Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
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 processes of implantation and placentation are both dependent on the invasion and remodeling of the uterine endometrium and vasculature by trophoblasts. Because the secretion and autocrine binding of urokinase (uPA) appears to be a common mechanism used by cells to facilitate plasmin-dependent tissue invasion, we measured the production of uPA and expression of uPA receptors by trophoblasts. Prourokinase bound specifically, reversibly, and with high affinity to cultured trophoblasts, via the uPA epidermal growth factor-like domain. Trophoblasts derived from two first-trimester placentae bound more prourokinase than cells isolated from term placentae. Furthermore, in vitro differentiation of cultured cytotrophoblasts into syncytiotrophoblasts was associated with diminished expression of urokinase receptors and a parallel decrease in the cellular content of uPA receptor mRNA. Trophoblasts also secreted prourokinase and plasminogen activator inhibitors types 1 and 2 (PAI-1 and PAI-2). Although prourokinase was secreted in amounts sufficient to endogenously saturate trophoblast uPA receptors, trophoblasts secreted greater amounts of PAI-1 and PAI-2 than uPA, and no net plasminogen activator activity was detected in trophoblast conditioned medium. In contrast, plasminogen added directly to cultured trophoblasts was readily converted to plasmin. Although the invasion and remodeling of uterine tissues by trophoblasts is a complex process dependent on several proteases of varying specificity, our findings suggest that the expression and modulation of urokinase receptors on the trophoblast cell surface may play an important role in this process.
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PMID:Characterization of urokinase receptor expression by human placental trophoblasts. 131 87

Thrombin cleaves single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scu-PA) to a two-chain derivative (tcu-PA) fibrinolytically inactive. This reaction was accelerated in vitro by purified rabbit lung thrombomodulin in equimolar complex with thrombin. Polyclonal antibodies to rabbit thrombomodulin prevented this effect. We also observed that heparin and other sulfated polysaccharides had an accelerating effect on thrombin cleavage of recombinant scu-PA. Their effect was concentration-dependent and then reversed at high levels. The effect of heparin and heparan sulfate was independent and synergic with respect to thrombomodulin. All observations except the effect of heparin, could be confirmed in a Langendorff isolated rabbit heart model. From competition experiments carried out with scu-PA derivatives and mutants, we postulate that the amino-terminal sequence of rscu-PA, containing the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like and the kringle domains is involved in the cofactor effect of thrombomodulin on scu-PA inactivation by thrombin. We conclude that a regulatory mechanism of scu-PA inactivation is present at the cell surface.
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PMID:Thrombomodulin is a cofactor for thrombin degradation of recombinant single-chain urokinase plasminogen activator "in vitro" and in a perfused rabbit heart model. 132 Mar 1

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

The cellular receptor for urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPAR) is a glycolipid-anchored three-domain membrane protein playing a central role in pericellular plasminogen activation. We have found that urokinase (uPA) can cleave its receptor between domains 1 and 2 generating a cell-associated uPAR variant without ligand-binding properties. In extracts of U937 cells there are two uPAR variants which after complete deglycosylation have apparent molecular masses of 35,000 and 27,000. Analysis with monoclonal antibodies showed that these variants represented the intact uPAR and a two-domain form, uPAR(2+3), lacking ligand-binding domain 1. Trypsin treatment showed that both variants are present on the outside of the cells. Addition to the culture medium of an anticatalytic monoclonal antibody to uPA inhibited the formation of the uPAR(2+3), indicating that uPA is involved in its generation. Purified uPAR can be cleaved directly by uPA as well as by plasmin. The uPA-catalyzed cleavage does not require binding of the protease to the receptor through its epidermal growth factor-like receptor-binding domain, since low molecular weight uPA that lacks this domain also cleaves uPAR. This unusual reaction in which a specific binding protein is proteolytically inactivated by its own ligand may represent a regulatory step in the plasminogen activation cascade.
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PMID:Urokinase plasminogen activator cleaves its cell surface receptor releasing the ligand-binding domain. 138 66

Three cancer cell lines, IMC-2, IMC-3 and IMC-4, were established from a single tumor of a patient with maxillary cancer. We examined responses to epidermal growth factor (EGF) of these 3 cell lines with regard to cell growth and tumor invasion. The growth rate of IMC-2 in nude mice was markedly faster than that of the IMC-3 and IMC-4 cell lines. Assay for invasion through fibrin gels showed significantly enhanced invasive capacity of IMC-2 cells in response to EGF, but no change for IMC-3 and IMC-4 cells. We examined response to EGF of IMC-2 cells with regard to expression of a growth-related oncogene (c-fos), proteinases and their inhibitors. Expression of c-fos was transiently increased in IMC-2 cells at rates comparable to those seen in the 2 other lines in the presence of EGF. There was no apparent effect of EGF on the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and 72-kDa type-IV collagenase in IMC-2 cells. In contrast, EGF specifically enhanced the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-I (PAI-I) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-I (TIMP-I) in IMC-2 cells. Our data suggest that proteinase inhibitors or other related factors may play an important role in tumor growth and invasion in response to EGF.
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PMID:The response to epidermal growth factor of human maxillary tumor cells in terms of tumor growth, invasion and expression of proteinase inhibitors. 165 98

The authors examined the effect of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF 1), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and acidic fibroblast growth factor (AFGF) on the synthesis by human retinal endothelial cell (HREC) of plasminogen activators (PA; tissue-type [t-PA] and urokinase-type [u-PA]) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI). Immunologic and functional assays for t-PA, u-PA, and PA1 were conducted with cell lines derived from three diabetics and three nondiabetic controls. Confluent HREC of nondiabetic origin did not respond to IGF I (100 ng/ml) with any change of t-PA antigen in the medium (10.7 +/- 1.1 ng/ml unstimulated versus 10.1 +/- 0.8 ng/ml) stimulated, P = not significant). Likewise AFGF and EGF caused no significant change of t-PA levels. Both IGF I and EGF caused a significant increase of t-PA from HREC of diabetic origin (9.6 +/- 0.8 ng/ml unstimulated versus 16.6 +/- 1.9 ng/ml IGF I-stimulated, P less than 0.001, and 14.6 +/- 2.7 ng/ml EGF-stimulated P less than 0.005). Supplementation of AFGF had no effect on HREC of diabetic origin. In confluent cultures, only small quantities of u-PA were detected. After wounding confluent cultures, u-PA activity was associated with cells migrating from the wound edges. Functional PA activity was also measured by chromogenic assay. Results further supported a predominance of t-PA activity being produced by confluent HREC in culture. These results suggest that modulation of PA production by HREC is influenced by exposure to growth factors, by the state of confluency, and the origin of the cells (diabetic vesus nondiabetic).
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PMID:Plasminogen activator production by human retinal endothelial cells of nondiabetic and diabetic origin. 170 73

The mesothelial cells obtained from human omental adipose tissue showed a typical cobblestone monolayer and reacted strongly with keratin, but did not have Von Willebrand factor. Ultrastructurally these cells revealed the existence of desmosome-like cell junctions as well as intracellular canaliculi, tubular structures surrounded by microvilli, and tonofilament-like filaments. The mesothelial cells grew much faster in the medium containing epidermal growth factor, actively took up acetylated-low density lipoprotein into their cytoplasm, and released angiotensin-converting enzyme. They also released urokinase-type plasminogen activator, but only half as much as do human umbilical vein endothelial cells; release of tissue-type plasminogen activator was not observed. Inasmuch as the mesothelial cells also released plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, as do human umbilical vein endothelial cells, we could not detect u-PA activity in culture medium. u-Pa may play a role in the protection against adhesion among visceral organs. These observations indicate that cultured human mesothelial cells have characteristics closely related to those found in human endothelial cells.
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PMID:Close similarity between cultured human omental mesothelial cells and endothelial cells in cytochemical markers and plasminogen activator production. 171 52

A retrovirus-like 30S (VL30) gene induced in mouse epidermis after a single application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was used as a model gene to define mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in keratinocytes. Sequences important for TPA and epidermal growth factor-induced transcription were found to be separated from eacho other within the long terminal repeat. Deletion mapping of the long terminal repeat region and linking short sequences to a heterologous promoter made it possible to identify a 28-base pair VL30 TPA-responsive element. VL30 TPA-responsive element mediated both basal and TPA-induced transcription in the mouse keratinocyte cell line Balb/MK and in normal human keratinocytes. Gel-retardation and transient transfection experiments indicated that two nuclear factors (VLX and VLY) bind independently to the VL30 TPA-responsive element in juxtaposed positions and that the binding sites collaborate functionally in constitutive and TPA-induced transcription. The sequence involved in VLY binding shows no homology to previously identified binding motifs. Two different sequences involved in mediating TPA-induced transcription of the urokinase plasminogen activator and of the c-jun gene, respectively, competed for proteins with affinity toward the VLX binding site. No competition was found with sequences containing the consensus AP-1 binding site.
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PMID:Identification of protein-binding sequences mediating constitutive and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced VL30 transcription in cultured mouse and human keratinocytes. 172 14

Fetal rat osteoblast-enriched calvarial cells were used to study the effects of various growth factors and cytokines on plasminogen activator (PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activities and the possible relationship of these effects to bone resorption. Confluent cultures were exposed to various factors under serum-free conditions, and levels of PA and PAI activities were examined in both conditioned medium (CM) and cell layer using the 125I-fibrin plate assay, fibrin zymogram, and reverse fibrin zymogram. According to the 125I-fibrin plate assay or zymogram, incubation of cells with acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), basic FGF (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) elevated the PA activity in the CM as well as in the cell layer extract. Incubation with interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) produced no change in PA activity in either CM or cell layer. Addition of transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) to calvarial cells resulted in nearly undetectable PA activity in CM with the fibrin plate assay but increased PA activity on the fibrin zymogram after PAI was separated from PA by SDS-PAGE. A reverse fibrin zymogram indicated that PAI activity was greatly enhanced in TGF beta-treated CM. TGF beta treatment also increased PA activity in the cell layer of calvarial cells. Treatment of calvarial cells with bFGF and PDGF slightly increased PAI secretion into medium. This increase, however, was not as dramatic as the increase of PA induced by these two agents. IL-1 alpha and TNF alpha did not change PAI concentration in CM. No detectable PAI activity was found in the cell layer in control and treated groups. The PA found in the CM and cell layer of rat calvarial cells was the urokinase type; the PAI stimulated by TGF beta was the endothelial cell type, PAI-1. The regulation of PA activity by growth factors and cytokines did not correlate with their resorption-stimulating activities. Thus, PA secreted by osteoblasts may not be the only factor involved in the initiation of bone resorption. Delineation of the function of PA and PAI in the physiology of bone tissue awaits further studies.
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PMID:Regulation of plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor production by growth factors and cytokines in rat calvarial cells. 172 49

Acquisition of metastatic competence by tumor cells is frequently accompanied by increased expression of extracellular proteases capable of degrading basement membrane and extracellular matrix. However, very little is known about how the genes encoding these enzymes and their inhibitor proteins are regulated in metastatic versus nonmetastatic cells. In this report, we have compared autocrine and paracrine regulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP), transin, and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) genes in genetically related nonmetastatic SP1 and metastatic A3a cell lines. Compared to SP1 cells, metastatic A3a cells showed 15-20-fold higher transin, 3-5-fold less TIMP mRNA, and comparable levels of uPA mRNA. A qualitatively similar shift in expression of these genes was rapidly (i.e., 4-8 h) induced in nonmetastatic SP1 cells following the addition of conditioned medium from A3a cells. The gene-regulating activity present in A3a conditioned medium was heat-labile, suggesting that it was protein in nature. The responsiveness of SP1 cells to the factor(s) secreted by A3a conditioned medium was inhibited by cycloheximide. Basic fibroblast growth factor mimicked the effect of the A3a conditioned medium as an inducer of transin expression in the tumor cells. Although medium conditioned by the tumor cells did not affect uPA expression, addition of epidermal growth factor to the tumor cells transiently induced expression of uPA with a biphasic response that differed in SP1 and A3a cells. Initial induction of uPA at 2-4 h was similar for both cell lines, but after 24 h of exposure to epidermal growth factor, SP1 cells showed a net reduction in uPA, whereas metastatic cells returned to the unstimulated levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Autocrine and paracrine regulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases, transin, and urokinase gene expression in metastatic and nonmetastatic mammary carcinoma cells. 178 52


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