Regulation of fibronectin by platelet-derived growth factors in cultured rat thoracic aortic smooth muscle cells

Induction of Fibronectin (FN) gene expression by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) isoforms in rat thoracic aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) was examined. PDGF-BB enhances FN levels in SMC cultures in a time- and concentration-response fashion. PDGF-AA and PDGF-AB show no effect on FN levels. The effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on PDGF-BB-induced FN levels were examined. No additivity of FN levels is observed between PDGF-BB and insulin and/or IGF-I. Experiments also show that PDGF-BB enhances FN mRNA levels, implying that acquisition of additional FN mRNA units accounts for the increase in FN levels. Induction of FN and FN mRNA levels by PDGF-BB could be one of the initial events in vascular SMC proliferation and extracellular matrix expansion, leading to atherosclerosis and hypertension.     

人早期胎盘绒毛纤维连接蛋白的分离纯化及鉴定

人妊娠５－８周的胎盘绒毛经匀浆后,用２ｍｏ１／Ｌｕｒｅａ－ＰＢＳ提取,通过Ｈｅｐａｒｉｎ－Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ４Ｂ亲和柱层析,再经ＳｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅＣＬ－６Ｂ凝胶过滤层析,得到人早期胎盘纤维连接蛋白（ｅａｒｌｙｐｌａｃｅｎｔａｆｉｂｒｏｎｅｃｔｉｎ,ｅｐＦＮ）。经还原及非还原ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ和免疫印迹电泳分析,ｅｐＦＮ分子量约５００ｋＤ,是由两个２５０ｋＤ亚基组成,与人足月胎盘纤维连接蛋白（ｔｅｒｍｐｌａｃｅｎｔａｆｉｂｒｏｎｅｃｔｉｎ,简称ｔｐＦＮ）相似,而大于人血浆纤维连接蛋白（ｐｌａｓｍａｆｉｂｒｏｎｅｃｔｉｎ,ｐＦＮ）。ｅｐＦＮ与抗人ｐＦＮ抗体及抗人羊水纤维连接蛋白（ａｍｎｉｏｔｉｃｆｌｕｉｄｆｉｂｒｏｎｅｃｔｉｎ,简称ａｍＦＮ）的三个主要功能区单抗均可发生反应。与五种植物凝集素结合力实验表明,ｅｐＦＮ在糖基组成上与ｐＦＮ和ｔｐＦＮ均不相同。     

Location of the integrin complex and extracellular matrix molecules at the chicken myotendinous junction

Summary The distribution of several extracellular matrix macromolecules was investigated at the myotendinous junction of adult chicken gastrocnemius muscle. Localization using monoclonal antibodies specific for 3 basal lamina components (type IV collagen, laminin, and a basement membrane form of heparan sulfate proteoglycan) showed strong fluorescent staining of the myotendinous junction for heparan sulfate proteoglycan and laminin, but not for type IV collagen. In addition, a strong fluorescent stain was observed at the myotendinous junction using a monoclonal antibody against the subunit of the chicken integrin complex (antibody JG 22). Neither fibronectin nor tenascin were concentrated at the myotendinous junction, but instead were present in a fibrillar staining pattern throughout the connective tissue which was closely associated with the myotendinous junction. Tenascin also gave bright fluorescent staining of tendon, but no detectable staining of the perimysium or endomysium. Type I collagen was observed throughout the tendon and in the perimysium, but only faintly in the endomysium. In contrast, type III collagen was present brightly in the endomysium and in the perimysium, but could not be detected in the tendon except when associated with blood vessels and in the epitendineum, which stained intensely. Type VI collagen was found throughout the tendon and in all connective tissue partitions of skeletal muscle. The results indicate that one or more molecules of the integrin family may play an important role in the attachment of muscle to the tendon. This interaction does not appear to involve extensive binding to fibronectin or tenascin, but may involve laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan.     

Ultrastructural localization of fibronectin in bone marrow of the embryonic chick and its relationship to granulopoiesis

Summary Fibronectin was immunolocated in embryonic chick bone marrow by the use of both a direct peroxidase conjugated antiserum and an indirect Streptavidin bridge technique. Fibronectin is located in the extravascular granulopoietic compartment and, to a lesser extent, in the vascular, erythropoietic compartment. There is no evidence of fibronectin being associated with blood-stromal cell interactions involving either erythropoiesis or thrombopoiesis. However, mature thrombocytes display a substantial surface coat containing fibronectin. Much of the fibronectin appears to be situated on surfaces of those fibroblastic stromal cells which support granulopoiesis. Fibronectin containing extracellular material connects surfaces of developing granulocytes with surfaces of stromal cells. Fibronectin is a surface component of granulocytes as well as nearby stromal cells. However, there appear to be fewer ferritin particles per unit of surface on granulocytic cells. Many of the ferritin particles are not clearly associated with amorphous matrix material at cell surfaces. Immunocytochemical attempts to identify laminin were unsuccessful. These studies indicate that fibronectin is situated at sites where it could mediate adhesive interaction between granulopoietic cells and their stromal cells. Furthermore, cell surface-matrix interaction involving fibronectin could mediate migration of blood cells within the extravascular spaces.     

GTP interacts with the gamma-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-2

Eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-2 is an oligomeric protein consisting of three different subunits. During initiation of protein synthesis eIF-2 interacts with GTP, Met-tRNAf and 40 S ribosomal subunit. By affinity labeling with a photo-reactive GTP analogue it was shown that in the binary complex [eIF-2 X GTP] GTP is in contact with the gamma-subunit of eIF-2.     

Similarity of the carbohydrate moieties of fibronectins derived from blood plasma and synthesised by cultured endothelial cells

Plasma and cellular fibronectins are reported to be very similar but not identical in chemical structure. We have compared bovine plasma fibronectin with fibronectin secreted by bovine aortal endothelial cells in culture. Techniques were chosen to highlight likely structural differences, particularly in the carbohydrate moieties. Both fibronectins were wholly reactive to monospecific antiserum and behaved identically in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The oligosaccharide chains were identical in proportion and degree of sialylation by anion-exchange HPLC. Fractionation of the glycopeptides on immobilised lectins and serotonin showed that both fibronectins contained (i)_predominantly biantennary oligosaccharides, (ii) exclusively N-acetylneuraminic acid residues in a non-clustered array and (iii) no L-fucose residues. The overriding structural similarities support the proposal that the endothelium is a site of synthesis of plasma fibronectin in vivo.     

Complexing of fibronectin glycosaminoglycans and collagen

Collagen-fibronectin complexes, formed by binding of fibronectin to gelatin or collagen insolubilized on Sepharose, were found to bind 20–40% of radioactivity in [³⁵S]heparin. Fibronectin attached directly to Sepharose also bound [³⁵S]heparin, while gelatin-Sepharose without fibronectin did not. Unlabeled heparin and highly sulfated heparan sulfate efficiently inhibited the binding of [³⁵S]heparin, hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate were slightly inhibitory, while chondroitin sulfates and heparan sulfate with a low sulfate content did not inhibit.The interaction of heparin with fibronectin bound to gelatin resulted in complexes which required higher concentrations of urea to dissociate than complexes of fibronectin and gelatin alone. Heparin as well as highly sulfated heparan sulfate and hyaluronic acid brought about agglutination of plastic beads coated with gelatin when fibronectin was present. Neither fibronectin nor glycosaminoglycans alone agglutinated the beads.It is proposed that the multiple interactions of fibronectin, collagen and glycosaminoglycans revealed in these assays could play a role in the deposition of these substances as an insoluble extracellular matrix. Alterations of the quality or quantity of any one of these components could have important effects on cell surface interactions, including the lack of cell surface fibronectin in malignant cells.     

Tritium-labeled (E,E)-2,5-bis(4′-hydroxy-3′-carboxystyryl)benzene as a probe for β-amyloid fibrils

Accumulation of Aβ in the brains of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients reflects an imbalance between Aβ production and clearance from their brains. Alternative cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by processing proteases generates soluble APP fragments including the neurotoxic amyloid Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptides that assemble into fibrils and form plaques. Plaque-buildup occurs over an extended time-frame, and the early detection and modulation of plaque formation are areas of active research. Radiolabeled probes for the detection of amyloid plaques and fibrils in living subjects are important for noninvasive evaluation of AD diagnosis, progression, and differentiation of AD from other neurodegenerative diseases and age-related cognitive decline. Tritium-labeled (E,E)-1-[³H]-2,5-bis(4′-hydroxy-3′-carbomethoxystyryl)benzene possesses an improved level of chemical stability relative to a previously reported radioiodinated analog for radiometric quantification of Aβ plaque and tau pathology in brain tissue and in vitro studies with synthetic Aβ and tau fibrils.