Microfibril-associated MAGP-2 stimulates elastic fiber assembly

J Biol Chem. 2007 Jan 5;282(1):800-8. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M609692200. Epub 2006 Nov 10.

Abstract

Elastic fibers are complex structures composed of a tropoelastin inner core and microfibril outer mantle guiding tropoelastin deposition. Microfibrillar proteins mainly include fibrillins and microfibril-associated glycoproteins (MAGPs). MAGP-2 exhibits developmental expression peaking at elastic fiber onset, suggesting that MAGP-2 mediates elastic fiber assembly. To determine whether MAGP-2 regulates elastic fiber assembly, we used an in vitro model featuring doxycycline-regulated cells conditionally overexpressing exogenous MAGP-2 and constitutively expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein-tagged tropoelastin. Analysis by immunofluorescent staining showed that MAGP-2 overexpression dramatically increased elastic fibers levels, independently of extracellular levels of soluble tropoelastin, indicating that MAGP-2 stimulates elastic fiber assembly. This was associated with increased levels of matrix-associated MAGP-2. Electron microscopy showed that MAGP-2 specifically associates with microfibrils and that elastin globules primarily colocalize with MAGP-2-associated microfibrils, suggesting that microfibril-associated MAGP-2 facilitates elastic fiber assembly. MAGP-2 overexpression did not change levels of matrix-associated fibrillin-1, MAGP-1, fibulin-2, fibulin-5, or emilin-1, suggesting that microfibrils and other elastic fiber-associated proteins known to regulate elastogenesis do not mediate MAGP-2-induced elastic fiber assembly. Moreover, mutation analysis showed that MAGP-2 does not stimulate elastic fiber assembly through its RGD motif, suggesting that integrin receptor binding does not mediate MAGP-2-induced elastic fiber assembly. Because MAGP-2 interacts with Jagged-1 that controls cell-matrix interaction and cell motility, two key factors in elastic fiber macroassembly, microfibril-associated MAGP-2 may stimulate elastic fiber macroassembly by targeting the release of elastin globules from the cell membrane onto developing elastic fibers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Contractile Proteins / physiology*
  • Doxycycline / pharmacology
  • Elasticity
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / chemistry
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / physiology*
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Microfibrils / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Plasmids / metabolism
  • RNA Splicing Factors
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Contractile Proteins
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins
  • Fbln5 protein, mouse
  • RNA Splicing Factors
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • microfibrillar protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Doxycycline