Porcine thyroid follicular cells in monolayer culture activate the iodide-responsive precursor form of transforming growth factor-β1

in Journal of Endocrinology
Authors:
A J Cowin
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S P Bidey
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Abstract

The release of latent transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), and conversion to the biologically active peptide, has been investigated in porcine thyroid follicular cells maintained in primary monolayer culture. Analysis by radioreceptor assay of medium conditioned for 72 h by subconfluent thyroid monolayers showed that a high proportion of the expressed TGF-β1 peptide was in the active form. Medium conditioned by iodide (10 aμmol/l)treated follicular cells contained higher levels of both active and total TGF-β1 than were present in medium conditioned by untreated cells. Exposure of cells to iodide also led to a marked decrease in [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation that was relieved by immunoadsorption with a neutralizing antiserum against the active form of TGFβ1. Inclusion of a low dose (80 units/l) of porcine plasmin led to a small increase in incorporation of [methyl3H]thymidine, while higher doses of plasmin (1250–5000 units/l) or plasminogen (100 mg/l) significantly reduced [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation. This inhibition was effectively reversed by immunoadsorption of TGF-β1 from the medium during the test incubations. The study therefore provides direct evidence for a stimulatory role of thyroidal iodide in enhancing the release of latent TGF-β1 peptide, and suggests that in normal thyroid follicular cells, as in other TGF-β1 producing epithelia, post-secretory processing to the biologically active molecule occurs through an endogenous cellular mechanism. It appears likely that plasmin, generated locally within the thyroid follicular microenvironment, may play a fundamental role in effecting this conversion.

Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 144, 67–73

 

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