Human spreading factor: synthesis and response by HepG2 hepatoma cells in culture

Vitronectins produced by human cirrhotic liver and CCl4-treated rats differ in their glycosylation pattern and tissue remodeling activity

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a disease characterized by pathological accumulation and alteration of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins; the interaction between two such proteins, collagen and vitronectin (VN), is considered to be the key to controlling ECM remodeling in liver cirrhosis. If it is possible to control the modification of oligosaccharides on VN, it may be possible to retard progression of liver cirrhosis. In this study, we examined the relationship between changes in VN glycosylation and activity related to the remodeling of hepatic tissue in human LC and a rat model of LC generated using carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). Plasma concentrations of VN in human LC declined to approximately two‐thirds that in normal plasma, but the ratio of active VN, which has collagen‐binding activities, increased 2.8 times in LC plasma. In contrast, purified LC‐VN exhibited similar binding activities toward type I, IV, and V collagens to those of normal VN. Lectin reactivities and carbohydrate analyses of LC‐VN revealed that branching, fucosylation, and sialylation of N‐glycans were higher than those of normal VN. On the other hand, the plasma level of rat CCl₄‐VN increased and the ratio of active molecules to collagen in plasma decreased. Increased fucosylation of LC‐VN was not detected in carbohydrates of CCl₄‐VN. The changes in rat VN due to CCl₄ treatment did not correspond to the changes in plasma levels of human VN caused by LC, the ratio of active molecules, or carbohydrate composition, thereby indicating that CCl₄‐treated rats are not an appropriate model for studying VNs in human LC. Glycosidase treatment of VNs supported the hypothesis that the collagen‐binding activity of VN is modulated by alterations of glycosylation during LC, which may contribute to (a) the matrix incorporation of VN and (b) tissue fibrosis.

A molecular dynamics approach towards evaluating osmotic and thermal stress in the extracellular environment

OBJECTIVE

A molecular dynamics approach to understanding fundamental mechanisms of combined thermal and osmotic stress induced by thermochemical ablation (TCA) is presented.

METHODS

Structural models of fibronectin and fibronectin bound to its integrin receptor provide idealized models for the effects of thermal and osmotic stress in the extracellular matrix. Fibronectin binding to integrin is known to facilitate cell survival. The extracellular environment produced by TCA at the lesion boundary was modelled at 37 °C and 43 °C with added sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (0, 40, 80, 160, and 320 mM). Atomistic simulations of solvated proteins were performed using the GROMOS96 force field and TIP3P water model. Computational results were compared with the results of viability studies of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines HepG2 and Hep3B under matching thermal and osmotic experimental conditions.

RESULTS

Cell viability was inversely correlated with hyperthermal and hyperosmotic stresses. Added NaCl concentrations were correlated with a root mean square fluctuation increase of the fibronectin arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) binding domain. Computed interaction coefficients demonstrate preferential hydration of the protein model and are correlated with salt-induced strengthening of hydrophobic interactions. Under the combined hyperthermal and hyperosmotic stress conditions (43 °C and 320 mM added NaCl), the free energy change required for fibronectin binding to integrin was less favorable than that for binding under control conditions (37 °C and 0 mM added NaCl).

CONCLUSION

Results quantify multiple measures of structural changes as a function of temperature increase and addition of NaCl to the solution. Correlations between cell viability and stability measures suggest that protein aggregates, non-functional proteins, and less favorable cell attachment conditions have a role in TCA-induced cell stress.

Screening of hepatocyte proteins binding with C‑terminally truncated surface antigen middle protein of hepatitis B virus (MHBst167) by a yeast two‑hybrid system

The function of middle hepatitis B surface protein C‑terminally truncated at amino acid position 167 (MHBst167) is not currently clear. This study aimed to screen and identify the proteins that interact with MHBst167 in hepatocytes using a yeast two‑hybrid system, and to explore the effects of MHBst167 in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and precancerous diseases of the liver. The MHBst167 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into a pGEM‑T vector. The target region was sequenced and the constructed bait plasmid, pGBKT7‑MHBst167, was transformed into AH109 yeast cells. The transformed AH109 cells were then mated with Y187 yeast cells containing the fetal liver cDNA library plasmid using a yeast two‑hybrid system. The false positives were eliminated and the true positive clones were selected by PCR and sequencing analysis. The pGBKT7‑MHBst167 bait plasmid was successfully constructed and 66 clones grew in the selective synthetic defined media lacking leucine, tryptophan, histidine and adenine. Fifty‑two clones were identified following X‑α‑Gal selection and segregation analysis. Seven proteins were found to be expressed that could interact with MHBst167 in hepatocytes by the yeast two‑hybrid system. These results have provided novel insights into the biological functions of MHBst167.

Direct measurement of interactions between adsorbed vitronectin layers: The influence of ionic strength and pH

Vitronectin (Vn) is an adhesive protein in the plasma serum and plays an important role in cell attachment, spreading, and proliferation. The interactions between protein bovine vitronectin layers adsorbed onto a silica probe and a mica surface have been investigated with the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Adsorption of vitronectin was confirmed by XPS surface analysis. The force-separation curves and pull-off forces were measured as a function of ionic strength and solution pH. The pull-off force (adhesion force) decreased as the salt concentration increased, which suggests that some binding domains of this protein may associate with the ionic species and reduce its binding ability. Discrete jumps, or discontinuities, in the separation force curve were observed to extend to a maximum of 300 nm, evidence that the protein molecules bridge between the surfaces. As a function of pH, the adhesion force on separation of the protein-coated surfaces showed a maximum at pH 5 (i.e.p. of vitronectin), decreasing in magnitude at lower and higher pH values. At pH 5, the approaching curves illustrated a jump-in force; whereas for pH values away from 5, the approaching force curves were repulsive. Correlation of the interaction forces with Vn conformational changes in different pH environments, directly visualized with the use of AFM imaging, was developed. In its i.e.p. region, the Vn molecular conformation appeared to be dense and compact. Significantly, at wounds/injured sites the pH is low (approximately 5) which this study discovered to facilitate adsorption and formation of vitronectin aggregates, known to trigger their subsequent biological functions.

Local cellular sources of apolipoprotein E in the human retina and retinal pigmented epithelium: implications for the process of drusen formation

PURPOSE

The inheritance of specific apolipoprotein E allelles has been linked to atherosclerosis, Alzheimer disease, and, most recently, to the incidence of age-related macular degeneration. Apolipoprotein E is a common component of the extracellular plaques and deposits characteristic of these disorders, including drusen, which are a hallmark of age-related macular degeneration. Accordingly, we assessed the potential biosynthetic contribution of local ocular cell types to the apolipoprotein E found in drusen.

METHODS

We measured apolipoprotein E mRNA levels in human donor tissues using a quantitative assay of apolipoprotein E transcription, and we localized apolipoprotein E protein to specific cell types and compartments in the neural retina, retinal pigmented epithelium, and choroid using laser scanning confocal immunofluorescence microscopy.

RESULTS

Apolipoprotein E immunoreactivity is associated with photoreceptor outer segments, the retinal ganglion cell layer, the retinal pigmented epithelium basal cytoplasm and basal lamina, and with both collagenous layers of Bruch membrane. Apolipoprotein E appears to be a ubiquitous component of drusen, irrespective of clinical phenotype. It also accumulates in the cytoplasm of a subpopulation of retinal pigmented epithelial cells, many of which overlie or flank drusen. Mean levels of apolipoprotein E mRNA in the adult human retina are 45% and 150% of the levels measured in liver and adult brain, the two most abundant biosynthetic sources of apolipoprotein E. Apolipoprotein E mRNA levels are highest in the inner retina, and lowest in the outer retina where photoreceptors predominate. Significant levels of apolipoprotein E mRNA are also present in the retinal pigmented epithelium/choroid complex and in cultured human retinal pigmented epithelial cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Apolipoprotein E protein is strategically located at the same anatomic locus where drusen are situated, and the retinal pigmented epithelium is the most likely local biosynthetic source of apolipoprotein E at that location. Age-related alteration of lipoprotein biosynthesis and/or processing at the level of the retinal pigmented epithelium and/or Bruch membrane may be a significant contributing factor in drusen formation and age-related macular degeneration pathogenesis.

The human retina and retinal pigment epithelium are abundant sources of vitronectin mRNA

Vitronectin (Vn), a multifunctional plasma protein synthesized primarily in the liver, is often present as a component of the extracellular plaques and deposits that accompany various age-related human diseases. Recently, we reported that Vn is also a prominent molecular constituent of drusen, the extracellular deposits associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (1). The cellular source(s) of the Vn in drusen, as well as in these other plaques and deposits, remains uncertain. In this study, we used real-time quantitative RT-PCR to measure the relative levels of Vn mRNA in the cells and tissues that lie in close proximity to drusen. The results confirm that the human liver is an abundant source of Vn mRNA. Levels of Vn mRNA in kidney, lung, and fetal or adult brain are <3% of those in liver. Remarkably, mean Vn mRNA levels in the neural retina significantly exceed those in brain and represent close to 40% of the Vn mRNA value measured in human liver. Substantial levels of Vn mRNA are also present in the adjacent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). These results identify the neural retina, for the first time, as an abundant source of Vn mRNA. They also suggest that both the neural retina and RPE are potent biosynthetic sources of Vn in humans, and potentially significant local contributors to the Vn that accumulates in drusen.

The alphavbeta5 integrin functions as an endocytic receptor for vitronectin

Endocytosis and degradation of vitronectin by human skin fibroblasts are regulated by the beta5 integrin. To determine whether the beta5 integrin is directly mediating the internalization of vitronectin, both vitronectin and the beta5 integrin were localized by indirect immunofluorescence during the endocytic process. This analysis showed that both vitronectin and beta5 were found in intracellular vesicles within 5 minutes of the addition of exogenous vitronectin to fibroblast cell layers. By 15 minutes, approximately 20% of the vitronectin-containing vesicles stained positively for beta5. In contrast, the beta3 integrin was not found in any intracellular vesicles. Within 30 minutes, more than 50% of vitronectin-containing vesicles also stained for lamp-1, indicating that internalized vitronectin traveled to lysosomes. Inhibition of clathrin assembly by either potassium depletion or hypertonic buffer inhibited vitronectin internalization, suggesting that vitronectin internalization occurred through coated pits. Confocal analysis confirmed the colocalization of vitronectin and alphavbeta5 in intracellular compartments and further demonstrated that the highest colocalization of the two proteins occurred within 1.8 microm from the ventral surface of the cell, suggesting endocytosis occurred at the substrate level. Pretreatment of cells with the PI-3 kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, resulted in a marked increase in the coincidence of vitronectin and beta5 staining within vesicles and prevented the accumulation of vitronectin within lysosomes. This suggests that following internalization, vitronectin and the alphavbeta5 integrin are segregated to different cellular compartments. This study provides the first evidence that the alphavbeta5 vitronectin receptor directly mediates the internalization of vitronectin.

Serum clusterin and vitronectin in alcoholic cirrhosis

Clusterin and vitronectin are multifunctional regulatory proteins which both serve as complement lysis inhibitors. Previous data have strongly suggested that serum vitronectin is mainly produced in the liver, whereas the biosynthetic origin for serum clusterin has not been determined. In the present study we aimed to determine the role of the liver in producing these proteins and to evaluate the proteins as possible markers of liver failure. We therefore quantified clusterin and vitronectin in serum from patients suffering from alcoholic liver cirrhosis (n = 83), and in serum-free culture supernatants from the hepatoma cell line HepG2. The median clusterin concentration was 0.20 g/l in cirrhosis and 0.37 g/l in the controls, whereas corresponding vitronectin values were 0.19 and 0.26 g/l, respectively. The concentration of both proteins showed significant correlation (p < 0.0001) with disease severity and with established plasma markers of hepatic synthetic function, such as albumin and prothrombin complex. The clusterin level, but not the vitronectin level, correlated with survival (p = 0.005). The rates of synthesis of clusterin, vitronectin and C3 from HepG2 cells were 0.02, 0.21 and 1.9 micrograms/10(6) cells/24 h, respectively. From the present data we conclude that clusterin (as vitronectin and C3) is mainly produced in the liver and may be a useful marker in the evaluation of severity of liver disease and prognosis of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.

Evidence that extrahepatic cells express vitronectin mRNA at rates approaching those of hepatocytes

Although the liver is the major source of the adhesive glycoprotein vitronectin (Vn) in vivo, we recently demonstrated low levels of extrahepatic Vn transcription. In this report, in situ hybridization was employed to identify the Vn-producing cells at these extrahepatic sites. In the central nervous system (CNS), high levels of Vn transcripts were prominent in arachnoid cells and in cells frequently present in the vicinity of brain capillaries. Significant amounts of Vn mRNA were also detected in selected peripheral organs. In the myocardium, the signal was localized to cells in the endomysium and subepicardial fat. Additionally, the pulmonary alveolar walls contained Vn-positive cells. The parenchyma of the kidney and spleen were negative. Moreover, larger blood vessels and adjacent cells in the CNS and peripheral organs were devoid of the Vn transcript. Unexpectedly, the rate of Vn gene expression in subsets of cells present in the CNS was similar to that of hepatocytes. These results suggest that the low level of Vn gene expression detected by quantitative PCR may reflect relatively high levels of synthesis by a small subset of cells, and raise the possibility that tissue Vn may, in part, be derived from local biosynthesis rather than from plasma.

Regulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor activity by plasmin in endothelial cells

The fibrinolytic activity in endothelial cells was regulated by balance of plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitors. Plasmin can specifically inhibit the biosynthesis of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), but not plasminogen activator inhibitor, type 1 (PAI-1) in endothelial cells. The PAI activity in the conditioned medium of endothelial cells was low and remained constant in 24 hours. However, the PAI activity in the conditioned medium of the plasmin-pretreated cells increased linearly in 24 hours. Pretreatment with protein kinase C inhibitors, H-7 or staurosporine, partially suppressed the PAI activity induced by plasmin. Pretreatment of endothelial cells with a G-protein inhibitor pertussis toxin resulted in an inhibition of the plasmin-induced PAI activity. The phospholipase A2 inhibitor mepacrine specifically eliminated the effect of plasmin stimulation on PAI activity. Cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibitors also partially inhibited the plasmin-stimulated PAI activity in endothelial cells. All these inhibitors did not affect the biosynthesis of the PAI-1 antigen in the presence or absence of plasmin. The results indicate that plasmin increased the PAI activity of endothelial cells via pathways in which protein kinase C, G protein, and phospholipase A2 may be involved.

Control of the complement system

The complement system has developed a remarkably simple but elegant manner of regulating itself. It has faced and successfully dealt with how to facilitate activation on a microbe while preventing the same on host tissue. It solved this problem primarily by creating a series of secreted and membrane-regulatory proteins that prevent two highly undesirable events: activation in the fluid phase (no target) and on host tissue (inappropriate target). Also, if not checked, even on an appropriate target, the system would go to exhaustion and have nothing left for the next microbe. Therefore, the complement enzymes have an intrinsic instability and the fluid-phase control proteins play a major role in limiting activation in time. The symmetry of the regulatory process between fluid phase and membrane inhibitors at the C4/C3 step of amplification and convertase formation as well as at the MAC steps are particularly striking features of the self/nonself discrimination system. The use of glycolipid anchored proteins on membranes to decay enzymes and block membrane insertion events is unlikely to be by chance. Finally, it is economical for the cofactor regulatory activity to produce derivatives of C3b that now specifically engage additional receptors. Likewise, C1-Inh leads to C1q remaining on the immune complex to interact with the C1q receptor. Thus the complement system is designed to allow rapid, efficient, unimpeded activation on an appropriate foreign target while regulatory proteins intervene to prevent three undesirable consequences of complement activation: excessive activation on a single target, fluid phase activation, and activation on self.

Vitronectin is an intrinsic protein of human spermatozoa released during the acrosome reaction

Evidence has been presented that oolemmal integrins and their ligands on spermatozoa may play a role in gamete interactions leading to fertilization. We previously demonstrated that vitronectin (Vn) could be extracted from fresh human spermatozoa and detected in Western blots, and Vn was observed on the surface of living, capacitated sperm by indirect immunofluorescence. In the present experiments, messenger RNA encoding Vn was detected in human testis poly (A+) RNA using Northern analysis, and Vn was localized within the acrosomal region of ejaculated sperm by immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence staining. During the acrosome reaction, induced in capacitated spermatozoa by lonomycin, Vn was released into the medium in a calcium-dependent manner. Vn appears to be a specific product of intratesticular spermatozoa that is secreted during the acrosome reaction. These findings suggest that Vn is positioned to play a strategic role in gamete interactions leading to fertilization.

Characterization of human hepatocyte lines derived from normal liver tissue

Four separate continuous lines of human hepatocytes (HH01, HH02, HH09, HH25) were developed from normal liver tissue by subjecting cocultures of human hepatocytes with rat liver epithelial cells in a highly enriched medium to frequent subculturing. The addition of conditioned medium from either the human hepatoma line Hep G2 or one of these stable human hepatocyte lines (HH09) appeared to facilitate establishment of line HH25. These human hepatocyte lines have been in continuous culture for 2 to 5 yr and consist of approximately 95% human cells by analysis of cell surface antigens. Cytogenetic analysis also confirmed the human origin of these cells and showed clonal origin with abnormal ploidy. Cells in these human hepatocyte lines retain morphological features of hepatocytes by both light and electron microscopy. They also retain glucose-6-phosphatase activity and secrete proteins characteristic of hepatocytes, such as albumin, alpha-fetoprotein and transferrin. After incubation with 13 mumol/L dibenz(a,h) anthracene for 24 hr, each line had detectable activity of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and methoxyresorufin O-demethylase. Thus, these human hepatocyte lines retain important differentiated characteristics of hepatocytes. Derived from normal liver tissue, they appear to be immortalized. They provide a new model system for studying human hepatocellular drug metabolism. These lines may also be useful for studying the regulation of synthesis of albumin, alpha-fetoprotein and other proteins in human hepatocytes, determining the effects of cytokines and growth factors and designing systems to effect gene transfer into human hepatocytes for the purpose of gene therapy.

Evidence for an extra-cellular function for protein kinase A

In addition to its intra-cellular functions, cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) may well have an extra-cellular regulatory role in blood. This suggestion is based on the following experimental findings: (a) Physiological stimulation of blood platelets brings about a specific release of PKA, together with its co-substrates ATP and Mg++; (b) In human serum, an endogenous phosphorylation of one protein (p75, M(r) 75 kDa) occurs; this phosphorylation is enhanced by addition of cAMP and blocked by the Walsh-Krebs specific PKA inhibitor; (c) No endogenous phosphorylation of p75 occurs in human plasma devoid of platelets, but the selective labeling of p75 can be reproduced by adding to plasma the pure catalytic subunit of PKA; (d) p75 was shown to be vitronectin (V), a multifunctional protein implicated in processes associated with platelet activation, and thus a protein whose function may require modulation for control; (e) The phosphorylation of vitronectin occurs at one site (Ser378) which, at physiological pH, is buried in its two-chain form (V65 + 10) but it becomes 'exposed' in the presence of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) e.g. heparin or heparan sulfate. Such a transconformation may be used for targeting the PKA phosphorylation to vitronectin molecules bound to GAGs, for example in the extracellular matrix or on cell surfaces; (f) From the biochemical point of view (Km values and physiological concentrations) the phosphorylation of vitronectin can take place at the locus of a hemostatic event; (g) The phosphorylation of Ser378 in vitronectin alters its function, since it significantly reduces its ability to bind the inhibitor-1 of plasminogen activator(s) (PAI-1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A 30 kD sulfated extracellular matrix protein immunologically crossreactive with vitronectin

In this study we describe a human sulfated 30 kD protein (sp30) that is recognized by a monoclonal antibody raised against human vitronectin (mAb 8E6). Another monoclonal antibody raised against human vitronectin, mAb MaSp, and a polyclonal antiserum against vitronectin did not react detectably with sp30. Sp30, unlike vitronectin, is synthesized by a variety of non-hepatic human cell lines in culture, including cells of lymphoid origin. It is synthesized in sulfated form as indicated by metabolic labeling of MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells with 35SO4. Sp30 is an extracellular matrix protein as indicated by its association with the matrix of MG-63 cells after removal of the cells with EDTA and its fibrillar pattern by immunofluorescence of non-permeabilized confluent MG-63 cell monolayers detected with mAb 8E6. This antibody also stained short fibrils in human embryonic tissue. This pattern was distinct from the fainter diffuse staining obtained with mAb MaSp and the polyclonal antiserum to vitronectin, suggesting that the 8E6 staining in embryonic tissues was mostly due to sp30 rather than vitronectin. A polyclonal antiserum against bovine microfibril associated glycoprotein (MAGP) precipitated a [35SO4]-30 kD protein from [35SO4]-labeled MG-63 medium that co-migrated with a band precipitated by mAb 8E6. Double-labeling immunofluorescence studies of embryonic tissues showed an identical distribution of anti-bovine MAGP antiserum and mAb 8E6 staining. These data indicate that sp30 is the human homolog of bovine MAGP. Distinction between sp30 and vitronectin will be important in ascertaining the localization and function of both proteins. The findings that sp30 is sulfated and synthesized and secreted by a variety of cells in culture should aid in defining its role in microfibrillogenesis. That sp30 is secreted by cells of lymphoid origin suggests that it might also have a heretofore unsuspected role in immune responses.

Vitronectin secretion by hepatic and non-hepatic human cancer cells

Thirty-eight human cancer cell lines and subclones derived from 12 different organs were screened for vitronectin secretion in their culture media. By immunoblotting analysis we detected high secretion by three out of five hepatoma cell lines tested but no secretion by the others. In addition, significant secretion was observed in seven non-hepatic cancer cell lines and subclones derived from the cervix, lung, and pancreas. These vitronectin-secreting cells included PLC/PRF/5, HuH-6 #5, HuH-7, HeLa S3, HeLa.P3 #2, #3, #6, #8, A549, and MIAPaCa-2. The results were further confirmed by quantitative analysis using sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay, and activity analysis of cell attachment promotion on Western blotted filters.

Vitronectin and its relationship to other extracellular matrix components in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in sarcoidosis

There is a need to find markers that can be used as indicators of early fibrotic changes in the lung in patients with sarcoidosis. The fibrotic reaction is accompanied by an increase in the connective tissue components, and the extracellular matrix molecules are characterized by an ability to interact with each other. We found increased concentrations of three components of the extracellular matrix, vitronectin (VN), fibronectin (FN), and hyaluronan (HA), in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from 56 patients with sarcoidosis compared with 38 healthy control subjects (p less than 0.001 for all). Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the median value for VN in BAL fluid from sarcoid patients was 74 micrograms/L (interquartile range, 47 to 138) compared with 38 micrograms/L (IQR, 22 to 55) in control subjects. The median VN concentration in serum was 0.25 g/L in both groups. VN consists of various functional domains, and it may, together with FN and HA, contribute to repair or exaggeration of the interstitial changes that occur when sarcoidosis affects the lungs. VN correlated to the concentration of albumin in the BAL fluid (p less than 0.01) but even closer to the concentrations of FN and HA (p less than 0.001 for both). The extracellular matrix components did not show any correlation to the disease activity, roentgenographic stage, or functional signs of developed fibrosis. In conclusion, the increased concentrations of VN, FN, and HA may predict only an ongoing inflammation and not necessarily a fibrotic process.

Vitronectin in liver disorders: biochemical and immunohistochemical studies

The concentration of plasma vitronectin was determined and compared with various parameters of liver function including the blood coagulation system in patients with liver diseases. The severity of cirrhosis was graded according to Child's criteria and compared with the plasma vitronectin level. Furthermore, the distribution of vitronectin in the liver of patients with liver diseases was studied by light and electron microscopy using the indirect immunoperoxidase method. The plasma vitronectin level was low in all liver disease groups as compared with the healthy controls. The difference from the controls was significant in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and decompensated cirrhosis. Moreover, the plasma vitronectin level was positively correlated with the levels of serum cholinesterase, albumin, plasma alpha 2 plasmin inhibitor-plasmin complex and the prothrombin time and results of the hepatoplastin test. Plasma vitronectin decreased with increasing severity of cirrhosis according to Child's criteria. These results suggest that the plasma vitronectin level is a useful parameter of hepatic synthetic function in patients with liver diseases; it may also reflect the severity of cirrhosis. Light microscopy revealed vitronectin in the area of focal necrosis and the portal tracts in the liver of patients with acute viral hepatitis, in the area of piecemeal necrosis in the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis and along the area of fiber deposition in the liver of patients with cirrhosis. Immunoelectron microscopy showed vitronectin in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes. Moreover, vitronectin was seen around inflammatory cells, endothelial cells, Ito cells and hepatocytes in the perisinusoidal area near focal necrosis and piecemeal necrosis and on collagen fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Vitronectin diversity in evolution but uniformity in ligand binding and size of the core polypeptide

We isolated vitronectins from the plasma or sera of 14 animal species including mouse and rat by heparin affinity chromatography. They cross-reacted with anti-vitronectin antibody and their amino terminal sequences showed strong homology. They also promoted spreading of BHK cells and were bound to heparin and collagen in the same way. Therefore, these properties appear to be essential for vitronectin function. However, the apparent molecular weights of these vitronectins varied considerable from 59 to 78 kDa in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). In addition, the number of bands also varied from 1 to 3. To search for the uniformity of vitronectin polypeptide, vitronectins were deglycosylated and examined by Ferguson plot analysis. The size of the polypeptide portion of vitronectins was estimated to range from 40 to 57 kDa which was 19-26 kDa smaller than original values. Supposing a possible cleavage site at 5-13 kDa far from the carboxyl terminus, all vitronectin polypeptides were speculated to be synthesized de novo in the size range of 50-57 kDa. Proteins reacting with anti-vitronectin antibody were also detected on the immunoblot of 13 more species including Drosophila and Physarum. Almost all of these vitronectin-like proteins showed marked species-specific variations in their apparent molecular weights from 51 to 96 kDa in SDS-PAGE.

Detection of vitronectin mRNA in tissues and cells of the mouse

Mouse vitronectin (Vn) was isolated from serum by heparin affinity chromatography. The purified protein (Mr 71,000) supported adhesion of mouse and human cells in an Arg-Gly-Asp-dependent manner and bound to type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor with kinetics similar to those observed using human and bovine Vn. To further characterize murine Vn and its biosynthesis in vivo, a mouse Vn cDNA was isolated from a liver cDNA library. The amino acid sequence of mouse Vn was deduced from the cDNA and was aligned with that of human Vn. Based on this alignment, mouse Vn was inferred to be 457 amino acids long and to have extensive (82%) homology with human Vn. Northern blot hybridization analysis of RNA from mouse tissues, using the mouse Vn cDNA as a hybridization probe, revealed the presence of a single transcript of 1.7 kilobases in mouse liver. Vn mRNA was not detectable in heart, lung, kidney, spleen, muscle, brain, thymus, testes, uterus, skin, adipose tissue, and aorta. The cellular localization of liver Vn mRNA was studied by in situ hybridization. Strong staining was observed only in hepatocytes, suggesting that these cells are the primary source of Vn in vivo.

Enhancement of vitronectin expression in human HepG2 hepatoma cells by transforming growth factor-beta 1

Liver cells are considered the principal source of plasma vitronectin. The human hepatoma cell line HepG2 produces vitronectin into its culture medium. In the current work we have analyzed the regulation of vitronectin by transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF beta 1) in this hepatoma cell line by Northern hybridization, polypeptide and immunoprecipitation analyses and compared the response to another TGF beta-regulated gene, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). Rabbit antibodies raised against human plasma-derived vitronectin were used in immunodetection. Polypeptide and immunoprecipitation analyses of the medium and cells, as well as immunoblotting analysis of the cells and their extracellular matrices, indicated enhanced TGF beta 1-induced production and extracellular deposition of vitronectin. Accordingly, TGF beta 1 enhanced the expression of vitronectin mRNA at picomolar concentrations (2-20 ng/ml) as shown by Northern hybridization analysis. Comparison of the temporal TGF beta induction profiles of vitronectin and PAI-1 mRNAs showed that vitronectin was induced more slowly but the vitronectin mRNAs persisted longer. In addition, platelet-derived and epidermal growth factors had an effect on vitronectin expression, but it was of lower magnitude. TGF beta 1 enhanced the expression of PAI-1 but, unlike previous reports, epidermal growth factor did not have any notable effect on PAI-1 in these cells. The results indicate that TGF beta 1 is an efficient regulator of the production of vitronectin by HepG2 cells and that PAI-1 and vitronectin are not coordinately regulated. In addition, with affinity purified antibodies to vitronectin receptor, we observed strong enhancement of the alpha subunit of the receptor in response to TGF beta 1. These effects of TGF beta are probably involved in various processes of the liver where matrix induction and controlled pericellular proteolysis is needed, as in tissue repair.

Gamma-glutamyltransferase from human hepatoma cell lines: purification and cell culture of HepG2 on microcarriers

After screening different human hepatoma cell lines, we observed that both HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 naturally produced large amounts of gamma-glutamyltransferase. We optimized HepG2 cell culture conditions and observed that higher cell densities were obtained when cells were cultured on microcarriers, particularly when Cytodex 3 was used and that cell growth was optimal when DMEM, the basic medium, was supplemented with 5% fetal calf serum and 6 mmol/l glutamine. These culture conditions allowed us to produce the highest amounts of GGT after about 150 h of culture. The GGT obtained from HepG2 cells was partially purified and some of its physico-chemical properties characterized. Successive Con A gel chromatography separated the activity into two peaks, suggesting that GGT from HepG2 is not uniformly glycosylated. Papain-treated HepG2 GGT showed a Mr of about 120 kDa and migrated as a single-chain protein in SDS-PAGE. Immunological and kinetic properties of the GGT were similar to other human GGTs (liver, kidney and serum). It appears that HepG2 GGT could be a source for the preparation of a human enzyme reference material.

Serum-derived vitronectin influences the pericellular distribution of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor

Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEs) were used as a model system to study the nature and origin of protein(s) in the extracellular matrix that bind to type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). Matrix samples were fractionated by SDS-PAGE and analyzed by PAI-1 ligand binding and by immunoblotting using antibodies to vitronectin (Vn). PAI-1 bound primarily to two Vn-related polypeptides of Mr 63,000 and 57,000, and both of these partially degraded polypeptides were present in the culture serum. Radiolabeling experiments failed to detect significant Vn biosynthesis by BAEs (less than 0.03% of total), or by human umbilical vein endothelial cells and HT 1080 cells. The binding of PAI-1 to Vn was relatively specific since direct binding studies failed to demonstrate significant interactions between PAI-1 and other matrix proteins (e.g., fibronectin, type IV collagen, laminin, or matrigel). Kinetic studies indicate that PAI-1 rapidly accumulates in the matrix when BAEs are plated on Vn, appearing in the conditioned medium only after a significant lag period (1-2 h). However, no PAI-1 was detected in the matrix when the cells were plated on fibronectin-coated dishes, and there was no lag period for PAI-1 accumulation in the medium. These results indicate that PAI-1 binds specifically to serum-derived Vn in the matrix, and suggest that the composition of both the matrix and serum itself may influence the pericellular distribution of this important inhibitor.

Growth-factor independence of a new differentiated hepatitis B virus DNA-negative human hepatoma cell line

The establishment of a new, differentiated, hepatitis B virus DNA-negative, human hepatoma cell line (named PLC/AN/2) is described. Neoplastic liver tissue was obtained during hepatectomy in an HBsAg-negative man. The established cell line is negative for alpha-fetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen; it has retained in vitro some of the differentiated functions of normal hepatocytes. Additionally, it presents a distinctive rearrangement (translocation) at the long arm of chromosome 4. The high degree of independence from serum growth factor requirements appears to be a major in vitro characteristic of PLC/AN/2 cells, making them a suitable model system for the more precise definition of the human hepatocellular carcinoma phenotype, including mechanisms of growth control.

Diversities in animal vitronectins. Differences in molecular weight, immunoreactivity and carbohydrate chains

Six animal plasma vitronectins, human, horse, porcine, bovine, rabbit and chicken vitronectins purified by a novel method using two successive heparin affinity columns, showed marked diversity in molecular weight, immunoreactivity and carbohydrate composition. Chicken vitronectin had a distinctly different amino acid composition from the mammalian vitronectins; and bovine vitronectin was the only one to contain N-glycolylneuraminic acid as well as N-acetylneuraminic acid. Binding studies with horseradish peroxidase-labelled lectins indicated that all the vitronectins contained complex-type, sialylated N-linked sugar chains and that only porcine vitronectin had a fucosylated sugar chain. D-Galactosamine determinations and binding studies with horseradish peroxidase-peanut lectin on native and asialovitronectins revealed that the mammalian vitronectins other than human vitronectin contained O-linked sugar chains with sialic acid, chicken vitronectin contained unsialylated chains, and human vitronectin contained neither. The results indicate that diversities in vitronectins are apparent in their molecular weights and glycosylations, especially in the number and structure of O-linked sugar chains.

Vitronectin exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms in human plasma

Vitronectin (serum spreading factor, S-protein or epibolin) is a plasma glycoprotein implicated in cell adhesion, as well as in the regulation of complement-mediated cytolysis and antithrombin III function. Vitronectin was found to exist in fresh human plasma as a heterogeneous mixture consisting of 2% heparin-binding form and the remainder as a non-binding species. Heparin-binding vitronectin consisted of 6.5 S aggregates with a Stokes radius of 5.6 nm, which was enriched in the 65 kDa polypeptide, with a high content of molecules and a putative unfolded conformation. In contrast, non-heparin-binding vitronectin was a 4.2 S monomer with a Stokes radius of 3.9 nm, which appeared to be in a folded conformation with an immunologically cryptic site. Both vitronectins displayed similar activities in mediating the spreading of BHK fibroblastic cells on substrates. During blood coagulation, 5% more of the non-heparin-binding vitronectin was converted into the heparin-binding form, producing a greater than 3.5-fold increase in this species. Our results indicate that vitronectin normally exists in circulating blood in at least two structurally and functionally distinct forms which may serve different functions.

Cell-substratum interactions: serum spreading factor

We have prepared a fraction of commercial fetal calf serum whose major component comprises proteins of apparent molecular mass 65-80 kDa. These preparations elicit cell spreading responses in serum-free medium at concentrations similar to those reported for human vitronectin. In addition, we have identified (by a protein blotting technique) the 65-80 kDa component as the active species in our preparations. Cell spreading responses in the presence of our 'bovine vitronectin' preparations are similar to cell spreading on fetal calf serum. (In contrast, cell spreading on bovine fibronectin showed very different kinetics). Our results suggest that bovine vitronectin may be an important component of fetal calf serum involved in conditioning cell culture substrata.

Differential response of the human hepatoma-derived cell line HA22T/VGH to polypeptide mitogens

Several human cell lines derived from primary cancer of the liver are able to grow under serum-free conditions and produce spreading and growth factors which are released into the culture medium. Since this autocrine growth under hormone-free conditions might play a basic role in malignant transformation, we studied the effect on cell replication and the presence of specific membrane receptors of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin on a dedifferentiated human hepatoma cell line, named HA22T/VGH. Our results point to a similar inhibitory effect on cell replication in the presence of both EGF and insulin, in spite of detecting different affinities of binding.