Heparinase treatment of bovine smooth muscle cells inhibits fibroblast growth factor-2 binding to fibroblast growth factor receptor but not FGF-2 mediated cellular proliferation.

On the surface of smooth muscle cells there are two types of receptors for the mitogenic and angiogenic growth factor fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2); a high affinity tyrosine kinase FGF receptor (FGFR1) and low affinity heparin./heparan-like glycosaminoglycan (HLGAG) component of surface expressed proteoglycans. It is believed that all three components; FGFR1, FGF-2, and the HLGAG chains, must form a ternary complex for maximal cellular stimulation. To carefully examine the role surface HLGAGs play in FGF-2-mediated proliferation of SMCs we have utilized HLGAG degrading enzymes heparinase I, II and III. We report that heparinase treatment of bovine smooth muscle cells inhibits the binding of (125)I-FGF-2 to FGFR1, but does not inhibit FGF-2 induced cellular proliferation. Through the use of both sodium chlorate and FGF-2 mutants with deficient HLGAG-binding capabilities, we show the FGF-2-HLGAG interaction is important for FGF-2's ability to induce SMC proliferation. Finally, we report conditioned media from heparinase treated SMCs is capable of supporting FGF-2 induced proliferation in an HLGAG-free lymphoid F32 cells, suggesting that the heparinase generated fragments are responsible for the proliferative response. The data presented here suggest FGF-2 is capable of stimulating smooth muscle cell proliferation through an FGFR independent, HLGAG dependent mechanism.

Conservation of structure and function between human and murine IL-16.

IL-16 is a proinflammatory cytokine that signals via CD4, inducing chemotactic and immunomodulatory responses of CD4+ lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. Comparative analysis of murine and human IL-16 homologs could reveal conserved structures that would help to identify key functional regions of these cytokines. To that end, we cloned the murine IL-16 cDNA and found a high degree of amino acid similarity comparing the predicted murine and human IL-16 precursor proteins (pro-IL-16). The highest similarity (82.1%) was found in the C-terminal region, which is cleaved from pro-IL-16 to yield biologically active IL-16. Chemotaxis experiments with IL-16 of murine and human origin, using murine splenocytes or human T lymphocytes as targets, showed cross-species stimulation of motility. Synthetic oligopeptides and anti-peptide Ab were produced, based on the sequences of three predicted hydrophilic domains of IL-16 potentially presented in exposed positions. None of these peptides had intrinsic IL-16 bioactivity, but one (corresponding to a hydrophilic C-terminal domain of IL-16) partially displaced binding of OKT4 mAb to human lymphocytes. This peptide, and its cognate Ab, also inhibited IL-16 chemoattractant activity for human and murine cells. These studies demonstrate a high degree of structural and functional similarity between human and murine IL-16 and suggest that amino acids in the C terminus are critical for its chemoattractant function. The data suggest cross-species conservation of IL-16 receptor structures as well. Inhibitory peptides may be useful in disease states where the proinflammatory functions of IL-16 are detrimental to the host.

Molecular and functional analysis of a lymphocyte chemoattractant factor: association of biologic function with CD4 expression.

Lymphocyte chemoattractant factor (LCF) is a lymphocyte cell product that stimulates a migratory response in CD4+ lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. In concert with its chemoattractant activity, LCF induces human T-lymphocyte expression of interleukin 2 receptor. Here we describe the molecular cloning of cDNA encoding human LCF. It is a novel interleukin with no significant homology to any previously described cytokine families. There is an absolute requirement for both autoaggregation of LCF monomers and for membrane-expressed CD4 molecules for LCF-induced migration in lymphocytes.

Preparation, analysis, and anticholinesterase properties of O,O-dimethyl phosphorothioate isomerides.

Previous studies have shown that impurities in commercial organophosphorus insecticides induce a variety of toxicological manifestations. Few studies have contrasted common impurity types and their comparative chemical and biochemical properties. In this study, five O,O-dimethyl phosphorothioate compounds were converted to their corresponding O,S-dimethyl phosphorothioates (isomerides) by a stepwise dealkylation-alkylation process (yields 58-76%). The O,S-isomerides and parent material were characterized by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RPHPLC) and phosphorus (31P) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Methanol-water mixtures were found to adequately separate isomeride from parent structure with the isomeride eluting first. In general, the O,S-isomerides were found to be shifted about 40 ppm upfield relative to the O,O material. Isomerides were also determined to be significantly more potent as anticholinesterases (rat brain), with ki values approximating 1000-fold those of the parent material.