DNA binds neutrophil elastase and mucus proteinase inhibitor as evidenced by affinity chromatography on elastaseSepharose, inhibitor-Sepharose and DNA-cellulose. DNA is a potent hyperbolic inhibitor of elastase. The polynucleotide-en~yme complex is partially active on synthetic substrates and on elastin. DNA strongly increases kd~ and Ki for the inhibition of elastase by mucus proteinase inhibitor kass t E + I ~ EI, K i = kdi~Jka~s).kdiss ['he above effects are all salt-dependent. At physiological ionic strength, DNA is a potent inhibitor of the elastolytic activity of elastase and increases k~ and K~ for the elastase-mucus proteinase inhibitor interaction 160-fold and 100-fold, respectively.,~ey words': Elastase; Mucus proteinase inhibitor; Enzyme i:inetics; DNA; Cystic fibrosis
L. IntroductionNeutrophil elastase (NE) is a 30-kDa cationic glycoprotein .vhose crystal structure is known. This serine proteinase cleaves t number of plasma and extracellular matrix proteins including ,.:lastin. It is stored in the azurophil granules of neutrophils from ,vhich it may be released following excessive phagocytosis or :ell death. Its extracellular proteolytic action is normally pre-,lented by protein proteinase inhibitors such as ~l-proteinase nhibitor, ~2-macroglobulin or mucus proteinase inhibitor MPI) (for a review see [1]). The latter is an 11.7-kDa unglyco~ylated cationic protein composed of two domains of similar ;ize and architecture ([2] and refs. therein).MPI is the most abundant NE inhibitor of airways secretions ~here it occurs in concentrations as high as 5/IM [3]. Despite ~:his high load of inhibitor, bronchial secretions from patients ~vith cystic fibrosis contain significant amounts of active NE [4]. On the other hand, these secretions also contain large quantities ~f neutrophil-derived DNA [5]. This raises the question as to uhether DNA interferes with the inhibition of NE by MPI. The ~resent investigation attempts to answer this question.
Materials and methods
MaterialsHuman NE was purified from purulent sputum as described in [6]. Recombinant MPI was obtained from Synergen, Boulder, CO through the courtesy of Dr. H.P. Schnebli, Ciba-Geigy, Basel, Switzerland. NE and MPI were active site titrated as indicated in [6]. Stock solutions of Suc-Ala3-pNA and MeOSuc-Ala2-Pro-Val-pNA (Bachem, Bubendorf, Switzerland) were made in N-methylpyrolidone and dimethylformamide, respectively. The final concentration of organic solvent in the reaction mixtures was 2% (v/v) throughout. Remazol Brilliant-blue elastin (RBB-elastin) was purchased from Elastin Products Company (Owenville, MO). Salmon sperm DNA and DNA~cellulose came from Sigma. NE or MPI were coupled to epoxy-activated Sepharose (Pharmacia) as described by the manufacturer. The three affinity supports (4 ml) were poured into HR 10/10 Pharmacia columns and equilibrated with 50 mM HEPES buffer, pH 7.4.
Determination of k,,, and K,~The kinetic constants kca t and Km for the hydrolysis of MeOSuc-Ala2-Pro-Val-pNA by 30 nM free or DNA-bound NE were determine...