Rôle des microarns dans la régulation de la voie pro-migratoire p38 activée par le VEGF
Authors: | Pin, Anne-Laure |
Advisor: | Huot, Jacques |
Abstract: | Endothelial cell migration in response to VEGF is a crucial step of angiogenesis. VEGF binding to its receptor VEGFR2 results in the autophosphorylation of the receptor at tyrosine 1214, which induces the downstream activation of the p38 MAP-kinase pathway leading to actin cytoskeleton remodeling and cell migration. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding RNAs that regulate post-transcriptionally gene expression. We identified two microRNAs, miR-20a and miR-196a, whose levels of expression were increased and decreased respectively in response to VEGF in endothelial cells. Both microRNAs modulate VEGF dependent-endothelial cell cytoskeleton remodeling, migration and angiogenesis. Also, we described that they are involved in regulating the p38 pathway. First, miR-20a acts upstream of p38, and negatively regulates MKK3 by specifically binding on MKK3 3’UTR. As MKK3 is a direct activator of p38 in response to VEGF, overexpression of miR-20a impairs p38 activation, the downstream activation of MAPKAPK2 and the phosphorylation of HSP27. Consequently, miR-20a reduces stress fibers formation, and subsequent endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis. We conclude that miR-20a may act in a feedback loop to regulate the p38 pathway-mediated VEGF-induced endothelial cell migration. Then, miR-196a is decreased in response to VEGF and we demonstrate its specific binding on ANXA1 3’UTR. In accordance with our previous work demonstrating that ANXA1 is important for VEGF-induced endothelial migration downstream of p38 pathway, overexpression of miR-196a impairs lamellipodia and endothelial cell migratory capacities upon VEGF treatment, leading to angiogenic defects. We conclude that miR-196a acts in a synergetic mechanism with VEGF to facilitate endothelial cell migration, by maintaining high level of the pro-migratory protein ANXA1. Finally, our results implicate miR-20a and miR-196a in the angiogenic process and give new insights in p38 pathway-dependent endothelial cell migration regulation in response to VEGF. The present work opens new avenues for strategies and future development of therapeutics in line with the treatment of angiogenic pathologies. |
Document Type: | Thèse de doctorat |
Issue Date: | 2012 |
Open Access Date: | 18 April 2018 |
Permalink: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11794/23510 |
Grantor: | Université Laval |
Collection: | Thèses et mémoires |
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