title: Proteolytic processing regulates receptor specificity and activity of VEGF-C.
abstract: The recently identified vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) belongs to the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)/VEGF family of growth factors and is a ligand for the endothelial-specific receptor tyrosine kinases VEGFR-3 and VEGFR-2. The VEGF homology domain spans only about one-third of the cysteine-rich VEGF-C precursor. Here we have analysed the role of post-translational processing in VEGF-C secretion and function, as well as the structure of the mature VEGF-C. The stepwise proteolytic processing of VEGF-C generated several VEGF-C forms with increased activity towards VEGFR-3, but only the fully processed VEGF-C could activate VEGFR-2. Recombinant 'mature' VEGF-C made in yeast bound VEGFR-3 (K[D] = 135 pM) and VEGFR-2 (K[D] = 410 pM) and activated these receptors. Like VEGF, mature VEGF-C increased vascular permeability, as well as the migration and proliferation of endothelial cells. Unlike other members of the PDGF/VEGF family, mature VEGF-C formed mostly non-covalent homodimers. These data implicate proteolytic processing as a regulator of VEGF-C activity, and reveal novel structure-function relationships in the PDGF/VEGF family.
authors.affiliation: Molecular/Cancer Biology Laboratory, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Joukov
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sorsa
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeltsch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Claesson-Welsh
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Saksela
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalkkinen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alitalo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D019556:COS Cells; D019281:Dimerization; D004220:Disulfides; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011817:Rabbits; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D004220:Disulfides; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D010450:Endopeptidases