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)

How heparin inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration has not been established. We have investigated the hypothesis that heparin inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration by interfering with the expression and activity of proteases such as plasminogen activators. In an in vitro mitogenesis model, tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) mRNA and protein increase in baboon smooth muscle cells stimulated with fetal bovine serum or phorbol esters. Heparin inhibits smooth muscle cell proliferation and suppresses the induction of tPA mRNA and protein while it has little effect on the mRNA of urokinase-type plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor type I, and a number of genes that are also modulated by serum and phorbol esters. The inhibitory effect on tPA mRNA is specific to heparin-like molecules and does not depend on the anticoagulation activity of heparin. The increase in tPA mRNA is due to increased transcription, which is suppressed by heparin. The induction of tPA by serum and phorbol esters is diminished by protein kinase C inhibitors such as H7 or staurosporine and by protein kinase C depletion. Since heparin suppresses the induction of the tPA gene by phorbol esters, these results suggest that heparin may interfere with the protein kinase C pathway.
 ...
PMID:Heparin selectively inhibits the transcription of tissue-type plasminogen activator in primate arterial smooth muscle cells during mitogenesis. 131 Jun 87

This study delineates the regulatory effects of inflammatory cytokines on mononuclear phagocyte plasminogen activator (PA) activity. The mechanisms by which mononuclear phagocytes modulate PA activity are described. Mononuclear phagocytes regulate net PA activity by the balanced expression of urokinase-type PA (uPA), in either secreted or membrane-associated forms, and a specific plasminogen activator inhibitor, PAI-2. Therefore, understanding how immunomodulators regulate macrophage PA activity requires that the comparative effects of uPA and PAI-2 be elucidated. We determine how recombinant interferon-gamma (IFN) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) regulate plasminogen activation in monoblast-like U937 cells and normal human monocytes. In U937 cells, both IFN and TNF induced concurrent increases in secreted PA and PA inhibitor activities. These effects were accompanied by increased immunoreactive uPA and PAI-2 in conditioned media (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and steady-state levels of cellular uPA and PAI-2 mRNA (Northern analysis). To determine the relative abilities of IFN and TNF to either promote or inhibit plasmin generation, we directly compared the effects IFN and TNF, using optimal stimulating concentrations. IFN induced PA activity to 180% of the level achieved by TNF. In contrast, IFN elicited only 78% of the PA inhibitor produced by TNF stimulation. These differences in secreted activity can be explained by the shift in balance between uPA and PAI-2 proteins. Immunoreactive uPA was induced equally by IFN and TNF, but TNF generated higher levels of PAI-2. The same overall pattern of results was seen in normal human monocytes. IFN and TNF differ greatly in the ability to augment receptor-bound PA activity in U937 cells, as IFN induced a twofold increase but TNF had no effect. We conclude that IFN and TNF modulate mononuclear phagocyte proteolytic activity through coordinate regulation of secreted and receptor-bound uPA, balanced against concurrent expression of PAI-2. These effects are cytokine specific, as IFN is superior to TNF in stimulating expression of both secreted and receptor-associated PA activities. These properties suggest mechanisms by which mononuclear phagocytes control proteolysis in cytokine-rich inflammatory foci.
 ...
PMID:Urokinase expression in mononuclear phagocytes: cytokine-specific modulation by interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. 131 45

The potential contribution of serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatases in the transcriptional regulation of plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor gene expression was explored in human HT-1080 fibrosarcoma and U-937 monocyte-like cells using okadaic acid, a potent and specific inhibitor of phosphatases 1 and 2A (PP1 and PP2A). In both cell types okadaic acid induced plasminogen activator type 2 (PAI-2) gene transcription and mRNA and potentiated induction mediated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and tumor necrosis factor. Okadaic acid-mediated induction of PAI-2 was inhibited by 8-bromo-cAMP in HT-1080 cells but not in U-937 cells. Okadaic acid had opposite effects on urokinase (u-PA) gene expression in the two cell lines; u-PA mRNA and gene transcription was suppressed in HT-1080 cells but transiently induced in U-937 cells. Tissue-type PA (t-PA) mRNA, although undetectable in U-937 cells, was also suppressed by okadaic acid in HT-1080 cells. This effect was selective, as constitutive and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-mediated expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 mRNA was not modulated by okadaic acid in either cell type. These results indicate that PP1 and PP2A protein phosphatases are involved in signal transduction pathways modulating PAI-2, u-PA, and t-PA, and furthermore, that okadaic acid interaction with the protein kinase C and A pathways are gene- and cell type-specific.
 ...
PMID:Cell- and gene-specific interactions between signal transduction pathways revealed by okadaic acid. Studies on the plasminogen activating system. 131 13

Many cancer cell lines and cancers overexpress receptor bound urokinase plasminogen activator on the cell surface. The urokinase plasminogen activator bound to its receptor remains on the cell surface for a prolonged period of time. When urokinase plasminogen activator/urokinase plasminogen activator receptor complex binds plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), the inhibitor triggers a series of events leading to internalization of the entire complex. This mechanism makes a very attractive target for localization and internalization of PAI-1-based cytotoxic compounds in cancer treatment. We investigated the antitumor activity of PAI-1/A-chain cholera toxin in vitro. Fibrosarcoma-derived HT1080 cells treated with PAI-1 conjugate showed at least 4 times higher cell killing than the control KD normal fibroblast cell line.
 ...
PMID:Antitumor activity of the type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor and cytotoxic conjugate in vitro. 132 17

The report describes the effect of an in vitro infection of human umbilical vein endothelial cells with human Cytomegalovirus (CMV). The parameters studied are cellular procoagulant activity, secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), activation and internalization of factor X and Merocyanine 540 staining. The infection does not result in an increase in PAI-1 and u-PA secretion, but it brings about a procoagulant response, which is relatively rapid compared to the tissue factor mediated response induced by inflammatory mediators. The time course and the coagulation factor dependency suggest a facilitated interaction of coagulation factors on the surface of infected cells. Chromogenic activity measurements after the addition of purified factor X and electron microscopic examination of the cells after addition of colloidal gold-factor X conjugates both point to an internalization of factor X and/or Xa after interaction with the endothelial cell surface. Merocyanine 540 staining suggests that CMV infection leads to membrane perturbations.
 ...
PMID:The procoagulant response of cytomegalovirus infected endothelial cells. 133 11

The extracellular protease urokinase is known to be crucially involved in morphogenesis, tissue repair and tumor invasion by mediating matrix degradation and cell migration. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a secretory product of stromal fibroblasts, sharing structural motifs with enzymes of the blood clotting cascade, including a zymogen cleavage site. HGF/SF promotes motility, invasion and growth of epithelial and endothelial cells. Here we show that HGF/SF is secreted as a single-chain biologically inactive precursor (pro-HGF/SF), mostly found in a matrix-associated form. Maturation of the precursor into the active alpha beta heterodimer takes place in the extracellular environment and results from a serum-dependent proteolytic cleavage. In vitro, pro-HGF/SF was cleaved at a single site by nanomolar concentrations of pure urokinase, generating the active mature HGF/SF heterodimer. This cleavage was prevented by specific urokinase inhibitors, such as plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 and protease nexin-1, and by antibodies directed against the urokinase catalytic domain. Addition of these inhibitors to HGF/SF responsive cells prevented activation of the HGF/SF precursor. These data show that urokinase acts as a pro-HGF/SF convertase, and suggest that some of the growth and invasive cellular responses mediated by this enzyme may involve activation of HGF/SF.
 ...
PMID:Extracellular proteolytic cleavage by urokinase is required for activation of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor. 133 58

Two plasminogen activators (PAs): tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), as well as the type-1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) are synthesized and secreted by rat astrocytes. Preliminary studies suggest that PA activity plays a role in astrocyte development and differentiation. We have examined the regulation of the PA system by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) in purified rat astrocyte cultures. PKA activity was increased by exposing cultured astrocytes to forskolin or dibutyryl cyclic AMP, whereas PKC activity was stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Activation of both second-messenger pathways produced a time- and dose-dependent increase in the total PA activity. However, based on SDS-PAGE/zymography we found that forskolin increased t-PA activity and reduced u-PA activity, whereas PMA treatment caused a significant increase in u-PA activity without altering t-PA activity. Reverse zymography analysis revealed that astrocyte PAI-1 activity is decreased by forskolin and increased by PMA. Together, these results demonstrate that the components of the PA system in rat astrocytes are independently and reciprocally regulated by PKA and PKC. Our findings raise the possibility that the plasminogen activator system could be involved in some of the actions of growth factors and/or neuromodulators that modulate PKC or PKA in astrocytes.
 ...
PMID:Regulation of plasminogen activators and type-1 plasminogen activator inhibitor by cyclic AMP and phorbol ester in rat astrocytes. 133 67

The concentrations of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) have been determined in endometrial curettings obtained from 46 subfertile women during proliferative, early or late secretory phases of the menstrual cycle. t-PA activity and antigen concentrations was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in late secretory endometrium than in proliferative or early secretory endometrium. Higher concentrations of PAI-1 antigen (P < 0.05) were also noted in late secretory phase than in proliferative and early secretory endometrium. However, u-PA concentration was not significantly different and no PAI activity could be demonstrated in the menstrual phases studied. Zymography studies confirmed the presence of both t-PA and u-PA in the endometrium. Ovarian hormonal patterns may therefore influence the activity of plasminogen activators especially of t-PA in the endometrium during various phases of the menstrual cycle.
 ...
PMID:Concentration of plasminogen activators and inhibitor in the human endometrium at different phases of the menstrual cycle. 133 23

mRNA levels for urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue type plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) were examined in human diploid (neonatal foreskin) fibroblasts grown in 200-ml microcarrier suspension culture. Four different substrates were used. These included gelatin-coated polystyrene plastic, DEAE-dextran, glass-coated polystyrene plastic and uncoated polystyrene plastic. Our previous studies have shown that culture fluids from diploid fibroblasts grown on DEAE-dextran contained higher levels of plasminogen-dependent fibrinolytic activity than culture fluids from the same cells grown on other substrates. The increased plasminogen activator activity was due largely to elevated amounts of tPA (In Vitro Cell. Develop. Biol. 22: 575-582, 1986). The present study shows that there is a corresponding elevation of tPA mRNA in diploid fibroblasts cultured on DEAE-dextran relative to the other substrates. There does not appear to be any difference in uPA mRNA or in mRNA for PAI-1 or PAI-2 produced by the same cells on the four substrates. These data suggest that the influence of the substrate on plasminogen activator production is mediated at the genetic level.
 ...
PMID:Expression of plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor mRNA in human fibroblasts grown on different substrates. 136 69

The human hepatoma HuH-7 cell line was shown to constitutively express both a plasminogen activator (PA) and a plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI). Four sublines of the HuH-7 cell line were analyzed and found to express differing amounts of both PA and PAI. The plasminogen activator produced by these cells was identified as urokinase based upon molecular weight, inhibition of activity with anti-UK but not anti-t-PA antibodies, adherence to an anti-UK affinity column and by Northern blotting demonstrating positive hybridization with the cDNA for UK, but not with the t-PA cDNA. The inhibitor produced by HuH-7 cells was identified as PAI-1 by molecular weight, immunoblotting techniques, adherence to an anti-PAI-1 affinity column, and by Northern blotting demonstrating positive hybridization with the cDNA for PAI-1, but not with the PAI-2 cDNA. The expression of both UK and PAI-1 by HuH-7 cells could be modulated by cytokines known to influence the acute phase response. The addition of interleukin-1 (IL-1) induced the expression of both UK and PAI-1. The increase of PAI-1 was due to an increase in amount of the PAI-1 mRNA. The presence of both interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) also increased UK and PAI-1 levels, although not as dramatically as IL-1. The addition of IL-1 together with IL-6 produced a slight synergistic response with respect to PAI-1 expression. This suggests that PAI-1 is able to respond to mediators which aid in the induction of the acute phase response. These studies demonstrate that cells of liver origin are able to produce components of the fibrinolytic system. The synthesis of these components can be altered by inflammatory mediators and thus may be involved in hepatic regulation of fibrinolysis in both normal and diseased states.
 ...
PMID:Human HuH-7 hepatoma cells express urokinase and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1: identification, characterization and regulation by inflammatory mediators. 137 1


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>