Hypoxic regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor through the induction of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Rho/ROCK and c-Myc

The induction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an essential feature of tumor angiogenesis. Hypoxia is a potent stimulator of VEGF expression, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is considered to be critical for this induction. However, we have previously demonstrated that induction of VEGF by hypoxia was preserved when HIF-1alpha was silenced. We sought to better define the molecular basis of this HIF-1-independent regulation. In colon cancer cells, hypoxia stimulated multiple K-ras effector pathways including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. VEGF promoter deletion studies identified a novel promoter region between -418 and -223 bp that was responsive to hypoxia in a PI3K/Rho/ROCK-dependent manner. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays identified a fragment between -300 and -251 bp that demonstrated a unique shift only in hypoxic conditions. Inhibition of PI3K or ROCK blocked the formation of this complex. A binding site for c-Myc, a target of ROCK, was identified at -271 bp. A role for c-Myc in the hypoxic induction of VEGF was demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis of the VEGF promoter and silencing of c-Myc by small interfering RNA. Collectively, these findings suggest an alternative mechanism for the hypoxic induction of VEGF in colon cancer that does not depend upon HIF-1alpha but instead requires the activation of PI3K/Rho/ROCK and c-Myc.     

KLF2-dependent, shear stress-induced expression of CD59: a novel cytoprotective mechanism against complement-mediated injury in the vasculature

Complement activation may predispose to vascular injury and atherogenesis. The atheroprotective actions of unidirectional laminar shear stress led us to explore its influence on endothelial cell expression of complement inhibitory proteins CD59 and decay-accelerating factor. Human umbilical vein and aortic endothelial cells were exposed to laminar shear stress (12 dynes/cm(2)) or disturbed flow (+/- 5 dynes/cm(2) at 1Hz) in a parallel plate flow chamber. Laminar shear induced a flow rate-dependent increase in steady-state CD59 mRNA, reaching 4-fold at 12 dynes/cm(2). Following 24-48 h of laminar shear stress, cell surface expression of CD59 was up-regulated by 100%, whereas decay-accelerating factor expression was unchanged. The increase in CD59 following laminar shear was functionally significant, reducing C9 deposition and complement-mediated lysis of flow-conditioned endothelial cells by 50%. Although CD59 induction was independent of PI3-K, ERK1/2 and nitric oxide, an RNA interference approach demonstrated dependence upon an ERK5/KLF2 signaling pathway. In contrast to laminar shear stress, disturbed flow failed to induce endothelial cell CD59 protein expression. Likewise, CD59 expression on vascular endothelium was significantly higher in atheroresistant regions of the murine aorta exposed to unidirectional laminar shear stress, when compared with atheroprone areas exposed to disturbed flow. We propose that up-regulation of CD59 via ERK5/KLF2 activation leads to endothelial resistance to complement-mediated injury and protects from atherogenesis in regions of laminar shear stress.