title: Endothelin-1-induced signaling pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasoactive peptide, is believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular abnormalities such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, hypertrophy and restenosis. ET-1 elicits its biological effects through the activation of two receptor subtypes, ET-A and ET-B that belong to a large family of transmembrane guanine nucleotide-binding protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). ET-1 receptor activation results in the stimulation of several signaling pathways including mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) and protein kinase B (PKB). An intermediary role of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMK), protein kinase C (PKC) as well as receptor and non-receptor protein tyrosine kinases in triggering the activation of MAPK and PI3-K/PKB signaling in response to ET-1 has been suggested. Activation of these pathways by ET-1 is intimately linked with the regulation of cellular hypertrophy, growth, proliferation and cell survival. Here we provide an overview of these signaling pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with an emphasis on their potential role in vascular pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Research Center, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) - Angus Campus and Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H1W 4A4, Canada.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouallegue
authors.forename: Grace Bou
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Daou
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases