The plasminogen activator inhibitor system in bone cell function

The plasminogen activator (PA)/plasmin pathway has been implicated in a variety of physiologic and pathologic processes that require tissue remodeling and cell motility. The pathway is highly regulated and results in the generation of the broad spectrum serine protease, plasmin, from the zymogen plasminogen. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) are produced by osteoblasts, as are the specific inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and a cellular receptor for uPA. Little is known about regulation of the receptor, but the other 3 components of the pathway are regulated differentially by various osteotropic hormones and local factors. Several roles have been proposed for this pathway in bone. These involve proteolytic activation of procollagenase and latent growth factors, such as transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF), as well as cell motility as a result of pericellular proteolysis. The roles of this pathway in bone remodeling may not be confined to proteolytic events, because uPA has been reported to act as a mitogen on osteoblast-like cells. This effect is independent of proteolytic activity but requires the growth factor domain of uPA to bind to uPA cellular receptors. If the plasminogen activator/plasmin pathway encompasses these roles, it would serve to couple formation and resorption of bone in a highly regulated manner.