Size Exclusion Gel Filtration Research Articles

Development of Recombinant Protein-Based Vaccine Against Classical Swine Fever Virus in Pigs Using Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is highly contagious, and fatal to infected pigs. Vaccines against CSFV have been developed from attenuated or modified live viruses. These vaccines are effective for immunization of animals, but they are associated with problems such as the accidental spreading of viruses to animals in the field, and with barriers to trade following vaccination. Here, we report the generation of transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants for large-scale, cost-effective production of E2 fusion protein for use as a recombinant vaccine against CSFV in pigs. Transgenic N. benthamiana plants harboring an intergenic, single-copy insertion of a chimeric gene encoding E2 fusion protein had high levels of transgene expression. For large-scale production of E2 fusion protein from leaf tissues, we developed a protein-purification protocol consisting of cellulose-binding domain (CBD)–cellulose-based affinity purification and size-exclusion gel-filtration chromatography. E2 fusion proteins showed high immunogenicity in piglets and provided protection against CSFV challenge. The CBD in the E2 fusion protein was also highly immunogenic. These results suggest that plant-produced recombinant E2 fusion proteins can be developed into cost-effective vaccines against CSFV, with the CBD as a marker antigen to differentiate between vaccination and natural infection.

Cloning, Expression and Purification of DegQ Protease, a Bacterial Analog to Pregnancy Related Serine Protease (HtrA3)

The High Temperature Requirement A (HtrA) family of enzymes are a diverse group of serine proteases, present in both prokarya and eukarya, and are generally responsible for the degradation of misfolded proteins. The dysregulation of HtrA3 in human somatic cells gives rise to various forms of cancer and preeclampsia. DegQ is a bacterial analog to HtrA3 found in the periplasm of E. coli and has the properties of an HtrA protease: it is a serine endopeptidase that works to protect the cell during high temperature by degrading specific damaged proteins. Currently, the interactions that dictate which specific substrates DegQ degrades are unknown. Insights into this interaction could lay the foundation for studying the interactions of the human HtrA3 protease. Previously, four N‐terminal truncated versions of DegQ were identified in prokarya, indicating an N‐terminal signaling sequence. Substrate cleavage in each of these variants has not been characterized, therefore, the goal of this study is to select for the active version to further characterize. Initial experiments utilized molecular cloning, protein expression and purification to obtain each variant. Affinity tags, such as the histidine‐tag, has greatly simplified the purification of recombinant proteins. However, the presence of such tags can interfere with a protein's biological function. To circumvent this problem, experiments were designed to obtain the protein without the use of a tag. To this end, four PCR forward primers were designed for the appropriate coding region using E. coli as template genomic DNA, each with an NdeI site engineered at the 5′ end. The reverse primer for each was the same, and designed with a stop codon followed by a SacI site at the 3′ end. The PCR product was then ligated into a linearized dephosphorylated pGEM vector using TA cloning. Orientation of the gene was determined through the use of restriction enzyme cuts. This vector and the pET24b expression vector were digested with NdeI and the gene was ligated into the pET24b vector. Orientation was again tested using SacI sites, and analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Based upon the theoretical mass distribution of the cleaved oligonucleotides from the gel electrophoresis, plasmids with positive results were purified for verification through sanger sequencing. Each pET24b‐DegQ vector was individually transformed into BL21(DE3) E. coli cells, grown in LB broth and expressed with 0.1 mM IPTG for 4 hours at room temperature. Protein was purified using a DEAE‐sephacel column, followed by an ammonium sulfate precipitation, and further purification on a G‐75‐sephadex size exclusion gel filtration column. Ultimately the proteases were purified to homogeneity without the use of an affinity tag for comparison of proteolytic activity.Support or Funding InformationMWSU Department of Chemistry MWSU Department of Biology MWSU PORTAL grantThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Production of fibrinolytic protease from Streptomyces lusitanus isolated from marine sediments

This study aim was to isolate, screen, characterize and optimize marine Streptomyces for fibrinolytic enzyme production. The potent actinomycete isolate was subjected to optimization. The parameters for optimization included pH, temperature, carbon, nitrogen sources. The crude supernatant produced was purified using size exclusion gel filtration chromatography. The optimized parameters for maximum productivity were found to be pH 7, 37°C, maltose and peptone respectively. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was found to be 21kDa.

Determination of Hydrodynamic Radius of Proteins by Size Exclusion Chromatography.

Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) or gel filtration is a hydrodynamic technique that separates molecules in solution as a function of their size and shape. In the case of proteins, the hydrodynamic value that can be experimentally derived is the Stokes radius (Rs), which is the radius of a sphere with the same hydrodynamic properties (i.e., frictional coefficient) as the biomolecule. Determination of Rs by SEC has been widely used to monitor conformational changes induced by the binding of calcium (Ca2+) to many Ca2+-sensor proteins. For this class of proteins, SEC separation is based not just on the variation in protein size following Ca2+ binding, but likely arises from changes in the hydration shell structure. This protocol aims to describe a gel filtration experiment on a prepacked column using a Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) system to determine the Rs of proteins with some indications that are specific for Ca2+ sensor proteins.

Escherichia coli-based production of recombinant ovine angiotensinogen and its characterization as a renin substrate.

BackgroundAngiotensinogen (ANG) is a macromolecular precursor of angiotensin, which regulates blood pressure and electrolyte balance. ANG is specifically cleaved by renin, an aspartic protease, to initiate the angiotensin-processing cascade. Ovine ANG (oANG) from sheep plasma has been shown to be a better substrate for human renin, and it has been used in clinical renin assays. To expand the availability of oANG, we aimed to produce milligram levels of recombinant oANG using an Escherichia coli expression system.ResultsWhen recombinant oANG was expressed from a T7 promoter in various E. coli strains at 37 °C, it accumulated in the insoluble fraction. However, by expressing oANG at 37 °C from a tac promoter, which has weaker transcriptional activity than a T7 promoter, we significantly elevated the ratio of soluble to insoluble recombinant oANG. Using a novel culturing system and auto-induction culture medium, we purified tac-expressed recombinant oANG to homogeneity, with a yield of 4.0 mg per liter of culture. Based on size-exclusion gel filtration analysis and dynamic light scattering analysis, the resulting purified oANG is a monomer in solution. The circular dichroism spectrum of E. coli-expressed recombinant oANG was similar to that of oANG expressed in CHO cells. Differential scanning fluorimetry showed that both preparations undergo a two-state transition during thermal denaturation, and the melting temperatures of recombinant oANG expressed in E. coli and CHO cells were 49.4 ± 0.16 °C and 51.6 ± 0.19 °C, respectively. The Km values of both oANG preparations were similar; the kcat value of E. coli-expressed recombinant oANG was slightly higher than that of CHO-expressed oANG.ConclusionsRecombinant oANG expressed in E. coli functions as a human renin substrate. This study presents an E. coli-based system for the rapid production of milligram quantities of a human renin substrate, which will be useful for both fundamental and clinical studies on renin and hypertension.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12896-016-0265-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

β-Secretase (BACE1) Purification by Refolding Method and Complex with Hispidin

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that represents the most common form of dementia among the elderly population. The deposition of aggregated <TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>-amyloid (<TEX>$A{\beta}$</TEX>) senile plaques in the human brain is a classic observation in the neuropathology of AD, yet an understanding of the mechanism of their formation remains elusive. <TEX>$A{\beta}$</TEX> is formed through endoproteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by <TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>-secretase (BACE1, <TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>-site APP-cleaving enzyme) and <TEX>${\gamma}$</TEX>-secretase. In this study, BACE1 protein was successfully over-expressed, purified, and refolded and utilized in a binding study with hispidin. We developed a simpler refolding method using a urea gradient and size-exclusion gel filtration to purify an active BACE1 protein variant, in larger quantities than that reported previously, and measured the binding affinity of hispidin to the BACE1 protein variant through isothermal titration calorimetry.

Purification and characterization of a novel fibrinolytic α chymotrypsin like serine metalloprotease from the edible mushroom, Lyophyllum shimeji

A novel fibrinolytic enzyme was purified from Lyophyllum shimeji, a popular edible mushroom in Asia. The enzyme was purified using combination of anion exchange chromatography on a Mono Q 5/5 column and size exclusion gel filtration chromatography on Superdex 200 100/300 column. This purification protocol resulted 80.9-fold purification of the enzyme and a final yield of 5.7%. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 21 kDa by SDS-PAGE and size exclusion gel filtration. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was found to be ITFQSASP, which is dissimilar from that of known fibrinolytic enzymes. The purified enzyme was a neutral protease with an optimal reaction pH and temperature of 8.0 and 37°C, respectively. Enzymatic activity was inhibited by Cu(2+) and Co(2+). It was also significantly inhibited by PMSF and TPCK. Furthermore, it was found to exhibit a higher specificity for S-7388, a well-known chymotrypsin chromogenic substrate, indicating chymotrypsin like serine metalloprotease. The relative fibrinolytic activity of 5 μg purified enzyme have two fold more activity than 1 unit/ml of plasmin on fibrin plate. Furthermore, purified enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed the Aα-chain followed by the Bβ- and γ-chain of fibrinogen, which is precursor of fibrin. Therefore, these data suggests that the fibrinolytic enzyme derived from edible mushroom, L. shimeji, might be useful for thrombolytic therapy and preventing thrombotic disease.

Envenomation by African adders (Bitis ssp.) induces complement activation

An antivenom should be stable under the conditions that it will be both transferred and stored. Thus instability may lead to a loss of efficacy and an increased incidence and severity of adverse effects. Stability is a particular problem in countries where the temperatures and humidity are high. Here we investigate the stability of a liquid-formulated, intact ovine immunoglobulin-based antivenom, EchiTAbG™, which is used extensively in Nigeria to treat envenoming by the West African saw-scaled viper, Echis ocellatus. Ampoules of antivenom were assessed as to their specific antibody content by small scale affinity chromatography and their purity by size exclusion gel filtration and turbidity. Three different batches of the antivenom revealed no significant changes, using these assessment techniques, during 42 months storage at 4 °C or at ambient temperature, followed by one month at 37 °C. These real-time studies indicate that the antivenom remains stable for a minimum of 3.5 years and that it can be exposed to tropical temperatures without any loss in immunoglobulin binding activity. This further highlights the clinical utility of liquid formulated ovine IgG antivenoms by demonstrating their retention of potency in the event of a short term failing in the cold chain.

Measurement of MHC/peptide interactions by gel filtration or monoclonal antibody capture.

This unit describes a technique for the direct and quantitative measurement of the capacity of peptide ligands to bind Class I and Class II MHC molecules. The binding of a peptide of interest to MHC is assessed based on its ability to inhibit the binding of a radiolabeled probe peptide to purified MHC molecules. This unit includes protocols for the purification of Class I and Class II MHC molecules by affinity chromatography, and for the radiolabeling of peptides using the chloramine T method. An alternate protocol describes alterations in the basic protocol that are necessary when performing direct binding assays, which are required for (1) selecting appropriate high-affinity, assay-specific, radiolabeled ligands, and (2) determining the amount of MHC necessary to yield assays with the highest sensitivity. After a predetermined incubation period, dependent upon the allele under examination, the bound and unbound radiolabeled species are separated, and their relative amounts are determined. Three methods for separation are described, two utilizing size-exclusion gel-filtration chromatography and a third using monoclonal antibody capture of MHC. Data analysis for each method is also explained.

Long-term physicochemical and immunological stability of a liquid formulated intact ovine immunoglobulin-based antivenom

An antivenom should be stable under the conditions that it will be both transferred and stored. Thus instability may lead to a loss of efficacy and an increased incidence and severity of adverse effects. Stability is a particular problem in countries where the temperatures and humidity are high. Here we investigate the stability of a liquid-formulated, intact ovine immunoglobulin-based antivenom, EchiTAbG™, which is used extensively in Nigeria to treat envenoming by the West African saw-scaled viper, Echis ocellatus. Ampoules of antivenom were assessed as to their specific antibody content by small scale affinity chromatography and their purity by size exclusion gel filtration and turbidity. Three different batches of the antivenom revealed no significant changes, using these assessment techniques, during 42 months storage at 4 °C or at ambient temperature, followed by one month at 37 °C. These real-time studies indicate that the antivenom remains stable for a minimum of 3.5 years and that it can be exposed to tropical temperatures without any loss in immunoglobulin binding activity. This further highlights the clinical utility of liquid formulated ovine IgG antivenoms by demonstrating their retention of potency in the event of a short term failing in the cold chain.

Expression, purification and crystallization of the human UL16-binding protein ULBP1

UL16-binding proteins (ULBPs) are markers of cellular stress which are upregulated on the surface of virus-infected and tumor cells. Recognition of ULBP1 by the activating receptor NKG2D on the surface of cytotoxic natural killer (NK) and T cells promotes lysis of cells expressing ULBP1 and is an important mechanism of immune surveillance. We report a robust method for the generation of large quantities of crystal-grade recombinant ULBP1 protein. The extracellular portion of human ULBP1 was cloned into a T7 expression vector for expression in Escherichia coli. Unpaired cysteines in the sequence which are predicted not to be involved in the intramolecular disulfide bond formation were mutated to serine. ULBP1 was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS cells as inclusion bodies. Purified inclusion bodies were solubilized by denaturation in guanidine, and refolded by slow dilution. The refolded protein was purified by size exclusion gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography. Furthermore, we have identified conditions optimal for the crystallization of this protein and have obtained initial diffraction data to 4.6 Å from these crystals.

Prion protein oligomers in Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease detected by gel‐filtration centrifuge columns

Prion diseases are diagnosed by the detection of accumulation of abnormal prion protein (PrP) using immunohistochemistry or the detection of protease-resistant abnormal PrP (PrP(res)). Although the abnormal PrP is neurotoxic by forming aggregates, recent studies suggest that the most infectious units are smaller than the amyloid fibrils. In the present study, we developed a simplified method by applying size-exclusion gel-filtration chromatography to examine PrP oligomers without proteinase K digestion in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) samples, and evaluated the correlation between disease severity and the polymerization degree of PrP. Brain homogenates of human CJD and non-CJD cases were applied to the gel-filtration spin columns, and fractionated PrP molecules in each fraction were detected by western blot. We observed that PrP oligomers could be detected by the simple gel-filtration method and distinctly separated from monomeric cellular PrP (PrP(c)). PrP oligomers were increased according to the disease severity, accompanied by the depletion of PrP(c). The separated PrP oligomers were already protease-resistant in the case with short disease duration. In the cases with quite severe pathology the oligomeric PrP reached a plateau, which may indicate that PrP molecules could mostly develop into amyloid fibrils in the advanced stages. The increase of PrP oligomers correlated with the degree of histopathological changes such as spongiosis and gliosis. The decrease of monomeric PrP(c) was unexpectedly obvious in the diseased cases. Dynamic changes of both oligomerization of the human PrP and depletion of normal PrP(c) require further elucidation to develop a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of human prion diseases.

Selective suspension in aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate according to electronic structure type allows simple separation of metallic from semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

Both density gradient centrifugation and gel electrophoresis have been reported to allow high throughput separation of metallic from semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) when using aqueous sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) suspensions. We show here that both methods rely on an initial dispersion-by-sonication step, which is already selective with respect to electronic structure type. The corresponding aqueous SDS “starting” suspensions obtained after sonication and purification by simple centrifugation (70,000 g, 1 h) contain semiconducting SWNTs primarily in the form of small bundles whereas metallic SWNTs are predominantly suspended as individual tubes. Density gradient centrifugation then separates the bundles from the individual tubes on the basis of differences in their overall buoyant densities. Gel electrophoresis separates the longer bundles from the shorter individual tubes on the basis of their different mobilities. We also demonstrate that such starting suspensions can be fractionated according to electronic structure type by even simpler techniques such as size exclusion chromatography or gel filtration, thus opening the way for simple scale-up.

Cloning, production, purification and preliminary crystallographic analysis of a glycosidase from the food lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum CECT 748 T

In recent years, the exquisite stereoselectivity and high efficiency of carbohydrate-processing enzymes have been exploited for many biotechnological applications, including flavor enhancement in foods. In particular, much attention has been focused on the use of β-glucosidases for the enzymatic hydrolysis of flavorless glycoconjugates present in juices and wine beverages for the release aroma volatiles. With the aim to analyze a novel glycosidase with potential applications food industry we have produced and structurally characterized the Bgl glycosidase from the food lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum. For that purpose, we have cloned and heterologously expressed the bgl gene (lp_3629) in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein containing an amino terminal His 6 tag (Bgl) has been produced in a soluble form. Purified recombinant enzyme shows galactosidase activity against 4-nitrophenyl β- d-galactopyranoside but not glucosidase activity. Analytical size-exclusion gel filtration chromatography reveals that Bgl behaves in solution as a mixture of monomeric and a high-molecular weight assembly. Purified Bgl has been crystallized by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method at 18 °C. Diffraction data have been collected at ESRF to a resolution of 2.4 Å. The crystals belong to the space group C2 with unit-cell parameters a = 196.7, b = 191.7, c = 105.9, β = 102.7°. The structure refinement is in progress.

Biochemical and Functional Characterization of Six SIX1 Branchio-oto-renal Syndrome Mutations

Branchio-oto-renal syndrome (BOR) is an autosomal dominant developmental disorder characterized by hearing loss, branchial arch defects, and renal anomalies. Recently, eight mutations in the SIX1 homeobox gene were discovered in BOR patients. To characterize the effect of SIX1 BOR mutations on the EYA-SIX1-DNA complex, we expressed and purified six of the eight mutants in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that only the most N-terminal mutation in SIX1 (V17E) completely abolishes SIX1-EYA complex formation, whereas all of the other mutants are able to form a stable complex with EYA. We further show that only the V17E mutant fails to localize EYA to the nucleus and cannot be stabilized by EYA in the cell. The remaining five SIX1 mutants are instead all deficient in DNA binding. In contrast, V17E alone has a DNA binding affinity similar to that of wild type SIX1 in complex with the EYA co-factor. Finally, we show that all SIX1 BOR mutants are defective in transcriptional activation using luciferase reporter assays. Taken together, our experiments demonstrate that the SIX1 BOR mutations contribute to the pathology of the disease through at least two different mechanisms that involve: 1) abolishing the formation of the SIX1-EYA complex or 2) diminishing the ability of SIX1 to bind DNA. Furthermore, our data demonstrate for the first time that EYA: 1) requires the N-terminal region of the SIX1 Six domain for its interaction, 2) increases the level of the SIX1 protein within the cell, and 3) increases the DNA binding affinity of SIX1.

Purification, characterization and crystallization of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase from the hyperthermophilic archeon Sulfolobus Solfataricus

The gene SSO0495 ( proC), which encodes pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR) from the thermoacidophilic archeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 ( Ss-P5CR), was cloned and expressed. The purified recombinant enzyme catalyzes the thioproline dehydrogenase with concomitant oxidation of NAD(P)H to NAD(P) +. This archeal enzyme has an optimal alkaline pH in this reversible reaction and is thermostable with a half-life of approximately 30 min at 80 °C. At pH 9.0, the reverse activation rate is nearly 3-fold higher than at pH 7.0. The homopolymer was characterized by cross-linking and size exclusion gel filtration chromatography. Ss-P5CR was crystallized by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method at 37 °C. Diffraction data were obtained to a resolution of 3.5 Å and were suitable for X-ray structure determination.

Recombinant expression and characterization of an epididymis-specific antimicrobial peptide BIN1b/SPAG11E

BIN1b was reported as an epididymis-specific beta-defensin antimicrobial peptide. In this paper, the recombinant BIN1b was expressed and purified by fusing with GB1-His tag. The size-exclusion gel filtration experiment indicated that the fusion protein GB1-BIN1b formed multimers at pH 7.4, and existed as monomer at pH 4.5. The oligomerization of GB1-BIN1b was only related to pH value, neither to NaCl concentration nor protein concentration. Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra also showed the fusion protein had more ordered secondary structures at pH 4.5 than at pH 7.4, as a negative peak appeared around 218 nm indicative of typical β-sheet. The 2D 15N- 1H heteronuclear single-quantum coherence (HSQC) spectra suggested that the fusion protein adopted a compact three-dimensional structure at pH 4.5. Colony forming unit (CFU) inhibition assay demonstrated that 25 μM fusion protein at pH 7.4 had an antimicrobial activity of 40% against E. coli K 12D 31, which might imply the fusion protein functions as multimeric states. In conclusion, the GB1 fusion partner helps BIN1b form a stable homogenous conformation to facilitate subsequent structural determination without a significant effect on the antimicrobial activity.

Purification, characterization, and crystallization of human pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase

Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR) catalyzes the reduction of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) to proline with concomitant oxidation of NAD(P)H to NAD(P) +. The enzymatic cycle between P5C and proline is very important in many physiological and pathological processes. Human P5CR was over-expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity by chromatography. Enzymatic assays of the wild-type protein were carried out using 3,4-dehydro- l-proline as substrate and NAD + as cofactor. The homopolymer was characterized by cross-linking and size exclusion gel filtration chromatography. Human P5CR was crystallized by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method at 37 °C. Diffraction data were obtained to a resolution of 2.8 Å and were suitable for high resolution X-ray structure determination.

Activation of Platelet α Iibβ 3 by Exogenous Peptides Corresponding to the Transmembrane Domains of α Iib and β 3.

The platelet fibrinogen receptor α IIbβ 3 exists in an equilibrium between inactive and active conformations. In its inactive conformation, the transmembrane (TM) domains of α IIb and β 3 interact, but they separate when α IIbβ 3 assumes its active conformation. Peptides corresponding to the α IIb TM domain form homodimers in vitro and in bacterial membranes and the interface that mediates this interaction overlaps with the interface that mediates the heteromeric association of the α IIb TM domain with that of β 3. Because the homomeric association of α IIb TM domain is relatively strong, we expected that peptides spanning the α IIb TM domain might activate α IIbβ 3 by binding to the α IIb TM domain, thereby disrupting the α IIb/β 3 TM domain heterodimer. We synthesized a 26 residue peptide corresponding to the α IIb TM domain, flanked by pairs of lysine residues to increase its solubility in water, and assessed its ability to activate washed or gel-filtered platelets in an aggregometer. Addition of 3 μM peptide induced platelet aggregation after a short lag, but unlike aggregation stimulated by ADP, peptide-induced aggregation was not preceded by platelet shape change. Nonetheless, like ADP-induced aggregation, peptide-induced aggregation was inhibited by EDTA and the α IIbβ 3-specific monoclonal antibody A2A9. On the other hand, pre-incubating platelets with PGE1 or apyrase caused only a small decrease in the rate and extent of peptide-induced aggregation, suggesting that the peptide induced aggregation by binding directly to α IIbβ 3. A peptide corresponding the β 3 TM domain behaved in an identical manner, whereas an unrelated peptide, the model TM domain MS-1, had no effect. Similarly, there was little response to an α IIb TM peptide in which glycines 972 and 976, the first and last residues of a GxxxG motif, were changed to leucine. Confirming that the α IIb TM peptide binds to α IIbβ 3, we found that a FITC-labeled α IIb TM peptide co-eluted with purified α IIbβ 3 during size exclusion gel filtration. To determine whether the latter interaction involved the α IIb TM domain, we used the TOXCAT assay. In TOXCAT, the α IIb TM domain-mediated dimerization of a fusion protein containing the α IIb TM domain interposed between maltose binding protein and the ToxR' transcriptional activation domain in the inner membrane of E. coli drives the activation of the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene. We found that adding the α IIb TM peptide to the bacterial growth medium consistently decreased CAT synthesis, implying that its presence impaired α IIb-mediated fusion protein dimerization. These results provide evidence for the presence of an α IIb/β 3 TM domain heterodimer in unstimulated human platelets and suggest that the GxxxG motif in the α IIb TM domain is involved in its formation. Because the homomeric interaction of α IIb and β 3 TM domains is substantially stronger than their heteromeric interaction, our data are also consistent with the hypothesis that the TM peptides disrupt the heterodimer which functions to maintain α IIbβ 3 in an inactive state. Lastly, the data suggest that stabilizing the α IIb/β 3 TM heterodimer may represent a new approach for the development of novel anti-platelet agents.

Heparin Octasaccharides Inhibit Angiogenesis In vivo

In previous experiments, we showed that heparin oligosaccharides inhibit the angiogenic cytokine fibroblast growth factor-2. Here, we present the first in vivo study of size-fractionated heparin oligosaccharides in four models of angiogenesis that are progressively less dependent on fibroblast growth factor-2. Heparin oligosaccharides were prepared using size-exclusion gel filtration chromatography and characterized through depolymerization and strong anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. Size-defined oligosaccharides (20 mg/kg/d) were given to mice bearing s.c. sponges that were injected with fibroblast growth factor-2 (100 ng/d). After 14 days, octasaccharides and decasaccharides reduced the microvessel density to levels below control. In a second experiment, HEC-FGF2 human endometrial cancer cells that overexpress fibroblast growth factor-2 were implanted in a hollow fiber placed s.c. in vivo. Oligosaccharides were given at 20 mg/kg/d for 2 weeks and the data again showed that octasaccharides significantly reduced microvessel density around the fiber (P = 0.03). In a more complex model, where angiogenesis was induced by a broad spectrum of growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor, we implanted H460 lung carcinoma cells in hollow fibers and treated the animals with oligosaccharides at 20 mg/kg/d over 3 weeks. Octasaccharides reduced the microvessel density to that of control. Preliminary investigation of 6-O-desulfated heparins showed that these also had antiangiogenic activity. Finally, we examined the inhibitory potential of hexasaccharides and octasaccharides given at 20 mg/kg/d and these inhibited the growth of H460 lung carcinoma in vivo. At clinically attainable concentrations, significant anticoagulation (activated partial thromboplastin time, anti-factor Xa, and anti-factor IIa) was not observed in vitro unless species containing > or =16 saccharide residues were investigated. Thus, our preclinical data show that heparin octasaccharides represent novel antiangiogenic compounds that can be given without the anticoagulant effects of low molecular weight heparin.