Engineering of a staphylokinase-based fibrinolytic agent with antithrombotic activity and targeting capability toward thrombin-rich fibrin and plasma clots

J Biol Chem. 2003 Jul 18;278(29):26677-86. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M303241200. Epub 2003 May 7.

Abstract

Current clinically approved thrombolytic agents have significant drawbacks including reocclusion and bleeding complications. To address these problems, a staphylokinase-based thrombolytic agent equipped with antithrombotic activity from hirudin was engineered. Because the N termini for both staphylokinase and hirudin are required for their activities, a Y-shaped molecule is generated using engineered coiled-coil sequences as the heterodimerization domain. This agent, designated HE-SAKK, was produced and assembled from Bacillus subtilis via secretion using an optimized co-cultivation approach. After a simple in vitro treatment to reshuffle the disulfide bonds of hirudin, both staphylokinase and hirudin in HE-SAKK showed biological activities comparable with their parent molecules. This agent was capable of targeting thrombin-rich fibrin clots and inhibiting clot-bound thrombin activity. The time required for lysing 50% of fibrin clot in the absence or presence of fibrinogen was shortened 21 and 30%, respectively, with HE-SAKK in comparison with staphylokinase. In plasma clot studies, the HE-SAKK concentration required to achieve a comparable 50% clot lysis time was at least 12 times less than that of staphylokinase. Therefore, HE-SAKK is a promising thrombolytic agent with the capability to target thrombin-rich fibrin clots and to minimize clot reformation during fibrinolysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus subtilis / genetics
  • Bacillus subtilis / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Blood Coagulation / drug effects
  • DNA, Recombinant / genetics
  • Disulfides / chemistry
  • Drug Design*
  • Fibrin / metabolism*
  • Fibrinolytic Agents / chemistry*
  • Fibrinolytic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Hirudins / chemistry
  • Hirudins / genetics
  • Hirudins / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Metalloendopeptidases / chemistry*
  • Metalloendopeptidases / genetics
  • Metalloendopeptidases / pharmacology*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protein Engineering
  • Thrombin / metabolism*
  • Thrombosis / blood
  • Thrombosis / drug therapy*

Substances

  • DNA, Recombinant
  • Disulfides
  • Fibrinolytic Agents
  • Hirudins
  • Fibrin
  • Thrombin
  • Metalloendopeptidases
  • auR protein, Staphylococcus aureus