Functional antagonism between activin and osteogenic protein-1 in human embryonal carcinoma cells

J Cell Physiol. 1999 Aug;180(2):141-9. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4652(199908)180:2<141::AID-JCP1>3.0.CO;2-I.

Abstract

Activin A and osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) exerted antagonistic effects on each other's responses on the human Tera-2 embryonal carcinoma cell line. OP-1 dose dependently inhibited activin A-induced activation of p3TP-Lux transcriptional reporter, containing part of the human plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) promoter, while activin A inhibited OP-1-mediated alkaline phosphatase induction. Approximately equimolar concentrations of both growth factors resulted in 50% inhibition of the respective biological responses. Affinity cross-linking studies using 125I-activin A or 125I-OP-1 followed by receptor-immunoprecipitations revealed that both ligands bound to the activin type II receptor (ActR-II), but recruited different type I receptors. In addition, OP-1 competed with binding of 125I-activin A, and activin A competed with binding of 125I-OP-1 to ActR-II. Transient transfection studies showed that competition between activin A and OP-1 also occurred at the type I receptor (ActR-1) level; constitutively active (CA)-ActR-I inhibited CA-ActR-IB-mediated p3TP-Lux reporter induction. There was no competition between activin A and OP-1 for availability of Smad4, indicating that the concentration of this common signal transducer is not limiting for generating the observed biological responses. Overexpression of ActR-II abolished the inhibitory effect of OP-1 on activin A-induced p3TP-Lux activation and, surprisingly, led to OP-1-induced transcriptional reporter activity. Whereas the exact mechanism of competition is unclear, the role of ActR-II in the competition between activin A and OP-1 is discussed in light of the observed interference in downstream signaling by CA-ActR-I and CA-ActR-IB.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Activin Receptors, Type I
  • Activin Receptors, Type II
  • Activins
  • Alkaline Phosphatase / metabolism
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / analysis
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / genetics
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells
  • Enzyme Activation / physiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / physiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / physiology
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Growth Substances / analysis
  • Growth Substances / genetics
  • Growth Substances / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Inhibins / analysis
  • Inhibins / genetics
  • Inhibins / metabolism*
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / chemistry
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / enzymology*
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / genetics
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / physiology
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • Receptors, Growth Factor / metabolism
  • Smad6 Protein
  • Smad7 Protein
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic / physiology
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / analysis
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / genetics
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / chemistry
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / enzymology

Substances

  • BMP7 protein, human
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Growth Substances
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Growth Factor
  • SMAD6 protein, human
  • SMAD7 protein, human
  • Smad6 Protein
  • Smad7 Protein
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Activins
  • Inhibins
  • Activin Receptors, Type I
  • Activin Receptors, Type II
  • Alkaline Phosphatase