alpha-chymotrypsin and potassium-cyanate

Initiation of the extrinsic blood coagulation pathway is mediated by a complex formed between plasma-derived factor VII/VIIa and cell-derived tissue factor (TF). To identify the site(s) of interaction, zymogen VII and VIIa were enzymatically and chemically modified, and their affinities for TF were estimated by measuring their inhibitory effects on the amidolytic activity enhanced after formation of the VIIa-TF complex. We found that the VIIa-light chain (Ki = 3.5 x 10(-7) M) and its fragment consisting of the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-domain and the first epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain (Gla-EGF1 peptide; Ki = 1.0 x 10(-6) M) have an affinity for TF. Therefore, one of the binding sites of VII with TF is probably located in the Gla-EGF1 region. On the other hand, a dansyl-Glu-Gly-Arg chloromethyl ketone-treated Gla-domainless VIIa (Ki = 0.7 x 10(-7) M) showed a high affinity for TF, whereas the corresponding Gla-domainless VII similarly treated showed no binding potential, thereby indicating that binding site(s) other than in the Gla-EGF1 region are present in VIIa but not in VII. Acetylation or carbamylation of the alpha-amino group of the NH2-terminal Ile-153 of VIIa resulted in the loss of binding affinity for TF; such modifications convert VIIa into a zymogen-like inactive form by destroying the salt bridge between Ile-153 and Asp-343 in VIIa. The rate of carbamylation of VIIa was reduced in the presence of TF. Protection of the alpha-amino group of Ile-153 from carbamylation after complex formation was consistent with salt bridge formation between Ile-153 and Asp-343 in the VIIa-TF complex. Therefore, binding of TF with the heavy chain of VIIa may induce a conformational change that brings the alpha-amino group of Ile-153 close to the beta-carboxyl group of Asp-343 to make a stable salt bridge.

Topics: 1-Carboxyglutamic Acid; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Cattle; Chymotrypsin; Cyanates; Factor VIIa; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Molecular Sequence Data; Protein Binding; Thromboplastin

The ternary complex consisting of a 65-kDa peptide originating from the proteoglycan core protein and a 43-kDa link protein bound to hyaluronic acid was purified from a clostripain digest of the rat chondrosarcoma aggregating proteoglycan and 14C-carbamylated with potassium [14C]cyanate. At a pH of 8.0, 14C-carbamylation of the alpha-NH2 groups in the N-terminal amino acids was favored over carbamylation of epsilon-NH2 groups in the lysinyl residues for both the 65- and 43-kDa species. Two-dimensional tryptic peptide maps revealed a single major, distinctly different, fluorographic spot for each. These tryptic peptides had approximate masses of 4.5 kDa (from the 65-kDa species) and 3.0 kDa (from the 43-kDa species) on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels and each contained greater than 60% of the total radioactivity associated with its original polypeptide. Primary amino acid sequencing of the 65-kDa species gave a defined sequence for the first 4 N-terminal residues, whereas sequencing through the first 4 residues of a fully carbamylated species gave no dabsylated derivative for the first residue but identical residues in position 2-4 as for the noncarbamylated species and loss of radioactive derivative. Digests of 14C-carbamylated ternary complex with alpha-chymotrypsin resulted in a limit 14C-carbamylated 55-kDa species which contained greater than 85% of the radiolabel originally in the 65-kDa peptide. Similarly, trypsin generated two radiolabeled species, 60 and 58 kDa. These limit digest peptides (55, 60, 58 kDa) all contained the 4.5-kDa N-terminal tryptic peptide. Thus peptides removed from the 65-kDa peptide digestion with either alpha-chymotrypsin or trypsin were on the carboxyl end of the molecule.

Topics: Animals; Chondrosarcoma; Chymotrypsin; Cyanates; Cysteine Endopeptidases; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Endopeptidases; Extracellular Matrix Proteins; Hyaluronic Acid; Molecular Weight; Peptide Fragments; Proteins; Proteoglycans; Rats; Trypsin