Multiple growth hormone-binding proteins are expressed on insulin-producing cells

A Møldrup, N Billestrup, NA Thorn… - Molecular …, 1989 - academic.oup.com
A Møldrup, N Billestrup, NA Thorn, Å Lernmark, JH Nielsen
Molecular Endocrinology, 1989academic.oup.com
The insulin-producing rat islet tumor cell line, RIN-5AH, expresses somatogen binding sites
and responds to GH by increased proliferation and insulin production. Affinity cross-linking
shows that RIN-5AH cells contain two major GH-binding subunits of Mr 100–130K (110K),
which appear to exist as disulfide-linked multimers of Mr 270-350K (300K). In addition, a
minor Mr 180K GH-binding protein is identified which does not appear to be associated with
other proteins by disulfide bridges. A plasma membrane-enriched fraction accounts for 86 …
Abstract
The insulin-producing rat islet tumor cell line, RIN-5AH, expresses somatogen binding sites and responds to GH by increased proliferation and insulin production. Affinity cross-linking shows that RIN-5AH cells contain two major GH-binding subunits of Mr 100–130K (110K), which appear to exist as disulfide-linked multimers of Mr 270-350K (300K). In addition, a minor Mr 180K GH-binding protein is identified which does not appear to be associated with other proteins by disulfide bridges. A plasma membrane-enriched fraction accounts for 86% of the RIN-cell GH-binding activity while cytosol and intracellular organelles are low in GH-binding activity. The plasma membrane-bound activity is soluble in Triton X-100 with intact hormone binding characteristics. The apparent KD in detergent solution is estimated to 18 ng/ml (8 × 10−10m). 125l-hGH-affinity cross-linking to intact and detergent-solubilized membranes as well as hGH-affinity purified protein reveals labeled proteins of Mr 180K and Mr 285-350K. In contrast to the cross-linked Mr 300K complexes of intact cells those of disintegrated cellular material are resistant to reduction with dithiothreitol, and it is speculated that this is due to intersubunit cross-linking of the disulfide-linked Mr 110K GH-binding subunits. The GH-binding proteins are purified approximately 100-fold by one cycle of hGH-affinity chromatography and five major proteins of Mr 180K, 94K, 86K, 64K, and 54K are identified by silver staining in the purified fraction. It is concluded that the RIN-5AH cells have multiple GH-binding proteins which may mediate signals for either proliferation and/or insulin production.
Oxford University Press