Structure of the thrombin complex with triabin, a lipocalin-like exosite-binding inhibitor derived from a triatomine bug.

Triabin, a 142-residue protein from the saliva of the blood-sucking triatomine bug Triatoma pallidipennis, is a potent and selective thrombin inhibitor. Its stoichiometric complex with bovine alpha-thrombin was crystallized, and its crystal structure was solved by Patterson search methods and refined at 2.6-A resolution to an R value of 0.184. The analysis revealed that triabin is a compact one-domain molecule essentially consisting of an eight-stranded beta-barrel. The eight strands A to H are arranged in the order A-C-B-D-E-F-G-H, with the first four strands exhibiting a hitherto unobserved up-up-down-down topology. Except for the B-C inversion, the triabin fold exhibits the regular up-and-down topology of lipocalins. In contrast to the typical ligand-binding lipocalins, however, the triabin barrel encloses a hydrophobic core intersected by a unique salt-bridge cluster. Triabin interacts with thrombin exclusively via its fibrinogen-recognition exosite. Surprisingly, most of the interface interactions are hydrophobic. A prominent exception represents thrombin's Arg-77A side chain, which extends into a hydrophobic triabin pocket forming partially buried salt bridges with Glu-128 and Asp-135 of the inhibitor. The fully accessible active site of thrombin in this complex is in agreement with its retained hydrolytic activity toward small chromogenic substrates. Impairment of thrombin's fibrinogen converting activity or of its thrombomodulin-mediated protein C activation capacity upon triabin binding is explained by usage of overlapping interaction sites of fibrinogen, thrombomodulin, and triabin on thrombin. These data demonstrate that triabin inhibits thrombin via a novel and unique mechanism that might be of interest in the context of potential therapeutic applications.

Inhibition of thrombin-mediated cellular effects by triabin, a highly potent anion-binding exosite thrombin inhibitor.

Triabin, a 17 kDa protein from the saliva of the assassin bug Triatoma pallidipennis is a potent thrombin inhibitor interfering with the anion-binding exosite of the enzyme. The recombinant protein, produced by the baculovirus/insect cell system, was used to study the inhibitory effect on thrombin-mediated cellular responses. The thrombin (1 nM)-stimulated aggregation of washed human platelets and the rise in cytoplasmic calcium in platelets were inhibited by triabin at nanomolar concentrations. In contrast, the rise in calcium induced by the thrombin receptor-activating peptide (10 microM) was not suppressed by triabin. In isolated porcine pulmonary arteries, preconstricted with PGF 2 alpha thrombin (2 nM) elicited an endothelium-dependent relaxation which was inhibited by triabin in the same concentration range as found for the inhibition of platelet aggregation. Higher concentrations of triabin were required to diminish the contractile response of endotheliumdenuded pulmonary vessels to thrombin (10 nM). In cultured bovine coronary smooth muscle cells, the mitogenic activity of thrombin (3 nM), measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation, was also suppressed by triabin. In all these assays, the inhibitory effect of triabin was dependent on the thrombin concentration used. These studies suggest that the new anion-binding exosite thrombin inhibitor triabin is one of the most potent inhibitors of thrombin-mediated cellular effects.

Expression, purification and characterisation of recombinant pallidipin, a novel platelet aggregation inhibitor from the haematophageous triatomine bug Triatoma pallidipennis.

Pallidipin is a platelet aggregation inhibitor protein originating from the saliva of the haematophageous triatomine bug Triatoma pallidipennis. Its inhibitory effects are specific for collagen-induced platelet aggregation. The recombinant form of the protein was expressed in the periplasmic space of transformed Escherichia coli using a vector based on the alkaline phosphatase gene promoter and leader peptide. Recombinant pallidipin was purified in three chromatographic steps including cation exchange, anion exchange and size exclusion gel chromatography. SDS/PAGE and N-terminal amino acid sequencing showed that recombinant pallidipin had a molecular weight similar to that of the salivary protein (approximately 19 kDa) and had been correctly processed. The yield was 864 micrograms of pure protein from one litre of bacterial culture. The biological activity of recombinant pallidipin was assessed in a platelet aggregation assay using collagen at a concentration of 2 micrograms/ml as inducer, and the IC50 found to be 33 nM, similar to that determined for the native protein. When the collagen concentration used for induction was increased, higher pallidipin concentrations were also needed to achieve a comparable inhibition of platelet aggregation.

Triabin, a highly potent exosite inhibitor of thrombin.

Triabin, a new thrombin inhibitor, has been purified from the saliva of Triatoma pallidipennis, a blood-sucking triatomine bug. It forms a noncovalent complex with thrombin at a molar ratio of 1:1, inhibits thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, and prolongs thrombin clotting time and activated partial thromboplastin time. However, it only minimally suppresses the amidolytic activity of thrombin, as measured by a chromogenic peptide substrate assay. It completely blocks trypsin-catalyzed cleavage of thrombin, probably via protection of the anion-binding exosite and inhibits the effect of thrombomodulin on thrombin in a dose-dependent fashion. These results indicate that the inhibitor is directed toward the anion-binding exosite of thrombin. The protein was partially sequenced and the information used to isolate cDNA clones from a T. pallidipennis salivary gland library. Four slightly polymorphic variants coding for mature proteins of 142 amino acids preceded by a putative leader sequence were obtained. The recombinant protein expressed in the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli has a biological activity similar to that of salivary triabin, as tested in a thrombin-induced platelet aggregation assay. In addition, recombinant triabin inhibits thrombin-catalyzed hydrolysis of fibrinogen with a Ki of about 3 pM.

Expression of active recombinant pallidipin, a novel platelet aggregation inhibitor, in the periplasm of Escherichia coli.

The platelet aggregation inhibitor pallidipin is a protein present in the saliva of the blood-sucking triatomine bug Triatoma pallidipennis. Expression of recombinant pallidipin in the periplasm of Escherichia coli was achieved by placing its coding sequence downstream of the alkaline phosphatase (APase) or trc promoter in frame with bacterial leader peptide DNA sequences derived from APase or from the periplasmic form of cyclophilin (Cph). In each case the DNA sequence of mature pallidipin was merged to the leader peptide coding part, either directly, or while introducing additional amino acids, in order to assess their influence on the activity of the leader peptidase and on the biological activity of the recombinant protein. All tested constructs gave rise to abundant periplasmic expression of pallidipin, which was then purified by a combination of cation- and anion-exchange chromatography followed by size-exclusion gel chromatography. Recombinant pallidipin had the expected molecular mass (approximately 19 kDa) and was correctly processed, as demonstrated by SDS/PAGE and N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The highest expression levels were obtained with the three APase-derived expression plasmids. Platelet aggregation tests revealed that E. coli-derived pallidipin was fully active, with an IC50 of 33-89 nM, comparable with that of the native protein, except when an additional N-terminal lysyl-isoleucyl dipeptide was present, which resulted in an IC50 more than ten times higher.

An inhibitor of collagen-induced platelet aggregation from the saliva of Triatoma pallidipennis.

The saliva of Triatoma pallidipennis, a blood-sucking triatomine bug (Hemiptera, family Reduviidae, subfamily Triatominae) was found to contain a factor that specifically inhibits collagen-induced platelet aggregation. The 19-kDa protein was purified to homogeneity and named pallidipin. Collagen-mediated aggregation of platelets in plasma and of washed platelets was inhibited with the same efficacy. No inhibition of aggregation stimulated by other effectors (ADP, thrombin, thromboxane A2 mimetic U46619, phorbol ester) was detected. Pallidipin had no effect on platelet adhesion to collagen but inhibited ATP release from platelets. It interacted reversibly with platelets and may share with collagen a common target on them. The protein exhibits a unique primary structure (predicted from cDNA clones) with no significant similarity to other previously described sequences. The protein produced in recombinant baby hamster kidney cells had antiaggregatory effects similar to those of native pallidipin. Availability of recombinant pallidipin will allow further investigation of the precise mechanism of action.

Cloning sequencing and expression of the gene for cytochrome P450meg, the steroid-15 beta-monooxygenase from Bacillus megaterium ATCC 13368.

A 4.3 kb EcoRI fragment carrying the gene for cytochrome P450meg, the steroid-15 beta-monooxygenase from Bacillus megaterium ATCC 13368, was cloned and completely sequenced. The gene codes for a protein of 410 amino acids and was expressed in Escherichia coli and B. subtilis. Protein extracts from the recombinant E. coli strains were able to hydroxylate corticosteroids in the 15 beta position when supplemented with an extract from a P450- mutant of B. megaterium ATCC 13368 as a source of megaredoxin and megaredoxin reductase. In contrast, 15 beta-hydroxylation was obtained in vitro and in vivo without the addition of external electron transfer proteins, when cytochrome P450meg was produced in B. subtilis 168. Protein extracts from nonrecombinant B. subtilis 168 could also support the in vitro hydroxylation by cytochrome P450meg produced in E. coli.

Rapid effects of EGF on cytoskeletal structures and adhesive properties of highly metastatic rat mammary adenocarcinoma cells.

In the highly metastatic rat mammary adenocarcinoma cell clone MTLn3, EGF induced increased adhesion to fibronectin while in the human epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431 EGF induced diminished adhesive properties. Flattening of cells with extensive formation of filopodia was observed in MTLn3 cells within 5 min of EGF addition, while in A431 cells EGF induced rounding up and only occasional formation of filopodia. Immunofluorescent analysis revealed extension of microtubules (MT) into the filopodia and Western blot analysis demonstrated an EGF-induced 2- to 3-fold increase in the amount of assembled tubulin in MTLn3 but not in A431 cells. In MTLn3, but only marginally in A431 cells, EGF treatment resulted in phosphorylation of a 280 kD cytoskeleton-associated protein, which was rapid and dose-dependent. These results suggest differential signal transduction pathway of cytoskeleton-associated EGFRs in highly metastatic MTLn3 as compared with A431 cells.