Canonical Wnt signaling induces vascular endothelial dysfunction via p66Shc-regulated reactive oxygen species.

OBJECTIVE: Reactive oxygen species regulate canonical Wnt signaling. However, the role of the redox regulatory protein p66(Shc) in the canonical Wnt pathway is not known. We investigated whether p66(Shc) is essential for canonical Wnt signaling in the endothelium and determined whether the canonical Wnt pathway induces vascular endothelial dysfunction via p66(Shc)-mediated oxidative stress. APPROACH AND RESULTS: The canonical Wnt ligand Wnt3a induced phosphorylation (activation) of p66(Shc) in endothelial cells. Wnt3a-stimulated dephosphorylation of ß-catenin, and ß-catenin-dependent transcription, was inhibited by knockdown of p66(Shc). Exogenous H2O2-induced ß-catenin dephosphorylation was also mediated by p66(Shc). Moreover, p66(Shc) overexpression dephosphorylated ß-catenin and increased ß-catenin-dependent transcription, independent of Wnt3a ligand. P66(Shc)-induced ß-catenin dephosphorylation was inhibited by antioxidants N-acetyl cysteine and catalase. Wnt3a upregulated endothelial NADPH oxidase-4, and ß-catenin dephosphorylation was suppressed by knocking down NADPH oxidase-4 and by antioxidants. Wnt3a increased H2O2 levels in endothelial cells and impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in mouse aortas, both of which were rescued by p66(Shc) knockdown. P66(Shc) knockdown also inhibited adhesion of monocytes to Wnt3a-stimulated endothelial cells. Furthermore, constitutively active ß-catenin expression in the endothelium increased vascular reactive oxygen species and impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. In vivo, high-fat diet feeding-induced endothelial dysfunction in mice was associated with increased endothelial Wnt3a, dephosphorylated ß-catenin, and phosphorylated p66(Shc). High-fat diet-induced dephosphorylation of endothelial ß-catenin was diminished in mice in which p66(Shc) was knocked down. CONCLUSIONS: p66(Shc) plays a vital part in canonical Wnt signaling in the endothelium and mediates Wnt3a-stimulated endothelial oxidative stress and dysfunction.

Histone and DNA methylation-mediated epigenetic downregulation of endothelial Kruppel-like factor 2 by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

OBJECTIVE: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol induces endothelial dysfunction and is a major modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease. Endothelial Kruppel-like Factor 2 (KLF2) is a transcription factor that is vital to endothelium-dependent vascular homeostasis. The purpose of this study is to determine whether and how LDL affects endothelial KLF2 expression. APPROACH AND RESULTS: LDL downregulates KLF2 expression and promoter activity in endothelial cells. LDL-induced decrease in KLF2 parallels changes in endothelial KLF2 target genes thrombomodulin, endothelial NO synthase, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Pharmacological inhibition of DNA methyltransferases or knockdown of DNA methyltransferase 1 prevents downregulation of endothelial KLF2 by LDL. LDL induces endothelial DNA methyltransferase 1 expression and DNA methyltransferase activity. LDL stimulates binding of the DNA methyl-CpG-binding protein-2 and histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2, whereas decreases binding of the KLF2 transcriptional activator myocyte enhancing factor-2, to the KLF2 promoter in endothelial cells. Knockdown of myocyte enhancing factor-2, or mutation of the myocyte enhancing factor-2 site in the KLF2 promoter, abrogates LDL-induced downregulation of endothelial KLF2 and thrombomodulin, and KLF2 promoter activity. Similarly, knockdown of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 negates LDL-induced downregulation of KLF2 and thrombomodulin in endothelial cells. Finally, overexpression of KLF2 rescues LDL-induced clotting of platelet-rich plasma on endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: LDL represses endothelial KLF2 expression via DNA and histone methylation. Downregulation of KLF2 by LDL leads to a dysfunctional, hypercoagulable endothelium.

A single-nucleotide variation in a p53-binding site affects nutrient-sensitive human SIRT1 expression.

The SIRTUIN1 (SIRT1) deacetylase responds to changes in nutrient availability and regulates mammalian physiology and metabolism. Human and mouse SIRT1 are transcriptionally repressed by p53 via p53 response elements in their proximal promoters. Here, we identify a novel p53-binding sequence in the distal human SIRT1 promoter that is required for nutrient-sensitive SIRT1 transcription. In addition, we show that a common single-nucleotide (C/T) variation in this sequence affects nutrient deprivation-induced SIRT1 transcription, and calorie restriction-induced SIRT1 expression. The p53-binding sequence lies in a region of the SIRT1 promoter that also binds the transcriptional repressor Hypermethylated-In-Cancer-1 (HIC1). Nutrient deprivation increases occupancy by p53, while decreasing occupancy by HIC1, of this region of the promoter. HIC1 and p53 compete with each other for promoter occupancy. In comparison with the T variation, the C variation disrupts the mirror image symmetry of the p53-binding sequence, resulting in decreased binding to p53, decreased nutrient sensitivity of the promoter and impaired calorie restriction-stimulated tissue expression of SIRT1 and SIRT1 target genes AMPKα2 and PGC-1ß. Thus, a common SNP in a novel p53-binding sequence in the human SIRT1 promoter affects nutrient-sensitive SIRT1 expression, and could have a significant impact on calorie restriction-induced, SIRT1-mediated, changes in human metabolism and physiology.

Epigenetic upregulation of p66shc mediates low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-induced endothelial cell dysfunction.

Hypercholesterolemia characterized by elevation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. p66shc mediates hypercholesterolemia-induced endothelial dysfunction and atheromatous plaque formation. We asked if LDL upregulates endothelial p66shc via changes in the epigenome and examined the role of p66shc in LDL-stimulated endothelial cell dysfunction. Human LDL stimulates human p66shc promoter activity and p66shc expression in human endothelial cells. LDL leads to hypomethylation of two CpG dinucleotides and acetylation of histone 3 in the human p66shc promoter. These two CpG dinucleotides mediate LDL-stimulated p66shc promoter activity. Inhibition or knock down of DNA methyltransferases negates LDL-induced endothelial p66shc expression. p66shc mediates LDL-stimulated increase in expression of endothelial intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) and decrease in expression of thrombomodulin (TM). Mirroring these changes in ICAM1 and TM expression, p66shc mediates LDL-stimulated adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells and plasma coagulation on endothelial cells. These findings indicate that LDL cholesterol upregulates human endothelial p66shc expression via hypomethylation of CpG dinucleotides in the p66shc promoter. Moreover, they show that LDL-stimulated p66shc expression mediates a dysfunctional endothelial cell surface, with proadhesive and procoagulant features.

Histone deacetylase 3 antagonizes aspirin-stimulated endothelial nitric oxide production by reversing aspirin-induced lysine acetylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

RATIONALE: Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is widely used in the treatment and prevention of vascular atherothrombosis. Cardiovascular doses of aspirin also reduce systemic blood pressure and improve endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in patients with atherosclerosis or risk factors for atherosclerosis. Aspirin can acetylate proteins, other than its pharmacological target cyclooxygenase, at lysine residues. The role of lysine acetylation in mediating the effects of low-dose aspirin on the endothelium is not known. OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of lysine acetylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the regulation of endothelial NO production by low-dose aspirin and to examine whether the lysine deacetylase histone deacetylase (HDAC)3 antagonizes the effect of low-dose aspirin on endothelial NO production by reversing acetylation of functionally critical eNOS lysine residues. METHODS AND RESULTS: Low concentrations of aspirin induce lysine acetylation of eNOS, stimulating eNOS enzymatic activity and endothelial NO production in a cyclooxygenase-1-independent fashion. Low-dose aspirin in vivo also increases bioavailable vascular NO in an eNOS-dependent and cyclooxygenase-1-independent manner. Low-dose aspirin promotes the binding of eNOS to calmodulin. Lysine 609 in the calmodulin autoinhibitory domain of bovine eNOS mediates aspirin-stimulated binding of eNOS to calmodulin and eNOS-derived NO production. HDAC3 inhibits aspirin-stimulated (1) lysine acetylation of eNOS, (2) eNOS enzymatic activity, (3) eNOS-derived NO, and (4) binding of eNOS to calmodulin. Conversely, downregulation of HDAC3 promotes lysine acetylation of eNOS and endothelial NO generation. CONCLUSIONS: Lysine acetylation of eNOS is a posttranslational protein modification supporting low-dose aspirin-induced vasoprotection. HDAC3, by deacetylating aspirin-acetylated eNOS, antagonizes aspirin-stimulated endothelial production of NO.

p53 impairs endothelial function by transcriptionally repressing Kruppel-Like Factor 2.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if p53 decreases Kruppel-Like Factor 2 (KLF2) expression and determine whether p53-mediated suppression of KLF2 plays a role in p53-induced endothelial dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Endothelial KLF2 mediates endothelium-dependent vascular homeostasis by differentially regulating endothelial genes, leading to an anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic endothelial surface with normal vasodilatory function. In contrast, the tumor suppressor p53 leads to inflammatory gene expression and impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilatation, thus promoting endothelial dysfunction. The effect of p53 on KLF2 expression was determined. p53 inhibited KLF2 transcription in a histone deacetylase-dependent and a histone acetyltransferase-independent fashion. KLF2 expression was suppressed by p53 via a conserved p53-binding repressor sequence in its promoter. p53 bound to, and stimulated, deacetylation of Histone H3 at the KLF2 promoter. The effect of p53 on endothelial KLF2 target genes was examined. Downregulation of p53 increased expression of endothelial NO synthase and thrombomodulin and inhibited expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1. Conversely, overexpression of p53 suppressed endothelial NO synthase and thrombomodulin expression and stimulated plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and endothelin-1 expression. Knockdown of KLF2 abolished the p53-induced decrease in thrombomodulin and increase in endothelin-1. Both, overexpression of p53 and knockdown of KLF2 in endothelial cells increased blood coagulation on an endothelial cell monolayer. The p53-induced increase in coagulation was rescued by forced expression of KLF2. p53 also impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and decreased bioavailable vascular NO, both of which were rescued by forced KLF2 expression. CONCLUSIONS: These findings illustrate a novel p53-dependent mechanism for the regulation of endothelial KLF2 expression. In addition, they show that downregulation of KLF2, in part, mediates a p53-stimulated dysfunctional endothelium.

SIRT1 deacetylates APE1 and regulates cellular base excision repair.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease-1 (APE1) is an essential enzyme in the base excision repair (BER) pathway. Here, we show that APE1 is a target of the SIRTUIN1 (SIRT1) protein deacetylase. SIRT1 associates with APE1, and this association is increased with genotoxic stress. SIRT1 deacetylates APE1 in vitro and in vivo targeting lysines 6 and 7. Genotoxic insults stimulate lysine acetylation of APE1 which is antagonized by transcriptional upregulation of SIRT1. Knockdown of SIRT1 increases cellular abasic DNA content, sensitizing cells to death induced by genotoxic stress, and this vulnerability is rescued by overexpression of APE1. Activation of SIRT1 with resveratrol promotes binding of APE1 to the BER protein X-ray cross-complementing-1 (XRCC1), while inhibition of SIRT1 with nicotinamide (NAM) decreases this interaction. Genotoxic insult also increases binding of APE1 to XRCC1, and this increase is suppressed by NAM or knockdown of SIRT1. Finally, resveratrol increases APE activity in XRCC1-associated protein complexes, while NAM or knockdown of SIRT1 suppresses this DNA repair activity. These findings identify APE1 as a novel protein target of SIRT1, and suggest that SIRT1 plays a vital role in maintaining genomic integrity through regulation of the BER pathway.

Transcriptional repression of Kruppel like factor-2 by the adaptor protein p66shc.

The adaptor protein p66shc promotes cellular oxidative stress and apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate a novel mechanistic relationship between p66shc and the kruppel like factor-2 (KLF2) transcription factor and show that this relationship has biological relevance to p66shc-regulated cellular oxidant level, as well as KLF2-induced target gene expression. Genetic knockout of p66shc in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) stimulates activity of the core KLF2 promoter and increases KLF2 mRNA and protein expression. Similarly, shRNA-induced knockdown of p66shc increases KLF2-promoter activity in HeLa cells. The increase in KLF2-promoter activity in p66shc-knockout MEFs is dependent on a myocyte enhancing factor-2A (MEF2A)-binding sequence in the core KLF2 promoter. Short-hairpin RNA-induced knockdown of p66shc in endothelial cells also stimulates KLF2 mRNA and protein expression, as well as expression of the endothelial KLF2 target gene thrombomodulin. MEF2A protein and mRNA are more abundant in p66shc-knockout MEFs, resulting in greater occupancy of the KLF2 promoter by MEF2A. In endothelial cells, the increase in KLF2 and thrombomodulin protein by shRNA-induced decrease in p66shc expression is partly abrogated by knockdown of MEF2A. Finally, knockdown of KLF2 abolishes the decrease in the cellular reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide observed with knockdown of p66shc, and KLF2 overexpression suppresses cellular hydrogen peroxide levels, independent of p66shc expression. These findings illustrate a novel mechanism by which p66shc promotes cellular oxidative stress, through suppression of MEF2A expression and consequent repression of KLF2 transcription.

p53 impairs endothelium-dependent vasomotor function through transcriptional upregulation of p66shc.

The transcription factor, p53, and the adaptor protein, p66shc, both play essential roles in promoting oxidative stress in the vascular system. However, the relationship between the two in the context of endothelium-dependent vascular tone is unknown. Here, we report a novel, evolutionarily conserved, p53-mediated transcriptional mechanism that regulates p66shc expression and identify p53 as an important determinant of endothelium-dependent vasomotor function. We provide evidence of a p53 response element in the promoter of p66shc and show that angiotensin II-induced upregulation of p66shc in endothelial cells is dependent on p53. In addition, we demonstrate that downregulation of p66shc expression, as well as inhibition of p53 function in mice, mitigates angiotensin II-induced impairment of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, decrease in bioavailable nitric oxide, and hypertension. These findings reveal a novel p53-dependent transcriptional mechanism for the regulation of p66shc expression that is operative in the vascular endothelium and suggest that this mechanism is important in impairing endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation.

Homocysteine promotes human endothelial cell dysfunction via site-specific epigenetic regulation of p66shc.

AIMS: Hyperhomocysteinaemia is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease and is associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction. Homocysteine modulates cellular methylation reactions. P66shc is a protein that promotes oxidative stress whose expression is governed by promoter methylation. We asked if homocysteine induces endothelial p66shc expression via hypomethylation of CpG dinucleotides in the p66shc promoter, and whether p66shc mediates homocysteine-stimulated endothelial cell dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Homocysteine stimulates p66shc transcription in human endothelial cells and hypomethylates specific CpG dinucleotides in the human p66shc promoter. Knockdown of p66shc inhibits the increase in reactive oxygen species, and decrease in nitric oxide, elicited by homocysteine in endothelial cells and prevents homocysteine-induced up-regulation of endothelial intercellular adhesion molecule-1. In addition, knockdown of p66shc mitigates homocysteine-induced adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells. Inhibition of DNA methyltransferase activity or knockdown of DNA methyltransferase 3b abrogates homocysteine-induced up-regulation of p66shc. Comparison of plasma homocysteine in humans with coronary artery disease shows a significant difference between those with highest and lowest p66shc promoter CpG methylation in peripheral blood leucocytes. CONCLUSION: Homocysteine up-regulates human p66shc expression via hypomethylation of specific CpG dinucleotides in the p66shc promoter, and this mechanism is important in homocysteine-induced endothelial cell dysfunction.

SIRT1 promotes endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

Reduced caloric intake decreases arterial blood pressure in healthy individuals and improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in obese and overweight individuals. The SIRT1 protein deacetylase mediates many of the effects of calorie restriction (CR) on organismal lifespan and metabolic pathways. However, the role of SIRT1 in regulating endothelium-dependent vasomotor tone is not known. Here we show that SIRT1 promotes endothelium-dependent vasodilation by targeting endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) for deacetylation. SIRT1 and eNOS colocalize and coprecipitate in endothelial cells, and SIRT1 deacetylates eNOS, stimulating eNOS activity and increasing endothelial nitric oxide (NO). SIRT1-induced increase in endothelial NO is mediated through lysines 496 and 506 in the calmodulin-binding domain of eNOS. Inhibition of SIRT1 in the endothelium of arteries inhibits endothelium-dependent vasodilation and decreases bioavailable NO. Finally, CR of mice leads to deacetylation of eNOS. Our results demonstrate that SIRT1 plays a fundamental role in regulating endothelial NO and endothelium-dependent vascular tone by deacetylating eNOS. Furthermore, our results provide a possible molecular mechanism connecting the effects of CR on the endothelium and vascular tone to SIRT1-mediated deacetylation of eNOS.