Vascular cell responses to exogenous heparin have been documented to include decreased vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation following decreased ERK pathway signaling. However, the molecular mechanism(s) by which heparin interacts with cells to induce those responses has remained unclear. Previously characterized monoclonal antibodies that block heparin binding to vascular cells have been found to mimic heparin effects. In this study, those antibodies were employed to isolate a heparin binding protein. MALDI mass spectrometry data provide evidence that the protein isolated is transmembrane protein 184A (TMEM184A). Commercial antibodies against three separate regions of the TMEM184A human protein were used to identify the TMEM184A protein in vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. A GFP-TMEM184A construct was employed to determine colocalization with heparin after endocytosis. Knockdown of TMEM184A eliminated the physiological responses to heparin, including effects on ERK pathway activity and BrdU incorporation. Isolated GFP-TMEM184A binds heparin, and overexpression results in additional heparin uptake. Together, these data support the identification of TMEM184A as a heparin receptor in vascular cells.For more than 30 years, heparin has been known to specifically bind to cells in the vasculature and alter their physiology in addition to its well recognized function as an anticoagulant. Heparin binds to many proteins, including numerous growth factors, cytokines, coagulation factors, cell adhesion molecules, growth factor receptors, matrix glycoproteins, and others (for a review, see Ref. 1). In fact, heparin and the closely related glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate (HS), 4 interact with more than 400 proteins (2). Heparin decreases endothelial cell (EC) inflammatory gene expression and slows vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation (reviewed in Ref. 3). Specifically, ECs bind and endocytose heparin (4, 5), which is followed by decreased inflammatory signaling through NF-B (6) and stress kinase activity (7,8). Heparin binding in VSMCs (9) results in decreases in growth factor-induced ERK signaling (10, 11), inhibition of downstream transcription factor activity (12-14), changes in cell cycle inhibitory factors (15), and decreased proliferation (10, 16).Reports of fluorescent heparin uptake into cells, where it modulated transcription factor function (17), and the requirements of HSPGs for basic growth factor delivery to the nucleus (18) indicate that receptor-mediated uptake of heparin or HS may also be critical for some heparin effects. Similarly, shed HSPG syndecan-1 can be taken up by cells and transported to the nucleus, where it alters histone acetylation (19). HS chains are required for uptake, and this uptake can be inhibited by exogenously added heparin. It is likely that the uptake of highly charged heparin and HS chains involves a receptor to manage transport across the membrane. Although many heparin-interacting proteins have been linked to specific functions, a receptor respon...

Two novel ruthenium complexes RuH­(CO)­Cl­(PPh3)­(κ2-CP) (1) and [fac-RuH­(CO)­(PPh3)­(κ3-CNP)]Cl (2) bearing unsymmetrical N-heterocyclic carbene–nitrogen–phosphine (CNP) were synthesized and characterized with 1H NMR, 31P NMR, and HRMS. The structure of complex 2 was further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. An anion exchange experiment proved that complex 2 could transform into complex 1 in solution. The two complexes exhibited a highly catalytic performance in acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols to esters, and the excellent isolated yields of esters were given in a catalyst loading of 1% for para- and meta-substituted benzyl alcohols and long-chain primary alcohols. Although some ortho-substituted benzyl alcohols displayed a relatively low reactivity due to the steric hindrance and the coordination of electron donor with the ruthenium center, the good product yields were still obtained by prolonging the reaction time. Especially, this system successfully realized the dehydrogenative cross-coupling to esters between two different primary alcohols.

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