title: TGFbeta-induced GRK2 expression attenuates AngII-regulated vascular smooth muscle  cell proliferation and migration.
abstract: Through diametric actions, the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) and Angiotensin II (AngII) play important roles in regulating various biological responses such as cell proliferation and migration. Signaling initiated by TGFbeta and AngII occurs through two structurally and functionally distinct receptor super families,the serine/threonine kinase and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Previously, we identified the Gprotein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK2), a key regulatory factor in the desensitization of GPCRs, as a direct downstream target of the TGFbeta signaling cascade. GRK2 acts through a negative feed-back loop mechanism to terminate TGFbeta-induced smad signaling. To investigate the impact of TGFbeta-induced GRK2 expression on GPCR signaling, we examined its effect on AngII signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In this study, we show that activation of the TGFbeta signaling cascade in VSMCs results in increased GRK2 expression levels, which consequently inhibits AngII-induced ERK phosphorylation and antagonizes AngII-induced VSMC proliferation and migration. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of TGFbeta on AngII signaling occurs at the Mek-Erk interface and is abrogated when an anti-sense oligonucleotide directed against GRK2 is used. Thus,we conclude that TGFbeta signaling antagonizes AngII-induced VSMC proliferation and migration through the inhibition of ERK phosphorylation and that GRK2 is a key factor mediating the cross-talk between these two receptor super families.
authors.affiliation: Hormones and Cancer Research Unit, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Center, Royal Victoria Hospital, 687 Pine Avenue West, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Jimin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sontag
authors.forename: Stéphane A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Laporte
authors.forename: Darren E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lebrun
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D054769:G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D000804:Angiotensin II; C496569:Grk2 protein, rat; D054769:G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases