title: Plasminogen activation by pro-urokinase in complex with its receptor--dependence on a tripeptide (Spectrozyme plasmin).
abstract: The intrinsic activity of single-chain pro-urinary-type plasminogen activator (pro-uPA) and whether its receptor (uPAR) potentiates this activity remains controversial. In this report, the pro-uPA/uPAR-(1-281)-peptide complex in solution is shown to have equivalent plasminogen-activator activity to that of active two-chain uPA (tc-uPA). However, the activity of the complex was dependent on a synthetic tripeptide, Spectrozyme plasmin (Spl, H-D-2-aminohexanoic acid(Ahx)-hexatyrosyl-lysine-p-nitroanilide), which can also be used as a chromogenic substrate for plasmin. Furthermore, this activity could be completely suppressed by commonly used carrier proteins and detergents. The pro-uPA/uPAR-(1-281)-peptide complex at 1 nM displayed similar activity to that of tc-uPA for either [Glu1]plasminogen or [Lys77]plasminogen in chromogenic assays with Spl present as the plasmin substrate. When assayed with another plasmin substrate, S2251, the pro-uPA/uPAR-(1-281)-peptide complex was unable to activate plasminogen. The pro-uPA/uPAR-(1-281)-peptide complex and tc-uPA also showed a similar extent of plasminogen activation as measured by SDS/PAGE, when incubated with plasminogen and Spl in the presence of 100 micro M aprotinin, and plasminogen activation by pro-uPA alone was also stimulated in the presence of Spl in this assay. Activation of plasminogen by the pro-uPA/uPAR-(1-281)-peptide strictly required the presence of Spl, and pro-uPA remained in single-chain form during these assays. This activity of the pro-uPA/uPAR-(1-281)-peptide complex but not that of tc-uPA was completely inhibited by human serum albumin, bovine serum albumin, Tween-80, Triton X-100, and Pluronic-F68. Taken together, the data indicates that uPAR-(1-281)-peptide itself is not sufficient to augment pro-uPA activity and the presence of an effector molecule (e.g. Spl) is required to elicit the full plasminogen-activator activity of the pro-uPA/uPAR-(1-281)-peptide complex. It remains to be seen whether there is a physiological counterpart to this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois 60064-3500, USA. wangjy@abbott.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazar
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henkin
mesh_terms: D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010958:Plasminogen; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; C067551:saruplase