Temperature-dependent irreversible conformational change of recombinant ADAMTS13 upon metal ion chelation

The catalytic domain of ADAMTS13 possesses one Zn²⁺ and up to three putative Ca²⁺ binding sites and can be inactivated by chelating agents. Although replenishment with an appropriate metallic cation is thought to restore the enzyme's proteolytic activity fully, ADAMTS13 stability in a metal ion-depleting environment has not been explored.

To address the stability of ADAMTS13 in citrated human plasma.

ADAMTS13 activity was measured using the FRETS-VWF73 fluorogenic assay. The molar ratio of metals bound to ADAMTS13 was determined by size exclusion chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS). Higher-order structural changes were analyzed using Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering.

ADAMTS13 was stable at room temperature for up to 24 hours irrespective of the presence of citrate (0.38%). However, at 37°C, citrate caused a time-dependent activity decrease. No ADAMTS13 activity decrease was seen in heparinized plasma, but the addition of citrate again caused ADAMTS13 instability at 37°C. Scavenging of citrate by the addition of Ca²⁺ or Zn²⁺ prior to but not postincubation prevented the activity decrease of the enzyme. The SEC-ICP-MS analyses showed that ADAMTS13 only bound Zn²⁺ and that its reduced activity correlated with a gradual loss of bound Zn²⁺ . Concomitant higher-order structural analyses demonstrated structural changes in ADAMTS13 that are typical of less-ordered protein structures.

Zn²⁺ is required to stabilize ADAMTS13 structure at physiologic temperature, thereby preventing irreversible loss of enzyme activity. This finding is particularly important to consider when using citrated human plasma as a source of ADAMTS13 in clinical settings.