Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.21.5 (thrombin)
33,306 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Yeast KEX2 protease was examined as a potential model for a human proprotein convertase and, in all respects, mimicked the predicted properties of a proalbumin convertase. The enzyme rapidly cleaved the propeptide Arg-Gly-Val-Phe-Arg-Arg from the NH2-terminal end of proalbumin but, unlike trypsin, failed to cleave physiologically unprocessed human proalbumin variants. There was little or no cleavage of proalbumin Lille (Arg-2----His) or Christchurch (Arg-1----Gln), and there was negligible cleavage of proalbumin Blenheim (Asp1----Val), despite the fact that it retains the dibasic processing signal. Proalbumin Kaikoura (Arg-2----Cys), which appears to be partially processed in vivo, was cleaved at about half the rate of normal proalbumin despite the absence of a diarginyl sequence. Restoration of a dibasic site through aminoethylation of the new cysteine increased the rate of cleavage to near that of normal proalbumin. The KEX2-catalyzed cleavage of normal proalbumin was found to be independent of pH between pH 6.0 and 8.0. Antitrypsin Pittsburgh (Met358----Arg), a predicted specific inhibitor of in vivo proalbumin cleavage, inhibited KEX2 in a reversible manner. A molar excess of thrombin over antitrypsin Pittsburgh relieved the inhibition of KEX2, suggesting that a covalent complex is not formed between KEX2 and the inhibitor.
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PMID:Specificity of yeast KEX2 protease for variant human proalbumins is identical to the in vivo specificity of the hepatic proalbumin convertase. 225 10

Furin is a membrane-associated calcium-dependent serine endoprotease that cleaves proproteins on the carboxyl side of the consensus sequence -Arg-X-Lys/Arg-Arg-. Using site-directed mutagenesis, a variant alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) was constructed which contains in its reactive site -Arg-X-X-Arg-, the minimal sequence required for efficient processing by furin (Molloy, S. S., Bresnahan, P. A., Leppla, S. H., Klimpel, K. R., and Thomas, G. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 16396-16402). This alpha 1-AT variant, [Arg355 Arg358]alpha 1-AT (alpha 1-PDX), is greater than 3,000-fold more effective than [Arg358]alpha 1-AT (alpha 1-AT Pittsburgh, alpha 1-PIT) at inhibiting furin in vitro (K0.5 = 0.03 microgram/ml). Furthermore, the P4 Arg in alpha 1-PDX greatly attenuates the thrombin inhibitory properties of this serpin (> 300-fold) compared with alpha 1-PIT (which contains a P4 Ala), thus increasing the selectivity of alpha 1-PDX for furin. Expression studies show that alpha 1-PDX, and not alpha 1-PIT, blocks the processing of two furin substrates, pro-beta-nerve growth factor and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 gp160 in transfected cells. In addition, a syncytium assay shows that alpha 1-PDX blocks the membrane fusogenic properties of HIV-1 gp160. The potential use of alpha 1-PDX in manipulating the activation of proproteins in a tissue- and time-specific manner is discussed.
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PMID:Inhibition of HIV-1 gp160-dependent membrane fusion by a furin-directed alpha 1-antitrypsin variant. 822 51

A novel mechanism of molecular disease was uncovered in a patient with prolonged thrombin time and a mild bleeding tendency. DNA sequencing of the fibrinogen A alpha chain indicated heterozygosity for a mutation of 20 Val --> Asp. The molar ratio of fibrinopeptide A to B released by thrombin was substantially reduced at 0.64 suggesting either impaired cleavage or that the majority of the variant alpha chains lacked the A peptide. The latter novel proposal arises from the observation that the mutation changes the normal 16R G P R V20 sequence to R G P R D creating a potential furin cleavage site at Arg 19. Synthetic peptides incorporating both sequences were tested as substrates for both thrombin and furin. There was no substantial difference in the thrombin catalyzed cleavage. However, the variant peptide, but not the normal, was rapidly cleaved at Arg 19 by furin. Predictably intracellular cleavage of the Aalpha-chain at Arg 19 would remove fibrinopeptide A together with the G P R polymerisation site. This was confirmed by sequence analysis of fibrinogen Aalpha chains after isolation by SDS-PAGE. The expected normal sequence was detected together with a new sequence (D V E R H Q S A-) commencing at residue 20. Truncation was further verified by nonreducing SDS-PAGE of the NH2-terminal disulfide knot which indicated the presence of aberrant homo- and heterodimers.
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PMID:Aberrant hepatic processing causes removal of activation peptide and primary polymerisation site from fibrinogen Canterbury (A alpha 20 Val --> Asp). 867 56

When hypertrophic growth is induced in neonatal rat cardiocytes by stretching, the cardiocytes express high levels of brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the proprotein-processing enzyme furin. A BNP precursor, gammaBNP, possesses a furin-cleavable Arg-X-X-Arg motif, which is cleaved when gammaBNP is processed to form BNP-45. The Arg-X-X-Arg motif is found in many precursors of growth factors and growth-related proteins. To determine if furin converts gammaBNP to BNP-45 as well as other unidentified growth-promoting protein precursors to their active form that may induce hypertrophic growth in cardiocytes, we used two protease inhibitor systems, synthetic peptidyl chloromethyl ketones (CMK) (dec-Arg-Val-Lys-Arg-CMK and dec-Phe-Ala-Lys-Arg-CMK; where dec is decanoyl) and vaccinia vector-integrated native and variant alpha1-antitrypsins. The furin-specific inhibitors, dec-Arg-Val-Lys-Arg-CMK and variant alpha1-antitrypsin with the inhibitory determinant Arg-X-X-Arg, suppressed the stretch-induced hypertrophic growth of cardiocytes as well as the processing of gammaBNP to BNP-45. The other serine protease inhibitors and variant alpha1-antitrypsin against elastase, or thrombin, however, neither suppressed the hypertrophic growth nor prevented the processing of gammaBNP to BNP-45. Thus, we suggest that furin catalyzes the conversion of gammaBNP to BNP-45 as well as growth-promoting proproteins to their active form, which might induce hypertrophic growth in cardiocytes.
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PMID:Stretch-induced hypertrophic growth of cardiocytes and processing of brain-type natriuretic peptide are controlled by proprotein-processing endoprotease furin. 925 68

The adhesive protein vitronectin (75 kDa) occurs in human blood fluid in a one-chain (Vn75) or a two-chain form (Vn65-10), and is produced by a specific cleavage (at Arg379-Ala380), by a proteinase not identified hitherto. These two forms were shown to be functionally different and therefore, this cleavage may have a regulatory significance in vivo. Here, we report the use of a tailored one-chain recombinant Vn, a specific protein kinase A phosphorylation at Ser378, and sequence analysis to show: (1) that none of the proteinases originating from blood, previously thought to be the endogenous proteinase (plasmin, thrombin, tPA, and uPA), is indeed the in vivo convertase; and (2) that furin, a serine endoproteinase residing in the secretory pathway of hepatocytes, where Vn is synthesized, specifically cleaves Vn at the endogenous cleavage site. Consequently, we propose that the Vn75 to Vn65-10 conversion takes place in the liver (not in blood) and is carried out by furin.
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PMID:Evidence showing that the two-chain form of vitronectin is produced in the liver by a selective furin cleavage. 1103 22

Secretory vesicles of neuroendocrine cells possess multiple proteases for proteolytic processing of proteins into biologically active peptide components, such as peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. The importance of proteases within secretory vesicles predicts the presence of endogenous protease inhibitors in this subcellular compartment. Notably, serpins represent a diverse class of endogenous protease inhibitors that possess selective target protease specificities, defined by the reactive site loop domains (RSL). In the search for endogenous serpins in model secretory vesicles of neuroendocrine chromaffin cells, the presence of serpins related to alpha1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) was detected by Western blots with anti-ACT. Molecular cloning revealed the primary structures of two unique serpins, endopin 1 and endopin 2, that possess homology to ACT. Of particular interest was the observation that distinct RSL domains of these new serpins predicted that endopin 1 would inhibit trypsin-like serine proteases cleaving at basic residues, and endopin 2 would inhibit both elastase and papain that represent serine and cysteine proteases, respectively. Endopin 1 showed selective inhibition of trypsin, but did not inhibit chymotrypsin, elastase, or subtilisin. Endopin 2 demonstrated cross-class inhibition of the cysteine protease papain and the serine protease elastase. Endopin 2 did not inhibit chymotrypsin, trypsin, plasmin, thrombin, furin, or cathepsin B. Endopin 1 and endopin 2 each formed SDS-stable complexes with target proteases, a characteristic property of serpins. In neuroendocrine chromaffin cells from adrenal medulla, endopin 1 and endopin 2 were both localized to secretory vesicles. Moreover, the inhibitory activity of endopin 2 was optimized under reducing conditions, which required reduced Cys-374; this property is consistent with the presence of endogenous reducing agents in secretory vesicles in vivo. These new findings demonstrate the presence of unique secretory vesicle serpins, endopin 1 and endopin 2, which possess distinct target protease selectivities. Endopin 1 inhibits trypsin-like proteases; endopin 2 possesses cross-class inhibition for inhibition of papain-like cysteine proteases and elastase-like serine proteases. It will be of interest in future studies to define the endogenous protease targets of these two novel secretory vesicle serpins.
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PMID:Novel secretory vesicle serpins, endopin 1 and endopin 2: endogenous protease inhibitors with distinct target protease specificities. 1243 89

Platelets are a major source of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in the circulation as they release latent growth factor in response to activation. We report here that human platelets, when stimulated with thrombin, activated a significant proportion of the latent TGF-beta released. Latent TGF-beta activation was independent of cytokine release, since activation was delayed compared to platelet degranulation. Activation occured in releasates and did not require the continuous presence of platelets. Classical mechanisms of latent TGF-beta activation were not involved, since activation was not affected by gene deletion and/or inhibitors of the known TGF-beta activators/co-factors, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor-II receptor (M6P/IGF-IIR), plasminogen/plasmin, or several other candidate proteases. In contrast, latent TGF-beta activation was significantly inhibited by the furin inhibitors, decanoyl-Arg-Val-Lys-Arg-chloromethyl ketone and L-hexaarginine. We show that platelets contain a furin-like enzyme which is released upon platelet activation. We conclude that, following activation, platelets release and activate latent TGF-beta1 via mechanisms involving the release and activity of a furin-like proprotein convertase. This novel mechanism of latent TGF-beta activation might represent an important mediator and therapeutic target of platelet TGF-beta1 functions, for example, in early wound repair, fibrosis, or arteriosclerosis.
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PMID:Latent TGF-beta1 activation by platelets. 1497 36

The assembly of von Willebrand factor multimers in the Golgi apparatus requires D1D2 domains of the von Willebrand factor propeptide, which may act as an oxidoreductase to promote disulfide bond formation or rearrangement between two D3 domains in the mature subunit. This mechanism predicts that the propeptide should form a transient intrachain disulfide bond with the D3 domain before multimerization. Such an intermediate was detected using truncated subunits that simplify the analysis of the multimerization process. When only the D1D2D'D3 region of von Willebrand factor was expressed in baby hamster kidney cells, the propeptide and D'D3 formed an intrachain disulfide-linked species in the endoplasmic reticulum that could be identified by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis after cleavage with thrombin or furin. This intermediate rearranged in the Golgi to form free propeptide and D'D3 dimers that were secreted. A similar intracellular disulfide-linked species was identified in cells expressing the propeptide and D'D3 as separate proteins and in cells expressing full-length von Willebrand factor. These results support a model in which the propeptide acts as an oxidoreductase to promote von Willebrand factor multimerization in the Golgi apparatus.
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PMID:A covalent oxidoreductase intermediate in propeptide-dependent von Willebrand factor multimerization. 1538 32

The biochemical mechanism controlling nucleation of mineral crystals in developing bone, along with the growth and propagation of these crystals once formed, remains poorly understood. To define the nucleation mechanism, a proteomics analysis was begun on isolated biomineralization foci (BMF), sites of initial crystal nucleation in osteoblastic cell cultures and in primary bone. Comparative analyses of the protein profile for mineralized BMF with that for total osteoblast cultures revealed the latter were enriched in several proteins including BAG-75 and BSP, as well as fragments of each. When 12 protease inhibitors were added separately to UMR 106-01 osteoblastic cultures, only the serine protease inhibitor 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride (AEBSF) blocked cleavage of BAG-75 and BSP, and prevented mineral crystal nucleation within BMF. Consideration of the specificities of the inhibitors tested and the fact that AEBSF inhibition was not dependent upon inclusion of FBS in the culture media indicated that mineral nucleation does not require serine protease plasmin, thrombin, kallikrein, urokinase, C1s or furin. In contrast, SKI-1 (S1P or site-1) is a membrane-bound serine protease inhibitable by AEBSF. We show here for the first time that mineralizing UMR 106 cells express a 98-kDa active, soluble form of SKI-1 within BMF. In contrast, nonmineralizing UMR cells appear to differentially process SKI-1 into smaller immunoreactive fragments (<35 kDa). These findings suggest that SKI-1 plays a direct or indirect role in assembly of functional nucleation complexes containing BAG-75 and BSP and their fragments, thus facilitating initial mineral nucleation within these biomineralization foci.
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PMID:Potential role of proprotein convertase SKI-1 in the mineralization of primary bone. 1872 45

Recombinant canine B-domain deleted (BDD) factor VIII (FVIII) is predominantly expressed as a single-chain protein and exhibits greater stability after activation compared with human FVIII-BDD. We generated a novel BDD-FVIII variant (FVIII-RH) with an amino acid change at the furin cleavage site within the B domain (position R1645H) that mimics the canine sequence (HHQR vs human RHQR). Compared with human FVIII-BDD, expression of FVIII-RH protein revealed a 2.5-fold increase in the single-chain form. Notably, FVIII-RH exhibited a twofold increase in biological activity compared with FVIII-BDD, likely due to its slower dissociation of the A2-domain upon thrombin activation. Injection of FVIII-RH protein in hemophilia A (HA) mice resulted in more efficacious hemostasis following vascular injury in both the macro- and microcirculation. These findings were successfully translated to adeno-associated viral (AAV)-based liver gene transfer in HA mice. Expression of circulating FVIII-RH was approximately twofold higher compared with AAV-FVIII-BDD-injected mice. Moreover, FVIII-RH exhibits superior procoagulant effects compared with FVIII-BDD following a series of hemostatic challenges. Notably, the immunogenicity of FVIII-RH did not differ from FVIII-BDD. Thus, FVIII-RH is an attractive bioengineered molecule for improving efficacy without increased immunogenicity and may be suitable for both protein- and gene-based strategies for HA.
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PMID:Minimal modification in the factor VIII B-domain sequence ameliorates the murine hemophilia A phenotype. 2337 67


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