Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.21.73 (urokinase-type plasminogen activator)
 10,685 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (u-PAR) was demonstrated on cultured smooth muscle cells (SMCs) of bovine aorta. Binding of 125I-urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) was concentration dependent and saturable within 45-60 minutes. A similar concentration and time dependence was found in functional plasminogen activation studies. Human two-chain high-molecular-weight u-PA and its proenzyme (pro-u-PA) bound specifically with identical affinity (Kd). Activation of pro-u-PA was strongly accelerated on binding to SMCs and occurred only in the presence of plasminogen on the cell surface. A 100-fold molar excess of unlabeled high-molecular-weight u-PA effectively blocked binding of the radiolabeled ligands; tissue-type plasminogen activator, plasminogen, low-molecular-weight u-PA, and unrelated proteins did not. 125I-u-PA binding was abolished by a monoclonal antibody against the specific u-PA sequence responsible for u-PAR binding. Binding of u-PA sharply decreased on SMC exposure to phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, confirming the glycan phospholipid cell anchorage of u-PAR. Bovine and human alpha-thrombin (240 nM) increased the binding of 125I-u-PA fivefold, translating into an increase in the number of sites per cell from about 10(5) to 5 x 10(5) without significant change in the Kd (1.29 +/- 0.39 nM). Active site blockade of thrombin by D-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethyl ketone resulted in the total loss of stimulatory activity, as did the use of the inactive active site thrombin mutant, S205A. Hirugen (100 microM), which blocks the anion-binding exosite of thrombin, blocked u-PAR stimulating activity. Thus, both the catalytic activity and integrity of the exosite are important for thrombin's stimulatory activity. Other SMC mitogens (epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta 1, basic fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) increased u-PAR expression on SMCs six- to 20-fold while concomitantly increasing Kd four- to 10-fold. In all cases the induction of u-PAR was dependent on de novo protein synthesis. These observations assign a possible role for thrombin and other mitogens in u-PAR regulation, thereby influencing the pericellular proteolysis that is important in SMC migration and atheromatous plaque development.
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PMID:Regulation of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor on vascular smooth muscle cells is under the control of thrombin and other mitogens. 132 97

Tightly controlled proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix by invading microvascular endothelial cells is believed to be a necessary component of the angiogenic process. We have previously demonstrated the induction of plasminogen activators (PAs) in bovine microvascular endothelial (BME) cells by three agents that induce angiogenesis in vitro: basic FGF (bFGF), PMA, and sodium orthovanadate. Surprisingly, we find that these agents also induce plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity and mRNA in BME cells. We also find that transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), which in vitro modulates a number of endothelial cell functions relevant to angiogenesis, also increases both PAI-1 and urokinase-type PA (u-PA) mRNA. Thus, production of both proteases and protease inhibitors is increased by angiogenic agents and TGF-beta 1. However, the kinetics and amplitude of PAI-1 and u-PA mRNA induction by these agents are strikingly different. We have used the ratio of u-PA:PAI-1 mRNA levels as an indicator of proteolytic balance. This ratio is tilted towards enhanced proteolysis in response to bFGF, towards antiproteolysis in response to TGF-beta 1, and is similar to that in untreated cultures when the two agents are added simultaneously. Using an in vitro angiogenesis assay in three-dimensional fibrin gels, we find that TGF-beta 1 inhibits the bFGF-induced formation of tube-like structures, resulting in the formation of solid endothelial cell cords within the superficial parts of the gel. These results suggest that a net positive proteolytic balance is required for capillary lumen formation. A novel perspective is provided on the relationship between extracellular matrix invasion, lumen formation, and net proteolytic balance, thereby reflecting the interplay between angiogenesis-modulating cytokines such as bFGF and TGF-beta 1.
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PMID:Transforming growth factor-beta 1 modulates basic fibroblast growth factor-induced proteolytic and angiogenic properties of endothelial cells in vitro. 169 69

In continuation of earlier observations on the involvement of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in ovarian function, we examined the ability of IL-1 to modulate plasminogen activator (PA) activity and prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in human granulosa lutein cells (GLCs). Toward this goal, GLCs were obtained from women undergoing in vitro fertilization, preincubated with 10% fetal calf serum for 48 h, and subsequently cultured for 48 h in serum-free media in the absence or presence of IL-1 beta (10 ng/mL). Cellular PA activity was measured by plasminogen-dependent cleavage of the chromogenic substrate H-D-valyl-L-leucyl-L-lysine-p-nitroanilide (S-2251). Prostaglandin E (PGE) levels were assayed by conventional RIA. Exposure of GLCs to IL-1 resulted in a 50% increase in PGE production, a 33% suppression of PA activity, and a 75% increase in the ability of the corresponding conditioned media to inhibit exogenous urokinase activity. The inhibitory capacity was attributable to an IL-1-mediated increase in PA inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) production, inasmuch as urokinase inhibition could be abolished by the administration of a polyclonal antihuman PAI-1 immunoglobulin G. IL-1 treatment had no effect on plasmin or trypsin inhibition. Exposure of GLCs to IL-1 receptor antagonist abolished the ability of IL-1 to enhance PA inhibitory activity and PGE production, thereby establishing specific IL-1 receptor-mediated effects. The ability of IL-1 to suppress PA activity and to produce PAI-1 persisted in the presence of indomethacin, a potent inhibitor of PG synthesis. Likewise, transforming growth factor-beta 1 suppressed the ability of IL-1 to stimulate PGE production without affecting the IL-1-induced effects on the PA system. The present findings suggest a pluripotent response of GLCs to IL-1, characterized by the induction of PAI-1 and the suppression of PA occurring concurrent with, but independent of, PG production. These observations support the potential involvement of IL-1 in the regulation of human ovulatory processes.
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PMID:Interleukin-1-mediated stimulation of prostaglandin E production is without effect on plasminogen activator activity in human granulosa lutein cell cultures. 755 90

Receptors for urokinase (uPA) and plasminogen provide a mechanism to direct the cellular activation of plasminogen. The regulation of these receptors is important for several macrophage functions. In these studies, the effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) on uPA, uPA receptor, and plasminogen receptor expression by human THP-1 macrophage was examined. TGF-beta 1 induction of uPA expression by THP-1 cells was differentiation dependent. Suspension and adherent cultures expressed similar constitutive levels of uPA. Exposure of adherent cells to TGF-beta 1 led to a dose- and time-dependent increase in uPA activity which was paralleled by an increase in uPA antigen and uPA mRNA. In contrast, uPA expression by suspension cultures was unresponsive to TGF-beta 1. The differential response exhibited by suspension and adherent THP-1 cells may reflect differences in their expression of TGF-beta 1 receptors, since when assayed by crosslinking techniques, suspension cells primarily expressed a 65 kDa receptor; whereas, the adherent cells expressed 65 and 100 kDa receptors. TGF-beta 1-induced alterations in uPA receptor expression by adherent THP-1 cells were examined by quantitating membrane-bound uPA activity. Membrane-bound uPA activity increased three-fold when cells were incubated with TGF-beta 1. The increase in membrane-uPA activity expressed by TGF-beta 1-treated cells was not due to increased uPA receptor occupancy since incubation of either control or TGF-beta 1 primed cells with exogenous uPA did not lead to an increase in membrane-bound uPA activity. Furthermore, immunoreactive uPA receptor was increased in TGF-beta 1-treated cells. Following incubation with plasminogen, membrane-bound plasmin activity increased three-fold in TGF-beta 1-treated cells. However, no change in immunoreactive membrane-bound plasmin(ogen) was observed. In addition, binding of 125I-Lys-plasminogen to THP-1 cells was not affected by TGF-beta 1 treatment. We conclude that TGF-beta 1 stimulates membrane-bound plasmin activity, without affecting plasminogen receptor expression, through the up-regulation of uPA and the uPA receptor expression.
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PMID:THP-1 macrophage membrane-bound plasmin activity is up-regulated by transforming growth factor-beta 1 via increased expression of urokinase and the urokinase receptor. 762 80

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF, also designated FGF-7) are paracrine growth factors secreted by mesenchymal cells and active on a variety of epithelial cell types. In this study, the biologic responses of keratinocytes to these paracrine growth factors were compared. Stimulation of mitogenesis, migration, plasminogen activator (PA) activity, and fibronectin production were examined using human foreskin keratinocytes cultured in serum-free MCDB 153 medium. Although the two factors stimulated a similar level of proliferation when cells were maintained for 5 d in 1.8 mM Ca++, the peak effect of KGF, observed at 10 ng/ml, was approximately threefold higher than that of HGF/SF when cells were in medium containing 0.15 mM Ca++. Both agents promoted the migration of cells in low-calcium medium (0.08 mM Ca++). However, the magnitude of the response was approximately twofold greater for HGF/SF at 10 ng/ml than KGF at the same concentration. None of the matrix proteins such as type I collagen, type IV collagen, laminin, or fibronectin either stimulated or suppressed HGF/SF- or KGF-stimulated keratinocyte migration. Both factors stimulated PA activity of the cell extracts, especially urokinase-type, with similar potencies. Promoted PA activity was maximal with the addition of 10 ng/ml of either factor. Neither factor increased the production of fibronectin under conditions in which transforming growth factor-beta 1 was active. These results indicate that HGF/SF and KGF, both recognized as paracrine growth factors, elicit distinctive patterns of response by keratinocytes, implying that they have different roles in epidermal physiology.
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PMID:Comparative study of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor and keratinocyte growth factor effects on human keratinocytes. 776 66

Recent evidence suggests that the balance between serine proteases and their inhibitors is central to the maintenance of the glomerular extracellular matrix. We have characterised the urokinase type and the tissue type plasminogen activators (PA) and their inhibitor, PAI-1, secreted from glomerular epithelial and mesangial cells as well as their co-cultures and have investigated the effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) on the production of such species. Similar data were derived from whole glomeruli suspensions. TGF-beta 1 increased PAI-1 production significantly in epithelial and mesangial cells as well as in whole glomeruli, while PA production was decreased; platelet-derived growth factor had no effect. These effects are consistent with a possible decrease in matrix proteolysis, suggesting a mechanism by which TGF-beta 1 may enhance mesangial matrix accumulation, a characteristic of many forms of glomerular disease.
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PMID:Effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 on plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in renal glomerular cells. 808 86

Using a 3-dimensional fibrin gel model system simulating fibroplasia of wound repair, we investigated the interaction between keloid fibroblasts and fibrin matrix and compared it with that of normal fibroblasts. Normal skin fibroblasts caused fibrin gel degradation under serum-free conditions, whereas keloid fibroblasts did not cause microscopically detectable gel degradation. Fibrin gel degradation occurred through plasmin-mediated fibrinolysis, which was initiated by fibroblasts exhibited high uPA but low plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activities, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 prevented fibrinolysis of normal fibroblasts by upregulating PAI-1 while downregulating uPA activities. In contrast, keloid fibroblasts exhibited an intrinsically high level of PAI-1 and a low level of uPA. This change in the ratio of activator and inhibitor activities was attributed to altered fibrin degradation by keloid fibroblasts. The PAI-1 increase was also demonstrated at the RNA level by Northern analysis. In terms of the pivotal role of the plasmin/plasminogen activator system in matrix remodeling, the elevated PAI-1 level exhibited by keloid fibroblasts may have significant consequences not only in altered fibrin degradation, but also in subsequent repair steps that lead to keloids and fibrosis.
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PMID:Elevated levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 may account for the altered fibrinolysis by keloid fibroblasts. 861 30

Tumor spread may be favored by a reduced production and/or an enhanced degradation of extracellular matrix components (collagen, fibronectin, laminin). Most tumor cell behavior, from growth to spread, may be regulated by cytokines, the exact roles of which, however, are not yet fully understood. We here evaluate the effects of some cytokines (epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta 1, interleukin-1 alpha, and interleukin-1 beta) on both cell growth and the production of the aminoterminal peptide of type III procollagen, the urokinase plasminogen activator, and the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in neoplastic cell lines originating in the pancreas and colon. Cells were stimulated daily with the above cytokines and the aminoterminal peptide of type III procollagen, urokinase plasminogen activator, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were measured in the conditioned media. Epidermal growth factor stimulated cell growth of both cell lines. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 counteracted cell proliferation and stimulated type III procollagen and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 production only in the colon cancer cell line. Interleukin-1 alpha slightly stimulated cell growth, but inhibited plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 production in both cell lines; interleukin-1 beta did not affect cell growth, but stimulated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 production by the colon cancer cell line. Our findings suggest that transforming growth factor-beta 1 and interleukin-1 beta may have an antidiffusive effect. These results confirm that cytokine-producing cells have a potential role in stimulating or counteracting tumor growth and spread and also confirm the pivotal role of host-tumor interactions in determining the outcome of a particular neoplasia.
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PMID:Cytokines may influence tumor growth and spread. An in vitro study in two human cancer cell lines. 900 14

Rat proximal tubular epithelial cells derived from Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats were grown to confluency on semipermeable tissue culture inserts, and the plasminogen system of these cells was analyzed using enzyme assays, Western analysis, zymography, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The tubular epithelial cells are capable of activating exogenous plasminogen to plasmin by endogenous plasminogen activators. The cells produce tissue-plasminogen activator, urokinase-plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and urokinase-plasminogen activator receptor. These cells also produce the Heymann nephritis autoantigen, gp330 (megalin), and an associated protein of 45 kd (RAP). Incubation with transforming growth factor-beta 1 resulted in a decrease in plasminogen activation, primarily because of an increase in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 RNA and protein and a decrease in u-PA RNA as noted by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western analysis, and zymography. Incubation of these cells with tumor necrosis factor-alpha resulted in an increase in plasminogen activating ability, presumably through an increase in urokinase. Gp330 and the associated 45-kd protein (RAP) RNA were decreased in cells treated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The data presented indicates that these transformed proximal tubular epithelial cells may be used to study changes that may occur during Heymann nephritis with respect to the plasminogen system and the autoantigen gp330.
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PMID:Effect of TGF-beta 1 and TNF-alpha on the plasminogen system of rat proximal tubular epithelial cells. 904 36

We have previously reported in a series of papers that a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor, bikunin, suppresses up-regulation of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its specific receptor (uPAR) expression, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and cancer cell invasion in vitro and peritoneal disseminated metastasis in vivo. In the present study, we investigated the effects of soy bean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) on the net enzymatic activity of secreted, extracellular uPA, signal transduction involved in the expression of uPA and invasion in HRA human ovarian cancer cells. SBTI contains a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) and a Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI). Here, we show 1) that KTI and BBI were purified separately from soybeans; 2) that neither KTI nor BBI effectively inhibits enzymatic activity of uPA; 3) that uPA upregulation observed in HRA cells was inhibited by preincubation of the cells with KTI with an IC50 of approximately 2 microM, whereas BBI failed to repress uPA upregulation, as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; 4) that cell invasiveness was inhibited by treatment of the cells with KTI with an IC50 of approximately 3 microM, whereas BBI failed to suppress cell invasion, as measured by an in vitro invasion assay; 5) KTI suppresses HRA cell invasion by blocking uPA up-regulation which may be mediated by a binding protein(s) other than a bikunin binding protein and/or its receptor; and 6) that transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1)-mediated activation of ERK1/2 was significantly reduced by preincubation of the cells with KTI. In conclusion, KTI, but not BBI, could inhibit cell invasiveness at least through suppression of uPA signaling cascade, although the mechanisms of KTI may be different from those of bikunin.
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PMID:A soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor suppresses ovarian cancer cell invasion by blocking urokinase upregulation. 1516 33


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