title: Lack of critical domains in the beta-chain of hepatocyte growth factor.
abstract: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a cytokine with pleiotropic effects on many different cell types. Its biological activities depend on the disulfide-linked alpha beta heterodimeric molecule. To study the functions of the beta-chain of HGF, insect cell-expressed HGFs prepared from nested deletions from C-terminus of beta-chain were studied for their biological activities and ligand-binding functions. The results demonstrated that the functions of HGF are dependent on the intactness of its beta-chain. The loss of HGF activities is correlated with the progressive deletion of beta-chain. There is not a single critical domain in the beta-chain that is essential for the functions of HGF. We propose that beta-chain may act to stabilize the ligand-receptor binding or contribute to the proper conformation of HGF to interact with its receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Horng
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D051379:Mice; D016296:Mutagenesis; D019000:Phosphotyrosine; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D018411:Spodoptera; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019000:Phosphotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases