Expression-level dependent activation of recombinant human parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone-related peptide receptor: effect of human parathyroid hormone (1-34), (1-31), and (28-48).

A stable recombinant chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell model system expressing the human type-1 receptor for parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (hPTH-R) was established for the analysis of human PTH (hPTH) variants. The cell lines showed receptor expression in the range from 10(5) to I.9 x 10(6) receptors per cell. The affinity of the receptors for hPTH-(1-34) was independent of the receptor number per cell (Kd approximately = 8 nmol/1). The induction of cAMP by hPTH-(1-34) is maximal in clones expressing >2x10(5) receptors per cell and Ca++ signals were maximal in cell lines expressing >1.4x10(6) receptors per cell. Second messenger specific inhibitors demonstrated that PTH-induced increases in intracellular cAMP and Ca++ are independent and Ca++ ions are derived from intracellular stores. The cAMP-specific receptor activator hPTH-(1-31) showed also an increase in intracellular Ca++. Even in cell lines expressing more than 10(6) receptors per cell the Ca++/PKC specific activator hPTH-(28-48) did not activate hPTH-Rs. Based on these results, synthesis of further derivatives of PTH is required to identify pathway-specific ligands for the type-1 hPTH-R.

The N-terminal fragment of human parathyroid hormone receptor 1 constitutes a hormone binding domain and reveals a distinct disulfide pattern.

The N-terminal extracellular parts of human G-protein coupled receptor class B, for example, receptors for secretin, glucagon, or parathyroid hormone, are involved in ligand binding. To obtain structural and functional information on the N-terminal receptor fragment of human parathyroid hormone receptor 1 (PTHR1), the truncated receptor was expressed in the cytosol of Escherichia coli in the form of inclusion bodies. Oxidative refolding of inclusion body material resulted in stable, soluble, monomeric protein. Ligand binding was proved by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. Refolded receptor fragment was able to bind parathyroid hormone with an apparent dissociation constant of 3-5 microM. Far-UV circular dichroism spectra showed that the refolded polypeptide contained approximately 25% alpha-helical and 23% beta-sheet secondary structures. Analysis of the disulfide bond pattern of the refolded receptor fragment revealed disulfide bonds between Cys170 and Cys131, Cys148 and Cys108, and Cys117 and Cys48. These results demonstrate that the extracellular N-terminal domain of the parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR1) possesses a well-defined, stable conformation, which shows a significant ligand binding activity.

The structure of human parathyroid hormone-related protein(1-34) in near-physiological solution.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein plays a major role in the pathogenesis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Under normal physiological conditions, parathyroid hormone-related protein is produced in a wide variety of tissues and acts in an autocrine or paracrine fashion. Parathyroid hormone-related protein and parathyroid hormone bind to and activate the same G-protein-coupled receptor. Here we present the structure of the biologically active NH2-terminal domain of human parathyroid hormone-related protein(1-34) in near-physiological solution in the absence of crowding reagents as determined by two-dimensional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. An improved strategy for structure calculation revealed the presence of two helices, His-5-Leu-8 and Gln-16-Leu-27, connected by a flexible linker. The parathyroid hormone-related protein(1-34) structure and the structure of human parathyroid hormone(1-37) as well as human parathyroid hormone(1-34) are highly similar, except for the well defined turn, His-14-Ser-17, present in parathyroid hormone. Thus, the similarity of the binding affinities of parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related protein to their common receptor may be based on their structural similarity.

Effect of 17beta-estradiol-bisphosphonate conjugates, potential bone-seeking estrogen pro-drugs, on 17beta-estradiol serum kinetics and bone mass in rats.

In order to target 17beta-estradiol directly at bone we synthesized three 17beta-estradiol-bisphosphonate conjugates (E2-BPs) with different esterase-sensitive linkers between both molecular moieties. The systemic administration of these compounds should result primarily in local estrogenic effects on bone with no or negligible systemic hormonal effects. Only if a considerable margin exists between the doses required for inhibition of bone loss and those for systemic hormonal effects can such a pro-drug be considered acceptable for patients refusing systemic estrogen replacement therapy for several reasons. The conjugates were tested in vitro for their 17beta-estradiol release in rat serum and in vivo for their local and systemic effects in rats: in vitro, the conjugates expressed cleavage resistance, low cleavage (4.8%), or high cleavage (33.1%) within 48 hours of incubation. The conjugate with the low-cleavage doubled 17beta-estradiol serum half-life (3.78 hours) whereas the high-cleavage conjugate resulted in approximately four times higher serum half-life (8.36 hours) when compared with free 17beta-estradiol. In ovariectomized rats, bone loss was optimally prevented by 50 nmol/kg/day of 17beta-estradiol when administered S. C. over a period of 5 weeks, and protection against uterine atrophy was achieved at doses as low as 5 nmol/kg/day. The cleavage-resistant conjugate was ineffective in preserving bone and uterus in doses ranging from 5 to 150 nmol/kg/day. The other two E2-BPs revealed a dose-dependent inhibition of bone loss which was paralleled by the respective uterus weight with a dose range of 1.5-150 nmol/kg/day being fully effective in a range similar to 17beta-estradiol alone. The higher sensitivity of the uterus versus bone to protective estrogenic effects (1:10) was abolished by the conjugates. We conclude that E2-BPs containing esterase-sensitive linkers failed to act as bone-seeking pro-drugs expressing primarily local effects on bone without systemic effects.

Activation of methotrexate-alpha-alanine by carboxypeptidase A-monoclonal antibody conjugate.

Carboxypeptidase A (CP-A) and monoclonal antibody KS1/4 directed against an antigen on human lung adenocarcinoma cells (UCLA-P3) were derivatized by treatment with succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate and N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate, respectively. The derivatized proteins were reacted to produce thioether-linked enzyme-antibody conjugates. Sequential HPLC size-exclusion and DEAE chromatography separated the conjugate preparation from unreacted enzyme and antibody. On the basis of SDS-PAGE analysis and measurement of catalytic activity, the preparation contained approximately equal amounts of 1:1 and 2:1 (enzyme:antibody) conjugates; binding activity of the conjugate (1.8 x 10(5) molecules/cell) was similar to that of unreacted antibody. In vitro cytotoxicity studies with UCLA-P3 cells demonstrated the ability of cell-bound conjugate to convert the prodrug methotrexate-alpha-alanine (MTX-Ala) to methotrexate (MTX). In the absence of conjugate, ID50 values for MTX-Ala and MTX were 8.9 x 10(-6) and 5.2 x 10(-8) M, respectively. ID50 for the prodrug improved to 1.5 x 10(-6) M with cells containing bound conjugate. This potentiation of MTX-Ala cytotoxicity by conjugate-bound CP-A, which was at least 30-fold greater than that produced by a comparable amount of free enzyme, is attributed to enhanced effectiveness of MTX generated at the cell surface as opposed to the surrounding medium. Examination of the time course of cytotoxicity over a 96-h period showed that the conjugate-prodrug combination (at 2.5 x 10(-6) M) was nearly as effective as MTX in preventing cell replication. These results demonstrate the chemotherapeutic potential of carboxypeptidase-monoclonal antibody conjugates used in conjunction with MTX peptide prodrugs.

Construction and chemotherapeutic potential of carboxypeptidase-A/monoclonal antibody conjugate.

Carboxypeptidase-A and a monoclonal antibody (KS1/4) directed against a human lung carcinoma cell line (UCLA-P3) were derivatized by treatment with succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate and N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate, respectively. Admixture of these entities produced a stable conjugate containing 4 to 5 enzyme molecules per molecule of antibody. The conjugate (Mr approximately equal to 300 kDa) was purified to homogeneity by HPLC gel filtration and HPLC ion-exchange chromatography. Neither the catalytic activity of the enzyme nor the antigen-binding capacity of the monoclonal antibody was impaired in the conjugate. UCLA-P3 cells that had been exposed to the conjugate and then washed thoroughly were extremely sensitive to methotrexate alpha-alanine (MTX-Ala), a prodrug form of MTX. At 10(-5) M, MTX-Ala was almost as effective as free MTX in blocking the replication of conjugate-treated cells. These results demonstrate the chemotherapeutic potential of enzyme-monoclonal antibody conjugates used in conjunction with prodrugs.

Occurrence and significance of diastereomers of methotrexate alpha-peptides.

The L,L diastereomer of methotrexate-alpha-alanine (L,L-MTX-Ala) was synthesized by reaction of alpha-L-glutamyl-L-alanine di-tert-butyl ester with 4-amino-4-deoxy-10-methylpteroic acid, followed by removal of the blocking groups. It was identified by HPLC (C18 reversed-phase silica gel; acetic acid/CH3OH) as the slower of two closely spaced components in DL,L-MTX-Ala prepared previously by a different route [Kuefner et al. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 2288-2297]. The L,L diastereomer was hydrolyzed by pancreatic carboxypeptidase A (to yield MTX and Ala) twice as rapidly as the DL,L mixture. Analysis of the latter by HPLC established that the slower component was hydrolyzed to MTX and that the unreactive, faster component was D,L-MTX-Ala. DL,L-MTX-Arg was resolved by HPLC (NH4OAc/CH3CN) into two closely spaced components, and the diastereomers were partially separated by chromatography on DEAE-Trisacryl (H2O----2% NH4HCO3). Serum carboxypeptidase N hydrolyzed only the slower HPLC component (to yield MTX and Arg), thereby identifying it as the L,L diastereomer. When tested for cytotoxicity against L1210 cells, L,L-MTX-Arg (ID50 = 1.6 X 10(-8) M) was more effective than the D,L diastereomer (ID50 = 2.2 X 10(-7) M). Treatment of MTX with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), followed by hydrolysis of the NHS ester, led to racemization in the L-glutamate moiety of MTX as shown by the fact that the product was hydrolyzed by carboxypeptidase G2 (at the pteroate-Glu bond) only to the extent of ca. 50% compared to the untreated control. These observations have a broad significance, since coupling agents are employed extensively in the derivatization of MTX for attachment to affinity supports and monoclonal antibodies.

O-alkylation at the anomeric centre for the stereoselective synthesis of Kdo-alpha-glycosides.

O-Alkylation at the anomeric centre of the dianion of 4,5:7,8-di-O-cyclohexylidene-3-deoxy-N-methyl-alpha-D-manno- octulopyranosonamide (1) with several triflates led diastereoselectively to the alpha-glycosides. In this way, lipopolysaccharide building-blocks containing alpha-Kdo-(2----6)-GlcN and alpha-Kdo-(2----6)-beta-GlcN-(1----6)-GlcN moieties were obtained and deployed in the synthesis of decyl 4,5,7,8-tetra-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-N-methyl-alpha-D-manno-2-octulopyranos idonamide (18), 2,3-di-O-tetradecanoyl-D-glycer-1-yl 4,5,7,8-tetra-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-N-methyl- alpha-D-manno-2-octulopyranosid-onamide (22), methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6-O-(methyl 4,5,7,8-tetra-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-alpha-D- manno-2-octulopyranosylonate)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (28), 1-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-6-O-(methyl 4,5,7,8-tetra-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-alpha-D-manno-2- octulopyranosylonate)-2-tetradecanoylamino-alpha-D-glucopyra nose (33), tert-butyldimethylsilyl O-(methyl 4,5:7,8-di-O-cyclohexylidene-3-deoxy-alpha-D- manno-2-octulopyranosylonate)-(2----6)-O-(3,4-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy- 2- tetradecanoylamino-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1----6)-3,4-di-O-benzyl -2-deoxy-2- tetradecanoylamino-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (36).