title: Identification and partial characterization of a proteinase specific for insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in aqueous and vitreous humors.
abstract: The IGFs (-I and -II) are normally found in serum and other extracellular fluids complexed to specific binding proteins (IGFBPs). While several IGFBPs have been identified in vitreous and aqueous humors, the major serum carrier of IGF, IGFBP-3, is notably absent from these fluids. To determine if this paucity could be due to an IGFBP-3 proteinase (IGFBP-3ase), samples of bovine vitreous or aqueous humor were mixed with serum and incubated at 37 degrees C for 4 h followed by western ligand blotting. In these experiments, a distinct loss of the 46 kDa band representing IGFBP-3 was observed while other bands present at 35, 28 and 25 kDa were unaltered. The IGFBP-3ase activity is temperature sensitive, has a pH optimum of about 8.0 and is inhibited by EDTA. Acid treatment of serum to remove endogenously bound IGF does not affect the specificity or activity of the IGFBP-3 proteinase. Size exclusion chromatography of bovine aqueous indicates an approximate molecular weight of 260 kDa. Incubation of recombinant IGFBP-3 or serum with partially-purified IGFBP-3ase results in the appearance of low molecular weight fragments of approximately 30 kDa. These fragments are undetectable by western ligand blotting but are readily visualized using an IGFBP-3 specific antibody. Comparison of normal and diabetic vitreous humor reveals the presence of an increased amount of IGFBP-3 proteolytic fragments in the diabetic as compared to control. These findings indicate the presence of a IGFBP-3 proteinase in aqueous and vitreous humors that may be important in regulating ocular homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Retinal Cell and Molecular Biology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Schoen
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Waldbillig
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Searcy
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Gaudet
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Chader
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moshyedi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000201:enzymology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004492:Edetic Acid; D010450:Endopeptidases; C080473:insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 protease