An amino-terminal fragment of urokinase isolated from a prostate cancer cell line (PC-3) is mitogenic for osteoblast-like cells.

A peptide mitogen for cultured osteoblast-like cells was purified from serum-free conditioned culture medium of a human prostatic cancer cell line, PC-3. Based on amino acid sequencing and estimated molecular weight, this peptide was identified as an NH2-terminal fragment of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). Recombinant high molecular weight (HMW) uPA and the NH2-terminal growth factor domain (GFD) of uPA, but not low molecular weight (LMW) uPA (lacking the NH2-terminal region) stimulated [3H] thymidine incorporation and proliferation in osteoblast-like cells, and specific, competitive binding sites for HMW, but not LMW, uPA were demonstrable. These studies demonstrate the production of a mitogenic NH2-terminal fragment of uPA by a human prostatic cancer cell line which may be of importance in the pathogenesis of osteoblastic metastases.