Biomedical subjects

C A Conover

Publications and source records attributed to C A Conover.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 expression in cultured human bone cells: regulation by insulin and glucocorticoid.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their specific regulatory binding proteins (IGFBPs) are postulated to play a key role in bone metabolism. To date, IGFBP-2 through -6 have been characterized in bone cell systems. In this study we focused on IGFBP-1. Primary cultures of normal human osteoblasts derived from trabecular bone (hOB cells) expressed low levels of IGFBP-1 messenger RNA (mRNA), as determined by Northern analyses. Treatment of hOB cells with 1 microM cortisol or 100 nM dexamethasone for 20 h stimulated IGFBP-1 mRNA expression 5-fold and increased levels of immunoassayable IGFBP-1 in the conditioned medium 3-fold. Estradiol and progesterone had no effect. IGFBP-1 expression was not observed in U-2, TE-85, or MG-63 human osteosarcoma cell lines or in normal human fibroblasts. Insulin (1-100 nM) potently inhibited both basal and glucocorticoid-stimulated IGFBP-1 expression in hOB cells. Insulin had little or no effect on steady state levels of the other IGFBP mRNA. A monoclonal antibody to the insulin receptor blocked insulin binding to insulin receptors and completely prevented insulin-induced suppression of IGFBP-1. In summary, we have documented IGFBP-1 mRNA and protein expression in normal nontransformed human osteoblastic cells. This expression was stimulated by glucocorticoids and inhibited by insulin in a manner similar to IGFBP-1 regulation in hepatocytes. Insulin acts through insulin receptors on hOB cells. We postulate that IGFBP-1 produced by osteoblasts in vivo can modulate local actions of IGF on bone formation in response to changes in glucocorticoid and insulin concentrations.

Bone and Bones↗

PubMed1996

Regulation and physiological role of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are potent anabolic agents, structurally related to insulin, that can influence growth processes in virtually every system of the body. Unlike insulin, these peptides associate with distinct binding proteins present in serum and other biological fluids as well as in medium conditioned by cultured cells. The IGFs are pleiotropic in activity and near ubiquitous in distribution, making the IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) integral components of IGF physiology that define and coordinate IGF and insulin action at the level of the target cell. Thus, to fully understand and, ultimately, manipulate IGF-directed growth, it is critical to take into account the IGFBPs. Six distinct IGFBPs have been cloned and characterized, and they are postulated to serve specific, but as yet poorly defined, functional roles. Expression of these multiple IGFBP species is under developmental, hormonal, and nutritional control. In addition, IGFBPs can undergo a variety of posttranslational modifications that can have profound effects on IGFBP structure/function, and, hence, IGF action. The significance of IGFBP glycosylation, phosphorylation, proteolysis, and cell-membrane and extracellular matrix association as components of IGF physiology has only begun to be appreciated. In each case identified so far the modified IGFBP acts dramatically different from native or recombinant IGFBP in solution. In this presentation, I will briefly review the IGF/IGFBP system and use data from in vitro models to illustrate the potential power of posttranslational regulation of IGFBP in cellular response to IGFs.

Fibroblasts↗

PubMed1996

Potential mechanism of estrogen-mediated decrease in bone formation: estrogen increases production of inhibitory insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-4.

Using a recently developed human osteoblastic cell line (hFOB/ER9) with high levels (approximately 4,000 per nucleus) of estrogen receptors and the characteristic phenotype of the mature osteoblast, we tested the hypothesis that estrogen decreases bone formation by inhibiting the action of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) paracrine/autocrine system. IGF-II, the predominant IGF produced by osteoblastic cells, was measurable in hFOB/ER9-conditioned medium (approximately 10 ng/mL) and its level did not change significantly after treatment with 17 beta-estradiol (E2) or anti-estrogens. Treatment with E2 at 0.1-100 nM decreased [3H]thymidine uptake to 53% of control (p < 0.001) in a dose-dependent fashion. The predominant IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) produced by hFOB/ER9 and by normal trabecular osteoblasts are IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-4, of which IGFBP-4 is consistently inhibitory of IGF action. Treatment with E2 at 0.01-10 nM for 48 h increased IGFBP-4 mRNA to 346% +/- 90% (mean +/- SE) of control (p < 0.05) and IGFBP-4 protein to 278% +/- 75% of control (p < 0.01) in a dose-dependent fashion but did not alter IGFBP-3 mRNA or protein. E2 treatment also attenuated IGF-dependent, IGFBP-4 specific proteolysis to approximately 50% of control. ICI 182,780, a pure anti-estrogen, completely blocked E2-mediated decreases in cell proliferation and increases in levels of IGFBP-4 mRNA and protein. Treatment of the hFOB/ER9 cells with recombinant human IGFBP-4 (200 ng/mL) decreased cell proliferation to 55% of control (p < 0.01). Thus, E2 acts on osteoblastic cells to increase availability of inhibitory IGFBP-4, by both increasing its production and decreasing its degradation, which may oppose the mitogenic effect of the IGFs on osteoblastic cells. This action may mediate, at least in part, the decreases in bone formation that are observed after estrogen treatment in vivo.

Antibodies↗

PubMed1995

Cleavage analysis of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-dependent IGF-binding protein-4 proteolysis and expression of protease-resistant IGF-binding protein-4 mutants.

Cultured human fibroblasts and osteoblast-like cells secrete an insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-dependent protease that cleaves IGF-binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) into two fragments of approximately 18 and 14 kDa. Edman degradation of the isolated proteins established the amino termini of the reaction products. Sequence analysis of the 14-kDa carboxyl-terminal half of IGFBP-4 suggested cleavage after methionine at position 135 of the mature protein. Four variant IGFBP-4 molecules with single amino acid substitutions around this cleavage site were constructed and expressed. Wild-type and mutant IG-FBPs-4 bound IGF-I and IGF-II with equivalent affinities and, in the intact state, were equally effective inhibitors of IGF-I action. However, the IGFBP-4 mutants were relatively resistant to IGF-dependent proteolysis. A 5-6-h incubation in human fibroblast conditioned medium in the presence of IGF-II was sufficient for near total hydrolysis of wild-type IGFBP-4, whereas the mutant IGFBPs-4 were only minimally affected at this time. After a 24-h incubation with IGF-II, all mutant IGFBPs-4 showed extensive proteolysis, generating 18- and 14-kDa fragments. Pre-exposure of human fibroblasts in serum-free conditioned medium to IGF-II for 5 h potentiated subsequent IGF-I stimulation of DNA synthesis. When added with IGF-II, the protease-resistant mutant IG-FBPs-4, but not wild-type IGFBP-4, suppressed IGF-II enhancement of IGF-I-stimulated DNA synthesis. These biological studies suggest that the IGFBP-4/IGFBP-4 protease system may play a role modulating local cellular response to IGF-I.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Transforming growth factor-beta and forskolin increase all classes of insulin-like growth factor-I transcripts in normal human osteoblast-like cells.

In this study, we examined regulation of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) gene expression and transcript splicing in normal human osteoblast-like cells. Previous studies in rat osteoblastic cells have indicated that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) inhibits IGF-I expression, whereas inducers of intracellular cAMP stimulate IGF-I expression. However, in human osteoblast-like cells both TGF-beta and forskolin increased IGF-I mRNA levels in a time- and dose-dependent manner. All 4 classes of IGF-I transcript that can result from alternate leader exon usage and splicing of the human IGF-I gene were induced proportionally. Although human osteoblasts increase IGF-I mRNA in response to important skeletal regulatory factors, some responses may be species-specific.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Normal human osteoblast-like cells consistently express genes for insulin-like growth factors I and II but transformed human osteoblast cell lines do not.

Insulin-like growth factors I (IGF-I) and II (IGF-II) are anabolic for osteoblastic cells. Although expression of IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA has been demonstrated in rodent osteoblastic cells, little is known about IGF gene expression in human osteoblastic cell models. In this study we characterized IGF-I and -II mRNA expression in (1) normal human osteoblast-like (hOB) cells, (2) a simian virus 40 immortalized hOB (HOBIT) cell line, and (3) human osteosarcoma cell lines SaOS-2, TE-85, MG-63, and U-2. Since cross-hybridization of IGF cDNA probes with ribosomal RNA obscures detection of some of the multiple IGF transcripts in human cells, we replaced Northern analysis with the more specific ribonuclease protection assay (RPA). We also used the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to assess whether mRNAs were present at trace levels. IGF-I mRNA expression was consistently observed in normal hOB cells only and by both RT-PCR and RPA. Among IGF-I transcript variants, Ea IGF-I mRNA was more abundant than the Eb mRNA in normal hOB cells. Trace levels of IGF-I mRNA were variably detected in SaOS-2 and U-2 osteosarcoma cells when RT-PCR was performed, but we found no IGF-I mRNA in HOBIT, TE-85, or MG-63 cells. IGF-II mRNA was expressed in normal hOB, HOBIT, TE-85, and U-2 cells as assessed by either method.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

PubMed1995

Differential effects of glucocorticoids on insulin-like growth factor I action in cultured human fibroblasts.

Glucocorticoids act synergistically with insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) to stimulate DNA synthesis and replication of cultured human fibroblasts. In the present study, we further define glucocorticoid and IGF-I interactive effects on human fibroblast metabolism and growth. IGF-I stimulated dose-dependent increases in early metabolic events. Half-maximal effectiveness was seen at 5-8 ng/ml IGF-I, with mean maximal responses of 1.5-, 2-, and 6-fold for [3H]2-deoxyglucose uptake, [14C]glucose incorporation, and [14C]aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) uptake, respectively. A 48-hour preincubation with 10(-7) M dexamethasone markedly enhanced both the sensitivity and maximal effectiveness of IGF-I stimulation of AIB uptake. In contrast, dexamethasone had no effect on IGF-I-stimulated glucose uptake and utilization. Maximum specific binding of [125I]IGF-I to fibroblast monolayers was identical in ethanol control and glucocorticoid-treated cells, with 50% displacement at approximately 5 ng/ml IGF-I. In addition to its synergism with IGF-I, preincubation with dexamethasone augmented insulin and epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation; dexamethasone had no effect on platelet-derived growth factor or fibroblast growth factor action. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis identified two specific glucocorticoid-induced proteins in human fibroblast cell extracts with molecular weights of 45K and 53K and pIs of 6.8 and 6.3, respectively. These data indicate that IGF-I receptor-mediated actions in human fibroblasts are differentially modulated by glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids are synergistic with IGF-I in stimulating mitogenesis and amino acid uptake, without having any apparent effect on IGF-I-stimulating glucose metabolism. Glucocorticoid enhancement of growth factor bioactivity may involve modulation of a regulatory event in the mitogenic signaling pathway subsequent to cell surface receptor activation.

Aminoisobutyric Acids↗

PubMed1995

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein proteolysis in bone cell models.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) proteases-their identification, regulation, and biological significance-are currently an area of ardent investigation. This has developed from the very recent realization that IGFBP availability and bioactivity is determined not only by gene expression, but also by the controlled proteolytic processing of the protein in the pericellular environment. In each case identified so far, the modified IGFBP acts dramatically different from native or recombinant IGFBP in solution. This post-translational modification of IGFBP structure/function could have widespread significance since IGFBPs modulate the diverse growth-promoting activities of the IGFs. In fact, it may be argued that local IGF action is largely controlled by this mechanism. Therefore, knowledge of the form, function, and control of the various IGFBP proteases is likely to have major implications for our understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of the IGFs.

Cathepsin D↗

PubMed1995

Alterations in insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-dependent IGF-binding protein-4 proteolysis in transformed osteoblastic cells.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) is secreted by a variety of osteoblastic cells and appears to be an integral component of bone cell physiology. We have previously reported that normal human osteoblast-like (hOB) cells secrete IGFBP-4 as well as a novel IGFBP-4 protease, which requires IGF for functional activity. In this study we assessed the IGFBP-4/IGFBP-4 protease system in transformed osteoblastic cells by Western ligand blotting and cell-free IGFBP-4 protease assays. Simian virus-40-immortalized hOB cells (HOBIT), human osteosarcoma cells (TE-85), and rat osteosarcoma cells (UMR 106-01, ROS 17/2.8) secrete IGFBP-4. In contrast to the rapid and dramatic proteolysis in hOB medium, medium conditioned by these cells had no apparent IGFBP-4 protease activity when assayed with exogenous IGF-II in culture or under cell-free conditions. Assayed in the presence of exogenous protease. HOBIT cells, but not the osteosarcoma cell lines, appeared to produce a cycloheximide-sensitive inhibitor of the IGFBP-4 proteolytic reaction. Transient cell transformation induced by incubating human osteoblasts transfected with a temperature-sensitive mutant of simian virus-40 T-antigen at the permissive temperature or by treating hOB cells with phorbol ester tumor promoters also resulted in inhibition of IGF-dependent IGFBP-4 proteolysis. Inhibition was observed if phorbol ester was added to the cultures at the time of medium change or after the protease had been expressed and secreted. Differences in IGFBP-4 proteolysis could not be accounted for by changes in IGFBP-4 messenger RNA expression or substrate levels. These data suggest that transformation is associated with alterations in the IGFBP-4/IGFBP-4 protease system in osteoblastic cells. Normal human osteoblasts secrete an IGF-dependent IGFBP-4 protease. The induction of an inhibitor of the IGF-dependent IGFBP-4 proteolytic reaction may be associated with early transformation processes. Fully tumorigenic bone cells expressed neither IGFBP-4 protease nor protease inhibitor activity.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Effect of glucocorticoid on insulin-like growth factor (IGF) regulation of IGF-binding protein expression in fibroblasts.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding proteins (IGFBPs) can determine IGF biological competence at the cellular level. IGF-I itself has been shown to be an important peptide regulator of local IGFBP availability. Glucocorticoid also has major effects on IGFBP expression. In the present study, we assessed integrated IGF-I and glucocorticoid regulation of IGFBP messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression in two fibroblast model systems. In bovine fibroblasts, IGF-I treatment induced IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 mRNA and protein secretion, and had a moderate effect on IGFBP-4 expression. Dexamethasone had little effect on the IGF-induced increase in IGFBP-3, but completely blocked the increase in IGFBP-5 expression. Basal IGFBP-4 expression was inhibited by dexamethasone, and this effect was counteracted by IGF-I. IGFBP-2 expression did not vary with IGF-I or dexamethasone treatment in these cells; IGFBP-1 mRNA was not detectable, and IGFBP-6 mRNA was low and inconsistent. In human fibroblasts, IGF-I treatment increased levels of IGFBP-3 and decreased levels of IGFBP-4 without influencing mRNA expression. IGF-I also increased steady state levels of IGFBP-5 mRNA. Dexamethasone alone decreased IGFBP-3, IGFBP-4, and IGFBP-5 mRNA, but it had no significant effect on IGFBP-3, -4, or -5 expression in the presence of IGF-I. Human fibroblast IGFBP-6 expression was stable under the different culture conditions; IGFBP-1 and -2 mRNA were not detected. These data demonstrate that IGF peptide and glucocorticoid individually modulate IGFBP expression and indicate that glucocorticoid has distinct effects on IGF regulation of IGFBP depending upon the particular IGFBP and the underlying mechanism of IGF regulation. Bovine fibroblasts may provide a useful model system to probe the molecular mechanisms of IGFBP-3, -4, and -5 gene expression and regulation by IGF-I and glucocorticoid, whereas human fibroblasts may be suitable for studying posttranscriptional interactions.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Regulation of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein-4 availability in normal human osteoblast-like cells: role of endogenous IGFs.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) is an important regulator of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) anabolic activity in bone. Although cultured human osteoblast-like (hOB) cells have been reported to secrete IGFBP-4, we could not detect IGFBP-4 protein in 8 of 27 individual donor-derived hOB-cell conditioned medium (hOB-CM) samples examined by Western ligand blotting. Nonetheless, this subset of hOB cells had normal IGFBP-4 messenger ribonucleic acid expression and protein secretion. Regulation of IGFBP-4 levels in hOB cultures appeared to occur extracellularly. hOB cells produce an IGFBP-4 proteinase that requires the presence of IGF for cleavage of the IGFBP-4 molecule into 2 fragments of approximately 18 and 14 kilodaltons. These fragments are not detected by Western ligand blotting. Our data indicate that elevated endogenous levels of IGF can activate IGFBP-4 proteolysis, because in hOB cultures lacking detectable IGFBP-4 protein 1) basal IGF messenger ribonucleic acid expression was increased; 2) IGF-II peptide levels were elevated; 3) IGF-neutralizing antibodies added to hOB-CM attenuated the proteolysis of exogenous IGFBP-4; and 4) recombinant human IGFBP-4 was proteolyzed into 2 immunoreactive fragments of approximately 18 and 14 kilodaltons during cell-free incubations in these hOB-CM without the addition of exogenous IGF. In conclusion, elevated IGF expression and secretion can contribute to enhanced proteolysis of endogenous and exogenous IGFBP-4 via a proteinase secreted by cultured hOB cells. Levels of endogenous IGF peptide may determine IGFBP-4 availability in the bone microenvironment and, thus, modulate the local cell response to IGF-I.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Endogenous cathepsin D-mediated hydrolysis of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins in cultured human prostatic carcinoma cells.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) seems to play an important role in prostate cell growth and its actions may be modified by IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) secreted by prostate epithelial cells. The IGFBP system was studied in two human prostate carcinoma cell lines, PC3 and LNCaP. Androgen receptor-negative PC3 cells secrete IGFBP-3, IGFBP-4, and IGFBP-5, as determined by immunoprecipitation of the serum-free conditioned medium with specific IGFBP antibodies. Androgen receptor-positive LNCaP cells secrete IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3. At neutral pH, there was little or no effect of a 24-h, 37 C cell-free incubation of PC3 and LNCaP conditioned media on IGFBP. On the other hand, when media was incubated at pH 3 for 24 h, [125I]IGFBP-3 hydrolysis and the virtual elimination of endogenous IGFBP detected by Western ligand blotting were observed. This loss was not due to the acid treatment, per se, since IGFBPs remained intact if the incubation at pH 3 was carried out at 4 C. The acid-activated IGFBP protease in LNCaP and PC3 cell-conditioned media was identified as cathepsin D based on acidic pH optimum and immunoblotting. Furthermore, immunoadsorption of cathepsin D from the media attenuated the acid-activated IGFBP hydrolysis [125I]IGF-I binding to prostate cancer cells was reduced in the presence of LNCaP conditioned media that had been incubated at neutral pH for 24 h (i.e. containing intact IGFBP) but not by acid-incubated conditioned media (i.e. cathepsin D-mediated hydrolyzed IGFBP). These data indicate that prostate carcinoma cells secrete specific IGFBPs, as well as a general IGFBP protease, cathepsin D. In the proper environment, cathepsin D is capable of hydrolyzing all endogenous IGFBP and, thus, modifying IGF-I action in prostatic cells.

Carrier Proteins↗

PubMed1994

Acid-activated insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 proteolysis in normal and transformed cells. Role of cathepsin D.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IG-FBP-3) is an important member of a family of proteins which binds IGF peptides and modulates their biological actions. In this study, we describe an acid-activated IGFBP-3 protease in media derived from a variety of human cell lines. Radiolabeled IGFBP-3 remained intact during incubation (pH 5.5-8) in media conditioned by normal and transformed human fibroblasts, MG-63 osteoblastic cells, and breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and Hs578T. However, acidification of the conditioned medium samples (pH < 5.5) resulted in 125I-IGFBP-3 hydrolysis and the appearance of specific radiolabeled fragments. No proteolysis of 125I-IGFBP-3 occurred during incubation in unconditioned medium at neutral or acid pH. Estrogen treatment of estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 cells enhanced acid-activatable IGFBP-3 proteolysis in the cell-conditioned medium but had no effect on proteolytic activity in estrogen receptor-negative Hs578T cells. The cell-derived IGFBP-3 protease was identified as the aspartic proteinase cathepsin D, based on acidic pH optimum, inhibition by pepstatin, distinctive proteolytic fragment pattern, and immunoreactivity with cathepsin D antisera. Furthermore, immuno-depletion of cathepsin D effectively attenuated acid-activated IGFBP-3 proteolysis. These data suggest a role for cathepsin D in the regulation of cellular IGF action by virtue of its potential to alter the structure/function of IGFBP-3.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Regulation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4 by a specific insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4 proteinase in normal human osteoblast-like cells: implications in bone cell physiology.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4 (IGFBP-4) is secreted by normal human osteoblast-like cells (hOB) and is a potent inhibitor of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) action in vitro. In previous studies, IGF treatment of hOB in culture led to markedly reduced medium levels of IGFBP-4 as detected by western ligand blotting. In the present study, incubation of hOB-conditioned medium (hOB-CM) with IGF under cell-free conditions resulted in a similar loss of IGFBP-4. Both IGF-I and IGF-II were capable of inducing a decrease in IGFBP-4; however, IGF-II was more effective. When the six characterized IGFBP were added to hOB-CM, only IGFBP-4 disappeared in response to IGF-II addition. This IGF-regulated loss of IGFBP-4 was inhibited by metalloproteinase inhibitors and appeared to be due to a proteinase that cleaved IGFBP-4 in 18 and 14 kD fragments identified by western immunoblotting. Conditioned media from eight of eight different donor hOB lines tested exhibited IGFBP-4 proteinase activity. To assess the biologic consequences of IGF-II-induced IGFBP-4 proteolysis, we treated hOB with IGF-II for 5 h, which decreased medium IGF-BP-4 by 70%, and then measured IGF-I and insulin stimulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation. IGF-II itself was not mitogenic and had no effect on insulin-stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation. However, pretreatment of cultured hOB with IGF-II enhanced IGF-I-stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation threefold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Glucocorticoid regulation of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein expression in normal human osteoblast-like cells.

Glucocorticoid (GC) modulates insulin-like growth factor (IGF) action in bone through mechanisms that are complex and not well understood. Because the family of IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP-1 through -6) is important in the regulation of IGF availability and bioactivity, we examined the effect of GC on IGFBP expression in normal human osteoblast-like (hOB) cells. As assessed by Western ligand blot, hOB cells release IGFBP-3, IGFBP-4, and a 31-kilodalton IGFBP, which appeared to be IGFBP-5. Northern analysis revealed that hOB cells express abundant IGFBP-3, IGFBP-4, IGFBP-5, and IGFBP-6 mRNA, with barely detectable IGFBP-1 mRNA. GC treatment resulted in time- and dose-dependent decreases in IGFBP-3, IGFBP-4, and 31-kilodalton IGFBP levels in culture medium, with corresponding decreases in IGFBP-3, IGFBP-4, and IGFBP-5 mRNA levels. In addition, GC treatment increased steady state levels of IGFBP-1 mRNA and did not alter IGFBP-6 mRNA levels. Although hOB cells secrete an acid-activated IGFBP-3 protease and an IGF-dependent IGFBP-4 protease, GC had little effect on these protease activities and did not alter degradation of the secreted IGFBPs. Our results indicate that GC has dramatic effects on IGFBP gene expression and suggest that differential regulation of IGFBPs by GC may modulate hOB cell responsiveness to IGFs.

Carrier Proteins↗

PubMed1994

Insulin-like growth factor-II enhancement of human fibroblast growth via a nonreceptor-mediated mechanism.

Deciphering the complex interactions of the various components of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system [IGF-I and -II peptides, type I and II IGF receptors, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs)] is important for our understanding of cell growth regulation. We report here that IGF-II can enhance IGF-I-stimulated cell proliferation independent of direct IGF-II interaction with type I or II IGF receptors. Human fibroblasts cultured in serum-free medium for 40 h were relatively resistant to the mitogenic effects of added IGF-I. However, preexposure of the cultures to low concentrations of IGF-II enhanced IGF-I action several-fold. IGF-II by itself had no stimulatory effect and did not influence [Gln3,Ala4,Tyr15,Leu16]IGF-I or insulin-stimulated DNA synthesis. IGF-II did not directly interact with type I IGF receptors, as [Leu27]IGF-II, an IGF-II analog that does not bind type I IGF receptors, could mimic IGF-II's potentiating effect. Type II IGF receptors also were not involved because 1) [Gln6,Ala7,Tyr18,Leu19,Leu27]IGF-II, an analog with normal receptor binding, had no effect; and 2) beta-galactosidase, a competitive inhibitor of IGF-II receptor binding, did not influence IGF-II potentiation of IGF-I action. Enhanced cell responsiveness to IGF-I appears to be due to IGF-II-induced changes in pericellular IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-4. These data support the hypothesis that IGF-II can potentiate the action of IGF-I by disrupting the IGFBP barrier at the cell surface, thereby increasing IGF-I availability for type I IGF receptor interaction.

Cell Division↗

PubMed1994

The insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4)-IGFBP-4 protease system in normal human osteoblast-like cells: regulation by transforming growth factor-beta.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) is secreted by normal human osteoblast-like (hOB) cells and acts as a potent inhibitor of IGF action. hOB cells also secrete a protease, which requires IGFs for activation and specifically cleaves IGFBP-4. To study the regulation of this IGFBP-4 protease, hOB cells from 26 different adult donors were cultured in serum-free medium for 24 h in the absence or presence of hormones and other factors known to regulate bone growth. hOB cell-conditioned medium (hOB-CM) was collected for measurement of IGFBP-4 protease activity in a cell-free assay. This assay involved incubation of hOB-CM (50 microL) without or with IGF-II at 37 C for 6 h. IGF-II-activated IGFBP-4 hydrolysis was assessed by Western ligand blotting and quantitated using laser densitometry. Conditioned medium from all hOB cells examined exhibited IGFBP-4 protease activity. PTH, GH, insulin, calcitonin, glucocorticoids, sex steroids, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and epidermal growth factor had no significant effect on IGF-dependent IGFBP-4 protease activity. In comparison, hOB-CM from cells treated with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) exhibited significantly augmented IGF-II-dependent proteolysis of endogenous IGFBP-4. Enhanced proteolysis of exogenous IGFBP-4 was also demonstrated: 1) 92% of recombinant human IGFBP-4 added to conditioned medium from TGF beta-treated hOB cells was hydrolyzed during the assay in the presence of IGF-II compared to 45% of recombinant human IGFBP-4 added to control hOB-CM; and 2) increased radiolabeled IGFBP-4 fragments were generated in conditioned medium from TGF beta-treated hOB cells compared with control hOB-CM in the presence of IGF-II. In addition to its effect on IGFBP-4 proteolysis, TGF beta treatment decreased IGFBP-4 messenger ribonucleic acid expression, as measured by Northern analysis. Our results indicate that the IGFBP-4-IGFBP-4 protease system in hOB cells can be controlled by two of the most abundant local growth factors for bone (IGF-II and TGF beta), with each acting via different mechanisms. Regulation of IGFBP-4 availability may play an important role in the modulation of bone cell responsiveness to IGFs.

Blotting, Western↗

PubMed1994

Physiological concentrations of insulin induce cellular desensitization to the mitogenic effects of insulin-like growth factor I.

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) are structurally related peptides capable of stimulating a variety of metabolic and mitogenic processes. In this study, we investigated the interaction between these peptides and their receptor-mediated pathways in an untransformed cell line. Cultured bovine fibroblasts specifically bound IGF-I and insulin, and each peptide could stimulate DNA synthesis and cell replication through its own receptor. Preincubation of bovine fibroblasts with concentrations of insulin that did not bind to the IGF-I receptor resulted in complete but reversible cellular desensitization to IGF-I-stimulated mitogenesis. Preincubation with as little as 0.1 nM insulin was sufficient to inhibit subsequent IGF-I action. Various insulin analogs produced desensitization in direct relation to the affinity of the insulin for the insulin receptor. Desensitization required > 4 h of cell exposure to insulin and was blocked in the presence of cycloheximide. Neither serum-stimulated mitogenesis nor IGF-I-stimulated glucose uptake were affected by insulin pretreatment. 125I-labeled IGF-I affinity cross-linking experiments indicated that preincubation with insulin did not affect labeling of the 130,000-M(r) alpha-subunit of the IGF-I receptor, but was associated with the loss of IGF-I- and insulin-inhibitive bands at M(r) = 100,000, 85,000, 58,000, and 34,000. These studies suggest that insulin, via interaction with insulin receptors on bovine fibroblasts, regulates IGF-I action at a step distal to IGF-I receptor binding and are consistent with desensitization occurring at an intracellular step in the mitogenic pathway shared by insulin and IGF-I.

Animals↗