INDUCTION OF HEME OXYGENASE BY DELTA-12-PROSTAGLANDIN-J2 IN PORCINE AORTIC ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

DELTA(12)-Prostaglandin (PG)J2 stimulated the synthesis of a 31,000-dalton protein (termed p31) and the induction of cellular heme oxygenase activity in porcine aortic endothelial cells. A good correlation was observed between the time courses and dose dependencies of the induction of p31 synthesis and that of heme oxygenase activity by DELTA(12)-PGJ2. Hemin, a known inductor of heme oxygenase, also induced p31 synthesis as well as heme oxygenase activity in the cells. On two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, p31 induced by DELTA(12)-PGJ2 exhibited an isoelectric point of 5.4, which coincided exactly with that induced by hemin. These results indicate that the p31 induced by DELTA(12)-PGJ2 in porcine aortic endothelial cells is heme oxygenase.