Activation Mechanisms of the Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator Promoter by Hepatocyte Growth Factor/Scatter Factor

Activation of hepatocyte growth factor by urokinase-type plasminogen activator is ionic strength-dependent.

The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional cytokine that is produced as latent scHGF (single chain HGF). Various proteases reportedly cleave scHGF to generate the active two-chain form (HGF), including u-PA (urokinase-type plasminogen activator), t-PA (tissue-type plasminogen activator), kallikrein, Factor XIa, Factor XIIa, HGF activator and matriptase. Considerable evidence indica...

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator increases hepatocyte growth factor activity required for skeletal muscle regeneration.

The plasminogen system plays a crucial role in the repair of a variety of tissues, including skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) promotes muscle regeneration by activating hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which, in turn, stimulates proliferation of myoblasts required for regeneration. In our studies, levels of active HGF and phosphorylation of the HGF...

Cellular mechanisms of hepatocyte growth factor-mediated urokinase plasminogen activator secretion by MAPK signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND The hepatocyte growth factor, its receptor c-Met, and urokinase-type plasminogen mediate various cellular responses on activation, including proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis. The regulatory mechanisms for the proliferation and the particular invasive phenotypes of hepatocellular carcinoma are not yet fully understood. In order to clarify the intracellular do...

Activation of human monocytes by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor: increased urokinase-type plasminogen activator activity.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) raised the plasminogen activator (PA) activity of cultured human monocytes. This activity was characterized to be urokinase-PA (u-PA) by incubation with specific IgG and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis zymography. Increased u-PA activity reflected GM-CSF-induction of u-PA mRNA levels. The stimulatory properti...

Neutrophil Activation Potentiates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator