title: Hepatocyte growth factor enhances endothelial cell barrier function and cortical cytoskeletal rearrangement: potential role of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta.
abstract: The stabilization of endothelial cell (EC) barrier function within newly formed capillaries is a critical feature of angiogenesis. We examined human lung EC barrier regulation elicited by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a recognized angiogenic factor and EC chemoattractant. HGF rapidly and dose-dependently elevated transendothelial electrical resistance (TER) of EC monolayers (>50% increase at 100 ng/ml), with immunofluorescence microscopic evidence of both cytoplasmic actin stress fiber dissolution and strong augmentation of the cortical actin ring. HGF rapidly stimulated phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, ERK, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and protein kinase C activities. Pharmacological inhibitor studies demonstrated each pathway to be intimately involved in HGF-induced increases in TER, cortical actin thickening, and phosphorylation of the Ser/Thr glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta), a potential target for the HGF barrier-promoting response. GSK-3beta phosphorylation was strongly correlated with reductions in both HGF-induced TER and enhanced beta-catenin immunoreactivity observed at cell-cell junctions. Our data suggest a model in which HGF-mediated EC cytoskeletal rearrangement and barrier enhancement depend critically on the activation of a complex kinase cascade that converges at GSK-3beta to increase the availability of beta-catenin, thereby enhancing endothelial junctional integrity and vascular barrier function.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kane L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Schaphorst
authors.forename: Alexander D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Verin
authors.forename: Keri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birukova
authors.forename: Regina M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bogatcheva
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Bottaro
authors.forename: Joe G N
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000166:cytology*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins