Bone morphogenic protein antagonist Drm/gremlin is a novel proangiogenic factor

Blood. 2007 Mar 1;109(5):1834-40. doi: 10.1182/blood-2006-06-032276. Epub 2006 Oct 31.

Abstract

Angiogenesis plays a key role in various physiologic and pathologic conditions, including tumor growth. Drm/gremlin, a member the Dan family of bone morphogenic protein (BMP) antagonists, is commonly thought to affect different processes during growth, differentiation, and development by heterodimerizing various BMPs. Here, we identify Drm/gremlin as a novel proangiogenic factor expressed by endothelium. Indeed, Drm/gremlin was purified to homogeneity from the conditioned medium of transformed endothelial cells using an endothelial-cell sprouting assay to follow protein isolation. Accordingly, recombinant Drm/gremlin stimulates endothelial-cell migration and invasion in fibrin and collagen gels, binds with high affinity to various endothelial cell types, and triggers tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular signaling proteins. Also, Drm/gremlin induces neovascularization in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane. BMP4 does not affect Drm/gremlin interaction with endothelium, and both molecules exert a proangiogenic activity in vitro and in vivo when administered alone or in combination. Finally, Drm/gremlin is produced by the stroma of human tumor xenografts in nude mice, and it is highly expressed in endothelial cells of human lung tumor vasculature when compared with non-neoplastic lung. Our observations point to a novel, previously unrecognized capacity of Drm/gremlin to interact directly with target endothelial cells and to modulate angiogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / chemistry
  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / isolation & purification
  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / metabolism
  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chick Embryo
  • Cytokines
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / chemistry
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasms / blood supply
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Protein Binding
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
  • Cktsf1b1 protein, mouse
  • Cytokines
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins