Elevated level of gas3 gene expression is correlated with G0 growth arrest in human fibroblasts.

The gas3/PMP22 gene product is a dual function protein, involved in both peripheral nerve myelination and cell proliferation. gas 3/PMP22 is highly expressed in myelinating Schwann cells and is required for normal PNS development. In addition, a more general function for gas3 is suggested by its expression in non-neural tissues and upregulation by growth arrest in cultured rodent fibroblasts. In the present work, the expression of the gas3 gene has been studied in human fibroblasts. We have confirmed that gas3 mRNA is upregulated when cells are serum starved or grown to high cell density (G0 arrest). When quiescent cells were stimulated by serum or platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), gas3 mRNA was down regulated. In contrast, we found that the expression of gas3 mRNA was neither upregulated in senescent cells nor in cells arrested in G1 using Lovastatin. Thus, high expression of gas3 is not related to growth inhibition in general, but more probably to the G0 growth arrest state. Furthermore, we found that in two malignant fibrous histiocytoma cell lines, gas3 expression was lower than in normal fibroblasts, suggesting an altered regulation of the gas3 gene in transformed cells.

Functional antagonism between activin and osteogenic protein-1 in human embryonal carcinoma cells.

Activin A and osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) exerted antagonistic effects on each other's responses on the human Tera-2 embryonal carcinoma cell line. OP-1 dose dependently inhibited activin A-induced activation of p3TP-Lux transcriptional reporter, containing part of the human plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) promoter, while activin A inhibited OP-1-mediated alkaline phosphatase induction. Approximately equimolar concentrations of both growth factors resulted in 50% inhibition of the respective biological responses. Affinity cross-linking studies using 125I-activin A or 125I-OP-1 followed by receptor-immunoprecipitations revealed that both ligands bound to the activin type II receptor (ActR-II), but recruited different type I receptors. In addition, OP-1 competed with binding of 125I-activin A, and activin A competed with binding of 125I-OP-1 to ActR-II. Transient transfection studies showed that competition between activin A and OP-1 also occurred at the type I receptor (ActR-1) level; constitutively active (CA)-ActR-I inhibited CA-ActR-IB-mediated p3TP-Lux reporter induction. There was no competition between activin A and OP-1 for availability of Smad4, indicating that the concentration of this common signal transducer is not limiting for generating the observed biological responses. Overexpression of ActR-II abolished the inhibitory effect of OP-1 on activin A-induced p3TP-Lux activation and, surprisingly, led to OP-1-induced transcriptional reporter activity. Whereas the exact mechanism of competition is unclear, the role of ActR-II in the competition between activin A and OP-1 is discussed in light of the observed interference in downstream signaling by CA-ActR-I and CA-ActR-IB.

Inhibition of G1 cyclin-dependent kinase activity in cell density-dependent growth arrest in human fibroblasts.

The growth of normal fibroblasts in culture ceases as the cells reach saturation density. Although cells in dense cultures express functionally active growth factor receptors, they are essentially refractory to the mitogenic activity of growth factors. Northern blot analysis revealed that immediate early genes, c-myc, c-fos and c-jun are induced by mitogen in dense cultures. However, these cells fail to express the late G1 genes as E2F-1, cdc25A, and cyclin A in response to mitogen stimulation. Furthermore, because pRb-phosphorylation is a key event in G1 progression, here we show that in dense cultures, pRb remains in its active (hypophosphorylated) form after stimulation by mitogens. We also show that the kinase activity of cyclin-dependent kinases that are indispensable for the phosphorylation of pRb in late G1 phase was decreased on increasing cell density. The reduced kinase activity may be caused by the observed increase in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and the reduction of cdc25A expression in dense cells.

Platelet-derived growth factor induces chemotaxis of neuroepithelial stem cells.

The ability of differentiating cells to migrate within the developing central nervous system (CNS) depends on extrinsic guidance signals, some of which are growth factors. In this study we have investigated the chemotactic response of cultured stem cells from the embryonic rat cortex to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Nestin-positive stem cells from the developing CNS can be maintained and expanded in vitro under serum-free conditions in the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Northern blot analysis of PDGF receptor expression revealed both alpha- and beta-receptors on bFGF-treated neural stem cells. Both PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB readily induced directed migration of cultured neuroepithelial cells as measured in a microchemotaxis assay. Blocking of the migratory response was achieved by incubation with PDGF isoform-specific antibodies. More than 90% of the migrating cells were nestin-positive and incorporation of BrdU was also seen suggesting the cells to be immature and not yet committed to a specific cell lineage. These findings suggest a role for PDGF in cell migration in the developing cortex.

Induction of inhibitory Smad6 and Smad7 mRNA by TGF-beta family members.

Smad6 and Smad7 function as intracellular antagonists in transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling. Here we report the isolation of human Smad6, which is closely related to Smad7. Smad6 and Smad7 mRNAs were differentially expressed in lung cancer cell lines and were rapidly and directly induced by TGF-beta1, activin and bone morphogenetic protein-7. Cross-talk between TGF-beta and other signaling pathways was demonstrated by the finding that epidermal growth factor (EGF) induced the expression of inhibitory SMAD mRNA. Moreover, whereas the phorbol ester PMA alone had no effect, it potentiated the TGF-beta1-induced expression of Smad7 mRNA. Ectopic expression of anti-sense Smad7 RNA was found to increase the effect of TGF-beta1, supporting its role as a negative regulator in TGF-beta signaling. Thus, expression of inhibitory Smads is induced by multiple stimuli, including the various TGF-beta family members, whose action they antagonize.

Identification of Smad7, a TGFbeta-inducible antagonist of TGF-beta signalling.

TGF-beta signals from the membrane to the nucleus through serine/threonine kinase receptors and their downstream effectors, termed SMAD proteins. The activated TGF-beta receptor induces phosphorylation of two such proteins, Smad2 and Smad3, which form hetero-oligomeric complex(es) with Smad4/DPC4 that translocate to the nucleus, where they then regulate transcriptional responses. However, the mechanisms by which the intracellular signals of TGF-beta are switched off are unclear. Here we report the identification of Smad7, which is related to Smad6. Transfection of Smad7 blocks responses mediated by TGF-beta in mammalian cells, and injection of Smad7 RNA into Xenopus embryos blocks activin/TGF-beta signalling. Smad7 associates stably with the TGF-beta receptor complex, but is not phosphorylated upon TGF-beta stimulation. TGFbeta-mediated phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 is inhibited by Smad7, indicating that the antagonistic effect of Smad7 is exerted at this important regulatory step. TGF-beta rapidly induces expression of Smad7 mRNA, suggesting that Smad7 may participate in a negative feedback loop to control TGF-beta responses.

Production of cell-associated PDGF-AA by a human sarcoma cell line: evidence for a latent autocrine effect.

The alternative splicing of platelet-derived growth factor A-chain is known to result in 2 different protein products. One variant is encoded by transcripts containing the 69 nts representing exon 6 (PDGF-AA(L)), and one variant is encoded by transcripts in which exon 6 is excluded (PDGF-AA(S). Transfection assays have suggested that the long splice variant of the A-chain is mainly associated with membrane- and matrix-associated heparan sulphate proteoglycans, whereas the shorter variant is soluble. We describe a human sarcoma cell line (U-2197) that expresses a high level of PDGF-A transcripts. Immunoprecipitations revealed cell-associated protein products of mainly 24, 28 and 33 kDa and less abundant forms of 40-45 kDa, while no PDGF was found in the medium. Analysis of extracellular medium in a radioreceptor assay confirmed that PDGF was not secreted by the U-2197 cells. The addition to U-2197 cultures of a carboxy terminal peptide that specifically competes with the binding of the long splice variant of PDGF-AA to extracellular matrix and cell membranes resulted in the release of 3 PDGF-AA-specific dimeric proteins with molecular masses of 33, 37 and 45 kDa. Furthermore, polymerase chain reaction studies discriminating between the long and the short splice variants of the PDGF-A transcripts revealed that U-2197 expressed relatively higher amounts of the long splice variant compared with U-343 MGa Cl 2:6, which is known to secrete PDGF-AA. These cell-associated forms of PDGF, released to the medium by adding carboxy terminal peptide, increased the tyrosine kinase activity of the endogenous PDGF alpha-receptor.