Purification of human fibroblast urokinase proenzyme and analysis of its regulation by proteases and protease nexin.

Recently we presented evidence that normal human foreskin fibroblasts (HF cells) limit the activity of secreted urokinase by secreting it as a proenzyme and by secreting protease nexin , an inhibitor of urokinase and certain other serine proteases (Scott, R.W., Eaton, D. L. Duran , N., and Baker, J.B. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 4397-4403). Using immunoaffinity chromatography we have now purified the HF cell urokinase proenzyme. It is a single 52-kDa polypeptide chain that is inactive toward both plasminogen and low molecular weight substrates. After proteolytic activation, this material (specific activity of 3 X 10(4) Committee on Thrombolytic Agents units/mg) is composed of two disulfide-bridged 33- and 19-kDa chains, and is thus similar to the predominant form of urokinase found in urine. Plasmin at 2 X 10(-10) M causes 50% activation of the proenzyme (1 X 10(-9) M) in 30 min at 37 degrees C. Thrombin and trypsin are one-twentieth as effective as plasmin. Activated HF cell 125I-urokinase forms sodium dodecyl sulfate stable complexes with purified protease nexin or protease nexin present in medium conditioned by HF cells. Purified protease nexin inhibits purified HF cell urokinase action on both plasminogen and low molecular weight substrates. The association rate constant for the reaction between protease nexin and HF cell urokinase is approximately 1.7 X 10(5) M-1 S-1. In contrast, the association rate constants for reactions between protease nexin and the one- and two-chain forms of tissue-type plasminogen activator are approximately 2 X 10(3) and approximately 3 X 10(4) M-1 S-1, respectively. The importance of protease nexin as a regulator of HF cell urokinase is supported by the finding that anti-protease nexin antibody potentiates the fibrinolytic activity of HF cell-conditioned medium incubated with plasminogen.