scholarly journals Hepatocyte growth factor is a potent angiogenic factor which stimulates endothelial cell motility and growth.

1992 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Bussolino ◽  
M F Di Renzo ◽  
M Ziche ◽  
E Bocchietto ◽  
M Olivero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth Factor ◽  
Cell Monolayer ◽  
Angiogenic Factor ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth

Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF, also known as Scatter Factor) is a powerful mitogen or motility factor in different cells, acting through the tyrosine kinase receptor encoded by the MET protooncogene. Endothelial cells express the MET gene and expose at the cell surface the mature protein (p190MET) made of a 50 kD (alpha) subunit disulfide linked to a 145-kD (beta) subunit. HGF binding to endothelial cells identifies two sites with different affinities. The higher affinity binding site (Kd = 0.35 nM) corresponds to the p190MET receptor. Sub-nanomolar concentrations of HGF, but not of a recombinant inactive precursor, stimulate the receptor kinase activity, cell proliferation and motility. HGF induces repairs of a wound in endothelial cell monolayer. HGF stimulates the scatter of endothelial cells grown on three-dimensional collagen gels, inducing an elongated phenotype. In the rabbit cornea, highly purified HGF promotes neovascularization at sub-nanomolar concentrations. HGF lacks activities related to hemostasis-thrombosis, inflammation and endothelial cells accessory functions. These data show that HGF is an in vivo potent angiogenic factor and in vitro induces endothelial cells to proliferate and migrate.

scholarly journals Monocyte activation state regulates monocyte-induced endothelial proliferation through Met signaling

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 115 (16) ◽  
pp. 3407-3412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shai Y. Schubert ◽  
Alejandro Benarroch ◽  
Juan Monter-Solans ◽  
Elazer R. Edelman
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth Factor ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Endothelial Cell Proliferation ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth

Abstract Direct interaction of unactivated primary monocytes with endothelial cells induces a mitogenic effect in subconfluent, injured endothelial monolayers through activation of endothelial Met. We now report that monocytes' contact-dependent mitogenicity is controlled by activation-mediated regulation of hepatocyte growth factor. Direct interaction of unactivated monocytes with subconfluent endothelial cells for 12 hours resulted in 9- and 120-fold increase in monocyte tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA levels and bitemporal spike in hepatocyte growth factor that closely correlates with endothelial Met and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. Once activated, monocytes cannot induce a second wave of endothelial cell proliferation and endothelial Met phosphorylation and soluble hepatocyte growth factor levels fall off. Monocyte-induced proliferation is dose dependent and limited to the induction of a single cell cycle. Monocytes retain their ability to activate other endothelial cells for up to 8 hours after initial interaction, after which they are committed to the specific cell. There is therefore a profoundly sophisticated mode of vascular repair. Confluent endothelial cells ensure vascular quiescence, whereas subconfluence promotes vessel activation. Simultaneously, circulating monocytes stimulate endothelial cell proliferation, but lose this potential once activated. Such a system provides for the fine balance that can restore vascular and endothelial homeostasis with minimal overcompensation.

scholarly journals Hepatocyte growth factor modulates in vitro survival and proliferation of germ cells during postnatal testis development

2006 ◽  
Vol 189 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Catizone ◽  
G Ricci ◽  
J Del Bravo ◽  
M Galdieri
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth Factor ◽  
Germ Cell ◽  
Germ Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor ◽  
Testis Development ◽  
Pachytene Spermatocytes ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth

The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that influences mitogenesis, motility and differentiation of many different cell types by its tyrosine kinase receptor c-Met. We previously demonstrated that the c-Met/HGF system is present and functionally active during postnatal testis development. We found also that spermatozoa express c-Met and that HGF has a positive effect on the maintenance of sperm motility. In the present paper, we extend our study on the germ cells at different stages of differentiation during the postnatal development of the testis. We demonstrate that c-met is present in rat spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids and that HGF significantly increases spermatogonial proliferation in 8- to 10-day-old pre-pubertal rats. At this age HGF does not affect Sertoli cells and peritubular myoid cells proliferation. In addition, we studied the effect of the factor on germ cell apoptosis and we show that HGF prevents the germ cell apoptotic process. We also studied the effect of HGF on 18- to 20-day-old and 28- to 30-day-old rat testes. At these ages also the factor significantly increases germ cell duplication and decreases the number of apoptotic cells. However, the effect on programmed cell death is higher in the 8- to 10-day-old rats and declines in the older animals. In conclusion, we report that rat germ cells (spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids) express c-met and that HGF modulates germ cell proliferating activity and apoptosis in vitro. These data indicate that the c-Met/HGF system is involved in male germ cell homeostasis and, consequently, has a role in male fertility.

scholarly journals Hepatocyte growth factor induces proliferation and differentiation of multipotent and erythroid hemopoietic progenitors.

1994 ◽  
Vol 127 (6) ◽  
pp. 1743-1754 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Galimi ◽  
G P Bagnara ◽  
L Bonsi ◽  
E Cottone ◽  
A Follenzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth Factor ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor ◽  
Erythroid Progenitors ◽  
Direct Role ◽  
Proliferation And Differentiation ◽  
Met Protooncogene ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a mesenchymal derived growth factor known to induce proliferation and "scattering" of epithelial and endothelial cells. Its receptor is the tyrosine kinase encoded by the c-MET protooncogene. Here we show that highly purified recombinant HGF stimulates hemopoietic progenitors to form colonies in vitro. In the presence of erythropoietin, picomolar concentrations of HGF induced the formation of erythroid burst-forming unit colonies from CD34-positive cells purified from human bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. The growth stimulatory activity was restricted to the erythroid lineage. HGF also stimulated the formation of multipotent CFU-GEMM colonies. This effect is synergized by stem cell factor, the ligand of the tyrosine kinase receptor encoded by the c-KIT protooncogene, which is active on early hemopoietic progenitors. By flow cytometry analysis, the receptor for HGF was found to be expressed on the cell surface in a fraction of CD34+ progenitors. Moreover, in situ hybridization experiments showed that HGF receptor mRNA is highly expressed in embryonic erythroid cells (megaloblasts). HGF mRNA was also found to be produced in the embryonal liver. These data show that HGF plays a direct role in the control of proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitors, and they suggest that it may be one of the long-sought mediators of paracrine interactions between stromal and hemopoietic cells within the hemopoietic microenvironment.

Selective recognition of fibroblast growth factor-2 by the long pentraxin PTX3 inhibits angiogenesis

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Rusnati ◽  
Maura Camozzi ◽  
Emanuela Moroni ◽  
Barbara Bottazzi ◽  
Giuseppe Peri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Cell Monolayer ◽  
Vascular Lesions ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ◽  
Fibroblast Growth

Abstract The long pentraxin PTX3 is a soluble pattern recognition receptor produced by monocytes and endothelial cells that plays a nonredundant role in inflammation. Several pathologic conditions are characterized by local production of both PTX3 and the angiogenic fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2). Here, solid-phase binding assays demonstrated that PTX3 binds with high affinity to FGF2 but not to a panel of cytokines and growth factors, including FGF1, FGF4, and FGF8. Accordingly, PTX3 prevented 125I-FGF2 binding to endothelial cell receptors, leading to specific inhibition of FGF2-induced proliferation. PTX3 hampered also the motogenic activity exerted by endogenous FGF2 on a wounded endothelial cell monolayer. Moreover, PTX3 cDNA transduction in FGF2-transformed endothelial cells inhibited their autocrine FGF2-dependent proliferation and morphogenesis in vitro and their capacity to generate vascular lesions when injected in nude mice. Finally, PTX3 suppressed neovascularization triggered by FGF2 in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane with no effect on physiologic angiogenesis. In contrast, the short pentraxin C-reactive protein was a poor FGF2 ligand/antagonist. These results establish the selective binding of a member of the pentraxin superfamily to a growth factor. PTX3/FGF2 interaction may modulate angiogenesis in various physiopathologic conditions driven by inflammation, innate immunity, and/or neoplastic transformation.

A novel recognition motif for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase binding mediates its association with the hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor receptor

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4600-4608 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Ponzetto ◽  
A Bardelli ◽  
F Maina ◽  
P Longati ◽  
G Panayotou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth Factor ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor ◽  
Scatter Factor ◽  
Receptor Binding Site ◽  
Sh2 Domains ◽  
Recognition Motif ◽  
Hepatocyte Growth

The pleiotropic effects (mitogenesis, motogenesis, and morphogenesis) elicited by hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) are mediated by the activation of the tyrosine kinase receptor encoded by the MET proto-oncogene. Following autophosphorylation, the receptor associates with the p85/110 phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase complex in vivo and in vitro. By a combination of two complementary approaches, competition with synthetic phosphopeptides and association with Tyr-Phe receptor mutants, we have identified Y-1349 and Y-1356 in the HGF/SF receptor as the binding sites for PI 3-kinase. Y-1349VHV and Y-1356VNV do not conform to the canonical consensus sequence YXXM for PI 3-kinase binding and thus define YVXV as a novel recognition motif. Y-1349 and Y-1356 are located within the C-terminal portion of the HGF/SF receptor and are phosphorylation sites. The affinity of the N- and C-terminal src homology region 2 (SH2) domains of p85 for the phosphopeptides including Y-1349 and Y-1356 is 2 orders of magnitude lower than that measured for Y-751 in the platelet-derived growth factor receptor binding site. However, the closely spaced duplication of the novel recognition motif in the native HGF/SF receptor may allow binding with both SH2 domains of p85, thus generating an efficient docking site for PI 3-kinase. In agreement with this model, we have observed that a phosphopeptide including both Y-1349 and Y-1356 activates PI 3-kinase in vitro.

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