Cross-talk between signaling and metabolism in the vasculature

The link between signaling and metabolism was first recognized with insulin signal transduction. Efficient glucose uptake by the endothelium requires insulin receptor activation to deliver GLUT receptors to the cell surface. More recently however, additional evidence has emerged for a broader crosstalk as signaling events have been shown to regulate a large number of metabolic enzymes. Changes in the metabolic status of endothelial and smooth muscle cells are observed at times of increased proliferative activity and these coincide with activation of cell surface receptors. Intriguingly, a rise in glycolysis appears to be associated with remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton during migration and angiogenesis. Overall, understanding how do signaling and metabolic pathways intersect and cross-regulate each other has become an important question and an emerging cornerstone in vascular biology.