Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was examined as part of a continuing study of the interaction of proteins and peptides with the glycosaminoglycan heparin. BNP was tentatively identified as a heparin-binding protein on the basis of its cyclic structure and the high frequency of the basic amino acid residues, lysine and arginine. Thermodynamic analysis using isothermal titration calorimetry confi...

Virus capsid proteins modified with a heparin binding peptide can selectively bind and encapsulate inside protein cage.

Heparin cofactor II is a plasma protein that inhibits thrombin rapidly in the presence of either heparin or dermatan sulfate. We have determined the effects of two glycosaminoglycan-binding proteins, i.e., histidine-rich glycoprotein and platelet factor 4, on these reactions. Inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor II and heparin was completely prevented by purified histidine-rich glycoprote...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) supports hippocampal, cortical and basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, which lose function in Alzheimer's disease. In Alzheimer's tissues such as hippocampus and parietal cortex, brain- derived neurotrophic factor mRNA is decreased three- to four-fold compared with controls. However, the molecular mechanism of the down-regulation of BDNF in Alzheimer's ...