α₂-macroglobulin-like protein 1 can conjugate and inhibit proteases through their hydroxyl groups, because of an enhanced reactivity of its thiol ester

TY - JOUR

T1 - α2-macroglobulin-like protein 1 can conjugate and inhibit proteases through their hydroxyl groups, because of an enhanced reactivity of its thiol ester

AU - Harwood, Seandean Lykke

AU - Nielsen, Nadia Sukusu

AU - Jensen, Kathrine Tejlgård

AU - Nielsen, Peter Kresten

AU - Thøgersen, Ida B.

AU - Enghild, Jan J.

N1 - Funding Information: Funding and additional information—This study was supported by the VELUX FONDEN (00014557), the Danish Council for Independent Research-Medical Science DFF-4004-00471, the LEO Foundation, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation (BIO-MS). Publisher Copyright: © 2020 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc.. All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/12/4

Y1 - 2020/12/4

N2 - Proteins in the a-macroglobulin (aM) superfamily use thiol esters to formcovalent conjugation products upon their proteolytic activation. aM protease inhibitors use theirs to conjugate proteases and preferentially react with primary amines (e.g. on lysine side chains), whereas those of aM complement components C3 and C4B have an increased hydroxyl reactivity that is conveyed by a conserved histidine residue and allows conjugation to cell surface glycans. Human α2-macroglobulin-like protein 1 (A2ML1) is a monomeric protease inhibitor but has the hydroxyl reactivity-conveying histidine residue. Here, we have investigated the role of hydroxyl reactivity in a protease inhibitor by comparing recombinant WT A2ML1 and the A2ML1 H1084N mutant in which this histidine is removed. Both of A2ML1s' thiol esters were reactive toward the amine substrate glycine, but only WT A2ML1 reacted with the hydroxyl substrate glycerol, demonstrating that His-1084 increases the hydroxyl reactivity of A2ML1's thiol ester. Although both A2ML1s conjugated and inhibited thermolysin, His-1084 was required for the conjugation and inhibition of acetylated thermolysin, which lacks primary amines. Using MS, we identified an ester bond formed between a thermolysin serine residue and the A2ML1 thiol ester. These results demonstrate that a histidineenhanced hydroxyl reactivity can contribute to protease inhibition by anaMprotein. His-1084 did not improve A2ML1's protease inhibition at pH 5, indicating that A2ML1's hydroxyl reactivity is not an adaption to its acidic epidermal environment.

AB - Proteins in the a-macroglobulin (aM) superfamily use thiol esters to formcovalent conjugation products upon their proteolytic activation. aM protease inhibitors use theirs to conjugate proteases and preferentially react with primary amines (e.g. on lysine side chains), whereas those of aM complement components C3 and C4B have an increased hydroxyl reactivity that is conveyed by a conserved histidine residue and allows conjugation to cell surface glycans. Human α2-macroglobulin-like protein 1 (A2ML1) is a monomeric protease inhibitor but has the hydroxyl reactivity-conveying histidine residue. Here, we have investigated the role of hydroxyl reactivity in a protease inhibitor by comparing recombinant WT A2ML1 and the A2ML1 H1084N mutant in which this histidine is removed. Both of A2ML1s' thiol esters were reactive toward the amine substrate glycine, but only WT A2ML1 reacted with the hydroxyl substrate glycerol, demonstrating that His-1084 increases the hydroxyl reactivity of A2ML1's thiol ester. Although both A2ML1s conjugated and inhibited thermolysin, His-1084 was required for the conjugation and inhibition of acetylated thermolysin, which lacks primary amines. Using MS, we identified an ester bond formed between a thermolysin serine residue and the A2ML1 thiol ester. These results demonstrate that a histidineenhanced hydroxyl reactivity can contribute to protease inhibition by anaMprotein. His-1084 did not improve A2ML1's protease inhibition at pH 5, indicating that A2ML1's hydroxyl reactivity is not an adaption to its acidic epidermal environment.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097571466&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1074/jbc.RA120.015694

DO - 10.1074/jbc.RA120.015694

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32978260

AN - SCOPUS:85097571466

SN - 0021-9258

VL - 295

SP - 16732

EP - 16742

JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry

JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry

IS - 49

ER -