title: Characterization of heparin binding of human extracellular superoxide dismutase.
abstract: The C-terminal domain of human extracellular superoxide dismutase (hEC-SOD) plays a crucial role in the protein's interaction with heparin. Here we investigated this interaction in more detail by comparing the heparin-binding characteristics of two variants of hEC-SOD: the two fusion proteins containing the hEC-SOD C-terminal domain and a synthetic peptide homologous to the C-terminal. The interaction studies were performed using a surface plasmon resonance based technique on a BIAcore system. It should be emphasized that this is a model system. However, the kinetic constants, as measured, are valid in a comparative sense. Comparison of affinities for size-fractionated heparins revealed that octa- or decasaccharides are the smallest heparin fragments that can efficiently interact with the C-terminal domain of hEC-SOD. At physiological salt concentration, and pH 7.4, the hEC-SOD/heparin interaction was found to be of a high-affinity type, with an equilibrium dissociation constant, K(d), of 0.12 microM, which is 700 and 10-20 times lower than the K(d) values for the synthetic peptide and the fusion proteins, respectively. However, when an alpha-helical structure was induced in the synthetic peptide, by addition of 10% trifluoroethanol, the K(d) decreased to 0.64 microM. The differences in the K(d) values were mainly governed by differences in the association rate constants (k(ass)). The hEC-SOD/heparin interaction itself was found to have a fairly high dissociation rate constant (0.1 s(-)(1)), and a very high association rate constant (8 x 10(5) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)), suggesting that the interaction is mainly controlled by the association. These results together with circular dichroism spectra of the synthetic peptide suggest that an alpha-helical structure in the C-terminal is essential for optimal binding to heparin and that other parts of hEC-SOD moderate the affinity. Our data also demonstrate that the tetramerization itself does not substantially increase the affinity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Umeå University, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lookene
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stenlund
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tibell
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000201:enzymology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D055672:Static Electricity; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D006493:Heparin; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases