Pregnancy-associated Plasma Protein-A Regulates Myoblast Proliferation and Differentiation through an Insulin-like Growth Factor-dependent Mechanism

PAPP-A (pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A) is produced by hSFs (human skin fibroblasts) and hOBs (human osteoblasts) and enhances the mitogenic activity of IGFs (insulin-like growth factors) by degradation of IGFBP-4 (insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 4). PKC (protein kinase C) activation in these cells led to reduction in IGFBP-4 proteolysis. This study was undertaken to determine the mechanism by which activation of PKC suppresses IGFBP-4 proteolysis. Treatment of hSFs/hOBs with TPA (PMA; 100 nM) reduced IGFBP-4 proteolysis without significantly decreasing the PAPP-A level in the CM (conditioned medium). Immunodepletion of the proform of eosinophil major basic protein (proMBP), a known PAPP-A inhibitor, from CM of TPA-treated cells (TPA CM) failed to increase IGFBP-4 proteolytic activity. Transduction of hSFs with proMBP retrovirus increased the concentration of proMBP up to 30 ng/ml and led to a moderate reduction in IGFBP-4 proteolysis. In contrast, TPA treatment blocked IGFBP-4 proteolysis but failed to induce a detectable amount of proMBP in the CM. While proMBP overexpression led to the formation of a covalent proMBP–PAPP-A complex and reduced the migration of PAPP-A on SDS/PAGE, TPA treatment dose- and time-dependently increased the conversion of a ≈470 kDa PAPP-A form (PAPP-A470) to a ≈400 kDa PAPP-A form (PAPP-A400). Since unreduced PAPP-A400 co-migrated with the 400 kDa recombinant PAPP-A homodimer and since PAPP-A monomers from reduced PAPP-A470 and PAPP-A400 co-migrated on SDS/PAGE, conversion of PAPP-A470 to PAPP-A400 is unlikely to be caused by proteolytic cleavage of PAPP-A. Consistent with the data showing that the increase in the ratio of PAPP-A400/PAPP-A470 is correlated with the extent of reduction in IGFBP-4 proteolysis, partially purified PAPP-A400 exhibited a 4-fold reduction in IGFBP-4 proteolytic activity compared with PAPP-A470. These data suggest that a novel mechanism, namely conversion of PAPP-A470 to the less-active PAPP-A400, could account for the TPA-induced suppression of PAPP-A activity.

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Insulin-Like Growth Factor Bioactivity, Stanniocalcin-2, Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A, and IGF-Binding Protein-4 in Pleural Fluid and Serum From Patients With Pulmonary Disease

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/jc.2017-00033 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 102 (9) ◽

pp. 3526-3534 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Ulrick Skipper Espelund ◽

Mette Bjerre ◽

Rikke Hjortebjerg ◽

Torben Riis Rasmussen ◽

Anders Lundby ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Factor ◽

Pleural Fluid ◽

Plasma Protein ◽

Binding Protein ◽

Protein A ◽

Insulin Like Growth Factor ◽

Igf System ◽

Igf Binding ◽

Stanniocalcin 2 ◽

Igf Binding Protein

Abstract Context Members of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system are primarily produced in the liver and secreted into the circulation, but they are also produced, recruited, and activated locally in tissues. Objective To compare activity and concentrations of IGF system components in pleural fluid and blood. Design Pathological pleural fluid, secondary to lung cancer or nonmalignant disease, and matching blood samples were collected from 24 patients ages 66.7 to 81.9 years. Methods IGF-related proteins and cytokine levels were measured by immunoassays or immunoblotting. Bioactive IGF was measured by an IGF-1 receptor phosphorylation assay. Results Total IGF-1 concentration did not differ between the compartments, but concentrations of free IGF-1 and bioactive IGF were more than threefold higher in pleural fluid than in corresponding serum samples (P = 0.0004), regardless of etiology. Median pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and interleukin (IL)-6 levels were increased 47-fold and 143-fold, respectively, in pleural fluid compared with plasma (P < 0.0001). PAPP-A and IL-6 concentrations correlated positively (r = 0.46; P = 0.02). In pleural fluid, levels of PAPP-A–generated IGF binding protein-4 fragments correlated inversely with that of stanniocalcin-2 (r ≤ −0.42; P ≤ 0.05), a PAPP-A inhibitor; such correlations were absent in plasma. Conclusion Pathological pleural fluid is characterized by increased in vitro IGF bioactivity and elevated concentrations of PAPP-A, an IGF-activating proteinase. Thus, the tissue activity of the IGF system may differ substantially from that of the circulating IGF system. The correlation between IL-6 and PAPP-A indicates that inflammation plays a role in promoting local tissue IGF activity.

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Disruption of insulin-like growth factor-II imprinting during embryonic development rescues the dwarf phenotype of mice null for pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A

Journal of Endocrinology ◽

10.1677/joe.1.06259 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 186 (2) ◽

pp. 325-331 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Laurie K Bale ◽

Cheryl A Conover

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Plasma Protein ◽

Fetal Development ◽

Protein A ◽

Receptor Activation ◽

Mutant Mice ◽

Insulin Like Growth Factor ◽

Dwarf Phenotype

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), an insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP) protease, increases insulin-like growth factor (IGF) activity through cleavage of inhibitory IGFBP-4 and the consequent release of IGF peptide for receptor activation. Mice homozygous for targeted disruption of the PAPP-A gene are born as proportional dwarfs and exhibit retarded bone ossification during fetal development. Phenotype and in vitro data support a model in which decreased IGF-II bioavailability during embryogenesis results in growth retardation and reduction in overall body size. To test the hypothesis that an increase in IGF-II during embryogenesis would overcome the growth deficiencies, PAPP-A-null mice were crossed with ΔH19 mutant mice, which have increased IGF-II expression and fetal overgrowth due to disruption of IgfII imprinting. ΔH19 mutant mice were 126% and PAPP-A-null mice were 74% the size of controls at birth. These size differences were evident at embryonic day 16.5. Importantly, double mutants were indistinguishable from controls both in terms of size and skeletal development. Body size programmed during embryo development persisted post-natally. Thus, disruption of IgfII imprinting and consequent elevation in IGF-II during fetal development was associated with rescue of the dwarf phenotype and ossification defects of PAPP-A-null mice. These data provide strong genetic evidence that PAPP-A plays an essential role in determining IGF-II bioavailability for optimal fetal growth and development.

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