Secreted phosphoprotein 24 kDa (spp24) is a bone matrix protein. It contains a TGF-b receptor II homology 1 (TRH1) domain. A cyclic, synthetic 19 amino acid peptide (bone morphogenetic protein binding peptide or BBP) based on the sequence of the TRH1 domain enhances BMP-2 induced osteogenesis. Many observations suggest that different size forms of this protein have very different effects (inhibiting or enhancing) on BMP-2 induced osteogenesis. Using the stable recombinant Met(His) 6 -tagged secretory form of full-length (fl) bovine spp24 [Met(His) 6 -spp24 (residues 24-203)] and transgenic (TG) mice expressing fl bovine spp24 (residues 1-203), we have demonstrated that spp24 inhibits BMP-2 induced bone formation. The effects of Met(His) 6 -spp24 (24-203) were determined in the ectopic bone-forming bioassay in male mice. Implantation of 5 mg of BMP-2 stimulated bone formation, assessed densitometrically as bone area and mineral content. When Met(His) 6 -spp24 (24-203) was implanted with BMP-2, it elicited a dose-dependent decrease in BMP-2-medicated ectopic bone formation. When added at a 50-fold excess (w/w), Met(His) 6 -spp24 (24-203) completely ablated the effects of BMP-2, while addition of a 10-fold excess had no effect. Constitutive expression of fl bovine spp24 (1-203) under the control of the osteocalcin promoter in TG female mice reduced femoral and vertebral bone mineral density at 3 months of age and reduced femoral BMD at 8 months of age, but had no effects in male mice, which can exhibit less osteocalcin-promoter driven gene transcription than females. Histomorphometric analysis demonstrated that bone volume and trabecular thickness were lower in TG female mice at 3 months of age than in sex-and age-matched wild type (WT) controls. Thus, fl spp24 and its secretory isoform (Met(His) 6 -spp24 ), which contain a BMP-binding or TRH1 motif, inhibit ectopic bone formation in male mice and adversely affects BMD and histological parameters related to bone mass and formation in female mice expressing the human transgene. Under these conditions, fl spp24 acts as a BMP antagonist in vivo. Keywords: bone formation; spp24; bone morphogenetic protein Secreted phosphoprotein-24 (spp24) is a 24 kDa protein of unknown function first cloned from bovine bone matrix.1 The calculated molecular weight of the fulllength unprocessed precursor [bovine spp24 (residues 1-203)] is 23.1 kDa (Swiss-Prot database; AC #Q27967). The first 23 amino acid residues of bovine spp24 (1-203) constitute a signal peptide that is cleaved when the protein is secreted in its mature form [spp24 (24-203)]. The protein contains two internal disulfide bonds linking residues 86 to 97 and 110 to 128, respectively, and contains internal domains with sequence homology to cystatins (cysteine protease inhibitors) and cathelicidins (protease-sensitive precursors of endogenous antibiotic peptides).1 Recent work demonstrated that an 18.5 kDa protein in the osteogenic fraction that Urist et al.2 isolated from demineralized bone matrix (DBM) by hy...

Secreted phosphoprotein-24 kDa (spp24) is a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-binding protein isolated from bone. It exists in a number of size forms and is hypothesized to function as a BMP latency protein and/or a ''slow release'' mechanism for BMPs involved in bone turnover and repair. We have examined the hypothesis that proteolytic modification of the C-terminus of spp24 affects its BMP-2-binding properties and bioactivity in the BMP-2-stimulated ectopic bone forming bioassay. Three different size forms of recombinant spp24 that correspond to predicted 18.1 kDa, 16.0 kDa, and 14.5 kDa proteolytic products were compared to full-length (fl) spp24. One of these forms (spp18.1) we hypothesize to be the protein which Urist initially, but apparently inaccurately, called ''BMP.'' Only full-length spp24 completely inhibited BMP-2-induced bone formation. The 18.1 kDa truncated isoform of spp24 which we hypothesize to be Urist's protein did not. The inhibitory capacity of the proteins was correlated with their kinetic constants, assessed by surface plasmon resonance. At the highest, inhibitory, dose of spp24 and its derivatives, k d (''stability'') best predicted the extent of ectopic bone formation whereas at the lowest dose, which was not inhibitory, k a (''recognition'') best predicted the extent of ectopic bone formation. We conclude that proteolytic processing of spp24 affects the interaction of this protein with BMP-2 and this affects the function of the protein. ß

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an established animal model to study the innate immune response to Gram-negative bacteria mimicking symptoms of infection including reduction of food intake. LPS decreases acyl ghrelin associated with decreased concentrations of circulating ghrelin-O-acyltransferase (GOAT) likely contributing to the anorexigenic effect. We also recently described the prominent expression of the novel anorexigenic hormone, nucleobindin2 (NUCB2)/nesfatin-1 in gastric X/A-like cells co-localized with ghrelin in different pools of vesicles. To investigate whether LPS would affect gastric and circulating NUCB2/nesfatin-1 concentration, ad libitum fed rats were equipped with an intravenous (iv) catheter. LPS was injected intraperitoneally (ip, 100 μg/kg) and blood was withdrawn before and at 2, 5, 7 and 24 h post injection and processed for NUCB2/nesfatin-1 radioimmunoassay. Gastric corpus was collected to measure NUCB2 mRNA expression by RT-qPCR and NUCB2/nesfatin-1 protein concentration by Western blot. Injection of LPS increased plasma NUCB2/nesfatin-1 concentrations by 43%, 78% and 62% compared to vehicle at 2 h, 5 h and 7 h post injection respectively (p < 0.05) and returned to baseline at 24 h. The plasma NUCB2/nesfatin-1 increase at 2 h was associated with increased corpus NUCB2 mRNA expression (p < 0.01), whereas NUCB2 mRNA was not detectable in white blood cells. Likewise, gastric NUCB2 protein concentration was increased by 62% after LPS compared to vehicle (p < 0.01). These data show that gastric NUCB2 production and release are increased in response to LPS. These changes are opposite to those of ghrelin in response to LPS supporting a differential gastric regulation of NUCB2/nesfatin-1 and ghrelin expression derived from the same cell by immune challenge.

Secreted phosphoprotein 24 kDa (spp24) is a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/transforming growth factor-β cytokine-binding protein. The spp24 BMP-2-binding/transforming growth factor receptor II homology-1 (TRH1) domain is a highly conserved N-to-C terminally disulfide-bonded 19-amino acid residue loop similar to those in fetuin and the BMP receptor II. TRH1 domains exhibit a characteristic BTB or β-pleated sheet/turn/β-pleated sheet secondary structure. Our objective was to identify amino acid residues in the spp24 TRH1 domain that bind BMP-2, starting with the nine invariant mammalian residues. Alanine scanning (substitution of Ala for a native residue) was conducted for Cys(110), Arg(111), Ser(112), Thr(113), Val(114), Ser(117), Val(121), Val(124), and Cys(128) of recombinant bovine spp24 (residues 24-203). Binding to rhBMP-2 was assessed by surface plasmon resonance, and the equilibrium binding constants were calculated assuming 1:1 binding between spp24 or its mutants and rhBMP-2, so that affinity = K(D) = k(d)/k(a). Replacing Arg(111) (a positively charged basic residue), polar residues Thr(113) and Ser(117), and the nonpolar Cys(128) with Ala had little effect on BMP-2 binding. Replacing Val(114) or Val(121) with Ala increased binding affinity, whereas replacing Cys(110), Ser(112), Val(124), or both Cys(110) and Cys(128) with Ala decreased it. The kinetics of spp24 binding to BMP-2 can be manipulated by replacing invariant TRH1 residues. Decreasing the relative degree of hydrophobicity in the β-pleated sheet secondary structural motif of the TRH1 domain by replacing key Val residues with Ala increased the affinity for BMP-2 whereas altering the composition of the α-helical turn did not. Thus, the β-pleated sheets play a greater role in BMP-2 binding than the α-helical turn.

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