Post-natal neovascularization programs are engaged in pathophysiologic states ranging from tumorigenesis to chronic inflammatory disease. The generation of pro-angiogenic growth factors induces endothelial cells to penetrate the underlying basement membrane, infiltrate the surrounding interstitial tissues and re-assemble to form patent tubules. Paralleling these events, endothelial precursor cells are mobilized and collaborate in neovessel formation by recapitulating vasculogenic programs similar to those activated during development. In both cases, increasing evidence supports a model wherein a family of membrane-anchored matrix metalloproteinases, termed the MT-MMPs, plays a dominant role in endothelial cell invasion programs as well as tubulogenesis. Nevertheless, the molecular events that regulate MT-MMP-dependent proteolysis in vivo remain both undefined and controversial. In considering potential """"""""master switches"""""""" capable of orchestrating pro-angiogenic activity, an analogy might be drawn to the epithelial-mesenchymal cell transition (EMT) programs that control branching morphogenesis in epithelial cells. Like endothelial cells, epithelial cells likewise overlay an intact basement membrane, and can be stimulated to disassemble cell-cell and cell- matrix adhesive interactions, adopt an invasive phenotype and invade surrounding structures to re-form tubulogenic networks. In this latter scenario, the zinc-finger transcriptional repressor, Snail1, has been shown to play a required role in developmental EMT with knockout mice displaying an early embryonic lethal phenotype. As neovascularization bears similarities to classic EMT programs, and Snail1 has recently been shown to regulate MT-MMP-dependent proteolysis, a series of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo preliminary studies were launched as a means to test the hypothesis that Snail1 serves as a critical regulator of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. To this end, we have generated a unique cohort of endothelial cell-specific Snail1-, MT1-MMP- and MT2-MMP-knockout mice as well as MT1-MMP BAC transgenic rescue mice that allow for the testing of a new series of hypotheses that Snail1 serves as a novel inducer of vasculogenesis/angiogenesis by controlling the 3-dimensional mobilization of MT- MMP to invadopodia-like structures via exocyst trafficking. As such, the following three aims are proposed: i) identify Snail1 as a key regulator of postnatal neovascularization, ii) characterize the function and regulation of the Snail1-MT-MMP-exocyst invadopodia axis during endothelial cell invasion and morphogenesis, and iii) define the endothelial cell-specific role of MT1-MMP/MT2-MMP during neovascularization ex vivo and in vivo.

Public Health Relevance

Angiogenesis, or the development of new blood vessels, plays critical roles in health and disease. For example, in the absence of angiogenesis, wounds cannot heal while the pathologic activation of angiogenesis promotes cancer cell growth and metastasis. The outlined project uses sophisticated molecular biology techniques, cutting-edge imaging tools and novel mouse (transgenic/knockout) models to identify the key molecules that regulate blood vessel formation. The characterization of the pro- and anti-angiogenic molecules that control blood vessel formation will have important implications for the development of new therapeutic interventions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01CA088308-11
Application #
8040258
Study Section
Cardiovascular Differentiation and Development Study Section (CDD)
Program Officer
Snyderwine, Elizabeth G
Project Start
2000-07-06
Project End
2016-07-31
Budget Start
2011-09-01
Budget End
2012-07-31
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$313,314
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
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Lin, Yongshun; Li, Xiao-Yan; Willis, Amanda L et al. (2014) Snail1-dependent control of embryonic stem cell pluripotency and lineage commitment. Nat Commun 5:3070
Wu, Zhao-Qiu; Rowe, R Grant; Lim, Kim-Chew et al. (2014) A Snail1/Notch1 signalling axis controls embryonic vascular development. Nat Commun 5:3998
Morell, Montse; Nguyen Duc, Thinh; Willis, Amanda L et al. (2013) Coupling protein engineering with probe design to inhibit and image matrix metalloproteinases with controlled specificity. J Am Chem Soc 135:9139-48
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Wolf, Katarina; Te Lindert, Mariska; Krause, Marina et al. (2013) Physical limits of cell migration: control by ECM space and nuclear deformation and tuning by proteolysis and traction force. J Cell Biol 201:1069-84
Koenig, Gerald C; Rowe, R Grant; Day, Sharlene M et al. (2012) MT1-MMP-dependent remodeling of cardiac extracellular matrix structure and function following myocardial infarction. Am J Pathol 180:1863-78
Shimizu-Hirota, Ryoko; Xiong, Wanfen; Baxter, B Timothy et al. (2012) MT1-MMP regulates the PI3K?·Mi-2/NuRD-dependent control of macrophage immune function. Genes Dev 26:395-413
Kim, Nam Hee; Kim, Hyun Sil; Kim, Nam-Gyun et al. (2011) p53 and microRNA-34 are suppressors of canonical Wnt signaling. Sci Signal 4:ra71
Matus, David Q; Li, Xiao-Yan; Durbin, Sarah et al. (2010) In vivo identification of regulators of cell invasion across basement membranes. Sci Signal 3:ra35

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