Function of the cysteine-rich domain of the haernorrhagic metalloproteinase atrolysin A: targeting adhesion proteins collagen I and von Willebrand factor

The cysteine-rich domain of the haemorrhagic metalloproteinase atrolysin A was shown to inhibit collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation and to interact with MG-63 osteosarcoma cells via integrin alpha 2 beta 1 to inhibit adhesion to collagen I. In addition, we demonstrate by solid-phase binding assays that atrolysin A binds to collagen I and to vWF (von Willebrand factor) via exosites in the cysteine-rich domain. Interestingly, the binding site of the cysteine-rich domain on collagen I is distinct from the cell adhesion site, since the incubation of collagen-I-coated plates with the cysteine-rich domain did not prevent the adhesion of MG-63 cells to collagen. Finally, we show by surface plasmon resonance (BIAcore (TM)) analyses that the cysteine-rich domain can block vWF binding to collagen I as well as the binding of collagen I to vWF. Taken together, these results indicate that this domain may function as a cell-surface-receptor-binding site and/or a substrate recognition exosite and may thus play a role in the pathologies associated with atrolysin A.