Differential expression of transmembrane proteoglycans in vascular smooth muscle cells

Rat aortic vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells synthesize the transmembrane proteoglycan syndecan (Cizmeci-Smith, G., Asundi, V., Stahl, R. C., Teichman, L. J., Chernousov, M., Cowan, K., and Carey, D. J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 15729-15736). The present work demonstrated that VSM cells synthesize the related transmembrane proteoglycan fibroglycan and that increased expression of these two proteoglycans is stimulated under different conditions. Fibroglycan synthesis by cultured rat aortic VSM cells was demonstrated by Northern blot analysis with a rat fibroglycan cDNA probe and immunoblot analysis with anti-rat fibroglycan antibodies. Effects of growth factors and vasoactive substances on syndecan and fibroglycan expression were examined by Northern blot analysis. Syndecan mRNA levels increased in response to stimulation of VSM cells with serum, platelet-derived growth factor, or angiotensin II. VSM cells stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor contained more syndecan core protein and processed syndecan than control cells. Fibroglycan mRNA levels either decreased or remained unchanged in response to these agents. Fibroglycan mRNA levels increased following transforming growth factor-beta stimulation, while syndecan mRNA levels decreased. Other agents, including basic fibroblast growth factor, endothelin, and carbacyclin did not alter the expression of either proteoglycan. Syndecan and fibroglycan mRNA levels also varied as a function of cell density. These data demonstrate that syndecan and fibroglycan expression are regulated differently in VSM cells and lend support to the hypothesis that these proteoglycans carry out distinct physiological functions.