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Query: EC:2.7.11.1 (
protein kinase
)
81,284
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) is an angiogenic polypeptide that has been isolated from a variety of tumorigenic and nontransformed cell lines. Because of the importance of blood vessel growth to cell and tissue development, we have examined
VEGF
gene expression in a variety of mouse tissues and rodent models of cellular differentiation. Using a cloned murine
VEGF
cDNA we show that VEGF mRNA is expressed at relatively low levels in many adult mouse tissues examined. However, this message is dramatically induced in two models of cell differentiation: 3T3-adipose conversion and C2C12 myogenic differentiation.
VEGF
protein secretion is also induced in adipocyte differentiation. VEGF mRNA is markedly regulated in a pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell model of transformation and differentiation. The transformed undifferentiated cells express moderate levels of VEGF mRNA and this expression is virtually extinguished when cells differentiate into non-malignant neuron-like cells. Experiments employing phorbol esters and cAMP analogues indicate that VEGF mRNA expression is stimulated in preadipocytes by both protein kinase C and
protein kinase A
-mediated pathways. These results suggest that VEGF mRNA levels are closely linked to the process of cellular differentiation; they also clearly demonstrate that expression of this angiogenic factor is specifically regulated in a transformed cell line, possibly via aberrant activation of cellular second messenger pathways.
...
PMID:Vascular endothelial growth factor. Regulation by cell differentiation and activated second messenger pathways. 164 16
Collateral blood vessels supplement normal coronary blood flow and coronary blood flow compromised by coronary artery disease, thereby protecting the myocardium from ischemia. Collateral vessel formation is the result of angiogenesis.
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
), also known as vascular permeability factor (VPF), is a secreted mitogen specific for endothelial cells and an extremely potent angiogenic factor. In the present study, VPF/VEGF mRNA and protein were demonstrated to be markedly stimulated in primary rat cardiac myocytes in vitro in response to reduction of the oxygen tension to 1% or inhibition of the electron transport chain. Four isoforms of VPF/
VEGF
were coordinately regulated by hypoxia, including a novel isoform not previously described. Phorbol ester and the depolarizing agent veratridine, stimulators of protein kinase C and calcium influx, respectively, were found to markedly increase VPF/VEGF mRNA expression in cardiac myocytes. Forskolin, a potent stimulator of adenylate cyclase, produced a small but significant increase in VPF/VEGF mRNA expression in the cardiac myocytes. However, only H7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, inhibited the hypoxic induction of VPF/VEGF mRNA; inhibitors of calcium influx and the calcium-calmodulin-dependent
protein kinase
II as well as inhibition of
protein kinase A
did not block the hypoxic induction of VPF/VEGF mRNA. This suggests that more than one signal transduction pathway is involved in regulating VPF/
VEGF
expression. The sensor that regulates the expression of hypoxia-responsive genes has been proposed to be a heme protein. Consistent with this model, transition metals initiate a genetic program similar to hypoxia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
...
PMID:Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor in cardiac myocytes. 772 92
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) is a potent chemotactic agent for endothelial cells. Yet the signalling pathways that modulate the motogenic effects of
VEGF
in vascular endothelial cells are still ill defined. In the present study, we found in primary cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) that
VEGF
increased cell migration and induced a marked reorganization of the microfilament network that was characterized by the formation of stress fibers and the recruitment of vinculin to focal adhesions.
VEGF
also stimulated the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) and p38 (stress activated
protein kinase
-2), but not SAPK1/JNK (stress activated
protein kinase
-1/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase). Activation of p38 resulted in activation of MAP kinase activated protein kinase-2/3 and phosphorylation of the F-actin polymerization modulator, heat shock protein 27 (HSP27). Inhibiting the
VEGF
-induced activation of ERK with PD098059 did not influence actin organization or cell migration but totally inhibited the
VEGF
-induced incorporation of thymidine into DNA. Inhibition of p38 activity by the specific inhibitor SB203580 led to an inhibition of HSP27 phosphorylation, actin reorganization and cell migration. The results indicate that the p38 pathway conveys the
VEGF
signal to microfilaments inducing rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton that regulate cell migration. By modulating cell migration, p38 may thus be an important regulator of angiogenesis.
...
PMID:p38 MAP kinase activation by vascular endothelial growth factor mediates actin reorganization and cell migration in human endothelial cells. 939 75
Rapid activation of intracellular signaling cascades is induced in cardiac myocytes in response to various external stresses.
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) is a potent angiogenic mitogen secreted from tumor cells and cells exposed to hypoxia such as ischemic myocardial cells. To clarify the mechanisms of how cardiac myocytes respond and adapt to ischemic stresses, we investigated the intracellular signaling cascades in cultured rat cardiac myocytes in response to
VEGF
. We show that rapid activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) of
Raf-1
, MAP kinases, and S6 kinase (p90rsk) was induced in cardiac myocytes in response to
VEGF
. This activation of MAP kinases was also induced in fibroblasts.
VEGF
also caused phosphorylation of the activating transcription factor 2. Furthermore,
VEGF
strongly induced a transcription factor jun-B mRNA in cardiac myocytes. These results indicated that MAP kinase pathway is rapidly activated in cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts in response to
VEGF
. It is strongly suggested that cardiac myocytes are one of the targets of
VEGF
and that cardiac response to ischemic stresses may be at least partly mediated by
VEGF
.
...
PMID:Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) activates Raf-1, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, and S6 kinase (p90rsk) in cultured rat cardiac myocytes. 957 68
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) is an endothelium-specific, secreted protein that acts as a vasodilator, angiogenic peptide, and hyperpermeability factor. Recent reports have shown that nitric oxide synthase inhibitors block proliferation and microvascular hyperpermeability induced by
VEGF
. This study examined the mechanisms by which nitric oxide and its downstream signals mediate the
VEGF
-induced proliferative response in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Nitric oxide synthase blockade by Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester prevented both the proliferative effect of
VEGF
and
Raf-1
activation by
VEGF
as measured by cell counting and the capacity of immunoprecipitated
Raf-1
to phosphorylate syntide 2, a
Raf-1
-specific synthetic substrate.
VEGF
-induced proliferation and
Raf-1
kinase activity were also inhibited by Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPs and KT5823, inhibitors of the regulatory and catalytic subunits of
cGMP-dependent protein kinase
(PKG), respectively. The ability of PKG to stimulate proliferation was verified by the observation that the PKG activator, 8-pCPT-cGMPs, stimulated both
Raf-1
kinase activity and endothelial proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, recombinant catalytically active PKG phosphorylated and activated
Raf-1
in a reconstituted system. Finally,
Raf-1
immunoprecipitated from
VEGF
-stimulated endothelial cells coprecipitated with PKG, indicating a direct protein-protein interaction in activated cells. We conclude that
VEGF
induces increases in both proliferation and
Raf-1
kinase activity in HUVECs and these activities are dependent on NO and its downstream effector, PKG.
...
PMID:Protein kinase G mediates vascular endothelial growth factor-induced Raf-1 activation and proliferation in human endothelial cells. 972 88
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are angiogenic molecules whose combined mitogenic activity is potently synergistic. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this synergy is incompletely understood. We examined whether
VEGF
and bFGF affect expression of each other or alter expression of the
VEGF
receptor KDR in retinal capillary endothelial cells. In addition, we investigated the intracellular signaling mechanisms involved in this response.
VEGF
-induced [3H]thymidine uptake was tightly correlated with KDR mRNA and protein concentrations, suggesting that increased KDR expression might account for
VEGF
's synergistic activity in the presence of bFGF. bFGF (10 ng/ml) induced KDR mRNA expression within 4 h and attained a 4.0-fold increase after 24 h. KDR protein expression was increased 7.5-fold after 48 h.
VEGF
(= 50 ng/ml) did not alter bFGF,
VEGF
, or KDR mRNA expression under serum-deprived conditions. In contrast,
VEGF
increased KDR mRNA expression 87% under growth conditions and 2.9-fold under serum-deprived conditions in the presence of bFGF. The protein kinase C (PKC) agonist phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) induced KDR mRNA expression 5.1-fold at 100 nmol/l. bFGF increased p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation within 5 min, reaching a maximum within 15 min and remaining significantly elevated for >6 h. bFGF-induced MAPK phosphorylation and KDR mRNA expression were almost completely inhibited by 5 micromol/l GFX, a non-isoform-selective PKC inhibitor. MAPK inhibitor PD98059 reduced KDR mRNA expression 72% at concentrations that inhibited bFGF-induced MAPK phosphorylation 100%, suggesting that pathways in addition to MAPK might also be involved. Inhibitors of the beta isoform of PKC (LY333531),
protein kinase A
(
PKA
) (H89), and phosphotidylinositol (PI) 3 kinase (wortmannin) had no significant effect. These data suggest that bFGF stimulates KDR expression through a PKC and p44/p42 MAPK-dependent pathway not primarily involving the beta isoform of PKC,
PKA
, or PI-3 kinase. Since bFGF induces
VEGF
expression and since increased KDR expression potentiates
VEGF
action, resulting in additional KDR expression and marked mitogenic activity, these data provide a novel mechanistic explanation for the angiogenic synergy between
VEGF
and bFGF.
...
PMID:Basic fibroblast growth factor induces expression of VEGF receptor KDR through a protein kinase C and p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway. 1033 22
Regulation of endothelial cell apoptosis is a critical modulator of normal and pathological angiogenesis. In this study, we examined the role of the
protein kinase
Akt/PKB in endothelial cell survival in response to growth factor and matrix attachment signals.
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(VEGF)-induced cytoprotection of endothelial cell monolayers correlated with the wortmannin-sensitive induction of Akt activity. Transfection of an adenovirus expressing a dominant-negative Akt mutant decreased endothelial cell viability in the presence of VEGF. Conversely, adenoviral transduction of wild-type Akt facilitated the cell survival effects of VEGF, whereas transduction of constitutively active Akt conferred endothelial cell survival in the absence of VEGF. Constitutively active Akt also conferred survival to endothelial cells in suspension culture, whereas stimulation with VEGF did not. In suspension cultures, VEGF stimulation was unable to activate Akt, and Akt protein levels were repressed in cells undergoing anoikis. These data suggest that cross-talk between growth factor- and anchorage-dependent signaling pathways are essential for Akt activation and endothelial cell survival.
...
PMID:Akt mediates cytoprotection of endothelial cells by vascular endothelial growth factor in an anchorage-dependent manner. 1034 93
Vascular gene transfer potentially offers new treatments for cardiovascular diseases. It can be used to overexpress therapeutically important proteins and correct genetic defects, and to test experimentally the effects of various genes in a local vascular compartment.
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) gene transfers have improved blood flow and collateral development in ischaemic limb and myocardium. Promising therapeutic effects have been obtained in animal models of restenosis or vein-graft thickening with the transfer of genes coding for
VEGF
, nitric-oxide synthase, thymidine kinase, retinoblastoma, growth arrest homoeobox, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases, cyclin or
cyclin-dependent kinase
inhibitors, fas ligand and hirudin, and antisense oligonucleotides against transcription factors or cell-cycle regulatory proteins. First experiences of
VEGF
gene transfer and decoy oligonucleotides in human beings have been reported. However, further developments in gene-transfer vectors, gene-delivery techniques and identification of effective treatment genes will be required before the full therapeutic potential of gene therapy in cardiovascular disease can be assessed.
...
PMID:Cardiovascular gene therapy. 1067 33
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) provokes angiogenesis in vivo and stimulates growth and differentiation of endothelial cells in vitro. Although
VEGF
receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) and VEGFR-2 are known to be high affinity receptors for
VEGF
, it is not clear which of the VEGFRs are responsible for the transmission of the diverse biological responses of
VEGF
. For this purpose we have constructed a chimeric receptor for VEGFR-1 (CTR) and VEGFR-2 (CKR) in which the extracellular domain of each receptor was replaced with the extracellular domain of human colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R), and these receptors were expressed in pig aortic endothelial (PAE) cells. We show that CKR individually expressed in PAE cells is readily tyrosine-phosphorylated in vivo, autophosphorylated in vitro, and stimulates cell proliferation in a CSF-1-dependent manner. In contrast, CTR individually expressed in PAE cells showed no significant in vivo, in vitro tyrosine phosphorylation and cell growth in response to CSF-1 stimulation. The kinase activity of CKR was essential for its biological activity, since mutation of lysine 866 to arginine abolished its in vivo, in vitro tyrosine phosphorylation and mitogenic signals. Remarkably, activation of CTR repressed CKR-mediated mitogen-activate
protein kinase
activation and cell proliferation. Similar effects were observed for VEGFR-2 co-expressed with VEGFR-1. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that VEGFR-2 activation plays a positive role in angiogenesis by promoting endothelial cell proliferation. In contrast, activation of VEGFR-1 plays a stationary role in angiogenesis by antagonizing VEGFR-2 responses.
...
PMID:Receptor chimeras indicate that the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) modulates mitogenic activity of VEGFR-2 in endothelial cells. 1074 27
Vascular endothelial growth factor
(
VEGF
) stimulates endothelial cell (EC) migration. The
protein kinase
Akt activates the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) by phosphorylation of Ser-1177. Therefore, we investigated the contribution of Akt-mediated eNOS phosphorylation to
VEGF
-induced EC migration. Inhibition of NO synthase or overexpression of a dominant negative Akt abrogated
VEGF
-induced cell migration. In contrast, overexpression of constitutively active Akt was sufficient to induce cell migration. Moreover, transfection of an Akt site phospho-mimetic eNOS (S1177D) potently stimulated EC migration, whereas a non-phosphorylatable mutant (S1177A) inhibited
VEGF
-induced EC migration. Our data indicate that eNOS activation via phosphorylation of Ser-1177 by Akt is necessary and sufficient for
VEGF
-mediated EC migration.
...
PMID:Phosphorylation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase at ser-1177 is required for VEGF-induced endothelial cell migration. 1090 31
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