Since the presence of precursors (pro-forms) of the aspartyl endoprotease, cathepsin D, appears to be linked with tumor progression, their presence was examined in sera and tumor tissues of ovarian cancer patients. The role of cathepsin D pro-forms was further assessed in the dysregulated proliferation and chemoresistance observed in advanced ovarian cancer. Cathepsin D was isolated from sera of ovarian cancer patients (n = 20) and normal volunteers (n = 11), as well as from solubilized normal ovarian epithelium (n = 8) and ovarian epithelial tumor tissue (n = 12). The specific molecular forms of cathepsin D were analyzed in these samples by Western immunoblot. Multiple circulating molecular weight forms of cathepsin D were identified in ovarian cancer patients ranging from 24 to 60 kDa, while in normal controls, a major band was observed at 34 kDa in all samples and minor bands corresponding to 27 and 48 kDa were detected in approximately half of the controls. To assess its consequences on ovarian cancer, the 52-kDa protein was immunoprecipitated from culture medium of an exponentially growing ovarian tumor cell line and was further purified by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. Its effect on proliferation was assayed by determining cell doubling times and their chemosensitivity was measured in a standard cytotoxicity assay using cisplatin. In addition, decapeptides corresponding to the pro-portion of cathepsin D were analyzed in parallel. Procathepsin D and one decapeptide, peptide 2, as well as IGF-II (as a known positive) increased cell proliferation, with doubling times of 28.4, 28.8, and 30.3 h, respectively, versus untreated UL-1 cells (36.4 h). Procathepsin D treatment of UL-1 tumor cells significantly increased the cisplatin LD(50) (74.9 microgram/ml) over untreated (33.9 microgram/ml) as well as IGF-II-treated (38.8 microgram/ml) cells. Peptide 2 also showed a significant increase in LD(50) (69.5 microgram/ml) compared to untreated and peptide 1-treated cells (37.1 microgram/ml). There are several unique forms of cathepsin D expressed and accumulated by ovarian tumors and these forms are detectable in the sera of those with ovarian cancer. The presence of these procathepsin D can increase the proliferation of these tumor cells, while decreasing their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. While procathepsin D and IGF-II both enhance proliferation, only procathepsin D (and peptide 2) appears to modulate chemosensitivity, suggesting a separate receptor or pathway for this consequence.
Copyright 1999 Academic Press.