title: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor synergize to promote pathogenic proteolysis.
abstract: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is a potent catalyst of extracellular proteolysis, which also binds to a high-affinity plasma membrane receptor (uPAR). Binding of uPA may influence pericellular proteolysis and/or activate intracellular signal transduction. Transgenic mice overexpressing either uPA or uPAR in basal epidermis and hair follicles had no detectable cutaneous alterations. In contrast, bi-transgenic mice overexpressing both uPA and uPAR, obtained by crossing the two transgenic lines, developed extensive alopecia induced by involution of hair follicles, epidermal thickening and sub-epidermal blisters. The phenotype was due to uPA catalytic activity since combined overexpression of uPAR and uPAR-binding but catalytically inactive uPA in the same tissue was not detrimental in another bi-transgenic line. It was accompanied by increased plasmin-generating capacity, up-regulation and activation of matrix metalloproteinases type-2 and -9, and cleavage of uPAR. Thus, combined overexpression of uPA and uPAR acts in synergy to promote pathogenic extracellular proteolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meda
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Vassalli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002384:Catalysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers; D006868:Hydrolysis; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010641:Phenotype; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D019076:Transgenes; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C524899:Plaur protein, mouse; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator