Abstract. The inhibitor of differentiation 1 (Id1) protein is required for tubulogenesis, but the molecular signalling pathways remain unclear. Overexpression (Id1-t) or downregulation (si-Id1) of Id-1 in cell lines, were used to study the function of Id1. The expression of Id1 and β1-integrin was assessed by Western blotting. Up-regulation of Id1 in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) activated the expression of β1-integrin and promoted cell adhesion and spreading. Conversely, down-regulation of Id1 suppressed β1-integrin expression and inhibited tubulogenesis. By using a β1-integrin antibody to inhibit β1-integrin function, we demonstrated that Id1-induced cell adhesion and tubulogenesis were mediated by β1-integrin. In addition, HUVECs overexpressing Id1 were able to promote capillary tube formation through cytoskeleton reorganization and cell contraction. Finally, the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y27632 inhibited tubulogenesis induced by Id1. Our findings provide evidence that Id1 regulates tubulogenesis in vitro through β1-integrin and Rho-kinase signalling.
IntroductionControlled angiogenesis is vital for normal organ development and tissue repair, while angiogenesis can sustain tumorigenesis and age-related macular degeneration (1). In addition, angiogenesis is a key event in the pathogenesis of some forms of cardiovascular disease (2). Although angiogenesis has been identified as a key development in many progressive diseases, the specific molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis are not well understood.The four Id (inhibitor of differentiation or DNA binding) proteins (Id1-4) all contain a helix-loop-helix motif that inhibits the activity of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors by restraining DNA binding. The Id1 protein has been implicated in the regulation of the cell cycle and in differentiation (3). Since the initial discovery that Id1 is required for angiogenesis (4), Id1 protein induced-angiogenesis has been studied in several experimental systems. Transplantation of mature endothelial cells overexpressing Id1 may serve as a novel and useful strategy for therapeutic angiogenesis (5). Studies have also indicated that the overexpression of Id1 protein was correlated with angiogenesis in tumors (6). Although the molecular mechanisms of Id1-mediated cell proliferation and apoptosis have been identified (7), little is known about the mechanism of Id1-mediated angiogenesis.Angiogenesis is a complex event and requires a wellorchestrated integration of migration, proliferation, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, cell contraction, and survival. Previous studies reported that Id1 can regulate cell migration (5), proliferation (5) and ECM degradation (8). However, cellmatrix adhesion and F-actin cytoskeleton reorganization, which play crucial roles in endothelial cell adhesion during angiogenesis (9,10), were absent. Moreover, cytoskeletal regulatory molecules are probably involved in angiogenesis (11). Furthermore, angiogenesis requires a polarized morphology with a single, broad lamellipod...