Cultured human endothelial cells express platelet-derived growth factor B chain: cDNA cloning and structural analysis

Vascular endothelial cells have a central role in various pathophysiological responses such as acute inflammation, wound healing and atherogenesis. The anatomical position of endothelial cells between blood leukocytes and the surrounding vascular smooth muscle cells or stromal fibroblasts may intensify and focus the effects of released endothelial cell products. Endothelial cells in culture produce a platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-like mitogen. PDGF purified from platelets is a basic protein with an apparent relative molecular mass (Mr) of approximately 30,000 (reviewed in refs 2, 3) and is believed to comprise two polypeptide chains, PDGF-A and PDGF-B (also referred to as PDGF-1 and PDGF-2; refs 5, 6). Sequence analysis of PDGF B chain has revealed a striking homology with the predicted sequence of p28sis, the transforming protein of simian sarcoma virus. sis-Homologous transcripts have been detected by Northern blot analysis of RNA from cultured endothelial cells. However, there are no structural data available on either the protein product or the messenger RNA to establish the identity of the endothelial-derived mitogen with either chain of PDGF. Here we report the isolation and complete sequence analysis of a sis-homologous complementary DNA clone from human endothelial cells, providing an opportunity to study the structure of sis as transcribed by a normal (untransformed) cell. Our results establish that normal human endothelial cells in culture express the B chain of PDGF, and that endothelial-derived PDGF B chain is synthesized as a predicted precursor polypeptide of Mr 27,281.