Direct evidence for methylation of arginine residues in high molecular weight forms of basic fibroblast growth factor.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a heparin-binding angiogenic polypeptide mitogen. Protein sequence analysis of bFGF isolated from tissue sources initially established that it is composed of 146 amino acids (apparent Mr 18,000). More recently larger apparent molecular weight forms have been identified and partially characterized. In addition, these high molecular weight forms (apparent Mr 22,000 and 25,000) have been shown to localize preferentially to nuclear fractions of transfected cells. In this report we demonstrate that the higher molecular weight, amino terminally extended forms of bFGF contain methylated arginine residues. The demonstration is based on 1) amino acid sequence analysis of a protein known to contain methylated arginine (myelin basic protein) and a comparison with amino acid sequence analysis of trypsin-derived fragments of the high molecular weight bFGF purified from guinea pig brain and 2) the ability to label in vivo the high molecular weight forms of bFGF with S-adenosyl-L-(methyl-3H)-methionine, the substrate of arginine-protein methylase I. These results are suggestive of a role of arginine methylation in directing nuclear localization of certain forms of bFGF.

Detection and characterization of heparin-binding proteins with a gel overlay procedure.

The binding of 125I-labeled derivatives of heparin has been used by several investigators to identify heparin-binding fragments of different heparin-binding proteins. In this report we utilize the procedure described by J.W. Smith and D.J. Knauer (1987, Anal. Biochem. 160, 105-114) to produce 125I-fluorescein-heparin. Using this derivative, we compare the use of gel overlay procedures with "Western blot" procedures for the detection of heparin-binding proteins following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. We show that the gel overlay procedure is a relatively simple and sensitive method for visualizing heparin-binding proteins. In addition, we use the procedure to characterize the heparin-binding properties of heparin-binding growth factor 1 (acidic fibroblast growth factor) with synthetic peptide competitors and site-directed mutants of the growth factor.

Nucleotide sequence and expression of a cDNA clone encoding a fetal rat binding protein for insulin-like growth factors.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), IGF-I and IGF-II, occur in plasma and tissue fluids complexed to specific binding proteins. Although the role of the binding proteins is not completely defined, they are capable of modulating the biological activity of the IGFs. In order to better understand the function of these proteins, we have isolated a clone from the BRL-3A rat liver cell line that encodes a protein corresponding to the IGF binding protein in fetal rat serum. The cDNA clone encodes a precursor protein of 304 amino acids (32,886 daltons), comprised of a 34-residue hydrophobic prepeptide and a 270-residue mature protein (29,564 daltons). The deduced amino acid sequence agrees with the sequence of 173 amino acid residues determined by Edman degradation. The mature protein contains 18 cysteines and no N-glycosylation sites. It contains an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence near the carboxyl terminus. A similar sequence is present on many extracellular matrix proteins and contributes to their recognition by cellular adhesion receptors. The cloned cDNA has been transcribed in vitro and the resulting RNA expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Injected oocytes secrete a 33-kDa protein that is immunoprecipitated by polyclonal antibodies to the BRL-3A binding protein and binds IGF-I and IGF-II with the same affinity and specificity as does purified BRL-3A binding protein. The binding protein cDNA probe hybridizes to an approximately 2-kilobase mRNA in BRL-3A cells and in multiple fetal rat tissues including liver, kidney, intestine, and lung. Levels of this mRNA are greatly reduced in the corresponding adult tissues. The rat IGF binding protein is closely related to the partial amino acid sequences reported for a bovine IGF binding protein and more distantly related to a human IGF binding protein that recently has been cloned. No significant homologies were identified to other proteins. Thus, the rat IGF binding protein that we have cloned appears to be a distinct member of a family of related IGF binding proteins. We postulate that the structurally distinct IGF binding proteins may have different biological functions.

Isolation of a biologically active fragment from the carboxy terminus of the fetal rat binding protein for insulin-like growth factors.

We have purified a 14 kDa fragment of the 30 kDa binding protein for insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) from BRL-3A cell conditioned medium. The fragment binds IGF-I and IGF-II with similar specificity to the 30 kDa binding protein, but with lower affinity. It corresponds to the carboxy terminus of the native binding protein (residues 148-270), and is thought to arise by proteolysis. We infer that this region of the native binding protein contains, at least in part, the IGF binding domain.

Human vascular smooth muscle cells both express and respond to heparin-binding growth factor I (endothelial cell growth factor).

The control of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell proliferation is important in such processes as tumor angiogenesis, wound healing, and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Class I heparin-binding growth factor (HBGF-I) is a potent mitogen and chemoattractant for human endothelial cells in vitro and will induce angiogenesis in vivo. RNA gel blot hybridization experiments demonstrate that cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells, but not human umbilical vein endothelial cells, express HBGF-I mRNA. Smooth muscle cells also synthesize an HBGF-I-like polypeptide since (i) extract prepared from smooth muscle cells will compete with 125I-labeled HBGF-I for binding to the HBGF-I cell surface receptor, and (ii) the competing ligand is eluted from heparin-Sepharose affinity resin at a NaCl concentration similar to that required by purified bovine brain HBGF-I and stimulates endothelial cell proliferation in vitro. Furthermore, like endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells possess cell-surface-associated HBGF-I receptors and respond to HBGF-I as a mitogen. These results indicate the potential for an additional autocrine component of vascular smooth muscle cell growth control and establish a vessel wall source of HBGF-I for endothelial cell division in vivo.

Structural and functional characterization of endonexin II, a calcium- and phospholipid-binding protein.

A protein with an apparent Mr of 33,000 was previously purified from the EGTA eluate of a human placental particulate fraction. We now report the amino acid sequence of approximately one-third of this protein and show that it has extensive homology with a newly defined family of Ca2+-binding proteins termed annexins. The partial sequence of the placental protein could be aligned with the sequence of either lipocortin I or calpactin I such that 49% and 58%, respectively, of the residues were identical. A comparison of the partial sequences of the placental protein with the partial sequence of bovine endonexin revealed 74% sequence identity. Based on this close relationship, the placental protein was named endonexin II. Equilibrium dialysis showed that endonexin II bound Ca2+ (Kd greater than 0.5 mM) and the affinity was increased by phosphatidylserine liposomes (kd approximately equal to 100 microM). In addition, endonexin II bound to phosphatidylserine- and phosphatidylethanolamine-containing liposomes in a Ca2+-dependent manner, and the binding was cooperative with respect to Ca2+ concentration (Hill constant greater than 3). The Ca2+- and phospholipid-binding properties of endonexin II raise the possibility that each of the four internally repeated sequences that have been demonstrated within this family of proteins contains a Ca2+-binding site.

Structural evidence that endothelial cell growth factor beta is the precursor of both endothelial cell growth factor alpha and acidic fibroblast growth factor.

Two endothelial cell growth factors (ECGF) have been purified from bovine brain and termed alpha- and beta-ECGF [Burgess, W. H., Mehlman, T., Friesel, R., Johnson, W. V. & Maciag, T. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11389-11392]. Amino acid sequence analysis indicates that beta-ECGF represents a 20 amino acid amino-terminal extension of alpha-ECGF and a 14 amino acid amino-terminal extension of acidic fibroblast growth factor. These data indicate that both alpha-ECGF and acidic fibroblast growth factor may be derived from beta-ECGF by posttranslational processing. Analysis of the amino-terminal 14 residues of beta-ECGF by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry established the amino acid sequence of this region and the identity of the blocking group at the amino terminus (acetyl).

The characterization of the receptor for endothelial cell growth factor by covalent ligand attachment.

Cellular receptors for endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF) have been demonstrated on several cell types by binding of 125I-ECGF in a specific and saturable manner (Schreiber, A. B., Kennedy, J., Kowalski, J., Friesel, R., Mehlman, T., and Maciag, T. (1985) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 82, 6138-6142). Here we report the covalent cross-linking of 125I-ECGF to a polypeptide present on the surface of the plasma membrane of murine lung capillary endothelial cells by the homobifunctional reagent, disuccinimidyl suberate. Cross-linking of cell surface associated 125I-ECGF yields a major polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 150,000. Experiments demonstrated that the cross-linked polypeptide complex represents 125I-ECGF covalently bound specifically to a cell surface receptor because: covalent modification of the polypeptide was inhibited by excess, unlabeled ECGF; preincubation of cells with unlabeled ECGF at 37 degrees C significantly reduced cross-linking while incubation at 4 degrees C did not; other polypeptide growth factors do not compete with 125I-ECGF for cross-linking to the ECGF receptor; labeling of the polypeptide did not take place in the absence of DSS; and cells previously shown to have a paucity of ECGF receptors did not yield a cross-linked labeled receptor. These data suggest that the mitogenic events mediated by ECGF occur after occupancy of the specific cell surface polypeptide and suggest that these events are relevant to ECGF-induced signal transduction across the endothelial cell plasma membrane.

A unique family of endothelial cell polypeptide mitogens: the antigenic and receptor cross-reactivity of bovine endothelial cell growth factor, brain-derived acidic fibroblast growth factor, and eye-derived growth factor-II.

Bovine brain, hypothalamus, pituitary, and retina contain potent anionic polypeptide mitogens for endothelial cells. Immunological assays using murine monoclonal antibodies against bovine endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF) and radioreceptor assays using [125I]ECGF were performed to determine the cross-reactivity of ECGF with bovine acidic pI brain-derived fibroblast growth factor (acidic FGF) and bovine eye-derived growth factor-II [EDGF-II). We observed that acidic FGF and EDGF-II are recognized by anti-ECGF monoclonal antibodies and compete with [125I] ECGF for receptor occupancy. Furthermore, the biological activity of ECGF, acidic FGF, and EDGF-II is potentiated by the glycosaminoglycan, heparin. These results argue that ECGF, acidic FGF, and EDGF-II belong to a common family of polypeptide growth factors.

Interaction of endothelial cell growth factor with heparin: characterization by receptor and antibody recognition.

Endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF) binds specifically in vitro to membrane receptors present on the surface of several cell types, including murine and human endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Monoclonal antibodies prepared against ECGF that inhibit the mitogenic activity of the growth factor prevent receptor occupancy by the ligand. Heparin interacts structurally with ECGF [Maciag, T., Mehlman, T., Friesel, R. & Schreiber, A. B. (1984) Science 225, 932-935], potentiates the mitogenic activity of the polypeptide, restores the biological activity to inactivate ECGF, enhances the affinity of the ligand to cell surface receptors, and modifies antibody recognition of ECGF. These data suggest that the association between heparin and ECGF induces a conformational change in the polypeptide that increases or stabilizes the biological activity of the mitogen.

Multiple forms of endothelial cell growth factor. Rapid isolation and biological and chemical characterization.

Endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF) can be rapidly purified from bovine brain to high specific activity using heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Purification of the mitogen by this method results in relatively high yields of the polypeptide (10 to 100 micrograms/kg of tissue) with biological activity on murine and human endothelial cells in the picogram range. The product obtained is a mixture of two single-chain polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 17,000 (alpha-ECGF) and 20,000 (beta-ECGF) by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The two forms of ECGF can be separated by either NaCl gradient elution from heparin-Sepharose or reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography. The two polypeptides are related on the basis of similar: amino acid compositions, affinity for heparin-Sepharose, cyanogen bromide and trypsin-derived cleavage products, and biological activity. Furthermore, the cyanogen bromide fragments derived from the two forms of ECGF also possess similar amino acid compositions and mobilities on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels. These data suggest that there are at least two discrete molecular forms of ECGF in bovine brain and that these two molecules are structurally related.

Heparin binds endothelial cell growth factor, the principal endothelial cell mitogen in bovine brain.

Endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF), an anionic polypeptide mitogen, binds to immobilized heparin. The interaction between the acidic polypeptide and the anionic carbohydrate suggests a mechanism that is independent of ion exchange. Monoclonal antibodies to purified bovine ECGF inhibited the biological activity of ECGF in crude preparations of bovine brain. These data indicate that ECGF is the principal mitogen for endothelial cells from bovine brain, that heparin affinity chromatography may be used to purify and concentrate ECGF, and that the affinity of ECGF for heparin may have structural and perhaps biological significance.