Heparin stimulates the synthesis and modifies the sulfation pattern of heparan sulfate proteoglycan from endothelial cells

Heparin stimulates 2-3-fold, in a concentration-dependent manner, the synthesis of heparan sulfate secreted by cultured endothelial cells. The increase in synthetic rate takes place immediately after exposure of the cells to heparin, affects only heparan sulfate, and is specific for the endothelial cell. No stimulation by other glycosaminoglycans was observed. Analysis of the disaccharide products formed by the action of heparitinases reveals a higher degree of sulfation of the uronic acid residues in the heparan sulfate of cells exposed to heparin.     

EJ-ras oncogene transfection of endothelial cells upregulates the expression of syndecan-4 and downregulates heparan sulfate sulfotransferases and epimerase

The EC rabbit endothelial cell line was transfected with the EJ-ras oncogene (EJ-ras EC). EJ-ras EC cells display over expression of the Ras oncogene, morphological changes and deregulation of the cell cycle, becoming more densely populated and serum-independent. In addition, EJ-ras-transfectant cells show higher levels of the syndecan-4 mRNA. In addition to the increase in the core protein, a parallel increase in the glycosylation of the syndecan-4 protein, a proteoglycan that bears heparan sulfate chains, also occurs. This increase is observed both for the heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesized by the cells and for that secreted to the culture medium. This enhancement in heparan sulfate synthesis was observed through metabolic labeling of the cells, immunoprecipitation of syndecan-4 and heparitinases treatment. Furthermore, the EJ-ras-transfectant cells do not exhibit decreased synthesis of heparan sulfate during the G(1)-S phase transition, as observed for the parental cell line. Also, heparan sulfate synthesis is not stimulated by PMA as displayed by parental endothelial cells. Significant structural changes of heparan sulfate, such as decreased O-sulfation, were observed in the EJ-ras-transfected cells. Decreases in the mRNA levels of some enzymes (glucuronosyl C-5 epimerase, iduronosyl-2-O-sulfotransferase, glucosaminyl-6-O-sulfotransferase-1 and N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase-1), involved in the biosynthetic pathway of heparan sulfate, were also observed. The results suggest that overexpression of the EJ-ras oncogene alters the cell cycle, through signal transduction cascades, upregulates the expression of syndecan-4, and downregulates enzymes involved in the heparan sulfate biosynthesis related to chain modification, leading to the structural changes of the heparan sulfate syndecan-4 proteoglycan in endothelial cells.     

Presence of unsulfated heparan chains on the heparan sulfate proteoglycan of human colon carcinoma cells. Implications for heparan sulfate proteoglycan biosynthesis

We provide direct evidence for the presence of unsulfated, but fully elongated heparan glycosaminoglycans covalently linked to the protein core of a heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesized by human colon carcinoma cells. Chemical and enzymatic studies revealed that a significant proportion of these chains contained glucuronic acid and N-acetylated glucosamine moieties, consistent with N-acetylheparosan, an established precursor of heparin and heparan sulfate. The presence of unsulfated chains was not dependent upon the exogenous supply of sulfate since their synthesis, structure, or relative amount did not vary with low exogenous sulfate concentrations. Culture in sulfate-free medium also failed to generate undersulfated heparan sulfate-proteoglycan, but revealed an endogenous source of sulfate which was primarily derived from the catabolism of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine. Furthermore, the presence of unsulfated chains was not due to a defect in the sulfation process because pulse-chase experiments showed that they could be converted into the fully sulfated chains. However, their formation was inhibited by limiting the endogenous supply of hexosamine. The results also indicated the coexistence of the unsulfated and sulfated chains on the same protein core and further suggested that the sulfation of heparan sulfate may occur as an all or nothing phenomenon. Taken together, the results support the current biosynthetic model developed for the heparin proteoglycan in which unsulfated glycosaminoglycans are first elongated on the protein core, and subsequently modified and sulfated. These data provide the first evidence for the presence of such an unsulfated precursor in an intact cellular system.     

Eosinophil cationic protein alters proteoglycan metabolism in human lung fibroblast cultures.

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), a highly basic protein secreted from eosinophilic granulocytes, has been shown to take part in the inflammatory reaction. The involvement of ECP in fibroblast activation was therefore investigated in cell culture. Production of proteoglycans, hyaluronan and collagen in the presence of ECP was measured after incorporation of radioactive precursors and separation into different proteoglycan classes using gel and ion exchange chromatography and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Proteoglycan accumulation in the cell layer was increased two- to fivefold at an ECP-concentration of 10 micrograms/ml. No effect on collagen, other proteins or hyaluronan was noted. Furthermore, no effect was observed on cell proliferation. The increased proteoglycan accumulation could be inhibited by addition of heparin or of antibodies to ECP. The effect could not be mimicked by the two basic peptides protamine and poly-L-lysine, speaking in favor of specificity. The increase in proteoglycan material was seen exclusively in the intracellular pool. No change of proteoglycans in the medium or the cell surface-associated pool was noted. The increase in the cell layer was accounted for by a two- to fivefold increase in free chains of heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate. No change was seen in the proteoglycan pattern. No effect on proteoglycan synthesis or on endocytosis was noted. The increased accumulation of polysaccharide was caused by inhibited degradation of glycosaminoglycans. The half-lives of large and small heparan sulfate proteoglycans/glycosaminoglycans and dermatan sulfate proteoglycans/glycosaminoglycans in the cell layer are increased four- to sevenfold. We conclude that ECP inhibits proteoglycan degradation in fibroblasts, which indicates a role for the eosinophil in generation of fibrosis.     

Heparin releasable and nonreleasable forms of heparan sulfate proteoglycan are found on the surfaces of cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells

Evidence suggests that endothelial cell layer heparan sulfate proteoglycans include a variety of different sized molecules which most likely contain different protein cores. In the present report, approximately half of endothelial cell surface associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan is shown to be releasable with soluble heparin. The remaining cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan, as well as extracellular matrix heparan sulfate proteoglycan, cannot be removed from the cells with heparin. The heparin nonreleasable cell surface proteoglycan can be released by membrane disrupting agents and is able to intercalate into liposomes. When the heparin releasable and nonreleasable cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans are compared, differences in proteoglycan size are also evident. Furthermore, the intact heparin releasable heparan sulfate proteoglycan is closer in size to proteoglycans isolated from the extracellular matrix and from growth medium than to that which is heparin nonreleasable. These data indicate that cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells contain at least two distinct types of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans, one of which appears to be associated with the cells through its glycosaminoglycan chains. The other (which is more tightly associated) is probably linked via a membrane intercalated protein core.Abbreviations ECM extracellular matrix - HSPG heparan sulfate proteoglycan - PAE porcine aortic endothelial - PBS phosphate buffered saline     

Endothelial cell-derived heparan sulfate binds basic fibroblast growth factor and protects it from proteolytic degradation

Cultured bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells were found to synthesize and secrete high molecular mass heparan sulfate proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, which bound basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The secreted heparan sulfate molecules were purified by DEAE cellulose chromatography, followed by Sepharose 4B chromatography and affinity chromatography on immobilized bFGF. Most of the heparinase-sensitive sulfated molecules secreted into the medium by BCE cells bound to immobilized bFGF at low salt concentrations. However, elution from bFGF with increasing salt concentrations demonstrated varying affinities for bFGF among the secreted heparan sulfate molecules, with part of the heparan sulfate requiring NaCl concentrations between 1.0 and 1.5 M for elution. Cell extracts prepared from BCE cells also contained a bFGF-binding heparan sulfate proteoglycan, which could be released from the intact cells by a short proteinase treatment. The purified bFGF-binding heparan sulfate competed with 125I-bFGF for binding to low-affinity binding sites but not to high-affinity sites on the cells. Heparan sulfate did not interfere with bFGF stimulation of plasminogen activator activity in BCE cells in agreement with its lack of effect on binding of 125I-bFGF to high-affinity sites. Soluble bFGF was readily degraded by plasmin, whereas bFGF bound to heparan sulfate was protected from proteolytic degradation. Treatment of the heparan sulfate with heparinase before addition of plasmin abolished the protection and resulted in degradation of bFGF by the added proteinase. The results suggest that heparan sulfate released either directly by cells or through proteolytic degradation of their extracellular milieu may act as carrier for bFGF and facilitate the diffusion of locally produced growth factor by competing with its binding to surrounding matrix structures. Simultaneously, the secreted heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans protect the growth factor from proteolytic degradation by extracellular proteinases, which are abundant at sites of neovascularization or cell invasion.     

Effects of hypoxia and hyperoxia on proteoglycan production by bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells

Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells in culture were used to assess the influence of oxygen tension on proteoglycan synthesis. Cells exposed to 3% O2 (hypoxia) for 72 h and then labeled with [35S]sulfate for 5 h accumulated significantly less [35S]proteoglycan in medium than cells exposed to 20% O2 (control). This decrease was due primarily to a reduction in heparan sulfate. Cells exposed to 80% O2 (hyperoxia) for 72 h secreted slightly more [35S]proteoglycan into medium than controls. Greater accumulation of chondroitin sulfate was responsible for the increase. The amount of cell-associated proteoglycan did not change significantly in cells cultured in 3% or 80% O2 as compared with control cells cultured in 20% O2. Proteoglycans produced by hypoxia- or hyperoxia-treated cells were found to be similar in size to proteoglycans produced by cells cultured at 20% O2. Glycosaminoglycan sulfation, as measured by ion-exchange chromatography, did not appear to change with varying oxygen tensions. Our results demonstrate that production of proteoglycans secreted by endothelial cells in culture is sensitive to oxygen tension.     

Effect of p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xyloside on proteoglycan synthesis and extracellular matrix formation by bovine corneal endothelial cell cultures

The effect of p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xyloside on proteoglycan synthesis and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation by cultured bovine corneal endothelial (BCE) cells was investigated. BCE cells actively proliferating on plastic dishes produced in the absence of xyloside an ECM containing various proteoglycans. Heparan sulfate was the main 35S-labeled glycosaminoglycan component (83%). Dermatan sulfate (14%) and chondroitin sulfate (3%) were also present. Exposure of actively proliferating BCE cells to xyloside totally inhibited synthesis of proteoglycans containing dermatan sulfate or chondroitin sulfate and caused an 86% inhibition of heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesis. The heparan sulfate proteoglycans that were extracted from the ECM produced by BCE cells exposed to xyloside had a smaller size and a reduced charge density compared to their counterparts extracted from the ECM of cultures not exposed to xyloside. In contrast to the inhibitory effect of the xyloside on proteoglycan synthesis, exposure of actively proliferating BCE cells to xyloside stimulated synthesis of free chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate chains. All of the xyloside-initiated glycosaminoglycan chains were secreted into the culture medium. The proteoglycan-depleted matrices produced by BCE cells exposed to xyloside were used to study the effect of these matrices on proteoglycan synthesis by BCE cells. BCE cells growing on proteoglycan-depleted ECM showed a considerable increase in the rate of proteoglycan synthesis compared to BCE cells growing on normal ECM. Moreover, the pattern of glycosaminoglycan synthesis by BCE cells growing on proteoglycan-depleted ECM was changed to one which resembled that of BCE cells actively proliferating on plastic dishes. It is postulated that BCE cells are able to recognize when an ECM is depleted of proteoglycan and to respond to it by increasing their rate of proteoglycan synthesis and incorporation into the ECM.     

Transforming growth factor (type beta) promotes the addition of chondroitin sulfate chains to the cell surface proteoglycan (syndecan) of mouse mammary epithelia

Cultured monolayers of NMuMG mouse mammary epithelial cells have augmented amounts of cell surface chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan (GAG) when cultured in transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), presumably because of increased synthesis on their cell surface proteoglycan (named syndecan), previously shown to contain chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate GAG. This increase occurs throughout the monolayer as shown using soluble thrombospondin as a binding probe. However, comparison of staining intensity of the GAG chains and syndecan core protein suggests variability among cells in the attachment of GAG chains to the core protein. Characterization of purified syndecan confirms the enhanced addition of chondroitin sulfate in TGF-beta: (a) radiosulfate incorporation into chondroitin sulfate is increased 6.2-fold in this proteoglycan fraction and heparan sulfate is increased 1.8-fold, despite no apparent increase in amount of core protein per cell, and (b) the size and density of the proteoglycan are increased, but reduced by removal of chondroitin sulfate. This is shown in part by treatment of the cells with 0.5 mM xyloside that blocks the chondroitin sulfate addition without affecting heparan sulfate. Higher xyloside concentrations block heparan sulfate as well and syndecan appears at the cell surface as core protein without GAG chains. The enhanced amount of GAG on syndecan is partly attributed to an increase in chain length. Whereas this accounts for the additional heparan sulfate synthesis, it is insufficient to explain the total increase in chondroitin sulfate; an approximately threefold increase in chondroitin sulfate chain addition occurs as well, confirmed by assessing chondroitin sulfate ABC lyase (ABCase)-generated chondroitin sulfate linkage stubs on the core protein. One of the effects of TGF-beta during embryonic tissue interactions is likely to be the enhanced synthesis of chondroitin sulfate chains on this cell surface proteoglycan.     

Characterization of proteoglycans synthesized by cultured corneal fibroblasts in response to transforming growth factor beta and fetal calf serum

A culture system was developed to analyze the relationship between proteoglycans and growth factors during corneal injury. Specifically, the effects of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) and fetal calf serum on proteoglycan synthesis in corneal fibroblasts were examined. Glycosaminoglycan synthesis and sulfation were determined using selective polysaccharidases. Proteoglycan core proteins were analyzed using gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. Cells cultured in 10% dialyzed fetal calf serum exhibited decreased synthesis of more highly sulfated chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate compared with cells cultured in 1% dialyzed fetal calf serum. The amount and sulfation of the glycosaminoglycans was not significantly influenced by TGF-beta1. The major proteoglycan species secreted into the media were decorin and perlecan. Decorin was glycanated with chondroitin sulfate. Perlecan was linked to either chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate, or both chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate. Decorin synthesis was reduced by either TGF-beta1 or serum. At early time points, both TGF-beta1 and serum induced substantial increases in perlecan bearing chondroitin sulfate and/or heparan sulfate chains. In contrast, after extended periods in culture, the amount of perlecan bearing heparan sulfate chains was unaffected by TGF-beta1 and decreased by serum. The levels of perlecan bearing chondroitin sulfate chains were elevated with TGF-beta1 treatment and were decreased with serum. Because both decorin and perlecan bind growth factors and are proposed to modulate their activity, changes in the expression of either of these proteoglycans could substantially affect the cellular response to injury.     

Endothelial proteoglycans inhibit bFGF binding and mitogenesis

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a known mitogen for vascular smooth muscle cells and has been implicated as having a role in a number of proliferative vascular disorders. Binding of bFGF to heparin or heparan sulfate has been demonstrated to both stimulate and inhibit growth factor activity. The activity, towards bFGF, of heparan sulfate proteoglycans present within the vascular system is likely related to the chemical characteristics of the glycosaminoglycan as well as the structure and pericellular location of the intact proteoglycans. We have previously shown that endothelial conditioned medium inhibits both bFGF binding to vascular smooth muscle cells and bFGF stimulated cell proliferation in vitro. In the present study, we have isolated proteoglycans from endothelial cell conditioned medium and demonstrated that they are responsible for the bFGF inhibitory activity. We further separated endothelial secreted proteoglycans into two fractions, PG-A and PG-B. The larger sized fraction (PG-A) had greater inhibitory activity than did PG-B for both bFGF binding and bFGF stimulation of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. The increased relative activity of PG-A was attributed, in part, to larger heparan sulfate chains which were more potent inhibitors of bFGF binding than the smaller heparan sulfate chains on PG-B. Both proteoglycan fractions contained perlecan-like core proteins; however, PG-A contained an additional core protein (approximately 190 kDa) that was not observed in PG-B. Both proteoglycan fractions bound bFGF directly, and PG-A bound a significantly greater relative amount of bFGF than did PG-B. Thus the ability of endothelial heparan sulfate proteoglycans to bind bFGF and prevent its association with vascular smooth muscle cells appears essential for inhibition of bFGF-induced mitogenesis. The production of potent bFGF inhibitory heparan sulfate proteoglycans by endothelial cells might contribute to the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. J. Cell. Physiol. 172:209–220, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Removal of Heparan Sulfate Chains Halted Epithelial Branching Morphogenesis of the Developing Mouse Submandibular Gland in vitro

The physiological function of heparan sulfate chains in the mouse embryonic submandibular gland was studied by the use of heparitinases purified from Flavobacteriu heparinum . Heparitinase I, which catalyzes the cleavage of specific glycosaminidic linkages adjacent to non-or monosulfated disaccharides of heparan sulfate chains, in the culture medium of the mid and late 12-day gland inhibited the branch-initiation and changed their round epithelial shape to elongated one, together with a concommitant reduction in lobular growth. [³H]Thymidine incorporation experiments indicated that heparitinase I treatment blocked 24% of the DNA synthesis compared with controls. Analysis of ³⁵S-inorganic sulfate labeled glycosaminoglycans extracted from cultured rudiments revealed that the glands with heparitinase I contained no heparan sulfate, while in the glands without the enzyme more than 20% of total glycosaminoglycans was heparan sulfate.
The heparitinase effect on morphogenesis was mimicked by the addition of heparan sulfate (1 mg ml⁻¹) or heparin (75 μg ml⁻¹), but not by chondroitin sulfate (1 mg ml⁻¹) in the culture medium. Transmission electron microscopic study indicated that at the epithelial-mesenchymal interface close contacts between the fibroblast and epithelial cells were much fewer in heparitinase-treated glands than in controls. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the core protein of basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan and type IV collagen accumulated abnormally inside the epithelial lobules of glands cultured with heparitinase I. These results strongly suggested that glycosaminoglycan chains of heparan sulfate or heparin is involved in the epithelial morphogenesis of the mouse embryonic submandibular gland.     

Heparan sulfate and control of endothelial cell proliferation: increased synthesis during the S phase of the cell cycle and inhibition of thymidine incorporation induced by ortho-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylose

The effect of xylosides on the synthesis of [35S]-sulfated glycosaminoglycans by endothelial cells in culture was investigated. Ortho-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylose (10(-3)M) produces a dramatic enhancement on the synthesis of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate secreted to the medium (20- and 100-fold, respectively). Para-nitrophenylxyloside, at the same concentration, produces an enhancement of only 37- and 3-fold of chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate, respectively. These differences of action seem to be related with the higher lipophilic character of ortho-nitrophenyl-xyloside. A lower enhancement of the synthesis of the two glycosaminoglycans is also observed with 2-naphtol beta-D-xylose and cis/trans-decahydro-2-naphtol beta-D-xylose. Besides stimulating the synthesis, O-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylose as PMA [J. Cell. Biochem. 70 (1998) 563] also inhibits [3H]-thymidine incorporation by quiescent endothelial cells stimulated for growth by fetal calf serum (FCS). The combination of xylosides with PMA produced some cumulative effect. PMA stimulates the synthesis of heparan sulfate mainly at G1 phase whereas the highest enhancement of synthesis produced by the xylosides is in the S phase of the endothelial cell cycle.     

Murine macrophage heparanase: inhibition and comparison with metastatic tumor cells

Circulating macrophages and metastatic tumor cells can penetrate the vascular endothelium and migrate from the circulatory system to extravascular compartments. Both activated murine macrophages and different metastatic tumor cells (B16-BL6 melanoma; ESb T-lymphoma) attach, invade, and penetrate confluent vascular endothelial cell monlayer in vitro, by degrading heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the subendothelial extracellular matrix. The sensitivity of the enzymes from the various sources degrading the heparan sulfate proteoglycan was challenged and compared by a series of inhibitors. Activated macrophages demonstrate a heparanase with an endoglycosidase activity that cleaves from the [35S]O4 = -labeled heparan sulfate proteoglycans of the extracellular matrix 10 kDa glycosaminoglycan fragments. The macrophages do not store the heparanase intracellularly but it is instead found pericellularly and requires a continuous cell-matrix contact at the optimal pH for maintaining cell growth. The degradation of [35S]O4 = -labeled extracellular matrix proteoglycans by the macrophages' heparanase is significantly inhibited in the presence of heparan sulfate (10 micrograms/ml), arteparon (10 micrograms/ml), and heparin at a concentration of 3 micrograms/ml. In contrast, other glycosaminoglycans such as hyaluronic acid, dermatan sulfate, and chondroitin sulfate as well as the specific inhibitor of exo-beta-glucuronidase D-saccharic acid 1,4-lactone failed to inhibit the degradation of sulfated proteoglycans in the subendothelial extracellular matrix. Degradation of this heparan sulfate proteoglycan is a two-step sequential process involving protease activity followed by heparanase activity. However, the following antiproteases--alpha 2-macroglobulin, antithrombin III, leupeptin, and phenylmethylsulfony fluoride (PMSF)--failed to inhibit this degradation process, and only alpha 1-antitrypsin inhibited the heparanase activity. B16-BL6 metastatic melanoma cell heparanase, which is also a cell-associated enzyme, was inhibited by heparin to the same extent as the macrophage heparanase. On the other hand, heparanase of the highly metastatic variant (ESb) of a methylcholanthrene-induced T lymphoma, which is an extracellular enzyme released by the cells to the incubation medium, was more sensitive to heparin and arteparon than the macrophages' heparanase, inhibited at concentrations of 1 and 3 micrograms/ml, respectively. These results may indicate the potential use of heparin or other glycosaminoglycans as specific and differential inhibitors for the formation in certain cases of blood-borne tumor metastasis.     

Heparin and heparan sulfate delimit nephron formation in fetal metanephric kidneys

Formation of nephrons from primitive mesenchyme in fetal kidneys is induced by ureteric buds. Nephron induction is closely coordinated with branching morphogenesis of the ureteric bud. Having previously shown that branching of the primitive ureter is associated with de novo synthesis of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and release of free heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains, we asked whether glycosaminoglycans influence nephron development. Fetal mouse kidneys were incubated in organ cultures containing heparan sulfate, heparin, chondroitin sulfate, or hyaluronate. After 48 hr the number of nephrons at each developmental stage was enumerated by light microscopic analysis of serial tissue sections. Kidneys incubated in heparin or in heparan sulfate contained up to 10-fold fewer nephrons than did kidneys incubated in control conditions or in chondroitin sulfate or hyaluronic acid. Maturation of nephrons, however, was unaffected. Inhibition of nephron development was associated with binding of labeled heparin to primitive mesenchyme and altered tissue distribution of fibronectin. Branching morphogenesis was impaired in kidneys exposed to heparin but not to heparan sulfate or to de-N-sulfated, N-acetylated heparin. The capacity of glycosaminoglycans to inhibit nephron formation depended on sugar composition and O-sulfation but not GAG chain size or charge density. Thus, heparan sulfate may have the capacity to specifically control formation of nephrons in fetal metanephric kidneys in vitro.     

Glycosaminoglycan synthesis in endotoxin-induced lung injury

Endotoxin-induced lung injury has previously been shown to produce lesions that resemble emphysema morphologically and biochemically as demonstrated by the reduction in the content of lung elastin. The purpose of this study was to define the changes in one other connective tissue component, glycosaminoglycans, during the acute phase of the lung injury. Intravenous administration of a single dose of endotoxin in rats resulted in an increase in the total synthesis of glycosaminoglycans by the pulmonary parenchyma. There was a significant increase in the proportion of dermatan sulfate synthesized during the first 48 hr and a concomitant decrease in heparin/heparan sulfate synthesis. At 48 hr the increased synthesis of dermatan sulfate had reached 7.3 times control values and began to decline, whereas the synthesis of chondroitin-4-sulfate rose from 4.1 to 10.7 times control values between 48 and 72 hr. Analysis of the rates of synthesis revealed that the total amount of heparin/heparan sulfate remained constant while the synthesis of chondroitin-6-sulfate increased proportionally to the overall synthesis of glycosaminoglycans. These findings indicate that dramatic changes in glycosaminoglycan synthesis are an integral part of endotoxin lung injury.     

Thrombin adhesive properties: induction by plasmin and heparan sulfate

We have previously demonstrated that chemically modified thrombin preparations induce endothelial cell (EC) adhesion, spreading and cytoskeletal reorganization via an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence and the alpha v beta 3 integrin. Native thrombin, however, did not exhibit adhesive properties, consistent with crystal structure analysis, showing that Gly-Asp residues of the RGD epitope are buried within the molecule. We have now identified a possible physiological mean of converting thrombin to an adhesive protein. Plasmin, the major end product of the fibrinolytic system, converted thrombin to an adhesive protein for EC in a time and dose-dependent manner. EC adhesion and spreading was also induced by a low molecular weight (approximately 3,000 D) cleavage fragment generated upon incubation of thrombin with plasmin. Cell adhesion mediated by this fragment was completely inhibited by the synthetic peptide GRGDSP. Conversion of thrombin to an adhesive molecule was significantly enhanced in the presence of heparin or heparan sulfate, while other glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) (e.g., dermatan sulfate, keratan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate) had no effect. The role of cell surface heparan sulfate in thrombin conversion to EC adhesive protein was investigated using CHO cell mutants defective in various aspects of GAG synthesis. Incubation of both thrombin and a suboptimal amount of plasmin on the surface of formaldehyde fixed wild- type CHO-KI cells resulted in an efficient conversion of thrombin to an adhesive molecule, as indicated by subsequent induction of EC attachment. In contrast, there was no effect to incubation of thrombin and plasmin with fixed CHO mutant cells lacking both heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, or with cells expressing no heparan sulfate and a three-fold increase in chondroitin sulfate. A similar gain of adhesive properties was obtained upon incubation of thrombin and plasmin in contact with native, but not heparinase-treated extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by cultured ECs. It appears that cell surface and ECM-associated heparan sulfate modulate thrombin adhesive properties through its heparin binding site in a manner that enables suboptimal amounts of plasmin to expose the RGD domain. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, a significant modulation of thrombin molecule by heparin, resulting in its conversion to a potent adhesive protein for ECs. This conversion is most effective in contact with cell surfaces, basement membranes and ECM.     

Altered structure of the hybrid cell surface proteoglycan of mammary epithelial cells in response to transforming growth factor-beta

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a polypeptide growth factor that affects the accumulation of extracellular matrix by many cell types. We have examined the ability of mouse mammary epithelial (NMuMG) cells to respond to TGF-beta and assessed the effect of the growth factor on the expression of their cell surface heparan sulfate/chondroitin sulfate hybrid proteoglycan. NMuMG cells respond maximally to 3 ng/ml TGF-beta and the response is consistent with occupancy of the type III receptor. However, cells that are polarized, as shown by sequestration of the cell surface PG at their basolateral surfaces, must have the growth factor supplied to that site for maximal response. Immunological quantification of proteoglycan core protein on treated cells suggests that the cells have an unchanging number of this proteoglycan at their cell surface. Nonetheless, metabolic labeling with radiosulfate shows a approximately 2.5-fold increase in 35SO4-glycosaminoglycans in this proteoglycan fraction, defined either by its lipophilic, antigenic, or cell surface properties. Kinetic studies indicate that the enhanced radiolabeling is due to augmented synthesis, rather than slower degradation. Analysis of the glycosaminoglycan composition of the proteoglycan shows an increased amount of chondroitin sulfate, suggesting that the increased labeling per cell may be attributed to an augmented synthesis of chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan on the core protein that also bears heparan sulfate, thus altering the proportions of these two glycosaminoglycans on this hybrid proteoglycan. We conclude that TGF-beta may affect NMuMG cell behavior by altering the structure and thus the activity of this proteoglycan.