Purification and characterization of a novel vascular endothelial cell growth inhibitor secreted by macrophage-like U-937 cells

A human histiocytic lymphoma cell line, U-937 cells, secretes several vascular endothelial cell growth inhibitors including leukemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and transforming growth factor-beta1. Characterization of partially purified fractions from the conditioned media of phorbol ester-treated U-937 cells suggested the existence of unknown endothelial growth inhibitors. Using a combination of copper affinity, heparin affinity, cation exchange, and reversed phase liquid chromatographies, a growth inhibitor for endothelial cells was purified to homogeneity from conditioned media. The purified growth inhibitor migrated as a 65 kDa band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under both reducing and nonreducing conditions. Microsequencing analyses of the tryptic fragments of the growth inhibitor and a BLAST search analysis revealed a unique sequence showing no homology to known proteins. The purified protein inhibited endothelial cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, but had no effect on smooth muscle cell growth. The factor also blocked endothelial cell growth induced by both fibroblast growth factor-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor, and was additively effective in inhibiting the growth of endothelial cells by U-937 cell-derived endothelial cell growth inhibitors. Thus, this factor appears to be a novel inhibitor with specificity for vascular endothelial cells, and is tentatively called endothelial cell inhibitor (ECI) in this study.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha regulates expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and of its co-receptor neuropilin-1 in human vascular endothelial cells

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) modulates gene expression in endothelial cells and is angiogenic in vivo. TNF-alpha does not activate in vitro migration and proliferation of endothelium, and its angiogenic activity is elicited by synthesis of direct angiogenic inducers or of proteases. Here, we show that TNF-alpha up-regulates in a dose- and time-dependent manner the expression and the function of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) as well as the expression of its co-receptor neuropilin-1 in human endothelium. As inferred by nuclear run-on assay and transient expression of VEGFR-2 promoter-based reporter gene construct, the cytokine increased the transcription of the VEGFR-2 gene. Mithramycin, an inhibitor of binding of nuclear transcription factor Sp1 to the promoter consensus sequence, blocked activation of VEGFR-2, suggesting that the up-regulation of the receptor required Sp1 binding sites. TNF-alpha increased the cellular amounts of VEGFR-2 protein and tripled the high affinity 125I-VEGF-A165 capacity without affecting the Kd of ligand-receptor interaction. As a consequence, TNF-alpha enhanced the migration and the wound healing triggered by VEGF-A165. Since VEGFR-2 mediates angiogenic signals in endothelium, our data indicate that its up-regulation is another mechanism by which TNF-alpha is angiogenic and may provide insight into the mechanism of neovascularization as occurs in TNF-alpha-mediated pathological settings.

Extracellular calcium influx stimulates metalloproteinase cleavage and secretion of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor independently of protein kinase C

The phorbol ester, tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA), stimulates rapid proteolytic processing of the transmembrane, pro- form of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) at cell surfaces, suggesting the involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in the HB-EGF secretion mechanism. To test this possibility, we expressed a chimeric protein, consisting of proHB-EGF fused to placental alkaline phosphatase (AP) near the amino terminus of processed HB-EGF, in NbMC-2 prostate epithelial cells. The proHB-EGF-AP chimera localized to plasma membranes and functioned as a diphtheria toxin receptor. Secreted HB-EGF-AP bound to heparin and exhibited potent growth factor activity. The presence of the AP moiety allowed highly quantitative measurements of cleavage-secretion responses of proHB-EGF to extracellular stimuli. As expected, rapid secretion of HB-EGF-AP was induced in a time- and dose-dependent manner by TPA. However, this was also observed with the Ca2+ ionophore, ionomycin, suggesting the involvement of extracellular Ca2+ ions in the secretion mechanism. Ionomycin-induced secretion was inhibited by extracellular calcium chelation but not by the PKC inhibitors, GF109203X, staurosporine, or chelerythrine. The TPA-mediated secretion effect was inhibited by staurosporine, GF109203X, and by pretreatment with TPA, but not by calcium chelation. A small secretion response was induced by thapsigargin, which releases Ca2+ from intracellular stores, but this was completely eliminated by extracellular calcium chelation. Ionomycin- and TPA-induced HB-EGF-AP secretion was not dependent on the presence of the proHB-EGF cytoplasmic domain and was specifically inhibited by the metalloproteinase inhibitors 1,10-phenanthroline and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). These data demonstrate that extracellular Ca2+ influx activates a membrane-associated metalloproteinase to process proHB-EGF by a pathway that does not require PKC.

Neuropilin-1 is expressed by endothelial and tumor cells as an isoform-specific receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a major regulator of angiogenesis, binds to two receptor tyrosine kinases, KDR/Flk-1 and Flt-1. We now describe the purification and the expression cloning from tumor cells of a third VEGF receptor, one that binds VEGF165 but not VEGF121. This isoform-specific VEGF receptor (VEGF165R) is identical to human neuropilin-1, a receptor for the collapsin/semaphorin family that mediates neuronal cell guidance. When coexpressed in cells with KDR, neuropilin-1 enhances the binding of VEGF165 to KDR and VEGF165-mediated chemotaxis. Conversely, inhibition of VEGF165 binding to neuropilin-1 inhibits its binding to KDR and its mitogenic activity for endothelial cells. We propose that neuropilin-1 is a novel VEGF receptor that modulates VEGF binding to KDR and subsequent bioactivity and therefore may regulate VEGF-induced angiogenesis.

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor in the human prostate: synthesis predominantly by interstitial and vascular smooth muscle cells and action as a carcinoma cell mitogen

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is an activating ligand for the EGF receptor (HER1/ErbB1) and the high-affinity receptor for diphtheria toxin (DT) in its transmembrane form (proHB-EGF). HB-EGF was immunolocalized within human benign and malignant prostatic tissues, using monospecific antibodies directed against the mature protein and against the cytoplasmic domain of proHB-EGF. Prostate carcinoma cells, normal glandular epithelial cells, undifferentiated fibroblasts, and inflammatory cells were not decorated by the anti-HB-EGF antibodies; however, interstitial and vascular smooth muscle cells were highly reactive, indicating that the smooth muscle compartments are the major sites of synthesis and localization of HB-EGF within the prostate. In marked contrast to prostatic epithelium, proHB-EGF was immunolocalized to seminal vesicle epithelium, indicating differential regulation of HB-EGF synthesis within various epithelia of the reproductive tract. HB-EGF was not overexpressed in this series of cancer tissues, in comparison to the benign tissues. In experiments with LNCaP human prostate carcinoma cells, HB-EGF was similar in potency to epidermal growth factor (EGF) in stimulating cell growth. Exogenous HB-EGF and EGF each activated HER1 and HER3 receptor tyrosine kinases and induced tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins to a similar extent. LNCaP cells expressed detectable but low levels of HB-EGF mRNA; however, proHB-EGF was detected at the cell surface indirectly by demonstration of specific sensitivity to DT. HB-EGF is the first HER1 ligand to be identified predominantly as a smooth muscle cell product in the human prostate. Further, the observation that HB-EGF is similar to EGF in mitogenic potency for human prostate carcinoma cells suggests that it may be one of the hypothesized stromal mediators of prostate cancer growth.

Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced endothelial cell proliferation by a peptide corresponding to the exon 7-encoded domain of VEGF165

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent mitogen for endothelial cells (EC) in vitro and a major regulator of angiogenesis in vivo. VEGF121 and VEGF165 are the most abundant of the five known VEGF isoforms. The structural difference between these two is the presence in VEGF165 of 44 amino acids encoded by exon 7 lacking in VEGF121. It was previously shown that VEGF165 and VEGF121 both bind to KDR/Flk-1 and Flt-1 but that VEGF165 binds in addition to a novel receptor (Soker, S., Fidder, H., Neufeld, G., and Klagsbrun, M. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 5761-5767). The binding of VEGF165 to this VEGF165-specific receptor (VEGF165R) is mediated by the exon 7-encoded domain. To investigate the biological role of this domain further, a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein corresponding to the VEGF165 exon 7-encoded domain was prepared. The fusion protein inhibited binding of 125I-VEGF165 to VEGF165R on human umbilical vein-derived EC (HUVEC) and MDA-MB-231 tumor cells. The fusion protein also inhibited significantly 125I-VEGF165 binding to KDR/Flk-1 on HUVEC but not on porcine EC which express KDR/Flk-1 alone. VEGF165 had a 2-fold higher mitogenic activity for HUVEC than did VEGF121. The exon 7 fusion protein inhibited VEGF165-induced HUVEC proliferation by 60% to about the level stimulated by VEGF121. Unexpectedly, the fusion protein also inhibited HUVEC proliferation in response to VEGF121. Deletion analysis revealed that a core inhibitory domain exists within the C-terminal 23-amino acid portion of the exon 7-encoded domain and that a cysteine residue at position 22 in exon 7 is critical for inhibition. It was concluded that the exon 7-encoded domain of VEGF165 enhances its mitogenic activity for HUVEC by interacting with VEGF165R and modulating KDR/Flk-1-mediated mitogenicity indirectly and that exon 7-derived peptides may be useful VEGF antagonists in angiogenesis-associated diseases.

Matrix metalloproteinase-3 releases active heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor by cleavage at a specific juxtamembrane site

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is synthesized as a membrane-anchored precursor that is cleaved to release the soluble mature growth factor. The two forms are active as juxtacrine and paracrine/autocrine growth factors, respectively. The enzymes that process the HB-EGF transmembrane form are unknown. Accordingly, an in vitro assay was established using a fusion protein in which alkaline phosphatase (AP) replaced the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of HB-EGF (HB-EGF JM-AP). The fusion protein was anchored to agarose beads coated with anti-AP antibodies. Several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were tested for the ability to release soluble HB-EGF in the in vitro system. MMP-3 released soluble 12-kDa immunoreactive and mitogenic HB-EGF within 30 min. On the other hand neither MMP-2 nor MMP-9 had any cleavage activities. A non-cleavable mutant was prepared by replacing the juxtamembrane (JM) region of HB-EGF with the JM region of CD4. The mutant HB-EGF, which in its full-length form was as active a juxtacrine growth factor as was the wild type HB-EGF in vivo, was not cleaved by MMP-3 in the in vitro assay. The C-terminal portion of the cleaved HB-EGF JM-AP that remained attached to the anti-AP beads was N-terminally sequenced and the MMP-3 cleavage site was determined to be Glu151-Asn152, a site within the JM domain. MMP-3 treatment also released soluble HB-EGF in vivo from MC2 cells expressing transmembrane HB-EGF precursor, at a level of about 2-fold above control. It was concluded that MMP-3 cleaves HB-EGF at a specific site in the JM domain and that this enzyme might regulate the conversion of HB-EGF from being a juxtacrine to a paracrine/autocrine growth factor.

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor

HB-EGF is a heparin-binding member of the EGF family that was initially identified in the conditioned medium of human macrophages. Soluble mature HB-EGF is proteolytically processed from a larger membrane-anchored precursor and is a potent mitogen and chemotactic factor for fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells but not endothelial cells. HB-EGF activates two EGF receptor subtypes, HER1 and HER4 and binds to cell surface HSPG. The transmembrane form of HB-EGF is a juxtacrine growth and adhesion factor and is uniquely the receptor for diphtheria toxin. HB-EGF gene expression is highly regulated, for example by cytokines, growth factors, and transcription factors such as MyoD. HB-EGF has been implicated as a participant in a variety of normal physiological processes such as blastocyst implantation and wound healing, and in pathological processes such as tumor growth, SMC hyperplasia and atherosclerosis.

A novel juxtamembrane domain isoform of HER4/ErbB4. Isoform-specific tissue distribution and differential processing in response to phorbol ester

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 4 (HER4) is a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases that is activated by neuregulins (NRG), betacellulin (BTC), and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor. Sequencing of full-length human HER4 cDNAs revealed the existence of two HER4 isoforms that differed by insertion of either 23 or 13 alternative amino acids in the extracellular juxtamembrane (JM) region. The 23-amino acid form (HER4 JM-a) and the 13-amino acid form (HER4 JM-b) were expressed in a tissue-specific manner, as demonstrated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of mouse and human tissues. Both isoforms were expressed in neural tissues such as cerebellum, whereas kidney expressed HER4 JM-a only and heart HER4 JM-b only. In situ hybridization using specific oligonucleotides demonstrated transcription of both JM-a and JM-b isoforms in the mouse cerebellum. Tyrosine phosphorylation analysis indicated that both receptor isoforms were activated to the same extent by NRG-beta1 and BTC, and to a lesser extent by NRG-alpha1 and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor. A functional difference was found, however, in response to phorbol ester treatment. Stimulation of cells with phorbol ester resulted in a loss of 125I-NRG-beta1 binding and in a reduction of total cell-associated HER4 protein in HER4 JM-a transfectants but not in HER4 JM-b transfectants. It was concluded that novel alternatively spliced isoforms of HER4 exist, that they are distributed differentially in vivo in mouse and human tissues, that they are both activated by HER4 ligands, and that they may represent cleavable and noncleavable forms of HER4.

Endothelial cell surface alkaline phosphatase activity is induced by IL-6 released during wound repair

Phosphatase activity on endothelial cell surfaces is responsible, in part, for the conversion of adenosine nucleotides to adenosine, a potent vasodilator and anti-inflammatory mediator that can protect tissues from the ischemic damage that results from injury. To evaluate whether phosphatases are actively induced by a soluble factor released following injury, the effect of tissue fluids collected from porcine or human skin wounds was tested on primary cultures of endothelial cells. Phosphatase activity increased approximately 50-fold following 48-h culture in the presence of wound fluid. Inductive activity was present only in fluids collected during the inflammatory phase of wound repair. The phosphatase activity metabolized adenosine monophosphate to free phosphate and was the liver/bone/kidney alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme: activity was temperature- and levamisole-sensitive, 1-phenylalanine-resistant, and linked to the cell surface via phospholipid, and migrated at a size identical to this isozyme. interleukin-6 was identified as the phosphatase-inducing factor in wound fluid and the related cytokines, leukaemia inhibiting factor, and oncostatin M, caused a similar degree of alkaline phosphatase induction. Therefore, following injury, accumulation of interleukin-6 can lead to production by alkaline phosphatase of adenosine and subsequent protection from ischemic injury.

Suppression of autocrine cell proliferation and tumorigenesis of human melanoma cells and fibroblast growth factor transformed fibroblasts by a kinase-deficient FGF receptor 1: evidence for the involvement of Src-family kinases

Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF/FGF2) is thought to play a decisive role in malignant progression. Aberrant expression of bFGF causes constitutive autocrine activation of its cognate receptor and autonomous growth of human melanoma cells or bFGF transformed fibroblasts in culture. It remains to be determined, however, whether the endogenous bFGF confers growth advantage to tumors and what are the downstream targets of the activated FGF receptor critical for its transforming capacity. We therefore transfected metastatic melanoma cells and bFGF transformed mouse fibroblasts with a dominant-negative mutant of the murine FGF receptor 1 (fgfr1/flg), comprising the extracellular and transmembrane domains but lacking the intracellular kinase domain (dnflg). Reverse transcriptase-PCR, 125I-bFGF binding and affinity labeling analyses show that the truncated receptor is targeted to the membrane and is expressed at much higher levels than the endogenous receptor in all of the selected clones. Expression of the dnflg dramatically reduces the basal as well as bFGF induced growth of these cells in vitro and also suppresses their tumorigenic potential in nude mice. The expression of the dnflg does not significantly alter the general level of tyrosyl-phosphorylated proteins in the trunsduced melanoma cells. Rather, a major downstream affected target is a Src-family kinase, whose activity, determined by an in vitro immune kinase assay, is stimulated in normal melanocytes by exogenous bFGF, and is markedly reduced in the dnflg-expressing melanoma cells. The present study demonstrates that direct interference with the activity of FGF receptors has a deleterious effect on cell proliferation and survival in vitro and in vivo leading to the suppression of melanoma tumor progression possibly through the inactivation of a Src-family kinase.

Rapid phosphorylation of Ets-2 accompanies mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and the induction of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor gene expression by oncogenic Raf-1

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) gene transcription is rapidly activated in NIH 3T3 cells transformed by oncogenic Ras and Raf and mediates the autocrine activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) observed in these cells. A 1.7-kb fragment of the promoter of the murine HB-EGF gene linked to a luciferase reporter was strongly induced following activation of deltaRaf-1:ER, a conditionally active form of oncogenic human Raf-1. Promoter activation by deltaRaf-1:ER required a composite AP-1/Ets transcription factor binding site located between bp -974 and -988 upstream of the translation initiation site. In vivo genomic footprinting indicated that the basal level of occupancy of this composite AP-1/Ets element increased following deltaRaf-1:ER activation. Cotransfection of Ets-2 and p44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase expression vectors strongly potentiated HB-EGF promoter activation in response to deltaRaf-1:ER. Potentiated activation required both p44 MAP kinase catalytic activity and threonine 72 in the Pointed domain of Ets-2. Biochemical assays demonstrated the ability of the p42 and p44 MAP kinases to phosphorylate Ets-2 on threonine 72. Importantly, in intact cells, the kinetics of phosphorylation of Ets-2 on this residue closely mirror the activation of the p42 and p44 MAP kinases and the observed onset of HB-EGF gene transcription following deltaRaf-1:ER activation. These data firmly establish Ets-2 as a direct target of the Raf-MEK-MAP kinase signaling pathway and strongly implicate Ets-2 in the regulation of HB-EGF gene expression.

Activation of HER4 by heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor stimulates chemotaxis but not proliferation

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a potent mitogen and chemotactic factor for fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells and keratinocytes. It is demonstrated that HB-EGF is not only a ligand for HER1, as previously reported, but for HER4 as well. HB-EGF binds to NIH 3T3 cells overexpressing either HER1 or HER4 alone, but not HER2 or HER3 alone. Binding to HER4 is independent of HER1. The ability of HB-EGF to bind to two different receptors is in contrast to EGF which binds to HER1, but not to HER4, and heregulin-beta1 which binds to HER4, but not to HER1. Besides binding, HB-EGF activates HER4. For example (i) it induces tyrosine phosphorylation of HER4 in cells overexpressing this receptor and of endogenous HER4 in MDA-MB-453 cells and astrocytes; (ii) it induces association of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) activity with HER4; and (iii) it is a potent chemotactic factor for cells overexpressing HER4. Chemotaxis is inhibited by wortmannin, a PI3-K inhibitor, suggesting a possible role for PI3-K in mediating HB-EGF-stimulated chemotaxis. On the other hand, HB-EGF is not a mitogen for cells expressing HER4, in contrast to its ability to stimulate both chemotaxis and proliferation in cells expressing HER1. It was concluded that HER4 is a newly described receptor for HB-EGF and that HB-EGF can activate two EGF receptor subtypes, HER1 and HER4, but with different biological responses.

Interferon gamma induces prostaglandin G/H synthase-2 through an autocrine loop via the epidermal growth factor receptor in human bronchial epithelial cells

The induction of prostaglandin G/H synthase (PGHS; prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase, cyclooxygenase) by proinflammatory cytokines accounts, at least in part, for the altered eicosanoid biosynthesis in inflammatory diseases. In secondary cultures of normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBECs), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma, 10 ng/ml for 24 h) increased the amount of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) released in response to stimulation with exogenous arachidonic acid (5 microM). The enhanced production of PGE2 reflected the upregulation of PGHS-2 as indicated by enhanced expression of PGHS-2 RNA and increased recovery of PGHS-2 protein in NHBECs. IFN-gamma did not alter the production of PGE2 in A549 cells (a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line) or 6-keto-PGF1alpha in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), although prostaglandin release and/or the expression of PGHS-2 RNA in these cell lines was upregulated by other proinflammatory cytokines. Induction of PGHS-2 RNA in IFN-gamma-treated NHBECs, which peaked at 24 h, suggested the presence of an intermediary substance regulating the expression of PGHS-2. When the binding between the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and its ligands was disrupted by a neutralizing antibody (LA-1), IFN-gamma failed to upregulate the release of PGE2 and the expression of PGHS-2 RNA in NHBECs. Furthermore, IFN-gamma induced the expression of RNAs for a number of ligands at the EGF receptor TGF-alpha; heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF); and amphiregulin in NHBECs, and when administered exogenously, these ligands increased PGE2 release from NHBECs. Heparin at the concentration that neutralized the function of amphiregulin, or antibodies against TGFalpha or HB-EGF also reduced the release of PGE2 from IFN-gamma-stimulated NHBECs. These data are consistent with the presence of an autocrine growth factor/EGF receptor loop regulating PGHS-2 expression and PGE2 synthesis in bronchial epithelial cells.

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor is an autocrine growth factor for human urothelial cells and is synthesized by epithelial and smooth muscle cells in the human bladder

The epidermal growth factor receptor (HER1) has been implicated in regenerative growth and proliferative diseases of the human bladder epithelium (urothelium), however a cognate HER1 ligand that can act as a growth factor for normal human urothelial cells (HUC) has not been identified. Here we show that heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF), an activating HER1 ligand, is an autocrine regulator of HUC growth. This conclusion is based on demonstration of HB-EGF synthesis and secretion by primary culture HUC, identification of HER1 as an activatable HB-EGF receptor on HUC surfaces, stimulation of HUC clonal growth by HB-EGF, inhibition of HB-EGF-stimulated growth by heparin and of log-phase growth by CRM 197, a specific inhibitor of HB-EGF/HER1 interaction, and identification of human urothelium as a site of HB-EGF precursor (proHB-EGF) synthesis in vivo. ProHB-EGF expression was also detected in the vascular and detrusor smooth muscle of the human bladder. These data suggest a physiologic role for HB-EGF in the regulation of urothelial proliferation and regeneration subsequent to mucosal injury. Expression of proHB-EGF is also a feature of differentiated vascular and detrusor smooth muscle in the bladder. Because proHB-EGF is known to be the high affinity diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor in human cells, synthesis of the HB-EGF precursor by human urothelium also suggests the possibility of using the DT-binding sites of proHB-EGF as an in vivo target for the intraluminal treatment of urothelial diseases.

Inhibition of endothelial cell growth by macrophage-like U-937 cell-derived oncostatin M, leukemia inhibitory factor, and transforming growth factor beta1

Conditioned media were collected from phorbol ester-treated human macrophage-like U-937 cells and analyzed for the presence of inhibitors of endothelial cell (EC) proliferation. By a combination of ion exchange and reverse-phase liquid chromatography, three inhibitors were purified to homogeneity as ascertained by microsequencing of 14-17 N-terminal amino acids. These inhibitors were identified as oncostatin M (OSM), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1). The identities of the three EC growth inhibitors were confirmed by demonstrating that recombinant human OSM, LIF, and TGF-beta1 were inhibitory in the same concentration range. Inhibition of EC proliferation by OSM was a newly described property of this cytokine. OSM was the most potent inhibitor with a half-maximal inhibition by recombinant material of 0.15-.2 ng/ml compared with 0.6-0.9 and 0. 9-1.0 ng/ml for LIF and TGF-beta1, respectively. The three factors inhibited basal, vascular endothelial cell growth factor-stimulated, and fibroblast growth factor 2-stimulated EC proliferation. Interleukin-6 and ciliary neurotrophic factor, two cytokines related structurally to OSM and LIF, were not active as EC growth inhibitors. It was concluded that macrophage-like cells secrete a variety of potent EC growth inhibitors and that one of these, OSM, is among the most potent EC growth inhibitors yet reported.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a prime regulator of endothelial cell proliferation, angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and vascular permeability. Its activity is mediated by the high affinity tyrosine kinase receptors, KDR/Fik-1 and Fit-1. In this article, recently discovered structural, molecular and biological properties of VEGF are described. Among the topics discussed are VEGF and VEGF receptor structure and bioactivity, the regulation of VEGF expression, the role of VEGF and its receptors in vascular development, and the involvement of VEGF and its receptors in normal and pathological (ocular and tumor) angiogenesis.

The epidermal growth factor receptor couples transforming growth factor-alpha, heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like factor, and amphiregulin to Neu, ErbB-3, and ErbB-4

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) family hormones amphiregulin (AR), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) are thought to play significant roles in the genesis or progression of a number of human malignancies. However, the ability of these ligands to activate all four erbB family receptors has not been evaluated. Therefore, we have assessed the stimulation of erbB family receptor tyrosine phosphorylation by these hormones in a panel of mouse Ba/F3 cell lines expressing the four erbB family receptors, singly and in pairwise combinations. We also measured the stimulation of interleukin-3-independent survival or proliferation in this panel of Ba/F3 cell lines to compare the patterns of erbB family receptor coupling to physiologic responses induced by these peptides. EGF, TGF-alpha, AR, and HB-EGF all stimulated qualitatively similar patterns of erbB family receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and coupling to physiologic responses. Therefore, EGF, TGF-alpha, AR, and HB-EGF are functionally identical in this model system and behave differently from the EGF family hormones betacellulin and neuregulins.

Wound fluid-derived heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is synergistic with insulin-like growth factor-I for Balb/MK keratinocyte proliferation

Epidermal cell proliferation is required for re-epithelialization during wound repair. Re-epithelialization of partial thickness excisional wounds in pigs is complete by 6 days after injury. The presence of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and heparin-binding molecules that are mitogenic for keratinocytes was examined in wound fluid obtained daily from these wounds. Two significant heparin-binding growth factor activities for Balb/MK keratinocytes were detected, a major one that was eluted from a heparin affinity column with 1.1 M NaCl and a minor one with 0.5 M NaCl. These activities appeared 1 day after injury, were maximal by 2-3 days later, and disappeared by 6 days after injury. The molecule eluting with 1.1 M NaCl was heparin-binding EGF-like (HB-EGF). The levels of IGF-I in wound fluid were 45-90 ng/ml during the first 3 days following injury, decreased thereafter, and were not detectable 6 days after injury. IGF-I at 100 ng/ml, increased HB-EGF mitogenic activity for Balb/MK keratinocytes by 40-50 fold. We conclude that the synergism between IGF-I and HB-EGF and their relative concentration at the various days after injury may be important variables for regulating re-epithelialization during wound repair.

Selective binding of VEGF121 to one of the three vascular endothelial growth factor receptors of vascular endothelial cells

VEGF121 and VEGF165 are vascular endothelial growth factor splice variants that promote the proliferation of endothelial cells and angiogenesis. VEGF165 contains the 44 additional amino acids encoded by exon 7 of the VEGF gene. These amino acids confer upon VEGF165 a heparin binding capability which VEGF121 lacks. 125I-VEGF165 bound to three vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors on endothelial cells, while 125I-VEGF121 bound selectively only to the flk-1 VEGF receptor which corresponds to the larger of the three VEGF receptors. The binding of 125I-VEGF121 to flk-1 was not affected by the removal of cell surface heparan sulfates or by heparin. Both VEGF165 and VEGF121 inhibited the binding of 125I-VEGF121 to a soluble extracellular domain of the flk-1 VEGF receptor in the absence of heparin. However, heparin potentiated the inhibitory effect of VEGF165 by 2-3-fold. These results contrast with previous observations which have indicated that the binding of 125I-VEGF165 to the flk-1 receptor is strongly dependent on heparin-like molecules. Further experiments showed that the receptor binding ability of VEGF165 is susceptible to oxidative damage caused by oxidants such as H2O2 or chloramine-T. VEGF121 was also damaged by oxidants but to a lesser extent. Heparin or cell surface heparan sulfates restored the flk-1 binding ability of damaged VEGF165 but not the receptor binding ability of damaged VEGF121. These observations suggest that alternative splicing can generate a diversity in growth factor signaling by determining receptor recognition patterns. They also indicate that the heparin binding ability of VEGF165 may enable the restoration of damaged VEGF165 function in processes such as inflammation or wound healing.

Characterization of novel vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors on tumor cells that bind VEGF165 via its exon 7-encoded domain

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent angiogenic factor, uses two receptor tyrosine kinases, FLK/KDR and FLT, to mediate its activities. We have cross-linked 125I-VEGF165 to the cell surface of various tumor cell lines and of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. High molecular mass (220 and 240 kDa) and/or lower molecular mass (165 and 175 kDa) labeled complexes were detected depending on the cell type. The 220- and 240-kDa labeled complexes were shown to contain FLT and FLK/KDR receptors, respectively. On the other hand, the 165- and 175-kDa complexes did not seem to contain FLK/KDR or FLT but instead appeared to contain novel VEGF receptors with relatively low molecular masses of approximately 120 and 130 kDa. These receptors were further characterized in breast cancer MDA MB 231 cells (231), which did not form the high molecular mass complexes and which did not express detectable amounts of flk/kdr or flt mRNA. The 231 cells displayed one VEGF165 binding site, with a Kd of 2.8 x 10(-10) M and 0.95 1.1 x 10(5) binding sites per cell. By comparison, human umbilical vein endothelial cells had two binding sites, one with a Kd of 7.5 x 10(-12) M, presumably FLK/KDR, and the other with a Kd of 2 x 10(-10) M, a value similar to the VEGF binding sites on 231 cells. These lower affinity/molecular mass receptors on 231 cells cross-linked 125I-VEGF165 but not 125I-VEGF121. Accordingly, exon 7 of VEGF, which encodes the 44 amino acids present in VEGF165 that are absent in VEGF121, was fused to glutathione S-transferase (GST). The GST-VEGF-exon 7 fusion protein bound to heparin-Sepharose with a similar affinity as VEGF165 and inhibited the binding of 125I-VEGF165 to 231 cells. Cross-linking of 125I-GST-VEGF-exon 7 to 231 cells resulted in the formation of 150- and 160-kDa labeled complexes that presumably contained the 120- and 130-kDa lower affinity/molecular mass VEGF165 receptors. It was concluded that certain tumor-derived cell lines express novel surface-associated receptors that selectively bind VEGF165 via the exon 7-encoded domain, which is absent in VEGF121.

Temporal study of the activity of matrix metalloproteinases and their endogenous inhibitors during wound healing

The restoration of functional connective tissue is a major goal of the wound healing process. This regenerative event requires the deposition and accumulation of collagenous and noncollagenous matrix molecules as well as the remodelling of extracellular matrix (ECM) by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In this study, we have utilized substrate gel electrophoresis, radiometric enzyme assays, and Western blot analyses to determine the temporal pattern of appearance and activity of active and latent MMPs and their inhibitors during the entire healing process in a partial thickness wound model. Through the use of substrate gel electrophoresis, we studied the appearance of proteolytic bands whose molecular weight was consistent with their being members of the MMP family of enzymes. Proteolytic bands whose molecular weight is consistent with both the active and latent forms of MMP-2 (72 kDa, Type IV gelatinase) were detected in wound fluid of days 1-7 after wounding. The number of active MMP-2 species detectable in wound fluid was greatest during days 4-6 after wounding. The most prominent proteolytic band detected each day migrated with a molecular weight consistent with it being the latent form of MMP-9 (92 kDa, Type V pro-collagenase). In contrast to MMP-2, the active form of this enzyme was never detected. The presence of MMP-1 (interstitial collagenase) was detected by immunoblot in the wound fluid from days 1-6 post-injury. Using a radiometric enzyme assay for collagenase inhibitory activity we have also determined the time course of activity of endogenous matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. We have correlated these data to the known cellular events occurring in the wound during this time period as well. This study establishes a prototypical pattern of MMP appearance in normal wound healing. It may also provide potential intervention sites for the therapeutic use of inhibitors of aberrant MMP activities which characterize chronic wounds.

Mouse preimplantation blastocysts adhere to cells expressing the transmembrane form of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor

Previous studies have shown that heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factor (HB-EGF) mRNA is synthesized in the mouse uterine luminal epithelium temporally, just prior to implantation, and spatially, only at the site of blastocyst apposition (Das, S. K., Wang, X. N., Paria, B. C., Damm, D., Abraham, J. A., Klagsbrun, M., Andrews, G. K. and Dey, S. K. (1994) Development 120, 1071–1083). HB-EGF is synthesized as a transmembrane protein (HB-EGF TM) that can be processed to release the soluble growth factor. An antibody that cross-reacts only with the transmembrane form detected HB-EGF TM in uterine luminal epithelium in a spatial manner similar to that of HB-EGF mRNA. HB-EGF TM is a juxtacrine growth factor that mediates cell-cell contact. To ascertain if HB-EGF TM could be an adhesion factor for blastocysts, a mouse cell line synthesizing human HB-EGF TM was co-cultured with mouse blastocysts. Cells synthesizing HB-EGF TM adhered to day-4 mouse blastocysts more extensively than parental cells or cells synthesizing a constitutively secreted form of HB-EGF. Adhesion of cells synthesizing HB-EGF TM to blastocysts was inhibited by excess recombinant HB-EGF but less so by TGF-alpha. Adhesion was also inhibited by the synthetic peptide P21 corresponding to the HB-EGF heparin binding domain, and by incubating the blastocysts with heparinase. In addition, adhesion to delayed implanting dormant blastocysts, which lack EGF receptor (EGFR), was diminished relative to normal blastocysts. These results suggested that adhesion between blastocysts and cells synthesizing HB-EGF TM was mediated via interaction with both blastocyst EGFR and heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG). It was concluded that HB-EGF TM, which is synthesized exclusively in the luminal epithelium at the site of blastocyst apposition, and which is a juxtacrine adhesion factor for blastocysts, could be one of the mediators of blastocyst adhesion to the uterus in the process of implantation.