Nerve growth factor. A structural relationship between its proteolytic and leukocyte-chemotactic active sites

High molecular weight mouse nerve growth factor (HMW-NGF), in addition to its effects on certain neural elements, is also chemotactic for human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. One of the subunits of HMW-NGF is a protease of the serine family and its active site contains a serine residue and a closely-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular and cellular biochemistry 1985-02, Vol.66 (1), p.65-69
Main Authors: Young, M, Gee, A P, Boyle, M D, Lawman, M J, Munger, K L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Binding Sites
chemotaxis
Chemotaxis, Leukocyte - drug effects
histidine
leukocytes (polymorphonuclear)
Macromolecular Substances
man
Mice
Molecular Weight
nerve growth factor
Nerve Growth Factors - analysis
Nerve Growth Factors - pharmacology
Neutrophils - drug effects
serine
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Summary:High molecular weight mouse nerve growth factor (HMW-NGF), in addition to its effects on certain neural elements, is also chemotactic for human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. One of the subunits of HMW-NGF is a protease of the serine family and its active site contains a serine residue and a closely-neighboring histidine residue that are both essential for proteolysis. Elimination of enzyme activity by irreversibly blocking the single serine has no effect on leukotaxis, but blocking the histidine abolishes leukotaxis. These results suggest the possibility that part of the proteolytic active site of this enzyme may have evolved to perform more than one, completely different, biologic function-proteolysis as well as nonproteolytically mediated chemotaxis.
ISSN:0300-8177
1573-4919
DOI:10.1007/BF00231825