Differences between the F10, BL6 and F1 sublines of the B16 melanoma in the enhancement of plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor secretion by phorbol myristate acetate

Molecular oncogenetics of metastasis

Metastasis is a complex non-stochastic process that is most likely the result of genetic and epigenetic interactions of a wide variety of genes. The search for a single gene which can encompass such a pleiotropic response as to account for the observed phenotypic characteristics of metastatic tumour populations has been unsuccessful. Particular studies involving gene transfection, subtractive hybridisation and cell fusion are beginning to identify specific genes which contribute to metastasis in some cell types. However, such analyses are complicated by the inherent genetic instability and phenotypic heterogeneity present in tumour populations. A more detailed understanding of the metastatic process may require an abandoning of current generalised approaches to metastasis in favour of concentrating on key components of the metastatic cascade such as adhesion and invasion.

Fibrinolytic inhibitors from the experimental rat epithelioma

Guerin epithelioma, a highly metastatic tumour implanted to Wistar rats contains two inhibitors of fibrinolysis which can be detected with the use of zymographic techniques. The first one--with Mr about 48000 forms SDS-stable complex with urokinase. The second--with Mr about 7000 inhibits fibrinolytic and amidolytic activity of plasmin.

Alterations in plasminogen activator and inhibitor activity during the differentiation of a human neuroblastoma cell line, SMS-KAN

The fibrinolytic enzyme profile of SMS-KAN human neuroblastoma cells was found to vary dramatically during the differentiation process. Five maturational agents--retinoic acid, dibutyryl cAMP, 5-bromodeoxyuridine, sodium butyrate and phorbol myristate acetate were tested for their effects on cellular morphology, DNA synthesis, plasminogen activator (PA) and PA inhibitor (PAI) activity. SMS-KAN cells secrete urokinase (UK) and tissue PA (tPA) as well as a possibly unique PAI. Treatment of cells with 1 microM RA resulted in an inhibition of proliferation, extension of neurite-like processes indicative of differentiation, as well as a switch from secretion of UK to tPA and a reduction in PAI secretion. Other agents which caused neural process formation and decreased cell proliferation also induced alterations in PA/PAI while agents which had no detectable effect on cell growth induced little change in the fibrinolytic enzyme profile.

Effect of retinoic acid on human neuroblastoma: correlation between morphological differentiation and changes in plasminogen activator and inhibitor activity

The relationship between plasminogen activator (PA)/plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity and morphological differentiation was investigated in human neuroblastoma (NB) cells treated with retinoic acid (RA). Conditioned medium from nine NB cell lines and one closely related neuroepithelioma line was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and zymography. All NB cell lines were shown to secrete urokinase (UK)-type PA (mol. wt., 52 kDa), and all except two produced tissue PA (mol. wt., 65 kDa). Identification of the PAs was made based on molecular weight and sensitivity to inhibition by anti-UK and anti-tPA antibodies. Several cell lines expressed PA inhibitory molecules; two molecular-weight forms were observed (35 and 40 kDa) in different cell lines. Complex formation with [125]I-labelled proteases revealed specific binding with UK and trypsin but not thrombin, plasmin, or kallikrein. After treatment for 6 days with 1 microM RA, six of the cell lines exhibited an increase in cell-associated and/or secreted tPA activity, corresponding to morphological differentiation of the cells as manifested by extensive neurite outgrowth. A decrease in UK and UK-complex secretion was observed in several of these cell lines. Three cell lines exhibiting no detectable morphological alterations with RA treatment also showed no dramatic changes in PA/PAI activity. These results suggest that morphological differentiation of NB cells may be associated with alterations in the regulation of PA activity.

Treatment of mouse L-cells with phorbol myristate acetate induces the secretion of a plasminogen activator inhibitor which binds to human and mouse urokinase and human tissue plasminogen activator

1. Serum-free conditioned medium from L-cells or L-cells treated with the tumor-promotor phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was analyzed for plasminogen activator (PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity. Conditioned medium from control or PMA-treated cells did not contain detectable PA activity when assayed by SDS-PAGE and zymography. 2. Conditioned medium from PMA-treated cells, but not control cells, contained a PAI of Mr = 40,000 da when assayed by reverse zymography. 3. The L-cell PAI formed SDS-stable complexes with purified human (homo sapiens) urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator, as well as, mouse (Mus musculus) urinary PA. 4. These results indicate that biochemical and immunological differences between human and mouse urokinase and human urokinase and human tissue plasminogen activator do not influence the interaction of the L-cell PAI with these enzymes.