epidermal-growth-factor and 4-aminobenzamidine

Bombesin is a potent inducer of signal trasduction pathways involved in the proliferation and invasion of androgen-insensitive prostatic tumor cells. This study examines the bombesin-mediated modulation of pericellular proteolysis, monitoring cell capability to migrate and invade basement membranes, using a chemo-invasion assay and analyzing protease production. The results suggest that bombesin could modulate the invasive potential of prostatic cell lines regulating secretion and cell-surface uptake of uPA and MMP-9 activation. In fact, in PC3 and DU145 cells but not in LNCaP cells, urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) are induced by bombesin treatment. Bombesin also stimulates cell proliferation and this effect can be inhibited blocking uPA by antibodies and/or uPA inhibitor p-aminobenzamidine. Moreover, HMW-uPA induces cell proliferation in LNCaP cells, which do not produce uPA in the basal conditions, while PC3 and DU145 cell growth is supported by autocrine production of uPA. The increment of uPA activity on the external plasma membrane causes an increased pericellular plasmin activation. This effect is inhibited by antibodies against uPA and by p-aminobenzamidine. Similarly to EGF, bombesin stimulates secretion and activation of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 production. MMP-9 activation can be also obtained by HMW-uPA treatment, suggesting that plasma-membrane-bound uPA can start a proteolytic cascade involving MMP-9. Therefore, in in vitro assays, bombesin is able to modulate pericellular proteolysis and cell proliferation, differently distributing and activating proteolytic activities. This effect can be related to the "non-random" degradation of the extracellular matrix in which membrane uPA-uPAreceptor complexes could start bombesin-induced directional protein degradation during metastatic spread.

Topics: Antibodies; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzamidines; Bombesin; Cell Division; Cell Membrane; Collagen; Collagenases; Culture Media, Conditioned; Drug Combinations; Enzyme Activation; Enzyme Induction; Epidermal Growth Factor; Extracellular Matrix; Fibrinolysin; Gastrin-Releasing Peptide; Humans; Laminin; Male; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Peptide Hydrolases; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; Prostatic Neoplasms; Proteoglycans; Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

Hemophilia B Fukuoka, a moderately severe bleeding disorder, is a naturally occurring mutant of factor IX. Plasma from our patient had 3% clotting activity even though 64% of factor IX antigen was present. The purified mutant protein was cleaved normally by factor Xla, factor VIIa-tissue factor complex, or RVV-X (factor X-activating enzyme from Russell's viper venom), yielding a two-chain factor IXa. Amino acid composition and sequence analyses of one of the lysyl endopeptidase peptides derived from factor IX Fukuoka revealed that Asn92 in the second epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain had been replaced by His. The active site of the factor IXa Fukuoka was normally competent for the incorporation of p-aminobenzamidine and for the hydrolysis of a synthetic substrate, N alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-arginine p-nitrobenzyl ester. Factor Xa formation by factor IXa Fukuoka was only 8% of the normal factor IXa, even in the presence of polylysine, and only 0.2% of the normal in the system containing phospholipids, Ca2+, and factor VIIIa, thereby indicating a functional defect in interaction of the mutant with factors VIIIa/X. Furthermore, catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of factor IXa Fukuoka toward factor X in the presence of Ca2+, phospholipids, and factor VIIIa was only 2.3% of the normal factor IXa. These results suggest that an Asn-to-His substitution at position 92 in the second EGF-like domain of factor IX Fukuoka would have an untoward effect on the specific conformational state of factor IX for binding with factors VIIIa/X.

Topics: Adult; Asparagine; Benzamidines; Blood Coagulation Factors; Epidermal Growth Factor; Esterases; Factor IX; Factor VIIa; Factor X; Hemophilia B; Histidine; Humans; Hydrolysis; Kinetics; Male; Mutation; Peptide Mapping