title: Regulation of Notch1 and Dll4 by vascular endothelial growth factor in arterial endothelial cells: implications for modulating arteriogenesis and angiogenesis.
abstract: Notch and its ligands play critical roles in cell fate determination. Expression of Notch and ligand in vascular endothelium and defects in vascular phenotypes of targeted mutants in the Notch pathway have suggested a critical role for Notch signaling in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. However, the angiogenic signaling that controls Notch and ligand gene expression is unknown. We show here that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) but not basic fibroblast growth factor can induce gene expression of Notch1 and its ligand, Delta-like 4 (Dll4), in human arterial endothelial cells. The VEGF-induced specific signaling is mediated through VEGF receptors 1 and 2 and is transmitted via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway but is independent of mitogen-activated protein kinase and Src tyrosine kinase. Constitutive activation of Notch signaling stabilizes network formation of endothelial cells on Matrigel and enhances formation of vessel-like structures in a three-dimensional angiogenesis model, whereas blocking Notch signaling can partially inhibit network formation. This study provides the first evidence for regulation of Notch/Delta gene expression by an angiogenic growth factor and insight into the critical role of Notch signaling in arteriogenesis and angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Zhao-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soma
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: G Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Dotto
authors.forename: Ronald M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fairman
authors.forename: Omaida C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Velazquez
authors.forename: Meenhard
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herlyn
mesh_terms: D001158:Arteries / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D000074562:Receptor, Notch4; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012995:Solubility; D014157:Transcription Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D005419:Flavonoids; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D000074562:Receptor, Notch4; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; C497761:NOTCH1 protein, human; C106075:NOTCH4 protein, human; C064045:delta protein; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one