Conditional deletion of FAK in mice endothelium disrupts lung vascular barrier function due to destabilization of RhoA and Rac1 activities.

Background: Mechanisms linking cortical actin with adherens junctions (AJs) required for forming restrictive endothelial barrier remain unclear. Results: We show that neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP) binds AJ constituent, p120-catenin, forms cortical actin, and links AJs with actin. Conclusion: N-WASP stabilizes AJs and thereby maintains endothelial barrier function. Significance: N-WASP represents a novel target for preventing leaky endothelial barrier syndrome.

BSTRACTActivation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) plays a key role in repairing endothelial barrier function. We addressed the role of phosphorylation of the three intracellular tyrosine residues of S1PR1 in endothelial cells in regulating the receptor responsiveness and endothelial barrier function regulated by sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)-mediated activation of S1PR1. We demonstrated that phosphorylation of only Y143 site was required for S1PR1 internalization in response to S1P. Maximal S1PR1 internalization was seen in 20 min but S1PR1 returned to the cell surface within 1 h accompanied by Y143-dephosphorylation. Cell surface S1PR1 loss paralleled defective endothelial barrier enhancement induced by S1P. Expression of phospho-defective (Y143F) or phosphomimicking (Y143D) mutants, respectively, failed to internalize or showed unusually high receptor internalization, consistent with the requirement of Y143 in regulating cell surface S1PR1 expression. Phosphorylation of the five S1PR1 C-terminal serine residues did not affect the role of Y143 phosphorylation in signaling S1PR1 internalization. Thus, rapid reduction of endothelial cell surface expression of S1PR1 subsequent to Y143 phosphorylation is a crucial mechanism of modulating S1PR1 signaling, and hence the endothelial barrier repair function of S1P.