Ultrastructural localization of plasma membrane-associated urokinase-type plasminogen activator at focal contacts.

We have recently shown that urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 are both found extracellularly beneath cultured human skin fibroblasts and HT-1080 sarcoma cells, but in distinct localizations. Here, the ultrastructural distribution of u-PA was studied using immunoferritin electron microscopy. In HT-1080 cells, u-PA on the extracellular aspect of the plasma membrane was detected at sites of direct contact of the cell with the growth substratum beneath all parts of the ventral cell surface. The ferritin-labeled adhesion plaques, which were enriched in submembraneous microfilaments, were frequently seen at the leading lamellae of the cells as well as in lamellipodia and microspikes. Besides the cell-substratum adhesion plaques, ferritin label was detected at cell-cell contact sites. Double-label immunofluorescence showed a striking colocalization of u-PA and vinculin in both HT-1080 cells and WI-38 lung fibroblasts, which is consistent with u-PA being a focal contact component. The u-PA-containing focal contacts of WI-38 cells had no direct codistribution with fibronectin fibrils. In WI-38 cells made stationary by cultivation in a medium containing 0.5% FCS, vinculin plaques became highly elongated and more centrally located, whereas u-PA immunolabel disappeared from such focal adhesions. These findings show that plasma membrane-associated u-PA is an intrinsic component of focal contacts, where, we propose, it enables directional proteolysis for cell migration and invasion.

Distribution of urokinase-type plasminogen activator immunoreactivity in the mouse.

Immunocytochemistry, using rabbit antibodies to a urokinase-type 48-Kdalton Mr mouse plasminogen activator, showed that enzyme immunoreactivity is widely distributed in the normal mouse. Strong staining was obtained in widely disseminated connective tissue cells with a fibroblast-like morphology. Such cells occurred in high numbers in the lamina propria mucosae of the gastrointestinal tract, and in moderate numbers in the connective tissue septa of the pancreas. A few such cells were detected around the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. Immunoreactivity also occurred in epithelial cells of the proximal and distal kidney tubules, the ductus deferens, and in pulmonary pneumocytes. In addition, presumably extracellular staining was seen irregularly along the basement membrane and fibrillar structures in the lamina propria of the small and large intestines. Moreover, decidual cells of the mouse placenta stained strongly, and a moderate staining was observed in epithelial cells of involuting mammary glands, but not in those of noninvoluting glands. No immunoreactivity was observed in endothelial cells. Control experiments included absorption of the antibodies against highly-purified mouse plasminogen activator and the corresponding proenzyme, and the finding of a good correspondence between the number of immunoreactive cells and measurable enzymatic activity determined in adjacent tissue sections. Separation by SDS PAGE followed by immunoblotting revealed only one immunochemically stainable protein band with Mr approximately 48 Kdaltons in extracts from tissues showing immunoreactivity.

Immunocytochemical localization of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in Lewis lung carcinoma.

The invasively growing and metastasizing Lewis lung carcinoma consistently contained urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) enzyme activity. When investigated immunocytochemically with antibodies against u-PA, different parts of individual tumors showed a pronounced heterogeneity in staining intensity. Strong staining was found in areas with invasive growth and degradation of surrounding normal tissue, while other areas were completely devoid of staining. Immunoreactivity occurred both with a perinuclear cytoplasmic localization in tumor cells and associated with apparently extracellular material. SDS PAGE of tumor extracts, under both reducing and nonreducing conditions, followed by immunoblotting, showed only one immunocytochemically stainable band with an electrophoretic mobility corresponding to that of purified proenzyme to u-PA, while no two-chain u-PA was detected. This indicates that the major part of the activator in Lewis lung carcinoma is present as one-chain pro-u-PA.

Immunocytochemical demonstration of tissue-type plasminogen activator in endocrine cells of the rat pituitary gland.

We immunocytochemically stained rat pituitary glands using antibodies against plasminogen activators of the tissue type (t-PA) and the urokinase type (u-PA). A large population of endocrine cells in the anterior lobe of the gland displayed intense cytoplasmic immunoreactivity with anti-t-PA. In some areas of the intermediate lobe we found a weak staining, and we observed weakly staining granular structures in the posterior lobe. Controls included absorption of the antibodies with highly purified t-PA. In addition, SDS PAGE followed by immunoblotting of pituitary gland extracts revealed only one band with an electrophoretic mobility similar to that of t-PA when stained with anti-t-PA IgG. No u-PA immunoreactivity was detected in the rat pituitary gland. Sequential staining experiments using antibodies against growth hormone and t-PA demonstrated that the t-PA-immunoreactive cells constitute a large subpopulation of the growth hormone-containing cells. These findings represent the first direct evidence for the presence of t-PA in cell types other than endothelial cells in the intact normal organism. In this article we discuss the implications of the results for a possible role of t-PA in the posttranslational processing of prohormones.

Regulation of urokinase receptors in monocytelike U937 cells by phorbol ester phorbol myristate acetate.

A specific surface receptor for urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) recognizes the amino-terminal growth factor-like sequence of uPA, a region independent from and not required for the catalytic activity of this enzyme. The properties of the uPA receptor (uPAR) and the localization and distribution of uPA in tumor cells and tissues suggest that the uPA/uPAR interaction may be important in regulating extracellular proteolysis-dependent processes (e.g., invasion, tissue destruction). Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), an inducer of U937 cell differentiation to macrophage-like cells, elicits a time- and concentration-dependent increase in the number of uPAR molecules as shown by binding, cross-linking, and immunoprecipitation studies. The effect of PMA is blocked by cycloheximide. Overall, the data indicate that PMA increases the synthesis of uPA. PMA treatment also causes a decrease in the affinity of the uPAR for uPA, thus uncovering another way of regulating the interaction between uPA and uPAR. In addition, the PMA treatment causes a modification of migration of the cross-linked receptor in mono- and bidimensional gel electrophoresis.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 biosynthesis and mRNA level are increased by dexamethasone in human fibrosarcoma cells.

Dexamethasone increases type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) activity released from the human fibrosarcoma cell line HT-1080. We demonstrated that dexamethasone caused about 10-fold increases in the intracellular and extracellular levels of PAI-1 protein, as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, in the rate of PAI-1 biosynthesis, and in the PAI-1 mRNA level. The effects on PAI-1 biosynthesis and mRNA level were detectable within 4 h and were maximal 16 to 24 h after the addition of dexamethasone. Cycloheximide did not inhibit the dexamethasone-induced increases in the capacity of the cells to synthesize PAI-1 and in the PAI-1 mRNA level.

Purification and characterization of a plasminogen activator from mouse cells transformed by an oncogenic virus.

On the basis of cellular morphology, a subline of mouse sarcoma virus-infected 3T3 cells was selected which released a 48 000-dalton plasminogen activator at an approx. 40-fold higher rate than those of the parent line, and which continued to do so for several months when the cells were maintained in serum-free culture medium. Culture medium (3.5 l) containing 0.6 mg plasminogen activator per l was used to purify 620 micrograms of the enzyme 130-fold with a yield of 32% by affinity chromatography followed by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Crucial for the yield was the use of a non-ionic detergent and of inhibitors of proteolysis to prevent adsorption and degradation, respectively. The purified enzyme was homogeneous as evaluated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and had an isoelectric point of pH 9.2. The purified enzyme showed characteristics of a trypsin-like serine protease (labeling with [3H]diisopropylphosphorofluoridate which was prevented by p-nitrophenyl-p'-guanidinobenzoate) and converted the single chain of human plasminogen into two chains of plasmin with electrophoretic mobilities identical to those of the chains formed by non-purified enzyme and by human urokinase. In the absence of inhibitors, solutions of purified enzyme were stable for 24 h at 4 degrees C at pH 3-9.

Inhibition of a plasminogen activator from oncogenic virus-transformed mouse cells by rabbit antibodies against the enzyme.

Antisera were raised in rabbits against an electrophoretically pure 48 000 dalton plasminogen activator from mouse cells transformed by an oncogenic virus. The IgG fraction of the antisera inhibited 48 000 dalton mouse plasminogen activators from a variety of sources (neoplastic and nonneoplastic), a 29 00) dalton plasminogen activator from mouse urine and a 48 000 dalton plasminogen activator from rat urine. No inhibition was observed of a 75 000 dalton plasminogen activator extracted from mouse lung, of mouse plasmin or of plasminogen activators from human urine and from oncogenic-virus transformed chicken cells. The IgG antibodies were stronger and more specific inhibitors of the 48 000 dalton mouse plasminogen activator than any previously tested compounds.

Binding of Zn2+ to a Ca2+ loop allosterically attenuates the activity of factor VIIa and reduces its affinity for tissue factor.

The protease domain of coagulation factor VIIa (FVIIa) is homologous to trypsin with a similar active site architecture. The catalytic function of FVIIa is regulated by allosteric modulations induced by binding of divalent metal ions and the cofactor tissue factor (TF). To further elucidate the mechanisms behind these transformations, the effects of Zn2+ binding to FVIIa in the free form and in complex with TF were investigated. Equilibrium dialysis suggested that two Zn2+ bind with high affinity to FVIIa outside the N-terminal gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain. Binding of Zn2+ to FVIIa, which was influenced by the presence of Ca2+, resulted in decreased amidolytic activity and slightly reduced affinity for TF. After binding to TF, FVIIa was less susceptible to zinc inhibition. Alanine substitutions for either of two histidine residues unique for FVIIa, His216, and His257, produced FVIIa variants with decreased sensitivity to Zn2+ inhibition. A search for putative Zn2+ binding sites in the crystal structure of the FVIIa protease domain was performed by Grid calculations. We identified a pair of Zn2+ binding sites in the Glu210-Glu220 Ca2+ binding loop adjacent to the so-called activation domain canonical to serine proteases. Based on our results, we propose a model that describes the conformational changes underlying the Zn2+-mediated allosteric down-regulation of FVIIa's activity.

Immunohistochemical localization of urokinase- and tissue-type plasminogen activators in psoriatic skin.

Biopsies of involved and uninvolved skin from psoriatic patients and of normal skin were stained immunocytochemically with monoclonal antibodies against urokinase-type (u-PA) and tissue-type (t-PA) plasminogen activator using a multilayer peroxidase technique. Epidermis from psoriatic lesions showed focal staining for u-PA in and between the basal keratinocytes in the suprapapillary epidermal areas, while t-PA was found in the superficial keratinizing cells, including both stratum spinosum and the parakeratotic layer. No staining of keratinocytes was observed in uninvolved and normal skin. The specificity of the staining was supported by the finding that 3 different monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies against each of the plasminogen activators gave identical staining, while monoclonal antibodies of irrelevant specificity gave no staining. The present findings suggest abnormalities in the regulation of both types of plasminogen activators in psoriatic epidermis.

Site-directed mutagenesis but not gamma-carboxylation of Glu-35 in factor VIIa affects the association with tissue factor.

Factor VIIa is a vitamin K-dependent enzyme whose gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-containing domain is important for calcium ion-dependent binding to the cofactor tissue factor and membrane surfaces. This domain contains 10 Gla residues, the individual roles and importance of which are not known. Comparisons with the homologous protein C, factor IX and prothrombin may provide functional information on the first nine Gla residues, whereas no data can be extrapolated to Gla-35 in factor VIIa. Therefore, the effects of posttranslational gamma-carboxylation and site-directed mutagenesis of Glu-35 were investigated. Mutations to Asp, Gln or Val all lead to a lower affinity for tissue factor by decreasing the rate of association, in the case of the Val mutant by a factor of 200, as measured by surface plasmon resonance. In contrast, Glu or Gla side chains at position 35 appear to fulfil the functional roles equally well.

Human endothelial cells contain one type of plasminogen activator.

At least two types of animal plasminogen activating enzymes exist, differing in amino acid sequence, molecular mass and immunological reactivity: the urokinase-type and the tissue-type plasminogen activators. By affinity chromatography with monoclonal antibodies, we have purified the human activators of both types to homogeneity. Using immunocytochemistry with rabbit antibodies raised against these preparations, we now demonstrate that the plasminogen activator present in endothelium of veins and other blood vessels is of the tissue-type. No urokinase-type plasminogen activator immunoreactivity was detected in endothelial cells in the intact organism. These findings support the assumption that mobilization of plasmin for different purposes may involve different types of plasminogen activators, and that the plasminogen activator involved in thrombolysis is of the tissue-type.

Proenzyme to urokinase-type plasminogen activator in the mouse in vivo.

We have investigated whether urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) is present in the mouse in vivo as the proenzyme or as the active enzyme. u-PA in extracts of various murine tissues was of a one-polypeptide chain form with an electrophoretic mobility indistinguishable from purified proenzyme (pro-u-PA), as demonstrated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions followed by immunoblotting. No 2-chain u-PA was detected in any of the extracts (detection limit 10% of that of one-chain u-PA). In bladder urine more than half of the u-PA was of the one-chain form. Together with previous immunocytochemical studies of the normal murine tissues and studies of the Lewis lung carcinoma, the present results indicate that in these tissues the one-chain proenzyme is the predominant form of u-PA in intracellular stores and for the first time demonstrates that at least in some cases the one-chain form constitutes a sizeable fraction of the u-AP in extracellular fluids in the intact organism.

Plasminogen activators catalyse conversion of inhibitor from fibrosarcoma cells to an inactive form with a lower apparent molecular mass.

Purified approximately 54 kDa plasminogen activator inhibitor from human fibrosarcoma cells was converted to an inactive form with slightly higher electrophoretic mobility by incubation with catalytic amounts of urokinase-type or tissue-type plasminogen activator. Serine proteinase inhibitors and a monoclonal antibody against urokinase-type plasminogen activator inhibited the conversion, indicating that it was caused by plasminogen activator-catalyzed proteolysis. These findings represent the first demonstration of a well-defined protein apart from plasminogen, constituting a substrate for plasminogen activators.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1: reactive center and amino-terminal heterogeneity determined by protein and cDNA sequencing.

Both the urokinase-type and tissue-type plasminogen activator can convert their approximately 54 kDa type-1 inhibitor (PAI-1) to an inactive form with a lower apparent molecular mass. We have determined the amino-terminal amino acid sequences of human native and converted PAI-1, and isolated PAI-1 cDNA and determined the nucleotide sequence in regions corresponding to the amino-terminus and the cleavage site. The data show that the conversion of the inhibitor consists of cleavage of an Arg-Met bond 33 residues from the carboxy-terminus, thus localizing the reactive center of the inhibitor to that position. In addition, a heterogeneity was found at the amino-terminus, with a Ser-Ala-Val-His-His form and a two-residue shorter form (Val-His-His-) occurring in approximately equal quantities.

Measurement of neutrophil and eosinophil adhesion to E-selectin, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 by the use of transfected fibroblast cell lines.

A method which enables the specific measurement of neutrophil and eosinophil adhesion to the endothelial cell adherence receptors E-selectin, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 has been developed. The method is based on continuous cultures of cell lines of transfected hamster kidney fibroblasts (BHK-21), that selectively express each of the endothelial cell adhesions molecules. Isolated granulocytes are added to the cultured adherent fibroblasts at a ratio of 20:1 and the cells are coincubated for 60 min at 37 degrees C. After removal of the nonadherent granulocytes the amount of adherent granulocytes could be measured by addition of detergent and a peroxidase substrate. Selective measurement of neutrophil and eosinophil adhesion was accomplished by addition of detergent to the adherent cells, collection of extracts followed by measurement of the concentration of an eosinophil (eosinophil cationic protein) and a neutrophil (myeloperoxidase) granule protein, respectively, in the extracts. At basal conditions neutrophils and eosinophils showed significant adhesion to E-selectin and eosinophils a low degree of adhesion to VCAM-1. Significant adhesion of neutrophils and eosinophils to ICAM-1 and of eosinophils to VCAM-1 was selectively induced by addition of manganese ions (Mn2+) at a concentration of 0.5 mmol/l. Neutrophils demonstrated a significantly higher adhesion to E-selectin than eosinophils, while eosinophil adhesion to ICAM-I was significantly higher than that of neutrophils. In conclusion, a method to compare the adhesive capacity of neutrophil and eosinophil granulocytes towards specific endothelial cell adhesion molecules has been developed.

Plasminogen activating enzyme in cultured glioblastoma cells. An immunofluorescence study with monoclonal antibody.

A monoclonal antibody against a 52,000 dalton human plasminogen activating enzyme (HPA52) was used for immunofluorescence staining of cultured glioblastoma cells. The fluorescence was located in the cytoplasm of the cells. A pronounced variation in the staining intensity was observed between the individual cells. The specificity of the fluorescent stain was supported by the findings that 1) no staining was obtained with a monoclonal antibody of the same subclass, but with irrelevant specificity (anti-2,4,6-trinitrophenyl); 2) adsorption with HPA52 purified to homogeneity removed the ability of anti-HPA52 to mediate staining; 3) the glioblastoma cells contained HPA52, as measured by enzymatic assay, while melanoma cells that were not stained did not contain HPA52 activity; 4) dexamethasone reduced both the enzymatically determined HPA52 content and the immunofluorescence in parallel, while progesterone affected none of these parameters; 5) we have previously found that culture fluid conditioned by the glioblastoma cells apart from HPA52 does not contain detectable amounts of any protein that binds to anti-HPA52. Several advantages of immunohistochemical detection of plasminogen activators compared with enzyme histochemical methods are discussed, among these that the immunohistochemical method distinguishes between plasminogen activators of different types.

Monoclonal antibodies to human 54,000 molecular weight plasminogen activator inhibitor from fibrosarcoma cells--inhibitor neutralization and one-step affinity purification.

Mouse monoclonal antibodies were derived against a plasminogen activator inhibitor with a mol. wt. of approximately 54,000 (54 K) from the human fibrosarcoma cell line HT-1080. Screening for hybrids producing antibodies directed against the inhibitor was performed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by immunoblotting. Four clones of hybridomas producing IgG1 antibodies were further characterized. The inhibitor was purified approximately 50-fold to homogeneity from conditioned cell culture fluid with a yield of approximately 85% by a one-step procedure using Sepharose-conjugated monoclonal antibody. In the 125I-fibrin plate assay one of the antibodies neutralized the effect of the inhibitor on urokinase-type plasminogen activator. Two of the antibodies bound complexes between urokinase-type plasminogen activator and inhibitor while the remaining two antibodies did not. The antibodies could be used for immunocytochemical localization of the inhibitor in HT-1080 cells. All four antibodies cross-reacted with a plasminogen activator inhibitor derived from cultured human umbilical cord endothelial cells.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1: cell-specific and differentiation-induced expression and regulation in human cell lines, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

We have performed a comparative study of the regulation by glucocorticoids and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) of the production of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) by 12 human cell lines. A sandwich-type enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for PAI-1 that measures free PAI-1 as well as complexes between PAI-1 and both types of plasminogen activators has been used. Basal PAI-1 accumulation varied more than 5000-fold between the cell lines. No correlation was found between the PAI-1 level and other characteristics of the cell lines, except that three lines of SV40-transformed fibroblasts produced more PAI-1 than two non-transformed fibroblast cell lines. Three out of the 12 cell lines responded to glucocorticoids by an increased PAI-1 production. Four cell lines responded to PMA by an increased PAI-1 production. In addition, PMA-induced differentiation of the monocyte cell line U937 and the promyelocytic cell line HL-60 into macrophage-like cells was found to be correlated with an up to 100-fold increase in PAI-1 accumulation. The PMA-dependent differentiation of HL-60 cells led to acquisition of glucocorticoid inducibility of PAI-1. These findings provide information for future studies of the molecular mechanism of cell-specific expression and regulation of PAI-1.

Hormonal regulation of extracellular plasminogen activators and Mr approximately 54,000 plasminogen activator inhibitor in human neoplastic cell lines, studied with monoclonal antibodies.

We have studied the regulation by glucocorticoids and dibutyryl cAMP of the amounts of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and a Mr approximately 54000 plasminogen activator inhibitor accumulated in serum-free conditioned culture fluid by a human fibrosarcoma, a human glioblastoma and a human melanoma cell line (HT-1080, UCT/gl-1 and Bowes). For the quantitation of u-PA and t-PA, we used sandwich-type ELISA with a combination of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. For an estimation of variations in the amount of the inhibitor, we used sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by Coomassie blue staining of conditioned culture fluid proteins, the inhibitor protein band being identified by its selective removal by passage of the conditioned culture fluids through a column with monoclonal antibodies against the inhibitor. The modulation of the 3 proteins by the hormonal agents varied greatly between the cell lines. The proteins were independently regulated, in the sense that the hormonal agents did not concomitantly change their levels in the direction expected either to increase or decrease total extracellular plasminogen activator activity. In conditioned culture fluids containing both t-PA and inhibitor, the two were present in the medium as a Mr approximately 120 000 complex. In contrast, no u-PA inhibitor complexes were found in conditioned culture fluid from any of the cell lines; this is likely to be due to the occurrence of u-PA in the culture fluid in the one-chain proenzyme form, which, unlike active u-PA, does not react with the inhibitor. These findings illustrate the complexity of the regulation of extracellular plasminogen activator activity, and imply that the presumed functional diversity of u-PA and t-PA may be related to their independent regulation.