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Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is essential for embryogenesis, tissue regeneration and tumour malignancy through the activation of its receptor, c-Met. We previously demonstrated that HGF α-chain hairpin-loop, K1 domain and β-chain are required for c-Met signalling. The sequential phosphorylation of tyrosine residues, from c-Met kinase domain to multidocking regions, is required for HGF-signalling transduction. Herein, we provide evidence that the disconcerted activation of c-Met tyrosine regions fails to induce biological functions. When human cells were incubated with 'mouse HGF', kinase domain activation (i.e. phospho-Tyr-1230/34/35) became evident, but the multidocking site ( i.e. Tyr-1349) was not phosphorylated, resulting in unsuccessful induction of migration and mitogenesis. The binding ability of mouse HGF α-chain, or of β-chain, to human c-Met was lower than that of human HGF, as evidenced by HGF-chimera assay. Notably, only four amino acid positions in HGF α-chain hairpin-loop and K1 domain and six positions in β-chain differed between human HGF and mouse HGF. The human-specific amino acids (such as Gln-95 in hairpin-loop, Arg-134 in K1 domain and Cys-561 in β-chain) may be important for accurate c-Met assembly and signalling transduction. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was discovered in 1984 as a mitogen of rat hepatocytes in a primary culture system. In the mid-1980s, MET was identified as an oncogenic mutant protein that induces malignant phenotypes in a human cell line. In the early 1990s, wild-type MET was shown to be a functional receptor of HGF. Indeed, HGF exerts multiple functions, such as proliferation, morphogenesis and anti-apoptosis, in various cells via MET tyrosine kinase phosphorylation. During the past 20 years, we have accumulated evidence that HGF is an essential conductor for embryogenesis and tissue regeneration in various types of organs. Furthermore, we found in the mid-1990s that stroma-derived HGF is a major contributor to cancer invasion at least in vitro. Based on this background, we prepared NK4 as an antagonist of HGF: NK4 inhibits HGF-mediated MET tyrosine phosphorylation by competing with HGF for binding to MET. In vivo, NK4 treatments produced the anti-tumor outcomes in mice bearing distinct types of malignant cancers, associated with the loss in MET activation. There are now numerous reports showing that HGF-antagonists and MET-inhibitors are logical for inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. Additionally, NK4 exerts anti-angiogenic effects, partly through perlecan-dependent cascades. This paper focuses on the chronology and significance of HGF-antagonisms in anti-tumor researches, with an interest in NK4 discovery. Tumor HGF-MET axis is now critical for drug resistance and cancer stem cell maintenance. Thus, oncologists cannot ignore this cascade for the future success of anti-metastatic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Podocytes provide a slit diaphragm to inhibit proteinuria, and nephrin between podocytes functions as a barrier during glomerular filtration. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) can improve proteinuria in rodents with various renal injuries, but little is known about the role of HGF in podocyte-based events during glomerulonephritis. In the present study, we examined whether and how nephrin expression is sustained by podocytes during the HGF-mediated attenuation of albuminuria. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice were used as an animal model of albuminuria. We evaluated the effect of HGF on slit proteins using immunohistochemistry, western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Albuminuria occurred 36 h after LPS treatment in mice. This albuminuria did not involve podocyte loss, but was associated with a decrease in nephrin and its key anchor, synaptopodin. In these processes, c-Met tyrosine phosphorylation, which represented HGF signal activation, occurred in glomerular cells including podocytes. When recombinant HGF was administrated to nephritic mice, c-Met tyrosine phosphorylation became evident in podocytes. The enhancement of the HGF-c-Met signal was associated with increases in nephrin and synaptopodin. An electron microscopic examination revealed that LPS induced the foot process effacement of podocytes, while HGF injections suppressed the foot process injury. Overall, albuminuria was attenuated in the LPS-treated mice after HGF administration. HGF protects podocytes from a loss of nephrin, at least in part, through maintaining synaptopodin. As a result, HGF was shown to sustain foot process structure, and albuminuria was attenuated under inflammation. This interesting study demonstrates that hepatocyte growth factor therapy can protect against lipopolysaccharide-induced albuminuria in mice by preventing effacement of the podocyte slit diaphragm, reducing glomerular macrophage infiltration and suppressing systemic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The stomach is constantly exposed to mechanical and chemical stresses. Under persistent damages, epithelial cell proliferation is required to maintain mucosal integrity. Nevertheless, which ligand system(s) is physiologically involved in gastric defense remains unclear. Herein, we provide evidence that HGF is a key “natural ligand” to reverse gastric injury. The injection of cisplatin in mice led to the loss of HGF in the gastric interstitium, associated with the decrease in proliferating epithelium and the progression of mucotitis. When c-Met tyrosine phosphorylation was abolished by anti-HGF IgG, mucosal cell proliferation became faint, leading to delayed recovery from mucotitis, and vice versa in cases of HGF supplementation. Our findings indicate that: (1) HGF/c-Met signal on mucosa is needed to restore gastric injuries; and (2) the loss of local HGF leads to manifestation of gastric lesions. This study provides a rationale that explains why HGF supplement is useful for reversing gastric diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]