Amino acid sequence studies on the alpha chain of human fibrinogen. Complete sequence of the largest cyanogen bromide fragment

Proteomics of gluten: mapping of the 1Bx7 glutenin subunit in Chinese Spring cultivar by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization

The verification of the cDNA-deduced sequence of the high molecular weight glutenin subunit 1Bx7 in Chinese Spring cultivar was achieved by direct matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) analysis of the tryptic fragments. The published sequence of the 1Bx7 subunit contains 5 Lys and 15 Arg residues but, due to the presence of three Arg-Pro bonds, which are generally resistant to cleavage by trypsin, or cleaved to a very limited extent by trypsin, 19 peptides can be predicted. The identification of the tryptic fragments was achieved by direct MALDI-MS analysis by using three different matrices (DHB, SA and HCCA) in combination with the most compatible sample preparation procedures in order to obtain the maximum sequence coverage. MALDI analysis of the 1Bx7 tryptic digest resulted in the identification of the expected peptides and additional fragments arising from non-specific cleavages; the fragments that were not detected are peptides with low mass (from 147.2 to 317.4), so we obtained a sequence coverage of 98.8%. The results reported here also indicated that the sequence of the 1Bx7 subunit from cv. Chinese Spring is different from the cDNA-deduced sequence reported in the literature; in particular, a possible insertion of the hexapeptide QPGQGQ within the sequence Gln630-Tyr725 was suggested. Finally, it is possible to rule out glycosylation of the 1Bx7 subunit, or any other post-translational modification, to within the detection limits of the method.

Isolation and partial structural characterization of an equine fibrinogen CNBr fragment that exhibits immunologic cross-reactivity with an A alpha-chain cross-linking region of human fibrinogen

Immunochemical studies of equine fibrinogen were conducted to characterize the structural basis for the immunologic cross-reactivity observed between human and equine A alpha chains when employing an antiserum to the 26K, human cyanogen bromide (CNBr) fragment, A alpha 241-476 (CNBr VIII). A 38K, equine CNBr fragment that reacts with this antiserum was isolated from CNBr-digested equine fibrinogen by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. It was further purified by sequential hydrophobic chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B, followed by reversed-phased (C-8) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). NH2-Terminal analysis of the purified fragment, designated EqA alpha CNBr, identified one major sequence whose first three residues, E-L-E, were identical with those of human CNBr VIII. Tryptic and staphylococcal protease digests of the equine fragment were resolved by reversed-phase HPLC (C-4, C-18), and the separated components were characterized by amino acid analysis and automated Edman degradation. A total of 34 tryptic and 20 staph protease peptides yielded sequence information that permitted the alignment of 271 equine residues with residues A alpha 241-517 from the COOH-terminal two-thirds of the human A alpha chain so that 63% of the possible matches were identical. Other features of interest included (1) an amino acid substitution in which the methionine residue at A alpha 476 in the human A alpha chain was replaced by a valine residue, thus accounting, in part, for the larger EqA alpha CNBr fragment obtained from the equine molecule, and (2) a region of striking homology in which 36 successive residues, corresponding to A alpha 428-464 in the human A alpha chain, were identical in both species. These findings, together with available structural data for the COOH-terminal portion of the rat and bovine A alpha chains, indicate that the region corresponding to (human) A alpha 240-517 represents a conserved portion of the fibrinogen molecule. This may, in turn, explain the difficulties encountered when trying to raise monoclonal antibodies to cross-linking regions that are contained within the COOH-terminal two-thirds of the human A alpha chain.

Plasmin digestion of human fibrinogen previously phosphorylated by protein kinase C or dephosphorylated by alkaline phosphatase in vitro

Human fibrinogen, either untreated or previously phosphorylated by protein kinase C, was incubated with plasmin generated by streptokinase, urokinase or tissue plasminogen activator and the resulting fragments were separated by gel electrophoresis. Plasmin degradation resulted in the expected X, Y and D fragments, but the degradation rates differed. In vitro phosphorylation of fibrinogen was seen to inhibit the plasmin digestion. Treatment with alkaline phosphatase did not reverse the inhibition.

Dephosphorylation of human fibrinogen, previously phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C, by whole blood or intestinal alkaline phosphatase. Effects on thrombin-induced gelation of in vitro dephosphorylated human fibrinogen

Human fibrinogen, a phosphoprotein, was either left untreated or phosphorylated by protein kinase C. Then both were dephosphorylated by calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase. The dephosphorylated fibrinogen gave an increased fibre thickness during thrombin-induced gelation. Whole blood anticoagulated by heparin, EDTA or sodium citrate, contained dephosphorylating activity against 32P-labeled fibrinogen, although there were significant differences in activity among the three anticoagulants.

Effect of phosphorylation in vitro of human fibrinogen with protein kinase C on thrombin-induced gelation

Thrombin-induced gel formation of fibrinogen phosphorylated by protein kinase C yielded a transparent gel, whereas unphosphorylated fibrinogen yielded a coarse gel. The mass-length ratio was found to be one order of magnitude higher for the unphosphorylated than for the phosphorylated fibrinogen. Since the phosphorylated sites are located near the cross-linking sites in the A alpha-chain of fibrinogen, it is likely that the introduction of charged phosphate groups in this region prevent the lateral growth of the fibrin fibres.

Phosphorylation of human fibrinogen in vitro with protein kinase C: characterization of the phosphorylated sites

Phosphorylation of human fibrinogen in vitro by incubation with [gamma-32P]ATP and protein kinase C purified from pig spleen, led to incorporation of [32P]phosphate at serine residues located in the A alpha-chain. In order to identify the residues that were phosphorylated, the A alpha-chain of fibrinogen was isolated and subjected to consecutive cleavage by cyanogen bromide, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. The resulting radioactive phosphopeptides were purified by gel chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography using a reversed-phase column. Subsequent amino acid analysis and manual Edman degradation of the purified phosphopeptides revealed that Ser557, Ser558, Ser559, and Ser599 were phosphorylated. These serine residues are located in the carboxy-terminal part of the A alpha-chain. This region also contains lysine residues participating in the cross-linking of fibrin and, possibly, a site involved in the binding of fibrinogen to receptors on platelets. In addition, peptides derived from the middle section of the polypeptide chain were found to contain [32P]phosphate; in these cases, however, the exact localization of the phosphate could not be determined, due to the low yield of radioactivity. Two glutamine residues, Gln328 and Gln366, in this portion of the A alpha-chain take part in the cross-linking of fibrin.

Conformation of the carboxy-terminal region of the A alpha chain of fibrinogen as elucidated by immunochemical analyses

The conformation of the carboxy-terminal aspects of the A alpha chain of human fibrinogen has been assessed by immunochemically characterizing the A alpha 239-476 and A alpha 518-584 regions of the molecule. Two peptides, corresponding to these regions, were isolated from cyanogen bromide digests of the A alpha chain by molecular exclusion and high-performance liquid chromatography. Each peptide reacted with antibodies elicited by immunization with the A alpha chain and intact fibrinogen. A alpha 239-476 appears to be a relatively immunodominant region of the molecule. Competitive inhibition analyses confirmed the accessibility of these regions to antibody in native fibrinogen. Each peptide, however, contained one or more epitopes, which was occult in the native molecule. These occult epitopes were expressed by the intact A alpha chain and became accessible when fibrinogen was cleaved with plasmin. With plasmic degradation the epitopes expressed by fibrinogen and contained within these two peptide regions became significantly more reactive with antibody. This change occurred in concert with release of the A alpha 518-584 region from the core of the molecule but did not require the generation of free A alpha 239-476. Ultimately the epitopes within both regions were shed from the plasmin-resistant core of fibrinogen. Peptide epitopes were expressed in a similar manner by prolonged plasmic degradation of fibrinogen and fibrin with alpha chain cross-linking. These results are generally consistent with models depicting the carboxy-terminal aspects of the A alpha chain as being surface-oriented but suggest a systematic ordering of structure when these regions are integrated into the native molecule. Plasmic cleavage significantly relaxes the conformational restraints on the organization within this region.

Phosphorylation of fibrinogen by casein kinase 1

Casein kinase 1 phosphorylated human fibrinogen, in a reaction that did not use GTP as phosphoryl donor and was neither stimulated by cyclic AMP or Ca2+, nor inhibited by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor protein. Maximal incorporation averaged 4 mol of phosphate per mol of fibrinogen, most of it in the largest CNBr-fragment of the alpha-chain. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed that phosphorylation occurred only at seryl residues. The phosphorylation of fibrinogen by casein kinase 1 was reverted by alkaline phosphatase.

Monoclonal antibodies to alpha-chain regions of human fibrinogen that participate in polymer formation

Monoclonal antibodies have been generated against a cross-link-containing derivative of alpha polymer (alpha XLCNBr), isolated following CNBr digestion of fibrin [Sobel, J. H., Ehrlich, P. H., Birken, S., Saffran, A. J., & Canfield, R. E. (1983) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)]. One cloned cell line (F-102) was chosen for characterization based on its apparent specificity for the A alpha-chain region A alpha 518-584 (CNBr X). A second line (F-103) was selected because of its anti-A alpha 241-476 (CNBr VIII) properties. These two regions of the A alpha chain have previously been implicated as major contributors to the cross-linking process that leads to alpha-polymer formation. Radioimmunoassays have been developed, employing the immunoglobulins produced by clones F-102 and F-103. These assays have been applied, in conjunction with high-performance liquid chromatography purified tryptic and chymotryptic derivatives of CNBr VIII and CNBr X, to localize the respective determinants involved in antibody binding. In each case, virtually full immunoreactivity was exhibited by both the CNBr fragment and a single tryptic or chymotryptic peptide originating from it. These findings indicate that sequence-specific, rather than conformational, determinants were operative in the generation of antibodies F-102 and F-103. The epitope recognized by F-102 was localized to the region of A alpha 540-554, while the F-103 binding site resided within A alpha 259-276. When these radioimmunoassays were applied to study the relative immunoreactivity exhibited by a variety of fibrinogen derivatives, the results obtained support earlier suggestions that the COOH-terminal portion of the A alpha chain contains regions of random conformation.

Shadow-cast electron microscopy of fibrinogen with antibody fragments bound to specific regions

Specimens of human fibrinogen mixed with Fab fragments of antibodies that were specific for various portions of the fibrinogen molecule were tungsten shadow-cast and examined by electron microscopy. Typical trinodular fibrinogen molecules were observed when Fab fragments were omitted or when fragments from nonimmune sera were used. In the experimental fibrinogen-Fab preparations, a significant number of molecules were found with an extra nodule. In the case of Fab fragments from antibodies directed to fragment E, the additional nodule was attached to the central sphere of the fibrinogen molecule. Similarly, anti-fragment D preparations yielded molecules that were derivatized on the terminal spheres. Fragments from antibodies raised against a cyanogen bromide fragment of fibrinogen alpha chains (residues 241-476) also led to exclusive derivatization of the terminal domains, although in these cases the additional material was often separated discretely from the terminal sphere by a gap. These experiments confirm longstanding notions that the central domain of a trinodular fibrinogen molecule corresponds to the plasmin-derived fragment E and that the terminal spheres correspond to fragments D. Moreover, the carboxy-terminal two-thirds of alpha chains protrude from the extremities of the molecule, as had been inferred on the basis of indirect biochemical data.