Expression and characterization of wild-type TFPI and the [P151L]TFPI mutant in insect cells

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a multivalent Kunitz-type serine proteinase inhibitor that plays a central role in the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. In earlier studies we could identify the [P151L]TFPI mutant, and we could also demonstrate that heterozygous carriers of this mutant show a nine-fold increased risk for deep venous thrombosis (DVT). To express greater amounts of both proteins and to enable their characterization, we expressed wild-type TFPI as well as [P151L]TFPI in High Five insect cells with expression rates of up to 215 ng/ml for wild-type TFPI and 214 ng/ml for [P151L]TFPI. The specific inhibitory activities for the recombinant proteins were determined as 11.3 and 11.5 mU/ng, respectively. Both proteins were detected via Western blot analysis and ELISA. The recombinant proteins' inhibitory activities were characterized by a chromogenic assay and by the determination of a modified activated thromboplastin time (aPTT) in which both of them proved to be inhibitorily active. We also examined both recombinant proteins' binding properties to glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans, lipoproteins and tissue factor. Our results show that we have developed an efficient model system for the recombinant expression of inhibitorily active wild-type TFPI as well as [P151L]TFPI in insect cells, and we were able to characterize both proteins' inhibitory properties by determination of their influence on the aPTT and also their binding properties. Although both recombinant proteins did not show a significant difference in their effect on the aPTT, their binding properties differed significantly between the wild type and mutant protein.