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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Screening Assays to Characterize Novel Endothelial Regulators Involved in the Inflammatory Response
Published on: September 15, 2017
VIGR--a novel inducible adhesion family G-protein coupled receptor in endothelial cells
Christian Stehlik1, Renate Kroismayr, Andrea Dorfleutner
1Department of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Medical University of Vienna, and BMT - Biomolecular Therapeutics GmbH, Brunnerstrasse 59, A-1235 Vienna, Austria. cstehlik@hsc.wvu.edu
Abstract:
Using a signal sequence trap for selection of differentially expressed secretory and membrane proteins, we identified a novel member of the adhesion family of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), termed vascular inducible GPCR (VIGR). VIGR contains C1r-C1s, Uegf and Bmp1 (CUB) and pentraxin (PTX)-like modules and a mucin-like spacer, followed by seven transmembrane domains. By surface biotinylation as well as by immunofluorescence analysis we demonstrate that endogenous, highly glycosylated VIGR is expressed on the cell surface of endothelial cells (ECs) upon LPS or thrombin treatment, and inducible expression is mediated by MAP kinases, but not NF-kappaB. We show that VIGR is selectively expressed in ECs derived from larger vessels, but not from microvessels. In summary, VIGR represents a novel GPCR of the adhesion family, which is unique in its long extra-cellular domain comprising CUB and PTX-like modules and in its inducibility by LPS and thrombin in a subset of ECs, suggesting an important function in cell-adhesion and potentially links inflammation and coagulation.
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