Val-Gly-Val-Ala-Pro-Gly, a repeating peptide in elastin, is chemotactic for fibroblasts and monocytes

J Cell Biol. 1984 Sep;99(3):870-4. doi: 10.1083/jcb.99.3.870.

Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated that tropoelastin and elastin-derived peptides are chemotactic for fibroblasts and monocytes. To identify the chemotactic sites on elastin, we examined the chemotactic activity of Val-Gly-Val-Ala-Pro-Gly (VGVAPG), a repeating peptide in tropoelastin. We observed that VGVAPG was chemotactic for fibroblasts and monocytes, with optimal activity at approximately 10(-8) M, and that the chemotactic activity of VGVAPG was substantial (half or greater) relative to the maximum responses to other chemotactic factors such as platelet-derived growth factor for fibroblasts and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine for monocytes. The possibility that at least part of the chemotactic activity in tropoelastin and elastin peptides is contained in VGVAPG sequences was supported by the following: (a) polyclonal antibody to bovine elastin selectively blocked the fibroblast and monocyte chemotactic activity of both elastin-derived peptides and VGVAPG; (b) monocyte chemotaxis to VGVAPG was selectively blocked by preexposing the cells to elastin peptides; and (c) undifferentiated (nonelastin producing) bovine ligament fibroblasts, capable of chemotaxis to platelet-derived growth factor, did not show chemotactic responsiveness to either VGVAPG or elastin peptides until after matrix-induced differentiation and the onset of elastin synthesis. These studies suggest that small synthetic peptides may be able to reproduce the chemotactic activity associated with elastin-derived peptides and tropoelastin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Chemotactic Factors / chemical synthesis*
  • Chemotaxis / drug effects
  • Elastin*
  • Fetus
  • Fibroblasts / physiology
  • Humans
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Ligaments
  • Monocytes / physiology
  • Oligopeptides / chemical synthesis*
  • Oligopeptides / isolation & purification
  • Oligopeptides / pharmacology

Substances

  • Chemotactic Factors
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Oligopeptides
  • Elastin
  • valyl-glycyl-valyl-alanyl-prolyl-glycine