Vascular endothelial-cadherin regulates cytoskeletal tension, cell spreading, and focal adhesions by stimulating RhoA.

ABSTRACT: Changes in vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and integrin-mediated cell-matrix adhesion coordinate to affect the physical and mechanical rearrangements of the endothelium, although the mechanisms for such cross talk remain undefined. Herein, we describe the regulation of focal adhesion formation and cytoskeletal tension by intercellular VE-cadherin engagement, and the molecular mechanism by which this occurs. Increasing the density of endothelial cells to increase cell-cell contact decreased focal adhesions by decreasing cell spreading. This contact inhibition of cell spreading was blocked by disrupting VE-cadherin engagement with an adenovirus encoding dominant negative VE-cadherin. When changes in cell spreading were prevented by culturing cells on a micropat

SUBMITTER: Nelson CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC420116 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature