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The serine protease thrombin is known as a blood coagulation factor. Through limited cleavage of proteinase- activated receptors it can also control growth and functions in various cell types, including neurons, astrocytes, and microglia ( brain macrophages). A number of previous studies indicated that thrombin induces the release of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines from microglial cells, suggesting another important role for the protease beyond hemostasis. In the present report, we provide evidence that this effect is not mediated by any proteolytic or non- proteolytic mechanism involving thrombin proper. Inhibition of the enzymatic thrombin activity did not affect the microglial release response. Instead the cyto-/chemokine-inducing activity solely resided in a high molecular weight protein fraction that could be isolated in trace amounts even from apparently homogenous alpha- and gamma-thrombin preparations. High molecular weight material contained thrombin-derived peptides as revealed by mass spectrometry but was devoid of thrombin-like enzymatic activity. Separated from the high molecular weight fraction by fast protein liquid chromatography, enzymatically intact alpha- and gamma-thrombin failed to trigger any release. Our findings may force a revision of the notion that thrombin itself is a direct proinflammatory release signal for microglia. In addition, they could be relevant for the study of other cellular activities and their assignment to this protease
Amyloid protofibril formation of phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and Syrian hamster prion protein (SHaPrP(90- 232)) were investigated by static and dynamic light scattering, size exclusion chromatography and electron microscopy. Changes in secondary structure were monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and by circular dichroism. Protofibril formation of the two proteins is found to be a two-stage process. At the beginning, an ensemble of critical oligomers is built lip. These critical oligomeric states possess a predominant beta-sheet structure and do not interact considerably with monomers. Initial oligomerization and transition to beta-sheet structure are coupled events differing in their details for both proteins. Intermediate oligomeric states (dimers, trimers, etc.) are populated in case of PGK, whereas SHaPrP(90-232) behaves according to oil apparent two-state reaction between monomers and octamers rich in beta- structure with a reaction order varying between 2 and 4. All oligomers coalesce to PGK protofibrils in the second stage, while SHaPrP(90-232) protofibrils are only formed by a subpopulation. The rates of both growth stages can be tuned in case of PGK by different salts preserving the underlying generalized diffusion-collision mechanism. The different kinetics of the early misfolding and oligomerization events of the two proteins argue against a common mechanism of protofibril formation. A classification scheme for misassembly, mechanisms of proteins based on energy landscapes is presented. It includes scenarios of downhill polymerization to which protofibril formation of PGK and SHaPrP(90-232) belong