Search

BMP-1/tolloid-like proteinases (BTPs) are major enzymes involved in extracellular matrix assembly and activation of bioactive molecules, both growth factors and anti-angiogenic molecules. Although the control of BTP activity by several enhancing molecules is well established, the possibility that regulation also occurs through endogenous inhibitors is still debated. Secreted frizzled-related proteins (sFRPs) have been studied as possible candidates, with highly contradictory results, after the demonstration that sizzled, a sFRP found in Xenopus and zebrafish, was a potent inhibitor of Xenopus and zebrafish tolloid-like proteases. In this study, we demonstrate that mammalian sFRP-1, -2, and -4 do not modify human BMP-1 activity on several of its known substrates including procollagen I, procollagen III, pN-collagen V, and prolysyl oxidase. In contrast, Xenopus sizzled appears as a tight binding inhibitor of human BMP-1, with a K(i) of 1.5 ± 0.5 nM, and is shown to strongly inhibit other human tolloid isoforms mTLD and mTLL-1. Because sizzled is the most potent inhibitor of human tolloid-like proteinases known to date, we have studied its mechanism of action in detail and shown that the frizzled domain of sizzled is both necessary and sufficient for inhibitory activity and that it acts directly on the catalytic domain of BMP-1. Residues in sizzled required for inhibition include Asp-92, which is shared by sFRP-1 and -2, and also Phe-94, Ser-43, and Glu-44, which are specific to sizzled, thereby providing a rational basis for the absence of inhibitory activity of human sFRPs.

The netrin-like (NTR) domain is a feature of several extracellular proteins, most notably the N-terminal domain of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), where it functions as a strong inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases and some other members of the metzincin superfamily. The presence of a C-terminal NTR domain in procollagen C-proteinase enhancers (PCPEs), proteins that stimulate the activity of astacin-like tolloid proteinases, raises the possibility that this might also have inhibitory activity. Here we show that both long and short forms of the PCPE-1 NTR domain, the latter beginning at the N-terminal cysteine known to be critical for TIMP activity, show no inhibition, at micromolar concentrations, of several members of the metzincin superfamily, including matrix metalloproteinase-2, bone morphogenetic protein-1 (a tolloid proteinase), and different ADAMTS (a disintegrin and a metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) proteinases from the adamalysin family. In contrast, we report that the NTR domain within PCPE-1 leads to superstimulation of bone morphogenetic protein-1 activity in the presence of heparin and heparan sulfate. These observations point to a new mechanism whereby binding to cell surface-associated or extracellular heparin-like sulfated glycosaminoglycans might provide a means to accelerate procollagen processing in specific cellular and extracellular microenvironments.

Procollagen C-proteinase enhancers (PCPE-1 and -2) specifically activate bone morphogenetic protein-1 (BMP-1) and other members of the tolloid proteinase family during C-terminal processing of fibrillar collagen precursors. PCPEs consist of two CUB domains (CUB1 and CUB2) and one NTR domain separated by one short and one long linker. It was previously shown that PCPEs can strongly interact with procollagen molecules, but the exact mechanism by which they enhance BMP-1 activity remains largely unknown. Here, we used a series of deletion mutants of PCPE-1 and two chimeric constructs with repetitions of the same CUB domain to study the role of each domain and linker. Out of all the forms tested, only those containing both CUB1 and CUB2 were capable of enhancing BMP-1 activity and binding to a mini-procollagen substrate with nanomolar affinity. Both these properties were lost by individual CUB domains, which had dissociation constants at least three orders of magnitude higher. In addition, none of the constructs tested could inhibit PCPE activity, although CUB2CUB2NTR was found to modulate BMP-1 activity through direct complex formation with the enzyme, resulting in a decreased rate of substrate processing. Finally, increasing the length of the short linker between CUB1 and CUB2 was without detrimental effect on both activity and substrate binding. These data support the conclusion that CUB1 and CUB2 bind to the procollagen substrate in a cooperative manner, involving the short linker that provides a flexible tether linking the two binding regions.

Procollagen C-proteinase enhancers (PCPE-1 and -2) are extracellular glycoproteins that can stimulate the C-terminal processing of fibrillar procollagens by tolloid proteinases such as bone morphogenetic protein-1. They consist of two CUB domains (CUB1 and -2) that alone account for PCPE-enhancing activity and one C-terminal NTR domain. CUB domains are found in several extracellular and plasma membrane-associated proteins, many of which are proteases. We have modeled the structure of the CUB1 domain of PCPE-1 based on known three-dimensional structures of CUB-containing proteins. Sequence alignment shows conserved amino acids, notably two acidic residues (Asp-68 and Asp-109) involved in a putative surface-located calcium binding site, as well as a conserved tyrosine residue (Tyr-67). In addition, three residues (Glu-26, Thr-89, and Phe-90) are found only in PCPE CUB1 domains, in putative surface-exposed loops. Among the conserved residues, it was found that mutations of Asp-68 and Asp-109 to alanine almost completely abolished PCPE-1 stimulating activity, whereas mutation of Tyr-67 led to a smaller reduction of activity. Among residues specific to PCPEs, mutation of Glu-26 and Thr-89 had little effect, whereas mutation of Phe-90 dramatically decreased the activity. Changes in activity were paralleled by changes in binding of different PCPE-1 mutants to a mini-procollagen III substrate, as shown by surface plasmon resonance. We conclude that PCPE-stimulating activity requires a calcium binding motif in the CUB1 domain that is highly conserved among CUB-containing proteins but also that PCPEs contain specific sites that could become targets for the development of novel anti-fibrotic therapies.

Members of the bone morphogenetic protein-1/tolloid (BMP-1/Tld) family of metalloproteinases, also known as procollagen C-proteinases (PCPs), control multiple biological events (including matrix assembly, cross-linking, cell adhesion/migration and pattern formation) through enzymatic processing of several extracellular substrates. PCP activities on fibrillar procollagens can be stimulated by another family of extracellular proteins, PCP enhancers (PCPE-1, PCPE-2), which lack intrinsic enzymatic activity. While PCPs have multiple substrates, the extent to which PCPEs is involved in the processing of proteins other than fibrillar procollagens is unknown. In the experiments reported here, PCPE-1 was found to have no effect on the in vitro BMP-1 processing of procollagen VII, the procollagen V N-propeptide, the laminin 5 γ2 chain, osteoglycin, prolysyl oxidase, or chordin. In contrast, PCPE-1 enhanced C-terminal processing of human fibrillar procollagen III but only when this substrate was in its native, disulfide-bonded conformation. Surprisingly, processing of procollagen III continued to be enhanced when essentially all the triple-helical region was removed. These and previous results (Ricard-Blum, S., Bernocco, S., Font, B., Moali, C., Eichenberger, D., Farjanel, J., Burchardt, E. R., van der Rest, M., Kessler, E., and Hulmes, D. J. S. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 33864-33869; Bernocco, S., Steiglitz, B. M., Svergun, D. I., Petoukhov, M. V., Ruggiero, F., Ricard-Blum, S., Ebel, C., Geourjon, C., Deleage, G., Font, B., Eichenberger, D., Greenspan, D. S., and Hulmes, D. J. S. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 7199-7205) indicate that the mechanism of PCPE-1 action involves recognition sites in both the C-propeptide domain and in the C-telopeptide region of the procollagen molecule. PCPEs therefore define a new class of extracellular adaptor proteins that stimulate proteinase activity in a substrate-specific manner, thereby providing a new target for the selective regulation of PCP activity on fibrillar procollagen substrates.

Alpha-helical coiled-coils are widely occurring protein oligomerization motifs. Here we show that most members of the collagen superfamily contain short, repeating heptad sequences typical of coiled coils. Such sequences are found at the N-terminal ends of the C-propeptide domains in all fibrillar procollagens. When fused C-terminal to a reporter molecule containing a collagen-like sequence that does not spontaneously trimerize, the C-propeptide heptad repeats induced trimerization. C-terminal heptad repeats were also found in the oligomerization domains of the multiplexins (collagens XV and XVIII). N-terminal heptad repeats are known to drive trimerization in transmembrane collagens, whereas fibril-associated collagens with interrupted triple helices, as well as collagens VII, XIII, XXIII, and XXV, were found to contain heptad repeats between collagen domains. Finally, heptad repeats were found in the von Willebrand factor A domains known to be involved in trimerization of collagen VI, as well as in collagen VII. These observations suggest that coiled-coil oligomerization domains are widely used in the assembly of collagens and collagen-like proteins.

Recently several cDNAs have been described encoding lysyl oxidase-like proteins. Their deduced amino acid sequences are characterized by a strong similarity in the C-terminal region, corresponding to the lysyl oxidase family catalytic domain, and by marked differences in the N-terminal regions. Different biological functions have been described for lysyl oxidases in addition to their traditionally assumed cross-linking role. To answer the question of whether these different functions are carried out by different lysyl oxidases, purified and active forms of these enzymes are required. At present only the classical form of lysyl oxidase has been purified and characterized. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize the lysyl oxidase-like protein. In view of the strong sequence homology with the C-terminal domain of other lysyl oxidases, we chose to purify the protein from bovine aorta using antibodies specific to the N-terminal domain of the proenzyme. We have isolated a 56-kDa protein identified by amino acid sequencing as the bovine lysyl oxidase-like precursor, which is cleaved at the Arg-Arg-Arg sequence at positions 89-91 by a furin-like activity, as revealed after deblocking of the N-terminal residue. The immunopurified protein was largely inactive, but further processing in vitro by bone morphogenetic protein-1 led to an enzyme that was active on elastin and collagen substrates.

Although the collagen V heterotrimer is known to be involved in the control of fibril assembly, the role of the homotrimer in fibrillar organization has not yet been examined. Here, the production of substantial amounts of recombinant collagen V homotrimer has allowed a detailed study of its role in homotypic and heterotypic fibril formation. After removal of terminal regions by pepsin digestion, both the collagen V heterotrimer and homotrimer formed thin homotypic fibrils, thus showing that diameter limitation is at least in part an intrinsic property of the collagen V triple helix. When mixed with collagen I, however, various complementary approaches indicated that the collagen V heterotrimer and homotrimer exerted different effects in heterotypic fibril formation. Unlike the heterotrimer, which was buried in the fibril interior, the homotrimer was localized as thin filamentous structures at the surface of wide collagen I fibrils and did not regulate fibril assembly. Its localization at the fibril surface suggests that the homotrimer can act as a molecular linker between collagen fibrils or macromolecules in the extracellular matrix or both. Thus, depending on their respective distribution in tissues, the different collagen V isoforms might fulfill specific biological functions.

Tyrosine-rich acidic matrix protein (TRAMP) is a recently discovered protein that co-purifies with porcine skin lysyl oxidase and is equivalent to the M(r) 22,000 extracellular matrix protein from bovine skin that co-purifies with dermatan sulfate proteoglycans (Cronshaw, A. D., MacBeath, J. R. E., Shackleton, D. R., Collins, J. F., Fothergill-Gilmore, L. A., and Hulmes, D. J. S. (1993) Matrix 13, 255-266; Neame, P. J., Choi, H. U., and Rosenberg, L. C. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 5474-5479). The effect of TRAMP on collagen fibril formation was studied in vitro by reconstitution of fibrils from lathyritic rat skin collagen I. Fibril formation was initiated by the warm start procedure, in which acidic collagen solutions and double strength neutral buffer, both preincubated separately at 34 degrees C, were mixed. When monitored by turbidimetry, TRAMP was found to accelerate collagen fibril formation. Acceleration occurred at sub-stoichiometric molar ratios of TRAMP collagen, and the presence of TRAMP stabilized the fibrils against low temperature dissociation. It was confirmed by centrifugation that the amount of fibrillar collagen formed in the presence of TRAMP was greater than in its absence. By SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and scanning densitometry, binding of TRAMP to collagen was detected that approached saturation with a molar ratio of TRAMP to collagen of approximately 1:2. Fibrils formed in the presence of TRAMP were normal when observed by electron microscopy, although fibril diameters were smaller than the controls. TRAMP was found to partially reverse the inhibitory effects of urea and increased ionic strength on the kinetics of fibril formation, although inhibition by glucose was unaffected. TRAMP also accelerated the assembly of pepsin-treated collagen, where the non-helical, telopeptide regions were partially removed. Acceleration of collagen fibril formation by TRAMP is discussed in the light of the known effects of other extracellular matrix components on this process.Tyrosine-rich acidic matrix protein (TRAMP) is a recently discovered protein that co-purifies with porcine skin lysyl oxidase and is equivalent to the M(r) 22,000 extracellular matrix protein from bovine skin that co-purifies with dermatan sulfate proteoglycans (Cronshaw, A. D., MacBeath, J. R. E., Shackleton, D. R., Collins, J. F., Fothergill-Gilmore, L. A., and Hulmes, D. J. S. (1993) Matrix 13, 255-266; Neame, P. J., Choi, H. U., and Rosenberg, L. C. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 5474-5479). The effect of TRAMP on collagen fibril formation was studied in vitro by reconstitution of fibrils from lathyritic rat skin collagen I. Fibril formation was initiated by the warm start procedure, in which acidic collagen solutions and double strength neutral buffer, both preincubated separately at 34 degrees C, were mixed. When monitored by turbidimetry, TRAMP was found to accelerate collagen fibril formation. Acceleration occurred at sub-stoichiometric molar ratios of TRAMP collagen, and the presence of TRAMP stabilized the fibrils against low temperature dissociation. It was confirmed by centrifugation that the amount of fibrillar collagen formed in the presence of TRAMP was greater than in its absence. By SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and scanning densitometry, binding of TRAMP to collagen was detected that approached saturation with a molar ratio of TRAMP to collagen of approximately 1:2. Fibrils formed in the presence of TRAMP were normal when observed by electron microscopy, although fibril diameters were smaller than the controls. TRAMP was found to partially reverse the inhibitory effects of urea and increased ionic strength on the kinetics of fibril formation, although inhibition by glucose was unaffected. TRAMP also accelerated the assembly of pepsin-treated collagen, where the non-helical, telopeptide regions were partially removed. Acceleration of collagen fibril formation by TRAMP is discussed in the light of the known effects of other extracellular matrix components on this process.