scholarly journals Human plasma fibronectin. Demonstration of structural differences between the A- and B-chains in the III CS region

1991 ◽  
Vol 274 (3) ◽  
pp. 731-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Tressel ◽  
J B McCarthy ◽  
J Calaycay ◽  
T D Lee ◽  
K Legesse ◽  
...  

Fibronectins are a class of cell-adhesion proteins produced from a single gene. The soluble plasma form is synthesized by hepatocytes and the insoluble cellular form by fibroblasts and other cell types. The proteins possess multiple binding domains for macromolecules including collagen, fibrin and heparin along with at least one cell-binding domain. Cellular as well as plasma fibronectins are dimers of similar but not identical polypeptides. Their differences are the result of internal amino acid sequence variability due to alternative RNA splicing in at least three regions (ED-A, ED-B and III CS). We have been studying this polymorphism at the protein level in plasma fibronectin (pFn). Cathepsin D-digested pFn applied to a heparin-agarose column and eluted with an NaCl stepwise gradient (0.1 M, 0.25 M and 0.5 M) released two polypeptides (75 kDa and 65 kDa) in the 0.5 M-NaCl peak. Immunoblots with monoclonal antibodies IST-2 (specific for the C-terminal heparin-binding domain) and AHB-3 (specific for the III CS domain) suggest that both peptides contain the C-terminal heparin-binding (Hep-2) domain, but that only the larger fragment possesses the III CS region. These two polypeptides (75 kDa and 65 kDa) were digested with trypsin, and the resulting peptides were analyzed by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry and compared with the known cDNA-derived peptide sequence. Peptides that were unique to the III CS region were further characterized by micro sequence analysis. The 75 kDa fragment is derived from the A-chain and contains the III CS region (89 amino acid residues) along with the C-terminal heparin-binding (Hep-2) domain and the fibrin-binding (Fib-2) domain. A single galactosamine-based carbohydrate group was detected at Thr-73/74 of the III CS region present in the 75 kDa fragment. The 65 kDa fragment is derived from the B-chain and lacks the entire III CS region but does contain the Hep-2 and Fib-2 domains.

2000 ◽  
Vol 347 (3) ◽  
pp. 725-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariko NAITO ◽  
Tomohiko FUKUDA ◽  
Kiyotoshi SEKIGUCHI ◽  
Takeshi YAMADA

We have recently shown that α antigen (α-Ag), the immunodominant antigen of mycobacteria, has a novel fibronectin (FN)-binding motif that is unique among mycobacteria [Naito, Ohara, Matsumoto and Yamada (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 2905-2909]. In this study, we examined the domains of human FN that interacted with α-Ag. Fragments of FN generated by either proteolysis or recombinant DNA techniques were compared for their ability to bind to α-Ag. Fragments containing either the C-terminal heparin-binding domain or the central cell-binding domain consistently bound to α-Ag. The fragment of the C-terminal heparin-binding domain, upon mutation that resulted in the loss of its heparin-binding activity, could not bind with α-Ag. These findings suggested that the mutated site, i.e. the main heparin-binding site of FN, was also the principal site for binding to α-Ag. The α-Ag-binding domains of FN could bind whole mycobacterial bacilli, suggesting that these two domains are important contributors to mycobacterial infection.


Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
RB Basani ◽  
G Vilaire ◽  
SJ Shattil ◽  
MA Kolodziej ◽  
JS Bennett ◽  
...  

The integrin alpha IIb beta 3, a calcium-dependent heterodimer, plays a critical role in platelet aggregation. The alpha IIb subunit of the heterodimer contains four highly conserved putative calcium-binding domains in its extracellular portion. During studies of the molecular basis of Glanzmann thrombasthenia in a child of mixed Caucasian background whose platelets expressed little alpha IIb beta 3 on their surface, we found the patient heterozygous for a two amino acid deletion in the fourth alpha IIb calcium-binding domain. When this alpha IIb mutant was expressed in COS-1 cells, we found that the deletion did not interfere with the assembly of alpha IIb beta 3 heterodimers, but altered their conformation such that they were neither recognized by the heterodimer-specific antibody A2A9 nor able to undergo further intracellular processing or transport to the cell surface. These results suggest that the calcium-binding domains in alpha IIb play an important role maintaining the overall conformation of alpha IIb beta 3. To confirm this suggestion, we deleted each of the four 12 amino acid calcium-binding domains in alpha IIb by in vitro mutagenesis and expressed the mutants along with beta 3 in COS-1 cells. Each construct formed a heterodimer with beta 3, but none of the heterodimers interacted with A2A9 or underwent further intracellular processing. These data indicate that the calcium-binding domains in alpha IIb are not involved in alpha IIb beta 3 heterodimer formation, but their presence is required for the intracellular transport of alpha IIb beta 3 to the cell surface.


Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 81 (7) ◽  
pp. 1778-1786
Author(s):  
KJ Winters ◽  
JJ Walsh ◽  
BG Rubin ◽  
SA Santoro

Divalent cation-dependent platelet adhesion to fibronectin (FN) is mediated by the integrin receptors alpha 5 beta 1 (GP Ic-IIa) and alpha IIb beta 3 (GP IIb-IIIa), which recognize the RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) sequence in the cell-binding domain. However, FN can also support divalent cation-independent platelet adhesion. To determine which domain of FN mediates divalent cation-independent adhesion, proteolysis with thermolysin and affinity chromatography were used to isolate the cell-binding, gelatin-binding, and heparin-binding domains of FN. Unactivated and thrombin-activated platelets adhered to intact FN and the 45-Kd gelatin-binding domain in the presence of either Ca2+ or EDTA. Platelet spreading was mediated only by the 105-Kd cell-binding domain and required divalent cations. The heparin-binding domains did not support platelet adhesion. Reduction of intrachain disulfide bonds or removal of carbohydrate side chains on the gelatin-binding domain did not alter the ability to support platelet adhesion. Divalent cation- independent adhesion to the 45-Kd gelatin-binding domain was not inhibited by RGDS (Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser) synthetic peptides or monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) directed against known platelet receptors. We conclude that platelets can adhere but not spread on the gelatin- binding domain of FN by a novel divalent cation-independent mechanism.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 3582-3595 ◽  
Author(s):  
D M Helfman ◽  
S Cheley ◽  
E Kuismanen ◽  
L A Finn ◽  
Y Yamawaki-Kataoka

The molecular basis for the expression of rat embryonic fibroblast tropomyosin 1 and skeletal muscle beta-tropomyosin was determined. cDNA clones encoding these tropomyosin isoforms exhibit complete identity except for two carboxy-proximal regions (amino acids 189 to 213 and 258 to 284) and different 3'-untranslated sequences. The isoform-specific regions delineate the troponin T-binding domains of skeletal muscle tropomyosin. Analysis of genomic clones indicates that there are two separate loci in the rat genome that contain sequences complementary to these mRNAs. One locus is a pseudogene. The other locus contains a single gene made up of 11 exons and spans approximately 10 kilobases. Sequences common to all mRNAs were found in exons 1 through 5 (amino acids 1 to 188) and exons 8 and 9 (amino acids 214 to 257). Exons 6 and 11 are specific for fibroblast mRNA (amino acids 189 to 213 and 258 to 284, respectively), while exons 7 and 10 are specific for skeletal muscle mRNA (amino acids 189 to 213 and 258 to 284, respectively). In addition, exons 10 and 11 each contain the entire 3'-untranslated sequences of the respective mRNAs including the polyadenylation site. Although the gene is also expressed in smooth muscle (stomach, uterus, and vas deferens), only the fibroblast-type splice products can be detected in these tissues. S1 and primer extension analyses indicate that all mRNAs expressed from this gene are transcribed from a single promoter. The promoter was found to contain G-C-rich sequences, a TATA-like sequence TTTTA, no identifiable CCAAT box, and two putative Sp1-binding sites.


1996 ◽  
Vol 317 (3) ◽  
pp. 871-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew WALKER ◽  
John T. GALLAGHER

Heparan sulphate (HS) is an abundant polysaccharide component of the pericellular domain and is found in most soft tissues and all adherent cells in culture. It interacts with a wide spectrum of proteins including polypeptide growth factors and glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix. These interactions might influence fundamental cellular activities such as adhesion, growth and migration. HS might therefore represent a highly adaptive mechanism by which cells respond to their environment. The present study shows that the interaction between fibroblast HS, metabolically labelled with [3H]glucosamine, and the C-terminal heparin-binding domain of human plasma fibronectin (HEPII), is determined by distinct regions of the polysaccharide chain. By using a very sensitive affinity-chromatography method and specific polysaccharide scission it was shown that the HEPII-binding regions of HS reside within sulphated domains that are resistant to degradation by heparinase III. In addition, optimal binding was achieved with specific heparinase III-resistant fragments of 14–16 monosaccharides in length. The affinity of HS for HEPII was significantly decreased when the polysaccharide was cleaved with heparinase I. Chondroitin sulphate and dermatan sulphate were poor competitive inhibitors of [3H]HS binding to HEPII whereas unlabelled HS and heparin gave a strong inhibitory activity, with heparin being the most potent inhibitor. These findings suggest that the interaction between HEPII and HS is specific and requires extended sequences of seven to eight N-sulphated disaccharides in which a proportion of the iduronate residues are sulphated at C-2. The results have important implications for the functions of HS in cell adhesion and migration.


1991 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 1137-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
A P Skubitz ◽  
P C Letourneau ◽  
E Wayner ◽  
L T Furcht

The large carboxy-terminal globular domain (G domain; residues 2,110-3,060) of the A chain of murine-derived laminin has been shown to promote heparin binding, cell adhesion, and neurite outgrowth. This study was conducted to define the potential sequence(s) originating from the G domain of laminin with any of these functional activities. A series of peptides were synthesized from the G domain, termed GD peptides, each approximately 20 amino acids long and containing multiple positively charged amino acids. In direct 3H-heparin binding assays, peptides GD-1 and GD-2 bound high levels of 3H-heparin, while peptides GD-3 and GD-4 bound lower levels of 3H-heparin, and GD-5 bound essentially no 3H-heparin. The binding of 3H-heparin to peptides GD-1 and GD-2 appeared to be of high affinity, since significant binding of 3H-heparin to these two peptides was still observed even when the NaCl concentration was raised to 1.0 M. Four of the peptides, GD-1, GD-2, GD-3, and GD-4, directly promoted the adhesion and spreading of HT-1080 human fibrosarcoma cells as well as the outgrowth of neurites from chick spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia neurons. In addition, solutions of these peptides or antibodies generated against these peptides inhibited laminin-mediated HT-1080 cell adhesion. Antibodies against the beta 1 integrin subunit inhibited HT-1080 cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth on surfaces adsorbed with peptides GD-3 and GD-4. Therefore, laminin appears to have multiple, independent sequences in the G domain that serve a similar cell adhesion promoting function for different cell types. Furthermore, these results suggest that the sequences comprising peptides GD-3 and GD-4 use an integrin as a receptor, of which the beta 1 integrin subunit is a component for these various cell types.


Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
RB Basani ◽  
G Vilaire ◽  
SJ Shattil ◽  
MA Kolodziej ◽  
JS Bennett ◽  
...  

Abstract The integrin alpha IIb beta 3, a calcium-dependent heterodimer, plays a critical role in platelet aggregation. The alpha IIb subunit of the heterodimer contains four highly conserved putative calcium-binding domains in its extracellular portion. During studies of the molecular basis of Glanzmann thrombasthenia in a child of mixed Caucasian background whose platelets expressed little alpha IIb beta 3 on their surface, we found the patient heterozygous for a two amino acid deletion in the fourth alpha IIb calcium-binding domain. When this alpha IIb mutant was expressed in COS-1 cells, we found that the deletion did not interfere with the assembly of alpha IIb beta 3 heterodimers, but altered their conformation such that they were neither recognized by the heterodimer-specific antibody A2A9 nor able to undergo further intracellular processing or transport to the cell surface. These results suggest that the calcium-binding domains in alpha IIb play an important role maintaining the overall conformation of alpha IIb beta 3. To confirm this suggestion, we deleted each of the four 12 amino acid calcium-binding domains in alpha IIb by in vitro mutagenesis and expressed the mutants along with beta 3 in COS-1 cells. Each construct formed a heterodimer with beta 3, but none of the heterodimers interacted with A2A9 or underwent further intracellular processing. These data indicate that the calcium-binding domains in alpha IIb are not involved in alpha IIb beta 3 heterodimer formation, but their presence is required for the intracellular transport of alpha IIb beta 3 to the cell surface.


1993 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 1119-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
LE French ◽  
A Chonn ◽  
D Ducrest ◽  
B Baumann ◽  
D Belin ◽  
...  

Clusterin is a broadly distributed glycoprotein constitutively expressed by various tissues and cell types, that has been shown to be involved in cell-cell adhesion and expressed during cellular differentiation in vitro. To assess the suggested participation of clusterin in these processes in vivo, we have cloned the cDNA encoding murine clusterin and studied the cellular distribution of clusterin mRNA during murine embryogenesis. Sequence analysis of the cDNA encoding murine clusterin revealed 92 and 75% sequence identity with the rat and human cDNAs, respectively, and conservation of the predicted structural features which include alpha-helical regions and heparin-binding domains. From 12.5 d of development onwards, the clusterin gene is widely expressed in developing epithelia, and selectively localized within the differentiating cell layers of tissues such as the developing skin, tooth, and duodenum where proliferating and differentiating compartments are readily distinguished. In addition, transient and localized clusterin gene expression was detected in certain morphogenetically active epithelia. In the lung, abundant gene transcripts were detected in cuboidal epithelial cells of the terminal lung buds during branching morphogenesis, and in the kidney, clusterin gene expression in the epithelial cells of comma and S-shaped bodies coincided with the process of polarization. Our results demonstrate the in vivo expression of the clusterin gene by differentiating epithelial cells during murine embryogenesis, and provide novel evidence suggesting that clusterin may be involved in the differentiation and morphogenesis of certain epithelia.


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