A novel thrombopoietin-stem-cell factor fusion protein possesses enhanced potential in stimulating megakaryocyte proliferation and differentiation.

TPO (thrombopoietin) and SCF (stem-cell factor) are functionally related cytokines with overlapping but distinct haematopoietic effects. In the present study, a novel TPO-SCF fusion protein that combined the complementary biological effects of TPO and SCF into a single molecule was expressed in, and purified from, Sf9 [Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm)] insect cells. The specific activity of rhTPO (recombinant human TPO)-SCF in megakaryoblastic Mo7e cell proliferation assays was 2.90+/-0.35 x 10(7) units/micromol, approx. 1.7 times as high as that of rhTPO. The specific activity of rhTPO-SCF in TF-1 cells proliferation assays was 7.10+/-0.95 x 10(6) units/micromol, approx. 1.2 times as high as that of rhSCF (recombinant human SCF). In a megakaryocyte-colony-forming assay using human peripheral-blood CD34(+) cells, the SCF moiety of rhTPO-SCF worked in a synergistic way to augment the colony number and exhibited a higher potential to stimulate megakaryocyte colony growth. According to the results of EMSA (electrophoretic mobility-shift assay) and semi-quantitative RT (reverse transcriptase)-PCR, the synergistic effects of the SCF moiety were also reflected in increased STAT5 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5) DNA binding and enhanced up-regulation of p21 expression in Mo7e cells treated by rhTPO-SCF, suggesting that rhTPO-SCF could be more potent in promoting megakaryocyte proliferation and differentiation.