Distinct Functions of pH-Sensing Histidine Residues in the Multimer Assembly and Storage of Von Willebrand Factor in Weibel-Palade Bodies

Abstract

Abstract 3311The hemostatic function of von Willebrand factor (VWF) depends on the formation of disulfide-linked multimers. We have previously shown that several evolutionarily conserved His residues within the VWF propeptide are critical for pH-dependent VWF multimerization. For example, the charge-neutralization mutations H395A and H460A in the VWF D2 domain prevented multimer assembly, while the charge-stabilization mutation H460K preserved it, suggesting that protonation at these sites is essential. In this study, we investigated the role of these His residues in VWF targeting to storage granules and agonist-induced secretion. Full-length VWF was expressed in transiently-transfected HEK293 cells. If Weibel-Palade body-like storage granules (WPBs) were formed, their morphology was analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy. A WPB was defined as “long” if length/width was > 2, or “round” if length/width was ≤ 2. To analyze the assembly of VWF multimers, we stimulated VWF secretion by incubating cells with 100 ng/ml of phorbol myristate acetate for 1 hour and collected cell lysates and supernatants for multimer gel electrophoresis. Expression of wild type VWF and VWF H460K induced the formation of approximately 60% long WPBs. Treatment of cells with monensin increases the pH of the Golgi, and as expected monensin reduced the storage of wild type VWF in long WPBs. However, monensin did not impair the storage of VWF H460K or reduce the fraction of long WPBs, indicating that a positive charge at residue 460 can sustain tubular storage of VWF despite neutralization of the late secretory pathway. Both WT VWF and VWF H460K were secreted with a normal distribution of multimers. VWF H395A and VWF H460A formed predominantly round pseudo-WPBs, with only 10–20% long granules, and these mutations also disrupted VWF multimerization. In contrast, VWF H395R and VWF H395A/H460R did not assemble multimers but nevertheless formed long WPBs. Insertion of an extra Gly between the vicinal cysteines in the D1 domain (159CGLC162 to 159CGGLC162) was reported to prevent multimerization but allow storage in long WPBs in AtT-20 cells (Mayadas & Wagner, PNAS 1992; 89:3531). We found that this mutation also inhibited VWF multimerization and resulted in the formation of long WPBs in HEK293 cells. These results indicate that VWF multimerization and packing in elongated WPBs both depend on the acidic pH of the late secretory pathway. However, these processes are independent, with distinct structural requirements, and they can be dissociated by mutations of specific His residues.VWF constructMultimersGranule ShapeGranule Shape (with monensin)Wild typeYesLongRoundH395ANoRoundH395RNoLongH395A/H460RNoLongH460ANoRoundH460KYesLongLong159CGGLC162NoLong Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.