title: Cell adhesion molecule T-cadherin regulates vascular cell adhesion, phenotype and motility.
abstract: T-cadherin (T-cad), an unusual glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored member of the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules, is widely expressed in the cardiovascular system. The expression profile of T-cad within diseased (atherosclerotic and restenotic) vessels indicates some relationship between expression of T-cad and the phenotypic status of resident cells. Using cultures of human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) we investigate the hypothesis that T-cad may function in modulating adhesive properties of vascular cells. Coating of culture plates with recombinant T-cad protein or with antibody against the first amino-terminal domain of T-cad (anti-EC1) significantly decreased adhesion and spreading of SMC and HUVEC. HUVECs adherent on T-cad or anti-EC1 substratum exhibited an elongated morphology and associated redistribution of the cytoskeleton and focal adhesions to a distinctly peripheral location. These changes are characteristic of the less-adhesive, motile or pro-migratory, pro-angiogenic phenotype. Boyden chamber migration assay demonstrated that the deadhesion induced by T-cad facilitates cell migration towards a serum gradient. Overexpression of T-cad in vascular cells using adenoviral vectors does not influence cell adhesion or motility per se, but increases the detachment and migratory responses induced by T-cad substratum. The data suggest that T-cad acts as an anti-adhesive signal for vascular cells, thus modulating vascular cell phenotype and migration properties.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Laboratories, Department of Research, Basel University Hospital, Hebelstrasse 20, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Danila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ivanov
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Philippova
authors.forename: Vsevolod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tkachuk
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Erne
authors.forename: Thérèse
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Resink
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D048429:Cell Size / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D015820:Cadherins; C099972:H-cadherin