Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 7, 501-511, Copyright © 1987 by Society for Neuroscience
Characterization of somatomedin/insulin-like growth factor receptors and correlation with biologic action in cultured neonatal rat astroglial cells
VK Han, JM Lauder and AJ D'Ercole
The role of somatomedin/insulin-like growth factors (Sm/IGFs) in neural
growth and development is not clearly defined. To characterize Sm/IGF
receptors and to correlate binding with the biologic actions of Sm/IGFs in
a homogeneous population of neural cells, we isolated and studied a nearly
pure population of cultured astroglial monolayers derived from cerebral
cortices of neonatal rats. Binding of radiolabeled Sm/IGFs was specific,
saturable, and reversible, with 90% of the binding occurring within 6 hr of
incubation at 4 degrees C. Competitive binding studies with Sm-C/IGF I
yielded curvilinear Scatchard plots, while studies with IGF II and
multiplication stimulating activity (MSA) yielded linear plots, suggesting
that 125I-Sm-C/IGF I binds to more than 1 receptor species, and 125I-IGF II
and 125I-MSA bind to one only. These findings were supported by
affinity-labeling studies with radiolabeled Sm/IGFs using disuccinimidyl
suberate as a cross-linking agent. Sm-C/IGF I appeared to bind to both type
I and II Sm/IGF receptors, because cross- linked 125I-Sm-C/IGF I-receptor
complexes with molecular weight (Mr) of greater than 300,000 (300K) and
130K (type I receptor) were observed under nonreducing and reducing
conditions, respectively, as were 220 and 260K complexes (type II receptor)
under the same respective conditions. 125I-IGF II and 125I-MSA, however,
bound only to the Mr 220 and 260K moieties under nonreducing and reducing
conditions, respectively, suggesting that these peptides bind only to the
type II receptor. Competitive binding studies of the cross-linked moieties
were consistent with this interpretation. In contrast, 125I-insulin bound
poorly to astroglia (less than 0.5% specific binding), and cross- linking
studies could not definitely distinguish among low-affinity binding to the
type I Sm/IGF receptor, binding to a paucity of insulin receptors, or both.
In addition, by combining autoradiography to localize 125I-Sm/IGFs binding
on astroglial cells and immunocytochemistry with anti-glial fibrillary
acidic protein to identify the cell type, we have demonstrated cell-surface
binding and apparent internalization of radiolabeled Sm/IGFs. Concurrent
studies of Sm/IGF stimulation of 3H-thymidine incorporation revealed that
these cells were most sensitive to Sm-C/IGF I, followed by IGF II and MSA,
and insulin. MSA and IGF II, however, were the most potent followed by
Sm-C/IGF I and then insulin. Half-maximal stimulations of 3H-thymidine
incorporation corresponded closely with half-maximal binding displacement
for Sm-C/IGF I and less so for IGF II and MSA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
WORDS)