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Query: EC:2.7.10.1 (
ERK
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95,504
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Tumour-secreted
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) exerts a number of effects which are important in tumour pathology, including stimulation of angiogenesis and permeabilisation of tumour-associated vasculature. In this study we have examined the possibility that
VEGF
may also play an autocrine role in tumour growth. Using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the expression of
VEGF
was found in 15/15 human tumour cell lines examined, while the
VEGF
receptor
KDR
was detected only in three melanoma cell lines (MeWo and A375, both wild type and metastatic variant). Exogenously added
VEGF
(10ng/ml) was able to stimulate up to 40% increased proliferation of A375 M melanoma cells following a 48-h period of quiescence, suggesting that
VEGF
may indeed play a role in autocrine, as well as paracrine, stimulation of melanoma growth.
...
PMID:Melanoma cell lines express VEGF receptor KDR and respond to exogenously added VEGF. 855 90
Angiogenesis is required for a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes. The endothelial cell-specific mitogen
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) is a major mediator of pathological angiogenesis. Also, the expression of
VEGF
and its two receptors, Flt-1 and Flk-1/
KDR
, is related to the formation of blood vessels in mouse and rat embryos. Mice homozygous for mutations that inactivate either receptor die in utero between days 8.5 and 9.5. However, ligand(s) other than
VEGF
might activate such receptors. To assess the role of
VEGF
directly, we disrupted the
VEGF
gene in embryonic stem cells. Here we report the unexpected finding that loss of a single
VEGF
allele is lethal in the mouse embryo between days 11 and 12. Angiogenesis and blood-island formation were impaired, resulting in several developmental anomalies. Furthermore,
VEGF
-null embryonic stem cells exhibit a dramatically reduced ability to form tumours in nude mice.
...
PMID:Heterozygous embryonic lethality induced by targeted inactivation of the VEGF gene. 860 42
Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new blood vessels from existing vessels, occurs in many physiological and pathological processes, including embryonic development, wound healing, and tumor growth. It is required for tumor growth because new blood vessel formation is necessary for tumors to expand beyond a minimum volume. Several growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases have been implicated in angiogenesis, including receptors for epidermal, fibroblast, and platelet-derived growth factors, as well as the receptors Flk-1/
KDR
, Flt-1 Tek/Tie-2, and Tie-1. Endothelial cells in the vessels of tumors express Flk-1/
KDR
, a receptor for
vascular endothelial growth factor
. Flk-1 was previously shown to play a role in angiogenesis and tumor formation of s.c. xenografts of C6 glioma cells using dominant-negative methodology. We now demonstrate that Flk-1 seems to be generally involved in the growth of a wide range of solid tumors, including mammary, ovarian, and lung carcinoma, as well as glioblastoma. Furthermore, survival times in rats bearing intracerebral tumors were prolonged using the same dominant-negative methodology. The involvement of Flk-1 in a variety of tumor types suggests an important role for Flk-1 in tumor angiogenesis.
...
PMID:Dominant-negative inhibition of Flk-1 suppresses the growth of many tumor types in vivo. 860 10
Treatment of human monocytes with
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) isolated from tumor cell supernatants was reported to induce monocyte activation and migration. In this study we show that recombinant human VEGF165, and VEGF121 had a maximal effect on human monocyte migration at 65 to 250 pmol/L. Chemotactic activity of VEGF165 was inhibited by a specific antiserum against
VEGF
, by heat treatment of VEGF165, and by protein kinase inhibitors. In addition, we could show that
VEGF
-stimulated monocyte migration is mediated by a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein. Placenta growth factor (PlGF152), a heparin-binding growth factor related to
VEGF
, was also chemotactic for monocytes at concentrations between 2.5 and 25 pmol/L. In accordance with these findings, human monocytes showed specific and saturable binding for 125I-VEGF165 (half-maximal binding at 1 to 1.5 nmol/L). Using Northern blot analysis, we further could show that human monocytes express only the gene for the
VEGF
receptor type, flt-1, but not for the second known
VEGF
receptor,
KDR
. Resting monocytes expressed low levels of flt-1 gene only. Brief exposure (2 to 4 hours) of human monocytes to lipopolysaccharide, a prototypic monocyte activator, led to a significant upregulation of the flt-1 mRNA level. The results presented here suggest that monocyte chemotaxis in response to
VEGF
and most likely to PlGF152 is mediated by flt-1 and thus show a possible function for the
VEGF
-receptor flt-1.
...
PMID:Migration of human monocytes in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is mediated via the VEGF receptor flt-1. 860 50
Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, and the permeability of blood vessels are regulated by
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) via its two known receptors Flt1 (VEGFR-1) and
KDR
/Flk-1 (VEGFR-2). The Flt4 receptor tyrosine kinase is related to the
VEGF
receptors, but does not bind
VEGF
and its expression becomes restricted mainly to lymphatic endothelia during development. In this study, we have purified the Flt4 ligand, VEGF-C, and cloned its cDNA from human prostatic carcinoma cells. While VEGF-C is homologous to other members of the
VEGF
/platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) family, its C-terminal half contains extra cysteine-rich motifs characteristic of a protein component of silk produced by the larval salivary glands of the midge, Chironomus tentans. VEGF-C is proteolytically processed, binds Flt4, which we rename as VEGFR-3 and induces tyrosine autophosphorylation of VEGFR-3 and VEGFR-2. In addition, VEGF-C stimulated the migration of bovine capillary endothelial cells in collagen gel. VEGF-C is thus a novel regulator of endothelia, and its effects may extend beyond the lymphatic system, where Flt4 is expressed.
...
PMID:A novel vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF-C, is a ligand for the Flt4 (VEGFR-3) and KDR (VEGFR-2) receptor tyrosine kinases. 861
Here we show that the Escherichia coli expressed monomers of placenta growth factor (PLGF)129 and
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
)165 can be re-folded in vitro to form PLGF/
VEGF
heterodimers. The purified recombinant PLGF/
VEGF
heterodimers and
VEGF
homodimers have potent mitogenic and chemotactic effects on endothelial cells. However, PLGF/
VEGF
heterodimers display 20-50-fold less mitogenic activity than VEGF165 homodimers. In contrast, PLGF129 homodimers have little or no effect in these in vitro assays. We also demonstrate the presence of natural PLGF/
VEGF
heterodimers in the conditioned media of various human tumor cell lines. While PLGF/
VEGF
heterodimers bind with high affinity to a soluble Flk-1/
KDR
receptor, PLGF129 homodimers fail to bind to this receptor. Cross-linking of 125I-ligands to human umbilical vein endothelial cells reveals that PLGF/
VEGF
heterodimers and VEGF165 homodimers, but not PLGF129 homodimers, form complexes with membrane receptors. VEGF165 homodimers and PLGF/
VEGF
heterodimers stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of a 220-kDa protein, the expected size for the
KDR
receptor in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, whereas PLGF129 homodimers are unable to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of this protein. These data indicate that PLGF may modulate
VEGF
-induced angiogenesis by the formation of PLGF/
VEGF
heterodimers in cells producing both factors.
...
PMID:Heterodimers of placenta growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor. Endothelial activity, tumor cell expression, and high affinity binding to Flk-1/KDR. 862 15
Vascular permeability factor (VPF), also known as
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
), plays an important role in the angiogenesis associated with the growth of many human and animal tumors. VPF/
VEGF
stimulates endothelial cell growth and increases microvascular permeability by interacting with two endothelial cell tyrosine kinase receptors,
KDR
and flt-1. We studied 16 cases of AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), 2 cases of cutaneous angiosarcoma, and 6 cases of capillary hemangioma by in situ hybridization for expression of VPF/
VEGF
,
KDR
, and flt-1 mRNAs. We also performed immunohistochemical staining for VPF/
VEGF
protein in 15 cases. Tumor cells in KS and angiosarcoma strongly expressed
KDR
but not flt-1 mRNA. Endothelial cells in small stromal vessels in and around these tumors strongly expressed both
KDR
and flt-1 mRNAs. Tumor cells expressed VPF/VEGF mRNA strongly in only one case of KS, adjacent to an area of necrosis. This was also the only case in which the tumor cells stained substantially for VPF/
VEGF
protein. VPF/VEGF mRNA and protein were, however, strongly expressed by squamous epithelium in areas of hyperplasia and near areas of ulceration overlying tumors. VPF/VEGF mRNA was also expressed focally at lower levels by infiltrating inflammatory cells, probably macrophages. The strong expression of both
KDR
and flt-1 in small stromal vessels in and around tumors suggests that VPF/
VEGF
may be an important regulator of the edema and angiogenesis seen in these tumors. The strong expression of
KDR
by tumor cells in KS and angiosarcoma implies that VPF/
VEGF
may also have a direct effect on tumor cells. Tumor cells in four of six capillary hemangiomas strongly expressed both
KDR
and flt-1 mRNAs in contrast to the high level expression of only
KDR
observed in the malignant vascular tumors studied. Neither VPF/VEGF mRNA or protein were strongly expressed in capillary hemangiomas. VPF/
VEGF
and its receptors may play an important but as yet incompletely understood role in the pathogenesis of both benign and malignant vascular tumors.
...
PMID:Strong expression of kinase insert domain-containing receptor, a vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor in AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma and cutaneous angiosarcoma. 864 48
The
FLT4
gene encodes two isoforms of a tyrosine kinase receptor, which belongs to the family of receptors for
vascular endothelial growth factor
. As the result of an alternative processing of primary mRNA transcripts, the long isoform differs from the short isoform by an additional stretch of 65 amino acid residues located at the C terminus and containing three tyrosine residues, Tyr1333, Tyr1337, and Tyr1363. Only the long isoform is endowed with a transforming capacity in fibroblasts. We show that this activity is related to the capacity of the tyrosine 1337-containing sequence to interact with the phosphotyrosine binding domain of the SHC protein. This demonstrates that a functional property of this newly described domain includes relay of mitogenic signals. In addition, it shows that the same receptor can mediate different functions through the optional binding of the phosphotyrosine binding domain and that the alternative use of this domain is sufficient to direct the signal toward different pathways.
...
PMID:Interaction with the phosphotyrosine binding domain/phosphotyrosine interacting domain of SHC is required for the transforming activity of the FLT4/VEGFR3 receptor tyrosine kinase. 866 48
Two distinct receptors for
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
), the tyrosine kinase receptors Flt-1 and Flk-1/
KDR
, have been described. In this study we show that monocytes, in contrast to endothelium, express only the
VEGF
receptor Flt-1, and that this receptor specifically binds also the
VEGF
homolog placenta growth factor (PlGF). Both
VEGF
and PlGF stimulate tissue factor production and chemotaxis in monocytes at equivalent doses. In contrast, endothelial cells expressing both the Flt-1 and the Flk-1/
KDR
receptors produce more tissue factor upon stimulation with
VEGF
than after stimulation with PlGF. Neutralizing antibodies to the
KDR
receptor reduce the
VEGF
-stimulated tissue factor induction in endothelial cells to levels obtained by stimulation with PlGF alone, but do not affect PlGF-induced tissue factor induction in endothelial cells nor the
VEGF
-dependent tissue factor production in monocytes. These findings strongly suggest Flt-1 as a functional receptor for
VEGF
and PlGF in monocytes and endothelial cells and identify this receptor as a mediator of monocyte recruitment and procoagulant activity.
...
PMID:The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor Flt-1 mediates biological activities. Implications for a functional role of placenta growth factor in monocyte activation and chemotaxis. 866 24
Angiogenesis is a critical factor in the growth, progression, and metastatic spread of solid tumors. Furthermore, angiogenesis has been correlated with prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. The pathogenesis of the angiogenic events in ovarian cancer, however, are not well defined. Vascular permeability factor/
vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VPF
/VEGF) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been shown to be an important regulator of tumor angiogenesis. The purpose of the present study was to define the expression of
VPF
/VEGF and its receptors flt-1 and
KDR
in ovarian tumors. Four specimens of normal ovarian cortex and 41 specimens of benign (4), borderline (8), and malignant (29) ovarian tumors were studied by in situ hybridization, and in some cases by immunohistochemical analysis.
VPF
/VEGF protein was also determined by an immunofluorometric assay in cyst fluids obtained from 11 patients, including 7 benign, 2 borderline, and 2 malignant tumors.
VPF
/VEGF mRNA and protein were expressed by the neoplastic cells in all of the malignant tumors evaluated, with the majority of tumors (28 of 29) showing strong expression of mRNA. Serous borderline tumors had variable
VPF
/VEGF mRNA expression, with two of six cases showing focal strong expression and four showing low-level expression. No definite expression of
VPF
/VEGF was seen in two cases of mucinous borderline tumors. No strong expression of
VPF
/VEGF mRNA was observed in normal ovarian cortex, including surface epithelium, or benign tumors. Substantially higher
VPF
protein concentrations were detected in cyst fluids of the two malignant (60, 440 pM) and two borderline tumors (210, 590 pM) than in the seven benign serous cysts (mean, 10 +/- 3 pM). In addition, microvascular endothelial cells strongly expressed mRNA of the
VPF
/VEGF receptors flt-1 and
KDR
and immunostained for
VPF
/VEGF protein in the majority of malignant and borderline tumors examined. These findings suggest that
VPF
/VEGF plays an important role in the angiogenesis associated with ovarian neoplasms.
...
PMID:Strong expression of vascular permeability factor (vascular endothelial growth factor) and its receptors in ovarian borderline and malignant neoplasms. 866 14
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