Involvement of the plasmin system in dissociation of the insulin-like growth factor-binding protein complex

A variety of treatments, including acid, heparin, and proteases, are known to free insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) from their binding proteins (IGFBPs). However, the physiologically relevant mechanism regulating the interaction of IGFs and IGFBPs is unknown. We report here the ability of plasmin to dissociate IGFs from IGFBPs. In chromatographic experiments, plasmin completely dissociated complexes of [125I] IGF-I-BP and [125I]IGF-II-BP formed with purified decidual IGFBP (hIGFBP-1) or IGFBPs present in medium conditioned by human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells. Plasmin dissociation of IGF-BP complexes was dose dependent. Neither plasminogen nor plasminogen activators (PAs) alone affected dissociation; however, activation of plasminogen to plasmin by either urokinase PA or tissue-type PA resulted in the dissociation of IGF-BP complexes. Plasmin dissociated immunoreactive and bioactive IGF from IGFBP equivalent to approximately 70% and approximately 60% of the acid control value, respectively. In medium conditioned by MG-63 cells, dissociation of IGF-BP complexes was catalyzed by PAs secreted by MG-63 cells, principally urokinase PA. Limited plasmin degradation of IGF was suggested by chromatographic experiments involving [125I] IGF. Treatment of uncomplexed IGF-I with plasmin concentrations equivalent to those in chromatographic experiments did not result in a significant loss of bioactivity, although a 2-fold increase in the plasmin concentration resulted in a approximately 20% loss of activity. Similar plasmin treatment of equimolar concentrations of hIGFBP-1 resulted in a marked degradation of IGFBP, with loss of IGF-binding ability. In vitro experiments confirmed plasmin dissociation of bioactive IGF-I from hIGFBP-1. In MG-63 cells, IGFBPs can form an IGF reservoir in the pericellular space surrounding the cells by combining IGFs with IGF-BP to form complexes that are incapable of binding to the IGF receptors. The secretion of PAs by osteosarcoma cells and the availability of plasminogen in the extravascular tissues indicate the possibility of a regulatory system in osteosarcoma cells in which pericellular plasmin affects the availability of IGFs to their membrane receptors.