title: Detection of the receptor for the human urokinase-type plasminogen activator using fluoresceinated uPA.
abstract: The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is a serine protease that plays a crucial role in blood coagulation and in tumor invasion and metastasis. uPA is a relatively large polypeptide and binds the uPA receptor (uPAR) with high affinity and specificity. Therefore, it was a good candidate for direct labeling with a fluorochrome for detection of the uPAR. We have produced a fluorescein (FITC)-labeled human uPA using a conjugation procedure that did not significantly alter its binding characteristics to the uPAR. Thirty nM FITC-uPA efficiently stains 2 x 10(5) uPAR-transfected mouse cells in suspension, as determined by flow cytometric analysis. One microgram of FITC-uPA efficiently stains 2 x 10(5) uPAR transfectants grown on slides and analyzed by fluorescence optical microscopy. Human cell lines expressing the endogenous uPAR were stained with similar efficiency. Fixation in paraformaldehyde only slightly reduced the efficiency of staining of both transfectants and cell lines. These characteristics allow the use of FITC-uPA in both static and dynamic morphological studies of uPAR-expressing cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biology and Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ciccocioppo
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Capri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alberti
mesh_terms: D000345:Affinity Labels / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000345:Affinity Labels; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; C524899:Plaur protein, mouse; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate