Thrombin-mediated ET-1 gene regulation involves CaM kinases and calcineurin in human endothelial cells

The preproendothelin-1 (preproET-1) gene is induced by thrombin after phosphorylation of nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase pathways. This study investigated the contribution of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent intracellular signaling cascades to this pathway and measured ET-1 mRNA levels by Northern blot analysis in human endothelial cells. Increased intracellular Ca2+ levels in response to Ca2+ ionophore or Ca2+ ATPase inhibitors tert-butylhydroquinone and thapsigargin mimicked thrombin actions on ET-1 mRNA induction. Thrombin-mediated activation of ET-1 mRNA was reduced by specific calmodulin antagonists W7 or calmidazolium and after inhibition of CaM kinase II by KN-62. Inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin by cyclosporin A, however, stimulated ET-1 mRNA in human endothelial cells. Phosphotyrosine immunoblot assays show that calcium/calmodulin-dependent signaling pathways precede thrombin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation, and that the calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin also exerts its effects via activation of protein tyrosine kinases. These observations demonstrate that thrombin stimulates the preproET-1 gene in human endothelial cells through calcium-dependent activation of CaM kinase and protein tyrosine kinases, and that calcineurin may also participate in regulation of the prepro ET-1 gene.