The activin binding proteins follistatin and follistatin-related protein are differentially regulated in vitro and during cutaneous wound repair

Follistatin is a secreted protein that binds activin in vitro and in vivo and thereby inhibits its biological functions. Recently, related human and murine genes, designated follistatin-related gene (FLRG), were identified, and their products were shown to bind activin with high affinity. In this study we further characterized the murine FLRG protein, and we analyzed its tissue-specific expression and regulation in comparison with those of follistatin. Transient expression of the mouse FLRG protein in COS-1 cells revealed that the FLRG cDNA encodes a secreted glycoprotein. FLRG mRNA was expressed at high levels in the lung, the testis, the uterus and, particularly, the skin. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of FLRG in the basement membrane between the dermis and the epidermis and around blood vessels. FLRG mRNA expression was induced in keratinocytes by keratinocyte growth factor, epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta 1, and in fibroblasts by platelet-derived growth factor and epidermal growth factor. The induction was more rapid, but weaker, than that of follistatin. Most interestingly, both follistatin and FLRG were expressed during the wound healing process, but their distribution within the wound was different. The different expression pattern of FLRG and follistatin and their differential regulation suggest different functions of these activin-binding proteins in vivo.

Human geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase: isolation of the cDNA, chromosomal mapping and tissue expression

We report the nucleotide sequence of human geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) synthase cDNA isolated from a fetal heart library. The 2.5 kb cDNA encodes a protein of 34 kDa. The protein contains six domains that have been identified previously in many other prenyltransferases. Recombinant, purified histidine-tagged protein exhibited the enzymatic properties associated with GGPP synthase, namely the synthesis of GGPP from farnesyl diphosphate and isopentenyl diphosphate. Transient transfection of mammalian cells with a plasmid encoding the putative GGPP synthase resulted in a 55-fold increase in GGPP synthase activity. Taken together, these results establish that the cDNA encodes the mammalian GGPP synthase protein. The mRNA for GGPP synthase was expressed ubiquitously. Of the 16 human tissues examined, the highest expression of the mRNA was in testis. The mRNA levels in cultured HeLa cells were unaffected by alterations in cellular sterol levels and contrasted with the significant regulation of isopentenyl diphosphate synthase mRNA under these same conditions. Fluorescent in situ hybridization was used to map the single gene encoding human GGPP synthase to chromosome 1q43.

Identification and characterization of a novel member of the fibroblast growth factor family

A new member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family, FGF-13, has been molecularly cloned as a result of high throughput sequencing of a human ovarian cancer cell library. The open reading frame of the novel human gene (1419 bp) encodes for a protein of 216 a.a. with a molecular weight of 22 kDa. The FGF-13 sequence contains an amino-terminal hydrophobic region of 23 a.a. characteristic of a signal secretion sequence. FGF-13 is most homologous, 70% similarity at the amino acid level, to FGF-8. Northern hybridization analysis demonstrated prominent expression of FGF-13 in human foetal and adult brain, particularly in the cerebellum and cortex. In proliferation studies with BaF3 cells, FGF-13 preferentially activates cell clones expressing either FGF receptor variant, 3-IIIc or 4. The signal transduction pathways of FGF-13 and FGF-2 were compared in rat hippocampal astrocytes. The two FGFs induce an equivalent level of tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-raf activation. However, FGF-13 is more effective than FGF-2 in inducing the phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma). Treatment of neuronal cultures from rat embryonic cortex with FGF-13 increases the number of glutamic acid decarboxylase immunopositive neurons, the level of high-affinity gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake, and choline acetyltransferase enzyme activity. The GABAergic neuronal response to FGF-13 treatment is rapid with a significant increase occurring within 72 h. We have identified a novel member of the FGF family that is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and increases the number as well as the level of phenotypic differentiation of cortical neurons in vitro.

Mouse fibroblast growth factor 10: cDNA cloning, protein characterization, and regulation of mRNA expression

Fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF-7) or keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), is a potent and specific mitogen for epithelial cells. We have recently identified a novel human FGF-7 homologue, named FGF-10. To study the expression of this new FGF family member and its regulation in wound repair, we cloned the mouse FGF-10 (mFGF-10) cDNA. The encoded protein is 92% identical to human FGF-10 and 91% identical to rat FGF-10. When expressed in mammalian 293 cells, the mFGF-10 protein was glycosylated but remained cell- or extracellular matrix-associated. Upon addition of heparin, mFGF-10 protein was released into the media. mRNA encoding mFGF-10 was relatively abundant in lung, skin, brain and heart. In the skin, both FGF-7 and mFGF-10 were expressed in the dermal, but not the epidermal compartment. In contrast to FGF-7, mFGF-10 expression was not induced during cutaneous wound repair. In cultured fibroblasts, expression of mFGF-10 was strongly repressed by transforming growth factor beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha, whereas epidermal growth factor and interleukin-1beta had no effect. These results demonstrate a differential regulation of mFGF-10 and FGF-7 expression in vitro and during the wound healing process.

ELL2, a new member of an ELL family of RNA polymerase II elongation factors

We recently isolated an RNA polymerase II elongation factor from rat liver nuclei and found it to be homologous to the product of the human ELL gene, a frequent target for translocations in acute myeloid leukemia. To further our understanding of the possible role(s) of ELL in transcriptional regulation and human disease, we initiated a search for ELL-related proteins. In this report we describe molecular cloning, expression, and characterization of human ELL2, a novel RNA polymerase II elongation factor 49% identical and 66% similar to ELL. Mechanistic studies indicate that ELL2 and ELL possess similar transcriptional activities. Structure-function studies localize the ELL2 elongation activation domain to an ELL2 N-terminal region that is highly homologous to ELL. Finally, Northern blot analysis reveals that the ELL2 and ELL genes are transcribed in many of the same tissues, but that the ratio of their transcripts exhibits tissue-to-tissue variation, raising the possibility that ELL2 and ELL may not perform completely general functions, but, instead, may perform gene- or tissue-specific functions.

Loss of heterozygosity occurs centromeric to RB without associated abnormalities in the retinoblastoma gene in tumors from patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Tumor suppressor genes have been found to have loss of function in a number of malignancies. This loss of function is believed to contribute to malignant transformation or metastatic spread. In the present study, expression of the retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor gene was examined in cell lines and tumor tissue obtained from primary renal and metastatic sites in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Three of fifteen (20%) of informative renal carcinoma cell lines had loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the RB gene (intron 20) detected by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, 7 of 22 (32%) informative cell lines had LOH centromeric to the RB gene at the D13S1 locus. No LOH (0 of 7) was seen telomeric to the RB gene at the D13S2 locus. None of the 28 cell lines examined had decreased RB mRNA expression compared with short-term cultures of proximal renal tubular cells. Western blotting demonstrated phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of RB protein of expected molecular weight in all 41 cell lines (33 primary and 8 metastatic) examined. Twenty-nine primary cell lines and 6 metastatic cell lines all demonstrated normal immunohistochemical staining. Loss of RB immunohistochemical staining in paraffin-embedded tissue was detected in none of the primary tumors (0 of 30) or metastatic tumors (0 of 12). The absence of abnormalities of RB expression detected in these renal cell carcinomas suggests that abnormalities of the RB gene are not central to malignant transformation or progression in this tumor type; however, another tumor suppressor gene centromeric to the RB locus may be important in renal cell carcinogenesis.