Enhancement ofin vitro tumor—cell transcellular migration by tumor—cell—secreted endothelial—cell—retraction factor

Permeabilized endothelial cell monolayers retracted on exposure to ATP and Ca2+. ADP, inosine triphosphate (ITP), GTP, adenosine 5'-(gamma-thio)triphosphate (ATP-gamma S), and 5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate failed to support retraction. However, ATP gamma S, a substrate for myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) but not myosin adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase), combined with ITP, a substrate for myosin ATPase but not MLCK, supported retraction. Two MLCK pseudosubstrate peptides, M5 and SM-1, inhibited endothelial cell retraction equally and more effectively than myosin kinase-inhibitory peptide with a sequence based on the phosphorylated site of myosin light chain. M5 was shown to inhibit thiophosphorylation of endothelial cell myosin light chains. Endothelial cells incubated with exogenous unregulated kinase in the presence of ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetra-acetic acid retracted on addition of ATP. This retraction was accompanied by thiophosphorylation of the 19 kDa myosin light chains in the presence of ATP gamma 35S. The N-ethylmaleimide-modified subfragment 1 of myosin heads, a specific inhibitor of actin-myosin interaction, prevented retraction. These data add support to the proposal of a central role for MLCK activation of myosin in endothelial retraction.

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Role of myosin light-chain phosphorylation in endothelial cell retraction

AJP Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajplung.1993.265.6.l606 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 265 (6) ◽

pp. L606-L612 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

R. Sheldon ◽

A. Moy ◽

K. Lindsley ◽

S. Shasby ◽

D. M. Shasby

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cell ◽

Light Chain ◽

Myosin Light Chain ◽

Kinase Inhibitor ◽

Umbilical Vein ◽

Extracellular Calcium ◽

Relative Specificity ◽

Endothelial Cell Retraction ◽

Mlc Phosphorylation ◽

Cell Retraction

Endothelial cells retract centripetally when they are exposed to histamine and when extracellular calcium is chelated. This centripetal retraction implies that a centripetal tension must be expressed in the cells. We asked whether phosphorylation of the light chain of myosin (MLC) was important for the retraction to occur, and, by inference, expression of the tension. In human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells and in porcine pulmonary artery endothelial (PPAE) cells tryptic peptide maps indicated that MLC was phosphorylated by myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK). Activity of MLCK is inhibited by ML-9, a kinase inhibitor with relative specificity for MLCK, and when MLCK is phosphorylated by the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent kinase. Pretreatment of HUVE cells or PPAE cells with ML-9 or forskolin-aminophylline (to increase cell cAMP) reduced basal MLC phosphorylation and prevented an expected increase in MLC phosphorylation following exposure of HUVE cells to histamine. Pretreatment of HUVE cells with ML-9 or forskolin-aminophylline prevented HUVE cell retraction (measured as an increase in permeability of a monolayer of HUVE cells) in response to histamine. Pretreatment of PPAE cells with ML-9 or forskolin-aminophylline prevented PPAE cell retraction in response to chelation of extracellular calcium. These data support the hypothesis that phosphorylation of MLC is an important component of endothelial cell retraction.

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