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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Purification of the Dendritic Filopodia-rich Fraction
Published on: May 2, 2019
Neuropilin-1-VEGFR-2 complexing requires the PDZ-binding domain of neuropilin-1
Claudia Prahst1, Mélanie Héroult1, Anthony A Lanahan2
1Joint Research Division Vascular Biology of the Medical Faculty Mannheim (CBTM), University of Heidelberg, and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract:
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) acts as a hierarchically high switch of the angiogenic cascade by interacting with its high affinity VEGF receptors and with neuropilin co-receptors. VEGF(165) binds to both Neuropilin-1 (NP-1) and VEGFR-2, and it is believed that ligand binding forms an extracellular bridge between both molecules. This leads to complex formation, thereby enhancing VEGFR-2 phosphorylation and subsequent signaling. We found that inhibition of VEGF receptor (VEGFR) phosphorylation reduced complex formation between NP-1 and VEGFR-2, suggesting a functional role of the cytoplasmic domain of VEGFR-2 for complex formation. Correspondingly, deleting the PDZ-binding domain of NP-1 decreased complex formation, indicating that extracellular VEGF(165) binding is not sufficient for VEGFR-2-NP-1 interaction. Synectin is an NP-1 PDZ-binding domain-interacting molecule. Experiments in Synectin-deficient endothelial cells revealed reduced VEGFR-2-NP-1 complex formation, suggesting a role for Synectin in VEGFR-2-NP-1 signaling. Taken together, the experiments have identified a novel mechanism of NP-1 interaction with VEGFR-2, which involves the cytoplasmic domain of NP-1.
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