Publications by authors named "Wun T"

Complexes between tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its rapidly acting inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) are bound, internalized, and degraded by HepG2 cells. The mechanism involves endocytosis mediated by a specific high-affinity receptor. However, the particular domains of the complex that are recognized by the receptor have not been elucidated.

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Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) binds to a specific receptor on various cell types, the bound molecule retaining its enzymatic activity against plasminogen. We have now investigated whether receptor-bound uPA also retains the ability to react with and be inhibited by plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI-1 and PAI-2). uPA bound to its receptor on human U937 monocyte-like cells was inhibited by PAI-1 (in its active form in the presence of vitronectin fragments) with an association rate constant of 4.

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The receptor for urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) has been previously shown not to internalize its ligand, but rather to focalize its activity at the cell surface, allowing a regulated cell surface plasmin dependent proteolysis. The receptor in fact binds the proenzyme pro-uPA and allows its very efficient conversion to the active two chains form. Receptor bound active uPA can also interact with its specific type 1 inhibiror (PAI-1) which is therefore able to inhibit the cell surface plasmin formation.

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Crystals of a chymotrypsin inhibitor from Erythrina caffra seeds have been grown out of lithium sulfate, by the hanging drop method of vapor diffusion. The crystals belong to the rhombohedral space group R32, with a = 67.2 A and alpha = 99.

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To probe the effects of N-glycosylation on the fibrin-dependent plasminogenolytic activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), we have expressed a human recombinant t-PA (rt-PA) gene in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and in a murine C127 cell line. The resulting rt-PA glycoproteins were isolated and their associated N-linked oligosaccharide structures determined by using a combination of high-resolution Bio-Gel P-4 gel filtration chromatography, sequential exoglycosidase digestion, and methylation analysis. The results show that CHO rt-PA is N-glycosylated differently from murine C127 derived rt-PA.

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Trophoblast implantation, vascular remodeling, and maintenance of intervillous blood flow may depend on the regulated production of proteolytic enzymes such as plasminogen activator (PA). Since the functional activity of plasminogen activators is determined not only by the quantity of protease but also by levels of specific plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI), we examined trophoblasts both in vitro and in vivo for the presence of two PAIs, PAI-1 and PAI-2. Cytotrophoblasts were isolated from first trimester or term placentae, cultured, and immunocytochemically stained using specific anti-PAI antibodies.

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Expression of plasminogen activators (PA) has been reported to be associated with invasive tumor growth and increased metastatic ability. In order to delineate changes in PA and PA inhibitor (PAI) expression that accompany cellular transformation, we studied oncogene-containing variants of the Rat-1 cell line. We report here that transfection of the oncogenes v-src, erbB, c-myc, v-myc, N-myc, and EJras into these cells does not result in detectable PA activity in conditioned media or cell extracts.

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Human Hep G2 hepatoma and HT 1080 fibrosarcoma cells were cultured in large scale under conditions which allowed enhanced secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). A modified urokinase was obtained by reacting urokinase with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride followed by alkali treatment. The resulting product, called anhydrourokinase, was found to reversibly bind the PAI-1 when immobilized on cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose 4B beads.

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To investigate the mechanisms by which cutaneous plasminogen activator (PA) may be regulated, we have tested cultured keratinocytes for the presence of PA inhibitors. Using biosynthetic labeling experiments with 35S-methionine in conjunction with specific antibody precipitation, we have shown that human keratinocytes in culture synthesized and secreted both PA inhibitor 1 and PA inhibitor 2. PA inhibitor 1 was present in conditioned media in the inactive form, but it could be detected with reverse phase autography.

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To identify factors potentially influencing expression of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), we characterized the human tissue-specific distribution of PAI-1 mRNA and the influence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on expression of steady state levels of PAI-1 mRNA and secretion of PAI-1 by Hep G2 cells. Two species of PAI-1 mRNA (3.2 and 2.

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Human plasma contains a lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor (LACI) which inactivates factor Xa directly, and in a Xa-dependent fashion also inhibits the VIIa-tissue factor complex of the extrinsic coagulation pathway. Rabbit polyclonal anti-LACI antiserum was used to screen human placental and fetal liver lambda gt11 cDNA libraries for the expression of LACI antigens. Immunologically positive clones were further tested for their ability to bind 125I-factor Xa.

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Plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) is a serine protease inhibitor that regulates plasmin generation by inhibiting urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator. The primary structure of PAI-2 suggests that it may be secreted without cleavage of a single peptide. To confirm this hypothesis we have studied the glycosylation and secretion of PAI-2 in human monocytic U-937 cells by metabolic labeling, immunoprecipitation, glycosidase digestion, and protein sequencing.

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The mammalian serine protease zymogen, plasminogen, can be converted into the active enzyme plasmin by vertebrate plasminogen activators urokinase (uPA), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), factor XII-dependent components, or by bacterial streptokinase. The biochemical properties of the major components of the system, plasminogen/plasmin, plasminogen activators, and inhibitors of the plasminogen activators, are reviewed. The plasmin system has been implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological processes such as fibrinolysis, tissue remodeling, cell migration, inflammation, and tumor invasion and metastasis.

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The initiation and regulation of fibrinolysis has been studied by reconstitution of fibrinolytic activity in human plasma in vitro. Depletion of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen by immunoadsorption of human plasma with anti-tPA Ig Sepharose 4B leads to total loss of spontaneous fibrinolytic activity determined by lysis of a thrombin-induced clot. Addition of physiological concentrations of purified tPA to tPA-depleted plasma restores fibrinolytic activity as a function of the length of time between tPA addition and clotting.

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A two-site immunoradiometric assay for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen has been developed using immunoaffinity purified antibody. Various treatments enhanced the detection of tPA antigen in the plasma samples. Maximum detection was obtained by acidification of plasma to pH 4.

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Placental extracts contain inhibitors of human urinary urokinase. These extracts form a heterogeneous population of complexes with 125I-urokinase that are recognizable by changes in gel filtration profile and mobility during sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Treatment with reducing agents eliminated the size heterogeneity without loss of activity, thereby allowing the placental inhibitor to be purified.

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Two nearly full-length cDNAs for placental plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) have been isolated from a human placenta lambda gt11 cDNA library. One positive (lambda PAI-75.1) expressed a protein that could adsorb and purify anti-PAI antibodies.

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The human hepatoma line Hep G2 produces an acid- and SDS-sensitive plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI). This protein has been previously purified and used to raise polyclonal antibodies. This antiserum has been used to isolate cDNA clones from a human placental lambda gt11 cDNA library.

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A plasminogen activator inhibitor (PA-I) which inhibits primarily plasminogen activator of the urokinase type (u-PA) was isolated from the cytosol of human peripheral leukocytes. The inhibitor was isolated using ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and FPLC. This inhibitor has an apparent molecular weight of 45 kDa, determined by SDS-PAGE, and a pI of 5.

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Spontaneous fibrinolysis of plasma clots was studied by following the lysis of the clots formed in 125I-fibrinogen-supplemented citrated plasma. Lysis of the clots invariably follows sigmoidal kinetics with S50 (the time required for 50% clot lysis) ranging from 3.5 to 4.

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A culture of the human epidermoid carcinoma HEp 3 produces a plasminogen activator of Mr = 53,000 which we have purified to apparent homogeneity from serum-free conditioned medium by the combination of immunoaffinity chromatography and preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The highly purified protein has the following properties: 1) It is indistinguishable from urinary urokinase in electrophoretic mobility, in immunodiffusion, and in autoradiographically visualized tryptic peptide maps obtained from the 125I-labeled proteins. 2) The HEp 3 protein differs from urinary urokinase in the following respects: (a) although the apparent molecular weights of the two are identical (Mr = 53,000), the urinary enzyme consists of two polypeptide chains, whereas the HEp 3 protein is a single chain form.

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The presence of activators of the fibrinolytic system in blood plasma has been assumed for a long time but never convincingly documented by the isolation of characterized and physiologically plausible enzymes. The low catalytic efficiency of previously identified plasma plasminogen activators, which has made their physiological significance uncertain, prompted us to search for other plasma enzymes, resembling especially the potent urinary activator, urokinase. We report here the detection of a urokinase-like activity in human plasma, and the isolation of the enzyme from whole plasma protein fractions.

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The ability of a series of aromatic and alicyclic analogues of 1,2-ethylenedioxydiacetic acids bearing N,N,N',N'-tetra-n-propyl amide or N-methyl-N-carbethoxypentyl amide linkages to enhance the rate of 45Ca2+ efflux from vesicles was studied. The ligands were less potent in enhancing membrane permeability to Ca2+ than A23187 and X537A. Lipid-soluble anions markedly increased the rate and extent of Ca2+ transport mediated by these neutral ligands.

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The complexation of a series of aromatic and alicyclic N,N,N',N'-tetra-n-propyl amides of 1,2-ethylenedioxydiacetic acids with group IIA metal-ion bromides in anhydrous methanol was investigated by ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. These synthetic ligands were previously found to show selectivity toward divalent over monovalent cations with respect to extraction of ions into bulk organic phase (Borowitz, I.J.

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