Propeptide Cleavage Site Research Articles

Processing and Sorting of the Prohormone Convertase 2 Propeptide

The prohormone convertases (PCs) are synthesized as zymogens whose propeptides contain several multibasic sites. In this study, we investigated the processing of the PC2 propeptide and its function in the regulation of PC2 activity. By using purified pro-PC2 and directed mutagenesis, we found that the propeptide is first cleaved at the multibasic site separating it from the catalytic domain (primary cleavage site); the intact propeptide thus generated is then sequentially processed at two internal sites. Unlike the mechanism described for furin, our mutagenesis studies show that internal cleavage of the propeptide is not required for activation of pro-PC2. In addition, we identified a point mutation in the primary cleavage site that does not prevent the folding nor the processing of the zymogen but nevertheless results in the generation of an inactive PC2 species. These data suggest that the propeptide cleavage site is directly involved in the folding of the catalytic site. By using synthetic peptides, we found that a PC2 propeptide fragment inhibits PC2 activity, and we identified the inhibitory site as the peptide sequence containing basic residues at the extreme carboxyl terminus of the primary cleavage site. Finally, our study supplies information concerning the intracellular fate of a convertase propeptide by providing evidence that the PC2 propeptide is generated and is internally processed within the secretory granules. In agreement with this localization, an internally cleaved propeptide fragment could be released by stimulated secretion.

A Novel Type of Mutation at the Propeptide Cleavage Site (AlA+1Thr) Causing Symptomatic Protein C Type II Deficiency

Protein C is a precursor of a vitamin K-dependent serine protease that degrades in its activated form the procoagulant cofactors Va and VIIIa [1,2,3]. Individuals with hereditary protein C deficiency tend to have an increased risk of thromboembolism [4].

Secreted Site-1 Protease Cleaves Peptides Corresponding to Luminal Loop of Sterol Regulatory Element-binding Proteins

We describe a permanent line of Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with a cDNA encoding a truncated form of Site-1 protease (S1P) that is secreted into the culture medium in an enzymatically active form. S1P, a subtilisin-like protease, normally cleaves the luminal loop of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs). This cleavage initiates the two-step proteolytic process by which the NH(2)-terminal domains of SREBPs are released from cell membranes for translocation to the nucleus, where they activate transcription of genes involved in the biosynthesis and uptake of cholesterol and fatty acids. Truncated S1P (amino acids 1-983), produced by the transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells, lacks the COOH-terminal membrane anchor. Like native S1P, this truncated protein undergoes normal autocatalytic processing after residue 137 to release an NH(2)-terminal propeptide, thereby generating an active form, designated S1P-B. Prior to secretion, truncated S1P-B, like native S1P-B, is cleaved further after residue 186 to generate S1P-C, which is the only form that appears in the culture medium. The secreted enzyme, designated S1P(983)-C, cleaves a synthetic peptide that terminates in a 7-amino-4-methyl-coumarin fluorochrome. This peptide, RSLK-MCA, corresponds to the internal propeptide cleavage site that generates S1P-B as described in the accompanying paper (Espenshade, P. J., Cheng, D., Goldstein, J. L., and Brown, M. S. (1999), J. Biol. Chem. 274, 22795-22804). The secreted enzyme does not cleave RSVL-MCA, a peptide corresponding to the physiologic cleavage site in SREBP-2. However, S1P(983)-C does cleave after this leucine when the RSVL sequence is contained within a 16-residue peptide corresponding to the central portion of the SREBP-2 luminal loop. The catalytic activity of S1P(983)-C differs from that of furin/prohormone convertases, two related proteases, in its more alkaline pH optimum (pH 7-8), its relative resistance to calcium chelating agents, and its ability to cleave after lysine or leucine rather than arginine. These data provide direct biochemical evidence that S1P is the protease that cleaves SREBPs and thereby functions to control lipid biosynthesis and uptake in animal cells.

Binding of Factor VIII to von Willebrand Factor Is Enabled by Cleavage of the von Willebrand Factor Propeptide and Enhanced by Formation of Disulfide-Linked Multimers

von Willebrand factor (vWF) is a multimeric adhesive glycoprotein with one factor VIII binding site/subunit. Prior reports suggest that posttranslational modifications of vWF, including formation of N-terminal intersubunit disulfide bonds and subsequent cleavage of the propeptide, influence availability and/or affinity of factor VIII binding sites. We found that deletion of the vWF propeptide produced a dimeric vWF molecule lacking N-terminal intersubunit disulfide bonds. This molecule bound fluorescein-labeled factor VIII with sixfold lower affinity than multimeric vWF in an equilibrium flow cytometry assay (approximate KDs, 5 nmol/L v 0.9 nmol/L). Coexpression of propeptide-deleted vWF with the vWF propeptide in trans yielded multimeric vWF that displayed increased affinity for factor VIII. Insertion of an alanine residue at the N-terminus of the mature vWF subunit destroyed binding to factor VIII, indicating that the native mature N-terminus is required for factor VIII binding. The requirement for vWF propeptide cleavage was shown by (1) a point mutation of the vWF propeptide cleavage site yielding pro-vWF that was defective in factor VIII binding and (2) correlation between efficiency of intracellular propeptide cleavage and factor VIII binding. Furthermore, in a cell-free system, addition of the propeptide-cleaving enzyme PACE/furin enabled factor VIII binding in parallel with propeptide cleavage. Our results indicate that high-affinity factor VIII binding sites are located on N-terminal disulfide-linked vWF subunits from which the propeptide has been cleaved.

Binding of Factor VIII to von Willebrand Factor Is Enabled by Cleavage of the von Willebrand Factor Propeptide and Enhanced by Formation of Disulfide-Linked Multimers

Abstractvon Willebrand factor (vWF) is a multimeric adhesive glycoprotein with one factor VIII binding site/subunit. Prior reports suggest that posttranslational modifications of vWF, including formation of N-terminal intersubunit disulfide bonds and subsequent cleavage of the propeptide, influence availability and/or affinity of factor VIII binding sites. We found that deletion of the vWF propeptide produced a dimeric vWF molecule lacking N-terminal intersubunit disulfide bonds. This molecule bound fluorescein-labeled factor VIII with sixfold lower affinity than multimeric vWF in an equilibrium flow cytometry assay (approximate KDs, 5 nmol/L v 0.9 nmol/L). Coexpression of propeptide-deleted vWF with the vWF propeptide in trans yielded multimeric vWF that displayed increased affinity for factor VIII. Insertion of an alanine residue at the N-terminus of the mature vWF subunit destroyed binding to factor VIII, indicating that the native mature N-terminus is required for factor VIII binding. The requirement for vWF propeptide cleavage was shown by (1) a point mutation of the vWF propeptide cleavage site yielding pro-vWF that was defective in factor VIII binding and (2) correlation between efficiency of intracellular propeptide cleavage and factor VIII binding. Furthermore, in a cell-free system, addition of the propeptide-cleaving enzyme PACE/furin enabled factor VIII binding in parallel with propeptide cleavage. Our results indicate that high-affinity factor VIII binding sites are located on N-terminal disulfide-linked vWF subunits from which the propeptide has been cleaved.

Processing and expression of rat and human clotting factor-X-encoding cDNAs

The cDNA encoding clotting factor X, which participates in the middle stage of the blood coagulation cascade was cloned from a rat liver cDNA library. Sequencing of the rat factor-X-encoding cDNA revealed that this vitamin-K-dependent protein has a dibasic Arg-Arg sequence at the propeptide cleavage site, as occurs in other vitamin-K-dependent proteins. Although the human and rat deduced amino acid sequences are remarkably similar (76% identical), they do significantly differ in that human factor-X contains a unique Thr-Arg sequence at the propeptide cleavage site [Fung et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82 (1985) 3591–3595], where a dibasic sequence would normally be expected. This specific site is the recognition motif for the endoprotease, furin, which is located in the Golgi apparatus. Both rat and human cDNAs expressed in Cos-1 cells resulted in secretion of a mixture of single- and two-chain forms of factor X. The two-chain forms were devoid of the propeptide and were produced at similar rates by the transfected cells. The efficient processing of human factor X, when compared to rat factor X, may indicate that an additional protease(s), which recognizes the Thr-Arg motif, may be involved in proteolytic processing of the human enzyme

Influence of Six Mutations of the Protein C Gene on the Gla Domain Conformation and Calcium Affinity

The protein C Gla domain was studied in six families presenting a type II hereditary deficiency characterized by low activity in a coagulation assay and normal activity in an amidolytic assay. Five of these mutations, previously described by our group, affected Arg-5, Arg-1, Arg 229 and Ser 252. We report here the first natural Glu 7 to Asp mutation in a sixth family. We evaluated the binding of the mutated protein C to H11, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) known to recognize the sequence Phe4 to Arg9 of the Gla domain; the presence of calcium ions suppresses the recognition of this epitope by H11. Mutation of Arg229 to Gln and Ser252 to Asn did not modify the inhibition of protein C binding, whereas the Arg-1 to His mutation resulted in a loss of inhibition in the presence of CaCl2. This suggests that the protein C of this patient shows impaired carboxylation. The protein C from patients bearing the mutations Arg-5 to Trp, Arg-1 to Cys and Glu 7 to Asp bound poorly to H11 mAb, even in the absence of calcium ions. The calcium affinity of the Gla domain was studied by pseudo-affinity chromatography, in which protein C was successively eluted from a Mono Q column by CaCl2 10 mM and NaCl 0.6 M. Protein C from the patient bearing the Arg-5 to Asp mutation had a normal elution profile, suggesting that a modification of the propeptide cleavage site impairs the conformation of the Gla domain but not carboxylation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Propeptide processing during factor IX biosynthesis. Effect of point mutations adjacent to the propeptide cleavage site.

Factor IX is synthesized in a precursor form with a propeptide that contains the gamma-carboxylation recognition site, an element which directs the post-translational gamma-carboxylation of adjacent glutamic acid residues. After protein synthesis, the propeptide is cleaved to yield the mature Factor IX. To study propeptide processing, anti-proFactor IX antibodies were prepared using a synthetic peptide based upon the sequence of the Factor IX propeptide. Immunoaffinity-purified anti-proFactor IX antibodies were reactive with Factor IX Cambridge, a mutant form of Factor IX containing the propeptide, but were not reactive with Factor IX. These antibodies were used to examine the proteolytic processing of forms of Factor IX containing point mutations at P6, P3, P2, P1, P1', P2', and P3' adjacent to the propeptide cleavage site in order to determine the requirement of each of these amino acids for propeptide cleavage. Furthermore, the hierarchy of different pairs of basic residues at positions P1 and P2 was analyzed. The mutated cDNA constructs were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Propeptide processing was examined using intrinsically labeled Factor IX immunoprecipitated with either anti-pro-Factor IX antibodies or anti-Factor IX:total antibodies, and the Factor IX species were separated by SDS-gel electrophoresis. Under the expression conditions employed, the propeptide of wild type Factor IX was almost completely removed, whereas Factor IX mutated to threonine at P1 was not cleaved. The percentage of propeptide cleaved varied with the amino acid sequences of residues P2 and P1, respectively: Lys-Arg (93%), Arg-Arg (66%), Thr-Arg (33%), Arg-Lys (19%), Lys-Lys (10%), and Lys-Thr (< 1%). Apart from alterations of basic amino acids at P1 and P2, nonconservative mutations at P6 and P3 decreased propeptide cleavage, whereas conservative mutations at P3, P1', P2', or P3' resulted in cleavage efficiencies approximately equal to that for wild type Factor IX. These results indicate that the preference of paired basic residues at P1 and P2 is similar to other endopeptidases active toward proteins secreted through the constitutive pathway and that the propeptide residues NH2-terminal to these paired basic residues are important in defining enzyme-substrate binding.

Preferred Sequence Requirements for Cleavage of Pro-von Willebrand Factor by Propeptide-Processing Enzymes

Maturation of pro-von Willebrand factor (vWF) to its active form requires proteolytic processing after a pair of dibasic amino acids (-LysArg-) at residue 763. By coexpression of vWF and various propeptide processing enzymes in COS-1 cells, we here demonstrate that vWF is preferentially processed by the paired dibasic amino acid-cleaving enzyme PACE (furin). Processing of vWF by the yeast homologue of PACE, Kex2, was inefficient and not specific for the authentic site. Two additional recently identified mammalian propeptide-processing enzymes PC2 and PC3 had no detectable vWF-processing activity. The inability of PC2 and PC3 to cleave vWF was apparently not due to the absence of a transmembrane domain, since deletion of the transmembrane domain from PACE resulted in a secreted form which retained its propeptide processing activity within the secretory apparatus. The inability of PC2 and PC3 to process wild-type vWF or any of the vWF mutants described suggests different members of subtilisin-related propeptide-processing enzyme family have evolved to selectively recognize and cleave specific sets of substrates. In addition to paired dibasic residues at the propeptide cleavage site, many proteins, including vWF, also contain an arginine at the P4 position. We have generated mutant vWFs with substitutions at the P2 lysine and/or the P4 arginine to investigate their significance in substrate specificity. A conservative substitution of the P4 arginine by lysine resulted in a decrease in vWF processing by PACE, as did a nonconservative substitution to alanine. Substitution of the P2 lysine to aspartic acid decreased processing and little or no processing was detected when both the P4 and P2 were mutated to lysine and aspartic acid, respectively. These data indicate that both the P4 arginine and the P2 lysine play an important role in substrate recognition by PACE.

Preferred sequence requirements for cleavage of pro-von Willebrand factor by propeptide-processing enzymes

Maturation of pro-von Willebrand factor (vWF) to its active form requires proteolytic processing after a pair of dibasic amino acids (- LysArg-) at residue 763. By coexpression of vWF and various propeptide processing enzymes in COS-1 cells, we here demonstrate that vWF is preferentially processed by the paired dibasic amino acid-cleaving enzyme PACE (furin). Processing of vWF by the yeast homologue of PACE, Kex2, was inefficient and not specific for the authentic site. Two additional recently identified mammalian propeptide-processing enzymes PC2 and PC3 had no detectable vWF-processing activity. The inability of PC2 and PC3 to cleave vWF was apparently not due to the absence of a transmembrane domain, since deletion of the transmembrane domain from PACE resulted in a secreted form which retained its propeptide processing activity within the secretory apparatus. The inability of PC2 and PC3 to process wild-type vWF or any of the vWF mutants described suggests different members of subtilisin-related propeptide- processing enzyme family have evolved to selectively recognize and cleave specific sets of substrates. In addition to paired dibasic residues at the propeptide cleavage site, many proteins, including vWF, also contain an arginine at the P4 position. We have generated mutant vWFs with substitutions at the P2 lysine and/or the P4 arginine to investigate their significance in substrate specificity. A conservative substitution of the P4 arginine by lysine resulted in a decrease in vWF processing by PACE, as did a nonconservative substitution to alanine. Substitution of the P2 lysine to aspartic acid decreased processing and little or no processing was detected when both the P4 and P2 were mutated to lysine and aspartic acid, respectively. These data indicate that both the P4 arginine and the P2 lysine play an important role in substrate recognition by PACE.

The role of von Willebrand factor multimers and propeptide cleavage in binding and stabilization of factor VIII.

von Willebrand factor (vWF) is a multimeric glycoprotein that promotes platelet aggregation and stabilizes coagulation factor VIII in the plasma. vWF is also required for the stable accumulation of recombinant factor VIII secreted from cells in a heterologous expression system. In this report, we show that vWF can promote the in vitro reconstitution of factor VIII activity from dissociated heavy and light chains of factor VIII, suggesting that vWF may act to promote stable assembly of factor VIII subunits at the site of secretion. The structural requirements for vWF propeptide cleavage and for vWF multimerization in its binding and stabilization of factor VIII was examined using specifically altered recombinant vWF. The mutant vWF molecules were also assayed for their function in ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination mediated through the platelet receptor GPIb. Deletion of the vWF propeptide produced a dimeric vWF molecule that failed to mediate platelet agglutination, suggesting that multimerization is required for vWF to attain functional GPIb binding. This mature dimeric form of vWF, however, was fully capable of binding to and supporting stable secretion of factor VIII. A vWF mutant with an altered propeptide cleavage site formed large multimers of uncleaved pro-vWF that functioned in platelet agglutination. However, this noncleavage mutant neither bound to or supported stable accumulation of factor VIII. Analysis of the vWF propeptide, expressed independently, demonstrated that it could not bind factor VIII or stabilize its secretion. These results show that the dimeric mature vWF subunit is sufficient to bind and stabilize factor VIII and that the presence of uncleaved vWF propeptide inhibits both factor VIII binding and stabilization.

In vitro gamma-carboxylation of a 59-residue recombinant peptide including the propeptide and the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid domain of coagulation factor IX. Effect of mutations near the propeptide cleavage site.

We report the expression in Escherichia coli of a fusion protein that contains the propeptide sequence and gamma-carboxyglutamic acid domain (residues -18 to 41) of human factor IX (FIXGla). CNBr was used to release FIXGla from the fusion protein. The 59-amino acid peptide is an efficient substrate for in vitro gamma-carboxylation. Its Km,app (0.55 microM) is several thousand-fold lower than that of the commonly used substrate FLEEL and about 5 times lower than proPT28 or proFIX28, (Hubbard, B. R., Jacobs, M., Ulrich, M. M. W., Walsh, C., Furie, B., and Furie, B. C. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14145-14150). In addition, FIXGla is the first peptide substrate that is carboxylated in vitro to more than one gamma-carboxyglutamic acid/molecule (6-11 gamma-carboxyglutamic acids/molecule). We created peptides with mutations identical to FIXSan Dimas or FIXCambridge as well as a peptide with both mutations in the propeptide sequence and examined the effect of the mutations on in vitro carboxylation. Enzyme kinetic studies revealed no significant difference in Vmax/Km values between normal and mutant substrates. Maximum carbon dioxide incorporation was achieved with the double mutant. From these data we conclude the following. 1) FIXGla and its mutants are excellent substrates for studying the mechanism of gamma-carboxylase. 2) Although arginines at positions -4 and -1 are highly conserved in the propeptide sequence of all the vitamin K-dependent proteins, neither is critical for gamma-carboxylation.

Controlled Expression and Secretion of Bovine Chymosin in Aspergillus Nidulans

To test the ability of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans to secrete bovine prochymosin, four plasmids were constructed in which the transcriptional, translational, and secretory control regions of the A. niger glucoamylase gene were functionally coupled to either prochymosin or preprochymosin cDNA. Three plasmid constructions involved the in–frame fusion of prochymosin coding sequences to glucoamylase sequences at 1) the glucoamylase signal peptide cleavage site, 2) the glucoamylase propeptide cleavage site, or 3) after 11 codons of the mature glucoamylase. In a fourth construction, preprochymosin was directly fused to the glucoamylase promoter. In all four constructions, the glucoamylase terminator was fused to the 3′ end of the prochymosin coding sequence. Secretion of polypeptides enzymatically and immunologically indistinguishable from bovine chymosin was achieved following transformation of A. nidulans with each of these plasmids. In all cases the primary translation product was partially processed to a polypeptide having a molecular weight similar to bovine chymosin. Synthesis of the chymosin polypeptides was induced in a medium that contained starch as the sole carbon source, whereas little or no expression was detected when xylose was the sole carbon source. Immunological assays indicated that the majority (>90%) of chymosin was extracellular. Hybridization analysis of genomic DNA from chymosin transformants showed chromosomal integration of prochymosin sequences, and for some transformants, multiple copies were observed.

Proalbumin Christchurch: A circulating mutant of proalbumin

A slow electrophoretic variant of serum albumin was found in four generations of a Christchurch family and was observed to be inherited as an autosomal co-dominant trait. Peptide mapping and amino acid sequence analysis showed that the new albumin contained an additional N-terminal hexapeptide. The additional peptide, Arg-Gly-Val-Phe-Arg-Gln, was analogous to that found at the N-terminus of rat and bovine proalbumin, Arg-Gly-Val-Phe-Arg-Arg. The finding is explicable by a single base change in the DNA-coding for human proalbumin to give a mutation Arg→Gln with the consequent failure to cleavage of the propeptide before export from the hepatocyte. The variant, Proalbumin Christchurch, demonstrates for the first time the sequence of human proalbumin and provides information on the propeptide cleavage site requirements. It also raises the problem of the biological function of the propeptide and the necessity for cleavage. While there is no obvious clinical condition associated with the abnormality, it has been demonstrated that this new albumin lacks the high affinity Cu(II) binding site of normal serum albumin. This property facilitates a simple electrophoretic screening test, utilizing 63 Ni(II), which allows discrimination of this from other albumin variants.

A circulating variant of human proalbumin.

ALBUMIN is initially synthesised in the liver as preproalbumin1. This has an N-terminal peptide which is removed before the nascent protein is released from the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The product, proalbumin, is in turn cleaved in the Golgi vesicles to give the secreted albumin2. We report here the finding of a family with a circulating variant of proalbumin. This provides information on the structure of human proalbumin and the specificity of the propeptide cleavage site. It also raises the problem of the biological function of the propeptide and the necessity for cleavage.