Epidermal growth factor stimulates the cell growth of the PA-1 teratocarcinoma cell line in an autocrine/paracrine fashion

Abstract

Shigeta H, Taga M, Sakakibara H, Minaguchi H. Epidermal growth factor stimulates the cell growth of the PA-1 teratocarcinoma cell line in an autocrine/paracrine fashion. Eur J Endocrinol 1995;132: 200–5. ISSN 0804–4643 In order to investigate the biological significance of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the cell function of teratocarcinoma cells, we examined the production, binding and cell proliferative effect of EGF in PA-1 human ovarian teratocarcinoma cell line. The immunoreactivity of EGF in PA-1 cell-conditioned medium was detected by human EGF radioimmunoassay, and prepro-EGF mRNA was demonstrated in PA-1 cells by Northern blot analysis. An [125I] EGF binding study showed the presence of EGF receptor with very high binding affinity and relatively low numbers of binding sites in PA-1 cells. Furthermore, the growth of PA-1 cells was stimulated by EGF and inhibited by anti-EGF monoclonal antibody. These results suggest strongly that EGF plays an important role in controlling the growth of teratocarcinoma cells as an autocrine/paracrine growth factor. Michiyoshi Taga, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, 3–9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236, Japan