Fibroblast growth factors, their receptors and signaling.
TL;DR: FGF signaling also appears to play a role in tumor growth and angiogenesis, and autocrine FGF signaling may be particularly important in the progression of steroid hormone-dependent cancers to a hormone-independent state.
Abstract: Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are small polypeptide growth factors, all of whom share in common certain structural characteristics, and most of whom bind heparin avidly. Many FGFs contain signal peptides for secretion and are secreted into the extracellular environment, where theycan bind to the heparan-like glycosaminoglycans (HLGAGs) of the extracellular matrix (ECM). From this reservoir, FGFs mayact directlyon target cells, or theycan be released through digestion of the ECM or the activityof a carrier protein, a secreted FGF binding protein. FGFs bind specific receptor tyrosine kinases in the context of HLGAGs and this binding induces receptor dimerization and activation, ultimatelyresulting in the activation of various signal transduction cascades. Some FGFs are potent angiogenic factors and most playimportant roles in embry onic development and wound healing. FGF signaling also appears to playa role in tumor growth and angiogenesis, and autocrine FGF signaling maybe particularlyimportant in the progression of steroid hormone-dependent cancers to a hormone-independent state.
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TL;DR: The fabrication of perfusable vascular-like structures by transferring endothelial cells using an electrochemical reaction as well as acceleration of subsequent endothelial sprouting by two stimuli: phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and fluidic shear stress are described.
Abstract: Fabrication of vascular networks is essential for engineering three-dimensional thick tissues and organs in the emerging fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In this study, we describe the fabrication of perfusable vascular-like structures by transferring endothelial cells using an electrochemical reaction as well as acceleration of subsequent endothelial sprouting by two stimuli: phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and fluidic shear stress. The electrochemical transfer of cells was achieved using an oligopeptide that formed a dense molecular layer on a gold surface and was then electrochemically desorbed from the surface. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), adhered to gold-coated needles (ϕ600 μm) via the oligopeptide, were transferred to collagen gel along with electrochemical desorption of the molecular layer, resulting in the formation of endothelial cell-lined vascular-like structures. In the following culture, the endothelial cells migrated into the collagen gel and formed branched luminal structures. However, this branching process was strikingly slow (>14 d) and the cell layers on the internal surfaces became disrupted in some regions. To address these issues, we examined the effects of the protein kinase C (PKC) activator, PMA, and shear stress generated by medium flow. Addition of PMA at an optimum concentration significantly accelerated migration, vascular network formation, and its stabilization. Exposure to shear stress reoriented the cells in the direction of the medium flow and further accelerated vascular network formation. Because of the synergistic effects, HUVECs began to sprout as early as 3 d of perfusion culture and neighboring vascular-like structures were bridged within 5 d. Although further investigations of vascular functions need to be performed, this approach may be an effective strategy for rapid fabrication of perfusable microvascular networks when engineering three-dimensional fully vascularized tissues and organs.
43 citations
TL;DR: The overall importance of sulfated PGs to normal lung development is demonstrated and a dynamic role for chondroitin sulfate PGs in embryonic lung growth and morphogenesis is demonstrated.
Abstract: Proteoglycans (PGs) have been shown to play a key role in the development of many tissues. We have investigated the role of sulfated PGs in early rat lung development by treating cultured tissues with 30 mM sodium chlorate, a global inhibitor of PG sulfation. Chlorate treatment disrupted growth and branching of embryonic day 13 lung explants. Isolated lung epithelium (LgE) migrated toward and invaded lung mesenchyme (LgM), and chlorate irreversibly suppressed this response. Chlorate also inhibited migration of LgE toward beads soaked in FGF10. Chlorate severely decreased branching morphogenesis in tissue recombinants consisting of LgM plus either LgE or tracheal epithelium (TrE) and decreased expression of surfactant protein C gene (SP-C). Chlorate also reduced bone morphogenetic protein-4 expression in cultured tips and recombinants but had no effect on the expression of clara cell 10-kDa protein (CC10), sonic hedgehog (Shh), FGF10, and FGF receptor 2IIIb. Chlorate reduced the growth of LgE in mesenchyme-free culture but did not affect SP-C expression. In contrast, chlorate inhibited both rudiment growth and the induction of SP-C in mesenchyme-free cultured TrE. Treatment of lung tips and tissue recombinants with chondroitinase ABC abolished branching morphogenesis. Chondroitinase also suppressed growth of TrE in mesenchyme-free culture. Chondroitinase treatment, however, had no effect on the induction of SP-C expression in any of these cultures. These results demonstrate the overall importance of sulfated PGs to normal lung development and demonstrate a dynamic role for chondroitin sulfate PGs in embryonic lung growth and morphogenesis.
43 citations
Cites background from "Fibroblast growth factors, their re..."
...This binding induces or stabilizes the formation of tyrosine kinase FGFR dimers, or a ternary complex of ligand, FGFR, and HSPG, which are necessary for the initiation of the signaling cascade (38, 46)....
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TL;DR: This study investigated the alterations in FGF2 production and utilization by the PC3 cell line, after transfection with a full‐length AR, in order to investigate the role of androgen receptor in altering FGF‐mediated growth and survival of prostatic neoplastic cells.
Abstract: BACKGROUND
Alterations in fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) production and/or FGF receptors expression have been described to play key roles in prostate tumor progression, particularly in androgen-independent tumors. However, the role of androgen receptor (AR) in altering FGF-mediated growth and survival of prostatic neoplastic cells has not been completely defined. In this study, we investigated the alterations in FGF2 production and utilization by the PC3 cell line, after transfection with a full-length AR.
METHODS
FGF1,2,7, FGF-binding protein (FGF-BP) production and FGF receptor (FGFR) 1–4 expression were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analysis.
RESULTS
De novo AR expression by PC3 cells restores FGFR2 IIIb isoform expression and sensitivity to FGF7 and FGF2. Androgen stimulation induces AR+ PC3 clones to secrete FGF-BP, likely responsible for activation and mobilization from the extracellular matrix of the high amounts of FGF2 produced by the same cells. In addition to the effects on cell proliferation, FGF2 maintains the survival of AR+ PC3 clones through a positive modulation of the Bcl-2 protein and down-modulates AR protein expression, allowing the escape of selected clones from androgen regulation.
CONCLUSION
In the presence of an active AR, the combined production of FGF2 and FGF-BP may play an important role in the progression of prostate cancer through the selection of AR− clones expressing high levels of Bcl-2. Prostate 53: 310–321, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
43 citations
TL;DR: Their different glycosaminoglycan and cell binding properties may allow the long and short forms of MC54L to inactivate IL-18 near the site of infection and at more distal locations, respectively.
Abstract: Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) and variola virus are the sole members of the poxvirus family that use humans as exclusive natural hosts (8). Variola virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus and until recently caused smallpox, an acute infection with a high mortality rate (9). MCV, the only member of the Molluscipoxvirus genus, causes small, benign skin lesions in children and young adults and more extensive disease only when there is a concurrent immunodeficiency such as AIDS (10). Even in immunocompetent individuals, however, the virus-filled skin lesions frequently persist for many months with few signs of inflammation, suggesting local immune suppression. Several potential immune evasion proteins were discovered after the complete MCV genome sequence was determined (17). One of these is an interleukin-18 (IL-18) binding protein (IL-18BP) that inhibits the gamma interferon-inducing activity of IL-18 (25).
IL-18 is a proinflammatory cytokine that enhances innate and acquired immunity and protects against microbial infections and tumors in murine models (6). Excessive IL-18 activity, however, is associated with some autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (13). Regulation of IL-18 activity is mediated by soluble IL-18BPs (14, 24). MC54L, an MCV homolog of mammalian IL-18BP, binds IL-18 with a nanomolar Kd and inhibits the gamma interferon-inducing activity of IL-18 in a dose-dependent manner (22, 25). Functional homologs of IL-18BP are also present in orthopoxviruses, including vaccinia virus, cowpox virus, and ectromelia virus (1, 3, 19), and as yet uncharacterized homologs are encoded by variola virus and members of other poxvirus genera. Deletion of the IL-18BP gene from ectromelia virus decreased virus replication and elevated natural killer cell activity in infected mice, indicating that these proteins contribute to defense against the host immune system (1).
The IL-18 binding sites of human IL-18BP and MC54L were determined through site-directed mutagenesis and quantitative binding studies (22, 23). Despite the relatively low overall sequence identity between MC54L and human IL-18BP, their IL-18 binding sites are almost identical. MC54L, however, is unique among poxvirus and mammalian IL-18BPs in having a C-terminal tail that is almost 100 amino acids long and is entirely dispensable for IL-18 binding (22). Our present studies show that the protein is secreted in two forms: a full-length form that binds cell surface glycosaminoglycans with high affinity through the C-terminal tail and a furin-cleaved form consisting solely of the IL-18 binding domain (IL-18BD). The long and short forms of MC54L may inhibit IL-18 near the site of infection and at more distal locations, respectively.
42 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that shikonin inhibits adipogenic differentiation via suppression of the ERK signaling pathway during the early stages of adipogenesis.
Abstract: The naphthoquinone pigment, shikonin, is a major component of Lithospermum erythrorhizon and has been shown to have various biological functions, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of shikonin on adipocyte differentiation and its mechanism of action in 3T3-L1 cells. To investigate the effects of shikonin on adipocyte differentiation, 3T3-L1 cells were induced to differentiate using 3-isobutyl-1-methylzanthine, dexamethasone, and insulin (MDI) for 8 days in the presence of 0–2 μM shikonin. Oil Red O staining was performed to determine the lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells. To elucidate the anti-adipogenic mechanism of shikonin, adipogenic transcription factors, the phosphorylation levels of ERK, and adipogenic gene expression were analyzed by Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. To further confirm that shikonin inhibits adipogenic differentiation through downregulation of ERK 1/2 activity, 3T3-L1 cells were treated with shikonin in the presence of FGF-2, an activator, or PD98059, an inhibitor, of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Shikonin effectively suppressed adipogenesis and downregulated the protein levels of 2 major transcription factors, PPARγ and C/EBPα, as well as the adipocyte specific gene aP2 in a dose-dependent manner. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that shikonin inhibited mRNA expression of adipogenesis-related genes, such as PPARγ, C/EBPα, and aP2. Adipocyte differentiation was mediated by ERK 1/2 phosphorylation, which was confirmed by pretreatment with PD98059 (an ERK 1/2 inhibitor) or FGF-2 (an ERK 1/2 activator). The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 during the early stages of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells was inhibited by shikonin. We also confirmed that FGF-2-stimulated ERK 1/2 activity was attenuated by shikonin. These results demonstrate that shikonin inhibits adipogenic differentiation via suppression of the ERK signaling pathway during the early stages of adipogenesis.
42 citations
Cites background or methods from "Fibroblast growth factors, their re..."
...3T3-L1 cells were pretreated with ERK inhibitor PD98059 [23] or ERK activator FGF-2 [24] for 30 min, followed by induction of differentiation by MDI with or without shikonin (Figure 3B)....
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...necessary for the expression of the adipogenic transcriptional factors PPARγ and C/EBPα [24,38]....
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...ERK phosphorylation is necessary for the expression of the adipogenic transcriptional factors PPARγ and C/EBPα [24,38]....
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...The transcription factors PPARγ and C/EBPα have been demonstrated to play key roles in adipogenesis [2,3]....
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...PPARγ and C/EBPα activate the expression of a number of genes induced during adipocyte differentiation, including genes responsible for lipid accumulation and insulin sensitivity [8]....
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References
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TL;DR: It is demonstrated that free heparin and heparan sulfate can reconstitute a low affinity receptor that is, in turn, required for the high affinity binding of bFGF.
2,448 citations
TL;DR: This work highlights conserved protein domains that act as key regulatory participants in many of these different signalling pathways in multicellular organisms.
Abstract: Communication between cells assumes particular importance in multicellular organisms. The growth, migration and differentiation of cells in the embryo, and their organization into specific tissues, depend on signals transmitted from one cell to another. In the adult, cell signalling orchestrates normal cellular behaviour and responses to wounding and infection. The consequences of breakdowns in this signalling underlie cancer, diabetes and disorders of the immune and cardiovascular systems. Conserved protein domains that act as key regulatory participants in many of these different signalling pathways are highlighted.
2,433 citations
"Fibroblast growth factors, their re..." refers background in this paper
...One way these recruited target proteins may be localized to the activated receptor is through the interaction between their Src-homology 2 (SH2) domains and specific phosphotyrosine residues on the activated receptor (Pawson 1995)....
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...Phosphorylated tyrosine residues, in turn, recruit other signaling molecules to the activated receptors and propagate the signal through many possible transduction pathways (Pawson 1995)....
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TL;DR: Electron microscopic examination of the corneal neovascularization of thalidomide-treated rabbits revealed specific ultrastructural changes similar to those seen in the deformed limb bud vasculature of Thalidomid-treated embryos.
Abstract: Thalidomide is a potent teratogen causing dysmelia (stunted limb growth) in humans. We have demonstrated that orally administered thalidomide is an inhibitor of angiogenesis induced by basic fibroblast growth factor in a rabbit cornea micropocket assay. Experiments including the analysis of thalidomide analogs revealed that the antiangiogenic activity correlated with the teratogenicity but not with the sedative or the mild immunosuppressive properties of thalidomide. Electron microscopic examination of the corneal neovascularization of thalidomide-treated rabbits revealed specific ultrastructural changes similar to those seen in the deformed limb bud vasculature of thalidomide-treated embryos. These experiments shed light on the mechanism of thalidomide's teratogenicity and hold promise for the potential use of thalidomide as an orally administered drug for the treatment of many diverse diseases dependent on angiogenesis.
2,364 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that FGF 1 is the only FGF that can activate all FGF receptor splice variants and the relative activity of all the other members of the FGF family is determined.
2,066 citations
"Fibroblast growth factors, their re..." refers background in this paper
...†From Ornitz et al. (1996), except where stated; ‡From Koga et al. (1995); §From Miralles et al. (1999); ¶From Xu et al. (1999). topologically identical to interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (Zhu et al. 1991), with which some members also share the feature of secretion by an endoplasmic reticulum…...
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...Mutation of all four cysteines to serines results in a protein with the same secondary structure and equally mitogenic for 3T3 cells as the wild-type FGF-2 (Foxet al. 1988), suggesting that the formation of disulfide bridges is not important for the secondary structure and mitogenic activity of…...
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...Ornitz et al. (1996) determined the specificity of different FGFs for different receptor isoforms by overexpressing these isoforms in Baf3 cells, which do not normally express FGFRs, and assaying for [3H]thymidine incorporation in these cells following treatment with different FGFs (see Table 2)....
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...1, IIIb 100 60 34 16 4 5 6 4 4 1, IIIc 100 104 0 102 59 55 0 1 21 2, IIIb 100 9 45 15 5 5 81 4 7 2, IIIc 100 64 4 94 25 61 2.5 16 89 3, IIIb 100 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 42 3, IIIc 100 107 1 69 12 9 1 41 96 4 100 113 6 108 7 79 2 76 75 Modified from Ornitz et al. (1996)....
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1,994 citations
"Fibroblast growth factors, their re..." refers background in this paper
...Defining features of the FGF family are a strong affinity for heparin and HLGAGs (Burgess & Maciag 1989), as well as a central core of 140 amino acids that is highly homologous between different family members....
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