title: PAKing up to the endothelium.
abstract: Angiogenesis recapitulates the growth of blood vessels that progressively expand and remodel into a highly organized and stereotyped vascular network. During adulthood, endothelial cells that formed the vascular wall retain their plasticity and can be engaged in neo-vascularization in response to physiological stimuli, such as hypoxia, wound healing and tissue repair, ovarian cycle and pregnancy. In addition, numerous human diseases and pathological conditions are characterized by an excessive, uncontrolled and aberrant angiogenesis. The signalling pathways involving the small Rho GTPase, Rac and its downstream effector the p21-activated serine/threonine kinase (PAK) had recently emerged as pleiotropic modulators in these processes. Indeed, Rac and PAK were found to modulate endothelial cell biology, such as sprouting, migration, polarity, proliferation, lumen formation, and maturation. Elucidating the Rac/PAK molecular circuitry will provide essential information for the development of new therapeutic agents designed to normalize the blood vasculature in human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institut Cochin, Universite Paris Descartes, CNRS (UMR 8104), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Eva Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Galan Moya
authors.forename: Armelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le Guelte
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gavard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins