotion of proteolytic activation of its natural substrate, C4. Seven of fifteen samples from patients with SLE were found to contain such autoantibodies. The hydrolysis of the synthetic substrate C1-1 catalyzed by C1s in 25 to 27 min in the presence of anti-C1s autoantibodies was equivalent to the hydrolysis of C1-1 catalyzed by C1s alone or C1s with control IgG from healthy sera in 110 min, approximately fourfold faster than the reaction in the absence of anti-C1s autoantibodies. Densitometry scanning data showed that the formation of the C1s-C1 inh complex in the presence of anti-C1s autoantibodies was three to four times greater than that with control IgG. It was also noticed that the autoantibodies convert almost all of the latent forms of C1s to an active form that binds to C1 inh. Another group of Western blots showed that C1s cleaved C4 alpha-chain three times faster in the presence of autoantibodies than of control IgG. It is likely that the overconsumption of complement components is common in the pathogenesis of tissue damage occurring in SLE.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Concentrations of C1q, factor B, factor D and properdin in healthy children, and the age-related presence of circulating C1r-C1s complexes.

The concentrations of C1q, factor B, factor D and properdin were determined in healthy children belonging to various age groups of one through five years of age. All concentrations were found to be age-dependent, though they varied from one component to another with regard to ontogenetic pattern. Thus, the concentrations of factor B were high, and those of factor D low throughout the age range studied. C1q and properdin levels were lowest in the younger children, who also showed a fairly high incidence of C1r-C1s complexes in excess of C1q. Since the concentrations of C1q are influenced by those of IgG, the presence of C1r-C1s complexes might partly have reflected maturation of immunoglobulin synthesis during ontogeny.

Age Factors↗

Comparative study of the fluid-phase proteolytic cleavage of human complement subcomponents C4 and C2 by C1s and C1r2-C1s2.

The C3 convertase of the classical pathway of complement is composed of fragments C4b and C2a resulting from cleavage of C4 and C2 by activated C1. The limited proteolysis of these two different substrates by the same protease, C1s, has been studied in the fluid phase using purified proteins. The turnover numbers of C2 and C4 cleavage by C1s were affected to different extents, depending on whether C1s was alone or associated with C1r or with monoclonal antibodies to C1s. The binding of C2 to C4 favours the proteolysis of C2 by C1s, as revealed by the use of I2-treated C2.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

A 100-kDa protein in the C4-activating component of Ra-reactive factor is a new serine protease having module organization similar to C1r and C1s.

Ra-reactive factor (RaRF), a C-dependent bactericidal factor in mice, is composed of one polysaccharide-binding component and one C4/C2-activating component. The former is an oligomer of 28-kDa protein corresponding to the mannose-binding protein of mice. The 100-kDa protein, P100, has been shown to be present in the C4/C2-activating component. This protein generates 29- and 70-kDa polypeptide chains when reduced. In this study, we determined the nucleotide sequence of cDNA coding for P100. cDNAs were prepared by reverse transcription PCR and cassette-ligation-mediated PCR on mRNA from BALB/c mouse liver, using primers synthesized by reference to the sequence determined in a previous study. The results of cDNA sequencing indicate that the precursor protein of P100 containing a 24-residue signal peptide consists of 704 amino acid residues. Taking the results of the previous electrophoretic study into consideration, it is thought that the cleavage of mature P100 protein generates a 29-kDa chain of 251 residues and a 70-kDa chain of 429 residues. Although homology in the amino acid sequence of P100 with that of human C1r and C1s subcomponents of C was less than 40%, a striking similarity in domain organization was found among these proteins, indicating that P100 is a new C4-activating serine protease structurally similar to C1r and C1s. Northern hybridization showed that the liver was the primary site of the expression of the P100 gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Substrate specificities of murine C1s.

An early step in the initiation of the classical C pathway is the proteolytic activation of component C4 by subcomponent C1-s. We have examined the substrate specificity of murine C1-s (mC1-s) by measuring its proteolytic activity on human and murine C4, and on the murine C4 isotype designated sex-limited protein (Slp). The latter substrate was examined because previous studies have demonstrated that Slp is not cleaved by C1-s, and hence Slp has been assumed to be nonfunctional in the C pathways. Those earlier studies used human, not murine, C1-s, however; a recent report has suggested that Slp is an essential component of a novel complement activation pathway and that the previous failure to observe cleavage of Slp is probably the result of a species incompatibility between Slp and the heterologous human C1-s (hC1-s). The present studies do not support this idea, as we found no evidence of cleavage of Slp by homologous murine C1-s even at enzyme concentrations 10-fold higher than that necessary for 50% cleavage of murine C4 (mC4). We did find a species-specific affect in the cleavage of mC4, where mC1-s is about 10-fold more effective than heterologous hC1-s in cleaving mC4, but mC1-s itself does not distinguish between human and murine C4, cleaving both equally well. Hence mC1-s does not exhibit the species specificity previously found for hC1-s, which shows a several hundred-fold preference for homologous human C4 over murine C4.

Animals↗

Substrate specificities of the protease of mouse serum Ra-reactive factor.

Ra-reactive factor (RaRF) is a serum bactericidal factor whose function seems to be to activate C in a manner similar to that of C1, but with activation triggered by binding to bacterial polysaccharides instead of to immune complexes. It is composed of multiple polysaccharide-binding subunits associated with a novel serine protease, and its overall structural organization is similar to that of C1. This similarity extends to the serine protease component, which shares a similar modular construction and about 40% sequence identity with the C1r and C1s subcomponents of C1. In this study, we examined the substrate specificity of mouse RaRF by assaying its ability to cleave C components C3, C4, and C5, and its activity against the murine C4 isotype, sex-limited protein. Our results revealed that RaRF preferentially cleaves the C4 alpha-chain with specific activities 20- to 100-fold greater than either human or murine C1s, and that RaRF also cleaves the C3 alpha-chain, but with a lower efficiency than C4 alpha. We also found that RaRF is much less sensitive than C1s to mutations near the proteolytic site and that the two proteases show different reactivities against synthetic substrates. Hence, although the RaRF protease and C1s have similar structures and play similar roles in C activation, they also display clear differences in substrate range and in the details of their substrate recognition mechanisms. Finally, we found that RaRF does not cleave sex-limited protein even at a level 100-fold higher than necessary for C4 cleavage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Murine complement component C4 and sex-limited protein: identification of amino acid residues essential for C4 function.

Murine sex-limited protein (Slp) is an isotype of murine complement component C4 that shares 95% sequence identity with C4 as well as the intramolecular thioester necessary for C4 function but has no complement activity. Slp is nonfunctional at least in part because it is not cleaved by the activated form of complement protease C1s (C1s), which proteolytically activates C4 in the classical complement pathway. Slp is also distinct from C4 in that its expression in some mouse strains is under testosterone control. In the present studies, we used site-directed mutagenesis of C4 and expression of the mutant proteins in cultured cells to identify the amino acid substitutions in Slp that are responsible for resistance to C1s cleavage. We focused on sequence changes immediately downstream of the cleavage site in C4 because the arginine at that site is conserved in Slp, but the downstream sequences diverge substantially, with six differences in the first 7 residues followed by a 3-residue deletion in Slp. We found that a C4 mutant carrying only the 3-residue deletion is not cleaved by C1s and has essentially no hemolytic activity, whereas a mutant carrying only the six replacement changes is cleaved by C1s and has normal hemolytic activity. Both mutants have intact thioesters. A third mutant in which two acidic residues in the segment deleted in Slp were replaced by aliphatic residues is also cleaved by C1s, has an intact thioester group, and has normal hemolytic activity. These results indicate that the downstream mutations are responsible for the resistance of Slp to C1s cleavage and suggest that the length rather than the specific sequence of this segment is critical in determining susceptibility to the protease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 proteolysis in articular cartilage and joint fluid results in enhanced concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 and is associated with improved osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The complement component C1s is present in dog joint fluid in an activated state. Since C1s degrades insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP-5), we undertook to determine whether inhibiting C1s in joint fluid would result in an increase in the amount of intact IGFBP-5 and IGF-1 in cartilage and joint fluid, and whether C1s inhibition would be associated with a reduction in cartilage destruction during the development of osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Twenty-two dogs were randomized to 3 treatment groups. All dogs underwent anterior cruciate ligament transection and were exercised. Dogs received 1 of 3 treatments: buffer alone (controls; n = 6); PB-145, a peptide derived from the sequence of antithrombin III (n = 9); and pentosan polysulfate (PPS; n = 7). PB-145 or saline was injected into the joint space 3 times per week for 3 weeks. PPS was injected intramuscularly weekly for 3 weeks. RESULTS: Joint histology showed preservation of chondrocytes and a smooth joint surface in the animals treated with PB-145 and PPS. Mankin scoring showed statistically significant reductions in joint destruction with PB-145 and PPS treatments (P < 0.01) compared with buffer control. Mean active collagenase concentrations were decreased by these two treatments. Immunoblotting of joint fluid showed that both treatments increased concentrations of intact IGFBP-5. Direct analysis of IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 protease activity showed that IGFBP-5 was degraded more rapidly and that PB-145 and PPS inhibited the degradation of both proteins. Total IGF-1 concentrations in joint fluid were increased 5.6-5.8-fold by these two treatments. Analysis showed that C1s was being activated in joint fluid and that its activation was inhibited by the addition of PB-145 or PPS. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that direct inhibition of the serine protease C1s results in increased concentrations of intact IGFBP-5 and that proteolysis of IGFBP-3 is also inhibited, probably by the inhibition of some other protease. This increase in concentrations of intact IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 leads to an increase in IGF-1 which is associated with an improvement in joint architecture during the development of OA.

Animals↗

Neutron scattering study of the (gamma-B) catalytic domains of complement proteases activated C1r and C1s.

The catalytic domains of activated C1r and C1s, comprising the C-terminal region of the A chain (gamma), disulphide-linked to the B chain, were obtained by limited proteolysis of the native proteases with chymotrypsin and plasmin, respectively, and studied by small angle neutron scattering. For activated C1s (gamma-B), a molar mass of 45,000 +/- 5000 g/mol, and a relatively large radius of gyration (Rg) of 28 +/- 1 A were determined, excluding a single globular domain. The corresponding values for activated C1r (gamma-B)2 (90,000 g/mol, Rg = 34 +/- 1 A) are consistent with a dimer involving the loose packing of two (gamma-B) subunits. Various models of the dimer are discussed in the light of neutron scattering and other data.

Chymotrypsin↗

Quantitation of (C1INH)2 C1r-C1s complexes in glomerulonephritis as an indicator of C1 activation.

C1 activation was assessed in several forms of glomerulonephritis by radioimmunoassay quantitation of circulating (C1INH)2 C1r-C1s complexes (INC). Eight patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and nephritis had elevated serum INC (mean = 15.3 vs control = 5.8, P less than 0.01). Their INC levels were normal during remission. Serum INC had a weak inverse correlation with serum C1q greater than 3 mg/dl (r = 0.42, P = 0.02). In longitudinal studies, serum INC also had a weak inverse correlation with serum C3 and C4. Only 1 of 10 patients with type I and 1 of 15 with type III membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) had elevated serum INC. No patient with type II MPGN had elevated levels. Two of 10 patients with poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (P-SGN) had elevated serum INC, but all normalized with convalescence. Patients with IgA nephropathy had normal serum INC. The data demonstrate the importance of C1 activation in SLE and P-SGN. The mechanism of complement activation in types I and III MPGN remains unclear; the data suggest, but do not prove, that C1-independent complement activation may occur in these patients.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗