Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) is a 130-kDa transmembrane receptor for semaphorins, mediators of neuronal guidance, and for vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165), an angiogenesis factor. A 2.2-kb truncated NRP1 cDNA was cloned that encodes a 644-aa soluble NRP1 (sNRP1) isoform containing just the a͞CUB and b͞coagulation factor homology extracellular domains of NRP1. sNRP1 is secreted by cells as a 90-kDa protein that binds VEGF165, but not VEGF121. It inhibits 125 I-VEGF165 binding to endothelial and tumor cells and VEGF165-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of KDR in endothelial cells. The 3 end of sNRP1 cDNA contains a unique, 28-bp intron-derived sequence that is absent in full-length NRP1 cDNA. Using a probe corresponding to this unique sequence, sNRP1 mRNA could be detected by in situ hybridization differentially from full-length NRP1 mRNA, for example, in cells of liver, kidney, skin, and breast. Analysis of blood vessels in situ showed that NRP1, but not sNRP1, was expressed. sNRP1 was functional in vivo. Unlike control tumors, tumors of rat prostate carcinoma cells expressing recombinant sNRP1 were characterized by extensive hemorrhage, damaged vessels, and apoptotic tumor cells. These results demonstrate the existence of a naturally occurring, soluble NRP1 that is expressed differently from intact NRP1 and that appears to be a VEGF165 antagonist.tumor angiogenesis ͉ prostate carcinoma cells ͉ apoptosis ͉ receptor N europilin-1 (NRP1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein, first described in the developing nervous system, that is expressed on axons of dorsal root ganglia, sensory, and motor neurons (1). NRP1 is a receptor for several members of the semaphorin͞collapsin family, negative mediators of neuronal guidance (2, 3). NRP1 was shown by us also to be an isoformspecific receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that binds VEGF 165 but not VEGF 121 to the surface of endothelial cells (EC) and tumor cells (4). VEGF 165 is an EC mitogen in vitro and angiogenesis factor in vivo whose activities are mediated by the VEGF tyrosine kinase receptors Flt-1 (VEGFR1) and Flk-1͞KDR (VEGFR2) (reviewed in refs. 5-8). Expression of NRP1 in EC enhances the binding of VEGF 165 to KDR and VEGF 165 -induced EC chemotaxis (4). Thus, it appears that in EC, NRP1 acts as a coreceptor that enhances KDR activity. The involvement of NRP1 in angiogenesis is supported by the observation that overexpression of NRP1 in transgenic mice results in excess capillary and blood vessel formation (9). The consequences of VEGF 165 binding to tumor cell NRP1 have not yet been determined. A role for semaphorin interactions with NRP1 in angiogenesis has been suggested by the ability of semaphorin III͞collapsin-1, an inhibitor of axonal motility, to inhibit the migration of EC in a NRP1-dependent manner (10). Inhibition of EC motility is associated with the depolymerization of F-actin and retraction of lamellipodia in a manner similar to growth cone collapse.In our initial Northern blot analysis of NRP1 gene expression, we noticed that b...