title: Neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (NEP) deactivates PDGF- and TGF-beta-induced cell shape changes in invertebrate immunocytes.
abstract: Using a cytofluorimetric assay, we found that immunocytes of the mollusc, Mytilus galloprovincialis, express CD10, a surface antigen known to be identical to neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (NEP). The spectrofluorimetric analysis demonstrates that the growth factors PDGF-AB and TGF-beta1 provoke an increase in NEP-like activity in membrane preparations from the immunocytes, but have no effect on the soluble form in the serum. On the other hand, computer-assisted microscopic image analysis reveals that NEP deactivates the PDGF-AB- and TGF-beta1-induced shape changes in immunocytes. However, Western blots show that, in solution, NEP does not cleave PDGF-AB or TGF-beta1, indicating that the inactivation is not due to proteolysis. These results suggest a functional interplay in invertebrate immunocytes between growth factors and NEP, as previously shown in vertebrate cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Hygiene and Microbiology Section, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caselgrandi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kletsas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ottaviani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D008974:Mollusca / Q000201:enzymology*; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006020:Glycopeptides; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015260:Neprilysin; C008890:phosphoramidon