Abstract
Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), a ligand of the endothelium-specific receptor Tie-2, inhibits permeability in the mature vasculature, but the mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that Ang-1 signals Rho family GTPases to organize the cytoskeleton into a junction-fortifying arrangement that enhances the permeability barrier function of the endothelium. Ang-1 phosphorylates Tie-2 and its downstream effector phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. This induces activation of one endogenous GTPase, Rac1, and inhibition of another, RhoA. Loss of either part of this dual effect abrogates the cytoskeletal and anti-permeability actions of Ang-1, suggesting that coordinated GTPase regulation is necessary for the vessel-sealing effects of Ang-1. p190 RhoGAP, a GTPase regulatory protein, provides this coordinating function as it is phosphorylated by Ang-1 treatment, requires Rac1 activation, and is necessary for RhoA inhibition. Ang-1 prevents the cytoskeletal and pro-permeability effects of endotoxin but requires p190 RhoGAP to do so. Treatment with p190 RhoGAP small interfering RNA completely abolishes the ability of Ang-1 to rescue endotoxemia-induced pulmonary vascular leak and inflammation in mice. We conclude that Ang-1 prevents vascular permeability by regulating the endothelial cytoskeleton through coordinated and opposite effects on the Rho GTPases Rac1 and RhoA. By linking Rac1 activation and RhoA inhibition, p190 RhoGAP is critical to the protective effects of Ang-1 against endotoxin. These results provide mechanistic evidence that targeting the endothelium through Tie-2 may offer specific therapeutic strategies in life-threatening endotoxemic conditions such as sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Highlights
Ang-1 Activates Rac1 and Inhibits RhoA—Using pulldown observed an increase in cortical actin, peripheral myosin light chain phosphorylation (MLC-p), assays, we examined whether Ang-1 affects the activities of and junctional VE-cadherin compared with control conflu
Inhibition of p190 RhoGAP Abolishes the Protective Effect of Systemic Ang-1 against Endotoxemic Vascular Leak in Vivo—Because p190 RhoGAP is necessary for Ang-1 to inhibit several effects of endotoxin, including RhoA activation (Fig. 3B), intercellular gap formation (Fig. 3C), and in vitro permeability (Fig. 4C), we addressed the importance of this pathway in vivo
The data presented here demonstrate that Ang-1 protects against endotoxin-mediated vascular leakage by preventing cytoskeletal rearrangements in the endothelial cells (ECs) that are normally induced by this bacterial toxin
Summary
By linking Rac1 activation and RhoA inhibition, p190 RhoGAP is critical to the protective effects of Ang-1 against endotoxin. We have previously shown that Tie-2 inhibition induces changes in the endothelial cytoskeleton that are mediated by the small GTPase RhoA and lead to increased cell contraction and enhanced vascular permeability [7].
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