title: Human cystatin C. role of the N-terminal segment in the inhibition of human cysteine proteinases and in its inactivation by leucocyte elastase.
abstract: Leucocyte elastase in catalytic amounts was observed to rapidly cleave the Val-10-Gly-11 bond of the human cysteine-proteinase inhibitor cystatin C at neutral pH. The resulting modified inhibitor had size and amino acid composition consistent with a cystatin C molecule devoid of the N-terminal Ser-1-Val-10 decapeptide. Leucocyte-elastase-modified cystatin C had more than 240-fold lower affinity than native cystatin C for papain. Removal of the N-terminal decapeptide of human cystatin C also decreased inhibition of human cathepsins B and L by three orders of magnitude, but decreased inhibition of cathepsin H by only 5-fold. A tripeptidyldiazomethane analogue of of the N-terminal portion of cystatin C was a good inhibitor of cathepsins B and L but a poor inhibitor of cathepsin H. It therefore appears that amino acid side chains of the N-terminal segment of cystatin C bind in the substrate-binding pockets of cathepsins B and L but not in those of cathepsin H. It is argued that the N-terminal cystatin C interaction with cathepsin B is physiologically important and hence that leucocyte elastase could have a function as a regulator of extracellular cysteine-proteinase inhibitory activity at sites of inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lund, University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abrahamson
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Buttle
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grubb
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: C525030:CST3 protein, human; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase