Proline-Rich Gla Protein 2 Is a Cell-Surface Vitamin K-Dependent Protein That Binds to the Transcriptional Coactivator Yes-Associated Protein
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Proline-rich Gla protein 2 is a cell-surface vitamin K-dependent protein that binds to the transcriptional coactivator Yes-associated protein John D. Kulman*, Jeff E. Harris*, Ling Xie†, and Earl W. Davie*‡ *Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; and †National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892 Contributed by Earl W. Davie, April 6, 2007 (sent for review April 2, 2007) Proline-rich Gla protein 2 (PRGP2) is one of four known vertebrate terminal propeptide that is removed by limited proteolysis after transmembrane ␥-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) proteins. Members of ␥-glutamyl carboxylation (11–13). A second enzyme, vitamin K this protein family are broadly expressed in fetal and adult human 2,3-epoxide reductase (VKOR) is required for the regeneration tissues and share a common architecture consisting of a predicted of reduced vitamin K, and it is this activity that is antagonized propeptide and Gla domain, a single-pass transmembrane seg- by warfarin-type anticoagulants (14, 15). ment, and tandem Pro/Leu-Pro-Xaa-Tyr (PY) motifs near their C Despite the central role that the Gla domain plays in blood termini. Using a methodology developed for the regulated expres- coagulation, several lines of evidence indicate nonhemostatic sion of enzymatically biotinylated proteins in mammalian cells, we functions for the domain. For example, the anticoagulant co- demonstrate that PRGP2 undergoes ␥-glutamyl carboxylation in a factor protein S forms a complex with C4b-binding protein that manner that is both dependent upon the presence of a proteolyti- negatively regulates complement on the surface of apoptotic cally cleavable propeptide and sensitive to warfarin, a vitamin K cells, and the binding of this complex to apoptotic cells is antagonist that is widely used as an antithrombotic agent. When mediated by the Gla domain of protein S (16–18). Gas6, a expressed at physiologically relevant levels, the majority of PRGP2 paralog of protein S, promotes survival and proliferation of is present in the ␥-glutamyl carboxylated, propeptide-cleaved various types of cells by activating members of the Axl subfamily (mature) form. We additionally demonstrate, by Western blotting of receptor tyrosine kinases. These activities are abrogated when and flow cytometry, that mature PRGP2 is predominantly located Gas6 is produced in the presence of warfarin, highlighting the on the cell surface with the Gla domain exposed extracellularly. In indispensable nature of ␥-glutamyl carboxylation (19–22). Ad- a yeast two-hybrid screen that used the C-terminal cytoplasmic ditional evidence that Gla domains perform functions unrelated region of PRGP2 as bait, we identified the WW domain-containing to hemostasis is provided by the recent identification of Gla transcriptional coactivator Yes-associated protein (YAP) as a bind- domain proteins in ascidians, marine invertebrates that lack a ing partner for PRGP2. In GST pull-down experiments, both PRGP2 blood coagulation cascade (23–25). PY motifs and both YAP WW domains were essential for complex The transmembrane Gla proteins constitute the most recently BIOCHEMISTRY formation, as were residues proximal to the core sequence of the identified family of vertebrate Gla domain proteins, and include first PY motif. These findings suggest that PRGP2 may be involved proline-rich Gla proteins (PRGPs) 1 and 2, and transmembrane in a signal transduction pathway, the impairment of which may be Gla proteins (TMGs) 3 and 4 (26, 27). In contrast to the vitamin an unintended consequence of warfarin therapy. K-dependent coagulation factors, members of this protein family exhibit broad extrahepatic tissue distribution, and are predicted Gla domain ͉ warfarin ͉ WW domain to be type I integral membrane proteins. The C-terminal regions of these proteins each contain two tandem repeats of a Pro/ itamin K is a cofactor for the posttranslational conversion of Leu-Pro-Xaa-Tyr (PY) motif, the minimal sequence recognized glutamic acid residues to ␥-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) resi- by type I WW domains (28–30). The WW domain is a protein V Ϸ dues, a reaction that occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (1, module of 40 residues, first identified in Yes-associated protein 2). The vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors each possess an (YAP) (31), that has subsequently been identified in a variety of N-terminal Gla domain, a protein module of Ϸ45 residues that signaling and cytoskeletal proteins, including dystrophin, contains between 9 and 13 Gla residues. The coordination of Nedd4-like ubiquitin ligases, the tumor suppressor WWOX, and calcium ions by Gla residues within the Gla domain occurs at several others. physiological plasma calcium concentration and maintains the Gla Results domain in a conformation that is capable of binding to phospholipid surfaces, specifically those that contain the anionic aminophospho- Posttranslational Processing of PRGP2 Expressed in CHO Tet-On Cells. lipid, phosphatidylserine (PS) (3–5). PS is sequestered on the inner PRGP2 was expressed in CHO Tet-On cells by using plasmid leaflet of the plasma membrane under normal cellular homeostasis pCBio, a vector designed for the doxycycline (dox)-regulated but is expressed extracellularly in response to intracellular calcium expression of enzymatically biotinylated proteins in mammalian mobilization, most notably during apoptosis and platelet activation cells (32). In this system, the target protein bearing a C-terminal (6–8). In the former case, PS exposure marks cells for efficient biotin acceptor peptide (BioTag) is coexpressed on a bicistronic clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (7). In the latter, PS exposure on the surface of activated platelets provides a substrate Author contributions: J.D.K. and L.X. designed research; J.D.K., J.E.H., and L.X. performed for the deposition and proteolytic activation of vitamin K- research; J.D.K. and L.X. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; J.D.K. and E.W.D. ana- dependent coagulation factors (6). lyzed data; J.D.K. and E.W.D. wrote the paper. At least two distinct enzymatic activities are required for the The authors declare no conflict of interest. ␥ -glutamyl carboxylation of Gla domain-containing proteins. Abbreviations: Gla, ␥-carboxyglutamic acid; dox, doxycycline; PRGP, proline-rich Gla pro- The first of these, ␥-glutamyl carboxylase, facilitates carboxyl tein; TMG, transmembrane Gla protein; YAP, Yes-associated protein; ER, endoplasmic transfer to Glu residues and the concomitant oxidation of the reticulum. reduced hydroquinone form of the vitamin K cofactor (9, 10). ‡To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]. ␥-Glutamyl carboxylase recognizes substrates bearing an N- © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA www.pnas.org͞cgi͞doi͞10.1073͞pnas.0703195104 PNAS ͉ May 22, 2007 ͉ vol. 104 ͉ no. 21 ͉ 8767–8772 Downloaded by guest on September 29, 2021 message with Escherichia coli biotin ligase (BirA) in response to dox added to the culture medium. The target protein then undergoes quantitative BirA-dependent site-specific biotinyla- tion within the cytoplasm, facilitating its detection with a sen- sitivity that is superior to antibody-based reagents. PRGP2 constructs (Fig. 1A) included wild-type PRGP2, as well as variants with mutations that would be expected to abolish propeptide recognition by ␥-glutamyl carboxylase [F(-19)A], prevent the proteolytic removal of the propeptide [R(-1)A], and result in deletion of the signal peptide, propeptide and extra- cellular domain of the protein (⌬Ecto). Transiently transfected cells were cultured in the presence of either 5 M vitamin K (Fig. 1B, odd-numbered lanes) or 5 M warfarin (Fig. 1B, even- numbered lanes), and analyzed by Western blotting. Detection of total biotinylated PRGP2 with streptavidin-HRP (lanes 1–10) revealed four major protein species. A major band of Ϸ30 kDa and a minor band of Ϸ32 kDa were present in all lanes for full-length PRGP2 constructs, regardless of whether cells had been cultured with vitamin K or warfarin. Expression of the ⌬Ecto construct resulted in intense 12-kDa bands for both vitamin K- and warfarin-treated cells. Faint bands corresponding to approximately the same molecular mass were observed in all other lanes except those for the negative expression control, and likely represent a minor form of the protein that is cleaved proximal to its transmembrane region. Most notably, a 24-kDa band was present in the lane for vitamin K-treated cells express- ing wild-type PRGP2 (lane 3), but absent in the lane for similarly transfected cells that had been treated with warfarin (lane 4). Biotinylated PRGP2 was isolated from cell lysates by adsorption to immobilized avidin and analyzed by Western blotting with a monoclonal antibody specific for Gla residues (lanes 11–20). The 24-kDa band corresponding to that in lane 3 was detected with the anti-Gla antibody in the lane for vitamin K-treated cells expressing wild-type PRGP2 (lane 13) but not in the lane for similarly transfected cells that had been treated with warfarin (lane 14), confirming that this band represents the vitamin K-dependent, carboxylated form of PRGP2 (hereafter referred to as ‘‘mature’’ PRGP2). Mutation F(-19)A, which corresponds Fig. 1. Expression of PRGP2 in CHO Tet-On cells. (A) Four constructs of PRGP2 to a mutation in factor IX that abolished its ␥-glutamyl carbox- were expressed, each with a C-terminal BioTag to facilitate detection and isola- ylation (33), similarly affected PRGP2 (lane 15). A 30-kDa band tion. The wild-type (WT) construct spans the entire length of prepro-PRGP2 was detected with the anti-Gla antibody in the lysate from cells (residues Ϫ49 to 153). Propeptide mutant F(-19)A is analogous to mutations in that had been transfected with the R(-1)A mutant and treated other vitamin K-dependent proteins that prevent recognition and glutamyl with vitamin K (lane 17), but not in the lysate from similarly carboxylation by ␥-glutamyl carboxylase.