Mammalian plasma fetuin-B is a selective inhibitor of ovastacin and meprin metalloproteinases.

Vertebrate fetuins are multi-domain plasma-proteins of the cystatin-superfamily. Human fetuin-A is also known as AHSG, α2-Heremans-Schmid-glycoprotein. Gene-knockout in mice identified fetuin-A as essential for calcified-matrix-metabolism and bone-mineralization. Fetuin-B deficient mice, on the other hand, are female infertile due to zona pellucida 'hardening' caused by the metalloproteinase ovastacin in unfertilized oocytes. In wildtype mice fetuin-B inhibits the activity of ovastacin thus maintaining oocytes fertilizable. Here we asked, if fetuins affect further proteases as might be expected from their evolutionary relation to single-domain-cystatins, known as proteinase-inhibitors. We show that fetuin-A is not an inhibitor of any tested protease. In stark contrast, the closely related fetuin-B selectively inhibits astacin-metalloproteinases such as meprins and ovastacin, but not astacins of the tolloid-subfamily, nor any other proteinase. The analysis of fetuin-B expressed in various mammalian cell types, insect cells, and truncated fish-fetuin expressed in bacteria, showed that the cystatin-like domains alone are necessary and sufficient for inhibition. This report highlights fetuin-B as a specific antagonist of ovastacin and meprin-metalloproteinases. Control of ovastacin was shown to be indispensable for female fertility. Meprin inhibition, on the other hand, renders fetuin-B a potential key-player in proteolytic networks controlling angiogenesis, immune-defense, extracellular-matrix-assembly and general cell-signaling, with implications for inflammation, fibrosis, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.

How Soluble GARP Enhances TGFß Activation.

GARP (glycoprotein A repetitions predominant) is a cell surface receptor on regulatory T-lymphocytes, platelets, hepatic stellate cells and certain cancer cells. Its described function is the binding and accommodation of latent TGFß (transforming growth factor), before the activation and release of the mature cytokine. For regulatory T cells it was shown that a knockdown of GARP or a treatment with blocking antibodies dramatically decreases their immune suppressive capacity. This confirms a fundamental role of GARP in the basic function of regulatory T cells. Prerequisites postulated for physiological GARP function include membrane anchorage of GARP, disulfide bridges between the propeptide of TGFß and GARP and connection of this propeptide to αvß6 or αvß8 integrins of target cells during mechanical TGFß release. Other studies indicate the existence of soluble GARP complexes and a functionality of soluble GARP alone. In order to clarify the underlying molecular mechanism, we expressed and purified recombinant TGFß and a soluble variant of GARP. Surprisingly, soluble GARP and TGFß formed stable non-covalent complexes in addition to disulfide-coupled complexes, depending on the redox conditions of the microenvironment. We also show that soluble GARP alone and the two variants of complexes mediate different levels of TGFß activity. TGFß activation is enhanced by the non-covalent GARP-TGFß complex already at low (nanomolar) concentrations, at which GARP alone does not show any effect. This supports the idea of soluble GARP acting as immune modulator in vivo.

Handling Metalloproteinases.

Substrate cleavage by metalloproteinases involves nucleophilic attack on the scissile peptide bond by a water molecule that is polarized by a catalytic metal, usually a zinc ion, and a general base, usually the carboxyl group of a glutamic acid side chain. The zinc ion is most often complexed by imidazole nitrogens of histidine side chains. This arrangement suggests that the physiological pH optimum of most metalloproteinases is in the neutral range. In addition to their catalytic metal ion, many metalloproteinases contain additional transition metal or alkaline earth ions, which are structurally important or modulate the catalytic activity. As a consequence, these enzymes are generally sensitive to metal chelators. Moreover, the catalytic metal can be displaced by adventitious metal ions from buffers or biological fluids, which may fundamentally alter the catalytic function. Therefore, handling, purification, and assaying of metalloproteinases require specific precautions to warrant their stability.