title: Neuropilin-1 regulates vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated endothelial permeability.
abstract: Neuropilin-1 (Npn-1) is a cell surface receptor that binds vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent mediator of endothelial permeability, chemotaxis, and proliferation. In vitro, Npn-1 can complex with VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2) to enhance VEGFR2-mediated endothelial cell chemotaxis and proliferation. To determine the role of Npn-1/VEGFR2 complexes in VEGF-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction, endothelial cells were stably transfected with Npn1 or VEGFR2 alone (PAE/Npn and PAE/KDR, respectively), or VEGFR2 and Npn-1 (PAE/KDR/Npn-1). Permeability, estimated by measurement of transendothelial electrical resistance (TER), of PAE/Npn and PAE/KDR cell lines was not altered by VEGF165. In contrast, TER of PAE/KDR/Npn-1 cells decreased in dose-dependent fashion following VEGF165 (10 to 200 ng/mL). Activation of VEGFR2, and 2 downstream signaling intermediates (p38 and ERK1/2 MAPK) involved in VEGF-mediated permeability, also increased in PAE/KDR/Npn-1. Consistent with these data, inhibition of Npn-1, but not VEGFR2, attenuated VEGF165-mediated permeability of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAE), and VEGF121 (which cannot ligate Npn-1) did not alter TER of HPAE. Npn-1 inhibition also attenuated both VEGF165-mediated pulmonary vascular leak and activation of VEGFR2, p38, and ERK1/2 MAPK, in inducible lung-specific VEGF transgenic mice. These data support a critical role for Npn-1 in regulating endothelial barrier dysfunction in response to VEGF and suggest that activation of distinct receptor complexes may determine specificity of cellular response to VEGF.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md, USA. pbecker1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Patrice M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waltenberger
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yachechko
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mirzapoiazova
authors.forename: James S K
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: Chun Geun
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jack A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Alexander D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Verin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000502:physiology; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000502:physiology; D039942:Neuropilin-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D013552:Swine; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000502:physiology*; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000502:physiology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D039942:Neuropilin-1; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases