Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase-2 Inhibition Protects Against Development of Atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Small-molecule hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylase (HIF-P4H) inhibitors are being explored in clinical studies for the treatment of anemia. HIF-P4H-2 (also known as PHD2 or EglN1) inhibition improves glucose and lipid metabolism and protects against obesity and metabolic dysfunction. We studied here whether HIF-P4H-2 inhibition could also protect against atherosclerosis. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Atherosclerosis development was studied in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-deficient mice treated with an oral HIF-P4H inhibitor, FG-4497, and in HIF-P4H-2-hypomorphic/C699Y-LDL receptor-mutant mice, all mice being fed a high-fat diet. FG-4497 administration to LDL receptor-deficient mice reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques by ≈50% when compared with vehicle-treated controls and also reduced their weight gain, insulin resistance, liver and white adipose tissue (WAT) weights, adipocyte size, number of inflammation-associated WAT macrophage aggregates and the high-fat diet-induced increases in serum cholesterol levels. The levels of atherosclerosis-protecting circulating autoantibodies against copper-oxidized LDL were increased. The decrease in atherosclerotic plaque areas correlated with the reductions in weight, serum cholesterol levels, and WAT macrophage aggregates and the autoantibody increase. FG-4497 treatment stabilized HIF-1α and HIF-2α and altered the expression of glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammation-associated genes in liver and WAT. The HIF-P4H-2-hypomorphic/C699Y-LDL receptor-mutant mice likewise had a ≈50% reduction in atherosclerotic plaque areas, reduced WAT macrophage aggregate numbers, and increased autoantibodies against oxidized LDL, but did not have reduced serum cholesterol levels. CONCLUSIONS: HIF-P4H-2 inhibition may be a novel strategy for protecting against the development of atherosclerosis. The mechanisms involve beneficial modulation of the serum lipid profile and innate immune system and reduced inflammation.

Severe Extracellular Matrix Abnormalities and Chondrodysplasia in Mice Lacking Collagen Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase Isoenzyme II in Combination with a Reduced Amount of Isoenzyme I.

Collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases (C-P4H-I, C-P4H-II, and C-P4H-III) catalyze formation of 4-hydroxyproline residues required to form triple-helical collagen molecules. Vertebrate C-P4Hs are α2ß2 tetramers differing in their catalytic α subunits. C-P4H-I is the major isoenzyme in most cells, and inactivation of its catalytic subunit (P4ha1(-/-)) leads to embryonic lethality in mouse, whereas P4ha1(+/-) mice have no abnormalities. To study the role of C-P4H-II, which predominates in chondrocytes, we generated P4ha2(-/-) mice. Surprisingly, they had no apparent phenotypic abnormalities. To assess possible functional complementarity, we established P4ha1(+/-);P4ha2(-/-) mice. They were smaller than their littermates, had moderate chondrodysplasia, and developed kyphosis. A transient inner cell death phenotype was detected in their developing growth plates. The columnar arrangement of proliferative chondrocytes was impaired, the amount of 4-hydroxyproline and the Tm of collagen II were reduced, and the extracellular matrix was softer in the growth plates of newborn P4ha1(+/-);P4ha2(-/-) mice. No signs of uncompensated ER stress were detected in the mutant growth plate chondrocytes. Some of these defects were also found in P4ha2(-/-) mice, although in a much milder form. Our data show that C-P4H-I can to a large extent compensate for the lack of C-P4H-II in proper endochondral bone development, but their combined partial and complete inactivation, respectively, leads to biomechanically impaired extracellular matrix, moderate chondrodysplasia, and kyphosis. Our mouse data suggest that inactivating mutations in human P4HA2 are not likely to lead to skeletal disorders, and a simultaneous decrease in P4HA1 function would most probably be required to generate such a disease phenotype.

Roles of the human hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-3α variants in the hypoxia response.

The hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF) controls (in an oxygen-dependent manner) the expression of a large number of genes whose products are involved in the response of cells to hypoxia. HIF is an αß dimer that binds to hypoxia response elements (HREs) in its target genes. Human HIF-α has three isoforms, HIF-1α, HIF-2α and HIF-3α, of which the roles of HIF-3α are largely unknown, although it is usually regarded as a negative regulator of HIF-1α and HIF-2α. The human HIF-3α locus is subject to extensive alternative splicing, leading to at least seven variants. We analyzed here the effects of the long variants and the short variant HIF-3α4 on the hypoxia response. All these variants were found to interact with HIF-ß, HIF-1α and HIF-2α. The long HIF-3α variants were localized in the nucleus in hypoxia, while HIF-3α4 was cytoplasmic. Interaction of the HIF-3α variants with HIF-1α inhibited the nuclear translocation of both. None of the long HIF-3α variants was capable of efficient induction of an HRE reporter in overexpression experiments, but instead inhibited the transcriptional activation of the reporter by HIF-1 and HIF-2. Unexpectedly, siRNA knock-down of the endogenous HIF-3α variants led to downregulation of certain HIF target genes, while overexpression of individual long HIF-3α variants upregulated certain HIF target genes in a variant and target gene-specific manner under conditions in which HIF-ß was not a limiting factor. These data indicate that the HIF-3α variants may have more versatile and specific roles in the regulation of the hypoxia response than previously anticipated.

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-3alpha is subject to extensive alternative splicing in human tissues and cancer cells and is regulated by HIF-1 but not HIF-2.

The hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs) play a central role in the response of cells to hypoxia. HIFs are alphabeta dimers, the human alpha subunit having three isoforms. HIF-3alpha is unique among the HIF-alpha isoforms in that its gene is subject to extensive alternative splicing. Database analyses have predicted the generation of six HIF-3alpha splice variants that utilize three alternative transcription initiation sites. None of these variants is likely to act as an efficient transcription factor, but some of them have been reported to inhibit HIF-1 and HIF-2 functions. We analyzed here for the first time in detail whether these six variants are indeed generated in various human tissues and cell lines. We identified four novel variants, named here HIF-3alpha7 to HIF-3alpha10, whereas we obtained no evidence for the predicted HIF-3alpha3 and HIF-3alpha5. Distinct differences in the expression patterns of the variants were found between human tissues, the levels being particularly low in many cancer cell lines. Hypoxia upregulated transcription from all three alternative HIF-3alpha promoters. siRNA experiments showed that this induction is mediated specifically by HIF-1 and not by HIF-2. The tissue-specific differences in the expression patterns and levels of the HIF-3alpha variants can be expected to modulate the hypoxia response of various tissues and cell types to different extents during development and in pathological situations. A further level of regulation is brought about by the fact that the levels of the HIF-3alpha transcripts themselves are regulated by hypoxia and by changes in HIF-1 levels.

Hearts of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylase-2 hypomorphic mice show protection against acute ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) has a pivotal role in oxygen homeostasis and cardioprotection mediated by ischemic preconditioning. Its stability is regulated by HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases (HIF-P4Hs), the inhibition of which is regarded as a promising strategy for treating diseases such as anemia and ischemia. We generated a viable Hif-p4h-2 hypomorph mouse line (Hif-p4h-2(gt/gt)) that expresses decreased amounts of wild-type Hif-p4h-2 mRNA: 8% in the heart; 15% in the skeletal muscle; 34-47% in the kidney, spleen, lung, and bladder; 60% in the brain; and 85% in the liver. These mice have no polycythemia and show no signs of the dilated cardiomyopathy or hyperactive angiogenesis observed in mice with broad spectrum conditional Hif-p4h-2 inactivation. We focused here on the effects of chronic Hif-p4h-2 deficiency in the heart. Hif-1 and Hif-2 were stabilized, and the mRNA levels of glucose transporter-1, several enzymes of glycolysis, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1, angiopoietin-2, and adrenomedullin were increased in the Hif-p4h-2(gt/gt) hearts. When isolated Hif-p4h-2(gt/gt) hearts were subjected to ischemia-reperfusion, the recovery of mechanical function and coronary flow rate was significantly better than in wild type, while cumulative release of lactate dehydrogenase reflecting the infarct size was reduced. The preischemic amount of lactate was increased, and the ischemic versus preischemic [CrP]/[Cr] and [ATP] remained at higher levels in Hif-p4h-2(gt/gt) hearts, indicating enhanced glycolysis and an improved cellular energy state. Our data suggest that chronic stabilization of Hif-1alpha and Hif-2alpha by genetic knockdown of Hif-p4h-2 promotes cardioprotection by induction of many genes involved in glucose metabolism, cardiac function, and blood pressure.

The active site of an algal prolyl 4-hydroxylase has a large structural plasticity.

Prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4Hs) are 2-oxoglutarate dioxygenases that catalyze the hydroxylation of peptidyl prolines. They play an important role in collagen synthesis, oxygen homeostasis, and plant cell wall formation. We describe four structures of a P4H from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, two of the apoenzyme at 1.93 and 2.90 A resolution, one complexed with the competitive inhibitor Zn2+, and one with Zn2+ and pyridine 2,4-dicarboxylate (which is an analogue of 2-oxoglutarate) at 1.85 A resolution. The structures reveal the double-stranded beta-helix core fold (jellyroll motif), typical for 2-oxoglutarate dioxygenases. The catalytic site is at the center of an extended shallow groove lined by two flexible loops. Mutagenesis studies together with the crystallographic data indicate that this groove participates in the binding of the proline-rich peptide-substrates. It is discussed that the algal P4H and the catalytic domain of collagen P4Hs have notable structural similarities, suggesting that these enzymes form a separate structural subgroup of P4Hs different from the hypoxia-inducible factor P4Hs. Key structural differences between these two subgroups are described. These studies provide first insight into the structure-function relationships of the collagen P4Hs, which unlike the hypoxia-inducible factor P4Hs use proline-rich peptides as their substrates.

An endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane prolyl 4-hydroxylase is induced by hypoxia and acts on hypoxia-inducible factor alpha.

Prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4Hs) act on collagens (C-P4Hs) and the oxygen-dependent degradation domains (ODDDs) of hypoxia-inducible factor alpha subunits (HIF-P4Hs) leading to degradation of the latter. We report data on a human P4H possessing a transmembrane domain (P4H-TM). Its gene is also found in zebrafish but not in flies and nematodes. Its sequence more closely resembles those of the C-P4Hs than the HIF-P4Hs, but it lacks the peptide substrate-binding domain of the C-P4Hs. P4H-TM levels in cultured cells are increased by hypoxia, and P4H-TM is N-glycosylated and is located in endoplasmic reticulum membranes with its catalytic site inside the lumen, a location differing from those of the HIF-P4Hs. Despite this, P4H-TM overexpression in cultured neuroblastoma cells reduced HIF-alpha ODDD reporter construct levels, and its small interfering RNA increased HIF-1alpha protein level, in the same way as those of HIF-P4Hs. Furthermore, recombinant P4H-TM hydroxylated the two critical prolines in HIF-1alpha ODDD in vitro, with a preference for the C-terminal proline, whereas it did not hydroxylate any prolines in recombinant type I procollagen chains.

LOXL1 and LOXL4 are epigenetically silenced and can inhibit ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway in human bladder cancer.

Promoter hypermethylation is one of the common mechanisms leading to gene silencing in various human cancers. Using a combination of pharmacologic unmasking and microarray techniques, we identified 59 candidate hypermethylated genes, including LOXL1, a lysyl oxidase-like gene, in human bladder cancer cells. We further showed that LOXL1 and LOXL4 are commonly silenced genes in human bladder cancer cells, and this silence is predominantly related to promoter methylation. We also found LOXL1 and LOXL4 gene methylation and loss of expression in primary bladder tumors. In addition, somatic mutations were identified in LOXL4, but not in LOXL1 in bladder cancer. Moreover, reintroduction of LOXL1 and LOXL4 genes into human bladder cancer cells leads to a decrease of colony formation ability. Further studies indicated that the overexpression of LOXL1 and LOXL4 could antagonize Ras in activating the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. Thus, our current study suggests for the first time that lysyl oxidase-like genes can act as tumor suppressor genes and exert their functions through the inhibition of the Ras/ERK signaling pathway in human bladder cancer.

Inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) hydroxylases by citric acid cycle intermediates: possible links between cell metabolism and stabilization of HIF.

The stability and transcriptional activity of the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are regulated by two oxygen-dependent events that are catalyzed by three HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases (HIF-P4Hs) and one HIF asparaginyl hydroxylase (FIH). We have studied possible links between metabolic pathways and HIF hydroxylases by analyzing the abilities of citric acid cycle intermediates to inhibit purified human HIF-P4Hs and FIH. Fumarate and succinate were identified as in vitro inhibitors of all three HIF-P4Hs, fumarate having K(i) values of 50-80 microM and succinate 350-460 microM, whereas neither inhibited FIH. Oxaloacetate was an additional inhibitor of all three HIF-P4Hs with K(i) values of 400-1000 microM and citrate of HIF-P4H-3, citrate being the most effective inhibitor of FIH with a K(i) of 110 microM. Culturing of cells with fumarate diethyl or dimethyl ester, or a high concentration of monoethyl ester, stabilized HIF-1alpha and increased production of vascular endothelial growth factor and erythropoietin. Similar, although much smaller, changes were found in cultured fibroblasts from a patient with fumarate hydratase (FH) deficiency and upon silencing FH using small interfering RNA. No such effects were seen upon culturing of cells with succinate diethyl or dimethyl ester. As FIH was not inhibited by fumarate, our data indicate that the transcriptional activity of HIF is quite high even when binding of the coactivator p300 is prevented. Our data also support recent suggestions that the increased fumarate and succinate levels present in the FH and succinate dehydrogenase-deficient tumors, respectively, can inhibit the HIF-P4Hs with consequent stabilization of HIF-alphas and effects on tumor pathology.

The length of peptide substrates has a marked effect on hydroxylation by the hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylases.

Three hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylases (HIF-P4Hs) regulate the HIFs by hydroxylating prolines at two separate sites in the oxygen-dependent degradation domain (ODDD) of their alpha subunits. We compared in vitro hydroxylation by purified recombinant human HIF-P4Hs of 19-20- and 35-residue peptides corresponding to the two sites in HIF-alphas and purified recombinant HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha ODDDs of 248 and 215 residues. The increase in the length of peptides representing the C-terminal site from 19 to 20 to 35 residues reduced the K(m) values to 90-800 nm, i.e. to 0.7-11% of those for the shorter peptides, whereas those representing the N-terminal site were 10-470 microm, i.e. 10-135%. The K(m) values of HIF-P4H-1 for the recombinant HIF-alpha ODDDs were 10-20 nm, whereas those of HIF-P4H-2 and -3 were 60-140 nm, identical values being found for the wild-type HIF-1alpha ODDD and its N site mutant. The K(m) values for the C site mutant were about 5-10 times higher but only 0.2-3% of those for the 35-residue N site peptides, and this marked difference suggested that the HIF-P4Hs may become bound first to the C-terminal site of an ODDD and that this binding may enhance subsequent binding to the N-terminal site. The K(m) values of HIF-P4H-2 for oxygen determined with the HIF-1alpha ODDD and both its mutants as substrates were all about 100 microm, being 40% of those reported for the three HIF-P4Hs with a 19-residue peptide. Even this value is high compared with tissue O(2) levels, indicating that HIF-P4Hs are effective oxygen sensors.

Effect of desferrioxamine and metals on the hydroxylases in the oxygen sensing pathway.

Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF) is regulated by two oxygen-dependent events that are catalyzed by the HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases (HIF-P4Hs) and HIF asparaginyl hydroxylase (FIH). We have purified the three recombinant human HIF-P4Hs to near homogeneity and characterized their catalytic properties and inhibition and those of FIH. The specific activities of the HIF-P4Hs were at least 40-50 mol/mol/min, and they and FIH catalyzed an uncoupled decarboxylation of 2-oxoglutarate in the absence of any peptide substrate. The purified HIF-P4Hs showed considerable activities even without added Fe2+, their apparent Km values for iron being markedly lower than that of FIH. Desferrioxamine and several metals were effective inhibitors of FIH, but surprisingly, ineffective inhibitors of the HIF-P4Hs in vitro, especially of HIF-P4H-2. Desferrioxamine and cobalt were more effective in cultured insect cells synthesizing recombinant HIF-P4H-2, but complete inhibition was not achieved and most of the enzyme was inactivated irreversibly. Cobalt also rapidly inactivated HIF-P4Hs during storage at 4 degrees C. The well-known stabilization of HIF-alpha by cobalt and nickel is thus not due to a simple competitive inhibition of HIF-P4Hs. The effective inhibition of FIH by these metals and zinc probably leads to full transcriptional activity of HIF-alpha even in concentrations that produce no stabilization of HIF-alpha.

Many amino acid substitutions in a hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF)-1alpha-like peptide cause only minor changes in its hydroxylation by the HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases: substitution of 3,4-dehydroproline or azetidine-2-carboxylic acid for the proline leads to a high rate of uncoupled 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylation.

Three human prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4Hs) regulate the hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs) by hydroxylating a Leu-Xaa-Xaa-Leu-Ala-Pro motif. We report here that the two leucines in the Leu-Glu-Met-Leu-Ala-Pro core motif of a 20-residue peptide corresponding to the sequence around Pro(564) in HIF-1alpha can be replaced by many residues with no or only a modest decrease in its substrate properties or in some cases even a slight increase. The glutamate and methionine could be substituted by almost any residue, eight amino acids in the former position and four in the latter being even better for HIF-P4H-3 than the wild-type residues. Alanine was by far the strictest requirement, because no residue could fully substitute for it in the case of HIF-P4H-1, and only serine or isoleucine, valine, and serine did this in the cases of HIF-P4Hs 2 and 3. Peptides with more than one substitution, having the core sequences Trp-Glu-Met-Val-Ala-Pro, Tyr-Glu-Met-Ile-Ala-Pro, Ile-Glu-Met-Ile-Ala-Pro, Trp-Glu-Met-Val-Ser-Pro, and Trp-Glu-Ala-Val-Ser-Pro were in most cases equally as good or almost as good substrates as the wild-type peptide. The acidic residues present in the 20-residue peptide also played a distinct role, but alanine substitution for any six of them, and in some combinations even three of them, had no negative effects. Substitution of the proline by 3,4-dehydroproline or l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, but not any other residue, led to a high rate of uncoupled 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylation with no hydroxylation. The data obtained for the three HIF-P4Hs in various experiments were in most cases similar, but in some cases HIF-P4H-3 showed distinctly different properties.

Identification and characterization of structural domains of human ERp57: association with calreticulin requires several domains.

The amino acid sequence of ERp57, which functions in the endoplasmic reticulum together with the lectins calreticulin and calnexin to achieve folding of newly synthesized glycoproteins, is highly similar to that of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), but they have their own distinct roles in protein folding. We have characterized the domain structure of ERp57 by limited proteolysis and N-terminal sequencing and have found it to be similar but not identical to that of PDI. ERp57 had three major protease-sensitive regions, the first of which was located between residues 120 and 150, the second between 201 and 215, and the third between 313 and 341, the data thus being consistent with a four-domain structure abb'a'. Recombinant expression in Escherichia coli was used to verify the domain boundaries. Each single domain and a b'a' double domain could be produced in the form of soluble, folded polypeptides, as verified by circular dichroism spectra and urea gradient gel electrophoresis. When the ability of ERp57 and its a and a' domains to fold denatured RNase A was studied by electrospray mass analyses, ERp57 markedly enhanced the folding rate at early time points, although less effectively than PDI, but was an ineffective catalyst of the overall process. The a and a' domains produced only minor, if any, increases in the folding rate at the early stages and no increase at the late stages. Interaction of the soluble ERp57 domains with the P domain of calreticulin was studied by chemical cross-linking in vitro. None of the single ERp57 domains nor the b'a' double domain could be cross-linked to the P domain, whereas cross-linking was obtained with a hybrid ERpabb'PDIa'c polypeptide but not with ERpabPDIb'a'c, indicating that multiple domains are involved in this protein-protein interaction and that the b' domain of ERp57 cannot be replaced by that of PDI.

Catalytic properties of the asparaginyl hydroxylase (FIH) in the oxygen sensing pathway are distinct from those of its prolyl 4-hydroxylases.

The activity of hypoxia-inducible transcription factor HIF, an alphabeta heterodimer that has an essential role in adaptation to low oxygen availability, is regulated by two oxygen-dependent hydroxylation events. Hydroxylation of specific proline residues by HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases targets the HIF-alpha subunit for proteasomal destruction, whereas hydroxylation of an asparagine in the C-terminal transactivation domain prevents its interaction with the transcriptional coactivator p300. The HIF asparaginyl hydroxylase is identical to a previously known factor inhibiting HIF (FIH). We report here that recombinant FIH has unique catalytic and inhibitory properties when compared with those of the HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases. FIH was found to require particularly long peptide substrates so that omission of only a few residues from the N or C terminus of a 35-residue HIF-1alpha sequence markedly reduced its substrate activity. Hydroxylation of two HIF-2alpha peptides was far less efficient than that of the corresponding HIF-1alpha peptides. The K(m) of FIH for O(2) was about 40% of its atmospheric concentration, being about one-third of those of the HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases but 2.5 times that of the type I collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase. Several 2-oxoglutarate analogs were found to inhibit FIH but with distinctly different potencies from the HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases. For example, the two most potent HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylase inhibitors among the compounds studied were the least effective ones for FIH. It should therefore be possible to develop specific small molecule inhibitors for the two enzyme classes involved in the hypoxia response.

Collagens, modifying enzymes and their mutations in humans, flies and worms.

Collagens and proteins with collagen-like domains form large superfamilies in various species, and the numbers of known family members are increasing constantly. Vertebrates have at least 27 collagen types with 42 distinct polypeptide chains, >20 additional proteins with collagen-like domains and approximately 20 isoenzymes of various collagen-modifying enzymes. Caenorhabditis elegans has approximately 175 cuticle collagen polypeptides and two basement membrane collagens. Drosophila melanogaster has far fewer collagens than many other species but has approximately 20 polypeptides similar to the catalytic subunits of prolyl 4-hydroxylase, the key enzyme of collagen synthesis. More than 1300 mutations have so far been characterized in 23 of the 42 human collagen genes in various diseases, and many mouse models and C. elegans mutants are also available to analyse the collagen gene family and their modifying enzymes.

Molecular characterization of the principal substrate binding site of the ubiquitous folding catalyst protein disulfide isomerase.

Disulfide bond formation in the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotes is catalyzed by the ubiquitously expressed enzyme protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). The effectiveness of PDI as a catalyst of native disulfide bond formation in folding polypeptides depends on the ability to catalyze disulfide-dithiol exchange, to bind non-native proteins, and to trigger conformational changes in the bound substrate, allowing access to buried cysteine residues. It is known that the b' domain of PDI provides the principal peptide binding site of PDI and that this domain is critical for catalysis of isomerization but not oxidation reactions in protein substrates. Here we use homology modeling to define more precisely the boundaries of the b' domain and show the existence of an intradomain linker between the b' and a' domains. We have expressed the recombinant b' domain thus defined; the stability and conformational properties of the recombinant product confirm the validity of the domain boundaries. We have modeled the tertiary structure of the b' domain and identified the primary substrate binding site within it. Mutations within this site, expressed both in the isolated domain and in full-length PDI, greatly reduce the binding affinity for small peptide substrates, with the greatest effect being I272W, a mutation that appears to have no structural effect.

Identification and characterization of a third human, rat, and mouse collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase isoenzyme.

Collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases (C-P4Hs) catalyze the formation of 4-hydroxyproline by the hydroxylation of -X-Pro-Gly-triplets. The vertebrate enzymes are alpha 2 beta 2 tetramers, the beta-subunit being identical to protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI). Two isoforms of the catalytic alpha-subunit, which combine with PDI to form [alpha(I)]2 beta 2 and [alpha(II)]2 beta 2 tetramers, have been known up to now. We report here on the cloning and characterization of a third vertebrate C-P4H alpha-subunit isoform, alpha(III). The processed human, rat and mouse alpha(III) polypeptides consist of 520-525 residues, all three having signal peptides of 19-22 additional residues. The sequence of the processed human alpha(III) polypeptide is 35-37% identical to those of human alpha(I) and alpha(II), the highest identity being found within the catalytically important C-terminal region and all five critical residues at the cosubstrate binding sites being conserved. The sequence within a region corresponding to the peptide-substrate binding domain is less conserved, but all five alpha helices constituting this domain can be predicted to be located in identical positions in alpha(I), alpha(II), and alpha(III) and to have essentially identical lengths. The alpha(III) mRNA is expressed in many human tissues, but at much lower levels than the alpha(I) and alpha(II) mRNAs. In contrast to alpha(I) and alpha(II), no evidence was found for alternative splicing of the alpha(III) transcripts. Coexpression of a recombinant human alpha(III) polypeptide with PDI in human embryonic kidney cells led to the formation of an active enzyme that hydroxylated collagen chains and a collagen-like peptide and appeared to be an [alpha(III)]2 beta 2 tetramer. The catalytic properties of the recombinant enzyme were very similar to those of the type I and II C-P4Hs, with the exception that its peptide binding properties were intermediate between those of the type I and type II enzymes.

Crystallization of the proline-rich-peptide binding domain of human type I collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase.

Collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases catalyze the hydroxylation of -X-Pro-Gly- sequences and play an essential role in the synthesis of all collagens. They require Fe(2+), 2-oxoglutarate, molecular oxygen and ascorbate, and all vertebrate collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases are alpha(2)beta(2) tetramers. The alpha-subunits contain separate catalytic and peptide substrate-binding domains. Here, the crystallization of the peptide substrate-binding domain consisting of residues 144-244 of the 517-residue human alpha(I) subunit is described. The crystals are well ordered and diffract to at least 3 A. The space group is P3(1) or P3(2) and the asymmetric unit most probably contains a dimer.

Assembly of stable human type I and III collagen molecules from hydroxylated recombinant chains in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Effect of an engineered C-terminal oligomerization domain foldon.

The C-propeptides of the pro alpha chains of type I and type III procollagens are believed to be essential for correct chain recognition and chain assembly in these molecules. We studied here whether the 30-kDa C-propeptides of the human pC alpha 1(I), pC alpha 2(I), and pC alpha 1(III) chains, i.e. pro alpha chains lacking their N-propeptides, can be replaced by foldon, a 29-amino acid sequence normally located at the C terminus of the polypeptide chains in the bacteriophage T4 fibritin. The alpha foldon chains were expressed in Pichia pastoris cells that also expressed the two types of subunit of human prolyl 4-hydroxylase; the foldon domain was subsequently removed by pepsin treatment, which also digests non-triple helical collagen chains, whereas triple helical collagen molecules are resistant to it. The foldon domain was found to be very effective in chain assembly, as expression of the alpha 1(I)foldon or alpha 1(III)foldon chains gave about 2.5-3-fold the amount of pepsin-resistant type I or type III collagen homotrimers relative to those obtained using the authentic C-propeptides. In contrast, expression of chains with no oligomerization domain led to very low levels of pepsin-resistant molecules. Expression of alpha 2(I)foldon chains gave no pepsin-resistant molecules at all, indicating that in addition to control at the level of the C-propeptide other restrictions at the level of the collagen domain exist that prevent the formation of stable [alpha 2(I)]3 molecules. Co-expression of alpha 1(I)foldon and alpha 2(I)foldon chains led to an efficient assembly of heterotrimeric molecules, their amounts being about 2-fold those obtained with the authentic C-propeptides and the alpha 1(I) to alpha 2(I) ratio being 1.91 +/- 0.31 (S.D.). As the foldon sequence contains no information for chain recognition, our data indicate that chain assembly is influenced not only by the C-terminal oligomerization domain but also by determinants present in the alpha chain domains.

The peptide-substrate-binding domain of human collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases. Backbone assignments, secondary structure, and binding of proline-rich peptides.

The collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases (C-P4Hs) catalyze the formation of 4-hydroxyproline by the hydroxylation of proline residues in -Xaa-Pro-Gly-sequences. The vertebrate enzymes are alpha 2 beta 2 tetramers in which protein-disulfide isomerase serves as the beta subunit. Two isoforms of the catalytic alpha subunit have been identified and shown to form [alpha(I)]2 beta 2 and [alpha(II)]2 beta 2 tetramers, the type I and type II C-P4Hs, respectively. The peptide-substrate-binding domain of type I C-P4H has been shown to be located between residues 138 and 244 in the 517-residue alpha(I) subunit and to be distinct from the catalytic domain that is located in the C-terminal region. We report here that a recombinant human C-P4H alpha(I) polypeptide Phe144-Ser244 forms a folded domain consisting of five alpha helices and one short beta strand. This structure is quite different from those of other proline-rich peptide-binding modules, which consist mainly of beta strands. Binding of the peptide (Pro-Pro-Gly)2 to this domain caused major chemical shifts in many backbone amide resonances, the residues showing the largest shifts being mainly hydrophobic, including three tyrosines. The Kd values determined by surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry for the binding of several synthetic peptides to the alpha(I) and the corresponding alpha(II) domain were very similar to the Km and Ki values for these peptides as substrates and inhibitors of the type I and type II C-P4H tetramers. The Kd values of the alpha(I) and alpha(II) domains for (Gly-Pro-4Hyp)5 were much higher than those for (Pro-Pro-Gly)5, indicating a marked decrease in the affinity of hydroxylated peptides for the domain. Many characteristic features of the binding of peptides to the type I and type II C-P4H tetramers can thus be explained by the properties of binding to this domain rather than the catalytic domain.