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Biomedical subjects

R Derynck

Publications and source records attributed to R Derynck.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Chromosomal mapping of genes for transforming growth factors beta 2 and beta 3 in man and mouse: dispersion of TGF-beta gene family.

Human cDNA probes for two new types of transforming growth factor-beta, TGF-beta 2 and TGF-beta 3, were used for mapping their cognate genes on human and mouse chromosomes by Southern blot analysis of somatic cell hybrid lines and, for the human loci, also by in situ chromosomal hybridization. For TGF-beta 2, a single site was found on the long arm of human chromosome 1, band 1q41, and on mouse chromosome 1, most likely in the known conserved syntenic region. For TGF-beta 3, the major site of hybridization, both on Southern filters and direct chromosome preparations, was at 14q24 in humans. This region is homologous in part to mouse chromosome 12, to which the murine beta 3 locus was mapped. These results indicate a wide dispersion of the TGF-beta gene family, with genes for TGF-beta 1 previously mapped by us to human chromosome 19q and mouse chromosome 7 and for inhibins alpha, beta B and beta A to human chromosomes 2q33-qter, 2cen-q13 and 7p15-p13, respectively.

Animals↗

Inhibition of parathyroid hormone-responsive adenylate cyclase in clonal osteoblast-like cells by transforming growth factor alpha and epidermal growth factor.

The effects of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on parathyroid hormone (PTH)-responsive adenylate cyclase were examined in clonal rat osteosarcoma cells (UMR-106) with the osteoblast phenotype. Recombinant TFG-alpha and EGF incubated with UMR-106 cells for 48 h each produced concentration-dependent inhibition of PTH-responsive adenylate cyclase, with maximal inhibition of 38-44% at 1-3 ng/ml of either growth factor. TGF-alpha and EGF also inhibited beta-adrenergic agonist (isoproterenol)-stimulated adenylate cyclase by 32%, but neither growth factor affected enzyme response to prostaglandin or basal (unstimulated) activity. Nonreceptor-mediated activation of adenylate cyclase by forskolin and cholera toxin was inhibited 18-20% by TGF-alpha and EGF. Pertussis toxin augmented PTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase, suggesting modulation of PTH response by a functional inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory component of the enzyme. However, pertussis toxin had no effect on TGF-alpha inhibition of PTH response. Growth factor inhibition of PTH response was time-dependent, with maximal inhibition by 4-12 h of TGF-alpha exposure, and was reduced by prior treatment of UMR-106 cells with cycloheximide. TGF-alpha was not mitogenic for UMR-106 cells. The results indicate that TGF-alpha and EGF selectively impair PTH- and beta-adrenergic agonist-responsive adenylate cyclase of osteoblast-like cells. Growth factor inhibition of adenylate cyclase may be exerted at the receptor for stimulatory agonist and at nonreceptor components excluding pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins. The inhibitory action of growth factors may also require protein synthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗

Evidence that transforming growth factor-beta is a hormonally regulated negative growth factor in human breast cancer cells.

The hormone-dependent human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 secretes transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), which can be detected in the culture medium in a biologically active form. These polypeptides compete with human platelet-derived TGF-beta for binding to its receptor, are biologically active in TGF-beta-specific growth assays, and are recognized and inactivated by TGF-beta-specific antibodies. Secretion of active TGF-beta is induced 8 to 27-fold under treatment of MCF-7 cells with growth inhibitory concentrations of antiestrogens. Antiestrogen-induced TGF-beta from MCF-7 cells inhibits the growth of an estrogen receptor-negative human breast cancer cell line in coculture experiments; growth inhibition is reversed with anti-TGF-beta antibodies. We conclude that in MCF-7 cells, TGF-beta is a hormonally regulated growth inhibitor with possible autocrine and paracrine functions in breast cancer cells.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Different transforming growth factor-alpha species are derived from a glycosylated and palmitoylated transmembrane precursor.

cDNA analysis has revealed that the 50 amino acid transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is derived from a 160 amino acid precursor. Antibodies to TGF-alpha and to a C-terminal portion of the precursor were used to study the biosynthesis and processing of the precursor. CHO cells transfected with a TGF-alpha expression vector secrete high levels of TGF-alpha; a mixture of species of about 18 kd is secreted in addition to the 50 amino acid form. These larger species are N-glycosylated and are derived from the same precursor as the smaller form. The C-terminal segment of the precursor remains anchored in the membrane and has covalently attached palmitate. The newly synthesized TGF-alpha precursor is thus a transmembrane protein that subsequently undergoes external proteolytic cleavages, releasing several TGF-alpha species.

Animals↗

Synthesis of messenger RNAs for transforming growth factors alpha and beta and the epidermal growth factor receptor by human tumors.

Human tumors and tumor cell lines were analyzed for the presence of mRNA coding for transforming growth factors alpha and beta (TGF-alpha and -beta) and the epidermal growth factor receptor. TGF-alpha mRNA was not detectable in hematopoietic tumor cell lines but was found in a variety of solid tumor cells, particularly carcinomas. Many of the tumors that contained TGF-alpha mRNA also expressed high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor mRNA. The concentration of TGF-alpha in the media of several tumor cell lines did not necessarily correlate with TGF-alpha mRNA levels, as a substantial fraction of TGF-alpha can remain cell associated. The levels of TGF-beta mRNA in tumor cell lines and tumor specimens were variable, but higher in tumors than in the adjacent normal tissues.

Cell Line↗

Loss of growth responsiveness to epidermal growth factor and enhanced production of alpha-transforming growth factors in ras-transformed mouse mammary epithelial cells.

A mouse mammary epithelial cell line, NMuMG, exhibits a low capacity to grow in semisolid medium as colonies and it is not tumorigenic in nude mice. In contrast, NMuMG cells which have been transformed by an activated c-Harvey ras proto-oncogene, NMuMG/rasH, or by the polyoma middle T-transforming gene, NMuMG/pyt, are able to grow in soft agar and, when injected into nude mice, produce undifferentiated carcinomas. Human epidermal growth factor (EGF) or human alpha-transforming growth factor (alpha TGF) can stimulate, in a dose-dependent fashion, the anchorage-independent growth of NMuMG and NMuMG/pyt cells in soft agar but fail to enhance the anchorage-independent growth of the NMuMGrasH cells. Likewise, human EGF or human alpha TGF is also able to stimulate the anchorage-dependent growth of normal NMuMG cells and NMuMG/pyt cells in a serum-free medium supplemented with insulin, transferrin, fetuin, and laminin, or in medium containing low concentrations of serum, whereas these same growth factors under comparable culture conditions have little or no effect upon the anchorage-dependent growth of the ras-transformed NMuMG-rasH cells. The biological refractoriness of the NMuMG/rasH cells to human EGF or human alpha TGF is reflected by a reduction in the total number of cell surface receptors for EGF and by an absence of a high-affinity population of binding sites for mouse [125l]EGF on these cells as compared to the NMuMG or NMuMG/pyt cells. In addition, concentrated conditioned medium (CM) obtained from NMuMG/rasH and NMuMG/pyt cells contains a relatively higher amount of biologically active TGFs than CM obtained from comparably treated NMuMG cells as measured by the ability to induce the anchorage-independent growth of normal rat kidney cells in soft agar. The higher levels of biologically active TGFs found in the CM from the transformed cells relative to the NMuMG cells is paralleled by a corresponding increase in the CM from these cells in the amount of immunoreactive alpha TGF, by an increase in the amount of EGF receptor-competing activity, and by an increase in the levels of alpha TGF mRNA in the NMuMG/rasH cells. These results demonstrate that mammary epithelial cells which have been transformed by an activated ras proto-oncogene, but not by the polyoma middle T-transforming gene, become unresponsive to exogenous EGF or alpha TGF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

The human transforming growth factor type alpha coding sequence is not a direct-acting oncogene when overexpressed in NIH 3T3 cells.

A peptide secreted by some tumor cells in vitro imparts anchorage-independent growth to normal rat kidney (NRK) cells and has been termed transforming growth factor type alpha (TGF-alpha). To directly investigate the transforming properties of this factor, the human sequence coding for TGF-alpha was placed under the control of either a metallothionein promoter or a retroviral long terminal repeat. These constructs failed to induce morphological transformation upon transfection of NIH 3T3 cells, whereas viral oncogenes encoding a truncated form of its cognate receptor, the EGF receptor, or another growth factor, sis/platelet-derived growth factor 2, efficiently induced transformed foci. When NIH 3T3 clonal sublines were selected by transfection of TGF-alpha expression vectors in the presence of a dominant selectable marker, they were shown to secrete large amounts of TGF-alpha into the medium, to have downregulated EGF receptors, and to be inhibited in growth by TGF-alpha monoclonal antibody. These results indicated that secreted TGF-alpha interacts with its receptor at a cell surface location. Single cell-derived TGF-alpha-expressing sublines grew to high saturation density in culture. However, when plated as single cells on contact-inhibited monolayers of NIH 3T3 cells, they failed to form colonies, whereas v-sis- and v-erbB-transfected cells formed transformed colonies under the same conditions. Moreover, TGF-alpha-expressing sublines were not tumorigenic in nude mice. These and other results imply that TGF-alpha exerts a growth-promoting effect on the entire NIH 3T3 cell population after secretion into the medium but little, if any, effect on the individual cell synthesizing this factor. It is concluded that the normal coding sequence for TGF-alpha is not a direct-acting oncogene when overexpressed in NIH 3T3 cells.

Base Sequence↗

Production of transforming growth factor alpha in human pancreatic cancer cells: evidence for a superagonist autocrine cycle.

Previous work showed that cultured human pancreatic cancer cells overexpress the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. In the present study, we sought to determine whether some of these cell lines produce transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha). Utilizing a radiolabeled TGF-alpha cDNA in hybridization experiments, we determined that ASPC-1, T3M4, PANC-1, COLO-357, and MIA PaCa-2 cell lines expressed TGF-alpha mRNA. Serum-free medium conditioned by T3M4 and ASPC-1 cells contained significant amounts of TGF-alpha protein. Although unlabeled TGF-alpha readily competed with 125I-labeled EGF for binding, each cell line exhibited lower surface binding and internalization of 125I-labeled TGF-alpha as compared to 125I-labeled EGF. Both TGF-alpha and EGF significantly enhanced the anchorage-independent growth of PANC-1, T3M4, and ASPC-1 cells. However, TGF-alpha was 10- to 100-fold more potent than EGF. These findings suggest that the concomitant overexpression of EGF receptors and production of TGF-alpha may represent an efficient mechanism for certain cancer cells to obtain a growth advantage.

Cell Division↗

Expression of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) in differentiated rat mammary tumors: estrogen induction of TGF alpha production.

Primary well-differentiated dimethylbenzene alpha-anthracene (DMBA)-or nitrosomethylurea (NMU)-induced rat mammary adenocarcinomas that are estrogen dependent possess biologically active and immunoreactive transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), which can be detected in a sort agar growth-promoting assay and by a specific liquid-phase competitive RIA, respectively. In contrast, tissue extracts prepared from transplantable undifferentiated DMBA-I and NMU-II rat mammary carcinomas that are estrogen independent and metastatic exhibit low or undetectable levels of TGF alpha. In addition, the primary DMBA- and NMU-induced rat mammary adenocarcinomas express a specific 4.8-kilobase TGF alpha mRNA species, whereas little or no TGF alpha mRNA can be detected in the transplantable DMBA-I and NMU-II tumors. Primary tumors synthesize type IV basement membrane collagen, whereas the transplantable tumors elaborate very little type IV collagen. Either TGF alpha or estrogens can differentially enhance the synthesis of type IV collagen by 0.5- to 4-fold over total protein synthesis in primary cultures of normal mouse mammary epithelial cells or in primary NMU-induced tumor cells, respectively. Therefore, TGF alpha could function as an estrogen-inducible autocrine growth factor for well differentiated rat mammary tumor cells by its ability to selectively regulate type IV collagen synthesis. Estrogens can modulate TGF alpha production in vivo in primary DMBA-induced rat mammary tumors, because ovariectomy results in a rapid decline (within 6 h) of TGF alpha mRNA levels. This response to estrogens can also be observed in vitro. Primary DMBA- or NMU-induced rat mammary tumor cells cultured in the presence of 17 beta-estradiol (10(-8) M) for 4 days show an increase in the level of TGF alpha mRNA over cells not treated with estrogen. This increase in TGF alpha mRNA is paralleled by a 2- to 3-fold increase in the levels of immunoreactive TGF alpha that can be detected and in the conditioned medium from estrogen-treated cells. These results suggest that TGF alpha may be an adjunct marker for those mammary tumors that are well differentiated adenocarcinomas and estrogen dependent and that estrogen-independent tumors do not constitutively produce TGF alpha or express TGF alpha mRNA.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Distinct vascular actions of epidermal growth factor-urogastrone and transforming growth factor-alpha.

We compared the effects of epidermal growth factor-urogastrone (EGF-URO) with those of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) on regional blood flow in the anesthetized dog in vivo, and on isolated canine helical coronary artery strips in vitro. Like EGF-URO, TGF-alpha was a potent stimulator of femoral arterial blood flow in vivo; and, when added to the tissue bath in vitro before an agonist, TGF-alpha like EGF-URO was a potent inhibitor of the contractile responses of helical coronary arterial strips to various smooth muscle agonists: norepinephrine (NE), prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF alpha) and potassium chloride (KCl). Nonetheless, there were marked differences between EGF-URO and TGF-alpha in terms of the two biological responses measured. In terms of blood flow, although the ED50 for the increase in blood flow was similar for EGF-URO and TGF-alpha (ED50 = 0.4 micrograms EGF-URO equivalents per dose), the maximum responsiveness to TGF-alpha (130% increase in flow) was substantially greater than the maximum response to EGF-URO (70% increase in flow). Furthermore, TGF-alpha did not cause tachyphylaxis to subsequent doses of TGF-alpha, whereas a prior dose of either EGF-URO or TGF-alpha desensitized markedly the blood flow preparations to EGF-URO. Different desensitization patterns for the actions of EGF-URO and TGF-alpha also were observed in the arterial strip preparations. The inhibitory action of EGF-URO for agonist (NE, PGF2 alpha or KCl)-mediated contraction was diminished with repeated exposure of the tissue to EGF-URO, whereas the inhibitory action of TGF-alpha persisted with repetitive tissue exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetylcholine↗

Structural analysis of the sequence coding for an inducible 26-kDa protein in human fibroblasts.

When human fibroblast cells were stimulated with poly(I) X poly(C) in the presence of cycloheximide for the production of interferon-beta (IFN-beta), a 26-kDa protein could be immunoprecipitated by antiserum raised against partially purified human IFN-beta [Content, J., De Wit, L., Pierard, D., Derynck, R., De Clercq, E. & Fiers, W. (1982) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 79, 2768-2772]. In our hands this 26-kDa protein showed no antiviral activity. Other investigators have, however, reported the presence in the same conditions of a second type of IFN, a so-called beta 2 species [Weissenbach, J., Chernajovsky, Y., Zeevi, M., Shulman, L., Soreq, H., Nir, U., Wallach, D., Perricaudet, M., Tiollais, P. & Revel, M. (1980) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 77, 7152-7156] of which the mRNA structure and protein characteristics strongly suggests identity with the 26-kDa product. In this paper we describe the nucleotide sequence of the 26-kDa cDNA and part of the corresponding genomic clone. The cDNA clones were isolated from a library made with mRNA from induced human fibroblasts. As, however, the information thus obtained was still incomplete, genomic clones were isolated from a total human DNA library. In this way, the entire region coding for the 26-kDa protein was established, as well as the neighbouring sequences including the inducible promoter area. From the deduced polypeptide sequence a number of characteristics of the 26-kDa protein can be explained. It turns out that the 26-kDa protein gene and the so-called 'IFN-beta 2' gene are identical. However, extensive homology searches indicate that the 26-kDa protein does not show statistically significant sequence homology with any known interferon species. Hence, the question of whether the 26-kDa product represents a novel IFN species remains open.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression in rat fibroblasts of a human transforming growth factor-alpha cDNA results in transformation.

Acquisition of the ability to produce and respond to a growth factor may result in increased cellular proliferation and could lead to malignant transformation. The fact that a large variety of tumor cells secrete transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) suggests involvement of TGF-alpha in cellular transformation and provides supporting evidence for the autocrine stimulation model. In order to determine directly the role of TGF-alpha in tumorigenicity, we introduced a human TGF-alpha cDNA expression vector into established nontransformed Fischer rat fibroblast (Rat-1) cells. Synthesis and secretion of human TGF-alpha by these cells results in the loss of anchorage-dependent growth and induces tumor formation in nude mice. Anti-human TGF-alpha monoclonal antibodies prevent TGF-alpha expressing Rat-1 cells from forming colonies in soft agar.

Animals↗

Transforming growth factor-alpha: a more potent angiogenic mediator than epidermal growth factor.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are structurally related peptides. Purified human TGF-alpha produced in Escherichia coli and pure natural mouse EGF were compared for their ability to bind to target cells in vitro and to promote angiogenesis in the hamster cheek pouch bioassay. Both polypeptides were found to bind in vitro to several target cells, including endothelial cells, and to stimulate their DNA synthesis in an equipotent fashion. In vivo, however, TGF-alpha was more potent than EGF in promoting angiogenesis and, because TGF-alpha is known to be secreted by a variety of human tumors, it is suggested that this growth factor may contribute to tumor-induced angiogenesis.

Animals↗

Production of transforming growth factor beta by human T lymphocytes and its potential role in the regulation of T cell growth.

This study examines the potential role of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in the regulation of human T lymphocyte proliferation, and proposes that TGF-beta is an important autoregulatory lymphokine that limits T lymphocyte clonal expansion, and that TGF-beta production by T lymphocytes is important in T cell interactions with other cell types. TGF-beta was shown to inhibit IL-2-dependent T cell proliferation. The addition of picograms amounts of TGF-beta to cultures of IL-2-stimulated human T lymphocytes suppressed DNA synthesis by 60-80%. A potential mechanism of this inhibition was found. TGF-beta inhibited IL-2-induced upregulation of the IL-2 and transferrin receptors. Specific high-affinity receptors for TGF-beta were found both on resting and activated T cells. Cellular activation was shown to result in a five- to sixfold increase in the number of TGF-beta receptors on a per cell basis, without a change in the affinity of the receptor. Finally, the observations that activated T cells produce TGF-beta mRNA and that TGF-beta biologic activity is present in supernatants conditioned by activated T cells is strong evidence that T cells themselves are a source of TGF-beta. Resting T cells were found to have low to undetectable levels of TGF-beta mRNA, while PHA activation resulted in a rapid increase in TGF-beta mRNA levels (within 2 h). Both T4 and T8 lymphocytes were found to make mRNA for TGF-beta upon activation. Using both a soft agar assay and a competitive binding assay, TGF-beta biologic activity was found in supernatants conditioned by T cells; T cell activation resulted in a 10-50-fold increase in TGF-beta production. Thus, TGF-beta may be an important antigen-nonspecific regulator of human T cell proliferation, and important in T cell interaction with other cell types whose cellular functions are modulated by TGF-beta.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗

The murine transforming growth factor-beta precursor.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a homodimeric polypeptide which can act, often in cooperation with other growth factors, as a mitogenic factor for a variety of cells. TGF-beta can also exert growth inhibitory activity on many other cell lines. We have isolated cDNAs coding for the murine TGF-beta cDNA precursor. The deduced amino acid sequence localizes the 112-amino acid long TGF-beta monomer to the C terminus of the precursor. Two areas of the precursor exhibit a marked degree of homology to the human counterpart. One of these regions comprises the mature TGF-beta monomer, while the other corresponds to the NH2 terminus of the precursor and suggests an important biological function for this area. Northern hybridization results identify a major 2.5-kilobase TGF-beta mRNA and several minor TGF-beta mRNA species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗