Preparation and some properties of highly purified human serum kallikrein

Development of plasma kallikrein selective inhibitors

During the course of the development of active center-directed plasmin inhibitors, it was found that N-(trans-4-aminomethylcyclohexanecarbonyl)-lysine-4-methoxycarb onylanilide inhibited plasma kallikrein more potently than other enzymes such as plasmin, urokinase, and thrombin, although the inhibitory activity was not as potent and enzyme selectivity not as high. Based on studies of structure-activity relationship, we designed and synthesized the plasma kallikrein selective inhibitor, N-(trans-4-aminomethylcyclohexanecarbonyl)-phenylalanine-4-carboxy methyl- anilide (Tra-Phe-APAA). Tra-Phe-APAA inhibited plasma kallikrein with a Ki value of 0.81 microM, while it inhibited glandular kallikrein, plasmin, urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator, factor Xa, factor XIIa, and thrombin with Ki values of > 500, 390, 200, > 500, > 500 > 500, and > 500 microM, respectively. We designated Tra-Phe-APAA as PKSI-527. Using PKSI-527 as an affinity ligand, we synthesized a new affinity gel (PKSI-Toyopearl) and employed it for the rapid purification of plasma kallikrein from human plasma. Human plasma activated with kaolin after acid treatment was applied to a PKSI-527-Toyopearl column. Adsorbed protein was eluted with 50 mM glycinehydrochloric acid buffer (pH 3.0). Plasma kallikrein was purified 181-fold with a yield of 85% from the kaolin-activated plasma.

Isolation of a cationic fragment of high molecular mass kininogen and effect of this fragment on human plasma kallikrein activity

The effect of a cationic fragment of high molecular mass (HMM) kininogen on kallikrein activity and the autocatalytic process of prekallikrein-to-kallikrein conversion were studied. Prekallikrein and kallikrein were obtained by ion exchange and affinity chromatography; the purification of HMM kininogen was achieved using QAE- and DEAE-Sephadex, and separation of the cationic fragment was carried out by gel filtration. It was shown that the fragment of HMM kininogen (mol. mass. 7000, high lysine content) suppressed the activity of a labile form of kallikrein and prevented activation of prekallikrein. A model of the prekallikrein-kallikrein system is proposed. The model is based on the recently established fact of occurrence of two kallikreins and two kallikrein precursors. It involves formation from kininogen, besides kinins, of a kallikrein inhibitor.

Human plasma kallikrein. A rapid purification method with high yield

A simple method for isolation of kallikrein from human plasma is described. Before activation of the enzyme with acetone, the plasma was treated with 0.2 M-methylamine at pH 8.2 to inactivate alpha 2-macroglobulin and thus prevent the irreversible binding of the active enzyme to the inhibitor. The enzyme was adsorbed on soya-bean trypsin inhibitor-Sepharose 4B and eluted with 5 mM-NaOH, pH 11.3. It was further purified by immunoadsorption of contaminating proteins, and gel chromatography on Ultrogel AcA 44. About 3 mg of kallikrein was obtained from 400 ml of plasma (35% yield). The purified enzyme was shown to be homogeneous by electrophoretic and immunological criteria. The specific activities against benzyloxycarbonylphenylalanylarginine methylcoumarylamide, prolylphenylalanylarginine methylcoumarylamide and tosylarginine methyl ester were higher than any previously reported. The purified enzyme was resolved into two forms of mol.wts. 88 000 and 86 000 in sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis without reduction. Each consisted of three chains linked by disulphide bonds, one containing the reactive serine residue (mol.wt. 36 000 or 34 000), and two additional chains (mol.wt. 28 000 and 22 000).

Preparation and some properties of human serum kallikrein immobilized on ARM-Sepharose

A highly purified human serum kallikrein immobilized on CH-Sepharose 4-B was obtained. KM values for N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester and N-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester hydrolysis of this preparation were 1.10 x 10(-3) M and 3.6 x 10(-4) M, respectively; pH optimum of hydrolysis of these esters were found to be 8.2 and 8.5, respectively. The immobilized kallikrein possessed kininogenase activity and was capable of activating prekallikrein.