Overlap of IGF- and heparin-binding sites in rat IGF-binding protein-5.

Using site-directed mutagenesis, we have undertaken a study of a potential IGF-binding site in the C-terminal domain of rat IGFBP-5, lying close to or within a previously described heparin-binding domain (residues 201-218) in this protein. After analysis of binding activity using three different methods - ligand blotting, solution phase equilibrium binding and biosensor measurement of real-time on- and off-rates - we report that the mutation of two highly conserved residues within this region (glycine 203 and glutamine 209) reduces the affinity of the binding protein for both IGF-I and IGF-II, while having no effect on heparin binding. In addition, we confirm that mutation of basic residues within the heparin-binding domain (R201L, K202E, K206Q and R214A) results in a protein that has attenuated heparin binding but shows only a small reduction in affinity for IGF-I and -II. Previous findings have described the reduction in affinity of IGFBP-5 for IGFs that occurs after complexation of the binding protein with heparin or other components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and have postulated that such an interaction may result in conformational changes in protein structure, affecting subsequent IGF interaction. Our data suggesting potential overlap of heparin- and IGF-binding domains argue for a more direct effect of ECM modulation of the affinity of IGFBP-5 for ligand by partial occlusion of the IGF-binding site after interaction with ECM.