Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) together with its cell surface receptor (uPAR) mediates surface-bound plasminogen activation and has been recognized to play essential roles in several biological processes important in vascular biology, including clot lysis, cell adhesion, cell migration, inflammation, signal transduction, angiogenesis, and chemotaxis. Therefore, the study of this system will be critical to understand the causes, prevention, and treatment of vascular disorders and diseases including tumor invasion, tumor metastasis, neointima formation, infection with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), Alzheimer disease, and multiple sclerosis. The molecular basis for these broad physiological and pathophysiological roles of uPAR/uPA system stems from uPAR's capability to interact with many diverse ligands, e.g., uPA, vitronectin, integrins (31, 32, 33), LRP, GPCR, and the dynamic conformational changes caused by these protein-protein interactions. The principal investigator's recent results (Huai, et al. """"""""Structure of Human Urokinase Plasminogen Activator in Complex"""""""", Science, in press, 2006) suggest conformational flexibility of uPAR. The goal of this proposal is to systematically study the structural basis and the dynamic nature of the interactions between uPAR and its ligands. The principal investigator proposes to study the structures of soluble uPAR (suPAR) (aim 1), suPAR in complex with vitronectin (aim 2), suPAR in complex with full- length uPA (aim 3), and to compare and analyze the structures of suPAR and suPAR-ligand complexes (aim 4). Protein X-ray crystallography will be the main tool to study these protein-protein interactions, but other common molecular and cell biology techniques will also be used. The principal investigator has established methods to generate needed reagents and has made several preliminary suPAR-ligand crystals, providing a solid basis for these proposed studies. These systematic structural studies of uPAR and its complexes with physiologically important uPA forms and vitronectin will understand the dynamic interactions between uPAR and its ligands, identify unanimously the binding determinants on the receptor and the ligands that confer therapeutic accessibility, and provide a framework for future design and optimization of small molecular antagonists to regulate these protein-protein interactions and to intervene the pathologic consequences resulting from these interactions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL086584-04
Application #
7749537
Study Section
Hemostasis and Thrombosis Study Section (HT)
Program Officer
Srinivas, Pothur R
Project Start
2007-01-15
Project End
2011-12-31
Budget Start
2010-01-01
Budget End
2010-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$382,500
Indirect Cost
Name
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
071723621
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02215
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Ngo, Jacky Chi Ki; Jiang, Longguang; Lin, Zhonghui et al. (2011) Structural basis for therapeutic intervention of uPA/uPAR system. Curr Drug Targets 12:1729-43
Lin, Lin; Gårdsvoll, Henrik; Huai, Qing et al. (2010) Structure-based engineering of species selectivity in the interaction between urokinase and its receptor: implication for preclinical cancer therapy. J Biol Chem 285:10982-92
Liu, Zhuo; Lin, Lin; Yuan, Cai et al. (2010) Trp2313-His2315 of factor VIII C2 domain is involved in membrane binding: structure of a complex between the C2 domain and an inhibitor of membrane binding. J Biol Chem 285:8824-9
Chen, Zhuo; Lin, Lin; Huai, Qing et al. (2009) Challenges for drug discovery - a case study of urokinase receptor inhibition. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 12:961-7
Huai, Qing; Zhou, Aiwu; Lin, Lin et al. (2008) Crystal structures of two human vitronectin, urokinase and urokinase receptor complexes. Nat Struct Mol Biol 15:422-3
Huai, Qing; Mazar, Andrew P; Kuo, Alice et al. (2006) Structure of human urokinase plasminogen activator in complex with its receptor. Science 311:656-9