Use of hemopexin domains and monoclonal antibodies to hemopexin to probe the molecular determinants of hemopexin-mediated heme transport.

Plasmin cleaves rabbit serum apohemopexin (Mr = 60,000) at a single site producing a heme-binding domain (I, Mr = 35,000) and a second domain (II, Mr = 25,000) (W. T. Morgan and A. Smith (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 12001-12005). The absorbance spectra of heme-domain I are indicative of a bis-histidyl coordination complex with the central heme iron atom. Chemical modification of the 5 histidine residues of apo-domain I with diethylpyrocarbonate abolished heme binding, supporting this assignment. Upon binding heme, domain I migrates more rapidly in sucrose gradients, and, in sedimentation velocity experiments, the s value of domain I increases from 3.17 +/- 0.04 to 3.71 +/- 0.09, a notably large increase which indicates that the domain becomes much more compact. This conformational change which plays a pivotal role in hemopexin function requires the bis-histidyl coordination with heme iron and leads to a tighter association between domain I and domain II shown by the co-migration of heme-domain I and domain II in sucrose gradients. In turn, the association of heme-domain I with domain II increases the thermal stability of the heme-domain I chromophore. Results of binding studies using mouse hepatoma cells and isolated domains indicate that domain I not only binds heme but also plays a vital part in the hemopexin-receptor interaction. The change in conformation of domain I upon heme binding and the association between domains I and II induced by heme are both notable determinants of the strength of the hemopexin-receptor interaction, but an intact "hinge region" between the domains is not necessary for receptor binding. The importance of both domains in bringing about the transport function of hemopexin is confirmed by the ability of three (two specific for domain I and one for domain II) of seven monoclonal antibodies raised against hemopexin to inhibit the hemopexin-receptor interaction.

Advantage of monoclonal vs. polyclonal antisera in a beta 2-microglobulin radioimmunoassay.

Unassociated human beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) and histocompatibility peptide associated beta 2-microglobulin produce significantly different inhibition curves in a competitive binding assay with rabbit anti-beta 2-microglobulin. This difference disallows the use of the rabbit antisera for measuring MHC-beta 2-microglobulin complex concentration using free beta 2m as a standard. Presumably the close amino acid sequence homology between human and rabbit beta 2-microglobulin results in rabbit antisera against a small number of epitopes, some of which are covered or conformationally altered in the MHC-beta 2-microglobulin complex. A monoclonal anti-beta 2-microglobulin antibody, LG1 reacted equally well with both forms of beta 2-microglobulin and is used to measure the concentration of beta 2-microglobulin in the histocompatibility peptide complex.

Catabolism of rat beta2-microglobulin in the rat.

Highly purified rat beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) as well as cytochrome c and lysozyme were radiolabeled and their catabolism studied in the rat. More than 90 percent of these low molecular weight proteins were removed from the serum within an hour and excreted into the urine by 24 hours. Except for the kidney in which the concentration of these protein is ten- to twentyfold greater than in the serum, there is little evidence that rat tissues are concentrating these proteins. The stomach was found to concentrate radioiodine. The catabolism of rat beta2m differed from that of cytochrome c and lysozyme in that the kidney contained twice as much labeled rat beta2m. In addition, the rat excretes 10 to 15 percent of the injected rat beta2m but only 1 to 5 percent of the cytochrome c or lysozyme. These studies established a basis for turnover studies of beta2m complexed with other cell membrane proteins, for example, HL-A or H-2 peptides.

Hemopexin synthesis in vitro by human fetal tissues.

Serum concentrations of hemopexin, transferrin, and albumin were measured for 12 fetuses between 14 and 36 weeks of gestational age. Hemopexin levels ranged from 7 to 64 mug/ml, transferrin levels ranged from 280 to 928 mug/ml, and albumin levels ranged from 13 to 59 mg/ml. In general, the serum concentrations of these three proteins increased with advancing gestation. Placenta, thymus, and colon did not incorporate 14C-labeled amino acids into hemopexin, transferrin, or albumin. By contrast radioimmune precipitates for five culture supernatants of liver indicated significant synthesis of albumin and hemopexin. [14C]Albumin accounted for 22-73% and [14C]hemopexin 1.1-4.2% of the total 14C-labeled proteins. In each instance, the [14C]transferrin was below 1% of the total 14C-labeled proteins.

Catabolism of photo-oxidized and desialylated hemopexin in the rabbit.

Following injection of rabbit 125I-asialohemopexin, more than 90% of the protein-bound 125I was removed from the circulation of rabbits within 12 min. The amount of asialoprotein in the catabolic compartment reached a peak concentration (75 to 85%) 12 min after injection and was completely eliminated from this compartment within 2 hours. The degradation products were excreted into the urine, with 50 to 70% of the 125I eliminated during the first 24 hours and 90 to 95% excreted by 48 hours. Analysis of these data indicated an apparent first order rate constant for uptake of asialohemopexin of 0.32 min-1, for catabolism of 0.020 min-1 and for excretion of 0.054 to 0.093 hour-1. The plasma distribution curves of 125I-hemopexin, after the first 24 hours, showed essentially no difference. Both proteins were catabolized with an average T1/2 of 25 to 26 hours and a similar fractional catabolic rate. Simultaneous injection of heme and 125I-hemopexin resulted in rapid removal and catabolism of the protein. In contrast, injection of heme had little if any effect on the plasma radioactivity curve of photoinactivated 125I-hemopexin.

Effect of hemoglobin and hematin on plasma clearance of hemopexin, photo-inactivated hemopexin and albumin (38575).

The plasma half clearance time (T1/2) of isotope-labeled rabbit hemopexin was 35.5 plus or minus 1.9 hr in rabbits. After intra-and extra-vascular equilibration of 125I-hemopexin and 131I-albumin, injection of either hematin, hemoglobin or methemoglobin (12.5 mg of heme/kg body wt) resulted in the rapid removal of 60-80% of circulating hemopexin (T1/2 = 7.2 plus or minus 0.6 hr) but did not affect albumin catabolism. After selective photo-inactivation of hemopexin, the T1/2 of this hemopexin was comparable to that of the native molecule. However, its plasma disappearance curve was not appreciably affected by administration of hematin. These findings demonstrate that hemopexin is cleared and catabolized at an enhanced rate during states of plasma heme load, and that modification of critical histidine residues of hemopexin eliminates its biological function in plasma heme disposal.