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The intermediates of aggrecanase-dependent cleavage of aggrecan in rat chondrosarcoma cells treated with interleukin-1.

ABSTRACT: We have examined the abundance and structure of intermediates in the chondrocyte-mediated degradation of aggrecan by aggrecanase(s). Degradation products were identified by Western-blot analysis with antibodies to cleavage-site neoepitopes and to peptides within the globular domains. Rat chondrosarcoma tumour contained full-length aggrecan and all of the individual peptides expected from single independent cleavages at each of the four aggrecanase sites in the chondroitin sulphate (CS) domain. Kinetic analysis of the products present in rat chondrosarcoma cell cultures treated with interleukin-1b showed that the first aggrecanase-mediated cleavages occurred at the four sites within the CS attachment region to generate two stable intermediates, Val(1)-Glu(1459) and Val(1)-Glu(1274). These species were subsequently cleaved at the Glu(373) site in the interglobular domain to form the terminal products, Val(1)-Glu(373), Ala(374)-Glu(1274) and Ala(374)-Glu(1459). It therefore appears that the aggrecanase-mediated processing of native aggrecan by chondrocytes in situ is initiated within the CS-attachment region and completed by cleavage within the interglobular domain. Since it has been shown that digestion of aggrecan monomer in solution with recombinant ADAMTS-4 [Tortorella, Pratta, Liu, Austin, Ross, Abbaszade, Burn and Arner (2000) Sites of aggrecan cleavage by recombinant human aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS-4). J. Biol. Chem. 275, 18566-18573] exhibits similar kinetics, it appears that preferential proteinase cleavage in the CS-rich region is determined by properties inherent in the aggrecan monomer itself, such as preferred peptide sequences for enzyme binding or enhanced accessibility to the core protein at these sites.

SUBMITTER: Sandy JD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1221346 | biostudies-other | 2000 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:Monoclonal antibodies have been prepared that react specifically with the neoepitopes present on proteoglycan degradation products generated from the proteolytic cleavage of aggrecan in the interglobular domain. Antibody BC-3 recognizes the new N-terminus (ARGSV...) on aggrecan degradation products produced by the action of the as yet uncharacterized proteolytic activity, 'aggrecanase', and antibody BC-4 recognizes the new C-terminus (...DIPEN) generated by the proteolytic action of matrix metalloproteinases. Specificity for these neoepitope sequences was determined in competitive e.l.i.s.a. using synthetic peptide antigens as inhibitors. Antibody BC-3 was used in the detection of aggrecan degradation products in the culture medium obtained from two different in vitro culture systems: bovine cartilage explants treated with either retinoic acid or interleukin-1, and secondly, rat chondrosarcoma cells treated with retinoic acid. Both interleukin-1 and retinoic acid treatment caused an increase in aggrecan catabolism resulting in an increased release to the medium of specific aggrecan degradation products containing the BC-3 neoepitope generated by the action of 'aggrecanase'. However, several additional aggrecan catabolites were present that were not immunoreactive with antibody BC-3. In addition, under control conditions, in the bovine cartilage cultures the BC-3 epitope was found on some of these aggrecan catabolites. In contrast, no immune-reactive material was found in the aggrecan degradation products present in control media of rat chondrosarcoma cells cultured in the absence of retinoic acid. Collectively, these results demonstrate that 'aggrecanase' activity is not a constitutive event in all cartilage culture systems and also suggest that proteolytic agents other than 'aggrecanase' are involved in aggrecan catabolism in normal turnover compared with pathological conditions. Antibody BC-4 was used to demonstrate the identity of the G1 domain of aggrecan following proteolytic cleavage of a purified G1-G2 preparation with collagenase, gelatinase A or stromelysin. The G2 product of this cleavage did not react with antibody BC-3, indicating that, under the experimental conditions used, none of these enzymes exhibited 'aggrecanase' activity. It is expected that both of these antibodies will play a pivotal role in detailed studies elucidating molecular mechanisms of aggrecan degradation and they will be particularly useful for the sensitive monitoring of aggrecan degradation products in tissue extracts and body fluids.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Progressive loss of articular cartilage is a central hallmark in many joint disease, however, the relative importance of individual proteolytic pathways leading to cartilage erosion is at present unknown. We therefore investigated the time-dependant release ex vivo of MMP- and aggrecanase-derived fragments of aggrecan and type II collagen into the supernatant of bovine cartilage explants cultures using neo-epitope specific immunoassays, and to associate the release of these fragments with the activity of proteolytic enzymes using inhibitors. FINDINGS: Bovine cartilage explants were cultured in the presence or absence of the catabolic cytokines oncostatin M (OSM) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). In parallel, explants were co-cultured with protease inhibitors such as GM6001, TIMP1, TIMP2 and TIMP3. Fragments released into the supernatant were determined using a range of neo-epitope specific immunoassays; (1) sandwich (342)FFGVG-G2 ELISA, (2) competition NITEGE(373)ELISA (3) sandwich G1-NITEGE(373 )ELISA (4) competition (374)ARGSV ELISA, and (5) sandwich (374)ARGSV-G2 ELISA all detecting aggrecan fragments, and (6) sandwich CTX-II ELISA, detecting C-telopeptides of type II collagen. We found that (1) aggrecanase-derived aggrecan fragments are released in the early (day 2-7) and mid phase (day 9-14) into the supernatant from bovine explants cultures stimulated with catabolic cytokines, (2) the release of NITEGE(373 )neo-epitopes are delayed compared to the corresponding (374)ARGSV fragments, (3) the MMP inhibitor GM6001 did not reduce the release of aggrecanase-derived fragment, but induced a further delay in the release of these fragments, and finally (4) the MMP-derived aggrecan and type II collagen fragments were released in the late phase (day 16-21) only. CONCLUSION: Our data support the model, that aggrecanases and MMPs act independently in the processing of the aggrecan molecules, and furthermore that suppression of MMP-activity had little if any effect on the quantity of aggrecanase-derived fragments released from explants cultures.

Project description:The importance of aggrecanase versus matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzymic activities in the degradation of aggrecan in normal and osteoarthritic (OA) articular cartilage in vitro was studied in order to further our understanding of the potential role of these two enzyme activities in aggrecan catabolism during the pathogenesis of cartilage degeneration. Porcine and bovine articular cartilage was maintained in explant culture for up to 20 days in the presence or absence of the catabolic stimuli retinoic acid, interleukin-1 or tumour necrosis factor-alpha. Release of proteoglycan from cartilage was measured as glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release using a colorimetric assay. Analysis of proteoglycan degradation products, both released into culture media and retained within the cartilage matrix, was performed by Western blotting using antibodies specific for the N- and C-terminal neoepitopes generated by aggrecanase- and MMP-related catabolism of the interglobular domain of the aggrecan core protein (IGD). In addition, studies determining the mRNA expression for MMP-3 and MMP-13 in these same cultures were undertaken. These analyses indicated that all three catabolic agents stimulated the release of >80% of the GAG from the articular cartilage over 4 days. The degree of GAG release corresponded to an increase in aggrecanase-generated aggrecan catabolites released into the media and retained within the cartilage. Importantly, there was no evidence for the release of MMP-generated aggrecan metabolites into the medium, nor the accumulation of MMP-generated catabolites within the tissue in these same cultures. Expression of the mRNAs for two MMPs known to be capable of degrading the aggrecan IGD, MMP-3 and MMP-13, was detected. However, increased expression of these MMPs was not correlated with aggrecan degradation. Analyses using porcine cartilage, cultured with or without catabolic stimulation for 12 h to 20 days, indicated that primary cleavage of the IGD by aggrecanase was responsible for release of aggrecan metabolites at both the early and late time points of culture. Cultures of late-stage OA human articular cartilage samples indicated that aggrecanase activity was upregulated in the absence of catabolic stimulation when compared with normal porcine or bovine cartilage. In addition, even in this late-stage degenerate cartilage, aggrecanase and not MMP activity was responsible for the release of the majority of aggrecan from the cartilage. This study demonstrates that the release of aggrecan from both normal and OA cartilage in response to catabolic stimulation in vitro involves a primary cleavage by aggrecanase and not MMPs.

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The intermediates of aggrecanase-dependent cleavage of aggrecan in rat chondrosarcoma cells treated with interleukin-1.

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