Identification and characterization of human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 and detection of three additional metalloproteinase inhibitor activities in extracellular matrix.

We have identified and characterized a novel human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP). It is found exclusively in the extracellular matrix of a large number of cultured human cells, including: primary embryonal kidney (293), neuroblastoma (SK-N-SH), normal whole embryo (FHs 173We), cervical carcinoma (HeLa S3), colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2), ileocecal adenocarcinoma (HCT-8), fibrosarcomas (SW 684 and Hs 913T) and normal gingival fibroblasts (GF11 and 1292). It was not detected in the conditioned media from any of these cell lines. Its apparent molecular mass of 24-25 kDa, as determined by its migration on protease-substrate gels, is intermediate between TIMP-1 (28.5 kDa) and TIMP-2 (21 kDa). Like the latter two proteins, human TIMP-3 contains intrachain disulfide bonds and displays altered electrophoretic mobility in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol. The N-terminal, amino acid sequence of the protein is identical to that of chicken TIMP-3 (ChIMP-3), and its amino acid composition is similar. The protein is not N-glycosylated, as determined by treatment with N-glycosidase-F. Finally, it is recognized by antisera raised against pure ChIMP-3 but not by anti-human TIMP-1 or anti-human TIMP-2 antibodies. Based on these properties, we propose that this protein is TIMP-3 and is the human counterpart of ChIMP-3 (Pavloff et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267: 17321-17326, 1992). Two additional inhibitors detected in the matrix of human cell lines, designated inhibitor of metalloproteinase (IMP)-a and IMP-b, migrate with apparent masses of 29 kDa and 30 kDa. Both are N-glycosylated. A fourth inhibitor activity, which is smaller in mass than TIMP-3 and is also pecifically located in the matrix, is detectable in some cell lines.

A new inhibitor of metalloproteinases from chicken: ChIMP-3. A third member of the TIMP family.

We report cDNA cloning and primary structure of a new metalloproteinase inhibitor (ChIMP-3) produced by chicken embryo fibroblasts. ChIMP-3, formerly called the 21-kDa protein, is one of five ChIMPs (Chicken Inhibitor of MetalloProteinases). In this paper, we report that of the three most abundant ChIMPs, ChIMP-3 and ChIMP-a are extracellular matrix components, whereas ChIMP-2 is found in the media conditioned by the cells. Treatment of ChIMP-3 and ChIMP-a with N-glycosidase-F indicates that ChIMP-a is N-glycosylated whereas ChIMP-3 is not. The deduced amino acid sequence of ChIMP-3 predicts a protein whose properties are consistent with experimental measurements. Analysis of sequence alignments with the two previously described members of the TIMP (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases) family, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2, from various species indicates that ChIMP-3 is a related but distinct protein. This conclusion is supported by lack of significant binding with anti-TIMP-1 and anti-TIMP-2 antibodies. Based on these data, its unusual solubility properties, and its exclusive location in the matrix, we propose that ChIMP-3 is a new member of this family of metalloproteinase inhibitors, a TIMP-3.

The 21-kDa protein is a transformation-sensitive metalloproteinase inhibitor of chicken fibroblasts.

We report the electrophoretic purification and characterization of the 21-kDa protein, an extracellular matrix component synthesized during the early stages of transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts infected with Rous sarcoma virus (Blenis, J., and Hawkes, S. P. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 80, 770-774; Blenis, J., and Hawkes, S. P. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 11563-11570). The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein is greater than 60% identical to a consensus sequence of mammalian tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP). It shares several biochemical properties with other metalloproteinase inhibitors, including evidence of intrachain disulfide bonds and resistance to cleavage by trypsin. An electrophoretic assay employing a metal ion-dependent gelatinase from conditioned cell culture medium demonstrates inhibitor activity for purified 21-kDa protein. The 21-kDa protein is the major inhibitor in the extracellular matrix and appears unique in solubility properties among inhibitors with a TIMP-like sequence. Statistical analysis of amino acid composition data for these inhibitors defines two distinct groups (TIMP and TIMP-2) and supports a close relationship for the 21-kDa protein with the TIMP group. However, the apparent size and lack of glycosylation align it more closely with the TIMP-2 group of proteins. Therefore, it is possible that the 21-kDa protein is a variant of TIMP or, alternatively, represents a third protein within the metalloproteinase inhibitor family. This report provides the first evidence that avian metalloproteinase inhibitors are similar in sequence to their mammalian counterparts.

Conformational transition of hyaluronic acid in aqueous-organic solvent monitored by vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism.

The chiroptical transition of hyaluronic acid (HA) in aqueous-organic solvent has been investigated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy into the vacuum ultraviolet region. The CD of HA changes dramatically, monitoring a cooperative transition as the dielectric constant of an aqueous solution is reduced by adding organic solvents. This transition results in a high-intensity CD band at 188 nm, indicating an ordered structure in the mixed solvent. Heating HA in the mixed solvent also causes a cooperative transition, reducing the CD to that found for the polymer in aqueous solution. In contrast, heating HA in aqueous solution results in small, noncooperative changes in the CD spectrum. This indicates an unordered structure in aqueous solution. The CD as the dielectric constant is reduced exhibits isodichroic points, showing that there are only two environments for chromophores contributing to the CD. This is confirmed by singular value decomposition of CD spectra recorded as a function of solvent composition, which shows the spectra to contain only two principal components. The data describing the thermally induced transition of HA in mixed solvent are not consistent with infinite cooperativity. The van't Hoff relation yields thermodynamic parameters for the conformational transition in terms of the cooperative unit of -60 kcal mol-1 for delta H degrees and -180 eu mol-1 for delta S degrees.

Double-stranded structure for hyaluronic acid in ethanol-aqueous solution as revealed by circular dichroism of oligomers.

The sigmoidal nature of circular dichroism (CD) changes for hyaluronic acid solutions as a function of solvent composition or temperature is studied as a function of chain length by using oligomers. We find a chain length effect with approximately nine disaccharides required for the structural transition as a function of organic solvent, which proves that the transition is cooperative with large transition enthalpy and entropy. The transition also depends on sample concentration as expected for strand association, and this was investigated in detail for oligomers 12 and 16 disaccharides long. Indeed, it was possible to prevent completely the transition in mixed solvent with sufficient dilution of these oligomers, which demonstrates strand association. The CD data in mixed solvent as a function of oligomer concentration were fit with various models for association of two and more strands. Simplex methods were used to investigate the vector space of unknowns for the models, and two-strand models were shown to consistently give a better fit. A cooperative two-strand zipper model which allows relative sliding of the chains had the smallest fitting error and produced the following thermodynamic parameters (in terms of a duplex of disaccharide units) for the ordered structure in an aqueous solution containing 45% v/v ethanol, 12.5 mM NaH2PO4, and 7.5 mM H3PO4: enthalpy of growth, -1.0 +/- 0.3 kcal mol-1; entropy of growth, -2.3 +/- 1.3 eu mol-1; enthalpy of initiation, -20 +/- 3 kcal mol-1; entropy of initiation, -71 +/- 15 eu mol-1. The results are consistent with a double-stranded and helical structure for hyaluronic acid in solutions of reduced dielectric constant.