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Human YKL-39 is a pseudo-chitinase with retained chitooligosaccharide-binding properties.

ABSTRACT: The chitinase-like proteins YKL-39 (chitinase 3-like-2) and YKL-40 (chitinase 3-like-1) are highly expressed in a number of human cells independent of their origin (mesenchymal, epithelial or haemapoietic). Elevated serum levels of YKL-40 have been associated with a negative outcome in a number of diseases ranging from cancer to inflammation and asthma. YKL-39 expression has been associated with osteoarthritis. However, despite the reported association with disease, the physiological or pathological role of these proteins is still very poorly understood. Although YKL-39 is homologous to the two family 18 chitinases in the human genome, it has been reported to lack any chitinase activity. In the present study, we show that human YKL-39 possesses a chitinase-like fold, but lacks key active-site residues required for catalysis. A glycan screen identified oligomers of N-acetylglucosamine as preferred binding partners. YKL-39 binds chitooligosaccharides and a newly synthesized derivative of the bisdionin chitinase-inhibitor class with micromolar affinity, through a number of conserved tryptophan residues. Strikingly, the chitinase activity of YKL-39 was recovered by reverting two non-conservative substitutions in the active site to those found in the active enzymes, suggesting that YKL-39 is a pseudo-chitinase with retention of chitinase-like ligand-binding properties.

SUBMITTER: Schimpl M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3513709 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Human YKL-39 is a pseudo-chitinase with retained chitooligosaccharide-binding properties.

Schimpl Marianne M Rush Christina L CL Betou Marie M Eggleston Ian M IM Recklies Anneliese D AD van Aalten Daan M F DM

The Biochemical journal 20120801 1

The chitinase-like proteins YKL-39 (chitinase 3-like-2) and YKL-40 (chitinase 3-like-1) are highly expressed in a number of human cells independent of their origin (mesenchymal, epithelial or haemapoietic). Elevated serum levels of YKL-40 have been associated with a negative outcome in a number of diseases ranging from cancer to inflammation and asthma. YKL-39 expression has been associated with osteoarthritis. However, despite the reported association with disease, the physiological or patholog ...[more]

PMID: 22742450

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Project description:Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology appears several years before clinical symptoms, so identifying ways to detect individuals in the preclinical stage is imperative. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Tau/A?42 ratio is currently the best known predictor of AD status and cognitive decline, and the ratio of CSF levels of chitinase-3-like 1 protein (CHI3L1, YKL-40) and amyloid beta (A?42) were reported as predictive, but individual variability and group overlap inhibits their utility for individual diagnosis making it necessary to find ways to improve sensitivity of these biomarkers.We used linear regression to identify genetic loci associated with CSF YKL-40 levels in 379 individuals (80 cognitively impaired and 299 cognitively normal) from the Charles F and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. We tested correlations between YKL-40 and CSF Tau/A?42 ratio, A?42, tau, and phosphorylated tau (ptau181). We used studentized residuals from a linear regression model of the log-transformed, standardized protein levels and the additive reference allele counts from the most significant locus to adjust YKL-40 values and tested the differences in correlations with CSF Tau/A?42 ratio, A?42, tau, and ptau181.We found that genetic variants on the CH13L1 locus were significantly associated with CSF YKL-40 levels, but not AD risk, age at onset, or disease progression. The most significant variant is a reported expression quantitative trait locus for CHI3L1, the gene which encodes YKL-40, and explained 12.74 % of the variance in CSF YKL-40 in our study. YKL-40 was positively correlated with ptau181 (r?=?0.521) and the strength of the correlation significantly increased with the addition of genetic information (r?=?0.573, p?=?0.006).CSF YKL-40 levels are likely a biomarker for AD, but we found no evidence that they are an AD endophenotype. YKL-40 levels are highly regulated by genetic variation, and by including genetic information the strength of the correlation between YKL-40 and ptau181 levels is significantly improved. Our results suggest that studies of potential biomarkers may benefit from including genetic information.

Project description:BackgroundYKL-40, encoded by the chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) gene, is a chitinase-like protein involved in innate immune function hypothesized to play a role in the progression of atherosclerosis that may have differential roles in myocardial infarction (MI), as compared to stroke.Methods and resultsIn a nested case-control study conducted within a prospective cohort of 23 294 initially healthy women of European ancestry, we (1) measured plasma concentration of YKL-40 among 359 participants who subsequently developed cardiovascular events and among 359 age-, smoking-, and hormone replacement therapy-matched participants who remained free of disease during 17 years of follow-up, (2) compared effects of YKL-40 on vascular risk to that associated with 3 alternative inflammatory biomarkers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) ([hsCRP], soluble intracellular adhesion molecule 1, and fibrinogen), and (3) evaluated the role of 41 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the chitinase 3-like 1 gene (CHI3L1) as determinants of YKL-40 levels and incident vascular events. YKL-40 levels were higher in women with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity and correlated modestly with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and hsCRP, but not with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Baseline YKL-40 level was significantly associated with incident thromboembolic stroke with a magnitude of effect (a 40% per quartile increase in odds ratio [OR], P=0.019) comparable to that of hsCRP (a 52% per quartile increase in OR, P=0.006). By contrast, no significant association was observed between YKL-40 and incident MI. Genetic variation in CHI3L1 was strongly associated with YKL-40 levels; however, in this sample set, we did not observe a statistically significant association between genotype and future vascular events.ConclusionsAmong initially healthy U.S. women, plasma levels of the proinflammatory chitenase-like protein, YKL-40, were influenced by environmental as well as genetic factors and predicted incident thromboembolic stroke, but not MI, a differential effect consistent with limited previous data.

Project description:BackgroundAsthma is a heterogeneous chronic airway disease, which may be classified into different phenotypes. YKL-40 is a chitin-binding glycoprotein with unclear functions, but its expression is associated with inflammation and tissue remodeling. However, few studies have explored whether YKL-40 is associated with inflammatory phenotypes of asthma.MethodsThe study had two parts. Study I (n = 115) was a one-year prospective cohort designed to explore the relationship of serum YKL-40 levels with inflammatory phenotypes of asthma at baseline, and during exacerbations. Study II (n = 62) was a four-week prospective cohort designed to define whether serum YKL-40 levels could predict responses to a fixed anti-asthma regimen. YKL-40, IL-6 and CCL22 levels were detected using ELISA, and a sputum inflammatory panel (including IL-1β, IL-5, IL-8 and TNF-α) was assessed using Luminex-based MILLIPLEX assay.ResultsStudy I: Serum YKL-40 levels in non-eosinophilic asthma (NEA) i.e. neutrophilic (47.77 [29.59, 74.97] ng/mL, n = 40) and paucigranulocytic (47.36 [28.81, 61.68] ng/mL, n = 31) were significantly elevated compared with eosinophilic asthma (31.05 [22.41, 51.10] ng/mL, n = 44) (P = 0.015). Serum YKL-40levels positively correlated with blood neutrophils, sputum IL-1β and plasma IL-6 but negatively correlated with serum IgE and blood eosinophils (all P ≤ 0.05). Baseline YKL-40 levels predicted moderate to severe exacerbations within a one-year period (aOR = 4.13, 95% CI = [1.08, 15.83]). Study II: Serum YKL-40 was an independent biomarker of negative responses to anti-asthma regimens (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 0.82, 95% CI = [0.71, 0.96].ConclusionsThese studies show that YKL-40 is a non-type 2 inflammatory signature for NEA, which could predict responsiveness or insensitivity to anti-asthma medications and more exacerbations. Further studies are needed to assess whether monitoring YKL-40 levels could provide potential implications for clinical relevance.

Dataset Information

Human YKL-39 is a pseudo-chitinase with retained chitooligosaccharide-binding properties.

Publications

Human YKL-39 is a pseudo-chitinase with retained chitooligosaccharide-binding properties.

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