Section I: Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Serine Proteases and Serpins.- 1: Thrombin Structural Regions in Determining Bioregutatory Functions.- Acknowledgments.- References.- 2: Regulation and Control of the Fibrinolytic System.- Main Components of the Fibrinolytic System.- Plasminogen.- Physiological Plasminogen Activators.- Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA).- Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA).- Inhibitors of the I1brinolytic System.- Alpha2-Antiplasmin.- Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAL-1).- Regulation and Control of Physiological Fibrinolysis.- Molecular Interactions Between the Components of the Fibrinolytic System.- Mechanism of Action of tPA.- Mechanism of Action of uPA.- Pathophysiological Aspects of Fibrinolysis.- Excessive Fibrinolysis.- Alpha2-Antiplasmin Deficiency and Bleeding.- Excess tPA Levels and Bleeding.- Impairment of Fibrinolysis.- PAI Activity and Thrombosis.- Plasminogen Deficiency and Thrombosis.- Plasminogen Activator Deficiency and Thrombosis.- Conclusion.- References.- 3: A Key Molecule Dictating and Regulating Surface Plasmin Formation: The Receptor for Urokinase Plasminogen Activator.- Physiologically Invasive Processes.- Plasmin Formation.- The uPA Receptor.- Receptor-binding region in uPA.- Structure of the uPA receptor.- uPA Receptors and the Focal Adhesion Sites.- Plasminogen Activation with Surface-Bound Reactants.- Regulation of the uPA-uPA Receptor Interaction.- Conclusions.- References.- 4: Regulation of Tissue Plasminogen Activator Secretion from Human Endothelial Cells.- Results.- Discussion.- References.- 5: Thrombin Disintegrates Cell Surface Urokinase Focal Adhesion Plaques and Decreases Cell Extension: Implications for Axonal Growth.- Materials and Methods.- Materials.- Methods.- Cell culture.- Interference reflection microscopy.- Immunofluorescence labeling of urokinase and vinculin.- Assay of the Growth Factors.- Results.- Discussion.- Acknowledgments.- References.- 6: Structure and Function of Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator.- Biology of tPA.- tPA is a Mosaic Protein.- Interaction with plasminogen.- Interaction with PAI-1.- Interaction with fibrin.- Interaction with receptors in the liver.- Extravascular Cofactors.- Heparin.- Fibronectin.- Thrombospondin and Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein.- Miscellaneous.- References.- 7: The Heparin Binding Site and Activation of Protease Nexin I.- Protease Nexin I.- Antithrombin III.- Heparin Cofactor II.- Methods.- Results and Discussion.- Heparin Binding Serpins: Structure and Reactive Centre.- Protease Nexin I: Identification of the Heparin Binding Site.- Evidence From Antithrombin mutants....- Modelling of the Site.- Conclusion.- Acknowledgments.- References.- 8: Polypeptide Chain Structure of Inter-?-Trypsin Inhibitor and Pre-?-Trypsin Inhibttor: Evidence for Chain Assembly by Glycan and Comparison with Other "Kunin"-Containing Proteins.- Experimental Procedures.- Materials.- Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis.- Trypsin Inhibitor Counterstained Gels.- Protein Purification.- Protein Fragmentation.- Amino Acid Sequence Analysis.- Chemical Deglycosylation.- Enzymatic Deglycosylation.- Zone Electrophoresis of I?I and P?I kDa.- Results.- Purification of SDS-Stable Trypsin Inhibitors from Human Plasma.- Identity of the Inhibitors.- Chain Composition.- Chain Stoichiometry.- Composition of the Crosslinks(s).- Location of the Crosslink.- Multiple Forms of Kunin-Containing Proteins.- Summary.- Acknowledgments.- References.- 9: Regulation of Protease Nexin I Activity and Target Protease Specificity by the Extracellular Matrix.- Results.- Fibroblasts Accelerate the Inactivation of Thrombin by PNI.- Fibroblasts Block the Ability of PNI to Inactivate Urokinase and Plasmin.- Discussion.- Summary.- Acknowledgments.- References.- Section II: Molecular Biology of Serine Proteases and Serpins.- 10: Induction of the Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Gene by Cytoskeeton-Disrupting Agents.- Materials and Methods.- Materials.- Cell Culture.- cDNA Probes.- RNA Analysis.- Nuclear run on-transcription.- CAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Assay.- DNA Transfection and CAT Assay.- Transgenic Mice.- Results.- Colchicine Induces uPA mRNA and Gene Transcription.- Cytochalasin B Also Induces uPA Gene Expression.- Induction of uPA mRNA by Colchicine or Cytochalasin B Treatment Involves Protein kinase C.- Induction of uPA Gene Expression is Mediated by Cis-Acting Element.- Expression of uPA LacZ Chimeric Gene in Transgenic Mice.- Discussion.- References.- 11: Use of Protein Chemistry and Molecular Biology to Determine Interaction Areas Between Proteases and Their Inhibitors: The Thrombin-Hirudin Interaction as an Example.- Properties of Thrombin and Hirudin.- Thrombin.- Hirudin.- Kinetic Mechanism of the Inhibition of Thrombin by Hirudin.- Identification of Interaction Areas on Thrombin.- Derivatives of ?-thrombin With Modified Active Sites.- Proteolysed Forms of Thrombin and Peptide-Specific Antibodies.- Protection Against Chemical Modification and Proteolysis.- Identification of Interaction Areas on Hirudin.- Importance of Basic Amino Acid Residues.- Ionic Interactions Involving the C-terminal Region.- Interaction With the N-terminus.- Conclusions.- References.- 12: Signal Transduction Chains Involved in the Control of the Fibrinolytic Enzyme Cascade.- Hormonal Modulation of the Fibrinolytic System.- Protein Kinase C-dependent Pathway.- Tyrosine Specific Protein Kinase Dependent Pathway.- Regulation by Steroid Hormones.- Regulation by Cyclic AMP.- Regulation Via the Hypothalamic-Gonadal Axis.- Regulation by Cytokines.- Summary.- References.- 13: Rodent Serpins: Accelerated Evolution and Novel Specificities.- Materials and Methods.- Genetic Analysis.- Cosmid Clone Analysis.- Sequence Analysis of Exon 5.- Results and Discussion.- Serpin Genes and Genetics.- Structure of the Spi-2 Locus.- Evolution of the Reactive Centre Region of the Serpins.- Accelerated Evolution in the Reactive Centre Domain.- Reactive Centre Regions Within the Spi-2 Gene Cluster.- Expression of the Spi-2 Genes in Mouse.- References.- 14: Structure of the Human Protease Nexin Gene and Expression of Recombinant forms of PNI.- Materials and Methods.- Tissue Culture.- Preparation of mRNA and Northern Blot Analysis.- Construction of Human Genomic Library.- Hybridization Procedures.- DNA Manipulations.- DNA Sequencing and Analysis.- Expression of PNI in CHO Cells.- Expression of Recombinant PNI in Insect Cells.- Thrombin Inhibition Assay of PNI.- PNI/Protease Complex Formation.- Results.- Identification of Two Different Forms of PNI.- Analysis of PNI mRNA Expression.- Differential Expression of PNI and Plasminogen Activator.- Structure of the PNI Gene.- Comparison of the PNI Gene and the PAI-1 Gene.- Expression of Recombinant PNI in Mammalian and Insect Cells.- Characterization of CHO Recombinant Alpha PNI.- Discussion.- Summary.- References.- 15: Evolutionary Adaptations of Serpins and Their Use in Designing New Proteinase Inhibitors.- How Do Serpins Function as Inhibitors?.- Is Serpin Complex Formation Reversible?.- How are Serpins Regulated?.- Is Carbohydrate Required for Inhibitory Activity?.- Are all Elastase Specific Serpins Oxidative sensitive?.- What are the P1 Residues in Naturally Occurring Oxidation Resistant Elastase Inhibitors?.- How Have Elastase Inhibitors Evolved?.- Can We Change Inhibitor Specificity?.- Summary.- References.- Section III: Serine Proteases in the Nervous System.- 16: Plasminogen Activator in the Developing Nervous System.- Methods.- Cell Cultures.- Plasminogen Activator Assays.- 125I-tPA Binding Assay.- Proteolysis of Fibronectin.- tPA mRNA.- Results.- Discussion.- Acknowledgments.- References.- 17: Multiple Roles for Plasminogen Activator System in Nervous System Development.- Neuronal Migration.- Glial P…