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A plasma nucleosome releasing factor (NRF) with serine protease activity is instrumental in removal of nucleosomes from secondary necrotic cells
Author(s) -
Zeerleder Sacha,
Zwart Bas,
te Velthuis Henk,
Manoe Rishi,
Bulder Ingrid,
Rensink Irma,
Aarden Lucien A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.10.037
Subject(s) - plasmin , serine protease , nucleosome , proteases , serine , protease , chemistry , trypsin , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , serine proteinase inhibitors , histone , biology , dna , enzyme
We observed that interaction of secondary necrotic (sn) cells with human serum or plasma leads to loss of DNA staining. The decrease turned out to be a result of nucleosome release and was specific for apoptotic cells as necrotic cells did not show this phenomenon. We named this activity in plasma nucleosome releasing factor (NRF). NRF activity was completely inhibited by trypsin inhibitors suggesting that a serine protease is involved. Upon testing a number of plasma candidate serine proteases we found that plasmin did have NRF activity. However, plasminogen‐deficient plasma still had NRF activity indicating that NRF is not plasmin. We conclude that a yet unidentified plasma serine protease is involved in removal of nucleosomes from sn cells.