[HTML][HTML] Endothelial epsin deficiency decreases tumor growth by enhancing VEGF signaling

S Pasula, X Cai, Y Dong, M Messa… - The Journal of …, 2012 - Am Soc Clin Investig
S Pasula, X Cai, Y Dong, M Messa, J McManus, B Chang, X Liu, H Zhu, RS Mansat, SJ Yoon…
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2012Am Soc Clin Investig
Epsins are a family of ubiquitin-binding, endocytic clathrin adaptors. Mice lacking both
epsins 1 and 2 (Epn1/2) die at embryonic day 10 and exhibit an abnormal vascular
phenotype. To examine the angiogenic role of endothelial epsins, we generated mice with
constitutive or inducible deletion of Epn1/2 in vascular endothelium. These mice exhibited
no abnormal phenotypes under normal conditions, suggesting that lack of endothelial
epsins 1 and 2 did not affect normal blood vessels. In tumors, however, loss of epsins 1 and …
Epsins are a family of ubiquitin-binding, endocytic clathrin adaptors. Mice lacking both epsins 1 and 2 (Epn1/2) die at embryonic day 10 and exhibit an abnormal vascular phenotype. To examine the angiogenic role of endothelial epsins, we generated mice with constitutive or inducible deletion of Epn1/2 in vascular endothelium. These mice exhibited no abnormal phenotypes under normal conditions, suggesting that lack of endothelial epsins 1 and 2 did not affect normal blood vessels. In tumors, however, loss of epsins 1 and 2 resulted in disorganized vasculature, significantly increased vascular permeability, and markedly retarded tumor growth. Mechanistically, we show that VEGF promoted binding of epsin to ubiquitinated VEGFR2. Loss of epsins 1 and 2 specifically impaired endocytosis and degradation of VEGFR2, which resulted in excessive VEGF signaling that compromised tumor vascular function by exacerbating nonproductive leaky angiogenesis. This suggests that tumor vasculature requires a balance in VEGF signaling to provide sufficient productive angiogenesis for tumor development and that endothelial epsins 1 and 2 negatively regulate the output of VEGF signaling. Promotion of excessive VEGF signaling within tumors via a block of epsin 1 and 2 function may represent a strategy to prevent normal angiogenesis in cancer patients who are resistant to anti-VEGF therapies.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation