Efficient association of an amino-terminally extended form of human latent transforming growth factor-beta binding protein with the extracellular matrix.

Latent transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) binding protein-1 (LTBP-1) is a component of the high molecular weight latent TGF-beta complex found in various cells, including human platelets. LTBP-1 is observed as different molecular sizes in different cell types, probably due to proteolytic processing and alternative splicing. We here report a novel form of human LTBP-1, which is longer in its NH2-terminal part (LTBP-1L). Northern hybridization analysis revealed that the LTBP-1L is derived from a 7.0-kilobase mRNA, whereas the originally reported shorter form (LTBP-1S) is derived from a 5.2-kilobase mRNA. Transfection of cDNA for LTBP-1L and -1S in COS cells revealed that LTBP-1L bound more efficiently to the extracellular matrix than did LTBP-1S. These results suggest that the different splice forms of LTBP-1 mediate different localization patterns of the latent TGF-beta complexes in vivo.