Publications

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a potent inhibitor of tumor growth and angiogenesis. The antiangiogenic activity of TSP-1 has been mapped to the procollagen homology region and the type 1 repeats (TSR) using synthetic peptides. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms that are involved in the inhibition of tumor growth by the TSRs, we have expressed recombinant versions of these motifs and have assayed their ability to inhibit the growth of experimental B16F10 melanomas and Lewis lung carcinomas. Recombinant proteins that contain all three TSRs (3TSR) or the second TSR with (TSR2+RFK) or without (TSR2) the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) activating sequence (RFK) have been expressed in Drosophila S2 cells. In addition, recombinant proteins with mutations in either the RFK sequence (TSR2+QFK) or the WSHWSPW sequence [TSR2 (W/T)] of the second TSR have been prepared. Similar to platelet TSP-1, these proteins are potent inhibitors of endothelial cell migration, and 3TSR of human TSP-1 (3TSR/hTSP-1) and TSR2+RFK activate TGFbeta. An 81% inhibition of B16F10 tumor growth is observed at 2.5 mg (135 nmol)/kg/day of the recombinant 3TSR/hTSP-1. A comparable level of inhibition is observed with 2.5 mg (360 nmol)/kg/day of TSR2+RFK. By contrast, 3TSR of mouse TSP-2 (3TSR/mTSP-2), TSR2+QFK, and TSR2 are significantly less effective. TSR2+RFK and TSR2 reduce tumor vessel density, but TSR2+RFK has a greater effect on B16F10 tumor cell apoptosis and proliferation. Concurrent treatment of B16F10 tumor-bearing mice with TSR2+RFK and either a soluble form of the TGFbeta receptor or an antibody to active TGFbeta reduces the inhibition of B16F10 tumor growth to levels that are comparable with those of TSR2 and TSR2+QFK. By contrast, the presence of the TGFbeta-activating sequence does not increase the level of inhibition of Lewis lung carcinoma experimental tumor growth. These data indicate that the TSRs inhibit tumor growth by inhibition of angiogenesis and regulation of tumor cell growth and apoptosis. The regulation of tumor cell growth and apoptosis is TGFbeta dependent, whereas the inhibition of angiogenesis is not.

Growth of tumors and metastasis are processes known to require neovascularization. To ascertain the participation of the endogenous angiogenic inhibitor thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) in tumor progression, we generated mammary tumor-prone mice that either lack, or specifically overexpress, TSP1 in the mammary gland. Tumor burden and vasculature were significantly increased in TSP1-deficient animals, and capillaries within the tumor appeared distended and sinusoidal. In contrast, TSP1 overexpressors showed delayed tumor growth or lacked frank tumor development (20% of animals); tumor capillaries showed reduced diameter and were less frequent. Interestingly, absence of TSP1 resulted in increased association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with its receptor VEGFR2 and higher levels of active matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), a molecule previously shown to facilitate both angiogenesis and tumor invasion. In vitro, enzymatic activation of proMMP9 was suppressed by TSP1. Together these results argue for a protective role of endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis in tumor growth and implicate TSP1 in the in vivo regulation of metalloproteinase-9 activation and VEGF signaling.

In vitro and in vivo data indicate that thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) inhibits tumor progression in several ways including direct effects on cellular growth and apoptosis in the stromal compartment. To evaluate the importance of TSP1 for the progression of naturally arising tumors in vivo, we have crossed TSP1-deficient mice with p53-deficient mice. In p53-null mice, the absence of TSP1 decreases survival from 160 +/- 52 days to 149 +/- 42 days. A log-rank test comparing survival curves for these two populations yields a two-sided P value of 0.0272. For mice that are heterozygous for the p53-null allele, survival is 500 +/- 103 days in the presence of TSP1 expression, and 426 +/- 125 days in its absence (P = 0.0058). Whereas TSP1 expression did not cause a measurable change in the incidence of the majority of tumor types, a statistically significant (P < or = 0.05) decrease in the incidence of osteosarcomas is observed in the absence of TSP1. To determine more directly if host TSP1 inhibits tumor growth, B16F10 melanoma and F9 testicular teratocarcinoma cells have been implanted in C57BL/6J and 129Sv TSP1-null mice, respectively. The B16F10 tumors grow approximately twice as fast in the TSP1-null background and exhibit an increase in vascular density, a decrease in the rate of tumor cell apoptosis, and an increase in the rate of tumor cell proliferation. Increased tumor growth is also observed in the absence of TSP1 on the 129Sv genetic background. These data indicate that endogenous host TSP1 functions as a modifier or landscaper gene to suppress tumor growth.

Considerable progress has been made towards understanding the function of thrombospondin-1 and-2. The description of the phenotype of mice with thrombospondin-1 and-2 knocked-out supports in vitro biochemical and cell-biological data and has opened new avenues of research. Recently, our understanding of the roles of thrombospondins in the activation of TGFbeta, inhibition of angiogenesis and the initiation of signal transduction has advanced.

Mutations in residues in the type 3 calcium-binding repeats and COOH-terminal globular region of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) lead to two skeletal dysplasias, pseudoachondroplasia and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. It has been hypothesized that these mutations cause COMP to misfold and to be retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. However, this hypothesis is not supported by previous reports that COMP, when purified in the presence of EDTA, shows no obvious difference in electron microscopic appearance in the presence or absence of calcium ions. Since this discrepancy may be due to the removal of calcium during purification, we have expressed wild-type COMP and the most common mutant form found in pseudoachondroplasia, MUT3, using a mammalian expression system and have purified both proteins in the presence of calcium. Both proteins are expressed as pentamers. Direct calcium binding experiments demonstrate that wild-type COMP, when purified in the presence of calcium, is a calcium-binding protein. Rotary shadowing electron microscopy and limited trypsin digestion at various calcium concentrations show that there are conformational changes associated with calcium binding to COMP. Whereas COMP exists in a more compact conformation in the presence of calcium, it shows a more extended conformation when calcium is removed. MUT3, with a single aspartic acid deletion in the type 3 repeats, binds less calcium and presents an intermediate conformation between the calcium-replete and calcium-depleted forms of COMP. In conclusion, we show that a single mutation in the type 3 repeats of COMP causes the mutant protein to misfold. Our data demonstrate the importance of calcium binding to the structure of COMP and provide a plausible explanation for the observation that mutations in the type 3 repeats and COOH-terminal globular region lead to pseudoachondroplasia.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) has been shown to bind and activate transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). This observation raises the possibility that TSP-1 helps to sequester TGF-beta1 in platelet alpha granules and activates TGF-beta1 once both proteins are secreted. Herein, we evaluated the level of active and latent TGF-beta1 in the plasma and in the supernatant of thrombin-treated platelets from TSP-1 null and wild-type mice on two genetic backgrounds (C57BL/6 and 129Sv). The plasminogen activator inhibitor-1/luciferase bioassay and an immunological assay were used to determine active and latent TGF-beta1. No significant differences were observed in the levels of active and latent TGF-beta1 in the supernatant of thrombin-treated platelets from TSP-1 null and wild-type mice. Active and latent TGF-beta1 were significantly increased in the plasma and platelets of C57BL/6 mice as compared with 129Sv mice. In addition, there was an increase of plasma level of latent TGF-beta1 in TSP-1 null mice as compared with wild-type mice on the C57BL/6 background but not on the 129Sv background. No active TGF-beta1 was observed in the plasma of either TSP-1 null and wild-type mice. These data indicate that TSP-1 does not function as a chaperon for TGF-beta1 during platelet production and does not activate significant quantities of secreted TGF-beta1 despite a vast excess in the number of TSP-1 molecules as compared with TGF-beta1 molecules. Because platelet releasates from TSP-1 null mice contain active TGF-beta1, we suggest that other important mechanisms of physiological activation of TGF-beta1 probably exist in platelets.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a matricellular protein that regulates cellular phenotype during tissue genesis and repair. It acts as a molecular facilitator by bringing together cytokines, growth factors, matrix components, membrane receptors and extracellular proteases. TSP-1 binds to a wide variety of integrin and non-integrin cell surface receptors. The binding sites for these receptors on TSP-1 are dispersed throughout the molecule, with most domains binding multiple receptors. In some cases, TSP-1 binds to multiple receptors concurrently, and recent data indicate that there is cross-talk between the receptor systems. Thus, TSP-1 may function to direct the clustering of receptors to specialized domains for adhesion and signal transduction.

The thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) structural requirements within its heparin-binding domain (HBD)(30 kd) or within the other domains of the molecule (450 kd) that interact with neutrophils (PMNs) have not been delineated. Synthetic peptides based on the HBD, a TSP1 proteolytic fragment lacking the HBD, a large C-terminal domain of TSP1 (210 kd), a TSP1 recombinant fragment (rTSP1(784-932)), and a monoclonal antibody directed against the TSP1 type 3 repeats (mAb D4.6) were utilized to map such structural requirements on TSP1. Synthetic peptides containing a heparin-binding motif and encompassing residues F16-G33 or A74-S95 of TSP1 competed quantitatively with iodine 125-labeled TSP1 for binding to heparinagarose beads. However, only F16-G33 was a competitor of TSP1 binding to PMNs, suggesting that the sequence F16-G33 within the HBD plays a role in PMN binding. The interaction site within the 450-kd fragment was further narrowed. A TSP1 -derived proteolytic fragment (210 kd), a recombinant TSP1 fragment (rTSP1(784-932)), and a type 3 repeat anti-TSP1 monoclonal antibody (mAb D4.6) competed for the binding of 125I-labeled TSP1 to PMNs. The N-terminal of rTSP1(784-932) and C-terminal sequence analysis of TSP1-210 kd delineated the structural requirements for the second binding region for PMNs-namely, residues A784-N823.

Previously, the binding site for the Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocyte (PE) was determined to be the C-terminal 120 or 140 kDa region but not the N-terminal 25 kDa domain of thrombospondin (TSP). In this work, we have localized the TSP binding site for PE more precisely. PE adhered to glutathione-S-transferase-fusion proteins containing the type 3 repeat (T3) of TSP, but not to other functional domains of TSP (i.e. N-terminal domain, procollagen domain, type 1 and 2 repeat, and C-terminal domain). Soluble T3 inhibited PE binding to immobilized TSP. PE binding to immobilized T3 was inhibited by soluble TSP, a monoclonal antibody directed against the T3, glycine-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-serine-proline (GRGDSP) peptide, and *cysteine-GRGDSP-cysteine*, where *cysteine and cysteine* form a disulfide linkage, suggesting involvement of an RGD-containing motif in the T3. In support of this, a fusion protein which excluded the RGD motif showed no PE binding activity. Earlier it was shown that the amino acid sequence of the band 3 protein, histidine-proline-leucine-glutamine-lysine-threonine-tyrosine (HPLQKTY), was exposed on PE and mediated PE binding to TSP. Monoclonal antibodies, which recognize HPLQKTY and inhibit PE binding to TSP, also inhibited PE binding to the T3. The involvement of the sequence was confirmed by the fact that an octamer of HPLQKTY-containing peptide bound to the T3 but not to the RGD motif-excluded fusion protein and the binding to T3 was inhibited by GRGDSP peptide. Thus, PE binding to the T3 domain of TSP is mediated by the peptidic sequence HPLQKTY of band 3 which is exposed on PE.

Using a monoclonal antibody raised against human platelet thrombospondin, we found anti-thrombospondin immunoreactivity in the extracellular matrix of avian embryos, coincident with the ventral pathways followed by trunk neural crest cells. To confirm that the antibody recognized thrombospondin-1 and to determine the tissue of origin of the thrombospondin matrix, a thrombospondin-1 cRNA probe was used for whole mount in situ hybridization. This probe revealed thrombospondin-1 mRNAs in the developing myotome before and during neural crest cell migration. The effect of thrombospondin-1 on neural crest cell migration, morphology, and adhesion was assayed in vitro. Quail trunk neural crest cells cultured on 4 microg/ml of thrombospondin-1 migrate at 1.14 +/- 0.54 microm/min, which is significantly greater than the rate of cell migration on tissue culture plastic. Using a shaker-based adhesion assay, a significantly greater number of neural crest cells remain attached to dishes coated with 4 microg/ml of thrombospondin-1 than to tissue culture plastic alone. The number of neural crest cells that remain attached to 4 microg/ml of thrombospondin-1 is similar to the number that remain attached to dishes coated with 10 microg/ml of fibronectin. These observations indicate that neural crest cells migrate through a thrombospondin-filled extracellular matrix, and that thrombospondin-1 promotes neural crest cell migration and adhesion. Thus, thrombospondin-1 is the first somite-derived extracellular matrix molecule with properties consistent with a role in the promotion of migration into the anterior somite, as opposed to the repulsion of neural crest cells from the posterior half of the somite.