Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) acting through VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) on endothelial cells (ECs) is a key regulator of angiogenesis, a process essential for wound healing and tumor metastasis. Rap1a and Rap1b, 2 highly homologous small G proteins, are both required for angiogenesis in vivo and for normal EC responses to VEGF. Here we sought to determine the mechanism through which Rap1 promotes VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. Using lineage-restricted Rap1-knockout mice we show that Rap1-deficiency in endothelium leads to defective angiogenesis in vivo, in a dose-dependent manner. Using ECs obtained from Rap1-deficient mice we demonstrate that Rap1b promotes VEGF-VEGFR2 kinase activation and regulates integrin activation. Importantly, the Rap1b-dependent VEGF-VEGFR2 activation is in part mediated via integrin α(v)β(3). Furthermore, in an in vivo model of zebrafish angiogenesis, we demonstrate that Rap1b is essential for the sprouting of intersomitic vessels, a process known to be dependent on VEGF signaling. Using 2 distinct pharmacologic VEGFR2 inhibitors we show that Rap1b and VEGFR2 act additively to control angiogenesis in vivo. We conclude that Rap1b promotes VEGF-mediated angiogenesis by promoting VEGFR2 activation in ECs via integrin α(v)β(3). These results provide a novel insight into the role of Rap1 in VEGF signaling in ECs.

Decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability underlies a number of cardiovascular pathologies, including hypertension. The shear stress exerted by flowing blood is the main determinant of NO release. Rap1 promotes integrin-and cadherin-mediated signaling. Here, we show that Rap1 is a critical regulator of NO production and endothelial function. Rap1 deficiency in murine endothelium attenuates NO production and diminishes NO-dependent vasodilation, leading to endothelial dysfunction and hypertension, without deleterious effects on vessel integrity. Mechanistically, Rap1 is activated by shear stress, promotes the formation of the endothelial mechanosensing complex-comprised of PECAM-1, VE-cadherin and VEGFR2-and downstream signaling to NO production. Our study establishes a novel paradigm for Rap1 as a regulator of mechanotransduction.

Objective Small GTPase Rap1b controls several basic cellular phenomena and its deletion in mice leads to several cardiovascular defects, including impaired adhesion of blood cells and defective angiogenesis. We found that Rap1b knockout (Rap1b−/−) mice develop cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension. Therefore, we examined the function of Rap1b in regulation of blood pressure. Approach and Results Rap1b−/− mice developed cardiac hypertrophy and elevated blood pressure, but maintained a normal heart rate. Correcting elevated blood pressure with losartan, an angiotensin II type I receptor alleviated cardiac hypertrophy in Rap1b−/− mice, suggesting a possibility that cardiac hypertrophy develops secondary to hypertension. The indices of renal function and plasma renin activity were normal in Rap1b−/− mice. Ex vivo, we examined whether the effect of Rap1b-deletion on smooth muscle (SM)-mediated vessel contraction and endothelium-dependent vessel dilation, two major mechanisms controlling basal vascular tone, were the basis for the hypertension. We found increased contractility upon stimulation with a thromboxane analogue or Angiotensin II or phenylephrine along with increased inhibitory phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase under basal conditions consistent with elevated basal tone and the observed hypertension. cAMP-dependent-relaxation in response to Rap1 activator, Epac, was decreased in vessels from Rap1b−/− mice. Defective endothelial release of dilatory nitric oxide (NO) in response to elevated blood flow leads to hypertension. We found that NO-dependent vasodilation was significantly inhibited in Rap1b-deficient vessels. Conclusion This is the first report to indicate that Rap1b in both SM and endothelium plays a key role in maintaining blood pressure by controlling normal vascular tone.