Enhanced plasmin inhibition by a reactive center lysine mutant of the Kunitz-type protease inhibitor domain of the amyloid beta-protein precursor.

The Alzheimer's disease related protein, amyloid beta-protein precursor (A beta PP), contains a domain homologous to Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors (KPI). The recombinant KPI domain of A beta PP is a potent inhibitor of coagulation factors XIa and IXa and functions as an anticoagulant in vitro. Here we report the expression, purification, and characterization of a reactive center lysine mutant of the KPI domain of A beta PP (KPI-Lys17). An expression plasmid for the KPI-Lys17 domain of A beta PP encoded amino acids 285-345 of the A beta PP cDNA containing a lysine substitution at arginine 17 in the KPI domain. The secreted 61-amino acid product was purified to homogeneity and functionally characterized. The protease inhibitory properties of the KPI-Lys17 domain were compared to those of the native KPI domain of A beta PP. Both KPI domains equally inhibited trypsin, chymotrypsin, and coagulation factors IXa and Xa. However, the KPI-Lys17 domain was an approximately 25-fold less effective inhibitor of coagulation factor XIa resulting in markedly less prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time compared to the native KPI domain of A beta PP. On the other hand, the KPI-Lys17 domain was an approximately 10- and 5-fold better inhibitor of plasmin in a chromogenic substrate assay and in a fibrinolytic assay, respectively, than the native KPI domain of A beta PP. Together, these studies suggest that the KPI-Lys17 domain has enhanced anti-fibrinolytic and diminished factor XIa inhibitory properties compared to the native KPI domain of A beta PP.