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The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) provides an ideal framework to establish multi-disciplinary research networks. COST Action BM1203 (EU-ROS) represents a consortium of researchers from different disciplines who are dedicated to providing new insights and tools for better understanding redox biology and medicine and, in the long run, to finding new therapeutic strategies to target dysregulated redox processes in various diseases. This report highlights the major achievements of EU-ROS as well as research updates and new perspectives arising from its members. The EU-ROS consortium comprised more than 140 active members who worked together for four years on the topics briefly described below. The formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) is an established hallmark of our aerobic environment and metabolism but RONS also act as messengers via redox regulation of essential cellular processes. The fact that many diseases have been found to be associated with oxidative stress established the theory of oxidative stress as a trigger of diseases that can be corrected by antioxidant therapy. However, while experimental studies support this thesis, clinical studies still generate controversial results, due to complex pathophysiology of oxidative stress in humans. For future improvement of antioxidant therapy and better understanding of redox-associated disease progression detailed knowledge on the sources and targets of RONS formation and discrimination of their detrimental or beneficial roles is required. In order to advance this important area of biology and medicine, highly synergistic approaches combining a variety of diverse and contrasting disciplines are needed.

NADPH oxidases generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). We studied the role of NOX4 under hypoxia. Hypoxia enhanced NOX4 expression in lung smooth-muscle cells and lung tissue due to HIF-1α binding and activation of the NOX4 promoter. HIF-1α–dependent NOX4 induction restored ROS levels after hypoxia and induced proliferation by hypoxia. The following citations were not referenced in the reference list or the reference/citation is not styled correctly: Kietzmann et al., 1999.

Within the last twenty years the view on reactive oxygen species (ROS) has changed; they are no longer only considered to be harmful but also necessary for cellular communication and homeostasis in different organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals. In the latter, ROS were shown to modulate diverse physiological processes including the regulation of growth factor signaling, the hypoxic response, inflammation and the immune response. During the last 60–100 years the life style, at least in the Western world, has changed enormously. This became obvious with an increase in caloric intake, decreased energy expenditure as well as the appearance of alcoholism and smoking; These changes were shown to contribute to generation of ROS which are, at least in part, associated with the occurrence of several chronic diseases like adiposity, atherosclerosis, type II diabetes, and cancer. In this review we discuss aspects and problems on the role of intracellular ROS formation and nutrition with the link to diseases and their problematic therapeutical issues.

Increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to many cardiovascular diseases. In neutrophils, ROS are generated by a NADPH oxidase containing p22phox and NOX2. NADPH oxidases are also major sources of vascular ROS. Whereas an active NOX2-containing enzyme has been described in endothelial cells, the contribution of recently identified NOX homologues to endothelial ROS production and proliferation has been controversial. The authors, therefore, compared the role of NOX2 with NOX4 and NOX1 in endothelial EaHy926 and human microvascular endothelial cells. NOX2 and NOX4 were abundantly expressed, whereas NOX1 expression was less prominent. NOX2, NOX4, and NOX1 were simultaneously present in a single cell in a perinuclear compartment. NOX2 and NOX4 co-localized with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker calreticulin. Additionally, NOX2 co-localized with F-actin at the plasma membrane. NOX2 and NOX4, which interacted with p22phox, as was shown by bimolecular fluorescent complementation, contributed equally to endothelial ROS production and proliferation, whereas NOX1 depletion did not alter ROS levels under basal conditions. These data show that endothelial cells simultaneously express NOX2, NOX4, and NOX1. NOX2 and NOX4, but not NOX1, equally contributed to ROS generation and proliferation under basal conditions, indicating that a complex relation between NOX homologues controls endothelial function.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in many intra- and intercellular processes. High levels of ROS are generated as part of the innate immunity in the respiratory burst of phagocytic cells. Low levels of ROS, however, are generated in a highly controlled manner by various cell types to act as second messengers in redox-sensitive pathways. A NADPH oxidase has been initially described as the respiratory burst enzyme in neutrophils. Stimulation of this complex enzyme system requires specific signaling cascades linking it to membrane-receptor activation. Subsequently, a family of NADPH oxidases has been identified in various nonphagocytic cells. They mainly differ in containing one out of seven homologous catalytic core proteins termed NOX1 to NOX5 and DUOX1 or 2. NADPH oxidase activity is controlled by regulatory subunits, including the NOX regulators p47phox and p67phox, their homologs NOXO1 and NOXA1, or the DUOX1 or 2 regulators DUOXA1 and 2. In addition, the GTPase Rac modulates activity of several of these enzymes. Recently, additional proteins have been identified that seem to have a regulatory function on NADPH oxidase activity under certain conditions. We will thus summarize molecular pathways linking activation of different membrane-bound receptors with increased ROS production of NADPH oxidases.

*Authors contributed equally.Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can act as damaging molecules but also represent central hubs in cellular signalling networks. Increasing evidence indicates that ROS play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, although the underlying mechanisms and consequences of pathophysiologically elevated ROS in the cardiovascular system are still not completely resolved. More recently, alterations of the epigenetic landscape, which can affect DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, ATP-dependent alterations to chromatin and non-coding RNA transcripts, have been considered to be of increasing importance in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. While it has long been accepted that epigenetic changes are imprinted during development or even inherited and are not changed after reaching the lineage-specific expression profile, it becomes more and more clear that epigenetic modifications are highly dynamic. Thus, they might provide an important link between the actions of ROS and cardiovascular diseases. This review will provide an overview of the role of ROS in modulating the epigenetic landscape in the context of the cardiovascular system. This article is part of a themed section on Redox Biology and Oxidative Stress in Health and Disease. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.12/issuetoc Abbreviations 5hmC, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine; 5mC, 5-methylcytosine; 8-oxodG, 8-oxo-2 0 -deoxyguanosine; BAF, Brg1-associated factors; BER, base excision repair; BRG1, Brahma-related gene 1; BRM, Brahma; CBP, CREB binding protein; CHD, chromodomain helicase DNA-binding; CK2, casein kinase 2; CpG, 5-C-phosphate-G-3 0 ; Cys, cysteine; DNMT, DNA methyltransferase; DPF3a, double plant homeodomain (PHD) finger protein 3a; E2F1, E2F transcription factor 1; ETC, electron transport chain; EZH2, enhancer of zeste 2 PRC2 subunit; GCN5, general control nonderepressible 5; GPX1, glutathione peroxidase; HAT, histone acetyltransferases; HDAC, histone deacetylase; HDM, histone demethylase; HIF1, hypoxia-inducible factor 1; HMT, histone methyltransferases; ISWI, imitation switch; KDM, histone demethylase; LINE-1, long interspersed nuclear element-1; lncRNA, long non-coding RNA; LSD1, lysine demethylase 1A; miRNA, microRNA; mtDNA, mitochondrial DNA; nDNA, nuclear DNA; NOX, NADPH oxidases; OGG1, 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase; OXPHOS, oxidative phosphorylation; PARP, poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase; PGC-1α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha; PHD, prolyl hydroxylase; PolG, polymerase γ; PPARγ, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma; PRC, polycomb repressive complex; PRMT, protein arginine N-methyltransferase; ROS, reactive oxygen species; SAM, S-adenosyl methionine; SET, Su(var)3-9, Enhancer of Zeste, Trithorax; SIRT, sirtuin; SMYD1, SET and MYND domain-containing protein 1; SNF2H, sucrose nonfermentable 2 hom...

Abstract-Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) control the levels of the second messengers cAMP and cGMP in many cell types including endothelial cells. Although PDE2 has the unique property to be activated by cGMP but to hydrolyze cAMP, its role in endothelial function is only poorly understood. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been recognized as signaling molecules controlling many endothelial functions. We thus investigated whether PDE2 would link to ROS generation and proliferative responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells in response to thrombin. Thrombin stimulated the GTPase Rac1, known to activate NADPH oxidases, and enhanced ROS formation, whereas PDE2 inhibition or depletion by short hairpin (sh)RNA prevented these responses. Similar observations were made with 8-Br-cGMP or atrial natriuretic peptide. In agreement, thrombin elevated cGMP but decreased cAMP levels, whereas db-cAMP or forskolin diminished Rac1 activity and ROS production. Subsequently, PDE2 overexpression activated Rac1, increased ROS generation, and enhanced proliferation and in vitro capillary formation. These responses were not observed in the presence of inactive Rac1 or shRNA against the NADPH oxidase subunit NOX2. Inhibition or depletion of PDE2 also prevented thrombin-induced proliferation and capillary formation. Importantly, downregulation of PDE2 by lentiviral shRNA or PDE2 inhibition prevented vessel sprouting from mouse aortic explants and in vivo angiogenesis in a mouse model, respectively. In summary, PDE2 promotes activation of NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS production and subsequent endothelial proliferation and angiogenesis. Targeting PDE2 may provide a new therapeutic approach in diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, vascular proliferation, and angiogenesis.