Using patch clamp and Ca2+ imaging techniques, we have studied Ca2+ entry pathways in human hepatoblastoma (HepG2) cells. These cells express the mRNA of TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV3 and TRPV4 channels, but not those of TRPV5 and TRPV6. Functional assessment showed that capsaicin (10 μM), 4α-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (4αPDD, 1 μM), arachidonic acid (10 μM), hypotonic stress, and heat all stimulated increases in [Ca2+]i within minutes. The increase in [Ca2+]i depended on extracellular Ca2+ and on the transmembrane potential, which indicated that both driving forces affected Ca2+ entry. Capsaicin also stimulated an increase in [Ca2+]i in nominally Ca2+-free solutions, which was compatible with the receptor functioning as a Ca2+ release channel. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) modulated Ca2+ entry. Ca2+ influx was greater in HepG2 cells incubated with HGF/SF (20 ng/ml for 20 h) compared with non-stimulated cells, but this occurred only in those cells with a migrating phenotype as determined by presence of a lamellipodium and trailing footplate. The effect of capsaicin on [Ca2+]i was greater in migrating HGF/SF-treated cells, and this was inhibited by capsazepine. The difference between control and HGF/SF-treated cells was not found in Ca2+-free solutions. 4αPDD also had no greater effect on HGF/SF-treated cells. We conclude that TRPV1 and TRPV4 channels provide Ca2+ entry pathways in HepG2 cells. HGF/SF increases Ca2+ entry via TRPV1, but not via TRPV4. This rise in [Ca2+]i may constitute an early response of a signalling cascade that gives rise to cell locomotion and the migratory phenotype.

Met und der korrespondierende Ligand HGF/SF sind im hyperproliferativen Epithelium von Hautwunden exprimiert. Aus diesem Grund ist es wahrscheinlich, dass der Rezeptor und sein Ligand in autokriner Weise wechselwirken und wichtige Funktionen für den Heilungsprozess der Haut besitzen. Unter Verwendung der Keratin 14 Cre-Rekombinase konnte ein „Knockout“ des Met-Rezeptors spezifisch in der Epidermis erzielt werden. In der Tat zeigten die Ergebnisse, dass Met für die Re-epithelisierung in Wundschlussprozessen essentiell ist, da in den an der Wundheilung beteiligten Keratinozyten keine Rekombination des Met-Gens stattgefunden hat. In Met-Mausmutanten war der Wundschlussprozess verlangsamt, denn er erfolgte ausschließlich durch wenige Keratinozyten, in denen die Cre-Rekombinase keine Rekombination bewirkte. Met konnte als erstes Gen identifiziert werden, das absolut erforderlich für Re epithelisierungsprozesse von Wunden ist. Diese Arbeit trägt daher wesentlich zum Verständnis der Regulation von Wundheilungsprozessen bei. / Met and its ligand, HGF/SF are expressed in the hyperproliferative epithelium of the wound. This suggests that receptor and ligand may act in an autocrine manner to promote wound healing in the skin. Using Keratin 14 cre recombinase, Met receptor was specifically knockout in the epidermis. In this way, it was demonstrated that Met receptor is essential for wound healing process and that keratinocytes, which contributed to the wound closure were Met-postitive. In the Met mutant mice, wound closure was slightly attenuated, but occurred exclusively by a few keratinocytes that had escaped recombination. Met is therefore the fist gene, which is absolutely required for re-epithelialization of the wound. This finding is fundamental for understanding the regulation of wound healing process.

Hepatocyte Growth Factor/Scatter Factor (HGF/SF) stimulates migration of various cells and has been linked via Met tyrosine kinase signaling to transformation and the metastatic phenotype. HGF/SF-Met signaling also plays a role in malignancy. Migration of transformed MDCK-F cells depends on activation of a charybdotoxin (ChTX)-sensitive, volume-activated membrane K+ current. Patch-clamp electrophysiology and transwell migration assays were used to study the effects of HGF/SF on membrane K+ currents and cell migration in MDCK II cells. HGF/SF activated membrane K+ currents that increased over 24 hr, and these could be modulated by altering intracellular free calcium concentration [Ca2+]i. HGF/SF also significantly increased MDCK II cell migration. Specific Ca2+-activated K+ channel blockers, ChTX, iberiotoxin (IbTX), stichodactyla toxin (Stk) and clotrimazole (CLT) inhibited HGF/SF stimulation of membrane K+ currents and cell migration. This suggests that the activation of Ca2+-activated K+ channels is necessary for HGF/SF stimulation of MDCK II cell migration. Furthermore, HGF/SF induced ERK phosphorylation, and addition of the MEK inhibitor PD98059 inhibited ERK phosphorylation, as well as HGF/SF stimulation of Ca2+-activated K+ currents and cell migration in MDCK II cells. Taken together, HGF/SF induces phosphorylation of ERK, which plays a role in HGF/SF activation of Ca2+-activated K+ channels and enhancing cell migration in MDCK II cells.

This study explored the role of transient receptor potential melastatin 8 ion channels (TRPM8) in mechanisms of human glioblastoma (DBTRG) cell migration. Menthol stimulated influx of Ca2+, membrane current, and migration of DBTRG cells. Effects on Ca2+ and migration were enhanced by pre-treatment with hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF). Effects on Ca2+ also were greater in migrating cells compared with non-migrating cells. 2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) inhibited all menthol stimulations. RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis showed that DBTRG cells expressed both mRNA and protein for TRPM8 ion channels. Two proteins were evident: one (130-140 kDa) in a plasma membrane-enriched fraction, and a variant (95-100 kDa) in microsome- and plasma membrane-enriched fractions. Thus, TRPM8 plays a role in mechanisms that increase [Ca2+]i needed for DBTRG cell migration.

L’HGF/SF (Hepatocyte Growth Factor/Scatter Factor) est le ligand du Récepteur Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) MET. Ce couple ligand-récepteur joue un rôle essentiel dans de nombreux processus biologiques tels que l’embryogenèse, la régénération tissulaire et l’angiogenèse. Comme pour de nombreux RTK, la dérégulation de l’activité de MET est associée à la progression et l’invasion tumorales. Bien que le récepteur MET ait été intensivement étudié au cours de ces dernières décennies, les processus moléculaires conduisant à son activation par l’HGF/SF restent encore mal connus et controversés.NK1, un variant naturel de l’HGF/SF, comprenant la partie N-terminale (N) et le premier domaine kringle (K1) de l’HGF/SF, possède une activité agoniste. En effet, NK1 dimérise spontanément en position « tête-bêche » et est considéré aujourd’hui comme la structure minimale permettant la dimérisation de MET et son activation. Afin de déterminer leur contribution respective, les domaines N et K1 isolés ont été produits par voie recombinante et ne montrent aucune ou qu’une très faible activité agoniste respectivement. Une présentation monovalente de ces domaines au récepteur MET ne semble donc pas pertinente pour déterminer leur fonction.Par conséquent, nous avons souhaité générer des complexes multivalents mimant le positionnement des domaines N et K1 au sein du dimère naturel. En tirant partie de la « One-Pot SEA ligation » développée au laboratoire, ces domaines ont été synthétisés par voie chimique et fonctionnalisés avec une extrémité C-terminale biotinylée (NB et K1B). En utilisant la streptavidine (S) comme plateforme de multimérisation, nous avons généré des complexes semi-synthétiques NB/S et K1B/S et déterminé les propriétés biologiques de ces nouvelles constructions multivalentes.L’ensemble des analyses de signalisations cellulaires et phénotypiques démontre sans équivoque que le complexe K1B/S est capable de mimer les réponses biologiques induites par l’HGF/SF et son variant NK1. De plus, le complexe K1B/S, injecté dans la circulation systémique, déclenche la signalisation de MET dans le foie. L’utilisation de ce complexe K1B/S nous a permis de démontrer que deux domaines K1, correctement assemblés et orientés, constituent l'interface minimale et suffisante requise pour déclencher une pleine activation de MET. A l’inverse, les premières données fonctionnelles ont démontré que le complexe NB/S ne lie pas directement MET mais utilise les héparanes sulfates comme pont moléculaire.Ces études utilisant de nouvelles configurations structurales pourraient donc servir de modèle de base au développement de nouveaux agonistes de MET dans le cadre de thérapies régénératives ou préservatrices, mais aussi d’antagonistes dans le cadre de thérapies anticancéreuses ciblées. / Hepatocyte Growth Factor/Scatter Factor (HGF/SF) and its receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) MET play an essential role in embryogenesis, tissue regeneration and angiogenesis. As observed for many others RTK, MET is also strongly involved in tumor progression and invasion mechanisms. Although numerous biological and structural approaches have been focused on the molecular processes leading to MET activation by HGF/SF, the HGF/SF-MET interaction framework remains only partially understood due to the complexity of the multivalent ligand-receptor binding events.NK1, a naturally occurring splice variant of HGF/SF, comprising the N-terminal part and the first kringle domain (K1) of HGF/SF, exhibits a partial agonistic activity toward MET. Indeed, in presence of heparan sulfates, NK1 self-associates into a “head-to-tail” dimer and is considered as the minimal structural module able to trigger MET dimerization and activation. Nevertheless, the individual role of N and K1 domains in the dimerization/activation of MET remain elusive.Stimulated by the conviction that monomeric N and K1 domains are not suitable for studying the functioning of HGF/SF-MET, we produced, by total chemical synthesis, biotinylated analogs of the N and K1 domains (NB and K1B). By combining with streptavidin (S), we engineered the semisynthetic constructs NB/S and K1B/S in order to determine the biological properties of these new multivalent architectures of N and K1 domains.In vitro, as observed with HGF/SF or NK1, we show that the K1B/S complex is able to fully activate MET signaling cascades to promote scattering, morphogenesis and survival phenotypes in various cell types. Even more, the K1B/S complex stimulates angiogenesis in vivo and, when injected systemically, triggers MET signaling in the liver. The use of this K1B/S complex allows us to demonstrate that two K1 domains, correctly assembled and oriented, constitute the minimal unit for sufficient MET activation. In contrast, first in vitro data have demonstrated that NB/S complex does not bind directly MET as previously thought, but rather, uses heparan sulfates as a molecular bridge.We envision these new structural configurations serving as a template for both the rational design of potent MET agonists (e.g. using K1B/S for regenerative therapies) and antagonists (e.g. using NB/S for targeted cancer therapies).