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Vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin): cloning and role in endothelial cell-cell adhesion

J Ali1, F Liao, E Martens

  • 1Department of Cell Physiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, USA.

Microcirculation (New York, N.Y. : 1994)
|June 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) as key for endothelial cell junction integrity. This cell adhesion molecule promotes calcium-dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion, crucial for maintaining endothelial monolayer integrity.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Intercellular junction integrity is vital for endothelial cell function.
  • Identifying specific proteins involved in these junctions is crucial for understanding vascular biology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify proteins responsible for intercellular junction integrity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).
  • To characterize and clone the identified endothelial cell-specific protein for functional studies.

Main Methods:

  • Production of a monoclonal antibody recognizing an endothelial cell-specific protein.
  • Immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation to determine antigen size and distribution.
  • Cloning and transfection of the antigen into cell lines to assess its role in cell-cell adhesion and growth.

Main Results:

  • Monoclonal antibody hec1 recognizes VE-cadherin, an endothelial cell-restricted cell adhesion molecule.
  • VE-cadherin localizes to endothelial cell borders, mediating calcium-dependent homophilic adhesion.
  • Transfection of VE-cadherin into fibroblasts confers adhesion properties without affecting growth rate.

Conclusions:

  • VE-cadherin functions as a classic cadherin, mediating calcium-dependent homophilic cell adhesion.
  • VE-cadherin plays a significant role in maintaining the integrity of endothelial cell monolayers.
Abstract

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