Up-regulation of integrin alpha5 by a C-terminus four-amino-acid sequence of substance P (phenylalanine-glycine-leucine-methionine- amide) synergistically with insulin-like growth factor-1 in SV-40 transformed human corneal epithelial cells.

We previously reported that substance P and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) synergistically facilitate corneal epithelial migration in vivo and in vitro. We investigated whether the substance P-derived tetrapeptide (phenylalanine-glycine-leucine-methionine-amide, FGLM) can up-regulate the receptors for fibronectin and cellular adhesion to fibronectin matrix in the presence or absence of IGF-1 in cultured SV-40 transformed human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. The combination of both FGLM and IGF-1 and substance P and IGF-1 significantly increased the number of cells adhered to the fibronectin matrix and the expression of integrin alpha5. The synergistic effect of FGLM and IGF-1 on the adhesion of HCE cells to the fibronectin matrix is partly carried through up-regulation of integrin alpha5 expression in HCE cells. These results showed that the four-amino-acid sequence at the C-terminus of substance P completely mimics the substance P molecule in terms of synergism with IGF-1 on adhesion of epithelial cells to the fibronectin matrix.