Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic factor and endothelial cell-
specific mitogen that stimulates urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) activity in
vascular endothelial cells. Here, we report that VEGF increases the high affinity binding of
uPA to the same cells and that this binding is prevented by a peptide corresponding to the
uPA receptor (uPAR) binding growth factor-like domain of uPA. Ligand cross-linking, ligand
blotting, and uPA-Sepharose affinity chromatography revealed an increase in a cell surface …