Plasminogen activator activity in the subunits of mouse submandibular gland nerve-growth factor and epidermal growth factor

Effect of several growth factors on plasminogen activator activity in granulosa and theca cells of the domestic hen

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of several growth factors on plasminogen activator (PA) activity in granulosa and theca cells collected from the largest preovulatory follicle in the hen ovary and to determine the involvement of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or protein kinase C, or both, in mediating the actions of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on granulosa PA activity. The granulosa cells were treated with increasing concentrations of: EGF (.33 to 16.4 nM); insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I, 2.61 to 131 nM); fibroblast growth factor (FGF, .15 to 7.5 nM); or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF, .02 to 1 nM). The treatments resulted in a dose-dependent increase in both cell-associated and secreted enzyme activity. The stimulatory effects of IGF-I (131 nM), however, were not mimicked with an equimolar concentration of the related peptide, insulin-like growth factor II. By contrast, theca cell PA activity was not significantly altered by EGF (16.4 nM), IGF-I (131 nM), FGF (7.5 nM), or PDGF (1 nM). Accumulation of cAMP was measured following exposure of granulosa cells to luteinizing hormone (LH, 10 ng, used as a positive control) or to EGF (16.4 and 164 nM) in the presence of .1 mM isobutylmethylxanthine. A 5-fold increase in cAMP levels was observed in response to LH; however, granulosa cell cAMP production was not altered by the presence of EGF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Substrate specificities of growth factor associated kallikreins of the mouse submandibular gland

The kinetic constants for the hydrolysis of a series of tripeptide p-nitroanilide substrates by mouse epidermal growth factor binding protein (EGF-BP), the gamma-subunit of mouse nerve growth factor (gamma-NGF), bovine pancreatic trypsin (BPT), and porcine pancreatic kallikrein (PPK) have been evaluated. These substrates correspond to the carboxyl-terminal three amino acids of the mature forms of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and beta-nerve growth factor (beta-NGF), as well as various substitutions in the penultimate and antepenultimate positions, and, as such, represent potential recognition sites for precursor processing. The mouse kallikreins (EGF-BP and gamma-NGF) preferentially hydrolyze the substrates with the sequences of their specifically associated growth factors; however, the constants derived from these reactions do not account for the association constants observed with the mature growth factors, and additional significant binding interactions between EGF-BP and EGF and between gamma-NGF and beta-NGF are predicted to exist outside of the catalytic binding site, i.e., the P3 to P1 positions. A comparison of the kinetic constants of BPT, PPK, and the mouse kallikreins indicates that EGF-BP and gamma-NGF display a hybrid catalytic character. A favorable substrate P1 arginine guanidinium group interaction exists for the mouse kallikreins, similar to that of BPT, but a preference for a hydrophobic side chain in the substrate P2 position makes the mouse kallikreins, especially EGF-BP, more closely resemble PPK than BPT. These findings have significant implications with regard to molecular modeling of the mouse kallikreins.