Intracellular retention of a factor VIII protein with an Arg2307-->Gln mutation as a cause of haemophilia A.

Substitution of Arg2307 by Gln in factor VIII has been found to be associated with mild to moderate haemophilia A [Gitschier, Wood, Shuman and Lawn (1986) Science 232, 1415-1416]. We have introduced this particular point mutation into a B-domain-deleted factor VIII cDNA and expressed the modified cDNA in C127 cells. Cells expressing the resulting protein, termed des-(868-1562)-factor VIII-R2307Q, were compared with those expressing the previously characterized des-(868-1562)-factor VIII. No immunoreactive material could be detected in the conditioned medium of cells transfected with des-(868-1562)-factor VIII-R2307Q cDNA using assays specific for the factor VIII light chain and the factor VIII heavy chain. Analysis of metabolically labelled cells transfected with des-(868-1562)-factor VIII-R2307Q cDNA revealed that this mutant protein is synthesized at a level similar to des-(868-1562)-factor VIII. In contrast to des-(868-1562)-factor VIII, metabolically labelled des-(868-1562)-factor VIII-R2307Q was not encountered in the conditioned medium of the transfected cells, indicating that the mutant protein is not secreted from the cell. Inspection of the intracellular localization of the two proteins in the cell employing morphological analysis, endoglycosidase H and experiments with inhibitors of glucosidases I and II was consistent with localization of des-(868-1562)-factor VIII and des-(868-1562)-factor VIII-R2307Q in the endoplasmic reticulum. Taken together, our data indicate that the Arg2307-->Gln mutation results in aberrant intracellular trafficking of factor VIII, which may explain the low levels of factor VIII antigen in the plasma of haemophilia A patients that carry this particular point mutation

A mouse homeobox containing gene on chromosome 11: sequence and tissue-specific expression.

We have molecularly cloned a mouse homeobox containing gene by isolating cDNA and genomic clones. The gene is located in a previously described cluster on chromosome 11 (Hart et al. (1985) Cell 43, 9-18) and was identified as the Hox2.3 gene. We present the complete mRNA sequence of this gene and describe similarities to other homeobox containing genes, among which its human homologue, the cl gene. High expression of the Hox2.3 gene was found in kidney, testis, and spinal cord of adult mice, in the spinal cord of 12.5-17.5 day embryos and in differentiating EC cells depending on their treatment. Three different treatments of the pluripotent EC cell line P19, each leading to the induction of a specific differentiation pathway, resulted in all cases in induction of Hox2.3; however, major quantitative differences in this response were observed

Characterization of des-(741-1668)-factor VIII, a single-chain factor VIII variant with a fusion site susceptible to proteolysis by thrombin and factor Xa.

A factor VIII variant has been characterized in which the heavy chain is directly fused to the light chain. Des-(741-1668)-factor VIII lacks the processing site at Arg1648, as Arg740 of the heavy chain is fused to Ser1669 of the light chain. The sequence of the fusion site is similar to that of other cleavage sites in factor VIII. The fusion site of des-(741-1668)-factor VIII was readily cleaved by both thrombin and factor Xa, and the same result was obtained for heavy chain cleavage. In contrast, des-(741-1668)-factor VIII cleavage by thrombin at position Arg1689 proceeded at a lower rate than the analogous cleavage by factor Xa, which presumably takes place at position Arg1721. The rate of cleavage at position Arg1689 by thrombin was also lower than that at the other processing sites. When des-(741-1668)-factor VIII was activated by thrombin, initial rates of factor Xa formation were similar to the rates obtained when plasma-derived factor VIII was activated by thrombin or factor Xa. Remarkably, activation of des-(741-1668)-factor VIII proceeded at a higher rate by factor Xa than by thrombin. These results indicate that factor VIII activation is strongly associated with cleavage at position Arg1689 or Arg1721. For the interaction between des-(741-1668)-factor VIII and von Willebrand factor, a Kd value of (0.8 +/- 0.3) x 10(-10) M was determined, which is similar to that of heterodimeric factor VIII. The affinity of single-chain des-(741-1668)-factor VIII for factor IXa was found to be 27 +/- 6 nM. The in vivo recovery and half-life of des-(741-1668)-factor VIII were assessed in guinea pigs. Upon infusion of des-(741-1668)-factor VIII at a dosage of 50 units/kg body weight, a rise of 1.0 +/- 0.3 unit/ml in factor VIII activity was obtained. The same recovery was determined for wild-type factor VIII. The half-life of des-(741-1668)-factor VIII was found to be 3 +/- 1 h, compared with 4 +/- 2 h for heterodimeric recombinant factor VIII. In conclusion, des-(741-1668)-factor VIII displays normal activity, is readily cleaved by thrombin and factor Xa at its fusion site, binds with high affinity to von Willebrand factor and factor IXa, and behaves like heterodimeric recombinant factor VIII in guinea pigs. By virtue of these properties, des-(741-1668)-factor VIII may prove useful for the treatment of bleeding episodes in patients with haemophilia A

Biocompatible glyconanomaterials based on HPMA-copolymer for specific targeting of galectin-3

Abstract Background Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a promising target in cancer therapy with a high therapeutic potential due to its abundant localization within the tumor tissue and its involvement in tumor development and proliferation. Potential clinical application of Gal-3-targeted inhibitors is often complicated by their insufficient selectivity or low biocompatibility. Nanomaterials based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) nanocarrier are attractive for in vivo application due to their good water solubility and lack of toxicity and immunogenicity. Their conjugation with tailored carbohydrate ligands can yield specific glyconanomaterials applicable for targeting biomedicinally relevant lectins like Gal-3. Results In the present study we describe the synthesis and the structure-affinity relationship study of novel Gal-3-targeted glyconanomaterials, based on hydrophilic HPMA nanocarriers. HPMA nanocarriers decorated with varying amounts of Gal-3 specific epitope GalNAcβ1,4GlcNAc (LacdiNAc) were analyzed in a competitive ELISA-type assay and their binding kinetics was described by surface plasmon resonance. We showed the impact of various linker types and epitope distribution on the binding affinity to Gal-3. The synthesis of specific functionalized LacdiNAc epitopes was accomplished under the catalysis by mutant β-N-acetylhexosaminidases. The glycans were conjugated to statistic HPMA copolymer precursors through diverse linkers in a defined pattern and density using Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition. The resulting water-soluble and structurally flexible synthetic glyconanomaterials exhibited affinity to Gal-3 in low μM range. Conclusions The results of this study reveal the relation between the linker structure, glycan distribution and the affinity of the glycopolymer nanomaterial to Gal-3. They pave the way to specific biomedicinal glyconanomaterials that target Gal-3 as a therapeutic goal in cancerogenesis and other disorders

Von Willebrand factor targets IL-8 to Weibel-Palade bodies in an endothelial cell line

Vascular endothelial cells are able to store the chemotactic cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) in specialized storage vesicles, Weibel-Palade bodies, together with von Willebrand factor (VWF) and P-selectin. We investigated whether VWF plays a role in the sorting of IL-8 into these organelles. We examined the effect of VWF expression on IL-8 targeting in an endothelial cell line (EC-RF24). This cell line has retained the typical phenotypic characteristics of primary endothelial cells but has lost the capacity to produce VWF in appreciable amounts. EC-RF24 cells were retrovirally transduced with a vector encoding a VWF-green fluorescent protein chimera (VWF-GFP). This approach enables direct visualization of the cellular distribution and secretory behavior of the VWF-GFP hybrid. Expression of VWF-GFP resulted in the generation of Weibel-Palade body-like organelles as shown by the colocalization of VWF-GFP and P-selectin. VWF-GFP expressing EC-RF24 cells also showed significant colocalization of VWF-GFP with IL-8 in these storage vesicles. Live cell imaging revealed that the number of VWF-GFP-containing granules decreased upon cell stimulation. These observations indicate that VWF plays an active role in sequestering IL-8 into Weibel-Palade bodie