title: A hybrid protein of urokinase growth-factor domain and plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 2 inhibits urokinase activity and binds to the urokinase receptor.
abstract: The binding of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) to its specific cell-surface receptor (uPAR) localises the proteolytic cascade initiated by uPA to the pericellular environment. Inhibition of uPA activity or prevention of uPA binding to uPAR might have a beneficial effect on disease states wherein this activity is deregulated, e.g. cancer and some inflammatory diseases. To this end, a bifunctional hybrid molecule consisting of the uPAR-binding growth-factor domain of uPA (amino acids 1-47; GFuPA) at the N-terminus of plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 2 (PAI-2) was produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The purified protein inhibited uPA with kinetics similar to placental or recombinant PAI-2 and was also found to bind to U937 cells and to FL amnion cells. GFuPA-PAI-2 competed with uPA, the N-terminal fragment of uPA and a proteolytic fragment of uPA (amino acids 4-43) in cell binding experiments, indicating that the molecule bound to the cells via uPAR. Hence, both the uPA-inhibitory and uPAR-binding domains of the hybrid molecule were functional, demonstrating the feasibility of the novel concept of introducing an unrelated, functional domain onto a member of the serine-protease-inhibitor superfamily.
authors.affiliation: Delta Biotechnology Limited, Nottingham, England.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ballance
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Cottingham
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steven
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cederholm-Williams
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Goodey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Courtney
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000650:Amnion / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004247:DNA; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator