Oxidative inactivation of purified human alpha-2-antiplasmin, antithrombin III, and C1-inhibitor.

Oxidative inactivation of alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (A1-P1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), both members of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily, using mild oxidation conditions has been already demonstrated. The oxidation mechanism has been shown to involve conversion of methionine to methionine sulfoxide in the reactive center of the inhibitors. In this study evidence is presented that alpha-2-antiplasmin (A2-PI) and antithrombin III (AT III) can also be inactivated by means of oxidation. For total inactivation of 50 pM A1-PI about 10 nM chloramine T (CT) and for the same molar concentration of A2-PI and AT III about 250 nM CT were found necessary. C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) showed some resistance to oxidation that could be overcome only by increasing CT to an amount (greater than 2000 nM) already beginning to inactivate the corresponding C1-esterase. As target enzymes for A2-PI, AT III, and A1-PI plasmin, thrombin and elastase, respectively, were used. Their activity was not impaired by the oxidation conditions applied. As there is no methionine in the reactive center of AT III an additional mechanism for oxidative inactivation of serpins has to be taken into consideration. Oxidation seems to be a general mechanism for altering the balances between serine proteases and their inhibitors in favour of the protease.