Expression of VEGFR-2 on HaCaT cells is regulated by VEGF and plays an active role in mediating VEGF induced effects

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor VEGFR-2 play important roles in mitogenesis and chemotaxis of endothelial cells. In normal human skin, VEGF is expressed and secreted by epidermal keratinocytes. Emerging data suggest that keratinocyte-derived VEGF targets other cell types besides the dermal endothelial cells. We have recently showed that keratinocytes from human normal skin expressed all five known VEGF receptors and co-receptors (neuropilin 1 and 2). To define the functional significance of VEGFR-2 in epidermis, we examined its role in a keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT cells, in response to VEGF treatment. Expression of VEGFR-2 on HaCaT cells was confirmed at both RNA and protein levels and was regulated by VEGF165 treatment. Treatment of HaCaT cells with VEGF165 induced tyrosine-autophosphorylation of VEGFR-2 and phosphorylation of PLC-gamma and p44/42 MAPK in a time-dependent manner. Preincubation with a neutralizing antibody for VEGFR-2 (MAB3571) completely abrogated these phosphorylation effects. Furthermore, VEGF165 stimulated proliferation and migration of HaCaT cells, and this effect was significantly blocked by a pretreatment with MAB3571. Neutralizing VEGFR-2 in HaCaT cells increased cell adhesion during culture. Our results suggest that VEGFR-2 expressed on HaCaT cells plays a crucial role in VEGF-mediated regulation of cell activity.     

Acute local subcutaneous VEGF165 injection for augmentation of skin flap viability: efficacy and mechanism

Distal skin ischemic necrosis is a common complication in skin flap surgery. The pathogenesis of skin flap ischemic necrosis is unclear, and there is no clinical treatment available. Here, we used the 4 x 10 cm rat dorsal skin flap model to test our hypothesis that subcutaneous injection of vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165) in skin flaps at the time of surgery is effective in augmentation of skin flap viability, which is associated with an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production, and the mechanism involves 1) an increase in skin flap blood flow in the early stage after surgery and 2) enhanced angiogenesis subsequently to sustain increased skin flap blood flow and viability. We observed that subcutaneous injection of VEGF165 in skin flaps at the time of surgery increased skin flap viability in a dose-dependent manner. Subcutaneous injection of VEGF165 at the dose of 2 microg/flap increased skin flap viability by 28% (P < 0.05; n = 8). Over 80% of this effect was blocked by intramuscular injection of the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine (13 mg/kg) 45 min before surgery (P < 0.05; n = 8). The VEGF165 treatment also increased skin flap blood flow (2.68 +/- 0.63 ml x min(-1) x 100 g(-1)) compared with the control (1.26 +/- 0.10 ml x min(-1) x 100 g(-1); P < 0.05, n = 6) assessed 6 h postoperatively. There was no change in skin flap capillary density at this time point. VEGF165-induced increase in capillary density (32.2 +/- 1.1 capillaries/mm2; P < 0.05, n = 7) compared with control (24.6 +/- 1.4 capillaries/mm2) was seen 7 days postoperatively. There was also evidence to indicate that VEGF165-induced NO production in skin flaps was stimulated by activation of NOS activity followed by upregulation of NOS protein expression. These observations support our hypothesis and for the first time provide an important insight into the mechanism of acute local VEGF165 protein therapy in mitigation of skin flap ischemic necrosis.     

Pleiotrophin induces nitric oxide dependent migration of endothelial progenitor cells

Pleiotrophin (PTN) is produced under ischemic conditions and has been shown to induce angiogenesis in vivo. We studied whether or not PTN exerts chemotaxis of pro-angiogenic early endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), a population of circulating cells that have been reported to participate in and stimulate angiogenesis. Chemotaxis of EPCs, isolated from blood of healthy humans (n = 5), was measured in transwell assays. PTN at 10-500 ng/ml elicited dose-dependent chemotaxis of both EPCs and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), but not of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMCs) and T98G glioblastoma cells that lack PTN receptors. The degree of chemotaxis was comparable to that induced by the angiogenic factors VEGF and SDF-1alpha. Chemotaxis to PTN was blocked by the NOS inhibitors L-NNA and L-NMMA, the NO scavenger PTIO, the phosphoinositide-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin, and the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor ODQ, suggesting dependence of EPC chemotaxis on these pathways. PTN induced NOS-dependent production of NO to a similar degree as did VEGF, as indicated by the NO indicator DAF-2. PTN increased proliferation in EPCs and HUVECs to a similar extent as VEGF, but did not induce proliferation of CASMCs. While L-NNA abolished PTN-induced migration in EPCs and HUVECs, it did not inhibit PTN- and VEGF-enhanced proliferation and also caused proliferation by itself. These data suggest that PTN may mediate its pro-angiogenic effects by increasing the local number of not only endothelial cells but also early EPCs at angiogenic sites.     

Src-mediated phosphorylation of Hsp90 in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is required for VEGF receptor-2 signaling to endothelial NO synthase

Nitric oxide (NO) release from endothelial cells, via endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) activation, is central to the proangiogenic actions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF signaling to eNOS is principally mediated by an Akt-dependent phosphorylation of eNOS and by increased association of eNOS to the molecular chaperone, heat-shock protein 90 kDa (Hsp90). Herein, we report that VEGFR-2 activation induces tyrosine phosphorylation of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2)-associated Hsp90beta. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Hsp90beta in response to VEGF is dependent on internalization of the VEGFR-2 and on Src kinase activation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that c-Src directly phosphorylates Hsp90 on tyrosine 300 residue and that this event is essential for VEGF-stimulated eNOS association to Hsp90 and thus NO release from endothelial cells. Our work identifies Y300 phosphorylation of Hsp90 as a novel regulated posttranslational modification of the chaperone and demonstrates its importance in the proangiogenic actions of VEGF, namely by regulating NO release from endothelial cells.     

Integrin affinity modulation in angiogenesis

Integrins, transmembrane glycoprotein receptors, play vital roles in pathological angiogenesis, but their precise regulatory functions are not completely understood and remain controversial. This study aims to assess the regulatory functions of individual beta subunits of endothelial integrins in angiogenic responses induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Inhibition of expression of β1, β3, or β5 integrins in endothelial cells resulted in down regulation of EC adhesion and migration on the primary ligand for the corresponding integrin receptor, while no effects on the recognition of other ligands were detected. Although inhibition of expression of each subunit substantially affected capillary growth stimulated by VEGF, the loss of β3 integrin was the most inhibitory. EC stimulation by VEGF induced formation of the high affinity (activated) state of αVβ3 in a monolayer and activated αVβ3 was co-localized with VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Inhibition of expression of β1, β3, or β5 did not affect expression levels of VEGFR-2 in EC. However, inhibition of β3, but not β1 or β5, resulted in substantial inhibition of VEGFR-2 phosphorylation stimulated by VEGF. Exogenous stimulation of αVβ3 integrin with activating antibodies augmented VEGF-dependent phosphorylation of VEGFR-2, whereas integrin blockade suppressed this response. Most importantly, activated αVβ3 was detected on endothelial cells of tumor vasculature. Activation of αVβ3 was substantially increased in highly-vascularized tumors as compared to normal tissues. Moreover, activated αVβ3 was co-localized with VEGFR-2 on endothelial cells of proliferating blood vessels. Together, these results show the unique role of αVβ3 integrin in cross-talk with VEGFR-2 in the context of pathological angiogenesis.     

Nitric oxide mediates the mitogenic effects of insulin and vascular endothelial growth factor but not of leptin in endothelial cells

The regulation of vascular wall homeostasis by nitric oxide (NO) generated by endothelium is being intensively studied. In the present paper, the involvement of NO in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin or leptin-stimulated proliferation of human endothelial cells (HUVEC) was measured by [3H]thymidine or bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. VEGF and insulin, but not leptin, increased NO generation in HUVEC, as detected with ISO-NO electrode. Proliferation of HUVEC induced by leptin was not changed or was higher in the presence of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor. In contrast, L-NAME blunted the proproliferative effect of VEGF and insulin. Furthermore, we demonstrated that, in human arterial smooth muscle cells (hASMC) transfected with endothelial NOS (eNOS) gene, the generation of biologically active VEGF protein was NO-dependent. Inhibition of NO generation by L-NAME decreased the synthesis of VEGF protein and attenuated HUVEC proliferation induced by conditioned media from transfected hASMC. Endothelium-derived NO seems to participate in VEGF and insulin, but not leptin, mitogenic activity. Additionally, the small amounts of NO released from endothelial cells, as mimicked by eNOS transfection into hASMC, may activate generation of VEGF in sub-endothelial smooth muscle cells, leading to increased synthesis of VEGF protein necessary for turnover and restitution of endothelial cells.     

The vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF165 induces perlecan synthesis via VEGF receptor-2 in cultured human brain microvascular endothelial cells

A member of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family, VEGF165, regulates vascular endothelial cell functions in autocrine and paracrine fashions in microvessels. Proteoglycans are highly glycosylated poly-anionic macromolecules that influence cellular behaviors such as proliferation and migration by interacting with cytokines/growth factors. In the present study, we investigated the regulation of proteoglycan synthesis by VEGF165 in cultured human brain microvascular endothelial cells. The cells were exposed to recombinant human VEGF165, and the proteoglycans were then characterized using biochemical techniques. VEGF165 treatment increased the accumulation of proteoglycans 1.4- and 1.6-fold in the cell layer and conditioned medium, respectively. This effect resulted from the activation of VEGFR-2, and was mimicked by vammin, a VEGFR-2 ligand from snake venom but not placenta growth factor, which binds specifically to VEGFR-1. VEGF165 stimulated the production and secretion of perlecan, substituted with shorter heparan sulfate side chains, but with unaltered sulfated disaccharide composition. The perlecan secreted by VEGF165-stimulated endothelial cells may be involved in the regulation of cellular behavior during angiogenesis, in diseases of the brain microvessels, and in the maintenance of the endothelial cell monolayer.     

Proteolytic processing regulates receptor specificity and activity of VEGF-C.

The recently identified vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) belongs to the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)/VEGF family of growth factors and is a ligand for the endothelial-specific receptor tyrosine kinases VEGFR-3 and VEGFR-2. The VEGF homology domain spans only about one-third of the cysteine-rich VEGF-C precursor. Here we have analysed the role of post-translational processing in VEGF-C secretion and function, as well as the structure of the mature VEGF-C. The stepwise proteolytic processing of VEGF-C generated several VEGF-C forms with increased activity towards VEGFR-3, but only the fully processed VEGF-C could activate VEGFR-2. Recombinant 'mature' VEGF-C made in yeast bound VEGFR-3 (K[D] = 135 pM) and VEGFR-2 (K[D] = 410 pM) and activated these receptors. Like VEGF, mature VEGF-C increased vascular permeability, as well as the migration and proliferation of endothelial cells. Unlike other members of the PDGF/VEGF family, mature VEGF-C formed mostly non-covalent homodimers. These data implicate proteolytic processing as a regulator of VEGF-C activity, and reveal novel structure-function relationships in the PDGF/VEGF family.     

Role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in regulation of vascular and ductus arteriosus tone in the ovine fetus

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by NO synthase (NOS) and contributes to the regulation of vascular tone in the perinatal lung. Although the neuronal or type I NOS (NOS I) isoform has been identified in the fetal lung, it is not known whether NO produced by the NOS I isoform plays a role in fetal pulmonary vasoregulation. To study the potential contribution of NOS I in the regulation of basal fetal pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), we studied the hemodynamic effects of a selective NOS I antagonist, 7-nitroindazole (7-NINA), and a nonselective NOS antagonist, N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), in chronically prepared fetal lambs (mean age 128 +/- 3 days, term 147 days). Brief intrapulmonary infusions of 7-NINA (1 mg) increased basal PVR by 37% (P < 0.05). The maximum increase in PVR occurred within 20 min after infusion, and PVR remained elevated for up to 60 min. Treatment with 7-NINA also increased the pressure gradient between the pulmonary artery and aorta, suggesting constriction of the ductus arteriosus (DA). To test whether 7-NINA treatment selectively inhibits the NOS I isoform, we studied the effects of 7-NINA and L-NNA on acetylcholine-induced pulmonary vasodilation. The vasodilator response to acetylcholine remained intact after treatment with 7-NINA but was completely inhibited after L-NNA, suggesting minimal effects on endothelial or type III NOS after 7-NINA infusion. Western blot analysis detected NOS I protein in the fetal lung and great vessels including the DA. NOS I protein was detected in intact and endothelium-denuded vessels, suggesting that NOS I is present in the medial or adventitial layer. We conclude that 7-NINA, a selective NOS I antagonist, increases basal PVR, systemic arterial pressure, and DA tone in the late-gestation fetus and that NOS I protein is present in the fetal lung and great vessels. We speculate that NOS I may contribute to NO production in the regulation of basal vascular tone in the pulmonary and systemic circulations and the DA.     

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor induces vascular endothelial growth factor production in skeletal muscle and promotes tumor angiogenesis

Although M-CSF has been used for myelosuppression due to chemotherapy in patients with solid tumors, the effect of exogenous M-CSF on tumor angiogenesis has not been studied. In this study we showed that M-CSF has the ability to accelerate solid tumor growth by enhancing angiogenesis with a novel mechanism. M-CSF accelerated intratumoral vessel density in tumors inoculated into mice, although it did not accelerate the proliferation of malignant cells and cultured endothelial cells in vitro. In both the absence and the presence of tumors, M-CSF significantly increased the circulating cells that displayed phenotypic characteristics of endothelial progenitor cells in mice. Moreover, M-CSF treatment induced the systemic elevation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitor significantly impaired the effect of M-CSF on tumor growth. In vivo, M-CSF increased VEGF mRNA expression in skeletal muscles. Even after treatment with carageenan and anti-CD11b mAb in mice, M-CSF increased VEGF production in skeletal muscles, suggesting that systemic VEGF elevation was attributed to skeletal muscle VEGF production. In vitro, M-CSF increased VEGF production and activated the Akt signaling pathway in C2C12 myotubes. These results suggest that M-CSF promotes tumor growth by increasing endothelial progenitor cells and activating angiogenesis, and the effects of M-CSF are largely based on the induction of systemic VEGF from skeletal muscles.     

Identification of PDCL3 as a Novel Chaperone Protein Involved in the Generation of Functional VEGF Receptor 2

Angiogenesis, a hallmark step in tumor metastasis and ocular neovascularization, is driven primarily by the function of VEGF ligand on one of its receptors, VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). Central to the proliferation and ensuing angiogenesis of endothelial cells, the abundance of VEGFR-2 on the surface of endothelial cells is essential for VEGF to recognize and activate VEGFR-2. We have identified phosducin-like 3 (PDCL3, also known as PhLP2A), through a yeast two-hybrid system, as a novel protein involved in the stabilization of VEGFR-2 by serving as a chaperone. PDCL3 binds to the juxtamembrane domain of VEGFR-2 and controls the abundance of VEGFR-2 by inhibiting its ubiquitination and degradation. PDCL3 increases VEGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and is required for VEGFR-2-dependent endothelial capillary tube formation and proliferation. Taken together, our data provide strong evidence for the role of PDCL3 in angiogenesis and establishes the molecular mechanism by which it regulates VEGFR-2 expression and function.     

Fibroblast growth factor-2-mediated capillary morphogenesis of endothelial cells requires signals via Flt-1/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1: possible involvement of c-Akt

Capillary morphogenesis is a crucial angiogenic response of endothelial cells. Although fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) potently induces capillary morphogenesis, the contribution of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) in this response has not been clarified well. Here we examined the role of VEGF signaling in FGF-2-induced capillary morphogenesis by murine brain capillary endothelial cells (IBE cells) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. FGF-2-treated IBE cells rapidly extended on Matrigel in association with actin reorganization. Chimeric protein, of which the extracellular domain of VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) fused to immunoglobulin Fc, inhibited FGF-2-induced cell extension, resulting in decreased capillary morphogenesis. Blocking antibody against VEGFR-1 inhibited FGF-2-induced capillary formation. Also, anti-VEGF-A antibody inhibited FGF-2-induced capillary morphogenesis, which was restored by the addition of placental growth factor-1. Similar results were obtained by the experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Expression of kinase-inactive c-Akt in IBE cells showed impaired capillary morphogenesis promoted by FGF-2. Conversely, stable cell lines expressing activated c-Akt demonstrated ligand-independent capillaries, which were resistant to the treatment with anti-VEGFR-1 blocking antibody. Upstream of c-Akt, calmodulin-dependent signals seemed to be involved. Taken together, signals via VEGFR-1 were required for FGF-2-induced capillary morphogenesis by endothelial cells, and c-Akt activity seemed to be involved in this process.     

Endogenous production of nitric oxide by vascular endothelial growth factor down-regulates proliferation of choriocarcinoma cells

The trophoblast-like choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo expresses a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and proliferates in response to VEGF. Nitric oxide (NO) seems to play a key role in the VEGF-induced proliferation of endothelial cells but the NO mechanistic regulation of VEGF-stimulated trophoblast proliferation is presently unclear. We assessed the effect of exogenous VEGF on BeWo cell proliferation by [3H]thymidine incorporation. The VEGF-induced proliferation of BeWo cells was significantly increased by the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), but was inhibited by the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside. Treatment of the cells with 10 ng/ml of VEGF increased not only eNOS expression but also NO production. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family was activated by VEGF as demonstrated by the phosphorylation of Erk in Western blots. The effects of VEGF on NO production and the expression of endothelial NOS (eNOS) were attenuated by treating BeWo cells with the selective inhibitor of MAPK kinase, PD98059. VEGF-stimulated proliferation of BeWo cells was inhibited by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein but increased by PD98059. Other kinase inhibitors, including LY294002 (phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor) and SB203580 (P38 MAPK inhibitor), had no effect on the proliferation of the cells and NO production. These results indicate that endogenous NO production down-regulates the VEGF-stimulated proliferation of BeWo cells and that the activation of Erk plays an important role in this mechanism.     

Lipocortin V may function as a signaling protein for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2/Flk-1.

Binding of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to its receptor, VEGFR-2 (Flk-1/KDR), induces dimerization and activation of the tyrosine kinase domain of the receptor, resulting in autophosphorylation of cytoplasmic tyrosine residues used as docking sites for signaling proteins that relay the signals for cell proliferation, migration, and permeability enhancement. We explored the VEGF/receptor signaling pathway by performing a two-hybrid screen of a rat lung cDNA library in yeast using the intracellular domain of rat VEGFR-2 as bait. Two clones encoding lipocortin V were isolated. Subsequent studies with the yeast two-hybrid assay showed that the complete intracellular domain of VEGFR-2 was required for the interaction. Co-immunoprecipitation of translated proteins confirmed the interaction between the VEGF receptor and lipocortin V. VEGF induced a rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of lipocortin V in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Pretreatment of HUVEC with antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN) for lipocortin V significantly inhibited VEGF-induced cell proliferation, which was accompanied by a decrease in protein synthesis and tyrosine phosphorylation of lipocortin V. Our results indicate that lipocortin V may function as a signaling protein for VEGFR-2 by directly interacting with the intracellular domain of the receptor and appears to be involved in regulation of vascular endothelial cell proliferation mediated by VEGFR-2.     

DDAH1 Deficiency Attenuates Endothelial Cell Cycle Progression and Angiogenesis

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS). ADMA is eliminated largely by the action of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase1 (DDAH1). Decreased DDAH activity is found in several pathological conditions and is associated with increased risk of vascular disease. Overexpression of DDAH1 has been shown to augment endothelial proliferation and angiogenesis. To better understand the mechanism by which DDAH1 influences endothelial proliferation, this study examined the effect of DDAH1 deficiency on cell cycle progression and the expression of some cell cycle master regulatory proteins. DDAH1 KO decreased in vivo Matrigel angiogenesis and depressed endothelial repair in a mouse model of carotid artery wire injury. DDAH1 deficiency decreased VEGF expression in HUVEC and increased NF1 expression in both HUVEC and DDAH1 KO mice. The expression of active Ras could overcome the decreased VEGF expression caused by the DDAH1 depletion. The addition of VEGF and knockdown NF1 could both restore proliferation in cells with DDAH1 depletion. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that DDAH1 sRNAi knockdown in HUVEC caused G1 and G2/M arrest that was associated with decreased expression of CDC2, CDC25C, cyclin D1 and cyclin E. MEF cells from DDAH1 KO mice also demonstrated G2/M arrest that was associated with decreased cyclin D1 expression and Akt activity. Our findings indicate that DDAH1 exerts effects on cyclin D1 and cyclin E expression through multiple mechanisms, including VEGF, the NO/cGMP/PKG pathway, the Ras/PI3K/Akt pathway, and NF1 expression. Loss of DDAH1 effects on these pathways results in impaired endothelial cell proliferation and decreased angiogenesis. The findings provide background information that may be useful in the development of therapeutic strategies to manipulate DDAH1 expression in cardiovascular diseases or tumor angiogenesis.     

Receptor chimeras indicate that the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) modulates mitogenic activity of VEGFR-2 in endothelial cells

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) provokes angiogenesis in vivo and stimulates growth and differentiation of endothelial cells in vitro. Although VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) and VEGFR-2 are known to be high affinity receptors for VEGF, it is not clear which of the VEGFRs are responsible for the transmission of the diverse biological responses of VEGF. For this purpose we have constructed a chimeric receptor for VEGFR-1 (CTR) and VEGFR-2 (CKR) in which the extracellular domain of each receptor was replaced with the extracellular domain of human colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R), and these receptors were expressed in pig aortic endothelial (PAE) cells. We show that CKR individually expressed in PAE cells is readily tyrosine-phosphorylated in vivo, autophosphorylated in vitro, and stimulates cell proliferation in a CSF-1-dependent manner. In contrast, CTR individually expressed in PAE cells showed no significant in vivo, in vitro tyrosine phosphorylation and cell growth in response to CSF-1 stimulation. The kinase activity of CKR was essential for its biological activity, since mutation of lysine 866 to arginine abolished its in vivo, in vitro tyrosine phosphorylation and mitogenic signals. Remarkably, activation of CTR repressed CKR-mediated mitogen-activate protein kinase activation and cell proliferation. Similar effects were observed for VEGFR-2 co-expressed with VEGFR-1. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that VEGFR-2 activation plays a positive role in angiogenesis by promoting endothelial cell proliferation. In contrast, activation of VEGFR-1 plays a stationary role in angiogenesis by antagonizing VEGFR-2 responses.     

Exogenous recombinant dimeric neuropilin-1 is sufficient to drive angiogenesis

Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) is present on the cell surface of endothelial cells, or as a soluble truncated variant. Membrane NRP-1 is proposed to enhance angiogenesis by promoting the formation of a signaling complex between vascular endothelial growth factor-A(165) (VEGF-A(165)), VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and heparan sulfate, whereas the soluble NRP-1 is thought to act as an antagonist of signaling complex formation. We have analyzed the angiogenic potential of a chimera comprising the entire extracellular NRP-1 region dimerized through an Fc IgG domain and a monomeric truncated NRP-1 variant. Both NRP-1 proteins stimulated tubular morphogenesis and cell migration in HDMECs and HUVECs. Fc rNRP-1 was able to induce VEGFR-2 phosphorylation and expression of the VEGFR-2 specific target, regulator of calcineurin-1 (RCAN1.4). siRNA mediated gene silencing of VEGFR-2 revealed that VEGFR-2 was required for Fc rNRP-1 mediated activation of the intracellular signaling proteins PLC-γ, AKT, and MAPK and tubular morphogenesis. The stimulatory activity was independent of VEGF-A(165). This was evidenced by depleting the cell culture of exogenous VEGF-A(165), and using instead for routine culture VEGF-A(121), which does not interact with NRP-1, and by the inability of VEGF-A sequestering antibodies to inhibit the angiogenic activity of the NRP proteins. Analysis of angiogenesis over a period of 6 days in an in vitro fibroblast/endothelial co-culture model revealed that Fc rNRP-1 could induce endothelial cell tubular morphogenesis. Thus, we conclude that soluble Fc rNRP-1 is a VEGF-A(165)-independent agonist of VEGFR-2 and stimulates angiogenesis in endothelial cells.     

Heparan sulfate in trans potentiates VEGFR-mediated angiogenesis

Several receptor tyrosine kinases require heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) as coreceptors for efficient signal transduction. We have studied the role of HSPGs in the development of blood capillary structures from embryonic stem cells, a process strictly dependent on signaling via vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). We show, by using chimeric cultures of embryonic stem cells defective in either HS production or VEGFR-2 synthesis, that VEGF signaling in endothelial cells is fully supported by HS expressed in trans by adjacent perivascular smooth muscle cells. Transactivation of VEGFR-2 leads to prolonged and enhanced signal transduction due to HS-dependent trapping of the active VEGFR-2 signaling complex. Our data imply that direct signaling via HSPG core proteins is dispensable for a functional VEGF response in endothelial cells. We propose that transactivation of tyrosine kinase receptors by HSPGs constitutes a mechanism for crosstalk between adjacent cells.     

Myoferlin regulates vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 stability and function

Myoferlin and dysferlin are members of the ferlin family of membrane proteins. Recent studies have shown that mutation or genetic disruption of myoferlin or dysferlin promotes muscular dystrophy-related phenotypes in mice, which are the result of impaired plasma membrane integrity. However, no biological functions have been ascribed to myoferlin in non-muscle tissues. Herein, using a proteomic analysis of endothelial cell (EC) caveolae/lipid raft microdomains we identified myoferlin in these domains and show that myoferlin is highly expressed in ECs and vascular tissues. The loss of myoferlin results in lack of proliferation, migration, and nitric oxide (NO) release in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Western blotting and surface biotinylation experiments show that loss of myoferlin reduces the expression level and autophosphorylation of VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) in native ECs. In a reconstituted cell system, transfection of myoferlin increases VEGFR-2 membrane expression and autophosphorylation in response to VEGF. In vivo, VEGFR-2 levels and VEGF-induced permeability are impaired in myoferlin-deficient mice. Mechanistically, myoferlin forms a complex with dynamin-2 and VEGFR-2, which prevents CBL-dependent VEGFR-2 polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. These data are the first to report novel biological activities for myoferlin and reveal the role of membrane integrity to VEGF signaling.