Identification of SERPINB1 as a physiological inhibitor of human granzyme H

J Immunol. 2013 Feb 1;190(3):1319-30. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1202542. Epub 2012 Dec 26.

Abstract

The granzyme/perforin pathway is a major mechanism for cytotoxic lymphocytes to eliminate virus-infected and tumor cells. The balance between activation and inhibition of the proteolytic cascade must be tightly controlled to avoid self damage. Granzyme H (GzmH) is constitutively expressed in NK cells and induces target cell death; however, how GzmH activity is regulated remains elusive. We reported earlier the crystal structures of inactive D102N-GzmH alone and in complex with its synthetic substrate and inhibitor, as well as defined the mechanisms of substrate recognition and enzymatic activation. In this study, we identified SERPINB1 as a potent intracellular inhibitor for GzmH. Upon cleavage of the reactive center loop at Phe(343), SERPINB1 forms an SDS-stable covalent complex with GzmH. SERPINB1 overexpression suppresses GzmH- or LAK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. We determined the crystal structures of active GzmH and SERPINB1 (LM-DD mutant) in the native conformation to 3.0- and 2.9-Å resolution, respectively. Molecular modeling reveals the possible conformational changes in GzmH for the suicide inhibition. Our findings provide new insights into the inhibitory mechanism of SERPINB1 against human GzmH.

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cytoplasmic Granules / enzymology
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Granzymes / chemistry
  • Granzymes / isolation & purification
  • Granzymes / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / immunology
  • Models, Molecular
  • Neoplasm Proteins / chemistry
  • Neoplasm Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Neoplasm Proteins / physiology
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / physiology
  • Serpins / chemistry
  • Serpins / isolation & purification
  • Serpins / physiology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Serpins
  • SERPINB1 protein, human
  • GZMH protein, human
  • Granzymes