RASGRP2 Suppresses Apoptosis via Inhibition of ROS Production in Vascular Endothelial Cells

ScientificWorldJournal. 2019 Jan 1:2019:4639165. doi: 10.1155/2019/4639165. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

We have identified ras guanyl releasing protein 2 (rasgrp2) as a blood vessel related gene from Xenopus embryo. In addition, we reported that RASGRP2 is also expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). It is known that RASGRP2 activates Ras-related protein 1 (Rap1). However, the function of RASGRP2 in human vascular endothelium remains unknown. Therefore, we performed functional analysis of RASGRP2 using immortalized HUVEC (TERT HUVEC). We established a stable RASGRP2 overexpressing cell line (TERT HUVEC R) and mock cell line (mock). Furthermore, we compared the activity of Rap1 and the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is related to cell death, in both cell lines. Significant increase in Rap1 activity was observed in the TERT HUVEC R compared to the mock. Furthermore, apoptosis by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) stimulation was significantly more reduced in the TERT HUVEC R than in the mock. In the mock, apoptosis induced by TNF-α stimulation was decreased by pretreatment with diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), which is an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase (NOX). However, in the TERT HUVEC R, apoptosis induced by TNF-α stimulation was not reduced after pretreatment of DPI. Furthermore, there was no reduction in ROS production in the TERT HUVEC R after DPI pretreatment. In addition, the difference in the degree of apoptosis induced by TNF-α stimulation in both cell lines was consistent with the difference in ROS production in the cell lines. From these results, it was suggested that RASGRP2 activates Rap1 and the activated Rap1 suppresses apoptosis via NOX inhibition.

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / genetics
  • Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / genetics
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • NADPH Oxidases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Onium Compounds / pharmacology
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • Onium Compounds
  • RASGRP2 protein, human
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • diphenyleneiodonium
  • NADPH Oxidases
  • rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins