Abstract
Vascular endothelial cadherin, VE-cadherin, mediates adhesion between endothelial cells and may affect vascular morphogenesis via intracellular signaling, but the nature of these signals remains unknown. Here, targeted inactivation (VEC-/-) or truncation of the beta-catenin-binding cytosolic domain (VECdeltaC/deltaC) of the VE-cadherin gene was found not to affect assembly of endothelial cells in vascular plexi, but to impair their subsequent remodeling and maturation, causing lethality at 9.5 days of gestation. Deficiency or truncation of VE-cadherin induced endothelial apoptosis and abolished transmission of the endothelial survival signal by VEGF-A to Akt kinase and Bcl2 via reduced complex formation with VEGF receptor-2, beta-catenin, and phosphoinositide 3 (PI3)-kinase. Thus, VE-cadherin/ beta-catenin signaling controls endothelial survival.
MeSH Terms
Animals
Antigens, CD
Apoptosis/physiology
Cadherins/genetics
Cell Survival/physiology
Cytoskeletal Proteins/physiology
Cytosol/chemistry,physiology
DNA Primers
Endothelial Growth Factors/physiology
Endothelium, Vascular/chemistry,cytology,ultrastructure
Fetus/cytology
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Hematopoiesis/physiology
In Situ Nick-End Labeling
Intercellular Junctions/physiology
Lymphokines/physiology
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Microscopy, Electron
Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
Neovascularization, Physiologic/physiology
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/physiology
Receptors, Growth Factor/physiology
Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
Signal Transduction/physiology
Trans-Activators
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
beta Catenin
Chemicals
Antigens, CD
CTNNB1 protein, mouse
Cadherins
Cytoskeletal Proteins
DNA Primers
Endothelial Growth Factors
Lymphokines
Receptors, Growth Factor
Trans-Activators
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
beta Catenin
cadherin 5
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
Authors & Affiliations
23 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Carmeliet P
Center for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium.
[email protected]
Lampugnani M G
Moons L
Breviario F
Compernolle V
Bono F
Balconi G
Spagnuolo R
Oosthuyse B
Dewerchin M
Zanetti A
Angellilo A
Mattot V
Nuyens D
Lutgens E
Clotman F
de Ruiter M C
Gittenberger-de Groot A
Poelmann R
Lupu F
Herbert J M
Collen D
Dejana E