Large scale, in situ isolation of periplasmic IGF-I from E. coli

Human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) accumulates in both folded and aggregated forms in the fermentation medium and cellular periplasmic space when expressed in E. coli with an endogenous secretory signal sequence. Due to its heterogeneity in form and location, low yield of IGF-I was obtained using a typical refractile body recovery strategy. To enhance recovery yield, a new procedure was developed to solubilize and extract IGF-I from cells while in fermentation broth. This method, called in situ solubilization, involves addition of chaotrope and reductant to alkaline fermentation broth and provides recovery of about 90% of all IGF-I in an isolated supernatant. To further enhance recovery, a new aqueous two-phase extraction procedure was developed which partitions soluble non-native IGF-I and biomass solids into separate liquid phases. This two-phase extraction procedure involves addition of polymer and salt to the solubilization mixture and provides about 90% recovery of solubilized IGF-I in the light phase. The performance of the solubilization and aqueous extraction procedures is reproducible at scales ranging from 10 to 1000 liters and provides a 70% cumulative recovery yield of IGF-I in the isolated light phase. The procedure provides significant initial IGF-I purification since most host proteins remain cell associated during solubilization and are enriched in heavy phase. ELISA analysis for E. coli proteins indicates that 97% of the protein in the light phase is IGF-I. Together, the techniques of in situ solubilization and aqueous two-phase extraction provide a new, high yield approach for isolating recombinant protein which is accumulated in more than one form during fermentation.

Preparative isolation of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

The isolation of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (rhIGF-1) is complicated by the presence of several rhIGF-1 variants which co-purify using conventional chromatographic media. These species consist primarily of a methionine-sulfoxide variant of the properly folded molecule and a misfolded form and its respective methionine-sulfoxide variant. An analytical reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography procedure using a 5-micron C18 column, an acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) isocratic elution, and elevated temperature gives baseline resolution of the four species. Using this analytical method as a development tool, a process-scale chromatography step was established. The 5-micron analytical packing material was replaced with a larger-size particle to reduce back-pressure and cost. Since the TFA counter-ion binds tightly to proteins and is difficult to subsequently dissociate, a combination of acetic acid and NaCl was substituted. Isocratic separations are not good process options due to problems with reproducibility and control. A shallow gradient elution using premixed mobile phase buffers at the same linear velocity was found to give an equivalent separation at low load levels and minimized solvent degassing. However, at higher loading there was a loss of resolution. A matrix of various buffers was evaluated for their effects on separation. Elevated pH resulted in a significant shift in both the elution order and relative retention times of the principal rh-IGF-1 variants, resulting in a substantial increase in effective capacity. An increase in the ionic strength further improved resolution. Several different media were evaluated with regard to particle size, shape and pore diameter using the improved mobile phase. The new conditions were scaled up 1305-fold and resulted in superimposable chromatograms, 96% recovery and > 99% purity. Thus, by optimizing the pH, ionic strength and temperature, a high-capacity preparative separation of rhIGF-1 from its related fermentation variants was obtained.

Free insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) in human serum

Using ultrafiltration by centrifugation we have isolated the free, unbound fractions of insulin-like growth factor I and II (free IGF-I and IGF-II) in human serum. In this way near in vivo conditions could be maintained before and during isolation. The recovery was 80 to 100% in the ultrafiltrates, which contained no detectable amounts of IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) as measured by Western ligand blotting and IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 immunoassays. The concentration of free peptides was measured in two ultrasensitive non-competitive IGF-I and IGF-II time-resolved fluoroimmunoassays. We found that (i) equilibrium between free and protein-complexed IGF was strongly dependent on re-establishment of in vivo conditions (temperature, pH, ionic milieu and dilution); (ii) metabolic events (glucose load and fasting) caused significant changes in free IGF-I and IGF-II levels without concomitant changes in total circulating levels of IGFs; (iii) in 49 healthy adult subjects (20 to above 60 years) free IGF-I was inversely related to age and ranged from 950 +/- 150 ng/l (mean +/- S.E.M.) (20-30 years) to 410 +/- 70 ng/l (> 60 years). The relative percentage was, however, unchanged, being 0.38 +/- 0.02% of total IGF-I. In contrast, free IGF-II was independent of age, being 1,480 +/- 80 ng/l (approximately 0.20 +/- 0.01% of total IGF-II).

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) responses in rats maintained with intravenous or intragastric infusion of total parenteral nutrition solutions containing medium- or long-chain triglyceride emulsions

Our objective was to determine how intravenous or intragastric feeding affects serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and -II and IGF binding proteins (IGFBP), and hepatic abundance of IGF-I mRNA. Male Fischer 344 rats (235-246 g) were fed for 14 d by intravenous or intragastric infusion with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions providing 65% of energy from long-chain triglyceride (LCT) or a 3:1 admixture of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) and LCT emulsions (MCT/LCT). Twice as much TPN solution was required per gram of weight gain with MCT/LCT compared with LCT infusion (P < 0.0003). Serum IGF-I and -II concentrations and hepatic IGF-I mRNA abundance were not significantly different. Circulating concentrations of IGFBPs with molecular weights of 38,000-43,000 (IGFBP-3) were significantly greater with intravenous MCT/LCT than with intravenous LCT infusion. Our data demonstrate that reduced growth in rats given TPN containing MCT/LCT compared with LCT emulsions is not associated with reduced serum IGF-I concentrations or hepatic abundance of IGF-I mRNA, although serum IGFBPs are elevated.

Differential removal of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in rat serum by solvent extraction procedures

Solvent extraction of serum and other biological fluids at an acidic pH is a convenient method to remove the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs); however, an incomplete removal of IGFBPs can occur and this can potentially interfere with the radioimmunoassay of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). This study compared the removal of IGFBPs from normal adult rat serum and 5-day old neonatal rat serum by acid-gel filtration, and three solvent extraction methods, i.e., acid-ethanol (AE), acid-cryo-ethanol (ACE) and formic acid-acetone (FAA) treatments by western ligand blotting and slot-blotting analysis. In adult rat serum all three extraction methods removed nearly 75% of total IGFBPs present. For the neonatal serum, AE and FAA were very inefficient in eliminating the IGFBPs, while ACE was somewhat better, as it removed nearly 30% of IGFBPs. Ligand blots of extracted samples showed that IGFBPs of lower size range, 24 to 32 kDa (IGFBP-4, IGFBPs-1 and -2), were resistant to solvent extraction. Acid-gel filtration, in contrast, eliminated > 95% of IGF-binding components in both sera. Determination of IGF-I concentrations in samples after gel filtration and extraction methods revealed lower IGF-I values in neonatal serum in acid extracted samples. These data caution against using solvent extractions for IGFBP removal in fetal/neonatal serum.

Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA, peptides, and receptors in a thoracopulmonary malignant small round cell tumor

Insulin-like growth factor-(IGF) II and IGF-I and IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptors were expressed in a thoracopulmonary malignant small round cell tumor (MSRCT) from a 14-year-old boy. Northern analysis showed that the MSRCT expresses multiple IGF-II mRNA of 6.0, 4.8, 4.2, and 2.2 kilobase from promoters P3 and P4 of the human IGF-II gene. Chromatography and radioimmunoassay revealed two forms of IGF-II with molecular masses of 7.5 kilodalton (kDa) and 10 kDa, corresponding to mature IGF-II and IGF-II with a C-terminal extension, in concentrations of 61 and 41 ng/g/tumor tissue, respectively. By a combined reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis, the authors also show that the MSRCT expresses IGF-I and IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor mRNA. The plasma concentration of IGF-II was 600 ng/ml and within the normal range of serum IGF-II. IGF binding proteins (IGFBP) of 41.5, 38.5, 34, 30, and 24 kDa were present in serum. Compared with normal plasma from healthy subjects and an age-matched group of boys, the level of the 41.5, 38.5, and 30 kDa IGFBP were approximately 3-fold elevated. The authors conclude that transcription of the IGF-II gene leads to the production of significant amounts of 10 kDa IGF-II and 7.5 kDa IGF-II. IGF-II may stimulate the proliferation of MSRCT by interaction with IGF-I receptors on the cells.

Des (1-3) IGF-I potently enhances differentiated cell growth in olfactory bulb organ culture

We recently provided evidence that newborn rat olfactory bulb (OB) could be maintained in serum-free organ culture with combinations of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), both of which are locally synthesized. Des (1-3), or truncated, IGF-I is a potent analog of IGF-I isolated from rat and human brain. We proposed in this study to examine the effects of des (1-3) IGF-I on cell function, morphology and on neuronal and glial cell differentiation in our cultured OB model, using cell-specific immunostains for neurons (150 kDa neurofilament) and glial cells (glial fibrillary associated protein--GFAP). OB were cultured in Iscove's serum-free medium containing IGF-I or des (1-3) IGF-I both alone or in combination with bFGF. Dose dependent responses of 14C amino acid uptake showed des (1-3) IGF-I to be 3-5 fold more potent than IGF-I with a half maximal response at about 20 ng/ml in comparison to 100 ng/ml of IGF-I. The maximum response to IGF-I +/- bFGF was seen at 150 ng/ml; a ten-fold higher dose of insulin +/- bFGF was required to achieve the same response. While morphology was close to fresh 6 day OB following culture with IGF-I (150 ng/ml) and bFGF (25 ng/ml), the substitution of des (1-3) IGF-I at 50 ng/ml markedly improved morphology. Neurons were identified following culture in IGF-I or bFGF alone, but showed greater organisation in the mitral layer following combined IGF-I/bFGF culture. However, in contrast to IGF-I (150 ng/ml), des (1-3) IGF-I (50 ng/ml) supported marked neuronal expression. Furthermore, when des (1-3) IGF-I (50 ng/ml) was substituted for IGF-I, in combination with bFGF, the pattern of enhanced neuronal expression in the mitral layer was very close to that seen in the fresh 6 day bulb, with dendrites projecting to the glomerular layer. In OBs treated with no growth factors, or either IGF-I, des (1-3) IGF-I or bFGF alone, glial expression was widespread and poorly organised, suggesting an injury response. In contrast, following treatment with combinations of bFGF with IGF-I or des (1-3) IGF-I, a more ordered, though enhanced glial response was seen in glomerular and granule cell layers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Characterization of the three 125I-iodination isomers of human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF1)

Human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF1) was labeled with 125I and the resulting mixture of iodination isomers was separated by reverse-phase HPLC. Three major radioactive peaks were isolated and identified by sequencing as the expected three monoiodinated species. The ranking of the affinities of the three isomers for the human IGF1 receptor was found to be Tyr24(125I) > Tyr31(125I) >> Tyr60(125I). The Tyr31(125I) isomer was shown to have an affinity similar to that of unlabeled IGF1 and is thus the tracer of choice for IGF1. The tracers were stable upon storage at -20 degrees C for at least 3 months.

Recombinant coho salmon insulin-like growth factor I. Expression in Escherichia coli, purification and characterization

Recombinant coho salmon insulin-like growth factor I (rsIGF-I) was produced in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized. The rsIGF-I expression vector was constructed by polymerase chain reaction and cloning into a plasmid containing a phage T7 RNA polymerase promoter. The rsIGF-I was recovered from bacterial inclusion bodies, solubilized under reducing conditions, immediately refolded, then fractionated by a two-step ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-52 and Mono-S columns. It was further purified by HPLC on a reverse-phase Asahi-Pak C4P-50 C4 column. Purification of rsIGF-I was monitored by SDS/PAGE and immunoblot with anti-[human somatomedin C (SM C)/IGF-I] serum. The rsIGF-I appeared as a single band with molecular mass of 7 kDa, the same size as recombinant human IGF-I (rhIGF-I) and cross-reacted with anti-(human SM C/IGF-I) serum. The amino acid sequence of rsIGF-I contained an NH2-terminal methionine residue followed by the sequence predicted for mature sIGF-I. At concentrations in the range 3.9-250 ng/ml, rsIGF-I significantly stimulated sulfate uptake by the cultured branchial cartilage of coho salmon. The stimulatory effect of rsIGF-I was concentration dependent and slightly more potent than that of rhIGF-I at the highest concentration tested.

Isolation and sequencing of deer and sheep insulin-like growth factors-I and -II

We have developed a simple method for the isolation of highly purified cervine (c) and ovine (o) insulin-like growth factors-I (IGF-I) and -II. The IGFs were isolated from acidified serum by cation exchange chromatography and then purified by gel filtration, chromatofocusing, and reverse-phase chromatography. The IGF preparations are > 95% pure. The cIGF-I preparation contains < 0.056% cIGF-II and the oIGF-I preparation contains < 0.01% oIGF-II. Both the IGF-II preparations contain < 0.01% IGF-I. The amino acid sequence of cIGF-I has two differences when compared with human (h) IGF-I. The cIGF-II sequence, which is identical to bovine IGF-II, has three differences when compared with hIGF-II.

Characterization of type I IGF receptor and IGF-I mRNA expression in cultured human and bovine glomerular cells

Glomerular hypertrophy is reported in several endocrine disorders such as acromegaly and diabetes mellitus, where abnormalities of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) have been reported. In the present report, we have cultured bovine and human glomerular endothelial cells, and bovine glomerular epithelial and mesangial cells, and characterized the expression of IGF-I mRNA and its receptor in these cells. High affinity, specific receptors for IGF-I were identified in all three types of cells by radioreceptor assays. Receptor number (Ro) derived by Scatchard analysis revealed an unusually high number of Type I IGF receptors, approx. 1.2 x 10(5) receptors/cell in glomerular endothelial cells. Affinity crosslinking studies and immunoprecipitation with antibodies against the Type I IGF receptor identified the alpha-subunit of the IGF-I receptor as having a molecular mass of 140 kDa. Biologically, IGF-I was more potent than insulin or IGF-II in stimulating DNA synthesis in glomerular endothelial cells. Northern blot analysis showed that glomerular and aortic endothelial cells expressed IGF-1 mRNA of 1.7 kb. In contrast, renal glomeruli showed several IGF-1 mRNAs of 7.5, 1.7 and 1.2 kb. Thus, the demonstration of both a prepondence of Type I IGF receptors coupled with the growth promoting effects of IGF-I in glomerular endothelial and epithelial cells, as well as the local production of IGF-I mRNA suggests that IGF-I serves an important role as an autocrine or paracrine regulator of the growth of renal glomeruli.

Human hepatoma cells synthesize and secrete insulin-like growth factor Ia prohormone under growth hormone control

Nucleotide sequencing of cDNAs encoding human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) predicts the existence of two different prohormone forms of IGF-I. The E peptide regions extend the carboxy-terminus of the 70 amino acid core IGF-I molecule (BCAD domains) by either an additional 35 (IGF-Ia) or 77 (IGF-Ib) amino acids. Employing antiserum directed against a peptide sequence unique to the E peptide region of IGF-Ia prohormone, we have identified EIa immunoreactive material (IR-EIa) in the conditioned medium of a human hepatoma cell line, HepG2. Human growth hormone (GH) had dose-dependent stimulatory effects on IR-EIa secretion; incubation of HepG2 cells with GH at maximal concentrations (1-5 micrograms/ml) increased specific IR-EIa in 24 h conditioned medium 3-fold. The addition of human placental lactogen, insulin, IGF-I, dexamethasone, beta-estradiol, or progesterone had no significant effect. Acid chromatography of HepG2 cell conditioned medium revealed a single elution peak of IR-EIa corresponding to M(r) = 12,000-20,000. There was no immunologically detectable 7500 M(r) IGF-I peptide in acid-chromatographed conditioned medium under either basal or stimulated conditions. Biosynthetic labelling of HepG2 cell products with [35S]Trans label and immunoprecipitation with antisera specific to the E or to the AD regions of the IGF-Ia molecule indicated a single species of approx. 14,000 M(r). These data indicate that the E peptide region of IGF-Ia is translated and released as part of the larger molecule in cultured HepG2 cells, and that the levels of this prohormone are regulated by GH.

Alterations in the synthesis of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins and insulin-like growth factors in rat C6 glioma cells transfected with a gap junction connexin43 cDNA

When C6 glioma cells are stably transfected with a connexin43 cDNA and gap junctions are increased, the rate of cellular proliferation is decreased. To determine if this phenomenon is related to alterations in IGFBP and IGF synthesis, we have compared IGFBPs and IGFs in the conditioned media from primary rat astroglia, C6, and transfected C6 clones Cx43-13 (high expresser), and Cx43-12 and Cx43-14 (intermediate expressers). Primary astroglia produced IGFBP-2 (34 kDa) and IGFBP-3 (40-45 kDa). C6 cells synthesized high levels of IGFBP-3 and low levels of IGFBP-2, and a 24 kDa IGFBP (IGFBP-4). Cx43-13 cells did not synthesize IGFBP-3, but produced low levels of IGFBP-2 and high levels of IGFBP-4. Cx43-12 and Cx43-14 secreted IGFBP profiles similar to the parent C6 line, but with reduced levels of IGFBP-2. The lack of IGFBP-3 in Cx43-13 cells was not due to the presence of proteases. Northern analysis showed IGFBP-2 mRNA to be readily detectable only in the primary astroglia. IGFBP-3 mRNA was detected in the primary astroglia, C6, Cx43-12 and Cx43-14, but not in Cx43-13. In contrast, IGFBP-4 mRNA was readily detected only in the Cx43-13. IGF-II concentrations in the media were low to undetectable for both C6 and transfected cells. IGF-I concentrations were significantly lower in the media from transfected cells compared to the C6 cells. Stable mRNA levels for IGF-I were lower in transfected cells, with the lowest levels observed in the Cx43-13 cells. Although C6 cells did not respond mitogenically to exogenous IGF-I or IGF-II, Cx43-13 cells responded to IGF-I or IGF-II in a dose dependent manner. Conditioned media from Cx43-13 cells decreased the DNA synthesis of C6 cells, and this effect could be reversed by the addition of IGF-II. The decreased synthesis of the autocrine/paracrine growth factor IGF-I together with decreased levels of a positive modulator IGFBP-3, and the increased levels of a negative modulator IGFBP-4 in the extracellular milieu, may be responsible for the reduced proliferative capacity in cells expressing abundant connexin43.

Role for membrane and secreted insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 in the regulation of insulin-like growth factor action in lung tumors

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have been implicated in the autocrine and/or paracrine growth of a number of tumor types, including lung tumors. Importantly, insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs), which both enhance and inhibit the physiological and biological actions of the IGFs, have been shown to be secreted in vitro by a wide range of tumors. In particular, IGFBP-2 is frequently produced by human tumor cells, suggesting that this protein may be an important determinant of IGF action in tumors. In the present study, we investigated IGFBP-2 effects in lung tumor cells by examining the influence of IGFBP-2 on IGF-receptor interaction and the biological actions of IGF-I and IGF-II. Affinity cross-linking studies demonstrated expression of type-I and type-II IGF receptors on small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and the presence of abundant membrane-associated IGFBP in SCLC cells but not in NSCLC cells. An antiserum specific for IGFBP-2 was used in immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting studies which demonstrated that the membrane-associated IGFBP identified by affinity cross-linking in SCLC cells is IGFBP-2. In NSCLC cells, both IGF-I and IGF-II bound predominantly to IGF-I receptors, whereas in SCLC cells binding was principally to surface-associated IGFBP-2. SCLC cells failed to respond to IGF-I and -II stimulation in a DNA synthesis assay. For NSCLC cells, IGF-II was a more potent stimulator of DNA synthesis than IGF-I. Soluble IGFBP-2 inhibited the binding of radiolabeled IGF-I and -II to both SCLC and NSCLC cells in a concentration-dependent manner and inhibited IGF-stimulated DNA synthesis in NSCLC cells. These observations indicate that both soluble and membrane-associated IGFBP-2 compete with IGF receptors for ligand binding and, thus, are likely to be important determinants of IGF responsiveness. The findings of the present study also indicate that the type-I receptor on NSCLC cells contains a high-affinity binding site for IGF-II which presumably mediates the biological effects of IGF-II in these cells, thereby implicating IGF-II in the autocrine/paracrine growth of NSCLC.

Preparation of N epsilon B28-monoazidobenzoyl insulin-like growth factor I and photoaffinity labeling of insulin-like growth factor I receptor

Recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (hIGF-I) was reacted with azidobenzoyl hydroxysuccinimide to produce a mixture of photoactive hIGF-I derivatives. The mixture was purified by reversed-phase HPLC to yield three mono-substituted azidobenzoyl hIGF-Is. One of the derivatives was identified by amino acid sequencing as N epsilon B28-monoazidobenzoyl hIGF-I. This derivative was indistinguishable from native hIGF-I when bioassayed in Rat-1 fibroblasts. A 120-kDa band, the alpha subunit of the IGF-I receptor, was specifically labeled in Rat-1 plasma membranes by this photoprobe. The labeling of this band was reduced by hIGF-I at 1 nM and completely abolished by hIGF-I, but not insulin, at 100 nM, indicating the specificity of the photolabeling of the IGF-I receptor by this fully active IGF-I photoprobe.

Effects of age, sex and renal function on urinary insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels in adults

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels in urine were measured in adults using specific RIA after extraction with acid-ammonium sulfate. Mean (+/- SD) total urine IGF-I values were 267.9 +/- 112.9 ng/day and 167.8 +/- 73.2 ng/g creatinine (Cr) in 17 normal young adults. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.785, P < 0.001) between IGF-I values in early morning urine and those of 24 h urine when they were corrected by urinary Cr. IGF-I values in early morning urine were ranged from 60 to 1,100 ng/gCr with a mean value of 309.6 ng/gCr in 178 normal adults aged 21-80 yr. There was a consistent trend towards higher urinary IGF-I values in males during aging and this trend did not reach statistical significance until the sixth and seventh decades. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.465, P < 0.005) between urinary IGF-I values and age in males but not in females. Although urinary IGF-I values were higher in females than in males of the second and third decades, no sex difference was found in older adults. Urinary IGF-I values were correlated reversely with 24 h Cr clearance (CCr) and positively with urinary beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) levels in patients with renal dysfunction. These findings indicate that urinary IGF-I levels are influenced by age, sex and renal function in adults.

Disulfide arrangement of human insulin-like growth factor I derived from yeast and plasma

The disulfide arrangement of yeast derived human insulin-like growth factor I (yIGF-I) was determined using a combination of Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease mapping, fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry as well as amino acid sequence and composition analysis. Three disulfide bridges were found between the following cysteine residues: Cys6-Cys48, Cys47-Cys52 and Cys18-Cys61. IGF-I isolated from human plasma (pIGF-I) was found to have an identical disulfide configuration. A yeast-derived isomeric form of IGF-I (yisoIGF-I) exhibited an altered disulfide arrangement: Cys6-Cys47, Cys48-Cys52 and Cys18-Cys61. Radioreceptor analysis of pIGF-I and yIGF-I showed high specific activity, 20,000 U/mg. However, yisoIGF-I demonstrated a severely reduced ability to bind to the IGF-I receptor (19%) and was less potent in provoking a mitogenic response in Balb/C 3T3 fibroblasts (50% at doses 10-100 ng/ml). The data demonstrate the importance of correct disulfide arrangement in IGF-I for full biological activity.

An evaluation of different enzymatic cleavage methods for recombinant fusion proteins, applied on des(1-3)insulin-like growth factor I

Different enzymatic methods for cleavage of recombinant fusion proteins were compared. To find an efficient cleavage method, five different fusion proteins were produced. The fusion proteins differed only in the linker region between the fusion partner and the desired product, human des(1-3)insulin-like growth factor I. A cleavage study was performed with enterokinase, plasmin, thrombin, urokinase, and recombinant H64A subtilisin. Significant cleavage was obtained using thrombin, H64A subtilisin, and enterokinase. Thrombin cleavage was studied on a larger scale and des(1-3)IGF-I was recovered at a final yield of 3 mg/L growth medium. Thrombin and enterokinase were also studied as immobilized proteases and they cleaved the fusion proteins with retained activity. To further improve thrombin cleavage, a continuous reactor was constructed, consisting of a closed system with a thrombin column and an ion exchange column in series. Here, the fusion protein circulated while free des(1-3)IGF-I was bound to the ion exchange column after release from the fusion protein. In the reactor, thrombin was as efficient as the free enzyme but gave a diminished rate of product degradation.

Effects of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF receptor antibodies on the proliferation of human breast cancer cells

It has been shown previously that MCF-7 cells proliferate in response to nanomolar concentrations of IGF-I and IGF-II. It has also been reported that the actions of both peptides are mediated through the IGF-I receptor. To further characterize these observations, we used MCF-7 and Hs578T cell lines in the serum-free/phenol red-free system developed by Ogasawara and Sibarsku, 1988. Cell proliferation was studied in the presence of insulin, IGF-I and -II and a series of growth factor receptor antibodies. No effect was observed on Hs578T cell proliferation with any of the growth factors. However, MCF-7 cells were stimulated 4-5 fold with IGF-I and insulin, while IGF-II was only slightly less potent. alpha IR3, a monoclonal antibody directed against the IGF-I receptor, was stimulatory when added alone. However, alpha IR3 blocked approximately 50% of the IGF-I response, only 5% of the insulin response, and did not block the IGF-II effect on cell proliferation. These data suggest that alpha IR3 and IGF-I are acting as agonists through the IGF-I receptor, but that insulin and IGF-II are acting through other receptors. Two different IGF-II/M-6-P receptor antibodies and an insulin receptor antibody failed to significantly block IGF-II actions. All three antibodies were stimulatory when added alone. beta-gal inhibited 27% of the IGF-II response and had no effect when added alone. Since beta-gal decreases the binding affinity of the IGF-II/M-6-P receptor for IGF-II and does not bind to the IGF-I or insulin receptor, these data suggest the possibility that IGF-II mitogenic action is mediated through the IGF-II/M-6-P receptor. In summary, these data indicate that nanomolar concentration of insulin, IGF-I and IGF-II are potent mitogens in MCF-7 cells and can potentially stimulate cell proliferation through all three receptors.

Recovery of extracellular human insulin-like growth factor-I and II as a fusion protein from Escherichia coli culture broth by aqueous two-phase extraction

The primary purification of human insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II, produced extracellularly in Escherichia coli as a fusion to two domains (ZZ) derived from staphylococcal protein A, has been studied. First, the partitioning of IgG-affinity purified ZZ-IGF-I and ZZ-IGF-II, respectively, to the top phase in poly(ethylene glycol)/potassium phosphate aqueous two-phase systems were investigated. Thereafter, the extraction of ZZ-IGF-I with a poly(ethylene glycol) 1500/potassium phosphate system was performed directly in the bioreactor after the cultivation. This resulted in a reduction of the cultivation volume more than 3-fold with a recovery of about 90% of target protein in a poly(ethylene glycol)-rich phase. The majority of the cells partitioned to the potassium phosphate-rich bottom phase, while a smaller fraction was collected at the interface, and/or as a densely packed cake on top of the interface. Contaminating proteins were also eliminated to some extent, which resulted in an almost 2-fold protein purification. Some obvious benefits offered by the aqueous two-phase system in the primary purification have been demonstrated: Firstly, the possibility to an early process volume reduction and thereby a concentration of the target protein. Secondly, a simultaneous protein purification was achieved. From this work it can be concluded that aqueous two-phase extraction should be considered as an attractive candidate for the primary steps during the design of new purification processes for extracellular proteins.

Insulin-like growth factor I in substrate-deprived, growth-retarded fetal rats

Plasma, amniotic fluid, and tissue concentrations of IGF-I were examined in nutritionally deprived, growth-retarded fetal rats to determine whether IGF-I concentration serves as a marker for nutritional status. Growth retardation was induced by 72 h of maternal fasting. Twenty-three control and 17 growth-retarded fetuses were individually analyzed and compared. Plasma IGF-I concentrations were significantly lower in test compared with control animals (test 56.8 +/- 14.9, control 87.4 +/- 17.5 ng/mL, p less than 0.01). Amniotic fluid IGF-I concentrations were not different (test 14.0 +/- 8.7, control 12.2 +/- 2.6 ng/mL). IGF-I concentrations obtained from both placental and hepatic tissues were lower in test compared with control animals [placenta: test 293 +/- 25 versus control 655 +/- 114 ng/g (p less than 0.001); hepatic: test 173 +/- 38 versus control 230 +/- 51 ng/g (p less than 0.01)]. Reductions in fetal, placental, and hepatic weights in test animals were more closely related to changes in placental IGF-I concentration than to either plasma or hepatic IGF-I concentrations. We conclude that fetal plasma IGF-I is a valuable marker for intrauterine substrate deprivation and that the growth-retarded rat fetus is accurately identified and specifically characterized by a low placental concentration of extractable IGF-I.

Nutrition and somatomedin. XXVII. Total and free IGF-I and IGF binding proteins in rats with streptozocin-induced diabetes

Impaired growth in diabetic humans occurs despite increased growth hormone and normal insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I). Because IGF-I circulates complexed to binding proteins (BPs), we asked whether diabetes-related changes in IGF BPs could be associated with alterations in free unbound IGF-I--presumably the active form. Rats were given streptozocin (STZ) in increasing doses to produce graded severity of diabetes. IGF BP-1 and BP-3 were measured by ligand blotting, total IGF-I was determined by radioimmunoassay after separation from BPs by isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) at pH 3.9, and free IGF-I was estimated operationally as immunoreactivity with molecular weight equal to native IGF-I after HPLC at pH 7. Animals given 36 mg/kg STZ exhibited a glucose level of 9.74 mM and impaired weight gain, with little alteration in IGF BPs or total or free IGF-I. In contrast, animals given 72 mg/kg STZ (glucose level 24.64 mM and weight loss) had insignificant changes in total IGF-I and BP-3 but a 300% increase in BP-1 and a 50% fall in free IGF-I (both P less than 0.005). With 144 and 288 mg/kg STZ, animals had further metabolic decompensation and weight loss, with progressive fall in BP-3 and rise in BP-1; total and free IGF-I fell to 10-20% of control (both P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alpha-factor-leader-directed secretion of recombinant human-insulin-like growth factor I from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Precursor formation and processing in the yeast secretory pathway

A synthetic gene coding for human-insulin-like growth factor I (IGFI) was fused to the leader sequence of yeast prepro-alpha-factor and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter fragment. Recombinant IGFI was found inside yeast cells and secreted into the medium. The secreted IGFI migrated on SDS gels with the same electrophoretic mobility as authentic IGFI, i.e. at about 7.5 kDa. HPLC analysis of secreted IGFI revealed the presence of the correctly folded, genuine molecule as well as an isomeric byproduct of equal molecular mass but with two of the three disulfide bonds interchanged. Inside exponentially growing cells the 7.5-kDa IGFI was also found, along with up to four additional IGFI-related polypeptides of higher molecular mass. By endoglycosidase F treatment the three polypeptides between 19-26 kDa were converted to a single peptide of 17 kDa. Since this peptide also reacted with an anti-alpha-factor antibody, it represents most likely the unglycosylated alpha-factor--IGFI fusion precursor. Pulse-chase experiments established the precursor nature of the intracellular higher-molecular-mass IGFI species. Conversion of the primary translation product to the differently glycosylated IGFI precursor proteins and into the mature form occurred very rapidly, within 2 min. Rapid maturation was, however, not followed by an equally rapid secretion of the mature form into the medium: only after 30-40 min did IGFI appear outside the cells. We therefore postulate the presence of an as yet undefined Golgi or post-Golgi bottleneck representing a major obstacle in secretion of recombinant IGFI from S. cerevisiae cells.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) from cow colostrum: purification and characterization

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been purified from defatted cow colostrum. The purification procedure involved cation exchange chromatography on CM Affigel blue, acid gel-filtration and two HPLCs. This purification process constitutes a significant improvement, in terms of yield and rapidity, over the previously reported procedures. Purified IGF-I was found to be 95% pure by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. After isolation of peptides from a digest of IGF-I obtained using staphylococcus aureus protease, the complete sequence was established and found to be identical to that of bovine or human plasma IGF-I.