Insulin-like growth factor 1 induces hypoxia-inducible factor 1-mediated vascular endothelial growth factor expression,which is dependent on MAP kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling in colon cancer cells

Stimulation of human colon cancer cells with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) induces expression of the VEGF gene, encoding vascular endothelial growth factor. In this article we demonstrate that exposure of HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells to IGF-1 induces the expression of HIF-1 alpha, the regulated subunit of hypoxia-inducible factor 1, a known transactivator of the VEGF gene. In contrast to hypoxia, which induces HIF-1 alpha expression by inhibiting its ubiquitination and degradation, IGF-1 did not inhibit these processes, indicating an effect on HIF-1 alpha protein synthesis. IGF-1 stimulation of HIF-1 alpha protein and VEGF mRNA expression was inhibited by treating cells with inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and MAP kinase signaling pathways. These inhibitors also blocked the IGF-1-induced phosphorylation of the translational regulatory proteins 4E-BP1, p70 S6 kinase, and eIF-4E, thus providing a mechanism for the modulation of HIF-1 alpha protein synthesis. Forced expression of a constitutively active form of the MAP kinase kinase, MEK2, was sufficient to induce HIF-1 alpha protein and VEGF mRNA expression. Involvement of the MAP kinase pathway represents a novel mechanism for the induction of HIF-1 alpha protein expression in human cancer cells.     

Enhancement of ischemia-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv1.2 by vascular endothelial growth factor via activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

Our studies observed that, consistent with the literature, ischemic/hypoxic insults increased the expression of voltage-gated potassium channel (Kv) 1.2 potassium channel as well as elevating the endogenous level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in neurons of adult rat brain following middle cerebral artery occlusion and in SH-SY5Y cells after hypoxia and glucose deprivation. Concomitantly, we also observed that ischemic injury increased the tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv 1.2 in in vivo and in vitro; the introduction of exogenous VEGF could attenuate cell death in in vitro models. Furthermore, we found that the protective effect of VEGF is mediated through its up-regulative actions on the tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv 1.2, which in turn has a direct influence on cell viability after ischemic insult. In substantiation of this result, we used anti-sense methodology to suppress the expression of endogenous VEGF, which significantly inhibited the tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv 1.2 and increased cell death elicited by ischemic/hypoxic injury. Finally, the enhancement of the tyrosine phosphorylation of the channel by VEGF in neuronal cells was significantly attenuated in the presence of wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K), or genestin, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, thus suggesting that the phosphorylation of Kv 1.2 induced by VEGF is mechanistically linked to the PI3-K pathway.     

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.     

Vascular endothelial growth factor protects spinal cord motoneurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective death of motoneurons. Recently, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been identified as a neurotrophic factor and has been implicated in the mechanisms of pathogenesis of ALS and other neurological diseases. The potential neuroprotective effects of VEGF in a rat spinal cord organotypic culture were studied in a model of chronic glutamate excitotoxicity in which glutamate transporters are inhibited by threohydroxyaspartate (THA). Particularly, we focused on the effects of VEGF in the survival and vulnerability to excitotoxicity of spinal cord motoneurons. VEGF receptor-2 was present on spinal cord neurons, including motoneurons. Chronic (3 weeks) treatment with THA induced a significant loss of motoneurons that was inhibited by co-exposure to VEGF (50 ng/mL). VEGF activated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt (PI3-K/Akt) signal transduction pathway in the spinal cord cultures, and the effect on motoneuron survival was fully reversed by the specific PI3-K inhibitor, LY294002. VEGF also prevented the down-regulation of Bcl-2 and survivin, two proteins implicated in anti-apoptotic and/or anti-excitotoxic effects, after THA exposure. Together, these findings indicate that VEGF has neuroprotective effects in rat spinal cord against chronic glutamate excitotoxicity by activating the PI3-K/Akt signal transduction pathway and also reinforce the hypothesis of the potential therapeutic effects of VEGF in the prevention of motoneuron degeneration in human ALS.     

An inhibitory role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-signaling pathway in vascular endothelial growth factor-induced tissue factor expression.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is not only essential for vasculogenesis and angiogenesis but is also capable of inducing tissue factor, the prime initiator of coagulation, in endothelial cells. In this study we have analyzed the VEGF-elicited pathways involved in the induction of tissue factor in human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells. Using specific low molecular weight inhibitors we could demonstrate a crucial role of the p38 and Erk-1/2 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. In contrast, treatment with wortmannin or LY294002, inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase, resulted in a strong enhancement of the VEGF-induced tissue factor production, indicating a negative regulatory role of the PI3-kinase on tissue factor-inducing pathways. Accordingly, transduction with constitutively active Akt led to a reduction of VEGF-induced tissue factor production. Western blot analyses using antibodies specific for phosphorylated p38 showed an enhanced activation of this MAP kinase in human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells when stimulated with VEGF in the presence of wortmannin in comparison to either agent alone. Thus, the negative regulation of the PI3-kinase pathway on endothelial tissue factor activity can be explained at least in part by a suppression of this MAP kinase-signaling pathway. This is the first demonstration of a reciprocal relationship between procoagulant activity and the PI3-kinase-Akt signaling pathway, and it reveals a novel mechanism by which tissue factor expression can be controlled in endothelial cells.     

The role of c-Fes in vascular endothelial growth factor-A-mediated signaling by endothelial cells

c-Fes plays pivotal roles in angiogenic cellular responses of endothelial cells. Here we examined the role of c-Fes in vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A)-mediated signaling pathways in endothelial cells. We introduced either wild-type or kinase-inactive c-Fes in porcine aortic endothelial (PAE) cell lines, which endogenously express VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-1, and PAE cells ectopically expressing VEGFR-2 (denoted KDR/PAE cells) and generated stable cell lines. VEGF-A induced autophosphorylation of c-Fes only in KDR/PAE cells, suggesting that VEGFR-2 was required for its activation. Expression of kinase-inactive c-Fes failed to demonstrate dominant negative effect on VEGF-A-induced chemotaxis and capillary morphogenesis. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) was activated in KDR/PAE cells and c-Fes contributed to this process in a kinase activity-dependent manner. However, VEGFR-2, insulin receptor substrate-1, and c-Src were also involved in VEGF-A-induced activation of PI3-kinase, resulting in the compensation in cells expressing kinase-inactive c-Fes. Interestingly, overexpression of wild-type c-Fes in PAE cells induced VEGF-A-independent capillary morphogenesis. Considered collectively, VEGF-A activated PI3-kinase partly through c-Fes and increase in c-Fes kinase activity enhanced capillary morphogenesis by yet unknown signaling pathways.     

Intracellular movement of green fluorescent protein-tagged phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in response to growth factor receptor signaling.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) is a lipid kinase which has been implicated in mitogenesis, protein trafficking, inhibition of apoptosis, and integrin and actin functions. Here we show using a green fluorescent protein-tagged p85 subunit that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is distributed throughout the cytoplasm and is localized to focal adhesion complexes in resting NIH-3T3, A431, and MCF-7 cells. Ligand stimulation of an epidermal growth factor receptor/c-erbB-3 chimera expressed in these cells results in a redistribution of p85 to the cell membrane which is independent of the catalytic activity of the enzyme and the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton. The movement is, however, dependent on the phosphorylation status of the erbB-3 chimera. Using rhodamine-labeled epidermal growth factor we show that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the receptors colocalize in discrete patches on the cell surface. Low concentrations of ligand cause patching only at the periphery of the cells, whereas at high concentrations patches were seen over the whole cell surface. Using green fluorescent protein-tagged fragments of p85 we show that binding to the receptor requires the NH(2)-terminal part of the protein as well as its SH2 domains.     

A novel role of vascular endothelial cadherin in modulating c-Src activation and downstream signaling of vascular endothelial growth factor

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent mediator of angiogenesis and vascular permeability, in which c-Src tyrosine kinase plays an essential role. However, the mechanisms by which VEGF stimulates c-Src activation have remained unclear. Here, we demonstrate that vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) plays a critical role in regulating c-Src activation in response to VEGF. In vascular endothelial cells, VE-cadherin was basally associated with c-Src and Csk (C-terminal Src kinase), a negative regulator of Src activation. VEGF stimulated Csk release from VE-cadherin by recruiting the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 to VE-cadherin signaling complex, leading to an increase in c-Src activation. Silencing VE-cadherin with small interference RNA significantly reduced VEGF-stimulated c-Src activation. Disrupting the association of VE-cadherin and Csk through the reconstitution of Csk binding-defective mutant of VE-cadherin also diminished Src activation. Moreover, inhibiting SHP2 by small interference RNA and adenovirus-mediated expression of a catalytically inactive mutant of SHP2 attenuated c-Src activation by blocking the disassociation of Csk from VE-cadherin. Furthermore, VE-cadherin and SHP2 differentially regulates VEGF downstream signaling. The inhibition of c-Src, VE-cadherin, and SHP2 diminished VEGF-mediated activation of Akt and endothelial nitric-oxide synthase. In contrast, inhibiting VE-cadherin and SHP2 enhanced ERK1/2 activation in response to VEGF. These findings reveal a novel role for VE-cadherin in modulating c-Src activation in VEGF signaling, thus providing new insights into the importance of VE-cadherin in VEGF signaling and vascular function.     

Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase sensitizes vascular endothelial cells to cytokine-initiated cathepsin-dependent apoptosis

In the presence of cycloheximide, tumor necrosis factor or interleukin-1 initiates caspase activation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi), DNA degradation, and nuclear condensation and fragmentation characteristic of apoptotic cell death in human vascular endothelial cells (EC). Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) by LY294002, but not inhibition of Akt by dominant-negative mutation, also sensitizes EC to cytokine-initiated apoptosis. Cytokine-initiated caspase activation is slower and comparatively less with LY294002 than with cycloheximide. Cycloheximide but not LY294002 decreases expression of c-FLIP (cellular FLICE inhibitory protein), an inhibitor of caspase-8 activation. The caspase inhibitor zVADfmk completely blocks caspase activation, DNA degradation, and nuclear fragmentation in both cases but only prevents loss of DeltaPsi and cell death for cytokine plus cycloheximide treatment. In contrast, overexpression of Bcl-2 protects EC treated with cytokine plus LY294002 but not EC treated with cytokine plus cycloheximide. The cathepsin B inhibitor CA-074-Me prevents loss of DeltaPsi, caspase activation, and cell death for EC treated with cytokine plus LY294002 but has no effect on EC treated with cytokine plus cycloheximide. Cathepsin B translocates from lysosomes to cytosol following treatment with LY294002 prior to the activation of caspases. These results suggest that inhibition of PI3K allows cytokines to activate a cathepsin-dependent, mitochondrial death pathway in which caspase activation is secondary, is not inhibited by c-FLIP, and is not essential for cell death.     

Etk/Bmx transactivates vascular endothelial growth factor 2 and recruits phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase to mediate the tumor necrosis factor-induced angiogenic pathway

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), via its receptor 2 (TNFR2), induces Etk (or Bmx) activation and Etk-dependent endothelial cell (EC) migration and tube formation. Because TNF receptor 2 lacks an intrinsic kinase activity, we examined the kinase(s) mediating TNF-induced Etk activation. TNF induces a coordinated phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and Etk, which is blocked by VEGFR2-specific inhibitors. In response to TNF, Etk and VEGFR2 form a complex resulting in a reciprocal activation between the two kinases. Subsequently, the downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling (but not signaling through phospholipase C-gamma) was initiated and directly led to TNF-induced EC migration, which was significantly inhibited by VEGFR2-, PI3K-, or Akt-specific inhibitors. Phosphorylation of VEGFR2 at Tyr-801 and Tyr-1175, the critical sites for VEGF-induced PI3K-Akt signaling, was not involved in TNF-mediated Akt activation. However, TNF induces phosphorylation of Etk at Tyr-566, directly mediating the recruitment of the p85 subunit of PI3K. Furthermore, TNF- but not VEGF-induced activation of VEGFR2, Akt, and EC migration are blunted in EC genetically deficient with Etk. Taken together, our data demonstrated that TNF induces transactivation between Etk and VEGFR2, and Etk directly activates PI3K-Akt angiogenic signaling independent of VEGF-induced VEGFR2-PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.     

Identification of tyrosine residues in vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2/FLK-1 involved in activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and cell proliferation

Activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) plays a critical role in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. However, the mechanism by which VEGFR-2 activation elicits these cellular events is not fully understood. We recently constructed a chimeric receptor containing the extracellular domain of human CSF-1R/c-fms, fused with the entire transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of murine VEGFR-2 (Rahimi, N., Dayanir, V., and Lashkari, K. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 16986-16992). In this study we used VEGFR-2 chimera (herein named CKR) to elucidate the signal transduction relay of VEGFR-2 in porcine aortic endothelial (PAE) cells. Mutation of tyrosines 799 and 1173 individually on CKR resulted in partial loss of CKR's ability to stimulate cell growth. Double mutation of these sites caused total loss of CKR's ability to stimulate cell growth. Interestingly, mutation of these sites had no effect on the ability of CKR to stimulate cell migration. Further analysis revealed that tyrosines 799 and 1173 are docking sites for p85 of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Pretreatment of cells with wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3K, and rapamycin, a potent inhibitor of S6 kinase, abrogated CKR-mediated cell growth. However, expression of a dominant negative form of ras (N(17)ras) and inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway by PD98059 did not attenuate CKR-stimulated cell growth. Altogether, these results demonstrate that activation of VEGFR-2 results in activation of PI3K and that activation of PI3K/S6kinase pathway, but not Ras/MAPK, is responsible for VEGFR-2-mediated cell growth.     

ErbB3 is involved in activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by epidermal growth factor.

Conflicting results concerning the ability of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor to associate with and/or activate phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 3-kinase have been published. Despite the ability of EGF to stimulate the production of PtdIns 3-kinase products and to cause the appearance of PtdIns 3-kinase activity in antiphosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates in several cell lines, we did not detect EGF-stimulated PtdIns 3-kinase activity in anti-EGF receptor immunoprecipitates. This result is consistent with the lack of a phosphorylated Tyr-X-X-Met motif, the p85 Src homology 2 (SH2) domain recognition sequence, in this receptor sequence. The EGF receptor homolog, ErbB2 protein, also lacks this motif. However, the ErbB3 protein has seven repeats of the Tyr-X-X-Met motif in the carboxy-terminal unique domain. Here we show that in A431 cells, which express both the EGF receptor and ErbB3, PtdIns 3-kinase coprecipitates with the ErbB3 protein (p180erbB3) in response to EGF. p180erbB3 is also shown to be tyrosine phosphorylated in response to EGF. In contrast, a different mechanism for the activation of PtdIns 3-kinase in response to EGF occurs in certain cells (PC12 and A549 cells). Thus, we show for the first time that ErbB3 can mediate EGF responses in cells expressing both ErbB3 and the EGF receptor.     

Regulation of Id2 gene expression by the insulin-like growth factor I receptor requires signaling by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

The Id proteins play an important role in proliferation, differentiation, and tumor development. We report here that Id gene expression can be regulated by the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR), a receptor that also participates in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Specifically, we found that the IGF-IR activated by its ligand was a strong inducer of Id2 gene expression in 32D murine hemopoietic cells. This activation was not simply the result of cellular proliferation, as Id2 gene expression was higher in 32D cells stimulated by IGF-I than in cells exponentially growing in interleukin-3. The up-regulation of Id2 gene expression was largely dependent on the presence of insulin receptor substrate-1, a major substrate of the IGF-IR and a potent activator of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. The role of PI3K activity in the up-regulation of Id2 gene expression by the IGF-IR was confirmed by different methods and in different cell types. In 32D cells, the up-regulation of Id2 gene expression by the PI3K pathway correlated with interleukin-3 independence and inhibition of differentiation.     

Roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in root hair growth

The root hair is a model system for understanding plant cell tip growth. As phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate [PtdIns(3)P] has been shown in other plant cell types to regulate factors that affect root hair growth, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, cytoskeleton, and endosomal movement, we hypothesized that PtdIns(3)P is also important for root hair elongation. The enzyme that generates PtdIns(3)P, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), was expressed in root hair cells of transgenic plants containing the PI3K promoter:beta-glucuronidase reporter construct. To obtain genetic evidence for the role of PtdIns(3)P in root hair elongation, we attempted to isolate Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutant plants that did not express the gene VPS34 encoding the PI3K enzyme. However, the homozygous mutant was lethal due to gametophytic defects, and heterozygous plants were not discernibly different from wild-type plants. Alternatively, we made transgenic plants expressing the PtdIns(3)P-binding FYVE domain in the root hair cell to block signal transduction downstream of PtdIns(3)P. These transgenic plants had shorter root hairs and a reduced hair growth rate compared with wild-type plants. In addition, LY294002, a PI3K-specific inhibitor, inhibited root hair elongation but not initiation. In LY294002-treated root hair cells, endocytosis at the stage of final fusion of the late endosomes to the tonoplast was inhibited and ROS level decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Surprisingly, the LY294002 effects on ROS and root hair elongation were similar in rhd2 mutant plants, suggesting that RHD2 was not the major ROS generator in the PtdIns(3)P-mediated root hair elongation process. Collectively, these results suggest that PtdIns(3)P is required for maintenance of the processes essential for root hair cell elongation.     

Novel role for Na,K-ATPase in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling and suppression of cell motility

The Na,K-ATPase, consisting of alpha- and beta-subunits, regulates intracellular ion homeostasis. Recent studies have demonstrated that Na,K-ATPase also regulates epithelial cell tight junction structure and functions. Consistent with an important role in the regulation of epithelial cell structure, both Na,K-ATPase enzyme activity and subunit levels are altered in carcinoma. Previously, we have shown that repletion of Na,K-ATPase beta1-subunit (Na,K-beta) in highly motile Moloney sarcoma virus-transformed Madin-Darby canine kidney (MSV-MDCK) cells suppressed their motility. However, until now, the mechanism by which Na,K-beta reduces cell motility remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Na,K-beta localizes to lamellipodia and suppresses cell motility by a novel signaling mechanism involving a cross-talk between Na,K-ATPase alpha1-subunit (Na,K-alpha) and Na,K-beta with proteins involved in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) signaling pathway. We show that Na,K-alpha associates with the regulatory subunit of PI3-kinase and Na,K-beta binds to annexin II. These molecular interactions locally activate PI3-kinase at the lamellipodia and suppress cell motility in MSV-MDCK cells, independent of Na,K-ATPase ion transport activity. Thus, these results demonstrate a new role for Na,K-ATPase in regulating carcinoma cell motility.     

Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor signaling by miR-200b

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling plays an important role in angiogenesis. In the VEGF signaling pathway, the key components are VEGF and its receptors, Flt-1 and KDR. In this study, we show that transfection of synthetic miR-200b reduced protein levels of VEGF, Flt-1, and KDR. In A549 cells, miR-200b targeted the predicted binding sites in the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of VEGF, Flt-1, and KDR as revealed by a luciferase reporter assay. When transfected with miR-200b, the ability of HUVECs to form a capillary tube on Matrigel and VEGF-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 were significantly reduced. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-200b negatively regulates VEGF signaling by targeting VEGF and its receptors and that miR-200b may have therapeutic potential as an angiogenesis inhibitor.