title: Syndecan-4 modulates basic fibroblast growth factor 2 signaling in vivo.
abstract: Syndecan-4 is one of the principal heparan sulfate-carrying proteins on the cell surface. Unlike other members of syndecan family, syndecan-4 mediates phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 2 (PIP(2))-dependent PKC-alpha activation, and overexpression of syndecan-4 in vitro results in enhanced FGF2 signaling. The present study was designed to test the functional effect of increased syndecan-4 expression in endothelial cells in transgenic mice. Several transgenic mice lines expressing syndecan-4 cDNA under control of human endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) promoter were generated. Exogenous syndecan-4 was mainly expressed in the heart, brain, and lungs. In particular, the heart demonstrated the greatest increase in the ratio of transgenic-to-native syndecan-4 gene expression. Vessels from the eNOS-syndecan-4 mice demonstrated more pronounced vasodilation to FGF2 but not to VEGF-A(165), sodium nitroprusside, and A 23187 compared with wild-type mice. To elucidate the mechanism of this effect, we measured NO release from primary cardiac endothelial cells isolated from transgenic or wild-type adult mice. Cells from the eNOS-syndecan-4 transgenic mice had a significant increase in FGF2- and VEGF-A(165)-induced NO release compared with endothelial cells from the wild-type mice. However, the absolute magnitude of this increase was higher for FGF2 than VEGF-A(165). In conclusion, enhanced syndecan-4 expression in mouse cardiac endothelial cells results in preferential augmentation of FGF2 but not VEGF-A(165)-induced NO release.
authors.affiliation: Angiogenesis Research Center and Section of Cardiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA.
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jianyi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chohreh
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Partovian
authors.forename: Frank W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Sellke
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simons
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D053671:Syndecan-4; D019076:Transgenes; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; C508304:SDC4 protein, human; C508306:Sdc4 protein, mouse; D053671:Syndecan-4; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse