Structural elements of the osteopontin SVVYGLR motif important for the interaction with alpha(4) integrins.

The osteopontin SVVYGLR motif binds the integrins alpha(4)beta(1) and alpha(9)beta(1). We show that alpha(4)beta(7) also interacts with this motif and that an SVVYGLR-OH peptide antagonises the alpha(4)beta(7) MAdCAM interaction. The important elements of this motif required to bind alpha(4)beta(1) and alpha(4)beta(7) were probed using a series of mutated peptides based around SVVYGLR. Leu167 is important for the interaction with alpha(4) integrins, as is the C-terminal carboxylic acid of Arg168 exposed by thrombin cleavage. The importance of the acidic group means that SVVYGLR has structural elements in common with other alpha(4) integrin-binding motifs and suggests why thrombin cleavage activates this motif.

Analysis of the alpha4beta1 integrin-osteopontin interaction.

The integrin alpha4beta1 is involved in mediating exfiltration of leukocytes from the vasculature. It interacts with a number of proteins up-regulated during the inflammatory response including VCAM-1 and the CS-1 alternatively spliced region of fibronectin. In addition it binds the multifunctional protein osteopontin (OPN), which can act as both a cytokine and an extracellular matrix molecule. Here we map the region of human OPN that supports cell adhesion via alpha4beta1 using GST fusion proteins. We show that alpha4beta1 expressed in J6 cells interacts with intact OPN when the integrin is in a high activation state, and by deletion mapping that the alpha4beta1 binding region in OPN lies between amino acid residues 125 and 168 (aa125-168). This region contains the central RGD motif of OPN, which also interacts with integrins alphavbeta3, alphavbeta5, alphavbeta1, alpha8beta1, and alpha5beta1. Mutating the RGD motif to RAD had no effect on the interaction with alpha4beta1. To define the binding site the region incorporating aa125-168 was divided into 5 overlapping peptides expressed as GST fusion proteins. Two peptides supported adhesion via alpha4beta1, aa132-146, and aa153-168; of these only a synthetic peptide, SVVYGLR (aa162-168), derived from aa153-168 was able to inhibit alpha4beta1 binding to CS-1. These data identify the motif SVVYGLR as a novel peptide inhibitor of alpha4beta1, and the primary alpha4beta1 binding site within OPN.

A regulated interaction between alpha5beta1 integrin and osteopontin.

The extracellular matrix protein osteopontin (OPN) interacts with a number of integrins, namely alphavbeta1, alphavbeta3, alphavbeta5, alpha9beta1, alpha8beta1, and alpha4beta1. We have investigated the interaction of alpha5beta1 integrin with OPN using K562 cells, which only express alpha5beta1. alpha5beta1 is in a low activation state in this cell line, but can be stimulated to a higher activation state by the phorbol ester TPA. Treating K562 wild-type cells (K562-WT) with TPA stimulated an interaction between alpha5beta1 and OPN. No interaction was seen in the absence of TPA. alpha5beta1 selectively interacted with a GST fusion protein of the N-terminal fragment of OPN (aa17-168), which is generated in vivo by thrombin cleavage of OPN. Expression of the alpha4 integrin in K562 cells (K562-alpha4beta1) stimulated alpha5beta1-dependent binding to aa17-168 in the absence of TPA, suggesting that alpha4beta1 activates alpha5beta1 in K562 cells. Adhesion via alpha5beta1 is mediated by the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif of OPN, as mutating this sequence to Arg-Ala-Asp (RAD) blocked binding of both cell types. These data demonstrate that thrombin cleavage regulates the adhesive properties of OPN and that alpha5beta1 integrin can interact with thrombin-cleaved osteopontin when in a high activation state.

Cloning and characterization of a rhoGAP homolog from Dictyostelium discoideum.

Small GTPases interact with a variety of proteins that affect nucleotide binding and cleavage. GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) are one class of these proteins that act by accelerating the intrinsic GTPase rate resulting in the formation of the biologically inactive GDP-bound form of the GTPase. For the Rho subfamily of GTPases, there is a growing number of proteins with rhoGAP activity that are identifiable by a homologous region of about 150 amino acids. We have exploited this homology using the polymerase chain reaction to clone the first rhoGAP homolog, called DdRacGAP, from the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. The GAP domain of DdRacGAP (amino acids 1-212), when expressed and purified from Escherichia coli, is active on both Dictyostelium and human Rho family GTPases but not human Ras. The full-length protein is 1356 amino acids in length and has several interesting homologies in addition to the GAP domain, including an SH3 domain, a dbl homology domain, and a pleckstrin homology domain.

The structure of the GTPase-activating domain from p50rhoGAP.

Members of the Rho family of small G proteins transduce signals from plasma-membrane receptors and control cell adhesion, motility and shape by actin cytoskeleton formation. They also activate other kinase cascades. Like all other GTPases, Rho proteins act as molecular switches, with an active GTP-bound form and an inactive GDP-bound form. The active conformation is promoted by guanine-nucleotide exchange factors, and the inactive state by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) which stimulate the intrinsic GTPase activity of small G proteins. Rho-specific GAP domains are found in a wide variety of large, multi-functional proteins. Here we report the crystal structure of an active 242-residue C-terminal fragment of human p50rhoGAP. The structure is an unusual arrangement of nine alpha-helices, the core of which includes a four-helix bundle. Residues conserved across the rhoGAP family are largely confined to one face of this bundle, which may be an interaction site for target G proteins. In particular, we propose that Arg 85 and Asn 194 are involved in binding G proteins and enhancing GTPase activity.

Isolation, expression and characterization of the gene for an ADP-ribosylation factor from the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.

We have isolated an ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) gene from the human malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The gene (P. falciparum arf1) has four introns and the exons encode a protein of 181 amino acids with high similarity to the mammalian class I ARF proteins 1-3 (> or = 74% amino acid identity). Southern hybridization suggests there is at least one additional arf in the P. falciparum genome. Northern analysis identified a single P. falciparum arf1 mRNA of 1.8 kb in the asexual blood stage form of the parasite. The P. falciparum arf1 mRNA levels are developmentally regulated, reaching a maximum during nuclear division towards the end of the intraerythrocytic cycle. P. falciparum arf1 cDNA was isolated by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and used to express a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli. Recombinant P. falciparum ARF1 protein was purified with stoichiometric amounts of bound GDP, although intrinsic guanose triphosphatase activity of the protein could not be detected. The protein stimulated cholera-toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosyltransferase activity in a reaction that was dependent upon the addition of both dimyristoylglycerophosphocholine and cholate. The protein bound GTP with first-order kinetics with an apparent rate constant, k', of 0.0145 (+/- 0.0019) min-1. These results suggest that P. falciparum ARF1 is a member of the class 1 ARF family and provide additional evidence for the existence of a classical secretory pathway in P. falciparum.

Inhibition of Platelet Aggregation by Roussin's Black Salt, Sodium Nitroprusside and Other Metal Nitrosyl Complexes.

We have examined the action of a range of transition metal nitrosyl compounds in the inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Inhibition results from the formation of the activated nitric oxide (NO) complex of guanylate cyclase, hence increasing platelet [cGMP]. Nitrosylation of guanylate cyclase may occur by release of NO from a nitrosyl complex, or, indirectly, by nitrosation of a thiol group followed by decomposition of the S-nitrosyl thiol to give NO. The latter process might be expected to be more efficient for compounds with a greater NO(+)character, and hence nitrosating ability, of the nitrosyl complex, but the results did not show a consistent relationship between NO character and the inhibitory potency on platelets. Inhibition of aggregation by Rousin's black salt, Na[Fe(4)S(3)(NO)(7)], was abolished by haemoglobin, and enhanced in the presence of M&B22948. These findings indicate that activation of guanylate cyclase is mediated by extracellular release of NO. For sodium nitroprusside, inhibition of platelet aggregation became progressively less sensitive to addition of haemoglobin, indicating that another process, such as release of cyanide, became significant as the incubation time was increased.