Glycoprotein extraction from Laminaria japonica promotes IEC-6 cell proliferation.

The brown alga Laminaria japonica is frequently consumed in Korea, Japan and China, and has been used for more than a thousand years as a drug in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we isolated a novel glycoprotein from L. japonica that stimulates the growth of the IEC-6 normal murine intestinal epithelial cells. We also identified the mechanism by which this glycoprotein, referred to as LJGP, stimulates cell growth. After 24 h of exposure to LJGP, cell proliferation increased in a dose-dependent manner. To further explore the mechanism associated with LJGP-induced cell proliferation, we treated cells for various times with LJGP. We focused on the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway, which is involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation, during LJGP-induced cell growth. The results showed that LJGP induced EGFR and Akt activation. Furthermore, LJGP stimulated Shc/Grb2 binding and ERK activation, but inhibited JNK phosphorylation. These results indicate that LJGP stimulates gastrointestinal cell growth by activating the EGFR signaling pathway.