title: Dynamics of vascular endothelial-cadherin and beta-catenin localization by vascular endothelial growth factor-induced angiogenesis in human umbilical vein cells.
abstract: The adherens junctional molecule, vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), functions to maintain adherens junction stability and to suppress apoptosis of endothelial cells by forming a complex with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 and members of the armadillo family of cytoplasmic proteins. In order to investigate the dynamics of the association of VE-cadherin with adherens junctions during the initial stages of angiogenesis, human umbilical cord endothelial cells (HUVECs) were stimulated with VEGF to undergo angiogenesis in type-I collagen three-dimensional culture. In confluent monolayers of HUVECs, VE-cadherin and its signaling partner, beta-catenin, as well as the paracellular transmembrane adhesion molecule platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM-1), were all present in regions of cell-cell contact. Within 3 h of stimulation of angiogenesis, VE-cadherin and beta-catenin were lost from these regions. In contrast, the distribution pattern of PECAM-1 did not alter. After 6 h the majority of endothelial cells had migrated to form a network of capillary cords with cell-cell contacts that contained all three molecules. By metabolic labeling of HUVECs it was found that de novo synthesis of VE-cadherin was not essential for the formation of new adherens junctions. Coimmunoprecipitation and immunoblotting experiments showed that the VE-cadherin and beta-catenin remained associated after they were lost from adherens junctions. Detergent extraction of cells with Triton X-100 indicted that the majority of VE-cadherin and beta-catenin was Triton soluble, indicating that they are only weakly associated with the actin-based cytoskeleton.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D051176:beta Catenin; D000099152:Cadherin 5
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins; D024042:Collagen Type I; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D015534:Trans-Activators; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D051176:beta Catenin; D000099152:Cadherin 5; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C495268:Ctnnb1 protein, rat