The stimulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) by tumor-derived VEGF represents a key event in the initiation of angiogenesis. In this work, we report that VEGFR-2 is localized in endothelial caveolae, associated with caveolin-1, and that this complex is rapidly dissociated upon stimulation with VEGF. The kinetics of caveolin-1 dissociation correlated with those of VEGF-dependent VEGFR-2 tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting that caveolin-1 acts as a negative regulator of VEGF R-2 activity. Interestingly, we observed that in an overexpression system in which VEGFR-2 is constitutively active, caveolin-1 overexpression inhibits VEGFR-2 activity but allows VEGFR-2 to undergo VEGF-dependent activation, suggesting that caveolin-1 can confer ligand dependency to a receptor system. Removal of caveolin and VEGFR-2 from caveolae by cholesterol depletion resulted in an increase in both basal and VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR-2, but led to the inhibition of VEGF-induced ERK activation and endothelial cell migration, suggesting that localization of VEGFR-2 to these domains is crucial for VEGF-mediated signaling. Dissociation of the VEGFR-2/caveolin-1 complex by VEGF or cyclodextrin led to a PP2-sensitive phosphorylation of caveolin-1 on tyrosine 14, suggesting the participation of Src family kinases in this process. Overall, these results suggest that caveolin-1 plays multiple roles in the VEGF-induced signaling cascade.

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Abstract-Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are involved in embryonic and adult blood vessel formation in health and disease. BMPER (BMP endothelial cell precursor-derived regulator) is a differentially expressed protein in embryonic endothelial precursor cells. In earlier work, we found that BMPER interacts with BMPs and when overexpressed antagonizes their function in embryonic axis formation. In contrast, in a BMPER-deficient zebrafish model, BMPER behaves as a BMP agonist. Furthermore, lack of BMPER induces a vascular phenotype in zebrafish that is driven by disarray of the intersomitic vasculature. Here, we investigate the impact of BMPER on endothelial cell function and signaling and elucidate its role in BMP-4 function in gain-and loss-of-function models. As shown by Western blotting and immunocytochemistry, BMPER is an extracellular matrix protein expressed by endothelial cells in skin, heart, and lung. We show that BMPER is a downstream target of FoxO3a and consistently exerts activating effects on endothelial cell sprouting and migration in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, when BMPER is depleted from endothelial cells, sprouting is impaired. In terms of BMPER related intracellular signaling, we show that BMPER is permissive and necessary for Smad 1/5 phosphorylation and induces Erk1/2 activation. Most interestingly, BMPER is necessary for BMP-4 to exert its activating role in endothelial function and to induce Smad 1/5 activation. Vice versa, BMP-4 is necessary for BMPER activity. Taken together, BMPER is a dose-dependent endothelial cell activator that plays a unique and pivotal role in fine-tuning BMP activity in angiogenesis. Key Words: BMPER Ⅲ bone morphogenetic proteins Ⅲ vascular biology Ⅲ endothelial cell function Ⅲ signaling A ngiogenesis is a basic biological event that is involved in embryonic development but also in adult physiological and pathological conditions, such as inflammation, tumor growth, atherosclerosis, or response to ischemia. This process depends on the orchestrated function of intra-and extracellular proteins, many of which are conserved from embryonic development through adulthood. 1 Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-␤ superfamily. Originally, they have been identified by their ability to induce ectopic bone formation and have been extensively studied during embryonic development, in which they control axis formation and organogenesis. Today, more than 20 BMP-related proteins and a number of BMP modulating proteins have been identified. 2 A growing body of evidence suggests that they serve as important regulators in vascular development and disease. 3 BMPs are extracellular proteins that signal through cell surface complexes of type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors. On activation, the receptors mediate intracellular signaling mainly through the Smad 1/5 transcription factors. BMP signaling is regulated at several levels: activity of R-Smads (1/5) is modulated by facilitating (eg, Smad 4) or inhibitory (eg,...

Abstract-Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) activate intracellular signal transduction pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. H 2 O 2 is a mitogen for rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a critical event in VSMC mitogenesis. Therefore, we investigated whether the mitogenic effects of H 2 O 2 , such as stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)2, are mediated via activation of cytoplasmic Janus tyrosine kinases (JAKs). JAK2 was activated rapidly in VSMCs treated with H 2 O 2 , and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) STAT1 and STAT3 were tyrosine-phosphorylated and translocated to the nucleus in a JAK2-dependent manner. A ccumulating evidence supports a critical role for oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, cancer, and other human diseases. 1 High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage DNA and inactivate proteins, 2 resulting in chronic cellular dysfunction. Many cell types have also harnessed ROS, albeit in lower concentrations, as intracellular signaling molecules to mediate growth factor and cytokine responses. 3,4 Modulation of growth responses by ROS has been demonstrated in a number of cell types, including vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). 5,6 Stimulation of VSMC proliferation by ROS is thought to be a critical step in atherosclerotic lesion formation. 7 Tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins and the consequent induction of transcription of early-response genes are key determinants of cell growth and differentiation in response to mitogenic signaling. 8 VSMC mitogens such as platelet-derived growth factor and epidermal growth factor activate receptor protein tyrosine kinases on binding, which stimulate intracellular signaling pathways that result in mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. 9,10 Other mitogens, such as thrombin and angiotensin II, activate G proteincoupled receptors that do not possess intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity but require tyrosine phosphorylation events to induce mitogenesis. [11][12][13] The necessary role for protein tyrosine phosphorylation in mitogenesis elicited by thrombin and ROS indicates that these mitogens may utilize cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases in their signaling cascade. Forming 1 such group of tyrosine kinases are Janus kinases (JAKs), which along with their substrates, signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs), have hitherto been characterized as essential mediators of cytokine and polypeptide hormone-induced signaling. 8,14 Members of the JAK/STAT pathway mediate at least some biological effects of angiotensin II, 15 plateletderived growth factor-BB, 15,16 and endothelial growth factor. 17 Activation of the JAK/STAT pathway has also been observed in response to generation of intracellular ROS 18 and exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). 19 On phosphorylation by JAKs of tyrosine residues, activated STAT dimers translocate to the nucleus to transactivate tar...

Abstract-Muscle ring finger (MuRF)1 is a muscle-specific protein implicated in the regulation of cardiac myocyte size and contractility. MuRF2, a closely related family member, redundantly interacts with protein substrates and heterodimerizes with MuRF1. Mice lacking either MuRF1 or MuRF2 are phenotypically normal, whereas mice lacking both proteins develop a spontaneous cardiac and skeletal muscle hypertrophy, indicating cooperative control of muscle mass by MuRF1 and MuRF2. To identify the unique role that MuRF1 plays in regulating cardiac hypertrophy in vivo, we created transgenic mice expressing increased amounts of cardiac MuRF1. Adult MuRF1 transgenic (Tg ϩ ) hearts exhibited a nonprogressive thinning of the left ventricular wall and a concomitant decrease in cardiac function. Experimental induction of cardiac hypertrophy by transaortic constriction (TAC) induced rapid failure of MuRF1 Tg ϩ hearts. Microarray analysis identified that the levels of genes associated with metabolism (and in particular mitochondrial processes) were significantly altered in MuRF1 Tg ϩ hearts, both at baseline and during the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Surprisingly, ATP levels in MuRF1 Tg ϩ mice did not differ from wild-type mice despite the depressed contractility following TAC. In comparing the level and activity of creatine kinase (CK) between wild-type and MuRF1 Tg ϩ hearts, we found that mCK and CK-M/B protein levels were unaffected in MuRF1 Tg ϩ hearts; however, total CK activity was significantly inhibited. We conclude that increased expression of cardiac MuRF1 results in a broad disruption of primary metabolic functions, including alterations in CK activity that leads to increased susceptibility to heart failure following TAC. This study demonstrates for the first time a role for MuRF1 in the regulation of cardiac energetics in vivo. Key Words: muscle ring finger-1 Ⅲ MuRF1 Ⅲ ubiquitin ligase Ⅲ cardiac hypertrophy Ⅲ heart failure Ⅲ creatine kinase T he muscle ring finger (MuRF) proteins are striated muscle-specific proteins that have been implicated in various aspects of contractile regulation and myogenic responses. 1 MuRF1 is a well-characterized RING finger-dependent ubiquitin ligase that targets sarcomere proteins, such as cardiac troponin (cTn)I, during the process of skeletal muscle atrophy. 2,3 MuRF1 has also been implicated in the regulation of cardiac myocyte size and contractility [3][4][5] and inhibits the development of cardiac hypertrophy, 6,7 a dynamic process commonly thought of as a precursor to heart failure. 8 To date, the study of the regulation of cardiac muscle mass by MuRF1 has centered around its involvement in the regulation of sarcomere protein degradation. Although this is certainly an important function, in this report, we propose that MuRF1 operates in a broader capacity that encompasses both protein turnover as well as control of cardiac metabolism.Soon after the discovery of MuRF1, the related proteins MuRF2 and MuRF3 were identified as interacting proteins capable of forming hetero...

The assembly and maintenance of the cardiac sarcomere, which contains the basic contractile components of actin and myosin, are essential for cardiac function. While often described as a static structure, the sarcomere is actually dynamic and undergoes constant turnover, allowing it to adapt to physiological changes while still maintaining function. A host of new factors have been identified that play a role in the regulation of protein quality control in the sarcomere, including chaperones that mediate the assembly of sarcomere components and ubiquitin ligases that control their specific degradation. There is clear evidence of sarcomere disorganization in animal models lacking muscle-specific chaperone proteins, illustrating the importance of these molecules in sarcomere structure and function. Although ubiquitin ligases have been found within the sarcomere structure itself, the role of the ubiquitin proteasome system in cardiac sarcomere regulation, and the factors that control its activity, are only just now being elucidated. The number of ubiquitin ligases identified with specificity for sarcomere proteins, each with distinct target substrates, is growing, allowing for tight regulation of this system. In this review, we highlight the dynamic interplay between sarcomere-specific chaperones and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of sarcomere proteins that is necessary in order to maintain structure and function of the cardiac sarcomere.

Rationale: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a debilitating condition associated with severe skeletal muscle weakness that persists in humans long after lung injury has resolved. The molecular mechanisms underlying this condition are unknown. Objectives: To identify the muscle-specific molecular mechanisms responsible for muscle wasting in a mouse model of ALI. Methods: Changes in skeletal muscle weight, fiber size, in vivo contractile performance, and expression of mRNAs and proteins encoding muscle atrophy-associated genes for muscle ring finger-1 (MuRF1) and atrogin1 were measured. Genetic inactivation of MuRF1 or electroporationmediated transduction of miRNA-based short hairpin RNAs targeting either MuRF1 or atrogin1 were used to identify their role in ALIassociated skeletal muscle wasting. Measurements and Main Results: Mice with ALI developed profound muscle atrophy and preferential loss of muscle contractile proteins associated with reduced muscle function in vivo. Although mRNA expression of the muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases, MuRF1 and atrogin1, was increased in ALI mice, only MuRF1 protein levels were up-regulated. Consistent with these changes, suppression of MuRF1 by genetic or biochemical approaches prevented muscle fiber atrophy, whereas suppression of atrogin1 expression was without effect. Despite resolution of lung injury and down-regulation of MuRF1 and atrogin1, force generation in ALI mice remained suppressed. Conclusions: These data show that MuRF1 is responsible for mediating muscle atrophy that occurs during the period of active lung injury in ALI mice and that, as in humans, skeletal muscle dysfunction persists despite resolution of lung injury.Keywords: skeletal muscle atrophy; intensive care unit-acquired weakness; critical illness myopathy; muscle atrophy genes; proteasomal-mediated protein degradation Acute lung injury (ALI) is a syndrome characterized by the acute onset of pulmonary infiltrates and respiratory failure often leading to the need for mechanical ventilation (1). Approximately 200,000 people per year develop ALI in the United States, with mortality high at 30-40% (2). A common complication associated with ALI is skeletal muscle weakness. Weakness in these patients results in decreased long-term mobility and functional status. Skeletal muscle weakness is initiated early in the course of ALI, and has been shown to persist in a large percentage of patients for up to 5 years after resolution of lung injury and hospital discharge (3-6). Although multiple factors may contribute to ALI-induced muscle atrophy including reduced nutrition, inactivity caused by bed rest, and systemic inflammation, the etiology of ALI-associated skeletal muscle atrophy remains incompletely understood.Skeletal muscle weakness is a common finding not only among patients with ALI, but also in patients with other critical illnesses. Clinically apparent weakness is present in 20-50% of patients with critical illness and has been shown to be an independent risk factor for mortality in these patients (3,5,7,8)....

Blood vessel formation requires the integrated regulation of endothelial cell proliferation and branching morphogenesis, but how this coordinated regulation is achieved is not well understood. Flt-1 (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] receptor 1) is a high affinity VEGF-A receptor whose loss leads to vessel overgrowth and dysmorphogenesis. We examined the ability of Flt-1 isoform transgenes to rescue the vascular development of embryonic stem cell–derived flt-1−/− mutant vessels. Endothelial proliferation was equivalently rescued by both soluble (sFlt-1) and membrane-tethered (mFlt-1) isoforms, but only sFlt-1 rescued vessel branching. Flk-1 Tyr-1173 phosphorylation was increased in flt-1−/− mutant vessels and partially rescued by the Flt-1 isoform transgenes. sFlt-1–rescued vessels exhibited more heterogeneous levels of pFlk than did mFlt-1–rescued vessels, and reporter gene expression from the flt-1 locus was also heterogeneous in developing vessels. Our data support a model whereby sFlt-1 protein is more efficient than mFlt-1 at amplifying initial expression differences, and these amplified differences set up local discontinuities in VEGF-A ligand availability that are important for proper vessel branching.