Embryonic growth factors.

The role of growth factors in development is under analysis on three main fronts: examination of patterns of growth factor expression in embryogenesis, studies of biological activity in vitro, and mutational analysis in vivo. Recent findings indicate that growth factors control developmental decisions, are strictly controlled in their delivery to responding cells, and act in conjunction to create tissue-specific regulatory networks.     

Insulin-like growth factors.

The insulin-like growth factors I and II are single chain polypeptides homologous to proinsulin. IGF I and IGF II contribute to cell regulation and stimulate protein synthesis via signaling through type I receptors which are homologous to insulin receptors and activate phosphorylation cascades. IGFs enhance the proliferation of chondocytes and the proliferation of their collagen and proteoglycan matrix; IGFs stimulate longitudinal (endochondral) bone growth. Throughout life, IGFs are constitutvely expressed ubiquitous factors which help to maintain the survival of differentiated cells, Increased expression is found during growth and tissue repair, Six specific binding proteins, IGFBP 1-6, allow additional tissue compartment specific control of IGF activity; IGFBP production favours storage and IGFBP cleavage leads to activation.     

T-cell-derived IgE-binding factors. I. Cloned and transformed T cells producing IgE-binding factors

In order to derive T cell clones that can produce factors that specifically regulate the IgE response, Fc epsilon receptor (Fc epsilon R)-positive T cells were isolated from two patients with hyper-IgE states (either the tropical pulmonary eosinophilia syndrome or the hyper-IgE syndrome) and transformed using the human T cell leukemia/lymphoma virus. After infection, these T4-positive, Fc epsilon R-positive T cells manifested a fourfold increase in the surface interleukin 2 receptor, a 10-fold increase in Fc epsilon R, and acquired viral markers not present in the uninfected cells. Cloning soon after transformation allowed for the isolation of 17 distinct T cell clones producing IgE-binding factors. The levels of these binding factors released in supernatant fluid from these clones ranged from 10 to 98 U (negative less than 1 U) using a radioimmunoassay. Furthermore, the presence and kinetics of production of these binding factors also could be demonstrated by metabolic labeling studies. These cells should prove potent immunologic tools for dissecting the various regulatory mechanisms involved in IgE production both in the normal state and in pathologic conditions.     

Vesicle tethering factors united.

In the October 2001 issue of Developmental Cell, Whyte and Munro elucidate the composition of a novel vesicle tethering complex and in the process uncover previously undetected homology between tethering complexes that catalyze a variety of different transport events in yeast and mammalian cells.     

Schwann cell growth factors.

Purified rat Schwann cells were found to proliferate very slowly in normal growth medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). Crude extracts of bovine pituitary or brain markedly enhanced Schwann cell growth, while similar extracts of nerve roots, liver and kidney did not. Pituitary extracts were more potent than brain extracts, and extracts from both anterior and posterior pituitary were active. The mitogenic activity of pituitary extracts was reduced by treatment with trypsin, and abolished by pronase and by boiling. A variety of known anterior and posterior pituitary hormones, as well as fibroblast, epidermal and nerve growth factors, were not mitogenic. FCS (greater than 1%) was required for Schwann cell proliferation, but even high concentrations of FCS did not substitute for pituitary or brain extracts, and serum from various other species did not support Schwann cell growth. Although various agents that increase cyclic AMP levels (such as cholera toxin) had been shown to be Schwann cell mitogens, extracts of pituitary or brain did not increase cyclic AMP levels. Extracts of various bovine tissues, including pituitary, brain, liver and kidney, acted synergistically with cholera toxin in stimulating Schwann cell proliferation, although the increase in cyclic AMP induced by the mixture was not greater than that seen with cholera toxin alone. We conclude that there are at least two separate pathways for stimulating Schwann cell division, only one of which involves an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP.