Synthetic chimeras of mouse growth factor‐associated glandular kallikreins. II. Growth factor binding properties

Abstract Six chimeric constructs of the sequentially similar growth factor‐associated kallikreins–epidermal growth factor binding protein (EGF‐BP) and the γ‐subunit of nerve growth factor (γ‐NGF)–have been expressed, and their ability to generate complexes with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and β‐NGF, analogous to the high molecular weight forms (7S NGF and HMW‐EGF) found in the mouse submaxillary gland, evaluated. The chimeras are distinguished by the interchange of three regions composing the amino, middle, and carboxyl terminal regions that encompass four surface loops possibly involved in specific growth factor interactions. Native β‐NGF (along with native α‐NGF) formed complexes indistinguishable from naturally occurring 7S NGF, characterized by an α 2 βγ 2 structure (where β‐NGF is itself a dimer), with recombinant (r) γ‐NGF and with a chimera in which the amino terminal region from EGF‐BP was substituted. Two other chimeras containing either the middle or carboxyl terminal regions of γ‐NGF showed weaker ability to form 7S complexes. Thus, all chimeras containing two segments from γ‐NGF retained at least some ability to form the 7S complex. rEGF‐BP reacted weakly with EGF, but the chimera composed of the amino and middle segments of EGF‐BP and the carboxyl terminal segment of γ‐NGF formed a nativelike HMW‐EGF complex. None of the other chimeras appeared to bind EGF. These results identify amino acid positions within each kallikrein that participate in strong growth factor interactions and demonstrate that, outside of active site contacts, different regions of the kallikreins are involved in the binding of EGF and β‐NGF, respectively.