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Perturbing Endothelial Biomechanics via Connexin 43 Structural Disruption
Published on: October 4, 2019
Expression and function of utrophin associated protein complex in stretched endothelial cells: dissociation and
Israel Ramirez-Sanchez1, Gillermo Ceballos-Reyes, Haydee Rosas-Vargas
1Unidad de Investigacion Medica en Genetica Humana, Hospital de Pediatria, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI-IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico.
Abstract:
Several studies have emphasized the relevance of dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC) to maintain the vascular function. Previously we postulated the presence of an utrophin associated protein complex (UAPC) in endothelium from umbilical cord vessels. In the present work, we demonstrate that utrophin (UTR) indeed forms a complex, with beta-dystroglycan (DG), epsilon-sarcoglycan (SG), caveolin-1 (cav-1), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) by co-immunoprecipitation analysis. Additionally, we observed an increment in the protein levels of epsilon-SG, beta-DG, UTR and cav-1 after mechanical stretching. Interestingly, this stimulus also induced eNOS up-regulation, activation and release from the UAPC, and led to a significant increase in nitric oxide (NO) production. Finally, we propose that UAPC in HUVECs may play an important role in the regulation of vascular tone.
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