Addition of a sequence from α2-antiplasmin transforms human serum albumin into a blood clot component that speeds clot lysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The plasma protein α₂-antiplasmin (α₂AP) is cross-linked to fibrin in blood clots by the transglutaminase factor XIIIa, and in that location retards clot lysis. Competition for this effect could be clinically useful in patients with thrombosis. We hypothesized that fusion of N-terminal portions of α₂-antiplasmin to human serum albumin (HSA) and production of the chimeric proteins in <it>Pichia pastoris </it>yeast would produce a stable and effective competitor protein.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fusion protein α₂AP(13-42)-HSA was efficiently secreted from transformed yeast and purified preparations contained within a mixed population the full-length intact form, while fusions with longer α₂AP moieties were inefficiently secreted and/or degraded. The α₂AP(13-42)-HSA protein, but not recombinant HSA, was cross-linked to both chemical lysine donors and fibrin or fibrinogen by factor XIIIa, although with less rapid kinetics than native α₂AP. Excess α₂AP(13-42)-HSA competed with α₂AP for cross-linking to chemical lysine donors more effectively than a synthetic α₂AP(13-42) peptide, and reduced the α₂AP-dependent resistance to fibrinolysis of plasma clots equally effectively as the peptide. Native α₂AP was found in <it>in vivo </it>clots in rabbits to a greater extent than α₂AP(13-42), however.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this first report of transfer of transglutamination substrate status from one plasma protein to another, fusion protein α₂AP(13-42)-HSA was shown to satisfy initial requirements for a long-lasting, well-tolerated competitive inhibitor of α₂-antiplasmin predicted to act in a clot-localized manner.</p

In Vivo Clearance of Alpha-1 Acid Glycoprotein Is Influenced by the Extent of Its N-Linked Glycosylation and by Its Interaction with the Vessel Wall

Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) is a highly glycosylated plasma protein that exerts vasoprotective effects. We hypothesized that AGP's N-linked glycans govern its rate of clearance from the circulation, and followed the disappearance of different forms of radiolabeled human AGP from the plasma of rabbits and mice. Enzymatic deglycosylation of human plasma-derived AGP (pdAGP) by Peptide: N-Glycosidase F yielded a mixture of differentially deglycosylated forms (PNGase-AGP), while the introduction of five Asn to Gln mutations in recombinant Pichia pastoris-derived AGP (rAGP-N(5)Q) eliminated N-linked glycosylation. PNGase-AGP was cleared from the rabbit circulation 9-fold, and rAGP-N(5)Q, 46-fold more rapidly than pdAGP, primarily via a renal route. Pichia pastoris-derived wild-type rAGP differed from pdAGP in expressing mannose-terminated glycans, and, like neuraminidase-treated pdAGP, was more rapidly removed from the rabbit circulation than rAGP-N(5)Q. Systemic hyaluronidase treatment of mice transiently decreased pdAGP clearance. AGP administration to mice reduced vascular binding of hyaluronic acid binding protein in the liver microcirculation and increased its plasma levels. Our results support a critical role of N-linked glycosylation of AGP in regulating its in vivo clearance and an influence of a hyaluronidase-sensitive component of the vessel wall on its transendothelial passage

Comparison of Methods for the Purification of Alpha-1 Acid Glycoprotein from Human Plasma

Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) is a highly glycosylated, negatively charged plasma protein suggested to have anti-inflammatory and/or immunomodulatory activities. Purification of AGP could be simplified if methods that exploit its high solubility under chemically harsh conditions could be demonstrated to leave the protein in its native conformation. Procedures involving exposure of AGP to hot phenol or sulphosalicylic acid (SSA) were compared to solely chromatographic methods. Hot phenol-purified AGP was more rapidly cleared from mice in vivo following intravenous injection than chromatographically purified AGP. In contrast, SSA-purified AGP demonstrated an identical in vivo clearance profile and circular dichroism spectrum to chromatographically purified AGP. Similarly, no differences in susceptibility to enzymatic deglycosylation or reactivity with Sambucus nigra lectin were detected between AGP purified via the two methods. Incorporation of the SSA step in the purification scheme for AGP eliminated the need for a large (4 mL resin/mL of plasma) initial chromatographic step and simplified its purification without causing any detectable distortion in the conformation of the protein. Confirmation that this procedure is nondenaturing will simplify AGP purification and investigation of its possible biological roles in laboratory animals

Fusion to Human Serum Albumin Extends the Circulatory Half-Life and Duration of Antithrombotic Action of the Kunitz Protease Inhibitor Domain of Protease Nexin 2

Background/Aims: The Kunitz Protease Inhibitor (KPI) domain of protease nexin 2 (PN2) potently inhibits coagulation factor XIa. Recombinant KPI has been shown to inhibit thrombosis in mouse models, but its clearance from the murine circulation remains uncharacterized. The present study explored the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of fusing KPI to human serum albumin (HSA) in fusion protein KPIHSA. Methods: Hexahistidine-tagged KPI (63 amino acids) and KPIHSA (656 amino acids) were expressed in Pichia pastoris yeast and purified by nickel-chelate chromatography. Clearance profiles in mice were determined, as well as the effects of KPI or KPIHSA administration on FeCl3-induced vena cava thrombus size or carotid artery time to occlusion, respectively. Results: Fusion to HSA increased the mean terminal half-life of KPI by 8-fold and eliminated its interaction with the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein. KPI and KPIHSA similarly reduced thrombus size and occlusion in both venous and arterial thrombosis models when administered at the time of injury, but only KPI was effective when administered one hour before injury. Conclusions: Albumin fusion deflects KPI from rapid in vivo clearance without impairing its antithrombotic properties and widens its potential therapeutic window

A factor XIa-activatable hirudin-albumin fusion protein reduces thrombosis in mice without promoting blood loss

Abstract Background Hirudin is a potent thrombin inhibitor but its antithrombotic properties are offset by bleeding side-effects. Because hirudin’s N-terminus must engage thrombin’s active site for effective inhibition, fusing a cleavable peptide at this site may improve hirudin’s risk/benefit ratio as a therapeutic agent. Previously we engineered a plasmin cleavage site (C) between human serum albumin (HSA) and hirudin variant 3 (HV3) in fusion protein HSACHV3. Because coagulation factor XI (FXI) is more involved in thrombosis than hemostasis, we hypothesized that making HV3 activity FXIa-dependent would also improve HV3’s potential therapeutic profile. We combined albumin fusion for half-life extension of hirudin with positioning of an FXIa cleavage site N-terminal to HV3, and assessed in vitro and in vivo properties of this novel protein. Results FXIa cleavage site EPR was employed. Fusion protein EPR-HV3HSA but not HSAEPR-HV3 was activated by FXIa in vitro. FVIIa, FXa, FXIIa, or plasmin failed to activate EPR-HV3HSA. FXIa-cleavable EPR-HV3HSA reduced the time to occlusion of ferric chloride-treated murine arteries and reduced fibrin deposition in murine endotoxemia; noncleavable mycHV3HSA was without effect. EPR-HV3HSA elicited less blood loss than constitutively active HV3HSA in murine liver laceration or tail transection but extended bleeding time to the same extent. EPR-HV3HSA was partially activated in citrated human or murine plasma to a greater extent than HSACHV3. Conclusions Releasing the N-terminal block to HV3 activity using FXIa was an effective way to limit hirudin’s bleeding side-effects, but plasma instability of the exposed EPR blocking peptide rendered it less useful than previously described plasmin-activatable HSACHV3

Monovalent Fc receptor blockade by an anti-Fcγ receptor/albumin fusion protein ameliorates murine ITP with abrogated toxicity

Patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) commonly have antiplatelet antibodies that cause thrombocytopenia through Fcγ receptors (FcγRs). Antibodies specific for FcγRs, designed to inhibit antibody-FcγR interaction, had been shown to improve ITP in refractory human patients. However, the development of such FcγR-specific antibodies has stalled because of adverse events, a phenomenon recapitulated in mouse models. One hypothesis behind these adverse events involved the function of the Fc region of the antibody, which engages FcγRs, leading to inflammatory responses. Unfortunately, inhibition of Fc function by deglycosylation failed to prevent this inflammatory response. In this work, we hypothesize that the bivalent antigen-binding fragment regions of immunoglobulin G are sufficient to trigger adverse events and have reasoned that designing a monovalent targeting strategy could circumvent the inflammatory response. To this end, we generated a fusion protein comprising a monovalent human FcγRIIIA-specific antibody linked in tandem to human serum albumin, which retained FcγR-binding activity in vitro. To evaluate clinically relevant in vivo FcγR-blocking function and inflammatory effects, we generated a murine version targeting the murine FcγRIII linked to murine albumin in a passive murine ITP model. Monovalent blocking of FcγR function dramatically inhibited antibody-dependent murine ITP and successfully circumvented the inflammatory response as assessed by changes in body temperature, basophil activation, and basophil depletion. Consistent with our hypothesis, in vivo cross-linking of the fusion protein induced these inflammatory effects, recapitulating the adverse events of the parent antibody. Thus, monovalent blocking of FcγR function demonstrates a proof of concept to successfully treat FcγR-mediated autoimmune diseases