Identification of the basement membrane protein nidogen as a candidate ligand for tumor endothelial marker 7 in vitro and in vivo

Tumor endothelial marker 7 (TEM7) is a novel transmembrane protein that is highly expressed in the tumor endothelium. However, the ligands and functions of TEM7 are unknown at present. Using a recombinant ectodomain of TEM7 as a probe, we could identify the saturable interaction between nidogen and TEM7 in vitro. A cell overlay binding assay showed that recombinant nidogen interact with full length TEM7 on cell surface. Finally, nidogen/TEM7 interaction enhanced cell spreading in TEM7 transfected 293T cells. This novel nidogen/TEM7 interaction may provide an important molecular tool with potential therapeutic applications in the anti-angiogenic therapies.