Response of bovine endothelial cells to FGF-2 and VEGF is dependent on their site of origin: Relevance to the regulation of angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis, the formation of new capillary blood vessels, occurs almost exclusively in the microcirculation. This process is controlled by the interaction between factors with positive and negative regulatory activity. In this study, we have compared the effect of two well described positive regulators, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) on bovine adrenal cortex-derived microvascular endothelial (BME) and bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells. The parameters we assessed included (a) cellular reorganization and lumen formation following exposure of the apical cell surface to a three-dimensional collagen gel; (b) organization of the actin cytoskeleton; (c) expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), an endogenous negative regulator of angiogenesis; and (d) extracellular proteolytic activity mediated by the plasminogen activator (PA)/plasmin system. We found that (a) collagen gel overlay induces rapid reorganization and lumen formation in BME but not BAE cells; (b) FGF-2 but not VEGF induced dramatic reorganization of actin microfilaments in BME cells, with neither cytokine affecting BAE cells; (c) FGF-2 decreased TSP-1 protein and mRNA expression in BME cells, an effect which was specific for FGF-2 and BME cells, since TSP-1 protein levels were unaffected by VEGF in BME cells, or by FGF-2 or VEGF in BAE cells; (d) FGF-2 induced urokinase-type PA (uPA) in BME and BAE cells, while VEGF induced uPA and tissue-type PA in BME cells with no effect on BAE cells. Taken together, these findings reveal endothelial cell-type specific responses to FGF-2 and VEGF, and point to the greater specificity of these cytokines for endothelial cells of the microvasculature than for large vessel (aortic) endothelial cells. Furthermore, when viewed in the context of our previous observation on the synergistic interaction between VEGF and FGF-2, our present findings provide evidence for complementary mechanisms which, when acting in concert, might account for the synergistic effect.

Thrombospondin-1 is downregulated by anoxia and suppresses tumorigenicity of human glioblastoma cells.

Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new capillaries from preexisting blood vessels, results from a disruption of the balance between stimulatory and inhibitory factors. Here, we show that anoxia reduces expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a natural inhibitor of angiogenesis, in glioblastoma cells. This suggests that reduced oxygen tension can promote angiogenesis not only by stimulating the production of inducers, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, but also by reducing the production of inhibitors. This downregulation may significantly contribute to glioblastoma development, since we show that an increase in TSP-1 expression is sufficient to strongly suppress glioblastoma cell tumorigenicity in vivo.

Necrogenesis and Fas/APO-1 (CD95) expression in primary (de novo) and secondary glioblastomas.

Glioblastomas may develop rapidly without clinical and histopathological evidence of a less malignant precursor lesion (de novo or primary glioblastoma) or through progression from low-grade or anaplastic astrocytoma (secondary glioblastoma). Primary glioblastomas typically show overexpression of EGFR, but rarely p53 mutations, while secondary glioblastomas frequently carry a p53 mutation, but usually lack overexpression of EGFR, suggesting that these glioblastoma subtypes develop through distinct genetic pathways. In the present study, we assessed the expression of Fas/APO-1 (CD95), an apoptosis-mediating cell membrane protein, and its relation to necrosis phenotype in primary and secondary glioblastomas. Large areas of ischemic necroses were observed in all 18 primary glioblastomas, but were significantly less frequent in secondary glioblastomas (10 of 19, 53%; p = 0.0004). Fas expression was predominantly observed in glioma cells surrounding large areas of necrosis and was thus significantly more frequent in primary glioblastomas (18 of 18, 100%) than in secondary glioblastomas (4 of 19, 21%; p < 0.0001), suggesting that these clinically and genetically defined subtypes of glioblastoma differ in the extent and mechanism of necrogenesis. Necrosis and microvascular proliferation are histologic hallmarks of the glioblastoma. Following incubation of glioblastoma cell lines under hypoxic/anoxic conditions for 24-48 hours, Fas mRNA levels remained unchanged, whereas VEGF expression was markedly upregulated. This suggests that in contrast to VEGF Fas expression is not induced by ischemia/hypoxia. Analysis of Fas mRNA levels in a glioblastoma cell line containing a p53 mutation and an inducible wild-type p53 gene showed little difference under induced and noninduced conditions, suggesting that in glioblastomas, Fas expression is not directly linked to the p53 status.

Fas ligand expression in glioblastoma cell lines and primary astrocytic brain tumors.

Fas/APO-1 (CD95) is a cell surface receptor that mediates apoptosis when it reacts with Fas ligand (FasL) or Fas antibody. We previously reported that Fas expression is predominantly induced in perinecrotic glioma cells, suggesting that Fas induction is associated with apoptosis and necrosis formation, a histological hallmark of glioblastomas. In this study, we assessed the expression of FasL in 10 glioblastoma cell lines and in 14 astrocytic brain tumors (three low-grade astrocytomas and 11 glioblastomas). Reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR revealed that all glioblastoma cell lines and primary astrocytic brain tumors express FasL. Immunohistochemically, FasL was predominantly expressed on the plasma membrane of glioma cells. These results suggest that FasL expression is common in human astrocytic brain tumors and may cause apoptosis of glioma cells if Fas expression is induced.

Deletion and transfection analysis of the p15/MTS2 gene in malignant gliomas.

We have investigated the status of the MTS2 gene, encoding the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p15, in 32 glioblastomas. Semi-quantitative PCR identified 7 tumors in which the amplified material was 18.6% of controls and 7 in which was 48.0%, suggesting the occurrence of homozygous and hemizygous deletions, respectively. Single strand conformation polymorphism analysis identified one polymorphism but no mutations. We also expressed MTS2 and MTS1, encoding the contiguous and highly homologous CDK inhibitor p16, in U-87 human glioblastoma cells. Both genes, either separately or in combination, inhibit significantly the proliferation rate of U-87 cells but such inhibition is progressively lost. As a whole, the data assign a tumor suppressor role to p15 and confirm homozygous deletions as the favorite mechanism for the inactivation of MTS1 and MTS2 in glioblastomas.

p53 mutations and microsatellite analysis of loss of heterozygosity in malignant gliomas.

We have studied alterations of the p53 gene in 27 patients with malignant gliomas. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was investigated by microsatellite analysis in 23 patients (22 informative) and detected in nine. Exons 5 through 9 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in these nine patients: alterations were found in five cases (three missense mutations, one non-sense mutation, and one putative deletion), while in four the DNA sequence was normal. In the four patients where LOH could not be studied, the p53 sequence from tumor DNA was normal. These results indicate that microsatellite analysis is a convenient tool for LOH detection at the p53 locus and that mutations of the p53 gene are present in only part of the patients with LOH, implying the possibility that another tumor suppressor gene is located in the proximity of the p53 locus.

Parallel changes in catabolite repression of haem biosynthesis and cytochromes in repression-resistant mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Effects of three mutant genes, CAT1-2d, cat2-1 and hex2-3, on catabolite repression of mitochondrial cytochromes and the first two enzymes of haem biosynthesis were compared. The CAT1-2d mutation gave no resistance to glucose, whereas cat2-1 endowed both cytochromes and 5-aminolaevulinate dehydratase with resistance, but did not alter the effect of glucose on 5-aminolaevulinate synthase. The hex2-3 mutation caused repression resistance of cytochromes and of the two haem biosynthetic enzymes. hex2-3 strains also accumulated intracellular 5-aminolaevulinate. Co-inheritance of the latter traits, sensitivity to maltose inhibition and ability to grow on raffinose in the presence of 2-deoxyglucose, demonstrated that the pleiotropic phenotype is a function of the single gene hex2-3. Revertants which grew on maltose regained sensitivity to deoxyglucose and exhibited normal sensitivity of cytochromes and haem biosynthesis enzymes to repression. Addition of the hex1-18 mutation, which renders cytochromes resistant to repression, to a cat2-1 strain did not produce the same effect on 5-aminolaevulinate synthase as hex2-3. It is concluded that repression patterns of haem and cytochrome biosynthesis are substantially affected by hex2-3 and cat2-1 but not by CAT1-2d.

Regulation of yeast trehalase by a monocyclic, cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cascade system.

Mutation at the GLC1 locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in simultaneous deficiencies in glycogen and trehalose accumulation. Extracts of yeast cells containing the glc1 mutation exhibited an abnormally high trehalase activity. This elevated activity was associated with a defective cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent monocyclic cascade which, in normal cells, regulates trehalase activity by means of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Trehalase in extracts of normal cells was largely in a cryptic form which could be activated in vitro by ATP . Mg in the presence of cAMP. Normal extracts also exhibited a correlated cAMP-dependent protein kinase which catalyzed incorporation of label from [gamma-32P]ATP into protamine. In contrast, cAMP had little or no additional activating effect on trehalase or on protamine phosphorylation in extracts of glc1 cells. Similar, unregulated activation of cryptic trehalase was also found in glycogen-deficient strains bearing a second, independently isolated mutant allele, glc1-2. Since trehalase activity was not directly affected by cAMP, the results indicate that the glc1 mutation results in an abnormally active protein kinase which has lost its normal dependence on cAMP. Trehalase in extracts of either normal or mutant cells underwent conversion to a cryptic form in an Mg2+-dependent, fluoride-sensitive reaction. Rates of this reversible reduction of activity were similar in extracts of mutant and normal cells. This same, unregulated protein kinase would act on glycogen synthase, maintaining it in the phosphorylated low-activity D-form. The glc1 mutants provide a novel model system for investigating the in vivo metabolic functions of a specific, cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

Mouse kidney trehalase: purification and properties.

Trehalase (E.C.3.2.1.28) was isolated from mouse kidney and purified to homogeneity. The enzyme was solubilized with n-octanol and activated by freezing and thawing before precipitation with ammonium sulfate. A 1700-fold purification was achieved by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, SP-Sephadex, followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. Only a single form of enzyme activity was shown throughout the fractionation as confirmed by gel electrophoresis of the final preparation. The enzyme was specific for trehalose and its estimated molecular weight by filtration on Sephadex G-200 was 73,000. The Km for trehalose was shown to be 2.67 x 10(-3)M and the optimum pH was in the range of 5.5-5.6. We have also shown that the optimum temperature of the enzyme is 60 degrees C, but in the absence of substrate, thermal inactivation occurred at 55 degrees C.

Two forms of trehalase activity in mice.

Trehalase activities from mouse serum and kidney have been compared on ion exchange chromatography (DEAE-cellulose and SP-Sephadex). The two activities showed a distinct behaviour. This was confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and thermal lability, suggesting the presence of at least two forms of the hydrolytic enzyme trehalase in mice.