Specific Interaction of Angiostatin with Integrin αvβ3 in Endothelial Cells

Angiostatin, the N-terminal four kringles (K1–4) of plasminogen, blocks tumor-mediated angiogenesis and has great therapeutic potential. However, angiostatin's mechanism of anti-angiogenic action is unclear. We found that bovine arterial endothelial (BAE) cells adhere to angiostatin in an integrin-dependent manner and that integrins αvβ3, α9β1, and to a lesser extent α4β1, specifically bind to angiostatin. αvβ3 is a predominant receptor for...