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Urokinase regulates embryonic cardiac cushion cell migration without converting plasminogen
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, USA.
The Anatomical Record
|October 16, 1999
Summary
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) drives avian heart cushion cell migration. However, this process does not involve the plasminogen/plasmin system, despite its activation and extracellular matrix degradation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Development
- Cell Biology
- Extracellular Matrix Remodeling
Background:
- Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) facilitates cell migration.
- uPA is implicated in avian heart atrioventricular (AV) cushion cell migration.
- The role of the plasminogen/plasmin system in this process remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether uPA-mediated conversion of plasminogen to plasmin is essential for AV cushion cell migration in vitro.
Main Methods:
- Assessed uPA and plasminogen activator activity in chicken AV tissue lysates and explants.
- Analyzed extracellular protein degradation using zymography.
- Quantified AV cushion cell migration in response to plasminogen, aprotinin, and anti-catalytic uPA antibody.
Main Results:
- Chicken AV tissue exhibits uPA activity, converting plasminogen to plasmin and degrading extracellular matrix.
- Neither plasminogen nor plasmin inhibition (aprotinin) affected cushion cell migration.
- An anti-uPA antibody significantly inhibited AV cushion cell migration, indicating uPA's direct role.
Conclusions:
- uPA mediates a portion of avian heart AV cushion cell migration in vitro.
- Despite evidence of plasminogen activation and matrix degradation, uPA's function in this migration is independent of the plasminogen/plasmin system.