Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.21.69 (APC)
 16,337 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Protein C is lower in newborn infants than in adults. There are conflicting reports regarding functional activity and the presence of des-gamma carboxylated species in the newborn. We have compared protein C activity and antigenic level in newborn infants and found the activity: antigen ratio to be lower than in adults (0.69 versus 1.0). We discuss this finding in relation to the previously published reports.
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PMID:Functional activity of protein C in newborn infants. A report of a study and a review of the literature. 132

Mediterranean spotted fever, a tick-borne rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia conorii, may lead to small-vessel or deep-vein thrombosis. In order to evaluate the role of endothelial cell alteration in this lesion, we infected human endothelial cells derived from umbilical veins with R. conorii. We report the induction of two previously unreported prothrombotic mechanisms in rickettsial disease: (i) a progressive decline in thrombomodulin antigen and (ii) early expression of tissue factor, and, as described for R. rickettsii infection, later release of von Willebrand factor from Weibel-Palade bodies. Thrombomodulin expression in infected endothelial cells, measured by the thrombin-dependent activation of protein C or flow cytometric analysis, decreased steadily between 4 and 24 h after inoculation with rickettsiae. R. conorii infection induced tissue factor expression, measured by clotting assay and flow cytometric analysis, which was detectable 2 h postinoculation, reached its maximum 4 h postinoculation, and progressively decreased thereafter. Infection resulted in a relatively late release of von Willebrand factor antigen into the culture medium. A double-label immunofluorescence assay for the simultaneous evaluation of von Willebrand factor and R. conorii showed that the depletion of cytoplasmic von Willebrand factor stored in Weibel-Palade bodies was due to a direct effect of the intracellular R. conorii. These disturbances of endothelial function observed with R. conorii-infected cells may provide a paradigm for the elucidation of thrombotic pathobiology with Mediterranean spotted fever.
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PMID:von Willebrand factor release and thrombomodulin and tissue factor expression in Rickettsia conorii-infected endothelial cells. 132 57

Modification of protein Ag by proteolysis is one of the principal steps in the presentation of Ag to Th cells. However, little is known about the enzymes participating in these events, their specificity or the characteristics of the natural fragments that they produce. Cathepsin D (CD) is an aspartyl protease identified in endosomes of APC. In this report, the role of CD in the processing of OVA has been investigated. OVA digested in vitro with purified CD was able to stimulate IL-2 secretion by three different OVA-specific I-Ad restricted Th cell hybridomas when it was presented by fixed APC. The digest of OVA was recognized in the context of I-Ad, but not by I-Ak-restricted OVA-specific Th cells. No difference was observed in the ability of OVA digested with CD to stimulate Th cells in the absence of FCS or in the presence of protease inhibitors indicating that extracellular proteases were not likely to contribute to processing of OVA. Taken together, these results suggest that CD is necessary and sufficient for the generation of an antigenic epitope from OVA. A fragment containing the epitope was isolated from the OVA digest by reverse phase HPLC. This fragment, which migrates in SDS-PAGE as a 10-kDa polypeptide, is a potent epitope. Its capacity to activate Th cells is compared to that of the tryptic peptide OVA323-339.
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PMID:Role of cathepsin D in antigen presentation of ovalbumin. 132 88

Since alterations of epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) have been observed in humans infected with HIV, we investigated the morphology and function of these cells in murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS), a murine model closely resembling human AIDS. The number as well as the shape of dendritic MHC class II+ cells from ear skin of C57BL/6 mice were similar in normal and infected animals. In mixed epidermal cell (EC) lymphocyte cultures, EC from infected mice and from normal mice stimulated allogeneic T cell proliferation to the same extent. In contrast to T cells from normal mice, however, T cells from infected mice did not respond to allogeneic spleen cells, confirming the presence of a T-cell defect in MAIDS. Subcutaneous injection of syngeneic mice with trinitrophenyl-modified MAIDS EC resulted in delayed ear swelling responses after challenge that were equivalent to those induced by hapten-modified EC from normal mice, suggesting that the contact sensitivity inducing potential of MAIDS LC was preserved. To investigate antigen presenting and processing function, EC and spleen cells were tested with the ovalbumin-specific IAb-restricted T cell hybridoma BO.17.10 and either ovalbumin 323-339 peptide or intact ovalbumin protein. MAIDS spleen cells had a reduced antigen presenting capacity compared with normal spleen cells, whereas EC from these mice showed the same processing and presenting capacity as normal controls. In summary, our results demonstrate that the frequency, morphology, level of MHC class II antigen expression and ability to process and present antigen is normal for LC from mice with MAIDS whereas the function of splenic T cells and APC from infected mice is significantly impaired.
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PMID:Epidermal and splenic antigen-presenting cell function in a retrovirally induced murine immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS). 132 74

To elucidate the role of the COOH-terminal region of antithrombin III, we studied the effects of synthetic peptides corresponding to its sequence on the amidolytic and proteolytic activities of thrombin and Factor Xa in the presence or absence of the inhibitor, antithrombin III. The peptides ANRPFLVFI and IIFMGRVANP corresponding to residues Ala404 to Ile412 and Ile420 to Pro429, respectively, blocked the inhibition by antithrombin III. The effect of IIFMGRVANP was reduced in the presence of heparin. Both peptides at a concentration of 1 mM blocked complex formation between antithrombin III and thrombin or Factor Xa. The two peptides, particularly IIFMGRVANP, directly enhanced the amidolytic activity of thrombin and Factor Xa on the synthetic substrate Boc-Ala-Gly-Arg-MCA (where Boc is t-butoxycarbonyl and MCA is 4-methylcoumarin), which corresponds to residues P3-P1 of the reactive site of antithrombin III, and also on other substrates due to increased Vmax. IIFMGRVANP also shortened the thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting time, whereas ANRPFLVFI inhibited the thrombin-catalyzed activation of protein C both in the presence and absence of thrombomodulin. The direct effect of ANRPFLVFI and IIFMGRVANP on thrombin was confirmed by enhancement of the incorporation of dansylarginine-N-(3-ethyl-1,5-pentanediyl)amide into thrombin. These findings suggest that the COOH-terminal region of antithrombin III interacts with thrombin and Factor Xa to increase the reactivity of the enzyme, which may enhance acyl-bond formation between the inhibitor and the enzyme.
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PMID:The role of the COOH-terminal region of antithrombin III. Evidence that the COOH-terminal region of the inhibitor enhances the reactivity of thrombin and factor Xa with the inhibitor. 133 Oct 47

The assembly and function of the prothrombinase complex on the bovine and human platelet membrane is mediated through binding interactions in which factor Va bound to the platelet surface forms at least part of the "receptor" for factor Xa in a 1:1 stoichiometric complex. A model depicting these binding interactions is shown in Fig. 12. Data from our laboratory indicate that the prothrombinase catalyst assembles in an analogous manner on the surface of monocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and well-defined phospholipid vesicles employed in model systems. The 74,000-Da subunit of factor Va, component E, which mediates the binding of factor Va to either bovine platelets, human monocytes, or phospholipid vesicles, is shown binding to the cell membrane through its putative "receptor." The 94,000-Da subunit of factor Va, component D, is associated with the membrane surface through its metal ion-dependent interaction with component E. Factor Va forms at least part of the receptor that mediates the binding of factor Xa to an appropriate membrane surface, because component E has been shown to contribute significantly to the interaction of factor Xa with either the platelet, monocyte, or vesicle membrane surface. Our data do not preclude the possibility that component D contributes to the binding of factor Xa and the function of the prothrombinase complex. Component D appears to be important for several reasons. Cleavage of component D by activated protein C results in the complete loss of factor Va cofactor activity. An interaction between factor Xa and component D is implied from the observation that factor Xa protects factor Va from activated protein C inactivation. Furthermore, the binding of factor Xa to platelet-bound factor Va results in the time-dependent cleavage of components D and D'. Because component D is not required absolutely for prothrombinase complex assembly, we would speculate that it may be important in mediating prothrombin binding (depicted as a three-domain molecule) and increasing the catalytic efficiency of the enzymatic complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Platelet factor Xa receptor. 133 8

We have previously demonstrated that human aortic endothelium exhibits morphologic heterogeneity in situ, and this heterogeneity can be reproduced in culture. In this study, we have compared prothrombotic properties of cultured endothelial cells (EC) from areas of human aorta at high risk for atherosclerosis (HP-EC) with EC from areas at low risk (LP-EC). Using paired cultures from the same donors, we have found that the expression of cell surface thrombomodulin (TM)--as measured by the ability to generate activated protein C (APC) from protein C in the presence of thrombin--is relatively reduced on HP-EC compared to LP-EC (respectively, 4.98 +/- 4.43 vs. 5.83 +/- 4.37 pM APC/min/cm2; p = .03, n = 12). Furthermore, HP-EC more efficiently assemble the prothrombinase complex on their cellular surface, resulting in an increased rate of thrombin generation from prothrombin (9.81 +/- 3.10 (HP-EC) vs. 7.96 +/- 3.20 nM thrombin/min/cm2 (LP-EC); p less than .03, n = 7). The combination of reduced TM expression and increased prothrombinase complex assembly on HP-EC suggests a prothrombotic phenotype in these cells. These findings may be important in the pathogenesis of thrombosis associated with atherosclerotic plaques.
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PMID:Prothrombotic phenotype diversity of human aortic endothelial cells in culture. 133 14

NMR experiments were carried out to study the interaction of thrombin with a synthetic peptide, ESKATNATLDPR, derived from the newly-identified platelet receptor for thrombin [Vu, T.-K. H., Hung, D. T., Wheaton, V. I., & Coughlin, S. R. (1991) Cell 64, 1057-1068]. On the basis of the observation of the thrombin-induced line broadening and transferred NOEs, binding of the peptide was found to be located exclusively within residues LDPR of the proteolytic cleavage site LDPR/S essential for receptor activation by thrombin. Measurement of transferred NOEs and molecular modeling indicate that the side chain of the Asp(P3) residue may form a hydrogen bond with thrombin and, by doing so, it is brought near a positively-charged thrombin residue Arg(221A), thereby partially neutralizing the negative charge of an Asp residue at this site of protein substrates. The hydrophobic side chains of residues Leu(P4) and Pro(P2) reside on the same side of the peptide backbone as indicated by transferred NOEs and were found by modeling to fit into a hydrophobic cage around the thrombin active site. These results suggest that the interaction of thrombin with protein substrates such as prothrombin, protein C, protein S, the platelet receptor, and the A alpha- and B beta-chains of fibrinogen all follow the same canonical binding mode in that the substrate forms an antiparallel beta-strand with thrombin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Solution structure of a platelet receptor peptide bound to bovine alpha-thrombin. 133 64

Single-stranded DNA molecules containing a 15-nucleotide consensus sequence have been reported to inhibit thrombin activity. The mechanism of the inhibition was studied using a consensus 15-mer oligonucleotide and two recombinant mutant thrombins: the anion-binding exosite mutant thrombin R70E, and thrombin K154A, in which the mutation was located in a surface loop outside of the exosite. The consensus 15-mer oligonucleotide inhibited both fibrinogen-clotting and platelet-activation activities of plasma-derived thrombin, recombinant wild type thrombin, and mutant thrombin K154A in a sequence-specific and dose-dependent manner, whereas it did not inhibit either activity of mutant thrombin R70E. The 15-mer oligonucleotide also inhibited thrombomodulin-dependent protein C activation by plasma-derived thrombin. In competition equilibrium binding experiments, binding of 125I-labeled diisopropyl phosphoryl-thrombin to thrombomodulin was completely inhibited by the consensus 15-mer oligonucleotide with a Kd value of 2.68 +/- 0.16 nM. These results suggest that Arg-70 in the anion-binding exosite of thrombin is a key determinant for interaction with specific single-stranded DNA molecules, and that binding of single-stranded DNA molecules to the exosite prevents the interaction of thrombin with fibrinogen, the platelet thrombin receptor, and thrombomodulin.
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PMID:Localization of the single-stranded DNA binding site in the thrombin anion-binding exosite. 133 57

Thrombomodulin (TM) is an endothelium-associated glycoprotein that converts thrombin from a procoagulant protease to an anticoagulant. Thrombin, a key enzyme in thrombus formation, binds to TM molecules on endothelium with very high affinity. After binding to TM, thrombin fails to act on the coagulation factors and platelets, and its ability to activate protein C is enhanced more than 1000-fold. We expressed soluble recombinant TM (rTM) in CHO cells and evaluated its antithrombotic effect on thrombin-induced thromboembolism in mice and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in rats. Thrombin injection into mouse caused acute thromboembolism resulting instantaneous death, however preinjection of rTM neutralized the lethal effect of thrombin in a dose-dependent manner. Soluble rTM also improved the consumption of fibrinogen and platelets in experimental DIC-rats induced by LPS. The effect of rTM was confirmed in histologically. These data suggest that rTM may have a therapeutic effect on thrombosis or DIC in human.
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PMID:[Therapeutic evaluation of recombinant thrombomodulin]. 133 21


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