title: Endothelial permeability and VE-cadherin: a wacky comradeship.
abstract: The endothelium forms a selective semi-permeable barrier controlling bidirectional transfer between blood vessel and irrigated tissues. This crucial function relies on the dynamic architecture of endothelial cell-cell junctions, and in particular, VE-cadherin-mediated contacts. VE-cadherin indeed chiefly organizes the opening and closing of the endothelial barrier, and is central in permeability changes. In this review, the way VE-cadherin-based contacts are formed and maintained is first presented, including molecular traits of its expression, partners, and signaling. In a second part, the mechanisms by which VE-cadherin adhesion can be disrupted, leading to cell-cell junction weakening and endothelial permeability increase, are described. Overall, the molecular basis for VE-cadherin control of the endothelial barrier function is of high interest for biomedical research, as vascular leakage is observed in many pathological conditions and human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Cnrs; UMR8104; Paris, France; Inserm; U1016; Paris, France; Universite Paris Descartes; Sorbonne Paris Cite; Paris, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gavard
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000235:genetics*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000235:genetics*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism; D000099152:Cadherin 5
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D051176:beta Catenin; D000099152:Cadherin 5
keywords: VE-cadherin; VEGF; catenins; endothelial cells; internalization; permeability; phosphorylation; vascular barrier